New 'shield' protects healthcare workers caring for COVID-19 patients A team of researchers from the National University of Singapore (NUS) has invented a foldable tent-like device that serves as a physical shield to reduce the risk of exposure to pathogens for healthcare workers performing droplet and aerosol generating procedures on COVID-19 patients. Known as the Droplet and Aerosol Reducing Tent (DART), the device was designed in collaboration with doctors from the National University Hospital (NUH). The DART can lessen the risks of infection associated with procedures such as suctioning, intubation and extubation by providing an extra layer of protection between the healthcare workers and the patient. It also helps to limit environmental contamination, which can be a source of transmission. The NUS team was led by Professor Freddy Boey, NUS Deputy President (Innovation & Enterprise), and Associate Professor Yen Ching-Chiuan, Co-Director of the Keio-NUS CUTE Center. The team comprises Dr Alfred Chia from NUS Department of Biomedical Engineering, Mr Eason Chow from Keio-NUS CUTE Center, doctoral student Mr Raymond Hon from the NUS Division of Industrial Design as well as researchers from the NUS Faculty of Engineering. The NUS team worked with Dr Deborah Khoo, Dr Wong Weng Hoa, Associate Professor Ti Lian Kah and Associate Professor Sophia Ang from the NUH Department of Anaesthesia. The multi-disciplinary team took less than two months to develop DART and validate its performance. "The quick invention and deployment of DART was made possible through a close collaboration between the NUS and NUH teams, which allowed multiple refinements to be made to the prototypes within a very short time. The NUS team was able to come up with the various designs while adhering to the restrictions of the circuit breaker period, and found different ways to address design and performance related challenges when many resources were not available. The NUH team was instrumental in testing our prototypes in a clinical setting, allowing us to interactively and rapidly refine the performance of the device," shared Prof Boey. Extra protection for frontline healthcare workers The COVID-19 pandemic dramatically increased the need for infection control when intubating patients. Intubation is the placement of a flexible plastic tube into the windpipe to maintain an open airway or to serve as a conduit through which to administer certain drugs. The removal of this plastic tube is known as extubation. These are risky procedures that may put healthcare workers in danger of becoming infected. Evidence from the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) outbreak in 2003 showed that healthcare workers involved in intubation were more likely to contract the disease compared with those who did not. This risk has similar implications for the current coronavirus outbreak, affecting anaesthesiologists, operating theatre staff, intensive care unit staff, and even first responders who are required to intubate collapsed patients in the COVID-19 general ward. Dr Khoo, a Consultant at the NUH Department of Anaesthesia, said, "Healthcare workers caring for patients run the risk of being exposed to known, suspected, or even asymptomatic COVID-19 patients. The DART serves as an additional physical barrier to infection and provides enhanced protection for healthcare staff at a time when they need it the most, giving us greater peace of mind and enabling care to continue safely for both patients and healthcare workers in the hospitals." Practical and versatile solution The DART is a portable, tent-like structure that that can be placed around the patient's head when intubating or extubating. It weighs three kilograms, and can be folded into a flat structure measuring around 51 centimetres by 55 centimetres, with a thickness of three centimetres, making it easy to transport, store and sterilise. It is also simple and fast to set up. The device features transparent polycarbonate panels, 3D printed nylon joints and Delrin inserts. These durable materials were chosen by the NUS team to enable the device to be sterilised by all standard forms of decontamination used in hospitals, such as elevated temperature autoclaving, and using alcohol of 70 per cent concentration. This facilitates the reusability of the device, and eliminates the risk of cross-contamination. Arm access ports are situated on the back and side panels of the device. The snap-on flanges allow the attachment of disposable sleeves or diaphragms. This addresses the concern of the arm ports being high risk areas of contamination, and gives the healthcare workers the option to use either sleeved or diaphragm seals - materials easily available in hospitals - according to their preference. The elliptical shape of the access ports gives the user more leeway for arm movements and to manoeuvre, which are important in handling the patient. A key feature of the DART is its ability to direct air within itself through a High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter. It has a set of connectors that enables suction from a central vacuum system, or by a battery-operated fan attached to a HEPA filter. The negative pressure generated reduces leakage of exhaled aerosols or droplets from the patient out of the confines of the DART. Preliminary findings by the research team showed that the DART performs its barrier function as designed, and the exhaust function via the HEPA filter gives additional assurance to the user. Prototype testing in Singapore hospitals The research team has produced 25 prototypes which are being tested in different departments and hospitals of the National University Health System (namely NUH, Ng Teng Fong General Hospital and Alexandra Hospital), Tan Tock Seng Hospital, Changi General Hospital, Thomson Medical Centre, and several private hospitals operated by Parkway Hospitals Singapore. The team is looking to swiftly refine the DART based on the feedback provided by different medical departments, and hopes to provide the device as a form of medical aid to Singapore hospitals as well as hospitals in the region. The team will be partnering Temasek Foundation to distribute the DART, complementing its donation of ventilators to the region. The DART is one of the innovations developed by NUS and NUH to tackle pressing issues that healthcare workers face in the current global pandemic. Since the start of the crisis, NUS has been proactively participating in the fight against COVID-19 on different fronts, with research ranging from rapid diagnostics to case connections and vaccine development, as well as harnessing information and technology solutions to explore everything from modelling public health to fighting false rumours online. NUH has also been on the front line of the battle against COVID-19, as a tertiary hospital that has treated more than 900 COVID-19 patients to date. ### This story has been published on: 2020-07-01. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. New Braunfels, TX (78130) Today Cloudy skies this morning will become partly cloudy this afternoon. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High around 95F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph.. Tonight Partly cloudy with late night showers or thunderstorms. Low near 70F. ESE winds shifting to NNE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50%. Woodville, AL (35768) Today Scattered thunderstorms during the morning becoming more widespread this afternoon. Storms may contain strong gusty winds. High 83F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 90%.. Tonight Thunderstorms this evening will give way to steady rain overnight. Low 64F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Enlisting the U.S. Army after high school was a given for Bert Shearer. He was raised by parents who believed all young people should give service to their country, and Shearer said he embraced that mindset and was eager to enlist. Growing up, it was something I wanted to do, he said. I went in as a 17-year-old kid. I finished high school early so I could go. Shearer enlisted in the army from 1978 to 1981, served in the National Guard for one year, and went back into the active army from 1982 to 1985. His occupation in the military was a target acquisition radar specialist. His primary mission was to locate either hostile artillery or find enemy ground troops as ground surveillance radar. He was stationed initially in Texas and then was sent to Germany where he stayed for a year-and-a-half in the third infantry division. The Cold War was pretty well at its height, and we were always told if there was ever aggression on the part of the Soviets they would most likely come through the Fulda Gap, he said. That was the area we were in, and it was basically explained to us we were there to slow them down so they could get reinforcements. Support Local Journalism Now, more than ever, the world needs trustworthy reportingbut good journalism isnt free. Please support us by making a contribution. Contribute While there, Shearer worked as a counter-battery, counter-mortar radar, which entailed detecting artillery and mortars. Shearer completed several simulation experiences in Germany where there would be live fire, and he had to locate the guns and complete mock missions to destroy those guns. When he returned stateside, Shearer was stationed in Georgia and completed more training missions in California and New York. During training missions in California, Shearer said they basically played war in the desert. You had aggressor forces, and you would operate just as if you were in a true hostile environment. We would deploy. We would go out at night and set up and run missions, trying to locate emergency ground troops and vehicles, he said. Using radar and audio, Shearer could differentiate between whether they were ground troops approaching, tracked vehicles, or wheeled vehicles. If it was a moving vehicle, he could calculate, if it was on a known road, the speed it was going and signal a call for a fire mission. Theyd then simulate a call-for-fire mission to destroy the vehicle. Theyd complete the simulations for three weeks at a time, Shearer said, adding that it was intense and very good training. After getting out of the army, Shearer worked at area factories. He said the army gave him a solid foundation that helped him throughout his life. You learn self-discipline. That was a big thing right there. You learn the ability to lead others because youre put in that position, and youre given an awful lot of responsibility at a very young age, Shearer said. With 17 years in the U.S. military both reserve and active duty Kellin Hardin knows the challenges service members face. After earning her psychology degree from Indiana University Kokomo in May, shes ready to begin the next phase and earn her masters and counsel veterans. When you talk to military members, its hard for them to relate to someone who hasnt had those experiences, said Hardin, who has been accepted into IU Kokomos mental health counseling graduate program. Theres a whole subculture that goes with being in the military. Many of them would be more comfortable talking to someone who has been there, who understands the struggles. Mental health issues often get overlooked among service members, and she wants to make a difference. Ive seen the struggles that go with military service. Unfortunately, we still have a way to go, she said. In earlier times, if you had any mental health issues, your career was pretty much over if you admitted you were struggling. There were a lot of people who never got the treatment they needed. I want to do something to help. Her plan is to do that work on a volunteer basis while continuing her active duty service and then potentially make a career of it after retiring from the Air Force. Shes had a long journey to get where she is today, with 13 years from her first undergraduate class to graduation. During that time shes served three deployments. Hardin joined the U.S. Army Reserves after graduating from Maconaquah High School in 2003, with a plan to study culinary arts in Miami. Support Local Journalism Now, more than ever, the world needs trustworthy reportingbut good journalism isnt free. Please support us by making a contribution. Contribute I needed a way to pay for college, and the military is a family tradition, she said, adding that her parents were in the Navy, her grandfather was in the Army, and she had uncles in the Marines and the Air Force. When her culinary arts program didnt work for her, Hardin returned to Indiana where she joined the Air Force Reserves and began working at Grissom Air Reserve Base. Hardin enrolled at IU Kokomo as a business major, with the idea of opening a catering business at some point, but found it wasnt interesting to her. After completing a career assessment on campus, she switched to psychology. Right from the start, she was in the right place. Life was part-time college while working and serving in the reserves. Occasionally, Hardin took off a semester or two for deployments and other obligations. In December 2019, she transitioned from reserves to active duty, which offers her the chance to retire earlier with better benefits for her family. It also allows her to attain higher rank. Hardin is currently a senior master sergeant, working in aviation resource management. I love what I do, because there is something new every day, she said. With active duty, I still have the same job and I still wear the uniform every day. It was a good opportunity for me. Because shes been deployed recently, Hardin will not have to worry about being interrupted during her two years to complete her masters. The program offers evening classes, which will allow her to continue to work. Hardin is proud of the example shes setting for her son, 11, and daughter, 9, about the importance of higher education. Its exciting for me, because not very many in our family have even completed an undergraduate degree, she said. My mom graduated from college in her 40s, so the fact I could graduate and start a masters program and have that before Im 40, thats an achievement. Kokomo High School 2005 graduate Chris Janssen grew up in a military family, and he always knew hed join the Marine Corps after high school. Janssen enjoyed living in Japan and California as a child and admired his father, who was in the Marine Corps. So in 2005, his own time with the service began. I just knew I was going to go, and it was basically for God and country, Janssen said. Janssen completed boot camp in San Diego along with Marine Combat Training (MCT) before heading to Fort Leonard Wood for motor transport school. He was stationed in Camp Lejeune in North Carolina with the 2nd Marine Logistics Group. His time stateside came to a halt in 2007 when he received a temporary assigned duty to the second maintenance battalion and orders to go to Iraq. When he received those orders, he said he was happy to go. You might think Im crazy, but I was just happy to be in it, happy to be there, Janssen said. In Iraq, Janssen worked with the second medical battalion as security for a hospital. His job was to disarm anyone who came to the hospital, whether it was via helicopter, Humvee, or any other means. We checked them over, took their weapon and things like that from them. That way the doctors could do their job, he said. While there, Janssen saw a lot that caused him to later experience post-traumatic stress disorder, but he was able to see a lot of good, as well, he said. Support Local Journalism Now, more than ever, the world needs trustworthy reportingbut good journalism isnt free. Please support us by making a contribution. Contribute At the hospital he worked at, it opened its doors once a week to anybody who needed medical attention at no cost to them, including flu shots, x-rays, dental, surgeries, and the like. From being in there, I got to see what we did for the civilians on the medical side, he said. Whatever they needed, we hooked them up with it." After seven months, Janssen returned to his parent command in the U.S. and spent a couple of years there before he received new orders to return to Iraq. While he said he wanted to complete that tour of duty as well, his doctors denied it due to PTSD. It was just one of those unfortunate things. I wanted to go, but the doctors wouldnt allow me. So my hands were tied, he said. In 2008, Janssen reenlisted and trained in a new occupation. This time, he went to 1833 Assault Amphibious School in San Diego where he was trained in assault amphibian vehicle (AVV) operation and maintenance. Over the years, a service-connected back injury became severe, and Janssens time in service with the Marine Corps ended in 2012. While he said he had hoped to spend 20 years with the Marines, he was grateful for the nearly eight years he was able to give. He said the lessons he was taught were invaluable. I learned how to be a part of a team, and sometimes being part of a team means you have to lead. So I was taught how to lead, but I was also taught how to follow if I need to, Janssen said. Some people think theyre either a leader or a follower, but its both ways. After enlisting in the U.S. Navy in 1978 right out of high school, Deb Rahe spent a lot of time paying attention to the sky. Rahe attended boot camp in Orlando, Fla., and was sent to her first assignment at Naval Air Station Oceana in Virginia Beach where she did yeoman work in the ready room with pilots. Soon after, she earned a top secret clearance in communications for the pilots and for the squadron. Because I had top-secret clearance, I would get their communications ready for their missions they had to do every single day, she said. She was in the VC-2 squadron, which towed targets for other squadrons to practice on. While there, Rahe worked one-on-one with the pilots and had the opportunity to take a flight physiology class that earned her a backseat clearance to fly in jets with the pilots. They let me steer every now and then, and it was pretty exciting. I never once got sick but came pretty close, she said. Rahe left Naval Air Station Oceana in November 1979, and by that time she had decided what she wanted to do as an occupation in the military. She wanted to become a pilot herself, but her vision proved to be a hindrance. She was denied. Her backup plan was to become an aerographers mate, or weather guesser as she said they often were called. Being from the Midwest, she said she always loved thunderstorms and was interested in the weather. She was sent to Chanute Air Force Base in Illinois where training was conducted for all branches of the military. There, she was promoted to a red rope the highest leadership position a student could hold while still in technical school. I started out as a yellow, and I went to a red rope. I was the senior student leader, mainly because Id already had a year-and-a-half in. Most people were right out of boot camp, she said. In those days, aerographers plotted maps using data from other weather sources to determine weather conditions and weather patterns. Now, its all done by computer. Support Local Journalism Now, more than ever, the world needs trustworthy reportingbut good journalism isnt free. Please support us by making a contribution. Contribute In those days, we relied on a lot of pencils, a lot of symbols, Rahe said. After training, she was transferred Norfolk, Va., to a National Emergency Operations Center where she worked as an aerographers mate, and she also spent time working in Monterrey, Calif. One of her main responsibilities as an aerographers mate was to run the TV camera while her commanding officer gave the daily weather broadcast that would go out to the ships in the area. The reports would come in handy especially for the ships during heavy storms as the captains could reroute their plans so their ships wouldnt sustain damage. Working in weather, Rahe and her coworkers had access to satellite imaging, and she was able to watch Mount St. Helens erupt in 1980 in real-time. That was kind of crazy. Nowadays, you see that stuff instantly. Its on Facebook and everything, but back in those days, it wasnt like that. We didnt know what it was at first, and then of course we were informed, she said. Another incident that year that Rahe said she always would remember was when a coworker went missing. He was learning how to fly a plane when his aircraft went down. He was heading over the Pacific Ocean, but according to the radar, he did hit land. We did a lot of search and rescue, but we never found him. That was sad, very sad, Rahe said. In Monterrey and the Big Sur area, theres mountains and everything. That was terrible. After four years, Rahe got out of the Navy, but her husband, with whom she had two children, continued. She stayed with the military as a dependent wife until her husband retired in 1999. Over those years, she enjoyed living on different bases, especially in Alaska. Today, Rahe works at the Howard County Veterans Service Office. She said she was thankful for her time in the military. It really inspired me with self-esteem, self-assurance but not in a cocky way. You know how to be strong and do for your fellow man because, still to this day, I take pride in saying I served my country, Rahe said. Below are the arrests from June 29 and June 30 by Kokomo Police Department. All those charged are presumed innocent until proven guilty. Jason Alspaugh, 48, was arrested on June 29 at 9:37 p.m. at 1336 E. Taylor St. He was arrested on warrants for possession of meth and possession of paraphernalia. Max Arvin, 41, was arrested on June 29 at 9 p.m. at 1225 E. Taylor St. He was arrested on a warrant for theft. Theresa Bates, 42, was arrested on June 30 at 12:36 a.m. at 1621 E. Markland Ave. She was charged with OWI (class A misdemeanor). Makaila Clark, 18, was arrested on June 30 at 2:10 a.m. at 615 N. Washington St. She was charged with possession of meth (level 6 felony) and possession of paraphernalia (class C misdemeanor). Deangelo Easton, 28, was arrested on June 30 at 2:56 a.m. at 800 E. Hoffer St. HE was charged with possession of marijuana (class B misdemeanor). Ed Grant, 47, was arrested on June 29 at 11:40 p.m. at the intersection of Mulberry and Webster streets. He was charged with possession of a syringe (level 6 felony), possession of cocaine or a narcotic drug (level 6 felony), and possession of paraphernalia (class C misdemeanor). Jeffrey Griner, 61, was arrested on June 29 at 10:58 p.m. at the intersection of Lafountain and North streets. He was arrested on a warrant for theft. Mark Hinkle, 35, was arrested on June 29 at 7:34 p.m. at 1501 E. Sycamore St. He was charged with possession of meth (level 6 felony). Support Local Journalism Now, more than ever, the world needs trustworthy reportingbut good journalism isnt free. Please support us by making a contribution. Contribute Richard Jackson, 55, was arrested on June 29 at 5:18 p.m. at the intersection of North and Ohio streets. He was charged with RLE (class A misdemeanor) and possession of meth (level 6 felony). Demetrice Lay, 37, was arrested on June 29 at 7:10 p.m. at 1920 E. Markland Ave. He was charged with auto theft (level 6 felony), possession of a firearm by a serious violent felon (level 4 felony), possession of a scheduled drug (class A misdemeanor), and also arrested on a warrant from Missouri. Rhiannon Quinn, 34, was arrested on June 29 at 6:10 p.m. at the intersection of Markland Avenue and Park Street. Quinn was charged with OWI (class A misdemeanor). Kharls Rallings, 26, was arrested on June 30 at 2:40 a.m. at 800 E. Hoffer St. He was charged with DWS (class A misdemeanor). Kenneth Huntsman, 27, was arrested on June 30 at 10:45 p.m. at 100 E. Fischer St. He was arrested on a warrant for fraud. Basil McCoy, 29, was arrested on June 30 at 2:49 p.m. at 1907 W. Sycamore St. McCoy was arrested on a warrant for possession of a syringe. Alicia Meranda, 31, was arrested on June 30 at 8:27 p.m. at 1623 N. Buckeye St. She was arrested on warrants for possession of a legend drug and escape. Shannon Morgan, 50, was arrested on June 30 at 8:19 p.m. at the intersection of Jay Street and Markland Avenue. Morgan was arrested on a warrant for IOP. Jeremy Rogers, 35, was arrested on June 30 at 11 p.m. at 2200 E. Lincoln Road. He was arrested for RLE (class A misdemeanor) and warrants for FTA and RLE. Glowing dye may aid in eliminating cancer "Clean margins" are a goal of cancer excision surgery. If even a small piece of cancerous tissue is left behind, it increases the likelihood of a local recurrence and spread of the disease, possibly reducing overall survival time. With an innovative approach to cancer surgery, researchers at the University of Pennsylvania are investigating a technique to help surgeons clearly see whether they've left any diseased tissue behind. Using a dye that glows under near-infrared light and preferentially accumulates in cancer cells, they performed surgery to remove mammary tumors from dogs treated at the School of Veterinary Medicine's Ryan Hospital. They found that the technique was able to illuminate not only the tumors but also cancer that had spread to the lymph nodes. Mammary cancer in dogs is akin to human breast cancer in many key ways. The research team believes that, with a different dye that is more specifically targeted to cancer cells, a parallel technique could improve outcomes in breast cancer patients who opt for breast-conserving surgery to treat their disease, The researchers reported this in the journal PLOS ONE. "Doing this kind of research has two main benefits," says David Holt, a veterinary surgeon and senior author on the work. "The dogs are a great model for human breast cancer, but there are also some real opportunities to benefit the dogs as well." A team from Perelman School of Medicine led by Sunil Singhal of the Center for Precision Surgery at the Abramson Cancer Center in collaboration with Holt and others at Penn Vet have been using the FDA-approved contrast agent indocyanine green (ICG), which glows under near-infrared light, to attempt to differentiate normal from cancerous tissue for several years in different types of cancer. Scientists believe ICG accumulates in cancer because it leaks out through the fast-growing blood vessels in tumors, which tend to be more permeable than normal vessels in healthy tissue. The aim of the current work was to test the technique in pet dogs with mammary tumors as a model for breast conserving surgery in women. All pet owners gave consent to be part of the study. The day before surgery, dogs received an injection of ICG. The surgeries themselves, either lumpectomies or mastectomies, proceeded as they normally would, following standard-of-care procedures. Then, under near-infrared light, the surgeons observed the excised tumors as well as the surgical site to look for signs of glowing ICG. In dogs, since aesthetics are less of a concern, surgeons generally take much wider margins when excising mammary tumors than is done when performing breast-conserving surgery on a person. So, the study wasn't able to detect remnant "dirty edges" after excision. They did, however, find larger tumors accumulated more dye. The research team was also interested in looking at the dogs' lymph nodes. "In women with breast cancer and also in dogs with mammary cancer," Holt says, "it's prognostic if the cancer has spread to the lymph nodes. What we showed was that we could identify both draining lymph nodes and lymph nodes with metastatic disease." Currently in human medicine, radioisotopes administered into the breast are often used to identify draining or "sentinel" lymph nodes. Using a near-infrared imaging agent administered intravenously means that radioactive agent and the protective shielding that it necessitates are not required. "If we could give an injection before the surgery that would identify just the lymph nodes that are potentially problematic, it would avoid a lot of the risk of either removing too many lymph nodes or leaving in those that are have metastatic disease," says Holt. In concurrent and follow-up work, Holt and his counterparts at Penn Medicine are continuing to investigate the efficacy of using targeted near-infrared imaging agents in cancer patients. These dyes bind more specifically to cancer cells, helping better define "clean margins" for both human and canine cancer patients. ### Holt's coauthors on the work were Andrew Newton, Jarrod Predina, and Sunil Singhal of the Perelman School of Medicine and Michael Mison, Jeffrey Runge, Charles Bradley, and Darko Stefanovski of the School of Veterinary Medicine. The work was supported by the Mari Lowe Center for Comparative Oncology at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine. This story has been published on: 2020-07-01. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has urged Israel not to annex parts of the occupied West Bank, underlining that the annexation would represent a violation of international law. Annexation of the occupied West Bank would represent a violation of international law, Johnson wrote in an opinion piece published in Yedioth Ahronoth, Israels top-selling daily. The British Prime Minister urged Israel it should not go ahead with its plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank, cautioning that London would not recognize any changes to the 1967 lines. I profoundly hope that annexation does not go ahead, he said. If it does, the UK will not recognize any changes to the 1967 lines, except those agreed between both parties. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said he intends to extend Israeli sovereignty to Jewish settlements and the Jordan Valley, as envisaged by a blueprint announced by US President Donald Trump in January under which Israel would control 30 percent of the West Bank and his centre-right coalition government had set July 1 as the date from which it could begin implementing the controversial proposal. However, as international opposition stiffened, including on the part of Palestinian leaders, the United Nations, European powers and Arab countries, Netanyahu held off the announcement on the controversial project. Annexation would put in jeopardy the progress that Israel has made in improving relationships with the Arab and Muslim world, Johnson wrote in his opinion piece, calling for a solution that allows justice and security for both Israelis and Palestinians. Meanwhile, several thousand Palestinians staged demonstrations in Gaza and in the occupied West Bank cities of Ramallah and Jericho, brandishing Palestinian flags and placards condemning Trump and his annexation plans. Stanford Medicine researchers are launching a clinical trial to test whether an oral drug can reduce symptoms and viral shedding in people with COVID-19. The researchers aim to enroll 120 participants, beginning July 6, who have been recently diagnosed with the disease but not been hospitalized. Favipiravir, an antiviral medication, was first approved to treat influenza in Japan. Researchers are hoping it will be effective in reducing the severity of symptoms and in shortening the duration of COVID-19, which could help limit spread of the coronavirus, said Aruna Subramanian, MD, clinical professor of medicine. We hope that this drug can help to reduce transmission within families, groups and schools, said Subramanian, one of the investigators for the study. Plus, it would be really nice to have pills that can be given early on to make people get better faster. Yvonne Maldonado, MD, professor of pediatrics and of health research and policy, is the principal investigator for the double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. The drug has not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration. There are other trials investigating the drug, but this is the first time it will be tested in outpatients in the U.S., Subramanian said. It has been approved to treat COVID-19 in Russia, China and India. Many really important studies are going on right now to help us understand how to emerge from this pandemic, said Marisa Holubar, MD, clinical associate professor of infectious disease and an investigator for the study. These early-phase studies are important to inform larger clinical trials. We need to understand if favipiravir shortens the duration of viral shedding. It could be a key to protecting both ourselves and the broader community. The beginning of constitutional changes By Malkhaz Matsaberidze What has been talked about for a long time became a reality last week- the constitutional amendments have been passed in two readings, but the dispute over the implementation of the March 8 agreement continues. Relations between the old and new opposition of the Georgian Dream have been strained due to the upcoming parliamentary elections.Until recently, there were suspicions that the Georgian Dream would continue to push for constitutional changes, blaming the parliamentary opposition, the United National Movement and European Georgia, who refused to participate until Giorgi Ruruas release from prison. On June 19, political dialogue mediators Kelly Degnan, Carl Hartzel, and Hubert Knirsch, heads of diplomatic missions in the United States, the European Union, and Germany, issued a joint statement in Georgia urging the parties to fully implement the March 8th agreement amendments. In such a situation, European Georgia decided to support the first reading of the constitutional amendments, as the failure of the first reading of the constitutional amendments meant the end of the whole process and the eventual failure of the electoral reform, hence all the results. At the extraordinary session of the Parliament on June 21, with 136 votes to 5, the constitutional amendments were adopted at the first reading. At the same time, the members of the European Georgia stated that the precondition for supporting them with the second and third readings of the legislative initiative is the release of Giorgi Rurua, which the Georgian Dream is not going to do. Therefore, at the plenary session on June 23rd, only 115 deputies supported the constitutional amendments, which was more than one vote over the minimum required amount. Georgian Dream accuses the parliamentary opposition of irresponsibility and says it will be able to pass constitutional changes without them. The constitutional amendments will be adopted in the third reading on June 29th, and the new electoral system will become a reality about four months before the elections. However, there is still talk of a possible postponement of the elections for December, and the reason for this is the epidemic, the second wave of which is expected in Autumn.As a result of the constitutional changes. In the next parliamentary elections, 120 out of 150 deputies will be elected by a proportional system (instead of 77), and by a majoritarian system - by 30 (instead of 73).The 5% threshold required to enter parliament will be changed to 1%; also, a party that fails to get 40% of the vote will not be able to form a one-party parliament majority.On the one hand, the defeat of the Georgian Dream and the end of Bidzina Ivanishvili's rule motivate the opposition to unite, while on the other hand, proportional elections and a 1% threshold make almost everyone want to act independently. Mikheil Saakashvili's call for a joint list of the opposition is not considered. The United Opposition, which does not include all opposition parties, was able to agree on the names of eight general MPs in Tbilisi.Pre-election new political entities are trying to gain their niche. Giga Bokeria and Gigi Ugulava, leaders of European Georgia, and Aleko Elisashvili, who formed the party Citizen, have confronted each other. Elisashvili considers the rules established in Georgian politics to be dirty and immoral and states that he will act in accordance with the moral principles and will protect the interests of the citizens. The controversy on the opposition wing allows the Georgian Dream to claim that the opposition is trapped in a deadlock, and that it's full of criminals for supporting Giorgi Rurua.However, the main concern of the Georgian Dream is to prove that Bidzina Ivanishvili does not support pro-Russian policies in Georgia. A document prepared by the Republican Research Committee, signed by 13 congressmen and published on June 10, states that Ivanishvili is a close ally of Putin and is involved in destabilizing Georgia in Russia's favor. The lobbying company is trying to disprove this assessment, which will try to convince the congressmen. However, in the opinion of the opposition, no lobbyist, no matter the pay, will be able to change the current reality.Russia hasnt forgotten about the Georgian journalist Giorgi Gabunia. Russian MP Alexander Sherin said that he should be held accountable for insulting Putin in accordance with the Russian law. It was revealed with the help of Ukrainian special services that a killer, sent by Kadyrov, was allegedly planning to assassinate the journalist. The opposition demands that the government protects Gabunia from such a threat and, in general, appropriately responds to cynical statements and actions taken by Russia. Ambassador of Belarus S.Chepurnoy meets the Minister of Road and Transport Development of Mongolia On July 1, 2020 the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Belarus to Mongolia, Stanislav Chepurnoy, met with the Minister of Road and Transport Development of Mongolia, Byambasuren Enkh-Amgalan. During the meeting the parties discussed the issues of the Belarusian-Mongolian cooperation and joint projects implementation in the field of roads repair and maintenance, rail and automobile transport, as well as perspectives of further intensification of bilateral cooperation in the sphere of transport. print version Reports that former President Mwai Kibaki has been hospitalised are hollow and baseless, Kibakis Private Secretary Ngari Gituku has said. According to Gituku, the retired Head of State visited a health facility in Nairobi for routine check up that did not require admission. I am reading some quarters saying that he(Kibaki) has been in hospital for 10 days. That is far-fetched. It is completely hollow and far from the truth, Gituku told the Standard. He further called on members of the public and the press to respect Kibakis privacy. I think it is time as Kenyans we also stopped being too intrusive on some of these things that are private, especially ones health. It is normal and a routine thing for all of us to go to hospital, and so is the case with His Excellency. We should not make it like it is abnormal. But on talk that he is admitted and has been there for 10 days that is gross exaggeration. He visited the hospital and went home, Gituku said. It had been reported on Monday that Kibaki was admitted for 10 days after complaining of abdominal pains. President Uhuru Kenyatta has commended the Nairobi Metropolitan Service (NMS) for its efforts in improving service delivery in Nairobi and its catchment. The President expressed satisfaction with the progress made by NMS in implementing the directives he gave to the new agency at its launch on 18th March this year. I issued several directives to NMS to achieve within the 100 days, which period ended on Saturday, 28th, June this year. The directives were aimed at enhancing service provision in the areas of waste collection and disposal, water and sanitation, housing and urban development, transport and public works. I am satisfied that the directives for the first 100 days have been implemented in earnest, the President said. President Kenyatta spoke Tuesday at Harambee House in Nairobi when he received the 100-days performance report by the NMS. At the ceremony also attended by Nairobi Senator Johnson Sakaja, the President challenged NMS to work towards making Nairobi a model city. I challenge NMS to demonstrate that Nairobi can be the model of our Post Covid-19 National Recovery Strategy, President Kenyatta told NMS top leadership led by Director General Mohammed Badi. Major General Badi assured the Head of State of his agencys determination to transform Nairobi into a smart city by fully implementing its broad mandate. DG Badi said NMS had created new jobs by employing the youth and street families in its projects through the governments Kazi Mtaani initiative. On re-carpeting of CBD roads, NMS has completed 30 percent of all the roads and is using Kazi Mtaani initiative. To this end, NMS has engaged our youth in drainage clearing, waste management and rehabilitation of roads, DG Badi said, adding that street families provide the bulk of the labour force for the ongoing construction of Grogan Road. Shortly after receiving the NMS report, the President toured some of the agencys projects in Nairobis informal settlements. The President visited community water boreholes and water purification facilities at Kiboro Primary School (Mathare), Chiefs Camp (Mathare North) and at Kibra DCCs office. Communities neighbouring the boreholes receive treated water for their domestic use at no cost. The Head of State also toured ongoing urban renewal and affordable housing projects in Ngara and Pangani neighbourhoods. The housing projects are being implemented by the state department of housing, NMS and Nairobi City County. Zamora disclosed that 36 food markets across the country will be inspected in the first stage. The aim is to verify if they are no longer COVID-19 hotspots for retailers and buyers. Response to eventual outbreak Another measure is the incorporation of 'contact tracing' into the Peru en tus Manos (Peru in your hands) app , a digital tool that will alert users if they are near anyone infected with COVID-19 or someone who has been in contact with a positive case. The private sector, he said, has 260 ICU beds, while the public one aims to have 2,000, after it acquired 650 mechanical ventilation units in coordination with all health systems. Zamora emphasized that a positive relationship is being built up between the public and private systems, which will improve access to health services. "This is not only important for clinics, but also for the insurance system because after the agreement reached by Minsa, EsSalud , and private clinic was announced insurance companies no longer apply copayment nor have a limit for COVID-19 financing," he stated. Scientists use a Teflon pipe to make a cheap, simple reactor for silica particle synthesis Researchers in Australia and China have proposed an innovative and cost-effective new method for creating silica beads, which have a number of key uses, ranging from nanomedicine and bioimaging to the production of paper and polished concrete. The synthesis of silica particles for experimental and industrial uses began in the 1960s, and usually takes place in large batches, where controlled doping to induce functionality is difficult. Control of the synthesis parameters can be achieved through costly and time-consuming small-scale microfluidic reactors that require photolithography, etching, bonding and injection moulding, which are prone to clogging. Now, a surprisingly simple new approach has been demonstrated, and could be adopted for various applications at a low cost and with a high degree of reliability. Researchers at the ARC Centre of Excellence in Exciton Science, based at The University of Melbourne, and working with colleagues at South China Normal University, constructed a flow synthesis device using a polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) or 'Teflon' pipe wound around a rod and connected to two syringes. The key to the success of this approach is a spiral channel which promotes vortex flow characteristics, and this type of fluid flow encourages extremely efficient mixing of the precursor fluids. "When this happens you now have this very cheap and quite efficient chemical reactor," corresponding author Dr Eser Akinoglu said. "Once you have the fluids in a tube that is spiralled, then due to these vortexes, they mix very quickly and ... the overall reaction is more homogeneous, the product is homogeneous, and the silica particles have a uniform size and shape." While this new mechanism is unlikely to replace industrial-scale batch manufacturing for the creation of pure silica particles, it could well rival the microfluidic approach used in synthesising silica nanoparticles for specialised, niche applications, such as silica particles 'doped' with colourful dyes or encapsulating quantum dots for fluorescence. "From a material costs perspective, it's very reasonable," Dr Akinoglu said. "For the future, this flow synthesis method is ideal for the introduction of new components into the reaction ... you could put something else into this flow to mix together with the whole process and it will then be encapsulated in these silica particles." ### This story has been published on: 2020-07-01. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi has revealed that only two members of parliament have tested positive for coronavirus as of June 30, 2020. In a statement to the House yesterday, Muturi said one of the positive MPs has since been discharged from hospital and is in isolation. I wish to note that far from the speculations reported in the media and elsewhere, information available to the Office of Speaker indicate that, we have two cases of the virus that have been reported among Members of Parliament, he said. The Speaker noted that the second legislator was in stable condition and recuperating in the general wards. I have deliberately given this information to reassure the public and dissuade the ongoing speculation. Whilst the need for information is critical to the public, the media should in the first instance note that the medical details of individuals, including Members of Parliament, are confidential and ought to be treated as such, Muturi said. Additionally, the media should desist from sensationalizing the cases in Parliament as thought these cases were any different from the rest of the cases in the country, he added. The Speaker also noted that Parliament has taken several measures to combat the spread of the virus including limiting the number of MPs accessing the chamber, designated holding-areas for MPs, adoption of virtual sittings for committees where applicable as well as working-from-home measures for members of staff. We have also held several voluntary testing sessions within Parliament including in April and the one that is currently ongoing here in Parliament being undertaken by the Ministry of Health, he said. (END) FHG/RMB/MVB The Government has extended the state of national emergency until July 31, this time supported by a localized quarantine against COVID-19 focused on seven regions of Peru, while social isolation has been lifted in the rest of the country starting today.Published: 7/1/2020 18:11 | Lima, Jun. 30. The Head of State remarked that much of the work was halted when economic activities came to a standstill at the beginning of the quarantine decreed in Mid-March to contain the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, he explained that as of May 2,200,000 people joined the workforce in Phase 1, 450,000 workers were added in Phase 2 , and 162,000 were employed during the extension of Phase 2. "Almost 3 million jobs have been incorporated into the economic system in May and June, this is basically the economic activity generated by the private sector," Mr. Vizcarra said. "As we have also said, the public sector has to do the same, and that is why we launched the project under Arranca Peru (Get off the Ground, Peru) Program ," he added. El presidente @MartinVizcarraC informa sobre la situacion del Estado de Emergencia en el #Dia107 y las acciones que realiza el Gobierno para contener la propagacion del COVID-19. En vivo: https://t.co/myUfVyqFVC https://t.co/bAu91NwtRk YEREVAN, JULY 1, ARMENPRESS. After returning from Moscow, Defense Minister of Armenia Davit Tonoyan has been self-quarantined in his office, the ministers spokesperson Shushan Stepanyan said, asked whether the minister has been tested for the novel coronavirus or not. Defense Minister Davit Tonoyan was in Moscow, Russia on June 24 for taking part in the Victory Day Parade. On the 7th day of his return, the minister was tested twice with IFA and PCR methods. The test results are negative, and the minister continues fulfilling his service duties, the spokeswoman told Armenpress. Reporting by Lilit Demuryan, Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan YEREVAN, JULY 1, ARMENPRESS. Tashir charitable foundation has donated 300,000 USD to the Hayastan All-Armenian Fund to provide financial aid to medical personnel of Armenias ambulance service, a total of 1786 healthcare workers, the Funds said in a joint statement. Back in April 2020 the Tashir foundation provided 100,000 USD to the Hayastan All-Armenian Fund. Some of these funds were used for anti-coronavirus fight, the rest for financing the transportation of the citizens of Armenia from Russia. Starting March 18 the Hayastan All-Armenian Fund initiated a fundraising Covid-19 Armenia: United Against the Pandemic in partnership with Armenias President, the President of Artsakh, Armenias healthcare ministry, foreign ministry and Office of the High Commissioner for Diaspora Affairs. So far, 770,000 USD were raised, 600,000 of which has been spent on purchasing necessary medical items and equipment. Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan YEREVAN, JULY 1, ARMENPRESS. The Institute of Molecular Biology of the Armenian National Academy of Sciences will soon receive an official letter from the ministry of healthcare on the production of tests for diagnosing the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). Director of the Institute Arsen Arakelyan told a press conference in Armenpress that they will start providing the test kits immediately after receiving the official letter. The National Center for Disease Control and Prevention, which conducts the experiments, has sent the results to the ministry of healthcare which has already sent the letter to the Institute. We have stated that we can produce 2000 tests in a day, but if necessary we can also increase the volumes, he said, adding that they already have 6000 tests in reserves. During this period they have tested the capacities of the production potential. Taking into account the results the Director of the Institute assured that they can surely increase the production volumes. As for the quality of the tests, Arsen Arakelyan said according to trials, they received 98% accuracy. During the production of the tests the Institute has closely cooperated with foreign partners. As for the export of the tests, he said at the moment there is no such discussion because the tests need to be certified and registered which is a long process and requires legislative opportunities. The production of coronavirus tests in Armenia launched in March. Arsen Arakelyan said one test costs 2.75 USD which is quite affordable. According to research the average cost in the market is 10 USD. Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan YEREVAN, JULY 1, ARMENPRESS. Justice Minister of Armenia Rustam Badasyan received outgoing Head of the Council of Europe Office in Yerevan Natalia Voutova, the ministry told Armenpress. The minister thanked Mrs. Voutova for the amazing work and productive cooperation, highlighting the importance of the CoEs support in the context of the ongoing reforms in Armenia. Natalia Voutova in turn thanked for the mutual cooperation and stated that being as a lawyer, the cooperation and programs implemented with the justice minister were very familiar to her. The meeting participants briefly touched upon the results of several joint programs relating to new draft Criminal Code and the Criminal Procedure Code, the anti-corruption fight, etc. The Armenian minister expressed readiness to continue the cooperation with the CoE with the same efficiency. In her turn Natalia Voutova expressed the readiness of the CoE to continue the support to Armenia aimed at strengthening the rule of law and conducting the reforms. Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan YEREVAN, JULY 1, ARMENPRESS. The National Center for Crisis Management received a call today, at 14:26 that a bomb is placed at the food court of Yerevan Mall, the ministry of emergency situations told Armenpress. Rescuers and the operative group of the Crisis Center left for the scene. Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan YEREVAN, JULY 1, ARMENPRESS. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan addressed a congratulatory message on the Day of the Prosecutors Office Employee and the 102nd anniversary of the Prosecutors Office. Dear representatives of the prosecution system, Congratulations on the Prosecutors Office Employee Day and the 102nd anniversary of the formation of the Prosecution. Today the expectations of our society, people from the Prosecution are great than ever before. With the 2018 peaceful, velvet and peoples revolution the people expressed their clear will to have Armenia where the rule of law is established, the principle of inevitability of punishment for crime committed is in force, where an efficient fight is being carried out against the criminal world, abuses and corruption. And the implementation of the legal expectation of the people on these directions greatly depends on the activity of the prosecution. The current period is really a serious trial for the prosecution because the representatives of this system in most cases must form the truths known to the people as a charge and defend them in the court, the Armenian PM said in his message, wishing capacity and determination to the representatives of the system for conducting their works. Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan There was drama at Governor Mike Sonkos private office in Upper Hill, Nairobi after a contingent of Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) detectives raided the property Tuesday morning. Accompanied by tens of police officers, the EACC sleuths arrived at the compound at about 10 am for an inspection and valuation of the property by valuers from Gimco Valuers. The detectives are said to have parked their cars at the entrance and used it to scale the gate to access the compound. However, a stand-off ensued after they were repulsed by Sonkos supporters who were already inside the compound. After a three hour standoff, the officers left empty-handed, with Sonkos spokesperson Ben Mulwa terming the raid as disturbing. The officers arrived here in a contingent at around 10am when the governor was in a meeting with two of his county ministers and a chief officer. They said they wanted to search as well as value the property, claiming there is an active investigation in regards to the acquisition of the property. What we find disturbing is the manner in which they arrived because ordinarily if they are coming to do the valuation of the property, why do they come with a contingent of police officers? If EACC wanted to do valuation, the governor wonders why it is not decent enough for them to send a notice informing him of the same, said Mulwa. Sonko added that he was surprised that the detectives scaled the gates when it would have been proper for EACC to write a letter saying they want to visit the property. The officers are welcome to conduct their investigations without any showmanship. As a law-abiding citizen, I have cooperated with all the investigations. Let them follow the right procedure and come back, Sonko said. The anti-graft watchdog has been investigating a controversial deal for the Sh500m property between Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko and the Kenya Railways pension scheme. Read: EACC Probing Where Sonko Sourced Funds to Buy Sh500m Property in Upperhill YEREVAN, JULY 1, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan has sent a congratulatory message to Prime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau on the occasion of Canada Day, the Armenian PMs Office told Armenpress. The message runs as follows: Dear Mr. Prime Minister, On behalf of the people of Armenia and on my own behalf, I hereby extend heartfelt congratulations to you and to the friendly Canadian people on the occasion of Canada Day. Armenia highly appreciates the Armenian-Canadian friendly relations, which are developing in an atmosphere of partnership and mutual trust. I am pleased to note that the warm personal relations established between us impart a special impetus to the multifaceted Armenian-Canadian dialogue. Of course, the Armenian community in Canada, too, has played a significant role in the development and deepening of bilateral relations. I assume that Canada Day will be marked in a slightly different way this year due to the pandemic. However, I am confident that the Canadians will celebrate this landmark Day in a high festive mood. So, once again, my heartfelt congratulations and best wishes to the friendly people of Canada! YEREVAN, JULY 1, ARMENPRESS. President of Armenia Armen Sarkissian had a meeting with architect Anahit Tarkhanyan, the Presidential Office told Armenpress. At the meeting the sides discussed the presidential initiative to create a pan-national park Hay Park, in the territory of the Tsitsernakaberd Armenian Genocide Memorial, as well as its implementation possibilities. They highlighted the creation of the park both in terms of preserving the pan-national memory and unity and from environmental perspective for the capital city. Anahit Tarkhanyan, who is the daughter of architect Artur Tarkhanyan, the co-author of the Tsitsernakaberd Memorial, expressed readiness to assist in fulfilling such an important idea. Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan YEREVAN, JULY 1, ARMENPRESS. 10 thousand COVID-19 test kits have arrived in Yerevan thanks to the efforts of the WHO and the EU, ARMENPRESS was informed form the EU Office in Armenia. These tests authorized by the WHO are able to provide precise diagnosis within 75 minutes. This will save time and energy of doctors and more people will be able to be tested. Edited and translated by Tigran Sirekanyan Amazon is building a new robotics fulfilment centre in Sydney, which the company says will create 1,500 jobs. Amazon Australia director of operations Craig Fuller told Business Insider Australia the company has been working on the project for 12 months. Fuller argued the robots bring "safety" and "productivity" to the working environment. Visit Business Insider Australias homepage for more stories. On Tuesday, Amazon announced it's building a new robotics fulfilment centre in Sydney. This marks the fifth fulfilment centre the company will have in Australia, which will be home to 11 million items. The giant centre will be around 200,000 square metres across four levels roughly the same land size of Taronga Zoo with Amazon outsourcing construction to Goodman and their joint venture partner Brickworks. The site will have robots designed to cut down the time it takes stow products away or pick them up for new orders. Amazon Australia director of operations Craig Fuller told Business Insider Australia the company has been working on this project for 12 months, engaging with the New South Wales Government, the Penrith City Council and its development partners along the way. "The New South Wales Government has been really supportive," he said. "They really helped us with permits and development applications." He explained that with a lot of thought is put into each building in Amazon's network. "We constantly think about its role and its purpose and we invest accordingly in technology," he said. For example, the robotics building isn't suited for large products such as, for example, ladders but well-suited for small items like books, electronics, food and beverages. Amazon argues total automation isn't on the cards for the new facility Amazon expects to finish its new robotics building in 2021 and create 1,500 jobs. Fuller said it will start hiring "well ahead of that opening" in line with the building's construction schedule. Story continues When asked whether the fulfilment centre will eventually become fully automated, Fuller said it was an "employment creator". "We know from our experience of launching Amazon robotics buildings in other countries that we actually make jobs," he said. "Since we started launching robotic sites, we've created around about 300,000 jobs." He added that people will still be required: "We still need people to maintain and look after the robots." A Reuters report pointed out that Amazon brought in robots to pack orders in its fulfilment centres in the US, leading to a possible loss of around 1,300 jobs from 55 fulfilment centres. The difference in Australia is that this is a new facility. The robots and safety For Fuller, the benefit of robots is that they bring "a lot of safety to the working environment as well as productivity." However, there have been reports out of the US suggesting more injuries have occurred at Amazon centres with robots versus centres without them. A report by The Atlantic together with Reveal from the Centre for Investigative Reporting on worker injuries at Amazon's warehouses said, "Of the records Reveal obtained, most of the warehouses with the highest rates of injury deployed robots." The report highlighted that when robots were introduced to Amazon's facility in Tracy, California, the rate of serious injuries rose from 2.9 per 100 workers in 2015 up to 11.3 in 2018. In response to claims of higher injuries at robotics centres, Fuller said, "I just think those claims are not true." "My experience with robotic sites is that the robotic field itself is completely caged off and closed. Humans cannot walk onto the floor of the robotic site. If we have to do maintenance, then we shut the site down and we do that with no risk to humans. "My experience with Amazon robotics is that it's extremely safe for people in the workplace." Amazon has been operating fulfilment centres in Australia for two and a half years and Fuller is "really proud of our safety record". "We really do put safety first," he said. He added that Amazon carefully thinks through the ergonomics of the roles it asks people to do and mentioned measures like stretches at every shift and training employees so they learn right body movements to minimise the risk of injuries related to doing repetitive tasks. "I can look back at the record that we have had in the last two and a half years and stand proudly behind that and know that in this new site, we'll continue that trend." The European Union (EU) will allow Australians, as well visitors from 14 other countries, to visit again from July 1. The decision effectively reopens external borders that were shut in mid-March to stem the COVID-19 outbreak. However, Australians are still subject to tight border controls in their own country, with holidays not on the list of valid reasons to travel abroad. Visit Business Insider Australia's homepage for more stories. In a coup for Australians everywhere, European holidays are back on. Well, kind of. The European Union (EU) has lifted a prohibition on incoming Australian tourists, effective from Wednesday, after five days of diplomatic talks. It comes after the governing body closed its external borders in mid-March in a bid to stem the first wave of the pandemic. While COVID-19 infections would still ravage the likes of Spain, Italy, France, and Germany, all four have managed to flatten the curve and thus enable the Union to reopen. The decision to reopen falls in the middle of summer, typically the busiest tourism seasons for the EU, but which this year has seen tourism-dependent nations like Greece and Portugal struggle. All will now be able to welcome back tourists from the agreed-upon list of 15 non-EU countries, deemed to have dealt relatively well with the outbreak in their own countries. They include Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, Thailand, Canada, Uruguay, Morocco, Rwanda, Tunisia, Algeria, Serbia, Georgia, and Montenegro. Interestingly, China could be added to the list but only if it reciprocates and allows EU citizens to visit a binding condition Australia and others don't appear to be required to meet. The five non-EU countries of the UK, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein were also included. To be included, a country must have kept the infection rate below 16 in every 100,000 people, be trending downward in case numbers, and be maintaining social distancing measures. A healthy dose of economics and geopolitics helped crafted the final 15. Story continues Such criteria created some obvious exemptions, such as the US, Turkey and Russia all not making the cut. However, Australians keen for a getaway will be challenged actually getting over there. The federal government has maintained strict border controls of its own and only grants exemptions to those Australian citizens who satisfy certain criteria, with applications understood to take around four weeks to process. Currently, that is limited to those leaving to provide aid, essential workers in critical industries, the receiving of urgent medical attention not available locally, urgent and unavoidable personal business, compassionate or humanitarian leave or leave that is in the national interest. Business Insider Australia has not yet been able to verify whether a burning desire for Spritz, sun and spanakopita is "urgent and unavoidable" enough to compromise Australia's quarantine restrictions. With Tourism Minister Simon Birmingham suggesting last month that borders would remain shut to Australians for the remainder of 2020, it's unlikely anyone will be holidaying in Europe anytime soon. Pending further outbreaks, however, the dream remains alive at least. READ MORE: (Source: Getty, AAP) The NSW governments year-long review into federal-state financial relations released this morning has proposed major amendments to the tax system, including dumping stamp duty and increasing the GST rate beyond 10 per cent. The Federal Financial Relations Review draft report proposes that state governments should work with the Commonwealth to lift the GST rate or expand the base over the medium-long term and explore scrapping inefficient state taxes. The GST raises roughly $70 billion a year and constitutes around 13 per cent of the nations tax revenue but state and territory governments face a significant decline in tax revenues in the coming years. We need to identify practical ways to maximise the value we get per dollar of tax raised. We need to make taxes as simple as possible, the report said. "(Tax reform) will create better conditions for households and businesses to recover and simultaneously deliver more secure and reliable funding for the states to rebuild their balance sheets for future generations. The Review also proposed stamp duty, which is the NSW governments second-largest revenue stream, should be scrapped in favour of a broad-based land tax. Raising the GST rate will offset these losses to state government coffers, and during the transition phase between the two schemes, home buyers should be allowed to opt in to pay land tax or stamp duty when they purchase their next property. Raise GST to do what?: Costello However, Australias longest-serving treasurer and the architect of the 10 per cent consumption tax, the GST, has cautioned against making changes to the GST without a clear purpose in mind. Peter Costello, who was treasurer for 11 years between 1996 and 2007 and oversaw the introduction of the controversial GST, said attempts to increase the GST rate beyond 10 per cent would carry a lot of heat and indicated the difficulty in raising the GST came from the fact that it impacted individuals hip-pocket. Story continues Theres no point in just increasing a rate for its own sake. The critical question is: what do you buy for that? he said on ABC Radio National this morning. If all you bought was more revenue thered be no improvement. Youd just be increasing taxes and increasing spending. Buying a slight reduction in the budget deficit wouldnt be worth it, either, he added. But if by changing the rate or introducing a new tax you could abolish five other taxes, if you could radically reduce income taxes, if you could improve the company tax system; now youre starting to talk about a reform something thats worth doing, he said. This is where the discourse around increasing the GST base was going wrong, Costello added. People are saying, well, lets increase the rate. Okay to do what? To do what and bring what benefit? Thats the critical question. Its the benefits, the economic benefits, that you use any rate to bring with it. with AAP Sign up for your exclusive access to the fortnightly webinars. Follow Yahoo Finance Australia on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn. How do you create dance in the age of coronavirus, when dancers are not supposed to touch each other and stay one or two metres apart? All across the world choreographers are grappling with the challenge of coming up with safe, socially distanced pieces that still set the heart aflutter. It may be completely counter-intuitive, but the very rigidity of the restrictions has been liberating for some -- allowing them to play on the new taboos and the dramatic tension around personal space the virus has brought with it. "It unleashed spontaneity!" declared the great German choreographer John Neumeier, the artistic director of the Hamburg Ballet. "In ballet, we are so used to being free in the way we touch," he told AFP. "Sometimes we take this for granted, because we touch everybody almost everywhere in doing pas de deux, in doing a lift. And now we have a situation where we cannot touch, where there is a distance, which immediately gives a new sense of tension." With all the usual advance planning thrown to the wind, Neumeier said the virus has allowed him to create without thinking about what the costumes or sets would look like. "I was working with the purest material -- just dancers in an empty space," he said. The restrictions have forced him to "concentrate much more on the art of the solo" for his new work, "Ghost Light", which will premiere -- virus permitting -- on September 6. Neumeier is using 57 dancers, but he can't bring them all together for now. "It is a kind of mosaic," he told AFP. "I work with six dancers, then I work with eight dancers, then with two -- but I don't know what it will be like when we put it all together." - Zoom rehearsals - Annabelle Ochoa Lopez has become dance's queen of Zoom over the last few months, making a series of short pieces on the teleconferencing app. Like so much else in the lockdown, it happened by accident, said the Belgian-Colombian choreographer. "Two French dancers who were retiring from the Norwegian Ballet approached me because they couldn't do their farewell show. They asked if I could make something for them on Zoom. "I thought, 'OK, that will be very awkward but let's do it," said the Netherlands-based creator. "They had three children... and sometimes the children would be there saying hello from the couch." In the work they made together, "Where do the birds go?", which is now on YouTube, the couple -- Julie Gardette and Francois Rousseau -- actually dance on their sofa. Creating online has changed the way Ochoa Lopez works. "I have to talk a lot more to get my ideas across, and I have to direct their eyes more too because the frame is so much more intimate than the stage," she said. "I am constantly coming in close to my computer and then going right out again to show the movement... sometimes I even lie on the ground to show them my feet," she added. In a second video she made with a dancer from New York's Ballet Hispanico, she used the windows in her apartment as a framing device, and in another she channelled the French mime legend Marcel Marceau as well as using a live chicken for a piece set around a table with two dancers from the Tulsa Ballet. - 'I miss the studio' - "Of course I miss the studio," Ochoa Lopez told AFP. "But I think that I will take something from this experience." Kader Belarbi, the artistic director of Capitole Ballet of Toulouse in southwest France, hopes digital direction will not be the end of actually being there with a dancer. With the screen there are "things that don't come across anymore as they do in a live performance", he argued. Belarbi is now creating a ballet about the artist Toulouse-Lautrec, working with soloists and four couples on "single phrases that will later be combined". But for some the biggest thing to come out of the lockdown may be a trend towards shorter works. "A lot of companies are going to make small pieces which are cheaper and easier to handle in terms of social distancing," said Martin Harriague, a choreographer with the Malandain Ballet, Biarritz. He is working on a solo with a dancer from the company in his apartment, separated by the glass of his veranda. "A lot of freedom can come from restraints," he insisted. Dancers in masks rehearse at the Capitole ballet in Toulouse, France German choreographer John Neumeier is using 57 dancers in 'a kind of mosaic' 'A lot of freedom can come from restraints,' says choreographer Martin Harriague Kader Belarbi (centre, blue shirt) instructs his masked dancers in Toulouse in May Thank you for checking out the second part of our 2003 draft retrospective. Yesterday was a pick-by-pick rundown, while today we will dig a little deeper into a few of the more interesting and prominent draftees. For a quick list and links to player pages, check out our Draft History page. 2003 MLB Draft Background Jeff Allison, with a profile that would have made him a certain top-ten pick in the past, fell all the way to 16th. As mentioned in yesterday's introduction, the 2003 draft is an interesting place to start not just because the hiring of Theo Epstein marks the unofficial start of the modern Red Sox era, but also because the Red Sox were slotted 17th, the same position they were in when they drafted Nick Yorke two weeks ago. 2003 was also the year that statistical analysis really seemed to get a lot of press around draft time. Sabermetrics, rather than analytics, was the buzzword of the day, and Moneyballs release was nigh. Organizations, at least the smart ones, were approaching the draft very differently than they were just a couple years earlier. The misinterpretation of the Michael Lewis bestseller that OBP-equals-good and high school pitchers-equals-bad seemed to play outlots of college bats got priority, while Peabody High School phenom, with a profile that would have made him a certain top-ten pick in the past, fell all the way to 16th. One of Epstein's most clear charges when he got the general manager gig was to correct the team's abysmal record of drafting and developing amateur talent during the Dan Duquette era. Of the Red Sox' 12 first-round picks between 1994 and 2001, only five ever reached the majors. Two of those five (Nomar Garciaparra and Casey Fossum) did so with the Red Sox; and just two (Garciaparra and Adam Everett) compiled so much as 1.0 bWAR. With the farm system in shambles (despite what would prove to be a very solid 2002 draft in David Chadd's first year as scouting director under interim GM Mike Port), Epstein and Chadd needed to bring in a lot of talent. The result was a draft in which the organization signed 33 players in addition to five undrafted free agents, including the first 21 selections. The draft had a decided lean toward college players, with Mickey Hall the only one of the team's first 18 picks to come out of high school. The vitals: General Manager: Theo Epstein Theo Epstein Director of Amateur Scouting: David Chadd Major Leaguers drafted and signed Jonathan Papelbon (4th round, 23.3 bWAR) David Murphy (1st round, 9.9 bWAR) Matt Murton (1st supplemental round, 3.3 bWAR) Abe Alvarez (2nd round, -0.4 bWAR) Tom Cochran (18th round, Added to 25-man roster but did not appear in a game) Unsigned players who reached major leagues Chris Johnson (Redrafted by HOU in 2006, 0.6 bWAR) Compensation considerations Received supplemental first-round pick (Murton) and second-round pick (Alvarez) for the loss of free agent Cliff Floyd. Analysis: It is what you want, even if you don't know it It was probably fortunate that, in his first draft, Epstein did not have to make the choice whether or not to draft Allison, the local hero who may not quite have fit with the direction he wanted to take the organization. Instead, he was able to grab a polished college bat in David Murphy out of Baylor. Starting this exercise with the Murphy pick is nice, because it is a surprisingly straightforward example of the gap between most fans' expectations versus the realities of the draft. No fan dreams of their team taking the next David Murphy with the 17th pick in the draft. If you were to interview the person on the street for their goal of what they want Nick Yorke's career arc to be, nobody would volunteer serviceable player who tops out with a pair of above-average seasons eight years later for another franchise after getting swapped for a relief pitcher rental. Yet in the inexact and frustrating world of amateur scouting, getting a good ballplayer like David Murphy at number 17 is a very good outcome. Of the 37 players drafted in the first (including supplemental) round of the 2003 draft, Murphy ranks ninth in career bWAR. He ranks 20th in career bWAR among all players drafted and signed that year. Of the 55 players to be picked 17th overall in the June draft, Murphy ranks 10th; and that is no function of those older, less-sophisticated organizations missing more often, as only AJ Pollock (2009 draft) ranks higher among those taken since. Between 1995 and 2004, the Red Sox had only two first-round picks compile more than 4.0 bWAR: Murphy and Adam Everett. Players make strategies look good A common misreading of Moneyball, sadly propagated by some prominent talking heads, was mentioned above. In reality, the lesson of Moneyball was to find a type of player that was undervalued. The Red Sox thought they found their undervalued asset class in college relievers, a demographic they would return to often in the mid-aughts. The theory went that college relievers had succeeded at a high level but also had less stress on their arms. The problem with that theory was the same as the frustration some have with MLB All-Star teams taking as many relievers as starters most pitchers end up in the bullpen simply because theyre incapable of starting or less good than the starters, and thats true across all levels. The strategy was maligned, as the Red Sox drafted several players who washed out in the mid-minors, but their one hit on the strategy arguably justified the entire scheme: in the fourth round, the team selected hard-throwing Jonathan Papelbon out of Mississippi State. The team moved him to the rotation, and he excelled in 2004 with an aggressive placement in High A Sarasota, posting a 2.64 ERA in 129 2/3 innings, striking out 153 against only 43 walks. The following spring training, Papelbon learned a split-fingered fastball from a rehabbing Curt Schilling, the perfect complement to his 98 mile-per-hour heater. He made his major league debut that July, moved to the bullpen in September, and was the closer by the start of the next season. Papelbons story needs little retellingmost of those reading this probably remember him dancing a jig to celebrate the 2007 World Series titlebut some numbers remind us of how good he was in a Boston uniform. By the time he left after the 2011 season as a free agent, hed amassed 219 saves, obliterating Bob Stanleys Red Sox record. His 16.1 bWAR over seven seasons ranks 31st all-time among Boston pitchers. Into the history books With one compensation pick the team got from losing Cliff Floyd in free agency, the Sox grabbed another polished college outfielder. Matt Murton never reached Boston, but was part of an important moment in the teams history as the second piece sent to Chicago in the 2004 deadline deal that included Nomar Garciaparra. (Side note: a weird sub-plot of that wild four-team deal is that the Minnesota Twins thought they, and not the Cubs, would be getting Murton.) He reached the majors the following year and had a solid first two seasons with the Cubs, hitting .303/.370/.462 in 2005 and 2006 and taking over as the teams starting left fielder. Murtons tweener profile relegated him to a backup role the rest of his time stateside, as his power stagnated, leaving his bat light for the corner outfield spot he was suited for defensively. Murton signed with the Hanshin Tigers in Japan before the 2010 season, a move that worked out for both parties. In his first season with Hanshin, he broke the NPB single-season hits record, tallying 214 to best Ichiro Suzukis previous mark of 210. Murtons .349/.395/.499 line that year kicked off a productive six-year stint with the Tigers in which he appeared in 832 games, totaling over 1000 hits and 77 homers. He returned stateside in 2016 but did not reach the majors again before retiring in 2018 to take a job in the Cubs organization... working for Theo Epstein. The rest of the story The rest of the draft class proved underwhelming. The name most familiar to Red Sox fans will be Abe Alvarez, who sped through the lower minors despite pedestrian stuff due to strong secondaries and a good feel for pitching. He was called straight from Double-A to make his major league debut and only major league start during a doubleheader in July 2004, just a year after his pro debut. Alvarez and his trademark tilted capdone to balance the effects of lighting, being legally blind in his left eyespent four more years in the Red Sox system, mostly struggling to a 5.15 ERA with Pawtucket. He made three more appearances in the majors. Chris Johnson, son of then-Portland manager Ron Johnson, was picked in the 37th round but did not sign, instead going on to play for Stetson University. The Astros grabbed in him the fourth round three years later, and he played in the majors for parts of eight seasons. His best season came with the Braves in 2013 as their starting third baseman. Lefty Tom Cochran, taken in the 18th round, took a roundabout route to the majors that included a four-year stint in the independent leagues. While life was a highway that took Cochran to the Reds' major league roster for a week in 2011, he never got the chance to appear in the majors. Beau Vaughan and Brian Marshall were two of the more prominent players taken as part of the college reliever strategy. Vaughan reached Triple-A, spending parts of three seasons there, but never got the call. Marshall is the twin brother of longtime Cubs pitcher Sean Marshall. Missed opportunities In yesterday's piece, we listed players the Red Sox passed on. In general, the 2003 draft class was on the weaker side. A couple players drafted after Murphy ended up posting a higher career WAR, but there was nobody within the next several picks who felt like a true miss. Adam Jones proved to be the best player the Red Sox passed on, but the future All-Star was considered raw out of high school, and questions remained for several years what position he would playhe was initially a shortstop and pitcher, and it was speculated that the Mariners preferred him on the mound. He would later move to the outfield in deference to Yuniesky Betancourt. It is unsurprising that the Red Sox, looking to restock their system with polished bats with a high probability of reaching the majors, looked in a different direction. Conor Jackson was heavily linked to the Red Sox in the time leading up to the draft. The Cal product went with the 19th overall selection to Arizona. Jackson's bat made him a hot prospect, but Murphy's overall game proved to make him the better overall pro. With the 29th pick, the Diamondbacks nabbed another player that Boston was said to be considering, outfielder Carlos Quentin. Passing twice in the second round on Arizona State outfielder Andre Ethier proved to be less forgivable. The Red Sox scouted the Sun Devils heavily, taking Vaughan (3rd round) and Jeremy West (7th) in 2003 and of course selected Dustin Pedroia in the second round in 2004. Perhaps with Murphy and Murton already in the fold, the team was disinclined to select another college outfielder. However, given a) their likely familiarity with Ethier, b) the lack of production Boston got from its two second-round selections, and c) the fact that Ethier turned into a productive and occasionally great player, it seems fair to consider passing on him a miss. Final thoughts This is a draft that produced a very solid top two but was quite weak in terms of depth. Even mediocre drafts, such as 2012, produced several players who got a cup of coffee. The 2016 draft should have six major leaguers by the end of this year. Still, a draft that produces the best reliever in team history, a solid major league starting outfielder, and the NPB single-season hits leader is a lot of value. The Red Sox also did well given the consideration that it was a relatively weak draft: Nick Markakis ranks first among all 2003 first-round picks in bWAR, slightly ahead of Adam Jones. Photo Credit: Jonathan Papelbon, in his MLB debut; David Murphy, September 2006; both by Kelly O'Connor James Dunne is Managing Editor of SoxProspects.com. Follow him on Twitter @JamesDunneSP. A number of police officers have been placed on paid leave after allegedly re-enacting a chokehold near the scene of a Black mans fatal arrest. Elijah McClain, 23, died last year in Aurora, in the US state of Colorado, after three white officers stopped him as he walked down the street and one put him into a chokehold. CBS4 journalist Brian Maass claims sources have told him the three officers were photographed re-enacting the chokehold near the site of Mr McClains fatal arrest. Its not clear if they were on duty and or in uniform. Meanwhile, federal authorities announced on Tuesday (local time) they have been reviewing Mr McClains death to see if a civil rights investigation is warranted and will also look at whether one is needed in the case of the photo allegations. Elijah McClain, 23, died after three white officers stopped him as he walked down the street and one put him into a chokehold. Source: CNN In a joint statement, the Colorado US Attorneys Office, the US Justice Departments Civil Rights Division and the FBI said the review began last year and was ongoing. The Justice Department usually does not comment on investigations until they are complete, but the announcement noted there are specific cases in which doing so is warranted if such information is in the best interest of the public and public safety. The interim police chief of the city of Aurora, Vanessa Wilson, announced the internal police investigation into the photo allegations on Monday night (local time). In a statement, she said the suspended officers were depicted in photographs near the site where Elijah McClain died. She did not provide more details about what the images show or how many officers were on leave. The two photos were taken near where police stopped the 23-year-old on August 24 as they responded to a report of a suspicious person walking down the street wearing a face mask, Aurora police spokesman Officer Matthew Longshore said. The pictures were not taken during the fatal run-in, Mr Longshore said. Mr McClains death generated new attention after the death of George Floyd stirred worldwide protests over racial injustice and police brutality. Story continues Mr Floyd died on May 25 after a white Minneapolis police officer pressed his knee into the handcuffed Black mans neck for nearly eight minutes. Stop tensing up In Mr McClains case, police body-camera video shows an Aurora officer getting out of his car, approaching McClain and saying, Stop right there. Stop. Stop... I have a right to stop you because youre being suspicious. In the video, the officer turns Mr McClain around and repeats, Stop tensing up. As Mr McClain tries to escape the officers grip, the policeman says, Relax, or Im going to have to change this situation. As other officers join to restrain Mr McClain, he begs them to let go and says, You guys started to arrest me, and I was stopping my music to listen. Mr McClain not long before he died. Source: ABC News Aurora police have said Mr McClain refused to stop walking and fought back when officers tried to take him into custody. The officers used a chokehold that cuts off blood to the brain a tactic recently banned in several places following Mr Floyds death. In the video, Mr McClain tells officers: Let go of me. I am an introvert. Please respect the boundaries that I am speaking. Paramedics administered 500 milligrams of a sedative to calm him down, police have said. He was on the ground for 15 minutes as several officers and paramedics stood by. Mr McClain, a massage therapist and self-taught violinist, suffered cardiac arrest and was later declared brain dead and taken off life support. A forensic pathologist could not determine what exactly led to his death but said physical exertion during the confrontation likely contributed. Police clash with protesters during the Elijah McClain protest at the Aurora Municipal Center on the weekend. Source: Getty Images An officer reported the photos to the departments internal affairs division on Thursday (local time). Chief Wilson said she learned of the investigation that day and ordered investigators to make it their top priority. The investigation was completed on Monday (local time) and the results, including the photos, will be made public after police officials give a review and Chief Wilson makes a decision on how to respond, Mr Longshore said. The chiefs decision could be appealed by the officers under investigation, which would delay the results being released, he said. Mr McClains family said the photos were a new low for the department. This is a department where officers tackled an innocent young black man for no reason, inflicted outrageous force including two carotid chokeholds for fifteen minutes as he pled for his life, joked when he vomited, and threatened to sic a dog on him for not lying still enough as he was dying, the family said in a statement. A memorial next to where Mr McClain was forcibly restrained by Aurora police officers. Source: Getty Images The three officers who stopped Mr McClain did not face any criminal charges after an investigation by the district attorney, but Democratic Governor Jared Polis directed Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser last week to reopen the investigation and possibly prosecute them. Police have been criticised for wearing riot gear and using pepper spray against some people at a protest on Saturday (local time) over Mr McClains death, which included a violin vigil, but have denied allegations of using tear gas. Chief Wilson defended her officers response to what she described as a group of agitators at an otherwise peaceful protest. Who didnt do it the right way were those agitators who were arming themselves, that were putting on helmets and gas masks and throwing rocks at my officers, Chief Wilson told KUSA-TV. with The Associated Press Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and download the Yahoo News app from the App Store or Google Play. The European Union reopened its borders Wednesday to visitors from 15 countries -- but not the virus-stricken United States, where a top health official warned the country is headed in the "wrong direction" as cases spike in multiple states. US infectious diseases expert Anthony Fauci said that the United States could see 100,000 new COVID-19 cases a day, and several US states imposed 14-day quarantines on travelers from other states. Also in the US, Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden announced he will not hold rallies during the outbreak, a move that is in stark contrast with President Donald Trump, who has already held large campaign gatherings. The 77-year-old former vice president delivered a blistering critique of his November opponent's handling of the virus, saying the Republican president had "failed" the country. "This is the most unusual campaign I think in modern history," Biden said. "I'm going to follow the doc's orders -- not just for me but for the country -- and that means that I am not going to be holding rallies." In Brussels, the EU finalized the list of countries whose health situation was deemed safe enough to allow residents to enter the bloc starting on Wednesday. Notably excluded were Russia and Brazil, as well as the United States, whose daily death toll passed 1,000 Tuesday for the first time since June 10. The countries that made it onto the EU's list are Algeria, Australia, Canada, Japan, Georgia, Montenegro, Morocco, New Zealand, Rwanda, Serbia, South Korea, Thailand, Tunisia and Uruguay. Travelers from China, where the virus first emerged late last year, will be allowed on the condition that Beijing reciprocates and opens the door to EU residents. The border relaxation, to be reviewed in two weeks and left to member states to implement, is a bid to help rescue the continent's battered tourism sector, which has been choked by a ban on non-essential travel in place since mid-March. But with some 10.4 million known infections worldwide, the pandemic is "not even close to being over," the World Health Organization has warned. - 'Very disturbing' - In Washington, Fauci, a member of Trump's coronavirus task force, warned Congress that "clearly we are not in total control right now." "I would not be surprised if it goes up to 100,000 a day if this does not turn around." Alarming spikes in Texas and Florida are driving the national total of new cases to over 40,000 per day, and they need to be tamped down quickly to avoid dangerous surges elsewhere in the country, Fauci stressed. Texas alone reported 6,975 new cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday, its highest tally yet. "I'm very concerned and I'm not satisfied with what's going on, because we're going in the wrong direction," Fauci said. The pandemic has claimed some 127,000 American lives so far and more than 508,000 around the globe. Senator Lamar Alexander, a Republican who chairs the Senate panel, urged Trump to end the politicization of mask-wearing by putting on one himself. "The president has plenty of admirers, they would follow his lead," Alexander said. "It would help end this political debate." New York, New Jersey and Connecticut on Tuesday doubled to 16 the number of US states whose residents must go into quarantine for 14 days if they visit any of the northeastern states. The Pan American Health Organization warned, meanwhile, that the coronavirus death toll in Latin America and the Caribbean could top 400,000 by October without stricter public health measures. That would represent a quadrupling of the fatal cases of COVID-19 in the region. Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, meanwhile, scored a victory Tuesday when a judge overturned a ruling that had forced him to wear a mask in public. The judge deemed the rule redundant since face masks are already mandatory in Brasilia. - 'Infrastructure revolution' - European aircraft maker Airbus said it is planning to cut around 15,000 jobs worldwide, 11 percent of its total workforce. Britain, home to Europe's deadliest outbreak, has already seen its sharpest quarterly contraction in 40 years, shrinking 2.2 percent from January-March. The worst is yet to come, with economists predicting a double-digit slump in output during the second quarter, tipping Britain into a technical recession. Prime Minister Boris Johnson vowed Tuesday to deliver an "infrastructure revolution" to help the country out of the economic downturn. Germany, which has been praised for its handling of COVID-19, saw its North Rhine-Westphalia state extend a lockdown on a district hit hard by a slaughterhouse outbreak. And in Australia, a spike in cases in parts of Melbourne spurred new stay-at-home measures affecting some 300,000 people. Around the world, sporting events continued to fall off the calendar, including the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations and the remainder of this year's World Rugby Sevens Series. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, warned that the US could see 100,000 new coronavirus cases a day Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden said he will not be holding campaign rallies because of the pandemic EU opens borders to safe list of countries A woman is tested at a walk-in testing centre opened by German biotech company Centogene, at the airport in Frankfurt am Main A health official conducts tests in New Delhi Pubs in England are set to re-open COVID-19: World toll Hunters, a Tel Aviv-based cybersecurity startup that helps enterprises defend themselves from intruders and analyze attacks, today announced that it has raised a $15 million Series A funding round from Microsoft's M12 and U.S. Venture Partners. Seed investors YL Ventures and Blumberg Captial also participated in this round, as well as new investor Okta Ventures, the venture arm of identity provider Okta. With this, Hunters has now raised a total of $20.4 million. The company's SaaS platform basically automates the threat-hunting processes, which has traditionally been a manual process. The general idea here is to take as much data from an enterprise's various networking and security tools to detect stealth attacks. "Hunters is basically this layer, a cognitive layer or connective tissue that you put on top of your telemetry stack," Hunters co-founder and CEO Uri May told me. "So you have your [endpoint detection and response], your firewalls, cloud, production environment sensors -- and all of those are shooting telemetry and detections all over the organization, generating huge amounts of data. And, basically, our place in the world depends on our ability to generate that delta. So without being able to find things that you can't see with a single point solution or without really expediting response procedures and workflows by correlating things in a nontrivial way, we don't have any excuse to exist. But we got pretty good at those -- at showing that delta -- and we onboarded customers -- nice logos -- and that was a very strong validation." Image Credits: Hunters Hunters' first customer was actually data management service Snowflake, which functioned as the company's design partner. In addition to being a customer, Snowflake now also features Hunters in its partner marketplace, as does security service CrowdStrike. May also noted that Crowdstrike is a good example for the kind of customer Hunters is going after. Story continues "Not necessarily Global 2000 or Fortune 500. It's really high-end mid-market organizations, not necessarily tens of thousand employees, but billions of dollars in revenues, a lot of value at risk, born to the cloud, super mature tech stack, not necessarily a big security operation center, but definitely CISO and a team of security engineers and analysts, and they're looking for the solution, that on-top solution that can make sense of a lot of the data and give them the confidence and also give them results in terms of cybersecurity, posture and their detection and response capabilities." Microsoft already has a large security development center in Israel and so it's no surprise that Hunters appeared on the company's radar. Hunters also spent some time proactively looking at the Microsoft ecosystem, May told me, but the company's VCs also made some introductions. All of this culminated in a number of meetings at the Tel Aviv CyberTech conference in January and the RSA Conference in San Francisco in February, just before the coronavirus pandemic essentially shut down travel. Hunters says it will use the new funding to build out its go-to-market capabilities in the U.S. and expand its R&D team in Israel. As for the product itself, the company will look to broaden its product integration and machine learning capabilities to help it generate better attack stories. May also noted that it plans to give its users capabilities to customize the system for their needs by allowing them to develop their own signals and detections to augment the company's default tools. This, May argued, will allow the company to go after higher-end enterprise customers that already have threat-hunting teams but that are looking to automate more of the process. With that, it will also look to partner with other security firms to leverage its system to provide better services to their customers as well. The young Sudanese man cast off his T-shirt and cried desperately out to sea: "I swear to you, I'm going to jump. I don't know how to swim but I can't stay here anymore!" After just over a week at sea, tensions are running high on the Ocean Viking, the charity ship that pulled the young man and others like him from the Mediterranean, but which is now marking time, waiting for a safe port of welcome for the migrants. Despite their rescue on June 23 by the ship, charted by European humanitarian group SOS Mediterranee, many of the migrants who fled Libya for Europe are now frustrated, tired, and desperate, as witnessed by an AFP correspondent on board. On Tuesday evening, SOS Mediterranee rescued an additional 47 people from the waters south of Italy's Lampedusa, bringing to 164 the number of migrants aboard. The organisation said the new migrants were mostly from Bangladesh, South Sudan, Pakistan and Ghana. Before the most recent rescue, the 69-metre (226-foot) boat had been turning in circles between Sicily and Malta, awaiting a port of disembarkation as some of the migrants, including Moroccans, Egyptians and Sudanese, become increasingly panicked. At the top of the list of frustrations is the migrants' inability to speak with their families. "I was at sea for a long time. I didn't warn the family, who must think I'm dead," said Said, a 35-year-old Egyptian on the verge of tears. "I'm sure my children think 'Daddy's dead'." Like the Sudanese man, Said had also threatened to plunge himself into the water were he not allowed to place a phone call. "I had told them that it would take two days to cross. Now it's almost seven days," explained Said, wearing a Paris Saint-Germain track suit and with his leg in a cast from an injury onboard. - Rumours - Sometimes the migrants lash out at their rescuers. One Moroccan man complained that their boat "had almost arrived" at Lampedusa when they were pulled in by the Ocean Viking, 100 kilometres (60 miles) from shore. "It's been five days and we're still here, let us leave," he cried. One man was evacuated from the boat Monday for medical reasons and transferred to the Italian coast guard. The group said Tuesday that Italy had still not yet responded to requests to take the rescued migrants. As stress levels have risen, so have rumours, such as the false belief that the Bangladeshis on board have access to a wifi network and are secretly sending messages to their families. The SOS Mediterranee team has sought to defuse tensions, telling migrants to "be patient". Other migrants on past rescue operations have thrown themselves into the water, seeking to swim to land. To alleviate the cramped quarters, the team has opened an area usually used exclusively for women, given that there is only one on board and she is in the company of her husband. - 'We're still dead' - Ludovic, one of the SOS Mediterranee team who sought to reason with the migrants, acknowledged that things have become heated aboard the boat. "But above all, it's shameful that Europeans don't respond to our demands for a landing port. It's inhuman to let them languish there in these conditions," he told AFP. "Let the politicians come and see these people sleeping on the ground in a container." As the days go by, the question on everyone's mind is simple: "When will we arrive in Europe?" Maggie, in charge of humanitarian issues on board, sat in a circle with migrants grouped by nationality to try to explain. "According to international maritime law, anyone rescued at sea must be taken to a safe port, and Libya is not a safe country," she said. "OK," responded one Bangladeshi. "But for our families, for the moment, we're still dead." The migrants were rescued by the Ocean Viking near the Italian island of Lampedusa A medic of SOS Mediterranee takes the temperature of rescued migrants The ship is charted by European humanitarian group SOS Mediterranee The 69-metre (226-foot) boat was turning in circles between Sicily and Malta A gym-goer has tragically died while swimming at a health club in Sydneys south. Paramedics were called to Fitness First in Sylvania on Tuesday evening after the 59-year-old man was found unconscious in the gyms lap pool. Despite their best efforts, the man was unable to be revived. Police do not believe the death was suspicious. The man was found unconscious in the gym's swimming pool. Source: Supplied In a statement to Yahoo News Australia, Fitness First said the pool would remain closed while investigations were underway. This is a tragic incident and our thoughts and deepest sympathies are with the mans family and friends, a spokesperson said. Fitness First is working with authorities who are investigating the incident however the NSW Police Force has confirmed the drowning is not considered suspicious. Counselling is being offered to any staff and members affected by the incident. A report is being prepared for the Coroner. 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. A day after China passed and enacted a new national security law to govern Hong Kong, Japanese lawmakers kicked off official discussions over ways to welcome financial talent that may be contemplating leaving the international financial hub. At the first meeting Wednesday of a new project team established by the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, experts stressed an urgent need to create a more accommodating environment for foreign professionals. The team will assemble a package of recommendations this year. A shorter path to permanent residency and tax breaks are some of the measures on the table, as Japan seeks to raise Tokyo's status as a global financial center. The Hong Kong law passed Tuesday is widely expected to reduce the autonomy that has made the city attractive as an international financial hub, potentially redrawing the map of Asia's finance sector and providing an opening for Tokyo to boost its own status. The legislation is "not likely to affect financial markets right away, but I think [Hong Kong] will undoubtedly lose its position as a finance center," Shigeharu Suzuki, chairman of the Japan Securities Dealers Association, told a news conference Wednesday. But while Japan looks to vie with rival economies such as Singapore for talent, it has not been a favored destination for finance workers. A 2017 survey by Switzerland's IMD Business School ranked Japan as 51st in terms of appeal to foreign highly-skilled personnel -- the lowest among the Asian economies covered. Japan issues visas for highly skilled professionals based on a point system that considers such factors as education, work history and salary. Recipients can stay in the country for five years, with possible eligibility for permanent residency if they meet certain conditions. About 21,000 visas had been approved through Japan's point system at the end of 2019, according to the Immigration Services Bureau. While issuance is picking up, critics have pointed to issues including the complexity of the system, limits on residency time and restrictions on bringing family members. The European Union must prepare for the possibility that talks with Britain on their post-Brexit relationship could fail, Chancellor Angela Merkel warned Wednesday as Germany took the helm of the bloc's rotating presidency. After months of standstill because of the coronavirus, the two sides resumed negotiations this week on how to define Britain's future economic ties with the bloc, but the tone has hardened. "I will keep pushing for a good solution, but the EU and Germany too must and should prepare for the case that an agreement is not reached," Merkel told German lawmakers in Berlin. The veteran leader was speaking on the first day of Germany's six-month EU presidency, set to be dominated by the pandemic and its economic fallout. But Britain's divorce will loom large too, since London and Brussels only have until the end of December to clinch a new agreement or end their half-century relationship without specific plans for how they intend to trade or coexist in other fields. Without a deal, ties would be reduced to minimum standards set by the World Trade Organization with high tariffs and serious disruptions to business. "We want to continue to work constructively with the European Union and we believe that there is a free trade agreement to be reached," a spokesman for British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said. "But we've also been very clear that we will be prepared for either eventuality," he added. - 'Serious times' - Germany has set an ambitious agenda for its EU presidency, which observers say may be the last chance for outgoing chancellor Merkel to shape her European legacy. Her main goal is to push through a massive economic recovery plan to help the bloc cope with its steepest recession since World War II, triggered by a pandemic that has so far killed over 500,000 people worldwide. "We are living in very serious times and need to react accordingly," Merkel told German MPs. The chancellor, who has just over a year left in her final term, has thrown her support behind a 750-billion-euro ($843-billion) recovery fund put forward by European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen -- Merkel's former defence minister. The fund would controversially be financed through shared EU borrowing and marks a stunning U-turn for Germany after years of opposition to debt pooling. The first big test will come at a July 17-18 EU summit, where Merkel hopes leaders will reach agreement on the fund. The money is expected to come mainly in the form of grants for countries hit hardest by COVID-19, such as debt-laden Italy and Spain. But several countries including Austria and the Netherlands want to rein in the spending and are insisting on loans rather than grants. Merkel has urged holdout nations to show "extraordinary solidarity", warning that an uneven recovery would hurt the entire 27-member club. But "member states' positions are still very far apart," she admitted. If accepted, the rescue fund would be a milestone for EU unity. It would also be a big win for Berlin, and could ease some of the lingering resentment from the eurozone debt crisis a decade ago when Merkel's government insisted on harsh austerity for struggling nations like Greece. - 'Green future' - Merkel has repeatedly highlighted the need for the bloc to prepare for the post-pandemic future, including through a more unified approach to health issues and by investing in climate-friendly projects. Environmental demonstrators gathered outside the chancellery Wednesday with bags of fake euro banknotes to demand that any coronavirus stimulus be spent on "a green and just future". At a Berlin press conference, Economy Minister Peter Altmaier said Germany also planned to use its EU custodianship to reduce the bloc's reliance on outside supply chains after the COVID-19 outbreak left member states scrambling to secure protective gear mainly made in China. Berlin wants to make progress "as quickly as possible" on a stalled China-EU investment agreement aimed at creating a more level playing field for companies, he added. Socially distanced but together on the virus recovery fund scheme; Angela Merkel and Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday A mother with doomsday beliefs charged in connection to her childrens death has been slammed with additional charges in a case which has captured the worlds attention. In September last year, Lori Vallow Daybells children, Tylee Ryan, 17, and Joshua JJ Vallow, seven, disappeared. Their bodies were discovered in June this year in Idaho. The new felony charges against Ms Vallow Daybell came late Monday, the latest twist in a case tied to the mysterious deaths of the couples former spouses and their beliefs about zombies and the apocalypse that may have affected their actions. Now, Ms Vallow Daybell has been hit with two counts of conspiring to destroy, alter or conceal evidence of her childrens buried bodies. Lori Vallow Daybell appears at a hearing in Rexburg, Idaho, on March 6. Source: AP CNN reported a complaint filed on Monday showed Ms Vallow provided authorities with false information about her childrens whereabouts. Her husband, Chad Daybell, was charged this month with concealing evidence by destroying or hiding the childrens bodies. Hes pleaded not guilty. Prosecutors are using the same behaviour alleged in Ms Vallow Daybells older charges to support the conspiracy charge, saying she aided Chad Daybells efforts to hide the bodies by asking her friend to lie to police about JJs whereabouts and lying to police herself when she told them JJ was in Arizona and Tylee was attending college. Ms Vallow Daybell is already charged with abandoning or deserting the children, but because police found their remains buried in her husbands yard, its not clear if those allegations will stand. Authorities have not divulged how the children died or who caused their deaths. Seven-year-old Joshua "JJ" Vallow and Tylee Ryan, 17, disappeared is in September last year and their remains were found in June. Source: AP The remains of the two children were found when authorities tracked Ms Vallow Daybells brother, Alex Cox, using data from his mobile phone. Mr Cox died in December last year of an apparent blood clot in his lung at his home in Arizona, new court documents filed in Ms Vallow Daybells case show. Rexburg Police stated Cox was involved in hiding the childrens remains, by taking JJ to Mr Daybells property the day he was buried. Story continues Mr Cox reportedly told police he was visiting his grandmother in Louisiana. His death came five months after he fatally shot his sisters estranged husband, Charles Vallow, in what he said was self-defence. The case has garnered international attention due to the bizarre beliefs allegedly held by Ms Vallow Daybell and Mr Daybell. Ms Vallow Daybell moved to Rexburg, Idaho and married Mr Daybell just two weeks after his wife Tammy died. The couple believed in dark spirits or zombies which would possess people, according to documents. Lori Vallow reportedly believed her children were zombies and she and her husband shared bizarre doomsday beliefs. Source: AP In 2019 on different occasions, Ms Vallow Daybell reportedly told her friend both JJ and Tylee had become zombies. Her friend said the couple believed the only way to rid a person of a dark spirit was to kill them, so the person could rest in the afterlife. 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 the apocalypse, and friends said he claimed to be able to receive visions from beyond the veil. In addition to the couples bizarre beliefs, Tammy Daybells obituary reportedly said she died of natural causes, however local police became suspicious when Mr Daybell quickly remarried. Ms Daybells body was exhumed in December last year, however the autopsy results have not been released. With 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. Regulators have barred Pakistan International Airlines from the European Union for six months after the state-run carrier grounded nearly a third of its pilots for holding fake or dubious licences, officials said Tuesday. The EU Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) told PIA "it is still not sure" if all the remaining pilots are properly qualified, and "they have lost their confidence" in the airline, PIA spokesman Abdullah Khan told AFP. The suspension is the latest fallout for PIA after Pakistan's aviation minister told parliament last week that a government review had found 262 of the country's 860 active pilots hold fake licenses or cheated on exams. More than half of them were from PIA, and the airline said it would immediately ground 141 of its 434 pilots. The EASA said it had suspended PIA and a smaller private Pakistan airline "in view of the recent investigation reported on in the Pakistani Parliament which revealed that a large share of pilot licenses issued in Pakistan are invalid". PIA is filing an appeal, Khan said. The airline has only flown limited international flights for months as a result of the coronavirus. A resumption of domestic operations last month was followed by a crash blamed on pilot error that killed 98 people. PIA had recently resumed bookings for five European capital cities, including Paris, Milan and Barcelona. Flights to Britain, which is no longer in the EU, have also been suspended, Khan said. The EASA said it suspended PIA "due to concerns about the capability of competent authorities to ensure that Pakistani air operators are in compliance with applicable international standards at all times". Chaudhry Manzoor Ahmed, a senior figure in the opposition Pakistan Peoples Party, said PIA's woes had "put the country's reputation at stake". "The decision of the European Union is the result of successive follies of incompetent rulers," Ahmed said in a statement. - Reforms 'inevitable' - Prime Minister Imran Khan told parliament he would reform PIA and other government institutions. "I want to tell my nation: We have no other option, reforms are inevitable," he said Tuesday. Aviation minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan has promised that a restructuring of PIA would be completed by the end of the year. On May 22, a PIA flight crashed into houses in Karachi, killing 97 people aboard the plane and a child on the ground. Investigators blamed the pilots, who were chatting about the coronavirus while they first attempted to land the Airbus A320 without putting its wheels down. Until the 1970s, Pakistan's largest airline was considered a top regional carrier but its reputation plummeted amid chronic mismanagement, frequent cancellations and financial struggles. PIA, which is helmed by a serving air force officer, currently has a fleet of 31 planes and a payroll of about 14,500 workers. The high staff-to-plane ratio has seen long-standing accusations the government and the military use the airline to dish out jobs to cronies and retired military officers. Even before the coronavirus, PIA was in a financial mess, and the EU suspension will only make things worse. The airline racked up $340 million in losses last year, compared to $266 million in 2018. Pakistan's PIA has been barred from operating in the European Union after the state-run carrier grounded nearly a third of its pilots for holding fake or dubious licences President Donald Trump's administration insisted Wednesday it has been firm with Russia over Afghanistan but kept open the door to inviting President Vladimir Putin for a summit. Washington has been in uproar since newspapers reported that US intelligence believed a Russian unit paid bounties for Taliban-linked militants to kill US troops. Trump again denied reports that he had been briefed, saying the intelligence was not strong enough to warrant telling the president. "I think it's a hoax by the newspapers and the Democrats," he told the Fox Business Network. "I think, frankly, that many of the intelligence people didn't think it was something that even happened," he said. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said it was "nothing new" that Russia has been acting against US interests in Afghanistan -- but defended how the administration had responded. "We took this seriously; we handle it appropriately," Pompeo, a former CIA chief and stalwart Trump ally, said without commenting on the intelligence. "The Russians have been selling small arms that have put Americans at risk there for 10 years. We have objected to it," he told a news conference. "When we see credible information that suggests that the Russians are putting American lives at risk, we're responding in a way that is serious." - Putin still welcome? - But Pompeo did not rule out welcoming Putin to the United States. Trump mused last month about inviting the Russian leader to an expanded summit of the Group of Seven industrial democracies -- which kicked out Russia over its 2014 takeover of Crimea. Trump "gets to decide if he wants him to come to a summit or not. That's his decision," Pompeo told reporters. "I'll certainly leave that to him. But I do believe it is absolutely important that we have more frequent engagement with the Russians." Pompeo said that the United States meets with Russia to "convince them to change some of the activities" that go against US interests. Trump has repeatedly voiced hope for better relations with Putin, Russia's paramount leader for two decades who on Wednesday appeared to win a constitutional referendum that could keep him in power until 2036. Trump's stance has alarmed even some members of his Republican Party, which has traditionally advocated a hard line on Russia. Robert Menendez, the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, on Wednesday proposed sanctions over the purported bounty program. In an amendment offered to a massive defense spending bill, the United States would freeze the assets and ban visas for Putin, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and other Russian officials if they are found to be involved in offering rewards to kill troops of the US-led coalition in Afghanistan. "As more details continue to surface on this despicable Russian campaign, Donald Trump has proven once again that he is incapable of protecting our troops and our country," Menendez said in a statement. The New York Times, which first reported the alleged bounties, said that the intelligence was presented in February as part of a written daily briefing prepared for the president. Trump has been widely reported to not pay close attention to the intelligence briefings. The bounty allegations have been denied both by Russia and the Taliban, who signed a deal with the United States on February 29 under which it has stopped targeting coalition forces. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo defnds the administration's stance on Russia at a news conference A US military Chinook helicopter seen in June 2019 in Afghanistan, where reports say Russia has offered bounties to target US-led forces Russian President Vladimir Putin, seen here delivering a national address on June 30, 2020, has triggered fresh outrage in the United States over reports of targeting US troops in Afghanistan Thousands of Palestinians protested Wednesday in Gaza against Israel's West Bank annexation plans, as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said talks were ongoing on the project, which faces intensifying international opposition. Netanyahu's centre-right coalition government had set July 1 as the date from which it could begin implementing US President Donald Trump's Middle East peace proposal. While no major announcement was expected on Israel's self-imposed kick-off date, Netanyahu's office said talks with US officials "on the application of sovereignty" were ongoing. Netanyahu was also discussing annexation with his security chiefs, it added, saying "further discussions will be held in the coming days". In Gaza City, several thousand protesters gathered, some brandishing Palestinian flags and placards condemning Trump. "The resistance must be revived," Gaza protester Rafeeq Inaiah told AFP. "Israel is afraid of force." Smaller demonstrations were held in the West Bank cities of Ramallah and Jericho, attended by a handful of left-wing Israeli politicians opposed to annexation. "We want to affirm our support for peace," former Labour party official Ophir Pines-Paz told AFP. The Trump plan, unveiled in January, offered a path for Israel to annex territory and Jewish West Bank settlements, considered illegal under international law. Netanyahu supports the Trump plan, which has been roundly rejected by the Palestinians. But the veteran right-wing premier has not laid out how he intends to implement the US proposals. Hamas, the Islamist group that controls Gaza, fired some 20 rockets from the coastal Palestinian enclave into the Mediterranean Sea on Wednesday, a demonstration of force aimed at dissuading Israel from moving forward, Hamas sources told AFP. The militant movement, which has fought three wars with Israel since 2008, was scheduled to hold a joint press conference Thursday in Ramallah alongside the West Bank's ruling party Fatah. - Growing global opposition - Writing in Israel's Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper on Wednesday, Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson said that although he was a "passionate defender of Israel," he viewed annexation as "contrary to Israel's own long-term interests." "Annexation would represent a violation of international law," he said. Australia, in a rare criticism of Israel, warned against "unilateral annexation or change in status of territory on the West Bank". France, Germany, several other European states and the United Nations all oppose annexation, as do the Gulf Arab states, with which Israel has increasingly sought warmer ties. Germany's parliament, however, passed a motion Wednesday warning against "unilateral sanctions or threats of sanctions" on Israel over annexation. Such moves would "have no constructive effect" on the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, it said. The EU cannot threaten sanctions against Israel without unanimous support among members. Jordan, one of only two Arab nations that has diplomatic ties with Israel, has repeatedly warned against the move, saying annexation could trigger a "massive conflict". - Domestic opposition - Israel's defence minister and alternate prime minister Benny Gantz has said annexation must wait until the coronavirus crisis has been contained, amid a sharp spike in new Israeli and Palestinian cases. Israel annexed east Jerusalem following the 1967 Six Day War and then the Golan Heights on the Syrian border in 1981, in moves never recognised by most of the international community. While some settlers have urged Netanyahu to take similar action in the West Bank, some hardliners oppose the Trump plan as it envisions the creation of a Palestinian state across roughly 70 percent of the West Bank. "Trump's plan is to establish a Palestinian state in the land of Israel while leaving the Jews with little crumbs," Daniela Weiss, a settler movement leader, told AFP. "This thing will not happen. We will not eat this bait. We will not fall into this trap." Despite the mounting headwinds, experts have stressed that Netanyahu may still move forward in the coming days, noting that he is keenly watching the US presidential election and may be eager to act if he fears Trump will not win a second term. Presumptive US Democratic Party nominee Joe Biden is opposed to any unilateral annexations by Israel. A Palestinian demonstrator in Gaza City flashes the victory sign in a "Day of Rage" to protest Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank A mask-clad Jewish woman prays while Israeli settlers gather on a hill next to the Palestinian town of Halhul, north of Hebron in the occupied West Bank Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition set July 1 as the date from which it can begin implementing a US Middle East peace proposal, but expectations dimmed of a major announcement over the short-term A Palestinian protester lifts prayer beads during the demonstration in Gaza City against Israel's West Bank annexation plans on Wednesday Decrease Font Size Font Size Increase Font Size Article body Auburn University College of Agriculture research and extension faculty will be using a $3 million grant to help forge a future for Alabama agriculture by encouraging the use of innovative conservation practices among the states row crop farmers. The grant comes from the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) On-Farm Conservation Innovation Trials (On-Farm Trials), a new component of the Conservation Innovation Grants first authorized in the 2018 Farm Bill. Auburns $3 million grant is the largest to a single entity of the more than $24 million awarded. The grants are designed to help partners implement and evaluate innovative approaches that have demonstrated conservation benefits on farmland. These conservation practices are sorely needed on Alabama farms for several reasons, said Rishi Prasad, assistant professor and Alabama Extension specialist in the Department of Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences and leader of the research project. Many soils in Alabama are severely degraded and have low organic matter content, Prasad said. It is important to rebuild soil health to conserve soil for use by future generations. Increased adoption of cover crops by Alabama farmers can create sustainable row-crop production systems while protecting the states soil and water resources. Another aspect of the grant will be the demonstration of water-smart irrigation practices, he said. Summer droughts in Alabama are very common, often causing yield losses, Prasad said. The adoption of water-smart irrigation in Alabama is considered one of the most important strategies for mitigating the negative impacts of drought. This project will demonstrate the use of these technologies and help increase the adoption of irrigation in Alabama. The project also will help farmers evaluate nutrient losses and demonstrate the agronomic, economic and environmental benefits of improved conservation practices compared to farmers business-as-usual practices, he said. Fertilizer is one of the major inputs used in crop production, Prasad said. However, more than 50 percent of the purchased fertilizers ends up getting lost in air or water. This project will help farmers evaluate those losses. Three Alabama farms have been selected as cooperators for this project: Posey Farms in north Alabama, Lazenby Farms in central Alabama and L.C. Farms in south Alabama. These farms will be used to demonstrate the innovative conservation practices. The interesting part of this project is that any farmer who wants to adopt cover crops or smart irrigation technologies will receive incentive payments that include assistance for cover crop seed, planting and termination costs, labor charges and forgone income, Prasad said. Farmers also can borrow inter-seeder, roller crimper and soil moisture sensors from selected NRCS offices as a part of this project. A network of learning sites will be established at the extension offices located in Lawrence, Geneva and Lee counties, said Audrey Gamble, assistant professor and Alabama Extension specialist in the Department of Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences, who also is involved in the grant. Project meetings with cooperating farmers and neighboring farmers will be organized, and information on the project will be presented. Farmers will be called for face-to-face meetings, dinner meetings, workshops and field days where information on topics related to cover crops, water-smart irrigation strategies, nutrient budgets and nutrient-use efficiencies will be presented, Gamble said. As project data becomes available, information will be shared with farmers at learning sites. The project already is underway, and we will be instrumenting these demonstration farms in the fall of 2020. For Brenda Ortiz, professor and Alabama Extension specialist in the Department of Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences, the grant marks the continuation of on-farm irrigation projects she initiated in 2017. The important thing about this project is that we will look at the whole systemthe impact of cover crops on soil health and soil structure that will impact soil water storage and movement which, in the end, will impact water availability for the crops and improved nutrient and water-use efficiency, Ortiz said. While technological changes take time, there is a greater awareness in Alabama now of what technology can do to increase irrigation efficiency, she said. Farmers and consultants have gained knowledge on the use of soil sensors for irrigation scheduling, and we have been able to demonstrate the impact of variable-rate irrigation at some sites, Ortiz said. However, more work is needed. Ortiz hopes the innovation grant will increase the adoption of practices such as irrigation scheduling. If we can accomplish this, it will be a great success story and will result in possible environmental and economic benefits, she said. The other piece of the puzzle is nutrient management. This project has a strong emphasis on environmental stewardship. Leah Duzy, agricultural economist with Compliance Services International, is working on the economic aspects of the grant. Innovation grant awardees are required to evaluate the economic and conservation outcomes from these practices and systems, giving NRCS critical information to inform conservation work in the future. Thats where Michelle Worosz, professor of rural sociology in the Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Sociology, will play a role in implementing the grant. Production agriculture by its very nature is sociologicalthere is nothing that is not a product of human activity and/or social interaction, Worosz said. In the case of our grant, I will examine the conservation-based decision-making processes that take place on the three selected farms. These farms will serve as case studies of technological change, adoption and adaptation. I also will observe the extension team as they interact with a broader range of participants during workshops and field days. It is hoped that data from the case studies and the observations can be used by the team to improve conservation technology. In other words, this feedback loop is a means of co-developing knowledge about conservation strategies, particularly smart irrigation and cover cropping. The grants implementation on real farms is important to its success, Worosz said. Understandably, producers can be quite skeptical of experimental plots on research farms, she said. Because research plots are often smaller, they may receive an unrealistic amount or type of care, they may not be subject to the same rules or regulations, the farm manager and researchers might have access to more or different resources such as advanced technologies, the plots are not required to produce the same yields or produce the same return on investment, and they may be located in a place that is not comparable to producers farms. Its also important that the conservation technologies will be co-developed by faculty and extension specialists working alongside farmers, Worosz said. This is a way to develop a more robust set of bundled technologiestechnologies that will be more user-friendly and better able to meet the needs of the user while also meeting larger environmental goals, she said. If the user has input, it will help with a broader buy-in of these conservation technologies by other producers. (Written by Paul Hollis) TikTok on Tuesday denied sharing users' data with the Chinese government, after India banned the wildly popular app as ties with Beijing deteriorate sharply following a deadly border clash. Blaming each other for the brutal hand-to-hand battle on June 15 as talks make little headway, the Asian giants have been bolstering their border forces as anti-China sentiment grows in India. As India reportedly considered hiking tariffs and with some Chinese imports held up at ports, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government on Monday banned 59 Chinese apps including TikTok, WeChat and Weibo. The ministry of information technology said the apps "are engaged in activities... prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India, security of state and public order". The move mirrored growing unease about Chinese tech firms in other countries, in particular regarding telecom giant Huawei. TikTok, owned by China's ByteDance, allows users to upload and share short videos and is spectacularly popular in India -- its 120 million users have made it the app's top international market. On Tuesday, the head of TikTok India issued a statement saying the firm has "not shared any information of our users in India with any foreign government, including the Chinese government". "Further if we are requested to in the future we would not do so," Nikhil Gandhi said, adding that "hundreds of millions of users, artists, story-tellers, educators and performers... (depend) on it for their livelihood." It remains unclear how the bans would work. But even Indians who already had downloaded TikTok on their phones were not able to use the app from late Tuesday. Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian told a regular press briefing that China is "strongly concerned" about the announcement and looking into the situation. He said the country has always asked Chinese firms to abide by international rules and local laws as they work with foreign parties, adding that China-India cooperation is mutually beneficial and damaging this is not in India's interest. - 'Befitting response' - China and India have long had a prickly relationship. But the border clash was the first deadly violence on their disputed Himalayan frontier in 45 years, claiming the lives of 20 Indian soldiers. Chinese casualties are unknown. The Indian deaths triggered outrage on social media with calls to boycott Chinese products. Chinese flags were set on fire and traders destroyed Chinese goods at scattered street protests. Ties were strained last August when New Delhi revoked the semi-autonomous status of Indian-controlled Kashmir and split off Ladakh -- parts of which are claimed by China -- into a new administrative territory. India shares US unease about growing Chinese influence in the Indian Ocean and New Delhi has bolstered defence cooperation with Washington as well as Australia and Japan. India has also been irked by China's backing of arch-rival Pakistan and the construction of an economic corridor going through parts of Kashmir controlled by Islamabad but claimed by India. Since the latest clash, the nuclear-armed neighbours have reinforced the border between Ladakh and Tibet. India has deployed thousands more troops and is conducting extra military flights over the mountainous region. "Those who cast an evil eye on Indian soil in Ladakh have got a befitting response," Modi said in his weekly radio address on Sunday. - 'Self-reliant' - With Asia's third-biggest economy dealt a sucker punch by the coronavirus, the apps ban fits in with Modi's vision outlined in May of a "self-reliant India" able to produce all it needs at home. But New Delhi has a trade deficit of around $50 billion with China, with India's pharmaceutical, electronics and automotive sectors hugely reliant on imports of Chinese raw materials and components. Chinese electronic firms also have a major presence in India, with cellphone brands like Xiaomi -- which manufactures in India -- enjoying a market share of almost 65 percent. The ban on the apps "is fine as a gesture of protest but we should be very careful with escalation right now," said Manoj Joshi from the Observer Research Foundation, an Indian think tank. "Right now I don't think there are any easy options for New Delhi." TikTok is wildly popular in India, the app's biggest international market India-China tensions have deteriorated after a deadly border clash Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government has banned TikTok and 58 other Chinese apps citing security concerns The UN Security Council on Wednesday unanimously adopted a resolution calling for a halt to conflicts to facilitate the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, after more than three months of painstaking negotiations, diplomats said. The resolution, drafted by France and Tunisia, calls for "an immediate cessation of hostilities in all situations" on the Security Council's agenda. It is the Security Council's first statement on the pandemic and its first real action since the outbreak started. Tunisia's ambassador to the UN, Kais Kabtani, hailed it as a "historic achievement," but experts questioned whether the text would have any impact and say the paralysis undermined the Council's credibility. Repeatedly blocked by China and the United States, which opposed a reference in the text to the World Health Organization (WHO), the resolution aims to support an appeal in March by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres for a global ceasefire. It "calls upon all parties to armed conflicts to engage immediately in a durable humanitarian pause for at least 90 consecutive days, in order to enable the safe, unhindered and sustained delivery of humanitarian assistance." Fighting against jihadist insurgent groups is excluded. The new text makes no reference to the WHO, which the US has criticized for its management of the crisis. Washington opposed any mention of the WHO back in May. The Security Council's paralysis for more than three months has been widely criticized, including by some members who have described their "shame" over its inaction. During the negotiations, the United States and China, the two largest financial contributors to the UN, had both threatened to veto resolutions. - Brokered compromise - According to diplomats, Indonesia, a non-permanent member of the Security Council, helped broker a compromise that saw a reference to a General Assembly commitment to supporting the WHO added to the preamble. The vague reference was deemed satisfactory to China, which wanted to emphasize the importance of the WHO, and the US, which broke away from the UN body over its handling of the pandemic. "The adoption of this resolution will send an important signal to conflict parties and may help change calculations on the ground," UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said in a statement. On Thursday, Guterres welcomed the fact that his ceasefire request was supported by nearly 180 countries and more than 20 armed groups, but he acknowledged that it had not been followed up with concrete action. "It seems unlikely that the ceasefire call will actually have much impact in many war zones," said Richard Gowan of the International Crisis Group think tank. "The Council missed the opportunity to boost the secretary-general's global ceasefire in April or May, when a resolution could have made a significant difference. "This feels like a belated face-saving device following months of difficult diplomacy," he added. Oxfam said the delay meant the UN had "failed to protect" millions of people. Another meeting on the pandemic is scheduled for Thursday. The UN Security Council, which after three months of difficult negotiations has approved a resolution call for a pause in conflicts to allow humanitarian action to stem the coronavirus pandemic Venture capital has a long way to go when it comes to investing in underrepresented founders in a meaningful way. But according to The Venture Collective's Cat Hernandez, the issue is too complex to solve by just cutting checks and spending time with entrepreneurs. "You have to be maniacally focused on solutions," Hernandez said. So, Hernandez has teamed up with a number of operators-turned-investors to tackle tech's diversity problem from a creative angle. The Venture Collective, based in London and New York, launches today to make access to capital more equal. Fair warning: its experimental structure is knotty, as TVC is part investment vehicle and part management company. But it's a creative strategy in a deserving sector that tech struggles to make progress within. The team is stacked with a variety of experience: Founding partner Nick Shekerdemian is a former YC startup founder who launched a diversity recruitment platform, and his co-founder, Gina Kirch, was one of his investors, as well as a former director at BlackRock. Other partners include former Primary Venture Partners investor Cat Hernandez and Elliot Richmond, who invests out of the United Kingdom and previously worked at Moelis & Company. The team was finalized during COVID-19. TVC's funding model has two customer bases: startup founders and family offices. For startups, the business will invest a $100,000 check into one company per month, with the flexibility to do more. TVC intends to reserve between $1 to $5 million for follow-on rounds. For family offices, TVC charges an annual fee to serve as intel for what they think are lucrative pre-seed deals in the Valley. If a family office or someone within its network wants to invest, TVC will ultimately deploy an allocated amount of capital. It hopes that total capital commitments will increase over time. While TVC says the structure model is in stealth, it is reasonable to compare the structures of these family office investments to the structures of special purpose vehicles. SPVs are investment vehicles that exist outside a funds capital allotment and are more spur of the moment, versus traditionally syndicated. Story continues The biggest difference is that SPV structure is centered around deals, but TVCs structure is centered around a capital allotment, deployed into multiple deals. They essentially act as middlemen between promising startups and family offices. Its good news for family offices, as they often take the role of institutional investors, which are decade-long relationships. The problem with lengthy bets is that what was hot in 2010 might not be hot in 2020. TVCs model lets LPs deploy capital in their interest areas on a year by year basis. So an LP who is newly bullish on remote work (for some wild reason) could get their hands in early deals instead of waiting for the AR/VR fund they invested in years ago to make that move. Putting all these pieces together, TVC gets more funds by: traditional equity raise annual fee to provide information to its network family office checks portfolio exits Because of all of these mechanisms, TVCs total fund size will change depending on the week. It's a unique example of how first-time fund managers are tackling investing in a volatile landscape. Today TVC launches with an undisclosed amount of equity-based financing. The company declined to share total assets under management. So a big factor in TVCs success is if it can convince both founders and family offices that its perspective is worth the set up. TVCs flexibility can be a blessing, but it also can be risky and unreliable in case family offices pull out. Or if there is an extended recession, for example. As a sweetener, the company says that it will donate two-thirds of partner time to helping portfolio companies. But how does this fit into diversity? It all goes back to TVCs goal to make access to capital more equal. According to the team, pre-seed to Series A is where most companies fail, but the very funds that back pre-seed are also the most strapped for resources (small fund sizes, fixed management fees). Thus, firms have to selectively pick the companies they think are outliers and spend time with those companies on a more regular basis. This disproportionately impacts underrepresented founders, who might have a slower start due to lack of access to resources. TVC thinks its strategy will help grow the number of startups that are venture-backable by heavily supporting them through this time, without competing and driving up valuations for only a few outliers. The company defined underrepresented founders through diversity, geography, age and social background. When asked if they will publicly disclose diversity metrics, TVC said it wants to be thoughtful about how we hold our investments accountable in the long-term and we are balancing that with a desire to not be prescriptive. We believe that part of our job as early investors is to ensure that this intent is top of mind as the business scales. That can come in many forms -- tracking/reporting on diversity metrics being one of them. At its core, this isn't about window dressing, the firm told TechCrunch. Generally, TVC is focused on helping more people get funding, and pointed toward financial optionality as the flywheel were playing for. In terms of sourcing, TVC is partnering with tech-focused groups in New York and London and will identify talent at the university and college level. It also said it will build relationships with underrepresented operators at the most prominent tech companies and co-invest with diversity-focused founders. TVC also launched a group called The Collective that includes diverse founders, operators and investors, who will help as a deal flow channel. The prices of non-subsidised cooking gas have increased by up to Rs 4.50 per cylinder in metros with effect from today, July 1. This is the second consecutive price hike in LPG gas cylinders. In June, the prices of LPG gas cylinders were increased by Rs 12. According to data from Indian Oil Corporation, which supplies LPG under brand Indane has raised the price of non-subsidised liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) by one rupee per 14.2 kg cylinder in Delhi. Rates of non-subsidised 14.2 kg Indane cylinder was increased by Rs 4.50 in Kolkata. And, in Mumbai and Chennai, the prices went up by Rs 3.50 and Rs 4, respectively. With this, a non-subsidised 14.2 kg cylinder of Indane will cost Rs 594 in both Delhi and Mumbai from today. In Kolkata, a non-subsidised Indane cylinder of 14.2 kg weight will cost Rs 620.50 from July 1, and in Chennai, it will cost Rs 610.50. Non-subsidised prices of Indane in metros (Rs 14.2 kg/ cylinder) July 1, 2020: Delhi- Rs 594 Rs 594 Kolkata- Rs 620 Rs 620 Mumbai- Rs 594 Rs 594 Chennai- Rs 610 The current hike in LPG prices comes after three consecutive months of rate cuts. This year, between March and May, LPG cylinders became cheaper by Rs 277. In February, a 14 kg LPG cylinder's price was increased by Rs 144. In February, LPG cylinder rates had gone up to Rs 858.50 in Delhi. However, in March, the rate went down to Rs 805.50, and in April to Rs 744, and in May to Rs 581.50 per cylinder, respectively. Currently, the government subsidises 12 cylinders of 14.2 kilograms each per household in a year. The consumer has to make any additional purchases at the market price. It must be noted that LPG rates are changed at the beginning of every month. Also read: Don't underestimate consequences of economic war, says Chinese media to India after app ban Also read: Vodafone Idea posts Rs 11,643 crore loss in March quarter; AGR charges, subscriber loss hit telco (Edited by: Mansi Jaswal) LOS ANGELESAmid Arizonas record surge in coronavirus infection cases, the trial of Backpage.com founders Michael Lacey and James Larkin will wait until January of 2021, a federal judge ruled on Tuesday. The trial had previously been set to face a jury on August 17. Lacey, 70, and Larkin, 69, were founders of the New Times chain of alternative weekly newspapers, including the Phoenix New Times, as well as New Times L.A., as well as several other papers across the country. They eventually purchased Village Voice Media, acquiring the legendary New York City weekly along with another chain of papers, adding to their portfolio. But in 2004, they founded the online classified advertising site Backpage.com, which quickly proved a haven for sex workers advertising their services. The site was so lucrative that Larkin and Lacey sold off their weekly newspapers to focus solely on Backpage despite accusations that the site also provided cover for criminal sex trafficking. In April of 2018, federal agents seized the site, and arrested Lacey and Larkin. A lengthy indictment charged the pair, and other Backpage execs, with multiple counts of facilitating prostitution and money laundering. But while the complex case was finally set for trial later this summer, the coronavirus pandemic has thrown a wrench in the works. On May 29, Lacey and Larkins lawyers asked for the trial delay due to fears that the trial could not be conducted safely amid the pandemic. Last week, they amended that motion as cases of the virus quickly shot upward in Arizona. Due to the spike, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has required all travelers to that state to quarantine for 14 days upon arrival. In the amended motion, the lawyers say that they are based in New York, and the quarantine requirement would make commuting back and forth too burdensome, and would slow the legal process. In her ruling this week, federal Judge Susan Brnovich said that there was no way to conduct the trial safely amid the pandemic, due to the large number of people who would need to be present in the courtroom. The trial includes not only Lacey and Larkin, but four other defendants, many of whom are represented by multiple lawyers including nine on Laceys legal team alone. Brnovich agreed with Lacey and Larkins contentions. The Court feels that it cannot ensure the health and safety of all trial participants at this time, she ruled. She also noted that numerous witnesses would be required to travel into Arizona for the trial, possibly endangering their health. On Wednesday morning, Arizona health officials said that they recorded 4,878 coronavirus cases in the state, a new one-day high, along with 88 fatalities, another state one-day record. Both of those numbers topped the previous records, set on the previous day. Arizona Governor Doug Ducey, who had been criticized for rushing the states reopening plan, announced Tuesday that he was now throwing those plans into reverse, ordering bars and nightclubs, gyms, movie theaters and water parks to close back down for at least one month. The start of the K-12 school year in Arizona would also be pushed back at least two weeks, Ducey announced. Photos by Maricopa County Sheriff's Office, Sacramento County Sheriff's Office LOS ANGELESAlex Athena says once she sets her mind on doing something there is no stopping her. I am a very determined person, Athena tells AVN. I dont think I have it in me to give up on anything. I always find a way to make things work out and do the best I can. Whether it was earning her Bachelors degree before she turned 21, teaching English in Japan, building a new career in adult or climbing the ranks on MyFreeCams, Athena tends to adapt and excel. I am so grateful for everything camming has afforded me, says the sweet and sexy former administrative assistant from Canada. It truly changed my life for the better and I think the greatest decision I ever made was deciding to just go for it and sign up! In this exclusive Q&A for CAMStar, Athena reveals how shes been spending her quarantine, what drew her to Media Studies in college, her No. 1 film genre, her camming influences and her favorite musical artists, among other things. Click here for the digital edition. For bonus questions, see below: CS: How did you develop your camming routine? AA: I think I sort of fell into my routine. When I first started, I put in a ton of online hours at different times of day to see where I had the best fit. I found a bit of a following with night crew which was also the time I had the most energy so that's when I've spent most of my time online. I plan to expand my hours to daytime as well but I could never leave my night crew hanging. How do you use MFC Share? What have been some of your most popular clips on Share? I often use MFC Share goals to raise funds toward fun things and give rewards in return. I put all of the items I sell on there for easy access as well as all of my pictures and videos (I love that I can give previews for my videos and write descriptions). My most popular videos would be my vintage striptease pack (3 videos for 80 tokens) but my Alex Croft and Kitty Strip videos have been very popular as well! I've had rave reviews on those and they're currently half price. You can get both for 350 tokens in my Collections! What advice would you give a new cam model trying to establish herself? My advice to new cam girls starting out is to put the time into researching the site you're joining and getting a real understanding for the industry. You dont have to fit into a specific mold to be successful and being true to yourself goes a long way. I would suggest sitting down and writing out your goals, your boundaries, your vibe/style and things you would enjoy doing most online. This way you can start to bring your vision to life and building your own community and loyal following. What kind of shots do you usually take on cam? I take half shots of vodka because I suck at taking a normal-sized shot. My favorite is Ciroq! I like it flavored, but in reality its the Red Bull chaser I prefer. Whats your favorite Bieber song right now? Whats your favorite Bieber song of all time? I just love to torment my room by playing his songs, so I used to play Baby a lot then I got so sick of it myself and I switched to Despacito. I actually like that one! When did you own a horse? What kind of horse was it? My family owned horses when I was a kid. We had a few horses, Canadian or quarter-horses normally. I always wanted a stallion. Name someone who has had a major influence on you and why In this industry I have really looked up to Sasha Bae and Aspen Rae. I noticed them when I first began camming and they inspired me. Not only are they extremely successful, they are down to earth and very classy. I built a friendship with them both and on our travels together they were so motivational. They both work so hard and are always positive and uplifting. How did you develop your listening skills? Honestly, I'm just so curious about learning about other people. I find everyone has been through bad times, good times and have some amazing stories to share. It makes me happy when people feel they can open up to me and be vulnerable. Follow Alex on her new Instagram at @alexathena_xo. As we see cases coming in every day, we see workplaces, we see congregate settings and we see areas where people are gathering and this virus is easily transmitted in those settings. Thats where we can really understand that we have an increased transmission pattern, Maurer said. He added that those who are spending time out in public, as well as those traveling to the area from throughout the state, without following guidance are contributing to the increased transmission of the virus. Weve all seen it everywhere, Maurer said of those not wearing masks or distancing themselves from others. Thats one of the big reasons for this. In response to the statewide surge, Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey on Monday shut down bars, movie theaters, gyms and water parks and banned groups larger than 10 at swimming pools. In an effort to identify more existing cases, the specimen collection site at Fort Tuthill continues to collect more and more samples from individuals seeking COVID-19 testing, reaching upwards of 250 people in a single day last week. A week earlier, the collection site was averaging about 150 samples a day. Kaitlin Olson can be reached at the office at kolson@azdailysun.com or by phone at (928) 556-2253. 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. Kubisty's concern stemmed from watching the councils treatment of recent Black Lives Matter protests and demands, from which reform and defund questions were pushed to the 2021 budget discussions in light of the conversation starting so close to when this fiscal year's budget was due. She acknowledged Black Lives Matter and climate change are not 100% connected, but felt the important comparison to make was over the question of equity. She hoped that councilmembers and city staff will have the courage to take the steps to ensure that the new climate action and adaptation plan benefits all communities in Flagstaff. I do think that if the City of Flagstaff doesnt hold [equity] true with everything they do, how are they going to do that with climate? Kubisty told the Arizona Daily Sun. With Black Lives Matter aside, I am incredibly happy that the entire city council passed this unanimously. I think thats huge. Councilmember Austin Aslan worked with community members to push for a change of thinking on climate, and was happy the council was taking this step. In his mind, the countrys dedication to flattening the COVID-19 curve needs to be applied to carbon emissions. Highlights ShareChat has seen a colossal growth ever since the Chinese apps were banned. It registered over 15 million downloads in the last 36 hours. MyGov has also launched its official account on ShareChat. As a large flock of India's internet users shun TikTok and other 58 Chinese apps, the indigenous apps are seeing a sudden spike in their adoption. ShareChat Wednesday said it has clocked 15 million downloads within 36 hours of the announcement banning Chinese apps in India. The social media app was downloaded at a rate of 5 lakh per hour while the new users flooded the platform with over 1 lakh posts supportive of the government's decision. Founded by three IIT Kanpur graduates in 2015, ShareChat has prioritised communication in local languages, which includes posts, hashtags, creative banners, and posters. With the ban now effective in India, India's internet population is moving to other options, which, at hand, are the Indian counterparts. ShareChat, an alternative to social media and content-creation platforms, has said the content on its platform is shared on WhatsApp over 1 billion times a month and that its users spend over 25 minutes daily on the app. It has over 160 million users now and 60 million monthly active users. With the anti-China sentiments at its peak, not only the citizens but the Indian government is also jumping on the bandwagon. MyGov, the digital e-governance department of the Narendra Modi government, launched its official account on ShareChat a day after the ban was announced. The government can reach over 60 million users on ShareChat in as many as 15 Indic languages, the company said. "We are excited to see the way people are exploring ShareChat for the endless possibilities it offers to the people and making it the preferred Indian social media platform," said Farid Ahsan, COO and Co-founder of ShareChat. "We are thankful for their continuous support and yet again, enabling us to emerge as the leader in the Indian social media landscape. We are confident that this sets up the foundation of another success for ShareChat." ShareChat is a direct rival to platforms such as TikTok, which was one of the 59 apps that have been placed under a moratorium as the tensions between India and China have been simmering after the face-off in Ladakh. Much like ShareChat, other indigenous apps such as Chingari and Mitron are flourishing by the day as swaths of India's internet users turn to adopt homegrown apps. The two apps have also posed as an alternative to the uber-hit short-form video creating platform TikTok, owned by China's ByteDance, which had over 200 million users in India. by Burak Bekdil BESA Center Perspectives, via Middle East Forum (Link: Turkey and Qatar: Love in Bloom) Qatari Emir Tamim bin-Hamad al-Thani and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan share a tender moment. Few Qataris who fought the Ottoman colonialists to gain their independence in 1915 and end the 44-year-long Turkish rule in the peninsula would ever have imagined that their grandchildren would become Turkey's closest strategic allies. Qatar, a tiny but extremely wealthy sheikdom, has a constitution based on sharia(Islamic religious law), while Turkey's constitution is strictly secular (officially, if not in practice). In Qatar, flogging and stoningunthinkable in Turkeyare legal forms of punishment. In Qatar, apostasy is a crime punishable by death, while in Turkey it is not a criminal offense. But the ideological kinship between the two Sunni Muslim countries, which is based on passionate political support for Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood (and a religious hatred of Israel), seems to have produced a bond that threatens Western interests. Erdogan visiting Turkey's military base in Doha, Qatar, November 15, 2017. In 2014 Turkey and Qatar signed a strategic security agreement that gave Ankara a military base in the Gulf state, which is already home to the largest US air base in the Middle East (al-Udeid). Turkey stationed some 3,000 ground troops at its Qatari base in addition to air and naval units, military trainers, and special operations forces. In 2017, in a Sunni vs. Sunni drama in the Gulf, a Saudi-led coalition imposed a blockade on Qatar accusing it of supporting terrorism and fostering ties with the rival Shiite force, Iran. Turkey immediately rushed to Qatar's aid, sending cargo ships and hundreds of planes loaded with food and essential supplies to break the blockade. Ankara also deployed more troops at its military base in Qatar in a gesture suggesting that it would assist in protecting the country militarily. 2018 was payback time for the sheikdom. Doha pledged $15 billion in investment in Turkish banks and financial markets when Turkey's national currency lost 40% of its value against major Western currencies in the face of US sanctions. In other words, one US ally in the Middle East was financially helping another US ally evade US sanctions. The Qatari favor to the Turkish nation was followed by a massive gift to its leader when Qatar's emir, Tamim bin-Hamad al-Thani, gave Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan a Boeing 747-8 aircraft, the world's largest and most expensive private jet, priced at around $400 million. Qataris own a 49% stake in BMC, one of the largest military vehicle manufacturers in Turkey. The Turkish-Qatari love affair had its tender moments in defense industry cooperation too. A Qatari investment fund bought a 49% stake in BMC, a Turkish armored vehicles manufacturer, whose Turkish partners are notorious Erdogan cronies. In a bidding result that surprised no one, BMC won the serial production contract for the Altay, the indigenous, next-generation Turkish main battle tank in the making. Under the multi-billion-dollar deal, BMC will eventually produce more than 1,000 Altays. (In a controversial move, Erdogan's government also allocated a military-run tank facility to BMC.) In one of several defense industry deals, Havelsan, a state-controlled military software company in Ankara, signed a partnership agreement with Al Mesned Holdings in Qatar for a joint venture that will specialize in cyber-security solutions for the sheikdom. So far so good. But Turkey's fundamental economic imbalances persist and are likely to worsen in the post-pandemic era. The unemployment rate, officially 13.6% in February, is forecast to reach 17.2% by the end of the year. The national currency has depreciated as sharply as it did during the 2018 crisis: One US dollar was traded at 7.26 Turkish liras in mid-May 2020 versus 3 liras in September 2016. Following a 20% rise within a year, Turkey's gross foreign currency liabilities have reached $300 billion (net foreign liabilities are at $175 billion). Mismanagement and palliative efforts to keep the lira afloat has caused the Turkish Central Bank to burn through $65 billion in reserves since January 2019. In order to stop the lira's slide and provide Turkish banks with the foreign liquidity they need, the Central Bank has been desperately but unsuccessfully seeking currency swap agreements* with the world's major economies, including with the Federal Reserve Bank, the Bank of Japan, and the Bank of England. All this financial misfortune comes at a time when the Turkish economy is poised to deteriorate further due to potential US sanctions. Washington has warned of sanctioning Turkey as part of the Countering Adversaries of America Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) for having acquired the Russian-made S-400 long-range air and anti-missile defense system. The sanctions will go into effect if Ankara activates the Russian system. Additionally, a US court has threatened to sanction, at the magnitude of billions of dollars, a Turkish government lender, Halkbank, for evading US sanctions on Iran. If those sanctions go into effect, Turkey's economic troubles could turn into an existential financial/political crisis that would threaten Erdogan. Erdogan knew where to turn for help. On May 20 the Turkish Central Bank announced that it had tripled its currency swap agreement with Qatar,* meaning it had secured much-needed foreign currency funding. The deal raised the 2018 swap agreement's $5 billion limit to $15 billion and immediately boosted the lira. Once again, US ally Qatar has rushed to offer financial aid to US ally Turkey to help it withstand US sanctions. Just as it did in 2018, Qatar has at least partially thwarted US sanctions. Ally cohesion? Not really. Two occupants of the Silverado were transported to the hospital. One died en route to the hospital, and the other died at the hospital on Sunday, according to an update from CSP. The other two occupants of the Chevrolet died at the scene of the crash. The driver of the Chevrolet Silverado was 59-year-old Samuel Henry from Liberal, Kansas, according to CSP. The passengers of the Chevrolet were Joshua Henry, 36, from Sterling, Colorado, Messiah Henry, unknown age, and Maki Henry, an 8-year-old boy. The driver of the Ford F-150 was identified as Jian Zhong, 45, from Aurora, according to CSP. The passengers were identified as Cathy Zhong, 45, from Aurora, Myoli Zhong, a 9-year-old girl from Aurora, and Ren Juntan, 53, Centennial, according to CSP. The driver of the semi-truck was not injured. PRINCETON -- Four Vietnam War veterans were awarded Quilts of Valor on Sunday afternoon in Princeton at a Trauernicht family reunion. Family members met at Leon and Nelvie Lienemanns home, where the quilts were presented. My parents, Alfered and Deana Trauernicht, had nine children, she said. We had always had a Trauernicht cousin reunion every other year, but as weve gotten older, we havent met as often. But we wanted to do this for the Vietnam veterans in our family. My mom even came out. Shes 96 years old. Malinda Stanley of Omaha said she had taken a few sewing classes with a friend, Cindy Winter. She had donated to Iowa Public Television and received a quilt kit. Knowing she didnt want to ruin the patriotic fabric, Malinda asked Cindy to help her with the quilt for her brother, Jimmy Trauernicht. In the process, the women met LindaKay Hermesch, of Fremont, with the Quilt of Valor Foundation. The Quilt of Valor Foundation was founded in 2003 with the mission of honoring and comforting Veterans with quilts. There are 10,000 volunteers from throughout the United States and as of June 28, 2020, there have been 251,138 quilts registered and awarded. One local Norris Public Schools student is fulfilling his Boy Scout promise by 3D printing and donating ear savers to hospitals, first responders and law enforcement officers. Spencer Jacobs, 14, is a First Class Scout rank in the Boy Scouts of America. He noted that this isnt for an Eagle Scout project or anything other than performing what he thinks his Boy Scout duty is: helping the community. Jacobs said when the COVID-19 pandemic started, he wanted to find a way to help the community. Hed also been wanting a 3D printer, and found a way to combine the two by making ear savers, which help protect ears from chafing or the continuous pressure when wearing a medical face mask. I have made maybe a little bit over 3,000 of them, Jacobs said. Ive got two 3D printers right now. One printer can do six at a time in an hour, so 12 in an hour. I have donated to Bryan Health, Beatrice Community Hospital, Lincoln Surgical Hospital, some physical therapy places. Lots of dentists, sheriff and police departments. So far, Jacobs ear savers have traveled to both coasts and at least 10 states in the U.S. He said he recently donated ear savers at the Nebraska State Capitol with District 30 State Senator Myron Dorn, but that hed also like to give some to Governor Pete Ricketts. Welcome Guest! You Are Here: The engineering firms failed to properly address concerns raised in an earlier geotechnical engineering report for the subdivision that identified "hydro-collapsible" soil in the area and called for further investigation, according to the plaintiffs. Under the terms of the agreement, money would be distributed among 663 homeowners according to a formula awarding more in cases where homeowners can document property damage. Everyone who lives in the subdivision is covered, under the idea that even without damage to their home property values could sink due to their proximity to the homes with collapsing foundations. Seth Cunningham, an attorney for Rimrock Engineering, said earlier in the case the proposed settlement was not an admission of liability but that it would benefit everyone involved. The parties involved agreed that it was in their best interests to move past this matter given the limited amount of insurance funds available," Cunningham wrote. Love 3 Funny 2 Wow 2 Sad 2 Angry 6 Schneeman pointed to the 17 new cases recorded by county officials between Friday and Sunday. Those yielded almost 90 different contact tracing efforts, she said. That includes 15 close contacts who had no available phone number and tracers couldn't contact them, she said. Tracers had to return to the originally diagnosed patients to seek additional information. Earlier contact tracing efforts when Montana was under a stay-at-home order were easier, Schneeman said. People simply had fewer close contacts and could recall them more easily. As Montana has moved into phase 2 of the state's reopening plan, it's become harder for people to recall their close contacts. Some people contacted have pushed back against contact tracing efforts, Scheeman said, though there's no concrete number about how many. "There's definitely been some conversations that have been more challenging than others," she said. Those calls include a two-week quarantine recommendation. "That's not an easy message to give, and it's not an easy message to hear," Schneeman said. The shift in the Billings Clinic indicator is reflective of an increase in the number of occupied beds at the hospital, according to a statement from clinic officials. "From Appalachia to western tribal lands, the families and workers in America's coalfields and coal plants fueled the greatest economic expansion our country has ever witnessed," Heidi Binko, executive director of Just Transition Fund, said in a statement. "As coal declines, these communities deserve the investment they need to make a just and fair transition to a brighter economic future." At its core, the platform seeks to harness existing talent and ideas to build a more economically stable future for coal mining families and future generations. It places coal workers, families and leaders "in the drivers seat," according to the proposal. The plan's specifics, and the details on what it could mean for Wyoming, have yet to be ironed out. It will also require widespread buy-in from the state's coal miners, many of whom still hope coal economies will recover. But the organizers behind the bold proposal emphasized the need to defer to people most directly impacted by the sweeping economic changes before rolling out new projects. As of Monday, there have been 45,310 tests performed for COVID-19 in Wyoming, an increase of 2,908 from Friday: 22,668 from the Wyoming Public Health Laboratory and 22,642 reported by other labs. Less than 73% of confirmed patients have fully recovered, a number that grows to 73.8% when factoring in probable figures. Patients have tested positive for coronavirus in all 23 of Wyomings counties. Wyoming has the third lowest recorded number of coronavirus deaths of any state (Alaska and Hawaii), and its death rate (3 per 100,000 residents) is fourth-lowest to Montana, Alaska and Hawaii, according to the New York Times. The states infection rate (251 in 100,000) is eighth-lowest among states, also according to the Times, which includes probable counts where they exist. Less than 10% of Wyomings cases required a hospital stay. In 25.9% of the cases, health officials dont know if the patient was hospitalized. Firefighters who tested positive must go through two tests with negative results before returning to work, and others are tested at the end of the quarantine period. Tuesday's statewide new case count is the second-highest tally in a single day since the pandemic struck Montana in mid-March. Monday's count, 56, was the highest. The state reported 2,118 new tests completed. Tuesday's count brings Missoula County's total to 86. One person in Missoula County has died from the novel coronavirus. Missoula City-County Health Officer Ellen Leahy said Tuesday the recent flare in cases should serve as an alarm. "That first spike was slammed down with the closures," Leahy said. "For those of us that haven't realized how quickly, and how stealthy, this threat is, this is the opportunity for an eye-opening." The question of whether to close bars and restaurants again hangs on the health department's ability to conduct contract tracing and monitor those in isolation and quarantine, Leahy said. If the case count tips over the staff's ability to properly survey the cases as they come in, there may be cause to quiet the bar scene. Even now, Leahy said, staff are working seven days a week to keep up. "When you're upstairs in their private living area, you can smell them cooking in the lower level, and that's what we're trying to fix," he said. A commercial ventilation system with two outside mechanical units is planned to be installed to bring in more fresh air and extract smoke and smells. Current ventilation is "not enough to accommodate the uses that we have for that kitchen," Boyle said. A consultant will do a redesign to accommodate the ventilation work to fit within a recurring $250,000 appropriation of the Capitol Grounds Planning Commission that will cover all of the improvements. Boyle told legislative leaders that $140,000 of that has been committed thus far. He hopes to see a compatible redesign for improved ventilation by the end of July. The home's problems have been known for at least a year. Boyle said it took time to design improvements and receive approval. The 2015 Legislature budgeted $5 million for the new governor's residence, including $1 million in donations. The Friends of the Residence raised $887,000. Co-chairpersons of the Friends' fundraising committee say they're proud of the effort. "I feel pretty good about what we did," Rep. Pamela Anderson, D-Fargo, said. There is something peculiar about time during the pandemic. On the one hand theres a feeling that the normal calendar has simply stopped, school schedules and sports seasons evaporating, one homebound day passing much like another. Its a feeling of hiatus, intermission, like the days between Christmas and the new year, or some extra season invented by a Renaissance pope to fix a lagging calendar. Yet at the same time theres a feeling of acceleration, of changes that might have otherwise dragged out across a decade piling one atop the other. The George Floyd protests and their electoral consequences, the transformation of liberal institutions by internal agitation, the changes happening to cities and corporations and colleges and churches in each case, trends that were working slowly have seemingly speeded up. This means that when the coronavirus era finally ends, there will be a Rip Van Winkle feeling a sense of having been asleep and waking to normality, except that we will have time-traveled, and the normality will resemble the year 2030 as it might have been without the virus, rather than just a simple turn to 2021 or 2022. The coronavirus is thrilled to learn that a bar owner in Texas is organizing a 'Bar Lives Matter' concert to protest the state's restrictions to slow the COVID-19 outbreak. Protesters are upset @GovAbbott shut down bars in order to help slow the spread of COVID-19. More than 30 bar owners are suing over the executive order. Protesters are demonstrating at the State Capitol and soon at the Governor's Mansion. @KVUE pic.twitter.com/MaRSILqIxk Jenni Lee (@JenniL_KVUE) June 30, 2020 It's pretty nuts in Texas, where coronavirus infections and deaths are accelerating. HAPPENING NOW: The "Texas Bars Fight Back" protest is happening outside the Texas Capitol to protest the closing the bars statewide. pic.twitter.com/NPLen0fFmF Kacey Bowen (@KaceyonFox7) June 30, 2020 There was apparently an organized protest by other bar owners today at the Texas Capitol. 'Bar lives matter' protesters descend on Texas capitol to oppose closures https://t.co/TeAMK1KDo0 Newsweek (@Newsweek) June 30, 2020 From The Hill: A Texas bar owner who is one of several currently suing Gov. Greg Abbott (R) over reimposed restrictions on bars organized a "Bar Lives Matter" concert and protest Sunday. Tee Allen Parker, owner of The Machine Shed Bar & Grill in Kilgore, about two hours southeast of Dallas, hosted the gathering outside the bar Sunday. A second protest is planned on the steps of the capitol in Austin Tuesday, according to KLTV, a local ABC affiliate. "You can't tell me that my tiny little bar is the problem. He's the problem," Parker, who is one of multiple Texas bar owners who have banned the wearing of masks in their establishments, said of Abbott in an interview with The Washington Post. "He's targeting us, and it's discrimination." Jared Woodfill, a Houston attorney representing Parker and 21 other plaintiffs, said Abbott's order illegally bypasses the legislative process and unfairly singles out bars while allowing businesses like barber shops and hair salons to continue operating. Read related news at The Washington Post: 'We're not the problem': Texas bar owners sue over governor's shutdown order And KLTV, an East Texas news channel: East Texas bar holds protest against governor's shutdown Weeks after feds said 'Boogaloo' group members used Facebook to plan the murder of a federal agent, Facebook says they have removed 220 Facebook Groups and 95 Instagram accounts associated with the extremist movement. Facebook says 400 additional 'Boogaloo' related groups advocating armed violence that were tangentially associated with the movement would be taken down, too. "Today we are designating a violent U.S.-based anti-government network as a dangerous organization and banning it from our apps. This network uses the term boogaloo but is distinct from the broader and loosely-affiliated boogaloo movement because it actively seeks to commit violence," a Facebook spokesperson wrote in a statement. Read the June 30, 2020 Facebook statement: Banning a Violent Network in the US Report Ben Collins and Brandy Zadrozny of NBC News, In May, federal officials alleged that Steven Carrillo killed a federal security officer during protests in Oakland, California, against the death of George Floyd while in the custody of Minneapolis police. Carrillo allegedly plotted the attack with a man he met in a Boogaloo Facebook group and aimed to use protesters to "support our own cause" of a second Civil War. The Boogaloo is a heavily armed, mostly conservative libertarian militia movement with extreme anti-government views that advocates for a violent uprising targeting mostly law enforcement. The movement, which has strong ties to current and former military members, grew to tens of thousands of followers since January, mostly in Facebook groups. Several self-professed "boogaloo boys" have been arrested in recent months, charged with crimes including the murder of law enforcement officers and planning terror attacks at Black Lives Matter protests. Carrillo was apprehended a week later shortly after killing a Santa Cruz County deputy in an ambush and scrawling the word "boog" in his own blood across the hood of a car. Read more: Facebook to remove anti-government 'Boogaloo' groups In 2004, the Kellogg's Corporation in Korea decided to hold a promotional contest where people could vote for the new "President of Chex." As The Takeout explains: The two candidates were the delicious chocolate "Chekkie," and the hideously green "Chaka." Chekkie promised that if they won, they would find a way to add even more chocolate to Chocolate Chex, while Chaka promised to imbue the cereal with stinky green onions. One thing the adults at Kellogg's were sure of was that kids hate, hate, hate green onions, so Chaka would be an easy fall guy, Chekkie would emerge victorious, and Korean customers would be so excited about Chocolate Chex that they'd purchase millions of boxes. What Kellogg's forgot is that the internet is full of folks hellbent on ruining everything. Kellogg's tried to the rig the election in Chekkie's favor. But it was too late; the damage was done. And like the Easter Rising of 1916, sometimes a conspiratorial defeat only leads to greater victories. Which brings us to today 16 years later when Kellogg's Korea is finally making good on their promise to deliver Green Onion Chex to the mouths of hungry cereal eaters everywhere (or at least, in Korea for a limited time). The Korea Herald describes the taste: Opening the box of Chex Green Onion sent from Kellogg for review, the scent of green onion hit sharper than expected. However, tasted on its own, the green colored cereal had little green onion taste and was just sweet and salty. On the box, it says "real green onion included!" but mixed vegetable powder, containing 31.9 percent green onion, makes up only 0.03 percent of the cereal. "It's tasty as a snack by itself, and if you eat it with milk, the milk becomes tastier," the cereal maker claimed on the back of the cereal box. Eaten with milk, the cereal still didn't have the bitterness or the spiciness of green onion and tasted like a sweet green cereal aimed at kids. The leftover milk after the cereal was also sweet, but nothing special. If any of you were to smuggle this into the States, I'd go willing to try it. But for now, this crazy promotional video will suffice. Green Onion Chex cereal finally debuts in South Korea after 16 years of chocolatey injustice [Allison Robicelli / The Takeout] Chex green onion springs to life after 16 years [Lim Jang-won / The Korea Herald] I've worked with Jenni Gritters at several media companies now, including Upworthy and Wirecutter, and I have no qualms saying that she is probably the best editor I've ever worked with. As such, I can't say I was surprised when I learned that she pulled in $120,000 in her first year as a full-time freelancer. Jenni is certainly a hustler, but she's a gracious soul who's eager to share advice and help others to succeed as well (even if that means setting timers for me to indulge my weird ADHD research wormholes). So she and her friend/fellow freelancer Wudan Yan decided to start a podcast called The Writer's Co-Op, examining the ways they both got started in freelance journalism, as well as the trials and tribulations they've stumbled on along the way. They're also chock full of experience and advice about how to actually run your business, including planning for taxes, time management, and budgeting out how much money your actual time is worth (including all that paperwork and booking you forgot to factor in). Here's how they describe it: The idea for this podcast was born in the middle of the desert last fall when I (Wudan) pulled up to a rest stop in the middle of a long drive. In the months leading up to that moment, I had noticed more and more people reaching out to me for freelance help. And nearly all the questions that I was fielding were related to the business of freelancing: what terms to negotiate in a contract, how to get paid on time, how to demand late payment, and more. I kept sharing the same advice over and over, and Jenni and I also talked about similar issues from time to time. Instead of sounding like a broken record, I wondered if this advice should live somewhere. I texted Jenni something along the lines of, "Yo, should we start a podcast about the business of freelance writing?" And she said, "Yes, yes we should." Since then, we've received a grant from the National Association of Science Writers to fund season one, which allowed us to hire audio extraordinaire Susan Valot to edit us. (We're very much audio newbies.) The Writer's Co-Op just completed its first 10-episode season; they also have a Patreon that gives you access to worksheets and Excel documents and other bonus content to help you get ahead in that freelance life. My personal relationship with Jenni aside, I have found this podcast to be remarkable informative, comforting, and accessible. Jenni and Wudan speak honestly and openly about the privileges that have helped them take some risks even things as simple as spouse-provided healthcare as well as the things that have made it more difficult for them (including but not limited to gender and race). The episodes are about a half-hour long each, and they're surprisingly refreshing and inspiring. I tend to find most professional advice content like this feels like a pyramid scheme; like of course they're not going to share with me the real secret to their success. But Jenni and Wudan want you to succeed along with them, and they even give you some of the tools you need for that. And I think that's pretty awesome. You can check out the Writer's Co-Op on iTunes/Apple, Spotify, Stitcher, etc., or subscribe to their Patreon for bonus content. Image: Indi Samarajiva / Flickr The United States government is doing more today to protect old statues honoring racists than it is to protect living human beings from coronavirus. This just in, from the Department of Homeland Security. No, it's not a hoax. DHS Announces New Task Force to Protect American Monuments, Memorials, and Statues Release Date: July 1, 2020 WASHINGTON Today, Acting Secretary of Homeland Security, Chad F. Wolf, announced the establishment of the DHS Protecting American Communities Task Force (PACT), a special task force to coordinate Departmental law enforcement agency assets in protecting our nation's historic monuments, memorials, statues, and federal facilities. "DHS is answering the President's call to use our law enforcement personnel across the country to protect our historic landmarks," said Acting Secretary Wolf. "We won't stand idly by while violent anarchists and rioters seek not only to vandalize and destroy the symbols of our nation, but to disrupt law and order and sow chaos in our communities." On June 26th, President Trump issued an Executive Order to ensure that our historic monuments and statues will be protected. The Order, "Protecting American Monuments, Memorials, and Statues and Combating Recent Criminal Activity," directs DHS, within its statutory authority, to provide personnel to assist with the protection of federal monuments, memorials, statues, or property. As a result, DHS created the PACT, which will conduct ongoing assessments of potential civil unrest or destruction and allocate resources to protect people and property. This may involve potential surge activity to ensure the continuing protection of critical locations. DHS's Office of Operations Coordination will also partner closely with the Departments of Justice and Interior to establish information and intelligence sharing. "As we approach the July 4th holiday, I have directed the deployment and pre-positioning of Rapid Deployment Teams (RDT) across the country to respond to potential threats to facilities and property," said Acting Secretary Wolf. "While the Department respects every American's right to protest peacefully, violence and civil unrest will not be tolerated." Finish this article for as low as $1 when you purchase a day pass. Just click the sign up button to purchase. If you are already a subscriber, just click log in to continue reading. 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. Pugh, the instructor at WNY Maritime Charter School, said that the experience of working with mentors is one that cannot happen in a traditional classroom. Communication for teenagers is usually texting while sitting next to each other, with their heads down and no eye contact, he said. When they are at the Hand-to-Hand project, they are forced to talk to and interact with their mentors, who are mostly older than their grandfathers. Its a great way to work on their confidence and communication skills. I have seen them improve in that area. There is also an intrinsic cultural exchange. We generally have older white folks dealing with young people of color. Its an opportunity to learn about each other, and where they come from, Trzeciak said. A lot of the kids from Riverside are immigrants. They might start out extremely shy, but as their comfort increases, they start having fun and this becomes a place they want to be. This fits in with one of the Maritime Centers deeply held tenets: that boats and boat culture are not only for the privileged. Anyone can use boats and can get out on the water. Thats ultimately what we want, is to get more people on the water, said Trzeciak. March 7th - August 3rd: Winnie-the-Pooh: Exploring a Classic Royal Ontario Museum 100 Queen's Park, Toronto, ON As much as we love fun happenings within Western New York, every once in a while an event is just too fantastic to missand well worth a short trip. As Pooh himself once said, You cant stay in your corner of the forest waiting for others to come to you. You have to go to them sometimes. Torontos Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) is paying homage to the beloved silly old bear during this five-month-long exhibition organized by the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, that examines the real people, relationships and inspirations behind Pooh and his imaginary world. This exhibition is designed for kids to enjoy with interactive games, reading nooks and even a slide, while bringing us all back to days where we could bask in the sun, visit with neighbors and let the day slip away, says Justin Jennings, ROMs presenting curator. In many ways a primer for a life well-lived, Winnie-the-Pooh: Exploring a Classic details the origin, creation and legacy of a place where all of us can feel special, listened to and loved. The three Canadian brothers who have been snapping up Buffalo apartment buildings and other properties have struck again, buying up a 27-unit Main Street apartment building from banker-turned-developer Paul Kolkmeyer. Gold Wynn Residential owned by Jeff, Leslie and Paul Wynn of Toronto paid $1.9 million through Gold Wynn Mercer Commons to purchase a four-story brick apartment building at 2813 Main, near the corner of Depew Avenue. Kolkmeyer, whose Priam Enterprises owns office and residential buildings in downtown Buffalo, sold the 32,766-square-foot building, which has been known as University Court Apartments and Mercer Commons. Built in 1930, Mercer Commons sits on just over a half-acre of land. All the units are loft-style or two-bedroom apartments of about 900 square feet, renting for an average of $690 per month, according to a listing on LoopNet. The apartment complex sold in July 2005 for $600,000, and then Kolkmeyer bought it for $1.05 million on Dec. 31, 2007 from Michael Halberstam of Cedarhurst, N.Y. That means it doubled in price since then. Niagara County's hospitality industry hard-hit by the coronavirus pandemic and its effect on tourism is getting an emergency bailout, at least to make sure local hotels can pay their taxes. More than 21 hotels, facing a steep drop in business as the pandemic limited travel and the Canadian border shut down, are receiving financial assistance through a hastily crafted Hospitality Emergency Loan Program from the Niagara County Industrial Development Agency. On Wednesday, the agency's board approved low-interest loans totaling nearly $1.9 million to hotels ranging from the Hyatt Place and DoubleTree hotels in downtown Niagara Falls to the Artpark Hotel and Niagara Crossing Hotel & Spa in Lewiston and vacation rentals in Wheatfield. NCIDA counsel Mark J. Gabriele said the purpose of the loan program was to help hotel operators that "are taking a beating, especially in this area which is so heavily dependent on the summer tourist season." "Our industry in Niagara County has basically been devastated, and were trying to help them out through this," Gabriele said. On an unseasonably hot day in May, my brother and I pulled off to the side of Route 219 and parked at a small gravel lookout a few miles before Ellicottville. We were there, at the Hinman Valley Wetland Complex, to bird-watch. With binoculars around our necks, we sat patiently for an hour, absorbing the sights and sounds of the bucolic world around us. Red-winged blackbirds and swallows gracefully divebombed through the air, Canada geese honked in the distance and the trees danced with the breeze. Suddenly, a brown and white silhouette majestically landed in a tree jetting out of a nearby marsh. "Oh my God, is that a bald eagle?" my brother asked. "No, it's too small. And the feathers on its head aren't right. It might be an osprey," I said. We quickly opened the Audubon app we use to catalog our bird sightings. On the public sightings page, numerous people had identified seeing osprey in that area. We compared the bird with pictures in the app and confirmed it our first osprey of the summer. Since April, when a Baltimore oriole flew through our backyard and we were determined to identify the orange-bellied avian, my brother and I have been escaping quarantine cabin fever by bird-watching in our yard and at area state and county parks. Rahwa Ghirmatzion, executive director at PUSH Buffalo, nailed the essence of Ujimas significance in our community while speaking to The News Melinda Miller last year. "They hit all the buttons: They are culturally specific, social justice-oriented, they reach people who feel marginalized. ... Their work really speaks to that, preserving not just the African-American experience, but that of Native Americans, refugees all the diversity that exists on the West Side," Ghirmatzion said. Educator, musician and Ujima board member Linda Appleby considered Hill a friend for 40 years. Lorna was a force to be reckoned with, Appleby said. She was an incredible warrior. She fought for years to get the kind of funding that other theater companies were getting. "Talk about systemic racism Lorna recognized and had to deal with that from the get-go. She was an activist by definition, because she had to be. She always lived up to what that meant, for people of color, and for everyone in the community. She was extraordinarily passionate about that. And the class is about more than black and white. I definitely learned about the struggles of people whove just come to our country, said Darion, who is black. It kind of just gives you new perspectives. Those new perspectives are exactly what is needed today to get each of us out of our bubble. And while such discussions might seem fraught with pitfalls or like a racial explosion waiting to happen, the students say thats not the case. While there is back and forth, it is respectful and not personal. Maybe thats because English teacher Pamela Fordham, who created the class more than a decade ago, opens it with a This might not be the class for you, if that filters out those who just want to argue, have a chip on their shoulder or dont want to get to know other people. She said one or two typically leave the class in the first couple of weeks. For those who stay, the class pulls from topics in the news to open a dialogue on everything from how we describe skin tones to how whites sometimes act or talk differently around colleagues of color in a misguided effort to relate. "So its coming back, and thats without the Canadian passengers," Weitz said. "Its creeping up there." He also said airport officials in Buffalo are hoping the Canadian government will reopen the border later this month in a move that would significantly increase airport usage. Throughout the novel coronavirus slowdown at the airport, the normally teeming concessions throughout the facility have remained dormant except for one or two. But in another sign of Buffalo Niagara slowly returning to life, the new Queen City Landing bar and restaurant operated by Delaware North opened on Tuesday. Located in the middle of the terminal, Queen City is expected to serve as a major anchor to the many Delaware North concessions at Buffalo Niagara, even though hours were limited to 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. during this weeks "soft opening." "Theyll be evaluating that and expanding as we go forward," Weitz said of Delaware North's plans. Martin Gugino, the 75-year-old protester who was injured when he was pushed by Buffalo police, was released from Erie County Medical Center on Tuesday, his attorney Kelly V. Zarcone announced in an email to media. Gugino, who Zarcone said suffered a fractured skull when he fell backward, will recover "at an undisclosed location in order to ensure his privacy," Zarcone said. "Martin wants to thank the entire hospital staff for their exceptional dedication and professionalism. He received truly outstanding care and for that, he is grateful," Zarcone wrote. Zarcone said she saw Gugino on Tuesday and that "he looks great." "He can walk with a little help and his condition will continue to improve with rest and time. I brought him the cards and letters sent to my office, and he said he still felt overjoyed at the continued support and well wishes, like it was Christmas Day,' " Zarcone said. She added that Gugino is "pleased at the progress" that has been made to ensure the safety of peaceful protesters. Countries group into clusters as COVID-19 outbreak spreads WASHINGTON, June 30, 2020 -- Mathematicians based in Australia and China have developed a method to analyze the large amount of data accumulated during the COVID-19 pandemic. The technique, described in the journal Chaos, by AIP Publishing, can identify anomalous countries -- those that are more successful than expected at responding to the pandemic and those that are particularly unsuccessful. The data comes from Our World in Data, a project of the Global Change Data Lab, a registered charity in England and Wales. This organization collected information from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control for cumulative daily case counts and deaths for 208 countries over a period of 122 days from Dec. 31, 2019, to April 30, 2020. The investigators analyzed the data with a variation of a statistical technique known as a cluster analysis. In this approach, data points are grouped according to similarity. The countries form clusters as individual outbreaks become more similar. For all of January, the investigators found only two clusters: China in one cluster, and all the other 207 countries in the other. As the virus spread, additional countries jumped into the China cluster. Italy was the first to join, followed by the U.S., Spain, France, Germany, Iran and the U.K. By mid-March, case counts for countries around the world grouped into 16 clusters. By April, a similar grouping was seen in death counts. In mid-March, China moved out of the worst death cluster, while the U.S., Spain, Italy, France and the U.K. moved into it. The investigators found a notable break in the cluster structure for cases between March 1 and March 2. This date is significant, because numerous countries reported their first COVID-19 cases at that time, mostly coming from Iran and Italy. Another break in the cluster structure occurs between March 18 and March 19 for deaths, a 17-day difference from that of cases. This offset suggests a 17-day lag for deaths behind cases and agrees with medical data. Once the investigators identified the 17-day offset between cases and deaths, they were able to compare countries' case and death numbers at the same point in time. This revealed countries with anomalous results. "Anomalies may signify either disproportionately high or low number of deaths relative to the number of cases," said co-author Nick James. Iran and Italy both had anomalously high death rates early in the pandemic, while Singapore was anomalously low, as were South Korea, Qatar and Australia. "We also noticed a sort of critical mass effect in the progression of cases to deaths," said co-author Max Menzies. "Spain's death count as of March 28 was over twice that of its case count just 16 days earlier. This is an astonishing explosion of COVID-19. It also applies to the U.S. Its dramatic elevation in death count hit after the case count reached a critical mass in early March." ### The article, "Cluster-based dual evolution for multivariate time series: Analyzing COVID-19," is authored by Nick James and Max Menzies. The article will appear in Chaos on June 30, 2020 (DOI: 10.1063/5.0013156). After that date, it can be accessed at https:/ / aip. scitation. org/ doi/ 10. 1063/ 5. 0013156 . ABOUT THE JOURNAL Chaos is devoted to increasing the understanding of nonlinear phenomena in all areas of science and engineering and describing their manifestations in a manner comprehensible to researchers from a broad spectrum of disciplines. See https:/ / aip. scitation. org/ journal/ cha . This story has been published on: 2020-07-01. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Local educators took to the steps of Buffalo City Hall for the second time in three weeks Tuesday afternoon to assert that it is not enough for them and their colleagues to be non-racist they need to be actively anti-racist as they endeavor to teach students in a safe and welcoming environment. To combat racism in the educational system, organizers of the Change Starts with Me movement advanced what they described as three high leverage strategies to be applied immediately to affect change in any educational setting across Western New York. Demario Strickland, principal at Harvey Austin Elementary School, discussed how to create culturally relevant schools with a welcoming environment for black and brown students and their parents. He said it is important in our current racial climate to put the needs of black and brown children at the forefront of the educational system. You know, a lot of our colleagues in Western New York are not equipped to deal with some of the issues that are going on in our schools as we are in Buffalo. In Buffalo, weve had some training and have started the conversation, but weve realized that our suburban counterparts and our higher education counterparts have not necessarily been infusing that into their curriculum, Strickland said. Cariol Holloman-Horne, a former Buffalo police officer who says she was fired for stopping a fellow officer from using a chokehold on a man 14 years ago, announced a new push Tuesday to pass legislation called "Cariol's Law," which she believes would combat the excessive use of force by police. " 'Cariol's Law' will protect officers who do stand up against police brutality and they will not be treated as I have been," Holloman-Horne said Tuesday morning while standing in front of the Buffalo Police and Fire Headquarters building. "... I don't want any other officer to be treated as I have been treated for doing the right thing." The legislation, which Holloman-Horne and other Buffalo advocates for the Black Lives Matter movement want the city to pass, would require a police officer to intervene when another officer is using excessive force, hold officers who fail to intervene accountable and protect whistleblowers. She's also fighting to have her termination from the Buffalo Police Department vacated and receive her full pension benefits. As protests have erupted across the country following the killing of George Floyd, who died while a Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck, Holloman-Horne's case in Buffalo has gained new -- and national -- attention. She was interviewed recently on CNN. The 75-year-old protester who was pushed to the ground as a line of police in riot gear were clearing the front of Buffalo Hall on Thursday night just after curfew is Martin Gugino, a longtime peace activist from Amherst. "Hes a gentle person who really believes that he must stand up for what he thinks is right," said his friend Terrence Bisson, who has worked with Gugino on Latin American issues through the Western New York Peace Center. "Thats why he went to the demonstration. He would never resist physically any kind of orders," Bisson told The Buffalo News on Friday. "Hes a bit frail, not because of his age. He has some health problems." Mom and dad also placed in the top 200, including Nicks 10.62-pound walleye, which placed 11th overall and took second for the Day 1 Calcutta. It was also the biggest walleye caught on a Pillards lure for a $500 check for a total payday of $2,260. The adversity? They run a family farm and Nicks dad had triple bypass surgery the Friday before the derby started. Between visits to Mercy Hospital, taking care of the necessary farm chores and finding time for fishing, it was a busy nine days. Second place in the youth division was Fischer Sleeman of Stanley, reeling in an 8.34-pound walleye in his first year in the derby. The 10-year-old was fishing with his father, Ethan, off Buffalo on June 14, pulling a Renosky plug behind three colors of lead core line off a board. It was their first catch of the day at 3 p.m. He will be back for more derbies. Third place was 13-year-old Hunter Swoope of Burt with a 7.72-pound walleye. He caught it June 16 while fishing with the Copper Steel team, consisting of his father, Dave, Steve OLay of Ransomville, and Calvin Dufor of Gasport. July 11 New York Kayak Bass Fishing Tournament on Sodus Bay. For more information call 585-749-6469 or email newyorkkbf@gmail.com. July 15 Safe Harbor Open Bass League starts from 6 to 9 p.m. Best 3 fish. Cost is $40 per boat. One or two person teams. Pay at the launch in Safe Harbor. July 17-18 Lake Ontario Trout and Salmon Associations club tournaments will be held, but without any club picnics. For more information check out www.lotsa1.org. July 17 Big Fish Friday as part of the Sunset Bay Walleye Shootout. For more information go to www.walleyeshootout.com or call Capt. Don Ruppert at 716-435-4137. July 18 Sunset Bay Walleye Shootout. Deadline to register is July 10. Teams can have 2 to 5 members. Cost is $500 for regular entry fee. Over $250,000 in cash and prizes. For more information, go to www.walleyeshootout.com or call Capt. Don Ruppert at 716-435-4137. July 18-19 Sodus Bay Pro-Am Salmon and Trout Tournament. For more information, go to https://sodusproam.com. Lake Erie and tributaries Capt. Jim Klein reports that the tiger lilies have bloomed so walleye fishing is sure to take off. Currently, the water temperatures are 70 degrees on the surface and mid-60s 50 feet down. Warmer temperatures are forecast for this week combined with west winds predicted later in the week will push the surface temps to 72-74 degrees and bottom temps to around 70. This will set up for some outstanding fishing this holiday weekend, predicts Klein. Buffalo will be going through its seasonal change from a shallow bite to more of a deep-water bite while walleye search for cooler water. Look for fish in about 50-plus feet. Bottom bouncers, riggers and divers should work well. Cattaraugus Creek area has been a steady bite with 6- to 12-fish trips common. A lot of big fish came from this area for the annual Southtowns Walleye Derby that ended June 21. Fishing has been mostly in the top 30 feet of water with stick baits. But with this wind and weather forecast, the down bite in 50 to 60 feet is sure to turn on. Harnesses on riggers and divers should be great. Fishing out of Dunkirk has really started to come alive. Klein fished Brockton Shoals to Van Buren Point on Sunday and fished riggers close to the bottom with EYE-FISH harnesses in frog and wonderbread patterns producing fish after fish. Klein also fished three and five color lead core using Yale-eye and Bandit stick baits in a bright green. Fish were in 55 to 65 feet of water, from 20 feet to the bottom. Barcelona Harbor has been a bit cold but is starting to warm up and has been producing fish starting at 45 feet. This also will set up perfect with this forecast, so get out and enjoy fishing this holiday. Air Canada is suspending 30 domestic routes and closing operations at eight regional airports across the country as the airline grapples with weak demand due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Montreal-based airline (AC.TO) announced the changes Tuesday, citing weak demand for both business and leisure travel due to COVID-19 and provincial and federal government-imposed travel restrictions and border closures, which are diminishing prospects for a near-to-mid-term recovery. The 30 routes that will be suspended indefinitely include 14 routes in the Maritimes and Newfoundland and Labrador, 12 in Quebec and Ontario, and four in Western Canada. The company will close eight stations at regional airports across the country, meaning they will no longer have a presence at those airports. Air Canada expects the industry's recovery will take a minimum of three years, the company said in a statement. As a consequence, other changes to its network and schedule, as well as further service suspensions, will be considered over the coming weeks as the airline takes steps to decisively reduce its overall cost structure and cash burn rate. The decision also impacts Chorus Aviation, as 21 of the 30 suspended routes are operated by its subsidiary Jazz Aviation through a partnership with Air Canada. The eight stations that will close are also operated by Jazz. The COVID-19 crisis and provincial and federal government-imposed travel restrictions and border closures are having a significant negative effect on passenger demand for Canadian air travel," said Chorus Aviation chief executive Joe Randell in a statement Tuesday. "I am saddened by the impact today's announcement will have on our employees, suppliers and the affected communities, but respect and understand the difficult choice our partner, Air Canada, has had to make." Chorus Aviations stock (CHR.TO) was down approximately 2.7 per cent, trading on the Toronto Stock Exchange at $2.92 as of 2:34 p.m. ET on Tuesday. Air Canadas stock was also down approximately 3 per cent to $16.95. Story continues RBC Capital Markets analyst Walter Spracklin said in a note to clients Tuesday that Air Canadas decision highlights the airlines willingness to reduce costs and cash burn rates and we continue to remain confident in the companys ability to preserve liquidity going forward. Air Canada reported a net loss of more than $1 billion in the first quarter of 2020, as COVID-19 lockdowns and global travel restrictions brought airline traffic to a halt. The company has since undertaken several steps to cut costs, including laying off approximately 20,000 employees, representing more than 50 per cent of its payroll. The airline expects system-wide capacity to be down 85 per cent in the second quarter of the year, and down at least 75 per cent in the third quarter. The following routes have now been suspended by Air Canada: In the Maritimes/Newfoundland and Labrador: Deer Lake-Goose Bay Deer Lake-St. John's Fredericton-Halifax Fredericton-Ottawa Moncton-Halifax Saint John-Halifax Charlottetown-Halifax Moncton-Ottawa Gander-Goose Bay Gander-St. John's Bathurst-Montreal Wabush-Goose Bay Wabush-Sept-Iles Goose Bay-St. John's In Quebec/Ontario: Baie Comeau-Montreal Baie Comeau-Mont Joli Gaspe-Iles de la Madeleine Gaspe-Quebec City Sept-Iles-Quebec City Val d'Or-Montreal Mont Joli-Montreal Rouyn-Noranda-Val d'Or Kingston-Toronto London-Ottawa North Bay-Toronto Windsor-Montreal In Western Canada: Regina-Winnipeg Regina-Saskatoon Regina-Ottawa Saskatoon-Ottawa The eight regional airports where Air Canada will shutter its stations include: Bathurst, New Brunswick Wabush, Newfoundland and Labrador Gaspe, Quebec Baie Comeau, Quebec Mont Joli, Quebec Val d'Or, Quebec Kingston, Ontario North Bay, Ontario Download the Yahoo Finance app, available for Apple and Android and sign up for the Yahoo Finance Canada Weekly Brief. FILE PHOTO: Logo of U.S. technology company Apple is seen in Basel By Foo Yun Chee BRUSSELS (Reuters) - IPhone maker Apple, the target of EU antitrust investigations into key segments of its business, on Tuesday rejected accusations of market dominance, saying it competes with Google, Samsung and other rivals. Earlier this month, the European Commission opened investigations into Apple's App Store and mobile payment system Apple Pay, concerned about its role as a gatekeeper to its lucrative platform. "We compete with a wide variety of companies, Google, Samsung, Huawei, Vivo, LG, Lenovo and many more," Daniel Matray, head of Apple's App Store and Apple Media Services, told a Forum Europe online event. "In fact, Apple does not have a dominant position in any market, and we face strong competition in every category, in tablets, wearables, desktop and notebook computers, maps, music, payments, messaging, and more," he said. Matray defended Apple's App Store, saying the same rules apply to all developers, large and small, with 85% of apps not required to pay a 30% fee to the company which is only valid for those which use its in-app payment service. The EU is investigating whether this requirement and rules preventing developers from informing users of cheaper products elsewhere are anti-competitive. It is also probing Apple's terms and conditions on how its mobile payment service Apple Pay should be used in merchants' apps and websites, and also the company's refusal to allow rivals access to the payment system. The EU investigations were prompted by a complaint by Swedish music streaming service Spotify and an e-book rival. Matray said the App Store has boosted competition, rather than harmed rivals. "In the nearly 12 years since the App Store debuted, the best measure of its success is the dynamism it has unleashed and the state of the app economy today," he said. (Reporting by Foo Yun Chee; Editing by Emelia Sithole-Matarise) Markus Braun, former CEO of Wirecard, stands accused of market manipulation. (Peter Kneffel/picture alliance via Getty Images) Markus Braun, who resigned as chief executive of Wirecard (WDI.DE) last week, has been detained in Bavaria in connection with the balance-sheet scandal at the troubled German payments company. The prosecutor's office in Munich said Braun turned himself in on Monday evening and would appear before a judge today, who will decide on whether or not to keep him in custody. Braun, an Austrian, is being accused of inflating Wirecard's total assets and sales volume through feigned income from business in order to make the company more attractive to investors and customers. Wirecard was plunged into crisis last week after auditors EY refused to sign off on the companys 2019 accounts, saying they could not verify the existence of 1.9bn (1.7bn, $2.1bn) Wirecard claimed to hold in trust accounts overseas. Braun said on Friday that he couldnt rule out the company being the victim of fraud of considerable proportions. There is a prevailing likelihood that the bank trust account balances in the amount of 1.9bn do not exist, the German tech company then said in a statement on Monday. READ MORE: Wirecard falls another 40% as it says missing 1.9bn doesn't exist Wirecard had claimed the 1.9bn was held in a trust account in the Philippines. However, over the weekend, banks in the Philippines said documents produced by Wirecard appeared to be false, and the Philippines central bank also said the money had never entered its financial system. Wirecards Chief operating officer Jan Marsalek was temporarily suspended last week. James Freis, who was meant to start as head of Wirecards new Integrity, Legal, and Compliance department in July, will now take over as interims boss of the company. The Wirecard scandal has rocked Germanys finance world. Were looking at a complete disaster, Felix Hufeld, head of German financial regulator BaFin, said on Monday. Its a shame that something like that happened. The company, which joined the German blue-chip DAX index in 2018, has seen its value all but vanish since news of the missing money broke last week. On Tuesday, CNBC reported that India was considering banning Huawei from its 5G networks after banning 59 Chinese apps nationwide. The news came amid escalating tensions between China and India, including border tensions and lethal clashes. June witnessed a border standoff in the Western Himalayas that came to lethal blows. Indias decision to ban most popular Chinese apps came shortly afterward, suggesting that the move was motivated by national security concerns. If India moves forward with banning Huawei from its 5G networks, it wouldnt be the first country to do so. The company has long been banned from bidding on U.S. government contracts, and the Trump administration has been leaning on allies to block its infrastructure from 5G networks. Canada is one such country. U.S. leaders have leaned on Canadian officials to block Huawei, and their efforts have met with some success. Earlier this year, the Canadian military lobbied Justin Trudeau to ban Huawei. Shortly afterward, Telus agreed to remove its Huawei gear from networks in the National Capitol Region. While no nationwide ban has been implemented yet, things look like theyre headed in that direction. For many Canadian telcos such as Telus thats going to cause a lot of headaches. Several Canadian cellular providers already have 5G infrastructure developed in partnership with Huawei. These companies are going to have a serious handicap. One, however, has managed to avoid the controversy entirely. Rogers Communications Rogers Communications (TSX:RCI.B)(NYSE:RCI) is Canadas largest telecommunications company. It provides cell, internet, and TV services to more than 10 million subscribers (combined) nationwide. Rogers has long been a dominant player in the Canadian telco scene. Founded in the 1960s, it acquired a number of smaller competitors through the decades, leading to it becoming the nations largest telco. It also owns TV stations like Sportsnet and a number of digital ventures. Story continues A long partnership Rogers Communications has long partnered with Ericsson, a wireless infrastructure company based in Sweden. The two companies have partnered on wireless infrastructure for years and will be working together on 5G. Unlike some telecommunications companies, which have had to pivot away from Huawei, Rogers avoided the controversy from the get go. As a result, it has been able to roll out 5G faster than its competitors, with its networks in Toronto and Vancouver all ready to go. Solid results With or without its 5G head start, Rogers is a solid company. This can be seen in its first-quarter results. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the company grew its free cash flow by 14% year over year, increased its wireless adjusted EBITDA by 1%, and added 17,000 net internet subscribers. While the companys revenue was down in the quarter, it still managed to grow by many metrics a solid result in one of the hardest economic periods in history. The post Pressure on Huawei Is Building But 1 Canadian 5G Stock Will Avoid the Fallout appeared first on The Motley Fool Canada. More reading Fool contributor Andrew Button has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends ROGERS COMMUNICATIONS INC. CL B NV. 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 By Andrei Makhovsky MINSK (Reuters) - A candidate standing against Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko said Tuesday she would press on with her campaign, despite receiving a threat to have her children taken away. Svetlana Tikhanouskaya launched her campaign for president in place of her husband, an anti-Lukashenko blogger who was arrested last month for threatening public order and now faces up to three years in prison. She fought back tears in a video released on Tuesday describing how she had received an anonymous phone call threatening that her children would be taken away unless she abandoned her campaign. The call came just as she was about to hand in part of a petition with 100,000 signatures required to stand. "I have a choice - my children or carrying on the struggle," said Tikhanouskaya in the video. She later said she would continue because "it is only way to help my husband". Lukashenko has brooked little opposition in his 26-year rule. The authorities have launched legal cases against several of his opponents in recent weeks after voters joined lengthy queues to sign petitions to support candidates against him. Lukashenko is facing the biggest challenge to his authority in years as frustration with his handling of the coronavirus pandemic and grievances about the economy and human rights reinvigorated opposition to his rule. He has largely dismissed the coronavirus and resisted measures taken in other countries to slow infections. After decades of promoting close ties with Russia, he has also lately squabbled with Moscow over oil supplies, subsidies and the Kremlin's push for closer economic and political union. Tikhanouskaya's husband Syarhei Tsikhanouski popularised the slogan "stop the cockroach", comparing Lukashenko to a character in a children's fairytale. Separately the state also launched a tax evasion case against the local unit of Russia's Gazprombank and has taken the bank into administration. The bank's former head Viktor Babariko is running against Lukashenko. Lukashenko has accused the opposition of trying to destabilise Belarus. (Editing by Matthias Williams and Peter Graff) A workman stands by as a bust of Belgium's King Leopold II is hoisted off of its plinth and removed from a park in Ghent. (PA) A statue of former Belgian king Leopold II has been removed in the city of Ghent as Belgium marked the 60th anniversary of the end of its colonial rule in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The removal of the monarch's likeness on Tuesday took place only hours after Belgium's King Philippe expressed his "deepest regrets" for the violence the one-time colonial power inflicted on Congo and its people during the late 19th century and early 20th century. Leopold ruled Belgium during 1865-1909 and plundered DR Congo as if it were his personal fiefdom, forcing many of its people into slavery. Recent Black Lives Matter protests against racism have given momentum to efforts to have monuments to Leopold removed. It was the first time in Belgium's history a reigning king has expressed regret for the violence carried out by the former colonial power when it ruled over the African country. A bust of King Leopold II rests in the back of a truck after being removed from a park. (PA) King Philippe conveyed his "deepest regrets" for "acts of violence and cruelty" and the "suffering and humiliation" inflicted on Belgian Congo in a letter to the president of the DRC, Felix Tshisekedi, published on the 60th anniversary of the African country's independence. Philippe wrote: "To further strengthen our ties and develop an even more fruitful friendship, we must be able to talk to each other about our long common history in all truth and serenity. MORE: Could Bradford be next for local lockdown? The letter was sent amid growing demands that Belgium should reassess its colonial past. In the wake of the protests against racial inequality triggered by the death of George Floyd in the US, several statues of King Leopold II, who is blamed for the deaths of millions of Africans during Belgium's colonial rule, have been vandalised, while a petition called for the country to remove all statues of the former monarch. A bust of Belgium's King Leopold II was damaged by red paint, graffiti and cement at a park in Ghent last month. (AP) "Our history is made of common achievements, but has also known painful episodes. At the time of the independent State of the Congo, acts of violence and cruelty were committed that still weigh on our collective memory," Philippe wrote, referring to the period when the country was privately ruled by Leopold II from 1885 to 1908. Story continues And the reigning monarch acknowledged: "The colonial period that followed also caused suffering and humiliation. Black Lives Matter protests have broken out across the globe. (AP) Leopold ruled Congo as a fiefdom, forcing many of its people into slavery to extract resources for his personal profit. His early rule, starting in 1885, was famous for its brutality, which some experts say left as many as 10 million dead. MORE: Couple travelled to collect heroin with two-year-old in back seat After his ownership of Congo ended in 1908, he handed the central African country over to the Belgian state, which continued to rule over an area 75 times its size until the nation became independent in 1960. "I want to express my most deepest regrets for these wounds of the past, the pain of which is today revived by discrimination that is all too present in our societies," Philippe wrote, insisting he is determined to keep "fighting all forms of racism. Ayako Gallagher, who lives in Richmond, B.C., makes a trip to Porteau Cove Provincial Park each year. Her trip in June was her fifth annual visit, and she's enjoyed camping in B.C. Parks her entire life. But this year in the context of global upheaval over racism targeting Black, Indigenous and people of colour and a renewed rise of the Black Lives Matter movement Gallagher's camping trip was sullied by an experience she had with park staff, which has led to an apology from the B.C. Ministry of Environment. It started when her husband noticed that someone, probably a child, had scrawled "all lives matter" across the road at the campground in large, irregular chalk letters. There were other messages, like "be kind," "love," "peace" and "be nice," but the "all lives matter" slogan came as a jolt. 'A really loaded term' "Writing or saying 'all lives matter' especially right now in the current climate is a really loaded term and I feel it really falls on the spectrum of racism, because it's accepting the status quo of the discrimination between races and how people live," said Gallagher. "I don't think it's an appropriate statement to be in public, especially in a B.C. park," she said. Rather than risking friction with her neighbouring campers by erasing the message herself, Gallagher went to tell a park ranger about it. Ayako Gallagher But she said the reaction from the ranger took her aback she said the ranger mounted a defence of the phrase, saying things like, "So you don't think all lives matter?" and "I can't believe this," with a roll of her eyes. "Her bias really came out as I tried to explain that it can be seen as offensive to the Black Lives Matter movement," said Gallagher. Gallagher was born in Canada, but her parents are British and Japanese immigrants and she identifies as a person of colour. She said throughout her life, the people she's seen camping at provincial parks reflect the diversity of B.C., but she's not so sure about park staff. Story continues "I can't think that I've seen any employees other than white ones," she said, adding that the "surprising" and "disappointing" incident with the ranger has left her concerned about discrimination in the park system. 'Racism has no place in our province' Gallagher emailed a complaint about the incident to B.C. Parks, and on Tuesday she got a reply from a representative of the Environment Ministry, which oversees B.C. Parks. "I am sincerely sorry that your camping trip was marred by this interaction with staff, and I wanted to reach out to let you know that the exchange with staff does not represent the views of B.C. Parks or this government," said the reply. "Black lives matter. B.C. Parks is committed to ensuring all visitors feel safe and welcome in our parks. Racism has no place in our province," it went on. Ayako Gallagher "A slogan like 'all lives matter' that is meant to dismiss the important conversations right now about systemic racism can obviously make Black, Indigenous and people of colour feel unsafe," said the apology. The ministry sent CBC News a brief statement saying that B.C. Parks takes the matter seriously and will be following up with the park operator. Gallagher said she accepts the apology, which struck has as sincere, but she stressed that it lacked tangible steps that B.C. Parks is taking, either with the staff member in question, or generally to address racism and discrimination in parks. "It's easy to say a lot of nice words that Black lives matter, but what are they actually doing about it?" she asked. Gallagher was invited to follow up with the ministry, which she plans to do. She also plans to be back at Porteau Cove next year, even if there's the potential for an uncomfortable interaction with staff. Do you have more to add to this story? Email rafferty.baker@cbc.ca Follow Rafferty Baker on Twitter: @raffertybaker JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - South Africa's former president Jacob Zuma appeared in court on Tuesday to face multiple charges of racketeering, fraud, corruption and money laundering, as a decade-old trial delayed by procedural bickering resumed. Zuma is being tried on 16 charges relating to a $2 billion arms deal with French defence firm Thales in 1999, when Zuma was deputy president. The charges were reinstated in March 2018, a month after the ruling African National Congress (ANC) party kicked him out of office after a presidency marked by graft allegations and sovereign credit rating downgrades. The former leader, in power between 2009 and 2018, rejects all allegations as a politically motivated witch-hunt. But the case is a rare example of an African judicial system seeking to prosecute a former leader for alleged wrongdoing. Zuma wore a dark grey suit at the court in Pietermaritzburg and looked tense, frequently clicking his jaw. Much of Tuesday's pre-trial hearing was focused on fixing a date for the trial to continue after multiple efforts by Zuma to cancel or delay it. Judge Dhaya Pillay did not set a date for the trial proper to start. She adjourned the proceedings until Sept. 8. The court in November rejected Zuma's application for a permanent stay of prosecution, and in February issued an arrest warrant for him. Zuma is accused of accepting 500,000 rand ($34,000) annually from Thales from 1999, in exchange for protecting the company from an investigation into the deal. Thales, known as Thompson-CSF at the time, has said it had no knowledge of any transgressions by any of its employees in relation to the award of the contracts. (Reporting by Tim Cocks, editing by Ed Osmond) Jeffrey Ong Su Aun, the 42-year-old managing partner of JLC Advisors, was first charged on 1 June. PHOTO: JLC Advisors SINGAPORE The lawyer who went missing last year, shortly after some $33 million held in escrow by his law firm was discovered to have disappeared, was handed 15 fresh charges 14 of which are for cheating on Tuesday (30 June). Jeffrey Ong Su Aun, who was later apprehended in Malaysia on 29 May last year, now faces a total of 53 charges. The 42-year-old, who was the managing partner of law firm JLC Advisors, faces one count of criminal breach of trust for allegedly misappropriating $250,000 belonging to an individuals bank account while he was a solicitor at JLC Advisors. His offence is said to have taken place on 17 December 2018 some five months before he fled to Malaysia. His other 14 charges involve cheating Allied Technologies on as many occasions between 3 November 2017 and 22 January last year. Each of his cheating charge states that Ong deceived Allied Technologies into believing that its escrow account with JLC Advisors contained a certain sum of money by furnishing a notice to reflect the balance amount. In doing so, Ong is accused of intentionally causing Allied Technologies to omit investigating the missing monies in the account. The balance sums in the account ranged from some $15 million to around $45 million, according to charge sheets. The funds had been held in escrow by JLC under an agreement made in 2017. Across earlier court hearings, Ong was handed 38 charges for cheating, criminal breach of trust as an attorney and forgery offences. Ong made the papers when he disappeared after some $33.2 million in funds held in escrow for Allied Technologies was discovered to be missing. Previous court documents revealed that Ong allegedly fled to Malaysia after being pressed to account for the unauthorised withdrawals of client monies by the partners in his law firm on 13 May. Three days later, he became uncontactable. A police report was lodged in Singapore about his alleged criminal breach of trust on 21 May last year. Story continues A warrant of arrest was issued on 25 May, leading to Ongs arrest by Malaysian police on 29 May last year in his hotel room. He was later repatriated to Singapore and charged on 1 June with one count of cheating. Ong will return to court on 11 August. The maximum penalty for criminal breach of trust as an attorney is life imprisonment, or a jail term of up to 20 years, and a fine. For cheating, Ong can be jailed up to three years, and/or fined, if convicted. Stay in the know on-the-go: Join Yahoo Singapore's Telegram channel at http://t.me/YahooSingapore Related stories Lawyer Jeffrey Ong handed fresh charges related to missing $33.2 million Lawyer Jeffrey Ong had stolen Malaysian passport, threw away his mobile phone Jeffrey Ong, lawyer in missing $33M case, slapped with 4 new charges Lawyer Jeffrey Ong, linked to missing $33M in funds, faces 8 new forgery charges CAIRO/TUNIS (Reuters) - Arab foreign ministers said on Tuesday they wanted to head off a new battle in Libya, where the warring sides are mobilising near the main oil region as their foreign backers threaten an escalation. "Libya is passing through a dangerous turn in the course of its conflict," Arab League Secretary General Ahmed Aboul Gheit said in a statement. Egypt has said its army may directly intervene in Libya and France has said it will not tolerate Turkish involvement there. Libya's frontlines have shifted rapidly as Ankara's backing helped the internationally recognised Government of National Accord (GNA) to drive the eastern-based Libyan National Army (LNA) from Tripoli and the northwest. The LNA, backed by the United Arab Emirates, Russia and Egypt, has fallen back as far as Sirte, on the central Mediterranean coastline, where airstrikes stopped the GNA advance. Both sides are now preparing to battle for Sirte. An LNA source said its commander, Khalifa Haftar, was reinforcing there. A senior Turkish official, Yasin Aktay, said on Monday the GNA was making preparations to recapture it and that Egypt's leadership lacked "the power or guts" to attempt to stop this. The fighting has come at a cost for civilians, who have faced booby-trapped homes, looting and arson as the action moves eastwards. MAJOR BLOW The LNA retreat to Sirte last month was a blow to Haftar, whose goal of uniting Libya by force after years of chaos and division hinged on the offensive he launched in April 2019 to capture Tripoli. Any further advance by the GNA would give it the chance to take back control over Libya's "oil crescent", the region where most of the OPEC member's energy is produced and exported. Its military success in recent weeks has depended partly on the support of Turkish drones, which targeted LNA supply lines and troop formations. Last month the United States said Russia had flown warplanes to an LNA base and last week it said they were now operating in the vicinity of Sirte. Story continues However, diplomats say a new battle for the town - the western gateway to Libya's main oil terminals - could still be avoided, particularly if Turkey and Russia can hash out an agreement. Russia said on Tuesday it wanted a ceasefire in Libya and denied a United Nations report last month that said it had up to 1,200 mercenaries fighting in the country. (Reporting By Aidan Lewis in Cairo and Angus McDowall in Tunis; Editing by Angus MacSwan) For Elisa Harvey-LaPlante, the symptoms of her months-long illness came on quickly. It was back in February when she first got chills and a dry cough. Then more symptoms kept rolling in for the 52-year-old Toronto resident, including headaches, dry eyes, thrush, weeks of chest pain and, at times, a feeling that she couldn't breathe. "I think part of that was all of a sudden realizing, 'I think I have COVID,'" she said. Harvey-LaPlante is now recounting those weeks of anxiety in the backyard of her east-end home, where she's spent much of the past four months recovering with little medical support. Some of her symptoms haven't completely gone away, and she still faces lingering fatigue that ebbs and flows. "It was a very frightening couple of months," she said. "And to this day, I have not had a doctor check me out." Harvey-LaPlante is now one of more than 50 Canadians with long-lasting symptoms of possible or confirmed COVID-19, who've all signed an open letter to the country's chief medical officers of health, including Ontario's own Dr. David Williams. The group's plea, amid rising awareness of lengthy recovery times for some people infected with the novel coronavirus virus, was sent on Tuesday. It calls for officials to research long-lasting cases of COVID-19, ensure medical support is provided, and implement standards for diagnosing the illness for patients who don't have positive test results. "Without any medical answers or insight into our condition, we are left living in limbo, unable to access treatment and therapies, and filled with uncertainty about our futures," the letter reads. 'Doctors don't believe us' In the early days of her illness, Harvey-LaPlante said a physician told her through a teleconference appointment that she likely had COVID-19 based on her symptoms. But one supposed telltale sign she never had was a fever so at that time, she didn't meet the criteria to get tested. Story continues Months later, in May, Harvey-LaPlante finally did get a COVID-19 test once the criteria were broadened, but by that point it came back negative. "Doctors don't believe us, family members or employers don't believe us," said Ottawa resident Chandra Pasma, who had a similar experience with a strange, long-lasting set of symptoms this year, and no positive test results to explain it. "Often we're the only person doctors are seeing with this condition, so they don't have the research to go on yet because it's so new." Supplied by Chandra Pasma Pasma, who helped organize the open letter, believes her whole family wound up infected with COVID-19, and previously shared her experience with CBC News. Her group's letter stresses how health guidance in Canada has directed many people to manage their symptoms at home to ease the burden on the medical system, which wound up having unintended consequences on people with milder cases. "As a result, many Canadians have not contacted their doctors despite experiencing ongoing symptoms," the open letter reads. "Others have tried to seek medical care and have been dismissed, either for not having a positive test or because they are told COVID-19 does not last beyond two weeks. It is therefore impossible to say how many Canadians are experiencing a lingering COVID-19 illness or longer-term, possibly permanent, disability as a result of the illness." Dr. Iris Gorfinkel, a Toronto family physician and researcher, said the medical community needs to gain an accurate sense of how many people are experiencing prolonged symptoms to understand the full spectrum of the illness. She also stressed it's crucial for physicians to rule out other possible illnesses before settling on a diagnosis, despite many patients' focus on COVID-19. "We have no confirmatory test for the long-haulers, making it more difficult to know, is that necessarily what we're dealing with?" Gorfinkel said. "To be safe, all patients have to have other diagnoses excluded." But diagnosing COVID-19 remains challenging, since much remains unclear about how it affects the body. Craig Chivers/CBC Ontario's chief medical officer reviewing letter As the pandemic progresses, the medical community is growing increasingly aware of multi-organ impacts and symptoms beyond the respiratory system with various theories emerging that it's largely an illness of the blood vessels, or one that can prompt a potentially-dangerous overreaction from the immune system. As for how long symptoms can last, many medical professionals now acknowledge some people may be ill for long stretches of time. The COVID-19 symptom tracking app developed at King's College London, which has been downloaded by roughly four million people globally, has reported that 10 per cent of people had symptoms at 25 days and five per cent were still ill one month later, noted several authors of a recent column in the British Medical Journal. "We hear anecdotal reports of people who have persistent fatigue, shortness of breath," said Dr. Jay Butler, the deputy director of infectious diseases at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, in a media briefing on June 25. "So, how long that will last is hard to say." Research unpacking the full nature of how the virus operates, and why it may cause long-lasting health issues, will take time. In the meantime, there's no word if Ontario's officials will take new action on the recommendations from patients who say their wellbeing has suffered amid months of fear and sickness. "Ontario, along with the other Chief Medical Officer's of Health across Canada, has received the letter and is reviewing it in detail," a spokesperson for the health ministry said in a statement. Harvey-LaPlante said until there's more research and support, the focus will remain only on the most dire cases where people wind up hospitalized or dying, but not on the untold number of Canadians who are struggling with symptoms behind closed doors. "A mild case isn't always mild," she said. Hundreds of people gathered in Halifax Wednesday to show their support of Palestinians and to voice opposition to an Israeli plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank. Israel's plan to bring roughly 30 per cent of the territory under Israeli control has drawn condemnation from the United Nations and many of Israel's close allies. The annexation was set to begin Wednesday, but Israeli officials said at the last moment the plan will be put on hold. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said he held discussions Wednesday with American diplomats and "additional discussions will be be held in the coming days." Many from the Palestinian-Canadian community in Halifax rallied on the waterfront to speak against the plan. Shaina Luck/CBC Robin Perry was one of the organizers of the protest, which was designed to send a message to MPs and to the federal government. "I think just really driving home the goal of the demonstration today, which is to show solidarity for Palestinian people and their fight for self-determination and the right to return," she said. "Just calling for our government to actively oppose this illegal annexation, which violates international law." Co-organizer Katerina Nikas agreed. "All of our MPs should be signing a pledge and telling PM Justin Trudeau that this is a direct violation of international law," she said. "Annexation is illegal, and in 2020 this is not acceptable." Rana Zaman is a community activist who helped organize the events. She said if Canada is serious about international human rights, it must speak out against the plan. Shaina Luck/CBC "The Palestinians who live here, who contribute here, consider themselves citizens here. Now every day Canada Day comes, they will have friends, family, countrymen that have been displaced, and they will remember this great atrocity," she said of the proposed annexation. The Palestinian demonstrators were supported by other groups, including Indigenous rights activists and people who support abolishing the police. The Donald Trump era began in 2015 with a promise to build a wall between the United States and Mexico. Five years later, the Trump era may end with citizens in much of the rest of the world Canadians, in particular insisting on a virtual wall between themselves and the United States. With the United States adding 40,000 new cases of COVID-19 each day, the European Union is leaving the U.S. off a list of 15 countries whose citizens soon will be allowed to visit its 27 member nations. In Canada, there seems to be no great desire to quickly reverse the unprecedented border restrictions that were imposed in March. The question for Canadians is how much longer the virtual wall will have to be in place and how much it might hurt to keep it there. "My guess is it's going to have to stay closed for more than 12 months," Colin Furness, an epidemiologist at the University of Toronto, told CBC News this week. "It's hard to imagine what's going to happen in the United States until we have a vaccine or until the population has been sufficiently infected that you have herd immunity." Canadians are in no rush to reopen When Leger Marketing asked Canadians in May when they thought Canada should reopen its border with the United States, 47 per cent of respondents said "not before the end of the year." With more than 2.6 million cases now in the United States, it's unlikely Canadians' enthusiasm for welcoming our American neighbours has increased since then. An exemption for "essential" travel significantly reduced the disruption to the Canadian economy. "Canadians continue to get the food, medicine, commercial goods, and other essential supplies they need to live and work, and Canadian exporters for the most part have not suffered disruption," said Goldy Hyder, president and CEO of the Business Council of Canada. But the decline in traffic across the border has still been precipitous. According to data obtained by Postmedia, between June 15 and June 21 just 170,998 people entered Canada at a land crossing with the United States and 104,247 of those people were truck drivers. Over the same period in 2019, more than 1.2 million people traveled through a land crossing from the U.S. into Canada. Story continues Based on those numbers, the pandemic is going to leave a deep mark on the Canadian tourism industry and on border towns like Windsor and Sarnia, Ontario. Hyder and the Business Council have called on the federal government to extend its wage subsidy for the tourism sector through the rest of the year. The damage could be lasting But it can't be assumed that the exemption for essential business travel and widespread use of video conferencing are preventing all damage to the economic relationships between Canadians and Americans. "People say, okay, well, the trucks are going, so the supply chains are working. But the supply chains reflect agreements and contracts that were made in the past with a lot of face-to-face interaction," said Bill Anderson, director of the Cross-Border Institute in Windsor. "If those agreements aren't being made now, the question is what's the supply chain going to look like six months to a year from now?" It also can't be assumed that cross-border travel will quickly return to its pre-COVID-19 normal once the threat of the disease has passed, Anderson added. Traffic between Canada and the United States dropped significantly after 9/11 and had yet to fully return to previous levels when the pandemic hit. Beyond the economic concerns, there are the personal plights the families still being kept apart by the border restrictions. An exemption introduced in June only applies to "immediate" family members such as spouses, parents, children and guardians. A pandemic running rampant in the U.S. But all complications associated with the current restrictions must be balanced against the significant health risks of reopening the border and the economic disruption that would occur if there is a resurgence of COVID-19 in Canada. Furness said his suggestion of 12 months was not meant to be perfectly precise. "It's a very, very rough idea," he said. "I just want people to get used to the idea that maybe it's not going to be next week or next month." But his projection is based on a belief that COVID-19 has now spread too far in the United States for it to be contained. "My assumption is that the genie is so far out of the bottle that there isn't even a bottle anymore," he said. In these circumstances, it might be hard for any industry or community to argue that the border should be reopened. But accepting that a return to normal is unlikely in the near future could refocus the discussion on what, if anything, can be done to find a new normal that is even just slightly less restrictive. Baby steps "I don't think the solution is to say, 'Let's pick out a date and say, OK, the border is now open.' In fact, I would say that maybe 'open' is the wrong term to use," said Anderson, who is also thinking of COVID-19 as a long-term problem. "I think what you need to do is try to find rational and safe ways to ease some of the restrictions." Anderson said that expanded testing (likely conducted away from the border crossings themselves) might allow some travellers to cross if they can show that they have recently tested negative. The effectiveness of that approach, of course, would depend on the accuracy of the testing. Laurie Trautman, director of the Border Policy Research Institute at West Washington University, said the current exemption for family members could be broadened to include extended family like grandparents. Furness also would look at family unification. "I really would like us to revisit that with a long view," Furness said of the current policy on family members. "To say, 'This is going to be in place for a long time, now how can we alleviate the worst of the suffering?'" Ben Nelms/CBC If that meant a lot more people crossing the border, then testing could be a useful policy, Furness said. But he suggests that what is currently a "tiny trickle" of cross-border travellers should only be allowed to become a "slightly bigger trickle" no tourists or unnecessary business travel. He said international students should still be allowed to enter Canada, but he would like greater clarity on what constitutes "essential" travel. The border restrictions put in place in March have been extended three times and are now set to expire on July 21 officially, at least. Even if the deal is only extended for another month, it's likely time to accept that a largely closed border between Canada and the United States is, like the disease itself, going to be our reality for the foreseeable future and to plan accordingly. "Right now I think everyone's responsibility is to figure out how we're going to live with this thing," Anderson says. "Because it might not go away for a long time." An anti-government, pro-gun movement linked to recent violence in the U.S. is gaining supporters in Canada prompting warnings from experts over their often hateful, violent remarks against protesters, police and Ottawa's new firearms restrictions. In the U.S, Boogaloos have recently been in the spotlight, after some showed up heavily armed at anti-lockdown and Black Lives Matter demonstrations. There are no reports of Boogaloos at Canadian protests. But online, the nascent movement has inspired at least two Facebook pages where followers have recently talked about killing protesters and RCMP officers alike. The Facebook pages identified by CBC News were created in the past six months and in that time grew to around 800 followers each. That kind of support is cause for concern, say experts like Alexander Reid Ross, a postdoctoral fellow with the Centre for the Analysis of the Radical Right in Portland, Ore. "People need very little to do a whole lot of damage," Ross said. Facebook Ross said he started to see more activity by Canadians on sites frequented by Boogaloo supporters in the wake of the mass shooting in Nova Scotia, and the resulting tighter restrictions on firearms. While it is impossible to know where all of them come from, many of the people interacting with the Facebook pages list locations in Canada in their profiles. Others list locations in the U.S. or other countries. The administrator of one page, who refused to be identified, told CBC News that nearly half of its followers were located in Canada. The page, which CBC News has decided not to name, has 854 followers and is managed by accounts in Canada, according to Facebook's transparency data. Another page, the K/razy Kanucks Big Kanadian Igloo, had attracted nearly 800 followers before Facebook removed it last week, following an inquiry from CBC News, saying it contravened its community standards against violence and incitement. The unnamed page, however, is still up and includes posts that threaten police and talk about harming protesters. Story continues On June 13, one of page's moderators posted that "pink misting" protesters would "really slap," above a meme critical of protestors in Seattle's Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone. Pink misting is slang for either killing someone with an explosive or a sniper's bullet. Another post links to a story about a 26-year-old woman killed in a police shooting in Edmundston, N.B., and the line, "This is why we need guns" a reference to Canadians defending themselves against police. While many of the posts on the pages viewed by CBC News were reshared from American groups, others discuss events in Canada. Several were critical of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, objecting to the government's tougher gun rules or mocking his criticism of unconscious bias and anti-Black racism. Others are critical of police or the government in general, including one post that jokingly referred to using "claymore Roombas" to blow up an RCMP armoured vehicle. One post opposed the federal government's plan to accept more immigrants after the pandemic is over. Another criticized Chinese investors buying Canadian farmland. Banned by Facebook While some American Boogaloo supporters openly advocate for a second civil war in the U.S., the administrator who spoke to CBC said he thinks political change should follow the proper democratic process. He said his page is meant to be about memes and humour. But Facebook says it is taking anything referring to the Boogaloo movement seriously. "We continue to remove content using Boogaloo and related terms when accompanied by statements and images depicting armed violence," Facebook Canada spokeswoman Meg Sinclair said in a statement. "We are also preventing these Pages and groups from being recommended on Facebook." On Tuesday Facebook said it was banning all Boogaloo content. Facebook recently lost $56 billion in market value as advertisers like Mountain Equipment Co-op, Coca-Cola and Lulemon leave over concerns it isn't doing enough to police hate speech and disinformation. On Reddit and Instragram, Canadian references to the Boogaloo movement are generally found on subreddits or accounts frequented by firearms enthusiasts. Some show photos of users posing with their firearms, and mentioning boogaloo. CBC Reddit spokesperson Sierra Gamelgaard said the platform has been banning Boogaloo-associated communities since spring. "Our site-wide policies explicitly prohibit users and communities from posting content that encourages, glorifies, incites, or calls for violence against groups of people or individuals," Gamelgaard said. The RCMP won't say whether it is monitoring or investigating Boogaloo supporters in Canada. "The RCMP does not investigate movements or ideologies, but will investigate the criminal activity of any individuals who threaten the safety and security of Canadians," said RCMP spokeswoman Cpl. Caroline Duval in an email to CBC. 'Waiting for the boogaloo' While memes and phrases referring to a "boogaloo," or second U.S. civil war, have been online for many years, the movement has gained prominence in the past few months. In April, the Tech Transparency Project, a Washington-based group that studies the influence of technology on society, identified more than 125 Facebook groups tied to the movement, and found that more than 60 per cent of them had been created in the previous three months. The group provided CBC News with examples of Canadian Boogaloo content it had identified, including a Facebook post in April from a Calgary gun store, The Shooting Edge, advertising a shotgun as "your favourite 12ga [gauge] BOOGALOO gun." The store made the same post to Instagram in April, along with another about AK-47-themed T-shirts to wear while "waiting for the boogaloo." Store owner J.R. Cox says the posts are satirical. "The thing that we tend to do with our posts is we try not to take ourselves too seriously. We are not preparing for the end of the world and we're not preparing to get people ready to go to Afghanistan to fight the Taliban," he said. The Shooting Edge, along with another Calgary gun shop, has taken the federal government to court over a proposed ban on assault rifles. How the memes evolved There's a mix of ideologies among people drawn to Boogaloo content, including some anarchists and left-wingers, but most are far-right or libertarian, according to Barbara Perry, director of Ontario Tech University's Centre on Hate, Bias and Extremism "The thing that binds them, regardless of what their orientation may be, is an anti-statist position. So we see in particular a real concern, a real reaction to gun legislation that restricts firearms," Perry said. Perry said some supporters of existing far-right groups in Canada could be attracted to the Boogaloo movement. "Some of them might be drifting towards the Boogaloo as they see an alignment there with their narratives." Boogaloo supporters often use phrases that sound similar like "big igloos" or "big luaus" to evade social media monitoring. Some supporters have appeared at U.S. protests heavily armed and wearing Hawaiian shirts, a reference to "big luaus." The colourful shirts are in line with the satirical or seemingly innocuous elements sometimes used by extremist groups, according to Kathleen Belew, an associate history professor at the University of Chicago and the author of Bring the War Home: The White Power Movement and Paramilitary America. "It follows a much longer thread of organizing, also used by groups like the white power movement, the militia movement, which have used kind of public facing, sometimes funny and acceptable forms to mask what is an inherently violent ideology," said Belew. Recent violence in the U.S. included the killing of two law enforcement officers in California, allegedly by a man who scrawled phrases related to the Boogaloo movement on a car, according to NBC. In May, three veterans were arrested in Las Vegas on terrorism and explosives charges. The FBI alleges they intended to disrupt protests over the death of George Floyd, and were all members of a Nevada Boogaloo Facebook group. While Canadian supporters haven't gone that far, Perry says the combination of the COVID-19 pandemic, lockdowns, job losses, businesses failing and racial tensions risk increasing Boogaloo support in Canada. "You put all those layers together, it's sort of ripe for an acceleration of the movement, an exacerbation of the movement," she said. "The fear is that they now take a page from the book of their American counterparts." Ex-accountant of theater director Serebrennikov released from punishment in embezzlement case Moskva news agency, Andrey Nikerichev 00:00 01/07/2020 MOSCOW, July 1 (RAPSI) Moscows Meshchansky District Court sentenced a former accountant of the Seventh Studio stage company Nina Maslyayeva to 27 months in prison as part of an embezzlement case involving theater director Kirill Serebrennikov and released her from punishment as she had served the term under house arrest and in detention, the courts press service told RAPSI Tuesday. The court also granted a 129 million-ruble (about $2 million) suit of the Culture Ministry. Maslyayeva is to pay the money jointly with Serebrennikov and two other convicted defendants. Earlier, Maslyayeva admitted guilt in full. She claimed that she was involved in monthly embezzlement and cashing of budget funds under the order of other defendants. On June 26, the court passed a 3-year suspended sentence and a 800,000-ruble fine on the Gogol Center theater director Kirill Serebrennikov for embezzlement of 129 million rubles (about $2 million) of budget funds allocated for the theater project Platforma. Ex-head of Seventh Studio Yury Itin also received a 3-year suspended term and a fine. Producer Alexey Malobrodsky was given a 2-year suspended sentence and a fine. Director of the Russian Academic Youth Theater Sophia Apfelbaum received a fine but was released from its payment due to the expiration of the statute of limitations. The court also granted a 129 million-ruble civil suit. Serebrennikov, Itin and Malobrodsky are to pay the money. The court found that Serebrennikov and Itin had committed embezzlement involving Malobrodsky in the crime. However, Apfelbaum was not aware of their criminal plans but provided for the approval of the Platforma financial plans submitted by Serebrennikov. However, the court found Apfelbaum guilty of negligence resulted in grave damage. According to investigators, defendants in the case stole 133 of 214 million rubles ($3.3 million) of budget funds allocated to the Seventh Studio company in 2011-2014 for development and popularization of contemporary art in Russia as part of the project Platforma. Serebrennikov was arrested in late August 2017 and then placed under house arrest. In early November, Moscows Basmanny District Court seized assets belonging to Serebrennikov including apartment, car, and money in the amount of more than 360,000 rubles ($5,300), over 60,000, and $4,000. By Philip Blenkinsop BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Union has excluded the United States from its initial "safe list" of countries from which the bloc will allow non-essential travel from Wednesday. The 27-member bloc gave majority approval on Tuesday to leisure or business travel from 14 countries beyond its borders, the Council of the EU, which represents EU governments. The countries are Algeria, Australia, Canada, Georgia, Japan, Montenegro, Morocco, New Zealand, Rwanda, Serbia, South Korea, Thailand, Tunisia and Uruguay. China has also been provisionally approved, although travel would only open up if Chinese authorities also allowed in EU visitors. Reciprocity is a condition of being on the list. Russia, Brazil and Turkey, along with the United States, are among countries whose containment of the virus is considered worse than the EU average, and so will have to wait at least two weeks for approval. The move is aimed at supporting the EU travel industry and tourist destinations, particularly countries in southern Europe hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. It acts as a recommendation to EU members, meaning they could potentially set restrictions on those entering from the 14 nations. Within hours of the EU announcement, Italy, which has one of the highest COVID death tolls in the world, said it would opt out and keep quarantine restrictions in place for all nations that were not part of the free-travel Schengen area. Canada said it was extending its mandatory quarantine order for travellers until at the least the end of August and a travel ban for most foreigners until the end of July. The EU's efforts to reopen internal borders, particularly within the 26-nation Schengen area which normally has no frontier checks, have been patchy as various countries have restricted access for certain visitors. Nicholas Calio who heads an U.S. airline trade group representing Delta Air Lines, American Airlines, United Airlines and others, said the U.S. government and EU had discussed potential enhanced screening of EU-bound Americans in recent days. He said he is hopeful that "at least on a limited basis" some American travel to the EU could resume soon. (Reporting by Philip Blenkinsop; Additional reporting by Angelo Amante in Rome, Steve Scherer in Ottawa, David Shepardson in Washington; Editing by Philippa Fletcher, Jan Harvey, Richard Chang and Lincoln Feast.) The skies are beginning to clear for the airlines. United Airlines is tripling the size of its August schedule. The carrier announced Wednesday it is adding nearly 25,000 domestic and international flights. Prompting that move: United says customers are slowly returning to flying, showing a preference for leisure destinations. And so, the company plans to add more than 350 daily flights from its U.S. hubs next month. That includes more flights to destinations boasting popular national parks and mountains such as Aspen, Colorado, Bangor Maine and Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Its international schedule includes a return to Tahiti. Despite the boost, the new plan will amount to just less than half of its August schedule last year. Still, investors were encouraged - United shares rose 10% in early trading Wednesday. Shares of rivals Delta and American also ascended. With demand returning for air travel, American Airlines said last week it would no longer restrict the number of seats sold on flights. United is also selling flights to capacity. Inspired by the Black Lives Matter rally in Yellowknife a few weeks ago, Samantha Mtatiro looked for a way to give back to her community. She decided to offer free Father's Day portrait sessions at Rotary Park for Black and Indigenous fathers with their children. "For many Black and Indigenous males, they're not always portrayed in the best way in media and in imagery," Mtatiro said. Her portraits capture fathers and children in moments of affection and tenderness. "Fatherhood is such a delicate role for men," she said. "I just wanted to show their love and their interaction with each other." Samantha Mtatiro Mtatiro, her husband and her two children, Jeremiah and Jordan, all participated in the Yellowknife Black Lives Matter rally on June 9. She knew her project might attract negativity. "Being a white person and talking about race it can be a delicate thing," she said. "My husband and I talked back and forth about this." She and her husband Mathew, who has roots in Tanzania, agreed that some people might be offended, but the bigger picture was worth it. Samantha Mtatiro Her boys are young: one is seven, the other almost nine. "We've been very open with them," Mtatiro said. "Teaching them their history about being Black and also Canada's history and the systematic racism [and] the impact that it has on people's lives today." Her kids still had questions: Why are you doing this? Why for free? "We're giving back, we're serving," she told them. "This is something I can do." Kids mostly learn through action, Mtatiro said. Her children were with her at the rally and at the photo shoot. "We want them to see this. We want them to be part of this," she said. "Hopefully it'll help shape their thoughts, their minds, the people they become." Samantha Mtatiro Mtatiro said reaction to her project has mostly been positive, but some did ask: Why not offer portraits for white dads? Story continues "[That] is not what the Black Lives movement is about," she said. "It's about amplifying people who are marginalized." Mtatiro said the momentum of the Black Lives Matter movement has been both a challenge and a source of hope. "In the beginning, it was pretty overwhelming it was impacting our family and our life a lot," she said. "[But] seeing progress the whole world coming together on this issue. Major brands and organizations standing up against racism I feel like this is going to be a revolution it's really exciting." Samantha Mtatiro Her next project is already underway. She wants to amplify Black voices in the community. "I had a group of 12 Black women come together and we took some photos and I took some quotes," Mtatiro said. Follow her work on Facebook (Samantha Adrienne Photography) or on Instagram. Now that its officially summer, its time to partake in our favorite warm-weather activity: reading. All day long. Were firm believers that starting a new book is always a good idea. They offer different perspectives, connect us with others, and lend words of encouragement during difficult times. As you build your summer reading list, dont forget to bookmark our Julys best new books list to use as a reference. Pro tip: These selects are best enjoyed by the pool or in front of the air conditioner. 'The Heir Affair' by Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan, out July 7th Back in 2015, The Royal We basically predicted that a British royal would fall in love with an American girl. The much-anticipated sequel, The Heir Affair, is finally on shelvesand its even more fun and feel-good than the first. Step right up for the closest youll ever get to the inside of Harry and Meghans private life, because theres no shortage of royal drama here, folks. - $20.99 Available at Amazon.com 'Scorpionfish' by Natalie Bakopoulos, out July 7th Lets face it: Its going to be a while until we can vacation in the Greek islands. But you can take a trip to Athens right now without leaving your couch. Scorpionfish is a stunning, beautifully bittersweet novel about a young woman named Mira and the many forms of love she experiences: for her late parents, for her friends, for romances old and new, and for her country. - $14.21 Available at Amazon.com 'The Beauty in Breaking' by Michele Harper, out July 7th Michele Harper is a Black female emergency room physician, aka the hero of all heroes. And The Beauty in Breaking is her memoir about her journey toward self-healing, told via case studies of her most memorable patients. Its a hopeful, healing reminder to make peace with your past and let your experiences inform your future. It couldnt be more timely. - $27.00 Available at Amazon.com 'One Year of Ugly' by Caroline Mackenzie, out July 7th Story continues At age 24, Yola and her family fled life from Venezuela for a fresh start in Trinidad. But their peaceful new life quickly turns upside-down, and soon, theyre at the mercy of a local blackmailing criminal named Ugly. One Year of Ugly is a fast-paced, complex story of family drama, immigration, crime, and cross-cultural strugglesand theres even some romance, too. - $26.00 Available at Amazon.com 'A Beautifully Foolish Endeavor' by Hank Green, out July 7th Hank Greens first novel, An Absolutely Remarkable Thing, had us furiously flipping pages to solve the mystery of the Carls. The much-anticipated sequel is finally here, and its just as adventurous and addicting. Youll hang on every last word as you wonder what really happened to April May. - $24.30 Available at Amazon.com 'Big Friendship: How We Keep Each Other Close' by Aminatou Sow and Ann Friedman, out July 14th Staying in touch with your besties is more important than ever right now. But maintaining friendships, especially for a long time, is hard work. Aminatou Sow and Ann Friedman, hosts of the podcast Call Your Girlfriend, get super real about what it takes to choose, fight for, and maintain close friendships. May we suggest reading it at the same time as your best friend? - $26.00 Available at Amazon.com 'He Started It' by Samantha Downing, out July 21st Last year, we pronounced My Lovely Wife the next Gone Girl (which is NOT an easy title to earn). Now, Samantha Downings second novel is here, and it yet again lives up to the hype. This deliciously sinister story about a family with way too many secrets on a road trip gone wrong will keep you guessing until the very end. - $19.79 Available at Amazon.com 'Musical Chairs' by Amy Poeppel, out July 21st Every summer reading list needs at least one book youll want to binge at the beach or by the pool. Musical Chairs, about a recently dumped woman named Bridget and her best friend Will, is a sweet summer romance with tons of heart. Its the perfect escape. - $27.00 Available at Amazon.com 'Intimations' by Zadie Smith, out July 28th The first written-during-quarantine book is here, and its from a writer youre likely naturally already revisiting during the pandemic: Zadie Smith. Written in the early months of lockdown, this collection contains just six essays, but it packs a seriously powerful punch. Finally, someone has eloquently put to words the complication, confusion, and contempt of these unprecedented and isolating times. - $10.95 Available at Amazon.com 'Memorial Drive: A Daughters Memoir' by Natasha Trethewey, out July 28th When Natasha Trethewey was 19, her former stepfather shot and killed her mother. In Memorial Drive, Trethewey explores her pain, loss, and grief and seeks to find who her mother was leading up to the terrible crime. Its the most affecting true crime story youll read all year. - $27.99 Available at Amazon.com Photo credit: Michael Poliza/Lake Kora From Town & Country Let's face it: Having no clear plans yet for what to do with yourself and your offspring this summer does not, existentially speaking, loom large during this historic period of a global pandemic and a reborn struggle for racial justice in America. Still. You're working from home (if you're lucky); summer camps and programs are closed, so the kids are home, too; and a procession of days yawns before you, a sea of sameness and social distancing. And now the European Unionsensibly, given how poorly we have managed our coronavirus containmentis barring travelers from the United States from crossing its borders for at least the next two weeks and likely longer. So there goes that fantasyfor those of us able to cling to such a thingof a last-minute en famille hop across the pond. Photo credit: Jack Richmond And yet. It is almost July 4. There are at least two months of this suspended animation aheadif not more. If you can afford to make a plan, and wish you had one, a ready-made solution has popped up. It's called Camp Embark and it's the brainchild of Jack Ezon, founder and CEO of the travel agency Embark Beyond. A way for parents with means to keep their kids stimulated and safe in this era of continuing social distancing. Photo credit: Paws Up The camp is organized for either you and your family, or, if you prefer (and it is more fun) for two or three families who know each other, have been socially distancing and thus know one another to be "safe," and whose children are friends. (More if you like, depending on your comfort level.) In the two weeks since the program launched, there have been more than 50 bookings, for camp durations of either one or two weeks. "I came up with it talking to hotel companies [whose businesses were reeling] and to my wife, who was freaking outno school! no camps! We have four children. Normally, you'd think, oh, let's just get some friends with kids together. But even if you have a pool, what are you going to do around the pool every day? And the kids are all different ages. There's only so much...." Story continues Think of Camp Embark as summer-camp version of a fancy Covid-19-era take-out meal for a small dinner party. A la carte, all packaged, and tied up with a bow. Inside the package is a destination, a camp director, a camp counselor, a schedule of age-appropriate camp activities, and all the requisite camp toys and accoutrements. All you have to do is drive or fly yourselves to the place you picked. (Prices vary depending on the property you pick. They start at around $4,600 per week for a family of four with basic activities and a private counselor at the Lodge at Woodloch in Pennsylvania to $150,000 at the McGee Homestead in Brush Creek Ranch in Wyoming, which is a buy-out and has 10 suites sleeping upwards of 20.) The Destinations You can choose from a menu of some 35 hotels, resorts, or villas, largely in the United States, plus a few in the Caribbean (a handful of countries are already open) and Mexico (its borders never closed). Some properties are available on a take-over basis; in the others, you will be housed in private cottages/villas on the grounds, or on separate floors or wings, and the facilities near them will be only yours to usesanitation and social distancing all the way. Fancy the East Coast? There are nine eastern resorts or hotels participating in the program: The Preserve at Boulder Hills Club & Residences in Rhode Island; Chatham Bars Inn on Cape Cod in Massachusetts; the Lodge at Woodloch in Pennsylvania; Watch Hill Inn in Rhode Island; Zero George in Charleston; Aquilina Resort & Spa in Miami; Albemarle Estate in Virginia; the Estate at Foxfire in Maryland; and Lake Kora in the Adirondacks, New York. Photo credit: Chatham Bars Inn Want the Western U.S.? You can choose among 13 properties. In Arizona, there's the Villas at Sanctuary Camelback Mountain Resort &Spa. In California: the Beach Village at the Del (in Coronado Beach), the Carmel Valley Ranch, and the Ranch at Malibu. In Colorado: Dunton Hot Springs, its stand-alone glamping enclave, Dunton River Camp, and Rawah Ranch. In Montana: the Resort at Paws Up. In Nevada: the newly reopened and renovated Mustang Monument. In Utah: the Amangiri, the Montage Deer Valley, and the Lodge at Blue Sky. And in Wyoming: the Lodge and Spa at Brush Creek Ranch. Photo credit: Paws Up In the Caribbean, there's the Beach Enclave and Grace Bay Private Villas, both in Turks & Caicos; Casa de Campo Resort & Villas in the Dominican Republic; and Ritz Carlton's Dorado Beach in Puerto Rico. And five places in Mexico: In Los Cabos, choose between Las Ventanas Al Paraiso (Rosewood), One & Only Palmilla, and Villas del Mar. In Cancun, there's Nizuc Resort & Spa and in nearby Playa Del Carmen, the Rosewood Mayakoba. In San Miguel de Allende, in Mexico's Guanajuato region, there are the Private Residences of Rosewood San Miguel de Allende. Photo credit: Nizuk Not spoiled for choice enough? Take your group aboard a staffed Northrop & Johnson yacht. Itineraries include the New England coast (off of Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard, Nantucket, and Newport), as well as Alaska and the Bahamas. Camp Embark can also orchestrate fully customizable itineraries through America's national parks in a luxury RV. (Don't want to drive? No problem, they'll supply a professional Covid-tested driver). And, lastly, a luxury houseboat on Arizona's Lake Powell, a.k.a., "America's playground," where countless private beaches and waterfront canyons await. The Camp Director A key part of planning your "camp," after you've chosen where you want to go, is a virtual meeting between you, your children, and your co-campers with Camp Embark's camp director, Lynda Levy (who, says Ezon, has more than 10 years of experience in camp programming and multi-generational entertainment planning). Photo credit: Stuart Thurlkill "My job," Levy told me, "is to create a unique and customized experience and camp schedule for each family." She has developed a boiler-plate menutake it as is, or use it as a starting point. She will then ask you and yours to take her "fun survey," to drill down into the group's interests. Are you a sporty or an arts-and-crafts bunch? Or both? Are you competitive, and want lots of races, challenges, cook-offs, bake-offs, dance competitions, and the like? Or not so much? Do you like games of all sortsi.e., should a hike also include a scavenger hunt along the way? And so on. Based on all responses, she will create for your group a daily schedule (for your pre-departure approval of course), from 9 a.m. breakfast right through post-dinner activities. Essentially, it's the camp of your (and your kids') dreams, but with professional guidance thrown in to make sure it all comes off right. And yes, parents can "work from home" during camp hours if they wishremote offices can be set up at your requestand pop in on the activities as often as they like. The Camp Counselors No, you are not on your own once you get to your destination. Camp Embark will either send a dedicated counselor with you, who will work with your family from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. daily. Or, they will enlist local camp counselors, who might be either talented but underutilized resort staff or professionals from local camps currently shuttered and under lockdown. They will organize and oversee whatever is on your schedule, from basketball games to canoe races, birthday parties to painting projects, beach volleyball to Zumba classes, snorkeling to horseback riding. The Camp Accoutrements Fifty to 60% of each program is about embracing local experiencessuch as mountain biking, surfing, hot-air ballooning, sailing, etc.and embellishing them with more general camp activities based on kids' interests. So if you're going out West but have a budding artist in your family, the ranch's tack room will supply all things horseback riding and Camp Embark will make sure there are easles, canvases, brushes, and paints, too. Photo credit: Brush Creek Rance Although Levy wants kids to know that "all evening activities"be they "S'mores under the stars" or "So you think you can dance?""can be done with or without parents!" Everyone's got a say here. And this newsflash from Ezon. "People started asking for us to do these camps in their back yards, after they got home, to extend the experience. And that morphed into some people not even traveling. We send a counselor to your home and customize a summer camp program for up to 10 kids right there [$3,500 per week for the whole group]. We've just confirmed 40 Camp Embark @Home bookings, the first ones starting today, June 29. The requests have come mostly from the Hamptons, the Jersey Shore, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Miami." Learn More and Book Your Stay You Might Also Like You have permission to edit this article. Edit Close Dozens of Chickasaw Nation volunteers take part in the logistics of the Farmers to Families Food Distribution events. It is the final step in a process involving the Chickasaw Nation, USDA and Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma, which helps ensure Chickasaws and other Oklahomans have the food they need during these unprecedented times. ADA, Okla. The Chickasaw Nation is collaborating with the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma for Farmers to Families drive-thru food distribution events. Through this initiative, food boxes will be distributed at no charge to Chickasaw citizens and those within surrounding communities. Upcoming events are planned for July 9 in Grady County and July 23 in Garvin County, with specific times and locations being planned. Check Chickasaw Nation social media at Facebook.com/TheChickasawNation or Twitter.com/ChickasawNation for updates. The project has previously supplied hundreds of food boxes to Chickasaws and community members in places like Marietta and Purcell. Boxes made possible with USDA funding include fresh produce, sometimes dairy and meats, sourced from local farmers and suppliers. After receiving successful bids from local distributors, the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma transports boxes to the Chickasaw Nation, which then distributes the boxes to the general community via Chickasaw Nation Farmers to Families events. This program is one more example of businesses, organizations, government agencies and others working together to help ensure Oklahomans have the food they need during these unprecedented times. Chickasaw Nation efforts have also included cooperation with Walmart (serving fresh produce to more than 2,000 families in Ada and Tishomingo), the PepsiCo Foundations Food for Good program (delivering a total of 12,480 meals within Chickasaw Country in response to the COVID-19 pandemic) as well as Share Our Strength (shipping meals directly to food insecure children who dont live near food sites). These efforts are in addition to the longstanding food programs the Chickasaw Nation regularly offers, such as the Summer EBT for Children Program, the GetFresh! Nutrition Program, the Food Distribution Program, the Farmers Market Programs, the Farm to School Program, the WIC Supplemental Nutrition Program, the Packed Promise Program and the Impachi Kids Meal Program. These programs have continued to address food issues during the pandemic, Impachi in particular serving drive-thru meals at 30 locations throughout the Chickasaw Nation this summer. About the Farmers to Families Food Distribution Program As part of the Coronavirus Farm Assistance Program, the USDA exercises authority under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act to purchase and distribute agricultural products to those in need. Through this program, USDAs Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) partnered with national, regional and local suppliers, whose workforce has been significantly impacted by the closure of restaurants, hotels and other food service businesses, to purchase up to $3 billion in fresh produce, dairy and meat products to be distributed to those in need. According to nutrition services deputy director Joy Standridge of the Chickasaw Nation, the program helps producers, food distributors and families in need during the COVID-19 pandemic. This project is designed to help provide relief to the food supply chain devastated by the COVID-19 pandemic, Standridge said. This initiative provides relief to farmers and distributors who lost demand for their food products. It provides relief to food banks and other nonprofits by making sure the products are made available already packed in boxes, which reduces the number of volunteers needed to work at each event. The federal program will purchase $461 million in fresh fruits and vegetables, $317 million in a variety of dairy products, $258 million in meat products and $175 million in a combination box of fresh produce, dairy or meat products nationally. Suppliers will package these products totaling $1.2 billion into family-sized boxes, then transport them to food banks, community and faith-based organizations, and other nonprofits serving Americans in need through June 30, 2020. For more information, contact Chickasaw Nation Nutrition Services, (580) 436-7255. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 1) The Bank of the Philippine Islands account opened to set up a Wirecard unit in the Philippines is real, a law firm said Wednesday, adding that a 100-million deposit came from the German firm three years ago. The Castillo Laman Tan Pantaleon & San Jose (CLTPSJ) law firm sent a fact sheet to CNN Philippines to confirm a report about the involvement of its associate Andre Ria Buzeta as treasurer-in-trust of Wirecard e-Money Philippines, Inc. when it was being set up in late 2016. The law firm said the embattled German e-payments company is their client, but is "not a very active" one. CLTPSJ lawyers said they were only involved in Wirecard's move to put up a subsidiary in Manila to assist in the incorporation and registration of the local unit with Philippine regulators. For this, a treasurer-in-trust-for or TITF account was opened under BPI, officially named as "Andre Ria B. Buzeta TITF Wirecard e-Money Philippines, Inc." "We know for a fact that the BPI certification is not a fake because we ourselves opened the TITF account, and we observed the flow of funds in and out of that account until the account was closed," the law firm said in the statement to refute an earlier claim of BPI President and Chief Executive Officer Cezar Consing questioning the authenticity of the document. In an interview with CNN Philippines Rico Hizon on Wednesday night, Atty. Mel Macaraig of CLTPSJ clarified that Buzeta is no longer connected with the law firm. She left I think late 2017 or early 2018, he said. Macaraig also echoed the law firm's earlier statement that the BPI certificate is not fake. He stressed that there were no disagreements between their law firm and Consing because the BPI president did not categorically conclude that such document was fake. To leave the impression that our firm is using fake documents which as you will appreciate is simply something we cannot accept, Macaraig said. Consing told CNN Philippines in an interview last week that there were "elements in the certificate that look fake," stressing that BPI never had a relationship with Wirecard. RELATED: PH banks deny holding missing $2.1B cash of German firm Wirecard CLTPSJ, however, said that the bank certificate was issued by the branch manager of BPI's Salcedo Tordesillas branch, where the firm has been doing most of its fund transactions since 1981. The bank certificate remains part of Wirecard e-Moneys files kept by the corporate regulator to this day. The law firm added that "Wirecard inwardly remitted funds that were converted into a little over 100 million" which was deposited in that account to meet the paid-up capital or show money required by the Securities and Exchange Commission for an e-money business. Wirecard e-Money was eventually registered with the SEC in March 2017. CLTPSJ said that its other lawyers acted as incorporators of the company only until end-2017, when they were removed from the board and relieved as corporate secretary of the company. Germany-based Wirecard Acquiring & Issuing GmbH holds 99.99 percent of the shares of its local unit. Its stockholders on record as of 2019 were Wirecard AG, a Singaporean named Jeffry Ho as company president, an Indian national, and three Filipinos, according to SEC records. The law firm, however, agreed with Consing's remarks that the TITF account was not converted into a corporate account for Wirecard e-Money Philippines so it "never became an account in Wirecards name." The lawyers added that the account was closed a year later on March 27, 2018, and the money was transferred to another account of the local Wirecard unit under another bank. Macaraig said there were no transactions made on the account, which was opened in March 2017. The account was a treasure and trust account," he explained. "It was intended that once the company is incorporated, it will eventually be closed or what they call regularized and convert transferred over to an account in the name of the company being Wirecard E-Money Philippines Inc." Macaraig declined to name the bank where the new account was opened after March 27, 2018, saying he will check on their records as they have nothing to do with the new bank account. We have opened an account in normal course of business," Macaraig said. "It was TITF account, it remained a TITF account. Therefore, Mr. Consings statement that the account was always an individual account and never a Wirecard account holds true as the statement that Wirecard was never a client of BPI." CLTPSJ lawyers clarified that it had no role in the current scandal involving a $2.1-billion hole in the financial statements of Wirecard, whose former top executive Markus Braun is now facing charges for accounting fraud. "To reiterate, all our services to this client have been above board and are perfectly legal, and we have the documents to prove it. We did not participate in any way in any of the irregular acts alleged to have been done by Wirecard, in connection with the scandal," the law firm said, noting news reports that other Filipino lawyers have also worked with the German company. Filipino lawyer and former Transportation Assistant Secretary Mark Tolentino has been invited for a probe by the National Bureau of Investigation. The accounting fraud was allegedly designed to make Wirecards balance sheet more appealing to investors by showing it had brisk revenues, partly from its operations in Asia. The company's stock price collapsed by nearly 90 percent following the expose, forcing Wirecard to file for insolvency before a court in Munich. RELATED: Wirecard says missing $2 billion never existed. Its stock is down 85% in 3 days Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 2) - One of the lawyers of ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corporation said that services, along with physical goods or items, can be exported as provided by the law. Tax attorney Othello Carag made the statement after a lawmaker questioned the compliance of ABS-CBN's subsidiary, Big Dipper Digital Content and Design Inc., with the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) as it only offers digital services and does not produce products. I think there is an impression that only physical goods can be exported, but under our laws even services can be exported and that is provided under the PEZA law and even the Tax Code, said Caraga during the continuation of the inquiry on ABS-CBN's legislative franchise at the House of Representatives. He added that it is also covered under Resolution No. 00411 that was passed by PEZA law. "It allowed the registration of information technology enterprises," he said. "So it can provide IT services abroad. These are not physical products, but in the form of services. Carag noted that business process outsourcing services are considered exports as companies that offer them are entitled to incentives under the Special Economic Zone Act by PEZA. PEZA Director-General Charito Plaza already said on Tuesday that Big Dipper is registered with the agency and has complied with requirements concerning tax payments. Big Dipper repurposes contents produced by the broadcasting network into various formats for different markets. ABS-CBN group chief financial officer Ricardo Tan explained that the repurposed contents are licensed by the subsidiary in Hungary for foreign buyers. For his part, Sagip Party-list Rep. Rodante Marcoleta has claimed that ABS-CBN is using Big Dipper as tax-avoiding scheme. ABS-CBN has flatly denied it and said that it paid P71.5 billion in taxes from 2003 to 2019. We are not selling to ourselves and that is misleading to say that," Tan said. "Because the ultimate customers are the Filipino and non-Filipino audiences around the world. Yung Hungary po licenses the content to other companies around the world." He added, That's how Hungary is able to generate foreign exchange which it then pays to the Big Dipper. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 1) Despite the extended enrollment period, the Department of Education said it is unlikely to meet the targeted 27 million enrollees this year due to the health crisis and economic slowdown in the country. The DepEd has extended the enrollment period to July 15 for the upcoming school year. It maintained that classes will still start on August 24. "Pino-project na namin na hindi makukuha ang 27 million [dahil sa ating] economic situation," Education Secretary Leonor Briones said Wednesday. [Translation: We project that we are unlikely to reach 27 million due to our economic situation.] This was the number of learners who enrolled last school year, from kindergarten to Grade 12. Of this number, 22 million enrollees were from public schools. But this year, the agency has yet to find out whether it will reach at least 80 percent of its overall target. "Ang projected, 80 percent lang ang papasok. Pero ang numero, sa public school nasa 70 percent na tayo. Sana humigit pa sa 80 percent ang target," Briones said. [Translation: We projected that 80 percent of this number will come in. But based on latest figures, we have 70 percent coming from public schools. We are hoping we will exceed our 80-percent target.] Briones attributed the enrollment decline to the rising number of unemployed parents, including overseas Filipino workers who used to send their children to private schools. "There are additional factors aside from the usual decisions of parents. We have more COVID cases. We have more unemployed parents at this time," she said. The DepEd said around 16.6 million students have already enrolled as of Wednesday. There are 15.8 mllion who have already enrolled in public schools, while 706,932 are in private schools. Enrollment in public schools was initially scheduled to end June 30. Briones said face-to-face learning in schools is unlikely to push through "until it is safe to do so." Aside from digital resources, printed modules, television and radio-based learning materials will still be made available to children who have no internet access. Over 526,000 observers oversee Constitution amendments voting in Russia RAPSI, Vladimir Burnov 13:25 01/07/2020 MOSCOW, June 1 (RAPSI) Over 526,000 observers including opposition representatives oversee the Constitution amending vote, Chair of the Russian Central Election Commission Ella Pamfilova announced Wednesday. All observers have equal rights and all of them work together for a common end, Pamfilova added. On June 25, the All-Russian voting on amendments to Constitution started in the country and abroad. The main voting day, according to the presidential decree, is July 1; however, citizens may also vote from June 25 to 30. Residents of Moscow and Niznny Novgorod have an opportunity to vote online. According to the Central Election Commission, 55,22% citizens have casted their votes in the last six days. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 1) The country's third telco player said challenges brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic have prevented it from doing a full rollout this year. Speaking at the virtual hearing of the Senate Committee on Public Services on Wednesday, Dito Chief Administrative Officer Adel Tamano said it took about six months to get all permits ready to build the towers. He said they have had good interactions with mayors of the places where the towers were put up, but restrictions brought about by the crisis stopped the firm from proceeding. "The COVID and the lockdowns have prevented us from our full rollout," he said. However, Tamano said with the easing of the restrictions, Dito is moving forward with the building of the towers. "With the subsequent easing of the different lockdown situations we are doing our best to get back on track so that we can get the 37 percent first year requirement under our CPC completed," he said. Tamano said 1,300 towers are being built, and 300 of these are already live. He said the company hopes to finish around 2,000 within the year. By the end of their five-year commitment period, Tamano said the internal goal as a company is to have 10,000 towers built. For his part, former Department of Information and Communications Technology undersecretary Eliseo Rio said Dito committed that by July 8 it will have 27 megabits per second speed, and about 37 percent population coverage. "However in the same terms of reference, they are given if they fail to have that, well, technical audit, not commercial but technical audit by July 8 they are given six months to satisfy their commitment," he said. Rio explained that DITO has until the end of the year to fulfill its commitments, and so far the telco has not applied for a postponement. "Definitely they are saying that they could not have the 1,300 finished by July 8, that's already next week, but definitely it will be finished by December 31 and that is still within the requirements or conditions or provision of the terms of reference," Rio said. Major shareholders in Dito Telecommunity include business tycoon Dennis Uy's Udenna Corporation and it's subsidiary Chelsea Logistics, with a 35 percent and 25 percent stake each. China Telecom, ran by the Chinese government, is the single biggest stakeholder at 40 percent. However, Tamano said that Dito is a Filipino company, controlled by Filipinos. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 1) Gabriela Womens Partylist Representative Arlene Brosas has asked the Supreme Court to release political prisoner Ina Nasino on humanitarian grounds to care for her newborn amid rising COVID-19 cases inside prison facilities. Nasino gave birth on Wednesday at Fabella Hospital in Sta. Cruz, Manila, accompanied by jail guards. Ina has already suffered great trauma when she was illegally arrested and forced to spend most of her pregnancy in jail, said Brosas. We believe that this is the right time for the government to be compassionate and let a mother nurse her newborn child outside of prison. Nasino is one of the three human rights activists who were arrested in Tondo, Manila in 2019. They are now facing charges of illegal possession of firearms and explosives. There is still no action from the Supreme Court regarding the case despite the recommendation of United Nations High Commissioner on Human Rights Michelle Bachelet to release the activists. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 1) The Department of Health said most of the COVID-19 ces in May and June are accounted to returning overseas Filipinos. Health spokesperson Maria Rosario Vergeire said in an online briefing on Wednesday that the agency's initial analysis noted indications that most of the cases in May and June were linked to overseas Filipinos who just arrived back. In March and April, the DOH spokesperson said, most of the cases were healthcare workers. She said that as of June 30, a total of 92,967 overseas Filipinos have arrived back in the country, of which 39,643 are land-based, while 53,324 sea-based. Total COVID-19 cases from this sector have reached 2,326. Land-based overseas Filipinos who contracted the virus totaled 1,213, while those sea-based reached 1,113. The government is currently doubling its efforts to bring home overseas Filipinos in line with the directive of President Rodrigo Duterte. However, the Department of Foreign Affairs said the delayed issuance of flight clearances by the Inter-Agency Task Force has stalled the return of many others. The government is also giving assistance to these workers being sent home to their provinces. Early in June, the Labor department said 23,472 returning workers were already sent home, while about 18,000 were recently cleared. It is also expecting around 60,000 returning workers in the next two months, with some 300,000 more returning until the end of the year. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 2) The collision of a Hong Kong-flagged bulk carrier and a Filipino fishing boat should not be turned into a territorial issue, Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. said on Wednesday. "It shouldn't be politicized because obviously this is a commercial vessel... It has nothing to do with the South China Sea," he said in an online forum. Hong Kong-registered vessel M/V Vienna Wood collided several times with local fishing vessel F/V Liberty 5 on June 27 off the coast of Occidental Mindoro. Twelve Filipino crew members and two passengers remain missing. The Philippine Coast Guard said there are no signs of survivors, but search and rescue operations will continue. Locsin reiterated that the incident occurred in Philippine territory and should not be turned into a political issue even if the cargo vessel is registered to Hong Kong, "Those idiots in the opposition are trying to turn Mindoro into the open sea? It happened in Mindoro waters. I don't want to make those Mindoro waters into international waters just to please a few idiots back here," he said. The Foreign Affairs Department is working with the Justice Department to help the Filipino crew or their families in filing a damage claim. "Whether there was a negligence on their part is what we're going to determine. As DFA, together with DOJ, we're gonna press claim for them," he said. Maritime incidents and aggressions continue in the West Philippine Sea areas Manila claims and occupies in the South China Sea. Related: Duterte to ASEAN: South China Sea incidents amid pandemic 'alarming' A 2016 ruling by a Hague-based arbitral tribunal backed by the Permanent Court of Arbitration voided Chinas sweeping claims over virtually the entire South China Sea based on so-called historical rights, but Beijing continues to reject this decision. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 1) Telecommunication companies are discussing with government possible services they can provide for virtual learning amid the COVID-19 pandemic, their officials said on Wednesday. [O]ur business groups are currently in talks with the Department of Education for a plan to offer a service that will not only provide Internet connectivity but bundled with gadgets that they will be needing, said PLDT first vice president Aileen Regio at the Senate Committee on Public Services hearing. Regio said Globe is also involved in the discussion, which the Ayala-led firm confirmed. [T]he industry is in talks with the DepEd as well as CHED as to the offering for the students for gadgets as well as the training for the teachers, said Globe general counsel Froilan Castelo. DepEd is securing Internet connection for some 7,000 schools, according to President Rodrigo Dutertes latest report to Congress. The project costs 700 million and is targeted for completion in ten months. The agency also tapped the mobile networks to provide free access to the DepEd Commons, an online education delivery platform designed to support remote learning. With this, mobile subscribers of Globe, TM, Smart, Sun and TNT may access the site without incurring any data charges. However, Smart VP for legal and regulatory affairs Roy Cecil Ibay said this free access is not permanent, and still under stufy in coordination with DepEd. Hearing filled with connectivity issues, suspended by Poe Meanwhile, the hearing was also plagued with connectivity issues. Participants took long to respond and even committee chairperson Grace Poe had to repeat what the attendees said to confirm their statements because their lines were breaking. This is quite ironic again that were having connectivity issues in a hearing on connectivity. So its just telling, the situation in our country and how we are trying to cope with this new requirement that we all need to have fulfilled, Poe said. Just last week, the National Telecommunications Commission failed to attend the Senate Basic Education Committee hearing on alternative learning schemes in the new normal because of faulty Internet connection. Senator Nancy Binay, who was also in the hearing, shared Poes sentiment. Siguro madame Chair, just to share ha, because Ive attended several online hearings, I think yung committee hearing mo today yung pinakamasama yung signal, Binay commented. [Translation: Just to share, madame Chair, Ive attended several online hearings and I think your committee hearing today has the worst (Internet) signal.] Poe eventually suspended the hearing, saying she does not want to prolong our suffering anymore, straining ourselves trying to understand each other with this horrible connection that we have. (CNN) The Covid-19 vaccine candidate being developed by US pharmaceutical company Pfizer and German biotechnology company BioNTech has yielded positive data in early tests, according to data released by the companies. The companies announced these preliminary findings on Wednesday in a pre-print paper that shows participants in a Phase 1/2 study of the vaccine, called BNT162b1, responded to the immunization and it was found to be well tolerated. The Phase 1/2 study is ongoing. The data has not yet been published in a peer-reviewed medical journal. "These clinical findings for the BNT162b1 RNA-based vaccine candidate are encouraging and strongly support accelerated clinical development and at-risk manufacturing to maximize the opportunity for the rapid production of a SARS-CoV-2 vaccine to prevent COVID-19 disease," the researchers wrote in the pre-print paper, which was sponsored by BioNTech and designed by Pfizer. How the study was conducted: For the initial study, 45 participants ages 18 to 55 were randomly assigned to either receive a certain dose of the vaccine or placebo. Twelve participants received two 10 microgram doses 21 days apart; 12 received two 30 microgram doses 21 days apart; 12 received a single 100 microgram dose on day one; and nine received placebo, according to the study. In the seven days following injection of the vaccine, some participants who received a dose reported pain in the injection site, fever or sleep disturbances, but "no serious adverse events were reported," according to the paper. Early results of the study: The researchers found that the vaccine generated antibodies against the coronavirus in all of the participants by 28 days after receiving a single injection of 100 micrograms or seven days after receiving a second dose of either 10 or 30 micrograms. "These preliminary data are encouraging, showing that BNT162b1 which exploits RBD SARS-CoV-2 as a target antigen is able to produce neutralizing antibody responses in humans at or above the levels observed in convalescent sera and that it does so at relatively low dose levels. We look forward to providing further data updates on BNT162b1," Dr. Ugur Sahin, CEO and co-founder of BioNTech, said in a company press release on Wednesday. Pfizer and BioNTech announced on Wednesday that this preliminary data will help them determine a dose level for the vaccine then select which of their multiple vaccine candidates to progress to a larger-scale global Phase 2/3 study, possibly beginning as early as this month. According to the World Health Organization, there are 17 coronavirus candidate vaccines in clinical evaluation globally. This story was first published on CNN.com's live updates on the coronavirus pandemic, "Covid-19 vaccine from Pfizer and BioNTech shows "encouraging" data in early study" (CNN) Adidas' global head of human resources, Karen Parkin, is leaving the company less than a month after a group of employees reportedly asked the company to investigate her for alleged racial discrimination. "It has become clear to me that to unify the organization it would be better for me to retire and pave the way for change," Parkin said in a written statement. Parkin came under fire last year after she told employees at a meeting that she thought the topic of racism was "noise" that is only discussed in the United States, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal. She also told employees she didn't think Adidas had an issue with racism, the report stated. Parkin's career at Adidas spanned 23 years, according to Adidas AG Chairman of the Supervisory Board Igor Landau, who said Parkin "always acted in the best interests of our company and our people." "Her decision to leave the company reflects that commitment and her belief that a new HR leader will best drive forward the pace of change that Adidas needs at this time," Landau said in a written statement. On her way out Tuesday, Parkin said she is committed to the company's goals of becoming more "diverse, inclusive and equitable." Her prior controversial statements reported by the Journal came shortly after a New York Times investigation that found less than 5% of employees at Adidas North American headquarters identify as Black. The few Black people who worked there expressed feeling marginalized by their employer, which routinely markets itself using famous Black designers and brand ambassadors like Beyonce and Kanye West. Adidas said CEO Kasper Rorsted will take over as interim head of HR until a more permanent replacement is found. The company recently launched several initiatives aimed at addressing racial inequality both internally and externally. By 2025, it plans to donate $120 million to US initiatives addressing racial injustice and supporting Black communities. Rorsted recently sponsored a global Committee to Accelerate Inclusion & Equality for Adidas, which the company said includes internal decision makers "from different racial and ethnic backgrounds," around the globe. Adidas has also set a goal for at least 30% of all new US positions to be filled by Black or Latinx individuals and for 20%-23% of corporate roles to be filled by Black and Latinx employees by 2025. The company also said it expects Black and Latinx individuals to comprise 12% of its leadership positions in the US. This story was first published on CNN.com 'Adidas executive who described racism discussions as 'noise' is stepping down' Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 1) The Department of Agriculture has partnered with RestoPH and SM malls to assist farmers and fisherfolk in selling their produce amid the COVID-19 pandemic. "The partnership hopes to create a socially responsible yet relevant activity as it address the farmers and fishers concerns to sustain their livelihood," DA said. Tagged as Farmers' Produce, the program aims to bring producers of agricultural productsd closer to consumers, the DA said. The role of SM malls is to provide spaces for farmers and their cooperatives in their malls for free. The mall operator will ensure that proper health protocols will be practiced in the venues to ensure safety of consumers, the group said. Groups that will participate include Cada Farmers Agriculture Cooperative, L. Sanchez Farm, Liwon Namal Farmers Tomato Association, Optimum Health Poultry and Livestock Farm Corporation, National Dairy Authority, Pasciolco Agri Ventures for coconut-based condiment, Balai Kabute Farm, and Miras Turmeric Products. Participating members of the restaurant owners organization will come up with dishes using the local produce. This is seen to boost consumer traffic in malls, as well as help in restarting the restaurant industry. Some of RestoPH's participating members include Vikings, Terry's, Teriyaki Bros., Eggs & Breakfast Cafe, King Chef, Mango Tree, and Bag o Shrimps. The DA said this will be held Fridays to Sundays starting July 3 at SM Aura Premier's Skypark, however, more days and mallls can be added depending on the market demand. People in the agriculture sector have been calling for help since community quarantines were imposed in the country in March, which caused disruption in the flow of their produce. Some even opted to just throw away their harvest since no buyers showed up. Aside from this, the DA has also rolled out programs, like loan assistance, to help farmers and fishers recover from the impact of the pandemic. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 1) Share prices plunged by 20.6 percent on the Philippine Stock Exchange index in the first half of the year as investors remained on the sidelines in light of the coronavirus pandemic. The main index stood at 6,207.72 on June 30, down 1,534.81 points from 7,742.53 at the start of the year, according to PSE trading summaries released on Wednesday. Daily average trading value turnover was at 6.59 billion at the end of the first half, slimmer by 15.9 percent from the 7.84 billion recorded last year. All sectoral indices were down for the first half, with all sectors but Services posting double digit losses. The PSEi, however, managed to bounce back this quarter, seeing a 16.7 percent jump from the previous quarter, along with a 34.3 percent rebound from the years lowest close at 4,623.42 last March 19. While the index may have recovered from oversold levels, it has not been able to climb back to its pre-COVID-19 levels, indicating that investors are still quite wary about the full impact of the virus on the economy and are concerned that the number of cases continue to increase despite the various community quarantine regimes we went through, PSE President and CEO Ramon S. Monzon said. Regina Capital managing director Luis Limlingan likewise noted the pandemic has brought the [s]trongest headwinds weve seen in decades, adding it is non-financial in nature unlike previous crises such as Lehman (Brothers collapse and the) Asian (financial crisis of 1997). Meanwhile, foreign funds saw a lot of net selling, posting 68.44 billion. This is the opposite of last year, when net foreign buying hit 21.26 billion by end-June last year. Monzon attributed the net selling to the health and economic crisis caused by the pandemic. Even if there are attractive bargains in emerging markets, foreign institutional funds prefer to sit it out, he explained. Local investors, however, dove in the buying spree, contributing the 53 percent and 58.9 percent of value turnover posted in April and June, he added. Meanwhile, 20.83 billion of capital was raised from January to June following one initial public offering (IPO), one follow-on offering, one stock rights offering, and two private placements, the PSE said. After the successful IPO of MerryMart Consumer Corp. and the listing by way of introduction of Altus Property Ventures, Inc. in June, we hope to have two to three more capital raising activities for the rest of the year. Hopefully, these two new listings will help prop up trading activity even as we await the listing of the first REIT IPO, Monzon noted. Limlingan likewise said that the PSEis recovery in the second half of 2020 depends on the ability to contain the virus, along with progress in the development of a coronavirus vaccine. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 1) President Rodrigo Duterte has sought a meeting with the nine police officers involved in the fatal shooting of four military troops in Jolo, Sulu, his spokesperson said on Wednesday. Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque, in a transcript released by Malacanang, said Duterte asked Interior Secretary Eduardo Ano to arrange the meeting. He added Duterte was distraught after finding out about the incident. He said the President wants to go to Jolo to boost the morale of the military personnel who are mourning the loss of their fellow troops. "Lungkot na lungkot siya. Ang ginamit nga niyang salita ay siya ay nanlambot, extremely sad at gusto niya na pumunta mismo doon sa lugar kung saan nangyari, kung pupuwede, dahil gusto niyang ma-lift ang morale ng kasundaluhan dahil talagang parang mababa ang morale ng ating mga kasundaluhan. Hindi daw dapat nagpapatayan, nag-i-engkuwentro ang parehong ideolohiya," Roque said in an interview with "Unang Hirit." [Translation: He was very sad. He said he felt weak and extremely sad. He said he wants to go to the crime scene to lift the morale of soldiers because they died in the hands of the same people who share their ideology.] Four Army men, including two officers, were killed in a police operation in Jolo, Sulu on Monday. Initial reports from the Sulu Provincial Police Office said the cops involved claimed self-defense, after the soldiers supposedly lifted and pointed their firearms first at the police. But Army Chief Lt. Gen. Gilbert Gapay denied it was a misencounter, saying it was a rubout and his men were "murdered" by the police personnel. Roque added Duterte asked the National Bureau of Investigation to speed up investigation into the incident. The NBIs regional office in Zamboanga that is handling the probe was given 10 days to submit its initial report, according to Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra. Duterte also hopes this is the last misencounter in his term, which is set to end June 30, 2022, his spokesman said. "Sabi niya, sana ito na ang huling misencounter sa kaniyang termino," Roque recalled. Not the first time This incident was not the first misencounter among government security forces. In 2002, Sulu police figured in an accidental firefight with members of the Philippine Marines in Jolo, which also resulted in the deaths of some civilians. Some members of the Army also faced investigation in 2018 following a supposed misencounter with six policemen in Sta. Rita town in Samar. The Philippine National Police, for its part, vowed to implement protocols and measures including proper coordination and communication with AFP counterparts to ensure that the incident will not happen again. This thing could have been prevented, this is a very big lesson to us. Well take this very seriously so that this wont happen again, spokesman Bernard Banac said. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 1) Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III appealed to President Rodrigo Duterte to place Metro Manila and the CALABARZON region under modified general community quarantine (MGCQ) as quickly as possible for economic reasons. In the weekly Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Infectious Diseases meeting on Tuesday, Dominguez explained the countrys economy is highly dependent on the two regions in Luzon. You put NCR (National Capital Region), CALABARZON that is where the economy is based, about 60 percent or 67 percent of our economy is based in that area. That should move more to the MGCQ as quickly as possible because people have to start working, Dominguez told the President. The Finance chief noted the countrys strong economic fundamentals when the year started. It was supposed to be an upper middle income country by this year prior to COVID-19 but we wont make it, said Dominguez. Several international financial institutions predicted a significant economic contraction for the country this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. International Monetary Fund sees an up to 3.6 percent economic decline, while Asian Development Bank expects the Philippine economy to shrink by 3.8 percent. The World Bank takes a less pessimistic outlook, with a 1.9 percent contraction. We have to face the new reality. The reality today is that the virus is not going to go away and we will have to live with it for a long period of time, Dominguez added. Dominguez suggested that to solve the fear of the virus spread in Metro Manila and CALABARZON regions under a MGCQ setting, only targeted lockdowns must be implemented in barangays and companies with high number of COVID-19 cases. For me, we should monitor it on a barangay level. The cases go up, just close it down but do it on a place-to-place basis and do it also on a company-to-company basis. So if the company has a big spike close it down also, he said. Duterte decided on Tuesday to still keep Metro Manila, Rizal, and Cavite under general community quarantine until July 15. While Batangas, Laguna, Quezon, and Lucena City are now under MGCQ on the same timeframe. READ: Cebu City stays under strictest ECQ, Metro Manila still on GCQ In an MGCQ setting, some businesses are allowed to operate up to 50 percent of its full capacity. These include gyms, cinemas, computer shops, bars, travel agencies, amusement facilities for children, archives, museums, pet grooming, and other personal care services. Tourism-related businesses are also allowed to accept tourists in MGCQ areas, but also on a reduced capacity of only up to 50 percent of their full space. (CNN) - Eight thousand people in the UK have been vaccinated so far as part of the Oxford University vaccine trial, Sarah Gilbert, professor of vaccinology at the University of Oxford, and one of the scientist leading its vaccine initiative, told UKs Science and Technology Committee on Wednesday. We now have 8,000 people vaccinated in the phase three trial in the UK, she said. We have currently vaccinated a few hundred people in Brazil but within weeks that should be up to 4,000. And in South Africa, we are aiming for 2,000 people. And those are both areas of high transmission at the moment, Gilbert added. Sir John Bell, Regius professor of medicine at the University of Oxford, who is also working on the development of COVID-19 vaccine, was asked whether the UK should prepare for a winter without a vaccine. This whole epidemic has relied too heavily on assumptions that have turned out not to be true, so my strong advice is, be prepared for the worst. This story was first published on CNN.com, "Scientist leading Oxford vaccine effort says 8,000 people in UK vaccinated in phase three of the trial" Loeffelholz said the district has focused on an approach thats based on a COVID-19 threat risk dial with four settings green, yellow, orange and red. At green, life will have mostly returned to normal, although some universal precautions like hand sanitizer, masks and social distancing may be required. At a yellow or orange risk level, Loeffelholz said education would take place in some kind of blended learning environment. If possible, it might mean having students attend school in person on alternating schedules, with half the students in the building at one time. It comes down to space. If I have to space students out 6 feet apart, I dont have enough room in the classrooms for all 20 kids, Loeffelholz said. Support Local Journalism Your membership makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}} Depending on the risk dial, health checks may be required for students. In that case, Loeffelholz said ECDHD would be involved the same way they have been involved in conducting those tests at businesses in the area. At a red risk level, schools would be shut down by the Nebraska Department of Education, governor or health department and remote learning would begin. One of the reasons the district pushed back the start of school was to give teachers time to prepare for the possibility of remote learning. Nicole Saalfeld, owner of the Cork & Barrel bar, didnt expect to be open for dine-in service by July 1 after her business flooded last week. But there was a private party booked June 30, so she had a goal in mind - to keep that party as scheduled. This past week has gone by quickly, said Saalfeld, and she is appreciative of all the community support she has received. Its nice to know that we have people standing behind us, Saalfeld said. Messages, calls, they stop in daily. Many people have stopped by offering a hand or asking how they could help. I had a lot of people down here helping me, neighboring businesses and residents that live upstairs, just moving stuff out of the water. That was awesome to have. This time, she hasnt lost any furniture. A few coolers arent working but she already had backups from the November flood. It took longer this time to dry everything out because of the humidity issues. It has been a different experience in many ways. Well I actually was just coincidentally pulling up to the building when it happened, she said. As soon as I got out of my pickup everyone was just running towards me yelling that there was water in the basement again. She said at that point, she didnt have time to think. Police officers are not robots. Theyre doing a job most of us would never dream of doing. Mistakes will be made. And Im not in any way suggesting that what happened to George Floyd was a mistake. The video speaks for itself. But its very easy to ask, after the fact, Why did you have to shoot him? Couldnt you have just shot him in the leg? Real life isnt an episode of Starsky and Hutch. In real life, the decision to use force is made in fractions of seconds. Sometimes, suspects are armed, sometimes theyre not. Often, you dont know. On May 28, at 12:15 p.m., Officer Nate Lyday, of the Ogden, Utah, police department, responded to a domestic violence call. A woman told a 911 dispatcher her husband was trying to kill her. When Lyday and a probation officer reached the house, the suspect, a 53-year-old man, was sitting on the front porch. The suspect was uncooperative, according to investigators, and after a brief discussion, went back into the house, slamming the door behind him. Out of my fathers company of 200 soldiers, about 10% were Black. Among fellow soldiers he befriended, three happened to be Black. One of those Black friends, who would become a mathematics professor, was being harassed by a group of fellows. The ringleader, a white fellow from Georgia, named Hodges, called him racial epithets. My dad, who stood just under 6-foot-2, angrily confronted the harassers. Every one of them backed down and never bothered his friend again. But the story gets better. See, Hodges father was a connected politician in Georgia, who arranged for Hodges to become squad leader. In that position, Hodges tormented a Black member of his squad, also my fathers friend, by assigning him the worst duties. Until Hodges got busted for theft. Stolen items were found in his locker. The captain told Hodges squad they could vote for their new squad leader. They elected the Black fellow Hodges had been tormenting. As the new squad leader, he assigned Hodges the dirtiest, most awful job there was cleaning the kitchens grease pit. That sweet little piece of justice happened in 1953 11 years before the Civil Rights Act would become law. During debate, Senate Bill 620 was successfully amended to Senate Bill 718. Senate Bill 620 concerns benefits for surviving spouses of our nations active duty and National Guard personnel. Unfortunately, I believe state law is vague when it comes to identifying those that are entitled to these benefits. I believe SB 620 fixes this issue and ensures that the surviving spouses of one of nations heroes will receive the benefits they are entitled to if their loved one makes the ultimate sacrifice. Passed as a part of House Bill 1387, Senate Bill 909 establishes the Authorized Electronic Monitoring in Long-Term Care Facilities Act. This legislation allows a resident of a long-term care facility or their guardian to install an electronic monitoring device in their room. Under this legislation, the resident or their guardian is responsible for owning and operating the device, although the resident may use the facilitys internet service to operate the device. The device must be placed in an open and obvious position. If the resident has a roommate, they must also consent to the placement of the device. In my opinion, this legislation is about providing residents and their families with peace of mind when it comes to living in a long-term care facility. If a family member wants to use technology to check-in on a loved one, I believe they have the right to do so. After this legislation was passed, I received several calls about how this would affect veterans homes, and I would like to clarify this legislation will not apply to veterans homes since they are operated under federal regulations. Gov. Mike Parson on Tuesday signed Missouris $35 billion spending plan for the new fiscal year, but in doing so, he used his veto pen to cut more than $11 million in spending as revenue collections lag during the current economic downturn. COVID-19 has severely impacted our economy and our expectations, Parson said at a press briefing at the Capitol. In addition to the vetoes, the Parson administration restricted an additional $448 million in spending, which state Budget Director Dan Haug said would be enough to balance the states fiscal 2021 budget if current projections hold. The Legislature had already delivered to Parson a budget that was about $700 million less than Parson had proposed in January. Parson said he could release at least some of the withheld money if revenue collections improve in fiscal year 2021, which begins Wednesday. The withholds span state government, including $28 million worth of cuts to four-year higher education institutions and $150,000 that was earmarked for the attorney generals office to investigate the gray market gaming machines that have spread across the state. Haug said the withholds would include layoffs for some state employees. A mother crying over her damaged properties and burnt house, allegedly destroyed and burnt down by police officers. Photo:Facebook Vanuatu turns the Corner LETS USE THIS AS A SPRINGBOARD FOR THE FUTURE VBL General Manager, Mr. Herve Michel with VBL staff handing over the items to the VCH Medical Superintendent, Dr. Tony Harry and Acting General Services Manager, Mr. Paul Makikon. Photo: VBL VNPFs Achary announced plans to implement low-cost housing scheme for members on Tanna and to connect outer islands through a domestic cable company. He stated this during the groundbreaking of the foundation stone for TAFEA VNPF permanent office Kerala: A rights based approach to development: Keralas marine fishing communities by John Kurien July 01,2020 | Source: CDS He recalled the circumstances that led him to explore the life problems of working people for the first time in his youth. John Kurien begins this sermon. It was a turning point in his life when he realized that the process of selling fish by sea to fishermen was difficult and that the fishermen had no rights over their products. He says that he learned three things about development from this experience - one, identifying people's self-esteem, not what they need but self-reliance. Second, try to find people's real and basic needs rather than their temporary needs. Through this process, people become active subjects in development. Third, ensure their active participation in any decision that touches peoples lives. This will lead to collective empowerment of the people. These lessons were taught by a bishop who was involved in the fishermen's organization. This is closely related to the claim-based approach that Amartya Sen later described. Fishermen in Kerala have long been incapable of detecting and resisting exploitation. They could not organize for their common rights. The Left has little interest in organizing them because they are retail producers. They did not have great leaders capable of social empowerment. For the state, the development of the fisheries sector is the modernization of fishing technology - the creation of cooperatives at the top, export assistance and infrastructure development for coastal fisheries. It is only after the 1980s that the quality of the fish population has changed. With the help of civil society activists irrespective of caste and creed, they were able to create the first political formation that was really out of the party system in Kerala. Their move was against the application of environmentally damaging technology to fisheries. This experience has taught us that rights-based development is not a gift from top to bottom. But rights-based development requires a diligent social organization and caution. Otherwise the citizens will be reduced from being citizens to beneficiaries. In the case of developmental emergencies, they appear in a variety of ways - in the form of storms, seasickness, tsunamis, and unexpected tides. The government's response to these is to focus only on short-term reasons - the underlying causes are ignored. The problem is that the fishing community has no right over the coastal land, and that is the most fundamental problem. Even when tsunami funds were plentiful, the government refused to buy enough land for the people. None of the fishermen's organizations had much to do. It is common for people in the fisheries sector to postpone rights and adopt policies that promote beneficiaries in the face of developmental emergencies. People who are going through a severe crisis and have no other option are left with the attitude. Basic issues are ignored. But there have been some positive changes in the recent past. By 2020, the current LDF government has begun addressing the basic problem of safe shelter for coastal communities. Covid pandemic is the first state of emergency in Kerala's ecosystem. Despite the threat of disease outbreaks in the presence of a large population of coastal dwellers in the Gulf, fortunately this has not happened yet. The state banned harbor-based fishing - as a result of some suggestions and a little pressure. But Kerala was the first state to allow fishing in small, rural villages. This was done by keeping physical distance between the boats and the beach. Seafarers were banned. Some important experiments were carried out in April and May. Only two or three laborers were allowed to fish with small nets in small boats. The prices went unchanged, without auctions and by weight. The token method was implemented for buyers. These experiments yielded mixed results. Setting prices has been very beneficial for fishermen. But in some cases the women involved in fishing were unable to afford the fish - all the fish were bought by big traders. Elsewhere, special quota for women was reserved. Although the National Fish Workers Forum has asked the central government to provide assistance to the families of fishermen by Rs. 10,000 per month, it is only a matter of Rs. Full Video is available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aWsVmwTThw8&feature=youtu.be Find out how much restaurant sales have risen recently, plus the number of military firearms that were unaccounted for, and more of this week' Harness racing fans will get their first look at the next generation of champions when eight $40,000 divisions of two-year-old Ohio Sires Stakes trotters go to post in the first leg of the four-round series on Friday night (July 3) at Northfield Park. The Cleveland half-miler will play host to three divisions of diagonally gaited Ohio-bred colts and geldings and five divisions for fillies, with a first race post time of 6 p.m. Swizzle Hanover in the first OHSS filly division (race one) deems watching. The daughter of Uncle Peter out of the Chocolatier mare Seducedbychocolate has the pedigree credentials to be a good filly. Co-owned and trained by Randy Bendis for Reed Broadway, Swizzle Hanover scored a pair of winning qualifiers at The Meadows on June 11 and 25 with Mike Wilder at the lines, clocked in 2:03 and 2:00.1 respectively. The second OHSS filly division (race five) is a bit more wide open, however the Cash Hall filly She Loves To Jiggle bares a look after having scored an impressive front-end winning qualifier in 2:02 at Hawthorne on June 21 in line to trainer Jim Eaton. She Loves To Jiggle is out of the Conway Hall mare Jiggles and is owned by her trainer, Robert Silberberg, J. Schwartz and the estate of Phil Langley. Mama Knows Best hails from the powerful Canadian-based stable of trainer Jason McGinnis and heads up the third filly division (race seven) for owner Thestable Mamaknowsbest. This daughter of Uncle Peter finished third in a Woodbine Mohawk Park qualifier on June 11 before winning her debut on June 23 at Northfield in 1:58.2 as the favourite with Ronnie Wrenn Jr. at the controls. She draws the rail in this OHSS contest with Wrenn in the bike again and will be the one to beat. Mama Knows Best is the eighth foal out of the Andover Hall mare Europass. Sandra Burnett homebred Ozma looks serious in the fourth OHSS filly division (race nine). Trained by Chris Beaver, this Triumphant Caviar Lass is the second foal out of the former OSS winner Evanora. Ozma scored a winning qualifier at Delaware on June 11 in 2:02 before posting a 2:02.4 clocking in a third-place finish in a Northfield qualifier on June 25. She benefits from the rail in this eight-horse field and will have Aaron Merriman in the sulky. Rose Run Whitney is the most experienced freshman filly that will line up behind the Northfield gate on Friday in the final OHSS filly contest (race 11), having scored two impressive qualifiers at The Meadows for trainer Ron Burke before winning a conditioned event at Northfield on June 28 in 2:01.2. The daughter of Uncle Peter will be steered by Kayne Kauffman from post three. Rose Run Whitney is the ninth foal out of the Angus Hall mare Stonebridge Dancer. In the first of the three OHSS colt trotting divisions (race three), Admiral Allstar starts from post three for trainer Edward Miller. This son of My MVP is the only youngster in this contest with pari-mutuel raceway experience, having finished in a dead heat for third on June 17 in a Northfield overnight for driver Kurt Sugg after having won his Northfield qualifier on May 28 in 2:03.2. Bred by the LMN Bred Stables, Admiral Allstar was clocked in 1:59.2 in that start for owners Beccy Sugg, Watson Harness Racing and Mary Stucky. This gelding is the seventh foal out of the unraced Conway Hall mare Minor Skirmish. Shouldaknownbetter, a gelded son of Deep Chip bred by the GBW breeding farms and owned by Canadian trainer Shane Arsenault, is the clear standout in the second OHSS trotting division (race six) for colts and geldings. This youngster qualified at Mohawk on June 12 and followed that up with his pari-mutuel debut at that same oval, where he trotted to a 1:57 triumph, drawing off by four lengths over his nearest rivals. Shoudaknownbetter is the fourth foal out of the Amigo Hall mare Lexis Electra. Finally, in a near wide-open third OHSS colt division (race 12), both Phineas and Fire Cross appear to be well-placed to earn their first career triumphs. Phineas, who is owned by breeder Ray Hephner, scored a pair of impressive qualifiers at Northfield, winning his last one on June 18 in 2:03. Sired by Uncle Peter, he is the second foal out of the Sierra Kosmos mare Baba S. Fire Cross had back-to-back qualifying victories at Scioto Downs, clocked in 2:01.4 and 2:02.1. He was bred by Steve Stewart and is owned by Miller Racing Stable, Horseplay Racing Stable, M. Hayes and Darmofal Racing Ent. Fire Cross is a son of Triumphant Caviar and the fifth foal out of the Muscles Yankee mare Classical Mary, and is a full brother to Fraser Ridge, who banked over $500,000 in his racing career. (Ohio Sires Stakes) Denton, TX (76205) Today Mostly cloudy this morning with thunderstorms developing this afternoon. Storms may contain strong gusty winds. High 84F. S winds shifting to N at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of rain 70%.. Tonight Scattered thunderstorms early, then partly cloudy after midnight. Low 61F. Winds NNE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 50%. In the last month, Ive added a new word to my vocabulary kayfabe. What does it mean? Its the theatrical master plan that people involved in pro wrestling engage in when deciding whether Boris the Black or The White Snake will win or lose a match. Irrespective of which scooter, motorcycle or superbike you own, you can now switch to electric by exchanging it for a brand new Ather scooter. Ather Energy, known to introduce innovative ownership models, brings another purchase option in association with CredR, Indias most trusted used two-wheeler brand. As part of this association, CredR will offer instant price quotes for old petrol two-wheelers, which will be used to reduce the upfront cost of upgrading to Athers scooters. This partnership allows owners to quickly and easily trade in their old two-wheelers for an ever improving electric scooter and receive their new vehicle within days. Customers will need to bring in their old petrol 2-wheelers for a physical inspection to Ather Space, where an instant price quote/estimate will be generated through the application powered by CredR. To complete the transaction, CredR will verify the documents and the health of the petrol two-wheeler. The exchange price will then be adjusted against the final cost of the new Ather scooters. Currently, the program is applicable only for Bengaluru and Chennai and will be available across India as partner experience centres open in the coming months. Ather is the first two-wheeler OEM to launch a private lease program, with a payment plan as low as INR 2,589 per month. The company also offers ownership programs under Ather One that takes care of all day-to-day expenses, along with doorstep service and spare parts. To promote the adoption of EV, Ather has added a slew of financial models and first-in-category lease plans, with no long-term commitment. And with the Ather 450X launched in January 2020, the company has rolled out an innovative battery subscription model. Under this plan, the consumer pays for the scooter, minus the cost of the li-ion battery. The battery is paid for under a monthly subscription model that not only lowers the upfront cost of the scooter, but also provides a lifelong, infinite battery warranty. Ather also partnered with Bounce, Indias first and fastest growing dockless shared mobility player in Bengaluru for their Peer-to-Peer (P2P) sharing program. This partnership enables new Ather 450 owners to monetize the idle time of their vehicle by listing it on the Bounce App and earning an additional income. Ravneet Singh Phokela, Chief Business Officer, Ather Energy, said, Since our launch in 2018, weve constantly been looking for new and innovative ownership models for our vehicles, and this is another step in that direction. This exchange program makes the entire process more seamless for owners and reduces the stress of personally trying to sell their vehicles. CredR has been doing a great job with second-hand two-wheelers and offering extremely competitive rates, making the whole purchase experience transparent and easy, while reducing the total cost of ownership. Solar power panels at the BIM Solar Power Complex in Ninh Thuan Province, central Vietnam. Photo by VnExpress/Quynh Tran. Japanese electronics giant Sharp Corporation will begin operating a 45 MW solar power plant in the central province of Ninh Thuan in July. The plant is a joint venture between Sharp Energy Solutions Corp., a subsidiary of Sharp Corporation, Vietnams T&T Group JSC and its affiliate Ninh Thuan Energy Industry JSC. The new solar plant is expected to generate 76,373 MWh of electricity per year, enough to meet the average annual demand of 40,500 Vietnamese households. It can offset the equivalent of 25,458 tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions a year, Sharp said in a recent statement. Japanese news agency Kyodo News quoted a spokesman of the giant as saying that Sharp has been pushing its solar power business in Asia, having built plants in Thailand, Indonesia and Mongolia, on the back of expected growth in consumption of electricity. Solar power currently accounts for 0.01 percent of Vietnams total power output, but the government plans to increase the ratio to 3.3 percent by 2030 and 20 percent by 2050. Vietnam currently relies largely on hydropower and thermal power for its electricity needs, but its hydropower potential is almost fully exploited and oil and gas reserves are running low. Under its energy development plan, Vietnam aims to have renewables, mainly solar and wind, account for 10.7 percent of total energy production by 2030. Workers seen at Long Bien Market in Hanoi's Long Bien District on April 16, 2020. Photo by VnExpress/Thanh Hue. Dampening economic figures in H1 might not be the worst figures for Vietnam this year as challenges remain in the last six months. Vietnams GDP growth in the first half fell to a decade-low of 1.81 percent, showing the economy has been severely hit by the coronavirus pandemic. "The plummeting figures might not be the worst for this year. They could be worse in the third quarter without a breakthrough in economic activities," said Nguyen Khac Bao, head of the Finance Department at the University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City. A rising number of large companies terminating employee contracts in June show they are scaling down operations in the second half of the year, he said. Taiwanese footwear maker Pouyuen Vietnam, the largest employer in Ho Chi Minh City, has let 2,786 workers go after the Covid-19 pandemic hit new orders. Besides, Hue Phong Footwear Jsc has cut its workforce of 4,600 by half while Woodworth Wooden Industries Vietnam laid off 2,000 workers. The coronavirus pandemic has caused 7.8 million workers to lose their jobs or have their working hours reduced, according to the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs. Bao said although companies are boosting domestic travel, the shortage of international tourists with deeper pockets will still be a major hinderance to a quick recovery of tourism and aviation in the second half. This could be the worst year for Vietnams economy since it opened its doors to other countries in 1986, he said, adding there are still too many uncertainties to forecast when the economy would recover. Pham The Anh, chief economist at the Vietnam Institute for Economic and Policy Research (VEPR), said major challenges remain in the last six months as the global market is still impacted by the pandemic. Vietnams trade turnover in the first six months fell 2.1 percent year-on-year to $238.4 billion, in which exports dropped 1.1 percent and imports by 3 percent. This ends over a decade of trade turnover growth. Anh said as an economy fostering open trade, Vietnam could not remain immune to global downturns when its major trade partners, the U.S., the E.U. and China have all been severely hit by the pandemic. He added although public investment is expected to help boost growth, disbursement of the state coffers in the first half only met 33 percent of this years target. The government has made efforts to revive the economy, but experts say policies need to be more relevant. The National Assembly has approved a corporate income tax reduction of 6 percentage points, but Anh said if businesses are able to be profitable this year, they do not really need the tax break. Workers, however, are most vulnerable during this time, but plans to provide financial support have not reached them due to red tape and municipal authorities avoiding responsibility in disbursing the money, he added. The World Bank has earlier forecast Vietnams GDP growth could fall to 1.5 percent this year, against 7.02 percent in 2019. Last year, the economic expansion hit 7.02 percent, the second highest growth figure in the last decade, after a record 7.08 percent in 2018, according to government data. The logo of Foxconn, the trading name of Hon Hai Precision Industry, is seen on top of the company's building in Taipei, Taiwan. Photo by Reuters/Tyrone Siu. Taiwans Foxconn wants to build housing for workers in northern Vietnam and has made a proposal to the government. The world's largest contract manufacturer, a contractor for Apple and other global giants, seeks to develop three housing projects at a cost of about VND7.4 trillion (nearly $319 million), and has apprised the Ministries of Construction and Planning and Investment of its interest. Foxconn wants to build them near industrial parks where it has its plants so that its own workers can also be housed in them. If approved by authorities, a project in Viet Yen District in Bac Giang Province will be the largest at 16.7 hectares and have the highest investment of VND3.42 trillion (about $147.4 million). Up to VND2.93 trillion ($126.3 million) will be invested in a 6.3-hectare project in Bac Ninh Provinces Que Vo District and the rest of the total investment will be poured into a 9.9-hectare project in Vinh Phuc Province. The company said besides apartments they would also have healthcare facilities, schools and shops. Since current policies pose certain hurdles, it plans to sell the houses to companies in the industrial zones for them to lease or sell to their employees. Foxconn came to Vietnam in 2007, and has been operating mainly in the northern provinces of Bac Ninh, Bac Giang and Vinh Phuc, manufacturing computers and other electronic products and car parts. Last year it expanded to the northern province of Quang Ninh. Last week it said for the first time that Vietnam is its largest manufacturing hub in Southeast Asia. This year Foxconn expects its exports from Vietnam to double to $6 billion. The "ao dai" exhibit is organized along Saigon's Nguyen Hue pedestrian street to mark the 44th anniversary of the day Saigon-Gia Dinh was officially named after Ho Chi Minh. Dozens of outfits from the Ao Dai Museum are on display, depicting their historic development. "Ao tu than" (four-part dress) had been worn by Vietnamese women since the 11th century. According to fashion designer Si Hoang, "ao tu than" used to be made of brown fabric without buttons, women normally tying them up while working. Older women wore dark plastrons inside their "ao tu than", while the young opted for red or pink. A moon bear in Gia Lai Province in Vietnam's Central Highlands is given honey before being transferred to Vietnam Bear Rescue Center in the northern Vinh Phuc Province, June 30, 2020. Photo by Animals Asia Foundation. The last bear reportedly in captivity in the Central Highlands province of Gia Lai was freed on Tuesday. The 15-year-old female Asian black bear, classified as "vulnerable" internationally, had been in the possession of a company whose office is on the border between Gia Lai and Cambodia, and was rescued with the help of forest protection officials. It will be transferred to the Vietnam Bear Rescue Center in the northern province of Vinh Phuc where 186 other bears live, the Animals Asia Foundation who joined the rescue said. The 1,100-kilometer trip will take three days, and then she will spend 45 days in quarantine. The foundation quoted forest rangers in Gia Lai as saying the 120-kilogram animal was captured as a cub to be kept as a pet. Hunting, possessing or trading wildlife classified as vulnerable carries a fine of up to VND3 billion ($129,640) and imprisonment of up to 12 years in Vietnam. The bear, named Hoa Gao (cotton blossom) by the foundation, was to have been rescued in early March but the operation was postponed due to the Covid-19 outbreak. The rescue was the first by the foundation to be carried out by an all-Vietnamese team. Forest Protection Department statistics show she was the last bear in captivity in the province, with the rest freed over the years. Bears are mostly kept in captivity in Vietnam for bile extraction and occasionally as pets, the foundation said. Its spokesperson said eight bears have been rescued in Gia Lai since 2011, one of them a sun bear and the rest, Asian black bears or moon bears. The former was transferred to a wildlife rescue center in Hanoi, while the others were sent to Vinh Phuc. The foundation has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Vietnam Administration of Forestry and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development for freeing all bears in the country between 2017 and 2022. There are another 500 in captivity in 36 provinces and cities, while only a few hundred are left in the wild. Vietnam banned bear bile extraction in 2005, but farmers who owned bears prior to the ban have been allowed to keep them. Two Vietnamese and three Chinese are held at an office of border guards in Quang Ninh Province, northern Vietnam, June 30, 2020. Photo by VOV. Border guards in northern Vietnam have arrested two locals for helping three Chinese men enter the country illegally to gamble. Personnel at a border station in Quang Ninh, which is home to the popular Ha Long Bay and shares a border with China, caught the two Vietnamese men bringing the three Chinese on two motorbikes on Monday night, border guards said. At around 10 p.m. they were on a patrol when they spotted the men and asked them to pull over. One obeyed but the other tried to flee, forcing the guards to chase after them. All were arrested. The two Vietnamese, Pham Van Uoc, 35, and Le Van Thong, 26, are Quang Ninh locals, while Liao Qian Hong, 37, and Lin Jia Tian, 33, are from Xi'an, the capital of Shaanxi Province, and Hoang Hua, 38, is from Fujian Province. They said they had entered Vietnam to gamble at the casinos at the Lilai International Hotel and Hong Van Hotel in Quang Ninh's Mong Cai Town. They had first hired a Chinese man to help cross the Beilun River in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and into Quang Ninh Province for 5,000 yuan ($700) each. There they met Uoc and Thong. Uoc said he had been contacted by a Chinese man from Dongxing, a city in Guangxi, by telephone, and asked to help take his three friends into Vietnam. He then asked Thong, his cousin, to bring a motorbike for the task. All five have been put in quarantine at a facility in Mong Cai for 14 days, as per Covid-19 prevention protocols. On June 10 border guards in Mong Cai had also arrested three Chinese men entering illegally overland. They were planning to take a bus to the central town of Nha Trang to gamble there. Plantronics unveiled a new series of Poly Room Solutions for Microsoft Teams Rooms Poly G10-T, G40-T and G80-T. These solutions include audio and video tools that deliver superior meeting experiences for users on Microsoft Teams, and the variety of different configurations grants IT managers the ability to easily scale for meeting rooms of all sizes. Teams usage continues to skyrocket with more than 75 million daily active users, further deepening the need for consistent cloud collaboration experiences across devices. With the rapidly changing work environments expanding into the home and across differing room setups, users, IT managers and administrators need flexible, hybrid devices. Poly Room Solution for Teams Rooms provides customizable room tools that enable seamless virtual collaboration experiences with little to no-touch control. They join the previously announced Poly Studio X family that will also offer native Teams video experiences. Pierre-Jean Chalon, Vice President, Asia Pacific, Poly, said, The workforce is currently in transition. While a portion will continue working from their homes multiple days a week, we will also start seeing more footprints returning to the office. The office remains core to getting work done, especially to collaborate, and businesses will need to ensure that they have the technology in place to support that group and ensure optimal productivity. We firmly believe that simplicity is key to adoption, utilization and speedy ROI for businesses. Scalable and easy to install for rooms of any size, Poly Room Solutions for Microsoft Teams Rooms creates a natural meeting environment with the highest audio and video quality, connecting all participants regardless of location in a way that makes them forget about where theyre at, and to focus on the discussion. Joseph Mingori, General Manager, Lenovo Smart Office Business, said, Lenovo is excited to join forces with Poly to deliver Poly Room Solution for Microsoft Teams, featuring ThinkSmart Edition Tiny. This offering allows us to deliver a joint solution designed to meet our shared customers collaboration space needs. As many enterprise and SMB customers prepare to deploy their organization to Teams, Poly Room Solution for Teams Rooms offers the latest tools to deliver best-in-class audio and video experiences from automatic group framing to speaker tracking technologies, turning even passive meetings into powerful communication experiences. Poly Room Solution for Teams Rooms not only delivers the premium Poly audio and video for Teams, but also provides a clutter-free experience from start to finish with simple installation and maintenance in any size room. The lack of messy cords means that not only is it simple to set-up and use but ensures that the focus remains on collaboration and output, not on tangled wires. Poly Room Solution for Teams Rooms is just the latest in Teams Rooms technology from Poly. Poly has been working alongside Microsoft for over 15 years and now has the most certified headset and speakerphone devices for Teams available, including: Calisto 3200, Calisto 5200, Voyager 4200 Office and UC Series, Voyager 5200 Office and UC Series, Voyager 6200 UC, Voyager 8200 UC, Blackwire 3300 and 5200 Series, and soon to be available in India Calisto 5300 and Blackwire 8225. Ilya Bukshteyn, partner director for Microsoft Teams devices, Microsoft, said, Customers look to Poly and Microsoft to deliver a seamless collaboration experience across collaboration, calling and meetings. Poly brings our joint customers a broad portfolio of devices, all delivering a consistent Microsoft Teams user experience, and enabling those users to collaborate and communicate easily, quickly, and seamlessly wherever they are working. Polys Room Solution for Teams Rooms comes in a variety of different configurations and can comfortably equip anywhere from small to large rooms, depending on individual requirements: The gate to the Ho Citadel in Thanh Hoa Province in central Vietnam, 2017. Photo by VnExpress/Le Hoang. Restoration of part of the Ho Citadel in Thanh Hoa Province with U.S. funding has been completed after nearly two years of work. Work to conserve the citadels south gate and western stone vault, which were seriously damaged over the last six centuries, started in December 2018, the U.S. Embassy in Hanoi said in a statement. Speaking at the unveiling ceremony on Monday, U.S. ambassador to Vietnam, Daniel Kritenbrink, said: "The citadel its construction, layout, placement in the landscape, and the organization needed to build it tells us so much about the people that built it and the society around them. It really is a part of the heritage of all of humanity. "Cultural heritage preservation is only one of many fields of cooperation between our two countries. In areas as diverse as trade, development, education, health care, energy, and security, the U.S. and a strong and independent Vietnam are working together with a shared commitment to peace and prosperity." In October 2018 the U.S. Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation approved a $92,500 grant to conserve the south gate, the most important remaining structure in the citadel. The gates western vault was in danger of collapsing because the keystone had cracked and become loose, threatening the safety of visitors and the overall structure of the gate. The work, which returned the keystone back to its original position, was carried out under the supervision of Vu Nam Son, a Vietnamese-Swiss expert on heritage preservation, and the Conservation Center of Ho Citadel. Workers work to restore the Ho Citadel's south gate in Thanh Hoa Province in north central Vietnam. Photo by Van Hoa Newspaper. Built in 1397 by the Ho Dynasty as the capital of Dai Ngu, the countrys name from 1400 to 1407, the citadel served as a military stronghold and became a symbol of patriotism and national pride. It is unique for its construction technique, which involved the use of large blocks of stone weighing 10-26 tons which were carefully shaped, interlocked and raised up by around 10 meters. The U.S. Ambassadors Fund has helped 120 countries preserve their cultural heritage through hundreds of projects. Vietnam has received $1.1 million for 14 projects since it was established in 2001. As part of his trip, Kritenbrink also visited Ham Rong Bridge with Vietnamese and American veterans, including some who fought to defend the bridge during the Vietnam War. The visit came at a time when the two countries are celebrating the 25th anniversary of the normalization of bilateral diplomatic relations. Official ceremonies to mark it are expected to be held in Vietnam and the U.S. on July 11 and 12. The URL has been copied to your clipboard The code has been copied to your clipboard. One of the most dangerous provisions of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal is the expiration later this year of the United Nations arms embargo against Iran. In Asia, the U.S. Agency for International Development, or USAID, has worked for decades to build successful partnerships with countries to ensure that they expand their self-reliance. It does so by promoting and strengthening democratic systems and values; fostering inclusive, private sector-led economic growth; and improving natural resource management. Encouraging self-reliance must be key to any development decision, said Gloria Steele, USAID Senior Deputy Assistant Administrator of the Bureau for Asia: The work that we have done has shown that for development to be sustained, a country needs to be self-reliant. A country needs to be able to eventually take over and plan and finance their own development. One challenge to economic growth and self-reliance in Asia today is rising authoritarianism, which weakens democratic institutions and fuels non-transparency and corruption. Another related challenge, Ms. Steele declared, is Chinas problematic engagement in the region, including its predatory economic activities. We enter into a strategic partnership where what is good for the country comes first. . . .Chinas approach is almost exactly the opposite. Theres no transparency. The secretive nature of Chinas dealings means that civil society is kept in the dark about the terms of the loans China is offering, opening the door to corruption. There is no way to keep officials accountable for investing their countries resources sustainably. According to the Center for Global Development, six of the eight most highly debt-distressed countries are in Asia. Part of the difficulty many face is their partnership with China, in particular through the One Belt and One Road Initiative, which includes debt-financed projects in transportation, energy and infrastructure. China offers countries opaque loans for projects of questionable value that also harm local communities, leaving countries on the hook if the projects fail and they cannot pay them back. Senior Deputy Assistant Administrator Steele describes the consequence: When another country owns most of what belongs to you, that significantly affects your sovereignty. Through USAID, the United States works to empower its partners, to move them closer to self-reliance and independence. Chinas approach leads nations into dependence and debt. While the United States vision for assisting countries in Asia and elsewhere excludes no nation, every nation that seeks to help others should adhere to high standards, including sustainable financing and respect for their partners autonomy and sovereignty. With four months to the November election, President Trump has become a clear underdog in his campaign for a second term. Trump has had to contend with a pandemic, historic levels of unemployment and the racially-charged aftermath from the police custody death of George Floyd. His bombastic style and tweet storms often make him his own worst enemy. Polling results currently paint a grim picture for Trumps re-election. The most recent five polls have Trump trailing Joe Biden by an 11.4% average including polls from the New York Times (14%) and Fox News (12%). In all six battleground states Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Florida, Arizona and North Carolina Biden leads in each. Trump won them all in 2016. Most significantly, the composite surveys show Trump with a 55% average disapproval rating, with only 41.2% approving. Trump will lose a referendum on his own job performance. Trump needs to make the race with Biden a choice election. The former vice-president is old he would turn 78 at his swearing-in. That would make him older than President Ronald Reagan was when he left office. The recent spike in U.S. coronavirus infections has been fuelled in large part by Americans ignoring public health guidelines to keep their distance and wear masks, the government's top infectious disease official said. A daily surge in confirmed cases and hospitalizations has been most pronounced in Florida, Texas and other southern and western states that disregarded benchmark guidelines from health officials to wait for a steady, two-week decline in infections before reopening their economies. 'Recipe for disaster' states Fauci "That's a recipe for disaster," Anthony Fauci, who directs the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told CNN in an interview broadcast on Monday. "Now we're seeing the consequences of community spread, which is even more difficult to contain than spread in a well-known physical location like a prison or nursing home or meatpacking place," Fauci said in the interview, which was recorded on Friday. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, who has become one of the nation's leading voices during the pandemic, said on Monday that President Donald Trump's focus on reopening the economy was misguided and that it had backfired. Trump should issue an executive order mandating that people wear masks in public, and he should "lead by example" by wearing one himself. Face covering to help stop the virus' spread has become as much a political as a public health issue, with many Trump supporters saying such mandates infringe on their personal freedom. U.S. Vice President Mike Pence on Sunday pressed Americans to adopt face masks during a trip to Texas and wore one himself, a sharp turnaround for the administration. Other Republican politicians in hard hit states also are now calling for public facing covering. The city of Jacksonville, Florida, venue for the Republican National Convention in August ahead of the Nov. 3 presidential election, said on its official Twitter account that it will be adopting a mandatory mask requirement for public and indoor locations starting later on Monday. 'Not even close to being over' Arizona and Georgia were among the states reporting record new cases this week. Last week, a total of 15 U.S. states reported records, according to a tally. In June, 22 U.S. states reported record increases in new cases, often multiple times, including Alaska, Arkansas, Montana, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon and Utah. The United States accounts for about a quarter of all reported global coronavirus cases and related deaths, which surpassed 10 million and 500,000, respectively, over the weekend. Full screen Sin tituloDr. Anthony Fauci, Director of the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, testifies during a House Energy and Commerce Committee hearing on the Trump Administration's Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic, on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC on June 23, 2020. (Photo by KEVIN DIETSCH / POOL / AFP) KEVIN DIETSCH (AFP) The pandemic "is not even close to being over," World Health chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a briefing on Monday. Some Americans, particularly in the Sun Belt states, will no longer be able to look forward to going to a bar or a beach on the popular July Fourth long weekend after violations on crowd limits. Beaches in Florida's Broward County and Palm Beach County will not open on July 3-5, officials said on Sunday. Miami-Dade County had already announced beach closures for the Independence Day weekend. California authorities on Sunday ordered bars in Los Angeles and six other counties to close. Texas and Florida ordered the closure of all their bars on Friday. In places where the number of cases are soaring, U.S. health officials are also considering "completely blanketing these communities with tests," Fauci said, to try to get a better sense of an outbreak. They would either test groups, or "pools," of people or have community groups do contact tracing in person rather than by phone. Contact tracing involves identifying anyone exposed to an infected person asking them to voluntarily go into quarantine. Fauci said he was optimistic that a vaccine could be available by year's end, but that it was unclear how effective it would prove to be. No vaccine would be 100% effective, he said, adding that it was difficult to achieve so-called herd immunity, in which most of population would be safe because a very large percentage has received a vaccine or gained immunity through prior infections. For all the latest news and developments relating to the pandemic in the US, follow our live daily feed South Africa has recently entered level 3 of its phased reopening during the coronavirus pandemic, easing many restrictions that were imposed during the complete lockdown of the country to tackle Covid-19. However, the authorities in South Africa remain cautious about resuming international flights. Regular aviation won't return until next year The country's recent scaling down measures included re-opening libraries and museums and lifting a closure order on businesses such as restaurants, casinos and cinemas. In addition, domestic travel has been allowed for business and essential purposes. However, regular international flights from and to South Africa are not expected to return before next year. Tourism sector pins hopes for reopening Tourism sector employees are hopeful though that international flights may resume before September as that time of the year is considered to be the peak season for inbound tourism, which could assist many workers in the sector as they seek to remain employed in tourism-related industries. The Tourism Business Council of South Africa (TBCSA) released a statement implying that resumption of flights by September is crucial for people in the inbound tourism industry to preserve their jobs, as during the period from September to March inbound tourism makes up 60% of its overall annual revenues. Follow all the latest coronavirus-related news in Africa on our dedicated live blog TBCSA presented a three-phase recovery strategy in June that requires 6-8 weeks of preparation before carrying out a phase 1 trial that will help select countries with permission to travel to South Africa. However, authorities believe that re-opening in or before September would be premature as the Covid-19 peak in South Africa is expected to occur in August. After the coronavirus pandemic hit the United States, New York rapidly became the epicenter of the virus and still holds the most number of confirmed cases and deaths. That is why the Empire State has taken a slower approach to reopening their economy amid the Covid-19 outbreak. Eight more states added to New York quarantine list On Tuesday, it was confirmed that New York, New Jersey and Connecticut have doubled the number of quarantine-restricted states to 16 as the rate of new Covid-19 cases increases in the United States. Dr. Anthony Fauci, the White House's top infectious disease expert, told the Senate he could see new daily U.S. cases increasing to 100,000. With the 4 July weekend around the corner, the tri-state expanded travel advisories requiring people arriving from eight additional southern and midwestern states to remain isolated for 14 days. This includes the following states: Alabama Arkansas Arizona California Florida Georgia Iowa Idaho Louisiana Mississippi North Carolina Nevada South Carolina Tennessee Texas Utah The requirement was first announced for eight states last week and as of Tuesday that number increased to 16. This travel advisory applies to anyone coming from a state with a positive test rate higher than 10 per 100,000 residents over a seven-day rolling average, or a state with a 10% or higher positivity rate over a seven-day rolling average. Essential workers are exempted from this travel advisory. More than 2.6 million coronavirus cases in US There are more than 2.6 million reported cases of the coronavirus in the United States, the epicenter of the virus worldwide, according to Johns Hopkins University, and new cases in at least 36 states are trending upward compared to the previous week. The consolidated balance of payments of Ukraine in May 2020 had a deficit of $353 million, which is 52.4% less than in May 2019 ($749 million), according to preliminary data reported by the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) on Monday. According to them, the current account surplus of the balance of payments last month amounted to $1.4 billion, while in May last year, the deficit was $136 million. The volume of exports of goods in May 2020 significantly fell by 24.7% (in April 2020 by 3.8%), to $3.1 billion. The decrease was due to a reduction in the main groups of goods, in particular, exports of ferrous and non-ferrous metals decreased 32.1% (in April 18.1%), engineering products 17.5% (8.1%), wood and products made of it 25.5% (15.6%), chemical products 18.4% (2.5%), industrial products 20.7% (24.2%), and food products 13.4% (increased 6.6%) and mineral products 3 .2% (increased 12.1%). In January-May 2020, exports to Asian countries increased in nominal terms (by $799 million, or 13.2%), while exports to the EU, Africa and the Russian Federation decreased by $1.1 billion (15.2%), $227 million (10.1%) and $195 million (18.3%), respectively. Thus, the share of exports to Asian countries of total exports increased to 38.1% (from 31.6% for the same period in 2019), and to the countries of the EU, Africa and Russia it decreased to 33.9% (from 37 5%), 11.2% (from 11.7%) and 4.8% (from 5.5%) respectively. In May 2020, import of goods continued to decline more significantly than export by 35.5% (in April 29.8%), to $3.3 billion. Including energy imports decreased 52.4% (37.5%) and non-energy 28.6% (the same in April). Last month, in particular, imports of engineering products decreased 25.4% (in April 28.6%), including cars 14.5% (33.4%), as well as chemical products industry 33.3% (17.9%) and industrial products 25.2% (23.2%). In addition, imports of ferrous and non-ferrous metals decreased 34% (in April 36.8%), wood and wood products 31.3% (26.9%) and food products 1.1% (it grew by 2.1%). According to the results of January-May 2020, imports from Russia (fell by $1.2 billion, or 41.2%) and from the EU countries (by $1 billion, or 11.4%) fell the most in nominal terms, with the share of Russia of total imports decreased 9.2% (from 13% according to the results of the corresponding period of 2019), while the EU's share increased to 40.6% (from 38.2%). At the same time, imports from Asian countries also fell slightly by $197 million (or 3.6%), and their share of total imports increased to 26.9% from 23.3%. According to the report, the surplus of trade in services in May 2020 increased 4.2 times, to $495 million compared with May 2019, due to the higher rate of decline in imports of services (56.5%) compared with their exports (27.1%) The decrease in imports of services occurred along with a 75% reduction in expenses of people traveling abroad and short-term migrants, as well as a decrease in transport (by 44.5%) and other business services (by 56.5%). At the same time, a decrease in transport services (by 37.5%) and expenses of people traveling around Ukraine (by 96.4%) contributed to a decrease in the export of services, while the export of computer services continued to grow (by 6.5%). According to the central bank, the surplus of the primary income balance in May 2020 increased 2.1 times, to $728 million compared to May a year earlier due to the a surplus for direct investment income ($239 million) thanks to negative reinvested income, whereas in May 2019 the deficit was $561 million. At the same time, revenues from remuneration of labor decreased 28.6%. Net borrowing from the outside world (total current account balance and capital account) last month amounted to $1.4 billion, which is 10.7 times more than in May 2019. The net capital outflow from the financial account in May 2020 (net borrowing) amounted to $1.7 billion, which is 2.7 times more than in May last year. The dynamics of the indicator was mainly determined by public sector operations. Last month, net outflow from public sector operations amounted to $1.3 billion (a year earlier it was $0.8 billion), which was formed due to the repayment of bonds of the external public sector in 2015 ($1 billion) and net sale of government bonds by nonresidents ($0.3 billion). The growth of new coronavirus (COVID-19) cases has slowed down in Ukraine as of Wednesday morning: a total of 664 new cases, 433 recoveries and 14 deaths from the disease were registered in the country in the past 24 hours, Health Minister of Ukraine Maksym Stepanov told a press briefing. Ukraine reported 706 new COVID-19 cases on June 30, 646 on June 29, 917 on June 28, 948 on June 27, the all-time high of 1,109 new cases on June 26. According to the Health Ministry's Public Health Center, Ukraine has detected a total of 44,998 coronavirus cases by Wednesday morning, including 19,548 recoveries and 1,173 deaths. The number of active cases currently stands at 24,277, which is 217 cases more than the day before. Over the past day, the largest number of active cases per 100,000 population were recorded in Chernivtsi (305.2), Lviv (184.5) and Rivne (164.7) regions. As of July 1, a total of 4,848 people were hospitalized, 97 of them are connected to lung ventilators. The disease was confirmed for 3,270 children and 6,765 medical workers, of which some 4,094 medical workers have recovered. No touching: Skoltech researchers find contactless way to measure thickness of carbon nanotube films Scientists from Skoltech and their colleagues from Russia and Finland have figured out a non-invasive way to measure the thickness of single-walled carbon nanotube films, which may find applications in a wide variety of fields from solar energy to smart textiles. A single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) is essentially a sheet of graphite one atom thick that is rolled into a tube. They are an allotrope (a physical form) of carbon, much like fullerenes, graphene, diamond, and graphite. SWCNTs hold a lot of promise in various industrial applications, ranging from solar cells and LEDs to ultrafast lasers, transparent electrodes, and smart textiles. All these applications, however, require rather precise measurements of SWCNT film thickness and optical properties. "Film thickness is quite important for many applications and usually characterized by how much light can be transferred through the film in the visible spectral range: the higher the transparency, the less the thickness of the film. However, precise control over film thickness and optical constants is critical when one needs to design effiecient transparent electrodes. For instance, we need to know the thickness to improve antireflection properties of the surface based on transparent SWCNT window layer for solar cells. To estimate and subsequently utilize the mechanical properties of SWCNT films, we need to predict the geometrical dimensions of the films," says Professor Albert Nasibulin, head of Laboratory of Nanomaterials at Skoltech Center for Photonics and Quantum Materials. Existing methods for optical constant measurements include absorption and electron energy-loss spectroscopies, while geometric parameters can be determined by transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy or atomic force microscopy. These methods are resource-inefficient and require sample preparation, which might affect the very properties of SWCNT films that one is trying to measure. A team of researchers led by Albert Nasibulin of Skoltech and Aalto University was able to design a rapid, contactless, and universal technique for accurate estimation of both SWCNT film thickness and their dielectric functions. They figured out a workaround to use spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE), a non-destructive, fast, and very sensitive measurement technique, for SWCNT films. "Ellipsometry is an indirect method that we can use to determine film parameters, and standard methods of data processing are not always applicable here. At first glance, a carbon nanotube thin film is a very difficult object for this technique: consisting of many millions of randomly oriented nanometer-sized individual and bundled tubes, it has strong absorption in the entire spectral range, low reflection and anisotropy in its optical properties. Nevertheless, the first author of the paper, Georgy Ermolaev, a student of a joint Skoltech-MIPT Master's program, has found an elegant algorithm to retrieve the thickness and optical constants in a single set of optical measurements," says Yuriy Gladush, one of the coauthors of the paper. The researchers manufactured SWCNT films of varying thickness and absorption between 90% and 45% at 550 nm and determined the broadband (250-3300 nm) refractive index and corresponding thickness of the films. "It was expected that optical properties would depend on the density of packaging of the carbon nanotubes in the film, but the surprise was in how large this effect is. A single droplet of ethanol can compress or densify the film and change the refractive index from 1.07 to 1.7, opening simple opportunities to adjust the optial properties of the SWCNT films," Albert Nasibulin adds. The team believes other scientists can build on their work and, among other things, use their approach beyond the realm of carbon nanotubes for other kinds of these structures. ### Other organizations involved in this research include the MIPT Center for Photonics and 2D Materials, GrapheneTek and Canatu Ltd. This story has been published on: 2020-07-01. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Bharti Airtel and Comfort Investments II, an affiliated entity of CAP V Mauritius Limited, an investment fund managed and advised by affiliated entities of The Carlyle Group announced an agreement under which Comfort Investments II will invest US$235 million in Nxtra Data Limited (Nxtra), a wholly owned subsidiary of Airtel engaged in the data centre business. The post-money enterprise valuation of Nxtra is approximately US$1.2 billion and Carlyle will hold a stake of approximately 25% in the business upon completion of the transaction, with Airtel continuing to hold the remaining stake of approximately 75%. The transaction is subject to the necessary regulatory approvals, including approval from the Competition Commission of India. Headquartered in New Delhi, Nxtra from Airtel offers secure data centre services to leading Indian and global enterprises, hyperscalers, start-ups, SMEs and governments. Nxtras nation-wide portfolio of 10 large data centres and more than 120 edge data centres provides customers with co-location services, cloud infrastructure, managed hosting, data backup, disaster recovery, and remote infrastructure management. India is witnessing a considerable surge in demand for secure data centres as businesses undertake digital transformation and consumer demand for digital services continues to increase. The expansion of hyperscalers across the region following the governments directive on data localization is propelling a lot of this demand, with other market drivers including the growth in user data and increase in cloud penetration. Nxtra is building multiple large data centres across the country to capture the significant growth opportunities in India. Last year, the Company commissioned a state of the art data centre in Pune and is building more across Chennai, Mumbai and Kolkata. Nxtra will use the proceeds from this transaction to continue scaling up its infrastructure and offerings across the country. Gopal Vittal, MD & CEO (India and South Asia), Bharti Airtel, said, At Airtel, we have built a robust data centre portfolio that is future ready and scalable. For us, the security and data privacy requirements of our customers are our top priorities, which we have established as a key differentiator for our data centre offerings. Rapid digitization has opened up a massive growth opportunity for data centres in India and we plan to accelerate our investments to become a major player in this segment. We are delighted to have Carlyle as a strategic partner in this exciting journey, particularly given their experience in this industry, and look forward to working with them. Neeraj Bharadwaj, Managing Director of the Carlyle Asia Partners advisory team, commented: India is set to become one of the largest markets in the world for digital services. Airtel, with its proven track record of solid execution and customer focus, is well positioned to leverage the potential growth of data centres in India. We look forward to collaborating with Airtel to unlock the full potential of Nxtra. Greg Zeluck, Co-Head, Carlyle Asia Partners advisory team, added: Airtel is a high quality partner in India with whom Carlyle executives have built a strong and constructive relationship with over many years. We are delighted to be collaborating on this together, and believe Airtels nation-wide network and strong governance coupled with Carlyles data centre experience and operational capabilities creates a compelling partnership that will help Nxtra to capture growing demand as data usage continues to surge. Airtel is the largest player in Indias enterprise connectivity segment and serves over 2,500 large businesses and over one million medium and small businesses. Carlyle has prior experience in data centre ownership through investments in Coresite in the US and Itconic in Spain. The firm has deep local knowledge within India having been investing in the market since 2000, with notable investments including SBI Life, SBI Card, HDFC, India Infoline, Delhivery and PNB Housing Finance, as well as the recently announced Piramal Pharma Limited and SeQuent Scientific Limited. Carlyle had invested more than US$2.5 billion in India as of March 31, 2020. AVER LEX law firm, which represents the interests of former President of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych, on July 1 has submitted a claim to the State Bureau of Investigations (SBI) for public refutation of the previously distributed fake report about alleged notifying the ex-president of suspicion of high treason. "Last week we caught the SBI in an obvious deception as the bureau posted on its website a report saying that the fourth president had been allegedly notified of suspicion of another high treason. However, the procedure of handing over any suspicion notices was not carried out," the press service of the law firm said, citing lawyer Vitaliy Serdiuk. The lawyer said that Yanukovych's lawyers have arrived at the SBI following its three summons to provide evidence of the fact that Yanukovych was unable to come "due to his official temporary stay in the territory of the Russian Federation his temporary political asylum." All these three times the SBI ignored Article 43 of the Criminal Procedure Code of Ukraine on the implementation of proceedings through international legal assistance, the lawyer said. Five countries, including Turkey, Egypt, Albania, Croatia and Montenegro, have opened their borders for Ukrainian tourists, Infrastructure Minister of Ukraine Vladyslav Krykliy said on his Telegram channel on Wednesday. The minister noted that Egypt is open only under condition of observation of a mandatory self-isolation for 14 days after return home due to a high number of coronavirus (COVID-19) cases, Croatia demands confirmation of booking of hotel or an apartment, and Montenegro demands a negative PCR test for coronavirus confirmed within 48 hours before the arrival. Albania and Turkey did not introduce any special requirements. "Unfortunately, due to an unstable epidemiological situation in Ukraine, other European countries remain closed for Ukrainian tourists. However, foreigners, diplomats and Ukrainian citizens who have valid job or education contracts or EU residence permits, sailors who head for their vessels, citizens who transit the EU are allowed to enter," the minister said, adding that the EU will update the list of countries allowed for traveling every two weeks. Georgia will also make a decision on the opening of borders depending on the epidemiological situation in Ukraine, Krykliy said. The European Parliament (EP) has said that it did not authorize any representatives to observe or comment on Russia's referendum regarding amendments to the Constitution either in the territory of Russia or in the illegally annexed Ukraine's Crimea. Chair of the EP's Committee on Foreign Affairs David McAllister and Co-chair of the EP's Democracy Support and Election Coordination Group Tomas Tobe made such a statement on Wednesday, July 1. "The European Parliament has not been invited to observe this electoral process, and consequently will neither comment on the process nor on the results that will be announced afterwards. No individual Member of the European Parliament has been mandated to observe or comment on this electoral process on its behalf," they said. Therefore, "any Member of the European Parliament who decided to observe this electoral process in the Russian Federation, or in the illegally annexed Crimean peninsula, where the European Union does not and will not recognize the holding of this consultation, has done so on her/his own initiative and should under no circumstances through any statement or action, associate her/his participation with the European Parliament," the MEPs said in the statement. Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine Olha Stefanyshyna has met with a leadership of the National Committee of the Red Cross of Ukraine, which agreed to provide a humanitarian aid to overcome the consequences of water flooding in Ivano-Frankivsk, Lviv, Zakarpattia and Chernivtsi regions. As the European integration portal reported, Regional Development Ministry, Social Policy Ministry and State Emergency Service of Ukraine must draw up the list of the priority needs for these regions in one-day term. Stefanyshyna signed a respective decree on July 1. "The Red Cross immediately responded to my appeal to provide a humanitarian assistance. We agreed to collect generalized data through the coordination mechanism of the Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine and immediately transfer them to the National Committee of the Red Cross of Ukraine. This way it will be possible to centrally and to quickly receive humanitarian aid to the regions and for those citizens who need it most. The corresponding order and letter have already been signed and sent to the ministries through an electronic document management system for speedy processing," said Stefanyshyna. According to the report, this assistance is additional one to that which the government of Ukraine had previously allocated by its decision from the reserve fund in the amount of more than UAH 700 million. "After receiving data on volumes and a list of priority needs, Olha Stefanyshyna will continue negotiations with representatives of the Red Cross in Ukraine to receive humanitarian aid for the western regions affected by floods and their consequences as soon as possible," reads the report. VISIT Ukraine information portal has started work in Ukraine, which contains key answers to questions and useful links regarding traveling around the country, the press service of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine has said. "The portal https://visitukraine.today was developed by the national organization VISIT Ukraine with the support of the State Agency for Tourism Development, the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine, the Infrastructure Ministry, the Health Ministry and the Interior Ministry of Ukraine. The web resource is aimed at foreign tourists who plan to visit Ukraine, as well as for Ukrainians traveling abroad, "the service said in the statement. The portal contains the current rules for crossing the Ukrainian border, entry of Ukrainians into different countries of the world, lists of countries of the "green" and "red" zones, rules for adapting lockdown, observation and self-isolation, rules for behavior at airports, staying in cities, hotels, public places, food outlets. The portal also provides assistance in the installation, authorization and use of the Diy Vdoma (Act at Home) mobile application, insurance covering the treatment of coronavirus (COVID-19) disease and observation, as well as a hotline for tourists. All information is updated daily and is available in Ukrainian, English and Russian languages. Popularity in Japan In the last days of June, 2020, the first batch of fresh lycheefrom Vietnam exported to Japan was officially sold at AEON's distribution system, including across 250 general department stores, AEON supermarkets and AEON Style shops around the country. That was the first time Vietnamese fresh lychee had been exported to the Japanese market and AEON was the first retailer selling and introducing Japanese consumers to one of Vietnams favourite fruits. According to a representative from Japans AEON supermarket, in order to ensure optimum quality, fresh lychees sold at the supermarket were transported by air between late May and late June. Therefore, customers can enjoy the fruit with the best possible taste. The lychee initially conquered Japanese consumers as they were consumed quickly and appreciated for their beautiful colour, freshness and good flavour. In addition to AEON, several other supermarkets in Japan began to sell Vietnamese lychee that were harvested in the 2020 crop after the market opened the door to the fruit. Export to Japan despite the Covid-19 pandemic affirms the reputation of Vietnamese lychee, contributing to increasing its value and paving the way to promoting high-quality production of this fruit. Around 200 tonnes of lychee are expected to be exported to Japan by air and sea. Following five years of negotiations and careful preparations on the raw materials needed to meet the strictest standards, the first batch of lychee were successfully exported to Japan. The relevant agencies in Bac Giang province are still coordinating with Japanese experts to review, instruct and closely monitor the process of producing, harvesting and preserving fresh lychee in Luc Ngan district in order to meet the demands of this fastidious market. Notably, Thanh Ha lychees from Hai Duong province have been exported to Japan. The strict control of quality Given the fact that Japan is one of the most fastidious markets in the world with strict requirements, Vietnamese functional agencies have paid special attention to ensuring the quality of exported lychee. In recent times, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and Ministry of Industry and Trade have proactively coordinated with relevant agencies and localities to select and grant 19 eligible production unit codes for 103 hectares of lychee and 107 households. The total output is expected to reach over 600 tonnes. Speaking on the first shipments of lychees exported to Japan, Director of Bac Giang provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, Duong Thanh Tung, said that since the plan to export lychees to the Japanese market was announced, the department has worked with the relevant agencies to identify production unit codes and closely monitor the process of caring for the fruits in accordance with the partners requirements. Following its initial successes, Luc Ngan district will continue to guide and increase the number of production unit codes to expand its area and output, constantly meeting the standards of the Japanese side. The locality will also continue to cooperate with Japan while expanding exports to other markets around the world, said Director Tung. According to Vietnamese trade counsellor in Japan Ta Duc Minh, with great efforts in the negotiations, lychee is the fourth fruit from Vietnam which has successfully entered the Japanese market, following dragon fruit, mango and banana. Therefore, enterprises should note that Japan is a country with extremely strict requirements on product quality; therefore, in order to help the product gain a strong foothold in this market, they should strictly comply with all regulations on the quarantine and standards of food hygiene and safety, he added. It is essential to pay special attention to quarantine because any batch of fresh lychee with pesticide residue exceeding Japans regulations will be returned or destroyed even if treated with fumigation. In addition, the exported fruit must be harvested from areas certified with production unit codes. The control of plant protection drug residue and the tracing of product originwill always be conducted. To ensure quality and avoid mistakes in the first year of lycheeexport to Japan, the relevant Vietnamese agencies invited a Japanese expert to supervise all batches of exported lychee. This showed Vietnams seriousness and determination to export lychee correctly. According to the Vietnam Trade Office in Japan, the batches of lychee were packed in small boxes of 200g and sold at supermarkets with a promotional price of JPY489 (original price JPY537), equivalent to VND100,000) for each. Accordingly, 1kg of Vietnamese lychees priced up to over VND500,000. Lychee is a short-term fruit; therefore, its appearance in Japan and the high appreciation of Japanese consumers will be a good springboard to expand its consumption to other fastidious markets and improve its value. Especially, exports will eliminate serious depreciation of the fruits prices. Underlining the important role of Vietnam Airlines to the economy, the PM affirmed the governments commitment to work with the carrier to overcome these troubled times. He urged the ministries and agencies concerned to work out urgent measures to support the airliner in accordance with the law. The government currently has an 86% holding in the carrier, which it has said is expected to run out of cash in the next 2-3 months as the coronavirus pandemic has grounded all its international services. Earlier this month, a Vietnam Airlines official said that the company could incur losses of VND16 trillion (over US$680 million) in 2020 after taking various cost-cutting measures. It is seeking to borrow VND12 trillion (over US$500 million) from the government. According to a report by the International Air Transport Association, global airlines are expected to lose US$84.3 billion in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic, with revenues falling by half compared with last year to US$419 billion. Permanent Deputy Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son highlighted the fruitful development of the Vietnam - RoK relations in many fields, especially after the two established a strategic cooperation partnership in 2009. He said that both Vietnam and the RoK have led the world in containing the spread of COVID-19, adding the two governments have coordinated closely in controlling the health crisis, demonstrating the spirit of their strategic cooperation partnership. Vietnam has assisted many RoK experts, engineers, and senior managers to enter the country during the pandemic, ensuring production and business activities are maintained in Vietnam, he said. The Vietnamese Government will continue to support and create favourable conditions for foreign enterprises, including RoK ones, to do business smoothly, safely, and permanently in Vietnam, Son affirmed. He expressed a belief that the two sides will maintain their practical and effective cooperation in the time to come. For his part, RoK Ambassador Park Noh-wan said the event offers a good start for the two sides to build an annual dialogue channel between RoK businesses and Vietnamese localities. On the occasion, MoFAs Department of Foreign Affairs of Localities and the Korea Chamber of Business in Vietnam (KORCHAM) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to further promote cooperation between RoK firms and Vietnamese localities. The RoK has FDI capital in Vietnam of nearly US$70 billion in more than 8,000 projects, which create jobs for over 700,000 Vietnamese workers and make up 30 percent of Vietnams export value. Two-way trade in 2019 hit US$66.6 billion and the two sides aim to lift the figure to US$100 billion at an early date. The event was co-chaired by Mai Tien Dung, Minister-Chairman of the Government Office and chairman of the council, and Nicolas Audier, Chairman at EuroCham Vietnam. Under the theme Administrative Reforms: Key Role in the Implementation of EVFTA, the dialogue brought together representatives from Vietnams ministries and sectors and the European business community and diplomatic missions in the country to discuss administrative reform plans to unlock the full potential of the EVFTA, scheduled to take effect from August 1. The dialogue contents focused on a number of priority issues, including regulations on the EVFTA; a consistent and predictable legal framework for investment activities; the requirement of labeling imported goods; registration certificates for food safety inspection; e-commerce; the registration process of bactericidal products to serve COVID-19 prevention and control; and the management of e-commerce platforms. The dialogue was held in conjunction with the launch of the 12th edition of EuroCham Viet Nams Whitebook, which summarises the important issues for the business activities of 17 sector committees under EuroCham, together with recommendations that the Vietnamese Government can implement to improve the domestic business environment and enhance trade and investment with the EU. Speaking at the event, Nicolas Audier, Chairman at EuroCham Vietnam, said whats important at present is that the business community and the Government work closely to ensure the smooth and successful implementation of the EVFTA. One of the leading factors is to continue promoting positive progress in administrative reform, streamlining business conditions, improving the investment environment and modernising the legal framework. EuroCham shares the Vietnamese Governments goals on foreign direct investment (FDI) attraction, Audier said, stating that Vietnam now has a golden opportunity to take advantage of the EVFTA and attract FDI from European companies, who are seeking open, competitive and friendly markets. He voiced his belief that if the recommendations in the 12th edition of the Whitebook are thoroughly considered by the Government, more and more European businesses will invest in the country in the future. According to Minister-Chairman of the Government Office Mai Tien Dung, this was the third time since 2018 that the Prime Ministers Advisory Council for Administrative Procedure Reform held a dialogue with the European business community in Vietnam. The official hailed the dialogue as being of great significance towards the implementation of the EVFTA. Dung highly lauded the 2020 EuroCham Whitebooks theme focusing on administrative procedure reform, stating that the content of the book practically reflects the sincere wishes of the European business community to improve the investment environment in Vietnam. The Vietnamese Government has vigorously implemented reforms of and cuts to administrative procedures in various areas over recent times, he said, affirming his wish to listen to proposals and suggestions from European businesses in order to promote bilateral cooperation in a more extensive and effective manner in the near future. The signing took place in a teleconference between Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Hoang Quoc Vuong and Italian Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Manlio Di Stefano on June 30. The two sides discussed bilateral economic and trade coordination, including in energy, agriculture, industrial machinery, apparel, leather and footwear, and mining, affirming that economic links have been growing in recent years. Vuong said the Vietnamese and Italian economies are similar and supplementary, thus bringing advantages to both. In particular, the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) will open up many opportunities for the two countries businesses, including small and medium-sized enterprises. Vietnam called on Italian firms to invest in supporting industries for leather and footwear, a field where Italy has strengths, in order to tap into the benefits brought about by the EVFTA, he said. Di Stefano thanked Vietnam, especially the MoIT, for providing invaluable and timely support to Italy, particularly in the fight against COVID-19. Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Hoang Quoc Vuong holds a teleconference with Italian Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Manlio Di Stefano. (Photo: VNA) He hailed Vietnam as a highlight in economic growth with high export turnover and FDI attraction, especially at a time when it has successfully curbed the pandemic and restored its economy. Vietnam was also heralded as the fastest and most vibrant economy in Asia, particularly in ASEAN. Italy highly valued Vietnams ASEAN Chairmanship 2020 and wants to become a development partner of ASEAN, contributing to the process of building the ASEAN Community, he said. The new Joint Commission is expected to maintain the effective and practical cooperation mechanisms created by both sides in recent years, contributing to expanding two-way trade by 15-20% each year. According to the General Department of Vietnam Customs, two-way trade between Vietnam and Italy topped US$5.3 billion in 2019, up 13.71% year-on-year. Exports neared US$3.44 billion, up 18.46%, while imports rose 5.95% to US$1.87 billion. In the first five months of this year, the figure stood at just US$1.77 billion, down 22.53% year-on-year. Paris, TX (75460) Today Scattered thunderstorms during the morning becoming more widespread this afternoon. Storms may contain strong gusty winds. High 86F. SSW winds shifting to NNW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 70%.. Tonight Scattered thunderstorms during the evening. Partly cloudy skies after midnight. Low around 60F. Winds NNE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 40%. With one plenary session and eight trade sessions, the event is expected to boost two-way trade as the COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted global supply chains and hurt global trade. Japanese experts updated the latest regulations and procedures related to the import of consumer goods in the country. Participants at the event also discussed business opportunities. Talking with the Vietnam News Agency, Vietnamese Trade Counsellor in Japan Ta Duc Minh expressed his hope that, via the event, Vietnamese and Japanese enterprises will learn more about each sides needs and ability, thereby reaching mutually-beneficial deals. According to the Vietnam Trade Office in Japan, Japan is one of the most important trade partners of Vietnam. In the first five months of this year, two-way trade went up 2.2% annually to US$15.6 billion. Of which, US$7.83 billion was from Vietnams exports. Experts forecast that once the pandemic is under control, demand for consumer goods such as agro-forestry-aquatic products and household appliances in Japan will increase. At the meeting, Thuan Huu, who is also a member of the Party Central Committee (PCC), the deputy head of the PCCs Commission for Communications and Education and the chairman of the Vietnam Journalists Association, and his guest expressed their delight at the fine and substantive progresses in the Vietnam - US comprehensive partnership. They discussed the prospects of press cooperation between the two countries, including strengthening exchange of working missions and focusing on information sharing, especially in the context that the two countries are organising various activities to celebrate the 25th anniversary of diplomatic ties. Thuan Huu thanked the US Embassy in Vietnam for its contributions to promoting bilateral relations between the two countries, as well as cooperation in the field of journalism and communications, including helping Nhan Dan Newspaper to obtain valuable documents for the production of the documentary series titled Vietnam in Ho Chi Minh Era A Television Chronicle. The host also expressed his wish that the embassy would continue to cooperate with Nhan Dan Newspaper in promoting the relationship between the two countries in the near future. Impressed by Vietnam's efforts to prevent and control the COVID-19 pandemic, US Ambassador Daniel Kritenbrink said that he would be ready to share with the US and the worlds press about the Vietnam's success story. The diplomat affirmed his wish to continue cooperating with Nhan Dan Newspaper and other Vietnamese press agencies, thus contributing to enhancing the understanding between the two nations peoples and further promoting the Vietnam - US relations. The host reiterated that Vietnam always views Japan as a leading and long-term partner and wishes to join hands with Japan to intensify their Extensive Strategic Partnership for Peace and Prosperity in Asia. She noted bilateral relations have been thriving with high political trust in the recent past. Their cooperation has become increasingly substantive in all spheres, from politics, security-defence, economy, trade, investment, tourism and labour to people-to-people exchange. Problems in the implementation of big projects funded with Japans ODA capital have been actively settled, she added. NA Chairwoman Ngan appreciated the active role of the Vietnam-Japan Parliamentary Friendship Group and the Japan-Vietnam Parliamentary Friendship Alliance in enhancing ties between the countries legislative bodies, thus greatly contributing to overall connections. For his part, Ambassador Yamada Takio voiced his delight at frequent exchanges between the two parliaments and highlighted the considerable role of each countrys parliament in international activities. He also congratulated the Vietnamese NA on ratifying the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA), the EU-Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA), the law on investment under the public-private partnership format, along with Resolution 52 on changing the form of investment in some sections of the North-South Expressway project, which he said are very important since they are related to businesses activities. The NA leader noted during the law making process, the Vietnamese parliament always take into account opinions of the people, experts and embassies in order to issue laws that suits Vietnam and international practices. The Japanese Ambassador also congratulated Vietnam on bringing COVID-19 under control, saying that following this success, foreign investors will pay great attention to the country. Vietnam is working hard to recover its economy after the pandemic, and Japan is ready to resume labour cooperation so that Vietnamese apprentices can continue going to work in Japan, he added. During a reception in Hanoi on June 30, NA Chairwoman Ngan lauded the two countries for deploying important external activities, including two Vietnam visits by Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, and the signing and ratification of two legal documents on land border demarcation and marker planting, thus creating an important legal framework for the process of building a borderline of peace, friendship, stability, cooperation and development. She added that the fight against COVID-19 also reflects solidary between the two nations. Navuth, for his part, thanked the Vietnamese Party, State and people for providing Cambodia with medical supplies to back its fight against COVID-19. Recalling volunteer Vietnamese soldiers support for Cambodia in the past, he said Cambodia has revived thanks to Vietnams assistance. He congratulated Vietnam on its recent socio-economic achievements, which he said, are partly attributable to the Vietnamese legislature. He also believed that that the Vietnamese NA will achieve more successes in its capacity as Chair of the 41st General Assembly of ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA 41). NA Chairwoman Ngan informed the ambassador about Vietnams online activities with leaders of regional governments and legislatures in its capacity as Chair of ASEAN and AIPA to discuss common issues. Vietnam is preparing for Party congresses at all levels, towards the 13th National Party Congress, the election of deputies to the 15th NA and the Peoples Councils at all levels during the 2021-2025 tenure, she said. Speaking highly of ties between the Vietnamese and Cambodian legislatures, NA Chairwoman Ngan suggested that both sides should raise public awareness of the bilateral relationship, especially among young generations. She wished that the ambassador would work closely with Vietnamese ministries and agencies to implement agreements reached by senior leaders, as well as introduce the potential of coordination between ministries, agencies, localities and business communities. The NA leader asked the ambassador to continue stepping up the settlement of difficulties faced by the Vietnamese community in Cambodia. Both nations should offer mutual support to hold multilateral external events hosted by each side, especially ASEAN and AIPA, contributing to sustainable development in the region, she said. The virus forced the closure of most schools in Vietnam for several months, cutting short the summer holiday to just one and a half months, compared with the usual three months. The Ministry of Education and Training has decided that ceremonies to launch a new academic year will take place on September 5 across the country. It said schools are strictly forbidden to hold classes before this date. The ministry is also planning to reduce the curriculum of the 2020-2021 school year to 35 weeks for all levels of education in order to increase the time for extracurricular activities and summer breaks. As of June 30, about 888,000 high-school seniors had registered to sit graduation examinations scheduled for early August, of which 636,000 will use their results from the exams to apply for university and college positions. According to the labour ministry, up to 565,000 people filed for unemployment insurance during the January-June period, up 32% over the same period of 2019. It is estimated that 30.8 million have been affected by the coronavirus as of June, which has led to job losses, unpaid furlough, reduced working hours and lower wages. The services sector was hardest hit, with 72% of the workforce facing impacts of varying degrees, followed by the industrial sector with 67.8% of the workforce hurt by the coronavirus outbreak. The farming sector is the least affected by the virus with just one in four feeling its impacts. The number of lost jobs in the first half of 2020 was estimated at 1.4 million. * On June 29, the State Bank of Vietnam and the government of Dak Lak Province held a conference as part of a series of meetings between the central bank and provincial authorities to support corporate customers affected by the coronavirus. At the conference, many enterprises proposed that the State Bank of Vietnam in Dak Lak direct commercial banks to facilitate their access to loans so as to restore their businesses. The donation was part of the Stand Tall Vietnam Milk Fund run by Vinamilk. In 2020, Vinamilk and its Stand Tall Vietnam Milk Fund donated 120,000 glasses of milk, worth VND865 million to over 1,300 disadvantaged children currently being cared for and raised at childcare centres and charity houses in Hanoi. The children will receive free milk for three consecutive months. The Thuy An functional rehabilitation centre for children with disabilities is currently caring for hundreds of disabled children who are children of martyrs, wounded children, sick soldiers, Agent Orange victims, and children in difficult circumstances from 25 northern provinces. The centre is one of the locations that regularly receives the support from the 'Stand Tall Vietnam' Milk Fund. According to Hoang Nghia Binh, Deputy Director of the Vietnam Children's Support Fund, all children receiving milk have special circumstances. On the other hand, caring centres have not been able to meet the regular needs of milk for children, so the nutritional care for children living there is still limited. Receiving nutritious milk glasses from Vinamilk would help the children improve their daily meals, enhance nutrition and health to participate well in physical and studying activities, he noted. Earlier, on the occasion of International Children's Day, Vinamilk and the 'Stand Tall Vietnam' Milk Fund also organised a milk drinking festival for children living in remote and mountainous areas in the central province of Quang Nam. Over 112,000 glasses of milk, worth more than VND800 million, were presented to children living in difficult circumstances. The 'Stand Tall Vietnam' Milk Fund will present a total of 1.7 million glasses of milk, worth over VND12.5 billion, to disadvantaged children in 27 provinces and cities across the country. The milk fund was established in 2008 under the management of the National Fund for Vietnamese Children. So far, it has brought over 37 million glasses of milk to provinces across the country, worth VND163 billion, for over 460,000 disadvantaged children across Vietnam. Faezeh Hashemi, a former Iranian lawmaker and the daughter of one of the founders of the Islamic Republic says Iran is neither a religious government, nor a revolutionary state. Taking part in a question and answer program moderated by prominent Iranian academic Abbas Milani, the director of Stanford University's Program in Iranian Studies via video teleconference Hashemi discussed issues relating to the Iranian women's movement. In another remarkable statement, Hashemi said support for Irans womens rights by President Donald Trump and other leaders could strengthen the rights movement and that support should continue. Faezeh Hashemi is the daughter of Ayatollah Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, who played a key part as kingmaker in electing Ali Khamenei as the successor to Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini in 1989. He also served two terms as president. Faezeh Hashemi took a position against the disputed reelection of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and spent six months in jail as a prisoner of conscience for supporting the reformist Green Movement in 2009. Asked what in her mind was the single most important right that has been denied to women in Iran under the Islamic Republic, she said: "There are many rights that have been denied in many areas, but the most important ones are the discriminatory laws enforced after the Islamic revolution and the glass ceiling that prevent women's progress and their serious participation in social life." even many reformist men in Iran do not believe in equal rights for women. Solving women's problems are not among male reformists' priorities She said women's issues have been turned into political and security matters in recent years. Even women's demand to ride bicycles or go to stadiums are viewed as security problems and part of the intelligence discourse of the country. Faezeh Hashemi who was the publisher of Zan (Woman) newspaper in the late 1990s, focusing on women's issues, charged that "even many reformist men in Iran do not believe in equal rights for women. Solving women's problems are not among male reformists' priorities." She added that "A wrong understanding of Islam, a male-dominated culture, and fearing that women's freedom would limit men's freedom are among other factors that lead to discrimination against them in Iran." However, she said women should continue their struggle for their rights although it might be difficult. Referring to the recent surge in the incidents of honor killing, she was asked if there is any hope in solving such social problems. Faezeh Hashemi said: "As an Islamic feminist, I do not believe real Islam is against human rights. Even when there are strict rules in matters such as inheritance, deferring to reason and rationality can solve the problem." As regards the various interpretations of Islam, Ms. Hashemi was asked why shouldn't we base the system of government on the rule of law and rationality rather than Islam. She said: "Ideologies can be taken advantage of. The government in Iran is neither religious nor revolutionary." Although Ms. Hashemi has turned into a critic of the Islamic Republic she has remained silent about the role of her influential father in establishing many of the policies she now disagrees with. Akbar Hashemi has also been accused of having been part of the Islamic Republic schemes to conduct terror activities outside Iran, especially the 1994 bombing of the Jewish community center in Argentina. Trump's support for women's rights does not mean Iranian women activists are spies who depend on the United States Asked what her opinion is about the impact of the Trump Administrations use of Iran women's movement to justify sanctions on Tehran, Ms. Hashemi said: "Help from outside is important. Trump or other leaders' emphasis on women's rights is important although international organizations leave a better impact on women's rights campaigns than governments." However, she reminded that Trump's support for women's rights does not mean Iranian women activists are spies who depend on the United States, as the government sometimes charges. However, support from outside strengthens rights movements in Iran and that is good." She added that this is a globalized world and any movement that can become global has a better chance to succeed. Meanwhile she praised Iranian young women for using social media to further their campaign for equal rights. Although she wears hijab as a Muslim woman born in a Muslim clerical family, she said that she does not believe in compulsory hijab. Iran's influence in Iraq through proxy groups appears to be facing serious challenges as the new Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kazemi is trying to control pro-Iranian Shiite militia groups, while some shift their loyalty from Iran to Ayatollah Ali Sistani. Until a few months ago, Iranian military officials including former and current Qods Force commanders Qassem Soleimani and Esmail Qaani used to fly to Iraq whenever they wanted and nothing could stop them as they landed in Baghdad's Green Zone to take part in security meetings with Iraqi officials. But all this has changed as Qaani was told in June to request a visa before travelling to Baghdad as Iraq's new prime minister al-Kazemi refused to receive Qaani and the rest of the Iranian delegation without an entry visa. Kazemi, the former intelligence chief of Iraq took office as Prime Minster several months after widespread violent protests in Iraq led to the ouster of his predecessor Adil al-Mahi. Even Iran-backed groups in Iraq supported al-Kazemi as Prime Minister although they were not particularly enthusiastic, hoping that he would end the country's economic crisis exacerbated due to the coronavirus pandemic. Nonetheless, Kazemi's power is limited, among other things by his meager 10 percent share in choosing his cabinet ministers, although he enjoys the backing of a sizeable contingent of Iraqi politicians. Kurdish and Sunni parties back his measures to limit the influence of Iran-backed Shiite groups. Other Shiite groups outside the realm of Iran's influence also call for government control over pro-Iran militia. Last September, in a development characterized as a pro-Iranian conspiracy, the ouster of Counter-Terrorism Commander General Abd al-Wahab al-Sa'edi elicited a wave of protests in Iraq. He was a Shiite officer who was against Iran's intervention in Iraq. He was the champion of anti-ISIS campaign in Iraq and his forces were trained by the United States. Pro-Iranian politicians obviously feared al-Sa'edi's rising power. In one of his first measures as Prime Minister, al-Kazemi reinstated al-Sa'edi as the counter-terrorism commander. Subsequently, Sa'edi's forces attacked the pro-Iranian Hashd al-Shaabi (a Kata'ib Hizballah affiliate) in southern Baghdad and arrested 14 Hashd members. The Iraqi government announced later that the arrests were linked to rocket attacks against government targets and bases hosting U.S. forces. Qais Khazali, the leader of Iranian proxy group Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq warned the Prime Minister to make sure there would be no attacks on pro-Iranian militia. He warned Kazemi that "Your government is a provisional government tasked with only two missions: Holding an early election and tackling economic and health challenges." He also warned that the Prime Minister might "lose everything" if he created another problem. In a rare comment, Khazali said that Kazemi would never be able to stop the resistance forces' operations against U.S. troops stationed in the country. This was one of the clearest threats by the leader of pro-Iranian militia. The pro-Iranian militia subsequently displayed their might in the streets of Baghdad and in the Green Zone. Enraged by the manoeuvres, al-Kazemi reshuffled his security officers. However, both levers of Iran's influence in Iraq - the militia and the politicians in Shiite parties - are facing serious challenges. Some of the militia have distanced themselves from Hashd al-Shaabi and declared their loyalty to Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani. Experts now say that with the establishment of a stable government in Baghdad six months after the collapse of the previous government and following the elimination of Qassem Soleimani the position of Iran's proxy groups has been weakened. Sources in Iraq say there has been a reduction in the militia's attacks on U.S. forces during the past weeks and that the militia have welcomed merging into the Iraqi army as new Qods Force Commander Esmail Qaani's popularity is nothing to be compared with Soleimani's influence. Meanwhile, the leadership of Hashd al-Shaabi after the death of Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis who was killed alongside Soleimani remains undecided. In the meantime, U.S. and Iraqi sides have started strategic talks that would determine U.S. forces future role in Iraq's security and diversify the United States political and economic ties with Baghdad. Iran's parliament speaker Baqer Qalibaf, a former IRGC commander, has branded the strategic talks as "useless." Nevertheless, Iran appears to be consolidating its position in Iraq in other areas. Two weeks ago, the Iranian Minister of Energy visited Baghdad to forge a two-year contract to export electricity to Iraq. Iran is said to have told its proxy groups in Iraq to stop obstructing al-Kazemi's talks with the United States while Iran sells electricity and natural gas to Iraq as long as Iraq guarantees the repayment of its debts to Iran. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo intensified his efforts on Wednesday, July 1, to defend Washington's position against lifting the international arms embargo on Iran. "The Iranian regime doesn't deserve to have its arms embargo lifted," Pompeo tweeted, adding, the Islamic Republic "has not abided by current restrictions and continues to commit violations." Furthermore, Pompeo asserted, "Iran cannot be trusted to act as a responsible nation when it continues threatening other nations and supporting terrorist activity." In a video clip from his June 30 address to the UN Security Council attached to the tweet, Pompeo has insisted, "Iran is not a responsible democracy like Australia or India. We already know what Tehran will do, given the ability to buy more weaponry. Just consider the Secretary-General's UNSCR 2231 report... The report confirmed that weapons used to attack Saudi Arabia in September 2019 were of Iranian origin. The report has also confirmed the weapons interdicted off the coast of Yemen in November of 2019 and February 2020 were of Iranian origin." Based on a UN resolution endorsing the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) or Tehran's 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, Britain, China, France, Russia, the USA, and Germany, the international arms embargo against the Islamic Republic will expire on October 18. Iran argues that the sunset clause for the arms embargo is part of an international agreement and must be honored. "Nearly all countries have arms. Mature nations use them for defensive purposes and to promote stability. But not the Islamic Republic of Iran," Secretary Pompeo asserted. Calling on the U.N. Security Council to listen to Iran's neighbors "who are most exposed to Iran's predations," and demanding with a single voice the extension of the arms embargo" Pompeo has concluded, The United States' overwhelming preference is to work with this Council to extend the arms embargo to protect human life, to protect our national security, and to protect yours." U.S. special Representative for Iran, Brian Hook, after visiting United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Israel, met with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) director in the Austrian capital city, Vienna. In a tweet on Wednesday, IAEA Director General, Rafael Mariano Grossi, said he had had discussions with Brian Hook over Iran's implementation of its safeguard obligations. BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 18 Trend: Over the past 24 hours, Armenian armed forces have violated the ceasefire along the line of contact between Azerbaijani and Armenian troops 23 times, Trend reports on June 18 referring to Azerbaijani Defense Ministry. The Armenian armed forces were using large-caliber machine guns. The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding 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. Details added (first version posted on 19:04) BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 30 Trend: Unfortunately, Armenia continues aggression against Azerbaijan under the guise of the ceasefire, Assistant to the President of Azerbaijan, Head of the Department of Foreign Policy Affairs of the Azerbaijani Presidential Administration Hikmat Hajiyev said. Hajiyev made the remark in Baku at the briefing of the Operational Headquarters under the Azerbaijani Cabinet of Ministers, Trend reports on June 30. The assistant to the president said that Azerbaijan supports all international peace initiatives. "However, only ceasefire is not enough, Hajiyev added. Despite the agreement on ceasefire reached between Azerbaijan and Armenia in 1994, peace has not yet been achieved yet. Unfortunately, Armenia continues aggression under the guise of ceasefire. Along with the calls for ceasefire, the principles and requirements of the UN Charter must be observed. An end must be put to the occupation. This is even more relevant during the coronavirus pandemic." BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 1 Trend: Information spread by Armenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs about the recent meeting on Nagorno-Karabakh conflict's settlement once again confirms its completely unfounded position, Spokesperson for the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry Leyla Abdullayeva said. Abdullayeva was commenting on the information spread by the Armenian Foreign Ministry, Trend reports on July 1 referring to the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry. The spokesperson stressed that the Armenian Foreign Ministry distributed official information about the meeting of the Azerbaijani and Armenian foreign ministers held on June 30 in the format of a videoconference with the participation of the co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group and the personal representative of the OSCE chairperson-in-office. "It was previously reported that during the meeting, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov raised the issue about illegal activity and infrastructure changes being carried out by Armenia in the occupied Azerbaijani territories, Abdullayeva added. Mammadyarov also stressed that Armenias provocative actions aggravates the rhetoric the spokesperson said. The information spread by the Armenian Foreign Ministry in connection with the meeting once again confirms the completely unfounded position that the aggressor country traditionally demonstrates, Abdullayeva said. It is clear that tension in the region, escalated rhetoric, confrontation and enmity are caused by Armenias aggressive policy, keeping the internationally recognized territories of Azerbaijan under military occupation and ethnic cleansing of numerous Azerbaijanis in these territories, the spokesperson said. As for the obligation to prepare the population for peace, Armenia must withdraw its occupation forces from Nagorno-Karabakh region and the adjacent districts of Azerbaijan to comply with it, and not impede the return of Azerbaijani internally displaced people to their lands, Abdullayeva said. As for the "Karabakh people" concept, which is mentioned by the Armenian Foreign Ministry, everyone, including Armenia itself, is well aware that such a concept does not exist, the spokesperson said. The Armenians living in Nagorno-Karabakh region make up one of the two communities of this region of Azerbaijan, the spokesperson said. The representatives of the Azerbaijani community of Nagorno-Karabakh region were expelled from their houses as a result of the Armenian aggression and became internally displaced people. The negotiations on the conflict settlement are aimed at restoring the violated fundamental rights and freedoms of these people, ensuring the withdrawal of the Armenian armed forces from the Azerbaijani territory, Abdullayeva said. There is no other way to ensure sustainable peace, stability and security in the region." The security of the "Karabakh people" was mentioned in the information spread by the Armenian Foreign Ministry in connection with the online meeting of the Azerbaijani and Armenian foreign ministers on June 30 with the participation of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs, with a reference to Azerbaijans "unconstructive statements". 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. BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 1 Trend: Upon the order of Azerbaijans President Ilham Aliyev, the country's Cabinet of Ministers has allocated $300,000 to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), Trend reports citing Azerbaijans Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The assistance was provided in response to an appeal by Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Dr Yousef Al-Othaimeen to support the fight against the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) in Palestine. UNRWA was established in 1949 by decision of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) to provide direct assistance and social services to Palestinians. The main areas of UNRWA's activities are healthcare, education, humanitarian assistance, social services, camps, implementation of related projects in the field of infrastructure and microfinance. Currently, due to the spread and consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic, the need for humanitarian assistance to Palestine has arisen. The World Health Organization (WHO) on March 11 declared COVID-19 a pandemic. Some sources claim the coronavirus outbreak started as early as November 2019. If You already have a subscription, please log in: If You do not have a subscription, then You can get it clicking on this button: BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 1 By Leman Zeynalova Trend: Wind energy, biofuels or solar energy could be the potential spheres for cooperation between Poland and Azerbaijan, Press Office Director at Polands Foreign Ministry Andrzej Fafara told Trend. "Poland has a strong potential for cooperation in the sphere of renewables and green technologies as well. Poland is successfully diversifying the supply of fossil fuels and share of renewable energy resources in our energy-mix is steadily growing Many of our companies have developed various interesting technologies which may be of interest to many companies and institutions in Azerbaijan," he said. Fafara said Poland sees the potential for cooperation in the field of energy between the two countries. "However it is up to the companies to develop such cooperation on the basis of its economic merits. We support further development of the Southern Gas Corridor which is already becoming an important connection between Azerbaijan and the EU and stimulating such cooperation. We try to diversify energy supplies to our country. The LNG terminal in Swinoujscie and the Baltic Pipe gas pipeline are key infrastructure projects that strengthen our economy and the energy security," he added. Earlier, Head of the Environmental Policy Department of the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources Rasim Sattarzade told Trend that the generation of wind and solar energy in the country will gradually increase in volumes. "For Azerbaijan, oil and gas remain the main source of electricity production. However, in accordance with plans, half of the country's total energy consumption should be generated by renewable energy sources by 2050. Azerbaijan has the potential to draw up this indicator to 6 percent by 2025, and to 10 percent - by 2030," said Sattarzade. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @Lyaman_Zeyn BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 1 By Nargiz Ismayilova - Trend: Price of Premium Euro-95 gasoline slightly increased in Azerbaijan, Deputy Head of Public Relations and Events Department at the Azerbaijani State Oil Company (SOCAR) Ibrahim Ahmadov told Trend. According to him, the price grew by 0.1 manat (5.9 cents). "The increase is the result of global price growth for Premium Euro-95 gasoline, since Azerbaijan imports this type of fuel from abroad," he said. Earlier it was reported about decrease in gasoline price in Azerbaijan for Premium Euro-95 due to global drop in oil prices. ($1 = 1.7 manat on July 1) --- Follow the author on Twitter: @IsmailovaNargis BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 30 By Eldar Janashvili Trend: As a result of the negative consequences of the pandemic and volatility of oil prices, economic activity in Azerbaijan has decreased, the economic balance has been violated while the introduced restrictions have led to the disruptions in the production and processing chain, Azerbaijani Economy Minister Mikayil Jabbarov said. Jabbarov made the remark at the briefing in Baku, Trend reports on June 30 referring to the Azerbaijani Economy Ministry. The minister also spoke about the impact of restrictions and new challenges on the national economy due to the coronavirus pandemic, as well as stagnation in the global energy and stock markets. Nevertheless, Jabbarov stressed that despite the observed stagnation in the economy, the recession of the national economy did not occur. The minister stressed that presently, the government is implementing the measures to minimize losses of the national economy upon the presidents initiatives and instructions. "The government is trying to help businesses get out of the situation with the least losses through the programs which are being implemented," Jabbarov said. BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 1 By Eldar Janashvili Trend: Amid the uncertainty caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, Azerbaijan's Visa companys primary tasks are ensuring the safety and protection of employees and the full support of partners around the world, a source in the company told Trend. Supporting the stable functioning of the payment ecosystem for all its participants and consumers around the world at a consistently high level is also among priorities of the company, said the source. "The company is ready for new realities and is able to maintain business continuity in various scenarios. In particular, together with its partners, Visa is ready to support authorization in the conditions of the issuer's inaccessibility, to provide a higher degree of approval of operations in electronic trade as transaction activity in the online environment increases. Moreover, the company is also ready to offer emergency assistance to their card holders if necessary," the source in the company noted. "During the pandemic period, Visa recommends issuing banks not refuse to conduct operations on the basis of the expired card, because in this situation, banks may experience difficulties associated with the timely reissue and delivery of cards to their customers. To check the possibility of conducting operations via that card, Visa card holders must contact the bank that issued the card," added the source. "The company recommends issuing banks also to be sure that the banks processing has the correct settings. This step was taken in order to ensure uninterrupted payment by Visa card for all holders in Azerbaijan," the source in the Visa said. "In a number of countries in the CIS region and Southeast Europe, we have launched social initiatives. In Azerbaijan, together with our partner - Wolt, we launched a free shipping campaign. In accordance with this program, all customers who pay for their orders with a Visa card receive a refund to their Wolt account and can use this amount as a discount on the following orders," Visa said. "Another example is the #EvdQalNagdszOd (#StayHomePayNon-Cash) campaign, launched by Visa together with the E-PUL e-payment platform (https://www.e-pul.az/epay/en/home), which was designed to help all the platform users quickly and safely make the necessary payments without leaving home and to contribute to the fight against the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19). As part of the campaign, for each operation performed on a Visa card on the E-PUL, 0.25 manat (14 cents) were being transferred to the Coronavirus Response Fund, created under the decree of President Ilham Aliyev," said the company. "Moreover, Visa supported the Qayg (Care) program from the International Bank of Azerbaijan (IBA). Within a month, for each payment made online or through the POS terminal using wage and pension cards, the bank's customers received a 2-percent of cashback, of which 1 percent of earned money was returned to the clients card account, and another percent was added to the remaining percentage. As a result, 2 percent was transferred to the Coronavirus Response Fund," noted the source. "Were doing our best to adapt to the continually changing situation during the COVID-19 pandemic, and we believe that such campaigns are a great way to ensure the safety of people, giving them the opportunity to stay at home and enjoy all the benefits of non-cash payment methods," the company said. "While the vast majority of enterprises, regardless of industry or size, suffered from the pandemic, the small and medium-sized business sector was in a particularly difficult situation. Although these sales and service companies may be small, they play an important role in the lives of their customers, employees and partners, and their work has a significant impact on local communities and the economy," the source emphasized. "Together with partners, we connect more than 61 million retail outlets worldwide. This gives us a unique opportunity to help companies continue their online business during this difficult period," added the source. "Our current task is to support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the crisis time and to provide an opportunity for the speedy recovery of this segment. Throughout the region, and particularly in Azerbaijan, together with our partner banks - Kapital Bank and PASHA Bank - were working to provide special tariffs and conditions that will facilitate the quickest connection of SMEs to online trading," added the company. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @eldarjanashvili BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 1 By Fidan Babayeva - Trend: The State Tax Service under the Azerbaijani Ministry of Economy has registered a new audit company, Azaudit Consulting, Director of the company Rashad Rashidov told Trend. The Azaudit Consulting provides services in the field of accounting, consulting and auditing for both local and international organizations. When concluding the contracts with customers, the company provides discount for its services, and takes individual approach to each customer, Rashidov emphasized. The Azaudit Consulting address is 1 Sarayevo street, apartment 78, Khatai district, Baku city. Legal representative of the company is Rashad Rashidov. --- Follow the author on Twitter: Fidan_Babaeva BAKU, Azerbaijan, Jul. 1 By Nargiz Sadikhova - Trend: Quarantine regime may once again be imposed in Kazakhstan, Trend reports with reference to the Kazakhstans presidents Twitter. Kazakhstans President Kassym Jomart Tokayev wrote on his official Twitter page that the final decision will be announced tomorrow, Jul.2, 2020. The government has submitted a plan for quarantine to be introduced from July 5 for a period of 14 days (with a possible extension). Tomorrow after the interdepartmental commission meeting, the minister of healthcare will give explanations, Tokayev wrote. On March 15, 2020, Kazakhstans president signed a decree introducing an emergency state in Kazakhstan due to the coronavirus outbreak, which came in force on March 16 and was to last till April 15, 2020. Later, by a decree of Kazakhstan's president, the emergency state period in Kazakhstan was extended till May 1, 2020, and then till May 11, 2020. Since May 11, 2020, quarantine regime was eased in some and extended in other Kazakh regions and cities based on epidemiological situation in each of them. The first two cases of coronavirus infection were detected in Kazakhstan among those who arrived in Almaty city from Germany on March 13, 2020. The total number of coronavirus cases confirmed in Kazakhstan since the virus was first confirmed in the country amounted to 41,065 cases. This includes 13,614 people who recovered from the coronavirus, and 188 patients who passed away. --- Follow the author on twitter: @nargiz_sadikh The Spanish Health Ministry reported on Tuesday that 1,978 coronavirus cases had been detected in the previous seven days. This is a significant rise from the 1,450 cases reported on June 20, the day before Spain lifted the state of alarm and entered the new normality following a prolonged lockdown and deescalation process. Under the new normality, restrictions on travel were lifted, although limits were maintained on the capacity of indoor venues and beaches. Since entering this stage, the number of Covid-19 cases has risen almost every day and nearly all of Spains 17 regions have recorded outbreaks. The only exception is the northwestern region of Asturias, which has not recorded a single new case in 14 days. In absolute numbers, the figure is not worrying, but we have to be alert to it Health Ministry spokesperson More than 50 coronavirus outbreaks remain active in Spain, but are under control. The most recent outbreaks were detected in Tarazona de la Mancha in Albacete, where four family members have been placed in isolation, and in Castellon de la Plana in Castellon, where 16 family members who came together to celebrate Saint Johns Eve are in quarantine. The Spanish Health Ministry does not provide an exact list of active coronavirus outbreaks, partly to avoid clashes with the regional governments, which are responsible for reporting all cases. An outbreak is defined by the ministry as a group of three or more infections with an epidemiological link, and it is considered active if there has been transmission within the last 14 days. In the case of infections detected in senior centers, one positive case is considered an outbreak, even if the patient is asymptomatic, due to the high level of risk. Despite this definition, which was made on June 16, each regional authority has their own way of referring to these cases. The government in Cantabria, for example, denies that it has any outbreaks, even though 13 people are in isolation following a spike of cases connected to a building in the city of Santander. And in Andalusia, the regional health chief, Jesus Aguirre, instead uses the English word clusters even though the region has two outbreaks in Algeciras, one in a hotel and another in the headquarters of an NGO. Seasonal laborers getting tested for coronavirus in the region of Aragon, where outbreaks have been detected. Europa Press Regional authorities in La Rioja, the Balearic Islands, the Canary Islands and Navarre have not reported any outbreaks of the coronavirus. Nor has the Madrid government, but that does not mean that it has not recorded cases. Madrid is the region that has reported the highest number of infections during the pandemic (71,950, or almost a third of the total), and the region with the second-highest number of cases reported in the past week and 24 hours, with 165 and 29 infections respectively. Effectively, this rise in cases is due to outbreaks, explained a spokesperson from the Health Ministry. In absolute numbers, the figure is not worrying, but we have to be alert to it. We will have to study the trend. The effort to find cases is reflected in the number of PCR tests for coronavirus that have been carried out. According to the Health Ministry, the regional authorities conducted 179,000 tests between July 19 and 25, of which 1,911 came back positive. In other words, 94 tests were done for every case detected. In the previous seven days, this figure was 89, meaning that the search for cases has intensified. It is important to note that a test is not representative of a single patient, given that a person may be tested several times until it comes back negative. Irresponsible behavior has been blamed for the outbreaks following the images of overcrowded beaches and people gathering together in local fiestas and on the dance floor. But many of them are connected to family gatherings, like the one in Navalmoral de la Mata in Caceres, where more than 20 people have contracted the virus. And the most serious situations are related to overcrowding and work conditions. This rise in cases is consistent with the fact that the epidemic continues, but also that the public healthcare system is detecting it Federico Arribas, the Spanish Epidemiology Association This is the case in Malaga, where an outbreak at a Red Cross center has led to more than 100 infections, and in the outbreak among fruit pickers in Aragon, where more than 30 cases have been detected, forcing four areas to move back to a previous stage of the coronavirus deescalation plan. In the neighboring Catalan province of Lleida, five outbreaks have been detected: three of them in a fruit company, one in a meat-packing factory and another in a senior home. There also continue be cases connected to hospitals and in social care centers three such residences have recorded outbreaks in Valladolid. But while each outbreak raises alarm, it should not be forgotten that the 1,978 cases reported in the last seven days is just one-fifth of the number diagnosed in a single day of the first week of May. This rise in cases is consistent with the fact that the epidemic continues, but also that the public healthcare system is detecting it, explained Federico Arribas, from the Spanish Epidemiology Association. We continue to be in a pandemic, at no moment has it disappeared, meaning it is very likely that we will see groups of cases. Epidemiological monitoring services and assistance services are on alert, which is why they are being detected earlier. More PCR tests are being done when a case is detected among their contacts, meaning more cases are identified. Ildefonso Hernandez, an official at the Spanish Public Health and Health Administration (Sespas), adds that contact tracking is key to controlling outbreaks. Keeping in mind the difficulty, not only of reducing the incidence of new Covid-19 cases, but also of maintaining a stable incidence, as shown in the data of countries that have been praised up to now, utmost attention should be paid to the monitoring [of cases] and adhering to preventive measures. Jose Rivera Torres, a professor of virology and genetic engineering at the European University of Madrid, says the figures should spark a reflection on the individual habits we have been developing since the end of confinement. According to this expert, the number of cases is relatively normal given the infectiousness of the virus. English version by Melissa Kitson. The Bank of Spain on Tuesday recommended drafting a medium-term plan with adjustment measures to offset the high debt (the highest in many decades) that the coronavirus health crisis will be leaving behind. The proposed fiscal adjustments, to be adopted at a later time, include raising taxes. The central bank is specifically focusing on the reduced rates of value-added tax (VAT), on special taxes particularly environmental levies, where there is a lot of room for action and on existing loopholes in corporate tax. In its Annual Report, the institution also recommends adopting the public spending review proposals drafted by Airef, a state agency that monitors fiscal responsibility. It additionally proposes reforms to the Social Security system to guarantee public pensions, which are hampered by high deficit levels. An ambitious program is required to reconstruct the multiannual fiscal margin within a strategy of growth and in a gradual way, reads the report. A record contraction The announcement coincided with new figures that illustrate the economic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic in Spain. On Tuesday, the National Statistics Institute (INE) confirmed that gross domestic product (GDP) contracted 5.2% between January and March as a result of the lockdown. This is the worst figure in the INEs records, which go back to 1970. The closest thing was the first quarter of 2009, during the previous economic crisis, when the Spanish economy shrank 2.6%, half as much as this year. The number is only comparable to the postwar years in the mid-20th century, according to calculations made by historians. Families spent considerably less during the lockdown, which only allowed people out on essential business. And if the first-quarter data is bad, the second quarter is expected to be worse, since it includes two weeks when the economy nearly came to a full stop before confinement measures were gradually lifted again. Until official figures are provided, the Bank of Spain has estimated that the economy plummeted by around 20% between April and June. The lockdown one of the worlds strictest also had another effect: people spent less between January and March, and the household saving rate rose to 11.2 % of disposable income, the highest figure since the third quarter of 2009, when Spain was going through a deep economic crisis. Spend now Whereas Kristalina Georgieva, the head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), was recently telling governments to spend as much as you can, Bank of Spain Governor Pablo Hernandez de Cos has only ventured to say that a premature removal of stimulus measures would increase the risk of longer-lasting damage. Despite the cautious tones, the message remains clear: there will be no repeat adoption of the strict austerity measures introduced a decade ago during the economic crisis, and which have gone down as one of the most disastrous episodes in European economic policy. At this time there is no question that fiscal policy must act resolutely to save jobs and businesses, and thus prevent enormous social and economic costs in the medium to long term, said Hernandez de Cos. But while now is not the right time to make spending cuts or raise taxes to address the ballooning debt and deficit levels, that day will inexorably come, and the Bank of Spain wants to be ready for it. Once the crisis has been overcome, we will find ourselves with the highest public debt in many decades. We will then have to embark on deep budgetary reforms to reduce indebtedness and leave some margin to deal with potential future difficulties, said the governor. Once the recovery has taken hold, it will be necessary to implement a fiscal consolidation program to change the dynamics of the public debt-to-GDP ratio, added the institutions director of policy studies, Oscar Arce, at the report presentation. In the absence of a fiscal effort, he warned, this ratio could soar beyond 110% of GDP in 2030 even in the best-case scenario, after hitting 120% this year. If, on the contrary, Spain embarks on a structural fiscal effort and meets its EU deficit target of below 3% of GDP, debt would fall under 100% of Spains economic output. English version by Susana Urra. Spains Science Minister, Pedro Duque, said that six to 12 months from now Spanish citizens may have access to coronavirus vaccines through the public healthcare system. Speaking at a news conference after the Tuesday Cabinet meeting, Duque said that Spain is part of a team of seven European countries heading the European Unions negotiations with vaccine makers. We are optimistic that there will be a vaccine, that we will be able to determine which vaccine works best, and that it will be available to the Spanish healthcare system when its safety and effectiveness have been sufficiently demonstrated, said Duque. We believe that early next year is when we will have doses ready with all the necessary guarantees. We dont know if the first vaccine will be the most effective one, or if we might have to wait for another one Science Minister Pedro Duque The British drug company AstraZeneca, which has partnered with Oxford University to develop a vaccine, announced two weeks ago that by the end of this year it will have around 100 million doses ready for distribution in the EU. But the company itself has admitted that the vaccine may not work. The urgency of the situation has pushed public institutions and private companies into manufacturing experimental vaccines before checking that they truly work. We dont know if the first one will be the most effective one, or if we might have to wait for another one, acknowledged the Spanish minister on Tuesday. Spain is part of the EUs negotiating team together with Germany, France, the Netherlands, Italy, Poland and Sweden. The plan is for a tiered distribution that will begin with at-risk groups, such as the elderly and healthcare workers. The rest of the population will probably have to wait longer, possibly until 2022, according to experts such as the French virologist Marie-Paule Kieny, a former official at the World Health Organization (WHO). Projects in Spain There are currently 149 experimental vaccines against Covid-19 in the world, and 17 of them are already being tested on humans, according to the WHO. Five research groups from Spain have developed as many prototypes and have begun trials with animals, according to the Spanish Science Ministry. The most advanced project is led by the virologist Mariano Esteban, whose team at the National Biotechnology Center in Madrid is desperately seeking rhesus macaque monkeys which are currently in high demand to test drugs against Covid-19 in order to continue with experiments that have already shown promise on mice. An animal testing phase has ended and it provides a lot of hope about this kind of vaccine. The right defenses were developed, and it was even tested with a real virus. That is to say that were pretty far along, said Duque about Mariano Estebans project, which uses a mild strain of the Vaccinia virus that is already in use to make smallpox vaccines. The researcher Mariano Esteban (l) and Science Minister Pedro Duque at the National Biotechnology Center. CSIC The minister noted that four Spanish biotech companies have received 1.3 million in public funding to adapt their facilities to the production of human vaccines. Estebans prototype will be manufactured by CZ Vaccines, which has a factory in O Porrino, in the northwestern region of Galicia. Within a few months, there is going to be national production of a vaccine that can be used on humans. I think this is a very positive outcome of the projects that we have funded, said Duque. Also as a result of this, there are global companies in talks with Spanish companies to bring part of their vaccine manufacturing to Spain. Duques remarks come after two weeks of online protests by Spains scientific community against their precarious working conditions and the general state of science and research in the country. Acknowledging the issue, the minister said on Tuesday that he hopes to have a plan with reforms and specific resources ready by July in order to address the changes that need to be made to the Spanish science and research system. At this time, all of society, government agencies, parliamentary groups everyone agrees that we need to reinforce our science system and that now is the time to invest in science, said Duque, an astronaut by trade who visited the International Space Station in 2003. English version by Susana Urra. Covid-19 kills not just people, it also kills ideas. And when it doesnt kill them, it discredits them. For example, received ideas about office work, hospitals, and universities will not be the same when the dust settles from the pandemic. Nor will some of the more universal ideas about economics and politics. Here are four cases in point: 1. The United States is a source of global stability. False. The truth is that Washington has become an epicenter of geopolitical instability. The Bush administrations response to the 9/11 terrorist attacks, for example, sparked long and costly wars. In 2008, the US exported a serious financial crisis to the rest of the world. But no war or economic crisis has so eroded Americas influence in the world as the deeds of Donald Trumps administration. Since his election in 2016, the president has shown, almost daily, that instead of calming the world and his country, he prefers to set off conflict and stir discord. Americas reaction to the pandemic has only confirmed that the White House is a volatile, accident-prone and unreliable ally. That the United States now radiates instability is particularly ironic because the greatest beneficiary of the international order that Trump is unraveling is the very nation that he presides. 2. International cooperation. The pandemic has also shown that the international community is incapable of coming together to respond effectively to global threats. The tragedies of Syria, Yemen, Venezuela, and the Rohingyas are just some examples of the ineffectiveness of the international community. Covid-19 has demonstrated conclusively that a strong international community that works in coordination with its member nations does not exist. The response of most countries to this health emergency has not been to act jointly, but to entrench themselves behind their borders. The pandemic, for example, should have strengthened the World Health Organization (WHO), a flawed but indispensable multilateral entity. Instead, the White House convinced that the WHO had been co-opted by the Chinese government said it would withdraw from the organization. This came at the very moment that the Trump administration should have been leading an international coalition to support and reform the organization. Distrust of international cooperation has also contributed to ineffective coordination between countries with regards to safety standards as well as the production and distribution of medicines and medical supplies. And this is another irony: the rejection of international collaboration has led to an essentially local and inadequate response to a global threat. 3. Fiscal austerity. This idea, once the obligatory remedy for dealing with a financial crisis, is now toxic. Before, when faced with an economic crash, the government moved to severely restrict its spending and lower its indebtedness. Now its the opposite: spending more and increasing debt is the latest macroeconomic fashion. Everywhere you look, governments are increasing public spending to unprecedented levels. The fiscal deficit, which is the difference between tax collection and other government revenue and public spending, has shot up to levels that have never been seen before outside of war time. In the US, for example, this years fiscal deficit will reach a sum equivalent to 24% of the total output of the entire US economy. The indebtedness of almost all countries has also increased. Japan has the worlds largest debt relative to the size of its economy. But the United States is the world champion in absolute numbers: it owes $20 trillion (117.8 trillion). In the coming years, deciding when and how these debts will be paid (and by whom!) will surely spark a fierce and furious global debate. 4. Globalization. This is another idea that was previously lionized and is now demonized. As is often the case, the idea wasnt so great before, nor is it so bad now. For many, globalization is expressed in terms of the flow of products and money between countries. For others, its main and most worrying manifestation is immigration. In practice, globalization is much more complicated. It includes, of course, the enormous increase in the international flow of products, services, money and information. But it also includes the activities of terrorists, traffickers, criminals, scientists, artists, philanthropists, activists, athletes and non-governmental organizations. And, of course, it also includes the diseases that can now move at great speed across the globe. Governments can hinder some of these manifestations or stimulate others. What no one can do is completely end the multiple ways countries intertwine. The pandemic and its economic consequences will encourage the adoption of policies that cushion the external shocks that periodically shake countries. There will be more protectionism. But the advantages and attractions of some facets of globalization will not disappear. What do these discredited ideas have in common? All four are important pillars of the world order that emerged after World War II. Although all four pillars are damaged, it is possible to repair and improve them. This will be a major challenge in the years to come. @moisesnaim KYODO NEWS - Jun 30, 2020 - 23:29 | All, Coronavirus, World Members of the European Union agreed Tuesday to reopen borders to visitors from 14 countries outside the bloc, including Japan and South Korea, from Wednesday, after months of travel restrictions over the coronavirus outbreak. The European Union is seeking to revive its economy ahead of the summer travel season by removing the travel ban on countries with virus infection rates similar to or below that of the bloc. The other 12 nations are Algeria, Australia, Canada, Georgia, Montenegro, Morocco, New Zealand, Rwanda, Serbia, Thailand, Tunisia, and Uruguay. Japan has an entry ban in place for more than 100 countries and regions, including the 27 EU nations. Since the European Union seeks reciprocity on travel restrictions, actual lifting of travel restrictions may hinge on Tokyo's response. On the other hand, the European Union will maintain entry bans for countries with high infection rates such as Brazil, Russia and the United States for the time being. As for China where the novel coronavirus was first detected in late last year, the bloc says it will decide what to do with China after assessing whether Beijing will allow European tourists to enter the country. The European Union plans to update the list of countries for lifting travel restrictions every two weeks. Related coverage: EU weighs lifting restrictions on travel from over 10 nations July 1 Japan adds Algeria, 17 nations to entry ban list over virus Anges starts Japan's 1st COVID-19 vaccine clinical trial on humans Coronavirus treatment with remdesivir to cost $2,340 per patient KYODO NEWS - Jul 1, 2020 - 21:55 | Feature, All, Japan Japanese media are creating idealized images of working mothers that women may find off-putting and hard to emulate in real life, according to new research from Cambridge University. The rise of the new motherhood identity could ironically be causing women to delay starting families as they feel intimidated by the portrayals in magazines, according to the research in a new book launched Tuesday. The research forms one of several essays by recent graduates of Japanese studies examining contemporary society. In her contribution, Tianyi Vespera Xie, examines Japan's pregnancy and young mother magazines and demonstrates the emergence of a new "mama" identity that she describes as "both encouraging and intimidating." The image is of a mother finding happiness through child-rearing while also enjoying a career, often setting up a home business or making a living from what was once a hobby. Mothers are encouraged to project an elegant and sophisticated style that exudes an air of responsibility and maturity, she writes. However, Xie comments, "Unintentionally and somewhat ironically, this new mama identity may be contributing to women's postponement of marriage and childbirth. "The pressure to obtain new qualifications and forge new career paths because there is no option to return to one's previous job, along with the aesthetic labor required to stay attractive and feminine, adds to the burden of being a mother in Japan." The studies also reveal how recent campaigns to promote plus-size women are superficial because society still tends to look down on those who are overweight and sees them as being lazy and immature. Other research looks into the phenomenon of young women dressing up as cool, handsome men. The practice has close links to anime and cosplay (costume wearing) and is described as a "subversive" response to orthodox gender norms and a rejection of the "kawaii" model which promotes girlishness and cuteness. The introduction to the book by senior editors at Cambridge notes that while many legal regulations have been put in place to promote equality, it is still widely assumed women will become mothers and take on the primary role in terms of child care and domestic duties. "Beyond Kawaii: Studying Japanese Femininities at Cambridge" is published by LIT Verlag. Related coverage: Midwives seeking to ease expectant mothers' worries amid pandemic Japan to focus on female empowerment, support for single mothers Gender gaps deeply ingrained in Japan society: U.N. official KYODO NEWS - Jul 1, 2020 - 16:25 | All, World, Coronavirus The European Union on Wednesday lifted travel restrictions for visitors from 14 countries outside the bloc, including Japan and South Korea, after introducing the curbs in March in response to the coronavirus outbreak. The European Union is seeking to revive its virus-hit economy ahead of the summer holiday season by removing entry bans on countries with virus infection rates similar to, or below, that of its own. Individual EU member nations can still impose their own measures on visitors from the 14 countries, including requesting them to quarantine. The other 12 on the list are Algeria, Australia, Canada, Georgia, Montenegro, Morocco, New Zealand, Rwanda, Serbia, Thailand, Tunisia, and Uruguay. Japan has an entry ban in place for about 130 countries and regions, including the EU nations. Since the EU seeks reciprocity on the lifting of restrictions, the bloc is set to call on Tokyo to ease its measures. Japan's top spokesman, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, welcomed the EU's action, saying Brussels has taken into account the fact that the number of infections appears to have peaked in Japan, and that the move was based on warm Japan-EU relations. While Japan is in talks with Vietnam, Thailand, Australia and New Zealand over a possible easing of its restrictions on those countries, Suga hinted it may now look to include the European Union. "We are examining and preparing to gradually expand (the potential relaxation of rules) to other countries and regions, taking into consideration the infection situation and other factors," he told a news conference. The EU will retain entry bans for countries with high infection rates such as Brazil, Russia and the United States for now, but plans to update its list every two weeks. Admission of visitors from China, where the novel coronavirus was first reported late last year, will depend on whether Beijing reciprocates by allowing Europeans into China. KYODO NEWS - Jul 1, 2020 - 16:53 | All, Japan Japan started Wednesday to require convenience stores, supermarkets, drugstores and other retail outlets to charge for plastic shopping bags, in line with a global trend of reducing plastic waste to combat marine pollution. The initiative is aimed at encouraging shoppers to bring their own bags and comes as Japan lags behind other countries in curbing the use of plastics, generating the largest amount of plastic waste per capita after the United States. But environmental experts have already questioned the significance of solely targeting plastic shopping bags since they account for just an estimated 2 percent of an annual 9 million tons of plastic waste generated in the country. The coronavirus outbreak may also make consumers reluctant to use the same shopping bag each time out of sanitary concerns, and more willing to pay for store-provided ones. Retailers were divided over whether to charge for plastic bags or continue offering free bags that use environmentally friendly materials, which are exempt from the government's regulation for compulsory charging. Bioplastic bags containing 25 percent or more of plant-derived materials, as well as reusable bags that are 0.05 millimeter thick or more, are not covered by the regulation. Japan's three top convenience store operators -- Seven-Eleven Japan Co., Lawson Inc. and FamilyMart Co. -- have started to charge 3 yen ($0.03) or 5 yen a bag, depending on the size. "I understand that it is a measure to protect the environment but it is bothersome to bring a bag every day," said a 39-year-old male company employee who bought rice balls and a drink at a Lawson shop in Tokyo and put them in a bag he brought. Secoma Co., operator of Seicomart convenience stores located mainly in Hokkaido in northern Japan, meanwhile, decided to continue offering free bags that are exempt from the regulation to ease the burden on consumers for the time being amid the coronavirus pandemic. "I'm thankful for (Secoma's approach) because I don't carry around a bag when I shop at a convenience store," said Rikako Shirakawa, a 43-year-old call center employee at a Seicomart store in Hokkaido's prefectural capital Sapporo. Another company employee Eri Honda, 44, from Sapporo, said she has been carrying her own shopping bag for a few years, ever since she became aware of the issue of plastic waste. "I am concerned about environmental issues. I want to start tackling them by doing what I can." Among eateries, McDonald's Co. (Japan) Ltd. and beef bowl chain Yoshinoya Holdings Co. offer takeout meals in free bioplastic bags. Major department store operator Isetan Mitsukoshi Holdings Ltd. switched to offering paper bags instead of plastic ones for food products beginning Wednesday. The Japanese government included the mandatory plastic bag charging in its environmental policy package in May 2019, shortly before its hosting of the Group of 20 major economies' summit in Osaka, where plastic waste was on the agenda. The government had come under international criticism for not signing the Ocean Plastics Charter aimed at making all plastics recyclable by 2030 at the Group of Seven summit in Canada in 2018, citing the "impact on economy and society." The United States was the only other G-7 member that did not sign the pact. China, Britain, France and South Korea are among countries which have started charging for plastic shopping bags. Some foreign countries have also expanded the scope of plastic regulations beyond shopping bags to plates and straws. "Compared to other countries, Japan has made a slow start in reducing plastic waste and struggles to get public support due to the lack of a clear, long-term vision" over plastic waste reduction, said Evonne Yiu, a researcher at the United Nations University Institute for the Advanced Study of Sustainability in Tokyo. "Consumers are not sufficiently aware about the overall waste situation in Japan and why the government is introducing a mandatory charging policy," Yiu said. "The focus seems to be more on purchasing of eco-friendly bags and other alternatives to plastic bags." She said Japan should not limit its regulatory steps to plastic bags but should start debating reduction and reuse of other disposable plastic products, such as bento lunch boxes, straws, bottles and food packages. A U.N. Environment Programme report has also warned against the use of bioplastic and biodegradable bags that are considered substitutes to plastic shopping bags, saying they still lead to global warming. Biodegradable bags produce carbon dioxide when burnt, while bioplastics can become sources of methane gas emissions when buried in the ground, the report says. Over 8 million tons of plastic waste is estimated to flow into the oceans every year and cause microplastics pollution, in which tiny pieces of degraded plastics absorb harmful chemicals and accumulate inside fish, birds and other animals as they make their way up the food chain. Japan was responsible for the largest amount per capita after the United States, according to data from UNEP, producing some 9 million tons of plastic waste annually. Some 4 million tons were disposable items such as bottles for beverages, packaging materials and containers. Related coverage: Increasing plastic waste creates danger for Hokkaido's wild bears Malaysia ships back plastic waste to France, Britain, Japan Starbucks stores in Japan reopen as virus spread slows KYODO NEWS - Jul 1, 2020 - 21:21 | All, World, Japan U.S. President Donald Trump said in a letter of condolence received Wednesday by Sakie Yokota, whose husband Shigeru died last month aged 87, that he remains committed to bringing home their daughter who was abducted by North Korea in the 1970s. The couple had long lobbied the United States to support their efforts to secure the return of their daughter Megumi, who was taken to North Korea at age 13 in 1977. In his letter to the 84-year-old widow, Trump said the abduction issue is a "primary focus for Japan and the United States," while recalling his meeting with her in Japan in 2017. "I was moved by your unflinching determination to reunite with your daughter Megumi and to ensure that all the families of abductees know the truth regarding the whereabouts of their loved ones," Trump said in the letter disclosed by a group supporting abductees' relatives. "We join you and your sons, Takuya and Tetsuya, in continuing this important work to finally bring Megumi home," he said, concluding with "deepest condolences." Japan officially lists 17 citizens as abduction victims and suspects North Korea's involvement in many more disappearances. While five of the 17 were repatriated in 2002, North Korea maintains that eight, including Megumi, a symbol of the issue, have died and the other four never entered the country. "We sincerely appreciate your consideration. We will continue our endeavor to bring back our daughter," Sakie said in words of gratitude issued through the support group after receiving the letter from the Japanese government. Prior to his visit to Japan, Trump told the U.N. General Assembly in September 2017, "We know it kidnapped a sweet 13-year-old Japanese girl from a beach in her own country to enslave her as a language tutor for North Korea's spies," in condemning Pyongyang's human rights record. Related coverage: Shigeru Yokota, father of symbolic N. Korea abduction victim, dies Ex-abductees mourn death of symbolic North Korea victim's father Yokota Abductee supporters march at Diet, demand repatriations from North Korea New Delhi: Hours ahead of Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwals public rally in Surat, AAPs Delhi MLA and Gujarat in-charge Gulab Singh courted arrest on Sunday in an extortion against him. A Delhi Police team arrested Singh in Surat and produced him in front of a magistrate to obtain his transit remand. He is the 14th AAP MLA to be arrested. Ahead of his arrest, Singh had presented himself to the Surat police commissioner even as a Delhi Police team armed with a non-bailable arrest warrant arrived to arrest him. The NBW against Singh was issued two days back in a connection with an extortion case after Singh had failed to present himself for interrogation. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: The Uttar Pradesh Police has busted a gang of ultras by arresting 10 of them, including a self-styled area commander, and recovered a huge cache of arms and ammunition. The left-wing extremists were adept at making bombs and were planning some incidents in the Delhi-NCR region, IG (UPSpecial Task Force) Aseem Arun said at a hurriedly convened press conference in New Delhi. In the night-long raids that went on till the wee hours, nine Naxals were arrested from Noida, on the outskirts ofDelhi. Also Read:UP ATS arrests 9 alleged Naxals for plotting major attack in Delhi-NCR Of the nine, six were picked up on Sunday night and three this morning. Another was arrested from Chandauli, adjoining Bihar, he said. Self-styled area commander Pradeep Singh Kharwar, from Bariatu village in Jharkhand's Latehar district, was hiding in Noida since February, 2012 and carried a reward of Rs 5 lakh, he said. Another prized catch was Ranjit Paswan, a former self- styled area commander of erst while People's War Group, who was active in Naxal-hit Sasaram district of Bihar. He was arrested from Chandauli, adjoining Bihar, he said. Others arrested include Pawan Jharkhand of Madhubani in Bihar, Sachin Kumar of Dankaur in Greater Noida, Krishna Kumar Ram from Sasaram in Bihar, and Suraj, a resident of Bulandshahr in Uttar Pradesh. Suraj was the group's local contact for conducting operations in the Delhi-NCR area. The STF officer said acting on a tip off, a raid was conducted in an apartment in Sector 49 Hindon Vihar near Noida. A total of 550 live cartridges, an INSAS assault rifle, two other rifles and three self-loading rifle magazines were seized along with a huge quantity of explosives and detonators. He said it is suspected that the INSAS rifle was looted from an security personnel as the weapon is used by them against the ultras, he said. INSAS (Indian Small Arms System) is a family of infantry arms consisting of an assault rifle and a light machine gun. The arrested Naxals were active in eastern UP and adjoining parts of Bihar and had made Noida their base. They had rented two flats and posed as property dealers, Arun said. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Chennai: Opposition parties including the DMK on Monday joined a state-wide rail blockade protest announced by a farmer's federation over the Cauvery issue. Rail services in the state may be affected on Monday and Tuesday as major political parties are slated to lead a state wide 48-hour rail roko demonstration to urge the Centre to immediately constitute the Cauvery Management Board. DMK Treasurer and Opposition Leader in Tamil Nadu Assembly, MK Stalin was among those who participated in theprotests held in different parts of the state including Chennai and the Cauvery delta districts. Also Read: SC constitutes fresh bench of judges to hear an age-old dispute of sharing Cauvery water Stalin led a procession at Perambur even as scores of political workers belonging to DMK, the Left parties and MDMK among others staged a rail roko at Thanjavur and Cuddalore, and were detained. A farmers' federation had called for the two-day railblockade starting on Monday, urging the Centre to immediatelyconstitute the CMB. The protests come days after a high-level technical team,set up by the Supreme Court, completed its inspection of Cauvery basin region in Tamil Nadu to assess the situation inthe state. The team, which also inspected the Cauvery basin inKarnataka, is set to submit its report in the apex court on Monday. The apex court had set up the team while hearing apetition by Tamil Nadu government seeking release of Cauvery water by Karnataka. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: British Prime Minister Theresa May will arrive in New Delhi on November 6 on her first bilateral visit outside Europe. During the visit she will hold talks with herIndian counterpart Narendra Modi and review all aspects of the India-UK strategic partnership and boost business ties with India. The three-day visit was announced by the External Affairs Ministry in the national capital. "This will be her first bilateral visit outside Europe.She will hold talks with Prime Minister Modi and review all aspects of India-UK Strategic Partnership. The Joint Economic and Trade Committee meeting will be held on the sidelinesof the visit," the Ministry said. During the visit, Prime Minister May along with Modi will inaugurate the India-UK Tech Summit in New Delhi jointly hosted by the Confederation of Indian Industry and the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India. "The Summit will be an opportunity for both nations to strengthen business in technology, entrepreneurship and innovation, design, IPRs and higher education," it said. May, 60, as the post-Brexit leader of the country, hasoften mentioned India among the priority countries for a freetrade agreement to boost the UK's ties outside the EU. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Bejing: China on Monday moved a step closer to establish its permanent space station by 2022 as it launched a spacecraft carrying two astronauts, in its longest-ever manned space mission, who would later join its second experimental space lab orbiting the Earth. Chinese astronauts Jing Haipeng, 50, and Chen Dong, 37,were blasted off into space by Shenzhou-11 (heavenly vessel)spacecraft at 7:30 am local time (5 am IST) from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre near the Gobi Desert in northern China. The launch was telecasted live by the state-run C China Central Television (CCTV). Also Read: China to launch manned space mission on Monday The Shenzhou-11 was put into orbit by a Long March-2 Fcarrier rocket. It will dock with orbiting space lab Tiangong-2 in two days and the astronauts will stay in the lab for 30 days, WuPing, Deputy Director of China's manned space engineering office said.Hours before the lift-off, the two astronauts appeared ingood spirits and answered several questions. "Although the job is challenging, risky and dangerous,there is nothing more I would rather do," Jing, who iscommander of this mission, told reporters yesterday. It will be Jing's third space flight following his Shenzhou-7 mission in September 2008 and Shenzhou-9 mission in March 2012."(For this mission) we have improved our ability to deal with emergencies, first aid and space experiments," Jing said. "I will treasure every moment in space and ensure Irecord my experience in my diary and enjoy the out-of-this-world scenery," Chen said. China, which conducted its first manned space mission in 2003, is putting in billions into its space programme in a bid to catch up with the US and Europe. It also plans to launchits maiden Mars mission in 2020 to match India and others. China has said its space programme is for peaceful purposes, but it has also tested anti-satellite missiles in addition to its civilian aims. The Shenzhou-11 spaceship will return to Earth within a day after docking the two astronauts on Tiangong-2 space lab and separating from it, Wu said. Jing will command the mission to the space lab which was launched last month. With a safe flight record of 1,500 hours as an air forcepilot, Chen became China's second group of astronauts in May2010, and was selected as a crew member of the Shenzhou-11mission in June 2016, Wu said. This will be his first space mission. For all the Latest Science News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: A passionate debate has emerged over the governments stand to oppose the practice of triple talaq with some leading women politicians seeking its abolition, even as Muslim bodies accused the ruling dispensation of waging a war on their personal law. Though most of the women leaders avoided direct comments on the Centres affidavit or sought to dissect it, they were strongly critical of the prevalent practice of dissolving marriage through triple talaq. Manipur Governor Najma Heptulla, who was the Minority Affairs Minister in the Narendra Modi cabinet before being appointed to the gubernatorial post, refrained from giving her opinion on the Centres stand, but, on a personal level, said an un-Islamic interpretation was being given to the practice of triple talaq. What is Uniform Civil Code? Senior CPI(M) leader and former MP Subhashini Ali also opposed the practice of triple talaq and polygamy, seeking abolition. Their views came in the backdrop of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) taking a stand to oppose the Centres affidavit, which said the practice of triple talaq, nikah halala and polygamy among Muslims needed a relook on grounds like gender equality and secularism. The AIMPLB and other Muslim bodies said they would boycott the Law Commissions proceedings in the matter and accused the Modi government of waging a war against their personal laws. They also said a Uniform Civil Code (UCC) will kill Indias pluralism. The controversy arose after the Law Commission recently sought feedback from the public on whether the practice of triple talaq should be abolished and whether a uniform civil code be made optional. Also read: Barelvi sect opposes Centres stand on triple talaq Making no direct comment on the Centres affidavit, Heptulla said those who say talaq, talaq, talaq in one go were not interpreting Islam correctly and have no right to bring a bad name to religion as they are giving it an un-Islamic interpretation. While Ali found fault with the unilateral system of divorce by men and advocated that the Muslim clerics must change their approach, social activist Shabnam Hashmi categorically said this practice (triple talaq) should be abolished. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Mehsana: Amid speculations of AAP planning to make a determined bid in poll-bound Gujarat to gain a foothold, party chief and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday sought the support of the agitating Patel community to clean the politics of Gujarat. Addressing a public gathering at Patel-dominated Piludra village here, the AAP chief said the village holds special significance as the quota agitation by the community started here a year ago, even as a little known outfit staged a protest over his remarks on cross-LoC surgical strikes. Recalling that AAP could make a clean sweep in Delhi in 2015 Assembly polls with the support of the common man, Kejriwal sought to draw a parallel with Anna Hazares anti-corruption campaign and the Patidar agitation. I salute your courage, as I came to know that Patidar agitation originated from this village. Few years back, we did Anna Andolan against rampant corruption in the country. We asked the government to enact a strict law to curb corruption, as we did not have such powers, said Kejriwal. Instead of fulfilling our demand, we were asked to form a government to bring such law. We were not taken seriously. As we did not have any other option, we formed a party and acquired 67 out of 70 seats in Delhi. This is the power of the common man, said Kejriwal to a cheering crowd, mostly from the Patel community. Patel agitation started from this village. Now, I request you to start another movement to clean the politics of Gujarat from this village. We all have to come together to fight against corruption and clean Gujarats politics, said Kejriwal. He also raised the slogan of Jay Sardar - Jay Patidar several times. Kejriwal also paid floral tributes to Sardar Patels statue in Mehasna. He visited Kaamli village of Unjha taluka of this district, where he met the kin of Nagjibhai, a constable who committed suicide allegedly due to harassment from bootleggers and politicians last month. At the village, he also met parents of Kanubhai Patel, a Patidar youth died during quota violence last year. He then visited Unjha-based Umiya Mata temple, revered by the Patel community. Outside the temple, members of a little-known outfit Rashtriya Patidar Sansthan, staged protests against Kejriwal over his remarks on the surgical strikes. Patel quota stir leader Hardik Patel had yesterday issued a statement in support of Kejriwal. We should not oppose Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal when he is coming to meet the family members of those who died during Patidar communitys reservation agitation. He will tell the rest of the country about our plight, Patel said in a message from Udaipur. Later, Hardik through his organisation in Mehasna gave a memorandum to Kejriwal seeking his support to the stir. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Edison (New Jersey): Terming India as a key strategic ally, Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has promised that if voted to power India and the US would become best friends and have a phenomenal future together. Under a Trump Administration, we are going to become even better friends, in fact I would take the term better out and we would be best friends, Trump, 70, told a cheering crowd of Indian-Americans at a charity event organised by the Republican Hindu Coalition on Saturday. We are going to have a phenomenal future together, Trump said as he praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for taking India on a fast track growth with a series of economic reforms and reforming the bureaucracy, which he said is required in the US too. Read more: Donald Trump's electoral campaign hit by new allegations of sexual misconduct I look forward to working with Prime Minister Modi, he said, adding that the Indian leader is very energetic. It was for the first time a presidential candidate attended an Indian American event this election season. I am a big fan of Hindu and I am a big front of India. If elected, the Indian and Hindu community would have a true friend at the White House, Trump said, adding that he has great confidence in Modi and India. #WATCH Donald Trump says, "Im a big fan of Hindus & of India; if elected as President, Indian community will've a true friend in White House pic.twitter.com/hr3maS3Kt6 ANI (@ANI_news) October 16, 2016 #WATCH Donald Trump says, "We will stand shoulder to shoulder with India in sharing intelligence & keeping our people safe mutually." pic.twitter.com/uMQ9V3laQz ANI (@ANI_news) October 16, 2016 I was there 19 months ago and look forward to going there many many times, he said at the event organised for the Kashmiri Pundits and Bangladeshi Hindu terrorist victims. Trump appreciated Indias role in fight against terrorism. Read more: US first lady Michelle Obama lambasts Donald Trump for obscene comments about women We appreciate the great friend India has been to the US in the fight against radical Islamic terrorism, he said as he slammed his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton for not using this word. Trump said India had seen brutality of terrorism, including the Mumbai attacks. Mumbai, a city, I love. The attack on India was absolutely outrageous, he said while assuring some 5,000 Indian-Americans at the event that if he becomes the president, the US would share soldier to soldier together in the fight against terrorism. India is key and a key strategic ally, he said, adding that he looks forward to deepening and strengthening military cooperation with India. In his welcome address, the Republican Hindu Coalition founder and chairman said that this is the first time in the history that a major presidential candidate has addressed Hindu-Americans just three weeks before the election. He urged Hindus to support and vote for Trump in the upcoming general election and help fight terrorism. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Passenger vehicle exports from India rose 15.38 per cent in the first half of the ongoing fiscal with US auto majors Ford and General Motors emerging a surprise packages leading the charge, while their Korean and Japanese peers struggled to maintain momentum. According to SIAM data, passenger vehicles exports in theApril-September period were at 3,67,110 units as against3,18,188 units in the year-ago period. In terms of absolute volume, Hyundai Motor India remainedthe largest exporter with 87,499 units at a growth of 2.01 percent. The second largest exporter during the period was FordIndia shipping 73,821 units, a growth of 32.25 per cent.Interestingly, the company's exports were much more than whatit sold in the domestic market - 46,422 units. Maruti Suzuki India saw a decline of 7.87 per cent in itsoverseas shipments during the first six months of 2016-17 at 60,526 units, occupying the third slot. The fourth largest exporter Nissan Motor India alsowitnessed a decline of 7.81 per cent at 49,611 units duringthe period. The most significant gainer was General Motors Indiawhich clocked a massive 863.74 per cent jump in its passengervehicle exports at 30,647 units during the period. Incomparison, the company sold just 12,059 units in the domesticmarket, down 28.01 per cent. According to SIAM, German auto major Volkswagen alsoexported more passenger vehicles from India than it sold inthe country during the first half of the fiscal. Volkswagen India exported 43,114 units in April-September, up 19.28 per cent. It sold only 23,329 units in thedomestic market during the same period, up 0.45 per cent. "Some of the OEMs are working on a clear, focussedstrategy of exporting from India, which has worked out reallywell for them," Price Waterhouse Partner and auto expert AbdulMajeed said. He further added these companies are targetting markets in emerging economies such as Latin America, East Europe andAfrica, which are similar to India with the products here. "They have made those investments for exports and they already have big network in those export markets," Majeed said. Concurring with him, Ford India Executive Director,Marketing, Sales, and Service Anurag Mehrotra said, "The most recent commencement of exports of Ford Figo as KA+ to Europe,from our state-of-the-art Sanand plant, showcases ourcontinued investment and commitment." and the World" for close to two decades. "Apart from meeting local demand, the quality vehicles andengines made at Ford's Chennai and Sanand facility are todayexported to more than 40 markets across the globe, includingparts of ASEAN, Europe, Middle-East and Africa," he added. Last fiscal, passenger vehicle exports from India grew by5.24 per cent at 6,53,889 units as against 6,21,341 units in2014-15. Automobile exports from India were up against headwindswith Europe remaining sluggish and African nations faced amajor hurdle in dollar-denominated payout. Besides Europe, countries like Algeria, Nigeria andMorocco in Africa and Mexico and Chile, Peru and Colombia inLatin America are among the major export markets for domesticautomobile industry. For all the Latest Business News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Washington: A 7-year-old Pakistani-origin boy was allegedly beaten up by five classmates on a school bus in the US for being a Muslim, an incident that has forced his family to move back to Pakistan fearing Donald Trumps America. The parents of Abdul Usmani have alleged that he was bullied and beaten by five students on the bus while returning home from Weatherstone Elementary School in Cary, North Carolina, as they made references to Muslims and the boys Pakistani heritage. Welcome to the United States of America of Donald Trump, Zeeshan-ul-hassan Usmani captioned a Facebook photo showing his son, Abdul, with his left arm in a sling. He is in grade 1, bullied and beaten by his own classmates in school bus for being a Muslim, Usmani said. Usmani told BuzzFeed News that he his wife along with their three sons have left the US for Pakistan after this latest incident in a long history of discrimination towards his children and family. These are six and seven year old kids calling him names, with one kid punching him in the face, while two other kids attacked him, kicked him, and held his arms back, Usmani said. He described his son as American as you can get. They keep beating him all the way from school to home on the bus, Usmani said of the boys ride home last Friday. Abdul, his father said, is traumatised by the attack and has a sprained arm. Lisa Luten, a spokesperson for the Wake County Public School System, was quoted as saying that the principal of the school immediately began investigating the alleged incident after the family told them about it. (The principal) interviewed seven students sitting near this child, and none of the students, nor the bus driver, witnessed any type of altercation or incident, Luten said, adding that the principal has one more child to interview and has not been able to get in contact with the Usmani family since Friday. Usmani, 38, first came to the US as a Fulbright Scholar from Pakistan and currently works as a Chief Technology Officer of a Silicon Valley data software company. Usmani said his family was harassed by a neighbour for months because of their religion, and that his other son has been called a terrorist. Times are changing and its not the America we always thought of and believed in. Its not the America that I studied in, Usmani said. If Trump wins, America will be great again, but a great that nobody will care about, he said. Usmani said the irony of the alleged discrimination is he has been working to combat the effects of terrorism and has worked with the UNs Special Envoy for Global Education on a safe school initiative in Pakistan. Usmani said his family will stay in Pakistan until after the election to see if Trump is elected to determine if his family feels safe enough to return. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Baunaulim (Goa): India and China will soon hold a dialogue on New Delhis bid for membership of the elite Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) in which it hopes differences will be narrowed down. President Xi Jinping told Prime Minister Narendra Modi that a second round of dialogue on the issue of Indias entry into the NSG, over which China has reservations, will be held soon. This will be helpful. President Xi told PM, MEA Spokesperson Vikas Swarup told reporters after the meeting held on the side-lines of the BRICS summit on Sunday. Also read: BRICS Summit 2016: 'PM Modi, President Xi discuss Indias NSG bid, terror and Masood Azhar' The Chinese Presidents word on the issue came after the Prime Minister told him that India was looking forward to working with China on realising its membership of the NSG. Replying to questions whether China has softened on its stand on Indias membership, Swarup said, This shows there is dialogue, a good strategic dialogue. Of course this will narrow differences. Asked whether China reiterated the position that membership of the NSG was by consensus among parties, he replied no. Last month, a Chinese delegation led by Director General of Department of Arms Control Wang Qun had visited India for talks on the issue with Indian officials. In the June Plenary of NSG in Seoul, despite strong American support, China stonewalled Indias bid to get entry into the group on the grounds that it was a not a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Goa: Combating cross-border terrorism and its supporters will be a key priority for BRICS, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday announcing decisions taken by top leaders of the five-nation influential grouping at its annual summit in Goa. In his concluding remarks at the BRICS summit, Modi said it was agreed at the summit that those who nurture, shelter, support and sponsor forces of violence and terror are as much a threat to us as terrorists themselves and efforts must be speeded up to deal with the menace. This is seen as a boost to Indias stand on the issue as it has been pitching for isolation of Pakistan for its terror export. Modi said the leaders were unanimous in recognising the threat that terror, extremism and radicalization present to regional and global peace, stability and economic prosperity. We underscored the need for close coordination on tracking sources of terrorist financing and target the hardware of terrorism, including weapons supplies, ammunition, equipment and training, he said. He said there was unanimity in recognising the threat that terrorism, extremism and radicalisation presents and BRICS leaders expressed commitment to strengthen consultations and cooperation on matters of security. We underscored the need for close coordination on tracking sources of terrorist financing, he said. On key agenda of the grouping, Modi said putting the global economy back on track was another focus point of the deliberations, adding the discussions at the summit were detailed, substantive and productive. The Prime Minister said there was deliberations on possibility of setting up an independent BRICS Rating Agency based on market-oriented principles, in order to further strengthen the global governance architecture. Modi said the Goa declaration lays a comprehensive vision for cooperation within BRICS and international issues. The Prime Minister said there was also a clear need to build norms, create structures and pool capacities to stop tax evasion, and fight against black money and corruption. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Controversial Delhi-based meat exporter Moin Qureshi was on Saturday detained at the airport here in a money laundering case but managed to give immigration authorities the slip and flew to Dubai after showing a court order in an income tax case, leaving officials red faced. An inquiry has been ordered by the immigration authorities into the gaffe. Qureshi was detained based on a Look Out Circular (LOC) issued by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a money laundering case against him. As the immigration department informed the ED about his detention, Qureshi presented a court order in which there was no restriction on his flying abroad. The immigration officer checked for the veracity of the court order and allowed him to fly to Dubai. As the ED team reached the airport to take the meat exporter into custody, they were informed that he had been allowed to fly on the basis of a court order. However, the immigration officer realised that the order was in connection with an Income Tax case and not in the ED case, prompting the authorities to order an inquiry. According to airport officials, Qureshi told authorities that he has furnished a bond and got the courts nod to travel abroad even as he got a fax sent in this regard from his legal team to the airport. We have sought documents from immigration authorities based on which Qureshi was allowed to travel. Our officials were on the spot to take his custody but he was allowed to fly abroad, ED sources said. It is understood that the agency wanted to question Qureshi and had issued summons to him but couldnt rpt couldnt lay its hands on him. The agency had registered a case against Qureshi under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) last year. He is under the scanner of probe agencies for alleged tax evasion and hawala-like dealings. The agency had slapped fresh charges under PMLA after taking cognisance of the I-T departments charge sheet (also called prosecution complaint) against Qureshi in alleged tax evasion case in a local court last year. The ED had earlier been probing this case under forex violation laws after the I-T department first shared documents indicating hawala and alleged contravention of forex laws by the businessman and his business entities based here. It had alleged that Qureshi has sent huge amount of funds through the hawala route to Dubai, London and few other overseas destinations in Europe. The agency early last year had also conducted searches on Qureshis premises and had questioned him. The Income Tax department, during its probe, had found Qureshi had 11 bank lockers which were in the names of his employees and associates but the articles belonged to the businessman. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Workforce Immigration judges' union sues DOJ over public speaking policy The National Association of Immigration Judges is suing the Department of Justice over restrictions that cover public speaking about immigration issues. The lawsuit comes at a time when the Trump administration's immigration policies have drawn scrutiny, especially in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has also impacted federal agencies' ability to function and oversee immigration. The NAIJ, which is affiliated with the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers, is claiming that a policy that the Executive Office of Immigration Review (EOIR) put into effect at the beginning of 2020 restricted judges' already limited ability to speak at public events such as bar associations, law schools and colleges about the immigration court system. NAIJ filed on July 1 in the Eastern District Court of Virginia and names EOIR Director James McHenry III and Attorney General William Barr as defendants in their request for injunctive relief. The Knight First Amendment Institute is supporting the NAIJ in the lawsuit. "Under this new policy, which remains in force today, immigration judges are categorically prohibited from speaking in their personal capacities about immigration law or policy or about EOIR programs or policies," the suit states. "On all other topics, immigration judges may speak publicly only if they obtain EOIR's prior approval. These new restrictions apply to all public speaking and writing as well as to communications with members of the news media." In September 2017, the EOIR enacted a policy that required certain employees to obtain approval before speaking in public about immigration law in certain cases. The new policy, which went into effect in January 2020, further expands those restrictions. In its suit, the NAIJ claims that the policy is a violation of judges' First Amendment rights. "The 2020 Policy applies to all speech that immigration judges engage in in their personal capacities, whether or not that speech could reasonably be expected to interfere with EOIR's operations. Moreover, the policy lacks constitutionally required procedural safeguards, such as clear standards and a definite time limit for decision." In addition to violating judges' free speech, the NAIJ claims that the policy violates the judges' Fifth Amendment rights in not clearly defining the criteria by which speaking engagement requests are approved or denied. "The policy invites arbitrary and discriminatory enforcement, and [fails] to give immigration judges fair notice of what standards will be applied in reviewing their requests for preapproval." The policy requiring preapproval to publicly speak is particularly odious, the NAIJ argued in its suit, because of the Trump administration's lack of transparency around its decision to keep immigration legal facilities open during the pandemic. "The 2020 Policy has prevented immigration judges from commenting on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on immigration courts and detained immigrants," the complaint read. "Most of the nation's 69 immigration courts have remained open throughout the pandemic, and many immigration judges have privately expressed concern about that fact. With the exception of union representatives whose speech is protected by federal labor law, however, few of these judges have been free to express their concerns publicly." NAIJ is seeking a preliminary injunction to block the 2020 policy as well as the still-operating provisions of the preceding 2017 policy. Abbott Laboratories ABT announced finalization of its diabetes care deal (proposed in October 2019) with Tandem Diabetes Care, Inc. TNDM. The deal will enable the companies to integrate Abbott's FreeStyle Libre continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) technology with Tandem Diabetes insulin delivery systems for enhanced diabetes management. The deal covers the technical development of device integration and associated commercial-support activities. The initial focus of all commercial activities related to the partnership will be in the United States and Canada, and will later be expanded to other regions. With the collaboration, Abbott aims to fortify grounds in the global CGM market, thus boosting its Medical Devices segment. The FreeStyle Libre portfolio is a component of the companys diabetes care business. Rationale Behind the Collaboration The companies, through the collaboration, are aiming to digitally connect respective technologies for future automated insulin-delivery systems, thus simplifying diabetes management. The FDA-approved FreeStyle Libre 2 integrated CGM (iCGM) system is the latest offering from Abbott whereas t:slim X2 insulin pump is the offering from Tandem Diabetes. Through the deal, the companies will focus on the interoperability between diabetes care devices. For investors note, Tandem Diabetes t:slim X2 insulin pump was the first to receive FDA clearance in 2019 in a new device category, known as alternate controller enabled (ACE) infusion pumps. The design of ACE pumps enables reliable and secure communication with compatible external devices. Industry Prospects Per a report by Grand View Research, the global CGM device market size was valued at $3,929.7 million in 2019 and is anticipated to reach $10.4 billion by 2027 at a CAGR of 12.7%. Factors like rising incidents of diabetes and increasing adoption of CGM devices are expected to drive the market. Given the market potential, this well-timed clearance will boost the companys business. Recent Developments in Diabetes Care Of late, Abbott has been witnessing a slew of developments in its business arm. Abbott, in June, announced receipt of the FDAs approval for its next-generation FreeStyle Libre 2 iCGM system for use in diabetic patients aged four years and above. In the same month, the company announced new late-breaking data which illustrated that use of its FreeStyle Libre system is associated with significant reduction in hemoglobin A1c levels for people having type 2 diabetes on either long-acting insulin or non-insulin therapy. In April, Abbott announced receipt of Health Canadas authorization for the use of FreeStyle Libre system in hospital settings during the COVID-19 pandemic. This will enable frontline healthcare workers to remotely monitor patients' glucose status and history. Additionally, Abbott announced that it will donate 3,000 FreeStyle Libre sensors to ensure hospitals in need have immediate access to the technology. During the companys first-quarter 2020 earnings call in April, it confirmed that Freestyle Libre continued to be accepted by new users throughout the quarter at an impressive rate, as reflected in the robust sales growth. Abbott also continued to expand reimbursement coverage for Libre globally, recently becoming the only CGM system to obtain reimbursement in Japan for Type 2 diabetic patients. Price Performance Shares of the company have gained 5.4% in the past year against the industrys 9% fall and the S&P 500's 3.6% rise. Story continues Zacks Rank & Other Key Picks Currently, Abbott carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). A few other top-ranked stocks from the broader medical space are Quest Diagnostics Inc. DGX and Hologic, Inc. HOLX. Quest Diagnostics long-term earnings growth rate is projected at 7.6%. It currently flaunts a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank stocks here. Hologics long-term earnings growth rate is estimated at 7%. The company presently has a Zacks Rank #2. Biggest Tech Breakthrough in a Generation Be among the early investors in the new type of device that experts say could impact society as much as the discovery of electricity. Current technology will soon be outdated and replaced by these new devices. In the process, its expected to create 22 million jobs and generate $12.3 trillion in activity. A select few stocks could skyrocket the most as rollout accelerates for this new tech. Early investors could see gains similar to buying Microsoft in the 1990s. Zacks just-released special report reveals 8 stocks to watch. The report is only available for a limited time. See 8 breakthrough stocks now>> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Quest Diagnostics Incorporated (DGX) : Free Stock Analysis Report Hologic, Inc. (HOLX) : Free Stock Analysis Report Abbott Laboratories (ABT) : Free Stock Analysis Report Tandem Diabetes Care, Inc. (TNDM) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research Project will provide renewable energy to help serve Google data center in New Albany, Ohio COLUMBUS, Ohio, July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- American Electric Power's (NYSE: AEP) AEP Energy subsidiary has signed a long-term power purchase agreement with an affiliate of Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP) for the output of 400 megawatt (MW) of renewable energy from Panther Grove Wind Energy Facility in Woodford County, Illinois. Construction of Panther Grove is scheduled to begin in early 2021, with commercial operation expected in late 2022. AEP Energy will use the power from Panther Grove to serve customers, such as Google, who want clean energy for their retail supply. The Panther Grove project will contribute renewable power for Google's New Albany, Ohio, data center, which AEP Energy will supply and match their load on an annual basis with 100% renewable energy from new resources. "AEP Energy is focused on providing customers with integrated, carbon-free energy supplies that deliver long-term price stability and environmental benefits. Agreements like the one with CIP demonstrate the innovative energy solutions we can put in place to help our customers power their homes and businesses with clean, reliable energy," said Greg Hall, president, AEP Energy. AEP Energy, a subsidiary of American Electric Power (NYSE: AEP), is a certified competitive retail electricity and natural gas supply provider operating in 28 service territories in six states and Washington, D.C. AEP Energy supplies electricity and natural gas solutions for over 500,000 residential and business customers and takes pride in making it easy for customers to buy, manage and use energy. Based in Columbus, Ohio and Chicago, Illinois, AEP Energy is committed to excellence by delivering value, innovative energy solutions and excellent customer service. American Electric Power, based in Columbus, Ohio, is focused on building a smarter energy infrastructure and delivering new technologies and custom energy solutions to our customers. AEP's approximately 17,400 employees operate and maintain the nation's largest electricity transmission system and more than 221,000 miles of distribution lines to efficiently deliver safe, reliable power to nearly 5.5 million regulated customers in 11 states. AEP also is one of the nation's largest electricity producers with approximately 31,000 megawatts of diverse generating capacity, including more than 5,200 megawatts of renewable generation. AEP's family of companies includes utilities AEP Ohio, AEP Texas, Appalachian Power (in Virginia and West Virginia), AEP Appalachian Power (in Tennessee), Indiana Michigan Power, Kentucky Power, Public Service Company of Oklahoma, and Southwestern Electric Power Company (in Arkansas, Louisiana and east Texas). AEP also owns AEP Energy, AEP Energy Partners, AEP OnSite Partners, and AEP Renewables, which provide innovative competitive energy solutions nationwide. Story continues (PRNewsfoto/American Electric Power) Cision View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/aep-energy-signs-ppa-for-output-from-new-400-mw-wind-project-in-illinois-301086707.html SOURCE American Electric Power Expansion will help meet the growing demand for plasmid DNA offerings SEATTLE, June 30, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Committed to continuous innovation and expansion of its service offerings, AGC Biologics has announced the expansion of its pDNA Center of Excellence in Heidelberg , Germany. The global biopharmaceutical Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization (CDMO) is further expanding to meet the growing need for process development and manufacturing for plasmid DNA (pDNA). The 1M EUR investment in a laboratory build-out includes a significant increase of lab area, additional staffing and state-of-the-art equipment, to foster high-throughput techniques and quality by design processes. This will further expand AGC Biologics' service portfolio and build on a track record of more than seven years in commercial plasmid manufacturing. AGC Biologics logo (PRNewsfoto/CMC Biologics) "It is a priority to keep up with the growing demand for plasmid DNA offerings," says AGC Biologics CEO Patricio Massera. "This expansion will enable us to be even more efficient, as we meet our customers' pDNA demand," says AGC Biologics CTO Kasper Moller. With state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities in Seattle, Washington; Boulder, Colorado; Copenhagen, Denmark; Heidelberg, Germany; and Chiba, Japan, AGC Biologics has decades of experience in CDMO manufacturing, including commercial market supplies with FDA, PDMA and EMA approvals. These best in class services have been focused on proteins as Drug Substance, like antibody fragments, enzymes, vaccines and much more, as well as plasmid DNA. About AGC Biologics: AGC Biologics is a leading global Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization (CDMO), with a strong commitment to deliver the highest standard of service to our clients and partners. The company currently employs more than 1000 employees worldwide. AGC Biologics extensive network spans three continents, with cGMP-compliant facilities in Seattle, Washington; Boulder, Colorado; Copenhagen, Denmark; Heidelberg, Germany; and Chiba, Japan. Story continues AGC Biologics offers deep industry expertise and unique customized services for the scale-up and cGMP manufacture of protein-based therapeutics; from pre-clinical to commercial mammalian and microbial production. Our integrated service offerings include cell line development, bioprocess development, formulation, analytical testing, antibody drug development and conjugation, cell banking and storage, and protein expression - including our proprietary CHEF1 Expression System for mammalian production. Learn more at www.agcbio.com. Cision View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/agc-biologics-expands-development-capacities-for-pdna-services-at-heidelberg-site-301083287.html SOURCE AGC Biologics Zaandam, the Netherlands, June 30, 2020 - Ahold Delhaize today announces that the full proceeds of the companys first Sustainability Bond have been used to support the increased consumption of sustainably sourced products, further reduce the companys climate impact and increase sales of healthier products. The transaction made Ahold Delhaize the first retailer to issue a euro-denominated Sustainability Bond, highlighting the companys commitment to accelerate the transition to sustainable food systems. Ahold Delhaize raised 600 million in June last year through the issuance of a Sustainability Bond maturing on June 26, 2025, in line with its Sustainability Bond Framework. Sustainalytics, an independent provider of Environmental, Social and Governance research and ratings, delivered a second-party opinion on the Framework and an Annual Review of the subsequent Sustainability Bond Report. Both are available on Ahold Delhaizes website. Through this first experience in connecting our health and sustainability ambitions with company financing, we learned there are many investors who are both eager to support the transition to a more sustainable food future and share with us their learnings. Those learnings informed our recent sustainability actions, and were very optimistic about future potential for sustainability-linked financing, said Miguel Silva Gonzalez, Senior Vice President & Treasurer of Ahold Delhaize. The largest portion of the proceeds 432 million were used to further expand sourcing of sustainable seafood, coffee, tea, and cocoa. In addition, some of the proceeds were allocated to the production cost of the Urban Farm on the roof of a Delhaize Belgium store. Furthermore, 161m was invested in renewable energy installations, energy efficient equipment, refrigeration improvements, and green buildings. Specific projects included the installation of LED lighting, heat reclaim systems, CO2 refrigeration systems, energy efficient doors on refrigerated cases, and solar panels in distribution centers, stores and offices. Story continues The remainder of the proceeds were used to implement and expand healthier eating initiatives while maintaining affordability, including R&D for reformulated products and the marketing and distribution of healthier products. Significant investments were made in the nutritional navigation systems that provide customers transparency on product nutritional value. Cautionary notice This communication includes forward-looking statements. All statements other than statements of historical facts may be forward-looking statements. Words such as further, commitment, accelerate, maturing, 2025, support, transition, future, optimistic, potential or other similar words or expressions are typically used to identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors that are difficult to predict and that may cause actual results of Koninklijke Ahold Delhaize N.V. (the Company) to differ materially from future results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to the risk factors set forth in the Companys public filings and other disclosures. Forward-looking statements reflect the current views of the Companys management and assumptions based on information currently available to the Companys management. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made and the Company does not assume any obligation to update such statements, except as required by law. Attachment By Julie Rimbert, Johanna Decorse and Tim Hepher TOULOUSE, France/PARIS (Reuters) - Airbus is cutting 15,000 jobs within a year, including 900 already earmarked in Germany, saying its future is at stake after the coronavirus outbreak paralysed air travel. Airbus is moving swiftly to counter damage caused by a 40% slump in its 55-billion-euro ($61.8 billion) jet business following the pandemic, balancing belt-tightening against aid offered by European governments and future priorities. But it faces tough talks with governments as well as unions, which immediately pledged to fight compulsory redundancies. A 2008 restructuring triggered rare strikes and protests. "It's going to be a mighty battle to save jobs," said Francoise Vallin of the CFE-CGC union. Europe's biggest aerospace group said it would cut 5,000 posts in France, 5,100 in Germany, 900 in Spain, 1,700 in the UK, and 1,300 elsewhere by mid-2021, for a core total of 14,000. The broader tally includes another 900 job cuts planned before the crisis at its Premium AEROTEC unit in Germany. On June 3, Reuters reported reduced jet output pointed to cuts of 14,000 full-time posts. Earlier on Tuesday, French union sources predicted 15,000 cuts in total. Britain's Unite union called the measures "industrial vandalism." France's hard-left Force Ouvriere union and others said they would oppose mandatory cuts. There was immediate political pushback in France, where the government of President Emmanuel Macron this month announced a 15-billion-euro support package for aviation. "The number of job cuts announced by Airbus is excessive. We expect Airbus to fully use instruments put in place by the government to reduce job cuts," a finance ministry source said. Airbus refused to exclude sackings, but said it would first seek voluntary departures, early retirements and other measures. It wants to start implementing cuts this autumn and complete them next summer - a brisk deadline for such plans in Europe. Story continues Chief Executive Guillaume Faury said the company had been left with no choice by the dire industry crisis. "It is the reality we have to face and we are trying to give a long-term perspective to Airbus," he told reporters. PRODUCTION OUTLOOK Airbus said in April it was reducing output by a third, but has raised that to 40% as it presses the case for job cuts. Sources say the discrepancy reflects different ways of measuring output on a weighted basis, rather than an immediate new cut. "We think we are rather stable now and there will be minor adjustments as we have in normal times," Faury told Reuters. But he added, "minor changes can be bigger than seen in past because there is more volatility in the market." Exceptional secrecy had surrounded the politically sensitive restructuring affecting jobs in Britain, France, Germany and Spain, the company's key backers in a fierce contest with U.S. rival Boeing for orders and industrial clout. About 37% of the 135,000-strong Airbus workforce is due to retire this decade, led by veterans of its best-selling A320. Boeing is cutting over 12,000 U.S. jobs, including 6,770 involuntary layoffs, after the pandemic compounded woes caused by the 15-month-old grounding of its 737 MAX. Airbus' programmes chief said it was slowing a push into after-sales services while maintaining a strategy of diversifying into the high-margin area. Some industry sources say Airbus has all but abandoned a goal of more than doubling services revenue to $10 billion this decade and transferred some staff to other roles. (Reporting by Julie Rimbert, Johanna Decorse and Tim Hepher; Additional reporting by Eric M. Johnson in Seattle, Alistair Smout in London; Writing by Tim Hepher in France; Editing by Richard Lough, Mark Potter and Leslie Adler) In the past week, American Airlines AAL grabbed headlines by virtue of its announcement that flights will be operated to full capacity beginning Jul 1. The decision, which implies that the practice of safe distancing while aboard will no longer be followed amid the rising coronavirus cases, drew flak from multiple corners. Meanwhile, United Airlines UAL, which too is booking flights to 100% capacity, announced plans to resume services to China. Effective Jul 8, the carrier will reinitiate its China services with twice-weekly flights between San Francisco and Shanghai's Pudong International Airport via Seoul's Incheon International Airport. United Airlines decision follows that of Delta Air Lines DAL, which was announced in the previous week. With air-travel demand still remaining way below the pre-coronavirus levels, despite the recent improvement, Delta intends to notify its pilots about possible furloughs by sending them notices later this week. Recap of the Past Weeks Most Important Stories 1. American Airlines decision to sell every ticket available means that the carriers policy (effective since April) of curtailing bookings to about 85% of a plane's capacity will stand invalid. Although this currently Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) carrier has a number of measures in place complying with anti-pandemic directives like cleaning and sanitizing planes with extra care and requiring passengers to wear face masks throughout their journey at most of its hub airports, its resolve to load the entire plane amid the ongoing pandemic crisis invited criticisms from many quarters. Evidently, travel analyst Henry Harteveldt expressed his disappointment over the issue and said that the carrier is clearly putting its profitability ahead of the health of both passengers and its own employees. However, airlines like Delta, Southwest Airlines LUV and JetBlue JBLU are still adhering to the rule of restrictive seating capacity, thereby ensuring social distancing. You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. 2. Apart from resuming service to Shanghai, United Airlines will reinstate flights between Chicago and Tokyo, adding a service to Tokyo's Haneda Airport in July. It will also restart flight operations to Seoul and Hong Kong. Some of the measures that United Airlines is taking to ensure a safe journey for passengers amid the current situation of uncertainty include enhanced aircraft sanitization, touch-less baggage check-ins, usage of filters to circulate air and removal of up to 99.9% airborne particles. Customers are required to confirm that they do not show COVID-19 symptoms and should wear a mask onboard. Non-compliance with wearing a mask will cause temporary revocation of the customers travel privileges by the airline. 3. In a bid to address the issue of pilot overstaffing in the current scenario of below-par demand, Delta intends to send notices to 2,558 pilots in accordance with the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act to inform them about potential furloughs so that they are better prepared. In a separate development, Deltas CEO Ed Bastian stated that beyond August, there might not be many more flight additions through the remainder of the year as coronavirus cases shoot up in certain parts of the country. 4. Per a Reuters report, management at European low-cost carrier Ryanair Holdings RYAAY warned of laying off up to 120 pilots in Ireland apart from shutting down two regional bases. The carrier threatened to take such drastic actions unless pilots bypass their union and accept a pay cut. It proposed salary reduction of maximum 20% apart from demanding changes to work practices across Europe. 5. In a bid to combat the coronavirus crisis and subsequently recover from economic slowdown, Azul AZUL inked collective labor agreements with unions to be effective for the next 18 months. The deals, backed by its pilots and flight attendant unions, allow full flexibility to the Latin American carrier pertaining to its labor costs. Story continues Performance The following table shows the price movement of major airline players over the past week and during the past six months. The table above shows that most airline stocks have traded in the red in the past week due to apprehensions of a second wave of coronavirus as cases spike in the United States. The downside further caused a 3.6% decline in the NYSE ARCA Airline Index to $55.15. Over the course of the past six months, the NYSE ARCA Airline Index has appreciated 14.1%. What's Next in the Airline Space? June traffic reports from the likes of Ryanair will be awaited by investors in the coming days. Biggest Tech Breakthrough in a Generation Be among the early investors in the new type of device that experts say could impact society as much as the discovery of electricity. Current technology will soon be outdated and replaced by these new devices. In the process, its expected to create 22 million jobs and generate $12.3 trillion in activity. A select few stocks could skyrocket the most as rollout accelerates for this new tech. Early investors could see gains similar to buying Microsoft in the 1990s. Zacks just-released special report reveals 8 stocks to watch. The report is only available for a limited time. See 8 breakthrough stocks now>> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Southwest Airlines Co. (LUV) : Free Stock Analysis Report JetBlue Airways Corporation (JBLU) : Free Stock Analysis Report Ryanair Holdings PLC (RYAAY) : Free Stock Analysis Report Delta Air Lines, Inc. (DAL) : Free Stock Analysis Report United Airlines Holdings Inc (UAL) : Free Stock Analysis Report American Airlines Group Inc. (AAL) : Free Stock Analysis Report AZUL SA (AZUL) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research Around 1,574 firms took part in an impact survey hosted by Dubai Economys single business engagement platform EngageDXB polling the impact of the Covid-19 crisis and for a programme to assess the future economy. The purpose was to identify the challenges and repercussions of the pandemic within a short span of time and ensure the flexibility and sustainability of the emirates economy through consultations and maintain continuous engagement with ten business groups comprising over 2,000 companies, reported Emirates news agency Wam. Proactively moving to assess the challenges ahead, Dubai Economy launched a business impact survey in March 2020 at the start of the pandemic in Dubai through which about 1,324 companies took part across three stages, distributed as follows: 702 companies in the first stage during March, 251 companies in the second stage during April, while the third phase of the survey included 370 companies during May. The survey, still underway, set out to explore various aspects, such as the size of the Covid-19 impact on businesses and employees alike, the role of economic incentives in supporting business continuity, and future prospects as well as expectations of companies and their readiness to deal with the crisis. Companies and businesses were evaluated based on their size, type, and nature of investment; revenue; top three concerns at present; changes in human resource management policies; layoffs; changes in employee salaries; corporate financial flows; sales; and awareness of the situation as well as changes taking place beyond Covid-19. Interacting actively with the business community and understanding their challenges and impact as well as finding innovative solutions for them are the focal points of Dubai Economys efforts as people and businesses in the emirate are preparing for the post-Covid-19 phase. Among the 370 companies surveyed in the third phase, 67 percent were micro-firms, 21 percent were small companies, 4 percent medium-sized companies, and 8 percent were large companies. Business owners/CEOs accounted for 87 percent of survey participants, managerial & supervisory personnel 11 percent, and experts, advisors, and consultants 2 percent. Foreign investors accounted for 30 percent of total participants in the third stage, and, sector-wise, 32 percent came from retail and wholesale, 14 percent from food and beverages (F&B), 11 percent from trading, 10 percent from services, and 6 percent each from the real estate, tourism & events, and ICT sectors. The remaining were distributed across various sectors, including finance, construction, education, manufacturing, and others. The responses received identified the nature of incentive plans and initiatives needed in the emirate, which in turn will optimally assist companies in restarting growth and developing strategies that will also contribute to overall economic recovery. The next stages of the survey will continue to monitor and measure the business impact during each stage of the market re-opening as well as identify the required precautionary measures. Dubai Economy has also been using online platforms to sustain and accelerate its Business Community Engagement during the pandemic crisis. Representatives of 10 business groups with over 2,000 Companies in the retail, foods, automobile, wholesale textile & garment, banking, and manufacturing sectors have been engaged to seek feedback on the challenges and the way forward. Dubai Economy also met with business representatives to discuss concerns and co-develop the safety guidelines and protocols that are ensuring the safe re-opening of businesses. Consultations have been held with 52 Shopping Malls, 16 Retailers, 20 F&B manufacturers, five food aggregators, and five banks. Mohammed Shael Al Saadi, CEO Corporate Strategic Affairs in Dubai Economy, said: "We have an active Business Community Engagement programme in place to serve the interests of the various business groups and councils. We listen to feedback and ideas to improve our economy, especially as the Covid 19 crisis has further strengthened the engagement process, where both the business community and Dubai Economy have consulted each other to share ideas and feedback. Our digital engagement through EngageDXB has strengthened and enabled us to reach out to the business community instantly to hear and work on recommendations to resolve on-ground challenges. EngageDXB will be the business engagement platform for the economy to sustain public and private sector relationships." EngageDXB is the first virtual platform created by Dubai Economy to collaborate and engage with the business communities in the emirate. In line with Dubai Governments aspirations to facilitate business and community outreach, EngageDXB introduced new enhanced features and services, including engaging polls and idea pooling, where all businesses and residents of Dubai are encouraged to share their sentiments, ideas, or suggestions on initiatives that can be introduced to improve overall social and economic well-being in the emirate. All the latest guidelines and circulars from Dubai government entities can also be found on the EngageDXB website to help businesses stay well-informed on Covid-19-related regulations. Dubai Economy is also engaging with businesses to understand their future-readiness and resilience based on an assessment framework established by the Future Economy Department. Under the programme, 250 businesses have already been engaged, and with businesses stepping into a post-Covid-19 future, innovative product and services, new business models, and new economies are emerging that will be critical for businesses to thrive in the new normal. RiverTech to provide a range of engineering and technical support services HERNDON, Va., June 30, 2020 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Akima today announced that its subsidiary, RiverTech, has been awarded a task order to provide technical support services to the Department of Energy (DOE), Western Area Power Administration (WAPA), Rocky Mountain Region (RMR) under the One Acquisition Solution for Integrated Services (OASIS) Small Business contract vehicle. The firm fixed-price task order has a 5-year period of performance and a total contract value of approximately $7 million, if all options are exercised. WAPA is a federal power marketing administration that markets and delivers reliable, cost-based hydroelectric power and related services within a 15-state region. Under the task order, RiverTech will deliver technical support services at various locations in Colorado, Wyoming, and Nebraska. The company will provide vehicle and heavy equipment maintenance, facility maintenance, environmental services, and engineering support services. "This award is a testimony to our longstanding support of the DOE," said Duncan Greene, President of Akima's Mission Systems, Engineering & Technology Group. "We are excited to work with WAPA and support their mission to deliver clean, renewable, reliable hydroelectric power while enhancing America's energy security." About RiverTech RiverTech is an SBA certified 8(a) Alaska Native Corporation (ANC) and a wholly owned subsidiary of Akima. At RiverTech, we are dedicated to bringing innovative solutions to our customers' complex engineering and operational challenges. Our teams deliver wide-ranging services for mission support, systems engineering, and IT, enabling information and communications dominance and superior command and control of forces across the globe. To learn more visit http://www.rivertechllc.com. About Akima Akima is a global enterprise with more than 7,500 employees, delivering agile solutions to the federal government in the core areas of facilities, maintenance, and repair; information technology; logistics; protective services; systems engineering; mission support; furniture, fixtures & equipment (FF&E); and construction. As a subsidiary of NANA, an Alaska Native Corporation owned by more than 14,300 Inupiat shareholders, Akima's core mission is to enable superior outcomes for our customers' missions while simultaneously creating a long-lived asset for NANA consistent with our Inupiat values. In 2019, Washington Technology ranked Akima #38 amongst the top 100 government contractors. To learn more about Akima, visit http://www.akima.com. SOURCE Akima New reportSkilled by Designsets a vision for Alberta to thrive through a focus on reputation, education, and training CALGARY, June 30, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The current crises have magnified already-present challenges for Albertas economy and people, such as sluggish growth, high unemployment, declining investment and a faded reputation as a dynamic place of innovation. A new report released today by the Business Council of Alberta (BCA) proposes solutions to make Alberta the place where the brightest minds come together and solve the worlds biggest challenges. "Alberta is the place where talented people should work together to create new opportunities and solve the toughest problems, says Dawn Farrell, a member of the Business Council of Alberta and chair of the Task Force on Future Training & Skills. Integrating learning with work experiences, developing micro-credentialing and promoting lifelong learning in business cultures that, at their core, are inclusive and transparent will ensure we attract the best and the brightest to our province. The report, Skilled by Design: A Blueprint for Alberta's Future Workforce, was developed by BCAs inaugural Task Force. The Task Force on Future Training & Skills was chaired by Dawn Farrell, President & CEO of TransAlta, and its membership included CEOs and senior business leaders from across the province. The report offers businesses, governments and post-secondary institutions over 50 actionable and strategic recommendations in three broad focus areas: Building a Better AlbertaAlberta is an attractive place to live and work, and is seen as inclusive, open and welcoming. Creating a Culture of Lifelong LearningAlberta maintains a highly employable, competitive and flexible workforce by enabling an environment for skill development. Expanding Experience-Based TrainingAlberta develops well-prepared, highly skilled and confident workers by going beyond the classroom to provide real-world experience. Alberta has long been a place where if you had a good idea and were willing to work hard, you could find opportunity here, but that image has been impacted in recent years, says Mike Holden, Vice President, Policy & Chief Economist at the Business Council of Alberta. The economic reset that we are experiencing is an opportunity for us to restore that reputation and build our workforce with intention. This report lays out a blueprint to create a workforce that could prove to be the most employable, adaptable and resilient in the country. Story continues While this report provides policy recommendations to government, it is also an offer and commitment from Albertas largest businesses to take meaningful action, including: Exploring an annual A-Prize public competition to incentivize individuals, businesses and other organizations to develop innovative and effective solutions and technologies to solve the biggest challenges the world faces today. Expanding micro-credentialing programs to allow people to rapidly adapt and develop the skills they need to be highly employable in the jobs of the future. Conduct diversity & inclusion training for Alberta CEOs and expand progressive and equitable hiring practices at the staff, management and leadership levels. Micro-credentialing and scalable assessments are powerful tools to validate a persons competency of specific skills and knowledge, says Laura Jo Gunter, President & CEO, Bow Valley College. Micro-credentials, when implemented correctly, are fast to complete, standardized, stackable and focused on the skills Albertans need to meet labour market demands. Alberta is already a leading innovator in this area, through initiatives like Bow Valley Colleges nationally recognized Pivot-Ed project. The ambitious objective of expanding social and economic prosperity for all those who call Alberta home is bigger than what any one business, government ministry or educational institution can do alone. This report represents a piece of that work to allow these pillars of society to function in better harmony. The members of BCA believe that this work is needed now more than ever. As Alberta emerges from the economic shutdown and transitions from relaunch, workforce development will be a crucial element for economic recovery and future sustainability. Alberta is currently facing an unemployment challenge, a talent challenge, and in some areas a reputation challenge," says Mike Olsson, Vice President, PCL Constructors Inc. and member of the Task Force. Developing the countrys most skilled, adaptable and progressive workforce is an answer to all those challenges, and thats why we wanted to put these recommendations forward. Read the full report at https://www.businesscouncilab.com/ Attachment Scott Crockatt Business Council of Alberta 4036815529 media@businesscouncilab.com MILAN (Reuters) - Alitalia [CAITLA.UL] on Wednesday resumed international flights from Milan as Italy gradually reopens its airports to foreign travellers and scraps restrictions imposed to contain the coronavirus outbreak. The carrier, which is in the process of being nationalised after 11 years of troubled private management, will fly from Milan Malpensa airport to Amsterdam, Brussels, Paris and London. Milan city airport Linate, which before the health crisis was Alitalia's second-biggest airport after Rome's Fiumicino , will reopen on July 13, two sources close to the matter said. Starting from July Alitalia will also serve a dozen of domestic destinations from Milan Malpensa, expanding its offer from the Lombardy region, one of the most severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in Europe. Alitalia is currently run by a temporary administrator and the government announced in March that the treasury would become its main investor after the coronavirus sent the carrier's planned sale into tailspin. Bolivian-born entrepreneur German Efromovich, who had expressed his interest in investing in Alitalia before the health crisis, said on Wednesday he was still open to buy a stake in the Italian carrier alongside the government. "I am ready to take a stake as big as the Italian government is prepared to offer ... I don't ask for the majority, but I want to have a say over the governance and the management of the company," Efromovich said during a hearing on the transport sector by Italy's parliamentary committee. The entrepreneur, however, criticised Rome's plan to inject 3 billion euros ($3.4 billion) in the carrier, suggesting that the restructuring could be done with lower financial resources. "On the basis of my personal experience speaking of 3 billion euros doesn't make sense," Efromovich said. It is not clear whether Rome is prepared to team up with private investors in the restructuring of Alitalia. (Reporting by Francesca Landini, Elisa Anzolin and Giuseppe Fonte; editing by Emelia Sithole-Matarise) Company pushes forward to meet the needs for patients requiring end of life care AngMar Medical Holdings, Inc. announced today the June 11, 2020, acquisition of hospice service provider Graham Regional Hospice which will be servicing patients out of a Wichita Falls, Texas location. Reliable Hospice LLC in Shenandoah, Texas was also acquired on June 26, 2020, and will be servicing patients out of a Bay City, Texas location. The closing of Reliable Hospice LLC marks the third Hospice acquisition for the company since October 2019. Financial terms of these acquisitions were not disclosed. Wichita Falls and Bay City both provide services under the brand Angels Care Hospice which launched in October 2019 in Wichita, Kansas. "We are thrilled to be in a position to continue building and growing our presence in the hospice business," said Mark Eddins, President of AngMar Medical Holdings, Inc. "We will continue to explore opportunities for the Angels Care Hospice brand to expand into the markets where we already have a home health footprint. This enables us to manage the patient and family centered end of life care driven by comfort, compassion and peace of mind to more patients in more areas," Eddins added. AngMar Medical Holdings, Inc. is a privately held company based in Mansfield, Texas, owned by Mark and Angie Eddins. Prior to launching the Angels Care Hospice product in 2019, AngMar Medical Holdings, Inc. has managed 70 home health locations for over 20 years in nine states under the Angels Care Home Health brand. "Despite all the disruption and temporary and permanent regulatory changes that resulted from the COVID-19 pandemic, our company has been resilient and continued to press forward with the hospice acquisition plan," said Wesly Maness, Chief Legal Officer for AngMar Medical Holdings, Inc. "Our solid corporate organizational structure allows us to continue aggressively looking for sound hospice companies to add to our family of AngMar Medical Holdings, Inc. managed companies." Story continues "This is an exciting time for our Angels Care brands. We will continue the aggressive expansion of our hospice service line to complement our home health solutions. Our company is actively involved in negotiations for hospice companies in Arizona, Oklahoma, and Texas and plan to manage 6-8 Angels Care Hospice locations by the end of 2020," said Tony Miller, MPT, Chief Operating Officer for AngMar Medical Holdings. "Adding an option for end of life hospice services in our overlapping home health markets gives Angels Care patients and referral sources a short, and long-term solution for managing chronic medical diagnoses," Miller said. About AngMar Medical Holdings, Inc. AngMar Medical Holdings, Inc. is a privately held company that manages the operation of a network of multiple home health agencies in nine states, including Arizona, Florida, Iowa, Kansas, Indiana, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma and Texas. The companies serve thousands of patients under the AngMar managed umbrella are known as Angels Care Home Health and since 2000 have served over 179,390 patients. Since adding Angels Care Hospice, the numbers continue to grow, fueled by the specialized patient-centered care that the company provides and its commitment to excellence in serving its local communities. For more information about Angels Care Home Health, visit AngelsCareHealth.com. For more information about Angels Care Hospice, visit AngelsCareHospice.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200701005081/en/ Contacts Molli L. Samuels Director of Marketing (d) 817-539-2431/(c) 817-637-6370 molli.samuels@angmarcompanies.com Broadcasters can now deliver high-quality AR weather reports from home or anywhere in the world, without a green screen TEL AVIV, Israel, July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Today, Arti, developers of the first cloud-based augmented reality (AR) platform for broadcasters, announced a strategic partnership with StormGeo (Bergen, Norway), creating the first SaaS platform for AR weather reporting. "Now, using the Arti AR platform, StormGeo Studio customers will be able to seamlessly integrate StormGeo's objects like weather maps, 3D graphics, and data streams into their videos as augmented realityall in real time," explained Yaron Zakai-Or, Arti Co-founder & CEO. "This provides broadcasters with amazing new flexibility to deliver engaging AR weather reports outside the studio, on-location, as weather events are unfolding." Arti is like an AR studio that fits in your pocket. Unlike traditional AR solutions that require on-premise hardware and are designed to be used by dedicated AR design teams in a studio, Arti is a software-only, cloud-based AR platform that can be used anywhere. With Arti, all you need is a camera, a laptop, and an internet connection to create engaging AR videos that can include embedded 2D and 3D objects, social feeds, data streams, web browsers, and more. "We're excited to partner with Arti and provide our customers with the ability to easily deliver high-quality, augmented reality weather reports, without needing a green screen," said Ragnvald Moberg, VP Media at StormGeo. "Adding AR elements will make our customers' broadcasts more engaging and help them reach a bigger audience." Interested broadcasters can watch an example of AR weather reporting at https://bit.ly/Arti_StormGeo and learn more about the joint Arti-StormGeo offering at https://www.stormgeo.com/solutions/media/online-weather/stormgeo-studio. About StormGeo StormGeo is a global provider of weather intelligence and decision support services, with leading solutions for shipping, oil and gas, renewable energy, utilities, cross industry and aviation. StormGeo's products and services help clients manage risk, optimize performance, reduce costs and increase revenue. The company has 24 offices in 18 countries, including six 24/7/365 global operations centers. As a participant in the UN Global Compact for Sustainable Ocean Business, our passion for weather and the protection of natural resources motivates us to support our clients in making informed, environmentally responsible business decisions. For more information, visit stormgeo.com. About Arti Arti was founded by technology and media professionals passionate about how augmented reality can enhance the magic of storytelling. Arti's AR-studio-in-your-pocket solution allows any broadcaster to use AR and real-time graphics to wow their audience, without the need for a studio. It's the first software-only, cloud-based AR platform that enables embedding 3D objects into the scene without changing the production workflow. Using Arti's Intuitive UI, both experienced AR designers and amateurs can add, create or import 2D and 3D content and add it to their video in a matter of seconds. Arti creates exciting new opportunities to tell engaging stories with AR and data on-location, at live events, in-studioeverywhere. Learn more at arti.tv, follow @tv_arti on Twitter, and subscribe to Arti's YouTube channel. SOURCE Arti More Than 40 LPQ Locations Across Seven States Slated for Reopening, Creating 1,200+ Jobs Reflects Deep, Longstanding Commitment to Hospitality Industry and Supporting Local Communities NEW YORK, June 30, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Aurify Brands, an experienced hospitality company with category-leading restaurants including The Little Beet, Melt Shop, Fields Good Chicken, and The Little Beet Table, today announced that it has added Le Pain Quotidien to its brand portfolio and is the new owner and operator of the business in the United States. Aurify Brands will be reopening more than 40 LPQ restaurants to serve new and returning customers in select cities and suburban markets across New York, California, Connecticut, Maryland, Virginia, the District of Columbia, and Florida. Select locations are anticipated to reopen as early as mid-July. The relaunch of the LPQ business by Aurify Brands will create more than 1,200 jobs, including the rehiring of a significant number of former employees who had been terminated by the prior owner primarily due to the COVID-19 outbreak. "We are thrilled to add Le Pain Quotidien, which has an ethos and mission we greatly admire, to our established and growing family of leading brands," said John Rigos, Co-CEO of Aurify Brands. "Leveraging Aurify Brands' operational expertise and financial resources as well as our platform's proprietary tools, systems, and infrastructure, we see a significant opportunity to build on LPQ's unique position in the marketplace, differentiated offering, and loyal customer base to fully realize the brand's potential. We look forward to welcoming back LPQ customers as we reopen locations across the country and are proud to continue to support the local communities in which all of our brands operate." Andy Stern, Co-CEO of Aurify Brands, added, "At Aurify Brands, we are deeply committed to building quality brands that create one-of-a-kind experiences for our guests and unparalleled opportunities for our team members. Especially during these unprecedented times, we are fortunate to be able to draw upon nearly two decades of industry experience, exceptional talent across our organization, and our innovative platform as we expand our presence within the hospitality industry. We are focused on continuing to position our brands for the long term and are excited to strategically grow our portfolio." Story continues The transaction was accomplished through a Chapter 11 filing by certain LPQ entities. The process was supported by Aurify Brands, serving as both financing provider and purchaser. The sale was approved by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware on June 26 and closed today. Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP served as legal counsel to Aurify Brands; CohnReznick LLP served as financial advisor; and RCS Real Estate Advisors served as real estate advisor on the transaction. About Aurify Brands Based in New York City, Aurify Brands is a next generation hospitality group that creates, grows, and operates category-leading brands including The Little Beet, Melt Shop, Fields Good Chicken, and The Little Beet Table. The Aurify Brands portfolio currently comprises more than 50 restaurants across these four brands in multiple markets, including New York, New Jersey, the District of Columbia, Florida, and Pennsylvania. Aurify Brands was formed to identify unmet market needs that can be filled with original concepts, acquire existing companies with high brand potential, and continue developing multi-unit franchise concepts with stand-out brand characteristics. As restaurant operators with deep industry acumen and a proven approach to unlocking brand value, the principals of Aurify Brands have built more than 100 restaurants over the last two decades. Media Contact: Kekst CNC Sherri L. Toub / Anntal Silver sherri.toub@kekstcnc.com / anntal.silver@kekstcnc.com Cision View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/aurify-brands-adds-le-pain-quotidien-us-restaurant-business-to-leading-brand-portfolio-301086112.html SOURCE Aurify Brands By David Lawder WASHINGTON, June 30 (Reuters) - Automakers and their suppliers may be able to escape penalties for compliance infractions for up to a year under a new North American trade deal that takes effect on Wednesday, a U.S. Customs and Border Protection official said on Tuesday. The U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement requires that for tariff-free access, vehicles must contain 75% North American content by value, up from 62.5% under the 26-year-old North American Free Trade Agreement, which it replaces. The USMCA also requires that 40% to 45% of a vehicle's value come from "high wage" areas, namely the United States and Canada. The percentages are determined differently than under NAFTA, requiring companies to change how they certify compliance, and there are new mandates to use North American-made steel and aluminum. Brenda Smith, CBP's executive assistant commissioner for trade, told reporters on a conference call that automakers would have until the end of 2020 to fully certify that their current production and future production plans can comply with the new rules under a three-year or five-year phase-in period. But for the first six months of 2021, she said the agency will apply an "informed compliance period" during which it will advise companies on how to correct compliance errors, rather than imposing punitive duties on products of companies actively trying to comply. "Our expectation is that they are meeting the rules but recognize that a certain amount of flexibility is warranted during a transition period. We are not in the role of playing 'gotcha,'" Smith said. The compliance grace period was first revealed to automotive suppliers last week, said Ann Wilson, a senior vice president with the Motor and Equipment Manufacturers Association. She told Reuters that USMCA compliance would be hard on smaller suppliers already facing liquidity issues because of the coronavirus. "We are pleased that weve got a little bit more time to come up with a compliance document, but its not going to be without challenges," she said. (Additional reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Leslie Adler) Basel, Switzerland, June 30, 2020 Basilea Pharmaceutica Ltd. (BSLN.SW) announced today that it has entered into a lease agreement for office space and laboratories at the new innovation park GRID, which is currently being built by SENN Resources AG in Allschwil, in the canton of Basel-Landschaft. Basilea plans to move to its new corporate headquarters at the GRID in mid-2022. David Veitch, Chief Executive Officer, said: Following the recent sale of our current corporate headquarter property, we are excited to now take the next important step towards moving the Basilea team, currently working at different locations across Basel, into one place. We will benefit from the close proximity to innovative start-up companies, academic institutions and other biotech companies in the emerging life sciences and technology cluster. Additionally, we expect a positive impact on our operating and capital expenses from this move. About GRID Bordering on Basel City, the GRID (Grand Reseau dInnovation et de Developpement) is a new 50,000 m2 cornerstone in the booming biotech cluster of Allschwil, home to institutions like the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute and life sciences companies like Abbott, Actelion, and Idorsia and deemed to become one of Switzerlands most important life sciences ecosystems. The new landmark campus-style building was developed by SENN and designed by Herzog & de Meuron architects, with Switzerland Innovation Park Basel Area and the University of Basel as direct neighbours. About Basilea Basilea Pharmaceutica Ltd. is a commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company, focused on the development of products that address the medical challenges in the therapeutic areas of oncology and infectious diseases. With two commercialized drugs, the company is committed to discovering, developing and commercializing innovative pharmaceutical products to meet the medical needs of patients with serious and life-threatening conditions. Basilea Pharmaceutica Ltd. is headquartered in Basel, Switzerland and listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange (BSLN.SW). Additional information can be found at Basilea's website www.basilea.com. Story continues Disclaimer This communication expressly or implicitly contains certain forward-looking statements, such as "believe", "assume", "expect", "forecast", "project", "may", "could", "might", "will" or similar expressions concerning Basilea Pharmaceutica Ltd. and its business, including with respect to the progress, timing and completion of research, development and clinical studies for product candidates. Such statements involve certain known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which could cause the actual results, financial condition, performance or achievements of Basilea Pharmaceutica Ltd. to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Basilea Pharmaceutica Ltd. is providing this communication as of this date and does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements contained herein as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. For further information, please contact: Peer Nils Schroder, PhD Head of Corporate Communications & Investor Relations Phone +41 61 606 1102 E-mail media_relations@basilea.com investor_relations@basilea.com This press release can be downloaded from www.basilea.com. Attachment Santa Fe-Based Medical Research & Development Company Releases Formal Statement Addressing False Allegations Lobbied Against Bionet. SANTA FE, NM / ACCESSWIRE / June 30, 2020 / Bionet NM LLC a Medical research and development company founded by Gabriel Bethel [DBA Bionet], announces formal statement in regards to false allegations lobbied against them. Allegations made by Santa Fe journalists: "An obscure Santa Fe company is under criminal investigation for possible forgery and price gouging" In response to these allegations Bionet stated it has not been informed it is a target of any criminal activity by the Attorney General's Office and was in fact cleared of any such activity by Homeland Security in a separate independent investigation. Based on facts and events, Bionet believes it is instead a material witness to events that took place with another third-party medical company, which is likely the target of the investigation. Bionet attempted to order from this company which never performed on its obligations and made false representations to Bionet and other officials. In April 2020 an agent for a third-party PPE medical company solicited Bionet to purchase respirator masks originating from targeted Chinese factories for the State of New Mexico. The soliciting PPE company requested an official vendor verification letter for the purpose of proving to its Chinese factory suppliers that it was indeed dealing with an official State of New Mexico certified vendor. The Chinese factory suppliers specifically required a letter from one of the three government agencies involved; The Department of Health, The Governor's Office, and/or The National Guard. An email verifying the state vendor status of Bionet had already been issued to Bionet by the Governor's Deputy Chief of Staff and delivered earlier from Bionet to the third-party PPE company. The agent for the third-party PPE company stated that this email was not sufficient in providing the official status of the buyer for the Chinese factories to release the desired goods, and that the seller required a formal government letterhead to proceed. Story continues Delivery of the requested letter to the Chinese factory suppliers was represented by the soliciting company to be time sensitive in order to secure the goods. The only agency that could be reached to discuss this type of letter after business hours (during the time when Chinese business hours normally take place) was the National Guard which operates 24/7 during emergency times. An approved draft version of the requested letter was permitted by an authorized official of the National Guard for specific limited release to the requesting agent of the soliciting medical company for approval of proposed draft language with the understanding that it would not be authorized for any further circulation until it was validated by the top ranking officer the following day. The soliciting agent disregarded these instructions and subsequently circulated the unofficial draft letter as if it were authorized and validated in an attempt to solicit business from another state without the permission or knowledge of Bionet or the National Guard. Upon discovery of this breach of confidence by the PPE medical company, Bionet immediately severed all communication, business relations, and ties with them. Bionet's understanding is the Attorney General's office has an open investigation on the soliciting company and all of the actors associated with it; therefore, Bionet will remain a part of the investigation until all of the evidence involving the PPE medical company is reviewed by the agencies involved. No money or goods were ever exchanged between Bionet and the soliciting company and nothing was ever charged to the State of New Mexico in relation to this PPE company. Attorney Paul Kennedy publicly stated: "Although there is apparently a criminal investigation underway, Bionet has not been informed that it is a target of any criminal investigation by the Attorney General's office or any other law enforcement agency. Based upon what I have been able to learn, Bionet, its officers and employees are instead material witnesses to events that took place with another company which is more likely the target of the investigation. Bionet attempted to order from this company; however, this company never performed on its contracts and made false representations to Bionet and others. It is my inference that the Attorney General's office has an investigation going on regarding the aforementioned company and Bionet, of course, will remain a part of the ongoing investigation as a material actor until all of the evidence against this other company and other individuals is complete. No money or goods were ever exchanged between Bionet and the aforementioned company, which indicates that Bionet was, if anything, a victim of that company." In the matter of the initial sale of KN-95 masks to the state for $4.00 records show that Bionet sourced these goods for $4.00 from its domestic vendor and passed these goods to the state at the same price offered to Bionet with no markup to the state as a gratuitous gesture. The state has closed out numerous satisfactory invoices with Bionet and has not issued any allegations of price gouging. Kennedy further stated,"Bionet's financial records indicate that any net profits remained well below any level which would support an allegation of price gouging." We will continue to update as this story unfolds and more information is made available. About Bionet Bionet was founded in 2010 by the Chairman & CEO, Gabriel Bethel. Bionet is engaged in a research and development joint venture with Harvest Medical Clinic and Wellness Center LLC, DBA Harvest Medical Center, which was formed in 2019 to open an innovative therapy center focused on integrative treatment protocols utilizing its background in pharmacogenetics to apply pharmacology methods to cannabinoid therapies. According to Bionet, the concept is to create a unified healthcare co-op of the top healthcare professionals available in one complex promoting a common therapeutic modality which embraces the medical potentials of cannabinoids. Once perfected this integrative wellness center model can be reproduced and offered to people in communities that otherwise have limited access to this unique methodology of integrative healthcare. Contact: Paul Kennedy Email: pkennedy@kennedyhernandez.com SOURCE: Bionet View source version on accesswire.com: https://www.accesswire.com/595768/Bionet-Releases-Formal-Statement-Regarding-Investigation-and-False-Allegations Dubai Economy has launched a 'Market Dialogue' initiative to broaden its communication with the business community and consumers through advanced technology platform. The virtual dialogue seeks to identify the most prominent challenges faced by businesses, including those related to COVID-19 and its impact, engage with the various business sectors, and propose innovative solutions that contribute to business continuity. The initiative comprises a series of webinars, broadcast live on Zoom and the Dubai Economy Instagram page, in cooperation with a media partner for each session. The webinars bring spokespeople and senior executives from Dubai Economy and its agencies in an interactive session on diverse topics related to the current stage of market reopening and its challenges, while also allowing participants to raise questions and have them answered live. Mariam Al Afridi, Director of Government Communication in Dubai Economy, affirmed that the initiative is part of ensuring constant and effective communication with various business sectors, such as exporters, suppliers, investors, manufacturers, and small and medium enterprises. "The Dubai Economy communication campaign following COVID-19 included seven languages (Arabic, English, Urdu, Chinese, Hindi, Malayalam, and Farsi) across various channels, including our call centre; smart applications such as Dubai Consumer and EngageDXB, and the @Dubai_DED social media account, as well as print and broadcast media partners to reach out efficiently to the largest section of society and businesses, Al Afridi said. Al Afridi stressed that the dialogue series sought to directly interact with business sectors and consumers, listening to them, and responding to them instantly, thus moving a step further towards the Dubai Economy goal of engaging with businesses and addressing their concerns quickly and effectively across innovative, secure and easily accessible platforms. Dubai Economy has already concluded three virtual webinars in Arabic and English, all of which focussed mainly on the repercussions of COVID-19. Future webinars will address other topics of interest to the business community as well. The first and second sessions titled 'For Creating a Safer Shopping Experience' discussed COVID-19 precautions applicable to malls and other shopping outlets. Dubai Economy has invited the business community and consumers to be part of the 'Market Dialogue' webinars that will be announced on social media. Participants can also present their queries and ideas and related to the current state of economic activity on the platform. Businesses and consumers can reach out to Dubai Economy across various channels, including customer service centres, the Dubai Consumer app available on Apple, Google, and Huawei online stores, consumerrights.ae website, and the call centre. Dubai Economy has also launched EngageDXB, interactive platform for businesses to communicate with Dubai Economy created in line with the smart city goals of the Dubai Government. TradeArabia News Service By Jan Wolfe WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The travel reservation company Booking.com, a unit of Booking Holdings Inc, deserves to be able to trademark its name, the U.S. Supreme Court decided on Tuesday, overruling a federal agency that found it too generic to merit protection. The court decided 8-1 that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office was incorrect when it denied the company's application to trademark the name Booking.com, with the justices finding it distinctive enough that the agency should have approved it. The court said surveys made clear that consumers understand that Booking.com refers to a particular company, and not online hotel reservation services in general. "Because 'Booking.com' is not a generic name to consumers, it is not generic," liberal Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg wrote in the ruling. In a dissent, liberal Justice Stephen Breyer said the court's majority had put too much emphasis on consumer surveys, which he said were of limited value. Booking.com, based in Amsterdam, welcomed the ruling, with spokeswoman Kimberly Soward saying in a statement that it "demonstrates that the U.S. legal system has the capacity to evolve in order to reflect the digital world we are all living in." David Bernstein, a lawyer for Booking.com, called the decision "a victory for countless brand owners that have invested significant resources in building their brands - such as Weather.com, Law.com, Wine.com and Hotels.com." U.S. Patent and Trademark Office spokesman Paul Fucito declined to comment. U.S. law allows trademark registrations only on terms that are "descriptive," or able to distinguish a particular product or service from others on the market. "Generic" words that refer to an entire category of goods or services, like "car" or "computer," cannot be protected under the law because that would give an unfair competitive advantage to the trademark holder. Booking.com began using its name globally in 2006, and filed U.S. trademark applications in 2011 and 2012. A U.S. Patent and Trademark Office tribunal rejected those applications in 2016, saying "booking" is a generic term for a category of services and that the addition of ".com" did not transform it into a protected trademark. Lower courts sided with Booking.com, prompting the patent office's Supreme Court appeal. Tuesday's ruling may guide how some other companies, such as Salesforce.com Inc and Home Depot Inc, protect their brands from potential copycats. The May 4 oral argument in the case was the first that the justices held by teleconference amid the coronavirus pandemic. In another first, the public was able to hear arguments through a live audio feed. (Reporting by Jan Wolfe; Editing by Will Dunham) SAO PAULO, July 1 (Reuters) - Over a thousand food deliverymen on motorcycles gathered in Sao Paulo on Wednesday to protest their work conditions, set by Uber and other apps, with their work in high demand due to the coronavirus pandemic. The drivers seek higher pay and better health measures, with Brazil now a coronavirus epicenter and delivery workers facing exposure to the virus. The workers complain that their take-home pay has gone down over time while they have to work in more precarious conditions. It was not the first time delivery workers have taken to the streets to demonstrate against Uber, Colombia's Rappi and Brazil's iFood. But the demonstration appeared to be the biggest to date. The companies issued statement saying worker demands have been addressed, and did not commit to raising pay in response to the pressure. The protests were to continue into the night, with the delivery workers riding their motorcycles through the city while wearing the branded backpack containers of their employers. (Reporting by Marcelo Rochabrun; Editing by Dan Grebler) BRASILIA, July 1 (Reuters) - Brazil's Economy Ministry on Wednesday raised its trade surplus forecast for this year to $55.4 billion from $46.6 billion, mainly due to a steeper anticipated fall in imports than the rise in exports. The ministry now expects imports to total $147.1 billion this year, down from its previous forecast of $153.2 billion, and exports to total $202.5 billion, up from $199.8 billion, it said. (Reporting by Marcela Ayres Writing by Jamie McGeever) Capital on Tap to offer a new credit card lending programme to Spanish SMEs using Marqetas modern card issuing platform Marqeta, the leading global modern card issuing platform, today announced it has helped one of the UKs fastest-growing companies, Capital on Tap, to expand its small business credit lending services to Spain. Capital on Tap will be using Marqeta to power payment processing for its small business credit card, offering a working capital facility of up to 50,000 for small businesses. Capital on Taps new Spanish users will be provided with a new, Marqeta-powered credit card, offering small businesses a faster and more transparent way to fund their business. Using Marqeta, Capital on Tap allows Spanish SMEs to access funding in a more streamlined and frictionless way. Its online onboarding processes mean customers dont need to visit their bank and wait weeks for a response; instead, decisions on funding can be made within a day. In addition, Marqeta-powered credit cards provide more suitable lines of credit, while enabling greater customisation, expense tracking, and categorisations to meet the needs of small businesses. "As the world begins easing COVID-19 restrictions, SMEs will be looking for accessible funding to help them get back up and running again. But to date, businesses globally have faced several issues trying to access working capital from state-backed schemes, while banks are taking longer to respond and are more reluctant to lend. As a result, SMEs have been unable to access useful lines of credit focused on their needs," said Ruben Vidal, the Spanish MD for Capital on Tap. "With Marqeta, were able to address several of these issues right away. Our quick and easy processing means SMEs can focus on running their businesses, instead of jumping through hoops to secure the funding they need. We expect to issue millions of Euros to Spains 3 million sole traders and small businesses within 2020 and beyond, supporting their plans to reopen, grow and prosper." Story continues Marqetas simple API-driven approach made it simple for Capital on Taps systems and developers to customise the card programmes to meet the needs of the Spanish market. The team was able to replicate its existing card programme in the UK with a few modifications - for example, switching currencies and lending criteria. This helped to ensure all customers and payments are configured and processed in the same way, through one central global platform, reducing operational overheads. "Launching a new card programme in a new region can be extremely complex. With other providers it would potentially involve an entirely new build, but with Marqeta it was surprisingly easy - we could essentially copy and paste our UK model across, with a few small but essential tweaks to ensure it was a perfect fit for the market," added Zoe Newman, Capital on Taps Head of International Expansion. "Using our existing Marqeta sandbox environment we were able to begin testing as soon as we were ready. The Marqeta team was very responsive and on-call to help with any of our questions. If wed had to start from scratch with another third-party provider, it would have taken over 6 months, but once we made the decision it only took a couple of days to get everything up and running. It has also provided us with a blueprint for future expansions across Europe and the US in years to come." About Marqeta Marqeta is the leading global modern card issuing platform, providing the most advanced infrastructure and tools for building highly configurable payment cards. With its open API, the Marqeta platform is designed for innovators who want a simplified way of managing payment programs so that they can create world-class experiences and power new modes of commerce. Marqeta is headquartered in Oakland, California. For more information, visit www.marqeta.com, Twitter and LinkedIn. About Capital on Tap Founded in 2012, Capital on Tap is on a mission to help small businesses thrive. The company believes small business owners are the foundation for growth in the economy. Capital on Tap has partnered with over 100,000 small businesses across the UK and provided over 1.5 billion in funding to customers ranging from freelance designers to pub owners to solicitors. For more information, please visit www.capitalontap.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200630005230/en/ Contacts Media Contact Tom Reynolds / Robert Fretwell Spark Communications for Marqeta 0207 436 0420 marqeta@sparkcomms.co.uk Cardone Capital announces closing of Funds VI and VIII. Combined, the Funds added 1,473 new units and $350 million to the firm's portfolio, bringing the company's total assets under management to 7,722 units and over $1.7 billion. Cardone Capital's Fund IX is now open to accredited investors with an unrivaled offer. MIAMI, June 30, 2020 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Cardone Capital, a Miami-based private equity real estate firm founded and managed by Grant Cardone, announces the close of Cardone Equity Funds VI and VIII, which were collectively oversubscribed by $4.2 million. The Funds utilized $112 million of equity and capital raised to purchase four multifamily properties for $350 million, bringing the firms total assets under management to $1.7 billion. Cardone Capital invests in income producing multifamily apartment buildings across the southeast United States. Fund VI and VIII assets generate positive cash flow with an expected annual return of 6-8%, and total return of 15%, making monthly distributions to investors. The closing of Funds VI and VIII brings Cardone Capital's portfolio to 7,722 units. The company is currently active in six states, including Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, Texas, Alabama, and Maryland. The properties purchased in Funds VI and VIII include: 10X Living at Panama City Beach 288 units Panama City Beach, FL 10X Living at Columbia Towncenter 531 units Columbia, MD Retreat at Panama City Beach 360 units Panama City Beach, FL Addison Place 294 units Naples, FL On June 25, 2020, the company celebrated the closing of Funds VI and VIII, a $6.3 million distribution to investors, and the recent opening of Fund IX. Cardone Capital Founder and CEO, Grant Cardone, spoke out to his team and investors, "I will always take advantage of a deal, but I will never take advantage of people." This statement defines the launch of Cardone Capital's Opportunity Fund, which focuses on distressed properties, and guarantees an 80/20 split to investors who invest in accordance with the fund's standards. The funds described herein are open to "accredited investors" only, through an offering made in accordance with Regulation D, Rule 506(c) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. In purchasing securities through a 506(c) offering, we are obligated to verify any participating investor's status as an "accredited investor" in accordance with Rule 501 of Regulation D. Investors should consider the investment objectives, risks, charges, and expenses of the fund carefully before investing. We do not make any representations as to the accuracy or completeness of the information contained on this website and undertake no obligation to update the information. Past performance is not an indicator of any future results. All investments contain risk and may lose value. This does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of interest to purchase any securities or investment advisory services in any country or jurisdiction in which such offer or solicitation is not permitted by law. SOURCE Cardone Capital -- Acquisition brings together two pan-European organizations that have long championed competition, open access and clearing interoperability in Europe -- Cboe plans to introduce a modern, vibrant pan-European derivatives market, launching futures and options on six key European equity indices in first half of 2021 -- Investor call scheduled for July 2 at 8:30 am ET to discuss Cboe's pan-European derivatives strategy CHICAGO and LONDON, July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Cboe Global Markets, Inc. (Cboe: CBOE), one of the world's largest exchange holding companies, today announced it has completed its acquisition of EuroCCP, a leading pan-European equities clearing house. The acquisition paves the way for the planned launch of Cboe Europe Derivatives, a new Amsterdam-based futures and options market, in the first half of 2021, subject to regulatory approvals. (PRNewsfoto/Cboe Global Markets, Inc.) The transaction brings together two companies that have long championed competition, open access and clearing interoperability in Europe. EuroCCP currently clears trades for 37 trading venues, which represent close to 95 percent of all equity trades executed on organised markets in Europe. Cboe sees an opportunity to further grow this business by capitalising on the strength of its pan-European network, and by pursuing the development of derivatives trading and clearing capabilities in the region. As part of the transaction, EuroCCP put in place a committed credit facility of up to 1.5 billion. This facility is an important part of a number of new tools and procedures designed to strengthen the firm's liquidity risk management framework and help ensure EuroCCP continues to meet relevant liquidity requirements under the European Market Infrastructure Regulation (EMIR). Ed Tilly, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Cboe Global Markets, said: "This acquisition is a significant milestone for our European business. Full ownership of a leading equities clearing house not only enhances our current European equities business, but also provides opportunities to diversify our business into trading and clearing derivatives in the region. We are delighted to welcome the EuroCCP team to Cboe Global Markets." Story continues David Howson, President of Cboe Europe, said: "This deal marks the beginning of the next chapter for Cboe Europe and, together with EuroCCP, we couldn't be more excited to further deliver on our pan-European mission by planning the launch of Cboe Europe Derivatives. We have listened to the needs of market participants and are designing this new market from a pan-European point-of-view, leveraging our global derivatives expertise, European equities footprint, and world-class technology to build a more efficient equity derivatives market." Cecile Nagel, Chief Executive Officer of EuroCCP, said: "We believe this transaction positions EuroCCP for continued success. In addition to building out our derivatives clearing services, we see many opportunities to collaborate with Cboe to expand our product offering across asset classes. With our shared values and focus on innovation and client service, together with Cboe we can do even more to advance capital markets in Europe." Unlocking the Potential of the European Derivatives Market Cboe plans to launch Cboe Europe Derivatives in the first half of 2021, subject to regulatory approvals. This Amsterdam-based market is expected to initially offer trading in equity futures and options based on six Cboe Europe Indices: the Cboe Eurozone 50, Cboe UK 100, Cboe Netherlands 25, Cboe Switzerland 20, Cboe Germany 30, and Cboe France 40 all calculated using Cboe market data1. Cboe plans to add futures and options on additional European benchmarks at a later date, based on customer demand. EuroCCP will provide clearing services for the platform, subject to regulatory approval. Additional information about Cboe's launch plans is available on the Cboe website. Industry veteran Ade Cordell, who joined Cboe Europe earlier this year to oversee Cboe's expansion into European derivatives, has been appointed President of Cboe NL, subject to regulatory approval. This is Cboe's Netherlands-based exchange which launched in October 2019 and will be the future home to Cboe Europe Derivatives. Ade Cordell, President of Cboe NL, said: "There is an opportunity to improve the existing European derivatives market structure and unlock its true potential through the creation of a transparent, efficient, lit pan-European market. Our pan-European model will enable all market participants to access a modern derivatives market through a single access point, creating efficiencies in trading and clearing." Cboe has a long and successful history of innovation in the derivatives industry as founder of the listed options market in the U.S. and the creator of numerous groundbreaking products. The company plans to leverage this asset class expertise to bring the respected and transparent on-screen market structure utilized in the U.S. to Europe. EuroCCP continues to operate as an independent subsidiary, retaining its name and continued leadership by Cecile Nagel. EuroCCP is headquartered in Amsterdam and regulated by De Nederlandsche Bank and by Autoriteit Financiele Markten. Additionally, Cboe reaffirmed its previously disclosed earnings per share impact related to the acquisition of EuroCCP and its investment to build out pan-European derivatives trading and clearing, which are expected to reduce earnings per share by about $0.08 to $0.10 in 2020 and 2021. However, the company now expects the impact to be at the higher end of the range, primarily reflecting higher than originally projected facility fees associated with EuroCCP's new 1.5 billion backup line of credit. Investor Conference Call Information: Cboe Global Markets will host an investor conference call Thursday, July 2, 2020 at 8:30 AM (Eastern Time) to discuss its pan-European derivatives strategy and launch plans. Ed Tilly and David Howson will host the conference call. A live audio webcast for the conference call and the presentation that will be referenced during the call will be available on the Investor Relations section of Cboe's website at http://ir.cboe.com under Events & Presentations. The presentation will be archived on the company's website for replay. Participants also may listen to the live conference call via telephone by using the dial-in numbers listed below. Date: Thursday, July 2, 2020 Time: 7:30 a.m. CT (8:30 a.m. ET) Live Dial-In Information U.S.: 1-877-255-4313 Canada: 1-866-450-4696 International: 1-412-317-5466 (Participants should dial in 10 minutes prior to the start of the presentation and ask to join the Cboe Global Markets call.) Replay Dial-In Information U.S.: 1-877-344-7529 Canada: 1-855-669-9658 International: 1-412-317-0088 A replay of the recording is expected to be available one hour after the conference call ends. The replay access code will be 10145642, which will be good through July 9, 2020. PJT Partners acted as exclusive financial advisor to EuroCCP, Allen & Overy acted as exclusive legal counsel to EuroCCP and Greentarget acted as communications strategy advisor to EuroCCP on the transaction. Cboe's legal counsel on the transaction was Macfarlanes LLP and Norton Rose Fulbright LLP. About Cboe Global Markets, Inc. Cboe Global Markets (Cboe: CBOE) is one of the world's largest exchange holding companies, offering cutting-edge trading and investment solutions to investors around the world. The company is committed to defining markets to benefit its participants and drive the global marketplace forward through product innovation, leading edge technology and seamless trading solutions. The company offers trading across a diverse range of products in multiple asset classes and geographies, including options, futures, U.S. and European equities, exchange-traded products (ETPs), global foreign exchange (FX) and volatility products based on the Cboe Volatility Index (VIX Index), recognized as the world's premier gauge of U.S. equity market volatility. Cboe's subsidiaries include the largest options exchange and the third largest stock exchange operator in the U.S. In addition, the company operates one of the largest stock exchanges by value traded in Europe and is a leading market globally for ETP listings and trading. The company is headquartered in Chicago with a network of domestic and global offices across the Americas, Europe and Asia, including main hubs in New York, London, Kansas City and Amsterdam. For more information, visit www.cboe.com. Cboe Europe Limited is a Recognised Investment Exchange regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and is a company registered in England and Wales with Company Number 6547680 and registered office at The Monument Building, 11 Monument Street, London EC3R 8AF. Cboe Europe B.V. is a Regulated Market supervised by the Netherlands Authority for the Financial Markets, and is a company registered in the Netherlands with registered company number 72273968 and registered office is located at Gustav Mahlerlaan 1212, 1081 LA Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Cboe Europe Limited and Cboe Europe B.V. are wholly-owned subsidiaries of Cboe Global Markets, Inc.. This material has been established for information purposes only. None of the information concerning the services or products described in this document constitutes advice or a recommendation of any product or service. To the extent that the information provided in this document constitutes a financial promotion as defined by relevant legislation, it is only directed at persons who qualify as a Professional Client or Eligible Counterparty. Persons who do not qualify should not act on or rely upon it. Media Contacts Analyst Contact Europe: Tim Cave U.S.: Angela Tu Debbie Koopman +44 (0) 7593 506 719 +1-646-856-8734 +1-312-786-7136 tcave@cboe.com atu@cboe.com dkoopman@cboe.com CBOE-EE CBOE-C CBOE-OE Cboe, Cboe Volatility Index, VIX and Cboe Global Markets are registered trademarks of Cboe Exchange, Inc. All other trademarks and service marks are the property of their respective owners. Cautionary Statements Regarding Forward-Looking Information This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 that involve a number of risks and uncertainties. You can identify these statements by forward-looking words such as "may," "might," "should," "expect," "plan," "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "predict," "potential" or "continue," and the negative of these terms and other comparable terminology. All statements that reflect our expectations, assumptions or projections about the future other than statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements, which are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and assumptions about us, may include projections of our future financial performance based on our growth strategies and anticipated trends in our business. These statements are only predictions based on our current expectations and projections about future events. There are important factors that could cause our actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. We operate in a very competitive and rapidly changing environment. New risks and uncertainties emerge from time to time, and it is not possible to predict all risks and uncertainties, nor can we assess the impact of all factors on our business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements. Some factors that could cause actual results to differ include: the impact of the novel coronavirus ("COVID-19") pandemic, including changes to trading behavior broadly in the market as well as due to the temporary suspension of open outcry trading in response to COVID-19; the loss of our right to exclusively list and trade certain index options and futures products; economic, political and market conditions; compliance with legal and regulatory obligations; price competition and consolidation in our industry; decreases in trading volumes, market data fees or a shift in the mix of products traded on our exchanges; legislative or regulatory changes; our ability to protect our systems and communication networks from security risks, cybersecurity risks, insider threats and unauthorized disclosure of confidential information; increasing competition by foreign and domestic entities; our dependence on and exposure to risk from third parties; fluctuations to currency exchange rates; our index providers' ability to maintain the quality and integrity of their indexes and to perform under our agreements; our ability to operate our business without violating the intellectual property rights of others and the costs associated with protecting our intellectual property rights; our ability to attract and retain skilled management and other personnel; our ability to accommodate trading volume and transaction traffic, including significant increases, without failure or degradation of performance of our systems; misconduct by those who use our markets or our products; challenges to our use of open source software code; our ability to meet our compliance obligations, including managing potential conflicts between our regulatory responsibilities and our for-profit status; damage to our reputation; the ability of our compliance and risk management methods to effectively monitor and manage our risks; our ability to manage our growth and strategic acquisitions or alliances effectively; restrictions imposed by our debt obligations; our ability to maintain an investment grade credit rating; impairment of our goodwill, long-lived assets, investments or intangible assets; and the accuracy of our estimates and expectations. More detailed information about factors that may affect our actual results to differ may be found in our filings with the SEC, including in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019 and other filings made from time to time with the SEC. We do not undertake, and we expressly disclaim, any duty to update any forward-looking statement whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. We do not undertake, and we expressly disclaim, any duty to update any forward-looking statement whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. 1 With the exception of the Cboe Switzerland 20 Cision View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/cboe-global-markets-completes-euroccp-acquisition-plans-to-launch-cboe-europe-derivatives-in-first-half-of-2021-301086610.html SOURCE Cboe Global Markets, Inc. LUTHERVILLE, Md., June 30, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Celebree School, a leader in early childhood education with 43 open or under development school locations in Maryland, Delaware, Virginia, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey, today awarded Josephine and Edward Johnson two franchises. They will own and operate Celebree School locations in Loudoun County, Arlington or Fairfax, Virginia. As first time business owners, the unwavering support they received from the Celebree team helped solidify their decision to franchise with the company. The Celebree School franchise model seemed like the ideal way to help us succeed with our goal of owning a business and getting to market quickly, said Josephine Johnson, an economist who previously worked as a teacher in Kenya. The pros of going with a franchise far outweighed trying to open a business on our own. Faculty and staff at Celebree School believe success in early childhood development is equal parts curriculum and connection that extends beyond the classroom and into the homes and neighborhoods of the students. The Celebree approach is not simply about educating the whole child but the whole family. As parents, we saw firsthand the vital role preschool played in our sons life and we want to have that type of impact on other families, said Josephine Johnson. We know the value of education and how important good access to knowledge is for children in helping mold their attitudes. As franchisees, the Johnson family is investing in their financial future and their local community. From the moment we met Josephine and Edward, our entire leadership team knew we were destined to work together, said Richard Huffman, founder and CEO of Celebree. Their passion for community and education mixed with the drive to succeed is precisely what we look for when awarding franchises. Celebree School franchises come with the resources an owner needs to start and run a successful business. Opportunities to open Celebree Schools are available in Maryland, Delaware, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Virginia. Story continues Celebree School Grows People Big and Small starting with students who range from six weeks to school age and extending to parents, teachers and directors. Now people who want to own their own business can be part of Celebree School and channel their passion for the community into the success of their school. For more information on franchise opportunities, visit the Celebree School website or contact Jim DiRugeris, Chief Development Officer, at jdirugeris@celebree.com or 443-391-6533. Company to invest over $1 billion and begin multi-year construction on 6,000-person campus ST. LOUIS, July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Centene Corporation (NYSE: CNC) today announced that it will establish an East Coast headquarters in Charlotte, North Carolina, after completing a comprehensive evaluation process. The company will begin construction on the new campus in August and plans to create 6,000 new jobs and invest $1 billion in the Charlotte community over time. "Charlotte has great talent, excellent infrastructure and a real commitment to sustainable development," said Michael F. Neidorff, Chairman, President and CEO of Centene. "We are pleased to expand our partnership with the city of Charlotte, the county of Mecklenburg, and the state of North Carolina. We look forward to many years of collective growth and innovation." The company's $1 billion investment will provide over 1 million square feet of office and meeting space, a corporate boardroom, a childcare and early education center, a variety of dining venues, auditorium, fitness center, and a stand-alone building housing a corporate learning and development center named Centene Tech University. The campus buildings will be designed to preserve and take advantage of the campus' environment with an emphasis on providing open spaces, natural light, and embracing the site's natural features. The construction and growth of the facility will happen in multiple phases. The first phase of construction will be complete in the second half of 2022 and accommodate approximately 3,000 employees. In anticipation of this phase, the company is committed to expanding its existing footprint in the Charlotte metro area immediately and will begin recruiting for roles across multiple areas, such as information technology, finance, compliance, health economics, business analytics, human resources, quality and clinical positions. The next phase of construction, to begin in 2024, will accommodate an additional 3,000 employees when complete, allowing the campus to accommodate a total of 6,000 employees. The company plans to share additional details about the site's location in the coming weeks. Story continues "Centene's investment here is great for the Charlotte area and our whole state," Governor Cooper said. "Centene knows that North Carolina has a resilient economy, ready workforce, livable communities and a host of other assets that make our state a leading destination for forward-thinking businesses." "Today's announcement is a historic occasion for Charlotte and comes at a most opportune time," said Mayor Vi Lyles. "We are excited to welcome Centene to the Queen City. Our entire region will benefit from the company's community-driven mission and commitment to diversity and inclusion in the workplace." As part of its agreement with local officials, the company plans to hire at least 3,200 people over the next 12 years but expects to hit that goal sooner. "We believe in professional camaraderie, capacity for innovation, real-time partnership and development garnered from a shared physical presence," continued Neidorff. "Though we will continue to promote flexible work environments, investing long-term in our workforce and technological expertise is essential to succeed in a dynamic healthcare environment. The new space is designed to support and enable innovation, partnership and ultimately growth." The new facility will provide an attractive work environment to prospective employees, with work areas that: - enhance teamwork and in-person productivity - leverage extensive technology to enable remote collaboration for distributed teams - encourage innovation with dedicated team spaces within the work neighborhoods - provide access to private work areas; and - connect employees throughout the campus to the corporate network through Wi-Fi access. The facility will significantly grow Centene's footprint in the state. Currently, Centene has nearly 600 employees already based in North Carolina across locations in Charlotte, Durham and Wilmington. Centene's corporate headquarters will remain in St. Louis, Missouri. Centene and the Governor's office hosted a press conference earlier today to discuss the announcement. About Centene Corporation Centene Corporation, a Fortune 50 company, is a leading multi-national healthcare enterprise that is committed to helping people live healthier lives. The Company takes a local approach with local brands and local teams - to provide fully integrated, high-quality, and cost-effective services to government-sponsored and commercial healthcare programs, focusing on under-insured and uninsured individuals. Centene offers affordable and high-quality products to nearly 1 in 15 individuals across the nation, including Medicaid and Medicare members (including Medicare Prescription Drug Plans) as well as individuals and families served by the Health Insurance Marketplace, the TRICARE program, and individuals in correctional facilities. The Company also serves several international markets, and contracts with other healthcare and commercial organizations to provide a variety of specialty services focused on treating the whole person. Centene focuses on long-term growth and the development of its people, systems and capabilities so that it can better serve its members, providers, local communities, and government partners. Centene uses its investor relations website to publish important information about the company, including information that may be deemed material to investors. Financial and other information about Centene is routinely posted and is accessible on Centene's investor relations website, http://www.centene.com/investors. Forward-Looking Statements All statements, other than statements of current or historical fact, contained in this press release are forward-looking statements. Without limiting the foregoing, forward-looking statements often use words such as "believe," "anticipate," "plan," "expect," "estimate," "intend," "seek," "target," "goal," "may," "will," "would," "could," "should," "can," "continue" and other similar words or expressions (and the negative thereof). Centene (the Company, our, or we) intends such forward-looking statements to be covered by the safe-harbor provisions for forward-looking statements contained in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, and we are including this statement for purposes of complying with these safe-harbor provisions. In particular, these statements include, without limitation, statements about our future operating or financial performance, market opportunity, growth strategy, competition, expected activities in completed and future acquisitions, including statements about the impact of our recently completed acquisition (the WellCare Acquisition) of WellCare Health Plans, Inc. (WellCare), other recent and future acquisitions, investments, the adequacy of our available cash resources and the expected benefits and timing of our anticipated new East Coast headquarters in Charlotte. These forward-looking statements reflect our current views with respect to future events and are based on numerous assumptions and assessments made by us in light of our experience and perception of historical trends, current conditions, business strategies, operating environments, future developments and other factors we believe appropriate. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties and are subject to change because they relate to events and depend on circumstances that will occur in the future, including economic, regulatory, competitive and other factors that may cause our or our industry's actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions. All forward-looking statements included in this press release are based on information available to us on the date hereof. Except as may be otherwise required by law, we undertake no obligation to update or revise the forward-looking statements included in this press release, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, after the date hereof. You should not place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements, as actual results may differ materially from projections, estimates, or other forward-looking statements due to a variety of important factors, variables and events including but not limited to: the impact of COVID-19 on global markets, economic conditions and the healthcare industry and our results of operations, which is unknown; uncertainty as to our expected financial performance following completion and integration of the WellCare Acquisition; the possibility that the expected synergies and value creation from the WellCare Acquisition will not be realized, or will not be realized within the expected time period; the risk that unexpected costs will be incurred in connection with the integration of the WellCare Acquisition or that the integration of WellCare will be more difficult or time consuming than expected; unexpected costs, charges or expenses resulting from the WellCare Acquisition; the inability to retain key personnel; disruption from the completion of the WellCare Acquisition, including potential adverse reactions or changes to business relationships with customers, employees, suppliers or regulators, making it more difficult to maintain business and operational relationships; the risk that we may not be able to effectively manage our expanded operations; our ability to accurately predict and effectively manage health benefits and other operating expenses and reserves; competition; membership and revenue declines or unexpected trends; changes in healthcare practices, new technologies, and advances in medicine; increased healthcare costs; changes in economic, political or market conditions; changes in federal or state laws or regulations, including changes with respect to income tax reform or government healthcare programs as well as changes with respect to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the Health Care and Education Affordability Reconciliation Act, collectively referred to as the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and any regulations enacted thereunder that may result from changing political conditions or judicial actions, including the ultimate outcome in "Texas v. United States of America" regarding the constitutionality of the ACA; rate cuts or other payment reductions or delays by governmental payors and other risks and uncertainties affecting our government businesses; our ability to adequately price products on the Health Insurance Marketplaces and other commercial and Medicare products; tax matters; disasters or major epidemics; the outcome of legal and regulatory proceedings; changes in expected contract start dates; provider, state, federal and other contract changes and timing of regulatory approval of contracts; the expiration, suspension, or termination of our contracts with federal or state governments (including but not limited to Medicaid, Medicare, TRICARE or other customers); the difficulty of predicting the timing or outcome of pending or future litigation or government investigations; challenges to our contract awards; cyber-attacks or other privacy or data security incidents; the possibility that the expected synergies and value creation from acquired businesses, including businesses we may acquire in the future, will not be realized, or will not be realized within the expected time period; the exertion of management's time and our resources, and other expenses incurred and business changes required in connection with complying with the undertakings in connection with any regulatory, governmental or third party consents or approvals for acquisitions; disruption caused by significant completed and pending acquisitions, including, among others, the WellCare Acquisition, making it more difficult to maintain business and operational relationships; the risk that unexpected costs will be incurred in connection with the completion and/or integration of acquisition transactions; changes in expected closing dates, estimated purchase price and accretion for acquisitions; the risk that acquired businesses will not be integrated successfully; the risk that we may not be able to effectively manage our operations as they have expanded as a result of the WellCare Acquisition; restrictions and limitations in connection with our indebtedness; our ability to maintain or achieve improvement in the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Star ratings and maintain or achieve improvement in other quality scores in each case that can impact revenue and future growth; availability of debt and equity financing, on terms that are favorable to us; inflation; foreign currency fluctuations; delays in costs associated with development and occupancy of our new East Coast headquarters in Charlotte; economic conditions in the Charlotte metropolitan area and risks and uncertainties discussed in the reports that Centene has filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. This list of important factors is not intended to be exhaustive. We discuss certain of these matters more fully, as well as certain other factors that may affect our business operations, financial condition and results of operations, in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), including our annual report on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and current reports on Form 8-K. Due to these important factors and risks, we cannot give assurances with respect to our future performance, including without limitation our ability to maintain adequate premium levels or our ability to control our future medical and selling, general and administrative costs. Cision View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/centene-to-establish-new-east-coast-headquarters-in-charlotte-301087062.html SOURCE Centene Corporation CenturyLink, Inc. CTL announced its plans to bring fiber to more than 1,000 homes and enterprises in Nessel Township, MN. Residents of this rural area will have access to reliable and high-speed Internet. The Monroe, LA-based communications companys fiber and IP-based network capacity combined with its financial strength positions it well to support customers and boost shareholders value in the long term. CenturyLink has a significant presence in Minnesota, with more than 17,000 miles of fiber and one million connections. The companys investments and Minnesotas Border to Border Broadband Development Grant Program will help meet the states goal of extensive broadband service. This public-private partnership project is aimed at providing the fiber and electronics needed for high-speed connections of up to 940 Mbps. It complements other similar projects in Minnesotas underserved areas, providing more than 3,300 connections since 2014. CenturyLink is focused on the execution of its strategies that hinges on four key areas investing in growth through product and network expansions, delivering enhanced customer experience across business, transforming operations to improve efficiency and employee experience as well as deleveraging to strengthen its balance sheet. In another development, CenturyLink won a second task order from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to manage all of its voice traffic. It will provide secure network connectivity to NASAs more than 15 space centers and regional research facilities. In 2019, the company won the first task order to provide NASA headquarters with core backbone network services with speeds of up to 100 Gbps. The mission-critical voice and network services will support NASAs space exploration programs. Both contracts were given to CenturyLink under the General Services Administrations 15-year, $50-billion Enterprise Infrastructure Solutions program and have a period of performance of nine and a half years. Driven by its global fiber network, CenturyLinks shares have added 14% compared with 5.7% growth of the industry in the past three months. The company has a dividend yield of 10.2% compared with 4.6% of the industry. Story continues CenturyLink currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). Some better-ranked stocks in the broader industry are Turtle Beach Corporation HEAR, Ooma, Inc. OOMA and Acacia Communications, Inc. ACIA, each sporting a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank stocks here. Turtle Beach has a trailing four-quarter positive earnings surprise of 46.4%, on average. Ooma has a trailing four-quarter positive earnings surprise of 228.2%, on average. Acacia has a trailing four-quarter positive earnings surprise of 17.7%, on average. The companys earnings beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate in three of the last four quarters. Biggest Tech Breakthrough in a Generation Be among the early investors in the new type of device that experts say could impact society as much as the discovery of electricity. Current technology will soon be outdated and replaced by these new devices. In the process, its expected to create 22 million jobs and generate $12.3 trillion in activity. A select few stocks could skyrocket the most as rollout accelerates for this new tech. Early investors could see gains similar to buying Microsoft in the 1990s. Zacks just-released special report reveals 8 stocks to watch. The report is only available for a limited time. See 8 breakthrough stocks now>> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report CenturyLink, Inc. (CTL) : Free Stock Analysis Report Turtle Beach Corporation (HEAR) : Free Stock Analysis Report Acacia Communications, Inc. (ACIA) : Free Stock Analysis Report Ooma, Inc. (OOMA) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research Microsoft Corporation on Tuesday announced a new global skills initiative aimed at bringing more digital skills to 25 million people worldwide by the end of the year. The announcement comes in response to the global economic crisis caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. Expanded access to digital skills is an important step in accelerating economic recovery, especially for the people hardest hit by job losses, said a statement from Microsoft. This initiative, detailed on the official Microsoft blog, includes immediate steps to help those looking to reskill and pursue an in-demand job and brings together every part of the company, combining existing and new resources from LinkedIn, GitHub and Microsoft, it stated. This includes: The use of data to identify in-demand jobs and the skills needed to fill them. Free access to learning paths and content to help people develop the skills these positions require. Low-cost certifications and free job-seeking tools to help people who develop these skills pursue new jobs, said the statement. This is a comprehensive technology initiative that will build on data and digital technology. It starts with data on jobs and skills from the LinkedIn Economic Graph. It provides free access to content in LinkedIn Learning, Microsoft Learn and the GitHub Learning Lab, and couples those with Microsoft Certifications and LinkedIn job seeking tools. These resources can all be accessed at a central location, opportunity.linkedin.com, and will be broadly available online in four languages: English, French, German and Spanish. In addition, Microsoft is backing the effort with $20 million in cash grants to help nonprofit organizations worldwide assist the people who need it most. One-quarter of this total, or $5 million, will be provided in cash grants to community-based nonprofit organizations that are led by and serve communities of colour in the US. Microsoft is also pledging to make stronger data and analytics including data from the LinkedIn Economic Graph available to governments around the world so they can better assess local economic needs. It will use its voice to advocate for public policy innovations that will advance skilling opportunities needed in the changed economy. Microsoft also announced it is creating a new learning app in Microsoft Teams designed to help employers skill and upskill new and current employees as people return to work and as the economy adds jobs. "Covid-19 has created both a public health and an economic crisis, and as the world recovers, we need to ensure no one is left behind," remarked CEO Satya Nadella. "Today, were bringing together resources from Microsoft inclusive of LinkedIn and GitHub to reimagine how people learn and apply new skills and help 25 million people facing unemployment due to COVID-19 prepare for the jobs of the future," he noted. Microsoft President Brad Smith pointed out that the biggest brunt of the current downturn was being borne by those who could afford it the least. "Unemployment rates are spiking for people of color and women, as well as younger workers, people with disabilities and individuals with less formal education. Our goal is to combine the best in technology with stronger partnerships with governments and nonprofits to help people develop the skills needed to secure a new job," stated Smith. LinkedIn CEO Ryan Roslansky said: "Creating opportunity for every member of the global workforce drives everything we do at LinkedIn." "As a part of the Microsoft ecosystem, we have the unique ability to help job seekers around the world especially those who have been disproportionately disadvantaged during the COVID-19 crisis gain the skills and find the jobs they deserve," observed Roslansky. "We are proud to be bringing the right data about what the jobs and skills of the future will be to create the right learning paths to help 25 million job seekers find their next opportunities. Were making it all available at opportunity.linkedin.com," he added.-TradeArabia News Service By Natalia A. Ramos Miranda and Aislinn Laing SANTIAGO, June 26 (Reuters) - Chile's mines minister Baldo Prokurica on Friday cited figures projecting a decline in the country's copper output of 200,000 tonnes as a result of the growing impact of the new coronavirus on the industry. Prokurica said the Cochilco copper commission's projection, representing around 3.5% of Chile's total 2019 production, was a best guess since the combined impact of the virus and economic fallout made it "very difficult" to predict with certainty. He applauded the Thursday announcement to suspend work at the foundry and refinery at state-run copper miner Codelco's second-largest Chuquicamata division to protect workers. "Mining has taken and is willing to take all necessary measures to protect the life and health of the workers who are our main capital, and that is what we have asked companies to do," the minister said in a statement. Prokurica said he would be meeting the Interior Ministry's Crime Prevention undersecretary on Friday to outline an audit of the mining industry's anti-coronavirus measures being carried out by Chiles Geology and Mining Service (Sernageomin). His statement came as the company in an internal memo, seen by Reuters, confirmed the death of a fourth Codelco. The man, named as Jimmy Rojas Mondaca, was the third worker at Chuquicamata to die, and one of four staffers to have died from COVID-19 so far. The death of a fifth man, Omar Manosalva, a contractor working at the Ministro Hales division, was also reported on Friday. Chile on Friday confirmed 4,296 new confirmed virus cases, taking the total to 263,360, and 5,068 deaths. Mining, primarily of copper, represents around 10% of Chile's GDP and 50% of its exports, according to government figures. It is seen as critical in funding economic rescue packages announced by centre-right President Sebastian Pinera to offset the effects of the pandemic. Copper prices touched a five-month peak on Friday amid growing fears of disruption to Chilean copper output. "There is mounting evidence that Chile is starting to struggle with pockets of outbreaks at mines and the pushback from trade unions for safer working practices," said Kieran Clancy, assistant commodities economist at Capital Economics. (Reporting by Aislinn Laing; Editing by Aurora Ellis) Moving on with the restructuring moves, banking giant Citigroup C will expand its commercial banking business in the Nordics, covering Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Finland. The move comes on the heels of the rising needs of clients amid the coronavirus pandemic and opportunities foreseen in the fast-growing digital world. Further, the commercial banking business is likely to augment the banks current Banking, Capital Markets & Advisory business which has operations in the Nordics since the 1970s. Per Citigroups plans, Marieve Gauthier has been appointed as Nordic Head of Commercial Banking with immediate effect and is expected to take the business to new highs based on the belief of his experience in the financial world. Marieve joined Citigroup in 2011 and was most recently serving as the director and senior banker in the U.S. CCB business and acting as a leader in the Non-profit Industry Group in the Mid-Corporates Segment. Notably, commercial banking in the Nordics provides services to the middle-market segment of traditional industries, along with the digital sector. Therefore, being the most famous global bank in the Nordics and having operations in more than 100 countries, the expansion of commercial banking business will enhance Citigroups global network and international competencies. Moreover, these factors would differentiate the bank from its peers and aid in being competitive even for the fast-growing digital and FinTech companies, which are scaling their businesses globally. Raymond Gatcliffe, EMEA head of CCB commented, We believe that this is the right time to expand our offering in the Nordic market, and allow our clients access to Citis truly global network. We are firmly committed to servicing this market, and I have no doubt that Marieves experience both within Citi as well as the industry more generally, makes her the perfect candidate to lead this business going forward. Our Take Citi continues to execute growth strategies, such as bolstering position in the booming digital industry and expanding its global market presence, thereby aiming to diversify revenue sources. Also, prudent expense management and inorganic expansion strategies keep us encouraged. However, pending litigation issues might flare up legal expenses. The company has gained 30.3% in the past three months compared with 10.8% growth recorded by the industry. The stock carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), at present. Story continues Key Picks AllianceBernstein Holding L.P. AB has witnessed upward earnings estimate revisions for 2020 over the past 60 days. Moreover, this Zacks #2 Ranked (Buy) stock has lost 10% over the past six months. You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. GAIN Capital Holdings, Inc.s GCAP current-year earnings estimate moved north in 60 days time. Further, the companys shares have surged 52.4% over the past six months. At present, it holds a Zacks Rank of 2. T. Rowe Price Group, Inc. TROW has witnessed upward earnings estimate revision for the ongoing year in the past 60 days. This Zacks #2 Ranked stock has gained 1.4% over the past six months. Biggest Tech Breakthrough in a Generation Be among the early investors in the new type of device that experts say could impact society as much as the discovery of electricity. Current technology will soon be outdated and replaced by these new devices. In the process, its expected to create 22 million jobs and generate $12.3 trillion in activity. A select few stocks could skyrocket the most as rollout accelerates for this new tech. Early investors could see gains similar to buying Microsoft in the 1990s. Zacks just-released special report reveals 8 stocks to watch. The report is only available for a limited time. See 8 breakthrough stocks now>> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Citigroup Inc. (C) : Free Stock Analysis Report AllianceBernstein Holding L.P. (AB) : Free Stock Analysis Report T. Rowe Price Group, Inc. (TROW) : Free Stock Analysis Report GAIN Capital Holdings, Inc. (GCAP) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. WASHINGTON, July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Cohen Seglias Pallas Greenhall & Furman PC is pleased to announce that Shanlon Wu and Julie Grohovsky have joined the firm as partners in the Washington, DC office. Wu will lead Cohen Seglias' new White Collar Defense & Government Investigations Group, which will also include Grohovsky, along with former state prosecutors Christopher Carusone and Brionna Denby, as well as the new Student Defense Group. Grohovsky will lead the firm's new False Claims Act & Whistleblower Group, which will also include Wu. The new partners were previously at their own firm, Wu Grohovsky PLLC. Shanlon Wu "Shan and Julie are highly regarded for their knowledge and experience with white collar defense, college student defense, as well as government investigations. Their practices are in line with our firm's growth, and we are excited to build our Washington, DC footprint with them on board," said Cohen Seglias Managing Partner George Pallas. "As a team of former federal and state prosecutors with long-standing relationships with government officials, the collective capabilities of the White Collar Defense & Government Investigations Group will be a major asset to our clients." Carusone, a former Chief Deputy Attorney General in the Pennsylvania Attorney General's office who is Chair of the Government Law & Regulatory Affairs Group and Managing Partner of the Harrisburg office, adds, "It is a pleasure to work with Shan and Julie, both of whom are top-notch in the area of white collar defense. Our team has been enhanced with deep experience from both federal and state attorney generals' offices, as well as inspector generals' offices, and is now positioned to offer clients a broad range of defense counsel in white collar, criminal, and higher education misconduct matters." Wu and Grohovsky will reside in the firm's new office space at 900 Seventh Street, NW, Suite 725, Washington, DC, 20001. Story continues About Shanlon Wu Wu is a former federal prosecutor experienced in handling high-profile white collar criminal matters, student defense, and legal issues facing higher education institutions. Drawing on his experience in conducting criminal investigations and trying such cases, Wu has represented clients such as former Trump aide/political consultant Rick Gates in the Robert Mueller investigation of former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort. His white collar practice involves advising individuals and companies facing investigations and prosecutions for federal and local criminal violations including health care fraud, defrauding the government, conflicts of interest, and allegations of bribery. Wu counsels higher education institutions on investigations and policies, as well as the new Title IX regulations that go into effect in August 2020. With his significant background representing college and university students facing potential disciplinary proceedings or criminal investigations brought by institutions, Wu offers a unique perspective on the university hearing process, and the implementation of the new regulations, including the requirement for cross-examination. Wu also pioneered the practice area of college student defense, which has grown to encompass defending college, graduate school and high school students in the face of potential disciplinary charges arising from academic misconduct, Title IX allegations and other student conduct code violations. He leads the firm's new Student Defense Group, which regularly defends students in disciplinary proceedings for academic violations including online cheating during remote exams, plagiarism, alcohol and drug violations, hazing and assault, as well as Title IX matters. Wu served as counsel to Attorney General Janet Reno, advising her on criminal and civil investigations, e-commerce issues, congressional oversight, and legislative review, and liaised with the FBI, DEA (Criminal Division), National Institute of Justice, and the White House Counsel's office. As an Assistant United States Attorney, he served as a supervisor in the District of Columbia United States Attorney's Office, led a Police Corruption Task Force, and served as a senior supervisor on an Independent Counsel investigation regarding a Cabinet official. Wu is a legal analyst on CNN, regularly appearing to discuss notable developments on a wide variety of legal issues. About Julie Grohovsky Grohovsky represents crime victims in criminal, civil, and Title IX proceedings, as well as whistleblowers who bring cases under the qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act (FCA) or other laws with whistleblower provisions. She leads the firm's new False Claims Act and Whistleblower Group. Grohovsky advises individuals, particularly government workers, in investigations conducted by Inspector Generals' Offices and the Department of Justice Office of Professional Responsibility. In addition, Grohovsky regularly represents individuals and businesses involved in white collar criminal investigations and students facing criminal and disciplinary proceedings. Grohovsky previously served as an Attorney Advisor in the Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Justice, where she investigated allegations of fraud, waste, and abuse within the Department. She also served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the District of Columbia, during which time she also held the role of Director of Training and was responsible for training all of the lawyers and support staff in the largest U.S. Attorney's Office in the country. About the White Collar Defense & Government Investigations Group Cohen Seglias' White Collar Defense & Government Investigations Group handles queries brought by the Department of Justice (DOJ), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), Offices of Inspectors General, DOJ Office of Professional Responsibility, state attorneys general, state ethics commissions and other administrative boards, among others. Cohen Seglias attorneys regularly advise businesses and individuals on responding to allegations of wrongdoing, including, but not limited to, government contract fraud, mail and wire fraud, tax and securities fraud, bid-rigging, disadvantaged/minority business entity fraud, criminal import and export violations, conflicts of interest, gambling, failure to comply with mandatory reporting requirements, and smuggling. Cohen Seglias attorneys have successfully represented individuals in industries including financial services, banking, investing, accounting, transportation, energy, scientific research, medical marijuana, information technology, non-profit, real estate, construction, and health care. The group also handles parallel investigations involving both government inquiries and internal investigations, advising on internal investigations involving financial misconduct, bidding, Title IX, research misconduct, conflict of interest in research, improper billing and marketing practices, and the misuse of company resources. Additionally, the attorneys serve institutions facing potential criminal liability arising from allegations of misconduct within the organization. About Cohen Seglias Pallas Greenhall & Furman PC Founded in 1988, Cohen Seglias is a law firm with more than 70 attorneys in offices across Washington, DC, Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Kentucky, and Delaware. The firm provides client service on a national basis in areas including business transactions, commercial litigation, construction, energy & utilities, False Claims Act and whistleblowers, financial services, government contracting, government law and regulatory affairs, insurance coverage and risk management, internal investigations, labor and employment, real estate, scientific misconduct, student defense, Title IX, wealth preservation, and white collar defense and government investigations. For more information, visit www.cohenseglias.com. Julie Grohovsky Christopher Carusone Brionna Denby Cision View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/cohen-seglias-welcomes-dc-partners-shanlon-wu-and-julie-grohovsky-announces-white-collar-defense--government-investigations-practice-301087176.html SOURCE Cohen Seglias Pallas Greenhall & Furman PC CONNEX Platform Fosters Effective Collaboration and Improved Workflows Between IDOT and Their Heavy Materials Suppliers BIRMINGHAM, Ala., June 30, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Command Alkon , the Leading Supplier Collaboration Platform for Constructions Heavy Work, has been named to Supply & Demand Chain Executives SDCE 100 Top Supply Chain Projects for 2020. Command Alkon won for implementing digital workflows that removed paper from business processes, improving productivity, within the Iowa Department of Transportation. The Iowa DOT was committed to pilot digital workflows for heavy materials on the I-74 bridge. They implemented electronic ticketing with CONNEX Jobsite, to process 9000 paper tickets generated each year. The goal was to remove these paper tickets, reduce duplication, and limit paperwork. Command Alkons CONNEX lets everyone involved in the project see the concrete batch weight, test data, and other information on the pour in real-time. CONNEX streamlines data, allowing anyone to sell all the batch tickets electronically, saving hours of an inspectors time. Through digital collaboration heavy material buyers and sellers have removed paper-based workflows, captured clear visibility into inter-company operations, said Alex Moody, Product Manager at Command Alkon. We are extremely proud of the Command Alkon team in partnership with the IDOT for winning this prestigious award. The SDCE 100 spotlights successful and innovative projects that deliver bottom-line value to small, medium and large enterprises across the range of supply chain functions. These projects can serve as a map for supply chain executives looking for new opportunities to drive improvement in their own operations. These projects also show how supply chain solution and service providers help their customers and clients achieve supply chain excellence and prepare their supply chains for success. Innovation is essential in driving the supply chain industry forward, and thanks to these valuable partnerships, companies of all sizes are able to achieve success in projects that matter, says Marina Mayer, editor for Supply & Demand Chain Executive. From business intelligence systems and supply and demand planning to inventory reduction and procurement solutions, the SDCE 100 offers proof-of-concept that with the right planning and execution, anything is possible. Story continues The process of going from paper to the app has been very smooth and has allowed us to get rid of duplicating our efforts; which has been the most valuable piece of the solution to me. Im saving hours of inspectors time in the field and in the office because everything is streamlined, said Cedric Wilkinson, Senior Engineer Technician at the Iowa DOT. ABOUT COMMAND ALKON As the Leading Supplier Collaboration Platform for Heavy Work, Command Alkon solutions deliver supply chain integration and frictionless digital collaboration across the heavy construction ecosystem. CONNEX, a many-to-many technology platform purpose built for the industry, enables business partners to automate inter-enterprise operations, capture real-time visibility into heavy material orders and deliveries, leverage leading-edge software experiences to achieve mutually beneficial goals, and share knowledge to manage by exception and promote certainty of outcomes. Founded in 1976, Command Alkon is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama and has offices in locations around the globe. For more information, visit commandalkon.com . About Supply & Demand Chain Executive Supply & Demand Chain Executive is the executive's user manual for successful supply and demand chain transformation, utilizing hard-hitting analysis, viewpoints and unbiased case studies to steer executives and supply management professionals through the complicated, yet critical, world of supply and demand chain enablement to gain competitive advantage. Visit us at www.SDCExec.com . For More Information, Contact: Becky Boyd MediaFirst PR (770) 642-2080 x 214 becky@mediafirst.net Karli Langner Command Alkon (205) 879-3282 x 3968 klangner@commandalkon.com ConocoPhillips (NYSE: COP) today announced its estimated production curtailment impacts for the second quarter of 2020 and provided comments on future curtailments. For the second quarter of 2020, the companys curtailments were primarily related to oil production and averaged approximately 225 thousand barrels of oil equivalent per day (MBOED) on a net basis. Of the total net curtailments, approximately 65 percent were in the Lower 48, 15 percent were in Alaska and 15 percent were in the Surmont operation in Canada. The remainder of the second-quarter curtailments were primarily in Malaysia. Including impacts from curtailments and planned seasonal turnaround activity, the company expects to report second-quarter production volumes of 960 to 980 MBOED. Excluding Libya, and adjusting for closed dispositions and curtailments, production in the second quarter of 2020 is expected to be in line with the same period a year ago and approximately 5 percent below the first quarter of 2020. "ConocoPhillips established a consistent set of criteria for evaluating and implementing economic curtailments during the recent weakness in netback oil prices," said Ryan Lance, chairman and chief executive officer. "Due to our strong balance sheet, we were in an advantaged position to create value for shareholders by forgoing some production and cash flow in the second quarter in anticipation of receiving higher cash flows for those volumes in the future." The company continues to monitor netback pricing and evaluate curtailments across its operated assets on a month-by-month basis. Based on the companys economic criteria, it expects to begin restoring curtailed production in Alaska during the month of July. In the Lower 48 region, the company also expects to begin bringing some curtailed volumes back on line during July and will continue to make economically driven production decisions at the asset level in the months ahead. At Surmont, the company is also planning to increase production from curtailed levels in the third quarter. Given ongoing variability and uncertainty in the outlook for production curtailments, the company will continue to suspend forward-looking guidance and sensitivities. Story continues The company will announce second-quarter operational and financial results on July 30. --- # # # --- About ConocoPhillips Headquartered in Houston, Texas, ConocoPhillips had operations and activities in 17 countries, $65 billion of total assets, and approximately 10,400 employees as of March 31, 2020. Production excluding Libya averaged 1,278 MBOED for the three months ended March 31, 2020, and proved reserves were 5.3 BBOE as of Dec. 31, 2019. For more information, go to www.conocophillips.com. CAUTIONARY STATEMENT FOR THE PURPOSES OF THE "SAFE HARBOR" PROVISIONS OF THE PRIVATE SECURITIES LITIGATION REFORM ACT OF 1995 This news release contains forward-looking statements as defined under the federal securities laws. Forward-looking statements relate to future events and anticipated results of operations, business strategies, and other aspects of our operations or operating results. Words and phrases such as "anticipate," "estimate," "believe," "budget," "continue," "could," "intend," "may," "plan," "potential," "predict," "seek," "should," "will," "would," "expect," "objective," "projection," "forecast," "goal," "guidance," "outlook," "effort," "target" and other similar words can be used to identify forward-looking statements. However, the absence of these words does not mean that the statements are not forward-looking. Where, in any forward-looking statement, the company expresses an expectation or belief as to future results, such expectation or belief is expressed in good faith and believed to be reasonable at the time such forward-looking statement is made. However, these statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve certain risks, uncertainties and other factors beyond our control. Therefore, actual outcomes and results may differ materially from what is expressed or forecast in the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from what is presented include the impact of public health crises, such as pandemics (including coronavirus (COVID-19)) and epidemics and any related company or government policies and actions to protect the health and safety of individuals or government policies or actions to maintain the functioning of national or global economies and markets; global and regional changes in the demand, supply, prices, differentials or other market conditions affecting oil and gas and the resulting company actions in response to such changes, including changes resulting from the imposition or lifting of crude oil production quotas or other actions that might be imposed by the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and other producing countries; changes in commodity prices; changes in expected levels of oil and gas reserves or production; operating hazards, drilling risks, unsuccessful exploratory activities; unexpected cost increases or technical difficulties in constructing, maintaining, or modifying company facilities; legislative and regulatory initiatives addressing global climate change or other environmental concerns; investment in and development of competing or alternative energy sources; disruptions or interruptions impacting the transportation for our oil and gas production; international monetary conditions and exchange rate fluctuations; changes in international trade relationships, including the imposition of trade restrictions or tariffs on any materials or products (such as aluminum and steel) used in the operation of our business; our ability to collect payments when due under our settlement agreement with PDVSA; our ability to collect payments from the government of Venezuela as ordered by the ICSID; our ability to liquidate the common stock issued to us by Cenovus Energy Inc. at prices we deem acceptable, or at all; our ability to complete our announced dispositions or acquisitions on the timeline currently anticipated, if at all; the possibility that regulatory approvals for our announced dispositions or acquisitions will not be received on a timely basis, if at all, or that such approvals may require modification to the terms of our announced dispositions, acquisitions or our remaining business; business disruptions during or following our announced dispositions or acquisitions, including the diversion of management time and attention; the ability to deploy net proceeds from our announced dispositions in the manner and timeframe we currently anticipate, if at all; potential liability for remedial actions under existing or future environmental regulations; potential liability resulting from pending or future litigation; the impact of competition and consolidation in the oil and gas industry; limited access to capital or significantly higher cost of capital related to illiquidity or uncertainty in the domestic or international financial markets; general domestic and international economic and political conditions; changes in fiscal regime or tax, environmental and other laws applicable to our business; and disruptions resulting from extraordinary weather events, civil unrest, war, terrorism or a cyber attack; and other economic, business, competitive and/or regulatory factors affecting our business generally as set forth in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Unless legally required, ConocoPhillips expressly disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Cautionary Note to U.S. Investors The SEC permits oil and gas companies, in their filings with the SEC, to disclose only proved, probable and possible reserves. We may use the term "resource" in this news release that the SECs guidelines prohibit us from including in filings with the SEC. U.S. investors are urged to consider closely the oil and gas disclosures in our Form 10-K and other reports and filings with the SEC. Copies are available from the SEC and from the ConocoPhillips website. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200630005270/en/ Contacts John C. Roper (media) 281-293-1451 john.c.roper@conocophillips.com Investor Relations 281-293-5000 investor.relations@conocophillips.com ConocoPhillips COP recently announced its intention to bring back a portion of its curtailed output in July. The company also provided an update on the impact of production cut from its operations. Following the massive dip in oil prices that stemmed from energy demand destruction caused by coronavirus-induced lockdowns and a price war between Saudi Arabia and Russia, companies with upstream operations opted for production curtailment. During April-end, WTI Crude price index plunged to historic lows. However, crude prices have significantly recovered in the past two months. The improvement prompted several companies to partially resume their productions. ConocoPhillips will be the latest company to resume productions. It is planning to start restoring output in Alaska and the Lower 48 area this month. Canadas Surmont is also expected to witness a rise in production in the third quarter. Other companies that have partially resumed curtailed productions include Continental Resources, Inc. CLR, EOG Resources, Inc. EOG and Parsley Energy, Inc. PE. Most of the companys production curtailment in the June quarter was focused on oil operations, which averaged around 225 thousand barrels of oil equivalent per day (MBoe/d). While the Lower 48 witnessed 65% production cut, ConocoPhillips Alaska and Surmont operations were reduced by 15% each. The rest of the curtailment was in its Malaysia operations. As such, the companys second-quarter production volumes are expected within 960-980 MBoe/d, indicating a decline from the year-ago periods 1,290 MBoe/d (unadjusted). Combined with the low oil prices, the curtailed production volumes are expected to have resulted in a decline in profit levels. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for second-quarter earnings per share is 23 cents, indicating 77.2% year-over-year fall. It is scheduled report second-quarter results on Jul 30. Price Performance The Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) companys shares have gained 41.9% since the beginning of the second quarter compared with 52.8% rise of the industry it belongs to. You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. Story continues Biggest Tech Breakthrough in a Generation Be among the early investors in the new type of device that experts say could impact society as much as the discovery of electricity. Current technology will soon be outdated and replaced by these new devices. In the process, its expected to create 22 million jobs and generate $12.3 trillion in activity. A select few stocks could skyrocket the most as rollout accelerates for this new tech. Early investors could see gains similar to buying Microsoft in the 1990s. Zacks just-released special report reveals 8 stocks to watch. The report is only available for a limited time. See 8 breakthrough stocks now>> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report ConocoPhillips (COP) : Free Stock Analysis Report EOG Resources, Inc. (EOG) : Free Stock Analysis Report Continental Resources, Inc. (CLR) : Free Stock Analysis Report Parsley Energy, Inc. (PE) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research Over the month of June, copper prices have gained 11% and currently trending close to the level of $6,000 a ton. This uptrend can be attributed to optimism over financial stimulus and strong demand in China, which is the top consumer, amid growing fears of disruption in copper output in Chile. LME Copper prices closed at $5,957 per ton on Jun 29. Copper, whose demand is linked to global economic growth and activity, fell prey to the impact of the COVID-19 in the first quarter and suffered a decline of 22%. However, the red metal has made a dramatic comeback in the second quarter with a gain of 25%. Strong Turnaround Copper commenced 2020 at $6,165 per ton and attained a high of $6,300 per ton on Jan 16. However, this rally was cut short as the coronavirus outbreak in China resulted in the country implementing containment measures and shutting down production lines. This severely impacted demand for copper. Meanwhile, as the outbreak rapidly took the shape of a pandemic, the consequent slump in global economic activity and plunging oil prices led copper prices plummeting to a low of $4,617.50 on Mar 23, 2020 a 27% decline from the January high. Copper has however regained lost ground since then and crossed the $5,000 per ton threshold in April. It is currently trending close to $6,000 per ton. Factors Favoring the Recovery Supply Issues in Chile: Concerns of a potential supply disruption from top producer Chile due to the worsening coronavirus situation in the country is supporting the red metals prices. Chiles current coronavirus case tally stands at 275,999 with the death toll at 5,575. The country currently has one of the worlds highest infection rates per capita. Cases at mines are escalating and authorities have tightened restrictions. Chiles state-owned copper miner Codelco has halted operations at its biggest smelter and refinery in Chuquicamata division to prevent further spread of the virus. Chile's mines minister Baldo Prokurica recently projected a decline of 200,000 tons in the country's copper output. This represents 3.5% of the countrys 2019 production. Story continues Signs of Recovery in Economic Activity: Demand in China remains strong as it is gradually moving out of the crisis and is working toward full normalization of economic activities. The countrys stimulus program focused on new infrastructure and urbanization will require massive amounts of copper. Also, Eurozone Manufacturing PMI came in at 46.9 in June, ahead of the expectation of 44.5 and previous months 39.4. This was the weakest contraction in factory activity in four months, as coronavirus lockdown restrictions have been relaxed. Meanwhile in the United States, sales of new U.S. single-family homes jumped 16.6% sequentially to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 676,000 units in May. Per the Federal Reserve, industrial production increased 1.4% in May following a decline of 12.5% in April, as factories resumed operations. After contractions in March and April, manufacturing output rose 3.8% in May. According to IHS Markit, flash U.S. Composite Output Index, which surveys both the manufacturing and services sectors, was at 46.8 in June, up from 37 in May. The U.S. Services Business Activity Index was at 46.7 compared with 37.5 in May. The flash U.S manufacturing PMI came in at 49.6, up from 39.8 in May. Even though a reading below 50 indicates contraction, all these indexes are at a four-month high. These figures suggest that the U.S economy is recovering from the damage inflicted by COVID-19 crisis. This bodes well for copper. Industry Performance & Rank Copper miners fall under the Zacks Mining - Non Ferrous industry, which has gained 37.5% over the past three months compared with the S&P 500s growth of 16%. The industry falls under the broader Basic Material sector, which increased 31.4%. The industry currently carries a Zacks Industry Rank #59, which places it at the top 23% of more than 250 Zacks industries. The group's Zacks Industry Rank, which is the average of the Zacks Rank of all the member stocks, indicates bright prospects in the near term. Our research shows that the top 50% of the Zacks-ranked industries outperforms the bottom 50% by a factor of more than 2 to 1. Investors interested in the industry can consider FreeportMcMoRan Inc. FCX, which currently carry a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for FreeportMcMoRan for the current year indicates year-over-year growth of 50%. The company has a trailing four-quarter positive earnings surprise of 36.8%, on average. The stock has gained 64% in the past three months. Investors interested in the industry may consider keeping an eye on Zacks Ranked #3 (Hold) stocks like Coeur Mining, Inc. CDE, Energy Fuels Inc. UUUU and Paramount Gold Nevada Corp. PZG, which have positive earnings growth estimates of 145%, 59%, and 21% for 2020, respectively. Shares of Paramount Gold Nevada have appreciated 105% over the past three months, while Coeur Mining and Energy Fuels shares have gained 49% and 24%, respectively. (NOTE: We are reissuing this article to correct a mistake. The original version, relased yesterday, June 30, 2020, should no longer be relied upon.) Biggest Tech Breakthrough in a Generation Be among the early investors in the new type of device that experts say could impact society as much as the discovery of electricity. Current technology will soon be outdated and replaced by these new devices. In the process, its expected to create 22 million jobs and generate $12.3 trillion in activity. A select few stocks could skyrocket the most as rollout accelerates for this new tech. Early investors could see gains similar to buying Microsoft in the 1990s. Zacks just-released special report reveals 8 stocks to watch. The report is only available for a limited time. See 8 breakthrough stocks now>> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report FreeportMcMoRan Inc. (FCX) : Free Stock Analysis Report Paramount Gold Nevada Corp. (PZG) : Free Stock Analysis Report Coeur Mining, Inc. (CDE) : Free Stock Analysis Report Energy Fuels Inc (UUUU) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research Boris Johnson: 'Of course we face a real, real crisis and we have to deal with it'. Photo: Paul Ellis/WPA Pool/Getty Images UK prime minister Boris Johnson has admitted the UK faces a worse economic crash than the financial crisis of 2008 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdown. We all knew, when we went into lockdown, that there would be huge economic cost, Johnson said on Tuesday. The prime minister said the 2008 crisis, which saw the economy shrink by 6%, was actually not as bad as the current situation. Of course we face a real, real crisis and we have to deal with it, he said. But were going to deal with it in the most energetic way possible. New figures from the Treasury show that 9.3 million people are now on furlough, almost a third of the UKs total workforce. Fears are growing that many will lose their jobs when the scheme ends in October. READ MORE: Furlough number hits 9.3 million days before cut off Speaking on Tuesday, Johnson refused to say whether the governments job retention scheme will be extended but hinted that chancellor Rishi Sunak would announce more measures on jobs next week. The prime minister would not be drawn on the possibility of regional support for areas like Leicester, which has been forced to extend its lockdown in response to a local outbreak of COVID-19. Boris Johnson visits the Speller Metcalfe's construction site for the The Dudley Institute of Technology after warning the UK faces a worse economic crash than the financial crisis of 2008. Photo: Jeremy Selwyn/WPA Pool/Getty Images It came as the prime minister delivered a speech in Dudley on Tuesday setting out plans to jump-start the UKs ailing economy. Johnson pledged to build, build, build with 5bn ($6.1bn) of spending on infrastructure projects brought forward. We will not be responding to this crisis with what some people call austerity, he said. The world has moved on since 2008. Flagship measures include 1bn to build new schools and 1.5bn to repair hospitals. Johnson announced a new taskforce, dubbed Project Speed, that will scythe through red tape and get things done. He also promised the most radical reforms of our planning system since the Second World War to encourage housebuilding. Other commitments include a new National Science Funding Agency that will back high risk, high reward projects. Story continues READ MORE: UK government promises 5bn 'New Deal' to kickstart recovery I fully accept that there are going to be economic aftershocks but there are also big opportunities to take this country forward, Johnson said. We need pace and this is the moment to inject that pace into the ambitions of the government. The spending pledges came hours after official data showed the UK economy suffered its steepest decline in output in 40 years. GDP shrank by 2.2% in the first quarter of 2020, before the full effects of lockdown were even felt. We must work fast, Johnson said. Weve already seen the vertiginous drop in GDP and we know that people are worried now, about their jobs and their businesses. Were waiting, as if between the flash of lighting and the thunderclap, with our hearts in our mouths, for the full economic reverberations to appear. We must use this moment now, this interval, to plan our response. Boris Johnson's spending pledges came hours after official data showed the UK economy suffered its steepest decline in output in 40 years. Photo: Justin Tallis/AFP via Getty Images Business groups welcomed the governments plans and urged it to act quickly. The key now is to ensure that these projects get off the ground as a matter of urgency so that the benefits flow down through supply chains, safeguarding and creating as many jobs as possible across all UK regions, said Stephen Phipson, chief executive of manufacturers group Make UK. READ MORE: UK economy suffered biggest fall since 1979 as pandemic struck Adam Marshall, director general of the British Chamber of Commerce, said: The infrastructure delivery plans announced by the prime minister are welcome, but they must take shape on the ground swiftly to give a real confidence boost to businesses and communities. The government must go even further over the coming days to rekindle business and consumer confidence, as part of a wider roadmap to economic recovery. This is a critical moment, and business communities need this government to be bolder than any previous government has ever been. It is a well-documented fact that stocks in the airline space could not set the stage on fire in 2019. Headwinds like lackluster cargo business due to weak freight demand and trade tensions between the United States and China besides loss of revenues following flight cancellations stemming from the grounding of Boeing 737 MAX jets prevented the stocks from flying high last year. These drawbacks continued to weigh on airlines as they entered 2020. Despite the downsides, passenger revenues remained strong owing to impressive demand for air travel. Advent of Coronavirus Cripples Air-Travel Demand All the buoyancy in passenger revenues on the back of bullish demand, however, was negated by the dreaded coronavirus disease (COVID-19), which was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization on Mar 11. Even though almost all corners of the investing space have been affected by this unprecedented crisis, airlines are among the worst-hit. The fact that the Zacks Airline industry has plunged 23% since the beginning of March against the S&P 500 Indexs 3.2% gain bears testimony to the aviation industrys severe body blow. As coronavirus claimed multiple lives apart from infecting scores across the globe, several countries were under lockdown amid wide-spread travel restrictions particularly since March, thereby causing air-travel demand to fade out fast. As passenger revenues account for bulk of the airline stocks top line, negligible air-travel demand spelt doom for the carriers in the March quarter. With the key component of their total revenue bases being significantly drained, heavyweights like Delta Air Lines DAL, Southwest Airlines LUV, American Airlines AAL and United Airlines UAL incurred massive losses in the first quarter of 2020. Despite the recent moderate improvement in air-travel demand, the second-quarter performance of airlines is likely to have been again dented by below-par passenger revenues. Consequently, the currently Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) Delta expects June-quarter revenues to plunge 90% on a year-over-year basis. Story continues You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. Whats in Store for 2H20? Reopening of businesses in countries around the globe and easing of travel bans bode well for the airline stocks, which are witnessing a surge in new bookings. Evidently, Latin American carrier Azul AZUL expects to have 240 peak daily departures in July, reflecting an increase of 42.9% from the daily departures in June. Moreover, the carrier aims to resume services to six domestic destinations in the same month, thereby bringing the total number of cities served to 66. Moreover, owing to the resurgence in demand, American Airlines is booking flights to full capacity from today. Meanwhile, Delta expects to expand capacity by about 1,000 flights in both July and August. Based on this uptrend, many aviation stocks issued upbeat updates pertaining to cash-burn rates. Moreover, the number of people screened by the Transportation Security Administration displaying an upward trend of late hints at the rebound in air travel. Another factor working in favor of the airlines in this challenging scenario is their focus on operating cargo-only flights. With air-travel demand at one point of time hitting rock bottom, many carriers including the likes of Delta and Hawaiian Holdings HA had decided on operating cargo-only flights. In fact, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) expects cargo revenues to climb 8.2% year over year to $110.8 billion in the ongoing year. Moreover, cargo revenues are expected to account for 26% of the top line in 2020 compared with a mere 12% in 2019. Low fuel costs are also benefiting airlines. Despite the above-mentioned tailwinds, the airline industry has its share of hiccups, which we witness while going into the latter half of the year. Notably, the federal aid to airlines under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act will sustain jobs only through Sep 30, 2020. However, with passenger demand unlikely to attain the pre-coronavirus levels any time soon, airlines may be forced to trim their workforce in the face of soft revenues. Many carriers in fact, hinted at job-cuts post Sep 30. Moreover, the recent spike in coronavirus cases in some parts of the United States following resumption of economic activities heightened fears of a second wave of the infection. This is extremely damaging to airlines. In the event of people again preferring to stay home instead of traveling will no way sustain the recent uptick in passenger revenues. Sad but true, the aviation industry is already estimated to suffer heavy loses to the tune of $84.3 billion in the current year due to the coronavirus-induced crisis, per IATA. Passenger revenues are predicted to tank more than 150% from last-year levels to $241 billion. In the event of a relapse dwindling air-traffic demand, the carriers outlook may deteriorate further. Come what may, we expect investors interested in this not-so-long-ago high-flying space to stay tuned for further highlights on how things pan out for airlines in the second half of 2020. Biggest Tech Breakthrough in a Generation Be among the early investors in the new type of device that experts say could impact society as much as the discovery of electricity. Current technology will soon be outdated and replaced by these new devices. In the process, its expected to create 22 million jobs and generate $12.3 trillion in activity. A select few stocks could skyrocket the most as rollout accelerates for this new tech. Early investors could see gains similar to buying Microsoft in the 1990s. Zacks just-released special report reveals 8 stocks to watch. The report is only available for a limited time. See 8 breakthrough stocks now>> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Southwest Airlines Co. (LUV) : Free Stock Analysis Report Delta Air Lines, Inc. (DAL) : Free Stock Analysis Report United Airlines Holdings Inc (UAL) : Free Stock Analysis Report American Airlines Group Inc. (AAL) : Free Stock Analysis Report Hawaiian Holdings, Inc. (HA) : Free Stock Analysis Report AZUL SA (AZUL) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research RTHK: UK says welcomes Chinese companies Britain will continue to have a constructive relationship with Chinese companies working and investing in the country, but the strong ties between London and Beijing do not come at any price, a spokesman for Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Wednesday. "We have a strong and constructive relationship with China in many areas ... But this relationship does not come at any price. It has always been the case that where we have concerns we raise them, and where we need to intervene, then we will," the spokesman told reporters. "We'll continue to have a constructive relationship with Chinese firms working and investing in the United Kingdom," he said, adding that a review into the implications of the latest US sanctions on Huawei will be completed shortly. (Reuters) This story has been published on: 2020-07-01. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. NMC Healthcare has recently opened a new Royal Medical Centre. Located in Karama, Abu Dhabi, the centre will provide residents within the community and the surrounding areas access to trusted healthcare services. NMC Healths CEO Michael Davis, along with Clancey Po, Director of Corporate Operations Strategy inaugurated the new facility - which is NMCs third Royal Medical Centres in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. The new centre is part of NMC Healthcare, an integrated healthcare provider with a network of hospitals, a chain of medical centers, and pharmacies in the country. At present, NMC operates over 200 centres in the UAE. During the official opening ceremony, Davis said, We are extremely honored and excited to open yet another branch of our leading multispecialty medical centre to address the ever-changing needs of the community. We are hoping that in the current pandemic scenario, a community centre such as this will act like a front liner allowing government and private hospitals to focus on providing secondary and tertiary level of care. The opening of NMC Royal Medical Centre, Karama is an important milestone in filling the gap for quality healthcare in the respective community. The Royal Medical Centre is equipped with advanced Laboratory services and a state-of-the-art Radiology unit that includes ultrasound with color Doppler and X-Ray unit, as well as a 1.5 Tesla MRI machine. The Centre hosts a team of international consultants and specialists, comprising of over 30 doctors, 35 nurses and paramedics. It provides services in obstetrics & gynecology, pediatrics, general surgery, family medicine, orthopedics, urology, pediatric dentistry, dermatology, ENT, endocrinology, ophthalmology, cardiology with TMT and ECHO, and physiotherapy and is housed with a well-stocked pharmacy. In an exclusive interview, Po said: Over the years, NMC has touched many lives by reaching out to different communities by offering a diverse range of state-of-the-art medical services housed in conveniently accessible clinical facilities. This is in continuation of our strategy to develop a robust Hub & Spoke model of healthcare delivery. The clinic will efficiently provide patients with access to next level of care across our NMC Hospitals. The NMC Royal Medical Centre, Karama, Abu Dhabi is open from 7 am to 11 pm, from Saturday to Thursday and from 2 pm to 10 pm on Friday for specialist consultation and treatment. -- Tradearabia News Service Pfizer (PFE) on Wednesday announced early positive results for the first phase of its coronavirus vaccine trial, sparking hopes that an effective treatment can help turn the tide amid an implacable surge in new infections. The resurgence of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations in more than half of the U.S. has forced multiple regions to rethink plans to relax their lockdowns. The frontline battle has shifted to states like California, Texas, Florida, Arizona, all of which are responding to surging case counts by rolling back phased reopening plans. Those areas are also mandating masks and closing beaches; meanwhile, states like New Jersey and New York which have recovered from the darkest days of the outbreak are also taking precautions by halting plans to reopen indoor dining. New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy announced this week he would reverse the decision to allow indoor dining in time for the holiday weekend. New York City followed suit Wednesday, with Mayor Bill DeBlasio saying indoor dining would be paused and outdoor dining would be expanded with more than 6,600 restaurants taking advantage the citys initiative to qualify restaurants for outdoor dining. It is not the time to forge ahead with indoor dining, DeBlasio said, citing the nationwide surge in COVID-19 cases. I am very convinced we can help restaurants survive, and help bring a lot more revenue to them. We can help bring back a lot of jobs, but do it safely and do it outdoors. He referenced Dr. Anthony Faucis testimony in front of a Senate panel Tuesday as a key reason to remain wary of the outbreak. Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said the country which as already doubled from a daily average of 20,000 to 40,000 cases could end up seeing 100,000 cases per day if the surge continues. Coronavirus cases are increasing in the Sun Belt region. (Graphic: David Foster/Yahoo Finance) Separately, Pfizer and BioNTech emerged as leaders in the hotly-contested global race for a vaccine, sparking a market rally and sending the companys stock up 5%. Story continues Their candidate is using mRNA technology, the same as the leading vaccine candidate from Moderna (MRNA). In both cases, there will be extra regulatory scrutiny as the technology has no precedent on the market. The company tested three different strength doses in 45 participants aged 18-55, and showed neutralizing antibodies were produced at higher levels with the two lower doses. This is ideal for the company as it means less materials required per dose and more vaccine production. While no vaccines have been approved, the global race is heating up with various companies pushing ahead as quickly as possible. Inovio (INO), an early entrant among the smaller biotech players, announced early positive results Tuesday, but has not yet provided study details. The path toward a vaccine is the U.S.s Manhattan Project, said Declan Quirke, Stifel Healthcare Groups co-head, but even with multiple parties working on a solution, its still going to take time. Meanwhile, in the treatment space, Gilead (GILD) is under fire again as the U.S. announced it would buy the majority of the companys supply of the antiviral drug remdesivir. The U.S. Health and Human Services Department (HHS) announced it would be buying half a million treatment courses the entire supply for the company for July and a majority of the supply for August and September. President Trump has struck an amazing deal to ensure Americans have access to the first authorized therapeutic for COVID-19, HHS Sec. Alex Azar said in a prepared statement. To the extent possible, we want to ensure that any American patient who needs remdesivir can get it, he added. Anticipating the unprecedented need, Gilead issued voluntary non-exclusive licenses to five generic manufacturers in May. But with a production time of more than six months, that would mean these companies would likely have their first batch produced by late fall at the earliest. Only 10% of the companys supply would be distributed globally in the meantime. This has many experts concerned about the U.S.-produced vaccines, and how protectionism will play a role in the distribution of a successful candidate. Anjalee Khemlani is a reporter at Yahoo Finance. Follow her on Twitter: @AnjKhem More from Anjalee: Read the latest financial and business news from Yahoo Finance Follow Yahoo Finance on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Flipboard, SmartNews, LinkedIn, YouTube. By Geoffrey Smith Investing.com -- Crude oil prices held on to most of their overnight gains in early trade in New York on Wednesday, after data suggesting that job-shedding in May and June had not been as severe as feared bolstered confidence in the resilience of U.S. demand. Private payrolls processor ADP said the U.S. private sector added 2.369 million jobs last month. While that was below expectations, the company also sharply revised down its estimate of job losses in May, leaving the net job count, on balance, higher than assumed. Crude prices dipped on the first headline figure but recovered some of their losses after reassessing the broader picture. By 9:15 AM ET (1315 GMT), U.S. crude futures were up 1.5% at $39.87 a barrel, having earlier traded as high as $40.58 a barrel. The international benchmark Brent was up 1.3% at $41.80 a barrel. As with the official employment report, which has been moved up a day to Thursday to avoid clashing with the July 4th holiday, ADPs data only cover events until the middle of the previous month, hence the more up to date numbers on labor demand will be the weekly jobless claims, which are due on Thursday as usual. The unclear picture from the labor market puts more of an onus on the ISM manufacturing survey and the governments weekly report on oil inventories at 10:30 AM ET to provide clarity about the strength of U.S. demand. American Petroleum Institute numbers released on Tuesday had shown a drop of 8.16 million barrels in crude stocks, far more than expected. In the U.S., the recovery is a lot more precarious than people had hoped or planned it to be, Citigroups head of commodity research Ed Morse told Gulf Intelligence in an online video interview earlier Wednesday. Morse said he doesnt expect world demand to return to late-2019 levels before the end of next year. Despite that, he said he expects the U.S. shale sector to pick up, arguing theres very little downside from last weeks multi-year low for drilling rigs and pointing to an increase in fracking crew activity already taking place. Story continues Certainly at $35-$40 WTI, there is profitable oil to be exploited, Morse told GI. Further afield, Petroleum Argus reported that Libya had managed to restart production at one of its smaller fields, although its larger, export-oriented fields remain blockaded by civil war. Elsewhere, the market has absorbed with little fuss signalling from the OPEC+ bloc, reported by Reuters, firming speculation that the group will go ahead with its planned relaxation of output restraint at the end of the month. Under current plans, the bloc intends to return 2 million barrels a day of output to the market in August, out of the 9.7 million b/d it cut in May. Related Articles Business groups say flexibility needed to implement new North American trade deal Congo and the chocolate factory: New producer hits the sweet spot Oil rises after drop in U.S. crude stocks suggests demand pickup TORONTO, June 30, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Cryptologic Corp. (Cryptologic or the Company) (CSE:CRY) today announces that the Company has completed the conversion of its 8% extendible convertible unsecured debentures (the Conversion) into common shares (the Common Shares) as described in the Companys press release dated June 19, 2020. Cryptologic converted the principal amount of $34,500,000 at a conversion price of $1.00 (the Conversion Price), and made payment of all accrued interest to the date of Conversion by issuing Common Shares at a price equal to the accrued interest divided by the Conversion Price. After the issuance of 35,880,000 Common Shares as a result of the Conversion and payment of accrued interest in Common Shares, the Company now has 48,599,162 outstanding Common Shares. The Company today also announces a leadership transition. Effective today, Joshua Lebovic has been appointed Interim Chief Financial Officer, following the departure of Jordan Greenberg, the Companys previous Chief Financial Officer. The Company thanks Mr. Greenberg for his very capable service. For information please contact: Joshua Lebovic Interim Chief Financial Officer (647) 715-3707 About Cryptologic Corp. Cryptologic Corp. is currently a cryptocurrency mining company that is focused on divesting its crypto mining assets and exploring acquisition opportunities in sectors outside of cryptocurrency mining. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information Certain statements in this press release, including statements with respect to the number of Common Shares to be issued as a result of the Conversion and the payment of accrued interest at the Conversion Price and the anticipated effective date of Conversion, contain forward-looking information which can be identified by the use of forward looking terminology such as "believes", "expects", "may", "desires", "will", "should", "projects", "estimates", "contemplates", "anticipates", "intends", or any negative such as "does not believe" or other variations thereof or comparable terminology. No assurance can be given that potential future results or circumstances described in the forward-looking statements will be achieved or will occur. By their nature, these forward-looking statements necessarily involve risks and uncertainties, including the risk that the number of Common Shares to be issued is materially higher or lower than as set out herein, or there is a change in the effective date of the Conversion and other risks and uncertainties discussed herein, that could cause actual results to significantly differ from those contemplated by these forward-looking statements. Such statements reflect the view of the Company with respect to future events and are based on information currently available to the Company and on assumptions, which it considers reasonable. Management cautions readers that the assumptions relative to the future events, several of which are beyond management's control, could prove to be incorrect, given that they are subject to certain risk and uncertainties, and that actual results may differ materially from those projected. Other factors which could cause results or events to differ from current expectations include, among other things, the impact of general economic, industry and market conditions. Management disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable securities laws. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information. The Canadian Securities Exchange has not reviewed, approved or disapproved the content of this news release. SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., July 01, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Cytokinetics, Incorporated (CYTK), today announced that it will host a Virtual Investor and Analyst Day on Wednesday, July 15, 2020 from 8:30 AM to 11:30 AM ET. Members of Cytokinetics senior management will be joined by expert clinicians and patients to provide updates on the companys advancing cardiovascular pipeline and strategies to build a commercial franchise. Panel discussions on the changing landscape in heart failure therapy and emerging treatments for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) will feature the following physician experts: John McMurray, M.D., Professor of Medical Cardiology & Honorary Consultant Cardiologist, Institute of Cardiovascular & Medical Sciences, BHF Cardiovascular Research Centre, University of Glasgow Adrian Hernandez, M.D., MHS, Executive Director, Duke Clinical Research Institute, Vice Dean, Duke University School of Medicine Larry Allen, M.D., MHS, Professor of Medicine, Kenneth Poirier Chair; Associate Head for Clinical Affairs, Cardiology; Medical Director, Advanced Heart Failure, University of Colorado School of Medicine Martin Maron, M.D., Director Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Center, Tufts Medical Center and Chanin T. Mast Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Center, Morristown Medical Center Anjali Tiku Owens, M.D., Medical Director, Center for Inherited Cardiac Disease, Assistant Professor of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Andrew Wang, M.D., Professor of Medicine, Vice Chief for Clinical Services, Duke University School of Medicine In addition, a patient panel discussion will explore perspectives in both heart failure and HCM. Interested parties may access the live virtual event by registering online at https://bit.ly/CYTKInvestorDay or by visiting the Investors & Media section of Cytokinetics website at www.cytokinetics.com . An archived replay of the virtual event will be available via Cytokinetics website until July 15, 2021. Story continues About Cytokinetics Cytokinetics is a late-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering, developing and commercializing first-in-class muscle activators and next-in-class muscle inhibitors as potential treatments for debilitating diseases in which muscle performance is compromised and/or declining. As a leader in muscle biology and the mechanics of muscle performance, the company is developing small molecule drug candidates specifically engineered to impact muscle function and contractility. Cytokinetics is collaborating with Amgen Inc. (Amgen) to develop omecamtiv mecarbil, a novel cardiac muscle activator. Omecamtiv mecarbil is the subject of an international clinical trials program in patients with heart failure including GALACTIC-HF and METEORIC-HF. Amgen holds an exclusive worldwide license to develop and commercialize omecamtiv mecarbil with a sublicense held by Servier for commercialization in Europe and certain other countries. Cytokinetics is developing reldesemtiv, a fast skeletal muscle troponin activator (FSTA) for the potential treatment of ALS and other neuromuscular indications following conduct of FORTITUDE-ALS and other Phase 2 clinical trials. The company is considering potential advancement of reldesemtiv to Phase 3 pending ongoing regulatory interactions. Cytokinetics is collaborating with Astellas Pharma Inc. (Astellas) to research, develop and commercialize other novel mechanism skeletal sarcomere activators (not including FSTAs). Licenses held by Amgen and Astellas are subject to specified co-development and co-commercialization rights of Cytokinetics. Cytokinetics is also developing CK-274, a novel cardiac myosin inhibitor that company scientists discovered independent of its collaborations, for the potential treatment of hypertrophic cardiomyopathies (HCM). Cytokinetics is conducting REDWOOD-HCM, a Phase 2 clinical trial of CK-274 in patients with obstructive HCM. Cytokinetics continues its over 20-year history of pioneering innovation in muscle biology and related pharmacology focused to diseases of muscle dysfunction and conditions of muscle weakness. For additional information about Cytokinetics, visit www.cytokinetics.com and follow us on Twitter , LinkedIn , Facebook and YouTube . Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements for purposes of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (the "Act"). Cytokinetics disclaims any intent or obligation to update these forward-looking statements and claims the protection of the Act's Safe Harbor for forward-looking statements. Examples of such statements include, but are not limited to, statements relating to Cytokinetics' and its partners' research and development activities of Cytokinetics product candidates. Such statements are based on management's current expectations, but actual results may differ materially due to various risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to the risks related to Cytokinetics' business outlined in Cytokinetics' filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, and Cytokinetics' actual results of operations, financial condition and liquidity, and the development of the industry in which it operates, may differ materially from the forward-looking statements contained in this press release. Any forward-looking statements that Cytokinetics makes in this press release speak only as of the date of this press release. Cytokinetics assumes no obligation to update its forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, after the date of this press release. Contact: Cytokinetics Diane Weiser Senior Vice President, Corporate Communications, Investor Relations (415) 290-7757 VANCOUVER, British Columbia, June 30, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- SouthGobi Resources Ltd. (TSX: SGQ, HK: 1878) (SouthGobi or the Company) announces that reference is made to the announcements of the Company dated May 17, 2020 and June 11, 2020 (collectively, the Announcements) in relation to, among other things, the delay in publication of the annual results of the Company for the year ended 31 December 2019 (the 2019 Audited Annual Results) and despatch of the 2019 Annual Report. Unless otherwise stated herein, the capitalized terms used herein shall have the same meanings as that ascribed to them in the Announcements. As announced on May 17, 2020, the Company applied to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange for a further extension of time for the publication of the 2019 Annual Report as provided for in the Further Guidance on Joint Statement in relation to Results Announcements in light of the COVID-19 Pandemic issued by the Securities and Future Commission in Hong Kong and the Hong Kong Stock Exchange on March 16, 2020. On June 30, 2020, the Hong Kong Stock Exchange granted a waiver to the Company to waive the requirement under 13.46(2)(a) of the Hong Kong Listing Rules on the basis that the Company will despatch the 2019 Annual Report on or before 24 July 2020. Relevant Canadian securities laws do not permit a reporting issuer to file audited financial statements which contain an auditors report that expresses a modified opinion or disclaimer of opinion, thus the Company has been working closely with the Auditors in order to ensure they are receiving sufficient evidence to support the going concern assumptions for the Companys 2019 Financial Statements. However, due to ongoing travel restrictions to Mongolia imposed amid of Covid-19 pandemic, the Company requires additional time to prepare and provide information to the Auditors to support the going concern assumptions for the 2019 Financial Statements. The Company has been communicating with the Auditors over the past few months regarding the going concern assumptions. Following the increase of the Companys coal export volume as a result of the gradual loosening of the limits on coal export volume at the border, together with the settlement with First Concept Industrial Group Limited in June 2020, the Company has commenced working with the key creditors on settlement plans as alternative evidence in order to support the going concern assumptions. Furthermore, the Company will provide additional audit evidence to the Auditors and conduct audit update meetings with the Auditors in the next three weeks and target to publish 2019 Audited Annual Results and the 2019 Annual Report on or by July 24, 2020, assuming the Auditors consider the new evidences are sufficient to support the going concern assumptions and an unmodified audit opinion can be issued. However, there is no guarantee the key creditors will agree to the settlement plans with the Company nor that the Auditors are able to rely on the new evidence provided to agree on the going concern assumptions of the Company. Story continues The Company will make further announcement(s) to inform the shareholders of the Company of the date of the publication of the 2019 Audited Annual Results and the date of despatch of the 2019 Annual Report, as and when appropriate. SHAREHOLDERS AND POTENTIAL INVESTORS OF THE COMPANY SHOULD EXERCISE CAUTION WHEN THEY DEAL OR CONTEMPLATE DEALING IN THE COMPANYS SHARES OR OTHER SECURITIES OF THE COMPANY. About SouthGobi SouthGobi, listed on the Toronto and Hong Kong stock exchanges, owns and operates its flagship Ovoot Tolgoi coal mine in Mongolia. SouthGobi produces and sells coal to customers in China. Contact: Investor Relations Office: +852 2156 1438 (Hong Kong) +1 604 762 6783 (Canada) Email: info@southgobi.com SPARTANBURG, S.C., June 30, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Dennys Corporation (DENN) (Dennys or the Company), franchisor and operator of one of Americas largest franchised full-service restaurant chains, today announced that it has commenced an underwritten public offering of 8,000,000 shares of its common stock, $0.01 par value (Common Stock). In addition, Dennys expects to grant the underwriters a 30-day option to purchase up to an additional 1,200,000 shares of Common Stock. Dennys intends to use the net proceeds from the offering, including any net proceeds from the underwriters exercise of their option to purchase additional shares of Common Stock, for general corporate purposes. Wells Fargo Securities, LLC, Citizens Capital Markets and Regions Securities LLC will act as joint book-running managers in connection with the offering and Wells Fargo Securities, LLC will act as representative of the underwriters in connection with the offering. The shares of Common Stock are being offered and sold pursuant to an effective shelf registration statement on Form S-3 previously filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC). The offering will be made only by means of a preliminary prospectus supplement and the accompanying base prospectus, which may be obtained free of charge on the SECs website at www.sec.gov or by sending a request to Wells Fargo Securities, Attention: Equity Syndicate Department, 500 West 33rd Street, New York, New York, 10001, at (800) 326-5897 or by emailing a request to cmclientsupport@wellsfargo.com. This press release does not constitute an offer to sell, or the solicitation of an offer to buy, any shares of Common Stock or any other security and shall not constitute any offer, solicitation or sale in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation, purchase or sale is unlawful. About Dennys Dennys Corporation is the franchisor and operator of one of Americas largest franchised full-service restaurant chains, based on the number of restaurants. As of March 25, 2020, Dennys had 1,695 franchised, licensed, and company restaurants around the world including 147 restaurants in Canada, Puerto Rico, Mexico, the Philippines, New Zealand, Honduras, the United Arab Emirates, Costa Rica, Guam, Guatemala, the United Kingdom, El Salvador, Indonesia, and Aruba. Story continues The Company urges caution in considering its current trends and any outlook on earnings disclosed in this press release. In addition, certain matters discussed in this release may constitute forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements, which reflect its best judgment based on factors currently known, are intended to speak only as of the date such statements are made and involve risks, uncertainties, and other factors that may cause the actual performance of Dennys Corporation, its subsidiaries, and underlying restaurants to be materially different from the performance indicated or implied by such statements, including without limitation statements about whether the Company will be able to consummate the offering, the terms of the offering and the satisfaction of customary closing conditions with respect to the offering. Words such as expect, anticipate, believe, intend, plan, hope, and variations of such words and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. Except as may be required by law, the Company expressly disclaims any obligation to update these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this release or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. Factors that could cause actual performance to differ materially from the performance indicated by these forward-looking statements include, among others: the rapidly evolving COVID-19 pandemic and related containment measures, including the potential for further operational disruption from government mandates affecting restaurants; economic, public health, social and political conditions that impact consumer confidence and spending, including with respect to social unrest and COVID-19; competitive pressures from within the restaurant industry; the level of success of our operating initiatives and advertising and promotional efforts; adverse publicity; health concerns arising from food-related pandemics, outbreaks of flu viruses, such as avian flu, or other diseases; changes in business strategy or development plans; terms and availability of capital; regional weather conditions; overall changes in the general economy (including with regard to energy costs), particularly at the retail level; political environment (including acts of war and terrorism); and other factors from time to time set forth in the Companys SEC reports and other filings, including but not limited to the discussion in Managements Discussion and Analysis and the risks identified in Item 1A. Risk Factors contained in the Companys Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 25, 2019 and the Companys Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended March 25, 2020 (and in the Companys subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on Form 8-K). Investor Contact: Curt Nichols 877-784-7167 Media Contact: Hadas Streit, Allison+Partners 646-428-0629 MORRISTOWN, N.J., June 30, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Donnelly Minter & Kelly, LLC is proud to welcome attorney Linda N. Engleby as the Firm's newest partner. Ms. Engleby brings extensive experience to the Firm's Estate Planning and Trust & Estate Administration Department. Linda N. Engleby joined the law firm of Donnelly Minter & Kelly, LLC as partner on June 22, 2020, where she will continue in her practice of advising clients in all matters relating to estate and trust administration and probate litigation. Ms. Engleby also counsels clients relating to guardianship matters, having served as Guardian Ad Litem and Court Appointed Attorney on numerous occasions. "Linda is an outstanding addition to our Firm," said Laura Ann Kelly, one of the Firm's founding partners. "Her ability to develop close client-attorney relationships coupled with her talent for designing sophisticated estate planning documents tailored to address each client's specific needs are the type of skills our clients value." Prior to attending George Washington University Law School, from where she received her law degree in 1998, Ms. Engleby attended Union Theological Seminary, receiving her Master of Divinity in 1988. For a time, she served as a hospital chaplain working with families as they dealt with traumatic health and medical issues. Ms. Engleby has said that her concentration on Estate Planning and Trust & Estate Administration allows her to combine her love of working with people to resolve intrafamily issues with her interest in the law. Beyond estate tax matters, Ms. Engleby is experienced in helping her clients navigate family disputes over the interpretation of trusts and wills, as well as representing her clients' interests in adversarial matters relating to the dispersion of family assets. Throughout her career as an attorney, Ms. Engleby has also counseled both individual and corporate executors and trustees on their fiduciary responsibilities. Story continues When not practicing law, Ms. Engleby volunteers with El Hogar, a non-profit that works to provide homes and education for children of Honduras to improve their potential of becoming caring, productive citizens. She also serves on the Vestry of St. Bernard's Church in Bernardsville, NJ. "Linda's values and thoughtful approach fit well with our Firm's commitment to providing our clients with personalized legal services through open communication, as well as with our commitment to community service," Ms. Kelly stated. "We hope you will join us in welcoming her aboard." Donnelly Minter & Kelly is a progressive law firm with traditional values serving clients from its offices in Morristown, NJ and New York City, NY. The Firm focuses on several areas of law in addition to Trust and Estate Planning, including Commercial Litigation, Commercial Real Estate, Corporate Transactions, and Product Liability. To contact Ms. Engleby or any of the DMK attorneys, visit their website or call (973) 200-6400 in New Jersey or (212) 537-9125 in New York. Related Images linda-n-engleby-esq.png Linda N. Engleby, Esq. Headshot of LInda N. Engleby, Esq., Partner at Donnelly Minter & Kelly, LLC Cision View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/donnelly-minter--kelly-llc-welcomes-new-partner-linda-n-engleby-301085439.html SOURCE Donnelly Minter & Kelly, LLC Q1 2020 Exela Technologies Inc Earnings Call ST. LOUIS Feb 7, 2021 (Thomson StreetEvents) -- Edited Transcript of Exela Technologies Inc earnings conference call or presentation Tuesday, June 30, 2020 at 9:00:00pm GMT TEXT version of Transcript ================================================================================ Corporate Participants ================================================================================ * Ronald Clark Cogburn Exela Technologies, Inc. - CEO & Director * Shrikant Sortur Exela Technologies, Inc. - CFO ================================================================================ Conference Call Participants ================================================================================ * Allen Kato Beach Point Capital Management LP - Analyst * Bryan King Congruent Investment Partners, LLC - Analyst * David Foropoulos;UnumProvident Corporation;Assistant VP * Jerry Wang The Carlyle Group Inc. - Principal * William Maina ICR, LLC - SVP ================================================================================ Presentation -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Operator [1] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Good day and welcome to the Exela Technologies First Quarter 2020 Financial Results Conference Call and Webcast. (Operator Instructions) Please note, this event is being recorded. I would now like to turn the conference over to Will Maina, Investor Relations. Please go ahead. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- William Maina, ICR, LLC - SVP [2] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Thank you, Sean. Good afternoon, everyone, and welcome to the Exela Technologies First Quarter 2020 Conference Call. I'm joined here by Ron Cogburn, Exela's Chief Executive Officer; and Shrikant Sortur, our Chief Financial Officer. Following the prepared remarks made by Ron and Shrikant, we'll take your questions. Today's conference call is being broadcast live via webcast, which is available on the Investor Relations page of Exela's website at exela.com. A replay of call will be available until July 7, 2020. Information access to replay is listed on today's press release, which is also available on the Investor Relations page of Exela's website. During today's call, Exela will make certain statements regarding future events and financial performance that may be characterized as forward-looking statements under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties and are based on current expectations and assumptions. We undertake no obligation to update any statements to reflect the events that occur after this call, and actual results could differ materially from any forward-looking statements. For more information, please refer to the risk factors discussed in Exela's most recent filed periodic report on Form 10-K along with the associated press release and the company's other filings with the SEC. Copies are available from the SEC or the Investor Relations page of Exela's website. During today's call, we'll refer to certain non-GAAP financial measures. We believe these non-GAAP financial measures provide additional information on how management views the operating performance of our business. Reconciliations between GAAP and non-GAAP results we discuss today can be found in the Investor Relations page of our website. Please note the presentation that accompanies this conference call and investor fact sheet are also accessible on the Investor Relations page of our website. I'd now like to turn the call over to our CEO, Ron Cogburn. Ron? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ronald Clark Cogburn, Exela Technologies, Inc. - CEO & Director [3] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Good afternoon, and thanks, everyone, for joining us today. I'm pleased to announce that we filed our Form 10-Q for the 3 months ended March 31, 2020, last evening. We are now current on all of our reporting requirements to the SEC and -- under our debt agreements, and we expect to be a timely filer going forward. I want to thank our finance and legal teams for all their hard work in completing this process. I will begin with an overview of our first quarter 2020 results, business highlights and current trends. I'll then turn the call over to Shrikant Sortur for a more detailed review of our Q1 performance and to discuss our second quarter and 2020 outlook. After Shrikant's presentation, I will come back and talk about our priorities for 2020 and some recent business updates, including our response to COVID-19 pandemic. Now let's turn to Slide #6. Our first quarter 2020 total revenue on a constant currency basis was $367.2 million, down 9% year-over-year, but above our expectations. We generated $44.4 million of adjusted EBITDA on a constant currency basis in Q1. Our adjusted EBITDA margin was 15% when excluding pass-through and low-margin customer exit revenue. And we ended Q1 with $97 million of global liquidity, which has increased to $106 million by the end of the second quarter. Our first quarter revenue performance mainly reflects our exit from certain customer contracts and statements of work which are not strategic to the fit for Exela's vision. You may recall that we discussed this strategy on our June 9 call as well. However, I would like to provide you with more detail today as it is an important part of our ongoing business transformation that will continue to impact our results in the near term and will enable us to achieve our strategy of improved operating income and free cash flow performance over the long term. As we discussed on our Q4 call, our focus for 2020 and beyond is to continue to drive growth in our base business by expanding with our existing customers, especially among our top 200 within our BFSI and healthcare customer portfolios as well as winning new customer logos. At the same time, we're aligning ourselves away from unpredictable nonrecurring revenue that is unlikely to achieve our long-term margin targets. During 2020, we will continue to exit certain contracts and statements of work with little or no margin contribution and no opportunity to improve their contribution through digital transformation and automation. We refer to revenues from these contracts as transition revenue. As of January 1, we had approximately $150 million of annual transition revenue that we will exit over the course of this year. And as such, we will continue to absorb this transition in our top line growth metrics. However, it's important to note that declining transition revenue is also expected to have a positive impact on our gross margin profile. We have a plan in place, and we're working diligently to rebalance our resources, set cost and optimize our business for a reduction in these low-margin revenues this year. We will continue to provide you with updates and supplemental information on the impact on our results by transition revenue in future calls. Our base business is where we are focused for growth, which represents what we believe is a very strong foundation for improved future performance. We believe our base business will be the best indicator of our success and our growth potential going forward. Now moving to some recent business and market trends. From a volume perspective, based on our current visibility, we expect the impact of COVID-19 on customer volumes to be the most significant in the second quarter of 2020 before showing improvement in the second half of the year as conditions begin to normalize. For the second quarter, we expect total revenue to be between $300 million and $305 million, reflecting a negative $35 million to $40 million impact from COVID-19. As part of our operational improvement efforts, we reduced our headcount by approximately 4% year-over-year or 920 FTEs in the first quarter. And in response to the current slowdown, we reduced the active workforce by another 3,000 FTEs in the second quarter. Looking to the second half of 2020, we will continue to carefully balance our cost base against our expectation for increased volumes as well as the exit of our transition revenue. Overall, we anticipate that volume improvement combined with our cost initiatives will lead to improved gross margin performance in the second half of 2020. From a new opportunities perspective, the realities of COVID-19 are leading our customers to increasingly explore business process automation initiatives that enable them to reduce cost and operate effectively in the new normal. This trend is having a positive effect on our new business wins, showing strong growth so far this year. On a year-to-date basis, our closed won deal have increased by 52% in the Americas and 58% year-over-year in EMEA, driven by increased demand for work-from-home solutions or what we call home office, Digital Mailroom solutions and our payment offerings. We're pleased with the momentum that we're seeing in our sales metrics, and we're optimistic it will benefit our growth in the second half of 2020 and into 2021. I will turn the call over to Shrikant at this point to discuss our results in greater detail. Shrikant? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Shrikant Sortur, Exela Technologies, Inc. - CFO [4] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Thanks, Ron. Good afternoon, and thank you all for joining us. In my discussion today, I'll refer to both GAAP and non-GAAP results. As a reminder, reconciliations to these metrics are available in our earnings material. Any reference to the corresponding period of fiscal 2019 includes restated results for the interim period of 2019. Let's start on Slide 7 with a review of our first quarter 2020 results. Revenue for the first quarter totaled $365.5 million. On a constant currency basis, Q1 revenue was $367.2 million, representing a decline of 9.2% year-over-year. Moving to our segments. Revenue for our ITPS segment was $284.1 million, a decrease of 12.6% year-over-year from $325.2 million in the first quarter of 2019. As Ron mentioned, this decline was primarily driven by our transition revenue as we exited contracts and statements of work that were nonstrategic to our long-term vision, are unlikely to achieve our long-term target margins. This was partially offset by growth from existing customers and new rent. Our Healthcare Solutions segment revenue totaled $64 million, up 4.4% year-over-year from $61.3 million in the first quarter of 2019. Our results of the Healthcare Solutions was attributable to increased volumes with existing clients. Our Legal and Loss Prevention segment revenue, or LLPS, was relatively flat at $17.3 million in the first quarter compared with $17.8 million in the first quarter of 2019. The gross profit margin for the first quarter was down 324 basis points year-over-year to 20%. The gross margin decline was primarily due to our revenue decline offset the continued transformation and cost-savings initiatives. It's important to note that the impact of transition revenue on our Q1 margins was more significant as the revenue decline is preceding our reduction of stranded costs associated with the transition revenue. Looking at the second half of 2020, we expect our gross margin to increase, benefiting from higher customer volumes, particularly in health care and in payments; and for our cost initiatives, including reducing stranded costs associated with our transition revenue. SG&A expenses for Q1 totaled $50.4 million, up 1.4% year-over-year and represented 13.8% of revenue. Net of onetime transaction cost related to the sale of our TBG business and our new AR facility, SG&A declined 5% year-over-year, driven by lower revenue and cost-saving initiatives. Depreciation and amortization expenses was $23.2 million, down from $26.6 million in Q1 of 2019, but essentially unchanged as a percentage of revenue. Operating loss for the first quarter of 2020 was $2.2 million compared with operating income of $16.5 million for Q1 of 2019. The year-over-year decrease in operating income was primarily due to lower revenue and gross profit. Turning to EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA. In Q1 of 2020, we generated EBITDA of $54.6 million, up from $38.9 million in the prior period. Our largest adjustments to arrive at the adjusted EBITDA included noncash and other income and charges and optimization and restructuring expenses, also called as O&R expenses. We'd discuss the add-backs to adjusted EBITDA in more detail on Slide 8. Our adjustment for O&R expenses totaled $13.1 million in the first quarter of 2020, down $1.7 million sequentially and $10.6 million year-over-year. Looking at the rest of 2020, we anticipate O&R expenses to land between $12 million and $18 million per quarter. We recorded $4 million of transaction costs in Q1 2020 related to the TBG asset sale and our AR facility. We expect to book additional transaction costs in Q2 related to the amendment of our credit agreement for these expenses then to roll off in the second half of 2020. Finally, we had noncash and other income adjustments of a net negative $28.5 million in the first quarter of 2020. This includes a onetime noncash gain related to a TBG asset sale of $35 million that was offset by $7 million of noncash and other charges. For the remainder of 2020, we expect trends to be in line with Q1 2020 or some of our recent prior quarters adjusted for onetime charges or gains like TBG asset sale, which was one-off. Adjusted EBITDA for the first quarter was $44.4 million, a decrease from $76.4 million in Q1 of 2019. Adjusted EBITDA margin for the first quarter of 2020 was 12.1% compared with 18.9% in the prior year period, a 670 basis point reduction. Excluding pass-through revenue and low-margin client exit, our Q1 2020 adjusted EBITDA margin was 15%. The reduction for the comparative period was driven by declining revenue and the pressure that put on the cost model, resulting in the gross profit decline and, in turn, impacting our adjusted EBITDA. The remaining reduction was mainly attributable to the lower comparative O&R expenses. Now let's move to Slide 9 to discuss our liquidity. We covered some of these items on our Q4 earnings call. I would like to refresh and build upon our prior discussion. Our liquidity at March 31, 2020, was $97 million, up from $31 million at year-end 2019. And our total net debt was approximately $1.52 billion. As we discussed on our last call, our total liquidity improved to $106 million as of May 29 and has remained consistent through the end of the second quarter. During the first half of 2020, we took several steps to stabilize and improve our liquidity position. As we previously announced, we executed on a new $160 million accounts receivable facility and also completed our first asset sale for approximately $40 million. In addition, we have applied for U.S. federal stimulus and other regional government COVID-19 aid relief, and we have exercised certain CARES Act provisions, including deferral of our payroll tax match, for the remainder of 2020. We will continue to explore and implement additional actions to improve our liquidity this year. This includes our plan to complete additional asset sales of between $110 million and $160 million, accelerating the alignment of our business to our traditionally working capital-light model and executing against our planned cost initiative, including cutting stranded expenses associated with our transition revenue. Before I hand the call back to Ron, I would now like to discuss our second quarter and full year 2020 outlook. For the second quarter of 2020, we expect total revenue to be in the range of $300 million to $305 million, which includes approximately $35 million to $40 million negative impact from lower volumes, primarily from certain health care and BFSI clients as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and $5 million of decline attributable to the sale of TBG business. As we mentioned on our June 9 call, given the uncertainty surrounding COVID-19 and its impacts on our visibility, we're delaying providing financial guidance for full year 2020. I would like to, however, reiterate factors that we expect will impact our performance for the balance of this year. First, as Ron mentioned, we expect the adverse effects of COVID-19 on customer volumes and our financial results to have the most impact in Q2 before improving in the second half of 2020 We caution, however, that continuation of COVID-19 outbreak could further impact the market and our performance. Second, we'll continue to see a decline in transition revenue as we exit these contracts and statement of work through rest of 2020. Third, in response to COVID-19, we're adjusting our capacity and cost structure, including scaling back our FTEs and certain discretionary compensation. In addition, we will be reducing the stranded operating costs associated with our transition revenue. Improved volumes in the second half of 2020, combined with our cost initiatives, should lead to more normalized gross margin performance in the second half of the year. And finally, our capital allocation policy is to prioritize improving our liquidity and cash flow. We continue to pursue an incremental $110 million to $160 million in noncore asset sales in support for our strategy over the next 18 months. With that, I'll turn the call back over to Ron. Ron? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ronald Clark Cogburn, Exela Technologies, Inc. - CEO & Director [5] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Thanks, Shrikant. Let's now turn to Slide #11 and discuss our key 2020 objectives to driving improved operating income and cash flow generation. First, Exela is accelerating the alignment of businesses acquired since 2017 by moving away from the capital-intensive model, which is FTE-based contracts, funding the payroll cost first and then collecting the revenue later, to its traditional model where the services are less FTE-heavy like DMR or home office, where the working capital need is minimal and there is no upfront costs that need to be carried before collecting revenue. Second, we are focused on driving growth of our base business. This includes expanding with existing and new customers within our banking, financial services and insurance and health care industry segments, where we provide mission-critical billing and payment solutions. Our recent partnership with Mastercard-Vocalink in the U.K. for Request to Pay solutions and our extended relationship with the Co-operative Bank by launching confirmation of payee services are great examples. Our year-over-year increase in the business signings is a trend we believe that illustrates our focus on this matter. Third, we're increasing our focus on helping customers accelerate their digital transformation with solutions that address the new normal in the wake of to COVID-19. As I mentioned earlier, we have seen an increase from customers seeking our word-from-home solutions or home office, Digital Mailroom solutions and payment offerings. We have 81,000 users already live on our home office portal, with an additional 56,000 users being onboarded. Third, we're focused on improving our cost base to both react to the short-term slowdown caused by COVID-19 and to improve our cost structure and drive higher margins over the long term. We reduced our headcount by 4% year-over-year in the first quarter, and we will continue to optimize our headcount for the exit of transition revenue through the remainder of 2020. Finally, as part of our emphasis on our base business and also improving our liquidity, we will continue to exit certain nonstrategic businesses via asset sale. As we discussed, our goal is to raise an incremental $110 million to $160 million of proceeds through this process for a total of $150 million to $200 million. Now ending with Slide 12, I would like to summarize our response to COVID-19 and why we believe we are well positioned to weather this current environment and emerge a stronger company as conditions begin to improve. First, our rapid response enabled us to ensure the safety of our employees and business continuity with nearly uninterrupted services to our customers. Shortly after the onset of the pandemic, we put in place rigorous business continuity and employee safety plans. We obtained essential business certification in most states in the U.S. We've upgraded our facilities with adequate PPE supplies to provide a safe working environment. And to comply with health and safety standards, we enabled work-from-home solutions globally. And we set up a COVID-19 war room with real-time connectivity to global sites for continuous monitoring of our SLAs. From a customer perspective, we enhanced our communications between Exela, account managers and our customers with high-frequency touch points to ensure business continuity. We pivoted to a new technology-enabled solution, which helped our clients minimize interruption to their business functions. As I mentioned, we've seen strong growth in our sales metrics, driven by our demand for our home office solutions or home office. And finally, we -- finally, we rapidly diverted volumes to unaffected offshore delivery locations. Overall, we are pleased with our execution, which has enabled us to maintain 96% of our SLAs to our customers. We believe our strong performance is helping to differentiate us from our competitors in the market. Second, we have quickly moved to adjust our operating capacity to match lower levels of demand and volumes in order to mitigate the impact on our margins. We adjusted our active FTEs by approximately 14% in response to an estimated 10% volume reduction due to COVID-19. Some of this volume reduction is the result of increased delays in our pipeline, which is partly due to changes in our customers' priorities in this environment as well as they -- as well as when they explore larger transitions to digital transformation, including our DMR, payments and billing and digital solutions. Third, we've improved our liquidity position in support of our needs in this uncertain environment and today have a total liquidity in excess of $100 million. And fourth, our ongoing operational turnaround and discipline has further helped us navigate the COVID-19 situation. We are fortunate to have a resilient business model that is supported by our strong customer base, the mission-critical nature of our solutions we provide, favorable customer contracts and our unique global delivery model, which combines on-site with nearshore and offshore delivery. We believe we are well prepared for an -- from an operational perspective as volumes are expected to normalize in the second half of 2020. That concludes our formal comments. Operator, with that, please open up the line for questions. ================================================================================ Questions and Answers -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Operator [1] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (Operator Instructions) The first question today will come from [Trent Porter with Nuveen]. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Unidentified Analyst, [2] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- My first one is a tough one, you might not be able to answer it, because I think Matt asked it last quarter. But now that you've got a judgment today that you plan on appealing by July, it just -- if you had to pay the $57 million today, it looks like you'd be getting close to the -- your $40 million minimum liquidity threshold. So I wonder if you could talk in just broad terms maybe how these things typically play out? Let's say, the appeal goes -- is unfavorable, would you have to pay it immediately? Or do you typically get time to pay it? And other -- notwithstanding the potential asset sale proceeds, are there liquidity considerations that we're not thinking of? And then I have one follow-up. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Shrikant Sortur, Exela Technologies, Inc. - CFO [3] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Trent, thanks for the question. I'll try to keep it high level. We are going ahead with the appeal. And from your question and what are the steps involved, we do have 45 days to submit an appeal brief, as they call it. And then, typically, the Delaware Supreme Court has a fairly forthright process for appeals that last anywhere from 6 to 9 months. But in light of COVID-19, the time line could be longer. That's the status update that I can provide you. In terms of the payout, what's going to potentially happen, something that I probably won't discuss in full details here, but I'll tell you that the company feels confident that there's no immediate imminent payout expected since the appeal process will probably take its time. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Unidentified Analyst, [4] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Great. Well, that's very helpful. And then you've talked about -- and forgive me, I don't remember covering this on the last call. You've talked about the COVID-19-related volumes improving in the second half. And just to get better understanding of what the assumptions that are baked into that, I was wondering if you could talk a little bit or just flesh out a little bit more what kinds of accounts that -- of yours where you're seeing this volume decline? And maybe your ballpark, if you could quantify the exposure you have to COVID vulnerable verticals? And then after that, I'll get back in queue. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Shrikant Sortur, Exela Technologies, Inc. - CFO [5] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Yes, sure. I'll probably give a very high level answer, and then Ron can add to whatever I missed. The broader answer, Trent, is that health care and some of our print business, which we'd like to call up integrated communication services, was probably impacted. But you have to look at it in the context of where our customer concentration is. Our customer concentration is in the financial sector and health care, and it's not on the travel or hospitality, right? Therefore, the impact overall for us -- our perspective was not as huge as some of the other companies, I would put it that way. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Unidentified Analyst, [6] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Okay. That makes... -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Shrikant Sortur, Exela Technologies, Inc. - CFO [7] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Yes. Yes. Go ahead. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Unidentified Analyst, [8] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- That makes sense. I'm sorry, I'm writing as you're talking. Just one quick one before I leave. I just wanted to clarify your $300 million to $305 million revenue target in -- for the second quarter target estimate, whatever you want to call it. If I strip out your -- the COVID impact, there's still a $40 million decline. I'm assuming that's coming primarily from the transition accounts that impacted the first quarter? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ronald Clark Cogburn, Exela Technologies, Inc. - CEO & Director [9] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Trent, it's correct. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Shrikant Sortur, Exela Technologies, Inc. - CFO [10] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- It's a combination of both, but that's correct. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Operator [11] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- And the next question will come from David Foropoulos from Unum. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- David Foropoulos;UnumProvident Corporation;Assistant VP, [12] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I just was curious on page -- on your presentation on Page 6, you talk about the profitability, the stranded cost related to the transition revenue. Is there any way you can -- if you say you'd have $150 million of annualized revenue for this year, say we take a 1/4 of that, how does -- how do the cost line up with that for this quarter? I'm just kind of trying to just see how the margins are working out here? Because it looks like you're on the LMCE revenue, you're at 15% EBITDA margins versus 23.3% last year. So I just really wanted to drill a little bit further on the stranded cost. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Shrikant Sortur, Exela Technologies, Inc. - CFO [13] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Okay. And you're looking at it from a Q1 perspective, right, David? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- David Foropoulos;UnumProvident Corporation;Assistant VP, [14] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Absolutely, yes. Yes. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Shrikant Sortur, Exela Technologies, Inc. - CFO [15] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Okay. Again, I will give you a directional answer here. As you know, there's a timing element involved, right, as the revenue trends drop off, the cost comes off later. And one of the reasons we call this stranded cost is not only there's 100% of the variable costs do not go out in line with the revenue decline, number two, there's a fixed cost element involved, right? That's one key thing to keep in mind. If I were to give you a direct answer, we estimate -- internal estimates are anywhere from 2% to 3% of standard costs that are still in the system. The way I look at it if you look at Q1 versus -- Q1 '20 versus Q1 '19, 23% margins versus 20% margins, granted revenue was down, we should have adjusted cost down as well. It's not happened quick enough. So simple terms, 2% to 3% of stranded costs in the quarter are still in there. Broader terms, we need to do a lot more to get the margins back up to where it was historically. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- David Foropoulos;UnumProvident Corporation;Assistant VP, [16] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Okay. Great. I have another question. In terms of that you guys have talked about further divestitures. And is that -- do you foresee that? And I know it's hard to calibrate when these happen. But is that a 2020 time frame, the way you guys are looking at that? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Shrikant Sortur, Exela Technologies, Inc. - CFO [17] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- We -- I'd like to stick to the original time line of 12 to 18 months, right? When we set this in November, we said 12 to 18. From a management perspective, we'd like to get it done as soon as possible to alleviate all of the liquidity concerns that's probably out there. But we are shooting for as soon as possible, but the time line still remains 12 to 18 months. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- David Foropoulos;UnumProvident Corporation;Assistant VP, [18] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Okay. And then my final question is, if you're -- you talked about gross margin improvement with volumes and stranded costs coming off and such. When we exit Q4, what would be kind of these normalized margins that you're thinking about, gross margins? And second, with that, do you think you could be cash flow positive in Q4? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Shrikant Sortur, Exela Technologies, Inc. - CFO [19] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- That's our goal, right? That's our goal. And let me -- since, David, you're asking me this question as one of the early -- as an early question, let me kind of give you a thought, because we're talking about transition costs, we're talking about -- sorry, transition revenue, we're talking about standard costs and whatnot. I'll point out to 2 or 3 of our publicly disclosed items from the past. As you saw last year, one key element is revenue net of LMCE, we saw 2.9% growth, even though on a GAAP basis, it was not the case, right? In that, you have anywhere from $270 million to $300 million of postage or pass-through costs. Now don't get me wrong. That's low margin. When it's an integrated solution, we still like to have it. But if it becomes just pass-through, literally no margins, it doesn't make sense for us, number one. That's a top line perspective. From -- in Q3 and -- Q2 and Q3, we had listed our business transformation slides, where if you go back and refer to it, you'll see 45% to 50% of the company is at 35% margins. And then you'll see there's an element of 15% to 18% margins for some of our revenues. And then there's another one, the 20%, right? So ideal world, we want to get back to the higher margin side of the business, right? Third point is you can look at our fact sheet, FY '17 versus '18 versus '19, what were our gross margins. We have seen a declining trend. We want to reverse that. That's the key element of both whether you're calling it -- now looking at the transition revenue, fixing our cost, end of the day, it's about getting better with our gross margins, and then the cash flows will follow. Sean? Sean, are we still on? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Operator [20] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The next question will come from Brian King of Congruent. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bryan King, Congruent Investment Partners, LLC - Analyst [21] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Yes. I was just wondering if you could provide more color on pricing? Are customers trying to push -- pushing harder on pricing in light of corona going forward? If you could just speak more on that, I think that would be helpful. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ronald Clark Cogburn, Exela Technologies, Inc. - CEO & Director [22] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This is Ron. No, that's a great question. So you have to think about the nature and the relationship we have with these customers. Our -- I'll give you an example. The top 20 customers that we have with the company have been with us an average of 16, 17 years now. And so we have long-term agreements with them, 3 to 5 years. The more technology they have, the longer the term. Some contracts are in the 7-year to 10-year range. But because of that relationship, as we came into this, I'll call it, a downdraft from the volumes from the way the world kind of stopped for that moment in late March and April, we were able to navigate through that. We have guaranteed minimum pricing anyway in our long-term contracts, but we partnered with them. We're their technology partner. And as a result of that, they look to us to be able to pivot to work-from-home solution or remote or off-site that they didn't have before. So for us, it was never a conversation about can you do it for less money? Can you give us longer terms? Which is another question that's probably out there. We just did not see that kind of traffic. It was more of a cry for help. Especially in health care and in the financial services, Exela is deemed an essential service partner. So as a matter of fact, we are the ones that help to move the mission-critical services that these companies, our clients and customers offer. So it was -- it really was sort of that 911 type of call. Can you help solve it? And I think I didn't talk about Slide 13, but if you look at the deck, you could see the -- these are testimonials from the firefight. The men and women that work for Exela were on the front line and worked 24/7 to ensure that our customers did not see a break in service. And like I said, we were able to maintain 96% of our SLAs during this, what I'll call, storm. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Operator [23] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The next question we will have will come from Allen Kato of Beach Point Capital. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Allen Kato, Beach Point Capital Management LP - Analyst [24] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I guess, first, could you help us understand a bit more of what the actual services are within transitional revenue? And I had a bit of trouble understanding, I think, one of the other caller's questions. What is the stranded cost opportunity associated with that? Or what is the EBITDA contribution from those transitional revenues? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Shrikant Sortur, Exela Technologies, Inc. - CFO [25] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sure, Allen. To address both of your questions, right, let's talk about transition revenue. I wouldn't want to categorize it by a certain bucket. I'll go back and emphasize what our focus is, which is, as Ron mentioned, base expansion continues to be the focus, top 200 customers and growth there continues to be our focus. What we kind of want to look at more closely is the unpredictable, nonrecurring or any customer return or margin -- customer margins that's unlikely to achieve our long-term margins, right? That's why I kind of pivoted it back to a couple of things that we have talked about in the recent past. Take out our LMCE revenue -- postage LMCE revenue, actually, we have revenue growth. Impact of low margin on our business is continuing to create a margin compression, and we need to reverse that, right? So that's -- so when I kind of summarize this, transition revenue is nothing but we -- us looking at customers -- customer margins or areas where we need to start pushing for more margin improvement. If it doesn't make sense for the business, it's better that we exit it, focus on the margins, focus on the margin dollars. So if you ask me what industry, what bucket, what customer, I don't think we have that kind of a categorization as such to talk about, at least not on this call. Stranded cost, again, it's more of a term that we are using here to indicate that when there is a revenue decline, the variable cost is not 100% relatable to it in the same month, same quarter. It comes off, but slower than the revenue drop, number one. Number two, we also have an element of fixed cost that has to come out eventually, whether we call it facility consolidations, looking at the way we work, managing capacity, it's a much bigger exercise. So that is where I gave the comparison of, hey, when we were making 22%, 23% margins in the past, it's not happening right now. In a time when revenue is declining, we need to adjust our costs, be it the leftover variable cost or the fixed that has not filtered out, that has to go out of the system. That's what we mean by the stranded cost concept. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Allen Kato, Beach Point Capital Management LP - Analyst [26] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Got it. Okay. And then, I guess, what causes the timing disconnect between the lost revenue and then the associated costs? Is it just planning for headcount reductions? Or what's kind of the underlying driver for that? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Shrikant Sortur, Exela Technologies, Inc. - CFO [27] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I would say the majority is that. It's really headcount and capacity management. So better, real time, more quicker way we can do it, the better off we are. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Allen Kato, Beach Point Capital Management LP - Analyst [28] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Got it. So the 3,000 FTEs that have been labeled as nonactive, those are still employed by the firm, is that right? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Shrikant Sortur, Exela Technologies, Inc. - CFO [29] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- That is correct. Only point there is -- I don't want -- so even if you looked at our presentation, right, there's between 902 (sic) [920] FTEs that we talk about from a savings perspective versus the 3,000. There is a difference. The 3,000 inactive is more in Q2 and related to the volume declines related to COVID. So while there -- in Q2, there's an interplay between COVID-related revenue decline and with transition revenue. It's going to be hard to pinpoint and say, which is what, but I want to keep that in mind when you look at the 3,000 FTE number. That's more specific to the Q2 and related to COVID. Once the volumes are back up, those employees could get back to being in the workforce. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Allen Kato, Beach Point Capital Management LP - Analyst [30] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Got it. Just 2 more quick ones. When you take that all into consideration, do you see -- what do you see as the path to bringing the company back to high few hundreds of adjusted EBITDA, like low 200s of cash EBITDA as was the case in 2018? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Shrikant Sortur, Exela Technologies, Inc. - CFO [31] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Right. I think I'll put it in one line, profitable revenue growth, right? We need revenue. We need revenue growth, but at the same time, it's very important that there's margin growth, not just in percentage terms, but in dollar terms as well. So I think this -- as you see a lot of what we are saying in the recent past is focused towards how do we improve our margins. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Allen Kato, Beach Point Capital Management LP - Analyst [32] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Got it. So when you talk about the transitional revenue being margin accretive, that's on a percentage basis. But on a gross margin dollars basis, is it going to be pretty much offset by the stranded costs you take out? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Shrikant Sortur, Exela Technologies, Inc. - CFO [33] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Right. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Allen Kato, Beach Point Capital Management LP - Analyst [34] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Okay. Got it. And I guess one last question, I guess, more holistically looking at kind of liquidity, I think you guys said there's $106 million at the end of June, which implies some moderate amount of unlevered free cash flow. But when you think about that level of liquidity relative to $140 million of debt service per year. And I think based on adjusted EBITDA recently, doing more asset sales at 6x won't necessarily delever the company. So how do you think about the long-term support needed for the capital structure and kind of how to provide that? And I guess one thing I forgot to add on liquidity is when you appeal the judgment, is there a bond required to be posted? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Shrikant Sortur, Exela Technologies, Inc. - CFO [35] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Yes. Allen, a few different questions there. I realize it's an important question as well. So I'll put it this way. The company has always met its obligation towards any of these payments, right? That's number one. We have additional levers as well to further improve our liquidity, if need be, number two. Long term, obviously, it all is going to fall back on operational performance, right? I mean, we have other levers, we have financing options, we have whatnot. But long-term goal, as we've been focusing here and talking about, is execution, execution at the operational level to start generating operational cash flows. In terms of the last question that you asked, I do not have -- maybe the legal team -- or I need to touch this with the legal team and whatnot. At least from what I know, which is probably a little bit early here, is there are potentially options to proceed with the appeal without having to pay the bond. But then again, as I said, I'll caveat it by saying I do not know enough on that, and that's something that our legal folks should probably address at some point in time. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Operator [36] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The next question will come from Jerry Wang with Carlyle. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jerry Wang, The Carlyle Group Inc. - Principal [37] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Just had a quick one. I think on Page 12, we have your sales win closed in the quarter was up pretty materially. Can you just say what dollar amount that is associated with in the Americas and EMEA? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ronald Clark Cogburn, Exela Technologies, Inc. - CEO & Director [38] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This is Ron. I don't know that we had disclosed that level of detail, Jerry. But on -- I mean, excuse me, Shrikant, did you -- I don't think we had that information quantified. Did we? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Shrikant Sortur, Exela Technologies, Inc. - CFO [39] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Yes, Jerry, let's do this. We can get the number for you probably at a later point in time. I do not have it off, let me put it that way. We do know it on a percentage basis year-over-year growth. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Operator [40] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- That will conclude today's question-and-answer session. I would like to turn the conference back over to Ronald Cogburn for any closing remarks. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ronald Clark Cogburn, Exela Technologies, Inc. - CEO & Director [41] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Thanks. And once again, we want to thank everybody for participating today in the call, and we appreciate your questions. And you know, as always, you can reach out to us directly through ICR through Will Maina or directly to myself or to Shrikant. Thanks again, and we'll see you on the Q2 call. And everybody, stay safe in this environment. Thanks. Bye. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Operator [42] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The conference has now concluded. Thank you for attending today's presentation, and you may now disconnect. The pandemic served as a wake-up call to European governments on the urgent need to reduce economic dependence on the rest of the world, notably Asia. Many European leaders, including French president Emmanuel Macron, have highlighted the urgency to relocate strategic supply chains in Europe. The European Union (EU) is broadly self-sufficient, especially in agricultural commodities, but it is not certain it can regain autonomy in other products and goods where it is not self-sufficient yet. Relocation takes time, requires a lot of political will and a solid pre-existing industrial base in the host countries. It is especially necessary to reach a high level of robotization in factories in order to increase efficiency in production. In the below chart, we have plotted robotics investment defined as the supply of industrial robots per year for the main global economies based on data released by the International Federation of Robotics. It appears that the EU as a whole has made progress in this area over the past years, reflecting mostly an acceleration in robotization in CEE, but it is still lagging significantly behind China in robotics investment. This year, the supply of industrial robots is expected to reach 82K in Europe versus 250K in China. China is investing three times more than Europe in the key segment of industrial robots. Based on a country by country basis, the gap is even worse. Frances flat curve should not mislead you. The country has started to really invest in robotics since 2015-16 on the back of fiscal incentives, but the results are still too insufficient. In 2020, France will invest four times less than Germany which certainly provides some explanation for why the country is lacking competitiveness. And things are unlikely to change anytime soon for Europe. In the context of the seven-year Multi Financial Framework currently negotiated at the EU level, and that should be discussed today by President Macron and Chancellor Merkel at Meseberg, we estimate that the total package allocated to reduce reliance on extra-EU trade and push to supply chain relocation would represent, at best, 0.08 per cent of EU GDP per year mostly as part of the Horizon Europe Program. The least we can say is that it is clearly not enough to reduce economic dependence on Asia and especially China. About the author Christopher Dembik is the Head of Macro Analysis at Saxo Bank Building a new generation of intelligent robots that automate quality assurance and traceability in manufacturing and logistics LOS ANGELES, June 30, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Elementary Robotics, one of Los Angeles' top robotics startups, today announced a $12.7M Series A funding round led by Threshold Ventures (formerly DFJ), an early-stage investor in disruptive technology companies. Founded in 2017, Elementary has built a hardware and software platform for applying machine learning and computer vision for intelligent automation of quality and traceability workflows in manufacturing and logistics. The new round of capital, which also had participation from existing investors Fika Ventures, Fathom Capital, Ubiquity Ventures and Toyota AI Ventures, allows Elementary Robotics to continue developing and deploying its automation products at scale. With this round, Threshold Ventures Partner Mo Islam has joined the Elementary Robotics Board of Directors. Manufacturers today are dealing with an array of challenges to keep up, including securing and retaining skilled labor, producing high quality products at larger volumes and lower prices, and implementing remote production monitoring. Today's challenges also require evolving strategies to support employee health and safety, such as integrating proper social distancing into factories. Visual inspection and traceability have traditionally been especially difficult to automate, often resulting in lower throughput, added headcount, high turnover, inconsistent results, and low data tracking. Elementary Robotics' products automate inspections and help customers achieve value across the production line by using deep learning to find defects, including ones that manufacturers didn't even know to look for. The Elementary platform delivers inspections that are easy to set up, traceable in the cloud, and allow for human inspectors to be kept in the loop to further train the system over time. Story continues "Toyota is always looking for ways to leverage innovative technologies to help our employees and improve the manufacturing process, and we're excited to partner with Elementary in our Indiana plant," said Jason Puckett, Vice President of Manufacturing, Toyota Motor Manufacturing Indiana. "Elementary's platform will bring value to our production lines by allowing us to automate traceability scans and add AI, machine vision, and automation." Elementary Robotics is working with a number of world class manufacturing and logistics companies where the solution has delivered the following benefits: Transition to 100% inspection where previously only sample-based inspection occurred Remote visibility into quality and production lines Automation of known visual inspections and discovery of new defects, resulting in decreased scrap rates Standardization of inspection tasks and ease of duplication across different factories and production lines in an affordable manner "Elementary has developed a software-defined robotics solution to automate visual inspection, leveraging deep learning-based computer vision and low-complexity, rapidly deployable hardware," said Mo Islam, Partner, Threshold Ventures. "We were immediately impressed with the team's product-led sales approach, and are excited by their potential as a leader in the industrial machine vision space." "Building Elementary has been a fantastic journey over the past three years, and I've enjoyed working with our world-class partners to develop scalable solutions to their problems, which our team is well-suited to solve," said Arye Barnehama, founder and CEO of Elementary Robotics. "I'm extremely excited to go public with what we're building, continue to support more companies with their quality and traceability needs, and grow the Elementary team to expand and deploy our innovative platform." About Elementary Robotics Elementary is a full-stack robotics company tackling machine learning for robotic hardware from the ground up. The Los Angeles-based company, incubated at Idealab in Pasadena, was founded by industry veterans of IoT, wearables, augmented reality and robotics from Qualcomm, Caltech, NASA JPL, SpaceX and Art Center College of Design to create assistive tools to improve human output of repetitive tasks. The company is based in Los Angeles. For more info, visit https://www.elementaryrobotics.com . Cision View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/elementary-robotics-closes-series-a-funding-round-to-transform-manufacturing-with-intelligent-automation-301085820.html SOURCE Elementary Robotics Esker, a worldwide leader in AI-driven process automation solutions and pioneer in cloud computing, today announced a strategic partnership with oAppsNet Partners, a systems integrator specializing in business solutions based on Oracle applications. The partnership is focused on providing Oracle customers with even more value and resources as they address procure-to-pay (P2P) automation through Esker. With over 20 years of hands-on experience in the Oracle space, oAppsNet brings an unparalleled combination of application know-how and business experience to reinforce Eskers integration with the Oracle solutions. oAppsNet chose to partner with Esker because of the true end-to-end experience its solutions bring to the user, providing seamless integration all the way through the ERP system. "After our discovery of Esker, we learned that they offered solutions no other vendor on the market had and it was clear they were the best of breed in procurement and accounts payable automation," said Rick Pollina, managing partner, oAppsNet. "Its been a journey for us to actually find Esker, and were anxious to share with our customers because we know theyre going to love it. We cant speak highly enough about it." Eskers P2P automation solutions seamlessly integrate with Oracles ERP solutions, enabling companies to easily switch to paperless invoice and order processing. With paper and manual handling removed from the equation, companies can dramatically improve their workflow efficiency and staff productivity while providing full visibility and accountability from beginning to end. Aside from their deep technology expertise with Oracle solutions, oAppsNet is customer-focused and follows a similar agile methodology for solution implementation, which were driving factors in Eskers decision to partner with the company. "Our automation solutions integrate with a wide range of ERP solutions, but this partnership is focused on reinforcing Eskers investment in the Oracle business environment," said Steve Smith, U.S. chief operating officer, Esker. "Were thrilled to further improve the user experience for our current Oracle customers, and were looking forward to an enhanced implementation process for future customers." Story continues About oAppsNet Partners oAppsNet Partners is a US-based company that specializes in the digital transformation of every facet of your organization. As an Oracle-certified partner with over 25 years of experience, we can ensure that your business' transition to the cloud costs less, requires less time, and provides you with the efficiencies that will drive your company to the next level. Our proven and comprehensive approach to projects involves a deep dive into existing business practices to provide you with not only the most optimal cloud solution but also the one that leverages your organization's existing strengths. We pride ourselves on ensuring that every project is successful through in-depth digital training tailored specifically for your company. oAppsNet is based out of Colorado but has employees across the U.S. For more information, please visit oappsnet.com. About Esker Esker is a worldwide leader in AI-driven process automation software, helping financial and customer service departments digitally transform their procure-to-pay (P2P) and order-to-cash (O2C) cycles. Used by more than 6,000 companies worldwide, Eskers solutions incorporate artificial intelligence (AI) technology to drive increased productivity, enhanced visibility, reduced fraud risk, and improved collaboration with customers, suppliers and internally. Founded in 1985, Esker operates in North America, Latin America, Europe and Asia Pacific with global headquarters in Lyon, France, and U.S. headquarters in Madison, Wisconsin. For more information on Esker and its solutions, visit www.esker.com. Follow Esker on Twitter @EskerInc and join the conversation on the Esker blog at blog.esker.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200630005787/en/ Contacts Press Contact: Sarah Jenne Tel: (972) 850-5899 sjenne@ideagrove.com Investor Relations Contact: Emmanuel Olivier Tel: +33 (0)4 72 83 46 46 olivier@esker.fr The "Europe Acne Market and Competitive Landscape - 2020" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. This research report provides comprehensive insights into the Acne pipeline, epidemiology, market valuations, drug sales, market forecast, drug forecasts, and market shares. This research analyzes and forecasts the Acne market size and drug sales. It also provides insights into Acne epidemiology and late stage pipeline. This research covers the following: Acne treatment options, Acne late stage clinical trials pipeline, Acne prevalence by countries, Acne market size and forecast by countries, key market events and trends, drug sales and forecast by countries, and market shares by countries. The research scope includes the countries Germany, France, Italy, Spain, UK, Europe (EU5 Countries). Research Scope Countries: Germany, France, Italy, Spain, UK, Europe Acne pipeline: Find out drugs in clinical trials for the treatment of Acne by development phase 3, phase 2, and phase 1, by pharmacological class and company Acne epidemiology: Find out the number of patients diagnosed (prevalence) with Acne by countries Acne drugs: Identify key drugs marketed and prescribed for Acne in the US, including trade name, molecule name, and company Acne drugs sales: Find out the sales value for Acne drugs by countries Acne market valuations: Find out the market size for Acne drugs in 2019 by countries. Find out how the market advanced from 2016 and forecast to 2024 Acne drugs market share: Find out the market shares for key drugs by countries Benefits of this Research Evaluate commercial market opportunities for Acne drugs Synthesize insights for business development & licensing Track market size, competitor drug sales, market shares in the Acne market Develop in-depth knowledge of competition and markets Analyze Acne drug sales data to update your brand planning trackers Develop tactics and strategies to take advantage of opportunities in the market Track Market Events and Trends and analyze key events in the Acne market Develop forecast models, healthcare frameworks, or economic models Answer key business questions; supports decision making in R&D to long term marketing strategies Key Topics Covered Story continues 1. Acne Treatment Options 2. Acne Pipeline Insights 2.1. Acne Phase 3 Clinical Trials 2.2. Acne Phase 2 Clinical Trials 2.3. Acne Phase 1 Clinical Trials 3. Acne Epidemiology Analysis by Countries 4. Germany Acne Market Insights 4.1. Marketed Drugs for Acne in Germany 4.2. Germany Acne Market Size & Forecast 4.3. Germany Acne Drugs Sales Forecast 4.4. Germany Acne Market Share Analysis 5. France Acne Market Insights 5.1. Marketed Drugs for Acne in France 5.2. France Acne Market Size & Forecast 5.3. France Acne Product Sales Forecast 5.4. France Acne Market Share Analysis 6. Italy Acne Market Insights 6.1. Marketed Drugs for Acne in Italy 6.2. Italy Acne Market Size & Forecast 6.3. Italy Acne Product Sales Forecast 6.4. Italy Acne Market Share Analysis 7. Spain Acne Market Insights 7.1. Marketed Drugs for Acne in Spain 7.2. Spain Acne Market Size & Forecast 7.3. Spain Acne Product Sales Forecast 7.4. Spain Acne Market Share Analysis 8. UK Acne Market Insights 8.1. Marketed Drugs for Acne in UK 8.2. UK Acne Market Size & Forecast 8.3. UK Acne Product Sales Forecast 8.4. UK Acne Market Share Analysis 9. Europe Acne Market Insights 9.1. Europe Acne Market Size & Forecast 9.2. Europe Acne Product Sales Forecast 9.3. Europe Acne Market Share Analysis 10. Research Methodology For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/cze5w7 View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200630005722/en/ Contacts ResearchAndMarkets.com Laura Wood, Senior Press Manager press@researchandmarkets.com For E.S.T Office Hours Call 1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call 1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 FILE PHOTO: A sign of the Monte dei Paschi bank is seen in Rome By Giuseppe Fonte and Elisa Anzolin ROME/MILAN (Reuters) - Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena is exploring merger options, including with Banco BPM, while Italy's Treasury Ministry has drafted a decree to sell its controlling stake in the bailed-out bank, two sources told Reuters. Rome owns 68% of the Tuscan bank following an 8-billion euro ($8.96 billion) rescue in 2017 and has promised the European Commission it will re-privatise the bank next year. The Treasury has drafted a decree, which requires the backing of Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte, authorising it "to proceed with the extraordinary operations" to shed its Monte dei Paschi stake. The draft decree, seen by Reuters, said the Treasury would aim to sell its holdings "in one or more stages, through one or more public offerings, reserved for Italian retail investors, including Monte dei Paschi employees, as well as institutional investors." It could also act "through direct negotiations or a merger deal," the draft decree said. Banco BPM is the only one of Italy's top six banks not currently involved in any potential deal, making it a candidate for a tie-up with Monte dei Paschi. One of the sources said a potential merger between the two banks was at the centre of talks on Tuesday between Banco BPM's chief executive Giuseppe Castagna and Monte dei Paschi chairwoman Patrizia Grieco. Castagna was seen by Reuters leaving the Monte dei Paschi headquarters in Milan. He declined to answer when asked if he had met Grieco. The Treasury was not available for comment. Monte dei Paschi declined to comment. A spokesman for Banco BPM said the bank "flatly denies any talks regarding a deal with MPS." A second source close to the matter said Monte dei Paschi had begun screening possible interested parties for a merger, but the Treasury was not yet looking at any specific scenario. Both sources asked not to be identified due to the sensitivity of the matter. Story continues Monte dei Paschi on Monday unveiled a plan to offload more than 8 billion euros in gross bad loans, a move that would reduce its problem debts below 5% of total lending from currently 12.4%. The European Central Bank must clear the transaction which involves shedding 1 billion euros in equity capital, something that might be problematic, the first source said. UBI Banca had always been tipped the leading candidate to take over Monte dei Paschi, but UBI has now become the takeover target of Italy's second-biggest bank Intesa Sanpaolo. A three-way merger scenario including also Banco BPM had been explored in recent years though discussions led nowhere. Banco BPM presented a business plan at the outset of the coronavirus pandemic which now must be revised because it projected only a mild contraction in Italy's 2020 GDP, which is now seen shrinking by more than 8%. ($1 = 0.8925 euros) (Reporting by Giuseppe Fonte and Elisa Anzolin, additional reporting by Stefano Bernabei, Gianluca Semeraro and Andrea Mandala, editing by Gavin Jones and Jane Merriman) OTTAWA and WASHINGTON, June 30, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) and Project Learning Tree Canada (PLT Canada), an initiative of SFI, are pleased to welcome Dawn Carr, Executive Director of the Canadian Parks Council, to SFIs 18-member Board of Directors. Carr has a successful track record of collaborating with SFI and PLT Canada. Notably, through the Canadian Parks Council and its network of national, provincial and territorial parks, she has supported, and continues to support, hundreds of high-quality work experiences for youth across Canada as part of PLT Canadas Green Jobs program. Im thrilled to be joining the SFI and PLT Canada Board of Directors. It is a welcome opportunity to contribute to an organization that is clearly committed to sustainability and growing the community of future forest and conservation professionals, says Carr. Nurturing a conservation ethic among young professionals is critical for sustaining nature and our collective health and wellbeing. Im really looking forward to contributing my time and energy to help make a positive difference. PLT Canada has placed youth in over 2,500 jobs since 2018 with the help of the Canadian Parks Council and SFI employer networks. These job placements range from Park Rangers, to Environmental Monitors, to Forestry Technicians, and many more. The skills that youth acquire through these placements provide essential building blocks as they pursue careers in the forest and conservation sector. Dawn is a respected leader who understands how to build strong, productive relationships at the regional, national and international levels to achieve shared goals, says Kathy Abusow, President and CEO of SFI. Dawns ties to the conservation and recreation communities at home and abroad will provide invaluable insight as SFI continues to offer practical nature-based solutions, through forest-focused collaborations, to address climate change, species recovery, and environmental education. Story continues Carr is the first woman to hold the position of Executive Director at the Canadian Parks Council since the organizations establishment in 1962. She also currently serves as member of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN)s World Commission of Protected Areas, and sits on the Board of Directors for the IUCNs Canadian National Committee. Prior to joining the Canadian Parks Council, Carr worked for the Government of Albertas Department of Parks and Protected Areas. She holds a Masters of Public Administration from Queens University. About the Sustainable Forestry Initiative SFI advances sustainability through forest-focused collaborations. We are an independent, non-profit organization that demonstrates our commitment to forests through our work in standards, conservation, education, and community. SFI works with the forest sector, conservation groups, academics, researchers, brand owners, resource professionals, landowners, educators, local communities, Indigenous Peoples, and governments to achieve a vision of a world that values and benefits from sustainably managed forests. Learn more: www.sfiprogram.org About Project Learning Tree Canada An initiative of the Sustainable Forestry Initiative, Project Learning Tree Canada (PLT Canada) believes in a society that values and benefits from sustainably managed forests and the great outdoors. PLT Canada is committed to using the outdoors to engage youth in learning about the world around themin rural, Indigenous and urban communitiesand using trees and forests as windows on the world to inspire action and grow the next generation of future forest and conservation leaders. Learn more: www.pltcanada.org About the Canadian Parks Council The Canadian Parks Council (CPC) exists to connect and coordinate action among Canadas national, provincial and territorial park agencies. Together the CPC represents the interests of 14 governments, over 2700 parks, and a shared mandate to enhance the environmental, social and economic values of parks and protected areas throughout Canada. Since 1962, park agency leaders have served the CPC as board members where they share information and leverage opportunities to improve the management effectiveness and sustainability of parks for current and future generations. The work ethic of the CPC is to design for impact by always considering the benefits of parks within the context of larger systems by working with aligned partners collective prosperity is cultivated allowing more people and organizations to experience the powerful benefits of nature. Learn more: http://www.parks-parcs.ca For more information: David Folkerson Director, Communications David.Folkerson@pltcanada.org 613-558-0083 A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/aaeeeb3a-4623-4144-85d2-58eee74aea0a Leading event for the open future of digital dentistry DARMSTADT, Germany , July 1, 2020 /CNW/ -- The worldwide exocad community is looking ahead to September 21 and 22, when the rescheduled exocad Insights is due to take place, now reimagined as a global hybrid event due to the current health situation. Several hundred1 participants are expected to attend in the international congress center darmstadtium in the city of Darmstadt, which is sold out. Simultaneously, exocad expects more than 1500 participants online, who can experience the event via a live stream in their laboratories, practices and homes. With the motto "a decade of digital innovation", Insights 2020 is dedicated to the tenth anniversary of exocad. Participants can then expect a particularly exciting program with several highlights, including the world premiere of exocad's upcoming software releases for DentalCAD and exoplan named Galway. Participants can learn about brand-new features and experience a live patient case demonstrating the benefits of seamless digital workflow on the exocad open architecture software platform. Approximately 40 partner companies attending Insights 2020 will be presenting their digital innovations to the global trade public at this event and some will even premiere new product innovations in the areas of scanners, mills, 3D printers and materials. "Despite these challenging times, it is important to us to bring the worldwide exocad community together for our tenth anniversary. This is why we are planning Insights 2020 as a global leading event for digital technologies in laboratories and practices," explained Tillmann Steinbrecher , exocad CEO, adding: "Online and on site, around 2000 dental technicians and dentists from all over the world will learn about the latest developments for the future of digital dentistry." Due to the dramatic development of the corona pandemic, exocad postponed the Insights event (originally planned for March 2020 ), to September 21 and 22, 2020. exocad attaches great importance to the health of the participants, speakers, employees and teams of the partner companies in darmstadtium and stringent hygiene measures will be taken to ensure everyone feels safe. All participants present in Darmstadt and online will have access to Insights 2020 as a video stream for up to four weeks after the event. Story continues Knowledge, inspiration, world premieres exocad showcases two new software versions called Galway; attendees will experience the world premiere of the next generation of CAD functionality for DentalCAD and exoplan. Interdisciplinary teamwork becomes more and more intuitive and time-effective thanks to the possibilities of exocad's open software solutions. Treatment successes can be predicted and, for an increasing number of indications, even be realized in a single day. This is demonstrated by Uli Hauschild , Italy , and Dr. Michael Berthold , Germany , in a specific patient case; beginning with Smile Creator, via implant planning and guided implant placement with exoplan, through placement of the temporary prosthetics. The live transmission of the surgical procedure from a clinic in Germany will be particularly exciting. Waldo Zarco Nosti , Spain , will be presenting another highlight: his first patient cases with the new DentalCAD Galway release. Dr. Michael Scherer , USA , will discuss the role of exocad in his combined clinical and laboratory dental practice and how the software can be used in daily clinical practice. Speakers will lead participants into the exciting future of digital dentistry and show their almost infinite possibilities, clearly demonstrating that those who further digitize their workflows will be able to successfully shape the future. Finally, business psychologist Dr. Carl Naughton , Germany , will provide effective insights for managing change as he takes the auditorium on an interactive journey to individual brain power. The day will draw to a close in a relaxed atmosphere. On Tuesday morning, the partner company sessions will be followed by the latest digital trends in hardware and materials that allow for the predictable and efficient implementation of patient-oriented treatment concepts. In the afternoon, the exocad team of software experts will present DentalCAD, exoplan and ChairsideCAD using exciting patient cases, allowing users to experience the unsurpassed flexibility and design freedom of exocad software. Dentists will find numerous reasons for single-visit dentistry on an open software platform in the parallel clinical session with Dr. Gulshan Murgai , Great Britain . The conference language is English. Simultaneous translation in German, Spanish, Italian and Russian will be provided online and on site at the darmstadium. More than 40 partner companies will present their latest products for digital dentistry on site and online: Align, Amann Girrbach , Degree of Freedom, Medit, Shining 3D, Dental Direkt, GC, NextDent, Schutz Dental, VITA, Aidite, Arum Dentistry, Asiga, Bego, CAD4D, CADstar, Camlog, Carbon , Carestream, CIM System, Denseo, Dentsply Sirona, DESS, DGSHAPE, Dynamic Abutment, Elos Medtech, envisionTEC, formlabs, imes icore, Infinident Solutions, nt-trading, Open Tech 3D, Planmeca, Runyes, Ruthinium, smart optics, Sinergia, Up3d, vhf, Voco, XtCera, zebris, Zfx and more. Further information on the program, including current hygiene measures and tickets for the live stream, is available at exocad.com/insights About exocad GmbH exocad GmbH is a dynamic and innovative software company committed to expanding the possibilities of digital dentistry and providing OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers) with flexible, reliable, and easy-to-use CAD/CAM software for dental labs and dental practices. exocad software has been chosen by leading OEMs worldwide for integration into their dental CAD/CAM offerings, and thousands of exocad DentalCAD licenses are sold each year. For more information and a list of exocad reseller partners, please visit exocad.com. 1 The permitted number of local participants will depend on the applicable regulations in September 2020 . Cision View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/exocad-insights-2020-global-hybrid-event-on-september-21--22-on-site-in-darmstadt-and-online-worldwide-301087024.html SOURCE exocad GmbH Cision View original content to download multimedia: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/July2020/01/c3106.html More than 30 accredited Massachusetts colleges and universities will receive more than $2.1 million as part of the ExxonMobil Foundations Educational Matching Gift Program. ExxonMobil employees and retirees contributed more than $750,000 to Massachusetts colleges and universities, and those individual donations were matched by more than $1.4 million in ExxonMobil Foundation grants. The ExxonMobil Foundation program matches individual donations to accredited colleges and universities in the United States. The American Indian College Fund, Hispanic Scholarship Fund and United Negro College Fund also receive donations as part of the matching gift program. While the grants are unrestricted, colleges and universities are encouraged to designate a portion of the funds they receive to science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) programs supporting student engagement. "Supporting education is a key priority for ExxonMobil, its employees and retirees," said Kevin Murphy, president of the ExxonMobil Foundation. "Our educational matching gift program provides critical resources to inspire todays students to become tomorrows innovators and problem solvers." Nationally, more than 4,100 ExxonMobil employees and retirees contributed nearly $16 million to 790 institutions of higher education in 2019, and those contributions will be matched with more than $37 million in unrestricted grants from the ExxonMobil Foundation. The ExxonMobil Foundation matches donations to eligible U.S. colleges and universities of up to $7,500 a year on a 2-to-1 basis for employees and on a 1-to-1 basis for retirees. ExxonMobil and the ExxonMobil Foundation also support teacher training initiatives and programs that encourage students, particularly women and minorities, to consider careers in STEM areas. About the ExxonMobil Foundation The ExxonMobil Foundation is the primary philanthropic arm of Exxon Mobil Corporation in the United States. In 2019, the ExxonMobil Foundation, together with Exxon Mobil Corporation, its divisions and affiliates, along with employees and retirees, provided more than $252 million in contributions worldwide, of which over $77 million was dedicated to education. Story continues View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200630005333/en/ Contacts ExxonMobil Media Relations 972-940-6007 DMCC the worlds flagship Free Zone and Government of Dubai Authority on commodities trade and enterprise and Innoway a Chinese platform established by the Beijing and Haidian Government that has successfully incubated over 3,400 start-ups and raised a total of AED4.7 billion ($1.28 billion) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to increase collaboration in the tech sector between the UAE and China, and usher in a new wave of innovation to Dubai. Dubai is transforming into the innovation hub of the Middle East, as the city continues to attract tech start-ups and entrepreneurs from around the world. With the agreement in place, DMCC will serve as Innoways foothold in the region, supporting them with the development of an incubation and acceleration programme that attracts Chinese innovators, entrepreneurs and tech start-ups to Dubai. Dubai has an ambitious innovation agenda, which is driven by government and accelerated by the private sector. Innovation is in Dubais DNA and so too is collaboration. This is just one of the reasons why DMCC is delighted to sign this agreement with Innoway an organisation that has an equally impressive innovation story, said Feryal Ahmadi, Chief Operating Officer, DMCC. DMCC has been harnessing technology to provide innovative solutions and services while providing our member companies with an ecosystem that fosters creativity, entrepreneurship and growth. We are confident that through this strategic partnership with Innoway, we will serve as the launchpad for Chinas most promising start-ups and SMEs, offering them unprecedented opportunities to scale and tap new markets while also supporting the emirates digital agenda, she added. Originally established as a science, technology and innovation hub, Innoway has been dubbed Chinas Silicon Valley, and was established by the Beijing Government to foster global entrepreneurship and offer a platform for an open exchange between global players in the start-up and innovation ecosystem. It provides SMEs and large businesses with the expertise and guidance they need to succeed in Chinas dynamic environment. Innoways partners include the likes of Intel, Orange, Hitachi, Daimler and more. Nie Lixia, General Manager , Innoway and Luan Tian, Director, Innoway, added: DMCC offers the ideal ecosystem for Chinese firms looking to expand across the Middle East, and will provide tremendous value to many of the start-ups we are working with. We look forward to welcoming a new wave of innovative Chinese businesses to DMCC and together, help write the next chapter of Dubai and Chinas story. This announcement builds on the comprehensive strategy of DMCC to attract innovative companies to Dubai, and contribute to the nations wider economic diversification strategy. Earlier this year, DMCC signed an agreement with Crypto Valley a Swiss Government-supported initiative to create a blockchain and cryptographic based business ecosystem in Dubai. China remains among the UAEs largest trading partners. The volume of bilateral trade between the UAE and China reached AED127 billion ($34.7 billion) in the first nine months of 2019, a 6% increase compared to the same period in 2018. To date, DMCC is home to over 500 Chinese member companies from a variety of sectors. -- Tradearabia News Service Thirty accredited Illinois colleges and universities will receive more than $1.4 million as part of the ExxonMobil Foundations Educational Matching Gift Program. ExxonMobil employees and retirees contributed nearly $400,000 to Illinois colleges and universities, and those individual donations were matched by more than $1 million in ExxonMobil Foundation grants. The ExxonMobil Foundation program matches individual donations to accredited colleges and universities in the United States. The American Indian College Fund, Hispanic Scholarship Fund and United Negro College Fund also receive donations as part of the matching gift program. While the grants are unrestricted, colleges and universities are encouraged to designate a portion of the funds they receive to science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) programs supporting student engagement. "Supporting education is a key priority for ExxonMobil, its employees and retirees," said Kevin Murphy, president of the ExxonMobil Foundation. "Our educational matching gift program provides critical resources to inspire todays students to become tomorrows innovators and problem solvers." Nationally, more than 4,100 ExxonMobil employees and retirees contributed nearly $16 million to 790 institutions of higher education in 2019, and those contributions will be matched with more than $37 million in unrestricted grants from the ExxonMobil Foundation. The ExxonMobil Foundation matches donations to eligible U.S. colleges and universities of up to $7,500 a year on a 2-to-1 basis for employees and on a 1-to-1 basis for retirees. ExxonMobil and the ExxonMobil Foundation also support teacher training initiatives and programs that encourage students, particularly women and minorities, to consider careers in STEM areas. About the ExxonMobil Foundation The ExxonMobil Foundation is the primary philanthropic arm of Exxon Mobil Corporation in the United States. In 2019, the ExxonMobil Foundation, together with Exxon Mobil Corporation, its divisions and affiliates, along with employees and retirees, provided more than $252 million in contributions worldwide, of which over $77 million was dedicated to education. Story continues View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200630005339/en/ Contacts ExxonMobil Media Relations, 972-940-6007 Facebook is in the midst of one of the most significant, if not highly-publicized, ad boycotts its faced since it launched some 16 years ago. Kicked off and championed by the Stop Hate for Profit campaign, the movement is meant to push Facebook to better police hate speech and other content posted to and shared across the social network. But Facebook (FB) has faced similar efforts in the past. And its unclear if even the deluge of advertisers taking part in the action, which include Adidas, Ben and Jerrys, Ford (F), Hersheys (HSY) and 237 others as of Wednesday, will have the kind of impact Stop Hate for Profit is seeking. My prediction is that the death of Facebook is once again exaggerated, explained Chapman University George L. Argyros School of Business and Economics associate professor Niklas Myhr. Facebook is facing a reckoning According to Myhr, who is also known as The Social Media Professor, while the boycott is unlikely to have a dramatic impact on Facebook, it could serve as a reckoning for the social network. I think the impact, in terms of this boycott, would be largely secondary in the sense that it will be a time of reckoning and reconciliation within and outside of Facebook in terms of What is this platform for? What are our values? and How can we ensure that we are congruent with what we say we want to be? Stop Hate for Profit, which is made up of civil rights groups including the Anti-defamation League, NAACP, and National Hispanic Media Coalition, among others, is demanding that Facebook take steps to stop the kind of content that it says allows the incitement of violence against racial justice protesters, voter suppression, and Holocaust denial to propagate throughout the social network. The campaign lays out 10 steps Facebook should follow to address those issues, and calls on advertisers to cut their ad spending to the company for all of July. So far, that has led some companies to eliminate their ad spending on the site for the month, or, in the case of Clorox (CLX), through the rest of the year. Story continues Facebook has repeatedly been slammed for allowing politicians to promote misinformation, which the company says is important for open public discourse, and the spread of hate speech on its platform. On Wednesday, Facebook VP of global affairs and communication Nick Clegg issued a statement saying that the company doesnt profit from hate, and that the firm works to deal with such content when its deemed hate speech. Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg speaks at Georgetown University in a 'Conversation on Free Expression" in Washington, DC on October 17, 2019. (Photo by ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS / AFP) (Photo by ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images) When the social network doesnt classify speech as hateful, he wrote, it chooses to keep it up in the name of free speech. We err on the side of free expression because, ultimately, the best way to counter hurtful, divisive, offensive speech, is more speech, Clegg wrote. Exposing it to sunlight is better than hiding it in the shadows. On Tuesday, Facebook said it removed groups and accounts related to the Boogaloo extremist movement, but, according to BuzzFeed News, groups associated with the far-right ideology had been purchasing ads on Facebook as late as Sunday. For his part, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg wrote in a June 26 post that the company already takes down 90% of hate speech on the platform before it is reported by users. He further explained that the company will move to eliminate ads that sow discord and spread hate. Specifically, we're expanding our ads policy to prohibit claims that people from a specific race, ethnicity, national origin, religious affiliation, caste, sexual orientation, gender identity or immigration status are a threat to the physical safety, health or survival of others, he wrote. We're also expanding our policies to better protect immigrants, migrants, refugees and asylum seekers from ads suggesting these groups are inferior or expressing contempt, dismissal or disgust directed at them. Facebook will survive the pain According to Regina Luttrell, assistant professor of public relations and social media at the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University, many of the brands that initially jumped on the boycott are committed to corporate activism and want to see true change from Zuckerberg. Investors will shy away from supporting Zuckerberg's usual avoidance of the issue, Luttrell told Yahoo Finance. Facebook has a habit of making small changes rather than truly taking action. The latest public movement is different. We are all seeing that. Facebook needs to wake up, pay attention and make lasting changes. Its worth noting, however, that the current economic climate is also leading to cuts in advertising spending. According to a Gartner survey of 360 marketers conducted on March 27, 76% of marketing leaders expected decreases in marketing budgets due to the coronavirus pandemic. Whats more, Facebook has 8 million advertisers on its platform, which makes up the bulk of its $70 billion in advertising revenue in 2019. If any kind of advertising boycott is going to have a true impact on the social networking giant, it will need to include well beyond the 242 firms currently part of the movement. Facebook, with its 2.5 billion users, is the largest social media network in the world. And while some advertisers may feel comfortable leaving that kind of access to potential customers on the table, others wont be. A conference worker passes a demo booth at Facebook's annual F8 developer conference, in San Jose, Calif. (AP Photo/Noah Berger, File) And as NYU Stern School of Business assistant professor of marketing Alixandra Barasch points out, the small advertisers that make up the majority of Facebooks advertising partners often cant afford to leave the social network for other outlets. They are not going to be able to afford any kind of mass market advertising campaign, so they cant go to TV, and they dont want to, Barasch explained. They dont have anywhere else to go, and even the big ones, I think they are afraid right now to go in this direction or take a stand one way or the other, so they are looking for ways to sort of speak out and support something that consumers care about. For a company that has survived scandal after scandal, whether that be the Cambridge Analytica debacle that saw a political consulting firm gain access to user data for the purpose of electing Donald Trump, or reports that the social network was used to incite genocide in Myanmar, Facebook has continually come through relatively unscathed. Even the largest privacy-related fine in the history of the Federal Trade Commission, $5 billion, couldnt hurt Facebook in the eyes of investors or advertisers. Because as long as people keep using the social network, its more than worth the temporary blowback to gain access to so many users. More from Dan: Got a tip? Email Daniel Howley at dhowley@yahoofinance.com over via encrypted mail at danielphowley@protonmail.com, and follow him on Twitter at @DanielHowley. More from Dan: Follow Yahoo Finance on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Flipboard, SmartNews, LinkedIn, YouTube, and reddit After numerous big-name companies announced their decision to suspend advertising on Facebook, the social networks vice president of global affairs and communications Nick Clegg published an open letter today. In it, Clegg addressed the criticism around its approach to hate speech, saying I want to be unambiguous: Facebook does not profit from hate. This letter comes after a recent announcement that the company will add warnings to posts from politicians that break its rules. The policy change itself followed weeks of criticism and threats of advertiser boycotts. Facebook hasnt clarified when the labels will start showing up, nor how strictly it will interpret its new rules. The company also announced that CEO Mark Zuckerberg has agreed to meet with the civil rights groups behind the boycott, though a date has not been set, and that it will submit to an audit of its hate-speech controls. In addition to explaining that there is no incentive for the company to do anything but remove hateful content, Clegg said that of the over 100 billion messages sent on Facebook services daily, a tiny fraction are hateful. When the company deems content hateful, Clegg says we take a zero tolerance approach and remove them. But that does depend on how Facebook defines hate speech. When content falls short of being classified as hate speech or of our other policies aimed at preventing harm or voter suppression we err on the side of free expression because, ultimately, the best way to counter hurtful, divisive, offensive speech, is more speech. Exposing it to sunlight is better than hiding it in the shadows. Even when the company does know there is content that qualifies as hate speech on its platform, Clegg says looking for it is hard. With so much content posted every day, rooting out the hate is like looking for a needle in a haystack. Facebook has already spent billions of dollars on technology and people to keep its platform safe, he wrote. He pointed to a European Commissions report as proof of progress made: Facebook assessed 95.7% of hate speech reports in less than 24 hours, faster than YouTube and Twitter. Story continues Clegg continued to highlight ways he said the company has gotten better, saying it finds 90 percent of the hate speech that it removes before someone has to report it, compared to the 24 percent about two years ago. It took action against 9.6 million pieces of content in the first quarter of this year compared to the 5.7 million in the previous quarter. Clegg also reiterated recently announced policies to make sure everyone can stay safe, stay informed, and ultimately use their voice where it matters most voting. He said that as a former politician, he believes the only way to hold the powerful accountable is ultimately through the ballot box. Come this Friday, every Facebook user of voting age in the US will be presented with information on how to register to vote at the top of their News Feeds. This will be one step in the largest voter information campaign in US history, with a goal of registering 4 million voters, he wrote. But Clegg doesnt want you to focus on the negative effects of Facebook. There are positives, he said. Look at what happened when the coronavirus pandemic took hold. Billions of users connected with family members over the platform, thousands of local groups formed to donate and help each other, while millions of businesses used the companys free tools to keep their businesses afloat. More than 2 billion people on Facebook and Instagram were also directed to information from the World Health Organization and other public health entities that the company deemed accurate and authoritative, he added. It is worth remembering that when the darkest things are happening in our society, social media gives people a means to shine a light, Clegg wrote as the letter closes. He ends it with a reminder that although Facebook may never be able to prevent hate from appearing on its platform entirely, its getting better at stopping it. SINGAPORE, July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Far East Hospitality, one of the leading operators of hotels and serviced residences, today announced that its Far East Village Hotel Ariake in Japan is officially opened for business. Previously known as Village Hotel Ariake Tokyo, the 306-key property is the first hotel under the Village brand to expand its presence outside of Singapore. Exterior of Far East Village Hotel Ariake "We live in bizarre times today, but it is never too soon to start looking for opportunities. Domestic travel has picked up in Japan since the easing of travel curbs in June. After careful evaluation and consideration, we decided that now is the right time to open," said Mr Arthur Kiong, Chief Executive of Far East Hospitality. "We have confidence in the domestic market -- particularly business travellers. Opening now also gives our operation teams opportunity to fine-tune all areas and they will be ready when the market eventually picks up." Located in Koto City, the eastern part of Tokyo, Far East Village Hotel Ariake targets the domestic business community who will be attending conferences and exhibitions at Tokyo Big Sight -- one of Japan's premier exhibition arenas and convention centre. Post COVID-19, the Ariake district will be bustling with excitement as sports events and concerts resume and take place at Ariake Tennis Park or the Ariake Arena -- both a short walk away from the hotel. The hotel is thus perfect for domestic leisure travellers who want to be at the heart of all the action. Urban explorations Guests -- whether on business or leisure trips -- will be able to look forward to customised experiences. Start the day bright and early to catch the auction at Toyosu Market -- the world's largest wholesale seafood and food market. To fully immerse in culture and history of the area, guests can choose to visit teamLab Planets -- Japan's emerging art scene, or go on a historical journey at the Edo-Tokyo Museum. The fashionable Ginza neighbourhood and Tokyo Disneyland Resort are also located nearby for guests to explore over the weekend. Story continues These experiences will be included in the Village Passport -- a travel guide that highlights the best shopping, dining, and sightseeing places to explore and enjoy in the local precinct. Singapore-inspired hospitality with a Japanese touch Superior Room with Queen bed Staff member in igeta-patterned uniform The hotel, constructed and designed by Shimizu Corporation, features a contemporary interior with a neutral colour palette. It retains Japanese elements while incorporating Singapore-inspired hospitality of comfort without excess, and aesthetics without ostentation. Guest rooms are fitted with the latest technology such as artificial intelligence speakers that allow guests to make multilingual voice commands. Guests will also be able to spot our staff members decked in igeta-patterned uniforms that capture the Japanese essence. Committing to safe practices Self-check-in and check-out kiosks to minimise contact With travellers realigning their priorities to put safety first, there has been an increasing endeavour to ensure public cleanliness and hygiene. To minimise contact, Far East Village Hotel Ariake will also have self-serve kiosks for check-in and check-out and contactless payment solutions. In addition, modern self-serve vending facilities such as money changers will enable the guest to be independent and allow for contactless service at their convenience. Safe Management Measures have been established in accordance to the local regulations to ensure that the highest level of safety and hygiene is maintained at all times. High touch areas will undergo a high frequency of cleaning and disinfecting, protective screen are installed at service touch points and in the restaurant area, safe distancing measures are in place, safe entry measures including temperature taking of all guests and employees, and appropriate protective gear will be worn where required. To celebrate the launch, the hotel will be running an opening promotion of 15% discount with complimentary late check-out. To book, please visit https://www.stayfareast.com/en/hotels/far-east-village-hotel-ariake-tokyo About Far East Hospitality Far East Hospitality Holdings Pte Ltd (Far East Hospitality) is an International hospitality owner and operator with a diverse portfolio of 9 unique and complementary brands of hotels, serviced residences, and apartment hotels, including Oasia, Quincy, Rendezvous, Village, Far East Collection, Adina Apartment Hotels, Travelodge Hotels, Vibe Hotels and TFE Hotels Collection. Far East Hospitality owns more than 10 hospitality assets and operates a combined portfolio of over 14,500 rooms under its management across 90 hotels and services residences in seven countries -- Australia, Denmark, Germany, Hungary, Malaysia, New Zealand and Singapore, with more in its development pipeline. Far East Hospitality is a 70-30 joint venture formed in 2013 between Far East Orchard Limited (a listed company under Far East Organization) and The Straits Trading Company Limited. In the same year, Far East Hospitality, through its wholly-owned subsidiary Far East Hospitality Investments (Australia) Pte Ltd, completed a 50-50 joint venture with Australia's Toga Group to form Toga Far East Hotels (TFE Hotels). For more information, visit www.stayfareast.com. Photo - https://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20200629/2843611-1-a Photo - https://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20200629/2843611-1-b Photo - https://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20200629/2843611-1-c Photo - https://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20200629/2843611-1-d SOURCE Far East Hospitality (Bloomberg) -- The U.S. Federal Communications Commission designated Huawei Technologies Co. and ZTE Corp. as national security threats, a step toward driving the Chinese manufacturers from the U.S. market where small rural carriers rely on their cheap network equipment. The action means money from federal subsidies used by many small rural carriers may no longer be used to buy or maintain equipment produced by the companies, the FCC said in a news release. Both Huawei and ZTE have close ties to the Chinese Communist Party and Chinas military apparatus, FCC Chairman Ajit Pai said on Twitter. We are sending a clear message: the U.S. government, and this @FCC in particular, cannot and will not allow the Chinese Communist Party to exploit vulnerabilities in U.S. communications networks. The FCC has increasingly scrutinized Chinese companies as tensions grow between Beijing and Washington over trade, the coronavirus and security issues. The agency is considering banning three Chinese telephone companies, and last year barred China Mobile Ltd. from entering the U.S. market. The U.S. contends that Huaweis equipment could be used by China for spying. The company has repeatedly denied that it poses any security risk, and insists that its independent of the Beijing government. Barring U.S. operators from purchasing Huawei and ZTE equipment will not improve U.S. internet security, but will severely impact internet services, especially to rural and underdeveloped areas, Chinas Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said Wednesday. Huawei and ZTE declined to comment. Tuesdays action formalizes a proposal the FCC adopted in November. The agency also proposed requiring carriers to remove gear from companies designated a threat -- a step that wasnt finalized in Tuesdays action. The designation means service will suffer as small carriers shut down parts of their network because they cant use subsidy funds for maintenance or replacement parts, said Carri Bennet, general counsel of the Rural Wireless Association that represents carriers with fewer than 100,000 subscribers. Story continues This is not good, Bennet said in an interview. Theyre in a bind. They dont have cash to keep the networks afloat. About three dozen or four dozen rural carriers accept the subsidy and use equipment from Huawei or ZTE, the FCC estimated last year. It said the average cost for a firm to replace the equipment may range from $40 million to $45 million. FCC Commissioner Geoffrey Starks in a statement Tuesday said that untrustworthy equipment remains in place and called for the FCC to institute a replacement program. There is much more to do, he said. Pai on June 24 told Congress a full-scale rip-and-replace program could cost as much as $2 billion. The FCC wants to see that needed funds are appropriated so we can move forward quickly to implement this program, Pai said. Rural carriers had urged the FCC to delay action until Congress dedicates money to buying replacement gear. Rob Manfredo, a U.S.-based spokesman for Huawei, didnt immediately respond to a request for comment. (Updates with Chinese government response in sixth paragraph) For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com Subscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source. 2020 Bloomberg L.P. MIAMI, June 30, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The Ferraro Law Firm announced today that it is naming James Ferraro, Jr. and Marc Kunen as partners, and hiring Natalia Salas as trial counsel, effective July 2020. Since joining Ferraro Law in 2013, James Ferraro, Jr. has not only grown as a trial attorney, but has been instrumental to the firm's expansion into several high-profile mass tort areas, including, but not limited to, environmental litigation and pharmaceutical litigation involving harmful chemicals, opioids, and Zantac. Part of Mr. Ferraro, Jr.'s expansion initiative has involved representing municipal clients in both opioid and environmental litigation. Additionally, he has been involved in several multimillion-dollar verdicts and settlements. For example, in 2015, he served as co-lead counsel in Taylor v. Georgia-Pacific LLC (Miami-Dade County) and secured a $17,175,000 verdict. Mr. Ferraro, Jr. was also named to the list of "Top 40 Under 40" lawyers in South Florida. He currently sits on two different subcommittees within the Plaintiffs' Executive Committee in In re: Aqueous Film-Forming Foams (AFFF) Products Liability Litigation, MDL 2873. Marc Kunen joined Ferraro Law as a law clerk in 2009, and was admitted to the Florida Bar in 2011. Since that time, Mr. Kunen has tried numerous cases and recovered millions of dollars in verdicts and settlements for the firm. Within the last year alone, Mr. Kunen has secured verdicts in the amount of $70,102,000 in Thornton v. GEA Mechanical Equipment US, Inc., $2,854,159 in Hernandez v. Union Carbide Corporation, and $9,000,000 in Moure-Cabrera v. Johnson & Johnson. Mr. Kunen's $70 million verdict in Thornton was the third largest verdict in the State of Florida last year. Mr. Kunen's $9 million verdict against Johnson & Johnson in February of this year was the first verdict against a talcum powder manufacturer in the State of Florida. Mr. Kunen has been named to the National Trial Lawyer's "Top 40 Under 40" for the last three years and has served on the Board of Directors for the Miami-Dade Trial Lawyers Association since 2016. Story continues "Both James and Marc have exceeded my expectations. They are both instrumental in the current success of the firm and a cornerstone for its future. We are proud to elevate them to partner status," said Jim Ferraro, Ferraro Law's founding partner. Ferraro Law is also is also pleased to announce the hiring of Natalia Salas. Prior to joining Ferraro Law, Mrs. Salas served as Assistant General Counsel for the University of Miami, in the areas of litigation, healthcare, data privacy, intellectual property, research, and technology transfer. From 2012 to 2018, Salas was Senior Counsel in the business litigation group of Foley & Lardner LLP, where she was recognized as a "40 Under 40" Outstanding Lawyers of South Florida. Mrs. Salas was the MDL law clerk for the Honorable James Lawrence King of the U.S. District Court, Southern District of Florida from 2011 to 2012. She also worked as a litigation associate for Coffey Burlington, P.L. from 2007 to 2011. Throughout her career, Mrs. Salas has litigated a wide range of complex commercial litigation matters through trial and appellate levels, including, but not limited to, healthcare, intellectual property, real estate, and government enforcement actions. Mrs. Salas is an experienced litigator who will represent plaintiffs in both Federal and State courts and provide trial support to trial lawyers, preparing major trial-level motions and memoranda, with an emphasis on multi-district litigation. "Natalia has a stellar reputation as a litigator," said Mr. Ferraro. "She is a key strategic hire for Ferraro Law, particularly for our growing multi-district litigation practice. Her long track record of success and experience at the highest levels will greatly benefit our clients." Established in 1985, The Ferraro Law Firm has recovered billions of dollars handling a broad range of complex tort lawsuits, including dozens of multi-million-dollar verdicts, and in the process has successfully participated in some of the most important and groundbreaking cases and appeals in Florida legal history. Cision View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/the-ferraro-law-firm-names-two-new-partners-and-hires-university-of-miami-assistant-general-counsel-as-a-trial-attorney-301086233.html SOURCE The Ferraro Law Firm MEMPHIS, Tenn., June 30, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- First Horizon National Corp. (FHN) will announce second quarter financial results in a news release, financial supplement, and slide presentation, prior to the market opening on July 17, 2020. A conference call will follow at 8:30 a.m. CT (U.S.) during which management will review earnings and performance trends.The call will also be available as a live webcast, accompanied by a slide presentation. The news release, call, and slide presentation may involve forward-looking information, including guidance. The slide presentation, financial supplement and news release will be available by 6 a.m. CT that morning at http://ir.fhnc.com/Event. Conference call information Analysts, investors and interested parties may call toll-free starting at 8:15 a.m. CT on July 17 by dialing 1-888-317-6003 (if calling from the U.S.) or 412-317-6061 (if calling from outside the U.S) and entering access code 5406075. The conference call will begin at 8:30 a.m. CT. Participants can also opt to listen to the live audio webcast with the accompanying slide presentation at http://ir.fhnc.com/Event. A replay of the call will be available beginning at noon CT on July 17 until midnight CT on July 31. To listen to the replay, dial 1-877-344-7529 (U.S. callers) or 412-317-0088 (international callers); the access code is 10145732. A replay of the webcast will also be available at http://ir.fhnc.com/Event by midnight CT on July 17 and will be archived on the site for one year. About First Horizon First Horizon National Corp. (FHN) provides financial services through First Horizon Bank, First Horizon Advisors, and FHN Financial businesses. The banking subsidiary was founded in 1864 and has the largest deposit market share in Tennessee. The company operates approximately 270 banking centers across the Southeast U.S. and 29 FHN Financial offices across the entire U.S. FHN Advisors wealth management group has more than 300 financial professionals and about $5.7 billion in assets under management. FHN Financial is a capital markets industry leader in fixed income sales, trading and strategies for institutional customers in the U.S. and abroad. The company is recognized as one of the nation's best employers by Fortune and Forbes magazines and a Top 10 Most Reputable U.S. bank. More information is available at www.FirstHorizon.com. Story continues FHN-G CONTACT: Investor Relations, Ellen Taylor (901) 523-4450 Investor Relations, Aarti Bowman, (901) 523-4017 Media Relations, Silvia Alvarez, (901) 523-4465 FirstService Residential, North America's leading community management company, was awarded the management contract for Deerlake Ranch in Chatsworth, California. CHATSWORTH, Calif., June 30, 2020 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- FirstService Residential, North America's leading community management company, was awarded the management contract for Deerlake Ranch in Chatsworth, California. The community is currently under development, with homes being built by Van Daele Homes and Landsea Homes. The anticipated buildout will be 314 single-family homes. FirstService Residential will begin management in July 2020. Established in May 2019, Deerlake Ranch is a master-planned single-family home community, with homes ranging from 3,941 square feet to 4,290 square feet. At full buildout, the gated community will be composed of six distinct neighborhoods. It features one large clubhouse, the Canyon Club, which includes a resort-style pool and spa, outdoor living room, game room and outdoor lounge. "Our team is excited to kick off this new partnership with Deerlake Ranch. This beautiful new development has so much to offer, from the nearby hiking trails to the priceless views overlooking the San Fernando Valley and the exceptional and thoughtful design of their amenities," said Shauna Gatlin, regional director at FirstService Residential. "We can't wait to share our knowledge and experience from working with new developments and look forward to partnering with the new homeowners to form a community of neighbors and friends." Deerlake Ranch offers easy access to the 118 freeway and is surrounded by miles of hiking trails that overlook the San Fernando Valley and Hollywood Hills. It is also located minutes away from popular shopping and dining destinations at the Westfield Topanga mall and on Ventura Boulevard. In addition, the community is located near some of the nation's top medical facilities and award-winning schools, like Sierra Canyon and Chatsworth Charter High School. Story continues About FirstService Residential FirstService Residential is North America's property management leader, partnering with 8,000 communities across the U.S. and Canada, including low-, mid- and high-rise condominiums and cooperatives; single-family communities; master-planned, lifestyle and active adult communities; and mixed-use and rental properties. HOAs, community associations, condos and strata corporations rely on their extensive experience, resources and local expertise to maximize property values and enhance their residents' lifestyles. Dedicated to making a difference, every day, FirstService Residential goes above and beyond to deliver exceptional service. FirstService Residential is a subsidiary of FirstService Corporation (FSV), a North American leader in the property services sector. For more information, visit http://www.fsresidential.com/california. SOURCE FirstService Residential The UAEs Emirates Mars Mission - also known as the Hope Mars Mission - has sparked considerable interest among UAE residents over the past 12 months, with searches for the mission increasing by 85 per cent from May 2019 to May 2020, a report said. Similar online search growth extends across related terms and demonstrates strong national appetite for news on the mission, with space searches increasing by 174 per cent, NASA climbing 124 per cent, and astronauts up 247 per cent, according to historical back-data collected by SEMrush, an award-winning digital marketing suite. The spike is partially fuelled by the impact of Hazzaa Ali Almansoori, the first-ever Emirati astronaut, who launched into orbit in September 2019. Residents across the UAE took enormous interest in the astronauts expedition, with his name accruing a 2,536 per cent jump in search traffic during the two-month period around the mission. Arabic search terms for the same topic are also on the rise with (outer space) in-creasing by 177 per cent, and (NASA) charting a similar rise (189 per cent) across the same period. The pride felt across the UAE as the country amplifies its space exploration efforts is evident by the increase in online interest for associated space search terms, said Olga Andrienko, Head of Global Marketing at SEMrush. Constant tracking of search interest on the country or city level can help marketers better focus their efforts and relate to their target customers. Originally announced in 2014, the Emirates Mars Mission launch is scheduled for July 15, 2020, only six years after being announced by His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the president of the United Arab Emirates. The Hope probe is expected to reach the Red Planet by March 2021, coinciding with the UAEs 50th anniversary. TradeArabia News Service Stork, part of Fluor Corporations FLR Diversified Services segment, announced the divesture of Europes professional equipment rental business EQIN to a Netherlands-based private equity firm, VE Partners. However, the agreement is pending final approval by the Dutch Authority for Consumers and Markets. The transaction is in line with the companys strategy of divesting construction rental businesses. Stork president Taco de Haan said, "The intended sale is a positive step for both Stork and EQIN. It will allow both companies to focus on their core businesses while continuing to collaborate and work together to serve our mutual clients, and at the same time, providing Stork with greater operational efficiency going forward. Fluors Strategic Initiatives to Boost Diversified Services Business Fluors Diversified Services segment, which accounts for more than 13% of total revenues, has been posting dismal results over the last few quarters. The company initiated certain restructuring activities in first-quarter 2019 to optimize costs and improve operational efficiency in the Stork business. Meanwhile, Fluor is unable to file its Form 10-Q on time, and is reviewing prior period reporting and related control environment, as well as completing its Form 10-K for 2019. In February 2020, the company announced preliminary fourth-quarter and 2019 numbers for a few metrics. According to the results, new awards were $12.6 billion, of which $3.7 billion was recorded in the Energy & Chemicals unit, $1.9 billion in the Mining & Industrial segment, $2.6 billion in the Infrastructure & Power business, $2.2 billion in the Government unit, and $2.2 billion in the Diversified Services segment. Shares of Fluor have gained 73.5% in the past three months, outperforming the industry's 13.7% growth. We believe new contract wins and the above-mentioned initiatives will help revive the companys performance. Over the last few quarters, major contract wins have allowed Fluor to expand long-term recurring revenue opportunities. Zacks Rank Fluor which shares space with KBR, Inc. KBR, Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. J and AECOM ACM in the same industry currently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. Biggest Tech Breakthrough in a Generation Be among the early investors in the new type of device that experts say could impact society as much as the discovery of electricity. Current technology will soon be outdated and replaced by these new devices. In the process, its expected to create 22 million jobs and generate $12.3 trillion in activity. A select few stocks could skyrocket the most as rollout accelerates for this new tech. Early investors could see gains similar to buying Microsoft in the 1990s. Zacks just-released special report reveals 8 stocks to watch. The report is only available for a limited time. See 8 breakthrough stocks now>> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report AECOM (ACM) : Free Stock Analysis Report KBR, Inc. (KBR) : Free Stock Analysis Report Fluor Corporation (FLR) : Free Stock Analysis Report Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. (J) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research Retailer Provides Tips for Preparing, Handling, Cooking and Storing Meat and Poultry SALISBURY, N.C., June 30, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- To help neighbors enjoy the upcoming Fourth of July holiday safely, Food Lion is sharing the tips below on safe-handling of meat and poultry items on the grill: Safety tips for handling and preparing raw meat and poultry include: Always maintain fresh meat and poultry at 40F or below to maintain freshness and safety until ready to cook. Safely thaw meat in the refrigerator, under cold running water or in a microwave before cooking. Never leave raw meat, poultry or any perishable food out at room temperature for more than two hours, or one hour when outside temperature is 90F and above. Trim excess fat from meat to prevent fire and grease flare-ups. Marinate foods in the refrigerator using a glass or plastic food-safe container to keep them at the proper temperature. Clean all grilling utensils, knives and plates before you begin grilling. Clean cutting boards, knives and grilling utensils in hot, soapy water between every use. Use separate cutting boards for meat and vegetables. Wash your hands with warm water and soap for 20 seconds before and after food preparation and immediately after handling raw meats. Discard marinades and sauces that have come into contact with raw meat juices. Safety tips for grilling meat and poultry include: Make sure your grill is hot enough to cook your food. Whether your grill is charcoal or gas, always follow the manufacturers guidelines. Use a meat thermometer to ensure your meat and poultry is thoroughly cooked. The USDA recommends safe minimum internal temperatures of 145F for pork, beef, steaks and chops, 160F for ground pork and beef and 165F for turkey and chicken. Hotdogs should be served steaming hot. After your food is cooked, use a new, clean plate to place the food on. After cooking meat and poultry on the grill, keep it hot at 140F or warmer until its served. If at home, cooked meat and poultry can be kept hot in an oven set at approximately 200F. Safety tips for storing leftovers include: Story continues Divide leftovers into smaller portions. Refrigerate or freeze in covered shallow containers for faster cooling. Leftover meat and poultry can be eaten safely for three to four days if refrigerated within two hours of cooking, or one hour if the outside temperature is above 90F. Frozen leftovers should keep for about four months. Reheat cooked leftovers to 165F, as measured with a food thermometer. Safety tips were provided by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Center for Disease Control (CDC). For their complete list of grilling safety tips, click here . About Food Lion Food Lion, based in Salisbury, N.C., since 1957, has more than 1,000 stores in 10 Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic states and employs more than 77,000 associates. By leveraging its longstanding heritage of low prices and convenient locations, Food Lion is working to own the easiest full shop grocery experience in the Southeast, anchored by a strong commitment to affordability, freshness and the communities it serves. Through Food Lion Feeds, the company has donated more than 500 million meals to individuals and families since 2014, and has committed to donate 1 billion more meals by 2025. Food Lion is a company of Ahold Delhaize USA, the U.S. division of Zaandam-based Ahold Delhaize. For more information, visit www.foodlion.com . CONTACT: Emma A. Inman, APR 704-245-3317 emma.inman@foodlion.com A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/c3fec857-8ced-48c5-921e-48a7256ba0f1 The Beverly Hills home, listed for $31.99 million, was built for developer Paul W. Trousdale, who created the Trousdale Estates neighborhood. (Hilton & Hyland) In Beverly Hills, a home built for real estate developer Paul W. Trousdale is for sale at $31.99 million. Trousdale, who died in 1990 at 75, built more than 25,000 homes throughout Southern California. In the 1950s, he purchased the 410-acre Doheny Ranch in the hills north of Beverly Hills to create the tony Trousdale Estates neighborhood, where one-acre home sites started at just $40,000. He would later create residential communities in Marin County, Hawaii and Palm Springs. Crowning a three-quarter-acre knoll, one of the highest points in Trousdale Estates, the Hollywood Regency-style residence was designed by architect-to-the-stars John Elgin Woolf and built in 1959. A brick driveway leads past gates and winds up the sloping lot before reaching the 5,592-square-foot house. Inside, a great room conjures images of Old Hollywood with wood-paneled walls and parquet wood floors. A rounded sitting area is connected to the formal dining room. Floor-to-ceiling windows take in westward views of the city and ocean. There are three bedrooms and seven bathrooms in about 5,600 square feet of space. Outside, theres covered patio space, a circular swimming pool, lawn and a reflecting pool. Following Trousdales passing, the estate was sold by his family in 1997 to Carson car dealer Don Kott for $1.75 million. More recently, the property changed hands in 2010 for $13 million when it was purchased by the former president of Country Life Vitamins, Ryan Drexler. Rayni and Branden Williams of Hilton & Hyland hold the listing. The Board of Directors of FortisTCI Limited, the electric utility company in the Turks and Caicos Islands, announced on Friday, June 26, its selection of Ruth Forbes as President and CEO, with effect from August 2, 2020. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200701005898/en/ FortisTCI President and CEO Eddinton Powell (L) retires and Senior Vice President of Corporate Services and CFO Ruth Forbes is named successor, effective from August 2, 2020. (Photo: Business Wire) Mrs. Forbes, a native of the Turks and Caicos Islands, becomes the first woman to lead the company, and is currently one of the few women at the head of a Caribbean utility. Mrs. Forbes will succeed Eddinton Powell, who has lead FortisTCI for the past 13 years. Mr. Powell will retire as President and CEO from August 1, 2020 and will transition into the role of Strategic Advisor through the end of this year, reporting to the Board of Directors. Mr. Powell will also remain a Director on the Board until that time. Mrs. Forbes joined FortisTCI in 2006, and currently serves as Senior Vice President of Corporate Services and Chief Financial Officer, where she oversees the finance, supply chain, customer service, communications, legal and human resources functions. Prior to joining FortisTCI, Mrs. Forbes worked as a Senior Auditor at PWC (formerly PriceWaterhouseCoopers). She has a Diploma in Business Administration (Honors) from University of Technology, Kingston, Jamaica and a Bachelors degree in Accounting from Barry University, Florida. She is also a Certified Management Accountant (CMA). "On behalf of all employees and the Board of Directors, I want to congratulate Ruth Forbes on her appointment. Ruth brings tremendous experience and personal acumen to this important position, as well as strong connections to the communities on the islands," said Gary Smith, Chair, FortisTCI Board of Directors. "I also wish to thank Eddinton Powell for his contribution to the electricity sector in the Turks and Caicos Islands and wish him well in his retirement." Story continues Barry Perry, President and CEO, Fortis Inc., stated, "Ruths insights and vision for the company and its customers are admirable and I am confident that she will continue to advance FortisTCI as an innovative and sustainable energy leader in the Caribbean. I extend my congratulations to Ruth, as well as my thanks to Eddinton for leading the progressive transformation of the electricity sector in the Turks and Caicos Islands." In response to her appointment, Mrs. Forbes said, "I am pleased to have been selected as Mr. Powell's successor. I am also thankful to the Board of Directors and Fortis Inc. for their confidence in my ability, and to Mr. Powell for his leadership. Our company is respected as a trailblazing utility both regionally and internationally. In my new role, I will continue our drive toward excellence with the FortisTCI team, while bringing value to our stakeholders. I must also acknowledge and thank my family for their unwavering support." Responding to news of Mrs. Forbes appointment, Premier of the Turks and Caicos Islands Hon. Sharlene Cartwright-Robinson stated, "As Premier, I am excited and delighted to congratulate our very own Mrs. Ruth Forbes, the next President and CEO of FortisTCI. Mrs. Forbes has held a senior position in the firm for some time and has led on huge initiatives over the years, and as a Government, we are confident that she is more than up to the task. "To Mrs. Forbes, on behalf of my Government and the people of the Turks and Caicos Islands, I say well done and we are proud of you! As a female, I celebrate you as an inspiration for our young girls and women." Speaking about the announcement, Mr. Powell said, "It has been an honor to serve as the CEO of FortisTCI for the last 13 years. My love and respect for the Turks and Caicos Islands are deep and abiding. As I move into a new phase of my life, I leave behind a strong company and a talented team that will achieve great things. I know that Ruth will do well in her new role, and I wish her all the very best on her journey." Mr. Powell joined FortisTCI in 2007 as President and CEO, after serving as Senior Vice President and CFO at Caribbean Utilities Company (CUC) in the Cayman Islands, a Fortis company. He began his career in the utility sector at CUC in 1982, and currently serves as Chairman of the Board of Caribbean Electric Utilities Corporation (CARILEC), and will continue in that role until December 2020. About FortisTCI FortisTCI Limited (FTCI) is the public electricity supplier in Turks and Caicos, serving the islands of Providenciales, North Caicos, Middle Caicos, South Caicos, East Caicos, and the adjacent Cays. Turks and Caicos Utility Limited (TCU), purchased by FortisTCI in August 2012, delivers electricity on the Islands of Grand Turk and Salt Cay. Together, the two companies have more than 15,000 customers, an aggregate diesel-fired generating capacity of approximately 90.7 megawatts, and 1MW of grid-tied roof-top distributed solar PV. For further information visit www.fortistci.com. FortisTCI is a subsidiary of Fortis Inc., a leader in the North American regulated electric and gas utility industry. For further information visit www.fortisinc.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200701005898/en/ Contacts Talisha Simons Senior Director of Corporate Communications & Public Affairs FortisTCI Ltd Tel: 649-946-4313 Ext. 2519 Email: tsimons@fortistci.com TALLINN (Reuters) - Three European countries, including Belgium, use only Chinese gear in their 4G mobile networks and in many large countries more than 50% of equipment comes from China, Danish telecoms research firm Strand Consult said on Tuesday. Washington wants the world to ban Chinese supplier Huawei from new 5G networks, saying its equipment can be used by Beijing for spying - allegations the company strongly rejects. Belgium, Malta and Cyprus use only Chinese equipment in their 4G mobile radio networks, Strand said, adding the market share of Chinese equipment was 57% in Germany, just over 50% in Spain and Italy, 40% in Britain and 25% in France. While telecoms operators often mention their vendors, the market share data is not publicly available. Strand calculated the figures based on talks with sources and more than 100 operators across Europe. With the technology switch to 5G, operators will need to replace most of their 4G radio network equipment, Strand said, estimating the total additional cost from replacing Chinese equipment at $3.5 billion across the continent. "This amount compares to 14 months of total European radio access network purchases, a small number both for Europe and the world," said Strand, which regularly produces sector reports for clients including governments and telecoms operators. Huawei's main rivals in the mobile telecom equipment market are Ericsson and Nokia. (Corrects headline, paragraphs 1 and 3 after research firm removed Lithuania from the list) (Reporting by Tarmo Virki; Editing by Mark Potter) NEW YORK, July 01, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Apollo Global Management, Inc. (APO) (together with its consolidated subsidiaries Apollo) and Merx Aviation (Merx), a global aircraft leasing, management and finance company, announced the completion by certain funds managed by affiliates of Apollo and Merx of a sale and leaseback transaction with Delta Air Lines of ten Airbus A220-100 aircraft. The aircraft, manufactured in 2019, were acquired by an aviation platform established by Apollo, which invests in a diverse set of aircraft types, vintages and jurisdictions and is serviced by Merx. Gary Rothschild, CEO of Merx and Head of Aviation Finance at Apollo, said: We are pleased to have closed this transaction with Delta, one of the worlds leading airlines, and to add the new and innovative A220 aircraft type to our portfolio. In a time of significant market stress, the Apollo platform and Merx were able to act as a capital solutions provider in a transaction that contributes to Deltas increased financial liquidity to manage a challenging aviation market. We look forward to continuing our relationship with Delta and other airlines to provide greater financial flexibility. The A220 is a core part of the future of Deltas domestic fleet, with state-of-the-art interior and best-in-class fuel efficiency. Powered by technologically advanced Pratt & Whitney PW1500G geared turbofan engines and incorporating composite materials, the A220 also offers reduced noise and emissions. Merx operates an integrated aviation platform focused on global aircraft leasing, management and finance, with an owned and managed fleet spanning 26 countries. Based in New York, Dublin and Singapore, Merx was founded in 2012 and is a wholly owned portfolio company of Apollo Investment Corporation (AINV), a publicly traded business development company managed by Apollo Investment Management, L.P., an affiliate of Apollo. About Apollo Apollo is a leading global alternative investment manager with offices in New York, Los Angeles, San Diego, Houston, Bethesda, London, Frankfurt, Madrid, Luxembourg, Mumbai, Delhi, Singapore, Hong Kong, Shanghai and Tokyo. Apollo had assets under management of approximately $316 billion as of March 31, 2020 in credit, private equity and real assets funds invested across a core group of nine industries where Apollo has considerable knowledge and resources. For more information about Apollo, please visit www.apollo.com. Story continues Contact Information For investors please contact: Gary M. Stein Head of Investor Relations Apollo Global Management, Inc. (212) 822-0467 gstein@apollo.com Ann Dai Investor Relations Manager Apollo Global Management, Inc. (212) 822-0678 adai@apollo.com For media inquiries please contact: Joanna Rose Global Head of Corporate Communications Apollo Global Management, Inc. (212) 822-0491 jrose@apollo.com S&P futures are trading moderately lower after the European session saw some selling after yesterdays rally. The weakness has less to do with virus fears and more with the Hong Kong situation. The new National Security Law that China has imposed on the city is leading to unrest. Additionally, we saw a reaction from the U.K. criticizing China, saying that the law is a clear violation of the autonomy of Hong Kong. The world is very upset at China at the moment. If there is joint economic action against the country, it could harm global trade. For that reason, the headlines involving Hong Kong over the next few weeks could be market moving. Economic data on jobs out before the bell, with the Challenger Job Cuts printing 170K v the 397k prior. The June payrolls report will be a market mover tomorrow and some traders will use these numbers as an indicator of what we might see. S&P Futures Trading Levels The S&P futures currently sit at 3066, about 30 handles off the highs from yesterday. Support levels for the day will be 3061 and 3043. Upside resistance is 3090 and 3114. The current environment is trending sideways, with bullish responses to bad news creating a positive environment for stocks. The holiday shortened week will likely keep volumes to the lower side. Three Stocks to Watch FDX- Big quarter for FedEx as the company crushed expectations on both the top and bottom line. The stock is trading up 11% in premarket trading. UBS and JPMorgan both raised price targets for the stock above $180, over 28% from yesterdays close. BYND- Fake meat makes its move into China, which is good for 10% pre-market move. The company reached an agreement to sell products at Freshippo retail stores in China, giving Beyond Meat an entry into a very large market. STZ Constellation Brands reported EPS this morning, with a slight miss on the revenues, but a 28 cent beat on the bottom line. The stock is trading slightly higher in the premarket, up almost 3%. These Stocks Are Poised to Soar Past the Pandemic The COVID-19 outbreak has shifted consumer behavior dramatically, and a handful of high-tech companies have stepped up to keep America running. Right now, investors in these companies have a shot at serious profits. For example, Zoom jumped 108.5% in less than 4 months while most other stocks were sinking. Our research shows that 5 cutting-edge stocks could skyrocket from the exponential increase in demand for stay at home technologies. This could be one of the biggest buying opportunities of this decade, especially for those who get in early. See the 5 high-tech stocks now>> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Constellation Brands Inc (STZ) : Free Stock Analysis Report FedEx Corporation (FDX) : Free Stock Analysis Report Beyond Meat, Inc. (BYND) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research General Electric Companys GE business unit GE Gas Power recently finished providing inspection services on two steam turbines, four 9F.03 gas turbines and six generators at Besmaya, the largest power plant in Iraq. In addition, the company performed several operations and maintenance (O&M) services at this Mass Group Holdings power plant. General Electric earlier delivered four steam turbines and eight gas turbines along with twelve generators for Phases 1 and 2 of the Besmaya project, which are capable of generating a maximum of 3 GW of electricity. Notably, the companys service offerings are part of a 20-year service deal for the turbines and generators as well as an O&M agreement for both of the projects phases. As noted, the services provided by the company helped the power plant to minimize the unplanned downtime risk of power generation equipment, thus, improving the efficiency of power supply. In addition, the company secured a deal for delivering four 9F.04 gas turbines and four generators for Phase 3 of the project, whose construction work is underway. It is worth mentioning here that experts from General Electric and Mass Group Holding implemented several safety measures, including the use of personal protective equipment, disinfection measures and thermal screenings to safeguard its workers safety from the coronavirus pandemic. General Electric's share price increased 0.4% yesterday, eventually closing the trading session at $6.83. Zacks Rank, Price Performance and Estimate Trend The company, with a $59.7-billion market capitalization, currently carries a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell). Over the past six months, its share price has decreased 42.8% compared with the industrys decline of 18.1%. In the past 60 days, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for the companys earnings has declined 69.2% to 4 cents for 2020. Stocks to Consider Some better-ranked companies are Macquarie Infrastructure Company MIC, Activision Blizzard, Inc. ATVI and Astec Industries, Inc. ASTE. All the companies currently sport a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank stocks here. Macquarie has a positive earnings surprise of 3.13%, on average, for the trailing four quarters. Activision Blizzard delivered a positive earnings surprise of 31.34%, on average, in the trailing four quarters. Astec Industries delivered a positive earnings surprise of 6.68%, on average, in the trailing four quarters. Biggest Tech Breakthrough in a Generation Be among the early investors in the new type of device that experts say could impact society as much as the discovery of electricity. Current technology will soon be outdated and replaced by these new devices. In the process, its expected to create 22 million jobs and generate $12.3 trillion in activity. A select few stocks could skyrocket the most as rollout accelerates for this new tech. Early investors could see gains similar to buying Microsoft in the 1990s. Zacks just-released special report reveals 8 stocks to watch. The report is only available for a limited time. See 8 breakthrough stocks now>> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Astec Industries, Inc. (ASTE) : Free Stock Analysis Report Activision Blizzard, Inc (ATVI) : Free Stock Analysis Report General Electric Company (GE) : Free Stock Analysis Report Macquarie Infrastructure Company (MIC) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research FRANKFURT/BERLIN (Reuters) - The head of Germany's financial market regulator BaFin, which is under intense scrutiny for its oversight of collapsed Wirecard, defended its record on Wednesday, saying it wasn't alone in deciding how to categorise the payments provider. While BaFin regulated Wirecard's banking subsidiary, the company was never put on a list of financial firms that would have brought it fully under the supervision of BaFin, even though such a move was discussed twice. BaFin President Felix Hufeld told lawmakers in a closed-door meeting that all decisions about how to categorise Wirecard were made along with other supervisors, including the Bundesbank and the European Central Bank, according to his spokeswoman. As a financial technology company, albeit one that owned a bank, Wirecard was long considered as being in a grey area when it came to traditional banking supervision. Hufeld was testifying before lawmakers in the Bundestag's finance committee. Three participants said Hufeld told them that the European Central Bank (ECB) was behind a decision not to label Wirecard a financial holding company. The BaFin spokeswoman said Hufeld did not blame the ECB. "According to the assessment of all institutions involved, Wirecard was not classified as a financial holding company," Hufeld's spokeswoman said he had stressed to lawmakers. The ECB declined to comment. Wirecard filed for insolvency last week owing creditors almost $4 billion after disclosing a 1.9 billion euro ($2.1 billion) hole in its accounts that its auditor EY said was the result of a sophisticated global fraud. In the hours leading up to Hufeld's testimony, police and public prosecutors raided Wirecard's headquarters in Munich and four properties in Germany and Austria on Wednesday as they widened their fraud investigation. Lisa Paus, a member of parliament for the opposition Greens, said BaFin needed a fresh start. "It is still open whether this can be achieved with Mr Hufeld as the head of BaFin." (Reporting by Christian Kraemer and Hans Seidenstuecker; Writing by Tom Sims; Editing by John O'Donnell and David Clarke) Having come into effect, the new Dubai International Financial Centre Data Protection Law 2020 law will bring enhanced governance and transparency obligations. Companies operating in DIFC and beyond now have three months to address the requirements of DPL 2020, which also means three months to get control of their data, says Johnny Karam Regional Vice President at Veritas. Most companies in the UAE are prone to data-hoarding with minimal visibility or control of their unused, and unseen data. Last year, Veritas Technologies released its 3rd edition of the Middle East Databerg Report which revealed that UAE businesses surveyed were failing to manage their data efficiently. The study found that 88% of the data stored by organisations is dark and ROT (Redundant, Outdated, Trivial information). The new DPL 2020 law will actively benefit companies in a range of ways. Not only will managing data effectively ensure data compliance, it will also increase companywide efficiency, provide competitive advantage, and protection against malware attacks. Veritas has gone to great lengths to address the upcoming legislation, going so far as creating and incorporating new functionality into its insight products, designed specifically around the DIFC laws. This includes helping customers manage unstructured data, allowing them to identify risk by classifying and managing personal data as per the new DPL regulations. Beyond this, the company recommends five key steps for businesses to prepare their data management strategies for DPL 2020 compliance: *Establish and implement data maps and policies: Critical to compliance is having a clear data map in place which elucidates where this information is being stored, who has access to it, how long it is being retained, and where it is being moved. This will help ones enterprise in both processing and managing personal as well as mission critical data; *Top to bottom level involvement: Protecting data requires company-wide buy-in including business units such as HR, marketing, customer service and especially IT. Collective efforts across the board need to be made in order to mitigate future compliance risks and data mismanagement; *Increase data visibility across all levels: Obtaining insights into all data flows as well as classifying and tagging data is vital for success. Where does the data come from and who is it shared with, is key to achieving governance and compliance of the new law; *Establish protection and breach protocols: Confirm the protection systems are up to scratch. Then expect an attack. Establish a robust data breach procedure in order to detect, report and investigate personal data breaches, as these will now have to be reported to a Data Protection officer as part of the new DPL 2020 laws. Make sure that detailed, trustworthy, swift and automated back-up is in place should recovery be needed; and *Minimise the data load: Keep data only for the period of time directly related to the original intended purpose. The deployment and enforcement of retention policies that automatically expire data over time strongly contributes to greater compliance. It is now more important than ever for companies to have a data management strategy in order to ensure data compliance is taking place within an organisation both from an operational and cultural perspective. By encouraging data responsibility and implementing the latest data management tools, businesses can do their bit in preparing themselves for DPL 2020. -- Tradearabia News Service * Euro zone periphery govt bond yields http://tmsnrt.rs/2ii2Bqr By Yoruk Bahceli AMSTERDAM, July 1 (Reuters) - Germany's 10-year yield rose to a one-week high on Wednesday, as the focus on both sides of the Atlantic was on data releases that may support some economic optimism, potentially hurting safe-haven bonds. Markets have been having to balance risk aversion from rising coronavirus cases with optimism from the bounce-back in economic data in the past few sessions. German retail sales rose sharply in May, by 13.9% compared to a Reuters forecast of 3.9%, reflecting a rebound in private consumption as Germany lifted its coronavirus lockdown. The focus will be on German unemployment data for June due at 0755 GMT. Final manufacturing activity data is also due in Europe at 0800 GMT. In the United States, investors will focus on employment data due at 1215 GMT and manufacturing activity data at 1400 GMT. Fed meeting minutes are also due. "Data today should allow markets to see the glass half-full," ING analysts told clients. "It is possible that better economic data drowns out the noise from rising covid cases globally," the ING analysts said. "Survey indices ... in particular have a tendency to revert to the mean after their sharp drop in recent months but only due to a stabilisation of activity at low levels," they added. Germany's 10-year yield rose to a one-week high, rising 2 basis points on the day to -0.44, after hitting one-month lows in recent sessions when the focus was on rising coronavirus cases. Italy's 10-year yield was up 1 basis point to 1.34% after hitting its lowest since March on Tuesday. In the primary market, Portugal is expected to sell a 15-year bond after hiring a syndicate of banks on Tuesday, a memo seen by Reuters showed. Italy will raise its 2020 budget deficit to around 11.6% from the current 10.4% goal, a senior government official told Reuters on Tuesday, as it will approve a new 20 billion euro spending package in July. (Reporting by Yoruk Bahceli. Editing by Jane Merriman) ENGLEWOOD, Colo., June 30, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Gevo, Inc. (Gevo) (GEVO), today announced that it has priced a public offering of an aggregate of 30,000,000 shares of common stock (or common stock equivalents), together with accompanying warrants to purchase up to an aggregate of 30,000,000 shares of common stock, at a public offering price of $0.60 per share and accompanying warrant. Each share of common stock (or common stock equivalent) will be sold in the offering with one warrant to purchase one share of common stock. The warrants have an exercise price of $0.60 per share, are immediately exercisable, and expire five years following the date of issuance. H.C. Wainwright & Co. is acting as the exclusive placement agent for the offering. The gross proceeds of the offering are expected to be $18.0 million, prior to deducting placement agents fees and other offering expenses payable by Gevo and assuming none of the warrants issued in the offering are exercised for cash. The offering is expected to close on or about July 6, 2020, subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions. Gevo intends to use the net proceeds from the offering for general corporate purposes. The securities described above are being offered by Gevo pursuant to a registration statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-238548) previously filed with and declared effective by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on June 30, 2020, and an additional registration statement on Form S-1 filed pursuant to Rule 462(b) (File No. 333-239587), which became automatically effective on June 30, 2020. The offering is being made only by means of a prospectus forming part of the effective registration statement. A preliminary prospectus relating to the offering has been filed with the SEC. When available, electronic copies of the final prospectus relating to the offering may be obtained for free by visiting the SECs website at www.sec.gov or by contacting H.C. Wainwright & Co., LLC, 430 Park Avenue, 3rd Floor, New York, New York 10022, by email at placements@hcwco.com or by telephone at 646-975-6996. Story continues This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy these securities, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or other jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to the registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or other jurisdiction. About Gevo Gevo is commercializing the next generation of renewable premium gasoline, jet fuel and diesel fuel with the potential to achieve zero carbon emissions, addressing the market need of reducing greenhouse gas emissions with sustainable alternatives. Gevo uses low-carbon renewable resource-based carbohydrates as raw materials, and is in an advanced state of developing renewable electricity and renewable natural gas for use in production processes, resulting in low-carbon fuels with substantially reduced carbon intensity (the level of greenhouse gas emissions compared to standard petroleum fossil-based fuels across their lifecycle). Gevos products perform as well or better than traditional fossil-based fuels in infrastructure and engines, but with substantially reduced greenhouse gas emissions. In addition to addressing the problems of fuels, Gevos technology also enables certain plastics, such as polyester, to be made with more sustainable ingredients. Gevos ability to penetrate the growing low-carbon fuels market depends on the price of oil and the value of abating carbon emissions that would otherwise increase greenhouse gas emissions. Gevo believes that its proven, patented, technology enabling the use of a variety of low-carbon sustainable feedstocks to produce price-competitive low carbon products such as gasoline components, jet fuel, and diesel fuel yields the potential to generate project and corporate returns that justify the build-out of a multi-billion dollar business. Learn more at our website: www.gevo.com Forward-Looking Statements Certain statements in this press release may constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements relate to a variety of matters, including, without limitation, statements related to public offering of securities described herein and the pricing of the public offering. These forward-looking statements are made on the basis of the current beliefs, expectations and assumptions of the management of Gevo and are subject to significant risks and uncertainty. Investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any such forward-looking statements. All such forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made, and Gevo undertakes no obligation to update or revise these statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Although Gevo believes that the expectations reflected in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, these statements involve many risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from what may be expressed or implied in these forward-looking statements. For a further discussion of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ from those expressed in these forward-looking statements, as well as risks relating to the business of Gevo in general, see the risk disclosures in the Annual Report on Form 10-K of Gevo for the year ended December 31, 2019 and in subsequent reports on Forms 10-Q and 8-K and other filings made with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission by Gevo. Investor and Media Contact Shawn M. Severson Integra Investor Relations +1 415-226-7747 info@integra-ir.com Brendan Smyth to Lead Australian Valuations Office Sydney, Australia, July 01, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Gordon Brothers, the global advisory, restructuring and investment firm, announced that Brendan Smyth has been named Head of the Australian Valuation team. The appointment will facilitate targeted, high-touch service to Australian clients of the companys growing Valuations business. In his new role, Brendan will provide comprehensive asset valuations to the restructuring/insolvency sector and lending community, including asset-based lenders, private equity firms, corporate management teams, investment funds and professional advisors. Brendan becomes a key member of the Global Valuations management team, which is rounded out by Scott Fuller, Head of the European Valuation team, and Chris Carmosino, the President of Global Valuations. As a longtime advisor to a wide range of companies seeking complex asset valuations across Australia, New Zealand, Europe and Asia, Brendan is well-suited to steer our Australian Valuations business to its next phase of growth, Chris stated. He has deep experience in retail, consumer, and industrial inventory, and his time already spent directing appraisals in Australia gives him a firm grasp of the issues facing that market. Prior to Gordon Brothers, Brendan worked at a global valuations firm, initially in London, UK, then in Sydney, Australia, where he established and grew a valuations business in Australia. Prior to entering the valuation industry, he worked as a buyer for an Australian national retailer. Tim Stewart, Head of Australia commented, "We are excited that Brendan has joined Gordon Brothers as he brings unique experience and a honed skillset to grow the valuations practice. This further cements our ability to provide a broad product offering to the Australian market and deliver appraisals for plant and equipment, retail and commercial inventory assets." Gordon Brothers is the largest appraiser in the world serving the commercial finance industry and maintains valuation practices across North America, Europe, Asia, Latin America and Australia. It maintains a database of over 10 million asset sale values, the largest of its kind in the world. Story continues Gordon Brothers launched its Australian operations in the spring of 2017 and has since grown substantially serving insolvency and restructuring, private equity firms, asset-based lenders, mergers and acquisitions and corporate finance. Brendan will be based in Gordon Brothers Sydney office. About Gordon Brothers Since 1903, Gordon Brothers (www.gordonbrothers.com) has helped lenders, operating executives, advisors, and investors move forward through change. The firm brings a powerful combination of expertise and capital to clients, developing customized solutions on an integrated or standalone basis across four service areas: valuations, dispositions, operations, and investments. Whether to fuel growth or facilitate strategic consolidation, Gordon Brothers partners with companies in the retail, commercial, and industrial sectors to put assets to their highest and best use. Gordon Brothers conducts more than $70 billion worth of dispositions and appraisals annually. Gordon Brothers is headquartered in Boston with 25 offices across five continents. Attachment Nicole Trice Gordon Brothers 617-422-6569 ntrice@gordonbrothers.com Pacific Palisades, California--(Newsfile Corp. - July 1, 2020) - Green Stream Holdings Inc. (OTC PINK: GSFI) ("Green Stream", "GSFI", or the "Company"), an emerging leader in the democratization of solar energy through innovative solar energy generation facilities and designs, is excited to announce that the Company has secured two new Community Solar Project agreements (the "Agreement") with CubeSmart Self Storage of Hackensack, NJ ("CubeSmart"). The new locations are anticipated to produce an additional $6.6 million in revenues, that's in addition to the previously announce $3.9 million totaling $9.9 million for the entire project over a period of 25 years. To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://media.zenfs.com/en-us/newsfile_64/4d80ac50bec9bd38c94d686fed2e4982 The Agreement provides for the rooftop installation of a solar energy collection system at a number of CubeSmart facilities. Design and Permitting is anticipated to be concluded in the next few months, and the initial construction is expected to started by end of 2020. "We are honored that CubeSmart would be so quick to expand the already existing Agreement we had negotiated and executed just last month," stated Madeline Cammarata, President of Green Stream Holdings. "The community solar model is a proven path to private sector implementation of renewable energy infrastructure. Energy from the Sun will hit the CubeSmart facility whether we install the means to collect it or not. We believe this installation will represent an effective demonstration of how our model can make better use of that resource, and we look forward to ongoing and future discussions with proprietors of many similar facilities over the near term as Green Stream continues to expand our Community Solar footprint." About Green Stream Finance, Inc.: Green Stream Finance, Inc., a Wyoming-based corporation with satellite offices in Malibu, CA and New York, NY, is focused on exploiting currently unmet markets in the solar energy space, and is currently licensed in California, Nevada, Arizona, Washington, New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, New Mexico, Colorado, Hawaii, and Canada. The Company's next-generation solar greenhouses, constructed and managed by Green Rain Solar, LLC, a Nevada-based division, utilize proprietary greenhouse technology and trademarked design developed by world-renowned architect Mr. Antony Morali. The Company is currently targeting high-growth solar market segments for its advanced solar greenhouse and advanced solar battery products. The Company has a growing footprint in the significantly underserved solar market in New York City where it is targeting 50,000 to 100,000 square feet of rooftop space for the installation of its solar panels. Green Stream is looking to forge key partnership with major investment groups in order to capitalize on a variety of unique investment opportunities in the commercial solar energy markets. The Company is dedicated to becoming a major player in this critical space. Through its innovative solar product offerings and industry partnerships, the Company is well-positioned to become a significant player in the solar space. Story continues Forward-Looking Statements: This press release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and is subject to the safe harbor created by those sections. This material contains statements about expected future events and/or financial results that are forward-looking in nature and subject to risks and uncertainties. That includes the possibility that the business outlined in this press release cannot be concluded for some reason. That could be as a result of technical, installation, permitting or other problems that were not anticipated. Such forward-looking statements by definition involve risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of Green Stream Finance, Inc. to be materially different from the statements made herein. Except for any obligation under the U.S. federal securities laws, Green Stream Finance, Inc. undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Company Contact/Address Green Stream Finance Inc. & Green Rain Solar, LLC 16620 Marquez Avenue Pacific Palisades, CA 90272 Phone: 310-230-0240 For All Inquiries Contact: info@greenstreamfinance.com To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/58955 H.I.G. Advantage ("H.I.G."), an investment affiliate of H.I.G. Capital, is pleased to announce that one of its affiliates has completed the acquisition of Supply Source Enterprises, Inc. ("SSE" or the "Company"), a leading manufacturer of branded and private label personal protective equipment and janitorial, safety, hygiene and sanitation products, from Genuine Parts Company ("GPC"). Headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, SSE offers an extensive product portfolio and differentiated value-added services. Through its Safety Zone and Impact Products divisions, SSE serves a diversified customer base, including janitorial and sanitation supply distributors, safety products resellers, food service and food processing distributors and retailers. Steve Schultz, CEO and President of SSE, commented, "We are excited to enter into this new chapter with H.I.G. Capital. We have been fortunate over the last few years with the support of Genuine Parts Company to execute on our strategic plan. We are excited about SSEs growth prospects and believe our customers and employees will benefit immensely from H.I.G.s support as we embark on our next growth phase." Rahul Vinnakota, Managing Director at H.I.G., added, "We look forward to partnering with Steve and the entire management team to support SSEs continued growth. H.I.G. will bring additional expertise and resources to SSE to support management as they continue to broaden SSEs customer base, expand offerings and enhance services. Importantly, given the critical role of these businesses in the COVID-19 pandemic, we remain committed to ensuring continuity of service to customers while prioritizing the wellbeing of employees." Harris Williams and Robert W. Baird are acting as financial advisors and McDermott Will & Emery LLP is acting as legal counsel to H.I.G. J.P. Morgan is acting as financial advisor and Troutman Sanders LLP is acting as legal counsel to GPC. Funds affiliated with Ares Management Corporation provided financing for the transaction. Story continues About Supply Source Enterprises Supply Source Enterprises, Inc. is a leading manufacturer of branded and private label personal protective equipment and janitorial, safety, hygiene and sanitation products. Headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, the Company serves approximately 4,000 customers across the United States. For more information, visit www.safety-zone.com and www.impact-products.com About H.I.G. Capital H.I.G. is a leading global private equity and alternative assets investment firm with $37 billion of equity capital under management.* Based in Miami, and with offices in New York, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Atlanta in the U.S., as well as international affiliate offices in London, Hamburg, Madrid, Milan, Paris, Bogota, Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo, H.I.G. specializes in providing both debt and equity capital to small and mid-sized companies, utilizing a flexible and operationally focused/ value-added approach: H.I.G.s equity funds invest in management buyouts, recapitalizations and corporate carve-outs of both profitable as well as underperforming manufacturing and service businesses. H.I.G.s debt funds invest in senior, unitranche and junior debt financing to companies across the size spectrum, both on a primary (direct origination) basis, as well as in the secondary markets. H.I.G. is also a leading CLO manager, through its WhiteHorse family of vehicles, and manages a publicly traded BDC, WhiteHorse Finance. H.I.G.s real estate funds invest in value-added properties, which can benefit from improved asset management practices. Since its founding in 1993, H.I.G. has invested in and managed more than 300 companies worldwide. The firm's current portfolio includes more than 100 companies with combined sales in excess of $30 billion. For more information, please refer to the H.I.G. website at www.higcapital.com. * Based on total capital commitments managed by H.I.G. Capital and affiliates. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200701005092/en/ Contacts Rahul Vinnakota Managing Director rvinnakota@higcapital.com Vivek Jain Principal vjain@higcapital.com P 212.506.0500 F 212.506.0559 www.higcapital.com BLOOMINGTON, Ill., July 01, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- HBT Financial, Inc. (HBT) (the Company), is pleased to announce the appointment of Linda Koch to the board of directors of HBT Financial, Inc. and its subsidiary, Heartland Bank and Trust Company, both headquartered in Bloomington, IL. Ms. Koch served as President and CEO of Illinois Bankers Association from 2001 until her recent retirement in June of this year. She has a BA from the University of Illinois-Springfield in Legal Studies, and she earned the professional designation of Certified Association Executive (CAE) in 2005, meeting requisite standards of experience and education in the field of association management. She began her career in 1984 with the Illinois House of Representatives, where her responsibilities included staffing the banking committee and analyzing legislation for its impact on the banking industry. She joined the Illinois Bankers Association in January of 1989 as Assistant Director in the Government Relations Department. Koch was named Vice President and chief lobbyist of the association in 1991 and Senior Vice President in 1998. She served as President and CEO from 2001-2020. As President and CEO, Koch was responsible for the leadership, strategy, and operational management of the Illinois Bankers Association. Koch also served as the official spokesperson on behalf of the Association and for expanding the positive role and influence of the Association and the Illinois financial services industry generally. Koch was elected to the Board of the Bankers Club of Chicago in 2016 and currently serves as Vice President. She also volunteers with BankWork$, a workforce development program to help adults from underserved communities enter the financial services industry. We are looking forward to having Linda on our boards, where we can draw from her strength and solid reputation in the banking industry. Her experience will be an asset in setting the strategy for our company. We are fortunate to have her join us, commented Fred Drake, Chairman, Chief Executive Officer, and President of HBT Financial, Inc. Story continues About HBT Financial, Inc. HBT Financial, Inc. is headquartered in Bloomington, Illinois and is the holding company for Heartland Bank and Trust Company and State Bank of Lincoln. The banks provide a comprehensive suite of business, commercial, wealth management and retail banking products and services to businesses, individuals, and municipal entities throughout Central and Northeastern Illinois through 64 branches. As of March 31, 2020, HBT had total assets of $3.2 billion, total loans of $2.1 billion and total deposits of $2.7 billion. HBT is a longstanding Central Illinois company, with banking roots that can be traced back 100 years. CONTACT: Matthew Keating HBTIR@hbtbank.com (310) 622-8230 A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/ffbd33e7-9d81-4d7a-b63c-aee1aa9388be New appointments, including Board Chair Betsy Peters, to oversee strategic direction of industrial software company PORTLAND, Maine, June 30, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- HighByte, an industrial software company, today announced the appointment of both Betsy Peters and Corson Ellis to the company's Board of Directors, effective immediately. The appointments follow the recent close of the company's pre-seed funding round and mark the company's transition from an initial founder-only board to one with external representation. HighByte Board of Directors (left to right): Betsy Peters, Tony Paine, Corson Ellis The board will provide perspective and guidance on the company's ongoing strategic direction, including go-to-market planning and future fundraising. Both board appointments bring extensive and proven executive management experience to their new roles. The inaugural appointments joining HighByte co-founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Tony Paine on the Board of Directors include: Betsy Peters, Independent Board Chair. Peters has worked as intrapreneur and entrepreneur for the past twenty-five yearsbuilding products, leading teams, raising funds, and managing growth. During her career, she has answered directly to various boards, constructed her own startup board, served as a publicly elected board official, and helped lead the strategic direction of Maine-based software startup CourseStorm as Board Chair for the past four years. Peters is currently the CEO of Cambium Enterprises, an innovation strategy firm, and an adjunct instructor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Corson Ellis, Investor Director. Ellis was previously Founder and Chairman of Kepware, an industrial software communications company that sold to PTC, a Boston-based enterprise software company, in January 2016. Ellis has served as Board Chair of Maine Venture Fund (MVF) and Gulf of Maine Research Institute (GMRI) and is currently a board member of Coastal Ventures, a Maine-based venture capital firm. Ellis also invests in and advises software startups, serves on several technical investment boards, and supports the Lewiston, Maine public school system in their effort to institute a K-12 software coding curriculum. Ellis was an investor in the HighByte pre-seed funding round and will now represent investors on the company's Board of Directors. "I was honored to accept the role of Board Chair because of the talented and experienced HighByte team who have demonstrated success working together in this market," said Peters. "They've developed a promising and desirable solution to help customers unlock the potential of their industrial data. I'm committed to supporting them as they achieve the next stages of growth, feasibility, and viability." Story continues Board observers include Joe Powers of MVF and Matthew Hoffner of Maine Technology Institute (MTI) whose institutions participated in the pre-seed funding round. John Harrington and Torey Penrod-Cambra, both HighByte co-founders, will also serve as board observers. Prior to founding HighByte in August 2018, Paine, Harrington, and Penrod-Cambra have worked together since 2012 and have more than 50 years of experience delivering software to the industrial automation market. Additional Resources About HighByte HighByte is an industrial software development company in Portland, Maine building solutions that address the data architecture and security challenges created by Industry 4.0. We've developed the first DataOps solution purpose-built to meet the unique requirements of industrial assets, products, processes, and systems at the Edge. Learn more at https://highbyte.com. HighByte is a registered trademark of HighByte, Inc. Media Contact HighByte Torey Penrod-Cambra Chief Marketing Officer +1 844.328.2677 x701 torey.penrod-cambra@highbyte.com HighByte logo. All rights reserved. (PRNewsfoto/HighByte) Cision View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/highbyte-announces-formation-of-board-of-directors-301085148.html SOURCE HighByte Hoffa: USMCA Will Ensure Safer Roadways, Increased Labor Rights For Workers Hoffa: USMCA Will Ensure Safer Roadways, Increased Labor Rights For Workers PR Newswire WASHINGTON, July 1, 2020 Innovative Trade Deal Includes Long Sought Cross-Border Trucking Provision WASHINGTON, July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The following is a statement from Teamsters General President Jim Hoffa about the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), the revised North American trade deal that takes effect Wednesday. International Brotherhood Of Teamsters. (PRNewsFoto/International Brotherhood of Teamsters) "For the first time today, Teamster truckers will have protections on the job that they haven't had in at least a quarter century thanks to the enactment of this new trade pact. The deal was possible due to the hard work of the Teamsters, a bipartisan collection of policymakers and allies who joined together and worked for years to get it done. "From the get-go, securing an overdue fix to the cross-border trucking provision that threatened highway safety and the competitiveness of the American trucking industry was essential for this union. The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) had made roadways less safe due to allowing older, Mexican-domiciled trucks on them. "But thanks to the hard work of House Transportation and Infrastructure Chairman Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.) and allies such as the Owner Operator Independent Drivers Association and Advocates for Highway Safety, the USMCA adds a trade remedy to safeguard against material harm to U.S. truckers. We thank USTR Ambassador Bob Lighthizer and his team for working with us on this issue and we will continue to work closely with the agencies tasked with implementation of the trucks fix to ensure it is implemented vigorously and transparently. "Addressing cross-border trucking was necessary, but not sufficient, to securing the Teamsters' support of the agreement. That came with new enforcement mechanisms that will protect worker rights in Mexico, especially the right to form independent unions. The new labor chapter also includes the right to strike as an expression of the freedom of association and contains protections against workplace violence and for migrant workers. Story continues "USMCA also eliminated the investor state dispute settlement chapter from the original NAFTA that gave foreign corporations greater rights than American citizens." Founded in 1903, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents 1.4 million hardworking men and women throughout the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. Visit www.teamster.org for more information. Follow us on Twitter @Teamsters and "like" us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/teamsters. Contact: Ted Gotsch, (703) 899-0869 tgotsch@teamster.org Cision View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/hoffa-usmca-will-ensure-safer-roadways-increased-labor-rights-for-workers-301086994.html SOURCE International Brotherhood of Teamsters Dubai Culture and Arts Authority announced the welcoming of visitors to the Naif and Poet Al Oqaili museums starting July 1, from Sunday to Thursday 08:00 am to 02:00 pm. This decision comes as part of the Authoritys efforts to consolidate the publics connection with the rich history of Dubai and its cultural and heritage landmarks. In order to preserve public safety at this stage, both museums will be operating at 50 per cent capacity, and group entries will be limited to no more than five members per group. In addition, Dubai Culture is committed to providing all the available preventative measures to ensure the well-being of all visitors and museum employees by adhering to thorough sterilisation routines and enforcing two-metre social distancing rules as well as requiring staff members and visitors to wear face masks before entering the museums. Thermal examinations will also be conducted for everyone entering the museums, and designated isolation areas for suspected cases will be identified. Naif Museum is located in the Deira district, the heart of the commercial city, and represents part of Naif Castle, which was built in 1939 to be the first police station in Dubai. Visitors will have the opportunity to learn about the history of the police and security services in the emirate in addition to gain access to information, historical documents, and decrees pertaining to Dubai Police since its establishment in 1956. The Museum of the Poet Al Oqaili will grant visitors the opportunity to experience one of the most beautiful heritage houses in Dubai that captures the essence of its owner, the poet Mubarak bin Hamad bin Mubarak Al Manea Al Oqaili. They will also enjoy the beautiful heritage elements and architectural designs as well as peruse original documents and collections belonging to the poet, who is considered one of the regions most prominent poets. Dubai Culture had closed the historical and heritage sites in Dubai from mid-March as part of the precautionary measures taken by the UAE to limit the spread of Covid-19. - TradeArabia News Service Jabil US Factories on Track to Produce More than 2 Billion Masks Per Year Jabil Inc. (NYSE: JBL) today announced the launch of a substantial face mask manufacturing operation in the United States to address demand for face masks and other personal protective equipment (PPE) driven by businesses re-opening amid the coronavirus pandemic. By next week, Jabils factories in Memphis, Tennessee; Clinton, Massachusetts; and Gurnee, Illinois will begin producing what will scale to 1.6 million single-use face masks per day, with ability to ramp up to over 2 billion per year by this Fall. Jabil has accelerated production to meet the demands of major U.S. employers including service providers, retail and restaurant chains, airlines, government entities and other essential businesses to help protect employees as the country re-opens. Jabil is currently taking orders from U.S. employers seeking to protect their workforce during these challenging times. "As states and municipalities re-open and public interactions increase across commerce and workplaces, we wanted to step up and help employers who are trying to protect their employees," said Mark Mondello, CEO of Jabil. "Were moving very quickly, maintaining high quality standards and achieving massive scale, which is what Jabil was built to do." Jabils face mask offerings will include industrial face masks and FDA rated surgical masks. The industrial face masks in production feature three layers that act as a source control barrier. The lightweight, single-use masks have been independently tested to ASTM F2100 performance standards and meet or exceed 98% Bacterial Filtration Efficiency (BFE) and 98% Particle Filtration Efficiency (PFE), suitable for most applications. To learn more, visit: jabil.com/masks. About Jabil Jabil (NYSE: JBL) is a manufacturing solutions provider that delivers comprehensive design, manufacturing, supply chain and product management services. Leveraging the power of over 200,000 people across 100 sites strategically located around the world, Jabil simplifies complexity and delivers value in a broad range of industries, enabling innovation, growth and customer success. For more information, visit jabil.com. Story continues View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200630005509/en/ Contacts Erin Vadala Warner Communications 978-468-3076 erin@warnerpr.com Michelle Smith Jabil Vice President, Corporate Communications Michelle_Smith@Jabil.com SHANGRAO, China, July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- JinkoSolar Holding Co., Ltd. ("JinkoSolar" or the "Company") (NYSE: JKS), one of the largest and most innovative solar module manufacturers in the world, today announced that it won the 6th All Quality Matters Award for PV Module Energy Yield Simulation (Mono Group) at the Solar Congress 2020 organized by TUV Rheinland. TUV Rheinland's All Quality Matters Award is the most competitive and highly respected industry award for PV modules, inverters, energy storage systems, and components. This award is widely recognized for its objective and credible evaluation process and authoritative neutral selection mechanism. The careful evaluation of energy yield simulation is based on performance testing of samples randomly selected from mass production under global conditions defined by PV module performance testing and energy rating standards - IEC 61853-1, IEC 61853-2, IEC 61215, IEC 60904, etc. These test conditions cover a range of irradiances and temperatures, light conditions and incident angles, temperature coefficients, spectral response, LID (Light Induced Degradation), and energy yields of modules simulated under different climate conditions that reflect operating conditions across a wide array of regions. As an industry leader known for its high-quality products, JinkoSolar ranked first in testing on modules group which were recognized in particular for their outstanding energy yield for the third consecutive year[1]. Dr. Jin Hao, Chief Technology Officer of JinkoSolar commented, "This prestigious award is strong recognition of our profound research and leading industry position when it comes to mono technology. Our remarkable R&D team continues to develop leading products for customers that are highly-efficient and can be safely and easily installed all over the world. As we move rapidly towards the high-efficiency era, our innovative technologies are not only reliable under the toughest conditions, but also can generate enormous growth potential and higher returns on investment for clean energy projects." Story continues [1] Winning records of JinkoSolar in 2018 and 2019 are available to review at: http://www.tuvaward.com/index.php/index/look_9.html?l=en-us About JinkoSolar Holding Co., Ltd. JinkoSolar (NYSE: JKS) is one of the largest and most innovative solar module manufacturers in the world. JinkoSolar distributes its solar products and sells its solutions and services to a diversified international utility, commercial and residential customer base in China, the United States, Japan, Germany, the United Kingdom, Chile, South Africa, India, Mexico, Brazil, the United Arab Emirates, Italy, Spain, France, Belgium, and other countries and regions. JinkoSolar has built a vertically integrated solar product value chain, with an integrated annual capacity of 17.5 GW for mono wafers, 10.6 GW for solar cells, and 16 GW for solar modules, as of March 31, 2020. JinkoSolar has over 15,000 employees across its 7 productions facilities globally, 14 overseas subsidiaries in Japan, South Korea, Vietnam, India, Turkey, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, United States, Mexico, Brazil, Chile and Australia, and global sales teams in China, United Kingdom, France, Spain, Bulgaria, Greece, Ukraine, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, Morocco, Kenya, South Africa, Costa Rica, Colombia, Panama, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam, Poland and Argentina. To find out more, please see: www.jinkosolar.com Safe Harbor Statement This press release contains forward-looking statements. These statements constitute "forward-looking" statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and as defined in the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as "will," "expects," "anticipates," "future," "intends, "plans," "believes," "estimates" and similar statements. Among other things, the quotations from management in this press release and the Company's operations and business outlook, contain forward-looking statements. Such statements involve certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Further information regarding these and other risks is included in JinkoSolar's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including its annual report on Form 20-F. Except as required by law, the Company does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. For investor and media inquiries, please contact: Ms. Ripple Zhang JinkoSolar Holding Co., Ltd. Tel: +86 21-5183-3105 Email: pr@jinkosolar.com Cision View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/jinkosolar-wins-the-6th-all-quality-matters-award-from-tuv-rheinland-301086535.html SOURCE JinkoSolar Holding Co., Ltd. Kansas City Southern (KCS) (NYSE: KSU) announced several organizational changes effective July 1 designed to further support the companys ongoing Precision Scheduled Railroading (PSR) strategy and provide development opportunities for several KCS leaders. Mike Walczak, currently vice president mechanical operations, will move to a newly created role in the Finance organization, reporting to executive vice president and chief financial officer Michael W. Upchurch. In this role, Mr. Walczak will lead Service Design, Car Management, Fuel Management, Treasury and Tax, working closely with executive vice president PSR Sameh Fahmy to continue the execution of KCS very successful PSR strategy. Darin Selby, currently vice president intermodal and automotive operations, will assume responsibility for Mechanical Operations. Mr. Selby has extensive leadership experience in Sales and Marketing and Operations, and will lead KCS Mechanical organization as it continues to right-size its equipment fleet, increase staff productivity, minimize failures and train delays and invest in new technologies to improve the reliability of company assets. Olivia Daily, currently assistant vice president service design, will assume the role of vice president purchasing. Bill Blaise, currently vice president purchasing, has elected to retire effective September 1, and will assist in the transition of the Purchasing organization. Bill has been with KCS since 2007 in a variety of finance roles. "Kansas City Southern is focused on providing consistent and reliable service, building a more resilient and dependable network, facilitating industry-leading growth, and continuing to improve asset utilization and our cost structure," said KCS president and chief executive officer Patrick J. Ottensmeyer. "These organizational changes will help us build on the significant train and crew efficiency gains made during the Covid-19 pandemic." Headquartered in Kansas City, Mo., KCS is a transportation holding company that has railroad investments in the U.S., Mexico and Panama. Its primary U.S. holding is The Kansas City Southern Railway Company, serving the central and south central U.S. Its international holdings include Kansas City Southern de Mexico, S.A. de C.V., serving northeastern and central Mexico and the port cities of Lazaro Cardenas, Tampico and Veracruz, and a 50 percent interest in Panama Canal Railway Company, providing ocean-to-ocean freight and passenger service along the Panama Canal. KCS' North American rail holdings and strategic alliances with other North American rail partners are primary components of a unique railway system, linking the commercial and industrial centers of the U.S., Mexico and Canada. Story continues View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200701005894/en/ Contacts C. Doniele Carlson, 816-983-1372, dcarlson@kcsouthern.com JASPER, Ind., June 30, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Kimball Electronics, Inc. (KE), (the Company), today announced two new internal promotions conducive to the Company accelerating its strategic growth plans. Effective July 1, 2020, Steve Korn has been promoted to the newly-created position of President of Global Electronics Manufacturing Services (EMS) Operations, and Lee Kemper has been promoted to the newly-created position of Vice President of Diversified Contract Manufacturing Services (DCMS). Im excited about these appointments. Both are proven leaders and are the right people to execute our EMS and DCMS growth plans, said Donald D. Charron, Chairman and CEO, Kimball Electronics. Steve has been instrumental in helping us exceed our goal of $1 billion in sales and driving operational excellence; and as General Manager, Lee has done a great job integrating and transforming our Kimball Electronics Indianapolis operations. Korn, who joined Kimball Electronics in 2004, was most recently the Vice President of North American Operations and Global Supply Chain. He has over 30 years of EMS experience, holding executive positions with increasing levels of leadership and responsibility in operations management, business development, and engineering management. He earned a mechanical engineering degree from South Dakota School of Mines and Technology. Korn, as leader of EMS, will continue to work closely with the Companys business development team, led by Kathy Thomson, Vice President, Global Business Development and Design Services, to continue to grow business. Kemper joined Kimball Electronics in 2018 and was most recently the General Manager for the Companys Kimball Electronics Indianapolis facility. Prior to joining Kimball Electronics, he was the President of iScribeMD in Toledo, Ohio. He has over 20 years of manufacturing, operations, and supply chain experience. He has a business administration degree from the University of Saint Francis (Indiana) and an MBA from the University of Toledo. Story continues In the past two years, Kemper has been important to the Companys DCMS efforts to establish strategic inroads by developing innovative plastic injection molding solutions and complex device assembly for medical customers. Prior to these changes, the Company maintained a regionalized approach to the leadership structure of global EMS manufacturing facilities. Korn served as Vice President of North American Operations; Roger Chang (Chang Shang Yu) served as Vice President of Asian Operations; and Janusz Kasprzyk served as Vice President of European Operations. Both Chang and Kasprzyk have announced plans to retire after many years with the Company, effective June 30, 2020. Kasprzyk joined the Company as Operations Manager 20 years ago. He was appointed General Manager of the Kimball Electronics Poland facility in 2005 and then Vice President, European Operations in 2014. Chang joined the Company 16 years ago as Director of China Initiatives. He became Vice President, Asian Operations in 2005. Both Roger and Janusz have been long-standing employees for us and helped grow our business in their respective geographical regions. They have made significant accomplishments throughout their careers, and we will be forever thankful to them for helping us achieve lasting relationships and global success. We wish them good health, happiness, and further success as they enter their new life chapters. They are deserving of the added time they can now spend with their families and pursuing other personal endeavors, said Charron. Korn, in his new role, will serve as the single executive leader for all EMS locations. The current General Managers for EMS operations in Asia, Europe, and North America, will report directly to Korn. Said Charron, With Steve as our EMS leader, we expect to optimize and grow our EMS business, which continues to be our core business. There are other things we expect to occur as a result of this change, too. We plan to create more focus and acceleration around our common vision for the smart factory of the future and our industry 4.0 strategy. Bringing our EMS facilities under one leader is an important step in our journey, and its the right time to take that step. Continued Charron, These leadership promotions further exemplify how we have grown into being a multifaceted, global Company. What Im also excited about is how this change will help us cultivate talent to create a deeper pool of future leaders who will ensure that our Company stays successful. This will help put our best organization in place and take our Company to the next level of performance and growth. About Kimball Electronics, Inc. Kimball Electronics is a multifaceted manufacturing solutions provider of electronics and diversified contract manufacturing services to customers around the world. From our operations in the United States, China, India, Japan, Mexico, Poland, Romania, Thailand, and Vietnam, our teams are proud to provide manufacturing services for a variety of industries. Recognized for a reputation of excellence, we are committed to a high-performance culture that values personal and organizational commitment to quality, reliability, value, speed, and ethical behavior. Kimball Electronics, Inc. (KE) is headquartered in Jasper, Indiana. To learn more about Kimball Electronics, visit: www.kimballelectronics.com . Lasting relationships. Global success. CONTACT: Adam W. Smith Treasurer Telephone: 812.634.4000 E-mail: Investor.Relations@kimballelectronics.com DECATUR, AL / ACCESSWIRE / July 1, 2020 / Lakeland Industries, Inc. (LAKE) (the "Company" or "Lakeland"), a leading global manufacturer of protective clothing for industry, healthcare and to first responders on the federal, state and local levels, today announced that it has established a new credit facility with Bank of America. The new facility consists of a senior secured $12.5 million revolving credit facility, which includes a $5 million letter of credit sub-facility and an option to convert up to $5 million of the revolving credit facility into a term loan facility. The facility also includes an accordion feature under which the Company may request from time to time an increase in the revolving commitment of up to $5 million (for a total commitment of up to $17.5 million). The facility will mature on June 25, 2025. Terms of the new facility are more completely discussed in the Company's Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Allen E. Dillard, Chief Financial Officer of Lakeland Industries, stated, "We look forward to our new banking relationship with Bank of America. While Lakeland's financial condition has substantially improved over the past five years as evidenced by our net cash position increasing to $23.3 million at April 30, 2020 as compared with net debt of $4.3 million at April 30, 2015, we have aligned the size of our new credit facility to reflect our current capital requirements while incorporating expansion flexibility. At the same time, we will receive improved pricing, decreased administration, and will have access to Bank of America's global platform for cash management. This facility and its enhanced features reflect our efforts to optimize all aspects of our business and financial operations aimed at better supporting our continued worldwide growth." "Bank of America is pleased to work with Lakeland Industries as they execute on their growth plan," said Brooks Emory, Senior Relationship Manager with Global Commercial Banking at Bank of America. "We remain committed to helping our clients through all stages of the business cycle and look forward to serving Lakeland Industries as they continue to grow their company worldwide." Story continues About Lakeland Industries, Inc.: We manufacture and sell a comprehensive line of industrial protective clothing and accessories for the industrial and public protective clothing market. Our products are sold globally by our in-house sales teams, our customer service group, and authorized independent sales representatives to a network of over 1,600 global safety and industrial supply distributors. Our authorized distributors supply end users, such as integrated oil, chemical/petrochemical, automobile, steel, glass, construction, smelting, cleanroom, janitorial, pharmaceutical, and high technology electronics manufacturers, as well as scientific, medical laboratories and the utilities industry. In addition, we supply federal, state and local governmental agencies and departments, such as fire and law enforcement, airport crash rescue units, the Department of Defense, the Department of Homeland Security and the Centers for Disease Control. Internationally, we sell to a mixture of end users directly, and to industrial distributors depending on the particular country and market. Sales are made to more than 50 countries, the majority of which were into the United States, China, the European Economic Community ("EEC"), Canada, Chile, Argentina, Russia, Kazakhstan, Colombia, Mexico, Ecuador, India, Uruguay and Southeast Asia. For more information concerning Lakeland, please visit the Company online at www.lakeland.com. Contacts: Lakeland Industries, Inc. 256-445-4000 Allen Dillard aedillard@lakeland.com Darrow Associates 512-551-9296 Jordan Darrow jdarrow@darrowir.com "Safe Harbor" Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: Forward-looking statements involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions as described from time to time in Press Releases and Forms 8-K, registration statements, quarterly and annual reports and other reports and filings filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission or made by management. All statements, other than statements of historical facts, which address Lakeland's expectations of sources or uses for capital or which express the Company's expectation for the future with respect to financial performance or operating strategies can be identified as forward-looking statements. As a result, there can be no assurance that Lakeland's future results will not be materially different from those described herein as "believed," "projected," "planned," "intended," "anticipated," "estimated" or "expected," or other words which reflect the current view of the Company with respect to future events. We caution readers that these forward-looking statements speak only as of the date hereof. The Company hereby expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any such statements to reflect any change in the Company's expectations or any change in events conditions or circumstances on which such statement is based. SOURCE: Lakeland Industries, Inc. View source version on accesswire.com: https://www.accesswire.com/595785/Lakeland-Industries-Announces-New-Credit-Facility-with-Bank-of-America Complimentary program on InsideSherpa offers business, academic, and legal community opportunity to execute hypothetical acquisition financing and learn more about working at a global law firm. NEW YORK, June 30, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Latham & Watkins LLP1 is pleased to announce the launch of the firm's Virtual Experience Program (VEP) on banking law. The complimentary virtual program hosted on InsideSherpa, an innovative, open-access platform that connects users with companies and law firms, gives the business, academic, and legal community the opportunity to represent a lender in executing a hypothetical acquisition financing and learn more about the nature of work at a global law firm. Participants will identify issues in a purchase agreement, draft a closing checklist, and review and comment on final deliverables. Dan Seale, Global Chair of Latham's Banking Practice, said: "The Virtual Experience Program provides students and anyone interested in banking law the exciting opportunity to gain 'life like' exposure to the legal issues surrounding a financing. We are proud to have one of the world's leading banking practices, and offering this program underscores our commitment to fostering the next-generation of talented lawyers." With the launch of the Banking VEP, Latham now offers four VEPs on InsideSherpa: M&A, White Collar, Emerging Companies, and Banking. Each program immerses participants in navigating legal issues in a transaction or litigation matter. "Our Virtual Experience Program helps demystify big law, offering a rare window into the work of a corporate attorney. We hope that by making this freely available to anyone, we can inspire young people who are curious about a career in the law," said Abid R. Qureshi, Global Chair of Latham's Recruiting Committee. Latham's top-tier global Banking Practice represents commercial banks, investment banks, direct lenders, and other financial institutions in their capacities as agents, arrangers, and lenders, as well as corporate borrowers and private equity firms, in structuring and executing the most complex financings across industries and around the globe. Latham advises on hundreds of financings valued at hundreds of billions of dollars each year. To learn more about our Banking Practice and careers at Latham, visit lwcareers.com. Story continues About Latham & Watkins (lw.com) Latham & Watkins delivers innovative solutions to complex legal and business challenges around the world. From a global platform, our lawyers advise clients on market-shaping transactions, high-stakes litigation and trials, and sophisticated regulatory matters. Latham is one of the world's largest providers of pro bono services, steadfastly supports initiatives designed to advance diversity within the firm and the legal profession, and is committed to exploring and promoting environmental sustainability. Notes to Editors 1 Latham & Watkins operates worldwide as a limited liability partnership organized under the laws of the State of Delaware (USA) with affiliated limited liability partnerships conducting the practice in France, Hong Kong, Italy, Singapore, and the United Kingdom and as an affiliated partnership conducting the practice in Japan. Latham & Watkins operates in South Korea as a Foreign Legal Consultant Office. Latham & Watkins works in cooperation with the Law Office of Salman M. Al-Sudairi in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Contacts Abid R. Qureshi, Partner and Chair of Global Recruiting Committee, +1.202.637.2240 Daniel C. Seale, Partner and Global Chair of Banking Practice, +1.212.906.1341 Cision View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/latham--watkins-launches-virtual-experience-program-on-banking-law-301085762.html SOURCE Latham & Watkins LLP OcuRing is a novel drug delivery platform for cataract surgery with potential to eliminate the need for postoperative topical eye drops. $3M DoD award will fund IND-enabling toxicology and manufacturing activities. LayerBio plans to develop OcuRing products for multiple cataract surgery-related indications. LEXINGTON, Mass., July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- OcuRing is a novel sustained-release technology designed to deliver therapies to cataract surgery patients, potentially eliminating the need for postoperative topical drops. The drug eluting device is attached to an intraocular lens (IOL) for implantation during cataract surgery. Because of its unique elastomeric properties, the OcuRing can be attached to most standard one-piece or three-piece IOLs and inserted into the eye using the standard injector systems without modification of surgical technique. OcuRing is a modular platform with the capacity to deliver multiple medications from the same IOL. LayerBio is developing OcuRing formulations for drugs used to prevent complications of cataract surgery, including corticosteroids and NSAIDs. "Cataract surgeons have been anxiously awaiting the day when we could offer our patients a highly effective alternative to traditional eye drops. While patients usually sail through cataract surgery, they are quick to complain about the cost, discomfort, waste, inconvenience, and frequency of using drops for a month or two following their operation," commented Robert H. Osher, M.D., a pioneer and innovator in the field of modern cataract surgery. "It is with great excitement that we anticipate the development of a sustained drug delivery system which can be implanted at the time of surgery to safely deliver an optimal regimen of medication, which the patient and surgeon will likely prefer," added Dr. Osher. LayerBio today announced receipt of a $3 million Technology/Therapeutic Development Award (TTDA) from the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) through the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP). This funding will support advancement of its lead OcuRing product for cataract surgery. This DoD award adds to the previous $5 million in non-dilutive funding that LayerBio has raised through Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and National Science Foundations (NSF) and sponsored research collaborations with industry partners. Story continues "We're excited to receive this important award from the DoD to advance OcuRing development," commented Ken Mandell, MD, PhD, LayerBio's founder and CEO. "LayerBio is committed to developing this innovative technology with the goal of enhancing surgical outcomes and patient satisfaction. We are honored to have the DoD support this important project." About LayerBio: LayerBio, Inc. is clinical-stage biotechnology company developing innovative therapies to address unmet needs in the field of ophthalmology and other therapeutic areas. LayerBio was founded as a spinoff of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) based on drug delivery technology developed in the laboratory of LayerBio's co-founder Dr. Paula Hammond, David H. Koch Professor in Engineering and Head of the Department of Chemical Engineering at MIT. More information about LayerBio is available at www.layerbio.com. About Robert H. Osher: Robert H. Osher, M.D., is Professor of Ophthalmology, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Medical Director Emeritus, Cincinnati Eye Institute. Dr. Osher has been awarded the Binkhorst Medal and Innovator's Award by the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons (ASCRS) and the Lifetime Achievement Award and Kelman Award by the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO). Press contact: Ken Mandell (617) 453-8210 info@layerbio.com Related Images ocuring-for-cataract-surgery.jpeg OcuRing for Cataract Surgery The OcuRing is novel intraocular lens (IOL)-based drug delivery system providing a continuous release of therapeutic medications for patients undergoing cataract surgery. Cision View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/layerbio-awarded-3m-from-us-department-of-defense-dod-to-advance-ocuring-for-cataract-surgery-301086562.html SOURCE LayerBio, Inc. Second Significant Partnership Role for Lendistry in Pennsylvanias Small Business Recovery HARRISBURG, Pa., June 30, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Lendistry, the leading fintech Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI), today announced its selection as the administrator and technology partner for the $225 million Pennsylvania Small Business Grant Program, by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvanias Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) awardee, the Pennsylvania CDFI Network. The Program begins accepting applications today at 9am EDT, providing up to $50,000 per grant, with no repayment requirement. The program is designed for small businesses with 25 or fewer employees and annual revenues of $1 million and below. Further program eligibility criteria and application information can be found by visiting https://pabusinessgrants.com/ . The Pennsylvania CDFI Network includes 17 CDFIs serving all 67 counties in the state. Governor Tom Wolf earlier this month announced the states small business relief grant program, funded by a portion of $2.6 billion in federal CARES Act stimulus funds provided to Pennsylvania. Each state received at least $1.25 billion in CARES Act funds, with significant discretion in how to use the money. Lendistrys partnerships with more than 50 financial institutions provide operational efficiencies making it easier for very small and very large institutions alike to be part of the solution for underserved small businesses nationwide. This is the second significant role Lendistry, which focuses on providing capital to underserved small businesses, particularly those owned by minorities, women and veterans, has been selected to play in Pennsylvanias small business recovery efforts. In April, Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney announced a $10 million small business lending commitment, with funding provided by Goldman Sachs under its 10,000 Small Businesses initiative, and with loans provided through Lendistry under the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). Story continues Lendistrys founder and CEO Everett K. Sands commented, Lendistrys selection represents another application of our scalable technology platform, experience in assisting small businesses during the coronavirus pandemic, and expertise in serving minority, women and veteran-owned businesses. We are proud to partner with the DCED and the Pennsylvania CDFI Network to provide critical equity to hard-hit small businesses across the state, without any requirement for repayment or complicated forgiveness process. One important component of the Pennsylvania Small Business Grant Program is the Historically Disadvantaged Business Revitalization Program, which dedicates $100 million for small business that are at least 51 percent owned and controlled on a day-to-day basis by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals. Lendistry ranks second nationwide in SBA Community Advantage lending, and over the past less than three months Lendistry has processed and approved about twice as much in PPP loans as its total loan volume in the preceding four-and-a-half years. About Lendistry Lendistry is a minority-led CDFI and CDE small business and commercial real estate fintech lender. Headquartered in Los Angeles, Lendistry is a member of the Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco. LEO Pharma, a global leader in medical dermatology, today announced that Dr. Monica Shaw, M.D., and Nathalie Joannes will join the executive leadership team adding seasoned experience and international profile to LEO Pharma. The company is on an ambitious growth journey to become a leading provider of innovative medicines helping patients with skin diseases around the world. To align with its strategic objectives, it re-organizes its executive leadership team. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200630005651/en/ Monica Shaw (Photo: Business Wire) Dr. Monica Shaw, M.D., will assume the position of Executive Vice President, Region Europe+, effective July 1, 2020. Shaw joins LEO Pharma from GSK/ViiV Healthcare in Singapore, where she was VP Commercial, Head of Asia Pacific Region. She is a medical doctor with broad leadership experience across commercial and medical roles. She has a proven track record of developing high performing teams and an extensive specialty experience within the pharmaceutical industry including dermatology, immunology and rare diseases. She has held several leadership positions internationally in Europe, Asia and Latin America. "Monica Shaws experience in biologics, dermatology and specialty pharma will help us to be successful in our move to launch innovative treatments and become a global leader in medical dermatology. Her combination of global experience, great leadership skills and clinical background will contribute significantly to reach our ambitions," said Catherine Mazzacco, President and CEO of LEO Pharma. Nathalie Joannes will join LEO Pharma as Executive Vice President, Legal and Compliance and General Counsel from September 1, 2020. She joins LEO Pharma from Roquette Freres based at in the Paris headquarters, where she has been Group General Counsel. During Joannes long-standing career in the life-sciences and pharmaceutical industries, she successfully built international teams in legal, risk management and compliance for publicly traded and privately owned global companies. She holds a Juris Doctor Degree from Universite de Liege, Belgium, a Master of Law from University of Pennsylvania Law School and has been admitted to the New York Bar. Story continues "Nathalie Joannes has a proven track record in counseling international companies and her global pharma and life-science industry experience will be of great value to support the future development of LEO Pharma towards a global leadership position and a strong entry in the innovative space. She is a highly experienced lawyer and builder of strong international teams, which will help us immensely," said Mazzacco. Effective July 1, 2020, Guillaume Clement, currently Executive Vice President, Region Europe+, will assume responsibility for Region International and the thrombosis business, after having successfully led Region Europe+ in the last four years. Official bios Monica Shaw Dr. Monica Shaw, M.D., is a medical doctor with broad leadership experience across commercial and medical roles. She has a proven track record of developing high performing teams to deliver business performance and successful drug development. Monica Shaw has extensive specialty experience within the pharma industry working within dermatology, immuno-inflammation, HIV, neurology and oncology. She has held several leadership positions in the global pharma industry located in i.e. Europe, Asia and Latin America. Monica Shaw earned an M.D. M.A. and is a Member of the Royal College of Physicians. Employment History VP Commercial Head Asia Pacific region, GSK/ViiV Healthcare 2018 to current General Manager, GlaxoSmithKline 2016 2018 VP Global Franchise Medical Head for Specialty, GlaxoSmithKline 2014 2016 UK Chief Scientific Officer, Novartis 2013 2014 Global Therapy Area Director for Clinical Development and Business Development, Norgine 2011 2013 Global Clinical Director ADHD, Shire 2009 2011 Nathalie Joannes Nathalie Joannes holds a Juris Doctor Degree from Universite de Liege, a Master of Law from University of Pennsylvania Law School and has been admitted to the New York Bar since 1987. During her long-standing career as general counsel in the chemical and pharmaceutical industries, she successfully built international teams and guided listed pharma companies through the legal aspects of mergers & acquisitions, partnerships, high-risk litigations, anti-trust investigations, corporate governance and compliance. Employment History Group General Counsel, Roquette Freres 2016 to current EVP and Group General Counsel, IPSEN 2011 2015 SVP and Chief European Counsel, Genzyme 2008 2011 General Counsel International, Cardinal Health 2007 2008 Group General Counsel, Serono International 2001 2007 About LEO Pharma LEO Pharma helps people achieve healthy skin. The company is a leader in medical dermatology with a robust R&D pipeline, a wide range of therapies and a pioneering spirit. Founded in 1908 and owned by the LEO Foundation, LEO Pharma has devoted decades of research and development to advance the science of dermatology, setting new standards of care for people with skin conditions. LEO Pharma is headquartered in Denmark with a global team of 6,000 people, serving 92 million patients in 130 countries. In 2019, the company generated net sales of DKK 10,805 million. For more information please visit: www.leo-pharma.com View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200630005651/en/ Contacts Media Contacts: Henrik Kyndlev +45 3140 6180 HDTDK@LEO-Pharma.com The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced that Karen Clayton has taken on the duties of General Counsel in addition to her responsibilities as Corporate Secretary effective July 1. Jeff Shane retired as IATAs General Counsel on June 30 after seven years of service. The entire aviation world owes a huge debt of gratitude to Jeff, who joined IATA after a distinguished 25-year career in public service and another 15 years in private practice. While in public service, he was recognised for his role in establishing an Open Skies aviation policy for the United States, and he was a principal architect of the US Department of Transportations approach to international aviation alliances and antitrust immunity. At IATA, Jeff established the Associations legal team as an important industry reference point, pursuing industry objectives through judicial and regulatory proceedings and providing essential support to IATAs many lines of activity around the world. With this team, he achieved a landmark agreement with CFM International to adopt pro-competitive Conduct Policies on engine maintenance that will result in significant savings for our members, said Alexandre de Juniac, IATAs Director General and CEO. I congratulate Karen, who has taken on a growing set of responsibilities since coming to IATA, including ownership of IATAs Strategic Priorities. Karens industry expertise, strategic boardroom experience and leadership on diversity and inclusion have already made a major contribution to IATAs activities, particularly during the current industry crisis, said de Juniac. Clayton joined IATA in April 2019 from Air New Zealand, where she held the role of General Counsel and Company Secretary since 2016. A national of the United Kingdom, Clayton holds a Law Degree from Sheffield University and a Diploma in Legal Practice from Exeter University. She was admitted as a Solicitor in England and Wales in 1999. After beginning her career in legal firms in the UK and Australia, Karen moved into corporate practice where she served as General Counsel and Company Secretary at National Grid Plc, then General Counsel at Mercury NZ Ltd, prior to joining Air New Zealand. - TradeArabia News Service VANCOUVER, BC, June 30, 2020 /PRNewswire/ - Lida Resources Inc. (CSE: LIDA) ("Lida" or the "Company") is a Canadian exploration company that is pleased to announce that it has entered into two agreements to acquire 400 hectares which encompass the Quiruvilca mine. While several million has been spent on this property, the total acquisition cost to the Company was USD $200,000 with no further obligations. "Our goal is to completely change the mining methodology. The 2.5km gold/copper sulfide zone requires infill drilling to prove out tonnage. Our objective is to change from a vein type silver mine profile to a high tonnage gold/copper mine profile", stated Len De Melt, CEO. The Quiruvilca Mine (the "Property"), Quiruvilca District, Santiago de Chuco Province, La Libertad, Peru is located 6 miles south-east of the Company's San Vincente Property. The mine is located at an elevation of 3,800 meters in the Andes Mountains of Northern Peru, approximately 80 miles inland from the coastal city of Trujillo, Peru in the district of Agallpampa, Province of Otuzco. The Property is located in the occidental part of the Tertiary Volcanic Belt of the Western Cordillera and is underlain by rocks of the Calipuy Formation, a precious and base metals metallotects formation found in Peru. The Calipuy Formation is the product of post tectonic volcanism in the Cordillera region. Quiruvilca Mine Quiruvilca is one of Peru's oldest mines with mineralization first reported in the area in 1789. Mining at a corporate level started in 1907 and more or less until 1930 or so. The Quiruvilca Mine has been in continuous operation since about 1940 until 2018 and was initially, focused on the silver bearing veins on the property. In 1967, the mill started to treat complex ores producing silver, lead and zinc concentrate. In 1995, Pan American acquired an 80% interest in the Quiruvilca Mine and increased their interest to 99.7% by 1996. Story continues The workings are extensive, spread out over a wide area, in many veins. Currently, grades run at about 150 g/t silver, 4% zinc, 1.5% lead and 0.5% copper. Stoping has taken place in, reportedly, 60 places. Considering the 1,725 tons/per/day that the mine can process, that is a lot of small stopes! The underground working places are accessed by several adits/ramps and one shaft. Ore is moved to surface, primarily, by one long conveyor belt system but also supplemented by rail movement from ore passes plus skip-hoisted ore. The Quiruvilca deposits are in layered volcanic rocks of the Miocene Calipuy Formation which includes andesite and minor basalt flows. The Calipuy formations have an estimated thickness in excess of 2,000m. Intrusive rocks include andesite stocks and dykes. The ore zones have four distinct zones. Ores in the central part of the district are mesothermal and are dominated by enargite. The mesothermal deposits grade outward to the epithermal deposits. Lewis (1956) described the various zones in some detail. The inner zone is called the Enargite Zone and, in the past, encompassed the major part of the Quiruvilca Mine. Little mining is done in that zone today. Minerals associated with the enargite in this zone are pyrite tennantite, wurtzite, sphalerite, chalcopyrite, orpiment, galena and rare hutcinsonite. The second zone outwards is the Transition Zone which is up to 1,400m wide. Its dominant ore mineral is sphalerite with pyrite and tennatite-tetrahedrite. Other sulphides include chalcopyrite, galena, marcasite, arsenopyrite, covellite and wurtzite. Gangue minerals are mostly massive quartz and occasional rhodochrosite and calcite. The third zone outward is the epithermal Lead-Zinc Zone characterized by sphalerite and galena accompanied by pyrite, chalcopyrite, tetrahedrite-tennantite, marcasite, arsenopyrite and gratonite. Gangue minerals in the lead zinc zone are quartz, dolomite, rhodochrosite and calcite. The outermost zone is the Stibnite zone. In addition to stibnite, the other minerals there are arsenopyrite, pyrite, sphalerite, galena, chalcopyrite and arsenic. Leonard De Melt, CEO of Lida stated, "This transaction is an important consolidation of land in an important part of Peru. The San Vicente mine was in production of gold and silver concentrate until 2011. The Quiruvilca Mine is only 6 miles away from the Company's San Vincente Property and we feel that mineralized zones connect the two properties. I feel that the large near massive sulphide copper rich zone near the bottom of the Quiruvilca mine has excellent potential and I believe this structure had a 2.5km potential that had only a few drill holes into it. I believe this combined project would potentially make an excellent exploration/resource build project that could return to mining with some key investment and management. Our goal is the completely change the mining methodology. The 2.5km gold/copper sulfides zone requires infill drilling to prove out tonnage. Our objective is to change from a vein type silver mine profile to a high tonnage gold/copper mine profile." About Lida Resources Inc. Lida acquires properties by staking initial mineral claims, negotiating for permits from government authorities, acquiring mineral claims or permits from existing holders, entering into option agreements to acquire interests in mineral claims or purchasing companies with mineral claims or permits. On these properties, the Company explores for minerals on its own or in joint ventures with others. Exploration for metals usually includes surface sampling, airborne and/or ground geophysical surveys and drilling. The Company is not limited to any particular metal or region, but the corporate focus is on precious and base metals in South America, specifically Peru, as at the date hereof. NEITHER THE CANADIAN SECURITIES EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER HAVE REVIEWED OR ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE. FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION DISCLAIMER Certain statements contained in this news release may constitute forward looking information, including but not limited to, expansion of operations. 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. The Company's actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in this forward looking information as a result of competitive factors and competition for investment opportunities, challenges relating to operations in international markets, transaction execution risk, changes to the Company's strategic growth plans, and other factors, many of which are beyond the control of the Company. The Company believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking information are reasonable based on current expectations and potential investment pipeline, 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. Cision View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/lida-resources-inc-acquires-100-ownership-of-the-quiruvilca-mine-peru-301086360.html SOURCE Lida Resources Inc FORT WORTH, Texas, June 30, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Lilis Energy, Inc. (NYSE American: LLEX; OTC Pink: LLEXQ) (the Company), an exploration and production company operating in the Permian Basin of West Texas and Southeastern New Mexico, announced today that it has received notification dated June 29, 2020 from the NYSE American LLC (the NYSE American) that the Companys common stock has been suspended from trading on the NYSE American and that the NYSE American has determined to commence proceedings to delist the Companys common stock. The NYSE American determined that the Company was no longer suitable for listing under Section 1003(c)(iii) of the NYSE American Company Guide after the Companys June 29, 2020 disclosure that it and certain of its subsidiaries filed voluntary petitions for relief under Chapter 11 of the United States Bankruptcy Code in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas, Houston Division. The Company does not presently anticipate exercising its right to appeal the NYSE Americans delisting determination. The Companys common stock has begun to be quoted on the OTC Pink marketplace on June 30, 2020 under the symbol LLEXQ. Investors can find quotes for the Companys common stock on www.otcmarkets.com . The Company does not expect the transition to the OTC Pink marketplace to affect the Companys business operations. About Lilis Energy, Inc. Lilis Energy, Inc. is a Fort Worth based independent oil and gas exploration and production company that operates in the Permians Delaware Basin, considered among the leading resource plays in North America. Lilis current total net acreage in the Permian Basin is over 18,000 acres. Lilis Energys E&P focus is to grow current reserves and production and pursue strategic acquisitions in its core areas. For more information, please visit www.lilisenergy.com . Forward-Looking Statements: This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Forward-looking statements are not statements of historical facts and often contain words such as may, will, expect, believe, anticipate, plan, estimate, seek, could, should, intend, potential or words of similar meaning. Forward-looking statements are based on managements expectations, beliefs, assumptions and estimates regarding the Company, industry, economic conditions, government regulations and energy policies and other factors. Forward-looking statements may include, for example, statements regarding the delisting of the Companys common stock on the NYSE American, the Companys anticipated decision not to appeal such delisting and the commencement of quotation of the Companys common stock on the OTC Pink marketplace. These statements are subject to significant risks, uncertainties and assumptions difficult to predict and could cause actual results to differ materially and adversely from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements, including risks and uncertainties regarding the Companys common stock, including whether active trading will develop on the OTC Pink marketplace, the unfavorable impact of OTC trading on the price and liquidity of the Companys common stock and the likely cancellation of all shares of the Companys common stock for no consideration upon the Companys emergence from its pending proceedings under Chapter 11 of the United States Bankruptcy Code. Forward-looking statements are also subject to the risk factors and cautionary language described occasionally in the reports and registration statements the Company files with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including those in the Companys most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and any updates thereto in the Companys Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on Form 8-K. Additional factors, events, or uncertainties that may emerge occasionally, or those that the Company deems immaterial, could cause the Companys actual results to differ, and it is impossible for the Company to predict them all. The Company makes forward-looking statements based on currently available information, and the Company assumes no obligation to, and expressly disclaim any obligation to, update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements made in this news release, whether because of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. Story continues Source: Lilis Energy, Inc. Contact: Christa Garrett SVP General Counsel 817-585-9001 RENO, NV / ACCESSWIRE / July 1, 2020 / Magellan Gold Corporation (OTCQB: MAGE) ("Magellan" or the "Company"), is pleased to announce that it has entered into a stock purchase agreement to acquire Clearwater Gold Mining Corporation ("Clearwater") which owns certain unpatented mining claims in Idaho County. Idaho that include the historic Center Star Gold Mine near Elk City, Idaho. The Center Star Mine hosts high grade gold mineralization that was discovered in the early 1900's. There was periodic historic production and development work done under different ownership through the 1980s. With the high-grade gold mineralization present, Magellan will be evaluating the historic mine data to assess the potential to develop a gold resource at Center Star. The project area is located 45 miles from Grangeville, Idaho and near the town of Elk City, Idaho. in consideration for 100% of the issued and outstanding shares of Clearwater, Magellan has agreed to pay its sole shareholder 1,000,000 shares of Magellan common stock and $150,000. The 1,000,000 shares will be issued (i) 250,000 shares at closing (ii) 250,000 shares at the time the Center Mine receives its permit to reopen the main portal of the mine, (iv) 250,000 shares at the point the main portal has been reopened and (iv) 250,000 shares two years from the closing concurrent with the pay-off of the secured promissory note. The cash consideration of $25,000 will be paid within 30 days of closing and the balance of $125,000 to be evidenced by a secured promissory note due in two years. The Note will be secured by the Clearwater shares and assets. "The Center Star Mine acquisition is the first in the company's new focus to acquire and develop early to mid-stage exploration targets or near-term production plays in North America," stated John Power, President & Director of Magellan Gold. "Center Star fits our focus perfectly with a former operating history and known gold occurrences that we believe may lead to resource development and potential near-term production of the property". Story continues Gold mineralization at Center Star Mine is hosted in multiple parallel quartz veins in a banded gneiss. Like many of the historic mines in the Elk City area the gold is present in steeply dipping quartz veins. The gold at the Center Star Mine occurs in high grade veins that trend north-easterly and dip steeply to the south east. These veins are present in a 75' to 100' wide sheer zone hosting quartz veins and breccia. It is believed the gold bearing veins vary from inches to 20 feet in width and contain gold from .35 ounce per ton gold to multi ounce per ton gold based on historic mine data. The property was historically developed by various owners and has had some production history of gold and silver production. The Center Star Mine has not had any exploration or development work conducted in the last 35 years and has the potential for significant ore reserves. About Magellan Gold Corporation Magellan Gold Corporation ( OTCQB: MAGE ) is focused on the exploration and development of precious metals in North America. Magellan controls two projects: The Center Star Gold Mine in Idaho and the Silver District Property in Arizona. To learn more about Magellan Gold Corporation, visit www.magellangoldcorp.com. Cautionary Statement The United States Securities and Exchange Commission permits mining companies, in their filings with the SEC, to disclose only those mineral deposits that a company can legally extract or produce. Under SEC Industry Guide 7 standards, a "final" or "bankable" feasibility study is required to report reserves. Currently we have not delineated "reserves" on any of our properties. We cannot be certain that any deposits at our properties will ever be confirmed or converted into SEC Industry Guide 7 compliant "reserves." Investors are cautioned not to assume that all or any part of any "resource" estimates will ever be confirmed or converted into reserves or that they can be economically or legally extracted. Forward Looking Statements This release contains "forward-looking statements." Such statements are based on good faith assumptions that Magellan Gold Corporation believes are reasonable but which are subject to a wide range of uncertainties and business risks that could cause actual results to differ materially from future results expressed, projected or implied by such forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ from those anticipated are discussed in Magellan Gold Corporation's periodic filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Contacts: Magellan Gold Corporation John Power, Director 707-291-6198 contact@magellangoldcorp.com SOURCE: Magellan Gold Corporation View source version on accesswire.com: https://www.accesswire.com/595711/Magellan-Gold-Corporation-Acquires-Center-Star-Gold-Project-in-Idaho Wirecard Central Eastern Europe GmbH is seen in Vienna NAIROBI (Reuters) - Mauritius's central bank and Financial Services Commission have started a joint investigation into alleged round-tripping linked to Wirecard AG, the central bank said on Wednesday. German police and prosecutors raided Wirecard's headquarters in Munich on Wednesday as they widened their fraud investigation into the payments company that collapsed last week. "Wirecard AG could have been linked to a probable case of round-tripping involving a Mauritius-registered entity," the central bank said in a statement, adding that it will seek the help of other law enforcement agencies. "The Bank and the FSC are determined to bring to light any possible breach of regulatory requirements." (Reporting by George Obulutsa; Writing by Duncan Miriri; Editing by Jan Harvey) MONTREAL, June 30, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Maya Gold & Silver Inc. (Maya or the Company) (MYA.TO) is pleased to announce the interim financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2020. All amounts are in US dollars unless otherwise stated. Three-Months Ended March 31, 2020 Financial Highlights: Silver ingot production was 67,005 oz in Q1/2020, compared with 109,084 oz in Q1/2019. The reduction in silver production was due to the flotation plant being shut down for the month of January and poor recovery at the cyanidation plant. Silver sales were 21,110 oz in Q1/2020, compared with 100,544 oz in Q1/2019. There were no sales of silver concentrate in the quarter. Ore processed was 20,976 t in Q1/2020, compared with 28,239 in Q1/2019. Feed ore grade to the mill was 223.1 g/t in Q1/2020, compared with 219.8 g/t in Q1/2019. Cost of sales was $552,585 in Q1/2020, compared with $1,557,275 in Q1/2019. The average silver price realized was $17.15/oz in Q1/2020, compared with $15.66/oz in Q1/2019. The average selling price compares to a quarterly average price of $17.60/oz. Three-month period ended March 31, Key Performance Metrics Q1-2020 Q1-2019 % Variation Operational Ore Processed (tons) 20,976 28,239 (26%) Average Grade (g/t Ag) 223.1 219.8 2% Mill Recovery (%) 45.6 65.3 (30%) Silver Ounces Produced (oz) 67,005 109,084 (39%) Silver Ounces Sold (oz) 21,110 100,544 (79%) Average Realized Silver Price per Ounce ($/Oz) 17.15 15.66 10% Financial Revenues 525,062 2,067,397 (75%) Operating (Loss) (275,743) 304,274 (191%) Net (Loss) Earnings (435,733) 304,745 (243%) Operating Cash Flows 93,531 2,652,083 (96%) Cash and Cash Equivalents 14,831,283 16,621,291 (11%) Change in Working Capital 680,621 2,112,905 (68%) Shareholders (Loss) Earnings per Share (EPS) basic & diluted (0.005) 0.004 (241%) Financial Highlights: In the first quarter of 2020, Maya saw significant operational challenges at its flagship Zgounder Silver Mine. With new management arriving in Q2, a review of the Companys assets is ongoing. A turnaround plan to optimize operations and an aggressive drill program at the Zgounder Silver Mine over the next 24 months is being implemented. We believe that Zgounder holds tremendous potential, but we continue to manage operational challenges including the COVID-19 pandemic, said President and CEO Mr. Benoit La Salle. Story continues The following includes some of the financial highlights for the quarter: Revenue from silver sales totaled $525,062 in Q1/2020 including an adjustment of silver concentrate sales, compared with $2,067,397 in Q1/2019. Revenue was down as a result of logistical issues ancillary and related to the COVID-19 pandemic. An additional 14,884 oz were stolen and could have otherwise contributed $254,574 to revenue. Net loss of $435,733 in Q1/2020, compared to a net gain of $304,745 in Q1/2019. Net loss for the quarter was attributable to reduced gross margin and an increase in management and administration expenses. Operations generated a negative gross margin of $49,946 in Q1/2020, compared to $556,534 in Q1/2019. Comprehensive loss of $3,727,902 in Q1/2020, compared to a net gain of $1,061,225 in Q1/2019. The majority of this loss or $3,292,169 in Q1/2020 was attributable to a foreign currency translation loss compared to a foreign currency translation adjustment gain of 756,480 in Q1/2019. Cash flows from operating activities of $93,531 in Q1/2020, compared to $2,652,083 in Q1/2019. Cash position of $14,831,283 as at March 31, 2020 compared to $16,621,291 at March 31,2019. Exploration Highlights: A total of 1,3076.6 m of DDH and 378 m of RC drilling was done at the Zgounder property for exploration purposes. A total of 899 m of DDH was done at the Boumadine property, all in the North pit starting at surface. Analyses are pending. Zgounder Silver Mine: The Company several issues at its Zgounder Silver Mine, which affected the production and sale of silver. The flotation plant was shutdown for the entire month of January because of an issue at the Companys old tailings facility. The new tailings facility was only commissioned in March, which allowed the Company to return to normal production after commissioning. Given the flotation plant was temporarily shut down, all ore was treated at the cyanidation plant. Given the Company intended to produce mainly silver concentrate, maintenance at the cyanidation plant had been significantly reduced. This caused silver recovery to be 45.6% in Q1/2020 compared to 65.3% for Q1/2019. As maintenance was re-initiated, recovery subsequently improved. Silver grade fed to the mill was 223.1 g/t Ag in Q1/2020 compared to 219.8 g/t Ag in Q1/2019. On January 20th, 14,884 ounces of silver ingots were stolen at the mine site. Local authorities were notified, a full report was conducted, and suspects were identified. The Company is currently in discussions with insurers to recover the value of the stolen goods. Discussions with the insurer have been slow due to COVID-19 related restrictions in Morocco. Authorities have since increased security at the mine site and management estimates a low probability of reoccurrence. No employees or contractors were seriously injured as a result of the robbery. Silver sales in Q1/2020 were impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Ground transportation and customs were significantly slowed during the quarter and as such only 21,110 ounces of silver ingots were sold. Exploration at the Zgounder Silver Mine continued in Q2/2020, but slowed toward the end of the quarter because of COVID-19 restrictions. Exploration restart is planned for Q3/2020. The ongoing exploration and drilling program at the Zgounder Silver Mine has three main objectives including: i) to continue to define the eastern portion of the deposit, ii) to determine the existence of a mineralized extension to the east of the deposit and iii) to determine mineralization at depth of the current mining areas. Both RC and DDH drilling are being used. In Q1/2020, 378 m of RC were drilled in the far eastern part of the deposit including three holes totaling 850 m of DDH drilling from surface in the eastern part of the deposit, and four holes totaling 456.6 m of depth from DDH drilling. Two additional holes were drilled in the eastern zone resulting in high grade intervals with ZG-19-07 intercepting 3.5 m at 614 g/t and ZG-19-08 intercepting 5 m at 592 g/t. We are transitioning to the next phase of development and growth and continue to review our operations and implement a plan to optimize operations and maximize value at both the Zgounder Silver Mine and the Boumadine Polymetallic Project said Benoit La Salle. We are integrating internal policies and have added a highly experienced team to improve performance and deliver value for our shareholders. Maya's Management's Discussion and Analysis, Consolidated Financial Statements and related financial materials are available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and on Mayas website at www.mayagoldsilver.com . Qualified Persons The technical content of this news release has been reviewed by Merouane Rachidi, P.Geo., Ph.D. and Claude Duplessis Eng., from GoldMinds Geoservices Inc., independent Qualified Persons under NI 43-101 standards, based on the information received from the Maya Gold & Silver technical team. About Maya Gold & Silver Inc. Maya Gold & Silver Inc. is a publicly traded Canadian company focused on the operation, exploration, acquisition and development of silver and gold deposits. Maya is currently operating mining and milling facilities at its Zgounder Silver Mine, an 85%-15% joint venture between its subsidiary, ZMSM, and the Office National des Hydrocarbures et des Mines (ONHYM) of the Kingdom of Morocco. Its mining portfolio also includes the Boumadine Polymetallic Deposit located in the Anti-Atlas Mountains of Eastern Morocco, which is also a joint venture with ONHYM wherein Maya retains an 85% ownership. Additionally, the Companys portfolio includes the Amizmiz and Azegour properties, with gold, tungsten, molybdenum and copper occurrences covering over 100 square kilometres in a historical mining district of Morocco. For additional information, please visit Mayas website at www.mayagoldsilver.com Or contact: Benoit La Salle, FCPA FCA Alex Ball President & CEO VP, Corporate Development & IR Tel: +1 (514) 951-4411 Tel: +1 (647) 919-2227 blasalle@mayagoldsilver.com aball@mayagoldsilver.com Maya Gold & Silver Inc. 1320 Graham, Suite 132 Ville Mont-Royal, Quebec H3P 3C8 Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements. All statements other than statements of present or historical facts are forward-looking. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and assumptions and accordingly, actual results and future events could differ materially from those expressed or implied in such statements. You are hence cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include words or expressions such as strong, improving, looking forward, steady, emerging, transition, stabilize, optimize, advance, maximize, improve, deliver, and other similar words or expressions. Factors that could cause future results or events to differ materially from current expectations expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements include the ability to (i) maintain a steady production for the year 2020, (ii) the capacity to put in place effective controls, procedures and methods necessary for a rigorous operation as well as transparent and effective reporting, and (iii) the capacity to implement a plan to stabilize, optimize, advance, and maximize value at both the Zgounder Silver Mine and the Boumadine Polymetallic Project, as well as the ability to increase reserves and resources, the ability to execute on our strategic focus, fluctuation in the price of currencies, silver or operating costs, mining industry risks, uncertainty as to calculation of mineral reserves and resources, delays, political and social stability in Africa and Morocco in particular, (including our ability to maintain or renew licenses and permits), the security of our operations and other risks described in Mayas documents filed with Canadian securities regulatory authorities. You can find further information with respect to these and other risks in Mayas 2019 Annual MD&A and other filings made with Canadian securities regulatory authorities and available at www.sedar.com. These documents are also available on our website at www.mayagoldsilver.com. Maya disclaims any obligation to update or revise these forward-looking statements, except as required by applicable law. Final Judgment Confirms Meridians Right to Complete Construction BELFIELD, N.D., June 30, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Meridian Energy Group, Inc. , the leading innovator in the petroleum refining industry, announced today that the North Dakota Supreme Court has upheld the earlier decision of the North Dakota District Court refusing to overturn the issuance of the air quality Permit to Construct (PTC) for the Davis Refinery by the North Dakota Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ). This Decision marks the end of the litigation process with respect to the Davis PTC, which was issued in June, 2018, after a rigorous 18 month review by the DEQ. In issuing the PTC, the DEQ found that the emissions from the Davis Refinery would be substantially below stringent federal standards, and would be monitored to such an extent that the refinery qualified as a Synthetic Minor Synthetic Source. This finding, which has now been confirmed by North Dakota Supreme Court, was a first for a full-conversion refinery and was hailed as historic by major industry commentators. David Glatt, Director of the North Dakota Department of Environmental Quality, had this to say on the decision, The Department appreciates the collaborative approach Meridian has taken throughout the entire process. Our primary evaluation criteria remain that our partners follow the science and the law, and Meridian demonstrated leadership in both areas. The people of North Dakota demand these virtues in all our actions, and they should accept nothing less. William Prentice, CEO & Chairman of Meridian, said of the Supreme Court decision, Meridian is thankful for the Courts decision in this matter. This decision is a major milestone in continuing Meridians mission - to develop the cleanest and smartest refineries on the planet - and making it a reality. The Davis design that is the basis for the PTC will result in Davis having total emissions of one-eighth of industry average, and less than one-half of the industrys GHG emissions. If one half of the refining industry in the United States were converted or replaced with Meridian technology the industry would show a reduction of 88 million tons of GHG per year! Story continues Prentice also expressed appreciation for the thoroughness and professionalism of the DEQ process, noting, DEQ, EPA, and public input all contributed to making Davis a better, cleaner project. As a result, the Davis refinery has become the blueprint for future Meridian refinery initiatives and has raised the bar for greenfield projects throughout the industry. Dan Hedrington, SEH Engineering Principal and Senior Project Manager, also commented, After 18-months of extensive permitting review and an additional 24-months of litigation, not only has Meridian weathered the storm through the oppositions delay tactics but prevailed in every suit brought against them. The Davis Refinery will be a huge asset to the State of North Dakota with secure jobs and increased tax base. About Meridian Energy Group, Inc. The Mission of Meridian Energy Group, Inc. is to provide long-term shareholder value through the development and operation of the cleanest, most environmentally-compliant and profitable crude oil refineries in the world, with refinery developments in both North Dakota and Texas. Established in 2013, Meridian has offices in Belfield, North Dakota, Houston, Texas and Irvine, California. Connect with Meridian Energy Group: Twitter , Facebook , and LinkedIn . For more information, visit: http://www.meridianenergygroupinc.com Grid-Connected Validation De-Risks Equipment Purchases, Ensures Reliability and Insurability Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems, Ltd. (MHPS) announced today that its T-Point 2 combined cycle power plant validation facility entered full commercial operation with an enhanced JAC gas turbine that sets the record for output and efficiency. The T-Point 2 plant was commissioned in March at Takasago Works in Hyogo Prefecture, Japan, to replace MHPS original T-Point plant and to continue MHPS approach which is unlike any other manufacturers to advance the limits of technology while minimizing risk to its customers. To do this, MHPS validates its new gas turbine technologies and digital solutions under long-term grid-connected operation for a minimum of 8,000 operating hours, which is equivalent to nearly one year of normal operation and is a key insurance industry criterion for fleet reliability. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200701005896/en/ Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems T-Point 2 combined cycle power plant validation facility has entered full commercial operation with an enhanced JAC gas turbine that sets the record for output and efficiency. Shown: T-Point 2 at Takasago Works in Hyogo Prefecture, Japan. (Photo: Business Wire) MHPS most advanced JAC gas turbine, designed for maximum efficiency and lower emissions, is now integrated with MHPS-TOMONI digital solutions for verification and validation at T-Point 2. The gas turbine is entering commercial operation at record-setting combined cycle efficiency greater than 64% and a worlds first turbine inlet temperature of 1650C. This gas turbine reduces carbon emissions by 65% versus coal-fired plants. In addition, it has the capability for conversion from natural gas to a blend of natural gas with 30% renewable hydrogen to reduce emissions further. Eventually it will be capable of running on 100% renewable hydrogen to completely eliminate carbon emissions. Story continues The digital building blocks of the autonomous power plant being validated at T-Point 2 include an advanced Automatic Plant Startup package that is closely linked to the advanced analytics and diagnostics that continuously monitor the total plant. To validate complete remote operation, operations will be transferred from the local control room to the Takasago Remote Monitoring Center. Operations and maintenance building blocks under evaluation include an advanced array of acoustic, video, and thermographic data acquisition sensors monitored by advanced analytics that are being trained to identify pattern changes. T-Point 2 is also evaluating the first ever Netmation 4S Digital Control System to be used on an advanced class gas turbine combined cycle plant. Netmation 4S adds additional reliability, redundancy, and enhanced operator experience to the well-proven Netmation family of control systems. "Unlike other manufacturers, MHPS demonstrates new gas turbine capabilities at our own combined cycle power plant before shipping to our customers. This enables us to provide unmatched performance, such as the 99.5% reliability of our J-Series gas turbines," said Paul Browning, President and CEO of MHPS Americas and Chief Regional Officer for Europe, the Middle East, Africa and the Americas. "I congratulate our dedicated team of Engineers, Procurement, and Construction personnel for achieving commercial operation on schedule, on budget, and exceeding output and efficiency expectations. This project positions us years ahead of any manufacturer in putting the latest generation of 1650C gas turbine technology into commercial operation. We are leading a Change in Power." About Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems, Ltd. Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems, Ltd. (MHPS), headquartered in Yokohama, Japan, is a joint venture formed in February 2014 by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. and Hitachi, Ltd. integrating their operations in thermal power generation systems and other related businesses. MHPS recently announced that its name will soon change to Mitsubishi Power. MHPS today ranks among the worlds leading suppliers of equipment and services to the power generation market, backed by 100 billion yen in capital and approximately 20,000 employees worldwide. The Companys products include GTCC (gas turbine combined-cycle) and IGCC (integrated coal gasification combined-cycle) power plants, gas/coal/oil-fired (steam) power plants, boilers, generators, gas and steam turbines, geothermal power plants, AQCS (air quality control systems), power plant peripheral equipment and solid-oxide fuel cells (SOFC). For more information, please visit the Company's website at https://www.mhps.com Follow us at https://twitter.com/MHPS_Global, or https://www.linkedin.com/company/mitsubishi-hitachi-power-systems/ View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200701005896/en/ Contacts Communications Contact: Sharon Prater US: +1 407-688-6200 Sharon.Prater@amer.mhps.com MUNICH, June 30, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Microsoft Switzerland announced its new partnership with Startup Creasphere, an open innovation platform powered by Plug and Play, the largest global technology platform and early stage investor from Silicon Valley with investment success stories such as Paypal, Dropbox and Logitech. Being a new member of Plug and Play and the Startup Creasphere ecosystem is a unique opportunity for Microsoft to explore new ideas, mentor, learn and grow together with innovative startups and other partners. Plug and Play Logo (PRNewsfoto/Plug and Play) "We are very excited to join Startup Creasphere as a partner and thus make an impact certainly for the startups but also for the people and society as a whole," says Marianne Janik, Country General Manager of Microsoft Switzerland. "In this partnership, we consider ourselves not only a technology provider, but will also ensure that the startups have direct access to the global Microsoft ecosystem." Microsoft's mission within healthcare is to empower people and organizations to address the complex challenges facing the industry today. By co-innovating and collaborating as a trusted technology provider, Microsoft enables them to provide better experiences, insights and care through their products and services. "We are happy that Microsoft is joining our Startup Creasphere platform, we are looking forward to supporting their healthcare activities and to jointly transform healthcare together," says Frederike Rohr, Director of Plug and Play and Startup Creasphere in Munich. Established in 2018 by Roche Diagnostics and Plug and Play, Startup Creasphere is the first healthcare-focused innovation platform in Munich. Startup Creasphere creates an environment within the global network of Plug and Play where corporations and startups learn and share experiences and facilitate international expansion with the aim of transforming healthcare together. Through this partnership, Microsoft can generate impact for both startups and for society as a whole. In health, this means empowering startups to provide better experiences, insights, and care through their products and services. Story continues Microsoft Switzerland is a subsidiary of Microsoft Corporation (Redmond/USA). The Swiss subsidiary was founded in 1989 and currently employs around 620 people. Together with its nationwide ecosystem of 4,600 Microsoft partners in all language regions, Microsoft Switzerland supports large corporations, SMEs, startups, solution providers (ISVs) and public sector organizations in the digital transformation. Microsoft Switzerland has offices in Wallisellen, Zurich, Wollishofen, Bern and Geneva. Since August 2019, Microsoft Switzerland has been operating the Microsoft Cloud Switzerland, with two Swiss data centers with local data storage. Startup Creasphere Contact pauline@pnptc.com Microsoft Contact tobias.steger@microsoft.com Cision View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/microsoft-switzerland-joins-plug-and-plays-startup-creasphere-program-301086250.html SOURCE Plug and Play Insurer goes live with Duck Creek Claims, implemented via Duck Creek OnDemand, to improve efficiency in claims processing, system performance, and customer experiences Boston, June 30, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Duck Creek Technologies announced today that Mutual Benefit Group (MBG), a property and casualty insurer in Pennsylvania and Maryland and longtime customer of Duck Creek, has migrated its on-premises instance of Duck Creek Claims to Duck Creek OnDemand, the providers SaaS solution for the P&C insurance industry. As part of a broader cloud strategy for its business, the carriers decision to migrate to Duck Creek OnDemand was driven by a desire for a better operating model that will allow them to shift more resources to direct support of their agents and insureds. A regional carrier in a market saturated by the largest players in the industry, MBG saw this move to SaaS as an opportunity to use technology to help level the playing field. Moving to a cloud-native, continuously updated, highly secure system is the first step in our journey to an operating platform that will ensure we remain meaningful and competitive in our marketplace, said Adam Solomon, CIO of Mutual Benefit Group. Our team is adopting a test and learn approach, and we intend to regularly update the system and take advantage of new features as they become available. Were already seeing faster performance improvements and look forward to continued progress toward our goals. This is the first step in our plan for successful migration to an integrated, full-suite Duck Creek Platform that will provide us long-term viability in an ever-changing world. Duck Creek Claims helps insurers manage the entire claims lifecycle from first notice of loss to investigation to settlement by providing the workflows, reports, integrations, and user experiences that increase the efficiency of claims operations, improve customer satisfaction, and reduce loss costs. OnDemand is Duck Creeks end-to-end SaaS solution, providing all the services, support, and computing resources needed to help carriers move faster and more efficiently than ever before. Story continues We are honored to continue to partner with Mutual Benefit Group on their digital transformation initiatives, and especially to see them fully embracing the many benefits of Duck Creek OnDemand as they partner with us to drive a new paradigm with our SaaS model for Duck Creek Claims, said Bill Bond, Chief Technology Officer of Duck Creek Technologies. Duck Creek OnDemand keeps MBG current on the latest technologies and offers a significant improvement in their overall security stance, leveraging Duck Creeks SOC I/II compliance and the overall security practices inherent to OnDemand. We appreciate their continued confidence as they move further into the evolving world of digital insurance. About Mutual Benefit Group MBG has been providing home, auto, and commercial insurance since 1908; the carrier works diligently each day to help build and protect its policyholders economic well-being and provide for their security. MBG is known for its strong relationships with policyholders and agents; for its responsive, friendly, knowledgeable staff; and for claims service that consistently garners a high level of satisfaction, notably 96% based on 2017F policyholder surveys. Learn more at www.mutualbenefitgroup.com. About Duck Creek Technologies Duck Creek Technologies is a leading provider of core system solutions to the P&C and General insurance industry. By accessing Duck Creek OnDemand, the companys enterprise Software-as-a-Service solution, insurance carriers are able to navigate uncertainty and capture market opportunities faster than their competitors. Duck Creeks functionally rich solutions are available on a stand-alone basis or as a full suite, and all are available via Duck Creek OnDemand. For more information, visit www.duckcreek.com. Media Contact: Paul Rechichi Racepoint Global 617-624-3295 prechichi@racepointglobal.com Attachment Sam A. Shay Duck Creek Technologies +1 (857) 201-5784 sam.shay@duckcreek.com Several countries around the world are starting to ease travel restrictions, with Europe leading the way. The restart of tourism means the return of hope and opportunity for millions of people globally, Zurab Pololikashvili, UNWTO Secretary-General, said in a statement. This week, Europe leads the way in restarting tourism. Destinations throughout the Schengen Zone are once again open. The lifting of borders will have an immediate and significant impact on economies and livelihoods. For Spain, host country of UNWTO, and neighbours Portugal, the occasion will be marked by a special ceremony. The presence of His Majesty King Felipe VI and President Pedro Sanchez of Spain alongside President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa and Prime Minister Antonio Costa of Portugal is testament to the significance of tourisms restart for both countries. So too is the practical support that tourism has received, including from the very highest political level. The European Commission has provided an unprecedented degree of economic support for the sector. And at the national level, France has echoed our call to back tourism with actions and not just words, giving the sector and the businesses that make it the economic help they need to survive and lead recovery. To reflect this, UNWTO is changing gears in how it supports Member States and tourism at large. "This week, I resume person-to-person official meetings as I lead a delegation on an official visit to Italy and to the Vatican City," said Pololikashvili. "This is an opportunity to show our support for tourism and for a country that is not only a true global tourism leader, but which was one of the worst-affected by the Covid-19 pandemic in all of Europe," he said. "Our visit to Italy will allow us to learn more about important steps being taken to make tourism more sustainable, more resilient and more innovative. It also offers an opportunity to celebrate what makes tourism: people." "This will be the first of a series of visits as the world steadily opens up again, allowing us to lead by example in supporting tourism and making our sector a vital tool for recovery." "At the same time, it is only right that we remain cautious. This crisis is far from over. In other regions of the world, borders remain closed to tourism and the Covid-19 pandemic continues to spread. The human toll, economic cost and social impact are still growing. This is no time for complacency," he stressed. "And even where the worst appears to have passed, the threat of the pandemic returning means we must act responsibly and make public health our priority." "During these difficult months, tourism has stepped up to meet this unprecedented challenge with determination and an unparalleled spirit of solidarity. We carry this into the next stage," Pololikashvili noted. Tourisms restart is a step towards ending many weeks of uncertainty and replacing it with a renewed sense of confidence. "As we meet in person again, we can build trust, the essential foundation as we work together to grow back stronger and better. But this will only work out, if we act with responsibility its better to be right, than to be first," he said. - TradeArabia News Service By Hyonhee Shin and Josh Smith SEOUL, July 1 (Reuters) - The number of North Korean defectors arriving in South Korea hit an all time low in recent months, as border restrictions from the coronavirus pandemic made movement more difficult, the South's Unification Ministry said on Wednesday. Twelve defectors were recorded as arriving in South Korea from April to June this year, compared to 320 in the same quarter a year before, according to the Unification Ministry, which handles affairs with the North. The number is the lowest since 2003, when the ministry began recording defector arrivals by the quarter, Yonhap news agency said. Ministry spokesman Yoh Sang-key said the sharp fall in defector arrivals was primarily because countries bordering North Korea have closed their borders due to coronavirus concerns. "A more professional analysis is needed, but for now the decline in the number of incoming defectors appears to be affected by the shutdown of borders in neighbouring countries after the coronavirus outbreak emerged, which made it difficult for people to travel," he told a regular briefing. Relations between South Korean President Moon Jae-in's administration and many in the defector community have been strained in recent years. After North Korea complained about defector-led groups that send propaganda leaflets and aid into the North, Moon's government said it would take legal action against two groups. This week police questioned the defector leaders of the two groups, after having raided their offices last week. The South Korean government also says it is planning to significantly cut funding for defector resettlement programmes, but Yoh said that was only because of the expected drop in arrivals. North Korea has not reported any confirmed cases of the new coronavirus, but it imposed a strict border closure and quarantine programme. American and Japanese government officials have cast doubt on those claims, but one diplomatic source said that whatever the truth is, Pyongyang appears increasingly confident that it has the situation under control. Border traffic in goods appears to have increased and some once-scarce imported foods have reappeared in Pyongyang supermarkets, the source said. (Reporting by Hyonhee Shin and Josh Smith; Editing by Michael Perry) (Corrects in 8th paragraph that Paramount films will be available for limited periods, not ViacomCBS shows) By Arriana McLymore NEW YORK, July 1 (Reuters) - Comcast Corp's NBCUniversal has struck a deal with ViacomCBS Inc to bring "The Godfather" trilogy, "Undercover Boss" and other hit franchises to the upcoming Peacock streaming video platform, the companies announced on Wednesday. Peacock, set to launch nationally on July 15 on mobile devices, Web and connected television platforms, will compete against Netflix Inc, Amazon.com Inc Prime Video, Walt Disney Co's Disney+, Hulu, and AT&T Inc's HBO Max in the fight for paying subscribers. The content licensing agreement is nonexclusive and shows such as "Undercover Boss" and "Everybody Hates Chris" will continue to be available on ViacomCBS platforms. "The partnership we are announcing today is consistent with our strategy to maximize the value of our content by selectively licensing our library product to third parties while prioritizing franchise IP for our own platforms," ViacomCBS Global Distribution Group President Dan Cohen said in a statement. During a first-quarter earnings call, ViacomCBS CEO Bob Bakish said the license strategy would help the company reach new fans. "We're not going to license critical mass of any of our key programming areas ... to any single player," Bakish said during the May earnings call. ViacomCBS, which also operates rival subscription and free streaming services, has aggressively licensed content to other services. Paramount films will be available on Peacock for limited periods throughout 2021, 2022 and 2023. Peacock offers a free subscription with 7,500 hours of content and a premium option for $4.99 per month with 15,000 hours of content, both of which feature ads. It will offer an ad-free tier for $9.99 per month. Peacock launched to some Comcast customers for free in April, featuring limited new and existing content such as "30 Rock" and "Jurassic Park." (Reporting by Arriana McLymore in New York Editing by Matthew Lewis) TORONTO , June 30, 2020 /CNW/ - Neo Performance Materials Inc. (the "Company") (NEO.TO) announced today the resignation of Nicholas D. Basso from the Board of Directors of the Company (the "Board"), a position he held since September 2016 . "On behalf of our Board, I would like to thank Mr. Basso for his time and contributions as a director over the past three years and wish him well in future endeavours," stated Constantine Karayannopoulos , Chairman of Neo Performance Materials. About Neo Performance Materials Neo Performance Materials manufactures the building blocks of many modern technologies that enhance efficiency and sustainability. Neo's advanced industrial materials - magnetic powders and magnets, specialty chemicals, metals, and alloys - are critical to the performance of many everyday products and emerging technologies. Neo's products help to deliver the technologies of tomorrow to consumers today. The business of Neo is organized along three segments: Magnequench, Chemicals & Oxides and Rare Metals. Neo is headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, Canada ; with corporate offices in Greenwood Village, Colorado , US; Singapore ; and Beijing, China . Neo operates globally with sales and production across 10 countries, being Japan , China , Thailand , Estonia , Singapore , Germany , United Kingdom , Canada , United States , and South Korea . For more information, please visit www.neomaterials.com. SOURCE Neo Performance Materials, Inc. Cision View original content: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/June2020/30/c8514.html Nicholas Owoyemi released his book, The Triumphs of a Black President in a White America. He is the president of American Financiers Group, LLC, an independent financial consulting services firm SAN FRANCISCO, CA / ACCESSWIRE / July 1, 2020 / After nearly three decades in insurance and finance, Nicholas Owoyemi recently released his new book, The Triumphs of a Black President in a White America. This book is a tribute to Barack Obama. It showcases the work he had done, including details the media did not cover extensively. Owoyemi's international expertise and analysis break down issues into easy-to-understand economic and societal concepts that any reader can understand. While this book commemorates past social and economic issues, Owoyemi looks towards the future. As society recognizes the potential social and economic commonalities of humanity, through diversity, the world will become more dependently interconnected; it will become more holistic as it interacts with different cultures. Therefore, as the human race integrates with ever-changing technology for a kinder and gentler society, future generations will be better as they achieve much more socially and economically. The Triumphs of a Black President in a White America is a celebration of diversity and strength in leadership. Owoyemi dedicates his work to all those, past and present, who believe in fair and equal civil rights. A reader of the book once commented, "While most historical accounts are dry and difficult to finish reading timely, this is a book that you will want to complete within days." Nicholas Owoyemi, the president of American Financiers Group, LLC, an independent financial consulting services firm, is also the CEO and President of World Independent Organization Inc., a not-for-profit private institution in New York. Owoyemi holds degrees from Adelphi University and NYU. He is married with two children. The Triumphs of a Black President In a White America is available on Google Books, Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com in both eBook and hardcover versions. Most recently, the book was also awarded one of the Most Inspiring Authors by Dabb Media amongst hundreds of other nominees. Story continues Contact Info: Name: Charlotte Simmons Email: Send Email Organization: Dabb Media Address: 338 Bryant St, San Francisco, CA 94107, United States Phone: +1-415-212-8011 Website: https://dabb.media SOURCE: Dabb Media View source version on accesswire.com: https://www.accesswire.com/595900/Nicholas-Owoyemi-an-Insurance-and-Finance-Expert-Released-His-New-Book By Beatrix Lockwood NEW YORK, July 1 (Reuters) - Protests and marches for the rights of Black trans people drew thousands to the streets under the banner of Black Trans Lives Matter in recent weeks amid a global demonstrations against racism. Reuters digital editors Ben Kellerman and Arlene Washington hosted a conversation featuring the Black trans community as part of our #AskReuters Twitter chat series during the close of Pride month in June, which commemorates the Stonewall uprising. Below are edited highlights. In what ways have Black trans people been disproportionately affected by the pandemic? The pandemic has highlighted the disparities in access to healthcare that Black people have always faced. Trans people, in particular, face discrimination when it comes to accessing care and have relied on clinics and community centers many of which closed during the lockdowns. Many Black trans people are dealing with housing insecurity and employment discrimination that increase opportunities to be exposed to coronavirus while limiting the ability to pay for what care they are able to access. Brian Michael Smith, actor and advocate How can white and non-Black queer people be better activists and allies, on and offline? I think social media can be a really vital and excellent tool for communicating ideas that we might not otherwise be able to introduce to the national and international stage. I think we can all stand to speak more openly and honestly and to listen more deeply when we mess up. Ianne Fields Stewart, founder of The Okra Project What do you want the future of Pride to look like? I'd like to see Pride celebrations be blacker and browner and femme-ier than ever before. Uplifting all body types, all abilities and all identities. Peppermint, advocate and former RuPauls Drag Race contestant "I want the future of Pride to look more like the people who created it. I want us to take joy in celebration AND in resistance. I want to see rainbows painted on the ashes of the system that consistently tries to murder and silence Black trans people. No more rainbow capitalism." Story continues Ianne Fields Stewart What gives you hope now? "At this moment right now people are out fighting for our freedoms ... People are waking up to the imbalances in this world, to the injustices in this world. And they are saying that enough is enough. They are taking to the streets. They are joining the community, even in the midst of the pandemic, to fight for the change we so desperately need, and we are asking for." "So I am very hopeful that we are seeing the first incidences of real progress and change in this country. People are giving up their comforts. They are really checking within themselves. If we can continue on that path, anything is possible. Justice is possible. And equality can be possible here." Brian Michael Smith (Editing By Lauren Young and Aurora Ellis) Nokia Corporation NOK has leapfrogged its rivals by securing an exclusive 5G deal from Taiwan Mobile worth approximately 400 million. The three-year framework deal entails Nokia to supply essential communications equipment as the sole vendor for the mobile phone operator for its seamless transition to 5G technology. The company will offer AirScale Radio Access products to deliver low-latency, high-capacity broadband connectivity. This industry-first commercial end-to-end 5G solution will enable Taiwan Mobile to meet higher demand for data and optimize operations with low costs of ownership. At the same time, the carrier will leverage several software solutions providing cloud and security services to augment its network capabilities. Nokias 5G portfolio will provide a solid foundation to scale up Taiwan Mobiles legacy network infrastructure within dynamic cloud environments, with a sharp focus on scalability, automation and performance. This, in turn, will enable the carrier to deliver 5G services with Unified Data Management, Signaling and improved network functions. Network Exposure function is also included for future 5G application innovation and business evolution, while NetAct Network Management will help Taiwan Mobile better operate the infrastructure. The win-win deal will further strengthen the long-term business relationship between Nokia and Taiwan Mobile. In addition, it will facilitate the companies to work in unison to promote the "Super 5G Strategy," which integrates multiple vertical applications to build a thriving ecosystem that is likely to create new possibilities for business enterprises in the 5G era. Nokia is well positioned for the ongoing technology cycle, given the strength of its end-to-end portfolio. Its installed base of high-capacity AirScale products, which enable customers to quickly upgrade to 5G, is growing fast. The company is driving the transition of global enterprises into smart virtual networks by creating a single network for all services, converging mobile and fixed broadband, IP routing and optical networks with the software and services to manage them. Leveraging state-of-the-art technology, Nokia is transforming the way people and things communicate and connect with each other. These include seamless transition to 5G technology, ultra-broadband access, IP and Software Defined Networking, cloud applications and IoT. In order to strengthen its leading position in the market, Nokia facilitates its customers to move away from an economy-of-scale network operating model to demand-driven operations by offering easy programmability and flexible automation needed to support dynamic operations, reduce complexity and improve efficiency. The company seeks to expand its business into targeted, high-growth and high-margin vertical markets to address growth opportunities beyond its traditional primary markets. Rollouts of next-generation 5G networks are expected to improve market conditions significantly in 2020 and beyond. Nokia remains focused on building a robust scalable software business and expanding it to structurally attractive enterprise adjacencies. It has reached more than 66 commercial 5G contracts across the globe, with 19 live networks. The companys end-to-end portfolio includes products and services for every part of a network, which are helping operators enable key 5G capabilities, such as network slicing, distributed cloud and industrial IoT. Accelerated strategy execution, sharpened customer focus and reduced long-term costs are expected to position the company as a global leader in the delivery of end-to-end 5G solutions. Nokias shares have lost 13.5% compared with the industrys decline of 2.4% in the past year. Nevertheless, we remain impressed with the inherent long-term growth potential of this Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) stock. Story continues Some better-ranked stocks in the industry are Ericsson ERIC, PCTEL, Inc. PCTI and Juniper Networks, Inc. JNPR, each carrying a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. Ericsson has a long-term earnings growth expectation of 25.9%. PCTEL delivered a positive earnings surprise of 33.9%, on average, in the trailing four quarters. Juniper has a long-term earnings growth expectation of 8%. Biggest Tech Breakthrough in a Generation Be among the early investors in the new type of device that experts say could impact society as much as the discovery of electricity. Current technology will soon be outdated and replaced by these new devices. In the process, its expected to create 22 million jobs and generate $12.3 trillion in activity. A select few stocks could skyrocket the most as rollout accelerates for this new tech. Early investors could see gains similar to buying Microsoft in the 1990s. Zacks just-released special report reveals 8 stocks to watch. The report is only available for a limited time. See 8 breakthrough stocks now>> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Nokia Corporation (NOK) : Free Stock Analysis Report Juniper Networks, Inc. (JNPR) : Free Stock Analysis Report Ericsson (ERIC) : Free Stock Analysis Report PCTEL, Inc. (PCTI) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research By David Lawder, Dave Graham and David Ljunggren WASHINGTON/MEXICO CITY/OTTAWA (Reuters) - A modernized U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade pact took effect on Wednesday, ensuring continuity for manufacturers and agriculture, but the threat of disputes is exposing cracks in what was meant to be a stronger North American fortress of competitiveness. As the deal kicks in, the Trump administration is threatening Canada with new aluminum tariffs, and a prominent Mexican labor activist has been jailed, underscoring concerns about crucial labor reforms in the replacement for the 26-year-old North American Free Trade Agreement. The U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement includes tighter North American content rules for autos, new protections for intellectual property, prohibitions against currency manipulation and new rules on digital commerce that did not exist when NAFTA launched in 1994. Trump had lambasted NAFTA as the "worst trade deal ever made" and repeatedly threatened to end it. USMCA launches as the coronavirus has all three countries mired in a deep recession, cutting their April goods trade flows - normally about $1.2 trillion annually - to the lowest monthly level in a decade. "The champagne isn't quite as fizzy as we might have expected - even under the best of circumstances - and there's trouble coming from all sides," said Mary Lovely, a Syracuse University economics professor and senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics in Washington. "This could be a trade agreement that quickly ends up in dispute and higher trade barriers." Issues dogging USMCA include hundreds of legal challenges to Mexico's new labor law championed by President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador to ensure that workers can freely organize and unions are granted full collective bargaining rights. A ruling against it would harm Mexico's ability to deliver on provisions aimed at ending labor contracts agreed without worker consent that are stacked in favor of companies and have kept wages chronically low in Mexico.Democrats in the U.S. Congress had insisted on the stronger labor provisions last year before granting approval, prompting a substantial renegotiation of terms first agreed in October 2018. The arrest of Mexican labor lawyer Susana Prieto in early June has fueled U.S. unions' arguments that Mexican workers' rights are not being sufficiently protected. Story continues "I remain very concerned that Mexico is falling short of its commitments to implement the legislative reforms that are the foundation in Mexico for effectively protecting labor rights," U.S. Representative Richard Neal, chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, said on Tuesday, adding that USMCA's success "truly hinges" on its new labor enforcement mechanism. On Wednesday, U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer in a video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0JWonBeuNp0 touted USMCA as the "most far-reaching, beneficial and modern trade agreement in our history," adding that it would create tens of thousands of new U.S. manufacturing jobs. But Lighthizer has also said he will file dispute cases "early and often" to enforce USMCA provisions, citing Mexico's failure to approve U.S. biotech products. That could lead to increased tariffs on offending goods, such as products from individual factories where labor violations are found. Former USTR general counsel Stephen Vaughn, a legal architect of the Trump administration's "Section 301" tariffs on Chinese goods, was appointed on Wednesday to a U.S. roster of panelists to settle state-to-state dispute cases under USMCA. Carlos Vejar, a former Mexican trade negotiator, said it was in the country's interest to uphold pledges made to strengthen unions and end child labor. "If Mexico isn't mindful of this, there will be cases against Mexico, and Mexico will lose them," Vejar said. For a graphic on A new trade deal launches in a pandemic: https://fingfx.thomsonreuters.com/gfx/mkt/oakpeaegqpr/Pasted%20image%201593544626644.png ALUMINUM TARIFFS REDUX, AUTOMOTIVE BURDENS U.S. national security tariffs on imported steel and aluminum - including from Canada and Mexico - were a major irritant during USMCA negotiations until a deal for exemptions was reached last year. But now, USTR is considering domestic producers' request https://aluminumnow.org/apaa-calls-on-ambassador-lighthizer-to-restore-tariffs-on-surging-canadian-aluminum-imports to restore the 10% duty on Canadian aluminum to combat a "surge" of imports. Another source of disputes may be the energy sector, where the main U.S. oil and gas lobby has complained that recent actions by Mexico favoring state oil company Pemex already violate USMCA's protections for private investors. Canada has also complained about new Mexican rules formally threatening investment in renewable energy. USMCA will put new compliance burdens on the region's automotive manufacturers as the coronavirus craters consumer spending and auto production. Within three to five years, vehicles' minimum North American content rises to 75% from 62.5%. Automakers must also produce 40% of their vehicles' content in "high wage" areas - effectively the United States and Canada. A U.S. International Trade Commission study https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trade-nafta-analysis/new-north-american-trade-deal-modestly-boosts-u-s-economy-trade-panel-finds-idUSKCN1RU29E found this would draw more auto parts production to the United States, but may curb U.S. vehicle assembly and raise prices, limiting consumer choice in cars. The same panel found that after 15 years, the deal would add $68.5 billion annually to U.S. economic output and create 176,000 jobs compared with a NAFTA baseline. (Reporting by David Lawder in Washington, Dave Graham, Anthony Esposito and Daina Beth Solomon in Mexico City and David Ljunggren in Ottawa; Writing by David Lawder; Editing by Dan Burns and Matthew Lewis) Northrop Grumman Corp.s NOC business unit, Aerospace Systems, recently won a $54.4-million contract to provide maintenance and recurring support for equipment related to the E-2D Advanced Hawkeye (AHE) aircraft. The contract was awarded by the Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, MD. Northrops Aerospace Systems will also offer non-recurring engineering and integrated logistics support activities for the E-2D aircraft. Work related to the deal will be executed in Melbourne, FL, and is expected to get completed by December 2022. Hawkeye Aircrafts Attributes Hawkeye is an airborne, all-weather, tactical, early-warning aircraft used by the U.S. Navy. E-2D is the fourth version of the E-2 Hawkeye. Notably, the E-2D Advanced Hawkeye has a structurally distinctive design a rotating rotodome and four vertical stabilizer tail configurations that provides 360-degree surveillance at all times. These technologies increase this aircrafts visibility on faraway targets. Northrop Grumman is supported by other industry leaders inthis program. Lockheed Martins LMT unit supplies the principal AN/APY-9 radar system for the Hawkeye. L-3 Technologies LHX unit supplies the ultra-high frequency, electronically-scanned array antenna. Meanwhile, Raytheon Technologies RTX Space and Airborne Systems provides the T-56-A engines. Such support from other prominent defense majors makes the Hawkeye aircraft program even more attractive. What Favors Northrop Grumman? In the backdrop of the heightening geopolitical uncertainties around the world, several developing countries have significantly increased their defense spending. The increase in defense spending can also be attributed to advancements and integration of new tactical and logistical features, equipment and other services. The worldwide popularity of the E-2D Advanced Hawkeye aircraft continues to soar, which is currently deployed by the military forces of Egypt, France, Israel, Japan and other nations. Notably, in order to increase the popularity of the Hawkeye aircraft program and keep acquiring regular contracts, Northrop Grumman has been making efforts in consistently keeping its aircraft upgraded. The latest contract awarded by the company is a testament to that. Looking ahead, the U.S. fiscal 2021 defense budget proposal provisions for investments worth $56.9 billion on military aircraft. Such budgetary developments will benefit Northrop Grumman in the upcoming period, in the form of contract acquisitions related to its E-2D Advanced Hawkeye and other aircraft programs. Price Performance and Zacks Rank Shares of this Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) company have lost 5% in the past twelve months compared with the industrys decline of 28.2%. You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. Story continues Biggest Tech Breakthrough in a Generation Be among the early investors in the new type of device that experts say could impact society as much as the discovery of electricity. Current technology will soon be outdated and replaced by these new devices. In the process, its expected to create 22 million jobs and generate $12.3 trillion in activity. A select few stocks could skyrocket the most as rollout accelerates for this new tech. Early investors could see gains similar to buying Microsoft in the 1990s. Zacks just-released special report reveals 8 stocks to watch. The report is only available for a limited time. See 8 breakthrough stocks now>> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Northrop Grumman Corporation (NOC) : Free Stock Analysis Report Lockheed Martin Corporation (LMT) : Free Stock Analysis Report L3Harris Technologies Inc (LHX) : Free Stock Analysis Report Raytheon Technologies Corporation (RTX) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. JOHANNESBURG, July 1 (Reuters) - Anti-vaccine protesters took to the streets in Johannesburg on Wednesday to voice their concern over Africa's first human trials for a potential coronavirus vaccine. Last Wednesday, the University of the Witwatersrand in partnership with Oxford University rolled out South Africa's first clinical trial, which will consist of 2,000 volunteers. The involvement of South Africa in vaccine trials is intended to ensure the continent will have access to an affordable vaccine and not be left at the back of the queue. About 50 people held protests at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, saying they did not want Africans to be used as guinea pigs, reflecting concerns among some on the continent over testing drugs on people who do not understand the risks. "I'm not happy at all! I mean this feels like the 1980s all over again when the AIDS pandemic just broke out in South Africa," said 29-year-old graphic designer Tebogo Legoale. Some of the placards carried by demonstrators read: "We are not guinea pigs." Twenty-nine-year-old community activist Walter Mashilo said the vaccine should be tested first on members of parliament and ministers' children, not on poor people. "We are clear, comrades, we don't want this vaccine (trial)," he said, addressing the crowd. South Africa has the highest rate of infections on the continent, with confirmed cases at over 150,000 and more than 2,600 deaths. Traditional healers are also fighting for their medicine to be used against the virus instead of a vaccine. "We are not going to follow a vaccine because we as healers believe that our traditional medicine is not given a chance," said Sellwane Mokatsi, 32-year-old compliance officer, who is also part of the traditional healers' organisation. (Reporting by Siphiwe Sibeko and Shafiek Tassiem Writing by Nqobile Dludla Editing by Giles Elgood) By Amna Khaishgi, TwoCircles.net Dubai: ALIG Educational & Welfare Society and Coded Minds have tied up with iSTEAM for providing technical training to students of government schools from six Indian cities. Support TwoCircles ALIG and Coded Minds, Indian NGOs, in partnership with Dubai-based international technology company, iSTEAM, would run an eight-week course, enabling school students to get hands-on learning experience in animation and app development. This innovative pedagogical approach is the first-of-its-kind where students of government schools in Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh and Bengal will be receiving technology education from an international company through online classes. The time has come to train the students in skills which are directly relevant to the industries and careers of the future, said Dr Imran Ali, Executive Director of ALIG Society. He discussed that bridging the education to skill gap is extremely important and students must be prepared technically and digitally owing to recent educational trends. He added that the course curriculum is specifically designed to train school students from standards 5 to 10, nurturing a new skill set in them that would act as the base for future employment opportunities. Dr Ali informed that this is a pilot programme beginning from July 1. It would be available in Jamshedpur, Lucknow, Aligarh, Moradabad, Barabanki and Kolkata during which 70 selected students would be given tablets by ALIG to access the course in English for two months. In these two months of training, the learners would not only be trained to break down complex problems into more manageable solutions but will also be taught to approach problems with a developmental mindset, hence ultimately improving their learning agility. In the second phase of this initiative, more students would be enrolled. It is absolutely critical for us to impart the right skills to the future generation and prepare them to cope up with the challenges of the future, said Omar Farooqui, founder and president of Coded Minds. While Jamshedpurs ALIG has reached out to more than 30,000 direct beneficiaries through different programs and initiatives in education, health and skill training sectors, Coded Minds is currently operating in six different countries, offering education to hundreds of Indian expatriate students in the UAE. Speaking about the future of technology in education, Farooqui said he believes such an educational collaborative with global technology companies would go a long way in developing critical skills for young students. According to him, the global education sector is facing lots of challenges and it is the right time to reinvent not just the curriculum but also the classrooms and teaching methods. With regards to the unique ed-tech programme by ALIG, Coded Minds and iSTEAM, he has congratulated the team for prioritizing empowerment of school children in India through 21st technology skills from such a ripe stage. The Pandemic is Not Over for Illinois Older Adults or Their Healthcare Workers CHICAGO, June 30, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Nursing homes and aging care providers have been working for months to protect Illinois older adults from the threat of COVID-19. In the face of this virulent virus, they have faced heartbreak, shortages of life-saving tests and supplies, and personal risk to their health and safety. Now older adults are facing a new danger: complacency. Although the coronavirus curve has been flattened in Illinois, the danger to older adults has not passed. Our older family members and friends can only be as safe as the communities around them, said Karen Messer, President/CEO of LeadingAge Illinois.Thats why its so important that Illinois and states around the country include clear protections for older adults as we move forward. As of June 29, there are over 141,723 cases, including 6,888 deaths, in 101 counties in Illinois. Illinois has made great strides in reducing COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths. As a result, all four regions have moved into Phase Four of the Restore Illinois plan. Local policies need to prioritize older lives, planned and conducted with caution, thoughtfulness and respect for the rights and dignity of older adults. Thats why LeadingAge Illinois has worked with other state organizations to advise the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) on recommendations for a safe and phased-in plan on reopening strategies for nursing homes and assisted living communities. The plan has been submitted to the IDPH. Its essential that aging services providers here and around the country have the PPE, testing supplies, and financial resources they need to stem this rapidly spreading, deadly virus, so that a new crisis doesn't threaten our oldest residents. Consistent messaging from the federal, state and local levels is imperative to ensuring providers can do everything they can to keep their residents safe. Story continues LeadingAge Illinois is also joining our national association of nonprofit aging services providers, LeadingAge, to urge Congress to allocate $100 billion in new funding to help nursing homes and other aging services providers protect older residents and clients. They are also calling for hero pay, paid sick leave, and health care coverage for heroic frontline workers who are risking their own lives serving older people during this crisis. For older Americans, the coronavirus threat is not over. The good news is that we know what to do. Its time to begin. To view this release in a media-rich format, go to: https://leadingageil.new-media-release.com/2020/covid-19-release/ Contact: Karen Messer LeadingAge Illinois 630.325.6170 kmesser@leadingageil.org The coronavirus has extended its stay. The alarming rise in cases over the past week has raised the question whether parts of the economy need to shut down again. According to Sun Trust Robinson analyst Youssef Squali, whether the broader economy remains open or closed, Amazon (AMZN) stands to benefit. And who can argue with such an assessment? While the coronavirus still rages on, Amazon has only added new customers and cemented its status even further as the e-commerce king. A recent survey revealed to Squali several reasons to stay positive on the stock. These include, Squali said, 1) COVID-19 catalyzed a faster transition to ecommerce, which we believe is here to stay; 2) AMZN acquired brand-new customers to the platform, and who are likely to stick; 3) AMZNs NPS (net promoter score) is the best amongst peers, with the vast majority of customers expecting to at least sustain, if not increase their purchase frequency post pandemic. No doubt, the pandemic accelerated trends that were already in place before. Among the surveys findings are that 20% of those polled bought physical goods online for the first time during the pandemic. 46% also said they would keep on purchasing online, more frequently following the pandemics demise. Only 8% said they will reduce online shopping post-Covid. Amazons NPS (Net Promoter Score) vs. peers such as eBay, Wayfair and Etsy, in which the e-commerce leader rated highest, indicates to Squali, it is the stickiest, with 96% of new and reactivated customers, indicating they will keep on shopping with Amazon. There are more figures backing up claims online shopping is on the rise. A recent report by Adobe showed that $82.5 billion was spent online in May, up 78% year-over-year. The transition to ecommerce is a global trend, as recent survey data from GlobalWebIndex indicates. Between 23-35% of consumers in some of Western Europes leading economies (France, Germany and Italy) say they will be less likely to visit a physical retail store once COVID-19 fades from view. Story continues With Amazons strong position in Western Europe in general, and in these three countries in particular, we expect the company to be a prime beneficiary, Squali concluded. Down to the nitty gritty, what does it mean for investors? Squali reiterated a Buy on Amazon while raising the price target from $2,700 to $3,400. Investors could be pocketing a 23% gain, should Squalis target be met over the next year. (To watch Squalis track record, click here) Amazon has strong backing from the rest of the Street. AMZNs Strong Buy consensus rating is based on 39 Buy ratings vs. 2 Holds and 1 Sell. The average price target is more conservative than Squalis, and at $2,825.47, represents modest upside of 2.5%. (See Amazon stock-price forecast on TipRanks) To find good ideas for stocks trading at attractive valuations, visit TipRanks Best Stocks to Buy, a newly launched tool that unites all of TipRanks equity insights. More recent articles from Smarter Analyst: PORTLAND, Ore., June 30, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- As Tualatin Valley businesses reopen and the community adapts to the challenges in our current health and financial environment, OnPoint Community Credit Union announced today it will open its first branch in Sherwood on Monday, July 13, 2020. OnPoint's new Sherwood Branch, located at 16798 SW Edy Road., Suite 118, is its fourth branch in Washington County and 36th overall. The lounge of OnPoint's new Sherwood branch, which will open on Monday, July 13, 2020. "OnPoint works every day to support the financial well-being of local families, businesses and the overall economy," said Rob Stuart, President and Chief Executive Officer, OnPoint Community Credit Union. "Sherwood businesses and residents have been hit hard by the ripple effect of COVID-19, and we are ready to support our new neighbors, nonprofits and business partners as we all move forward." OnPoint's Sherwood Branch will offer the community a robust suite of financial services, including membership enrollment, consumer and commercial lending, mortgages, financial planning, ATM, a coin machine and notarization. The branch will be led by Branch Manager Josh Peterson, who has been with OnPoint for eight years and Assistant Branch Manager and Sherwood resident Marina Mijares, who has been with OnPoint nearly 10 years. "We are thrilled to open OnPoint's newest branch in the thriving Sherwood community," said Branch Manager Josh Peterson. "Our experienced team brings with it an extraordinary combination of knowledge and banking expertise to serve the gateway to Oregon's wine country. We look forward to providing a quality banking experience for both consumers and businesses while developing lasting relationships in the community for years to come." In addition to adding eight jobs to the Sherwood economy, OnPoint's new branch will support the financial health of the community through customized financial education and advice. OnPoint also invests in the communities it serves by forging deep relationships to understand and address their most urgent needs. In 2019 alone, OnPoint donated $1,052,836 to nonprofits in Oregon and Southwest Washington and allocated 12,080 paid volunteer hours to its employees. Story continues With growing families making up almost 80 percent of Sherwood households, OnPoint will donate $2,500 to In Kind Boxes. In Kind Boxes is run by four Sherwood mothers who are dedicated to ensuring every new mom and baby receive the same high standard of care by donating high-quality personal care and essential items to families in need. Click here to learn more about In Kind Boxes. "In Kind Boxes is grateful to OnPoint Community Credit Union for the support of the Sherwood community," said President, Maria Berglund. "Because of its generous donation, we will be able to purchase enough supplies to donate 45 gift boxes to families in need. Every dollar that is donated to In Kind Boxes, or made from sales, goes directly back to furthering our mission to provide every mother and child with the same standard of care. We are so thankful to local businesses like OnPoint who are dedicated to giving back to the community." ABOUT ONPOINT COMMUNITY CREDIT UNION Founded in 1932, OnPoint Community Credit Union is the largest credit union in Oregon, serving more than 400,000 members and with assets of $7.2 billion. OnPoint membership is available to anyone who lives or works in one of 28 Oregon counties (Benton, Clackamas, Clatsop, Columbia, Coos, Crook, Curry, Deschutes, Douglas, Gilliam, Hood River, Jackson, Jefferson, Josephine, Klamath, Lane, Lincoln, Linn, Marion, Morrow, Multnomah, Polk, Sherman, Tillamook, Wasco, Washington, Wheeler and Yamhill) and two Washington counties (Skamania and Clark) and their immediate family members. More information is available at http://www.onpointcu.com or 800-527-3932. OnPoint Community Credit Union Logo (PRNewsfoto/OnPoint Community Credit Union) Cision View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/onpoint-community-credit-union-joins-sherwood-community-301085894.html SOURCE OnPoint Community Credit Union Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - June 30, 2020) - Ord Mountain Resources Corp. (TSXV: OMR.H) ("OMR" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has entered into a letter of intent (the "LOI") with Bloom Supply Ltd. ("Bloom") respecting the proposed acquisition by OMR of all of the issued and outstanding share capital of Bloom (the "Transaction"). Under the LOI, OMR and Bloom have agreed to act in good faith to draft, negotiate and execute a definitive agreement (the "Definitive Agreement") respecting the Transaction. The Transaction is intended to qualify as OMR's "Qualifying Transaction" as defined by Policy 2.4 of the TSX Venture Exchange (the "Exchange"). Trading of the common shares of OMR will remain halted in connection with the dissemination of this news release and will recommence at such time as the Exchange may determine, having regard to the completion of certain requirements pursuant to Exchange Policy 2.4. Further details of the proposed Transaction will follow in future news releases. About Bloom Bloom is a Canadian based health company dedicated to the distribution of its artisanal functional mushrooms and associated consumer packaged goods products. Bloom's mushroom-derived consumer packaged goods portfolio will be led by its novel extracted products: Bloom Mind/Body, Bloom Inside, Bloom Vitality, and Bloom Immune. The Transaction The Transaction is expected to proceed by way of a "share exchange" under which OMR will issue 11,600,000 OMR units in exchange for 11,600,000 Bloom shares, which represent 100% of the issued and outstanding shares of Bloom. Under the Transaction, shareholders of Bloom will receive an aggregate of 11,600,000 Units (as defined below) of OMR at a deemed price of $0.15 per share, with each unit also consisting of one half of one purchase warrant exercisable at a price of $0.50 for a period of two years, representing aggregate consideration of $1,700,000 for their Bloom shares. The Transaction is subject to completion of certain conditions precedent, including without limitation: execution of the Definitive Agreement; the preparation and filing of a Filing Statement with the Exchange; completion by OMR of a private placement (the "Private Placement") for gross proceeds of no less than $2,000,000; completion of satisfactory mutual due diligence; receipt of required shareholder approvals; and receipt of all necessary regulatory and Exchange approvals. Story continues Under the Private Placement, OMR will raise gross proceeds of no less than $2,000,000 through the issuance of subscription receipts at a price of $0.15 per subscription receipt, which subscription receipts are automatically convertible into units (each, a "Unit") of securities of the Resulting Issuer (as defined below) upon satisfaction of certain conditions. Each Unit comprised of one common share of the Resulting Issuer and one-half of one common share purchase warrant. Each whole warrant will be exercisable for one common share of the Resulting Issuer at an exercise price of $0.50 for two years from the date of issuance. In conjunction with the closing of the Transaction, OMR will change its name to "Bloom Supply Ltd.", or such similar name as is agreed to by the parties (the "Resulting Issuer"). On closing of the Transaction, and assuming that OMR raises $2,000,000 under the Private Placement at a price of $0.15 per subscription receipt, the Resulting Issuer will have 29,635,333 common shares issued and outstanding. The current shareholders of OMR would hold approximately 15.08% of the shares of the Resulting Issuer, participants in the Private Placement would hold approximately 44.99% of the shares of the Resulting Issuer, and the current shareholders of Bloom would hold approximately 39.14% of the shares of the Resulting Issuer. The Transaction will not constitute a "Non-Arm's Length Qualifying Transaction" (as such term is defined by the Exchange). In addition, the Transaction is not a "related party transaction" as such term is defined by Multilateral Instrument 61-101 - Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions and is not subject to Policy 5.9 of the Exchange. As a result, no meeting of the shareholders of OMR is required pursuant to Policy 2.4 of the Exchange or applicable securities laws. Sponsorship of a Qualifying Transaction of a capital pool company is required by the Exchange unless exempt in accordance with Exchange policies. OMR intends to apply for an exemption from the sponsorship requirements under subsection 3.4(a)(ii) of Exchange Policy 2.2; however, there is no assurance that OMR will receive this exemption. The Resulting Issuer In conjunction with the closing of the Transaction, OMR will change its name to "Bloom Supply Ltd.", or such similar name as is agreed to by the parties. The Resulting Issuer will be an Industrial/Technology/Life Sciences issuer under the policies of the Exchange. Concurrent with the completion of the Transaction, the board of directors of OMR will be reconstituted and will be comprised of at least three directors, including two incumbent directors of OMR, Luke Montaine and Alex Klenman, as well as one nominee put forth by Bloom, being Richard Lonsdale-Hands will also be appointed as director of the Resulting Issuer, and prior to closing the parties will mutually determine the CFO of the Resulting Issuer. Luke Montaine - CEO and Director Luke Montaine has been involved in the capital markets for over 15 years in various capacities including the roles of investment advisor, corporate development, corporate finance and has organized fund raising for many venture capital and private equity situations. After studying economics at the University of British Columbia, Mr. Montaine began his career as an investment advisor at Global Securities Corporation, a boutique securities and futures brokerage firm in Vancouver, British Columbia prior to being acquired by PI Financial Corp. Mr. Montaine has had extensive experience in structuring, financing and sourcing assets for various public and private companies. Mr. Montaine currently serves as CEO and director of Roadman Investments Corp., in addition to acting as a director, CEO and CFO of the Company. Alex Klenman - Director Mr. Klenman has been involved for several years in private and public capital markets. In addition to be being a director of the Company, he is CEO and a director of Tisdale Resources Corp., CEO and a director of Nexus Gold Corp., CEO and a director of Ross River Minerals Inc. and CEO and a director of Leocor Ventures Inc. Richard Lonsdale-Hands - Director Mr. Lonsdale-Hands has managed funds for Robeco, Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, The Prudential Assurance Co PLC and many other institutional and private clients. He has held and currently holds a number of directorships in companies related to investments made by ADT, ADC, AASF and RFMJ, and has been a guest speaker on European Business at the Dallas Ambassadors Conference 1996. He has acted as adviser to numerous worldwide pension funds, asset managers and insurance companies. He currently sits on the board of Hillgrove Ltd. (a UK property company), Fonciere 7 Investissement (a property company listed on the French Bourse), Fonciere Paris Nord (a real estate investment company listed on the French Bourse), Roadman Investments Corp. and is the president and managing director of FIPP (Property and transportation company listed on the French Bourse). About OMR OMR is a capital pool company in accordance with Exchange Policy 2.4 trading on the TSX NEX exchange and its principal business is the identification and evaluation of assets or businesses with a view to completing a Qualifying Transaction. For additional information, please refer to the Company's disclosure record on SEDAR (www.sedar.com) or contact the Company as follows: Luke Montaine, CEO, at Tel: (604) 760-8755 or email: lmontaine@icloud.com ### Completion of the transaction is subject to a number of conditions, including but not limited to, Exchange acceptance and if applicable pursuant to Exchange Requirements, majority of the minority shareholder approval. Where applicable, the transaction cannot close until the required shareholder approval is obtained. There can be no assurance that the transaction will be completed as proposed or at all. Investors are cautioned that, except as disclosed in the management information circular or filing statement to be prepared in connection with the transaction, any information released or received with respect to the transaction may not be accurate or complete and should not be relied upon. Trading in the securities of a capital pool company should be considered highly speculative. The TSX Venture Exchange Inc. has in no way passed upon the merits of the proposed transaction and has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this press release. Certain statements contained in this press release constitute "forward-looking information" as such term is defined in applicable Canadian securities legislation. The words "may", "would", "could", "should", "potential", "will", "seek", "intend", "plan", "anticipate", "believe", "estimate", "expect" and similar expressions as they relate to OMR and Bloom, including, the completion of the Private Placement and the Qualifying Transaction, are intended to identify forward-looking information. All statements other than statements of historical fact may be forward-looking information. Such statements reflect the companies' current views and intentions with respect to future events, and current information available to them, and are subject to certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions, including, without limitation: the results of the business of Bloom; the estimation of capital requirements; the estimation of labour and operating costs; the timing and amount of future business expenditures; and the availability of necessary financing. Many factors could cause the actual results, performance or achievements that may be expressed or implied by such forward-looking information to vary from those described herein should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize. Such factors include but are not limited to: changes in economic conditions or financial markets; increases in costs; litigation; legislative, environmental and other judicial, regulatory, political and competitive developments; and technological or operational difficulties. This list is not exhaustive of the factors that may affect forward-looking information. These and other factors should be considered carefully, and readers should not place undue reliance on such forward-looking information. Should any factor affect the companies in an unexpected manner, or should assumptions underlying the forward-looking information prove incorrect, the actual results or events may differ materially from the results or events predicted. Any such forward-looking information is expressly qualified in its entirety by this cautionary statement. Moreover, the companies do not assume responsibility for the accuracy or completeness of such forward-looking information. The forward-looking information included in this press release is made as of the date of this press release and the companies undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking information, other than as required by applicable law. This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any of the securities described in this news release in the United States. Such securities have not been, and will not be, registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act"), or any state securities laws, and, accordingly, may not be offered or sold within the United States, or to or for the account or benefit of persons in the United States or "U.S. Persons", as such term is defined in Regulation S promulgated under the U.S. Securities Act, unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or pursuant to an exemption from such registration requirements. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/58931 WINNEMUCCA, Nev., June 30, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Paramount Gold Nevada Corp. (NYSE American: PZG) (Paramount or the Company) announced today that it has closed its previously announced non-brokered registered direct offering in the US (the US Offering) and a concurrent best efforts agency offering in Canada (the Canadian Offering, and together with the US Offering, the Offerings) of 4,807,700 shares of its common stock at a price of US$1.04 per common stock. The gross proceeds of the Offerings totaled US$5 million. The continued support of existing shareholders including Seabridge Gold and the addition of new shareholders enabled us to raise the full amount we were seeking. This new capital strengthens our balance sheet and positions us to complete critical milestones for the next phases of state and federal permitting for our Grassy Mountain Gold Project. Our permitting efforts will be complemented by the upcoming completion of the Feasibility Study which remains on track for release this summer, commented CEO, Rachel Goldman. Ms. Goldman added, In addition to upcoming permitting and feasibility milestones, it is our expectation that we will initiate a drill program upon receipt of all permits at the highly prospective Frost project, located just 12 miles west of Grassy Mountain. The US Offering was made under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, pursuant to a preliminary prospectus supplement and the accompanying base prospectus under the Companys effective shelf registration statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-218295) that was declared effective by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC) on June 8, 2017 (the US Prospectuses). Copies of these US Prospectuses are available under the Companys profile at www.sec.gov. The Canadian Offering was made pursuant to the Companys preliminary short form prospectus filed on June 22, 2020 and final short form prospectus filed on June 24, 2020 (collectively, the Canadian Prospectuses) with the Ontario, British Columbia and Alberta Securities Commissions. Copies of the Canadian Prospectuses are available under the Companys profile at www.sedar.com. Story continues This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or other jurisdiction in which such an offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or other jurisdiction. Any offer to buy the securities may be withdrawn or revoked, without obligation or commitment of any kind, at any time prior to notice of its acceptance. About Paramount Gold Nevada Corp. Paramount Gold Nevada Corp. is a U.S. based precious metals exploration and development company. Paramounts strategy is to create shareholder value through exploring and developing its mineral properties and to realize this value for its shareholders in three ways: by selling its assets to established producers; entering into joint ventures with producers for construction and operation; or constructing and operating mines for its own account. Paramount owns 100% of the Grassy Mountain Gold Project which consists of approximately 11,000 acres located on private and BLM land in Malheur County, Oregon. The Grassy Mountain Gold Project contains a gold-silver deposit (100% located on private land) for which results of a positive Pre-Feasibility Study have been released and key permitting milestones accomplished. Paramount owns a 100% interest in the Sleeper Gold Project located in Northern Nevada, the worlds premier mining jurisdiction. The Sleeper Gold Project, which includes the former producing Sleeper mine, totals 2,322 unpatented mining claims (approximately 60 square miles or 15,500 hectares). The Sleeper gold project is host to a large gold deposit (over 4 million ounces of mineralized material) and the Company has completed and released a positive Preliminary Economic Assessment. Safe Harbor for Forward-Looking Statements This release and related documents may include "forward-looking statements" and forward-looking information (collectively, forward-looking statements) pursuant to applicable United States and Canadian securities laws. Paramounts future expectations, beliefs, goals, plans or prospects constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and other applicable securities laws. Words such as "believes," "plans," "anticipates," "expects," "estimates" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although these words may not be present in all forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements included in this news release include, without limitation, statements with respect to the use of proceeds from the Offerings. Forward-looking statements are based on the reasonable assumptions, estimates, analyses and opinions of management made in light of its experience and its perception of trends, current conditions and expected developments, as well as other factors that management believes to be relevant and reasonable in the circumstances at the date that such statements are made, but which may prove to be incorrect. Management believes that the assumptions and expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable. Assumptions have been made regarding, among other things: the conclusions made in the preliminary feasibility study for the Grassy Mountain Gold Project (the PFS); the quantity and grade of resources included in resource estimates; the accuracy and achievability of projections included in the PFS; Paramounts ability to carry on exploration and development activities, including construction; the timely receipt of required approvals and permits; the price of silver, gold and other metals; prices for key mining supplies, including labor costs and consumables, remaining consistent with current expectations; work meeting expectations and being consistent with estimates and plant, equipment and processes operating as anticipated. There are a number of important factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to: uncertainties involving interpretation of drilling results; environmental matters; the ability to obtain required permitting; equipment breakdown or disruptions; additional financing requirements; the completion of a definitive feasibility study for the Grassy Mountain Gold Project; discrepancies between actual and estimated mineral reserves and mineral resources, between actual and estimated development and operating costs and between estimated and actual production; the global epidemics, pandemics, or other public health crises, including the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) global health pandemic, and the spread of other viruses or pathogens and the other factors described in Paramounts disclosures as filed with the SEC and the Ontario, British Columbia and Alberta Securities Commissions. Except as required by applicable law, Paramount disclaims any intention or obligation to update any forward-looking statements as a result of developments occurring after the date of this document. Paramount Gold Nevada Corp. Rachel Goldman, Chief Executive Officer Christos Theodossiou, Director of Corporate Communications 866-481-2233 Twitter: @ParamountNV Prestigious Award Honors Community Leadership, Efforts That Make a Positive Impact and Those That Do Good in the Community TYSONS, Va., July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the PenFed Foundation is pleased to announce it was named "Nonprofit of the Year" by the Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce. The award, which is a part of the Chamber's 2020 Greater Washington Good Business Awards, honors and celebrates the leadership of individuals, businesses and nonprofits that serve as powerful champions for good in the Greater Washington Area. PenFed Foundation Logo (PRNewsfoto/PenFed Foundation) PenFed Foundation President and retired U.S. Army Gen. John "Mick" Nicholson accepted the award on behalf of the thousands of veterans and service members the Foundation serves each year during a virtual ceremony with Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce officials. "All of us here at the PenFed Foundation want to thank the Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce for this tremendous distinction," said Gen. Nicholson. "We focus on the financial well-being of service members and veterans. Our vision is that every service member would be able to serve our nation free of financial worry and that veterans can realize the financial stability and opportunity that they deserve after serving our nation." Award judges were particularly impressed with the Foundation's quick action in creating the COVID-19 Emergency Finance Relief Program. In March, PenFed Foundation became the first national Veterans Service Organization (VSO) to launch a COVID-19 relief program for emergency financial assistance for the military community. The program received national media attention and the response was overwhelming with over 6,000 applications in the first four days. To date, more than 560 military families have been helped through the program and more than $600,000 in COVID-19 emergency relief has been provided to veterans and active duty service members. The Foundation also provided the veteran-owned business community with online resources and education to assist with economic recovery. Story continues "Congratulations to the PenFed Foundation for recognizing the needs of the Veteran community during the Covid-19 crisis and acting to ensure that no Veteran is left unsupported," said Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Julie Coons. "The PenFed Foundation is a critical organization meeting the needs of our Northern Virginia community." The PenFed Foundation PenFed Credit Union's charitable arm was created in 2001 and, since then, has provided more than $38.5 million in financial support to veterans, active-duty service members, families and caregivers. Those interested in supporting the PenFed Foundation's mission to help the military community and their support network are encouraged to visit penfedfoundation.org. About PenFed Foundation Founded in 2001, the PenFed Foundation is a national nonprofit organization committed to empowering military service members, veterans and their communities with the skills and resources to realize financial stability and opportunity. It provides service members, veterans, their families and support networks with the skills and resources they need to improve their lives through programs on financial education, homeownership, veteran entrepreneurship and short-term assistance. Affiliated with PenFed Credit Union, the Foundation has the resources to effectively reach military communities across the nation, build strong partnerships, and engage a dedicated corps of volunteers in its mission. The credit union funds the Foundation's personnel and most operational costs, demonstrating its strong commitment to the programs the Foundation provides. To learn more, visit www.penfedfoundation.org . Cision View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/penfed-foundation-receives-northern-virginia-chamber-of-commerce-2020-nonprofit-of-the-year-award-301086534.html SOURCE PenFed Foundation SHANGHAI, China, July 01, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pinduoduo Inc. ("Pinduoduo" or the "Company") (PDD) announced today that its Board of Directors has appointed Mr. Lei Chen as Chief Executive Officer, effective immediately. Mr. Zheng Huang, the Companys Chairman and former Chief Executive Officer, will remain as Chairman of the Board. Mr. Chen is one of the founding members of the Company and has served as Chief Technology Officer of the Company since 2016. Prior to joining the Company, Mr. Chen served as Chief Technology Officer of Xinyoudi Studio since 2011. He received his bachelors degree in computer science from Tsinghua University and his doctoral degree in computer science from University of Wisconsin-Madison. The management changes will place us on an even stronger footing to strive for the next level, said Mr. Zheng Huang, Chairman of Pinduoduo. Lei Chen has been instrumental to Pinduoduos growth since inception. With him taking on the role of CEO, I have every confidence that Pinduoduo will be able to take on more responsibility to create value for society. On his own role, Mr. Huang said, I will remain Chairman and be closely involved in working with the Board and management to formulate the companys longer term strategy. Commenting on his appointment as Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Lei Chen said, Pinduoduo has grown very fast because we were able to meet the unmet needs of many Chinese consumers. I am honored and humbled to take on the role of CEO of Pinduoduo and look forward to working with the rest of our management team and colleagues to make Pinduoduo an even better corporate citizen and contribute more to society. Concurrently, Mr. Jianchong Zhu has been appointed as General Counsel, and Mr. Jing Ma as Vice President of Finance, both with immediate effect. Mr. Zhu has served as Senior Vice President of the Company since 2018. Prior to joining the Company, Mr. Zhu was a partner in the Beijing office of White & Case LLP. From 2010 to 2017, he was an Associate and then Counsel in Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP. Mr. Zhu received his bachelors degree in English language and literature from Tsinghua University, and his juris doctors degree from University of California Hastings College of the Law. Story continues Prior to joining the Company, Mr. Ma had 17 years of finance-related experience in the Chanel group. At Chanel, Mr. Ma held a number of roles, including most recently the corporate director of Chanel China Company Limited, the chief financial officer of Chanel Hong Kong Limited and Chanel Macau Limitada, and the regional treasurer of Chanel Limited (Regional Headquarter) responsible for all treasury matters across Greater China and APAC countries. Mr. Ma received his bachelors degree in chrematistics from Shanghai University of Finance & Economics, his MBA degree from Fudan University and his EMBA degree from China European International Business School. About Pinduoduo Inc. Pinduoduo is a pioneer of interactive e-commerce and operates a platform that provides more than 600 million buyers with value-for-money merchandise through a fun and interactive experience. Pinduoduo connects small businesses and multinationals alike with consumers, giving members of disadvantaged communities such as farmers and aspiring entrepreneurs a channel to pitch their products and services direct to consumers. Pinduoduo also helps to equip sellers with the skills to take part in the fast-growing digital economy. For more information, please visit http://investor.pinduoduo.com/ . For investor and media inquiries, please contact: investor@pinduoduo.com internationalmedia@pinduoduo.com Google veteran Erik Garr joins growing Policygenius team as Vice President of Property and Casualty Operations DURHAM, N.C., June 30, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Leading online insurance marketplace Policygenius announced its first executive hire in its North Carolina headquarters today. Erik Garr, who established Google Fiber's operation in Durham and was the director of strategy and operations at Google Cloud, will oversee property and casualty operations from Policygenius' Durham, North Carolina headquarters. Garr brings more than 25 years of experience to Policygenius, where he will be working to advance the company's property and casualty insurance division at a critical phase in the startup's rapid growth. Policygenius has grown by 200% every year since launching in 2014 and just surpassed the 400 employee mark. In 2019, Policygenius launched its property and casualty insurance offering, which scaled to more than $10 million in revenue in less than 12 months. Earlier this year, Policygenius announced $100 million in Series D funding as well as an exclusive accelerated underwriting life insurance product in collaboration with Brighthouse Financial. Garr spent five years at Google, as the general manager for Google Fiber in North Carolina and was one of the first senior leaders Google Fiber hired in its eastern branch, establishing sales and business operations across several markets. Before his time at Google, Garr was a partner at consulting firm PwC, and prior to that helped scale Diamond Management and Technology Consultants from a small VC-funded company to a global publicly traded firm with more than 600 employees. Policygenius announced its second headquarters in North Carolina in September 2019, where the company plans to bring more than 370 jobs. Policygenius worked with ON Partners executive search consultants to help make this hire. "Erik's robust experience developing best practices in operations made him an excellent fit for Policygenius and we are thrilled to welcome him to our growing team," Jennifer Fitzgerald, CEO and co-founder of Policygenius, said. "Particularly as our property and casualty division is set to continue to expand quickly this year, Erik's leadership will be invaluable. We're also delighted to expand our executive leadership presence in the Durham headquarters." Story continues "I am thrilled to be joining the Policygenius team in Durham," Garr said. "The company has built a strong reputation as a household name for financial protection, and I'm enthusiastic about how we can continue to elevate our insurance offerings for American consumers." In the early days of the Obama administration, Erik was the General Manager of the National Broadband Plan at the Federal Communications Commission. He spent an extended period of time as a technology and operations consultant to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Erik has a Bachelor's degree in political science from the University of Michigan and a Master's degree in public policy from the University of Chicago. He is also a visiting professor at Duke University's Sanford School of Public Policy, where he teaches a course on technology policy. About Policygenius Policygenius is the nation's leading online insurance marketplace, with headquarters in New York City and Durham, North Carolina. We've helped more than 30 million people shop for all types of insurance like they shop for everything else online and have placed over $60 billion in coverage. Policygenius launched in 2014 and is one of the early insurtech pioneers. Policygenius was named to Forbes list of Best Startup Employers (2020), Crain's Fast 50 (2019) and Inc. Magazine's Best Workplaces (2018, 2019, 2020). View open roles at Policygenius here: https://www.policygenius.com/careers/ . For more information: Brooke Niemeyer Associate Director of Media Relations, Policygenius brooke.niemeyer@policygenius.com Cision View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/policygenius-expands-executive-team-with-key-new-hire-301085834.html SOURCE Policygenius VANCOUVER, British Columbia, June 30, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Prime Mining Corp. (PRYM.V) (PRMNF) (Frankfurt:A2PRDW) (Prime or the Company) announced today that results from the Companys ongoing surface exploration program continue to show significant mineralization at surface on the Los Reyes project, this time from the Tahonitas deposit, one of eight currently known adjacent gold-silver deposits. The Los Reyes mineralized zones are characterized by a low sulphide epithermal system containing silica stockwork veins that are generally formed in felsic subaerial complexes in extensional strike slip structural settings. Low sulphidation gold deposits are associated with magmas where ore deposition occurs several kilometres above the intrusion, and display certain alteration assemblages. Tahonitas is the southernmost deposit along the Mariposa-El Zapote-Tahonitas trend. The mineralized structure at Tahonitas strikes 350 and dips between 45 and 60 to the southwest. Tahonitas is hosted by andesite of the Lower Volcanic Sequence and is capped to the east by rhyolite and aplitic dikes of the Upper Volcanic Sequence. Mineralization occurs in silicified host rock and veins and has a sharp footwall contact with some veining to the hanging wall. The current Tahonitas deposit is modeled as part of a conceptual open pit that includes the Zapote South deposit. The Zapote North, Zapote South and Tahonitas deposits are estimated to include 10,198,000 tonnes Measured and Indicated containing 311,000 ounces (oz) gold (Au) at 0.95 grams per tonne (gpt) and 5,637,000 oz silver (Ag) at 17.2 gpt. There are 2,407,000 tonnes Inferred containing 70,000 oz Au at 0.91 gpt plus 1,329,000 oz Ag at 17.2 gpt. See Primes April 2, 2020 news release for complete details of the current mineral resource estimate. The Tahonitas gold-silver deposit has a drill-tested strike length of approximately 700 metres (m) and a width of between 10 and 35 m within the current resource model. Surface rock chip sampling at Tahonitas is designed to map the surface expression of mineralization. Surface trench TA-TR-3b, positioned oblique to the mineralized structure, returned 1.78 gpt Au and 71.0 gpt Ag over 63.0 m (24.1 m true width) including two high-grade intervals: 11.68 gpt Au and 333.9 gpt Ag over 4.5 m and 5.70 gpt Au and 292.0 g/t Ag over 6.0 m. This trench channel ended in mineralization. About 60 m south of TR-3b, trench channel TR-2 returned 0.72 gpt Au and 18.5 gpt Ag over 30.0 m, including 1.86 gpt Au and 46.5 gpt Ag over 7.5 m. Story continues In addition, two historic adits were sampled in the southernmost extension of Tahonitas. In Adit 13, two contiguous 1.5 m channel samples were collected along an underground crosscut that returned 11.5 gpt Au and 66.2 gpt Ag over 3.0 m. In Adit 10, which is located about 50 m further southeast of adit 13, channel samples were collected near the entrance of the adit that returned 4.5 m at 0.42 gpt Au and 66.2 gpt Ag These adit sampling results demonstrate that at Tahonitas significant mineralization is still open along strike and occurs beyond the current limits of the pit constrained resource. Table 1 Tahonitas South Channel Sampling Results Trench # From (m) To (m) Interval (m) Gold (g/t) Silver (g/t) TR-1 12.0 22.5 10.5 3.24 46.0 including 18.0 21.0 3.0 8.37 55.2 TR-2 0.0 30.0 30.0 0.72 18.5 including 0.0 7.5 7.5 1.86 17.7 TR-3b 21.0 84.0 63.0 1.78 71.0 including 30.0 34.5 4.5 11.68 333.9 including 64.5 70.5 6.0 5.70 292.0 TA-Adit 10 0.0 4.5 4.5 0.42 25.3 TA-Adit 13 0.0 3.0 3.0 11.5 66.2 Readers are encouraged to refer to Los Reyes Surface Sampling Progress Figure 9a for graphic representation at: https://primeminingcorp.ca/maps-technical-data. Figures 1, 2 and 3 include photographs of activities included in the bedrock chip trench sampling program. Photos of the project area and current sampling operations are available at https://primeminingcorp.ca/gallery. Prime Minings COO Greg Liller noted, Using low cost trench sampling, this work aims to elevate near surface Inferred resource to Measured and Indicated status and to expand the known mineralization footprint at surface. Tahonitas remains open along strike and down dip. Additional surface sampling from trenches will be included in ongoing activities. The surface bedrock sampling program continues to provide valuable information for planning expanded exploration and future mining. Presently, field crews are collecting surface and subsurface samples from several areas of the project. To date, 3,920 trench, road-cut and underground samples of a planned 3,500 samples have been submitted for assay. Assay results range from below detection to 48.30 gpt Au and 1,875.0 gpt Ag. Composite intervals use a cut-off of 0.2 gpt Au. QA/QC Protocols and Sampling Procedures Surface sampling is targeting wide outcropping zones of hard quartz bearing altered bedrock. In hand dug trenches, local shallow overburden is removed to expose the mineralized bedrock material. Sample collection consists of crews, using hammers and chisels, chipping continuous 1.5 m channels to produce approximately 8 to 10 kilograms of material for each 1.5 m sample interval. The larger rocks within the collected material is then broken with a hammer to homogenize them to a standard size. On a canvas mat the collected material was mixed, divided and bagged. The bagged samples are then trucked to a lab for prep and assay. Similar samples are also collected from exposed road cuts and from open underground adit areas across mapped and unmapped structures. Quality control of the sampling program includes the insertion of reference standards and blanks as well as reject duplicate analysis to monitor the integrity of all assay results. All samples are stored until picked up by Bureau Veritas Minerals and transported to its laboratory in Durango, Mexico. Samples are then dried, crushed, split and pulp samples are prepared for analysis. Gold is determined by fire assay with an atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) finish, and silver plus 34 other elements by multi-acid digestion and ICP finish, over-limits by fire assay and gravimetric finish. Bruce Kienlen, P.Geo. Vice President of Exploration, a qualified person for the purposes of National Instrument 43-101, has reviewed and approved the technical content in this news release. Incentive Stock Option Grant Prime also announces that, pursuant to its Stock Option Plan, it has granted stock options to certain management and consultants to purchase an aggregate of 750,000 common shares of the Company at a price of $1.30 per share for a period of 5 years from the grant date. The options will vest 1/3 immediately as of the date of grant; 1/3 six months after the date of the grant; and 1/3 twelve months after the date of the grant. This stock option grant is subject to acceptance by the TSX Venture Exchange. Los Reyes Gold and Silver Project The Los Reyes Gold-Silver Project is district scale epithermal gold-silver project in a prolific mining region of Mexico. Mineralization in the Los Reyes area is typical of low sulfidation epithermal gold/silver systems. Over $20 million in exploration and engineering has already been spent on the project over 2 1/2 decades. Previous operators completed various prefeasibility studies and plans yet held back from development due to declining gold prices. While work completed has provided sufficient understanding of resources to fast-track Los Reyes to production, the bulk of work at Los Reyes has been conducted over less than 40% of the known structures leaving significant opportunity to expand known resources. About Prime Mining Corp (PRYM.V) (PRMNF) Prime is an ideal mix of successful capital markets and mining executives and experienced local exploration personnel who are expanding the exploration initiative at the historically productive Los Reyes gold and silver project in Sinaloa, Mexico with a current Measured and Indicated in-pit oxide mineral resource for the Property of 19.8 million tonnes containing 633,000 gold ounces at 1.0 gram per tonne and 16,604,000 silver ounces at 26.2 grams per tonne. Los Reyes holds substantial resource upside based on open extensions of known resources, ten kilometres of undrilled strike length and at least eight additional exploration targets. Prime Mining has a well-planned capital structure with significant management and insider ownership. For more information please visit www.primeminingcorp.ca and follow us on Twitter , Facebook or LinkedIn . ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS Daniel Kunz Chief Executive Officer For further information, please contact: Daniel Kunz Chief Executive Officer and Director Prime Mining Corp. 1307 S. Colorado Ave. Boise, Idaho 83706 Telephone: 1-208-926-6379 office email: dan@dkunzassoc.com Andrew Bowering Executive Vice President and Director Prime Mining Corp. 1507 1030 West Georgia Street Vancouver, BC, V6E 2Y3 Telephone: (604) 428-6128 Facsimile: (604) 428-6430 E: andy@primeminingcorp.ca Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Forward Looking Information Information set forth in this document may include forward-looking statements. While these statements reflect management's current plans, projections and intents, by their nature, forward-looking statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, some of which are beyond the control of the Company. Readers are cautioned that the assumptions used in the preparation of such information, although considered reasonable at the time of preparation, may prove to be imprecise and, as such, undue reliance should not be placed on these forward-looking statements. There is no assurance the transactions noted above will be completed on the terms as contemplated, or at all. The Companys actual results, programs, activities and financial position could differ materially from those expressed in or implied by these forward-looking statements. Photos accompanying this announcement are available at: https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/9fd1a82e-6982-4d6c-973c-c675986136e0 https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/70c9d5b6-440f-419c-9d17-51959f58c69d https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/8d65a161-cc73-4c17-a428-ff276f6460a4 https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/8628d463-50da-4538-9af5-56ef05aaea05 TCN News Indian diaspora in USAs Chicago has recently come out on streets to show support to Indian Muslims over the passage of Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) that was passed in the Parliament in December 2019. Support TwoCircles The US which has already been witnessing #BlackLivesMatter movement over the murder of George Floyd, saw Indians marching on the streets of Chicago against the CAA, resonating that it discriminates against the religious minority group. Other supporting groups that are protesting are Indian American Muslim Council, Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago, Northwestern Universitys South Asia Solidarity Group, University of Chicago as well as other human rights activists and local student groups. Bodhi Vani, a student at the University of Chicago, said that it was important for Indians in Chicago to voice their protests against such oppressive measures. She discussed that Indians in the US had also taken out a rally against CAA at the Indian consulate on January 26, adding that due to COVID-19 lockdown, the momentum that was slowed down has been picked up again due to the efforts of human rights groups that organized this campaign. The organizers have said that while the country fights against racial discrimination it must also join the fight against all kinds of discrimination and the CAA in India is nothing but the ruling BJP Modis Hindu nationalist party, acting on its anti-Muslim agenda. Anuranjan Sethi from the Northwestern Universitys South Asia Solidarity Group expressed that it was not just a conflict between Hindus and Muslims but about fighting against a certain kind of a government and its arrogance in pushing its prejudices on to the public. Hence, it added, it is important to condemn the discrimination itself and also to speak categorically against discriminatory laws. He further said that it is significant that the Indian student community must show active pursuit of anti-discrimination laws as they mirrored the diversity of opinions in their home country. According to the 2010 United States Census, there are more than 242,000 South Asian Americans in Chicago, with Indian Americans making up the largest subgroup of Asian Americans in Illinois. Junaid Ahmed, President of the Chicago branch of Indian American Muslim Council, who has been a resident of the US since he was 13 years old, lauded the amiable relations between Indian Hindu and Muslim communities in the US. He said that many Hindus in Chicago had come out in solidarity with the Muslims. Ahmed added that the religious schism started five or six years ago, and although many non-Indian organizations joined the protest, some groups used it to sow anti-Muslim sentiments. Bodhi Vani, the student protestor said that it is important to spread awareness about the developments in India, because the world is not reacting with appropriate condemnation to what is happening in India. She added that the only way one can change the discrimination that is happening in India is by disseminating information. NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / July 1, 2020 / RangeXTD has launched a new Wi-Fi range extender that aims to overshadow its predecessors. The company is best known for producing the RangeXTD WiFi Repeater which was a smashing success among consumers. RangeXTD reviews are mainly positive proving that the company has delivered satisfactory results time and time again. Now, consumers will want to consider upgrading to the latest WiFi extender from RangeXTD. What is RangeXTD? RangeXTD is a manufacturer of WiFi extenders. The company is new to the industry but they've gained popularity very rapidly thanks to their products. The majority of RangeXTD reviews are positive proving that the company has created something different than the competition. The company aims to help people improve their Internet connection without adding a penny to their bill. The latest device comes with multiple connection modes to ensure satisfactory results across the broad. The RangeXTD WiFi Booster can be used as a repeater, router, and access point. Furthermore, consumers should know that the product's design has been improved to ensure it can deliver a wider and stronger connection than ever before. How does RangeXTD work? RangeXTD is a unique Wi-Fi range extender that will boost your WiFi network's signal strength and range. So, how does it work? While the inner workers are complex the idea is simple. The device will take the consumer's existing Wi-Fi signal and make it much stronger. It ensures that all devices can connect to the network at once and that dead zones in the home are eliminated. Thanks to the RangeXTD wifi repeater, consumers will be able to extend and speed up their WiFi network. This ensures that the entire home is covered and all dead zones are eliminated. With the RangeXTD WiFi Extender consumers will never have to worry about these problems ever again. The RangeXTD is a router, wifi repeater, and access point. This means that the RangeXTD will connect to the existing WiFi network and extend the signal. Story continues The RangeXTD device is protected by a 30-day money-back guarantee with no hassle returns. Most will be happy with the RangeXTD though. RangeXTD biggest benefits The newest product is designed to provide consumers with various perks and they likely won't be able to find these perks elsewhere. For starters, shoppers will find that the unit features a new and improved design. The RangeXTD WiFi Repeater offers lightning-fast speeds so consumers can complete online tasks without lag or delay. Whether streaming 4k content or playing games online, the RangeXTD WiFi booster will help ensure consumers can achieve these goals without issues. With this device, consumers will have the chance to upgrade their Internet without increasing their monthly Internet bill. Furthermore, it should be noted that the device works flawlessly with existing modems and routers. The RangeXTD WiFi range extender can support speeds up to 300Mbps making it a good choice for all homeowners and renters. More than before Many will agree that their modem and router aren't enough. Their home will have dead zones and they'll want to eliminate these as soon as possible. There are numerous ways to achieve this goal but the RangeXTD WiFi Extender may be the best solution to the problem. With this device, consumers will be able to enhance their WiFi without delays. This extender aims to stand out from the crowd in various ways making it the leader of the pack. For starters, the device offers more features than ever before. The ultra-powerful design is unlike anything else on the market. In addition to that, it is equipped with two built-in antennas ensuring the range is greatly improved. It can be used anywhere. As long as there is an electric outlet, this extender can be used there. Once plugged in and configured, the device will connect to the current WiFi network and send it in other directions ensuring a better and stronger connection. With lightning-fast Internet speeds up to 300 Mbps, consumers will be able to achieve their dreams of finally having a lag-free Internet connection. Furthermore, the RangeXTD is sleek and professional. It doesn't need to be hidden behind a couch. It looks great so consumers won't need to hide it. There are numerous ways to eliminate dead zones but it is tough to beat the RangeXTD. This product will provide consumers with an easy and quick way to solve the problem once and for all. What do RangeXTD reviews say? Before buying a product, it is wise to read reviews about that product. This company understood this and they've gone to great lengths to ensure consumers would be happy with its products. This is obvious when reading RangeXTD reviews. By reading these reviews, consumers will find that most previous users of this device were satisfied with its results. Some current users say their house was filled with dead zones but they were able to solve this problem using this device. Others say that the device boosted their Wi-Fi signal from two bars to a full 5 bars. Most reviewers agree that the product is user-friendly and that they had no trouble setting it up. This is a good thing for consumers who do not consider themselves tech-savvy. They'll be able to install and configure the device quickly and conveniently. In return, their loved ones will benefit from an improved Wi-Fi network immediately. RangeXTD positives Low cost solution to dead zones Looks cool so consumers won't need to hide it Offers lightning-fast speeds up to 300 Mbps Works with all routers Greatly enhances the network's range Easy to use Protected by a money-back guarantee RangeXTD negatives May cover two electric outlets Available only online Final verdict Ultimately, consumers need to make sure that their Internet is working flawlessly for everyone in their home. With that being said, consumers who take the time to read RangeXTD reviews before purchasing this device, will find mostly positive reviews. It offers numerous perks and can easily improve the Wi-Fi network in an apartment or home. It is sleek, reliable, and lightning-fast. Finally, consumers will be thrilled to know that this device is covered by a money-back guarantee. If the buyer is not satisfied, they can send it back for a full refund. The RangeXTD is available only at their official website. Contact RangeXTD By Email: support@buyrangextd.com By Phone: United States (Toll Free): 855 623 0435 Canada (Toll Free): 855 625 0787 United Kingdom: 33080 80756 Australia: (02) 5133 5357 COMPANY ADDRESS: Strong Current Enterprises Limited, 68308, G/F Kowloon East Building, 12 Lei Yue Mun Road, Kwung Tong, Hong Kong SOURCE: RangeXTD View source version on accesswire.com: https://www.accesswire.com/595889/RangeXTD-Launches-New-WiFi-Extender-to-Eliminate-Dead-Zones RedHill Biopharma Ltd. RDHL announced that the UK Medicines & Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has approved its Clinical Trial Authorization (CTA) application to begin a phase II/III study on its investigational candidate, opaganib, also called Yeliva. The company is looking to evaluate opaganib in patients hospitalized with severe COVID-19 infection and pneumonia in the United Kingdom. RedHill already initiated a phase IIa study to evaluate opaganib for addressing severe COVID-19 patients in the United States. Earlier this month, RedHill submitted CTA applications in the United Kingdom and Italy to conduct this study on opaganib. The company also filed a CTA in Russia for this study and plans to expand the same to additional countries. Per the company, this multi-center, double-blind, placebo-controlled study is looking to enroll 270 patients across the United Kingdom, Russia, Italy and other countries with severe COVID-19 pneumonia who require hospitalization and treatment with supplemental oxygenation. The primary endpoint of the study is to check the proportion of patients requiring intubation and mechanical ventilation by day 14. Shares of RedHill have rallied 15.6% so far this year against the industrys decrease of 6.6%. The COVID-19 outbreak already infected more than 10 million people and the death toll crossed 500,000 globally. Currently, there are no FDA-approved treatments for the severe illness caused by SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19 disease. The entire world is hoping for a rapid development of treatment/antibody to treat COVID-19 or a vaccine to prevent the disease. Several marketed drugs like Roches RHHBY IL-6 inhibitor Actemra, Incyte/Novarts JAK1/JAK2 inhibitor Jakafi, AstraZenecas AZN BTK inhibitor Calquence, Amgens AMGN PDE4 inhibitor Otezla and Sanofi/Regenerons IL-6 inhibitor Kevzara among others are being evaluated to treat respiratory complications associated with COVID-19. Story continues Zacks Rank RedHill currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. Biggest Tech Breakthrough in a Generation Be among the early investors in the new type of device that experts say could impact society as much as the discovery of electricity. Current technology will soon be outdated and replaced by these new devices. In the process, its expected to create 22 million jobs and generate $12.3 trillion in activity. A select few stocks could skyrocket the most as rollout accelerates for this new tech. Early investors could see gains similar to buying Microsoft in the 1990s. Zacks just-released special report reveals 8 stocks to watch. The report is only available for a limited time. See 8 breakthrough stocks now>> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report AstraZeneca PLC (AZN) : Free Stock Analysis Report Roche Holding AG (RHHBY) : Free Stock Analysis Report Amgen Inc. (AMGN) : Free Stock Analysis Report Redhill Biopharma Ltd. (RDHL) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research Darrell Park, a former candidate for Los Angeles County supervisor, speaks at an Oct. 23, 2019, rally in L.A.'s Porter Ranch neighborhood marking the fourth anniversary of the Aliso Canyon methane blowout. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) State regulators have blocked Southern California Gas Co.'s effort to delay required safety testing at the company's Aliso Canyon storage field, the site of a record-setting gas leak that spewed more than 100,000 tons of heat-trapping methane into the atmosphere and sickened residents of the nearby Porter Ranch neighborhood. The company asked Gov. Gavin Newsom's administration to temporarily suspend a requirement that all gas storage wells at Aliso be tested every two years, citing the COVID-19 pandemic and associated stay-at-home orders, newly released documents show. The state's oil and gas regulator, known as CalGEM, denied the request Monday. State Oil and Gas Supervisor Uduak-Joe Ntuk said in a letter that the well testing requirements "are a central part of the comprehensive regulations that CalGEM adopted in response to the Aliso Canyon well blow out incident, and they are central to CalGEMs commitment that all possible steps will be taken to ensure safe operation of underground gas storage projects." "CalGEM understands that compliance with the [mechanical integrity testing] requirements for gas storage wells are challenging and that COVID-19 has compounded that challenge," Ntuk wrote. "Nonetheless, adherence to the recently adopted regulations is essential and CalGEM will only approve changes in testing frequency that are consistent with the regulatory framework." The request from SoCalGas for a six-month extension hasn't previously been reported. SoCalGas executive Rodger Schwecke highlighted the very safety rules the company was simultaneously working to delay in a June 4 interview with The Times less than three weeks after the utility's most recent request for delayed enforcement. Schwecke said the requirement that all wells be tested every two years was part of an enhanced safety regime that had made Aliso Canyon and the gas company's other underground storage fields "the safest in the state, if not the safest in the nation." Story continues "Of the 66 wells that we currently have available at Aliso Canyon, we're going to have 30 or 40 of them reassessed this year and they are required to be assessed every two years," Schwecke said at the time. Issam Najm, president of the Porter Ranch Neighborhood Council, said in an email that the gas company's request to delay well testing is "yet another example of how SoCalGas appears to treat safety measures as mere regulatory burdens, instead of integral components of the responsible operation of a hazardous facility such as Aliso Canyon." The Aliso Canyon gas storage field and the Porter Ranch neighborhood in May. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) In an emailed statement, SoCalGas spokeswoman Christine Detz said the company "is ahead of all other operators in the state, fully completing its baseline assessments for all its underground gas storage wells earlier than required by regulatory requirements." The utility is already proceeding with its next round of well testing, which must be completed by Oct. 1. "We believe a six-month extension for completing the second round of assessments does not pose a safety risk, while supporting the reliability of natural gas service to customers this coming winter," Detz said. "However, we will meet the Oct. 1, 2020, date." Aliso Canyon has become a flashpoint in a debate over how quickly Califorina might phase out natural gas, a planet-warming fossil fuel used for heating, cooking and electricity generation. SoCalGas, a shareholder-owned utility that serves 22 million people, has mounted a forceful campaign to maintain its role in powering society and considers Aliso a key tool for maintaining reliability and limiting costs to consumers. Newsom has said he's committed to shutting down Aliso, and last year he asked the state's Public Utilities Commsion to expedite planning for its closure. But in the meantime, the commission has allowed SoCalGas to ramp up use of the facility dramatically since Newsom took office in 2019, compared to the two years after the October 2015 blowout, when Aliso was hardly used at all. In a letter to Newsom on Monday, three L.A.-area lawmakers state Assemblywoman Christy Smith, state Sen. Henry Stern and U.S. Rep. Brad Sherman urged the governor to direct the utilities commission "to immediately act to prevent future unnecessary withdrawals from Aliso Canyon." "Overreliance on the facility sets the dangerous precedent of delaying the phase-out of facility use ahead of its proposed closure dates, and needlessly delays the transition to the states future renewable energy supply goals," the lawmakers wrote. Your support helps us deliver the news that matters most. Subscribe to the Los Angeles Times. An in-depth analysis commissioned by state officials determined the October 2015 blowout was caused by a faulty well casing at the former oil field, nestled in the Santa Susana Mountains just north of Los Angeles city limits. The outer casing of well SS-25 ruptured due to microbial corrosion caused by contact with groundwater, the consulting firm Blade Energy Partners found. Blade concluded SoCalGas "did not conduct detailed follow-up inspections or analyses after previous leaks" at Aliso Canyon going back to the 1970s and "lacked any form of risk assessment focused on well integrity management," according to a Public Utilities Commission summary of the consultant's findings. The consultant also found that "updated well safety practices and regulations adopted by [CalGEM] address most of the root causes of the leak" identified during its investigation, the commission wrote. One of those regulations is the requirement that all wells undergo mechanical integrity tests at least once every two years. In a March 23 letter to CalGEM, SoCalGas executive Gina Orozco described the gas company's concerns "over the continuation of certain activities not deemed critical or essential for safe, reliable delivery of natural gas service under these exigent circumstances," referring to the COVID-19 pandemic. Accordingly, Orozco wrote, "SoCalGas requests that CalGEM consider a temporary stay of enforcement for two-year well reassessments" at the utility's underground storage facilities, including Aliso. "This temporary suspension will enable employees, contractors, and agency personnel, who need to witness certain activities related to this work, to fully engage in federal, state, and local social distancing and 'stay home where possible' orders," she wrote. SoCalGas crews and technical experts try to stop the flow of natural gas leaking from the Aliso Canyon storage field on Nov. 3, 2015. (Javier Mendoza / Associated Press) Orozco did not suggest a timeframe for lifting the requested temporary suspension. But she did urge the oil and gas regulator to approve a "risk management plan" that SoCalGas submitted in 2019, under which the company might test some wells at Aliso no more than once every 10 years, rather than every two years, based on an assessment of the risks posed by each well. When CalGEM didn't grant those requests, the utility tried again. SoCalGas executive Paul Goldstein wrote to CalGEM on May 18 requesting a six-month enforcement delay, which would extend the deadline for the next round of well integrity tests from Oct. 1, 2020 to April 1, 2021. In addition to discussing the effects of the pandemic, Goldstein wrote that the extension "would protect the gas deliverability for our customers this upcoming winter." That claim echoes previous arguments the gas company has made for state officials to allow greater use of Aliso Canyon. The Public Utilities Commission has partially loosened its restrictions on Aliso. But SoCalGas has argued that continued limits on gas withdrawals can create supply constraints that at times have forced consumers to pay more for energy, including during a summer 2018 heat wave when price spikes landed Southern Califonria Edison customers with an unexpected $850-million bill. The gas company's critics counter that there would be no supply constraints and no price spikes if SoCalGas could fix a key pipeline that runs through the desert toward Los Angeles. The pipeline has been out of service most of the last three years. Critics also say SoCalGas has a financial interest in convincing regulators that Aliso is needed to provide cheap, reliable energy. The facility was worth $769 million to the gas company's corporate parent, San Diego-based Sempra Energy, at the end of 2019. As long as it remains in use, SoCalGas customers will be on the hook to pay off the companys investment, plus shareholder profits. Hollin Kretzmann, an attorney at the nonprofit Center for Biological Diversity, slammed SoCalGas for promoting the two-year testing requirement to the public even as it quietly asked regulators for permission to reassess storage wells at Aliso less frequently. "That company is the last company that should get a pass on safety and environmental regulations," he said. In the gas company's May 18 letter, Goldstein said the requested enforcement delay would apply only to wells that have already passed baseline inspections. He also cited new federal guidelines that don't require gas storage wells to be tested every two years. "The industry and experts continue to evaluate the risk of well entry inspections. While this research is still new and ongoing, to date there has not been any fact-based or science-based research affirming that two-year well reassessment intervals requiring well entry decreases the risk of damage to life, health, property, or natural resources," Goldstein wrote. Tera Lecuona of Porter Ranch holds a protest sign during a hearing in Granada Hills over the October 2015 blowout at Southern California Gas Co.'s Aliso Canyon storage facility. (Richard Vogel / Associated Press) CalGEM posted the utility's letters as well as other requests from oil and gas companies seeking to extend regulatory deadlines due to COVID-19 on its website last week. A spreadsheet shows the agency has approved six requests, rejected 18 and is still considering 13 others, including one from the oil giant Chevron to delay remediation for 19 wells in Kern County by one year. State officials fined Chevron $2.7 million last year after a Kern County spill that saw more than 1.3 million gallons of oil and wastewater seep into a dry creek bed from one of the company's wells at the Cymric Oil Field, about 35 miles west of Bakersfield. One of California's other major gas utilities, Pacific Gas & Electric, made a request similar to the one submitted by SoCalGas, for its McDonald Island storage field in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta. PG&E acknowledged it had already expected to have trouble completing its planned 2020 well inspections even before the pandemic. But with COVID-19, PG&E wrote, the company "anticipates the well work schedule ... to be impacted such that completion of the well work" is unlikely to be achieved by Oct. 1. CalGEM says it's still considering PG&E's request. Self-Reporting Survey Generates Valuable Data in Effort to Contain COVID-19 ATLANTA, June 30, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- A father-son team that includes a Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) professor has launched Count COVID - a survey that tracks symptoms of participants in an effort to assess the spread of COVID-19. Initial data has been gathered, and the survey is now being expanded, as the number of confirmed cases continues to rise. The survey - developed by Dr. David Ku and his son, Ben Ku - prompts participants to fill out six questions via the online questionnaire on a daily basis - even if they are asymptomatic. The data gathered can help track COVID-19 symptoms to identify geographic patterns in virus outbreak as well as locations where the virus is subsiding. This allows health officials to track symptoms and direct appropriate resources. The information gathered helps determine if areas are approaching herd immunity and provides a better understanding of coronavirus prevalence to allow local officials to evaluate potential adjustments to ordinances without widespread testing. "Other forms of testing are expensive, and unfortunately, not widely available. The sampling of data generated by Count COVID provides reliable estimates of community infection rapidly and at minimal costs," said Dr. David Ku. "We've all been touched in one way or another by COVID-19. And there are still not enough tests for everyone. This is an easy way we can all give back and help track the virus." Initial findings show a community prevalence of 7% in Georgia - this is approximately 40 times greater than reported confirmed cases. These findings were analyzed from 3,161 cases reported to CountCOVID.org. The results indicate that prevalence and incidence of COVID-19 symptoms in the community can be estimated by a crowd-sourced website like CountCOVID.org at considerably less expense than widespread PCR testing. Story continues Dr. David Ku is the Lawrence P. Huang Chair Professor of Engineering Entrepreneurship at Georgia Tech, a Regents' Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Director of the Center for Entrepreneurship's Program for Engineering Entrepreneurship. His work is supported by the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation and the American Heart Association. Ben Ku is an established programming expert and a commissioner for Gwinnett County. The website for the survey was developed by doctors, scientists and engineers at Georgia Tech, Emory School of Medicine, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Gwinnett County government offices. Participants can take the survey by visiting www.countcovid.org and are encouraged to take the survey daily - even if people feel well. All data captured by the survey is anonymous and secure. About Georgia Institute of Technology: The Georgia Institute of Technology, also known as Georgia Tech, is one of the nation's leading research universities, providing a focused, technologically based education to more than 36,000 undergraduate and graduate students. The Institute has many nationally recognized programs, and is ranked among the nation's top five public universities by U.S. News & World Report. It offers degrees through the Colleges of Computing, Design, Engineering, Sciences, the Scheller College of Business, and the Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts. As a leading technological university, Georgia Tech has more than 100 centers focused on interdisciplinary research that consistently contribute vital research and innovation to government, industry, and business. Cision View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/research-team-in-collaboration-with-georgia-tech-launches-count-covid-301086083.html SOURCE The Georgia Institute of Technology Workers protest over job cuts at Nokia in France PARIS (Reuters) - Several hundred workers at French firm Alcatel-Lucent International on Tuesday protested against plans by parent company Nokia Oyj to cut 1,233 jobs. Nokia, which bought Alcatel-Lucent five years ago, has said most of the layoffs would come from research and development (R&D) teams. Unions say this is incomprehensible when Europe is preparing to deploy the next generation mobile network. "It's absolutely revolting," said employee Pascal Guilheneuf, a member of the CFDT union, adding that about 80% of the cuts were coming from R&D. Nokia says it will continue to be a major employer in France with a strong foothold in R&D. The protesters chained wooden palettes across the access road to the company's facility in Nozay outside Paris and wore T-shirts with the slogan "Hands off my job". Workers said more automation could not replace them. "When you're adding new functionality, you cannot automate its introduction," said Isabelle Guillemot. "We already use robots for all the weak spots." (Reporting by Benoit Tessier; Editing by Richard Lough and Edmund Blair) CORPUS CHRISTI, TX / ACCESSWIRE / June 30, 2020 / Congressional candidate Ricardo De La Fuente today sent a strong message to opponent Michael Cloud, "Texans want a leader who puts families first, and they want someone who will put leadership ahead of politics." "Michael Cloud voted no on the families first bill" said nominee Ricardo De La Fuente "I knew then that Cloud was playing politics in the middle of the pandemic when people needed help not partisan bickering. My campaign has always been about families first! The time is now for leadership and not politics. Today I pledged my own resources in this campaign to get my message out to the voters in the district in the amount of $1.1 million. I will work hard in the district to make sure that the focus is centered on issues that people care about ; Quality and affordable healthcare, stable and good paying jobs, as well as equal opportunities for all, regardless of race or gender. "Ricardo is a strong and honest businessman who brings his experience from the private and public sector to help make a difference in the community during our nation's crisis in the fight against corona virus." Said Joseph Ramirez, senior consultant. "He's a moral leader with a bright future in public service, in times of chaos, we need someone who can lead with clarity and compassion, and that leader is Ricardo De La Fuente." He is fighting for all voters so that they can cast a ballot safely, prompting him to write to the Texas Governor Greg Abbott urging for an expansion of mail-in voting. As part of his strategy to ensure safe elections he has reached out to local election workers and administrators to donate much needed PPE equipment in order to help keep them safe. Ricardo has also donated PPE equipment to churches and non-profits across the nation. His field program is stepping up to make sure that he can reach voters this November! In an effort to keep everyone safe, and in the absence of door-to-door campaigning, Ricardo will begin an aggressive digital and mobile campaign, seeking new mediums to expand the voter base. Story continues "A life where you have healthcare, an opportunity for prosperity, a justice system that protects you and values your life equally; a life where you work hard and know that the path you are on is clear for you to climb. That is the America I know, that is the America I love. That's the America I want to fight for." - Ricardo De La Fuente About Ricardo de La Fuente Ricardo De La Fuente is running for U.S. Congress. He won his election in Texas to become one of the youngest Latinos Democratic Nominees. For more information, please visit https://ricardoforcongress.com/. Media Inquires: Ricardo@ricardoforcongress.com (213) 810-1140 Visit: ricardoforcongress.com SOURCE: Ricardo For Congress View source version on accesswire.com: https://www.accesswire.com/595818/Ricardo-De-La-Fuente-Doubles-Down-in-Texas-Campaign-for-Congress-Pledges-11-Million-to-Bring-Leadership-Healthcare-Jobs-Back-to-Texas Jason Geter, who previously co-founded Grand Hustle Records, told me that he's looking to "redefine what a record label is today" with his new startup Heavy Sound Labs. Geter said he sees Heavy Sound which is part of startup studio Science Inc. as an extension of the work he's been doing for decades. He signed on as T.I.'s manager back when the rapper was only 18. He also said he signed Travis Scott when Scott only had 500 views on YouTube. "For me, I want to continue doing what Ive always done, which is prepare [artists] to go to major labels," he said. Of course, the music business has changed dramatically since Geter and T.I. founded Grand Hustle in 2003, a change that's only accelerating as the coronavirus pandemic has brought in-person concerts and tours to a halt. For one thing, Geter argued, "Traditional labels, theyre pretty much not in the development business anymore." In other words, they're not interested in finding young, undiscovered artists and nurturing their careers. At the same time, he suggested that musical subcultures (like the Atlanta hip-hop scene that he calls home) are no longer tied to specific cities. "Lil Nas X stayed online," he said. "By the time I found out about him, everyone else did too. It all happened at once." As a result, he suggested that finding the next up-and-coming artist no longer means focusing on a geographic scene: "I wanted to be able to put myself out there in a way that someone in Memphis, Houston, Kentucky, Seattle they really truly are disconnected from the music industry, but they can come to Heavysound.com and it's available for everyone [to apply] without any gatekeepers." Heavy Sound Labs has an open application process on its website, and it's already signed artists including AllStarrDaGreat (ADG), 47 Gino and Ralph Weah. The goal is to help those artists build their audience and get them signed to a major label within 24 months. Story continues Geter said he also wants the incubator to avoid what he sees as one of the main structural issues of a traditional label namely, its exclusive focus on music. Instead, he said Heavy Sound can also help artists explore other avenues, whether that's fashion or cannabis. The specific contracts will differ from industry to industry, but Geter said the goal is to always partner with the artist in a 50-50 split. "The music business is traditionally very linear," he said. "Whether you're talking about record sales or streams, it's always one kind of vertical. If you want to talk publishing, they'll send you to the next floor to talk about publishing, which I've never understood." Geter added that he's hoping to reinvent industry internships at the same time. Heavy Sound has already recruited 1,200 people to what it calls its Heavy Crew. Those Crew members get access to a special Slack channel and to industry talks, and they're then called upon to help promote Heavy Sound artists. As for how Heavy Sound became part of Science, Geter said he met the startup studio's co-founder Peter Pham at South by Southwest last year, who quickly suggested that Geter meet with Science co-founder and managing partner Mike Jones. Heavy Sound pairs Jasons unmatched ability to identify and grow talent at the earliest stages of development with the Heavy Crew, a powerful digital network of creatives and fans who can help the artists gain cultural traction, Jones said in a statement. The music incubators focus on empowering artists and providing a supportive community sets it apart from anything else in the industry. We're thrilled to work closely with Jason and help Heavy Sound scale this new model in music. MarketWatch You bring up an interesting dilemma some retirement savers may not think of, which is having your retirement assets locked away in investment portfolios intended to be used at an older age. Employer-sponsored retirement accounts, such as 401(k) plans, are a great tool for investing for retirement because they are tax-deferred, which means more money is growing until its time to withdraw. The first task is to double check on your companys policy for the age 55 rule (for readers unfamiliar with this rule, it allows people age 55 or older who were separated from their jobs either because they were fired or voluntarily left to tap into the 401(k) from their current employer before the required age 59 ). SHANGHAI, July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- This year's China International Import Expo (CIIE) will take on even greater significance for world trade as many of the foreign companies adversely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic will be keen on bouncing back, said Singapore Business Federation (SBF) CEO Ho Meng Kit. "The COVID-19 pandemic has put the world on an unprecedented pause in a bid to contain the spread of the disease. The domino effect caused by the lockdown of cities, production shutdowns, restriction of movement and supply chain disruptions has been felt by almost all economies," said Ho. "Our hope is that through global cooperation, the world can fight and win this battle. Post-COVID, I believe the CIIE will grow to be a more important platform to revive production and consumption and inject much needed momentum in the economy." This year's CIIE will take place from Nov 5 to 10 at the National Exhibition and Convention Center in Shanghai. Ho said that Singapore enterprises will once again have a considerable presence at this year's expo. The SBF will be securing a 1,600-square-meter exhibition area to showcase the nation's exports. He noted the SBF had signed a Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) with the CIIE Bureau even before the 2019 edition of the CIIE ended, expressing its intent to be a part of this year's expo. Since the inaugural edition of the CIIE in 2018, the SBF has been the organization appointed by the Singapore Government to lead the participation of Singapore companies. "In the past two years, SBF has led more than 160 Singapore companies to participate in the CIIE. Singapore exhibitors had also inked 39 MoUs with a value of approximately SGD$412 million (US$295.57 million) at the tailored business-matching sessions," said Ho. "We are confident that the CIIE will remain one of the best platforms for Singapore companies to showcase their services and products to the Chinese market and beyond." Story continues Singapore has enjoyed a strong trading relationship with China over the years. Since 2013, China has been Singapore's largest trading partner, and Singapore has been China's largest foreign investor, according to SBF. Statistics by the Singapore government showed the Southeast Asian nation exported some SGD$21 billion worth of goods and services to China in 2018. Ho said Singapore's top exports to China include machinery and electronics equipment, chemicals and consumer goods. "Today, as our collaboration continues to evolve, more Singapore companies are venturing into the services sectors in China. Singapore companies' strong expertise in food, healthcare, education and environmental services complements China's growing demand for a higher quality of living and enhanced amenities," said Ho. The reason why Singapore companies are eager to attend the CIIE again is because the event has been an ideal platform for them to expand their market share and network in China, as well as gain insights into the demands of Chinese buyers, distributors and partners, Ho explained. He pointed out that the Singapore enterprises which have benefitted from the CIIE are not just limited to major corporations. Even SMEs such as Foodie Drools, The Ballet & Music Company, Prestige Accounting, Four Seasons Durians and Active Lifestyle have reaped the rewards of participating in the expo. The latest partnerships between the two nations include projects related to the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and the government-to-government project known as the China-Singapore (Chongqing) Demonstration Initiative on Strategic Connectivity (CCI). "Bilateral trade relations have also deepened with the upgrade of the China-Singapore Free Trade Agreement (CSFTA) which was concluded in November 2018. This agreement opened up new possibilities for cooperation in the fields of finance, e-commerce, technology, culture, legal and the environment. This enhanced bilateral trade and investment while jointly building up the '21st Century Maritime Silk Road'," said Ho. The SBF also expressed its confidence in the Chinese economy's ability to bounce back from the COVID-19 pandemic, saying the swift and decisive measures taken to contain the outbreak have mitigated its negative impact. Ho pointed out that the signs have been promising, referring to how China's manufacturing Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) in March was at 52, up from an all-time low of 35.7 in February. The country's non-manufacturing PMI, which covers construction and services sectors, also recovered to 52.3. A reading of 50 and above is an indication of expansion in the PMI. "Today, China is sending medical aid, including essential supplies to countries around the world as they battle the pandemic," said Ho. "I think all eyes are on China and its eventual economic rebound. How strong the rebound is and how the economy fares could be a crucial turning point not just for China but also the world." More information of CIIE is as follows: with two editions successfully held since 2018, China International Import Expo (CIIE) serves as the platform for international procurement, investment promotion, cultural exchange, as well as opening-up and cooperation. Thousands of companies, which are leading players in their industries, will gather at the expo to showcase their products and services, and seek business opportunities with global buyers. At CIIE, participants can both purchase a wide range of products from the world and can also sell their products to the world. CIIE helps drive investment both inward and outward and contributes to maintaining a stable global supply chain. Starting from June 24, professional visitors around the world can log into the CIIE website (www.ciie.org) and locate Business Exhibition - Buyer - Registration to sign up for the event. CIIE welcomes global buyers to join the upcoming event and to share opportunities presented by China's further opening up. Video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQ1l1yNlBEs Logo - https://media.zenfs.com/en/prnewswire.com/747194448879dfafd83ecde411b97109 CIIE Logo Contact: Ms. Nie Qingxin Tel.: +86-21-59760717, +86-21-59761076 Email: ciie2020@ciie.org Website: http://www.ciie.org/zbh/en/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ciieonline Twitter: https://twitter.com/ciieonline YouTube: https://youtu.be/EQ1l1yNlBEs SOURCE CIIE South Africa: Mamelodi taxi association dissolved amid ongoing violence Gauteng Public Transport and Roads Infrastructure MEC, Jacob Mamabolo, has welcomed the Pretoria High Court decision to dissolve the Mamelodi Amalgamated Taxi Association (MATA) executive committee. The Pretoria High Court granted an order dissolving the current MATA executive committee following the breakout of violence, unrest and instability in Mamelodi, east of Tshwane. Mamabolo had launched an urgent application with the court following the violence which has claimed the lives of at least 19 people. In an attempt to ensure that the lives of commuters are not further disrupted, Mamabolo opted not to close the routes on which the mini-bus taxi operators operated or suspend any of the operators permits. Following consultation with the taxi industry, the MEC has appointed Hettie Groenewald as the Administrator of MATA with immediate effect. She is tasked with rebuilding MATA and restoring orderly operations over the next three months to prepare for the election of a new executive committee. Groenewald has been practicing as an attorney for a period of 40 years specialising in taxi related matters. Mamabolo hailed the Pretoria High Court decision as a victory towards the restoration of order and the quelling of taxi violence in the Mamelodi area specifically, and in Gauteng generally. Although this was an extraordinary measure, our intervention was designed to ensure the safety of passengers without disrupting the public transport operations in the area, said Mamabolo. The MEC is empowered through the National Land Transport Act, 2009, to intervene by suspending permits, operating licences and closing taxi ranks. The Pretoria High Court order confirms that, due to the nature of the operation of taxi associations and the nature of the service they provide, the MEC should, as one of the organs of state tasked with ensuring the safety of commuters using public transport, intervene to restore law and order. Our intervention ultimately aims at restoring order and ensuring that MATA members are allowed to appoint an executive committee and operate in terms of their constitution instead of operating through the barrel of a gun. The Department of Roads and Transport as the government authority responsible for the granting of permits and operating licences, has a responsibility to ensure that these are always used for the benefit of the commuters and not as licences for criminality, Mamabolo said. He said it is important for the taxi industry to appreciate that taxi associations members are granted operating licenses to provide transport services, and definitely not to use these operating licenses as instruments of crime. We will not hesitate to act decisively without fear or favour where operating licenses are used for improper purpose, Mamabolo said. SAnews.gov.za This story has been published on: 2020-07-01. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. 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 By Sangmi Cha SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korea has started distributing stocks of the COVID-19 treatment remdesivir that have been donated by Gilead Sciences Inc and plans to begin talks to purchase more supplies in August, its disease control agency said on Wednesday. It is the first country to disclose a timeline for talks with Gilead. The drugmaker said this week it has priced remdesivir at $390 per vial in developed countries and agreed to allocate nearly all of its supply of the drug to the United States over the next three months. One of the few treatments shown to alter the course of COVID-19, remdesivir is expected to be in high demand. The intravenously administered medicine has won emergency-use authorisation in several countries and full approval in Japan after a clinical trial showed it helped shorten hospital stays. Only patients severely ill with COVID-19 are eligible for remdesivir and South Korea currently has 33 such patients, the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) said. KCDC director Jeong Eun-kyeong told a briefing that patients who developed symptoms in less than 10 days and were suffering from pneumonia and a shortage of oxygen would be considered eligible. A domestic panel of experts has found that anti-viral drugs like remdesivir are more effective if given in the early stages of the disease, she added. The KCDC did not disclose how many doses have been donated by the U.S. firm. South Korea will consider whether remdesivir should be covered by national health insurance after the purchase negotiations in August, said Jeong. Based on current treatment patterns, a course of remdesivir equates to $2,340 per patient. South Korea has been battling small but steady outbreaks of the new coronavirus, with 51 new cases reported as of Tuesday, bringing the country's total to 12,850 cases with 282 deaths. (Reporting by Sangmi Cha; Editing by Miyoung Kim and Edwina Gibbs) By Tom Arnold LONDON (Reuters) - Most government funds are ill-equipped to handle crises such as COVID-19 and some sovereign investors may be hit by government withdrawals, liquidity struggles and mergers even after the pandemic, a report said on Wednesday. Managing more than $26.5 trillion of capital, sovereign wealth funds and public pension funds are among the largest global investors. But a report by Global SWF, a financial advisory boutique specialising in sovereign funds, found that the 100 largest funds failed in resilience, a gauge of their ability to respond to crises such as market crashes, withdrawals and other risks. "Resilience is an issue of mounting concern," the report said. "Institutional investors still have a lot of work to do when it comes to legitimacy, discipline, spending control, strategic asset allocation and crisis management." Resilience was measured according to whether funds had a robust risk management framework in place, were strategic in their asset allocation, and whether they had policies in place to avoid the depletion of the fund in the long term. Funds performed better in criteria assessing governance, such as transparency on accounts and returns, and sustainability, which measures factors like environmental, societal and corporate governance practices. Some funds may face government withdrawals, liquidity challenges and mergers after the pandemic, the report said. Based on a set of 25 different criteria, the report found that Australia's Future Fund and New Zealand's NZ Super Fund were the most transparent, sustainable and resilient. Funds from the Middle East generally lagged behind in the scoring, with only Abu Dhabi's Mubadala and Abu Dhabi Investment Authority and Arab Petroleum Investments Corporation (APICORP), a Saudi-headquartered multilateral development bank, earning a score of 50% or more in its assessment. Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, which has been snapping up international equity stakes recently, ranked 79 out of 100 funds. That was still above the bottom-ranked sovereign fund from Mongolia. Sovereign funds from Cyprus and Brunei also scored badly, as did the Libyan Investment Authority and the Oman Investment Fund. The report also said the weight of some funds had been underestimated. It said ADIA's assets under management were $710 billion, Singapore's GIC were $590 billion, while Qatar Investment Authority held $345 billion and Oman's newly-established Oman Investment Authority was sitting on $31 billion. (Editing by Catherine Evans) STACK INFRASTRUCTURE ("STACK" or the "Company"), the digital infrastructure company built to help the worlds most innovative companies change the world, today announced its certification as a North American colocation partner in the NVIDIA DGX-Ready Data Center program, which helps global businesses and organizations accelerate their adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) by identifying data center partners who are equipped to support that journey. Artificial intelligence is used across the data center business for data ingestion and management, network optimization, outage detections, and capacity planning. In fact, 83% of enterprises say they will expand AI infrastructure budgets next year, with 39% of those projecting an increase of 25% or more, according to 451 Research's Voice of the Enterprise: AI and Machine Learning, Infrastructure 2019. Artificial intelligence at the data center can enhance compute density and, in many cases, streamline traditional workflows as data and storage demands increase. This AI adoption requires enhanced network, storage, and compute power, and not all data centers are equipped to handle that level of complexity. The NVIDIA DGX-Ready Data Center program certifies data centers that have the necessary infrastructure to support all NVIDIA DGX systems, including the newly announced NVIDIA DGX A100, which is purpose-built for the unique demands of all AI workloads, including training, inference and data analytics. STACK data centers deliver advanced, highly reliable design architecture for flexible power requirements (N+1, 2N, or N) that are required to support these devices, and STACK customers can use the resulting increased compute density to ingest, process, and optimize elevated data volume through algorithmic inferences and machine learning. "This certification reflects a long-standing commitment STACK has made to our clients to provide innovative digital infrastructure that supports current best practices in AI development," said Donough Roche, SVP of Engineering and Client Services at STACK. "The DGX-Ready Data Center program allows the worlds most innovative companies to think about solutions first without worrying about facility limitations." Story continues STACK provides both the digital infrastructure and end-to-end client experience required to scale the worlds most innovative companies. The Companys offering includes hyperscale campuses and build-to-suit data centers ("HYPER STACK"), immediately available wholesale colocation and private data suites ("READY STACK"), and powered shell options ("POWER STACK"). For more information about STACK, please visit: www.stackinfra.com. About STACK INFRASTRUCTURE STACK provides digital infrastructure to scale the worlds most innovative companies. With a client-first approach, the Company delivers a comprehensive suite of wholesale build-to suit, colocation, and powered shell solutions in eight markets today: Atlanta, Georgia; Chicago, Illinois; Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas; New Albany, Ohio; Northern Virginia; Portland, Oregon; Phoenix, Arizona; and Silicon Valley, California. With unparalleled existing and flexible expansion capacity in the leading availability zones, STACK offers the scale and geographic reach that rapidly growing hyperscale and enterprise companies need. The world runs on data. And data runs on STACK. For more information, please visit www.stackinfra.com View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200630005073/en/ Contacts Media Contact: iMiller Public Relations Laura Pirmann press@stackinfra.com Tel: +1.866.307.2510 (Bloomberg Opinion) -- As Keith Skeoch prepares to step down as chief executive officer of Standard Life Aberdeen Plc, the report card on his tenure reads: A for Effort, B for Achievement. By the time he leaves in the third quarter, it will have been three years since he and former Aberdeen Asset Management CEO Martin Gilbert engineered the merger of their respective firms in August 2017. The deal was designed to create an asset manager that could compete in what Gilbert dubbed the $1 trillion club. The reality has turned out to be somewhat different. Size has proven to offer scant defense against the trends buffeting the fund management industry, including money flowing away from active managers and into low-cost, index-tracking products, increased regulatory scrutiny and relentless downward pressure on what firms can charge for managing other peoples money. Its impossible to test the counterfactual Skeoch has stressed: that Standard Life and Aberdeen would have fared even worse as standalone firms. But for shareholders, the union has been less than blessed. Douglas Flint, who took over as chairman in January 2019, has been a catalyst for change. Two months after his arrival, the company abandoned the dual CEO structure it had operated since the merger, with Skeoch taking sole control. Gilbert said he wanted to avoid having Flint tap me on the shoulder and say come on, its time to go. Flints previous role as chairman of HSBC Holdings Plc was probably instrumental in the choice of Skeochs successor, Stephen Bird, who ruled himself out as a potential candidate for the top job at HSBC earlier this year. Birds career experience during 21 years at Citigroup Inc., most recently as head of its global consumer banking unit, after acting as the banks top executive in Asia, gives a strong hint as to where Standard Life Aberdeen expects its future growth to come from. Geographically, Asia is at the top of every fund managers list of potential customer growth; Birds contact book should help open doors in the region. And Standard Life Aberdeens wealth management division, which has not lived up to potential, according to a Tuesday research note from Hubert Lam at Bank of America Corp., will be in renewed focus. Story continues I wrote in December that Flint might be tempted to tap Skeoch on the shoulder if the firms performance didnt improve. Still, his departure is a surprise, and its a shame he couldnt go out on a higher note by delivering a boost to assets under management and a share price worth more than half its value since the merger. Whether his successors lack of asset management experience will prove a blessing or a curse remains to be seen. This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners. Mark Gilbert is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering asset management. He previously was the London bureau chief for Bloomberg News. He is also the author of "Complicit: How Greed and Collusion Made the Credit Crisis Unstoppable." 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. Two new tinctures will provide Texas patients with high-quality, highly-consistent, plant-based cannabinoid medicine for an expanded set of medical conditions AUSTIN, TX, June 30, 2020 /PRNewswire/ - Surterra Wellness, an established health and wellness medical cannabis retail and product brand, today announced an expansion of its line of medical cannabis Surterra Wellness tinctures for patients across the state of Texas. The new tinctures are available immediately for delivery across the state. Delivery is free for orders over $100 (or when ordering two or more products), and contactless delivery is available upon request. Surterra Wellness (CNW Group/Surterra Wellness) Surterra Wellness has introduced two new therapeutic tinctures and has revamped its existing line including: TranquilTM, a 19:1 CBD:THC ratio; SereneTM, a 4:1 CBD:THC ratio; and SootheTM, a 1:1 CBD:THC ratio. Each of the tincture blends has been formulated with proprietary terpene profiles to enhance the experience of the cannabinoid ratios. "We are thrilled to expand our Surterra Wellness product line of medical tinctures in the Texas market to provide patients with high-quality, plant-based cannabis products formulated for conditions such as cancer, autism, spasticity, epilepsy, and neurodegenerative diseases," said Marcus Ruark, President of Surterra Wellness, Texas. "We are committed to making natural and effective medical cannabis products accessible to patients across Texas." Surterra Wellness continues to offer compassionate pricing for its products in the Texas market. The newly launched Soothe tincture is compassionately priced at $60, compared to similar products on the market priced at $75. Surterra Wellness' parent company, Parallel, is a leading, global company pioneering human well-being through proprietary cannabis brands and technology-led innovation. With operations in Texas, Florida, Nevada, and Massachusetts, Parallel is one of the largest providers of medical, wellness and lifestyle cannabis products in the United States. Story continues For more information on Surterra Wellness' products in Texas, access www.surterra.com/Texas. About Parallel Parallel is a leading, global company that is pioneering human wellbeing and improving the quality of lives of humanity through the benefits of cannabinoids. Parallel is one of the fastest growing cannabis companies in the world, with vertical operations in Florida, Texas, Nevada, and Massachusetts, and a diverse portfolio of high quality, proprietary consumer brands, including Surterra Wellness, Coral Reefer, and Float. Parallel's business also includes Massachusetts' New England Treatment Access (NETA), a leading vertical cannabis operation with regional retail dispensaries and consumer brands; Molecular Infusions (Mi), a cannabis-based biopharmaceutical company; and Nevada's The Apothecary Shoppe, a vertical cannabis dispensary. Parallel's integrated footprint includes 42 retail dispensaries across the United States (US), including 39 in Florida; almost one million total square feet of cultivation and manufacturing operations across the platform; and R&D facilities in Texas, Massachusetts, Florida, and Budapest, Hungary. Parallel follows rigorous operations and business practices to ensure the quality, safety, consistency and efficacy of its products and is building a business based on strong values to be the gold standard for the industry. For more information: www.liveParallel.com. Cision View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/surterra-wellness-expands-line-of-medical-cannabis-tinctures-in-texas-301086001.html SOURCE Surterra Wellness (Bloomberg) -- Americas priciest apartment-rental market suddenly has more bargains. Rents for a San Francisco one-bedroom apartment have dropped about 12% from this time last year, a record monthly decline for the city, according to a report from listing site Zumper. Silicon Valley hubs such as Mountain View and Palo Alto also saw rents plunge -- a sign residents of the tech-heavy region are taking advantage of remote work arrangements to flee to cheaper areas. The San Francisco Bay Area is headquarters for some of the first companies to switch to working from home, while giants such as Facebook Inc., Twitter Inc. and Slack Technologies Inc. are embracing it for the long run. With nothing tethering them to the office, many workers are relocating to Bay Area suburbs or leaving the state altogether. With a median one-bedroom price of $3,280, San Francisco is still the most expensive rental market in the country, followed by New York, Boston and nearby San Jose and Oakland, which are tied for fourth, according to Zumper. Denser areas have seen rents decline as people seek more spacious digs to ride out the pandemic, while cheaper outlying cities have fared better, the company said. Oakland, a less-expensive alternative to San Francisco, saw median one-bedroom rents climb 4.5% year over year, according to Zumper. Sacramento, even further afield, had a 7.9% increase. A recent survey from Blind, an anonymous professional network, found that 28% of people in the Bay Area who have the option to work from home plan to relocate out of the metro area and 27% would leave the state. For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com Subscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source. 2020 Bloomberg L.P. (Bloomberg Opinion) -- The ink has barely dried on Airbus SEs announcement that it will cut 15,000 jobs, or about 11% of the workforce, and the French finance minister is already criticizing the cuts as excessive. Pushback from governments and trade unions is inevitable when big industrial companies announce layoffs. Thats especially true at Airbus, which has assembly lines on three continents and counts France, Germany and Spain as anchor shareholders. Redundancies are never pleasant and theyre a particular blow in aerospace because employees are usually highly skilled and well paid. Unite, a British trade union, said the loss of 1,700 Airbus jobs in the U.K. was an act of industrial vandalism. Airbus hasnt cut this deep before, but the workforce is fortunate not to suffer even more. The impact of Covid-19 on Airbuss aircraft-making business has been devastating. In 2020 and 2021, it will probably produce 40% fewer planes than planned. The company has no choice but to scale back. With the coronavirus now ripping through the southern U.S. again, any hope that American and transatlantic air travel would swiftly return to normal has been shot down. The aviation recovery will probably be slow and prone to setbacks. Airlines are cutting their staff numbers too British Airways, for example, by 30% and some may not survive the crisis. Instead of attacking the passenger jet manufacturer, Europes governments should be grateful that Airbuss finances and order book were in decent shape before Covid-19 appeared. Its problems are mild by comparison with arch-rival Boeing Co., which is reeling from the grounding of the 737 Max. The American company announced 16,000 job cuts in April, and its balance sheet is in a far worse state. Of course, it stings that most of Airbuss job cuts will be in France and Germany. Both countries have pledged billions of euros of support for the aviation sector. But at least European states havent had to directly recapitalize Airbus. At the end of March the manufacturer had 18 billion euros ($20.2 billion) of gross cash, plus a similar volume of available credit lines. It will burn though lots of money this year in part because airlines either cant or wont take delivery of planes but Airbus will end the year with only modest net indebtedness, according to Standard & Poors, which rates the companys debt a pretty respectable A, albeit with a negative outlook. Story continues Contrast that with Boeing, which had $9 billion in negative shareholder equity at the end of March, and $39 billion of indebtedness. Boeing avoided a U.S. government bailout only by issuing a further $25 billion of bonds in April. It may consume an astonishing $16 billion of cash this year, according to a consensus of analyst forecasts compiled by Bloomberg, and its debt is rated only one notch above junk. While Airbuss comparatively solid finances will help it withstand this unprecedented crisis, they shouldnt be used as a justification for not facing reality. Using government subsidies to furlough employees only makes sense if you think demand will quickly bounce back. But pre-crisis levels of air traffic probably wont be reached again until 2023, according to Airbus. Even that might be an optimistic assumption. Airbus revenue wont fully recover until 2024, analysts estimate. The equity markets have certainly taken a dimmer view of Airbus of late, after it scrapped its 2019 dividend. The company was capitalized at almost 110 billion euros as recently as January, when its assembly lines could barely keep up with demand. Now, the market value has shrunk to less than 50 billion euros. Boeings shares, by contrast, have gained more than 90% since their March nadir because of hopes that the 737 Max will return to service. Massive stimulus from the Federal Reserve has helped too. Airbus shares have recovered only 28% during that period. Still, an over-inflated American stock market is one thing, the comfort of the European companys cash pile is quite another. This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners. Chris Bryant is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering industrial companies. He previously worked for the Financial Times. 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. New renewable energy platform will look to operate, acquire, and develop additional solar and clean energy infrastructure projects The Rise Fund, a global impact investing fund managed by alternative asset firm TPG, today announced the acquisition of approximately 1 gigawatt (GW) of solar PV projects from Changzhou, China-based Trina Solar (SHA:688599). The solar PV projects included in the transaction are currently operational, under construction or in late stage development nearing ready-to-build status across Spain, Chile, Colombia, and Mexico, and will serve as the first solar PV projects within the portfolio of newly created, Madrid-based Matrix Renewables. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. TPG and The Rise Fund are assembling an industry-leading management team for Matrix Renewables and will leverage the firms extensive investing and business building experience, global network, and deep cross-platform infrastructure and renewable energy expertise to develop and acquire additional solar PV projects globally. "We are excited to launch Matrix Renewables with such a geographically diverse set of high-quality solar PV projects," said Ed Beckley, a Partner at TPG who leads the firms infrastructure investing efforts. "Trina is one of the leading manufacturers of solar PVs, with a history of developing world-class solar PV projects in key markets. With the establishment of Matrix Renewables and the leadership of a seasoned management team, we are actively looking for additional strategic opportunities to grow our global portfolio and build out the platform." "The global solar PV market continues to grow rapidly as it benefits from a number of secular tailwinds including the accelerating shift to decarbonization," said Steve Ellis, Co-Managing Partner of The Rise Fund. "Solar PV development is one of the many ways The Rise Fund is tackling climate change and addressing the climate, energy, and responsible consumption-focused United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. We look forward to growing the Matrix Renewables portfolio to accelerate positive environmental impact well-beyond this initial 1GW of clean energy generation." Story continues TPG has been building out a dedicated infrastructure investing team, based in its London office, with key hires over the last year, including Steven Mandel who brings deep experience in renewables investments. The team works across TPG platforms and their partnership with The Rise Fund in this transaction led to the formation of Matrix Renewables. TPGs infrastructure team also recently led the firms investment into Abengoa S.A.s operating electricity transmission line assets in Brazil. Throughout TPGs history, the firm has made a number of investments in the broader infrastructure asset class around the world, including in transportation, telecommunications, and renewable energy. About TPG TPG is a global investment firm that is dedicated to delivering differentiated returns for our investors and their beneficiaries, and we are committed to doing so with integrity. Our investment strategy embraces change, takes on complexity, and creates unique opportunities. Over our more than 25-year history, we have built an ecosystem made up of hundreds of portfolio companies and a value-added network of professionals, executives, and advisors around the world. This ecosystem drives insight and engagement, which are critical to our approach to investing, value creation, and culture. The value we place on insight is reflected in the rigor of our investment process and our deep, research-based approach to theme and sector development. We are active investors and engage deeply with our portfolio companies, bringing skilled executives and operating professionals to add value beyond capital and drive long-term performance. Our success depends on our people, and we build and sustain our world-class team by creating an inclusive, supportive culture within TPG that seeks excellence and encourages humility and transparency. To learn more, visit TPGs website at www.tpg.com and on Twitter @TPG. About The Rise Fund The Rise Fund is the worlds largest global impact platform committed to achieving measurable, positive social and environmental outcomes alongside competitive financial returns. With more than $5 billion in assets under management across its platform, The Rise Fund works with growth-stage, high potential, mission-driven companies that have the power to change the world. Headquartered in San Francisco, The Rise Fund was founded in 2016 to deliver deep expertise in business solutions to help achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. As part of TPG, The Rise Fund offers investment resources, business-building skills, rigorous measurement and a global network to help portfolio companies accelerate growth and impact. With the ability to invest across a wide variety of sectors and countries at scale, The Rise Fund focuses on opportunities in education, energy, food and agriculture, financial technology, healthcare and technology. For more information, visit therisefund.com About Matrix Renewables Matrix Renewables is a Madrid-headquartered renewable energy platform created and backed by global alternative asset manager TPG and its $5 billion impact investing platform The Rise Fund. Upon the closing of this transaction, Matrix Renewables portfolio will be comprised of 1GW of operational, under construction, or near ready-to-build solar PV projects in Spain, Chile, Colombia, and Mexico. TPG is assembling a top tier management team of industry veterans to lead Matrix Renewables, and is actively looking for additional strategic opportunities to grow Matrix Renewables global portfolio. Matrix Renewables, and its underlying renewable energy projects, benefits from TPGs extensive investing and business building experience, global network, and deep infrastructure and renewable energy expertise. For more information, visit matrix-renewables.com View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200630006140/en/ Contacts Media US TPG and The Rise Fund Ari Cohen Director, External Affairs 415-743-1550 media@tpg.com UK Greenbrook Alex Jones / Katarina Sallerfors +44 207 952 2000 tpg@greenbrookpr.com Spain Estudio de Comunicacion Aida Prados +34 915765250 aprados@estudiodecomunicacion.com (Corrects 'Air' to 'Aviation' in paragraph 7) By Asif Shahzad ISLAMABAD, July 1 (Reuters) - The United Arab Emirates is seeking to verify the credentials of the Pakistani pilots and engineers employed in its airlines after the South Asian government grounded 262 pilots for holding "dubious" qualifications. Pakistan grounded the pilots on June 26 on suspicion that they allegedly falsified their examinations to qualify for flying aircraft, leading to them having licenses the country's aviation minister termed "dubious. A total of 262 of the country's 860 pilots were affected, including 141 of national carrier Pakistan International Airline's (PIA) pilots. The Director General of the UAE's General Civil Aviation Authority Saif Mohammed Al Suwaidi requested the verification of the credentials of Pakistani pilots, aircraft maintenance engineers, and flight operations officers working in the Middle Eastern country in a June 29 letter reviewed by Reuters to the Director General of the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority Hassan Nasir Jamy. "We would like to request your good offices to verify the licensing credentials of the attached pilots list who are currently holding UAE's pilots licences based on licences and qualifications issued by Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority," the letter said. Pakistan's aviation ministry did not respond to a request for comment. The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) on Tuesday suspended PIA's authorisation to fly to the bloc for six months because of the licensing concerns. In a statement on Wednesday, the Pakistan Airlines Pilots Association (PALPA), the union for PIA's pilots, alleges the announcement of the "dubious" license holders was a planned government move against the pilots to cut their headcount. "The malicious efforts of some at the helm of affairs with a mindset to cut the pilots down to size has resulted in PIA being reduced to an airline on paper," the union said. The PALPA rejected the government's list of pilots with licences deemed dubious, and pointed out that it was full of discrepancies, demanding a judicial investigation. (Writing by Asif Shahzad; Additional Reporting by Syed Raza Hassan in Karachi, Pakistan; Editing by Christian Schmollinger) The GM logo is pictured at the General Motors Assembly Plant in Ramos Arizpe By David Shepardson WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost said Tuesday that General Motors Co should repay $60 million in state tax credits after it closed its Lordstown Assembly plant in March 2019. In a brief to the Ohio Tax Credit Authority, Yost said GM in 2009 agreed to maintain operations at its northeast Ohio plant through 2028 and retain 3,700 jobs through 2040 in exchange for the credits. "We demand the money that is rightfully owed to Ohio no more, no less," Yost said in a statement. Yost's filing said GM did not fulfill its contract. "Does any rational person believe that, if the shoe were on the other foot, GM would shrug and walk away from $60 million it paid under a contract when the other party chose not to deliver?" Yost cited a 2019 study that GMs Lordstown closure resulted in the loss of nearly 8,000 jobs and more than $8 billion in local economic activity, while the local school district had relied on the plant for 10% of its budget. GM said Tuesday it "has demonstrated its commitment to Ohio through our investments of more than $3.3 billion in Ohio since 2009 ... We look forward to continuing our dialogue with the state." As recently as 2016, GM employed 4,500 people at Lordstown and cut the final 1,500 jobs when production of the slow-selling Chevrolet Cruze ended. GM sold the plant to an electric vehicle startup Lordstown Motors that hopes to begin production next year with a few hundred workers. GM and LG Chem are investing $2.2 billion to build a battery cell manufacturing plant in Lordstown that will create 1,100 jobs. Ohio Governor Mike DeWine told reporters last week the state does not "necessarily have to get that cash back but what we do want to see is things that promote jobs in Ohio ... We're not actively pursuing a clawback." (Reporting by David Shepardson, Editing by Franklin Paul and Tom Brown) The historic United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, which goes into effect on Wednesday, could lay the groundwork to reshape the global energy market and create even more challenges for the once-dominant OPEC. The three countries are negotiating on an American pact that will work together to protect American production against foreign forces that are detrimental against our energy production, Texas Railroad Commissioner Wayne Christian, whose agency oversees the state's oil industry, told FOX Business. Whether that becomes something like an OPEC from North America or whether it's just an agreement that we work together through the Department of Energy or through some other independent organization in the United States, that's what we're investigating." The talks include the Department of Energy, the Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission, Canada and Mexico, Christian added. The DOE tempered the idea of an outright OPEC-like structure, but confirmed the USMCA's emerging role in the energy market. "There is no intent to replicate that [OPEC] structure here in North America," a DOE spokesperson told FOX Business. "We do, however, continue to strongly support the trilateral U.S.-Mexico-Canada energy relationship, which is critical to North American energy security." USMCA allows the countries to craft a more trusting relationship on energy, according to Christian. Together, they conducted $1.2 trillion worth of commerce last year and the petroleum, natural gas and mineral sector was the third-largest source of trade, accounting for 14 percent of the total. TRUMP VS. BIDEN: STOCK MARKET WILL PICK THE WINNER The U.S., already the worlds largest energy producer, pumped out 12.23 million barrels per day in 2019 and is on track to become the No. 1 exporter over the next few years. A 2016 oil discovery in the Permian Basin located in West Texas and New Mexico found an estimated 230 billion barrels of oil and trillions of cubic feet of natural gas. The discovery increases total U.S. reserves by almost nine times. Story continues Currently, there are four liquefied natural gas terminals under construction in Texas alone, and they will soon be ready to make shipments to Mexico, China and Europe. Most of the oil produced in Texas is light crude, which is good for making gasoline and oil, but not as useful in making asphalt and other products. Therefore, the U.S. needs to import heavy crude from Mexico and Canada. Christian said hed like to see a Buy America First agreement so that the U.S. can fulfill its heavy crude needs from neighbors rather than having to rely on shipments from halfway around the world. The talks are occurring against a supply glut that is only now beginning to ease. Saudi Arabia in March slashed oil prices by 25 percent and began pumping out record amounts of crude after Russia refused to join OPEC producers in cutting production. The price war exacerbated the oversupply of the market after stay-at-home orders meant to slow the spread of COVID-19 brought nonessential travel to a standstill and reduced daily oil demand by 30 million barrels per day. While USMCA offers a huge opportunity for energy at a critical time, getting the three-way relationship just right will be key, Christian said. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ON FOX BUSINESS We don't want to become dependent upon foreign countries for our energy needs after we've been given this security, just like we handed off production of our medicals and our pharmaceuticals that we found so horrendous and counterproductive to the United States' best interest like we did with China and some other countries where we were dependent on them for our medicines, Christian said. I don't want to see that happen to oil and gas. Related Articles The US telecommunications watchdog on Tuesday designated two Chinese companies " Huawei Technologies and ZTE " as security threats and banned American firms from using a fund to purchase their products. "Based on the overwhelming weight of evidence," the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) said in a statement that it has identified the two companies as well as their parents, affiliates, and subsidiaries "as national security risks to America's communications networks " and to our 5G future". "Both companies have close ties to the Chinese Communist Party and China's military apparatus, and both companies are broadly subject to Chinese law obligating them to cooperate with the country's intelligence services," said FCC Chairman Ajit Pai. As a result, American tech firms will not be authorised to use money from the FCC's annual US$8.3 billion Universal Service Fund to purchase or support any equipment or services provided by these suppliers, effective immediately. Universal Service Fund, established in 1997, is a programme of telecoms subsidies for companies to purchase equipment and service to maximise telecoms services access in the country. The programme typically funds between US$5 billion to US$8 billion each year. In March, US President Donald Trump signed legislation to bar rural telecoms carriers from using US subsidies to purchase network equipment from companies deemed a national security threat, including Huawei and ZTE. Existing products in the system are required to be ripped out and be replaced. FCC is establishing a programme to assist small providers with the costs of removing prohibited equipment or services from their networks. "Once you get through all of that rip and replace, you clear out the underbrush problems of 5G spectrum, you start looking at how can the government compete against the Chinese government who, I would argue, illegally subsidises these contracts around the world," said Mike Rogers, former House Intelligence Committee chairman. Story continues "Then look at what benefits we can give to research and development for things like Open RAN or other technologies that are closing on the horizon. We need to ramp all of that together and understand that we're going to be competitive. It's in our national security interest," Rogers said on Tuesday at a discussion about 5G hosted by the United States Telecom Association, a trade organisation representing companies such as AT&T and Cisco. The US telecoms authority has been cracking down on Chinese firms after Congress criticised that the government agencies " Homeland Security, Justice and Defence " which advise the FCC on national security risks lacked consistent oversight in analysing threats by Chinese telecommunications companies. US government officials have warned that Chinese state-owned carriers are subject to exploitation, influence, and control by the Chinese government and can be used in the Chinese government's cyber and economic espionage efforts targeted at the United States. ZTE, a Chinese telecoms giant, was cut off from doing business in the US in 2018 after the government found out the firm sold products to US-sanctioned Iran. The company later agreed to pay US$1.4 billion in fines and was saved from the brink of collapse after US President Donald Trump directed the Commerce Department to lift the ban as a favour to his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping. Huawei " the Chinese telecoms company that is a key player in next-generation 5G technology " has been a top target by the Trump administration. The company was placed on an "entity list" last May, barring it from buying critical components from its American suppliers. Telecommunications companies, while acknowledging the importance to safeguard national security, cautioned against policies that simply excludes Chinese firms. "Things like the export control restrictions and other things that the US government's looking at vis-a-vis China are so significant. But at the end of the day, industry needs to have a broad base of suppliers," said Chris Boyer, vice-president of global security and technology policy at AT&T on Tuesday. "What we'd like to see is policies that will help advance more competition and more diversity in the supply chain." The FCC has recently moved toward revoking the licenses or refused to issue licenses for China Mobile, China Telecom, and China Unicom, commonly referred to as the "Big Three", to provide telecoms services in the US. This article originally appeared in the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the most authoritative voice reporting on China and Asia for more than a century. For more SCMP stories, please explore the SCMP app or visit the SCMP's Facebook and Twitter pages. Copyright 2020 South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Copyright (c) 2020. South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. The United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) trade pact goes into effect Wednesday, bringing new regulations aimed at boosting North American economies. President Donald Trump signed the USMCA trade pact into law on Jan. 29, replacing the 26-year-old North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). The USMCA overhauls rules for trade in agriculture, manufacturing, and services with Mexico and Canada. Key parts of the new trade deal include requiring 75% of a vehicle's components be made in the U.S., Canada or Mexico, to receive tariff-free access to the three countries; and creating higher wages by requiring that 40%-45% of auto content be made by workers earning at least $16 per hour. The USMCA enters into force during an unforeseen coronavirus pandemic, noted Jeffrey Pratt, supply chain leader at BDO. "USMCA's upcoming implementation will serve as a bright spot of certainty for the industry amidst broader disruption," Pratt said. Regions along the U.S.-Mexico border could be the biggest winners under the pact, said Nelson Balido, an international trade consultant based in San Antonio. "What you find in Mexico's northern states like Tamaulipas, Nuevo Leon, Coahuila, Chihuahua, Baja California Norte, there's hundreds of maquiladoras owned by U.S. companies, foreign companies, and some Mexican companies, that stand to win because of the harmonization of the entire program that didn't exist before," Balido said. "Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, California these states are closely tied to Mexico, and when Mexico's economy is strong, it affects them as well." Mexico ranked No. 1 in total trade value with the U.S. from January to April at $176.13 billion. Exports totaled $72.81 billion and imports totaled $103.33 billion, according to census data analyzed by WorldCity. Canada ranked No. 2, with a total of $173.84 billion. Exports totaled $84.01 billion and imports totaled $89.83 billion. Story continues The USMCA could also influence more U.S. manufacturers, such as carmakers, to nearshore operations back to North America, instead of China or Asia, according to Pratt. "We are seeing a number of manufacturers, both U.S. and non-U.S. based, move operations to North America for a number of reasons, including to be closer to their customer base, to reduce their tariff liability, to comply with security requirements, and to meet the North American content targets established by USMCA," Pratt said. Balido said implementing the new agreement could be complicated if factories across Mexico were curtailed again if the Mexican government declares another health emergency. "Right now, there is a big fear among maquiladoras along the border, that they will get rolled back, in other words, the [Mexican] federal government might come in and start curtailing or putting restrictions on them again," Balido said. "Which statistically makes no sense; maquila workers are actually safer at work than at home or in the streets." Pratt said he has also heard from clients that it has been a challenge keeping operations on track during the pandemic. "Many manufacturers have experienced supply shortages, fulfillment delays, and heightened costs for high-demand goods and transportation, among other disruptions to their supply chains and operations," Pratt said. "Though it's been a challenging experience for many of our clients, they have been able to take action to navigate these changes." Pratt added that it is difficult to predict if manufacturing, especially auto production, will rebound in 2021. "There are so many unknowns with the pandemic the reopening of states, the upcoming election, and now a recession. At BDO, we've outlined four general phases that companies in all industries will have to navigate on their road to recovery: persevere, maintain, recover, and thrive," Pratt said. "I do believe there will be some pent-up demand among customers that may benefit automakers in the near term and allow for more predictability and growth potential in the future." Click for more FreightWaves articles by Noi Mahoney. More stories US-Mexico truck crossings saw major declines across Texas in May More than 100 maquiladoras get back to work in Nogales, Mexico Specialized heavy hauling offers big opportunities for Laredo company See more from Benzinga 2020 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved. Robotics and AI Expert Brings Nearly Two Decades of Experience and Shared Vision for Improving Machine and Human Collaboration Vecna Robotics, the autonomous mobile robot and workflow orchestration company, today announced the appointment of Daniela Rus to its board of directors. With extensive experience in robotics, artificial intelligence (AI) and data science, Rus will provide deep technical knowledge and guidance to Vecna Robotics as the company accelerates the adoption of its world-class robotic platforms and orchestration software within the logistics market. Rus is currently the director of the Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). She also serves on the board of MassRobotics alongside Vecna Robotics CEO, Daniel Theobald. "As a firm believer in the collaboration between robots and humans for improved productivity and well-being, Im excited to join the Vecna Robotics board as we work together to make this shared vision a reality across the world," said Rus. "Im also honored to be part of a company that supports an inclusive and diverse workforce. I look forward to working closely with Vecna Robotics on cultivating its extraordinary talent to continue fostering creativity and innovation." Rus also serves as the associate director of MITs Quest for Intelligence Core and as director of the Toyota-CSAIL Joint Research Center, focusing on the advancement of AI research and its applications to intelligent vehicles. Her research addresses the gaps between where robots are today and the promise of future pervasive robots. Rus work focuses on creating tools for designing and fabricating new robots quickly and efficiently, and increasing the ability of machines to reason, learn, and adapt to complex tasks in human-centered environments. "We share Danielas vision that machines provide invaluable support to human workers," said Daniel Theobald, founder and CEO, Vecna Robotics. "Her distinguished background in robotics and AI will be instrumental to our leadership team as we continue to deliver on our software vision and scale to meet the massive opportunity to serve our customers." Story continues Rus holds a doctorate in computer science from Cornell University and is a fellow of ACM, AAAI and IEEE. In 2017, she received the Engelberger Robotics Award from the Robotics Industries Association and was included in the Forbes "Incredible Women Advancing AI Research" list. In April 2020, the White House selected Rus to serve on the Presidents Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST), a council that provides advice on topics critical to U.S. security and the economy, including policy recommendations on the future of work, American leadership in science and technology, and the support of U.S. research and development. This announcement comes shortly after Vecna Robotics appointed Denis Lussault to oversee its autonomy division. The two experienced executives will help Vecna Robotics automate the material handlings and logistics operations for the worlds largest distribution, warehouse, and manufacturing organizations. Additionally, Rus and Lussault will provide invaluable support as Vecna Robotics further develops its AI orchestration engine Pivotal, which integrates with existing warehouse management systems to maximize human and robot collaboration and increase productivity. About Vecna Robotics Vecna Robotics is the autonomous mobile robot (AMR) company that helps distribution, warehousing, and manufacturing organizations streamline their materials handling and logistics operations. Pivotal, the companys proprietary orchestration engine, integrates with existing warehouse management systems for a coordinated approach that maximizes throughput, operational efficiency, and human and robot collaboration. Vecna Robotics robots are backed with 24/7 US-based live support and proactive monitoring for an industry-leading 99%+ uptime. For more information, visit www.vecnarobotics.com. Follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200701005117/en/ Contacts Whitney Parker fama PR for Vecna Robotics P: 716-574-0346 E: vecnarobotics@famapr.com IRVINE, Calif., July 01, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Vemanti Group, Inc. (OTC PINK:VMNT) a multi-asset technology-driven company, today provided its corporate updates and developments. The Companys Q2 financial report will be issued in the near future. During this unprecedented time, protecting the health and well-being of our personnel is a top priority. In addition, we are focused on maintaining continuity of business activities while balancing potential impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic, said Mr. Tan Tran, CEO of Vemanti Group. Our business fundamentals are intact, and we look forward to presenting additional updates. We remain steadfast in our commitment to advance our business objectives and shareholder value, he added. Operational & Development Activities The Companys financials remain sound. It carries no debt or long-term liabilities. The Company continues to be active in high-growth emerging market opportunities and looks to drive growth through investment in early-stage companies, especially in the fintech sector, that have market viable products and are post-revenue. Strategically, its focused on solving long-term problems using blockchain combined with other technologies, including machine learning/AI. The Company is currently deeply involved in the business management and development of its key portfolio company, Fvndit, Inc. (Fvndit), a California- and Vietnam-based fintech company, focused on solving the short-term working capital problem for SMEs. Its using technology to re-build core parts of the business funding infrastructure and make the underwriting and financing seamless for small businesses. Its wholly-owned subsidiary, eLoan, JSC ("eLoan), is the market-leading online Peer-to-Peer (P2P) lending platform for SMEs in Vietnam. Its total revenues for FY2019 increased more than 300% compared to FY2018. Despite the uncertainties, Fvndit is still projected to exceed last years performance. The Company believes that Vietnam is still forecasted to be the source of outsized returns based on many globally-driven positive factors. It is working with various capital partners to secure financing for Fvndit as it enters the next phase of growth. Tan Tran, CEO of Vemanti Group, who is also Fvndits CEO, stated, "Were hugely optimistic about future prospects of Fvndit. As one of the few countries with COVID-19 under control and with its economy unexpectedly expands amid the virus outbreak, investors are eager to put capital to work as Vietnam opens for business again. We view our ownership in Fvndit a tremendous opportunity to establish foundation in one of the worlds hottest economies. As the business model has already been proven, now is the time to take it to the next level. About Vemanti Group, Inc. Story continues Vemanti Group, Inc. (OTC PINK:VMNT) is a technology-driven multi-asset company that seeks to be active in high-growth and emerging markets. Our core strengths are in technology development and investment. We drive growth through acquisition and investment in disruptive and foundational technologies by targeting early-stage companies that have market viable products or by starting a new subsidiary of our own. Strategically, we focus mainly on fintech applications combined with other emerging technologies, including blockchain and machine learning/AI. About Fvndit, Inc. Fvndit, Inc. ("Fvndit), pronounced like "Fund it, is a California- and Vietnam-based fintech company, focused on solving the working capital problem for SMEs using technology. The team is comprised of engineers, designers, data scientists, trade finance and banking veterans across 2 locations: Irvine, CA and HCMC, Vietnam. Its using technology to re-build core parts of the business funding infrastructure and make the underwriting and financing seamless for small businesses. Its wholly-owned subsidiary, eLoan, JSC ("eLoan), operates an online P2P funding and investing marketplace in Vietnam, its current local market. About eLoan, JSC. eLoan, JSC ("eLoan) is a peer-to-peer (P2P) lending marketplace that allows investors to lend money directly to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) based in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. eLoan is the first peer-to-peer lending company and one of the few fintech firms in Vietnam focusing purely on serving SME clients with short-term loans. Its platform is run on a proprietary AI-driven decision-making and credit-rating system. The company is a legal entity registered under the laws of Vietnam and is not affiliated with E-LOAN, Inc. and http://eloan.com, a Division of Banco Popular de Puerto Rico. Legal Disclaimer This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27a of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended and section 21e of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Those statements include the intent, belief or current expectations of the company and its management team. Forward-looking statements are projections of events, revenues, income, future economics, research, development, reformulation, product performance or management's plans and objectives for future operations. Some or all of the events or results anticipated by these forward-looking statements may not occur. Prospective investors are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties, and that actual results may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors. Accomplishing the strategy described herein is significantly dependent upon numerous factors, many that are not in management's control. Rueil-Malmaison, 30 June 2020 VINCI wins the contract to upgrade and operate the Velbert Burgerforum (Germany) A Public-Private Partnership (PPP) totalling 76 million Over two years of works followed by a 25-year operating contract VINCI Energies signed a PPP with the German town of Velbert (North Rhine-Westphalia) to upgrade and operate its civic centre, the Burgerforum Niederberg. The centre, built in the early 1980s, is ones of the towns iconic cultural venues. It includes a 780-seater theatre, two recreation rooms and a meeting hall that hosts numerous exhibitions and events. Once the project is completed, the centre will offer additional services, including a media library, a cafeteria, a citizens office (Burgerburo), a community education centre and a music and arts centre. The first phase of the project involves renovating, extending and elevating the building to transform it into a modern, multipurpose venue. The original architecture, which is listed, will be preserved to combine tradition with modernity. The upgrade work and technology used will significantly improve the energy performance of the building so it exceeds federal requirements. The work, representing a total value of 44 million, will begin in autumn 2020 and will be completed in the first quarter of 2023. The partnership will continue with the contract to operate the building until 2048, worth a total 32 million. This phase will involve in particular providing concierge services, upkeep, maintenance, reinvestment and energy provision. Through this successful partnership, we will bring together culture and education all under one roof. We will create a cultural centre open to people of all ages, located in the heart of our town, explained Dirk Lukrafka, Mayor of Velbert. All those involved are excited to see the finished product! The cultural diversity, the possibility of putting on more shows and developing synergies with neighbouring towns in the future represent an extraordinary opportunity for Velbert and its population, said Linda Frenzel, Director of Velberts cultural service. Story continues We are working in close collaboration with the client, who benefits from shorter timescales and general contracting services, explained Bernard Jean, Director of VINCI Facilities Solutions GmbH, subsidiary of VINCI Energies. The architectural specificities and the challenges that arise as a result are what make the Burgerforum Niederberg project special. Its an iconic place that will showcase VINCIs expertise on demanding projects. VINCI Energies has already successfully completed around twenty PPP projects in Germany since 2004, for which it is still providing operation and maintenance services. About VINCI Energies In a world undergoing constant change, VINCI Energies focuses on connections, performance, energy efficiency and data to fast-track the rollout of new technologies and support two major changes: the digital transformation and the energy transition. With their strong regional roots, agile and innovative, VINCI Energies business units boost the reliability, safety, sustainability and efficiency of energy, transport and communication infrastructure, factories, buildings and information systems. 2019: 13.75 billion revenue // 82,500 employees // 1,800 business units // 56 countries. www.vinci-energies.com About VINCI VINCI is a global player in concessions and contracting, employing 222,000 people in some 100 countries. We design, finance, build and operate infrastructure and facilities that help improve daily life and mobility for all. Because we believe in all-round performance, above and beyond economic and financial results, we are committed to operating in an environmentally and socially responsible manner. And because our projects are in the public interest, we consider that reaching out to all our stakeholders and engaging in dialogue with them is essential in the conduct of our business activities. VINCIs goal is to create long-term value for its customers, shareholders, employees, and partners and for society at large. www.vinci.com This press release is an official information document of the VINCI Group. PRESS CONTACT VINCI Press Department Tel: +33 (0)1 47 16 31 82 media.relations@vinci.com Attachment Lawyers in Washington D.C. can now accept cryptocurrencies as a form of payment for their services, the D.C. Bar has said. In its ethics opinion published in June, the Bar said it is not unethical for lawyers to accept cryptocurrency, as long as the fee is reasonable and lawyers can safeguard that virtual property. Payment of fees in cryptocurrency is more akin to payment in property than payment in fiat currency, said the Bar. Cryptocurrency is, ultimately, simply a relatively new means of transferring economic value. The volatile nature of cryptocurrencies, however, does raise challenges for lawyers, but they cannot hold back the tides of change even if they would like to," said the Bar, adding that crypto is increasingly becoming a form of payment among vendors and service providers. D.C. becomes the fourth Bar to allow crypto as a form of payment. North Carolina, Nebraska, and New York City bars have also issued ethics opinions that favor crypto payments for lawyers. 2020 The Block Crypto, Inc. All Rights Reserved. This article is provided for informational purposes only. It is not offered or intended to be used as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advice. (Recasts; adds Pompeo and former British consulate employee) * Thousands defy police ban to protest new law * Pro-Beijing politicians welcome city's 'second return' * Britain describes new protests as heartbreaking * Pompeo calls new law an affront to all nations By Scott Murdoch and Yanni Chow HONG KONG, July 1 (Reuters) - Hong Kong police fired water cannon and tear gas and arrested more than 300 people on Wednesday as protesters took to the streets in defiance of sweeping security legislation introduced by China to snuff out dissent. Beijing unveiled the details of the much-anticipated law late on Tuesday after weeks of uncertainty, pushing China's freest city and one of the world's most glittering financial hubs on to a more authoritarian path. As thousands of protesters gathered for an annual rally marking the anniversary of the former British colony's handover to China in 1997, riot police used pepper spray and fired pellets as they made arrests after crowds spilled into the streets chanting "resist till the end" and "Hong Kong independence". "Im scared of going to jail but for justice I have to come out today, I have to stand up," said one 35-year-old man who gave his name as Seth. Police said they had made more than 300 arrests for illegal assembly and other offences, with nine involving violations of the new law. The law punishes crimes of secession, subversion, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces with up to life in prison, will see mainland security agencies in Hong Kong for the first time and allows extradition to the mainland for trial. China's parliament adopted the law in response to protests last year triggered by fears that Beijing was stifling the city's freedoms, guaranteed by a "one country, two systems" formula agreed when it returned to Chinese rule. Beijing denies the accusation. Hong Kong police cited the law in confronting protesters. Story continues "You are displaying flags or banners/chanting slogans/or conducting yourselves with an intent such as secession or subversion, which may constitute offences under the ... national security law," police said in a message displayed on a purple banner. Authorities in Beijing and Hong Kong have repeatedly said the legislation is aimed at a few "troublemakers" and will not affect rights and freedoms, nor investors' interests. 'HEARTBREAKING' But critics fear it will end the pro-democracy opposition and crush freedoms, including an independent legal system and right to protest, that are seen as key to Hong Kong's success as a financial centre. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the new law was an affront to all nations and Washington would continue to implement President Donald Trump's directive to end the territory's special status. Britain said it would stand by its word and offer all those in Hong Kong with British National Overseas status a "bespoke" immigration route. British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab described Wednesday's protests as heartbreaking and reprimanded HSBC and other banks for supporting the new law, saying the rights of Hong Kong should not be sacrificed for bankers' bonuses. Britain and Canada also updated their travel advisories for Hong Kong, saying there was an increased risk of detention. A former employee of the British consulate in Hong Kong, Simon Cheng, said he had been granted political asylum by the British government after being beaten by Chinese secret police last year in mainland China during 15 days of detention. In a post on Facebook after the enactment of the national security law, he said he hoped other Hong Kong people would be offered protection by Britain. Police fired water cannon to try to disperse the protesters. A game of cat and mouse reminiscent of last year's often violent demonstrations followed, with protesters blocking roads before running away from riot police charging with batons, only to re-emerge elsewhere. Police posted pictures on Twitter of an officer with a bleeding arm saying he was stabbed by "rioters holding sharp objects". The suspects fled while bystanders offered no help, police said. On July 1 last year, hundreds of protesters stormed and vandalised the city's legislature to protest against a bill that would have allowed extraditions to mainland China. Those protests evolved into anti-China demonstrations and calls for democracy, paralysing parts of the city and paving the way for Beijing's new law. 'BIRTHDAY GIFT' In Beijing, Zhang Xiaoming, executive deputy director of Beijing's Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office, told reporters suspects arrested by a new Beijing-run security office could be tried on the mainland. He said the new office abided by Chinese law and that Hong Kong's legal system could not be expected to implement the laws of the mainland. Article 55 of the law states that Beijing's security office in Hong Kong could exercise jurisdiction over "complex" or "serious" cases. "The law is a birthday gift to (Hong Kong) and will show its precious value in the future," Zhang said, adding the law would not be applied retroactively. (For highlights of the law, click) Speaking at a flag-raising ceremony to mark the handover, the city's Beijing-backed leader, Carrie Lam, said the law was the most important development since 1997. "It is also an inevitable and prompt decision to restore stability," Lam said at the harbour-front venue where the last colonial governor, Chris Patten, a staunch critic of the security law, tearfully handed back Hong Kong to China. Some pro-Beijing officials and political commentators say the law is aimed at sealing Hong Kong's "second return" to the motherland after the first failed to bring residents to heel. Luo Huining, the head of Beijing's top representative office in Hong Kong, said at the ceremony the law was a "common aspiration" of Hong Kong citizens. Some pro-democracy activists gave up membership of their groups just before the law came into force on Tuesday, though they called for the campaign to carry on from abroad. "I saw this morning there are celebrations for Hong Kong's handover, but to me it is a funeral, a funeral for 'one country two systems'," said pro-democracy lawmaker Kwok Ka-ki. (Reporting by Yanni Chow, Twinnie Siu, Pak Yiu, Scott Murdoch, Joyce Zhou, Clare Jim, Jessie Pang, Tyrone Siu and James Pomfret in Hong Kong, Yew Lun Tian in Beijing, William James and Guy Faulconbridge in London and Denny Thomas in Toronto; Writing by Anne Marie Roantree and Marius Zaharia; Editing by Michael Perry, Robert Birsel and Nick Macfie) * Gilead pledges most output to United States for three months * Concerns over availability elsewhere as COVID-19 rages * Britain, Germany, South Korea all have stocks By Sangmi Cha, Andreas Rinke and Alistair Smout SEOUL/BERLIN/LONDON, July 1 (Reuters) - Some governments in Europe and Asia said on Wednesday they have enough of Gilead's COVID-19 anti-viral remdesivir for now despite fears of shortages since the U.S. drugmaker pledged most output to its home market for the next three months. The pharmaceutical company's move stirred the global debate about equitable access to drugs and brought concerns about accessibility, especially in regions where coronavirus rates are still high or there have been new outbreaks. Remdesivir is in high demand after the intravenously-administered medicine helped shorten hospital recovery times in a clinical trial. It is believed to be most effective in treating COVID-19 patients earlier in the course of disease than other therapies like the steroid dexamethasone. Still, because remdesivir is given intravenously over at least a five-day period it is generally being used on patients sick enough to require hospitalisation. Britain and Germany said they had sufficient reserves for now, though they were weighing options for when those might be exhausted. South Korea, for its part, has started distributing stocks, but plans talks to purchase more supplies in August. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) this week said it had secured all of Gilead's projected production for July and 90% of its production in August and September, in addition to an allocation for clinical trials. The European Union (EU) said on Wednesday it was in negotiations to obtain doses for its 27 member nations. "SUPPLY CHAINS UNDER STRAIN" "The buying-up of remdesivir is disappointing news, not necessarily because of the shortages it implies for other countries, but because it so clearly signals an unwillingness to cooperate with other countries, and the chilling effect this has on international agreements about intellectual property rights," said Ohid Yaqub, senior lecturer at the Science Policy Research Unit of Britain's University of Sussex. Story continues Jonathan Van-Tam, deputy chief medical officer and lead for Britain's Department for Health and Social Care, told a parliamentary hearing on Wednesday that new drugs such as remdesivir were likely to be in "relatively short supply in the first instance" versus existing generic ones like dexamethasone. The German health ministry said that the conditional market approval Gilead is expected to receive from the EU's executive Commission this week carries an implied obligation to deliver sufficient quantities in the future. "We trust Gilead will meet this obligation," it said. Gilead has said it linked up with generic drugmakers based in India and Pakistan to supply remdesivir in 127 developing countries, but it has not discussed in detail its supply strategy for developed nations outside the United States. "The issue is the high demand for a drug that is still an investigational medicine and probably had not been scaled up to a manufacturing level when the outbreak occurred," said Gino Martini, the UK Royal Pharmaceutical Societys chief scientist. "The U.S. action means clinical supply chains will be under strain. It will be down to manufacturers Gilead to boost production in order to satisfy demand for the use of remdesivir." (Additional reporting by Philip Blenkinsop; Writing by Ludwig Burger; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne and Josephine Mason) - The Certificate of Registration grants Lianhua Qingwen sale authorization in the country and registers it under the category of Chinese Proprietary Medicine (CPM) - Alternative Medicine Division of the Ministry of Health of Thailand hosted an academic webinar with China's medical experts SHIJIAZHUANG, China, July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Following Thailand, Singapore and Indonesia, Yiling Pharmaceutical (002603.SZ), a leader in the development of traditional Chinese medicines (TCM), obtained a Certificate of Registration issued by the Drug Department of Laos' Ministry of Health which registers Lianhua Qingwen Capsule as Chinese Proprietary Medicine (CPM). "The Certificate of Registration issued by the Drug Department of Laos' Ministry of Health grants Lianhua Qingwen sale authorization and registers it as a medical product, which will help the company extend its global footprint," said Zhang Qiulian, the Deputy GM of Yiling Pharmaceutical. In addition, multiple countries have also held online conference with Chinese medical experts to learn their experience about the adoption and the efficacy of the drug in increasing the recovery rate of COVID-19 patients. On June 17, an academic webinar was hosted by the Ministry of Health of Thailand to introduce the clinical use of Lianhua Qingwen. During the session, Professor Gao Zhancheng from Peking University People's Hospital, member of the Chinese Medical Association Respiratory Branch, presented an academic report titled "The Prevention and Treatment New Respiratory Virus Infection by Traditional Chinese Medicines." Professor Ding Banghan from the Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Deputy Chairman of the Committee on Emergency Medical Service of Chinese Society of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, shared theories and practices of preventing and treating infectious respiratory diseases with traditional Chinese medicines. Story continues China's top two medical academicians introduced the latest research results and clinical application of Lianhua Qingwen with Chinese and Western medical practitioners from Thailand VachiraPhuket Hospital, Phra Nang Klao Hospital, Trang Hospital, Luang Por Poen Hospital, Hua Hin Hospital and Hua Chiew Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital. Wang Yiliang, Director of the Alternative Medicine Division of the Ministry of Health of Thailand, said that "clinical trials conducted in China have shown that Linahua Qingwen can improve the recovery rate of patients infected with COVID-19. The State Drug Administration of China has recognized its crucial role in containing the pandemic and listed new indications of Lianhua Qingwen in the treatment for mild and common COVID-19 symptoms." By hosting this academic webinar, the Alternative Medicine Division hopes to integrate the knowledge of integrated traditional Chinese and western medicine and its functions in the development of modern medicine into the Thai health service system through in-depth cooperation. In speaking of the significance of the online academic conference, Wang Yiliang said: "The online conference allowed us to learn the application of Lianhua Qingwen Capsule in the treatment of respiratory diseases including influenza and COVID-19 pneumonia. Lianhua Qingwen has been through rigorous medical research and clinical trial, and it has drawn much attention from Thailand's medical community." "Safety, effectiveness and quality control are our priorities when it comes to evaluating the feasibility of using traditional medicines for clinical treatment. Lianhua Qingwen has set a good example for us," he said. The latest approval issued by Lao's Ministry of Health marks another milestone for the drug, which is accepted as one of the first TCM solutions to help tackle the current strain of coronavirus. To date, nine countries including Brazil, Indonesia, Canada, Mozambique and Romania have also granted marketing and sale authorization to Lianhua Qingwen. For more information, please visit: http://en.yiling.cn/ SOURCE Shijiazhuang Yiling Pharmaceutical Co, Ltd. SYDNEY (Reuters) - New Zealand will use virtual digital platforms to host the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit next year, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said on Tuesday, attributing the decision to uncertainty around travel due to the coronavirus. "What we've done is we've determined that actually for the sake of certainty, let's just plan for that virtual gathering," Ardern said at a media briefing in Wellington. "That means that we don't have the added cost, the added disruption that the uncertainty of COVID brings." New Zealand, early this month, lifted all social and economic restrictions except border controls, after declaring it was free of the coronavirus, while many countries are still grappling to contain the spread of the disease. Ardern said the country has no plans to reopen its borders now as infection rates around the world were still going up. "There is a time in the future we'll be opening our borders but to suggest that time is now when the virus is getting worse is frankly dangerous," she said. The Pacific nation has so far escaped a high number of casualties from the virus, with nearly 1,200 confirmed infections and 22 deaths. It reported no new cases of the coronavirus on Tuesday, the first time in nearly two weeks. Leaders of the 21 member countries were to gather for the APEC 2021 summit in New Zealand at the end of next year. The coronavirus outbreak has also forced this year's summit host, Malaysia, to postpone a series of pre-event meetings, but it remains committed to conduct the summit in November. (Reporting by Renju Jose; Editing by Kim Coghill and Raju Gopalakrishnan) PORTLAND, Ore., June 30, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- ZOOM+Care, the Portland-based retail and digital healthcare innovator, will provide employees at Puget Sound Energy, Washington state's largest utility, with a full suite of COVID-19 testing services. With a workforce of more than 3,100 employees and as a provider of an essential service, PSE wanted to offer testing to ensure employees keep each other and the communities they serve safe. ZOOM+Care is the leading provider of on-demand retail and digital healthcare. (PRNewsfoto/ZOOM+Care) ZOOM+Care will screen PSE employees through virtual visits and recommend in-person sample collection at ZOOM+Care retail locations based on screening results. Asymptomatic employees in priority facilities will also be eligible for testing, if exposure is suspected. "The safety of our employees and customers is our top priority," said Booga Gilbertson, PSE Senior Vice President and Chief Operations Officer. "Testing is key to prevent the spread of COVID-19, and we hope by partnering with a regional healthcare provider for this service, that we will safeguard our customers and bring our employees peace of mind." "We're thrilled to offer COVID-19 testing to employers across the Pacific Northwest," said Torben Nielsen, Chief Executive Officer of ZOOM+Care. "We're streamlining the complicated testing process, and empowering employees to get high-quality, on-demand testing that's paid for by their employer. We're honored to be working with PSE to provide their workforce with the care they need to safely return to workand stay there." ZOOM+Care's new COVID-19 testing services are available for employers across the Pacific Northwest. By contracting directly with ZOOM+Care for screening and testing services, employers can lower risk for their employees as they return to work and stay at work during the pandemic. To learn more about ZOOM+Care's Employer Program, visit https://www.zoomcare.com/employer or contact employers@zoomcare.com. Story continues About the Company: ZOOM+Care is the leading provider of on-demand retail and digital healthcare. Over 200,000 people see Zoom providers on an annual basis, at 50 neighborhood clinics across Oregon and Washington, and through ZOOM+Care's telemedicine services. ZOOM+Care provides urgent care, primary care, specialty care, mental health, and more. For more updates, follow the company on LinkedIn and Twitter at @zoomcare. You can learn more about ZOOM+Care or schedule a visit at zoomcare.com. For follow-ups, contact pr@zoomcare.com. Cision View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/zoomcare-launches-employer-covid-testing-program-with-puget-sound-energy-301085807.html SOURCE ZOOM+Care But Harder said he also wants to focus on the companys employees, all of whom stayed over from the transition from Smiths ownership. Thats just the number-one thing youve got to take care of, is your employees, because theyre the backbone, he said. Theyre the ones that are doing the work for you, so all youve got to do is just kind of help steer the ship a little bit and guide them. Although hes left Fremont behind, Smith said hell be back periodically to visit four of his grandchildren in the community that he was proud to be a part of. People mean a lot to me, and I think I learned a lot of that from Nebraska, he said. You are somebody, and you deserve respect, you deserve my best. Smith said he was also proud to have left Fas-Break on such a high note with the company. To go out with all of my employees being happy, to go out with another record year going, I could not have asked for anything better, he said. Ryan is walking into a good thing, and its tough to run a business, but it doesnt have to be as tough as people make it out to be. Just do the right thing by people, and itll work. The European Union Air Safety Agency (EASA) has suspended the authorization for Pakistans national flag carrier to operate in Europe for six months. The EASA said in a statement on June 30 it had suspended state-run Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) and a smaller private Pakistan airline "in view of the recent investigation reported on in the Pakistani Parliament which revealed that a large share of pilot licenses issued in Pakistan are invalid." The announcement follows last weeks grounding of 262 Pakistani airline pilots, including a third of PIA pilots, whose licences the country's aviation minister termed "dubious." PIA said in a statement that EASA suspended PIA's authorization to operate in the EU member states effective July 1, 2020 with the right to appeal against this decision." The carrier "sincerely hopes that with reparative and swift actions taken by the Government of Pakistan and PIA management, earliest possible lifting of this suspension can be expected," a statement said. A PIA spokesman quoted the EASA as telling the company "it is still not sure" if all the remaining pilots are properly qualified, and "they have lost their confidence" in the airline. Flights to Britain, which is no longer in the EU, will not be affected by EASAs decision, Khan said. PIA had not been flying to Europe because of the coronavirus pandemic, but the airline recently resumed bookings for five European capitals, including Oslo, Copenhagen, Paris, Barcelona, and Milan. It said that passengers booked on PIA flights to Europe will have the option to extend their bookings to a later date or get a full refund. Aviation Minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan said during a June 24 parliamentary session that an inquiry had found 262 pilots -- out of a total of 860 active pilots in Pakistan -- had obtained their licenses through cheating and having others take exams for them. The pilots in question included 141 at PIA, while the remaining pilots were working for private airlines and charter services. However, PIA said the government list showed discrepancies, claiming that 36 of the 141 had either retired or moved out. The Pakistan Airlines Pilots Association (PALPA) also raised doubts about the list, saying it included names of qualified pilots. The scandal emerged after a PIA Airbus A320 crashed in Karachi on May 22, killing 97 people, following a resumption of domestic operations. Investigators blamed the planes two pilots and air-traffic controllers. With reporting by Reuters, AP, and AFP The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) says "initial, impartial" findings indicate the Afghan National Army fired mortars on a market in the southern province of Helmand earlier this week, inflicting multiple civilian casualties. "Multiple credible sources assert that the ANA [Afghan National Army] fired lethal mortars in response to Taliban fire, missing the intended target," UNAMA said in a tweet on June 30. Afghan officials have said at least 23 civilians were killed and 15 others wounded in the June 29 explosions in Sangin district. Children were among the dead. The militant group and the government blamed each other for the blasts, with President Ashraf Ghani calling the incident a "terrorist attack." In a separate tweet, UNAMA urged the warring sides to "stop fighting in civilian-populated areas," saying "such indirect-fire incidents in ground engagements cause 1000s of civilian casualties each year." The UN mission also called on the Afghan government to set up an independent team to investigate the incident. Helmand is a volatile province largely controlled by the Taliban. On June 28, officials said a roadside bomb in the provinces Washer district left six civilians dead, including women and children. Violence had dropped across much of Afghanistan after the Taliban offered a brief cease-fire to mark the Eid al-Fitr festival last month, but officials say the insurgents have stepped up attacks in recent weeks. Sometimes it's close in election-year politics, sometime sometimes it's not. The latter was the case Tuesday for getting a ballot initiative on getting expungement of eligible criminal records on the November ballot. Statewide, 1,279,267 Coloradans had voted as of June 30 at noon, and only 5,257 of them just over 0.4% came in person to do so. Colorado Politics talked to county clerks about what they learned about the in-person voters. 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. Colorado Politics senior political reporter Joey Bunch is the senior correspondent and deputy managing editor of Colorado Politics. His 32-year career includes the last 16 in Colorado. He was part of the Denver Post team that won the Pulitzer Prize in 2013 and he is a two-time finalist. Colorado Springs, CO (80903) Today Cloudy skies early, then partly cloudy this afternoon. Cooler. High 67F. Winds SE at 10 to 15 mph.. Tonight Mainly clear. Low 51F. S winds shifting to WNW at 10 to 15 mph. You can sign up for the conversation at gazette.com/police and you will be able to ask the panelists your questions in real time during the video conference. On the 155th anniversary of Juneteenth, the day when the last enslaved Americans learned they had been freed, Colorado became the first state in the nation to act on police reform in the wake of George Floyds death. Its now the law in Colorado! Gov. Jared Polis yelled immediately after signing Senate Bill 217 into law. Among the changes to police departments coming across the state under the new measure: officers can no longer use chokeholds, they must wear body cameras when dealing with the public, they cannot use deadly force unless they feel their lives are in imminent danger, and officers can be sued individually for misconduct for up to $25,000, or for 5% of the judgment. It also requires other officers to intervene if they feel that another is using inappropriate force. A few days after the bill signing, Colorado Springs City Council members voted 8-1 in favor of an ordinance outlining the creation of the city's first police advisory commission. The commission has four main goals: assisting city council members with budget, appropriation and resource allocation using audits of law enforcement performance; serving as a channel for residents and the Police Department to share concerns; providing policy recommendations; and promoting an "improved understanding and relationships" between the public and Police Department. The year of the coronavirus has suddenly morphed into a year of dramatic change for police departments and social justice reform. So what will policing look like going forward in Colorado Springs? How have three weeks of local protests and the fresh political responses to them changed the relationship between police and people of color? Or have they? Some of the folks most closely involved have agreed to come together, via Zoom, to discuss the coming changes and take questions from the public about it all. The Gazette Community Conversation will be held at 6 p.m. Wednesday on a computer or phone near you. Our panelists will be: Police Chief Vince Niski, protest organizer Derrick Matthews, head of Back to the People; Ron Wynn, founder of the African American Youth Leadership Conference; and City Councilman Wayne Williams. You can sign up for the conversation at gazette.com/police and you will be able to ask the panelists your questions in real time during the video conference. A moderator will vet questions via a chat box and then ask the panelists to address them directly. In homes and workplaces, conversations around issues of racial equity are happening," said Tim Wise, author and a national expert on the sociology of white privilege, "and many people who have never really focused on issues of racial justice are beginning to do so. A Monument parent is calling for the resignation of Lewis-Palmer School District 38 Board of Education President Matthew Clawson after what she said she believes was an offensive, anti-Semitic photo appeared on his Facebook page over the weekend. Santa Cruz bans predictive policing As municipalities around the country roll back their use of facial recognition technology, one California city has banned the use of predictive policing. Santa Cruz was one of the first cities to pilot a predictive policing solution from PredPol, a local company that pioneered the technology. It uses algorithms to link key aspects of offender behavior, such as repeat victimization and location, to predict how crime patterns will evolve. Machine learning working with large datasets enables PredPol to predict where and when crimes are most likely to occur, using just three data points: type of crime, location of crime, and date/time of crime, the company said on its blog. PredPol also uses GPS and vehicle location tracking data where its available, but it does not use personally identifiable information or demographic information, which the company says provide greater transparency and avoids profiling and privacy concerns. Critics say the technology perpetuates police bias by sending patrols back to areas where theyve already made arrests. In 2011, Santa Cruz began testing the technology with historical crime data, and the algorithm predicted about one-third of the crimes within a given location. In 2017, officials put a moratorium on the use of predictive policing technology. Now, it looks like it will be the first city decided to officially ban the use of both predictive policing and facial recognition technology because they can be disproportionately biased against people of color, as Mayor Justin Cummings said in a Reuters report. A final vote by the city council will take place Aug. 11. Predictive policing could have been effective if it had been used to work with community members to solve problems that didnt happen, Police Chief Andy Mills told the LA Times. Instead, he said, the policy was used purely for enforcement, which led to unavoidable conflicts. The Santa Cruz Sentinel reported that the pending ban prohibits use of both technologies, unless police get explicit approval from the City Council via a resolution that is based on findings that the technology and the data that informs the technology meets scientifically validated and peer reviewed research, protects and safe guards the civil rights and liberties of all people, and will not perpetuate bias. PredPol said it supported the city resolutions requirement that predictive policing not perpetuate racial bias. Any government agency that applies technology to its operations should have a process to ensure that it does not result in racially inequitable outcomes, PredPol CEO Brian MacDonald wrote in an email to the Los Angeles Times. Because company is confident its software is not racially biased, it meets the conditions in the citys ordinance, he said. The invasive emerald ash borer has been detected for the first time in Cerro Gordo County this week, according to the state Department of Agriculture. Larvae from the insect were collected from infested trees in Mason City. The pest that attacks and kills ash tree species has now been confirmed in 73 Iowa counties. The emerald ash borer feeds under the bark of ash trees during its larval stage, which damages and eventually kills the trees by disrupting the transport of water and nutrients. Infested trees typically die within two to four years. Ash trees infested with the borers might exhibit canopy thinning, woodpecker damage, water sprouts from the trunk or main branches, serpentine (S-shaped) galleries under the bark, vertical bark splitting, and 1/8 inch D-shaped exit holes. Many areas of the state have, unfortunately, already suffered the consequences of this destructive pest, but we continue to focus on tracking emerald ash borer in counties where it has not yet been confirmed, said Mike Kintner, Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship EAB and gypsy moth coordinator. Knowing the whereabouts of this pest helps with treatment recommendations in immediate and surrounding areas. Pals also expressed some skepticism about directly rerouting funding from law enforcement to other social services being the fix either. He said that anywhere from 80 to 85% of his department's budget is spent on personnel and losing money would mean losing personnel which he argued could have a negative local effect. "The ability to help the community is obviously going to drastically drop," Pals said. But Pals does think that law enforcement organizations can do more to bolster the communities they serve in regardless of what the funding equations are. He said that one big one for the sheriff's office is bringing on people that don't just treat what they do as a job. "We want people who enter our field and choose it as a career and not a job and we like it when people get involved in community events, civic organizations, talking to youth or adults that we see to talk with just no agenda," Pals said. "Thats how people get to know us and how we get to know the people we serve. We want our employees to be involved in the community." And Brinkley agrees. "I think are job is really to lead in tolerance and certainly, as people come to Mason City, we have the opportunity to share our community norms but also learn about other people and other cultures," he said. A gut punch to Iowans. A gut punch to Iowans. Thats the only way to describe the Biden Administrations decision to roll back the previous administrations Navigable Water Protection Rule. Sadly, for those of us who have been on the frontlines of this fight since 2015, this news is not a surprise. Now let me be clear: everyone can agree that clean water should be a national priority. Iowans, and all Americans, want sensible safeguards that protect our environment and keep our nations water clean. But what they dont want is a one-size-fits-all, Washington power grab that makes it harder for Iowans to farm, ranch, and build. Thats why, in 2015, when the Obama-Biden Administration finalized its Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rulegiving the federal government authority to regulate water on 97 percent of the land in IowaI immediately got to work to get it off the books. I fought to nullify the rule, but even after my bill passed both the House and Senate with bipartisan support, it was vetoed by President Obama. But I didnt back down, and even before President Trump took office, I signaled my intent to work with him on a new, more flexible rule. And we did: the Trump Administration released a proposed rule to replace the Obama-era rule with one that provided much-needed predictability and certainty for farmers. Importantly, it established clear and reasonable definitions of what qualifies as a water of the United States. That rule, entitled the Navigable Waters Protection Rule, was finalized in January 2020. As they say, however, elections have consequences. Anticipating a return to the Obama-Biden era of burdensome regulations, at the beginning of this year I urged the Senate to stand with workers, farmers, manufacturers, and businesses by upholding the previous administrations Navigable Waters Protection Rule. Despite having the support of 25 of my colleagues and stakeholders across the country, the Biden Administration ignored these concerns, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) announced their plans to undo all of our progress. The reality is the fight for Iowas agriculture community is never over, and right now Im working to push back on any harmful regulation this new administration might impose on these hardworking folks. Together with Senator Chuck Grassley, Im pressing the U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary, Tom Vilsack, to make known to the president and his colleagues at the EPA and the Corps the serious concerns Iowas farmers and ranchers have with their recent actions on WOTUS. Im also working to strengthen the voices Iowas small businesses in the federal rulemaking process. Too often, Washington bureaucrats put forward rules and regulations without considering their impact on small businessesand the Obama-Biden WOTUS rule is a perfect example. Thats why Ive put forward the Prove It Act which allows our small businesses to send federal agencies back to the drawing board to prove what theyre proposing wont hurt small businesses. Specifically, the bill gives the Small Business Administration the ability to question an agencys analysis if it claims a rule or regulation wont impact small businesses. When it comes to WOTUS, instead of continuing to confuse Iowas hardworking families, farmers, and businesses by changing its definition with each new administration, we need to make a reasonable, workable definition permanent. To do so, I helped introduce the Define WOTUS Act. This commonsense effort is more important now than ever. Theres simply no reason to return to the Obama-era ways of giving an unchecked federal agency and unelected Washington bureaucrats more authority to control whats done on private land. I will always fight tooth and nail for Iowas agriculture community, our working families, and our small businessesand Ill continue to push back against any attempts to impose complex, burdensome, and overreaching regulations on folks in our state. RICHMOND Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam is taking a late step to keep people from gathering at bars as the state prepares to enter Phase 3 of its reopening amid the coronavirus pandemic. The governor said Tuesday the state's restaurants will not be allowed to fully reopen their bars as previously planned. He announced the decision Tuesday afternoon, a day before the state was set to allow people to congregate at bars as long as they practiced social distancing. Instead, restaurants can continue to operate under Phase 2 restrictions, which allows limited table service in bar areas but generally prohibits sitting at bar counters. Virginia does not allow establishments to only serve alcohol, they all must serve food. Northam's office said the decision to keep stricter rules on bars was made because of a spike in virus cases in other states that have reopened earlier than Virginia. Over the past few days, states such as Florida, Arizona, Texas and California have closed or otherwise clamped down on bars, shut beaches, rolled back restaurant capacity, and put limits on crowds at pools. "I am watching what is happening in other states we are taking a cautious approach as we enter Phase 3 and maintaining the current restrictions on bar areas," Northam said in a statement. The Pittsylvania County General District Court clerk was on vacation and could not be reached this week. No one in the office would be quoted for this story, though one assistant clerk, who would not give her name, did say that a few landlords have come in this week to file for evictions. In Virginia, the eviction process works like this: a landlord provides written notice to a tenant that they either need to pay or move out within a certain period of time usually five days. If the five days pass and neither of those things happen, the landlord then files a writ of possession in the general district court, which is served to the tenant by the local sheriff's office. A court date will be set, with notice being sent to both the landlord and the tenant. If the judge rules in favor of the landlord, there is a 10-day period during which the tenant can contest or appeal the ruling. At the end of that period, the local sheriff's office would then step in again to facilitate the eviction. Danville Sheriff Mike Mondul said his department has seen an uptick in volume in writ of possessions this week, but the number is still less than 20 and not anything his department cant handle. Pittsylvania County Sheriff Mike Taylor did not respond to requests for comment. Gov. Ralph Northam on Monday quietly signed an executive order extending a state of emergency declaration in Richmond, citing "civil unrest" following weeks of protests that have resulted in some violent clashes between demonstrators and police. The extension came at the request of Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney, who said in a Monday letter to the governor that the city has "minimum funding to cover costs" tied to the response, and that "the bandwidth of our personnel will reach its limit." The order gives the administration the ability to deploy additional state resources to "implement recovery and mitigation operations and activities" to return the city to "pre-event conditions as much as possible." That includes emergency funding for government response to the protests and activation of the Virginia National Guard, according to the order. Northam spokeswoman Alena Yarmosky said the administration has "absolutely no plans to deploy the National Guard," and said a reference to it in the order is standard language. To facilitate that transaction, a private seller can take the firearm to a licensed dealer to have the background check performed on the buyer for a fee not to exceed $15. The fee generally charged is $2 for a state resident and $5 for a non-state resident. In early May, state police sent a letter to all of Virginia's active licensed firearms dealers notifying them that they were eligible to conduct private sale transactions in the same manner the dealers conduct background checks for sales of firearms in their inventory. Because state police anticipated they would receive numerous inquiries from the public about which firearms dealers would assist with private sales, the department has posted a list on its website that includes all dealers who would like to be identified as participating in private gun transactions. More than 160 dealers asked to be included as of last week. "If a dealer is not on the list and wants to do a private sale transaction, they're free to do it," said Capt. Keenon Hook, commander of Virginia State Police's Criminal Justice Information Services Division, which oversees the firearms transaction center. Kalish Morrow is a former business owner who is now a full time Interior Designer working out of her home while raising her two young home-schooled sons. She has served on the Board of Directors with Main Street Hanford (2015-2018), co-founded the 501(c)3 Heart of Hanford with the purpose of helping to protect and preserve Hanfords historic downtown. She also serves on the Executive Committee for the Libertarian Party of California as an At-Large Representative. This item is available in full to subscribers. Attention subscribers We have recently launched a new and improved website. To continue reading, you will need to either log into your subscriber account, or purchase a new subscription. If you are a digital subscriber with an active subscription, then you already have an account here. Just reset your password if you've not yet logged in to your account on this new site. If you are a current print subscriber, you can set up a free website account by clicking here. Otherwise, click here to view your options for subscribing. But if such decisions are out of your hands, and your burger arrives dangerously tall, ask for the hamburger to be cut in half. This gives you entry points to bite that wont send you to the Emergency Room with your mouth locked into a scream position. Louis Lunch, to its credit, serves its burgers sliced in half. If only they had aioli. No. 4: Dont let go. While a pristine burger is a thing of beauty and balance, once the first bite is taken it wants to explode. Putting that burger down increases those odds. Sometimes, of course, you have to readjust. Just do it carefully, with full awareness of the risks. No. 5: Dont forget the fixings and condiments; its never too late. Sometimes you get served a burger and realize something is missing. Or you make one at home and realize something is wrong. Or halfway through that burger, for whatever reason, you just arent getting enough ketchup in your bites. You need to make an adjustment, but cant risk putting it down, much less opening it up and rebuilding it on the inside. Instead, apply a modest amount of whatever condiment you need with surgical precision to the area you are about to bite. Maybe you dab some mayo with a spoon, spurt some hot or hoisin sauce, or you dip the corner of the burger into a dish of aioli. Always ask if they have aioli. Motor vehicle registration goes to appointments only Due to concerns regarding the COVID-19 virus and physical distancing requirements, beginning July 6, the Lewis and Clark County Motor Vehicle Department will require an appointment for all title work. Renewals will continue on a first-come, first-served basis as long as physical distancing is done. If social distancing is not adhered to, these services will also go to appointment only. Appointments for title work can be made by calling the department at 406-447-8328, then choose option #1. The Motor Vehicle Department is still providing all services online or through the mail. Secured drop-boxes are also in the lobby for title work and renewals. Republican Attorney General Tim Fox wrote a letter to the state Department of Revenue in 2015 raising concerns about the way the department crafted the rules, saying they would not be defensible in federal court. On Tuesday he issued a statement saying the Supreme Court referenced his letter in their opinion. After thorough analysis of the proposed rule, I urged the Bullock Administration not to adopt it for the very reason the U.S. Supreme Court issued its ruling, Fox said in the statement. Democratic U.S. Sen. Jon Tester said in a statement he found the decision troubling and said it could undermine public education. "A strong public education system is the foundation of our democracy and I will continue to fight aggressively against any attempt to divert resources away from our schools," Tester said. While the Institute for Justice, which represented Espinoza and Anderson, said Tuesday the court's opinion means "the major state constitutional weapon that the opponents of (school) choice have has now been removed," the governor's chief legal counsel who defended the department's rule in court argued against extrapolating too much about what the decision means for Montana. DECATUR Before she visited Debbies Video Gaming Cafe on U.S. 36 on Wednesday, Feneisha Wilkes, 43, had already been to other gaming locations. Im the queen of slots, she said. Wilkes said the activity is an opportunity to get away from stress. Its a peace, she said. With a chance at winning money. Video gaming machines were scheduled to go live at 9 a.m. Wednesday, July 1. Other than a few computer glitches, most machines were ready for customers. There are more than 30,000 machines located throughout Illinois. Before businesses were closed due to the coronavirus pandemic, Decatur averaged $125,000 to $150,000 every month in video gambling revenue from 460 terminals in 83 establishments. Drew Johnson, who manages various Debbies Slots and Gaming Lounge locations, said he had been contacted by many customers before the businesses were able to open their doors. They said they are ready to support us, he said. Theres been a lot of buildup. The Illinois Gaming Board allowed gaming establishments such as J&J Ventures Amusement, the terminal office for Debbies, to open their businesses to the public. They are the ones that put the machines in, handling the gaming processes and procedures, Johnson said about the corporate offices. They had to put together a safety plan and a cleaning plan and present that to the gaming board and get the process approved. For staff and customer safety, precautions include the addition of a hand sanitizing station, cleaning the store before customers arrive and sanitizing each game and area between players. Employees also encourage customers to wear masks. Please log in to keep reading. {{featured_button_text}} Enjoy unlimited articles at one of our lowest prices ever. Support Local Journalism Your membership makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}} This is a good way customers can come out and play safely, Johnson said. And get back to a little bit of normal in their life. Gaming establishments keep the machines separated at a safe distance. If games are closer than 6 feet apart, Plexiglas shields are placed between the machines. Craig Minor said Wednesday was a busy morning. He is the co-owner Lulus Pizza in South Shores and Lindy Lus on East Prairie Avenue. A new location is scheduled to open within the next few months near Nelson Park. We had customers waiting at the door, he said. People are really anxious to get back to playing. Its showing today. Minors customers were patient with the machines delays in starting up. Its just like any other computer system, he said. It sits for 90 days, then you turn it back on, you just have to deal with the little hiccups, he said. But it wasn't a big deal. Like most gaming businesses, Decaturs Rubys in the Airport Plaza experienced bursts of customers throughout the day. We basically just unlocked the door, said Chris Hall, Rubys co-owner. But weve had a buildup for it. The business owners want to keep the momentum going by offering promotions in a few weeks. Hall doesnt expect the excitement to calm down yet. Its just like 2014 when we first opened, he said. Its like a reopening. Jennifer Pratt, 33, arrived at Rubys shortly after the staff opened the doors on Wednesday. Within the first hour, she said she had already won. I did pretty good, she said. Pratt had been unemployed during the coronavirus shutdown, but has recently returned to work. And Im ready to win some money, she said. Decatur Public Schools inducts members of the DPS Hall of Fame Contact Donnette Beckett at (217) 421-6983. Follow her on Twitter: @donnettebHR 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. 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. Please log in to keep reading. {{featured_button_text}} Enjoy unlimited articles at one of our lowest prices ever. 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 DECATUR Standing in front of the Keil Building where school board members meet and district administrators have their offices, a group of about 100 residents demanded change. Black lives cant matter until Black students matter, said Jacob Jenkins, organizer of Tuesdays justice walk. The march, which took place after the Keil Building had closed for the day, was intended to address the school-to-prison pipeline, one of several national issues at the forefront of discussions regarding the Black Lives Matter movement. While growing up in East St. Louis, Jenkins told the crowd, he interacted with several Black teachers. But that is not the case in Decatur. I am tired of our kids dropping out. Im tired of them being shot in neighborhoods that are underfunded. Im tired of them being over-policed in the schools as well as in the communities, Jenkins said. ... Why does a Black curriculum matter? It matters because you have to see something in order to be something, This was the third justice walk in Decatur advocating for Black lives following the recent death of George Floyd, an unarmed Black man who died in Minneapolis police custody. The first march was on May 31 and drew a crowd of about 500 people. The second walk was held in honor of Black women who are victims of brutality. People of all ages attended Tuesdays march, which began at the Decatur Civic Center, holding signs that read defund police, invest community and remove police from schools. Katie Burns, whose son is enrolled in the Decatur School Districts special education program, said her participation in Tuesdays march was to stand for equal treatment of the African-American community. ... with DPS, there really needs to be some restructuring, some reform because it needs some significant help, Burns said. We have different schools that dont have teachers in there and we need more teachers and the (teaching assistants) still dont have their contract. Denise Swarthout, a spokesperson for the school district, said on Tuesday that the district had no comment about the march. Please log in to keep reading. {{featured_button_text}} Enjoy unlimited articles at one of our lowest prices ever. Support Local Journalism Your membership makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}} After stopping at the Keil Building, the group marched through downtown Decatur to the Macon County Jail where Jenkins continued his speech about divesting in law enforcement and investing in the community. Local law enforcement officials earlier this month weighed in on national conversation surrounding the concept of restructuring police department funding. Macon County Sheriff Tony Brown previously told the Herald & Review that rather than looking at defunding the police, officials should consider investing in more resources for mental illnesses and post traumatic stress disorders. During a news conference last month, Decatur Police Chief Jim Getz previously said he would be interested in exploring the issue further. Because police should not be out trying to be a psychologist, or a counselor or a mental health worker, Getz said. So there is a lot of different areas that police could use help in and, if funding went to those, I think it would help us in other ways. Some of those who participated in Tuesdays march were also involved in the meeting with Getz, local officials and Jeanelle Norman, NAACP Decatur Branch president. Jayjuan Boatman, a recent MacArthur High School graduate who took part int he community conversation last month, led some of the chants during Tuesday's march. The group concluded the rally with a meal at the Waterfront Cafe, 799 S. 22nd St., where they watched 13th a Netflix documentary about racial inequality in the United States. More justice walks are planned, but details are not yet available. We need you all to continue to stand with us. Continue to fight with us, Jenkins said. PHOTOS: Justice Walk in Decatur Contact Analisa Trofimuk at (217) 421-7985. Follow her on Twitter: @AnalisaTro Love 1 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Just because students might be returning to college campuses this fall doesnt mean professors will be joining them. Controversy over whether instructors need to be in the classroom during the fall term has erupted at campuses including the University of Notre Dame, where professors are pushing back, noting the dangers of face-to-face classes while the coronavirus pandemic continues to rage. These faculty members say they alone should determine how they will teach this fall. Notre Dame, however, is asking those with objections to in-person instruction to submit documentation of medical conditions and a formal request for accommodations. Those who taught remotely prior to the pandemic likely will not need to obtain special approval, said Paul Browne, a spokesman for Notre Dame. But Eileen Hunt Botting, a political science professor who is spearheading the faculty opposition, said the application process is invasive, requiring colleagues to share personal medical information, and theres no guarantee that a professor who is uncomfortable teaching on campus will be granted an exemption. We want to encourage students to choose to study online as much as possible during the pandemic, said Botting, whos taught at Notre Dame, outside South Bend, Indiana, since 2001. We ought to encourage faculty and staff to teach and work online during the pandemic if simply to eliminate unnecessary crowds on campus milling about on the sidewalks, unintentionally spreading the virus. Notre Dames position on in-person instruction is among the most rigid, showing how far universities are willing to go to compel professors to return to campuses after classes were abruptly moved online this spring. College faculty, who are generally older and more likely to develop complications from a COVID-19 infection than students, say that being forced to teach in person could expose family members in their homes to the virus, and also question whether all students will adhere to a variety of new safety protocols that are supposed to be in place. On the other end of the spectrum, the University of Chicago recently announced that it will not require any of its instructors, including graduate students, to teach in person for the fall quarter, which begins Sept. 29 for most classes. In an update released Tuesday, U. of C. said a limited number of classes will be held in-person. New students will be given priority to enroll in such courses so they can acclimate to the university setting. Due to these extraordinary circumstances, the University is temporarily suspending the normal requirement that teaching be done in person, the Office of the Provost said in a message to faculty on Friday. The school will not require faculty to submit medical records or impose a deadline on the decision, said spokesman Jeremy Manier. That might present a challenge to students as they consider not just which classes to take but also whether they should move back to campus at all or continue taking virtual courses at home. Some schools are designating how courses will be offered when students register and notifying them about any changes. Naama Rokem, an associate professor of modern Hebrew literature and comparative literature at U. of C., said she was pleased the school leadership is trusting its staff to make the decision on their own and that it wont ask faculty to share personal medical information. Were very happy about this, said Rokem, who is also an elected member of the university senate. This represents, precisely, the faith of the institution in our judgment, as the people who carry out the teaching and research mission of the university. Rokem said she is slated to teach only one class this fall -- an advanced course for graduate students -- and will likely offer it remotely. She said she feels confident she can develop a high-quality online class with all the time she has to prepare over the summer break, as opposed to the abrupt switch this spring. Most of the colleagues shes conversed with are also planning to teach online, Rokem said. Of course we all want to be back in our classrooms. This is what were there for, she said. Theres no desire to stay online forever, but I think with some experience, a lot of us have the sense that if we plan well, it can actually be a decent temporary replacement. In a statement, the schools local chapter of the American Association of University Professors also praised the new policy, but urged U. of C. to be more transparent in its decision-making process and to include members of its faculty unions. Absent a democratic decision-making procedure, and absent much essential information such as the exact level of risk, including predicted numbers of infections and deaths, that is being factored into the universitys planning models, we see no reason to believe that any kind of instructional reopening in the Fall will be safe, the statement says. Please log in to keep reading. {{featured_button_text}} Enjoy unlimited articles at one of our lowest prices ever. The U. of C.s chapter said it was also concerned about staff who cant work remotely -- such as those in libraries, dining halls and maintenance -- who might not be allowed to stay at home. The group said there should also be systems in place to ensure that lower-rung faculty, including instructors seeking tenure or contract renewals, dont feel pressured into offering in-person classes. With coronavirus cases surging in the southern and western parts of the country, colleges are constantly fine-tuning reopening plans for the fall. Some have been especially hard hit by the costs of adapting, doling out millions of dollars in refunds for room and board, and losing revenue from canceled events. And every college seems to be handling the question of in-person instruction differently. At the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, the format of each course will be decided by individual programs and academic departments, depending on the type of course and faculty availability, said spokeswoman Robin Kaler. We recognize that faculty and graduate instructors may have health and safety concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic that may prevent them from returning to face-to-face instruction, and we want to insure that they have an opportunity to engage with students remotely, Kaler said in an emailed statement. In May, however, a group of faculty said they opposed any further reopening of campus, which would include holding in-person classes this fall. In a statement on its website, UIUCs Campus Faculty Association said that adequate protection on a residential campus the breadth and size of ours is nearly impossible with students from across the country socializing, living and learning in close quarters. In Evanston, Northwestern University is continuing to devise its plans for fall instruction, including policies to address personal situations that would make working on or commuting to campus difficult for faculty, according to spokesman Jon Yates. Other challenges could stem from child care, if schools need to remain closed, or from preexisting medical conditions. NU administrators have said a significant portion of instruction will be conducted remotely but hopes to provide opportunities for face-to-face learning as well. College leaders are walking a fine line: They want to keep students and staff safe, but some also worry that enrollment will drop off if they cant provide a full on-campus experience. And they know that many students and their parents are wary of paying hefty tuition costs just for online classes taken at home. Notre Dame is doubling down on its promise to offer in-person instruction. The premier Catholic institution released an ambitious plan in May, signaling to students they could return, and revising the fall schedule. Notre Dame is starting classes about two weeks early, eliminating fall break and conducting finals online in case a second wave of COVID-19 emerges in the winter. Notre Dame is fundamentally about the on-campus experience, where the whole person is enriched -- intellectually, spiritually and physically, Browne said in an email. That kind of enrichment cant be realized remotely alone. Instructors who apply for accommodation will not be automatically approved to teach remotely, but administrators reviewing the requests were told to be as understanding as possible, Browne said. Botting, the political science professor, said she received a medical exemption to teach online in the fall after following the accommodation process but is still speaking out for colleagues who morally object to fully reopening campus. As a Catholic university, Notre Dame has an obligation to put the lives of its community first in any policy that it crafts, and right now, Notre Dame is effectively expecting the vast majority of its population to return to work on campus during a pandemic in which there is no vaccine and no effective treatment, she said. Notre Dame isnt a bubble. No campus is a bubble. Everything we do will have consequences in the wider community, especially in a pandemic. Notre Dame students and alumni have also raised concerns on behalf of faculty, with another petition that also calls for decisions about in-person teaching to be left to instructors. Rokem said faculty at U. of C. is also keenly aware that allowing thousands of students to flood the Hyde Park campus could adversely affect neighbors in surrounding areas that are majority Black. The concern is particularly acute because of racial disparities documented in minority communities, showing that Black Chicagoans were dying at higher rates compared with others in the early days of the pandemic. There is a very serious conversation going on about our responsibility to the community that we are in, she said. We are on the South Side of Chicago, and we are in an environment thats been impacted very severely. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 2 " " Roman emperor Julius Caesar famously uttered the words "Veni, vidi, vici" "I came, I saw, I conquered" after the Battle of Zela in 47 B.C.E. Pikrepo Two thousand years ago, the masculine nonchalance and succinctness that we associate with Clint Eastwood was evidently already pretty popular. "Veni, vidi, vici" is, on the spectrum of victorious military pronouncements, decidedly on the pithy end: "I came, I saw, I conquered." The ancient Roman historian Appian attributed this statement to Julius Caesar, the powerful Roman statesman who used military force to elevate the Roman Republic's status to Empire. The swagger and braggadocio of the quote has inspired everyone from Victor Hugo to Jay Z, but was Caesar referring to a military victory or a Chinese buffet? Advertisement The thing about Julius Caesar is he loved to win. Born into the elite Senatorial class, Caesar rose through the ranks of both the military and the Roman senate and served for a year as the governor of Spain. He got two of his rich friends to bankroll his campaign to run for consul the highest elected official of Rome, a position so powerful it was only able to be held for one year out of every 10 by one person. After serving a year as consul of Rome, he was made governor of southern Gaul (modern day France), where he spent eight years conquering the rest of Gaul and Britain with his four big armies, or "legions." He was eventually called back to Rome and would probably have been thrown in jail for exceeding his authority as governor of Gaul, but instead he decided to invade Rome. The consul, Pompey (coincidentally one of the rich guys who had gotten him elected consul a decade earlier) fled to Egypt and Julius Caesar named himself both consul and dictator of Rome and took off after him. Pompey was assassinated by the Egyptians before Caesar could get to him, but while he was there he canoodled with Cleopatra, the last pharaoh of ancient Egypt, helping her defeat her brother/husband Ptolemy. This is where the immortal words "Veni, vidi, vici" show up in the history books. On his way back to Rome from Egypt, Caesar stopped by to rein in Pharnaces, ruler of Cimmerian Bosporus in modern-day Turkey, as he had been making land grabs of his own. In the quick and apparently cursorily won Battle of Zela, Caesar defeated Pharnaces and, according to Appian, sent a report back to Rome that he arrived, possibly did a little sightseeing and then totally annihilated the competition easily, quickly and blindfolded. Of course, this is just one historian's account others claim the Battle of Zela wasn't so easily won, but "I came, I saw, I conquered" sure does make Caesar sound cool. Julius Caesar became both dictator and consul of Rome and its holdings at the time, dictators were sometimes appointed in times of military crisis with a term limit of six months or less, but Caesar named himself dictator for life However, he used that power to reform the Roman government he provided land pensions to retired military, strengthened the Senate, revised the Roman calendar and restructured debt. But Caesar's kind of ambition and effortless alpha wolf masculinity didn't go over well with some members of the Senate, so after five years of dictatorship, he was stabbed 27 times on the floor of the chamber. Now That's Interesting Julius Caesar's reforms were so popular that his murderers didn't achieve the restoration of the Roman Republic as they had hoped instead the Roman people elected Caesar's adopted son Octavian as his successor. " " A view of the Liberty Bell from Independence Hall, formerly the Pennsylvania State House, in Philadelphia. National Park Service Sometimes, stories about American cultural history aren't always what they're cracked up to be. Throughout its long life, the Liberty Bell has served as an example of just how vague our collective memories can be starting with the bell's famous crack. Historians like to fight about it, but in short, no one knows precisely when or why the bell was damaged. And it wasn't even called the Liberty Bell until long after it was hung. When the bell was first introduced in 1751, it was called the State House Bell, and was created for the steeple of the Pennsylvania State House in Philadelphia. The Liberty Bell nickname came much later, around 1839, when abolitionists leveraged the bell as a symbol in their fight against slavery. Throughout American history, the bell has been used in the service of many different causes. But initially, it was just ... a bell. Advertisement The Bell Is Cast The bell was commissioned by the Pennsylvania Provincial Assembly, and it arrived in Philadelphia in September 1752 after being cast by Lester and Pack (later renamed Whitechapel Foundry) in London. It was inscribed with the words, "Proclaim LIBERTY Throughout all the Land unto all the Inhabitants Thereof," a biblical reference from Leviticus 25:10. It's an enormous bell, measuring 3 feet (1 meter) high with a circumference of 12 feet (3.6 meters) at the bottom lip. Made of about 70 percent copper and 25 percent tin, it tips the scales at nearly 2,100 pounds (943 kilograms). Once installed, the bell was used to alert citizens to urgent news, to summon lawmakers to the State House for important business and as part of funeral ceremonies. Although historians disagree on when the bell cracked, most believe that the crack happened almost immediately after the bell's initial use in 1752. Local officials jumped into action. "A replacement bell was ordered immediately from England, but in the meantime local founders John Pass and John Stow melted down the busted original, added some metal of their own, and made a copy," emails Stephen Fried, a journalist, historian and bestselling author who teaches at Columbia University and the University of Pennsylvania. He wrote extensively about the Liberty Bell for Smithsonian Magazine. " " This painting by Jean Leon Gerome Ferris shows the Liberty Bell being tested in the Pass and Stow Foundry, with Benjamin Franklin (hat under arm) looking on. Three Lions/Getty Images "That copy is what we know as the Liberty Bell, but the foundry in England also sent a replacement, and both hung in the new State House tower." At the State House, the bell was a witness to some of America's most powerful history. It saw gatherings of the Second Continental Congress, as well as countless meetings that sparked the Revolutionary War. In 1777, as the British army threatened the city, locals removed the bell for fear of it being captured and melted for munitions. It was hidden under the floorboards of a church in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Later, in 1785, it was raised again. The bell really held no real importance until 1824, when Marquis de Lafayette, the last surviving general of the Revolution, went on a symbolic tour of the U.S. With that visit, America saw a resurgence in its national pride. "The nation first started taking its history seriously, and during his tour they started calling the building 'Independence Hall' and realizing its importance, along with the importance of the bell," says Fried. Advertisement The Naming of the Liberty Bell It wasn't until a decade later that the bell's famous nickname took hold. "[It] began being called 'Liberty Bell' in 1835, when the phrase first appeared in a pamphlet published by the New York Anti-Slavery Society as the title of a rant about it [the bell] never pealing for African Americans," says Fried. Some historians think that the newer bell was damaged in 1835, when it was rung to mark the death of the Chief Justice of the United States, John Marshall. Others believe the damage occurred in the early 1840s, either during the Fourth of July or during the celebration of George Washington's birthday (Feb. 23). The crack might have come about from 90 years of hard use, as the National Park Service (NPS) says, or it might be due to the metallic composition of the bell (see sidebar). Or both. In 1846, locals were again determined to ring the bell for Washington's Birthday. So, they set about making repairs. Using a method called stop drilling, they actually widened the crack, which is now 21 inches (0.5 meter) long and nearly an inch (2 centimeters) wide, so that when it was rung, the sides of the crack wouldn't touch otherwise, they'd vibrate against each other and generate a terrible buzzing sound. But the repair wasn't successful. Another crack developed and the bell sounded no more. But that didn't mean it disappeared quietly. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, the bell went on occasional national tours. In 1915, politicians decided to hold a ceremonial ringing of the broken bell in hopes of drumming up support for World War I. (The bell was actually tapped with a mallet.) That led to the bell becoming the symbol of the immense fundraising effort for the war in the form of buying Liberty Bonds in 1917 and 1918. " " A crowd looks on as the Liberty Bell is transferred from a truck to a train on its way back to Philadelphia from the St. Louis Exposition, 1905. Library of Congress/Corbis/VCG via Getty Images They also sent it on a national railroad tour, with a newfangled lighting system that kept it illuminated each night on its journey aboard the Liberty Bell Special. Citizens flocked to see it. By some estimates, nearly a quarter of the entire country managed to set eyes on the symbol of freedom. And these Liberty Bond drives were a smashing success, raising billions of dollars in war bonds to help the Allied Powers win the war. In 2003, the Liberty Bell Center at Independence Hall in Philadelphia was opened, which is where the bell now resides. Over the decades, there have been numerous calls to repair it and make it whole. A scientist at steel giant ArcelorMittal claimed it would be rather simple to melt the bell, balance the various metals in it, and then recast it to make it usable, reported the Philadelphia Inquirer in 2019. But a representative for the NPS, which runs the center, said fixing the bell might be illegal and would serve no purpose. "The Liberty Bell's crack is its most recognizable feature," the representative told the Inquirer. What does Stephen Fried think of these never-attempted repair plans? "All of them have been ridiculous because the bell is a more perfect symbol of our desire for a 'more perfect union' than it would ever have been unbroken," he says. "The bell is the most enduring, powerful, yet approachable symbol of our country. Even its crack is part of our patriotic metaphorical landscape." Then Fried recalled lyrics from "Anthem," a song by the late Leonard Cohen: "Ring the bells that still can ring Forget your perfect offering There is a crack in everything That's how the light gets in." Correction: The sentence on the role of the bell in World War I has been corrected to note that the bell was not sent on tour to drum up support for war bonds. Rather, it sent on tour to drum up support for the war effort. Later, it became a symbol for the drive to raise funds for the war via the selling of bonds. NOW THAT'S INTERESTING In 1975, researchers at the Winterthur Museum set out to understand exactly why the bell cracked. Using x-ray fluorescence spectroscopy, they found that the bell was doomed from the outset. The high tin content resulted in a brittle composition that was prone to cracking and that's exactly what happened. 5 | Unsplash11 100303010 20016100104550,0002003,000 A rebroadcast of the Inventing America: Conversations with the Founders trilogy filmed at Hope College will provide an opportunity during the Fourth of July weekend to reflect on the origins and meaning of the holiday with some of those who were there for the first one. Telling the story of the United States three foundational documents, the series will be shown on WGVU-WORLD on Sunday, July 5, starting at 4 p.m., in addition to having been made available to PBS stations nationwide. The episodes are also online. The three episodes explore the origins of the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights. Each runs as a panel discussion, hosted by a member of the Hope faculty, with some of the Founding Fathers involved in creating the documents. While imagined and presented as retrospectives, the conversations are based on fact, using the Founders actual words. WGVU in West Michigan will show the episodes, subtitled Making a Nation, Making a Government and The Untold Story of the Bill of Rights, on July 5 at 4 p.m., 5 p.m. and 6 p.m., respectively. Viewers elsewhere should check their local PBS listings to see if and when their local stations will be showing the series. Created by Holland resident and 1963 Hope graduate Milton Nieuwsma, a two-time Emmy Award winner, Inventing America was a co-production of Hope College and WGVU Public Media, the latter of which filmed the episodes. Filmed before live audiences in the colleges DeWitt Center main theatre late in 2014, 2016 and 2017, the episodes premiered each following summer, shown first at the Knickerbocker Theatre in downtown Holland, and then on WGVU and subsequently on PBS stations across the country in conjunction with the Fourth of July holiday. Making a Nation runs as an interview with three of the Declarations signers Thomas Jefferson, John Adams and Benjamin Franklin and one delegate to the Second Continental Congress, John Dickinson, who refused to sign, revealing the conflict behind the historic document ratified on July 4, 1776. The moderator is Dr. Marc Baer, professor emeritus of history and interim music department chair. Making a Government tells the story behind the Constitutional Convention of 1787, four months that changed the world. In the program, James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, Benjamin Franklin, Gouverneur Morris and George Washington discuss the conflicts and compromises that led to creating the worlds most enduring republic. The moderator is Dr. Fred L. Johnson III, associate professor of history. The Untold Story of the Bill of Rights features Madison, Jefferson, Hamilton and Patrick Henry describing the conflicts and infighting behind the new U.S. Constitution and how that led to the Bill of Rights. Johnson is the moderator. The executive producer of the series was Darell Schregardus, also a 1963 Hope graduate. The portrayers were Bill Barker (Thomas Jefferson, episodes 1 and 3), Tom Bengston (Gouverneur Morris, episode 2), Hal Bidlack (Alexander Hamilton, episodes 2 and 3), Sam Goodyear (John Adams, episode 1), John Douglas Hall (James Madison, episodes 2 and 3), John Hamant (Benjamin Franklin, episodes 1 and 2), Richard Schumann (Patrick Henry, episode 3), Rodney TeSlaa (John Dickinson, episode 1) and Gary Zell (George Washington, episode 2). Each episode is available online at inventing-america.org, as are additional information about the series and teacher resources. In addition, a companion book written by Nieuwsma was published in April by Brick Tower Press. The book, also titled Inventing America: Conversations with the Founders, is designed to serve as either a classroom study aid or as a resource for anyone interested in knowing more about the documents and their origins. It contains the complete scripts for the three episodes, biographical sketches of the Founding Fathers who are portrayed, source notes, recommended reading, discussion questions, and copies of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States. It retails for $16.95 and is available through Amazon. LONDON, July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- SecurityHQ, formerly known as Si Consult, the leading provider in managed security services, announced today the launch of their new brand identity, with a redesign of their logo and website. Over recent years SecurityHQ has evolved into the worlds most advanced Managed Security Service provider, with six Security Operation Centers spread across the United Kingdom, the Middle East, Americas, India, and Australia. The company has received global recognition for SecurityHQ, and became finalists for the IBM Beacon Awards for their security features. Known by their clients, partners, employees, and audience for their services as SecurityHQ they have, therefore, made the decision, and taken significant steps to represent who they are as a company, by adopting SecurityHQ as their brand name. 'Security Intelligence Redefined. We are delighted with the re-brand, the new logo and website design. These changes represent who we are as an organisation, and our position in the managed security service industry. 'It is important to note that our company values have not altered. We continue to pride ourselves on our transparency, integrity, and availability. There has been no change in staff ownership or shares. Our services will continue to run seamlessly. All existing contracts, NDA's, and legal elements with partners and clients will remain the same. 'The only difference is what few people know us for as Si, now many will know us for as SecurityHQ.' - Feras Tappuni, CEO View the Full Re-brand video here. About SecurityHQ SecurityHQ prides itself on its global reputation as an advanced Managed Security Service Provider, delivering superior engineering-led solutions to clients around the world. By combining dedicated security experts, cutting-edge technology and processes, clients receive an enterprise grade experience that ensures that all IT virtual assets, cloud, and traditional infrastructures, are protected. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Sechq Twitter: https://twitter.com/security_hq LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/si-securityhq/ Video: https://www.securityhq.com/videos/securityhq-rebranded/ URL - https://www.securityhq.com/ Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1197049/SecurityHQ.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1196748/SecurityHQ_Logo.jpg PWR PWR Dhaka, Jun 29 (PTI) At least 28 people, including three children, drowned on Monday and many were missing when a ferry carrying over 100 passengers capsized in Buriganga river after it was hit by another vessel in the Bangladeshi capital here, according to media reports. The incident took place near Dhaka's Shyambazar area at around 9:30 am, the bdnews24.com reported citing Fire Service Control Room Officer Rozina Islam. Bodies of 18 males, seven females and three children have been recovered so far, Fire Service and Civil Defence duty officer Shahadat Hossain was quoted as saying by The Daily Star. The victims are yet to be identified. The ferry 'Morning Bird', which was coming to Dhaka from Munshiganj, capsized in the river after it was hit by another launch 'Moyur-2' near the Sadarghat launch terminal, Hossain said. According to police, the 'Morning Bird' was carrying over 100 passengers. Though some of the passengers managed to swim to the land, it was not clear how many people swam to safety or are still missing. The Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA), fire service, river police, coast guard and Bangladesh Navys diving team are carrying out the rescue operation, the Dhaka Tribune reported. PTI SCY SCY Melbourne, Jul 1 (PTI) Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Wednesday said 270 billion Australian dollars will be invested to modernise the country's defence capabilities in the coming decade to maintain regional security and deter or respond to 'aggression' in the strategic Indo-Pacific, amidst China flexing its muscles in the region. 'The challenges and nature in the Indo-Pacific have meant we need a new approach and one that actively seeks to deter actions that are against our interests, the prime minister said. Morrison said that the Indo-Pacific was the epicentre of rising strategic competition and tensions. Territorial claims are rising across the Indo-Pacific region, as seen recently on the border between India and China, and the South China Sea, and the East China Sea. China has been fast expanding military and economic influence in the Indo-Pacific region, triggering concern in various countries of the region and beyond. China is also engaged in hotly contested territorial disputes in both the South China Sea and the East China Sea. Beijing has built up and militarised many of the islands and reefs it controls in the region. Both areas are stated to be rich in minerals, oil and other natural resources and are vital to global trade. Morrison said the world was changing rapidly after the COVID-19 outbreak. This simple truth is this: Even as we stare down the COVID pandemic at home, we need to also prepare for a post-COVID world that is poorer, that is more dangerous and that is more disorderly, the prime minister said. 'The risk of miscalculation and even conflict is heightening. Regional military modernisation is occurring at an unprecedented rate,' Morrison said. ''You've got to have a responsible deterrent and Australia plays an important role in our region, working with others, particularly like India and Japan and many other nations, Indonesia, right across the Indo-Pacific,' he said. Story continues India, Australia, the US and Japan are part of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad), an informal grouping which shares intelligence and conducts military drills. ''We've got to be aware of the potential threats that can emerge. I mean, the strategic competition between China and the United States means that there's a lot of tension a lot of risk of miscalculation,'' he told a news channel. In an official statement, Morrison said the new investments totalling 270 billion Australian dollars (USD 186.7 billion) will be made across air, maritime and land assets to give the Australian Defence Force enhanced options to protect interests and its assets. The new defence plan, he said, was ''to maintain regional security and deter or respond to aggression in the Indo-Pacific as part of the 2020 Defence Strategic Update and Force Structure Plan.' The new defence expenditure will include acquiring advanced maritime strike capability system AGM-158C Long Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM) from the US Navy at an estimated cost of 800 million Australian dollars (USD 553 million), 9 billion Australian dollars (USD 6.2 billion) will be spent on developing hypersonic weapons and an additional recruitment of 800 defence personnel will be done, including 600 personnel in the Navy. 'These new capabilities will provide a strong credible deterrent in our region that will help provide the stability and security we need,'' Morrison said, adding that investments would also be made for integrated and automated sensors and weapons. ''We're for a peaceful, stable Indo-Pacific, a certain environment in which people can trade and live their lives and sovereign nations can work and trade with each other and have good relationships,'' he said. Defence Minister Linda Reynolds said military capability in the region was modernising rapidly and it needed to maintain a regional capability edge. It is essential that we have the capabilities that can hold forces and infrastructure at risk from a greater distance, to influence decision-making of those who may seek to threaten our national interests, Reynolds said. PTI NC IND ZH AKJ ZH Barcelona [Spain], July 1 (ANI): After Barcelona were restricted to a 2-2 draw by Atletico Madrid, manager Quique Setien expressed concerns saying that they are "moving further away from the title". Barcelona witnessing a draw means they failed to pip table-toppers Real Madrid, who are one point ahead of the Setien-led side. "It's not easy against this team. They're disciplined. I'm quite happy with my players' work," Goal.com quoted Setien as saying. "I don't feel at all under threat. It's a shame. We're having more and more difficulties. Leaving these points behind means we're moving further away from the title. But we have to keep working and Atletico are a good team," he added. During the match, Lionel Messi reached a new milestone as he scored his 700th career goal. "Leo Messi's penalty against Atletico Madrid was the 700th of his professional career -630 for Barca and 70 for Argentina, including official and friendly games. Counting friendlies for Barca too, he has 735 goals," Barcelona said in a statement. Reflecting on Messi's achievement, Setien said, "I suppose that another 700 goals will not be scored by Leo, but he will continue to score. You don't know what the ceiling is for a player of this type." (ANI) New Delhi [India], June 29 (ANI): Border Security Force (BSF) on Sunday saw one of the cruel methods adopted by cattle smugglers to smuggle cattle to Bangladesh. "On June 28, BSF troops of 44 Battalion, Border Security Force, Malda Sector while monitoring the Mahananda River, which flows towards Bangladesh between Border Out Post Adampur and Border Out Post Kumarapur, District Malda, noticed suspicious object drifting in the river. The BSF troops sent their Patrolling Boat (Kishti) towards that suspicious floating object," BSF said. "On reaching closer, BSF troops observed that something was tied inside the body of a dead animal. The carcass was further tied with water hyacinth (a type of water grass) and banana trunk. On close observation, the nose of an animal was seen coming out of a hole in the dead animal's skin," BSF said. When the carcass was retrieved and opened, a calf was recovered from it, whose legs and eyes were tied with rope and clothes. The calf was badly suffering due to troubled breathing. The BSF troops immediately rescued the cattle from the carcass. "The cattle smugglers have completely abandoned the human values. Humanity is also embarrassed at the cruel tactics adopted by these cattle smugglers. Such cattle smugglers are required to be boycotted by the entire society," BSF stated. BSF has said that efforts have been undertaken to stop cattle smuggling on the Indo-Bangladesh International border even in this rainy season by formulating a strong strategy and high level of intelligence. (ANI) New Delhi, Jun 29 (PTI) The CBI has arrested an alleged fake currency smuggler, who was deported from Thailand, at the Indira Gandhi International Airport here, officials said on Monday. Kuldeep Singh Dua, a resident of Nawanshahr in Punjab, was wanted in a case pertaining to seizure of fake currency having face value of little over Rs 6 lakh on September 11/12, 2012 from a passenger, Kulwant Rai, at the airport by officials of Customs Preventive, they said. During the investigation, Rai told officers that Dua had handed him the consignment of fake currency to be smuggled into India, they said. The agency had filed a charge sheet against Rai, but Dua remained absconding. The CBI had also issued a look out circular against him, officials said. Nearly eight years later, the CBI received information about Dua being deported from Thailand to India where he was taken into custody by the probe agency, they said. He was produced before the CBI court and sent to judicial custody, they added. PTI ABS SRY HONG KONG (Reuters) - China on Tuesday unveiled details of a contentious new national security law for Hong Kong, ending weeks of uncertainty that have exacerbated concerns over Beijing's erosion of freedoms in the global financial hub. Beijing passed the legislation on Tuesday, bypassing the city's local parliament and setting the stage for the most radical changes to the former British colony's way of life since it returned to Chinese rule 23 years ago. The law defines four crimes: separatist activity, state subversion, terrorist activity and collusion with foreign forces. Beijing said the legislation was necessary after sometimes violent anti-government and anti-Beijing protests rocked the city since June last year, plunging it into its biggest crisis in decades. Protesters are angry at what they see as Beijing's tightening squeeze on Hong Kong's affairs. China denies interfering and accuses Britain and the United States of fomenting the unrest. Following are details of the law, which took effect at 1500 GMT. * Crimes of secession, subversion, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces punishable by up to life in prison. * Companies or groups that violate national security law will be fined and could have operations suspended. * Damaging certain transportation vehicles and equipment will be considered an act of terrorism. * Anyone convicted of violating security legislation will not be allowed to stand in any Hong Kong elections. * The activities of a new national security agency and its personnel in Hong Kong will not be under the jurisdiction of local government. * Authorities can surveil and wire-tap persons suspected of endangering national security. * The law will apply to permanent and non-permanent residents of Hong Kong. * The law says the management of foreign NGOs and news agencies in Hong Kong will be strengthened. (Reporting by Hong Kong newsroom; Editing by Kevin Liffey) Watching scientists, politicians and journalists struggle to compare national death rates from the coronavirus pandemic, I had an acute case of deja vu. Though the virus may be novel, the confusion generated by inconsistent data standards is anything but. Its something Ive observed closely for many years in studying public sector debt. Such league table comparisons in both cases are simply not reliable. The pandemic has shown that public health data and economic data share the same flaws and challenges regarding basic accounting issues. Chief among these is how different countries measure data and how to harmonise data that comes from lots of different sources. Take harmonisation. The UK is widely reported to have the highest number of coronavirus deaths in Europe. But what is considered to be a COVID-19 death is, in fact, not commonly defined. Spain and Germany count all deaths where the person had tested positive for COVID-19. As testing capacities were limited at the beginning of the pandemic, this limited the number of COVID-19 deaths actually reported. France (like the UK) first counted only hospital deaths, before adding deaths in elderly homes. Belgium includes untested but suspected persons in its numbers. Such lack of harmonisation is hardly confined to Europe. In the US, methods vary from one state to another, with lots of states initially not including retirement homes in their reporting. This lack of harmonised data makes it very difficult to compare whats going on and to accurately study the spread of the disease. We see the same pattern in public sector debt measurements. The most commonly used numbers from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) or from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) two of the worlds biggest producers of global economic data are not reliably comparable. Yet politicians compare them all the time. And this mixing of apples and oranges will surely grow even more complicated and unreliable as countries around the world massively increase their debt levels by spending to prop up economies decimated by the pandemic. Story continues The IMF has said governments should do whatever it takes but keep the receipts noting that public funds in response to emergency situations can be subject to corruption. But such receipts, though perhaps thwarting temptation for ill-gotten gains, wont provide valid comparisons of the impact of public policies on public deficit and debt. Building a global data quality index Once the pandemic gives way to some degree of normality, this would be an opportune time to assess what kind of reporting system is best suited to a pandemic and seek to reach agreement in order for this data to be harmonised. A good place to start is with the deaths in care homes. In many countries, deaths in care homes took a while to be accounted for as their information systems are currently not well integrated with the ones from hospitals. This is very significant considering deaths in care homes represent about one-half of the total COVID-19 deaths in European countries. These are also numbers that are politically toxic and prone to manipulation. More broadly, the crisis has convinced me that for economic indicators as well as health statistics theres an urgent need for a global data quality index and Im currently exploring ways to build one. The index would compare the data quality of different countries on all major variables, as the current assessment tools are very limited in terms of specificity. Such a data quality index would allow voters, investors and other stakeholders to benchmark like-for-like numbers. They could then better hold their governments to account. For public health issues, such an index would boost reliability and transparency on vital issues such as how the virus spreads, who it affects the most, and the impact of national or regional factors, including temperature, humidity and population density. This information could further inform international bodies such as the World Health Organisation about which countries need help the most. It is only with comparable data that scientists can assess whether the measures they implement are effective in protecting citizens, and better prepare for future health crises. Likewise, a data quality index for debt and other economic indicators would help investors decide where to direct their money and to better assess a countrys risk profile. It would help international organisations better monitor situations in order to determine which countries to support and which to sanction, and help researchers perform more robust analysis. All of this would in turn help citizens assess their countrys economy in order to vote based on facts rather than political spin. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. The Conversation Marion Boisseau-Sierra does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment. More people are having to pay for their fertility treatment in England. (Getty Images) Access to fertility treatment can be a postcode lottery, research suggests. A report by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) the UKs fertility regulator reveals the NHS funded 60% of therapies in Scotland, but less than 30% in parts of England in 2018. Read more: Freezing your eggs: everything you need to know Outside of England, NHS fertility funding is set nationally. In England, however, it is decided by local Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs), leading to considerable regional variation. Many CCGs have cut funding, resulting in just 35% of in vitro fertilisation (IVF) treatments across England being covered in 2018, down from 41% in 2013. One expert called the figures hugely disappointing, emphasising the huge distress infertility can cause hopeful parents. IVF involves an egg being removed from a woman's ovaries and fertilised with sperm in a laboratory. The fertilised egg is then returned to the womb. (Getty Images) CCG criteria for funding may be strict In its report Fertility treatment 2018: trends and figures, the HFEA writes nearly half (45%) of all related therapies were covered in Northern Ireland. In Wales, just over two in five (41%) patients did not have to foot the bill themselves. England is the only devolved nation where the percentage of NHS funded IVF cycles has gone down. The east of the country has been hit hardest, with more than half (55%) of the cycles carried out in 2013 being covered by the health service, compared to just over a quarter (26%) five years later. Patients in Yorkshire and Humber have also seen support go from 45% to 26%. In Scotland and Wales funding has gone up, from 51% to 60% and 23% to 41%, respectively. Northern Ireland covered 45% of IVF cycles in both 2013 and 2018. Overall, around 2,000 fewer patients had their first round of IVF funded by the NHS in 2018 compared to 2017. Read more: Love Island star Amy Hart will 'definitely' freeze her eggs The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) recommends three cycles of IVF be offered on the NHS to women under 40 who have been trying to get pregnant through regular unprotected sex for two years, or who have had 12 cycles of artificial insemination directly inserting sperm into the womb. Story continues For women aged 40 to 42, Nice recommends one IVF cycle if they meet the above criteria, have never had in vitro fertilisation before, show no evidence of low egg numbers, and are aware of the risks of IVF and pregnancy at their age. The NHS warns, however, CCGs make the final decision and their criteria may be stricter than those recommended by Nice. Some insist on a woman not having children already, being a healthy weight and not smoking. Certain CCGs also only fund treatment for women under 35, while others only consider footing the bill in exceptional circumstances. If someone is ineligible for funded treatment, the cost of going private varies. A single IVF cycle could set you back 5,000 ($6,139) or more. This is often on top on the expense of medicine, consultations and tests. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. Infertility is a serious medical condition In better news, the report reveals IVF birth rates have improved for patients under 43, with younger age groups particularly benefiting. In 2018, patients under 35 had a birth rate of 31% per embryo transferred, compared to only 9% when the HFEA was established in 1991. Patients between 40 and 42 also had a higher chance of a live birth in 2018 than those under 35 in 1991, at 11% per embryo transferred compared to 9%. Professor Adam Balen from the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists praised this development, but added: What is hugely disappointing is the continued fall in NHS funded cycles. Infertility is a serious medical condition, resulting in huge stress and distress, and caused itself by a large number of different medical problems. Read more: Nurse gives birth after funding IVF with 1million lottery win Indeed, it is the second commonest reason for women of reproductive years to visit their GP. IVF is cost effective and has shown to be an economic benefit to society. Fertility treatments were one of many medical services forced to shut amid the coronavirus outbreak. NHS and private fertility clinics were instructed to stop all treatment by 15 April, with some closing their doors beforehand. They were allowed to reopen from 11 May, providing social distancing was in place. Our government made a special case for fertility treatments to restart as health services began to re-open during COVID restrictions, said Dr Jane Stewart from the British Fertility Society. COVID-19 is the respiratory disease that can be triggered by the coronavirus. It would be good to see proper funding backing up that support, added Dr Stewart. FILE PHOTO: Fires in the Amazon: a barrier to climate change up in smoke By Jake Spring BRASILIA (Reuters) - The number of fires in Brazil's Amazon rainforest rose 20% in June to a 13-year-high for the month, government data showed on Wednesday, as researchers worry that it could signal a repeat of last year's surge in forest fires. Health experts also fear the smoke that often blankets the region during the dry season, causing respiratory problems, could cause complications for COVID-19 patients. In June, Brazil's government space research agency, INPE, detected 2,248 fires in the Amazon rainforest, up from 1,880 in June 2019. Still, the burning pales when compared with the surge in fires seen last August, which sparked global outcry that Brazil was not doing enough to protect the world's largest rainforest. June 2020 averaged roughly 75 fires per day in the Amazon, compared with an average of nearly 1,000 blazes a day when fires peaked in August 2019. "It's a bad sign, but what really is going to count is what happens from now on," said Philip Fearnside, an ecologist at Brazil's National Institute of Amazonian Research. A more worrying indicator is rising deforestation, he said, because fires are usually set to clear the land after trees have been cut down. Deforestation is up 34% in the first five months of the year, from a year ago, preliminary INPE data shows. Fearnside said weaker environmental enforcement under right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro is to blame for rising destruction. Bolsonaro has called for more farming and mining in protected areas of the Amazon, while defending the country for still preserving the majority of the rainforest. Bolsonaro deployed the armed forces to protect the Amazon in May, as he did in August last year. Despite that initiative, deforestation rose 12% in May from a year earlier and increased in June. The Amazon Environmental Research Institute (IPAM), a Brazilian non-governmental organization, predicts that at the current pace of deforestation, there will be around 9,000 square kilometers (3,475 square miles) of Amazon by the end of July that have been cut down but not burned since the beginning of 2019, when Bolsonaro assumed office. Story continues The areas at risk of being set ablaze compare with 5,539 square kilometers deforested and burned from January 2019 to April 2020, IPAM said in its analysis earlier this month. Meanwhile, communities in the Amazon are bracing for the smoke that sweeps over the region during the fire season, which is generally at its height from August to November. Guilherme Pivoto, an infectologist in Amazonas state, said worsening air quality from the fires could exacerbate harm to those suffering from COVID-19, he said. "Those that contract COVID have a higher chance of an interaction between the pollution and COVID-19, causing drawn-out cases with more symptoms," Pivoto said. (Reporting by Jake Spring; Editing by Brad Haynes and Steve Orlofsky) By Scott Murdoch and Yanni Chow HONG KONG (Reuters) - Hong Kong police fired water cannon and tear gas and arrested more than 300 people on Wednesday as protesters took to the streets in defiance of sweeping security legislation introduced by China to snuff out dissent. Beijing unveiled the details of the much-anticipated law late on Tuesday after weeks of uncertainty, pushing China's freest city and one of the world's most glittering financial hubs on to a more authoritarian path. As thousands of protesters gathered for an annual rally marking the anniversary of the former British colony's handover to China in 1997, riot police used pepper spray and fired pellets as they made arrests after crowds spilled into the streets chanting "resist till the end" and "Hong Kong independence". "Im scared of going to jail but for justice I have to come out today, I have to stand up," said one 35-year-old man who gave his name as Seth. Police said they had made more than 300 arrests for illegal assembly and other offences, with nine involving violations of the new law. The law punishes crimes of secession, subversion, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces with up to life in prison, will see mainland security agencies in Hong Kong for the first time and allows extradition to the mainland for trial. China's parliament adopted the law in response to protests last year triggered by fears that Beijing was stifling the city's freedoms, guaranteed by a "one country, two systems" formula agreed when it returned to Chinese rule. Beijing denies the accusation. Hong Kong police cited the law in confronting protesters. "You are displaying flags or banners/chanting slogans/or conducting yourselves with an intent such as secession or subversion, which may constitute offences under the ... national security law," police said in a message displayed on a purple banner. Authorities in Beijing and Hong Kong have repeatedly said the legislation is aimed at a few "troublemakers" and will not affect rights and freedoms, nor investors' interests. Story continues 'HEARTBREAKING' But critics fear it will end the pro-democracy opposition and crush freedoms, including an independent legal system and right to protest, that are seen as key to Hong Kong's success as a financial centre. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the new law was an affront to all nations and Washington would continue to implement President Donald Trump's directive to end the territory's special status. Britain said it would stand by its word and offer all those in Hong Kong with British National Overseas status a "bespoke" immigration route. British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab described Wednesday's protests as heartbreaking and reprimanded HSBC and other banks for supporting the new law, saying the rights of Hong Kong should not be sacrificed for bankers' bonuses. Britain and Canada also updated their travel advisories for Hong Kong, saying there was an increased risk of detention. A former employee of the British consulate in Hong Kong, Simon Cheng, said he had been granted political asylum by the British government after being beaten by Chinese secret police last year in mainland China during 15 days of detention. In a post on Facebook after the enactment of the national security law, he said he hoped other Hong Kong people would be offered protection by Britain. Police fired water cannon to try to disperse the protesters. A game of cat and mouse reminiscent of last year's often violent demonstrations followed, with protesters blocking roads before running away from riot police charging with batons, only to re-emerge elsewhere. Police posted pictures on Twitter of an officer with a bleeding arm saying he was stabbed by "rioters holding sharp objects". The suspects fled while bystanders offered no help, police said. On July 1 last year, hundreds of protesters stormed and vandalised the city's legislature to protest against a bill that would have allowed extraditions to mainland China. Those protests evolved into anti-China demonstrations and calls for democracy, paralysing parts of the city and paving the way for Beijing's new law. 'BIRTHDAY GIFT' In Beijing, Zhang Xiaoming, executive deputy director of Beijing's Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office, told reporters suspects arrested by a new Beijing-run security office could be tried on the mainland. He said the new office abided by Chinese law and that Hong Kong's legal system could not be expected to implement the laws of the mainland. Article 55 of the law states that Beijing's security office in Hong Kong could exercise jurisdiction over "complex" or "serious" cases. "The law is a birthday gift to (Hong Kong) and will show its precious value in the future," Zhang said, adding the law would not be applied retroactively. Speaking at a flag-raising ceremony to mark the handover, the city's Beijing-backed leader, Carrie Lam, said the law was the most important development since 1997. "It is also an inevitable and prompt decision to restore stability," Lam said at the harbour-front venue where the last colonial governor, Chris Patten, a staunch critic of the security law, tearfully handed back Hong Kong to China. Some pro-Beijing officials and political commentators say the law is aimed at sealing Hong Kong's "second return" to the motherland after the first failed to bring residents to heel. Luo Huining, the head of Beijing's top representative office in Hong Kong, said at the ceremony the law was a "common aspiration" of Hong Kong citizens. Some pro-democracy activists gave up membership of their groups just before the law came into force on Tuesday, though they called for the campaign to carry on from abroad. "I saw this morning there are celebrations for Hong Kong's handover, but to me it is a funeral, a funeral for 'one country two systems'," said pro-democracy lawmaker Kwok Ka-ki. (Reporting by Yanni Chow, Twinnie Siu, Pak Yiu, Scott Murdoch, Joyce Zhou, Clare Jim, Jessie Pang, Tyrone Siu and James Pomfret in Hong Kong, Yew Lun Tian in Beijing, William James and Guy Faulconbridge in London and Denny Thomas in Toronto; Writing by Anne Marie Roantree and Marius Zaharia; Editing by Michael Perry, Robert Birsel and Nick Macfie) New York, Jun 30 (PTI) India is supporting a global initiative by UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres that aims to stop the spread of misinformation and fake news related to coronavirus on social media and has also co-authored a cross-regional statement to fight the infodemic or the manipulated information relating to the COVID-19 pandemic. We support @antonioguterres UN Communications Response initiative #VERIFIED and call for global action to fight #infodemic in times of #COVID19,' Indias Permanent Mission to the UN tweeted. India, along with Australia, Chile, France, Georgia, Indonesia, Latvia, Lebanon, Mauritius, Mexico, Norway, Senegal and South Africa co-authored a cross-regional statement on infodemic and so far 132 countries have joined the statement that focuses on the need to spread fact-based content to counter misinformation on coronavirus. The UN had launched Verified, an initiative to combat the growing scourge of COVID-19 misinformation by increasing the volume and reach of trusted, accurate information. Through the initiative, the UN is calling on people around the world to pause before sharing content that may be false or have misinformation on social media. The pause campaign is launching Tuesday, coinciding with Social Media Day, and consists of videos, graphics and colourful gifs that stress sharing only trusted and accurate science-based social media content. Fake news is causing global harm. Misinformation spreading around the world is hampering our ability to make progress on many of the worlds most pressing issues: from fighting the pandemic, to the struggle for racial justice and the climate emergency, the Pause campaign says. As part of the global movement to tackle misinformation on June 30, Verified and the United Nations are asking people around the world to adopt a simple behavioural change when they feel their emotions rising online : Pause. Take care before you share. The Pause campaign will be available in Hindi, Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Spanish, Russian and Portuguese. Story continues One of the ways it (misinformation) is spreading is the way people are sharing. The idea of pause is: take care before you share. We hope that take care before you share, starts to be a social norm that people have in the back of their heads and that will enable a personal behavior change, Melissa Fleming, who oversees the UNs global communications effort, said. Through Verified, the UN has recruited so-called digital first responders to counter fake news. These responders of whom there are more than 10,000 signed up for the daily and weekly feeds range from fact checkers in Colombia, to young journalists in the United Kingdom, and the number signing up is growing at a rate of about 10 per cent per week, according to the UNs Department for Global Communications. The cross-regional statement, co-authored by the 13 nations, 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. 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, the statement said. PTI YAS RUP RUP RUP United Nations, Jul 1 (PTI) Asserting that Iran is 'not a responsible democracy' like Australia or India, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told the UNSC to extend the arms embargo on Tehran, failing which the country would be free to purchase Russia-made fighter jets putting Riyadh, New Delhi, Rome, and Warsaw in Iranian crosshairs. 'Because of the flawed nuclear deal negotiated by the previous American administration, the arms embargo on the world's most heinous terrorist regime is scheduled to expire on October 18, a mere four months from now,' he told a virtual UN Security Council meeting on Tuesday. Pompeo said the UN Security Council has a choice -- either stand for international peace and security, as the United Nations' founders intended, or let the arms embargo on Iran expire, 'betraying' the UN's mission and its finest ideals, which nations have all pledged to uphold. 'If you fail to act, Iran will be free to purchase Russian-made fighter jets that can strike up to a 3,000-kilometer radius, putting cities like Riyadh, New Delhi, Rome, and Warsaw in Iranian crosshairs,' he said. The top US diplomat said if the arms embargo is not extended, Iran will be free to upgrade and expand its fleet of submarines to further threaten international shipping and freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, the Persian Gulf, and the Arabian Sea. 'Iran will hold a sword of Damocles over the economic stability of the Middle East, endangering nations like Russia and China that rely on stable energy prices. Iran will be free to become a rogue weapons dealer, supplying arms to fuel conflicts from Venezuela to Syria, to the far reaches of Afghanistan,' he said. Noting that in November of last year President Hassan Rouhani had said that when the embargo is 'lifted next year, we can easily buy and sell weapons', Pompeo said the Council should take Rouhani at his word, since 'Iran is not a responsible democracy like Australia or India. We already know that Tehran will do, if given the ability to buy more weaponry.' He said renewing the embargo will exert more pressure on Tehran to start 'behaving like a normal nation'. Story continues He said the UNSC cannot simply hope that Iran acts in good faith, given its indisputable fact pattern. 'The council must hold Iran accountable and we all have the chance to do so.' Iran's Minister of Foreign Affairs Javad Zarif responded that if the Council 'falters', it will be a 'generational setback' for multilateralism and the rule of law. 'The international community in general and the UN Security Council in particular are facing an important decision: Do we maintain respect for the rule of law or do we return to the law of the jungle by surrendering to the whims of an outlaw bully?' he posed. 'While the Islamic Republic of Iran has shown, in words and deeds, our desire and preference for constructive engagement, we do not depend on others for our security, stability or prosperity. We have learned to solely depend on ourselves. 'That is why more than 40 years of US pressure -- whether through demonisation or war, sanctions or terror including the cowardly assassination of our region's counter-terrorism hero General Qassem Soleimani -- has failed to bring Iranians to their knees or affect our people's decision-making calculus,' Zarif said. US President Donald Trump had in May 2018 pulled the US out of the 2015 landmark nuclear deal with Iran, an Obama-era accord which he has repeatedly criticised as 'disastrous', and had re-imposed sanctions. He has frequently criticised the Iran nuclear deal, also known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action or JCPOA. The Iran nuclear deal was reached in Vienna in July 2015 between Iran and the P5 (the five permanent members of the UN Security Council) plus Germany and the European Union. It sets out rules for monitoring Iran's nuclear programme and paves the way for the lifting of UN sanctions. Rosemary DiCarlo, Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, told the Security Council that the 2015 agreement -- which the council endorsed through resolution 2231 -- is a significant achievement of multilateral diplomacy and dialogue. 'It remains crucial to the global nuclear non-proliferation architecture and to regional and international security. It is therefore regrettable that the future of this agreement is in doubt,' she said. DiCarlo noted that before the US withdrew from the agreement in May 2018, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) verified in 11 reports that Iran was complying with its nuclear commitments contained in the Plan. 'As we have said, we regret the US withdrawal from the Plan. The re-imposition of US national sanctions lifted under the Plan, as well as the decision not to extend waivers for the trade in oil with Iran and on all remaining JCPOA-originating projects, are contrary to the goals of the JCPOA. 'These actions have impeded the ability of Iran and other Member States to fully implement the Plan and the resolution,' she said. DiCarlo addressed the video-conference meeting of the council as its 15 members took up the secretary-general's ninth report on the implementation of resolution 2231 (2015) ahead of the scheduled expiration of a UN arms embargo on Iran on October 18. PTI YAS NSD NSD Courtesy Bill JacobsonBy MARK OSBORNE, ABC News (NEW YORK) -- The 75-year-old protester who was pushed to the ground by police officers in Buffalo, New York, has been released from the hospital almost four weeks after being injured. Martin Gugino was attending a protest outside City Hall on June 4 when he was pushed to the ground by a line of police officers clearing out the relatively empty area. He fell and hit the back of his head, fracturing his skull and putting him in the hospital for 26 days. He was released Tuesday from the Erie County Medical Center, his attorney said. His lawyer, Kelly Zarcone, said he will be recovering at an "undisclosed location" to preserve his privacy. "I was able to see Martin today and he looks great. He can walk with a little help and his condition will continue to improve with rest and time," Zarcone said in a statement. "I brought him the cards and letters sent to my office and he said he still felt overjoyed at the continued support and well wishes, 'like it was Christmas Day.'" Gugino is an activist and regular at protests in New York state, his friends said, but has never been anything but peaceful and is a regular volunteer for Catholic charities. "Martin said that he is pleased at the progress made so far to protect the safety of peaceful protesters, a topic near and dear to his heart," Zarcone said Tuesday. "He respects the burden of authority placed upon law enforcement but looks forward to the continued implementation of systemic changes to eliminate police brutality." Officers Aaron Torgalski and Robert McCabe were charged earlier this month with second-degree assault in the incident and released on their own recognizance. They both pleaded not guilty and are expected back in court July 20. In a statement prior to the arrests, Buffalo police had said Gugino tripped and fell despite the video evidence. The incident rose as high as the White House. President Donald Trump tweeted a conspiracy theory on June 9, writing Gugino may be an "ANTIFA provocateur" and that the whole incident could be part of a "set up." At the time, Zarcone called the president's accusations "dark, dangerous, and untrue." New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo mocked Trump's theory, asking, "What do you think, it was staged? You think that the blood coming out of his head was staged? Is that what you are saying?" Copyright 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved. Israel has been warned by British Prime Minister Boris Johnson against annexation in the occupied West Bank. Writing in Israel's top-selling daily on Wednesday (July 1), Johnson said such a move would violate international law and harm its drive to improve relations with the Arab world. Under a U.S. plan for Israeli-Palestinian peace, Israeli leaders decided in May that a cabinet debate on annexing parts of the West Bank could begin from July 1. But with no agreement yet with Israel's main ally Washington on the scope and timing of the move, no cabinet session was scheduled for Wednesday (July 1). Under the peace blueprint that U.S. President Donald Trump announced in January, Israel has said it intends to extend its sovereignty to Jewish settlements and the Jordan Valley in the West Bank, in up to 30% of the territory. Palestinians, though, have rejected Trump's proposal. They seek to establish a state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, with East Jerusalem as its capital. Israel captured those areas in a 1967 war. Palestinian leaders, the United Nations, European powers and Arab countries have all denounced annexation - and consider settlements that Israel has built on occupied land as illegal. Hong Kong, June 30 (ANI): Hours after Beijing passed the controversial national security legislation for Hong Kong, activists Joshua Wong, Nathan Law, Jeffrey Ngo and Agnes Chow step-down from the pro-democracy group Demosisto on Tuesday morning. They made the announcement on Facebook, around two hours after China's top legislative body passed a law that is set to criminalise secession, subversion, terrorism and foreign interference in Hong Kong, Hong Kong Press Free reported. Demosisto was founded in 2016 as a political platform and sought to field candidates for legislative elections. However, its candidates were repeatedly barred from standing for election with authorities citing their stance on "self-determination" for the city. Wong said that, under the newly-passed national security legislation, it was no longer "nonsense" for pro-democracy figures to worry about their lives and personal safety. He cited concerns over a 10-year "political imprisonment," as well as being extradited to China, saying "no one could be sure [what would happen] tomorrow." "I hereby declare withdrawing from Demosisto...If my voice will not be heard soon, I hope that the international community will continue to speak up for Hong Kong and step up concrete efforts to defend our last bit of freedom," Wong wrote on twitter. He said in the face of his "dire destiny," he had to resign from his role as the group's secretary-general and continue advocating for his beliefs individually. "I believe at this moment, there are countless pairs of eyes in the world caring about Hong Kong, and gazing at my personal situation under the national security legislation. I will continue to defend my home - Hong Kong - until they silence, obliterate me from this piece of land," Wong wrote. A similar action was undertaken by other pro-democracy groups as well. Pro-independence group Hong Kong National Front also took to social media to announce that it would disband its local members starting on Tuesday. The group said its overseas divisions in Taipei and the UK would take over the work of the Hong Kong division and continue to promote independence. Studentlocalism - which also advocates for an independent Hong Kong - said it would do the same, and establish overseas divisions in Taiwan, the US and Australia to handle the organisation's ongoing work. While details of the security legislation have not been made public, many in Hong Kong fear it will be used to silence dissent. China says the national security law will target only a small group of troublemakers and people who abide by the legislation have no reason to worry. However, the law has alarmed foreign governments concerned that Beijing is eroding the high degree of autonomy granted to the city when it was returned to Chinese rule in 1997, which underpins its role as a financial centre. (ANI) Kissing off menu as lockdown ends for Dutch sex workers Sex worker Moira Mona gestures in her studio in Hilversum AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - Dutch sex workers welcomed customers back on Wednesday as the Netherlands further eased coronavirus measures, but they were advised to avoid heavy breathing and kissing to help reduce the risk of transmitting COVID-19. Erotic dancers and prostitutes lost their main source of income for three-and-a-half months and generally did not have access to state support during lockdown. They were surprised when the government brought forward the date they could reopen from a tentative Sept. 1 to July 1. Amsterdam's "Red Light" district, where thousands of tourists generally crowd the canals to see sex shows, erotic gift shops and prostitutes, has been deserted. Red Light United, which represents Amsterdam's window prostitutes, had campaigned to get back to work as soon as possible, noting some sex workers still had to pay rent on their premises and lockdown was forcing them to work illegally, exposing them to greater risks. "I am really looking forward to going back to work," said Moira Mona, a 29-year-old sex worker who will perform at an S&M club this week. "The extra income is going to be welcome, so in that sense I am hoping for a busy day... although I don't expect it to be as busy as before the corona crisis." Sex workers already adhere to strict health safety regulations in the Netherlands, but the industry has compiled a list of recommendations, including sexual positions to avoid. Even with new guidelines, sex workers will be more exposed to the dangers of CODVID-19 than other professions, said Debbie Mensink, a public health advisor in Amsterdam. "There is a heightened risk. Sex workers already have a heightened health risk due to their line of work... because people get so close to each other." Mona, however, said she is not worried and will take precautions. She added a few new items to her collection of latex outfits, stiletto heels and tasseled whips to adhere to the protocol: a leather face cover with metal studs, black gloves and surgical face masks. Story continues "I don't get unemployment benefits if I get sick, so if someone shows up and starts coughing or sneezing in my hallway I'll say 'Can you come back another time?' because if I am ill for a week that means a week without income." Mona made some income during lockdown by doing webcam shows, but said that if the government-imposed measures had remained in place much longer she would have spent her entire savings. As the number of new infections and COVID-19 deaths fell fast in recent weeks, the Netherlands lifted most lockdown measures. The country has recorded more than 50,000 infections and over 6,000 deaths since mid-March. Despite the improved COVID-19 statistics, people are advised to keep 1.5 meters (nearly 5 feet) apart and must wear face masks while riding public transportation. Those rules won't apply to sex workers and health authorities recommend avoiding face-to-face encounters. "We advise against literally getting in each others' faces, where you can breathe in each others' warm breath," said Mensink, the health worker. "We also advise against kissing because saliva carries the virus and you could transfer it that way." (Reporting by Esther Verkaik; writing by Anthony Deutsch; editing by John Stonestreet and Alexandra Hudson) Washington DC [USA], June 30 (ANI): The lack of universal and affordable access to the internet may widen income inequality within and between countries, a senior official of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has said while urging policymakers to foster a digital-friendly business and regulatory environment. Advanced economies like the United States, France, Germany, the United Kingdom and Canada have the highest access rates, said Mercedes Garcia Escribano, Deputy Division Chief in the IMF's Fiscal Affairs Department. However, big emerging economies show large disparities in the proportion of internet users in their populations which range from about two-thirds in Brazil and Mexico to about one-third in India. Countries in sub-Saharan Africa followed by many in emerging and developing economies in Asia are among those with the lowest access to internet despite being world leaders in mobile money transactions. There is also a large variation in internet connectivity by firms in sub-Saharan Africa -- only about 60 per cent of businesses use email for business compared to about 85 per cent in Europe and Central Asia, said Escribano. "COVID-19 and the great lockdown triggered a mass migration from analog to digital and highlighted that access to the internet is crucial for socio-economic inclusion," she wrote in a blog post. High-speed internet is key for working from home, for children's education when they cannot attend school in person, for telemedicine, for benefiting from social support programmes and for enabling access to financial services for everyone, especially for those living in remote areas. Still, internet usage remains a luxury: half of the world's population does not have access to the internet, either through a mobile device or through fixed-line broadband. "The digital divide -- the gap between those who have internet access and those who do not -- is more like a chasm both within and between countries," wrote Escribano. Income inequality and inequality of opportunity may worsen -- even in advanced economies -- because disadvantaged groups and people who live in rural areas have more limited internet access. The disparity between men and women in their labour force participation, wages, and access to financial services may increase where there is a gender gap in access to the internet. This could be the case in many emerging and developing countries where fewer women than men own a mobile phone, said Escribano. The relatively low internet access might depress productivity in emerging and developing countries. IMF staff research finds that a one percentage point increase in the share of internet users in the population raises per capita growth by 0.1 to 0.4 percentage points in sub-Saharan Africa. The COVID-19 pandemic demonstrates that having reliable internet allows some businesses to continue operations amid lockdowns which keep economies running. "Given the increasing role of the internet for the economy and for accessing public services, policies to foster an inclusive recovery must aim to tackle the digital divide within and between countries," wrote Escribano. (ANI) By Ruma Paul DHAKA (Reuters) - Hundreds of thousands of people in Bangladesh have been marooned and thousands of hectares of farmland submerged, officials said on Wednesday, as floods triggered by monsoon rains ravage the country already grappling with the coronavirus. Officials said the flooding in Bangladesh was made worse by heavy rains in the neighbouring Indian state of Assam. Millions have been forced to flee their homes in Assam after the Brahmaputra river that flows from Tibet into India and then into Bangladesh burst its banks in Assam over the weekend https://in.reuters.com/article/us-india-floods/floods-in-indias-assam-force-a-million-from-their-homes-idINKBN2400W0, inundating more than 2,000 villages. "Rainfalls and runoff from northern India have caused some of the rivers across Bangladesh to rise over 70 cm (30 inches) above dangerous levels," said Jyoti Prasad Ghosh, an official at the Bangladesh Water Development Board. "The floods could worsen further in the coming days if rains continue in Assam." One disaster management official in Bangladesh who declined to be named said the crisis was expected to worsen in the coming days and more than 200,000 people marooned are at risk. "The disaster is worsening by the hour, with several hundred thousands already severely affected by the floods, worsening the COVID pandemic and crisis in the country," said Antony Balmain, a spokesman for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. Bangladesh had 149,258 confirmed coronavirus cases as of Wednesday, with 1,888 deaths. The floods threaten about 4.1 million people, Balmain said. "Around 16,500 people most at risk are being assisted immediately with evacuation, and while thousands more will be helped in the coming days." The double whammy is pushing many to the brink. In Bangladesh's northern district of Jamalpur, farmer Mohammad Manik had been earning a living selling vegetables. He said he had to stop that due to the coronavirus lockdown. "Now all my vegetables are under the floodwater." Manik told Reuters. "I dont know how to survive anymore. It's one disaster after another." (Reporting by Ruma Paul in DHAKA; Writing by Zeba Siddiqui; Editing by Giles Elgood) Shimla, Jun 30 (PTI) An 80-year-old woman died while 11 others tested positive for coronavirus in Himachal Pradesh on Tuesday, pushing the state's infection tally to 954. So far, nine people have succumbed to the disease in the state. A resident of Jungleberi village in Hamirpur district, the woman suffered from various other age-related problems. She died at Mandi's Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri Government Medical College and Hospital, an official said. The hospital's Senior Medical Superintendent Dr Jiwa Nand Chauhan said she had tested positive for coronavirus on June 22 after returning from Delhi. She was kept at the Bhota COVID care centre in Hamirpur before being shifted to the Mandi facility, also called the Nerchowk medical college, on June 23. Meanwhile, 11 more people-- four each in Una and Kangra, two in Hamirpur, and one in Solan-- contracted the infection, taking the total number of COVID-19 cases in the state to 954. In Kangra, the fresh patients included an Army jawan's eight-year-old son. A seven-year-old boy in his relation also tested positive, a district official said. The 39-year-old Army jawan from Rakkar village had tested positive for coronavirus on June 28 after his arrival from Arunachal Pradesh on June 23. He was shifted to a military hospital in Yol. Both boys are also being shifted to the hospital, the official added. Besides, a 40-year-old man who recently returned from Delhi and his eight-year-old son also contracted the disease. They belong to Sarimolag village in Jaisinghpur tehsil. According to the official, they are being shifted to a Baijnath care centre. In Hamirpur, a 23-year-old girl from the Bhoranj area who had recently returned from Kyrgyzstan via Delhi; and a 10-year-old boy from Teeda in Nadaun tested positive for coronavirus, a district official said. The boy had recently returned from Delhi with his mother, who has already tested positive for the infection. The girl had gone to Kyrgyzstan for higher studies. Story continues In the meantime, 19 patients--five in Kangra; four each in Shimla and Solan; and three each in Una and Chamba-- recovered from the infection, Additional Chief Secretary (Health) R D Dhiman said. So far, 575 people have recovered while 11 COVID-19 patients have migrated out of the state, he said. The state has 357 active cases now. Kangra has the maximum number of active cases in the state at 112, followed by 104 in Hamirpur; 50 in Solan; 30 in Una; 17 in Shimla; 16 in Bilaspur; eight in Sirmaur; seven in Chamba and Mandi; five in Kinnaur; and two in Lahaul-Spiti. PTI DJI CORR RDK RDK Shimla, Jun 30 (PTI) An 80-year-old woman died while six others tested positive for coronavirus in Himachal Pradesh on Tuesday, pushing the states infection tally to 949. So far, nine people have succumbed to the disease in the state. A resident of Jungleberi village in Hamirpur district, the woman suffered from various other age-related problems. She died at Mandis Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri Government Medical College and Hospital, an official said. The hospitals Senior Medical Superintendent Dr Jiwa Nand Chauhan said she had tested positive for coronavirus on June 22 after returning from Delhi. She was kept at the Bhota COVID care centre before being shifted to the Mandi facility, also called the Nerchowk medical college, on June 23. Meanwhile, six more peoplefour in Kangra and two in Hamirpur- contracted the infection, taking the total number of COVID-19 cases in the state to 949. In Kangra, the fresh patients included an Army jawan's eight-year-old son. A seven-year-old boy in his relation also tested positive, a district official said. The 39-year-old Army jawan from Rakkar village had tested positive for coronavirus on June 28 after his arrival from Arunachal Pradesh on June 23. He was shifted to a military hospital in Yol. Both boys are also being shifted to the hospital, the official added. Besides, a 40-year-old man who recently returned from Delhi and his eight-year-old son also contracted the disease. They belong to Sarimolag village in Jaisinghpur tehsil. According to the official, they are being shifted to a Baijnath care centre. In Hamirpur, a 23-year-old girl from Bhoranj area who had recently returned from Kyrgyzstan via Delhi; and a 10-year-old boy from Teeda in Nadaun tested positive for coronavirus, a district official said. The boy had recently returned from Delhi with his mother, who has already tested positive for the infection. The girl had gone to Kyrgyzstan for higher studies. In the meantime, 13 patientsfive in Kangra; three each in Shimla and Solan; and two in Chamba recovered from the infection, Additional Chief Secretary (Health) R D Dhiman said. Story continues So far, 569 people have recovered while 11 COVID-19 patients have migrated out of the state, he said. The state has 358 active cases now. Kangra has the maximum number of active cases in the state at 112, followed by 104 in Hamirpur; 50 in Solan; 29 in Una; 17 in Shimla; 16 in Bilaspur; eight each in Chamba and Sirmaur; seven in Mandi; five in Kinnaur; and two in Lahaul-Spiti. PTI DJI CORR RDK RDK By Hyonhee Shin SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korean President Moon Jae-in has said U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un should meet again before the U.S. presidential election in November, a Seoul official told reporters on Wednesday. Moon's remarks were made during a video conference with European Council President Charles Michel on Tuesday, during which he said another summit between Trump and Kim would help resume stalled nuclear negotiations. "I believe there's a need for North Korea and the United States to try dialogue one more time before the U.S. presidential election," a presidential official quoted Moon as saying. "The issues of nuclear programmes and sanctions will ultimately have to be resolved through North Korea-U.S. talks." Moon's office had conveyed such views to Washington and the officials there are making efforts to resume the talks, the South Korean official said. Trump and Kim met for the first time in 2018 in Singapore, raising hopes of an agreement to get Pyongyang to give up its nuclear weapons programme. But their second summit, in early 2019 in Vietnam, fell apart. Trump and Kim met again at the demilitarized zone separating the two Koreas in June 2019 and agreed to restart negotiations, but working-level talks between the two sides in Sweden in October were broken off. Inter-Korean tensions flared last month after the North blew up a joint liaison office, severed hotlines and threatened military action over plans by defector groups in the South to send anti-Kim leaflets across the border. Following weeks of heated exchanges, Kim suspended the military plans, without specifying why. [L4N2E0411] The moves from Pyongyang were seen aimed at recapturing the attention of Trump and making a renewed push for sanctions relief before the November election, experts said. [L4N2DV0O2] On Monday, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun, who led working-level negotiations with North Koreans, said there is still time for both sides to re-engage and "make substantial progress". Biegun, however, said an in-person summit would be difficult before the November election, citing the coronavirus pandemic which has all but wiped the world's diplomatic calendar clean. (Reporting by Hyonhee Shin; Additional reporting by Josh Smith and Sangmi Cha; Editing by Kim Coghill, Lincoln Feast and Raju Gopalakrishnan) Pithoragarh, Jul 1 (PTI) Kunwar Singh Kutiyal complains there are no Indian mobile towers within several kilometres of Uttarakhand's Vyas Valley, near the Indo-Nepal border, where he lives, and he has to depend on Nepalese infrastructure to connect to the world outside. A resident of Kuti village of the Valley, he said he noticed that the Nepalese government recently provided Wi-Fi facilities in Changru village on its side of the border to strengthen communication for their security personnel deputed at a post there. We also need such facilities in our villages. We need to depend only on Indian communication facilities, he said. Kutiyal is not a lone voice pressing this demand. He represents thousands of villagers of three localities -- Vyas Valley, Chaundas valley and Dharchula sub-division -- in this district who have no connectivity due to the lack of Indian mobile towers. Some of them somehow manage to procure Nepalese SIM cards and use them to get Internet and phone connectivity by latching onto Nepalese network. Around 40,000 villagers in about 40 villages in these localities have no connectivity. Around 3,000 of them rely on Nepalese Internet connection, Dharchula Sub-Divisional Magistrate AK Shukla said on Tuesday. He said that poor connectivity also hampers implementation of flagship government schemes in the border villages. 'Due to the lack of proper network facilities in most parts of Dharchula sub-division, payments related to MGNREGA works cannot be made to the beneficiaries nor can online classes be held in sub-divisional schools,' Shukla said. We need a strong and dependable network for communication at Dharchula border with Nepal, the SDM said. The Vyas Valley is adjacent to Indian territory of Kalapani, which Nepal recently claimed as its own. Villagers have approached the administration several times in the past with the demand to bolster mobile network infrastructure and submitted a number of memorandums, Shukla said. Story continues There is just one low-capacity BSNL mobile tower at Dharchula which barely meets even the town's requirements, he said. A section has tried to justify the poor connectivity, saying it is meant to deny Internet access to smugglers and criminals operating in the border, but it does not hold much ground as Nepalese network is widely available in the area, Shukla said. In the light of these facts, the communication policy at the Indo-Nepal border needs to be reviewed as better communication facilities to border people is the need of the hour, the SDM said. The Congress MLA from Dharchula, Harish Dhami, said he has offered his MLA funds to create communication facility in the area. I am ready to give whatever money is required for installing basic infrastructure of communication at the Indo-Nepal and India-China border, Dhami said. According to residents of the Vyas Valley, three Nepalese mobile companies cover around 186 km length (north-south), from Kalapani to Pancheshwar, with their mobile towers at different locations. According to Krishna Garbiyal, a resident of Garbiyang village in Vyas Valley, they get strong Nepalese network up to 15 km inside Indian territory. MS Waldia, a retired army colonel, said Indian citizens using Nepalese SIM cards and networks poses a threat to national security. The government should pay more attention to the communication needs of border villages in view of Nepal's recent aggressiveness towards India, said Waldia. Almora MP Ajay Tamta said BSNL is conducting a survey in the area to assess communication needs of people. As soon as the survey gets completed, work on installing towers will be started, Tamta said. India Nepal relations hit a rough patch recently after Nepal completed the process of redrawing the country's political map through a Constitutional amendment, incorporating three strategically important Indian areas -- Lipulekh, Kalapani and Limpiyadhura. India has termed as 'untenable' the 'artificial enlargement' of the territorial claims by Nepal. PTI COR ALM TIR TIR ISTANBUL (Reuters) - The United States will continue working with Turkish companies producing some parts of F-35 fighter jets until 2022, Turkey's state-owned Anadolu agency quoted a Pentagon spokeswoman as saying on Wednesday. Turkey said in May it was still producing and delivering parts for the stealth jets despite being suspended from the programme nearly a year ago over its purchase of Russian S-400 anti-aircraft defence systems. Turkey was both a parts manufacturer and major buyer of the Lockheed Martin F-35s. Washington says the S-400s jeopardise the jets - which Ankara denies - and are incompatible with NATO defence systems. Anadolu quoted Pentagon spokeswoman Jessica Maxwell as saying the Turkish companies would continue to produce 139 components of the jets until 2022. "Our industry partners will carry out the continuing contracts," she said, adding the Pentagon was still looking for alternatives to Turkey. The Pentagon was not immediately available to comment. Washington announced last July - when the first Russian S-400 units arrived in Turkey - that it was suspending Ankara from the F-35 programme and expected to "wind down" Turkey's involvement by March 2020. The United States also said the purchase meant Turkey could be subjected to sanctions under U.S. legislation aimed at discouraging defence purchases from Moscow. (Reporting by Ali Kucukgocmen; Editing by Jonathan Spicer) New Delhi, Delhi, India (NewsVoir) The UK India Business Council is pleased to announce that Jayant Krishna has accepted the invitation of the Board to become its new Group Chief Executive Officer, effective from 3rd August. Jayant brings a wealth of senior-level corporate and governmental experience from India and the UK to UKIBC, having previously led key initiatives of the Prime Minister's Skill India mission as CEO, and Executive Director & Chief Operating Officer of the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC). Prior to this, Jayant was with the Tata group, Indias largest conglomerate, for over two decades. A British Chevening Scholar, he held various leadership roles at Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), including Director, Life Sciences & Healthcare (UK & Europe), Regional Director (UK & Ireland), Regional Manager in London, Global Delivery Centre Head in India, and Global Relationship Manager for one of TCS's top five accounts worldwide, while based in London. Earlier, Jayant was a management consultant at a division of Tata Sons. More recently, he has been Senior Fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington, DC and Executive Director, Public Policy at the Wadhwani Foundation, focusing on Indian economic reforms and US-India bilateral business ties. He has chaired and served on multiple committees of the Government of India, chaired several taskforces of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), and is an Independent Director on the Boards of various companies. Jayant, who will be the first UKIBC Group CEO to be based in India, will be replacing the current Group CEO, Richard Heald, OBE after a term of 10 years. Richard will step up to the role of Chair from 1st September 2020, succeeding the current Chair, Lord Davies of Abersoch, CBE who will retain a close association with the UKIBC by assuming the position of President of a new UKIBC Senior Leadership Council. Story continues Over the past years, UKIBC has grown in size, scope, impact, and sustainability, expanding its presence in both the UK and India through the development of a range of advisory, support and consultancy services supporting both Indian and UK companies operating in the UK-India economic corridor. At the same time, UKIBCs role of supporting the UK and the Indian Governments by providing the business voice in G2G deliberations remains core to its mission to further the UK-India relationship. Chair, Lord Davies of Abersoch, CBE said, Im delighted to announce the appointment of Jayant Krishna as the new Group CEO of UKIBC. I have no doubt that with Jayant as CEO and Richard as Chair, supported by the UK and Indian teams, the UKIBC will rise to new heights in support of our members, clients and stakeholders. Group CEO & Chair (Designate), Richard Heald, OBE said, Im really excited that Jayant has agreed to join the UKIBC and I very much look forward to supporting and working with him into the future. The combination of his insights of India, his extensive networks within government in India as well as his knowledge of UK and Indian corporates are unique. The appointment of our Group CEO in India underscores our ambition to make the UKIBC more bilateral in nature. It is also, I believe, a sign of the growing maturity of UKIBC and can only help us enhance our existing advocacy, consultancy and support services in the UK and in India. New Group CEO, Jayant Krishna said, Im pleased to accept this extraordinary opportunity to work towards further strengthening UKIBCs support to UK and Indian industry, encouraging bilateral investment, and helping businesses succeed. This transition is taking place at a stage when both countries economies have grown to a comparable size in terms of nominal GDP, and we are at the threshold of a vibrant phase in our economic ties. UKIBC will continue to bolster two-way trade and investment flows between UK and Indian businesses. Image: Jayant Krishna PWR PWR The United Nations raised $7.7 billion in humanitarian aid on Tuesday for Syria, where nine years of war have displaced millions in a humanitarian crisis exacerbated by soaring food prices and the coronavirus crisis. While less than the almost $10 billion sought by U.N. agencies, the pledges were higher than expected, given the economic shock of COVID-19 on many governments and shortfalls in other aid appeals, notably for Yemen this month. "We recognise that the circumstances are very unusual, it is a difficult moment in every country to find the resources necessary to relieve the suffering of the Syrian people," U.N. aid chief Mark Lowcock said after the virtual donor conference by some 60 governments and non-official agencies. Pledges came from countries including Qatar, which has promised $100 million, and Germany, which offered 1.58 billion euros ($1.78 billion) in what Berlin said was the single biggest country donation. The United Nations, which last year raised $7 billion, said this year it needs $3.8 billion for aid inside Syria where 11 million people require help and protection, with more than 9.3 million of them lacking adequate food. Another $6.04 billion is sought to help the 6.6 million Syrians who have fled, in what is the world's biggest refugee crisis. U.N. officials will still press for more pledges throughout the year, and have time as the money is split between 2020 and 2021. Adding to Syrians' hardship, an economic slump and COVID-19 lockdown have pushed food prices more than 200% higher in less than a year, according to the World Food Programme (WFP). According to a tally by Johns Hopkins University, there have only been 269 confirmed coronavirus cases, but the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned the real situation is probably far worse and the number of infections likely to accelerate. Rebuilding destroyed cities will take billions of dollars more and cannot start until powers involved back a peaceful transition away from the rule of President Bashar al-Assad, EU governments say. "We finally need a political solution to the conflict," said German Development Minister Gerd Muller. By Marianna Parraga (Reuters) - Venezuela's oil exports slumped in June to their lowest level since 1943 after half a dozen tankers, looking to avoid the threat of U.S. sanctions, sailed away from the nation's waters without loading, according to vessel tracking data. The fall in oil exports has starved the socialist government of President Nicolas Maduro of its main source of revenue, contributing to an economic collapse in the OPEC nation and leaving authorities short of cash for essential imports such as food and medicine. Maduro has held onto power despite the sanctions, frustrating the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump. Washington and most Western democracies accuse Maduro of rigging a 2018 re-election vote. Trump's team has increased pressure in recent months, expanding its list of sanctioned entities to include Mexican companies, oil tankers, international shipping firms and individuals that have played a role in Venezuela's oil exports. Tighter sanctions have scared away many remaining customers of state-run oil firm PDVSA, and some shipping firms that had carried their cargoes. PDVSA and its joint ventures shipped a total of 17 cargoes in June, carrying about 379,000 barrels per day (bpd) of crude and refined products, according to Refinitiv Eikon data and the company's loading schedules. The low volume, unseen since 1943, was almost 18% below May exports, according to the same data. (For a graphic on exports by month, go here: https://tmsnrt.rs/2BgyyuM) The country's total crude output is slightly above those levels, according to daily PDVSA data seen by Reuters. PDVSA has had to cut output to match exports because most of the country's oil storage is full. That would put output at a little more than 10 percent of the nearly 3.5 million bpd the country pumped in the late 1990s. Back then, Venezuela was one of the powerhouses in the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries. Now, Caracas is among the group's minnows, even though it sits on some of the largest crude reserves in the world. Story continues Sanctions have also left more than a dozen loaded tankers in limbo around the world as suppliers struggle to find final buyers for the cargoes. Several of those vessels are off the waters of Malaysia and Singapore. Exports to Europe ticked up in June to 130,000 bpd, boosted by larger deliveries to Spain's Repsol and Italy's Eni , the PDVSA documents showed. Those shipments are permitted under exemptions for debt payments and swaps. Shipments to Venezuela's political ally Cuba also increased to 82,300 bpd from 67,000 bpd in May. Heavy crude inventories at Venezuela's Jose port, the country's main oil terminal and storage site for exportable crude, closed the month at 14.5 million barrels versus a peak of 14.9 million barrels in mid-June, according to the PDVSA data. Venezuela's fuel imports also declined last month, to 66,000 bpd from 77,100 bpd the previous month as most arrivals of Iranian gasoline discharged in May. (Reporting by Marianna Parraga in Mexico City, additional reporting by Mircely Guanipa in Maracay, Venezuela; Editing by Simon Webb and David Gregorio) RALEIGH Governor Roy Cooper did not issue a statewide directive Wednesday on the opening of schools like he was expected. Schools did have warning this would happen as the Governors office announced it would not be issuing a directive in a statement Tuesday, but it wasnt much of one as Kannapolis City Schools were talking about waiting for the Governors statement as recently as a meeting Monday. KCS and Cabarrus County Schools were both waiting anxiously for guidance on the opening of schools, but they will have to wait at least a while longer. We are not issuing a statewide directive today on how schools should be open in the fall. But we will soon, Cooper said at his Wednesday press conference. We want to get our students back in the classroom, and we want to make sure we get this right. Guidance for the opening of schools has been spotty in recent weeks as both KCS and CCS brought up conflicting instruction on the number of students who could be on a bus as the start of the school year as well as who should be wearing masks on school-provided transportation. Centenes project in North Carolina will be facilitated, in part, by a transformative JDIG approved by the states Economic Investment Committee, the first JDIG of this classification ever awarded. The project is estimated to grow the states economy by $29.5 billion over 39 years, the time period the grant could be active. Using a formula that takes into account the new tax revenues generated by the 3,237 new jobs, the JDIG agreement authorizes the potential reimbursement to the company of up to $387,890,250. This potential payment would also be spread over 39 years. Like all grants from the JDIG program, any state payments only occur after performance verification each year by the departments of Commerce and Revenue that the company has met its incremental job creation and investment targets. Because Centene chose a site in Mecklenburg County, classified by the states economic tier system as Tier 3, the companys JDIG agreement calls for moving as much as $50.7 million into the states Industrial Development Fund Utility Account. The Utility Account helps rural communities finance basic infrastructure upgrades necessary in attracting businesses. Even when new jobs are created in a Tier 3 county such as Mecklenburg, the new tax revenue generated through JDIG grants helps economically challenged communities elsewhere in the state. CHARLESTON A Champaign County woman faces federal charges after she and two others were accused of meeting in Coles County to conduct a methamphetamine transaction. Angela F. Brown met the other two suspects in Ashmore on June 23 for one of a series of sales that took place between them, according to court records. Brown, 41, whose address on record is in Philo, is in federal custody. The other suspects, Lisa M. Milligan, 49, whose address on record is Charleston, and John B. Espeland, 41, for whom records show an Urbana address, face Coles County charges. Records in their cases say police found nearly 6 ounces of methamphetamine in Brown's possession following a traffic stop that took place just before her scheduled meeting with the other suspects. Cellphone searches also indicated a series of contacts between Brown and the others to arrange methamphetamine purchases, the records say. Brown was also first charged in Coles County, but that case was dismissed on Monday. State's Attorney Jesse Danley indicated that took place in order for Brown to be prosecuted in federal court. Brown also appeared in federal court on Monday, when she was ordered detained while the case proceeds. Her next hearing was scheduled for July 9. She faces up to life in prison if convicted, according to information from the U.S. Attorney's Office. Please log in to keep reading. {{featured_button_text}} Enjoy unlimited articles at one of our lowest prices ever. Support Local Journalism Your membership makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}} Milligan and Espeland both pleaded not guilty during court appearances Monday. They are charged with methamphetamine conspiracy offenses that would require six to 30 years in prison with a conviction. A hearing for Espeland was scheduled for Thursday on a motion to reduce his bond, currently at a level that would require $10,000 to be posted for release. Milligan's next hearing was scheduled for July 16. She also remains jailed with bond set at the same $10,000 level. The cases' records say the investigation began when officers with the Mattoon-based East Central Illinois Task Force drug investigation unit received information about Brown's plans to go to Ashmore for the sale. Task Force officers and Coles County sheriff's deputies located and stopped Brown's vehicle near Ashmore, according to the records. The Charleston Police Department's K-9 unit was used to search the vehicle, and the dog alerted and led to the discovery of the methamphetamine, the records say. Brown then told officers she was en route to Ashmore to meet a man and a woman, later identified as Espeland and Milligan, to conduct the sale, according to the records. They said Espeland and Milligan were located in a vehicle parked outside the Ashmore residence that Brown said was their planned meeting location. They had about $5,000 in cash in their possession, according to the records. The records say Espeland refused to answer police questions. However, they say Milligan told officers she arranged the purchases for Espeland and her cellphone records showed messages making those arrangements. Contact Fopay at (217) 238-6858. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1 BELLEVILE State Rep. Darren Bailey's lawsuit against Gov. J.B. Pritzker has been sent back to a Clay County circuit court, according to a federal court order. Bailey, a Republican from Xenia, gained national attention in May when he sued Pritzker, then won a temporary restraining order that exempted only himself from the stay-at-home rules imposed in response to the coronavirus pandemic. His lawsuit alleges that Pritzker overstepped his authority as governor by imposing, then extending the executive order to temporarily shut down "nonessential" businesses and limit gatherings. Because Bailey's complaint alleges a violation of constitutional rights, the Illinois attorney general's office argued that the federal court has jurisdiction. But Steven Weinhoeft, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, argued in a 21-page statement of interest that Bailey's suit belonged in the circuit court. U.S. Magistrate Gilbert C. Sison agreed. Please log in to keep reading. {{featured_button_text}} Enjoy unlimited articles at one of our lowest prices ever. Support Local Journalism Your membership makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}} "In this instance, in the interest of federalism, the Court finds that the amended complaint does not give rise to federal jurisdiction and that this action is best committed to the courts of the State of Illinois for further consideration," the judge wrote in his order. Sison's order said while the Court "recognizes the enormity of the issues" the Bailey suit raises, but that the court's sole focus was the question of federal jurisdiction. "The stakes are high on both sides of this litigation," Sison wrote. "There is no easy balance between protecting the public from a silent, fast-spreading, novel virus and preventing great social upheaval and the heavy strain of economic and financial uncertainty." Sison noted that the court's operations have been disrupted due to the pandemic. Bailey represents Illinois' 109th legislative district, which follows the Indiana border from roughly Effingham to Salem. 10 ways Illinois schools could look different this fall Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 CHICAGO Illinois blood supply has been rapidly declining since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in March, according to officials at the Illinois Coalition of Community Blood Centers (ICCBC), a statewide organization composed of a collection of independent blood banks. The current supply will last only two days or less, putting it at a critically low level, explained Margaret Vaughn, government affairs director for the ICCBC. Blood collection is considered an essential service, but organizations that typically hold public blood drives, such as schools, churches and businesses, canceled their scheduled blood drives for fear of there being too many people, possibly making social distancing a problem. Rep. Darren Bailey's case against Pritzker heads back to circuit court The lawsuit alleges that Pritzker overstepped his authority as governor by imposing, then extending the executive order to temporarily shut down "nonessential" businesses and limit gatherings. It should not have been an issue to begin with, it was kind of a misconception, said Vaughn. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, along with the Illinois Department of Public Health gave specific guidelines for blood donations to continue during the pandemic, Vaughn said, which include staggering donation times, taking peoples temperatures, wearing masks and gloves, donor cots situated 6 feet apart and constant sanitation. There is a particular need for more African American blood donors, whose donations can help patients who have sickle cell disease, an inherited red blood disorder that disproportionately affects the Black community. Ninety-eight percent of all sickle cell disease patients are African Americans, according to information from the Red Cross. Sickle cell patients often require frequent blood transfusions, and the best blood type matches often come from donors of the same race or ethnic group, states the Red Cross. Yet, by late March to early April, the percentage of African American donors had decreased between 50% to 60%, said Dr. Yvette Miller, Red Cross executive medical officer. It was really startling, she said. People who had serious or chronic medical conditions should really honor those shelter-in-place orders, and many of those individuals in the African American community had some of those chronic conditions: hypertension, diabetes, obesity, said Miller. They were rightfully so honoring those shelter-in-place orders. With Black Americans dying from COVID-19 at a significantly disproportionate rate than other races, the decrease in African American donations is not surprising leaving the house puts members of the Black community more at risk. As some of the shelter-in-place orders have been lifted, Miller has seen a slight uptick in Black people coming to donate, but mostly, theres still a reluctance within the community, she said. Please log in to keep reading. {{featured_button_text}} Enjoy unlimited articles at one of our lowest prices ever. Support Local Journalism Your membership makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}} Our collections are still lower than they are year-over-year, but were definitely starting to see some African American donors come to present, said Miller. We definitely need more, but African Americans have understood the messaging that blood donation is an essential service and theres no substitution for blood donation. Miller understands the reluctance to come out, especially since there have been surges of COVID-19 cases throughout the country. She does want to let healthy African Americans know that blood collection sites are taking every necessary precaution based on the CDC recommendations to ensure the safety of the donors. When African Americans come out to donate, they are helping support the health and wellness of the African American community, and meeting their responsibility to do outreach and support of other individuals in the community, she said. A lot of people will look at it as their social responsibility and civic duty to support members of their own community. The shelf life for blood is only 42 days, Vaughn said, so there is a need for constant supply. She added that the summer season is also a time of increased demand for blood. Its not like toilet paper, where they can stockpile, she said. Blood has to be tested, and ready on the shelf, and ready to go. With people working from home indefinitely, Vaughn predicts the shortage will last for another six months at least. But as the state settles into phase four, she is calling on organizations to resume their blood drives. I sent out a plea at the very end of May asking for the legislators to come forward and to host a blood drive in their community and (many) have done so, said Vaughn. Some of them are having more than one, so thats helped a lot. Now that the limits have lifted, were hoping the people will be more open to having the drives. To make an appointment to donate blood or to set up your own blood drive with the Red Cross, visit RedCrossBlood.org or call (800) 733-2767. 10 ways Illinois schools could look different this fall Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Lincoln Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird plans to grant pardons to some protesters of police violence who violated a city curfew and wants to expand the ban on neck restraints by city police officers, she announced Tuesday. Lincoln officers will have an express duty to intervene when another officer acts dangerously, report every instance other than in training where they point a gun at someone and warn someone of their intention to use deadly force whenever possible. Her proposed changes come amid local and national outrage over the killing of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer in late May. Many of the police-reform policies that residents have implored the city to adopt in recent weeks were already practiced by the Lincoln Police Department, Gaylor Baird said. "In other words, these proposed revisions will make current policy more explicit and codify LPD's current best practices," she said. Strangleholds and chokeholds have been banned in Lincoln police protocol for years as tactics to make an arrest, but the proposed changes would expand that ban to two other neck restraints. Although those restraints are designed to protect a detainee's breathing, they still carry the potential to be lethal when used incorrectly, Police Chief Jeff Bliemeister said. But nothing, in this pandemic, has been normal, and, for at least some of the graduating seniors heading to prestigious colleges and universities around the country, the pandemic is creating uncertainty about exactly how their freshman year will play out. Luke Tomes, who graduated from Lincoln Pius X and is headed to Harvard to study neuroscience and economics, said classes will be held remotely, and hes waiting to hear whether hell be able to live on campus. If he cant, hell consider a gap year, given the unknowns of remote learning at an expensive Ivy League school, especially if he could get a job doing research for a year, a way to further his plans to one day become a neurosurgeon. Tomes whose father is a neurosurgeon said hes been inspired by his fathers work, which hes been exposed to since he was a boy on his way to baseball and basketball practice, having to wait at the nursing station while his dad checked on patients. Tomes is one of 44 graduating seniors in the state who earned perfect scores on the college admissions tests 43 of whom got perfect scores on the ACT, one on the SAT. That's the same as last year's record, an achievement accomplished by just 1/10th of 1% of students who take the test nationally. The claim does not specify the amount of money being sought. It names as plaintiffs Bradley and Amy Barth, John and Tonja Minardi, Julie Odermatt, and Justin and Wendy Pfeifer. A fifth girl who was in the car that crashed, Roan Brandon, was hospitalized with burns and a broken collarbone afterward. She and her family are not named as part of the tort claim. Megan Stubenhofer-Barrett, a Sarpy County spokeswoman, said county officials cannot comment on pending legal matters. The guardrail has been replaced because it was damaged in the crash, she said. No other changes to the roadway have been made. The tort claim does not specifically describe any alleged deficiencies of the road or guardrail. Mike Coyle, an attorney representing the families, responded to questions about the claim with an emailed statement. On June 17, 2019, four exceptional high school students needlessly lost their lives, Coyle wrote in part. Details as to the specific issues related to the cause of the crash, as well as the identity of other responsible parties, will be forthcoming. Support Local Journalism Your membership makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}} The four girls all juniors-to-be at Gretna High School met up that night in the high schools parking lot and took off in Barths 2017 Ford Fusion, authorities have said. Barth was driving. The case was Schenck v. United States. Charles Schenck was an officer of the Socialist Party of Philadelphia. He and a co-defendant were convicted of violating the Espionage Act of 1917 by preparing and distributing to young men pamphlets urging them to oppose the World War I draft by seeking to have the conscription laws repealed. Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes wrote the opinion of the court upholding the convictions. Holmes said that under other circumstances, the pamphlets might be protected by the First Amendment but not during wartime. But the character of every act depends upon the circumstances in which it is done, Holmes wrote. The most stringent protection of free speech would not protect a man in falsely shouting fire in a theatre and causing a panic. The analogy to falsely shouting fire in a crowded theater is invoked almost every time a court upholds someones right to say things others find disgusting. And, as Harvard law professor Alan Dershowitz noted in a 1989 essay in The Atlantic, the analogy in singularly inapt. Schenck was calling on young men to reflect on the nature of the draft and political freedom, but the man who yells Fire! in a crowded theater is appealing to irrational fear, which might lead people to panic, injury and death. For years, Nebraskas prisons system has been in a state of crisis, bursting at the seams with far more inmates than the 10 facilities can handle. Effective today, under a 2015 state law, the overcrowding is now officially at an emergency level. Now, a reduction in population is imminent, and we hope the state is ready to capitalize on this event to create change thats been needed for decades. The overcrowding emergency was mandated if the prison population exceeds 140% which it has since 2009 and continues until it falls below 125%. To do so would require prisons to release roughly 1,200 more inmates than they admit. Perhaps most perplexing is the lack of measurable action before this deadline. Governors couldve declared this emergency earlier, and hundreds of state senators have had opportunities both for the decades preceding and years after the state law took effect. Yet little measurable progress has been made. Despite adding 260 beds to prison capacity since 2016, the percentage of inmates to design capacity has remained essentially flat. RACINE A Racine woman allegedly hit and spat on a child, then reportedly stabbed the childs mother with a knife during an incident on Sunday. Linda McCurty, 61, of the 600 block of Ninth Street, was charged with second-degree recklessly endangering safety with use of a dangerous weapon, physical abuse of a child with the intent to cause bodily harm and disorderly conduct with use of a dangerous weapon. According to a criminal complaint: On Sunday, an officer responded to the 600 block of Ninth Street and spoke to the child and adult victim. The officer learned that the child had been playing with other children from the neighborhood when he ran into McCurty, who reportedly made a comment about the child being fat. The child then called McCurty Big Bird and went to the porch of his residence. While on his porch, the child heard McCurty talking about him under her breath and then he asked what she said. McCurty reportedly approached the child, got close to him, spat on him and then slapped him. The child tried to shield his face with his hands as McCurty punched him in the face and on top of his head about five times. KENOSHA Tyler Huffhines, the alleged leader of a huge blackmarket THC vape manufacturing ring, rejected a plea offer Monday that recommended a six-year prison sentence. Huffhines, 20, of Paddock Lake, is charged with six felonies, including three counts of possession of in excess of 10,000 grams of THC with intent to deliver. He is alleged to have been the organizer of a drug manufacturing and sales business that had employees manufacturing thousands of THC vape cartridges per day from a Bristol condominium and his mothers Union Grove real estate office. His mother, Courtney Huffhines, and brother, Jacob Huffhines, are also charged for their roles in the scheme, along with several employees, some from Racine. The operation came to light after an investigation that began into vape sales at a Waukesha high school. The Huffhines arrest and charges came at the same time. KENOSHA The open-records case involving former Racine alderman Sandy Weidner continues to make its way through court, albeit now in Kenosha County Circuit Court. Kenosha County Circuit Court Judge Chad G. Kerkman, with attorney Mark Hinkston representing Weidner and attorney Michael Cohen representing the City of Racine, set a briefing and hearing schedule for the remainder of the case; the schedule could see the case resolved by early October. In the first hearing since the Wisconsin Court of Appeals decision on the case, Cohen asked to be able to give a Powerpoint presentation on the communications involved and the citys argument that they fall under attorney-client privilege. He said he plans to also file a motion for the Powerpoint and the presentation to be sealed. Kerkman set a deadline for July 7 to submit the Powerpoint to the court and to give a presentation to all parties involved by Aug. 3. After giving time for Hinkston to respond, then for Cohen to respond to Hinkstons response, a hearing is scheduled for 9 a.m. on Oct. 7, when Kerkman plans to issue a decision in the case. Revolving judges Downer said many students figure that if they get COVID-19, they wont become very ill the virus tends to be more dangerous to the elderly and wont be in contact with elderly relatives anyway. Emerson Boettcher, 21, a senior studying political science and economics at UW-Madison, said she was happy to see the new restrictions. I was really disappointed to see my classmates all going out to the bars, and really not using any social distancing measures, Boettcher said. It is not fair to any of your fellow Badgers who are also paying a ton in tuition and also want to keep their family safe. People need to take personal responsibility in times like these. But Samuel Howell, a 2018 graduate, called the decision to go out to the bars during a pandemic an individual choice, responsibility type thing. You know, if you want to go out and potentially risk your life and risk getting sick, thats up to you, he said. Also, these are free businesses and free enterprises, and it should be up to them if they want to open up or not. Back to Phase 1 Opponents have started to call attention to management issues at other Core Spaces properties nationwide. A report from last August in East Lansing (Michigan) Info noted The Hub in that city failed to make its move-in deadline, causing significant traffic issues. Core Spaces, according to the report, did not secure a Certificate of Occupancy in time for its scheduled move-in. A Certificate of Occupancy is issued when a building has been inspected and deemed safe for living. The Hub in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, also faced issues when it opened in 2018. According to The Crimson White, students complained that when they moved in, they encountered flooding and ceiling leaks. Other students said The Hub opened before it was ready and resembled a construction site when they moved in and did not have the promised appliances. There were also issues with sewage backups and mold. "She was a die-hard civil rights activist," Grayson said in an email. "She is the epitome of Black womanhood; I think a statue of Vel Phillips would be amazingly amazing in the heart of our city. As a symbol of the Movement of Black Lives and the new era that's upon us which is the re-defining of our human-beingness." Risser, chairman of the State Capitol Executive Residence Board, said the board has a policy against new statues on the Capitol grounds, so a statue of Phillips would be an exception. "They wanted to stress the two statues that were there, 'Forward' and Heg," he said. "People are always wanting statues on the Capitol. When they made that policy they had a situation where they didn't want to fill the Capitol Square with statues." He said the board could vote on an exception, or the Legislature could step in and override the policy. Risser, the Legislature's longest-serving lawmaker, said he was serving in the Assembly when Philliips was elected secretary of state. He called her an "icon." "Honoring Vel would be a great idea," he said. State Rep. Shelia Stubbs, Dane County's first African American lawmaker, said that the Capitol needs more images of African Americans. The case has worked its way through lower courts during the past seven months. Republicans want the Supreme Court to purge voters suspected of moving in order to maintain clean voter rolls. WILL says the state should keep its voter rolls orderly by removing voters who may no longer reside at the address indicated on their voter registration. Democrats are against such a move because the system used to determine registered voters suspected of moving hasnt always been accurate. They also say it would make it more difficult for their voters to cast ballots. Republicans counter that even if a voter is mistakenly identified as a mover and taken off the rolls, it would not impede his or her right to vote because Wisconsin offers same-day voter registration, which requires ID and proof of residence. In October, the Elections Commission sent a letter to about 234,000 voters it identified as potentially having moved. It asked those voters to update their voter registrations if they moved or notify elections officials if they still reside at the same address. Because some of the voters flagged as having moved in a 2017 mailing never actually did, the commission opted to wait as long as a couple of years to deactivate the registration of voters who didnt respond to the October mailing. Ive felt since I came into this role, that we should be having a conversation on where were investing our dollars on an economic development side, and this is an extension of what I think is a need to put our cards on the table and decide how were going to play this game, but we have to play it together, Hughes said. The 150-page report, titled Wisconsin Tomorrow An Economy for All, was submitted to Evers and state lawmakers on Tuesday. In April they passed COVID-19 response legislation that directed WEDC to provide leaders with a plan to support major industries in the state that have been adversely affected by the outbreak. The report also stresses the need to focus on racial disparities in the state workforce and create equitable inclusion for all communities. We felt that it was critical to acknowledge that a recovery plan has to take into account all of the communities in Wisconsin, Hughes said. Back to work WASHINGTON U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., and another Republican senator on Wednesday proposed scrapping Columbus Day as a federal holiday and replacing it with Juneteenth. The proposal, which Johnson made with U.S. Sen. James Lankford, R-Oklahoma, comes after the introduction of a Senate bill last week that would establish the holiday. The bipartisan measure has 51 co-sponsors. Johnson, the Republican chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, didnt sign on as a co-sponsor of that bill. U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin, a Wisconsin Democrat, did. But Johnson said he supports the new paid holiday but offered an amendment to the legislation that does not put us further in debt. We support celebrating emancipation with a federal holiday, but believe we should eliminate a current holiday in exchange, he said in a statement. We chose Columbus Day as a holiday that is lightly celebrated, and least disruptive to Americans schedules. Since Columbus Day falls on the second Monday of October, the proposal would add a summer federal holiday in exchange for the one in the fall. We have no quarrel with the notion that its a good idea to stop lawbreakers in the act of committing a crime from listening in on police activity. And its a good idea to allow police to communicate in private on investigations and tactical situations; that was done in the past using separate channels. But, particularly in these times when police enforcement activities are under increased scrutiny, we have great quarrel with a situation where the news media and the public are blocked from hearing routine communications when they hear the blare of police sirens in their neighborhoods. People want to know whats going on in their neighborhoods and police calls are right at the top of that list. They want to know if they are in danger, they want to know if they should avoid going somewhere and they want to know if their home is threatened. Thats good information and the public should have a right to be clued in in a timely fashion. - Rich Asuncion went to Australia and started a new life with her husband and baby daughter - However, it was not easy for her as she struggled to find a new job in a foreign country - In a social media post, she admitted that she is now working as a waitress in Australia - She also shared her different struggles as a mother and getting a new career amid the COVID-19 pandemic PAY ATTENTION: Click "See First" under the "Following" tab to see KAMI news on your News Feed Kapuso actress Rich Asuncion shared her experience as a mother and her struggles to find a new job in Australia amid the COVID-19 crisis. KAMI learned that Rich revealed in a social media post that she is now a waitress in Australia. Photo from @richasuncionmudie on Instagram Source: Instagram In an Instagram post, she detailed her struggles to find a career in a foreign country as she does not want to be a stay-at-home mom. Tagal ko rin naghanap ng work. Kailangan mo yun dito dahil pag sa bahay ka lang mas lalo kang malulungkot. Marami naman kasing opportunities dito basta di ka lang mapili, she said. So yun na nga, dahil di na ko ako nagpaka-choosy. sinubukan ko na ang pag wi-waitress. Casual job at a restaurant, she added. The actress admitted that she had a hard time accepting her new life in a different country. However, she realized there is nothing wrong with her new job as it is in line with her tourism course in the University of the Philippines. Nung una nahirapan ako tanggapin pero narealize ko ngayon, ano naman ang masama dun. Part pa rin naman sya ng Tourism course na kinuha ko sa UP, she wrote. At wala akong karapatan maginarte kasi nabigyan ako panibagong chance to start anew, she continued. Rich also encouraged other people to look at the silver lining even though it is hard right now given that there is still a pandemic. She was also able to enroll to continue her studies and she was offered a full-time job at a daycare. PAY ATTENTION: Shop with KAMI! The best offers and discounts on the market, product reviews and feedback PAY ATTENTION: Enjoyed reading our story? Download KAMI's news app on Google Play now and stay up-to-date with major Filipino news! Rich Asuncion is a known actress of GMA Network. She was the First Princess of StarStruck: The Next Level. She also became a first runner-up in Binibining Pilipinas 2009. About a year ago, Rich gave birth to her baby girl with her husband Benjamin Mudie at her side. She also shared photos of her husband and baby interacting for the first time ever. 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.ph - Iwa Moto recently took to social media to call the attention of the government - She said the government should focus more on the issues about Manila Electric Company (Meralco) instead of giving much time to the ABS-CBN franchise topic - Kasi wagas ang bill ng mga tao! the actress posted on Instagram - Meralco received a lot of complaints from consumers who question their high electricity bills during the quarantine period PAY ATTENTION: Click "See First" under the "Following" tab to see KAMI news on your News Feed Iwa Moto took to social media to tell the government to give attention to the issues raised by consumers against Manila Electric Company (Meralco) instead of focusing on the ABS-CBN franchise renewal issue. Iwa Moto calls out to government to give attention to Meralco issues Source: Instagram It can be remembered that Meralco received a lot of complaints from consumers who question their electricity bills during the quarantine period. "Dear government, kesa ABS-CBN anghinahabol nyo at pinag iinitan, try nyo kayang silipin and Meralco? Kasi wagas ang bill ng mga tao! Mahirap na nga ang buhay pinapahirap pa lalo! the actress wrote in a social media post. PAY ATTENTION: Shop with KAMI! The best offers and discounts on the market, product reviews and feedback To recall, the Kapamilya network received an order from the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) to stop its broadcast operation on May 5. The NTC reasoned out that the legislative franchise of giant media network already expired on May 4 so it cannot continue operating on television and radio. Since then, it became one of the much-talked-about issues in the country. Several celebrities have already spoken their views about it. PAY ATTENTION: Enjoyed reading our story? Download KAMI's news app on Google Play now and stay up-to-date with major Filipino news! Meralco is the largest private power distribution company in the Philippines. The name is an acronym for Manila Electric Railroad And Light Company. Last May, the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) has ordered power distributors, including Meralco, to provide new billing following the complaints of high electricity charges by Meralco to their consumers. Meralco also recently announced that it will suspend all its disconnection activities until August 31 to give consumers more time to understand their bills. 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! POPULAR: Read more news about Meralco! Source: Kami.com.ph Killeen, TX (76540) Today A mix of clouds and sun. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 94F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph.. Tonight Thunderstorms early, then cloudy skies after midnight. Low 66F. Winds NE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 80%. 1. Yes. Its important for students to stay focused throughout the year. Its a plus. 2. Yes. It would fill the learning gaps caused by COVID and would help cut youth crime. 3. No. Students and teachers deserve a summer break. Year-round school wont work. 4. No. It wouldnt work with the militarys summer PCS schedule. Its a bad idea. 5. Unsure. Its hard to say without knowing how the school calendar would work. Vote View Results Callum Smiths Twenty24 Ltd. has just begun the restoration of North American Harvard Mk.IIa in Wanaka, New Zealand for Masterton-based warbird pilot, Bevan Dewes. Contstructed for a U.S. Army Air Forces contract as AT-6C 41-33720 in 1943 at North Americans plant in Dallas, Texas as part of, she was originally destined to serve in Britains Royal Air Force as EX747. However, before delivery, the British diverted her for service with the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) as NZ1044. She arrived in New Zealand, along with seven other Harvards (ex-41-33714 thru 41-22721/ex-EX741 thru EX748/thruNZ1038 thru NZ1045) aboard the SS James S. Hogg (later renamed USS Pavo) in June, 1943. After re-assembly at Hobsonville, the RNZAF officially took her on charge on June 26th, 1943. She flew with No.2 (Fighter) Operational Training Unit during the war, primarily in Ohakea, New Zealand. The aircraft had machine guns and a gunsight, and served in an aerial gunnery training role bearing the side codes FE-9. NZ1044 remained with the RNZAF after WWII, receiving an upgrade to Mk.2A* status in August, 1954. Part of this work involved replacing the wooden aft fuselage and empenage components with their aluminum equivalents; she was the first RNZAF Harvard to undergo this treatment. Following these modifications, the Harvard is known to have flown with No.3 (TAF) Squadron between September 3rd, 1954 and November 18th, 1955. NZ1044 made her last flight in 1958, and the RNZAF placed her in storage at Wigram in July, 1962, where she remained until October, 1971 when New Zealands Government Stores Board transferred the aircraft to New Zealand National Airways Corporations (NAC) Technical Training School in Christchurch. Here trainee aircraft maintenance technicians practiced their craft working on the now-static airframe; part of this involved them learning how to install control surfaces and properly setting the tension for the associated flight control cables. She continued to serve in this role through NACs merger with Air New Zealand in April, 1978 and a decade or two beyond, until going into storage once again. NAC disposed of the airframe in 2004, and she has passed through a couple of owners before Bevan acquired her earlier this year. Interestingly, half of the eight Harvards which journeyed to New Zealand aboard the SS James S. Hogg in spring, 1943 still survive today! In addition to NZ1044, there is NZ1038, which flies as VH-AYO in Canning Vale, Western Australia, NZ1040 as VH-XXH with Cairns Airport Hangars Ltd, in Cairns, Queensland, while NZ1041 (another ex-NAC airframe) belongs to John Saunders who presently has the aircraft stored in Omaka, New Zealand. Another potential survivor is NZ1039, which the GSB sold to one M. Nortier in Auckland, New Zealand following the disposal of the RNZAFs remaining Harvards in 1978, however, that was the last time this particular airframe ventured out in public, and quite what has become of her in the years since is presently unknown. But now, after years of storage, NZ1044 is receiving some long-overdue TLC. Callum Smith notes that she is one of the most original Harvards hes ever worked on, stating, Because of the low hours on the airframe, and the fact its been kept out of the elements for all these years, it really is in mint condition. We have started pulling it all apart to assess exactly what work is required to get it flying again but so far there are no major surprises. According to a recent article published on Warbirds Over Wanakas website, Bevan Dewes remarked that the airframe still retains its original logbook, dating from her very first test flight in 1943. Rather amusingly, he also notes that NAC trainees left a fair amount of sometimes cheeky graffiti on various parts of the aircraft, Its all part of the history of the aircraft so Ive decided to keep that all in there rather than paint over it. Bevan Dewes plans to restore the aircraft to the way she looked when serving with No.2 FOTU, complete with guns and gunsight, and with the same camouflaged livery she once wore. Once she is flying again, Dewes will undoubtedly display her at the world-famous Warbirds Over Wanaka International Airshow, an event he has regularly attended, both as a visitor and a performer. In more recent years, Dewes has displayed his deHavilland Canada DHC-1 Chipmunk Mk.22 at the event. This aircraft served in the Royal Air Force as WP861 and flew for a while at White Waltham in England. WP861 has the distinction of being one of two Chipmunks in which His Royal Highness Prince Philip learned to fly. According to their Warbirds Over Wanakas article, Bevan has also been a recipient of a Warbirds Over Wanaka Community Trust Flying Scholarship. He used the funding to fulfil a childhood dream and get a rating in a Spitfire. Bevan had been lined up to fly the Auckland-based Spitfire to Wanaka for the 2020 Airshow before the event was cancelled because of COVID-19. We wish Bevan Dewes well with the restoration of his new prize. She is sure to be a magnificent addition to Warbirds Over Wanaka once she flies again! The Health Department has spoken with Loggers officials, Rombalski says, and "they took some but not all of our recommendations. I think there still is risk there." For the Fourth of July weekend, Rombalski urges against gatherings but acknowledged some will do so regardless. Those who choose to congregate are urged to practice physical distancing, wear a face covering and remain in an outdoor setting. Addressing the Wednesday issuance of an order in Dane County prohibiting bars from offering indoor dining and service, Rombalski said there are no local plans to take similar action. Rombalski stated she does not believe the La Crosse County Health Department has the power to enact such a ruling. "This does come back to the level of authority that health officers have in the state of Wisconsin. We're seeing some discrepancy in the level of authority and the understanding of what that is," Rombalski said. "... It is not my understanding that the health officer authority is clear around writing broad orders across sectors of the community." Advocate Aurora Healths focus on patient care, population health and building healthy communities aligns well with the missions and visions of Quartzs other provider owners, Terry Bolz, president and CEO of Quartz, said in a statement in January. According to the application the organizations filed May 1 with the Wisconsin Office of the Commissioner of Insurance, Advocate Aurora will pay $5 million or whatever amount is needed to acquire at least 15%, but no more than 20%, of membership rights in Quartz Health Plan Corp. That part of Quartz handles its Medicare Advantage business, Quartz spokeswoman Christina Ott said. Quartz, which operates in 28 Wisconsin counties, will expand its Medicare Advantage business, but not other offerings, into an additional 10 counties in eastern Wisconsin, Ott said. We have no plans to expand any other lines of business at this time, she said. But some observers wonder if the move is part of a broader plan that could drive up health care costs. Your donation, which powers our reporters and keep us independent, will be matched dollar for dollar today during our June Member drive. Start your day with LAist Sign up for the Morning Brief, delivered weekdays. Subscribe Our news is free on LAist. To make sure you get our coverage: Sign up for our daily coronavirus newsletter. To support our nonprofit public service journalism: Donate now. It's been two weeks since hotels in California got the green light to reopen, but the workers tasked with cleaning and preparing rooms for guests say hotel management is not following or enforcing state-mandated safety protocols for operating during the coronavirus pandemic. The hotel workers union, Unite Here Local 11, is now calling on local officials to shut hotels down until the proper protections are in place. NOT ENOUGH MASKS, GLOVES, CLEANING, OR TEMP CHECKS According to state guidelines, hotels must provide masks for employees and ensure that they're being properly used. Workers should also be given temperature checks before the start of each shift, plus extra time to more thoroughly clean rooms and wash their hands. But Kurt Peterson, co-president of Unite Here Local 11, which represents hotel workers in L.A. and Orange counties, told KPCC's Take Two that's not happening. The lack of proper protocols could potentially put hotel guests, as well as workers, at risk for contracting the virus. Petersen said he's heard from workers that rooms are not being cleaned regularly enough and "as a consequence, there's an extraordinary buildup of towels and linen that's been soiled in rooms and then being piled up in hallways." The situation at hotels is like "the wild, wild west," he said. "I just got off the phone at a hotel where a kitchen worker contracted COVID-19," Petersen told us. "And the problem is that the hotel is not telling us or other workers, much less the guests, about that case. And that is contrary to common sense [and] the L.A. County safety guidelines." It's an example of "why we believe there needs to be a pause until we get it right," he said. Hotel workers want to go back to work just as much as everyone else, but the union is not willing to sacrifice their health for a paycheck, Peterson said. "They're supposed to give us enough time to go from one room to another to wash our hands," Delilah Gibson, who tidies up the rooms at the Westin Bonaventure in Downtown L.A., told us. "We have so much work, we don't have time to wash our hands and that's not safe," she said. "And the masks? You have to ask them, 'May I have a mask?' You shouldn't have to go and ask." The managing director at the Westin Bonaventure declined to comment for this story. Not only are hotels supposed to supply masks to workers, they're also supposed to provide disposable gloves that can be thrown away after each room is cleaned, said Peterson. But that is not happening either, he said. In addition, hotels are required to provide hand sanitizer for workers and guests, have automatically opening doors to lobbies so that no one has to touch the handles, and make sure that elevators are never occupied by more than four people at a time. "The problem is that the county issued these guidelines on Thursday, June 11, for the hotels to open on Friday, June 12," Petersen said. "It is reckless and irresponsible. And it should not have been done." A hotel employee cleans a room in Lloret de Mar, Spain on June 22, 2020. (Photo by JOSEP LAGO/AFP via Getty Images) 'GUESTS FIRST' POLICY DOESN'T WORK IF GUESTS REFUSE TO WEAR MASKS Lynn Mohrfeld, president and CEO of the California Hotel and Lodging Association, argues that hotels have been safely operating for the past several months, while housing homeless Californians through the temporary statewide program, Project Roomkey. "We haven't had any cluster outbreaks at hotels that we're aware of," Mohrfeld told KPCC's Airtalk, "so I think we're well-positioned to have the tools to provide our employees a very safe environment." Petersen counters that leisure travelers behave differently from homeless hotel tenants, who face strict guidelines on mask wearing and hand washing, as well as daily temperature checks. Paying hotel guests, he said, are not subject to the same scrutiny and therefore have greater potential to spread the virus to employees...and each other. "Honestly, the Project Roomkey population is much safer than your individual traveler," Petersen said. "[Tourists] are there to enjoy themselves. They are there to exercise what they consider their rights. And hotels I don't think are ready, or willing, to tell them to comply with temperature checks or with masks. That's a problem that we're running into all across the country." Petersen argued that hotel guests should be required to wear a mask as soon as they enter the building, "and if they don't, they don't get in." The problem is that the hotel industry's "guests first" policy isn't conducive to cracking down on travelers who might put up a fight about mask-wearing or other coronavirus policies. United Here Local 11 is asking L.A. and Orange counties to pause all hotel reopenings until proper protocols are put into place, and to create a system that would hold hotel managers accountable if they don't follow the rules. Petersen also wants hotels to notify the union when a worker does come down with COVID-19, so that person can be isolated, treated and guaranteed to get their job back when they recover. A room cleaner putting a sticker on a room's door after its disinfection at a luxury hotel in Antalya, a popular holiday resort in Turkey. (Photo by Ozan KOSE / AFP) HOTEL WORKERS NEED HEALTH INSURANCE Petersen pointed out that, even in the middle of a pandemic, many of the hotels in Southern California aren't providing their workers with health insurance. He pointed specifically to luxury hotels in Hollywood and Palos Verdes, which he says are bringing back workers who don't have coverage. Until the union's demands are met, Petersen said, he doesn't think anyone should feel safe staying in a hotel in California, especially since the chances of transmission are higher than a restaurant or bar, if you're staying overnight. "I wouldn't go to a hotel, right now," he said. "I just wouldn't." QUESTIONS TO ASK YOURSELF IF YOU'RE STILL THINKING ABOUT STAYING AT A HOTEL: When you walk in, are they taking your temperature? Are they asking you to put on a mask? Are they opening the door for you? What are they doing to increase ventilation? Look at the public areas. Are there people cleaning in those areas?? "That is a sign that hotel management is talking seriously about the need to constantly clean surfaces," Petersen says. Gina Pollack contributed to this story. LISTEN TO THE AUDIO VERSION: MORE ON CORONAVIRUS A protester stands with her hand up in front of a road blocked by Seattle police in the Capitol Hill Organized Protest zone early Wednesday, July 1, 2020. Police in Seattle have torn down demonstrators' tents in the city's so-called occupied protest zone after the mayor ordered it cleared. (AP Photo/Aron Ranen) PHOTO:AP Photo/Aron Ranen Police Clear 'Occupied' Zone, Several Arrested By The Associated Press SEATTLE - Seattle police showed up in force early Wednesday at the city's occupied protest zone, tore down demonstrators' tents and used bicycles to herd the protesters after the mayor ordered the area cleared following two fatal shootings in less than two weeks. Television images showed no signs of clashes between the police, many dressed in riot gear, and dozens of protesters at the Capitol Hill Occupied Protest zone that was set up near downtown following the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Police swarmed the zone known as CHOP at about 5 a.m. and a loud bang was heard at about 6:15 a.m. followed by a cloud of smoke. At least 23 people were arrested, said Police Chief Carmen Best. Our job is to support peaceful demonstration but what has happened on these streets over the last two weeks is lawless and its brutal and bottom line it is simply unacceptable, Best told reporters. Police tore down fences that protesters had erected around their tents and used batons to poke inside bushes, apparently looking for people who might be hiding inside. One officer took down a sign saying we are not leaving until our demands are met: 1. Defund SPD by 50% now. 2. Fund Black Communities. 3. Free all protesters." Most protesters appeared to have dispersed several hours after the operations started and armed officers looked on from rooftops as clean-up crews of workers arrived to break down tables and tarps that protesters had set up in the zone. Officers were investigating several vehicles circling the area after police saw people inside them with firearms/armor," police said in a tweet, adding that the vehicles did not appear to have visible license plates. The protesters had occupied several blocks around a park for about two weeks and police abandoned a precinct station following standoffs and clashes with the protesters, who called for racial justice and an end to police brutality. Police said they moved in to protect the public after Mayor Jenny Durkan issued the order for protesters to leave. Since demonstrations at the East Precinct area began on June 8th, two teenagers have been killed and three people have been seriously wounded in late-night shootings," Seattle police said on Twitter. "Police have also documented robberies, assaults, and other violent crimes. The tweet added that "suspects in recent shootings may still be in the area, and because numerous people in the area are in possession of firearms. Best said she supports peaceful demonstrations but that enough is enough. The CHOP has become lawless and brutal. Four shootings-two fatalrobberies, assaults, violence and countless property crimes have occurred in this several block area," she said. There had been mounting calls by critics, including President Donald Trump, to remove protesters following the fatal shootings. Protesters have said they should not be blamed for the violence in the area. Your donation, which powers our reporters and keep us independent, will be matched dollar for dollar today during our June Member drive. 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. With uncertainty swirling about how the coronavirus recession will affect the Los Angeles Unified School District's bottom line, school board members approved a placeholder budget for the upcoming school year that largely maintains the district's current spending levels -- at least for now. However, in one headline-grabbing respect, LAUSD's new budget is anything but status quo: board members voted 4-3 to cut $25 million from the L.A. School Police Department. On Wednesday afternoon, less than 24 hours after the vote, L.A. School Police Department Chief Todd Chamberlain, who was hired by the board only last November, stepped down from the job. Black Lives Matter-L.A. and the teachers union, United Teachers Los Angeles, had called for completely dismantling the district-run force that patrols LAUSD campuses. But last week, board members deadlocked on more ambitious proposals to slash the department. So on Tuesday, board members Monica Garcia and Jackie Goldberg brokered a compromise to cut the department's budget by a more modest 35% -- still a major victory for student activists who have been ramping up their criticisms of the department for years. "What I have seen in Los Angeles inspires me to make myself uncomfortable," Garcia said, "and to believe that students who came forward and lived an experience that none of us intended." 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 WHAT THE SCHOOL POLICE CUTS WILL MEAN The 35% cut to the L.A. School Police Department, which employs more than 400 officers, will have an immediate impact. L.A. School Police Chief Todd Chamberlain told the board that 65 officers will be laid off immediately, and three dozen vacant positions would go unfilled. Officers will continue to be stationed at LAUSD high schools five days a week during the school day, Chamberlain said. But the department would have to scale back drastically from its current 24/7 service schedule. Fewer officers will be available to patrol the rest of the district -- and it's unclear who would respond to campuses after 4:30 p.m. and on weekends. Board members also barred the district from contracting instead with LAPD, the L.A. County Sheriff or a private security firm. Instead, the budget amendment -- also supported by members Kelly Gonez and Nick Melvoin -- calls on LAUSD to use the $25 million slashed from what was a $70 million police budget to hire more social workers, counselors and campus safety aids. The motion calls for directing these hires to schools with the district's largest populations of Black students. It's close to what Black Lives Matter-L.A. co-founder Melina Abdullah urged the board to do in testimony earlier in the day: "Let's divest from school police and invest in the things that our children actually need." THE SCHOOL POLICE DEBATE Though $25 million is just a sliver of the district's $8.9 billion operating budget, the cut from the L.A. School Police Department was by far the dominant issue in more than 13 hours of discussion and debate on Tuesday. The board's vote followed hours of impassioned testimony from both supporters and opponents of school police. Activist and college instructor David Turner voiced opponents' frustration: "People have been out here for decades calling for ... 'care, not cops'; 'schools, not prisons.' How many ways do we have to say it before you hear us?" "Having a police officer on campus doesn't send a message of safety, but a message of fear," said Marshe Doss, a recent Dorsey High School graduate and longtime activist against L.A. School Police policies. School police supporters turned out as well, raising concerns about who would maintain safety if police were removed. LAUSD principals have been some of the strongest voices in support of maintaining police presence on campuses -- and the three votes against removing them came from former principals: board members Richard Vladovic, Scott Schmerelson and George McKenna -- the only African American member of the board. McKenna reiterated his support for the Black Lives Matter movement, but objected to comparisons between school police and city or county cops. Vladovic begged his colleagues to delay, saying they couldn't foresee the ramifications of the vote. "We're walking right into this without knowing where we're going, and how we're going to get there," Vladovic said. "We don't need to rush and cut the budget of school police to satisfy high emotions," said P.J. Webb, head of the union representing L.A. School Police Department sergeants and lieutenants. "This department ... does not have a history of police brutality." Between 2014 and 2017, UCLA's Bunche Center found L.A. School Police made 3,389 arrests, wrote 2,724 citations and sent 1,282 students to diversion programs such as counseling. (For context, the department answers more than 100,000 calls for service in a year in a district with 60,000 employees and 472,000 students.) Department officials have said that when school police are called on students, in recent years, officers have been referring more students who commit minor infractions to diversion programs -- which leave students without criminal records. The Bunche Center data also showed that roughly 25% of those arrests, citations and diversions happened to Black students -- even though Black students only represent around 8% of LAUSD's student population. "It's called structural and systemic racism for a reason," said board member Melvoin, "and that's because it doesn't require animus or intent or motivation." Melvoin also said the district should focus on ways to broaden conversations about how LAUSD serves Black and Brown students beyond policing. "I'll express some disappointment," Melvoin said, "that this energy [against police] isn't directed toward the other 99% of our budget -- a [multi-billion dollar] statement we're making today that leaves a lot of room for more equity and support of students." Protesters rally in front of LAUSD's Headquarters during a protest to defund the L.A. School Police Department. (Chava Sanchez/LAist) ABOUT THAT BUDGET -- WHAT'S NEXT? Board members' vote on Tuesday fulfills a requirement under state law that they pass a budget by July 1. In the coming months, LAUSD officials expect they'll have to make adjustments to their $8.9 billion spending plan as it becomes clearer how much funding California's largest school district can expect from the state and federal governments. While Gov. Gavin Newsom and California's legislature have agreed to spare K-12 schools and community colleges from immediate cuts, state leaders are likely to revisit their spending plans in the coming months, in part because it's not clear how much revenue the state can expect after the income tax filing deadline, which was moved from April 15 to July 15 because of the pandemic. State lawmakers are also waiting to see whether Congress and President Trump will come through with another aid package for state and local governments, which could help California dig out of a projected $40.9 billion shortfall in the coming budget year. Because LAUSD officials wrote their current budget based largely on the governor's May spending proposals, they'll need to return to the board with revisions in the next 45 days. Chief Financial Officer David Hart also raised the possibility that state lawmakers may make further revisions to their budget, necessitating even more adjustments at the district level in the coming months. LAUSD officials may also need to revisit their plans in December, when a state-mandated plan for aiding high-need students -- which is closely tied to the budget -- comes due. In the meantime, rather than cutting school districts' permanent funding, the state plans to delay more than $12 billion in payments to school districts over the next year -- an accounting trick revived from the Great Recession that allows the state to pass along its cash flow problems to local school districts. LAUSD is positioned to take the hit to its cash flow, at least over the near term. Even after absorbing an estimated $291 million in COVID-19 response costs, the district ends the school year with a healthy reserve. By the end of next year, officials expect LAUSD to have amassed nearly $1 billion in reserves. But officials say many of the well-worn warnings bear repeating: LAUSD is spending more money each year than it takes in. Enrollment is still declining, and may decline further because of COVID-19. CARRYOVER DOLLARS While LAUSD's newly approved budget largely puts the district into a holding pattern, there are signs of possible changes to come. For example: in LAUSD schools, principals coordinate decisions about how to spend dollars allocated by the district -- decisions such as, "Should our school 'buy' another assistant principal? Or another social worker?" When principals don't spend their entire allotment, schools are often allowed to essentially bank these dollars to be spent in the future. Because schools are carrying forward this unspent money, they're referred to as "carryover" dollars. In recent years, as LAUSD officials have looked for savings to narrow previous budget gaps, they've avoided touching these carryover amounts -- it's a step to reduce districtwide budget deficits that only works once. In January, LAUSD's central office told school principals they could use half of these "carryover" dollars in their budgets for 2020-21 and that they might get access to the other half in September -- which isn't necessarily unusual, officials said. Central office hasn't yet committed to releasing those carryover dollars to schools. On Tuesday, several board members expressed concern about signals that central office may begin to claw back some of these carryover dollars from both school sites and central office budgets -- as much as $521 million over the next three years to help close what, in a worst-case scenario, could be a huge deficit by 2022-23. "The reason why schools have a lot of carryover," said board member Gonez, "is not because of their lack of planning, but as a result of policies and practices that generate dollars that principals can't incorporate into their school until the next year" -- such as budgeting for a nurse or librarian, but being unable to hire one. "It feels unfair to penalize schools for those rules," she added, "which are outside of their control." UPDATE, July 1, 5:15 p.m.: This story was updated to include the announcement by L.A. School Police Chief Todd Chamberlain that he has resigned. Treasures Markets, a discount grocery and general merchandise store, opened Tuesday in Lancaster. The 27,000-square-foot store, situated behind the McDonalds near J.P. McCaskey High School, sells discounted groceries alongside furniture, clothing and other retail items made available from closeouts and donations. The business is owned by a nonprofit organization that will donate all of its proceeds to local charities, beginning with Water Street Rescue Mission, whose job-training program will also be a source for employees. One half of Treasures Markets space is dedicated to grocery items and includes dairy, produce and meat sections. The other half of the store has clothes, furniture and appliances, including items from Kmart and Sears stores that were going out of business. Treasures Market plans to eventually accept some thrift items, although most of the merchandise will still be new items. Mike Mitchell, former owner of the Amelias discount grocery chain, developed Treasures Markets in partnership with Water Street Mission, the Social Enterprise Institute at Elizabethtown College, and the High Foundation. Mitchell says the grocery half of the new store operates just like his former discount grocery chain, which was sold in 2011 to Grocery Outlet Bargain Market. Mitchell, who is also executive director of the High Center at Elizabethtown College, says he plans to open several more Treasures Markets in the region, possibly another in Lancaster County. This story contains links that will take you to our archives site on newspapers.com. This content is free for LancasterOnline subscribers who are logged in. Click here for more information about how to subscribe. With vaccine development in the news again thanks to the COVID-19 coronavirus, the local history of vaccine production has also been in the news. Marietta's contribution to the world of vaccines began with one man - Dr. H.M. Alexander. Born in Lewisburg in 1850, Alexander graduated from Bucknell University and the University of Pennsylvania Medical School. Shortly thereafter, he moved to Marietta, where he took over the family practice of a Dr. Norris, who was ready to retire. Alexander soon become a successful and beloved local doctor, galloping through the streets on horseback as he rushed from one house call to another. A few years later, Alexander took an interest in the smallpox vaccine, which was not readily available here, despite having been developed nearly a century earlier in England by Edward Jenner. According to this 1930 biographical story about Alexander published in the Sunday News, the young doctor traveled around the country to visit farms that were involved in vaccine production, even going so far as to take a job undercover as a laborer at one such location. By 1882, Alexander was making smallpox vaccine in Marietta - first in a renovated chicken house next to his office with a single heifer, soon after at the Marietta Vaccine Farm with a herd of hundreds. He used the technique established by Jenner of infecting cows with smallpox, then drawing their blood and using the cows' antibodies to produce a smallpox vaccine for humans. Here, then, is a timeline of some important moments in the development of the Marietta facility, as it grew from humble beginnings into the mammoth, high-tech plant of today. 1887 - Getting started Despite Alexander's first-year profits for his vaccine operation being recorded as a mere $1.50, before long orders for vaccines were coming in faster than he could keep up. This 1887 article describes the farm's business in glowing terms, mentioning the fact that much of that season's production was being shipped to the Pacific states, where a smallpox outbreak was occurring. 1888 - International orders Just as Alexander's operation had gained renown across America, its fame soon spread across the world. This brief notice from 1888 mentions that the Marietta Vaccine Farm was shipping internationally, filling orders for vaccines from as far away as Shanghai, as well as locations throughout Canada, Mexico and South America. 1893 - World's Fair In 1893, the eyes of the world were on Chicago, where the World's Fair showcased advances in science, industry and the arts, all displayed against the glistening white background of an idealized neoclassical city. Alexander was there not as a visitor but as a participant, in charge of the fair's exhibits about vaccine production. (By the following year, the Marietta Vaccine Farm was said to be the largest operation of its kind in the world.) One unfortunate outcome of what should have been a positive time in Alexander's life: As this Lancaster Examiner story notes, the doctor's 15-year-old son, Hume, died while at the fair assisting his father. The cause of death was spinal meningitis. 1896 - Centennial celebrations Just three years after the Chicago World's Fair marked the centennial of Edward Jenner's vaccine breakthrough, and that occasion was celebrated in style at the Marietta Vaccine Farm. As this article relays, about 250 people gathered at the farm for tours, speeches, a luncheon (held in a hayloft that had been converted to an impromptu banquet hall for the occasion) and even some musical performances. 1903 - Alexander dies On Oct. 13, 1903, Dr. H.M. Alexander died at the age of 53, of a likely heart attack, at his summer home in Conewago. His obituary notes the worldwide fame he had achieved for his work in immunology, and makes special mention of the acclaim he received at the World's Fair in Chicago. The Marietta Vaccine Farm would continue in his absence, with one of his sons, H.B. Alexander, taking over the operation. 1917 - A new name Over the next decade, the Marietta Vaccine Farm continued to thrive under the next generation's leadership. Indeed, a significant expansion was undertaken in 1916, involving the construction of a massive new barn and other buildings. However, less than a year after that expansion, the farm was closed and put up for sale as a result of a conflict within the board of directors. Gilliland Laboratories of Ambler bought the facility, retaining H.B. Alexander in a leadership role, and reopened the farm as quickly as possible. The 1920s - Gilliland grows Gilliland Laboratories continued to grow throughout the 1920s, using not only cattle but also horses and guinea pigs in the production of vaccines and antivenins. Here's a New Era photo spread from 1926 about the company's work, and here's a 1929 story about the Marietta farm's production of an early flu vaccine - a product that wasn't widely available until the 1940s. 1940 - World War II As efforts to prepare for America's entry into World War II ramped up, Gilliland Laboratories was a far-flung focal point. As of September 1940, the lab had stockpiled more than 1.5 million doses of smallpox vaccine for U.S. Army use, as well as hundreds of thousands of doses of tetanus vaccine. The facility was also producing antitoxin for use in cases of gas gangrene. 1943 - Another new name In the midst of the war years, Gilliland went through a merger with the American Home Product Corporation, a New York-based firm that had grown out of the Wyeth pharmaceuticals company, founded in Philadelphia. The lab's new owners intended to make no change in management, personnel or functions of the lab. The 1950s and 1960s - Fighting polio By the middle of the 20th Century, the former Marietta Vaccine Farm, then known as Wyeth Laboratories, had entered into the battle against polio. First with the injected vaccine developed by Jonas Salk and made available to the public in 1955, and then with the oral vaccine developed by Albert Sabin and made available in 1961, Wyeth supplied countless local residents with immunizations against polio. While the lab produced doses to be shipped all over the world, local newspapers publicized efforts to inoculate Lancaster County residents en masse. Here's an example of a "Sabin Sunday" in 1962, when 47 schools around the county were turned into one-day clinics. Nearly a quarter million doses were on hand for the event, which was open to any Lancaster County resident over 3 months of age. The 1990s and 2000s - Growth, decline and rebirth As the new millennium neared, Wyeth (then Wyeth-Ayerst Laboratories, thanks to yet another merger) continued to grow its Marietta facility. Massive expansions in 1993 and 1997 doubled the lab's work force, and a third expansion in 1998 added another colossal building to the site. But between 1999 and 2002, the staff was cut from 1,000 to just about 400 as the company moved production of different vaccines to other facilities. By 2002, the Marietta plant only produced flu vaccines - a less profitable product. Two years later, the plant was closed entirely. But it didn't stay vacant for long. In 2005, London-based pharmaceuticals giant GlaxoSmithKline bought the place, and immediately embarked on a $350 million project of expansion and modernization. In 2009, the new plant was ready to open, with GSK expecting to hire about 270 workers for the largely automated facility. The firm was authorized to produce 11 vaccines for the American market at that time. The GSK plant still operates today at the site of the Marietta Vaccine Farm. Columbia Councilwoman Sharon Lintner has been trying to get a copy of the borough police department's use-of-force policy since June 4. She still doesn't have it. She said she tried to get her concerns about getting access to the policy addressed at a council executive session after a council meeting earlier this month, but it wasn't discussed. The rest of council has since then made it clear to me they don't want to see" the policy, Lintner said Tuesday. Council President Heather Zink said council wasn't going to make a statement on the matter, but added council is working with its solicitor on redacting parts of the use-of-force policy so that parts of it could be made public. Chief Jack Brommer says he doesn't have a problem letting Lintner see the policy; there's just been some hiccups in arranging a meeting so far. Why not post the policy online as some police departments have done, especially amid calls for transparency and accountability following the death of George Floyd? To that question Brommer replied, We consider it an operational and internal document and are not prepared to put it up." Erik Arneson, executive director of the state Office of Open Records, said the agency has ruled that use-of-force policies are public record subject to some redaction of certain information, such as information pertaining to officer safety. But just because information can be withheld from the public doesn't mean it must be, Arneson said. "We always encourage the posting of as much information as possible," he said. Lintner said she was spurred to ask about the borough's policy in light of George Floyd's death. She also recently took an webinar put on by a law firm for municipal officials about use of force and wants to understand the borough's, she said. Basically what Im getting is not help, but a list of reasons why I should not get it. And excuses," she said. One concern she was told was that council members might not have the expertise to understand the policy. She dismissed that. I read the Philadelphia one. Its not that complex," she said. Another concern raised was that criminals might read the policy. She dismissed that rationale as well. Crimes are generally spontaneous. I don't think they'd sit around and read police use of force policies and decide where to commit a crime," she said. Noting that other departments are putting their use of force policies online she cited Philadelphia, Lancaster and York as examples she said the timing is right for access. I am not saying the police department did anything wrong. I am not anti-police, Lintner said. I just asked to see it. For related coverage: Any new cases of COVID-19 at a nursing home mean no in-person visits at that facility for at least 28 days, under a three-step reopening process Pennsylvania regulators released Saturday. Although end-of-life visits are allowed, other in-person visits have been banned since mid-March because of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the department continues to allow window visits, in which visitors remain outside the facility but can see the resident through glass. In the newly released plan, Pennsylvania Department of Health permits certain kinds of visits at homes and other long-term care facilities in the second and third steps, as long as there are no new COVID-19 cases among staff and residents. Under the new process, any new cases found send a home back to the beginning, and 28 consecutive days must pass without any new cases before it is back at step two and can resume those limited visits. The department indicated that outdoor visits are preferable to those conducted indoors and that social distancing, universal masking and infection control protocols must be followed "during the entirety of the visit," with home staff monitoring visits "so all safety guidelines are met and enforced." And it said the site of the meeting should be properly disinfected after each visit. We continue to practice a careful, measured approach in long-term care facilities so all staff and residents can safely welcome visitors and return to a more normal routine, Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine said in a written statement. Levine said the guidance was developed "through collective input from residents and families, stakeholders, academia and facility representatives to allow safe visitations with strong public health measures to balance the mental and physical well-being of Pennsylvanias most vulnerable residents." Two Lancaster County school districts announced this week that they plan to resume in-person instruction, but it wont be business as usual. Lampeter-Strasburg and Penn Manor school districts plan to reopen in late August with social distancing practices in place, revamped cleaning protocols and mask-wearing among students and employees. The L-S school board approved its state-mandated health and safety plan Monday night, while Penn Manors school board is expected to vote on the districts plan July 13. Other county schools, including Manheim Township and Warwick, have announced they intend to approve their plans this month. Several school districts have developed surveys and community forums for families to weigh in before making a final decision. The reopening plans outline how the district will keep students and employees safe amid the coronavirus pandemic, which has surged in parts of the state and country in recent weeks. Every Pennsylvania school district must approve its plan by the time it starts the 2020-21 school year, according state Department of Education reopening guidelines. It is our full intention to physically return students to school buildings in the fall in a safe manner, Penn Manor Superintendent Mike Leichliter said in an email to parents Tuesday. While the school board has not yet approved the plan, Leichliter said, it includes social distancing practices, health screenings, reduced student movement through buildings, enhanced cleaning protocols with green products, and other measures recommended by health professionals for safely resuming in-person teaching. The districts virtual program which, pending board approval, is expanding from grades seven through 12 to kindergarten through 12th grade this fall is available for students whose parents dont feel comfortable sending their kids to school. Lampeter-Strasburgs plan includes upgraded cleaning and sanitizing standards throughout the school day, strict visitor guidelines, training for employees and education for students on good hygiene practices and how to spot symptoms. Face masks will be strongly encouraged, but not required, especially on school buses and in other situations where social distancing may not be feasible, according to the plan. It is acknowledged that some students and staff members may choose to regularly wear face coverings, the plan states. This is a personal choice and will be strongly encouraged and supported, but not required. Recess, hallway traffic, classroom sizes and layouts, and cafeteria seating will be evaluated, the plan reads. Parents are supposed to screen their kids before coming to school, and employees are expected to screen themselves prior to leaving for work. In a letter to parents, district Superintendent Kevin Peart said the plan is very broad in nature, and the district will develop specific, building-level procedures. Lancaster Central Market will add additional security staff in response to a man who walked around market Saturday, June 27, carrying what appeared to be a functioning rifle. The security personnel, who will not be armed, will start this weekend and continue as needed, the market's board of trustees said in a statement Wednesday in response to the issue. The man's presence prompted Mary Goss, market's manager, to call to a police non-emergency number; she had been notified by a door monitor that a man was coming in carrying a rifle. The man left before police arrived and because Pennsylvania is an open-carry state, meaning that people can openly carry firearms in all counties but Philadelphia, there isn't anything police could have done anyway, according to Lt. William Hickey. Hickey said police don't know who the man is. Efforts to reach a man believed to be him have been unsuccessful. The trust said it requests patrons leave their firearms at home, though it understands open carry laws allow them. "When individuals exercise their 'open carry' right in Market, our policy is to notify police of the situation to ensure that everyone within Market feels a sense of security," the statement said. "We never want customers or employees to feel unsafe in Market." "We understand that some may not feel this solution is enough. This is a policy issue that creates strong feelings and passionate debate. We encourage everyone to share your views on state firearm policies with your state representatives," the statement said. That echoed a statement from Mayor Danene Sorace, who this weekend urged people upset about the situation to contact lawmakers. Rep. Mike Sturla, D-Lancaster city, said he's gotten more than a dozen, but fewer than 100, calls on the issue. Unfortunately, he said, there's nothing that can be done legislatively. "As long as the Republicans control the house and the senate which will probably ensure that people like this will go out and vote for them" there's no chance of passing what he sees as sensible gun law reform. "I can introduce legislation until I'm blue in face" but it doesn't go anywhere, he said. Sturla said early on in his career, he used to believe more uniform gun laws were necessary, but that's changed. "I really came to realize that we've got a lot of people who are really immature and out of control," he said. Terry Trego, chief of staff to Scott Martin, R-Lancaster, said they got about two-dozen calls and a "slight majority expressed concerns." The man with the rifle was also not wearing a mask. Dani Decker, market's communications manager, said the proper use of a mask is required to enter. "For those with a medical disability that are unable to wear a mask we have been allowing entry. We are continuously reviewing our policies on the matter," she said. "As a grocer/food provider the state mandate reads 'individuals who cannot wear a mask due to a medical condition (including children under the age of 2 years per CDC guidance) may enter the premises and are not required to provide documentation of such medical condition' so we have not previously turned people away but have encouraged them to wear a mask when they return to Market," Decker said. Decker did not know how many guards would be used or what the cost would be. By the time the next school year rolls around, Pennsylvania students will have been away from physical classrooms for more than 25 weeks. Whether students return at that point will be up to an unpredictable virus that has surged in parts of the state and country in recent weeks, raising concerns about reopening too early. If we turn into Texas by September, we might not be reopening schools at all, Democratic state Rep. Mike Sturla of Lancaster said Tuesday during a House Democratic Policy Committee hearing on reopening schools. Sturla, who chairs the committee, and his fellow Democrats questioned state school officials during the semi-virtual hearing about how Pennsylvania schools can reopen safely and responsibly. Matthew Stem, the states deputy secretary of elementary and secondary education, said after an unprecedented 2019-20 school year, the goal this summer is for schools to create health and safety plans so in-person instruction can resume. Now we need to direct our energy to how to resume instruction safely, Stem said. Much of Tuesdays discussion revolved around a report, conducted by the Regional Educational Laboratories Mid-Atlantic for the state Department of Education and released last week, that outlined ways to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 in schools. While social distancing and wearing masks would help, the safest scenario is one that limits student contact, Brian Gill, one of the reports authors, said. Thousands of simulations showed blended schedules, with groups of students rotating from in-person instruction to remote learning during the week, best mitigated the virus spread. The blended, or hybrid, model also allows vulnerable students who may not feel safe physically attending school to keep learning online, Gill said. It also makes it easier to shift to remote instruction if schools were to shutter again. Gill said if five people are infected in a school, then its time to consider closing temporarily. Some schools might do everything right and still get a spike of infections and have to close down, Gill said. Considering the virus unpredictable nature and further learning loss it could potentially yield, Sturla floated the idea of year-round schools. While the state doesnt have an official stance on that, Stem said, the rationale behind an extended school year is compelling. He also encouraged school boards to consider looking at ways to enhance the academic calendar in light of the virus. Others to testify Tuesday were representatives of the Pennsylvania School Boards Association, Pennsylvania Association of School Administrators and Pennsylvania State Education Association. UPDATE: A 34-year-old Paradise Township man is charged with kidnapping Linda Stoltzfoos, an 18-year-old Amish woman who has been missing since June 21, according to the Lancaster County District Attorney's office. Click here to read more. The search for Linda Stoltzfoos, an 18-year-old Amish woman who was last seen more than a week ago, continues Wednesday. West Lampeter Township police said that members of the Amish community will be searching the Mill Creek for evidence. "It is important to note that this search is not based on any specific information, evidence or leads," police said. Amish community members told police they were asked by other Amish to search the area of Mill Creek, from Strasburg Pike to Buchmiller Park. The search began at 8 a.m. Police said they wanted to alert residents that many members of the search party will be wearing orange traffic vests. Stoltzfoos is white, approximately 510 and weighs 125 lbs. She was last seen on Sunday, June 21, at a farm on Stumptown Road in Bird-in-Hand wearing a tan dress, white apron and a white cape, according to East Lampeter Township police. Anyone with information is asked to call police. The Lancaster County coroner's office was not called to a mobile home park in East Hempfield Township on Tuesday night despite reports from another news outlet, according to police. "There was no coroner called, no deaths, nobody shot," East Hempfield Township public information officer Lt. Matt Pohle said. County coroner Dr. Stephen Diamantoni also said his office wasn't called to Arbor Mobile Home park on Columbia Avenue. Pohle said that police were called on Tuesday night for a large fight with shots fired around 8:51 p.m. and that officers found numerous spent shell casings. Wilson Gonzalez-Acosta, 33, was identified as the man shooting the gun, police said after interviewing people who were on scene. Gonzalez-Acosta was convicted of a previous felony offense and wasn't allowed to be in possession of a firearm, they said. He was charged with a felony count of persons not to possess a firearm and two misdemeanor counts of recklessly endangering another person and possession of a small amount of marijuana, police said. Police said they were still investigating what led to shots being fired. Gonzalez-Acosta was in Lancaster County Prison after failing to post his $50,000 bail, according to court documents. For more Lancaster County news: Congress made its degree for freedom on July 2, 1776 and formally adopted the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. The alarm for freedom was sounded at Independence Hall with the Liberty Bell. Americans rejoiced as word spread throughout the newly declared independent states. But the fight for freedom and independance was not over until September, 1783, seven years later. On July 3, 1776 John Adams said, The Second Day of July 1776, will be the most memorable Epocha, in the History of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated, by succeeding Generations, as the great anniversary Festival. It ought to be commemorated, as the Day of Deliverance by solemn Acts of Devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with Pomp and Parade, with Shews, Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other from this Time forward forever more. You will think me transported with Enthusiasm but I am not. I am well aware of the Toil and Blood and Treasure, that it will cost Us to maintain this Declaration, and support and defend these States. Yet through all the Gloom I can see the Rays of ravishing Light and Glory. I can see that the End is more than worth all the Means. And that Posterity will tryumph in that Days Transaction, even altho We should rue it, which I trust in God We shall not. This quote is an excerpt from John Adams letter to his wife Abigail on July 3, 1776. The emotions of this sharp-witted founding father speak of the momentous occasion. Adams believed that July 2, 1776, would be the date to mark and celebrate forever our Declaration of Independence. Although the official date came later, Americans celebrated their countrys birth date on July 4, and have followed Adams advice ever since. Adams bore witness to, and was part of, the American dream for freedom. He was an example of how the new nation would carry on after the war by becoming our first vice-president, and our second president. Adams eloquent words put the historical significance of American independence, and the consequence for failure if it was not achieved, into focus. Unfortunately, Americans were getting good and bad news at the same time. British troops were making landfall in New York as the Liberty Bell rang in Philadelphia. At that point, American and British forces already had been engaged in armed conflict for fifteen months. On July 9, 1776, General George Washington, while concentrating troops in New York City, ordered the Declaration of Independence read aloud to his men. He hoped that they would find new meaning in the war for independence. In 1777, the British occupied the capital city of Philadelphia while Washington and his men struggled through a brutal winter at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. Nearly two thousand of Washingtons twelve thousand men died during that winter encampment. The Continental Army was hardened by the experience, and gained even greater resolve in the campaign to defeat the British. For the next four years, Americans would fight battle after battle against the mightiest military on earth. Thanks to the military leadership of Washington, and the combined efforts of the French Navy and Washingtons good friend and ally General Marquis de Lafayette, the British surrendered after the Siege of Yorktown on October 19, 1781. The fight for independence was over. The Treaty of Paris, signed between the United States and Great Britain on September 3, 1783, made it official. The United States had become a sovereign and independent nation after six years of valor and sacrifice. Since the Revolutionary War, the United States has fought many wars to defend freedom; all have come at a terrible cost. Freedom rings as loudly today as it did at Independence Hall in Philadelphia on July 4, 1776, thanks to our determination as a nation and a people. Americans may be more divided now than at any time in recent memory. But there is one thing that all of us can agree on, the United States is still the best country in the world because of our freedoms. As Americans, we all have the ability to express our opinions, whether everyone agrees with them or not. So remember and appreciate our freedoms Saturday as we celebrate Independence Day with family and friends. If you choose to engage in political conversations over the holiday, we urge you to do so with confidence, but with respect for the opinions of others around you. The freedom of expression is founded on the notion that there are many gray areas in the pursuit of truth, that a diversity of voices will lead us toward the best shared outcomes and experiences worth remembering as we gather to celebrate our independence. Fireworks and picnics are staples of July Fourth, and our region will see plenty of both. As we celebrate our nations birthday, we as a country will proudly carry on the words of John Adams Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other from this Time forward forever more-with brilliant fireworks displays. These illuminations will light up the skies of our nation to inspire and remind us how fortunate we are to have the freedom that has been entrusted to us all. The state has temporarily suspended the medical license of a Manheim Township psychiatrist charged last month with writing prescriptions without properly evaluating patients and insurance fraud. The Pennsylvania Department of State said the accusations against Bassam M.A. El-Borno, if true, represent an "immediate and clear danger to public health and safety" in the order, dated Tuesday, June 30. El-Borno, 64, of the 1000 block of Bluestone Drive, had a practice at 160 North Pointe Blvd. A message left for his attorney Wednesday was not immediately returned. In charging documents, state prosecutors said El-Borno wrote prescriptions without proper evaluations in some cases, without performing any evaluations and billed insurers and Medicaid for evaluations that didn't happen, among other offenses. The state Attorney General's office charged El-Borno June 18 after a grand jury investigation that included testimony from former patients. Court records indicate El-Borno waived a preliminary hearing on Tuesday on charges including drug violations, fraud, theft, failing to keep required records and wiretapping. He is free on $25,000 recognizance bail. Columbia Borough police BURGLARY COLUMBIA: The front store window of Stover's News Agency at 24 North Third Street was broken with a brick about 1:53 a.m. June 21 and several items stolen, police said. They said it looked like three people were involved, with one serving as a lookout, and asked anyone with information on the burglary to contact the department through Crimewatch or by calling 717-684-7735. COLUMBIA: A resident of the 200 block of North 8th Street reported their apartment broken into overnight June 14 and items worth about $405 taken, including a Sceptre flat screen TV, cabinet, dishes, baby seat and walker, police said. HARASSMENT COLUMBIA: Robert Gainer, 58, of Columbia was charged after an incident in the 100 block of South 2nd Street at 10:40 p.m. May 26, police said. East Cocalico Township police BURGLARY EAST COCALICO TWP.: Oliver Duverge, 26, of Shillington, was charged with burglary, simple assault and harassment after he allegedly forced entry into a womans home and assaulted her in the 100 block of Red Maple Court at 6:26 p.m. June 27, police said. The woman sustained visible injuries to her hand, chest and neck area, police said. East Earl Township police DUI EAST EARL TWP.: Brian R. Holmes, 53, of East Earl, was arrested and charged with DUI, driving while operating privilege is suspended or revoked and driving with a suspended registration after a June 17 traffic stop on Main Street at Ewell Road, police said. It was his eighth arrest for DUI since 1991, police said. Ephrata police THEFT EPHRATA TWP.: Lillian Thompson, 47, of Lancaster, was charged after being observed concealing several items worth $99 and leaving the store without paying full retail value at the Walmart on 890 E Main St. at 12:25 a.m. June 30, police said. BURGLARY ADAMSTOWN: Jorge L. Vega, 51, of Leesport, turned himself in June 25 on the charge filed after a May 12 report of a burglary in progress Stoudts Black Angus Antique Mall at 2800 North Reading Road, police said. They said they used witness statements and video surveillance to identify him as the person who loaded a backpack with coins and jewelry and fled on foot. Lititz Borough police DUI LITITZ: Shannon Sanders, 49, of Lebanon, was charged after being stopped for unsafe driving by a Lititz Borough Police Department patrol officer in the 100 block of South Oak Street June 29, police said. Evidential breath testing indicated that Sanders blood alcohol content was 0.243% shortly after the stop, police said. Manheim Township police RETAIL THEFT MANHEIM TWP.: Kathy Long, 42, of Elizabethtown was charged after being observed stealing $296.48 worth of merchandise from the Giant Food Store at 1605 Lititz Pike at 5:16 p.m. June 24, police said. LANCASTER TWP.: Emilio Diaz-Torres, 41, of Lancaster, was charged after he was observed stealing $369.71 worth of merchandise from Weis Markets at 1204 Millersville Pike May 19, police said. Diaz-Torres fled the store before police arrived, police said, and he remains a wanted person at this time. Anyone with information about the location of Diaz-Torres can call the Manheim Township Police Department at 717-569-6401. HARASSMENT MANHEIM TWP.: Jorge Tejada-Rivera, 37, of Lancaster, was charged following a domestic dispute at his residence in the 700 block of Skyline Drive at 8:51 p.m. June 21, police said. During the altercation, Tejada-Rivera allegedly pushed another person to the ground, causing injuries to both of the persons knees, police said. HARASSMENT and CRIMINAL MISCHIEF MANHEIM TWP.: Jose Noel Delgado, 30, of Lancaster, was charged after an altercation at his home in the 100 block of Maple Lane at 5:11 a.m. June 21, police said. Delgado allegedly struck another person repeatedly in the head and kicked the persons car, dealing $700 in damages, police said. DUI MANHEIM TWP.: Norberto Claudio Santiago, 39, of Lancaster, was charged after being observed driving erratically and following another vehicle too closely on Columbia Avenue at 1:48 a.m. June 18, police said. Chemical testing of a sample of Santiagos blood yielded a blood alcohol content of 0.139%, police said. MANHEIM TWP.: Gregory Will, 61, of Lancaster, was charged on June 26 after being observed driving erratically in the 1000 block of Christopher Place at 6:49 p.m. May 28, police said. Will was observed with open alcoholic beverages inside the vehicle and found that his blood alcohol content was 0.029% and that THC was present in the sample, police said. MANHEIM TWP.: Leonard Council, 62, of Lancaster, was charged after being involved in a vehicle crash in the 2100 block of Fruitville Pike at 2:13 a.m. May 24, police said. Chemical testing from a sample of Councils blood found the presence of THC and cocaine in the sample, police said. MANHEIM TWP.: Craig Williams, 35, of Lancaster, was charged on June 26 after the investigation of a vehicle crash in which he was involved in the 2100 block of Fruitville Pike at 11:16 p.m. May 24, police said. Chemical testing of a sample of Williams blood found the blood alcohol content to be 0.135%, police said. MANHEIM TWP.: Lauren Landis, 31, of Lancaster, was charged on June 26 with driving under the influence of a controlled substance after being observed driving erratically on East Roseville Road at Pleasant Place at 1:42 a.m. May 20, police said. Chemical testing conducted on a sample of Landis blood found the presence of amphetamine in the sample, police said. INDIRECT CRIMINAL CONTEMPT MANHEIM TWP.: Jose Ruiz-Serrano, 53, of Lancaster, was charged on June 16 after contacting a protected person, police said. RETAIL THEFT LANCASTER TWP.: Alyssa Ianez Washington, 37, of Lancaster, was charged after being seen stealing merchandise worth $97 from Weis Markets at 1204 Millersville Pike on June 19, police said. Millersville Borough police DUI MILLERSVILLE: Thomas C. Sottek, 50, of Millersville, was charged for a June 12 incident in the 100 block of Shenks Lane, police said. New Holland police DUI EARL TWP.: Jonathan Hines, 34, of Leola, was charged with DUI, driving under DUI suspension, reckless endangerment and summary traffic violations after a June 21 incident in the 1000 block of West Main Street, police said. They reported identifying him as the driver of a vehicle numerous callers reported saying it went through a backyard and nearly hit a gas meter and "apparently tried to cross into the opposing lane and run other vehicles off of the roadway." TRESPASSING EARL TWP.: Patrick Lutz, 68, of New Holland, was charged after admitting that on June 10 he entered Sheetz at 698 West Main Street despite having employees and police previously saying he was no longer allowed in the store, police said. Northern Lancaster County Regional police DUI WARWICK TWP.: Brian D. Fisher, 40, of Womelsdorf, was charged with DUI general impairment, DUI controlled substance and possession of controlled substance after being stopped March 16 near the 500 block of Furnace Hills Pike for a traffic violation, police said, noting that a toxicology report showed the presence of marijuana. HARASSMENT EAST PETERSBURG: Rodney Lyles, 40, of East Petersburg, was cited after a June 21 report of a domestic dispute in the 2100 block of State Street, police said. Pennsylvania state police DRUG CHARGES EAST LAMPETER TWP.: John Gillenwater, 38, of Narvon, was arrested June 28 and charged with resisting arrest, possessing a controlled substance with intent to distribute, and possessing heroin and methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia, police said. They said he was wanted in multiple jurisdictions for reasons including a probation violation and missing a court date, and tried to flee when police came to a department store at East Towne mall in the 2000 block of Lincoln Highway East to take him into custody. West Earl Township police THEFT WEST EARL TWP.: John Butts, 43, of Lebanon city, was charged with theft from a motor vehicle in connection with a June 10 report from the 500 block of North Farmersville Road, police said. They reported that investigation showed Butts, a former employee of the business, took the tools from an unlocked vehicle, and said all the tools had been recovered. Spotlight PA is an independent, nonpartisan newsroom powered by The Philadelphia Inquirer in partnership with the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and PennLive/Patriot-News. Sign up for our free weekly newsletter. HARRISBURG Pennsylvanias GOP-controlled legislature cannot force Gov. Tom Wolf to end his coronavirus disaster declaration, the state Supreme Court ruled Wednesday, handing the Democratic governor a victory that could come into play this fall should the state see a surge that necessitates another shutdown. In March, Wolf issued the emergency order as Pennsylvania began reporting its first COVID-19 infections. The declaration greatly expanded Wolfs powers, allowing him to suspend regulations and control travel within a disaster area. At the same time, Wolf and Health Secretary Rachel Levine ordered the closure of all businesses except those deemed life-sustaining to slow the spread of the virus and keep hospitals from becoming overwhelmed. From the beginning, Republican leaders in the legislature decried the closures as unfair to small businesses, and pushed to reopen sectors of the economy through legislation, which Wolf vetoed. On June 10, Republicans and a handful of Democrats gave final approval to a resolution that leadership said would compel Wolf to terminate the disaster declaration. GOP lawmakers argued state law provides the option as a check on the executive branch, while Wolf said hes empowered to approve or reject the resolution, as he can with legislation. Wolf also contended that ending the order would not allow businesses to fully reopen, as his administrations power to impose restrictions comes from a part of state law governing disease prevention. Rather, it would rescind protections that were enacted in response to the pandemic and the subsequent economic downturn including the suspension of licensing requirements for health-care workers and a temporary moratorium on evictions and foreclosures. Ending the disaster declaration would not reopen anything. It just wouldnt, Wolf said in June. And anybody who says differently is wrong. As Wolf vowed to take lawmakers to court, Republican leaders in the Senate filed suit in Commonwealth Court to compel Wolf to terminate his order. Wolf asked the state Supreme Court to consider the case directly, which the justices agreed to do. This isnt the only reopening court battle playing out in Pennsylvania. Still pending is a Republican suit to force the Wolf administration to comply with a subpoena for documents related to a chaotic waiver process that allowed some non-essential businesses to reopen while others had to remain shuttered. This breaking story will be updated. 100% ESSENTIAL: Spotlight PA relies on funding from foundations and readers like you who are committed to accountability journalism that gets results. If you value this reporting, please give a gift today at spotlightpa.org/donate. Personalized Dentistry of Lancaster opened its doors in May 2019, as a startup dental practice. Not even a year later, it was forced to shut its doors because dental health was not deemed essential by Gov. Tom Wolfs first shutdown order in March. The dental practice in Manheim Township was able to reopen for emergency procedures in the end of March and was allowed to reopen for nonemergency appointments with strict personal protective equipment regulations in early May, according to the state Department of Health. But even worse than the closure of the dental business was the inability to apply for many of the available business grant or loan opportunities, owner Sherri Ney testified Tuesday during a Senate Majority Policy Committee workshop. Her business could not show 2018 or 2019 revenues, she said. Oftentimes they wont even let you fill out the application if you dont have that information, Ney said to a panel of Republican senators. Ney and several other Lancaster business leaders pointed to problems theyre experiencing as they try to survive the pandemic and made suggestions for how best to help businesses in south-central Pennsylvania recover from the economic impact of COVID-19. The workshop was part of a series of informational meetings held by Senate Republicans to gather information to help different regions of the state recover. The workshop was hosted at the request of Sen. Scott Martin, R-Martic Township, said policy committee chair Sen. Dave Argall, R-Berks County. Aid on the way Lisa Riggs, president of the Economic Development Company of Lancaster County, spoke about the $25 million available to small businesses in the county from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act. For the 1,116 businesses that applied for Recovery Lancasters first round of funding, the average business was established in 1998. And each business had an average of 75% revenue loss during 2020 compared with the same months in 2019. Riggs pointed to good news: Armstrong Flooring announced its new corporate headquarters in Greenfield last week. She stressed that some businesses are ready to spend money, and the state needs a strategy today to be driving capital investment to help sustain our business community long term. Many business owners criticized Wolf for how he handled the economy during the first few months of the coronavirus pandemic, including the secretive business waiver process and haphazard decision-making and changing metrics, as Sam Beiler, founder and owner of Spooky Nook Sports, said. Tom Baldrige, president of Lancaster Chamber, said the state needs to address liability insurance accessibility for pandemic relief and make sure its guidance is clear. One thing we learned from this pandemic is that businesses are innovative and are, in fact, inspiring, Baldrige added. But theyre also impatient, and rightfully so. Baldrige suggested the state recreate a task force organized by Wolf in 2017 to address a workforce crisis, because too few employees were available. Martin mentioned a bill Wolf vetoed in April that would have created a Cost and Recovery task force that Baldrige suggested, which would have given local control to counties for recovery initiatives, among other things. Stephen Sikking, who owns Eden Resort and Suites and other area hotels, said he has had a problem getting some employees to return to work because they are making more money on unemployment. Rock Lititz would like to partner with the state to reopen venues and implement tax credits for live events, as theyll be the last sector to return to normal, general manager Andrea Shirk said. Sight & Sound Theaters was supposed to start a new show it had been working on for three years when the shutdown began. Since then, the Lancaster theater has had to cancel 300 performances impacting 500,000 guests, resulting in $5 million in refunds for canceled shows, said Sight & Sound CEO Matt Neff. Its Missouri theater was allowed to reopen in early June. Neff said more than anything, Sight & Sound Theatres would like the liberty to make creative solutions to keep patrons and staff safe, rather than mandatory restrictions passed down from the Department of Health. These are problems we can solve, Neff said. Let us solve them. THE ISSUE A major Russian bank (Alfa Bank) with close ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin has filed racketeering lawsuits in Lancaster County and Palm Beach County, Florida, claiming hackers attempted to frame it as a conduit for back-channel messages between Moscow and Trump Organization servers, including one run by Lititz-based Listrak, Mike Wereschagin reported in Sundays LNP | LancasterOnline. The lawsuits, filed June 11, come nearly two years after the banks head, Petr Aven, tried unsuccessfully to set up a back channel to President Donald Trumps transition team at Putins direction, according to special counsel Robert Muellers report on Russian interference in the 2016 election. The world gets smaller every day, it seems. A pandemic that originated more than 7,000 miles away has reshaped our lives in ways were still trying to assess. And now a lawsuit involving one of Vladimir Putins favored oligarchs has been filed in Lancaster County. It raises more questions than a spy novel, and has just as many twists and intricacies. As Wereschagin reported, Alfa Bank claims hackers manufactured the appearance of a back channel between the bank and the Trump Organization using the server of a Lititz marketing firm and other servers. Some background from the Mueller report: In late 2016, Putin met with Aven, the head of Alfa Bank. Putin raised the prospect that the U.S. would impose additional sanctions on Russian interests, including on Aven and Alfa Bank. Putin suggested that Aven take steps to protect himself and Alfa Bank. Aven said Putin also mentioned he was having difficulty getting in touch with the incoming Trump administration. Aven told Putin that among the steps he would take to protect the bank would be to try to establish a line of communication with the Trump transition team. Keep in mind that, according to the Mueller report, Putins suggestions are generally assumed to be directives. But Aven and Alfa Bank now claim the outreach was merely to protect the banks interests not to advance Putins. To suggest otherwise, the bank says, is to promote the false narrative created by the hackers. On hackers and spoofing According to Alfa Bank, those hackers sent emails to the banks servers that appeared to come from Trump Organization servers, including Listraks. As Wereschagin explained, Listrak serves hospitality companies, including the Trump Organization, by creating internet domain names that appear to be affiliated with those companies and sending mass marketing emails from them. Alfa Bank says the hackers spoofed those domain names, making it appear emails to the bank were coming from Listraks server. Because Alfa Bank wants to do business in the United States, its stakeholders have hired a heavy-hitting Wall Street law firm to press its lawsuit. Wereschagin asked Alfa Bank if Russian state authorities directed or urged Aven to file the lawsuit. The banks reply? No. Absolutely not. Mr. Aven is a private businessman and Alfa Bank is a private Bank. Alfa Bank initiated this litigation to serve its own goals; namely, identifying and holding those responsible for the cyberattack that made it appear the bank was involved in election meddling. Exploiting the system Wereschagin cited a 2018 report by the Atlantic Councils Anders Aslund, who warned that the Kremlin has weaponized elements of the US judicial system and process to further its own ambitions. The Kremlin, he noted, exploits the generous provisions for opening a discovery case and exploits the reticence of U.S. courts to see the workings of the Russian state as anything other than those of a traditional government. This is despite the fact that in Russia, crime is not an aberration, but the standard, wrote Aslund, an expert on Eastern European economic policy. The best understanding is that an organized crime gang led by Putin has taken over the commanding heights of the Russian state. The U.S. government and institutions, he wrote, may not be able to stop this takeover, but they must avoid colluding with it, whether intentionally or unintentionally. Wed urge the Lancaster County court to heed Aslunds warning. Russian interference Wereschagin pointed out that Alfa Bank's lawsuits were filed in two county courts, in two key swing states: Pennsylvania and Florida. He also noted that U.S. intelligence officials have warned repeatedly that Russia would again try to interfere in the 2020 election by stoking division, spreading misinformation and attempting to stir doubt about the integrity of the electoral process. Alfa Banks lawsuit insists that it is in no way related to U.S. or international politics, nor is it an attempt to support or harm, or to align Alfa Bank with, any candidate or political party. Well just note this: The Republican-led U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee confirmed in April that Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential election with the aim of helping Donald Trumps candidacy. Republican U.S. Sen. Richard Burr said that Russias aggressive interference efforts should be considered the new normal. ... With the 2020 presidential election approaching, its more important than ever that we remain vigilant against the threat of interference from hostile foreign actors. And yet, on Tuesday, Senate Republicans stripped from a defense spending bill a measure that would have required presidential campaigns to report foreign offers of assistance. Why might they have done that? U.S. troops in Afghanistan We await more answers from the Trump administration as to why President Trump hasnt sanctioned or even chided Putin for reportedly putting bounties on the heads of U.S. troops in Afghanistan. On Tuesday, Cindy McCain, the widow of the late Sen. John McCain, retweeted a New York Times story reporting that American officials intercepted electronic data showing large financial transfers from a bank account controlled by Russias military intelligence agency to a Taliban-linked account. That data, the Times reported, was among the evidence that supported the U.S. intelligence conclusion that Russia covertly offered bounties for killing U.S. and coalition troops in Afghanistan. This is all so unbelievable! McCain tweeted. My son was there! Im in utter disbelief. Jack McCain, a Navy helicopter pilot, had been deployed to Afghanistan. York Dispatch reported Tuesday that U.S. intelligence agencies are investigating whether a roadside bomb that last year killed two Marines with ties to York County was linked to bounties offered by Russia to kill American soldiers. One was Sgt. Benjamin S. Hines, 31, a York native, and the other was staff Sgt. Christopher K.A. Slutman, 43, whose parents live in York County. The Trump administration claims the president was not briefed on the matter until Tuesday. Trump officials also claim the intelligence wasnt conclusive. This, however, we know for sure: Trump said just a few weeks ago that he wanted Russia to be allowed to rejoin the Group of Seven the alliance from which it was banished in 2014 after its annexation of Crimea. And he said he would invite Putin as a guest when he hosts the G-7 summit in September. Our troops and their families especially those who have lost loved ones in Afghanistan deserve answers. War Party Tells CNNs Carl Bernstein: Remove Trump as a National Security Risk June 30, 2020 (EIRNS)CNNs well-known liar Carl Bernstein today published a treasonous report on his interviews with leaders of the war party concerning their views on President Trumps phone calls with foreign leaders, especially Putin and Erdogan, characterizing the results thusly: President Donald Trump was so consistently unprepared for discussion of serious issues, so often outplayed in his conversations with powerful leaders like Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and so abusive to leaders of Americas principal allies, that the calls helped convince some senior U.S. officialsincluding his former secretaries of state and defense, two national security advisers and his longest-serving chief of staffthat the President himself posed a danger to the national security of the United States, according to White House and intelligence officials intimately familiar with the contents of the conversations. Bernstein names the usual suspects as his sources: National Security Advisers H.R. McMaster and John Bolton, Defense Secretary James Mattis, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, and White House Chief of Staff John Kelly, as well as intelligence officials. Bernstein writes that two of these masters of warthe people who brought us the endless, genocidal wars of the past 20 yearscalled the President delusional. He says these views take on new resonance with reports the President may have learned in March that Russia had offered the Taliban bounties to kill U.S. troops in Afghanistanand yet took no action. Not only is this another Big Lie of the Goebbels variety, but Trumps delusion according to these maniacs was that he refused to prepare for war with Russia and China, that being friends with Russia is a good thing, not a bad thing. His peace-seeking was, in fact, a major reason why the American people elected him President. Bernstein rants on: Meanwhile, the President regularly bullied and demeaned the leaders of Americas principal allies, especially two women: telling Prime Minister Theresa May of the United Kingdom she was weak and lacked courage; and telling German Chancellor Angela Merkel that she was stupid. Clearly truthful, if blunt. Trump took special delight in trashing former Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama, Bernstein addedagain, a truthful statement, and one which also helped Trump win the election. The perverted view of Russia held by these war party maniacs was captured by the following in Bernsteins diatribe: In separate interviews, two high-level administration officials familiar with most of the Trump-Putin calls said the President naively elevated Russiaa second-rate totalitarian state with less than 4% of the worlds GDPand its authoritarian leader almost to parity with the United States and its President by undermining the tougher, more realistic view of Russia expressed by the U.S. Congress, American intelligence agencies and the long-standing post-war policy consensus of the U.S. and its European allies. He [Trump] gives away the advantage that was hard won in the Cold War, said one of the officialsin part by giving Putin and Russia a legitimacy they never had, the official said. Hes given Russia a lifelinebecause there is no doubt that theyre a declining power.... Hes playing with something he doesnt understand and hes giving them power that they would use [aggressively]. This comes from the kind of fool who thinks a war with Russia is necessary and would be an easy victory, when in fact it would likely be the end of civilization, a potential extinction event. Wednesday, July 1, 2020 The Missouri Supreme Court has affirmed a domestic assault and armed criminal action conviction, rejecting the contention (unpreserved at trial) that a juror should have been disqualified All parties agree that Juror No. 16 is related to Robert Anthony Farkas, who served as an assistant prosecuting attorney in Pettis County where Brandolese was convicted. Farkas signed the complaint charging Brandolese. Docket entries indicate Farkas appeared on the States behalf in Brandoleses case on March 22, April 12, and May 17, 2016. On June 1, 2016, a grand jury indicted Brandolese. The relationship is brother and sister. Farkas did not participate in the trial Defense counsel did not use a peremptory strike to remove Juror No. 16, and she served on the jury. Brandoleses claim of error on this issue was not included in his motion for new trial and at no time during the proceedings before this appeal did Brandolese allege Juror No. 16 was statutorily disqualified from serving on the jury pursuant to section 494.070.1. The court This Court, however, need not decide whether the circuit courts failure to sustain Brandoleses challenge to strike Juror No. 16 for cause violated section 494.470.1 because Brandolese has not demonstrated the alleged error led to manifest injustice warranting plain error review. A concurring opinion would find the statutory violation but nonetheless affirm. Draper, C.J., dissented; Breckenridge and Stith, JJ., concurred in the Chief Justice's dissent The principal opinions holding, which condones kin of the assistant prosecuting attorney sitting in judgment on a case in which the assistant prosecuting attorney actively participated in, surely has legal scholar Sir William Blackstone spinning in his grave. Not only is this holding unsupported by centuries-old precedent, Missouri caselaw, or a proper reading of section 494.470.1, RSMo Supp. 2013, under this Courts rules of statutory construction, but it places burdens upon a defendant that are not required by the statute and reaches a patently absurd result. Accordingly, I dissent. (Mike Frisch) https://lawprofessors.typepad.com/legal_profession/2020/07/the-missouri-supreme-court-has-affirmed-a-burglary-conviction-rejecting-a-contention-unpreserved-at-trial-that-a-juror-sho.html The Associated Press reports that top White House officials knew in early 2019 about intelligence findings that Russia offered money to the Taliban for the deaths of Americans in Afghanistan. That is one year earlier than other news organizations have reported, including The New York Times. The AP said its information about the bounties came from U.S. officials with knowledge of classified intelligence. The officials provided the information on the condition that they not be identified. The AP said that the intelligence was reported in at least one daily presidential briefing. The briefings are written documents. John Bolton, the former national security advisor, also told people at the time that he informed Trump about the intelligence in March of 2019. Bolton did not comment Monday when asked by AP reporters if he had spoken with Trump about the intelligence in 2019. The AP also reported Sunday that information about Russian bounties was in another presidential daily briefing this year, and that current national security advisor Robert OBrien had discussed the issue with Trump. OBrien denies the AP report. He said Monday that the intelligence information about Russian bounties has not been verified. But he added that the administration has been preparing should the situation warrant action. The White House did not answer AP's questions about if Trump or other officials knew of Russias reported actions in 2019. The White House said Trump has not yet been briefed on the intelligence finding because it has not been fully confirmed. How did intelligence find out? Concerns about Russian bounties gained attention this year after members of the special forces recovered $500,000 from a Taliban military camp. Members of the U.S. intelligence community suspected that Russia had offered the money to the Taliban and related groups. The New York Times first reported that information. Sources told the AP that career government officials also developed several possible actions against Russian aggression in Afghanistan. But the Trump administration has not approved any action. Officials said the intelligence in 2019 and 2020 surrounding Russian bounties came from captured Taliban militants from different areas and different tribes. Dmitry Peskov, a spokesman for Russian President Vladimir Putin, denied that Russia had offered payments to the Taliban in exchange for targeting U.S. and coalition forces. The Taliban told VOA on Tuesday that it held a video call with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. The Taliban is currently in negotiations for a peace deal with the United States. Its spokesman said the reports are not true. We have already rejected that. He added the group would not permit anyone to use Afghan soil (to launch attacks) against any country. Congressional reaction The Trump administration held separate briefings on the issue for Republican and Democratic lawmakers in Congress. On Tuesday, Democratic lawmakers said White House officials offered their perspective at a time when lawmakers need to hear directly from the intelligence community. Democratic Congressman Adam Schiff, chair of the House intelligence committee, said that Trumps defense that he has not been briefed about the issue is inexcusable. A day earlier, Republican Ben Sasse, a member of the Senate intelligence committee, said Congress should aim to find out who knew what and when. He said, Did the commander in chief know? And if not, how the hell not? The AP reported that the U.S. is investigating whether Americans died as a result of the Russian bounties. Officials are centering their efforts on an April 2019 attack that killed three U.S. soldiers as they returned to Bagram airfield. One of those soldiers was Corporal Robert Hendriks of Locust Valley, New York. His father told the AP that even unconfirmed talk of Russian bounties should have been immediately addressed. Im Caty Weaver. The Associated Press reported this story. Hai Do adapted for Learning English with additional information from VOA News. Ashley Thompson was the editor. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story bounty - n. a amount of money given to someone as a reward for action against someone else classified - adj. kept secret from all but a few people in the government briefing - n. a short meeting to give and receive information verify - v. to prove, show or state that something is true warrant - v. to deserve source - n. a person that gives information perspective - n. a way of thinking about and understanding something Schools across the country are considering how and when to reopen their buildings as they plan measures to control the coronavirus. Many school officials are worried about the costs of operating under social distancing guidelines. Such costs include protective equipment, additional teachers for smaller classes and more transportation to keep students spread out on bus rides. These costs are frightening for urban school systems, which are under financial pressure. They say they do not have enough money or space to make classes smaller. In Hartford, Connecticut, Superintendent Leslie Torres-Rodriguez is very worried about how to pay for additional teachers. She said that now each classroom must have fewer students and social distancing is required. In some grades, she said, she has individual teachers with as many as 27 students in their classrooms. My budget would be nonexistent, she said. Many schools are developing plans for at least some distance learning, but many are worried about the cost. Camden is one of New Jerseys poorest cities. Superintendent Katrina McCombs said costs for classroom cleaning and protective equipment are a concern for her. That is because the city depends on the state government for money. For the next two years, New Jersey predicts it will face a budget deficit of$10 billion. New Jersey has not yet produced rules for the reopening of schools. McCombs said she hopes the governor gives urban areas like Camden a lot of choices. She added that many of her students live with families that have more than one generation in the same house. These are at high-risk for infection. I would hope that as the governor is rolling out those recommendations, they can take thosefactors into consideration, she said. The School Superintendents Association (AASA) and the Association of School Business Officials International say making social distancing possible in schools will be costly. The Virginia-based groups estimate that it will cost the average school system about $1.8 million. However, most schools are expecting budget cuts because of the weak economy. You have a significant increase in costs for school districts at a time when school districts are going to have less money, said Dan Domenech. He is executive director of AASA. Alexa Garvey is school board chairwoman in the town of Stonington, Connecticut. She said it would cut costs if the state ended a rule for the summer that there should be only one student on each seat of a bus. The seats normally fit two children. She also had other questions. Does every child need a mask? she asked. What are our obligations to supplying those masks? Some schools have fewer problems. In the wealthy town of Greenwich, Connecticut, the school system has 12.2 students for every teacher. To keep up social distancing when buildings reopen, Superintendent Toni Jones has said they will have enough open spaces in their buildings to spread out the classes. Im Susan Shand. The Associated Press reported this story. Susan Shand adapted it for Learning English. Mario Ritter, Jr. was the editor. Quiz - Budgets Limit Social Distancing Choices for Some Schools Start the Quiz to find out Start Quiz _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story superintendentn. the leader or head of a school system rolling out v. to introduce a new system recommendationn. to make suggestions about something factorn. one of the items to be considered in a decision districtn. an area within a town that determines which school a student attends maskn. clothe worn over the face to avoid disease obligationn the state of being in debt to something, financially or morally The Chinese government is taking extreme measures to cut birth rates among Uyghurs and other Muslim ethnic minorities. At the same time, it is urging some of the countrys Han majority to have more children, the Associated Press has found. A small number of ethnic Uyghur and Kazakh women have spoken out about forced birth control methods in recent years. But a new investigation by the Associated Press has found that the treatment is far more common and systematic than once suspected. AP reporters used government numbers, state documents and information from 30 people who had been detained or knew someone who had been detained in camps in western China. Government officials often order physical examinations of minority women to learn if they are pregnant, the AP reports. In some cases, officials also force such pregnancies to be ended through medical operations called abortions. And, they order birth control, like intrauterine devices (IUDs) to be used by minority women to prevent pregnancies. The population control measures are backed by mass detention, both as a threat and as a punishment for failure to follow orders. Having too many children is a major reason people are sent to detention camps, the AP found. Parents who have three or more children are taken away from their families unless they can pay huge fines. Police raid homes to search for hidden children. After Gulnar Omirzakh, a Chinese-born Kazakh, had her third child, the government ordered her to get an IUD -- a device put inside the uterus to prevent pregnancy. Two years later, in January 2018, four officials in military clothes came to her home. They gave Omirzakh, the poor wife of a detained vegetable trader, three days to pay a $2,685 fine for having more than two children. If she did not, they warned, she would join her husband and a million other people of ethnic minorities in internment camps. To prevent people from having children is wrong, said Omirzakh. They want to destroy us as a people. The birth control campaign has created an environment of fear around having children. Across Xinjiang, birth rates fell nearly 24 percent just last year compared to 4.2 percent nationally, government numbers show. The hundreds of millions of dollars the government puts into birth control measures has changed Xinjiang from one of Chinas fastest-growing areas to among its slowest in just a few years. That information comes from new research by China expert Adrian Zenz. This kind of drop is unprecedented, Zenz said. This is part of a wider control campaign to subjugate the Uighurs. Chinas foreign ministry calls the AP report false and says the government treats all ethnicities equally and protects the legal rights of minorities. Everyone, regardless of whether theyre an ethnic minority or Han Chinese, must follow and act as the law demands, said ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian when asked about the AP story. Under Chinas former one child policy, officials had long urged or forced pregnancy prevention methods and even abortion on Han Chinese. But ethnic minorities were permitted two children, and three if they lived in rural areas. Under President Xi Jinping, those rules have changed. In 2014, soon after Xi visited Xinjiang, the region's top official said it was time to put in place equal family planning policies for all ethnicities. In the following years, the government declared that instead of just one child, Han Chinese could now have two and three in Xinjiangs rural areas, just like minorities. State-supported experts in China have warned that large rural religious families were behind the bombings, knifings and other attacks that the Xinjiang government blamed on Islamic terrorists. Outside experts say the birth control campaign is part of a wider government effort to weaken Uyghur identity and culture. Adults are subjected to political and religious re-education in camps. Children face similar treatment in orphanages. Its genocide, full stop, said Joanne Smith Finley, a Uyghur expert who works at Newcastle University in Britain. Its not immediate, shocking, mass-killing on the spot type genocide, but its slow, painful...genocide. Fifteen Uyghurs and Kazakhs told the AP they knew people detained or jailed for having too many children. Some received many years in prison as punishment. Government data showed that of 484 camp detainees listed in Karakax county in Xinjiang, 149 were there for having too many children. That made it the most common reason for holding people. Women in detention camps are forcibly given IUDs and what appear to be pregnancy prevention vaccines, former detainees say. Women are also required to attend classes on how many children they should have. Seven former detainees told the AP that they were force-fed birth control pills or injected with fluids, often with no explanation. Many reported feeling tired or sick after. The women said they stopped getting their periods. After being released and leaving China, some went to get medical exams. They were told they were sterile -- or no longer able to get pregnant. It is not clear what former detainees were injected with. However, the AP got records from a Xinjiang hospital that suggest pregnancy prevention injections are a common family planning measure. Dina Nurdybay, a Kazakh woman, was detained in a camp that separated married and unmarried women. The married women were given pregnancy tests, Nurdybay said, and forcibly given IUDs if they had children. She did not get the device because she was unmarried and childless. One day in February 2018, Nurdybay said, a Uyghur woman in the same cell had to give a speech admitting to what guards called her crimes. When a visiting official looked through the iron bars of their cell, the woman said in Mandarin Chinese, I gave birth to too many children. It shows Im uneducated and know little about the law. Another woman, Gulbakhar Jalilova, confirmed that pregnant detainees in her camp were forced to have abortions. She also met doctors and medical students who were detained for helping Uyghur women avoid punishment and give birth at home. Looking back, Omirzakh considers herself lucky. She was able get the money to pay the fine but was left deep in debt. For the next year, she attended classes with other wives of men detained for having too many children. She and her children lived with two local party officials sent to spy on them. When her husband was finally released, they fled for Kazakhstan. The IUD is still inside of her. It now causes her extreme back pain. For Omirzakh, it is a daily reminder of everything she has lost -- and of the women she left behind. People there are now terrified of giving birth, she said. When I think of the word Xinjiang, I can still feel that fear. I'm John Russell. And I'm Ashley Thompson. The Associated Press reported this story. Ashley Thompson adapted it for VOA Learning English. Caty Weaver was the editor. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story internment - n. the act of putting someone in a prison for political reasons or during a war regardless - adv. without being stopped by difficulty, trouble, etc. orphanage - n. a place where children whose parents have died can live and be cared for reminder - n. something that causes you to remember or to think about something Li Zhanshu, chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, presides over the plenary meeting of the 20th session of the 13th NPC Standing Committee in Beijing, capital of China, June 30, 2020. The Standing Committee of the 13th National People's Congress (NPC), China's top legislature, closed its 20th session Tuesday, adopting the Law of the People's Republic of China on Safeguarding National Security in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR). (Xinhua/Liu Weibing) BEIJING, June 30 (Xinhua) -- Chinese lawmakers Tuesday voted to adopt the Law of the People's Republic of China on Safeguarding National Security in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR). The law was passed unanimously at the 20th session of the Standing Committee of the 13th National People's Congress (NPC), China's top legislature. President Xi Jinping signed a presidential order to promulgate the law, which goes into effect on the date of promulgation. With 66 articles in six chapters, the law clearly defines the duties and government bodies of the HKSAR for safeguarding national security and four categories of offences -- secession, subversion, terrorist activities, and collusion with a foreign country or external elements to endanger national security -- and their corresponding penalties. According to the law, the central government will set up an office in the HKSAR for safeguarding national security. The HKSAR will establish a committee for safeguarding national security, which is under the supervision of and accountable to the central government. To be chaired by the HKSAR chief executive, the committee shall have a national security adviser designated by the central government. The Hong Kong police force will also set up a department for safeguarding national security, according to the law. After the law was passed, the NPC Standing Committee consulted its HKSAR Basic Law Committee and the HKSAR government, and adopted on Tuesday afternoon, by a unanimous vote, a decision to list the law in Annex III to the HKSAR Basic Law. The newly-adopted decision stipulates that the law shall be applied locally in the HKSAR by way of promulgation by the region. HKSAR Chief Executive Carrie Lam said in a statement that the HKSAR government welcomes the passage of the law. "I am confident that after the implementation of the national security law, the social unrest which has troubled Hong Kong people for nearly a year will be eased and stability will be restored, thereby enabling Hong Kong to start anew, focus on economic development and improve people's livelihood," she said. WIDE SUPPORT The law came after prolonged social unrest and escalating street violence had plunged Hong Kong into the gravest situation since its return to the motherland in 1997. Rampant activities of "Hong Kong independence" organizations and violent radicals as well as blatant interference by external forces have disrupted Hong Kong residents' daily life and threatened their safety. Addressing the closing meeting of the NPC Standing Committee session, Li Zhanshu, chairman of the NPC Standing Committee, said the unanimous passage of the law and the decision has reflected the common will of the Chinese people including Hong Kong compatriots. Stressing that national security, social stability and the order of rule of law are the premises of the development of Hong Kong, Li said the legislation represents the aspirations of the people and an irresistible trend of the times. In a statement, the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council voiced firm support for the law, calling it a "milestone" event that will usher in a turning point for Hong Kong to end chaos and bring back order. In a separate statement, the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the HKSAR said the promulgation and implementation of the law at the occasion of the 23rd anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland is an event worth celebrating for all Chinese people, including Hong Kong compatriots. Nearly 2.93 million Hong Kong residents earlier signed a petition in support of the national security legislation during an eight-day campaign starting May 24. Europe faces big economic, trade and public health issues as Germany takes over the presidency of the Council of the European Union. The EUs most powerful member became president of the Council on July 1. It will head the 27-member political and economic bloc for the next six months. As the EUs president, German officials will be dealing with the COVID-19 health crisis and the economic damage it has caused in Europe. Other issues include the effects of Britains withdrawal from the EU, the blocs trade with China and tensions with the United States. Germanys return to the presidency comes as its leader, Chancellor Angela Merkel, is expected to leave office next year. With her country taking control of the EU presidency, she will need to persuade European leaders to compromise. One of the first issues facing the bloc is settling differences on an $843 billion spending plan aimed at speeding up Europes economic recovery. EU members also need to reach agreement on a multi-year budget, which is expected to cost more than $1 trillion. On Monday, Merkel said she hoped the 27-member bloc would agree to a deal on the budget and additional spending later this month. She spoke at talks with French President Emmanuel Macron when they met in Germany. The German presidency comes as Merkel is riding a crest of popularity. Part of the reason is what some people see as her success dealing with the pandemic. Another reason might be her decision to work with France to push for a large coronavirus recovery spending measure. The goal is to help European countries, which have struggled economically because of restrictions aimed at limiting the spread of the virus. Usually, Germany is considered one of the EUs more frugal members and opposes new spending. In addition, the EU and Britain have intensified negotiations aiming to define their relationship after Britains withdrawal from the bloc. Among the issues are rules governing trade between the two sides. The British government is hoping to reach an agreement soon. John Springford is deputy director of the Centre for European Reform, a research group in London. Springford said he believes that the interests of Germany and France are closely linked and have helped Europe. Theres a realization that she wants to have been a chancellor that has made Europe stronger, he noted. Sebastien Maillard is head of the Jacques Delors Institute in Paris. He believes that Merkel is thinking about her legacy and is taking steps to make this EU presidency more meaningful. Its really a time for her to make history, so this presidency surely will make a difference compared to previous ones," he said. But making a difference will not to be easy. The Reuters news agency reports that Germany wants fairer trade relations with China. European companies say China does not give them the same ability to sell products in its markets as Chinese businesses have in Europe. Tensions between the EU and the United States have grown during the presidency of Donald Trump. The U.S. military plans to withdraw thousands of troops from Germany. Maillard noted, however, that Germany and the U.S. continue to have a close relationship. We share many common values, and there is much for both economies to share together, he said. He added that the U.S. should treat the EU as a whole and not as a divided group. But observers like Daniel Gros wonder how much Germany can do as a European Council president. Gros directs the Center for European Policy Studies in Brussels. The presidency of a big country cannot achieve a lot. Because if it tries to push its own priorities, the other countries will react... he said. Im Mario Ritter, Jr. Lisa Bryant reported this story for VOANEWS. Mario Ritter Jr. adapted it for VOA Learning English. George Grow was the editor. _________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story bloc n. a group of countries connected by a treaty or agreement crest n. the highest part of something such as a wave or a hill pandemic n. an outbreak of disease that takes place over a wide area and affects a large percent of the population frugal adj. careful about spending money legacy n. something that is left for people in the future achieve v. to reach a goal by working hard priorities n. things that are more important than others Henrikus Suroto teaches at a school on the Indonesian island of Java. When the coronavirus health crisis forced the school to close, he knew he could not move his classes online. His students live in rural areas that lack internet connections. Some do not even have a telephone signal. Instead, Suroto found another way to make sure his students keep studying: He goes to them. The 57-year-old teacher spends about six hours a day traveling by motorbike and on foot to reach communities in the Magelang area of Central Java. Suroto sees educating the children as a responsibility. I am a teacher; it is my responsibility to do this. I must accompany and teach my students, he told Reuters news agency. His only concern seems to be the rain. He says it gets especially difficult going up and down valleys on rainy days. In the area where he works, many of the households are not set up to use technology. That is the case in large parts of the country, which is home to more than 260 million people. Indonesia has more than 17 thousand islands. About 6,000 of them are inhabited, and many parts are rural. Millions of students, including those on the islands of Komodo and Madura, are struggling with home schooling because their households lack basic technology. Some students are forced to go several meters outside their homes to connect to the internet. The country has around 60 million households, but only about one in six had an internet connection as recently as one year ago. That information comes from the Association of Internet Service Providers Indonesia. Well, I do not know what the internet is and other sophisticated devices that are often used nowadays, said Martinus Kartijo. He is father to a student in Henrikus Surotos class. Arnasih, a mother of another student, is thankful for the influence the teacher has on her children. The children listen and obey orders from their teachers, compared to their parents, she said. For their part, students say they welcome the face-to-face meetings with Suroto, who wears a facial covering and obeys social distancing rules during his visits with students. Studying at home sometimes can be difficult, sometimes easy, but if Mr. Suroto is there, all subjects become easy, said Albertus Jonas Wiratama, a third-grade student. Im Alice Bryant. This report is based on a story from Reuters news agency and other sources. Alice Bryant adapted it for VOA Learning English. George Grow was the editor. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story motorbike - n. a small motorcycle accompany - v. to go somewhere with someone inhabit - v. to live in a place household - n. the people in a family or other group that are living together in one house sophisticated - adj. highly developed and complex grade - n. a level of study that is completed by a student during one year Hong Kong police have made the first arrests under a new national security law approved by Chinas central government. The arrests came as thousands of people gathered in the center of Hong Kong to mark the anniversary of its return to Chinese rule. Up until July 1, 1997, the city was a British colony. Wednesday was the first time since 1997 that police officials banned what has become the yearly anniversary protest. Police officers fired pepper spray and tear gas as demonstrators shouted, resist till the end and Hong Kong independence. In a message hanging on a purple banner, police warned people against holding up flags or signs or repeating slogans with a goal of subversion or separating from China. The police force said on social media that it detained about 370 people on charges including possession of weapons and violating the new law. Among the arrests were a man with a Hong Kong independence flag and a woman holding a sign showing the British flag and calling for Hong Kongs independence. Im scared of going to jail but for justice I have to come out today, I have to stand up, said one man who gave his name as Seth to the Reuters news agency. The new security law deepened concerns in Hong Kong and overseas about the future of the semi-autonomous territory. Chinas government enacted the law in reaction to anti-government protests in Hong Kong last year. It can punish people for crimes of secession, subversion, terrorism, and collusion with foreign forces. Those found guilty can face a sentence of up to life in prison. The measure also gives mainland security agencies the right to operate in Hong Kong and bring people to the mainland for trial. Under the law, Chinas central government can keep close watch of schools, social groups, media organizations, and websites in the former British colony. Central government agencies operating in the city will take over in complicated cases and when there is a serious threat to national security. Local officials are barred from interfering while they carry out their duties. Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam spoke at a ceremony to mark the 23rd anniversary of the citys return to Chinese rule. She called the new law the most significant development in the relationship between China and the territory. It is also an essential and timely decision for restoring stability in Hong Kong, she added. Critics say the law effectively ends the one country, two systems under which Hong Kong was promised a high degree of autonomy. Reaction from overseas Britains foreign secretary Dominic Raab told reporters Wednesday that the security law is a clear and serious violation of the 1997 handover agreement. Raab announced plans to extend British National Overseas passports for up to 3 million Hong Kongers to five years from the current six-month limit. After five years, passport holders could apply for settled status and then ask for British citizenship 12 months after that. The United States is moving to end special trade terms for Hong Kong. The Trump administration has said it will bar defense exports to Hong Kong and will soon require permits for the sale of products that have both civilian and military uses. Also Wednesday, Taiwans government opened an office to help Hong Kongers who desire to move to the island. One government official said the move is not only a statement on Taiwans support to Hong Kongs democracy and freedom, but also highlights our determination to care for Hong Kong people. I'm Jonathan Evans. Hai Do adapted this story for Learning English based on Associated Press and Reuters news reports. George Grow was the editor. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story banner - n. a large strip of cloth with design, writing or picture on it slogan - n. a word or phrase that is easy to remember and used by a group to get attention semi-autonomous - adj. having some power to govern itself secession - n. the act of separating from a nation or state collusion - n. secret cooperation for an illegal purpose highlight - v. direct attention to determination - n. a quality that makes you continue trying to do or achieve something that is difficult As the novel coronavirus continues to spread in the United States, politicians are increasingly turning to technology to get their message out to voters. Public health guidelines for reducing the spread have led to changes in the political campaigns of President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden. Health officials have appealed to Americans to limit face-to-face contact with others. They support calls for social distancing -- keeping space between yourself and other people outside your home. With social distancing rules in effect, the presidential election campaigns were faced with an unusual situation. They were no longer able to send out organizers and volunteers to connect with likely voters face-to-face. It has also not been possible for candidates to hold events that can raise millions of dollars for their campaigns. Eric Wilson is a technology expert working for the Republican Party. He directs the Center for Campaign Innovation. He told VOA the coronavirus health crisis forced big changes, such as the move to completely virtual campaigns. Just like the (coronavirus) disrupted everyone else's daily life - the same is true of our campaigns, Wilson said. Tara McGowan is the founder of Acronym, a political organization that supports progressive causes and candidates. She agrees that campaign organizers have had to find many new ways to reach the people most likely to support their candidates. You're just seeing a lot more creativity in terms of how and where the campaigns are finding the voters they need to get their message across to, McGowan told VOA. Since the start of social distancing orders in March, the Trump campaign has launched a daily talk show on social media. The show which appears on services such as Facebook and YouTube has different guests each day. Some well-known Republicans and members of Trumps family have appeared on the program as guests or presenters. During one show, the presidents son, Donald Trump, Junior, asked his father questions. That's one of the biggest kind of innovations we've done, said Erin Perrine, the director of press communications for the Trump campaign. The Biden campaign is also turning to social media to reach voters. It has used Instagram to hold discussions with well-known people and politicians. Last week, Biden raised more than $11 million during a virtual fundraising event with former President Barack Obama. Even as both campaigns experiment with ways to reach possible donors and voters, the use of technology in presidential campaigns is not new. Candidates have been using the internet since 1996, the year presidential hopefuls first developed websites for their campaigns. In 2000, Vice President Al Gore, a Democrat, and Republican Senator John McCain held online chats during their presidential runs. By 2004, campaigns started experimenting with ways to use the internet to connect with supporters and to help organize them, said Jennifer Stromer-Galley. She studies political campaigns and the use of technology at Syracuse University in New York. In 2008, then-presidential candidate Barack Obama used social media services like Twitter and Facebook to help him win the election. Stromer-Galley said the 2020 election season could be the first where campaigns spend more money on internet advertising than on television ads. She told VOA that internet-based ads are helpful in getting people to provide contact details after opening the ads. The first thing the campaign says is, Hey, give me your email address. And if you do give your email address, they also then typically ask you for your name and maybe your address or your zip code. Stromer-Galley said Facebook can be a useful tool for campaigns because ads can be created to target demographics of users. Facebook has built an algorithm that predicts if you're politically interested. They have an algorithm that predicts if you're likely a Democratic supporter or a Republican supporter. Erin Perrine of the Trump campaign says it runs a lot of ads on Facebook continuously. We do a bunch of them and those that are doing well, well put more money behind and continue to push those, then others that arent, you can pull them off the platform, she said. Im Bryan Lynn. Elizabeth Lee reported this story for VOA News. Bryan Lynn adapted the report for Learning English. George Grow was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page. Quiz - Technology Helps Keep US Election Campaigns Alive During Coronavirus Start the Quiz to find out Start Quiz ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story virtual adj. not real, existing in cyber space disrupt v. to interrupt something and stop it from continuing guest n. a person who comes to visit innovation n. a new idea or method of doing something chat n. an informal talk with someone address n. the details of where a building is located zip code n. a set of numbers that go after a person's address demographic n. the study of populations and the different groups that make them up algorithm n. a set of steps that are followed in order to solve a mathematical problem or to complete a computer process platform n. the type of computer or smartphone system you are using There will be at least one new member on the Lebanon City Council after the November general election. Council Robert Furlow, 70, has decided not to run for another term representing Ward 1. He has filled that post since being appointed in July 2014 to fill a vacancy created by the resignation of Barry Scott. Furlow served out the remainder of Scotts term and then won an election for that seat in November 2016. Furlow said in an interview that he will not seek re-election. My health has not been too good. Ive been in the hospital several times and Im just not able to continue some of the outside activities Ive previously been able to do, Furlow said. I think its time for someone else who is able to be more active to participate with the council. Ill miss that affiliation, its been a wonderful experience. Council President Jason Bolen said Furlow will be missed. Robert has been a tremendous asset to the council during his tenure and has provided us with the benefits of his many years of experience in government and health care. Im very grateful for his leadership and contributions to Lebanon, Bolen said. Furlow said he was encouraged to apply for the open seat by his wife, Cheryle. A Lebanon husband and wife have been accused of racketeering, money laundering and other crimes for allegedly operating an illegal marijuana trafficking operation based out of Millersburg. At the time of their arrest last week, the couple was reportedly found in possession of 500 pounds of suspected weed and 37 pounds of suspected pot concentrates. Cody John Dale Plagmann, 41, and Amber Lyn Plagmann, 30, were also charged in Linn County Circuit Court on Monday afternoon with two counts of unlawful manufacture of marijuana, two counts of unlawful delivery of marijuana, two counts of unlawful possession of marijuana, first-degree child neglect, endangering the welfare of a minor, possession of psilocybin mushrooms, possession of LSD, possession of cocaine, possession of 3,4 methylenedioxymethamphetamine and theft of lost or mislaid property. Cody Plagmann was charged with five counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm, as well. His bail was set at $40,000 by Judge Brendan Kane, and his wife's security was set at $30,000. Both were released from the Linn County Jail on Monday night after 10 percent of their bail was posted. From 50 years ago, Wednesday, July 1, 1970 Lebanon man knifed on street A Lebanon man was the victim of an unknown knife-wielding assailant in the city early Monday, when his attacker slashed him several times across the back. Donald George Penfold, 21, 1135 Williams St., received outpatient treatment at Lebanon Community Hospital after he was attacked on a darkened Lebanon street at about 3:15 a.m. No one has yet been charged with the attack according to Lebanon Police. From 25 years ago, Wednesday, July 5, 1995 LFD to eliminate resident volunteer program The Lebanon Fire District Board of Directors passed an amended budget Tuesday, June 27, foregoing the purchase of two vehicles while opting for more personnel. The changes came after the LFDs attorney, Aiken Blitz of the Portland firm Spears-Lubersky, advised the district that the way they were utilizing volunteers may not pass the test with the Internal Revenue Service, in that volunteers may be considered employees. NEBRASKA A plume of dust from the Sahara Desert has made a 5,000-mile journey across the Atlantic Ocean reaching Nebraska on Sunday. Dust storms from Africas Sahara Desert are nothing new, but the dust storm which blew across the Atlantic last week was one of the most extreme on record, according to the National Weather Service. Dust from Africa can affect air quality as far away as North and South America if it is mixed down to ground level. But dust can also play an important ecological role, such as, fertilizing soils in the Amazon and building beaches in the Caribbean. The dry, warm, and windy conditions associated with Saharan Air Layer outbreaks from Africa can also suppress the formation and intensification of tropical cyclones, according to an article by NASA. While Saharan dust transport across the ocean to the Americas is not uncommon, the size and strength of this particular event is quite unusual, NASA atmospheric scientist Colin Seftor said. Also, if you look off the coast of Africa you can see yet another large cloud coming off the continent, continuing to feed the long chain of dust traveling across the Atlantic. Support Local Journalism Your subscription makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}} SAN DIEGO Whether it was destiny or karma was of no relevance to Jon Rahm. He won the U.S. Open on Sunday at Torrey Pines, the perfect time and the perfect place to become a major champion. Nineveh Plains Transitional Justice Report: June June marks the anniversary of ISIS's capture of Mosul, the capital of the Nineveh Governorate, in 2014. Six years later, the challenges which contributed to the rise of ISIS remain deeply ingrained even while new ones emerge. In many ways, life remains paused because of COVID-19. Iraq's Central Government has taken several noteworthy steps, such as visiting Nineveh and attempting to hold the militias accountable. But community distrust remains pervasive. Organization Despite a brief reopening attempt by the Nineveh Governorate, the region remains under lockdown as COVID-19 spreads. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that by the end of June, there were 276 confirmed cases in the governorate, with 128 still active and three fatalities. Many residents remain unaware of the spread of COVID-19 in their locale but are deeply aware of the broader implications. For example, a Qeraqosh resident shared with ICC how "I've seen Qeraqosh is not infected by COVID-19 itself, but it is highly infected by its results. I mean the economy, a lot of people lost their jobs. Personally, I know more than 15 drivers who used to go from and to Erbil everyday carrying passengers, all of them lost their jobs, more and more." A recent publication from the International Organization for Migration (IOM) studied which population groups within Iraq were more impacted by COVID-19 compared to others. When measured, internally displaced persons (IDPs) scored 47%, and returnees scored 11%. It is worth remembering that IDPs, mostly displaced into the Kurdish Regional Government (KRG), remain more accessible than returnees to humanitarian services. Likewise, the same IOM report noted that NGOs and religious organizations are tied for second place at 28% as the largest assistance providers to impacted communities. NGOs already face stringent barriers when providing humanitarian aid in Iraq, and COVID-19 has only exacerbated the issue. For the first time since the genocide, an Iraqi Prime Minister visited Qeraqosh, Bartella, and Karemlesh. Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi's visit was a surprise for many residents, who have mixed feelings about his office tenure. "I think ISIS as militia would never come back to Qeraqosh. It has a different shape now, lack of jobs, economic collapse, and displacement, all that is ISIS in another face," said one Qeraqosh resident. "As for Al-Kadhimi's visit, I think it is just to get international support. It is to tell the world that he cares about minorities, but in reality, he will do nothing." "The other matter is that the Prime Minister is a toy in the hands of Islamic parties, he cannot move unless he has Iranian permission," adds another local. "We are hoping that the COVID crisis has an end soon, we can't stand for a long time without infections, and one infection in Qeraqosh could turn to disaster." Not long after this visit, the Prime Minister again surprised the country by taking a strong stance against militia members of the Iranian-backed Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF). Iraq's Counter-Terrorism Services (ICTS) arrested multiple members of the militia Kataib Hezbollah on June 25th after they had threatened the government. Though this occurred in Baghdad, Christians immediately thought of the Nineveh Governorate since it is largely controlled by PMF militias. "Those militias have no difference than ISIS. Actually, they are worse because they have power, influence, and politicians," said one Christian. "Hezbollah is doing exactly what ISIS did; that's why the ICTS attacked them last night. The difference is that ISIS is based on some sort of theology while those Iranian militias pretend they are protecting you while they are stealing the country's wealth." Iraq's Central Government has repeatedly promised to control these militias, especially in Nineveh. These latest actions come as the United States and Iraq engaged in a strategic dialogue regarding the future of cooperation. This included discussing security and counter-terrorism issues. According to a jointly released statement, "The United States, with its international partners, emphasized its continued support for Iraq's electoral preparations, efforts to strengthen rule of law, human rights, and the return and reintegration of displaced people, especially the smaller components of Iraqi society that were targeted for genocide by ISIS." Polarization Whether it is because of the militias or the shadow of ISIS, many Christian families continue to express concern about the polarization of their communities. One Christian who is originally from Telkef shared how "families are still under threats at some Christian villages like Telkef and Batnaya. There are no Christian forces there, and even the priests didn't go back there, or very few of them went back. Still, people have the fear of having ISIS members among them as sleeping cells." This individual currently lives in Mosul but worries regularly about the future. She continues, "as for Mosul, I was working at the university there before ISIS. I could feel some of the collogues were waiting for ISIS to join them and start kicking the minorities out of Mosul. We cannot be safe in Mosul currently; ISIS ideology is still there. Christians can never be safe there; there are a very low percentage of good Muslims." Crop fires are a common expression of sectarian tension, and although a fire in Karmalesh was ruled as accidental, for many it brought to mind these challenges. One Christian activist said following this fire, "The Federal Government in Baghdad and the Kurdish Regional Government always avoid saying the truth to prevent a possible ignition for a long civil war among minorities on these disputed areas. Both governments are neglecting the truth instead of chasing and looking for the guilty, especially since the burning is happening to the most important products in Iraq." "The governments are neglecting the evidence," he continues. "Many times, they have found phones and lenses. Both are a good start if the government wanted to look for who did the burnings. Meanwhile, Sinjar was burning because of increased Turkish airstrikes. Turkey has long conducted military operations in this area, but these latest attacks were distinctive in that they targeted Yazidi families who had just returned home from displacement. Yezidi activist and Nobel laureate Nadia Murad wrote on Twitter, "Mount Sinjar is a war zone right now. Turkish fighter jets are bombing multiple locations. Over 150 Yazidi families had just returned to their homes. When will the Iraqi Government and the international community apply some courage and political will to resolving security challenges in Sinjar?" Turkey claims they are targeting those affiliated with the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). However, Turkey's airstrikes are indiscriminate, often result in civilian causalities, and usually occur in areas home to minority groups. A statement from the Press Office of the People's Defense Forces (HPG) said that "These attacks are no different from the genocidal ISIS mentality. The occupant Turkish state has carried out airstrikes on Medya Defense Zones, Maxmur Refugee Camp, and Shengal (Sinjar)." "The invading Turkish state seeks to cover up the massacres it is to commit by distorting the truth on the attacks that have targeted civilian population protecting their land and the self-defense forces they themselves have formed," continued the statement. An IOM report for June 15-20 documented 677 displaced persons returning to Nineveh's Sinjar and al-Ba'aj districts. Many of these individuals were returning from locations near the Turkish border. The IOM report cited an improved security situation and rehabilitated infrastructure for the reason why these IDPs returned. It did not mention the Turkish airstrikes. Investigation The United Nations again urged Iraq's Central Government to adopt laws relating to war crimes. However, COVID-19 and an economic crisis have taken much of the government's attention. The pandemic situation also continues to significantly hinder the United Nations Investigative Team (UNITAD). An app initially meant to gather COVID-19 data was expanded by UNITAD as a means of gathering evidence from diaspora victims regarding the genocide. Capacity building and the digitalization of evidence remain a priority for UNITAD. Remote programming was introduced, such as a training session led by UNITAD's Iraq Witness Protection and Support Unit, which would support those working with victims of ISIS's genocide. Gathered around a large table situated inside their 2,000-square-foot Lompoc winery and tasting room, the family of late Montemar Wines proprietor and Grateful Dead devotee Steve Arrowood remembered the man whom they call "Dad." "He never even saw all the wine in storage," said Caryn, Arrowood's wife of 35 years, referring to the recently added one-unit storage space that now holds all of Montemar's wines. "Cases (of wine) used to be kept at Zotovich. Now all of our wine is in the last unit here. And that just happened right after he passed. We've been very, very busy keeping ourselves extremely busy." Despite Arrowood being diagnosed with Stage IV kidney cancer five years ago with a six-month life expectancy, and beating those odds, his family said they never thought he'd actually leave. "It just didn't seem possible that you could put down Steve," Caryn said of her husband's boundless energy and zest for life. "That just doesn't seem possible." Since Arrowood's death on April 14, his son Kyle, 24, who has since assumed the role of winemaker alongside his childhood sweetheart Layne Johnson, 24, who serves as assistant winemaker, said it's been tough around the winery. "After he passed, I still had hope. I [thought], 'This isn't real. He's going to walk in,'" Kyle said, sitting beside a watery-eyed Layne, describing his dad as larger-than-life. Arrowood held fast thanks to a pharmaceutical drug released months after his diagnosis, but mostly, his family believes his ceaseless positivity is what brought him this far. "He never complained even to me. Never ever, ever, ever," said Caryn. "And if you were to think about how much positive energy was coming out instead of negative because it takes energy to be negative you would think, 'You're not that sick.'" Arrowood's condition was kept secret at his request, because he simply didn't want to think about it or have others treat him any differently. "It was easy for me to lie because I was lying for him, I wasn't lying for me," said Kyle. Those kept in the dark included the closest to him. "I thought my parents were going to be mad, or that some people were going to be upset that he didn't confide in them," Caryn said. "But they just considered it a gift. They didn't have to worry about it or him." Daughter Alyse, 26, a resident of Washington, sheltering at home in California with her family during the COVID-19 pandemic, explained that living out of state and away from the everyday reminder of her dad's declining health made it easier to believe he would get eventually better, especially because Arrowood would withhold any new progress reports given by doctors. She said he didn't want to worry the family and preferred to direct his focus toward others. "Steve inspired people. He was the social butterfly who encouraged others," Caryn said, naming local entrepreneurs he had taken under his wing. "Sky's the limit with him. He was always that way." A new start After being diagnosed in 2012, Arrowood made the decision to relinquish his badge after 33 years in aerospace and instead breathe life into his years of experience as a "garagiste," or garage winemaker, and make his joy of producing wine a business. Although the family is quick to admit Arrowood ran Montemar as more of "a hobby on steroids" than a business. "Moving here was like a whole new start," said Caryn, "he could forget. He was very good at not dwelling on it or thinking of himself." The Arrowoods, who all grew up in Palos Verdes Estates and attended the same high school generations apart, rearranged their lives to support "Dad" with his dream of establishing a winery nearby to the grape-giving Santa Rita Hills AVA. Having formed a garagiste wine collective with their Palos Verdes neighbors over 20 years ago, and using wine grape growers Watch Hill Vineyard and Thompson Vineyard, the Arrowoods were already familiar with the Central Coast. So setting roots in Lompoc came quickly. Arrowood launched Montemar named after their Palos Verdes street and opened the wine-tasting doors in 2013. Two years later, winemaking operations were transferred out of Zotovich to their own in-house winery, which they built themselves. "In the summer of 2015, we started making wine. We barely made it in time to make the '15 vintage," said Alyse, also a chemical engineer, who during the buildout of Montemar's winery was charged with researching winemaking equipment and setting up the lab. "It really was a family affair." When Arrowood's cancer progressed, his frequency around the winery was noticed by the family, while his "everything is fine" attitude made him seem invincible. In 2018, Kyle and Layne then decided to quit their winery jobs in Santa Barbara and permanently move north to help lighten the load at Montemar. "Dad did last year's vintage and was only half here for the 2019 harvest because he wasn't feeling that great," recalled Kyle. "He would say he was going home, then he wouldn't be there. Instead I'd find him at City Hall with the little energy he had, fighting some policy or something. "Or he was really into traveling, so halfway through harvest, he's like, 'I'm going to Colombia,' and left us to do the harvesting." Describing her husband as a fountain of knowledge, wielding the energy and ideas of several people at once, Caryn said she is grateful Arrowood left with no regrets. "And Dad knew Kyle had it in him," she said, recalling the many years of training her son experienced growing up a child garagiste and being toted around as a baby, alongside sister Alyse, on endless wine tasting excursions. Rebuffing that belief, the second-generation winemaker acknowledged that at first he lacked confidence in himself to produce the 2019 Pet-nat vintage. "I [told Dad], 'I don't know if I can make a sparkling wine like you.' And he said, 'You've got it.' And we made it. And it's really good." In an effort to continue local demonstrations against systemic injustice, a group of individuals from Nipomo, San Luis Obispo and Santa Maria marched to the Santa Maria Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, office Tuesday to show solidarity with the undocumented community. The march began at Santa Maria Commons and grew to around 30 people, led by members of the recently formed local advocacy group Central Coast Progressives. Group member Andrea Uvias said she and other leaders organized the march following weeks of protests against police brutality and other injustices across the country. "Were in a generation where people are starting to stand up, where people are starting to see whats going on in our country," Uvias said. Ivan Lopez, co-founder of Central Coast Progressives, said the group was created by several Nipomo residents to foster a safe space on social media for people of various identities to share anti-discriminatory views and encourage people to take action against injustice. "Were not anyone special, were just a group of kids and adults just like anybody else, trying to have a bit more resources for people to be able to put their thoughts into actions," Lopez said. As the crowd walked along West McCoy toward the ICE facility on Century Street, they participated in such chants as "No borders, no nations, stop the deportations" and "What's outrageous? Kids in cages." The ICE facility, while not a detention center, has still received criticism from community members over the past years. The site serves as a processing and holding area for individuals recently released from local prison or jail who may be subject to deportation following their release, as described by Los Angeles Field Office Deputy Director David Marin in 2015. The proposed relocation of the office from the Lompoc Federal Correctional Complex to Santa Maria in 2014 was met with strong protest from community members, with over 1,000 attendees showing up to City Council meetings for discussions about the facility. Once the group arrived at the ICE facility on Tuesday, a moment of silence was held for George Floyd, a Black man killed by a police officer in Minneapolis on Memorial Day, as well as for the 1,500 migrant children whose whereabouts were reportedly lost by ICE officials in 2018, as reported by The New York Times. Later, Uvias read aloud the names of some of the children who have died in ICE custody over the years. "I have a lot of emotions," Uvias said to the group. "I feel like our Latino community is so scared to stand up for themselves, especially in this area, and I feel obligated to stand up for them." Many attendees said they learned about the event on Instagram or Facebook and decided to participate, including Cuesta College student Tony Lastra. "There are children in cages, and people being sent into some of the most filthy, disgusting places you can imagine. ... The U.S. doesnt see their system as broken, it was built this way. Im tired of this," Lastra said to applause from attendees. Santa Maria resident Diana Zarate and a friend both attended the protest with their children, carrying signs stating "Familias Unidas," or united families. "I brought my son, so he is aware of whats going in on society," Zarate said. The Central Coast Progressives will also host a "March for Black Excellence" outside Santa Maria City Hall at 3 p.m. Thursday. Protesters from the Central Coast Progressives marched to of the office of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Santa Maria on Tuesday to rally against the presence of ICE. 063020 ICE protest 07.jpg 063020 ICE protest 09.jpg 063020 ICE protest 01.jpg 063020 ICE protest 02.jpg 063020 ICE protest 03.jpg 063020 ICE protest 04.jpg 063020 ICE protest 05.jpg 063020 ICE protest 06.jpg 063020 ICE protest 08.jpg 063020 ICE protest 10.jpg 063020 ICE protest 11.jpg 063020 ICE protest 12.jpg 063020 ICE protest 13.jpg 063020 ICE protest 14.jpg 063020 ICE protest 15.jpg 063020 ICE protest 16.jpg 063020 ICE protest 17.jpg Noahs Ark waterpark in Wisconsin Dells announced across-the-board raises for seasonal staff June 22, looking to bring in local workers to fill out the park staff. Like many other Dells businesses, Noahs Ark employs J-1 students as seasonal workers, with much of the parks staff living abroad during the offseason. However, due to travel restrictions from COVID-19 countermeasures, the parks ability to bring in J-1 workers has been severely impacted. According to General Manager Mark Whitfield, the parks staff has been cut down to a point where only nine of the parks rides are open for guests. Even with the push to bring in local staff, Whitfield said that some attractions will remain closed for the duration of 2020. Were anticipating being able to open most of the other rides, Whitfield said. We will not open the second, smaller wave pool area, and we will not open the smaller lazy river. There may be one or two other rides where we have copies of those rides in the park that we dont open. Whitfield said that by the end of June, more attractions will be accessible due to increased hiring. In fact, he said Noahs Ark will employ more Wisconsin residents in 2020 than it has in 15 years. Eck said the resorts administration saw the writing on the wall for summer J-1 workers back in early May, and began planning recruitment efforts then. In fact, Eck and his team hosted a unique job fair to help attract potential employees. We had a drive-through job fair, where you could drive through our parking lot and interview in your car, Eck said. We created virtual orientation, and we came up with sign-on bonuses and referral bonuses we really recruited hard and tried to come up with ways to get people interviews, even during safer-at-home time. New forms of recruitment have been a focus for businesses across the Dells. According to Romy Snyder, CEO of the Wisconsin Dells Visitors and Conventions Bureau, their online job board has seen a sharp spike in searches in 2020. Although the bureau does not keep demographic information, she said that businesses have turned to local employees in lieu of J-1 workers. Weve definitely seen an uptick in searches on our job board, Snyder said. I know that, for example, we are connected with the Wisconsin Job Network, and if you look at the April to June time period, in 2019 versus 2020, in 2019 there were just over 6,000 job listing accesses. This year there were close to 9,000. Theres a moment early on in The Outpost when a new soldier arrives at American Combat Outpost Keating, at the bottom of a valley near Kamdesh, Afghanistan. The camera pans upward and around, and we cant even see the sky, the valley is so deep, an endless series of outcroppings and switchbacks where Taliban fighters can easily hide. We are in deep, literally, with these soldiers. Rod Luries film, based on a true story recounted in CNN anchor Jake Tappers book of the same name, is a thrilling and visceral war film that puts us in the boots of the soldiers who lived through it and those who didnt. The film is being released on video-on-demand on Friday on iTunes, Amazon Prime, VUDU and other sites. "It doesnt get better. One newcomer sees the dispiriting message scratched into the wood above his bunk. But part of the challenge of being assigned to Keating is that it doesnt get much worse, either. Lurie captures the cycle of boredom and terror of life in combat. The soldiers spend most of their days and nights keeping the camp running, running through drills, trying to stay sharp. Occasionally, the dolor is broken when Taliban fighters take potshots from the high ground. Better critics than I have expounded on the brilliance of Mirandas galvanizing musical about the countrys first Secretary of the Treasury, which both celebrates and confronts the principles the nation was founded on. Dense and frenetic as one of Mirandas freestyle raps, Hamilton constantly gives the viewer new things to discover. Like many fans, Ive seen the theatrical productions in Chicago and Madison and listened to the cast album at least 200 times. It was only on this viewing that it hit me how the Helpless/Satisfied section, with Angelica revising Elizas love story with the more complicated truth, is such a perfect metaphor for the plays larger themes about how history is a narrative that depends on who lives, who dies, who tells your story. With more than 400 people watching the Facebook Live leaving more than 500 comments and questions during the event, Jenkins said it was exciting to have a community that wants to raise questions. He suggested district leaders need to go out to schools and community centers for meetings rather than ask parents to come to central office, stressing that its one step toward rebuilding trust, something that were going to have to repair. I would first come in and see, what strategies do we already have to engage families? he said. This is where our trust issues happen. He added that creating action plans is just as important as listening. A courageous conversation with no action, its a waste of time for everyone, he said. In the staff Q and A earlier in the afternoon, Jenkins said visiting the schools would be among his priorities, and he would hope to bring other central office staff members along with him. This year, students are to complete Canvas appointments and assignments prior to meeting with their academic advisors. Placement exams for freshmen, which were previously offered both online and in person at UW campuses, are exclusively remote. Katie Hoskins, one of four SOAR interns who served as a new student leader last year, said the shift has made it challenging for student staff to engage with both incoming families and one another. The decision to hold SOAR remotely interrupted the programs annual training for student staff, which occurs throughout spring semester. Communication with parents and students and the advice that these students have is really valuable and harder to translate to a virtual experience, Hoskins said. They have been amazing, and I know its not easy for anyone to do this online. Orientation can be a time for students to not only transition academically, but to meet peers who might even become their best friends, Hoskins said. For instance, student leaders might group people by residence halls during a small group activity to help acquaint them with their neighbors. Dane County leaders have proposed an expansive 14-part package of reform initiatives addressing criminal justice issues in an effort to improve racial equity. Stemming from the countys ongoing work on criminal justice reform, the initial set of initiatives address stages along the criminal justice continuum from first interactions with law enforcement to diversion programs, sentencing and reentry into the community. Dane County Board Supervisor Shelia Stubbs, District 23, said elected officials need less talk and more action. She said people are demanding immediate change in the criminal justice system and are not interested in more meetings with elected leaders or serving on more committees. Given the climate that were in right now with Black Lives Matter, you cannot continue to operate with budgets the way they have been or systems the way that they are, said Stubbs, who also represents the 77th Assembly District. People are really clear about change. The comprehensive reform package is not yet at the point where the board would vote on individual initiatives or in its entirety. Dane County Board Chair Analiese Eicher, who represents District 3, said the 14 identified initiatives are the result of years of work and outline a direction the county can move in. It is very likely that in the next few weeks, if things go as they have been, we will, Safdar said. Acknowledging that people are tired of taking precautions, Dane County Executive Joe Parisi said the community is likely not even in the middle stage of the pandemic and residents need to remain cautious. Just because were tired of it, doesnt mean its any less dangerous or contagious than it was in March, Parisi said. Both Rhodes-Conway and Parisi called for the community to work together to slow the spread of the virus. We have to restore the spirit and approach that brought us so much success at the beginning of this outbreak, Parisi said. We can get this under control but it will require that everyone in the community do their part. Doing their part includes following public health guidelines to wear face coverings, maintain social distancing if people are out with others and to limit going out in public. Since Columbus Day falls on the second Monday of October, the proposal would add a summer federal holiday in exchange for one in the fall. It's also a nod to a growing number of critics who complain that, rather than a day to celebrate, Columbus Day marks the savage colonization of the Americas, the start of the transatlantic slave trade and the deaths of millions of indigenous people from murder and disease. Several states and localities including Wisconsin last year with an executive order from Democratic Gov. Tony Evers have rebranded Columbus Day as Indigenous Peoples Day. Juneteenth, or June 19, 1865, is the day slaves were freed in Texas, more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed, marking the end of slavery in the U.S. It is celebrated as a holiday in 47 states, including Wisconsin, as a state holiday, but a federal designation has never been enacted. In the midst of nationwide racial justice protests after the May 25 police killing of George Floyd, the holiday has gained increased attention. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, who co-authored the Juneteenth bill with Sen. Ed Markey, D-Massachusetts, called Johnson's proposal problematic. Though there may be an urge to do so, you do not need to defend these figures. The contrary; to protect Black lives means understanding American history in its fullness and dreaming up the country we actually wish to build. It is easy to deride statues of the racist Confederacy, but especially in a place like Madison, it is more meaningful, to topple symbols of white liberal hypocrisy. Liberal white people must avoid the trap of being Martin Luther Kings White moderate. Taking down these statues is an expression of belief that white people can and must do better, can and should be part of the project of liberation. Given the history and symbolism embedded in these statues, it is grotesque that their removal has evoked more ire from white liberals than the actual murder of Black people; including murders that are close to home. Madison resident Tony Robinson was killed on Willy Street by white police officer Matt Kenny. Kenny remains on the Madison police force to this day, but rarely have those expressing dismay over the statues expressed the same level of concern over this police murder. Why should a protest that damages property be seen as more violent than police murdering Black people? Who defines what constitutes "violence"? These statues are on their surface progressive, but digging deeper means being more honest about the legacy of violence they protect. Ahead of the July 4 holiday, Wisconsin workers, farmers and manufacturers have added cause for celebration this year. The United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) goes into effect today after years of hard-fought negotiation on the part of President Trump and Republicans. As our economy begins to rebound after being artificially interrupted by the coronavirus pandemic, the boost this new and improved North American trade deal will provide to all sectors of our economy could not come at a better time. The USMCA is a win for all of America with its potential to add over half a million jobs and increase economic activity by over $235 billion, but nowhere will the benefits that this modernized, freer and fairer trade agreement brings be felt more than right here in the Badger State. Wisconsin has an extensive trading relationship with both our neighbors to the north and the south, and by leveling the playing field between our two largest export markets, the USMCA will ensure parity for Wisconsin workers and contribute to American prosperity for decades to come. USMCA replaces the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), which was negotiated over a quarter century ago and was a glaring example of failed trade policies from past administrations that led to an exodus of American jobs. What's next? 3D home tours can be supplemented (or replaced) by video showings via FaceTime or Skype, during which your real estate agent carries a smartphone through the house while answering questions. Buyers can direct their agent to focus the camera on the things they care about, Street says. And, yes, technology exists for buyers to don virtual reality headsets and "walk" through homes immersively. But virtual reality hasn't taken off, Yelkovan says, and it seems like overkill when you can get the information you need on a computer or tablet. Nerdy tips to keep in mind Pay attention to pricing: Matterport and VPiX offer subscription plans to real estate agents, and professional photographers often do the work. If the agent wants to pass along some of the cost to the seller, that's subject to negotiation. Zillow 3D Home is a free app, and the seller or seller's agent can take the photos with a supported camera or hire a photographer. Beware buying without visiting: It's possible to buy a home without setting foot in it, with or without using a 3D virtual tour. But you can't experience smells or sounds through a virtual tour. An in-person visit is recommended. Meet Dr. Carlton Jenkins, one of two finalists for the position of Madison Metropolitan School District, in a live engagement session with students and staff. The live session featuring Dr. Carlton Jenkins will begin at 7:15 p.m. on June 30 and the live session featuring Dr. Carol Kelley will begin at 7:15 p.m. on July 1. The live sessions are a part of a "Virtual Day in the District", an online opportunity to get to know each candidate, ask questions and provide feedback that will aid in the board's final decision. On Thursday, the Board of Education announced two final candidates who will participate in the next step of the interview process to become the districts next Superintendent. Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. If Carlton Jenkins is chosen as the next superintendent of the Madison School District, the city would be getting an African American leader whom students of color could look up to, Jenkins told community members Tuesday. Jenkins who got his Ph.D. from UW-Madison and is currently the superintendent of Robbinsdale School District, located in the northwestern suburbs of Minneapolis said his mother had a 10th-grade education, and his father had only a third-grade education. He said he has a unique understanding of Madisons students of color who are experiencing achievement gaps. The children that youre talking about that are the most vulnerable thats me, Jenkins told those watching the Facebook live interview. I want you to look at me, and look at the children who youre seeing right now having those gaps, and know that its possible. Its possible. And if it can happen anywhere ... eliminating those gaps, it should happen in Madison. Jenkins is one of two finalists being interviewed this week for the superintendent position, which still needs to be filled after the districts first choice dropped out of the running months ago. The district conducted a new search that yielded Jenkins and finalist Carol Kelley as the top two candidates. Either finalist would be Madisons first African American superintendent. The Wisconsin Supreme Court on Tuesday night signaled it would not hear oral arguments until at least late September in a case that could purge from the rolls more than 100,000 voters suspected of moving which could delay a ruling until after the upcoming presidential election. The court ordered, in a 5-2 vote, that the case will be taken up as part of the courts regular schedule, with oral arguments beginning Sept. 29, at the earliest. Plaintiffs represented by the conservative Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty, or WILL, in the case had requested an expedited ruling on the matter and petitioned the court to decide on briefs and without oral argument. Justice Rebecca Bradley, who voted in dissent along with fellow conservative Justice Daniel Kelly, said the courts order Tuesday likely means a ruling will not be made until next year. Under this courts typical briefing and oral argument schedule, the people of Wisconsin would most likely not receive a decision in this case until after every single one of Wisconsins 2020 elections has come and gone, Bradley wrote. The majoritys unusual order delaying oral argument in this case until at least September 29, 2020, renders a timely decision impossible. Thats good as far as it goes, which is not very far. It would be a mistake to interpret this decision as a sign that the chief justice has had a change of heart about protecting the bodily autonomy of American women. Even in his concurring opinion, Chief Justice Roberts said he still believes the Texas case was wrongly decided and he voted to strike down the Louisiana law solely out of respect for precedent. He appears to have decided that the circumstances of this case were not ideal for crippling reproductive rights but he left the door open to doing so in the future. Mondays decision, with the plurality opinion written by Justice Stephen Breyer, isnt so much good news for reproductive freedom as it is a temporary reprieve from all the bad. Abortion access in many parts of the country is abysmal five states have only one abortion clinic, for instance. If the Louisiana law had been upheld, clinics in that state (which has only three such facilities) and across the country could have closed, forcing many women to travel longer distances at prohibitive expense to receive reproductive health care. Originally posted on IdahoEdNews.org on June 30, 2020 A federal judge put the state back on the clock Tuesday and it means Reclaim Idaho could begin gathering electronic signatures for its $170 million K-12 funding initiative next week. U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill ordered state officials to work out details for an online signature drive, allowing Reclaim Idaho to begin circulating petitions on July 9. The group would have 48 days to collect the signatures it needs to get its Invest in Idaho initiative on the November ballot. That translates to an Aug. 26 deadline. Winmills four-page order is the latest twist in the rapid-fire legal dispute over the Invest in Idaho initiative. Reclaim Idahos initiative would increase corporate tax rates and income tax rates for Idahoans making more than $250,000. The proceeds, some $170 million, would go into a special fund for K-12 which the state could use for several purposes, including teacher pay raises, hiring additional teachers or offering all-day kindergarten. When I moved to Twin Falls, I decided that a good way to become involved in the community was to involve myself in the American Legion I had joined in 1992 after returning from service in Desert Storm. I had never been to a meeting, and I was surprised when they began with reciting the preamble to their charter. At that first reading, I was aware of the sentiment attached. The words were written in 1918 when the Legion organized in Minneapolis. The organizers were Doughboys who had lived through the unbelievable carnage that was WWI. They wanted to preserve the memories and incidents of our associations in the Great War(s). If the Legion had stopped there, it would have been nothing but a group of old soldiers sitting around telling tales and, perhaps, drinking their sorrows. But they had started out by saying that their association was for God and Country. They were going to Uphold and defend the Constitution of the United States of America.; Maintain Law and Order; and Foster and perpetuate a one hundred percent Americanism. They had fought for something, and they were not going to stop. Gillespies address is listed as Apartment 3 of the complex where the shooting occurred. According to court records in Henry County, Williams was out on bail at the time of the shooting on a charge of grand larceny of an automobile. He had been arrested on March 24, the same day as the alleged offense, and released on bond on April 9. He had been scheduled to return to Henry County General District Court on June 25. Gillespie had been arrested on March 18 for a parole violation and appeared to have been in the Henry County jail until about May 6. Henry County Sheriff Lane Perry said on the night of Williams death that males and females were present for a period of time at the apartment where the shooting occurred, and after a possible robbery where weapons were involved, a small black sports-utility vehicle or crossover vehicle left the scene. Perry said then that his department was looking for Gillespie and the vehicle. Earlier this month, HCSO Capt. T.S. Barker had said the investigators were concerned about the welfare of Gillespie and that they had located all other parties of interest, but on Monday the release from Barker stated Gillespie had been arrested and that Fish and McCallister are now wanted and still at large. STEP is distributing the funds on behalf of the Continuum of Care, a coalition of local agencies with the mission to address the needs of homeless people in the area. This is such a difficult time. STEP is happy to serve the community and the COC by helping to alleviate hardships to families. Stable housing is the foundation for creating sustainable communities, Executive Director Sammi Rader said in the release. Eligibility To qualify, applicants must have a gross household income at or below 80% of area median income, based on the current month. Those with income at or below 50% of the median will get priority now through July 20, the release stated. For eligibility purposes, income includes unemployment insurance received by any member of the household but does not include one-time payments, such as a stimulus check. According to the Department of Housing and Urban Development's website, median income for Martinsville-Henry County is $48,000. Income limits for this program depend on family size. For example, 80% of the areas median income is $33,850 for a household of one, $38,650 for two people, $43,500 for three people, $48,300 for four people, and $52,200 for five. The legislature also required the Virginia Center for School and Campus Safety to develop a statewide case management system to track interventions with troubled students even if they change schools. The center provides training and certification in evidence-based anti-bullying tactics, as well as effective identification of students who may be at risk for violent behavior and in need of special services or assistance. In 2013, Virginia was also the first state to mandate threat assessments in all K-12 and post-secondary schools following the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre. The system seems to be working. According to center director Donna Michaelis, The threat of violence in our schools is actually very low. We cannot stress this enough. Even when a community is crime-ridden, the local schools are usually one of the few places students feel safe because they are surrounded by caring professionals. Michaelis noted that more than half (56%) of school threat assessments statewide during the 2017-18 school year involved students threatening to harm themselves. But 39% were classified as threats to others only, and5% involved threats directed to themselves and others. Its the job of school resource officers to neutralize those threats before somebody gets hurt. He settled on high, having been friends with the late Hugh Morton, founder of the Grandfather Mountain nature park. On June 5, 1992, at 3-and-a-half years old, Gerry moved across several states with her three cubs. The bears acclimation to their new home was as seamless as possible, and it didnt take long for them to grow comfortable in their new surroundings. After their first season on the mountain, and when they came of age, Gerrys three cubs were ready to be sent out on their own. North Carolina wildlife officials arranged to release them back into the wild, where they were presumed to have adapted. Support Local Journalism Your subscription makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}} Years later, when Rogers came back to the mountain to visit Gerry, there was a question as to whether or not the now older bear would recognize her former keeper. Those suspicions were quickly erased when Gerry raced to Rogers to enthusiastically greet him. Gerry was a very special bear to us all, said Jesse Pope, Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation president and executive director. I had the pleasure of working with her when I was a keeper early in my career, and I have nothing but fond memories of my interactions with her. On Monday, June 15, the commissioners held a public hearing about the budget as required by state law. Two members of the public spoke about the budget at that hearing. And on Tuesday, the commissioners took action regarding the plan for 2020-2021. Before voting, Commission Chairman David Walker said he wanted to bring up five points regarding the budget. First, Walker pointed out the budget doesnt include a pay raise for county employees. He asked county staff to work on finding a way to give county workers a raise. Second, Walker said he hoped that the county could lower the property tax rate but then COVID-19 happened. That meant less revenue coming into the county government. He said hopefully, the board can lower the property tax rate next year. The third point he wanted to make was about the countys funding for parks and recreation programs and facilities. More than $1 million was requested for the countys parks and recreation. Walker said that is not possible now but he hopes the board will continue to look into funding more for recreation. Credit: CC0 Public Domain Find out when to get emergency care for non-COVID-19 symptoms and COVID-19 symptoms, and learn what emergency rooms are doing to keep you safe during the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic. News about the COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic may be making you feel anxious about going to the emergency department or getting medical care, and you may wonder if it's safe to go to the hospital. Current data has found that nearly 30% of people are avoiding or delaying medical care due to COVID-19 concerns. Some emergency rooms have about half their usual number of patients. But it's important to seek emergency care if you have serious non-COVID-19 symptoms and COVID-19 symptoms. Delaying care for a medical emergency, such as a heart attack or stroke, can be life-threatening or lead to serious complications. Find out when you should go to the emergency room, and learn what emergency depatremnts are doing to keep you safe from getting the COVID-19 virus. How are emergency rooms keeping people safe? You may be worried about your chances of catching the COVID-19 virus in the emergency department or in the hospital if you need to be admitted. Data has found that 80% of adults are concerned about catching the COVID-19 virus in the emergency room. However, emergency rooms and hospitals are taking precautions to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus and help make sure that visits to the hospital are as safe as possible. Emergency rooms and hospitals follow strict guidelines for protecting people during the COVID-19 pandemic, including: Universal masking. Emergency rooms require that everyone wear a face mask. Health care professionals are required to wear personal protective equipment (PPE). Screening at all entrances. Everyone entering is screened for COVID-19 signs and symptoms. Separate waiting areas for people who have or may have COVID-19. People who may have COVID-19 may be asked to wait in separate, designated areas of the emergency deparment away from those who don't have COVID-19 signs and symptoms. Frequent cleaning and disinfecting. Waiting areas, rooms, restrooms and surfaces are cleaned and disinfected often to accommodate updated COVID-19 hospital cleaning protocols. Social distancing. Check-in and waiting areas are arranged for social distancing. What can you do to protect yourself in the emergency room? Protect yourself in the emergency room as you would in any public place: Wear a cloth face mask. Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Keep a social distance of 6 feet (2 meters) from other people. Clean your hands often, especially after touching any surfaces. Wash your hands with soap and water for 20 seconds, or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol. What symptoms require emergency attention? If you have any of these signs or symptoms, go to the emergency room or call 911 or your local emergency number: Heart attack signs and symptoms, including chest pain or pressure; pain in one or both arms, stomach, back, or jaw; shortness of breath; or nausea or lightheadedness. Stroke signs and symptoms, such as a drooping face, arm weakness or slurred speech. Other signs and symptoms can include sudden numbness, confusion, vision difficulties, difficulty walking or sudden headache. Fainting, dizziness or weakness. Head or spine injury. Injury from a car or motorcycle accident. Sudden or severe pain. Bleeding that you can't stop. Severe or long-lasting vomiting or diarrhea. This list doesn't include all symptoms that may require emergency attention. If you have any serious symptoms requiring emergency care, go to the emergency room or call your local emergency number or 911. Don't wait to get care. What COVID-19 symptoms require emergency care? Seek care immediately if you have or may have COVID-19 and experience any of these emergency signs or symptoms: Trouble breathing Persistent chest pain or pressure Inability to stay awake New confusion Blue lips or face Alert the emergency room that you have or may have COVID-19 before going in. If you're being transported in an ambulance, tell the medics. This will give the emergency room staff time to prepare and use infection control practices and wear PPE. The emergency department staff may also give you specific instructions to follow when you arrive, such as wearing a cloth face mask and waiting in a separate area of the emergency room. In the emergency room, medical personnel will evaluate your symptoms, and they may perform blood tests and X-rays. They'll determine whether to test you for the COVID-19 virus. If your condition is serious, you may be admitted to the hospital. If admitted, you'll be placed in a single-person room. Medical staff will wear personal protective equipment, including masks and eye protection, when caring for you. Not sure if you need to go the emergency room? If you're not sure if you should get emergency care, call your health care provider or medical team for advice. If it's outside of business hours, you may be able to ask for the on-call doctor. If your hospital or employer has a nurse triage line, call this number to discuss your symptoms. You might be able to have a virtual visit or phone call, go to an urgent care or express care clinic, or delay going to your health care provider. Explore further Follow the latest news on the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak 2020 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Member States of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) have been given access to the Africa Medical Supplies Platform (AMSP), a procurement system for supplies and equipment in the fight against COVID-19. The AMSP unlocks immediate access to an African and global base of vetted manufacturers and procurement strategic partners. It enables African Union Member States to purchase certified medical equipment, such as diagnostic kits, personal protection equipment (PPE) and clinical management devices, with increased cost effectiveness and transparency. Chair of CARICOM, the Honourable Mia Mottley, welcomed the development and thanked the Chair of the African Union (AU), His Excellency Cyril Ramaphosa, President of South Africa, His Excellency Uhuru Kenyatta, President of Kenya and Dr. Tedros Ghebreyesus, Director General of the World Health Organization (WHO) for their assistance in making it possible. The COVID-19 crisis has produced, among other things, a glaring example of the disparity among developed and developing states regarding the access to critical supplies necessary to successfully combat the spread of the COVID, the Prime Minister said. We have seen supplies being withheld from transhipment, and our relatively small populations put us at a disadvantage for successful optimal procurement of needed supplies. We, therefore, welcome this opportunity which has become available through inter-regional discussion. This underlines the strength of the relationship between Africa and CARICOM, Prime Minister Mottley added. The outgoing CARICOM Chairman went on to say Coincidentally, last week we were to have been holding the inaugural AU- CARICOM Summit in Nairobi to discuss such partnerships but this had to be postponed because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and here we are today with a tangible outcome of the partnership between Africa and the Caribbean. The Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) will serve as the supplies management hub for the Region, working along with the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) which provides the payment and trade services in support of AMPS. The platform not only affords more competitive procurement of a wide range of supplies and equipment to address the COVID pandemic, but also for additional health services. It was developed under the leadership of African Union Special Envoy, Mr. Strive Masiyiwa and powered by Janngo, an African technology company, on behalf of the African Unions Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) and in partnership with Afreximbank, the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) and other leading African and international corporations, institutions and foundations. Credit: CC0 Public Domain The opioid and addiction epidemic didn't go away when the coronavirus pandemic began. But rapid changes in regulations and guidance made during COVID-19 response could also help many more people get care for opioid use disorder and other addiction problems. That's according to experts from the University of Michigan Addiction Center and VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System, writing in this week's issue of JAMA Psychiatry. They document the recent policy changes that have made it possible for more addiction care to take place through telemedicine, specifically video chats and even telephone calls. They also note the requirements for in-person visits for key addiction treatments that have been waivedthough only temporarilyduring COVID-19. Yet despite the recent rapid progress, they say, it will take more changes to truly lower barriers that stand in the way of delivering evidence-based addiction care to more people via telemedicine. If that happens, more people with substance use disorders could have access to care such as medications, psychotherapy and peer group support, they sayeven in rural areas and other places where addiction specialists are scarce. Some of the authors already used telehealth as part of their work at the VA even before the COVID-19 pandemic began. Based on that experience, and on the intense shifts to virtual care in the past three months, they give specific recommendations for how to make telehealth for addiction a sustainable option for more providers and patients. "Before COVID, treatment of substance use disorders was one of the least-used forms of telemedicine, because of a combination of regulatory issues, clinician comfort and patient comfort," says Allison Lewei Lin, M.D., M.Sc., the lead author and an addiction psychiatrist at the U-M and VA. "Now, many addiction providers haven't seen their patients in the office, or have substantially decreased in-person visits, by using telemedicine in the past three months," she says. "And where we once relied on referring patients to inpatient and residential programs, many of those have not been available during this time, so outpatient clinicians have been trying to take care of sicker patients as well." Policy shifts Relaxation of rules such as the Ryan Haight Act, which previously didn't allow prescribers to prescribe buprenorphine and other controlled addiction treatment medications to patients they had only seen virtually, have made a big difference, says Lin. So have changes in rules and guidance from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to make it easier for clinicians to communicate and care for patients with addiction via telemedicine. Plus, the same changes to Medicare and Medicaid telemedicine reimbursement rules that have helped move non-addiction care online this spring are helping addiction providers, too. More research needed As the coronavirus pandemic continues, she says, many in the addiction field have a lot of questionsones that researchers are now scrambling to study. For instance, how are patients doing, and are they improving with telemedicine-delivered treatment? Also of intense interest: Can telemedicine potentially help patients start and stay engaged in treatment longer than they would have with traditional care? The rapid move to virtual care has been a big switch for a field that has focused for so long on building interpersonal rapport between patient and providerand also on in-person checks such as urine tests to make sure patients are adhering to their treatment and spot relapses early. "Patients are now used to telemedicine and some really like it, so we shouldn't take it away even when coronavirus wanes," Lin says. "But we have to evaluate the impacts, including if the treatments are actually effective, as we go on." Last year, Lin led a team that published a review of the existing evidence surrounding telemedicine for substance use disorders. They concluded that much more research was neededbut that early evidence showed efficacy and high patient satisfaction. Key recommendations In the new piece, she and colleagues Anne Fernandez, Ph.D., M.A. and Erin Bonar, Ph.D. recommend three key changes going forward: Development of treatment guidelines that include both in-person and telemedicine-based care for substance use disorders, and that provide guidance on urine toxicology practices and use of new ways to monitor treatment progress including self-monitoring apps and other practices. More work to increase the availability of buprenorphine via telemedicine, including by increasing the number of physicians who are trained to prescribe it and monitor patients taking it. This could especially help rural areas hit hard by the opioid epidemic. Lin and her colleagues currently lead regular training sessions to get new providers started with such prescribing, and offer ongoing support for prescribers. More help for people with substance use disorders who are also coping with other mental health conditions, and with the psychological and financial stress brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. Online resources including group therapy online will be key, they say. "In this moment when clinical care has been transformed because of real-world necessity, rather than evidence produced by research, it makes research on the effects of that transformation all the more urgent," says Lin. "We need to understand to what extent we should be offering telemedicine even after COVID-19 has subsided." Another urgent issue: making sure that patients in rural areas without broadband Internet access aren't left behind. Lin has been seeing addiction patients for years using telehealth, but they had to travel to a clinic in a nearby city in order to connect with her. Now she is having visits with those patients in their homes instead. "These past few months have been a natural experiment for substance use disorder treatment, much of which has traditionally been largely outside the realm of other types of medicine," she says. "It will be important to see how things change, for better or worse. When we have the option for in-person care again, we will also need to determine which is bettertelemedicine or the traditional approachand for which patients to keep them engaged and make care more accessible, especially for vulnerable populations." Explore further Research shows patients and clinicians rated telemedicine care positively during COVID-19 pandemic Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain There's good news for people with Parkinson's disease. A new study shows that deep brain stimulation may not increase the risk of developing dementia. The study is published in the July 1, 2020, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. For people with advanced Parkinson's disease, deep brain stimulation has been shown to be more effective than medication in controlling their movement problems. But research has been mixed on whether the treatment can increase the risk of developing dementia. For deep brain stimulation, electrodes are placed in certain areas of the brain to control abnormal movements. The electrodes are connected to a device placed under the skin in the upper chest. The device controls the electrical impulses. "These results are very encouraging for people with Parkinson's and their families that they can take advantage of the benefits of deep brain stimulation without worrying about it increasing the likelihood of developing dementia," said study author Elena Moro, MD, of Grenoble Alpes University in Grenoble, France, and a Fellow of the American Academy of Neurology. The study involved 175 people with Parkinson's disease with an average age of 56 who had deep brain stimulation. They had Parkinson's for an average of 12 years when they had the stimulator implanted. Researchers then checked the people after one year, five years and 10 years to see how many people had developed dementia. After one year, four people had developed dementia, or 2.3%. After five years, 142 people were available for testing and 12 people had dementia, or 8.5%. At 10 years, 104 people were still available for testing and 31 people had dementia, or 29.8%. The overall incidence rate was 35.6 per 1,000 person-years. "These rates are not higher than those reported in the general population of people with Parkinson's," said Moro. "The few studies that are available with similar disease duration have reported higher rates of dementia. Other studies of people with Parkinson's who are taking medication for their symptoms show an incidence rate for dementia that varies from 50 to 100 per 1,000 person-years." Moro said the younger average age in her study may help explain the lower rate of dementia. Also, people with moderate to severe memory or thinking problems are not eligible to have deep brain stimulation, so the group may have been less likely overall to develop dementia than a general group of people with Parkinson's disease. The study also looked at factors that were associated with a higher risk of dementia. Researchers found that men, older people, people who had hallucinations, people with a low score on thinking tests before surgery, and those who had a cerebral hemorrhage during the surgery to implant the deep brain stimulator were more likely to develop dementia. "Knowing these predictors may help us to select people who would respond best to deep brain stimulation and who might have a greater risk of having a poor cognitive outcome," Moro said. A limitation of the study was that a high percentage of people did not finish the study; researchers were not able to locate them or they did not respond to requests from the researchers. This could result in underestimating the overall incidence of dementia. Explore further Beware of swimming if you use deep brain stimulation for Parkinson's East Germany has many more hospitalisations for heart failure compared to West Germany despite a nationwide healthcare system, according to research presented today on HFA Discoveries, a scientific platform of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC). Heart failure is the most common reason for hospital admissions and is responsible for a large part of the total health expenditure on cardiovascular diseases throughout the Western World. A previous study reported that the absolute number of heart failure-related hospitalisations increased by 65% in Germany between 2000 and 2013.2 "Before reunification in 1990, East and West Germany not only had very different social and economic systems but also had distinct healthcare systems," said study author Professor Marcus Dorr of University Medicine Greifswald, Germany. "In East Germany, the system was nearly completely run by the state (e.g. less than 1% of physicians worked in private practice) and there was a substantial shortage of technical equipment (e.g. one ultrasound device per 32,000 inhabitants in East Germany compared to one per 2,500 in West Germany)," continued Professor Dorr. "Since 1990, both regions have the same federal healthcare system with more physicians in private practice and similar clinical care pathways." This study analysed whether the change to a shared system affected the number and duration of hospitalisations and in-hospital mortality due to heart failure in West and East Germany from 2000 to 2017. The researchers also examined whether the previously described rise in heart failure-related hospitalisations continued and occurred equally in both parts of Germany. Data were obtained from Federal Health Monitoring, an annual census of routine inpatient data. The researchers found that the absolute number of hospitalisations due to heart failure continued to increase dramatically across Germany and there were substantial differences between regions. In 2000 to 2017, the absolute number of hospital admissions due to heart failure throughout Germany increased continuously by 93.9% (from 239,694 to 464,724 cases). This increase was much stronger in East than in West Germany (+118.5% vs. +88.3%) and was higher in each of the federal states in East Germany than in every single state in West Germany. During the same period, there was only a slight increase in the number of hospitalisations for other diagnoses all over Germany. Heart failure was the leading cause of disease-related hospitalisation in Germany in 2017, again with clear differences between East and West Germany (increase from 1.5% to 2.9% in East vs. 1.4 % to 2.2 % in West Germany). While the overall length of hospital stays decreased continuously over time, the total number of heart failure-related hospital days increased by 50.6% in East and by 34.6% in West Germany. In 2017, heart failure remained by far the leading cause of in-hospital death in Germany, accounting for 8.2% of deaths. Again, there were substantially higher rates of in-hospital deaths in East Germany (64 and 65 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants in 2000 and 2017, respectively; an increase of 1.6%) as compared to West Germany (39 and 43 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants in 2000 and 2017, respectively; an increase of 10.3%). Professor Dorr said: "As East and West Germany started with different healthcare systems, we hypothesised that heart failure hospitalisation patterns would align after reunification. This hypothesis had to be rejected and, in fact, the opposite was found." He noted that the observed differences cannot be explained by the different age structures in East and West. The average age of the population in East Germany is four years older than its Western counterpart, but the differences in heart failure-related parameters were similar after standardisation for age and were similar in different age groups. "A possible explanation for our findings may be found in the varied prevalence of risk factors that impact heart failure development, progression and thereby hospitalisation," said Professor Dorr. "In fact, previous research has shown that, for example, hypertension, diabetes, and obesity are much more common in East than in West Germany." "Moreover, diversities in the structure of patient care may explain the differences, at least in part," he added. "It can be assumed that not all structures and pathways of the national healthcare system have yet been completely adopted in both parts of Germany." Professor Dorr concluded: "More research is needed to explain the huge differences observed between East and West Germany. Furthermore, it is of great interest to find out whether such regional differences exist in other European countries. Ultimately, the aim should be to develop and implement solutions that improve heart failure care across Europe in order to mitigate this devastating and deadly disease." Explore further Rates of at-risk drinking and unhealthy nutrition in Germany vary across regions Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, warned that the US could see 100,000 new coronavirus cases a day The European Union reopened its borders Wednesday to visitors from 15 countriesbut not the virus-stricken United States, where a top health official warned the country is headed in the "wrong direction" as cases spike in multiple states. US infectious diseases expert Anthony Fauci said that the United States could see 100,000 new COVID-19 cases a day, and several US states imposed 14-day quarantines on travelers from other states. Also in the US, Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden announced he will not hold rallies during the outbreak, a move that is in stark contrast with President Donald Trump, who has already held large campaign gatherings. The 77-year-old former vice president delivered a blistering critique of his November opponent's handling of the virus, saying the Republican president had "failed" the country. "This is the most unusual campaign I think in modern history," Biden said. "I'm going to follow the doc's ordersnot just for me but for the countryand that means that I am not going to be holding rallies." In Brussels, the EU finalized the list of countries whose health situation was deemed safe enough to allow residents to enter the bloc starting on Wednesday. Notably excluded were Russia and Brazil, as well as the United States, whose daily death toll passed 1,000 Tuesday for the first time since June 10. Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden said he will not be holding campaign rallies because of the pandemic The countries that made it onto the EU's list are Algeria, Australia, Canada, Japan, Georgia, Montenegro, Morocco, New Zealand, Rwanda, Serbia, South Korea, Thailand, Tunisia and Uruguay. Travelers from China, where the virus first emerged late last year, will be allowed on the condition that Beijing reciprocates and opens the door to EU residents. The border relaxation, to be reviewed in two weeks and left to member states to implement, is a bid to help rescue the continent's battered tourism sector, which has been choked by a ban on non-essential travel in place since mid-March. But with some 10.4 million known infections worldwide, the pandemic is "not even close to being over," the World Health Organization has warned. 'Very disturbing' In Washington, Fauci, a member of Trump's coronavirus task force, warned Congress that "clearly we are not in total control right now." EU opens borders to safe list of countries "I would not be surprised if it goes up to 100,000 a day if this does not turn around." Alarming spikes in Texas and Florida are driving the national total of new cases to over 40,000 per day, and they need to be tamped down quickly to avoid dangerous surges elsewhere in the country, Fauci stressed. Texas alone reported 6,975 new cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday, its highest tally yet. "I'm very concerned and I'm not satisfied with what's going on, because we're going in the wrong direction," Fauci said. The pandemic has claimed some 127,000 American lives so far and more than 508,000 around the globe. Senator Lamar Alexander, a Republican who chairs the Senate panel, urged Trump to end the politicization of mask-wearing by putting on one himself. "The president has plenty of admirers, they would follow his lead," Alexander said. "It would help end this political debate." A woman is tested at a walk-in testing centre opened by German biotech company Centogene, at the airport in Frankfurt am Main New York, New Jersey and Connecticut on Tuesday doubled to 16 the number of US states whose residents must go into quarantine for 14 days if they visit any of the northeastern states. The Pan American Health Organization warned, meanwhile, that the coronavirus death toll in Latin America and the Caribbean could top 400,000 by October without stricter public health measures. That would represent a quadrupling of the fatal cases of COVID-19 in the region. Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, meanwhile, scored a victory Tuesday when a judge overturned a ruling that had forced him to wear a mask in public. The judge deemed the rule redundant since face masks are already mandatory in Brasilia. 'Infrastructure revolution' European aircraft maker Airbus said it is planning to cut around 15,000 jobs worldwide, 11 percent of its total workforce. A health official conducts tests in New Delhi Pubs in England are set to re-open COVID-19: World toll Britain, home to Europe's deadliest outbreak, has already seen its sharpest quarterly contraction in 40 years, shrinking 2.2 percent from January-March. The worst is yet to come, with economists predicting a double-digit slump in output during the second quarter, tipping Britain into a technical recession. Prime Minister Boris Johnson vowed Tuesday to deliver an "infrastructure revolution" to help the country out of the economic downturn. Germany, which has been praised for its handling of COVID-19, saw its North Rhine-Westphalia state extend a lockdown on a district hit hard by a slaughterhouse outbreak. And in Australia, a spike in cases in parts of Melbourne spurred new stay-at-home measures affecting some 300,000 people. Around the world, sporting events continued to fall off the calendar, including the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations and the remainder of this year's World Rugby Sevens Series. Explore further Follow the latest news on the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak 2020 AFP Credit: CC0 Public Domain As Europe begins its cautious reopening after weathering the pandemic's first wave in lockdown, many developing and middle-income countries continue to be battered by skyrocketing numbers of COVID-19 cases. With infections still growing daily in India, Bangladesh, Indonesia and Nigeria among others, health experts warn that before the world can start buttressing for COVID-19's much-feared "second wave", it must help nations battling the virus now. The World Health Organization warned this week that the pandemic was "not even close to being over" even as European nations reopen their borders and millions head back to work. While the United States has had by far the highest caseload, there are growing fears over the fate of hugely populous nations whose COVID-19 curve is pointing inexorably upwards. India for example now has more than 566,000 confirmed cases and is registering nearly 20,000 new infections every day. Mexico has more than 220,000 confirmed cases, Pakistan nearly 210,000, and Bangladesh more than 150,000, with little sign of new infections slowing. 'Quite worrying' Trudie Lang, director of The Global Health Network at the University of Oxford's Nuffield Department of Medicine, described the trend as "really quite worrying". "Even though the numbers might not be completely accurate because we've not tested so many, the curve is still the same shape," Lang told AFP. When COVID-19 emerged in China late last year, the government in Beijing rapidly imposed stringent lockdown measures in a bid to contain the outbreak. When in February European nations such as Italy and Spain uncovered clusters of the virus, they too adopted unprecedented limits on individual movement that eventually flattened the curve of new infections. Anant Bhan, a researcher in bioethics and public health policy, said heavily populated and decentralised countries such as India are struggling to keep lockdown measures effectively. "That makes it a bit more challenging for the healthcare system," he told AFP. "We might not have one peak, we might have multiple peaks because the spread of infection is variable across the country." 'Far from peak' For Azra Ghani, professor of Infectious Disease Epidemiology at Imperial College London, the delayed rise in COVID-19 cases shows in part how successful countries have been until now in limiting the virus' spread. "If you go back a few months there was a large seeding into Europe and that caused widespread epidemics there," she told AFP. "All these countries saw what was happening in Europe and reacted. The lockdowns appeared at a relatively early stage of epidemics. "As they've been coming out of lockdowns we're seeing infections building up in the same way it had initially in Europe, starting to spread in South America, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh," Ghani explained. For example Indonesia, the fourth most populous country on Earth, is registering around 1,000 new cases daily even as it eases lockdown measures. Hermawan Saputra, a public health expert at the Indonesian Public Health Association, told AFP the country was "still far from the peak of the pandemic". Experts previously predicted the outbreak to peak in July. "But since Jakarta has relaxed (lockdown) we think the peak will be reached in August or September," said Saputra. "This is honestly terrifying. Easing was premature and people misunderstood it as meaning they had complete freedomthat's wrong." In Afghanistan, which has more than 30,000 confirmed cases, restrictions on movement are still in place. But the public doesn't appear to be getting the message, according to senior health official Ataullah Saeedzai. "The lockdown is still in place, but people are not taking it seriously," he told AFP. "People are not observing the lockdown, people are not observing social distancing." Health systems stretched More worrying perhaps is that COVID-19 is now inundating countries whose health systems were lacking even before needing to respond to a pandemic. Nigeria, Africa's most populous nation as home to more than 200 million, is registering 600-700 new cases a day. The government said in April its intensive care capacity stood at just 350 beds. Kema Onu, who works in Abuja for the AIDS Health Foundation, said Nigeria's health system was "not properly equipped" to deal with COVID-19. "How many ventilators do we have in the country to take care of people who are critically in need of it?" he told AFP. "It would amaze you that even if you walk into major health care facilities here in Abuja, the prevention and control plan is not completely in place. The health system is a total shambles." In Pakistan, which has registered more than 200,000 cases, the central government has resisted nationwide lockdown measures, relying instead on local authorities to implement a patchwork of interventions. While the country has nearly 9,000 oxygenated ICU beds, Qaisar Sajjad, secretary general of the Pakistan Medical Association, told AFP the health system was on the brink of "collapse". "Even after months into this crisis our hospitals still lack some of the very basic facilities. We lack in both technical equipment as well as human resources," he said. And in Bangladesh, which an estimated additional 4,000 ICU beds to deal with COVID-19, hospitals are already facing oxygen shortages. "We are still at the climbing stage of the transmission," said Muzaherul Huq, a former head of the government institute of epidemiology and a former WHO senior official, adding many hospitals lack a centralised oxygen system. The virus has also begun to spread in the country's vast cramped refugee camps that house almost one million Rohingya refugees, most of whom fled neighbouring Myanmar following a 2017 military crackdown. 'Early days' And as it circulates in developing nations, the virus is targeting communities already hard hit by other diseases such as tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS. Ghani said a number of vaccination programmes effecting millions of children had been interrupted by the pandemic. There is also growing evidence that women in heavily affected countries are seeking to give birth at home rather than risk catching the virus in hospital. "Many countries are already seeing overwhelmed hospital capacities and if they are over capacity for one disease that inevitably means other diseases are not being treated," she said. As researchers scramble to find a COVID-19 vaccine, Lang said that poorer communities that traditionally lacked access to inoculations for other illnesses were at risk of missing out again. "Say we end up with a vaccine that's quite expensive and requires two or three doses," she said. "What chance really is there of that getting everywhere? "The ideal vaccine works perfectly with one dose and is cheap. Remove any of those elements and you increase the risk that it won't be distributed equitably around the globe." As much of Europe girds itself for a second COVID-19 spike, Ghani said the disease was likely to progress at different rates across the world, making its burden more like a continuum than a series of waves. "It's still early daysmost countries we won't have got more than 10-20 percent of the population infected and that's a long way off the level of spread that this virus could generate," she said. "We're going to see this virus circulate until at least the end of the year and that poses a constant risk of reinfection whenever interventions are relaxed." Explore further Follow the latest news on the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak 2020 AFP In this Saturday, June 6, 2020 file photo, demonstrators gather near the White House in Washington, to protest the death of George Floyd, a black man who was in police custody in Minneapolis. Public health experts say there is little evidence that the protests that erupted after Floyd's death caused a significant increase in coronavirus infections. If the protests had driven an explosion in cases, experts say, the jumps would have started to become apparent within two weeksand perhaps as early as five days. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin) There is little evidence that the protests that erupted after George Floyd's death caused a significant increase in U.S. coronavirus infections, according to public health experts. If the protests had driven an explosion in cases, experts say, the jumps would have started to become apparent within two weeksand perhaps as early as five days. But that didn't happen in many cities with the largest protests, including New York, Chicago, Minneapolis, and Washington, D.C. In what's considered the first systematic look at the question, a team of economists determined that only one of 13 cities involved in the earliest wave of protests after Memorial Day had an increase that would fit the pattern. It was Phoenix, where experts say cases and hospitalizations surged after a decision by Gov. Doug Ducey to end Arizona's stay-at-home order on May 15 and eased restrictions on businesses. Arizona residents who were cooped up for six weeks flooded Phoenix-area bar districts, ignoring social distancing guidelines. In many cities, the protests actually seemed to lead to a net increase in social distancing, as more people who did not protest decided to stay off the streets, said that study's lead author, Dhaval Dave of Bentley University. "The large-scale protests can impact both the behavior of the protesters and the behavior of the non-protesters," said Dave. The paper was released last week by the National Bureau of Economic Research, but has not been published by a peer-reviewed journal. Drawing from data compiled by Johns Hopkins University, The Associated Press reviewed trends in daily reported cases in 22 U.S. cities with protests. It found post-protest increases in several citiesincluding Houston and Madison, Wisconsinwhere experts say other factors were more likely the main drivers. Health officials are still investigating case surges in different states, and more data may come in. But experts believe that if the protests did have a big impact on cases, stronger signs would be apparent now. Floyd was killed on May 25 by a Minneapolis police officer who used his knee to pin Floyd's neck to the ground. The killing of a Black man at the hands of a white officer touched off protests around the United States. Coincidentally, some states had begun to lift social distancing restrictions in late May. Dave and his colleagues counted protests over three weeks in 281 cities with populations of at least 100,000. Most had protests lasting more than three days, and many had protests that had at least 1,000 participants. It's not clear how many protesters participated, let alone how many of them wore masks or got tested after. That may have varied from place to place. Houston is among a number of Texas cities that have recently seen steep increases in cases and hospitalizations. Dr. Umair Shah, executive director of the county health department, believes it was likely some cases could be traced to the protests. "We just don't know how much," he said. But it's hard to measure the protests' precise impact for a number of reasons, Shah and others said. Earlier business reopenings and more willingness to shrug off social distancing guidelines started the trend in the Houston area, Shah said. Another factor: Many people don't get tested unless they feel symptoms. Many protesters were young adults, who generally are less likely to get severe illness, and therefore may not have gotten tested, experts said. And some who do get tested may still not answer all the questions they are asked by outbreak investigators. "I know of three people who told us 'Yes, I was at a protest.' That doesn't mean there was not another 25 or more who did attend a protest and just did not share that with us," said Dr. Mysheika Roberts, the public health commissioner for the city of Columbus, Ohio. That city has seen increased cases in the last month, but health officials say they can't attribute it to any particular reason other than people socializing and returning to normal activities without wearing masks or taking other precautions. So far, protests don't seem to be a real factor. "Most of the protests, at least in my jurisdiction, were outside," and the virus does not spread as well outside, Roberts said. "And I would say 50% of those at the protests were wearing a face mask." 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. A social media ad used to recruit women of color for a RCT. Credit: The City University of New York Young Black and Latina women in the United States experience higher rates of sexually transmitted diseases including HIV, compared to White women. HIV and STD researchers have had success recruiting populations like men who have sex with men for Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs) using various websites, including Craigslist and Facebook, but there is little research exploring how to best recruit Black and Latina women for such studies. Given the limited data on recruitment in RCTs among Black and Latina women, CUNY SPH DPH alumna Sonia Gonzalez and Professor Christian Grov published a paper in the Journal of American College Health describing the recruitment process for a web-based pilot RCT among Black and Latina women aged 18 to 25 years in New York City. The study examined demographic and behavioral characteristics of those who were eligible and who enrolled into the RCT compared to those who were eligible and began the screening survey but who did not enroll in the study. The results from this study stemmed from Dr. Gonzalez' dissertation research, which was funded by the NIH. Targeted electronic recruitment, such as emails, generated a greater proportion of participants from this demographic to participate in a sexual health web-based app pilot RCT. "We expected to recruit our sample capitalizing off the broad reach that social networks and online dating web-sites offered," said Gonzalez. "We instead found that recruiting a sample of young Black and Latina women in New York City aged 18 to 25 was more easily achieved through CUNY professors and campus LISTSERVs." The researchers concluded that recruiting young women of color may be facilitated through known and trusted adults, such as college professors, rather than through anonymous banner advertisements on social media. Further research is needed to understand how social media banner ads might be used as an effective recruitment source for this specific population. Explore further Black and Latina mothers face higher rates of severe maternal morbidity More information: Sonia K. Gonzalez et al. Recruiting young women of color into a pilot RCT targeting sexual health: Lessons learned and implications for applied health technology research, Journal of American College Health (2020). Journal information: Journal of American College Health Sonia K. Gonzalez et al. Recruiting young women of color into a pilot RCT targeting sexual health: Lessons learned and implications for applied health technology research,(2020). DOI: 10.1080/07448481.2020.1746663 Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Dr. Anthony Fauci speaks with Dr. Robert Redfield, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention during a Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, June 30, 2020. (Al Drago/Pool via AP) The government's top experts in infectious diseases on Tuesday criticized American Airlines' decision to pack flights full while the coronavirus outbreak continues to grow across much of the United States. "Obviously that is something that is of concern. I'm not sure what went into that decision making," Dr. Anthony Fauci told a Senate panel. "I think in the confines of an airplane that becomes even more problematic." Several U.S. airlines say they are limiting capacity on planes to between 60% and 67% of all seats. However, United Airlines never promised to leave seats empty, and American said last week that starting Wednesday it would drop its effort to keep half of all middle seats empty. "When they announced that the other day obviously there was substantial disappointment with American Airlines," said Dr. Robert Redfield, director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "I can say this is under critical review by us at CDC. We don't think it's the right message." Fauci, the top infectious disease expert at the National Institutes of Health, and Redfield made the comments in response to questioning by Sen. Bernie Sanders during a Senate health committee hearing. Sanders, an independent from Vermont, pressed the officials on how full flights square with the message from public health experts that people should stay six feet apart to prevent transmission of the virus that causes COVID-19. American Airlines spokesman Ross Feinstein said the airline has "multiple layers of protection in place for those who fly with us, including required face coverings, enhanced cleaning procedures, and a pre-flight COVID-19 symptom checklist." He said American was also giving customers the option of changing their ticket if their flight might be full. The CEOs of American and United have said that even with middle seats empty, it is impossible to follow 6-foot social-distancing on a plane, so airlines rely on masks, deep cleaning and air-filtration systems on planes to prevent spreading the virus. "It's less about social distancing and it's more about the air and quality of air on board the airplane that makes people safe," said United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby, who added he had not seen the health officials' comments. Airlines are desperate to increase revenue as they try to survive a plunge in air travel that reached 95% during April. Many airline flights were nearly empty in the early weeks of the outbreak, with the average dipping to about 10 passengers, according to industry figures. Some days, there were fewer than 100,000 people flying in the United States, a level not seen since the 1950s, except in the days following the September 2001 terror attacks. Air travel has increased slowly since mid-Aprilalthough it's still down 75% from normaland some flights have been packed. American, which is based in Fort Worth, Texas, plans to increase flights by nearly 60% starting July 7 compared with June, which could help avoid full planes. Delta Air Lines, Southwest Airlines, JetBlue Airways and Alaska Airlines say they will continue to limit capacity, in some cases through September. Budget carrier Spirit Airlines does not. 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. This is an April 30, 2020, file photo showing Gilead Sciences headquarters in Foster City, Calif. The maker of a drug shown to shorten recovery time for severely ill COVID-19 patients says it will charge $2,340 for a typical treatment course for people covered by government health programs in the United States and other developed countries. Gilead Sciences announced the price Monday, June 29 for remdesivir, and said the price would be $3,120 for patients with private insurance. It will sell for far less in poorer countries where generic drugmakers are being allowed to make it. (AP Photo/Ben Margot, File) Public health experts on Wednesday criticized the U.S. for securing a large supply of the only drug licensed so far to treat COVID-19. The U.S. government announced this week that it had an agreement with Gilead Sciences to make the bulk of their production of remdesivir for the next three months available to Americans. The Department of Health and Human Services said it had secured 500,000 treatments through September, which amounts to all but 10% of production in August and September. "To the extent possible, we want to ensure that any American patient who needs remdesivir can get it," Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said in a statement. Ohid Yaqub, a senior lecturer at the University of Sussex, called the U.S. agreement "disappointing news." "It so clearly signals an unwillingness to cooperate with other countries and the chilling effect this has on international agreements about intellectual property rights," Yaqub said in a statement Until now, Gilead had donated the drug. That ended Tuesday and Gilead this week set the price for new shipments at $2,300 to $3,100 per treatment course. The company is allowing generic makers to supply the drug at much lower prices to 127 poor or middle-income countries. In a statement Wednesday, the California-based Gilead said its agreement with the U.S. allows for any unneeded supplies to be sent to other countries. The company said it is "working as quickly as possible" to enable access worldwide. But it noted that U.S. is seeing a significant rise in COVID-19 cases, while "most EU and other developed countries have reduced their levels of disease considerably." Early studies testing remdesivir in patients hospitalized with COVID-19 found that those who received the treatment recovered quicker than those who didn't. It is the only drug licensed by both the U.S. and the European Union as a treatment for those with severe illness from the coronavirus. Dr. Peter Horby, who is running a large study testing several treatments for COVID-19, told the BBC that "a stronger framework" was needed to ensure fair prices and access to key medicines for people and nations around the world. He said that as an American company, Gilead was likely under "certain political pressures locally." British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's spokesman, James Slack, declined to criticize the United States for the move. He said the U.K. had a "sufficient stock" of remdesivir for patients who need it, but didn't specify how much that was. Thomas Senderovitz, head of the Danish Medicines Agency, told Danish broadcaster DR that the move could endanger Europeans and others down the road. President Donald Trump signs his name on a piece of paper during a roundtable with governors on the reopening of America's small businesses, in the State Dining Room of the White House, Thursday, June 18, 2020, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) "I have never seen anything like that. That a company chooses to sell their stock to only one country. It's very strange and quite inappropriate," he said. "Right now we have enough to make it through the summer if the intake of patients is as it is now. If a second wave comes, we may be challenged." Dr. Michael Ryan, the emergencies chief of the World Health Organization, said the agency was looking into the implications of the U.S. deal for remdesivir. "There are many people around the world who are very sick .... and we want to ensure that everybody has access to the necessary, life-saving interventions." He said WHO was "fully committed" to working toward equitable access for such treatments. Gilead had been developing remdesivir for years as a viral treatment, with millions in U.S. funding, before it was tried for coronavirus. The consumer group Public Citizen estimates that at least $70 million in U.S. public funding went to develop remdesivir. On Wednesday, Gilead said its supply of remdesivir should increase by the end of September and meet global demand after that. It said some countries should have enough for current needs, from the supply they received for patient testing and other programs. Gilead has said it expects to spend more than $1 billion by year's end on testing and manufacturing of remdesivir. Dr. Penny Ward of King's College London, noted that many countries have legal provisions that allow them to prohibit the exportation of drugs to other countries during an emergency. "It is unreasonable to expect that the U.S. government should deny their population access to drugs manufactured in the USA," she said. Ward pointed out that another drug that may help people with severe COVID-19, the cheap steroid dexamathasone, is long off-patent and available globally. The U.S. has the worst coronavirus outbreak in the world, with 2.6 million reported infected and 127,000 confirmed virus-related deaths, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University. To date, COVID-19 has sickened more than 10.5 million people worldwide, killing around 512,000, according Johns Hopkins. Numerous countries including Britain, France, Germany, Netherlands and the U.S. have struck deals with drugmakers to have millions of doses of experimental vaccines delivered before they are licensed. British politicians have said if a vaccine currently being developed by Oxford University and manufactured by AstraZeneca is proven to work, Britons will be first in line to get it. Explore further Inhaled remdesivir may allow COVID-19 patients to be treated at home 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Credit: CC0 Public Domain Melbourne researchers have developed a fast, new test for infections and infectious diseases that could transform Australia's ability to provide targeted clinical care and respond to pandemics and biosecurity threats. Called c-FIND, the test has the potential to rapidly and accurately detect multiple viral, bacterial or fungal infections within minutesmuch faster than existing tests which can take days, or even weeks, to return a result. The test is now being developed into a portable, "point-of-care" diagnostic device. Equipping clinicians with this device would enable them to diagnose infections without delay, and immediately provide the best care to high-risk patients, such as people with cancer. The c-FIND program of research is being led by the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, in collaboration with Melbourne Health, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Peter MacCallum Cancer Center, The Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne, University of Melbourne, as well as industry partner and local biomedical technology company, Axxin Pty Ltd. Transforming clinical care Development is now underway to translate the c-FIND test into a portable, point-of-care device. Following a successful bid for $1 million in funding from the Australian Government Medical Research Future Fund Frontiers program, the c-FIND research team is applying for funding that will include support for 13 clinical trials to rigorously assess implementation of the c-FIND diagnostic device in Australian healthcare settings with urgent, unmet diagnostic needs. The trials aim to help advance Australia's ability to rapidly and accurately diagnose: COVID-19 and other existing and emerging biosecurity threats; high-risk cancer patients with asymptomatic or hard-to-detect infections; infections in infants and children; and latent tuberculosis. Institute infectious disease physician and researcher Professor Marc Pellegrini said the c-FIND device could profoundly change how infections were detected and treated in a range of settings including hospitals, GP clinics, airports and ports of entry, and regional or remote centers. "The introduction of a fast, reliable, user-friendly, point-of-care device to diagnose infections and infectious diseases on the spot, and even determine antimicrobial resistance, would be a game-changer for improving targeted patient care," he said. "c-FIND could prevent patients with hard-to-diagnose or hard-to-detect infections from waiting days, or weeks, for test results to come back whilst having expensive drug treatments, or unnecessary and invasive procedures." Pandemic preparedness Professor Pellegrini said the global COVID-19 pandemic had highlighted weaknesses in Australia's ability to quickly detect, diagnose and respond to infectious disease threats. "The current way that we test for COVID-19 is labor intensive, requiring highly trained staff, a central laboratory and expensive equipment to process samples. It can take days for patients to receive results, increasing the likelihood of disease transmission within the community," Professor Pellegrini said. "If a system such as c-FIND was available in the market, it could prevent disease spread and save lives by identifying infected people when they are tested so they can be isolated and treated without delay. It is widely accepted that pandemics will become more frequent in the future. A diagnostic device such as c-FIND would advance our capability to successfully respond to these emerging threats." Peter Mac infectious disease physician and associate director of health services research Professor Karin Thursky said the pandemic had knock-on effects for other parts of the healthcare system, such as cancer care, and significant impacts on vulnerable patients. "With COVID-19 in the community, cancer patients are at significant risk and hospitals are having to put measures in place to protect them. This has meant that any cancer patient who presents with fever or respiratory symptoms is placed in strict isolation, and treated as COVID-19-positive until they return two negative results. These measures are distressing for patients and their loved ones, cause delays to cancer treatment being able to progress and place an additional burden on the healthcare system," Professor Thursky said. How does c-FIND work? Institute CRISPR expert Associate Professor Marco Herold and his team have successfully adapted CRISPR for the development of the c-FIND test. The use of CRISPR technology in the diagnostics space has unleashed exciting potential to accurately detect genetic traces of disease-causing microbes within minutes. "Once fully developed, the c-FIND diagnostic would involve taking a blood, mucus or saliva sample from a patient andwith minimal preparationapplying this to a small cartridge. This cartridge would then be run through the device to rapidly screen for as many as eight different viral, fungal or bacterial organisms at a time," Associate Professor Herold said. "c-FIND is fast as well as highly sensitive and specific. This means the technology has the ability to accurately identify if a person has certain infections, as well as rule out the infections a person does not haveit is unique for a test to excel in both these capabilities. Additionally, the system can be easily adapted to test for new and emerging infections," he said. Australian-led innovation Institute director Professor Doug Hilton said c-FIND was a terrific example of Australian-led innovation and collaboration. "c-FIND is the result of key collaborations between medical researchers, clinicians, hospitals and industry, leveraging their networks to produce a commercially-viable and competitive product that could deliver significant health and economic benefits to Australia and globally. It underscores Australian ingenuity and our self-sufficiency on the global stage," Professor Hilton said. "It is an incredibly exciting and potentially game-changing technology and I hope that further support can be secured so the team of talented researchers and clinicians can take this program of work to the next level and rigorously test the ability of c-FIND to improve Australian healthcare." Explore further New sensor technology could speed up blood tests for COVID patients SARS-CoV-2 (shown here in an electron microscopy image). Credit: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, NIH Major weaknesses exist in the evidence base for COVID-19 antibody tests, finds a review of the latest research published by The BMJ today. The evidence is particularly weak for point-of-care tests (performed directly with a patient, outside of a laboratory) and does not support their continued use, say the researchers. Serological tests to detect antibodies against COVID-19 could improve diagnosis and be useful tools for monitoring levels of infection in a population. The UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has described antibody tests as "game-changing" in its response to the pandemic, but it is important to formally evaluate whether there is sufficient evidence that they are accurate. So an international team of researchers set out to determine the diagnostic accuracy of antibody tests for COVID-19. They searched medical databases and preprint servers from 1 January to 30 April 2020 for studies measuring sensitivity and/or specificity of a COVID-19 antibody test compared with a control test. Sensitivity measures the percentage of people who are correctly identified as having a disease, while specificity measures the percentage of people who are correctly identified as not having a disease. Of 40 eligible studies, most (70%) were from China and the rest were from the UK, US, Denmark, Spain, Sweden, Japan and Germany. Half of the studies were not peer reviewed and most were found to have a high or unclear risk of bias (problems in study design that can influence results). Only four studies included outpatients and only two evaluated tests at the point of care. When sensitivity results for each study were pooled together, they ranged from 66% to 97.8% depending on the type of test method used, meaning that between 2.2% and 34% of patients with COVID-19 would be missed. Pooled specificities ranged from 96.6% to 99.7%, depending on the test method used, meaning that between 3.4% and 0.3% of patients would be wrongly identified as having COVID-19. Pooled sensitivities were consistently lower for the lateral flow immunoassay (LFIA) test compared with other test methods. The LFIA test is the potential point-of-care method that is being considered for 'immunity passports.' Based on these results, the authors explain that, if an LFIA test is applied to a population with a COVID-19 prevalence of 10%, for every 1000 people tested, 31 who never had COVID-19 will be incorrectly told they are immune, and 34 people who had COVID-19 will be incorrectly told that they were never infected. Pooled sensitivities were also lower with commercial test kits (65%) compared with non-commercial kits (88.2%) and in the first and second week after symptom onset compared with after the second week. The researchers point to some limitations, such as differences in study populations and the potential for missing studies. However, strengths include thorough search strategies and assessment of bias. "These observations indicate important weaknesses in the evidence on COVID-19 serological tests, particularly those being marketed as point-of-care tests," they write. "While the scientific community should be lauded for the pace at which novel serological tests have been developed, this review underscores the need for high quality clinical studies to evaluate these tools," they conclude. "With international collaboration, such studies could be rapidly conducted." Explore further Follow the latest news on the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak A lab technician checks a blood sample for malaria. Credit: AMISOM photo / Tobin Jones,Public domain Ghana's efforts to eliminate malaria could be in jeopardy as its improved economy results in reduced external funding for fighting malaria, a study suggests. With Ghana experiencing a five-fold increase in gross domestic product per capita from US$ 309 to US$1,517 between 2002 and 2016, and thus becoming a lower middle-income country, its dependence on external support for malaria has been diminishing, according to the study. The study explains that between 2005 and 2015, malaria cases and deaths in Ghana decreased by more than 50 percent and 65 percent respectively, although the disease still accounts for 30 percent of outpatient attendances and 23 percent inpatient admissions. However, the COVID-19 outbreak now means this progress is under threat, and the government must step up to avert a feared rise in cases. "In the context of the current COVID-19 pandemic, where lockdowns have limited access to health facilities and preventive malaria interventions have been interrupted, there is a risk that the recent progress made by Ghana in the fight against malaria will be reversed," says Rima Shretta, lead author of the study and honorary visiting research fellow of Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, United Kingdom. The study, published this month in the Malaria Journal, says that Ghana needs to increase domestic funding for malaria control from the 38 percent of the total financing of malaria recorded in 2018 as donor support dwindles. "It is imperative that malaria services continue and additional funding is made available to counteract any unintended consequences," Shretta tells SciDev.Net. "The evidence generated by this study can be used to develop a robust and effective resource mobilisation strategy to facilitate advocacy actions to overcome the financial barriers to achieving malaria elimination in Ghana." The study assessed the impact of partially-funded and fully-funded malaria responses in Ghana. Researchers used the country's malaria data including its economic burden in 2018 to make projections for eliminating the disease by 2030. Shretta says that Ghana is currently dependent on external support from the global fund to fight AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. However, with an increase in government financing in the past decade because of its lower middle-income status, the amount from the global fund is currently less than 25 percent of the total sources of financing for malaria. Funding for malaria saw a surge from less than US$25 million in 2006 to US$100 million in 2011 but with this donor support falling, the resulting financial gap will need to be met domestically, Shretta adds "For each dollar invested in malaria elimination, Ghana can expect to see a 32-fold return on the total investment," says Shretta, comparing the outcome in 2018 and 2030. "Reducing investments and a resulting resurgence will lead to economic losses of US$14.1 billion." "The economic gain is substantial and is estimated at US$32 billion in reduced health system expenditure, increased household prosperity and productivity gains from 1.06 billion days of averted employee and caretaker absenteeism and presentism," Shreetta adds. Timothy Awine, a biostatistician at the Navrongo Health Research Centre in Ghana, commends the researchers estimating the burden of malaria and its associated cost in Ghana over the next decade. "The mathematical methods used are very valid and the estimates arrived at were supported by key managers of malaria control in Ghana as co-authors, who understand the business of malaria control better." Awine says. Explore further Decline in financing could undermine malaria efforts More information: Rima Shretta et al. Estimating the risk of declining funding for malaria in Ghana: the case for continued investment in the malaria response, Malaria Journal (2020). Journal information: Malaria Journal Rima Shretta et al. Estimating the risk of declining funding for malaria in Ghana: the case for continued investment in the malaria response,(2020). DOI: 10.1186/s12936-020-03267-9 Provided by SciDev.Net An example of multiple infarcts based on (diffusion-weighted imaging) DWI image with culprit plaques detected on both intracranial middle cerebral artery and extracranial carotid artery on HR-MRVWI image. Credit: SIAT The degree of cerebral infarction (single or multiple infarcts) is a feasible imaging marker to predict future stroke recurrence in patients with ischemic stroke. However, the features of arterial vessel wall lesions and culprit plaques that ultimately lead to different degrees of cerebral infarction still remain unclear. High-resolution magnetic resonance vessel wall imaging (HR-MRVWI) provides unique advantages in detecting and directly visualizing arterial vessel wall lesions and plaques. Researchers from the Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology (SIAT) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences developed a head-neck combined HR-MRVWI technique that could potentially provide remarkable suppression of cerebrospinal fluid signals, enhanced T1 (longitudinal relaxation) contrast weighting, and most importantly, the whole-brain and neck spatial coverage. The study was published in Magnetic Resonance Imaging. By using the proposed technique, researchers compared the characteristics of culprit plaques among different degrees or types of infarction. This specific head-neck coverage was capable of depicting arterial vessel wall lesions of multiple vascular beds from common carotid arteries to distal segments of intracranial arteries, achieving comprehensive evaluation of ischemic stroke etiology and recurrence risk. The experimental results showed that more culprit plaques per patient were found in multiple-infarction group than single-infarction group, as well as in non-perforating artery infarction (PAI) group than PAI group. For patients with large-artery-atherosclerosis-induced ischemic stroke, those with multiple infarcts had more severe arterial stenosis and more prominent plaque enhancement than those with single infarct. For patients with anterior-circulation ischemic stroke, those with PAI showed lower arterial stenosis degree than non-PAI. This work confirmed a positive correlation between stenosis grade/plaque vulnerability and multiple infarcts occurrence. Additionally, even a plaque with unobvious stenosis on angiography could contribute to the occurrence of PAI, that is to say, the degree of plaque enhancement might be a feasible imaging marker to predict the degree of infarction, which is useful for supporting therapeutic decision-making and risk assessment. Explore further Increased risk of MI, ischemic stroke after COPD exacerbation More information: Na Zhang et al. Arterial culprit plaque characteristics revealed by magnetic resonance Vessel Wall imaging in patients with single or multiple infarcts, Magnetic Resonance Imaging (2020). Na Zhang et al. Arterial culprit plaque characteristics revealed by magnetic resonance Vessel Wall imaging in patients with single or multiple infarcts,(2020). DOI: 10.1016/j.mri.2020.06.004 Pharmacies are a vital part of the community. Credit: Bahnfrend/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA Australia's 7th Community Pharmacy Agreement, which comes into force today and lasts five years, will see the government provide A$16 billion for dispensing subsidized medicines and A$1.15 billion for other services such as diabetes support. The agreement was struck between the federal government, industry peak body the Pharmacists' Guild and, for the first time, the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia, which represents Australia's 31,000 registered pharmacists. If you are a consumer, the new deal is a reassuring continuation of essential existing subsidies. Prescription medications accessed under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) will still be available from your local chemist. There will be a bit more government support for some other services provided by pharmacies, especially to Indigenous people. There is continuing recognition of the need to locate a community pharmacy within reach of most people. If you are a pharmacist, the agreement finally gives you a little recognition as a professional with years of training and high standards, as distinct from corporations with chains of chemist stores. What's in the agreement? The Community Pharmacy Agreement is one of the building blocks of the Australian health system, which is notably fairer and more effective than that in the United States. The underpinning expectation is that the federal government will subsidize prescription medicines under the PBS. We all benefit if everyone can afford those treatments. Markets are imperfect. In an unregulated environment we would see pharmacies clustering in areas of high populationjust like fast food shopsand not serving other areas such as outer suburbs and rural Australia. The succession of Community Pharmacy Agreements, authorized under the National Health Act, uses regulation to avert this kind of market failure. The rules mean you cannot set up a pharmacy to compete with another nearby pharmacy, apart from under exceptional circumstances, thus ensuring the commercial viability of each pharmacy. Where's the community? The "community" label is sometimes misunderstood. It doesn't mean your local chemist is run by volunteers, the local council, or the federal government. Instead, it means the pharmacy operates on a commercial basis for people in the community. It is distinct from dispensing of medications by hospitals, which typically restrict what they offer to current patients and have a different business model. Each pharmacy serving the community must be supervised by a pharmacista health practitioner who has undergone extensive training and meets the relevant professional criteria. Pharmacists are supervised under the National Health Practitioner Regulation Law and associated Pharmacy Board. The dispensing of medicine in community pharmacies needs to be supervised by pharmacists, although pharmacies can be owned by non-practitioners. The ongoing shift to corporate ownership is contentious, as pharmacies move away from being analagous to the "friendly family doctor" and towards a business model that emphasizes selling jelly beans, "wellness" products and fluffy toys alongside medications. That model is not good for public health, and not necessarily good for the pharmacists themselves (more on this point later). What's the significance of the new agreement? The agreement is important for three reasons. First, and most importantly, it retains existing arrangements regarding distribution of pharmacies. Those arrangements have been criticized by entrepreneurs, often represented by the Pharmacy Guild, which is the equivalent of industry peak bodies such as the Minerals Council of Australia. The latest version of the agreement provides for updating of government payments to wholesalers and retailers of prescription medicationsin other words, continued subsidization of products under the PBS and support for the pharmaceutical supply chain. There is little point in subsidizing payments by consumers if there are no supplies in the warehouses for distribution to the pharmacies. That is an issue of concern amid a pandemic. Streamlining of processes under the agreement will make it easier for pharmacies to receive payments to dispense medicines subsidized under the PBS and the Repatriation Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, which helps Australia's veterans and predates the wider PBS. There will be support for pharmacy services in regional, rural and remote areas, although past concerns about the viability of pharmacies in the bush mean it is uncertain whether this support will be sufficient. Second, the agreement also provides supportmainly in the form of payments under the National Diabetes Services Scheme and the Dose Administration Aids programfor advice by pharmacists regarding ongoing testing by consumers with diabetes and assistance to seniors. There is also increased funding of programs aimed at boosting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples' access to medicines. Finally, the agreement belatedly and weakly acknowledges the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia. The society's involvement in the agreement is important because health services are not just about profit. Corporate imperatives to maximize the use of floor space by selling non-therapeutic products are potentially at odds with both professional practice and consumer benefit. The latest agreement expands the existing remuneration to pharmacy owners for pharmacists to provide health advice. This is likely to be a useful supplement, rather than a major revenue source. In the coming years we can expect to see claims by health economists and calls for greater support. The Pharmaceutical Society's involvement is more broadly relevant because the latest agreement provides for remuneration of advising by professionals. Community pharmacists are a first port of call for many people with health issues. Problems with the interaction of multiple medications mean we need accessible professional expertise. Rewarding such service to the community means pharmacists, self-employed or otherwise, can concentrate on health, not jellybeans and complementary products. Explore further Coronavirus: how to access the medicines you and your family need This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain The US possession of Puerto Rico will require all visitors arriving by air to present a negative COVID-19 test or be held under quarantine at their own expense, officials said Tuesday. Starting on July 15, all visitorsincluding those arriving from other parts of the United Statesmust show airport authorities the results of a molecular test, with samples taken from a nostril. The test must be no more than 72 hours old, a statement from island authorities said. If arrivals have not taken a test, one will be administered immediatly and the passenger must remain quarantined until results are available. If the results are positive, the visitor must be held in quarantine for 14 days and obligated to pay for all expenses, including medical. Governor Wanda Vazquez said she understood that the strict measures and social distancing from loved ones were "difficult" but said "necessary precautions must be taken to avoid infecting others." Puerto Rico, population 3.1 million, has registered more than 7,200 novel coronavirus cases and 153 deaths. On March 15 island authorities were the first in the US to order a lockdown in an attempt to halt the spread of the disease. Explore further Follow the latest news on the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak 2020 AFP Credit: Penn State College of Medicine Several U.S. cities may be at increased risk of surges in COVID-19 cases as they reopen their economies because their residents are unwilling to follow practices that reduce the spread of the disease, according to Penn State researchers. Dr. Robert Lennon, an associate professor of family and community medicine at Penn State College of Medicine, and his colleagues, including Dr. Lauren Van Scoy, co-director of the Qualitative Mixed Methods Core at the College of Medicine, developed a survey in collaboration with the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME) to determine whether people were willing to follow key recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in preventing the spread of COVID-19. Lennon says the preliminary findings, which are in press and will be published by SLACK Incorporated in an upcoming issue of HLRP: Health, Literacy, Research and Practice, should cause concern for public health experts and government officials in certain regions. "Our data indicate that there is a public lack of intent to comply with certain CDC recommendations in several parts of the United States," said Lennon, principal investigator of the study. "As a result, these areas might be at increased risk for a surge in COVID-19 cases as quarantine restrictions ease." Study participants reported demographic information as well as their knowledge of and intent to comply with the CDC's five recommendations for preventing COVID-19. The recommendations are: Wash your hands often (for 20 seconds or more); Maintain social distancing/social isolation even if you have no symptoms; Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth (avoid touching your face); Cough or sneeze into your elbow; and Stay at home if you feel unwell. If you have a fever, cough and difficulty breathing seek medical attention and call in advance. The global survey, available online in more than 23 languages, assesses public perceptions and compliance with COVID-19 health safety recommendations. Lennon and fellow investigators at Penn State College of Medicine developed the questionnaire and CHIME provided the infrastructure for the survey and has helped distribute it globally. "It is important that we have accurate data from around the world to address the pandemic," said CHIME President and CEO Russell Branzell. "We have the ability to examine data at the city level or expand to the country level and beyond to assess what precautions are being followed. This will help health organizations proactively revise their public education programs, which is key to keeping their communities healthy and safe." Lennon and colleagues analyzed responses from more than 5,000 U.S. adults who completed the survey between April 9 and 15. They used three-digit zip code prefix areas to determine where the participants lived. Respondents showed substantial, significant differences in their intent to comply with CDC recommendations across different cities. Lennon says that as compliance falls below 80%, the behaviors are less likely to be effective. The team documented a particularly low intent to comply with the recommendation they said is the most importantavoid touching your face. Half or fewer of respondents from Atlanta, Minneapolis, Philadelphia and Seattle said they intend to comply with that one measure. (See table below.) While respondents indicated fairly high intent to comply with other recommendations, all of the cities investigated had compliance near 80% for at least some of the other behaviors. Lennon cautions that the actions of even one individual might undo the work of the majority of people who are following recommendations carefully. For example, an individual leaving home when they are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms may put others at risk for exposure. The anonymous survey, which has been completed in every state in the U.S. and 70 countries, will remain open until July 9. It takes about five minutes to complete and is available at https://COVIDsurvey.psu.edu/c/beatcovid. Lennon says that the data may be used to help get people appropriate information from sources they trust to prevent the spread of COVID-19. "We encourage everyone to participate, especially communities that have been disproportionately impacted by COVID-19," Lennon said. "It's an opportunity to lend your voice in the fight against this devastating disease." Explore further Follow the latest news on the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak A colorized scanning electron micrograph of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Credit: NIAID Preliminary results from door-to-door sampling by Oregon State University suggest that 3.4% of the Newport community had the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19 on June 20-21. The study, Team-based Rapid Assessment of Community-Level Coronavirus Epidemics, known as TRACE-COVID-19 for short, began in Corvallis the weekend of April 25-26. In Newport, 30 two-person field teams canvased 30 neighborhoods, with 336 of the households visited, or 71%, agreeing to participate. In all, the field workers received samples from 569 people, and 13 tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. "Our results indicate the virus is relatively prevalent in Newport," said Ben Dalziel, assistant professor in the College of Science at OSU and co-director of the project. "We know this because previously undiagnosed infected individuals are present in a random sample of participating households across the city. This indicates the potential for significant further spread unless strong actions are taken to reverse the course of COVID-19 in Newport." Newport's population is 10,600, comprising roughly 20% of the nearly 50,000 people who live in Lincoln County. In announcing prevalence results, the TRACE team follows reporting policies used by the Oregon Health Authority and local health departments. "This kind of random sampling gives us a type of data we don't have, and we will be working with OHA and OSU to understand how to incorporate this into the data tools we currently use," said Lincoln County Commissioner Kaety Jacobson. "We will also be looking at the feasibility and cost of doing further sampling studies like this one." The TRACE study is a collaboration of the OSU colleges of Science, Agricultural Sciences, Engineering, Public Health and Human Sciences, and the Carlson College of Veterinary Medicinein partnership with county health officials. "We are grateful to the many Newport residents who were willing to participate in TRACE," said Jeff Bethel, an associate professor in OSU's College of Public Health and Human Sciences and a member of the TRACE leadership team. "The high participation rate gives us confidence that our findings are robust and a good indication of how widespread the virus causing COVID-19 is in the general population of Newport. Information about community prevalence of the virus adds to the information already gathered by health officials." The results mean that all residents should pay close attention to guidance provided by health officials, such as the statewide face-covering mandate that begins on Wednesday, said Javier Nieto, dean of OSU's College of Public Health and Human Services and one of TRACE's leaders. "Other measures such as social distancing and avoiding large gatherings will also help slow the spread of the virus," Nieto said. "It is particularly important that individuals who have symptoms or tested positive follow state and county health guidelines such as self-isolating and seeking medical care." The TRACE study originated in Corvallis and included four weekends of random neighborhood sampling. TRACE moved to include Bend on May 30-31 and then expanded to Newport three weeks later following the positive tests of more than 120 workers at Pacific Seafood, which operates five processing facilities in the city. TRACE uses a statistical model based on the number of samples, the number of positive tests and prior information on the prevalence of the virus to estimate the proportion of the community that is infected during the period when the samples were collected. "TRACE does two things," Dalziel said. "First, we find and get help to participants who are infected but do not know they are, which reduces the chances of these folks unknowingly spreading the virus to other people. Second, we estimate how widespread the virus is in the general population, which informs public health strategies." The study was initially funded by OSU and a grant from the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, and has been aided by work from the OSU Foundation and the OSU Alumni Association. Funding from PacificSource Health Plans has allowed for the expansion to Bend and Newport, and additional sampling in Corvallis. "The Newport TRACE data reinforces the continuing need for heightened care by all citizens to take precautionary actionswearing face coverings and social distancing, even when among friends," said Bob Cowen, director of the OSU Hatfield Marine Science Center. At each home visited by TRACE field workers, members of the household are invited to participate in the study. Those who choose to take part are asked to provide information such as their name and date of birth; to fill out a simple consent form; and to answer a few confidential, health-related questions. Participants are given a nasal-swab test kit that they administer to themselves inside their home and their minor children if they want them to take part. The field staff wait outside, and the participants leave the completed test kits outside their front door. Field staff maintain a safe distance at all times and do not enter anyone's home. The tests used in TRACE-COVID-19 collect material from the entrance of the nose and are more comfortable and less invasive than the tests that collect secretions from the throat and the back of the nose. The field workers leave participants with information about the project and how they will receive their resultsavailable in seven to 10 daysas well as health guidance from county health officials and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Participants in the study are sent their results and those of their minor children by secure email with receipt by standard mail delivery as a backup. Everyone's personal information is safeguarded. The diagnostic testing component of TRACE operates through a partnership between the Oregon Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, which is located at OSU, and Willamette Valley Toxicology. For more information about TRACE, visit the TRACE-COVID-19 website. The site includes a list of frequently asked questions. COVID-19, first reported to the World Health Organization on Dec. 31, 2019, has been confirmed in more than 10 million people worldwide and has killed more than 503,000 people. In the United States, there have been more than 2.5 million reported casesincluding more than 8,100 in Oregonand more than 126,000 deaths nationwide. Lincoln County has had 300 confirmed cases and two deaths. "The tally of cases already reported by health officials tells us how many people are known to be sick with COVID-19," Bethel said. "This number is well understood to underestimate the actual number of infected individuals because it misses asymptomatic individuals and people who have not sought testing or do not have access to testing. In contrast, the TRACE estimate of prevalence tells us about the fraction of individuals in Newport who are infectedwhether or not they have symptoms, and whether or not they have access to testing. Public health and elected officials need this kind of information to plan and deploy resources." In addition to TRACE sampling, other OSU researchers collected sewage samples from Newport's wastewater system the same weekend. Those samples are still being analyzed. The fourth and final weekend of TRACE sampling in Corvallis, originally scheduled for May 16-17, took place June 13-14 to help determine if the easing of stay-at-home orders leads to a jump in the prevalence of the virus in the Corvallis community. Those results are also pending. The first three weeks of sampling in Corvallis each suggested a prevalence of between one and two cases per 1,000 people. Explore further Follow the latest news on the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain Medical scientists at the University of St Andrews have joined forces with data scientists Blue Hat Associates to further medical research and understanding about the spread of COVID-19 within the community. How COVID-19 spreads within the community and individual households remains uncertain as current data is based on people who receive medical care. A COVID-19 tracker app allows people to share data on the members of their household including symptoms. This research, one of three research projects awarded to St Andrews as part of the Scottish Government's COVID-19 Rapid Research program, aims to extract key information from households' reports of COVID-19 and link these with medical records to get a better idea of the true number of people with the disease. The project will look to see if people who stay at home with COVID-19 have different symptoms to those who need medical help or are admitted to hospital. Using data being collected in the recently launched c19track.org website, this crowd-sourced data will help researchers understand the profile of the pandemic within households and within communities. Key advantages of this tracking includes: Capturing data and updates on an entire household or neighborhood Tracking the disease in children Recording all symptoms of illness Simple technology allowing those without smartphones to record their data St Andrews Medical School intend to use the data to research the outcomes for patients recovering in a home setting against those who seek GP support. The data collected will be made available to research institutions and those signing up will be able to see the profile of their local area. Those signing up are agreeing to share their anonymous data with other organizations, and can opt in to share personal data for St Andrews medical research. Professor Colin McCowan from the School of Medicine at St Andrews said: "One of the big unanswered questions with COVID-19 is how many people actually have caught it. We know about the people who contact the NHS but not those who have stayed at home self-isolating. This work will help us identify that group of people and allow us to examine if there are differences between them and the people who have contacted the NHS. This will give us a more accurate picture of how many people have COVID-19 and also help in planning how best we look after them." Blue Hat founder, Tim Palmer, said: "As experts in data and analytics, we saw a lack of breadth in the data being collected, focussing on a narrow set of symptoms of those within a medical environment. We developed a crowd sourced data tracker in March to catch data from families who may only have minor symptoms and are delighted St Andrews will be using the data to aid the research." What is the purpose of the website? In March a group of data scientists launched c19track.org. At this point no one knows exactly how many people have been infected with COVID-19. There are many people with the virus who are invisible in the official numbers or only have mild symptoms. Without testing it is hard to know, so the aim is to help record peoples' symptoms to get a better snapshot of where the infections are and how many people really have the disease. Who is Blue Hat? Blue Hat is a team of data scientists who want to help, coming together to gather the missing information and provide it to the scientists who can help stop this virus. Blue Hat believes you can help by self-reporting online using this website, which will help understand more about the virus in our communities. What is it trying to capture? The website looks to build up a picture of the health for all members of a household, and for as many households in a geographic location as possible. This will provide crucial information and permit analysis at a postcode and local level of both the spread and current existence of the COVID-19 virus. The data will help scientists to understand the profile of the disease at a local level, not a national or even county-wide level, but at a level which will be more relevant for each household, their local school and local community. Is it any different to the others already out there? Other symptom tracking apps are available, but Blue Hat's website allows an entire household's data to be captured on a simple web page allowing the scientists to track children and vulnerable people who could not fill in the forms for themselves. Occasional updates of this data are requested. Unlike a number of apps which look to track a person's COVID-19 symptoms in considerable detail, asking a significant number of specific health questions, the Blue Hat website approaches pandemic data gathering from the perspective of the community effect of the disease. The aim is to build up a picture of the spread of the virus within households and within communities. This is something personal app trackers do not do, and is something that Blue Hat believes is going to become crucial in understanding the spread of the pandemic, the real level of infection in a community, and the potential for any local relaxation of quarantine in due course. How does this link to the NHS contract tracking app? Blue Hat's tracking works in an entirely different way and for a different purpose. The website is asking households to record contact information, creating a sample of a different cross section of the population without access to the latest technology. What personal information will it hold? The information collected by the website is simple, limited, and focused on the health of each member of a household in relation to COVID-19 symptoms. It includes: email address to communicate postcode to identify geographic location names of people of household health of each member of the household IP address for data security management Isn't it becoming too late to capture this information? It is clear that in a number of regions and communities there is a growing instance of suspected COVID cases, and tracking this information is going to be increasingly important. It is likely that there will be great benefit for researchers, for purposes such as immunization, to have accurate information and this can only be collected at the time a community is experiencing the pandemic. Surveys undertaken after the event are likely to be of limited use or have sufficient detail to be able to make critical judgements from. Will my neighbors be able to see if I have had COVID-19 through the website? Data will not be shared at a level where it will be possible to identify an individual household. Data will be anonymised and reporting is done on groups of households. The size of the area disclosed to a registered user will depend on the uptake in the area, but will not permit any sole households to be identified within a postcode. How do I know my details will be safe? The website has been properly registered with the information commissioners and will operate within all the regulations of the UK/EU in terms of data protection and GDPR. All information will remain within the EU and held securely on a globally recognized cloud platform. Only aggregated and anonymised data will be sharedno personal information will be shared unless specifically requested and then only for the purposes of medical research. The underlying data will be made available free of charge to academic researchers working to understand the virus and helping to prevent future outbreaks. Who has developed the website? The c19track website has been developed by a group of experts in high security data systems who are used to working in government and banking technology software. The software team working on c19track are all affiliated with Blue Hat Associates, a London-based software development business. What will St Andrews do with the information?, Subject to approval from the individuals, St Andrews will combine the tracker data sourced in the community with NHS medical data. Is anyone going to make money from the COVID-19 data? No, the purpose of the website is to help medical researchers and academics better understand the spread of COVID-19, and for contributors to see the profile of their local area. The data is being made available to these groups for free, and individual data will only ever be shared for medical purposes and only if explicit consent has been given. Explore further Follow the latest news on the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak More information: Help paint a more accurate picture of COVID-19 in your community: c19track.org Credit: CC0 Public Domain Rural hospitals are more likely than urban facilities to have access to telehealth, a once-underused service that now is playing a key role in treating coronavirus patients, according to research by two health administration professors in Florida Atlantic University's College of Business. Neeraj Puro, Ph.D., and Scott Feyereisen, Ph.D., say the research can help U.S. hospitals understand the extent to which they are prepared for another wave of the pandemic. The work has been published in The Journal of Rural Health, one of the leading peer-reviewed publications on rural health issues. Telehealth connects patients with doctors by computer or telephone when in-person appointments are not possible or safe from disease transmission. "It's a relatively easy way to expand access," Feyereisen said. "More health care access is good. It's one of the goals of the system." Having telehealth provides hospitals the ability to expand their service offerings in multiple ways, according to the report. For example, telehealth services have the potential to improve outcomes for high-risk obstetric patients in rural communities, while telehealth facilitated the use of anti-microbials in rural areas where infectious disease physicians were not available. Still, barriers such as insurance restrictions and technology limitations remain in place, preventing the widespread use of the service. Puro and Feyereisen concluded that talking with doctors remotely is an important part of improving rural health care. The odds of hospitals to provide telehealth services vary, with Minnesota, Iowa, South Dakota, North Dakota, Nebraska, Missouri and Kansas leading the way among the nine regions designated by the U.S. Census. What's more, coastal states, including New York, Florida, California and Washington, generally lacked the capability to provide e-services in rural areas, with telehealth specifically in short supply. In addition, telehealth capabilities are more common in hospitals that belong to a system and benefit from the economies of scale. "Not only are rural populations some of the most vulnerable to diseases such as COVID-19, they might be called upon to provide back-up service to overflowing urban hospitals in the event such systems are overwhelmed," the report stated. "Going forward, telehealth is likely to play a large role in diagnosing patients, particularly in coming months as long as social distancing is a preferred strategy for preventing the spread of COVID-19. This virus might also become seasonal, and until a vaccine is introduced, telehealth will likely be increasingly integral to diagnosis and treatment." The research also found that telehealth capabilities are predictably available in larger hospitals as well as teaching hospitals, and the professors say policymakers would be wise to provide support to smaller facilities. The study of 3,268 hospitals is based on 2017 data from the American Hospital Association survey, Area Health Resource Files and Medicare cost reports. Explore further Follow the latest news on the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak More information: Neeraj A. Puro et al, Telehealth Availability in US Hospitals in the Face of the COVID19 Pandemic, The Journal of Rural Health (2020). Neeraj A. Puro et al, Telehealth Availability in US Hospitals in the Face of the COVID19 Pandemic,(2020). DOI: 10.1111/jrh.12482 Illustration depicting how fast different forms of insulin absorb in the bloodstream, and how the polymer developed by these researchers helps stabilize ultrafast-absorbing insulin in the vial. Credit: Joseph Mann and Caitlin Maikawa Researchers at Stanford University are developing a new insulin formulation that begins to take effect almost immediately upon injection, potentially working four times as fast as current commercial fast-acting insulin formulations. The researchers focused on so-called monomeric insulin, which has a molecular structure that, according to theory, should allow it to act faster than other forms of insulin. The catch is that monomeric insulin is too unstable for practical use. So, in order to realize the ultrafast potential of this insulin, the researchers relied on some materials science magic. "The insulin molecules themselves are fine, so we wanted to develop a 'magic fairy dust' that you add into a vial that would help to fix the stability problem," said Eric Appel, assistant professor of materials science and engineering at Stanford. "People often focus on the therapeutic agents in a drug formulation but, by focusing only on the performance additivesparts that were once referred to as 'inactive ingredients' - we can achieve really big advancements in the overall efficacy of the drug." After screening and testing a large library of additive polymers, the researchers found one that could stabilize monomeric insulin for more than 24 hours in stressed conditions. (By comparison, commercial fast-acting insulin stays stable for six to ten hours under the same conditions.) The researchers then confirmed the ultrafast action of their formulation in diabetic pigs. Their results were published July 1 in Science Translational Medicine. Now, the researchers are conducting additional tests in hopes of qualifying for clinical trials in humans. One step back, two steps forward Current commercial formulations of insulin contain a mix of three forms: monomers, dimers and hexamers. Scientists have assumed monomers would be the most readily useful in the body but, within vials, the insulin molecules are drawn to the surface of the liquid where they aggregate and become inactive. (Hexamers are more stable in the vial but take longer to work in the body because they first have to break down into monomers to become active.) This is where the "magic fairy dust"a custom polymer that is attracted to the air/water interfacecomes in. [Credit: Professor Eric Appel, Assistant Professor of Materials Science & Engineering, Stanford University; Joseph Mann, PhD Candidate in Materials Science & Engineering, Stanford University; Caitlin Maikawa, PhD Candidate in Bioengineering, Stanford University "We focused on polymers that would preferentially go to that interface and act as a barrier between any of the insulin molecules trying to gather there," said Joseph Mann, a graduate student in the Appel lab and co-lead author of the paper. Crucially, the polymer can do this without interacting with the insulin molecules themselves, allowing the drug to take effect unimpeded. Finding just the right polymer with the desired properties was a long process that involved a three-week trip to Australia, where a fast-moving robot created approximately 1500 preliminary candidates. This was followed by processing and testing individually by hand at Stanford to identify polymers that successfully exhibited the desired barrier behavior. The first 100 candidates didn't stabilize commercial insulin in tests but the researchers pressed on. They found their magic polymer only weeks before they were scheduled to run experiments with diabetic pigs. "It felt like there was nothing happening and then all of the sudden there was this bright moment ... and a deadline a couple of months away," said Mann. "The moment we got an encouraging result, we had to hit the ground running." The ultrafast-absorbing insulin is based on simpler insulin monomer molecules, which are absorbed far faster than the more complex dimers and hexamers used in commercial rapid-acting insulin analogs. Credit: J.L. Mann et al., Science Translational Medicine (2020) In commercial insulinwhich typically remains stable for about 10 hours in accelerated aging teststhe polymer drastically increased the duration of stability for upwards of a month. The next step was to see how the polymer affected monomeric insulin, which on its own aggregates in 1-2 hours. It was another welcome victory when the researchers confirmed that their formulation could remain stable for over 24 hours under stress. "In terms of stability, we took a big step backward by making the insulin monomeric. Then, by adding our polymer, we met more than double the stability of the current commercial standard," said Caitlin Maikawa, a graduate student in the Appel lab and co-lead author of the paper. With a seed grant from the Stanford Diabetes Research Center and the Stanford Maternal and Child Health Research Institute, the researchers were able to evaluate their new monomeric insulin formulation in diabetic pigsthe most advanced non-human animal modeland found that their insulin reached 90 percent of its peak activity within five minutes after the insulin injection. For comparison, the commercial fast-acting insulin began showing significant activity only after 10 minutes. Furthermore, the monomeric insulin activity peaked at about 10 minutes while the commercial insulin required 25 minutes. In humans, this difference could translate to a four-fold decrease in the time insulin takes to reach peak activity. "When I ran the blood tests and started plotting the data, I almost couldn't believe how good it looked," said Maikawa. "It's really unprecedented," said Appel, who is senior author of the paper. "This has been a major target for many big pharmaceutical companies for decades." The monomeric insulin also finished its action sooner. Both beginning and ending activity sooner makes it easier for people to use insulin in coordination with mealtime glucose levels to appropriately manage their blood sugar levels. A multifaceted success The researchers plan to apply to the Food and Drug Administration for approval to test their insulin formulation in clinical trials with human participants (although no trials are planned yet and they are not seeking participants at this time). They are also considering other uses for their polymer, given how significantly it increased stability in commercial insulin. Because their insulin formulation activates so quicklyand, therefore, more like insulin in a person without diabetesthe researchers are excited by the possibility that it could aid the development of an artificial pancreas device that functions without the need for patient intervention at mealtimes. Additional Stanford co-authors include former visiting scholar Anton Smith (from Aarhus University in Denmark); graduate students Abigail Grosskopf, Gillie Roth, Catherine Meis, Emily Gale, Celine Liong, Doreen Chan, Lyndsay Stapleton and Anthony Yu; clinical veterinarian Sam Baker; and postdoctoral fellow Santiago Correa. Researchers from CSIRO Manufacturing in Australia are also co-authors. Appel is also a member of Stanford Bio-X, the Cardiovascular Institute, the Stanford Maternal and Child Research Institute and a faculty fellow at Stanford ChEM-H. Explore further Experimental two-in-one shot may give diabetics a better way to control their blood sugar More information: J.L. Mann el al., "An ultrafast insulin formulation enabled by high-throughput screening of engineered polymeric excipients," Science Translational Medicine (2020). Journal information: Science Translational Medicine J.L. Mann el al., "An ultrafast insulin formulation enabled by high-throughput screening of engineered polymeric excipients,"(2020). stm.sciencemag.org/lookup/doi/ scitranslmed.aba6676 New York Mayor Bill de Blasio, pictured here in March 2020, says indoor dining has been postponed due to a surge in coronavirus cases in the US New York City will not proceed with indoor dining from next week as planned because of a nationwide surge in coronavirus infections, Mayor Bill de Blasio said Wednesday. The Big Apple is due to enter phase three of a four-phase reopening plan on Monday but officials have postponed plans to allow restaurants to sit customers inside with limited capacity. "It is not the time to forge ahead with indoor dining," de Blasio told reporters, citing the spike in virus cases in numerous American states. New York state was previously the epicenter of the United States's outbreak, with more than 32,000 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University. But the spread has largely been brought under control, with officials crediting a lengthy shutdown, strict social distancing guidelines and the mandatory wearing of masks. At the height of New York's outbreak in early-mid April around 800 people were dying from COVID-19 a day. The daily toll dropped to as low as five last weekend. Hospitalizations and infections continue to hit new lows but officials fear a spike in rates elsewhere could cause an uptick in New York as it slowly reopens business and other activities. New York City moved to phase two on June 22 when restaurants were allowed to open outside areas. Hair salons also got back to business then. Just months ago several states mandated quarantine for visiting New Yorkers, but New York now requires some travelers to quarantine, highlighting a sharp turnaround in the nature of the virus's spread in the US. New York state, New Jersey and Connecticut require visitors from 16 states, mainly in the south and southwest of the US, to quarantine for 14 days if they visit. Visitors found violating self-quarantine rules are subject to a judicial order and self-funded mandatory quarantine, as well as potential fines of $2,000 for a first violation and $5,000 for a second. Alarming spikes in new cases in southern hotspots Texas and Florida are driving the daily national total of new cases to over 40,000 per day. Infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci warned on Tuesday that new cases could more than double to 100,000 per day if authorities and the public fail to take steps to suppress the pandemic. Explore further Follow the latest news on the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak 2020 AFP Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science Simon Harris TD has today urged students who have not yet applied for SUSI grants for the 2020/2021 academic year to do so before July 9th. New applicants to SUSI still have an opportunity to have their application prioritised if they submit their application before the 9th of July. Minister Harris also moved to reassure students that the grant scheme is flexible and can address loss of income as a result of Covid-19. Students and their families who have experienced a fall in income can seek to have their application reviewed under the change of circumstances provision within the scheme, provided they can demonstrate that any change in income is likely to obtain for the duration of the approved course or for the foreseeable future. Minister Harris said: As Minister for Higher Education, I am committed to building an inclusive higher education system and SUSI grants are an excellent resource for eligible students to avail of. Covid-19 has caused significant disruption across the country and students have had to deal with the closure of colleges, and a disruption to their studies. I am conscious this pandemic has also resulted in a loss of income for many families and created a time of financial worry in many households. I want to assure people that there is scope to address loss of income as part of the grant scheme. I also want to encouraged any remaining students who think they might be eligible for support, to submit their online student grant applications to SUSI without delay; to ensure that they are processed as quickly as possible. SUSI is accepting applications in the usual way from Irish students intending to study approved courses in the UK and from UK students intending to study in Ireland, as they can continue to avail of student grants if eligible. The SUSI grant scheme opened on April 23. Last year it received circa 96,000 applications with circa 73,000 students availing of grant support. To date SUSI has received circa 75,000 applications for the 2020/21 academic year. While it will still be possible to submit an application after the priority closing date has passed, any late applications will not receive the same priority attention by SUSI. Notes to editors The priority application date for renewal applicants was the 11th of June. However, new applicants to SUSI still have an opportunity to have their application prioritised if they submit their application before the 9th of July. Five of the 40 Thieves died on Saipan, a remarkably low total considering what they went through. Most of the survivors of that and many other battles of World War II returned home broken to some extent. Tachovsky talks about a few of the worst cases in the closing chapter, those who battled alcoholism, became estranged from their families or lived aimlessly. "Gone was the regimentation that had governed their lives for the past four years. The skills that kept a Thief alive in the war didn't translate into peacetime success," Tachovsky wrote. A proofreader noted "Forty Thieves" is a book about war but "its certainly not a pro-war book, Tachovsky said last week. "That's true. And it's no different for any man or woman who serves in combat today. Mullins told him he prays every day for the people Ive killed. The reason I had trouble talking about what happened was that I feared I was beyond forgiveness for the things I had done, Smotts said. The toughest thing Ski faced would be sending people out on missions knowing that they were going to get shot up, Strombo told Tachovsky. That was something he had to live with. He had to make that decision of which ones go out and either live or die. Short said that mask-refusal was a big concern for her and the UM administration. In the case of refusal, she said a discussion would have to occur with the professor and student, where the student would be encouraged to reconsider the decision to not wear a face mask. Other mitigation techniques, like a face shield, would be offered to the student in place of a traditional face mask. In the end, though, the professor could not require the student to wear a mask. The faculty member will then have to think about, is physical distancing the fact that theyre at the front of the classroom and this student is more than six feet away does that then create a space where (teaching) is still workable? Short said. When asked if a scenario in which UM explicitly required masks would ever arise, Short said she didnt know and said the question was better directed to legal counsel. She said the universitys response will be continually adapting to the newest information. Lucy France, legal counsel for the university, said the question was not one of legality, but policy. "We have a structure in place where theyve defined those cases that they would choose and would like to review and consider for early release but what were finding is that theres not as many of those types of cases weve identified as wed hoped there would be," Michael said. Later in the briefing Rep. Kathy Kelker, D-Billings, pointed out other states have conducted blanket releases of inmates who are high-risk to COVID-19 and asked what difference prohibits Montana from doing the same. Michael said he had not been tracking other states, but added Montana law may require more of inmates before the parole board turns them loose. "People are not staying in prison because we are limited in our ability to manage them in the community," Michael said. "This is a challenge that's bordered on the laws that drive who makes the decision on releases from our prison system." Michael did say he had been contacting parole board chair Annette Carter about revising what in-house programming can be deferred in favor of early releases for high-risk inmates. Gianforte issued a statement Tuesday praising the opinion. Todays ruling is a step in the right direction to ensure our kids have access to the best possible education that meets their unique, individual needs. While this is a promising step toward that goal, another step we must take is to get more resources to our classrooms and teachers," said Gianforte, who helped found a private religious school in Bozeman and has funded scholarships for private education. While the Institute for Justice, which represented Espinoza and Anderson, said Tuesday the court's opinion means "the major state constitutional weapon that the opponents of (school) choice have has now been removed," the governor's chief legal counsel who defended the department's rule in court argued against extrapolating too much about what the decision means for Montana. "I'm disappointed in the court's decision, but I respect it," said Raph Graybill. "It would be a mistake to read this ruling more broadly than it is. It's not accurate to say this ruling requires Montana to finance private religious schools. It said that if you finance any private schools, you have to treat religious schools and non-religious schools equally. What future government decision-makers do with that will come in time." Despite saving the lives of billions of birds, the MBTA is threatened. The Trump administration is in the final stages of eliminating the requirements that industries use best practices to limit incidental take. The administration claims that companies that violate the MBTA have been recklessly prosecuted and fined. In fact, companies have been rarely taken to court, and when they have, their violations have been overwhelming. Over 97% of all fines collected under the MBTA have come from just two massive oil spills: the 1989 Exxon Valdez disaster in Alaska, and the 2010 BP Deepwater Horizon explosion in the Gulf of Mexico. The average fine for the other 405 oil industry violations has been about $6,500. Now is no time to weaken the enormously successful MBTA. Even with its protections in place, birds are declining across North America. As reported in the journal Science, bird numbers have declined about 30% in the past 50 years a loss of 3 billion birds. While some of the causes of these declines climate change and habitat destruction are outside the protections of the MBTA, the Trump rollbacks will likely result in additional bird deaths, additional Endangered Species Act listings, and additional costs to state wildlife agencies. A letter from 17 former Department of the Interior officials, who have worked under both Republican and Democratic administrations, has urged the Trump administration to reconsider. Join them by letting your elected officials know you oppose this shameful rollback of the MBTA. You can submit a public comment to the Fish and Wildlife Service until July 20, and you can ask U.S. Rep. Greg Gianforte to support H.R. 5552, which would recover protections and ensure that the MBTA remains a crown jewel of conservation legislation. This opinion is signed by Erick Greene, professor of Wildlife Biology and director of University of Montanas Bird Ecology Lab; Tim Aldrich, District 1 State Fish and Wildlife commissioner; Anne Greene, biologist and science writer; Kate Davis, executive director of Raptors of the Rockies; Rob Domenech, executive director of Raptor View Research Foundation; Jim Brown, Five Valleys Audubon; Land Tawney, president and CEO of Backcountry Hunters and Anglers; Tom France, regional executive director of The National Wildlife Federation; Larry Berrin, executive director of Montana Audubon; and Frank Szollosi, executive director of Montana Wildlife Federation. You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 3 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 1 Angry 0 US ArmyBy Christina Carrega and Luis Martinez, ABC News (FORT HOOD, Tx) -- When Mayra Guillen went to the military base in Fort Hood, Texas, after her sister went missing two months ago, she said she encountered a man who gave her a bad feeling. "That subject, I met him, not knowing he had something to do with it. I felt he had something to do with it, and I wasn't wrong," Mayra Guillen, a sister of Pfc. Vanessa Guillen, said Wednesday at a press conference in Washington, D.C. The U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command said that as Killeen, Texas, police officers and federal marshals were closing in on a Fort Hood soldier connected to Vanessa Guillen's case, the suspect died by suicide. "He had the nerve to laugh in my face and apparently now he kills himself. Why? I don't know, but whoever is responsible has to pay," said Mayra Guillen. Officials have not yet identified the suspect because they said they're first notifying his family. Another unidentified suspect, a civilian, also was taken into custody, officials said. "The civilian suspect is the estranged wife of a former Fort Hood Soldier and is currently in custody in the Bell County Jail awaiting charges by civilian authorities," CID said in a statement. Guillen's family and their attorney, Natalie Khawam, said the deceased suspect was a superior officer who allegedly walked in on Vanessa Guillen as she was showering, sat down and watched her. Guillen's family said that Vanessa Guillen complained to them and to fellow soldiers about being sexually harassed at the base, but never filed a formal complaint for fear of retaliation. Military officials said in a previous statement that they had no credible information she was sexually assaulted. Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard, who served in the Army for 17 years, said at the press conference on Wednesday that she knows "personally the strength of the chain of command. I also know and understand that fear Vanessa must have felt." "I have long advocated for real reforms ... that would provide an independent path ... for them to report these incidents outside the chain of command," Gabbard added. "There are so many military people who are suffering with sexual harassment and they sweep it under the rug like it's a joke. My sister is not a joke. My sister did not deserve this. My sister deserves justice," Lupe Guillen said. The family believes that Vanessa Guillen's sexual harassment allegations led to a "cover up" surrounding her initial disappearance and are demanding a Congressional investigation. "They lied to us for two months. My sister was sexually harassed they didn't keep my sister safe. They try to cover up for each other. Why? If this can happen to my sister, it can happen to anyone," Lupe Guillen added. Khawam said she's planning to ask for lawmakers to propose legislation, named after Vanessa Guillen, to protect U.S. soldiers from sexual harassment and sexual assault. The arrest of the additional suspect came a day after investigators found unidentified human remains about 20 miles away from the Fort Hood base, where Vanessa Guillen was last seen on April 22. "We believe her remains were found," Khawam added. A positive identification of the remains is pending, and the criminal investigation is still ongoing, said Chris Grey, CID's chief of public affairs. Copyright 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved. The Union ministry confirmed that Patanjali can sell the product but not as a cure for COVID-19 Haridwar/New Delhi: Yoga guru Ramdev's Patanjali Ayurved on Wednesday said there are no AYUSH Ministry restrictions on selling Coronil, a drug the company recently launched as a medicine for COVID-19 but is now calling it a product to manage the disease. The Union ministry confirmed that Patanjali can sell the product but not as a cure for COVID-19. AYUSH Ministry has only given permission to sell this particular formulation as immunity booster and not as a medicinal cure for COVID-19, it said. At a press conference in Haridwar, Ramdev claimed the ministry has said that Patanjali did an an appropriate job for COVID-19 management. I want to tell people who want to try these medicines that there is no restriction on their sale now and they will be available in a kit everywhere in the country from today," he added, referring to Coronil and the two other products Patanjali is promoting together. Ramdev said the Union ministry had asked him to use the term Covid management in place of Covid treatment and he is following the instruction. Even while backtracking on the describing Coronil as treatment for COVID-19, the company stuck to its claim that the drug's trial on mild to moderately ill patients was successful. Its press note said the trial, conducted after the necessary approvals, showed 100 per cent recovery of patients within seven days. It said the AYUSH Ministry has categorically agreed that Patanjali had appropriately worked on COVID-19 management. Now there is no difference of opinion between AYUSH Ministry and Patanjali, it added. As per the ministry, Patanjali is allowed to manufacture and distribute its Diva Coronil tablet, Divya Swasari Vati and Divya Anu Talia across India, as per the manufacturing licences granted by State Licensing Authority, Ayurvedic and Unani Services, Govt of Uttarakhand, it said. The Uttarakhand department was among the agencies which had questioned Patanjali's claim to have developed a drug to cure COVID-19. It said the company had only been given a licence to manufacture an immunity booster. Disclaimer : The views expressed in the forum are the views of the user writing the post, and not that of moneycontrol.com. You agree, by accessing this forum, that moneycontrol.com bears no liability for any posts on this forum or, any losses suffered by following any advice posted on this forum. moneycontrol.com operates this real time, open, unmoderated, private forum for users to exchange information and to discuss various investing techniques. moneycontrol.com or, its personnel do not post anything, or vet the content posted, on this forum. moneycontrol.com reserves the right to deny service to anyone. You, and not moneycontrol.com, assume the entire cost and risk of any trading you choose to undertake. You are solely responsible for making your own investment decisions. If you choose to engage in such transactions with or without seeking advice from a licensed and qualified financial advisor or entity, then such decision and any consequences flowing therefrom are your sole responsibility. Patricia Weathers The Early Childhood Education Center providing dorm room furnishings and supplies for students in need that had won scholarships to be the first person in their families to attend college White asked how the local job market is affecting the health of the community. Horton said its important to meet clients basic needs first so they have the resources to look for work and secure a position. Weathers mentioned there is a vital need for living wage jobs so people dont have to choose between working and receiving benefits from the government and local organizations. Yang said there needs to be equal access to education and career opportunities, as well as regional partnerships and sharing of resources between nonprofit organizations. Several attendees also noted how the state program NC Cares 360 is helping people. This is a statewide database of services that North Carolina residents can access by dialing 211 or visiting nccares360.org. Callers relay what their needs are and receive referrals to agencies or organizations that can help them. What are the roadblocks to a healthy community in this county? Moses noted that transportation solutions are desperately needed to help children in need in Burke County. COVID-19 cases continue to tick up and Thursday saw an increase of double digits in Burke County. The county reported a total of 514 positive cases, up from 497 cases on Wednesday. The county dashboard says 172 people have recovered. And the cases will likely continue to climb as more testing is conducted in the county. The Burke County Health Department held a COVID-19 testing clinic in the eastern portion of the county on Wednesday. Case Farms in Morganton also had all of its employees tested for the virus. The state previously reported an outbreak at the meat processing facility. The state defines an outbreak of the virus as two or more positive cases. Rebecca McLeod, director of the Burke County Health Department, would not say how many positive cases Case Farms has reported. She said the health department is not identifying specific companies with outbreaks or cases or other places such as long-term care facilities. McLeod referred The News Herald to Case Farms. The newspaper has reached out to the company this week for information but has not received a response. The Chinese Embassy said it suspected the Indian move violates World Trade Organisation (WTO) guidelines. New Delhi: China on Tuesday evening opposed and expressed serious concern over Indias decision late on Monday to ban 59 Chinese Apps including the very popular TikTok on national security grounds, and asked New Delhi to stop the discrimination. The Chinese Embassy said it suspected the Indian move violates World Trade Organisation (WTO) guidelines, adding that New Delhi made the decision on ambiguous and far-fetched grounds. Beijing also claimed the ban would affect employment and livelihoods of local Indian workers, creators and entrepreneurs associated with these apps and also the interests of Indian users, adding that these a pps have been completely adhering to Indian laws. It asked India to acknowledges the mutually beneficial nature of China-India economic and trade cooperation. In a statement on Indias move, the Chinese Embassy said, The Chinese side is seriously concerned with and firmly opposed to such action. India's measure, selectively and discriminatorily aims at certain Chinese apps on ambiguous and far-fetched grounds, runs against fair and transparent procedure requirements, abuses national security exceptions, and suspects of violating the WTO rules. It also goes against the general trend of international trade and E-commerce, and is not conducive to consumer interests and the market competition in India. Beijing added, We expect India acknowledges the mutually beneficial nature of China-India economic and trade cooperation, and urge the Indian side to change its discriminatory practices, maintain the momentum of China-India economic and trade cooperation, treat all investments and service providers equally, and create an open, fair and just business environment, while bearing in mind the fundamental interests of both sides and the overall interests of bilateral relations. The immediate trigger for the Indian governments decision announced late on Monday evening was seen by observers as the need to retaliate strategically to Chinas recent actions, including its continuing aggressive military posture on the borders at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the Ladakh sector, by imposing economic costs on China and Chinese companies. Adam Cooper lives at the home and said he knew the suspect, but he didnt know the suspect was at the home when police arrived. Deborah Cooper, Adams mother who also lives at the home, said the suspect had been a family friend since he was 8 years old. Cooper said the officers had detained him, his girlfriend and one other female staying at the home. Turk said they were released once they were able to identify them. Turk added that he was on the scene throughout the standoff and said he believes officers followed all policies in this shooting. Deborah Cooper said officers found weapons in the home but said they all had to have belonged to the suspect. We dont even have a bb gun, she said. Deborah Cooper was visiting her mother nearby when police had arrived at her home and was shaken upon hearing what happened. She said she had lived there for 10 years but wasnt sure she could go back in the home following the incident. An internal affairs investigation is the next step within the sheriffs office to ensure all policies and procedures were followed. The military prides itself on a record of taking the lead on social change, including in racial integration. But it also has had incidents of racial hatred and, more subtly, a history of implicit bias in a predominantly white institution. Ten major Army installations are named for Confederate Army officers, mostly senior generals, including Robert E. Lee. Among the 10 is Fort Benning, the namesake of Confederate Army Gen. Henry L. Benning, who was a leader of Georgias secessionist movement and an advocate of preserving slavery. Others are in Virginia, North Carolina, Alabama, Texas and Louisiana. The naming was done mostly after World War I and in the 1940s, in some cases as gestures of conciliation to the South. Few voices in the military are openly defending the link to Confederate symbols, but some of the bases named for Confederate officers are legendary in their own right. Fort Bragg, for example, is home to some of the Armys most elite forces. Any decision to change the name at Bragg or other bases likely would involve consulting with officials from the affected states and localities. Peter Mansoor, a retired Army colonel and veteran of the Iraq war, said in an email exchange that renaming these bases is long overdue. Then it was segregation, disenfranchisement of black voters and discrimination in employment, housing and all facets of life. It was lynchings, whippings and police beatings. Support Local Journalism Your subscription makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}} It didnt end with the civil rights movement, the Civil Rights Act or the Voting Rights Act. It goes on without end. Now all Americans have been abruptly awakened to the reality of black America, where police officers are more feared than respected. We saw cellphone videos of police brutality against African-Americans. We saw George Floyd plead for his life while a policemans knee squeezed the breath out of him. After the protests began, we saw police officers across the country turn on protesters and journalists with clubs, tear gas and rubber bullets. We saw a riot squad knock down a 75-year-old man in Buffalo and stalk by him as he bled on the pavement. We saw police departments bristling with armored cars, riot gear and semiautomatic weapons. Is their motto serve and protect or dominate the battlespace? Sometimes the police looked more like military units. In fact, military units were called out in the nations capital. So were agents from the FBI, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Department of Homeland Security. Once they pass the screening, visitors can then visit their loved ones through the facilitys looking glass, she said. The concept is a frame of Plexiglas that allows families to visit face-to-face and is sanitized between each visit. Weve had quite a bit of visitors, so we ask that people schedule in advance, Kippen said. The Big Sky Senior Living on Waterford Way in Butte is also allowing visitations by appointment only, according to an announcement on the facilitys website. We realize that in the midst of a pandemic it is still important for family and friends to visit and socialize, Lauri Yelenich, administrator at Big Sky Senior Living, wrote in the announcement. With that in mind we have set up visitation on the outside courtyard on the East Side of the building for Assisted and Retirement Residents and in the Memory Care Courtyard for Memory Care Residents. Residents at Big Sky are allowed up to four visitors, who will need to be screened at the front entrance before a visit. The screen includes a temperature check and answering questions about possible symptoms and possible exposure. ARCHIVED - From 1st July travellers to Spain must fill out a Passenger Location Card prior to arrival Aena has contracted 650 further personnel to ensure traveller safety in Spanish airports The Official State Gazette (BOE), has today (1st July) published details of the system of checks on international passengers which will be applied in Spanish airports, establishing a transitional period until July 31st, 2020 during which international passengers who have not been able to complete the required public health form telematically in advance, can present it upon arrival in Spain in a paper format. Spain is currently trialling a new trace and track App on the island of La Gomera, which forms part of the Canary Islands and views the ability to trace contacts of Covid-positive cases as being of primary importance in the fight against a second wave of Covid. For this reason, all visitors to Spain, regardless of how they arrive, will be required to complete a Passenger Location Card which collects information such as the address of the location in which the traveller is staying in Spain, their recent travel history and information about any medical issues related to coronavirus symptomatology. This form must be completed electronically before travelling to Spain, and after having filled in their details, travellers will be issued with a QR code that must be presented at the airport health checks upon arrival (or ferry port). The form can be completed via www.spth.gob.es which states; Link for app if you have iPhone and have problems using the app: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.atos.spain.th Each form is personal and non-transferable and is associated with a single trip. From July 1st, 2020, if you fly to Spain from other countries, it is mandatory to fill out and sign the FCS form associated with your trip, regardless of your nationality, age or any other consideration. This form must be completed by each of the passengers who will be responsible for ensuring that the information provided is true and accurate. In the event that the passenger is a minor or a dependent/disabled person, the form can be filled in by their tutor, who will be responsible for the veracity of the information provided. Having completed the process the QR code can be uploaded onto a mobile phone or printed out in paper format to be handed over in the airport. Until the end of July those arriving at the airport without having previously completed the form will be permitted to do so in paper format. Arrivals will also undergo a thermal imaging temperature check using non-contact thermometers or thermal imaging cameras. In the case of travel by sea, this process may be carried out before arrival at any Spanish port. If a traveller is believed to be suffering from Covid-19, a medical evaluation will be performed and if the passenger is found to be Covid-positive, then the Spanish health authorities will intervene and activate the protocols established to refer the passenger to a health center for further testing. Travel agencies, tour operators and air or sea transport companies and any other agent who sells tickets is obliged to inform passengers of the obligation to present the public health form at the airport or port of destination. By ferry (and then driving) Logically if you are driving into Spain from the UK then you will arrive by ferry or Eurotunnel. The form must be completed prior to dparture: Eurotunnel: Read the information page on the Eurotunnel site ref entering France and returnig to the UK: https://www.eurotunnel.com/uk/travelling-with-us/latest/covid-19/ English passenger locator form: https://visas-immigration.service.gov.uk/public-health-passenger-locator-form?_ga=2.18914232.125374426.1593857881-423510724.1588582258 Extra notes for passengers arriving in Spain: COVID: Please be aware that Spain still has many cases of Covid-19 and asks all visitors to respect social distancing and wear masks when requested to do so for their own safety, and for the security of local residents. MASKS: Please note that the use of masks inside buildings and in public areas where it is not possible to comply with the 1.5 metres social distancing rule is mandatory in Spain. Masks should be worn on public transport at all times. Masks must only be worn on private transport if those sharing a vehicle come from more than one household. Many areas have now imposed mandatory use of masks in ALL public spaces, including the Region of Murcia and Andalucia.Click for Please note that the use of masks inside buildings and in public areas where it is not possible to comply with the 1.5 metres social distancing rule is mandatory in Spain. Masks should be worn on public transport at all times. Masks must only be worn on private transport if those sharing a vehicle come from more than one household. Many areas have now imposed mandatory use of masks in ALL public spaces, including the Region of Murcia and Andalucia.Click for more information BARS AND RESTAURANTS: Restaurants and bars have maximum capacity rules. It is highly advisable to book in advance as space is limited in most hostelries. Masks must be worn when entering or leaving the restaurant or going to the washrooms. It is not mandatory to wear a mask when seated. BEACHES: Social distancing regulations apply on most beaches. These may vary as each local council may apply its own regulations, so some will be stricter than others. Observe social distancing of 1.5 metres between bathers (this is not necessary if you are within a family group) but your group must socially distance from other bathers. If the police or Proteccion Civil ask you to move to another position due to crowding, please do so. POLICE: Spain still respects its police force and if you are requested to move, put on a mask or socially distance, then it is highly advisable to do so as requested as there is considerably less tolerance here of those who are not observing the law and fines will be issued on the spot. Spain is a LOT stricter than the UK and the police will not tolerate arguing or aggression, certainly not in the current Covid crisis. DANCING: At the moment discos are only permitted to open for drinks and no dancing is permitted. FEELING ILL: If you feel ill and think you may be suffering from Covid when visiting Spain call 112 or the number displayed locally to your particular region. Do NOT leave the property in which you are staying once you have made the call as responders will give instructions depending on where you are. In the Region of Murcia the dedicated number is 900 12 12 12. --> ARCHIVED - King and Queen of Spain to visit Murcia Region on 7th July The royal couple will visit Murcia City and Cieza as part of a nationwide tour The King and Queen of Spain have begun a series of visits to every autonomous region of Spain to support the recovery of the country now that the Covid lockdown has been lifted, focusing on social, economic and cultural aspects as well as meeting local residents to thank people at all levels in person for their contributions during the crisis. Don Felipe and Dona Letizia will visit Murcia and Cieza on July 7th, participating in a number of institutional events as they have done in several regions of Spain already. Although the full programme has not yet been published, it has been confirmed that the royal couple will visit a peach producing farm In Cieza, La Carrichosa, to meet workers picking and packing peaches, which are in their harvest period at the moment. They will be accompanied by the President of the Autonomous Community, Fernando Lopez Miras, the Government delegate, Jose Velez, and the Mayor of Cieza, Pascual Lucas, and a host of others. Image: the King and Queen in the Balearic islands last week Casa de S.M. el Rey ARCHIVED - Spain reviewing EU list of safe countries: without reciprocation the list may be scrapped Covid confusion continues in spite of EU agreement! Hours after the EU agreed a list of 15 "safe countries" to which it will open its external borders starting on Wednesday, the Spanish Government has said that it is still reviewing how many of them will allow Spanish citizens to travel to their countries with a view to scrapping the agreement made between EU states just hours ago. The Spanish Government expects "reciprocity"and at the moment there are several countries on the list which will not admit Spanish citizens at the moment. Although the Twenty-seven adopted a unanimous decision about the list of external countries from which entry would be allowed, the pact they closed on Tuesday is nothing more than a recommendation, and is not actually binding, so each country has the right to veto the list and make its own decisions. Italy announced last night that it was not willing to accept any visitors from outside of the EU and will impose a quarantine on all of them, scrapping the agreement altogether. Greece has announced that all flights from the UK would be banned from entering the country until July 15th, expressing its concerns that case numbers in the UK were still too high. TUI, Ryanair, BA and Jet2 have all been forced to hastily cancel flights, throwing travel plans into chaos. Its clear that China will remain firmly off the Spanish list, as Beijing is not currently allowing European residents to enter. In the case of Morocco, the decision is bilateral between the two countries, as Rabat has already agreed that it will keep the Moroccan border closed until at least July 10th. The situation is the same with Algeria, which is also currently closed and other countries could also leave the list before it is published in the BOE. On Wednesday Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, affirmed during the ceremony to re-open the border between Spain and Portugal that agreements with other nations would be "based on reciprocity", in addition to the "strictly epidemiological" and not "diplomatic" criteria by which the EU has been guided to draw up its first list of 15 "safe countries". The Ministry of the Interior is reported to have not yet drafted the Ministerial Order to be published by the BOE for the reopening of external borders to take effect. In principle, it should have been this Wednesday, as agreed in Brussels, but the tight deadlines have delayed the administrative process. Government spokeswoman, Maria Jesus Montero, indicated yesterday that the reopening would be between this Thursday and this Friday. Right now the midnight option from Thursday, July 2 to Friday, July 3 appears as the most likely. What is going on with the UK green travel corridors????? In spite of the announcement last week by the British government that it would be creating travel corridors with a three tier traffic light system, UK travellers are still waiting to see which countries are involved in the agreement and if Spain is included. The UK government originally said that it would be making an announcement on June 29th about which countries would be involved in the scheme and from which holidaymakers would be permitted to return to the UK without having to quarantine for 14 days. Its now July 1st and no such announcement has been made. As a result, the Foreign Office is still advising British residents against all but essential travel, which means none of the British residents flying to Spain today are covered by their travel insurance as they are effectively ignoring the advice being given by the Foreign Office. British nationals are ONLY being allowed into Spain without quarantining because the Spanish Government was expecting a reciprocal agreement, and the British are reportedly booking holidays in Spain as though that agreement already exists in the belief that it will, so when will the travel corridor announcement be made????? On Tuesday, a garment and a junk store in Hasanganj area were attached. Lucknow: With easing of the coronavirus lockdown, the district administration here has started attaching properties of those accused of vandalising public property during protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) in December. On Tuesday, a garment and a junk store in Hasanganj area were attached. "FIRs were registered in four police stations and notices were served to 54 persons for recovery of damages. Of them, two properties in Hasanganj locality were attached on Tuesday. The process will continue," Tehsildar, Sadar, Shambhu Sharan Singh told PTI on Wednesday. Maahenoor Choudhary, who owns the junk shop, and the garment store's assistant manager Dharamveer Singh are accused of damaging properties during the anti-CAA protests. The attachments were done under the Uttar Pradesh Recovery of Damages to Public and Private property ordinance-2020 on orders passed by the additional district magistrate (Tans Gomti) Vishwa Bhushan Mishra. The protests against the CAA and the National Register of Citizens (NRC) witnessed a violence in the city on December 19. The district administration assessed loss of crores to public property in the arsoning and brick batting. The administration had sent recovery notices worth about Rs 1.55 crores to over 50 people for the damages allegedly done by them during the protests. In Khadra area, 13 protesters were identified and the loss of property was estimated at Rs 21.76 lakh, while in Parivartan Chowk, 24 people were identified and the loss was estimated at Rs 69.65 lakh. Ten people were identified in Thakurganj area and the loss was estimated around Rs 47.85 lakh. In Kaiserbagh, six protesters were identified and the loss of property was Rs 1.75 lakh. In March, the district administration displayed on hoarding here photographs and addresses of protesters, including Congress leader Sadaf Jafar, retired IPS SR Darapuri and activist Mohammad Shoaib. After the spread of coronavirus and a suggestion from the Allahabad High Court, the Lucknow administration on March 20 stopped all coercive actions such as the attachment of properties and arresting the protsetrs to recover the damages. Throughout my 26 years as a service provider, I have seen the increase of diversity in Muscatine, said Rosa Mendoza, executive director of the Diversity Service Center of Iowa and a member of LULAC. We are a community of many nations. As I saw the protests erupt around our nation on Black Lives Matter, I cant deny the fact that it really hits home. As a person of color, I have experiences discrimination and have witnessed it. As a resident of Muscatine for 43 years, I am moved by the leadership and dedication of Community Foundation of Greater Muscatine, in their commitment to address the need for racial justice, equity and inclusion. May we be of open minds and hearts as we stand together in solidarity. MTN launched its 5G network in South Africa on 30 June with 100 sites in Johannesburg, Cape Town, Bloemfontein, and Port Elizabeth. This 5G launch, MTN SA CTIO Giovanni Chiarelli said, was made possible, in part, by the recent allocation of temporary spectrum by ICASA. MTN delivers 5G connectivity using four spectrum bands 3.5 GHz (58 sites), 2,100MHz and 1,800MHz (35 sites), 700MHz (5 sites), and 28GHz (3 sites). The operator is also re-farming some of its 4G spectrum to allow it to run 4G and 5G spectrum, at the same time, in the same band. While MTNs 5G network is currently only available in a handful of suburbs, the company is planning to significantly expand its coverage in future. MTN SA CEO Godfrey Motsa said their 5G network rollout will be ramped up to more sites once government allocates permanent spectrum through the planned auction later this year. Our call to the regulator and government is to release permanent 4G and 5G spectrum as a matter of urgency, so that we can fuel the digital revolution, said Motsa. MTN 5G tested, with impressive results MTNs service is offered in two variants 5G home Wi-Fi and 5G mobile. MTN said its 5G home Wi-Fi offers average speeds of 100Mbps and peak speeds of 500Mbps, while 5G mobile offers average speeds of 50Mbps and peak speeds of 500Mbps. To test this claim, MyBroadband did drive tests in 5G coverage areas using a Huawei P40 Pro, which features the Huawei Kirin 990 5G chipset. MyBroadband also tried to test the network using LG V50 5G devices, but these phones would not connect to the MTN 5G network. This was not unexpected, as MTN is not advertising the LG V50 as a compatible device and is offering the more feature-rich LG Velvet instead. We tested the download speed, upload speed, and latency in multiple locations in Johannesburg using the MyBroadband speed test app. MyBroadbands speed test servers are hosted at NAPAfrica in Teracos vendor-neutral data centres to ensure a neutral testing environment. The results were exceptional. The average download speed was above 500Mbps while the average upload speed was 84Mbps. The average latency was 15ms. Download speeds peaked at well above 700Mbps and upload speeds peaked at over 100Mbps. Even when driving at 110km/h on the N1 highway, MyBroadband achieved download speeds of 431Mbps. The tables below provide an overview of the performance of MTNs 5G service in Gauteng in areas with good coverage and signal strength. MTN 5G Network Performance Component Performance Average Download Speed 503Mbps Maximum Download Speed 752Mbps Minimum Download Speed 233Mbps Average Upload Speed 84Mbps Maximum Upload Speed 107Mbps Minimum Upload Speed 30Mbps Average Latency 15ms Lowest Latency 12ms Highest Latency 20ms Epson Downs Shopping Centre Epsom Downs Shopping Centre Download Speed (Mbps) Upload Speed (Mbps) Latency (ms) 745.411 100.268 16 733.655 101.737 15 722.487 99.114 15 660.540 100.025 15 658.541 100.929 14 613.551 100.860 15 545.677 76.137 14 536.001 96.331 14 511.928 106.606 13 507.039 78.301 15 494.263 82.709 15 477.483 77.737 16 468.510 89.649 14 436.377 95.278 15 394.195 85.243 16 232.820 101.063 13 Nandos Bryanston Nandos Bryanston Download Speed (Mbps) Upload Speed (Mbps) Latency (ms) 549.175 99.058 15 548.196 99.538 15 510.852 63.050 13 505.547 100.455 14 468.507 100.681 15 466.020 97.070 12 451.199 100.004 15 443.349 98.794 16 419.388 80.913 16 380.837 93.037 15 379.155 83.984 15 Design Quarter Design Quarter Download Speed (Mbps) Upload Speed (Mbps) Latency (ms) 726.638 88.793 15 691.043 81.256 15 681.484 94.407 15 670.419 95.236 14 617.792 92.646 14 604.201 66.560 16 584.556 92.486 15 561.271 56.361 15 535.525 65.852 15 468.743 77.908 16 356.432 77.934 18 310.368 36.451 19 269.582 62.395 17 The Palazzo Montecasino The Palazzo Montecasino Download Speed (Mbps) Upload Speed (Mbps) Latency (ms) 618.704 104.830 15 595.925 92.666 16 583.649 64.822 18 570.778 98.707 15 549.234 104.806 16 518.828 103.099 14 512.891 100.257 12 498.188 97.289 16 474.200 67.069 16 446.369 85.375 15 402.167 38.003 20 William Nicol Drive William Nicol Drive Download Speed (Mbps) Upload Speed (Mbps) Latency (ms) 751.588 100.357 15 729.140 98.091 15 712.001 100.929 14 641.528 100.860 15 588.624 92.162 15 528.262 102.273 14 480.604 63.952 15 469.628 102.883 14 463.300 99.197 17 459.413 58.443 16 419.906 99.616 15 411.028 33.933 20 361.274 37.137 16 352.960 75.233 15 309.735 36.372 15 MTN Head Office EOH CEO Stephen van Coller is a highly respected tech and business executive who has served in various executive roles at MTN, Barclays Africa, Absa Capital, and Deutsche Bank. He is a member of the World Economic Forum, where he is involved in the Global Agenda Council (GAC) and serves on the Committee on the Future of Banking. Van Coller has one of the toughest executive jobs in South Africa he is tasked with turning around EOH which has been struggling over the past few years. EOHs latest financial results show that he is achieving what many people thought was impossible, and the subsequent share price jump is a testament to increased investor confidence in the company. In this episode of Whats Next with Aki Anastasiou, Van Coller discusses how he is adapting to the COVID-19 pandemic and the lockdown. He sheds light on the challenges of running such a large company from home, how he is turning EOH around, and what the future holds for the company. You can also learn about Stevens biggest Aha moment during the lockdown. The full interview is embedded below. You can see all Whats Next with Aki Anastasiou interviews here. Facebook Inc. Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg took the unusual step on Friday of publicly broadcasting a weekly Q&A with employees. Over a live video feed, the CEO announced a series of updates to Facebooks policies around hate speech the central topic fueling a growing boycott of Facebook advertising. But the new policies, like labeling posts from public figures who break its terms of service, didnt assuage critics. The coalition of civil rights groups organizing the boycott called the announcement a small number of small changes. Demands like adding a high-ranking executive focused on civil rights, providing face-to-face customer service for hate speech victims and removing extra protections for elected leaders were still unmet. And, though it wasnt officially included on their public list of proposed changes, the boycott organizers also have a more fundamental complaint: Zuckerberg has too much control. Mark Zuckerberg has way too much power for a company of this size and reach, said Arisha Hatch, vice president and chief of campaigns at Color of Change, one of the boycotts organizers. He is the one that is blocking progress in this moment. Zuckerberg, who famously co-founded Facebook as a student before dropping out of Harvard University, has always been the most important person at the company, partly thanks to his out-sized control of its board. Recently, he has consolidated even more power. Since 2018 the founders of Facebooks other properties, like Instagram and WhatsApp, have left the company, giving Zuckerberg more say over its product empire. And a number of board members including former Gates Foundation CEO Susan Desmond-Hellmann and former American Express Co. CEO Kenneth Chenault departed in the past two years, many of them over frustrations with Facebooks corporate governance, according to the Wall Street Journal. For some, the lack of dissenting voices within and around Facebook is worrying. This behemoth of a company, thats operating more as a public utility, must be more accountable, said NAACP CEO and boycott organizer Derrick Johnson. Zuckerberg is not the only important executive at the company. He has long relied on Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg to run Facebooks business and policy divisions, and he has a number of top executives who advise him. But unlike Twitter Inc., which goes out of its way to say that CEO Jack Dorsey does not make content decisions, Zuckerberg is clearly the final say on all things Facebook. The way decisions escalate in Facebook are very much what youd expect in any complex organization where there was a hierarchy, Nick Clegg, the companys vice president for global affairs and communications, told reporters earlier this month. For the most difficult decisions, theres one ultimate decision maker, our CEO and Chair and Founder, Mark Zuckerberg. As Facebooks advertising boycott has grown to include household names like Starbucks Corp., Coca-Cola Co. and Unilever, the social network has fought back with an information campaign intended to demonstrate how much the company already does to fight hate online. Facebook has repeated a series of statistics in interviews and in emails to advertising partners, including that the company detects 90% of the hate speech it removes from the platform before any user even flags it. The company has also been touting a voting information campaign announced earlier this month with the goal of registering 4 million new U.S. voters before the 2020 presidential election. On Friday, Facebook said it would arrange a third-party audit of its quarterly report detailing how much content it takes down for rules violations. But so far, the piecemeal changes have done little to placate the companys critics. Its unclear what the perfect solution is, said Mark Shmulik, an analyst at Bernstein Securities. Theres no kind of silver bullet here to fix it its a very broad, ambiguous problem. On the larger issues, Facebook has shown little sign of relenting. Diminishing Zuckerbergs control over the company is almost entirely out of the question. Repeated shareholder proposals to change Facebooks voting structure or replace Zuckerberg as chairman have failed to clear the companys board because Zuckerberg himself has voted against them the CEO has almost 60% of the vote thanks to a special class of shares unavailable to public investors. The arrangement has raised the question of who, specifically, Zuckerberg is accountable to. This is where you have a runaway train, the NAACPs Johnson said on Monday on Bloomberg Television. And that runaway train is causing harm to the public and its causing harm to our democracy. The group calling for a Facebook boycott has several demands around removing hateful content that could prove difficult for the company to adhere to. Facebook said its already doing the best it can to find and remove posts promoting hate. In an interview on Bloomberg Television Monday, Clegg said Facebook does not profit off hate speech, and that it had an industry-leading record when it came to dealing with issues related to the dark side of the internet. But Clegg added: I dont want to pretend this is an easy straightforward task, that there is a switch we can flick and all hate speech suddenly disappears. Hate has always been a problem for open platforms, in part because its difficult to define. In some cases, a post that clearly appears to be a rules violation to some people, is considered allowable by others. This dynamic played out late last month after a series of posts from President Trump struck many as a clear threat of violence. However, Zuckerberg said the posts were not actually a violation of Facebooks policies. The posts remained up and untouched, even though Twitter flagged the same language. At Color of Change, Hatch understands that the social network, with more than 2 billion monthly users, probably cannot remove hate speech entirely, but she believes Facebook can do more within its current structure. Certainly when things are flagged they need to be removed, and certainly when things are coming from the current president or an elected official, it needs to be removed, Hatch said. Even though the boycott has trimmed billions off Facebooks market capitalization, its not clear how much influence advertisers will have over the companys processes. Some of the participating companies are heavy spenders, including Starbucks and Unilever, who together spent more than $30 million on Facebook ads during the first six months of the year, according to Pathmatics, a digital marketing analytics company. However, thats a small amount compared with the almost $35 billion in sales Facebook is projected to report for the same six-month period. The vast majority of the companys advertisers are small businesses, not name-brand marketers. Smaller companies rely on Facebooks direct response ads, which drive specific outcomes like a website visit or an app install. Facebooks top 100 advertisers accounted for roughly $4.2 billion in sales revenue last year, Pathmatics estimates, or just 6% of all Facebook revenue. So far, only a handful of the companys 100 top-spending advertisers from 2019 are pulling money from Facebook ads. As important as these advertisers are to Facebook, it would likely take a far broader advertising boycott over a longer period of time to materially impact Facebooks ad revenue, Stifel Nicolaus & Co. analysts wrote Monday in a note to investors. Facebook stock ended the day Monday up 2.1% despite the new additions to the ad holdout. Facebook will have more opportunities to try to alleviate concern this week in a series of meetings, including a round table discussion with advertisers and Facebook executives on Tuesday. Color of Change would also like to meet with Facebook this week but the group is holding out unless Zuckerberg also attends, a spokesperson said. Its possible that the boycott, which is formally running through July, could extend further depending on how Facebook responds, Hatch said. Its definitely a live, dynamic campaign, she said. Were hopeful we wont have to make any further adjustments or asks. But thats up to Facebook really. Health Minister Zweli Mkhize has issued a statement detailing the countrys data on the spread and danger of COVID-19 to the local populace. South Africa currently has 151,209 recorded cases of COVID-19, with a total of 2,657 deaths and 73,543 recoveries to date. The world has experienced six months of COVID-19, and in our case, we are beginning the fourth month, Mkhize said. Clinical and epidemiological knowledge around this disease has developed at an unprecedented rate and a vaccine has already ascended to human trial phase. This is how determined we are, collectively, to beat this virus and minimise its impact on us as humanity, he said. In his statement, Mkhize cited data published by the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) which tracked 10,700 COVID-19 hospital admissions across the country from 5 March to 21 June 2020. This data details which South Africans are more vulnerable to severe COVID-19 cases, as well as the comorbidities which are present in a significant number of recorded deaths locally. The key findings of the NICDs report included the identification of the following risk factors for in-hospital mortality among South Africans: Older age groups Hypertension Chronic cardiac disease Chronic renal disease Malignancy HIV Obesity The data found that of the 7,324 COVID-19 patients who had recorded in-hospital outcomes (died or discharged), 1,515 died, which equates to an in-hospital case fatality ratio of 21%. Hypertension was a significantly common comorbidity among patients who were hospitalised due to COVID-19, with 59% of the 5,836 patients with comorbid conditions presenting with hypertension. 48% of these patients had diabetes, 19% had HIV, and 14% had either an active case or a history of tuberculosis. Obesity, while not consistently recorded for all reported COVID-19 admissions, was noted by clinicians as a risk factor in 297 (3%) patients. Of the 10,700 admissions, 3,260 (31%) patients were in hospital at the time of the report, 5,925 (55%) patients were discharged alive or transferred out, and 1,515 (14%) patients had died. Symptoms and complications Mkhize noted that there is still uncertainty over how long the virus may be able to transmit from infected people, as well as how long it may survive on surfaces. He said that presentations of COVID-19 have ranged from asymptomatic to severe illness and death in South Africa, with symptoms developing between two days and two weeks after exposure to the virus. These symptoms can include the following: Fever Cough Sore throat Loss of taste and smell Nasal congestion Conjunctivitis Nausea Vomiting Diarrhoea He added that the virus can progress to cause lower respiratory tract infection, resulting in pneumonia and its complications. One serious complication of COVID-19 is Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS), where the patients lungs become stiff and difficult to ventilate. It is for this reason that ARDS is associated with a high mortality rate, Mkhize said. Added to this, some reports from Italy seem to suggest there is an atypical form of ARDS in patients with COVID-19, leading to much higher oxygen requirements. He added that the use of dexamethasone for the treatment of severely ill patients and the avoidance of invasive ventilation strategies have aided the recovery of severely ill patients. We soon expect the Ministerial Advisory Committee on COVID-19 to issue advisories on the use of high flow oxygen for patients who are very ill but can be managed without intubation and ventilation, Mkhize said. An American implicit cultural assumption is that we can solve any problem and do so in a brief period of time. While this can do spirit has produced remarkable achievements, it often leads to what has been called The American Issue Attention Span. Politicians, the public, and the media suddenly notice a complex problem that actually has long existed, such as racism. Simplistic solutions are proposed and applied, yet the problem fails to magically disappear. Frustration, anger, and boredom follow, and attention turns away from the issue until it re-emerges again. The cycle then repeats. Simply put, as we age, were disappointed that we wont get to see how the story ends. As I watch diverse young Saint Helenans leading and joining recent protests against racism, Dr. Kings hopeful observation comes to mind, The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice. It takes courage for a nation to hear the painful stories of those who have differing perspectives on their American Experiences. One of the most difficult aspects of this listening is that white people, in particular, can feel they are being judged guilty of having a character defect. Gaining encouragement from his family and friends as well as former governors Jerry Brown and Arnold Schwarzenegger, Chiodo continued on, gaining support and overseeing the final installment of the monument in May 2013. Today, thousands of visitors, including busloads of schoolchildren come to the monument to remember and be inspired. Rudy Bridges sees the monument as being more important than ever. New Orleans was going to tear down the William Frantz Elementary School after it had become damaged in Hurricane Katrina in 2005, but the Ruby Bridges Foundation was able to save the school that I had integrated by putting it on the National Register of Historic Places, Bridges said. The foundation commissioned the statue of just the little girl from Marios amazing piece and placed her at the school so that everyone who is moved by this story can actually see that a child, especially a child of color, can help to change the face of education in our country. Today, the Ruby Bridges statue stands at the William Frantz Elementary School in New Orleans as a reminder of the power of courageous acts. And although the school has recently had fencing placed around it with an opaque wrap to discourage shootings, inside the walls stands a little girls statue holding a book in quiet defiance of violence and hatred. Marios work is more important now than probably any time in our history, Bridges said. We need to remember that no one is born with hatred in their hearts, but that it is learned. My work is with children, and the Remember Them monument provides a teachable moment, an opportunity to inspire, build curiosity and ask why are these people on this monument? The answer is that its about humanity, that regular, ordinary people at any age and from any walk of life can take a stand and do the right thing. Thackeray and his wife performed the 'mahapooja' wearing face masks. Pune: Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Wednesday performed the 'mahapooja' of Lord Vitthal at Pandharpur on Ashadhi Ekadashi and said he prayed for a miracle to overcome the coronavirus crisis. Ashadhi Ekadashi, an important day in the Hindu calendar, is the 11th lunar day of Ashadha month. "I prayed to Mauli. We want to see a miracle. Show us a miracle. Human beings have given up. We don't have medicine. There is nothing. How to go on with life by covering the mouth with a strip," Thackeray tweeted after the 'mahapooja' at 2 am along with wife Rashmi. Lakhs of warkaris (devotees of Lord Vitthal) from across Maharashtra and several other states throng the temple town in Solapur district each year on Ashadhi Ekadashi. There were only a handful on Wednesday after the state authorities cancelled the annual 'wari' pilgrimage - characterised by people walking to Pandharpur with palanquins - due to spiraling coronavirus cases. Maharashtra's coronavirus case tally rose to 1,74,761 on Tuesday with addition of 4,878 new patients while the death toll mounted by 245, including 57 fatalities in Mumbai, to 7,855, state health department said. Thackeray and his wife performed the 'mahapooja' wearing face masks. Speaking after the 'mahapooja', Thackeray said he prayed to Lord Vitthal to make the country coronavirus-free. His son and state minister Aaditya Thackeray was also present at the 'mahapooja'. During the ritual, Aaditya apparently felt uneasy and returned to his car parked outside the temple for some time. 'Warkari' couple Vitthal Badhe and Anusuya Badhe, from Chinchpur-Pangul village in Pathardi taluka of Ahmednagar district, performed the mahapooja along with the Thackerays. Curfew is in force in Pandharpur since Tuesday to prevent any gathering of people in the temple town, located around 350 km from Mumbai. As the 'wari' processions were cancelled, 'padukas' (holy footprints) of saint-poets Dnyaneshwar, Tukaram and were brought to Pandharpur from Pune and Nashik in state transport buses. The chief minister said he prayed for welfare of farmers and fulfillment of dreams and aspirations of people in the state. He also handed over a cheque of Rs 5 crore to the Pandharpur Municipal Council and thanked the warkaris for cooperating with the government. Thackeray said his government will take steps to develop Pandharpur. He said devotees should offer prayers at home on Ashadhi Ekadashi instead of thronging the town. Thackeray is an avid photographer. In 2011, his book 'Pahava Vitthal' containing aerial photography of the annual Pandharpur wari, earned him praise from various quarters. In March, when there were fewer cases of COVID-19 in Maharashtra, the chief minister had asked people to avoid going to crowded places and limiting Holi celebrations, adding, "I pray the coronavirus gets burnt in the Holi fire." The Napa County Farm Bureau will oppose the split tax roll initiative, an item on Californias November ballot, the organization announced in a news release. The split roll initiative known also as Schools and Communities First qualified for the November ballot at the end of May, and would revise portions of Proposition 13, Californias landmark property tax bill. Proposition 13 has afforded homes, businesses and farms protection against spiking property taxes since its passage in 1978; property tax cannot exceed 1% of sale price, and cannot increase more than 2% each year so long as the property remains under the same ownership. The split roll initiative proposes revising the way the value of some properties are assessed, including commercial properties with an assessed value more than $3 million, underdeveloped commercial-zoned space as well as fixtures and improvements to agricultural properties. Value would be reassessed every three years; additional tax revenue would go to schools as well as local and state governments. While city officials dont have hard numbers, Wright said that before the pandemic, we would estimate around 500 people per day would visit the Wetlands, and the Wetlands linear path. Given the fullness, and oftentimes overflowing parking lot, I think we can assume that that number is likely doubled, at least. And while its mostly city residents enjoying the area, the Wetlands have become something of a regional draw in recent months, he said. Again, due to the pandemic, many people from the nearby surrounding communities are hearing about its majesty and visiting, some have even made it their regular walking location, partially contributing to the fuller than normal parking lot, Wright said. Eventually, with the build-out of the Clarke Ranch site, adjacent to the trailhead parking lot, we hope to increase the draw, making it a true regional destination with several different environmentally oriented experiences. We have received a grant to implement a small first bit of improvements. Those can be expected in the next two years. Rep. Mike Thompson, D-St. Helena, who helped bring the project to fruition, reflected on the 10-year anniversary. Most observers writing about President Donald Trumps weak reelection standing note that George H.W. Bush was in a deeper hole yet managed to crawl out to win comfortably in 1988. They make the point that November is still months away, and things can change. But the 1988 case isnt useful today in helping us understand where the 2020 presidential contest is now. Democrat Michael Dukakis led Bush by 17 points, 55 percent to 38 percent, in a Gallup poll conducted July 21-22. But that survey was taken on the last day of the Democratic National Convention and the day after, while Dukakis was receiving an artificial bump. The previous Gallup survey, conducted July 8-10 (before the convention), found Dukakis leading by only 6 points, 47 percent to 41 percent. Clearly, the 17-point margin was misleading because it reflected Dukakis convention bounce, not the fundamental shape of the race. Trump is the Democrats' ace in the hole for November The 2020 contest is primarily a referendum on the president, columnist Stuart Rothenberg says, and that is a disaster for Trump. Equally important, the 1988 electorate was dramatically different from the 2020 one. We are more polarized now, with fewer swing voters and fewer people willing to change their opinions about the parties and nominees. A Los Angeles Times piece published a week after the Aug. 15-18 Republican National Convention in 1988 noted that Gallups polling found a dramatic change in Bushs like and dislike numbers and in Dukakis dislike numbers. The article quoted veteran California pollster Mervin Field as saying, I have never seen anything like this, this kind of swing in favorability ratings, ever since I have seen polls, going back to 1936. The beneficiary was Bush. Can you imagine the same thing happening now, with large chunks of the electorate changing their opinions about Trump? The correct answer is no. Lessons for today from the fight over Prohibition It's hard not to see the obvious parallels with today's political situation after only a few moments watching Ken Burns and Lynn Novick's terrific 2011 documentary "Prohibition," columnist Stuart Rothenberg says. I wont go into detail about how the electorate has changed since 1988 or how different the map is. But white voters constituted 85 percent of the electorate then (according to a CBS News/New York Times exit poll), compared to 71 percent in 2016. And Bush, the Republican, carried California and Illinois but not West Virginia. And, of course, neither Dukakis nor Bush was a sitting president, a prodigious difference from this years contest. Current national polls have shown the president trailing Democratic challenger Joe Biden by a wide, often doubt-digit, margin. Biden has generally hovered around or above the 50 percent mark in ballot tests, while Trump has usually been anywhere from the upper 30s to the low 40s. Recent New York Times/Siena College polls showed Trump sinking in key battleground states. Bidens lead was in the double digits in key Midwest states, but he was also leading in other states that Democrats rarely carry in presidential contests. Fox News polls confirmed the trend, with more and more red (Republican) states in play for the fall. Why do so many people believe Trump will win? Even with the Democrats' problems, polling doesn't offer many reasons to believe that Trump will win a second term -- or that his electoral fate is sealed. Together, the state polls seem to validate national polling. Biden is overperforming in Republican states, as well as nationally. But cant this be a mere bubble, coming right after George Floyds death, national protests and another round of COVID-19 reports? Couldnt the polls be exaggerating Bidens leads? Sure. Recent polling could be showing Trump at his low-water mark. Defecting Republicans could return to the fold (some almost certainly will), and Biden certainly could probably will stumble, allowing Trump to narrow the race, both nationally and in key states. But that doesnt change the fundamental positioning of the contest. Biden has a clear advantage both nationally and in key states. Commentary: Is a Democratic wave building for 2020? While the 2020 election is still more than a year off, Republicans ought to be concerned about some early signs, both at the national and state levels. The burden is now on Trump to change the trajectory of the race, probably by demonizing Biden, who is well known after decades in politics and widely regarded as a decent and empathetic man. The president must pray he can once again squeeze out an Electoral College victory while losing the popular vote by a larger margin than in 2016. Its difficult to imagine Trump improving his own image after alienating so many voters with his overall style and agenda during his first four years in office. He has shown little interest in redefining himself or in talking with swing voters. Where does he go to talk to the American people? To a rally in Tulsa. To a Students for Trump event in Phoenix. And to a Fox News interview with Sean Hannity, with only enthusiastic supporters in attendance. Moreover, Trump repeats the same arguments ad nauseam, numbing viewers who have heard the language and reasoning before. Thats one problem with him tweeting and appearing so often in the news. He relies on slogans, rarely introducing a new idea. If he hasnt convinced a voter of his correctness on an issue after 1,000 tweets, tweet No. 1,001 isnt likely to be more effective. In addition, while Trump supporters call Biden a gaffe machine, the president has the same problem. He isnt very agile with language and doesnt show knowledge or intelligence. Disinfecting lungs? Good people on both sides? So its hard to believe he will suddenly become articulate in the campaigns final four months. Imagine the amount of video footage and the number of tweets the Biden campaign has available to keep Trump on the defensive and paint his presidency as a failure. His incumbency makes him a much weaker candidate now than he was in 2016. He was on the offense then but will be on the defense this year. Given all these problems, the president cant be viewed as anything other than an overwhelming underdog for reelection. Yes, something could disrupt the contest and change everything. But until then, the race is what it is. Commentary: Donald Trump's toughest adversary is Donald Trump Trump has turned what could have been a challenging midterm election environment into a potentially disastrous one. In January 2019, I wrote that the presidential contest deserved to be rated as a toss-up/tilting to the Democrats. In March of this year, I changed that to leaning toward Biden. With just four months to go, Trump is not likely to change his language or messaging. Americans are talking about health care, social justice and the economy, while the president complains about the media and Barack Obama, tweets about law and order, vows to protect statues, and generally looks out of touch, inept and petty. Trumps current reelection positioning is a disaster. While the race could well tighten, he needs a dramatic change in its trajectory. For now, move this race from leaning Biden to likely Biden. But keep watching. Strange things happen these days. Stuart Rothenberg is a political analyst and columnist for CQ-Roll Call. We find ourselves awash in a confluence of serious issues unlike anything I have seen in my long life, precisely at a time when we have suffered an administration that denies reality, calls science a hoax, and thrives on fantasies that support their infantile vision of what life should be like, for themselves, not for the teeming masses of their own species that they were "elected" to serve. And not for the millions of flora and fauna that are the basis of the ecosystems that we humans depend upon. The fauna are called "game" in the First World, targets for those with low self-esteem who believe a dead animal somehow raises their testosterone to acceptable levels. Millions of Americans and billions globally, are in denial about global warming despite the overwhelming scientific (bad word?) evidence that it is not only real, but may be beyond correction, and likely to make Homo rapiens (yes rapiens, sapiens means wise) extinct by the year 2100. Meanwhile, our politicians, financial and industrial elites continue to degrade our planet for profits now and don't care about a life for humans after they and their children are gone. Bayramov: Azerbaijan complains about non-fulfillment of points of trilateral statements on Karabakh Azerbaijan FM believes that Armenia authorities will draw right conclusion Pompeo: US should not negotiate with Iran's newly elected President Azerbaijan blackmails, threatens Armenia under guise of cooperation proposal Member of Armenia delegation to PACE: Azerbaijan delegation head said 50% of minefield maps given are fake Armenia freedom fighter is detained, declares hunger strike 9 children killed in accident during storm in US Swedish parliament passes vote of no confidence in PM's country Kremlin is following Armenia post-election situation Artsakh emergency service: Armenian, Azerbaijani sides exchanged bodies from time to time Azerbaijan Prosecutor General's Office accuses Armenia of deliberate deforestation in Lachin 13 Armenian captives trial starts in Azerbaijan What will happen if Armenia opposition forces do not accept their parliamentary seats? Armenia Central Electoral Commission approves preliminary results of snap parliamentary elections US won't issue threats or ultimatums to China in connection with investigation of pandemic causes CIS, CSTO observers find no considerable irregularities in Armenia snap parliamentary election voting Armenia acting PM visits Yerevan military pantheon Heiko Maas considers new EU sanctions against Belarus inevitable 26 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia Armenia acting premier: Civil Contract Party will have constitutional majority in new parliament Reduction of US military assets in Saudi Arabia will not affect its defenses Armenia new National Assembly to have 107 MPs Borrell says mistrust is at core of political crisis in Lebanon Counting of ballots over in Armenia snap parliamentary elections Counting of ballots coming to an end in Armenia snap parliamentary elections Armenia Central Electoral Commission counts 86.4% of ballots Armenia Central Electoral Commission counts 80% of ballots Armenia Central Electoral Commission counts two thirds of ballots Armenia Central Electoral Commission counts 40% of ballots Acting PM thanks people of Armenia Armenia parliament vice-chair on Erdogan's "platform of six" proposal: We will answer later 33.49% of ballots counted: Pashinyans bloc leads Almost 27% of ballots counted by Armenia Central Electoral Commission (PHOTO) "Armenia" bloc: Snap parliamentary election results being published do not inspire confidence 19,95% of ballots counted by Armenia Central Electoral Commission (PHOTO) Artsakh President comes out of Armenia ruling party headquarters 2.54% of ballots counted by Armenia Central Electoral Commission (PHOTO) Armenia Central Electoral Commission announces most preliminary results of snap parliamentary elections Armenia's Citizen's Decision Party member not allowed to enter precinct, apprehended a little while ago "I Have Honor" bloc: Armenia National Security Service searches mayor's apartment, 2 MP candidates abducted Results of electronic voting: Civil Contract Party: 163, "Armenia" bloc: 135, Armenian National Congress: 43 Electric Networks of Armenia: Power outages during vote counts were systematic Citizen who disseminated anti-propaganda leaflets against "Armenia" bloc shows up at police station Mediaport: Power is out in Armenia's Gyumri, Vanadzor, Artik, Aparan, Dilijan and Armavir city Armenian News-NEWS.am providing live coverage at polling station #9/48 in Yerevan district (VIDEO) Armenian News-NEWS.am providing live coverage at polling station #9/49 in Yerevan district (VIDEO) Tense situation at polling station #9/21 in Armenia, red beret police officers called to location Armenian News-NEWS.am providing live coverage at polling station #14/13 in Etchmiadzin (VIDEO) Power goes out before vote count at polling station #25/58 in Armenia's Odzun Russian Ambassador Anatoly Antonov returns to US Armenia Police receive 87 alarms via hotline as of 8:30 pm Armenia snap parliamentary elections voter turnout 49.4%, 51.55% voter turnout in Yerevan Armenia Ombudsman's statement on taking photos of ballots speculated Armenia Civil Contract Party member obstructing work of opposition party proxy at polling station Armenia advocate: National Security Service decided to conduct search in office and apartment of Masis mayor Armenian News-NEWS.am providing live coverage at polling station #2/46 in Yerevan district (VIDEO) Netanyahu and his family to leave PM residence no later than July 10 Armenian News-NEWS.am providing live coverage at polling station #31/02 in Gyumri Armenian News-NEWS.am providing live coverage at polling station #8/04 in Yerevan district (VIDEO) Gabrielyanov: Russian institutions' exit poll results of Armenia snap parliamentary elections announced Armenian News-NEWS.am providing live coverage at polling station #17/03 in Armenia's Ashtarak (VIDEO) Catholicos of All Armenians sends congratulatory message to Iran's President-elect Armenia snap parliamentary elections are over hetq.am: Ballot box at polling station in Armenia's Gavar not sealed "I Have Honor" bloc's member: My father exited Special Investigation Service, will vote in Armenia elections Police detect case of electoral fraud in Armenian town China has 1 billion COVID-19 vaccinations Artak Tovmasyan visits military pantheon, goes to cast vote in Armenia snap parliamentary elections Armenia Ombudsman talks to democrats bloc's candidate for PM Arman Babajanyan after gunshot fired at car Armenian attorney: "I Have Honor" bloc's supporters released big brother: Red beret police officers brutally beat members of "Armenia" bloc's headquarters Armenia Police: Drunk man fires gunshots into air from apartment in Yerevan Armenia Police find data on 2,287 deceased persons, remove them from voters' lists Armenia "I Have Honor" bloc: Ballots for numbers 1-8 were missing in package for mobile voting at hospital Head of Yerevan district enters polling stations, addresses ruling party's proxies, records drawn up Armenia citizens distribute electoral bribes in village, 2 persons detained Voter turnout in Armenia snap parliamentary elections is 38.17% 3 hours before end of vote Armenia police apprehend producer Armen Grigoryan Criminal case opened into shooting at Armenia lawmaker, MP candidate's car Armenia Police receive 57 reports, process 20 of them as of 4pm Incident takes place between Armenia acting Deputy PM and citizens Lawyer on criminal case against Armenia bloc MP candidate: That recording is equal to anonymous report "I Have Honor" bloc issues statement on unlawful searches and detention during Armenia snap parliamentary elections Physician, Armenia bloc MP candidate: Criminal case brought against me contains no material in it RIA Novosti's survey shows 32% voters ready to vote for "Armenia"bloc, 24% ready to vote for Nikol Pashinyan Armenia Ombudsman: Photographing and disseminating used ballot are prohibited by law Armenia "5165" Movement Party's leader participates in snap parliamentary elections Armenia opposition bloc member Taron Margaryan comes to polling station with sons, votes for national security Armenia President's Office comments on report of car with its license plates parked outside polling station Zalkaliani: Tbilisi ready to work within Georgia-Azerbaijan-Armenia format Catholicos of All Armenians: May God increase good days in our peoples life Armenia snap parliamentary election voter turnout 26.82% as of 2pm Armenia MFA statement on World Refugee Day: Unprecedented humanitarian situation has unfolded Armenia MOD: Allegations of instructing soldiers during election are assumptions of authors of those videos Voting stopped for a while at polling station in Armenia's Sotk Opposition Sovereign Armenia Party's MP candidate apprehended Armenia First President casts his ballot Armenia ex-President Sargsyan: Our most important task is to unite a divided society Iran, Turkey, Afghanistan FMs speak about active participation of 3 countries in peace process Israel doesn't rule out resumption of hostilities with Hamas Most of the seats identified by the JMM are located on the Bihar-Jharkhand border. Patna: With Assembly elections just months away, political parties have started taking measures to strengthen their organizational structure in Bihar. JMM, which is heading the government in Jharkhand, on Wednesday said that the party has been working hard to strengthen its voter base in at least 12 constituencies in Bihar, which are considered a tribal stronghold. Most of the seats identified by the JMM are located on the Bihar-Jharkhand border. The 12 seats identified by the JMM include Tarapur, Katoria, Manihari, Jhajha, Banka, Thakurganj, Rupouli, Rampur, Banmankhi, Jamalpur, Pirpainti and Chakai. We have identified at least 12 seats in Bihar where JMM can help grand alliance put up a strong fight against the NDA during the assembly elections, JMM Bihar in charge Pranav Kumar told this newspaper. Sources aware of the development said that JMM top leadership, including Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren, has also discussed the issue with RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav but nothing has been finalized yet. JMM leaders are of the view that the Hemant model of development and his perception would give an advantage to the grand alliance against the NDA during the upcoming Bihar polls. The party has decided to contest Bihar polls this year. Leaders are in touch with RJD for the allotment of seats but if talk fails the party may take decisions to field candidates on its own, JMM insiders said. Reports suggest that Hemant Soren is likely to chair a crucial meeting in Ranchi to discuss the scenario and may take a final decision on the seat-sharing issue. Earlier this week, while talking to reporters in Ranchi on the issue, party general secretary Supriyo Bhattacharya said that the RJD was inducted in the Hemant Soren cabinet despite winning only one seat during the Jharkhand assembly polls last year. During the Jharkhand Assembly polls in 2019, JMM, Congress and RJD had contested as part of the Mahagathbandhan. The RJD was allotted seven out of 81 seats in Jharkhand. Assembly elections in Bihar for 243 seats are to be held in October- November this year. The President of the Republic considers the increase of the property tax premature, noting that he has no authority to send the law back to the parliament and had to sign it today. Mane Tandilyan, a member of the opposition Bright Armenia faction of the National Assembly, on Tuesday wrote about this on her Facebook page. "The president is not sincere, at least, in his reasoning, since if he signed only one day later, the law would not come into force as January 1, 2021, which was the reason for the government's tax increase, once again at a special session [of parliament]. By the way, the same process took place last year, when the law envisioning raising taxes was signed by the president even from Switzerland. P.S.: It seems that even the president does not save the halls of power, as the law has not been published in the official bulletin yet, so the law, which will be published already in July, cannot come into force as of January 1, 2021, she added. Nandita Das, a well-known young filmmaker and actress, says even a superficial name change is a step in the right direction Presumably, the company hopes to reduce the fixation with colour by dropping the fair from its product descriptions Britains Black Lives Matter militants touched a sensitive spot in the Indian psyche just as Hindustan Lever, Unilevers local subsidiary, also drew attention to it by banishing the words fairness, whitening and lightening from its brand descriptions. Whether or not Mahatma Gandhi was racist, as the BLM claims, there is no doubt that Indians are prejudiced against dark skins. The word for caste being varna (colour), Hindus have been charged with nursing the worlds oldest system of what became notorious in South Africa as apartheid. Britains colour bar -- a term that is never heard nowadays -- was a relatively simple matter of preference in jobs or housing. Colour is far more complex in India for the concept of beauty, involving a light skin, also enshrines questions of caste, class and identity. So, Hindustan Levers Fair & Lovely cream proved immensely popular because the brand went beyond looks also to sell a dream. The description spread hope. It promised acceptance and advancement to all those who had been disadvantaged by the lottery of birth. Presumably, the company hopes to reduce the fixation with colour by dropping the fair from its product descriptions. Johnson & Johnsons decision to no longer manufacture skin whitening products may also be impelled by the same revolutionary hope. Nandita Das, a well-known young filmmaker and actress, says even a superficial name change is a step in the right direction. At the very least, it will lead to an even wider debate about colour bias. If nothing else, such commercial decisions may help to reduce personal anguish somewhat. A British journalist covering the first Afro-Asian conference at Bandung in 1954 described how her African roommate would get up surreptitiously in the dead of night and creep into the bathroom secretly to use a device to straighten her crinkly hair. That was before the defiance of Black is Beautiful took the world by storm. In those days, a leading Hollywood filmstar of mixed descent was suspected of being killed by mercury poisoning from the skin lightener she habitually used. Ms Das mentions a Chennai-based organisations Dark is Beautiful campaign but the notion has yet to catch on. Matrimonial advertisements still emphasise wheat-complexioned brides. Some trace colour consciousness to the tenacity with which many Indians cling to the theory of Aryan descent. It came to a head when Bhagat Singh Thind, a Sikh who entered the United States in 1913 and served with the American forces in the First World War, made history by petitioning for citizenship on the grounds that he was a descendant of the Aryans of India, belonging to the Caucasian race (and, therefore) white... The American courts held that Aryan he might be, but white he was not in the Western sense of the term. Nevertheless, it is a deeply held although not explicitly articulated belief that the Hindu upper castes -- the dwija, or twice-born -- are descended from Aryans and therefore white. The unstated corollary is that the Aryan influx pushed Indias earlier (darker?) inhabitants south. Little did Jawaharlal Nehru realise in the first flush of Independence when, inspired by the vision of Afro-Asian solidarity, he reached out to African students with academic invitations that not all his constituents shared his enlightened idealism. Given the power of folk traditions in a semi-literate society, it was hardly surprising that the experience of African students who accepted Nehrus well-meant invitation led to India being pilloried at the United Nations for racism. The complaint then was that Africans were jeered at in the streets of Mumbai as Hubshee, a derogatory term for blacks. It has become much worse since 2014, especially in Delhi, because Hinduisms political revivalism since then encourages people to redefine their concept of Indianness. Differences of colour, hair, features, food and religion are all pounced upon to spot and persecute the alleged outsiders. Tanzanian students, Kenyan businessmen, Muslim peasants and Khasi, Naga, Mizo and other ethnic Mongolian workers from the northeastern states are repeatedly subjected to physical violence in the streets of northern India. Circumstances make Indias more than 200 million dalits among the worst victims of the fixation with light-coloured skin. Gandhis well-meant term for them, Harijan, or children of god, has now been rejected as insulting. Being a child of his time, Gandhi was not always politically correct according to the yardstick of later generations of radicals. According to his biographer, Joseph Lelyveld, it took Mahatma Gandhi 15 years to realise that calling Africans kaffir was like calling Indians coolies. The vandal who daubed racist on the Gandhi statue in London during the George Floyd protests, the 5,000 signatories to the petition to remove his statue in Leicester and last years Manchester condemnation of his allegedly well-documented racism may have been influenced by selective readings of his comments. What matters more is that the Unilever and Johnson & Johnson decisions confirm that Indians remain acutely colour conscious. Those who believe this is a permanent state of mind cite Goras predicament in Rabindranath Tagores eponymous novel. Of Caucasian parentage without knowing it since he was brought up by Indian foster parents, Gora says at the end of the novel, when he has found peace: Today I have become an Indian Bharatvarshia. In me there is no hostility towards any community, Hindu, Muslim or Christian. Today, I belong to every community of this Bharatvarsha, I accept everybodys food as mine. That eloquent defence of his own as well as Indias universalism can, however, be faulted. Critics say that Tagores hero could afford to take a benign view of the Indian universe only because his own looks, derived from Irish parents, which gave him his nickname (Gora means white), also guaranteed him a privileged position in caste, class and colour conscious India. Speaker of the National Assembly of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan has congratulated prosecutors and employees of the Prosecutor's Office on the occasion of the Day of the Worker of the Prosecutor's Office with a congratulatory message that reads as follows: Dear prosecutors and employees of the Prosecutor's Office, I congratulate you on your professional holiday. In our days the Prosecutors Office, as other spheres of state service, is continuously transformed in order to serve the interests of citizens and the state, legality in the Republic of Armenia and their mission to ensure rule of law. Today, you work with great tension for recovering the damages caused to our state as a result of crimes and for giving legal evaluations of various crimes. I would like to record that your service is in the focus and under the guidance of the highest officials of the state. I especially consider important the ongoing and very serious preparations within the system of the Prosecutors Office for enforcement of the law on civil forfeiture of illegal assets without accusatory verdict, in terms of structure. I am sure that there will be more public confidence in and support to the Prosecutor's Office through your dedicated and unwavering efforts. I wish courage and more successes in your honorable work. The incumbent authorities of Armenia cant surprise me anymore. I wont even be surprised, if Speaker of the National Assembly Ararat Mirzoyan signs the amendments to the Law on the Constitutional Court instead of the President. This is what deputy of the Prosperous Armenia Party Naira Zohrabyan told Armenian News-NEWS.am, touching upon the fact that four deputies of the My Step faction have made a proposal to provide deputies absent from parliamentary sessions due to illness with the opportunity to inform about their vote in writing, just like parliamentarians currently do, if they are on business trips. According to Zohrabyan, it would be hard to refer to all that is happening in the country as democratic processes since the incumbent authorities are doing whatever they want with the Constitution and throwing it in the dirt. The MP is certain that the recent actions of the authorities have directly or indirectly led to violation of the requirements of the existing Constitution and can be criminally prosecuted in full. When asked if she means that the authorities are, in essence, trying to advance and approve their agenda in any way, the deputy said the following: They are doing just that. They keep saying the people elected them two years ago and that their government is legitimate, but they forget to say that they werent elected because of their dignity and achievements, but because the people were against the former authorities. If the authorities lift the state of emergency, they will see many protesters on the streets. The authorities understand this very well and dont want to take a risk, Zohrabyan said. The ruling My Step bloc of the National Assembly has introduced new amendments to the Rules of Procedure of the National Assembly since eight members of the bloc have already been infected with the coronavirus and there are problems with ensuring the required number of votes in parliament. Based on this, the ruling party proposes to let deputies vote remotely in case of illness. The Trump administration has now bought more than 5,00,000 doses, the entire batch produced for July and 90% of August and September Remdesivir, developed by Gilead Sciences, is the first drug approved by licensing authorities in the US to treat COVID-19. AP Photo The Trump administration has now bought more than 500,000 doses of the remdesivir drug, which is the entire batch produced for July and 90% of August and September. The United States has bought almost the entire global supply of remdesivir, leaving nothing for the rest of the world, The Guardian reports. As of now, remdesivir is one of the only two drugs that has been proven to work against the virus that causes COVID-19. The news and its wider implications have created havoc in the international community. In the event of the development of a vaccine for coronavirus, this could mean the US, with its money and power, would attempt to buy it entirely as well. The Trump administration has now bought more than 5,00,000 doses, which is the entire batch produced for July and 90% of August and September. Remdesivir, developed by Gilead Sciences, is the first drug approved by licensing authorities in the US to treat COVID-19. The drug has been authorised for emergency use in countries like India, Singapore, and approved for use in Japan for people with severe symptoms. The drug has shown potential to help people recover faster from the disease. The first 1,40,000 doses supplied for the purpose of drug trials around the world, have been used up. Gilead Sciences holds the patent and complete authority to produce and distribute remdesivir, which was first developed as a failed attempt for curing Ebola is with Gilead Sciences. The cost is around $3,200 per treatment of six doses, according to the US government statement. Trump's current move to hoard up all of remdesivir has stirred international protest in the background of criticism over Trump administration's handling of the pandemic. The US has recorded more than 2.5 million confirmed cases of Covid-19. Some states lifted restrictions only to enforce a clampdown again. A month ago, France had raised its voice against Sanofi's announcement that US would be one of the first to receive if they developed a cure for COVID-29, considering the monetary investment. Dailymail reports that Britain currently gets its supplies of remdesivir for free because of a Gilead deal to donate 1.5million vials across the world. Gilead earlier this week announced it would charge the governments of developed countries $390 (320) per vial of remdesivir. Dexamethasone, a steroid that has existed for decades, is the other drug proven to reduce the death rate among hospitalised patients needing oxygen. UK PM Boris Johnson said Chinas imposition of a security law on Hong Kong violated Hong Kongs high degree of autonomy and jeopardized the freedoms and rights protected by the 1984 Joint Declaration, Reuters reported. The enactment and imposition of this national security law constitute a clear and serious breach of the Sino-British Joint Declaration. It violates Hong Kongs high degree of autonomy and is in direct conflict with Hong Kongs basic law. The law also threatens the freedoms and rights protected by the joint declaration, the PM told parliament. We made clear ... that if China continued down this path we would introduce a new route for those with British National Overseas Status to enter the UK, granting them limited leave to remain, with the ability to live and work in the UK and thereafter to apply for citizenship and that is precisely what we will do now. A recent AP investigation had found Chinese government taking draconian measures to slash birth rates among Uighurs and other minorities Politicians around the world have called for a United Nations probe into a Chinese government birth control campaign targeting largely Muslim minorities in the far western region of Xinjiang, even as Beijing said it treats all ethnicities equally under the law. They were referring to an Associated Press investigation published this week that found the Chinese government is taking draconian measures to slash birth rates among Uighurs and other minorities, while encouraging some of the countrys Han majority to have more children. The Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China, a group of European, Australian, North American, and Japanese politicians from across the political spectrum, demanded an independent U.N. investigation. The world cannot remain silent in the face of unfolding atrocities, the group said in a statement. The AP found that the Chinese government regularly subjects minority women in Xinjiang to pregnancy checks and forces intrauterine devices, sterilization and even abortion on hundreds of thousands. New research obtained by The Associated Press in advance of publication by China scholar Adrian Zenz also showed that the hundreds of millions of dollars the government pours into birth control has transformed Xinjiang from one of Chinas fastest-growing regions to among its slowest in just a few years. The AP found that the population control measures are backed by mass detention both as a threat and as a punishment for failure to comply. Having too many children is a major reason people are sent to detention camps, documents and interviews show, with the parents of three or more ripped away from their families unless they can pay huge fines. The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom called for a U.N. and State Department investigation, saying the Chinese governments birth control campaign might meet the legal criteria for genocide. According to a U.N. convention, imposing measures intended to prevent births with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group is considered evidence of genocide. The last colonial governor of Hong Kong, Chris Patten, told Bloomberg Television that the birth control campaign was arguably something that comes within the terms of the UN views on sorts of genocide. The U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee called the forced birth control beyond deplorable, and said that a nation that treats its own people this way should never be considered a great power. U.S. senators Kirsten Gillibrand and Kamala Harris wrote a letter urging the Trump administration to respond to an alarming AP investigation, and U.S. Senator Marco Rubio and Representative Ro Khanna also called for action. U.S. President Donald Trump told China President Xi Jinping he was right to build detention camps to house hundreds of thousands of ethnic minorities, according to a new book by former national security adviser John Bolton. However, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the reports of forced birth control for minorities were shocking and disturbing in a statement Monday. We call on the Chinese Communist Party to immediately end these horrific practices, he said. Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian fired back on Tuesday by calling Pompeo a brazen liar, saying the Uighur population had more than doubled since 1978 in response to criticism of Xinjiangs birth control policies. If Mr. Pompeo is telling the truth, how can he explain the big increase in the Uighur population? Zhao asked. For decades, Xinjiangs population grew quickly, as minorities enjoyed laxer birth control restrictions than Han Chinese. But in just three years, new measures have caused the birth rate in Xinjiangs Uighur-majority areas to plunge, and it is now well under the national average. Zhao also said the American government had been responsible for genocide, racial segregation and assimilation policies on Native Americans. on them. University of Colorado researcher Darren Byler said the Chinese state-orchestrated assault on Xinjiangs minorities does echo past birth control programs. It recalls the American eugenics movement which targeted Native and African Americans up until the 1970s, he said. Chinas public health authorities are conducting a mass experiment in targeted genetic engineering on Turkic Muslim populations. In response to the AP story, which he called fake news, Zhao said the government treats all ethnicities equally and protects their legal rights. Chinese officials have said in the past that the new measures are merely meant to be fair, with the law now allowing minorities and Chinas Han majority the same number of children. However, the APs reporting found that while equal on paper, in practice Han Chinese are largely spared the abortions, sterilizations, IUD insertions and detentions for having too many children that are forced on Xinjiangs other ethnicities, interviews and data show. Some rural minorities are punished even for having the three children allowed by the law. British members of Parliament debated Xinjiang in the House of Commons on Monday, with both Labor and Conservative politicians urging the U.K. Foreign Ministry to adopt a stronger stance against the Chinese government. Nigel Adams, the British Minister of State for Asia, said the reports added to the U.K.s concern about the human rights situation in Xinjiang and that it will be considering this report very carefully. Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne also told Australian broadcaster SBS that the reports further compounded their concerns. Bill Browder, CEO of investment fund Hermitage Capital Management and brainchild of the Magnitsky Act, asked the U.S. government to level sanctions against Chinese officials, calling the birth control campaign part of a broader assault he called vile persecution. Prosperous Armenia Party leader Gagik Tsarukyan wont be attending the hearing to be held at the Criminal Court of Appeal tomorrow since he is infected with the coronavirus. This is what Tsarukyans attorney Emin Khachatryan told Armenian News-NEWS.am. We, Tsarukyans attornys, are willing to attend the hearing, but its up to the court to decide. Tsarukyan actively participated in the hearing in the first instance court, expressed his stance on the motion and delivered his speech, he said. When asked how Tsarukyan is feeling, Khachatryan said he has a mild fever and is undergoing conservative treatment, but he is doing fine in general. When asked if the court hearings may be postponed until Tsarukyan gets better, the attorney said he and the other attorneys will submit Tsarukyans medical documents to the court so that the judge considers Tsarukyans absence as excusable. When told that he and the other attorneys have had contact with Tsarukyan and asked if he is going to get tested for COVID-19, Khachatryan said he will get tested tomorrow and if he tests positive, he wont attend the hearings either. As reported earlier, examination of the appeals under Tsarukyans case have been inscribed to Judge Mkhitar Papoyan. Tsarukyan is charged with obstructing the will of voters through electoral fraud, but doesnt accept the charge and views the case against him as unlawful. Spitak Medical Center will open its doors with 100 beds that are all equipped with oxygen delivery devices, and Martuni Medical Center and Medline Medical Center will soon join other medical centers with 50 beds and nearly 60 beds, respectively. This is what Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan said during a briefing held after the session of the Commandants Office today, adding that all specialists in Armenia are fully engaged in the fight against the coronavirus. There is nothing new about the methods for the fight against the coronavirus today since everyone has access to information. Armenia has a problem with observance of the rules because all the specialists recommend that we wear masks and maintain social distancing, but we witness small crises every day, he said. Touching upon the changing policy on wearing face masks, Pashinyan stated that the World Health Organization has expressed its views on that, not Armenia. The hypothesis is that we all have to treat each other as infected persons. We wear face masks to ensure the safety of the person in front of us, not our own safety. I know this based on my example since I was infected with the coronavirus for at least seven days and didnt know about it. ine, lets say the Ministry of Health of Armenia made a wrong announcement. What about the other countries that made wrong announcements. There are 10,000,000 coronavirus cases in the world. Lets assume 20,000 cases were recorded because of my mistake, but what about the 10,000,000 cases in the world? Pashinyan said. Deputy of the Prosperous Armenia faction of the National Assembly of Armenia Naira Zohrabyan has posted the following on her Facebook page: The body of the grandmother of Mariam Malkhasyan from Gyumri is missingCommandant Avinyan and Minister of Health, can you tell us where we can go to search for the body of the grandmother who died from the coronavirus? Mariam Malkhasyan wrote to me and then called me on the phone telling me that on the morning of June 29, her grandmother died from the coronavirus at Grigor Lusavorich Clinic, but she and her family havent been able to find the womans body to this day. For a moment, I thought the girl was playing a joke on me and I decided to talk to her. The rest of the story about the missing body of the grandmother is a shame and a disgrace. The grandmother dies on June 29, and the relatives are told that they can receive the womans body at the anatomical clinic in the city of Abovyan. Mariams brother has been trying to find the womans body at the anatomical clinic for the past two days, but there is no body. Moreover, overlooking the risk of getting infected, the young man enters the anatomical clinic and tries to find his grandmothers body among the other bodies, but fails. The relatives obviously addressed the Commandants Office, which referred them to the Ministry of Health which, in its turn, referred them to the Commandants Office. At the end, they contacted the police, but the grandmothers body hasnt been found to this day. The relatives managed to find out from other sources that the custodian who had transferred the body to the anatomical clinic hadnt read the name and last name of the grandmother carefully, and totally different people have most likely received the body and most likely buried it already. My question is the following: Do you really not understand what youre doing and that none of you will be able to avoid liability? I express my condolences to Mariams family and, frankly, I dont know what to say The US called on the Turkish government to continue to maintain the Hagia Sophia as a museum, rejecting Turkish President Tayyip Erdogans offer to turn the cathedral into a museum. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's statement runs as follows: The Government of Turkey has administered the Hagia Sophia as a museum officially recognized by UNESCO as part of the Historic Areas of Istanbul World Heritage Site in an outstanding manner for nearly a century. We urge the Government of Turkey to continue to maintain the Hagia Sophia as a museum, as an exemplar of its commitment to respect the faith traditions and diverse history that contributed to the Republic of Turkey and to ensure it remains accessible to all. This extraordinary site is a testament to religious expression and to artistic and technical genius, reflected in its rich and complex 1,500-year history. Moreover, the sites status as a museum has allowed people from all over the world to access and reflect upon this magnificent achievement. The United States views a change in the status of the Hagia Sophia as diminishing the legacy of this remarkable building and its unsurpassed abilityso rare in the modern worldto serve humanity as a much-needed bridge between those of differing faith traditions and cultures. We seek to continue to work with the Government of Turkey on a broad range of issues of mutual interest, including the preservation of religious and cultural sites. Minister of Defense of Armenia Davit Tonoyan today held phone talks with Minister of National Defense of Lithuania Raimundas Karoblis, as reported the news service of the Ministry of Defense. The Armenian defense minister expressed gratitude to his Lithuanian counterpart for the support of the Ministry of National Defense of Lithuania and his personal support for the provision of assistance to Armenia within the scope of the fight against the coronavirus pandemic, particularly the humanitarian aid, as well as for transporting a group of specialists to Armenia via a plane of the Lithuanian air force. Tonoyan stated that Lithuanias actions attest to the cordial and friendly ties between the two countries and peoples. The interlocutors discussed issues related to the Armenian-Lithuanian defense cooperation, attached importance to the resumption of actions planned within the scope of the cooperation, but frozen due to the pandemic and expressed certainty that the high-level military-political dialogue will also resume after the obstacles caused by the coronavirus are overcome. The UN Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution calling for an end to conflicts to facilitate the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic after three months of talks, AFP reported. The resolution, prepared by France and Tunisia, calls for an immediate cessation of hostilities in all situations. This is the first statement by the Security Council on a pandemic and its first real action after the outbreak. Tunisia's ambassador to the UN, Kais Kabtani, hailed it as a "historic achievement" but experts questioned whether the text would have any impact. Repeatedly blocked by China and the US, which opposed a reference in the text to the World Health Organization (WHO), the resolution seeks to support the early appeal of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres for a global ceasefire. It "calls upon all parties to armed conflicts to engage immediately in a durable humanitarian pause for at least 90 consecutive days, in order to enable the safe, unhindered and sustained delivery of humanitarian assistance." The new text has no reference to WHO. Washington opposed any mention of WHO back in May. During the talks, the US and China threatened to veto resolutions. According to diplomats, Indonesia, a non-permanent member of the Security Council, helped achieve a compromise that saw a reference to a General Assembly commitment to supporting the WHO added to the preamble. A vague mention was considered satisfactory for China, which wanted to highlight the importance of WHO and the US which broke away from the UN body. The Republican Party of Armenia has issued a statement stating that the political partys Supreme Body held a session chaired by President of the RPA Serzh Sargsyan today at the central headquarters of the RPA. The epidemiological situation created in Armenia, the deepening socio-economic crisis and several domestic political developments were discussed during the session. The members of the Supreme Body identified the internal and external threats posed to Armenia as a result of the recent constitutional amendments and usurpation of power. The Supreme Body also touched upon the political partys upcoming programs, including in the arena of international cooperation, earmarked the main areas of activities and priorities of the Republican Party of Armenia in case of lifting of the state of emergency and discussed the issue of possible cooperation with other public and political forces in case of a common political agenda. After leasing several apartments in different regions of Armenia over the past 20 years, two years ago, Kristine, 37, and her eight minor children settled in an apartment that had been temporarily given to them by the My Step Foundation. However, today, representatives of the Foundation called her on the phone and told her she has one day to leave the apartment. Kristine and her eight children will be out on the streets since she has nowhere to go, and none of her relatives has agreed to host her during the coronavirus pandemic, as reported Tert.am. I asked the Foundation to give us a little time to be able to look for a place to stay. I have eight children, and my elder son is going to be drafted in two to three months. The Foundation doesnt care and says if we dont leave, the police will come and take us out, Kristine said. Kristine asked the My Step Foundation for a little time to find another apartment, but the Foundation has already sent a truck to remove the items from the apartment. Before moving to this apartment, we lived in a garage, and my children were temporarily staying at the Zatik Childrens Support Center. Now we cant go back to that garage. I had great expectations from the Prime Minister and elected him with the hope that something would change in my life, but today, nothing has changed, things are worse, and it feels like Im drowning in the sea, Kristine said. by Paul Wang By 2 pm, hundreds of people had gathered in Causeway Bay and Times Square, eventually becoming thousands at the intersection with Hennessy Road. Some 4,000 police agents in riot gear with water cannons charge the crowd and arrest protesters. Hong Kong (AsiaNews) Four thousand policemen in riot gear, a new security law, and a ban on public assemblies on "health" grounds have failed to stop thousands of Hong Kong citizens from participating in the traditional 1 July march. The first march, on 1 July 2003, brought together 500,000 people against a security law proposed by the Hong Kong government Todays march is against a security law imposed by mainland China on Hong Kong starting at midnight. For their part, protesters have five demands, not one less, including universal suffrage and an independent investigation into police brutality during the past year of protests. By 2 pm, hundreds of people had gathered in Causeway Bay and Times Square, eventually becoming thousands at the intersection with Hennessy Road (picture 1). Defiantly, many participants sang the hymn Glory in Hong Kong, or shouted slogans on "Free Hong Kong, revolution of our time; others called for Hong Kong's independence. Under the new law, the last two slogans are liable for arrest as "separatism". In addition to warning signs on banned meetings, the police showed a new sign on violations of the security law, coloured purple (picture 2). It reads: This is a police warning. You are displaying flags or banners, chanting slogans, or conducting yourselves with an intent such as secession or subversion, which may constitute offences under the HKSAR[*] National Security Law. In order to disperse the crowd, police used water cannons and tear gas, attacked protesters, and detained at least 70 people (by 4 pm). The first person arrested displayed a small banner in favour of Hong Kong's independence, which is now a crime of opinion under the new law. [*] Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China. UK says it welcomes Chinese companies But a spokesman for the British prime minister Boris Johnson said the strong ties between London and Beijing do not come at any price. Image: Shutterstock Britain will continue to have a constructive relationship with Chinese companies working and investing in the country, but the strong ties between London and Beijing do not come at any price, a spokesman for Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Wednesday. "We have a strong and constructive relationship with China in many areas ... But this relationship does not come at any price. It has always been the case that where we have concerns we raise them, and where we need to intervene, then we will," the spokesman told reporters. "We'll continue to have a constructive relationship with Chinese firms working and investing in the United Kingdom," he said, adding that a review into the implications of the latest US sanctions on Huawei will be completed shortly. (Reuters) TULSA, Okla. (AP) One of the two Tulsa, Oklahoma, police officers who were shot during a traffic stop has died, authorities said Tuesday. Police Chief Wendell Franklin said Sgt. Craig Johnson died Tuesday. He said Johnson was shot multiple times during the Monday attack, including one shot that was critical. Franklin described Johnson's death as a tremendous loss to the police department. His sacrifice will not go unremembered, he said. A patrol car at the division where the officers worked has been covered in flowers, balloons, American flags and handmade signs as a tribute. Johnson and rookie officer Aurash Zarkeshan were shot at about 3:30 a.m. Monday during a traffic stop. The suspected gunman, 32-year-old David Anthony Ware, was arrested following a search that lasted more than seven hours. The officers were trying to get Ware out of the vehicle, and one officer had already deployed a Taser and pepper spray in an attempt to remove him. Once out, Ware pulled a handgun and fired multiple rounds, Franklin said. Zarkeshan had been on patrol for less than six weeks since graduating from the police academy in the spring, the chief said. Johnson had joined Tulsa police in 2005 and was promoted to sergeant in 2015, Franklin said. Sgt. Johnson was a good man who made our lives better, who trained his fellow officers to be better, said Tulsa Mayor G.T. Bynum. Franklin said Johnson was survived by his wife, two young sons and parents. He said Johnson's family had decided to donate his organs. A motive for the shooting was unclear. Tulsa police Capt. Richard Meulenberg said Ware had no known bias against the police. While Ware was being stopped, police said, he called an accomplice who arrived in a separate vehicle and picked him up. Police said that man, Matthew Hall, was arrested later Tuesday in Broken Arrow. Ware faces murder and weapons charges, and Hall a faces count of being an accessory murder and a related charge. Both are being held without bond at the Tulsa jail. Court records dont list an attorney to speak for either of them. What to make of the markets today? We just wrapped up the second quarter, and the S&P 500 registered its best quarter in 70 years, gaining 20%. It was even more impressive as the gains came on the rebound from the worst losses since the Great Depression. Weve had recessionary pressures thanks to COVID-19, and the sudden burst of positive sentiment, as it became clear that this time, there really is pent-up demand after a collapse. Looking at the historical pattern of stock market performance following bearish quarters, SunTrust Robinson chief market strategist Keith Lerner sees reason for continued optimism. The weight of the evidence in our work still suggests that we are in a bull market While the fits and starts in the economy and other factors will likely lead to periodic market setbacks, our work suggests this bull market continues to earn the benefit of the doubt, and we retain a positive 12-month outlook, Lerner noted. Lerner has backed up by some solid data and not just the S&Ps past performance patterns. In May, we saw jobs surge as states began to reopen and people went back to work. Retail sales bounced back over 8%, and durable goods orders, a key metric for industrial activity, jumped 15%. With Junes data due out over the course of the coming week, investors are hoping for more good news. In the meantime, for investors seeking the highest possible upside, weve used the TipRanks database to pull up three penny stocks whose potential starts at 105%. These are stocks priced below $5 per share, so even a small gain in absolute terms can translate to a huge percentage gain in share value. Kaleyra (KLR) Well start with a cloud computing company, Kaleyra. This company offers cloud-based communications platforms, including SMS, voice calling, and data insights, through SaaS model. Kaleyra entered the NYSE last year, after it was purchased by GigCapital in a Silicon Valley acquisition move. The combined entity took on the Kaleyra name. Story continues The coronavirus crisis pushed Kaleyras earnings negative in Q1, after the company saw a net profit the quarter before. Its important to note that Kaleyra is heavily involved in the European market, and its European operations are based in the northern Italian city of Milan, in a region that was hit harder than most by the COVID-19 pandemic. The company was able to use the crisis to its advantage, offering free texting services to Italian EMS services. It was a smart move that generated goodwill, an important offset to the grim quarterly earnings. Quarterly revenues were a different story. The top line sales hit $33.6 million in Q1, up 21% year-over-year. With a price tag of $3.95 per share, analysts believe that now is the time to pull the trigger. Oppenheimers 5-star analyst Timothy Horan sees Kaleyra with a clear path forward as the pandemic begins to ebb. Horan writes, The company's platform is well-positioned for a number of secular trends that have been accelerated by COVID-19: 1) cloud adoption and digital transformations embed more communications into workflows and applications, 2) growing mobile usage as the number of LTE smartphones more than doubles over the next four years, and 3) increased personalization and automated interaction with customers/ users across every industry. "KLR should gain market share in the fast-growing CPaaS sector with its trusted-partner focus. The key is gaining traction with US customers and selling higher value voice/applications. With a below-$200M market cap, we consider the company speculative, appropriate for high-risk-tolerant investors. Positively, Kaleyra has landed world-class customers recentlyFacebook, AT&T, Amazon and we expect major financial services companies soon," the top analyst concluded. To this end, Horan rates KLR a Buy along with a $12 price target, suggesting an impressive 204% upside potential for the coming year. (To watch Horans track record, click here) The analyst consensus on KLR, a Strong Buy, is unanimous, with all four recent reviews giving the stock a thumbs up. On top of this, KLR's $13.25 average price target implies a hefty upside of 235%. (See KLR stock analysis on TipRanks) Orion Energy Systems (OESX) Next on our list is Orion Energy Systems, a green manufacturing company that specializes in LED lighting products. The company offers a range of illumination solutions for both indoors and outdoors, and was cited by President Obama in 2009 and 2011 as a leader in the move toward a green economy. Orion closed out its fiscal year 2020 in its last quarterly report, and showed an impressive 129% annual gain in revenue, to $150.8 million. And, despite the coronavirus-inspired lockdowns, Orion was able to finish the fiscal year with solid liquidity, in the form of $28.8 million in cash on hand. With the price per share landing at $3.42, some members of the Street see an attractive entry point. Covering this stock for H.C. Wainwright, analyst Amit Dayal likes what he sees, writing, We expect revenues to bounce back to $159.7M in FY2022, as the company completes work at 600 remaining locations of its largest customer We expect FY2021 gross margins to be 22.0%, lower compared to 24.6% in FY2020 as a result of lower revenues, but expect these to grow to over 27.0% during FY2022 and beyond The analyst places a Buy rating on the shares, and his $7 price target implies 105% upside growth in the coming year. (To watch Dayals track record, click here) Wall Street agrees with Dayal, giving OESX a unanimous Strong Buy consensus rating based on 3 Buys. The stocks $7.58 average price target suggests room for a robust 124% one-year upside potential. (See Orion Energy stock analysis on TipRanks) S&W Seed Company (SANW) We round off our list in the agricultural sector, where S&W Seeds is a small-cap player in the world of agribusiness commodities. The company grows and processes a variety of products, including alfalfa, small grains, and wheat, along with sorghum, sunflower, and stevia. In addition to growing the seeds, S&W breeds the varieties it sells. S&Ws operations and customers are mainly located in the US, but during the first quarter, the company expanded its international reach through the acquisition of Australias Pasture Genetics in a deal worth $13.5 million ($20 million in Aussie currency). Roth Capital analyst Gerry Sweeney sees S&W Seed in a strong competitive position: While COVID muddies the waters going forward and may create headwinds, we remain optimistic regarding 4Q and F2021 results as core growth remains strong. S&W continues to position itself as middle market seed company with alfalfa, sorghum, sunflower and other varieties. In addition, the Pasture Genetics acquisition bolsters S&Ws distribution platform in Australia and provides cross selling opportunities. Sweeneys $5 price target implies a 120% upside potential for the stock in the coming year, and fully backs his Buy rating. (To watch Sweeneys track record, click here.) Overall, SANW is selling for $2.27 per share, and the average price target of $5.33 indicates it has room to grow 134% this year. The stocks Strong Buy analyst consensus is our third in a row based on a unanimous 3 Buy ratings. (See SANW stock-price forecast on TipRanks) To find good ideas for penny stocks trading at attractive valuations, visit TipRanks Best Stocks to Buy, a newly launched tool that unites all of TipRanks equity insights. Warren Buffett famously said, 'Volatility is far from synonymous with risk.' So it seems the smart money knows that debt - which is usually involved in bankruptcies - is a very important factor, when you assess how risky a company is. Importantly, Nick Scali Limited (ASX:NCK) does carry debt. But the more important question is: how much risk is that debt creating? When Is Debt Dangerous? Debt is a tool to help businesses grow, but if a business is incapable of paying off its lenders, then it exists at their mercy. If things get really bad, the lenders can take control of the business. However, a more frequent (but still costly) occurrence is where a company must issue shares at bargain-basement prices, permanently diluting shareholders, just to shore up its balance sheet. Of course, the upside of debt is that it often represents cheap capital, especially when it replaces dilution in a company with the ability to reinvest at high rates of return. When we think about a company's use of debt, we first look at cash and debt together. Check out our latest analysis for Nick Scali What Is Nick Scali's Debt? The chart below, which you can click on for greater detail, shows that Nick Scali had AU$33.7m in debt in December 2019; about the same as the year before. But it also has AU$43.7m in cash to offset that, meaning it has AU$10.00m net cash. ASX:NCK Historical Debt June 30th 2020 How Healthy Is Nick Scali's Balance Sheet? According to the last reported balance sheet, Nick Scali had liabilities of AU$75.8m due within 12 months, and liabilities of AU$199.2m due beyond 12 months. Offsetting this, it had AU$43.7m in cash and AU$616.0k in receivables that were due within 12 months. So its liabilities total AU$230.7m more than the combination of its cash and short-term receivables. This deficit isn't so bad because Nick Scali is worth AU$528.9m, and thus could probably raise enough capital to shore up its balance sheet, if the need arose. But it's clear that we should definitely closely examine whether it can manage its debt without dilution. Despite its noteworthy liabilities, Nick Scali boasts net cash, so it's fair to say it does not have a heavy debt load! Story continues But the other side of the story is that Nick Scali saw its EBIT decline by 8.8% over the last year. If earnings continue to decline at that rate the company may have increasing difficulty managing its debt load. When analysing debt levels, the balance sheet is the obvious place to start. But it is future earnings, more than anything, that will determine Nick Scali's ability to maintain a healthy balance sheet going forward. So if you want to see what the professionals think, you might find this free report on analyst profit forecasts to be interesting. Finally, a company can only pay off debt with cold hard cash, not accounting profits. While Nick Scali has net cash on its balance sheet, it's still worth taking a look at its ability to convert earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) to free cash flow, to help us understand how quickly it is building (or eroding) that cash balance. Over the most recent three years, Nick Scali recorded free cash flow worth 57% of its EBIT, which is around normal, given free cash flow excludes interest and tax. This free cash flow puts the company in a good position to pay down debt, when appropriate. Summing up While Nick Scali does have more liabilities than liquid assets, it also has net cash of AU$10.00m. So we are not troubled with Nick Scali's debt use. The balance sheet is clearly the area to focus on when you are analysing debt. But ultimately, every company can contain risks that exist outside of the balance sheet. Consider for instance, the ever-present spectre of investment risk. We've identified 3 warning signs with Nick Scali , and understanding them should be part of your investment process. At the end of the day, it's often better to focus on companies that are free from net debt. You can access our special list of such companies (all with a track record of profit growth). It's free. 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. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com. Click here to read the full article. Here's What You Need To Remember: Sniper rifles are a choice weapon for insurgents and guerrillas, as they are a natural asymmetric weapon against conventional forces. The M99 sniper rifle has mysteriously showed up in the hands of rebels in the Syrian Civil War, where it has proven effective against Syrian Arab Army forces. The weapons are thought to have come from Sudan by way of Qatar. The sniper, a soldier trained in precision, long-range fire, is one of the most feared opponents on the battlefield. Snipers can make their presence felt far beyond a typical soldiers assault rifle, cutting down enemy leaders, radio and heavy weapons operators, and damaging enemy equipment at considerable distances. This requires a weapon and optic capable of extreme accuracy, typically no more than half-an-inch of deviation per 100 yards. Here are five of the most commonand effectivesniper rifles. M40A5 Sniper Rifle The M40A5 is the latest in a long line of M40 sniper rifles used by the U.S. Marine Corps. The M40 series is a highly modified Remington 700 hunting rifle, chambered in .308 Winchester/7.62x51mm NATO. The A5 model comes equipped with a custom, 112 twist twenty-five-inch Schneider barrel. The action and barrel are mated to a McMillan A4 stock. The rifle is topped off with a Schmidt and Bender Police Marksman II 4-16x50mm rifle scope on a thirty minute-of-angle base designed to stretch the legs of the .308 round to a maximum 1,000 yards. A sniper rifle is commonly defined as semi-automatic or bolt action long gun, equipped with a scope, that is accurate to within a minute of angle. One minute of angle represents one inch at one hundred yards, two inches at two hundred yards and so on. The M40A5 is accurate to within one half-inch minute of angle, meaning that under perfect conditions, shots taken at eight hundred yards should land within a four-inch circle. M24 Sniper Weapons System The U.S. Armys M24 Sniper Weapons System (SWS) dates back to 1988, when it replaced the older M21 sniper rifle. Like the M40 series, the M24 is based on the commercial Remington 700 hunting rifle and chambered in .308 Winchester/7.62x51mm NATO. The M24 features a custom-made twenty-four-inch Remington barrel and uses a Leupold Mark IV M3 fixed 10x scope. Story continues Another common feature of a sniper rifle is a so-called free floating barrel. A free floating barrel is a barrel that, with the exception of where the barrel mates up to the rifle action, does not make any other contact with the stock. This prevents unwanted pressure, which may affect accuracy, from being put on the rifle. The M24s barrel is fully free-floated and minimally touches the HS Precision stock. L115A3 Sniper Rifle The sniper rifle of the UK Armed Forces, the L115A3 sniper rifle in use by the British Army, Royal Air Force and Royal Marines. The L115A3 is an adaptation of the Accuracy International Arctic Warfare Super Magnum rifle. Like the M40 and M24, the L115A3 is a bolt action rifle, but unlike the American rifles it is chambered in .338 Lapua with a five-round box magazine. The rifle optic is a Schmidt and Bender 5-25x56mm scope. Sniper rifles need to shoot great distances to kill targets that believe themselves invulnerable to enemy fire. The heavier .338 Lapua round gives the L115A3 a maximum range of 1,600 yards, 60 percent greater than the .308 round of the M24 and M40A5. This was used to great effect in 2009, when a British Army sniper serving with the Household Cavalry Regiment neutralized a Taliban machine gun position at 2,700 yards with his L115A3. Cpl. Craig Harrison took three shots, fatally wounding two Taliban fighters and destroying their PKM machine gun. Barrett M82 Sniper Rifle Although the idea of a .50 caliber sniper rifle is not newlegendary Marine Corps sniper Carlos Hathcock famously made a long-range shot from a scoped M2 Browning machine gun in the Vietnam Warpurpose-built .50 caliber sniper rifles were unheard of until the 1980s. Barrett Firearms invented the M82 anti-material rifle, which fires the exact same .50 BMG cartridge used in the heavy machine gun. Today the M82 is used by armies worldwide, from the United States to Ukraine. The M82 is equipped with a twenty-inch barrel and weighs a hefty 29.7 pounds. While powerful and capable of hitting targets at considerable distances, the .50 BMG round tends to rapidly lose accuracy after 900 yards. Sniper rifles are useful not just against human targets, but are used to destroy communications equipment, vulnerable supply targets and even disable armored vehicles. The Barrett M82s big .50 caliber round is particularly useful in this regard, as it only drops below supersonic speeds at 1,700 yards while still hitting with the force of 1,800 foot pounds. Zijiang M99 Sniper Rifle The standard heavy sniper rifle of the Peoples Liberation Army, the Zijiang M99 is a semi-automatic rifle similar to the Barrett M82. The M99 differs in being chambered for the 12.7x108mm Soviet cartridge and using a gas impingement operating system similar to that used by the M16 and M4 carbine family of weapons. The twenty-six pound rifle takes a ten-round magazine and is reportedly capable of accuracy to within 1.6 minutes of angle. Sniper rifles are a choice weapon for insurgents and guerrillas, as they are a natural asymmetric weapon against conventional forces. The M99 sniper rifle has mysteriously showed up in the hands of rebels in the Syrian Civil War, where it has proven effective against Syrian Arab Army forces. The weapons are thought to have come from Sudan by way of Qatar. Kyle Mizokami is a writer based in San Francisco who has appeared in The Diplomat, Foreign Policy, War is Boring and The Daily Beast. In 2009 he cofounded the defense and security blog Japan Security Watch. You can follow him on Twitter: @KyleMizokami. This first appeared in 2018. Image: Wikipedia. Click here to read the full article. 6 Key Takeaways From Skift Forum Europe You already know about the massive layoffs and furloughs, the hacksaw that eviscerated budgets, the borrowing and the lockdowns that generated massive cancellations, but many travel brands and tourism boards also used the coronavirus crisis to remake their businesses. That was just one of the key takeaways of the fourth annual Skift Forum Europe on Tuesday. Here are others. 1. An Opportunity to Reboot businesses From online travel companies to tour operators and tourism boards, the Covid-19 shutdown presented an unusual opportunity a time for brands to rethink their core missions, and to refashion their businesses. Tripadvisor CEO Steve Kaufer said the company will downplay flights, put less emphasis on optimizing the hotel-booking process, and will hone trip-planning functionality for crafting what he labeled the considered trip. He said this might lead to a reduction in the companys sometimes global-leading unique visitor numbers in favor of enticing customers to use Tripadvisor again and again. Cyril Ranque, Expedia Groups president of its travel partners group, took up a similar theme, arguing that the company used the crisis to simplify meaning reduce its brand portfolio. Arnaud Champenois, Belmonds senior vice president of brand and marketing, said the chain was democratizing its brand by using Instagram to connect with its audience. The idea of reinventing operations was likewise closely tied to the overtourism issue. 2. Better Destination Management to Counter Overtourism Several tourism entities and an online travel company indicated that the coronavirus travel stoppage enabled them to craft protections against overtourism, and to promote under-touristed destinations. Sigriur Dogg Gumundsdottir, head of Visit Iceland at Promote Iceland, said the destination hit a tourism reset button, and expanded tourism capacity indicators to the entire country. The destination will promote under-visited localities. Luis Araujo, president of Turism de Portugal, said there is a risk of restarting tourism too quickly to compensate for a terrible tourism year. Story continues Of course this crisis has softened the worries surrounding overtourism, but this doesnt mean the problem is over yet, said Jennifer Iduh, head of research and development at the European Travel Commission. Were now given an opportunity to do a better job in terms of destination management and carrying capacity. Ranque of Expedia Group said the fact that tourists are currently visiting less-visited destinations, often within driving distance, means search engines will build up this content, and enable Expedia to market them for the first time. Janicke Hansen, co-founder of NordicTB, noted that destinations have turned inward, with boards trying to promote their places in their own countries to their citizenry, but the boards are having a difficult time. She said many of these boards are clueless about how best to do it because they usually target international visitors. 3. Recovery Programs/Refunds are a Flash Point Richard Clarke, Bernsteins senior analyst for global hotels and leisure, argued that packages may not be a natural winner as the coronavirus crisis ebbs because tour operator TUI was slow to provide refunds. He said Airbnb and Booking.com were fairly swift in providing refunds. In a one-on-one interview with Skift Corporate Travel Editor Matt Parsons, TUI Group Chief Marketing Officer Erik Friemuth countered that the companys customers understood that the refund issue was a special situation, and that it was tour operators who repatriated stranded passengers. He noted that tourists who vacationed without booking through tour operators often had to resort to flights home from their governments, and in Germany, for example, they got invoices for the the lift. Ranque of Expedia Group touted its recovery program in the form of marketing credits for travel partners, adding that the price tag will likely grow higher than the initially announced $275 million because so many hotels have applied and qualified. Ranque said he was disappointed that Google didnt do more to aid small businesses. Johannes Reck, co-founder and CEO of GetYourGuide, likewise criticized Googles efforts. You could see for yourself during the pandemic when the shit hit the fan, who was refunding the customers, who was manning the customer service centers, Reck said. That was GetYourGuide, that was not Google, right? Referring to the fact that Airbnb and Expedia Group launched recovery programs, Arjan Dijk, senior vice president and chief marketing officer at Booking.com, said these programs are mostly fluff. Booking.com is focusing on providing data insights to partners rather than delivering checks, he said. The big question marks around these aid programs are that theyre complex, unclear, and kind of PR (public relations) programs to make companies look good, Dijk said. But is the aid really good for the partners? 4. Cleanliness Is Next to Godliness Speakers at Skift Forum Europe largely agreed that sanitization efforts will be decisive in establishing traveler trust and bookings in the post-Covid-19 era, but they often disagreed whether it would be hotels or vacation rentals leading the charge. Frank Gervais, CEO Europe at Accor, said the brand can turn a constraint into an asset in the battle against the vacation rentals sector. You will find clean, safe hotels, he said. Its state of the art. This is the beauty of our industry, and we should be in zero, zero, zero doubt about that. But we need also to keep this caring approach, this warmth. We need to reinvent together. Karin Sheppard, IHG senior vice president and managing director, Europe, said safety and cleanliness will be vital in restoring the hotel industry. Sheppard added that it isnt just consumers focused on the trust issue investors are seeking out trusted brands, as well. She expects a flurry of independent hotels converting to flags in the short term. While Oyo Vacation Homes outgoing CEO Tobias Wann said hes convinced that vacation rentals are a far superior product than other hospitality types right now, Dijk of Booking.com said he doesnt believe vacation rentals will edge hotels on the safety issue. 5. When, When, When? There is very little consensus meaning none on when the travel industry will recover, and how the travel might resemble or differ from its prior incarnation. Of course, much depends on second waves, coronavirus treatments, and the potential efficacy of vaccines. Of course, much of the trajectory depends on what country you operate in and whether your business is tied to vacation rentals, hotels, or flights, which seem to be bouncing back in precisely that order in many parts of the world. KLM CEO Pieter Elbers said the Dutch airline does not envision a full recovery until 2023-ish. While Elbers said KlM is experiencing a challenging environment for long-haul flights while short-haul flights are bouncing back modestly. Clarke of Bernstein said the research company began to see a travel recovery 12 weeks ago in China, eight weeks ago in the United States, and Germany has been coming on strong recently. Clarke said he expects some normality for the global travel industry midway in 2021. TUIs Friemuth pegged a full rebound as occurring in the summer of 2021. 6. Will Travel Be Forever Changed? Various speakers differed on whether consumer behavior and the travel industry are forever changed. Reck of GetYourGuide said the companys biggest challenge pre-crisis was that consumers would wait before arriving in a destination before deciding to reserve a tour. But he said now travelers will pre-book their tours because no one today would risk having to stand in line with crowds of people to gain admittance to the Vatican. He predicted this behavior will stick at least for 12-24 months. Champenois of Belmond contended that luxury travelers will take trips less frequently, but they will stay in destinations longer. The trip, or experiences, have to be worth it, he said. Dijk of Booking.com said he doesnt share Airbnb CEO Brian Cheskys view that travel will permanently be redistributed to smaller destinations in vacation rentals so travelers can avoid congested cities and packed hotels. It makes a good headline, Dijk said. So I give Brian credit because good headlines matter. As far as rentals besting hotels in the future, Dijk said, Im not buying it. Its not what I believe is true. Correction: The article was changed to reflect what Arnaud Champenois, Belmonds senior vice president of brand and marketing, meant by democratizing its brand. Subscribe to Skift newsletters for essential news about the business of travel. From left, top row: Police officers Aaron Jaudon, D'Andre Jackson, Mark Ordoyne and William Isenhour. Bottom row: Police officers Christopher McConnell, Brandon Walker, Treveion Brooks and David Francis. (Caddo Sheriff's Office via AP) Eight police officers in Louisiana were indicted on charges of excessive force for allegedly beating two men who had raised their arms in surrender when pulled over for seatbelt violations. Caddo Parish District Attorney James Stewart announced Tuesday that each of the officers in Shreveport has been charged with one count of malfeasance in office in connection to the arrest in January. The Jan. 24 incident began when an officer attempted to pull over driver Chico Bell and his passenger, Damon Robinson, for seatbelt violations as the two men were leaving a private home. The men didn't stop the vehicle, and a pursuit began, with video from a police car "showing that Bell threw several unknown objects from the window of his Chevrolet truck during the chase, the district attorney wrote in a press release. Dash-cam footage from a sheriff's deputy's vehicle shows what happened when the two men stopped their car, the district attorney said. Bell and Robinson raised their hands, and then stuck both hands up out of the windows of the truck, in an apparent attempt to surrender without resistance, the release said. Video: Colorado cops placed on leave after connected to death of Elijah McClain But Shreveport officers pulled Bell from the truck through the drivers window, according to the prosecutor, and began striking, kicking, and tasing him. Medical records show he suffered injuries, including a broken orbital plate, the release said. Robinson was meanwhile "punched multiple times through the open truck window" by one Shreveport officer as his "hands were being held by other officers," the district attorney said. SPD officers then took Robinson to the ground, where one officer apparently struck him in the face with a flashlight, despite Robinsons hands being behind his back, the release said. Robinson's nose was broken in several places from the attack. A sheriff's deputy at the scene said the violence occurred even though Robinson's was compliant during the arrest, which police body- and dash-cam footage verified, the district attorney said. Story continues The indicted officers are: Aaron Jaudon, DAndre Jackson, Mark Ordoyne, William Isenhour, Christopher McConnell, Brandon Walker, Treveion Brooks, and David Francis. Christopher McConnell was fired on May 8, Mark Ordoyne resigned on June 17, and the other six officers were placed on leave, Angie Willhite, a public information officer with the Shreveport PD, told NBC News in an email on Wednesday. The city's police chief, Ben Raymond, said in a statement to NBC News that he launched an investigation on the day of the arrest. All parties are innocent until proven guilty and in order to preserve the officers rights to due process I will not make any further comments at this time, the chief said. In response to the charges, Shreveport Mayor Adrian Perkins told NBC affiliate KTAL that he is working toward police reform. The nation is going through a reckoning because, in the past, officers were too infrequently held accountable for bad policing, Perkins said in a statement. While it isnt pretty, this is the change citizens are demanding. Stewart said police recovered very small amounts of ecstasy, cocaine and a stolen gun that were thrown from the window of the car during the chase. Bell was arrested for possession of controlled substances, obstruction of justice, cyberstalking, and a fugitive matter, and Robinson for resisting an officer. The district attorney dismissed all charges against the two men because of the alleged excessive force used. An attorney representing three of the eight officers Brooks, Jackson and Isenhour said he believes his clients will be exonerated in court. Were very disappointed in the indictment. These officers were doing their job that day, lawyer Dhu Thompson said, according to KTAL, It appears from the early evidence, of course were still gathering facts and investigating it, but these individuals chose to run from the police, endangering themselves, the officers and society. It was not immediately clear who is representing the other five officers. A Louisiana grand jury indicted eight Shreveport police officers over the violent beating of two men who were not resisting arrest. YouTube/ArkLaTex Homepage Eight Shreveport police officers have been indicted in the beating of two men in January who had surrendered with their hands in the air. Each officer was charged with malfeasance in office, and was booked into the local jail and released on bond. Prosecutors said the officers broke one man's orbital bone and another man's nose in the beating, and punched, kicked, and tased the men. Visit Insider's homepage for more stories. A Louisiana grand jury has indicted eight police officers, alleging that they brutally beat two men who had surrendered with their hands in the air. Each officer was charged with a count of malfeasance in office over the beating that left one victim with a broken orbital plate and another with a broken nose. The violent arrest began January 24 with an attempted traffic stop. One Shreveport officer tried to pull over the men, Chico Bell and Damon Robinson, for seatbelt violations, according to a statement from the Caddo Parish District Attorney. But the men ignored the officer's attempt and continued driving, and dashboard cameras showed that Bell, who was driving the car, threw several items out his truck's window during the chase, prosecutors said. When Bell and Robinson eventually stopped the truck, both "raised their hands, and then stuck both hands up out of the windows of the truck, in an apparent attempt to surrender without resistance," prosecutors said. Officers immediately approached the truck and pulled Bell out through the driver-side window, "striking, kicking, and tasing him to the torso and other areas of his body," prosecutors said. Officers on the other side of the truck reached through the passenger-side window to hold down Robinson's arms, while another officer began punching Robinson repeatedly, prosecutors said. When they removed Robinson from the truck, still holding his hands behind his back, an officer hit him in the face with a flashlight, according to prosecutors. Story continues A Caddo Parish deputy who assisted in the police chase and observed the alleged beating told prosecutors Robinson was "compliant during the police encounter and offered no resistance." Prosecutors dismissed all charges against Bell and Robinson because of the officers' 'unnecessary excessive force' A Initially, police arrested Bell on charges of flight from an officer, drug possession, obstruction of justice, cyberstalking, and "a fugitive matter," and arrested Robinson on charges of resisting an officer. The Caddo Parish District Attorney's office said all charges against the men were dismissed "due to unnecessary excessive force being used by SPD officers to make the arrest." The eight Shreveport officers were identified as Aaron Jaudron, D'Andre Jackson, Mark Ordoyne, William Isenhour, Christopher McConnell, Brandon Walker, Treveion Brooks, and David Francis. Caddo Parish District Attorney James Stewart Sr. said in a Zoom press conference that the officers were booked into the local jail and released on bond. Lawyers representing the officers have indicated they intend to fight the charges in court. "These officers were doing their job that day, but we look forward to litigating this case in the courtroom," J. Dhu Thompson, who is representing three of the officers, told the local NBC affiliate KTAL. "These officers were put in [a] dangerous situation created by those who chose to engage in criminal activity in a high-speed chase," a lawyer for Jackson told The New York Times. The Shreveport Police Chief, Ben Raymond, told media in a statement that the police department had conducted an investigation of the incident and delivered it to prosecutors on March 6. He did not detail the contents of the investigation, but said: "in order to preserve the officers' rights to due process I will not be making any further comments at this time." Video: Historians and activists thoughts on the movement to remove statues Read the original article on Insider Click here to read the full article. Tesla's stock may have hit an all-time high, trading at $1,113 as of Wednesday morning, while the company's market cap is up to over $200 billion, making it the most valuable car company in the world. However, one firm that advises shareholders is calling for the firm to remove CEO Elon Musk from the company's board, due to the potential exposure to lawsuits. According to The Guardian, PIRC (Pensions & Investment Research Consultants), an advisory firm that advises the local authority pension funds in the U.K., cited both Musk's behavior on Twitter and his large bonus deal. The board, including CEO Elon Musk, awarded themselves excessive compensation packages over a three-year period that allegedly allowed directors to enrich themselves at the companys expense,'" Pirc said, per the newspaper. The Twitter behavior was a reference both to Musk's claim, 2018, that he was taking the company private, which led to SEC charges and Musk agreeing to pay a $20 million settlement, as well as the episode last year in which Musk referred to a Thai cave rescuer as a "pedo." The latter episode, however, did not result in monetary damages. Pirc also cited controversial tweets Musk has made in relation to the coronavirus pandemic. PIRC has also called for Robyn Denholm to step down as the company's board chair. PIRC's website describes it as "a globally recognised independent expert in corporate governance. From a foundation of critical and comprehensive data, research and analysis, PIRCs services for asset owners and asset managers focus on capital stewardship for the long term investor. The maintenance of company capital, the effective exercise of shareowner rights and an active engagement in capital market reform are at the heart of the PIRC perspective." It should be noted that while PIRC is influential, the firm is not actively mounting a hostile takeover against Musk, nor would any effort be likely to succeed, considering the company's recent financial performance. Story continues Analyst Daniel Ives of Wedbush, in a note Wednesday, maintained his "Neutral" rating and $1,000 price target for Tesla; the note did not mention the PIRC effort. We have seen a strong bounce back in deliveries across the US over the past few weeks in the month of June as the lockdown has started to ease with a similar dynamic also seen across Europe and represents some positive tea leaves for the bulls, the note said. The clear standout this quarter is the massive underlying demand coming out of China as we have seen demand surge in China for Model 3's in this key region with Giga 3 firing on all cylinders despite the softness seen earlier in April. Other analysts, including Daniel Levy of Credit Suisse, also had positive Tesla news. Stephen Silver, a technology writer for The National Interest, is a journalist, essayist and film critic, who is also a contributor to Philly Voice, Philadelphia Weekly, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Living Life Fearless, Backstage magazine, Broad Street Review and Splice Today. The co-founder of the Philadelphia Film Critics Circle, Stephen lives in suburban Philadelphia with his wife and two sons. Follow him on Twitter at @StephenSilver. Image: Reuters. Click here to read the full article. Click here to read the full article. Air-to-air missiles, ground-fired weapons such as air defenses and approaching enemy aircraft all contain an electronic signature. This is a modern warfare reality now inspiring a U.S. Air Force effort to upgrade its F-15s with new electronic warfare (EW) weapons. For the last several years, the service has been in the process of testing, engineering and integrating a new Eagle Passive/Active Warning and Survivability System (EPAWSS) into its fleet of F-15s to, quite simply, keep pace with fast-changing threats. By operating in passive or active mode, the EPAWSS can perform both offensive and defensive missions, such as finding and jamming enemy radio communications, detecting the electronic signature of incoming weapons or simply sustaining an EW-enabled operational presence. Passive mode allows the EW system to in effect listen for enemy signatures while not giving off a signal itself. This can be of great significance given that once any kind of electromagnetic signal is emitted, there is naturally a risk that it could be found or detected by an enemy. At the same time, having an ability to operate in active mode is also critical as it can enable the aircraft to disable ground-firing systems, air attacks or even enemy drones. The EW war-footing draws upon various key techniques, such as finding whats called a line of bearing or signal origin toward which to intercept or direct an attack. These updated EW capabilities replace the Tactical Electronic Warfare Suite, which has been used since the 1980s, not long after the F-15 first deployed. The service plans to operate its F-15 fleet until the mid-2040s, so an overhaul of the Eagles electronic systems helps maintain U.S. air supremacy. Boeing won the initial contract for the EPAWSS project several years ago and has since hired BAE Systems as the primary subcontractor. As a fourth-generation fighter, an F-15 might run the risk of being more detectable to certain kinds of advanced modern enemy air defenses. However, if it is upgraded with advanced sensors, weapons and EW, it would certainly be much better able to operate combat missions in extremely high-threat scenarios. Story continues An interesting report from the Air Force Test Center describes the current system as one using outdated analog technology suited for threats expected years ago. EPAWSS takes advantage of todays computing, receiver and transmitter technologies to provide quicker, smarter response to threats, getting better actionable information to the pilot, Ed Sabat, Project Development Lead and Civilian Director of Operations, 772nd Test Squadron, said in the Air Force report. The service report further specifies that EPAWSS can succeed in detecting RF and IR (infrared) threats by acquiring accurate targeting information prior to threat engagement. Overall, the U.S. Air Force is vigorously upgrading the 1980s-era F-15 fighter by giving it new weapons and sensors in the hope of maintaining air-to-air superiority over its Chinese J-10 equivalent. The multi-pronged effort not only includes the addition of electronic warfare technology but also extends to super-fast high-speed computers, infrared search and track enemy targeting systems, the addition of Active Electronically Scanned Array radar, increased networking ability and upgraded weapons-firing capability, Air Force and Boeing officials said. Among the upgrades is an ongoing effort to equip the F-15 with the fastest jet-computer processer in the world, called the Advanced Display Core Processor, or ADCPII. The computer, Boeing officials have told TNI, is capable of processing 87 billion instructions per second. High tech targeting and tracking technology is also being integrated onto the F-15, Gibbons added. This includes the addition of a passive long-range sensor called Infrared Search and Track, or IRST. Kris Osborn is the defense editor for the National Interest. Osborn previously served at the Pentagon as a Highly Qualified Expert with the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the ArmyAcquisition, Logistics & Technology. Osborn has also worked as an anchor and on-air military specialist at national TV networks. He has appeared as a guest military expert on Fox News, MSNBC, The Military Channel, and The History Channel. He also has a Masters Degree in Comparative Literature from Columbia University. Image: Reuters Click here to read the full article. by Sumon Corraya On 1 July 2016, Islamic militants killed 22 people, including nine Italians, at the Holey Artisan Bakery cafe. Seven terrorists have been sentenced to death. Bangladeshs counterterrorism police have conducted 395 raids, arresting 1,065 jihadis and killing 25. Radical groups are using social media to recruit young people and university students. Dhaka (AsiaNews) Four years to the day after the terrorist attack against the Holey Artisan Bakery cafe in Dhaka, Bangladeshi authorities do not fear any new attack by Islamic extremists. According to Monirul Islam, Chief of Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC), some militants have tried to exploit the coronavirus crisis to reorganise themselves, but security forces have thwarted their plans. On 1 July 2016, members of a radical terror group, Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh, killed 22 people, including nine Italians. On 27 November, a special court in the capital sentenced seven defendants to death. The appeal process is still ongoing. In the past four years, the Bangladeshi government has carried out a campaign against radical Islamist groups. Its goal is to restore trust among foreign investors. Following the attack, many of them left the country for fear of further terrorist actions; this has seriously damaged the thriving local garment industry. So far, the anti-terrorist force has conducted 395 raids and arrested 1,065 militants, killing 25. As a result, extremists, some operating from abroad, have moved their activities online, trying to recruit potential militants via social media like Telegram, Hop Fastpass and TamTam Messenger. Their appeal includes denigrating democratic systems, highlighting the weakness of Bangladeshi authorities and accusing Europe and the United States of persecuting Muslims. Radical Islamic preachers have found fertile ground in madrassas and elsewhere. Law enforcement have recently uncovered a network of university students belonging to jihadi groups. Five students attending the Bangladesh Agricultural University have been arrested. Another eight, including some engineering students, were arrested before leaving for Saudi Arabia. For Imtiaz Ahmed, professor of international relations at Dhaka University, the pandemic crisis shows once again that militants have their own mindset and nothing will distract them from their objectives. Click here to read the full article. Key point: America's learning curve went past air superiority and straight to air supremacy. The popular conception of the struggle in the air over northern Europe during World War II is of squadrons of sleek fighters racing over the German heartland to protect contrailed streams of lumbering bombers stretching beyond sight. This is as it was during the second half of Americas air war against Germany, but it was as far from the truth as it is possible to get at the start of that great aerial crusade. It took until late 1943nearly two years after the United States entered World War IIbefore the United Kingdom-based Eighth Air Force mounted strategically significant bombing missions against targets in occupied northern Europe. The fault for this lay partly in the availability and slow development of the equipment, but it is also a fact that the two men at the top of the Eighth Air Force command structure stubbornly clung to old and discredited theories that stunted the effectiveness of the strategic-bombing effort and cost thousands of their countrymen their freedom or their lives. In the beginning, the fighter was a short-legged creature whose role of protecting the bombers was eclipsed by its role of guarding friendly territory and installations. The difference, which is crucial, was the product of technologyrange and the power of aircraft enginesand intellect. Until late 1943, surprisingly late in the war, the use of the fighter as an offensive weapon was stunted by the defensive mind-set of the pursuit acolytes of the interwar decades. The pursuit airplane had evolved over the fixed battlefields of Western Europe during World War I. Pursuit aircraft had been developed to prevent enemy reconnaissance airplanes from overflying friendly lines and to protect friendly observation airplanes from enemy pursuits while the observers overflew enemy lines. The pursuit was conceived as a tactical and a defensive weapon, and it was limited to these roles both by conception and by the technologies of the day. Story continues The Army Air Corps Between the world wars, the development of American pursuit aircraft was hobbled by budgetary restrictions that for many years slowed or obviated altogether the creation of new technologies or even methodical experimentation with new tactics. The U.S. Marine Corps did advance the use of the single-engine pursuit as a nascent close-support weapon to bolster the infantry, but the interests of various intra-Army constituencies prevented similar advances in what had come to be called the Army Air Corps. To the degree that it developed at all, the Air Corps saw increasingly heavy and longer ranged bombers in its future. And, as the limited available research-and-development dollars were expended on speedier bombers, the pursuits of the day were increasingly outranged and outrun. Inevitably, American bombers of the late 1930s were designed to be self-defending because they could fly much farther and at least somewhat faster than could the pursuits of the day. The pursuits, which were being developed at a much slower pace, were relegated to a point-defense roleguarding cities, industrial targets, and air bases. When World War II began, the Air Corpsshortly to be renamed the Army Air Forceswas divided into two distinct combat arms, fighters and bombers. And, by virtue of the fighters stunted development, there appeared little chance that the two would spend much time working together. As soon as the Army Air Corps was pulled into World War II it became focused on the defense of American coastal cities, several Caribbean islands, bases in Greenland and Iceland, and on the strategically indispensable Panama Canal. There were few airplanes of any type to devote to these defensive missions, and those that were deployed defensively also had to serve as on-the-job trainers for hundreds of the raw young pilots emerging from the Air Forces burgeoning flight schools. Through the first half of 1942, all of the very few pilots and airplanes that could be spared from the defense of the U.S. coasts and sea lanes were rushed to defend Australia and the South Pacific. Dozens of precious airplanes and pilots were lost in the pathetic defense of Java, in the Netherlands East Indies, and many more were lost in the early defensive battles around Port Moresby, New Guinea, but Army Air Forces training commands were able to catch up with combat and training losses as well as with the heavy burden imposed by the formation of new fighter, bomber, and other-type groups. And better fighters with a higher probability of survival began to reach operational air groups. Committing to American Air Power Fortunately, the United States could afford to be a bit late off the mark in her war against Germany. German efforts in 1940 to bring Great Britain to her knees all had failed miserably and, by the end of 1941, the bulk of Germanys air and land forces were mired in a frightful war of attrition deep inside Russia. The British had the situation in northern Europe reasonably well in hand, though they would have collapsed had not vast infusions of weapons and supplies from the United States sustained them. British forces in Egypt and Libya were teetering on the edge of defeat, but there was little the United States would be able to do for many months to influence the outcomeassuming the British held on that long. So, while the Army Air Forces devoted the bulk of its limited expendable resources to defensive measures against Japan, new air groups were created, and new and better combat aircraft began rolling off newly created assembly lines. Finally, in the spring of 1942, it was decided in high Army Air Forces circles to commit American air power to northern Europe. At first, the commitment would be little more than a meager show of force masking an advanced combat-training program overseen by the Royal Air Force (RAF). Only later, when training bases and factories in the United States had caught up with the planning, would the U.S. Army Air Forces take on a strategic air campaign against the German industrial heartland. Brigadier General Ira Eaker arrived in England on February 20, 1942 to establish the headquarters of the new VIII Bomber Command. He opened his headquarters at High Wycombe, England on February 23, 1942, but the VIII Bomber Command had no combat airplanes to its name; they would not be available for several months. Rather, it fell to Eaker to argue with his British hosts in favor of an independent role for the forthcoming Army Air Forces in Europe. The RAF and the British government wanted Americas commitment to the air war in Europe to be subordinate to or an adjunct of the British Theatre air war. The Americans, however, felt they deserved an independent role, and it was Eakers job to win the British over to this viewpoint. The American notion was strongly bolsteredin argument, at leastby the fact that the Army Air Forces had developed over many years a theoretical strategic air doctrine that was quite different from the RAFs experience-based strategic doctrine. The Americans favored and had equipped their bomber force to wage a precision daylight-bombing campaign against industrial targets hundreds of miles inside enemy territory. The RAF was the only other air force in the world that had developed long-range, four-engine, heavy bombers, but its doctrinethe result of bloody experiences early in the warfavored area bombing at night. Doctrinal arguments aside, the British victims of the Nazi Blitz of 1940-1941 were less squeamish than their American Allies about bombing German civilians. Besides, the RAF had few long-range heavy bombers to its name, and thus felt it needed to co-opt the promised infusion of American heavies. For the time being, Eakers arguments with the RAF hierarchy were moot. There would be no American air-combat units in the United Kingdom for several months, and then there would not be enough of them to make a dent in Hitlers Fortress Europa for many more months. A Symbolic Commitment between Allies The first VIII Bomber Command unit to arrive in Englandon May 10, 1942was the 97th Heavy Bombardment Group, which was equipped with Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress four-engine heavy bombers. This was a symbolic commitment, for the 97th had been activated in February 1942 and thus had not had time to be adequately trained to fly combat missions over heavily defended European targets. It would be months before the 97th saw any live action. Around the time the 97th Heavy Bombardment Group became the first nominal combat unit to join Eakers VIII Bomber Command, Brig. Gen. Frank Monk Hunter arrived in England to establish the headquarters of his VIII Fighter Command, also at High Wycombe. Unlike Eaker, Hunter, a rather flamboyant World War I ace, quickly came to terms with British beliefs and aspirations regarding the employment of forthcoming American fighter groups. The RAF had opted for powerful, short-range, point-defense fighters that could defend friendly air bases and attack nearby enemy air bases, and its doctrine appeared to have proven itself during the Battle of Britain and the Blitz. Hunter, who had spent most of his career arguing the point-defense case for the U.S. Armys fighters, was eager to augment the British fighter plan. On June 10, 1942 personnel of the U.S. Army Air Forces 31st Fighter Group arrived in England by ship. After being outfitted with British Spitfire fighters, the green American fighter group was to begin rigorous advanced combat training overseen by a number of the RAFs leading Battle of Britain aces. As with the 97th Heavy Bombardment Group, the 31st Fighter Group was not expected to begin combat operations for several months. On June 18, 1942 Maj. Gen. Carl Spaatz arrived in England to establish the headquarters of the Eighth Air Force at High Wycombe. Spaatz was one of the handful of Army Air Forces officers with the moral authority to win an independent role for American air units over the forceful arguments of Britains top military and political leaders. Leaving the training of pilots and aircrews to Eaker and Hunter, Spaatz set out on a political path to forge an independent role for American air units. It was Spaatzs brief from his superiors to integrate and modulate the projected American daylight air offensive withbut not subordinate it toBritains night-bombing effort. The Army Air Forces first combat mission against a German-held target took place on July 4, 1942. Six American-manned RAF-owned Douglas A-20 light attack bombers accompanied six RAF-manned A-20s in an attack on several German airfields in the Netherlands. Two of the American A-20s were downed by flak, seven crewmen were killed and one was captured, two failed to reach the target, and a fifth A-20 was severely damaged. The U.S. Army Air Forces could not have asked for a less auspicious or more humiliating inauguration of what would become the greatest aerial offensive in the history of the world. The very first U.S. Army Air Forces fighter mission over Occupied Europe took place on July 26, 1942. As part of their training syllabus, six 31st Fighter Group senior pilots joined an RAF fighter sweep to Gravelines, a French town on the English Channel. German fighters challenged the American and RAF Spitfires, and the 31st Fighter Groups deputy commander was shot down and captured. 31st Fighter Group Joins the RAF for a Big Show The 97th Heavy Bombardment Group had to wait until August 17, when a dozen B-17s, with General Eaker along as an observer, conducted an afternoon raid against railroad marshaling yards near Rouen, France, 35 miles from the English Channel. Escort for the bombers was provided by four RAF Spitfire squadrons. The results of the mission were negligible. One B-17 was damaged by a German fighter, but there were no losses and no injuries. Two days later, on August 19, the entire 31st Fighter Group joined with the RAF for a big show across the Channel, the tragic invasion rehearsal at Dieppe. While completing four 12-plane missions over the beaches during the day, pilots from the 31st were officially awarded two confirmed and two probable air-to-air victories. The 31st Fighter Group continued to fly fighter-sweep missions over coastal France, but it was awarded only one probable and no confirmed victories before it was withdrawn from combat operations in October to prepare for its upcoming role in the invasion of French Northwest Africa. Meanwhile, on September 12, 1942 the RAFs three independent Eagle squadronsfighter units composed entirely of American citizens who had enlisted in the Royal Air Force or Royal Canadian Air Forcewere absorbed into the VIII Fighter Command as the new 4th Fighter Group. Thanks to the withdrawal and diversion of other VIII Fighter Command groups for the North Africa Campaign, the 4th Fighter Group, which was outfitted with Spitfires, was the only operational American fighter unit in northern Europe until May 1943. Already endowed with experienced combat pilots, including a number of aces, from its RAF days, the 4th did about as well during its first six months of combat service as did RAF Spitfire units that took part in similar fighter-sweep missions. Between September 1942 and mid-April 1943, the 4th Fighter Group was awarded credit for 15 confirmed victories over France, Belgium, and the Netherlands. The essence of the U.S. Army Air Forces campaign over northern Europe between October 1942 and the spring of 1943 was that, for practical purposes, there was no air campaign. The diversion of most of the small Eighth Air Forcefighters and bombersto North Africa left the VIII Bomber Command and the VIII Fighter Command virtually no assets with which to wage any sort of offensive battle. The 4th Fighter Group was as Predatory a Fighter Unit as Ever Fought in a War From October 1942 until May 1943, only the 4th Fighter Group remained operational in the United Kingdom. The handful of other fighter groups that had reached the British Isles by October 1942 had been diverted or, in the case of the 78th Fighter Group, stripped of its airplanes, which were needed as replacements by groups in North Africa. Between early October 1942 and the end of April 1943, 4th Fighter Group pilots accounted for just 16 German airplanes. (Between mid-March and April 8, the 4th was withdrawn from combat so it could transition from Spitfires to Republic P-47 Thunderbolts. The groups first aerial victories in the P-47and the P-47s first victories, everwere scored on April 15 over the Belgian coast.) As was to emerge in time, the paucity of aerial victorieseven the paucity of aerial encountershad less to do with the scarcity of American-manned fighters than it did with American fighter tactics. The 4th Fighter Group was as predatory a fighter unit as ever fought in a war. In better times, with better tactics, it became one of Americas premier fighter units. But during the period it flew as the only American fighter unit in operation in northern Europeand for several months beyondit attained negligible results because it was hobbled by idiotic tactics. The immediate culprit was Maj. Gen. Monk Hunter, the commander of the VIII Fighter Command, but it must be said that Hunter was a product of his training and, to a degree, poor technology. Both of these factors obliged him and his eager fighter pilotsHunter was eager, tooto work apart, virtually in a separate war, from the Eighth Air Forces other combat arm, the VIII Bomber Command. Indeed, the doctrines that defined bomber and fighter operations were so far apart as to obviate direct cooperation. The bombers had been built and the bomber crews had been trained to attack enemy targets without protection from fighters. Even as late as 1942, non-German air strategists honestly believed that wars could be won by bomber campaigns alone. Since the mid-1930s, Americans who accepted this outlook had developed what they called the self-defending bomber. That innovation, however, had more to do with the fighter technology of the 1930s; fighters of the day possessed neither the range nor the speed required to protect modern bombers. Fighter technology improved, but by mid-1942 the concept of the self-defending bomber had taken on a life of its own. It was believed that Germany could be bombed into submission by long-range self-defending bombers that were capable of flyingwithout fighter escortto industrial targets anywhere in western or even central Europe. There was no offensive role for fighters. As with most self-fulfilling prophecies, fact came to match belief. In 1942, American heavy bombers (and their British counterparts) had the range to strike targets in distant Berlin and beyond. The British had attempted daylight raids against Berlin early in the war, but they had been trounced by German fighter and antiaircraft-gun defenses. So they had switched to night area raids, nominally against industrial targets but, in reality, against whomever or whatever their bombs happened to strike. Terror Bombings The U.S. Army Air Forces, on the other hand, had developed qualms against terror bombings. And besides, Americas leading bomber enthusiasts believed strongly in the efficacy of both their precision daylight-bombing doctrine and their self-defending heavy bombers. Moreover, American fighters of the day, though powerful and powerfully armed, still lacked the range to accompany the bombers all the way to the nearest point in Germany and back. Denied a role in escorting bombers to distant targets, and blinded by an outmoded and actually quite silly doctrine he had helped develop in the 1930s, Monk Hunter opted to send his meager fighter assets on fighter sweeps over those areas of France, Belgium, and the Netherlands that were within the meager operational range of the one fighter type that was then in his handsthe immensely heavy (7 ton) and short-ranged Republic P-47 Thunderbolt. It must be said that it was not Hunters fault that he had inadequate airplanes (forget that there was only one group flying!), and he was not alone in his misperception of the role of fighters in World War II. The VIII Fighter Commands failure to make a dent in the German fighter forcefewer than 20 confirmed victories in seven monthsalso goes to the role to which the Army Air Forces both aspired and had been relegated by 1942. The key to every decision Allied commanders made in 1942 and 1943 was the projected invasion of France. At first, when the United States entered the war, it was hoped that the invasion would take place in mid-1943. By the late summer of 1942, however, the North Africa Campaignand a huge number of other factorsmade it clear that D-day was going to be delayed until mid-1944. As the first symbolic raids and sweeps were undertaken over northwestern Europe by Eighth Air Force fighter and bomber units in mid-1942, there were two full years to achieve preinvasion goals from the air. North Africa threw the margin into a cocked hat. If luck held, it would be mid-1943 before the strategic-bombing campaign could be resumed, and then only one year would be left for cracking the vast array of German objectives that would have to be overcome before the invasion could safely commence. The primary role of American and British air power in Europe from mid-1942 until the invasion was to be the defeat of the Luftwaffe. Operation Pointblank, the specific plan by which the Allies were to accomplish this feat, was promulgated in May 1943 following acceptance of the common goal by the RAF and the U.S. Army Air Forces. The defeat of the Luftwaffe was of primary concern to the Allies because, at heart, it was constituted as a tactical ground-cooperation air force; it had been developed in its entirety to support German Army ground operations. Its bombers, for example, were light or medium models, and its bomber crews were trained to support ground troops at close or medium range. The Luftwaffe had no long-range capabilityno strategic capability whatsoever; its role was tactical and, at most, operational. (This is precisely why the Luftwaffe alone was unable to overcome the RAF as a strategic objective during the Blitz; it was too lightly built to undertake a purely strategic mission.) As a superb tactical air force, however, the Luftwaffe was an enormous potential threat to an invasion fleet or a fledgling toehold on the soil of France. Operation: Pointblank In order to assure a safe landing by tens of thousands of Allied soldiers from thousands of ships, two things had to happen in the air before the invasion beganor could begin. The Luftwaffe had to be whittled down in strength and it had to be pushed as far back from the English Channel and North Sea coasts as possible. By forcing German tactical and operational air units to operate at the extremity of their ranges and in the smallest possible numbersand only by doing socould the mid-1944 invasion foreseen in mid-1942 be reasonably assured of success? The goal of Operation Pointblank was to be accomplished in two ways: first, by simply shooting down German airplanes wherever they could be induced to fight and, second, by destroying Germanys ability to build airplanes. To accomplish the latter, the destruction of the German aircraft industry and related targets, the British and Americans opened the Combined Bomber Offensive. The RAF would undertake night area bombing attacks against the German aircraft industry and the U.S. Army Air Forces would undertake daylight precision-bombing attacks against the same or similar targets. Conceptually, the simultaneous Anglo-American program of aggressive (but, alas, short-range) fighter sweeps over the French, Belgian, and Dutch coasts was aimed at engaging the Luftwaffe fighter wings in a battle of attrition that over time would destroy the bulk of whatever reduced numbers of fighters the shattered German aircraft industry managed to produce. Further, by destroying German fighters, the Allies hoped to induce the German aircraft industry to switch over from the production of tactical bombers to the increased production of replacement fighters, which were less likely to hurt the invasion forces. Sadly, while American fighters were being assiduously avoided by the crack Luftwaffe fighter units within their meager range, the self-defending daylight heavy-bomber groups charged with attacking strategic targets deeper inside France, the Netherlands, and northwestern Germany were being butchered. While the German fighters were sidestepping needless and avoidable attrition simply by ignoring the American fighter sweeps, the bombers were locked in a one-sided form of attrition that did not bode well for their survival. American Fighters Down 7 German Airplanes Beginning in April 1943, the 4th Fighter Groups new P-47 Thunderbolts were joined over the Channel and North Sea coasts by the Thunderbolts of the 78th Fighter Groupand another P-47 unit, the 56th Fighter Group, was in training in England. Despite the doubling of assets, the results remained abysmal. Meanwhile, losses of American heavy bombers continued to rise. Major General Ira Eaker, who had replaced Spaatz as Eighth Air Force commander when the latter went to North Africa, continued to champion the self-defending bomber, but he also alibied that there were not yet enough heavies available in northern Europe to make the strategy efficacious. However, in April 1943, after scores and then hundreds of unescorted self-defending bombers had fallen and thousands of American airmen had been killed or captured, Eaker finally did ask Monk Hunter to provide fighters for escort duty to the extremity of their rangegoing into the Continent (penetration), and coming out (withdrawal). The bombers would be on their own a good part of the way, but some protection at the margins apparently was deemed to be better than none at all. From May 4 onward, nearly all VIII Fighter Command sorties were devoted to escorting the bombers. Seven German airplanes were downed by American fighters over northern Europe in May 1943, and 18 fell in June (seven in one day, June 22). Action during the first three weeks of July was sluggish, but an extremely aggressive new commander, Maj. Gen. Frederick Anderson, had just taken over the VIII Bomber Command on July 1, and he needed some time to make his aggressive new policies bite. On July 24, Andersons VIII Bomber Command opened Blitz Week with the first of hopefully daily appearances over Germany. Weather shut down bomber operations on one of seven consecutive planned mission days, but the other six days saw strikes aggregating just over a thousand bomber sorties against 15 targets all over northern and western Germany. Claims by bomber gunners were, as always, extravagant330 victory credits were awardedbut there is no doubting that the German fighter forces were worn down somewhat, at least operationally, by the unrelenting appearances by the bombers. The American escort fighters put in fewer claims by far, but the fact that their claims were closer to reality made them startling in their own right. In July 1943, American fighter combat produced 38 victory credits, of which 33nine and 24, respectivelywere scored during just two Blitz Week missions. Not coincidentally, the two missions in question were not only bomber-escort missionsthey were the first nominally long-range bomber-escort missions ever flown by Eighth Air Force fighters. On July 28, 1943 the 4th Fighter Group significantly increased the range of its P-47 fighters in an experiment with auxiliary fuel tanks. In so doing, its pilots took the Germans by surprise by flying much deeper into enemy territory than they ever had before. Nine German fighters were downed in what for the Germans was an unexpected melee around the American heavy-bomber stream. Two days later, on July 30, all three P-47 groups were able to use for the first time what the pilots referred to as bathtub belly tanks. The 115-gallon tankswhich were designed for use in long-distance ferry flightswere not pressurized, and they gave the pilots a lot of problems, but they did add 150 to 200 miles to each Thunderbolts operational range. Until then, the heavy fighter could barely reach Antwerp. With the tanks, the P-47s could make it well into the Netherlands. Thus, on July 30, when the target was the Focke-Wulf assembly plant in Kassel, Germany, more than two hundred VIII Bomber Command B-17s and B-24s took part in a mission that was covered to the greatest depth ever by friendly fighters. An Incredible 24 Confirmed Victories in 1 Day On the watershed July 30 mission, the 56th Fighter Group gave the bombers penetration support, the 78th Fighter Group provided early withdrawal support, and the 4th Fighter Group provided late withdrawal support. That meant that the 78th Fighter Groups P-47s would be with the bombers quite soon after the heavies came off the target. The overall tactical plan was simpleprotect the bombers and drive away the German fighters. The surprised German pilots either attempted to ignore the P-47s as they drove their fighters into the bomber stream, or they were sucked into dogfights at the expense of attacking their primary targets, the bombers. There it was24 confirmed victories in one day, on a single mission. The tactics and technology had changed, and American fighters had knocked down as many German airplanes in one mission as they had been able to in dozens of fighter-sweep and even escort missions in the preceding two months. In a short time, the large numbers of sturdy, reliable, streamlined, auxiliary fuel tanks that were shipped to or manufactured in England forever changed the tenor of the daytime air war in Europe. Indeed, the routine commitment of American long-range fighter escorts in mid-1943 changed the substance of war in the air as profoundly as the routine use of flimsy reconnaissance aircraft had transformed ground warfare in 1915. The Germans knew there was no profit in attacking American fighters for the sake of engaging in dogfights that could go either way once they were joined. Fighters, per se, were no danger to the Third Reich. Bombers were. Bombers were a threat to everythinghome, loved ones, and German morale and equanimity. American bombers, if they were allowed to get through to their targets, were an especial danger to the Luftwaffe itself, for they had shown a propensity to concentrate on the German industries from which German fighters and bombers emergedball bearings, machine tools, and airplane factories themselves. German fighters would never attack American or British fighters unless there was an overwhelming opportunity to win. But bombers had to be attacked, no matter where or when they appeared over Germany or her satellites. And, so, if the American fighter enthusiasts wanted to destroy the Luftwaffe at least in part through a strategy of attrition, they had to tie their fortunes to those of the bombers. To do that, better or much-improved fighters needed to emerge from the American industrial behemoth, better escort tactics needed to evolve, and better operational ranges needed to be achieved by the fighters. The VIII Fighter Commands three P-47 groups were credited with 58 German airplanes in August 1943, all of them during bomber-escort duty. In stark contrast, the American P-47s flew 373 fighter-sweep sorties over France on August 15 and did not see a single German airplane. Despite the numbers and mounting pressure from his superiors in Washington to adopt changes, Hunter continued to argue vehemently in favor of his discredited fighter-sweep tactic. In this, Hunter continued to be supported by the Eighth Air Force commander, Eaker, who remained a strong supporter in his own right of the self-defending bomber. The Aggressive William Kepner Eaker was very close personally to the Army Air Forces chief, General Henry Hap Arnold, so his job was secure. But, though Hunter was also an old friend of Arnolds, he had become an annoying relic. Hunter was replaced as head of the VIII Fighter Command on August 29 by Maj. Gen. William Kepner. A fighter pilots fighter pilot, Kepner was, in a word, aggressive. Moreover, his outlook was in full accord with the reality of the air war over northern Europe. He simply wanted to do whatever worked. The VIII Fighter Commands tally continued to rise, but the early escort tacticstay with the bombersquickly became ossified. Eaker eventually became an escort advocate, but next he refused the counsel of his escort commanders. As the range of their airplanes increasedespecially after the introduction of the long-range Lockheed P-38 Lightning in late 1943 and the development of the North American P-51 Mustangthe fighter men thought they should range ahead of the bombers to break up Luftwaffe fighter formations before the bombers were molestedin other words, to go over to the offensive. Eaker, however, gave in to the wishes of his seriously demoralized bomber men, who wanted to see their escorts close upan effective but nonetheless defensive mind-set. As a result, the fighters remained only marginally effective, and bombers and their crews continued to fall in record numbers. At length, despite Eakers obstructionism, the Eighth Air Force forced the Luftwaffe to abandon its forward bases and defend the German heartland. This fit the preinvasion planmove the German fighters far back from the invasion beachesbut the highly concentrated German defensive fighter effort (heavily augmented by improved antiaircraft protection) downed yet a higher percentage of bombers even while providing more fruitful hunting for the American fighters. The deadly spiral persisted until, at last, Eaker was replaced on January 6, 1944 by Maj. Gen. James Doolittle, who was brought in from the Mediterranean. Doolittle and the new theater air commander, the redoubtable Carl Spaatz, immediately gave the Eighth Air Force fighters their offensive head. Thereafter, aggressive roving (freelancing) American fighters often dispersed the German fighters before the American bombers arrived on the scene. It was Bill Kepner and Fred Anderson, working together under Doolittle and Spaatz, who finally broke the back of the German fighter force, the one by shooting it down over Germany and the other by making a shambles of the German industrial base, especially the aircraft industry. American Air Supremacy The strategic air campaign leading up to the invasion was long and bloody. In the end, there was only one fair way to measure the success of Operation Pointblank and its many related phases and strategies: How much opposition was the Luftwaffe able to muster over the beaches and invasion fleet when Normandy was invaded on D-day, June 6, 1944? On D-day itself two German fighters appeared over the invasion beaches. Two. No German fighters rose to challenge the hundreds of fighter-escorted transport aircraft that dropped three airborne divisions behind the Normandy beaches, and no German fighters or bombersnot oneattacked the invasion armada or landing force. On June 6, 26 German airplanesfighters and light bomberswere destroyed over France by U.S. Army Air Forces fighters, but none of these came within sight of the Normandy coast. The Luftwaffe never meaningfully contested the invasion or any of the subsequent Allied land campaigns in Europe. By the time the invasion began, American bomber losses had dropped to negligible proportions, and the Luftwaffe had been virtually driven from the skies over its own homeland. From mid-1944, thanks to the introduction of better fighters and the use of aggressive, realistic offensive fighter doctrines, American airmen attainednot the air superiority they sought, buttotal air supremacy over the whole of western Europe. This article originally appeared on the Warfare History Network. Originally Published April 16, 2019. Image: A U.S. Army Air Force Curtiss P-40E Warhawk of the National Museum of the United States Air Force in Dayton, Ohio (USA). 15 February 2005. U.S. Air Force. Click here to read the full article. Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey told Vice President Mike Pence on Wednesday that the state needed an additional 500 health care workers as the number of cases of COVID-19 continues to set records there. We did hear in the briefing today of the need for personnel, Pence said at a news conference following his meeting with Ducey. Weve already responded with 62 medical personnel arrived this week in Tucson, but the governor conveyed to us an additional request of another 500 personnel and Ive instructed the acting secretary of homeland security to move out immediately on providing the additional nurses and doctors and technical personnel. Pence said the federal government would be moving out on that very quickly. On the day of Pences visit to the state, Arizona reported a record number of new cases in a single day (4,878) as well as a new record for deaths from COVID-19 in a 24-hour period (88). While Arizona has, like other states across the country, increased testing in recent weeks, the percentage of positive results from those tests has been especially worrisome. On Wednesday, the state said that 28.3 percent of residents tested over the past 24 hours were positive for the disease caused by the coronavirus, the highest percent of any state in the nation. Vice President Mike Pence. (Win McNamee/Getty Images) Pence noted that more than 50 percent of those who tested positive for COVID-19 in Maricopa County are under the age of 35. A week ago, President Trump attended an indoor Students for Trump rally in Phoenix that was attended by an estimated 3,000 people, few of whom wore face masks. Traveling with Pence in Arizona, Dr. Deborah Birx was adamant about the need for citizens to wear masks to slow the spread of COVID-19. Wearing a mask will change the spread of this virus, Birx, a top official on the White House Coronavirus Task Force, said. Arizona has reimplemented social distancing measures, such as shuttering bars, in recent days as the number of cases has spiked. As of Wednesday, 85 percent of the states inpatient hospital beds were in use, and 89 percent of its ICU beds were occupied. Story continues Were encouraged to hear that hospital capacity remains manageable, Pence said during the press conference, but noted that he had spoken to Ducey about two additional facilities being readied by the Army Corps of Engineers in very short order if the need should arise. Last week, Pence hailed the truly remarkable progress the country had made against COVID-19. This moment in the coronavirus pandemic is different than what we saw two months ago, Pence said during a briefing of the Coronavirus Task Force. We slowed the spread, we flattened the curve, we saved lives. In the midst of that, we exponentially scaled testing capacity. At the same time, Pence acknowledged the rise in COVID-19 cases across the Sun Belt, including in Arizona. Over the last 14 days, the number of cases of the disease have risen nationwide by 82 percent. _____ Read more from Yahoo News: Adjustments to lockdowns and vaccine development will determine length of recession AMSTERDAM, July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Apart from the devastating affect COVID-19 is having on people and their families, its impact on economies around the world is expected to result in the worst recession since 1980. What makes this recession so much more impactful is that it is affecting the entire world with almost every country expected to experience negative growth in 2020. As the recession is reverberating through supply chains, Atradius expects global trade to shrink 15% this year, which historically is a sharp drop. A robust economic recovery is still in the cards for 2021, however, the pace of the recovery remains very uncertain and depends on the lifting of lockdown measures. The economic cost of this recession will be high, given its impact on labour markets, business failures and the fiscal position of countries. Governments around the world are implementing sizable fiscal packages and loose monetary policy to try and take the sharp edges off this recession. Atradius Economic Outlook Real GDP Growth Advanced Markets Advanced economies are expected to feel the brunt of the recession with a cumulative drop in GDP of 6.6%. The United Kingdom, already burdened by its exit from the European Union, is looking at a 10.8% decline, while the Eurozone is not expected to fair much better, showing a drop in GDP of 8.0%. The United States and Japan are forecast to experience slightly less steep declines of 6.1% and 6.0% respectively. Growth in emerging markets will also drop sharply, and the rapid increase in the spread of the coronavirus in a number of the larger emerging economies recently, means that forecasts could worsen in the coming months. China may be the only major economy able to avoid recession this year, however with only meagre growth expected, it could join the rest of the world in negative growth. Russia, which was hit by COVID-19 while in the middle of a price war with Saudi Arabia, is being severely impacted by the low oil price, its primary source of income, and lockdowns driving down demand for oil. The combination has lowered its GDP growth forecast to -6.2%. Brazil has reacted to COVID-19 very late and is now experiencing the fastest increase in infections of any country worldwide; economically it is not expected to do any better as GDP is forecast to decline 7.5%. Mexico, is experiencing a significant drop in demand from its main export partners in the US and Canada. Story continues The baseline forecast assumes that either a vaccine will be developed or that world economies will adapt to the new norm of social distancing in an economically viable way. Under these assumptions, a return to GDP growth in 2021 is anticipated, but with the growth coming at a slower pace than the decline did. However, if neither of these two assumptions take place, the outlook will become less positive. Andreas Tesch, Chief Market Officer of Atradius commented, "The lockdowns across the world, while necessary, have had a huge impact on the global economy. However, when effective and successful they will enable us to return to growth faster. During this unique period, detailed attention to credit management is essential to success." About Atradius Atradius is a global provider of credit insurance, surety and collections services, with a strategic presence in over 50 countries. The credit insurance, bond and collection products offered by Atradius protect companies around the world against the default risks associated with selling goods and services on credit. Atradius is a member of Grupo Catalana Occidente (GCO.MC), one of the largest insurers in Spain and one of the largest credit insurers in the world. You can find more information online at https://group.atradius.com For further information: Atradius Corporate Communications Christine Gerryn Tel.: +31-20-553-2047 E-mail: christine.gerryn@atradius.com www.atradius.com Connect with Atradius on Social Media Twitter https://twitter.com/atradius LinkedIn https://linkedin.com/company/atradius YouTube https://www.youtube.com/user/atradiusgroup Atradius Economic Outlook Real GDP Growth Major Emerging Markets Managing risk, enabling trade (PRNewsfoto/Atradius) Cision View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/atradius-global-economy-bracing-for-worst-recession-in-almost-40-years-301086531.html SOURCE Atradius Chairman Xi has now implemented a sweeping national-security measure aimed at destroying the democracy movement in Hong Kong. The unjust affront to human dignity must be named for what it is: an aggressive Communist advance against free people. Chinas actions sit in line with the Red Army rampaging into Hungary in 1956, the Communist assault on South Vietnam, or the crushing of the Prague Spring in 1968. We must say this not only as a matter of justice, but in order to keep the flame of liberty burning in the hearts of Hong Kongers and their friends. The new national-security act is a grave violation of the terms of the 1997 SinoBritish Joint Declaration, which guarantees Hong Kongs judicial and political semi-independence from Beijing until 2047, and made the one nationtwo systems settlement part of Hong Kong Basic Law. The new national-security act sets itself against terrorism by which the Chinese Communist Party means Hong Kongs democracy movement. This protest movement in Hong Kong has re-emerged to confront every challenge to Hong Kongs Basic Law since 2003. It has proved an astonishingly disciplined and calm movement that has been able to draw nearly one third of Hong Kongs residents into the streets for its largest demonstrations. Despite violent provocations from anti-riot police that have been subordinated by the Chinese Communist Party and Beijing-backed criminal gangs, the movement has been conspicuously peaceful; leaders of the movement issued apologies when tensions ran hot enough that a few protesters engaged in direct hand-to-hand fighting with police. That peacefulness was deliberate and reveals Beijings anti-terror justification for the brazen lie that it is. The law is deliberately and maddeningly vague on what constitutes a terrorist organization, though it specifies the destruction of a vehicle as one terrorist act. It would punish terrorists of this sort with a minimum sentence of ten years and a maximum of life imprisonment. The law prohibits collusion with foreign governments or institutions, a measure which will be used to put international freedom organizations in the bind of not knowing whether their actions help or harm their peers in Hong Kong. The law applies to everyone not just Hong Kongers. In the first hours after its passage, a man was arrested under the law for waving an independence flag. Story continues Enforcement of the statute is given to a National Security Committee, headed by Hong Kongs chief executive. This Committee is exempt from judicial overview and oversight. The introduction of a political law-enforcement body is a savage transgression against Hong Kongs common law tradition, the very thing that made Hong Kong a desirable destination for business and investment, which in turn made it so attractive as a Chinese possession. In some ways, this assault on freedom is more difficult to address because it implicates Hong Kongs western peers in freedom. Because this new law formally involves the breaking of treaty agreements with the United Kingdom, we are happy to see the government of Prime Minister Boris Johnson speak out for the rights of so many who were born the queens subjects and whose passion for freedom is shaped by this inheritance. Johnsons government is uniquely positioned to lead the moral case against this tyranny. The United States also has a special obligation to stand up for Hong Kong. America has made Beijing richer and more powerful than it otherwise would have been, because it opened trade relations in the hope that treating China like a non-Communist nation would make it one. In the case of Hong Kong, China has demonstrated how its growing commercial power sets the cause of free trade against that of political freedom. The NBAs suppression of criticism of China in the United States is just a foretaste of what is to come if Beijing is allowed to play this game. America and its allies have a moral duty and compelling interest to pressure Beijing to withdraw this law. Americans corporations who make a show of their support for protests in the United States must be subjected to pressure from the White House and the public to support political freedom in the East. If Beijing will not relent, the intrusion into the West of its commercial arms like Huawei must be more energetically countered and turned away. The time for illusions is over. More from National Review Photo credit: Olivier Matthys - Getty Images From Town & Country In recent weeks, as Black Lives Matter protests have spread around the globe, Belgium has been reckoning with its legacy of colonialism and racism, and particularly with the widespread atrocities committed in Congo under King Leopold II's rule. Now, reigning monarch King Philippe has sent a letter to the President of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), addressing this historythough, notably, not apologizing for it. The King wrote to President Felix Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo on the 60th anniversary of the DRC's independence, expressing his "deepest regrets" for the "suffering and humiliation" Belgium had put the DRC through. Philippe stated that he and the President "must be able to talk about our long common history in all truth and serenity." He wrote, "During the time of the Congo Free State acts of violence and brutality were committed, which weigh still on our collective memory. The colonial period that followed also caused suffering and humiliations. I would like to express my deepest regrets for the wounds of the past, the pain of today, which is rekindled by the discrimination all too present in our society." Photo credit: NurPhoto - Getty Images King Philippe is a distant nephew of Leopold II, who reigned from 1885 to 1908, and ruled over what was then called the Congo Free State during the most brutal period of its colonial history. Historians estimate that during that time, as many as 10 million people died in the countryan event that some have compared to the Holocaust. Activists and citizens in Belgium have been calling for the removal of statues and other public memorials (such as street names) to Leopold II for some time, but the push has seen a renewed momentum amid the ongoing anti-racism protests. Monuments have been splattered with red paint, set on fire, and otherwise damaged as a part of this. Earlier this month, protesters saw some success, after a statue of Leopold was removed from a public square in Antwerp. You Might Also Like Benefits provider announces new vice president of finance DALLAS, July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- BenefitMall , the leading provider of next generation broker services, today announces the hiring of Jonathan Cooksey as BenefitMall's vice president of finance. BenefitMall (PRNewsFoto/BenefitMall) As the BenefitMall vice president of finance, Cooksey will lead various financial functions, supporting Benefits Sales & Service and shared services departments. He will also oversee planning, budgeting, financial systems and financial assessments of strategic initiatives and projects. "Jonathan brings a wealth of financial and leadership experience to the company," said Stephanie Bowman, chief financial officer for BenefitMall. "In his previous roles, Jonathan successfully led and executed financial systems and data analytics initiatives, implemented best practice budget and planning processes and was a key financial advisor. Jonathan's financial acumen coupled with his strong leadership skills make him a great addition to the BenefitMall team." Prior to joining BenefitMall, Cooksey was most recently senior vice president of corporate finance and analytics for U.S. Dermatology Partners. He also held financial leadership positions for Freeman and Omnitracs. Cooksey started his new position on June 15. About BenefitMall Headquartered in Dallas, BenefitMall partners with a network of 20,000 Brokers to deliver employee benefits to more than 200,000 small and medium-sized businesses. With a dedicated focus on the broker community, BenefitMall leverages innovative technology backed by human expertise to provide the very best in broker services nationwide. Through a network of brokers and carriers, BenefitMall delivers efficient, secure, digital benefits solutions. Owned by Management and The Carlyle Group, BenefitMall also operates HealthCareExchange.com, the leading online community for health care reform and compliance. More information is available at www.benefitmall.com . Story continues Cision View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/benefitmall-selects-new-financial-leadership-301087097.html SOURCE BenefitMall Chromebooks have a reputation for being cheap and limited, but that hasnt been true for a while. The combination of years of software updates and laptop manufacturers taking Chromebooks more seriously means there are a ton of good Chrome OS computers that work well as everyday drivers. Of course, there are an unnecessary number of Chromebooks on the market from dozens of manufacturers, so finding the right one for you is easier said than done. Fortunately, Ive tried enough Chromebooks at this point to know what to look for and what to avoid when youre in the market. What is Chrome OS, and why would I use it over Windows? Thats probably the number one question about Chromebooks. There are plenty of inexpensive Windows laptops on the market, so why bother with Chrome OS? Glad you asked. For me, the simple and clean nature of Chrome OS is a big selling point. If you didnt know, its based on Googles Chrome browser, which means most of the programs you can run are web-based. Theres no bloatware or unwanted apps to uninstall like you often get on Windows laptops, it boots up in seconds and you can completely erase to factory settings just as quickly. Of course, the simplicity is also a major drawback for some users. Not being able to install native software can be a deal breaker if youre, say, a video editor or a software developer. But there are also plenty of people who do the vast majority of their work in a browser these days unless I need to edit photos for a review, I can do my entire job on a Chromebook. Google has also added support for Android apps on Chromebooks, which greatly expands the amount of software available. The quality varies widely, but it means you can do more with a Chromebook beyond just web-based apps. For example, you can install the Netflix app and save videos for offline watching; other Android apps like Microsofts Office suite and Adobe Lightroom are surprisingly capable. Between Android apps and a general improvement in web apps, Chromebooks are more than just a browser. Story continues Asus Chromebook Flip A436 What do Chromebooks do well, and when should you avoid them? Put simply, Chromebooks are great at anything web-based. Browsing, writing, streaming music and video and using various social media sites are among the most common things people do on Chromebooks. Unsurprisingly, they also work great with Google services like Photos, Docs, Gmail, Drive, Keep and so on. Yes, any computer that can run Chrome can do that too, but the lightweight nature of Chrome OS makes it a responsive and stable platform. As I mentioned before, Chrome OS can run Android apps so if youre an Android user, youll find some nice ties between the platforms. You can get most of the same apps that are on your phone on a Chromebook and keep info in sync between them. You can also use some Android phones as a security key for your Chromebook or instantly tether your laptop to use mobile data. Nathan Ingraham / Engadget Google continues to tout security as a major differentiator for Chromebooks, and I think its definitely a factor worth considering. The first line of defense is auto-updates Chrome OS updates download quickly in the background and a fast reboot is all it takes to install the latest version. Google says that each web page and app on a Chromebook runs in its own sandbox, as well, so any security threats are contained to that individual app. Finally, Chrome OS has a self-check called Verified Boot that runs every time a device starts up. Beyond all this, the simple fact that you generally cant install traditional apps on a Chromebook means there are a lot less ways for bad actors to access the system. As for when to avoid them, the answer is simple: if you rely heavily on a specific native application for Windows or a Mac, chances are good you wont find the exact same option on a Chromebook. Thats most true in fields like photo and video editing, but it can also be the case in environments like law or finance. Plenty of businesses run on Googles G Suite software these days, but more still have very specific requirements that a Chromebook might not match. If youre an iPhone user, youll also miss out on the way the iPhone easily integrates with an iPad or Mac, as well. For me, the big downside is not being able to access iMessage on a Chromebook. Finally, gaming is almost entirely a non-starter, as there are no native Chrome OS games of note. You can install Android games from the Google Play Store, but thats not what most people are thinking of when they want to game on a laptop. That said, Googles game-streaming service Stadia could change the equation significantly. The service is still going through some growing pains, but it remains the only way to get recent, high-profile games working on a Chromebook. Its not a perfect experience, but the lag issues that can crop up are more a product of Stadia itself and not unique to running it on Chrome OS. Lenovo Flex 5 Chromebook What are the most important specs for a Chromebook? Chrome OS is lightweight and usually runs well on fairly modest hardware so the most important thing to look for might not be processor power or storage space. That said, Id still recommend that you get a Chromebook with a relatively recent Intel processor, ideally an eighth-generation or newer M3 or i3. Most non-Intel Chromebooks Ive tried havent had terribly good performance, though Lenovos Chromebook Duet 2-in-1 runs surprisingly well on its MediaTek processor. As for RAM, 4GB is enough for most people, though 8GB isnt a bad idea if you want to future-proof your investment or if youre a serious tab junky. Storage space is another place where you dont need to spend too much 64GB should be fine for almost anyone. If you plan on storing a lot of local files or loading up your Chromebook with Linux or Android apps, get 128GB. But for what its worth, Ive never felt like I might run out of local storage when using Chrome OS. Things like the keyboard and display quality are arguably more important than sheer specs. The good news is that you can find less expensive Chromebooks that still have pretty good screens and keyboards that you wont mind typing on all day. Many cheap Chromebooks still come with tiny, low-resolution screens, but at this point theres no reason to settle for anything less than 1080p. Obviously, keyboard quality is a bit more subjective, but you shouldnt settle for a mushy piece of garbage. Google has an Auto Update policy for Chromebooks, and while thats not a spec per se, its worth checking before you buy. Basically, Chromebooks get regular software updates automatically for about six years from their release date (though that can vary a bit from device to device). This support page lists the Auto Update expiration date for virtually every Chromebook ever, but a good rule of thumb is to buy the newest machine you can to get the most support. How much should I spend? Nathan Ingraham / Engadget Chromebooks started out notoriously cheap, often under $300. But as theyve gone more mainstream, theyve transitioned from being essentially another take on the netbook to the kind of laptop youll want to use all day. As such, prices have increased a bit over the last few years. At this point, you should expect to spend at least $400 if you want a solid daily driver. There are still many budget options out there that may be suitable as couch machines or secondary devices, but if you want a Chromebook that can be your all-day-every-day laptop, $400 is the least you can expect to spend. There are also plenty of premium Chromebooks that approach or even exceed $1,000, but I dont recommend spending that much. Generally, thatll get you better design with more premium materials as well as more powerful internals and extra storage space. Of course, you sometimes pay for the brand name, as well. But, the specs I outlined earlier are usually enough. Googles Pixelbook is a great Chromebook, but its well over two years old at this point and shouldnt still be priced at $999. Another premium Chromebook, Samsungs Galaxy Chromebook, does almost everything right, but has terrible battery life. For the most part, you dont need to spend more than $850 to get a premium Chromebook thatll last you years. Engadget Picks Best overall: Lenovo Flex 5 Chromebook Nathan Ingraham / Engadget Look beyond the awkward name and youll find a Chromebook that does just about everything right thats also a tremendous value. The Flex 5 Chromebook gets all the basics right: the 13-inch 1080p touchscreen is bright, though its a little hard to see because of reflections in direct sunlight. It runs on a 10th-generation Intel Core i3 processor, the eight-hour battery life is solid, and the backlit keyboard is one of the best Ive used on any laptop lately, Chromebook or otherwise. And all this can be had for $410 on Amazon significantly less than many comparably-speced options Ive tried recently. Naturally, Lenovo cut a few corners to hit that price. Most significantly, it only has 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage. Normally, I wouldnt recommend anyone buy a computer with those specs but Chrome OS is far less dependent on local storage. Unless you were planning to store a ton of movies or install a huge variety of Android apps, 64GB is enough for moderately advanced use. I was concerned about the non-upgradeable 4GB of RAM, but my testing showed that the IdeaPad Flex 5 can run plenty of tabs and other apps without many hiccups. If you push things hard, youll occasionally have to wait for tabs to refresh if you havent viewed them recently, but other than that this is a solid performer, particularly for the price. Other things in the IdeaPad Flex 5s favor include that it has both a USB-C and a USB-A port and a 360-degree convertible hinge. I personally dont find myself flipping laptops around to tablet or stand mode very often, but its there if you like working in those formats. Its not the slimmest (.66 inches) or lightest (3 pounds) out there, but thats totally reasonable considering the price. Ultimately, I think the Flex 5 hits the sweet spot for a large majority of potential Chromebook buyers out there, providing a level of quality and performance thats pretty rare to find at this price point. Buy Lenovo Flex 5 Chromebook at Amazon - $410 Upgrade pick: Google Pixelbook Go Nathan Ingraham / Engadget Googles Pixelbook Go sticks close to the standard Chromebook script, but raises the bar in a few key ways. The base $649 model has an eight-generation Intel m3 processor, 64GB of storage and 8GB of RAM. Youll give up a little processing power to the i3 chip found in Lenovos IdeaPad Flex 5, but doubling the RAM might be a better choice for serious multitaskers. The Pixelbook Go also has superior battery life, lasting over 13 hours in our video playback test (the IdeaPad clocked in just under eight hours). It also features probably my favorite laptop keyboard around, and the 13.3-inch touchscreen has better viewing angles and more contrast than the IdeaPads screen. And at a half-inch thick and 2.3 pounds, its significantly more compact than the IdeaPad Flex 5. Its design is also certainly more fun, if that matters to you the matte black looks great, while the not pink model adds a nice pop of color. The Go doesnt have a 360-degree hinge, but I dont take any points away for that. If you really want to future-proof your investment, Google also has an $849 Pixelbook Go model with an eighth-generation Core i5 processor, 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. Thats the high point of what people should spend on a Chromebook, but it should last you years. Buy Pixelbook Go at Best Buy - $649 If you want a larger screen: HP Chromebook 15 HP The Pixelbook Gos small size makes it great for road warriors, but if youre more interested in a computer to use around the house, consider HPs Chromebook 15. Its midrange model (eighth-generation Core i3 processor, 4GB RAM, 64GB storage) is good enough for most, but its 15.6-inch touchscreen is a lot bigger than youll find on our other picks. It has the same 1080p resolution as our other favorite Chromebooks, but a bigger screen may be easier on your eyes.Given the large display and commensurately large body needed to house it, the HP Chromebook 15 is a big boy and weighs in at four pounds. But that extra size means theres more room on the keyboard deck, so HP put in a full number pad on the right side a win if youre a spreadsheet junkie. Its a good overall value too, at $449 from HP directly.HP offers a few other configurations, too. Theres a $379 model that drops the touchscreen and runs on an Intel Pentium Gold processor with 4GB of RAM and 32GB storage. Or, you can step up to a model with an i3, 4GB RAM and 128GB of storage for $569. Either way, youll get that large screen, spacious keyboard and exceedingly long battery life over 10 hours in my tests. Buy Chromebook 15 at Walmart - $569 The CEOs of tech giants Amazon, Apple, Google and Facebook have agreed to testify before the House Judiciary Committee as part of its investigation into possible anti-competitive conduct in the online marketplace, a panel spokesperson confirmed to POLITICO on Wednesday. The news sets up a must-watch hearing that will give lawmakers the chance to grill four of the technology industry's wealthiest, most powerful moguls on allegations that their companies have stifled competition, to the detriment of their users and American society. It's a historic hearing: It will be the first time the chiefs of all four companies have testified alongside one another before Congress, and marks the climax of a yearlong probe into whether the companies have unfairly harmed consumers and competitors alike. The probe, led by the House antitrust subcommittee, has increasingly zeroed in the conduct of Facebook, Apple, Amazon and Google. The blockbuster session, set to take place in late July, will feature testimony from Apple's Tim Cook, Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg, Amazon's Jeff Bezos and Google's Sundar Pichai. The committee spokesperson declined to comment on a specific date. Spokespeople for Apple, Amazon, Google and Facebook did not immediately offer comment. It marks a breakthrough in negotiations: The agreement, first announced in an interview by subcommittee Chairman David Cicilline (D-R.I.) with The New York Times, ends a stalemate between lawmakers and some of the world's most powerful companies over the testimony of its leaders. Three of the four executives Zuckerberg, Pichai and Bezos had indicated their willingness to testify, but only jointly, and Cook had made no such pledge, as POLITICO reported last month. Those conditional agreements gave each a chance to back out if any of the other CEOs declined to appear. The committee had threatened to subpoena for the testimony of one of the CEOs, Amazon chief and world's richest man Bezos, after a lawyer for the company promised to make an "appropriate" executive available but declined to explicitly offer the chief executive. Story continues The four CEOs' combined net worth is approximately $240 billion, according to reports. Key questions remain unanswered about the hearing: A committee spokesperson declined to comment on a specific date for the hearing, or whether the CEOs have agreed to appear in person or virtually, an alternative format some congressional committees have adopted for sessions amid the coronavirus pandemic. It's also unclear whether the two sides have come to an agreement about the committee's demand for additional documents from the companies, which lawmakers have said are key to completing their investigation. The House antitrust panel has long planned to issue a report on its findings at the end of the probe. Boris Johnson told the Commons he would 'see what we can do to take the matter forward' - Jessica Taylor/AFP Boris Johnson will consider reopening the criminal inquiry into the prime suspect linked to the murder of WPc Yvonne Fletcher. The Prime Minister made the pledge after The Telegraph revealed that the Home Office had secretly excluded Saleh Ibrahim Mabrouk from the country weeks before a civil case brought against him by WPc Fletcher's former colleagues was formally launched. Mabrouk, who had been living in Reading in 2009, had been arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to murder in 2015, but the case against him was controversially dropped on the grounds of national security in 2017. WPc Fletcher's former colleague John Murray, who has been leading the campaign for justice, said Mr Johnson's remarks were "a giant leap forward", adding: "This is a turning point. This is the moment I have been waiting for for 36 years." WPc Yvonne Fletcher was killed in 1984 The issue was raised at Prime Minister's Questions by the SNP MP Allan Dorans, who was a Metropolitan Police officer alongside Mr Murray at the time of WPc Fletcher's murder outside the Libyan embassy in London in 1984. Mr Dorans asked Mr Johnson: "No one has ever been charged in connection with her death. "In light of reports at the weekend of a civil case being brought by her former colleague PC John Murray against one of the main suspects, will the Prime Minister pledge tor reopen the criminal inquiry into the murder of WPc Yvonne Fletcher?" Mr Johnson said the murder of WPc Fletcher was "a very important subject" and described it as "sickening and cowardly". He added: "The best thing I can say to the honourable gentleman today is that I would welcome the opportunity to talk to him in person about the issue that he raises to see what we can do to take the matter forward." The Prime Minister's comments came after he was accused of ignoring repeated letters from Mr Murray asking for help with attempts to find justice for WPc Fletcher. Story continues Mr Murray said Mr Johnson's engagement with the issue was "absolutely brilliant" and added: "I am over the moon." He said: "Suddenly he was put on the spot and he had to answer. It appears he may be doing something about it. It is such a relief. I was almost in tears. How long have I been waiting for any Prime Minister to say that? It is a giant leap forward. This is a turning point. This is the moment I have been waiting for for 36 years." Matthew Jury, Mr Murray's lawyer, said: "The British public deserve answers. It's simply inexcusable and inexplicable that there remain this many questions surrounding the murder of a British police officer. "John's civil case may be the last best hope of getting them." Former PC John Murray is crowd-funding his attempt to find justice for Yvonne Fletcher: https://www.crowdjustice.com/case/wpc-fletcher/ Hong Kong: Security law comes into effect The Law of the People's Republic of China on Safeguarding National Security in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region was gazetted for promulgation today and took effect at 11pm. Chief Executive Carrie Lam signed the promulgation and the national security law took effect upon gazettal this evening. With 66 articles, the national security law has six chapters, namely the general principles; the duties and the Government Bodies of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region for safeguarding national security; offences and penalties; jurisdiction, applicable law and procedure; Office for Safeguarding National Security of the Central People's Government (CPG) in the Hong Kong SAR; and supplementary provisions. As stated in the summary of the explanatory statement of the draft law submitted to a session of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress released earlier, the provisions of the national security law fully reflect the following principles: (1) the CPG has an overarching responsibility for national security affairs relating to the Hong Kong SAR, while the Hong Kong SAR bears the constitutional duty of safeguarding national security; (2) in safeguarding national security, the Hong Kong SAR shall uphold the principle of the rule of law; (3) the Hong Kong SAR shall establish and improve relevant institutions and their duties in safeguarding national security; (4) stipulations are made on what constitutes the four categories of crimes that endanger national security and their corresponding penalties; (5) stipulations are made in relation to jurisdiction of cases, application of laws and procedures; and (6) the CPG shall establish an office for safeguarding national security in the Hong Kong SAR. The purposes of the national security law are to prevent, curb and punish crimes, namely acts of secession, subversion of state power, terrorist activities, and collusion with foreign or external forces to endanger national security, maintain prosperity and stability of the Hong Kong SAR, and protect the lawful rights and interests of its residents. In discharging its duty in safeguarding national security, Hong Kong shall fully enforce the national security law and the laws in force in the Special Administrative Region concerning the prevention, suppression, and imposition of punishments for acts and activities endangering national security as well as strengthen its work on safeguarding national security and prevention of terrorist activities. It shall also take necessary measures to strengthen public communication, guidance, supervision and regulation over matters concerning national security, including those relating to schools, social organisations, the media and the Internet as well as complete as early as possible legislation for safeguarding national security as stipulated in the Basic Law and refine relevant laws. The Chief Executive shall submit an annual report to the CPG on Hong Kong's performance of duties in safeguarding national security. The national security law stipulates that a Committee for Safeguarding National Security of the Hong Kong SAR chaired by the Chief Executive will be established to take up national security affairs and bear the major responsibility for safeguarding national security. The committee will be supervised and accountable to the CPG. Its members include the Chief Secretary, Financial Secretary, Secretary for Justice, Secretary for Security, Commissioner of Police, the head of the department for safeguarding national security of the Police Force established under Article 16 of the national security law, Director of Immigration, Commissioner of Customs & Excise and the Director of the Chief Executive's Office. The secretariat under the committee is to be headed by the Secretary General, who shall be appointed by the CPG upon nomination by the Chief Executive. The committee will analyse and assess developments in relation to safeguarding national security in Hong Kong, make work plans and formulate policies, advance the development of the legal system and enforcement mechanisms, and co-ordinate major work and significant operations. It shall be free from any interference in performing its duties and information relating to its work shall not be disclosed to the public. Decisions made by the committee shall not be amenable to judicial review. The committee shall have a National Security Advisor to be designated by the CPG who shall sit in on the committee's meetings and advise on relevant matters. As the principal enforcement authorities of the national security law, Police and the Department of Justice will set up dedicated divisions to handle national security affairs. The Financial Secretary shall, upon approval of the Chief Executive, appropriate from the general revenue a special fund to meet the expenditure for safeguarding national security and approve the establishment of relevant posts, which are not subject to any restrictions in the relevant provisions of existing laws. The Financial Secretary shall submit an annual report on the control and management of the fund for this purpose to the Legislative Council. Except under circumstances specified, the Hong Kong SAR shall have jurisdiction over cases under the national security law. The national security law and the laws of Hong Kong shall apply to procedural matters, including those related to criminal investigation, prosecution, trial and execution of penalty. In handling national security cases, the department responsible for safeguarding national security under Police may take measures in investigating serious crimes under the laws in force in Hong Kong or other stipulated measures under the national security law. A dedicated department under the Department of Justice is responsible for the prosecution of national security offences. Without the Secretary for Justices written consent, prosecution of a national security case shall not be instituted. The Secretary for Justice may, for such reasons as protecting national secrets, issue certification to direct that the relevant case shall be tried without a jury. Where a case is to be tried in the Court of First Instance without a jury, a court consisting of three judges should be constituted. Judges designated from courts at all levels are responsible for hearing cases involving offences endangering national security. Unless national secrets are involved, the trial shall be held in open court and all judgements be announced to the public. These judges are to be designated by the Chief Executive after consultation with the Committee for Safeguarding National Security of the Hong Kong SAR and Chief Justice. Specified circumstances refer to any one of the following three kinds of situations that has been reported by the Government or the Office for Safeguarding National Security of the CPG in the Hong Kong SAR to the CPG for approval: (1) the case is complex due to the involvement of a foreign country or external elements, thus making it difficult for Hong Kong to exercise jurisdiction over the case; (2) a serious situation occurs where the Government is unable to effectively enforce the national security law; or (3) a major and imminent threat to national security has occurred. In these situations, the Office for Safeguarding National Security of the CPG in the Hong Kong SAR shall exercise jurisdiction over cases under the national security law. For the Government to effectively discharge its duty in safeguarding national security, Police and the Department of Justice have made preparations for the establishment of dedicated units. Police will establish a dedicated National Security Department on July 1 to handle the relevant work. The Committee for Safeguarding National Security of the Hong Kong SAR chaired by the Chief Executive will be set up as soon as possible to take up the major responsibility of safeguarding national security. This story has been published on: 2020-07-01. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. U.S. ArmyBy CHRISTINA CARREGA, ABC News (FORT HOOD, Texas) -- Investigators searching for missing Fort Hood, Texas, soldier Vanessa Guillen have unearthed unidentified human remains near the Leon River, authorities say. The remains, which will undergo an identification process, were found near where a previous search was conducted on June 22, officials with the Army Criminal Investigation Division said. "After receiving additional information, agents have discovered what has been described as partial human remains after analysis from a forensic anthropologist," said CID Chief of Public Affairs Chris Grey. "Due to the ongoing criminal investigation, no further information will be released at this time," Grey said. The discovery came on the same day that Guillen's family announced they were seeking a congressional investigation into the 20-year-old's disappearance. Guillen was last seen in the parking lot of her Regimental Engineer Squadron headquarters at the Fort Hood military base on April 22, and has not been heard from since. "Due to the lack of answers, safety, respect, and responsibility in Fort Hood, we are demanding a Congressional Investigation to be done," Guillen family attorney Natalie Khawam wrote in a Facebook post Tuesday. "It is truly disappointing how Fort Hood Army Base, a military base, has not given answers to Vanessa's family." Khawam and Guillen's family said that Guillen complained to family members about being the victim of sexual harassment on the base, but never filed a formal complaint for fear of retaliation. "At this point, investigators have no credible information or report that Vanessa Guillen was sexually assaulted," military officials said in a previous statement. Khawam said she's planning to propose legislation to protect U.S military soldiers from sexual harassment and sexual assault, with an announcement expected at a press conference at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on Thursday at noon. "Our soldiers deserve to be safe and respected while being on duty," wrote Khawam on Facebook. "Those soldier are putting their life for the United States yet the same army family fails to respect them mentally, physically or sexually ... Our soldiers need feel and be safe while being on duty." Guillen's disappearance comes eight months after the disappearance of Fort Hood Pvt. Gregory Wedel-Morales, whose body was discovered near the base and positively identified on June 19. Although autopsy results are pending for Wedel-Morales, officials said they suspect his death resulted from foul play. Military officials told Houston ABC station KTRK-TV on June 23 that they also suspect foul play in Guillen's disappearance. The CID and The League of United Latin American Citizens are each offering a reward of up to $25,000 for information leading to Guillen's whereabouts. Copyright 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved. by Nirmala Carvalho The Sindhudurg Diocesan Development Society (SDDS) has been working with marginalized sectors of society, particularly young people and children, for more than a decade in the Sindhudurg district of Maharashtra. Mumbai (AsiaNews) - On June 27 and 28, the Sindhudurg Diocesan Development Society (SDDS) distributed mills to 18 families most affected by the 2019 floods that devastated the lives of many people. Sindhudurg Diocesan Development Society (SDDS) director Father Melwin Pais told AsiaNews. "A few days earlier, on June 20, SDDS also distributed 24 sewing machines to affected families in the same villages." In the month of August last year, Maharashtra was battered by heavy rainfall and many districts in our Diocese of Sindhudurg, Maharashtra were submerged under water and suffered heavy loss to life and livelihood. But the worst affected was the Kolhapur district which was completely submerged by the flood water. Around 204 villages out of total 1234 inKolhapur was affected by floods and 15000 people were relocated to safer places. Homes were completely destroyed, out of the number of houses completely destroyed 160 houses belong to the people from poor communities. The people in these areas are marginal farmers, daily labourers and agricultural farmers. Around 342 bridges have collapsed, 29 state highways and 56 main roads have been closed. The most affected district was Shirol, completely submerged in the water overflowing from three nearby rivers. Villages in the Taluka district were known as the sugar belt, sugar production centers and small-scale industries thrived. Floods have completely destroyed this economy. There was an urgent need for food aid and logistical means to carry out the distribution of food and other relief items in the flooded areas. In order to prevent the deterioration of the physical condition of the most vulnerable population, these people needed continuous assistance Fr. Melwin Pais, explained to AsiaNews, that the SDDS is the social wing of the diocese of Sindhudurg formed by Bishop Alwyn Barreto. SDDS has been working with the marginalized sectors of society, particularly young people and children, for more than a decade in the Sindhudurg district, Maharashtra, India. Its mission is to focus on the development of the children and young people in rural regions of Maharashtra by making optimal use of the human resources available. His vision is for a self-sufficient rural society, endowed with talents and moral values not only to seek, but to spread awareness and a higher level of consciousness. His efforts include skills training, sustainable livelihood programs, life skills training, disaster management and relief operations. "In the current lockdown for Covid, SDDS provided food rations and hygiene kits to day laborers, migrant workers, rickshaw drivers, fishermen and precarious teachers. The Sindhudurg Diocesan Development Society (SDDS) is committed to providing food and hygiene kits to these people - regardless of their caste, creed and religion - that we are reaching. To date we have reached almost 1000 families. " The diocese of Sindhudurg-SDDS has also been involved in the relief operations conducted in Kolhapur after the floods of 2019, distributing 400 hygiene kits and is also engaged in the long-term rehabilitation of 609 families by providing them with sustenance support and assistance in repairing the home, in collaboration with Caritas India. The distribution of the mills that was carried out on June 27 and 28 to 18 families was one of the activities undertaken by the SDDS to provide livelihood support to the victims of the floods of Kolhapur in 2019, which have upset the lives of many people. The cost of each mill is around 15,680 rupees (around 180 euros). On June 20, SDDS also distributed 24 sewing machines to families affected by the floods in the same villages. Each machine costs around 9,000 rupees (around 105 euros). Palestinian protest annexation of the West Bank, which is due to take place in the coming weeks - Reuters Boris Johnson has implored Israel to abandon its controversial plan to annex parts of the West Bank, warning that the move would embolden the Jewish states enemies and risk destabilising the Middle East. In an op-ed for Yediot Ahronoth, an Israeli newspaper, Mr Johnson said he was a passionate defender of Israel but was deeply concerned about the annexation process, which is due to begin in the coming weeks. It is with sadness that I have followed the proposals to annex Palestinian territory, the Prime Minister wrote. As a life-long friend, admirer and supporter of Israel, I am fearful that these proposals will fail in their objective of securing Israels borders and will be contrary to Israels own long-term interests. Mr Johnson went on to say that if Israel does push ahead with annexation then Britain would not recognise the changes to Israel's borders, unless they were also agreed on by the Palestinians. Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, initially vowed to begin extending Israeli sovereignty to parts of the West Bank on July 1, but the plan has been paused amid strong resistance from the international community and a surge in coronavirus cases in Israel. There are also reports of hesitation in Washington, which earlier this year gave Israel the green light to annex up to 30 per cent of the West Bank as part of Donald Trumps peace plan for the Middle East, which the US president hailed as the deal of the century. In his article, Mr Johnson wrote that annexation would put in jeopardy the progress that Israel has made in improving relationships with the Arab and Muslim world, and breach international law, a view shared by the United Nations and EU leaders. The Prime Minister also warned that "Israels enemies would seize upon [annexation] and use it against those in the Middle East who want to see progress." Story continues It comes after Mr Netanyahu hinted that he would not begin annexation on July 1, citing diplomatic and security considerations" and stressing that annexation would begin "after" July 1. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wearing a face mask - Shutterstock Palestinian leaders, along with the wider Arab world, have strongly rejected both annexation and the overarching Trump plan, which was designed to bring them back to the table for negotiations on creating a Palestinian state. According to Israeli media reports, Washington has asked Israel to make renewed efforts at persuading the Palestinian Authority (PA) to come around to the plan, which may be the reason behind this week's delay. One option suggested by the US is adjusting the borders of Area C, which is currently under full Israeli control, to give the PA more control over territory in the West Bank that it claims at its own. However, Palestinian leaders have said that they will not accept any plan which involves even an inch of the West Bank being annexed. Mr Netanyahu is also under growing pressure from his own ministers, including former leadership rival Benny Gantz, to postpone annexation and focus efforts on the coronavirus crisis. On Wednesday, Israel recorded 859 new infections of coronavirus, the largest tally since the outbreak began, which has renewed speculation that the country may have to go back into lockdown. The 75-year-old protester who was pushed to the ground by police officers in Buffalo, New York, has been released from the hospital almost four weeks after being injured. Martin Gugino was attending a protest outside City Hall on June 4 when he was pushed to the ground by a line of police officers clearing out the relatively empty area. He fell and hit the back of his head, fracturing his skull and putting him in the hospital for 26 days. He was released Tuesday from the Erie County Medical Center, his attorney said. His lawyer, Kelly Zarcone, said he will be recovering at an "undisclosed location" to preserve his privacy. "I was able to see Martin today and he looks great. He can walk with a little help and his condition will continue to improve with rest and time," Zarcone said in a statement. "I brought him the cards and letters sent to my office and he said he still felt overjoyed at the continued support and well wishes, 'like it was Christmas Day.'" MORE: Trump tweets conspiracy theory about Buffalo protester police officers knocked to ground Gugino is an activist and regular at protests in New York state, his friends said, but has never been anything but peaceful and is a regular volunteer for Catholic charities. "Martin said that he is pleased at the progress made so far to protect the safety of peaceful protesters, a topic near and dear to his heart," Zarcone said Tuesday. "He respects the burden of authority placed upon law enforcement but looks forward to the continued implementation of systemic changes to eliminate police brutality." PHOTO: Martin Gugino attends a demonstration. (Courtesy Bill Jacobson) Officers Aaron Torgalski and Robert McCabe were charged earlier this month with second-degree assault in the incident and released on their own recognizance. They both pleaded not guilty and are expected back in court July 20. In a statement prior to the arrests, Buffalo police had said Gugino tripped and fell despite the video evidence. Story continues MORE: Buffalo police officers arrested after shoving 75-year-old protester The incident rose as high as the White House. President Donald Trump tweeted a conspiracy theory on June 9, writing Gugino may be an "ANTIFA provocateur" and that the whole incident could be part of a "set up." At the time, Zarcone called the president's accusations "dark, dangerous, and untrue." New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo mocked Trump's theory, asking, "What do you think, it was staged? You think that the blood coming out of his head was staged? Is that what you are saying?" ABC News' Aaron Katersky contributed to this report. Protester Martin Gugino, who was injured by police, released from hospital originally appeared on abcnews.go.com It is not uncommon to see companies perform well in the years after insiders buy shares. Unfortunately, there are also plenty of examples of share prices declining precipitously after insiders have sold shares. So shareholders might well want to know whether insiders have been buying or selling shares in Webcentral Group Limited (ASX:WCG). What Is Insider Buying? It is perfectly legal for company insiders, including board members, to buy and sell stock in a company. However, most countries require that the company discloses such transactions to the market. We don't think shareholders should simply follow insider transactions. But it is perfectly logical to keep tabs on what insiders are doing. For example, a Columbia University study found that 'insiders are more likely to engage in open market purchases of their own companys stock when the firm is about to reveal new agreements with customers and suppliers'. View our latest analysis for Webcentral Group The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At Webcentral Group In the last twelve months, the biggest single purchase by an insider was when Non-Executive Director Karl Peter Siegling bought AU$113k worth of shares at a price of AU$0.38 per share. That means that even when the share price was higher than AU$0.069 (the recent price), an insider wanted to purchase shares. 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 always take careful note of the price insiders pay when purchasing shares. Generally speaking, it catches our eye when insiders have purchased shares at above current prices, as it suggests they believed the shares were worth buying, even at a higher price. While Webcentral Group insiders bought shares during the last year, they didn't sell. The chart below shows insider transactions (by individuals) over the last year. By clicking on the graph below, you can see the precise details of each insider transaction! Story continues ASX:WCG Insider Trading Volume July 1st 2020 Webcentral Group is not the only stock insiders are buying. So take a peek at this free list of growing companies with insider buying. Does Webcentral Group Boast High Insider Ownership? Another way to test the alignment between the leaders of a company and other shareholders is to look at how many shares they own. I reckon it's a good sign if insiders own a significant number of shares in the company. Insiders own 14% of Webcentral Group shares, worth about AU$1.2m, according to our data. We do generally prefer see higher levels of insider ownership. So What Does This Data Suggest About Webcentral Group Insiders? The fact that there have been no Webcentral Group insider transactions recently certainly doesn't bother us. However, our analysis of transactions over the last year is heartening. The transactions are fine but it'd be more encouraging if Webcentral Group insiders bought more shares in the company. While we like knowing what's going on with the insider's ownership and transactions, we make sure to also consider what risks are facing a stock before making any investment decision. At Simply Wall St, we've found that Webcentral Group has 3 warning signs (2 are concerning!) that deserve your attention before going any further with your analysis. But note: Webcentral Group may not be the best stock to buy. So take a peek at this free list of interesting companies with high ROE and low debt. 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. 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. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com. Servers Alex Avila and Joshua Hernandez drop off food at Faith & Flower's "landing zone" in June. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) Gov. Gavin Newsom on Wednesday ordered the immediate closure of indoor operations at restaurants, wineries, tasting rooms, movie theaters, zoos, museums and card rooms in 19 counties including Los Angeles County that California officials have been monitoring for increases in coronavirus cases and hospitalizations. The bottom line is that the spread of this virus continues at a rate that is particularly concerning, Newsom said, noting that closures will last for at least three weeks. In L.A. County, where officials Wednesday announced 35 additional coronavirus-related deaths and more than 2,000 new cases for the fourth day in a row, officials said that staff and customers at fitness facilities will be required to wear cloth face coverings and gloves at all times. The mandate follows L.A. County officials announcement Monday that 49% of bars and 33% of restaurants in the county were not adhering to social distancing protocols in the last week. Additionally, inspectors found that workers at 54% of bars and 44% of restaurants were not wearing face masks or shields. Health officials said that on June 20 one day after L.A. County gave the green light for bars, breweries, wineries and similar businesses to reopen more than 500,000 people visited the countys newly reopened nightlife spots. Officials had previously said that of 3,571 restaurants that had been visited over three consecutive weekends from May 30 to June 13, 83% were not in full compliance with coronavirus safety rules. There are more than 40,000 restaurants in L.A. County, and the county's public health director, Barbara Ferrer, said officials are trying to inspect every one of them, starting with those that have had past citations. But the order of inspection is fairly random, she said. In his Wednesday evening media briefing, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti encouraged restaurant owners to work with officials to secure outdoor dining permits using the L.A. Al Fresco program. Story continues "This is a painful decision, especially for our restaurateurs," he said of Newsom's order. "I hope our residents will continue to support our city's wonderful restaurants. You just cannot eat inside for this at least three-week period." Garcetti said about 560 restaurants so far have received permits to serve on sidewalks, parking lots or streets. "This spike in infections and in hospitalizations is serious," he said. "I know were exhausted. I know that we let down our guard. I know some of us think that were invincible. But this disease reminds us that we are not." In light of the case surge, Garcetti introduced a new color-coded system to signal the level of danger due to the coronavirus: green, yellow, orange and red. We're in the "orange" category, Garcetti said, which indicates a high risk and requires residents to leave home only for essential activities. If the city reaches the "red" category, there could be another stay-at-home mandate, Garcetti said. The latest closures were ordered after California broke a record for new daily coronavirus infections 8,610 cases, according to The Times tracker for the second consecutive day. It was the second time the state has recorded more than 8,000 cases in a single day, another troubling sign that COVID-19 is spreading more rapidly in communities across the state. The percentage of coronavirus tests coming back positive in California continues to rise hitting 5.95% Tuesday, a Los Angeles Times analysis found, up from 5.28% a week earlier and 4.45% a week before that. Thats another indication that the virus' spread is worsening. In L.A. County, officials said 1,889 individuals are hospitalized with COVID-19, the highest number the county has reported since early May. Officials said that the demographic for hospitalizations has recently started to shift toward younger residents, who now account for the bulk of cases in the state. Further details about individuals' ages or health conditions were not immediately provided. As of Wednesday, there were no available appointments at county- or city-run test sites. Officials had warned Monday that testing would be limited this week due to the upcoming holiday weekend, but in recent weeks, getting a test has already proved to be a challenge. Last week, appointment slots filled up amid officials' ongoing calls for residents to get tested. Dr. Christina Ghaly, director of health services, said Wednesday that the demand for testing has increased and that more slots would be added Friday. The county plans to expand testing to areas most impacted by the virus, and Ghaly said individuals who have symptoms, work in high-risk settings or have come into contact with someone known to be positive are most in need of testing. If someone experiencing any of those factors cannot get tested through the county- or city-run sites, Ghaly encouraged them not to wait and to instead contact their medical provider. "This is a time for universal caution," she said. The rate of positive infections in the county has increased to 9%, which does not meet the state's positivity rate threshold of 8% or less for continued reopening of businesses. As several clusters of cases have been linked to gatherings, officials have encouraged people not to congregate in crowded or confined settings, and resists mixing households over the holiday weekend. Despite the fact that people are defying the county order and gathering, Ferrer said there are no immediate plans to offer guidance for how people should safely gather, as has been done in some Northern California communities. That said, Ferrer said that county officials are preparing guidance documents for when the time comes that people can safely mix again. But at this point, officials are focusing on the need for people to minimize exposure. "Unfortunately, our numbers at this point in time warrant us not to get into expanded bubbles," Ferrer said. "I would really encourage people to get back in your household bubble were really at a pivotal point." Earlier Wednesday, Newsom said that in the course of this pandemic, there has never been a "more vulnerable" time for people with preexisting health conditions as there is now. The state is monitoring 19 counties for surges in cases and hospitalizations: Contra Costa, Fresno, Glenn, Imperial, Kern, Kings, Los Angeles, Merced, Orange, Riverside, Sacramento, San Bernardino, San Joaquin, Santa Barbara, Santa Clara, Solano, Stanislaus, Tulare and Ventura. At a news conference Tuesday, Newsom said four more counties were likely to be added to the watch list, but he did not name them. Monday brought L.A.'s highest single-day tally to date 2,903 which pushed the county past 100,000 infections . The L.A. County community needs to come together again to slow the spread of COVID-19, and we need to act with haste and urgency, Ferrer said in a statement. Orange County set its own daily record Tuesday, with 779 new confirmed coronavirus cases. The county now has nearly 14,000 cases and 340 deaths. On the same day, California as a whole hit a grim milestone when it exceeded 6,000 deaths. That is still far fewer than other coronavirus hot spots, such as New York and New Jersey, but the increase in overall case numbers and the stress on hospitals are raising alarms. The enormous surge in California cases, to more than 223,900, prompted New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo to order that anyone traveling to his state from California and 15 other states that have seen recent surges to self-quarantine for 14 days. Newsom on Tuesday compared pending new restrictions to dialing back a dimmer switch, saying, "If youre not going to stay home, and youre not going to wear masks in public, we have to enforce, and we will. On Tuesday, Ventura County joined Los Angeles County in closing beaches during the holiday. In Orange County, Laguna Beach City Council members voted to close city beaches, Huntington Beach officials opted to keep them open and Newport Beach officials are still mulling plans. PALM SPRINGS, Calif. -- Gov. Gavin Newsom on Wednesday said bars must close and indoor operations will need to stop in certain business sectors including restaurants, wineries, movie theaters, zoos, museums and card rooms, in order to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus ahead of Fourth of July weekend. The order is effective immediately and Newsom expects it to be in place for at least three weeks. This doesnt mean restaurants shut down, Newsom said. It means were trying to take activities, as many activities as we can, these mixed activities, and move them outdoors, which is a way of mitigating the spread of this virus." Golden State news straight to your inbox: Sign up for our California newsletter now The order applies to the 19 counties that have been on the state's monitoring list for at least three consecutive days. Those counties include: Contra Costa Fresno Glenn Imperial Kern Kings Los Angeles Merced Orange Riverside Sacramento San Bernardino San Joaquin Santa Barbara Santa Clara Solano Stanislaus Tulare Ventura This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. Newsom said the closures are designed to focus on indoor operations, which have been open for several weeks. Some of the affected sectors, like movie theaters, bowling alleys and arcades, were allowed to reopen less than three weeks ago. Restaurants were able to open to indoor dining on Memorial Day weekend. Additionally, state beach parking facilities will close in Southern California and the Bay Area, though Newsom is not mandating their closure. The state ordered beaches to close in counties where local officials have already done so. The state on Tuesday reported 5,898 new COVID-19 cases and 110 virus-related deaths, with a positivity rate of 6% over the last 14 days, Newsom said. Two weeks ago, the state's positivity rate was 4.6%. Surfers carry their boards as cyclists ride past, none wearing a face mask, at Santa Monica Beach near Santa Monica Pier, which re-opened with safety guidelines June 25. Newsom in recent days has warned residents about becoming lax with public health protocols like wearing masks and physical distancing, especially at family gatherings, in advance of the Fourth of July holiday. It's a weekend that has raised a lot of concern from our health officials, he said Wednesday. As such, hes urging counties to shut down fireworks displays and telling residents to avoid gatherings with people from outside of their household. Story continues "Patriotism, at least in a COVID-19 environment, can be expressed a little bit differently with consideration of our independence again from COVID-19," Newsom said. "That needs (to) come with conditions and considerations on wearing masks and making sure we're physically distanced." Newsom urged people to avoid family gatherings or meeting up with friends and neighbors who arent in their immediate household. While people may have the best of intentions and come wearing masks, they may get lax as the party goes on, he said. Newsom also announced the launch of strike teams that will be responsible for targeting non-compliant workplaces, comprised of state representatives working in partnership with local health departments. He said theyre going to target workplaces that have had multiple abuses complaints. Newsom said the enforcement measures will start with education, as well as enforcing state codes and licenses. The state also will look at regulatory and fiscal pieces, he said. It's not just about wearing masks, Newsom added, but health and safety in workplaces. One should not have to put their life at risk to go to work as an essential worker, Newsom said. As many tribal casinos remain open, Newsom said the state is "in deep conversations and will be making public the fruits of those efforts to at least get a rationale of understanding between partners in our sovereign nations and the state of California." Newsom initially put the state under a shelter-in-place order in mid-March that closed all but essential services. As the curve of coronavirus cases flattened, more sectors of businesses and services were allowed to reopen in May and into June in counties that attested they had the virus under control and a plan in place to handle surges. While public health officials expected cases to rise in connection with the reopenings, the spikes in some places have come with a higher positivity rate, or the percent of tests coming back positive, as well as concerns about overloading hospital systems. Newsom on Tuesday addressed residents who arent wearing face coverings when going out in public. Though the state requires masks under an order issued in June, not all are following suit He called mask-wearing a sign of character and resolve. Its a sign of someone who gives a damn," Newsom said. "Its a sign of someone who wants to solve a problem. Melissa Daniels covers local business, hospitality, and economic development in the Coachella Valley. Reach out at (760)-567-8458, melissa.daniels@desertsun.com, or on Twitter @melissamdaniels. This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Covid cases: CA governor shutters bars, beach parking before Fourth Martin Tario, who co-owns Dupar's Restaurant with his wife Frances, replaces "dine-in" with "patio" at his restaurant at the Original Farmers Market. California Governor Gavin Newsom ordered indoor restaurants closed effective immediately on July 1. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) California restaurants in 19 counties including Los Angeles County must halt indoor dine-in operations effective immediately, a measure intended to slow the aggressive resurgence of COVID-19 across the state. The restrictions will be in place for at least three weeks, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Wednesday. Businesses can continue serving guests in outdoor spaces or open-air patios. The new restrictions are the latest blow to restaurant owners and employees across the state, many of whom were already struggling to keep their businesses afloat. Newsom had previously ordered restaurants to close for in-person dining on March 15 to curb the spread of COVID-19, though officials in various counties began to lift restrictions in late May, allowing restaurants to open with limited capacity and distancing guidelines. Some California cities, including Los Angeles, have recently enacted programs intended to increase outdoor dining by permitting restaurants to open in public spaces such as sidewalks, streets and parking lots. Despite such policies, however, restaurants do not have equal access to open air space. For some, the investment in outdoor seating is not spatially practical or financially viable. An hour before the governor's announcement, Wes Avila's downtown restaurant Guerrilla Tacos had opened its dining room for the first time since the March shutdown. Co-owner Brittney Valles, 27, said the restaurant spent hours training the staff, installing protective plexiglass and stocking up on PPE to prepare for opening. "We've spent like $40,000 in the last month making $1,000 a day just to open safely and to follow the rules," she said. "But then we drive by other restaurants and see them and no one is following them." During a Tuesday news conference, L.A. County Department of Public Health director Dr. Barbara Ferrer said that nearly half of the restaurants visited by inspectors since the reopening were still not complying with the mandated health and safety protocols. Story continues Although Guerrilla Tacos has a small front patio, Valles said she doesn't think it will be worth it to serve 11 outdoor seats. Instead, she's thinking of using the back parking lot as a dining area, or returning to takeout. "I just don't trust stuff to not be changing left and right again," she said. "It's a parking lot that serves as the landing area for cleaning supplies and catering. It would be an investment turning that into a dining area." In the days leading up to the latest dine-in shutdown, owners and employees had voiced concerns over inconsistent reopening procedures as well as diners who refused to comply with mask requirements and physical distancing guidelines. Hugos Tacos announced Sunday it would temporarily close its locations in Atwater Village and Studio City after constant conflicts over guests refusing to wear masks. Staff have been harassed, called names, and had objects and liquids thrown at them, a statement from owner Bill Kohne read. Any place that reopens and expects to run things the same as before [the pandemic], its extremely reckless, said Doug Rankin, chef at Bar Restaurant in Silver Lake. "We're in a whole new reality right now and safety is the most important priority." Rankin plans to reopen his restaurant next week for outdoor and patio dining, arranging tables on a large adjacent parking lot that, along with the restaurants patio, will allow him to seat the same number of diners as his restaurants original capacity. Hes one of the lucky ones, he insists. Nobody designed their restaurants to be pandemic-proof, he said. If we had opened in a tiny 30-seat space with no parking, wed been in a much worse place right now. It's putting people in a difficult position. At Guerrilla Tacos, Valles said she didn't feel that it was completely safe to reopen, but a decline in the demand for takeout forced their hand. The restaurant had originally planned to reopen on Aug. 1 at the earliest. "So many operators rushed to open and make money as quickly as they could, rather than follow the rules so we could all stay open longer," she said. Floor supervisor Janine Ortiz, 25, who has worked with Avila for years, said she wasn't surprised by the decision to close indoor dining again. "There's no point to opening again just for people to be disappointed again and go on unemployment again and do this whole thing over again," she said. "It's pretty disappointing. But I think it was 100% too soon to open." Francois Ghebaly, 40, was one of a handful of diners in the dining room. He works in the area and usually gets takeout, but wanted to dine in today after he saw that it was open. "I'm lucky I got in before it shut down again," he said. "Whatever is safest is most important, but it was nice to be able to sit down again." Consumer Reports has no financial relationship with advertisers on this site. Enforcement of the California Consumer Privacy Act began July 1, after a six-month grace period on enforcement. The CCPA gives California residents more control over data held by private companies, and many companies have extended the same controls to all U.S. residents. Consumer Reports research shows that people trying to use the mandated controls often run into confusing red tape, and some ultimately give up on the process. At the beginning of this year, a new law gave consumers in California unprecedented rights to control how companies use and sell their dataand many firms extended those rights to all Americans. But until today, Californias attorney general could not bring the hammer down on companies that didnt comply. The landmark California Consumer Privacy Act provided companies with a six-month grace period before enforcement started, and thousands of companies have scrambled to organize their stores of personal data and provide ways for consumers to opt out of their data being sold, or demand that it be deleted altogether. But many other companies have dragged their feet on the CCPA, privacy and legal experts tell Consumer Reports. Now, they say, how aggressively California Attorney General Xavier Becerra goes after scofflaws will set the stage for consumer privacy rights in California and around the country. Becerras office declined to comment on any potential investigations, but he has stressed all along that hes planning on tough enforcement: In December, Becerra told Reuters that if companies dont comply, I will descend on them and make an example of them. The new law applies to giants such as Amazon and Google, as well as thousands of large and midsized businesses that you wouldnt think of as data companiesincluding online retailers, media organizations, and even restaurants and hotels. Consumers havent been waiting for the grace period to end to flex their new privacy muscles, according to Dominique Shelton Leipzig, a privacy lawyer at the law firm Perkins Coie who advises companies on the CCPA. Story continues Consumers have three major new legal rights under the law: They can ask a company for a copy of all the data the company holds about them, they can tell the company not to sell the data, and they can tell the company to delete the data. Some companies are receiving thousands of such requests every month, Leipzig tells CR. The requests arent just coming from Californians. This is essentially a national law, says Arlo Gilbert, CEO of Osano, a startup that helps companies comply with the CCPA. Thats partly because the law applies to all California residents, even if they travel out of state. Its just too difficult for companies to know whether someone staying in a hotel elsewhere in the country is a California resident, so many companies have extended the same data rights to everybody in the U.S. The law has led some companies to make consumer-friendly changes to the way they handle data. A number businesses have decided to dump data they dont really need, as CR reported earlier this year. That means theres less sensitive consumer data out there to get lost, stolen, or reused in ways consumers might not like. A number of businesses are also thinking twice about the traditional tech-company practice of collecting personal details they dont plan to use right away, hoping to make money off it later. Businesses for the first time are thinking about what personal information theyre collecting, and getting rid ofor no longer collectingwhat they dont need, says Mary Stone Ross, a privacy consultant and a co-author of the California ballot proposition that state legislators turned into the CCPA in 2018. Confusing Opt-Out Controls Thats the good news, according to privacy experts. But preliminary research from Consumer Reports backs up anecdotal evidence that many consumers are facing hurdles when they try to exercise their new data rights. CR followed more than 500 California volunteers through the process of making CCPA opt-out requests. The volunteers contacted hundreds of companies and often ran into confusing red tape. Almost a third of the time, when a volunteer tried to opt out of data sharing, they couldnt figure out how to do it, even though the CCPA requires companies to provide clear instructions from their home page. For almost one-fifth of the companies in the study, at least one volunteer eventually gave up on trying to opt out. Weve been really disappointed in how many companies have been trying to avoid compliance with the CCPA, says Maureen Mahoney, a CR privacy and technology policy analyst who is overseeing the study. (The full results will be available later this summer.) Karen McCall, a resident of Vacaville, Calif., was one of the study participants who gave up on submitting requests. She says she was uncomfortable with the information that one of the companies wanted her to provide: It asked for her Social Security number, and for a selfie holding up her photo ID. In order to opt out of my data being shared, they wanted more data than they already had on meand more sensitive dataand I dont feel thats the way the process should work, McCall says. CR found that several companies ask people for selfies, government IDs, and Social Security numbers. Thats unfriendly to consumers, says CRs Mahoney, and may run counter to the laws intent. The CCPA pointedly does not require verification of opt-out requests, and making consumers jump through hoops to opt-out will make it more difficult for them to control the unwanted disclosure of their personal information, she says. The attorney general is encouraging California consumers to report possible violations of CCPA. We want to hear about any information you have on a business possibly violating the lawyou can file a complaint or write to us, Becerra said in a statement. The state has a website for filing complaints. The state might not have to sue a company to get it in line, according to consumer advocates. A sternly worded letter could scare a company into paying attention, Ross says. Its not an enforcement action, but if youre a company and you get one of those letters, your behaviors will change. But even as the CCPA grows teeth, some privacy advocates are pushing for stronger protections. In November, Californians will vote on a new ballot initiative put forward by one of the co-authors of the original CCPA, the San Francisco real estate investor Alastair Mactaggart. The new measure is often called CCPA 2.0 because it would give Californians a whole new set of data rights. For instance, they could demand that a company fix inaccurate data instead of just asking for all data to be deleted. (It also makes several concessions to businesses that some privacy advocates are unhappy about.) Were trying to regulate this world where suddenly theres a ubiquity of information for those who have the money to procure it, Mactaggart said at a June 30 Q&A session about the CCPA hosted by Perkins Coie. He said the new ballot initiative, if passed by voters, could prod action in other states or even in Congress. Because were in California, if it happens here, it becomes part of the national discourse. If the measure passesan October 2019 poll commissioned by Mactaggarts advocacy group put support at about 88 percentit could send a strong signal that consumers are serious about protecting their privacy. I hope its interpreted that consumers care about privacy and gives legislators more incentive and confidence to push forward with privacy legislation, CRs Mahoney says. More from Consumer Reports: Top pick tires for 2016 Best used cars for $25,000 and less 7 best mattresses for couples Consumer Reports is an independent, nonprofit organization that works side by side with consumers to create a fairer, safer, and healthier world. CR does not endorse products or services, and does not accept advertising. Copyright 2020, Consumer Reports, Inc. Major automakers posted lower U.S. monthly or quarterly new vehicle sales on Wednesday due in large part to weak fleet orders, but said consumer demand remained robust despite the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. "This quarter demonstrated the resilience of the U.S. consumer," said Jeff Kommor, head of U.S. sales at FCA, as the automaker reported a 39% slump in sales for the second quarter. "Retail sales have been rebounding since April as the reopening of the economy, steady gas prices, and access to low interest loans spur people to buy." U.S. auto production was shut down for two months in the spring as part of efforts to thwart the spread of the novel coronavirus. That has left automakers scrambling to ramp up production again to boost low dealer inventories. "GM entered the quarter with very lean inventories and our dealers did a great job meeting customer demand, especially for pickups," Kurt McNeil, U.S. vice president for sales at General Motors. "Now, we are refilling the pipeline by quickly and safely returning production to pre-pandemic levels." GM said its efforts to rebuild dealer inventory levels included working with logistics and trucking companies to make sure vehicles ship as soon as they roll off the production line. GM posted a pandemic-fueled 34% decline in second-quarter sales, but noted while April sales were down about 35% versus the same month in 2019, May and June saw declines of around 20% or less. "Our resilient sales reflect an improving demand curve," McNeil said. While U.S. consumer demand for new vehicles has rebounded surprisingly quickly despite the economic ravages wrought by COVID-19, fleet sales to rental car companies, corporations and government agencies have dragged overall sales down. Recovery for those sales is expected to be slow, while the future of the rental car industry is uncertain. Volkswagen reported a 29% drop in Q2, compounding a 22% decline so far for 2020. The only vehicle in its portfolio outpacing 2019 sales is the Arteon, which improved by 33% to 797 units in the second quarter. Story continues Hyundai said that while its overall sales fell 22% in June, sales to consumers rose 6% versus June 2019, while its fleet sales plummeted 93%. Luxury subsidiary Genesis reported a nearly 25% drop compared to last June, but said customers are coming back; its flagship G90 executive sedan is beating its 2019 sales performance through June. "Despite a steep decline in the luxury market, Genesis increased sales significantly over last month," said Mark Del Rosso, president and chief executive officer, Genesis Motor North America. FCA's Kommor said fleet sales "remained low" during the quarter as FCA "prioritized vehicle deliveries to retail customers." "As a result, we have built a strong fleet order book which we will fulfill over the coming months," he added. Toyota Motor Corp reported a 26.7% drop in sales in June, though sales for some SUV models were up versus the same month in 2019. Mazda checked in with a 17-percent drop in the second quarter, but is down only just under 11% so far in 2020. Nissan continues to struggle, reporting a 39-percent decline for group sales through June. (Additional Reuters reporting by Ankit Ajmera and Sanjana Shivdas in Bengaluru, Ben Klayman in Detroit; Editing by Shinjini Ganguli and Bernadette Baum) Security concerns lead Chunghwa Telecom and Taiwan Mobile to choose Finnish company. Taiwan will invest 605 million euros to encourage the industrial development of the 5G system. US government: Huawei is a "threat to national security". Taipei (AsiaNews / Agencies) As of yesterday, Taiwan has its first 5G network. Chunghwa Telecom, the first telephone operator on the island, has launched the ultra-fast internet that allows you to download a two-hour movie in just three minutes. The system is based on Nokia technology. The Finnish company was chosen over Huawei, the Chinese telecommunications giant that the United States accuses of spying for the government. Nokia has also secured a 401-million-euro contract to supply Taiwan Mobile, the second largest local telecommunications company, which will activate its 5G services today. Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen has announced that the government will invest 605 million over the next four years to support the industrial development of 5G networks. Together with the United States, Australia, Japan, Singapore and to a lesser extent New Zealand, Taipei has effectively excluded Huawei from its ultra-fast internet system. The charges laid by the Trump administration have resulted in many countries to renege on the Chinese 5G system, considered the most advanced in the world. Yesterday, the US government formally designated Huawei (and ZTE, another major Chinese technology company) as a "threat to national security". Huawei cannot sell its products in the U.S., and cannot do business with U.S. companies. In addition, Washington has introduced sanctions for foreign companies that sell technology - especially microchips - to the Chinese company. Click here to read the full article. Here's What You Need To Remember: Time will tell which, if any, of these technologies can be developed into practical operational systems. According to some evaluations, todays cutting-edge submarines like the Virginia- and Sea Wolf-class attack submarines have been evaluated to run only five decibels louder than average oceanic background noises. Even less-expensive Swedish air independent propulsion submarines have successfully passed undetected to sink U.S. carriers during exercises. Yet some naval analysts are decidedly bearish on the prospects of submarine stealth in the twenty-first century, looking ahead to highly sensitive low-frequency sonars, advanced satellite-based optical sensors that may bypass acoustic-stealth entirely, and powerful computer processors that can churn through vast quantities of data to discriminate faint contacts from background noise. China is even developing a satellite-based laser surveillance system aimed at detecting vessels submerged as deep as five hundred meters. Recently, the field of quantum mechanics has increasingly shown its potential to disrupt established paradigms in multiple domains of warfareparticularly due to the concept of quantum entanglement, the uncanny phenomenon by which bonded particles continue to uncannily reflect each others behavior even across long distances. Though still facing by range coherence limitations, quantum sensors and communicators could potentially bypass many of the limitations and vulnerabilities of traditional radio-frequency sensors, remaining effective despite jamming or stealthy-aircraft profiles. As detailed in this article, China appears to have taken an early lead in quantum radar, though how soon the technology can be developed into an operationally viable system remains to be seen. Today, acoustic detection remains the primary methods to detect and track submarines. Besides active and passive sonars mounted on ships and submarines, they are also fixed in underwater surveillance systems, dropped in buoys by maritime patrol planes like the P-8 Poseidon or Japanese P-1, and hoisted down into the water by anti-submarine helicopters like the MH-60R Seahawk. Story continues However, anti-submarine warriors can draw upon an array of supporting technologies beyond sonar that have historically played a major role. During World War II, aircraft-borne surface-search radars led to the doom of many German U-Boats, allowing patrol planes to detect and swoop down upon diesel-powered submarines while they were surfaced at night to recharge their batteries. Though snorkels gave submarines a way to sip air without detection, they too are susceptible to detection by modern synthetic-aperture radars. However, though many diesel-electric submarines remain in service, a large share of modern submarines use air-independent propulsion or nuclear-power allowing them to cruise weeks or months respectively before surfacing. Sub-hunter can also employ sniffers that can smell the chemicals in the submarines diesel exhaust The SQUID Magnetometer Another famous submarine-hunting ploy is to use Magnetic Anomaly Detectors triggered by the submarines metallic hull. The threat posed by MADs has led navies to de-gauss submarine hulls to minimize magnetic profiles. Germany has specially developed Type 212 and 214 submarines with non-metallic hulls. However, MADs have very short range, and the P-8 and MH-60R omit a MAD entirely. Enter, therefore, the SQUID, or Superconducting Quantum Interference Device. Though it might sound like Star Trek technobabble, SQUIDs leverages quantum technology to offer an ultra-sensitive magnetometer. Too sensitive, in fact, as SQUIDs have picked up background noise from stuff as distant as solar flares. But on June 21, 2017, a Chinese periodical announced that Professor XIamong Xie of the Shanghai Institute of Microsystems and Information Technology had developed cryogenic liquid-nitrogen-cooled SQUID which reduced the noise-problemand in field-tests, had proven capable of detecting ferrous objects deep underground even when mounted on a helicopter. After a South China Morning Post article speculated on whether it amounted to the worlds most powerful submarine detector? the original article was taken down. Dave Hambling noted in the New Scientist that Xiamongs new sensor used an array of SQUIDs to help cancel out background noise. Researchers estimate that a SQUID magnetometer of this type could detect a sub from 6 kilometres away, and [Imperial College researcher David] Caplin says that with better noise suppression the range could be much greater. A typical MAD, by contrast, is only effective to a few hundred meters, meaning the new SQUID could potentially cover thousands of times more square meters. In April 14 2019, an article by Defense Procurement International revealed Australia too was researching quantum magnetometer technology for submarine detectionthis time apparently intended for a fixed submarine surveillance system. Professor Andre Luiten of the Institute for Photonics and Advanced Sensing is quoted thusly: These magnetometers can detect very small magnetic fields. The goal of this project is to build sensors that go on the seabed which detect the presence of submarines through their properties. Youd essentially set up a trip wire around assets that are of importance to Australia. Quantum Compass? Quantum technology could also serve as advanced navigational sensorone that could circumvent submarine dependence on orbiting satellites to stay on course The Jamestown Foundations Elsa Kania and Stephen Armitage note that: [Q]uantum navigation could allow for a new generation of inertial navigation, enabling high-precision navigation without GPS . . . This so-called quantum compass would be particularly useful for submarines and other maritime platforms for which it could enable the pinpointing of their position with high levels of accuracy. Quantum navigation could thus potentially liberate Chinese operational platforms from dependence on space-based positioning systems, which can be easily jammed. Kania also notes that Quantum navigation also has implicit offensive potential: these technologies might also be applied to improve missile guidance and enhance precision strike capabilities. However, satellites, too, could use quantum sensors to influence submarine warfare. Satellites using quantum gravimeters, which could improve sensitivity of sensors designed to detect and measure gravity fields, could potentially detect submarines, or more likely, map out seafloors with new levels of precision. China has also famously made breakthroughs in using quantum entanglement for encrypted communications by teleporting molecules over long distances. This could conceivably have application to communications with submerged submarines, a technically challenging taskwith implications particularly for transmission of orders from a national command authority to launch nuclear weapons. Time will tell which, if any, of these technologies can be developed into practical operational systems. However, its clear that scientists in China and Australia are betting that developments in the field of quantum physics will play their part in changing the rules of undersea warfare in the twenty-first century. Sebastien Roblin holds a masters degree in conflict resolution from Georgetown University and served as a university instructor for the Peace Corps in China. He has also worked in education, editing, and refugee resettlement in France and the United States. He currently writes on security and military history for War Is Boring. This article originally appeared last year and is being republished due to reader interest. Image: Reuters Click here to read the full article. Enhanced Newport platform allows for comprehensive and accurate analysis of market, API and patent data from a single application LONDON, July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Clarivate Plc (NYSE:CCC), a global leader in providing trusted information and insights to accelerate the pace of innovation, today announced the launch of Cortellis Generics Intelligence to enable generics companies and Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API) manufacturers to make timely and more informed data-driven decisions as they seek to drive business growth, identify new markets, products and partners, defend market share and more. The modern, intuitive platform enables sourcing, business development, portfolio and intellectual property teams within an organization to make data-driven decisions all from a single application. Cortellis Generics Intelligence powered by Clarivate Research Intelligence Cloud replaces and enhances the well-known Newport platform from Clarivate. It includes new intuitive search capabilities together with expertly curated data on market performance, patents and litigation, and manufacturers to assist finished dose manufacturers, API manufacturers, and pharmaceutical marketers in their pursuit to successfully launch generic drugs and maintain a steady supply chain. This comprehensive database collates crucial market, API, and patent data, including sales and consumption data, product launches, company information, Paragraph IV patent challenges, API suppliers' regulatory filings and more. With seamless connectivity to the broader Cortellis suite of life science intelligence solutions, researchers will have comprehensive access to high-quality drug development, clinical trial, deal-making and regulatory intelligence. Keith Collier, Senior Vice President of Product Management, Clarivate said: "The generics industry is extremely competitive with a high degree of uncertainty and complexity in bringing a drug to market or identifying APIs with the most market potential. All teams within a company are involved in making decisions that will ultimately impact their company's achievements and risk making the wrong decision based on partial data. Cortellis Generics Intelligence is the most comprehensive source of market performance, patent and manufacturing data, allowing generics and API companies to easily connect the dots between key areas of intelligence, so they can validate their strategy with the assurance they haven't missed any critical considerations. Ultimately, this will allow them to quickly shift from market research and assessment to actually implementing their strategic priorities." Story continues According to The Centre for Medicines Research (CMR) International, over the next seven years, 114 products are predicted to lose exclusivity and become generic within the U.S. 8% of which are currently blockbuster products1. This number is scheduled to increase each year from now until 2022. Due to high demand within the blockbuster space, selecting the right drug for investment requires precision. The number of Abbreviated New Drug Application (ANDA) final approvals granted by the FDA to Indian- and U.S.- headquartered companies saw a marked decrease in 2018, further supporting the need to identify the right drugs for investment to ultimately secure ANDA approval2. In addition, the number of products exposed to Paragraph IV challenges in the U.S. has continued to rise over the past four years3, indicating that more companies are looking to launch generic drugs around the world, which heightens competition. Similar dynamics are in play in other major markets around the world. These points reinforce the need for greater accuracy early in the generics lifecycle to develop a validated launch strategy and identify less promising portfolio candidates earlier - enabling the most effective use of time and resources. Cortellis Generics Intelligence is comprised of data spanning more than 64,000 small molecules and biologics, 72,000 manufacturers and marketers, 1.1 million worldwide patents, 62,000 regulatory documents across 25+ countries, and more. Additional analytics and functionality will continue to be added throughout 2020 and 2021 to further aid with generics companies' strategies and decision-making. The data will continue to be updated daily and expand into additional analytics to support market share analysis, the impact of litigation on generic launches and competitive assessments. To learn more about Cortellis Generics Intelligence, visit http://www.clarivate.com/genericsintelligence. About Clarivate Clarivate is a global leader in providing trusted information and insights to accelerate the pace of innovation. We offer subscription and technology-based solutions coupled with deep domain expertise that cover the entire lifecycle of innovation from foundational research and ideas to protection and commercialization. Today, we're setting a trail-blazing course to help customers turn bold ideas into life-changing inventions. Our portfolio consists of some of the world's most trusted information brands, including the Web of Science, Cortellis, Derwent, CompuMark, MarkMonitor and Techstreet. For more information please visit www.Clarivate.com. Forward-Looking Statements This press release and oral statements included herein may contain forward-looking statements regarding Clarivate. Forward-looking statements provide Clarivate's current expectations or forecasts of future events and may include statements regarding results, anticipated synergies and other future expectations. These statements involve risks and uncertainties including factors outside of Clarivate's control that may cause actual results to differ materially. Clarivate undertakes no obligation to update or revise the statements made herein, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. 1 Clarivate Analytics (2019), 2019 CMR International Pharmaceutical R&D Factbook, https://discover.clarivate.com/2019CMRFactbook 2 Clarivate Analytics (2019), 2019 CMR International Pharmaceutical R&D Factbook, https://discover.clarivate.com/2019CMRFactbook 3 Clarivate Analytics (2019), 2019 CMR International Pharmaceutical R&D Factbook, https://discover.clarivate.com/2019CMRFactbook Logo - https://media.zenfs.com/en/prnewswire.com/5d55d2c13766a5ba3f8aaf16c01eaabe SOURCE Clarivate Plc Acquisition establishes Barry Callebaut's direct presence and manufacturing capacity in Australia to cater for the Australian and New Zealand markets ZURICH and SINGAPORE, July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The Barry Callebaut Group, the world's leading manufacturer of high-quality chocolate and cocoa products, today announced that it has successfully closed the acquisition of GKC Foods (Australia) Pty Ltd, a producer of chocolate, coatings and fillings, that serves many consumer chocolate brands in Australia and New Zealand. The integration will start as of now. The Barry Callebaut Group has successfully closed the acquisition of GKC Foods (Australia) Pty Ltd, a producer of chocolate, coatings and fillings, that serves many consumer chocolate brands in Australia and New Zealand. The integration will start as of now. The Barry Callebaut Group Logo Ben De Schryver, President of Barry Callebaut in Region Asia Pacific, said: "We are happy to welcome the team of GKC Foods to the Barry Callebaut family. The heritage and local knowledge GKC Foods has built since the 1980s, combined with the expertise, the state of the art manufacturing processes and the capabilities of an undisputed leader in chocolate and cocoa innovation will bring further excellence to the Australia and New Zealand markets. We strongly believe in the growth opportunities in these still largely captive markets." This strategic acquisition establishes Barry Callebaut's direct presence and manufacturing capacity in the growing Australian market. The acquisition of GKC Foods empowers the Group to expand its position in the industrial chocolate market and to leverage its value-adding Gourmet & Specialties business in Australia and New Zealand. Australia and New Zealand have an average chocolate consumption of approximately 5 kilograms per capita, the highest per-capita chocolate consumption in Asia Pacific, according to Euromonitor[1]. In Australia, demand for chocolate has been on the rise the chocolate confectionery market in the country grew well above the global market according to Nielsen[2]. The parties have agreed not to disclose any financial details of the transaction. All photos related to this announcement can be found in Barry Callebaut Asia Pacific's Flickr photo album: bit.ly/BCinAustralia. This press release can also be found on PR Newswire and on our corporate website: bit.ly/BCacquiresGKC. Story continues About Barry Callebaut Group ( www.barry-callebaut.com ): With annual sales of about CHF 7.3 billion (EUR 6.5 billion / USD 7.4 billion) in fiscal year 2018/19, the Zurich-based Barry Callebaut Group is the world's leading manufacturer of high-quality chocolate and cocoa products from sourcing and processing cocoa beans to producing the finest chocolates, including chocolate fillings, decorations and compounds. The Group runs more than 60 production facilities worldwide and employs a diverse and dedicated global workforce of more than 12,000 people. The Barry Callebaut Group serves the entire food industry, from industrial food manufacturers to artisanal and professional users of chocolate, such as chocolatiers, pastry chefs, bakers, hotels, restaurants or caterers. The two global brands catering to the specific needs of these Gourmet customers are Callebaut and Cacao Barry . The Barry Callebaut Group is committed to make sustainable chocolate the norm by 2025 to help ensure future supplies of cocoa and improve farmer livelihoods. It supports the Cocoa Horizons Foundation in its goal to shape a sustainable cocoa and chocolate future. Follow the Barry Callebaut Group: [1] Euromonitor's Chocolate Confectionery Market in Australia 2019. [2] Nielsen, January - December 2019: Australia +5.2%; global +1.3%. Photo - https://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20200629/2843448-1 Logo - https://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20200526/2813199-1LOGO SOURCE The Barry Callebaut Group GEORGETOWN, Cayman Islands, July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ - CoinPayments , the world's leading cryptocurrency payments processor, today debuted its new branding as part of a significant push toward strategic growth in 2020. The changes are reflected in a redesigned logo and all forthcoming external communications. CoinPayments New Brand Release Logo (CNW Group/CoinPayments) "A fresh, vibrant look and a sharp new logo are critical building blocks in our plans for 2020," said CoinPayments CEO Jason Butcher. "We're well on our way to a significant growth story this year and this new brand positioning will build on the foundation we've already created." The new brand is a continuation of the industry-leading customer support and merchant services provided by CoinPayments currently. "We're here to take on a leadership role in the crypto payments industry", explained CoinPayments Chief Marketing Officer Ray Torresan. "This new brand is a message: we are the only company to deliver the easiest solution to digital currency transactions for any merchant, anywhere." During and after the rebrand, all existing platform functionality will remain the same. About CoinPayments CoinPayments is the easiest, fastest and most secure way for merchants worldwide to transact in cryptocurrencies. It is the first and largest cryptocurrency payments processor with more than US $5 billion in total transactions to date, while supporting more than 1,900 coins, and is the preferred cryptocurrency payment solution for merchants and eCommerce platform providers worldwide. Founded in 2013, CoinPayments is dedicated to providing clients with fast, secure and user-friendly crypto payment APIs, shopping cart plugins, digital wallets, and a host of other solutions supporting cryptocurrency payment applications. Learn more at: https://www.coinpayments.net/ Cision View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/coinpayments-announces-new-branding-as-part-of-2020-growth-plans-301086378.html SOURCE CoinPayments Gregory "Joey" Johnson plans to burn a flag on July 4 to protest the president's suggestion that flag burning be outlawed. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times) Gregory Joey Johnson is not willing to say where he will be on July 4 Its a big country, so who knows? but he will definitely be somewhere in the public square, advocating an end to white supremacy, institutionalized racism and police brutality. In all likelihood, he will also burn an American flag. Last week, after I wrote about President Trumps cynical demand to outlaw flag burning, Johnson got in touch. Would I be interested in talking to him? He was the defendant in the landmark 1989 Supreme Court case, Texas vs. Johnson, in which the court ruled that burning an American flag, however odious or offensive, is a constitutionally protected form of speech. On Monday morning, we met in Santa Monicas Tongva Park, in masks, to talk about his role in the famous case. Actually, thats what I wanted to talk about. Johnson, 63, was more interested in talking about politics and revolution. He is a committed member of the Revolutionary Communist Party, founded in 1975 by Bob Avakian, the group's 77-year-old chairman and theoretician. The party, which is organized in Revolution Clubs, is dedicated to replacing our system of capitalism, patriarchy, exploitation, imperialism and environmental devastation with something better. Its hard for me to understand, exactly, especially since the party condemns voting. (If you want to see NO fundamental change, wrote Avakian last month, go vote.) Johnson is encouraged by the protests that have swept across the globe, sparked by the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. That horrendous nine-minute video has done more to radicalize the masses than a million lectures or pamphlets ever could. People are calling into question, in the millions and tens of millions, white supremacy and how rooted it is in the fabric of this society, said Johnson. How do we get beyond it? How can we live in a world without this horrific oppression of Black people? He sent me a flyer for an Independence Day rally and march in Hollywood, sponsored by the local Revolution Club, though he wouldn't confirm that he'll be there. Story continues This July 4th," it said, Demonstrate how to Dishonor the American Flag. If you plan to burn a flag, by the way, its strictly BYO. :: Johnson was an Army brat who grew up in Germany and across the South. In 1969, when he was 12 years old, he sold the Stars and Stripes newspaper to soldiers on a U.S. Army base in Babenhausen, Germany. That, he says, was the start of his political awakening. We used to talk a lot about the [Vietnam] war and their sentiments," he said. "There was a lot of I dont want anything to do with it. They were counting down the days they had left in the military. Some Black soldiers had Afro picks with the Black fist, he remembered. Lieutenants would cut off the fist part and hand it back to them. Back in the States, in 10th grade, he discovered a copy of Soledad Brother: The Prison Letters of George Jackson. It kinda blew my mind, because I was living in the South and all you heard about was Martin Luther King," said Johnson. "And these people the [Black] Panthers were all about revolution. He spent some time at the University of South Florida in Tampa and joined the Merchant Marine to pay for health insurance for his mother, who was ill. While working on ships between Florida and the Mississippi, he saw what he called the apartheid-like stratification of the labor force. A few years later, in 1984, President Reagan was about to be nominated for a second term at the Republican National Convention in Dallas. By then, Johnson, who was 27 years old, was a committed revolutionary. Reagan was backing all these death squads in El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras. People want to know the antecedents: How did we get to where millions of people in Central America have to flee their homelands and come here for a better life? Avakian says, Ill tell you why: Its because you [messed] up the rest of the world gaining your riches and glory. In Dallas, Johnson said, he was blown away by the jingoistic atmosphere: the patriotic themes, the slogans, the abundant American flags. There was, he felt, a need to puncture that. Burning the flag, however, was a spontaneous act of protest. At the time, no one could have grasped the historic ramifications of his deliberate act of provocation. Johnson was among nearly 100 people arrested for desecrating the flag. But he was the only one who returned to Dallas for trial. I thought it was important to fight it, Johnson told me. The ACLU took his case. He was convicted, then won on appeal. Texas, however, appealed the case to the high court. Johnson sent a plea by telegram to William Kunstler, a famous radical attorney, who agreed to argue his case before the Supreme Court. In the years since, Johnson has been arrested countless times for exercising his legal right to burn the flag. "I've spent lots of time in county jails all over the country," he said. In 2016, at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, he announced in a press release that hed be burning a flag, and was arrested anyway, though not before he accomplished the deed. Oh, yeah, it burned, he said. Well done. After charges were dropped, he filed a civil lawsuit against the city of Cleveland for violating his free speech rights and won $225,000. :: So, how, exactly, does one go about burning a flag? I mean, it seems like a fairly dangerous way to make a point. Johnson considered the question. You have to burn the flag in a controlled and responsible way, he said. You do your preparation, and do your best. Preparation? I asked. He hesitated. One must properly season the flag, Johnson said. "With the right amount of lighter fluid." It's a recipe that tests the limits of free speech. Not to everyone's taste, of course. But that, you might say, is the whole point. @AbcarianLAT Rossmann Groups Louis Rossmann has made a name for himself calling out tech companies seemingly anti-consumer practices while producing increasingly popular DIY-computer-repair instructional videos from his New York City small business. National Reviews Luther Abel spoke with Rossmann recently to better understand what the Right to Repair is and isnt, to discuss Right to Repair regulatory efforts, and to consider whether conservative- and libertarian-leaning people should back or resist his activism. Luther Abel: What does Right to Repair mean? How does your description of Right to Repair differ from that of its detractors? Louis Rossmann: Well, there are a few points that detractors will make, which is that Right to Repair is me saying, I want you [the manufacturer] to design the device very specifically to be repairable, regardless of technological progress. I want phones to weigh two pounds. I want everything to be modular, everything to be 100 percent easy for me, even if it means that technology doesnt get to move forward. And that couldnt be further from the truth. What Im asking for is that the intentional roadblocks put in our way that do not help the customer, that do not make the product better, that do not improve anybodys life, would be taken away when theyre not supposed to be there. Right to Repair for me is not so much a legislative movement as it is a general cultural movement among people who want to have the ability to own their property again. . . . Theres been a big push over the past ten to 15 years for you to rent software, for you to rent hardware. . . . The concept of ownership is something thats being taken away more and more each year. So Right to Repair is just a push back to where we own the stuff that we have again. LA: Has the legislation youre pushing for changed in the last few years with technological advances or have the main tenets remained the same? LR: The main tenets have remained the same and there has been virtually no progress over the past five to six years. Story continues LA: You touched on this already, but Ill ask it very deliberately: Does Right to Repair mean that every electronic item must be repairable, rather than replaceable. For instance, I had an old ASUS laptop I bought for 200 bucks. Everything was soldered in, meaning upgrading was impossible. Now its completely useless to me, but I paid $200. So whats the big deal? LR: Right to Repair is not the concept that everything needs to be specifically designed in a manner where its easier for me [to fix]. So, for instance, if youre going to solder the drive to the board, Im not saying, Dont do that. Feel free to make those decisions as a company, to make your products slimmer in any way that you see fit. But if youre going to say, Were going to specifically pair this SSD to this computer, so that even if youre able to locate the chips, theyre not going to work when you put them in, thats the area where Right to Repair would come in and say, Lets do less of that. So if you want to design them in a manner where you solder the charge chip in, rather than, I dont know, having it in a socket, lets say this is a really silly example cause were going back like 30 or 40 years if youre going to solder the chip instead of socket it in, I dont mind that. You do you. But, if youre going to make it so that nobody can get the chip, thats where Right to Repair would come in and say that thats what were against. So one example of what Right to Repair is not: The European Union, I believe, was looking to mandate that Apple use USB-C instead of Lightning, because USB-C is a standard and Lightning is not a standard. I dont want people to think that has anything to do with Right to Repair because it doesnt; thats completely separate. Im not looking to tell Apple, You need to use this type of charge port. I want you to use micro USB. I want you to use USB-C. I want you to use this. No, what were saying is, regardless of what you use to charge your phone you could use a banana to charge it just give us access to be able to purchase that charge port so that if the charge port in the phone breaks, we can fix it for customers rather than tell them, Your phone is now a brick. So I think that is a good example of what Right to Repair is not: Were not looking to say, You need to use this port. You need to do this. Just dont intentionally lock people out of the ability to fix it once youve chosen how to design it. LA: In a market with competition, why have the government intervene? Cant you just let market forces lead the way on this? LR: I kind of lean libertarian so Im very, Im very sensitive to that argument. So, when it comes to competition, theres a lot of competition in the marketplace right now, but it doesnt necessarily have to do with repair. So, lets say I want a more durable computer than a Macbook. I can buy a ThinkPad T Series where you can drop it, spill liquid [on it], and itll still work. If I want a cheaper machine, as you said, I could buy a cheap Acer or Asus. If I want a more powerful machine, [I] could buy a Dell XPS Series and [Id be] getting something thats more powerful for [my] money. Theres competition in many ways. But when it comes to repair, there is no competition at all that I can see between the different companies and how they handle this. So lets say you bring me a device that has no light on the screen after you spill something [on it] or after you drop it. And I want to find a schematic to that device so that I can fix it. Dell is not going to help me. Lenovo is not going to help me. HP Compaq, Acer, ASUS, Toshiba I could go down the entire list of hardware manufacturers . . . Zero of them are going to give me any help. None of them have any kind of program for that. Even if I were willing to spend $1,000 or $6,000 or $10,000 a year, like car shops do for access to software, diagnostic tools none of that stuff exists [for third-party electronic repairers]. So while theres competition in the business in every other area, there is no competition when it comes to repair. If you, as a consumer, want to buy a device where its easy for you to choose who fixes it, that doesnt exist. That pretty much doesnt exist in this industry. And the other thing is . . . that this is not something where its even like, Well just dont buy Apple or Just dont buy a laptop, because this is something thats occurring with many different companies in many different fields. With tractors, its happening with a John Deere and many of the other major companies. I interviewed a bunch of people who I was very surprised had the same problems as me two and a half years ago: In Albany with endoscopes, they were having this problem with a lot of the endoscope industry. There was an article in the New York Times, I think from someone named Elle Ekman, [detailing how] the Marine Corps [was] having issues where a lot of their different vendors were not giving them what they needed to repair stuff. So even if you wanted to tune out consumer electronics and say, Im not buying a laptop or a cell phone, its still an issue thats there because its pervasive: not just to every company within my industry, but its getting to be every company in every industry. And also theres one point that didnt get discussed when you asked about the competition in the marketplace and government intervention in it. So when it comes to government intervention, theres an idea within the conservative or libertarian community, which I often agree with, which is that government is going to screw things up and get in the way. So lets say I agree with this principle 100 percent that government gets in the way, they screw things up, and we want less government. One of the things is that the government, at the very least in our current industry, has their tentacles all over it, but its just for the benefit of one party. So lets say were talking about schematics. A lot of the people who have gotten me schematics whose names Im obviously not going to give away are people [who] not only work for these companies, but are actual designers at these companies. And theyll come across a YouTube video or Reddit post that I got featured in that went viral and theyll say, I was part designer of this circuit you talked about, and Ill wind up getting a schematic or a document from them. When that person shares that document with me, they have according to current intellectual-property and copyright law, theyve committed a crime. Its not just their fear of getting fired; they can actually now be prosecuted. This is an area where government already has their tentacles in it, where someone who works at the company can say, Oh yeah, you want to know what the value of this fuse is. This is the value of that fuse. Thats now protected information. Alright, take parts. So I have a friend in Florida who is speaking with Customs and Border Patrol, and he was speaking with them about importing parts from China. He told me that you could have someone in China pretty much take an iPhone, take all the parts out of it that they purchased in China legally, send those parts to the United States, and they [the parts] would wind up being confiscated because they have Apple logos on [them]. And they would be confiscated as counterfeit for the Apple logos, regardless of whether it was actually a good counterfeit or simply parts out of a used phone, because of the logo. So this is the government getting in the way of me being able to do my job. I should have the right to import used parts from another country and use [them] to fix a customers device. Especially if that customers device is no longer supported by the manufacturer. So government is already getting in the way. A third [example] would be with chips. So with the newest MacBook, theres one particular charging chip that I cannot get anywhere. I used to be able to purchase this from other vendors. I used to, a long time ago, be able to go to Mouser, Digi-Key, Newark, and buy them. Now what I need to do, because [Apple] told Intersil, Dont sell to anybody but us, is I have to buy a $120 wireless-charging, extended-battery case thing for the iPhone XR, rip that chip off of it, and then put it into the Macbook. Now, I spoke with a person who was referred to me about fabricating one of these chips or something similar to it that will work, because its a very basic chip. Its just a buck converter; it takes 20 volts and turns it into twelve. This isnt rocket science. . . . And if they were to make me that chip, they would get in trouble, because it could be seen that theyre taking trade secrets from Apple. This could be infringement of [Apples] intellectual property. And the moment many of these fabrication plants learn that this was for an Apple product, they said, Nope, not touching that one. We dont want the legal liability. So the government really does have their tentacles all over repair, keeping me from importing parts [and keeping] people from telling me where things go in the device. I would honestly be okay putting down the Right to Repair mantle not showing up at hearings, not advocating for a legal Right to Repair at all if we could do a universal disarmament. There are people [who] have said that the laws, at least in a libertarian sense, when you create a law, thats the government pointing a gun at someone. I would be okay saying, Lets not have a gun in the room. But for me to not advocate for Right to Repair while theyre saying, If you import parts, were going to take them. If someone gives you a schematic about the product, were going to put them in prison thats not really universal disarmament. I would be okay with not having a Right to Repair if we could come up with a compromise where they [the government] werent so involved in the repair industry on behalf of the manufacturers. LA: You only have so much energy, so much time, and so much money. Why this legislation? Could there not be a way to impress on a company or companies that the access to these parts and schematics is a desirable thing and they can make money doing it? LR: I think I go that route in a different, more roundabout way. What I want people to get out of what they watch on this [YouTube] channel is that repairing stuff can be fun. Its not something thats only reserved for the geniuses. If someone like me, [who] barely graduated high school and flunked out of college because he couldnt pass freshman chemistry, is able to do what I do, maybe you can do it too. I want people to watch this and actually get into the fields of repair or engineering or electronics because they find investigative, detective repair work fun. Once they graduate, once they get internships at these companies, once they have engineering positions at these companies, if someone says, By the way, when youre on the phone with Intersil make sure they dont sell parts to Mouser or a Digi-key, I want them to say, No, Im not doing that. If you do that, Im leaving. I did a video on this about two years ago: Right to Repair is like 99 percent inspiration, 1 percent legislation. I actually put very little, if any, of my time on the legislative part of this. Last year, I think I spent three days traveling for Right to Repair. In 2018, I think I spent five days, maybe not even . . . traveling for Right to Repair. [In] 2017 I spent seven days total. This year was a record. I think I wound up just with bouncing back and forth I think it was ten or 15 days. But 99 percent of my time is really spent just trying to run a company that makes repair look like a good thing to do and also to get people to find this exciting. The way I get people to find that exciting is, Hey, were you told this is going to cost $1,200? Heres how you can do it yourself. Or, Did you just get laid off from your job because the economy sucks? Here is something that you can do that has a ridiculously low barrier to entry that will allow you to make $200 to $400 inside of ten to 20 minutes. I want to get people excited about this so that once they finally get to a point where they work at these businesses, it is so disgusting and unpalatable to them that they [manufacturers] take the anti-repair actions that they do, that those companies are not able to [take those actions] anymore. And also, I want consumers to actually realize what is going on so that they ask this of these companies, because most of my customers that come to me have no idea that things are the way they were up until maybe just a couple of years ago. If I said, I cant figure out your sensor issue. Why not? Because the diagnostic software to figure out your sensor issue was taken away from this machine. So a few years ago you could just hold down the D button and it would tell you which sensor failed. Now, the D button gives you [an] error code that on Apples website it says go to a Genius Bar. They [consumers] dont actually know whats happening. So, I want to raise awareness so that people actually know to ask for it. LA: You have videos detailing times when people go into the Apple store and theyre quoted $1,200 to fix the wrong thing with a suggestion from the employees to just upgrade instead of repairing. I wonder how much of that is corporate pressure and how much of it is that the technician is just an idiot and/or doesnt really know what theyre doing. Granted, that would lend itself to saying Apple doesnt train their people very well if they cant give a correct quote and issue. But how much do you think is just human error and how much of it is corporate policy? LR: It is human error. However, once the human error is allowed to continue, to occur without oversight, then it becomes a corporate issue. So, for instance, if someone were writing material for National Review that was fundamentally factually inaccurate and said that, you know, the Civil War happened in the United States in 1600 or whatever, and this happened once . . . [it would be] just that individual being an idiot. But then if articles are written like that for five or ten years, then the question would become: Why? Who was the editor? How is it that after this happened ten times, they didnt come up with some different way to review drafts [so] that this didnt happen [again]? So with that individual example, the first problem is that they are not given any training. Theyre given training that is worse than what I give a first-week receptionist with regard to how to figure out where you should look for issues, what you should diagnose. I dont think that [Apple] cares to do that, but now once enough of these gaffes have occurred, then you should think, okay, heres a couple of ways that we could slightly retool our system so that were still on the safe side of making money and were still on the safe side of not giving customers a half-fix, but also we dont look like complete idiots. And the fact that even as late as 2018, that they [were] still doing this, that to me is a corporate issue at that point. And its one that could be addressed. You know what I mean? It would be a very interesting undertaking to try to come up with a framework that would allow the people that work at the Apple store, with their education level, to be able to figure all of these things out. Because Ive looked at Genius Bar salaries. And at first I felt, I remember in the beginning thinking, Okay, you know, people will say, You cant just come up with a system that allows people who are not really educated, who make this amount of money, to do the job. And then I see that there are areas where theyre making like 25, 30 bucks an hour. I could teach someone whos worth 25 to 30 bucks an hour how to diagnose these flaws, so when this model comes in with this problem and you see this, this is what you look for. This is what you tell the customer. Ive already done that with a spreadsheet, as one person with this tiny twelve-, 14-person company. So I really dont see how a company that has $100 billion, $200 billion in cash reserves with tens of thousands of employees cant do the very same thing. They dont care to. Thats the only explanation, once youve ignored it for such a long time. LA: Critics of Right to Repair argue that phones are dangerous to work on yourself and that they operate things now like Waymo, for example, where your phone can now semi-autonomously drive your vehicle. They say allowing people who arent trained to fix these sorts of things could result in fatalities that could have been prevented if theyd stayed with the manufacturer-recommended repair option. LR: Well, a phone is getting to a point where its able to drive a vehicle. However, the vehicle is also able to drive the vehicle, and youre able to work on your own vehicle. Theres this one AutoZone ad, it was something called I Did It, was the name of the advertisement that came out a year or two ago. At one point, you see a teenage girl who clearly has probably never worked on a car before with her mom, and theyre both trying to figure out how to fix the car, and then they fixed the car and then it works. So if people are able to fix a 3000- to 6,000-pound device without taking a class, without having experience, and theyre legally allowed to do that, then why cant you fix a cell phone? I mean, we dont apply that standard to many other industries where there is far more at stake if you fix the product [yourself]. LA: What are your businesss prospects going forward if more and more repair cannot be done outside of these corporations and their approved, licensed technicians? LR: Good and bad. Thats the thing. The more difficult it becomes, the fewer people there will be in the industry, therefore the more demand there will be for the people who figure out how to go around these things. So for instance, with the T2 chip, if your machine dies you need to fix the board to get the data. So what they did right there is they immediately removed everybody whose idea of data recovery is running software or unplugging the drive and plugging it into a new machine. You now need to know how to do BGA rework if you want to get data off of a machine with a dead CPU, and that is a high-value service. That service requires experience, it requires equipment and a lot of stuff that Ive built up over the years. So in that way, it actually makes our business more competitive, because other businesses wont be able to offer that as a service and the consumer wont be able to do it themselves, which is screwed up. I dont think that machines should necessarily be designed that way, but, you know, they bought it. Whereas there are other areas, lets say with certain chip sets and screens, where if Im not able to find a source to it, I wont be able to offer that as a service anymore, which means no income from doing that. So it really could go one of [two] ways. We [could] wind up doing very well because repair becomes a smaller and smaller cottage industry of a small number of players [who] have access to parts, schematics, [and] diagrams and learn how to get around this stuff. That [model] has a much higher barrier to entry, which means less competition and more business. Or it could go completely downhill entirely to where Im not able to get the parts that I need to do my job, so I cant do my job. And then, you know, no more business. LA: What will make people finally leave New York? As a business owner there, you say theres a point [past which] you would leave, but when is that? Is it a firm line? Or is it: Youll know it when you see it? LR: Well, a lot of people ask, why are you in New York? And one of the obvious reasons is . . . this is a very densely populated area with lots of people and industries that make lots of money. So there is going to be a lot of business here. Now, even though it costs a lot of money to do business in New York City, my rent may be $5,000 more here, but if the income is $30,000 or $60,000 more, then who really cares about that? People are going to leave once that business goes away. So for instance, Im right next to the Fashion Institute of Technology. If theyre here and theyre customers, well, thats valuable. If FIT is closed for the rest of the year because of [the coronavirus], why am I paying $12,000 [a month in rent] again? You know, if people start working from home, then thats going to cut down on my customer base. So once the customer base here has gone down, but the rent still goes up every year, at that point, Im going to look at my numbers and say, What the hell am I doing here? I could run this business from somewhere else. So the rent here only makes sense . . . if youre able to make money here. And what I like about New York is that if you have a good idea and youre good at implementing it and youre willing to work twelve hours a day, you can make money. My friend lives in Jacksonville, Fla., and he loves it for the quality of life. He really does. And hes probably better in many ways at this industry than I am. But if he wanted to start a business there, theres no way for him to just start working twelve hours a day, because theres not twelve hours a day worth of work for him to do in Jacksonville in this field. He would have one customer every two days come to him. So the thing I like about New York is that if youre willing to put the work in and you have an idea, you can go from being broke, just like me, and if you . . . have a little bit of luck, you can make something of yourself. Once thats no longer true, then people will leave. More from National Review Click here to read the full article. Lieutenant Colonel Horace Porter, personal aide to Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant, maneuvered his mount past ammunition wagons, ambulances, stragglers, and prisoners jamming the muddy roads leading back to headquarters from Five Forks, Virginia, on the evening of April 1, 1865. A great victory had just been won at Five Forks by Federal forces under Maj. Gen. Phil Sheridan. To Porter it seemed like the beginning of the end. Four years of unrelenting war were drawing to a close. Reaching headquarters, Porter began shouting the good news to Grant and the rest of his staff, who were sitting in front of the generals tent enjoying the warmth of a crackling campfire. Porter dismounted and gave Grant more precise details of the victory. After listening intently to the report, Grant turned and disappeared into his tent. He returned shortly afterward with several dispatches that he handed to orderlies to be telegraphed over field wires. Grant then walked over to the campfire where Porter had joined the other staff officers and calmly announced, I have ordered a general assault along the lines. The campaign to end the war in Virginia would commence at 4 oclock the next morning. Grants Siege of Petersburg For the last 10 bloody months, Grant, as general in chief of all Union forces, had personally directed operations for the Army of the Potomac and the Army of the James, locked in a grueling siege with the Army of Northern Virginia around Petersburg. More than 30 miles of trenches and redoubts stretched east of Richmond, skipping over the James and Appomattox Rivers around Petersburg and ending six miles southwest of the city at Hatchers Run. Some 42,000 bluecoats had been killed or wounded as Grant unsuccessfully tried to break the Confederate lines. With the coming of spring, Grant feared that Confederate General Robert E. Lee would attempt to slip his army west out of the tightening Federal lines at Petersburg and head south to join General Joseph Johnstons battered Confederate forces at Raleigh, North Carolina. If such a junction took place, Grant worried, a long and tedious and expensive campaign consuming most of the summer might be inevitable. Story continues At 10 pm on April 1, following Grants orders, the Federal artillery opened up. From hundreds of cannons, field guns and mortars came a stream of living fire as the shells screamed through the air in a semi-circle of flame, the noise was almost deafening, wrote Sergeant Joseph Gould of the 48th Pennsylvania. The bombardment grew furious as it increased along the whole line, from north of Petersburg to Hatchers Run. The Federal artillerymen continued to hammer the Confederate trenches early the next morning, while the infantrymen prepared to attack. At 4:30 am, Maj. Gen. John Parkes IX Corps attacked the trenches east of Petersburg, including the Confederate stronghold, Fort Mahone. Despite taking deadly volleys of bullets, grapeshot, and canister, the bluecoats pushed on, struggling through the water-filled ditch in front of the earthworks and fighting their way into the enemy defenses, capturing batteries, redans, two forts, and trenches. The Confederates continued to hang on to the inner defenses, and fierce fighting raged throughout the day as Maj. Gen. John Gordons division launched desperate counterattacks. Federal reinforcements arrived later in the day to help secure Parkes shaky hold. Simultaneously, Maj. Gen. Horatio Wrights VI Corps, with its three divisions arranged in a wedge-shaped formation, attacked Lt. Gen. A.P. Hills corps on the Boydston Plank Road at 4:40 am. The forward Confederate rifle pits were overrun as the Federals surged toward the enemy entrenchment, leaping across the ditch in front of it. Colonel Elisha Rhodes of the 2nd Rhode Island Volunteers would later recall, We scrambled and helped each other up the slope of the work and stepped upon the parapet amid the guns of the enemy, who fled to the rear. After firing our volley we jumped into the rebel works and gradually forced the enemy to leave the cover of their huts, from behind which they were firing. After 20 minutes of savage fighting, the Federal troops smashed through Brig. Gen. James Lanes brigade of Maj. Gen. Cadmus Wilcoxs division and tore a hole in the Confederate line. VI Corps regrouped and pushed on toward the Southside Railroad, while part of the corps split off to roll up the rest of Hills line at Hatchers Run. Lees Intention to Withdraw From his headquarters at Turnbull House, Robert E. Lee was meeting with Hill and Lt. Gen. James Longstreet, who had brought part of his corps south of the James River the day before, when word arrived of the Union breakthrough. Hill quickly mounted up and rode out with another officer and two couriers to rally his troops. He did not make it. En route, Hill was shot and killed by two soldiers of the 138th Pennsylvania. There was no time to mourn Hills death. Lee sent a message over the telegraph line at 10 am to Secretary of War John Breckinridge, warning, I see no prospect of doing more than holding our position here until night. I am not certain I can do that. If I can I shall withdraw tonight north of the Appomattox, and, if possible, it will be better to withdraw the whole line to-night from James River. I advise that all preparation be made for leaving Richmond tonight. The doleful message was rushed to President Jefferson Davis, who was in church at the time. Meanwhile, Maj. Gen. Henry Heth led a couple of brigades from his own and Wilcoxs divisions west along the Southside Road to Sutherland Station, where he located a wagon train loaded with supplies. Heth determined to make a stand to buy time for the wagons to escape. He positioned his 3,000-man force on a ridge behind some hastily erected breastworks of fence rails. After hearing of Hills death, Heth left Brig. Gen. John Cooke in charge and made his way back to Petersburg to assume command of what was left of the corps. Around 11 am, another ridge about half a mile away began to glitter with arms, and then to grow blue with the long lines of the enemy swarming to the attack, wrote Captain James Caldwell of Brig. Gen. Samuel McGowans brigade. The bluecoats were the lead brigade of Maj. Gen. Nelson Miless division of the Army of the Potomacs II Corps. They surged forward, not halting to dress their lines, observed Caldwell, but with yells of mingled confidence and ferocity, they rushed forward rapidly, disordering their line and breaking through all control. The attackers were met with artillery fire but charged on, pushing closer to the Confederates works. The crash of the volleys and the roar of shouting filled the air as both sides traded fire. The Federals fell back but attempted a second attack when another brigade arrived. This attack was also driven back. Finally, a third brigade was brought up and used in a flank attack that scattered the defenders. The Southside Railroad was cut. The Fall of Fort Gregg While this was going on, Brig. Gen. Nathaniel Harriss brigade of Mississippians in Maj. Gen. William Mahones division and 25 artillerymen from Washington Battalion, Louisiana Artillery were taking up positions in Fort Gregg and Fort Whitworth, four miles west of Petersburg. The 12th and 16th Mississippi Regiments and two guns holding Fort Gregg were soon facing two divisions of Maj. Gen. John Gibbons XXIV Corps of the Army of the James. Federal artillery opened up on both forts, and the plucky Confederates answered back. At 1 pm, the two Union divisions, joined by comrades from VI Corps, attacked the heavily outnumbered Confederates. The Federals centered the bulk of the attack on Fort Gregg, where roughly 200 defenders fought back ferociously. Despite their bravery, the small band of Mississippians could not hold off the Federals, who eventually fought their way into the fort. Brutal hand-to-hand fighting raged. At 2:30 pm, the surviving Confederates in Fort Gregg surrendered. With the capture of Fort Gregg, the Confederates defending Fort Whitworth were now outflanked, and they quickly abandoned the fort. Still, the defenders of Fort Gregg had bought enough time for part of Longstreets corps to move into the innermost earthworks protecting Petersburg. The Evacuation of Richmond While the exhausted, victorious Federal troops halted their attack to rest, the evacuation of Richmond began at 8 pm. The Confederate troops retreating from both the Petersburg and Richmond fronts were to rendezvous at Amelia Court House, 40 miles to the west, where tons of rations were supposed to be waiting for them. From there Lee planned to retreat south down the Richmond & Danville Railroad to join Johnston in North Carolina. Lieutenant General Richard Ewell led the troops defending Richmond out of the city. The erstwhile defenders, including Maj. Gen. George Washington Custis Lees division, crossed the James River and headed for the ruined Genito Bridge, where they were to cross the Appomattox River on a pontoon bridge and continue on to Amelia Court House. Traveling with Custis Lee was a large wagon train and about 200 light artillery pieces that would cross the river near Meadville. Mahone, meanwhile, pulled his troops out of the trenches near Bermuda Hundred and headed for Goodes Bridge over the Appomattox. Gordons, Hills, and Longstreets corps crossed over bridges to the north side of the Appomattox before turning west. Maj. Gen. George Picketts battered troops, Maj. Gen. Fitzhugh Lees cavalry, and Maj. Gen. Bushrod Johnsons men, under the overall command of Lt. Gen. Richard H. Anderson, headed for the court house as well. A single train steamed out of Richmond for Danville carrying President Davis, his cabinet, government documents, and all the gold that was left in the treasury. As the Confederates were pulling out of Petersburg, warehouses filled with military supplies were being torched, lighting up the darkness. In Richmond the flames from warehouses and foundries quickly spread, engulfing hotels, banks, and government buildings. Soon nearly 800 buildings were on fire in the city. Making matters worse, angry mobs began besieging the commissary stores, destroying liquor, intent perhaps upon pillage, and swaying to and fro in whatever momentary passion possessed them, reported a local newspaper editor. Shortly after dawn on April 3, Union troops moved into Richmond and Petersburg. Cutting the Confederates off at Burkeville Junction Grant assumed that Lee would retreat along the Richmond & Danville Railroad to North Carolina. He determined to cut off the Confederate army at Burkeville Junction rather than pursuing it across the open countryside. Before leaving, Grant met briefly with President Abraham Lincoln, who was waiting nearby to enter the Confederate capital. The next day Lincoln would make a triumphant entry into Richmond, where he would be greeted excitedly by former slaves as he made his way to visit the Confederate White House and Libby Prison, among other places of note. Most of the remaining citizens stayed closeted behind locked doors while the president toured the fallen capital. Lees retreating columns had to cross the Appomattox River, which proved difficult due to spring floods. Longstreets and Gordons corps were originally supposed to cross the river at Bevils Bridge, but it was flooded. They were ordered to proceed farther north to cross at Goodes Bridge, where Mahone was also scheduled to cross along with Gordons wagons. Getting so many troops across the river ate up precious time. By nightfall most of Longstreets troops were encamped on the west side of the bridge, while Gordons and Mahones men bedded down on the east side. Anderson and Fitzhugh Lee had been sparring with Sheridans troopers all day. The Federal II Corps and the V Corps, under the command of Maj. Gen. Charles Griffin, marched for Danville, while VI Corps pushed west as well. IX Corps temporarily stayed behind to secure Petersburg. Maj. Gen. E.O.C. Ord with three divisions from the Army of the James marched for Burkeville Junction, paralleling the Southside Railroad as they went. Leading the Federal cavalrys pursuit was Maj. Gen. George Custers 3rd Division. In the early morning, Custer arrived at Namozine Creek to find Brig. Gen. William Robertss brigade of North Carolinians acting as the rear guard for Anderson on the west bank. Custer quickly brought up a battery, and while the gunners fired canister at the enemy the 1st Vermont Cavalry forded the creek and struck Robertss troops in flank, causing them to retreat. Five miles farther west, at Namozine Church, Brig. Gen. Rufus Barringers brigade of North Carolinians took over as rear guard for Andersons column. Barringers 800 troopers of the 1st, 2nd, and 5th North Carolina Regiments were positioned at the intersection of the church and the road. The 8th New York Cavalry, leading Custers division, probed the Confederate position before falling back to be joined by 1st Vermont. The two Union regiments then attacked, with the 8th New York attempting to hit the Rebels left flank. The 2nd North Carolina was ordered to countercharge the New Yorkers, but to no avail. The 1st North Carolina broke first, and after the arrival of the 15th New York, Barringers troopers gave way completely, with many of the men surrendering. Custer bagged 350 prisoners, including Barringer. In all, Sheridans forces had taken about 1,200 prisoners, most of them from Heths and Wilcoxs brigades, which had escaped the fight at Sutherland Station the day before. Attack on Ewells Wagon Train In the early morning hours of April 4, the Confederate troops at Goodes Bridge continued to cross and march toward Amelia Court House, 8 miles to the west. Robert E. Lee, riding with Longstreet, moved on to Amelia Court House, where to his bitter disappointment he discovered that the boxcars waiting for him carried no rations. Lee had intended to stay at Amelia Court House just long enough to feed his troops, but now he would need more time to gather food for his army. Lee issued a formal proclamation to local residents requesting provisions, while he also called for 200,000 rations to be sent by train to Danville. Sheridan, following closely, sent Maj. Gen. George Crooks 2nd Division of cavalry and the V Corps infantry to Jetersville Station. He was convinced that Lee would have to pass through Jetersville on his retreat to Danville. Sheridan had his men dig in, ready to block Lees army. Meanwhile, unable to cross the river at Genito, Ewell pushed south to Mattoax Station, where the Richmond & Danville Railroad crossed the Appomattox. Ewells men put planks over the rails and crossed over to the west side of the river, where they camped for the night. Fitzhugh Lees and Andersons commands broke off skirmishing with Sheridans cavalry and bedded down at the junction of Bevils Bridge and Tabernacle Church Roads, southeast of Amelia Court House. Rain greeted both armies on the morning of April 5. The separate Confederate columns continued on toward Amelia Court House, where largely empty quartermaster wagons began rolling back into the settlement, not having had much success in procuring food from local residents. Lee ordered the supply wagons and batteries trimmed down, with the best horses and mules going to the artillery and the wagons accompanying the troops. Extraneous caissons were taken out of town and destroyed, and artillerymen now found themselves serving as infantry. The wagon train traveling separately from Ewells column had crossed the Appomattox River and was only about four miles from Amelia Court House when Brig. Gen. Henry Daviess Union brigade struck. The Confederate gunners attempted to get their weapons into action, but the Federal cavalry were on them with sabers flashing before they could fire. Some of train guard scattered, but Davies captured another 630 troops and torched 200 wagons full of ammunition and provisions. Word of the disaster quickly reached Robert E. Lee, who sent the bulk of his cavalry galloping along the muddy roads in pursuit. Fitzhugh Lees troopers pushed past the burning wagons and came upon Brig. Gen. Martin Garys brigade of Confederate horsemen battling the Federals. A running fight ensued as the Southern horsemen pushed the Federals to within a mile of Jetersville. The rest of Crooks division came to the aid of Daviess men, but not before 30 lay dead and another 150 had been wounded and captured. Two Regiments Lost at Farmville Around 1 pm, Lees army left Amelia Court House and headed southwest. Lee again rode with Longstreet, the cavalry leading the way. Lee decided to shift his retreat, having his spread-out army march north of the Federals left flank and head for Farmville, where 80,000 rations were said to be waiting for his hungry troops. Captured reports revealed that Grant was at Jetersville and Ord was at Burkeville. The tired troops of Longstreet combined I and III Corps trampled through Deatonville around midnight and continued over Little Saylers Creek. After a short rest, they resumed the march at daybreak, heading for Rices Station. Along the way, Longstreet was informed by locals that a detachment of Yankee infantry and cavalry had recently passed through. This detachment consisted three companies of cavalry and two infantry regiments under Brig. Gen. Theodore Read, sent by Ord to capture the High Bridge at Farmville. Longstreet immediately dispatched Brig. Gen. Thomas Munfords and Maj. Gen. Thomas Rossers divisions to ride hard for the bridge and secure it for the armys retreat. Stretched out for miles behind Longstreets combined corps were troops in Andersons command, Ewells reserve corps, the main wagon train and artillery reserve, and Gordons corps acting as the rear guard. While the Confederates were headed west, the three corps of the Army of the Potomac under Meade were headed north for Amelia Court House. Bluecoats from Humphreyss II Corps advancing on the left of Meades advance soon spotted the Confederate wagon train and Gordons rear guard near Amelia Springs. Skirmishers quickly confronted them, followed by an artillery battery. Sheridan sent his troopers toward Deatonville, and they soon spotted columns of Confederates and wagons. Lees army was again moving, and Sheridan urged Grant to attack. Wrights VI Corps marched to support Sheridan at Deatonville, while II Corps headed to Amelia Springs to follow after the Rebel rear guard. V Corps was ordered to take the right of the Army of the Potomacs advance. Reads raiders, meanwhile, neared High Bridge. While the infantry took up positions at Watsons Farm, Read sent his cavalry under Colonel Francis Washburn to scout the bridge. They found it defended by the 3rd Virginia Reserves, hunkered down behind an earthen redoubt. When the Federal troopers spread out to outflank them, the Virginians abandoned their redoubt and hurried back to Farmville. By that time, Rosser and Munford had arrived and were attacking the Federal infantry. Washburn, in turn, led the cavalry back and attacked the Rebels. In brutal fighting, Washburn took a bullet to the mouth and a saber cut across the skull, knocking him to the ground. Read was killed. With the Union cavalry shot and cut to pieces, the Confederate troopers attacked the two Federal infantry regiments and pushed them back to the Appomattox River, where they surrendered. Clash at Little Saylers Creek Elsewhere, things were going better for the Federals. Crooks cavalry harassed Gordons corps at Deatonville. Leaving them, the troopers attacked Picketts division and Johnsons division of Andersons command at Holts Corners. One Federal brigade managed to burn another 20 wagons before being driven off. The troops of Johnsons and Picketts divisions now threw up some breastworks, causing Crooks men to withdraw, but there was now a two-mile-wide gap between Andersons men and Mahones division ahead of them. Custers division crossed over Little Saylers Creek and immediately saw the dangerous gap in the Confederate line of retreat. The men quickly fell upon some Rebel artillery, forcing their way through the gap and capturing most of the guns. Elements of Picketts battered division arrived, and Custer pulled back. He was soon reinforced by the two other cavalry divisions under Maj. Gen. Wesley Merritt, who was temporarily in command while Sheridan was busy elsewhere. Crossing Little Saylers Creek, Andersons troops reached Marshalls Crossroads a mile away, where they found Federal cavalry blocking their route. Ewell, in the rear of Andersons corps, was quickly informed of the roadblock ahead and sent the wagon train moving in a northerly direction. Gordons corps trailed after them, leaving Ewell without a rear guard. Ewell pushed over Little Saylers Creek and took up position on a ridge west of the waterway. He rode on to meet up with Anderson and decide what they should do about the Federal cavalry blocking their way. The enemy decided that for them when the Union VI Corps appeared behind Ewell. In full view on the valleys eastern brink, wrote a Georgian in Ewells command, the corps was massing into the fields at a double quick, the battle lines blooming with colors, growing longer and deeper at every moment, the batteries at a gallop coming into action. We knew what it all meant. At about 5:15 pm, 20 Federal guns opened up on Ewells men. Sheridan, who was now on the scene, placed Maj. Gen. Frank Wheatons division on the left and Brig. Gen. Truman Seymours division on the right in preparation for an attack. VI Corps other division, under Maj. Gen. George Getty, had yet to arrive. Meanwhile, Merritt was preparing to attack Anderson with his three divisions. Ewells men built breastworks but having no guns to reply, they could only crouch down and wait for the shelling to end a half hour after it began. To face the attack, Ewell placed Custis Lees troops on the left of his position, while Commodore John Tuckers battalion of sailors and marines, who had earlier scuttled their vessels and joined the retreating army, moved into place in the right rear. On the far right was Maj. Gen. Joseph Kershaws division. At about 6 pm, the two Federal divisions waded across Little Saylers Creek and reformed on the other side. Confederate skirmishers fell back as the bluecoats continued their advance toward the enemys breastworks, which soon erupted with flame and smoke. Ewells men let loose a deadly volley, followed by a second. Two regiments of Colonel Oliver Edwards brigade in Wheatons division broke and scrambled back to the creek. Soldiers from Custis Lees division led by Colonel Stapleton Crutchfield chased after them across the creek. Hand-to-hand fighting broke out as the opponents bayoneted each other and swung their rifles as clubs. The remaining regiments of Edwards brigade wheeled around and began pouring a deadly fire into the gray-clad troops. Crutchfield went down with a bullet to the head. Federal artillery opened up, the canister adding to the Confederates misery and forcing them to fall back to their works. The Federals attacked again, this time hitting the Rebel flanks. Confederate Major Robert Stiles, who had been part of the counterattack, observed, By the time we had well settled into our old position we were attacked simultaneously, front and rear, by overwhelming numbers, and quicker than I can tell it the battle degenerated into a butchery and a confused melee of brutal personal conflicts. Almost 3,400 of Ewells command surrendered, while another 1,450 managed to escape. Among the captured were Ewell, Custis Lee, Kershaw, and three other Confederate generals. Let the Thing Be Pressed The situation was no better for Picketts and Johnsons divisions. Crooks troopers attacked the right held by Johnson, while the rest of the troopers hit the Confederates front. Brig. Gen. J. Irvin Greggs cavalry brigade, attacking dismounted, shoved back Johnsons flank, but Custers troopers were driven back a couple of times by Picketts men. Custer attacked again, this time breaking through the Rebel ranks. Andersons corps shattered; some men managed to escape, but about 2,600 surrendered. Robert E. Lee, seeing his demoralized troops flee the field, cried out, My God! Has the army been dissolved? Gordons corps, following the wagon train, attempted to make a stand to slow the II Corps pursuit. The Federals kept pushing them hard. The wagons became bottlenecked at two bridges over the forks of Little and Big Saylers Creeks, while Gordon positioned his troops on a ridge to the east. Two II Corps divisions again pressed the Confederates back toward the creek, where panicky teamsters began cutting their horses and mules out of their traces and fleeing across the waterway. Darkness ended the fighting, but not before 300 Confederate wagons were lost, along with 70 ambulances and three guns. Another 1,700 soldiers were captured as well. The Army of Northern Virginia could ill afford the loss of 7,700 men. Anderson, Pickett, and Johnson were soon relieved of their commands. Sheridan, reporting on the victory at Little Saylers Creek to Grant, urged, If the thing is pressed I think that Lee will surrender. When the message was forwarded to him, President Lincoln responded, Let the thing be pressed. Burning Bridges On the morning of April 7, Longstreets mud-spattered men, after marching all night, finally began stumbling into Farmville, where much needed rations awaited them. There, two railroad bridges spanned the Appomattox (including the High Bridge), along with two wagon bridges in the Farmville vicinity. When the last of Lees men crossed over to the north side of the river, Lee ordered the bridges destroyed. Brigadier General E. Porter Alexander, Longstreets artillery chief, thought marching west on the north side of the Appomattox was a bad route. He would later write that the army had been in a sort of jug shaped peninsula between the James River and Appomattox and there was but one outlet, the neck of the jug at Appomattox Court House, and to that Grant had the shortest road. Despite Porters reservations, the last of troops managed to cross the streamnone too soon, as the Federals were close behind. The order to burn the High Bridge and the wagon bridges was delayed, and by the time Confederate engineers began to torch them, the 19th Maine Infantry arrived and put out the fire on the wagon bridge. The rest of their brigade, commanded by Colonel William Olmstead, was soon moving across it. Mahone attempted to recapture the wagon bridge but was driven back as more and more Federal regiments crossed over. Mahones men were soon in full retreat along with Gordons corps. At the High Bridge, pioneers of the 2nd Division managed to put out that fire as well, saving most of the spans of the towering bridge. Elsewhere, Alexander destroyed the other two bridges north of Farmville before the Federals could use them. Meanwhile, the ration train steamed out of Farmville before it fell into Union hands. Surrender vs the Restoration of Peace The Confederates pushed on to Cumberland Court House, where Mahones troops dug in while the wagon train and artillery reserve continued pushing west for Appomattox Court House. After beating back an attack by Colonel George Scotts brigade of Maj. Gen. Nelson Miless division, Mahones troops were reinforced by the bulk of the army, with Gordon and Longstreet forming on the right. Scotts brigade launched another attack around 4:15 pm, but again the Federals were thrown back. The Federals suffered another setback when Greggs troopers attacked the Rebel wagon train but were hit in turn by Munford and Rosser. The Union cavalrymen broke and Gregg himself was captured. Greggs troopers reformed and were reinforced by Daviess brigade, with Brig. Gen. Charles Smiths brigade acting in reserve and an artillery battery providing support. The Federals again pushed toward the wagons but were thrown back by a brigade of North Carolinians supported by artillery. Meanwhile, in Farmville, Grant sent a message to Lee asking him to surrender. Lee received the message at 9 pm and showed it to Longstreet, who after reading it replied, Not yet. Lee sent a message back to Grant inquiring about surrender conditions, while another night march was undertaken. Lee still hoped to reach Appomattox Station and obtain supplies before pushing west to Campbell Court House and turning south for Danville. On the morning of April 8, the Federal II and VI Corps resumed the pursuit. Grant followed, having replied to Lees query: The men and officers surrendered shall be disqualified for taking up arms again against the Government of the United States until properly exchanged. When Lee received the message, he responded that he did not intend to surrender but was merely interested in the restoration of peace. Lee suggested a meeting at 10 am the next day. Legs Will Win This Battle, Men Meanwhile, the fighting continued. Union troopers were in the saddle early, with Crooks division riding into Pamplin Station around noon, where they captured three locomotives and some cars that had left Farmville the day before. Merritts command and Brig. Gen. Thomas Devins divisions, meanwhile, were also riding hard, trying to get ahead of the Confederate army. Word reached Sheridan that trains rolling out Lynchburg were nearing Appomattox Station. Sheridan immediately ordered the three cavalry divisions to intercept the trains. Marching behind the cavalry were Ords troops and V Corps. Ord told his soldiers, Legs will win this battle, men. The 2nd New York of Colonel Alexander Penningtons brigade captured three trains bulging with 300,000 rations and supplies; a fourth train managed to escape. It was yet another blow to Lees army. At 10 am the wagon train and reserve artillery, as well as their cavalry escort, reached Appomattox Court House and pushed on for another couple of miles toward Appomattox Station. Around mid-afternoon they stopped to eat, but did not post pickets. Union cavalry soon arrived. Penningtons brigade attacked first but was driven back with canister. The 3rd Brigade under Colonel Henry Capehart attacked next but was also forced back. Finally, at 9 pm, Custer launched a massed attack with all three of his brigades. This time the Federal troopers overran the position, capturing 1,000 men and grabbing 200 wagons and 30 guns. Around midnight, Grant received Lees second message, which angered Grants chief of staff, Brig. Gen. John Rawlins, who thought it a positive insult. Grant did not take it that way. The next morning he responded to Lee that he had no authority to treat on the subject of peace but again called for Lee to surrender. Grant rode out to join Sheridan. Back at Appomattox Court House, Lee intended to push through the Federal cavalry in his front. Gordon and Fitzhugh Lee moved to attack Brig. Gen. Charles Smiths brigade of Crooks division, which was positioned on a ridge overlooking Appomattox Court House. The Confederate cavalry quickly captured two enemy guns and drove back the pickets, then pushed on toward the ridge where the bulk of Smiths men were blazing away with their Spencer repeating carbines. The Confederates pressed the attack while more horsemen arrived under the command of Brig. Gen. Ranald Mackenzie and Colonel Samuel Young (now in charge of Greggs brigade). Just in time, Ord, Custer, and Devin began to arrive with reinforcements. With more bluecoats massing, Fitzhugh Lee retreated hastily toward Lynchburg. Gordons men, badly outnumbered, continued fighting. When asked by Lees assistant adjutant general about the situation, Gordon replied bluntly, I have fought my corps to a frazzle, and I fear I can do nothing unless I am heavily supported by Longstreets corps. But Longstreet had his hands full, facing the II and VI Corps at New Hope Church, four miles to the east. Alexanders troops began preparing fieldworks on a nearby ridge to make a last stand. Lee Finally Surrenders It was too late for that. Lee, realizing that the only open escape route was to the northwest, an area devoid of any major roads and completely opposite of the direction in which he wanted to go, bowed to the inevitable. As couriers from both armies hurried white flags of truce to the front lines, Lee rode out at around 8:30 am, having first dispatched Colonel Charles Marshall to Grant, asking him to meet with Lee about surrendering. When Grant got the message, a meeting was quickly set up in the Appomattox Court House home of Wilmer McLean. Lee arrived first, resplendent in a full-dress gray uniform, with Marshall and an orderly. At about 1:30 pm, a rumpled and mud-spattered Grant arrived with a vanguard of 12 high-ranking officers. The ensuing parley lasted about 90 minutes, with the two commanding generals exchanging small talk about their time in Mexico before getting down to serious negotiations. I met you once before, General Lee, while we were serving in Mexico, when you came over from General Scotts headquarters to visit Garlands brigade, to which I then belonged, said Grant. I have always remembered your appearance, and I think I should have recognized you anywhere. Yes, said Lee, I know I met you on that occasion, and I have often thought of it, and tried to recollect how you looked, but I have never been able to recall a single feature. If Grant took offense at the probably unintended slight (Lee was exhausted), he did not show it. He continued to chat amiably. Our conversation grew so friendly, Grant recalled, that I almost forgot the object of our meeting. Finally, Lee interrupted to say, I suppose, General Grant, that the object of our present meeting is fully understood. I asked to see you to ascertain upon what terms you would receive the surrender of my army. The Army of Northern Virginia was to lay down its arms and the men were to be paroled and could return to their homes, Grant responded, adding after some prodding that he would allow the troops who owned horses to keep them for use in their spring planting. This will have the best possible effect upon the men, said Lee. It will be very gratifying and will do much toward conciliating our people. Grant further offered to provide 25,000 rations for the Confederate soldiers and the remaining Federal prisoners. The two commanders signed copies of the surrender documents and shook hands. Lee walked onto the porch and called for his horse, Traveller, to be brought around from the rear. Then he somewhat automatically returned the salutes from various Union officers milling about the porch and yard. He mounted Traveller and rode off. Grant, coming onto the porch, silently doffed his hat; Lee returned the gesture. Other Union officers also uncovered their heads as Lee passed by. Its All Over Now! Inside the parlor at the McLean House, things were considerably less polite. Phil Sheridan and his fellow officers on the scene engaged in a sudden frenzy of souvenir hunting. Despite the protests of homeowner McLean, Sheridan and the others gleefully looted the furnishings where the historic surrender had taken place. Tables, chairs, candlesticks, inkstandseven chunks of upholsterywere carried off. Sheridan, whose victory a week earlier at Five Forks had done so much to seal the Confederates fate, plunked down $20 for the pine table on which Grant had signed the surrender document. The next day he presented the table to Custer as a gift for Custers beautiful young wife, Libbie, along with a graceful note praising her very gallant husband for his role in bringing about the end of the war. Word spread rapidly of Lees surrender. Maj. Gen. George Gordon Meade, commander of the Army of the Potomac, threw his arms into the air and shouted, Its all over boys! Lees surrendered! Its all over now! Officers and men embraced each other without regard to rank. Many cried. Hats, coats, knapsacks, cartridge boxes, canteens, haversacks, bootsanything the solders could grabwere tossed into the air. Regimental bands broke into spontaneous versions of The Star-Spangled Banner and other patriotic airs. Artillerymen began firing salutes. Grant, irritated, ordered everyone to stop celebrating. The Confederates were now our prisoners, he wrote in his memoirs, and we did not want to exult over their downfall. At 4:30 pm he thought to send a brief message to Secretary of War Edwin Stanton: General Lee surrendered the Army of Northern Virginia this afternoon on terms proposed by myself. Meanwhile, Lee rode back to inform his men of the days events. As he entered his lines, groups of soldiers crowded around to meet him. General, are we surrendered? one man wanted to know. Many were weeping. Tears formed in Lees eyes as well. When he reached his headquarters tent he dismounted, then turned to offer a parting word to the watching group. I have done the best I could for you, he said. My heart is too full to say more. Goodbye. The next day, having regained his composure, Lee issued his final order to his troopsGeneral Order Number 9. Generations of Southern schoolchildren would learn to recite it, word for word: After four years of arduous service, marked by unsurpassed courage and fortitude, the Army of Northern Virginia has been compelled to yield to overwhelming numbers and resources. I need not tell the brave survivors of so many hard fought battles, who have remained steadfast to the last, that I have consented to the result from no distrust of them. But feeling that valor and devotion could accomplish nothing that would compensate for the loss that must have attended the continuance of the contest, I determined to avoid the useless sacrifice of those whose past services have endeared them to their countrymen. By the terms of the agreement officers and men can return to their homes and remain until exchanged. You will take with you the satisfaction that proceeds from the consciousness of duty faithfully performed, and I earnestly pray that a Merciful God will extend to you His blessing and protection. With an increasing admiration of your constancy and devotion to your country, and a grateful remembrance of your kind and generous considerations for myself, I bid you all an affectionate farewell. On April 12, the Confederate army marched out between two lines of Federal soldiers on the stage road east of Appomattox to stack their rifles. As the last brigade was handing over its flags and guns, the bluecoats gave three cheers, causing many of the Southerners to break down. As one Confederate officer remembered, This soldierly generosity was more than we could bear. There would be plenty of time now for cheering and weeping. The Army of Northern Virginias war and soon the entire Civil Warwas over at last. This article by Mike Phifer first appeared in the Warfare History Network on December 23, 2018. Image: Lee's surrender 1865. 'Peace in Union.' The surrender of General Lee to General Grant at Appomattox Court House, Virginia, 9 April 1865. Reproduction of a painting by Thomas Nast, which was completed thirty years after the surrender. Click here to read the full article. Firm expands Southeast coverage with Alabama market leader WINSTON-SALEM, N.C., July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The Cook & Boardman Group LLC ("Cook & Boardman" or "C&B"), a leading specialty distributor of commercial door entry solutions and systems integration services announced today the acquisition of Birmingham, AL-based Building Specialties. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. (PRNewsfoto/The Cook & Boardman Group) Building Specialties was founded in 1954 by W.P. "Chief" and Leola Caddell whose vision and dedication provided the foundation for the company to become established in the commercial door and hardware business. Through the years, Bill Caddell, Jr., Paul and Pat Caddell provided many years of leadership which allowed the company to continue successfully into a third-generation family business. The CEO and owner, Paul Caddell, attributes the success of the company to the hard work and professionalism of the employees who are in the Building Specialties family. "We are thrilled to welcome Building Specialties to the Cook & Boardman family of companies," said Darrin Anderson, Chief Executive Officer of C&B. "They fit perfectly into our acquisition strategy of buying market leaders with strong management teams and best-in-class associates. We look forward to providing their employees with additional resources and expanded opportunities as we grow in this major market." "Throughout our company's history we have been known for delivering quality products and excellent customer service," noted Building Specialties owner Paul Caddell. "In Cook & Boardman we found a common culture and passion for serving the industry. I am confident that our employees will thrive and Building Specialties' legacy will be preserved." The company will continue to operate under the Building Specialties name and customer contacts will remain unchanged as a result of the acquisition. Mr. Caddell will continue to manage the business under C&B's ownership. Story continues Cook & Boardman is a portfolio company of Littlejohn & Co., LLC. Building Specialties represents C&B's ninth acquisition since being acquired by Littlejohn in October 2018. About Cook & Boardman Group Cook & Boardman is the nation's leading distributor of commercial doors, frames & hardware, electronic access control equipment and specialty (Division 10) products. The company also provides full systems integration services through its A3 Communications division - including physical security, access control, wireless networking, low voltage cabling, audio/visual and managed information technology products. The company serves multi-family and non-residential markets including the commercial, education, government, healthcare, office and hospitality sectors from more than fifty locations across seventeen states and nationwide through their ecommerce portal at www.cookandboardman.com. About Littlejohn & Co., LLC Littlejohn & Co., LLC is a Greenwich, Connecticut-based investment firm focused on private equity and debt investments primarily in middle market companies. The firm seeks to build sustainable success for its portfolio companies through a disciplined approach to engineering change. For more information about Littlejohn, visit www.littlejohnllc.com. Cision View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/cook--boardman-acquires-building-specialties-301086971.html SOURCE The Cook & Boardman Group I have never seen anything like that. That a company chooses to sell their stock to only one country. Its very strange and quite inappropriate, he said. Right now we have enough to make it through the summer if the intake of patients is as it is now. If a second wave comes, we may be challenged. ASTORIA, QUEENS As the New York City Council raced to meet a midnight deadline Tuesday to pass the city's 2021 budget, one Queens representative was noticeably absent. City Council Member Costa Constantinides was instead inside a hospital emergency room, as he struggled with mounting breathing issues and chest pain that have lingered ever since he started experiencing COVID-19 symptoms at the end of March, according to his spokesperson. "You dont know how frustrating this has been, as I want to fully focus on my job," Constantinides tweeted Wednesday, while at the doctor's office for a follow-up appointment. "But breathing is at times difficult, especially as the weather gets hotter." While Mayor Bill de Blasio and the City Council went back and forth Tuesday evening on how to best deal with a $9 billion shortfall, the same virus whose collateral damage was forcing lawmakers to make drastic spending cuts had managed to force one of their own from the negotiating table. Constantinides headed to Mount Sinai Queens hospital just before 8 p.m. Tuesday after experiencing difficulty breathing and chest pain, his spokesperson, Terence Cullen, told Patch. He notified the City Council while he was in the emergency room, as his colleagues were heading into their stated meeting to vote on a contentious, $88.1 billion budget. Constantinides spent several hours in the emergency room, where doctors attributed his symptoms to COVID-19 complications. It was the first time he had missed a budget vote, he said. "While I was not able to make a stand last night," he tweeted Wednesday, "I am committed to using whatever time I have left in the Council to fight for a scaled-down police department." This article originally appeared on the Astoria-Long Island City Patch Stress levels have gone up during the pandemic both over health fears and economic uncertainty. Photo: Getty Millions of Brits are coping with stress and anxiety as they deal with the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, as well as the economic fallout as a result of COVID-19. When the UKs lockdown began, nearly half of people experienced high anxiety, according to the Office for National Statistics, particularly the self-employed and those renting. Anxiety levels were highest among an estimated 8.6 million people whose income fell. Although lockdown restrictions are beginning to ease and people are returning to work, the virus is continuing to impact our lives. The economic disruption has placed many financially vulnerable people in danger of further hardship. More than one third (34%) of UK adults in full-time work are concerned about losing their jobs, according to a survey of 4,246 people aged 18 and over by the Mental Health Foundation. A third said they were worried about their finances, such as bill payments and debts. Our research is starting to reveal how the financial and employment inequalities caused and exacerbated by the pandemic are affecting peoples mental health, said Mental Health Foundation director Dr Antonis Kousoulis. We have very concerning evidence that many millions of people in the UK are worrying about fundamental financial matters and their job security both of which are closely linked to poor mental health. Although stress caused by money worries can affect anyone, research suggests younger people are particularly at risk. Nearly three quarters of Brits aged 18-34 have at some point experienced mental health or well-being issues linked to money. So what can you do if you are struggling with financial anxiety? READ MORE: Five simple money-saving apps Working out how much you are spending is the first step towards feeling more in control of your finances. Write down how much you spend each week or month, including on your rent, bills, food, internet and other expenditures. Make sure you include seemingly minor expenditures which can add up, too. Story continues An online budgeting tool can help you keep track of what you are spending. The Money Advice Service offers a free online budget planner which can help you keep track of your spending and outgoings. Focus on spending money on the essentials and try to cut out any unnecessary purchases. When faced with redundancy or a loss of income, it is easy to feel paralysed with panic, but its important to work out what you need to survive. Check if you are eligible for government support or speak to your bank. There are lots of different organisations that can help you with money and debt problems. The Money Advice Service provides free and impartial money advice and can help you with debt and borrowing, budgeting, benefits, savings and mortgages. Citizens Advice can help you with legal or money issues, including benefits, work, discrimination and healthcare. READ MORE: Four ways you can reduce stress when working from home Its tempting to keep financial worries to yourself, but its important to speak to friends and relatives that you trust either for support or advice. Sometimes, other people can help put things into perspective when youre feeling anxious. Across the nation anxiety has been high as people are bombarded with concerns about their health, their loved ones, their jobs among other things. So financial strain has a very real capacity as an unwelcome cherry on top, said Jane Goodland, corporate affairs director at the financial services company Quilter. We know mental health is deeply linked to the state of ones finances. Living in financial stress can lead to mental health issues problems and those with mental health issues often find it difficult to cope with their finances. These are extraordinary times and we need to support each other. If you are struggling with your finances there is no reason you should bear the burden alone, there are many who are in the same position as you. Making sure you spend time doing things you like, or activities you find relaxing, can really help your mental health. Walking or getting some exercise can give you headspace to think more clearly about a problem and reduce anxiety. And if anxiety is seriously affecting your life, your GP will be able to help you decide on the right course of action. Charities such as Mind and the Samaritans also offer advice and support too. IMF chief economist Gita Gopinath said on Wednesday that most advanced economies would see a prolonged recovery. Photo: Jose Luis Magana/AP It is too early to predict that the UK economy will experience a rapid V-shaped recovery from the coronavirus crisis, according to the chief economist of the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Gita Gopinath said on Wednesday that most countries will experience a somewhat prolonged recovery from the economic effects of the pandemic, warning that initial spikes in activity following the easing of lockdown measures should not be over-interpreted. Bank of England chief economist Andy Haldane said on Tuesday (30 June) that he believed the UK economy would experience a V-shaped recovery. It is early days, but my reading of the evidence is so far, so V, Haldane said during an online webinar. READ MORE: Bank of England economist says UK is set for V-shaped recovery Responding to a question about Haldanes comments from Treasury select committee chair Mel Stride, Gopinath said that she would be a little hesitant to describe the potential shape of the recovery. During a V-shaped recession, an economy suffers a sharp but short-lived period of economic contraction, which is immediately followed by a quick return to pre-crisis levels of growth. I think at this point, many things are possible, Gopinath said, noting that, after initial spurts of activity, advanced economies could see a much more flat, rather than V-shaped, recovery, What we are seeing in terms of our tracking around the world is that, for many countries, this is going to be somewhat of a prolonged recovery, with countries being below their pre-crisis levels even by the end of 2021, she said. Haldanes prediction of a faster recovery is based on a series of unofficial and untested economic indicators, such as data on credit card transactions, Google searches of key economic and financial terms, and measures of footfall on the high street. Most official figures have suggested that the UK experienced a historic contraction due to the UK-wide lockdown introduced in response to the coronavirus crisis. Story continues The Office for National Statistics said on Tuesday that UK economic output contracted by 2.2% in the first three months of the year, the largest quarter-on-quarter contraction in gross domestic product in 40 years. READ MORE: UK economy suffered biggest fall since 1979 as pandemic struck The fall-off in economic activity in the second quarter of the year is expected to be even sharper. Gopinath said that many economies had nevertheless already experienced the worst of the impact. But that's not guaranteed. The strength of the recovery is not guaranteed, she told the Treasury select committee. We would expect to see a spurt of activity initially, but I think all of our projections are for a much more gradual recovery by the end of this year. The IMF said last week that it expected the UK economy to contract by 10.2% in 2020 before returning to growth of 6.3% in 2021. Haldane had suggested that the evidence was that the UK recovery had come sooner and faster than any forecasters had predicted, and that it could end up contracting by just 8% in 2020. John Lewis said that the closure of stores means that it was 'likely' that there would be job cuts. Photo: Alastair Grant/AP John Lewis confirmed on Wednesday that it is considering permanently closing some of its stores, warning that it had too much store space for the way consumers will shop in the wake of the coronavirus crisis. In a statement, the company said that the reality of the pandemic meant it was highly unlikely that it would reopen all of its stores. It noted, however, that a final decision would not be made on the closures until the middle of July. In a memo sent to the firms 80,000 staff, new John Lewis Partnership chairman Sharon White said that the closure of stores means that it was likely that there would be job cuts. We are in active discussions with landlords about ending some leases and renegotiating others to make the terms more flexible, she said. In the memo, which was first reported by the Evening Standard, White warned that John Lewis would close one of its two large Victoria offices and said it was unlikely that the firms partners would receive their bonus next year. READ MORE: UK shops keep slashing prices to lure back customers Because John Lewis is an employee-owned business, all 80,000 permanent staff are referred to as partners. There is clearly a lot of uncertainty but as things stand, it is hard to see the circumstances where we will be able to pay a bonus next year, White said. I know this will be a blow for partners who have made sacrifices these past months. Staff bonuses at John Lewis are currently set at 2%, the lowest level since 1953 the last time it paid no bonus. READ MORE: Ryanair warns of 3,500 job losses if pay cuts cannot be agreed The company warned earlier this year that it was considering axing the staff bonus. There have been just 17 years in total since the company was founded in 1919 that a bonus was not paid to partners, but most of those years fell during World War II. White noted that government support such as the wage-subsidy scheme and a rates holiday had been a big help. Trade too has not been as bad as our worst-case scenario thanks to a lot of hard work from our partners. However, as our competitors reopen we expect trading to be tougher in the second half of the year, she said. NEW YORK, NY Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Wednesday said all New Yorkers can now get tested for COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus. Meanwhile, the state pumped the brakes on resuming indoor dining in New York City. Cuomo noted the indefinite postponement of indoor dining is an "NYC-only modification" of phase 3 of the New York Forward reopening plan for businesses. It will not apply to other regions. The governor said indoor dining can be dangerous due to how the coronavirus circulates through the air. "Frankly, its a problem thats most pronounced in New York City," he said. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. The action is due to a lack of compliance in the city as well as lack of enforcement compliance by local governments and a spike in infections from other states, Cuomo said. The state plans to create its own enforcement department to supplement local enforcement efforts, Cuomo said, noting he does not have the resources to help all 500 police departments across the state. The news comes as the state continued to see low coronavirus infection numbers and the Capital Region began phase 4 of reopening businesses. Hospitalizations fell to 879 on Tuesday, and the number of people who died of the disease fell to 11, including eight in hospitals and three in nursing homes. New York City and Long Island saw their respective infection rates remain steady at 1.1 percent Tuesday, while the Hudson Valley ticked down to 0.8 percent. Cuomo said New York has more than 750 testing sites statewide and that many are below capacity. He encouraged all New Yorkers to get tested. State health officials suggest New Yorkers call their testing site or health care provider before getting a test. State-operated sites will not charge for the tests, however those operated by local governments, private companies including pharmacies and medical practices or not-for-profit organizations may do so. This article originally appeared on the Long Island Patch Ryanair planes parked at Stansted Airport, one of the airline's major bases, on Tuesday. Photo: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images Ryanair pilots have agreed to a 20% pay cut in order to avoid job losses. Pilots union BALPA said on Wednesday that 96% of Ryanair pilots voted to take a temporary 20% pay cut in order to save 260 jobs. Negotiations between the union and Ryanair continue as 70 roles remain at risk of redundancy. This is a terrible time for aviation and for employees in all airlines, Brian Strutton, BALPA general secretary, said in a statement. It was our members mandate for us to save as many jobs as possible. In the circumstances this is the right thing to do even if it means accepting difficult temporary reductions in pay. The deal cut with Ryanair management will see pilot pay gradually return to pre-cut levels over the next four years. The agreement came hours after Ryanair chief executive Michael OLeary warned around 3,500 jobs would be slashed unless staff agreed to a series of pay cuts. READ MORE: Airbus to slash 15,000 jobs from global workforce The airline is seeking pay cuts of up to 20% for flight crew and 10% for attendants across Europe, but faces pushback from trade unions. We've already announced about 3,500 job losses but we're engaged in extensive negotiations with our pilots, our cabin crew, and we're asking them to all take pay cuts as an alternative to job losses, O'Leary said in an interview with the BBC. We're looking from 20% from the best paid captains, 5% from the lowest paid flight attendants and we think if we can negotiate those pay cuts by agreement, we can avoid most but not all job losses, he said. Ryanair resumed flights on almost 90% of its route network on Wednesday, albeit with just 40% of its usual July capacity. Over 1,000 flights will be operated by Ryanair from Wednesday, and the airline expects to carry more than than 4.5 million customers in July overall. OLeary on Wednesday called the resumption of flights an important turning point for Ryanair and for the tourism industry of Europe, which supports so many jobs and small businesses. Story continues READ MORE: Ryanair threatens job losses if pilots don't accept pay cuts The aviation industry is confronting an unprecedented crisis in coronavirus, as airlines and manufacturers face a collapse in demand from travellers. French plane maker Airbus (AIR.PA) on Tuesday (30 June) announced plans to cut 15,000 jobs from its global workforce, citing the impact of the pandemic. A report from think tank the New Economic Forum has warned that as many as 70,000 jobs linked to the aviation industry were at immediate risk due to the coronavirus pandemic. WASHINGTON The CIA knew. The State Department knew. Senior congressional officials and the British government were briefed. So how could it be that nobody told the president? White House officials offered a new wrinkle Wednesday in their explanation of why President Donald Trump wasn't informed about intelligence collected this year that suggested that the Russians were paying the Taliban to kill Americans, even though officials in both the U.S. and the U.K. were aware of the reporting. White House national security adviser Robert O'Brien said it was the decision of the president's intelligence briefer. The briefer, a career CIA analyst, "decided not to brief him because it was unverified intelligence," O'Brien said on Fox News. "And, by the way, she is an outstanding officer, and, knowing all the facts I know, I certainly support her decision." But intelligence is almost always "unverified." And the idea that a career government bureaucrat unilaterally decided to keep Trump out of the loop on the Russian bounty matter even though he was in regular phone contact with Russian President Vladimir Putin isn't credible, current and former national security officials said. IMAGE: Beth Sanner (Office of DNI) Since April 2017, Trump's lead briefer has been Beth Sanner, a career CIA officer detailed to the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. Her formal title is deputy director of national intelligence for mission integration. The reporting about possible Russian bounties was included in the president's written intelligence briefing, officials have told NBC News. A senior administration official said it wasn't a significant part of the President's Daily Brief, or PDB, and a number of officials had assessed that the intelligence wasn't conclusive and couldn't be corroborated. Current and former officials said Trump usually doesn't read his briefing material, so his advisers knew that if Sanner didn't tell him, he wouldn't know about it. Story continues But Sanner doesn't make such decisions alone, current and former officials said. CIA Director Gina Haspel is usually in the room with her, as is the director or acting director of national intelligence first Dan Coats, then Joseph Maguire, then Richard Grenell, now John Ratcliffe. The national security adviser is often also present, officials said, and they decide together what to include. The national security team often strategizes long and hard before the Oval Office sessions about what and what not to say, current and former officials said, because team members know certain subjects can provoke an eruption that will send things off the rails. "From what has been reported about the President's Daily Brief process, choices have to be made about how best to engage the president on a limited number of high-priority topics," said Nick Rasmussen, an NBC News contributor who headed the National Counterterrorism Center early in the Trump presidency. "But if the material was in the PDB, then every senior national security official in the administration was aware of it, and I find it hard to understand why at least one of those individuals wouldn't have felt compelled to engage the president," he said. Staff directors at the National Security Council met in March to discuss the intelligence, officials said, but O'Brien opted not to inform Trump. O'Brien said on Fox that the NSC began developing options to take to the president if the intelligence was "verified." He added that even though the intelligence was deemed uncorroborated, "we were concerned about it," and U.S. forces and coalition forces in Afghanistan were briefed to "make sure they could have protection." Critics suggested a troubling scenario. "I believe ... his staff was afraid to tell him about it for fear he would erupt and do something damaging, like calling Putin and tipping him off," said Jeffrey Smith, a former general counsel to the CIA. Officials at the White House and the national intelligence director's office disputed that assertion. But a few previous incidents have raised questions. In May 2017, Trump revealed highly classified information, apparently by accident, to Russia's foreign minister during an Oval Office meeting, The Washington Post reported. Also in May 2017, Trump told Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte in a phone call that two nuclear submarines were somewhere in the waters near North Korea, according to a transcript obtained by The New York Times. In August, Trump tweeted a photograph of an Iranian missile site, which some experts said probably was classified. Former Trump administration officials have described Trump as extremely difficult to brief, prone to launching into tirades that derail the sessions. "I didn't think these briefings were terribly useful, and neither did the intelligence community, since much of the time was spent listening to Trump, rather than Trump listening to the briefers," former national security adviser John Bolton wrote in his book "The Room Where It Happened." Bolton said Trump delivered "rambling lectures" at the briefings, which generally took place once or twice a week. "He spoke at greater length than the briefers, often on matters completely unrelated to the subjects at hand," Bolton wrote. Download the NBC News app for breaking news and politics It is the second time in a few months that Trump or a White House official has cited the actions of Sanner. In response to criticism that Trump failed to act on warnings about the coronavirus that were included in his intelligence briefing materials more than a dozen times in January and February, Trump tweeted that he was first briefed Jan. 23 and that his briefer portrayed the virus as "not a big deal." In a tweet Wednesday, Trump called the reports of Russians' paying bounties to kill Americans a "made up Fake News Media Hoax started to slander me & the Republican Party." He added, "I was never briefed because any info that they may have had did not rise to that level." Some Republican lawmakers briefed on the intelligence say that if it is verified, it merits a strong response from the U.S. By calling the intelligence "unverified allegations," the White House is "hiding behind the language of law enforcement to justify their gross mishandling of the intelligence they were provided," said Smith, the former CIA lawyer, who is a Trump critic. He and other intelligence experts said intelligence is rarely "verified." Intelligence analysis calls upon professionals to make their best judgments often based on fragments of secret information. Former CIA Director Michael Hayden used to say, "If it was a fact, it wouldn't be intelligence." The CIA never "verified" that Osama bin Laden was living in a compound in Pakistan only the Navy SEALs did that, after they shot and killed him. Click here to read the full article. Here's What You Need To Remember: The U.S. Navy's electromagnetic railgun would be able to zero in on targets from 100 nautical miles away and fire a solid metal slug that could travel at speeds of Mach 6, or 4,500 mph. Sounding akin to something out of science fiction, the U.S. Navy's electromagnetic railgun would be able to zero in on targets from 100 nautical miles away and fire a solid metal slug that could travel at speeds of Mach 6, or 4,500 mph. After years in development, much of it troubled, not to mention some $500 million in R&D efforts, the railgun will remain at least for now in fiction. "The railgun itself has overcome all the required technical hurdles, but the systems simply aren't in place to take advantage of its capability and speed the fire control systems, the communications link with a command center," a source with direct knowledge of the program told Task & Purpose this week. "If there's no funding, the program can't move forward." The U.S. Navy electromagnetic railgun (EMRG) project was first conceived in 2003, and the Office of Naval Research began development in 2005. The project was not without some advancements, and development seemed on track. In 2012 a technology demonstrator fired projectiles at Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division in Virginia, while in 2015 the Navy announced it would test the weapon from the USNS Trenton, reported Popular Mechanics. In 2017 the projected seemed on track, and the Navy even released video that highlighted the Dahlgren gun, which was developed by BAE Systems and General Atomics, firing multi-shot salvos at speeds reaching up to Mach 6. Since then shipboard testing has been pushed back. The project isn't being shut down, but it will receive less effort and notably a lot less money. Just $9.5 million has been included in the Navy's 2021 fiscal year budget request, down from the $15 million requested in the 2020 fiscal year budget and way down from the $28 million just a year prior. Story continues The question becomes whether it could be one that is stuck in the development stage. "Transitioning military technology efforts from the research and development phase to the procurement phase can sometimes be a challenge," noted a Congressional Research Service report on the Navy's directed energy efforts. "Some military technology efforts fail to make the transition." The EMRG was originally planned to be one of the main weapons for the U.S. Navy's naval surface fire support (NSFS) despite the slower rate of fire than other long-range weapon systems. The new guided-missile destroyer USS Zumwalt (DDG 1000), which is being readied for offensive surface strike testing and training, was slated to conduct the NSFS missions, but according to Jane's the Navy has cut the Zumwalt-class fleet due to the high cost for the advance warships. While the EMRG remains in development limbo, the Department of Defense (DoD) has turned its attention to the hypervelocity project (HVP), a super-dense shell that was originated envisioned as the ammunition for the Navy's supergun. It is the same projectile that was developed for the EMRG but has been modified to fire from traditional gunpowder-based naval guns. It thus can fit the Navy's 127mm deck gun, and while it only has a top speed of Mach 3 it is a significant improvement over standard 127mm projectiles. It could be used against land targets, aircraft and missiles and even enemy warships. Peter Suciu is a Michigan-based writer who has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers and websites. He is the author of several books on military headgear including A Gallery of Military Headdress, which is available on Amazon.com. This article originally appeared earlier this year and is being republished due to reader interest. Image: Wikimedia Click here to read the full article. DETROIT Some Michigan gym owners are openly defying Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's executive order to close during the coronavirus pandemic, even after police issued a few criminal citations. "We're open because I think it's unconstitutional," said Don Larson, owner of a Gold's Gym on Hoover Road in Warren, where about a dozen young men were lifting weights early Monday afternoon. My members need a place to be to stay strong and healthy, and it keeps their immune systems high. State officials say that by ignoring the governor and staying open, these gyms and their employees are flirting with criminal misdemeanor citations and potentially risking the spread of a second wave of COVID-19 across Michigan. Some customers who visited the gyms seem happy to return to their pre-pandemic fitness routines, and said they weren't worried about catching the virus while working out. Its your own choice; you dont have to come here," said Mary Steinc, who along with her husband, Bobby, on Monday visited a reopened Crunch Fitness gym in Warren. There is no readily available estimate of the number of gyms that are defying Whitmer's closure order. Many metro Detroit gyms appear to be obeying the order, which took effect March 16. Coronavirus and the economy: Will infections spike, state reopening rollbacks hurt recovery? RV rentals surge: Americans prepare for Fourth of July road trips Whitmer lifted the order June 10 for gyms in northern Michigan and the Upper Peninsula, which had seen fewer coronavirus cases. Lower Michigan gyms were hours away from legally reopening last Thursday after a judge ordered an end to Whitmer's closure after a group of independent gym owners and trainers sued. But an 11th-hour ruling the day before by a three-judge panel of the U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals delayed implementation of the lower court's decision while it pondered the case. The appeals court has yet to issue its decision on Whitmer's appeal of the lower court's order, which said the state hadn't shown sufficient evidence to back its assertion that a gym would be a "petri dish" for COVID-19 infection. Story continues Crunch Fitness in Warren opens its doors for members on June 29, 2020. The gym has been open since Thursday, June 25, 2020, even though a court ruling came Wednesday night that gyms must remain closed. Local enforcement Enforcement of the criminal penalties in Whitmer's closure order is up to local police and county prosecutors. The executive order itself does not give law enforcement direct authority to shut down a business, said state attorney general spokesman Ryan Jarvi. Last week, police in Meridian Township near East Lansing issued misdemeanor citations to a co-owner and a manager of a Crunch Fitness franchise who refused to close the gym. The franchise's owners eventually agreed to shut down. It was one of seven Crunch locations in Michigan that reopened last Thursday morning. "We had a Powerhouse (Gym) that also opened," recalled Lt. Rick Grillo of the Meridian Township Police Department. "We went to them and explained the (appeals court's) order, and they contacted their legal department and they voluntarily closed. Gym attendance optional Owners of reopened gyms insist their businesses are no public health threat and contend they operate safely with social distancing and stepped up cleaning. Some have pointed to a recently published study involving gyms in Norway that found zero confirmed COVID-19 transmissions linked to gym use during the pandemic. "We are definitely not trying to be adversarial," said James Wiese, a co-owner of the Crunch Michigan franchise locations. "We are just trying to give the community what theyre asking for. And if they dont feel comfortable coming, we dont want them to come. Rico Drewery, 25, of Harper Woods leaves out of Crunch Fitness in Warren after doing a workout on Monday, June 29, 2020. Crunch Fitness in Warren has its doors open for members on June 29, 2020. The gym has been open since Thursday, June 25, 2020, even though a court ruling came out Wednesday night that gyms must remain closed. Another co-owner of that Crunch franchise, Adam Hourani, was issued one of the two misdemeanor citations for the East Lansing-area location that reopened, said Randall Chioini, an attorney for the franchise group. "Its a 93-day misdemeanor, and punishable by a potential 93 days in jail," he said. That Crunch has since closed, Chioini said, although most of the other Crunch gyms in the state were still open as of early this week. Crunch Fitness is a New York-based franchise that arrived in Michigan in 2017 with ambitious expansion plans. The Warren location opened March 6 in a Schoenherr Road retail strip. Just 10 days later, as the coronavirus spread, it and all other gyms throughout Michigan had to close under Whitmer's executive order. Wiese, the Michigan franchise co-owner, said attorneys do not consider the governor's order to be a straightforward closure order. "If it were the law, we definitely would not be open; we would not be doing this," Wiese said in a phone interview last week. Warren Police Commissioner Bill Dwyer said officers have issued citations to the Gold's Gym for disobeying Whitmer's order, but not the new Crunch gym. Police have referred the matter to the Macomb County Prosecutor's Office, he said. Macomb County Executive Mark Hackel said Tuesday that he believes gyms should be following Whitmer's orders. Im a gymgoer myself, but havent gone since the beginning of this shutdown," he said. "As frustrating as that is, it is still the law, whether you like it or not." Gym members like reopening Crunch member Rico Drewery, 25, of Harper Woods, said he visited the Warren Crunch on the day it reopened last Thursday. He noticed that the gym was taking COVID-19 precautions, such as turning off the water fountains and posting social-distancing reminders. He said that members generally wear masks when they enter the gym, but may take them off once they start exercising. There are a lot of 6-foot signs everywhere, just keeping it in the back of everyones head that were still in a pandemic," Drewery said. Contact JC Reindl at 313-222-6631 or jcreindl@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @jcreindl. Read more on business and sign up for our business newsletter. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Defiant gym owners in Mich. stay open, won't obey governor orders Fred Hughes took the reins of the Columbia Jazz Band in 2017, but hes spent his entire life immersed in music. He played tuba in a community band alongside his father when he was 12, played accordion in a German band at Hershey Park and traveled around the world as pianist with the Fred Hughes Trio. A Pennsylvania native, Hughes, 59, lives on the Eastern Shore. Here he shares a few facts about his life that not many people may know. CHICAGO, July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Delta Capital Partners Management LLC, a global private equity firm specializing in litigation and legal finance, today announced the hiring of a Chief Marketing Officer and a Marketing Associate. (PRNewsfoto/Delta Capital Partners) Kim Fine has been hired as Chief Marketing Officer to closely work with Delta's Chief Executive Officer and senior management to advance Delta's strategic marketing and business development objectives and further develop Delta's brand. Prior to joining Delta, Ms. Fine was a Managing Director at ALM, formerly American Lawyer Media, where she worked closely with the editors for The American Lawyer, Corporate Counsel magazine, IP Law & Business, and Law Firm Inc. to create events to grow their brands and materially enhance their editorial content. In addition, Ms. Fine has served as a Project Manager at Marsh FINPRO and was a Senior Vice President of Executive Liability for Beecher Carlson. Prior to her role at Marsh, Ms. Fine co-founded Fulcrum Information Services, which produced over 300 conferences annually. Christopher DeLise, Delta's Founder, CEO and CO-CIO, stated, "We are excited to have someone with Kim's experience and enthusiasm joining Delta's team. Her background in marketing within the legal and financial services industries will enhance Delta's efforts to market to prospective claimants, law firms, professional service providers, and other end-users of litigation and legal finance." Additionally, Megan Bradley has been hired as a Marketing Associate to assist Ms. Fine and other members of Delta's marketing department. Ms. Bradley is a recent graduate of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, where she was a President's Award Program Honors Scholar and obtained a bachelor's degree in Global Studies. Mses. Fine and Bradley join Delta as the firm continues to its global expansion efforts to meet the evolving needs of law firms, businesses, private investment funds, and individual claimants. Story continues About Delta Delta Capital Partners Management LLC is a US-based, global private equity firm specializing in litigation and legal finance, judgment or award enforcement, and/or asset or collateral recovery. Delta works with law firms and other professional service firms, private investment funds, businesses and individual claimants involved in litigation, arbitration or recoveries across the globe. Cision View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/delta-capital-partners-management-expands-its-global-marketing-team-301087038.html SOURCE Delta Capital Partners Treating coronavirus patients in one of the busiest emergency rooms in Manhattan, Dr. Jason Hill wore the same disposable respirator mask for up to four shifts in a row. Hed take the mask home from Columbia University Medical Center, his coffee-flavored breath clinging to its fibers. Then hed bake it in an oven to kill any viral hitchhikers. A half-hour at 140 degrees. For months as the virus filled hospitals in New York and across the nation, doctors, nurses and other medical workers risked their lives in similar ways sharing protective gear, reusing masks or going without simply because there werent enough to go around. Thousands of health care workers got sick, and hundreds died. Jason Hill, an emergency room physician in Manhattan, shows off a face shield created by a volunteer network of 3D printing enthusiasts that worked around the clock for weeks. Nurses at Mount Sinai West hospital in New York City wore Hefty trash bags to protect themselves. Doctors at a California veterans hospital were handed one single-use disposable respirator in a brown paper bag at the beginning of the day to use for an entire shift. The stories spawned a massive volunteer network to make cotton masks and donate supplies. The Federal Emergency Management Agency, under the direction of President Donald Trump, created an airlift to bring in emergency supplies from around the world. U.S. companies that had never made personal protective gear filled in as pinch-hitters, all in an effort to ease shortages. Six months into the nations battle with the coronavirus, doctors and nurses still face a dearth of supplies as coronavirus cases rise nationwide. Nearly 45% of those surveyed by the American Nurses Association said they experienced protective gear shortages as late as May 31. Almost 80% said their employers encouraged or required them to reuse disposable equipment. More: Tracking the coronavirus outbreak in the USA Things have improved since the severe shortages in March. Major mask manufacturers increased production. Federal officials eased some rules for masks and other personal protective equipment, commonly known as PPE, allowing reuse and cleaning. But those efforts havent matched, much less gotten ahead of, the demand. Story continues The USA TODAY Network analyzed dozens of government reports and interviewed more than 50 experts including health care administrators, traders and lawmakers about the PPE shortages, especially the disposable masks that cost a few pennies to a dollar. The blame, experts agreed, goes beyond any single person or agency but is the culmination of decades of change in the nations manufacturing capabilities, a worldwide shift in how goods are delivered and the countrys long battle with medical costs. Warnings about how these factors set the stage for shortages during a worst-case scenario went unheeded, leaving the country unprepared for a pandemic. By the time the coronavirus arrived, it was too late. The nation was left with massive shortages and a ruptured supply chain that wont be an easy fix. Shelves that held masks and respirators are bare at a Home Depot Store in Seattle on March 3. Hospitals are concerned about a shortage of face masks, which people have been snatching up despite pleas from health officials. Michael Alkire, president of Premier, one of the nations largest hospital purchasing organizations, is optimistic the supply chain problems can be corrected. Nothing is insurmountable, Alkire said. He and others recommended moving manufacturing of critical supplies out of China and closer to home, better coordinating supplies during emergencies and ramping up emergency manufacturing when needed. Will the country be ready if a second surge of the virus hits this fall? Its too soon to say, Alkire said. Much depends on how many hospitalizations occur and where. If we get another New York City that goes all over the country, he said, obviously were going to be in short supply, even though everybody is working like the dickens to get product. Some of the PPE shortages are being addressed by U.S. manufacturers who continue to add manufacturing lines and capacity, Alkire said, but fully resolving the situation could take years. The problems span multiple federal administrations. Bass Pro Shops donated masks to nurses and doctors at the UF Health Shands Heart and Vascular Hospital in Gainesville, Fla., on May 8. Federal pandemic planners, scholars and some manufacturers warned for at least 15 years that shortages of respirator masks and other supplies, including prescription drugs, were likely during a pandemic. They warned billions of masks would be needed. All of us knew how desperate the need was, said Dr. Sonja Rasmussen, a University of Florida professor who co-wrote a federal study at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 2017 on the lessons learned about personal protective equipment from public health responses. Multiple studies had warned: Decades of pressure on hospitals, businesses and governments to cut costs and make more money left the country ill-prepared for a pandemic. A shift of manufacturing overseas, especially to China, meant more than 90% of the worlds masks and respirators are made outside the USA, far away and difficult to reach, especially during a global crisis. Hospitals wouldnt have the supplies they needed. In a 16-state survey in 2014, not a single hospital reported having a stockpile or emergency cache. As the Asian Development Bank put it in a briefing statement, The combination of offshoring, lean manufacturing and just in time inventory to cut costs may have stretched the global supply chain to a breaking point. A pandemic begins Troubles began with mask production weeks after China, which produces more masks than any other country, reported the first coronavirus cases Dec. 31. Chinese provinces near the outbreak went into lockdown. For weeks, the government required most masks produced in China to stay there. The filtering fabrics factories used to make masks ran low. Dozens of countries limited or banned the export of masks and supplies. By late January, masks began disappearing off shelves in the USA, and stores had a hard time restocking. Hospitals found their supply lines drying up by early March. They dug into reserves designed to buy them a little time during normal surges in activity. It quickly became apparent the coronavirus was nothing like a bad flu season. Production in China rebounded a few weeks later, but it was too late. The demand for masks was so high the worlds shipping industry couldnt keep up. Hospitals across the USA reported acute shortages. Fierce competition for protective gear among hospitals, clinics, states and the federal government drove up prices and attracted con artists. The magnitude and speed of the spread of coronavirus just overwhelmed the entire supply chain from A to Z, said Mike Crotty, an Ohio-born Shanghai textile broker with more than 35 years in the business. It was a madhouse. Mass exodus Chinas move toward manufacturing dominance began more than 30 years ago when the country adopted a series of economic measures. Congress granted China permanent normal trade relations status in 2000, and in 2001, China joined the World Trade Organization. As trade restrictions were lifted, China attracted investors and companies looking to lower manufacturing costs. U.S. companies were among those setting up shop in China, including maskmakers 3M and Honeywell. By 2011, Chinas exports had grown by more than 500% while manufacturing employment in the USA dropped by almost 20%, at least 2 million jobs. China became the biggest supplier of imports to the USA, about $452 billion worth in 2019. Bill Merkle makes protective masks in Warren, Mich., on April 23. General Motors has about 400 workers at its transmission plant in suburban Detroit. All over the country, blue-collar and salaried workers have raised their hands to make medical equipment as companies repurpose factories to answer calls for help from beleaguered nurses, doctors and paramedics treating patients with the coronavirus. Americas maskmakers left America in an uncoordinated mass exodus, said Mike Bowen, CEO of Texas-based Prestige Ameritech, one of the nations few domestic mask manufacturers. Less than 10% of the masks used in the USA are made here. China makes almost half the worlds masks, gowns, gloves and other PPE. When China nationalized its factories in February and directed all mask production to domestic use, that left much of the world in a quandary. A USA TODAY Network investigation showed imports of goods to the USA plunged in the category that includes masks. As other parts of the world began battling the coronavirus in January and February, China rushed to import millions of protective items. Exports to China from the USA surged. Emails among U.S. Department of Health and Human Services officials in late January and early February, released as part of a whistleblower complaint, showed a flurry of confusion, delays and debates as the virus began to spread. The complaint was filed by Rick Bright, who was director of the departments Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority. Bowen sent near-daily emails to the department in late January. If the supply stops, he warned on Jan. 25, U.S. hospitals would run out of masks. Speaking about the virus on Jan. 30, Trump said, We think we have it very well under control. On Feb. 7, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced the United States had shipped 17.8 tons of donated medical supplies including masks and respirators to China. Two days later, according to a memo included in the whistleblower complaint, Peter Navarro, a senior adviser to Trump on trade, recommended the United States halt the export of respirator masks and try to ramp up production. In mid-February, the U.S. Commerce Department published a flyer with tips for U.S. companies that wanted to ship face masks, ventilators and other supplies to China, which had temporarily lifted some registration requirements for imports. China pushed factories to increase production. New companies jumped in to start producing masks. Everybody was moving fast, said Crotty, president of Golden Pacific Fashion and Design in Shanghai. His company started to sell masks in the midst of the pandemic. As production increased, manufacturers encountered shortages of the specialized, nonwoven fabric called polypropylene, used to make the masks, said Renaud Anjoran, a China-based quality engineering consultant and auditor with Sofeast. The material is melt blown to create small, electrically charged fibers that trap small particles and prevent the spread of infectious diseases. #GetUsPPE In the USA, supplies were running low in March even before COVID-19 cases began to multiply because of the busy flu season, said Valerie Griffeth, a doctor with specialties in emergency medicine and intensive care at Oregon Health and Science University. Griffeth works with GetUsPPE.org, an effort organized by health care workers in response to the coronavirus-driven shortages to match providers with supplies and raise awareness. Before the pandemic, emergency room doctors rarely used the disposable N95 respirator masks, Hill said. Hill had worn one only a few times over his nine-year career, usually to protect himself while treating a patient with tuberculosis. By mid-March, some hospitals were using up to 17 times more masks and gloves than normal. The N95 disposable respirator is essential for controlling infectious diseases such as the coronavirus. It filters out 95% of the harmful particles in the air and is more comfortable to wear and less scary for patients than masks that provide greater filtration. When the coronavirus struck, use of the N95s in the USA shot from 50 million per month, 10%-15% of which were used in health care, to 300 million a month, mostly for health care, said Gary Gereffi, who directs the Global Value Chains Center at Duke University. Thats almost 1 billion masks over three months, as experts had predicted. Nested in a row, thats enough masks to reach from Seattle to Miami, and back. Some East Coast hospitals used 40,000 masks a day, said Mike Schiller, senior director of supply chain for the Association for Health Care Resource and Materials Management. Almost half the hospitals that answered a survey in March by the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology were either out of N95 respirators (20%) or almost out (28%). When the coronavirus hit a rural, predominantly African American community in Georgia in March with devastating consequences, a stockpile at Phoebe Memorial Hospital that normally would have lasted six-months was gone in a week, Dr. Shanti Akers told a U.S. House subcommittee. We were and still are forced to make that supply stretch," Akers said in late May. Just in time The critical supply shortages across the country illustrated the pitfalls of the lean ordering systems hospitals put into place over three decades to cut costs. Its no secret that the margins in hospitals are being tightened, Schiller said. For years, hospitals have faced constraints on reimbursement levels from insurers. They eliminated warehouses full of supplies and equipment and adopted just-in-time practices to keep stockpiles as low as possible to cut costs, ordering supply shipments to arrive as needed instead. In turn, distributors dont carry as much inventory and depend on deliveries from their own suppliers, who rely on shipments from the countries making masks, including China, Taiwan and India. Just like everywhere across the country, I think its pretty clear that we are not prepared for these types of pandemics, and thats showing itself in spades right now, said Joseph Fifer, president and CEO of the Healthcare Financial Management Association. Most hospitals keep five to nine days of N95s in stock, said Dr. Stephen Kates, a chair of orthopedic surgery at Virginia Commonwealth Universitys Medical Center and a professor. One night in mid-March, when Hills hospital was awash in a sea of COVID, he had to intubate a patient, forcing a breathing tube into the patients airway. The coronavirus spreads through fluids from the nose and mouth, but no one in the emergency room could find a face shield, so Hill performed one of the riskiest procedures without one. He rounded up a group of 3D-printing friends and the Columbia University Design Center to make face shields. Working around the clock for weeks, the volunteers printed thousands. The Wild West As the shortages grew more severe, states and hospitals looked for help from the federal Strategic National Stockpile, a collection of drugs, antitoxins, respirators, ventilators and other supplies overseen by the Department of Health and Human Services. Former officials and other experts said the stockpile was never adequately funded as congressional priorities and budgets shifted from year to year. By early April, 90% of the stockpiles PPE supplies were gone. That left the marketplace, where purchasing officials for states and hospitals encountered extreme competition and soaring prices. Many vendors, scenting profits, looked to break into the business. Many sellers required cash up front before they would ship masks and other supplies. Dr. Andrew Artenstein, an infectious disease specialist for Baystate Health in western Massachusetts, wound up in an out-of-state parking lot in April, wheeling and dealing to buy masks. Just when he thought the supplies were safely rolling away in disguised trucks, he said, federal agents arrived, demanding to know where they were headed. Some state officials dubbed it the Wild West. Its pretty chaotic and difficult, said William Tong, Connecticuts attorney general as he helped to find supplies and check vendors backgrounds. I am aware of offers to sell PPE to hospitals at exorbitant prices. In Louisiana, emergency officials put together a list of potential vendors for masks and other supplies. Prices for N95s were as much as 28 times higher than before the pandemic. Three companies on the list showed prices higher than $10 per mask, more than 10 times higher than normal. State records show the highest quote, from a company named Deera Bituach, was $14.63. Per mask. Other proposed contracts so alarmed Louisiana officials they turned them over to the attorney generals office for further investigation. Businesses also faced a chaotic environment. Mask manufacturer 3M filed four lawsuits across the nation against vendors it said tried to sell tens of millions of nonexistent 3M N95 masks. Amazon removed 6,000 accounts it identified as price gouging attempts, and the company said it was working directly with state attorneys general to prosecute bad actors and hold them accountable. The online retailer proved a boon for volunteers throughout the nation looking for elastic, cotton fabric and other supplies to make homemade masks for health care workers and first responders. Elizabeth Townsend Gard, a law professor at Tulane University in New Orleans, launched the MillionMasksADay.com website with friend and fellow quilter Seth Hackler. They were among dozens of groups across the country that donated tens of thousands of colorful cotton masks. Elizabeth Townsend Gard, a law professor at Tulane University and co-founder of Millionmasksaday.com, works on one of the many masks she's created since the coronavirus pandemic started. We knew people who were sick and people who died, Townsend Gard said. How could we not be making masks? A cluster Even for states and hospitals that managed to find supplies, getting freight from China to the USA became a cluster, said Steve Keats of Miami, a partner in Kestrel Liner Agencies, an international shipping company. Cargo comes from China in two ways, Keats said: a 12-20-day journey on a cargo ship or in a matter of hours in the belly of a jet. Everyone wanted their mask deliveries via air, but fewer passenger jets were flying across the Pacific, and that meant less space in their cargo holds for shipments. Air-freight wait times increased to almost a week, Keats and others said. They watched in shock as shipping costs quadrupled. Passenger airlines American and Delta started making cargo-only flights, in some cases stowing cargo in space normally used for passengers. Eventually, the Federal Emergency Management Agency intervened to speed things up and get supplies where they were needed most. Dubbing the effort Project Air Bridge, FEMA worked with commercial cargo companies, including UPS and FedEx, to pick up supplies from manufacturers in Asia and Latin America and deliver to U.S. distributors for sale at market prices. Through mid-May, the project distributed 768,000 N95 respirators and 75.5 million surgical masks to areas prioritized by FEMA and HHS. FEMA said it would build up a 90-day supply of masks, respirators and other items. A complete and utter train wreck As deaths mount and the fight against the virus continues, lawmakers, manufacturers and others say its time for the United States to heed the years of warnings and develop the ability to respond more quickly. The situation this spring was a complete and utter train wreck, said Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn. It was Lord of the Flies out there. Overseeing purchasing for more than 4,000 hospitals, Premier President Alkire is keenly aware of every failure and bottleneck in the supply chain. He worked with FEMA on the air bridge. He and others said three big things need to happen: Some manufacturing of essential raw materials, medical supplies and prescription drugs, should return to the USA, or at least Canada and Mexico. A high-tech coordinated national system should locate products and determine where theyre needed during emergencies. The federal government needs to provide incentives to companies to maintain the ability to ramp up emergency production of masks and other medical supplies when needed. Murphy and other federal lawmakers launched legislation aimed at correcting some of the problems. But some experts noted disasters tend to fade quickly into memory when a new disaster occurs. Thats a natural response in part, said neuroscientist David Rock, founder of the NeuroLeadership Institute. Humans unconsciously let one threat fade into the background and move on to the next. Something that feels far away like it happened 100 years ago or in another country just isnt given importance. The role of leaders in any organization, he said, is to think at longer-term horizons and make sure the important, not just urgent, things get done. Contributing: Dian Zhang and Emily Le Coz Dinah Voyles Pulver, Erin Mansfield and Katie Wedell are investigative reporters for USA TODAY. Contact Dinah at dpulver@gatehousemedia.com, Erin at emansfield@gatehousemedia.com and Katie at kwedell@gatehousemedia.com. Dian Zhang is a data journalist for USA TODAY. Contact her at dzhang@gatehousemedia.com. Emily LeCoz is the regional investigations editor for USA TODAY. Contact her at elecoz@gatehousemedia.com. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Coronavirus: US still isnt prepared with enough masks as rates surge Click here to read the full article. Here's What You Need To Remember: The Raad 2 is a prime example of what the Iranian defense industry does bestkeeping legacy weapon systems alive through a combination of reverse-engineering copies of foreign hardware, and mating systems. This Iranian self-propelled howitzer is half American, half Russian, and apparently built entirely in Iran. Import-Export Irans home-grown arms manufacturer, the Defense Industries Organization, is responsible for creating quite a wide array of Irans military hardware. DIO is an Iranian state-owned group that has reverse-engineered a large amount of equipment for the Iranian militaryand one of their self-propelled artillery pieces is no exception. Raad 2 The Raad 2, or Thunder is self-propelled howitzer domestically produced by DIO in Iran and is a strange union of an originally American-designed turret and a Soviet-designed hull. Although the exact specifications of the Raad 2 are not known, inferences can be made by looking at what is known about the platforms it is based on. The parent turret comes from the American M109A1, a slightly modified variant of the M109 self-propelled howitzer. The A1 is quite similar, but has a longer barrel that gave the A1 a longer range than its parentup to 18,000 meters, or just over 11 miles. The Raad 2 seems to have just this turret, though it is probably a reverse-engineered Iranian copy, rather than the original. The round both the M109 and the Raad 2 fire is the NATO-standard 155 millimeter round, which is one of the most common artillery rounds in the world. Some sources claim that the Iranian version has a longer range than the American M109about 30 kilometers, or almost 19 miles. The Raad 2 shares the same muzzle brake system at its American counterpart for countering the high amount of recoil generated by the gun, and can probably fire up to five rounds a minute. BMP-1 The Raad 2s hull seems to be the Iranian Boragh, itself a copy of the Soviet-designed BMP-1, a 1960s-era amphibious armored personnel carrier. Like the BMP-1, the Boragh has dual tracks, though the hull is an odd choice for a mobile artillery piece, as the platform is relatively small, and at first glance lacks the suspension and track width to support a large artillery system like the Raad 2. Most self-propelled howitzers are not amphibious like the BMP-1, due to their high curb weight, which tends to be quite top-heavy. Story continues The Raad 2 likely has a crew of three, similar to a tank crewgunner, commander, and driver. Some later models have been reported to have a higher output diesel engine of Ukrainian origin. Postscript The Raad 2 is a prime example of what the Iranian defense industry does bestkeeping legacy weapon systems alive through a combination of reverse-engineering copies of foreign hardware, and mating systemslike the Raad 2that would not appear to belong together. The Raad 2 likely still has many more years of service before retiring. Caleb Larson holds a Master of Public Policy degree from the Willy Brandt School of Public Policy. He lives in Berlin and writes on U.S. and Russian foreign and defense policy, German politics, and culture. This article first appeared last month and is being republished due to reader interest. Image: Wikimedia. Click here to read the full article. Click here to read the full article. Here's What You Need To Remember: They provided painful lessons, paid in human lives lost or irreparably injured, in the risks inherent to exploiting nuclear power, and in the high price to be paid for technical errors and lax safety procedures. The November-class submarines may not have been particularly silent hunters, but they nonetheless marked a breakthrough in providing the Soviet submarine fleet global reach while operating submerged. They also provided painful lessons, paid in human lives lost or irreparably injured, in the risks inherent to exploiting nuclear power, and in the high price to be paid for technical errors and lax safety procedures. The United States launched the first nuclear-powered submarine, the USS Nautilus, in 1954, revolutionizing undersea warfare. The Nautiluss reactor allowed it operate underwater for months at a time, compared to the hours or days afforded conventional submarines. The following year, the Soviet Union began building its own nuclear submarine, the Project 627known as the November class by NATO. The result was a boat with a few advantages compared to its American competition, but that also exhibited a disturbing tendency to catastrophic accidents that would prove characteristic of the burgeoning Soviet submarine fleet during the Cold War. The original specifications drafted in 1952 for a Soviet nuclear submarine had conceived of employing them to launch enormous nuclear torpedoes at enemy harbors and coastal cities. At the time, the Soviet Union lacked the long-range missiles or bombers that could easily hit most of the continental United States. However, as these capabilities emerged in the mid-1950s, the Project 627 design was revised to reflect an antiship role, with eight torpedo tubes located in the bow and combat systems taken from Foxtrot-class diesel submarines. The first Project 627 boat, the K-3 Leninsky Komsomol, launched in 1957 and made its first voyage under nuclear power in July 1958 under Capt. Leonid Osipenko, using a reactor design supervised by renowned scientist Anatoly Alexandrov. The large, torpedo-shaped vessel displaced more than four thousand tons submerged and was 107 meters long. Its double-hulled interior was divided into nine compartments, housing a crew of seventy-four seamen and thirty officers. Story continues K-3 rapidly demonstrated the extraordinary endurance of nuclear submarines, embarking upon two-month long cruises while submerged. In 1962, it became the first Soviet vessel to travel to the North Pole, while a sister ship, K-133, was the first submarine to traverse the Drake Strait submerged in a twenty-one-thousand-mile cruise that lasted fifty-two days. K-3 was soon joined by twelve additional November-class vessels of a revised design designated the Project 627A, distinguishable by a bulbous sonar dome under the bow, as well as a single Project 645 prototype powered by an experimental VT-1 liquid metal reactor with greater power efficiency. The fourteen November-class boats were deployed to the Third and Seventeenth Divisions of the Northern Fleet, though later four were transferred to the Pacific Fleet by transiting under Arctic ice. The 627s VM-A reactors were more powerful than their American contemporaries, speeding the Project 627s along up to thirty knots (34.5 miles per hour). However, the 627 lacked another quality generally expected of a nuclear submarine: the reactors were extremely noisy, making the Project 627 boats easy to detect despite the use of stealthy propellers and the first anti-sonar coating applied to a nuclear submarine. This lack of discretion, combined with its inferior sonar array, made the November class ill suited for hunting opposing submarines. Nonetheless, the 627s still dealt the U.S. Navy a few surprises. In 1965, K-27 managed to sneak up on the antisubmarine carrier USS Randolph off of Sardinia and complete a mock torpedo run before being detected. In 1968, another November-class boat proved capable of matching pace with the carrier USS Enterprise while the latter moved at full power, causing a minor panic in the Navy leadership that led to the adoption of the speedy Los Angelesclass attack submarine, some of which remain in service today. However, the power of the November classs reactors was bought at the price of safety and reliability. A lack of radiation shielding resulted in frequent crew illness, and many of the boat suffered multiple reactor malfunctions over their lifetimes. This lack of reliability may explain why the Soviet Union dispatched conventional Foxtrot submarines instead of the November-class vessels during the Cuban Missile Crisis, despite the fact that the diesel boats needed to surface every few days, and for this reason were cornered and chased away by patrolling American ships. In fact, the frequent, catastrophic disasters onboard the Project 627 boats seem almost like gruesome public service announcements for everything that could conceivably go wrong with nuclear submarines. Many of the accidents reflected not only technological flaws, but the weak safety culture of the Soviet Navy. K-8 started the trend in October 13, 1960, when a ruptured steam turbine nearly led to a reactor meltdown due to loss of coolant. The crew was able to jury-rig an emergency water-cooling system, but not before radioactive gas contaminated the entire vessel, seriously irradiating several of the crew. K-14, which would distinguish itself in the medical evacuation of an Arctic expedition in 1963, also experienced a reactor breakdown in 1961, necessitating its replacement the following years. In February 1965, radioactive steam blasted through K-11 on two separate occasions while it underwent refueling at base. The repair crews misdiagnosed the implications of the first event and followed incorrect procedures during the second, and were ultimately forced to evacuate the reactor room, leading to fires breaking out across the ship. The Soviet crew flooded the vessel with 250 tons of water to put out the flames, spreading radioactive water throughout the entire vessel. Seven men were badly irradiated, and the reactor required a complete replacement before it could be returned to active duty three years later. K-3, the first Soviet submarine to sail on nuclear power, was on a Mediterranean patrol on September 8, 1967, when a hydraulic fire broke out in its torpedo tubes, with the resulting buildup of carbon monoxide killing thirty-nine sailors. The entire command crew passed out, save for a lone petty officer who managed to surface the ship, saving the vessel. A later investigation concluded the fire may have been caused by a sailor smoking in the torpedo compartment. K-27, the lone Project 645 boat, experienced a breakdown in its port-side reactor on May 24, 1968, in the Barents Seadespite the crew warning that the reactor had experienced a similar malfunction in 1967 and had yet to test that it was functioning properly. The entire crew of 124 was irradiated by radioactive gas, but Captain Leonov refused to take emergency measures until hours later due to his faith in the reactor. Shortly after the ship limped home on its starboard reactor, five of the crew died from radiation exposure within a month, with twenty-five more to follow in subsequent years. Repair of K-27 ultimately proved too expensive a proposition, so it was scuttled by ramming in Stepovoy Bay in waters only thirty-three meters deeprather than the three to four thousand meters required by the IAEA. In 1970, the ill-fated K-8 was participating in the Okean 70 war games off the Bay of Biscay when it suffered simultaneous short circuits in its command center and reactor control room, spreading a fire through the air conditioning system. The captain managed to surface the boat, and the crew nearly escaped with only moderate loss of lifeexcept that the Soviet Navy ordered about half of the men back on board to conduct emergency repairs and pilot the ship home. An encounter with a sea squall led to the damaged boat sinking to the ocean floor, taking fifty-eight crew and four nuclear torpedoes with it. The November-class boats finally began to enter retirement in the 1980s and early 1990sbut not before being subject to a final few accidents, not of their own making. In August 1985, K-42 was berthed next to the Echo-class submarine K-433 near Vladivostok when the latter suffered a nuclear refueling accident that killed ten and irradiated 239. K-42 was deemed so badly contaminated that it, too, had to be decommissioned. As the Soviet Union was succeeded by an economically destitute Russia, many decommissioned nuclear submarines were left to rust with their nuclear fuel onboard, leading to safety concerns from abroad. International donors fronted $200 million to scrap the hulks in 2003. Flimsy pontoons were welded onto K-159 to enable its towing to a scrapping site, but on August 30 a sea squall ripped away one of the pontoons, causing the boat to begin foundering around midnight. The Russian Navy failed to react until hours later, by which the time submarine had sunk, taking eight hundred kilograms of spent nuclear fuel and nine of the ten seamen manning the pontoons with it. Plans to raise K-159 have foundered to this day due to lack of funding. This is just an accounting of major accidents on the November-class boatsmore occurred on Echo- and Hotel-class submarines equipped with the same nuclear reactors. Submarine operations are, of course, inherently risky; the U.S. Navy also lost two submarines during the 1960s, though it hasnt lost any since. The November-class submarines may not have been particularly silent hunters, but they nonetheless marked a breakthrough in providing the Soviet submarine fleet global reach while operating submerged. They also provided painful lessons, paid in human lives lost or irreparably injured, in the risks inherent to exploiting nuclear power, and in the high price to be paid for technical errors and lax safety procedures. Sebastien Roblin holds a Masters Degree in Conflict Resolution from Georgetown University and served as a university instructor for the Peace Corps in China. He has also worked in education, editing, and refugee resettlement in France and the United States. He currently writes on security and military history for War Is Boring. This article originally appeared in 2019 and is being republished due to reader interest. Image: Wikimedia Click here to read the full article. "60 Years of Thank You" Gives Back with Products and Services SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Discount Tire, in partnership with Michelin, is marking its 60th anniversary with a special sweepstakes to say "thank you" to its customers. The sweepstakes kicks off July 1, 2020 and concludes December 31, 2020. DISCOUNT TIRE (PRNewsfoto/DISCOUNT TIRE) "For 60 years, Discount Tire has focused on taking care of the customer," said Dean Muglia, CEO of Discount Tire. "It has always been about treating them as a friend, not a transaction. To show our gratitude during this marquee year, we're excited to give back in a way that honors the foundation of our business and provides new ways for us to engage and get you taken care of in light of current events." What began as a single tire store in Ann Arbor, Michigan in 1960 has grown to be the world's largest independent retailer of tires and wheels, operating more than 1,060 company owned stores in 36 states. Discount Tire attributes its success over the years to the respectful, can-do attitude that began at Bruce Halle's first store and is instilled in each of the company's more than 20,000 employees today. "The five lessons our founder taught us will forever resonate in our hearts and minds: Be Honest, Work Hard, Have Fun, Be Grateful and Pay It Forward," said Lisa Pedersen, assistant vice president, marketing of Discount Tire. "We've done just that for over 60 years and will continue to do so for the next 60." To enter the sweepstakes, text "60YEARS" to 87654 or visit www.discounttire.com/60years. PRIZE DETAILS Grand Prize: 60 grand-prize winners will receive a set of four new Michelin tires, along with complimentary installation. Grand-prize winners will be randomly selected each month during the promotion period from all valid entries. First Prize: At the conclusion of the sweepstakes in January 2021, an additional 60 winners will be randomly selected from all eligible entries received throughout the duration of the sweepstakes period as first-prize winners. The winners will receive a Discount Tire-branded backpack. Story continues ELIGIBILITY No purchase is necessary to enter or win. The deadline for entries ends at 11:59:59 p.m. PT on December 31, 2020. Participants must be at least 18 years of age (19+ in Alabama and Nebraska) at time of entry. HOW TO ENTER Text "60YEARS" to 87654 or fill out the online submission form at www.discounttire.com/60years. Limit of one entry per day per person or valid email address. For official rules, visit www.discounttire.com/60years. About Discount Tire/America's Tire Discount Tire, based in Scottsdale, is the world's largest independent retailer of tires and wheels. Founded in 1960 by Bruce Halle, they serve customers at more than 1,060 stores in 36 states. The company does business under the trade name Discount Tire in most of the U.S., America's Tire in parts of California, and Discount Tire Direct in markets outside the reach of retail stores. Treadwell, a personal online tire buying guide, is one of the industry-leading advances Discount Tire introduced in its 60th year of business. Discount Tire is a primary sponsor of the No. 2 Ford Mustang driven by Brad Keselowski in the NASCAR Cup Series. Discount Tire is also the official wheel and tire retailer of Monster Energy AMA Supercross. For more information, visit discounttire.com. About Michelin North America Michelin, the leading mobility company, is dedicated to enhancing its clients' mobility, sustainably; designing and distributing the most suitable tires, services and solutions for its clients' needs; providing digital services, maps and guides to help enrich trips and travels and make them unique experiences; and developing high-technology materials that serve a variety of industries. Headquartered in Greenville, S.C., Michelin North America (www.michelinman.com) has more than 21,400 employees and operates 19 major manufacturing plants. Cision View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/discount-tire-celebrates-60th-anniversary-with-nationwide-sweepstakes-301087065.html SOURCE Discount Tire The Duchess of Cambridge was left heartbroken by stories from frontline workers in Canada after she and her husband Prince William called staff for Canada Day. Kate and William heard from doctors and nurses working during the coronavirus pandemic in the commonwealth nation, as the royals paid tribute to the country on its national day. The couple heard stories from the frontline, including one of a patients wife had sung to him from a phone held in a bag as staff tried to keep people connected during the crisis. Kate replied: Thats heartbreaking to hear. You guys see that and feel that on a daily basis. How do you manage yourself? Are you all OK? The duke and duchess, both 38, also said they hope to visit Canada again when the lockdown restrictions are over. William said to the socially distanced staff at Fraser Healths Surrey Memorial Hospital in British Columbia: I just wanted to just touch base and say how proud we are of all of you and everyone on the front line who have led the way, very stoically, very bravely and put patient care right at the top of the list, and done a fantastic job. So, well done to all of you, and I hope Catherine and I can come and visit you guys one day and say that to you in person. The staff stayed socially distanced during the virtual visit. (Kensington Palace) Read more: 100 things the Royal Family have done in 100 days of lockdown Kate added: Its an amazing role that youre playing and a hugely tough one as well, so were in huge admiration for everything youre doing. They also spoke to Sunny Dulai, a healthcare social worker who is pregnant and hasnt been able to see her siblings throughout the pandemic. William asked: Sunny, is it right in saying a little birdie says youre expecting in September? How have you found it? How has it been working? Dulai told them about how the crisis had affected her mental health, saying: Initially I was like No, I can do this, emotionally, it wasnt really impacting me. Then, as I got later in my pregnancy and the more the pandemic started to move along, it really did impact my mental health. Story continues I felt like I was angrier because I didnt have the support networks at home that I typically have. Kate and William took George and Charlotte last time they went to Canada. (Getty Images) Read more: Duchess of Cambridge reveals she's missing her mum and dad as she keeps promise to hospice family She added: But I never once felt that I needed to stop working where I work, because of the support I got from my team. The staff told the couple about how they were sad to have to lose the family-centred care they usually provide, because visitors couldnt come into the hospital. Dulai said: These families cant come in to see patients. They cant come in to see their loved ones. They cant be a part of their care. And so its a lot of distress, I think, all the way around. Fraser Health provides care for more than 1.8 million people in the BC region, alongside four other regional health authorities. It has cared for many critically ill COVID-19 patients. Dr Gregory Haljan, head of the hospitals critical care and regional medical director for research for Fraser Health, told the royal couple: Weve made it through the surge and now were into the recovery phase where were trying to take stock of all our stories and what weve been through and find the meaning in everything weve lost and everything weve gained so we can build some resilience for whatever comes next. The royals spoke to health care workers in Canada. (Kensington Palace) Read more: Cancer survivor, 21, tells Princess Eugenie her wedding dress inspired her to show her scars Before they went, the duke sent critical care nurse Priya Sangha off to bed, hearing she had finished a long shift. William joked: We dont want to hold you guys up much longer because Priya needs to go to bed. Not that youre looking tired, Priya, but I imagine youve been on for the last 12 hours. The couple also had a technical issue at the beginning of the call, leading to an oft-heard comment in the era of video calls as William asked: Can you see us? Issue rectified, the workers cheered when they could see the royals. Canada Day is marked on 1 July, and celebrates the union of British colonies of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick with the province of Canada. Supreme Court Justice Stephen G. Breyer dissented from Tuesday's ruling on religious schools. (Manuel Balce Ceneta / Associated Press) The Supreme Court on Tuesday needlessly poked a hole in Thomas Jeffersons wall of separation between church and state. By a 5-4 vote, the court ruled in a case from Montana that if a state provides a tax break that benefits students at a secular private school, it must include private religious schools as well. The decision is doubly disappointing. First, the court has told states that they may not decide that they wont subsidize, even indirectly, the propagation of religion, a choice that is permitted by the 1st Amendment. States should be free to decline to subsidize religious instruction so long as they treat all religious schools the same. Second, the way the court broke down on ideological lines is worrisome at a time when debates about the role of religion loom large in Americas culture wars. All five Republican-appointed justices voted in the majority in this case; all four Democratic appointees dissented. Tuesdays decision involved a state program under which taxpayers received a modest tax credit for contributions to establish scholarships for children attending private schools. After the Legislature authorized the program, Montana officials decided that its use to endow scholarships for religious schools violated a provision of Montanas state constitution that prohibits any direct or indirect appropriation or payment from any public fund or monies to any school that is controlled in whole or in part by any church, sect, or denomination. After religious schools were denied participation in the program, some parents challenged that decision. The Montana Supreme Court ruled that the entire scholarship program must be invalidated. Writing for the majority in reversing that ruling, Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. said that Montana's ban on aid to religious schools violated the 1st Amendment protection of the free exercise of religion by discriminating against recipients of a government benefit because of their religious character. He compared the Montana case to a 2017 decision in which the court held that the state of Missouri couldnt exclude religious schools from a program that subsidized the resurfacing of playgrounds. Story continues But, as Justice Stephen G. Breyer pointed out in his dissent, that program and the Montana plan were importantly different from each other. Justice Elena Kagan made a similar point during oral arguments in the Montana case. She noted that the playground decision, in which she was part of the majority, involved a completely secular public benefit. Breyer wrote that the Montana case was much more like a 2004 case in which the court held that the state of Washington didnt violate the Constitutions guarantee of free excise of religion by excluding students studying for "a devotional theology degree" from a state scholarship program. As Breyer noted, the court in that case concluded that Washingtons refusal to subsidize the education of clergy was consistent with the widely shared view, dating to the founding of the Republic, that taxpayer-supported religious indoctrination poses a threat to individual liberty. Breyer added that, like the exclusion of potential clergy from a scholarship program, Montanas decision to bar state aid to religious education was a choice "not to fund (at a distance) an essentially religious endeavor. In his majority opinion, Roberts acknowledged that Tuesday's ruling doesnt require any state to provide support for private schools, religious or secular. A state need not subsidize private education, he wrote. But once a state decides to do so, it cannot disqualify some private schools solely because they are religious. As a policy matter, we believe that state financial resources should be directed toward underfunded public schools. Still, even if its practical consequences prove limited, this decision and the divisions on the court augur ominously for future cases in which the court must rule on the role of religion in public life. SAN ANTONIO, July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Jeff Booth, who joined Embrey in 1997 and played a key role in the company's market expansion as part of founder Walter Embrey's team, has announced his retirement effective July 1. He will remain affiliated as an investor, partner and advisor. Jeff Booth His retirement caps a more than two-year transition plan of day-to-day responsibilities to Jimmy McCloskey, Executive Vice President for Development, who Jeff has worked with side-by-side since 2012. "This is certainly a bittersweet moment for us here," said Trey Embrey, President and CEO. "Jeff has been a respected and effective member of the Embrey team and his contributions to our success have been substantial. On the other hand, we celebrate with him as he opens the newest chapter of life to spend more time with his family and enjoy his passion for the outdoors." Jeff's first new market for Embrey was the identification, acquisition and development of a property in Colorado known as Gleneagles. Since then he has overseen the development of properties in San Antonio, Austin, Memphis, Little Rock, Colorado Springs, Denver and Phoenix. Over his 40-year career, Jeff has had direct exposure in 40 major US cities and actively developed more than 14,000 units in 13 states. "Being involved in so many markets is really the foundation of my career," said Booth. "Each market is different, the characteristics of communities are different, and to be the lead on the ground figuring out the details put me on track to create value for those communities and our company. I am forever grateful to Walter Embrey for giving me the opportunity. I've been very fortunate to be associated with some really class acts in real estate and Walter is certainly one of those." Booth says he learned from Walter Embrey that a passion for design and meticulous attention to detail matter not just in business, but in all aspects of life. Story continues "Walter had a vision built on passion and always doing the right thing," said Booth. "He provided an education for me that carries over into everything that I do. That vision is the defining difference of the Embrey company and team today under Trey's leadership." Booth plans to continue his investment of time supporting the Masters in Real Estate Program at Texas A&M, where he serves on the board and enjoys guest lecturing at the Mays Business School. "Helping to develop the next generations of business leaders is one of the most rewarding things I've ever done," he says. "When I reflect and think back on my career what really stands out are all the personal relationships I developed over the years, the career friendships," Booth says. "With retirement, I'm totally at peace. I wouldn't change a thing other than to wish I could have gotten to Embrey sooner." About Embrey Partners San Antonio-based Embrey Partners, Ltd., is a diversified real estate investment company that owns, develops, builds and manages multifamily and commercial assets in targeted markets across the United States. Since 1974, Embrey has developed more than 41,000 apartments and over 6 million square feet of commercial property. Embrey is one of the leading developers in the multifamily sector, with approximately 6,000 units under construction or in development. www.embreydc.com Cision View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/embrey-executive-vice-president-for-development-to-retire-301086931.html SOURCE Embrey Barber Mike McAndrew holds a mirror as customer Rob Verrastro looks at his new haircut at Three Saints Barbershop and Shave Parlor in Jessup, Pa. Restaurants, retailers and salons are desperately trying to stay afloat as the U.S. economy reopens in fits and starts after months in a coronavirus lockdown. But billions of dollars allocated by Congress as a lifeline to those very businesses are about to be left on the table when the government's Paycheck Protection Program stops accepting applications for loans Tuesday, June 29. Associated Press The Paycheck Protection Program will wind down Tuesday with $134 billion in unspent business relief. Congress is debating how to further aid the economy as it reels from record unemployment and a surge in new coronavirus cases. Members of the Trump administration, including Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, have said they support further corporate aid. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. The US government's massive emergency loan program for small businesses hurt by the coronavirus pandemic is set to stop taking new applications Tuesday night even as money remains undistributed and economic fallout continues. The Paycheck Protection Program has about $134 billion or about 20% of the total $670 billion in funding designated for borrowers that was authorized by Congress remaining in its final hours, after several rounds of changes and a rocky rollout. When first launched as part of the sweeping CARES act in March, companies applying for aid reported confusing guidelines (which allowed some massive, publicly traded companies to access funds), technical glitches in bank application systems, and other snafus. After backlash, the Treasury Department announced it would relax forgiveness rules, more closely review applications for larger amounts and publicly condemned those who took loans when they had access to other sources of credit and liquidity. Now, with names of businesses receiving more than $150,000 set to be released this week, there's debate over what to do with the remaining funds, especially as there's no end in sight for the pandemic. "We need to be focused on keeping as many businesses viable as possible so as the economy reopens we can see that's already going to happen in fits and starts that they are able to start to regrow and repurpose themselves," John Arensmeyer, head of the Small Business Majority advocacy group, told The Wall Street Journal. Story continues In some states where new cases of COVID-19 are surging, like Arizona and Texas, re-opening plans have been paused or rolled back entirely. That's thrown even more chaos at business owners who've seen demand crippled in recent months by stay-at-home orders. Congress is debating how to further aide the US economy, which is still reeling from record unemployment that's likely to get even worse. A survey by the National Federation of Independent Business found as many as 14% of small businesses anticipate having to lay off workers when their PPP loans run dry. More than half of the respondents said they need more money. One floated option includes allowing businesses a second loan, though many Republicans have opposed further aid, especially to the unemployment benefits, which end July 31. Earlier in June, Mnuchin told Congress that more aid would likely be needed. "We're going to use all of our fiscal tools to work with Congress to restore this economy to where it was," Mnuchin told a committee. "I definitely think we are going to need another bipartisan legislation to put more money into the economy." Read the original article on Business Insider Restaurant Week is especially meaningful this year, Foreman said, as restaurants everywhere navigate the new challenges associated with operating during the COVID-19 pandemic. Foremans restaurants were closed entirely for nine weeks, he said, before they started carry-out service, followed by outdoor seating and minimized indoor seating as the city eased restrictions aimed at stopping the spread of the virus. The Rev. Georg Ratzinger, brother of Pope Benedict XVI, waves as he walks in Castel Gandolfo, near Rome, in 2005. (Alessandra Tarantino / Associated Press) The Rev. Georg Ratzinger, the elder brother of Emeritus Pope Benedict XVI who earned renown in his own right as a director of an acclaimed German boys choir, has died in Bavaria at age 96. The Regensburg diocese in Bavaria, where Ratzinger lived, said that he died Wednesday. His death came just over a week after Benedict made a four-day visit to Regensburg to be with his ailing brother. Ordained on the same day as his brother, Ratzinger proved to be a talented musician and went on to oversee the recording of numerous masterpieces and concert tours around the world by the Regensburger Domspatzen, a storied choir that traces its history back to the 10th century. But his reputation was tarnished as he apologized for using corporal punishment to discipline boys amid a wider investigation into sexual and physical abuse in the Church. He remained extremely close to his brother throughout his career, expressing dismay when Joseph Ratzinger was elected pope that the stress would affect his health and that they would no longer spend so much time together. The pope had his quarters in the Apostolic Palace modified with a special apartment for his brother, who traveled frequently from his home in the Bavarian city of Regensburg to Rome. Elected to the papacy in 2005, Benedict stepped down in 2013 and was succeeded by current Pope Francis. The two came from a religious Catholic family, the sons of police officer Josef and Maria Ratzinger, and great-nephews of the German politician Georg Ratzinger, a priest and social reformer who was a member of the Bavarian and Federal parliament. Born Jan. 15, 1924, in the Bavarian town of Altoetting, Georg Ratzinger showed an early talent for music, playing the church organ at age 11. The family eventually settled outside nearby Traunstein in 1937, where he and his brother joined the seminary. During World War II, Ratzinger said, he remembered huddling with the blinds drawn with his younger brother and father listening to Allied radio broadcasts, because their father wanted them to know the truth about the Nazi regime. Story continues Pope Benedict XVI, right, walks with his brother Georg Ratzinger in Regensburg in southern Germany in 2006. (Associated Press) Though the Ratzinger family was anti-Nazi, Georg Ratzinger was enrolled in the Hitler Youth in 1941. In his book, Salt of the Earth, Benedict remarked on the time and his own subsequent enrollment at age 14. Official details of the boys' Hitler Youth days no longer exist, as all of the organizations archives for the area were burned ahead of the American advance at the end of the war. In 1942, Ratzinger was drafted into a federal labor force, and the same fall he entered the regular German armed forces as a radio operator in a signals unit. After serving in France, the Netherlands and Czechoslovakia, Ratzinger was sent to Italy where he was wounded. He was captured by U.S. forces and spent the rest of the war as a POW, returning to Traunstein in July 1945 a day the then-Joseph Ratzinger recalled in his memoir Milestones, remembering that the family had no idea whether Georg was alive or dead. Following the war, the brothers entered the seminary of the archdiocese of Munich and Freising to study for the priesthood. They were ordained together on June 29, 1951. After working his way up as priest in the region, Georg Ratzinger was appointed musical director of St. Peters Cathedral in Regensburg in 1964, becoming the conductor of the famed cathedral choir, the Regensburger Domspatzen. As head of this world-renowned choir, Ratzinger helped build its reputation around the world, running tours that included trips to the Vatican, the United States, Canada, Poland and Japan and performances for Queen Elizabeth II and Pope John Paul II. But well after his retirement from the post, revelations of sexual and physical abuse at the choir haunted him. In 2010, Ratzinger apologized for using corporal punishment to discipline boys in the choir, saying he was aware of allegations of physical abuse at an elementary school linked to the choir but did nothing about it. At the beginning I also repeatedly administered a slap in the face, but always had a bad conscience about it, Ratzinger told the Passauer Neue Presse, adding that he was happy when corporal punishment was made illegal in 1980. Of course, today one condemns such actions; I do as well. At the same time, I ask the victims for pardon. He claimed he was completely unaware of allegations of sexual abuse, which he said dated from before his tenure as choir director. These things were never discussed, Ratzinger said. The problem of sexual abuse that has now come to light was never spoken of. His relationship with his brother always played a special role in his life. Ratzinger once lamented in an interview that his brothers role as pope would mean family life might be a bit more limited and acknowledged that he had hoped that the cup would pass him by. Still, Georg traveled to the Vatican for his brothers installation and was given a prominent seat on the basilica esplanade. While visiting the pope in August 2005, Ratzinger was hospitalized in Rome because of an irregular heartbeat and had a pacemaker implanted. Benedict visited him while he was in the hospital. In October of that year, the brothers got together again. Sanctus," a piece Georg Ratzinger composed, was played at a Vatican concert for the pope and sung by the Domspatzen, while both brothers watched together. As Ratzingers health failed, his brother came to Regensburg in mid-June to visit with him. Benedicts trip was his first trip outside Italy in over seven years. Benedict greeted old neighbors and prayed at his parents grave. He stayed at a seminary during his trip, visiting his brother twice a day. Ratzingers only close living relative is Benedict. His sister Maria, died in 1991. Rising writes for the Associated Press. Over 200 Encore, Thousand Trails and affiliated locations featured in The Dyrt's new PRO Discounts CHICAGO, July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Encore RV resorts and Thousand Trails campgrounds, which provides top RV campground vacation destinations across North America, has joined forces with The Dyrt to list all of their campground and resort destinations in The Dyrt's new PRO Discounts program. Over 200 Encore, Thousand Trails and affiliated locations are now featured in The Dyrts new PRO Discounts program. Members of the program can receive 10% off RV sites and rental accommodations at all Encore RV resort and Thousand Trails campground locations, one of the largest RV networks in the country. Launched earlier this month, The Dyrt PRO members now receive 10% off RV sites and rental accommodations at all Encore RV resort and Thousand Trails campground locations, one of the largest RV networks in the country. The Dyrt is the largest campground search platform in the U.S., with over 1M user-submitted campsites, reviews, and tips and 15M annual visitors across their website and apps. "We are excited to showcase our Encore and Thousand Trails locations to the 15 million campers who visit The Dyrt each year," said Pat Zamora, vice president of marketing for Encore and Thousand Trails. "Everyone knows Encore and Thousand Trails are leaders in the RV industry, so we couldn't be happier to welcome them as part of The Dyrt community," said Sarah Smith, Co-Founder of The Dyrt. "I know our members will be thrilled about this addition to PRO Discounts." The Dyrt PRO Discounts is part of The Dyrt PRO, a $35.99 annual subscription offering campers offline access to campground search, downloadable maps, gear discounts, and camping discounts at over 400 campgrounds across the U.S. About Encore and Thousand Trails Encore RV resorts and Thousand Trails campgrounds are part of a network of RV resorts and campgrounds across North America comprising more than 80,000 sites. Owned and operated by Equity Lifestyle Properties, Inc. (NYSE: ELS), Encore, Thousand Trails and their affiliates offer RV and outdoor recreation enthusiasts opportunities to enjoy the outdoors in top vacation destinations, complemented with resort-style amenities. For more information please visit RVontheGo.com. Story continues About The Dyrt The Dyrt is the largest campground search platform in the U.S., with over 1M user-submitted campsites, reviews, and tips. The Dyrt has over 44,000 public and private campgrounds and is the #1 ranked app for "camping" in iOS App Store and Google Play. With over 15 million website visitors per year, a new user joins The Dyrt every 50 seconds. Thousand Trails (PRNewsfoto/Encore and Thousand Trails) Cision View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/encore-rv-resorts-and-thousand-trails-campgrounds-partner-with-largest-campground-search-website-the-dyrt-301087067.html SOURCE Encore and Thousand Trails Manzanita lake and Lassen peak inside Lassen Volcanic National Park. Officials have closed five acres of Manzanita Lake at the park after a man was bitten by a female river otter. (Prisma Bildagentur / Getty Images) After an encounter with a river otter sent a man to a hospital, officials at Lassen Volcanic National Park in Northern California are warning people to stay out of the water at a popular lake. The man was swimming in Manzanita Lake on June 25 when he was bitten by a female river otter, park spokesman Kevin Sweeney told The Times on Tuesday. The man was hospitalized with "significant injuries," including scratches and puncture wounds that caused bleeding, but they did not appear to be life threatening, Sweeney said. Sweeney said that the incident occurred about a tenth of a mile from a ranger station, so rangers were able to respond quickly. No further details on the man's injuries or condition were available. It is unclear what prompted the incident, but officials believe that the man may have gotten too close to the female otter's kittens, prompting her to aggressively react. Despite their "cute and cuddly" exterior, river otters have sharp teeth and claws and are dangerous when they have their babies around, he said. The otter that bit the man has three kittens. Since the incident, park officials have increased patrols in the area and placed public safety signs around the park to warn people about the potential danger of otters. A roughly 5-acre portion of the lake where the attack occurred has been blocked off, and park officials said visitors should avoid swimming in the area and not use soft-sided flotation devices. NPS map of Mazanita Lake. (National Park Service) "We're still watching her and we have wildlife biologist out there in the field making sure that she's still in that area," Sweeney said. "So for now, we're giving her space. We're keeping visitors out of her home. It's a good reminder for us in national parks that we are visitors and that our wildlife has their right to raise their babies in these places. And so, from time to time, we need to take a couple steps back and let them do that." Story continues Sweeney said the incident is only the second involving a river otter that he's aware of in the last 20 years. The otters are rarely seen and mostly keep to themselves, he added. This incident is "very surprising, and animal attacks at Lassen are extremely rare," Sweeney said. "I think you have a better chance of getting bitten by a squirrel that's been fed human food than anything else." The national park is also home to bobcats, mountain lions and bears. Officials asked visitors to report any river otter incidents, especially those involving aggressive behavior, to a park employee or at the visitor center. Yesterday the Supreme Court of the United States handed down a landmark decision that will allow low-income parents across the country to send their children to private schools with their taxpayer dollars. In a 54 ruling, the Court decided in favor of Kendra Espinoza and two other mothers in their case brought by the Institute for Justice (IJ) against the Montana Department of Revenue. Espinoza is a single mom who has wanted to send her two daughters to a religious school in Montana through the tax-credit scholarship program. Big Sky Scholarships provided families with a tax break if they contributed to charitable organizations that provide scholarships for students to attend private schools. The program was initially created to provide students with scholarships to attend any private school. But soon after Big Sky started, Montanas Department of Revenue declared that the scholarships could be used only for non-religious private schools. IJ filed this case on behalf of the Montana mom but lost in the Montana supreme court. The court shut down the entire tax-credit scholarship program, arguing that it was unconstitutional because it included religious options for parents and that it would be impossible to separate religious private schools from other private schools in this program. Yesterday the Supreme Court held that the application of the no-aid provision discriminated against religious schools and the families whose children attend or hope to attend them in violation of the Free Exercise Clause of the Federal Constitution. In his majority opinion, Chief Justice John Roberts highlights that Montanas program discriminated against religious schools because of the mere fact that they are religious: Montanas no-aid provision bars religious schools from public benefits solely because of the religious character of the schools. The provision also bars parents who wish to send their children to a religious school from those same benefits, again solely because of the religious character of the school. Story continues But with the Court ruling in favor of Espinoza, Montana families will be able to use the Big Sky Scholarship program to send their children to private schools, religious or not, which they otherwise could not afford. And even better: This victory reaches much farther than the 559 miles across Montana. It will allow states throughout the U.S. to provide assistance to families for private school through the creation of school-choice programs, including vouchers, tax scholarship programs, and education-savings accounts (ESAs). Throughout the case, Montana cited its archaic Blaine amendment, which prevented tax dollars from going to schools operated by a church, sect or denomination and was originally devised to prevent states from funding Catholic schools. Such laws exist in 37 states. In 13 states, according to IJ, they have been interpreted in a broad sense, as restricting or limiting religious educational options, but now the Courts ruling sets a clear precedent for other states to follow. In Wisconsin, Milwaukee being the birthplace of school choice, we understand the tremendous opportunity that school choice offers children. The Milwaukee Parental Choice Program started in 1990 with just a few hundred students. Today, 28,000 low-income students use taxpayer-funded vouchers to attend private schools in Milwaukee. Studies have shown that students do better attending private schools on vouchers than they do in traditional public schools. According to the latest research by the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty, students in the Milwaukee voucher program score on average 4 percent higher in math and 5 percent higher in reading than their peers in public schools. Religious schools in the MPCP outperform public schools by even higher margins, with Catholic schools outperforming public schools by 8.9 percent in English and 4.1 percent in math when socioeconomic factors are accounted for. Milwaukees program was such a success that Wisconsin began the Racine Parental Choice Program in 2011 and the Wisconsin Parental Choice Program in 2013. This is why we filed an amicus brief in Espinoza on behalf of former governor Scott Walker, who expanded these programs during his tenure. For Kendra Espinoza, this ruling means she will no longer need to use her nightshift earnings to send her daughters to their Christian school. For many other families, this means that for the first time they will be empowered in their childrens education and can send them to a school that, instead of being their only option, is their choice. More from National Review A European Summer Without Americans Threatens Already Struggling Luxury Hotels The European Unions temporary ban on American travelers due to the swelling coronavirus count in the U.S. will particularly hurt American-based chains and the upscale end of the European hotel industry. Nearly 18 million Americans traveled to EU countries in 2018, the most recent complete year of data provided by the U.S. National Travel and Tourism Office. More than a third of the annual volume went to Europe during the peak summer travel season. Americans traveling to Europe accounted for just over 20 percent of Marriotts European room nights in 2019, a company spokesperson said to Skift. A summer in Europe sans American tourists may not be a collective wipeout for hotel operators, but it will likely be further bad news for high-end properties already grappling with low occupancy from the pandemic. The American chains will take a hit, but other brands in the midscale or budget segments wont be affected at all or only just a little, said Nicolas Graf, associate dean at New York Universitys Jonathan M. Tisch Center of Hospitality. U.S.-based companies like Marriott and Hilton will likely feel the biggest sting from the EUs closed borders to America because these brands rely more on American travelers through their loyalty programs, Graf said. The bigger American brands also tend to operate in the luxury and upscale segments of the European hotel market. Those sectors are already taking a hit from coronavirus shutdowns, as they tend to attract more group business and convention travel two segments of the market effectively on hold due to social distancing guidelines. European-based companies like Accor have a greater foothold on the midscale and budget sectors within EU nations, Graf said. Hilton does not report American-specific travel data for Europe, but 10 percent of its entire global business comes from inter-region travel, a Hilton spokesperson told Skift. Companies like Accor, Choice Hotels, and IHG declined to share specific inbound travel data from the U.S. to Europe. Story continues The American travel ban may not negatively impact Accor as it does other companies. Eighty percent of Accors European business comes from travel within EU nations, the companys CEO Sebastien Bazin said during an NYU webinar last month. What I can say is that whilst the U.S. is an important market for inbound travel to Europe, our business in our key European markets such as the UK, Germany, and France is still more weighted to domestic travel, an IHG spokesperson said via email. Money Talks The EUs decision Tuesday will almost certainly have an initial negative impact on revenue streams. Americans are the top non-European spenders within Europe, accounting for about 8 percent of the $570 billion European tourism industry, according to the United Nations World Tourism Organization. Completely closing Europe off for American travelers is going a cripple an already severely damaged European tourism industry, said Chekitan Dev, a professor at Cornells School of Hotel Administration. Clearly, public health has to be the number one priority. But, theres got to be a better, smarter way to screen American travelers to allow them to travel to Europe. Given the ongoing pandemic, Dev estimates American travel to Europe was likely to be low this summer even if borders had remained open. Rather than a ban, other protective measures like heightened screenings, contact tracing, and border checks could have been a more economically viable option for the European tourism industry, Dev said. Once tourists that used to travel to Europe find other places to travel and have a good experience, they may shift some of their future travel away from Europe, he added. An Occupancy Pivot Even if some companies rely less on Americans to fill hotel rooms, European travel organizations arent denying the crucial role the U.S. plays to their business models. Id like to add the future doesnt look great, especially if you consider the U.S. is Europes largest source market and the second-largest tourism spender after China, said Jennifer Iduh, head of research and development at the European Travel Commission, at Skift Forum Europe on Tuesday. The ETC does not expect inbound international travel from the U.S. in the coming months, leading travel companies to look for alternatives to fill that void. That means an even greater emphasis on domestic travel, said Karin Shepard, senior vice president and managing director of Europe at IHG, during a different Skift Forum Europe panel. Travel analysts have already predicted Germany would lead other European countries during the recovery due to its stronger domestic traveler base than countries like France. But even Gdansk, Poland, posted strong occupancy numbers last weekend, Shepard said. Were all discovering new places on our doorstep, she added. Well see the passion for travel and exploring will allow people to travel within Europe. It is a region that could not be not more diverse. Subscribe to Skift newsletters for essential news about the business of travel. Click here to read the full article. Here's What You Need To Remember: The Pentagon would like its next-generation tankers to feature more autonomation to reduce the number of necessary crew and speed up the refueling process. The Air Force has additional ideas for making its future tankers more survival, including incorporating active protection systems to shoot down incoming missilesyes, possibly with lasers. Another concept, however, would involve using next-generation radar jammers that employ a cognitive intelligence system to automatically adjust frequencies to keep up with frequency-agile radars. Such jammers could obscure or even misrepresent the position of an aircraft on radar. The Pentagon also would like its next-generation tankers to feature more autonomation to reduce the number of necessary crew and speed up the refueling process. The United States has devoted billions of dollars to building stealth fighters, stealth bombers, stealth cruise missiles and stealth spy drones. Surely a stealth tanker for refueling aircraft midflight would be an extravagance too much? However, the concept of a stealth tanker is not as absurd youd think for one simple reason: the Pentagons F-35 and F-22 stealth fighters, which it has made the lynchpin of its twenty-first century air warfare strategy, simply cant fly far enough. At first glance, the F-35s six to eight-hundred-mile range doesnt seem bad compared to conventional fighters like the Super Hornet or F-16. But those non-stealth designs can carry fuel in in underwing tanks into combatmeanwhile, an F-35 cant carry those extra lumps of metal under its wings if it wants to preserve its miniscule radar cross-section. Another problem with the short range of stealth and non-stealth fighters alike is the need to deploy them airbases or aircraft carriers well within range of an adversarys ballistic and cruise missiles. Conflicts ranging from World War II to Afghanistan have shown that advanced fighters are never more vulnerable than when they are caught on the ground (or a carrier deck). It is virtually a given that in the event of a great power conflict, a terrifying missile barrage would rain down on forward airbases; and just how many airframes would emerge intact from that hail of death is anybodys guess. Story continues Fortunately, all U.S. jet fighters can be refueled mid-air. But though the modified airliners serving as tankers would strive to stay far away from hostile fighters, they are increasingly at risk to being shot down by very-long range air-to-air missiles like the Russian R-37, which can hit airliner-type targets from 250 miles away. The small numbers of stealth aircraft fielded by Russia or China would also likely concentrate on slipping past fighter screens to destroy the tankers and radar planes supporting them. After all, knock down the lumbering tankers, and you may also effectively strand a bunch of fighters over the Pacific without the fuel needed to return to base. The dilemma is much worse for stealth fighters attempting to penetrate enemy airspace, as the F-35 is designed to do. Contemporary surface-to-air-missiles like the S-400 can already strike less agile aircraft (again, think tankers) up to 250 miles distant using 40N6 missiles. This means conventional tankers simply will have to loiter hundreds of miles back from defended airspaceand even there, will be visible on radar and vulnerable to attack by enemy fighters. Recommended: What Will the Sixth-Generation Jet Fighter Look Like? Recommended: Imagine a U.S. Air Force That Never Built the B-52 Bomber Recommended: Russia's Next Big Military Sale - To Mexico? Recommended: Would China Really Invade Taiwan? A tanker with a reduced radar cross section, therefore could neatly address both problems, without having to be every bit as low-observable as a stealth fighter. Enter the KC-Z Currently, the Air Force is procuring 179 new KC-46A Pegasus tankers based on the Boeing 767. As it progressively retires its aging fleet of 400 KC-135 and KC-10 tankers, the Air Mobility Command originally planned to phase in another relatively conventional tanker called the KC-Y starting in the 2024s, before finally pursuing a KC-Z stealth tanker. However, in 2016 General Carlton Everthart told Defense News the Pentagon may scrub the KC-Y in favor of procuring additional upgraded KC-46s and phasing in the KC-Z stealth tankers soonerthough by sooner, think procurement beginning in 2035. Already, there are multiple proposals as to what a KC-Z might look likeand theyre all bizarre enough to resemble the Quinjets from The Avengers movies. In June 2018, the Air Force Research Lab, based in Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio, floated this angular and very bizarre-looking Advanced Aerial Refueling concept model at the AIAA forum. Meanwhile, Lockheed has its own stealth tanker concept model dubbed the Advanced Tanker Concept. (photos here and here) that looked ready for filming in Star Wars: Episode IX. Earlier in 2018, the major defense manufacturer lost a competition to produce an MQ-25 carrier-based aerial refueling drone; Lockheeds proposed flying-wing design emphasized stealth more than other entrants in the competition. The firm has also proposed embedding the stealth tankers high-bypass turbofans on the upper surface of the wings, like on the B-2, for cross-section reducing purposes. However, the proposed designs arent pure flying wing, but instead take their cues from the Air Forces expressed interest in a Blended Wing Body-type tanker. Rather than crossing a tubular fuselage against the wings, a BWB aircraft seamlessly merges the wings into the fuselage, resulting in a triangular shape. These are also known as Hybrid Wing Body designs, as they are not a pure flying wing because of the size of retention of a fuselage and tail fins. A flying wings curved wing surfaces are very efficient at generating lift, and its infinite plane naturally lend themselves to low radar cross sections as they lack hard, radar-reflective angles. However, tanker aircraft are routinely called upon to do double duty as cargo jets, so a stealth tanker may still need to have a bulged cargo compartment and bay door to serve as a fully capable substitutethe C in KC-Z stands for Cargo after all. Those wouldnt gel well with a pure flying wing design, which is why extant concepts have been hybrids. An upside of a stealthy cargo plane is that it could be used for inserting Special Forces operators behind enemy linesa capability the Special Operations branch has discretely studied for decadesor delivering critical supplies to forward outposts located under the anti-access umbrella of an adversarys long-range anti-aircraft missiles. Nonetheless, a cargo-carrying stealth tanker design would simply not be as stealthy as a pure flying-wing designed only for aerial refueling. Another challenge to making an affordable stealth tanker concerns the fact that stealth fighters and bomber achieve their low cross-section partly by incorporating radar-absorbent material (RAM) coatings or panels. However, RAM application significantly increases the operating costs and maintenance requirements of small stealth fighters. Presumably, that cost would be far greater spread out across a huge tanker that needs to fly thousands more hours every years, so a more cost-efficient form of RAM is surely necessary to avoid the $135 to $169,000 per flight hour operating costs of a B-2 stealth bomber. The Air Force has additional ideas for making its future tankers more survival, including incorporating active protection systems to shoot down incoming missilesyes, possibly with lasers. Another concept, however, would involve using next-generation radar jammers that employ a cognitive intelligence system to automatically adjust frequencies to keep up with frequency-agile radars. Such jammers could obscure or even misrepresent the position of an aircraft on radar. The Pentagon also would like its next-generation tankers to feature more autonomation to reduce the number of necessary crew and speed up the refueling process. However, the Air Mobility Command has also expressed openness to a radically different approach to a stealthy KC-Ztaking a page from the Navys MQ-25, and deploying small, stealthy unmanned autonomous vehicle. Stealthy drone tankers might fit with a distributed refueling strategy in which multiple drones draw fuel from a large, conventional tanker mothership and then zip forward into to provide refueling for stealth fighter in contested airspace. However, such a chain-refueling scheme could crash catastrophically should the un-stealthy mothership tanker be targeted by adversaries. Thus a system of systems could also proposed mixing multiple tiers of stealthy and non-stealthy tankers. Its worth noting there may be simpler, less expensive solution: weaning the Pentagon from its dependency on short-range jets, perhaps by relying more on long-range B-21 stealth bombers or future sixth-generation Penetrating Counter-Air fighter, making greater use of stand-off missiles, or introducing long-range unmanned UCAV stealth drones. Sebastien Roblin holds a masters degree in conflict resolution from Georgetown University and served as a university instructor for the Peace Corps in China. He has also worked in education, editing, and refugee resettlement in France and the United States. He currently writes on security and military history for War Is Boring. This article first appeared last year and is being republished due to reader interest. Image: Reuters Click here to read the full article. Click here to read the full article. Key Point: The Americans wanted to reverse engineer Nazi tech. Here is the attempt to make thier own V-1. Even before the first of the Nazi's V-1 "Buzz Bombs" rained terror and death on London, American military leaders knew such a weapon was in development. In August 1942, an early test version was discovered and photographed by agents after it crashed on the island of Bornholm in the Baltic Sea. After months of intelligence-gathering the rocket was traced to Peenemunde, on Germany's Baltic Coastthe top-secret German missile test and development site. Additional intelligence data was obtained via aerial photography, and in 1943 the United States began to develop its own jet-powered bomb. This first appeared earlier in 2020 and is being reposted due to reader interest. Various aircraft makers began to work on prototypes, but in July 1944, just three weeks after the first Vergeltungswaffe 1 (V-1) surface-to-surface, pilotless flying bomb struck England, engineers in the United States were provided with what they needed to advance their efforts. One ton of parts from "dud" missiles were sent to Wright-Patterson Field in Ohio and work began on America's version of Hitler's terror weapon. Republic Aviation worked to copy the airframe of the weapon while Ford Motor Company reverse engineered the 900-lb. thrust Argus Schmidt pulse jet engine. In short order, the United States had the JB-2, commonly dubbed the "Loon." It was designed to carry a 2,200-pound high explosive warhead to a range of 150 milesand it could be launched from the ground, ship, or aircraft. It featured an air-breathing pulsejet motor at the rear of the rocket. The first JB-2 test flight took place at Eglin Field, Florida in October 1944, and subsequently Republic and Ford were contracted to build 1,000 of the JB-2s for use by the Army and Navy. Production began in January 1945 in preparation for the invasion of Japan. A load of JB-2s was en route to the Pacific on a U.S. aircraft carrier when the atomic bombs were used on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945, resulting in Japan's surrender and rendering the JB-2 moot by that point. Story continues The United States Army Air Forces canceled production when the war ended, and none of the weapons were actually used in combat. However, the Loon provided valuable data for the design and construction of even more advanced weapons. The example in the Air Force Armament Museum is painted canary yellow with a red nose cone, and dark blue/white/red U.S. Army Air Corps/Forces star and bars insignia with the number 213 on the side. There are also dark blue bands around the nose and a white star pattern on the tail. It isn't clear however if the ones deemed for use in combat would have been painted so ostentatiouslyespecially as another example in the National Museum of the United States Air Force is painted in a far more subdued two-tone gray paint scheme. While the Loon wasn't deployed in combat, the German V-1 killed more than 6,000 people in England and wounded another 18,000highlighting the potential of the Buzz Bomb. Peter Suciu is a Michigan-based writer who has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers and websites. He is the author of several books on military headgear including A Gallery of Military Headdress, which is available on Amazon.com. This first appeared earlier in 2020 and is being reposted due to reader interest. Image: Wikipedia. Click here to read the full article. (Reuters) - New U.S. COVID-19 cases rose by more than 47,000 on Tuesday according to a Reuters tally, the biggest one-day spike since the start of the pandemic, as the government's top infectious disease expert warned that number could soon double. DEATHS AND INFECTIONS * For an interactive graphic tracking the global spread, open https://tmsnrt.rs/3aIRuz7 in an external browser. * For a U.S.-focused tracker with state-by-state and county map, open https://tmsnrt.rs/2w7hX9T in an external browser. * Eikon users, see MacroVitals (cpurl://apps.cp./cms/?navid=1592404098) for a case tracker and a summary of developments. AMERICAS * Three asylum seekers have tested positive for coronavirus in a sprawling encampment steps from the U.S. border in Matamoros, Mexico, marking the first cases in a settlement that advocates have long viewed as vulnerable amid the pandemic. * Canada is extending a global travel ban and mandatory quarantine measures that require most travelers to Canada, including citizens returning home, to self-isolate for 14 days upon arrival. * U.S. senators called for a government analysis of foreign influence in the U.S. pharmaceutical supply chain. ASIA-PACIFIC * South Korea has started distributing stocks of the COVID-19 treatment remdesivir which have been donated by Gilead Sciences Inc and plans to begin talks to purchase more supplies in August, its disease control agency said. * Authorities will lock down around 300,000 people in suburbs north of Melbourne for a month from late on Wednesday. EUROPE * The European Union has excluded the United States from its initial "safe list" of countries from which the bloc will allow non-essential travel from Wednesday. * China has halted almost all imports of pork from the Netherlands, apparently motivated by COVID-19 outbreaks at some of the largest Dutch slaughterhouses. MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA * The United Nations raised $7.7 billion in humanitarian aid for Syria. Story continues * Nigeria will allow travel between its states outside curfew hours from July 1. MEDICAL DEVELOPMENTS * An experimental coronavirus vaccine developed by Inovio Pharmaceuticals Inc showed promise and was found to be safe in an early-stage human trial, the company said. * The U.S. FDA released guidance on its conditions for approving a vaccine for the coronavirus, saying a vaccine has to prevent or decrease disease severity in at least 50% of people who are vaccinated. ECONOMIC FALLOUT * Global M&A activity tumbled to its lowest level in more than a decade in the second quarter, according to data provider Refinitiv. * China's factory activity grew at a faster clip in June after the government lifted lockdown measures and ramped up support steps, but the health crisis continues to pressure exports and jobs, a private business survey showed. * Japanese manufacturers' confidence sank in the second quarter to levels not seen since the 2009 global financial crisis. * Up to $140 billion in loans for small business could be refocused to support restaurants, hotels and other industries hit hardest by the pandemic, U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said. (Compiled by Aditya Soni and Devika Syamnath; Edited by Shounak Dasgupta and Sriraj Kalluvila) The Telegraph A Dubai princess who was 'kidnapped' while trying to flee the sheikhdom in 2018 is on holiday in Spain, according to a social media post. Princess Latifa, 35, tried to flee Dubai in 2018 only to be detained by commandos in a boat off India. An Instagram image appears to show her at MadridBarajas Airport, with the words: "Great European holiday with Latifa. We're having fun exploring!" The photo was shared by her British friend Sioned Taylor, a Royal Navy veteran and teacher based in Dubai. Ms T The national historic landmark we are charged with stewarding should be reflective of our values of equality and opportunity for all, Bond said in a statement. We are not erasing history. Nor is it our intention to minimize the service and sacrifice of the men and women who have served with honor aboard the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Taney. Our intention is to learn from history and celebrate the legacy of the ship and those who served aboard. Click here to read the full article. The FBI has concluded that the Pensacola shooting perpetrated by a Saudi Arabian military member had been motivated by Al Qaeda. On December 6, 2019, Mohammed Saeed Alshamrani killed three young American Navy sailors, robbing them of their futures. Personally, I have believed that Americas obsession with the Islamic State has been detrimental to its national security. While the Islamic State was and remains a threat, America assigned its relative importance because of its brutality and ability to capture territory in a short amount of time. The Islamic State, however, did not have a brilliant strategy. Instead, it wielded its massive strength at a time when Syria and Iraq were both suffering from state collapse. The group was never able to hold onto the territory it captured, as its sheer brutality ran counter to establishing itself as an alternative mode of governance, and many of their members defected to other groups. Unlike its former ally and later competitor, Al Qaeda, the Islamic State created too many enemies, isolated the populations under its control, and made itself a target, both formally and informally, to Western and Muslim governments. Still, U.S. policymakers directed all of their attention at this particular group, while ignoring the real fabric and root of the problem: the ideology of Salafism. The U.S. counterterrorism strategy mainly focuses on organizations, rather than a state-sponsored ideology. And when U.S. officials do accept the role of ideology, they treat it as emanating only from deviants in terrorist organizations. The reality is far from this, as Salafism was not invented by Al Qaeda. Even though most Salafis are nonviolent, their ultra-orthodox ideology breeds hatred and sectarian division. Americas misdirected counterterrorism strategy also fails to tackle the fact that terrorists and fighters from one group defect to another one. When Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) was created, large numbers from Ahrar al-Sham and the former U.S.-backed al-Zinky group joined it. As the Islamic State was defeated, its members funneled into other groups with similar ideologies. Moreover, due to Americas obsession with toppling Bashar al-Assad, it ignored and undermined the Nusra Front, which later became HTS, which had strong and expansive alliances with the Free Syrian Army and other militants in Syria. Story continues Those who argue that HTS is an independent entity from Al Qaeda are wrong. Its continued rebranding shows that it is a pragmatic group that seeks to create the illusion of being separate from Al Qaeda in order to gain both international and local legitimacy and support. The fact that al Qaeda is a decentralized movement, with its franchises having considerable autonomy, and dispersed by both space and time, makes it easier for this imagery to be transmitted to local civilians and foreign governments. While its main enemy is the United States, its priority has always been to dominate the Syrian Revolution due to major strategic goals and without this rebranding it wouldnt have been able to embed itself as successfully in it. Every insurgent group is composed of militants with different perspectives and goals who might want to drive the movement in a different direction. HTS is not an exception, but what its rebranding reveals is that it was not dormant when it heard statements from officials like General Petraeus who wanted to use it to fight ISIS. It has rebranded itself in order to conceal its ideology, its internationalist nature, and its links to Al Qaeda. It implemented this strategy to avoid attention from Western governments and take advantage of the fact that we needed the Syrian dictator gone. But these failures, of misidentifying and improperly prioritizing threats will have terrifying repercussions on America's national security, as the largest terrorist challenge that the United States has faced is Al Qaeda. In Syria, the Nusra Front was patient, flexible, and calculating. Al Qaeda follows the example of Osama Bin Laden, who was highly strategic and knew how to transmit and express the images of religion to incite others to become martyrs. It is obvious that Al Qaeda holds dear Abdullah Azzams message of global jihad and avoiding disunity in the Muslim world. While the Nusra Front also considers Shia Muslims to be apostates, it did not imitate the Islamic State with their mass murders, seeing that as detrimental. It has also avoided pronouncing other groups as apostates of Islam, avoiding the division that the Islamic State created. Relations with a town were warm enough that the people labeled Nusra Jabhat al-Buchamel, after their tribe. Unlike the Islamic State, many Syrian civilians think positively about Al Qaedas affiliate, and the group is able to obtain local support. It was also able to do what the Islamic State could not: prioritize objectives, by first waging a war against apostate regimes in the Arab world, in order to later do the same against the West. While Al Qaedas main enemy is the United States, regional dynamics force it to first concentrate its war against the Syrian dictator, as they require territory to be able to stage attacks abroad. Saudi Arabia and the UAE have tried to eliminate the Islamic State while allowing and attempting to regulate Al Qaeda. Americas lack of pressure on Saudi Arabia and its allies will come back to haunt it once the Islamic State has completely vanished from this world. Al Qaedas own senior leadership has tried to conceal its links with the Nusra Front so their Syrian affiliates reputation and credibility remain unaffected. A lesson remains: these groups can become dominating forces because they can act strategically and also because there is a fertile framework for the ideology to spread to other people. Saudi Arabian clerics, private sponsors, and state actions and strategic interests allow this to happen. The Al Qaeda franchise in the Arabian Peninsula, AQAP, that the FBI blamed for motivating the Pensacola shooting, has received direct assistance from Saudi Arabia. In Yemen, Saudi Arabia has given American-made weaponry to groups and tribes affiliated with AQAP in exchange for their loyalty. Some of the supporters, recruiters, and officials of AQAP have freely transited through Saudi Arabia and have received military and financial help. These individuals are featured in the U.S. Treasury Departments specially designated global terrorist list. For example, Abduljamid al Zindani, who is on the list, meets with Saudi officials and advisors to the king to discuss operations in Yemen. Nayif al Qaysi, an AQAP official and financier, facilitated the groups expansion in his governorate in Yemen. This same man was portrayed in 2017 as a hero by Saudi Arabian television. While AQAP opposes the Saudi monarchy in theory, in practice they have shared interests in fighting the Houthis, as well as a similar religious orientation. The Pensacola shooter, Mohammed Saeed Alshamrani, was shot dead by sheriff deputies. But what if he had been captured? The problem with indoctrination is that more jihadists leave prison than they enter. In Salafi doctrine, prison is one more step an individual must take. It is one more objective. For Salafi jihadists, being imprisoned is a sign from God that they are on the right path. This thus becomes part of their mission: to spread the ideology wherever they are. Al Qaeda once published a doctrinal article explaining why imprisonment is education to unite Muslims. In fact, if a person looks at the historical development of this idea, then they can see that many Sunni thinkers developed their doctrines from prisonlike Ahmad ibn Hanbal in the eighth century and Abu Hamid al-Ghazali in the twelfth century. This picture is grim. The options to combat this monstrous phenomenon are limited. But America must recognize that the backbone of terrorist violence is a religious ideology. Not doing so will mean we will continue to be vulnerable. Not doing so will be to continue betraying the memories and deaths of all the victims of this terrorism inspired by Salafism. The victims of 9/11, and the victims of the Pensacola shooting. The time for naivety is long gone. The CIA originally failed to take Osama bin Laden seriously because it believed that he was too primitive to be a threat to the United States and the West. That was a grave error. America cannot continue committing the same mistakes of the past. Carlo J. V. Caro researches U.S. Foreign Policy and Terrorism. He holds advanced degrees in Security Studies, and Islamic Studies from Columbia University. Image: Reuters Click here to read the full article. Amid reports of intelligence about possible Russian bounties for Taliban fighters who kill Americans in Afghanistan, the father of a Marine who died in a roadside bomb attack there last year wants answers. Erik Hendriks' 25-year-old son, Cpl. Robert A. Hendriks, was among three Marines who were killed in the bomb attack on a convoy outside Bagram Airfield. Hendriks said he learned about reports of the possible payments to Taliban-linked militants in a call from a reporter Monday. If the reports are true, "that would break my heart," Hendriks said in an interview Tuesday. "It would be horrific." Robert A. Hendriks his father calls him Robby was killed April 8, 2019, while conducting combat operations in Parwan province, the Defense Department has said. Also killed were Sgt. Benjamin S. Hines, 31, and Staff Sgt. Christopher K.A. Slutman, 43. Image: Cpl. Robert Hendriks (Courtesy Hendriks Family) NBC News has not confirmed a link between the April 2019 bomb attack and any alleged offer of bounties by Russian intelligence officials. Two senior administration officials said Monday that the White House does not believe there is a link. Hendricks said he has not heard from the president directly. "Why hasn't anybody called me or my ex-wife to settle us? Isn't it enough the hell we're going through that no one has come forward with anything at all?" he asked. "It's really horrible." Since late last week, several media outlets, including NBC News, have reported that the U.S. has gathered intelligence that Russian intelligence officers have offered to pay bounties to Taliban fighters who kill Americans. The news was first reported Friday by The New York Times. The White House has denied that President Donald Trump or Vice President Mike Pence were briefed on the matter. National Intelligence Director John Ratcliffe also denied late Saturday that Trump had been briefed. Trump tweeted Sunday that "Intel just reported to me that they did not find this info credible" and that therefore it had not been reported to him or Pence. Story continues White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said Tuesday that the president has been briefed. "But that does not change the fact that there is no consensus on this intelligence that still has yet to be verified," she said. An official familiar with the intelligence has said it shows that U.S. service members and Afghan civilians died as a result of Russian payments to the Taliban, but other officials said the intelligence has not been corroborated. A person with direct knowledge of the intelligence told NBC News that the White House and top National Security Council officials learned about intelligence indicating that Russia was offering bounties on U.S. and coalition troops early last year. Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, said top officials told lawmakers in the Situation Room of the White House on Monday that "no one had been killed" as a result of Russia's bounty offer. But other U.S. officials have said it is unclear, and others have said the Russian effort may, indeed, have led to deaths. Russia has denied the allegations, as has the Taliban. Russian President Vladimir Putin's spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, called reports of such a program "ridiculous" and "100 percent bulls---." Hendriks, speaking by phone from his home in Glen Cove, New York, which is on Long Island, said Tuesday that he is waiting for the facts. "I am waiting to see if there is a smoking gun," he said. "Is someone going to step forward who knows this as a fact?" Download the NBC News app for breaking news and alerts Hendriks said his questions are not based on politics. He said he has not voted since Ross Perot ran for president during the 1990s. He said that he leans toward Trump and likes the president's message of drawing down troops in Afghanistan but that he also worries that it could destabilize the region and put Americans at risk of attacks at home. Hendriks at times spoke through tears. He said he wants to keep the focus on his son and his son's service to the country. Hendriks said former Defense Secretary James Mattis sent him a handwritten letter calling his son a "Marine's Marine." Answers would help Hendriks find peace. "Seeing if this is true is doing a justice for Robby," he said. Photograph: Joshua Roberts/AFP/Getty Images The US is unlikely to achieve herd immunity to the coronavirus even with a vaccine, according to the countrys leading public health expert, who warned that a general anti-science, anti-authority, anti-vaccine feeling is likely to thwart vaccination efforts. In an interview with CNN, Dr Anthony Fauci also said people not wearing masks was a recipe for disaster and said of the Trump administrations attempts at contact tracing: I dont think were doing very well. The US reported a record number of new coronavirus cases in a single day on Friday, with 36 states reporting a rise in infections and Texas, Florida and Arizona particularly badly hit. With more than 2.5m coronavirus cases and more than 125,000 deaths, the US accounts for about 25% of all coronavirus cases and deaths worldwide. Countries including the US are scrambling to develop a vaccine, and Fauci has said one could be available by the end of 2020 or early 2021. But he suggested the vaccine would not be fully effective. The best weve ever done is measles, which is 97% to 98% effective, Fauci told CNN. That would be wonderful if we get there. I dont think we will. I would settle for [a] 70%, 75% effective vaccine. Polls have shown that many Americans are skeptical of a vaccine. In May only half of Americans said they would get one if it becomes available, while a Washington Post survey showed 27% would likely refuse a vaccine. Fauci was asked if herd immunity could be achieved through two-thirds of the population taking a vaccine that was only 70% to 75% effective. No unlikely, he said. There is a general anti-science, anti-authority, anti-vaccine feeling among some people in this country an alarmingly large percentage of people, relatively speaking, Fauci said, adding that the government has a lot of work to do to educate people about vaccines. Contact tracing the act of monitoring people who have come into contact with someone infected with the coronavirus is seen as one of the most effective measures until a vaccine is developed. Asked how the US is performing on contact tracing, Fauci said: I dont think were doing very well. Story continues If you go into the community and call up and say: Hows the contact tracing going? The dots are not connected because a lot of it is done by phone. You make a contact, 50% of the people, because youre coming from an authority dont even want to talk to you. Responding to peoples resistance to wearing masks, Fauci said it was a recipe for disaster and said some states had reopened too quickly. There are some states in which the leadership and the decision [to open up] was a little too precipitous, he said. There are others when the leadership did it right, but the citizenry didnt listen to them. People gather in Birmingham for a Black Lives Matter protest on June 4 - Christopher Furlong/Getty Images Europe A public health chief has called for an investigation into his fears that a major Black Lives Matter protest may have led to a spike in coronavirus cases in Birmingham. Dr Justin Varney, the director of public health for Birmingham City Council, has requested an examination of a "red alert" rise in cases detected 10 days after thousands of people gathered in the city earlier this month, The Telegraph can reveal. It comes after the Government urged people to stay away from mass protests amid concern that such gatherings could fuel the spread of coronavirus. A spokesman for Public Health England confirmed that officials were examining whether the BLM protests had led to rise in cases across the country but said there was "no evidence" of a link in Birmingham. However, Dr Varney said the city had seen a "small spike" of around 25 daily cases around a week and half after the protest and he believed there could be a link. "Our protest was on June 4 and we started to get a rise on June 14, 15 and 16, and many of those cases don't have an identified locus," Dr Varney told The Telegraph. "So they don't have a workplace, they're not at school, they're not at a hospital, they're not in a care home. So they are classified as unknown, and that's what raises the question for me. To me, that suggests a link with the protests. "If you look at the age profile, they weren't 70-year-olds. They were 20 or 30-year-olds. "I've asked Public Health England for national analysis to look at whether the Black Lives Matter protest could be responsible for this." Dr Varney said the alarm was first raised in a daily "exceedance report", issued to Birmingham City Council by Public Health England, which flagged up a "red alert" on June 15. He added that although relatively small, the rise in cases was concerning because it may suggest that more young people could have caught coronavirus without showing symptoms and risked spreading it to older family members. Story continues "The problem is that they take it back into their homes," he said. "And it's not so much the risk to them, because young people don't often get sick. It's the risk to granny or granddad or mum and dad." Birmingham has seen a general uptick in cases since the protest but "nowhere near" the levels in Leicester, Dr Varney said. "It's a national question, rather than something I can fix locally," he added. "I'm actively asking, what is Public Health England doing to look at the impact of these mass protests, and is that being asked about in the contact tracing service? "So when they ask people where they've been, they should explicitly ask, did you go to any of these protests? Have you been to any kind of mass gathering events? "We know when the protests were. What happened in the 14 days afterwards? Were there spikes, and could the protests be the common factor?" A source at Public Health England said officials had launched an investigation into whether mass gatherings, including BLM protests and VE Day celebrations, had led to a rise in coronavirus cases. A PHE spokesperson said: "Public Health England is working closely with local authorities, directors of public health and NHS Test and Trace to monitor variations of positive cases of Covid-19 in their local context. "There is currently no evidence that links case rates in Birmingham with the Black Lives Matter protests. We will continue to work with Birmingham City Council to review the data and monitor the situation." A white man in Florida was arrested Tuesday for pointing a gun at and unleashing a racist tirade on a Black man, accusing the homeowner of stealing from his own mailbox. Joseph Max Fucheck, 58, was booked on charges of aggravated assault with a firearm with prejudice and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, both of which are second-degree felonies, Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle said in a statement. Joseph Max Fucheck (Miami-Dade County Corrections and Rehabilitation) The victim, Dwayne Wynn, was across the street from his home in Miami-Dade talking to a neighbor on June 14 when Fucheck pulled up and placed something in Wynn's mailbox, the state attorney's statement said. Wynn walked across the street to see what it was and found a business card that read: We Buy HousesCASH! and We Buy Houses FAST! He then returned to his conversation with his neighbor. Fucheck circled back toward Wynn in his Jeep, "jumped out of his vehicle, and began a profanity-laced rant, stating, 'Thats not your property motherf---er! I saw you! I was down the street watching you! I saw you take that out of there. Youre just a motherf---ing nosy neighbor! Give me my card, thats my property!'" the statement said. Fucheck twice lunged at Wynn before pulling out a firearm and pointed it at Wynn, the statement said. After he lowered the gun, Wynn began filming the encounter. In the video Wynn recorded, Fucheck continued to wave the gun, referring to it: Damn right I carry a motherf---ing gun. He also continued to accuse Wynn of not owning his property, apparently slurring at times. As he drove away, Fucheck shouted the N-word at Wynn and yelled: "This is why you people get shot. Witnesses and children watched the incident unfold. "After speaking with all the involved witnesses and reviewing the evidence, we are alleging that but for the fact that Mr. Wynn is a black male, the entire incident would not have occurred," the state attorney's statement said. Fucheck is being charged under the state's hate crime law. Story continues This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. It is sad that racism can turn the most mundane act into a confrontation with potentially violent overtones, Rundle said in the statement. All Mr. Wynn wanted to do was go into his mailbox for his mail. Suddenly, as the video shows, Mr. Fucheck accosted him with a barrage of ugly statements and racial slurs. This incident was about much, much more than the obnoxious behavior of an irate man arming himself and screaming at someone he did not know and had no reason to fear. With this arrest, we are alleging today that the incident was about hate and intimidation, pure and simple." There is no place in our diverse County for hate and the violence that too often spawns from it, Miami-Dade Police Department Director Alfredo Ramirez said in the statement. Fucheck was jailed at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center in Miami-Dade County. Jail records do not indicate if bond has been set. A representative for Rundle's office could not say if Fucheck had a lawyer since he has not yet been arraigned. Rundle's office said Fucheck is a "convicted felon," but did not immediately say what crime or crimes he has previously been convicted of. Attempts to reach Fucheck by phone were not successful Wednesday. A person who answered the phone at a real estate office he is listed as working for said Fucheck did not work there. The Fontainebleau Miami Beach Resort wants to stop paying for laid-off workers health insurance during the COVID-19 pandemic. In a lawsuit filed against the hotel workers union in federal court last week in Miami, Miami-Dades largest hotel is asking a judge to exempt it from contributing to its employee health insurance fund a sum that has reached somewhere between $3.9 million and $5.35 million for April, May and June, according to the lawsuit. The hotel laid off 2,083 of its 2,151 employees in March, including the 1,077 employees represented by Unite Here Local 355, due to what it calls the worst business conditions the American lodging and hospitality industry has ever known, the lawsuit said. In April, the hotel owned by Jeffrey Soffer entered into a process called special servicing to renegotiate its nearly $975 million commercial mortgage-backed securities loan. Brett Mufson, president of Fontainebleau Development, has said the company is current on its debt service. The hotels decision to discontinue payments leaves workers without health insurance as COVID-19 cases in Florida are surging. The company insurance contributions are required under the Fontainebleaus labor contract with Unite Here Local 355, a hotel workers union. Other Miami hotels that employ Unite Here Local 355 workers have continued to contribute to health insurance funds during the pandemic. Most of Fontainebleaus workers are Black and brown workers who we know are dying from the virus at twice the rate of white people in this country, said Wendi Walsh, secretary-treasurer of the union. Cutting off healthcare in a deadly pandemic is a life-threatening act for workers and one that will burden an already overwhelmed public health system in Miami. Michelle Phillips, 32, was able to support herself and her two kids for the first time last year with her $15 an hour salary from her job as a prep cook at the Fontainebleau. She landed the job in January 2019 after graduating from an eight-week culinary training course meant to provide hospitality job opportunities to residents from the City of Miamis District Five Overtown, Liberty City, Little Haiti and Allapattah. Story continues Then, the COVID-19 pandemic struck. Her last day of work was March 13 before the hotel shut its doors completely on March 23 to comply with a Miami Beach city order. Phillips husband caught COVID-19 at the rehabilitation center where he has lived since a debilitating heart attack in 2018. She has not been able to visit him since March. Its been very, very, very difficult, she said. I have days where I cry out of nowhere. My kids have those same days. We talk about it when we need to. The Fontainebleau was Phillips first choice for an employer when she graduated. The job came with a starting hourly wage of $14.85 and health insurance, an upgrade from her previous job as a dishwasher and line cook at a breakfast restaurant making $11 an hour. She heard there would be opportunities to grow her career. In the lawsuit, the Fontainebleau argues that Phillips and the other laid-off workers are no longer employees as defined by the collective bargaining agreement and therefore the hotel is not obligated to contribute to their health insurance. Even if the court finds the hotel is responsible for the contributions, the lawsuit says that obligation no longer exists because of unforeseen circumstances force majeure caused by COVID-19. Even if Fontainebleau could be found to continue to be obligated to make contributions to the Fund for its laid off workers, that obligation would be eliminated based on the catastrophic negative impact on the hotel caused by the forced closure of the hotel as a result of safety measures implemented to attempt to prevent the further spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, the lawsuit says. The collective bargaining agreement says that employees retain their recall and seniority rights unless they have been laid off for a full year. It also says that the hotel can only stop paying health insurance contributions if an employee doesnt meet the minimum required monthly hours in two consecutive quarters 350 hours for all months except July, August, and September, when the minimum is 300 hours. Fontainebleau vice president of human resources Silvia Pereda said the hotel was forced to file the lawsuit as a last option. Fontainebleau is focused on recovering its financial stability so that it can return as many of its laid off, former employees as possible to employment, which will, critically, result in them receiving a paycheck and benefits once again, she said in an email. The Unions demand for payment of contributions for laid off, former employees makes that much harder. The St. Regis Bal Harbour Resort, a Marriott, the Diplomat Beach Resort, a Hilton, and the Hyatt Regency Miami have all continued to contribute to laid off employee health insurance funds during the pandemic, Walsh said. On Monday, November 29, 2019, Michelle Phillips, 33, prepares chicken Caesar salads for the Chez Bon Bon cafe at the Fontainebleau resort in Miami Beach. The Fontainebleau began to call workers back to their jobs when it reopened its doors on June 1, but so far Phillips hasnt received a call. She is discouraged about the hotels decision to stop contributing to her health insurance. It seems like they are trying to take away from us during this difficult time, she said. She has applied for unemployment benefits, food stamps and Medicaid for her and her two kids to make ends meet. She has started to look for other jobs. The hotel is proposing wage cuts for returning employees 10% for those with 2019 annual earnings of $75,000 or less, 15% for the $75,000-$100,000 bracket, 20% for the $100,000-$150,000 bracket, and 30% for those who made $150,000 or more in 2019. The cuts would bring Phillips wage down to $13.50 an hour, less than when she started at the hotel in January 2019. Ed Henry, left, in 2019 with "Fox & Friends" co-hosts Steve Doocy, Ainsley Earhardt and Brian Kilmeade. (Richard Drew / Associated Press) Fox News anchor Ed Henry has been fired following an investigation into sexual misconduct allegations. Fox News Media Chief Executive Suzanne Scott announced Henry's dismissal in an internal memo sent to employees Wednesday. The memo said the company received a complaint on June 25 from the attorney of a former employee that described "willful sexual misconduct in the workplace years ago." An outside law firm was retained to investigate the claims. "Based on the investigative findings, Ed has been terminated," Scott said. Henry, 48, had been the co-anchor of "America's Newsroom" with Sandra Smith. He joined Fox News in 2011 after a stint with CNN. He is a former president of the White House Correspondents Assn. Fox News did not reveal the employee who made the complaint. Douglas Wigdor, the attorney who has handled numerous sexual harassment and racial discrimination cases against the network, confirmed that he is representing the woman. Fox News has been aggressive in responding to sexual harassment complaints after overhauling its human resources department in 2017. The cable news network was one of the media hot zones during the #MeToo movement after its founding chief executive, Roger Ailes, was fired for harassing numerous female employees, including anchor Gretchen Carlson, who received a $20-million settlement. Former hosts Bill O'Reilly and Eric Bolling and correspondent James Rosen are among the on-air employees who have been shown the door following harassment allegations. "Fox News Media strictly prohibits all forms of sexual harassment, misconduct and discrimination," Scott said. "We will continue striving to make a safe workplace for all employees." Henry took a temporary leave of absence from Fox News in 2016 after a report that he had an extramarital affair with a Las Vegas hostess and stripper. He had been covering the presidential campaign of Hillary Clinton at the time. Samsung Catalyst Fund Leads Financing for Nationwide Genetics Medical Practice SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Genome Medical , a leading telegenomics technology and services company democratizing access to genomic-based medicine, today announced that it has raised $14 million to expand its clinical genetics care and operations. The funds will specifically support the accelerated development of the Genome Care DeliveryTM technology platform to address the rapid growth in virtual care needs and the shortage of genomic health care experts. Genome Medical will initially expand its patient engagement and care navigation platform for cancer, reproductive health and pharmacogenomics to bring the benefits of genomic medicine to a wider U.S. population. Genome Medical logo This Series B extension financing was led by Samsung Catalyst Fund, which invests in the tech leaders of tomorrow to build a safer, smarter and more sustainable world. Existing investors, founders and additional growth partners also participated in this financing, bringing the total capital raised since Genome Medical was founded in 2016 to $60 million. "The global COVID-19 pandemic and its health care impact are creating an unprecedented need for telehealth solutions. As a nationwide telehealth medical practice, Genome Medical is able to meet this need by expanding access to standard-of-care genetics and genomics through virtual health services -- reaching people everywhere in a timely and safe manner," said Lisa Alderson, CEO and Co-founder of Genome Medical. "We are pleased to partner with Samsung Catalyst Fund to forge consumer digital health technology together with genomic data and clinical genetics expertise to transform health care." Advancements in genetic technology and testing have made preventive and personalized care more effective and affordable than ever, accelerating the adoption of precision medicine into routine clinical care for cancer, chronic diseases, reproductive health and genetic disorders. Importantly, these advancements also create new ways to monitor and treat infectious diseases and global outbreaks. Story continues "Personalized medicine is the future of care, but too many health systems are not able to provide these critical services," said Francis Ho, Senior Vice President and Managing Director, Samsung Catalyst Fund. "When more patients and providers have access to cutting-edge genomic health technologies and expertise, we can save lives and improve health outcomes. The data and knowledge base built by Genome Medical will spur more innovation and help us focus on preventive methods for treating illnesses and new diseases. Samsung is excited to be a part of this journey." Genome Medical's solutions are utilized by health systems, hospitals, payors, providers and employers to expand access to genetic health services. Genome Medical also services patients directly and accepts self-referrals. Approximately 17 percent of the population carries disease-related genetic mutations for which there are treatment or preventive options. By increasing access to genetics care, Genome Medical can directly improve outcomes for these individuals. Genome Medical's growing network of genetic specialists provides on-demand, virtual care nationwide in the United States, with deep expertise across six major clinical areas: cancer, cardiovascular disease, reproductive health, pediatric genetics, pharmacogenomics and proactive health management. The Genome Care Delivery platform delivers education, engagement and provider-to-provider e-consults, as well as genetic wellness assessments and screening for population health management. The outcomes from this platform will make genomic medicine more affordable and accessible by providing the most up-to-date research and data-driven expertise. This includes a proprietary database to securely collect data on genomic profiles, electronic medical records, family health history and clinical insights. Genome Medical's existing investors, founders and additional growth partners also participating in this financing included Chairman and Co-founder Randy Scott, Canaan Partners, Illumina Ventures, Echo Health Ventures, Perceptive Advisors, LRVHealth, Kaiser Permanente Ventures, Avestria Ventures, Casdin Capital, HealthInvest Equity Partners, Revelation Partners, Dreamers Fund, Flywheel Ventures and Manatt Ventures. About Genome Medical Genome Medical is a national telegenomics technology, services and strategy company bringing genomic medicine to everyday care. Through our nationwide network of genetic specialists and efficient Genome Care DeliveryTM technology platform, we provide expert virtual genetic care for individuals and their families to improve health and well-being. We also help health care providers and their patients navigate the rapidly expanding field of genetics and utilize test results to understand the risk for disease, accelerate disease diagnosis, make informed treatment decisions and lower the cost of care. We are shepherding in a new era of genomic medicine by creating easy, efficient access to top genetic experts. Genome Medical is headquartered in South San Francisco. To learn more, visit genomemedical.com and follow @GenomeMed. About Samsung Catalyst Fund Samsung Catalyst Fund is Samsung Electronics' evergreen multi-stage venture capital fund that invests in the new data economy and strategic ideas for Samsung's device solutions, mobile, and consumer electronics groups. Investments span across Mobile & Cloud Services, DeepTech Infrastructure, Biology + Tech, and Safety & Security. Through Samsung Catalyst Fund, entrepreneurs are enabled by Samsung's global brand, manufacturing and distribution, domain expertise, recruiting network, and world-class Innovation Fellows for advice and mentorship. For the latest news, please visit samsungcatalyst.com . Cision View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/genome-medical-raises-14-million-to-expand-virtual-clinical-genetics-care-and-accelerate-telemedicine-technology-development-301086493.html SOURCE Genome Medical RICHMOND, Va., July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Genworth Financial, Inc. (NYSE: GNW) today announced it will hold a special topics call on July 2, 2020 at 9:00 a.m. (ET) with Genworth's President and CEO Tom McInerney to discuss the Company's recently announced merger extension and 15th waiver and agreement with China Oceanwide Holdings Group Co., Ltd. Genworth's call will be accessible via telephone and the Internet. The dial-in number for Genworth's July 2nd conference call is 888 208.1820 or 323 794.2110 (outside the U.S.); conference ID # 9017372. To participate in the call by webcast, register at http://investor.genworth.com at least 15 minutes prior to the webcast to download and install any necessary software. A replay of the call will be available at 888 203.1112 or 719 457.0820 (outside the U.S.); conference ID # 9017372 through July 16, 2020. The webcast will also be archived on the company's website for one year. About Genworth Financial Genworth Financial, Inc. (NYSE: GNW) is a Fortune 500 insurance holding company committed to helping families achieve the dream of homeownership and address the financial challenges of aging through its leadership positions in mortgage insurance and long term care insurance. Headquartered in Richmond, Virginia, Genworth traces its roots back to 1871 and became a public company in 2004. For more information, visit genworth.com. From time to time, Genworth releases important information via postings on its corporate website. Accordingly, investors and other interested parties are encouraged to enroll to receive automatic email alerts and Really Simple Syndication (RSS) feeds regarding new postings. Enrollment information is found under the "Investors" section of genworth.com. From time to time, Genworth's publicly traded subsidiary, Genworth Mortgage Insurance Australia Limited, separately releases financial and other information about their operations. This information can be found at http://www.genworth.com.au. Story continues Cision View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/genworth-financial-schedules-special-topics-call-for-july-2nd-301087178.html SOURCE Genworth Financial, Inc. Friends say Behler was estranged from his family, and Simmons and others did not know much about Behler before he become homeless about a decade ago. His social media accounts, which his friends said Behler set up himself, say he grew up in Catonsville, was a 1971 graduate of the now-closed Cardinal Gibbons High School and was a musician and concert piano rebuilder for 40 years. Republican senators Ron Johnson (R., Wis.) and James Lankford (R., Okla.) introduced an amendment Wednesday that would replace Columbus Day with Juneteenth as a federal holiday. The proposal, which follows last weeks introduction of a bipartisan Senate bill by Senator John Cornyn (R., Texas) that would establish Juneteenth as a federal holiday, is aimed in large part at offsetting the cost associated with Cornyns plan. Each new federal holiday costs an estimated $600 million in paid time off for government employees, according to a Fox News report. Throughout our history, we have strived to become a more perfect union and Juneteenth was a huge step in attaining that goal, Lankford said in a statement. We should celebrate these strides on the federal level while remaining cognizant of the impact the existing 10 federal holidays have on federal services and local businesses. We support celebrating emancipation with a federal holiday, but believe we should eliminate a current holiday in exchange, Johnson said in a statement. We chose Columbus Day as a holiday that is lightly celebrated, and least disruptive to Americans schedules. Juneteenth, held on June 19 to commemorate the day in 1865 when slavery definitively ended in the U.S., is currently celebrated as a holiday in 47 states. The holiday has gained increased attention amid the nationwide protests that followed George Floyds death in police custody. Protestors have torn down and vandalized statues of Christopher Columbus, an Italian Renaissance-era explorer often credited with being the first European to discover the Americas. A growing number of critics have called for Columbus Day to be eliminated or renamed Indigenous Peoples Day, upset at the celebration of what they see as Columbuss subjugation and mistreatment of the New Worlds native population. Cornyn told The Hill that eliminating Columbus Day in favor of Juneteenth is problematic and dilutes the message were trying to send, which is one of being respectful and honoring and remembering our history. More from National Review Sheneen McClain's 23-year-old son, Elijah McClain, died nearly a year ago in Aurora, Colorado, just a few days after police confronted him as he was walking home from a convenience store. "I honestly don't think my anger or ... me being upset is gonna change," she told ABC News. "I think I'm always going to have that same level of being pissed off." Elijah McClain's family says the conflict involved a deadly use of excessive force. The police called it justified. His case was closed and the police officers involved were allowed to return to work. Now, in the wake of George Floyd's death, protests have filled the streets and Elijah McClain's case has been given new attention, including in his home state. "It hurts because I honestly didn't understand why Colorado wasn't there for Elijah like they were for George Floyd or even Breonna Taylor," Sheneen McClain said. "Everybody's screaming names now, but ... last year it would have made a big difference." PHOTO: Sheneen McClain's son, Elijah McClain, died a few days after police in Aurora, Colorado, confronted him while walking home from a convenience store. (ABC News ) Now, it's her son's name chanted at marches across the country, from Denver to New York City. Thousands of people have taken to the streets, fueled by online campaigns and petitions, highlighting case after case of Black Americans killed by police and a lack of accountability. "The George Floyd case was a game changer," Marc Lamont Hill, a media studies professor, author and activist, told "Nightline." "That opened up the door for questioning all sorts of stuff when it comes to law enforcement." This week, thousands of protesters filled the streets of Colorado. One group shut down a busy highway in Denver. At one point, Aurora police dressed in riot gear, dispersing crowds using pepper spray and tear gas to break up a peaceful vigil in McClain's hometown. "The fact that it always takes a public struggle in order to get an arrest and an indictment and a prosecution speaks to the failure of the system to provide swift justice, and for many people, justice delayed is, in fact, justice denied," Hill added. Story continues PHOTO: Elijah McClain, an unarmed Black man who died days after he was subdued by three policemen and injected with a powerful sedative in August 2019, poses in an undated photograph in Aurora, Colo. (Family Photo/Handout via Reuters) Sheneen McClain says her son was always introverted. She said he'd channel his shy nature by expressing himself through art. "As an introvert you have to find different ways of communication," she said. "He loved knowledge. ... That's how he taught himself how to play the instruments -- the violin." "It was interesting when he started because I was like, 'How are you gonna play all these instruments at one time?' And he's like, 'I'm gonna do it,'" she added. "So, we watched and he did. ... It was amazing to see him so enchanted with his own skill, and we were all enchanted, too. So, yeah, pretty amazing." MORE: Thousands gather in Denver to protest Elijah McClain's death By last year, Elijah McClain had been working as a massage therapist for several years and he had plans to go to college. On the night of Aug. 24, 2019, around 10 p.m., Elijah McClain went to a convenience store near his home to buy some soft drinks. In surveillance video from the store, he can be seen wearing a ski mask. His family says he was wearing it because he had anemia, a blood condition that can make people feel cold more easily, and the mask kept him warm. PHOTO: Marc Lamont Hill, a media studies professor, author and activist, speaks about Elijah McClain's case. (ABC News ) While McClain was making his trip to the store, someone had called 911 to report a suspicious person. Referring to McClain, the caller described him wearing a mask said he looked "sketchy" but added that "he might be a good person or a bad person." When asked, the caller told the operator that there were no weapons and that no one was in danger. The operator advised him that officers were on their way to check it out. When officers Nathan Woodyard, Jason Rosenblatt and Randy Roedema stopped Elijah McClain on his way home, one telling him that he was "being suspicious," according to police body camera video. McClain responded, "I have a right to go where I am going." The officers immediately grabbed McClain, who repeatedly told them to let him go. "I am an introvert. Please respect the boundaries that I am speaking," McClain pleaded. "I'm going home Leave me alone. You guys started to arrest me, and I was stopping my music to listen." "This is a small kid ... small in height, small in build. Somebody who probably could have been detained by one officer and certainly didn't require three officers, a chokehold and a sedative," Hill said. "And the fact that we can't see all of it on camera because they say that the camera dropped is also a big red flag." MORE: Elijah McClain protest draws thousands in Colorado Two of the three officers' body cameras became dislodged within seconds and fell to the ground. The third camera captured a little more of the struggle before it fell, too. "There was absolutely no reason legally why the officers should have stopped him in the first place," Mari Newman, a lawyer for the McClain family, told ABC News. "When he said 'I'm just going home. I'm just going home. I'm an introvert. Please respect my boundaries,' they grabbed him. They tackled him. And they threw him to the ground," she said. PHOTO: The Aurora Police Department released this body cam footage with the description 'This is the Body Worn Camera footage from the August 24, 2019 contact with Elijah McClain.' (Aurora Police Department/Youtube) As police tried to apprehend McClain, he offered them his ID, gave them his name and told them he was just going home. Two minutes into the video, Elijah McClain could be heard repeatedly saying, "I can't breathe" -- a phrase that has become a national rallying cry. He told officers he was in pain. One of the officers could be heard saying in the video that they were using a "carotid," a type of chokehold that restricts the carotid artery, cutting off blood to the brain. As McClain was pleading with the officers, one of them could be heard justifying the takedown by saying he was wearing a mask. He also said that he saw Elijah McClain reach for one of their guns. As more officers arrived, the original three looked around for their body cameras. They picked them up and repositioned them -- one was turned off. MORE: Colorado reexamines Elijah McClain's death in police custody Mari Newman and the McClain family believe the lack of clear body camera footage was on purpose. "All three of those officers intentionally dislodged their body cameras," she said, pointing to a part on one officer's recording where one officer who is holding down McClain tells another officer to move his camera. In the video, the officer can be heard seen and heard saying, "Move your camera, dude." Newman says, "So, he's intentionally trying to stay off of the body camera as they inflict multiple different kinds of force on Elijah McClain." During this time, multiple officers are holding McClain on the ground. At one point, the 23-year-old gets sick and vomits. When EMTs arrived, they gave him at shot of 500 milligrams of ketamine, a sedative. Soon after, McClain was loaded into the ambulance, where he had a heart attack. PHOTO: The Aurora Police Department released this body cam footage with the description 'This is the Body Worn Camera footage from the August 24, 2019 contact with Elijah McClain.' (Aurora Police Department/Youtube) Once at the hospital, Sheneen McClain said "it took so long for [the police] to just be honest with me." She photographed her son's physical injuries while he was on life support. Eventually, doctors declared him brain dead and, three days later, he was taken off life support. "Bone of my bone, flesh of my flesh. That was a part of me. There's no way to put a band-aid on that, he's always gonna be gone," she said. "He's gone. All this should have been done before he was killed. Those laws that allowed them to even go that far should've never been in place." The investigation into Elijah McClain's death was taken up by District Attorney Dave Young. He said that when he first saw the videos, his "initial impression" was that the ketamine caused Elijah McClain's death. "It wasn't until I received the forensic autopsy report that I learned that, in fact, was not the cause of death," Young told ABC News. "In fact, we don't know the cause of McClain's death." PHOTO: District Attorney Dave Young investigated the officers involved in Elijah McClain's death and cleared them of wrongdoing after three months. Still, he says he wishes they had acted differently. (ABC News ) Young said he could not "prove one way or the other" if the police officers' actions led to Elijah McClain's death. He said "I don't know" whether the officer's actions led to McClain's death. "The burden of proof is on me," Young said. "If I can't prove to a jury of 12 that there's actions cost his death then I cannot file criminal charges." In November, the district attorney announced they would not bring charges against the officers, who had been placed on administrative duty during the investigation. "I don't condone the officers' actions out there," Young said. "In fact, I wish they would have done things differently. But I cannot ... If someone's saying they can't breathe, get off of him. Do it, just get off of him!" Hill points out there's a history of white men with weapons getting taken into custody without violence -- even in the same city Elijah McClain died. "Look at James Holmes, a white man who was a mass murderer, was able to be arrested without incident," Hill said of the murderer who shot and killed 12 people at a movie theatre in Aurora, Colorado in 2012. "Somehow, when it comes to white suspects, police managed to locate a level of discipline and care and patience that they don't for black suspects, even ones who were unarmed." In addition to calls for justice for George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, the protests that have emerged around the country have been calling for accountability in older cases as well. There are currently several petitions demanding that Young resign, including one that's accrued 50,000 signatures. "Now, I'm not going to consider doing that," Young said. "I stand by my decision. It's unfortunate that people feel that by voicing their opinions that that's going to change the facts and the law of the investigation." Still, the public pressure has sparked action. Colorado passed a police reform bill earlier this month with new accountability measures for officer-involved killings. Last Thursday, Colorado Gov. Jared Polis appointed state Attorney General Phil Weiser as special prosecutor to investigate Elijah McClain's death and potentially file charges. "The fact that a special prosecutor is being appointed and they're still looking into this, both formally and informally suggests that public outcry matters," Hill said. "When people pay attention and hold institutions accountable, those institutions will respond differently than if nobody is watching." MORE: Special prosecutor will investigate 2019 death of 23-year-old Elijah McClain while in custody All three officers, Woodyard, Rosenblatt and Roedema have been taken off enforcement duties and reassigned. Sheneen McClain believes they should spend life in prison. "Justice to me ... is conviction. ... Like, they need to suffer. Life in prison would be great for me. Honestly, they need to be convicted for what they did because it was unjust," she said. McClain now realizes that Elijah has become much more than just her son, he's become a symbol. "We're gonna keep saying' his name," she said. "We're gonna shout it even louder every day, All lives can't matter if Black lives don't matter. The revolution is now. Ain't no more waiting' for it." What happened to Elijah McClain? Protests help bring new attention to his death originally appeared on abcnews.go.com Rapist Accepts No Responsibility or Accountability NEW YORK, July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The New York Attorney General's Office has announced a proposed settlement that would create a purported compensation fund for the female survivors of Harvey Weinstein. Rheingold, Giuffra, Ruffo & Plotkin logo We, the law firm Rheingold, Giuffra, Ruffo, & Plotkin LLP, represent Alexandra Canosa. Last night we learned that there is now a proposal to settle the uncertified "class action" that has been filed purportedly on behalf of all victims of Harvey Weinstein. Based on those reports, we are issuing the following statement: "The victims of Harvey Weinstein are once again being sacrificed at the expense of those with power and money. This is not justice. The NY AG has made a deal to walk away from the missteps in which survivor's rights have been sacrificed at the expense of headlines. It has now been forgotten that the NY AG's office scuttled a deal which would have provided the survivors with a $90 Million victims compensation fund in addition to access to TWC insurance assets. The AG's Office is now bragging about a settlement that gets survivors a fraction of what the original agreement provided. The agreement is unfair for many reasons. Harvey Weinstein, still a very wealthy man and now a convicted rapist accepts no responsibility for his crimes spanning decades. Despite still retaining substantial wealth, Harvey Weinstein is not contributing a penny to the fund that is intended to compensate the survivors of his criminal behavior. The ultra-wealthy directors of the Weinstein Company who turned a blind eye to Weinstein's serial abuse of women and attributed it to "Harvey being Harvey", will be receiving millions of dollars to reimburse defense costs as will Harvey Weinstein himself. If this settlement were approved by the Courts, it will strip those survivors who wish to continue their fight to hold Harvey Weinstein and others accountable of their ability to pursue their claims against multi-billion dollar insurance companies and the enabling directors because they will have been released of all claims even those of survivors who do not wish to participate in the settlement. Story continues Finally, the class action attorneys who have spent most of their time brokering a deal on behalf of an uncertified "class" as opposed to fighting in Court on behalf of victims will receive a multi-million dollar payday. I would note that the "class" attorneys have failed just about every time in Court and their only successes have been based on riding on the coattails of the survivors and their lawyers who have spent time actually fighting in Court on behalf of their clients as opposed to looking for a quick payday. Our client and others have bravely weathered personal attacks by Weinstein's henchmen with poise and courage to finally bring justice and to try to make a difference in our society. They deserve better than this. While we support the decision of any other survivor who wishes to accept the terms of this one-sided deal because they are emotionally drained and do not want to continue the fight, Ms. Canosa and our Firm will continue the fight and intend to object to this settlement in Court. This agreement is nothing more than a complete miscarriage of justice in which those who have survived Harvey Weinstein's personal reign of terror against women and have had the courage to stand up for what is morally right publicly at great personal and emotional expense are once again being sacrificed for those who have power. One would think that at this point in our society that the voice of the little people would finally be heard, and justice obtained. Accountability and restoration are the cornerstones of justice and the New York Attorney General's Office has provided neither with this pyrrhic settlement. Cision View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/harvey-weinsteins-bankruptcy-settlement-a-miscarriage-of-justice-301087165.html SOURCE Rheingold, Giuffra, Ruffo, & Plotkin LLP Former Colorado governor John Hickenlooper won the Democratic primary for the states upcoming Senate election, overcoming an ethics probe and resurfaced video of racially insensitive comments. Hickenlooper will face off against incumbent Republican Cory Gardner in a highly contested race. Gardner is one of the only Republicans defending a seat in a state lost by President Trump in 2016. Let me be clear: change is coming, and you and I are going to bring it together, Hickenlooper said in a video message to supporters of primary challenger Andrew Romanoff. Ive never lost an election in this state, and I dont intend to lose this one. Romanoff, the Colorado State House speaker, thanked his supporters and called on them to back Hickenlooper. I just called John Hickenlooper to congratulate him and to pledge my full support in his race against Cory Gardner. Please join me in doing the same, Romanoff wrote on Twitter. Hickenlooper was fined $3,000 in early June following an investigation by an independent ethics commission. The commission found that Hickenlooper violated state law on politicians accepting gifts in 2018, when he was given a ride in a Maserati limousine as well as on a private plane. The former governor also drew criticism after video surfaced of remarks he made in 2014 comparing elected officials to slaves on a slave ship, with their schedulers as masters. If I was to describe a scheduler, a political scheduler, imagine an ancient slave ship, Hickenlooper tells an audience at an event. The scheduler is the guy with the whip, and youre rowing we elected officials are the ones that are rowing, and they have nothing but hard, often thankless things to do. Hickenlooper apologized after the remarks were discovered by Tay Anderson, head of the Denver school board and the youngest African American elected to office in Colorado history. More from National Review By John Jannarone High Times, owner of the eponymous magazine and a fast-rising player in the dispensary scene, acquired Mountain High Recreation, Inc., a move that will speed up its plans to offer home delivery services across California. Formally known as Hightimes Holding Corp., the company is picking up established distribution infrastructure as well as staff with extensive experience in delivery. The deal comes after the recent announcement that High Times would launch delivery of cannabis from dispensaries in California, a service designed to accommodate the need for social distancing that has accelerated the shift to e-commerce across the retail sector. High Times recently acquired 13 existing and planned California dispensaries which can be configured as distribution centers more effectively with the help of the Mountain High personnel. Chelsea and Ken Cordoba and their Mountain High Team bring years of experience providing high quality cannabis delivery to California and they truly know their customers and how best to please them, Peter Horvath, Hightimes Holding Corp.s Chief Executive Officer said. Together we are launching High Times delivery in California where we will bring the best assortment of quality cannabis products to your doorstep safe, and fast, with exceptional value. Mr. Horvath, who came onboard as CEO less than two months ago, has emphasized the importance of e-commerce since the onset of the coronavirus. While he believes physical stores are critical for a connection with consumers, he has said the coronavirus likely changed shopping behavior forever and he considers High Times the first post-COVID cannabis company. Mr. Horvath brings experience from apparel and fashion giants including L Brands, Inc. (Victorias Secret, Bath & Body Works), American Eagle Outfitters, Inc. (American Eagle & Aerie), DSW (now Designer Brands, Inc.), and, most recently, cannabis dispensary and lifestyle company Green Growth Brands, which went public in November 2018. Story continues High Times, whose other businesses include various media assets such as the famous magazine and conferences, appears to have timed its move into cannabis retail wisely. Earlier entrants to the space, including MedMen Enterprises Inc., Medicine Man Technologies, Inc., and Terra Tech Corp. have struggled and seen their share prices plummet. High Times is on the cusp of listing its shares on a national stock exchange. The company has over 27,000 investors who have subscribed to an offering of up to $50 million which remains open. Some of the shares sold have generated cash that wont appear on the companys balance sheet until the stock begins to trade. Contact: John Jannarone, Editor-in-Chief editor@IPO-Edge.com www.IPO-Edge.com Editor@IPO-Edge.com Twitter: @IPOEdge Instagram: @IPOEdge Click here to read the full article. Key Point: Planes that can fly high enough can carry an anti-satellite missile. Here's how America proved it was doable. Decades before the creation of the United States Space Force, the sixth and newest branch of the United States military, there were already plans in place to bring future conflicts beyond the Earth's atmosphere. A number of killer satellites have been deployed over the years, but in the late 1970s the U.S. saw that threat. The worry was that the Soviet killer satellites could destroy vital U.S. reconnaissance and communication satellites and developed a variety of anti-satellite missiles to counter the threat. Among these was the ASM-135A, which was unique in that it wasn't launched like a rocket from the ground such as the Nike-Zeus or Thor anti-ballistic missile systems but rather it could be fired from an aircraft in flight. Airborne tests with "captive" not launched anti-satellite missiles (ASATs) that could be fired from modified F-15 fighters began in 1982. Additional tests were conducted over the Pacific Ocean where the ASAT was launched at a specific point in space and fired, but no actual target was involved. Finally, on September 13, 1985, during a mission dubbed the "Celestial Eagle Flight," Major Wilbert "Doug" Pearson pushed the "pickle button" in the cockpit of his F-15A and launched an ASM-135A at a real target while in a steep vertical climb flying at 38,100 feet while flying just under Mach 1 over the Pacific Ocean. It was quite an accomplishment to aim and fire the ASM-135A ASAT at the Solwind P78-1 solar observation satellite, which was operational but several of its instruments were failing. The satellite was also moving at 17,500mph some 300 miles above the F-16A a target Pearson couldn't see. He had to wait for confirmation that the ASAT was able to lock on and destroy its target and he was soon told from ground control that he was indeed successful. For the first time in history a satellite had been shot out of space by an airplane! Story continues The squat, yet very high-tech projectile carried no high explosives, and rather the mission called for the destruction of the Solwind P78-1 by means of the violent collision. It was not only a first but more importantly, this feat has never been accomplished again. It was anything but blind luck, however. Two solid-rocket stages propelled the missile into space, which was crucial because the miniature homing vehicle (MHV) that was used to lock onto the satellite's infrared image with a telescopic seeker could only point itself in the direction of the target. The short homing vehicle was a short cylinder that was compared to a tomato can but a high-tech one that spun rapidly for stability and course correction, yet without forward thrust. For that reason, it was crucial that the F-15 pilot had to fly to an area below the path of the incoming target when firing the ASAT. This required a steep climb and a very small launch window. Even before Pearson's flight, however, the U.S. Congress had begun to enact a series of limits on the program's testing. Perhaps in part because of its success, lawmakers banned further tests on targets in space. There were legitimate concerns that ASAT experiments would lead to a superpower arms race and in 1988 the United States Air Force terminated the program. The Russian military has recently conducted tests of its PL-19 Nudol, a so-called "direct-ascent anti-satellite" weapon platform, so perhaps it is time for the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) to take another look at the Cold War ASM-135A ASAT. Peter Suciu is a Michigan-based writer who has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers and websites. He is the author of several books on military headgear including A Gallery of Military Headdress, which is available on Amazon.com. This first appeared earlier in 2020 and is being reposted due to reader interest. Image: Reuters Click here to read the full article. Click here to read the full article. Here's What You Need To Remember: The fact that Berlin was making new plans to manufacture sophisticated intercontinental jet bombers even while columns of Allied tanks were advancing deep into Germany highlights how Nazism was not only an abhorrent ideology, but instilled a remarkable capacity for self-delusion. In 1942, German air force chief Hermann Goering sketched out the requirement for the Amerika bombera strategic bomber capable of making 7,200-mile round-trip across the Atlantic. Earlier in 1938, Goering had stated: I completely lack the bombers capable of round-trip flights to New York with a 4.5-tonne bomb load. I would be extremely happy to possess such a bomber, which would at last stuff the mouth of arrogance across the sea. By the end of World War II, Nazi Germany was pursuing a diverse array of Wunderwaffen (wonder weapons.) The diversion of valuable production resources to so many experimental technologies reflected an almost megalomaniacal tendency to believe science could compensate for Nazi Germanys materially untenable position combatting the combined might of the Soviet Union, the United State and the United Kingdom. The decentralized nature of German military research led to money being funneled into numerous competing projects instead of being efficiently prioritized for faster and more concrete results. German manufacturers built three different prototype heavy bombers to perform the task: the Junkers Ju-390, the Messerschmitt Me-264 and the Heinkel He-277. While prototypes of the Me 264 and Ju-390 were flown, none entered large-scale production. Nazi scientists also began developing intercontinental ballistic missiles, a manned suborbital rocketship called the Silbervogel, and piggy-back aircraft to execute inter-continental strikes without much to show for it. In 1944, the air ministry issued a revised requirement for bomber with 6,800-mile-long range with 8,800-pound bombload. After other German firms failed to offer viable design concepts, in December 1944 the Horten brothers proposed their own novel idea: a flying wing powered by six Jumo 004B turbojets embedded on the back of its fuselage pod. These were derived from the same engines then being used on German Me-262 jet fighters. Story continues The Horten XVIIIA was in effect a spinoff of the Horten brothers wooden Ho.229 flying-wing jet fighter. Though aerodynamically unstable due to their lack of tail stabilizers, flying wings produce very little drag, thus allowing for higher speeds. Flying wings also lend themselves small radar-cross sections. After the war, Reimar Horten claimed he had intentionally designed the Ho 229 using radar-absorbent plywood as a stealth aircraft. While theres no written evidence showing the Nazis realized the Ho.229s stealth potential during the war, testing has shown that Horten designs did have a modestly reduced radar cross section which would have decreased radar detection range. Even as American troops poured over the Ludendorff Bridge at Remagen into Nazi Germany, Goering still wanted his Amerika bomber and approved the design in February 1945but he wanted the brothers to build the jet by committee with engineers from Junkers and Messerschmitt. These new members wanted to install large vertical tail fins, despite the resulting increase in drag. Annoyed to have his concept watered down, Reimar Horten independently sketched a whole new thirty-five-ton flying wing jet bomber dubbed the Ho XVIIIB. This one had a three-person crew housed under a huge bubble canopy. Two large non-retractable underwing landing gear fixtures each slung two HeS 011 turbojets. Supposedly this new beast stored enough fuel in its wings for twenty-seven-hour round-trip treks to attack New York. Its theoretical maximum speed of 528 miles per hour and service ceiling of 52,000 feet would have allowed it to fly higher and faster than the fastest piston-engine U.S. fighters of the time. Nonetheless, Horten proposed installing two belly-mounted thirty-millimeter autocannons for self-defense. The Horten brothers convinced Goering to choose the Ho.XVIIIIB over the A model, and production was approved to commence in the summer or fall of 1945. But Nazi Germany instead surrendered early in May. The combination of speed and reduced radar detection range would have made the Horten Amerika bomber very difficult to intercept. In fact, we know the flying jet bomber concept was viable because two years later, U.S. company Northrop test flew several prototype YB-49 flying wings with a range of nine thousand miles. The YB-49 spanned fifty-two meters wide and were powered by six turbojet engines embedded in the rear wings. Though the YB-49 didnt enter service, it may have informed Northrops later development of the B-2 Spirit stealth bomber serving the U.S. Air Force today. However, even if the Nazis had somehow managed to build the Ho XVIII, their plan had a huge problem: theres hardly any reason to believe a few raids on American cities would have had any useful military impact. It took hundreds of American strategic bombers based relatively nearby in the United Kingdom flying thousands of costly raids to put any sort of dent in the Germany war economyand indeed, economic minister Albert Speer still managed to increase the output of German factories by the end of the war despite the enormous bombloads disgorged by Allied bombers. So how could a handful of raids by Nazi bombers meaningfully damage the huge U.S. war economy? Perhaps the Nazis mistakenly counted on a political effect. To be fair, the materially ineffectual one-shot Doolittle raid of 1942 had caused Japan to redirect substantial resources from its offensive operations to home defense. Perhaps Goering hoped a few raids would cause the U.S. to redirect force away from Europe, or motivate the supposedly soft democratic citizenry to demand U.S. withdrawal. But this not only incorrectly assessed American determination, but failed to appreciate the vast surplus capacity the United States had to build up its home defenses as well as wages war overseas. In the final month of the war, for example, a Nazi submarine sortie aimed at diverting pressure to the U.S. East Coast triggered a massive U.S. counter-blockade called Operation Teardropwithout slowing down the U.S. advance into Germany to the slightest degree. Theres only one, chilling scenario in which the Amerika bomber would have had an impact: if Nazi Germany had completed development of its own nuclear weapons. In that event, even one or two bombers could inflict apocalyptic damage East Coast cities. Even then, however, such strategic attacks would not have halted the huge Allied armies already steamrolling the Wehrmacht in Europe, and would surely have precipitated nuclear retaliation by the United States. Fortunately for the world, Nazi nuclear weapon research proved as unfocused as other Wunderwaffe projects, and Germany suffered a severe shortage of qualified physicists due to its racist policies and politicization of academia. This, combined with successful Allied sabotage of heavy water facilities in Norway, led the Nazis to largely abandon their nuclear weapons ambitions as too expensive in 1942. The fact that Berlin was making new plans to manufacture sophisticated intercontinental jet bombers even while columns of Allied tanks were advancing deep into Germany highlights how Nazism was not only an abhorrent ideology, but instilled a remarkable capacity for self-delusion. Thus its no surprise that the megalomaniacal villain of the film Captain America flies an apparent look-alike of the Horten jet bomberon a mission to bomb New York City, of course. Sebastien Roblin holds a masters degree in conflict resolution from Georgetown University and served as a university instructor for the Peace Corps in China. He has also worked in education, editing, and refugee resettlement in France and the United States. He currently writes on security and military history for War Is Boring. This article originally appeared last yearand is being republished due to reader interest. Image: Wikimedia Click here to read the full article. The government is ready to stand by its commitment to give 3 million Hong Kong residents UK citizenship, following Chinas imposition of a controversial security law. The law directly targets some of the actions of anti-government protesters in Hong Kong last year, which included attacks on government offices and police stations, damage to subway stations, and the shutdown of the city's international airport. Acts of vandalism against government facilities or public transport can be prosecuted as subversion or terrorism, while anyone taking part in activities deemed as secessionist would also be in violation of the new law. Protesters against the new national security law march on the anniversary of Hong Kong's handover to China from Britain in Hong Kong. (AP) Business secretary Alok Sharma has condemned the law, but reaffirmed the governments commitment to residents of the former British colony. He told Times Radio: "This is very disappointing. "Clearly this is not something that we wanted. We have also, as you know, made a commitment to the people of Hong Kong and that's something we will stand by. Police detain protesters after a protest in Causeway Bay before the annual handover march in Hong Kong. (AP) Citizenship vow In May, the government announced that up to 3 million Hong Kong residents would be eligible to apply for UK citizenship, infuriating the Chinese government. Foreign secretary Dominic Raab said visa rights would be extended from six months to at least 12 months, paving the way for future UK citizenship. British national (overseas) (BNO) passports were held by a majority of Hong Kong residents before the territory was handed over to the Chinese in 1997. First arrests The new national security laws passage comes after Hong Kong's legislature in early June made it illegal to insult the Chinese national anthem. Under the law, those found guilty of inciting secessionist, subversive, terrorist activities and colluding with foreign forces could face life imprisonment if they are deemed masterminds of such activities. MORE: Couple travelled to collect heroin with two-year-old in back seat Hong Kong police have made their first arrests under the law, arresting at least two protesters for carrying flags and signs calling for independence. Story continues A man with a Hong Kong independence flag was arrested at a protest in the Causeway Bay shopping district after police issued multiple warnings to the crowd that they might be in violation of the law, according to a police statement. A protester holds a British national (overseas) passport in a Hong Kong shopping mall during a protest against China's national security legislation for the region. (AP) Officers later arrested a woman for holding up a sign displaying the British flag and calling for independence. Police said later on Facebook that they had arrested more than 30 people on various charges, from unlawful assembly to violation of the national security law. Boris Johnson has vowed to look 'very carefully' at the law to see if it breaches a treaty between the UK and Beijing. (AP) Condemnation Boris Johnson has vowed to look "very carefully" at the law to see if it breaches a treaty between the UK and Beijing. The prime minister said the government was "deeply concerned" that the legislation had been passed. Raab described China's actions as a "grave" and "deeply troubling" step. Shadow foreign secretary Lisa Nandy said Raab should not "waver" on support for Hong Kong. The citys Board of Estimates unanimously voted Wednesday to approve the settlement for Sgt. Jasmin Rowlett who filed a complaint against the city in October in U.S. District Court alleging that the department has perpetuated a long-standing pattern and practice of discrimination against African American female officers. Riot police arrest a man Wednesday during a demonstration against the new national security law in Hong Kong. (Anthony Kwan / Getty Images) Activist Lee Cheuk-yan washes his eyes with water after being pepper sprayed by Hong Kong police during a demonstration Wednesday. (Vincent Yu / Associated Press) HONG KONG Hong Kong police made the first arrests Wednesday under a new national security law imposed by Chinas central government, as thousands of people defied tear gas and pepper pellets to protest against the contentious move on the anniversary of the former British colonys handover to Chinese rule. Police said 10 people were arrested under the law, including a man with a Hong Kong independence flag and a woman holding a sign displaying the British flag and calling for Hong Kongs independence all violations of the law that took effect Tuesday night. Others were detained for possessing items advocating independence. Hong Kong police said on Facebook that they arrested some 370 people on various charges, including unlawful assembly, possession of weapons and violating the new law, which was imposed in a move seen as Beijings boldest step yet to erase the legal firewall between the semiautonomous territory and the mainlands authoritarian Communist Party system. The law, imposed following anti-government protests in Hong Kong last year, makes secessionist, subversive or terrorist activities illegal, as well as foreign intervention in the citys internal affairs. Any person taking part in activities such as shouting slogans or holding up banners and flags calling for the citys independence is violating the law, regardless of whether violence is used. Activist Lee Cheuk-yan participates in a demonstration in Causeway Bay before the annual July 1 handover march in Hong Kong. (Vincent Yu / Associated Press) Police display a banner warning protesters in Causeway Bay in Hong Kong. Hong Kong marked the 23rd anniversary of its handover to China on Wednesday, just one day after China enacted a national security law that cracks down on protests in the territory. (Vincent Yu / Associated Press) Riot police stand guard after pushing back protesters demonstrating against the new security law on Wednesday. The law, which took effect Tuesday night, makes activities deemed subversive or secessionist punishable by up to life in prison. (Vincent Yu / Associated Press) Protesters in Hong Kong set up a defense shield using umbrellas during a demonstration on Wednesday. (Vincent Yu / Associated Press) A protester dressed as a Chinese official gestures during a demonstration in Causeway Bay before the annual handover march in Hong Kong on Wednesday. (Vincent Yu / Associated Press) Journalists run as police fire water cannons during a demonstration against the new national security law in Hong Kong. (Kin Cheung / Associated Press) Riot police clear a road after pushing back security law protesters on the anniversary of Hong Kong's handover to China from Britain on Wednesday. (Kin Cheung / Associated Press) Police pepper spray protesters in Causeway Bay during the annual handover march in Hong Kong on Wednesday. (Vincent Yu / Associated Press) A woman prays in front of police before the annual handover march in Hong Kong on Wednesday. (Vincent Yu / Associated Press) Police remove a giant umbrella roadblock from a main road during a march marking the anniversary of the Hong Kong handover from Britain to China on Wednesday. (Vincent Yu / Associated Press) Police detain protesters during the annual handover march in Hong Kong on Wednesday. (Vincent Yu / Associated Press) Police detain a protester who had been pepper sprayed before the annual handover march in Hong Kong on Wednesday. (Vincent Yu / Associated Press) A reporter falls to the ground after being pepper sprayed by Hong Kong police during a protest in Causeway Bay on Wednesday. (Vincent Yu / Associated Press) Riot police detain a protester during the annual handover march in Hong Kong on Wednesday. (Vincent Yu / Associated Press) A protester who had been pepper sprayed is detained by Hong Kong police during Wednesday's protest. (Kin Cheung / Associated Press) Police create a perimeter to control the movements of protesters in Causeway Bay before the annual handover march in Hong Kong on Wednesday. (Kin Cheung / Associated Press) Protesters against Hong Kong's new national security law gesture with five fingers, signifying their "Five demands not one less," on the anniversary of Hong Kong's handover to China from Britain on Wednesday. (Vincent Yu / Associated Press) Hong Kong police detain security law protesters in Causeway Bay on Wednesday. (Kin Cheung / Associated Press) Hong Kong police detain a security law protester on Wednesday. (Kin Cheung / Associated Press) A journalist is treated after being hit by pepper spray during a security law protest in Hong Kong on Wednesday. (Vincent Yu / Associated Press) Hong Kong police detain security law protesters on Wednesday. (Vincent Yu / Associated Press) A taxi drives past a banner touting the Hong Kong National Security Law. (Vincent Yu / Associated Press) One year ago, protesters commemorated the anniversary of Britains handover of Hong Kong to China by storming the citys legislature and spray-painting on its walls: Hong Kong is not China. The message was provocative and clear. But as the territory wakes up Wednesday to mark the 23rd anniversary of the transfer, it does so under a contentious new national security law that ensures the semiautonomous city is firmly under Chinas control and that makes clear Beijing has no qualms about ignoring international criticism. That much was evident after details of the law were finally revealed, six weeks after China first proposed the hastily formulated legislation to stifle opposition in the restive territory off southern China that was upsetting Communist Party leader Xi Jinping's plans to consolidate his power. What's unfolding is a law that will probably change the personality of a city and the contours of its beliefs, forcing activists, whose yellow helmets last year stood out amid barrages of tear gas, to rethink strategies or abandon their pro-democracy slogans to an increasingly intolerant government. It is a moment when civil freedoms, which for decades gave Hong Kong an enticing hold on Asia's imagination, collide with the designs of authoritarianism. Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam said the law will affect only a small minority. (Vincent Yu / Associated Press) As expected, the law which targets acts of secession, subversion, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces to endanger national security gives China broad authority that in effect eliminates the firewall that separates Hong Kong from the mainland. Police made their first arrest under the new law Wednesday within hours of its going into effect, hustling away a protester who carried a flag calling for Hong Kong's independence, the Associated Press reported. The man was arrested after police issued multiple warnings to demonstrators in the Causeway Bay shopping district that they might be in violation of the law, according to a police statement on Twitter. Story continues Authorities later arrested a woman for holding up a sign displaying the British flag and calling for Hong Kong's independence. In all, more than 180 people at the protest were arrested, some on the basis of the new law, the police said on Facebook. The new statute paves the way for the establishment of a new security agency that will operate in secrecy and supersede local jurisdiction. Mainland authorities will oversee cases deemed vital to national security. Journalists and members of the public will be banned from observing such cases. Damaging transportation vehicles will be considered an act of terrorism. Companies that break the law will be fined; foreigners and non-permanent residents who violate it will be deported. The maximum penalty for offenders is life in prison. The law is not retroactive. John Lee, Hong Kong's secretary of security, confirmed in a statement that the city's police would establish a special unit to enforce the national security law a move that heightens fears that a police force accused of rampant abuse the last year will be handed powerful surveillance powers in concert with Chinese state security. Critics say those measures collectively violate an agreement China signed with Britain ensuring Hong Kong enjoyed a high degree of autonomy for 50 years after the 1997 handover. Freedoms of press, speech and assembly are supposed to be guaranteed in Hong Kong, though all have faced varying degrees of suppression as Beijing has tried to expand its reach. Britain, the European Union, Japan and Taiwan all expressed dismay over the new law's passage. The United States imposed visa restrictions on Chinese officials determined to have played a part in Hong Kong's diminished autonomy. It also blocked exports of defense equipment and some technology to the territory. Lawmakers in Hong Kong were never consulted about the law, which the Hong Kong Bar Assn. has called unconstitutional. The territory's chief executive, Carrie Lam, and other pro-Beijing politicians expressed unyielding support for its implementation despite never knowing what exactly was in it. Stanley Ng, a Hong Kong delegate to China's National People's Congress, said in a video post that the demise of the opposition parties proved the effectiveness of the national security law as a deterrent and a form of intimidation, according to Agence France-Presse. The speed and secrecy with which China has pushed through this legislation intensifies the fear that Beijing has calculatingly created a weapon of repression to be used against government critics, including people who are merely expressing their views or protesting peacefully," said Joshua Rosenzweig, head of Amnesty International's China Team. The fact that the Chinese authorities have now passed this law without the people of Hong Kong being able to see it tells you a lot about their intentions," Rosenzweig added. "Their aim is to govern Hong Kong through fear from this point forward." The legislations arrival is a bitter pill. The protests that erupted last year were over a bill that would have allowed extraditions to China. After the proposal's withdrawal, extraditions are now just a small feature of the new national security law, which gives Beijing sweeping powers to arrest suspects. In anticipation of a possible crackdown, many young activists have fled in recent years to Taiwan and elsewhere. An illegal commemoration in Hong Kong on June 4, 2020, to mark the anniversary of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre in Beijing. (Laurel Chor / For The Times) Protesters had vowed to make their voices heard Wednesday despite a prohibition on demonstrations on the sensitive anniversary. Police banned the march, citing public health concerns amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Thousands of officers are expected to patrol the city in anticipation of protesters defying the ban. Protests have been held every July 1 since 1997, most notably in 2003, when an estimated 500,000 demonstrators successfully pressured the Hong Kong government to rescind its first attempt at passing a local national security law, known as Article 23. China's national security law bypasses Hong Kong's mini-constitution, known as the Basic Law. "Everyone knows that public health is only an excuse to deprive our civil liberties under the National Security Law," Civil Human Rights Front, a group that has organized the march every year since 1997, said in a statement. "The banning of July 1 rally marks the end of an age of Hong Kong." Hong Kong's leaders have defended the Chinese national security law by arguing most countries have similar legislation, including the U.S. But legal experts say the comparison isn't apt: Democracies have separations of power and independent judiciaries that ensure such laws can't be wielded arbitrarily to target government critics, unlike in China. As the ground shifted beneath them after news of the law's passage Tuesday, Hong Kongers sprang into action reminiscent of a low-intensity fall of Saigon in the 1970s by choosing to flee or gird themselves for a new order that redraws the boundaries of everyday life. Employees at a popular diner for pro-democracy activists began stripping protest art from its walls and declared on social media it could no longer belong to a band of businesses in the so-called yellow economic circle, the color of the protest movement. Joshua Wong, the boyish face of that movement since 2014, disbanded the political party he co-founded, Demosisto, and implored the international community to defend Hong Kongs last bit of freedom. Another anti-Beijing political party, the Hong Kong Independence Union, also disbanded. Its founder, Wayne Chan, who was arrested for participating in an illegal protest, reportedly jumped bail and left Hong Kong. Leung Chun-ying, Hong Kongs former chief executive and a staunch pro-Beijing figure, offered a $130,000 reward for help arresting offenders such as Chan who flee the territory. US$200,000 in cash and US$200,000 in Huawei Cloud resources up for grabs in Asia Pacific SINGAPORE, July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Developers around the world are being invited to put their skills to the test on a global stage with the HUAWEI HMS App Innovation Contest, AppsUP, launching on 30th June by Huawei Mobile Services. In APAC, prizes in cash and Huawei Cloud resources totalling US$400,000 will be given out to Top 20 winners of Best App, Best Game, Honorable Award, as well as in special categories for Most Social Impact App and Most Popular App in the region. The inaugural contest will see entrants compete against other talented developers to create innovative apps that improve and help navigate everyday life. Using the full suite of app development tools and resources available through HMS Core, the AppsUP contest provides a platform for developers in each of the five competition regions: Asia Pacific (APAC), Europe, Middle East & Africa, Latin America and China to showcase their skills and innovation. The contest aims to inspire global developers to help users explore a better digital life through mobile apps. The winners of the contest will get the chance to have their apps promoted on HUAWEI AppGallery, making them accessible to hundreds of millions of HUAWEI device users from more than 170 countries and regions. Prizes and wider benefits also include: USD$1 million global funding by the Shining-Star Program to the five competition regions, in cash prizes in the following categories: Best App, Best Game, Most Social Impact App, Most Popular App, Honorable Award In APAC, a total prize pool of US$400,000 including US$200,000 in cash and US$200,000 in Huawei Cloud vouchers will be awarded to winners Global media promotion opportunities Priority access to Huawei Developers events, courses and certifications Opportunity to compete on a global stage and showcase technical ability using leading HMS Core kits Discussion with industry experts and AppsUP expert judging panel To celebrate the launch of the contest, Huawei hosted a live virtual event on Tuesday 30th June to showcase what is in store for developers. The event marked the opening of the global contest including talks from Zhang Ping'an, President of Consumer Cloud Service, Huawei Consumer Business Group, HMS Core experts, and developers of leading apps from AppGallery. Story continues Zhang Pingan, President of Consumer Cloud Service, Huawei Consumer Business Group, delivered the keynote speech on the launch of the HUAWEI HMS App Innovation Contest Commenting on the launch of the HUAWEI HMS App Innovation Contest, AppsUP, Zhang Ping'an said: "The number of talented developers of HMS ecosystem is growing. The work that developers do is integral to so much of our daily life. Through the apps they create, they empower us to seamlessly navigate the world around us. At Huawei, we want to invite developers to join us in building a better future and turn their ideas into reality using HMS Core offered by Huawei Mobile Services." Support for APAC developers in the form of HUAWEI Cloud vouchers[1] and online training workshops The developers in the APAC region will be rendered Huawei Cloud vouchers that can be used to claim infrastructure services for computing, storage, network etc. Upon successful contest registration and identity verification, all developers will first receive Huawei Cloud voucher from a minimum value of US$200. Each team that completes the contest application with their app submission will also be awarded with an additional amount of US$4,000. Developers who are new to Huawei Mobile Services can also look forward to online training workshops to learn how to integrate their apps with HMS Core Kits. They can simply register their interest via appsup.apac@huawei.com. Prize pool worth US$400,000 in total for Top 20 APAC winners In APAC, prizes in cash and Huawei Cloud resources totalling US$400,000 will be given out to Top 20 winners of Best App, Best Game, Honorable Award, as well as in special categories for Most Social Impact App and Most Popular App in the region. Top 20 Prizes for APAC's AppsUP winners are as below: APAC Prizes Award Title Number of Awards USD/Per Team Cash HUAWEI Cloud Voucher HUAWEI Cloud Academy Credits Top 20 Best App 5 15,000 15,000 95 Best Game 3 15,000 15,000 95 Honorable Award 12 2,500 2,500 95 Additional Special Awards Most Social Impact App 3 15,000 15,000 95 Most Popular App 1 5,000 5,000 95 APAC's Stellar Panel of Judges The AppsUP contest will feature a panel of esteemed judges with a wealth of experience in the mobile app development industry. The judges for the APAC region are Johnson Lim, the President of Malaysia Mobile Technology Association (MMTA); Jonathan Defensor De Luzuriaga, the President of Philippine Software Industry Association (PSIA); Pariwat Wongsamran, the Director of Startup Thailand; Richard Chua, the General Manager of IGG Singapore Pte Ltd; and Suresh Jayaraju, the Founder and CEO of Innovopod, India. How to enter AppsUP To enter, participants must register an account on the official contest website, http://bit.ly/AppsUP-APAC between 30th June and 30th August 2020 and sign up either as an individual or as a team of up to three members. All apps must be developed integrating HMS Core and submitted on the contest official website before 18:00 (UTC+8) on 30th August 2020, where a panel of regional industry experts will score each entry on social value, business value, user experience and innovativeness. From there, the Top 20 finalist apps in each region will be selected, and made available for the public to view and vote on the contest official website, and for download on HUAWEI AppGallery from 21st September, before the Finals reveal in 6th October. To find out more, visit http://bit.ly/AppsUP-APAC. #HMSInnovateforAll [1]: Terms & Conditions apply, please refer to AppsUP official website for more details. Photo - https://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20200626/2842329-1-a Photo - https://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20200626/2842329-1-b SOURCE Huawei Mobile Services Partial human remains, which have not been identified, have been found during the search in Texas for missing Army soldier Vanessa Guillen, the military said Tuesday. Guillen, 20, a private first class, was last seen April 22, and the Army believes foul play is involved in her disappearance, officials have said. "After receiving additional information, agents have discovered what has been described as partial human remains after analysis from a forensic anthropologist," the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation, known as CID, said in a statement. Agents had returned to "an area of interest" close to the Leon River in Bell County when they made the discovery, according to the agency. Vanessa Guillen (United States Army) The CID, the Army's primary criminal investigative organization, said that the identification process can take time. Guillen was last seen at a parking lot at Fort Hood, Texas, where she was stationed, in late April. Officials said her car keys, barracks room key, identification card and wallet were found in the armory room where she was working the day she disappeared. Actress Salma Hayek, U.S. Rep. Sylvia Garcia, D-Texas, and Texas state Sen. Carol Alvarado are among those who joined an effort to keep public attention on the case. Guillen's family also organized rallies outside Fort Hood. Garcia said last week that the Army was "convinced now that there is foul play involved" in the case. Officials said on June 18 that the military launched an investigation into allegations that the missing soldier was sexually harassed. Military officials have said that investigators had found no credible evidence that she had been sexually assaulted and that they had not found evidence linking her case to another missing Fort Hood soldier. The Army CID said in Tuesday's statement that its agents were on scene with the Texas Rangers, the FBI and Bell County Sheriff's Department. Part of Fort Hood is located in Bell County, which encompasses an area largely east of the facility. Police inspect a roadblock during a protest marking the anniversary of the Hong Kong handover from Britain to China on Wednesday. (Vincent Yu / Associated Press) A draconian new national security law failed to deter thousands in Hong Kong from attending illegal protests Wednesday, the 23rd anniversary of the former British colony's return to Chinese rule. Scattered demonstrations across Hong Kong Island, the city's commercial and financial heart, were met with an overwhelming show of force from police who deployed water cannons, tear gas and pepper spray to disperse protesters and, in some cases, journalists. Seven officers were injured, including one who was stabbed in the arm and three who were hit by a motorcycle, police said. About 370 people were arrested by late evening, including 10 accused of violating the new law, a sweeping piece of legislation that gives China's communist rulers near-carte blanche to silence critics in a city that has fiercely defended its autonomy from Beijing. Most of the arrests were for alleged offenses such as unlawful assembly and disorderly conduct, police said. The national security law is ostensibly designed to target acts of secession, subversion, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces to endanger national security. But it clashes with local laws that guarantee residents freedoms of speech, assembly and press. A new security agency that answers to China will enforce the law in secrecy and have the power to transfer suspects to the mainland. Among the first to be arrested Wednesday for violating the new law were three protesters found carrying leaflets and a banner promoting Hong Kong independence, police said. Introduced in the waning hours of Tuesday, the law sent a collective shudder across the semi-autonomous city of over 7 million people. Provisions preventing the law from being applied retroactively did little to stop Hong Kongers from deleting social media accounts and posts that could potentially be deemed illegal. "I feel any post could put me in a dangerous position, and I don't know what the repercussions will be," said a protester named Mike who declined to give his surname for fear of attracting the attention of authorities. Story continues The 39-year-old, who runs an online media business, said he attended the protest because he didn't want China and the Hong Kong government to think he would accept the national security law without a fight. "They have the legal backing to arrest us and we could be sent back to China," he said. "I came out today because I want the world to know Hong Kongers will never give up. But I have to admit I am scared." Another protester, who would only give his surname, Chan, said he refrained from chanting slogans on the off chance that police would single him out and charge him with violating the new law. "It's risky to shout slogans now," he said, choosing instead to clap his hands after each chant. "If one day I will be arrested for clapping my hands, I have nothing to say." Willy Lam, an expert in Chinese politics at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, said more protests would come, although they would likely diminish over time as moderate supporters of the movement gave in to fear of the potential consequences. On one hand, well still find Hong Kongs young people being defiant and protesting despite the threat of jail, Lam said. At the same time, well also see more people resigned to the fact that theres not much you can do except emigrate to Australia, Canada or someplace else. Lam said the national security law greatly overstates the threat Hong Kong poses to Chinese President Xi Jinping's grip on power. But a sputtering economy further weakened by the coronavirus outbreak has fed Beijing's nationalistic tendencies. Bringing Hong Kong to heel, escalating border tensions with India and provoking Taiwan helps draw attention away from the Chinese government's tacit promise to deliver consistent economic growth and rising wealth in exchange for uncontested rule. "The Chinese Communist Party, which has no ballot box, has only two pillars of legitimacy: economic performance and nationalism," Lam said. "Whenever there's a problem with the economy, they put an emphasis on nationalism." The law has drawn international condemnation, particularly from the United States, which has revoked some of Hong Kong's trade privileges. British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said Wednesday that his country would introduce new immigration rules to help Hong Kong citizens with so-called British Nationals Overseas passports settle in Britain. The passports did not guarantee British citizenship when they were issued to Hong Kong residents in the 1980s. There are about 350,000 British Nationals Overseas passport holders. "We want a positive relationship with China," Raab told lawmakers in Parliament. "But we will not look the other way on Hong Kong, and we will not duck our historic responsibilities to its people." Times staff writer Pierson reported from Singapore and special correspondent Chong from Hong Kong. In August 2016, three school security guards surrounded Mariah Harvard at Buckeye Union High School. The guards repeatedly asked her about the shirt she was wearing underneath her sweatshirt, she said. Nervously, Harvard tugged on the T-shirt beneath her hoodie. The black T-shirt had words in white that read, "Black lives matter," a nod to the movement started in 2013 calling for action against systemic racism. She'd started wearing the shirt to school a week earlier, but was asked by school administrators to stop after another student told her that "Black lives don't matter." The demand didn't sit right with Harvard. So she gathered nine friends and walked out of class one morning in protest. Her stand made national headlines. "It changed everything for me that day," she said. "Protesting ... it changed me completely." People threatened to attack Harvard, she said. For a week, police officers sat outside her house late at night in case someone tried to hurt her. At a homecoming football game, another student accused her of defacing their Confederate flag, she said. Four years later, now a student at Estrella Mountain Community College, Harvard has joined the crowds coming out to protest the deaths of Black men and women in police custody. And like other Black graduates of Arizona schools who spoke to The Arizona Republic, she is also reflecting on her own experience of systemic racism at her high school. "This impacts your life forever," she said. As police departments and corporations face public reckonings over systemic racism, schools, too, are confronting accusations of racism from current and former students and parents. The Republic revisited more than a dozen racist incidents reported at metro Phoenix schools since 2016: Those incidents ranged from basketball spectators directing monkey noises at a Black player to students repeating the n-word over and over again in videos posted to social media. Story continues Colleges and racism: These students are no longer at their colleges because of racist social media posts And then there are some of the statistics. Data shows that students of color are disproportionately disciplined in Arizona compared with white students, a trend that's all too common across the country. Schools also fail to graduate Black students at the same rate as white students, according to state data, making a college degree difficult to achieve. Advocates say that schism is created by a school system that does not treat Black students fairly. Students of color interviewed for this story said racism is embedded in the culture of schools across the Phoenix metro area. Sometimes it is overt, like when a group of teens in a Gilbert school told Joe Gonzales' daughter that her skin was ugly. In other moments, students felt singled out for being Black, like when a teacher pulled Evanjalees Foster out of a Mesa classroom during a showing of Huckleberry Finn and asked her if she was uncomfortable as the only black student in the classroom. The students also said that solutions addressing racism did not come swiftly, if they came at all. Some former students are calling on administrators to do more to fight racism in and out of the classroom, including addressing inadequate teaching about slavery and civil rights figures. Leaders advocating for fair treatment of students of color said schools must go beyond adopting equity programs in order to truly eradicate racism in the classroom. "We will definitely be asking the question 'How are you going to keep our children safe in school in light of these racial tensions?'" said Janelle Wood, with the Black Mothers Forum. "Your policies and your practices have in the past hurt our children." Janelle Wood speaks about mothers and their call to action during the Arizona Unity March in Phoenix on Saturday, June 13, 2020. 'Nothing was being done' Following the death of George Floyd, as protests continued in Phoenix and other American cities, Ankoma Juma Hopwood, a Mesa High School alum, posted on Twitter on June 3: "I can almost guarantee that any person of color that attended high school at mesa, mountain view, highland and too many more to name experienced racism from their peers in some way shape or form." This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. Hopwood, who is Black, asked graduates of East Valley-area schools to share their own stories of racism. Dozens answered. For days, Hopwood posted their replies, sometimes posting screenshots of private messages and concealing the identity of the former students. One person wrote that they'd heard the n-word from white students countless times, and the students were never really punished. Another wrote that Highland High students took videos of themselves in a cotton field singing "I'm a cotton-picking n----r." The experiences they described weren't surprising to Hopwood. Tyesha Saucedo attended Mountain Pointe High in Ahwatukee and graduated in 2015. Students brought Confederate flags to school, she said. Another student, she said, posted a photo of a swastika drawn on his arm and a racial slur. When she confronted the principal about the racist behavior, they told her they couldn't do anything about it, she said. "After a while, I felt like I was fighting and fighting and fighting and nothing was being done," Saucedo said. Megan Sterling, a spokeswoman with Tempe Union, wrote in a statement that "teachers and administrators have historically been limited in the disciplinary actions they can take in regards to content/pictures posted on students' social media." Have schools addressed racism? Parents and former students said they've repeatedly raised racist issues as a systemic pattern, only to receive underwhelming responses from school leaders. But district officials say they're trying. When Desert Vista High students spelled out the n-word in T-shirts in a photo, the circulated image garnered national attention and demands for change. Sterling wrote that Tempe Union has strengthened its harassment and bullying policy and hired a diversity and inclusion coordinator in 2016 in the wake of the incident. But former Tempe Union students don't think the action was enough. The former students are now compiling data on how many students have been harassed while attending district schools. The alums are demanding swift procedures to deal with hate. In 2018, Chandler parents crowded school district board meetings to protest racism in district schools, spurred by a video of junior high students chanting racist lyrics. One parent told board members, "You are rapidly on your way to being viewed as the most racist school district in America." The district resisted parents' calls to punish students, but promised to hire a director of equity and inclusion to implement an equity framework in the district. Chandler hired Adama Sallu to lead equity efforts, but the decision to implement an equity program roiled some members of a conservative-led parents group, Purple For Parents. The Kyrene School District, also in the East Valley, similarly implemented an equity program after parents complained that black students were being disciplined at higher rates than white students, confirmed by district data. And students and parents say they didn't feel heard by their school districts when they raised issues of racism. When Gilbert students bullied Gonzales' daughter for the color of her skin, the father said he'd faced the same kind of discrimination when he was a student in Gilbert. His daughter experienced racism all throughout her time in school, he said. She graduated this year. Whenever Gonzales would bring his concerns to district administrators, he said they would brush those concerns off and reply that they'd talk to offending students. "They didn't feel that it was extreme to them, but at the same time, it was affecting my kids," he said. Monique Joseph, a Chandler parent, said black children and parents are often falsely dismissed as troublemakers. She recently penned an open letter to the school district urging educators to examine the unfair treatment black students receive in schools. She wrote that her 6-year-old daughter has already had several incidents at Tarwater Elementary. At 5, Joseph wrote, her daughter was suspended because she kissed another child in the lunch line. "They pulled my 5-year-old child from class in front of her peers, humiliated her, interrogated her and caused psychological trauma because she was doing what most 5-year-olds are notorious for doing," she wrote. Racism in education: After George Floyd, students sick of lip service, want action from colleges over racism In an interview with The Republic, Joseph said her experience is not unique among Black parents. "These are issues that are systemic and that cause tremendous damage to parents and children in public schools," she said. Sallu, Chandler's equity director hired in 2018, said change will take time. She has focused on training for all staff members, to help teachers realize and address biases impacting their treatment of students that they may not have realized they had. "Schools are really a microcosm of society," she said. Data informs her work as equity director, she said: Sallu looks at how many students of color are disciplined, graduation rates and enrollment in Advanced Placement classes. The district is tracking the data to assure students of color are getting the same opportunities as white students. And teachers are listening, she said. More than 500 educators attended an equity symposium the district held last year. But she knows there's more work to do. Black parents and students are in pain, she said. "The pain is real," she said. "At CUSD, we hear their voice, we hear their pain. We're doing all that we can to ensure that the learning space we have here is honorable." This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: How an Arizona school district deals with racism charges by students July 30, 2020: Revolve Group, Inc. announced the appointment of Melanie Cox to its board of directors. Cox is CEO of Backcountry and has previously served as CEO and interim CEO of Wet Seal and rue21, respectively. She has also held senior roles at Urban Outfitters, Gymboree, Scoop NYC and Contempo Casuals over the course of her 25-plus years in the retail sector. Cox replaces Jennifer Baxter Moser, who resigned July 28 after eight years on the Revolve board. July 28, 2020: Kellie Leonard, Nike Inc.s chief diversity and inclusion officer for the past two years, has stepped down. Felicia Mayo, who joined Nike a year ago from Tesla, will lead a newly formed team as chief talent, diversity and culture officer, CEO John Donahoe announced in an internal memo Monday. In addition, noted Donahoe, Julie Fuller, VP of talent and org effectiveness, has accepted an opportunity outside the company. The two departures, suggested Nikes chief, have precipitated an opportunity for the brand to create a cultural shift, specifically combining its Talent and D&I functions. More from Footwear News July 28, 2020: Canada Goose acquired Baffin in November 2018 to make inroads in footwear, and today the Toronto-based company made more strides in the category. Adam Meek has been tapped as its GM of footwear and accessories, a new role at Canada Goose. In the role, Meek is tasked with leading the ongoing development and execution of its global footwear strategy and oversee its accessories collection. In the 20 years of Meeks career prior to this new role, he has held leadership positions with top players in the market including Sperry, Nike and Lacoste. His most recent position was SVP of product at Sperry. Meek will report to Canada Goose EVP of product Woody Blackford. Story continues July 27, 2020: Timberland has named Drieke Leenknegt as its VP of global marketing. In the role, Timberland said Leenknegt who joined the company in June will be tasked with leading its global marketing team to bring its brand purpose to life throughout all consumer touch points. She will also work with the brands marketing leaders in all regions to drive consumer activations especially in the digital space. Leenknegt has more than 20 years of global communications, product, marketing and general management experience. Prior to Timberland, she worked for athletic market giant Nike, most recently as its global VP of influencer marketing and collaborations. Timberland said Leenknegt is succeeding Argu Secilmis, who has taken on a new role with Timberland as its VP of global apparel. July 23, 2020: BJs Wholesale Club has announced Monica Schwartzs appointment as SVP and chief digital officer, effective Aug. 3. She will be tasked with the strategic leadership of the companys digital business and report directly to president and CEO Lee Delaney. Schwartz most recently served as VP of online merchandising at Home Depot and previously held various senior roles at Nine West Holdings, Stuart Weitzman, David Yurman and eBay. July 23, 2020: Maison Margiela has named Gianfranco Gianangeli CEO, FN sister publication WWD reported today. Prior to joining the Paris-based house, Gianangeli had been working for his familys knitwear manufacturer in Italy; he has previously held executive posts at Prada and Bottega Veneta. Gianangeli reports to Ubaldo Minelli, the CEO of umbrella group OTB, which encompasses Viktor & Rolf, Marni and Diesel in addition to Margiela. July 22, 2020: Nike announced that it has appointed Amy Montagne as VP/GM of mens, Whitney Malkiel as VP/GM of womens and McCallester Dowers as VP/GM of kids all of whom will report to Michael Spillane, who becomes president of consumer creation. The sportswear giant has also named new executives in its geographic segments of Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA), as well as the Asia-Pacific and Latin America (APLA). Carl Grebert will take on the role of VP/GM of the EMEA, succeeding Bert Hoyt, who will retire this year after 22 years with the company. Sarah Mensah will then take on Greberts post as VP/GM of the APLA. Whats more, Jordan Brand president Craig Williams and Converse Inc. president and CEO G. Scott Uzzell will join Nikes executive leadership team, reporting to CEO John Donahoe. July 22, 2020: Rent the Runway announced two new executive appointments, naming Ellen Shultz chief people officer and Larry Steinberg chief technology officer. Shultz comes from the New York Times, where she was the companys most senior human resources leader as well as a member of its executive committee; she begins at Rent the Runway on Sept. 8, 2020. Steinberg joined the Rent the Runway team in May as a consultant and has transitioned to full-time this month. July 21, 2020: Effective July 31, Tailored Brands EVP, CFO and treasurer Jack Calandra will depart the company. For now, his duties will be divided between CEO Dinesh Lathi as well as AlixPartners managing director Holly Etlin, who has been appointed to the newly created role of restructuring officer. Etlin has been working with the Tailored Brands executive team and board of directors since March. July 21, 2020: Tapestry, Inc. chairman and CEO Jide Zeitlin has resigned. Coinciding with Zeitlins departure, the company has announced a series of interim appointments. CFO Joanne Crevoiserat has been named interim Tapestry CEO. President, chief administrative officer and company secretary Todd Kahn will serve as interim CEO and brand president of Coach. Global head of investor relations and corporate communications Andrea Shaw Resnick has been appointed interim CFO, and lead independent director Susan Kropf has been made chair of the board of directors. The company will commence a search for a permanent CEO, looking at internal and external candidates. July 20, 2020: Dollar Tree has promoted Michael Witynski to the role of president and CEO, replacing Gary Philbin, who is entering retirement. The new executive chief joined the company in 2010 as SVP of stores. Seven years later, he rose to the post of president and COO of Dollar Tree stores, and in 2019, he became the enterprise president, leading the merchandising, store operations and supply chain functions of both the Dollar Tree and Family Dollar brands. Philbin who joined Dollar Tree in 2001 and climbed to the CEO position in 2017 will remain a member of the board of directors through September 23 to help facilitate the transition. July 20, 2020: FN sister magazine WWD has reported the departure of Bali Barret, artistic director of the womens product universe at Hermes. According to WWD, Barret has submitted her resignation letter and plans to depart from the house this fall. She joined Hermes in 2003 as artistic director of its silk department and was appointed to her current role, which gives her purview over all womens departments including ready-to-wear, shoes and leather goods in 2009. July 15, 2020: NFL star Larry Fitzgerald Jr. has been appointed to the Dicks Sporting Goods board of directors, the retailer announced today. An 11-time Pro Bowl select, Fitzgerald joined the sports matter advisory board of The Dicks Sporting Goods Foundation in 2018. He also owns a minority ownership stake in the Phoenix Suns. Ive long admired Dicks Sporting Goods, and over the years have had the opportunity to see up close what they stand for and who they are as a company, said Fitzgerald in a release. We share a passion for sports, supporting young people and serving our communities. July 14, 2020: Wolverine World Wide has named Barry McGeough VP of advanced concepts and innovation. He will report to Angelo Ng, chief merchant officer and a member of Wolverine World Wides executive leadership team. In McGeoughs new role, he will prioritize driving digital transformation and product innovation across the companys portfolio of 12 brands. Prior to joining the company, he founded and lead PVH Corporations global innovation division for brands including Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger to building footwear and technical gear for The North Face. July 13, 2020: Matthew Mirchin, strategic advisor of global revenue at Under Armour, is retiring after 15 years at the brand. The executive has held a variety of roles at the company through the years, including president of North America and EVP of global marketing. His last day with Under Armour will be March 1, 2021. July 13, 2020: Giambattista Valli has appointed Charlotte Werner as CEO, a newly created position, FNs sister magazine WWD reported today exclusively. Werner joins the house from Louis Vuitton, where she was marketing intelligence manager as well as manager of womens leather goods collections and transversal projects. Her appointment is effective immediately. July 8, 2020: Snipes USA announced the appointment of Jim Bojko as president. Prior to assuming the role, Bojko was the retailers chief transformation officer where he designed its entry to the U.S., which included the acquisitions of KicksUSA and Mr. Alans. Also, Snipes said in a statement that Bojko was instrumental in launching its first Snipes 2.0 store concept in the U.S. on Flatbush Avenue in Brooklyn, NY this month. He will report to CEO Sven Voth. July 7, 2020: Adrian Ward-Rees is set to return to Burberry in a new role: SVP and head of ready-to-wear. The executive formerly served as director of menswear at the luxury fashion brand. Following his exit in 2011, he joined Ben Sherman Group as SVP of merchandising and commercial director. He also held posts at Lane Crawford, where he took on the Hong Kong-based role of menswear general merchandise manager and fashion director, and was the SVP and managing director of Dior Homme for the past four years. Ward-Rees appointment at Burberry begins on July 20, and he will report directly to CEO Marco Gobbetti. July 7, 2020: Jill Pemberton will join LVMH North America as chief financial officer, effective Aug. 1. Most recently, she served as SVP of corporate financial planning and analysis at Viacom. Pemberton will take on duties previously handled by LVMH Inc. SVP of finance Elisabeth Desvignes, who will take on a special assignment at the company effective Aug. 1, reporting to group CFO Jean-Jacques Guiony. Pemberton will report to LVMH Inc. chairman and chief executive officer Anish Melwani. July 1, 2020: Genesco president and CEO Mimi Vaughn has added another title to her name. The company announced that the top exec has been given the additional position of chair of the board of directors, effective immediately. She succeeds Robert Dennis, who served in the role over the past decade and retired on June 30. (Dennis also held the positions of president and CEO from 2008 to February 2020.) The move marks the final step in a transition plan that Genesco launched in 2018. July 1, 2020: Effective immediately, Yoox Net-a-Porter Group chairman and CEO Federico Marchetti is joining Giorgio Armani SpA as an independent, nonexecutive director of the board. Marchetti is the first non-Armani family member to be part of the board. In March, Marchetti announced plans to exit the YNAP CEO post but to stay in his role as chairman. However, the COVID-19 outbreak put YNAPs search for a successor temporarily on hold. This article was produced in partnership with ProPublica, a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up to receive ProPublica's biggest stories as soon as theyre published. HOUSTON At Lyndon B. Johnson Hospital on Sunday, the medical staff ran out of both space for new coronavirus patients and a key drug needed to treat them. With no open beds at the public hospital, a dozen COVID-19 patients who were in need of intensive care were stuck in the emergency room, awaiting transfers to other Houston area hospitals, according to a note sent to the staff and shared with reporters. A day later, the top physician executive at the Houston Methodist hospital system wrote to staff members warning that its coronavirus caseload was surging: It has become necessary to consider delaying more surgical services to create further capacity for COVID-19 patients, Dr. Robert Phillips said in the note, an abrupt turn from three days earlier, when the hospital system sent a note to thousands of patients, inviting them to keep their surgical appointments. And at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, staff members were alerted recently that the hospital would soon begin taking in cancer patients with COVID-19 from the citys overburdened public hospital system, a highly unusual move for the specialty hospital. These internal messages highlight the growing strain that the coronavirus crisis is putting on hospital systems in the Houston region, where the number of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 has nearly quadrupled since Memorial Day. As of Tuesday, more than 3,000 people were hospitalized for the coronavirus in the region, including nearly 800 in intensive care. To tell you the truth, what worries me is not this week, where were still kind of handling it, said Roberta Schwartz, Houston Methodists chief innovation officer, whos been helping lead the systems efforts to expand beds for COVID-19 patents. Im really worried about next week. Story continues Whats happening in Houston draws eerie parallels to New York City in late March, when every day brought steep increases in the number of patients seeking care at overburdened hospitals though, so far, with far fewer deaths. But as coronavirus cases surge in Texas, state officials here have not reimplemented the same lockdown measures that experts say helped bring New Yorks outbreak under control, raising concern among public health officials that Houston wont be able to flatten the curve. The time to act and time to be alarmed is not when youve hit capacity, but its much earlier when you start to see hospitalizations increase at a very fast rate, said Lauren Ancel Meyers, a professor of integrative biology who leads the University of Texas at Austin COVID-19 Modeling Consortium. It is definitely time to take some kind of action. It is time to be alarmed. Do you have a story to share about your experience at Texas hospitals during the coronavirus outbreak? Contact us Even as new cases and hospitalizations soar, the number of daily deaths in Texas has remained relatively low. On Tuesday, the state reported nearly 7,000 new cases, a record, but only 21 new deaths. All told, New York state has reported nearly 25,000 confirmed deaths from COVID-19. Texas has recorded fewer than 2,500, including 378 in Harris County, which includes Houston. But experts caution that rising hospitalizations today will likely result in a spike in deaths in the coming weeks, and those who require ICU care for COVID-19 but recover often leave the hospital with lasting health problems. Meyers and others said that while hospitals across the United States generally are more prepared than they were in March and April personal protective equipment is more plentiful, advances in therapeutics have helped patients and ventilators arent in short supply the lack of government measures to slow the spread in Texas and other states puts them at a disadvantage. Image: Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) patients are treated in Houston (Callaghan O'Hare / Reuters) Texas was one of the first states in the nation to ease social distancing mandates, beginning two months ago when daily coronavirus cases remained relatively low compared with some states. Restaurants reopened first, with gradually loosening capacity restrictions; bars, hair salons, bowling alleys and other businesses soon followed. In Houston, where Gov. Greg Abbott had until recently blocked local officials from issuing public mask requirements, it was common to see the majority of people shopping at neighborhood supermarkets or big-box hardware stores with no face coverings. But to date, Abbott has resisted a return to the lockdown, other than an order last week closing bars and further limiting the capacity at restaurants. This week, after the top elected leader in Dallas County asked for the authority to issue a new stay-at-home order locally, Abbott dismissed the idea, saying the official was asking to force poverty on people. Closing down Texas again will always be the last option, the governor said last week, emphasizing his commitment to protecting the states economy. Full coverage of the coronavirus outbreak Experts noted that it can take two weeks or longer for social distancing measures to lead to decreases in cases and hospitalizations. The hospitalizations you see today, theyre not just going to linearly increase in the next two weeks, said Dr. Clay Johnston, dean of the Dell Medical School at the University of Texas at Austin. Theyre going to accelerate. When you overwhelm the hospitals, youre in big trouble. That to me is the impossible task that the governor faces. Its like steering a giant tanker through a tiny strait without any maps. Although hospital executives in Houston stress that they have the ability to add additional intensive care beds in the region to meet the growing demand for a few more weeks, at least the strain on hospitals is already being felt in other ways. Image: Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) patients are treated in Houston (Callaghan O'Hare / Reuters) Houston Fire Chief Samuel Pena said his paramedics sometimes have to wait for more than an hour while emergency room workers scramble to find beds and staffers to care for patients brought in by ambulance a bottleneck thats tying up emergency medical service resources and slowing emergency response times across the region. Part of the problem, Pena said, is that when his crews arrive at a hospital with a patient suspected of having COVID-19, the hospital may have a physical bed open for them, but not enough nurses or doctors to staff it. Thats a problem thats likely to deepen as a growing number of medical workers have been testing positive for the virus, according to internal hospital reports. Just as New York hospitals did four months ago, some Houston hospitals have posted on traveling nurse websites seeking nurses for crisis response jobs. If they dont have the nursing staff, then you cant place the patient, Pena said. Then our crews have to sit with the patient in the ER until something comes open. It has a huge domino effect. The crisis in Houston has accelerated rapidly in recent weeks, at times resulting in muddled messaging from both hospital leaders and public officials. On June 24, several hospital executives affiliated with the Texas Medical Center a sprawling medical campus thats home to most of Houstons major hospital systems issued a statement warning that COVID-19 hospitalizations were growing at an alarming rate and could soon put an unsustainable strain on hospital resources. But the following day, after Abbott issued an executive order directing hospitals to limit elective surgeries a measure intended to preserve hospital capacity but one that also hurts hospital revenues the CEOs of four hospitals in the medical center abruptly dialed back their earlier warnings at a hastily organized news conference. They said they hadnt meant to alarm the public. The hospitals still had room to add ICU beds, they said, both to treat COVID-19 and to continue caring for other patients. I think the Texas Medical Centers purpose was to really urge people to do the right things in the community, and do so by talking about capacity, but really ended up unintentionally sounding an alarm bell too loudly, Dr. Marc Boom, president and CEO of Houston Methodist, which is part of the Texas Medical Center, said at the news conference. We clearly do have capacity. Image: Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) patients are treated in Houston (Callaghan O'Hare / Reuters) The shifting messages upset Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo, the countys top elected official. She vented her frustrations Monday during a virtual news conference from her home, where shes on self-quarantine after a member of her staff tested positive for the coronavirus. Hidalgo said the diluted messaging from some hospital leaders weakens our communitys ability to stop the virus. The goal is not to have doctors and nurses that were bringing in from out of town, Hidalgo said. The goal is not to have basic general population beds that we need for dialysis and heart attacks and strokes and pregnant women who need to give birth turned into ICU beds. The goal is not to see how much room we can make for people to go and be there and die in a hospital bed. That is not the point of any of this. In an interview Tuesday, Boom said he didnt intend to suggest that there wasnt reason to be deeply concerned about the number of COVID-19 patients filling hospital wards. He said he and other executives were trying to thread the needle between sounding the alarm about the growing but still manageable strain on hospital resources, while trying to reassure people who might need to come to the hospital for other ailments. Honestly, in a way, its backfired, and Im very sorry for that because what has happened has actually been the exact opposite of what we were trying to accomplish, he said of his attempt to clarify the earlier warning about hospital capacity. I never wanted to confuse the public. The message really was, Hey guys, we dont want panic, because when people panic, bad things happen. Hospitals in Houston and elsewhere in the country temporarily halted outpatient visits and elective surgeries in March and April as the coronavirus pandemic took hold on the East Coast a move that not only hurt hospital revenues, Boom said, but also forced many patients to delay critical procedures, including heart surgeries. Boom and other hospital leaders said the earlier restrictions also led some patients to avoid going to the hospital after suffering symptoms of heart attacks or strokes, leading to potentially deadly delays in care. Vivian Ho, an economics professor at Rice University, said hospitals want to protect their fiscal health and the health of patients, both those with COVID-19 and those with other conditions, while also preventing themselves from becoming overwhelmed down the line. Elective surgeries deliver a far better financial return than ICU wards full of patients with COVID-19. They would prefer to tell the public that this is extremely dangerous, she said, but they cant, in part, because they have to keep performing these elective surgeries, and for the most part, that is safe. Image: Lillian Daniel Palacios (David J. Phillip / AP) Not all hospitals are equally equipped to respond to a surge in COVID-19 demand, accompanied by a loss of more profitable business, Ho said. Hospital systems like Houston Methodist have the financial resources to sort of convert anything into an ICU just because they have more money, more cash on hand, she said. Houstons public hospitals, Ben Taub and Lyndon B. Johnson, dont have those same resources. The problem is that, of course, there are going to be more patients who are going to be going to Ben Taub because the virus is disproportionately affecting Black and Latino people in low-income communities, and Ben Taub is traditionally the safety net for those without health insurance, Ho said. I dont know to what extent they are able to send patients to the other hospitals. Harris Health System officials said that capacity limits at both of its public hospitals have forced doctors to transfer coronavirus patients elsewhere, including sending some to hospitals in nearby cities. Download the NBC News app for full coverage and alerts about the coronavirus outbreak The Sunday note to the staff at Lyndon B. Johnson said that the hospital had reached maximum occupancy in its COVID-19 units. That day, nearly 50 percent of the patients tested for the virus had it, more than double the rate from a week before. The hospital had run out of remdesivir, an antiviral drug thats shown some effectiveness in treating COVID-19. And for now, all elective surgeries were being canceled to preserve bed and staffing capacity. There appeared to be no letup in sight; the note to the staff warned that Monday would likely be worse. Sunday, it said, is typically a lower volume day. Lapp said Thursday he spoke to a manufacturer who said an air pump or tank could not operate the sprinkler system. There would also be an issue of how to keep the water in the sprinkler system from freezing in the winter, Lapp said, as they do not plan to heat the entire house. He noted they keep fire extinguishers in the home. When Sekou Kaalund started a job as a 22-year-old in New York, rent was so expensive that he contemplated ending his 401(k) savings enrollment plan so he could get more in his paycheck. He was advised not to make the move, told that the company was matching his contributions and that it would be worth the investment. He took the advice. "Seventeen years later, that nuanced decision has probably quadrupled the investment," Kaalund said. Those kinds of financial lessons and more are being offered to recent graduates of historically black colleges through the Advancing Black Pathways Career Readiness Series, an online program launched by JPMorgan Chase for recent graduates of historically Black colleges and young professionals of color. Image: Sekou Kaalund (Jennifer Pottheiser) "The goal is to uplift young African Americans, get them ahead of the curve as it relates to jobs, careers and finances," said Kaalund, the head of Black Pathways. The coronavirus canceled college graduations and crushed the economy, limiting job opportunities for new candidates seeking to enter the workforce. The program is aimed at providing information that betters their chances when they get virtual interviews, as well as helps them learn financial responsibility, interview for jobs and more. JPMorgan Chase has committed to hiring 4,000 Black college graduates by 2024. One of them is Evelyna Rosario, 21, who recently graduated from Paul Quinn College in Dallas. She worked as an intern at JPMorgan and has accepted an entry-level job that will launch what she hopes to be a career working in philanthropy. "It was interesting," Rosario said of the first Black Pathways session last week, titled "How to reinvent your career in a virtual environment." It was livestreamed on LinkedIn Live. "These are different times. Just to have it was great, because you don't know what to expect, but they care enough to create this avenue for us to learn. What I got out of it the most was that we all are going to start our careers virtually. No one is going into the office. And so we have to learn how to be good employees and productive working from home." Story continues Image: Evelyna Rosario Rosario is part of the Corporate Rotation Program, starting in July. She will work in different departments for eight months over the next two years. She lives in her hometown, St. Paul, Minnesota, while her base will be in Texas. Not sure we need to print the syllabus verbatim here. We can cover it in a single graf something like this: The series covers reinventing your career in a virtual environment, exploring career opportunities in banking, maintaining financial stability after college, exploring careers in virtual banking, tips for creating strong LinkedIn profiles and exploring a career as a financial adviser. "We're committed to equipping the next generation of Black talent with the tools and insights they'll need to build lasting and rewarding careers both as entrepreneurs and in Corporate America," said Brian Lamb, the company's global head of diversity and inclusion. "We're being intentional about increasing access to well-paying careers, and intend to grow our network of Black talent through the (series)." As a young person ready to absorb as much as possible heading into her career, Rosario said the opportunity to be fed information that will help her is invaluable. "It's so important to have these resources at your fingertips," she said. "Those who take advantage of it will get a lot out of it." Kaalund said: "There's so much to this for young Black professionals. We have to get them exposure to vital information early in their career. We have to get them financially healthy. We have to ingrain in them the idea of save, spend, invest." Many recent graduates or young Black professionals, Rosario said, have been mired in unemployment or forced into jobs outside their areas of study because of the unique dynamics created by the coronavirus. "I know so many friends and classmates who are hurt so badly by these different times," she said. "There are friends who want to be teachers but cannot take the teacher's exam to get their certification. And they are like, 'What am I supposed to do?' A lot of them are taking jobs at places like Walmart just to survive. "And that makes this Pathways series more valuable. Because things are so unpredictable, you don't know what's going to happen, she said. But you can gain information that will help you at a time when you need it most." Hundreds of young graduates tuned in to the first Pathways session, and Kaalund hopes the number expands exponentially as the word spreads. "Advancing Black Pathways is about empowerment," said Kaalund, who is also JPMorgan Chase's managing director. "We have a unique opportunity to empower communities with the resources and support and build pathways for more promising horizons in education, careers and wealth." A federal judge has overturned a Trump administration policy mandating that asylum seekers first apply for asylum in countries they pass through on their way to the U.S.-Mexico border. The policy was aimed at deterring illegal immigration from Central American countries including Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador. U.S. District Judge Timothy J. Kelly of Washington, D.C., a Trump appointee, said that the administration violated the Administrative Procedure Act when adopting the policy. The APA requires that the federal government allow time for Americans to weigh in on certain proposed federal policy changes. There are many circumstances in which courts appropriately defer to the national security judgments of the Executive, Kelly wrote in his opinion. But determining the scope of an APA exception is not one of them. Among the plaintiffs were advocacy groups for migrants as well as individual petitioners, who argued that the Trump administration policy violated the Immigration and Nationality Act. Kelly wrote that the law generally allows asylum seekers to petition no matter what country they passed through. The Trump administration will likely appeal the ruling. However, it is unclear if the ruling will have any immediate effect because of the effects of the coronavirus pandemic on illegal immigration. U.S. Immigration, Customs and Enforcement has since mid-March returned almost all migrants caught crossing the border back to Mexico, fearing possible outbreaks of coronavirus in holding facilities. As a result, the pace of illegal immigration has drastically slowed during the pandemic. ICE has also refrained from arresting migrants who do not pose a public danger, and has not attempted arrests at health care facilities to allow migrants to receive medical care. More from National Review A judge on Tuesday granted a $500,000 bond for the fired Atlanta police officer charged with killing Rayshard Brooks outside an Atlanta Wendy's June 12, despite an emotional plea from Brooks' widow. The former officer was later released on that bond. Garrett Rolfe was fired from the Atlanta Police Department after the deadly shooting and faces 11 charges, including felony murder. Rolfe was attempting to arrest 27-year-old Brooks, who had fallen asleep in his car and failed a sobriety test, when Brooks grabbed another officer's Taser and fled. Rolfe opened fire, fatally shooting Brooks in the back. Video appeared to show Brooks turning and pointing the Taser just before the shooting. The second officer involved, Devin Brosnan, has been placed on administrative leave and charged with aggravated assault and oath violations. Speaking at a bond hearing via video conference, Brooks' widow, Tomika Miller, sobbed as she urged the judge not to grant bond, saying Rolfe posed a danger to the community. "My husband did not deserve to die, and I should not live in fear while waiting for the man who killed my husband to be tried in court," Miller said. Miller, who at one point was so overcome with emotion she asked to step away to collect herself, described Brooks as a loving father. She said her daughter's birthday was the day Brooks was killed, and the couple's anniversary the following day. "My life is completely turned upside down since this has happened," Miller said. "I've been unable to sleep, eat, or even console my children." Garrett Rolfe and Devin Brosnan seen in booking photos on Thursday, June 18, 2020. / Credit: Fulton County Jail Fulton County Superior Court Judge Jane Barwick thanked Miller for her bravery in addressing the court and said the bond decision is "not the ultimate issue in the case as to whether this defendant is guilty of these charges." Barwick ruled Rolfe is entitled to bond because he poses no flight risk or danger. Rolfe attended the hearing via video conference but did not speak. Story continues Prosecutors had asked for no bond, or a $1 million dollar bond with conditions if the judge chose to grant it. Barwick agreed to most of the conditions requested by prosecutors -- that Rolfe be required to wear an ankle monitor, obey a curfew, surrender his passport and any weapons, and have no contact with other officers or family members of victims. Barwick denied a request to compel Rolfe to turn over the passcode for his phone. Speaking at the hearing Tuesday, Rolfe's lawyers asked a judge for a $50,000 bond, arguing the former officer was acting in self-defense and had "no choice but to use deadly force." Attorney Noah Pines said that as Brooks attempted to break away from the officers, he punched Rolfe in the face, took Brosnan's Taser, pointed it at Brosnan's head and fired it. Brosnan was able to deflect the Taser strike before Brooks fled, Pines said, and Rolfe shot Brooks after Brooks again pointed and fired the Taser. Defense attorney Bill Thomas said Rolfe was conducting his duty as an officer and said Brooks was the one who escalated the situation that "unfortunately resulted in a death." Thomas also read excerpts from a series of letters vouching for Rolfe's good character, some from fellow Atlanta officers and supervisors, painting a picture of Rolfe as a trustworthy officer who treats suspects with "the utmost respect." Judge Jane Barwick speaks during a bond hearing for Garrett Rolfe, the former Atlanta police officer accused of killing Rayshard Brook. / Credit: CBS News Thomas said Rolfe intended to contest the charges against him in court and is not a flight risk. But Fulton County Executive Assistant District Attorney Clinton Rucker said the shooting was not justified because Brooks "was not immediately a physical threat to Officer Rolfe in any way." "[Brooks] was running away," Rucker said. "The Taser was not pointed at Officer Rolfe, and he presented no danger to officer Rolfe." Rucker said the evidence against Rolfe is strong enough to provide a motivation for him to flee and avoid prosecution. He said the district attorney's office has reviewed eight videos and spoken to eight witnesses, and that video evidence showed Rolfe kicking Brooks after Brooks was shot. Rucker also said a witness corroborated the kick, and that video showed the officers did not help Brooks for two minutes after the shooting. "My contention is when you're standing there watching a man gasp for breath, it doesn't show me any good character that's been alleged that you treat suspects with the utmost respect," Rucker said. Miller said she had seen the video showing the officer kicking Brooks. "I can just only imagine how scared he was and what he felt at that time," Miller said, sobbing. Earlier, Rolfe's attorneys denied that Rolfe kicked Brooks. Brooks' killing re-ignited demonstrations protesting racism and police brutality against Black and Brown men and women following the Memorial Day police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. In Atlanta, it led Police Chief Erika Shields to step down and the city's mayor to implement policing policy changes. Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms signed a series of administrative orders requiring Atlanta police officers to use only the amount of objectively reasonable force necessary to protect themselves or others to make an arrest or bring someone resisting under control. The changes also require officers to use de-escalation before using deadly force and codifies a "duty to intervene" policy for officers who witness colleagues using unreasonable force. Officers investigated over photos at Elijah McClain memorial Supreme Court strikes down Louisiana abortion law Supreme Court's term extended into July, still awaiting decision on Trump's taxes Ray Fisher as Cyborg in Justice League (Credit: Warner Bros) Ray Fisher, who played Cyborg in the Justice League movie, has 'forcefully retracted' his praise for director Joss Whedon. In the run-up to original Justice League director Zack Snyder releasing his own cut of the movie, Fisher took to Twitter, posting a clip from a panel appearance at the 2017 Comic-Con event. In it, he's asked about Whedon's involvement in the movie, to which he replies: Joss is a great guy and Zack picked a great person to come clean up and finish up for him. Read more: Henry Cavill hopes to play Superman again But now it appears he's rather changed his tune, captioning the clip: I'd like to take a moment to forcefully retract every bit of this statement. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. For background, Whedon, who'd helmed the first Avengers movie for Marvel, took over Justice League when Snyder stepped back from the production, in the wake of the tragic death of his daughter. Whedon finished things up, but ended up shooting large amounts of additional footage, sending the budget rocketing to $300 million. Justice League (Credit: Warner Bros) But the finished movie, for which Snyder retained sole credit, was hammered by fans and critics, and was said to have lost Warner Bros in the region of $60 million. Now, after much online campaigning over several years, Warner Bros has agreed to fork out tens of millions of dollars to have Snyder's own cut released, in an unexpected move confirmed in May this year. Read more: Whats different in the Snyder Cut? Fisher's disavowing of Whedon comes after Snyder said last month that Fisher is 'the heart of my movie'. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. Snyder's cut will be released on HBO Max in 2021. Firm elects eight new partners, promotes twelve to special counsel NEW YORK, July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Kelley Drye & Warren LLP is pleased to announce the election of eight new partners and the promotion of twelve attorneys to special counsel. Kimberly C. Carter, Melissa L. Gelade, Andrew W. Homer, Martin Krolewski, Jennifer L. Norkus, Paul A. Rosenthal, Robert Slack, and Whitney M. Smith will begin their tenure as partners effective July 1, 2020. Kelley Drye & Warren LLP Logo (PRNewsfoto/Kelley Drye & Warren LLP) "This year's class of new partners is one of the largest in recent firm history and illustrates Kelley Drye's ongoing commitment to recognizing and developing talent from within our ranks," said Dana Rosenfeld, firm managing partner. "Each new partner embraces innovative approaches to client service, brings unique talents to the table, and has the legal skills that make us confident in their ability to serve our clients with distinction." The newly elected Kelley Drye partners serve clients in the following areas: Kimberly C. Carter (Los Angeles Labor and Employment): Kimberly focuses on a wide array of employment law matters, including defense of high-stakes single plaintiff litigation, wage and hour class action, and compliance counseling. She has extensive experience defending employers against claims of wage and hour violations, discrimination, harassment and retaliation, invasion of privacy, wrongful termination, and other employment-related torts and liabilities brought under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the American Disabilities Act, the Family Medical Leave Act, and other state and federal laws. Kimberly also regularly counsels clients on employment-related issues such as disability accommodations, protected leaves of absence, personnel policies, employee handbooks, and employee discipline and termination. Kimberly is admitted to practice in California and Florida. Melissa L. Gelade (New Jersey Real Estate): Melissa's practice comprises commercial real estate finance and commercial mortgage securitization, where she represents debt funds, investment banks, insurance companies, and institutional lenders. Melissa recognizes that even the smallest detail of a transaction has the potential to derail the deal as a whole. As a result, she is appreciated for her ability to identify and resolve potential issues before they can evolve into obstructive problems. Melissa began her career working on a broad range of real estate transactions before moving her focus to real estate finance, and she is therefore able to see the many vantage points and perspectives of myriad deal constituents. She has experience in the origination and securitization of commercial loan structures, including mortgage loans, mezzanine loans, and bridge loans secured by all classes of commercial real estate. Melissa is admitted to practice in New Jersey and New York. Story continues Andrew W. Homer (San Diego Environmental Litigation): Andrew represents clients in litigation, permitting, compliance counseling, and transactional support related to federal and state environmental laws and regulations. He handles high-value environmental litigation and enforcement actions for both institutional plaintiffs and defendants. Outside of litigation, Andrew also has significant experience with administrative proceedings, environmental review, project entitlements and approvals, and business transactions with environmental components. He maintains an active pro bono practice, and regularly represents indigent clients seeking asylum and/or other relief from removal from the United States. Earlier in his career, Andrew spent several years as in-house counsel for the largest investor-owned water utility in the United States. His combination of private practice and in-house experience helped him to develop a pragmatic approach to serving clients and solving problems. He is admitted to practice in California. Martin Krolewski (New York Litigation): Marty litigates complex commercial matters in state and federal courts throughout the United States for domestic and foreign business clients in industries including banking/financial services, energy, retail, and manufacturing, among many others. Over his nearly two decades of practice, Marty has been involved in cases ranging in value and complexity from several hundred thousand dollars to billions of dollars. His substantive areas of law include contract disputes, bankruptcy and restructuring, environmental, trade secrets, white collar, antitrust, legal malpractice, fraud, employment, class actions, securities, and other business-related claims. He is experienced in all aspects and phases of litigation, including trials and trial preparation, discovery, including ESI-related issues, engaging in motion and appellate court practice, directing and participating in settlement negotiations, arbitrations and mediations, and conducting internal investigations. Marty is admitted to practice in New York state and federal courts. Jennifer L. Norkus (Chicago Corporate): Jennifer represents clients primarily on mergers and acquisitions, finance, and general corporate matters. She has worked with clients in a wide range of industries, including transportation, manufacturing, technology, communications, energy, financial services, medical devices, and life sciences. She has advised both public and private companies in mergers and acquisitions, divestitures, joint ventures, and cross-border deals. Jennifer has advised issuers and investors in connection with debt and equity financing, ranging from early stage venture financing to more traditional private equity financing. She also counsels clients on commercial and governance matters, such as services agreements, supply agreements, consignments, and entity formation. Jennifer was recommended in US Legal 500 for her work in the M&A: Middle Market area, 2019-2020, and she was recognized as a Leading Lawyer in Illinois by Leading Lawyers. She is admitted to practice in Illinois. Paul A. Rosenthal (New Jersey Litigation): Paul's practice is focused on defending public and private companies in complex commercial litigation matters, including consumer-oriented advertising, product liability and marketing-related claims, as well as advising on contract and privacy-related matters. He has a depth of experience assisting clients with consumer class actions and consolidated matters in state and federal courts, and as part of ADR processes. Paul is a Certified Information Privacy Professional/United States by the International Association of Privacy Professionals. He is also involved in pro bono activity, where he has submitted briefs and appeared before various immigration courts, state trial and appellate courts, and agency panels. Having worked previously in-house at a large, international consumer goods company, Paul has a valuable perspective and a first-hand appreciation of what business professionals and in-house counsel face on a daily basis, including what drives their decision-making process. Paul is admitted to practice in New Jersey and New York. Robert Slack (Washington, D.C. International Trade): Rob represents clients in economic sanctions, export controls, and other trade compliance matters. Rob advises clients in a broad array of industries, including the financial, technology, energy, manufacturing, defense, and other sectors. He has significant experience conducting global investigations and audits, designing and implementing export and sanctions compliance programs tailored to clients' needs, and advising clients on compliance with U.S. sanctions, export, and other trade compliance rules. Rob was selected as an "Associate to Watch" by Chambers USA in the International Trade: Export Controls & Economic Sanctions area for 2017-2020. Prior to joining Kelley Drye as an associate, Rob was a law clerk with the firm and an export compliance analyst with Georgetown Economic Services, Kelley Drye's in-house economics and international trade consultancy. Rob is admitted to practice in the District of Columbia. Whitney M. Smith (New Jersey Litigation): Whitney focuses on complex commercial litigation and consumer class action defense. Whitney frequently defends clients faced with claims under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act. She also regularly litigates contract, consumer protection, tort and state common law claims in state and federal courts. In addition to litigation, Whitney has experience representing clients in arbitrations, as well as in investigations before governmental and regulatory bodies. She regularly advises clients on litigation risk and strategy, as well as all facets of E-discovery. Having worked previously in-house at a multinational financial services corporation, Whitney is sensitive to clients' commercial and business needs and frequently advises them on how to proactively protect themselves from litigation risk. Whitney is admitted to practice in New Jersey and New York. Deborah L. Bilotti, Melissa M. Brewer, Wendy A. Clarke, J. Bradford Currier, Levi M. Downing, Catherine E. James, Raxak Mahat, Donnelly L. McDowell, Anne-Marie Mitchell, Jennifer D. Raviele, Lauren S. Schlussel, and Nancy Archer Yanochik were promoted to special counsel. About Kelley Drye & Warren LLP Founded in 1836, Kelley Drye & Warren LLP is home to skilled practitioners in the areas of litigation, trade, regulatory, government relations, real estate, corporate, and more. A powerhouse firm with the heart of a boutique, the firm's attorneys provide legal counsel carefully connected to their client's business strategies. Among the firm's recent awards: Named to the BTI "Client Service A-Team"; recognized by CLOC for "Legal Innovation and Design Excellence in Legal Operations"; Chambers USA identified seven practice areas as "Leaders in Their Field"; Law360 named the Consumer Protection Practice Group as Group of the Year; and Kelley Drye was named one of "America's Best Law Firms" by U.S. News & World Report Best Law Firms, with a "Tier 1" national ranking in Communications, Environmental Law, Environmental Litigation, Information Technology, Trusts & Estates, and Real Estate. www.kelleydrye.com Cision View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/kelley-drye-announces-new-partners-301086611.html SOURCE Kelley Drye & Warren LLP Lee Morris, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Fiona Shaw, Kim Bodnia, Jodie Comer and Sally Woodward Gentle attending the Virgin Media BAFTA TV awards, held at the Royal Festival Hall in London. (Photo by Ian West/PA Images via Getty Images) Killing Eves executive producer Sally Woodward Gentle has said the writers room on the programme should be "more racially diverse" than it currently is. It comes after a Zoom chat screenshot of the show's season 4 writers sparked controversy after being shared by writer Kayleigh Llewellyn in a now-deleted tweet due to the team being all white. "The make-up of the room should be more racially diverse than it is, and we're really aware of that and I take full responsibility for it," Woodward Gentle said in a SeriesFest panel titled 'Killing Eve: Behind the Lens', according to Digital Spy. Read more: Stephen Graham persuaded Jodie Comer to keep Scouse accent Clockwise: Moderator Stacey Wilson Hunt, director and co-executive producer Miranda Bowen, executive producer Sally Woodward Gentle and director Shannon Murphy speak during the "Killing Eve: Behind The Lens" panel at SeriesFest: Season 6 on June 20, 2020. (Photo by SeriesFest/Getty Images via Getty Images) "You look at that room and it's full of brilliant female writers, we've got a really strong LGBTQ contingent, but it's not good enough and we need to do better. We should do better on a show like Killing Eve should be able to do better. "And we've all had long talks and lots of soul-searching and we can come up with excuses, we can come up with platitudes, we can talk about the people that we've spoken about in the past, but we've got to do better. All of our writers know we've got to do better." It also comes as Eve Polastri star Sandra Oh recently said the UK is "behind" when it comes to racial diversity in television. Sandra Oh attends the Tibet House 33rd Annual Benefit Gala at The Ziegfeld Ballroom on February 26, 2020 in New York City. (Photo by Michael Loccisano/Getty Images) In conversation with Kerry Washington on Varietys Actors On Actors series Oh, who was born in Canada to Korean parents, said: Being the sole Asian person is a very familiar place for me. But the UK, Im not afraid to say, is behind." I am not only the only Asian person on set, sometimes it changes, very exciting when that does and someones comes on set, but the development of people behind the camera is very slow in the UK." The actor, who starred in Shonda Rhimes' Grey's Anatomy, added that her relationship with television in the US has "not always been all white". Click here to read the full article. Americans had not yet recovered from World War II when the Cold War began. Then in June 1950 the conflict turned very hot on the Korean peninsula. Although army generals and State Department officials had written off the authoritarian and aggressive, yet under-armed, Republic of Korea before it was invaded by the North, President Harry S. Truman decided to make the ROKs cause Americas own. The consequences of that decision were many and significant. Three and a half years of horrific war ensued. The conflict effectively turned NSC-68, then but a hawkish State Department policy proposal, into Americas foreign policy, militarizing the Cold War. At little cost Joseph Stalin entangled the United States and its allies in a bloody and unpopular conflict. The Peoples Republic of China became an implacable enemy of America and promoted revolution worldwide. The unpopular war intensified partisan divides at home. The impact of the conflict continues. The peninsula remains divided, the border remains heavily armed, America remains ensnared militarily, Moscow and Beijing remain behind Pyongyang, and the North remains formally committed to reunification, perhaps violently. Although the end of the Cold War reduced the likelihood of another great power clash over the peninsula, North Korea has developed nuclear weapons, making any renewed combat far more dangerous. Thus, the search for a peaceful settlement remains an imperative, despite the seemingly endless barriers, failures, and frustrations. What can we learn from the forgotten war that started seven decades ago? Lesson one is to beware casual commitments. As the war in the Pacific rushed to its welcome close, Washington proposed dividing the occupation of Korea, then a Japanese colony, with the Soviet Union. Doing so saved half of the peninsula from tyranny. But Washington was ill-prepared to oversee a country about which it knew nothing. Future Secretary of State Dean Rusk was one of two army officers ordered to find a dividing line between occupation zones, forcing them to consult a National Geographic map. Virtually none of the occupying troops or officials spoke Korean, giving expatriate Syngman Rhee, who spoke English, an unfortunate advantage in the ensuing struggle to lead the South. Story continues Lesson two is to choose leaders carefully. While exiled in America, Rhee enthusiastically promoted the liberation of Korea. However, he was an awful choice to head a new nation. Difficult, stubborn, irascible, and autocratiche established a dictatorship that jailed and killed opponents. Washington so distrusted him that the State Department would not give him a passport, so he had to get a lift from the Pentagon. And the Truman administration would not arm his military with heavy weapons, lest he fulfill his pledge to march north to liberate the peninsula. A lack of such weapons then left him vulnerable to the Soviet-backed invasion. He also was an uncooperative wartime partner, doing what he could to block the armistice and force Washington to fight for victory, for which there was minimal support in the U.S. Lesson three is to make a decision and back it. The U.S. withdrew its occupation troops in 1948, leaving the weak South Korean state essentially alone among enemies. In early 1950, Dean Acheson famously excluded the peninsula from the U.S. defense perimeter. Even General Douglas MacArthur acknowledged that Korea was not essential for Americas defense. However, once the ROK faced military destruction Washington rushed in ill-prepared troops lest the Souths fall demoralize Asian and European allies. It would have been better to have made a decision one way or the other and stuck with it. Since the administration was prepared to defend the South, it should have made appropriate military deployments and communicated its intention to the DPRKs Kim Il-sung and his patron Joseph Stalin. Lesson four is that it is stupid not to talk to your adversaries. The Korean War appeared to be coming to a dramatic but early close in October 1950 as the U.S.-led forces captured Pyongyang and neared the Yalu River border with China. However, Mao Zedong and the Chinese Communist Party had ousted Chiang Kai-sheks government the previous year. After the latter relocated to Taiwan, the U.S. protected the rump state with the Seventh Fleet. Beijing decided that it would not tolerate American troops on its border and unsuccessfully sought to warn the United States to back away. Direct talks might have yielded a modus vivendi, perhaps a new border from Pyongyang to Wonsan, preserving a buffer state for the PRC. Alas, that was not to be; the entry of hundreds of thousands of PRC volunteers intensified and extended the war. Lesson five is to follow the Constitution and get a declaration of war. The Truman administrations failure to request congressional approval for intervening appears to have been more careless than malicious, but it was a significant mistake. Involvement in what Truman bizarrely called a police action immediately became a partisan issue. Having failed to stage a public debate and win Republican congressional support, the war intensified the bitter political divide after the military campaign faltered and an unpopular stalemate ensued. Lesson six is that limited stakes warrant limited war. MacArthur wanted to take the war to China, which became the decisive combatant once North Koreas military was essentially destroyed. He was not alone: the Pentagon pondered using nuclear weapons, imposing a naval blockade, destroying ports and railways, mining rivers in the PRC, supporting guerrillas in the mainland, and deploying Nationalist forces. These would have meant full-scale war with China and could have drawn in the Soviet Union, with horrific consequences. The Truman administration made the right decision: Korea was not worth another world war. Lesson seven is that changing circumstances warrant changing policies. The PRCs intervention in Korea turned Chinese communism from a theoretical threat into an active menace. Two decades later the revival of older geopolitical realities caused Washington and Beijing to talk and cooperate against the Soviet Union. Britains Lord Palmerston was correct: there are no permanent friends and enemies, only permanent interests. This principle has obvious application to the peninsula today. Although North Korea remains totalitarian, it has demonstrated its willingness to talk. More important, the ROK has been vastly transformed for the better. There is no reason that treaties, commitments, and deployments from 1950 or 1953 should remain inviolate today. There certainly is no reason that America must remain entangled, the security of its homeland now possibly at risk from North Korean nuclear attack. The Korean War might have been forgotten by the American people, but its consequences live on. And it could be years if not decades more until the United States is able to finally escape that conflicts ill impacts. Doug Bandow is a Senior Fellow at the Cato Institute. A former Special Assistant to President Ronald Reagan, he is author of several books, including Tripwire: Korea and U.S. Foreign Policy in a Changed World and co-author of The Korean Conundrum: Americas Troubled Relations with North and South Korea. Image: Reuters Click here to read the full article. Los Angeles police officers rush to arrest dozens of George Floyd protesters who were violating curfew laws. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) Attorneys for Los Angeles on Tuesday argued against a temporary restraining order to block city police officers from using batons and tactical bullets to control crowds, saying the request was "unwarranted and overbroad" and that police "must be able to respond" to unlawful crowds. The Los Angeles Police Department used such weapons on protesters at the end of May and in early June, injuring many, and are now being sued for it in federal court by Black Lives Matter-Los Angeles, the local chapter of the National Lawyers Guild and the Los Angeles Community Action Network. The groups requested the restraining order last week, arguing that a court injunction against the use of such weapons was necessary for their clients and other protesters to feel safe exercising their 1st Amendment rights in the city while their lawsuit is pending. Asst. City Atty. Gabriel Dermer, in response, said that was not the case, arguing that the LAPD has "facilitated numerous peaceful protests" without using such weapons since the incidents in question occurred and represents "no ongoing or actual threats of any kind" to protesters. The city and the LAPD believe in the need for "transformative social change with respect to policing and institutional racism" and "support the constitutional right of every American to engage in peaceful demonstrations and protests," Dermer wrote. At the same time, there were "criminal acts of arson and looting" around the protests that "threatened public safety and are, of course, not protected First Amendment activities," Dermer wrote, and the LAPD "must be able to respond to such situations." The LAPD is reviewing its officers' response to the protests and their use of the weapons in question, Dermer wrote, but its policies surrounding those weapons should not be thrown aside in the meantime. "The immediate wholesale elimination of several LAPD policies, without a more searching examination, is simply not warranted at this time," he wrote. Story continues The restraining order request is now before U.S. District Judge Conseulo Bland Marshall. Tens of thousands of protesters have filled city streets in recent months to protest police killings of Black people, including George Floyd in Minneapolis. For several days at the end of May and early this month, Los Angeles was placed under a nightly curfew and police made thousands of arrests for curfew violations and for protesters failing to disperse from gatherings that the police had deemed unlawful. Some areas of the city suffered significant property damage. A Times review found that officers injured many protesters with batons, sponge and foam projectiles and beanbags as they attempted to clear the streets. Some protesters suffered severe injuries to their heads and genitals. The class-action lawsuit against the city and LAPD Chief Michel Moore chronicles similar injuries in arguing that officers misused batons and projectiles. Carol Sobel, an attorney for the plaintiffs, said the city's response to their request for a restraining order relies on an assumption that crowds won't gather again, even though the city has no control over that occurring and has seen large crowds gather time and again over many years. The city also makes no promise that police won't use the same tactics that injured protesters again and doesn't address the fact that the department has used similar tactics repeatedly in the past, even after being admonished against doing so by previous courts. "They're not saying they wouldn't do it again, and they've done it over and over," Sobel said. "They still don't have a plan that's really the problem here. And they have absolutely no way of predicting what is going to happen that might cause people to come back into the streets." Along with Dermer's response, the city filed statements from several police officials, including Cmdr. Michael Rimkunas, who served at points during the protests as incident commander. Rimkunas said the emergency injunction being sought is "completely unnecessary because the police conduct described" in the request "is not occurring today, has not occurred in the past three weeks and, based on crime trends, is not likely to recur." Cmdr. Ernest Eskridge, in his own statement, wrote that the department has 93 open investigations, including 74 that involve the use of force or are otherwise complicated and serious. Of those, 29 involve projectiles fired on May 29 and May 30, he wrote. Ten officers have been removed from the field pending investigations. The Los Angeles City Council voted to cut hiring at the LAPD, pushing the number of sworn officers well below 10,000 and abandoning a budget priority once seen as untouchable by city leaders. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) The Los Angeles City Council voted Wednesday to cut hiring at the Police Department, pushing the number of sworn officers well below 10,000 and abandoning a budget priority once seen as untouchable by city leaders. Faced with a grim budget outlook and deluged by demands for reductions in police spending, the council voted 12 to 2 to take the Los Angeles Police Department down to 9,757 officers by next summer a level of staffing not seen in the city since 2008. Overall, the council's decision delivered a $150-million hit to the LAPD budget, much of it coming from funds earmarked for police overtime pay. Councilman Curren Price, who pushed for the cuts, said two-thirds of the savings would ultimately be funneled into services for Black, Latino and disenfranchised communities, such as hiring programs and summer youth jobs. "This is a step forward, supporting minority communities in ways in which they deserve with respect, dignity and an even playing field," said Price, the only Black member on the council's budget committee. Councilmen Joe Buscaino and John Lee cast the two opposing votes. Buscaino said afterward that the city should have approved more money for a community policing program, not "a reactive, feel-good budget cut." Wednesday's actions showed just how much spending policies and views on public safety have shifted at City Hall following mass protests over police brutality. As recently as April, Mayor Eric Garcetti had been pushing for a 7% increase to the LAPD budget, a move he no longer favors. Reaching and maintaining a 10,000-officer force had been a longtime priority for city leaders. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa celebrated in 2013 when the LAPD reached that number for the first time. That year, while running for mayor, Garcetti vowed to preserve that staffing level. The LAPD currently has a sworn deployment of roughly 10,000 officers, according to a recent report by city budget analysts. Story continues The council's decision on Wednesday will allow the LAPD to hire only half the number of officers needed to replace those who resign or retire in the coming year. The $150-million cut to the LAPD fell far short of demands from Black Lives Matter-Los Angeles and its allies, who had pushed for a "People's Budget" that would effectively eliminate police spending and redirect the savings to housing, mental health services and other needs. "That is literally pocket change," said Rebecca Kessler, a resident of Van Nuys who called in to the council this week. "It's a slap in the face. You need to defund the police, take way more money, put way more money into these programs." LAPD spokesman Josh Rubenstein said Wednesday that the department is still reviewing the impact of the approved cuts. The city spends roughly $3 billion annually on the LAPD, once pensions and other expenses are included. In recent months, progressive activists have called on city leaders to slash that funding and redirect the proceeds to other needs, demanding cuts ranging from 90% to outright abolition of the LAPD. In response, council members have begun exploring ways of diverting many calls for help those that involve nonviolent incidents away from the LAPD and to other city workers. Council members voted this week to direct city staffers to come up with an "unarmed model of crisis response" for further review. Melina Abdullah, co-founder of Black Lives Matter-Los Angeles praised that step. "Rolling back police functions has the potential to have a far greater impact on advancing the call to defund the police than approving a meager cut of $150 million, she said. Others questioned whether the LAPD cuts would harm neighborhoods. Ray Rios, president of the Hillside Village Property Owners Assn. in El Sereno, said his community has been experiencing a spate of car break-ins and illegal fireworks. City leaders should address demands for change at the LAPD by focusing on reforms, not reducing the size of the force, he said. "Without any enforcement, [crime] is going to get worse," Rios said. "The big question is, who's going to keep order?" While activists repeatedly delivered the message "defund the police," council members focused much of their deliberations on the city's financial woes. Tax revenues have fallen dramatically below projections since the coronavirus outbreak and the shutdown of an array of businesses. The city's budget analysts have repeatedly warned that the city could find itself short by $45 million to $409 million. And in recent days they began sounding new alarms about the resurgence in coronavirus cases across Los Angeles County, and what that could mean for city finances. On Tuesday, council members quickly passed a plan for pushing as many as 2,850 civilian city employees into retirement, by offering them buyout packages of up to $80,000. Employees may begin applying for those payments next week. If everyone eligible for the retirement program takes part, the city would save $58.7 million this year and an additional $125 million in 2021-22, said City Administrative Officer Rich Llewellyn, the high-level budget analyst. Both the LAPD cuts and the employee retirement initiative were also billed as ways to delay another budget-cutting measure: putting nearly 16,000 city workers on furloughs. The furloughs, which were proposed by Garcetti but opposed by city employee unions, would have forced civilian city workers to take one out of every 10 days off, cutting salaries by 10%. Some of this week's decisions by the council could saddle the city with hefty costs in the future. Of the $150 million in cuts to the LAPD, about $97 million would come from cuts to overtime pay for police officers. Council members and the city's policy analysts cautioned that at least a portion of those overtime hours could still end up being worked by the LAPD, particularly if the city experiences a major emergency. In those instances, the LAPD could "bank" that overtime, letting officers work the extra hours but delaying payment until a future year, allowing officers to be paid for those hours at higher salaries. The plan to cut the civilian city workforce could also come with a delayed cost. If every eligible employee takes part in the program, the city will need to spend $28.5 million on buyout packages this year $10,000 per worker, according to Llewellyn, the budget analyst. The city would need to spend an additional $128.5 million on those payments the following year, he said. Llewellyn called the program a "financial winner for the city," but also acknowledged that the mass departure of thousands of city workers would result in a reduction in taxpayer services. To achieve major savings, he said, the city should replace only a small fraction of the positions that become vacant. "Most of these choices are not choices that any of us would have made in a normal circumstance," said Councilman Paul Krekorian, who heads the budget committee. "But we're not living in a normal circumstance." Krekorian also said $40 million of the money cut from the LAPD budget will be set aside as an "insurance policy" to help pay for city services if the retirement program does not generate enough savings. Another $90 million will go into a reserve account titled Preservation of City Services, Reinvestment in Disadvantaged Communities and Communities of Color and Reimagining Public Safety Service Delivery. Craig Lally, president of the Los Angeles Police Protective League, the union that represents LAPD officers, described that account as a "slush fund." He warned that the planned reduction in police officers would result in slower response times. Over the next 12 months, officers who do end up working overtime won't be paid until years into the future, and at more expensive rates, Lally said. "They passed a budget by putting everything on the city credit card," he added. Residents here who are frightened have asked us to conduct this investigation, he said at the conference. We do this to hold [police] accountable in this time. We want to make sure we root it out, right here in Howard County. L.A. school board member Monica Garcia succeeded Tuesday in her efforts to slash funding for school police as part of the budget for next year. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) The Los Angeles Board of Education on Tuesday approved an immediate 35% cut to its school police force, a reduction of $25 million, in response to weeks of protests by student activists and community groups who had called for the elimination of the department. In the wake of the decision, the department's police chief, Todd Chamberlain, who has been in the job less than a year, resigned from his post Wednesday, district spokeswoman Shannon Haber said. The board action also calls for officers to give up their uniforms and patrol off campus, and will lead to the layoffs of 65 officers in the 471-employee department. The money saved from the cuts is to be allocated to fund staff to specifically serve the needs of Black students and a task force that will study ways to reimagine the issue of student and campus safety. "L.A. Unified has to continue to be a leader in showing what can happen when we believe in self-determination, when we empower communities to help this organization transform itself, said board member Monica Garcia. The 4-3 vote was supported by Garcia, Jackie Goldberg, Nick Melvoin and Kelly Gonez. Opposing the move were board President Richard Vladovic and members George McKenna and Scott Schmerelson all retired longtime school administrators who expressed concerns about safety risks. District officials could not provide an answer Wednesday afternoon as to whether officers would keep weapons, after Goldberg's chief of staff said Tuesday night that officers would be unarmed and barred from using pepper spray. Im sitting in a roll call and everyone is in uniform and everyone has their weapons,"school police union President Gil Gamez said Wednesday afternoon. The portion of Garcia's language that was preserved said the money saved would go to "support African American student achievement to the extent of the law." And until safety alternatives are worked out, all schools would have access to appropriate community support in the event of an emergency. Story continues Just before the vote, Garcia added an amendment that would bar the school district from replacing the school police by contracting with the Los Angeles Police Department, the county Sheriff's Department or a private armed security force. The vote to reduce the police force came at the end of a 13-hour meeting that started with public comments over the issue, which has roiled the school district since June 8, when leaders of the teachers union joined with activists and called for the elimination of the police department. Several student protests in Los Angeles were part of a nationwide movement calling for the "defunding" of police. Local activists have long opposed the school police, but their effort gained momentum after the death in May of George Floyd in the custody of the Minneapolis police. L.A. Unified joins several other school systems, including Oakland Unified, that have recently decided to move away from bringing armed officers onto campus, whether they are employed by the district or are part of a municipal police force. The shape of the final resolution was a compromise between Garcia, who proposed a 50% reduction, and Goldberg, who offered the smaller amount as an alternative and added the provisions about the uniforms and where the officers could be stationed. Goldberg advanced her compromise after Garcia pressed the issue by bringing it back to the board one week after her earlier defunding effort failed. Speakers against the school police dominated more than five hours of public comments; there also were numerous and impassioned defenders of the police. "There is nothing I can say to move the board that hasnt been said by passionate advocates, Garcia said as she began her 11th-hour bid. Board members then debated for hours, just as they had last week. Goldberg praised the quality of the school police force but said that the students "have made an impact on me." She added: I have been moved to tears since the death of Mr. Floyd. Vladovic said it would have made more sense to get parent and student input districtwide rather than to act immediately. Both he and McKenna talked of violent episodes in their personal experience as principals that justified the need for police. McKenna talked of officers establishing positive relationships with students, often serving as mentors. In fact, all board members spoke of the district's police force as a model agency and preferable to relying on the LAPD or the Sheriff's Department. Several L.A. School Police officers spoke passionately at the meeting about their own experiences and the need to maintain the department from the perspective they have as police officers and Black L.A. Unified parents themselves. "That was a coordinated effort,"said Officer Travis Fenderson, who recently formed a Black police officers coalition. There needs to be representation from ... behind the badge, that looks like the community. The groups pushing to eliminate the school police said they would have preferred Garcia's original 50% cuts but would continue fighting toward the goal of eliminating the department. "This decision is a huge step that the LAUSD School Board is taking to cut the school police department and fund Black futures," said Students Deserve organizer and recent Venice High School graduate Mya Edwards. "The fight for real school safety has only just begun," said Black Lives Matter L.A. co-founder and L.A. Unified parent Melina Abdullah. "A powerful coalition has formed and will not stop until we rid police from schools and invest in visions of safety that are grounded in meeting student needs." Christian Wimberly, a youth advocate with the Brothers, Sons, Selves Coalition, said that he attended Fairfax High School for two years, where school police were present, but that he felt safer as an 11th- and 12th-grader at CATCH Prep Charter High, where community members greeted students as they came and left campus, and mediated conflicts. There were no school police, he said. Now he hopes the $25 million in funding goes where it is meant to, quickly. "A lot of people have made promises," said Wimberly, 18. That's the only thing I hope, is that theyre going to be able to get the money to the people they say" will get it, such as counselors. Before the vote, Chamberlain, the school police chief, told the board the cut would result in an immediate reduction of 65 officers and would limit officer presence at high schools to school hours Monday through Friday. In addition, he said, 39 vacancies would not be filled and there would be no overtime available to fill the gaps. The department has a total of 472 employees, including 344 sworn officers, who are certified to carry weapons. High schools typically have one assigned, armed officer, middle schools have an unarmed security aide and elementary schools rely on roving patrols for safety issues. Groups of officers typically arrive quickly at a school when a serious security call is sent out. Officers also would not be able to provide security for adult and night school, he added. After-hours security would be virtually eliminated, making it difficult to deal with burglaries, vandalism and trespassing. A detective who focused on sex-trafficking prevention would surrender those duties. Perhaps the most compelling loss, Chamberlain said, is that the department's intervention and prevention efforts would have to end. Garcia responded that the task force could have the goal of resolving the issues raised by Chamberlain in different ways. Vladovic said the cut, in effect, destroys the infrastructure of the police department. L.A. Unified Supt. Austin Beutner said during the meeting that implementing a police cut of this size would take time and the board would need to provide more clarity on the intent of the amendment and the "letter and spirit of the directive." "If there is a belief that the staff can provide what exists now or differently in a span of weeks, I think that's unrealistic," Beutner said. "I will just share a little bit of my frustration that there wasn't time to do the work that we as staff would like to do to properly inform this conversation." Congressional Democrats urged the Trump administration on Wednesday to promptly release all families currently held in immigration detention, joining advocates and lawyers in calling for parents and children to be allowed to leave together as the coronavirus continues to spread. In a letter to top Department of Homeland Security officials, 80 House lawmakers, including members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, said officials should not ask migrant parents to choose between allowing their children to be released without them or continuing to face indefinite detention. "Family separation should never be this country's policy. Medical organizations have long stated that the practice creates extraordinary harm to children," the lawmakers wrote in their letter to Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf and Acting Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Director Matthew Albence. "Detention of children for any amount of time, even with their parents, causes physical harm and irreparable trauma." "We call upon ICE to act with compassion and release families together," the representatives added. The letter is a direct response to an order last week by the federal judge overseeing the government's compliance with the landmark Flores Settlement Agreement, which includes certain mandates for the care of migrant children in U.S. custody. Citing recently reported coronavirus cases among detained families, as well as allegedly lax masking and social distancing enforcement at two family detention facilities in Texas, U.S. Judge Dolly Gee ordered ICE to release all minors who have been held for more than 20 days. Immigrants seeking asylum walk at the ICE South Texas Family Residential Center on Friday, August 23, 2019, in Dilley, Texas. / Credit: Eric Gay / AP Because the 1997 Flores agreement affords protections only to minors, Gee does not have the authority to mandate the release of their parents. She gave ICE two options to comply with her order by July 17. The agency can release minors alone to sponsors, as long as the parents consent to being separated. Or it can remove the families from detention together, using its discretionary authority to grant parole to release the parents. Story continues Following another order from Gee in April, ICE asked parents at its three family detention facilities whether they would agree to be separated from their children. In a court filing, the agency said it denied parole to most children in its custody because parents did not "wish to separate," among other reasons. Other than noting it is reviewing Gee's order, ICE has yet to say how it will comply with it. But lawyers representing the approximately 124 minors in ICE custody and their parents fear the agency will again present families with the question of separation and submit the results as a way of complying with Gee's directive. Texas Congressman Joaquin Castro, the chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, said such a move would cause unnecessary emotional upheaval. "No parent should be presented with that choice. It's cruel and unnecessary," Castro, a Democrat, told CBS News. "We are going to continue to press ICE to do the right thing in this situation." "The parents don't pose a security risk and family separation would be a shock and cruelty to the children and their parents," he added. A court filing by the independent monitor that reviews ICE's compliance with the Flores settlement revealed last week that 11 members of migrant families at the Karnes County Residential Center tested positive for the coronavirus. The independent monitor also reported at least four coronavirus cases among ICE employees and contractors at another family detention facility in Dilley, Texas. There have been no reports of coronavirus cases at the third ICE family detention facility, located in Pennsylvania. More than 2,600 ICE detainees at adult-only detention centers have tested positive, according to the agency's latest tally. Some have been released or deported. Nearly 800 of the detainees who tested positive remain under isolation or medical monitoring. Earlier this month, Democratic lawmakers, including Castro, visited the Dilley facility. In their letter on Wednesday, lawmakers revealed that some of them had been exposed during the visit to an ICE an employee who tested positive for the virus. Citing his visit, the pandemic and other factors, Castro said the U.S. should reconsider whether family immigration detention is necessary. If the Trump administration succeeds in implementing a regulation that would scrap the Flores agreement but that is currently held up in court, the U.S. would become one of the few countries in the developed world to detain migrant families indefinitely. "It begs the question about why these families need to be kept in prison," Castro said. "Let's be clear, that's what this is." Along with appointing "reformers" at the Department of Homeland Security, Castro said former Vice President Joe Biden should examine this practice if elected in November. "He has to find an alternative to detention for these families," Castro said. Faulty COVID-19 antibody tests now complicating efforts to know reach of virus California orders bars and nightclubs closed in 7 counties as coronavirus cases spread Supreme Court strikes down Louisiana abortion law Sophary Ly joined company in October 2015 and brings more than 27 years of experience to role FRISCO, Texas, July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Leading innovator in nutrition and skincare, Le-Vel, is pleased to announce the promotion of Sophary Ly to Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, effective immediately. In her new role, Ly will help oversee the company's operations, accounting and financial teams so they operate at their highest levels. She will continue to report to Co-CEOs Jason Camper and Paul Gravette. Ly has worked as Chief Financial Officer for Le-Vel since October 2015. Sophary Li, promoted to Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Le-Vel Brands "Sophary has one of the strongest work ethics and overall skillsets in the entire direct selling industry," says Le-Vel Co-CEO Jason Camper. "She's been a tremendous asset to our organization, and we're confident that under her leadership, she'll continue to guide us to even greater success in this expanded role." Ly has more than 27 years of experience in computerized private and public accounting systems for service, manufacturing, direct selling and wholesale industries. Prior to joining Le-Vel, she served as Vice President of Finance and Human Resources for Paciguo Management, LLC, in Dallas, a privately owned, multi-unit manufacturer of Italian ice creams; and as Chief Financial Officer at AdvoCare International, LP in Plano, Texas, a direct sales company specializing in nutritional supplements and skincare products, where she spent 11 years. "I'm looking forward to working with our teams and continuing to make improvements for the benefit of our incredible Brand Promoters and customers around the globe," Ly says. "Throughout my career, I've learned that it's not the quantity of the people around you, it's the quality, and I'm honored to work with outstanding people at Le-Vel not just on my teams, but in this community of Thrivers who have dedicated themselves to showing others the path to better health." Story continues Ly holds a Master of Science in Accounting from the University of Dallas and a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from the University of Texas at Dallas. About Le-Vel Founded in 2012 by Jason Camper and Paul Gravette, Le-Vel formulates and sells health and wellness products and skincare. Le-Vel products include the THRIVE Experience (consisting of the three core products, THRIVE Premium Lifestyle DFT, THRIVE Premium Lifestyle Capsules and THRIVE Premium Lifestyle Mix), and THRIVE SKIN (a CBD skincare system). All of Le-Vel's products contain premium vitamins and nutrients made with the highest quality ingredients. In 2019, less than seven years after the company's inception, Le-Vel reached a milestone of $2 billion in lifetime orders. Le-Vel has over 10 million Customer and Brand Promoter accounts and currently ships within the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom. For more information about Le-Vel, visit www.le-vel.com and follow us on social media on Instagram @le_veloffical, Facebook , Twitter and YouTube . Media Contact: Liz Reuth, liz.reuth@le-vel.com Le-Vel : premium level : premium lifestyle Cision View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/le-vel-announces-promotion-of-new-executive-vice-president--chief-financial-officer-301086893.html SOURCE Le-Vel Brands In the European lighting components aftermarket, halogen lamps are gradually being replaced as LED components yield growth, finds Frost & Sullivan SANTA CLARA, California, July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Frost & Sullivan's recent analysis, Growth Opportunity Evaluation in the European Lighting Components Aftermarket, 20202026, finds that the market is in a slow transition phase, shifting from traditional halogen lamps to Xenon and light-emitting diode (LED) components, as Xenon/LED lights have better visibility and product life. The market is primarily driven by an increase in vehicles in operation (VIO), which is expected to rise from 306 million in 2020 to 335.9 million in 2026, growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 1.6% by 2026 across the region. However, amid post-COVID-19 industry recovery, the lighting components aftermarket is expected to witness minimal short-term growth. For further information on this analysis, please visit: http://frost.ly/45y "The European Union's directive requires all passenger cars to be equipped with automated headlights/daytime running light. This is boosting the replacement rates in the aftermarket," said Guruswamy Veligandla, Mobility Research Analyst at Frost & Sullivan. "Additionally, poor battery performance and shortage in the electric wiring system in the car lead to the damage of lighting components, driving the upgrade of lighting components. "Going forward, European lighting components will be equipped with connected and artificial intelligence (AI)-based technologies for the premium and luxurious vehicle segments. Further, LASER/LED high-beam technology will be the future of automotive headlights in the European region as high-beam technology has a better light range than LED." The European lighting components aftermarket will present growth opportunities for market participants, including: Lighting components suppliers need to ensure comprehensive product coverage and availability with major wholesalers and retailers across the region, as well as provide quick and on-time service to customers to help customer retention. Focus is on interior lighting , as new-generation vehicles come equipped with additional interior lighting components, such as LED ambient lighting, LED cabin lighting, and improved dashboard lighting in both original equipment and retro fitments. Approximately 4% of the lighting components were sold through the eCommerce channel in 2019, which is forecast to substantially grow. Suppliers should focus on eRetail platforms to expand. VIO is forecast to grow at a CAGR of 2.4% in the United Kingdom and 1.5% in Germany until 2026higher than other countries. This will trigger high growth for the lighting components aftermarket in these two countries. Growth Opportunity Evaluation in the European Lighting Components Aftermarket, 20202026 is the latest addition to Frost & Sullivan's Mobility research and analyses available through the Frost & Sullivan Leadership Council, which helps organizations identify a continuous flow of growth opportunities to succeed in an unpredictable future. Story continues About Frost & Sullivan For over five decades, Frost & Sullivan has become world-renowned for its role in helping investors, corporate leaders and governments navigate economic changes and identify disruptive technologies, Mega Trends, new business models and companies to action, resulting in a continuous flow of growth opportunities to drive future success. Contact us: Start the discussion. Growth Opportunity Evaluation in the European Lighting Components Aftermarket, 20202026 ME73-18 Media Contact: Srihari Daivanayagam Corporate Communications M: +91 9742676194; P: +91 44 6681 4412 E: srihari.daivanayagam@frost.com http://ww2.frost.com SOURCE Frost & Sullivan Liquid Group will strengthen its cross-border contactless QR payment network through a strategic collaboration with NICE Payments ("NICE") as its partner acquirer in Korea. The partnership will expand the international merchant pool of Liquid Group and its issuer partners as well as enable NICE's merchants to accept QR payments from the customers of Liquid Group and its issuer partners across the region. Customers of Liquid Group and its partners will also enjoy the convenience of using their preferred payment apps for their overseas QR payment transactions at NICE's extensive network of merchants in Korea. SINGAPORE, July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Liquid Group, a regional mobile payment services group headquartered in Singapore, will partner with NICE Payments ("NICE") as its merchant acquirer in Korea. Mr Hwang Yoon Kyeong (CEO, NICE Payments) with Andrew Ahn (Head of Business Development - North East Asia, Liquid Group) at NICE Payments and Liquid Group strategic partnership signing ceremony Nice Payments, a subsidiary of NICE Information & technology, is the payment specialist of NICE Group, the biggest financial infrastructure group in Korea. Nice Payments has continued to develop and lead the rapidly changing payment and settlement market to meet the various needs of its customers, processing an annual transaction amount exceeding KRW 19 trillion (as of 2016). Through this partnership, customers of Liquid Group and its issuer partners will be able to use their preferred payment apps and e-wallets for their local and overseas QR payment transactions at more than 33,000 of NICE's QR-enabled merchants, including one of the largest duty-free shops in Korea and many other popular tourist destinations. This will be followed by rolling out to over 700,000 of its credit card merchants base at a larger stage. This also expands the international merchant base for Liquid Group and its partners. Likewise, through Liquid Group's XNAP Network which supports large-scale QR acceptance and usage in both local and overseas markets, NICE merchants in Korea will be able to support cross-border QR code payment transactions. Story continues Travellers will stand to benefit from a seamless cross-border payment journey using their trusted local payment app to make mobile payments overseas, while enjoying greater convenience and enhanced security features such as the ability to monitor their account balance and keep track of their transactions. Yoon Kyeong Hwang, CEO of NICE Payments, said: "It is meaningful to be a strategic business partner with Singapore-based Liquid Group," and emphasized that, "The partnership with Liquid Group has great significance as NICE Payments will be the first to provide Southeast Asian E-wallet service in Korea, and will lead to great opportunities by creating new growth engine as a global payment platform." Jeremy Tan, Founder and CEO of Liquid Group, said: "We are thrilled to be joining forces with NICE Payments, which has a phenomenal track record in driving payments for over 30 years. It's a win-win situation for both groups as we share the same vision of accelerating the cashless movement across Asia and making it the super region for QR payments on the global stage." Further to the launch of XNAP Network to drive interoperability of cross-border QR payment service providers, Liquid Group has sustained its lead with a series of strategic partnerships across several markets in the region. Liquid Group will continue to explore more international partnerships to further its vision of creating a connected and robust QR payment ecosystem for all. Media Contact for Consortium TH Kim E : thkim@nicepay.co.kr M : +82-10-6714-4904 Pengene Lee E : pengene.lee@liquidpay.com D : +65-272-5115 M : +65-9745-5223 About NICE Payments NICE Payments is the payment system specialist of NICE Group that has grown as a global financial infrastructure group for the past 30 years and focusing on electronic payment service. In addition to online and offline electronic payment services, NICE Payments provides the largest E-wallet payment integrated platform service in partnership with major simple payment companies to lead the recent payment market trend. In order to become a global PG business operator, NICE Payments has been providing PayPro service, Chinese E-wallet platform, for domestic merchants since 2017 with WeChat and Alipay and expanding their overseas payment business area through various alliances with global payment providers. About Liquid Group Liquid Group is a leading QR payment services group headquartered in Singapore with a presence across the Asia-Pacific. It operates XNAP Network (www.xnap.network), an open API based QR payment acceptance network that enables the cross-border acceptance of bank and non-bank QR payment apps across multiple markets in the region. By spearheading the largest cross-border interoperability framework, Liquid Group is an industry leader in the creation of a more connected and robust mobile payment ecosystem for all. Photo - https://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20200630/2842403-1 SOURCE Liquid Group A British family is leaving their comfortable life in London in order to pursue something more. The Seath family, including Karolina, Barry and their two children, are about to move to an island you probably never heard of in a bid to help replenish and revitalize the areas coral reef, which have been ravaged by the rising sea temperatures off the coast of Africas smallest island. The island in the Seychelles, measuring just 400 metres long by 300 metres wide, will play host to the familys land-based coral farm, which will only be the second of its kind in the entire world the other being on Australias Great Barrier Reef. We are just a normal husband, wife, and two kids, living the sort of life that most others do but we felt the need to make a positive change for ourselves, our children, and the world we had largely taken for granted, Barry Seath said. So we have sold our home and parted company with most of our worldly possessions. Barry says hes taken several vacations to the Seychelles, and each time the Seaths witnessed the slow deterioration of the reefs as they went snorkelling around the islands coast. Moyenne Island in the Seychelles. (SWNS) Every time we visited, we noticed the coral was getting worse and worse, he said. All the tourists say the same thing. They love the beaches, but are really disappointed with the coral. They expect these lush coral reefs, but what they actually find is lots of coral rubble. More than 15 years as the head of a London recruitment firm was enough for Barry, who decided a change was needed so he could show their two daughters an enviro-friendly way of alternate living. After making that decision, Barry partnered with coral experts at the Marine Conservation Society Seychelles in order to build and develop the islands new farming facility, which is scheduled to take just three months and cost around 25,000. Aside from the environmental sustainability aspects of their new endeavour, Barry says the family also hopes to bring more visitors back to the tiny African nation as its tourism-dependent economy has been devastated by the coronavirus pandemic. Story continues Our long-term goal is to show everyone thatwith just a relatively small investmentyou can make a serious impact on the marine environment that will in turn boost the tourism industry. It should be a no-brainer. More of Whats Good Click here to read the full article. This past weekend Custom Collaborative saw its eighth cohort graduate from its training institute, acquiring new skills in the business and art of garment-making all while facing the trials of virtual learning and communities under duress. With a formal start in 2015, the New York City-based workforce development nonprofit and social enterprise has trained and supported scores of women from low-income and immigrant communities, helping them realize dreams of entrepreneurship and careers in fashion. More from WWD Custom Collaborative creates impact through its three core programs: the selective 14-week training program, running five days a week; a business incubator, now pivoted fully to the production of nonmedical PPE, and its worker-owned cooperative, comprising several international women entrepreneurs, each hailing from a different country. In the case of the latter, work is being done in East Harlem, with fashion companies already partnering in production. On the latest feat, Ngozi Okaro, the organizations executive director said: We wanted to give these women the chance to finish what they sacrificed to do. The majority of the students are mothers, with many living below the federal poverty level. Their investment with the organization helps to bridge the needs of local independent designers while increasing their economic positions. For the first virtual graduation, the graduates each presented sketched designs for classmates as a capstone, in place of physical designs, and welcomed designer Mara Hoffman as a guest speaker. Her partnership with Custom Collaborative is longstanding, with studio visits a repeat affair for past cohorts. It was not the same experience for this latest one. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. Although the group began their lessons in person, the March outbreak of the coronavirus in New York City upended how the typical classes were to be conducted. Overall, the repeated assault on Black and brown communities which comes in the form of the disproportionate impact of the coronavirus, police brutality, and ongoing systemic racism is immensely damaging. Story continues One of the biggest issues is the experience of loss. We have 11 women [in this recent cohort] and between them all, there are about 30 deaths [of loved ones from the virus]. Even the loss of being able to mourn. Those losses align with what we know about Black and brown communities coronavirus hits harder, reiterated Okaro. At the virtual meetings, Okaro instituted a strict instruction for students: To get up, get dressed and be prepared. Dress became not just self-expression but survival. Each woman shared what her outfit was that day to help push us along. Aside from remedying the varying access to the Internet and sewing machines, self-care was another key component, with psychologists brought in for mindfulness exercises as well as an additional $100 per cohort member for whatever self-care they wanted, as Okaro put it. To enact its mission, Custom Collaborative brings on funding and volunteer partners including the New York Womens Foundation, Nest and Common Impact, a national nonprofit leveraging skills-based volunteering through corporate partners like S&P Global. Last January, Custom Collaborative was a recipient of the 2020 Gucci Changemakers Impact Fund. Under the business incubator, the nonprofit Nest helps fund a one-for-one donation for frontline workers for each fabric mask purchased. And while the entire premise of Custom Collaborative drives social sustainability, at least 90 percent of the organizations creations including these fabric masks are made from repurposed and upcycled textiles. With Common Impact and S&P, Custom Collaborative hopes to continue to streamline its data management. In late July, Common Impact will be helping to facilitate another virtual skills-based volunteering project, in what Tessa Vithayathil, a consultant at Common Impact, said will be a volunteer engagement strategy. I always look at the horizons and thinking about what we planned, and what our capabilities are and the creativity we bring, so that doing the day-to-day [work] is palatable because I know Im looking at our long-term vision our long-term plan, said Okaro, reflecting on the recent challenges. Over a week prior, another 1.5 million workers filed for unemployment insurance, as per the Department of Labors weekly claims. Excluding the retail sector, the majority of fashion jobs obviously lie in production occupations, as per 2018 data on cut and sew apparel manufacturing from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. A rather broad category, textile, apparel and furnishings workers represented the bulk of total employment at 56 percent, while earning a mean hourly wage of $12.94. Sewing operators despite being the next most meaningful slice of labor in the sector made just $12.20 an hour. Notoriously hard to break-into, fashion designers find themselves up against few opportunities and steep competition, with just 2.1 percent of total employment reportedly in the profession. On top of that, low-income and immigrant communities often find the wind knocked out of their sails early. As Okaro put it: They lose out on opportunities and things are taken. Custom Collaborative designers have been granted access like never before in the fashion industry. Success stories come from designers like Ifunanya Onyekwere, a 2017 graduate who gained early exposure by designing for the Wakanda-themed fashion show held at a movie screening of Black Panther by the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation, two years ago. Today she has her own New Jersey-based label called Aifys Clothing and is a founding member of Fashion That Works, the worker-owned sewn goods cooperative that Custom Collaborative is incubating. Jennifer Gutierrez, a graduate of the fifth cohort, is another success story. Along with Onyekwere, she presented sustainable designs in Fashion Institute of Technologys Seventh Avenue display. Okaro stressed: These are people who did not have access before, but they have ideas and creativity, adding: White people arent the only ones with creative ideas. Fashion is having a reckoning of just how little diversity exists in its upper confines. Much of Custom Collaboratives work is spotlighting and uncovering talent that was to this point unknown, said Okaro. She calls for the industry to uplift and see renewed value in these women, providing fair pay and opportunities for advancement, considering the importance of the work they do. Aside from consistent funding, internship placements and corporate volunteering efforts, Okaro describes growing ways in which brands and community members will be able to engage with their work. Its important to do the work externally but also internally, stressed Okaro, a guiding thought that speaks to the new initiatives at Custom Collaborative, like its Corporate Executive Council and anti-racism training. The Corporate Executive Council, which launches later this summer, already counts Mara Hoffman, Hanky Panky, Lafayette 148 and Another Tomorrow as members. In the meantime, Custom Collaborative will be developing its own version of anti-racism training catered to industry organizations. Im a pragmatist, sometimes an optimist and I hold out a lot of hope that we can make a significant change, she added. Click here to read the full article. This past weekend Custom Collaborative saw its eighth cohort graduate from its training institute, acquiring new skills in the business and art of garment-making all while facing the trials of virtual learning and communities under duress. With a formal start in 2015, the New York City-based workforce development nonprofit and social enterprise has trained and supported scores of women from low-income and immigrant communities, helping them realize dreams of entrepreneurship and careers in fashion. Custom Collaborative creates impact through its three core programs: the selective 14-week training program, running five days a week; a business incubator, now pivoted fully to the production of nonmedical PPE, and its worker-owned cooperative, comprising several international women entrepreneurs, each hailing from a different country. In the case of the latter, work is being done in East Harlem, with fashion companies already partnering in production. On the latest feat, Ngozi Okaro, the organizations executive director said: We wanted to give these women the chance to finish what they sacrificed to do. The majority of the students are mothers, with many living below the federal poverty level. Their investment with the organization helps to bridge the needs of local independent designers while increasing their economic positions. For the first virtual graduation, the graduates each presented sketched designs for classmates as a capstone, in place of physical designs, and welcomed designer Mara Hoffman as a guest speaker. Her partnership with Custom Collaborative is longstanding, with studio visits a repeat affair for past cohorts. It was not the same experience for this latest one. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. Although the group began their lessons in person, the March outbreak of the coronavirus in New York City upended how the typical classes were to be conducted. Overall, the repeated assault on Black and brown communities which comes in the form of the disproportionate impact of the coronavirus, police brutality, and ongoing systemic racism is immensely damaging. Story continues One of the biggest issues is the experience of loss. We have 11 women [in this recent cohort] and between them all, there are about 30 deaths [of loved ones from the virus]. Even the loss of being able to mourn. Those losses align with what we know about Black and brown communities coronavirus hits harder, reiterated Okaro. At the virtual meetings, Okaro instituted a strict instruction for students: To get up, get dressed and be prepared. Dress became not just self-expression but survival. Each woman shared what her outfit was that day to help push us along. Aside from remedying the varying access to the Internet and sewing machines, self-care was another key component, with psychologists brought in for mindfulness exercises as well as an additional $100 per cohort member for whatever self-care they wanted, as Okaro put it. To enact its mission, Custom Collaborative brings on funding and volunteer partners including the New York Womens Foundation, Nest and Common Impact, a national nonprofit leveraging skills-based volunteering through corporate partners like S&P Global. Last January, Custom Collaborative was a recipient of the 2020 Gucci Changemakers Impact Fund. Under the business incubator, the nonprofit Nest helps fund a one-for-one donation for frontline workers for each fabric mask purchased. And while the entire premise of Custom Collaborative drives social sustainability, at least 90 percent of the organizations creations including these fabric masks are made from repurposed and upcycled textiles. With Common Impact and S&P, Custom Collaborative hopes to continue to streamline its data management. In late July, Common Impact will be helping to facilitate another virtual skills-based volunteering project, in what Tessa Vithayathil, a consultant at Common Impact, said will be a volunteer engagement strategy. I always look at the horizons and thinking about what we planned, and what our capabilities are and the creativity we bring, so that doing the day-to-day [work] is palatable because I know Im looking at our long-term vision our long-term plan, said Okaro, reflecting on the recent challenges. Over a week prior, another 1.5 million workers filed for unemployment insurance, as per the Department of Labors weekly claims. Excluding the retail sector, the majority of fashion jobs obviously lie in production occupations, as per 2018 data on cut and sew apparel manufacturing from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. A rather broad category, textile, apparel and furnishings workers represented the bulk of total employment at 56 percent, while earning a mean hourly wage of $12.94. Sewing operators despite being the next most meaningful slice of labor in the sector made just $12.20 an hour. Notoriously hard to break-into, fashion designers find themselves up against few opportunities and steep competition, with just 2.1 percent of total employment reportedly in the profession. On top of that, low-income and immigrant communities often find the wind knocked out of their sails early. As Okaro put it: They lose out on opportunities and things are taken. Custom Collaborative designers have been granted access like never before in the fashion industry. Success stories come from designers like Ifunanya Onyekwere, a 2017 graduate who gained early exposure by designing for the Wakanda-themed fashion show held at a movie screening of Black Panther by the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation, two years ago. Today she has her own New Jersey-based label called Aifys Clothing and is a founding member of Fashion That Works, the worker-owned sewn goods cooperative that Custom Collaborative is incubating. Jennifer Gutierrez, a graduate of the fifth cohort, is another success story. Along with Onyekwere, she presented sustainable designs in Fashion Institute of Technologys Seventh Avenue display. Okaro stressed: These are people who did not have access before, but they have ideas and creativity, adding: White people arent the only ones with creative ideas. Fashion is having a reckoning of just how little diversity exists in its upper confines. Much of Custom Collaboratives work is spotlighting and uncovering talent that was to this point unknown, said Okaro. She calls for the industry to uplift and see renewed value in these women, providing fair pay and opportunities for advancement, considering the importance of the work they do. Aside from consistent funding, internship placements and corporate volunteering efforts, Okaro describes growing ways in which brands and community members will be able to engage with their work. Its important to do the work externally but also internally, stressed Okaro, a guiding thought that speaks to the new initiatives at Custom Collaborative, like its Corporate Executive Council and anti-racism training. The Corporate Executive Council, which launches later this summer, already counts Mara Hoffman, Hanky Panky, Lafayette 148 and Another Tomorrow as members. In the meantime, Custom Collaborative will be developing its own version of anti-racism training catered to industry organizations. Im a pragmatist, sometimes an optimist and I hold out a lot of hope that we can make a significant change, she added. Launch Gallery: Custom Collaborative Celebrates Virtual Graduation of Newest Cohort Sign up for WWD's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Click here to read the full article. Here's What You Need To Remember: In the end, the Su-47 was never more than a privately-developed tech demonstrator. In 1996, the March/April issue of Russian military periodical Air Fleet Bulletin published an innocuous-seeming photo of a meeting between Russian military chiefs and aviation industry counterparts. Sitting on the table before them were two model airplanes. One was an advanced variant of the by-then well known Flanker multi-role fighter. The other was a strange black jet with forward swept wingsthat is, the wings seemed to be swept the wrong way. Whether the image amounted to an accidental leak or an intentional plant, it set off a firestorm of excited speculation in Western and Russian press forecasting a new cutting-edge jet that could outperform the F-22 Raptor stealth fighter, the production model of which made its first flight the same year. In fact, the model represented an advanced tech demonstratorthe Sukhoi Su-47 Berkut (Golden Eagle). Early in the 1980s, as the Soviet Union introduced the fourth-generation Su-27 and MiG-29 jets to oppose the American F-15 and F-16, it thought ahead to developing a fifth-generation fighter to defeat the U.S.s Advanced Tactical Fighter program which would eventually spawn the F-22 Raptor. Mikoyan i Gurevich worked on the MiG 1.44, which arrived nine years late after the fall of the Soviet Union only to be canceled. Concurrently, the Soviet Navy sought a new fighter with good low-speed handling characteristics to fly off the steam-catapult equipped supercarrier Ulyanovsk, laid down in Ukraine in 1988. Manufacturer Sukhoi chose to explore the concept of Forward Swept Wings (FSW) which in theory would enable greatly increase maneuverability, particularly at low speeds and high angles of attack, improved spin resistance, shorten take off distances, and enable greater range by decreasing air resistance. At the end of World War II, the Red Army had captured prototypes of a Nazi Ju-287 jet bomber under construction incorporating forward-swept wings. Story continues However, forward-swept wings had not been widely adopted because they required extremely sturdy wings to withstand the aero-elastic twisting pressure exerted upon the wing roots. The added weight of the reinforcements canceled out the benefits of a forward-swept configuration. Both U.S. and Russian engineers sought to get around this problem by using new composite-fiber materials to build lighter but sturdier wings. Grumman built two forward-swept X-29 technology demonstrators to test out the concept, which may have spurred Sukhois own interest in the scheme. The Sukhoi design, which at various times was called the S-22, the Su-27KM, the S-37 and eventually the Su-47, also featured moveable canards, a second set of small wings next to the cockpit which further enhance maneuverability and lift. Together, the forward-swept wings, canards, and horizontal tail-stabilizers gave it a tri-plane configuration. In addition to these new elements, the S-37 retained a fuselage and twin-tail configuration from the Su-27 Flanker, though with unequal-length tail booms extending behind carrying rearward-facing radar and a breaker-chute. Two D-30F-11 turbojet enginessimilar to those on the powerful MiG-31 Foxhound interceptorprovided propulsion, though eventually a more advanced AL-41F thrust-vectoring turbofans were planned to take their place. Like the F-16, the S-37 was so responsive it relied on a fly-by-wire system to automatically correct its aerodynamically unstable characteristics. The aircrafts good low-speed handling certainly made it attractive as a carrier-based fighter. But with the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, both the Ulyanovsk and the Navys demand for the new carrier-fighter were scrapped. The Sukhoi project was far enough along, however, that the manufacturer was able to privately fund the completion of one demonstrator model. Western publications particularly attributed stealth characteristics to the jet. The Berkut may have incorporated radar-absorbent coatings and materials, and Sukhoi planned for it to feature an internal weapons baby which could accommodate four long-range R-77 air-to-air missiles (then still under development), in addition to four external short-range R-73 missiles. However, Sukhoi would later admit the Su-47 had not been conceived foremost as stealth jet. Instead, the Su-47s design emphasized extreme dogfighting agility. The demonstrator jet made its first flight on September 25, 1997, piloted by Igor Kozintsevand two years later performed at a Moscow airshow. The S-37 made return appearances in 2001, 2003 and 2005, where it displayed its extraordinary maneuverabilityas you can see in this recording. The Golden Eagle was able to achieve extreme angles of attack, or the ability to pitch the aircrafts nose beyond its current vector. The S-37 could achieve an AoA of 120 degrees, pitching its nose away from its trajectory even as it continued to coast forward on its remaining momentum. But this agility masked the fact that, like Boeings X-29, even the composite-fiber wings were excessively stressed when performing high-speed maneuvers. Worse, the resulting stress cracks necessitated replacement of the entire composite component rather than spot-repairs. Combined with the weight weapons would have added to the 18-ton jet, the Su-47 would have likely been constrained to limited G-loads to avoid over-stressing its wings and proven extremely expensive to maintain. Moreover, while it demonstrated amazing instant turning performance, it was poor at sustained turns as it bled off speed quickly. Though claimed to be Mach 2-capable, the fastest speed Berkut flight speed reported was Mach 1.65. In the end, the Su-47 was never more than a privately-developed tech demonstratorone that ended up demonstrating that forward-swept wings were an idea whose time had not yet come. Instead, Russian fighters like the Su-35S multi-role fighter and Su-57 stealth jet rely upon thrust-vector control turbofans, which can tilt exhaust nozzles, to achieve super-maneuverability. In fact, the Berkut ended up pioneering several technologies which eventually found their way into the Su-57, which amounts to a more dedicated effort to develop a true stealth fighter, a capability which takes precedence in fifth-generation aircraft design over maneuverability. Experience from the Su-47 also informed Sukhois development of the forward-swept-wing KB SAT SR-10 trainer, an agile and nifty-looking subsonic jet that would have proven highly spin-resistant. However, the privately-funded SR-10 too has failed to secure government orders. While the awesome-looking Berkut never evolved into a production fighter, it still played a useful role testing new technologiesand coincidentally, revealed how external observers could be quick to attribute extraordinary capabilities based on a few images of an awesome-looking jet. Sebastien Roblin holds a masters degree in conflict resolution from Georgetown University and served as a university instructor for the Peace Corps in China. He has also worked in education, editing, and refugee resettlement in France and the United States. He currently writes on security and military history for War Is Boring. This article originally appeared April 27, 2020 and is being republished due to reader interest. Image: Wikimedia Click here to read the full article. They were part of the first wave of children to integrate schools in Prince Georges County in the fall of 1956, but there were still many battles to be fought. They and their families traveled by bus to attend the 1963 March on Washington. Carey was rejected for membership in the Laurel Volunteer Fire Department eight times between 1966 and 1968 before finally becoming its first Black member in 1970. This fall he will receive his 50-year pin. Moscow (AFP) - Wearing a dark suit, a face mask and gloves, 82-year-old Gennady Shmal casts his ballot on the last day of Russia's vote on constitutional changes that could prolong President Vladimir Putin's rule. He is voting in a strikingly grand setting: a Moscow concert hall with an organ and chandeliers. Across the country, however, in moves to prevent the spread of coronavirus, many voting stations have been set up outside in playgrounds or even in the back of cars. The vote is a simple choice of "for" or "against" on a set of amendments including wording aimed at preventing gay marriage and social measures such as annual boosts to pensions. The most important amendment would allow Putin, in power since 2000, to start from a clean slate and serve two more consecutive presidential terms, to 2036. Shmal, who heads a professional association for oil and gas workers, concedes the amendments are "not all indisputable" but praises one giving national legislation precedence over international law. As for the most controversial amendment on presidential terms, a leader needs time to change such a huge country, he argues, citing Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin. "Stalin was in power not just for one or two years -- from 1922 to 1953 -- more than 30 years. We managed to create a good economy at that time, we managed to win the war because the people believed in the authorities," he says. - 'Forced to vote' - Organisers are luring voters with draws offering the chance to win apartments or vouchers to spend in restaurants. The final day of voting on Wednesday is a national day off work and Moscow authorities have thrown in free parking. On exiting, voters can pick up festival-style wristbands reading: "Yes, I changed the future." Alexander Pivchansky, a 27-year-old with a top-knot and arm tattoo, feeds his ballot paper into a machine that says: "Thank you for your vote" as he votes against. Story continues The engineer says that he and his workmates have been ordered to vote, a common practice at large state-controlled organisations according to vote monitoring group Golos, even though this is illegal and officials deny it takes place. "At my work they are forcing us to vote en masse, it doesn't matter whether for or against, but just to ensure turnout," he says. "I'm against the amendments but they are trying to push them through." Hearing his comments, a state television crew interviewing voters turns away. Many appear willing participants though, such as 20-year-old Moscow student Roman, who was volunteering at the polling station. Asked about the prospect of 67-year-old Putin staying in power deep into old age, he says: "I was born under him and I'm not sick of him yet." In the far eastern port city of Vladivostok, pensioner Valentina Kungurtseva is pinning her hopes on a promise to recalculate pension payouts at least once a year based on consumer prices. Putin saw his popularity plummet in 2018 when the government announced steps to raise the retirement age. "For us as pensioners, it's very important that they will increase our pension every year. It's pretty hard to live at the moment," admits 79-year-old Kungurtseva. - National dress - In the village of Naryn-Atsagat in the traditionally Buddhist region of Buryatia in the steppes of Siberia, the vote is an important event and many are wearing their national dress of long robes -- even if one young woman teams hers with trainers and trendy sunglasses. In her beaded conical headdress and green satin robe, 35-year-old Inessa Tsyzhipova says: "I came here today in my national dress to express my position as a citizen." "I am calling for the preservation of our traditions, our customs," she says. Wearing maroon and saffron robes, the local Buddhist lama Tarba Dorzhiev is also voting. The deep-voiced 60-year-old says that he "would like these amendments to enter force, to be recorded in our constitution and to start working." apo-video-am/mm/cdw Click here to read the full article. Here's What You Need To Remember: The M110A1 promises to give the Army a weapon capable of hitting targets with a high degree of first-round accuracy at up to 600 meters. It will be essential to train soldiers to properly employ the weaponeven a 7.62-millimeter round will drop 99 inches at 600 meters and experience a horizontal shift of 33 inches in a light breeze. That having been said, the M110A1 will deliver for trained marksmen, resulting in a more lethal infantry squad than ever before. The U.S. Army is preparing to issue thousands of new rifles to infantry squads across the service. The M110A1 Squad Designated Marksman Rifle (SDMR) is designed to extend the reach of infantry units largely equipped with short-barreled carbines. The SDMR will give one in nine infantrymen the ability to not only penetrate existing body armor but engage point targets at ranges of 600 meters (1968 feet). The standard nine-person U.S. Army infantry squad consists of two fire teams led by a squad leader. Each fireteam consists of two riflemen with M4 carbines, one grenadier with an M4 carbine and grenade launcher, and an M249 squad automatic weapon. A squad can produce a tremendous amount of firepower, with the M4 effective out to 500 meters and the heavier, faster-firing M249 effective out to 1,000 meters. The current organization has its drawbacks. While the M4 is accurate, it often lacks a magnified optic to make accurate shots at medium to long ranges, and the 5.56 round drops sharply after 400 meters. The M68 red dot sight is durable and soldier proof, but it lacks the ability to zoom in on, evaluate, and engage prospective targets at ranges greater than those feasible with the naked eye. The M249 fires at up to 850 rounds per minute but it is relatively inaccurate and meant to deliver suppressive fire against the enemy, keeping their heads down while the rest of the squad maneuvers against them. Story continues During the Iraq War, the U.S. Army recognized the need for a rifle-type weapon with a magnified optic that had the range to discern and engage targets at extended distances. The Army sent thousands of M14 battle rifles, placed in storage before the Vietnam War, to armorers for an update. The result, the M14 Enhanced Battle Rifle (EBR), was a 7.62-millimeter caliber rifle (as opposed to the M4s 5.56-millimeter) with a Leupold 3.5-10x variable power scope. This combination of a rifle scope and heavier caliber round allowed a trained soldier to engage distant targets beyond that of the M4 carbine. Alternately, a designated marksman could provide security for his unit, overwatching their position or area of operations from a clear vantage point. Unfortunately, the M14 EBR was a mixed bag. Although the EBR reintroduced the powerful 7.62 round to the squad and gave the squad leader a magnified optic, the M14s operating system is old and the M14 series of weapons are notoriously difficult to maintain accuracy in the field. The system was also heavy, weighing fourteen pounds with a loaded twenty-round magazine. The gas piston system and new handguard also made it front heavy and more difficult to quickly aim. Still, the designated marksman rifle concept was a sound one. Even as the Army shifts from guerrilla conflicts back to big power wars against rival mechanized armies, the requirement for a designated marksman rifle still stands. In particular, a focus on countering modern armies brings with it the prospect of engaging enemy soldiers wearing body armor. On July 12th, German arms manufacturer Heckler and Koch announced it would produce between 5,000 and 6,000 new M110A1 Squad Designated Marksman Rifles for the U.S. Army. Heckler and Koch will manufacture the rifles in Oberndorf, Germany, then ship to an H&K facility in Georgia. Once there, they will be fitted with rifle scopes, scope mounts, and at least ten other accessories specified by the U.S. Army. The M110A1 is based on the Heckler and Koch G28 rifle, which is in turn based on the companys HK417 rifle. The M110A1 bears some resemblance to the M4 carbine and is similar in layout, with the magazine release, safety, charging handle, all in the same locations. Loading, shooting, and jam clearing procedures methods are very similar or or identical to the M4. A significant difference under the hood is the M110A1 uses a piston operating system instead of the M4/M16s direct impingement system. The use of a gas piston system results in a weapon that avoids the risk of overheating while requiring less cleaning in the field. The M110A1 is an accurate weapon, with the company claiming a guaranteed accuracy of 1.5 minutes of angle (MOA) at 100 meters. Generally speaking, that means a trained shooter should be able to place all of his or her shots within a 1.57-inch circle at 100 meters. At longer distances, however, that circle opens up proportionally, with the same rifle and shooter placing shots within a 9.42-inch circle at 600 meters. Given that the average combatant is about eighteen inches wide at the shoulders, that still gives a high probability of hit if aiming center of mass. The U.S. Army is fitting the M110A1 with the Sig Sauer Tango 6 optic. The Tango 6 is a variable power optic capable of swinging from 1x unpowered view all the way up to 6x magnification. Six power magnification allows for a good amount of zoom while maintaining an excellent field of view. The reticle is calibrated for the 7.62-millimeter round, allowing a marksman to quickly compensate for bullet drop at longer ranges. It also features a ACOG-style red dot horseshoe for fast target acquisition in low light and daylight, allowing the marksman to use his rifle like any rifleman. According to Sig Sauer, the Army is buying 6,069 Tango 6 scopes, giving a clue that the total number of rifles ordered is likely to be on the high end of Heckler and Kochs sales estimate. The M110A1 promises to give the Army a weapon capable of hitting targets with a high degree of first-round accuracy at up to 600 meters. It will be essential to train soldiers to properly employ the weaponeven a 7.62-millimeter round will drop 99 inches at 600 meters and experience a horizontal shift of 33 inches in a light breeze. That having been said, the M110A1 will deliver for trained marksmen, resulting in a more lethal infantry squad than ever before. Kyle Mizokami is a writer based in San Francisco who has appeared in The Diplomat, Foreign Policy, War is Boring and The Daily Beast. In 2009 he co-founded the defense and security blog Japan Security Watch. Image: Flickr. This article first appeared last year. Click here to read the full article. Martin Sparks, 47, is expected to be jailed for the new offence. (SWNS) A paedophile downloaded more than 200 indecent images of children after avoiding a prison sentence for the same offence. Martin Sparks, 47, was convicted when police found he had 213 of the most serious category of child sex images. He was caught while serving a suspended sentence after being convicted of downloading indecent images of children in 2018. Police searched Sparkss home in Redbridge, east London, on 18 June after a tip-off and discovered he had downloaded pictures shared by other paedophiles using peer-to-peer software. Read more: Couple travelled to collect heroin with two-year-old in back seat of car Snaresbrook Crown Court in east London. (Getty) When he was taken to a nearby police station and searched in custody, two USB storage devices were found hidden in his shoes, the Met Police said. Sparks initially denied any knowledge of illegal online activity when officers raided his home but when questioned further he admitted breaches of his previous Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) and having downloaded and viewed child abuse images. During the search of his address, officers seized a computer tower that Sparks used to download the illegal images. Officers also found a tablet, which was a breach of the judge's order because it was not declared to his Public Protection Unit manager, police said. Read more: Walkers confirms 28 factory workers in Leicester have coronavirus Another breach was for connecting to his home router to use the internet when he downloaded the images. A total of 233 "category A" the most serious child abuse videos and 17 "category B" pictures were found on the USBs. Sparks told police that when he heard officers enter his house, he went to hide the USBs and decided to put them in his shoes. The defendant admitted all the offences during his interview and he was charged on 19 June. He was previously jailed for two years, suspended for two years, and an SHPO was issued by the judge until further order after his previous offence. Read more: Suspected drug smugglers charged over 10m cocaine haul hidden in frozen-fish van Story continues At Snaresbrook Crown Court on Friday, Sparks pleaded guilty to five counts of breaching an SHPO, making indecent images of children. Detective Constable James Cavenham, the investigating officer, said: Sparks is now facing time behind bars after committing the same hideous offence once again. The evidence we gathered against him meant he had no option but to plead guilty. Sparks is due to be sentenced for his latest conviction at Snaresbrook Crown Court in August. WASHINGTON President Donald Trump said Wednesday hes not sure that face masks should be mandatory but that hed wear one in a tight crowd. Im all for masks, Trump said in an interview with Fox Business Network. I think masks are good. Trump, who has resisted wearing a mask in public, questioned whether they should be mandatory because you have many places in the country where people stay very long distance. But he said hed wear one if he found himself in a crowd where social distancing wasnt possible. If I were in a tight situation with people, I would absolutely, he said. Trump said he seldom finds himself in such situations and noted that people are tested for coronavirus before they get close to him. But he said he has worn a mask in cases where he has been with a small group of people. I sort of liked the way it looked, he said. It was a dark black mask, and I thought it looked OK. It looked like the Lone Ranger. To mask or not: 'Fox & Friends' host Steve Doocy urges Trump to wear mask to 'look as if he's taking it seriously' President Donald Trump Several prominent Republicans, including Vice President Mike Pence and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, have publicly urged Americans in recent days to wear a mask in public when they are unable to practice social distancing. Sen. Lamar Alexander, a Tennessee Republican who chairs the Senate health committee, called Tuesday on Trump to occasionally wear a mask even though there are not many occasions when it is necessary for him to do so. Unfortunately, this simple lifesaving practice has become part of a political debate that says: If you're for Trump, you don't wear a mask. If you're against Trump, you do," Alexander said during a hearing on the COVID-19 outbreak. "The president has millions of admirers, Alexander said. They would follow his lead. It would help end this political debate. The stakes are too high for it to continue." Story continues Former Vice President Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic nominee for president, has called for face masks be mandatory in public as part of his response plan to COVID-19. "Everyone needs to wear a mask in public, period. Period, Biden said Tuesday during a news conference in Wilmington, Delaware. "It's called patriotism. It's called responsibility. It's called looking out for another person." Trump has said that, for him, wearing a mask in public would not appear presidential. He told The Wall Street Journal earlier this month that he thinks some people wear masks as a political symbol of opposition to him rather than as a health precaution. He also expressed concern that they are not hygienic. Michael Collins covers the White House. Reach him on Twitter @mcollinsNEWS. Ill-prepared: Despite warnings, the US wasnt prepared with masks for coronavirus. Now its too late This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Coronavirus: Donald Trump questions need for mandatory face masks IRVINE, Calif., July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Mazda North American Operations (MNAO) today reported total June sales of 25,326 vehicles, an increase of 10.9 percent compared to June 2019. Sales in the first half of the year totaled 128,869 vehicles, a decrease of 7 percent compared to the same time last year. With 25 selling days in June, compared to 26 the year prior, the company posted an increase of 15.4 percent on a Daily Selling Rate (DSR) basis. Mazda North American Operations is headquartered in Irvine, Calif., and oversees the sales, marketing, parts and customer service support of Mazda vehicles in the United States and Mexico through nearly 700 dealers. Operations in Mexico are managed by Mazda Motor de Mexico in Mexico City. For more information on Mazda vehicles, including photography and B-roll, please visit the online Mazda media center at www.mazdausamedia.com. (PRNewsFoto/Mazda North American Operations) (PRNewsfoto/MAZDA NORTH AMERICAN OPERATIONS) Sales Highlights The CX-9 saw its best June ever with 2,727 vehicles sold, an increase of 48.9 percent. The CX-30 saw best-ever sales results since launching in November 2019 with 3,526 vehicles sold. Sales of the MX-5 Miata increased 27.3 percent with 966 vehicles sold in June. CPO sales totaled 7,133 vehicles in June, an increase of 25.8 percent compared to June 2019. Mazda Motor de Mexico (MMdM) reported June sales of 4,133 vehicles, a decrease of 2.3 percent compared to June last year. Year-to-date sales decreased 27.5 percent, with 21,299 vehicles sold. Today Mazda Motor Corporation also resumed double shift operations at both the Ujina Plants and Hofu Plant No.2. The Hofu Plant No.1 will resume double shift operations on July 27. As consumer demand for cars has started to see a recovery in some markets, Mazda will proceed with cautious steps to meet customers' requests while continuing to implement infection prevention measures. Mazda North American Operations is headquartered in Irvine, California, and oversees the sales, marketing, parts and customer service support of Mazda vehicles in the United States and Mexico through approximately 620 dealers. Operations in Mexico are managed by Mazda Motor de Mexico in Mexico City. For more information on Mazda vehicles, including photography and B-roll, please visit the online Mazda media center at InsideMazda.MazdaUSA.com/Newsroom. Follow MNAO's social media channels through Twitter and Instagram at @MazdaUSA and Facebook at Facebook.com/MazdaUSA. Story continues Month-To-Date Year-To-Date June June YOY % % MTD June June YOY % % MTD 2020 2019 Change DSR 2020 2019 Change DSR Mazda3 3,250 3,990 (18.5)% (15.3)% 16,228 28,523 (43.1)% (43.1)% Mazda6 1,356 1,681 (19.3)% (16.1)% 8,085 13,075 (38.2)% (38.2)% MX-5 Miata 966 759 27.3% 32.4% 4,320 3,914 10.4% 10.4% CX-3 1,000 1,324 (24.5)% (21.5)% 4,757 6,784 (29.9)% (29.9)% CX-30 3,526 0 16,956 0 CX-5 12,501 13,242 (5.6)% (1.8)% 65,072 74,387 (12.5)% (12.5)% CX-9 2,727 1,832 48.9% 54.8% 13,451 11,872 13.3% 13.3% CARS 5,572 6,430 (13.3)% (9.9)% 28,633 45,512 (37.1)% (37.1)% TRUCKS 19,754 16,398 20.5% 25.3% 100,236 93,043 7.7% 7.7% TOTAL 25,326 22,828 10.9% 15.4% 128,869 138,555 (7.0)% (7.0)% *Selling Days 25 26 153 153 Cision View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/mazda-reports-june-sales-results-301086995.html SOURCE Mazda North American Operations The Views resident conservative co-host Meghan McCain on Tuesday defended the white St. Louis couple who brandished guns at Black Lives Matter protesters near their property, claiming the recent defund the police narrative from activists breeds hysteria and it breeds fear. Earlier this week, video and images of personal injury lawyers Mark and Patricia McCloskey pointing firearms at demonstrators in front of their mansion went viral. Protesters, who were marching to Mayor Lyda Krewsons house to call for her resignation, entered the private street through a gate, prompting the McCloskeys to exit their home with guns to yell at the demonstrators. Discussing the wildly varying reactions to the incident, which is now being investigated by local police with the couple described as victims, McCain agreed that the image of the couple brandishing weapons at protesters was a snapshot of a divided America. At the same time, she took issue with the way the McCloskeys carelessly handled their weapons. This woman had her finger on the trigger the entire time, she declared. Trigger control is a big thing with pistols. The man has no muzzle control whatsoever. That means the front part of AR-15hes pointing it in all directions. Its highly, highly dangerous and irresponsible. Noting that the couples narrative has been extremely inconsistent regarding the protesters, she still empathized with the fear the couple supposedly felt as they saw marching demonstrators enter their street. The question I always had is what happens when you start going into the suburbs when people a lot of times are armed and do feel intimidated, she said, adding: If a mob of people comes into your neighborhood and breaks a gate, thats one of the things theyre claiming, people are going to feel intimidated. I dont agree with how they did it. Reiterating that its a snapshot of whats going on in America, McCain went on to say that its a blueprint of a cultural war. Story continues Co-host Whoopi Goldberg, meanwhile, questioned the claims made by the couple that there was an angry mob of hundreds of protesters that crashed through an iron gate, saying the video just shows a few demonstrators who are walking past the house. They said they called the police and they called the people that are supposed to come check on you, the neighborhood watch, Goldberg added. They said nobody came. I have to wonder how many people were there. Were they out there waiting for them to come out with their guns? The timeline is odd to me. McCain reacted to the veteran View host by leaning back on social justice activists and progressives pushing for police reform and the defunding of law enforcement. But the question I also have is if the narrative is now defund the police and when you call the policeand theres been audio and video has been played all over Fox News of people calling the police and the 911 call saying please call your representative in City Hall instead, McCain asserted, apparently referencing a 911 call made by a scared woman trapped in her car as protesters marched through an intersection. And if theres a feeling...that if you call the police and they are being defunded and they wont come, it breeds hysteria and it breeds fear, she continued. And I think we have to be really clear about this role going forward of what the police is in the United States of America. Goldberg countered by saying she doesnt know the situation in that particular neighborhood, but in her experience, private enclaves tend to have their own security, wondering why the couple felt the need to call the police. I dont live in a gated community so I dont know, McCain tersely replied. Read more at The Daily Beast. Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast here Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now! Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more. MEMPHIS, Tenn. Memphis police showed up at Civic Center Plaza outside City Hall Wednesday morning around 6 a.m. local time to remove protesters who have been camped out for the past two weeks. The city said the move was necessary to allow for renovation of the building's roof and exterior, and after a standoff, about nine demonstrators were led away in handcuffs starting about 8:41 a.m. The demonstrators appeared not to resist the police officers as they were placed one-by-one into police vehicles, and the police appeared not to use hand strikes, tear gas, pepper spray, batons or similar use of force. Officers picked up one man and were carrying him before he started walking. Two other people were carried all the way to a truck by three officers each. Seattle mayor orders protesters to leave: Police clear the CHOP zone and make arrests Police took longer to remove one demonstrator named Salamander Pride, 27, who was attached to a fence as part of the protest. A city worker appeared to use bolt cutters to remove the bike lock or similar device that was attaching Pride to the fence. Four police officers then picked up Pride and put the demonstrator in a police car shortly before 9:15 a.m. Salmander Pride is carried away by Memphis Police officers after refusing to leave Civic Center Plaza on Wednesday, July 1, 2020. City officials announced plans Tuesday to remove protesters camped out for the past two weeks. Demonstrator Theryn Bond was not arrested and told reporters that another person had been forcefully taken down to the ground at another point. Details on that incident were still unconfirmed and unclear shortly after 9:15 a.m. Earlier Wednesday morning, the government gave notice that anyone who did not leave the area could be arrested, and the situation had developed into a standoff, with a small number of demonstrators defying orders to disperse. At 8:25 a.m., about 25 to 30 demonstrators were in front of the entrance to City Hall. At 8:41 a.m., police officers walked up to them and began detaining protesters. A barricade had been put up around the plaza and police are not allowing anyone to enter the area that was not already inside when the fences were put in place. Story continues The detentions followed a standoff of more than an hour. Shortly after 7:30 a.m., Memphis Police Department Deputy Chief Paul Wright told The Memphis Commercial Appeal, part of the USA TODAY Network, that the demonstrators could relocate to nearby parts of the plaza, including a spot near a group of international flags. Hello, from Memphis City Hall as protesters and MPD are at odds about clearing Civic Center Plaza. About a dozen people are still inside barricades, including one person chained to the fence outside the building. Posted by The Commercial Appeal on Wednesday, July 1, 2020 A recorded voice was telling demonstrators to disperse. Someone shouted back an expletive. One group of demonstrators remained right in front of City Hall with arms linked, apparently waiting for arrest, but shortly before 8 a.m., the police hadn't moved in. At least two demonstrators had attached themselves to a chain-link fence outside City Hall. They said their names were Salamander Pride, 27, and Aaron Copeland, an unhoused 18-year-old. They said they were ready for anything and that this is too important for them to give an inch. They spoke about the crush of capitalism, and said they have no other options. Right at 8 a.m., the police department ordered media to get out of the immediate area, just across the trolley tracks. Journalists could still see what was happening and demonstrators were still chanting. Shortly before 8:30 a.m., some activists were talking to MPD Deputy Director Mike Ryall.A chant arose from the plaza: Why are you in riot gear? We dont see no riot here. Activist Theryn Bond was in a heated discussion with city chief operating officer Doug McGowan and Ryall, demanding to know what organizations he had donated to that support Black people in Memphis. The detentions began moments later. The campout had arisen from a broader set of protests related to the death of George Floyd in police custody in Minneapolis. A group of demonstrators led by the local democratic socialist party had set up numerous tents on the plaza immediately outside the seat of Memphis government, and on Sunday had even begun planting crops in grass nearby: a group of tomatoes and cantaloupe plants. Some of the people involved in the campout said they have no homes. Activists demands are that $30 million be defunded from MPD, $10 million put toward public education, $10 million toward public transit and $10 million toward ending homelessness. Around 7 a.m., several protesters gathered in front of a fence covered with Black Lives Matter and other signs, some asking each other whether they were prepared for arrest. Those who didnt want to risk arrest were encouraged to leave the area. Joey Scott, who camped at City Hall for four days tore down the idea to vacate before the 7:30 a.m. clearing time. "It is important to go directly to the seat of power to have our voices heard," Scott said. Protesters' eviction from the Civic Center Plaza comes after a notice of construction was posted Tuesday. The notice indicated the plaza was marked as an "egress path" as construction was being made to City Hall's roof and exterior. A copy of the notice was shared in a release by the Tennessee Poor People's Campaign. According to the release, the notice was posted after 4 p.m. Tuesday. People gather Tuesday, June 16, 2020, while occupying Civic Center Plaza in downtown Memphis. "This action will negatively impact the unhoused families who have been forced to consider this home and depend on the volunteers who provide healthy meals, face masks and other essentials to the women, men and children facing homelessness," according to the release. "This also comes as hundreds of families face eviction due to the expedited processing of evictions which began last week." Police arrived at the plaza and said that the group should move the encampment Tuesday night, Jan Lentz, one of the protesters, said by text message. Lentz, co-chair with the Memphis-MidSouth Democratic Socialists of America, has been part of the protest. Chunks of material have fallen off the exterior of City hall, and for more than a year, a chain-link fence has stopped pedestrians from getting too close. In May 2019, Mayor Jim Strickland told WMC that the renovations would cost millions of dollars. Construction at City Hall was scheduled to begin Wednesday and continue on weekdays between 7:30 a.m. and 5 p.m., according to the notice shared with The Memphis Commercial Appeal. Protesters have stayed outside City Hall since June 16, when the Memphis Interfaith Coalition for Hope and Change (MICAH) posted a list of demands. Since then, organizations including the Poor People's Campaign and the Memphis-MidSouth Democratic Socialists of America have remained outside City Hall. The City of Memphis posted a notice of construction Tuesday afternoon, according to protesters. Construction on the plaza will affect the demonstration that has taken place outside City Hall for the last 15 days. The text of the City of Memphis' notice of construction: The City of Memphis will be renovating City Hall. Renovations include repairs and replacement of the roof and exterior marble panels. All members of the public should read and abide by this Public Notice. LOCATION: 125 N. Main Street TIMELINE: Construction will being on July 1, 2020 and last until completion. Standard workhours will include 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, barring weather or other unforeseen circumstances. WORK AND SAFETY ZONES: Work and safety zones will be established as illustrated. Fencing will be erected to secure all equipment and to create a safe distance from the work zone. Ingress and Egress zones to allow for an emergency exit from City Hall, as required by Fire Codes, will be established and marked. Emergency vehicle access will be maintained at all times. No obstructions of the Ingress/egress or emergency vehicle access will be permitted; any obstructions will be removed. ALL PERSONS SHOULD KEEP AWAY FROM FENCING. [Map] See emergency egress paths highlighted in green above. The emergency "evacuation points" are indicated by "EP" above. These are subject to change based on construction requirements and status. Means of egress shall be maintained throughout the construction project. Follow the Memphis Commercial Appeal on Twitter: @memphisnews Now its too late: Despite warnings, the US wasnt prepared with masks for coronavirus US coronavirus map: Tracking the outbreak This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Memphis protesters ordered to vacate City Hall area by Memphis police Click here to read the full article. MEXICO CITY Mexican retailers face sales declines of up to 70 percent this year as COVID-19 continues to rip through Latin Americas second-largest economy with no signs of easing. We have started to reopen in phases, but there is still a lot of uncertainty, said Marcela Munoz, a retail analyst with Vector Casa de Bolsa brokerage, adding that leading department stores such as Liverpool or El Palacio de Hierro have been hit hard by the pandemic. Department store sales declined 50 percent last month on a same-store basis and they had to stay closed in April and May, said Munoz. She added that May turnover recovered compared to April, when it fell 73 percent. Sales are also expected to gradually increase this month as the government allowed some retailers to resume operations this week after three months of lockdowns. In Mexico City, for example, Liverpool, El Palacio de Hierro, Sears and other big-box retailers have opened, though boutiques in trendy quarters such as La Roma or Polanco remain mostly shuttered, experts said. Like others around the world, Mexican retailers have bolstered their online offerings to compensate for plunging trade in physical stores, Munoz said. One such event, called Hot Sale 2020, outstripped expectations, she noted, reporting an 82 percent revenue hike versus last year. The first reopening phase will restrict most stores from operating above 30 percent capacity or dictate whether they can open at all, depending on their states virus alert designation. It all depends on what semaforo [traffic light in English] you are in, said Anna Fusoni, a Mexican fashion expert, adding that large stores are open in the countrys sprawling capital as well as in Guadalajara, Mexicos second-biggest city, but not in Nuevo Leon State, home to the other key northern metropolis of Monterrey. Liverpool is open in Cuernavaca, for example, a town where many of the rich have second homes and VIP weddings are held, but they can only have 30 percent capacity, in line with restaurants and other merchants around the country that have been able to open, said Fusoni. Story continues The future looks grim for retailers, also as its unclear how they will manage to keep their sales floor safe to avoid future outbreaks. They have talked about sanitizing stores and clothing, but its not clear how and if this will succeed, added Fusoni. And while merchants force customers to wear masks and undergo temperature screenings, many people are still out and about without wearing personal protective equipment, she added. Boutiques in Mexico Citys Fifth Avenue equivalent Paseo Masaryk remain shuttered along with similar shops around town until the government declares when they can open in a second phase. Many restaurants, meanwhile, are scrambling to survive amid the 30 percent occupancy restriction. We are going to see sales [decline] more than 50 percent this year, Fusoni predicted. Its going to be tough. If the virus is not beaten soon Mexico had 221,000 cases and 27,100 deaths as of press time with no flat line in sight some of the countrys leading department store chains may be forced to close, analysts said, though they added their recent success in boosting online sales will provide them with an oxygen tank until things improve. Fashion shows or trade fairs are also quickly going online, leaving buyers with fewer options to source product in a move Fusoni sees as adding challenges for the industry. Intermoda, the countrys biggest sourcing fair, is set to hold a hybrid physical and online event in September, a shift Fusoni expects will make sourcing for local fashion brands more complex. Fusoni, who also helps train young designers at an Intermoda incubator, said Mexico City began easing social gathering restrictions three weeks ago and that since then, many people are out shopping and dining without following safety protocols. Moving forward, many wonder how much Mexicos deepening recession (gross domestic product is seen plunging up to 9 percent) will impact consumers ability to buy clothing. The big problem is not whether stores will reopen [as some may not survive the shutdowns] but whether people are going to buy even basic items like a T-shirt because if you dont have money you are not going to buy apparel, said retail and textiles consultant Arturo Rodriguez. Retailers are going to suffer a lot and will drag apparel manufacturers with them as they wont see many orders and merchants have an overstock of unsold items. We dont even know if schools will reopen in August, a time when many parents buy apparel for their kids, lifting potential sales, added Rodriguez. Mexicans will likely begin purchasing stores excess inventory at huge discounts without concern of them being off-season, while the economy shrinks, Rodriguez predicted. And while some firms avoided bankruptcy in their digital push, brick-and-mortar sales continue to make up the lions share of their business. Levis Mexico has reported their online sales increased, but not enough to compensate for what they stopped selling physically, said Rodriguez. Even then, they had to offer large discounts or specials such as buy one item and get one free, he concluded. Sign up for WWD's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Michelle Keegan regrets posing for sexy photoshoots at the start of her career. (AP) Michelle Keegan has admitted she regrets posing for mens magazines at the start of her acting career. The Our Girl star found fame as Coronation Streets Tina McIntyre in 2008 and was named FHM's Sexiest Woman in the World in 2015 after taking part in a series of sizzling photoshoots for lads mags. Keegan, 33, told Cosmopolitan UK: It wasnt something that I necessarily really wanted to do. I remember feeling very shy because I was really young. But I thought it came as part of being on TV. Now that Im older, I realise that it is OK to say no to something that you dont feel 100% happy with. You dont have to do it because you think you have to do it. Read more: Michelle Keegan proud to have inspired women to join army She added: But I will say, this is no reflection on Coronation Street. I had a brilliant network and team and the PR team were fabulous and really looked after me and it was a different time back then. Everyone did it at that time. Michelle Keegan won numerous 'Sexiest Female' awards during her time in Corrie. (PA) Keegan won the Sexiest Female gong at the British Soap Awards for six years in a row during her time in the ITV soap, before her character was killed off in 2014. The Sexiest Female and Sexiest Male categories were axed in 2015. The actress who married The Only Way Is Essex star turned TV presenter Mark Wright, 33, in 2015 also admitted she resents being asked if she is planning to start a family. Keegan said: A few years ago it didnt bother me and I answered the question, but now I think, I dont need to answer that because nobody knows what goes on behind closed doors. I remember when I finished Our Girl people were like, Is it because youre going off to have a baby? I know for a fact if Mark finished a job, nobody would ask him if he was going to have a baby. Its not fair. It does make me feel frustrated. Michelle Keegan is Cosmo's cover girl for August 2020. (Cosmopolitan) The fourth series of BBC military drama Our Girl aired earlier this year and Keegan has been taking the time in lockdown to write her own TV scripts. Read more: Mark Wright slams trolls who body-shame Michelle Keegan Story continues She said: Ive had meetings with production companies on Zoom. Hopefully its something we can get off the ground. Its exciting. The full interview is available in the August issue of Cosmopolitan, on sale from 2 July, 2020. Watch the latest videos from Yahoo UKs Reality Check LANSING, Mich., July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The Michigan Chamber announces the appointment of Michael Alaimo, as Director of Environmental & Energy Affairs. Mike will be responsible for Chamber energy and environmental policies and initiatives. He is also responsible for staffing, organizing and directing the Chamber's policy advisory committee on energy and environment. The Michigan Chamber of Commerce is a statewide business organization representing approximately 5,800 employers, trade associations and local chambers of commerce. The Michigan Chamber represents businesses of every size and type in all 83 counties of the state. The Michigan Chamber was established in 1959 to be an advocate for Michigan's job providers in the legislative, political and legal process. (PRNewsFoto/Michigan Chamber of Commerce) "We are excited to welcome Mike to our team," said Jim Holcomb, Senior Executive Vice President and General Council with Michigan Chamber. "Mike possesses the policy background and institutional knowledge necessary to be an effective advocate for Chamber members. Known for his issue expertise and strong relationships with policy makers and staff across state government, Mike has a reputation for getting things done." "Joining the Michigan Chamber in this role is honestly a dream come true," said Michael Alaimo, Director of Environmental & Energy Affairs for the Michigan Chamber . "It is honor to join the leading voice for Michigan business and enterprise, particularly in the critical energy and environmental policy arena." Alaimo has nearly ten years of experience in government affairs - serving as a legislative director and association executive. In 2016, he left the Michigan Legislature to lead the trade association Clean Fuels Michigan as their first executive director. Most recently, he worked in multi-state advocacy for the Renewable Natural Gas Coalition. As a legislative director, Alaimo managed a diverse legislative agenda, excelled in coalition-building and worked extensively in several policy areas including energy, transportation, environment and healthcare. Under his leadership at Clean Fuels Michigan, he brought together the top companies and organizations in the region to push for policies that would improve the business climate and proliferation of clean transportation technologies. The Michigan Chamber is a statewide business organization that represents approximately 5,000 employers, trade associations and local chambers of commerce. The Chamber represents businesses of every size and type in all 83 counties of the state. It was established in 1959 to be an advocate for Michigan job providers in the legislative, political and legal process. www.michamber.com Story continues Cision View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/michigan-chamber-of-commerce-announces-new-director-of-environmental--energy-affairs-301087023.html SOURCE Michigan Chamber of Commerce The case traces back to August 2016 when county police officers went to an apartment building in Randallstown to serve arrest warrants on Gaines for not appearing in court on a traffic case and on her fiancee for an alleged assault. After no one opened the door, the first officers unlocked it with a key from the apartment complex and later kicked it in to break the security chain. Every entrepreneur, anyone who's ever had an idea and thought, I could make money out of this, dreams of riches and success. Zoom founder and CEO Eric Yuan, who had his idea for videoconferencing rejected by his managers at Cisco, must be content with his company's stock performance over the last 12 months: He is now a billionaire. Or Peter Thiel, who founded PayPal, and went within a year from an IPO to a wholly owned subsidiary of eBay worth $1.5 billion. Paratroopers of the 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division, U.S. Army Alaska, demonstrate a joint forcible entry into Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, June 30 U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Divine Cox US Army Alaska airborne troops flew from Alaska to Guam, where they jumped Tuesday and seized control of the airfield at Andersen Air Force Base in a mock invasion. The exercise comes amid tensions with rival powers and as the US military attempts to demonstrate its ability to project power at great distances, something it has been doing with bombers and aircraft carriers. These images show how the mock invasion went down. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. Hundreds of US Army paratroopers practiced launching a long-range invasion of a Pacific island on Tuesday as the US military flexes its muscles in the region. Here's what it looked like. US Army airborne troops flew nearly 5,000 miles to execute a mock invasion of Guam. US Army paratroopers jump over Guam from US Air Force C-17 airlift planes U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Richard Ebensberger Over 400 paratroopers flew from Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Alaska to Andersen Air Force Base in Guam, where the soldiers jumped and practiced seizing an airfield, which would clear the way for follow-on forces in a real combat situation. US Army Alaska called it the exercise, which appears to be part of the Department of Defense's ongoing efforts to master modern expeditionary warfare tactics for possible combat in the Pacific theater, the "largest airborne operation here in recent memory." The paratroopers flew in US Air Force C-17 Globemaster III transport aircraft, gearing up for the jump en route. US Army paratroopers jump over Guam U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Divine Cox The participating airborne troops are part of the 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division of US Army Alaska, the Army's only Pacific airborne brigade able to deploy rapidly anywhere in the world. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. The airborne troops that jumped into Guam were only given a few days notice to simulate a real invasion scenario. Paratroopers descend on Andersen Air Force Base in Guam U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Divine Cox The "scenario tested our ability to execute real-world missions and demonstrated that we are capable of deploying anywhere in the US Indo-Pacific Command area at a moment's notice," Col. Christopher Landers, the commander of US Army Alaska's 4-25 IBCT(A), explained in a release. Story continues US paratroopers at Andersen Air Force Base U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Michael S. Murphy Source: US Army Alaska The invasion drill, part of ongoing exercises in the Marianas, comes amid tensions with China in strategic airspace and waterways and as the US attempts to demonstrate its ability to project power in a clear message to rivals. US paratroopers at Andersen U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Divine Cox China has constructed military outposts, including some with operational airfields that have at times hosted fighters and bombers, across the disputed South China Sea, a contested waterway where the US and Chinese militaries have had some "risky" run-ins in recent months. The US demonstrated reach with synchronized flights through Europe and the Pacific in May with US-based B-52H Stratofortress and B-2 Spirit bombers. US paratroopers at Andersen U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Michael S. Murphy STRATCOM said at the time that the "dynamic employment" of these long-range bombers "showcased the United States' ability to conduct synchronized strategic deterrence anywhere in the world with a ready, lethal force." US-based bombers have been flying regularly over Europe and the Pacific in recent months. And, as another demonstration of US military power projection capabilities, the US Navy has three carrier strike groups in the Pacific, where the service just conducted back-to-back dual carrier operations in a week. A US paratrooper at Andersen U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Richard Ebensberger "Dual carrier operations," one strike group commander said, "demonstrate our commitment to regional allies, our ability to rapidly mass combat power in the Indo-Pacific, and our readiness to confront all those who challenge international norms that support regional stability." Read the original article on Business Insider A survey published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that 54% of people infected with coronavirus were unable to pinpoint who may have infected them. Experts said the survey results underscore an important point: Community and asymptomatic spread is alive and well, which makes contact tracing especially difficult during the pandemic. More than half of the 350 respondents couldnt identify a person with COVID-19 with whom they had close contact in the previous two weeks. If people dont know where they got (COVID-19) and they cant identify it at home or from a family member, theyre getting it from the community, said Len Horovitz, pulmonary specialist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City, suggesting people unknowingly get infected outside their homes, possibly in indoor establishments without masks or social distancing. A server wearing a face mask takes orders from a table of customers at Eight Row Flint in Houston on May 22 amid the coronavirus pandemic. Dr. Joshua Barocas, assistant professor of medicine at the Boston University School of Medicine, said the CDC survey highlights the prevalence of asymptomatic disease and spread. Its very concerning, he said during a media briefing hosted by the Infectious Disease Society of America. We have seen asymptomatic disease is incredibly common, not just in what we classify as low-risk populations but also high-risk populations. FAQs: Everything you need to know about reentering the world (or not) Contact tracing and testing needed Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told CNN Monday that contact tracing in the USA isnt going very well. The World Health Organization breaks down contact tracing into three basic steps: identification, listing and follow-up. Contact tracing helped end the Ebola outbreak; public health experts say it can stop COVID-19, too A patient who tests positive for the virus is asked whom he or she contacted, such as family members, colleagues, friends or health care providers. Then tracers attempt to identify and reach out to all those who came into contact with the COVID-19-positive patient. Regular follow-ups should be conducted with all contacts to monitor for symptoms. Story continues What youre seeing is community-based spread where 20 to 40% of the people who are infected dont have any symptoms, Fauci said. So the standard, classic paradigm of identification, isolation, contact tracing doesnt work no matter how good you are because you dont know who youre tracing. The nation's top infectious disease expert said the federal government is considering blanketing these communities with tests to get a clear picture of infection. Risks abound Even in bars and restaurants where social distancing is observed, Horovitz said, air ventilation can carry respiratory droplets or aerosols that contain virus. In a separate study, the CDC published initial findings of an outbreak linked to the airflow in a Guangzhou, China, restaurant. Over the course of 12 days, nine people who dined at the restaurant Jan. 24 fell ill as a result of another patron with a COVID-19 infection, the authors determined. Within five days, three people sitting at the infected patron's table were infected along with another below the air conditioner. Of the 91 people in the restaurant during that hour, only those at tables in the way of the air conditioners airflow contracted the virus. Dr. Ricardo Franco, assistant professor of medicine at the University of Alabama-Birmingham, said the culprit may not be a person but a contaminated surface although most experts said this type of infection is relatively rare. I think the study really illustrates the tough reality that for (some) people getting infected, your contact is going to be your anonymous door handle or gas pump handle or that indoor environment, Franco said. A few tips to minimize your risk: Leaving your coronavirus isolation? Think about these 3 things first Health and patient safety coverage at USA TODAY is made possible in part by a grant from the Masimo Foundation for Ethics, Innovation and Competition in Healthcare. The Masimo Foundation does not provide editorial input. Follow Adrianna Rodriguez on Twitter: @AdriannaUSAT. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Most COVID-19 patients don't know who infected them, CDC survey finds HOUSTON, July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Motiva Enterprises today announced the retirement of Todd Fredin, effective July 1, 2020. Fredin joined Motiva's executive leadership team as Executive Vice President of Supply, Trading and Logistics in November 2013 following his role as Vice President of Saudi Aramco Products Trading Company, based in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. Motiva Logo (PRNewsfoto/Motiva Enterprises) "Todd Fredin has been an incredible asset to Motiva for more than six years and has been instrumental in transforming the company into what it is today," said Motiva President and CEO Brian Coffman. "He is recognized as a thought leader in our industry and has built our highly successful Supply, Trading and Logistics organization from the ground up." Georganne Hodges will succeed Fredin as Executive Vice President of Supply, Trading and Logistics. Hodges has most recently served as Motiva's Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and Executive Vice President of Finance, Supply Chain Management and Information Technology. Hodges brings 30-plus years of wholesale and retail energy experience, as well as extensive industry experience across the energy value chain. "I've had the pleasure of working with Georganne since she joined Motiva in 2016," said Fredin. "I'm confident that the Supply, Trading and Logistics organization will reach new levels of excellence under her leadership." Rose Sink will join Motiva's executive leadership team as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and Executive Vice President of Finance. Sink joined Motiva in 2014 as the Refining Finance Manager and has most recently served as the General Manager of Supply and Logistics. Sink has held several individual and leadership roles in both finance and accounting since starting her career with Shell in 1991. "Each member of my team has a unique perspective and passion for results across the business," said Coffman. "I look forward to navigating industry challenges and seizing new opportunities for Motiva alongside an outstanding executive leadership team." Story continues About Motiva Headquartered in Houston, Texas, Motiva refines, distributes and markets petroleum products throughout the United States. Motiva owns and operates North America's largest refinery in Port Arthur, Texas with a crude capacity of more than 630,000 barrels a day. The company also operates the country's largest lubricant plant as well as the adjacent chemical plant, Port Arthur Chemicals. Under exclusive, long-term brand licenses with Shell and Phillips 66 (for the 76 brand), Motiva's marketing operations support more than 5,000 retail gasoline stations. The company's 2,700 US employees are dedicated to delivering excellence and having fun making a difference. Motiva is wholly owned by Saudi Aramco. Cision View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/motiva-announces-todd-fredin-retirement-as-executive-vice-president-of-supply-trading-and-logistics-georganne-hodges-and-rose-sink-assume-new-executive-leadership-roles-301086991.html SOURCE Motiva Enterprises LLC Rockland County in upstate New York is threatening to issue subpoenas to residents who are refusing to cooperate with coronavirus contact tracing efforts, following the appearance of a new cluster of cases. This is the first time that the county, and possibly any local New York government, has threatened legal action against residents who may have been exposed to coronavirus. The cluster was attributed to a party held in the village of Clarkstown on June 13, when the host of the party was already infected and exhibiting coronavirus symptoms. At least eight new cases have been traced back to the event, which was attended by 50 to 100 people in their early 20s. Local officials also said that they were aware of people who attended the party who were refusing to self-quarantine. The eight young adults infected at the party are currently refusing to discuss their subsequent movements with contact tracers who are attempting to stem the outbreak. We dont really know why theyre not cooperating with us, John Lyon, spokesman for the Rockland County Executive Office, toldA National Review by phone. We havent heard anyone specifically cite privacy as their concern to this. Lyon said some parents of young adults who health officials know attended the party, have also refused to admit that their children were in attendance. There may be a misconception that they [will] get into trouble for it, but really, the only way to get in trouble is to not talk to us, Lyon said. In addition to subpoenas, the county may slap fines of $2,000 per day on partygoers who do not cooperate with health workers. We are deadly serious, Rockland County Executive Ed Day, a Republican, said of the contact tracing efforts at a press conference. The county used subpoenas in 2019 to force families to vaccinate their children against measles. That year saw a measles outbreak across the U.S. with a large cluster of 225 patients in Rockland, which led health officials to mandate measles vaccinations county-wide. Local officials also forbid families from sending unvaccinated children to schools during the outbreak. Story continues Lyon said the county is using the same contact tracing program established during the measles outbreak to contain the spread of coronavirus. Additionally, Lyon noted that the use of subpoeanas in that outbreak was successful in compelling residents to obtain vaccinations for their children. Rockland has seen 668 deaths from coronavirus since the beginning of the pandemic. The county is set to implement Phase 3 of New Yorks reopening plan on Wednesday, allowing indoor dining at restaurants at up to 50 percent capacity and opening spas and nail salons. More from National Review Washington expressed strong displeasure on Tuesday over the passage of the Hong Kong national security law, which gives Beijing sweeping authority to curtail democratic freedoms, even as US lawmakers debated what leverage they have to effectively apply pressure on China. "We will not stand idly by," Senator Marsha Blackburn, a Republican from Tennessee and member of the powerful Armed Services and Commerce committees, said on Twitter. Senator Tom Cotton, a Republic from Arkansas, echoed the mood. "Xi Jinping and his Communist thugs must face severe consequences for crushing Hong Kong's freedoms," he said in a statement. Cotton, an outspoken China hawk, called on the Trump administration to consider "all options at its disposal" aimed at denying Beijing the benefits of Hong Kong's distinct economic privileges. Last week by unanimous consent, the Senate passed a bill that could punish Chinese officials for violating commitments made under the Sino-British Joint Declaration and the Basic Law, the city's de facto constitution, and Cotton urged the House of Representatives to pass companion legislation. "Those complicit in snuffing out freedom, democracy, and human rights in Hong Kong must be held accountable," Senator Chris Van Hollen, a Democrat who introduced the Senate version known as the Hong Kong Autonomy Act, said on Twitter. The House speaker, Representative Nancy Pelosi of California, said in a statement that Congress was united "in support of freedom, justice and real autonomy for the people of Hong Kong," echoing calls for Beijing to be held accountable. Passage of the security law " which gives Beijing broad powers to punish protests and critics under vaguely worded sedition and terrorism provisions " was widely expected after China's rubber-stamp National People's Congress (NPC) approved the measure in May. But the specifics were all but unknown by most NPC delegates or Hong Kong residents until Tuesday " after it became law. Story continues Analysts said China likely underestimated the global resistance, assuming the world would be largely distracted by the pandemic and economic downturn. Christian Lindner, the leader of German Free Democratic Party, holds a sign in support of pro-democracy Hongkongers at the Bundestag in Berlin on Tuesday. Photo: EPA-EFE alt=Christian Lindner, the leader of German Free Democratic Party, holds a sign in support of pro-democracy Hongkongers at the Bundestag in Berlin on Tuesday. Photo: EPA-EFE "They miscalculated," said Ho-fung Hung, a professor of political economy at Johns Hopkins University. "The international community, particularly the US, reaction to this is going to be quite serious. It will make Beijing pay quite a substantial price and cost the Chinese economy, hi-tech development and financial development, some troubles in years to come." In recent days, the European Union has joined the US in expressing its strong disapproval, echoed somewhat less forcefully by Japan and South Korea, among others. The US in recent weeks has also announced an end to preferential tariffs for Hong Kong, tighter restrictions on technology exports and sanctions on Chinese and Hong Kong officials, without providing specifics. China's Asian neighbours " including partners in the Belt and Road Initiative aimed at spurring regional development " will likely have a more muted reaction, but the implications of Beijing's move are not lost on them, some said. "The top leaders of these countries will not say too much because they all have lots of business ties with China," said Victor Shih, chair in China relations at the University of California, San Diego. "But I think privately, this serves as a serious warning to China's neighbouring countries because all of China's promises of autonomy, it's just that," he added. "If Beijing can use its economic and security coercive capacity to compel a territory to comply with its wishes, it will do so." The heavy-handed move in Hong Kong dovetails with more aggressive action on the edges of its territory, analysts said. In recent weeks Chinese soldiers have clashed with their Indian counterparts along their disputed border, killing several. China in recent months has stepped up island-building activities, patrols and resource exploration in the South China Sea and flexed its muscles in the East China Sea and with Taiwan. "Beijing's actions in Hong Kong should not be viewed in isolation, but rather as part of a broader pattern of China working to gain greater control over its claimed territories along its entire periphery," said Ryan Haas, a fellow at the Brookings Institution and former China director at the National Security Council. In a statement, the Chinese Foreign Ministry termed the security law a "fundamental solution for Hong Kong to restore order, end chaos and resume stability" that "reflects the shared will of all Chinese people including Hong Kong compatriots". US analysts voiced concern over elements of the new law. The sedition provisions could apply to almost any "obstruction" of government functions, including legislators blocking a bill, they said. And terrorism provisions can theoretically apply to anyone who blocks traffic during an unapproved protest. "Basically any act of defiance will be considered a crime and will be punished with minimum sentencing" of three years, said Shih. A demonstrator in Hong Kong in September shows support for the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act, which was being debated in the US Congress. It later became law. Photo: Bloomberg alt=A demonstrator in Hong Kong in September shows support for the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act, which was being debated in the US Congress. It later became law. Photo: Bloomberg The foreign ministry countered that the bill would be judiciously implemented. "We have every confidence in the bright prospects of Hong Kong," it said. The international community has acknowledged that it has limited leverage over China, but some expressed confidence that global displeasure and punitive steps could shape Beijing's actions over time. Britain recently said it would help many Hong Kong residents gain UK citizenship. Taipei has reacted similarly, adding in a statement on Tuesday: "Taiwan will not stand idly by." And Washington has said it will consider similar immigration policies. "It's almost like a Saigon 1975 moment," said Hung, referring to the end of the Vietnam war. "The world recognises that it's lost. The best they can do is accept people who come from there." Tougher US restrictions on dual-use technology exports to Hong Kong could undercut the Greater Bay Area by cutting Chinese companies off from leading-edge technology, others said. "Now they're all at risk," said Hung. The most effective, if rather blunt, tool Washington has is its grip over the global banking system through the US dollar's global currency status, analysts said. This would allow the US to sanction individuals and financial institutions seen abetting Beijing in cracking down on Hong Kong. China has apparently anticipated this under the new security law with a provision making it a crime to work with "foreign forces" that endanger national security, analysts said. This could apply to financial institutions that comply with US financial sanctions. "The bank would be trapped between a rock and hard place. They could be arrested," said Shih. "I think the combination of the potential US sanctions and this national security law will accelerate the decline of the financial industry in Hong Kong." Others expressed confidence that Hong Kong would adapt, albeit in less vibrant form, as it has done in the past. One thing is relatively certain, analysts said. As Washington and Beijing face off over trade, a pandemic blame game and Hong Kong, expect more turbulence. "We should expect the overall action-reaction cycle in US-China relations to accelerate in the weeks to come," said Haas. Additional reporting by Owen Churchill in Washington This article originally appeared in the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the most authoritative voice reporting on China and Asia for more than a century. For more SCMP stories, please explore the SCMP app or visit the SCMP's Facebook and Twitter pages. Copyright 2020 South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Copyright (c) 2020. South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. UCLA medical students make face shields to support doctors caring for COVID-19 patients. (Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times) July 1 is a big day in medical education. Its traditionally the day newly minted doctors start their first year of residency. But this year is different. Making the transition from medical school to residency training programs has been complicated by the coronavirus. We were all really freaking out, said Dr. Christine Petrin, who just graduated from medical school at Tulane University in New Orleans and is starting a combined residency in internal medicine and pediatrics at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital in Washington, D.C. Fourth-year students learned their residency assignments in March, just as everything was shutting down because of the pandemic. After getting the news of their placements, Petrin said, some of her friends were worried about being able to enter states that were closing their borders. They just rapidly picked up and moved. Found an apartment, packed up the car and went. Petrin said she was lucky. Although she scoped out apartments online, her sister, who lives in Washington, could visit them in person. Dr. Erin Fredrickson was not as fortunate. She graduated in May from Campbell University School of Osteopathic Medicine near Raleigh, N.C., and her family practice residency was across the country at the University of Washington in Seattle. She and her partner were already planning a road trip across the country with their dog, but it turned out to be much different than the leisurely journey they had envisioned. We were going to visit friends in different places along the way, Fredrickson said. We were going to camp, but a lot of places to camp were closed. We ended up staying in Airbnb guest houses in an effort to minimize contact with anyone else. Dr. Janis Orlowski, chief health care officer for the Assn. of American Medical Colleges, agreed this has been a year like no other. Among other things, graduates traveling from states that are or have been hot spots are being asked to quarantine for 14 days upon arrival. That has required more flexibility than usual from residency administrators used to starting programs at an exact time. Story continues Its been really messy, Orlowski said. But it looks like its coming together. In some instances, the medical students graduating this year some of whom finished up early to help in the hospitals attached to their medical schools have it easier than students directly behind them. Almost from the start of the outbreak, third- and fourth-year students who would typically spend much or all of their time in the hospital were shut out to avoid being exposed to the coronavirus. Even the newly graduated doctors were generally kept away from COVID-19 patients. The restrictions were intended not only for their own safety, said Orlowski, but also to help protect patients. If you have a COVID patient, you dont need 14 people marching into the room, she said. We wanted to decrease the team size. Shortages of personal protective equipment also made smaller care teams necessary. For most of the graduating seniors, required rotations were generally finished by the time the coronavirus had upset their plans. Those that were not could be made up. But for third-year students, the time out of the hospital will be more difficult to recoup as the pandemic drags on and continues to spread. For the moment, most students are also barred from working at hospitals other than their own, an option that normally allows students to expand their horizons. In addition, those soon-to-be fourth-year students who normally would be traveling around the country to interview for residencies will be making virtual visits instead. On Tuesday, for instance, the six medical schools in the University of California system announced that all residency interviews in the 2020-2021 academic year will be conducted virtually. Thats a real shame, Petrin said, because being on-site in some cases changed my perception for better or worse. But right now its about safety, Orlowski said. Were trying to cut down on any travel, she said. But were also trying to make it fair. We dont want some students to have in-person interviews and others not. For those starting residency this week, one of the hardest things will be getting through all the errands she wont have time for later. I moved to a new state, and I need a new drivers license and license plates, Fredrickson said. And the DMV is still closed. Rovner is the chief Washington correspondent for Kaiser Health News , a nonprofit news service covering health issues. It is an editorially independent program of the Kaiser Family Foundation and is not affiliated with Kaiser Permanente. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Adm. McRaven speaks at a National Defense Industrial Association gathering in Washington in February 2012. Charles Dharapak/AP Photo Retired Adm. William McRaven, a former head of US Special Operations Command, emphasized that despite the hardships facing the country, he remained optimistic in leaving its future with the younger generation. "I'm the biggest fan of the millennials you'll ever meet," McRaven said during a virtual broadcast of the Aspen Ideas Festival. McRaven, who is 64 years old and served 37 of them in the Navy, said his belief "surprises a lot of people" due to a faulty narrative that the younger generation, particularly millennials, are "little snowflakes." "I'm always quick to point out then you've never seen them in a firefight in Afghanistan," he said. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. Retired Adm. William McRaven, a former US Navy SEAL commander and head of US Special Operations Command, emphasized that he remained optimistic in leaving the country's future to the younger generation even with the challenges of fighting coronavirus and systemic racism. "I've said it before, but I'm the biggest fan of the millennials you'll ever meet," McRaven said during a virtual broadcast of the Aspen Ideas Festival, referring to the generation born from 1981 to 1996. Related video: Mars CEO on how millennials are transforming the company's business McRaven, who is 64 years old and served 37 of them in the Navy, said his belief "surprises a lot of people" due to a faulty belief that the younger generation, particularly millennials, are "entitled" and "little snowflakes." "Well, I'm always quick to point out then you've never seen them in a firefight in Afghanistan, or you've never seen them try to make a better life for themselves going to one of our great schools in the state of Texas," McRaven, who was formerly the chancellor of the University of Texas' school system, said. Over 775,000 US service members have been deployed to Afghanistan at least once during the nearly 19-year conflict a number that represents more troops than those who served in the American Revolution of 1775 and the Spanish-American War in 1898, combined. Story continues According to one study published by the Naval Postgraduate School in 2012, the average age of US troops who were injured or killed in Afghanistan or Iraq was 25 years. "This is a remarkable generation," McRaven said. "They're not a lot like my generation in many ways, they are better. They care so much about their friends, they care about the issues, they question things in a way that I'm not sure we baby boomers questioned. They will take a stand on issues." "And so whenever ... I get a little bit concerned about the direction of the country, I just have to reflect back ... and know that we're going to be okay," McRaven added. McRaven admitted that despite some disagreements with some members of this select group, he was "proud of what they're doing ... and I think it will make for a better country in the future." "I've seen the young men and women that are coming up, that are going to take the place of us old guys out there and there is some remarkable Americans," he added. McRaven's tenure in the US Navy spanned numerous leadership positions within the special operations community, including overseeing the successful military raid that killed al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden in 2011. Read the original article on Business Insider A still from a video showing two police officers shoving Martin Gugino, 75, on June 4. Associated Press The 75-year-old man who suffered a serious injury when police officers in Buffalo, New York, shoved him earlier this month was released from the hospital on Tuesday, his attorney said in a statement. Martin Gugino was hospitalized on June 4 after the officers pushed him during a protest against police brutality. He had a fractured skull, his attorney said. "He will be recovering at an undisclosed location in order to ensure his privacy," his attorney said, adding that "his condition will continue to improve with rest and time." Visit Insider's homepage for more stories. The 75-year-old man who suffered a serious injury when police officers in Buffalo, New York, shoved him during a protest against police brutality earlier this month was released from the hospital on Tuesday, his attorney said in a statement. Martin Gugino was hospitalized on June 4. Two officers were later charged with second-degree assault and have pleaded not guilty. The police initially claimed that Gugino "tripped," but a video of the incident that was shared widely showed not only the shove but the aftermath: a line of officers walking past Gugino as a pool of blood formed under his head. President Donald Trump then smeared Gugino. "I watched, he fell harder than was pushed," Trump tweeted on June 9, suggesting without evidence that the longtime Catholic peace activist "could be an ANTIFA provocateur" who staged the incident. Gugino's attorney, Kelly Zarcone, said on Tuesday that Gugino had a fractured skull but could now walk with assistance, WABC reported. "He will be recovering at an undisclosed location in order to ensure his privacy," Zarcone said, adding that "his condition will continue to improve with rest and time." She said Gugino was "overjoyed" by the support he had received and by the efforts to protect other peaceful protesters. "He respects the burden of authority placed upon law enforcement," Zarcone said, "but looks forward to the continued implementation of systemic changes to eliminate police brutality." Have a news tip? Email this reporter at cdavis@insider.com. Read the original article on Insider CEO of the US home furnishings retailer steps down August 1st CHICAGO, July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Today Crate & Barrel Holdings, Inc. announced that after six successful years with the Otto Groupfirst as a member of the Executive Board of the Otto Group responsible for Retail and later as CEO of Crate and Barrel Holdings, Inc.Neela has decided to leave the company on August 1st to pursue new opportunities. Neela informed the board of her decision late last year and the name of her successor will be announced shortly. "It has been a pleasure to lead these amazing brands at Crate and CB2," shared Neela. "We have accelerated their strategic and operational capabilities as a digitally-forward, innovative retailer now positioned for the future. This is a passionate, talented team with a great platform for continued success. I thank them for their commitment and as I take on new challenges, I look forward to seeing their future achievements." As a member of the Executive Board, Neela made significant contributions to the Group's customer orientation and the integration of retail and online channels. As CEO of Crate and Barrel Holdings, she successfully drove the continued sales growth and operational development of the company. Among other achievements, she led the expansion of the CB2 brand, the acquisition of Hudson Grace, the launch of Crate and Barrel's first full-service restaurant concept, The Table at Crate, and a more seamless integration of offline and online channels. Prof. Dr. Michael Otto, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the Otto Group said: "I would like to personally thank Neela for her contribution to the Otto Group over the past six years, first during her tenure in Hamburg and then as the CEO of Crate and Barrel. Though we are losing a global leader whose strategic vision, customer focus and digital expertise has brought us much success, I wish her well in her future endeavors." Story continues Crate and Barrel Holdings Global specialty retailer Crate and Barrel Holdings curates inspiration for the modern home, connecting the creative work of artisans and designers to people and places around the world. Known for high-quality products, exclusive designs and timeless style since 1962, Crate and Barrel Holdings includes lifestyle brands Crate and Barrel, CB2, Crate and Kids and Hudson Grace. Today, the company is a member of the Otto Group and operates over 100 Crate and Barrel and CB2 stores throughout the U.S. and Canada, with franchise locations in 9 countries. More than 200 million customers visit the Crate and Barrel Holdings stores and websites each year. To learn more, visit www.crateandbarrel.com . Cision View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/neela-montgomery-leaves-crate-and-barrel-301086895.html SOURCE Crate and Barrel Until recently, telehealth was considered a convenient luxury. But as social distancing became the norm, the ability to get care virtually rapidly evolved into a public health necessity. In the private sector, telehealth companies such as American Well and Teladoc have been providing convenient from-home virtual care for years, but these video visits come with a price tag most Medicaid beneficiaries cannot afford. To be sure, telehealth regulations exist for a reason. From protecting data privacy, assuaging system fraud, and ensuring high quality care, these regulations safeguard against several potential risks. But the barriers to care that Medicaid patients face do not go away once COVID-19 does. Nicola Sturgeon and her husband Peter Murrell, the SNP's chief executive - AFP Nicola Sturgeon and her husband will be forced to give evidence under oath to a Scottish Parliament inquiry into the mishandling of misconduct claims against Alex Salmond, it has been announced. The specially-convened Holyrood committee tasked with examining the Scottish Government's handling of harassment complaints made against the former First Minister confirmed it will take the unusual step when questioning witnesses. Some MSPs on the committee argued taking sworn evidence under oath was necessary given the seriousness of its inquiry and to maximise the accuracy of witness evidence amid "conflicting" claims. Refusing to take an oath is an offence punishable by up to three months in jail or a 5,000 fine. Giving false evidence could attract a five-year prison sentence. Alex Salmond was cleared at the High Court in Edinburgh - Getty Images Europe Mr Salmond won a judicial review last year when Scotlands highest civil court found that the way the Scottish Government investigation was handled was unlawful. The case was abandoned on the eve of a Court of Session hearing after the government admitted it had breached its own guidelines by appointing an investigating officer who had prior involvement with two civil servants who had made complaints. The SNP administration he once led paid him 512,250 of taxpayers' money to cover his legal costs after the judge Lord Pentland ruled the inquiry was "procedurally unfair" and "tainted with apparent bias". The committees inquiry into the debacle was suspended when Mr Salmond was charged with sexual offences, but it was kickstarted after he was cleared. In March this year, he was cleared of 13 sexual offences by a jury following a trial at the High Court in Edinburgh. MSPs will likely investigate three meetings between Ms Sturgeon and her former mentor, including two at her home, and two phone calls they held. Leslie Evans, the Scottish Government's permanent secretary Newly-published papers confirmed that the committee has agreed it "will administer an oath/solemn affirmation for witnesses as a matter of course but that it will review this position in the case of any vulnerable witnesses." Leslie Evans, the Scottish Government's permanent secretary and Ms Sturgeon's most senior mandarin, is expected to be the first witness to be questioned when the committee starts holding evidence sessions in August. Among the other witnesses expected to be called are John Swinney, the Deputy First Minister, and Mr Salmond and Ms Sturgeon's respective chiefs of staff. NORTH BABYLON, NY The coronavirus pandemic has put a hold on a lot of things but it couldn't stop the class of 2020 from celebrating their graduation. However that didn't stop North Babylon High School from honoring their graduating seniors with several graduation ceremonies this past weekend. Due to the pandemic, the graduation was broken up into seven ceremonies to ensure public safety on Friday and Saturday. In addition to their live ceremonies, the district also hosted a virtual ceremony. The first ceremony on Friday kicked off with Superintendent of Schools Glen Eschbach and North Babylon High School Principal Jonathan Klomp speaking on the accomplishments of the Class of 2020. Before receiving their diplomas, the 354 students heard from several speakers who shared their wisdom and words of motivation for their new journey. This included Superintendent Eschbach, Principal Klomp, and senior class co-president Katie Doyle. Valedictorian Carlos Sabogal and salutatorian Bryan Sabogal were unable to attend the live ceremonies due to the pandemic but had their speeches streamed during the virtual ceremony. Klomp then made introductions and thanked all those who made the live and virtual ceremonies possible. Click here for the full list of 2020 graduates. "Breaking up the Class of 2020 in a safe manner consistent with New York State requirements for social gatherings in order to recognize each student, required a lot of planning and flexibility," he said. "But we are bulldog strong and even though we are not all together today, we are together. Your high school graduation is an important milestone but just one of many available to you as a result of the education that has been provided by the hard working and dedicated teachers, administrators and support staff within the North Babylon School District." During his speech, Eschbach challenged students to make a conscious effort to practice kindness and maintain dignity and respect. Story continues "Become mindful of how you respond to others and be responsible for your words and your actions. Acknowledge the value of different perspectives, create relationships that build trust, limit bias and favoritism and strive for the best overall outcomes," he said. "Do your part to make your school, workplace and community and better place for all to work live, learn and play. Be kind, be proud of who you are and stay true to yourself. Take the time to reflect back on all that you have accomplished and use it to fuel your next chapter. Always remember your bulldog pride and your North Babylon roots, which have helped shape you into the fine individuals that you have become." After the speeches the North Babylon High Schools Class of 2020 turned the tassels on their caps from right to left before receiving their diplomas and safely exiting the field with their families. Congratulations to the North Babylon High School class of 2020! All photos courtesy of the North Babylon School District This article originally appeared on the Deer Park-North Babylon Patch REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque Facing the difficult task of unseating an incumbent governor whose popularity has risen during the coronavirus pandemic, North Carolina Republican Dan Forest is doubling down with the kind of move that appeals to a GOP base thats balked at public health restrictions. As a resurgent coronavirus pandemic continues to stress southern states and worry health officials, the lieutenant governor is pushing forward with a lawsuit targeted at public health executive orders from Gov. Roy Cooper. The pending lawsuit comes just after the Democrat moved to pause the states reopening and announced a new statewide mask requirement due to officials fretting that their states numbers were moving in the wrong direction as hospitalizations and new cases in the state increased, according to the governors administration The lawsuit is a move that Forests allies contend is necessary to rein in what Republicans see as executive overreach by Cooper, while Democrats dismiss the move as the kind of tactic that a candidate takes to try and boost a struggling campaign. It sounds like a political stunt to me, North Carolina House Democratic leader Darren Jackson said. I think Forest is just, I don't know, swinging at pitches to try to find some way to be relevant. Across the aisle, the GOP base, wants something done, Republican state Rep Michael Speciale said. I'm sure it appeals to the base, but Im also convinced that thats not why he did it, Speciale said. He did it because he knew that he could in the position that hes in. Governors across the country have experienced what observers see as a rally around the flag style surge in approval during the pandemic with the state leaders generating a great deal of daily media and public attention with briefings that focus on health but have also helped to boost the profiles of those running for re-election this fall. Cooper is no exception. A High Point University poll released last month showed Cooper with a 60 percent approval rating, a little over a year after a survey from the same outfit found him at 41 percent approval in the state. Story continues Thats meant candidates looking to gain traction have struggled to find political oxygen. And in the case of Forest, talking about suing the governor means a round of his name being in the national news cycle. Since announcing his intention to sue Coopers administration last week, Forest has appeared on both Fox News and Fox Business to publicize his push. The Republican leader attempted to downplay the political aspect of the lawsuit during a press conference Monday, acknowledging that some people will say this is political what we're doing. Theres nothing politically expedient about suing the governor, ever, Forest said. It doesnt politically work in your favor. But my office motto, my team mottos always been always do the right thing no matter what the cost or the consequence. The lieutenant governor said the lawsuit is not interested in the substance, of the orders, but was instead challenging the governors authority to shut down North Carolina without the concurrence of the council of state, which includes state leaders. The complaint from Forest, according to a social media post, centers on the Republicans claim that the governors administration is violating the Emergency Management Act. Gov. Cooper has not followed the law, Forest told reporters. But by challenging the executive orders during the pandemic, Forest may be putting himself in a difficult position as he tries to oust the popular incumbent governor, appealing to the GOPs antipathy towards restrictions at a time where the coronavirus is showing a resurgence in the south. I think the risk is that he might be getting out ahead of public opinion as far as what people want to do as far as opening the state back up, said Tom Birkland, a public policy professor at North Carolina State University. Frustration toward Cooper from Republicans has been mounting during the pandemic, with the governors refusal to allow Trump the packed RNC arena he desired because of public health concerns, triggering dismay from GOP legislators. That caused the RNC to move the presidents nomination acceptance speech to Jacksonville, Florida. That state is now experiencing spiking cases weeks ahead of the planned August event. And Jacksonville announced on Monday that a new mandatory mask requirement has been put in place for public and indoor locations, and in other situations where individuals cannot socially distance, according to a Facebook post from the city. Yet Coopers executive actions have continued to roil Republicans in the state who are still sour at the governor for his role in the president pulling the RNCs marquee event out of Charlotte. The governor is in self-destruct mode, which is for Republicans, thats great, said Mark Brody, North Carolinas national GOP committeeman who also serves as a statehouse lawmaker. Despite North Carolina being considered a potential swing state in the presidential election, and incumbent Republican Sen. Thom Tilliss race billed as a toss up that could help determine which party holds the Senate, the race between Forest and Cooper isnt considered as being so close. Both the Cook Political Report and Sabatos Crystal Ball at the University of Virginia Center for Politics list the North Carolina governors race as favoring the incumbent Democrat. State Senate Democratic Whip Jay Chaudhuri told The Daily Beast the lawsuit is just another act of desperation for a campaign, frankly, that's been flailing since he announced his candidacy. Like many Republicans in the Trump era, Forest has been faced with either embracing the president or creating distance in politically fought moments. And at times during the pandemic, Forest hasnt taken the approach practiced by other GOP governor candidates whose political fates will be decided in November. When Trump called for an Easter deadline on reopening the country from the coronavirus pandemic, some incumbent GOP governors pushed back on that approach. Instead, Forest embraced the push. He told The Daily Beast in March that the challenge could be our moonshot, our version of the Apollo mission. The president later abandoned the timeline, and some states that reopened in recent weeks like Arizona, Texas and Florida are now seeing alarming spikes that are worrying public health officials. And despite the attempt by Forest to distance the lawsuit from politics, he showed a willingness to use the latest executive move he was deriding from Cooper to boost his campaign, this time in an effort to sell campaign merchandise. The lieutenant governor posted on Facebook Friday since masks are mandatory Get your Dan Forest for Governor masks only in our online store. 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. Company experiencing stronger than expected global customer growth and accelerated digital adoption; second-quarter earnings release scheduled for Aug. 5 PROVO, Utah, July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Nu Skin Enterprises, Inc. (NYSE: NUS) today reported it estimates revenue for the second quarter of 2020 to be approximately $603 to $608 million. The company previously forecasted second-quarter revenue of $520 to $550 million. The company will report its second-quarter results including earnings per share and provide a revised outlook for the full-year 2020 on Aug. 5. Nu Skin Enterprises Logo (PRNewsfoto/Nu Skin Enterprises, Inc.) "We are pleased to report that our expected revenue for the second quarter is well ahead of our previous guidance, driven by strong global customer growth with particular strength in the Americas and Europe," said Ritch Wood, chief executive officer. "The trends we are seeing are a credit to the adaptability and hard work of our global sales force and the enduring value of our products. Nu Skin's investments in technology and our commitment to enhancing the company's digital capabilities have been a critical driver of performance and business continuity in the second quarter, with online transactions accounting for more than 80 percent of volume." Nu Skin Enterprises will release its full second-quarter results after the market closes on Wednesday, Aug. 5. The management team will host a conference call with the investment community later that same day at 5 p.m. ET. The webcast of the conference call, including the financial information presented, will be available on the investor relations page of the company's website at ir.nuskin.com. A replay of the webcast will be available at the same location through Wednesday, Aug. 19. About Nu Skin Enterprises, Inc. Founded more than 35 years ago, Nu Skin Enterprises, Inc. (NSE) empowers innovative companies to change the world with sustainable solutions, opportunities, technologies and life-improving values. The company currently focuses its efforts around innovative consumer products, product manufacturing and controlled environment agriculture technology. The NSE family of companies includes Nu Skin, which develops and distributes a comprehensive line of premium-quality beauty and wellness solutions through a global network of sales leaders in Asia, the Americas, Europe, Africa and the Pacific; and Rhyz, our strategic investment arm that includes a collection of sustainable manufacturing and technology innovation companies. Nu Skin Enterprises is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "NUS." More information is available at nuskinenterprises.com. Story continues Important Information Regarding Forward-Looking Statements: This release's disclosures regarding estimated revenue for the second quarter of 2020 are forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act, and they represent the Company's current expectations and beliefs. The forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results and outcomes to differ materially from the forward-looking statements expressed herein, including completion of the Company's close and review procedures, which may necessitate material adjustments to the preliminary estimates provided in this release, and other risks and uncertainties that are set forth in the documents the Company has filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The forward-looking statements set forth the Company's beliefs as of the date that such information was first provided, and the Company assumes no duty to update the forward-looking statement contained in this report to reflect any change except as required by law. Cision View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/nu-skin-enterprises-reports-estimated-second-quarter-revenue-above-previous-guidance-301087229.html SOURCE Nu Skin Enterprises, Inc. Former US President Barack Obama speaks to guests at the Obama Foundation Summit on the campus of the Illinois Institute of Technology: (2019 Getty Images) Barack Obama has reportedly criticised president Donald Trumps use of kung flu to describe the coronavirus. Mr Trump, alongside other Republicans, has repeatedly referred to Covid-19 as kung flu, or Wuhan flu, during the pandemic, and both phrases have been criticised for blaming the virus on a single country and group of people. Additionally, there are concerns that the phrase could lead to a rise of harassment and mistreatment of Asian Americans, according to NBC News. Speaking at a virtual invitation-only fundraiser for Joe Bidens presidential campaign, the former US president criticised Mr Trumps use of the phrase, according to The Hill. I dont want a country in which the president of the United States is actively trying to promote anti-Asian sentiment and thinks its funny, Mr Obama reportedly said. I dont want that. That still shocks and p***es me off, he added. In March, counselor to the president, Kellyanne Conway, told CBS that the phrase is highly offensive, but defended Mr Trump last week when he used it at a youth rally in Phoenix, Arizona, just days after he said it in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The president used the phrase in Phoenix, after a member of the audience yelled it out when Mr Trump was listing the different names he has heard for the virus. He added: Covid-19. I said thats an odd name. I could give you many, many names. Some people call it the Chinese flu, the China flu, right? and also referred to the virus as "Wuhan", after the place it is thought to have originated in China. My reaction is that the president has made very clear that he wants everybody to understand, and I think many Americans do understand, that the virus originated in China, Ms Conway told reporters after the event. And had China been more transparent and honest with the United States and the world, we wouldnt have all the death and destruction that unfortunately weve suffered, she added. Earlier in the year, the World Health Organisation (WHO) director general, Tedros Adhanom, said the name specifically does not refer to a geographical location, an animal, an individual or group of people, and which is also pronounceable and related to the disease, according to Forbes. Story continues He reasoned that having a name matters to prevent the use of other names that can be inaccurate or stigmatizing. The phrase has also been criticised by Andy Kang, executive director of Asian Americans Advancing Justice-Chicago, who said: Its irresponsible and reckless for our political leaders and candidates for our nations highest office to engage in rhetoric that incites xenophobic scapegoating and violence. The Independent has contacted the White House for comment. Read more Young Trump supporters roar approval as president says Kung flu Click here to read the full article. Key Point: Beware homemade ships of Iranian origin. Iran just released images of some new naval equipmentincluding an odd-looking submarine that just might be unmanned. Testing 1, 2, 3 The Islamic Republic News Agencys English-language segment just released a set of photos showing what appears to be new Iranian naval equipment. The photos, released on Thursday, appear to show several types of fast boats that Iran favors in the Strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf, as well as a rather odd assortment of submarines or semi-submersibles. As the naval expert H. I. Sutton pointed out, the largest of these looks like either a pretty small manned submarine, or a decent-sized Unmanned Underwater Vehicle (UUV). If this submersible is indeed an UUV, it would put Iran into an exclusive group of countries. One of the indicators that points to unmanned operations is the lack of a visible opening through which people could enter the hull through. The subs small size is further evidence of the submersibles unmanned intent. The lawn chair the forward sailor is sitting in in the photo likely wouldnt stay deck-side during operations, nor would the joystick controller he used, presumably to steer the submarine. Low-tech High-tech In terms of sophistication (and price, probably), the United States Navy and the Royal Navy are likely leading the pack in UUV development. The Royal Navys Extra Large Unmanned Underwater Vehicle, or XLUUV Manta as it is also known, is quite sophisticatedit can dive over 300 meters below the ocean surface and has a 48 hour endurance. Propulsion is likely provided by either a diesel-electric or air-independent propulsion system. The odd double pipe at the UUVs rear is likely an exhaust pipe, strongly indicating a diesel-electric propulsion system. Irans little UUV, if it is indeed an UUV, has a much more home-made DIY appearanceprobably because it is. The crafts four-angled bow seems rather akin to something built in a garage, rather than at a naval shipyard. This is probably accurate too. Irans domestic production capability is rather poor, especially for complex weapon systems. Story continues Two similar-looking semi-submersibles were also seen that admittedly looked very much like a backyard project. Two Iranian frogmen were photographed inside the open-topped semi-submersibles waving peace-signs. Postscript Though not exactly an upgrade in terms of Irans naval capabilities, the likely unmanned nature of their newest sub points to one of Irans most important strengths: in the Strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf Iran doesnt have to be prepared to win a conflict, it just has to have enough leverage to hinder traffic and make more powerful, more sophisticated opponents take pause. The likely-UUV does just thatit could never go head-to-head with the United States Navy, but it could give a surface group pausejust enough of a threat to hinder operations and slow down their potential adversaries. Beware the homemade ships of Iranian origin. Caleb Larson holds a Master of Public Policy degree from the Willy Brandt School of Public Policy. He lives in Berlin and writes on U.S. and Russian foreign and defense policy, German politics, and culture. This article first appeared earlier this year and is reprinted due to reader interest. Image: ISNA Photo Click here to read the full article. Oklahoma voters narrowly passed a ballot measure to extend Medicaid to thousands of poor adults, the first state to expand government-backed health insurance amid the coronavirus pandemic. By a slim majority 50.5 percent, Oklahomans voted to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act. The measure is expected to cost the state approximately $164 million a year, but will bring in an estimated $1.2 billion in funding from the federal government. Oklahoma, which has the second-highest uninsured rate in the country, is now the fifth red state to adopt such a measure, which covers low-income adults with incomes up to roughly $17,000 a year. Amber England, the initiatives campaign manager, has said close to 200,000 low-income Oklahoma residents could gain health insurance under the expansion. Called Yes on 802 Oklahomans Decide Healthcare, the ballot initiative is an amendment to the state constitution, stymieing efforts by elected officials to restrict the program. Republican Governor Kevin Stitt has advocated for his state to adopt the Trump administrations new proposal of a block grant for Medicaid spending, and it is unclear how the vote affects his plan. Released in January and titled Healthy Adult Opportunity, the Trump administrations block-grant proposal calls for a lump sum that the federal government would administer with individual states having significant flexibility to create enrollment rules and benefits. Under the current system, the federal government matches most state Medicaid spending. But Democrats have slammed the proposal, saying it strips benefits from those who cannot afford them for the sake of cost-cutting. More from National Review Created by OmniSci Partner BlueConduit, Site Reveals Analysis that Dramatically Improved Hit-Rates for Lead Pipe Replacement Program; Future Predictions, Repair Updates Included SAN FRANCISCO, July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- OmniSci , the pioneer in accelerated analytics, working in close partnership with water infrastructure analytics consulting company BlueConduit , today announced the debut of Flint Service Line Map ( www.flintpipemap.org ), a public website that maps up-to-date information about residential water service line replacements in the city of Flint, Michigan. These water service lines are the pipes that deliver each home their water. If the pipes are made of lead, they can contaminate that home's water with lead. The problem: Flint, like most other cities, did not know exactly which pipes were lead. Presented in house-by-house detail, the map allows residents to easily find out about their known or likely water service line material, along with repair dates and other useful information. Flint Service Line Map is the first site to utilize artificial intelligence and machine learning to predict, with high accuracy, the incidence of lead pipes in residential service water lines. The site is provided as a public service and shows the same assessment and status information used by contractors in the city's FAST Start pipe replacement program. Residential properties are color-coded individually, according to likelihood for having lead service pipes. Clicking on a location reveals street address, pipe verification date, repair updates and links to pertinent city information. BlueConduit collaborated with NRDC ( Natural Resources Defense Council ), one of the country's leading environmental organizations, to ensure the map adhered to best practices in public health communication. OmniSci's innovative accelerated analytics computing platform powers the interactive experience developed by BlueConduit, giving residents the power to explore the predicted likelihood of lead or galvanized steel at each residence. A breakthrough in data analytics, the OmniSci platform utilizes GPUs in a parallel processing architecture to analyze billions of rows of geospatial data in milliseconds. Story continues "As we addressed the incredible complexity of predicting the presence of lead pipes in Flint, our model incorporated a massive amount of data from dozens of sources. We were extremely pleased with the power of the OmniSci platform to integrate and process this information," said Jared Webb, BlueConduit's chief data scientist. "We looked at other technologies, but OmniSci was the only solution that was able to interactively query, filter, and render the geospatial data we had. Beginning in 2016 in response to its water crisis, the City of Flint has been replacing lead or galvanized steel service lines to residential homes under its FAST Start program. Due in large part to the predictive algorithm developed by BlueConduit and enabled by OmniSci's accelerated analytics technology, the hit rate for finding lead or galvanized service pipes in Flint increased from as low as 15% without the use of the algorithm, to 80% with the algorithm. "The geospatial nature of the Flint problem, combined with the size and scope of the analytics challenge, was an ideal application for the OmniSci platform," stated Aaron Williams, Chief Advocate for OmniSci. "It's been immensely gratifying to see our analytics technology at work through the OmniSci for Good program, increasing the speed in which lead has been identified and removed from the Flint water system." Through 2019, the City of Flint has checked service lines at 24,304 residences and replaced 9,448 lead or galvanized steel lines. It predicts more than 1,000 homes still require replacements and anticipates completing the project by the end of 2020. "The community, environmental health, and economic benefits of this project can't be overemphasized," stated Eric Schwartz, co-founder of BlueConduit and professor at the University of Michigan. "Helping the Flint community switch quickly and most efficiently to safer water infrastructure is an ideal example of how big data analytics can be used to solve complex problems with a positive social impact. BlueConduit has worked to help stretch taxpayer dollars farther so that they can remove lead service lines from more residents' homes and do so quicker. BlueConduit is proud to have welcomed OmniSci as a key partner in our initiatives for addressing these infrastructure and informational challenges that continue from the Flint water crisis." About OmniSci: OmniSci is the pioneer in accelerated analytics. The OmniSci platform is used in business and government to find insights in data beyond the limits of mainstream analytics tools. Harnessing the massive parallelism of modern CPU and GPU hardware, the platform is available in the cloud and on-premise. OmniSci originated from research at Harvard and MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL). OmniSci is funded by GV, In-Q-Tel, New Enterprise Associates (NEA), NVIDIA, Tiger Global Management, Vanedge Capital and Verizon Ventures. The company is headquartered in San Francisco. Learn more about OmniSci at www.omnisci.com . About BlueConduit: BlueConduit leverages machine learning to ensure that residents of every community regardless of means have access to clean water. Growing out of research at the University of Michigan starting in 2016, BlueConduit has used predictive models to help cities identify which homes have lead service lines, providing a home-by-home inventory to guide their removal in a cost effective way. Their work in the field has appeared in The New York Times, The Chicago Tribune, The Atlantic, and the Smart Water Networks Conference. The team's research was recognized as one of the top four award-winning papers at the Knowledge Discovery and Data Mining Conference, the top-ranked data science conference. BlueConduit is working with a growing list of utilities and municipalities throughout the midwestern and eastern United States. BlueConduit's headquarters is in Ann Arbor, MI. Learn more about BlueConduit at www.blueconduit.com . MEDIA CONTACT: Amy Dardinger SSPR 802/762-3094 (office) 574/286-5629 (mobile) adardinger@sspr.com OmniSci (PRNewsfoto/OmniSci) Cision View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/omnisci-powers-new-website-enabling-public-to-view-house-by-house-information-on-flint-water-crisis-301087027.html SOURCE OmniSci President Reagan in 1981. (American Vantage Media) Donald Trumps handling of the coronavirus crisis has been deeply flawed. The administrations pandemic faults are vast and varied, and the president should be held accountable for them. But so should the Republican Party: In many ways, the author of the Trump administrations COVID-19 fiasco is the man who remade the party in the 1980s, Ronald Reagan. At every stage of the COVID-19 challenge, Trump has failed to mobilize the federal government effectively. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has been ill-prepared or blocked from coordinating a national response that matches the crisis. Experts, especially scientists, have been sidelined. Despite Congress authorizing trillions in stimulus and relief aid, the actual management of those programs has been slipshod and haphazard. And the number of cases just keeps rising, ominously. Trump's lack of leadership reflects an agenda that takes its cues from an idealized President Reagan. From the start of his presidency, Reagan trumpeted a rejection of using government to help the country, to act as a partner in solving its problems. In his first inaugural address in 1981, Reagan declared, Government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem." In his second term, during a news conference in August 1986, he phrased the issue in even starker terms: The nine most terrifying words in the English language are: I'm from the government, and I'm here to help." Is it any surprise that, today, a Republican Party that is spiritual heir to Reagan would be ineffective in using a tool its most revered recent president disowned? While the economic pain is nowhere close to ending, reported the New York Times in May, Republicans seem disinclined to renew huge spending programs, particularly as November looms. Said top presidential advisor Stephen Moore: All government can do right now is make things worse, not better. Sound familiar? In particular, Reagans legacy has hamstrung Republican support for a strong scientific response to COVID-19. Richard Nixon bonded the GOP with Southern conservatives in the late 1960s over race, then Reagan moved this alliance in a new direction by courting the often anti-science religious far right. Story continues In Mr. Reagan, said one news article, fundamentalist Christians had a president who shared their distaste for modern whirls of social change. His endorsement of them was a clarion call. It was, like, come up out of the catacombs you know, you dont have to be silent anymore, the conservative columnist Cal Thomas said. At the 1980 Republican convention that nominated Reagan, the pew trumped the country club, wrote Steven P. Miller in "The Age of Evangelicalism." An attendee marveled that the GOPs public policy declarations were right down the line an evangelical platform." Religious fundamentalism of all kinds disputes science. A friend I grew up with in New York City remembered his apostasy in second grade: I asked Rabbi Fuchs how the world could be only 5,000 years old when I was seeing dinosaurs that were millions of years old in the museum. His reply is still with me today: Those are fakes put there by goyim to fool the Jews. Boom! I was re-created as an agnostic. Yet science remains the key to beating the coronavirus; rejecting its guidance is dangerous, if not suicidal. When Reagan forged the GOPs connection to the most anti-science branch of Christianity, he laid the groundwork for the Trump administrations response to pandemic. In 2013, then-Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindahl told Republicans, "We must stop being the stupid party. He called out candidates offensive and bizarre comments in the 2012 campaign (remember Missouri Rep. Todd Akins assertion that if a woman were the victim of legitimate rape, her body would prevent her from getting pregnant?). Jindahls plea wasnt heeded. Reagans culture war allies had too tight a hold on party doctrine to let light seep in. And now we face a medical and public health crisis that is only growing in its seriousness. Reagan too confronted a challenge of this nature. Through 1989, the year he left office, almost 90,000 Americans had died from AIDS. HIV infection amounted to an epidemic of historic proportions, yet the administrations response to the gay cancer was halting and negligible. A student of mine investigated Reagans AIDS response for her senior history thesis. Wasnt it unlikely that a longtime Hollywood actor, working in a business with a well-documented gay cohort, would be so homophobic as to ignore the HIV public health scourge? What she found in personal documents, third-party reports and policy records was that Reagan showed little animus toward the LGBT community but made a cold political calculation to play to his base. Donald Trump has used dog-whistle language to call for churches to reopen and to make face coverings a partisan issue. Last week, he addressed student supporters seated close together and not wearing masks at a Phoenix church. This week, Vice President Mike Pence, at the First Baptist Church in Dallas, an evangelical stronghold, watched approvingly as a 100-person choir sang maskless. Nothing exists in a vacuum. The roots of Trumps disastrous handling of Americas coronavirus scourge were planted in the 1980s by Ronald Reagan. Robert A. Slayton is a professor of history at Chapman University. People sit outside restaurants at Pacific City in Huntington Beach in this 2016 file photo. Bluegold/LSXO, a restaurant in the outdoor mall, said Monday it was closing for deep cleaning amid the coronavirus crisis. (Kevin Chang / Times Community News) A handful of Orange County restaurants have temporarily closed in the last week to deep clean and sanitize their spaces, some after discovering that employees had been infected with COVID-19, business owners said. Bluegold/LSXO at Pacific City in Huntington Beach said in an Instagram message Monday that it planned to close Tuesday through Thursday to demonstrate its "commitment to staying safe and promoting health." "During this time we will take care of our employees, deep clean our space, and tighten our safety plans to bring you and your family a safe and fun experience," the restaurant wrote. Red O, a Mexican restaurant at Fashion Island in Newport Beach, also announced Tuesday that it was voluntarily closing for a deep cleaning. Neither restaurant said its closure was the result of an employee testing positive for the coronavirus, which causes COVID-19. Other restaurants have been more specific about the reason behind their closures, which were first reported by the Orange County Register. The Dylan in Brea wrote on Instagram last week that it closed after an employee tested positive. The restaurant noted that the employee was asymptomatic and always wore a mask while working. No other employees have reported symptoms. "They sought out testing on their own when they lost their sense of taste on Monday," the restaurant wrote. "We have done everything in our power to provide a safe environment for everyone. Employees get masks, their own bottle of hand sanitizer and we have multiple sanitizing stations around the restaurant as well as people dedicated to cleaning high contact surfaces among many other precautions." Cha for Tea near the UC Irvine campus is expected to reopen Wednesday after a roughly weeklong closure prompted by an employee testing positive. The restaurant wrote on social media that the employee tested positive after going to a bar with friends where face coverings were not being used. Story continues Clancy's bar in Seal Beach also announced a temporary closure on Saturday after one or more individuals who had recently visited the bar tested positive for the virus. It is not clear when the bar plans to reopen. Orange County health officials have declined to confirm or deny whether any specific restaurant closure is due to the coronavirus. Los Angeles County keeps a list online of businesses where employees have tested positive. As of Wednesday morning, 58 restaurants, stores and other workplaces had confirmed cases among their staffs countywide. Officials in Orange County have said that if a staff member at any business reports having COVID-19, the public health services team will reach out to the facility to provide guidance. If there is a cluster of cases, depending on the number of cases and the size of the facility, we may either mandate that all staff be tested and/or a facility close for a period of time until it is clearly safe to reopen, Marc Meulman, chief of operations for Orange County Public Health Services, said in a statement last month. Beachwood BBQ & Brewing, which has locations in Long Beach, Huntington Beach and Seal Beach, announced Wednesday that it plans to permanently close its flagship location on Main Street in Seal Beach. The brewery's owners pointed to the challenges of operating a small space amid the coronavirus pandemic as a key reason for their decision not to reopen. On Wednesday, Orange County health officials ordered all bars, pubs, breweries and brewpubs that do not offer dine-in meals to close beginning at midnight Thursday, a move health experts say is necessary in light of a troubling surge in coronavirus cases. Orange County confirmed 10 additional coronavirus-related deaths and 779 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, the largest single-day number of new infections the county has reported since the pandemic hit. The daily tally brings the total number of coronavirus cases in Orange County to 13,843. Officials have reported 340 deaths countywide. As we have seen with the Jussie Smollett and Bubba Wallace incidents, sometimes things are not what they seem to be. Perhaps the restaurant management had a logical explanation for what she observed. Somehow, the outrage she feels now with respect to the Atlas Restaurant Group based on the first two racist events was not egregious enough to prevent her from going back to another Atlas Group restaurant last fall, where she was again allegedly discriminated against. Click here to read the full article. Here's What You Need To Remember: This was likely one of the only times U-2s were used from aircraft carriersthough we will likely never know for certain. The venerable U-2 spy plane is an old bird. The first U-2s entered service with the United States in 1955 and are still flown today, due to extensive modifications. The large spy planes are easily recognizable thanks to their pencil-like fuselage and delicate looking wings. They are notoriously difficult to land even in favorable conditionsit would be hard to design an airframe less optimized for aircraft carrier landings. But, the CIA thought carrier-capable U-2s were just the thing they needed. Naval Modifications Aircraft carriers are floating pieces of American sovereignty, armed to the teeth and answerable only to the President. If a U-2 could be launched and recovered from an aircraft carrier, U-2s could reach most of the globe, without having to negotiate the political complexities of housing spy planes on foreign soil. Several U-2s were modified for carrier operations. The long slender wings had to be strengthened for harder carrier landings, and spoilers had to be fitted to the back of the wings to help the plane slow down and reduce the required runway landing distance. A hook arrestor had to be fitted to the U-2s fuselage so the plane could catch the arresting gear as well. Additionally, U-2 pilots had to be retrained for the complex carrier landing maneuvers. After seven months, the resulting plane was the U-2G. This neat video shows the U-2G landing and taking off from multiple angles. With modifications complete, U-2s were ready to be launched from the sea. Operation Fish Hawk France had scheduled several hydrogen bomb nuclear tests on Mururoa Atoll in French Polynesia that the United States wanted to peek in at using the modified U-2Gs. An aircraft carrier, the USS Ranger was tasked with getting two U-2Gs into the vicinity of French Polynesia undetected. The Rangers crew was cut to about half, and the U-2s were kept belowdecks out of sightonly essential CIA personnel and some Naval crew were allowed to see the modified spy planes. Story continues In order to prevent the U-2s from being detected, they would have to cruise from approximately 70,000 feet, or about 21,000 meters. At that height, atmospheric conditions had to be favorable for capturing imagesclear skies and no cloud cover. The mission was a success. Skies were clear, and the modified U-2Gs preformed well, snapping photos of the French test site without being detected. They snapped photos of the day of the nuclear test, and afterwards. This was likely one of the only times U-2s were used from aircraft carriersthough we will likely never know for certain due to the secretive nature of the U-2Gs missions. Caleb Larson holds a Master of Public Policy degree from the Willy Brandt School of Public Policy. He lives in Berlin and writes on U.S. and Russian foreign and defense policy, German politics, and culture. This article originally appeared in May 2020 and is being republished due to reader interest. Click here to read the full article. Citywide San Francisco's business corridors are starting to reopen which means that parking meters are coming back online. On Tuesday, the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) announced that parking control officers will begin to reprioritize regular meter enforcement on Monday, July 13. While meter enforcement was never officially discontinued by the city, the SFMTA's parking control officers have been reassigned to directing traffic near hospitals and COVID-19 testing sites since mid-March. "Now, we need to restore our meter programs and prioritize enforcement to keep San Francisco moving," the agency said in a blog post. "Demand for on-street parking is continuing to increase, especially while transit service is limited." That means restoring normal meter rates, which had been bumped down to $0.50/hour in April. They'll return to their pre-COVID levels as of this Monday, July 6 but to ease the pain a bit, they'll be discounted by $0.50/hour across the board. (The average meter rate in SF prior to COVID-19 was $2.50/hour.) Meter time limits were put on pause in April, but are set to resume on Monday as well. About 75% of the city's meters have time limits of fewer than four hours. While street cleaning enforcement returned last month, the city still won't enforce residential parking permits and neighborhood time limits for the time being. The goal is to make sure sheltering residents don't have to go outside as often to move their cars. With many San Franciscans concerned about contaminated surfaces, the SFMTA emphasized that customers can feed the meter via mobile app or phone. A list of all San Francisco parking meters and their current prices is available online. WESTBURY, N.Y., July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Paylogix, a Third-Party Administrator for insurance payment processes and enrollment technology has welcomed ManhattanLife as the newest Premier Provider. "As an Independent & privately held company for 170 years, ManhattanLife is one of America's oldest insurance companies. We have a broad and diverse portfolio of insurance and investment products. With core values of reliability, fairness, and respect for partnership, our mission is to help our members achieve health, wealth, and security. It is with these values in mind that we are excited to include an industry leader such as Paylogix as one of our go to solutions in support of our down market groups," said Robert Lashley, Vice President, Enrollment for ManhattanLife. "Paylogix brings a wealth of value added capabilities that will help us support our groups from an enrollment, billing and administrative perspective in line with our core values." As a Premier Provider, ManhattanLife will be powered by the Paylogix Exchange Builder platform. Brokers who offer ManhattanLife voluntary benefits through our Exchange Builder Platform, will have access to the full suite of Paylogix enrollment and billing solutions. Through Paylogix Consolidated Billing service, multiple products from multiple carriers are merged into one simple online bill. Through partnerships with 50 benefit providers nationwide, Paylogix can provide this service at no additional cost to brokers or their clients. ManhattanLife is the latest insurer to choose Paylogix in order to guarantee policy holders are billed accurately, and premiums are paid on time. ManhattanLife and Paylogix are implementing a phased integration project between the two organizations. "Working with ManhattanLife on this initiative was one of the best experiences we have had as an organization," said William Schneider, Enrollment Practice Leader with Paylogix. "Their attention to detail demonstrates a professional commitment to their clients that is truly impressive." Story continues Phase one of this project is the ManhattanLife Quick Case product offerings, which are specifically designed for small business. This turnkey solution enables employees and their families guaranteed issue of ManhattanLife's most popular workplace voluntary benefits product offerings. "We are pleased to have ManhattanLife as a Premier Provider, especially because of their Quick Case program," said Paul Ziats, Director of Business Development at Paylogix. "Now more than ever, we want to help support the small business community. We believe that Paylogix will help ManhattanLife deliver helpful benefit options to this underserved sector." For More Information Contact: quickcase@manhattanlife.com Cision View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/paylogix-welcomes-manhattanlife-as-one-of-their-premier-providers-for-a-robust-online-enrollment-and-billing-solution-301087085.html SOURCE Paylogix GAITHERSBURG, MD In the wake of uncertain times caused by the coronavirus pandemic, Jerry Frishman is spreading hope and positivity with the click of his camera. The Gaithersburg photographer, who has been in business for more than 30 years, goes home to home in Montgomery County to snap pictures of families on their front steps. "The photos create a sense of community. But they also capture a moment in time that hopefully never happens again," Frishman said in an interview with Patch. Choking up, he added: "Parents with younger kids, they want these shots for the record. The little kids might not remember 25 years from now, but they'll have pictures to show that." Frishman joins hundreds of photographers who are participating in "The Front Steps Project" a worldwide movement in which people photograph families outside their home and raise money for local organizations. (Jerry Frishman) All of Frishman's photo sessions are free. He just asks that families donate to a local food bank, like Manna Food Center in Gaithersburg. According to the latest data released by Feeding America, 83,000 Montgomery County residents or 8 percent of the population were food insecure in 2018. The nonprofit estimates that 136,140 people, or 13.1 percent of the population, may experience food insecurity because of the coronavirus pandemic. But even during these uncertain times when the unemployment rate remains high and pay is unsteady county residents are still smiling in Frishman's photos. "Most of them don't dress up. They are wearing what they wear right there to try and capture the moment of this time in history," he said. "I think everyone smiles in every one of my pictures." (Jerry Frishman) His work has taken him all over Montgomery County photographing families, elderly couples, and even a woman with her dog. One of the most touching photos Frishman said he took was of Jeremy Fox and his family in Potomac. Story continues It wasn't a scheduled photo shoot. It was a homecoming party for Jeremy, who nearly died from COVID-19, and a graduation celebration for his son, who graduated from the University of Michigan. "I got the picture of the father," Frishman said, holding back tears. "The father and the wife with the kid in his graduation gown, all celebrating. It was definitely emotional." (Jerry Frishman) Jeremy's wife, Julie, is a doctor of internal medicine in Montgomery County. "It was so intense what my husband went through," Julie told Patch. "Being honest, as a doctor, I'm more used to it than most. But it's obviously different when it's a spouse or a family member. What we went through was just a horrible experience. But we are so happy that my husband is okay. We felt so blessed that we had a good outcome, because so many people had not." Her husband had lost 32 pounds in three weeks as he struggled to recover in hospital. An immunosuppressive drug called Tocilizumab is what saved his life, according to Julie. Once he returned home, the family threw a socially-distant welcome home party. She said when Frishman came to their house, he whipped out his camera and started snapping pictures. (Jerry Frishman) "When Jerry took those pictures...they were very heartwarming. It really captured the day which was really a day of celebration and happiness in an otherwise troubling time," Julie said. "It was so nice for him to do that. We really appreciate it. An act of kindness is not always expected," she added. "I look at the photos with happiness. We were lucky." This article originally appeared on the Gaithersburg Patch Pierce Brosnan as Ian Fleming's James Bond 007 in a promotional still for 2002's Die Another Day. (EON/MGM) Pierce Brosnan has said there is no regret over his departure from the James Bond franchise. The actor played 007 in four films, the last being 2002s Die Another Day. He took over the role from Timothy Dalton for 1995s GoldenEye. Brosnan wanted to make another but producers decided to recast the role, breaking the news to him over the phone in 2004. In an interview for the excellent book Some Kind of Hero: The Remarkable Story of the James Bond Films Brosnan said felt he had been kicked to the kerb after being dismissed from the role while negotiating for a fifth film. However, Brosnan, 67, has now said theres no regret over the parting of ways. Read more: Actors who gave up iconic roles He told the Guardian: I do not let regret come into my world It just leads to more misery and more regrets. Bond is the gift that keeps giving and has allowed me to have a wonderful career. Irish actor Pierce Brosnan poses with Roger Moore, a former incarnation of superspy James Bond, on the set of the film 'GoldenEye', 1995. (Photo by Keith Hamshere/Getty Images) Once youre branded as a Bond, its with you for ever, so you better make peace with it and understand that when you walk through those doors and pick up the mantle of playing James Bond. Brosnans spell as 007 is fondly remembered by fans. Since leaving the role he has had an eclectic career, famously showing off his singing skills in the Mamma Mia! films and playing a former British prime minister in Roman Polanskis 2010 thriller The Ghost Writer. He was replaced in the Bond role by Daniel Craig, whose fifth and final outing as the spy, No Time To Die, will be released in November after being delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic. Brosnan can currently be seen in Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga exclusively on Netflix. TAMPA, Fla., July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Polu Kai Services LLC, (www.polukaiservices.com), was named an awardee on Sol FA481419RA001 to provide Design/Build construction services supporting the US Air Force. The contract is a Base Plus (6) One Year Options IDIQ with a total aggregate NTE (not to exceed) amount of $500,000,000.00. The contract will be utilized to provide new design-build construction, and/or renovation of facilities at MacDill AFB and Avon Park, Florida. (PRNewsfoto/Polu Kai Services) Mr. Sean P. Jensen, Founder and Chief Executive Officer said, "PKS is extremely excited to be awarded one of these IDIQs. For almost 2 decades PKS has partnered with our clients and vendors to deliver great projects across the country. Our commitment to our Defense and Government clients continues to take Polu Kai to new heights". Jensen continued "To be a veteran owned business competing against top companies around the US and win an opportunity like this, shows veteran businesses are quite capable of supporting large, complex government contracting programs". Adding, "Our great employees are the key to our success. Their dedication and steadfast commitment to supporting our federal customers is job one and this has not gone unnoticed." PKS looks forward to the opportunities ahead and providing support to the US Air Force and our nation's warfighters. About Polu Kai Services (PKS) Founded in May 2002, PKS is an award winning, Service Disabled, Veteran Owned Small Business. PKS is a multi-disciplinary firm with capabilities in AE Design/Build, Construction, Field Engineering, Construction Management Services, Environmental Services, and Professional Services. PKS has a strong team of qualified, licensed, and experienced professionals operating throughout North America and overseas. Contact: Angela Myers Tel: (703)533-0039 Email: amyers@polukaiservices.com Cision View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/polu-kai-services-awarded-us-air-force-indefinite-delivery-indefinite-quantity-idiq-contract-301086999.html SOURCE Polu Kai Services So lets get this straight. Tim Walters, chair of ReOpen Maryland, is clearly advocating for irresponsible public health in the name of personal freedom and civil rights (Co-founder of ReOpen Maryland says he has COVID-19, but wont help contact tracing, June 25). He contracts COVID-19, holds events where he knowingly could have infected hundreds of people, refuses to cooperate with contact tracing, and then blames the whole thing on Satan and those who choose to hate God. Treasury Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin testifies Tuesday at a House Financial Services Committee hearing on the coronavirus response. (Associated Press) Nearly $135 billion provided by Congress to help small businesses struggling to survive the COVID-19 pandemic was left on the table Tuesday as the Paycheck Protection Program stopped accepting new applications. The program was so popular after Congress created it in March that it ran out of its initial $349 billion in less than two weeks and had to be replenished. But the second $310-billion round of forgivable payroll loans didn't go as quickly after some large companies encountered public backlash and criticism from President Trump for allegedly misusing the program, and others were frightened off by the program's vague, ever-changing rules, fearing they would be left on the hook for loans they could not repay. The bulk of the total $519 billion lent by PPP went out the door by May 8. By that point, a total of more than 4.1 million loans worth $431 billion were issued. After that, demand fell sharply with just 590,667 new loans worth a combined $88 billion. Some small businesses complained the rules were onerous and confusing. There are a certain number of small businesses that are looking at other options because they just don't want to deal with the headache, said Molly Day, vice president of the National Small Business Assn. The CARES Act, passed by Congress in March, required that companies use PPP loan money within eight weeks, with a June 30 spending deadline. On June 3, Congress extended that time frame to 24 weeks. The law also originally required that companies spend 75% of their loan money on payroll in order to qualify for loan forgiveness. Congress lowered the payroll requirement to 60%. Another obstacle for many businesses without banking relationships was the program's reliance on commercial lenders to distribute the funds. To get the money out the door quickly, the Small Business Administration based the PPP loan program on its existing 7a loan program, which is traditionally tapped by companies with 50 to 100 employees. Story continues That inherently locked out people who haven't engaged with a lender, haven't engaged with SBA, said Katie Vlietstra, vice president for the National Assn. for the Self-Employed. We knew right away this was going to be a disaster. The rules requiring so much of the money to go toward paychecks also excluded those businesses with few employees but large overhead for things such as rent or supplies, she said. Others may have been scared off by the potential for bad press or government investigators. After public backlash to news that some large, well-funded publicly traded companies had received loans worth tens of millions of dollars, the Treasury Department warned undeserving companies to return the money or face criminal penalty. Concerns grew about how aggressively the federal government might pursue criminal charges against companies that certified on their loan application that they faced a drop in revenue because of the coronavirus, but cannot prove it, said attorney Nick Oberheiden, who specializes in representing businesses and individuals under federal investigation. "The rumors quickly spread that it is dangerous, or can be dangerous, to apply for the PPP program, Oberheiden said. The rules for the loans changed weekly, or daily in some cases, he said. There is still confusion about whether the business owner is personally responsible for repaying the loan if the business closes. And in the end, some businesses decided the aid wasn't worth the potential liability, he said. Congress and the administration are already discussing what to do with the remaining $135 billion in the account. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), chairman of the Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee, said he'd like to see it made available for another round of loans. Rubio said the fact that money was left in the PPP shows that it is time to change the program so it helps other businesses. "There's strong evidence that the program has been fully utilized by everyone that concluded that would benefit them," Rubio said. "Obviously we'll have to be more targeted at truly small businesses. And in addition to that, I'm also developing a program to provide financing for businesses in underserved communities or opportunity zones and other ZIP Codes that would fall in that category ... because I'm very concerned that a lot of minority businesses, particularly Black-owned businesses already struggling to begin with, have access to capital." Treasury Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin told the House Financial Services Committee on Tuesday that there appears to be bipartisan support in the Senate for repurposing the remaining PPP funds, with the hope of seeing legislation by the end of July. The discussions include extending the loans to businesses hardest hit and in industries still struggling, such as restaurants, he said. But Rep. Nydia Velazquez (D-N.Y.), who chairs the House Small Business Committee, said Congress cant discuss extending the program or repurposing the money unless it has access to data about which businesses got loans. We need to know if the program worked as intended by Congress, she said. We know 4 million businesses accessed the program, but what about the millions of minority- and women-owned businesses that were not able to access the program? Velazquez said talk about letting businesses apply for a second loan might be premature. No one should get a second loan unless we know that most businesses who are struggling have a chance to get a loan, she said. Congress and the administration have argued for weeks about what information about loan recipients should be made public, with Mnuchin initially saying even the names of the companies were "proprietary" and could not be provided to Congress. Mnuchin said Tuesday that some recipient data should be provided to Congress by the end of the week. Prince Harry has surprised recipients of the Diana Award with a speech during the virtual ceremony, held on what would have been his mothers 59th birthday. Harry, who is living in Los Angeles with his wife Meghan, praised young people who are tackling racial inequality. The issue is one the royal couple are likely to focus on as they shape their nonprofit organisation Archewell, which will be launched next year. Harry said: I am so incredibly proud to be part of these awards, as they honour the legacy of my mother and bring out the very best in people like you. You are all doing such incredible work and at a time of great uncertainty, you have found the power and inspiration inside of you to make a positive mark on the world, and I love that the Diana Award is able to help you do it. Prince Harry at the Diana Award National Youth Mentoring Summit in 2019. (Getty Images) Read more: Meghan Markle's make-up artist says Royal Family is 'one-way' establishment I know that my mother has been an inspiration to many of you and I can assure you she would have been fighting your corner. Right now, were seeing situations around the world where division, isolation and anger are dominating as pain and trauma come to the surface. But I see the greatest hope in people like you and Im confident about the worlds future and its ability to heal because it is in your hands. He said he and Meghan were committed to being part of the solution to institutional racism, which he said was still endemic. He said: My wife said recently that our generation and the ones before us havent done enough to right the wrongs of the past, and I too am sorry. Sorry that we havent got the world to the place it must be. He added: Unconscious bias must be acknowledged without blame to create a better world for all of you. Harry, 35, highlighted some of the work of the award-winners on behalf of him and his brother Prince William, including that of 24-year-old James Frater from London. As a young boy, Frater had 300 detentions and exclusions from school. But his life turned around after he was mentored by four teachers. Story continues Read more: Football fans impressed as Harry and Meghan cutouts make it into stadium at Nottingham Forest match He is now training to be a doctor, and creates initiatives to increase the representation of black students at university. He was one of 184 people children and young adults who got the Diana Award this year. The awards were set up in memory of Princess Diana. (Getty Images) Harry also mentioned 23-year-old Nasra Ayub from Bristol who is an activist at Integrate UK, a youth-led charity that works towards gender and racial equality and cross-cultural cohesion. Others name-checked by Harry included Demetri Addison, 19, from Jamaica, who is an advocate for young people in the face of rising youth violence; Jhemar Jonas, 17, who raises awareness about youth violence in south London; and Shanea Kerry Oldham, 19, from London, who developed the Operation Inspire mentoring programme for young boys that were excluded internally and founded Your Life More Life, which creates safe spaces for young people impacted by serious youth violence. Marvel Mthembu, 22, from Johannesburg, was also recognised by the duke for setting up the international organisation Crushing The Barriers. Harry and Meghan are setting up a new nonprofit, Archewell. (Getty Images) Read more: Meghan Markle wins diversity award with 'groundbreaking' Vogue cover The awards recognise social action or humanitarian efforts. They were set up after the death of Princess Diana in 1997 when Harry was just 12 and his brother William was 15. Earlier this year, Meghan gave a heartfelt speech to the graduating class of her former high school in California, in the wake of the death of George Floyd. She said she was sorry the graduates were living in a world where racial inequality still existed. The couple are planning their next moves in California as they prepare to launch Archewell. They have been volunteering in LA and having conversations with community leaders. Harrys speech came as Meghans guest-edited September issue of Vogue won an award for diversity. Click here to read the full article. Facebook, in latest News Feed shift, to boost original reporting by Stephen Silver Facebook, over the years, has forced numerous major shifts on the news industry, just by tweaking its algorithm. The social media giant has pushed straight news content, encouraged pivots to video and, at one point, pushed down news altogether in favor of friends' content. The company has also frequently found itself in the middle of "fake news" controversies, from its boosting of bogus sites during the 2016 election to its part in the present-day debates over whether to fact-check posts by President Trump and other political figures. Of late, Facebook's perceived failure to prevent the spread of both hate and misinformation has led to a major advertiser boycott. Now, Facebook has announced another shift: An effort to prioritize original news reporting. In a blog post by Campbell Brown, the former NBC News and CNN anchor who is now Facebook's vice president of global news partnerships and product manager, Jon Levin, the change is going into effect right away. "When we ask people what kind of news they want to see on Facebook, they continually tell us they want news stories that are credible and informative," the post by Brown and Levin says. "Today, were updating the way news stories are ranked in News Feed to prioritize original reporting and stories with transparent authorship. These signals are based on user research and were built with feedback from news publishers and academic experts." The blog post does not specifically mention Facebook's algorithm, but implies that the changes will take place there. The post goes on to say that Facebook will "prioritize articles in News Feed that we identify as original reporting on a developing story or topic," doing so by looking at articles on individual news topics and identifying the one most frequently cited as the original source. Story continues Facebook also, per the post, will work with publishers, as well as academics, to refine this approach. The authors also stated that most publishers likely will not see major changes in their distribution. In another new move, Facebook will begin demoting content that does not disclose "transparent information about the publishers editorial staff, in order to prevent news outlets that lack legitimacy to gain a foothold on the platform. The moves come as major advertisers, including Coca-Cola, Starbucks, Microsoft and Unilever, have announced that they're pulling ads from Facebook for at least a month, and in some cases for longer. The group encouraging the boycotts, called Stop Hate For Profit, is seeking to punish Facebook for not doing enough to stop the spread of both hate and misinformation on the platform. Facebook, late last year, reached a $5 billion settlement with the FEC, for its privacy violations. Stephen Silver, a technology writer for The National Interest, is a journalist, essayist and film critic, who is also a contributor to Philly Voice, Philadelphia Weekly, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Living Life Fearless, Backstage magazine, Broad Street Review and Splice Today. The co-founder of the Philadelphia Film Critics Circle, Stephen lives in suburban Philadelphia with his wife and two sons. Follow him on Twitter at @StephenSilver. Click here to read the full article. The Queen with Donald Trump at the celebrations for the 75th anniversary of D-Day. (WireImage) The Queen and Donald Trump talked about reopening global economies in a phone call on Tuesday ahead of US Independence Day. The Royal Family noted the phone call in a tweet, but the White House divulged more details about the presidents call with the monarch. The White House said: The president wished the Queen a happy birthday, marking 94 extraordinary years. The president also expressed his condolences for the British people who have lost their lives during the coronavirus pandemic. The president and the Queen discussed close co-operation on defeating the virus and reopening global economies. The president and the Queen also reaffirmed that the United States and United Kingdom stand together in our special relationship and will emerge from this trying time stronger than ever before. Its not known how long the Queen and Trump spoke for on Tuesday afternoon. Read more: Queen thanks armed forces and veterans saying she knows 'only too well' the pride they feel The call was one of many the monarch has made over the last few weeks to leaders in other countries, starting with New Zealands Jacinda Ardern several weeks ago. The Queen with Trump at the Nato reception. (Getty Images) Read more: Balmoral estate littered with faeces and wipes as public use royal grounds as a toilet The calls are at the request of the government, and represent soft diplomacy. Trump was in the UK six months ago, when he attended a reception at Buckingham Palace to mark 70 years of Nato. He is a big fan of the Queen, and gushed about her on American TV after his state visit in June 2019. The US leader told Fox News: The meeting with the Queen was incredible. I think I can say Ive really got to know her because Ive sat with her many times and we had automatic chemistry. You understand that feeling, its a good feeling. But shes a spectacular woman. Read more: 100 things the Royal Family have done in 100 days of lockdown The Queen and Trump likely spoke mostly about the coronavirus pandemic as it is still a major issue in both nations. Story continues A 4 July event to mark Americas Independence Day is being held at the White House, despite concerns about crowds gathering. The Queen has met 12 of the 13 American presidents elected during her reign, with Lyndon B Johnson the only one missing out. The duchess is growing in confidence, say royal experts. (PA Images) It may seem far in the future, but one day the Duchess of Cambridge will be Queen consort. The once shy student who caught the eye of the future king is slowly emerging into a confident and engaging member of the Royal Family, whose work and contribution is becoming more and more vital. The coronavirus pandemic has seen Kate and husband Prince William, both 38, positioned at the forefront of the monarchy. William was the first to address the pandemic, and they have taken the lead on virtual engagements throughout. But while William has been trained his whole life for the job he will one day hold, Kate has adapted and grown to show what kind of queen she will be. Royal author Victoria Murphy told Yahoo UK: There is no doubt that Kate has hugely grown in confidence since joining the Royal Family. At the beginning she was very keen to learn the ropes and look to others for guidance over what she should be doing and you could sense that. But gradually shes started to take the lead more and now it feels much more like she is a driving force when it comes to the types of causes she and William are taking on and the way they approach their work. I think she still remains more of a team player than a leader though and perhaps more of a listener than a talker, but I think these qualities are well-suited to her current and future roles. The couple has adapted to working at home during the pandemic. (Kensington Palace) Read more: 100 things the Royal Family has done in 100 days of lockdown She said there was a rush to compare Kate to Diana, but added: Ive always thought that Kate has more in common personality-wise with the Queen; not an extrovert but quietly self-assured with a love of the outdoors and the ability to compartmentalise. Victoria Howard, editor of The Crown Chronicles, told Yahoo UK Kate has hit her stride with her patronages. She has chosen a core set of issues to focus on, and chooses more the cause than specific organisations (much like William and Harry have done), which means that, unlike the Queen, Kate will only ever have a few dozen patronages, and some will be linked or quite similar, Howard said Story continues It is a different way for royal work to be done, but this is clearly a path preferred by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and they will have the backing of Prince Charles and the Queen or we would see a change. Royal author Angela Levin added: I think she has gained in confidence as time has gone on. She is a perfectionist who wants to get things right and has been nervous that she might not. Now she knows the ropes she is more relaxed. I also think that being a mother has made a huge difference to how she faces life as a royal. William and Kate at their first engagement as a married couple, nine years ago. (WireImage) Read more: Duchess of Cambridge reveals she's missing her mum and dad as she keeps promise to hospice family Of course the royals had to adapt to working in the midst of a pandemic, and Kate and William were quick to use technology to make virtual visits, as well as to offer support to those continuing to work in key roles, like NHS and transport workers. Murphy said: Its been interesting because although they have been out and about far, far less, you could say that the public has actually seen more of the Cambridges during the lockdown period. There have been glimpses of normally totally private residence Anmer Hall, lots of images of the family released, and through the video calls and messages we have heard them speak more than we might during a normal engagement, where they wouldnt always be talking directly to a camera. As royals begin to add some in-person engagements to their diaries, Kate visited a hospice in Norfolk, one of a group she has represented for 10 years. It was perhaps one of the best examples of the change in the royal. The duchess works alongside other members of the Royal Family and has cemented her place. (Getty Images) Tracy Rennie of East Anglias Childrens Hospices recalled her first meeting with Kate a decade ago, as she told the Daily Mail: It was a private visit and she was a little shy, but I remember a little girl running up to give her a hug and she immediately kicked off her high heels to play. Since then she has really blossomed and grown, finding her confidence in a very understated way. At her in-person engagement she was unafraid to get stuck in, going gloveless as she replanted a sunflower she had brought along in memory of a boy who had died at another of the hospices, despite her large engagement ring. The duchess makes dozens of solo engagements to her patronages, as well as many alongside the duke. Murphy told Yahoo UK the pair have always worked as a team but that Kate gets extra interest and attention as a royal wife. She said: It is quite sexist really but there is definitely more appetite for everything to do with the female royals, from images of them to what they wear and say and do. Its a hugely intense spotlight to be under and I think that the strength of their relationship and Williams support and guidance have been very important to Kate in forging her public role. But Kate has returned the support to William, when he was a helicopter pilot and through his royal work too, she added. Howard said: Catherine has always been a bit shy, never looking for the limelight, which William grew up with. I think that's what a lot of people like about her she just seems very genuine and 'normal'. They are well matched in terms of personalities and interests, and just seem very happy. Kate supports her husband without overshadowing his work. (WireImage) Read more: Cambridges using their social media presence more like Meghan and Harry, says expert Levin said Kate has two key qualities that have seen her and William through tough times reliability and adaptability. She is also a creative thinker, Levin said. It was her idea to get involved with mental health. If she cant do something one way, she will try another. Kates aim since she and William have been together has been to support him. She is not a me me me person and joins in rather than push herself to the front. It has been very important too for her to give him the experience of a warm family life and help heal the damage from his dysfunctional upbringing. As well as adapting to the pandemic, the Cambridges will have to adapt to life after it. They will emerge without the support in royal work of brother and sister-in-law Prince Harry and Meghan, with whom they had several joint projects, like Shout and Heads Together. Howard said: I think the Sussexes leaving the Royal Family has been a bit of an alteration, for the Cambridges, in that they are the two most senior young royals working now, and that will probably mean an increase in engagements, especially when things go back to normal post-pandemic. Kate has a while to wait, but as a blossoming Queen Consort-to-be, she will be more than ready to step into the shoes when the time comes. Los Angeles City Councilman Jose Huizar, shown at a council meeting in 2018, has been charged in a federal corruption probe. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times) A San Francisco-based real estate firm has put one of its executives on leave amid the federal corruption probe that led to the arrest of Los Angeles City Councilman Jose Huizar. Carmel Partners, the developer of an Arts District project mentioned in the criminal complaint against Huizar, said in a statement that "there are a number of concerning allegations outlined in the complaint that require investigation" and that it plans to take "appropriate disciplinary actions as needed" against the executive. The company declined to identify the executive or answer questions about whether he or she was continuing to be paid while on leave. In a statement, the firm said that the members of its executive and management committees "did not knowingly participate in any pay-to-play scheme outlined in the U.S. Attorneys charges against Mr. Huizar." Carmel Partners also said there were "numerous false and/or misleading conclusions, suppositions, innuendos, and opinions in the complaint" against Huizar, but did not provide further details about which statements it believed to be false. A U.S. Department of Justice spokesman declined to comment on the Carmel Partners statement. Huizar faces a racketeering charge stemming from allegations that he ran a sprawling pay-to-play scheme in which real estate developers were shaken down for bribes and political donations. His attorneys said last week that the councilman intends to respond to the governments allegations in court. Although federal prosecutors did not name Carmel Partners in their complaint, The Times and other news outlets identified its 520 Mateo project as one of the developments mentioned in the corruption case based on details included by prosecutors, including the dates of key hearings at City Hall. In the criminal complaint, prosecutors alleged that Huizar schemed with the developer of the unnamed Arts District project and its lobbyist to provide direct and indirect financial benefits to the councilman in exchange for his help at City Hall. Story continues An FBI investigator said in an affidavit that the company had provided tens of thousands of dollars in donations to political action committees tied to Huizar and that one of its executives gave the councilman damaging information about two former aides who sued him for harassment. Carmel Partners did not respond to questions about whether its executive had provided opposition research on Huizar aides, but said that its donations to political action committees, also known as PACs, were legal. "We believe that the accusation that donations to a PAC were the reason 520 Mateo gained approval is incorrect and it diminishes the more than four years of work we did with the community to achieve its support," the company said, adding that "it is our strong view that the project would have received that broad support regardless of any of the legal PAC contributions we made." Federal prosecutors also argued that the Arts District project ended up having much less affordable housing because of changes backed by Huizar. At a press conference, U.S. Atty. Nick Hanna said that thanks to Mr. Huizar, the development would have minimal affordable housing units." The City Planning Commission had recommended that 11% of the housing units at 520 Mateo go to "very low income" households. Huizar instead recommended that only 6% of the units be set aside for moderate income residents and that 5% of its commercial floor area be reserved as affordable work space. Carmel Partners said that the amount of affordable housing at 520 Mateo had "evolved substantially," but that such changes were "mostly driven by the community," which wanted a more expensive kind of construction, "even if it meant that due to increased construction costs affordable units as a percentage of the overall project would be reduced." The company added that it had made a $2.25-million payment to a city fund for affordable housing as part of a "community benefits package" for the project. Carmel Partners also said it was exploring legal action against a lobbyist involved with the project, "as the complaint revealed to us that he was not acting exclusively in Carmels best interests and was deceptive in conduct and his advice." Lobbyist Morrie Goldman, whom The Times previously identified as being mentioned in the criminal complaint against Huizar, did not respond to a request for comment. Shock waves have rattled Washington following reports by The New York Times and The Washington Post that Russian operatives paid bounties to members of the Taliban to kill American soldiers in Afghanistan. Why would Russian President Vladimir Putin countenance such a thing, or indeed order it? (For the record, the Kremlin and the Taliban have said the stories are untrue.) Two new books examine Putins vendetta against the West, particularly the United States, and search for answers. Of special interest is his time in the Soviet KGB, disbanded almost 30 years ago when the USSR ceased to exist. But a close look at the books, and at the record, suggests thats misleading. Much more important to Putin and his cronies than the ideological crusade of the KGB is their desire to share in the pillaged wealth of post-Soviet Russia, and their hatred of anyone who would hold them accountable. Putins People: How the KGB Took Back Russia and Then Took on the West by British journalist Catherine Belton sees Russias campaign to undermine Western democracy as driven by the goals ingrained in Putin and his former KGB colleagues in Soviet days. But the fact that Putin worked for the KGB and brought his friends from that agency to the Kremlin in 2000 does not mean that his regime is continuing the KGBs foreign policy legacy. As veteran Russian analyst Lilia Shevtsova observed in her book Putins Russia: It would be wrong to overstate the KGB component in his [Putins] biography and to see it as the root cause of all his subsequent actionsPutin drew security officials into his team not because he wanted to create a regime of siloviki [representatives of the security ministries] and hand power over to the successors of the KGB. He chose his team, not on the basis of professional allegiances or ideological or political affiliation, but simply because these were the people he knew. Most of Putins former KGB colleagues, including the head of the National Security Council, Nikolai Patrushev, had worked in the domestic arm of the KGB, fighting dissidents, as Putin did for 10 years. But Putins system is based on cronyism, and many of his cronies are oligarchs who helped him get rich and who have no KGB background. Story continues Even One-Person Protests are Too Much for Vladimir Putin Although hatred of the West is still a strong motivation, the men who call the foreign-policy shots, including Putin, are driven above all by the goal of enriching themselves financially. And they are not being held accountable, as they might be, under the 2016 Global Magnitsky Act that authorizes sanctions of governmental and non-state actors for corruption and human rights abuses. To be sure, as British journalist Luke Harding shows in his insightful new book, Shadow State: Murder, Mayhem and Russias Remaking of the West, many methods used today by Russias security services are similar to those employed by the Sovietsdisinformation, assassination, the use of kompromat (possibly even against Trump, as Harding suggests) and other so-called active measures. But the old KGB, which combined foreign intelligence with counterintelligence, was tightly controlled by the Communist Partys Politburo, whose members led austere lifestyles. The $100 million yachts, Swiss ski trips, and Cartier watches that Putin and his people covet would have been unthinkable for Brezhnev, Andropov, et al. Belton argues that Putin and his allies have a goal that goes beyond their personal enrichment. Continuing the KGB tradition, Belton says, they embraced capitalism as a tool for getting even with the West by funneling corrupt Russian money, connected with organized crime, into Britain and the U.S., including Donald Trumps coffers. Belton quotes a former senior KGB officer as saying, You cant use nuclear weapons every day, but you can use this black cash every day. It can be deployed to dismantle the Western system from the inside. But the shady world of dirty money she describes seems more a reflection of Russian corruption merging with global capitalism than a conscious plan by Russias foreign intelligence agencies to take on the West. To show how the KGB shaped Putins mindset, Belton revisits his career in that agency, a subject that has been extensively explored by his biographers. But she skims over the first 10 years of Putins KGB employment, 1975-85, spent as a junior counterintelligence officer in the Leningrad KGB. Former KGB Major General Oleg Kalugin, who was one of Putins bosses, later described what Putin did: Work here was not among foreigners, but rather among Soviet citizens the system was focused on exposing those with reformist attitudes, people who wanted to change, to improve things. These were the people the KGB was occupied with, instead of focusing on actual spies. In 1985, Putin managed to move to the KGBs more prestigious First Chief Directorate (foreign intelligence) and was posted to Dresden. In contrast to Berlin, Dresden was a backwater, consisting only of a small group of KGB officers whose job was to liaise with the Stasi, the German secret police, and possibly recruit Westerners who visited the city. But Belton contends that Dresden was Putins baptism of fire, which gave him the experience to continue advancing the KGBs foreign intelligence mission after he became president. She suggests that Putin was involved in so-called Operation Luch, the KGBs longtime program of recruiting spies to report on the political mood of the East German party leadership and the Stasi. As evidence, Belton says that Horst Jehmlich, assistant Stasi chief in Dresden, suspected Putin of betrayal, but Jehmlich never mentioned Putin as being part of Operation Luch, and Putin and others have denied his involvement. Belton also speculates that Putin played a part in directing the terrorist operations of the notorious German Red Army Faction (RAF), some of whom were trained by the Stasi in Dresden. She says that Putin and his colleagues may have run agents deep in German neo-Nazi groups and in the far-left Red Army Faction, which murdered American military officers and titans of West German industry to sow chaos and instability. But her only source is an anonymous former RAF member. Masha Gessen, author of a 2012 biography of Putin, also interviewed a former RAF member, perhaps the same one, who told her that, when he met Putin at the occasional training session, all Putin was interested in was getting his hands on goods from the West, including a Blaupunkt stereo for his car. Gessen observes: Handing out assignments to RAF radicals, who were responsible for more than two dozen assassinations and terrorist attacks between 1970 and 1998, is exactly the sort of work Putin had once dreamed of, but there is no evidence he was directly connected it. Instead, he spent most of his days sitting at his desk. Mark Galeotti, an expert on the Russian security services, who examined a recently declassified KGB assessment of Putin, concluded: He [Putin] was not recruiting and running agents so much as collating reports, liaising with the East German Stasi (who gave him his own access pass) and responding to queries from Moscow. He even seems to have lost his fire, settling back into his relatively privileged life in a country apparently more Soviet than the Soviet Unionuntil the wall came down in 1989. After returning to his native St. Petersburg, Putin became a deputy to the new mayor, Anatoly Sobchak, and used his position to reap the rewards of the new Russian capitalism by dispensing lucrative contracts for foreign joint ventures and engaging in secret deals with the Russian mafia. His 1996 move to the Kremlins Department of Property Abroad offered him opportunities to dispense patronage and form relationships with wealthy oligarchs. One of these oligarchs was a colorful, self-promoting Russian named Sergei Pugachev, whose interviews with Belton are cited extensively throughout book and who enthusiastically promotes Beltons theory that the former KGB foreign intelligence operatives have been the moving force in the Kremlin. In 2008, Pugachevs Mezhprombank fell into difficulty, along with many other Russian banks and, despite a bailout from the Russian Central Bank, went into default. Two years later a Russian court revoked the banks license and declared it to be insolvent. Contending that Pugachev, who fled Russia for London in 2011, misappropriated large sums of money from Mezhprombank, the Russian state filed a claim against him for over $1 billion in 2014. The ensuing legal battle has been fought out in the British High Court, which in 2015 froze Pugachev's assets and ordered him to surrender his passports. Pugachev managed to escape to his luxurious villa in France, but if he should return to Britain he faces a two-year prison sentence for defying the court order. Pugachev clearly embellishes his importance in Kremlin politics, maintaining to Belton that he played a key role in Yeltsins 1996 election campaign, although there is no evidence beyond a formal note of thanks for helping out from Yeltsins daughter Tatyana Dyachenko. He also takes credit for the choice of Putin as Yeltsins successor, and claims that he and Putin were constant companions after Putin became president. Pugachev even tells Belton that he used to hang out for hours in the kitchen of the presidential residence with Putins then wife Liudmilla (who drank too much), waiting for her husband to come home. But Russian journalists have for years questioned the stories about Pugachevs supposed influence in the Kremlin. Evgeniya Albats, editor of the New Times, told me in a recent email: I spoke with Pugachev for many, many hoursI specially flew to Paris for that. Then I tried to check what he said: it turned out to be impossiblepeople laugh into your face. One can use some of his stuff, but one cannot trust him at all. In fact Pugachev was accused publicly in 2009 of falsifying his official biography when he became a Russian senator in 2001. Not only had he failed to disclose two criminal convictions in the 1980s; he had lied about his academic credentials. (Pugachev never responded to the accusations, which were backed up by documents.) And two judges at Britains High Court, who heard the Russian governments case against Pugachev noted pointedly that they could not believe anything he said. (In the words of one judge, Pugachev is a person quite willing to lie and put forward false statements deliberately if it would suit his purposes.) Belton mentions none of this. Belton portrays Pugachev as a victim of Putins revenge, as was Mikhail Khodorkovsky, whose case she discusses in detail. But the two exiled oligarchs are miles apart. After Putin was elected president in 2000, Khodorkovsky challenged Putin directly with a blueprint for reform of Russias economic and financial system and also let it be known that he was going into politics. In 2003, when his arrest was imminent, Khodorkovsky refused to leave Russia, and as a result spent 10 years in a labor camp. Pugachev, by contrast, cozied up to Putins silovikithere is a photo on his website of an intimate 2005 birthday dinner for his first wife (who looks miserable) and seated at the table are FSB chief Patrushev, Procurator-General Vladimir Ustinov and Rosnefts Igor Sechin, Putins eminence grise, who orchestrated the attack on Khodorkovsky. Pugachev slavishly pandered to Putin right up until he got caught with his hands in the cookie jar and had to flee Russia to avoid arrest. Although Harding also refers to the Kremlin as a KGB-led regime, he uses the term generically and is clear on the differences among Russias security agencies, the FSB, SVR (foreign intelligence) and GRU, which are known to compete with each other. As Harding shows, the GRU, the only security agency to survive the Soviet collapse, has evolved considerably since the Soviet era, when its mandate was to gather military intelligence and carry out the occasional assassination abroad. Now it engages in all sorts of hybrid warfare against the West, including the sponsorship of private mercenary forces, like the Wagner Group, which has been active in places like Syria, central Africa and Ukraine. The group is funded by the St. Petersburg oligarch Yevgeny Prigozhin, who was indicted by Robert Mueller for his role in financing the Internet Research Agencys successful effort to influence the 2016 U.S. elections. Harding rightly points out that Russias active measures against the West are still a matter of grave concern, particularly with the U.S. elections coming up in November. But he is on thin ground when he suggests that Russia may have succeeded in remaking the United States in its own image. Despite Trumps contempt for the media and the rule of law, his personal affinity for Putin and his adherence to Putins global agenda, the U.S. is a long way from becoming the lawless Russian kleptocracy that Harding describes. The Kremlins aggressive policy toward the West, as in Soviet times, is really about the need to preserve the power of those within its walls. The difference now is that this power is used to finance extravagant lifestyles at the expense of the Russian people, not to further the ideological goals of the former KGB. Russian oppositionist Aleksei Navalny, in an expose about Igor Sechins ill-gotten gains, expressed it well: Everything, in general, everything that our todays heroes have, they bought with the money that they got in one way or another from the state budget. Their biographies are painfully similar. Not a day in business, not a day in private enterprise, no skills and achievements. Its just that they once sooo long ago met Putin, some in Dresden and some in the St. Petersburg City Hall, carried his briefcases for him, and now well, you can see for yourself whats now. 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. What better way to celebrate America's birthday than with some sweets? Molly Yeh, a cookbook author and creator of the wildly popular food blog "my name is yeh," shared some of her most festive Fourth of July dessert recipes with "GMA" that are sure to take your bash to the next level. PHOTO: Molly Yeh, the creator of the popular food and lifestyle brand 'my name is yeh' and host of 'Girl Meets Farm' on Food Network is photographed here. (Food Network) "Summer parties are the best because they're an excuse to make desserts with some of the very best things summer has to offer: Fresh berries, s'mores and anything frozen," Yeh told "GMA." "In my perfect dessert world, everything is colorful and playful, and usually topped by sprinkles or bright pretty fruits," she added. "All parties are improved with homemade desserts!" Here is a roundup curated by Yeh, who is now the host of "Girl Meets Farm" on the Food Network, of some of her top picks for Independence Day desserts that are super cute and ridiculously Instagram-able. Strawberries and Cream Frozen Cocktail PHOTO: Strawberries and cream frozen cocktails from Molly Yeh, the creator of the popular food and lifestyle brand 'my name is yeh,' are photographed here. (Courtesy Chantell Quernemoen ) This is a simple and tasty way to get a good dose of fruit and a little buzz, according to Yeh. Plus, the cardamom adds a complex layer of flavors and the pistachios add a touch of crunch. Ingredients: a drizzle of honey finely chopped raw or roasted pistachios and freeze dried strawberries, for rim 2 c (280g) frozen strawberries 1/4 c (50g) sugar 1/4 c whole milk 1/4 c heavy cream 1/4 c prairie organic vodka 1/2 tsp vanilla a good pinch of ground cardamom dried rose petals, optional Instructions: Apply a thin even layer of honey around the rim of two glasses (I find it's easiest to drizzle it directly on the top outside edge of the glass and then use a small rubber spatula or knife to spread it all around) and then coat it with the pistachios and freeze dried strawberries. Set the glasses aside. In a blender, combine the strawberries, sugar, milk, cream, vodka, vanilla and cardamom and blend until smooth. Pour into glasses and top with pistachios, dried rose petals (if using), and another tiny pinch of cardamom. Enjoy! View full recipe here. Story continues Coconut Rainbow Popsicles PHOTO: Coconut rainbow popsicles from Molly Yeh, the creator of the popular food and lifestyle brand 'my name is yeh,' are photographed here. (Courtesy Molly Yeh) These tri-color pops are a "creamsicle version of one of my favorite desserts, Malabi, a rosewater milk pudding," Yeh said. Ingredients (For the coconut layer) : 1 c full-fat coconut milk 1 tsp vanilla bean paste or extract 1/2 tsp rosewater a pinch of kosher salt a pinch of cinnamon 2 tb maple syrup, or to taste Optional toppings: Melted chocolate, crushed pistachios, rosebuds, toasted coconut. Instructions: Get the ingredients and recipes for the lemongrass layer and pluot layer of the popsicles here. Make your lemongrass layer, pour into the bottom third of your popsicle molds and freeze for 45 minutes. Make your pluot layer, pour on top of the lemongrass layer and freeze 15 minutes. Insert popsicle sticks and then freeze for another 15 minutes. Mix together all ingredients for this layer. Taste and adjust as desired. Pour on top of the pluot layer and freeze for an hour. Drizzle with chocolate and top with pistachios, rosebuds, and coconut, if desired. Enjoy! S'mores Mini Cakes PHOTO: S'mores mini cakes from Molly Yeh, the creator of the popular food and lifestyle brand 'my name is yeh,' are photographed here. (Courtesy Molly Yeh) For this recipe, Yeh uses crushed graham crackers in place of some of the flour. The mini-version of these beloved summertime desserts also make them super cute and ridiculously Instagram-able. This is an elegant twist on the classic dessert that has become synonymous with summer camp and childhood. Layered with creamy chocolate buttercream and marshmallow topping, this graham cracker concoction is sure to be a crowd-pleaser at any family function. You can get the full recipe here. Rhubarb Cake PHOTO: Rhubarb cakes from Molly Yeh, the creator of the popular food and lifestyle brand 'my name is yeh,' are photographed here. (Courtesy Chantell Quernemoen ) The sourness of the rhubarb provides a nice balance in this moist, tender, cake, Yeh said. The complex flavor profile of rhubarb jam and vanilla buttercream makes this cake a big hit at any event. Plus, you can decorate the top however you want and re-use the recipe for any occasion. You can get the full recipe here. Olympic Cake PHOTO: Team USA cake from Molly Yeh, the creator of the popular food and lifestyle brand 'my name is yeh,' is photographed here. (Courtesy Molly Yeh ) This festive, colorful cake is perfect if you're "into puzzles and almondy things," Yeh said. The loaf-style cake is essentially an Italian almond cookie that has been crafted and colored into a red, white and blue flag. It is loaded with butter and incredibly rich, so not only is it beautiful to look at, but also is also absolutely delicious. You can get the full recipe here. This story was originally published on July 3, 2018. Red, white and yum: The ultimate desserts for your 4th of July bash originally appeared on goodmorningamerica.com In his new film Ride Like A Girl (out now on PVOD), Sam Neill plays legendary New Zealand horse trainer Paddy Payne, a man he admits he was quite intimidated by when he met him in real life. Part of the Jurassic Park stars preparation for the film which tells the inspirational true story of Michelle Payne (Teresa Palmer), the first and only woman jockey to win Australias Melbourne Cup involved spending a day with Paddy and Michelle, but that was the only time they met. I never saw him again. He never visited the set while I was there and Im rather grateful for that because hes a bit scary, Neill tells Yahoo Movies UK in the video above. Its a worry when youre playing someone real. They might think youre a complete goose. Detail from the poster for Ride Like A Girl, featuring (L-R) Sam Neill, Teresa Palmer, and Stephen Payne. (Lionsgate) Neill is a keen rider himself but is never in the saddle during the film. I love riding horses. Ive ridden horses in ten different productions but I never get on a horse in the most horsey film Ive ever done. Read more: Sam Neill updates on postponed Jurassic World 3 shoot Co-star Teresa Palmer (Berlin Syndrome, Lights Out) plays Michelle Payne, who she describes as sunshine. Trainer Paddy Payne and daughter Michelle Payne at Flemington Racecourse on in Melbourne, Australia, 2018. (Vince Caligiuri/Getty Images) I could ring her at any time. I even had her come and check out my position on a horse to make sure she was happy with how I was sitting in the saddle. Preparing to play the role involved rigorous training. After having two sons with actor Mark Webber in quick succession, she was back in the gym to work up some strength. Every day it was sit-ups, squats and weights. An hour and a half every day. The film also saw her get back on a horse for the first time in 15 years, so she had to re-learn to ride all over again. Teresa Palmer attends the Cartier Into The Wild Launch Event on March 05, 2020 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Sam Tabone/WireImage) Neill likens riding a thoroughbred racehorse to riding a 2000 cc bike, but 10 feet off the ground and paid tribute to his co-stars courage and what he describes as her cojones. Palmer currently has season three of A Discovery Of Witches in her sights, after which she says its back to Mummy Land. Shes also keen to come back as Rebecca in a sequel to 2016 horror hit Lights Out. I would love to do it again. There have been rumblings of a sequel for some time, but I feel like Im always the last to know. Ride Like A Girl is available now to watch / rent on key platforms including Sky Store, Apple TV, Amazon, Google Play, Rakuten, Chili, BT TV, Talk Talk and Virgin. The Meyers invited reporters to Vinces Crab House Wednesday, saying they wished to tell their side. Brendas son and waterman Vince Meyer drew the ire of protesters for his comments on Facebook disparaging the protests sweeping the nation after the death of George Floyd at the hands of the Minneapolis Police and using racial slurs in the past. Seven of 10 Democrats in the new USA TODAY/Suffolk Poll say it is important to them that presumptive nominee Joe Biden picks a woman of color as his running mate on the Democratic presidential ticket this fall. A third of Democrats, among both Black and white Americans, call it "very important." The potential contender who generates the most enthusiasm as a vice presidential nominee among those surveyed is California Sen. Kamala Harris, followed by former Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams and Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren. Many of the other possibilities reportedly being vetted by the Biden campaign aren't familiar enough to be rated by most of those surveyed. Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden campaigns in Columbia, South Carolina, on Feb. 29, 2020. The poll had some disheartening news for the current vice president, Mike Pence. Republicans by close to 2-1 wouldn't be concerned if President Donald Trump dumped Pence from the GOP ticket in favor of former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley: 11% would be "excited" and 35% would find that move "acceptable." Just 21% said it would be "not acceptable," and 6% said they would be "angry." An additional 1 in 4 are undecided. Are you registered to vote? Check your status, get registered Whether Trump is considering taking that step isn't clear, although former Trump national security adviser John Bolton, in his new bestseller, "The Room Where It Happened," says that was an idea he believed was being promoted behind the scenes by Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump. In any case, Biden is in the market for a vice presidential nominee, which he has promised will be a woman. He has said he'll announce his choice around Aug. 1. Biden looks for his Biden: Here are the women under consideration as his vice presidential running mate Among Democrats, 35% said it was "very important" to them that his running mate be a woman of color; an additional 37% said it was "somewhat important." Only 26% said it was "not very" or "not at all" important. Story continues Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Kamala Harris are among those being considered for Joe Biden's running mate. "It definitely needs to be a woman of color to be representative of what's happening right now," said Dawn Newman, 56, a Democrat from Barnum, Minnesota, who was called in the poll. She said either Harris or Abrams would be a "strong, effective" choice. In the poll, nominating a woman of color was more important to white Americans than Black Americans. Seventy-five percent of white Americans said it was very or somewhat important to them; 60% of Black Americans took that view. So did 81% of Hispanics. Among Democrats under 25, 85% called it very or somewhat important, a higher proportion than among older voters. The poll of 345 Democrats and 287 Republicans was taken by landline and cellphone Thursday through Monday. The margin of error for the Democratic sample is plus or minus 5.3 percentage points; for the Republican sample it is 5.8 points. USA TODAY poll: Biden widens his lead, but Trump keeps the edge on enthusiasm Democrat Stacey Abrams deliver her partys response to President Donald Trumps State of the Union by arguing for a more unified society that gives every American a chance at prosperity Among the possibilities: Harris, the daughter of Jamaican and Indian immigrants, generated the most excitement, and across racial lines: 41% of whites and 32% of African Americans said they would be "excited" by her choice. Overall, an additional 33% called her "acceptable;" 12% said she would be "not acceptable." Abrams, who is African American, was rated as an "exciting" choice by 20% of white and 27% of Black respondents. Among all Democrats, 29% said she was "acceptable" and 10% "not acceptable." Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who is white, was seen as "exciting" by 33% of white and 15% of Black respondents. Overall, 38% said she was "acceptable." But 19% called her "not acceptable," the highest negative rating of any of the 11 names on the poll's rundown. Former Obama U.N. ambassador Susan Rice, who is Black, was seen as "exciting" by 20% of white and 24% of Black Americans. Among all Democrats, 35% said she would be "acceptable" and 10% said she would be "not acceptable." Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, who is African American, was seen as an "exciting" choice by 16% of white and 25% of Black respondents. Overall, 28% called her "acceptable" and 7% "not acceptable." Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who is white, was seen as "exciting" by 16% of Black and white Americans alike. She was seen as "acceptable" by 38% overall and "not acceptable" by 14%. Five other names were included in the survey, but a majority of respondents said they didn't know enough about them to have an opinion. They were Florida Rep. Val Demings, Illinois Sen. Tammy Duckworth, Wisconsin Sen. Tammy Baldwin, New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham and California Rep. Karen Bass. Where do Americans stand on election issues? Let them tell you how they feel about this policy Of course, being chosen for the ticket would presumably make any pick much better known, and fast. Jacob Walker, 44, a school administrator and an independent voter from Auburn, California, who was polled, cautioned against choosing someone "too radical." An independent, he plans to vote for Biden. "If you had somebody on the ticket who was just a firebrand you know, get rid of the police or things like that that would make it very hard," he said, recalling the Republican ticket in 2008. "I saw Sarah Palin on McCain's ticket. Great, she's a woman, but she just was not a person I would want to become president." He urged Biden to choose someone who "if they became president, could be a uniter also of our nation." 2020 campaign: Biden campaign commits to three debates, rejects Trump team's call for more as 'distraction' This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Biden's VP pick: 72% of Democrats want a woman of color on the ticket The California Correctional Center and adjoining High Desert State Prison in Susanville, the Lassen County seat. (California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation) For months, rural Lassen County held a pandemic distinction as one of the only counties in California with zero confirmed cases of COVID-19. The sparsely populated Northern California county, which did not report its first coronavirus case until May 22, was one of the first in the state to ease social restrictions and reopen public life. But now, a major outbreak among inmates at a state prison in Susanville, linked to the transfer of inmates from San Quentin State Prison, has frustrated local officials who say the state's movement of infected prisoners now poses a grave danger to their community. "The sentiment is really of disappointment with the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, to disregard the impact on our community with regard to their policy of moving inmates around," said Richard Egan, the county spokesman. As of Wednesday, there were 214 cases at the California Correctional Center in Susanville. There also were five confirmed cases at the adjoining High Desert State Prison. Outside of the prisons, Lassen County has reported just 14 cases since the pandemic began. There have been no deaths and no hospitalizations, Egan said. Local officials have struggled to get information from the state about the prison outbreak, and the county has no jurisdiction over the prison and was not consulted about the transfer, Egan said. "It's improving now after the horse is out of the barn, but communication has not been great," he said. State Sen. Brian Dahle (R-Bieber) told The Times that the California Dept. of Corrections and Rehabilitation "hasn't been very transparent" with local leaders and that he worried about COVID-19 cases overwhelming Lassen County's single hospital, Banner Lassen Medical Center, a 25-bed facility in Susanville. "At this time, we should not be moving inmates around," Dahle said. "It's unfortunate, because our community had a very low rate of people being infected with COVID, and here we're dealing with an outbreak. I'm frustrated. ... We were doing everything right." Story continues Dahle noted that the prisons are the biggest employers in Lassen County, and people drive long distances from neighboring Modoc County (the only county in California with zero reported cases) and Plumas County to go to work there. He worried that the outbreak would spread beyond prison walls and across county lines. An estimated 60% of staff at the California Correctional Center and High Desert Prison live in Lassen County, Egan said. The rest commute from neighboring counties and across the Nevada border. At least four prison staffers have tested positive, he said. If they reside in another county, their cases are counted among the caseloads there. On June 8, the state transferred several inmates from San Quentin to the California Correctional Center, Egan said. Three inmates who tested negative for COVID-19 before leaving the Marin County prison were not quarantined upon their arrival in the Susanville facility and were placed among the general inmate population, Egan said. Those inmates were tested again, and the results came back positive. The cases quickly surpassed 200. Egan said that, as far as he knows, the moving of an inmate from the California Correctional Center to the adjacent High Desert State Prison facility led to the five known cases in that prison. In a statement to the Times, Dana Simas, a spokeswoman for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, said that on June 22, the state "restricted any movement of the incarcerated population between and throughout all institutions to essential transfers only to mitigate spread of the virus." About a third of San Quentin's inmates have been infected with the coronavirus after a transfer of prisoners from a Southern California correctional facility overrun by the illness. Unlike other prisons in California , San Quentin had escaped any coronavirus outbreak until early June. But 121 inmates were moved there on May 30 from the California Institution for Men in Chino, an early hotbed of coronavirus cases where 16 inmates have died. The transfers ignited an outbreak at San Quentin, where 1,135 inmates have tested positive for the virus. On Monday, Marin County officials revealed that a death row inmate found dead last week in his cell had tested positive for COVID-19. In a June 25 letter to Ralph Diaz, secretary of the state corrections department, Dahle and his wife, Republican state Assemblywoman Megan Dahle, said they had "grave concerns about the inadequate communication, planning and protocols" that led to the "explosive outbreak" at the Susanville prison. Lassen County, they wrote, previously requested assistance from the state corrections department during the pandemic but was told that state prison staff "would not be available due to bargaining unit contract restrictions." The Dahles asked if the state was going to do anything to bolster the county's "bare-bones emergency medical services capacity" and questioned why the corrections department was not participating in meetings with local health officials. In Lassen County, health officials knew early on that the prisons were "a major risk factor" and prepared as best they could, Egan told the Times. He said he hopes the sudden spike in cases does not cause Lassen County to be placed on the state's coronavirus watchlist and that it does not force the county to scale back its reopening. "Our community has done a great job at addressing the COVID issue, and we're continuing to do that," he said. "We'll get through this. It's just frustrating." VIENNA (Reuters) - Russia has told the U.N. atomic watchdog there have been no nuclear incidents on its territory that could explain elevated but still harmless levels of radioactive particles detected on the Baltic Sea last week, the U.N. agency said on Tuesday. A separate body, the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO), which watches for nuclear weapon tests, said on Friday a monitoring station in Sweden had found higher-than-usual levels of caesium-134, caesium-137 and ruthenium-103. The CTBTO said they were produced by nuclear fission. CTBTO chief Lassina Zerbo posted a borderless map https://twitter.com/SinaZerbo/status/1276559857731153921?s=20 online showing where the particles might have come from in the 72 hours before they were detected - an area covering the tips of Denmark and Norway as well as southern Sweden, much of Finland, Baltic countries and part of western Russia including St. Petersburg. All those countries except Denmark, which has no nuclear power plants http://www.ensreg.eu/country-profile/Denmark, and Russia, which has a history of not fully explaining incidents that emitted radioactive particles, told the International Atomic Energy Agency by Monday that there were no events on their territory that could explain the increase. On Tuesday evening, however, the IAEA issued a statement https://www.iaea.org/newscenter/pressreleases/more-countries-provide-radioisotope-information-to-iaea-reported-levels-very-low saying the list of countries that had declared themselves incident-free had grown to around 40 and now included Denmark and Russia. "Apart from Estonia, Finland and Sweden, none of the other countries which have so far provided information and data to the IAEA said they had detected elevated radioisotope levels," said the IAEA, which asked member states for information over the weekend after the CTBTO announcement. Asked on Monday if Russia was the origin of the elevated particle levels, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow had detected no sign of a radiation emergency. (Reporting by Francois Murphy; editing by Jonathan Oatis) Wali Sabawoon/NurPhoto/Getty Taliban veterans like to laugh about the first time, according to their lore, that the Russians dumped a lot of American dollars on them. During the Taliban campaign to take over all of Afghanistan in 1995, they actually had a few fighter planes, and they used one to force a Russian cargo planea huge Ilyushin Il-76TD flying for a company called Airstanto land in Kandahar. The Taliban held the Russian crew members prisoner for a year until, one day, they supposedly escaped and managed to take the plane with them. How many millions of dollars that took to arrange, the Taliban have never said, but after the long, bloody decade of the 1980s throwing off Soviet occupation, squeezing the Russians for money like that remains a source of amusement. Mullah Manan Niazi, who was the spokesman for Taliban leader Mullah Omar in those days, brought up the incident when The Daily Beast asked him about reports that the Russians have offeredand perhaps paidbounties to Taliban who kill American soldiers. The Russians paying U.S. dollarsits not odd for the Taliban, he said, his voice fraught with irony over the encrypted phone call as he recalled the Airstan incident. As for the current situation, The Taliban have been paid by Russian intelligence for attacks on U.S. forcesand on ISIS forcesin Afghanistan from 2014 up to the present. In the world of intelligence gathering, such a statement from such a figure would be worth noting, and just the kind of thing that could lead to what the Trump White House has called inconclusive reporting the Russian offer of bounties to kill Americans. Mullah Manan Niazi was a very senior figure in the Taliban when they were in power, and also when they were driven into exile and underground after 2001. But since the death of Mullah Omar was made public in 2015, he has been a dissident and liable to be killed by the current Taliban leadership if it catches up with him. They have accused him of collaborating with the CIA and the Afghan governments intelligence service, the National Directorate of Security (NDS), which he denies. Story continues So, Niazi speaks as someone who knows the organization and its top people very well, but who also has an agenda very different from theirs, with his own reasons for confirming the bounty story, and he does not offer further specifics on that. But he does offer details about what he says are the longstanding ties between the Taliban and the Russians as well as the Iranians, and U.S. officials have been tracking those developments. A U.S. intelligence report about Russian assistance to the Taliban has circulated on Capitol Hill and throughout the national security apparatus over the last several days. According to three individuals who have read or who are familiar with the report, the assessment is long and covers the span of several years, focusing generally on how Russia provides support, including financial assistance, to the Taliban. The report also touches on the Russian bounties first reported by The New York Times, though those who read the report say that data point is circumstantial and that the investigation is ongoing. Two individuals who spoke to The Daily Beast, though, said it is clear from the report that theres an increased risk for U.S. troops in Afghanistan because of Russias behavior. In important ways, this classified report mirrors an unclassified document produced last month by the Congressional Research Service which offered a crisp summation: In the past two years, multiple U.S. commanders have warned of increased levels of assistance, and perhaps even material support for the Taliban from Russia and Iran, both of which cite IS [Islamic State, ISIS] presence in Afghanistan to justify their activities. Both nations were opposed to the Taliban government of the late 1990s, but reportedly see the Taliban as a useful point of leverage vis-a-vis the United States. We introduced two Taliban to the Russians under cover as businessmen, said Niazai looking back on operations when he was still part of the Taliban insurgent leadership. They went to Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. With Russian-supplied funds, we purchased oil, wheat and flour and imported it to Afghanistan and then sold it there. Thats how we converted Russians funds to cash in Afghanistan. Both men, contacted by The Daily Beast, vehemently denied such activity. I dont want to commentI dont even want to talk about Niazi, said one of them who, as a matter of fact, pays frequent visits to Moscow. Niazi is our enemy and playing into the hands of the NDS. Other monies come through the hawala system, which originated in India and is used throughout South Asia and, now, in many other parts of the world. The U.S. treasury notes hawala is distinguished by trust and the extensive use of connections such as family relationships or regional affiliations. Unlike traditional banking ... hawala makes minimal (often no) use of any sort of negotiable instrument. Transfers of money take place based on communications between members of a network of hawaladars, or hawala dealers. A senior Afghan security officer told The Daily Beast that he is not aware of any Russians smuggling money, but noted that the international Financial Action Task Force combating support for terrorism recently put pressure on the Afghan government to take practical action against suspect hawala dealers, so the Afghan security forces raided some of the money changers. Many sources, including Mullah Manan Niazi, note the Russian and Iranian role supporting the Taliban in the fight against the so-called Islamic State in Khorasan (a.k.a. ISIS-K or ISIL-K). Early on in the Trump administration, Gen. John Nicholsonthen the commander of NATOs Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistanwarned Congress that Russia has become more assertive over the past year in Afghanistan and was overtly lending legitimacy to the Taliban to undermine NATO efforts and bolster belligerents using the false narrative that only the Taliban are fighting ISIL-K. Russia reportedly complemented its public rhetorical support for the Taliban with a covert supply program. The Washington Post reported that year that U.S. intelligence believed Russia had sent machine guns to the Taliban. An anonymous military source told the Post that the U.S. had found Russian-provided weapons areas where the group was waging war on coalition forces and ISISs Afghan affiliate had little presence. We've had weapons brought to this headquarters and given to us by Afghan leaders [who] said, this was given by the Russians to the Taliban, Nicholson said in a 2018 BBC interview. We know that the Russians are involved. Indeed. Various Taliban have told The Daily Beast they were quite proud of the guns they were given as gifts or rewardswhether for specific acts or simply to cement relationshipsis unclear. In 2018, Russia denied reports that it sent any arms but Russian special envoy Zamir Kabulov admitted that Moscow had established contacts with the Taliban because it was seriously worried about possible terror threats for the Russian mission and Russian citizens in Afghanistan." But in September 2019, Russia elevated its talks with the insurgents to a formal visit by a Taliban delegation in September. According to a well-placed Taliban source, after some of the groups representatives made a trip to Moscow they were given 30 state-of-the-art guns, apparently large caliber sniper rifles powerful enough to shoot through walls. I personally saw three of them in Helmand, said the source. They were still full of grease, which is to say brand new out of the box. As military scholar David Kilcullen points out in his recent book The Dragons and the Snakes: How the Rest Learned to Fight the West, the U.S. obsession with its global war on terror after 9/11 created an opportunity for Russia and other hostile powers. They were exploiting our exclusive focus on terrorism, seeking to fill the geopolitical, economic, and security vacuum we had left as we became bogged down in the wars of occupation in Iraq and Afghanistan. In the present day, it serves Russias interests to keep the United States bogged down there, despite official Russian statements to the contrary. Trump Officials Didnt Want to Tell Him About the Russian Bounties GOP Deny, Downplay Questions About Russian Bounty Scandal What others call hybrid warfare Kilcullen defines somewhat differently as exploitation of situations in flux, which certainly is the case in Afghanistan with a U.S. president determined to declare hes made a complete exit, even though there are only 8,600 U.S. troops left on the ground at the moment. Things that are in limbo, transitioning, or on the periphery, that have ambiguous political, legal, and psychological statusor whose very existence is debatedare liminal, write Kilcullen. Liminal warfare exploits this character of ambiguity, operating in the blur, or as some Western military organizations put it, the gray zone. That, precisely, is where the Russians have learned to thrive. with additional reporting by Sam Brodey Read more at The Daily Beast. Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast here Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now! Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more. Russian President Vladimir Putin is seen on June 30, 2020. Alexei Druzhinin/TASS via Getty Russia is holding a national referendum that could result in President Vladimir Putin being able to continue running for office through 2036. Wednesday is the last day of voting. Some Russian influencers told The New York Times they were offered money to urge their followers to take part in the vote. The decision of some influencers to abstain from posting may suggest Putin's popularity is falling. The Times said it could not independently verify the claims, but said they were "an indicator of public mood." Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. Russian influencers claim they were offered as much as $100,000 to write posts calling on fellow citizens to vote in the country's national referendum, which could see President Vladimir Putin's grip on power tighten for more than a decade. Russia is currently holding a nationwide vote on constitutional amendments that would allow Putin to extend his administration through to 2036. Under the current rules he is on his last term, which expires 2024. Voting, which started in some regions on June 25, ends on Wednesday. Video bloggers have been going public about the offers they've received to write posts about Putin's proposed amendments to the constitution. One Russian video blogger, Ksenia Hoffman, told The New York Times on Tuesday that she turned down an offer in March to write an Instagram post about the referendum, saying she feared showing support of the Kremlin could hurt her image and have a "serious consequence for ad sales." "The public mood has really changed," Hoffman told the newspaper. Putin casts his vote in the 2020 Russian constitutional referendum on July 1, 2020. Alexei Druzhinin\TASS via Getty Elena Sheidlina, an Instagram influencer with more than 4.6 million followers, echoed this concern. She told The Times that "it's clear that the reputation of an artist who is in direct, public contact with the authorities becomes the target of audience attacks, and this started happening very recently." Story continues And Erik Kituashvili, a popular car blogger, recorded a video saying he was offered $100,000 to urge his fans to vote, according to The Times. He said that the influencers who took the money "sold out their motherland." Katya Konasova, who reviews beauty products and online shopping sites on YouTube, said in a video that she was promised $14,000 if she said how the amendments would be good for "motherhood and childhood." The Times pointed out that the claims "could not be independently verified" but were nonetheless "an indicator of the public mood" and how it has turned against Putin, who has been in office since 2012 and was prime minister for five years off and on before that. Russia is currently grappling with the world's third-largest coronavirus outbreak, and many have criticized Putin for his handling of the crisis. Putin appears to have tried to drum up popularity in recent days by holding a massive military parade in Moscow's Red Square and opening a massive cathedral to honor its armed forces. Read the original article on Business Insider Voting has been held for a whole week to minimise the risk of the spread of coronavirus - Dimitar Dilkoff/AFP Early results of a week-long vote on changes to the Russian constitution suggest Vladimir Putin will be able to remain in office for two more terms as president, taking him to 2036. Polling stations in Russia were kept open for several days from last Thursday to minimise the risk of spreading the coronavirus. They closed on Wednesday night. Observers said Mr Putin was anxious to push through the constitutional amendments before the economic fallout of the Covid lockdown kicked in. Voting was marred by frequent reports of violations - in St Petersburg, David Frenkel, a journalist for Media Zona, was assaulted by a police officer on Tuesday after he went to a polling station to check reports of vote-rigging. He underwent four-hour emergency surgery for a broken arm and was on Wednesday night reported to be in a stable condition, according to Media Zona. Voting was held under new, lax regulations that allowed ballot officials to skirt a host of electoral rules, leaving plenty of room for vote-rigging, according to election experts. And Russia's Central Election Commission stunned observers on Wednesday by publishing some of the results while voting was still under way, which would normally have been illegal. According to the preliminary count of 6 per cent of the ballot papers, nearly 70 per cent of voters backed Mr Putin's amendments. However, in Moscow, where anti-Putin sentiment was strong, few voters were ready to go on the record to defend the constitutional changes that could allow Mr Putin two further terms in the Kremlin and remain in power until he is 83 years old. Nikita Potapov, 33, said he did not believe his vote would be counted fairly and he struggled to think of any friend or acquaintance who would support Mr Putin. "Even those who work in law enforcement, they're being forced to vote, and they're voting No," he told The Telegraph. A protest in central Moscow attracted several hundred people - Valery Sharifulin/Tass via Getty Images 72-year old Leonid Yakovlevich, who did not give his last name, said that he finds the very idea of letting anyone rule for life abhorrent. Story continues There are some basic things (about the Constitution) that you should not touch, he said. Mr Putin was seen casting his ballot without wearing the obligatory face mask, which his spokesman Dmitry Peskov explained by saying the Russian leader had "absolute trust" in coronavirus health and safety measures taken at all polling stations. The Russian opposition had been split over whether or not to boycott the referendum. An impromptu rally in central Moscow attracted several hundred people on Wednesday night. A survey taken last month by the Levada Centre, Russia's only independent pollster, showed 44 per cent would back the amendments while 32 per cent would vote against. Russian President Vladimir Putin shows his passport to a member of an election commission - Alexei Druzhinin, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP Gregory Yudin, a professor at the Moscow school of social and economic sciences, said in a blog post that he expected the results to be rigged to show overwhelming support for Mr Putin's rule for life and to demoralise those who would vote against the amendments. Along with the clause allowing the sitting president to run for office again, the Kremlin has put 205 other constitutional amendments up to a vote, including vague pledges for protecting Russian children, the memory about Soviet sacrifices during the Second World War and heterosexual marriage. An impromptu protest rally in central Moscow on Wednesday evening attracted several hundred people amid heavy security presence, and a group of activists went to Red Square earlier that day to lie down on the cobbled pavement to form 2036 with their bodies to protest Mr Putins plans. A photo of Sgt. Craig Johnson, a Tulsa Police Department officer who was shot on Monday, June 29 and died on Tuesday, June 30. An Oklahoma police officer who was shot during a traffic stop has died, according to Tulsa police Chief Wendell Franklin. Sgt. Craig Johnson was one of two officers who was shot early Monday morning during an altercation with a suspect, identified by the Tulsa Police Department as David Ware. The other officer who was shot was Aurash Zarkeshan. "Sgt. Johnson was a good man who made our lives better," Tulsa Mayor G.T. Bynum said. "Who trained his fellow officers to be better. Our city mourns, and as it mourns, the best thing that we can do as Tulsans is to be there for his family, and especially his two wonderful boys." Ware, 33, was pulled over for what Franklin called a "regular traffic stop." When Zarkeshan and Johnson approached Ware's car, Ware "refused to get out of the vehicle," Franklin said. 'Not random': Florida man fatally shot while waiting in line for a job at Amazon In describing what happened, Franklin said Johnson deployed his Taser before he and Zarkeshan tried to extract Ware from the car with physical force. Johnson also used pepper spray during the altercation. Eventually, Johnson and Zarkeshan got Ware out of the car and Ware drew a handgun and fired multiple rounds in close proximity at the two officers, Franklin said. Ware, 33, got into another car and left the scene, Franklin said. He added Matthew Hall, 29, was the driver of the other car. A mugshot of David Ware, who police say shot two Tulsa Police officers following a scuffle on Monday, June 29, 2020. Ware was arrested later Monday morning after officers tracked him to a house, according to the police department's Facebook page. Ware surrendered after officers surrounded the house. Hall was also arrested Monday. Franklin on Tuesday said police have interacted with Ware in the past. Ware faces a first-degree murder charge, as well as weapons charges. Hall was arrested as an accessory. Franklin said both officers had their body cams on. After saying Johnson sustained multiple gunshot wounds in the altercation, including a "critical" one, Wendell added, "Doctors and nurses attempted and tried everything they could to save his life." Story continues 'This was an ambush': California authorities search for suspect after deputy is shot in the head in Paso Robles Johnson, who was promoted so sergeant in 2015, joined the Tulsa Police Department in 2005, according to TPD. He and Zarkeshan, who completed his police training in May of this year, were both shot in the head and taken to the hospital in critical condition on Monday. Johnson, an organ donor, is survived by his wife, his two sons and his parents, Wendell said. "Craig's passing is a tremendous loss to our department," Wendell said. "I want to thank the Johnson family for sharing Sgt. Craig Johnson with us. For allowing him to be a part of our department and for allowing him to serve this community. "His sacrifice will not go unremembered." This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Oklahoma police officer Craig Johnson fatally shot during traffic stop Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the World Health Organization, pictured on February 24, 2020. Associated Press The director-general of the World Health Organization suggested that countries that say contact tracing is too difficult to implement are offering a "lame excuse." "Trust me, no excuse for contact tracing; if any country is saying contact tracing is difficult, it is a lame excuse," he said. The WHO has long recommended contact tracing as a key aspect of halting the spread of the coronavirus. His comments were likely aimed at countries like the US and the UK, which have both struggled to implement comprehensive programmes. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. The director-general of the World Health Organization (WHO) said it was a "lame excuse" to claim that contact tracing is too difficult, in an apparent criticism of countries like the US and UK which have struggled to pilot effective programs. At a media briefing Monday, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus reiterated the importance of contact-tracing schemes, or the process of identifying people exposed to a virus. The WHO has previously said that contact tracing can "break the chains of transmission" of infectious diseases. "Trust me, no excuse for contact tracing; if any country is saying contact tracing is difficult, it is a lame excuse," he said. The comments were likely aimed at countries like the US and the UK, both of which have failed to reach their populations with comprehensive contact-tracing schemes during the pandemic. UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced in May the country would have a "world-beating" scheme, but the training of contact tracers ran into early problems, and the app developed for the purpose was ultimately shelved in favour of a model based on Apple and Google technology. Health officials have since admitted that a quarter of UK contacts of people testing positive for the coronavirus were still not being reached, according to The Guardian. An early version of the contact-tracing app the UK developed. NHSX The US has also struggled with the challenge. In April, MIT Technology Review estimated that only seven states had plans to implement an effective program. Story continues And by late June, the US had still not spent almost $14 billion in funds, approved in April, for testing and contact tracing. A woman awaits an Ebola vaccination in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Baz Ratner / Reuters In urging countries to get on top of the issue, Tedros referred to the determination of WHO emergencies director Dr. Michael Ryan, who previously tackled the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). To get a sense of what a truly difficult contact-tracing effort is like, Tedros said to "try it in a place like North Kivu in DRC where 20 rebels operate, armed rebels and where security is not there, where your own security is precarious." In the light of this, he said, well-resourced countries have no excuse. "If contact tracing helps you to win the fight, you do it, even [when] risking your life," he said. However, Ryan, who was also at the briefing, did note that it is much harder to do when cases are out of control. "In situations where there's very intense community transmission and large numbers of cases every day it's very hard to get on top of case isolation alone, never mind contact tracing, so countries may need to make some choices in that regard," he said. It was not the first time Tedros has alluded to a need for grit and determination in combatting the coronavirus. In an emotional address in April, he warned those who had "an easy ride in life" not to politicize the pandemic. Read the original article on Business Insider Emergency offerings to help keep families connected include more than 18.5 million free phone calls totaling 138 million in free minutes; 4.7 million free video connections; 8.4 million free JPay stamps DALLAS, July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- In light of the global coronavirus pandemic, correctional facilities across the country have taken a number of steps to reduce the potential spread of the virus among incarcerated individuals and correctional staff, including restricting in-person visitation. These restrictions mean that other communication methods, including telephone, video, and digital messaging services, have taken on heightened importance for incarcerated individuals and their loved ones. To make those services more accessible for families across the country, Securus Technologies has worked with its customers to implement a program to provide free calls and services during the crisis. On March 13, the day COVID-19 was declared a national emergency in the United States, Securus began offering free and discounted services to every one of its state and county corrections agency customers. The company's assistance thus far totals: 18.5 million free call credits for incarcerated individuals and their families, resulting in 138.9 million free minutes of phone connections; 4.7 million free video connections to friends and families of incarcerated individuals; 8.4 million free JPay Stamps for electronic messaging to about 445,000 incarcerated individuals. Securus has made accommodations for 395 agencies and 735 sites nationwide. For incarcerated individuals diagnosed with COVID-19, the company is providing compassion credits that allow free access to Securus phone calls and video connections for the duration of medical care. Those credits are loaded onto prepaid cards and distributed by correctional facilities to ill individuals. Additionally, public defenders can also access free calls at many locations during the pandemic. Story continues For facilities that utilize Securus tablet technology, the company has also introduced select free movie and game titles, which have been downloaded 2 million times. These new titles are being offered in addition to a vast preexisting collection of educational offerings, e-books, podcast, and other materials that are always available at no-cost. "It is extremely challenging for incarcerated Americans and their loved ones to stay connected thanks to a host of policies designed to mitigate the spread of the pandemic," said Dave Abel, president and CEO of Aventiv Technologies, parent company of Securus Technologies. "Securus believes that regular connection is even more important now than ever before, which is why we are doing our part and providing our services at free and reduced rates throughout this difficult time." The program is a continuation of an ongoing transformation by Securus Technologies, which is taking a number of steps to improve access to its services. The company continues to work with its partners to garner feedback about the situation on the ground. All support from Securus will be in accordance with the latest public health guidelines to ensure that the support is tailored and responsive to the unique needs of the incarcerated community. ABOUT SECURUS TECHNOLOGIES Headquartered in Dallas, Texas, an Aventiv Technologies company, serving more than 3,450 public safety, law enforcement and corrections agencies and over 1,200,000 inmates across North America, Securus Technologies is committed to serve and connect by providing emergency response, incident management, public information, investigation, biometric analysis, communication, information management, inmate self-service, and monitoring products and services in order to make our world a safer place to live. Securus Technologies connecting what matters. For more information, please visit SecurusTechnologies.com. Aventiv is a portfolio company of Platinum Equity. Founded in 1995 by Tom Gores, Platinum Equity is a global investment firm with a portfolio of approximately 40 operating companies that serve customers around the world. Cision View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/securus-technologies-provides-update-on-efforts-to-provide-free-and-reduced-rates-during-covid-19-pandemic-301087086.html SOURCE Securus Technologies Click here to read the full article. Key point: This Cold War rocket launcher has been key to the U.S. Army's artillery force in the Middle East. On February 24, 1991, the ground phase of Operation Desert Storm began. Over the next four days, the soldiers of an international coalition, formed to eject the Iraqi army of Saddam Hussein from the neighboring nation of Kuwait, carried out a whirlwind offensive that quickly overwhelmed their foe. During this time, tens of thousands of Iraqi soldiers were taken prisoner. Many of them, arms thrust upward in a sign of surrender, said one thing when they were taken into custody: No more steel rain. For weeks before the ground attack, these men had been systematically pummeled by the entire range of weaponry available to their opponentsB-52 bombing strikes, air attacks using tons of precision smart weapons, plus many more thousands of tons of traditional unguided bombs and rockets. Added to this was the close air support of fighter-bomber aircraft and attack helicopters. Artillery barrages dropped down on them by the dozens and hundreds, adding yet another level to the pounding they received. The cries of no more steel rain applied to none of these, however. Instead, it was the nickname of a deadly new artillery weapon seeing its debut in combat: the M270 Multiple Launch Rocket System, or MLRS. Batteries of these weapons had been deployed to the Gulf with U.S. and British forces, who used them to blanket their target areas with hundreds of rockets releasing thousands of explosive submunitions, or bomblets, that devastated armored vehicles, trucks, equipment, and men. Volleys of rockets pounded the hapless Iraqi troops and paved the way for the sweeping infantry and armor assaults that followed. The MLRS proved itself alongside such other late-Cold War weapons as the M1 Abrams tank, M2 Bradley Fighting Vehicle, and AH64 Apache helicopter. Like these weapons, the MLRS had its origins in the 1970s development programs of the post-Vietnam era. Story continues The MLRS Concept Takes Shape During the late 1960s and early 1970s, Americas involvement in the Vietnam War drew most of the focus away from the traditional enemies of the time, the Soviet Union and its Warsaw Pact allies. As the United States gradually withdrew from the conflict in Asia, its attention once again returned to Eastern Europe, and the U.S. Army was not happy encountering the Russians new claws. The Soviets had taken advantage of Americas distraction to build up its conventional forces to unprecedented levels. The Warsaw Pact now sat across the Iron Curtain with tens of thousands of new tanks, armored vehicles, cannons, and rocket artillery pieces. Artillery had always weighed heavily in Soviet planning, and they now had new, longer-ranged cannons than most comparable American weapons. The disparity in rocket artillery was even more one-sided. Soviet tactics used barrages of thousands of rockets fired from truck-mounted multiple rocket launchers (MRLs) such as the BM-21. American artillery was only scantily supplied with rocket launchers, many of them left over from World War II. With some exceptions, U.S. planners heavily favored cannon artillery, primarily for its relative accuracy. Rockets at that time were considered area fire weapons; that is, they were fired en masse at an area of ground where the enemy was thought to be, rather than at a point target such as a bunker or trenchline. Existing rockets simply were not accurate enough for such pinpoint work, although they packed quite a punch and tended to have a terrifying psychological effect on the enemy. The Soviets were willing to saturate a target area with rockets, figuring that some, at least, would find their mark. For American artillerists, weaned on the concepts of accuracy and economy of expenditure in ammunition, large-scale use of indiscriminate rockets simply was not palatable. A number of occurrences changed that mindset. In 1973, the Arab-Israeli War broke out. Attrition rates in that conflict were far higher than expected, greater than any possible rate of replacement for lost armor and aircraft. One of the more effective Israeli tactics had been to hit enemy Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) sites with MRLs. The American military establishment noted this. It also noted that in the event of war in Europe, NATO would have to fight outnumbered against a well-equipped enemy in intense, destructive combat. After long debate, the U.S. Army finally wrote a requirement for a new rocket launcher in March 1974, calling it the GSRS, or General Support Rocket System. It would be used to engage enemy air defenses and for counterbattery fire, neutralizing opposing artillery. The new launcher would have long-range and massive firepower, freeing the cannon units to provide close support to the infantry and armor. Several NATO allies, including the United Kingdom, France, and West Germany, were consulted and agreed to collaborate on the project. Since the Europeans already had looked at a similar system independently, their name was adopted, changing GSRS to MLRS. Design and Development Actual development began in September 1977, undertaken by the Boeing and Vought Aerospace companies, which beat out three other competitors for the contract. Development continued into the 1980s and eventually became the highest priority for the Field Artillery School, which considered it the Armys most spectacular new weapons system. After initial testing proved successful, the MLRS was adopted, with the first production models, designated M270, arriving at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, in August 1982. The first operational battery of M270s was formed in March 1983, and the new unit was sent to West Germany the following September. These batteries were composed of three platoons of three launchers each, a total of nine launchers per battery. By 1987, 25 such batteries were in service. The basic M270 was a self-propelled armored vehicle that mated two main subcomponents: the Launcher-Loader Module (LLM) containing the rocket pods and the hardware needed to load and unload them and the carrier vehicle, essentially an enlarged version of the Bradley Fighting Vehicle chassis. The vehicle was not quite 23 feet long, 9.5 feet wide, and 8.5 feet high. It weighed 52,990 pounds ready for combat. The three-man crew sat in a cab above the engine compartment. This cab was armored to protect against small-arms fire and artillery fragments. The engine was a Cummins 8-cylinder diesel developing 500 horsepower for a top speed of 40 miles per hour and a range of 483 kilometers. Directly behind the cab was the LLM, which carried two pods of six rockets each, one next to the other. For firing, the LLM raised and rotated to point to the vehicles side. It could fire single rockets or any number up to its full load of 12 within 60 seconds. The crew consisted of a crew chief, gunner, and driver. The crew chief commanded the vehicle, oversaw firing operations, and performed checks of the other two crewmen. The gunner operated a firing panel to aim and fire the rockets at selected targets. The M270s computer calculated the data for the rockets direction of fire, point of impact, and range; these calculations were based on information received digitally via radio or entered manually by the gunner. The driver operated the M270 and performed maintenance. The heart and purpose of the M270 were its munitions. The basic rocket was the M26, with a range of 32 kilometers. It carried 644 grenade-sized submunitions. A single M270 could blanket a 600-square-meter area with 7,728 bomblets, devastating to men, material, and light vehicles, with a limited effect on armored vehicles. One battery of MLRS firing a complete volley of 108 rockets had the equivalent firepower of 33 battalions of cannon artillery. These rockets were packaged in pods of six rounds each. Rockets were only part of the picture, however. The M270 also fired the M39 Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) missile, each launcher carrying two missiles in place of the normal 12 rockets. The ATACMS carried 950 bomblets and had a range of 165 kilometers, giving MLRS the ability to range deep in enemy territory, hitting command posts, logistics depots, air defenses, and assembly areas for advancing units. ATACMS started development in 1985 and was rushed into service for Desert Storm. The MLRS Doctrine The doctrine for the use of MLRS sought to take advantage of its mobility and firepower. To avoid the expected Soviet counterbattery fire, M270s would spread out individually and hide themselves until needed for a mission. The launcher would then move to a firing position, launch its rockets, and immediately move away, hopefully before the Soviets could calculate the launch point using radar and fire on it. The M270 crew would then proceed to a reloading point, load fresh rocket pods, and move to a completely new hiding position near a different firing point. This would prevent the enemy from destroying the valuable launchers as they poured volley after volley into the advancing Soviet armored hordes. Fortunately for all concerned, such combat never happened before the Cold War came to an end. Instead, the MLRS would be called upon in the deserts of the Middle East. When the Iraqi Army conquered Kuwait in 1990, hundreds of thousands of American troops were sent to Saudi Arabia, first to defend against further Iraqi aggression and then to free Kuwait from its occupiers. They took with them 89 MLRS launchers. The baptism of fire for the M270 came on January 17, 1991. That day, Battery A of the 6th Battalion, 27th Field Artillery was traveling west on a highway called Tapline Road, en route to an assembly area. At 1620 hours, an order came to fire its ATACMS missiles at SAM sites that posed a danger to planned B-52 air strikes. Although it took several hours to coordinate clear airspace for the missiles trajectories, at 0042 on January 18, two missiles roared from their launchers, destroying both SAM sites. Battery A fired six more missiles that day targeting more of the Iraqi air defense network. MLRS units also took part in a number of artillery raids over the next month as the Allied air campaign ground down the Iraqis. During these raids, artillery units would sneak close to the forward lines, fire, and fall back before the enemy could respond. In a single raid, three MLRS batteries fired 287 rockets at 24 separate targets in less than five minutes. The amount of firepower unleashed in that short span would have taken a cannon battalion well over an hour to fire. When the ground forces attacked on February 24, the M270s went with them. As the U.S. VII Corps advanced, it massed its artillery to punch its way through the Iraqi line, firing 11,000 cannon rounds and 414 rockets. This had such a profound effect on the defending Iraqis that the lead American unit, the 1st Infantry Division, met no real opposition when it assaulted. The attack continued on the 25th. One American officer recorded, The MLRS fires lit the sky and invigorated our soldiers as much as it disheartened the enemy. A captured Iraqi artillery officer stated his battery had fired only one missile before bomblets covered his position, killing two-thirds of his men and destroying the majority of his guns. His surviving troops immediately deserted. When asked to explain why they had surrendered, numerous Iraqis said: No more rockets and Please stop the iron rain. The MLRS was particularly useful in knocking out enemy artillery positions; some units reported no attacks by enemy artillery at all. By wars end, 6,000 of the 57,000 artillery rounds fired were MLRS rockets; 32 ATACMS were fired as well. The MLRS had exceeded expectations in its first combat use, proving even more effective than the Army had estimated. MLRS in the Post-Cold War Era After the Gulf War, the Army experienced a large reduction in its size and budget throughout the 1990s, which led to extensive reorganization. MLRS batteries were reduced in size to six launchers each, and many launchers were given to National Guard units to replace their aging 8-inch and 155mm howitzers. Despite dwindling financial support, research continued to improve the M270 series. Experience in the Middle East had shown that, although the weapon possessed great firepower, it needed to shoot farther, which led to the introduction of the M26A1 rocket, with an extended range of 45 kilometers. A practice rocket lacking bomblets, the M28A1, was designed to reduce the cost of live fire training; troops jokingly call it the telephone pole. During the present decade, work also began on rockets with GPS guidance and a single unitary warhead instead of submunitions for precision strikes. Similar improvements were begun for the ATACMS. The newer missiles have a range double that of the original. The German and British militaries have adapted the AT2 rocket to dispense antitank mines. The launcher itself was upgraded as well. Its electronics, vintage late-1970s technology, were replaced with newer GPS and digital instrumentation, increasing accuracy and reducing the time needed to get the weapon into action. The new launcher was designated the M270A1 and it works with the Armys new digital systems. The improved MLRS would be put to the test in March 2003 during Operation Iraqi Freedom. In this return engagement with Iraq, the MLRS performed well once again, although adaptations were necessary. The threat of Iraqi airstrikes and artillery fire was quite low. Instead, the danger came from guerilla-style attacks by enemy troops equipped with small arms and RPG handheld antitank weapons. The standard doctrine of spreading out only made the launchers more vulnerable. To counter this threat, many MLRS units abandoned the concept and stayed together for mutual support, forming ad hoc mobile firebases. The combination of GPS guidance and the unitary warhead has kept the MLRS useful as the Iraq War of 2003 has evolved into a grinding fight against the Iraqi insurgency. Civilian casualties and collateral damage are unacceptable both politically and ethically in such a situation; the M26 rocket with its hundreds of bomblets is simply unusable. Bomblet-dispensing munitions, including the MLRS, have one major disadvantage in the contemporary environment: dud submunitions. The MLRS has a dud rate of 2 percent, giving the M26 rocket an average of 12 or 13 bomblets that will fail to explode; some estimates place the dud rate even higher. Since most of the fighting has taken place in populated areas, large numbers of bomblets have been left in fields and trees and on top of buildings, resulting in civilian casualties when Iraqis unwittingly find and handle them. In truth, the MLRS is far from the only bomblet-dispensing weapon in use, and there is a lot more leftover Iraqi ordnance lying around than dud allied munitions. The unitary warhead helps solve both the dud problem and allows for the precision attacks that have come to characterize American strikes, giving artillery units ability previously only available from aircraft. The first combat use of the weapon came during September 2005 at Tal Afar. Two rockets were fired from a range of over 50 kilometers at a pair of insurrectionary strongholds. Both rockets hit their targets, killing 48 insurgents. Counting the United States and the NATO countries that helped develop it, some 13 nations currently use the MLRS, including Israel, South Korea, Egypt, and Norway. Many of these nations have simply bought launchers and rockets directly from the United States while others have undertaken production on their own. Since many thousands of Soviet-pattern MLRs are in service around the globe, the MLRS is not the worlds most numerous rocket system, although it is likely the most widely used Western launcher in current service. Given the large costs of creating such weapons, the M270 MLRS can be expected to soldier on for the foreseeable future with occasional technical updates and improved ammunition. As part of the U.S. Armys efforts toward lighter, more easily transportable weapons, it is developing the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS), a truck-mounted version of the MLRS. It is expected the new weapon will supplement and partially replace the M270A1. For the time being, the MLRS still provides an effective rocket system for U.S. armored units. Created as an answer to the Cold War menace of the now-defunct Soviet Union, the M270 was never used against the Russians, but instead saw extensive and unexpected combat in the Middle East. In doing so, the MLRS has shown itself to be a vital link in the Armys artillery force, its combat record both versatile and deadly. This article originally appeared on the Warfare History Network. Image: MLRS fires a Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System rocket. Grafenwohr, Germany. 31 October 2019. Photo courtesy U.S. Executive Office of Missiles and Space. Click here to read the full article. SINGAPORE, July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- She Loves Tech's Annual Global Startup Competition is the world's largest startup competition for women and technology. The competition, together with its conference, has continuously expanded its reach over the last 5 years. Alumni startups from previous years have gone on to raise over US$100 million in aggregate funding from some of the world's top investors, including Sequoia Capital, Vertex Ventures, Wavemaker, Microsoft and Amazon. She Loves Tech 2020 Global Startup Competition This year marks the competition's 6th year, and in spite of the global pandemic, the competition will expand yet again due to overwhelming response. Together with their organising partners, ATAST, Circle, Girls in Tech Macau, Gobi Partners, Hatch, Kerala Startup Mission, Longyan, NCSF, QBO, Yazamiyot, Raintree, Tanggram, Techcode, Turtle Venture, Unlimited, Women In Tech HK, and Official Impact Partner, Asian Development Bank Ventures, the competition will be held in over 30 countries across North and South America, Africa, Europe, Asia and Australia - and will be completely virtual. "One of the things we're most excited about is that going fully online gives us a great opportunity to reach a wider audience and help even more entrepreneurs than we ever could have," says Rhea See, co-founder of She Loves Tech. "She Loves Tech was one of the best experiences for me. I was surrounded by the most powerful women in their field, building startups against all odds," raves Jayantika Soni, Resync Technologies, Singapore Winner 2019. The competition gives the world's most promising women-led or women-impact startups mentorship and guidance to grow and scale their business, and showcases them to a global audience of top investors and influencers from the tech community. Previous ambassadors, mentors, judges and speakers include Tim Draper (Founder, Draper University), Ankiti Bose (CEO, Zilingo), Arielle Zuckerberg (Partner, Coatue Management), Jane Sun (CEO, CTrip), and Lesly Goh (Former CTO, World Bank). Story continues "Without women, we are unable to solve the world's greatest challenges. Women represent a new generation of innovation and disruptive thinking," remarks co-founder Virginia Tan. "Empowering women in technology will change the way we live and work, and our competition is one of the best ways to springboard that change," says co-founder Leanne Robers. If you're a tech startup that either has at least one female founder or majority female consumers/end-users, take your business to the next level with the She Loves Tech 2020 Global Startup Competition and apply here - www.shelovestech.org SOURCE She Loves Tech Bad Boys For Life, The Dark Knight, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone are all coming to showcase for a fiver. (Sony/WB) Showcase has announced the line up of films that cinemagoers will be able to watch for 5 when they reopen on Saturday, 4 July. All of its sites have been closed by the coronavirus pandemic since mid-March. The chain operates 21 cinemas across the UK, including one in Leicester which will be unable to reopen due to local lockdown restrictions staying in place following a recent spike in confirmed COVID-19 cases. The Showcase cinemas that are planning to reopen this weekend are: Bluewater, Coventry, Leeds, Liverpool, Newham, Nottingham, Peterborough, Reading and Teesside. The movies they hope to entice customers back with include recent favourites 1917, Bad Boys For Life and Bohemian Rhapsody, blockbusters like Christopher Nolans Batman trilogy and Jurassic World, and also classics such as The Shining, Pulp Fiction and Shawshank Redemption. Guests are advised to book tickets online in advance or use the self-service ticket machines in the cinema lobby. Yesterday the Cineworld group announced it was delaying reopening its cinemas until 31 July. Odeon cinemas will begin a phased reopening with ten sites this coming weekend. Vue cinemas have stated an intention to reopen this weekend, but has currently shared no information about its plan. Read more: How will social distancing work in cinemas? The full list of films coming to Showcase this coming weekend is below: 1917 Back To The Future Bad Boys For Life Batman Begins Beauty And The Beast Black Water: Abyss (10 July) Bohemian Rhapsody Bumblebee Deadpool Despicable Me Dunkirk Emma Fast & Furious 7 Guardians of the Galaxy Harry Potter And The Philosophers Stone Interstellar It Jumanji: The Next Level Jurassic World Just Mercy La La Land Little Women Mamma Mia! Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation Paddington Paw Patrol: Ready, Race, Rescue Pokemon: Detective Pikachu Pulp Fiction Spider-Man: Far From Home Terminator 2: Judgement Day The Dark Knight The Dark Knight Rises The Greatest Showman The Shawshank Redemption The Shining The Sound of Music Showcase Cinemas will reopen with enhanced health and safety measures for both customers and staff amid the coronavirus pandemic. Story continues These include leaving seats empty in each screen and staggered start times, alongside fewer screenings to reduce the number of people in the lobby. Guests will be encouraged to wear face coverings and hand sanitising stations will be placed throughout venues. Showcase Cinemas showing how the auditorium will be cleaned after each screening in their cinemas, using a new anti-viral fogging machine that eliminates airborne viruses on contact. (PA) After each screening, staff will conduct a cleaning regime, which includes an anti-viral fogging machine that eliminates airborne viruses. Each auditorium will also have an air-purifying system installed. Perspex shields have been installed at till points and people will be able to order their food and drink in advance and collect from a designated pick-up section. Coronavirus: what happened today The chain is owned and operated by National Amusements Inc, which operates more than 900 screens in the US, UK, Brazil and Argentina. UK general manager of Showcase Cinemas Mark Barlow said: We are all really excited about welcoming film fans back to Showcase Cinemas. Weve been busy preparing for our reopening by making all our sites as Showcase safe as possible for the comfort of both staff and guests, which has always been our top priority. We encourage all our guests to use the hand sanitiser available, regularly wash their hands, wear a face covering and practise social distancing when inside the cinema. There are some fantastic films to be released in 2020 and we cant wait to see people enjoying movies back on the big screen. Weve also brought some classic hits and recent favourites back to remind everyone just how great it is to see them in the cinema. New index provides exposure to SoFi members' most popular equities SAN FRANCISCO, July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- SoFi announced today the availability of its relaunched exchange-traded fund (ETF), the SoFi 50 ETF, which is now indexed to reflect the most popular equities among SoFi members. SoFi logo (PRNewsFoto/SoFi) The relaunched SoFi 50 ETF now tracks the performance, before fees and expenses, of the SoFi Social 50 Index, a portfolio of the 50 most-widely-held U.S.-listed equity securities in SoFi members' self-directed brokerage accounts with SoFi Invest. The index is weighted by aggregate holdings within SoFi member accounts and will be rebalanced on a monthly basis. "Our members have consistently expressed interest in investing in the same stocks as their friends and peers. We've been evaluating the SoFi Social 50 Index since October and it has outperformed the S&P 500 by over 20% since then," said SoFi CEO Anthony Noto. "We are excited to introduce an ETF product that centers around the social elements of investing." The updated fund is a reindexing of the SoFi 50 ETF and retains the ticker SFYF on the NYSE Arca, with an expense ratio of 29 basis points. SoFi has continued to partner with Tidal ETF Services for the trust, strategy, administrative and operational aspects of the fund. The reindexing of the SFYF ETF follows the recent extension of fee waivers on the SoFi Select 500 (SFY) and SoFi Next 500 (SFYX) funds, which will retain a zero expense ratio for at least another year, through June 30, 2021.* All of SoFi's ETFs are available through SoFi Invest, as well as through any other brokerage account. Additional information, including fact sheets and a prospectus, can be found on SoFi's website at SoFi.com/Invest/ETFs . About SoFi SoFi helps people achieve financial independence to realize their ambitions. Our products for borrowing, saving, spending, investing, and protecting give our more than one million members fast access to tools to get their money right. SoFi membership comes with the key essentials for getting ahead, including career advisors and connection to a thriving community of like-minded, ambitious people. SoFi is also the naming rights partner of SoFi Stadium, future home of the Los Angeles Chargers and the Los Angeles Rams, opening in July 2020. For more information, visit SoFi.com. Story continues About Tidal ETF Services Formed by ETF industry pioneers and thought leaders, Tidal sets out to disrupt the way ETFs have historically been developed, launched, marketed and sold. With a transparent, partnership approach, Tidal offers a comprehensive suite of services, proprietary tools, and methodologies designed to bring lasting ideas to market. As advocates for ETF innovation, Tidal helps institutions and organizations launch the most interesting and viable ETFs available today. For more information, visit tidaletfservices.com. Contacts Chris Sullivan/Julia Stoll MacMillan Communications (212) 473-4442 chris@macmillancom.com pr@sofi.com Disclosures Before investing you should carefully consider the Fund's investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses. This and other information is in the prospectus. A prospectus may be obtained by visiting www.sofi.com/invest/etfs. Please read the prospectus carefully before you invest. Past performance does not guarantee future results. It is not possible to invest directly in an index. *Investors buy and sell ETF shares through a brokerage account or an investment adviser like ordinary stocks, brokerage commissions and/or transaction costs or service fees may apply. Please consult your broker or financial advisor for their fee schedule. There is no guarantee that the Fund's investment strategy will be successful. Investments in REITs involve unique risks. Securities in the real estate sector are subject to the risk that the value of their underlying real estate may go down. Shares may trade at a premium or discount to their NAV in the secondary market, and a fund's holdings and returns may deviate from those of its index. These variations may be greater when markets are volatile or subject to unusual conditions. A high portfolio turnover rate increases transaction costs, which may increase the Fund's expenses. The Fund is new and has a limited operating history. The fund is passively managed and attempts to mirror the composition and performance of The SoFi Social 50 Index. The Fund's returns may not match due to expenses incurred by the Fund or lack of precise correlation with the index. The securities that comprise the Index are selected by retail investors holding SoFi Accounts, who may not be professional investors, may have no financial expertise, and may not do any research on the companies in which they invest prior to investing. In some cases, investment decisions made may be influenced by non-quantitative factors, including, without limitation, cognitive and emotional biases, resulting in the inclusion of certain securities in the Index which may underperform the market generally and result in lower returns for the Fund. You can lose money on your investment in the Fund. Diversification does not ensure profit or protect against loss in declining markets. Foreside Fund Services, LLC, Distributor Cision View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/sofi-debuts-its-first-crowdsourced-etf-based-on-sofi-social-50-index-301086625.html SOURCE SoFi Click here to read the full article. Russias newest improved Borei-class submarine, the Knyaz Vladimir, was seen in open source satellite photos leaving a Russian naval base at Severodvinsk along Russias White Sea where it was built. What was so unusual about the satellite photographs was the clearly visible wake that trailed behind the Knyaz Vladimir. The wake, over five miles, or about eight kilometers long, could be traced all the way back to the harbor where it entered the White Sea. The naval expert H I Sutton speculated that the long trailing wake was due to a combination of calm surface conditions as the submarine left the harbor, combined with the subs large-diameter pumpjet being relatively close to the surface. According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, the Knyaz Vladimir left Severodvinsk for the White and Barents Seas to do combat training and to test the ships systems. Improved Borei-class The Knyaz Vladimir is the first of the new-and-improved Borei-II class (alternatively called the Borei-A class or Improved-Borei class depending on the source) and was commissioned during a risky flag-raising ceremony on July 12th in Severodvinsk that ignored social distancing restrictions. The Knyaz Vladimir took nearly eight years to build from when it was first laid down to completion. The improved Boreis are a true original build. Their predecessor, the original Borei-class were a mishmash of classes, made up of leftover hull sections from Oscar- and Akula-class submarines. In addition to the original hull design, the improved Boreis opted for a more Western-style sail and tail assembly. The class is also equipped with a pumpjet propulsor, similar to what the American Seawolf- and Virginia-class are equipped with. Pumpjets benefit from greater efficiency at low and sometimes high speeds. A well-designed pumpjet can also be much quieter than a traditional submarine propellerof crucial importance for secretive underwater operations. Story continues The Borei-II class can pack up to sixteen Bulava nuclear-capable ballistic missiles into its hull, with each individual missile holding six to ten warheads. Each missile has an estimated range of 8,300 kilometers, or over 5,100 miles, which is significantly less than the United Kingdoms and United States Trident D-5 submarine launched ballistic missile, though accuracy is thought to be comparable. Though the Knyaz Vladimir is currently the only Borei-II class currently in service with the Russian Navy, a total of eight hulls are slated for construction. The Borei-II class is expected to be the backbone of Russias sea-going nuclear triad for many years to come. Postscript The Knyaz Vladimirs commission with Russias Northern Fleet is a testament to both the class capabilitiesand mission. A cleaner, more streamlined hull and sail design combined with a nuclear-powered pumpjet propulsion system mean that the class might be the quietest submarines in Russias arsenal. Placement with the Northern Fleet is a nod to the Arctics outsize importance to Russian national interests. As global warming progresses, the Arctic region will become more accessibleeasing access to the resource-rich region and potentially creating new maritime trade routes. Countries with an interest in the Arctic beware. Caleb Larson holds a Master of Public Policy degree from the Willy Brandt School of Public Policy. He lives in Berlin and writes on U.S. and Russian foreign and defense policy, German politics, and culture. Image: Reuters Click here to read the full article. A police officer stands guard near the north door of the Capitol on November 1, 2019, in Washington, DC. Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc. via Getty Images Police kill an average of around 1,000 people every year. While most people who kill are investigated and possibly prosecuted, police have their own rules. A system of legal rules and prosecutorial discretion help police officers legally justify most killings and remain on the force, criminal justice experts told Insider. Police forces also dominate local and state politics, allowing them to stay unaccountable to the public and kill with de facto impunity. Because police violence is racialized, "equal justice under the law doesn't really appear to apply if you are a melanated person," said Kristina Roth, a researcher at Amnesty International. Visit Insider's homepage for more stories. Daniel Gillis "was not in the right frame of mind" on his last morning alive, Jacquelyn Sykes, his widowed partner, said. It was a Friday, one of the first days of the school year in 2017, and Gillis was getting ready to leave Pittsfield, Massachusetts. "He was meant to be going up to Boston for work," Sykes told Insider in a phone interview. The pair had raised three children together she had two girls from a previous relationship, and he had a daughter. "My children absolutely adored him," Sykes said. "When Danny was sober, Danny was an awesome person." Danny, 36 and white, needed to "get out of his rut" in Pittsfield, where he worked construction after a six-year stint in prison on a drug charge, and moving to Boston would "better his life." But he'd gone out drinking the night before he was killed, distraught about leaving Sykes and her daughters. He was still drunk when Sykes got home from work around noon the next day. Worse, he'd taken her anxiety medications: Full bottles of Valium, Prozac, and hydroxyzine. She got him in the car and drove toward her mother's house, "just to get him out of there." But he grabbed the steering wheel on the way, trying to crash the car. Then "he ran back to the house, where he found more medicine," she said. "That's when I called the police." Story continues What happened minutes later is the same thing that happens to more than 1,000 Americans each year: Police shot and killed him. If a civilian shoots and kills someone, they are typically arrested, investigated, and possibly tried for murder. That's not what happens to Gillis's killer. The Pittsfield Police Department said Gillis may have committed "suicide by cop," blaming him for his own death, and prosecutors found the explanation reasonable. None of the officers involved were charged with a crime. The legal system stacks the deck in favor of police officers who shoot and kill Gillis's case illustrates the layers of legal protection given to police officers who kill civilians. In Gillis's case, as with similar ones across the United States, the police cited a familiar reason to justify using deadly force: He had a weapon. Like one-in-four of those killed annually, Gillis was mentally distraught. "He was suicidal" that day, Sykes said. When the first two officers arrived at his house, he grabbed a knife from the kitchen. But Sykes was able to disarm him. "Here I am, never trained, nothing," she said. A National Guard personnel points a rubber bullet gun at protesters during a protest against the death in Minneapolis in police custody of African-American man George Floyd, in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. June 1, 2020. REUTERS/Dustin Chambers Gillis ran back inside and got a smaller knife. When he came out again, several other officers were on the scene. They surrounded him in the yard and told him to drop the weapon, video footage shows. He stumbled, Sykes said, and Officer Christopher Colello shot him seven times in two seconds. "Gillis suddenly charged at the officers while brandishing a knife," the Berkshire County District Attorney said. "Colello acted lawfully in defense of his fellow officers." Neither Colello nor the Pittsfield Police Department responded to requests for comment. Gillis's case was unlikely to result in charges against the officers because federal law justifies deadly force when "a reasonable person would consider [the threat] likely to cause death or serious bodily harm." Florissant police spray mace to disperse demonstrators during a protest against the police brutality of a man hit by a Florissant detective and the death in Minneapolis police custody of George Floyd, in Florissant, Missouri, U.S., June 27, 2020. REUTERS/Lawrence Bryant But the "reasonableness" standard is vague and broadly applied when police kill civilians, according to John Raphling, a criminal-justice researcher at Human Rights Watch. "For practical purposes, it amounts to: They have to be able to describe to convincingly describe a good reason why they used force," Raphling told Insider. That description can be as simple as showing that "any reasonable officer would have acted the same." Because of this vague standard, prosecutors don't even bother trying the case Even if a police department doesn't discipline a police officer for misconduct, prosecutors can still press charges if they believe an officer unjustly killed someone. But the "reasonableness" standard holds sway over prosecutorial decisions. If a "reasonable officer" can justify the killing, the prosecutor might not bother pressing charges. The prosecutor's logic in such cases is that "we are not going to file charges because we're not sure we're going to be able to get a conviction," according to Raphling, who was a trial lawyer for 20 years before joining Human Rights Watch. A police officer crosses police tape at the scene of a police killing in Boston, Massachusetts, on September 29, 2019. Nic Antaya/The Boston Globe via Getty Images There were more than 1,000 "known police killings" every year from 2013 through 2019, according to Mapping Police Violence, most of them shootings, according to the Washington Post. Ninety-nine percent of those cases never resulted in criminal charges. Officers who shoot and kill civilians are "even more infrequently convicted," Kristina Roth, a criminal-justice researcher at Amnesty International, said in a phone interview. "Deadly force should be reserved as a last resort," Roth said, "and that force should be necessary and proportional." "There's no state that meets [that] standard," she said. Even if prosecutors pass on filing charges, special privileges protect police from civil lawsuits Even if they aren't being prosecuted, a police officer could be sued for violating civil rights. But a legal doctrine called "qualified immunity" shields officers from most of those lawsuits. The doctrine, which applies to all government employees, protects them "from harassment, distraction, and liability" when they do their job, Karen Blum, professor emerita at Suffolk University Law School, wrote in the Touro Law Review. Plaintiffs who successfully argue against the applicability of the doctrine must show that an officer was convicted in a prior case that had "nearly identical facts," wrote Clark Neily, vice president for criminal justice at the libertarian Cato Institute and a professor at George Mason University's Antonin Scalia Law School. It's difficult to meet that requirement. In a country where police disproportionately killed Black people, that means "equal justice under the law doesn't really appear to apply if you are a melanated person," Roth said. Protestors standoff with police during a protest against the police brutality of a man hit by a Florissant detective and the death in Minneapolis police custody of George Floyd, in Florissant, Missouri, U.S., June 27, 2020. REUTERS/Lawrence Bryant The pursuit of justice is muddled further by other legally unconventional privileges. "If you shot somebody, they would take you back to the station and put you in a windowless room, and be grilling you immediately before you had a chance to catch a breath and get your story straight," Raphling said. But for police, Raphling said, "the investigation is generally done to exonerate the officer as opposed to a typical homicide or other crime investigation, where the idea is to prove guilt or gather evidence of guilt." There are no national standards for keeping police accountable There is no state in the country where the use of deadly force meets international standards. And nine states do not have any use-of-force statutes at all, a 2015 Amnesty International report found including Gillis's state of Massachusetts. In lieu of strict or even comprehensive accountability measures, it's up to police chiefs to bring "any sort of accountability," according to Roth. "These policies don't come with a ton of accountability," she said, "and it's sort of dependent on the personnel of who the actual chief is and what they believe conduct should look like in their department." But police departments often lie and deceive the public. After two police officers in Buffalo, New York, pushed an elderly man to the ground and he began bleeding, a spokesperson said he was "injured when he tripped and fell." Video footage showed that to be false, and the spokesperson recanted. And even when police chiefs want to keep their department accountable by expelling so-called "bad apples," their hands might be tied. In many cities and states, police chiefs must typically act according to the precedent set by previous expulsions. Otherwise, their decision can be appealed and voided. So if their department has meted out lax discipline to an officer, it can become the standard for all future discipline. Police have broad influence over state and local overseers The lack of broad standards lets individual police departments decide on policy, procedures, and discipline. What little oversight exists is primarily on the local and state levels. But police have sway over both. "For example, you don't get to be appointed a judge if you don't have the seal of approval from law enforcement," Raphling said. Local elected officials "get a great deal of support, money, and endorsements from law enforcement, police unions, police chiefs law enforcement in general. That is particularly powerful in the local races." demonstrators gather at the Lincoln Memorial during a protest against racial inequality in the aftermath of the death in Minneapolis police custody of George Floyd, in Washington, U.S., June 6, 2020. Carlos Barria/Reuters Indeed, police unions in some of the biggest cities in the country have spent millions to lobby local and state officials, an analysis by The Guardian found. Over the last 20 years, unions have spent at least $64.8 million in Los Angeles, $19.2 million in New York City, and $3.5 million in Chicago. That spending can pay off. After Chicago officer Jason Van Dyke shot dead Laquan McDonald, a 17-year-old Black boy, an investigation found that the labor agreements between Dyke's union and the city maintained "a deeply entrenched code of silence" within the Chicago Police Department. Before killing McDonald in 2017, Dyke was the subject of 20 civilian complaints over 13 years, including eight for excessive use of force. He was not disciplined until a jury found him guilty of murdering McDonald, becoming the first Chicago officer convicted of murder in almost 50 years. Police killings are not publicly tracked by any government agency If police departments are going to be held accountable, they need to be transparent, the Amnesty International report argued. But "there are no comprehensive national statistics tracking deaths or injuries at the hands of the police in the USA," the report said, and that's still true five years later. "The information and data that we largely have is due to what's been reported from news agencies," Roth said, "or organizations like Mapping Police Violence." In the Amnesty report, "we looked at three different websites that were trying to do the same thing," she said. "They came up with different numbers." A protester wears a mask and holds a homemade sign that says "Defund the Police" at a demonstration on June 19, 2020, in New York City. Ira L. Black/Corbis via Getty Images Police departments are "highly secretive organizations," Raphling said, and federal oversight does little to shine light on their internal operations. For instance, the Death in Custody Reporting Act, which became law in 2014, requires police departments to share police-killing data with the Attorney General but the data is not publicized. "The idea that we have had in law in the US since 2014, something that has literally never been implemented, speaks volumes to me about the country's commitment to solving this problem," Roth said. Police killings have not declined since the law was passed, data from Mapping Police Violence shows. 'Why is the first resort always the police?' After Pittsfield police killed Gillis, Sykes wondered why her partner, distraught and intoxicated, was met with lethal violence when he needed help. "He was a person," she said. "His kids are growing up without a father, his mother without a son." "They could've saved him," she said. Since the police killing of George Floyd, a Black man, last month, many have called for police departments, whose budgets have ballooned 445% percent over the last 30 years, to be defunded and for those funds to be redirected to social and community services. There is growing support for the idea that police departments do not keep communities safe, Raphling said. "If you're sending people whose training is command, control, arrest, and force, how does that mesh with someone who's in a desperate mental state?" he asked. "Why is the first resort always the police, who have this particular orientation and mentality? That's not a safe thing that improves public safety." And police are not fit to de-escalate tense situations where someone may need assistance. Police departments spend an average of 58 hours on gun training and 49 hours on defensive tactics, a 2016 survey found. A total of eight hours are spent on de-escalation, crisis intervention, and electronic control weapons like Tasers. "These de-escalation tactics," Raphling said, "run so counter to their basic training." "Support, care, job training, economic development, schooling, youth programs all of these things contribute to public safety," he said. "Maybe we intervene and help people before they're getting to this point of desperation and crisis." Read the original article on Insider Click here to read the full article. Key Point: Kursk was not the turning point of the war. The title of Martin Caidin's 1974 history of the Battle of Kursk is still evocative, with its imagery of Nazi Germany's vaunted Tiger tanks in flames. Tigers burning brightly are just one legend of the epic July 1943 battle between Germany and Russia. There are many more: The Greatest Tank Battle in History, the Turning Point of World War II, The Death Ride of the Panzers, Russian tanks ramming German tanks in a mechanized orgy of destruction.... All very colorful, and all mostly or partly untrue. Kursk is the Santa Claus and Easter Bunny of World War II battles, whose popular history was constructed from German and Soviet propaganda, and based on early accounts lacking vital information buried in Russian archives until after the fall of the Soviet Union. Kursk was indeed an epic battle, that pitted 3 million German and Soviet soldiers and 8,000 tanks, all crammed into a small portion of southern Russia. After the disaster at Stalingrad in February 1943, the Red Army pushed the Germans back all the way across southern Russia, until a Panzer counteroffensive in March halted the Russian advance. As spring mud and mutual exhaustion brought operations to a close, the front lines solidified with a 120-mile-wide Russian salient bulging into German lines near the city of Kursk. Germany had a choice: wait to be hammered by another offensive from the Russian steamroller, or take the initiative by launching its own offensive. Meanwhile, the clock was ticking after the November 1942 Western Allied landings in North Africa signaled that Germany would soon be forced to split its armies between Eastern and Western Europe. In 1941, Germany had been strong enough to attack on a thousand-mile-front from the Baltic to the Black Sea. Now the Germans could only muster enough troops to concentrate on a narrow sector. An obvious target was the Kursk salient, so obvious in fact that any Russian general with a map could guess the German target ( in addition, Moscow was tipped off by the "Lucy" ). In effect, Kursk was the first Battle of the Bulge, but on a much larger scale than the Americans faced in December 1944. Story continues Top commanders such as Erich Von Manstein wanted to attack in May, before the Soviets had time to dig in and reinforce the salient. But a nervous and indecisive Hitler decided to postpone Operation Citadel until July, to allow time to deploy his vaunted new Panther, Tiger and Elefant tanks . While the big cats lumbered off the railroad cars near the front lines, the Germans managed to amass nearly 800,000 men, 3,000 tanks, 10,000 guns and mortars, and 2,000 aircraft. It would be the last time the Germans could concentrate such an attack force (by comparison, at the Battle of the Bulge, the Germans had 400,000 men and 600 tanks). Yet as usual, the Germans were outnumbered. They faced 1.9 million Soviet soldiers, 5,000 tanks, 25,000 guns and mortars and more than 3,000 aircraft. Citadel was a prophetic name for the German offensive. The Soviets used the extra time to build an incredibly dense defense system of multiple layers of fortifications, including trenches, bunkers, tank traps and machine gun nests 25 miles deep, as well as minefields that averaged more than 3,000 mines per kilometer. Kursk was not an imaginative battle. The Germans attacked an obvious target, the Soviets fortified the obvious target, and the German offensive on July 4, 1943 was a traditional pincer move against the north and south base of the salient to cut off the defenders inside. Despite support by 89 Elefants (a Porsche version of the Tiger that the German army rejected), the northern pincer quickly bogged down after advancing just a few miles. But the southern pincer, led by the II SS Panzer Corps, managed to advance 20 miles to the town of Prokhorovka, until its advance was checked by the Soviet Fifth Guards Tank Army. On July 10, Anglo-American troops landed on the beaches of Sicily. Two days later Hitler informed his generals that he was canceling the offensive and transferring the SS Panzer divisions to Italy, to repel any Allied landings on the Italian peninsula. The German offensive was over. But the Soviets had only just begun. Stavka, the Soviet high command, used essentially the same trick that had worked at Stalingrad. It waited until the Germans had concentrated their forces at Kursk, and exhausted themselves against the Russian defenses. Then the Red Army launched a counteroffensive that punctured the weakly held German lines at Orel, north of Kursk, and Belgorod to the south. Thus the Germans found their pincer operation squeezed on either side by a Soviet pincers, in yet another masterful example of the Soviet gift for timing multiple offensives to keep the Germans off balance. As they would do for the next 22 months, the Germans retreated. The Battle of Kursk was over. The battle over the history of Kursk was not. So let's explode some of the hype about Kursk: 1. The Tigers didn't burn. Soviet tanks did: There were lots of flaming tanks at Kursk. They were mostly Russian. Loss estimates for Kursk are fuzzy, but historians David Glantz and Jonathan House estimate the Germans lost 323 tanks destroyed, or about 10 percent of the tanks committed to the offensive (and a fraction of the 12,000 tanks and self-propelled guns the Third Reich built in 1943). Many German tanks damaged by mines or Soviet weapons, or that broke down, were subsequently recovered. The Soviets lost at least 1,600 tanks, a 5:1 ratio in Germany's favor. The Germans probably lost 45 tanks at Prokhovoka, most of which were subsequently recovered and repaired. The Soviets may have lost 300 tanks destroyed and another 300 damaged, a 15:1 ratio in Germany's favor. As for Tigers at Kursk, the Germans deployed 146. Only 6 were destroyed. Given that the German offensive ran into perhaps the most extensive fortified zone in history, and then fought against the numerically superior Soviet tank force, Panzer losses were remarkably light. It was the German infantry, which as in most armies took the most casualties and received the least glory, that was roughly handled at Kursk. 2. Kursk was not a turning point of the war: The Germans could blame their defeats at Moscow and Stalingrad on the Russian winter, overstretched supply lines and incompetent Rumanian and Italian allies. Kursk demonstrated that the Red Army could hold its own against fully rested and equipped German troops fighting in good weather. More important, Kursk showed that the momentum on the Eastern Front had changed. From June 1941 until July 1943, the tempo of the Russo-German war was mostly determined by German offensives and Soviet responses. After Kursk, the Germans remained on the defensive, their elite Panzer divisions constantly moving up and down the Eastern Front to plug Soviet breakthroughs and rescue encircled German troops. Yet the momentum on the Eastern Front had already shifted six months earlier at Stalingrad, where an entire German army, and several hundred thousand German and satellite troops, were erased from the Axis order of battle. Kursk was bloody: the German offensive alone cost 54,000 Germans and 178,000 Soviet casualties -- yet there were no major encirclements or surrenders. Kursk was a battle of attrition rather than decisive maneuver. Both armies were damaged yet both remained intact. The Red Army had become too competent to let the German Panzers slice and dice them as in 1941. And unless Germany could win the sort of victories it achieved in 1941, and filled the POW cages with a million Soviet prisoners, it is hard to see how Kursk could have been decisive. If the Germans had destroyed a few Soviet divisions and eliminated the Kursk salient, the Soviets would merely have rebuilt their strength and attacked somewhere else. By 1943, there were simply not enough German troops to conquer the Soviet Union or to solidly defend a thousand-mile front. 3. Prokhorovka was not the Greatest Tank Battle in History: The meeting engagement between the II SS Panzer Corps and the 5th Guards Tank Army at Prokhorovka has been lauded as history's greatest tank battle, probably because it involved SS Panzer divisions and a handful of Tigers. The actual battle only pitted about 300 German tanks against roughly 800 Soviet vehicles. The biggest tank battle in history may be Dubna, in June 1941, where 750 German tanks defeated 3,500 Soviet vehicles. 4. The Red Army was still not as good as the German Army: The Red Army in 1943 had come a long way since its pitiful performance in 1941-42. But despite the postwar propaganda, Kursk showed the Soviets still had a long way to go. As Russian Kursk expert Valeriy Zamulin demonstrates in "Demolishing the Myth: The Tank Battle at Prokhorovka, Kursk, July 1943," Soviet tactical performance was clumsy and troop morale was brittle. Though the Red Air Force was able to provide some support, its performance was also lacking: for example, a surprise strike on German airfields on July 5 quickly turned into a turkey shoot for the Luftwaffe fighter aces. Military theory holds that the attacker should outnumber the defender three-to-one, and that fighting through dense fortifications will render an attack ever more costly. The fact was that the Germans were outnumbered at Kursk, and fought through multiple trench lines and minefields, yet inflict three times as many casualties and destroy three times as tanks and aircraft as the Germans themselves lost. 5. It was the Soviet counteroffensive that bled the Germans: Accounts of Kursk tend to focus on the dramatic German attack and desperate Soviet defense. Yet as was the case throughout the war, German losses were relatively light as long as they remained on the offensive, where they could use their talents for battlefield flexibility and improvisation to the maximum. It was when the Germans were on the defense, where they had less room to maneuver and were vulnerable to massive artillery barrages, that they tended to take heavy casualties. The Germans lost about 50,000 men during their attempted breakthrough. They may have suffered another 150,000 casualties during the dual Soviet offensives -- Operations Kutuzov and Rumyantsev -- in mid-July through August. German tank losses were not excessive during their offensive, but once the long retreat to the Reich began, equipment frequently had to be abandoned or blown up. 6. Soviet tanks didn't ram German tanks at Kursk: The story is probably apocryphal. Even considering the Red Army's bravery and discipline, trying to ram another tank before it blows you to smithereens would be an act of battlefield Darwinism. 7. Kursk was an Anglo-American victory as well as a Soviet one: Just as the SS Panzers were about to achieve a decisive breakthrough -- or so Von Manstein claimed -- an Anglo-American amphibious force landed on Sicily. Hitler called off Operation Citadel and transferred the SS Panzer divisions to Italy. The timing was coincidental. The Anglo-Americans didn't land on Sicily to support the Soviets at Kursk, nor could they have mounted a large amphibious invasion on such short notice. But the practical effect was to draw German troops from the Eastern Front at a critical time. Pointing this out takes nothing away from the bravery and skill of the Red Army, any more that it disparages the Western Allies to point out that the Soviets fought and destroyed the bulk of the German army. But today, as America and Russia confront one another, it is worth remembering there was a time when both nations cooperated to save the world from a new Dark Ages. Michael Peck is a contributing writer for the National Interest. He can be found on Twitter and Facebook . This first appeared in August 2016. Image: Panzer IIIs and IVs on the southern side of the Kursk salient at the start of Operation Citadel. Summer 1943. German Federal Archives. Click here to read the full article. Click here to read the full article. Key Point: The Tu-144 was a fiasco, draining precious time and rubles from other projects. The Soviet-built Tu-144 actually flew before its supersonic rival Concorde, though it had a number of flaws inherent to the design that severely limited its usefulness. Part of the problem with the Tu-144 was its weight. Not only was it heavier than the Concordeby around 20 tons, or 40,000 poundsit was longer too, by about 12 feet. The Tu-144s extra weight stemmed from the extra wheels it had to carry under its wings. Unlike the French-Anglo Concorde, the Soviet Tu-144 landing gear had a whopping 12 wheels. The Soviet-built plane used synthetic rubber for its tires, which was structurally weaker and more likely to fail than natural rubber. A quick fixmore wheels. More weight, meant more wheels, which meant more weight again. Still, the Tu-144s engines could compensate for the extra pounds. Each of the Tu-144s engines produced 6,000 more pounds of thrust than those of Concorde. But they were less refined. At one point the Tupolev design bureau approached the Concorde team in order to try and negotiate an engine-management computer system for use with their Tu-144. They were rebuffed, as it was feared the technology could be used to improve Soviet bombers as well as jet airliners. The Tu-144s performance suffered accordingly. Overall, the Tu-144 was less refined than the Concorde. In order to slow down when landing, the Tu-144 had a brake parachute group at the tail instead of thrust reversers. Another less-refined aspect of the jet airliner was the noise generated by its enormously powerful engines for those in the cabin. Noise inside the cabin was apparently so immense that passengers were reduced to passing handwritten notes to communicate. Postscript Part of the Tu-144s myriad problems are attributable to the very high level of aerospace engineering that needed to go into a viable supersonic jet airliner design. One estimate said that the Tupolev design was 10 to 15 years ahead of what the Soviet aerospace industry was capable of at that time. Obvious parallels have been made between the Concorde and the Tu-144, which hint at the danger of trying to copy a design that isnt fully understood. The Soviet Union had a long history of aerospace espionage, which may have contributed to the Tu-144s lack of commercial success. Story continues The Tu-144 reportedly flew a paltry 102 flights, only 55 of which actually carried any passengers. Compared to its arch-rival Concorde, the Tu-144 was a fiasco, draining precious time and rubles from other projects. The French-Anglo venture on the other hand served just under 30 years. Though it too could not be considered a commercial success, the problems Concorde experienced were due to regulations and market forces, rather than shortcoming inherent to the airframe itself. Though unsuccessful, the Tu-144 was nevertheless impressive as the worlds largest supersonic commercial airliner. Caleb Larson holds a Master of Public Policy degree from the Willy Brandt School of Public Policy. He lives in Berlin and writes on U.S. and Russian foreign and defense policy, German politics, and culture. This article first appeared earlier this year and is reprinted due to reader interest. Image: Wikimedia Commons Click here to read the full article. Berlin - Michael Sohn/AP German retail sales surged back above their pre-pandemic levels in May as shoppers returned to newly opened stores with a vengeance. The early success of the eurozones largest economy raises hopes that the UK could follow suit with a rapid recovery. It comes after Andy Haldane, the Bank of Englands chief economist, said promising signs from the re-opening of non-essential retailers meant Britain could see a speedy V-shaped rebound. Retail turnover jumped by 13.9pc in May compared to April, according to official data from Germanys Federal Statistics Agency, more than overturning the 6.5pc fall in sales during the lockdown. Compared with May of last year sales are also up 3.8pc in real terms. It suggests families simply postponed their spending when in lockdown, rather than permanently cutting back. Taking advantage of the early re-opening of shops, German consumers opened their wallets like never before in May, said economist Holger Schmieding at Berenberg Bank. He predicts a more modest performance in the coming months as pent-up demand for goods is not repeated, and also notes that services companies will not necessarily expect a surge in sales, but rather a return to normal. After a catch-up effect in May, German retail sales will likely fall back closer to their underlying trend in June, he said. Some other parts of consumer spending such as travel and tourism, as well as many other services, will likely be weaker. People who had missed physiotherapy in April and May have likely not made up for that by three times as many appointments as usual in June. The Ifo Institute believes the German recovery is now well under way. After an estimated collapse of 11.9pc in GDP in the second quarter, it predicts growth of 6.9pc in the coming three months and 3.8pc in the final quarter of the year. It comes after strong sales were also reported in France. Story continues Consumer goods sales surged by more than one-third, closing most of the gap caused by the lockdown. Growth from this point depends on customers retaining their confidence in the face of a still ongoing pandemic. The May rebound primarily reflects pent-up demand in April, when lockdowns were at their most stringent, said economist Jacob Nell at Morgan Stanley, noting that different countries across the eurozone are in very different positions. We would have to see this trend continue to upgrade our forecast, since we still expect a more cautious consumer and higher savings, given a weaker labour market and the background risk of a resurgence in infections. Jonathan Haskel, a monetary policymaker at the Bank of England, said there were signs of a similar pattern in the UK. "Retail sales and spending more broadly appear to be recovering from their April lows, and we now expect the second quarter as a whole will not be quite as negative as expected," he said. But he also warned the economy is not out of the woods yet: "There remains a great deal of uncertainty as to how many of the currently furloughed workers will be able to return to their jobs, which in large part will depend on our success as a nation managing and suppressing the virus, and the state of household finances and consumers appetite for resumption of discretionary economic activity." Photo Illustration by The Daily Beast / Photos Getty Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) has been the object of liberal ire since her 2018 vote to confirm Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court. Now in a tight re-election fight, whatever hopes she might have had of putting that episode behind her were dashed this week, when now-Justice Kavanaugh cast a dissenting vote in the Supreme Courts latest decision to uphold the legal framework that grants access to women seeking abortions. But the legacy of Collins vote on Kavanaugh hasnt been all bad for the longtime Maine senator. In fact, its appeared to earn her some powerful and deep-pocketed new allies. Collins, whos staked out a brand as a pro-choice moderate Republican over her nearly 24 years in the Senate, has historically never been a favorite in the conservative legal circles embodied by the Federalist Society, a leading group of right-of-center attorneys and legal thinkers. But that, apparently, has changed dramatically since Collins fateful vote. Since 2019, Collins campaign and two associated political action committees have raked in nearly $200,000 from donors who are also high-dollar contributors to the Federalist Society. Many of those who gave to Collins had never cut a check for her before. New Kavanaugh Book: Sen. Feinstein Dithered on Ford Letter The group of 39 donors includes Leonard Leo, the former executive vice president of the Federalist Society and a driving force behind President Trump and the Senate GOPs historically successful efforts to stock the federal bench with conservative judges. Leo and his wife, Sallyneither of whom had previously donated to Collinseach gave the maximum $5,600 to Collins campaign committee last year. Half of Leos support came by way of a joint fundraising committee supporting three other Senate Republicans. Last summer, Leo hosted a fundraiser for Collins at his newly bought Maine vacation home, an event that appeared to open up more Federalist Society funds for the senator. Leo was one of five Federalist Society-associated first-time donors to Collins, a group that also included Daniel Casey. Casey is the president of the Judicial Crisis Network, a group with ties to the Federalist Society that led the charge for Kavanaughs confirmation. GOP mega-donors linked to the group also got on board with Collins after her vote. Philip Anschutz, the billionaire whose foundation supports the Federalist Society, gave $5,600, the per-cycle maximum, to Collins campaign. Story continues Others were not first-time Collins donors but dramatically stepped up their giving this year. In 2019, Bernard Marcus, co-founder of Home Depot, and his wife Billi Wilma gave a total of $20,800 to Collins campaign and to her leadership PAC. The couples foundation is part of the Federalist Societys Madison Club, the honorific bestowed on its major donors. Marcus is in the Clubs Platinum Level, reserved for those who give $100,000 or more. Previously, the couple had donated a total of $3,000 to Collins across her 2014 and 2008 re-election campaigns. Support for Collins from C. Boyden Gray, a former counsel to President George H.W. Bush and a Federalist Society board member, also illustrates the evolving relationship between the senator and the conservative legal group. In 2003, Grays conservative advocacy group ran controversial ads in Maine pressuring the senator to vote in favor of a conservative Bush nominee, William Pryor, Jr., to the bench. Ultimately, Collins was one of just two Republican senators to vote against Pryor. After giving $3,600 to her 2014 effort, Gray has given nearly $8,000 to Collins political outfit since her Kavanaugh vote. Susan Collins Obama-Era Vote Against Pandemic Funding Comes Back to Haunt Her Most of the donations from Federalist Society backers went directly to Collins campaign. Some also supported Collins leadership PAC, which she can use to dole out funds to allies and help build political capital. Others financed the Collins Victory Committee, a joint fundraising account supporting both her campaign and her leadership PAC. The groundswell in financial support that Collins is receiving from conservative legal bigwigs comes at a time when the nations courts have become increasingly politicized. Kavanaughs nomination became a rallying point for many Democrats and Democratic-allied groups. And Collins support for itwhich culminated in a nationally watched Senate floor speechput a target squarely on her back. While those invested in the confirmation rushed to offer their appreciation, progressives began fundraising for her challenger immediately, raising more than four million dollars before Maine House Speaker Sara Gideon even became the Democratic frontrunner. The end result has been one of the more expensive and tightly fought Senate races of the cycle, with Collins facing a serious challenge for a seat she has held comfortably since 1996. The senators campaign has raised over $10.3 million since January 2019; Gideon, meanwhile, has raised over $14.8 million in the same time period. Collins has $1 million more in the bank, however. Senator Collins has always received strong support from across the ideological spectrum, Kevin Kelley, a spokesman for Collins campaign, told The Daily Beast. Bribery doesnt work on Senator Collins, Kelley added, in reference to the money raised by liberal groups around her Kavanaugh vote. She made up her mind based on the merits of the nomination. Its laughable that the same people who tried to buy Senator Collins vote for more than $4 million now appear to be suggesting that she sold her vote for far less. The Federalist Society did not respond to a request for comment. But a source close to the Kavanaugh confirmation process described the donations as an organic show of support for a senator crucial to getting popular conservative judges confirmed. The source said there was no organized effort to back Collins financially after her confirmation vote, but that people active in the conservative legal community independently deemed her worthy of support. "Countless Americans were inspired by Senator Collins principled speech in support of Justice Kavanaugh, the source said, so it should not be surprising to anyone that she raised more money after that, especially in light of the disgusting threats that were being made toward her and her staff at the time. As for the donations that liberals made to a prospective campaign account for Collins eventual opponent, those too have been criticized as an attempt to financially incentivize the Senators vote; and not just by Collins aides. A conservative election attorney, Cleta Mitchell, told Newsmax at the time that the liberal groups may have run afoul of federal law by trying to tie her official action to their threat that theyre going to give $1 million to somebody to run against her, if she doesnt vote the way [they want her] to. Ady Barkan, the progressive activist who launched the campaign, insisted it was legal and had the blessing of the Federal Elections Commission. Mitchell, a financial supporter of the Federalist Society, later gave $1,000 to Collins campaign, her first donation, after her vote to confirm Kavanaugh. 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. When Mayra Guillen went to the military base in Fort Hood, Texas, after her sister went missing two months ago, she said she encountered a man who gave her a bad feeling. "That subject, I met him, not knowing he had something to do with it. I felt he had something to do with it, and I wasn't wrong," Mayra Guillen, a sister of Pfc. Vanessa Guillen, said Wednesday at a press conference in Washington, D.C. The U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command said that as Killeen, Texas, police officers and federal marshals were closing in on a Fort Hood soldier connected to Vanessa Guillen's case, the suspect died by suicide. "He had the nerve to laugh in my face and apparently now he kills himself. Why? I don't know, but whoever is responsible has to pay," said Mayra Guillen. PHOTO: The main gate at the U.S. Army post at Fort Hood, Texas is pictured in this undated photograph, Nov. 5, 2009. (Handout/Reuters, FILE) Officials have not yet identified the suspect because they said they're first notifying his family. Another unidentified suspect, a civilian, also was taken into custody, officials said. MORE: Foul play suspected in disappearance of missing Fort Hood soldier Vanessa Guillen "The civilian suspect is the estranged wife of a former Fort Hood Soldier and is currently in custody in the Bell County Jail awaiting charges by civilian authorities," CID said in a statement. Guillen's family and their attorney, Natalie Khawam, said the deceased suspect was a superior officer who allegedly walked in on Vanessa Guillen as she was showering, sat down and watched her. PHOTO: Army Pfc. Vanessa Guillen, 20, has been missing from her unit since April 22, 2020, according to the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command. (U.S. Army) Guillen's family said that Vanessa Guillen complained to them and to fellow soldiers about being sexually harassed at the base, but never filed a formal complaint for fear of retaliation. Military officials said in a previous statement that they had no credible information she was sexually assaulted. Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard, who served in the Army for 17 years, said at the press conference on Wednesday that she knows "personally the strength of the chain of command. I also know and understand that fear Vanessa must have felt." Story continues "I have long advocated for real reforms ... that would provide an independent path ... for them to report these incidents outside the chain of command," Gabbard added. "There are so many military people who are suffering with sexual harassment and they sweep it under the rug like it's a joke. My sister is not a joke. My sister did not deserve this. My sister deserves justice," Lupe Guillen said. PHOTO: Army Pfc. Vanessa Guillen, 20, has been missing from her unit since April 22, 2020, according to the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command. (Fort Hood CID ) The family believes that Vanessa Guillen's sexual harassment allegations led to a "cover up" surrounding her initial disappearance and are demanding a Congressional investigation. "They lied to us for two months. My sister was sexually harassed they didn't keep my sister safe. They try to cover up for each other. Why? If this can happen to my sister, it can happen to anyone," Lupe Guillen added. MORE: Unidentified remains found in search for missing soldier Vanessa Guillen Khawam said she's planning to ask for lawmakers to propose legislation, named after Vanessa Guillen, to protect U.S. soldiers from sexual harassment and sexual assault. The arrest of the additional suspect came a day after investigators found unidentified human remains about 20 miles away from the Fort Hood base, where Vanessa Guillen was last seen on April 22. "We believe her remains were found," Khawam added. A positive identification of the remains is pending, and the criminal investigation is still ongoing, said Chris Grey, CID's chief of public affairs. Authorities said they suspect foul play. Suspect connected to missing Fort Hood soldier Vanessa Guillen dies by suicide originally appeared on abcnews.go.com Tektronix has shifted its work from supporting vehicle manufacturing to assisting with ventilator production BEAVERTON, Ore., July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Tektronix, Inc. today announces that in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the test and measurement company has partnered with accreditation body American Association for Laboratory Accreditation (A2LA) to rapidly convert and accredit Tektronix for the calibration of tools to be utilized in the ventilator production setup of a plant in Kokomo, Ind. Traditionally an electronic components manufacturing plant, the Kokomo plant has shifted work to instead produce ventilators for Ventec Life Systems. Tektronix is managing the torque screwdriver tools involved in ventilator production. VOCSN therapy screen. Ventec Life Systems created the first and only multi-function ventilator, VOCSN, which provides five therapies in one device: ventilation, oxygen, cough, suction and nebulizer. Working in Kokomo with one of the world's top vehicle manufacturers, Ventec has created VOCSN V+Pro Emergency which will be delivered as part of an order of 30,000 critical care ventilators for the Federal Government. On April 17, 2020 , the first VOCSN critical care ventilators produced in Kokomo, Ind. were delivered to hospitals in Olympia Fields and Chicago, Ill. at the direction of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. "Tektronix is committed to the rapid production of these critical machines," says Ken Coughran, vice president of Sales, US Multi Vendor Service at Tektronix. "The work of test and measurement must be accurate and precise to ensure the components of these machines are faultless in order to rely on these life-saving instruments." Assisting the ventilator production through tool documentation, inventory management, and torque tool check and maintenance, Tektronix has expanded the number of calibration events each month by over three times the traditional amount to meet the manufacturing needs of these critical machines. Story continues To expand the lab's current accreditation with the addition of torque screwdriver capabilities to the plant's required activities, Tektronix completed a remote technical assessment by A2LA. A2LA reviewed the quality records, procedures, training records and metrology practices, while Tektronix successfully demonstrated the calibration of a torque screwdriver virtually. "The process of calibration and accreditation has also seen extensive shifts to protocol and procedure due to the COVID-19 pandemic," says Trace McInturff, VP Accreditation Services at A2LA. "Time is of the essence for these crucial ventilators, and we are proud that even among the potential constraints of virtual assessment, we completed this accreditation with confidence and ahead of schedule, and with the same level of quality that A2LA has maintained throughout our history." "There has been a tremendous amount of partnership surrounding this initiative," adds Coughran. "We are proud to, in some small way, be contributing to the provisioning of these frontline medical professionals with the machines required to save lives." About Tektronix Tektronix, Inc., headquartered in Beaverton, Oregon, delivers innovative, precise and easy-to-operate test, measurement and monitoring solutions that solve problems, unlock insights and drive discovery globally. Tektronix has been at the forefront of the digital age for over 70 years. More information on products and solutions is available at Tek.com . Follow us on Twitter , Facebook , Instagram , and LinkedIn to stay connected. Learn more from our engineers on the Tektronix blog and read our latest announcements in our Newsroom . Tektronix is a registered trademark of Tektronix, Inc. All other trade names referenced are the service marks, trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies. About A2LA Established in 1978 as a public service membership society, A2LA is dedicated to the formal recognition of competent testing and calibration laboratories (including medical laboratories), biobanking facilities, inspection bodies, product certification bodies, proficiency testing providers, and reference material producers. A2LA has over 3700 actively accredited certificates representing all 50 US states and more than 50 countries. For a current listing of A2LA's accredited organizations, please search our directory here: portal.A2LA.org/search . Robin Reynolds, Senior Calibration Technician at Tektronix, managing the torque screwdriver tools involved in ventilator production. Tektronix unveils new logo, marking the most significant change in its visual identity in 24 years.The legacy Tektronix logo has been refashioned, with the angle incorporated within the logotype as an upwards gesture of progress. The sans-serif type is given character by subtly clipping the 'T' letterforms, echoing the blue angle. Simple, definitive lines reflect our promise of performance. (PRNewsFoto/Tektronix, Inc) Cision View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/tektronix-and-a2la-partner-on-ventilator-production-by-reconfiguring-and-accrediting-torque-tools-at-kokomo-ind-manufacturing-plant-301086481.html SOURCE Tektronix, Inc. Federal safety officials are looking into allegations that battery cooling tubes prone to leaks were installed in early versions of the Tesla Model S. (Tesla Motors) Federal safety officials are probing allegations of defective cooling systems installed in early-model Tesla vehicles. Tesla installed cooling tubes prone to leaks in Model S vehicles beginning in 2012, according to internal emails cited by Business Insider last week. The Times reviewed copies of the emails and other documentation that show the tubes were installed from 2012 until 2016, at which time Tesla cut off a supplier and began manufacturing the tubes in house. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in a statement to The Times, said it is well aware of the reports regarding this issue and will take action if appropriate based upon the facts and data. The agency also reminded auto manufacturers that they are required to notify the agency within five days of when the manufacturer becomes aware of a safety related defect and conduct a recall. Tesla appears to never have issued such notification. Tesla did not respond to requests for comment. The National Transportation Safety Board also issued a statement to The Times. The board said it is in the final stages of completing a Special Investigative Report based upon its investigations of several crashes involving electric vehicles and the resultant battery fires/thermal events." The NTSB is an investigatory agency which, unlike the NHTSA, has no enforcement power. When it investigates electric vehicles fires, the board said, it considers "whether an existing mechanical issue or material failure contributed to the crash or the severity of the crash. The Business Insider article said that Tesla knew the battery cooling system installed in Model S cars had a flawed design but sold the cars anyway, citing internal documents and three people familiar with the matter. The cooling tubes, sourced from a Chinese company, were susceptible to cracks and pinholes, according to third-party tests conducted by IMR Test Lab in upstate New York, Business Insider reported. The Times has reviewed the same documentation. Story continues Sources told Business Insider that the end fittings on the cooling tubes often didnt quite match up with the connection to the car and had to be forced into position sometimes, the internal emails show, with a hammer. A source with direct knowledge of the matter told The Times the same thing, asking not to be identified for fear of retaliation by Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk. Although Tesla used the same China-based supplier for four years, its not clear if and when the cooling tube problems were remedied before Tesla brought manufacturing in-house in 2016. Without information from the company or safety regulators, its impossible to know how many cars were affected. Its also unclear whether the issue affects the Model X, which used the same cooling system. Model X production began in 2015. The Tesla Model 3 uses a different, more efficient cooling system that does away with the bending coils in the Model S and Model X. Battery fire experts say the flammable glycol coolant in the Model S system could cause or exacerbate a battery fire if the fluid or its residue contacts a broken battery cell after a crash. In a phenomenon known as thermal runaway, a single battery on fire can spread to other battery cells in a vehicle, causing a larger fire. Although its unclear how common electric car fires are, there were several media reports of Tesla fires in the months leading up to May 2019, when Tesla began limiting Model S charges to 80% of capacity at the companys Supercharger stations. The closer a battery gets to full, the hotter it gets. Some of the reported fires followed accidents; others appeared to burst into flames spontaneously. Last November, NHTSA said it was probing potential defects in Tesla batteries. The agency declined to say whether the cooling tube leak allegations are part of that investigation or are being looked at separately. Last week, Sean Hannity asked President Trump a very good question: What are your top priorities for a second term? And the president gave a very interesting answer. Well, one of the things that will be really great you know, the word experience is still good, he said. I always say talent is more important than experience. Ive always said that. But the word experience is a very important word. Its a very important meaning. The president continued, I never did this before I never slept over in Washington. I was in Washington I think 17 times, all of a sudden, Im the president of the United States. You know the story, Im riding down Pennsylvania Avenue with our first lady and I say, This is great. But I didnt know very many people in Washington, it wasnt my thing. But now I know everybody. And I have great people in the administration. The president did confess error, saying, You make some mistakes, like you know an idiot like Bolton, all he wanted to do is drop bombs on everybody. You dont have to drop bombs on everybody. You dont have to kill people. Whats a presidential answer without some slander and defamation? Anyway, the president seemed to be saying that he didnt know what he was doing when he got to Washington, having been elected president; and now he knows what hes doing and will have a new-and-improved second term. At least, that is one interpretation. It is an interesting question, experience and the presidency. Long ago, I heard Richard Brookhiser say, The presidency isnt an entry-level political job, unless youve won a world war. Or a civil war, I suppose. (The allusions are to Eisenhower and Grant, as you know.) Traditionally, candidates with experience stress that experience. It is a card they have to play. And when you have less experience, you deflect, saying, for example, Oh, my opponent has experience all right: experience running up deficits, hiking taxes, violating the Constitution . . . Story continues You go with what you got. All things being equal, I think experience is very important certainly if you want to be president. It is important both for the aspirant and for the voter. Important to the voter? Well, if a candidate has political experience office-holding experience the voter can ask, What has he done with political responsibility? How has he behaved in office? and have answers. And experience will help any office-holder any president I would think. It is not his first rodeo. Nonetheless, I had to smile when Trump told Hannity, I always say talent is more important than experience. Ive always said that. In writing on this topic the presidency and experience, or politics and experience Ive often cited Bill Walton, the ex-NBA star. Before the NCAA tournament in 1992, he was doing a show, I believe with Brent Musburger. A pre-tourney show. And he picked the Michigan Wolverines to win it all. But Bill, said Musburger (if it was he), they start five freshmen! Walton replied, Ill take talent over experience any day. (Michigan made it to the final game that year, but lost to the Duke Blue Devils.) In 1988, the George Bush campaign ran an ad that said something like this: Perhaps never in American history has a man been so prepared for the job of president as this man who had been a businessman, a congressman, a CIA director, a vice president, and more. Would that help him in this day and age? Do voters still value experience? I wonder about this. In 1996, Bob Dole was the Republican nominee, and he said, over and over, Ive been tested: tested in war, tested in politics, tested in life. Do voters want potential presidents to have been tested? I smile at a memory of 2000. It seems kind of quaint now. John Cusack, the actor, was supporting the Democratic nominee, Vice President Al Gore. He questioned the experience of the Republican nominee, Governor George W. Bush. Cusack said something like, Hes been governor for just six years. Is that really enough? Also, people said, Texas has a weak governorship. Remember that one? It was a frequent Democratic talking point (and a Republican talking point, against Bush, during the primaries and caucuses). Of course, we want political and philosophical affinity. Thats probably the main thing. Bernie Sanders has held office since 1981. But what conservative would want a socialist, no matter how much experience the socialist has? Mitch McConnell has plenty of experience, having held office since 1977. But what Democrat would want him? Dont forget Joe Biden who was first elected to office in 1969. Hes been at it for more than half a century! But no Republican would honor him for that, I wouldnt think: Been wrong for 50 years. (Sounds like me.) Like George Bush George Herbert Walker Bush, the 41st president James Buchanan had a lot of experience a lot of experience before he became president in 1857. Gosh, he had done almost everything: as a House member, an ambassador, a senator, secretary of state . . . Most consider him a very poor president. He was succeeded by Lincoln, who had had one term in the U.S. House (plus four in the Illinois house). In George F. Wills view, Lincoln had the greatest career in the history of world politics. (I agree.) Let me tell you about my friend Ted Cruz, who ran for president in 2016. He had been elected to the Senate in 2012. I was worried that people would fault him for presumptuousness: He just got to the Senate, and he thinks he can be president already? Really, dude, get a little seasoning. But, you know? The fact that he had any experience at all seemed to be a problem with voters, many of them. He was tainted by his time in Washington, brief as it had been. He was a Swamp-dweller, you see. And he knew things. Very suspicious. In the recent Democratic primaries and caucuses, Pete Buttigieg, the mayor of South Bend, Ind. former mayor, by the time the Iowa caucuses rolled around! did amazingly well. (Talented guy, whatever we may think of his politics.) A colleague of mine remarked, He got, like, 8,500 votes in South Bend, a town of 100,000. And he wants to be president? Good point. But how many votes had Donald Trump received, for anything, before he ran for president? None, right? These are confusing times. People are waiting to see whom Biden will choose as his running mate because that person may well be president ere long. (Sorry if this is macabre.) Bidens choice carries unusual significance. Ready on Day One is a cliche, but this years Democratic vice-presidential nominee should probably be ready on Day One: ready to be president. On Bidens shortlist, we read, is Val Demings, who was elected to the House in 2016. (From 2007 to 2011, she was chief of police in Orlando.) Impressive woman, surely. But does she have enough experience? Is she prepared to be president? Would she be ready on Day One? Also under consideration, apparently, is Keisha Lance Bottoms, the mayor of Atlanta. She was elected to that job in 2017. Ready to be president? Ordinarily, I would say no, but Trump has changed the equation. Or rather, the Republican Party and the American people have. Trump had been a reality-TV star and a Howard Stern guest. A tabloid figure. And Republican voters nominated him and voters at large elected him. So . . . So do Republicans have any right to say the likes of Demings or Bottoms arent ready? To be president, youve got to be three things, strictly speaking just three, and here they are: No Person except a natural born Citizen, or a Citizen of the United States, at the time of the Adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the Office of President; neither shall any Person be eligible to that Office who shall not have attained to the Age of thirty five Years, and been fourteen Years a Resident within the United States. Recently, I did a little writing about Spiro Agnew, and I was surprised that he had been governor (of Maryland) for only a year and a half when Nixon picked him. The same would be true of Sarah Palin, when John McCain picked her: She had been governor of Alaska for a year and a half. Can I take you to Taiwan for a minute? A couple of months ago, I wrote a piece about that country and the pandemic. Interesting, about Taiwans vice presidents. Until May 20 an inauguration day the VP was an epidemiologist who earned his doctorate at Johns Hopkins. The new VP has a masters in public health from Harvard. Technocratic, some people say this is a putdown word. Still, a little expertise is sometimes useful in government, as in life generally. Experience doesnt hurt either. It is not the be-all, end-all. It is not nothing either. Let me leave you with a memory, another one may make you smile: In the 1996 cycle, a bumper sticker appeared. A colleague of mine had it in her office window. It said, Helms-Thurmond 96: Dont let 200 years of experience go to waste. If you would like to contact Jay Nordlinger, or receive his Impromptus column by e-mail, write to jnordlinger@nationalreview.com. More from National Review Prosecutor Kaylynn Williford, with photos of Andrea Yates' five dead children on display for the jury, delivers closing arguments in the punishment phase of Yates capital murder trial March 15, 2002 in Houston. Reuters A Texas prosecutor resigned after sharing a meme that compared Black Lives Matter protesters with Nazis. The meme noted that "Nazis tore down statues" adding the question, "Sound Familiar?" The meme was widely interpreted as referring to the anti-racism and anti-police brutality protesters who have taken to the streets across the US in recent weeks. The prosecutor, Kaylynn Williford, said in a statement she had not intended to make the comparison, and that she shared it because she thought it "promoted tolerance." Visit Insider's homepage for more stories. A Texas prosecutor resigned on Monday after sparking outrage with a meme that compared Nazis with American activists who have taken to the streets in recent weeks to protest racism and police brutality. Kaylynn Williford, an assistant district attorney in Harris County, shared the post last week, according to the Houston Chronicle. The post, which Williford shared but did not create, included a picture of a crate full of wedding rings. "Wedding bands that were removed from Holocaust victims prior to being executed, 1945. Each ring represents a destroyed family. Never forget, Nazis tore down statues. Banned free speech. Blamed economic hardships on one group of people. Instituted gun control. Sound Familiar?" the caption read. The post was likely referring to protesters who have demonstrated against the recent deaths of Black Americans in police custody, including George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Rayshard Brooks. Some activists have even vandalized or torn down statues of Confederate leaders or other monuments to historical figures. A spokesman for the Harris County District Attorney's Office told The New York Times the post had been "inappropriate" and confirmed that the office "took action and the employee resigned." The post first drew criticism when a local criminal defense attorney shared a screenshot of Williford's post on Facebook, calling it "racist as f---." Story continues Williford said in a statement that she had not intended to compare Black Lives Matter protesters to Nazis, and that she took the post down when she noticed criticism from a friend's daughter. "What I interpreted as a post that promoted tolerance was taken in a completely different manner," she said, adding that it was untrue she compared the anti-racism movement to Naziism. "Nothing could be further from the truth, but I have been judged and condemned on a shared post. That thought never crossed my mind," her statement said. She also described cases she had handled in the past where she represented people of color who were wrongfully accused or convicted of crimes. "I have spent my career defending the rights not only of victims, but those wrongfully accused. If you truly knew me, you would know I never meant anything malicious in sharing a Facebook post. I see now how it could be interpreted as hurtful, but again, that was never my intent," she said. Expanded Coverage Module: black-lives-matter-module Read the original article on Insider DUBLIN, July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- ResearchAndMarkets.com has published a new article "Smokers Urged to Quit While Researchers Look to Tobacco Pharming" Research and Markets Logo Smoking increases the risk factors for many respiratory conditions such as pneumonia. Many health officials are encouraging smokers to quit in order to minimize their risk of being severely affected by the coronavirus. Although the numbers quitting smoking have increased, some smokers are continuing to smoke to cope with stress and anxiety during the pandemic. South Africa banned the sale of tobacco products as part of its pandemic response. However, many smokers continued to get cigarettes from street vendors or family and friends. The sales of single cigarettes and lesser-known brands also increased as many popular brands were unavailable. Some researchers are investigating the use of tobacco plants to develop potential therapies and vaccine candidates for COVID-19. Known as pharming, the process involves injecting other DNA into plants to grow tailored molecules. Researchers at the Institute for Plant Molecular and Cellular Biology in Valencia are using a close relative of the tobacco plant to help to produce molecules to fight COVID-19. This plant has previously been used in the development of treatments for the Ebola virus. Meanwhile, British American Tobacco subsidiary Kentucky Bioprocessing is also working on a potential vaccine candidate using tobacco plants. To see the full article and a list of related reports on the market, visit "Smokers Urged to Quit While Researchers Look to Tobacco Pharming" About ResearchAndMarkets.com ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research. Story continues Media Contact: Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager press@researchandmarkets.com For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1904 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 Cision View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/use-of-tobacco-plants-to-develop-potential-therapies-and-vaccine-candidates-for-covid-19-301086906.html SOURCE Research and Markets Tokyo (AFP) - A Japanese pensioner forcibly sterilised as a 14-year-old under a now-defunct eugenics law failed Tuesday in a legal bid for $280,000 in state compensation. According to local media, Tokyo District Court found the government was not obliged to pay the man compensation because the 20-year statute of limitations had passed. A local official confirmed to AFP that the court had rejected the 77-year-old's claims. The sterilisation operation, which happened without any explanation, took place in 1957. Despite rejecting the payout bid, the court reportedly recognised that the forced sterilisation had violated the constitutional right of an individual to free choice. At least 16,500 people were sterilised without their consent under the law, which targeted those with disabilities, and remained in force until 1996. Last year, the government passed legislation offering the victims 3.2 million yen each ($29,700), an amount campaigners slammed as "failing to meet the seriousness" of the issue. The legislation, and an apology from the prime minister, only came after victims had begun filing lawsuits in recent years over their experiences. The Tokyo ruling came in the second such case, after a court in the northern city of Sendai rejected a compensation claim in May 2019. Read the full article on Motorious These nine cars help show just how diverse this collection really was. Eddie Vannoy amassed an incredible collection of vehicles that were auctioned off this week through Mecum, and it turns out being delayed by almost a month did nothing to slow down bidding. The amazing variety of cars had buyers acting like kids in a candy store with a total of 55 cars, trucks and SUVs being sold off (only four vehicles didn't sell) for a total of almost $7.1 million and that doesn't even include the equally incredible automobilia that was up for grabs. The top nine highest-priced cars alone all exceeded their pre-auction estimates selling for a collective $1.7 million, and they were a shining example of how vastly diverse Vannoy's collection was ranging from classics to modern vehicles, bone stock to custom restomods. Image Credit: Mecum Auctions Not surprisingly, a winged warrior was the top-selling car from this group with the red 1969 Dodge Charger Daytona selling for $231,000, while the red 1970 Plymouth Superbird's sale price of $203,500 was about $50,000 more than initially expected. Hammering for more than the Superbird, the coolest vehicle, without a doubt, auctioned off was a 1941 Kenworth fire truck that sold for $209,000. The Art Deco design is incredible, but the more impressive part of this fire truck is that only five of these were ever built. A gorgeous LS3-powered 1967 Corvette restomod was the only other vehicle to break the $200,000 mark with a sale price of $200,750. At this auction, $187,000 hammer prices took home two totally different cars ranging from a beautiful, Hemi-powered 1971 Plymouth 'Cuda restomod to a brand-new 2019 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 with just 140 actual miles. A show-winning, custom-built 1941 Dodge Power Wagon was the seventh highest-priced vehicle of this auction with a sale price of $176,000, while a 1958 Cadillac Series 62 Convertible ($143,000) and 1970 Buick GSX ($140,800) rounded out the top nine. Story continues A pair of Chevrolet restomod trucks could have just as easily crashed this list as well with custom versions of a 1967 C10 and a 1972 Blazer failing to sell with high bids of $190,000 and $175,000, respectively. Sign up for the Motorious Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Joining The Envelope Drama Roundtable, clockwise from top left: Hugh Jackman, Cynthia Erivo, Nicole Kidman, Kerry Washington, Regina King, Jeremy Strong, Cate Blanchett and Sandra Oh. (Los Angeles Times) Spectrum News 1's broadcast of the 2020 Envelope Emmy Roundtables premieres tonight with a conversation among some of Hollywood's biggest names in television this awards season. The Drama Roundtable features an hour-long discussion with Cate Blanchett ("Mrs. America"), Cynthia Erivo ("The Outsider"), Hugh Jackman ("Bad Education"), Nicole Kidman ("Big Little Lies"), Regina King ("Watchmen"), Sandra Oh ("Killing Eve"), Jeremy Strong ("Succession") and Kerry Washington ("Little Fires Everywhere"). The conversation, recorded in mid-May, veered from the pandemic to diversity in casting to portraying people looking to belong. But it particularly focused on telling the truth of every person's humanity in their performances. "I do believe she's on the spectrum," Erivo said of her detective character in the adaptation of a Stephen King story. "I wanted to make sure that that did not mean she didn't have the humanity that I believe everybody has." Oh noted that she tries to infuse her "Killing Eve" MI5 agent with elements from her own Korean background because "typically, white Hollywood does not write the depth of our culture." And Cate Blanchett delves into the challenge of playing anti-Equal Rights Amendment activist Phyllis Schlafly, who she said, is "so far away from my set of values." The Envelope Emmy Roundtables will launch tonight at 7 p.m. Pacific on Spectrum News 1 with the Drama panel. The gathering of comedy actors including Annie Murphy of "Schitt's Creek," Ted Danson of "The Good Place" and Jane Lynch of "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" will air Thursday at 7 p.m., and the Showrunners Roundtable follows Friday at 7 p.m. with guests including Dan Levy of "Schitt's Creek" and Steven Canals of "Pose." Each of the three specials will reair on Spectrum throughout July. Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. President Donald Trump. Carolyn Kaster/AP President Donald Trump called a Black Lives Matter mural set to be painted on Fifth Avenue outside Trump Tower "a symbol of hate." The president also slammed New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio's decision to reallocate $1 billion of the police department's annual operating budget to the Department of Education and social services. The plan for the New York mural comes after Washington, DC, Mayor Muriel Bowser had "Black Lives Matter" painted in yellow block letters large enough to fill 16th Street, which leads to the White House. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. President Donald Trump escalated his attacks on the Black Lives Matter movement on Wednesday, calling a planned mural of the national movement for racial justice's name "a symbol of hate" in a series of tweets. The president slammed New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio after the city decided to move $1 billion of the police department's $6 billion annual operating budget to the Department of Education and other social-service agencies. And Trump condemned plans to paint "Black Lives Matter" on the street outside Trump Tower, which sits on Manhattan's Fifth Avenue. He called the ritzy avenue, which is lined with designer stores and luxury hotels, "New York's greatest street" and said the move "will further antagonize" law enforcement, "who LOVE New York." New York City is facing a $9 billion budget deficit, a result of the economy's near halt during the pandemic. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. The plan for the Fifth Avenue mural comes after Washington, DC, Mayor Muriel Bowser had "Black Lives Matter" painted in yellow block letters large enough to fill 16th Street, which leads to the White House, and renamed the portion of the road Black Lives Matter Plaza. Trump has taken an aggressive posture toward the anti-racism movement and nationwide protests in the wake of George Floyd's killing in Minneapolis. Last week, he accused Hawk Newsome, the president of Black Lives Matter of Greater New York, of committing treason by threatening to "burn down this system and replace it" to achieve the group's goals. Story continues Related video: 15,000 protesters rallied in support of Black trans lives "Black Lives Matter leader states, 'If U.S. doesn't give us what we want, then we will burn down this system and replace it.' This is Treason, Sedition, Insurrection!" Trump tweeted. Joshua Roberts/Reuters A Black Lives Matter painting on the street near the White House on June 5. Vice President Mike Pence recently said he didn't support the Black Lives Matter movement, adding that its leaders are pushing a "radical left agenda, including calling to defund police departments and reallocate taxpayer money to social services." "What I see in the leaders of the Black Lives Matter movement is a political agenda of the radical left that would defund the police, that would tear down monuments, that would press a radical left agenda, and support calls for the kind of violence that has beset the very communities that they say they're advocating for," Pence said in a Sunday interview with CBS News' "Face the Nation." A large majority of Americans support the Black Lives Matter protests against police brutality and racism, according to recent polls. And a January poll found more than 80% of Black Americans who responded in a Washington Post/Ipsos poll said they considered Trump a racist. Read the original article on Business Insider REUTERS Donald Trump has repeated a claim that the coronavirus is going to just disappear, a day after the United States announced a record number of new cases. I think were gonna be very good with the coronavirus. I think that at some point thats going to, sort of, just disappear I hope, Mr Trump told Fox Business on Wednesday. The presidents comments come as more than 48,000 coronavirus cases were announced across the country on Tuesday, the highest daily number since the pandemic began. On the same day, eight states reported single-day highs: Alaska, Arizona, California, Georgia, Idaho, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Texas. It is not the first time Mr Trump has made the claim that the virus will vanish on its own, contradicting his own expert advisors. Speaking in February, when just over a dozen cases had been confirmed on US soil, Mr Trump said the virus was "going to disappear." "One day it's like a miracle, it will disappear," he said at a reception in the White House. Then, and now, public health officials said the opposite. Dr Anthony Fauci, the country's top infectious diseases expert and a key member of the White House coronavirus task force, told Congress on Tuesday that the US could soon witness 100,000 new cases a day. "I cant make an accurate prediction but its going to be very disturbing," Dr Fauci told senators in a hearing held by the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. We are now having 40-plus-thousand new cases a day. I would not be surprised if we go up to 100,000 a day if this does not turn around, and so I am very concerned." Mr Trump also praised the economy, despite the country entering a recession in February and with around 13 per cent of the country unemployed. Retail sales are at a record number, especially when you talk about increase. When you look at percentage increase nobody has ever seen anything like it, Mr Trump said. President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin meet in Helsinki, Finland, in 2018. (Brendan Smialowski / AFP-Getty Images) When President Trump launched his reelection campaign, he hoped to run, in part, on a record of foreign policy success. He told voters he was making progress toward a big trade deal with China: The biggest deal ever, he promised. He was holding peace talks with North Korea aimed at dismantling Kim Jong Uns nuclear arsenal and ending a 70-year-old conflict. He even held out hope for a new nuclear deal with Iran one he said would be better than the pact his predecessor, Barack Obama, signed in 2015. Our country is respected again, the president boasted in February. We were not a respected nation. That seems a long time ago now. Trumps diplomatic successes, which were rarely as momentous as he claimed, have mostly evaporated. Foreign policy has become a source of trouble for his reelection campaign instead of a strength. The presidents personal summitry with Kim Jong Un has deadlocked; the North Korean leader is testing missiles and manufacturing nuclear warheads again. His trade agreement with China turned out to be little more than a short-term deal to sell U.S. agricultural products, not the big structural change his China hawks yearned for. The presidents harsh economic sanctions have succeeded in punishing Irans economy, but have produced no progress toward a deal to tighten limits on Tehrans military. As for respect, Trumps chaotic response to the coronavirus has made the United States a global example of how not to fight a pandemic. This week the European Union announced that it was reopening to tourists from 15 safe countries including Canada, Japan, South Korea and Rwanda but not the United States. Respect? Americans cant even vacation in Paris anymore. Even worse for a president whose go-to adjective is strong, embittered ex-aides and in-house leakers keep suggesting that when Trump gets into negotiations with autocratic chiefs of state, hes not a tough guy after all. His former national security advisor John Bolton denounced the president for pursuing cozy deals with his favorite autocrats, Chinas Xi Jinping, Russias Vladimir Putin and Turkeys Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Story continues There was no coherent basis, no strategy, Bolton complained after writing his tell-all book. There really isnt any guiding principle that I was able to discern other than whats good for Donald Trumps reelection. This week, reports emerged that one of Putins intelligence agencies offered bounties to Afghanistans Taliban for killing American troops. The reports reached the desk of Trumps current national security advisor, Robert C. OBrien, but the president denied knowing anything. No matter how the controversy turns out, it bolsters the picture of a foreign policy team in disarray. And voters, who rarely pay close attention to foreign policy even without the distraction of a pandemic, appear to have noticed. A Gallup poll in mid-June found that public approval of Trumps job performance on foreign policy has sagged to 41%, significantly lower than the 47% who approved of his handling of the nation's economy. Democrats and their presumptive presidential nominee, Joe Biden, have noticed Trumps vulnerability on these issues, too. Last week, the Democratic National Committee launched a 30-second television commercial in swing states deriding Trumps performance on trade. Trump said hed get tough on China, a narrator intones. He didnt get tough. He got played. The Trump campaign has fired back with a commercial calling Biden Chinas puppet and reviving charges that his son, Hunter Biden, was paid suspiciously large sums by a Chinese firm. Thats the closest this race has come to a debate on international affairs a barroom brawl over who is softer on China. A presidential campaign is a bad place to look for a serious discussion of foreign policy, observed Richard N. Haass, president of the Council on Foreign Relations. China policy wont be the deciding issue in Novembers presidential election far from it. Voters rank other problems higher on their priority lists, beginning with the pandemic, race relations and the economy. But this argument isnt about the nuances of foreign affairs; theres nary a nuance in sight. Its a slanging match about competence, toughness and strength. Historically, Republicans have had an advantage among voters on national security issues; theyre traditionally the party of military strength and diplomatic toughness. Trump appears to have squandered that advantage. We may be seeing a historical anomaly: a campaign in which voters give the Democratic candidate the benefit of the doubt on toughness in foreign policy. Click here to read the full article. As the coronavirus rages in the United States, shattering records for new daily infections, an inflection point may have been reached in how the rest of the world views the United States. Granted, there already had been much in the first three years of Donald Trumps presidency to cause dismay among foreigners, including his disdain for international institutions and longstanding international friendships and his disregard for U.S. obligations under international agreements. And much of his earlier response to the current pandemic caused foreign heads to shake and eyes to roll, such as being so obsessive about shifting blame to China that the G-7 could not issue a statement on the coronavirus because of the administrations insistence on calling it the Wuhan virus. What is distinctive about this moment is that, just as the pandemic is becoming worse than ever for the United States itself, it has become clear that Trump has abandoned efforts to control and defeat it. When leadership at the top is most needed, Trump has checked outmoved on, as some observers put it. Those daily White House shows that were billed as coronavirus briefings even though Trump used most of the airtime for self-congratulations are a thing of the past. In other words, Trump isnt even interested any more in pretending to fight the pandemic. Trump is engaging in political activity that not only disregards efforts of others to fight coronavirus but pointedly undermines those efforts. This pattern is exemplified by the latest detail to emerge from Trumps recent rally in Tulsa. His campaign removed stickers that the arenas management had placed on alternate seats to get attendees to keep their distance from each other. Thus, even though once the rally was under way the arena was only half full, most of the mostly maskless followers were seated elbow-to-elbow on the lower level. Meanwhile, the vice president of the United States is given the job of going before cameras and speaking about a fantasy world in which the United States has coronavirus well under control. Story continues Americans have every reason to be thoroughly dismayed by Trumps posture during this crisis. As Jacob Heilbrunn puts it, that posture is as immoral as it is feckless. But worry too about what all this is doing to Americas standing in the world. The European Council on Foreign Relations has just released results of a poll of 11,000 citizens in nine European countries that speaks to this issue. About two-thirds of the respondents in most of the countries surveyed say their view of the United States has worsened during the pandemic. Only about two percent across the entire survey sample identify the United States as their countrys greatest ally in the coronavirus crisisless than the number who named China. The authors of the European Councils report write that these results are not simply one more indication of how strongly Europeans oppose Trumps way of doing foreign policy. Rather, they say, If Trumps America struggles so much to help itself, how can it be expected to help anyone else? If this domestic chaos continues, many Europeans could come to see the United States as a broken hegemon that cannot be entrusted with the defense of the Western world. The coronavirus pandemic is the first big global crisis within memory in which the United States is not even trying to lead efforts toward finding and implementing a solution. Unlike with, say, climate change or arms control, Trumps impulse to do the opposite of whatever Barack Obama did cannot be the main explanation for the absence of effort and leadership, given that coronavirus arose well after Obamas term endedalthough the same impulse would underlie the Trump White Houses apparent ignoring of the detailed pandemic response plan the Obama administration prepared. An instructive comparison and contrast is with George W. Bushs response to 9/11 and the resulting burst of public concern about terrorism. Bushs posture disregarded how European governments had been ahead of the United States on many aspects of counterterrorism, and he launched under the rubric of war on terror a disastrous offensive war in Iraq that became a major source of division between the United States and some of its European allies. But Bush did seize the moment and imparted a sense of purpose to his presidency and to the nation and beyond under the theme of fighting terrorism. A president other than Donald Trump would have seized the current moment and tried to exercise leadership in a similar way in response to coronavirus. Such a president would be sort of an American Jacinda Ardern, scaled up to reflect the size and global clout of the United States rather than New Zealand. Donald Trump has done nothing like that, mainly because of his solipsistic lack of a sense of public service or public interest. Once he failed to see a way for the pandemic to enhance his ego or his image, he lost any interest in fighting it. Even tens of thousands of American deaths are not sufficient to kindle such an interest. Foreign governments and many foreign citizens realize that Trump is not to be equated with America, and for many reasons besides the pandemic they hopefully await regime change in Washington. But they reflect as well on what kind of political system could have put a Trump in the presidency and could put someone similar in it again. Global leadership cannot depend on the vicissitudes of broken domestic politics. Paul Pillar retired in 2005 from a twenty-eight-year career in the U.S. intelligence community, in which his last position was National Intelligence Officer for the Near East and South Asia. Earlier he served in a variety of analytical and managerial positions, including as chief of analytic units at the CIA covering portions of the Near East, the Persian Gulf, and South Asia. Professor Pillar also served in the National Intelligence Council as one of the original members of its Analytic Group. He is also a Contributing Editor for this publication. Image: Reuters. Click here to read the full article. Click here to read the full article. Key Point: The selection and training are intensely rigorous. Being a warrior-athlete is certainly one factor. The othermore important factor? The ability to stay positive in adverse conditions. Leathernecks That American Marines are tough is accepted as fact. Though the Corps was originally founded in 1775, their place in the American psyche was secured thanks to the brutal island hopping campaigns against the Empire of Japan during World War II. In the Pacific, the Marines defined themselves as Americas elite force-in-readinessan ethos that continues today. Put simply, the Marines consider themselves the best of the best. Thanks to this belief, the Marine Corps has traditionally eschewed the term special forces: if all Marines are elite, then whats the point of calling some Marines more elite than others? Still, some of the Marine Corps best make up Force Reconnaissance, a special-operations capable force with a mission profile comparable to that of the Green Berets or Navy SEALS. Reconnaissance Marines The Reconnaissance selection and training course is intensely rigorous. Thanks to the Marines amphibious nature, much of selection involves swimming and underwater training in addition to timed marches and other physical fitness tests. The dropout rate is highover 50 percent of candidates who attempt Recon selection drop out. Of those that dont pass selection, half are failed due for medical reasons. The other half, nearly a quarter of all candidates, voluntarily choose to quit, or Drop on Request. A high dropout rate is a testament to how challenging both the physical and mental aspects of Recon selection are. But it is also frustrating for the Marine Corpsand expensive. The Marine Corps has a desire to maximize the number of Marines who pass selection, without compromising their fitness standards or making the course any easier. If they could predict who would be likely to fail or pass before Recon selection, training would be more efficient. One researcher decided to try and answer the question, what separates those who pass from those who fail? Story continues Testing 1, 2, 3 Leslie Saxon, a professor of clinical medicine at the Keck School of Medicine conducted a study to determine why so many Marine candidates were dropping out. Her study sought to continuously quantify the mental and physical status of trainees of an elite United States military unit [Recon Marines] to identify novel predictors of success or failure in successive training classes performed on land and in water. The results of the study are fascinating. In order to monitor candidates physical performance, they were given an Apple iPhone and Watch that monitored their heartbeat, how far they moved, the amount of sleep candidates received, nutrition, and various other quantifiable factors that could have an effect on passing Recon selection. Most candidates who withdrew themselves did so on or before day seven of selection. Interestingly, the study concluded that, Neither performance on physical training standards, such as hikes or aquatic training, or continuous measures of heart rate, work output, hydration, nutrition and sleep duration continuously predicted course completion. Using the data collected by the study, potential candidates chances of passing could be predicted with 70 percent accuracy. What sent them apart from the rest of their selection mates who did not pass? Extroversion and positive affect personality traits. What this means for Marine Reconnaissance selection remains to be seenbut if youre thinking about attempting Recon selection, try and think positive. Caleb Larson holds a Master of Public Policy degree from the Willy Brandt School of Public Policy. He lives in Berlin and writes on U.S. and Russian foreign and defense policy, German politics, and culture. This article first appeared earlier this year and is reprinted due to reader interest. Image: Reuters Click here to read the full article. Click here to read the full article. Key Point: The Oregon had to sail all the way around South America to join the action against Spanish forces in the Caribbeanand catch Spain by surprise. Following the Civil War, the United States saw enormous industrial progress. A sense of nationalism also developed, and public opinion was continually enlisted behind an aggressive foreign policy. Media Fans The Flames Of Nationalism During Cuban Revolution During the 1880s the American news media exploited the Cuban revolution to the hilt. Spain was depicted as a decadent nation, and the policies of the Spanish monarchy were pictured as cruel, oppressive, and too close to American shores. All the elements of good copy were at hand and the rag sheets of Hearst and Pulitzer made the most of it. The sinking of the USS Maine in Havana Harbor on February 15, 1898 was the catalyst that brought it all together. Sylvester Scovel of the New York World wrote: Whether Spanish treachery devised, or Spanish willingness permitted this colossal crime, Spain is responsible for it. No number of millions of mere money could compensate for the cowardly slaughter of these brave men and the treacherous destruction of a noble ship. The only atonement at all adequate for such a deed would be the liberation of Cuba. Spain Downplays American Naval Influence On February 26, Spanish Admiral Pascual Cervera was aboard his flagship at Cartagena, Spain. He wrote a letter to the Spanish marine minister, Segismundo Bermejo, reporting the seriousness of the Cuban situation, and the dim prospects of defending an island three thousand miles from Spain. Bermejo was angered by Cerveras assessment of the situation. The minister assured the admiral that American naval strength in the Caribbean had been vastly overestimated, and that the USS Oregon, one of only four first-class battleships in the American fleet, was anchored at San Francisco. Bermejo argued that the Spanish Pacific Squadron constituted a threat to American West Coast ports and shipping. He was certain that the Oregon would remain in California. But, he told Cervera, even if the U.S. Navy Department decided to send the Oregon to the Caribbean, it would mean steaming the battleship 16,000 miles around the southern tip of South America. The voyage would be long and difficult, and before the Oregon completed the trip, Spain would have concentrated her naval forces at Cuba to defend the island. Story continues The Oregon was the last of four Indiana-class battleships authorized by Congress, and the only one built on the West Coast. Her contract was awarded to the Union Iron Works of San Francisco in November 1890, and she was commissioned on July 25, 1896. Oregon State-Of-the-Art Warship The Oregon was the newest man-o-war afloat and incorporated all the latest naval innovations. The battleship was 351 feet in length and 69 feet abeam. Her main battery consisted of four 13-inch guns in double turrets and eight 8-inch guns. The turrets were hydraulically operated, while those on her sister ships were powered by steam. In addition to her heavy armament, the Oregon carried 20 six-pounders, evenly distributed from bow to stern. She also mounted eight one-pounders and six Whitehead torpedo tubes. She displaced 10,000 tons and had a cruising radius of eight thousand miles. An armored belt, 18 inches thick, ran two-thirds the length of her hull at the waterline. When the Maine incident occurred, Oregon was based at San Francisco and under the command of Captain Alexander H. McCormick. As the national clamor for war increased, McCormick received orders to take his ship to Callao, Peru and await further instructions. Oregon Changes Captains At The Last Minute Secretary of the Navy John D. Long theorized that in case of open hostilities, the Oregon would be in an ideal position to be sent to either the Philippines or the Caribbean. The battleship was hurriedly coaled and provisioned. The sailing date was scheduled for March 18, but then McCormick fell suddenly ill. The voyage could not be postponed, however; a replacement had to be foundand fast. Captain Charles E. Clark, commanding officer of the monitor Monterey, was stationed at San Diego, when he received a cable from the Navy Department ordering him to assume command of the Oregon. Clark arrived at San Francisco on March 17, and at 8 oclock on the morning of the 19th, the battleship hoisted anchor and passed through the Golden Gate. Spanish Have Sights On Oregon Oregon carried a crew of 30 officers and 438 men. The battleship rode low in the waterpacked with 1,600 tons of coal, 500 tons of ammunition, and enough supplies to last several months. While Oregon steamed south, Navy Secretary Long made his momentous decision. He would send the battleship to join Admiral Sampsons Atlantic Fleet. Segismundo Bermejo had made a serious error in judgment. On March 26, when Oregon was almost halfway to Peru, Long received a report that the Spanish torpedo boat Temerario had left Montevideo, Uruguaydestination unknown. Long worried that the Spanish vessel might be heading for the Straits of Magellan to intercept the Oregon. He was doubly concerned for the gunboat Marietta. She had left the West Coast several days before the battleship and was also bound for the Caribbean. Tropics And Hot Water Make For Tough Conditions Onboard Theodore Roosevelt, Assistant Secretary of the Navy, suggested that it might be safer to route Oregoncompletely south of Cape Horn. He felt the battleship would be at a tactical disadvantage in the narrow waters of the straits. The decision, however, would be left up to Captain Clark. The Oregon continued to plow south at 12 knots. Three of the battleships four boilers had a full head of steam. Clark wrote: Our run from San Francisco to Callao was uneventful. But as we approached the tropics, life below decks became almost intolerable from the weather, plus the heat that was generated by the ships boilers. When Chief Engineer Milligan informed me that he thought we should never use salt water in the boilers, I felt it was asking too much of the endurance of the crew. It not only meant reducing their drinking supply, but that the quantity served would often be so warm as to be quite unpalatable. However, when I explained to the men that salt water in the boilers created scale, and scale would reduce our speed and might impair our efficiency in battle, the deprivation was borne without a murmur. Not Able To Rest Easy, Even In Port On the afternoon of March 27, someone saw smoke coming from one of Oregons coal bunkers. After four hours of digging through the compartment, the burning coal was reached and extinguished. The cause of the firespontaneous combustion. At 5 in the morning of April 4, Oregon dropped anchor in the harbor at Callao, Peru. The battleship had made a continuous run covering 4,112 nautical miles in 16 days and burned 900 tons of coal. While at Callao, Clark received a dispatch from the Navy Department warning about the Temerario. Clark reportedly said, I am ready to sink the Spanish shipwar or no war! But the captain of the Oregon also had other concerns. Because Peru was a Spanish-speaking country, he was aware there might be sympathetic Spaniards in the area. Clark ordered two steam cutters to patrol the harbor 24 hours a day. A double watch was posted at all times, and sharpshooters were stationed in the fighting tops. The Next Leg Of The Voyage Begins Oregons crew worked day and night loading coal, water, and provisions. Payday was April 6, but there was no shore leave. Every man was needed to get the ship ready for the next leg of her journey. At 4 am on April 7, Oregon weighed anchor and set a course for the Straits of Magellan. Over 1,700 tons of coal had been loaded in her bunkers, and a hundred more tons packed in sacks on the deck. A thick layer of coal dust covered the sides of the battleship, but there was no time to wash it off. The Oregon would remain a dingy-looking vessel for a long time. Captain Clark fired up the fourth boiler on April 9, and speed was increased to 14 knots. He ordered target practice. Empty boxes and barrels were tossed over the side, and all guns were tested for operating efficiency. Storms Pummel Oregon As the Oregon continued south, the weather began to change for the worse. The heavily laden warship continually dipped her bow into mountainous waves and struggled against gale- force winds. Oregon pitched and rolled in the raging ocean. At times her deck disappeared completely under solid sheets of water that swept over the vessel. Whenever the battleships bow plunged beneath the churning sea, her propellers lifted clear of the water and whirled around at tremendous speed, shaking the ship like a quivering leaf. The strain on both hull and machinery was enormous, but Captain Clark shouldered the responsibility and raced on ahead. On April 16, Oregon reached the western entrance to the Straits of Magellan. Clark wrote: Minutes after entering the straits, a violent storm struck us. The wind-driven rain obscured the precipitous rockbound shores, and with night coming on, it seemed inadvisable to proceed. The ship running before the gale as she was made it almost impossible to obtain correct soundings, and making a safe anchorage was therefore largely a matter of chance. I decided to anchor as the lesser risk. Oregon dropped two anchors, which plummeted 50 fathoms before finally grabbing the ocean floor. Mountain After Mountain Of Glacier At daybreak the next morning, the battleship was once again under way. This time she fought a blinding snowstorm through the narrowest passage of the straitsmany places less than a mile in width. With sheer cliffs on either side, and unknown water depth below, it was not a place for faint hearts. By midday, however, the weather cleared and the crew of the Oregon was treated to a breathtaking landscape. One sailor wrote: I have never seen such beautiful wild nature in all my travels. There is mountain after mountain of glacier, and they seem to have all the colors of the rainbow. It was cold, and the ice sparkled like diamonds. We soon passed the wrecks of two steamers that had left their bones to mark the perils of the passage. At 6 pm, the Oregon anchored at Sandy Point, Chile. Captain Clark knew that the Spanish torpedo boat had plenty of time to reach the straits and might be waiting for the Oregon when she entered the Atlantic. The Endless Task Of Hoisting Coal Aboard Clark ordered the battleship cleared for action and all guns manned and loaded. The two cutters were also put back on patrol. In addition, around midnight, the Marietta arrived; her orders were to escort the Oregon up the east coast of South America. The following morning, Captain Clark went ashore to make arrangements for fuel and supplies. The merchant from whom he purchased the coal was very suspicious of the Americans. Clark reported: The coal had to be removed from an old hulk in which wool had been stored on top. It was by no means an easy job. The merchant added to delays in handling by insisting that the hoisting buckets be frequently weighed. Finally, Murphy, one of the boatswains mates, relieved the growing exasperation by calling out, as a loaded bucket reached the deck, Here! Lower again for another weightheres a fly on the edge of that bucket! The Oregon needed 800 tons of coal to fill her bunkers and the job seemed to take forever. The crew worked day and night hauling the small containers of fuel up the sides of the battleship. Provisions, such as meat and canned goods, were tossed in the same buckets and hoisted topside. Everything was covered with coal dust. Out Into The Turbulent Waters Of The South Atlantic Captain Symonds of the Marietta also had trouble with the merchant. He had been allowed to take on only 40 tons of coal. Clark went on the warpath. He told Symonds to move his vessel alongside the coal ship and load up the gunboat. Finally, at 6 in the morning on April 21, the Oregon and Marietta steamed out of Sandy Point and headed for the turbulent waters of the South Atlantic. Marietta led the way, but she was the slower vessel and the battleship was forced to reduce speed. After leaving the straits, Captain Clark sounded general quarters, just to shake the boys up, and the Marietta threw barrels over the side for target practice. The Oregon had been stripped for battle during her stay at Sandy Point. But after five days at sea in the rough South Atlantic, the tension of the voyage was beginning to take its toll on the frazzled nerves of the tired crew. One grumbling sailor stated: Boxes, benches, and all extra mess chests have been stowed away. We have no place to sit down, except on deck, and then have to let our feet hang over the side. The men cant seem to get enough water, and the cooks sourbread would make good shrapnel for clearing the decks. Crew Learns America Is At War When the Oregon neared Rio de Janeiro, the battleship dashed ahead of the Marietta and raced for the port at top speed. Clark anchored in Rio Harbor at 3 in the afternoon of April 30. A dispatch boat immediately pulled alongside the Oregon with Navy Department telegrams. Clark was notified that the United States had been officially at war with Spain since April 25. Captain Clark solemnly read the war message to his crew. But the pressures of 42 days at sea were too much for the men to take the news lightly. Lieutenant E.W. Eberle recalled: All hands were anxious for information, and the shouts that greeted the news that war had been declared were thrilling and memorable. In a few moments our ships band was on deck, and between continual rounds of cheers, the strains of The Star Spangled Banner and Hail Columbia drifted over the bay. Remember the Maine! The crew uncovered and stood at attention during the playing of the national anthem. More cheering followed, along with the inspiring battle cry Remember the Maine! The men then turned to the coal barges and worked as they had never worked before. Marietta arrived at about 7 oclock and another celebration rocked the harbor. Clark was also informed that the Temerario was probably heading for Rio. He wrote: This was disturbing information. If the torpedo boat should arrive, and it had an enterprising commander, I felt he would not hesitate to violate the rights of a neutral portif by doing so, he could put the Oregon out of action. On May 2, the American consul came aboard the Oregon with news that four Spanish cruisers and three torpedo boats had sailed from the Cape Verde Islandsdestination unknown. He learned also that Secretary Long was reluctant to risk a valuable ship like the Oregon in case the Spaniards were intending to intercept the battleship near Rio. Long had purchased an auxiliary cruiser, the Nictheroy, from the Brazilian government, and both the Marietta and Nictheroy were assigned to accompany the Oregon on the final leg of her journey. Unsure About The Direction And Intentions Of The Enemy Captain Clark did not agree with the Navy Department. He believed the Spanish fleet was headed for the Caribbean, and if that was the case, his battleships presence in the West Indies was essential. He said: If the Spaniards were heading for Rio, they would arrive in the vicinity before we could get away. But it did not seem likely to me that the enemy would make this attempt to cut us off, especially if there was the possibility of missing us altogether. In event that the Spanish were close to Rio and attempted to engage the Oregon, Clark intended to make it a running fight. He was confident that, by steaming at full speed, he would be able to string out his attackers and fight them separately. On May 4, Oregon and her two escorts steamed out of Rio de Janeiro. It soon became evident that the accompanying vessels were too slow for the battleship, and Clark worried that they would be more of a hindrance than help in a battle. He ordered the Marietta and Nictheroy to Cape Frio, and the Oregon headed north alone. Tense Crew On Lookout For Suspicious Vessels Captain Clark called his crew aft and explained the situation. He read them the dispatches concerning the strength of the Spanish squadron and its unknown whereabouts. Clark added: Should we meet, we will at least lower Spains fighting efficiency upon the seas. Her fleet will not be worth much after the encounter. The men gave their captain a round of cheers. They were ready for the Spaniards and confident of victory. Clark posted lookouts around the clock. They were authorized to sound the alarm if any ship was sightedwithout waiting for orders. At 5 in the morning of May 7, the general- quarters alarm sent the anxious crew to their battle stations. A lookout had spotted a strange vessel in a rain squall. This turned out to be, however, a vintage sailing ship. But as long as the men were already at their gun posts, target practice was held to relieve the anxiety and frustration of the early-morning wake-up call. Ship Gets Supplies And A Fresh Coat Of Paint The following day, Oregon steamed into Bahia, Brazil. Captain Clark requested permission to anchor in the harbor. He used the excuse of engine trouble, and notified the port authority that the battleship might be at Bahia for several days. In reality, the purpose of the stopover was to apply a fresh coat of warpaint and replenish the ships coal and water supply. Clarks comment of several days was intended to deceive any Spanish agents lurking in the vicinity. While his crew was busy wire-brushing and painting the Oregon, Clark sent a cable to the Navy Department: Much delayed by Marietta and Nictheroy. Left them near Cape Frio with orders to come here [Bahia], or beach if necessary to avoid capture. The Oregon can steam fourteen knots for hours, and in a running fight could beat off and even cripple Spanish fleet. With present amount of coal on board we will be in good fighting trim and can reach the West Indies. Whereabouts of Spanish fleet requested. Secretary Long replied: Proceed at once to West Indies. No authentic news of Spanish squadronavoid if possible. Hunted Oregon Sneaks Out Of Port It was very probable that the Spaniards were close by. Intelligence reports revealed that the enemy ships had been at Curacao four days previouslyonly 500 miles from Bahia. At 11 on the night of May 9, the Oregon sneaked out of the Brazilian port and headed at full speed for Barbados, arriving at Bridgetown at 2 in the morning, May 18. Clark was told that, due to neutrality regulations, he had to leave within 24 hours. The American consul sent a cablegram to the United States announcing the Oregons arrival, while the Spanish consul sent the same news to the governor of Puerto Rico. Numerous unconfirmed rumors had been circulating in Bridgetown, including a story that the Spaniards were waiting outside the harbor for the Oregon to emerge. Moreover, by this time, the enemy fleet had swelled to 18 vessels. Oregon Sets Its Sights On Florida Oregon rapidly loaded 250 tons of coal and left port at dark the next night. Owing to the danger of running into a trap, Clark decided to make a detour instead of taking the direct route through the West Indies. He wrote: With lights showing, we ran for a few miles toward the passage between Martinique and Santa Lucia. Lights were then extinguished, and we headed back toward Barbados. Our course swung clear of the Virgin Islands, then off the Bahamas, and finally for the Florida coast. During the two days the Oregon was anchored at Bridgetown, Clark was told that units of the U.S. Atlantic Fleet were concentrated near the Dry Tortugas and at Hampton Roads. After conferring with his officers, the captain decided to set his course for Jupiter Inlet, Florida, where he could telegraph the Navy Department for further instructions. The Jupiter lighthouse was sighted on the early evening of May 24. A whaleboat was sent ashore, and the news that the nation had breathlessly been waiting to hear was flashed to Washington: Oregonarrived at Jupiter Inlet. Have enough coal to reach Dry Tortugas in 33 hoursHampton Roads in 52 hours. The Grueling Odyssey Of Oregon Comes To An End Secretary Long cabled an immediate reply: If ship is in good condition go to Key Westotherwise Hampton Roads. The Navy Department congratulates you on your safe arrival, which has been reported to the President. There was no hesitation on the part of Captain Clark. The Oregon and its crew had jelled into a powerful and efficient fighting machine. The men were hell-bent to get at the Spanish, and the sooner the better. The battleship dashed for Key West at top speed. About 4 am on May 26, Oregon was only a few miles from landfall. Suddenly a small dark object was spotted on a collision course. General quarters sounded, and as the weary crew scrambled to their battle stations, many wondered whether this tripwhich seemed to last foreverwould ever end. The dark object turned out to be the revenue cutter Hudson. She had been detailed to escort the battleship into port. After 68 grueling days, the odyssey of the Oregon had finally ended. Long Journey Makes Strong Case For Canal The fact that the battleship could make such a hazardous journey, and arrive at her destination safe and sound, testified to both the excellence of the vessel and the efficiency of her crew. But Oregons famous voyage had significance far beyond the part she played in the Spanish-American War. The trip itself advertised to the public as well as to the military, as nothing else could have, the strategic necessity for building a canal across the Central American isthmus. A canal would have allowed the Oregon to steam 4,000 miles rather than 12,000. Accordingly, the United States entered into a treaty in 1901 to build a canal, one wide enough to accommodate battleships. The cruise of the Oregon was described as unprecedented in battleship history, and one which will long preserve its unique distinction. Every American was stirred by the excitement of the adventure, and a few expressed their emotions in verse. John James Meehan, in his poem The Race of the Oregon, wrote: When your boys shall ask what the guns are for, Then tell them the tale of the Spanish War, And the breathless millions that looked upon The matchless race of the Oregon. This first appeared in Warfare History Network here. It is being republished due to reader's interest. Image: U.S. Navy battleship, USS Oregon (BB 3) while at Brooklyn Navy Yard, New York City, New York. Published by Detroit Publishing Company, 1904. Courtesy of the Library of Congress. Click here to read the full article. Runit Dome in Marshall Islands is a repository for atomic waste that the U.S. produced during Cold War weapons testing. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) In response to a directive from Congress, the Department of Energy released a report this week assessing the risks of a 50-year-old cracking and crumbling concrete nuclear waste repository in the Marshall Islands, but the findings did little to ease the concerns of Marshallese leaders in the Central Pacific. The DOE report found that Runit Dome, a repository for atomic waste the United States produced during Cold War weapons testing, is sound and that radioactive leakage into the nearby lagoon is not significant. After Congress grew concerned last year about the leaking dome, it ordered the DOE to produce a report on the dome's structural integrity amid climate change and rising sea levels. The report noted that while sea level rise could increase storm surge, swells, and "lead to wave-induced over-wash of lower sections of the dome," there is not enough definitive data to determine "how these events might impact on the environment." One Marshallese leader was disappointed the DOE again downplayed the risks and declined to take responsibility for Runit Dome and its leaking contents. "We don't expect the Enewetak community to feel any safer based on this report as it doesn't contain any new information from what they've seen...and don't trust," said Rhea Christian-Moss, the chairperson of the Marshall Islands' National Nuclear Commission, a government-operated nuclear waste and radiation oversight panel. "The report offers nothing new and is more or less what we expected to see," she said, lamenting the Senate's redaction of a critical line in the House's mandate, which stipulated that the Department of Energy provide a plan detailing the removal of the radioactive waste into a "safer and more stable location." The Department of Energy report is signed by Dan Brouillette, the agency's secretary. Terry Hamilton, the department's lead contractor on the project, said the report shows that "under the hard facts of radiation science, existing data and information show that the risks posed by Runit Dome are unlikely to impact on the health status of the people" living near the dome. Story continues In November last year, The Times published an investigation of the lingering radiation legacy in the Marshall Islands, and the refusal of U.S. authorities to take ownership for the hazards posed by Runit Dome. In December, Congress signed the National Defense Authorization Act for 2020, which required the DOE to provide a plan to repair the dome, evaluate the environmental effects of the dome on the lagoon over the next 20 years, and assess its structure and the potential risk to the people who live near it. The department was also required to assess how rising sea levels could affect the dome. Christian-Moss noted data gaps in the report, as well, including the level of radiation in groundwater leaking from the dome into the lagoon. In 2019, at a presentation delivered in the Marshall Islands to Marshallese and U.S. officials, the DOE's contractor, Hamilton, mentioned elevated levels of radioactivity in giant clams living near the dome. The new report does not mention the clams but states that not enough information is available to understand how leakage from the dome is affecting marine life. However, according to the energy department, studies of people living nearby show normal levels of radiation suggesting they are not being adversely affected. "The absence of data to show any risk does not mean that there is no risk." she said. "So my main takeaway from the report is that many risks are still 'unknown.'" Between 1946 and 1958, the United States detonated 67 nuclear weapons on, in and above the Marshall Islands. Forty-four of those bombs were detonated in Enewetak Atoll, where Runit Dome is located. Nowhere else has the United States saddled another country with so much of its nuclear waste, a product of its Cold War atomic testing program. The waste site, known alternatively as the Tomb, holds more than 3.1 million cubic feet or 35 Olympic-size swimming pools of U.S.-produced radioactive soil and debris, including lethal amounts of plutonium. The radioactive material was collected, moved and contained by U.S. soldiers during the late 1970s. Many of those veterans say they were unaware of the contents and did not wear protective equipment. The new report does not include a plan to repair the dome, which was required by Congress. Instead, the report's authors state that "no further maintenance of the dome is required at this time" beyond conducting occasional maintenance to the dome's cracking exterior, including the removal of vegetation. The report claims the visible cracking and spalling do not provide a hazard. "All in all the message seems to be that we should be concerned but not alarmed," said Michael Gerrard, a legal scholar at Columbia Universitys law school. "It is as if Runit is like a radioactive sore in the middle of the Pacific, but one that can get by with band-aids for the foreseeable future unless they find more bleeding." The DOE authors also maintain that the lagoon's sediments are so contaminated with radioactive elements that any additional spillage from the dome would be undetectable. "It remains to be seen whether the Marshallese will accept this report by the Americans, given how poorly the U.S. has treated the Marshallese in so many ways since 1945," said Gerrard. The report also notes that in May 2019, Marshallese officials requested that the Department of Energy build a fence around the island where the dome is located, to keep people off. In July 2019, DOE officials responded claiming they didn't have the funding to build a fence and installation of a perimeter would be logistically too complex. In 1981, the U.S. government declared in a report that the island should be quarantined indefinitely and that the "possibility would always exist that high levels of plutonium-contaminated subsurface soil could be exposed by wave or storm action." Cabinet Ministers Oliver Dowden and Ben Wallace gave evidence to Defence Select Committee on Huawei The UK Government may not be able to "rely" on Huawei for 5G due to US sanctions, a minister has admitted. Oliver Dowden, the Culture Secretary, conceded that there was a further specific issue with Huawei when it came to America. Given that the US government has imposed sanctions on Huawei, given that those are focused on 5G, we do need to fully understand those and how much that impacts on how much we can rely on Huawei equipment in the system, given that it is subject to restraints from sanctions, he told Tuesday's Defence Sub Committee. When asked by Tobias Ellwood, the committee's chairman, if the Americans are having an impact on your decision making? Mr Dowden said it was a fact that Americans have imposed these sanctions. It is a fact that those sanctions are targeted at 5G and it is a fact that given it has targeted US patents upon which Huawei relies that will in turn have an impact on the reliability of Huawei, he added. Mr Ellwood said that based on the cabinet ministers comments he expects there will be a significant change of policy regarding Huawei in the near future. It comes after a review by the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) was launched to assess Huawei's involvement in Britain's 5G network in the wake of the sanctions. Mr Dowden said: What we have asked the NCSC to do in terms of its analysis is to understand the impact of the viability of Huawei products given the sanctions. Clearly that necessitates any change in policy, that would be agreed with the Prime Minister and then then NCSC council. He later added: Given there is the fact of these sanctions on Huawei, that is a very relevant fact in terms of reliability of their equipment, which is why weve asked the NCSC to provide that analysis to see what the policy consequences are of that. Story continues Ben Wallace, Defence Secretary, told the committee that he was not happy that there were high risk vendors within the UKs critical infrastructure and that the Governments ambition was to remove such vendors from the network. We had all hoped that China would emerge through trade, through capitalism, into a modern democracy, he said. Mr Wallace added that the timeline would be set by two things, which include the United States latest round of sanctions and in the here and now we can take that step of ban from the core, cap it on the outer core and work towards cutting it out of its system at a date that fits the technical advice. Bob Seely, co-ordinator of the 60 strong Tory MPs Huawei Interest Group, said: Its clear the Government seems to be significantly reconsidering Huaweis involvement in the future 5G network, because its being pressed from two angles; first the US government and secondly, its likely parliament here wont accept Huaweis includement in the telecoms security bill, which is awaiting its second reading. The Aftermarket Excellence Program (AEP) Awards celebrate dealers who have achieved high performance in aftermarkets parts and service for the past fiscal year. MARENGO, Ill., July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- UniCarriers Americas Corporation (UCA) today announced the winners of its Aftermarket Excellence Program (AEP) Awards, for the past fiscal year, ending March 31, 2020. The AEP is designed to recognize UniCarriers dealers who have achieved excellent performance in aftermarket parts and service. This year 24 dealers attained platinum level, the AEP's highest honor. UniCarriers Forklift (PRNewsfoto/UniCarriers Americas Corporation) The AEP challenges UCA dealers to excel in performance standards across eight categories, including business planning, employee training, factory support and customer satisfaction. Each category has a maximum point value that dealers can earn in order to reach four possible award levels: Bronze, Silver, Gold, or Platinum. The end-result provides dealers with higher service margins, improved parts sales, more efficient work order processing, stronger customer retention, and in-turn, greater and sustained profitability. The program was first established in 1995 as the Service Excellence Program to provide dealers with tools to implement best-in-class principles covering technical and customer service practices. In 2014, UCA enhanced the program as the AEP to include parts operation metrics, allowing for a more comprehensive aftermarket program. "We want to set our dealers up for success, and the AEP was created with that goal in mind," said Michael Toering, Aftermarket Sales Manager for UniCarriers Americas Corporation. "All of the award winners have demonstrated they are prepared to go above and beyond to achieve exceptional performance across multiple principles, which provides an opportunity for sustainable and profitable growth." The following dealers are recipients of the 2019 Aftermarket Excellence Program awards: Platinum Level : A.M. Davis, Inc., Midlothian, VA USA Buffalo Materials Handling, Depew, NY USA CFE Equipment Corporation, Norfolk, VA USA Darr Equipment, LP, Houston, TX USA Forklift Systems, Inc., Birmingham, AL USA Forklift Systems, Inc., Nashville, TN USA Forklifts of Minnesota, Bloomington, MN USA Global Equipment S.A. de C.V., Tlacateco, Tepotzotlan, Estado de Mexico, Mexico H & K Equipment, Inc., Coraopolis, PA USA Hodge Material Handling, Dubuque, IA USA Lift Solutions, Inc., Aurora, CO USA Lift Solutions, Inc., Grand Island, NE USA Lift Solutions, Inc., Omaha, NE USA Lift Solutions, Inc., Sioux City, IA USA Lift Solutions, Inc., Sioux Falls, SD USA Lift Solutions, Inc., Wichita, KS USA Montacargas Galeria, Nuevo Leon, Mexico Mobinsa SA DE CV., Chihuahua, Chihuahua C.P., Mexico Piedmont Forklift Handling, Statesville, NC USA Power Machinery Center, Inc., Bakersfield, CA USA Power Machinery Center, Inc., Oxnard, CA USA Sunbelt Material Handling, Dallas, TX USA Union Machinery, Union, MO USA Vegusa Maquinaria, Leon, Guanajuato, Mexico Gold Level : Story continues A.D. Lift Truck, St. Louis, MO USA All-Lift, Ltd, Brampton, ON, Canada Capital Equipment & Handling, Inc., Hartland, WI USA Equipements E.M.U. Ltee, Chicoutimi, QC, Canada Maquinarias, Lima, Peru Material Handling Supply, Pennsauken NJ USA Quality Forklift Sales & Service, Shakopee, MN USA Quantum Lift, Inc, Warren, MI USA Select Equipment Sales, Inc., Buena Park, CA USA Tampa Forklift, Inc. (Florida FL), Tampa, FL USA Trinidad Import & Export Co., LTD, Trinidad, West Indies Silver Level : Ajiza Agroindustrial, SRL, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic CFE Equipment Corporation, Richmond, VA USA CFE Equipment Corporation, Bluff City, TN USA CFE Equipment Corporation, Greensboro NC USA CFE Equipment Corporation, Elm City, NC USA Distribuidora Nissan, S.A., Bogota DC, Colombia DM Industrial (Dimasur), Veracruz, Mexico National Lift Fleet Leasing & Sales, Oxnard CA USA Bronze Level : CFE Equipment Corporation. Jessup, MD USA CFE Equipment Corporation. Charlotte, NC USA "All of these dealers contribute to our continued success, and we congratulate them on their outstanding achievements," Toering added. To learn more about UniCarriers Americas, visit unicarriersamericas.com. ABOUT UNICARRIERS AMERICAS CORPORATION1 UniCarriers Americas Corporation (UCA) designs, manufactures and supports a complete line of material handling equipment that offers second-to-none reliability, higher productivity and lower total operational costs. UCA has seven factory-owned locations across Wisconsin and New England Capital Equipment and Handling and New England Industrial Truck. UCA sells and supports UniCarriers-branded forklifts and supports legacy products under the Nissan Forklift, TCM, Atlet and Barrett brands. Part of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and headquartered in Marengo, Illinois, UCA has a network of more than 130 authorized dealerships with nearly 250 locations across North, Central and South America. For more information, visit UniCarriersAmericas.com. 1 2020 Mitsubishi Logisnext Americas Inc. UniCarriers is a registered trademark of Mitsubishi Logisnext Americas Inc. Cision View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/unicarriers-forklift-announces-winners-of-2019-aftermarket-excellence-awards-301087149.html SOURCE UniCarriers Americas Corporation Investigators searching for missing Fort Hood, Texas, soldier Vanessa Guillen have unearthed unidentified human remains near the Leon River, authorities say. The remains, which will undergo an identification process, were found near where a previous search was conducted on June 22, officials with the Army Criminal Investigation Division said. "After receiving additional information, agents have discovered what has been described as partial human remains after analysis from a forensic anthropologist," said CID Chief of Public Affairs Chris Grey. "Due to the ongoing criminal investigation, no further information will be released at this time," Grey said. MORE: Skeletal remains found near Fort Hood military base identified The discovery came on the same day that Guillen's family announced they were seeking a congressional investigation into the 20-year-old's disappearance. Guillen was last seen in the parking lot of her Regimental Engineer Squadron headquarters at the Fort Hood military base on April 22, and has not been heard from since. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. "Due to the lack of answers, safety, respect, and responsibility in Fort Hood, we are demanding a Congressional Investigation to be done," Guillen family attorney Natalie Khawam wrote in a Facebook post Tuesday. "It is truly disappointing how Fort Hood Army Base, a military base, has not given answers to Vanessa's family." Khawam and Guillen's family said that Guillen complained to family members about being the victim of sexual harassment on the base, but never filed a formal complaint for fear of retaliation. PHOTO: Army Pfc. Vanessa Guillen, 20, has been missing from her unit since April 22, 2020, according to the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command. (Fort Hood CID ) "At this point, investigators have no credible information or report that Vanessa Guillen was sexually assaulted," military officials said in a previous statement. Khawam said she's planning to propose legislation to protect U.S military soldiers from sexual harassment and sexual assault, with an announcement expected at a press conference at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on Thursday at noon. Story continues PHOTO: Fort Hood Army Base in Fort Hood, Texas, near Killeen, Texas. (Jack Plunkett/AP, FILE) "Our soldiers deserve to be safe and respected while being on duty," wrote Khawam on Facebook. "Those soldier are putting their life for the United States yet the same army family fails to respect them mentally, physically or sexually ... Our soldiers need feel and be safe while being on duty." MORE: Foul play suspected in death of Fort Hood soldier after remains found in Texas field: Army Guillen's disappearance comes eight months after the disappearance of Fort Hood Pvt. Gregory Wedel-Morales, whose body was discovered near the base and positively identified on June 19. Although autopsy results are pending for Wedel-Morales, officials said they suspect his death resulted from foul play. PHOTO: Army Pfc. Vanessa Guillen, 20, has been missing from her unit since April 22, 2020, according to the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command. (U.S. Army) Military officials told Houston ABC station KTRK on June 23 that they also suspect foul play in Guillen's disappearance. The CID and The League of United Latin American Citizens are each offering a reward of up to $25,000 for information leading to Guillen's whereabouts. Unidentified remains found in search for missing soldier Vanessa Guillen originally appeared on abcnews.go.com Actor Robert Stack, who died in 2003, hosted "Unsolved Mysteries" during its heyday. (CBS) If you were a child in the 80s or 90s and maybe even if you were an adult you probably lost a few nights sleep to Unsolved Mysteries. Hosted by the leathery-voiced Robert Stack and featuring one of the eeriest theme songs in TV history, the long-running reality show scared the bejesus out of a generation with stories about brutal murders and baffling disappearances, yeti sightings and alien abductions, medical mysteries and long-lost loves. Airing for nine seasons on NBC and later moving to CBS and Lifetime, the program was both well ahead of its time inviting audiences to help solve a mystery as they would later via countless Reddit discussions and hit podcasts and firmly of it with dated reenactments and low-fi special effects. Sometimes corny, often terrifying, Unsolved Mysteries left a mark on pop culture. Now, like so many other nostalgia-steeped properties from the 1990s, its being revived for the streaming era. Six new episodes of Unsolved Mysteries premiered Wednesday on Netflix, and another batch is slated for later this year. The spooky theme song is back in a new arrangement, and the franchise has likewise been retooled to suit contemporary tastes: theres no host, no narration and no more literal reenactments. Each episode focuses on a single subject, allowing for a greater level of detail and nuance. Stylistically, the reboot executive produced by Shawn Levy shares as much DNA with The Jinx or Making a Murderer as the original Unsolved Mysteries. A scene from "Unsolved Mysteries," streaming on Netflix. (Netflix) I have a sense of how we might captivate the young viewer of today, and thats where our ambitions lie for this show: to satisfy fans of the original and to indoctrinate people who come to this with no history, says Levy, likening it to his Netflix hit, Stranger Things, in its cross-generational appeal. Executive producer Terry Meurer says she and fellow co-creator John Cosgrove have wanted to bring "Unsolved Mysteries" back ever since they stopped producing new material in the early 2000s. And she says that right now, at a moment when the internet has empowered amateur sleuths, is the ideal time for it. Story continues The fervent armchair detectives really like to dig into the details of these cases, and I think after they watch each episode theyll go to Google. People are sophisticated, they're hungry for for more information and they want longer-form stories." She and Cosgrove were reality TV pioneers, producing documentaries about subjects such as gun violence and missing children for HBO and NBC. Unsolved Mysteries began airing in 1987 as a series of specials, hosted by Raymond Burr, Karl Malden and then Stack, which NBC used to plug holes in its schedule. Meurer had initially worried that audiences would be frustrated by so many incomplete stories. Then we started to solve cases and we realized we can create endings for these cases. It was very exciting that we were solving cases at the rate that we were. Thats one of the reasons that the audience tuned in: Oh, I wonder wonder what happened in that case? Eventually the show got a regular time slot, and Stack became the permanent host. After playing crime fighter Eliot Ness in The Untouchables, Stack gave the series that gravitas, Meurer says. Filmed in shadowy alleys and abandoned buildings and clad in a trench coat, the actor introduced and narrated each story, somehow making even the most benign details seem ominous. Meurer and Cosgrove always set out to cover a wide array of stories. Weve always thought of it as a mystery series rather than a true-crime series, she says. The beauty of the franchise is that there's something for everyone. If you arent interested in the missing-person case, you sit through 10 minutes and then you get to the UFO. The mysterious death of Alonzo Brooks is investigated in Netflix's revival of "Unsolved Mysteries." (Netflix) But there also was an emphasis on solvable crimes, she says. And the show helped resolve dozens of cases over the years, beginning with the arrest of Robert Weeks, a fugitive in Arizona whose story was featured in the second episode. Cosgrove/Meurer Productions cranked out 22 or more episodes a year, each of which featured four or five cases, for roughly 100 mysteries a year. Then there were the updates, which were always a scramble, Meurer says. Sometimes an arrest would be made right away and our goal was always to get to the update information to the viewers as quickly as possible. Unusual for the era, Unsolved Mysteries was shot nearly entirely on location. Crews would travel across the country to interview witnesses and survivors, then film re-creations using local performers. Oftentimes we were in small towns and wed go to local theaters to try to find talent to be in the reenactments. That's why if you watch the old episodes, some of reenactments are stronger than others, Meurer says. The reenactments were not always high art, but they did help launch the career of at least one Oscar winner: In one of his first onscreen roles, Matthew McConaughey played a Texas man shot to death in front of his mother. For the first half of its run on NBC, Unsolved Mysteries ranked in the top 20 shows on television. Ratings softened, and it was canceled, then revived by CBS, only to be canceled again. Lifetime aired original episodes freshened up with new segments, and a repackaged version of the show, hosted by Dennis Farina, also lasted several years on Spike. Eventually, We decided the brand needed to take a break, says Meurer, whose company continued to maintain a database of thousands of cases and update a dozen or more stories a year. I just remember the feeling that the show inspired, which was: creeped out, cant look away, recalls Levy, who discovered the show as a college student. It was always that combination of the mystery and the humanity that hooked me in and that was the combination above all that I wanted to protect in these new episodes. Xavier Dupont de Ligonnes and his son on vacation prior to the family's tragedy, featured in an episode of Netflix's revival of "Unsolved Mysteries." (Netflix) But bringing the show to viewers accustomed to cinematic, long-form documentary storytelling especially on Netflix meant major updates to the format. For starters, each episode of the revival goes in-depth on just a single case. When we were doing the original episodes, it was challenging to take a very multidimensional mystery with lots of twists and turns and try and put it into 12 or 15 minutes. So we like the idea of being able to do a deeper dive into these episodes, Meurer says. The creative team ultimately decided to go without a host or narrator, partially an acknowledgment that it would be impossible to replace Stack, who died in 2003. It is very hard to fill Robert Stack's shoes, Meurer says. But we also wanted to give [our subjects] more of a chance to tell their own stories and to have them be the larger characters in the episodes. The reenactments are still here, but they are now visceral, impressionistic and less literal, says Marcus A. Clarke, who directed three of the six episodes. In the original series, a witness might recall walking up and knocking on a door, and the reenactment would show just that. Now, Clarke says, You see the feet walking up to the door, and the crack under the door and a little dust falls down. It forces the viewers to think about whats actually happening and how the images theyre seeing relate to the story, versus spoon-feeding them the same thing theyre hearing. We dont do see-say. Aesthetically, the revival may be quite different from the original, but viewers are likely to feel just as unsettled as they did back in Stacks day. Levy chalks that up to what he describes as Meurers finely calibrated creepometer. Her instincts for when to dial up the creepy factor are excellent, he says. A scene from "Unsolved Mysteries," streaming on Netflix. (Netflix) The show still explores mysteries beyond murders and disappearances yes, theres a UFO episode but some of the shows original categories no longer make sense in the digital era. (These days, people looking for long-lost relatives or loved ones can turn to Facebook or ancestry.com.) Producers also made a concerted effort to find cases that would appeal to and could potentially be solved by Netflixs global audience. It is a more diverse set of stories, geographically, racially and above all tonally," says Levy. House of Terror tells the story of Xavier Dupont de Ligonnes, a French man from an aristocratic family who disappeared after his wife and four children were murdered. Mystery on the Rooftop examines the suspicious case of Rey Rivera, who either jumped or was pushed to his death from the roof of a historic Baltimore hotel. The timely episode No Ride Home delves into a possible hate crime involving Alonzo Brooks, a Black man who vanished from a party in rural Kansas in 2004. His body was found on the property which police had searched a month later. The FBI recently reopened the case, offering a $100,000 reward for information. Like many others, Clarke, who spent several tense weeks on location in Kansas filming the episode, said he believes race was a factor in Brooks death. He is just one story of many African Americans whove been caught up in systematic racism, he says. The creative team behind the revival is confident the international reach of Netflix 183 million subscribers and counting and the ease of sharing information in the age of social media will bring resolution to some of these cases. I want this show to be entertaining, says Levy, but all the viewers in the world wouldnt be as gratifying as one solved mystery. Washington (AFP) - The US House of Representatives agreed unanimously to seek tough sanctions on Chinese officials and Hong Kong police after Beijing imposed a security law that clamps down on unrest in the city. After a day in which Hong Kong authorities arrested hundreds of protesters, the House on Wednesday quickly passed the act that had already passed the Senate last week. Due to technical changes, the Senate will need to vote again and a senator said it could happen on Thursday. "The Chinese regime just thinks that they can act with impunity and repressing the spirit of democracy," Speaker Nancy Pelosi said before the House passage. "If we refuse to speak out on human rights in China because of commercial interests, we lose all moral authority to speak out for human rights any place in the world," said Washington's top elected Democrat, long a vocal proponent of human rights in China. President Donald Trump has not said if he will sign the bill but one of his allies briefly held up the Senate version, seeking changes. Trump publicly hesitated last year before signing another rights bill on Hong Kong which also lays out sanctions against Chinese officials for infringing on the city's autonomy. Unlike the previous act, the new legislation would make sanctions mandatory, limiting Trump's ability to waive them. In a crucial pressure point, it would also slap sanctions on banks that conduct transactions with violators. Under a deal ahead of the 1997 handover from Britain, authoritarian China guaranteed Hong Kong civil liberties as well as judicial and legislative autonomy until 2047 in a formula known as "One Country, Two Systems". China says the new law doesn't damage the territory's rights but will restore stability after months of pro-democracy unrest. Beijing said Thursday it "deplores and firmly opposes" the US bill, adding that Hong Kong issues are part of China's internal affairs. Story continues "We urge the US to grasp the reality of the situation, stop interfering in Hong Kong affairs and implementing the negative bill, otherwise we will take strong countermeasures," said foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian. China imposed the long-threatened security law in Hong Kong that criminalizes "subversion" and other acts of dissent on Tuesday. On Wednesday, Hong Kong police cracked down on protesters marking the anniversary of the 1997 handover, arresting about 370 people -- including 10 under the new law. - Biden blames 'weak' Trump - US presidential candidate Joe Biden accused Trump of allowing China to impose its will on Hong Kong through a hesitant response. "It's no wonder Beijing is acting with impunity. Time and again, President Trump has surrendered our values and reassured China's autocrats they have a like-minded partner in the White House," the Democrat said in a statement. "Where Trump has been weak, I will be strong, clear and consistent in standing up for our values." The Trump administration has taken a series of actions in response to China's moves on Hong Kong, including restricting visas to an unspecified number of officials and blocking high-tech exports to the financial hub. Critics say the actions were not enough and that Trump has prioritized a trade deal with President Xi Jinping. John Bolton, Trump's former national security advisor, wrote in an explosive new book that Trump explicitly asked Xi to help his re-election through buying farm produce. "Hong Kong has been on the backburner in an effort to sell soybeans and we haven't even sold the soybeans," Representative Brad Sherman, a Democrat, told a congressional hearing. Trump has tried to link Biden to Beijing, pointing to his extensive interactions with China as Barack Obama's vice president. Biden said that, if elected president, he would "fully enforce" laws on the rights of Hong Kong and Xinjiang, where China has detained some one million Uighurs and other Turkic Muslims. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo hinted that the Trump administration will do more to punish China -- by reducing the special privileges of Hong Kong. Trump "wants to ensure, with a handful of exceptions, that Hong Kong is treated just like mainland China because that's the way that General Secretary Xi has chosen to treat that place as well," Pompeo told reporters. USW Says Much Work Remains to Ensure Effectiveness of USMCA USW Says Much Work Remains to Ensure Effectiveness of USMCA PR Newswire PITTSBURGH, July 1, 2020 PITTSBURGH, July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- United Steelworkers (USW) International President Tom Conway issued the following statement on the effective date of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade agreement (USMCA): United Steelworkers. (PRNewsFoto/United Steelworkers) "The USW sought for years to replace the failed North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) with an agreement that was fair to workers, that ensured good jobs for families and communities in all three countries, and that protected our planet for future generations. "While the new version of NAFTA, the USMCA, gets us closer to those goals, there is still a lot of work to be done to ensure that this new deal is effective in protecting good jobs, preserving our environment, and ensuring workers' rights. "Despite the big promises workers have gotten from Washington, D.C., in recent years, the U.S. trade deficit with its North American trading partners has only increased under this administration. This is simply unacceptable and unsustainable. We have to do better. "The labor movement, led by thousands of USW members, pushed hard to ensure that the USMCA was a significant improvement over NAFTA, which cost the United States tens of thousands of good manufacturing jobs. Thanks to the hard work of Democrats in Congress, the new agreement contains stronger language to protect good jobs from offshoring and to ensure workers' rights, particularly in Mexico. "Unfortunately, Mexico's government still fails to control greedy corporations and provide the strong labor protections that the Mexican people deserve. "The harsh repression of democratic unions in Mexico by Grupo Mexico (which has also been charged by the National Labor Relations Board with violating the rights of USW and other union members at its Asarco subsidiary in the U.S.), the murders of union organizers at Canadian company Torex Gold, and the recent unjust arrest and imprisonment of labor attorney Susana Prieto Terrazas, prove that Mexico hasn't stopped the bullying of workers and their allies. Story continues "We also can't ignore that today's implementation of the USMCA comes at a perilous time for all workers. The COVID-19 pandemic has taken thousands of lives, cost millions their jobs, and put the health of millions more at risk. Now, more than ever, we need to protect working people and fight for good, family-supporting jobs for people across North America. "Simply put, the USMCA is a baseline, not a final destination. It sets minimum standards, and we must continue to fight each day to ensure those standards are enforced. As we look forward to future trade pacts with other countries, we will seek even stronger rules to protect workers and communities from offshoring, pollution, unfair trade policies and violations of labor rights." The USW represents 850,000 men and women employed in metals, mining, pulp and paper, rubber, chemicals, glass, auto supply and the energy-producing industries, along with a growing number of workers in public sector and service occupations. Contact: R.J. Hufnagel, rhufnagel@usw.org, 412-562-2450 Cision View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/usw-says-much-work-remains-to-ensure-effectiveness-of-usmca-301086997.html SOURCE United Steelworkers (USW) MIAMI (AP) A former Venezuelan general who was organizing a volunteer army to overthrow Nicolas Maduro says he is unable to afford a legal defense in a U.S. narcotics case that charges him alongside gis homeland's socialist president. Gen. Cliver Alcala surrendered in March to face U.S. accusations that he led with Maduro and two others for two decades a narcoterrorist conspiracy that sent 250 metric tons of cocaine a year to the U.S. and turned the Venezuelan state into a platform for violent cartels and Colombian rebels. U.S. authorities had offered a $10 million reward for his arrest. Prior to his surrender, Alcala was working with a former U.S. Green Beret, Jordan Goudreau, to train at secret camps in Colombia a volunteer army of Venezuelan military deserters plotting an incursion to remove Maduro. The operation went forward even after Alcala turned himself in, leading to the arrest of two former U.S. special forces members who participated in the raid and emboldening Maduro to crack down on his U.S.-backed opponents. Despite being accused of wielding immense power as the head of international narcotics conspiracy, Alcala possesses no appreciable assets to pay for his defense, according to his lawyer, Adam S. Kaufmann. What meager resources Alcala had in Venezuela were seized by the Maduro government when he fled the country in 2018, Kaufmann said in a letter Monday to the New York federal judge overseeing the case. General Alcala himself has virtually no money his wife and daughter live in Colombia and depend on the help of her relatives to support their basic daily needs, said the letter.. Kaufmann asked the court to appoint him as private counsel at rates normally paid for federal public defenders. Judge Alvin Hellerstein said Tuesday that Alcala must first file an affidavit attesting to his inability to afford adequate representation. Only then would Kaufmann and two associates be allowed to join the defense under the supervision of another attorney who is already accredited with the court, the judge said. Story continues He said he is uniquely suited to defend Alcala because he has been representing him for free since 2014 in prior dealings with U.S. law enforcement, including his alleged relationship with Colombian rebels and his designation as a drug kingpin by the U.S. Treasury Department. Alcala maintains his innocence and has been an outspoken critic of Maduro since before fleeing Venezuela in 2018. ___ Joshua Goodman on Twitter: @APJoshGoodman A veteran Tulsa, Oklahoma, police officer died Tuesday after a traffic stop went wrong. Six weeks after Officer Aurash Zarkeshan completed training with the Tulsa Police Department, he made a regular traffic stop on East 21st Street early Monday morning, police said. After Zarkeshan ran David Anthony Ware's information into the system, he called for backup. MORE: Police Shootings Sargent Craig Johnson arrived at the scene. PHOTO: Tulsa Police Sergeant Craig Johnson died after he was shot on June 29, 2020 by a suspect during a traffic stop. (Tulsa Police Department) Ware refused to comply with officers' commands to step out of his car, said Tulsa Police Chief Wendell Franklin at a press conference on Monday. Johnson displayed a stun gun and asked Ware to get out of the car 12 times before firing. Franklin said the stun gun was not effective and Zarkeshan also pepper-sprayed Ware. A struggle ensued and Ware pulled out a gun and fired "several shots at close range," striking both officers in the head, said Franklin. PHOTO: Tulsa Police Aurash Zarkeshan is in critical condition after he was shot in the head on June 29, 2020 during a traffic stop. (Tulsa Police Department) "The driver slowly walked away from the vehicle and went to another car that was waiting for him," Franklin said. Both officers were taken to the hospital in critical condition. Johnson, a 15-year veteran, died on Tuesday afternoon. He leaves behind a wife and two young sons. MORE: Rayshard Brooks went from telling Atlanta officer about visiting mother's grave to being fatally shot: Video His family was presented with a Purple Heart for his service in the line of duty. Ware, 33, and his accomplice 29-year-old Matthew Hall were arrested. PHOTO: David Ware was arrested for allegedly shooting two Tulsa police officers during a traffic stop. (Tulsa Police Department) Prosecutors added first-degree murder to Ware's case on Tuesday in addition to two counts of shooting with intent to kill and criminal possession of a weapon charges. Hall faces accomplice to murder and accomplice to felony charges. PHOTO: Matthew Hall is charged with being an accomplice to the death of Tulsa Police Sgt. Craig Johnson. (Tulsa County jail) Ware is expected to appear before a judge on Thursday and Hall is expected in court on September 2, according to online records. They are both being held without bond in Tulsa County jail, according to online records. Veteran Oklahoma police officer killed, rookie in critical condition, after suspect shoots both in the head originally appeared on abcnews.go.com Click here to read the full article. Key Point: The Nazi regime mobilized teenagers and old men as its last line of defense. On October 18, 1944the 131st anniversary of the Battle of the Nations victory over Napoleon in 1813Reichsfuhrer-SS (National Leader) Heinrich Himmler stepped up to a microphone to make a national radio address announcing the formation of the Nazi Party-controlled Volkssturm, or Peoples Militia. Standing with him was the new Chief of the General Staff, General Heinz Guderian; Dr. Hans Heinrich Lammers, head of the Reich Chancellery in Berlin; and Gauleiter (Regional Leader) Erich Koch. The site of the address was at Bartenstein, East Prussia, on Kochs turf, and he was already organizing his own local forces to fight the Red Army coming from the East. Indeed, conjuring up images of the 1813 War of Liberation against the defeated French, the new VS had already won its first victory over the Soviets on October 7 at Memel, Lithuania, which the Nazis had taken in 1939. Creating the Volkssturm From the Ashes of Operation Valkyrie Guderian had come into office the day after the failed bomb explosion to kill Adolf Hitler, and the latter had virtually lost most of his faith in the regular German armed forces to win the war. The radical NazisDr. Josef Goebbels, Dr. Robert Ley, Himmler, and most of all Reich Leader and Secretary to the Fuhrer Martin Bormannwere urging Hitler to turn to the very force that had brought him to power in the first place: the Nazi Party and its various organizations. What all of them feared most was a second 1918-style collapse of the German state from within, an internal-type revolt that had toppled Kaiser Wilhelm II when the German Army was still fighting in the field on the Western Front. It was their belief that the Party had rebuilt the state from that catastrophe starting anew in 1933, and now11 years latera similar program of rejuvenation was to be the order of the day. Story continues This time, there would be no home front failure, and thus on September 25, 1944, Hitler, through the use of his familiar Fuhrer Decree, announced the creation of the Volkssturm and Himmlers control of the organization; Bormann would be in charge of the administrative issues. Thus, right from the start, there was the divided leadership that would plague the VS until the very end of its days in the defense of smoldering Berlinin which it played at least half a part. Hitler, like his rival, U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt, had the leadership style of giving several different men the same functions, believing that competition would make them perform better and get the overall job done faster. This was also the overall leadership principle of the Nazi Party as a whole. Bormanns VS The key individual, from inception to ultimate VS demise, was Bormann. In his unique position of being at the Fuhrers elbow night and day, he had Hitlers ear on virtually everything and thus was able to convince Hitler to create the VS along the lines of the 1813 Home Guard, and also to place it under Lammerss Reich Chancellery. Bormann believed that only the Party could run the VS properly and ensured that service in it was mandatory for all civilian German males between the ages of 16 and 60. This included the all-important Class of 1928those who would turn 17 in 1945the 550,000 boys of Artur Axmanns Hitler Youth, literally the final remaining military manpower pool of Nazi Germany. The older menridiculed as Grandpas by the younger generationwere veterans of World War I or those who had already fought in World War II and been wounded. The VS would be organized on the model of the 42 Gaue, or Regions, of the Third Reich, all controlled by Bormann as virtual domestic dictator while Hitler ran the war. This had been the setup ever since Germany invaded Poland on September 1, 1939, and thus Bormann understood his task thoroughly, governing the Reich via teleprinter, telegraph, radio, and telephone from wherever Hitlers Fuhrer Headquarters happened to be. He would rule the VS through the Gau, Kreis (county), and Ortsgruppenleiters (town leaders). In Bormanns mind, the VS would fight like the sturdy Japanese in the Pacific: to the last man, bullet, and breath. The nature of Bormanns vision for the VS was unity overall, Party control, and formations based on the members place of residence. The last factor was all important in his view, as he believed that it was critical to the fighting success of the VS as a combat unit that would be called into action when the enemy arrived at the edges of their towns and cities, most of which had been officially declared fortresses by the Fuhrer anyway. The Fuhrer Decree of September 25 gave the Gauleiters the power to organize the VS in their domains, which included more than 800 counties in the Reich proper. The average age of those who served (the national oath-taking was conducted on November 12, 1944) was between 45 and 52, and Bormannaping Hitler, here refused to call up women, unlike the Soviets. Of those men who were called up, most were white-collar workers, unaccustomed to the harsh life of a soldier in the field. Marksmanship vs Antitank Weapons On November 27, 1944, Himmler took command of Army Group Upper Rhine, thus making him Bormanns first serious rival for power, as both wanted to succeed Hitler as Fuhrer. Each reasoned that if they were able to win the war for Germany, they would accede to the mantle, and there was, indeed, some logic in their positions. As it turned out, Himmlers tenure as commander was brief, as he proved to be completely incompetent in the position. Even though Bormann irritated Himmler by referring to the units as my VS, it was a top SS manGeneral Gottlob Bergerwho was chief of staff of the Volkssturm and who reported directly to Himmler, not Bormann. Indeed, it was Berger who announced that the VS would be trained and ready for combat against the Russians and Western Allies no later than March 31, 1945. In training, Berger wanted individual rifle marksmanship stressed for the civilian warriors, while Bormann opted instead for small antitank weapons with which to defeat the masses of Russian T-34s and American M-4 Sherman tanks. In the end, Bormann prevailed, and in this instance his view was militarily sound as events were to prove, especially in the defense of Berlin and other German cities. The citizen-soldiers trained on weeknights and for six hours on Sundays, and what rifle training was provided was given by SA Chief of Staff Wilhelm Schepmanns brownshirted Stormtroopers. Schepmann had wanted a real wartime role for the SA ever since 1939, and he saw the VS as a way of achieving it at the expense of the SS (its hated rival since 1934), the Party, and the German Army (which it had wanted to replace as early as 1930). Hitler and Bormann, too, saw this danger, and they were not about to let Schepmann achieve an ambition that had eluded the murdered SA leader Captain Ernst Rohm in the Blood Purge of June 30-July 2, 1934. Thus, Schepmann would be allowed to arm and train the VS but not lead it. Nor would Dr. Josef Goebbels in his capacity as Hitlers appointed Reich Plenipotentiary for Total War. Despite the famous wartime newsreels of the leather-coated propaganda minister reviewing VS troops passing on parade, his role with the Volkssturm was really quite minimal, except for exhorting them to fight for Berlin, of which he was Gauleiter. Then there was the National Socialist Motor Corps led by Erwin Kraus that provided courier motorcyclists and truck drivers to transport the VS men to their sites, as well as units of the Nazi Fliers Korps (NSFK). Wars Were Winner-Take-All Affairs It seemed that every Party organization wanted its finger in the VS pie, and for a very simple reason, then and now still incomprehensible to those in the West: the Nazis believed that the war could still be won! First, from Hitler on down, the true Nazis took it as an article of faith that racially pure Germans of good stock would defeat the tainted Slavs from the steppes of Russia and the corrupt Americans, British, and Canadians from the West. Dr. Goebbelss propaganda screamed its slogans: Never again, 1918! Our walls may break, but our hearts never! The citizen-soldiers of the Third Reichindoctrinated as true believerswould also be fighting for their own homes and families on German soil, and the threat from the East also induced in the Germans of East Prussia the very real fear of Red Army retaliation for the atrocities that had been committed by the Germans in the USSR during 1941-1944. As one historian put it, Wars were winner-take-all affairs. To the Nazis, negotiations equaled weakness and surrender. In this respect, Hitler, Bormann, and Goebbels were far more Nazi than either or both Himmler and Reich Marshal Hermann Goring, who in the end in 1945 wanted to treat with the enemy. Thus, especially after the failure of the July 20 assassination attemptwhen, in their eyes, the traitors had been unmaskedthe Nazis wanted to renewnot endthe fighting. It is significant to note that more people in Europe died after July 20, 1944, than in all of the five years of war before it. Scorched Earth To the Nazis, the VS was both a valid and rational response to the events of 1944-1945, just as the rise of the Party itself had been to the fall of Imperial Germany in 1918-1920. Indeed, if anyones morale would collapse, it would be that of the Allies, not the German people led by the Nazi Party under Hitler. Ironically, too, as the German armies retreatedand this included the battered Waffen SS as wellso, too, did the power of the Party increase within the borders of the pre-1939 Greater German Reich; thus, as Himmler lost power, Bormann gained it. By the spring of 1945, Himmler ceased to be a real factor in VS power struggles and was replaced in these battles by Hitlers Minister of Armaments and War Production, Albert Speer, who was working hand in glove with the German armed forcesmainly the Regular Armyto prevent the Fuhrers decreed scorched earth policies designed to make the Third Reich an industrial wasteland of no use to any conquering army. Speerunlike hardliners Himmler and Goringwas not a true Nazi in the Hitler-Goebbels-Bormann mold and saw for himself a role as the rebuilder of the Fourth Reich under the auspices of the Western Allies at least. The Volkssturms Ties to the Wehrmacht In the end, however, Bormanns concept of the Volkssturm was undone by the very people he wanted to protect it from the most, and from whom he expected the least dangerthe officers and men of the German Army in whose sphere of operations the individual VS units fell. The primary reason for this was that the Party simply could not and did not supply the VS with the weapons, uniforms, and supplies that it needed, while the regular military most often did. Wherever the VS and the military worked well together, the morale was good, absenteeism down, discipline maintained, and training heightened. Thus, much to his chagrin, Bormann was faced with a situation in which the Army delivered where the Party had failed. The reason for this, too, was thatunlike the higher ranks of the officer corps, which was, by and large, monarchist in belief and backgroundthe lower ranking officers and most enlisted men were Nazis to the core. To them, the attempt to kill Hitler on July 20, 1944, was a disgrace to the good name of Germany. Indeed, the Army was intimately involved with the Volkssturm from its very beginning. It was the Army that provided both the Panzerfaust (a shoulder-fired rocket similar to the U.S. bazooka) and Panzerschreck (Terror of the Tanks) antitank weapons that stopped many an enemy tank in its tracks. In the end, the Panzerfausts were the only weapons that were available to the VS in abundant supply for combat. Recognizing the VS as a Legitimate Fighting Force One fear that all VS men shared was that, without uniforms, they would simply be shot out of hand by the enemy for being partisans or terrorists behind the lines, particularly if they were confused with Dr. Leys proposed postwar Werewolf organization. They also disliked the Partys brown uniforms, as they feared that Red Army troops would be more likely to kill them and refuse to take them prisoner. Some even served in civilian clothes, overcoats, and hats, with but a Volkssturm armband and a pay book to identify them officially as Volkssturm men. Negotiations were conducted with the Western Allies to recognize the VS as true combatants, and these were successful, but not, significantly, with the Soviets. The VS in Combat In combat in the East, the VS formations were at the disposal of Guderian (again, ironically), and here they gave a good account of themselves, even halting the Red Army advance at Gumbinnen in East Prussia late in 1944 and elsewhere, but in the West they gave up at places like Remagen when they saw the German Army retreat as well. Here, they served under Field Marshals Gerd von Rundstedt, Walther Model, and Albert Kesselring. VS casualty rates were sometimes as high as 70 to 80 percent, while other units panicked and fled. In the East, some 650,000 VS men saw action, but when Nazi Party officials fled at the approach of the Red Army, so did the VS. When the Army left the VS as rearguard units, not too surprisingly, they returned to their homes rather than die in this manner. In the West, some 150,000 VS men served and had helped to man the West Wall fortifications, as well as hold the Upper Rhine, but in the end, the VS had not achieved Himmlers or Bormanns goal. It is estimated that a million VS troops were taken prisoner by wars end, and thousands more were killed and wounded. True, the Volkssturm was a legal militia, not partisan guerrillas, but the Nazis were simply wrong about both their Peoples Militias motivation and desire to fight to the bitter end, and also their enemies sense of moral outrage against Nazism and determination to totally defeat the Third Reichno matter how long it took or at what cost. This article by Blaine Taylor originally appeared on the Warfare History Network. This piece was first featured in July 2018 and is being republished due to reader's interest. Image: Volkssturm soldiers with Panzerfausts in Berlin, 10 March 1945. German Federal Archives. Click here to read the full article. Read the full article on Motorious If youre looking for a classic with a story, this is a good one to consider. When searching for the right investment vehicle, its always important to select something with a known and compelling history. Thats precisely what you would get with this 1973 Porsche 911 Carrera RS being offered through European Collectibles. The Light Yellow over black German 2+2 is quite correct, plus it boasts an impressive history. Photo credit: European Collectibles As is evident in the photos, the paint, exterior trim, leatherette upholstery, factory instrumentation, controls, etc. are all in good condition. Theres a 2.7-liter flat-six engine which appears to be running well. In other words, this is a true turn-key investment, as represented by the dealer. Photo credit: European Collectibles A Certificate of Authenticity is included with this Porsche, allowing you to move forward on the investment with confidence. This car was completed in May of 1973 and was soon sold to a Dr. Heisse & Co. of Germany. It stayed with the first owner for three years, then went to a second German owner and then a third in February of 1978. Photo credit: European Collectibles The fourth German owner of this Porsche, Wolf-Hendrick Unger, purchased it in October of 1979. He had a long history of racing and loved the Porsche brand, so this 911 Carrera RS didnt just sit in the garage. During the nine years it was with this owner, the vehicle took part in events such as the 1982 Monte Carlo Rallye, with credentials still present on the car. Photo credit: European Collectibles A Japanese collector scooped up this Porsche in August of 1988 and immediately it was painted white, which was the fashion in that area of the world. For twenty years the car remained in Japan and was regularly serviced by a local dealer. Photo credit: European Collectibles From there, the car went back to Europe for a while and then on to Canada, where it eventually went through a nut-and-bolt restoration, which cost $196,693. Full documentation of the process and expenses will be included with this vehicle. This is your chance to own a well-sorted, highly-collectible classic Porsche 911 Carrera RS. If you have questions about the car, contactEuropean Collectibles directly. You can also look through the dealers extensive inventory. Sign up for the Motorious Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. The first woman and first person of color to lead the prestigious Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania says she wants young people to see her history-making role as an example to "always bet on yourself." "We have to change our own self-talk," Dr. Erika James said Wednesday on "Good Morning America." "Often times we impede our own progress because we don't have the confidence to say, 'Yes I am ready for this role. Yes I can meet these challenges. Yes I have the expertise and the background that's necessary.'" "When we get out of our own way and truly bet on ourselves, that's when we start to create other people's confidence in us," she said. "My strongest advice to young people is to always bet on yourself." James spoke with "GMA" co-anchor Robin Roberts on her first day as the new dean of Wharton, the business school at the University of Pennsylvania. She previously led the Goizueta Business School at Emory University, where she was also the first female African American dean. VIDEO: Dr. Erika James talks becoming Wharton School's 1st Black and female dean (ABCNews.com) James' expertise is in organizational behavior, gender and racial diversity and crisis leadership, a background that will serve her well as she takes the helm of Wharton at a time of both racial and health crises in the United States, with the coronavirus pandemic and the racial protests following the death of George Floyd in May. "In the past couple of months the world has really changed," said James, whose appointment was announced in February. "We have focus on racial justice. We have the COVID pandemic, so really the impact that those events have had on higher education means that my first set of initiatives will have to be how do we bring together an incredibly successful student experience for our students when they come back in the fall." MORE: 15-year-old author shares 5 tips for young activists: You don't have to wait to change the world Story continues WATCH: Spelman valedictorian, 1st-generation college student aims to become HBCU professor James said she plans to focus at Wharton on making sure positions are filled with the "right kind of talent," adding that she believes "talent exists everywhere and comes in all colors and packages." "This is an awesome responsibility, not just in terms of the magnitude of the role of being the dean of the Wharton School but so many eyes are watching me and so many eyes are watching you and people who are in these positions to really make a difference," James said to Roberts. "I personally feel that while my focus has to be primarily and predominantly on ensuring that we take the country's first, biggest and best business school and make it even better, that only will happen if we ensure that we have the right kind of talent in the right positions." PHOTO: Dr. Erika H. James has been named dean of the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, effective July 1, 2020. (Courtesy University of Pennsylvania) Finding diverse employees from different backgrounds is something that all companies can do now as a concrete step toward change, according to James. "We often say that there's not a pipeline of diverse talent. Well, there's not a pipeline if you look in a very narrow set of places for that talent," she said. "One of the things companies can do differently is broaden where they go to identify where there's possibly really exceptional talent that might be untapped." This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. James added that she also hopes companies focus not only on hiring people of color and women in organizations, but taking steps to make sure they succeed and are able to reach the highest levels of the organization. "The networks for white Americans in corporate America look very different from the networks of Black folks in corporate America," said James, who did her doctoral dissertation on the topic of networks. "The access that they have to people who are in the room making decisions around the projects and the pay and the promotions impedes or can facilitate progress." "We need to make sure that the relationships that people are able to really establish and build can help promote diversity at the upper levels of the organization," she said. Black woman begins history-making job as dean of prestigious school originally appeared on goodmorningamerica.com Click here to read the full article. Here's What You Need To Remember: So will big Army and Marine Corps switch over their CSASSs to 6.5 Creedmoor? Its unlikely. The US Army is still fully invested in the Next Generation Squad Weapon program and is unlikely to spend money slightly improving the capabilities of a rifle they just adopted. The M110K1 is likely to remain a SOCOM-only rifle. KACs M110 Semi-Automatic Sniper System (SASS) is one of the success stories in small arms procurement for the U.S. military in the twenty-first century. Designed to be a standard semi-automatic precision rifle to be used by various branches and special operation forces, the M110 has largely been successful in that role. The M110 is used by almost every branch of the military and has been adopted by many other militaries from the Americas to Asia. But while Big Army is replacing the M110 with the H&K CSASS, U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) is planning to upgrade its M110s with the M110K1 upper conversion kit. But what does it do? Long-range shooting has advanced significantly since the M110 was adopted in the 2000s. The 6.5 Creedmoor caliber has come to dominate the medium-caliber long range shooting scene, due to being able to accommodate bullets with far superior ballistic coefficients, resulting in flatter-shooting faster rounds. 6.5 Creedmoor is also generally held to have less recoil despite increased velocity. These developments were noticed by the U.S. Special Operations Command, which adopted 6.5 Creedmoor as a precision rifle caliber in 2018. During the trials that lead to the adoption of 6.5 Creedmoor, versions of the M110 and FN SCAR-H chambered in 6.5 Creedmoor were used to evaluate the shooting characteristics and reliability of the round. But the adoption of the round didnt come with the adoption of a rifle to go with it. The M110K1 changes this. While the M110 and CSASS were both optioned as conversions to 6.5 Creedmoor when the caliber was adopted, the M110K1 upper receiver was probably adopted as simply replacing the upper receivers is cheaper than developing a version of the CSASS in the 6.5 Creedmoor. Story continues From photos released in 2019, the M110K1 also updated the M110s design in other ways. The quad rail handguard of the original M110 is gone in favor of an M-LOK handguard, though the M110K1 M-LOK handguard has an integral Picatinny rail at the bipod attachment point. This is probably to avoid the torque issues that come with attaching bipods to M-LOK directly. The adoption of the M110K1 is an important win for KAC, which lost the CSASS contract to H&K back in 2016. While KAC has seen continued contracts for procurement of the M110 in 2018, these contracts for the original M110 are likely to dry up as the CSASS begins to see service in the US Army and US Marine Corps. So will big Army and Marine Corps switch over their CSASSs to 6.5 Creedmoor? Its unlikely. The US Army is still fully invested in the Next Generation Squad Weapon program and is unlikely to spend money slightly improving the capabilities of a rifle they just adopted. The M110K1 is likely to remain a SOCOM-only rifle. However, the Dutch military may also be looking into a similar rifle to equip its forces. In January 2020, the Dutch minority announced a contract for twenty-four designated marksman rifles in .260 Remington. The small initial contract order for rifles suggests that they will be used by Dutch Special Operation Forces rather than the regular military. Whats interesting is that the .260 Remington was the competitor cartridge to the 6.5 Creedmoor in the 2018 trials. .260 Remington was favored by many to be the winner due to being based on the already military 7.62x51 cartridge as opposed to 6.5 Creedmoor, which was based on .30 TC, a civilian cartridge. If the Dutch fully adopt the .260 Remington, it results in two competing 7.62x51 replacement calibers being fielded within NATO. Charlie Gao studied political and computer science at Grinnell College and is a frequent commentator on defense and national security issues. This piece was originally featured in January 2020 and is being republished due to reader's interest. Media: Wikipedia Click here to read the full article. DUBLIN, July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Whole Genome and Exome Sequencing Markets by Research, Clinical, Tumor, Pathogen, AgriBio & Consumer with Executive and Consultant Guides. (Including the Whole Genome Sequence of SARS-CoV-2) 2020 to 2024" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. Research and Markets Logo The COVID Pandemic has created a surge in Whole Genome Sequencing of Pathogens but cancer-related activity has suffered. Find out all about it in the comprehensive report of Whole Genome Sequencing. The complete genome of the COVID virus is included as an example of the work being done. Will all newborns receive Whole Genome Sequencing at birth? How fast will Direct to Consumer Testing grow? What sequencing technology will take the lead? What's holding the industry back? Where are the over 800 locations that have high throughput devices? The plummeting of costs for Whole Genome Sequencing is creating a gold rush for market players. New consumers, new technologies, new specializations. In a situation reminiscent of the birth of the internet industry a wide range of well-funded players are racing for market share on a truly global stage. The report forecasts the market size out to 2023. This report includes detailed breakouts for 14 countries and 5 regions. Tumor Cell Sequencing? Direct to Consumer? Gene Expression? Find out about the technology in readily understood terms that explain the jargon. What are the issues? Find the opportunities and pitfalls. Understand growth expectations and the ultimate market forecasts for the next five years. Key Topics Covered: Whole Genome Sequencing Market - Strategic Situation Analysis & COVID Impact Guide for Executives, Marketing, Sales and Business Development Staff Guide for Management Consultants and Investment Advisors 1. Introduction and Market Definition 2. Market Overview 2.1 Market Participants Play Different Roles 2.1.1 Instrument Manufacturer 2.1.2 Independent lab specialized/esoteric 2.1.3 Independent lab national/regional 2.1.4 Independent lab analytical 2.1.5 Public National/regional lab 2.1.6 Hospital lab 2.1.7 Physician lab 2.1.8 DTC Lab 2.1.9 Sequencing Labs 2.1.10 Audit body 2.2 Whole Genome Sequencing -Markets, Examples and Discussion 2.2.1 Direct to Consumer - Two Approaches 2.2.1.1 The New Age of Medical Information 2.2.1.2 Dangers in DTC-WGS - Health Costs and Regulation 2.2.1.3 Newborn and Prenatal - A Brave New World 2.2.1.4 DTC - How Many Segments? 2.2.2 Research Markets 2.2.2.1 Research Funding and Capital Expense 2.2.2.2 WGS Datasets Preferred 2.2.2.3 Existing research repurposed 2.2.2.4 Organism Wide Market 2.2.2.5 Service Suppliers Respond 2.2.3 Clinical - Understanding Germline and Somatic 2.2.3.1 Somatic - Chasing Mutations and Pharmacogenomics 2.2.4 Pathogen Testing 2.2.4.1 The Hepatitis C Story 2.2.4.2 Will the Microbiology Department Disappear? 2.2.5 AgriBio - Big Business 2.2.5.1 GMO is Here to Stay 2.2.5.2 WGS Benefits and Risks 2.2.5.3 The New Agriculture 2.3 Industry Structure 2.3.1 Hospital's Testing Share 2.3.2 Economies of Scale 2.3.3 Instrument Manufacturer Role 2.3.4 Healthcare Industry Impacts - Still Struggling 2.3.4.1 Can the Healthcare Industry Adapt? 2.3.4.2 Genetic Counselling as an Industry 2.3.4.3 WGES Adoption and Cannibalization 2.3.4.4 The Meaning of Grail Story continues 3. Market Trends 3.1 Factors Driving Growth 3.1.1 Diagnostic Factors 3.1.2 Interpreting the Code Otherwise 3.1.3 Changes in Agriculture 3.1.4 Fertility Technology Comes of Age 3.1.5 Pathogen Challenges 3.2 Factors Limiting Growth 3.2.1 Increased Competition Lowers Price 3.2.2 Lower Costs 3.2.3 Healthcare Cost Concerns Curtail Growth 3.2.4 Wellness has a downside 3.2.5 GMO Opposition Movement 3.3 Sequencing Instrumentation 3.3.1 Instrumentation Tenacity 3.3.2 Declining Cost Changes Industry Structure 3.3.3 LISTING of CURRENT NGS INSTRUMENT SPECIFICATIONS 3.3.4 Illumina 3.3.5 ION 3.3.6 Pacific Biosystems 3.3.7 Roche 454 3.3.8 SOLiD 3.3.9 Oxford Nanopore 3.3.9.1 What is Oxford Nanopore Sequencing? 3.3.9.2 What can Oxford Nanopore Sequencing be used for? 3.3.9.3 Oxford Nanopore Products 3.3.10 Long Reads - Further Segmentation 3.3.11 Linked Reads 3.3.12 Targeted Sequencing Adopts CRISPR 3.3.13 New Sequencing Technologies 3.3.13.1 RNAP sequencing 3.3.13.2 In vitro virus high-throughput sequencing 3.3.13.3 Tunnelling currents DNA sequencing 3.3.13.4 Sequencing by hybridization 3.3.13.5 Sequencing with mass spectrometry 3.3.13.6 Microfluidic Sanger sequencing 3.3.13.7 Microscopy-based techniques 4. WGES Recent Developments 4.1 Recent Developments - Importance and How to Use This Section 4.1.1 Importance of These Developments 4.1.2 How to Use This Section 5. Profiles of Key Companies 6. The Global Market for Whole Genome Sequencing 6.1 Global Market Overview by Country 6.2 Global Market by Application - Overview 7. Global Whole Genome Sequencing Markets - By Application 7.1 Research 7.2 Clinical Human 7.3 Clinical Tumor 7.4 Clinical Pathogen 7.5 Direct to Consumer 7.6 Agriculture/Other 8. Global Whole Genome Sequencing Markets - by Organism 8.1 Human 8.2 Pathogen 8.3 Other Organism 9. Vision of the Future of Whole Genome Sequencing Companies Mentioned 10x Genomics, Inc. 23andME Inc. Abbott Diagnostics AccuraGen Inc Adaptive Biotechnologies Admera Health, LLC Agena Bioscience, Inc Agilent Akonni Biosystems Ancestry.com LLC ArcherDx, Inc. ARUP Laboratories Asuragen Baylor Miraca Genetics Laboratories Beckman Coulter Diagnostics Becton, Dickinson and Company BGI Genomics Co. Ltd Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc Bio-Techne Bioarray Genetics Biocept, Inc Biodesix Inc. BioFluidica BioGenex Biolidics Ltd . bioMrieux Diagnostics Bioneer Corporation C2i Genomics Cancer Genetics Caris Molecular Diagnostics CellMax Life Centogene Chronix Biomedical Circulogene Clear Labs Clinical Genomics Complete Genomics, Inc. - A BGI Company Cynvenio Dante Labs Datar Cancer Genetics Limited Day Zero Diagnostics Diasorin S.p.A. Epic Sciences Epigenomics AG Eurofins Scientific Excellerate Bioscience Exosome Diagnostics Fabric Genomics Fluidigm Corp Freenome FUJIFILM Wako Diagnostics Fujirebio Fulgent Genetics GE Global Research GE Healthcare Life Sciences Gencove Genedrive GeneFirst Ltd. Genetron Health (Beijing) Co., Ltd Genewiz Genomic Health Genomics England Genomics Personalized Health (GPH) GenomOncology Genzyme Corporation Grail, Inc. Grifols Guardant Health Guardiome HeiScreen Helix Helomics Hologic Horizon Discovery HTG Molecular Diagnostics Human Longevity, Inc. iCellate Illumina Incell Dx Inivata Invitae Corporation Invivoscribe Karius Macrogen MDNA Life SCIENCES, Inc MDx Health Medgenome Meridian Bioscience Mesa Biotech MIODx miR Scientific MNG Labs Molecular MD NantHealth, Inc. Natera Nebula Genomics NeoGenomics New Oncology Novogene Bioinformatics Technology Co., Ltd. Omega Bioservices OncoDNA OpGen ORIG3N, Inc. Origene Technologies Oxford Nanopore Technologies Panagene Perkin Elmer Personal Genome Diagnostics Personalis Precipio PrecisionMed Promega Protagen Diagnostics Qiagen Gmbh Quantumdx Regeneron Roche Molecular Diagnostics Roswell Biotechnologies Seegene Sequencing.com Siemens Healthineers simfo GmbH Singlera Genomics Inc. SkylineDx Stratos Genomics Sure Genomics, Inc. Sysmex Inostics Tempus Labs, Inc. Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. Veritas Genetics Volition For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/spwbb Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research. Media Contact: Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager press@researchandmarkets.com For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 Cision View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/worldwide-market-study-for-whole-genome-and-exome-sequencing-to-2024---strategic-situation-analysis--covid-impact-301086846.html SOURCE Research and Markets New York City Police Department officers at a press conference held by local unions on June 9. Timothy A. Clary/AFP via Getty The New York City Council and Mayor Bill de Blasio on Tuesday agreed on a budget that strips the New York Police Department of $1 billion in funding. The money is being reallocated to youth and community services. The move came in response to nationwide protests to defund police departments in the wake of George Floyd's death. But criticism over the budget came from multiple directions. Some said money shouldn't be taken from the police at a time of rising crime, while others said the cuts weren't enough to make real changes. Visit Insider's homepage for more stories. The New York City Council passed a budget Tuesday that takes $1 billion away from the New York City Police Department. The move came after nationwide protests calling for police departments to be defunded in the wake of George Floyd's death in Minneapolis. The NYPD budget cuts, however, had critics on multiple sides. Some said it was not the time to reduce the NYPD's budget since crime is on the rise, while others said the cuts weren't enough to tackle the real issues inside the department. According to CBS New York, the new budget cancels the July incoming class of 1,100 new officers; the NYPD will be shifted out of school safety, crossing-guard positions, and homeless outreach; and overtime will be reduced. Protesters on Monday with a banner calling for the NYPD to be defunded. Erik McGregor/LightRocket via Getty That money will instead go to summer youth programming, education, family services, the New York City Housing Authority, park recreation centers, and expanded broadband capabilities in public housing. Mayor Bill de Blasio of New York City agreed in principle to the budget cuts but said it was a "balancing act," according to The New York Times, of trying to change the city and keep it safe. The budget cuts to the NYPD were the first during de Blasio's six years in office. Councilman I. Daneek Miller, a cochairman of the City Council's Black, Latino, and Asian Caucus, voted in favor of the budget but said he disagreed with reducing the size of the NYPD. Story continues "Black folks want to be safe like everyone else, we just want to be respected," Miller told The New York Times. Councilman Donovan Richards voted against the budget deal, saying he didn't think the cut would address the "NYPD's culture." "A $1 billion budget cut can't address the racism that runs rampant in the NYPD," he said. "We must send a clear message that it's not OK to kettle peaceful protesters, that it's not OK to place Black and brown New Yorkers in a chokehold as they gasp for air." The City Council's speaker, Corey Johnson, said he wished that the budget cuts were more significant. "This is a budget process that involves the mayor who would not budge on these items," Johnson said, according to the New York Post. Read the original article on Insider The Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO), DCP Frank Mba, disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday in Abuja. He said the I-G and the 11 others received the result of their test on Tuesday, having submitted the samples on March 27. According to him, other officers who also tested negative were the Force Public Relations Officer, DCP Frank Mba, the Principal Staff Officer to the I-G, DCP Idowu Owohunwa and the Head of the Force Technical Intelligence Unit, DCP Lanre Ogunlowo. Others were the Personal Physician to the I-G, CSP Nonye Welle, Medical Officer, Police Clinic, Force Headquarters, Abuja CSP Titus Adegbite, Secretary to the I-G, SP Moses Jolugbo and five other close aides to the I-G While noting that policing is a high-contact job with its attendant risks, the I-G enjoined officers nationwide to adhere strictly to all precautionary and safety measures in the course of their duties, he said. Mba enjoined the public to voluntarily obey all restriction orders imposed by the constituted authorities. Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday Advertise on NigerianEye.com to reach thousands of our daily readers The Minister of State, Labour and Employment, has declared that the National Assembly cannot stop the planned recruitment of Nigerians. One thousand citizens are to be employed from each of the 774,000 local government areas in Nigeria. In a statement on Tuesday, Keyamo said in obedience to their invitation, he appeared before the Joint Committees on Labour of both the Senate and the House. The meeting was for briefing on the implementation of the Special Public Works Programme. The minister said there was a misunderstanding when they questioned why he did not privately submit the program to them for vetting before taking certain steps. Keyamo said the lawmakers suggested that they ought to have input on how the programme should be implemented. In other words, they sought to control the programme as to who gets what, where and how. I insisted that I could not surrender the programme to their control since their powers under the Constitution does not extend to that. They insisted on a closed-door session. Keyamo said he remarked that it was only fair for him to respond to their position before the press, since their own position was also made public. I was then asked to apologize for insisting on a public interaction and I said there was nothing to apologize about, because their powers to expose corruption provided for in section 88 of the Constitution cannot be exercised in private. As such, there was no need to apologize by insisting on a Constitutional provision. Even their Rules that may provide for private hearings on public matters cannot override the provisions of the Constitution. I was then permitted to leave. I took a bow and left. I never walked out on the respected Committees as they may want to bend the narrative. After I left, I understand that the Joint Committees purportedly suspended the work of the Selection Committees nationwide until they decide how the programme should be run and who should be in those Committees. My opinion is that it is tantamount to challenging the powers of Mr. President. Keyamo said National Assembly powers under section 88 of the 1999 Constitution are only limited to investigations, but not give any directive to the executive. He noted that a committee or committees of both Houses do not even have powers to pass binding Resolutions and that they can only make recommendations to Plenary. All my life, I have fought for good governance and constitutional democracy. I will not come into government and be intimidated to abandon those principles. I will rather leave this assignment, if Mr. President so directs than compromise the jobs meant for ordinary Nigerians who have no Godfathers or who are not affiliated to any political party. The minister direct all the committees set up nationwide made up of CAN, NSCIA, NURTW, Market Women, CSOS, Youth Organisations, respected traditional rulers, etc to proceed with their work unhindered. Only Mr. President can stop their work, he declared. Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday Advertise on NigerianEye.com to reach thousands of our daily readers View this post on Instagram Dear Christies inc, I have been getting calls and texts asking me to respond to your claim that the Igbo alusi figures you plan to sell on Monday June 29, 2020 were legitimately collected from Awka, in todays Anambra State, Nigeria in 1968-69. I ask you again, what is your definition of legitimate" collecting of important art and cultural heritage from a war zone? Or, are you now a Biafran War Denier? And why on earth did UNESCO find it necessary to establish The Hague Convention on Protection of Cultural Property in the Even of Armed Conflict of 1954? Your claim is an insult to the memory of the millions that died in that Biafran War (1967-70). I have no problem with the auction business as such; but you cannot twist history, even change terminologies in African art, just because you want to make dirty money out of cultural heritage from a part of the world you dont think matters that much. But, just to be clear, my story, these stories of looted Igbo, Nigerian, and African art and cultural heritage will not end with your planned sale of these two alusi figures. This is just the beginning. #christiesinc #lootedart #alusi #bloodart #biafranwar Felix Adolije, a police officer who was part of the team sent to arrest of Hamisu Bala, a suspected kidnap kingpin better known as Wadume, has told a federal high court in Abuja how soldiers attacked the police vehicle in a bid to free the suspect. Led in evidence by Magaji Labaran, prosecution counsel, the witness who is an assistant superintendent of police said they received a petition saying that some unidentified men demanded a N200m ransom from relatives of their victim. 6, 2019. He said after analysing four phone numbers with which the suspects used in making the demand, the team identified one Bashir, a soft target in Taraba, who in turn led them to Wadume in Ibbi on August6, 2019. Adolije said on arrival in Taraba, his team made up of six policemen, went to the police headquarters to brief the state commissioner of police about their mission. In turn, they received a letter of introduction to the area command in Wukare where their arrival was documented. The pointer was with us and he led us to the street where the main target lived, Adolije said. On getting there, he pointed to the main target from inside the bus. So I came down with inspector Sani in our complete uniforms without our cap and jacket. I asked Sani to remain standing by the bus. I brought my identity card out. I realised that the target was with 10 boys lying down on the mat. I showed him my identity card. I told him we were policemen from Intelligence Response Team (IRT) in Abuja. I told him that there was a case we were investigating and that his attention was needed in Abuja. Neither he nor any of his boys asked any question. Quietly, he got up and followed me to our bus. I asked him to follow us and he followed us. There was no argument between us and anybody. We entered the bus. I asked one of my boys inside the bus to restrain him. Then we drove back to the police station. Narrating further, the witness said trouble started after they left the police station heading back to Abuja with the suspect. As we were going back, we got to the last army checkpoint which we encountered when we were coming in, he said. The checkpoint was the first as we were going out. They (the soldiers) asked us to stop. They saw us in uniforms. Then, one of the soldiers asked us where we were coming from. We told him we were the ones whom they passed about 30 minutes earlier. Then one of them asked us if we did not know that the person in our vehicle was a very influential person in the town. I already alighted when he asked me that question. I said I didnt know who even told him that we had made an arrest and I told him, please we are still going far, allow us to go. Then he reluctantly removed the barrier to allow us to go. And we said yes. On getting to the second checkpoint mounted by the mobile policemen, they only asked us if we were through.And we said yes. Then we headed towards the last one mounted by soldiers. As we were in between the mobile policemens checkpoint and that of the soldiers ahead, I saw a Sharon bus with full light. Adolije said they had barely gone past the barrier when shots were fired at their vehicle. I saw an army Hilux with a gun mounted on top, overtake the Sharon bus. The soldiers started firing, he narrated. Then our bus started staggering and somersaulted three times. I was seated with the driver in front. He fell to my side. Then I struggled, by the grace of God, and came out of the vehicle. I left my AK-47 and pistol inside the vehicle. I started running. There were heaps of yam on the other side of the road. The witness said he quickly removed his uniform after he managed to scamper to a tree for safety. He said he also saw another colleague, Emmanuel, who also had taken off his uniform. According to him, it was around 7.30 pm and they had to pass the night under the tree. The next day, Adolije said they found their way to the main road between 5.30am and 6am where they sought help from a motorcyclist who led them to the nearest village. Immediately we got to the village, he (the motorcyclist) started speaking their language. All their youths and men started coming towards us with cutlasses saying we were the kidnappers of yesterday, he recounted. That was where I received the highest beating of my life. When they were beating me, I held on to my identity card telling them that we were policemen from Abuja. He said the youth leader in the village rescued him and his colleague from the mob and took them where some mobile policemen were. The mobile policemen called the area command which brought a patrol vehicle and conveyed us to General Hospital, Wukare. Adolije thanked God for spearing his life to enable him recall all that transpired. Wadume alongside six others are standing trial on 12 counts of terrorism. The other defendants are Aliyu Dadje (a police inspector), Auwalu Bala (aka omo razor), Uba Bala (aka Uba Delu) Bashir Wazlri (aka baba runs), Zubairu Abdullahi (aka Basho) and Rayyanu Abdul. Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday Advertise on NigerianEye.com to reach thousands of our daily readers Onwuzuruike, a self-styled president/chief executive officer of United States-based Prime Trust Credit Union Bank, was arraigned by the EFCC, Port Harcourt Zone on eight counts bordering on conspiracy, impersonation, forgery, possession of proceeds and obtaining money by false pretence. The suspect was alleged to have swindled his victims to the tune of $8.5m. The offence contravenes Section 1 (1) (a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other related offences Act, 2006 and punishable under Section 1 (3) of the same Act. The charge sheet partly read, That you, Onwuzuruike Ikenna Kingsley (aka Jeff Sikora), on or about the 28th day of December, 2019, at Umuahia, Abia State, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, with intent to defraud, did obtain the sum of $6,500,000 through web transfer from one Mr. Selah Elnagar Ali Ahmed, a citizen of the Arabic Republic of Egypt, with the pretence that he is a beneficiary of inheritance funds in a fixed deposit account of Prime Trust Financial Bank, USA, a pretext you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1 (1) (a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other related offences Act, 2006 and punishable under Section 1 (3) of the same Act. However, Onwuzuruike pleaded not guilty. The prosecution counsel, M.T Iko, after listening to the plea by the defendant, prayed the court for a short adjournment. But the defense counsel, R.E. Wanogho, told the court of a pending application for the bail of the defendant. Iko immediately announced his opposition to the application on the grounds that he was only served this morning and needed time to respond to it. Justice Mohammed adjourned the matter to July 3, 2020 for hearing and ordered that the defendant be remanded in EFCC custody. Onwuzuruike was apprehended following intelligence received by the EFCC on his alleged fraudulent activities. This led to the arrest of the defendant on January 26, 2020 by the anti-graft agency at his residence along Uzuakoli Road, Umuahia, Abia State. Investigations revealed that the suspect falsely presented himself as one Jeff Sikora, President/CEO of Prime Trust Credit Union Bank based in the United States of America with the intent to defraud his victims. The defendant, who was said to have forged the identity card of the said Sikora, allegedly defrauded an Egyptian of the sum of $6,500,000.00 on the pretext that he was a beneficiary of Inheritance Funds in a fixed deposit account of Prime Trust Financial Bank. The defendant also collected the sum of $2,000, which was transferred to him by his accomplice, one Obi Taxas (who is now at large) as part of his share of the heist. Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday Advertise on NigerianEye.com to reach thousands of our daily readers The electricity distribution companies of Nigeria had on Monday told the National Assembly leadership that the only condition to halt tariff hike was for the Federal Government to bear the difference between the current tariff and the proposed one. Addressing journalists on behalf of the red chamber on Tuesday, the Chairman, Senate Committee on Power, Senator Gabriel Suswam, and his counterpart in the Media and Public Affairs, Dr. Ajibola Basiru, said increasing the tariff at the moment would be counterproductive. The upper chamber said the best thing for the Federal Government to do now was to take the challenge of subsiding power by paying DISCOs the balance of the current tariff and the proposed one. Suswan specifically said there was nowhere in the world where such gestures were not being extended to the citizenry. He said, Nowhere in the world that power is not subsidised especially in a developing economy because there are genuine people, who, because of their income, are unable to pay what is called a cost-reflective tariff. Nigerians are heavily burdened because of COVID-19. The economy has contracted by 3.2%, thats a lot. So it makes you and I to attend to some of our social problems. So, is the government preferring to add a burden or lessen it? The president has been doing well, he has spent so much money, and what we expect is that the spending will gradually reduce or diminish as the power sector becomes more efficient. There are two things, one is to make it more efficient and second, the government will back out just like they have done in the oil sector where subsidy has been completely removed. Even at that, the government is reducing the pump price. So, should they, in the same vein, increase tariff? It doesnt make sense. I think the executive will agree, even though its going to come at a cost. But what cost is more than lessening the burden on the people? Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday Advertise on NigerianEye.com to reach thousands of our daily readers Home | News | General | Oshiomhole caused APC crisis by sidelining party's founding founders - Uche Nwosu - Uche Nwosu says Comrade Adams Oshiomhole instigated crisis in the APC during his time as the party's chair - Nwosu, a former APC governorship candidate in Imo, accused Oshiomhole of sidelining founding fathers of the party - The APC chieftain called on the caretaker committee of the party to identify the leaders of the party and bring them together PAY ATTENTION: Click See First under the Following tab to see Legit.ng News on your Facebook News Feed! A former governorship candidate in Imo state and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Ugumba Uche Nwosu, on Tuesday, blamed Comrade Adams Oshiomhole for instigating crisis in the ruling party. Nwosu, a son-in-law to former Imo state governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha, accused the former APC national chairman of sidelining founding fathers of the party, especially in the southeast region. Uche Nwosu, an influential APC chieftain, served as the chief of staff to Governor Okorocha. Photo credit: Michael Omoboriowo Source: Facebook PAY ATTENTION: Install our latest app for Android, read the best news on Nigerias #1 news app Ize-Iyamu betrayed us as consensus candidate - Ogiemwonyi His words: Problem started as a result of Oshomholes leadership style. He came to the zone for reasons best known to him and chose to work with people who were not original members of the party and ignored the founding leaders. This led to a serious crisis in the zone and affected the partys fortune in the 2019 elections. He factionationalised the party in the zone by unilaterally supplanting elected exco members with caretaker committee without the knowledge of the NEC. Oshiomhole refused to recognise the elected exco and that was he threw the entire party in the zone into irreconcilable crisis. He, however, called on the recently constituted caretaker committee of the party to reconcile aggrieved factions of the APC in the southeast. The four blocks that formed the APC, including the ACN lead by Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, the CPC led by President Muhammadu Buhari, the APGA faction led by Rochas Okorocha and the PDP faction led by Rotimi Amaechi should be consulted and made to come together to rebuild the party, Nwosu told The Nation in an interview. Edo 2020: Why I visited Tinubu in Lagos - Obaseki opens up On the fate of the party in the southeast, Nwosu noted the committees duty will be made easier and successful if it takes time to study the history of the party in the zone and how and when crisis crept in. To get it right in the southeast, the caretaker committee should be properly equipped with how the party started and evolved in the zone. It should identify the founding leaders of the party in the zone and bring them together. This will more than any other thing opens a new chapter of peace and harmony in the party, he added. Nwosu however assured that the party will become strong in the southeast again when those that founded the party are reached out to and invited for reconciliation. Meanwhile, at a news conference on Saturday, June 27 in Abuja, Oshiomhole said his greatest moment of happiness in office was effectively displacing the Saraki political dynasty in Kwara. Edo 2020: How we helped Oshiomhole when he had no money - Obaseki His words: I remain proud that we were able to recover Kwara state. That was extremely important to us for reasons I need not enumerate. As for regrets, no regrets at all. There is no regret at all. That is the way life is. You cannot have it both ways. NWC dissolution: I remain loyal to President Buhari - Oshiomhole | Legit TV [embedded content] CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM: General Loading... Home | News | General | 774,000 jobs: FG appoints Tinubu's daughter, MC Olu-Omo, to oversee recruitment scheme - The federal government has set up a committee that will oversee the employment of Nigerian youths - The government is planning to employ not less than 774,000 persons throughout local government areas in Nigeria - Some members of the committee are Folasade Tinubu-Ojo and Alhaji Mutiu Are, Musiliu Akinsanya, the head of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) in Lagos PAY ATTENTION: Click See First under the Following tab to see Legit.ng News on your Facebook News Feed! The daughter of the national leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Folasade Tinubu-Ojo has chosen as a member of the committee that will supervise the recruitment of youths in Lagos. The 20-member committee is to undertake the recruitment of persons in the state, which is a part of the federal government's grand plan to create not less than 774,000 jobs throughout the 774 local government areas in Nigeria. Retention of military chiefs is a disservice to Nigeria - Group tells Buhari Other members of the committee include Alhaji Mutiu Are, Musiliu Akinsanya (aka MC Oluomo), the chairman of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) in Lagos. The rest are Kayode Elesin, Alexander Bamgbola, Cornelius Ojelabi, Fadekemi Otitonaiye, Omotayo Oduntan-Oyelodun, Wale Adelana, Tajudeen Gbadamosi, Modupe Ola, Ashiru Olakunle, Labrar Folami, Olufeko Adebowale, Serena Edward, Akanni Babatunde. PAY ATTENTION: Install our latest app for Android, read the best news on Nigerias #1 news app The composition of the committee which is to be headed by Are with Elesin as his deputy was announced by the minister of state for labour and employment, Festus Keyamo on Monday, June 29. MC Oluomo and Folashade Tinubu-Ojo Source: UGC Meanwhile, Legit.ng reported that after a rowdy session with some senators on Tuesday, June 30, Keyamo had spoken again on his position. There was an argument between Keyamo and some lawmakers over issues linked with the creation of 774,000 jobs under the National Directorate of Employment (NDE). Operation Katsina: We've killed 392 bandits, says Nigerian military In a fresh statement in which he maintained his position, the minister said that no politician or person in the country can stop him from carrying out the task given to him by President Muhammadu Buhari. Keyamo in a tweet later on Tuesday described the opportunity to serve in this capacity as a rare privilege. He said: "Except Mr. President, who appointed and gave me the opportunity and rare privilege to drive this programme stops me, no other political leader or person can stop me. I am answerable only to Mr. President. This programme is for all Nigerians." N-Power Project: I Graduated in 2005 and Have Been Unemployed Before N-Power Fixed Me Up Legit TV [embedded content] CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM: General Loading... Home | News | General | Obaseki started the process to join PDP two years ago - APC chieftain - APC chieftain, Honourable Samson Osagie claims Governor Obaseki started the process to join the PDP two years ago - Osagie, a former minority whip in the House of Representatives, said the governor's defection did not come as a surprise to him - Osagie's comment comes days after Governor Obaseki declared that he should have joined the PDP long before he did PAY ATTENTION: Click See First under the Following tab to see Legit.ng News on your Facebook News Feed! An All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain in Edo state, Honourable Samson Osagie, has said Governor Godwin Obaseki started the process of joining the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) two years ago. Osagie, a former minority whip in the House of Representatives, said the governor's defection to the PDP did not come as a surprise to him. He stated this while fielding questions from journalists at the APC national secretariat in Abuja on Tuesday, June 30. Ize-Iyamu betrayed us as consensus candidate - Ogiemwonyi Gov Obaseki joined the PDP some days back after being rejected by the APC. Photo credit: PDP media Source: Twitter PAY ATTENTION: Install our latest app for Android, read the best news on Nigerias #1 news app His words: That he went to the PDP did not come as a surprise for us. So, he hated members of his own political party. Even those who work for him very seriously during the primaries and those who did not support people like us never supported him during his primaries. But we voted for the party elections because we are party men. This is because I know him through and through. And those who knew predicted that his candidature will be a disaster. I mean members of his family. Osagie's comment comes days after Governor Obaseki declared that he should have joined the PDP long before he did. The Edo state governor said he had come to realise that the PDP stood for the values he so much cherished and lived for. Edo 2020: Why I visited Tinubu in Lagos - Obaseki opens up He made the comment on Saturday, June 27 while being presented with a certificate of return as the partys flag bearer for the forthcoming Edo governorship election. According to him, unlike the APC that pushed them out in the rain and storm at their hours of tribulation, the PDP cared so much for its members. Meanwhile, a member of the PDP in Edo state, Kassim Afegbua, has declared that he will not support Governor Obaseki's ambition to be re-elected for a second term in office. Afegbua, a former spokesman to General Ibrahim Babangida and former commissioner of information under Oshiomhole's administration, disclosed this on Monday, June 29 during an interview with Channels Television. At least I am bold enough to come out in the open and say that I will not support Obaseki. It would have been different if I was hiding or pretending to be supporting him and doing some damages, he said. APC vows to sack members who accept appointments from PDP APC disqualifies Obaseki from Edo guber primaries | Legit TV [embedded content] CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM: General Loading... Home | News | General | Lagos orders contractor to fix Lagos-Badagry Expressway Kindly Share This Story: A typical Mile 2 traffic By Olasunkanmi Akoni Lagos State Government, on Tuesday, directed China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation, CCECC, awarded the rehabilitation of bad portions on the Lagos-Badagry Expressway, to get back to site without further delay. The directive followed public outcry over the deplorable state of the expressway, which has led to daily traffic congestion at Mile 2 and environs, particularly on Oshodi-Apapa Expressway, impending business activities in and around the nations seaports. Special Adviser on Works and Infrastructure to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Egnr. Aramide Adeyoye, who disclosed this to Vanguard on Tuesday, said the contractor had been summoned and given directive to get back to the site and commence rehabilitation of the bad portions on the expressway. Adeoye, who spoke through her Public Affairs Officer, Mr. Shina Odunuga, said: As I speak with you the contractor, CCECC, has been directed to rehabilitate the bad portion of the road. The contractor, CCECC, was summoned today, (Tuesday), and after much deliberation was directed to commence rehabilitation of the Lagos-Badagry Expressway. She added that government was not unaware of the plight the residents were going through in the area, hence, the urgent intervention by the state government to swiftly restore sanity and discipline. Adeoye, however, did not explain why the execution of repair work was delayed until the summoning of the contractor. Vanguard Kindly Share This Story: CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM: General Loading... Home | News | General | Buhari outlines plans to lift 100m Nigerians out of poverty Kindly Share This Story: President Muhammadu Buhari President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday at the United Nations outlined the Federal Governments plans to lift 100 million Nigerians out of poverty within the next 10 years. The president spoke in a video message to a high-level meeting of the UN General Assembly on poverty eradication. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the virtual meeting featured the launch of the Alliance for Poverty Eradication (APE). APE is designed to serve as a forum to galvanise UN member states, the international community and other stakeholders to support actions geared toward poverty eradication. Buhari welcomed the launch of the initiative and expressed Nigerias endorsement of all multilateral actions aimed at actualising the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). He said: Nigeria attaches great importance to poverty eradication. It is for this reason that in May, 2019, on my inauguration for a second term in office, our government committed itself to starting a new programme of lifting 100 million Nigerians out of poverty within a 10-year period. It is my conviction that devoting our efforts towards human capital development, efficient management of our resources, greater financial inclusion, and transformation of the agricultural sector to ensure food security are crucial to poverty eradication. In this regard, Nigeria continues to strengthen its existing social safety net initiative by increasing access to enrollees who fit the various programmes in the scheme. Nigeria will also continue to provide easier and increased access to financial services for micro and small-scale businesses through the governments Enterprise and Empowerment Programme. The president expressed his administrations determination to do more, including massive investment in education, especially of the girl-child. Nigeria holds the view that education is a critical driver of sustainable development and has immense capacity to eradicate poverty. Educating our children, especially the girl child, contributes significantly to the fight against poverty, environmental sustainability and improved health as well as building peace and resilient societies, he said. Buhari said the Federal Government had also integrated the economic, social and environmental dimensions of the SDGs into its economic plans. He decried the adverse economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic which he said was threatening to reverse decades of progress made in poverty eradication. The president said that in Nigeria, as was the case in many other countries, the domestic supply chains and trading corridors had come under enormous strain. According to him, the situation is dire for Sub-Saharan countries with large informal economies and a significant number of daily wage earners. Buhari noted that the potential economic devastation of the pandemic had made it a national development priority. In response to the challenges posed by COVID-19, he said the government recently developed an economic sustainability plan. The plan, he said, would stimulate the economy and extend protection to the very poor and other vulnerable groups through pro-poor spending. The president lauded the over 30 UN member states anchoring the Alliance for Poverty Eradication. In these difficult times, it takes considerable boldness and courage to consider that which is in the interest of the greater good. The anchor members have done just that, he said. NAN Vanguard Nigeria News Kindly Share This Story: CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM: General Loading... Home | News | General | An internship of a lifetime Kindly Share This Story: By Rasheed Bolarinwa I had always looked forward to the period of my internship (SIWES), as I just could not wait to get that industry experience and the needed little break away from the rigorous studies in school. Towards the end of my third year in 2018, I had begun searching for companies that could provide adequate practical experience of the theoretical knowledge I was constantly getting from the classroom. Nigerian Breweries (NB) Plc topped the list of companies I had in mind. I talked to a few people who had previously interned at its Lagos Brewery. This heightened my interest to intern there. So, began my Ultimate Search, to paraphrase one of the companys popular game show for one of its equally popular brand, Imagine this: on the day I took my schools IT letter to the company located in Iganmu, on Lagos mainland, I took the test for IT applicants. The test had 20 questions which lasted 20 minutes. The result of my test was not hidden from me as most organisations would normally do. I was elated that I passed with a score of 16 out of 20. I was asked to immediately proceed to the clinic for my medicals. I was impressed and was not surprised: NB is a multinational, after all. Getting down to work On my first day at Lagos Brewery, I got up as early as 4:30am as I had to travel about 26 kilometres from the outskirts of the city to Iganmu, to be at work by 7:30am. Fortunately, this was on my dads route to work; so he dropped me off there. The first thing that piqued my interest in the brewery was how safety was the number one priority as everyone coming into the brewery for the first time is made to watch a safety induction video and take a safety test before access into the brewery would be granted; after which the appropriate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) would be provided. Walking into the brewery, the atmosphere screamed safety, organisation and neatness with the many signs provided at necessary points. Upon entry, I was placed in the Technological department where I spent most of the day getting introduced into the brewery as an intern. As an intern, I had access to lunch every day, a carton of NB non-alcoholic beverage every month and a monthly token of N12,000. Close of work was 4:30pm and 4:00pm only on Fridays. Travelling back home was not easy for me as I had to board about 3 to 4 buses and sometimes when Lagos traffic got crazy, I had to use the commercial bikes not minding its attendant risk. Most days, I never got home before 8:00pm and I still had to wake up at 4:30am for work. This became my routine for a period of almost 20 weeks. During my stay as an intern in the Lagos Brewery where I was placed in the Technological department I was supervised by Mr. Solomon Yakubu, who aside taking me through practical experience, equally gave fatherly advice on life issues generally. I also worked in the Brewing Department where I was supervised by Mr. Chidi Nwangwa. The technological department is also known as the Quality assurance department/laboratory where the quality of every material that is used in brewing is tested through various analyses (physical and chemical) starting from the raw materials to the semi-finished and finished products. In this department, I learnt how to carry out various analyses and how to prepare the reagents used for the analyses under the supervision of various analysts. Analyses like Esters and Diacetyl test using the gas chromatography system which is used to separate good/sweet-smelling flavours (Esters) from off flavours (Diacetyl) in beer, residual sludge analysis using the Buchner funnel to check for the efficiency of the filter used in brewing, bitterness test in beer in process (wort) and finished beer to know if the quantity of the substance responsible for bitterness in beer (hops) is adequate, test for CO2 & foreign gases to ensure it conforms with the norm of the product. I also learnt how to carry out tests such as pH, alkinity, magnesium & calcium hardness, Iron, free chlorine, Sulphate, phosphate, chloride, turbidity on all types of water used in the brewery. The analysts I worked with Mrs. Uzoamaka Ibemere, Mrs. Francisca Akpen and Mrs. Lorina Ohamuo were amazing all through my stay. In this department, I learned a lot about diligence, hard work and paying attention to details. The Brewing department also called the Brewhouse is where the conversion of grains like sorghum and barley to beer occurs which goes from the intake/pre-treatment of grains to storage in a silo/silos up to the point of beer storage. I was taken through the processes it took grains (raw material) to be converted to beer (final product) which include milling, mashing, filtration, boiling, cooling, yeast pitching, fermentation, carbonation and storage by Mr. Okorie Ifeanacho Kizito. Brewing gave me a deeper understanding of chemical engineering principles like transport phenomena, material and energy balances, separation and thermodynamics after seeing how it works in real life. My internship/SIWES programme with Nigerian Breweries was real life-changing as I did not only get the practical/industrial experience of the theoretical principles learnt in class, but was also able to inculcate such soft skills as teamwork, effective communication, taking responsibility, ability to work under pressure and time management. I was also able to carry out safety measures prior to my acquisition of knowledge and skills in Health, Safety and Environment (HSE). These skills set will help me in any and every aspect of life. The only thing I wish I did differently was to have applied for other internships earlier than the proposed year to have more experience in the real world. Oh well. Bolarinwa, a final year Chemical Engineering undergraduate of University of Lagos, wrote via: izziyyahbolarinwa@gmail.com Vanguard Nigeria News Kindly Share This Story: CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM: General Loading... Home | News | General | Interpol Rejects Irans Request For Trump Arrest Interpol has resoundingly rejected the Iranian governments request for help in carrying out an arrest warrant for U.S. President Donald Trump, in a statement sent to CNBC late Monday. Under Article 3 of INTERPOLs constitution it is strictly forbidden for the Organization to undertake any intervention or activities of a political, military, religious or racial character, the Lyon-based international organization said in the emailed statement.. Therefore, if or when any such requests were to be sent to the General Secretariat, in accordance with the provisions of our constitution and rules, INTERPOL would not consider requests of this nature. Iran on Monday issued an arrest warrant for Trump over the killing of its top commander, Gen. Qasem Soleimani, in January. Tehran Attorney General Ali Alghasi-Mehr was quoted in local press as naming Trump and 35 other people, who Iran has accused of involvement in Soleimanis death, as facing murder and terrorism charges. He also reportedly asked Interpol to issue red notices for them the highest-level notice the organization can issue on an individual to pursue their arrest. Red notices enable local law enforcement authorities to arrest individuals on behalf of the requesting country, though they cant force countries governments to arrest or extradite suspects. Still, they can cause diplomatic problems and restrict the travel and free movement of suspects. U.S. Special Envoy for Iran, Brian Hook, called the Iranian announcement a propaganda stunt that no-one takes seriously, describing it as political and having nothing to do with national security. Soleimani led Irans Quds Force, the foreign operations wing of the elite paramilitary Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The Trump administration labeled him a terrorist, and Washington deemed him responsible for the deaths of hundreds of U.S. troops in Iraq but in Iran, he was widely revered as a hero. The 62-year-old Soleimani was killed in a drone strike directed by Trump in early January while in the Iraqi capital of Baghdad. News of his death sent regional tensions and oil prices soaring and triggered a retaliatory attack by Iran and its proxies on Iraqi bases housing U.S. troops. Advertisements CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM: General Loading... Home | News | General | COVID-19: Aso Rock Needs Cleansing Primate Ayodele Warns Buhari The leader of INRI Evangelical spiritual church, Primate Elijah Ayodele, has advised President Muhammadu Buhari to be wary of COVID-19 in the Presidential Villa. Primate Ayodele advised Buhari to be vigilant and be mindful of the people he hosts.. In a series of prophecies, the clergyman disclosed that Nigeria would lose some prominent men to COVID-19 between July and August. A statement he signed and sent to Edujandon.com , on Tuesday reads: President Buhari should be vigilant and be mindful of the people he hosts during this period. Between July and August, Nigeria will lose prominent people to COVID-19. Buhari should minimize the way he attends to people during this time, The villa needs to be cleansed. Advertisements CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM: General Loading... Home | News | General | WTO Nominee, Okonjo-Iweala, Says She Has Strong Support From Africa Nigerias candidate to head the World Trade Organization (WTO) said she feels strong support from Africa and expects African leaders to unite behind one candidate as sources following the race said she is gaining broader backing. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, a former finance and foreign minister who has more than 25 years experience at the World Bank, is seeking to replace Brazils Roberto Azevedo who announced last month he would step down on Aug. 31, in a surprise move at a critical juncture for the body.. Africa has struggled in the past to unite behind one candidate and the Geneva-based watchdog has never been led by someone from the continent before, nor by a woman, and there is broad feeling it is Africas turn. I cannot presume for any group but I can tell you that I feel strong support from the region, she told Reuters late on Monday, saying she was having very constructive conversations among the 164 members. One delegate described her as definitely the favourite, especially since European Trade Commissioner Phil Hogan dropped out, and likely to be acceptable to China and the United States. Egypts Hamid Mamdouh, a former WTO official, is also a candidate and was endorsed by the African Union months ago, before Okonjo-Iwealas candidacy was announced. The new heads in-tray includes overseeing reforms, clinching a long-overdue multilateral trade deal, coping with a post-COVID recession as well as growing protectionism and U.S.-China trade tensions. The problems are very deep and challenging but they are not insoluble, she said, stressing the need for reform including of the bodys top court which is a priority for Washington. Critics say she does not have enough direct trade experience but she says being an outsider is an advantage. Backers laud her negotiating skills, including a deal to cancel billions of dollars of Nigerian debt. Over my long career Ive managed to build relationships and platforms at levels high enough to be able to dialogue with the right people, she said. Nominations are open until July 8 at the WTO, which traditionally chooses a chief by consensus. Advertisements CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM: General Loading... Home | News | General | Obaseki Became A PDP Member 2 Years Ago Osagie, Ex House Minority Whip Former House of Representative Minority Whip, Hon Samson Osagie, has said that Edo State Governor Godwin Obaseki joining the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) did not come as a surprise, saying that the Governor started the process two years into his tenure. Fielding questions from newsmen at the National Secretariat of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Osagie argued that the former National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, did not decampaign the partys candidate, Osagie Ize-Iyamu, with the trending video clips of uncomplimentary remarks about him.. The former House member maintained that the only offence Oshiomhole committed against Obaseki was that he did not join Obaseki to decimate the party. As at today, the clamour for change of government in Edo State is very high and we are very confident that come September 19, APC and its candidate will win the election, he boasted. On the possibility of Obaseki deploying the power of incumbency, he said: That they will try to do that is not in doubt. However, whether Edo people believe in the PDP giving the past reports of the party is another matter entirely. Obaseki became governor not because of whatever special thing he personally has contributed or done but because of the performance of the former governor, the former National Chairman who practically put him on his back. He campaigned through the nooks and crannies of the state, invested his goodwill, his time, his energy, his resources to make that happen. Unfortunately, he has not learnt anything, that is the current governor and that will be his greatest albatross. Ize-Iyamu is set to clinch the governorship of Edo State. All that is Obaseki has is the incumbency factor, he said. Asked whether Oshiomhole has burnt his credit in Edo given the way he mismanaged the candidacy of Obaseki in the party, he said: I think at best that is the view of a very subjective analyst. If Oshiomhole enters Edo today, in 48 hours, Edo people will troop to his residence because he is loved by Edo people, they love him. He has an open-door policy. Oshiomhole did not mismanage anything. The only offence Oshiomhole committed against Obaseki is that he did not join Obaseki to decimate the party. We have concrete evidence that even as governor, midway into his tenure, he has started working clandestinely with the PDP. That he went to the PDP did not come as a surprise for us. So, he hated members of his own political party. Even those who work for him very seriously during the primaries and those who did not support people like us never supported him during his primaries. But we voted for the party elections because we are party men. This is because I know him through and through. And those who knew predicted that his candidature will be a disaster. I mean members of his family. So, Oshiomhole hasnt burnt any credit given the extent to which he has risen as National Chairman of a party. It only natural that you will have this kind of darts fired at him and that is what has happened, he argued. On whether Oshiomhole has directly or indirectly, de-campaigned Ize-Iyamu considering what he said about him during the last election, he replied: Have you seen what Dan Orbih said about Obaseki? Have you seen it? All is fair in war. Advertisements CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM: General Loading... Home | News | General | I Didnt Ask Anyone To Insult Buhari, Oshiomhole Oba Of Benin The Oba of Benin, Oba Ewuare II, has denied commissioning anyone to insult President Muhamadu Buhari, former Edo state governor, Adams Oshiomhole and Captain Hosa Okunbor. The monarch said the insult on the personalities of Buhari and two other illustrious sons of Edo State, currently trending on social media, was the handiwork of mischief makers.. The monarch was responding to a recent video on social media anchored by one Eranomigho Edegbe, who claimed that he has the authority of the Oba to hurl insults on President Buhari and few other individuals. But Oba of Benin, in a statement signed by the Secretary, Benin Traditional Council(BTC), Mr Frank Irabor, said: We condemned in strong terms the malicious attacks on the integrity of President Buhari and other persons whom the video seek to malign. For the purpose of clarification and to set the record straight, Oba of Benin wish to make it categorically and irrevocably clear that the said video and contents therein was not commissioned nor was it encouraged by the Oba, he said. He explained that Oshiomole and Okunbor, who have been adopted by the palace of the Oba, have not only respected the culture and traditions of the land, but meaningfully contributed to the wellbeing of the state. While demanding an unreserved apology from Eranomigho to avert the consequences, BTC warned that there is an ancestral curse on any one who attempted to tarnish the image of Benin and the ancient throne of the Benin kingdom. Advertisements CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM: General Loading... Home | News | General | FG reels out 11 conditions workers must meet at workplace as govt extends relaxation of lockdown (full list) As Nigeria begins another phase in the relaxation of lockdown, the federal government in its central response to Covid-19 fight has reeled out guidelines for workplaces. PAY ATTENTION: Click See First under the Following tab to see Legit.ng News on your Facebook News Feed The federal government made the announcement through the Federal Ministry of Health in accordance with the recommendation of the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on Covid-19. According to the health ministry, the guideline will help to limit the spread of Covid-19 virus and further assist in creating a conducive environment for workers. The federal government has reeled out guidelines for workplaces to curtail virus spread. Credit: Twitter. Source: Depositphotos "This guideline will help to limit the spread of COVID-19, by creating a safer work environment, thereby reducing the exposure of workers especially the elderly ones & those with other diseases," the health ministry said in a tweet on Tuesday, June 30. The guidelines are as follows: 1. Workers must always wear face masks in public and workplaces. Kaduna, Gombe and others named among 32 states that may find it difficult to pay salaries after Covid-19 2. Workers' temperature must be checked at the entrance of the workplaces. 3. Workers must avoid elevators to limit close contact ad exposure to Covid-19. 4. Workers must use non-contact greetings. 5. Workplaces must reduce staff capacities to 75% or less. 6. Meetings must be held virtually if workers to attend are more than 10. 7. Workers must maintain physical distancing all the time. 8. Work stations must be disinfected before employees enter. 9. Workers must not share work tools. 10. Workers must eat home-made foods. 11. Workers must maintain two meters when attending to customers. The ministry enjoined all workers to follow the guidelines as efforts are being channelled towards ending the Covid-19 crisis in Nigeria. PAY ATTENTION: Install our latest app for Android, read the best news on Nigerias #1 news app Meanwhile, Legit.ng reported that following the end of the second phase of the eased lockdown, the federal government is considering locking down 18 local government areas in the country to curtail the spread of COVID-19. Full list of guidelines churches and mosques must follow before reopening in Lagos amid Covid-19 This was disclosed on Monday, June 29, by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) and chairman Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19, Boss Mustapha, after meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari. Mustapha speaking with State House reporters after leading his team to brief the Nigerian leader said the lockdown was necessary to enable aggressive testing and management of the virus. Many Nigerians still don't believe Coronavirus exists - NOA DG | - on Legit TV [embedded content] CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM: General Loading... Home | News | General | Non-payment of Edo state COVID-19 workers unacceptable - Ize-Iyamu blasts Obaseki - Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu is not happy that COVID-19 workers in Edo are being owed - The APC governorship candidate described the actions of the Edo state government towards the workers as unacceptable - The government, however, said the workers would be paid their outstanding allowance after vetting their payroll PAY ATTENTION: Click See First under the Following tab to see Legit.ng News on your Facebook News Feed Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu has condemned the reported non-payment of three months allowance due to the Edo state COVID-19 mobile screening team. The team reportedly staged a protest on Tuesday, June 30 in Benin, lamenting that the state government failed to pay their allowances for three successive months and dismissed them without settlement of outstanding bills. Ize-Iyamu, the aspirant of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the Edo state 2020 governorship election, described the actions of the Edo state government towards the team as callous, inhumane, and unacceptable. Edo, Ondo 2020: Falana names one major thing to reduce tension Ize-Iyamu condemned the non-payment of the workers, calling it unacceptable. Photo credit: POI media Source: Facebook PAY ATTENTION: Download our mobile app to enjoy the latest news update In a statement signed by the spokesman of his campaign organization, John Mayaki, Pastor Ize-Iyamu demanded immediate payment of the allowances alongside a public statement of apology by the state government to the team. He also reassured the screening team of his solidarity and support to ensure that all their demands are met without any retributive actions. Part of the statement read: These people are patriotic citizens who carried out an important assignment, at great risk to their own personal health, which proved crucial in the fight against the viral disease in the state. To see them subjected to such indignity and inhumane treatment by the Obaseki-administration is saddening and extremely disappointing. It is another sad episode reflective of the Obaseki-administrations heartlessness and irresponsible prioritization of politics over the welfare of the people. Opposition party in Oyo clashes with Makinde, accuses state governor of hijacking Ajimobi's projects Even as he continues to double down on doubtful claims that his administration has spent billions on the management of COVID-19 in the state without any accountability, the people have voiced loud dissatisfaction with all government interventions. The screening team at the centre of the controversy comprises of medical doctors, health personnel, contact tracers, data collectors among others. They were employed by the Edo government as ad-hoc staff to trace people who have had contact with COVID-19 patients, all in a bid to ramp up testing in the state. They were reportedly disengaged via WhatsApp message from the incident manager without due payment of monthly allowances. Responding to inquiries by journalists, the Edo state government said the workers would be paid their outstanding allowance upon the conclusion of the vetting of their payroll. Spokesman of Governor Godwin Obaseki, Mr Crusoe Osagie, in a statement, said the task force was demobilised after the state exceeded its target to screen and test over 500,000 and 5,000 persons respectfully. Edo 2020: Why I visited Tinubu in Lagos - Obaseki opens up The target has been achieved and surpassed. This has led to the modification of our response to the pandemic. With this, the taskforce was demobilised across the screening centres at mobile posts, borders and several other locations, he said. He further said the delay in payment of allowances was as a result of the vetting of the list of volunteers and other frontline workers, which would be resolved within the week. Meanwhile, a member of the Peoples Democratic Party in Edo state, Kassim Afegbua, has declared that he will not support Governor Obaseki's ambition to be re-elected for a second term in office. Afegbua, a former spokesman to General Ibrahim Babangida and former information in the state, disclosed this on Monday, June 29 during an interview with Channels Television. Many Nigerians still don't believe Coronavirus exists - NOA DG | Legit TV [embedded content] CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM: General Loading... Home | News | General | APC saga: As the Buni-led committee sails through historic contours Editor's note: Dr Abubakar Buka Kagu, a lecturer at the Yobe State University, Damaturu writes on the newly constituted caretaker and extra-ordinary convention planning committee of the ruling All Progressives Congress, head by Governor Mai Mala Buni. He can be reached via abbakagu@gmail.com PAY ATTENTION: Click See First under the Following tab to see Legit.ng News on your Facebook News Feed! Read below: It is no doubt that intra-party feuds have the potential to cause great upset. Whether these challenges may lead to sufficient fractures which can slowly snowball into electoral reverses is another matter. The simple point is that such disputes, especially when they present themselves to the general public, give the impression of dysfunctionality in the party structure and leadership. This becomes even more complex where those involved are high-ranking party members. The decision to dissolve the NWC was a timely intervention to rescue the party from an imminent implosion. What also emerged as the current interim leadership chaired by Governor Buni of Yobe state suggests that the APC is in dire need of a unifying figure. Seen by many as one of APCs most tenacious sons, it is expected he will use his experience and long-held relationships to harmonize the house and recoup any lost grounds. Expectedly, the overwhelming conversation is now about party unity but the most crucial task for the Buni-led committee is actually far from that. I must say that the level of acceptability of the committee leadership from all sides of the divide seems to suggest the level of confidence imposed on them. But to whom much is given, much is expected, they say. Alleged N2bn agric loan scam: Court restrains Ebonyi govt from probing former SSG Governor Buni has a lot in his plate to ensure the APC stays united. Photo credit: Yobe state govt Source: Twitter President Buhari must be commended for intervention like the statesman that he is and I am delighted that several party leaders have echoed their willingness to obey. However, democracy is about numbers and any member of the party is as important as the other. The party must not allow itself to be distracted. Given the size and the growing diversity of interests that may be unfolding going into 2023, party cohesion and party discipline are the main questions that need to be reworked. The victory expected in next general elections has now been drawn into every minute and moment of the next six months slated for the conventions. This impulsive period will continue to witness the constant lesson in political history, that parties are and will always remain diverse teams composed by a variety of players that coordinate and also collide. Therefore, the primary and most vital objects for Bunis team are cohesion and discipline; let these two advances deliver the unity the party sought. Edo 2020: Why I visited Tinubu in Lagos - Obaseki opens up Cohesion, which is probably the less complex of the two is best attained through a cautiously shared preference of reassuring positive incentives among major players. Discipline, on the other hand, may only be instilled via the instrument of the laws governing the party. However, going by the provision of Article 21 of the party constitution and a plethora of precedents, it is clear how subjective everything is to the rule of law. In particular, the APC constitution did not fail to mention the principality of fair hearing; and fair hearing is a convoluted area of law and jurisprudence that must be threaded with caution. Furthermore, the contents of Article 21 (c) and (d) leave a lot to be desired by courts, especially in the realms of attorning the question of rights and constitutionalism on parties organs; the bench will hesitate to relinquish such powers, as it always does. This impasse must be avoided at all cost. And to achieve that, the first commitment must be to revisit the workings of the party organs vested with powers and responsibility to listen to grievance and appeals as provided in the constitution of the party. If they have up and doing, we may not have found ourselves in this situation or at least, the situation would not have warranted the series of litigations and counters witnessed. Edo 2020: What Oshiomhole allegedly told INEC APC about direct primary before NWC approval - Report reveals Everything humanly possible must be done not to allow further wrangles that will warrant the courts usurp vital decisions and outcomes in this delicate contour. Pre and post-convention, disagreements are bound to arise. They must be cautiously attended to with some aura of detachment from previously mismanaged dispositions, hence it does not go further to breed unwarranted multidimensional causes and effects. Therefore, the Buni led team has the arduous task of mustering every tact to pursue harmony, or a sense of it, by invigorating and making the best of what the disciplinary organs of the party were meant to achieve. The long press briefings, texts and comments by some party leaders are as consoling as they are vague. While the content of these media statements sounded like the past is foregone, the context seemed to strongly suggest the necessity to unearth the unsaid. Another dimension to this task is to interrogate both existing and foreseeable agitations and distinguish them as the burners who should be given some degree of concession, they believe they have not received thus far. This may be bound by some reassuring areas of stake. Such an interchange will not only help to assess how the party will fare through the coming months but also the tenability of the outcome of the convention. Early engagements and subsequent responses to cautious offers and negotiations will also reveal, to a larger extent, how inclined the major players are to uphold and participate in augmenting and strengthening the balance and not draw the party into other diversionary tracks. COVID-19: FG sends update to civil servants on resumption of work PAY ATTENTION: Install our latest app for Android, read the best news on Nigerias #1 news app It is right to assume that stern deliberations have already begun on where affiliations reside going into the convention. The air of party harmony and cohesion will now, dwell a lot on the nature of leverage and the degree of incentives to be proposed to various interest blocs. Identifying these incentives and defining a benchmark or what is agreeable is a herculean mission that must be figured out and accomplished. In confronting the burners, it is also central to acknowledge that players and or groups are not equal among themselves. They perceptibly maintain distinctive preferences even when the perspective to cooperate in order to preserve party successes is the same. Hence, any kind of reconciliatory throng will undoubtedly require some decentralization of the process, which is among the foremost stratagem in enhancing the possibilities to effectively bargain while lessening the appetite for rebellion. Even masquerades must now adhere to the rules concerning COVID-19 as this top Nigerian monarch issues directives The challenge ahead is a progeny that confronts the APC. It needs more than a dose of the familiar antidotes. Depending on the constituency and consequence, the way these antidotes would be procured and administered may also differ. But in all, it has to come with some willingness to apportion incentives in ways that major players feel their participation is not only a mere path to a win but a win in itself. Creating a space for relief and succour will undoubtedly balance the stakes. And handled prudently, the Buni led team will not only surmount the debacle but also define, far into the future, where the APC will be. These events will certainly echo in our political history. Your own opinion articles are welcome at info@corp.legit.ng drop an email telling us what you want to write about and why. More details in Legit.ngs step-by-step guide for guest contributors. Fresh plots as 9 governors meet Tinubu, strike deal as they want Akeredolu, Obaseki returned without stress Contact us if you have any feedback, suggestions, complaints or compliments. We are also available on Twitter. APC sacks NWC, appoints caretaker committee | Legit TV [embedded content] CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM: General Loading... Home | News | General | This is the true state of Nigeria's economy - Buhari opens up - President Muhammadu Buhari has spoken up about Nigeria's true economic state - The president said that many Nigerians are poverty-stricken - Buhari added that citizens are hit with the terrible effects of coronavirus PAY ATTENTION: Click See First under the Following tab to see Legit.ng News on your Facebook News Feed! According to President Buhari in a virtual meeting with the Presidential Economy Advisory Council on Tuesday, June 30, Nigeria is in a state of underdevelopment. At the virtual meeting also attended by Vice president Yemi Osinbajo and Secretary-General of the Federation (SGF) Boss Mustapha, President Buhari said that the nation's economy needs to be steered, The Cable reports. He said that the country's population is characterised by poor persons who are now hunted by the harsh economic effects the coronavirus pandemic. The president said: We are a country characterised by a large population of poor people, serious infrastructure deficit, lack of housing and a vulnerable economy now haunted by the COVID-19 pandemic and collapse of the oil sector and its effect on the gross domestic product (GDP). Nigerian man with 2 wives laments hardship under Buhari's administration, says he wants a 3rd wife President Muhammadu Buhari Source: Facebook Earlier, Legit.ng reported that President Buhari on Tuesday, June 30, convened a crucial meeting attended by Osinbajo and his chief of staff, Ibrahim Gambari. The meeting, announced at the Twitter page of the federal government, was also attended by Mustapha. Others persons who attended the virtual meeting were members of the Presidential Economic Advisory Council (PEAC) headed by Bismarck Rewane. The president, Osinbajo, Gambari were at the council chamber of the state house in Abuja for the meeting also attended by other members of the PEAC: Chukwuma Soludo, Ode Ojowu, Shehu Yahaya, Muhammad Sagagi, Adedoyin Salami and Iyabo Masaha. Following the scourge of coronavirus and its devastating effect on crude oil prices, stakeholders of economies, that of Nigeria inclusive, are coming up with sustainable and effective strategies that will stem the tide of imminent recession. PAY ATTENTION: Get the Latest Nigerian News Anywhere 24/7. Spend less on the Internet! If you have fever, its more likely due to malaria than COVID-19 - PTF coordinator says, begs private hospitals not to reject patients of other diseases Also, the finance minister, Zainab Ahmed, had said Nigerias economy will go into a recession based on the current assessment by the Nigeria Bureau of Statistics (NBS). Ahmed told journalists shortly after the national economic council meeting in Abuja on Thursday, May 21, that the current data shows that the economy would go into a recession at an average of -4.4 per %. The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has made an assessment. So, it is the NBS assessment that Nigeria will go into a recession measuring at an average of -4.4%," she said. COVID-19: Nigerians speak on effects of ease of lockdown| Legit TV [embedded content] CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM: General Loading... Home | News | General | Fear grips commissioners, others, as Akeredolu tests positive for COVID-19 Kindly Share This Story: Rotimi Akeredolu Work goes on Ondo Govt By Dayo Johnson GOVERNOR Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State, yesterday, tested positive for the coronavirus. The governors COVID-19 status, however, sent fears down the spines of commissioners, lawmakers and traditional rulers, who had contacts with the governor in the last one week. Akeredolu, however, assured that he will continue to perform his official duties from his self-isolation. The governor, who broke the news on his twitter handle, said: Earlier today (yesterday), I got confirmation of a positive result for COVID-19. His words: I am asymptomatic and not displaying any symptoms. I am currently self-isolating, and supervised home management will be administered by the wonderful team at our Infectious Disease Hospital, IDH. I ask that we all stay safe and be well. Later in a state broadcast, Akeredolu said: My good people of Ondo State, it gives me great pleasure to address you at this moment. I had malaria a few days ago and was treated and did get over it and as at the time we had our party NEC and my colleagues called on me, I spoke with one of them who said malaria should not be treated lightly but I should go ahead and have a test for COVID-19. The result came out yesterday, 30th of June, 2020 and I tested positive but I am very asymptomatic. Im asymptomatic I do not feel sick neither am I feeling hot in any way, but my doctors have decided that I should take the normal treatment and self-isolate. I believe that supervised home management will be ideal for me for now, so from now I will be isolated and go on with the supervised home management. Let me assure our people that as you can see me there are many of us like this that dont have the symptoms but it is there and you cannot see it and in few days time, we will conduct another test and we will know the result. Let me assure our people that the work is going on here at home I will be attending to files which are the normal thing I do and there is nothing that will stop work from going on. I want to plead with my political associates that they should continue with the project we are sure to win. As you know, I am gifted to get through to my destination, knowing that I am a man with special gifts, and my trust in God to get through this is unshaken. Fear grips commissioners, lawmakers, monarchs, others Vanguard, however, gathered that commissioners, lawmakers and traditional rulers, who had contacts with the governor in the last week, expressed fear of being infected with the virus. Members of the Ondo State House of Assembly, led by the speaker, Mr. Bamidele Oloyelogun, led the members to obtain and submit the governorship nomination form in Abuja and, on arrival, visited him at the Government House. Also, the chairman of the state council of Obaship the Olugbo of Ugbo, Oba Frederick Akinruntan led other traditional rulers to endorse the governor for a second term in office last week. A reliable source told Vanguard that the governor had sent words to all the commissioners and others, who had contact with him in the last one week to submit themselves for tests so as to know their health status. No component of govt will sufferOjogo Reacting, the Information and Orientation Commissioner, Mr. Donald Ojogo, in a statement, said: the governor has resolved to self-isolate, in line with accepted global standards in respect of COVID-19 protocols. This becomes necessary to ensure a proper determination and direction of focus. The statement reads: Mr. Governor trusts in God that all will be well even as he seeks the prayers of all and sundry during this period. It must be noted, however, that the decision by the governor to go into self-isolation is voluntary and clearly depicts the need for transparency as we confront the COVID-19 pandemic. Accordingly, there is nothing to fear; and no component of government business will be adversely affected within the period of the Governors self-isolation. In this regard, Mr. Governor calls on all to be steadfast and remain committed to his or her assigned official responsibilities. Specifically, Mr. Governor calls on his Campaign Team to continue with all planned events and itineraries as regards the re-run project. We shall win and win big, he assures. Undergo tests, Akeredolu directs cabinet members In the meantime, Governor Akeredolu has directed all members of the cabinet, close aides and others who have had reasons for constant contacts with him to undergo compulsory tests. Vanguard Kindly Share This Story: CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM: General Loading... Home | News | General | Ortom does not keep armed militia CPS Akase Kindly Share This Story: .demands apology from Keana LG Chairman By Peter Duru The Chief Press Secretary, CPS, to Governor Samuel Ortom, Mr. Terver Akase has debunked the alleged statement by the Chairman of Keana Local Government Area of Nasarawa State, Mr. Adamu Adi who reportedly accused Governor Ortom of keeping armed militia that attacks Fulani herders. Akase who made the clarification yesterday in Makurdi said the allegation was an act of mischief and demanded an apology from Mr. Adi. The chairman had in a Radio Nigeria Network news allegedly accused the Benue state Governor of keeping armed men that attack herders on Benue/Nasarawa borders. Reacting to the accusation, Akase said, precisely on May 20, 2020, a meeting was held in Yelewata where the Governors of Benue and Nasarawa states met and discussed the issue of security especially on the border communities. One of the resolutions in the meeting is that the Open Grazing law of Benue should be respected by all parties. And that whenever herders got to the borders they should not cross into Benue state. Interestingly the Keana Chairman was in that meeting. So what he did was mischief or a deliberate effort to sabotage the peace efforts of the Governors of Benue and Nasarawa states. The two Governors have been having sleepless nights to find a solution to that problem, his governor initiated the first meeting and visited Benue after which our governor, Ortom visited Lafia and they again met in Yelewata. So if the two leaders have been trying to find a way out of this problem and he then suddenly came on air to make such spurious statements that were very unfortunate and misleading and we demand an apology. YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: [embedded content] Vanguard News Kindly Share This Story: CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM: General Loading... Home | News | General | Illegal bunkering: Navy siezes vessel, arrests 5 suspects in Akwa Ibom Kindly Share This Story: The Nigerian Navy Ship Jubilee (NNS) on Tuesday said that it has seized a vessel used for oil bunkering and arrested five suspects in Akwa Ibom. The Commander of NNS Jubilee, Commodore Majid Ibrahim, disclosed this to newsmen during the handing over of the vessel and suspects to officials of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in Ikot Abasi. Ibrahim said that the vessel was seized during an anti-illegal oil patrol by the Nigerian Navy along Uta-Ewa Creek on May 18. In line with the Chief of Naval Staffs strategic directive and the need to secure Nigerias maritime domain against all forms of illegalities, the Nigerian Navy Ship Jubilee on anti illegal oil patrol arrested MT PREYOR 1 on May 18, 2020 along Uta-Ewa Creek for suspected illegal oil bunkering activities. The vessel was laden with unspecified quantity of illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil (AGO). As required by the Harmonized Standard Operating Procedure, the suspects, vessel and products are hereby handed over to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for further investigation and possible prosecution, Ibrahim said. The commander said that the command would not relent in it fight against maritime crimes and criminalities. He warned persons involved in criminal activities within the coastal waters to look for legitimate means of livelihood or relocate as the command would continue to arrest them and hand them over to relevant security agencies for prosecution. The commander commended the Chief of Naval Staff Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas, for providing all the moral and logistics support required to achieve the feat. He urged the media to sensitise the public on the need to cooperate with the security forces in the fight against all forms of criminalities. Receiving the vessel, products and the five suspects on behalf of EFCC, Mr Victor Ikang, Head Extractive Industry, Fraud Section, Uyo Zonal office thanked the Navy for the arrest. He assured that the commission would investigate the case thoroughly to bring all culprits to book. I receive the vessel alongside with the suspects. We thank the Nigerian Navy for being a partner in the fight against Economic Crimes. We assure the Navy that we will carry out further investigation and make sure that culprits are brought to book, he said. Vanguard Nigeria News Kindly Share This Story: CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM: General Loading... Home | News | General | Electricity price hike: NLC reacts, says DisCos' plan is modern-day slavery on Nigerians - NLC has reacted to the planned hike in electricity price by DisCos - The Senate has on Monday, June 29, stopped the plan by the DisCos - Ayuba Wabba, the president of NLC, said it would mobilise workers to resist any attempts on the hike in essential public utility charges PAY ATTENTION: Click See First under the Following tab to see Legit.ng News on your Facebook News Feed! Following the aborted increment of electricity tariff by the electricity Distribution Companies (DisCos), the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has reacted. Guardian reports that the NLC said that it would mobilise workers to resist any attempts on the hike in essential public utility charges. Legit.ng gathered that the NLC president, Ayuba Wabba, gave the warning in a statement on Wednesday, July 1, in Abuja, the nation's capital. Wabba said that Nigerians were still going through some of the worst socio-economic vicissitudes caused by the novel coronavirus disease. Covid-19: What Pastor Sam Adeyemi said about governments lifting lockdown The president of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Ayuba Wabba, says the labour group would resist any attempt to hike the price of electricity. Credit: Ayuba Wabba. Source: Depositphotos The labour leader was reacting to the recent attempt by DisCos, acting under the auspices of the Association of Nigerian Electricity Distributors (ANED), to unilaterally increase electricity tariff by about 100%t from 1st July 2020. He described the planned move as insensitive and provocative. Wabba said that Nigerians would recall that a similar move was made in March 2020, by the Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) but was successfully rebuffed by the NLC and the Nigerian public. According to him, NLC rejects any further hike in electricity tariff, the pump price of petrol and other essential public utility charges. He said: The NLC is fully ready to mobilise our people to resist attempts by anyone to impose modern-day slavery on Nigerians, be they DisCos or regulators of public utilities. We insist that further hike in tariff and user access charges at this time of great socio-economic dislocation would be ultra-insensitive, callous and a pre-meditated attempt to send many Nigerians, workers, pensioners and businesses to untimely graves. Edo 2020: Primary election will be transparent and fair - APC assures Obaseki He said that DisCos must also repay bailout funds they had unjustly collected from public coffers, adding that the provision of pre-paid meters, transformers and investment in the sector are statutorily the job of the DisCos, not consumers or the government. Wabba said that DisCos were fully aware of the conditions before subscribing to the power sector privatisation programme. PAY ATTENTION: Install our latest app for Android, read the best news on Nigerias #1 news app He urged DisCos to stop the lies, deceit and exploitation of the Nigerian people. On the strength of the open admission by DisCos in Nigeria to their own grand incompetence and crass failure, we call on the federal government to immediately set in motion processes for the review of the power sector privatisation. Enough is enough. The leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress reiterates its resolve to act on the side and in the interest of the Nigerian people, workers and pensioners always, Wabba added. COVID-19: FG reveals why mosques, churches may be closed again He also commended the intervention by the Senate in calling off the threat by DisCos to hike the electricity tariff. Meanwhile, Legit.ng had previously reported that Ahmad Lawan, Nigeria's Senate president, urged electricity Distribution Companies (DisCos) to install functional meters for their customers before planning any tariff increase. It was reported that Lawan spoke on Tuesday, June 30, after he and the speaker of the House of Representatives met with President Muhammadu Buhari and Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on the proposed increase in electricity tariff. 5 years after, Nigerians speak about Buhari's administration | - on Legit TV [embedded content] CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM: General Loading... Home | News | General | Powerful photo of poor mum sleeping with her baby next to her food items stirs emotions, social media reacts - A photo of a struggling mother and her little baby sleeping next to her food items has emerged online - The woman had arranged mangoes and other food items for sale - She was pictured sleeping together with her baby next to her wares PAY ATTENTION: Click See First under the Following tab to see Legit.ng News on your Facebook News Feed! A photo of a struggling mother, who had slept together with her little girl next to food items she had arranged and displayed for sale, has evoked a catharsis of emotions. In the telling photo, a mango vendor and mother is seen with her baby girl sleeping next to the goods she set up for display to sell. The visibly tired woman was captured by an unknown person who later shared the photo on social media along with a soul-touching caption. The mother and her baby were pictured lying on a simple cloth next to each other with the mangoes and other items next to them. Nigerian man with 2 wives laments hardship under Buhari's administration, says he wants a 3rd wife Photo credit: Facebook.com Source: UGC Although details of the woman and her baby was not highlighted in the narrative that accompanied the photo, it has sent people into a state of catharsis. For many who are releasing their emotions through comments beneath the post, the photo mirrors the hardships of so many economically disadvantaged women and mothers who have to trek under the scorching sun to make ends meet. Nana kwame Asare, who was one of the first to share his thoughts, said he hates Fathers Day because of irresponsible fathers. He wrote: That is why I hate the celebration of Father's Day! Would even accept if it was to responsible fathers, but not happy birthday to all fathers. He was of the view that''Mother's Day throughout should be because mothers are the most important and best. He added: 'They go through fire to make things work easier for the family! Proudly a cosmetic surgery baby - Tonto Dikeh says as she shares throwback photo "Pain, sorrow, rejection, tears, hunger, torn apart, pressure, and so on. "Mothers are the most amazing and wonderful people of the world. That got me thinking! Masa! Mothers are the all time best.'' King Hymsef had a varied opinion. He said: If fathers were to be taking their children to work as some mothers do, you will get to know that fathers suffer more to make their home a sweet place. This camouflage mothers have been using is what's making children show bitterness towards their fathers.'' Bismark Styles wrote: Yes indeed, God must bless our mothers hustle so that we can also be great in the future and take good care of MAMA. Fire burn poverty and may we never go broke forever. PAY ATTENTION: Install our latest app for Android, read the best news on Nigerias #1 news app Is racism taught or inherited? This video has some proofs as the world condemns killing of George Floyd In other news, a couple who met in college and married after graduation want to have their baby breastfed by their girlfriend identified as Jess. Mike and his wife Lo met Jess at a concert in 2018 and they organised a threesome with the lady. Slum Chronicles: We pay 5k for houses without toilets, bathroom | Legit TV [embedded content] CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM: General Loading... What's Included With a Digital Only subscription, you'll receive unlimited access to our website and e-edition. Our digital products are available 24/7 and are accessible anywhere, anytime. If you have any questions or need further assistance, please call our customer service team at 814-368-3173 or email nfinnerty@oleantimesherald.com. Home | News | General | Community policing: IG finally reveals when initiative will take-off - The IG of police Mohammed Adamu has revealed when community policing will take-off in Nigeria - Adamu assured that once the process is completed community policing will start by August/September - According to the IG, the initiative will help complement Nigeria police efforts in combating crimes PAY ATTENTION: Click See First under the Following tab to see Legit.ng News on your Facebook News Feed The Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, on Tuesday, June 30, announced that by September community policing will be ready for take-off across the country. According to ThisDay, Adamu gave the assurance that during an interactive session with Senate Committee on Police Affairs where he briefed them on what has been done so far concerning community policing. He explained that the implementation committees of community policing have already been inaugurated across all states in Nigeria, adding that the force is already at the level of selecting officers. Retention of military chiefs is a disservice to Nigeria - Group tells Buhari The police boss went on to note that hopefully by August/September the process will be completed. The inspector general of police, Mohammed Adamu. Source: Original While expressing optimism that community policing will take care of criminals are coming from the communities, Adamu also said it is going to be effective in terms of grassroots policing. He said: So because you come from the community, you will identify them and let the community policing committee in the ward and the local government level to identify them so that they take them out before they commit the crime. So, it is going to be effective in terms of grassroots policing and this is what is required. It would be recalled that the police boss disclosed that the force will recruit 40,000 Community Policing Officers (CPOs). According to Adamu, the CPOs are expected to complement the police in law enforcement functions within their localities by performing low-risk and non-sensitive duties. Another function of the CPOs is to bridge the gap between the force and members of the public. Lagos governor reveals when schools will likely resume PAY ATTENTION: Install our latest app for Android, read best news on Nigerias #1 news app Meanwhile, Legit.ng reported that Adamu said community policing initiative will complement Nigeria police efforts in combating crimes and issues bothering on the activities of bandits, terrorists, kidnappers and militants. Adamu said this shortly after the submission of report by the committee on the Implementation Strategies on Strengthening Internal Security Framework and Community Policing in Nigeria on Friday, September 13, 2019 in Abuja. The police boss said strategies have been put in place towards implementing the community policing initiative to complement Nigeria Police efforts in combating crimes. In a related development, the Kogi state government has formally commenced community policing in the state. This follows the inauguration of the State Community Policing Advisory Committee (SCPC) and the State Community Policing Committee (SCPC) simultaneously on Monday, June 15. Menstrual Day: FG launches sanitary pads distribution project for menstruating women, girls The committees were inaugurated by the governor of the state, Alhaji Yahaya Bello who was represented by his deputy, Chief Edward Onoja. The governor applauded the courage and foresight of President Muhammadu Buhari to ensure the country implements the policy under his government after many years of the issue dominating public discussions. How trigger-happy police officer shattered Tina's dreams of becoming a doctor | Legit TV [embedded content] CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM: General Loading... Home | News | General | Police order investigation into murder of man in Enugu community Kindly Share This Story: Commissioner of Police in Enugu State, Mr Ahmad Abdurrahman Commissioner of Police in Enugu State, Mr Ahmad Abdurrahman, has ordered investigation into the murder of Mr Anayo Iloabani, 67, within Amamkpunato-Achi forest area in Achi community in Oji-River council area. States Public Relations Officer, ASP Daniel Ndukwe, said in a statement on Wednesday in Enugu that the commissioner gave the order following a report received at Oji-River Police Station on June 30. Ndukwe noted that Iloabani of Amamkpunato village was gruesomely murdered by yet to be identified culprit(s) in a forest in the community. The commissioner has directed the immediate launch of a full scale investigation to apprehend and prosecute the fleeing culprits. The commissioner condemned such hideous and barbaric act. He has directed the Area Commander and Divisional Police Officers within Oji-River Area Command as well as Heads of Tactical and Operational Departments of the Command to deploy all resources at their disposal to fish out and prosecute the culprits. The CP enjoined residents of the area, especially the youths; to maintain peace, avoid taking laws into their hands and/or acting in ways that could jeopardize investigation into the case. He made it clear that the command, under his watch, will leave no stone unturned to bring culprits of the heinous crime to book, he said. The police spokesman said that preliminary investigation showed that the deceased was found in Achi forest with several degrees of machete cuts on the head and neck regions. He said that the corpse of the deceased had been deposited in the mortuary. Residents of the state have been enjoined to remain law-abiding and assist the police with credible information that will lead to the arrest of the culprits by reporting to the nearest police station. [NAN] Vanguard News Nigeria. Kindly Share This Story: CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM: General Loading... Home | News | General | Breaking: National Assembly tells Buhari to suspend plan to recruit 774,000 Nigerians - National Assembly has asked Buhari to suspend recruitment of 774,000 Nigerians - This followed a disagreement between the Senate and Festus Keyamo - According to the lawmakers, the implementation must be put on hold until a proper explanation was given to them PAY ATTENTION: Click See First under the Following tab to see Legit.ng News on your Facebook News Feed! President Muhammadu Buhari has been asked to suspend plans to recruit 774,000 Nigerians for Special Public Works across the country. The call was made on Wednesday, June 1, by the Senate and the House of Representatives. The national assembly took the position after a sharp disagreement between the National Assembly Joint Committee on Labour, Employee and Productivity and the Minister for State for Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo. President Muhammadu Buhari has been asked to suspend plans to recruit 774,000 Nigerians. Credit: Femi Adesina Source: Twitter The Nation reports that the lawmakers expressed shock at the behaviour of Keyamo. They said Keyamo pointedly told them that the National Assembly cannot direct him on what to do concerning the recruitment. Retention of military chiefs is a disservice to Nigeria - Group tells Buhari As a result of this, they said the implementation of the programme must be put on hold until its modalities are explained to the National Assembly. Meanwhile, Legit.ng had reported Keyamo has denied claims that he fabricated threats against those who are opposed to President Muhammadu Buhari. On his Twitter page, Keyamo brought the notice of Nigerians to a statement (falsely attributed to him) to persons who did not vote for the All Progressives Congress (APC). The statement claimed the SAN told Nigerians who did not support President Buhari during the last presidential election not to expect anything from him now. The minister lamented the fact that even after the elections are over, mischief-makers are still bent on their evil. Legit.ng had also reported that Keyamo had threatened to resign his appointment if politicians hijack job slots approved by President Buhari for unskilled rural persons. One hour not enough for Sunday services - CAN cries out as FG gives update on religious gatherings Keyamo made the threat when speaking at the inauguration of the inter-ministerial committee on extended special public works across the 774 local governments of the federation. The minister stated that the programme was designed to provide job opportunity in rural areas through short term engagement of one thousand (1000) unemployed persons per local government for a period of three months. He said the jobs were for ordinary Nigerians and should not be hijacked by politicians. Keyamo noted that he would quit his position if politicians hijack the recruitment process. I will leave this job, if they want to insist that it will happen. Mr President is targeting ordinary Nigerians who are neither PDP or APC or just anything. They just want to get jobs, they just want to feed their family, the minister said. N-Power Project: I Graduated in 2005 and Have Been Unemployed Before N-Power Fixed Me Up Legit TV COVID-19: FG reveals why mosques, churches may be closed again [embedded content] CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM: General Loading... Home | News | General | This family's joy knows no bound, they just found their son who went missing at age 2 after 18 years (photo) - A child who went missing when he was only two has been found after 18 years - Samuel Nii Quaye had been living with a fetish priest he thought was his father until recently - When he realised the family he grew up with was not his, Samuel started a search for his mom and dad, which has turned out to be fruitful PAY ATTENTION: Click See First under the Following tab to see Legit.ng News on your Facebook News Feed! Samuel Nii Quaye, a boy who disappeared when he was only two years old has finally been found by his real family at 20 years old. Atinkaonline.com confirms the boy was found after the traditional media, Atinka FM, hosted Samuel who recounted his story and mentioned all he has been through since childhood. According to the young man, he had been living with a fetish priest throughout his life and only realised they were not actually related after the man's wife was deceased. Source: UGC Source: UGC The obituary poster of the late woman did not include Samuel's name, which confused him until he enquired about this to his siblings who said he was brought to them more than 18 years back. From that moment, the missing boy decided to trace his roots and locate his family, a quest that brought him to the radio station where his story was aired. It is reported that after the radio show featured Samuel, four different families called saying they had lost their son about 18 years ago. Source: UGC Source: UGC They were all asked to undertake a DNA test that confirmed Samuel belonged in the Nii Quaye family. The result of the paternity test was 99.98%. Samuel's father indicated that he recognised a birthmark on him and was absolutely sure the result was going to prove Samuel was his son. PAY ATTENTION: Download our mobile app to enjoy the latest news update The mother of the child, Alberta Yartey, could not hold back her tears and said the return of her son was a confirmation that there truly is a supreme being called God. Meanwhile, Legit.ng earlier reported that a Nigerian woman, Irene Ubani, did humanity a great service as she gave a street beggar, Abolude Ayodeji, an opportunity to become better in life. She said the boy, Deji, used to ask for alms at her bus stop alongside other teenagers like him. She was able to help him with the collaboration of the commissioner of education in Lagos state, Folashade Adefisayo. Slum Chronicles: People walk into our church to kidnap children - Pastor laments | Legit TV [embedded content] CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM: General Loading... Home | News | General | Nigerian woman slumps, dies after husband tested positive for COVID-19 - A Nigerian woman reportedly slumped and died after finding out that her husband tested positive for coronavirus - The incident was said to have occurred at Igho Salami Street, Uloho Avenue, in Ughelli north local government area of Delta state - The sudden death of the woman has thrown the community in a state of mourning A Nigerian woman reportedly slumped and died after hearing that her husband tested positive for coronavirus. The incident was said to have occurred at Igho Salami Street, Uloho Avenue, in Ughelli north local government area of Delta state on Monday, June 29, The Nation reported. A Nigerian man taking a COVID-19 test. Photo credits: Channels TV Source: UGC A source said the deceased, Mrs Oregbe, was at home when the news of her husband's sample result was announced. But soon as she learned that her husband had contracted the virus, she reportedly slumped and died before she could be rushed to the hospital. I am sure she has been managing high blood pressure before now because as soon as she was told her husband tested positive, she slumped and died before they could rush her to the hospital, the source said. Nigerian man with 2 wives laments hardship under Buhari's administration, says he wants a 3rd wife The sudden death of the woman has thrown the community in a state of mourning. Meanwhile, the minister of foreign affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, has said President Muhammadu Buhari has done well in containing the spread of coronavirus in the country. Onyeama made the statement on Tuesday, June 30, when a delegation of the International Human Rights Commission (IHRC), paid him a visit. The minister said the setting up of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 by the president was effective in combating the COVID-19 pandemic. He commended President Muhammadu Buhari for the measures put in place to curb the spread of the disease. In another report, the federal government has revealed the names of the 20 high burden local government areas that may come under locked down to contain the spread of COVID-19 in the country. The Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 made the disclosure on Monday, June 29, after President Muhammadu Buhari was briefed about the four-week gradual easing of lockdown, The Nation reported. How 8 police officers were killed by robbers during bank robbery in Kogi The chairman of PTF, Boss Mustapha, however, noted that state government and local authorities where the councils are located will oversee the lockdown. PAY ATTENTION: Install our latest app for Android, read the best news on Nigerias #1 news app Many Nigerians still don't believe Coronavirus exists - NOA DG | Legit TV [embedded content] CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM: General Loading... Dear Cde President, I know chances of you reading this letter are next to zero but all the same I write to you on the basis of you being "a listening President". Cde President it is crystal clear that the majority, @ 98% Zimbabweans are suffering, really suffering simply because of the deeds and misdeeds of a very few individuals 2%. These few individuals have captured the whole of Zimbabwe, holding us at ransom treating us as subhumans if not economic slaves. These few individuals are well known by everyone including the law enforcement agents but surprisingly no one is willing to stop them from their very evil deeds of looting, plundering, laundering, syphoning, chicanery, economic sabotage, forex externalisation, price distortion and massive corruption. Everyone is wondering why, Cde President you ignore this barbaric evil which is happening everywhere be it in high offices, border posts, highways, shops, industry, church, commerce and even in politics? Cde President you must act and act fast. Heads must roll and surely big heads must fall now! We the poor starving povo can't take it anymore. Imagine a situation where local shops are refusing to accept bond coins and notes. These coins and notes are a legal tender as directed by your government, never mind how our USD where converted to this bond animal by your government. To be frank that was day light robbery. Now the bond is as useless as one can imagine. The RBZ governor promised to resign should the bond fail and surely as one occupying an esteemed office must simply honour his promise. Since he is still in the office long since the bond failed please have guts to fire him without any single benefit because he is part to the economic challenges we are facing. Talk of firing misfiring government officials. Cde President your team is not playing ball as there is no cohesion, team spirit, burning desire to succeed, no focus, no direction and no nothing. All what your team is doing is lining their bottomless pockets. As a nation, we can't come out of this messy when we have shameless government officials doing shameful things. In order for our country to redeem itself fire all those useless people without fear or favour. They have dismally failed. All those involved in economic sabotage must face the full wreath of the law irrespective of how close they are to you. We must see action with tangible results not just words. The time of politicking and propaganda is long gone its now time for action and results. We are a blessed country, too rich to be poor. Its only commitment that is lacking. Those who are not patriotic must not be near the corridors of power or in any government office for one bad apple spoil the basket. You need to read the riot act, create a smoke and fire situation. This is not the time of friendship, tribalism, factionalism, nepotism, racism but time for actualism. Its never too late to make a fresh start as all it takes is to admit that your team has failed to deliver, disband it and recruit new players, who are focused, energetic and driven by the desire to make Zimbabwe a better country. We have amongst us hardworking intellectuals ( sorry not those with fake internet degrees) hence no need to recycle dead wood. Our mineral resources and our hardworking people must be our propellant to economic prosperity. Plundering of minerals and externalisation of same must immediately be stopped by whatever means possible. Mining of whatever mineral must be done in an orderly and transparent manner that can be audited and accounted. Zvechikorokoza izvi hazvivaki nyika please! True Patriot Munya Shumba Home | World | Africa | Killer arrested after staging suicide A GWANDA miner has been arrested for allegedly strangling his workmate before dumping the body on a railway line, where it was crushed by a train to conceal the murder. The matter was initially treated as a suicide case after deceased's body was later run over by a goods train. Albert Ncube (31) of Spitzkop Suburb was not asked to plead when he appeared before Gwanda magistrate, Miss Lerato Nyathi facing a murder charge. He was remanded in custody to July 13. Prosecuting, Mr Silent Shoko said Ncube accused the now deceased Onias Mushipe of "stealing" his girlfriends which resulted in a misunderstanding. "On 1 June at around 7PM Ncube and nine other artisanal miners including Onias Mushipe boarded a Toyota Granvia vehicle and headed to Prospect Gold Mine at Mgomo Farm in Gwanda. Along the way a misunderstanding arose between Mushipe and Ncube after Ncube accused him of taking away his girlfriends," said Mr Shoko. "Their workmates managed to calm them down in order to stop them from fighting further. The gang dropped off at Cobra Mine which is opposite Mgomo Farm. The other mine workers went ahead to do their work and Mushipe, Ncube and their workmate Mr Tinashe Dube remained behind to resolve the dispute they had earlier." Mr Shoko said Ncube further accused Mushipe of snatching his girlfriends and tripped him to the ground before strangling him. He said upon realising what had transpired Mr Dube fled from the scene leaving Ncube behind with Mushipe's body. Mr Shoko said in a bid to conceal the offence Ncube then took the body to a nearby railway line and placed it there with the head on the line facing upwards. He said at around 10PM Mushipe's body was crushed by a good's train. The matter was reported to the police who attended the scene. Mr Shoko said police received a tip off on Saturday resulting in Ncube's arrest. Ncube has been on the run for the past two years after committing robbery and attempted murder cases in Fort Rixon where he reportedly robbed a victim and further tried to dump the body in a disused mine. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM: Africa Loading... Home | World | Africa | Govt launches regularisation programme Government has launched the national regularisation programme, which is expected to tighten the screws on land barons by bringing sanity to all informal settlements countrywide. Land barons have been swindling unsuspecting home seekers of millions of dollars and depriving local authorities of much needed income. The sanitisation programme, which would be spearheaded by the Ministry of National Housing and Social Amenities, would ensure that all informal sectors were regularised in line with President Mnangagwa's Vision 2030 of transforming the country into an upper middle income economy. Addressing residents at the launch in Goromonzi South yesterday, National Housing and Social Amenities Minister Daniel Garwe said the sanitisation programme was to ensure that President Mnangagwa's vision to provide decent accommodation to all Zimbabweans by 2030 was achieved. The national programme would stop land barons from collecting money from unsuspecting home seekers. Some of the people that were going to benefit from the programme in the province were residents in Solomio consortium in Ruwa, who were paying US$15 every month to their co-operatives, despite the land being under dispute. The consortium has five housing cooperatives - Solomon Mujuru, Vadiki Forum, Totonga, Shingiriro and Low Income, which are all on land belonging to ZB Bank. The bank, which was declared the bonafide owner of the land by the courts, has since agreed with the beneficiaries to pay US$4 per square metre for their stands, which will pave way for Government to supervise all developmental programmes at the site. "We have started with the Solomio Consortium; we have not come to chase anyone from the place, but to build relationships, said Minister Garwe. We lost the Goromonzi South seat because people had grievances. ZB Bank as the property owners negotiated US$4 per square metre, now the funds are being directly deposited into the bank's account and not individuals'. The local authority is losing millions of dollars to these land barons who are fleecing home seekers of their hard earned cash thereby depriving essential services to be delivered to the residents." Minister Garwe said as a ministry, they were adopting a hands-on approach to the issue. "We shall deploy a member from the Ministry and from the bank to supervise all programmes and will work with the cooperatives to ensure transparency," he said. Minister Garwe said the handover ceremony of the project will be graced by President Mnangagwa. "We want to see areas which are reserved for schools and other social amenities so that there is order, he said. "President Mnangagwa will hand over the houses to the owners. We want to see running water, sewage and proper roads." The meeting was organised by Zanu PF Mashonaland East Youth League after residents expressed concern over the way things were being handled under the consoutium. Speaking on the sidelines of the meeting, Zanu PF Youth League provincial secretary for education Rodgers Pote said land barons were now owning the land instead of the local authority. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM: Africa Loading... Home | World | Africa | Child marriage costs hubby A Mbire man left Guruve magistrates courts in stitches after he queried the wisdom of having to be subjected to a trial over impregnating his 15-year-old wife. The suspect who cannot be named to protect the identity of the complainant pleaded not guilty to contravening section 70 of the criminal codification act that is having sex with a minor before Guruve magistrate Geraldine Mutsotso today. "Your Worship, why am l in court today when the complainant in question is my wife? She is carrying my unborn child and has since eloped to me and we are happily staying together" he lamented. The state-led by Carson Kundiona alleged sometime in January the suspect proposed love to the complainant and she agreed. The suspect had unprotected sex once with the complainant on March 3 at Jurujena village in Mbire. The matter came to light when the complainant missed her period and told her grandfather. The grandfather escorted the complainant to Mushumbi police station to file a police report leading to accused person's arrest. The matter continues on July 14. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM: Africa Loading... Home | World | Africa | Zimbabwe soldiers go hungry...criminal activities feared Zimbabwean soldiers who were instrumental in effecting the November 2017 military coup are hungry and the government has been implored to step in and assist then to prevent the details from engaging in criminal activities. Writing on Twitter on Tuesday, senior journalist Brezhnev Malaba said, "Defence Minister Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri has warned that Zimbabwean soldiers are hungry and the government must take decisive action to ensure they're not "tempted" into a life of crime and corruption." Defence Minister Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri has warned that Zimbabwean soldiers are hungry and the government must take decisive action to ensure they're not "tempted" into a life of crime and corruption. Brezh Malaba (@BrezhMalaba) June 30, 2020 Malaba added that the Minister said for the protection of citizens it was important that the armed forces were jnot trempted. "She appealed to the National Assembly to assist her ministry in securing resources. Because we're not well-resourced, our soldiers do not have their rations. It's important, if we're going to protect the citizens, that now we get resources so that our soldiers will not be tempted." Malaba posted. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM: Africa Loading... Home | World | Africa | Chamisa assures his supporters MDC leader Nelson Chamisa has assured his followers that his approach to politics will breed a new Zimbabwe. Chamisa made the remarks while responding to a Twitter follower Smiso Dube who had asked that, "Hw fa, the party is being destroyed, u been dispossessed everything, wats yo course of action??" Said Chamisa, "Varikuyedza all types of machinations and frustrations but haiwa mirai muoone. Ngoma yavakuririsa iyi yave kuda kutsemuka, kumagumo Kune nyaya. Patinoita setapera ndipo patinotangira kutapira ipapo..Take care ! "Trust the formula. You will never regret!" The MDC leader re-iterated that he will not stop his Christian approach to politic which has been widely condemned by social media users. "I will always confess Jesus Christ ...Nevertheless among the chief rulers also many believed on him; but because of the Pharisees they did not confess him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue: For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God. John 12:42-43." The opposition leader said quoting scripture. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM: Africa Loading... Home | World | Africa | NGO director imprisoned over anti Mnangagwa slur as Haruzivishe, Masaraure are freed on bail A ZIMBABWEAN court on Tuesday condemned Epraim Mutombeni, the Director of Masvingo Centre for Research Advocacy and Community Development (MACRD), a local non-governmental organisation, to prison after he was arrested Sunday 28 June 2020 and charged with undermining authority of or insulting President Emmerson Mnangagwa. Mutombeni aged 28 years was denied bail by Magistrate Mbonisi Ndlovu, who ruled that the MACRAD leader is a flight risk and could escape from standing trial. Mutombeni, who is represented by Martin Mureri of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) had applied for his release on bail after he was arrested by Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) members on Sunday 28 June 2020 and charged with undermining authority of or insulting President Mnangagwa as defined in section 33(2)(a)(i) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act. Prosecutors alleged that Mutombeni faulted President Mnangagwa during an address to some commuters, who were queuing and waiting to board a ZUPCO bus, for presiding over Zimbabwe's agonising economic crisis and demanding that the ZANU PF party leader resigns. Mutombeni is alleged to have uttered the words; "Murikuona kumira kwamakaita pa queue imhosva ya President E.D Mnangagwa arikukwidza ma prices e fuel achiba mari nevana vake. E.D must go," which if loosely translated means; "You are suffering as a result of President Mnangagwa's poor leadership and corruption committed by himself and his children and his failure to stem fuel price hikes and he should resign." ZRP members also arrested freelance journalist Godfrey Mtimba and charged him with undermining authority of or insulting President Mnangagwa before releasing him into the custody of his lawyer Phillip Shumba of Media Institute of Southern Africa-Zimbabwe Chapter. ZRP members said they will summon Mtimba to appear in court this week. Mutombeni and Mtimba are the latest persons to be arrested and charged with undermining authority of or insulting President Mnangagwa. In Harare, Magistrate Barbra Mateko on Tuesday 30 June 2020 set free pro-democracy campaigner Makomborero Haruzivishe on RTGS$1 000 bail after he was arrested on Monday 29 June 2020 by ZRP members and charged with committing public violence for allegedly participating in an anti-government protest against hunger and abuse of financial resources by President Mnangagwa's administration. Haruzivishe, who was represented by Gift Mtisi of ZLHR, was charged with participating in a gathering with intent to promote public violence, breaches of the peace or bigotry as defined in section 37 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act and for contravening section 5(3) (a) as read with section 5(1) of Statutory Instrument 99 of 2020 of Public Health (COVID-19 Prevention, Containment and Treatment) (National Lockdown) Order, 2020. Prosecutors charged that Haruzivishe participated in an illegal demonstration held on 13 May 2020 in Warren Park 1 suburb in which opposition MDC-Alliance party supporters allegedly staged a flash protest against abuse of financial resources and the extension of a government enforced national lockdown by President Mnangagwa. During the demonstration, prosecutors argued, that Haruzivishe and some protestors reportedly carried a placard inscribed "Unlock Us Before We Revolt". Haruzivishe becomes the latest person to be arrested and charged for allegedly participating in the flash protest, which has already seen the prosecution of Harare West legislator Hon. Joanah Mamombe and several MDC-Alliance party youth leaders including Obey Tererai Sithole, Cecelia Chimbiri, Netsai Marova, Lovejoy Chitengu and Stanley Manyenga. Earlier on, Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe leader Obert Masaraure was on Saturday 27 June 2020 set free on RTGS$500 bail after he was arrested by ZRP members on Friday 26 June 2020 and charged with participating in an anti-government protest held on Monday 22 June 2020 in which teachers allegedly demonstrated against poor salaries working conditions. Masaraure, who was represented by Mureri and Tonderai Bhatasara of ZLHR, was charged with contravening section 37(1)(a)(i) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act and accused of leading an unlawful protest together with 48 other people in which teachers demanded to be paid US$520 in monthly salaries. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM: Africa Loading... Defence Minister Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri says that government would soon be bringing a new Bill to clamp down on purveyors of falsehoods, which are harmful to the security of the country. This comes as authorities said that they had identified people who recently claimed that President Mnangagwa was on the verge of being toppled from power by the military. Kashiri told the Parliamentary Committee on Defence that the Bill would deal with those who peddle lies. Home | World | Africa | Chaos as villagers supervise exams CHAOS rocked the start of the Zimbabwe Schools Examination Council (Zimsec) June "O" and "A" Level examinations which started yesterday, with teachers' unions claiming government hired "villagers and ancillary staff " to invigilate the public examinations after most of their members boycotted over poor working conditions. The unions said in addition to having to contend with poor salaries, government failed to put in place measures to combat the spread of COVID-19 during the exams. On Monday, the Zimbabwe Teachers Association (Zimta) accused government of failing to set up logistics to transport teachers to the new examination centres. Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) president Takavafira Zhou yesterday told NewsDay that schools in rural areas had resorted to hiring villagers to supervise the examinations, raising questions about the integrity of the examinations. At Vhembe Secondary School in Matabeleland South province, district officials invigilated the examinations, while in other areas including Zvishavane, Mberengwa, Karoi, Mutare, Uzumba, Maramba and-PFungwe, parents were hired to invigilate the examinations after teachers failed to turn up. School development committee members were reportedly invited to scout for people with at least five "O" Level passes, who were hurriedly interviewed to take up posts as invigilators. "It was a mess, and it is terrible," Zhou said. "Other headmasters have told pupils to pay US$1 every day they are writing so that the schools can have money to pay the hired invigilators." He added: "There are reports from the rural areas of schools that enticed some villagers to come and invigilate under the supervision of at least a teacher in every class and some heads have sent an SOS through Parent Teacher Associations (PTA) for villagers with 5 O' Levels to report to schools for consideration as invigilators. "We are also aware that some individuals are being called in with the promise of jobs and schools have also called ancillary staff to invigilate. Teachers in administration and some heads of departments have reported to schools because they receive money for managing exams." Many "O" Level candidates, Zhou said, who also registered for November failed to turn up, opting to write at the end of the year when possibly COVID-19 would be under control. "About a third of those who registered in November failed to turn up. Another sad development was recorded in schools in border areas, where some candidates just sneaked in from other countries and went straight into examination rooms with others. It is terrible," he said. "In other areas like Matabeleland South, there were no sanitisers and infrared thermometers were not available. One school approached the nearest health centre, which demanded five litres of fuel every morning to go and take candidates' temperatures before they get into the examination room." Most candidates, who failed to come, were afraid of contracting the coronavirus due to lack of personal protective equipment (PPE). Most of them also cited high transport costs and non-availability of transport to examination centres as well as exorbitant daily boarding charges. Candidates are reportedly being made to pay US$5 a day boarding fees to cover running costs. Teachers last week urged the government to ensure that coronavirus is totally brought under control before the opening of schools as they cannot afford to experiment with their lives. "The government has gone ahead with the June examinations without (meeting) the requisite standards of the World Health Organisation (WHO) and this is going to be disastrous for the nation. As teachers, we have been very clear and we are not going to turn up for invigilation until our concerns are met." But Zimta chief executive Sifiso Ndlovu said: "Teachers have not boycotted the invigilation, they agreed to it with the promise that they are going to get personal protective equipment (PPE). However, the equipment is not available in other schools. "Several schools have started the examinations without masks or sanitisers, with some having 500ml for the whole school, which is not enough." Government on Monday assured the nation that necessary measures would be put in place to ensure the safety of candidates and invigilators. These included provision of thermometers, disinfectants, face masks, washing facilities and sanitisers to all examination centres to protect against COVID-19. Zimsec spokesperson Nicky Dhlamini, however, said the examinations went on well and the turnout of teachers was "impressive". "The turnout of teachers was very good," she said. She denied allegations by teacher unions that there was chaos and challenged the groups to bring evidence to support the allegations. "Examinations are run by Zimsec, if we found that there were no invigilators, we could have shut down the examinations. But we did not because our monitors did not give us such a report. The allegations are false," she said. Primary and Secondary Education minister Cain Matema was not picking calls, but Cabinet last night claimed that the standard operating procedures for the prevention and management of COVID-19 had been established as public examinations commenced. It also approved partial opening of restaurants and local hunting operations. However, a teacher who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the government was risking their lives and was not being honest with them. "There are no sanitisers and disinfectants in schools contrary to what the minister said," the teacher said. "Our minister lied on the news. How are we going to be helped if they continue lying like this? "PPEs are not there and thermometers for screening are not available as well, so how should we be safe in these conditions? To make matters worse, they are even telling parents to ensure the safety of their children undertaking June examinations," he said. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM: Africa Loading... Home | World | Africa | Zimbabweans launch petitition to force Mnangagwa - Chamisa to dialogue A certain section of Zimbabweans has launched an online petition calling for President Emmerson Mnangagwa and opposition leader Nelson Chamisa to unite for the sake of the suffering population. The petitition which was started by one Moses Machipisa calls for a government of National Unity. Read the petition below: Zimbabwe has been in a crisis for years and now it is worsening. The economy is crumbling and there is a lot of economic, political and social instability. If the situation continues unresolved the country will be thrown into further chaos and unrest. We are calling upon all progressive Zimbabweans to sign this petition for a National Unity Dialogue between Emmerson Mnangagwa and Nelson Chamisa, with input from the Business community, the Church, Civil Society, the Youth and Citizens for them to put their differences aside, unite and work together in a power sharing arrangement such as a Government of National Unity for the sake of peace, development and a secure future for all Zimbabweans. To sign the petition click here. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM: Africa Loading... Home | World | Africa | Air Zimbabwe in mid air scare...makes emergency landing in Thailand Air Zimbabwe Boeing 767-200 ER made an emergency landing on Wednesday after it developed an abnormal engine parameter on its flight to Islamabad, Pakistan, from Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok. The plane was on its way to Islamabad to pick up 180 passengers returning to South Africa and Zimbabwe. The national airline has since issued the below statement: Air Zimbabwe special repatriation flight UM462 flying from Bangkok was, early this morning forced to make an air tum back mid-flight to Islamabad resulting from an abnormal engine parameter which necessitated a precautionary left engine shut down in accordance with established standard operating procedures. The 8767-200 ER aircraft which had 17 crew and 2 passengers onboard landed safely at Suvarmabhumi International Airport in Bangkok at 0839hrs (UTC). The aircraft was positioning to Islamabad to pick up 180 passengers returning to South Africa and Zimbabwe. Our engineers are making all necessary assessments and maintenance for its return to serviceability. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM: Africa Loading... Hotelier, farmer, writer, adoptive father of three, and amateur cyclist Eric de Jong is a man with stories to tell. And don't be fooled by his self-deprecation he might not be a youth but is certainly youthful in his outlook and action. Take this week for example. Apart from running his 40 hectare flower farm in Mount Darwin, Eric will set off on the 2020 edition of the Old Legs Tour his annual sponsored bike ride to raise money for pensioners in Zimbabwe. "We were meant to pedal the skeleton coast in Namibia but because of the pandemic have mapped a route within our borders," says Eric who describes an excruciating 3,186km, 37 day bike ride around Zimbabwe that will take him and three others through cities and towns, along rough dirt roads, railway lines, and deep into the wilderness including all major national parks where they will ride with handheld foghorns to drive off any dangerous animals that might take an interest in meals on wheels. "This is our third Old Legs Tour," says Eric. "In 2018 we rode Harare to Cape Town and in 2019 to Kilimanjaro. Each year we get more people joining and manage to raise more money than the year before." Eric is proud that despite a difficult fundraising environment, they have already pulled a wheelie past their US$100.000 goal. "Now I'd like to smash US$200.000. The money goes to the elderly in Zimbabwe, many of whom have no income and no support. Donations go directly to Bulawayo Help Network Trust and Pensioners Aid Harare and the money is life changing for some of the pensioners who might be getting ZWL300 a month." A ride of this magnitude requires planning and training, and Eric is surrounded by boxes and tins and packages of all sorts as he speaks. "Since I started this, we've had people joining in from the Netherlands, Germany, South Africa and the USA. None of us are professionals, though of course we must train for this as 120km every day for six weeks takes its toll. We try to do the first half before breakfast each morning and spread the rest out in between lots of snacking and drinking," says Eric, who is a self-described jelly baby fiend. Eric's 2020 training was interrupted when he fell off his bike while recording a video diary on his phone and broke a rib, but he is ready to push on under his personal motto have fun, do good, do epic' which makes The Old Legs Tour so special to him. "We laugh and laugh, see the most amazing things, and raise money for a good cause too," he said. When he's off the saddle, Eric grows flowers which he exports to the Netherlands via the weekly KLM flights out of Harare. "I moved to farming because I wanted to be closer to the three children that we adopted after their mum died of cancer," says Eric who tells how he and his wife Jenny responded to a TV message from Rose, a dying woman who appealed for someone to care for her young children. He was a trained hotelier with shares in hotels and safari camps which he sold in 1992 before diving into floriculture which he learned on the job. Eric's resilience and adaptability comes partly from his mother who was born to Dutch parents in a Japanese concentration camp during the second World War. His father was born in Hilversum in the Netherlands and moved here in the 1950s when many Dutch people emigrated to the region. Eric is a regular blogger and this year published a book Running Dogs and Rose's Children', the dramatic story of his family's life. In August 2020, he will publish Cape Town to Kilimanjaro', detailing his Old Legs Tour adventures to date, followed in 2021, by his first novel, War and Other Social Diseases'. "I love writing," says Eric, "and I'm just getting going." Two books, an epic bike ride, and more than a hundred thousand dollars raised for charity. That's a well-spent lockdown Eric! Home | World | Africa | Ndabaningi Sithole Foundation salutes Joshua Nkomo Founding ZANU President Ndabaningi Sithole's foundation has issued a statement remembering the death of the late Father Zimbabwe Joshua Nkomo. In a statement released on Wednesday, the Foundation said, "Today the Ndabaningi Sithole Foundation joins the world in commemorating the life of one of our nation's founding fathers, Joshua Nyongolo Mqabuko Nkomo. Long live his legacy and the legacy of all those who fought to liberate our beloved Zimbabwe." Sithole led a split in 1963, soon after the NDP turned into the Zimbabwe African People's Union (Zapu), Ndabaningi Sithole quit and, backed by the then young Robert Mugabe, set up the Zimbabwe African National Union (Zanu), Nkomo died in 1999 aged 82.He had prostate cancer. Today the #NdabaningiSitholeFoundation joins the world in commemorating the life of one of our nation's founding fathers, Joshua Nyongolo Mqabuko Nkomo. Long live his legacy and the legacy of all those who fought to liberate our beloved Zimbabwe.#NSF@ProfJNMoyo @RailaOdinga pic.twitter.com/I9wAvuiIzf Ndabaningi Sithole Foundation (@ndabafoundation) July 1, 2020 Announcing his death President Mugabe said, ''We grieve the loss of a father figure, a founder of our nation, this great man whose life was spent in struggle. The giant has fallen.'' CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM: Africa Loading... Behavioural economists and psychologists tell us that we have inherent biases that influence our actions. These experts tell us that we humans have some default behaviours as a result of our lived or perceived experiences. In alerting us to these behaviours, these experts have also lamented the difficulty associated with moving away from that which we believe is part of us. Mnangagwa and his cronies have a problem of blaming. They are blamers. His government blames external and unseen forces for their mismanagement of the Zimbabwean economy. They blame Non Profit Organisations for their failure to repeal oppressive laws and create an environment conducive for the country's populace to flourish. The blame the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange for currency issues. They blame the opposition for the unhappiness in the country. In mathematics, it is a well-known that when one is adding 2+2+2+2 or multiplying 2x4 they are essentially doing the same thing and will arrive at the same destination. The only difference in the varying degree of efficiency. The bedrock for the infallibility of mathematics lies on the efficacy of its axioms. These self-evident truths are the guiding light for a subject that has been christened the queen of the sciences and permeates every facet of our lives. So how does the truth presented by mathematics have a bearing on the fate of the Mnangagwa-misled economy? The principle being tested here is about fundamentals. If one does not obey the laws of nature then nature will be that person's worst enemy. If one does not obey the laws of economics then the economy will be that person's arch-nemesis. As long as the rule of law does not prevail in Zimbabwe then there will never be a stable economy in the country. As long as the rampant extractive behaviour by the people in power continues then there shall never be a brighter day for the people of Zimbabwe. As long as the country's leadership maintains a clansman ship approach to appointments then there will never be prosperity in the land between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. The tiny-landlocked country has been condemned to the doldrums of economic prosperity as a result of its own self-defeating policies. The Mnangagwa government is fast running out of entities to blame for their bad performance in office, they have almost exhausted the list of all perceived enemies of the state. From sanctions, to hawkers on the streets of Harare and Bulawayo to lately, the stock market and mobile money systems. At the rate they going, they will be blaming their dogs and cats for the economic woes the country is experiencing. This is imaginable considering that the Reserve Bank Governor has blamed the country's misfortunes or missteps on the devil and demons. He even summoned those self-proclaimed, "Men and Women of God", to come and lay hands on him as part of some occult cleansing ceremony. Following his example, Mnangagwa even summoned the hungry nation to join him in his fast for a better Zimbabwe. Thank God the citizens of Zimbabwe rejected that heretic gesture by the wolves themselves. Citizens made sure Managagwa knew they were eating by posting videos and pictures of them having a rare feast. Kudos to the people of Zimbabwe for resisting the real devil's call. Professor of Economics at the University of Melbourne, Joshua Miller has researched the idea of blaming in detail. His study might help us get a glimpse into the minds of those in charge of Zimbabwe. Why do they blame everyone else so much? Why do they never take responsibility for the actions? In a laboratory study, Prof Miller and his co-authors found that participants systematically blame others based on outcomes that they cannot control or anticipate. This finding left me with questioning whether Mnangagwa and his cronies fully understand the complications their actions bring about. Is the government of Zimbabwe in control of the economic outcomes the country is faced with? Did the actors in government and their allies in the private sector anticipate the economic woes being experienced by the country? If the answer to all the questions above is "No", then we might have found a strong relationship between their blaming game and their lack of control and knowledge of the economy. Being an individual trained in statistics and logic, I stayed away from inferring any causality as that would be a deviation from sound reason. Blaming people based on outcomes that they cannot control may appear to be unjustified, but this behaviour follows a particular dismal logic. This warped thinking is personified by Don Corleone in the movie The Godfather. The Don said, "I'm a superstitious man, and if some unlucky accident should befall him - if he is to be shot in the head by a police officer, or be found hung dead in a jail cell... or if he should be struck by a bolt of lightning - then I'm going to blame some of the people in this room and then I do not forgive." For full context, you can watch the excerpt from the movie on [embedded content] It is no coincidence that the Don, a mafia boss exhibits the same traits as the Zimbabwean state boss. They are both blamers. They will even blame someone for natural events like lightning. They do not take responsibility for their actions. Prof Miller and his co-authors argue that unjustified blame is a manifestation of an automatic emotional response that is adaptive more generally. People's tendency to blame in response to certain events acts like a formal contract with incentives, which, because it is predictable, disciplines the behaviour of others whose choices affect them. Based on this conclusion by these Australian academics, it is plausible for me to conclude that Mnangagwa's government uses blame as a tool for: 1. Panacea for lack of knowledge. 2. Self-medication from their own ills. 3. Control over the victims of the blame 4. Simple deflection of accountability. 5. Cover corrupt activities. It is my hope that the Zimbabwean government, regardless of the fact that it is addicted to blaming, will one be constituted of men and women who will take responsibility for their actions. It is my dream that one day we will have civil servants who are called to put the national interest first before their own personal aggrandisement. This Mnangagwa government has failed the people at all levels and does not deserve the respect of the citizens. It has done nothing to prove its worth. It is a strange how Mnangagwa could waste the goodwill that he had when he took office, everyone wanted him to succeed, for the sake of the country, but alas, he rewrote Robert Mugabe's brutal book of violence, only this time with such ferocity that makes Bob look like child's play. Home | World | Africa | Ruvheneko Parirenyatwa defends CapiTalk FM station manager Veteran broadcaster Ruvheneko Parirenyatwa has posted a social media post expressing disappointment on Zimpapers which has suspended the station manager of its talk radio station, CapiTalk FM Nyaradzo Makombe-Hazangwi for airing a programme called Ending Torture and Impunity in Zimbabwe. The manager was suspended for airing a programme that the senior management said lacked balance. "One day we won't get suspended or fired for doing our jobs. One day we will get hired for our abilities & promoted for our brilliance. One day we won't offend older men & women who feel threatened by excellence. Mediocrity & fear are the enemies of growth. One day, is one day." Parirenyatwa posted. This bleeds. Nah, man. Stop killing people, beating people, torturing people, harassing people- all over the world, in fact. I'll add "black" to those people and I'll add "women" to those people for emphasis in this moment. USA, Zimbabwe, Philippines, China... #EnoughIsEnough https://t.co/RVL3GVOhPs Ruvheneko (@RuvhenekoP) May 28, 2020 One day we won't get suspended or fired for doing our jobs. One day we will get hired for our abilities & promoted for our brilliance. One day we won't offend older men & women who feel threatened by excellence. Mediocrity & fear are the enemies of growth. One day, is one day. Ruvheneko (@RuvhenekoP) July 1, 2020 The said programme was funded by Zimrights and included panelists: abduction and torture survivors Jestina Mukoko, one Wellington Nkawu as well as ZimRights director Dzikamai Bere and Frances Lovemore, director of the Counselling Services Unit. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM: Africa Loading... ROANOKE Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nations top infectious disease expert, urged school administrators to get children back into schools as soon as possible. The basic fundamental goal would be as you possibly can to get the children back to school and to use the public health efforts as a tool to help the children get back to school, Fauci told a U.S. Senate panel Tuesday. At a meeting of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, Fauci advised that school administrators consider where their state is with regard to restrictions and the conditions of their communities as they decide how to reopen buildings. He said it was important that people adhere to guidelines on social distancing and masks to keep the level of infection in communities down, because that will make it easier to get children back into schools. Otherwise, he said schools will have to deal with the infection dynamics in their communities and create modified plans with altered school days and virtual learning. Always make the goal that it is very important to get the children back to school for the unintended negative consequences that occur when we keep them out of school, Fauci said. Please register or log in to keep reading Stay logged in to skip the surveys. LOVINGSTON A Roanoke man at the head of a drug trafficking operation in Nelson County that involved 11 other individuals pleading guilty, pleaded guilty Tuesday in Nelson Circuit Court. Peter Jelf Porter, 53, who is also known as Christopher Gause Delroy and Semour Maxwell, pleaded guilty to two felony counts of racketeering and one count of distributing more than 100 grams of methamphetamine in Nelson County from July 2017 until he was indicted in February 2019. A fourth charge was dropped because of the terms of the plea agreement. Porter faces a minimum active sentence of 14 years incarceration. The 11 other individuals who have also pleaded guilty include Porters son, Jafori Porter; Shawn Baker; D. Camm Ragland IV; Katina Wood; Jennifer Pearce; Michael Shawn Craig; William Sturm; Sandra Shifflett; Donny Sprouse Jr.; Josh Painter and William Wood, according to a news release from Nelson County Commonwealths Attorney Daniel Rutherford. According to Rutherford, Porter trafficked more than 10 kilograms of meth into Nelson County from Roanoke. From there, he would sell the drug to three people: Painter, Ragland and Baker, who would then sell to those in the lower levels of the network. Northam and other state leaders argue that wearing masks helps slow the spread of the virus, which has killed more than 1,700 people in the state. Wearing a mask is such an easy, effective way to help control the spread of COVID and to show your fellow Virginians that you care about the health and well-being of your friends, neighbors, and community, Attorney General Mark Herring said in a statement. As cases continue to spike around the country, we know that our progress in controlling COVID in Virginia is real, but requires a sustained commitment to things like covering our faces and maintaining social distancing whenever possible. Herring added: Im proud we were able to defend this commonsense measure to help stop COVID, and Im really proud of all the great work my team has done to keep Virginians safe during this uncertain time. Despite the virus toll on the state, Virginia is set to enter its third reopening phase Wednesday. Restaurants can operate at full capacity, with social distancing in place, and social gatherings can have up to 250 people, among other guidelines. Masks will still be required in Phase Three. And if the employer had additional reasons for the firing? No matter, the decision says in a line suitable for immortality. Intentionally burning down a neighbors house is arson, even if the perpetrators ultimate intention (or motivation) is only to improve the view. Gorsuchs crisp clarity sent some clear signals yet one must cautiously note, no guarantees regarding future outcomes. He laid his argument on textualism, the popular conservative theory that judges should look to the plain text of the law. That matters in a subject such as LGBTQ rights, since few people were talking about LGBTQ rights in 1964. Yet, at least since the Stonewall riots broke out during a police raid on a gay and transgender bar in New York and launched the gay and lesbian rights movement in 1969, it increasingly has become a matter of common sense that gender protections should include LGBTQ people. Looking back, it is all the more ironic to recall that sex was included in the law, which was primarily aimed at racial discrimination, as a sort of last-minute poison pill. Staunch Virginia segregationist Rep. Howard Smith slipped it in, figuring that his fellow lawmakers would see the protection of womens rights as way too extreme. Fortunately, the times were a-changing faster than he realized. Yes, this is a racist nation. Just look at the white supremacists advising the president and take a look at the president himself and his behavior. Peaceful demonstrations and protests are constitutional ways to redress the government, and in this case racist and tyrannical leadership coming straight out of the White House and Justice Department. Lord knows, I hope this nation doesnt have to wait much longer before a sane person is elected who can govern intelligently, truthfully and constitutionally. As for the coronavirus, how much longer do those of us who do not want to have the virus have to wait before everyone understands that by not following the CDC and WHO guidelines and wearing a mask and social distancing, they are putting those of us who do at risk? Beaver Dam, WI (53916) Today Cloudy skies this morning will become partly cloudy this afternoon. High 64F. Winds NW at 10 to 20 mph.. Tonight Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low around 45F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph. I personally feel very let down about some of the things that have happened because we need someone who is strong in agriculture from this area, said former King supporter, state Sen. Annette Sweeney, who backed Feenstra. King said during the campaign he had been assured privately by House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy that hed support Kings reinstatement on the committees, a claim McCarthy dismissed publicly to reporters last month. Democrats chose from four relative unknowns to take on Ernst in what has has shaped up to be a more competitive Senate race than expected. Ernsts job approval and overall favorable ratings have dropped in the past year as she has sought to balance support for President Donald Trump, who is popular with Republicans but far less so among others in the state. Greenfield had the edge, in part because of her compelling story of being widowed as a young mother and owing her rebound to Democratic priorities, Social Security and union benefits. Perhaps most notably, the 55-year-old Greenfield impressed with her fundraising, bringing in more than $7 million since entering the race last year. Thats at least $5 million more than any of her Democratic opponents and reflects the endorsement of the Democrats national Senate campaign arm. Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, was at the White House for a briefing on the issue Tuesday morning. Afterward, she spoke at a GOP leadership press conference where she said that Putin is not to be trusted and that its important American troops on the ground are protected. But she also sought to cast doubt on the reports, based on what she heard at the White House. The evidence that I have seen and have heard shows no corroboration between what was posted in the New York Times article, Ernst said. Support Local Journalism Your subscription makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}} Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., for example, noted that as a retired Air Force brigadier general, he had personal experience with human intelligence gathering. That includes his time stationed in the Philippines. Most human intelligence is very sketchy at best, Bacon said. I would get hundreds of reports in the Philippines every day and maybe one or two would be accurate. Bacon said that while he believes the Russians are not above offering bounties for dead American soldiers, its possible the intelligence in question could not be confirmed and, as a result, was not brought to President Donald Trumps attention by his staff. Bacon also criticized the anonymous source who passed the information to the New York Times. Pottawattamie County reported seven Council Bluffs residents have contracted COVID-19, bringing the total tracked by the county to 748. The residents making up the seven new cases were tested from June 22 to June 27, according to Pottawattamie County Public Health. None of the cases are epidemiologically-linked. Five of the individuals are in the 18 to 40 age range, one is 41 to 60 and one is 81 or older. Around 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday, the state COVID-19 website, coronavirus.iowa.gov, listed 691 cases in the county out of 9,216 tests, for a positive rate of 7.5%. The state does not track epi-linked cases. Pottawattamie County Public Health has said epi-linked cases are individuals whove had contact with a confirmed positive individual and are exhibiting symptoms, but have not been tested. The department provides assistant to those individuals and treats them like individuals who have tested positive. The county health department said there have been 544 recoveries in the county, with 162 residents self-isolating and five hospitalized, the same as reported Monday. There have been 11 COVID-19 deaths in the county. The county noted 26 of the cases were among non-residents/residents who have moved. Plenty of plant-based grilling options out there COVID-19 heralds some good news for this Independence Day. We wont be facing heavy traffic. And, the scarcity of meat will keep our outdoor grills safe. Folks who grill hamburgers and hot dogs face a nasty choice. The U.S. Meat and Poultry Hotline advises grilling at high temperature to avoid food poisoning by E. coli and Salmo-nella bacteria. But the National Cancer Institute warns that high-temperature grilling of processed meats generates cancer-causing compounds. Fortunately, we no longer need to choose between food poisoning and cancer. A bunch of enterprising U.S. food processors have met this challenge head-on by developing a rich variety of convenient, healthful, delicious plant-based veggie burgers, veggie dogs, and soy nuggets. These products dont harbor nasty bugs or cancer-causing compounds. They are missing the cholesterol, saturated fats, drugs, hormones, and pesticides of their animal-based alternatives. And, they are waiting for us in the frozen food section of our favorite supermarket, along with nut-based ice creams, and other dairy-free desserts. A 30% chance for showers this morning will break away to a partly sunny day with highs in the lower 90s. The Council Bluffs-Omaha area may see a northeast breeze, but is not expected to go above 8 mph, according to the National Weather Service in Valley, Nebraska. Tonight will be mostly clear with a low of 71. Highs are expected to stay in the 90s through the weekend. The forecast, according to the weather service: Today: A 30% chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly before 10 a.m. Partly sunny, with a high near 91. North northeast wind 6 to 8 mph becoming east southeast in the afternoon. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms. Tonight: Mostly clear, with a low around 71. Light and variable wind. Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 94. Calm wind becoming east around 5 mph in the afternoon. Thursday night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 72. Friday: A 20% chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1 p.m. Mostly sunny, with a high near 92. The Goodyear Tire Rubber Company GT and Lordstown Motors will collaborate for tires and services, in addition to future tire intelligence opportunities. Under the deal, Goodyear plans to procure new Endurance trucks, the all-electric pickup truck from Lordstown, in order to incorporate into its own servicing fleet, acknowledging the sustainable footprint of all-electric vehicles (EV). The launch coincides with Lordstown's unveiling of their first all-electric pickup truck, the Endurance, on Thursday, featuring Goodyear. Goodyear aims to be the tire maker of choice for EV suppliers, and the latest alliance with Lordstown reflects an ideal relationship with shared Ohio origins and mutual innovation, performance and sustainability values. Lordstown has redesigned the former General Motors factory near Ohio to start producing the first vehicles by late 2020. Reportedly, Lordstown has already obtained advance orders for fleet purchases of the Endurancetrucks, and plans to manufacture 20,000 of the pickups during the first year of production. Meanwhile, the firm rolled out AndGo and Goodyear Ventures this January. While the new capital venture fund Goodyear Ventures intends to advance future mobility solutions over the next decade with a targeted investment of $100 million, AndGo is designed to be a seamless vehicle-servicing platform that integrates predictive software with a trusted service network. Moreover, Goodyear regularly rolls out innovative products and services to boost its sales and remain competitive in the market. The company is working on an intelligent tire prototype that will facilitate fleet operators to enable real-time communicate via a mobile application. Goodyear has successfully launched the Roll retail pilot and continues to expand the Mobile Tire Shop network. It recently launched its latest pilot program in collaboration with Redspher, a transport and logistics group operating in Europe. Story continues Zacks Rank and Stocks to Consider Goodyear currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). Shares of the company have depreciated 43.5%, year to date, compared with the industrys decline of 35.4%. Some better-ranked stocks are Niu Technologies NIU, Tesla TSLA and AngloGold Ashanti Limited AU, each carrying a Zack Rank of 2 (Buy) at present. You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 (Strong Buy) Rank stocks here. Shares of Niu have surged 86.2% year to date, as against the industrys decline of 15.2%. Shares of Tesla have surged 135.7%, year to date, compared with industrys rise of 33.3%. Shares of AngloGold have rallied 28.6%, year to date, compared with the industrys gain of 22.5%. Looking for Stocks with Skyrocketing Upside? Zacks has just released a Special Report on the booming investment opportunities of legal marijuana. Ignited by new referendums and legislation, this industry is expected to blast from an already robust $6.7 billion to $20.2 billion in 2021. Early investors stand to make a killing, but you have to be ready to act and know just where to look. See the pot trades we're targeting>> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report The Goodyear Tire Rubber Company (GT) : Free Stock Analysis Report Tesla, Inc. (TSLA) : Free Stock Analysis Report AngloGold Ashanti Limited (AU) : Free Stock Analysis Report NIU TECHADR (NIU) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research PANAMA CITY (AP) The Panama Canal reported a 21% drop in the number of ships crossing the waterway in May amid the coronavirus pandemic, compared to projections for traffic. Just 937 ships used the canal last month, while there were 260 cancellations of crossings, canal administrator Ricaurte Vasquez said Wednesday. He said 119 of the cancellations involved giant LNG and LPG tankers that were to have carried liquified gas, mostly from the United States to Asia. Crossings by cruise ships and car carriers also declined. The coronavirus pandemic has hurt international trade and economic activity around the globe. Vasquez said recovery in traffic might be slow, but some analysts predicted a more rapid rebound. It will be able to recover rapidly because the world's reactivation depends on the reactivation of trade, said analyst Jose Isabel Blandon Sr. And in the reactivation of trade, the United States needs Panama, China and South America need Panama, and Europe, too. MANILA, Philippines (AP) The Philippine army chief on Tuesday angrily called the fatal police shooting of four soldiers, including two officers, a rubout and demanded justice for the killings which the police said ensued from a misencounter. Eduardo Ano, a retired military chief of staff who now oversees the national police as interior secretary, ordered the police involved in Mondays violence in the southern town of Jolo in Sulu province be disarmed and restricted for investigation. Police said the soldiers were killed in a misencounter with a group of police officers. The army has said that its two officers and two enlisted men were on a mission against Abu Sayyaf militants, including two suspected suicide bombers, when they were flagged down and later fatally shot by police without provocation even after the soldiers identified themselves. It was murder, army commanding general Lt. Gen. Gilbert Gapay told reporters. There was no misencounter ... it was a rubout. The violence reflects the often-complicated conditions under which the campaign against the Abu Sayyaf and its allied foreign and local militants has been waged by the military, with backing from the police, for about three decades. The on and off offensives have considerably weakened the Abu Sayyaf, which is blacklisted by the U.S. and the Philippines as a terrorist group, but it remains a national security threat. This is a very unfortunate incident that should have not happened, Ano said. Aside from a police investigation he said he would ask the National Bureau of Investigation, Manilas counterpart to the FBI, to carry out an inquiry. An initial police report said Jolo police were on patrol with anti-illegal drug agents in the towns Bus-Bus village when they spotted an SUV with four armed male persons, whom they stopped. The four were directed to drive to the Jolo police station for verification but when they arrived there, the said persons fled, the report said. Story continues Police chased the four, who got out and pointed their guns at police. Before they could pull the trigger, the Philippine National Police personnel were able to shoot them in defense, sparking an exchange of shots that killed the four suspects, the police said. Gapay said he was enraged when he read the initial police report on the shootings, describing it as fabricated, full of inconsistencies. Its like in the movies and very misleading. The soldiers did not fire a single shot and the nine policemen involved, who did not sustain any injuries, fled after gunning them down in a breach of police protocol, Gapay said, citing witnesses and security camera video. Gapay said the police chiefs of Jolo town and Sulu should be removed from their posts during the investigation, adding that he did not want to create any animosity with the countrys police force. It was very tense in Jolo last night, our troops, everybody were really agitated, but, you know, we are very professional, he said. An army officer with knowledge of what happened told The Associated Press that while being tailed by a van of policemen, the soldiers stopped and one of the officers got out of their SUV with his hands up, apparently to indicate he had no hostile intent. But the police opened fire and killed the four soldiers, who were in casual clothes, for still unexplained reasons, said the army officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the delicate nature of what transpired. Toyota Motor Corporation TM recently announced that the company will reach its January 2017 pledge of investing $13 billion over a five-year period a year earlier than anticipated, along with the creation of more than 6,500 new jobs with focus on advancing electrification and improving mobility in the U.S market. In January 2017, Toyota Indiana (TMMI) invested $600 million and added 400 new jobs to complete the transformation of its plant modernization project. Additionally, in April 2017, Toyota made an investment of $1.33 billion in Toyota New Global Architecture (TGNA) and advanced technologies in Kentucky. In July and August 2017, the firm invested $1 billion and $800 million in Texas and Alabama, creating 1,000 and 4,000 jobs, respectively. While the investment in Texas was used for the completion of new regional corporate headquarters, the investment in Alabama was utilized for the Greenfield vehicle-manufacturing facility with Mazda. Notably, in August 2017, Toyota and Mazda had collaborated to establish MTMUS, a $1.6-billion joint venture to assemble up to 300,000 vehicles annually. Moreover, later that September, the firm invested $373.8 million and added 50 new jobs to support the production of TNGA hybrid powertrain in Alabama, Kentucky, Missouri, Tennessee and West Virginia. Further, in April 2018, Toyota spent $170 million in Mississippi, creating 400 jobs in TNGA to produce the 12th generation of its Corolla model. In March 2019, the company made an investment of $750 million and added 600 new jobs in Alabama, Kentucky, Missouri, Tennessee and West Virginia through vehicle and unit plant expansion. Furthermore, later in September, Toyota invested around $391 million again in TNGA and advanced technologies. In January this year, it made an investment of $700 million, creating 150 jobs, through the completion of plant modernization project and by adding 40,000 units of vehicle capacity. Apart from these investments, the company spent $5.9 billion in supplier tooling, general plant upgrades, research & development, and other selling, general administrative expenses, as well as a $1-billion investment in the Toyota Research Institute. Story continues Toyota has built a massive supply chain in the United States, with more than $28.4 billion in direct investment in the country, 10 production plants including its joint venture with Mazda, nearly 1,500 dealerships and more than 184,000 of working population. Zacks Rank and Stocks to Consider Toyota currently carries a Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell). Shares of the company have depreciated 10.6%, year to date, compared with the industrys decline of 12.9%. Some better-ranked stocks are Niu Technologies NIU, Tesla TSLA and AngloGold Ashanti Limited AU, each carrying a Zack Rank of 2 (Buy) at present. You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 (Strong Buy) Rank stocks here. Shares of Niu have surged 87.5% year to date, as against the industrys decline of 12.9%. Shares of Tesla have soared 158.1%, year to date, compared with industrys rise of 38%. Shares of AngloGold have rallied 32%, year to date, compared with the industrys gain of 25.8%. Biggest Tech Breakthrough in a Generation Be among the early investors in the new type of device that experts say could impact society as much as the discovery of electricity. Current technology will soon be outdated and replaced by these new devices. In the process, its expected to create 22 million jobs and generate $12.3 trillion in activity. A select few stocks could skyrocket the most as rollout accelerates for this new tech. Early investors could see gains similar to buying Microsoft in the 1990s. Zacks just-released special report reveals 8 stocks to watch. The report is only available for a limited time. See 8 breakthrough stocks now>> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Toyota Motor Corporation (TM) : Free Stock Analysis Report Tesla, Inc. (TSLA) : Free Stock Analysis Report AngloGold Ashanti Limited (AU) : Free Stock Analysis Report NIU TECHADR (NIU) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research Washington, PA (15301) Today Partly cloudy skies this morning. Thunderstorms likely during the afternoon. A few storms may be severe. High 82F. Winds SW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 100%.. Tonight Thunderstorms this evening, then cloudy with rain likely overnight. Low near 55F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%. The OECD Observer online archive takes you on a journey through half a century of public policy and world progress. Since November 1962, the OECDs experts and leading guests offer insights on the questions facing our member countries with concise and authoritative analysis, and provide our audiences with an excellent opportunity to understand policy debates and consider solutions. Each edition of the OECD Observer reports on a core theme of the OECDs on-going work, from economics and society through governance, finance, and the environment, and articles are bolstered by tables and graphs. National organizations tap UB researchers to establish registries, develop guidelines for treating children with COVID-19 Improving evaluations of children infected with COVID-19 and restoring public confidence in health care should be top priorities Decades of research studying cardiovascular diseases in children related to viral illnesses and their therapies has provided us with important lessons that we believe may be relevant to understanding the cardiovascular manifestations of COVID-19 in children. BUFFALO, N.Y. A paper and two editorials by University at Buffalo pediatrics researchers call attention to key issues in health care that the COVID-19 pandemic has brought to light; they also recommend guidelines for evaluating and treating children infected with COVID-19. All were published in Progress in Pediatric Cardiology. As a result of the recommendations, the American Heart Association has requested that one of the authors, Steven Lipshultz, MD,, chair a committee to develop a Scientific Statement on the Management and Treatment of Children with Cardiomyopathies, including COVID-19 and other viral and inflammatory diseases. Lipshultz is the A. Conger Goodyear Professor and chair of the Department of Pediatrics in the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at UB. The Childrens Cardiomyopathy Foundation is also working with Lipshultz to fund a national registry of children with COVID-19 and these cardiovascular complications to augment his current National Institutes of Health funding of the Pediatric Cardiomyopathy Registry. Lipshultz is credited with having helped establish the field of pediatric cardio-oncology and has been principal investigator of several landmark NIH studies on the causes and treatment of cardiomyopathy in children. Disruption to health care Lipshultz was corresponding author on the paper published online this week -- titled Disruption of Healthcare: Will the COVID Pandemic Worsen Non-COVID Outcomes and Disease Outbreaks? -- which discusses the far-reaching effects that the global pandemic is having on all aspects of health care. Along with Lipshultz, UB co-authors on the paper include Gale Burstein, MD, commissioner of the Erie County Department of Health and clinical professor of pediatrics, and Dennis Z. Kuo, MD, associate professor and division chief of general pediatrics, both in the Department of Pediatrics at the Jacobs School. Kuo is also a physician with UBMD Pediatrics. Additional co-authors are Paul Barach, MD, of Wayne State University, Stacy D. Fisher, MD, of the University of Maryland, M. Jacob Adams, MD, and Patrick Brophy, MD, both of the University of Rochester. Citing fear and lack of trust in health care institutions as patients with other conditions avoid treatment because of COVID-19, as well as dysfunction in the ways that health care is paid for in the U.S., Lipshultz and co-authors describe in the paper the health care challenges that the COVID-19 pandemic has created. Apprehension about seeking care for non-COVID diseases, especially heart attacks and other cardiovascular problems, is leading to potentially lethal delays in seeking care, which will reverberate throughout health care systems for the foreseeable future, said Lipshultz. The authors note that a critical factor in boosting confidence in the systems ability to care for patients with all diseases is accurate and effective communication with the public about risks from the novel coronavirus as well as non-COVID-19 diseases. The paper states: Uncertainty about the course and severity of the pandemic and the potential of a vaccine remains high; thus, effective risk communication is essential to ensure widespread adoption of evidence-based public health recommendations. H1N1 lesson The paper mentions, as an example, that in 2009, public acceptance of the H1N1 flu vaccine happened as a result of access to clear and accurate information and confidence in the vaccine, which was enhanced when President Obamas daughters were immunized. But the trust that Americans now have in the federal government to do the right thing has plummeted to 17%, according to research cited in the paper, and official actions during the pandemic have further eroded public confidence. The authors note that reporting of accurate data about the incidence of the disease and which populations are more at risk for COVID-19 and other diseases is also a factor that impacts public trust and perception. The paper states: Disease incidence and progression for many conditions can vary by ethnicity and COVID-19 may be no different. Even in the U.S., needed information about infections, hospital admissions, and deaths is not readily available in some regions as a result of economic concerns and political pressures. Children with multisystem inflammatory syndrome More readily available data on COVID-19 patients, especially the recent emergence of the Kawasaki-like syndrome called multisystem inflammatory syndrome inchildren (MIS-C), will be especially critical in determining how best to treat these children, Lipshultz notes in his editorial Rethinking COVID-19 in children: Lessons learned from pediatric viral and inflammatory cardiovascular diseases, published in May. He urges the establishment of patient registries, similar to what he and colleagues have done in the field of pediatric cardiomyopathy. Such registries can help establish new classification systems and identify differences in the course of a disease and outcomes. In pediatric cardiomyopathy, these registries of patient data have cut in half the incidence of the failure of certain medical interventions. In another editorial, COVID-19 associated Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C) guidelines: a Western New York approach, published in May, Mark Hicar, MD, PhD, assistant professor of pediatrics at UB and a physician with UBMD Pediatrics, and colleagues proposed new guidelines for evaluating children with COVID-19 who exhibit symptoms of MIS-C, which can have devastating effects on the cardiovascular system and other organs. Because of the complexity of the issues involved with this condition, Lipshultz proposes that a multidisciplinary team should address such patients as soon as possible. And because of the possibility of rapid deterioration after presenting with initially mild symptoms, he strongly recommends follow-up within several days if a child with symptoms that may indicate MIS-C is discharged from the emergency department; he also proposes that providers be aware that transfer to a pediatric intensive care unit or higher level of hospital care may also be warranted. Decades of research studying cardiovascular diseases in children related to viral illnesses and their therapies has provided us with important lessons that we believe may be relevant to understanding the cardiovascular manifestations of COVID-19 in children, Lipshultz said. Lipshultz is president of UBMD Pediatrics, pediatric chief of service for Kaleida Health and medical director of pediatric services business development, Oishei Childrens Hospital. Holy shit. I read his column like every day (Dear Prudence). Edited at 2020-07-01 02:35 am (UTC) Reply Thread Link I haaate him as Dear Prudence, but I loved The Toast. Reply Parent Thread Link I feel like I see people say that all the time haha. Why do you hate him as Dear Prudie? Reply Parent Thread Expand Link i didnt realize how conservative emily yoffe was irl. But then again, I read her wayyy back in the day. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link Saaaaaame. I hate-read Prudie. The last column was a doozy. Reply Parent Thread Link I loved the creative writing on the Toast, but the politics less so. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link I would like see a very large, very sudden fire at this church during a staff meeting. Reply Thread Link it takes a lot to narc on your own family, but when its the safety of children at stake it is always the right thing to do. take notes, Nicki Reply Thread Link She will never see the wrongs of her ways. West Indian culture doesnt allow you to hold your family accountable for shit. I had an aunt who was physically (non sexually) and emotionally abusive to me and the other children in the family for years. She only stopped when at 17 she tried to slap me, and I responded by grabbing her wrist, and telling her I would break every finger on her hand if she touched me. Long story short, she went on to severely abuse an elderly person in her care. She was thankfully caught, and the family STILL stands by her, and supports her. The family excuses it as Shes not right we cant blame she fuh dat. Reply Parent Thread Link My God Reply Thread Link read abt this last night and I was so confused. He doesn't identify the volunteer as his own brother and the pastor as his dad until halfway through the thread. I hope those kids' parents are caring for their kids and asking the right questions, but if the leadership is anything like the congregation, I doubt it Reply Thread Link He's been talking about it for a bit/released previous statements but hadn't revealed it was his brother until yesterday. I think he was trying to recap the situation before explaining that it had been a family member of his. Reply Parent Thread Link Got it, thank you for explaining. I saw letters dated door the past, but I thought the Twitter thread was brand new. He saved so many lives... Reply Parent Thread Link As a form of "therapy," Pastor Ortberg and other seniors at the church encouraged the man to work with children unsupervised. KILL THEM ALL Reply Thread Link He colluded in a desperately unsafe conspiracy on the grounds of a discredited beliefseemingly derived from the Virtuous Pedophile movement, whose values both he and my father defended to methat close, unmonitored contact with children is therapeutic for pedophiles. Daniel M. Lavery (@daniel_m_lavery) June 28, 2020 barf Reply Parent Thread Expand Link This is fucking insane. Reply Parent Thread Link This is so fucked up, holy shit. Reply Parent Thread Link yeah, and how did that work out for all the priests? Reply Parent Thread Link For real. This reminds me of when that Abducted in Plain Sight documentary showed they let that pedophile sleep in their daughters bed because their church claimed he was OK now. Its beyond disturbing. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link DISGUSTING Reply Parent Thread Link Omg this reminds me of the "Kentler Experiment" I've read about recently where struggling boys in foster care were placed with known pedophiles as they would receive much more "affection". Happened in Germany in the 70s (to the 90s??). Horrible. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link It's gotta be rough when family is involved but he did the right thing. Reply Thread Link I never heard about this family, but it doesn't surprise me Reply Thread Link If even one 5k ppl that liked this his tweets, changes course and decides to speak up abt an abuser or seeks help(?) for themselves, then that's a major win. he's probably getting lots of angry messages from complicit ppl and other who choose to align w/ abusers in general, but I saw him getting lots of love which was great. Reply Thread Link If you have confessed to compulsive sexual and romantic feelings to kids, even if you havent done anything you should not be allowed to be around children. Edited at 2020-07-01 02:47 am (UTC) Reply Thread Link gagging at them wanting to soften it by saying "romantic feeling" wtf Reply Parent Thread Link For real. The idea of romance and children going together is almost somehow even worse than being crass about it. I guess because it sugar coats the predatory nature of it and makes it sound consensual when we all know it never is. Reply Parent Thread Link This may be a dumb/naive question but can they be rehabilitated from such thoughts/feelings? Are there any studies/recorded cases on this subject? Or are they utterly hopeless cases and should be ostracised from society before they hurt/abuse anyone. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link One of my high school counselors was creepy as hell. A few years after I graduated, he got arrested for molesting minors, but it wasn't proven that it was students from my school. He apparently molested kids as a youth pastor and the church never reported it, so his pedophile ass was able to gain employment at my school! So warped. Reply Thread Link Churches are complicit in so much shit. Reply Parent Thread Link My year 10 science teacher Is still serving a sentence for drugging and raping a student. Reply Parent Thread Link Daniel was on Chris Hayes' podcast a bit ago and briefly mentioned this. Just insane, what in the hell kind of therapy puts children in the hands of a potential predator. Thank goodness Daniel spoke up. Reply Thread Link Ironically enough I saw an article on my TL about a study done in Germany of putting kids in foster care with actual pedos as a form as therapy to curve the issue. Needless to say it didn't go so well and decades of abuse. Reply Parent Thread Link This whole story is insane. Organized religion has facilitated so much harm in the world (yes, it's individual people who do the harming, but the system protects so many dangerous people for insane reasons). Reply Thread Link Got to love when people use mental health in such a stigma-loaded way. Tells me everything I need to know about them, tbh. Reply Thread Link This is fucking awful. Sorry, but I don't trust any defense that equates to "She's crazy!". Reply Thread Link Hate it. I was only just watching Simone Giertz, and now this fucking atrociousness. Why do men have to be so disgusting? Reply Parent Thread Expand Link Exactly. Why exactly is she crazy? Could it be...abuse? Reply Parent Thread Expand Link this is bleak Reply Thread Link this is so sick and upsetting. Reply Thread Link His sister? Just for that extra awfulness, I guess. Reply Thread Link Maybe her mental problems come from the abuse she suffered when she was a child? Reply Thread Link sent to my SO hoping maybe I won't have to watch his stupid show anymore it's pretty shitty of their mother to defend her son and accuse her daughter of having mental health issues, when, who wouldn't if they'd been abused as a child? that doesn't mean he didn't abuse her. Reply Thread Link This is awful on a whole new level. Reply Parent Thread Link there's a woman in my life who's brother raped her from ages 5-15. her mother sided with the son. the woman is now 55 and her mother still refuses to even consider the thought that her son raped her daughter. it's horrific. Reply Parent Thread Link Oh I know it happens all. the. time. I just cant imagine the hatred you have to have for that child to abandon them emotionally like that. Reply Parent Thread Link [ TRIGGER WARNING ] my ex's much older brother sexually abused her years, starting from when she was 5. from what i know, he was also probably abusing other kids. it turned out that her mom had known (or "had suspicions") for most of that time and, i guess, just prayed that God would intervene. it only stopped when he moved across the country for work, on his own volition. her perspective on the abuse was 1) he was abused himself as a young child! and 2) it's bad but it's not that bad because [insert her shitty religious rhetoric here]. he would come home all the time over the years and she showed him more openness and love than i've ever seen her give her daughter. i remember her talking to me about him one time, so prideful and excited about all his various accomplishments and i've never felt more sickened by someone in my life. if my ex ever brought up the abuse or made obvious her animosity towards her brother, she was shipped out to religious camps and ~spiritual healing counsellors. i think her mother might be the only person i genuinely hate. EDIT: added a cut. Edited at 2020-07-01 08:43 pm (UTC) EDIT: added a cut. Reply Parent Thread Link wonder why she has mental issues... how goddamn vile Reply Thread Link That is a fucking disgusting defense they're using to defend him. No one's mental health should be used against them in such blatant retaliation. More so when they're stepping forward to talk about the assault/abuse they had to survive. I hope the best for Miranda and I really hope she has a good support network during the course of this lawsuit. Reply Thread Link She's been speaking about this openly for years. Reading her first blog post about it , and the details about the ways her family ostracized her even though she was trying to encourage him to get support himself, just made me so fucking sad and infuriated. I hope she gets the justice she deserves. Reply Thread Link He gets to live a life where he and the family has forgiven him, and she is stuck with the burden of the trauma. I hate this so much I want to claw my fucking eyes out. Reply Parent Thread Link oh my god?!?!?! ELECTRIC CHAIR! Reply Thread Link I feel like this pos has literally shown his ass before and we knew he was shit... This is so sad and disturbing Rot in hell you piece of human garbage!! Reply Thread Link is he the one whose taint is burned in my brain? Reply Parent Thread Link Ewww hahaha, yes- I think so!! I had forgotten about that until this post and Im going to try really hard to forget again. Reply Parent Thread Link Worst time for me to be reading this. I might need someone to literally talk me out of decapitating a coworker who keeps targeting young female employees. I had no idea until today. I didn't care when he harrassed me, I'm a grown ass woman. I can take it. But these other girls are still kids. I want him dead. Reply Thread Link can you report him to anyone at all? Reply Parent Thread Link report this motherfucker right now. Reply Parent Thread Link "Adam is a good man, and I support him completely." yeah, right. What is it with mom's and always defending the abuser jfc Reply Thread Link If I had to guess, it's because they can't accept the idea that they raised a predator. It's a next-level "my PERFECT ANGEL would never hurt/bully/be mean to ANYONE." Reply Parent Thread Link you're probably right, the denial is just flabbergasting. I'm in a csa support group and all of the women had almost the same experience re:mom not believing or right out supporting the abuse, it's heartbreaking Reply Parent Thread Expand Link Stuck midway in reforming its energy sector by chopping down unnecessary assets and optimizing the national NOCs role vis-a-vis the government, Angola has endured a lot of strain in the coronavirus period. Straddled with foreign debt, the loss of oil revenues which have been making up roughly third of the governments income, Angola was compelled to seek IMF assistance on keeping its economy afloat, including a rather risky move of suspending all debt service payments from May 01 until the end of the year. Reassessing Angolas economic prowess might lead to a relaxation of the Angolan-Chinese axis as Luanda seeks to postpone the payment of its outstanding debt to its main oil-related trading partner in the past couple of years. Angolas long-term prospects have been for some time already hindered by a seemingly terminal production decline. A mere 3 years Angola was exporting some 1.7mbpd, today the same metric has dropped to 1.18mbpd with the nations July export schedule. Truth be told, Angolas financial standing was also undercut by its participation in the OPEC+, the conditions of which stipulate a 1.25mbpd production quota. Angola, an OPEC member since 2007, has largely disregarded its commitments and was called out by the other members (along with Iraq, Nigeria and Kazakhstan) to make good on its overproduction. For the national oil company Sonangol this creates a triple whammy lower prices amid an ever-decreasing number of cargoes lead to lower revenues, all the while total debt keeps on piling up. Graph 1. Angolan Crude Exports in 2017-2020 (million barrels per day). Source: Thomson Reuters. Angolas debt obligations vis-a-vis China are a noteworthy illustration of the inordinate extent African producers might end up if they focus too much on one customer. China is Angolas top trade partner and in pre-coronavirus times would take in up to 90% of Angolas export volumes. All this has led to Luanda owing China more than $20 billion in bilateral debt, meaning that when the government of Joao Lourenco declares it is in advanced stages of negotiations on debt restructuring it essentially means talks with Beijing. Sonangol seeks to decrease its supply commitments to China and some market analysts reckon that the Angolan NOC might be willing to sell part of its stake in deepwater Angolas top acreage, the Total-operated Block 32 or the ENI-operated Block 15/06. This would free up cargoes for Sonangols disposal, however still would not be able to overcome the current descent. Related: Saudi Arabia Eyes Total Dominance In Oil And Gas For the first time this century, May 2020 witnessed an across-the-board halt in explorational drilling all the majors present in Angolas offshore, including the largest international acreage-holder Total, decided to idle drilling rigs until health concerns ease and market conditions improve. According to media reports, this is the first time since 1984 that such a phenomenon takes place. For the J-Lo administration such developments are all the more saddening as deepwater exploration has unearthed quite a few promising prospects ENI, the operator of Block 15/06, has discovered 5 fields deemed commercial throughout 2018-2019 (Kalimba, Afoxe, Agogo, Ndungu and Agidigbo) with a total estimated reserves worth of 1.8 billion barrels. Against this background, it might be argued that Angola needs to diversify away from being this dependent on China and its domestic market. The first step in this direction might be the construction of the 60kbpd Cabinda Refinery a Hong Kong-based consortium won the initial tender for building the plant yet failed to make any substantial progress and saw its contract cancelled in late 2019. Now the Cabinda Refinery is spearheaded by the London-based investment firm Gemcorp which promises to conclude the last (third) phase of construction by 2024. Gemcorp is a relatively new player on the oil market, having been founded in 2014 by former top executives of the Russian investment bank VTB Capital. Given that Russia has launched a PR drive to bring it closer to African countries, an established friend like Angola might be a suitable start for both nations. The COVID-related market recession could not have happened at a worse period for Angola. Early this year Luanda seemed to have ensured US support for its stated objective for repatriating all the government receipts that the current Angolan administration reckons were diverted in 2016-2017 from state-controlled entities into funds controlled by the then-Chairperson of Sonangol, Isabel dos Santos. Although much of what J-Lo has been doing combines a pragmatic reason with concurrently attainable political benefits, improving ties with the United States (as can be attested by Secretary of State Pompeos February visit) has tangible benefits for Sonangol as it seeks to regain access to US banks and USD-denominated financing blocked since 2015 over Angolas weak money-laundering and terrorism-financing legislation and oversight. Under the current circumstances the Lourenco governments intention to hold the 2022 Sonangol IPO now seems like a pipe dream given that even Saudi Aramcos offering turned out to be much more difficult to carry out than initially expected, despite being in a substantially more stable financial position than debt-ridden Sonangol. The Sonangol IPO was destined to be a part of a massive privatization programme (PROPRIV), encompassing 175 companies of which 9 firms are to be done via IPO. The proceeds of Angolas privatization are to ease the countrys debt problems as Luanda still has a debt-to-GDP ratio of 90% and uses the overwhelming majority of its revenues on debt service obligations (equivalent to 87% of state revenues in 2019). By Viktor Katona for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Venezuelas crude oil production tumbled by nearly 200,000 bpd in June compared to May, to just 422,400 bpd on June 28, as Venezuela struggles to place its oil on the market due to the U.S. sanctions, Bloomberg reported on Wednesday, citing official documents it had seen. Venezuelas state-owned oil firm PDVSA saw its June production plunge by 32 percent last month, with output in the country holding the worlds largest oil reserves plummeting to its lowest level in 75 years in early June when it was just 374,000 bpd. In the first half of June, production from the Orinoco oil belt slumped by 50 percent to just 148,000 bpd, according to the documents of PDVSA and the oil ministry seen by Bloomberg. In the Maracaibo basin, crude oil production plunged by 40 percent to 83,600 bpd. The collapse in oil prices and the tightening U.S. sanctions against Venezuela have accelerated the decline of the oil industry in the country sitting on the largest crude oil reserves in the world. As of May, Venezuelas rig count plunged to just two, with just one active oil rig in the Orinoco belt, data from Baker Hughes shows, as production slipped by 16 percent to 645,700 bpd. Venezuelas oil industry was collapsing even before the oil price crash and the pandemic, due to the increasingly stricter sanctions in the U.S. maximum pressure campaign against Nicolas Maduros regime and its sources of revenues. Oil income is pretty much the only hard currency that Maduro gets, so the U.S. is looking to stifle as much of Venezuelas oil trade as possible. In addition, PDVSA is severely cash-strapped and hasnt invested in the repair and maintenance of oil facilities and refineries in years. Meanwhile, even the crude that Venezuela manages to pump out of the ground is not finding many willing customers. Oil tankers carrying at least 18.1 million barrels of Venezuelan oil are said to be currently idling at sea across the world unable to find buyers some for as long as six months as many potential and previous customers of Venezuelas crude are not taking chances with delivery for fear of incurring secondary U.S. sanctions. By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Russian nuclear power is one continent closer to taking over the world. This week the Rwandan parliament approved a plan for the Russian state-owned nuclear conglomerate Rosatom to build a brand new nuclear research facility, along with a nuclear reactor, in the Central African nations capital city of Kigali. This hard-won development comes as the latest step in a decades-long aggressive lobbying effort on the part of the Russian government and more specifically Rosatom to woo African nations into making deals with Russia, ostensibly for profit as well as influence on the African continent. German media company DW News reported earlier this week about the Kigali nuclear center, The Center of Nuclear Science and Technologies, planned for completion by 2024, will include nuclear research labs as well as a small research reactor with up to 10 MW capacity. And the Rwandan plant is just the beginning. Ethiopia, Nigeria and Zambia have signed similar deals with Rosatom, while countries such as Ghana, Uganda, Sudan and DRC have less expansive cooperation agreements. Russias assertive move into Africa intensified considerably on the heels of the introduction of Western Sanctions in 2014. After Canada, the European Union, and the United States all imposed sanctions on Russia in response to what they saw to be the illegal annexation of the Crimean peninsula in Ukraine, Moscow has had to look from friends and trading partners in other corners of the globe. As Afripolitika geopolitics analyst Ovigwe Eguegu told DW News, "For Putin to remain relevant in Russia, he really has to ensure that Russia has a big influence [...] That's why he is looking at African markets so he has more parties to partner with when it comes to international issues." While Africa is often overlooked as a political power, altogether the African nations represent the single-biggest voting bloc in the entire United Nations. Related: Saudi Arabia Eyes Total Dominance In Oil And Gas Although Russias efforts to win over African nations have been redoubled since the early 2000s, the Soviet Union has a history of alliances with the continent, but after the fall of the USSR, many, if not most, of those relationships fell to the wayside. While the Soviet Union had a close relationship to various African states during the Cold War, reports DW, Russia's trade balance with Africa is one-tenth of that of China, meaning it needs to look for other means to get a foothold on the continent. Both China and Russia have been busily expanding their nuclear energy sectors as nuclear falls out of fashion and out of favor in the west. Indeed, the United States, the worlds biggest nuclear energy producer, accounting for a whopping third of global nuclear energy production, is poised to be overtaken. China is on track to take Frances spot as the worlds number two nuclear generator by 2022 and then go on to dethrone the U.S. just four years after that. Meanwhile, in the United States, there are legitimate concerns as to whether the domestic nuclear energy sector will even survive the COVID-19 economic downturn. While Russian nuclears push into Africa is big news for global geopolitics, however, it has been entirely overshadowed by some sinister news in the world of Russian nuclear this week. A massive uptick in radiation levels in Europe and especially in Scandinavia have European leaders sounding the alarms this week. While many have pointed the finger at Russia and a possible nuclear reactor leak, Russia has unilaterally denied these claims. Now, some experts are even questioning whether the radiation is actually the result of a Russian weapons test. Either way, its certainly worrying news coming from the country with the world's biggest nuclear company by foreign orders and rapidly expanding influence. While many have not yet taken notice of Rosatoms push into Africa, it will certainly have a lasting impact felt around the globe. By Haley Zaremba for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: ConocoPhillips expects to start bringing back in July part of the oil production it had curtailed in the second quarter in response to the low oil prices, the U.S. oil company said on Tuesday. In April, when oil prices slumped to the low teens amid crashing demand in the pandemic and the Saudi pledge to flood the market with oil, ConocoPhillips reduced its 2020 capital expenditure for the second time in one month and announced curtailments of some oil production in Canada and the U.S. until market conditions improve. ConocoPhillips said it would voluntarily curtail 200,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day (boe/d) net until market conditions improve. The company curtailed production at Surmont in Canada due to low Western Canada Select (WCS) prices, as well as production across its operations in the U.S. shale patch. As prices improved from the April lows, with WTI Crude closing in on the $40 a barrel mark, ConocoPhillips said today that it continues to monitor netback pricing and evaluate curtailments across its operated assets on a month-by-month basis. The oil producer expects to begin restoring curtailed production in Alaska in July. In the U.S. shale patch, ConocoPhillips expects to begin bringing some curtailed volumes back on line during July and will continue to make economically driven production decisions at the asset level in the months ahead. At Surmont in Canada, the company also plans to increase production in the third quarter from curtailed levels. Given ongoing variability and uncertainty in the outlook for production curtailments, the company will continue to suspend forward-looking guidance and sensitivities, ConocoPhillips warned, as it joined other U.S. producers in bringing back some of the curtailed oil production volumes. Early in June, EOG Resources and Parsley Energy said they would be bringing back online some production as prices started to recover. By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Iraq is looking to attract investment from Saudi Arabia in one of its natural gas fields, Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister, Ali Allawi, told Bloomberg, while OPECs second-largest producer looks to be seriously trying to comply with the OPEC+ production cuts. Iraq is seeking Saudi investment in either the Akkas or the Mansuriya gas field, Allawi told Bloomberg in an interview published on Wednesday. Saudi Arabia has a high readiness to back our energy projects, the Iraqi minister said. At the end of the day, they will pick one field. They are also interested in solar energy, Allawi added. Saudi Arabia will not be providing support to the Iraqi budget, Allawi told Bloomberg. Iraq, one of the oil producers worst hit by the oil price crash, relies on oil revenues for 95 percent of its budgetary income and is one of the least diversified economies in the Middle East. The oil price crash has seriously impacted the budgetary income and the economy at OPECs second-largest producer. Iraq is also in intensive talks for a loan from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), minister Allawi told Bloomberg. Pressured by the OPEC+ leaders Saudi Arabia and Russia, Iraq which has been the least compliant member of the coalition has promised to compensate for the loose compliance in May and June with deeper cuts in July and the following months. By the middle of June, Iraq had made significant cuts in its crude oil exports in a move suggesting that it was improving its compliance with the record production cuts. For the full month of June, Iraqi oil exports dropped by 310,000 bpd, or by 9 percent, according to Reuters estimates of loading data and industry sources. This decline in crude oil exports last month points to Iraq delivering three-fifths of its share of the cuts, Reuters has calculated. By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: OPECs oil production in June came in at the lowest level since May 1991 during the Gulf War, and collectively meeting its promised cut. For June, OPEC cut its production to 22.69 million bpd, according to a Bloomberg survey using data compiled by Kpler, Rystad Energy, Rapidan Energy Group, and JBC Energy GmbH. Saudi Arabia met its promised cut, holding production to 7.53 million bpd. Saudi Arabia also met its additional voluntary reduction that phases out in July. While Kuwait and the UAE also met their promised cuts, they did not meet all of their voluntary cuts like Saudi Arabia did. To no ones surprise, Angola, Iraq, and Nigeria did not meet their promised cuts. Of the three, Angola was the most compliant at 83% of its pledged cuts in June, while Nigeria hit 77%. Iraq, the biggest laggard of the group during this cut and in previous cuts, managed to reach only 70% of its promised cuts. The laggards have all promised to make up for any overproduction in future months after the production cut deal expires. Part of OPECs success in meeting its targets is spurred on by Venezuela, which produced just 340,000 bpd last month, albeit unwittingly. It is not bound by the production cut deal. While OPEC is enjoying its success in delivering its promised cuts, it is still running up against a serious demand shock that is continuing to pressure prices. Despite the cuts, inventories are still high and remain significantly above the five year average in the United States, which offers the most transparent picture of the state of the oil market in terms of rig counts, oil and fuel inventories, DUC counts, and production data. Oil prices were up on Wednesday afternoon, with Brent trading up nearly 2% at $42.07 per barrel and WTI crude sitting just below $40 per barrel, up 1.48% on the day. By Julianne Geiger for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Michael Shellenberger, Time magazine Hero of the Environment, apologized on behalf of environmentalists for the climate alarmism they had propagated over the past three decades. Shellenberger, president at Environmental Progress and an expert reviewer for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), wrote in an article that the climate apocalypse alarmism had misled the public about the imminent existential threat of climate change. On behalf of environmentalists everywhere, I would like to formally apologize for the climate scare we created over the last 30 years. Climate change is happening. Its just not the end of the world. Its not even our most serious environmental problem, Shellenberger wrote in an article first published on Forbes, which was later removed for not following editorial guidelines, as National Post journalist John Robson commented. Shellenberger has been an environmentalist since he was 16 years old, but he now apologized for the climate scare with several facts from scientific studies, including those conducted by or accepted by the IPCC, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), and the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Humans are not causing a sixth mass extinction, he wrote, adding that habitat loss and the direct killing of wild animals are bigger threats to species than climate change. But until last year, I mostly avoided speaking out against the climate scare. Partly thats because I was embarrassed. After all, I am as guilty of alarmism as any other environmentalist. For years, I referred to climate change as an existential threat to human civilization, and called it a crisis, Shellenberger wrote. But mostly I was scared. I remained quiet about the climate disinformation campaign because I was afraid of losing friends and funding. The few times I summoned the courage to defend climate science from those who misrepresent it I suffered harsh consequences. And so I mostly stood by and did next to nothing as my fellow environmentalists terrified the public, said Shellenberger, who has just published a new book, Apocalypse Never that is currently Amazons #1 Bestseller in Environmental Science. By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: A legal fight over a gasoline cargo anchored near Houston is indicative of the shipping industry increasingly refusing to have anything to do with Venezuela and the efficiency of the U.S. sanctions on Nicolas Maduros regime, The Associated Press reports in a new investigation citing court documents and emails. Companies ultimately owned by Greek shipping magnate Evangelos Marinakis and Venezuelan shipping tycoon Wilmer Ruperti are suing each other in U.S. courts over an attempt by a company of Rupertis to have a tanker ultimately owned by a Marinakis company to deliver a gasoline cargo to Venezuela via a ship-to-ship transfer (STS) off Aruba and close to Venezuelas shores. The tanker Alkimos, operated by Marinakiss Capital Ship Management Corp, has been anchored off Houston for more than two months after it refused to do an STS transfer off Aruba, the AP says. The shipowners broker of Alkimos suspected in March that something was wrong when it was chartered by Rupertis ES Euroshipping with instructions that it would do an STS transfer to a ship that has exclusively called at Venezuelan ports over the past year. Just to be clear in advance. Owner WILL NOT participate in any illegal trading, the shipowners broker wrote in an email at the end of March, according to the AP investigation. Alkimoss broker asked for alternative instructions after suspecting a potential sanctions breach with an STS transfer off Aruba. It never received them within two provided deadlines, so it turned around and headed for Houston at the end of April. Rupertis Euroshipping now claims that the operator of the tanker Capital Ship Management hijacked the cargo, demanding US$2.3 million, while the Greek firm is suing Euroshipping for losses because of delays and staying adrift and is seeking a US$1.7-million lien. U.S. officials say that the saga shows that sanctions on Venezuela are working. The most reputable firms, including the largest Greek shipping companies, have been cooperative and have shown that they value their reputations and their global businesses, Elliott Abrams, the Trump Administrations special representative for Venezuela, told the AP. According to Reuters estimates, oil tankers carrying at least 18.1 million barrels of Venezuelan oil are currently idling at sea across the world unable to find buyers some for as long as six months as many potential and previous customers of Venezuelas crude are not taking chances with delivery for fear of incurring secondary U.S. sanctions. By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Campus News Two grads latest examples of UBEOC success stories By CHARLES ANZALONE Ms. Godoy and Mr. Saleh are two more examples of individuals who reached out to the Buffalo EOC to find ways to transform their lives so that they could contribute to their respective communities. Marlyce Godoy dropped out of college to raise her daughter as a single mother while receiving public assistance and working at a local restaurant. Then she saw a flyer highlighting tuition-free programs at UBs Educational Opportunity Center. This year, she credits the UBEOC for a new beginning that has led to her present career as an assistant professor/clinical instructor in the dental hygiene program at SUNY Erie, as well as the role of president of the Buffalo Chapter of the American Dental Hygienists Association. Ahmed Saleh escaped Eritrea in Eastern Africa in 1993 when he was 18. After working as a corner store cashier, he enrolled in the English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) program at the UBEOC. Now, Saleh owns two Mandela Markets, helping to alleviate food insecurity on Buffalos East Side, making it easier for Buffalo residents to find and buy fresh fruits and vegetables. Godoy and Saleh have joined the ranks of UBEOC success stories, further evidence of the EOCs legacy of transforming lives. Godoy received this years Distinguished Alumni Award presented to an alumna/alumnus who embodies UBEOC lifelong learning values and turns efforts into achievements. Saleh won the Arthur O. Eve Education and Community Service Award, which honors the legacy of Arthur O. Eve, former deputy speaker of the New York State Assembly, under whose leadership the states EOC centers were established. This award goes to a current UBEOC student or alumna/alumnus demonstrating leadership, advocacy, community service and/or commitment to education. Ms. Godoy and Mr. Saleh are two more examples of individuals who reached out to the Buffalo EOC to find ways to transform their lives so that they could contribute to their respective communities, says Julius Gregg Adams, executive director of the UBEOC. We are proud of their accomplishments and honored that they chose the Buffalo EOC to continue their personal and professional growth. Adds Margot Barrett Keysor, UBEOC alumni affairs administrator: UBEOC alumni more than just acknowledge the expression when opportunity knocks. They internalize its meaning into their character and act upon it. Duluth, MN (55816) Today A mix of clouds and sun. Cooler. High 63F. Winds NW at 10 to 20 mph.. Tonight Partly to mostly cloudy. Low 48F. Winds W at 10 to 15 mph. A top astronaut has warned an asteroid could hit Earth. (Getty) An astronaut has warned that there are 1 million asteroids that could hit Earth. Pablo Nespoli, who works for the European Space Agency (ESA), said it was time to act to prevent one of the objects smashing into our planet. He made the ominous warning during Asteroid Day on Tuesday. Italian flight engineer Nespoli tweeted: Between small and big, there are more than 1 million asteroids out there that could hit the Earth. Right now, we are mostly ignoring the probability of a massive one suddenly appearing. Its time to act: #AsteroidDay. He also posted a short clip of one of the Earth-bound asteroids, filmed during mission 53 in 2017. Read more: Asteroid more than a mile wide to fly past Earth This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. An asteroid flew past Earth in June, according to Nasas Planetary Defense Coordination Office. The rock, which is known as 163348 (2002 NN4), passed 3.2 million miles by Earth which is close in cosmic terms. Asteroid Day, held on 30 June, the anniversary of the 1908 Tunguska impact in Russia, was co-founded in 2014 by astrophysicist and Queen guitarist Dr Brian May. The event aims to educate people about the good and bad of asteroids. Read more: Earth just had a near-miss with a 'city killer' asteroid There are apparently 1 million asteroids that could hit Earth. (Getty) Organiser the Asteroid Foundation, a Luxembourg nonprofit organisation, said on its website: Asteroid Day is a dynamic awareness and educational program to inspire the world about asteroids their role in the formation of our solar system, how we can use their resources, how asteroids can pave the way for future exploration and finally how we can protect our planet from asteroid impacts. Events and education programmes to mark the day are independently organised around the world with the support of the UN, space agencies, schools and universities. Read more: Strange new theory of what caused 'world's biggest impact' over Siberia 100 years ago One of Asteroid Days main aims is to get governments to accelerate the funding of asteroid discovery programmes. The 100X Asteroid Declaration petition to support this has been signed by leaders in science, technology and business, and more than 125 astronauts. MANILA, Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte has decided to extend the implementation of enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) in Cebu City until July 15, 2020. The President noted the stubbornness of its residents despite strict government protocols to curb the spread of COVID-19. He cited the situation in Talisay City where people tend to ignore social distancing protocols, with some even engaging in drinking sprees and gambling. Ayaw ninyo maniwala, bakit marami? One of the reasons even without consulting the Body because you did not follow rules, President Duterte said. You have the highest. Cebu is now the new hotspot for COVID-19. Bakit? Marami sa inyo ay hindi sumusunod, he added. The President expressed concern over the situations in Cebu City which he hopes will improve through the supervision of Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu. Meanwhile, Metro Manila and the following areas will remain under general community quarantine (GCQ) until July 15: Cavite Rizal Benguet Lapu-Lapu City Mandaue City Leyte Ormoc Southern Leyte Talisay City, Minglanilla and Consolacion Municipalities in Cebu Province The President commended the response of residents in the said areas to the government-imposed protocols which helped slow down the rate of COVID-19 infection. You know Manila, maraming tao but because sumunod nila with few violations thereabout we here in Manila have a good chance of at least avoiding it, he said. To save the economy, Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguz recommended to the President the further relaxing of quarantine measures in Metro Manila and the CALABARZON region. The rest of the country, meanwhile, will remain under modified general community quarantine (MGCQ) specifically those identified as moderate and low risk areas where localized community quarantine and minimum health standards may strictly be observed. MNP (with reports from Rosalie Coz) The post Duterte extends ECQ in Cebu City; GCQ in Metro Manila until July 15 appeared first on UNTV News. MANILA, Philippines Reports of mishandled and missing deliveries by courier J&T Express has reached the attention of President Rodrigo Duterte. Thus, he ordered the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and the Philipine National Police Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG) to probe mounting complaints against the delivery firm. The Chief Executive also wants an investigation into the companys finances through the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR). President Duterte also threatened to close the courier service if allegations of irregularities and anomalies are proven to be true. Because of so many complaints, I will close you down. Sigurado yan, sasarhan talaga kita (Thats for sure. I will shut you down) whether you like it or not after the CIDG and the NBI finish their investigation and point liability on you, he warned during a late night broadcast on Tuesday (June 30). Recently, a video showing some of the courier companys warehouse staff carelessly throwing parcels into the delivery van went viral on social media and drew ire from customers. J&T Express issued an apology for the matter and vowed to sanction those involved in the incident. The President thus encouraged customers to file a formal complaint against the company. Yung lahat naman na may reklamo (All those who have complaints), go to the nearest police agency. Sabihin ninyo, paturo kayo (Ask them to help you) then file the complaint there [] tapos tingnan ko (and Ill check it), Duterte said. MNP (with reports from Rosalie Coz) The post Duterte orders probe against J&T Express over mishandled deliveries appeared first on UNTV News. The European Union reopened its borders Wednesday to visitors from 15 countries -- but not the virus-stricken United States, where a top health official warned the country is headed in the "wrong direction" as cases spike in multiple states. US infectious diseases expert Anthony Fauci said that the United States could see 100,000 new COVID-19 cases a day, and several US states imposed 14-day quarantines on travelers from other states. Also in the US, Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden announced he will not hold rallies during the outbreak, a move that is in stark contrast with President Donald Trump, who has already held large campaign gatherings. The 77-year-old former vice president delivered a blistering critique of his November opponent's handling of the virus, saying the Republican president had "failed" the country. "This is the most unusual campaign I think in modern history," Biden said. "I'm going to follow the doc's orders -- not just for me but for the country -- and that means that I am not going to be holding rallies." In Brussels, the EU finalized the list of countries whose health situation was deemed safe enough to allow residents to enter the bloc starting on Wednesday. Notably excluded were Russia and Brazil, as well as the United States, whose daily death toll passed 1,000 Tuesday for the first time since June 10. The countries that made it onto the EU's list are Algeria, Australia, Canada, Japan, Georgia, Montenegro, Morocco, New Zealand, Rwanda, Serbia, South Korea, Thailand, Tunisia and Uruguay. Travelers from China, where the virus first emerged late last year, will be allowed on the condition that Beijing reciprocates and opens the door to EU residents. The border relaxation, to be reviewed in two weeks and left to member states to implement, is a bid to help rescue the continent's battered tourism sector, which has been choked by a ban on non-essential travel in place since mid-March. But with some 10.4 million known infections worldwide, the pandemic is "not even close to being over," the World Health Organization has warned. - 'Very disturbing' - In Washington, Fauci, a member of Trump's coronavirus task force, warned Congress that "clearly we are not in total control right now." "I would not be surprised if it goes up to 100,000 a day if this does not turn around." Alarming spikes in Texas and Florida are driving the national total of new cases to over 40,000 per day, and they need to be tamped down quickly to avoid dangerous surges elsewhere in the country, Fauci stressed. Texas alone reported 6,975 new cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday, its highest tally yet. "I'm very concerned and I'm not satisfied with what's going on, because we're going in the wrong direction," Fauci said. The pandemic has claimed some 127,000 American lives so far and more than 508,000 around the globe. Senator Lamar Alexander, a Republican who chairs the Senate panel, urged Trump to end the politicization of mask-wearing by putting on one himself. "The president has plenty of admirers, they would follow his lead," Alexander said. "It would help end this political debate." New York, New Jersey and Connecticut on Tuesday doubled to 16 the number of US states whose residents must go into quarantine for 14 days if they visit any of the northeastern states. The Pan American Health Organization warned, meanwhile, that the coronavirus death toll in Latin America and the Caribbean could top 400,000 by October without stricter public health measures. That would represent a quadrupling of the fatal cases of COVID-19 in the region. Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, meanwhile, scored a victory Tuesday when a judge overturned a ruling that had forced him to wear a mask in public. The judge deemed the rule redundant since face masks are already mandatory in Brasilia. - 'Infrastructure revolution' - European aircraft maker Airbus said it is planning to cut around 15,000 jobs worldwide, 11 percent of its total workforce. Britain, home to Europe's deadliest outbreak, has already seen its sharpest quarterly contraction in 40 years, shrinking 2.2 percent from January-March. The worst is yet to come, with economists predicting a double-digit slump in output during the second quarter, tipping Britain into a technical recession. Prime Minister Boris Johnson vowed Tuesday to deliver an "infrastructure revolution" to help the country out of the economic downturn. Germany, which has been praised for its handling of COVID-19, saw its North Rhine-Westphalia state extend a lockdown on a district hit hard by a slaughterhouse outbreak. And in Australia, a spike in cases in parts of Melbourne spurred new stay-at-home measures affecting some 300,000 people. Around the world, sporting events continued to fall off the calendar, including the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations and the remainder of this year's World Rugby Sevens Series. Honda Cars Philippines, Inc. (HCPI), is offering up to P500,000 in cash discounts when you purchase their offerings in their latest month-long promo. The local arm for the Japanese carmaker, through its Great Deals, Brighter Tomorrow promo, will give hefty amounts of discount as part of their "contribution in providing better mobility in time of the global pandemic." July promo HCPI Starting today till July 31, buyers of City, CR-V, Civic, Brio Amaze, Mobilio, and Accord may enjoy the following cash discounts, special offers, and other exciting deals. Honda discounts Those who will purchase select variants of the City, CR-V, Mobilio, Brio Amaze, and Civic will also get a free Blaupunkt Air Purifier Airpure AP 1.0 set. This gadget is set to clean the air within the cabin. Further, HCPI is also offering a special all-in financing program at 10 percent dowpayment, with 36-60 months payment terms for select models is also available through BPI Family Savings Bank, RCBC, China Bank Savings, and Bank of Commerce. Other all-in financing promo option offers such as low cash-out, low monthly amortization, and free one month amortization at 15 percent and 20 percent downpayment with 36-60 months payment terms is available through BPI Family Savings Bank, RCBC, Bank of Commerce, China Bank Savings, UCPB, Maybank, BDO, PNB, PSBank, and Robinsons Bank. These all come with a three-year LTO Registration and Chattel Mortgage and free one year Comprehensive Insurance with Acts of Nature through select bank partners. Honda is one with the nation on its fight against COVID-19. Through our latest deals and special offers, we aim to provide mobility and convenience to Filipinos, to improve their quality of life during these trying times. We believe that hand-in-hand, we can overcome these challenges, HCPI president Masahiko Nakamura said. To know more about the latest news and promos of HCPI, visit the nearest Honda Cars dealership, or Honda Cars Philippines, Inc.s official website at www.hondaphil.com. Story continues Photos from Honda Cars Philippines Also read: Honda Cars PH to go VIRTUAL in August Honda announces latest promo amid COVID-19 pandemic Honda Extends Drive to 2020 Promo Hong Kong police made the first arrests under Beijing's new national security law on Wednesday as the city greeted the anniversary of its handover to China with protesters fleeing water cannon. The commemorations came a day after China imposed a sweeping security law on the city, a historic move decried by many Western governments as an unprecedented assault on the finance hub's liberties and autonomy. Certain political views and symbols became illegal overnight, including showing support for Hong Kong, Taiwan, Xinjiang and Tibet independence. By Wednesday afternoon police said two people had been arrested under the new law, a man and a woman both carrying Hong Kong independence signs. "Advocacy for independence of Hong Kong is against the law," security minister John Lee told reporters. A few thousand protesters defied a ban on rallies to gather in the shopping district of Causeway Bay on Wednesday, blocking some roads. Riot police responded with water cannon and pepper spray, making at least 70 arrests. "What this authoritarian regime wants to do is to terrorise the people and stop them from coming out," Chris To, a 49-year-old protester, told AFP. - Broken promise? - Opprobrium over the law poured in from critics and western governments -- led by the United States -- over fears the law will usher in a new era of mainland-style political repression. Under a deal ahead of the 1997 handover from Britain, authoritarian China guaranteed Hong Kong civil liberties as well as judicial and legislative autonomy until 2047 in a deal known as "One Country, Two Systems". "(China) promised 50 years of freedom to the Hong Kong people, and gave them only 23," US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said as he promised unspecified countermeasures. But Beijing said foreign countries should keep quiet about the law, while Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam hailed the legislation as the "most important development" since the city's return to Beijing's rule. After huge and often violent pro-democracy protests last year, authorities have shown zero tolerance for even peaceful rallies in recent months. Gatherings of more than 50 people are currently banned under anti-coronavirus laws even though local transmissions have ended. - Floats and helicopters - The July 1 anniversary has long been a polarising day in the city. Beijing loyalists celebrate Hong Kong's return to the Chinese motherland after a century and a half of what they consider humiliating colonial rule by Britain. During a morning anniversary ceremony, helicopters flew across Victoria Harbour carrying a large Chinese flag and a smaller Hong Kong pennant, while a barge appeared with a banner reading "Welcome the Enacting of the National Security Law" in giant Chinese characters. Small groups of Beijing supporters waved Chinese flags in several local neighbourhoods, untroubled by police. Democracy advocates have used the occasion to hold large rallies as popular anger towards Beijing swells -- although this year's event was banned for the first time in 17 years. During huge pro-democracy demonstrations last year, the city's legislature was besieged and trashed by protesters. - Chinese jurisdiction and life sentences - The "One Country, Two Systems" formula helped cement the Hong Kong's status as a world-class business hub, bolstered by an independent judiciary and political freedoms unseen on the mainland. But critics have long accused Beijing of chipping away at that status and describe the new security law as the most brazen move yet. It was passed in just six weeks, skipping Hong Kong's fractious legislature, and the precise wording was kept secret until it came into effect late Tuesday. It outlaws subversion, secession, terrorism and colluding with foreign forces to undermine national security, with sentences of up to life in prison. It also topples the legal firewall that has existed between the city's judiciary and the mainland's party-controlled courts. China will have jurisdiction over "serious" cases and its security agencies will also be able to operate publicly in the city for the first time. Another provision also claims universal jurisdiction for national security crimes committed beyond Hong Kong or China. More than two dozen countries -- including Britain, France, Germany and Japan -- urged Beijing to reconsider the law, saying it undermines the city's freedoms. Canada, meanwhile, warned citizens in Hong Kong that they faced an increased risk of arbitrary detention or even extradition to China. In Taiwan, authorities there opened a new office to deal with Hong Kongers seeking refuge. Beijing says the law will restore stability after a year of pro-democracy protests and will not end Hong Kong's freedoms. But critics have little faith in those assurances given how similar national security laws are routinely used on the mainland to crush dissent. MANILA, Philippines Police Regional Office in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region (PRO-BAR) Director PBgen. Manuel Abu has ordered the relief of P/Lt.Col. Walter Annayo of the Jolo Municipal Police Station over the fatal encounter between the police and the military that resulted in the death of four soldiers of the Philippine Army Intelligence Unit. Police and soldiers engaged in a gunfight near the checkpoint in Sitio Marina, Barangay Walled in Jolo, Sulu on Monday (June 29). READ: Misencounter between soldiers and police in Jolo kills 4 Abu said Annayo was relieved because of his command responsibility over the incident. Andito siya sa provincial police office floating muna habang nag-iimbestiga pa [He will stay here at the Sulu Provincial Police Office (PPO) while the investigation is ongoing], Abu said of Annayo. Replacing Annayo is P/Lt.Col. Filmore Calip, the former Chief of the 1st Provincial Mobile Force Company. The nine policemen involved in the encounter are also in the custody of the Sulu PPO. Nasa custody na ni PD dito sa provincial headquarters. Dinis-armahan na at isinumite ang kanilang firearms sa Crime Lab for ballistic exam, Abu explained. [The Police Director has taken the cops in his custody here at the provincial headquarters. They were disarmed and the firearms were sent to the PNP Crime Laboratory for ballistic tests.] The relief order followed a request of Philippine Army Commanding General Gilbert Gapay to relieve the cops who killed the Army personnel. Meanwhile, Abu confirmed that the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has already started its investigation on the incident. The PNP Internal Affairs Service (PNP-IAS), likewise, is launching a moto propio investigation against the nine policemen involved in the encounter. PNP-IAS Inspector General Atty. Alfegar Triambulo stressed that the cops will definitely face administrative charges if proven responsible for the death of the four soldiers. Story continues Fact-finding din kung merong makitaan ng mga lapses. Doon magre-recommend kami kung sino ang kakasuhan, Trimabulo confirmed. [We will also do fact-finding to determine the lapses. Thats when we will recommend as to who will be charged.] May patay kaya puro grave offenses iyan [There were fatalities so thats why they are all grave offenses], he added. President Rodrigo Duterte, meanwhile, asked the NBI to fast track the investigation on the matter. In an interview, Presidential Spokesperson Secretary Harry Roque said the President wants to personally meet with the nine policemen through the coordination of Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Ano. Without revealing kung kailan at saan mangyayari ang pagpupulong ay hiningi ni Presidente kay Secretary Ano na gusto niyang makausap iyong mga pulis. Iyong siyam na pulis na diumano ay nagpaputok duon sa apat na Army personnel, Roque said. [Without revealing when and where the meeting will be, the President told Secretary Ano that he wanted to meet with the nine cops who allegedly gunned down the four Army personnel.] Roque said the President was extremely sad knowing that the involved were both members of government units. Gusto niya na pumunta mismo duon sa lugar dahil gusto niyang ma-lift ang morale ng kasundaluhan. Sinabi niya na sana ito na ang huling misencounter sa kanyang termino, Roque added. [He wanted to personally go to the site and lift the morale of our soldiers. He hopes this will be the last misencounter under his term.] MNP (with EXCLUSIVE report from Lea Ylagan) The post Jolo police chief sacked over fatal shooting of soldiers appeared first on UNTV News. Malaysia will file a lawsuit at the World Trade Organization over the European Union's plans to end the use of palm oil-based biofuels, a minister said Wednesday. The Southeast Asian country is the world's second biggest palm oil producer after Indonesia and would be hit hard by the EU's plan to phase out its use in biofuels by 2030. European restrictions were "discriminatory" and risked throwing the livelihoods of three million people into disarray, said Mohamed Khairuddin Aman Razali, the Malaysian minister overseeing the industry. Khairuddin did not say when Malaysia would take its action, which follows a similar WTO lawsuit filed by Indonesia last December. He added that Malaysia would also be involved as a "third party" in Indonesia's case. Palm oil is the world's most widely used vegetable oil and a key ingredient in a wide range of products from food to cosmetics. It is also Malaysia's largest agricultural crop. Environmentalists say it drives deforestation, with huge swathes of Southeast Asian rainforest logged in recent decades to make way for palm plantations. Hong Kongs businesses, perched within 15 minutes by high-speed rail from the worlds 11th largest economic cluster, is in the uniquely advantageous position to exploit the US$1.65 trillion economy of the Greater Bay Area (GBA), said the chief of the citys oldest and largest commercial guild. That advantage is particularly important amid Hong Kongs unprecedented recession, as the arrivals of mainland Chinese tourists and business travellers with their fistfuls of renminbi have plunged to an all-time low, said George Leung Siu-kay, chief executive of the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce. If mainland Chinese do not come to Hong Kong, the ideal solution would be for Hong Kong companies to go north to serve them, said Leung, who represents 4,000 businesses employing 1.3 million people in the city. If the authorities can remove the restrictions on capital and talent flow within the GBA, Hong Kong companies can set up shops and restaurants on the mainland. It will be the solution to help the business sector recover from this recession. Get the latest insights and analysis from our Global Impact newsletter on the big stories originating in China. Tourist arrivals in Hong Kong plummeted to an all-time low of 4,125 in April, from 5.58 million in the same month last year, as cross-border travelling ground to a halt amid the global coronavirus pandemic. Even after China emerged from the Covid-19 lockdown in March, few people ventured to Hong Kong, causing arrivals for the first four months to plunge 85 per cent to 3.49 million, from 23.8 million last year, hitting the retail, catering, tourism and finance industries particularly hard. George Leung Siu-kay, Chief Executive Officer of The Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce (HKGCC), on 22 June 2020. Photo: Nora Tam The GBA project, first unveiled in February 2019, is the Chinese governments ambitious plan to integrate Hong Kong, Macau and nine cities of Guangdong province into an economic cluster. The combined economic output of the area is larger than Russia, and just behind Canada if it were counted as a stand-alone entity, with a population that is forecast to grow 43 per cent to 100 million by 2035. Story continues The GBA cities in Guangdong, the manufacturing hub and growth engine in the worlds second-largest economy, also include some of the most prosperous urban centres in China. That creates a valuable opportunity for Hong Kongs businesses, particularly with the cross-border investment channel dubbed the Wealth Management Connect, unveiled this week. The industry guild that Leung represents traces its history to 159 years in colonial Hong Kong, older than HSBC. Its membership includes most of the companies that dominate Hong Kongs corporate life, including the former British hongs HSBC, Swire and Jardine. Many Hong Kong companies ventured north to set up production plants in the GBA during the 1980s in such cities as Dongguan, Guangzhou and Shenzhen, Leung said. With rising wealth and disposable income among the GBA residents, Hong Kong can act as the wealth management hub for them. Chinas government this week loosened the rules on two-way fund flows between nine cities in the nations southern Guangdong province with Hong Kong and Macau, taking a tentative step toward partial relaxation of its capital controls. The new plan allows residents of Hong Kong and Macau to buy wealth management products sold by mainland Chinese banks located throughout GBA, and lets residents of the nine Guangdong provincial cities tap wealth products sold by financial institutions in Hong Kong and Macau. SCMP Graphics Hong Kong online lender WeLab has been one of the early movers in the bay area. The company in 2014 set up an office in Shenzhen to tap the talent and risk management expertise for its business, according to co-founder Simon Loong. The Shenzhen venture boosted WeLabs client base to 44 million individual customers, and 300 enterprise clients across Hong Kong, mainland China and Indonesia. Shenzhen has become the fintech hub of China and the headquarters for a lot of huge fintech players, Loong said. Venturing into the China market is no easy feat for Hong Kong companies due to the differences in the regulatory regime. Hong Kong companies are sometimes regarded as foreign investors and need to go through a more arduous process compared to local investors. Many regulatory kinks and discrepancies remain to be ironed out, Leung said. Regulatory uncertainties are the key concerns for these companies, he said. Many of the nine cities have different regulations so Hong Kong companies are not sure if they can get one licence for doing business for all nine cities. Hong Kong companies are still considered non-local enterprises under Chinese business regulations, which make them uneligible for internet content provider (ICP) licenses. Loong would like to see Hong Kongs government fight for more for local companies to enter into the bay area markets. Having said that, were encouraged to see the Chinese government has rolled out a series of measures to facilitate cross-border financial market access, he said. Sign up now for a 50% early bird discount on the 100+ page China Internet Report 2020 Pro Edition, which includes deep-dive analysis, trends, and case studies on the 10 most important internet sectors. Now in its 3rd year, this go-to source for understanding China tech also comes with exclusive access to 6 webinars with C-level executives. Offer valid until 30 June 2020. More from South China Morning Post: This article The market size of Chinas Greater Bay Area is the key to Hong Kongs economic woes, says chief of oldest business guild first appeared on South China Morning Post For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2020. MANILA, Philippines Philippine Army Commanding General Gilbert Gapay cries murder over the death of four military personnel in conflict with members of the Philippine National Police (PNP) in Jolo, Sulu on Monday (June 29). It was murder. There was no misencounter dahil hindi naman pumutok iyong tropa namin. Andon ang mga baril nila sa baba. [There was no misencounter because our troops did not pull a trigger. Their firearms were down.] It was a rubout! he stressed. The PNP, for its part, did not deny that the incident was not a misencounter but instead, was a shooting incident. Nais din natin bigyang linaw ang naunang pahayag na umano ay merong misencounter. Ayon sa ating pagaanalisa ng report na unang nailabas at officially released spot report ay nakita natin na wala namang paggamit or pagpapaputok ng baril mula sa mga namatay na sundalo, noted PNP Spokesperson PBGen. Bernard Banac. [We want to clarify earlier reports of an alleged misencounter. After analyzing the officially released as a spot report, we concluded that the fallen soldiers did not exchange gunshots.] Ang nakalagay lamang doon ay umamba kaya yaon ang naging response ng ating Jolo Municipal Personnel. Batay sa pag-aaral na iyan makikita natin na hindi na ito misencounter ito ay isang shooting Incident, he added. [What was written there was that the soldiers positioned to shoot thus the response of out Jolo Municipal Police personnel. Based on our analysis, it was no longer a misencounter but a shooting incident.] The PNP Spokesperson, however, refused to comment further on Gapays claim of a rubout. Iginagalang natin ang mga pahayag ng ating mga pinuno at mga kasama sa Philippine Army at sa Armed Forces of the Philippines subalit ipinauubaya na natin ito sa NBI na syang maglalabas kung ano talaga ang tunay na nangyari, Banac said. [We respect the statements of our officers and comrades in the Philippine Army and the Armed Forces of the Philippines but we leave it to the NBI to release the report as to what really happened.] Story continues Kung ano ang mga naging sequence of events at kung ano ang magiging conclusion at kung ano man ito ay handa itong suportahan ng Philippine National Police, he assured. [The Philippine National Police is ready to support whatever the sequence of events and conclusions may arise from it.] The PNP expressed its sincere apology to its comrades in the military for the death of the four soldiers while it assured that those responsible in the incident will be penalized accordingly. Meanwhile, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said he does not want to speculate as to what really transpired in the encounter as he is not buying the claims of rubout and murder against the military personnel. He said the AFP and the PNP have conflicting statements regarding the events that transpired in the scene thus he prefered to wait for the result of the NBIs investigation on the incident. Its not good to speculate. The accounts from both sides are conflicting. Lets wait for the NBI investigation, Lorenzana said. Nonetheless, he said he fully understood Gen Gapays burst of emotions because the victims were among his men in the AFP. He is just repeating the reports he got from our people on the ground. Of course, the event happened just the other day and emotions are high among the Army troops. The army leadership in Sulu are trying hard to calm their people while inquiry is going on, Lorenzana said. MNP (with reports from Lea Ylagan) The post PNP admits no misencounter in Jolo incident appeared first on UNTV News. Uruguay's Foreign Minister Ernesto Talvi, who shot to international prominence when he oversaw the repatriation of foreign passengers from a coronavirus-stricken cruise ship, announced his resignation Wednesday. Talvi's move had been expected after he announced his intention last month to devote more time to his Ciudadanos political party, one of five in Uruguay's governing coalition. In a letter to President Luis Lacalle Pou which he posted on Twitter, Talvi said he had intended to remain as minister until the end of the year, to preside over the country's rotating presidency of the Mercosur regional bloc. "I understand, however, that the timings in the cabinet are set by the President of the Republic. I hereby tender my resignation." Local media reported that Talvi will be replaced by Francisco Bustillo, currently the ambassador to Spain. Bustillo was reported to be on his way to Montevideo. The 63-year-old Talvi was widely praised after he oversaw a lengthy and sometimes fraught operation to repatriate the passengers and crew of the Australian cruise ship Greg Mortimer. The ship had aborted a cruise to Antarctica on March 20 after the nearest South American countries -- Argentina and Chile -- closed their borders and imposed lockdowns. The captain diverted to Montevideo, where the ship was eventually allowed to dock after most of the more than 200 people aboard contracted the disease. Passengers, mostly from Australia and New Zealand, were flown home aboard two emergency flights in April. The last of the crew were allowed to leave Uruguay later after quarantining in Montevideo. Diverse structural-colored insects in mid-Cretaceous amber from northern Myanmar. Credit: NIGPAS Nature is full of colors, from the radiant shine of a peacock's feathers or the bright warning coloration of toxic frogs to the pearl-white camouflage of polar bears. Usually, fine structural detail necessary for the conservation of color is rarely preserved in the fossil record, making most reconstructions of the fossil dependent upon an artist's imagination. A research team from the Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (NIGPAS) has now unlocked the secrets of true coloration in 99-million-year-old insects. Colors offer many clues about the behavior and ecology of animals. They function to keep organisms safe from predators, at the right temperature, or attractive to potential mates. Understanding the coloration of long-extinct animals can help us shed light on ecosystems in the deep geological past. The study, published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B on July 1, offers a new perspective on the often overlooked, but by no means dull, lives of insects that co-existed alongside dinosaurs in Cretaceous rainforests. Researchers gathered a treasure trove of 35 amber pieces with exquisitely preserved insects from an amber mine in northern Myanmar. Comparisons between original and altered metallic colors in cleptine wasps. Credit: NIGPAS "The amber is mid-Cretaceous, approximately 99 million years old, dating back to the golden age of dinosaurs. It is essentially resin produced by ancient coniferous trees that grew in a tropical rainforest environment. Animals and plants trapped in the thick resin got preserved, some with life-like fidelity," said Dr. Cai Chenyang, associate professor at NIGPAS who lead the study. The rare set of amber fossils includes cuckoo wasps with metallic bluish-green, yellowish-green, purplish-blue or green colors on the head, thorax, abdomen, and legs. In terms of color, they are almost the same as cuckoo wasps that live today, said Dr. Cai. The researchers also discovered blue and purple beetle specimens and a metallic dark-green soldier fly. "We have seen thousands of amber fossils but the preservation of color in these specimens is extraordinary," said Prof. Huang Diying from NIGPAS, a co-author of the study. "The type of color preserved in the amber fossils is called structural color. It is caused by microscopic structure of the animal's surface. The surface nanostructure scatters light of specific wavelengths and produces very intense colors. This mechanism is responsible for many of the colors we know from our everyday lives," explained Prof. Pan Yanhong from NIGPAS, a specialist on palaeocolor reconstruction. To understand how and why color is preserved in some amber fossils but not in others, and whether the colors seen in fossils are the same as the ones insects paraded more than 99 million years ago, the researchers used a diamond knife blades to cut through the exoskeleton of two of the colorful amber wasps and a sample of normal dull cuticle. Using electron microscopy, they were able to show that colorful amber fossils have a well-preserved exoskeleton nanostructure that scatters light. The unaltered nanostructure of colored insects suggested that the colors preserved in amber may be the same as the ones displayed by them in the Cretaceous. But in fossils that do not preserve color, the cuticular structures are badly damaged, explaining their brown-black appearance. What kind of information can we learn about the lives of ancient insects from their color? Extant cuckoo wasps are, as their name suggests, parasites that lay their eggs into the nests of unrelated bees and wasps. Structural coloration has been shown to serve as camouflage in insects, and so it is probable that the color of Cretaceous cuckoo wasps represented an adaptation to avoid detection. "At the moment we also cannot rule out the possibility that the colors played other roles besides camouflage, such as thermoregulation," adds Dr. Cai. Explore further Amber specimens reveal origin of long mouthpart of scorpionflies Comment Policy Calaveras Enterprise does not actively monitor comments. However, staff does read through to assess reader interest. When abusive or foul language is used or directed toward other commenters, those comments will be deleted. If a commenter continues to use such language, that person will be blocked from commenting. We wish to foster a community of communication and a sharing of ideas, and we truly value readers' input. Plotopterids like these Copepteryx looked remarkably like penguins. Credit: Mark Witton. Available for media and current affairs use; all other rights reserved New Zealand's monster penguins, which lived 62 million years ago, had doppelgangers in Japan, the U.S. and Canada, a study published today in the Journal of Zoological Systematics and Evolutionary Research has found. Scientists have identified striking similarities between the penguins' fossilized bones and those of a group of much younger Northern Hemisphere birds, the plotopterids. These similarities suggest plotopterids and ancient penguins looked very similar and might help scientists understand how birds started using their wings to swim instead of fly. Around 62 million years ago, the earliest known penguins swam in tropical seas that almost submerged the land that is now New Zealand. Paleontologists have found the fossilized bones of these ancient waddlers at Waipara, North Canterbury. They have identified nine species, ranging in size from small penguins, the size of today's Yellow-Eyed Penguin, to 1.6-meter-high monsters. Plotopterids developed in the Northern Hemisphere much later than penguins, with the first species appearing between 37 and 34 million years ago. Their fossils have been found at a number of sites in North America and Japan. Like penguins, they used their flipper-like wings to swim through the sea. Unlike penguins, which have survived into the modern era, the last plotopterid species became extinct around 25 million years ago. Dr. Gerald Mayr of the Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum, Frankfurt, James Goedert of the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture and University of Washington, U.S., and Canterbury Museum Curators Dr. Paul Scofield and Dr. Vanesa De Pietri compared the fossilized bones of plotopterids with fossil specimens of the giant penguin species Waimanu, Muriwaimanu and Sequiwaimanu from Canterbury Museum's collection. They found plotopterids and the ancient penguins had similar long beaks with slit-like nostrils, similar chest and shoulder bones, and similar wings. These similarities suggest both groups of birds were strong swimmers that used their wings to propel them deep underwater in search of food. The giant penguins, like these Kumimanu, that lived in Aotearoa New Zealand around 60 million years ago bore a striking resemblance to some plotopterids. Credit: Mark Witton. Available for media and current affairs use; all other rights reserved Some species of both groups could grow to huge sizes. The largest known plotopterids were over 2 meters long, while some of the giant penguins were up to 1.6 meters tall. Despite sharing a number of physical features with penguins both ancient and modern, plotopterids are more closely related to boobies, gannets and cormorants than they are to penguins. "What's remarkable about all this is that plotopterids and ancient penguins evolved these shared features independently," says Dr. De Pietri. "This is an example of what we call convergent evolution, when distantly related organisms develop similar morphological traits under similar environmental conditions." Dr. Scofield says some large plotopterid species would have looked very similar to the ancient penguins. "These birds evolved in different hemispheres, millions of years apart, but from a distance you would be hard pressed to tell them apart," he says. "Plotopterids looked like penguins, they swam like penguins, they probably ate like penguinsbut they weren't penguins." Dr. Mayr says the parallels in the evolution of the bird groups hint at an explanation for why birds developed the ability to swim with their wings. "Wing-propelled diving is quite rare among birds; most swimming birds use their feet. We think both penguins and plotodopterids had flying ancestors that would plunge from the air into the water in search of food. Over time these ancestor species got better at swimming and worse at flying." Fossils from New Zealand's giant penguins, including Waimanu and Sequiwaimanu are currently on display alongside life-sized models of the birds in Canterbury Museum's exhibition, "Ancient New Zealand: Squawkzilla and the Giants," extended until 16 August 2020. Comparative osteology of the penguin-like mid Cenozoic Plotopteridae and the earliest true fossil penguins, with comment on the origins of wing-propelled diving, by Gerald Mayr, James L Goedert, Vanesa De Pietri and R Paul Scofield is published in the Journal of Zoological Systematics and Evolutionary Research. Explore further Scientists say monster penguin once swam New Zealand oceans More information: Journal of Zoological Systematics and Evolutionary Research, DOI: 10.1111/jzs.12400 Location maps of the study area and sites referenced in text. 1) Cape Bruguieres Island; (2) North Gidley Island; (3) Flying Foam Passage; (4) Dolphin Island; (5)Angel Island; (6) Legendre Island; (7) Malus Island; (8) Goodwyn Island; (9) Enderby Island. Credit: PLOS ONE The first underwater Aboriginal archeological sites have been discovered off northwest Australia dating back thousands of years ago when the current seabed was dry land. The discoveries were made through a series of archeological and geophysical surveys in the Dampier Archipelago, as part of the Deep History of Sea Country Project, funded through the Australian Research Council's Discovery Project Scheme. The Aboriginal artifacts discovered off the Plibara coast in Western Australia represent Australia's oldest known underwater archeology. An international team of archeologists from Flinders University, The University of Western Australia, James Cook University, ARAAirborne Research Australia and the University of York (United Kingdom) partnered with the Murujuga Aboriginal Corporation to locate and investigate ancient artifacts at two underwater sites which have yielded hundreds of stone tools made by Aboriginal peoples, including grinding stones. In a study published today in PLOS ONE, the ancient underwater sites, at Cape Bruguieres and Flying Foam Passage, provide new evidence of Aboriginal ways of life from when the seabed was dry land, due to lower sea levels, thousands of years ago. The submerged cultural landscapes represent what is known today as Sea Country to many Indigenous Australians, who have a deep cultural, spiritual and historical connection to these underwater environments. The first underwater Aboriginal archaeological sites have been discovered off northwest Australia dating back thousands of years ago when the current seabed was dry land.An international team of archaeologists from Flinders University, The University of Western Australia, James Cook University, ARA - Airborne Research Australia and the University of York (United Kingdom) partnered with the Murujuga Aboriginal Corporation to locate and investigate ancient artefacts at two underwater sites which have yielded hundreds of stone tools made by Aboriginal peoples, including grinding stones. In a study published today in PLOS ONE, the ancient underwater sites, at Cape Bruguieres and Flying Foam Passage, provide new evidence of Aboriginal ways of life from when the seabed was dry land, due to lower sea levels, thousands of years ago. Credit: Flinders University "Today we announce the discovery of two underwater archeological sites that were once on dry land. This is an exciting step for Australian archeology as we integrate maritime and Indigenous archeology and draw connections between land and sea," says Associate Professor Jonathan Benjamin who is the Maritime Archeology Program Coordinator at Flinders University's College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences. "Australia is a massive continent but few people realise that more than 30% of its land mass was drowned by sea-level rise after the last ice age. This means that a huge amount of the archeological evidence documenting the lives of Aboriginal people is now underwater." "Now we finally have the first proof that at least some of this archeological evidence survived the process of sea level rise. The ancient coastal archeology is not lost for good; we just haven't found it yet. These new discoveries are a first step toward exploring the last real frontier of Australian archeology. The dive team mapped 269 artifacts at Cape Bruguieres in shallow water at depths down to 2.4 metres below modern sea level. Radiocarbon dating and analysis of sea-level changes show the site is at least 7000 years old. The second site at Flying Foam Passage includes an underwater freshwater spring 14 metres below sea level. This site is estimated to be at least 8500 years old. Both sites may be much older as the dates represent minimum ages only; they may be even more ancient. The team of archeologists and geoscientists employed predictive modeling and various underwater and remote sensing techniques, including scientific diving methods, to confirm the location of sites and presence of artifacts. Aerial view of Cape Bruguieres Channel at high tide (Photo: J. Leach); (below) divers record artefacts in the channel (Photos: S. Wright, J.Benjamin, and M. Fowler). Credit: PLOS ONE "At one point there would have been dry land stretching out 160 km from the current shoreline. That land would have been owned and lived on by generations of Aboriginal people. Our discovery demonstrates that underwater archeological material has survived sea-level rise, and although these sites are located in relatively shallow water, there will likely be more in deeper water offshore" says Chelsea Wiseman from Flinders University who has been working on the DHSC project as part of Ph.D. research. "These territories that are now underwater harbored favorable environments for Indigenous settlements including freshwater, ecological diversity and opportunities to exploit marine resources which would have supported relatively high population densities" says Dr. Michael O'Leary, a marine geomorphologist at The University of Western Australia. The discovery of these sites emphasizes the need for stronger federal legislation to protect and manage underwater heritage across 2 million square kilometers of landscapes that were once above sea level in Australia, and hold major insights into human history. "Managing, investigating and understanding the archaelogy of the Australian continental shelf in partnership with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander traditional owners and custodians is one of the last frontiers in Australian archeology" said Associate Professor Benjamin. "Our results represent the first step in a journey of discovery to explore the potential of archeology on the continental shelves which can fill a major gap in the human history of the continent" he said. In Murujuga this adds substantial additional evidence to support the deep time history of human activities accompanying rock art production in this important National Heritage Listed Place. Explore further Scientists discover unusual underwater rivers along Australia's coastline More information: Benjamin J, O'Leary M, McDonald J, Wiseman C, McCarthy J, Beckett E, et al. (2020) Aboriginal artefacts on the continental shelf reveal ancient drowned cultural landscapes in northwest Australia. PLoS ONE 15(7): e0233912. Journal information: PLoS ONE Benjamin J, O'Leary M, McDonald J, Wiseman C, McCarthy J, Beckett E, et al. (2020) Aboriginal artefacts on the continental shelf reveal ancient drowned cultural landscapes in northwest Australia.15(7): e0233912. doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0233912 The choices we make now will define Canadas and the worlds future. Credit: Shutterstock Demand for fossil fuels collapsed during the COVID-19 pandemic as lockdown measures were introduced. In the second quarter of 2020, experts predict that global oil demand will be down 20 percent from this time last year. Although demand is likely to recover somewhat in the next two years, some major oil company executives believe that it may never return to pre-2020 levels. At the same time, the world remains "on fire" due to climate change, caused primarily by the burning of fossil fuels. The year began with fires ravaging Australia, and in June, temperatures in the Arctic hit a record-breaking 38C. The world is now at a critical juncturea moment of uncertainty where decisions can cause dramatic shifts in the direction a society takes. The choices we make now will define Canada'sand humanity'sfuture. As governments look for ways to help the Canadian economy recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, they must be guided by one incontestable principle: We cannot afford to invest in and expand the fossil fuel industry any further. Why we need structural change Daily global carbon dioxide emissions fell by 17 percent in early April, when lockdowns were at their peak, compared to 2019. In the U.K., the decline hit 31 percent, while in Canada it reached 20 percent. But emissions are now reboundingmuch quicker than expectedas cars and trucks take to the roads again. Emissions in 2020 are expected to be down by four percent to (at most) seven percent from 2019. But this falls short of the emissions cuts needed to achieve the Paris Agreement targets7.6 percent a year, every year. The lockdown has demonstrated that behavioral change alone is insufficient to decarbonize the economy; we also need structural change that gets at the root of emissions. This means addressing the contribution of the oil sector, particularly the oil sands. While emissions from other sectors in Canada have leveled off or are declining, oil sands emissions increased by 456 percent between 1990 and 2018. Emissions from conventional oil production have also increased, but only by 24 percent. Despite a valiant attempt by the Alberta NDP government in 2015, successive provincial governments have failed to reduce oil sands emissions. And since the COVID-19 crisis, "green initiatives," such as Suncor's plan to replace coke-fired boilers with natural gas units at its base operations, have been shelved to cut costs, undermining claims from the industry that it is part of the solution. Industry crisis deepens The oil and gas industry was in trouble before the pandemic hit, but it is now facing potential collapse. For a brief period in early April and again later that month, a barrel of Alberta oil was selling for less than a bottle of maple syrup. Although the price has since recovered somewhat, expectations for capital expenditures have changed dramatically. Now, almost 40 percent less financing is anticipated for 2020. A second wave of coronavirus infections and lockdowns could send oil markets into another tailspin. While the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (CAPP) has indefinitely deferred its long-term production forecast, Alberta has cut production by about 25 percent, or one million barrels per day. According to Alberta, mega pipelines are now "fairly empty," and Enbridge plans to use part of its aging Line 3 for oil storage. BP has written off its oil sands investments entirely. More subsidies won't save jobs It's not surprising then that the Canadian oil industry has redoubled its demands for government support as well as the suspension of environmental regulations and monitoring requirements. In April, CAPP was the most active federal lobbying body, recording over 40 meetings with federal officials. Any government response to this lobbying isn't a question of weighing "jobs versus the environment": the industry has been shedding jobs for years, while extracting more oil. From 2014 to 2019, in the midst of surging production, Canada's oil and gas sector cut 53,000 jobs about a quarter of the sector's 225,000 jobs. Advancements in automation and other changes in the industry mean that those jobs are not coming back, even if the troubled Keystone XL pipeline is somehow built. While oil workers have faced unemployment and anxiety about their futures, executives and shareholders have continued to reap huge benefits. The five largest oil sands producers doled out $12.6 billion in dividends to shareholders (the majority of which are not Canadian) from late 2014 to 2017. As the fossil fuel sector scrambles to protect profits while shedding jobs, Canada's clean tech sector is experiencing "explosive" growth, bringing impressive earnings and jobs. Clean energy jobs are anticipated to grow to over 550,000 in the next decade from 300,000 in 2019. Stranded assets, stranded communities In May, the Canadian oil and gas industry employed roughly 163,000 people, which was less than one percent of all workers in the country. But those jobs are highly geographically concentrated. As oil assets increasingly become stranded assets, Canada's oil workers and oil-dependent communities will likewise become stranded. But that doesn't have to be our future. A slight majority of Albertans appear to understand this and support a transition away from oil and gas. The key conversations are about how and when this transition occurs. The question of when has been answered for us. If, as a country, we can agree that bailouts are not justifiable on economic or environmental grounds, then the oil price crash dictates that the transition starts now. Recent polling indicates that the vast majority of Canadians want the federal government to invest in a "green recovery." In terms of how the transition occurs, redirecting the billions of dollars in subsidies that the federal government currently provides the fossil fuel industry to renewable energy and energy efficiency projects is a good place to start. This could create far more jobs while also making a contribution to our emissions reductions targets. Paths to a fossil-free Canada Beyond this, there are plenty of good proposals to bring about deep emissions reductions through everything from increased investments in public transportation to regenerative agriculture. It is also clear that we should invest more in care workso that we have more and better-paid nurses, and universal child care. Jobs in this sector are low-carbon and, as the pandemic has demonstrated so vividly, essential to the functioning of our society. We can also think outside the box. The pandemic response has substantially increased awareness and acceptance of previously overlooked policy options such as universal basic income, job guarantees, and a shorter work week. Reimagining our relationship to work and focusing on outcomes that address inequality and improve well-being can help us to reduce our emissions as well as our reliance on the industries that can no longer offer the employment opportunities that we need. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. A brown Mediterranean grouper. We dont see it on the picture, but it hosts many parasites. Credit: Parent Gery/Wikimedia, CC BY "Parasite" is a term with a negative connotation, associated with laziness and predation, and the recent Oscar-winning movie "Parasite" will certainly not improve the public's general opinion on the matter. Parasite are animals that lives on or in another organism, the host, causing it some harm. However, for a biologist, parasites are fascinating and often represent the most interesting cases of evolution. In addition, parasites may well constitute the majority of life on earth, both in the number of species and individual animals. Almost all animals have parasites. We chose to study the parasites of emblematic fishes, the groupers. Not all of themonly the tiny parasites called monogeneans living on the gills of these beautiful fish. Monogeneans are tiny animals, less than 1 mm in lengthyou will hardly see them on a fish's gill without a microscope. They attach themselves by their posterior end, with the anterior end free in the water. Attaching themselves firmly to soft tissue requires a special organ, the haptor, which contains sharp hooks that penetrate the gill's surface. The name "monogenean" was given by Belgian parasitologist Pierre-Joseph Van Beneden more than a century ago, and means that their life cycle involves only a single host fish. Once attached, adult monogenean never leave. Their larva can swim freely, however, enabling them to find another fish. A monogenean, as it is seen in the microscope, showing various parts and organs. Credit: Chaabane & Justine A very diverse genus Studies in recent decades revealed that most monogeneans on the gills of groupers belonged to a single, hyper-diverse group. These monogeneans are generally "species specific," meaning that they're found only on one species of grouper. In addition, each species of grouper harbors several species of monogeneans up to a dozen. The multiplicity of grouper species and the broad range of parasites on each grouper allow these monogeneans to be hyper-diversemore than 80 species are known, and there are probably many more. Most of these monogeneans belong to a single genus named Pseudorhabdosynochus. A very special male organ and incredibly diverse female ones Most zoologists spend a significant part of their time looking at sexual parts of the animals they study. Why? Because many species are superficially very similar, yet highly different in the shape of their genitalia. This is how evolution works, and having a different sexual morphology prevents incompatible species from copulating with each another, therefore avoiding wasting energy in mating that would not produce progeny. A monogenean, Pseudorhabdosynochus regius, drawn by the authors. Left: whole body; right: hard parts. Credit: Chaabane & Justine In this aspect Pseudorhabdosynochus is certainly not disappointing, and for three reasons: All its species are hermaphrodite, so for each individual there are two complete sets of sexual organs, one male and one female. The genitalia are sclerotised: although the body of the worm is soft, the genitalia are made of hardened proteins. The variety of sexual structures is outstanding. All Pseudorhabdosynochus species have a male copulatory organ that is a highly specialized pump that inserts sperm into the female genitalia. How it exactly works is unknown: after all, this male organ, which is impressive when looked with a microscope, is about 100 micrometers in sizea tenth of a millimeter. Moreover, species of Pseudorhabdosynochus are incredibly diverse in the structure of their vagina. It's a complex sclerotised structure, with a "trumpet" followed by several "canals" and "chambers"; each species has a unique morphology. How the sperm travel through this vagina is again unknownthis is a very small structure, generally one-thirtieth of a millimeter. It is likely that these complex structures play a major role in the differentiation of species. The diversity of vaginae. Left: a general diagram of the vagina and its various parts; right: the vaginae of several species of Pseudorhabdosynochus, drawn with the same colours. Credit: Chaabane & Justine Parasites on the gills of groupers in the Mediterranean Previous results had shown that the groupers in warm sea, including coral reefs, harbored a rich fauna of parasites, especially monogeneans on fish gills. When we decided to study monogeneans of Mediterranean groupers, there were only seven species of Pseudorhabdosynochus known from the five endemic grouper species. We sampled fish from the fish markets of Tunisia and sometimes from nearby Libya. Groupers are among the most sought-after fish in this part of the world, and thus expensive. However, a single big grouper can harbor hundreds of monogeneans, so a few fish provide ample work for the passionate parasitologist (and, occasionally, opportunities for nice meals). We found that groupers in the Mediterranean sea have a dozen species of Pseudorhabdosynochus. We could even describe three new species, i.e., species that were never seen by previous researchers. For these we assigned new names; one is Pseudorhabdosynochus hayet, from the mottled grouper. Although species names are technically Latin, this one is of Arabic originhayet, meaning life. A parasite species with a puzzling distribution The species we found on the Haifa grouper had a few surprises in store. This is a rare fish species found only occasionally at fish markets. Its Latin name is Hyporthodus haifensis; the genus Hyporthodus gathers a few species of deep-sea rare groupers. No monogenean had ever been reported from this fish, so, when we found one, we first thought that it was a new species. Therefore, we compared it with other species found in the world. To our surprise, it was identical to Pseudorhabdosynochus sulamericanus, a species from the western Atlantic. This species was previously reported from grouper species of the genus Hyporthodus off Brazil and Florida. The surprising distribution of Pseudorhabdosynochus sulamericanus (asterisks), found both along the American coasts and in the Mediterranean. The coloured lines along the coasts represent the known distribution of deep-sea groupers. Credit: Chaabane et al It was disappointing that a species of monogenean from the Mediterranean had a name evocating South America (that's what sulamericanus means). Moreover, it was hard to understand how species of fish separated by 6,000 kilometers of open ocean could share the same parasite species. We considered several explanations. One is simply that ichthyologists know very little of the biology of deep-sea groupers: it could be that the three grouper species from the American and African sides of the Atlantic have opportunities to exchange parasites, somewhere in the Atlantic. Are parasites responsible for the disappearance of Mediterranean groupers? In the 1950s, diving pioneer Jacques Cousteau reported huge groupers living quietly just close to beaches and harbors along the French coast. Alas, groupers are now rare along the European shores of the Mediterranean, decimated by overfishing and pollution. We can't point our fingers at monogeneans, howeverthe influence of these tiny parasites on these big groupers is probably infinitesimal. Even if hundreds of them are on the gills of a fish, they probably have almost or no consequence on its health. The situation, however, is very different in aquaculture. When groupers are reared in a small pond of seawater, monogeneans can proliferate exponentially and species of Pseudorhabdosynochus are a well-known cause of death. In nature, groupers are often solitary animals, separated from their congeners by large areas of clean, monogenean-free, seawater; groupers have invented social distancing. Unfortunately, that's not the case for farm-raised groupers, sometimes with fatal consequences. Explore further Predators and hidey-holes are good for reef fish populations This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. Sophie-lee Williams. Credit: Cardiff University A new study has shown that golden and white-tailed eagles were widespread and common throughout historic Wales. Scientists looked at their historical distribution as part of their bid to bring the species, which became regionally extinct in the early-1800s, back to the Welsh countryside. During their research they gained fascinating insights by looking at archeological, fossil and observational recordsand even Welsh place names. The study also includes the earliest evidence of golden eagles existing in Wales in the Devensian periodthe final glacial period in Britainabout 20,000 years ago. Sophie-lee Williams, 28, who manages the Eagle Reintroduction Wales Project as part her Ph.D. at Cardiff University, said: "One of the first challenges for our project was to gather evidence of the past distribution of both eagle species to prove they were once historically native to Wales. In other parts of Britain there's a wealth of databut in Wales there is a real lack of historical record so we had to be creative. Our research has shown, without doubt, that both species were widespread and common across Wales prior to the 18th Century. We hope this opens up new optimism about restoring these magnificent species to Wales in the near future." The researchers gathered 151 historic records for eagles across every county in Wales81 for golden eagles and 70 for white-tailed eagles. "The golden eagles' core distribution prior to their extinction in Wales was weighted towards North Wales, centered on the upland areas of Snowdonia," said Sophie-lee, whose nan sparked her love of wildlife while growing up in the South Wales valleys town of Aberdare. "White-tailed eagles could be found more commonly in southern, lowland Wales, including coastal areas like Carmarthenshire and Ceredigion, and Kenfig, Bridgend and Margam in South Wales." The Kenfig area yielded more than 50 years of regular white-tailed eagle records between 1810 and 1860, with one as late as 1906. Golden eagles were frequently observed in Denbighshire, Snowdonia, across Gwynedd and Mid-Wales. "We also looked at place-name records incorporating the Welsh word for eaglewhich is 'eryr' - and found that these records were dispersed across much of Wales, but more abundant in North Wales, Mid-Wales and as far south as Pembrokeshire," said Sophie-lee. Records gathered on the historical distribution of eagles in Wales. Credit: Cardiff University The earliest records came from fossilized remains in Welsh archeological exhibitions. "We have fossil remains of both the golden and white-tailed eagle recorded at Cathole cave, Gower, dated to the Devensian periods about 20,000 years ago and white-tailed eagle remains at Port Eynon Cave, Gower, dating back to the Mesolithic period, 6,000-9,000 years ago," she said. "It's quite incredible really. More recent archeological findings dating back to the Roman times were found in Caerleon, Gwent, and Segontium, Carmarthenshire." The last breeding records for golden eagles were in Snowdonia National Park, dated between the 1820 and 1850s, and for the white-tailed eagle in Kenfig Burrows on the Swansea coast during 1828. The researchers found strong historic evidence of the conflicts between eagles and farmers, which gave rise to persecution, eventually resulting in the regional extinction of breeding eagles in Wales. Historic persecution records collated detailed records of eagles being shot by landowners due to "scavenging on sheep carcasses" or the belief that eagles "killed sheep and lambs". This human-wildlife conflict was first recorded in Wales during the 17th Century and continued through the 19th Century, eliminating all breeding and young eagles dispersing from further north in Britain. Sophie-lee has been conducting scientific research on the feasibility of restoring eagles to Wales over the last three years. UK species reintroduction criteria is led by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). A key plank is that the potential reintroduction location lies within the former range of the species. "Our results fill knowledge gaps regarding the historic ranges of both species in Britain and support the future restoration of either or both species to Wales," said Sophie-lee. The research was published in the journal Conservation Science and Practice this week. Sophie-lee said further analysis was now being conducted to assess whether the modern Welsh landscape could still support both the golden and white-tailed eagle, and to assess whether a reintroduction of either or both eagle species to Wales is a realistic possibility. Explore further Returning lost eagle species to Wales More information: Sophielee Williams et al. An evidencebased assessment of the past distribution of Golden and Whitetailed Eagles across Wales, Conservation Science and Practice (2020). Sophielee Williams et al. An evidencebased assessment of the past distribution of Golden and Whitetailed Eagles across Wales,(2020). DOI: 10.1111/csp2.240 Credit: elenabsl/Shutterstock.com New research for HR specialist SD Worx by Cass Business School and IESE Business School has found that 91 percent of European workers who have been required to work from home during the pandemic are adjusting to not seeing their colleagues face-to-face and are broadly accepting of the changes needed. The research team conducted a survey among 2,500 white-collar workers in the United Kingdom, Belgium, Germany, France, the Netherlands and Spain to find out how they are coping with the new form of working one and a half months after the lockdown. The research focused on the lack of face-to-face interactions with colleagues by identifying which forms of grief white-collar workers are experiencing now that they generally must work from home. Grief is a process that arises when a person loses someone or something, in this case contact with colleagues in the office. Each individual responds differently to such a loss, but the associated emotions can be divided into five stages: denial, anger, depression, exploration, and acceptance. Denial, anger, and depression are stages that are considered pessimistic, while exploration and acceptance are classified as the optimistic stages of grief. Usually, people experience several of these emotions at the same time. Over one in three struggle with feelings of depression or sadness Acceptance (91 percent) and exploration (83 percent) are the stages that UK employees experience the most. This means that most of them can put the lack of face-to-face contact into context and are able to look forward. Even so, more than one in three employees (43 percent) are experiencing feelings of depression or sadness while 37 percent indicate they are reluctant to work without direct contact with colleagues; it gives rise to anger. Four out of 10 white-collar workers experience feelings of denial. "People seek continuity," says Dr. Annelore Huyghe of Cass Business School in London. "The lockdown interferes with that process. Although full-time teleworking allows for role continuity, it disturbs relationship continuity. Our research demonstrates that we are social beings who need face-to-face contact with others. For many, spontaneous meetings in the corridor or chit-chat at the coffee machine are an important social ritual." Dr. Jeroen Neckebrouck, of the IESE Business School in Barcelona, adds: "They strengthen the group feelingthe feeling of being connected to othersand hence have a positive impact on employees' well-being. And this is precisely why office environments will continue to play an important role in the future of work." Age and routine play a role Age plays a role in the differences found, especially when it comes to pessimistic grief. In the six European countries where the survey was conducted, young people experience more pessimistic feelings of grief than those over the age of 40. Among white-collar workers under the age of 30, 38 percent experience denial, anger or depression. Between the ages of 30 and 40, this figure is 36 percent, but above 40 it falls to 29 percent and among the over-65s it is only 25 percent of the respondents. What is the best way to deal with these feelings of grief? Introducing a structured daily routine when teleworking appears to be beneficial. Of those employees who have introduced a well-structured routine for teleworking, 81 percent experience optimistic grief feelings and only 23 percent experience pessimistic grief feelings. White-collar workers without a structured routine, on the other hand, experience more pessimistic grief feelings (38 percent) and fewer optimistic grief feelings (74 percent). "Over the past few months, teleworking has more than proved its worth," says David Schoonens of SD Worx. "It will undoubtedly be a much bigger part of how we work in the future. However, the corona crisis has taken away all face-to-face contact with colleagues from one day to the next, and for many this has proven to be a loss that employers certainly need to consider. After an extreme situation of 100 percent teleworking or forced temporary closure, organisations rightly ask themselves where the new balance will lie. Those that take the needs and preferences of employees into account are already one step ahead in 'employee engagement'. This 'new normal' will differ from company to company. In any event, it is best to provide solutions that are safe, productive and legally sound. In this way, all employees will be able to return to the office or workshop with peace of mind." SD Worx, Cass Business School in London and IESE Business School in Barcelona jointly conducted a survey in Belgium, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Spain and the United Kingdom into white-collar workers' experiences of teleworking. A representative sample for the local labour markets in these countries completed the survey (3,384 white-collar workers). The focus was on 2,595 employees still working at the time of the survey and therefore not temporarily furloughed. Explore further Coping with effects of unemployment during COVID-19 Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain An analysis of over 800 academic research papers on physical health and exercise suggests that the level of popular media coverage for a given paper is strongly linked to the attention it receives within the scientific community. P. Sage Anderson and colleagues at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, report these findings in the open-access journal PLOS ONE on July 1, 2020. Popular media sources, such as mainstream news and social media, often discuss scientific findings originally reported in peer-reviewed papers published by academic journals. The scientific impact of a paper is usually judged according to the number of times it is cited by other peer-reviewed papers. However, the relationship between the scientific impact of a paper and its level of coverage in popular media is unclear. Anderson and colleagues evaluated 818 peer-reviewed papers published in 2007 or 2008 that reported original research findings on various aspects of physical health and exercise. They examined the relationship between the amount of popular media attention given to each paper and the number of citations it received. They also accountedas much as possiblefor the reputations of the papers' authors and of the journals in which the papers were published. The analysis revealed a robust association between the amount of popular media coverage of a given paper and the number of times it was citedpapers which received more media attention also tended to be more highly cited. Whether one causes the other is unclear; the media may be picking up on which papers have the most scientific impact, or media attention might influence the likelihood of a paper to be cited by subsequent papers, or a third factor might drive both media attention and citations. Further research is needed to clarify the relationship between popular media coverage and scientific impact. Nonetheless, these findings could help inform research institutions and other organizations that place importance on scientific impact. They could also provide new insights for scientists who use the media to communicate with their peers and the public about their research. The authors add: "Results from this study confirm the idea that media attention given to scientific research is strongly related to scientific citations for that same research. These results can inform scientists who are considering using popular media to increase awareness concerning their work, both within and outside the scientific community." Explore further Successful research papers cite young references More information: Anderson PS, Odom AR, Gray HM, Jones JB, Christensen WF, Hollingshead T, et al. (2020) A case study exploring associations between popular media attention of scientific research and scientific citations. PLoS ONE 15(7): e0234912. Journal information: PLoS ONE Anderson PS, Odom AR, Gray HM, Jones JB, Christensen WF, Hollingshead T, et al. (2020) A case study exploring associations between popular media attention of scientific research and scientific citations.15(7): e0234912. doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0234912 Fig. 1. Fibonacci sieves of the first 20 underlying rings. Credit: SIOM Wavefront measurement has various applications in high power amplifiers, adaptive optical system, and phase microscopy. Among methods for high-precision wavefront measurement, the coherent diffraction imaging (CDI) is a technique that employs iterative algorithms to reconstruct the phase and amplitude information of the test object from its diffraction intensities. However, it requires multiple exposures of intensity images via mechanical and electrical scanning. Although some researchers have used a random phase mask to modulate the wavefront of the laser beam to simultaneously capture required images, the setup cannot be used for X-rays. Recently, researchers at the Shanghai Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences have proposed a method of single-shot CDI based on the multi-focal Fibonacci sieves. The related work was published in Applied Physics Letters. Previous work showed that for multi-planar CDI the iteration speed and reconstructive precision would be improved with the increase of the intensity measurements. Theon-ladder sieves could produce three-dimensional array diffraction-limited foci. More than 10 intensity images could be extracted from the single recording intensity measurement. In the experiment, the researchers designed a kind of multi-focal Fibonacci sieve to simultaneously capture multi-planar images at a single recording plane. In this case, multiple intensity maps would be recorded by a detector in one single exposure. Then, the test object wavefront could be reconstructed by phase-retrieval algorithm. When the multi-focal sieve was located at the spectrum plane of an imaging system, multiple image planes could be produced at one time. A test object fabricated on a chrome plate was measured successfully to verify the validity of the proposed single-shot multi-planar wavefront measurement with multi-focal sieve. Fig. 2. Experimental results. Credit: SIOM This method not only meets the requirement of the robust of the measurement system and real-time measurement with the features of real-time, fast speed and easy operation in wavefront measurement, but also takes full advantage of the space-bandwidth product of the optical detector by optimizing the optical design. Furthermore, amplitude-only multi-focal Fibonacci sieve makes it possible to be applied for X-rays imaging and Terahertz detection in the future. More information: Xiuping Zhang et al. Single-shot multi-planar wave-front measurement with multi-focal Fibonacci sieves, Applied Physics Letters (2020). Journal information: Applied Physics Letters Xiuping Zhang et al. Single-shot multi-planar wave-front measurement with multi-focal Fibonacci sieves,(2020). DOI: 10.1063/5.0010711 All that remains: Pompeii today It is the most explosive Paris exhibition of the summerMount Vesuvius erupting several times a day in a new immersive 3D show which opens Wednesday in the Grand Palais. "Pompeii" recreates daily life in 79 AD (CE) in the hours before the volcano poured death and destruction down on the city and its 40,000 inhabitants. A street and some of the sumptuous villas and temples of what was one of the richest cities in the Roman empire have been brought back to life by the exhibition, which the organisers describe as a "time machine". Among the 3D recreations of Roman mansions such as the House of Leda with their startling mosaics and frescos, are some of the "extraordinary finds" recently unearthed by archaeologists from the remains of the city near modern Naples. And every 15 minutes, the mountain overlooking the city begins to growl, before eventually erupting with a mushroom atomic cloud of volcanic dust, rocks and lava. Witch's chest Archaeologists used drones to film the site as well as laser cartography, infrared cameras and photogrammetry, which allows accurate measurements to be taken from photographs, to bring the scene to life. The showwhich runs until September 27was delayed by the coronavirus lockdown, meaning the treasures, rarely seen outside Italy, had to be locked away for safekeeping by French authorities. Among them are a statue of the Livia, the wife of the first Roman emperor, Augustus, which still has traces of her blonde hair and her purplish red dress and a fresco of Venus, the goddess of love, on a ship's bow drawn by four elephants. Massimo Osanna, director of the Pompeii Archaeological Park, said one of the most unusual exhibits is a chest of 100 tiny amulets in glass, ivory and amethyst used by a "witch to protect her clients from the evil eye". "We wanted to chose iconic and representative objects" to illustrate the richness of life in the city, he said, which was frozen in time by the speed of the eruption and its pyroclastic storm of lava and ash. Bodies were buried where they fell, engulfed by the searing hot clouds of ash. The virtual reconstruction of the city "is not at all a Disneyland version," Osanna told AFP. "What we have shown in 3D corresponds exactly with our scientific research," he said. The show also includes some of the plaster casts made of people and animals caught in their death agony. As digging continues, nearly a third of the ancient city has yet to be uncovered by archaeologists. Explore further Perfect pre-Roman era tomb discovered at Pompeii 2020 AFP Jianjun Sun, Ph.D. left, associate professor in The University of Texas at El Paso Department of Biological Sciences, and Javier Aguilera, a doctoral student, stand in Sun's lab in the Bioscience Research Building. The pair worked with other biology students and faculty members to detail how a bacterial protein dictates the course of the bacterial pathogen that causes tuberculosis in a recently published article in the Journal of Biological Chemistry, a publication of the American Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. Credit: J.R. Hernandez / UTEP Communications Biology students and faculty members from The University of Texas at El Paso have discovered a new target for tuberculosis drug development. Their study recently was published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry, a publication of the American Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB). Jianjun Sun, Ph.D., associate professor in UTEP's Department of Biological Sciences, led the research on Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), the bacterial pathogen that causes tuberculosis diseases, or TB. TB is one of the leading infectious diseases in the world. Development of novel therapeutics against TB is urgently needed. Sun's lab has been investigating the mechanisms of Mtb pathogenesis for more than 10 years at UTEP with a specific focus on EsxA, which is a virulence factor essential for Mtb virulence and a preferred target for developing novel anti-TB drugs and vaccines. During infection, Mtb is "eaten up" by human immune cells. Normally, the bacteria are killed within the immune cells, but Mtb releases virulence factors, such as EsxA, to disarm the host's immune defense. The study discovered that the N-acetylation of EsxA can drastically affect the course of the infection. "This research was technically challenging, but the students were able to overcome the challenges and accomplished the goals," Sun said. "All the hard work from the students and collaborators has finally come together to contribute a beautiful story in the prestigious Journal of Biological Chemistry from ASBMB." The study had many collaborators including Javier Aguilera, a doctoral student in Sun's lab who is supported by the Research Initiative for Scientific Enhancement (RISE) Program. Other contributors include Salvador Vazquez-Reyes, a doctoral student in Sun's lab, and Qi Zhang, Ph.D., a previous postdoctoral fellow in Sun's lab. "Knowing this work has a great impact in the TB research feels great," Aguilera said. "Although it resulted in so many late nights of hard work and headaches for so many people, the end result was very well worth it!" The study benefited from a collaboration with Lin Li, Ph.D., assistant professor of computational biophysics and bioinformatics in UTEP's Department of Physics. Chitra B. Karki, a doctoral student in Li's lab, provided help with molecular dynamic simulations to model the effects of N-acetylation on EsxA function. Igor Estevao and Brian I. Grajeda, from the Proteomics Analysis Core Facility of UTEP's Border Biomedical Research Center, helped to identify the N-acetylation by using state-of-the-art mass spectrometry. Hugues Ouellet, Ph.D., associate professor of biological sciences, and his doctoral student Chenoa D. Arico assisted with mycobacterial biology and protein binding measurements. Explore further Researchers develop nanohybrid vehicle to optimally deliver drugs into the human body More information: Javier Aguilera et al, N-Acetylation of the virulence factor EsxA is required for mycobacterial cytosolic translocation and virulence, Journal of Biological Chemistry (2020). Journal information: Journal of Biological Chemistry Javier Aguilera et al, N-Acetylation of the virulence factor EsxA is required for mycobacterial cytosolic translocation and virulence,(2020). DOI: 10.1074/jbc.RA119.012497 Wednesday, July 1, 2020 at 1:07PM Embed from Getty Images It has taken over six months, but the much-awaited wireless support on Android for Google Stadia's controller is finally here. The update has started rolling out to the Android app, so it should make its way to you. It's also an excellent opportunity to see how the Stadia controller can handle wireless support between Chromecast, the web, and Android devices. Source: The Verge Synergetic dual metal active sites of Ir 1 /FeO x SAC for WGS reactions. Credit: LIN Jian The water-gas shift (WGS) reaction (CO+H 2 OCO 2 +H 2 ) is critical for producing high-purity hydrogen for ammonia and methanol synthesis, as well as in fuel cell applications. Via the concept of single-atom catalysts (SACs), scientists can now understand the chemical bond and electronic structure between metal and support at an atomic scale. A research group led by Prof. Wang Xiaodong and Prof. Zhang Tao from the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics (DICP) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), in collaboration with Prof. Li Jun from Tsinghua University, have proposed a redox mechanism with synergetic dual metal active sites for the WGS reaction on a Ir 1 /FeO x SAC. The results were published in Angewandte Chemie International Edition. The scientists found that water easily dissociated to OH* on the Ir 1 single atom and H* on the nearby O atom bonded with a Fe site. The adsorbed CO on Ir 1 reacted with the adjacent O atom to produce CO 2 . Then the formation of H 2 became feasible due to migration of H from adsorbed OH* toward Ir1 and its subsequent reaction with another H*. They proposed a new pathway of a redox mechanism via synergetic dual metal active sites between Ir 1 and Fe species (DMAS) during the WGS reaction, which demonstrated the sequential production of CO 2 and H 2 . The elucidation of the catalytic mechanism involving this kind of dual metal active site might provide insights for understanding the catalytic mechanism of metal catalysts with reducible supports, thus contributing to the rational design of new and active dual-site single-atom and single-cluster catalysts. More information: JinXia Liang et al. Dual Metal Active Sites in an Ir 1 /FeO x SingleAtom Catalyst: A Redox Mechanism for the WaterGas Shift Reaction, Angewandte Chemie International Edition (2020). Journal information: Angewandte Chemie International Edition JinXia Liang et al. Dual Metal Active Sites in an Ir 1 /FeO x SingleAtom Catalyst: A Redox Mechanism for the WaterGas Shift Reaction,(2020). DOI: 10.1002/anie.201914867 Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain Scientists will install sensors in primary and secondary schools across Glasgow, Scotland to monitor levels of the greenhouse gas (GHG) carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) which contribute to climate change. The network of 25 sensors are to be installed by scientists from the University of Strathclyde, Scotland, as part of a trial to provide Glasgow City Council, for the first time, with real-time information on emissions of CO 2 and various noxious gasses in the city's air. The goal is to help city leaders measure progress against the city's target to become carbon neutral by 2030 and see the near-immediate impact of policy decisions. The trial is part of the Global Environmental Monitoring and Measurement (GEMM) initiative, a collaboration between the University of Strathclyde; Stanford University, U.S.; the University of California at Berkeley (UC Berkeley), U.S.; The Optical Society (OSA); the American Geophysical Union (AGU); the Met Office, UK and the National Physical Laboratory, UK. "This project will deliver the type of data necessary to drive efforts in Glasgow and other cities to reduce emissions and greenhouse gasses," said Elizabeth Rogan, CEO, The Optical Society (OSA). "The GEMM initiative is developing measurement technologies to improve climate change models and inform decision-making in both the public and private sector." Early results of the monitoring will be shared with the leaders of other global cities at a virtual conference in November 2020, and will be presented at the COP26 environmental summit, now scheduled to take place in Glasgow in 2021, to encourage other cities to set up their own sensor networks. Glasgow City Council already monitors air pollution levels across the city for a range of common pollutants, including nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ) and particulate matter (PM10, PM2.5). These are the main pollutants of concern in Glasgow, with the primary source being road traffic, especially in busy city center streets such as Hope Street. This monitoring is conducted as part of the Council's statutory obligations on air quality and does not include CO 2 . Data on CO 2 levels in the city are based on historic consumption of fuels for traffic, power and so on, and is only made available by the UK Government two years in arrears. A dense network of sensors will provide a more detailed picture of where atmospheric CO 2 is being produced at source, allowing for more nuanced decision-making on climate change policies. The sensors will also track levels of carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxide, nitrogen dioxide, ozone and PM2.5. The additional measurements will support identification of specific sources of CO 2 . Professor Allister Ferguson, University of Strathclyde and co-lead of the project said, "As the climate changes rapidly, public and private decision-makers around the world are facing an ever-increasing need for more accurate environmental data, improved measurements, and forecasting models to predict the future course of the environment and, where possible, develop strategies to adapt to or mitigate these environmental and climate-change caused disruptions. Developing and deploying new, low-cost and improved measurement instruments in dense networks can provide more precise data and greatly improved models for appropriate and effective government policies and better evaluation of the risks of public and private investments." Co-lead Dr. Thomas Baer, Director of Stanford Photonics Research Center at Stanford University, U.S. and a Visiting Professor at Strathclyde said, "While efforts to reduce GHG emissions have made great strides, particularly when it comes to electricity generation, heating and transport remain two challenging areas. Being able to monitor in real-time the GHG emissions caused predominately by traffic, policymakers will be able to make informed decisions and see near-immediate results." By demonstrating the effectiveness of the Glasgow network, scientists hope city leaders will retain and expand it as a permanent legacy of the COP26 summit. Glasgow is already part of the Carbon Neutral Cities Alliance, a collaboration of global cities working to cut GHG emissions by 80-100% by 2050 or sooner. Scientists leading the project will also engage with students on issues around pollution and the science involved in air quality monitoring, with a Ph.D student assigned to each school. Glasgow City Council Leader Susan Aitken said, "When we agreed to host COP26, we knew there would be opportunities to learn from climate specialists around the world and so help Glasgow's own response to the climate emergency. Getting involved in the GEMM project is exactly the kind of collaboration that we hoped for and can help us reach our goal of becoming a net zero city." A similar network has been operating in the San Francisco area, through Professor Ron Cohen at UC Berkeley, U.S. who has developed the sensors for nearly 10 years. That network, of 70 sensors, has been able to track the reduction in CO 2 and noxious gasses emitted by traffic following the COVID-19 lockdown in California. Professor Cohen said, "During these times when we see the predictive power of data being used in real time to prevent the worst COVID outcomes, it makes sense to be equipping ourselves with observations that will help manage the equally challenging task of managing the climate. We look forward to providing the observations that will help Glasgow manage its contributions to greenhouse gas reductions in a manner that can be a model for every city on the planet." Explore further Creating smart, resilient cities for a sustainable future More information: For more information about the GEMM initiative, visit For more information about the GEMM initiative, visit www.gemminitiative.org/en-us/ Experimental set-up of the microfluidic mixer for the synthesis of silica. Credit: Yang Hui Researchers in Australia and China have proposed an innovative and cost-effective new method for creating silica beads, which have a number of key uses, ranging from nanomedicine and bioimaging to the production of paper and polished concrete. The synthesis of silica particles for experimental and industrial uses began in the 1960s, and usually takes place in large batches, where controlled doping to induce functionality is difficult. Control of the synthesis parameters can be achieved through costly and time-consuming small-scale microfluidic reactors that require photolithography, etching, bonding, and injection molding, which are prone to clogging. Now, a surprisingly simple new approach has been demonstrated, and could be adopted for various applications at a low cost and with a high degree of reliability. Researchers at the ARC Center of Excellence in Exciton Science, based at The University of Melbourne, and working with colleagues at South China Normal University, constructed a flow synthesis device using a polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), or "Teflon," pipe wound around a rod and connected to two syringes. Their results have been published in the Chemical Engineering Journal. The key to the success of this approach is a spiral channel which promotes vortex flow characteristics, and this type of fluid flow encourages extremely efficient mixing of the precursor fluids. "When this happens you now have this very cheap and quite efficient chemical reactor," corresponding author Dr. Eser Akinoglu said. "Once you have the fluids in a tube that is spiraled, then due to these vortexes, they mix very quickly and the overall reaction is more homogeneous, the product is homogeneous, and the silica particles have a uniform size and shape." While this new mechanism is unlikely to replace industrial-scale batch manufacturing for the creation of pure silica particles, it could well rival the microfluidic approach used in synthesizing silica nanoparticles for specialized, niche applications, such as silica particles 'doped' with colorful dyes or encapsulating quantum dots for fluorescence. "From a material costs perspective, it's very reasonable," Dr. Akinoglu said. "For the future, this flow synthesis method is ideal for the introduction of new components into the reaction you could put something else into this flow to mix together with the whole process and it will then be encapsulated in these silica particles." Explore further Porous silica protects nickel catalyst More information: Hui Yang et al. A PTFE helical capillary microreactor for the high throughput synthesis of monodisperse silica particles, Chemical Engineering Journal (2020). Hui Yang et al. A PTFE helical capillary microreactor for the high throughput synthesis of monodisperse silica particles,(2020). DOI: 10.1016/j.cej.2020.126063 Provided by ARC Centre of Excellence in Exciton Science The Loureedia phoenixi velvet spider was discovered in Iran. The coloring on its back resembles the face paint of the movie character Joker, and the species was named after actor Joaquin Phoenix who recently played the said character. Credit: K. Sheikhi It is estimated that 15 million different species live on our planet, but only 2 million of them are currently known to science. Discovering new species is important as it helps to protect them. Furthermore, new species can also produce compounds that could lead to the development of new medicine. "Biodiversity is declining at an accelerating rate and, according to estimates, even a million organisms are in danger of becoming extinct in the next few decades. If we want to protect nature's biodiversity as efficiently as possible, we have to discover as many species as we can," says Professor of Biodiversity Research Ilari E. Saaksjarvi from the University of Turku, Finland. Discovering new species enables, for example, studying their habits and defining their geographical distribution. So far this year, the researchers of the Biodiversity Unit at the University of Turku have described 17 new spider species, 23 insects, one bristly millipede, and one monitor lizard. The new species have been discovered from the Amazon, Europe, India, the Middle East, and the Pacific islands. In addition to the species, the researchers have also described four new genera previously unknown to science. The Amazing Beauty of Spiders In one of the most recent studies from the Biodiversity Unit, Doctoral Candidate Alireza Zamani described a new spider species Loureedia phoenixi from Iran. "The discovery was amazing as the new species belongs to the genus of velvet spiders, of which only few species have been known so far. They are very shy in their habits so discovering a new species was a great and welcome surprise. The species in this genus are amazingly beautiful and colorful so I wish this new discovery can make people understand the beauty and importance of spiders. We discovered the species from an area that is about 1,500 kilometers outside the known geographical distribution of the Loureedia genus," describes Zamani. Zamani and Saaksjarvi say that the Loureedia phoenixi spider was named after actor Joaquin Phoenix. The colorful pattern on its back resembles the face paint of the movie character Joker. The researchers of the Biodiversity Unit have also described tropical parasitoid wasps belonging to the Acrotaphus and Hymenoepimecis genera. These wasps are parasitic on spiders and manipulate the host in complicated ways. The parasitoid wasp lays its egg on the spider and then manipulates it into spinning a special web instead of a normal web for catching prey. The wasp's pupa nests safely inside this special web while developing into adulthood. The Hymenoepimecis pucallpina species was discovered in Peruvian Amazonia near the river-side city of Pucallpa. The wasps in the genus Hymenoepimecis are parasitic on spiders and can manipulate the behavior of the host in complicated ways. This kind of manipulation of another species is rare in nature, which is why the species discovery is especially interesting. Credit: Kari Kaunisto Species Discoveries Support Conservation Efforts New discoveries increase our information about the history of species and can therefore affect their conservation in the future. A good example is the Varanus bennetti monitor lizard described this year, as the importance of the species' conservation was concluded only after close field and laboratory studies. "The monitor lizard species that was first considered an invasive species to Micronesia turned out to be two separate species native to the islands. We described one of these as new to science," say researchers Valter Weijola and Varpu Vahtera who discovered the species. Discovering, classifying, and describing a new species is a long process. New discoveries often require challenging field studies in remote places. Before conducting the field study, the researcher has to make sure that the required permits for collecting specimens and taking them out of the country are in order. The studies are conducted together with local scientists as often as possible. After the field study, the other research work begins: the species is examined in a laboratory, described, named, and classified and then the research article is published in an international journal. In the last few years, the Biodiversity Unit of the University of Turku has profiled itself especially in describing the biodiversity of unknown ecosystems. Each year, the unit describes dozens of new species which is a great amount even by international standards. "Our goal is to discover new species and tell their story to the world. At the moment, we are in the process of describing even more new species and genera. Many of these animals live in areas that might transform or even disappear in the next few years. Describing new species to science is a race against the clock. We hope that our research draws people's attention to the life of these unique species and thus promotes the conservation of biodiversity," conclude Saaksjarvi and Zamani. Explore further Parasitoid wasp species discovered in the Amazon can manipulate host's behavior More information: A new and easternmost species of Loureedia (Aranei: Eresidae) from Iran. Arthropoda Selecta 29(2):239243 June 2020. A new and easternmost species of Loureedia (Aranei: Eresidae) from Iran.29(2):239243 June 2020. DOI: 10.15298/arthsel.29.2.09 Credit: Lightspring, Shutterstock Nanoparticles constitute the main pillar in nanomedicine: They are now continuously being explored for their use in targeted drug delivery or repairing damaged tissues such as bones and muscles. Inspired by their potential, scientists initiated the VERDI project funded by the EU Research Council (ERC). At the core of the project's vision was to create a library of active ingredients and targeting mechanisms according to the disease being treated. This library could serve as the ideal starting point for designing customized nanoparticles depending on the bone pathology. Using this multifunctional nanoplatform, scientists can equip "secret powerful agents"mesoporous silica nanoparticleswith sophisticated weapons to fight different but frequently associated bone diseases. These include cancerous tumors that grow inside bone tissues disguised as healthy cells, osteoporosis that weakens bone reconstruction, and bacteria that infect healthy bones and resist the body's defenses. The versatile super-agents can efficiently recognize any of these threats. To avoid releasing medicine before they reach the target site, they are dressed in "special clothing," namely polymer coatings that help them recognize where to deliver their cargo. For example, anticancer agents can sense contact with the rogue cancer cell receptors and, with the help of clinicians using ultrasound, ultraviolet light or magnetic signals, they know when to release the toxin inside the tumor cells. In osteoporosis treatment, the nanoparticles could deliver molecules capable of silencing certain genes associated with the disease, to limit bone loss and promote bone formation. Ultimately, the tiny agents combatting infections could release their antibiotics to kill bacteria. The project is running until 2021. More than three years since it kicked off, the project team have already filed two patents for their technology. They are also preparing to conduct clinical studies of the nanoplatform over the coming years. The application of a single technology for treating three different bone diseasesbone cancer, bone infection and osteoporosisfavors the industrial scale-up process. Ultimately, it could facilitate the transition of nanotechnology-based treatments (nanomedicines) from research to healthcare. Explore further Cancer scientists aim to use protein power to stop tumor growth More information: Project VERDI: Project VERDI: www.ucm.es/valletregigroup/erc Gulf toadfish (Opsanus beta) play an important ecological role in the local marine environment and rely heavily on sound and their hearing for reproduction, social interactions and avoiding prey. This study could not determine if the elevated cortisol levels will have any long-term effects on the fish. Credit: Tony Winton/Key Content, LLC A new study published in the Journal Environmental Pollution by researchers at the University of Miami (UM) Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science found that the Ultra Music Festival was likely stressful to toadfish. An interdisciplinary team of researchers findings show that the fish experienced a significant stress response on the first day of the Ultra Music Festival in March 2019 on Virginia Key, Florida when there was elevated noise. "The stress response was similar to what toadfish would experience when hearing bottlenose dolphins, a toadfish predator," said the study's co-investigator Danielle McDonald, professor of marine biology and ecology at the UM Rosenstiel School. The researchers' findings showed that the toadfish experienced a 4-5 fold increase in blood cortisol, their main stress hormone, during the first night of the Ultra Music Festival compared to two baseline samples taken before Ultra began. In addition to testing cortisol levels, the research team placed recording devices to measure sound intensity in the air and underwater. Hydrophones were placed in the toadfish tanks and in the waters directly next to the Ultra stages in Bear Cut Inlet in the Historic Virginia Key Beach Park and in Lamar Lake, a shallow mangrove lagoon further north. "Recordings revealed that the sound intensity increased by 7-9 decibels in the toadfish tanks and 2-3 decibels in the nearby waters of Bear Cut in the low frequency range where fish are the most sensitive to changes in sound pressure," said co-investigator Claire Paris, professor of ocean sciences at the UM Rosenstiel School. "Variations in the sonic activity of marine organisms and additional noise from boat traffic may have contributed to the signal detected in Bear Cut during Ultra. In situ measurements, including long term acoustic recording, are necessary to evaluate the effect of Ultra on wild fish populations." Prior studies have shown that "underwater noise pollution causes stress and various physiological and behavioral disruptions on communication, hearing, spawning behavior and reproduction in aquatic organisms," said Maria Cartolano, lead postdoctoral scientist on the study. Gulf toadfish (Opsanus beta) play an important ecological role in the local marine environment and rely heavily on sound and their hearing for reproduction, social interactions and avoiding prey. This study could not determine if the elevated cortisol levels will have any long-term effects on the fish. "We conducted the study on the effects of the multi-day music concert due to the close proximity of the festival to our experimental hatchery and aquaculture facility," said co-investigator Martin Grosell, professor of marine biology and ecology and Maytag Chair of Ichthyology at the UM Rosenstiel School. "It provided us an opportunity to investigate the potential impacts a large music festival of this kind can have on fish." The electronic music festival, held at the Miami Marine Stadium and Virginia Key Beach Park, on March 29-31, 2019 attracted over 170,000 attendees during the three-day event, one of the largest electronic music festivals in the world. Explore further Designing workplaces with sound disturbances in mind More information: Maria C. Cartolano et al, Impacts of a local music festival on fish stress hormone levels and the adjacent underwater soundscape, Environmental Pollution (2020). Journal information: Environmental Pollution Maria C. Cartolano et al, Impacts of a local music festival on fish stress hormone levels and the adjacent underwater soundscape,(2020). DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2020.114925 A near-miss last week on Lake George, in which a woman jumped out of her kayak as an expensive wooden motorboat bore down on her, is a reminder of the dangers of boating on the lake. Several people have been killed or seriously injured in recent years in crashes, including an 82-year-old man from Loon Lake whose legs were severely cut last August when his kayak was run over by an inexperienced boater from New Jersey driving a motorboat rented from Chics Marina in Bolton Landing. She saw it coming. She jumped out of the kayak, said Joe Johns, head of law enforcement for the Lake George Park Commission, of the crash on Friday. The motorboat was going about 20 mph, Johns said. Neither the driver of the boat, a Hacker Craft wooden motorboat, nor the woman in the kayak have been identified. The woman leapt out of the kayak before the motorboat smashed one end of it, and she was unhurt. Staffers from the YMCA center at Silver Bay saw the crash, which took place at about noon, and one of them came out in a boat and pulled the woman aboard. The woman was kayaking with several friends, all of them guests at Silver Bay, Johns said. She was trailing behind the group, and the man in the motorboat, distracted by the group, failed to see her until the last minute, he said. As of 11 a.m. Tuesday, there are 152,434 cases of the new coronavirus confirmed in Florida, an increase of 6,093 since FDOHs last update Monday morning. More than 43,400 test results were reported to the Department of Health on Monday, June 29. Of those reported tests, 14.57 percent tested positive. The number of tests reported on June 29 is similar to the test load reported on Sunday; 41,624. Test results reported by the state over the last two days has been down dramatically from the reports over the weekend, though the positivity rate continues to climb. Tuesdays positivity rate, 14.57 percent, is the highest since June 16 with the exception of one day (June 23, 15.85 positive). On Friday, June 26, 78,318 tests were processed by the state the highest since the beginning of the pandemic. The death toll increased by 58 from 11 a.m. Monday to 11 a.m. Tuesday, reported among Lee, Broward, Collier, Dade, Escambia, Hillsborough, Orange, Palm Beach, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Sarasota and Volusia counties. A total of 1,946,510 individuals have been tested: 1,792,561 have tested negative, 1,515 tests were inconclusive and 1,904 tests are pending results. Of those testing positive, 14,580 (+336) have been hospitalized at some point during their illness. There have been 3,604 deaths. The age groups of Florida residents that have yielded the most positive test results are 25-34 years old (20%), followed by 35-44 (16%), 15-24 (16%) and 45-54 (15%). The highest hospitalization rate is found in patients 65-74 (19%), 75-84 (18%) and 55-64 (17%) years old. In Lee County, 5,588 (+225) individuals have tested positive as of 11 a.m. Tuesday; 2,433 in Fort Myers (+103), 1,060 in Cape Coral (+61), 1,202 in Lehigh Acres (+27), 338 in Bonita Springs (+17), 163 in North Fort Myers (+8), 124 in Estero (+1), 29 on Fort Myers Beach (+0), 17 in Sanibel (+0), 22 in Alva (+1), seven in Bokeelia (+0), four on Matlacha (+0), three in Tice (+0), two in Miromar Lakes (+0), two in Boca Grande (+0), two in Saint James City (+1), two on Captiva (+1), one in Buckingham (+0), one in San Carlos Park (+0). Fifty-seven cases were not identified by community. Positive COVID-19 cases in the county have ranged from infants to a 101-year-old. Lee County saw its first two cases on March 7, when a man and a woman, each 77, tested positive. They had traveled to the Dominican Republic. There have been 158 deaths (+2) in Lee County and a total of 606 (+5) hospitalizations; 114 deaths were reported in residents or staff of long-term care facilities. As of Tuesday, Lee Health had 229 COVID-19 patients isolated in system hospitals. A total of 903 patients who had tested positive have been discharged, including 24 on Monday. Lee Health had 219 patients isolated in hospitals on Monday. The system has submitted a total of 27,706 specimens for testing, with 1,488 results currently pending. Lee Healths mobile collection site on Monday collected 289 specimens. Bed capacity as of Tuesday is at 80 percent, with 18.5 percent of those being COVID-19 patients. As of Tuesday, 69 percent of ventilators and 28 percent of ICU rooms are available for use across Lee Health facilities. COVID-19 is a highly contagious viral disease. For most individuals, symptoms are mild. For a minority, the disease becomes a type of viral pneumonia with severe complications. Especially at risk are those who are older, those with underlying health conditions and the immune-compromised. Officials strongly urge all members of the public who are at risk to remain at home so as to limit exposure. All others are urged to observe social distancing and to wear a mask for all public interactions. For more detail on Florida resident cases, visit the live DOH Dashboard. To find the most up-to-date information and guidance on COVID-19, visit the Department of Healths dedicated COVID-19 webpage. For information and advisories from the Centers for Disease Control, visit the CDC COVID-19 website. For more information about current travel advisories issued by the U.S. Department of State, visit the travel advisory website. For any other questions related to COVID-19 in Florida, contact the Departments dedicated COVID-19 Call Center by calling 1-866-779-6121. The Call Center is available 24 hours per day. Inquiries may also be emailed to COVID-19@flhealth.gov. For parents, it goes without saying that youth are using social media to connect and support each other. The embrace of social media has been extraordinary among adolescents well before COVID-19 precautions. With the current need to social distance, a new paper explores how teens support each other through digital media during times of stress and isolation. In the integrative review paper, Youth Connections for Wellbeing, scholars Mimi Ito, Candice Odgers and Stephen Schueller leading experts in the fields of cultural anthropology, developmental psychology and clinical psychology discuss the potential of digital media to support youth wellbeing. The work underlying the paper was completed prior to the COVID-19 global pandemic. However, experts believe the physical isolation that has resulted from shelter-in-place orders makes it even more critical to understand and leverage technology in a way that benefits youth. The position paper summarizes current knowledge and redirects the conversation about adolescent social media use and wellbeing in three ways that are particularly relevant today: Refocusing the debate over the relationship between youth social media use and wellbeing to reflect existing evidence, varied youth perspectives and backgrounds. Identifying teen vulnerabilities and assets that may influence problematic and healthy social media engagement. Suggesting opportunities where youth social engagement might mitigate vulnerabilities and leverage assets. In the position paper Ito, Odgers and Schueller highlight the need to move beyond the simple question of whether more time spent using social media causes mental health problems in adolescents. Instead, they recommend that people should consider the specific forms of social media engagement that amplify or mitigate mental health risks for different adolescents. To improve understanding of the factors, researchers integrated findings from existing large-scale reviews. The review reflected the voices of youth who have grown up on social media, researchers subsequently performed a systematic review of digital mental health apps available for youth. The team discovered that adolescents online risks often mirror offline vulnerabilities. They note that it is particularly important for messages, interventions, and strategies to be targeted and tailored to the most vulnerable youth and those underserved by traditional mental health services. A number of relevant findings, opportunities, and benefits are outlined in the paper, including: Evaluating claims about whether social media use is leading to greater vulnerability for mental health problems for youth, including harassment and bullying, sleep disruption, and exposure to idealized images that may lead to envy. Identifying factors such as poverty, discrimination, instability, social marginalization, and other forms of stress as more significant influences on mental health than technology. Revealing that Black and trans youth have reported that online sources of empowerment are sources of support and strategies for coping with and discussing racism and prejudice. Offering evidence that extending parental support to online spaces can be more effective in supporting youth wellbeing than restricting technology access, which can create more tension between youth and parents. Recognizing that youth experience positive social support in many online settings, which may reduce their feelings of social isolation and social anxiety, increase their social skills, and augments their offline friendships. Sharing details on how online communication and affinity networks including fandoms, gaming communities, and creative communities can help marginalized young people benefit from unique friendships and forms of social support. Highlighting evidence that young people are actively seeking support for mental health information online and using online tools to elicit socio-emotional support. Most teens and tweens say social media helps support social-emotional wellbeing, boosting confidence, and alleviating anxiety, loneliness, and depression. Describing ways to provide online mental health support to youth, especially those who are difficult to reach through more traditional clinical supports. For example, one student interviewed shared how they experienced a supportive community online, saying: I think a lot of my mutuals on Instagram, theyre very open to being emotionally vulnerable on Instagram, so theyll actually say, Im not doing fine. I like it because its a very nice community, just spreading love whether it be through comments or someone will actually say through messages like, Are you okay? A freshman adjusting to life away from family shared how online connections made her feel close to them: My mother just started using Messenger. I taught her how to use it. And so she texts me here and there. Shes like, Good morning, or, How are you doing?, and then we FaceTime. Then my siblings, we use Instagram because thats where were mostly at. We send each other videos and memes, and then we kind of comment just to make our day. Given the rising rates of mental health concerns among young people in the U.S., Ito, Odgers and Schueller encourage a sense of urgency in focusing research, investment and public attention on how digital spaces and tools can be better designed and used to support youths mental health. Source: Connected Learning Lab Don was born in Moline on March 25, 1929, to Gustav and Anna Selander, who had recently immigrated from Sweden. His parents instilled his great love for all things Swedish and was proud to be a 100% Swede. He graduated from Moline High School in 1947, where he met and fell in love with his classmate, Beatrice Jennings, who became his sweetheart and the love of his life. They were married on March 10, 1951, and recently celebrated their 69th wedding anniversary. To know them was to know their immense love for one another. Don and Bea built a family together and took pride in their four children: Curtis Almquist, of Cambridge, Mass.; Cynthia Kennedy (Michael), of Davenport; and sons, Kevan and Kyle, who predeceased him. Don adored his 13 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren and was an active participant in their lives, always ready with his memorable one-liners and words of encouragement. But four years into the agreement, the enterprise zone expired. One of the benefits of the enterprise zone is that they get a sales tax exemption on materials that they buy for the construction project," Maxeiner said. "So there was a nine-month period that they did not get that sales tax exemption. They paid sales tax on those materials to the tune of about $144,000. They asked the city to pick that up because in our development agreement the comment was that the city has represented to the developer that the development project area is in an Illinois Enterprise Zone and that the developer and the sub developer wont have to pay any sales tax for any building materials. "When the enterprise zone expired, they had to pay sales tax," Maxeiner said. "Our development agreement says they wont have to pay sales tax. They came after us trying to get us to pay those sales taxes. The solution again is that it will be added to drainage fees, Maxeiner said. We are going to let them defer payment until that whole debt is paid off," he said. "And then we are going to use the (tax increment financing district covering The Bend) to repay ourselves for those drainage fees. Residents of Davenport have much to be proud of and look forward to, Mayor Mike Matson said Tuesday in his state of the city address. Matson released the address online as a 30-minute video because of concerns about COVID-19. Topics included a number of large-scale infrastructure projects and other improvements that are underway or planned, as well as budget details for the fiscal year that begins Wednesday. The most important thing for you to know is were moving forward, Matson said. He spoke about the resilience of city employees and residents recently in response to the record floods of 2019, COVID-19 and to the unrest that occurred May 31 and June 1. As usual, Davenport just says, How can we help? What can we do?, and We will get through this together, Matson said. Matson and other city officials also spoke about recent successes, highlighted city departments and their functions, and city amenities. Davenport, weve done a lot of great things this year; you need to be proud of whats going on in your city, Matson said in the video. Rock Island Education Association president Andrew Hains told school board members the plan to open the school year remotely came as a surprise to the 400-plus members of the union and to union leaders. Hains said the administrative recommendation was made without RIEA input. He called for collaboration. We need to get trust and collaboration right for our students, Hains said. The challenge before us is great. I know there is not a lot of time. School board members heard feedback from four individuals Tuesday, including former district teacher Roxanne Nowinski. She said she was trying to teach her grandchildren during remote learning was finding it difficult, and she is not confident how much they are learning. She said she was worried for families who did not know how to supplement remote learning with other resources. Im really concerned for those kids in our school district, how far back they are going to become with this type of learning, she said. Im not a fan of it at all as a former teacher. Other speakers shared their concerns about balancing work requirements with young children who cannot stay home alone. Fort Myers Beach will be open this weekend without any beach access limits though there will be a new requirement on mask-wearing. At a special meeting on Wednesday, the Fort Myers Beach Council voted 3-2 on an emergency declaration beginning at midnight to require that masks be carried by all individuals over the age of 6 when they are away from home and that they be worn in public in situations where individuals are unable to socially distance. Exceptions include while inside a hotel room or when sitting down and dining at restaurants, or when with members of family or residence. Fines of $50 could be levied against individual violators and fines of up to $500 for businesses deemed to be in violation. Voting for the emergency declaration at the special meeting was Mayor Ray Murphy, Vice Mayor Rexann Hosafros and Councilmember Bill Veach. Voting against the measure was Councilmember Dan Allers and Councilmember Jim Atterholt. Other exceptions to the mask-mandate include those with health issues or disabilities who would be adversely affected by wearing masks. Kitchen-preparation areas and for those at barbershops or beauty salons receiving services would also be excluded from the requirement. In discussing his opposition to the mask proposal by Veach, Allers said its important to remember what this weekend is about. Its about our freedom to make choices. Veach compared the mask-wearing mandate to laws instituted to ban smoking in public places while Allers said it should be up to businesses to make decisions about mask-wearing. Veach said its unfair to tell people to stay home because somebody is making it unsafe based on not wearing masks, in effect saying you have to surrender these public areas to the careless. Atterholt cited his libertarian instincts in opposing the mask-wearing requirement. Atterholt said he supported wearing masks and encourages people to wear masks. He objected to the requirement that people going for a jog or walk on the beach would have to carry a face-covering. Except, we are not going to be patting people down, Hosafros said. Atterholt said it wasnt clear. Veach said the language should be changed so that people should have access to the face-covering so if somebody is going for a swim they would have access to a facemask near their towel. Allers said the mask-wearing requirement will pit neighbors against neighbors and questioned how the mandate would be enforced. Atterholt also questioned whether a business would be fined if an employee was talking to another employee on break without a mask. The emergency declaration doesnt have an expiration date. The council does not have another meeting scheduled until August though it could choose to have another special meeting before then. The ordinance the town council approved was based on ordinances approved in Monroe County and the City of Sanibel. Earlier, the council discussed potential restrictions to beach access for the Fourth of July weekend but a majority of the council members were against taking such measures. The Fort Myers Beach Chamber of Commerce opposed beach-closure measures, with Chamber President Jacki Liszak saying beach closures could lead to a high number of cancellations and would lead to people being gathered in more congested areas. Liszak said the chamber supported the council strongly suggesting or requiring mask-wearing indoors. At the meeting, Murphy pushed for stringent beach-access limits, saying Florida is now the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic. Murphy expressed concern about beach visitors arriving from the hinterlands after southern and eastern Florida counties acted to close their beaches including limited beach access in Collier County. Were the lone holdout, Murphy said. Were the only game in town. Murphy referenced rising numbers of COVID-19 cases in Lee County. In the past week, COVID-19 positives have increased by 46% countywide and 45% on Fort Myers Beach. Are our arms wide open saying come on let the good times roll? Is that where we are? Atterholt said he was most concerned about poverty and the negative impact on businesses that a beach closure would cause. The economic hardship that the folks are going through, not just in Lee County but throughout Florida, throughout this country is causing suicide, depression, mental health issues, domestic violence, drug and alcohol abuse. These folks are losing their employer-sponsored health insurance. They are going bare with no insurance. Atterholt said the climate of fear that has been generated is causing serious health outcomes. Atterholt said the council shouldnt shut down the whole island. There are a lot of questions. Atterholt said the towns businesses, particularly its hotels, have taken a responsible course of action in terms of taking the appropriate precautions. Murphy said he supported limiting the towns beach access points to town residents. Murphy said he didnt want to discourage those with reservations on the beach. Its really not my intention to run those people off by closing the beach down completely, he said. But it is my intention to stop the hordes and hordes of other people that I envision coming across the alley and the trail over here. Ultimately, the council took no action to limit beach access. 7/1/20 A good Wednesday to all. It's the start of a new month. Here's hoping it is better than the past few. Hot and humid conditions will usher in July. Here are the weather details from the National Weather Service. 1. A chance of showers There's a slight chance of thunderstorms after noon today. Skies will be mostly cloudy with a high near 86 degrees. The chance of precipitation is 20%. Tonight there's a 30% chance of showers and thunderstorms before 7 p.m. Skies will be mostly cloudy with a low around 69 degrees. Thursday will see a 20% chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1 p.m. Skies will be mostly sunny with a high near 90 degrees and a low around 70 degrees. A Flood Warning continues for the Wapsipinicon River near DeWitt until Sunday. The Wapsi is currently at 12.6 feet and falling. Flood stage is 11 feet. At 12.5 feet, major flood stage, water affects old U.S. 61 near the river. A Flood Warning also continues for the Cedar River near Conesville until Thursday. It is at 14.9 feet and falling. Flood stage is 13 feet. At 14.5 feet water affects residences along Iowa 22, Hoot Owl Jct. and Elder Avenue south of Iowa 22. CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. Astronauts completed their second spacewalk in under a week Wednesday to replace old batteries outside the International Space Station. Commander Chris Cassidy and Bob Behnken quickly tackled the big, boxy batteries. For every two outdated batteries coming out, a new and improved one goes in to supply power to the space station on the night side of Earth. Within a couple hours, the astronauts had installed another new battery, the third one in this latest series of spacewalks that began last Friday. NASA plans to send the pair out twice more in July to finish the battery swap-outs that began in 2017. The new lithium-ion batteries should last the rest of the space station's life, according to NASA. With their main chore completed, Cassidy and Behnken jumped ahead to loosen the bolts on the batch of old batteries coming out next time and remove other equipment. Some of the bolts required extra muscle, and another stubborn mechanism just wouldn't come off. "Boy, it put up a good fight," Cassidy radioed. "These batteries, they like their home." The astronauts had enough time to route power and Ethernet cables outside the 260-mile-high outpost, before the six-hour spacewalk drew to a close. For many of our veterans, sacrifice lasts a lifetime. The men and women who have worn our nations uniform made the commitment to keep our country safe, and many have paid a price to do so. When they return from service, we must make the same commitment to them. I served as a company commander in Iraq and Kuwait. I had my boots on the ground and was entrusted to lead 150 men and women during Operation Iraqi Freedom. As I experienced firsthand, our servicemembers put themselves in harms way to protect our homeland. That is why, when our heroes come home, like the selfless men and women I served alongside in the Middle East, we must make sure they get the help and resources they need. Some of the most serious wounds our veterans suffer from might not even be visible to the average person. Tragically, we lose veterans to suicide every day. One of the most challenging issues that so many face is post-traumatic stress disorderor PTSD. It is a condition some of our nations men and women deal with long after they come home from service and in some cases on a daily basis. High school graduations have again been cancelled due to the pandemic. It is with great disappointment that we announce the cancellation of our in-person graduations, a release from the School District of Lee County states. The decision was made with the Florida Department of Health-Lee County and Hertz Arena. This was an incredibly hard decision but following the sharp rise in COVID-19 cases in our community and the health risk associated with large events, we believe this is in the best interest of our graduates and families. We are working on developing a drive-thru ceremony at each high school where the Class of 2020 can wear their cap and gown pick up their diplomas. More details will be forthcoming. Last year, he said there were about 600 people in Keystone for Independence Day weekend but expects it to easily be in the thousands this year. Its going to be a lot of people, a ridiculous amount, he said. Haan said hes been folding just as many Keystone maps. For the summer, he said they ordered 30 boxes with 1,700 maps in each one, or 51,000 total. He said he hopes they dont go through all of them this weekend. I cant fold that fast, he said. Haan said he expects people to be camped out all day and those thinking of driving in may be better off watching the display on TV. Support Local Journalism Your membership makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}} He also said the booth will be open from 8 a.m. to easily after 8 p.m. instead of the typical 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. schedule. The owner of Whispering Pines T-shirts, who did not give her name, said her shop and the ones her family owns that are connected to it in the same building plan to close early that day. The patch, which shows the American and Confederate flags overlapping and a cannon to represent the battle that the town was named for, was created in 2009 by Scott Barksdale, a South Carolinian, after he learned of the history of the town. Jones has said that he's since spoken with Wuttke about the patch, telling him over the phone "Man, that's got to go." Jones said Wuttke responded with "we'll see about it." Were not wanting the liberals and the press telling us we have to change it, Wuttke also has said. People here do not feel its racism." What the letter says The correspondence from the site of the Battle of Gettysburg is not intended to compel the South Dakota town to change its police logo, the letter states, but to explain how the city of around 7,800 people views the use of the Confederate flag and symbols in the town. Sen. Mike Rounds said that he plans to wear a mask Friday at the Mount Rushmore fireworks show that President Trump plans to attend. Im going to go out there and Im going to participate, but Im also going to use some good old South Dakota common sense as well, he said Tuesday. We will do our best to keep some social distancing the best we can. Gov. Noem, meanwhile, said in an interview on FOX News with Laura Ingraham on Monday that there will be no social distancing at the event that is expecting 7,500 people. In South Dakota, weve told people to focus on personal responsibility. Every one of them has the opportunity to make a decision that theyre comfortable with We told those folks that have concerns that they can stay home, she told Ingraham. Noem also said face masks will be given out at Mount Rushmore for those who want one. Her comments come in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has rippled through the state as the first cases were seen March 10. According to the Department of Health data available Wednesday, 6,826 South Dakotans have had the coronavirus and 93 have died from it. Mandatory arbitration is a court of last resort. When one arbitrates under mandatory arbitration there is no appeal, or even a right of reconsideration of the matter by the arbitrator if something went wrong. Ones legal rights to challenge a final arbitration decision are very limited. Consider that when a court is confronted with a non-court decision made in arbitration there is an established legal preference for approving the arbitration decision. The arbitrators decision is almost absolute. I know. I have sat as an arbitrator and have represented parties in contested arbitration matters. Arbitration is defined as an alternative to litigation in which the parties are required to put their dispute before an arbitrator. The arbitrator, for good or ill, and without the benefit of a black robe, makes the final decision on the dispute. If ones agreement contains a mandatory arbitration clause, you cant go to court. (There are minor exceptions, but we will save that for another sermon). A bit of information on that sermon: I find mandatory arbitration clauses in financial contracts such as credit card agreements to often be adhesion clauses drafted by one party, the financial institution, and signed by another party of weaker authority commonly known as the consumer. The First Years Initiative has served 651 clients with home visiting since 2018. The service is voluntary and connects case workers and health professionals with pregnant women and new parents with at-home services that can lead to better pregnancy and child health outcomes. In this year's report, among the deaths of children known to CPS, 10 of the children who died were under the age of 1. Four were between the ages of 1-5. One child was between 6-10 and the other two were between 11-18 years old. Thirteen were male and four were female. To begin to address drowning deaths, the state health department is partnering with Fish, Wildlife & Parks on a "Kids Don't Float" campaign. Some drowning deaths were outdoors, and there was also an indoor death in a bathtub where a child was left unattended. Through the partnership, the health department is sponsoring 336 loaner life jackets to be placed at parks around the state near water. Contradiction of events Normally, appointment of new Chairman of Board of Directors at Eximbank takes place when there are only a few days left for the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders (AGM). As expected, Eximbank will hold two consecutive meetings including an Annual General Meeting of Shareholders for 2020 and the Extraordinary General Meeting of Shareholders on the same day on 30 June, in order to cover for two cancelled meetings of 5 March and 22 April, due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Interestingly, the newly appointed Chairman is a person whose foreign strategic shareholder Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC) is holding 15% of capital in Eximbank, and wanted to be relieved of the position of Vice Chairman not too long ago. Specifically, SMBC had sent a written request to the Board of Directors to hold a direct meeting to discuss two specific issues, namely, a request to dismiss Mr. Yasuhiro Saitoh and reduce number of members, and for a vote of confidence by the Board of Directors. This contradiction of events is now becoming an issue, because previously Mr. Yasuhiro Saitoh was a representative of SMBC at Eximbank. Last year, SMBC sent a document to the Board of Directors of Eximbank to notify that Mr. Yasuhiro Saitoh was not a staff or authorized personnel or representative of SMBC from 18 May 2019. So now whether or not a dispute breaks out at the upcoming General Meeting of Shareholders is a question that is being heavily debated. There was clearly a dispute among faction of shareholders. Indeed, for Eximbank, the dispute between groups of shareholders to appoint a Chairman of Board of Directors has become a familiar story for years. In 2015, when the Board of Directors term expired, the bank needed to re-elect all members of the Board of Directors for the new term from 2015 to 2020. However, as the date of the AGM came closer, the bank had not yet received State Bank of Vietnam approval for list of members for Board of Directors and the Supervisory Board for the new term. In 2016, there was again a dispute over the seats on the Board of Directors among shareholder groups and has continued until now. In March 2019, the Board of Directors of Eximbank issued a resolution to elect Ms. Luong Thi Cam Tu, a member of Board of Directors as Chairman of Board, but Mr. Le Minh Quoc, former Chairman of Board of Directors of Eximbank sued and asked the People's Court in Ho Chi Minh City to apply emergency measures to temporarily stop the resolution to elect Ms. Tu as Chairman of the Board. On 22 May 2019, the Board of Directors again issued a resolution to elect Mr. Cao Xuan Ninh, another member of the Board, to hold position of Chairman of Board of Directors for the fourth term from 2015 to 2020. Less than one month on the hot seat, Mr. Ninh's resignation letter stated shareholder issues and with the group of shareholders in too many disagreements that were difficult to reconcile and which led to internal disputes that caused great difficulties in management and administration, negatively affecting the image and operation of the bank, Mr. Ninh's resignation was accepted. Internal disputes In a statement issued on 25 June, Eximbank affirmed that the bank was operating stably, effectively and in well control of operations. This confirms that during the time of Mr. Cao Xuan Ninh as Chairman of Board of Directors, the bank operated responsibly and effectively. Since then, Eximbank has shown positive and remarkable results in 2019 and created momentum for the results of the first quarter of 2020. Specifically, profit before tax increased 31% over the same period, and operating costs decreased 7% over the same period. Currently, capital adequacy ratios of the bank are controlled at a high level of safety. However, the growth of business operations cannot save the Eximbank brand when senior personnel are suddenly shunted off, reflecting a serious internal instability that has persisted in the area of governance for many years. The bank also acknowledged that over the past few years, the Board of Directors has held many meetings to approve a number of contents within the authority of Board of Directors. In particular, a few sessions have generated different opinions related to procedures, legal orders and validity of related minutes and resolutions. This situation reflects the true differences between Board members. In the past, Eximbank was a leading joint stock commercial bank in Vietnam, but in the last five years, a series of disruptions at the Board of Directors level have caused this major brand to fall, and also fall out of a group of five largest commercial banks in Vietnam. Now Eximbank is infamously known as the most chaotic bank. In a document for the Annual Shareholders Meeting scheduled to be held on 30 June, the Supervisory Board of Eximbank stated that management activities during the last term as well as in 2019, were not running smoothly. The Board members conflicted over many different opinions, and meetings often lasted longer without any final conclusions. The above reasons led to a slow down of important issues at the bank, typically the appointment of the General Director and the legal representative of Eximbank, resulting in Eximbank being administratively sanctioned which greatly affected the image of the bank. Recent disputes have shown that large groups of shareholders still do not want to be stable if they have not achieved their wishes, and while the SBV did not intervene between shareholders, the internal disputes at Eximbank continue with no resolution in sight. Bao Tran Persistent prison problems as COVID-19 continues to course through carceral environments | Main | Some additional helpful resources on compassionate release The title of this post is the title of this new paper authored by Maybell Romero available via SSRN. Here is its abstract: The concept of the progressive prosecutor has captured the attention of many newspapers, media outlets, district attorney candidates, legal scholars, and the public at large. The success of candidates declaring themselves progressive prosecutors has been tracked with much excitement by those who have sincere interests in criminal justice reform and has been lauded in many reform-minded camps. These progressive prosecutors, while located throughout the country, seem to have one geographic commonality they generally hail from large cities or even urban metroplexes: These include Wesley Bell in St. Louis, Rachael Rollins in Boston, Larry Krasner in Philadelphia, and Kim Foxx in Chicago. In the meantime, disproportionate contact between police and minorities has increased in the rural reaches of the country, with prosecutors seemingly growing less reform minded with rates of incarceration in rural jurisdiction increasing. This paper joins others in casting suspicion upon the notion of progressive prosecution, questioning whether such an appellation should exist given the current nature of the job in the United States. It also serves as a warning; that while such prosecutors have seemed to become more common in large cities, that practitioners and scholars should not forget that reforms that occur in large jurisdictions sometimes do not extend to those suffering injustices in small communities. Some additional helpful resources on compassionate release | Main | Was Prez Trump's real political mistake not going bigger on criminal justice reform? July 1, 2020 Spotlighting our unique times as feds seek to resume execution this month The New York Times has this article detailing that the first planned executions in nearly two decades are coming at quite a time. The piece is fully headlined "Federal Executions to Resume Amid a Pandemic and Protests: The administration is pressing ahead with the first federal execution in 17 years as demonstrators seek changes to the criminal justice system and lawyers have trouble visiting death-row clients." Here are excerpts (with one line emphasized for commentary): Daniel Lewis Lee is scheduled to be executed in less than two weeks, but he has been unable to see his lawyers for three months because of the coronavirus pandemic. Mr. Lee, sentenced to death for his involvement in the 1996 murder of a married couple and their 8-year-old daughter, has been limited to phone calls, which one of his lawyers, Ruth Friedman, said she feared would jeopardize her clients confidentiality. And amid a global pandemic that has put travel on hold, her team has been unable to discuss pressing issues with Mr. Lee, conduct investigations, or interview witnesses in person. I cant do my job right. Nobody can, Ms. Friedman said from her apartment 600 miles away, in Washington, D.C., where she is working to commute Mr. Lees sentence to life in prison. If she is unsuccessful, Mr. Lee, 47, will be the first federal death row inmate to be executed in 17 years. Last year, Attorney General William P. Barr announced that the Justice Department would resume executions of federal inmates sentenced to death. Two weeks ago, Mr. Barr scheduled the first four executions for this summer, all of men convicted of murdering children, and to be carried out at the federal penitentiary in Terre Haute, Ind. On Monday, the Supreme Court cleared the way for the federal executions to proceed, rejecting arguments against the use of a single drug to carry out the sentence by lethal injection. As the pandemic worsened, many states, including Texas and Tennessee, postponed scheduled executions of prisoners sentenced under state law. Since the pandemic began, there has been only one execution at a state prison, in Bonne Terre, Mo. The state capital trial in Florida for Nikolas Cruz, the gunman who killed 17 at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in 2018, was delayed indefinitely. Courthouses closed or moved to remote operations to accommodate social distancing.... In announcing the schedule for this summers federal executions, Mr. Barr said the death penalty was the will of the American people as expressed through Congress and presidents of both parties, and that the four men scheduled to die have received full and fair proceedings under our Constitution and laws. The summers scheduled executions mesh with President Trumps increasing election year efforts to cast himself as a law and order leader even as his administration faces mounting criticism for its response to protests over systemic racism in the policing system and a deadly pandemic. Mr. Lee, who is scheduled to be put to death on July 13, was a white supremacist who has since disavowed his ties to that movement. The Trump campaign has seized on the political ramifications of Mr. Lees planned execution, criticizing the presidents presumptive Democratic opponent, former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr., for reversing his earlier support for the death penalty even for white supremacist murderers! Though Mr. Biden now opposes capital punishment, he played a central role as a senator in the passage of the 1994 crime bill that expanded the use of the federal death penalty. Mr. Trump has repeatedly attacked Mr. Biden for his record on criminal justice issues. Mr. Biden and Mr. Trump are far from the first presidential candidates to spar over the death penalty as a political tactic. In 1992, then-Gov. Bill Clinton denounced President George Bush for his inaction on crime. To affirm his support for the death penalty, he flew home to Arkansas in the midst of campaigning to personally see to the execution of a man who had been convicted of murdering a police officer. But todays candidates are vying for the White House amid nationwide protests over racism in the criminal justice system. Black people make up 42 percent of those on death row, both among federal inmates and over all, compared to 13 percent of the general population. Though the four inmates scheduled to be executed this summer are white, critics of the death penalty warned that resumption of federal executions would only exacerbate the policys discrimination against people of color. It would be nice if they used those resources to address the widespread problem of police violence against Black people, said Samuel Spital, director of litigation at the N.A.A.C.P. Legal Defense & Educational Fund. Mr. Spital also questioned why the Justice Department did not use those resources allocated to resume federal executions to protect prisons from the coronavirus. Imposing the death penalty amid the pandemic holds risks for those carrying out the execution: Doing so may require dozens of individuals, including corrections officers, victims and journalists, to come in close contact. The Bureau of Prisons directed that face masks would be required for all individuals throughout the entire procedure, with violators asked to leave the premises. Social distancing will be practiced to the extent practical, but the bureau conceded that limited capacity of the media witness room might preclude their ability to maintain a six-foot distance between observers.... Several family members of Mr. Lees victims, his trial's lead prosecutor, and the trial judge have all publicly opposed Mr. Lees execution. His co-defendant, described as the ringleader by the judge, was given a life sentence without parole. In a statement, Mr. Barr maintained that the decision to reinstate federal capital punishment was owed to the victims of these horrific crimes, and to the families left behind. But Monica Veillette, who lost her aunt and cousin to Mr. Lees crimes, does not believe that this execution is for her family. She has asthma, and both her grandmother and parents are older. If they travel to Indiana for the execution from Washington State and Arkansas, each of them could be put at risk of contracting the virus. If they owe us anything, its to keep us safe now by not pushing this execution through while people are still scrambling to access disinfectant spray and proper masks, she said. Havent enough people died? I have emphasized the fact that all of the defendants selected for execution dates by AG Barr are white because I suspect they were chosen to be the first ones to be executed, at least in part, because of their race. If I am right in this suspicion, I think AG Barr acted unconstitutionally. I am not sure if these defendants are pursuing an equal protection claim on this ground, but I sure think they should. July 1, 2020 at 07:47 AM | Permalink Comments Seems like an uphill battle. Whites are a plurality of federal death row, so 4/4 being white doesn't raise any real inference that race was a factor. This sounds speculative, and the prisoners would need evidence to justify a stay once the AG swore that race played no role. And I think the AG has an easy way to distinguish these four: all of them murdered children. All either killed multiple victims or raped their child victims, too. I didn't check the appeals status of everyone on death row, but the few I noticed on the DPIC list with child victims were more recent convictions that may not have completed appeals. If the AG says he prioritized child murderers who had completed appeals, and I think he did, the selection of these four from that much smaller group is easy to defend. I don't see how the prisoners could show a significant chance that was a pretext. Posted by: Jason | Jul 1, 2020 10:58:52 PM Excellent points, Jason, but this DPIC page notes a number of non-white folks who killed juveniles who have been on federal death row for more than a decade: https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/state-and-federal-info/federal-death-penalty/case-summaries-for-modern-federal-death-sentences. E.g.: Orlando Hall (Black), sentenced to death in Nov 1995 Lezmond Mitchell (Native American), sentenced to death in 2003 Alfred Bourgeois (Black), sentenced to death in 2004 Daniel Troya and Ricardo Sanchez, Jr (both Latino), sentenced to death in 2009 I do not know if these five have all completed all regular appeals, and I agree that AG Barr could provide facially plausible reasons for race NOT playing a factor in his decision to put four white defendants in the front of the execution line. But given that the Equal Protection Clause and the Eighth Amendment might well be read to call for extra scrutiny of this kind of prosecutorial decision-making (as there is no check by jury or judge), a court might reasonably demand "requiring a prosecutor to rebut a contemporaneous challenge to his own acts." McClesky FN 17 after noting EPC violated if "the decisionmaker ... selected ... a particular course of action at least in part 'because of,' not merely 'in spite of,' its adverse effects upon an identifiable group." Personnel Administrator of Massachusetts v. Feeney, 442 U. S. 256, 442 U. S. 279 (1979). In other words, I think there would be a valid basis for a court to ask AG Barr to present some details about his selection process to provide some tangible evidence that his selection of four defendants to be the first to be executed was not influenced "at least in part because of" the fact they were white. (I am not a Batson expert, but that's the kind of litigation over race-based allegations I am suggesting would be potentially justified in this setting). In the end, I suspect Barr would be able to defend his selection decision well enough to satisfy a reviewing court that race played no role. But I think it reasonable for these defendants and their lawyers to ask Barr to defend the noticeable racial realities here. Posted by: Doug B. | Jul 2, 2020 11:43:48 AM Post a comment 94% find themselves using data to make business decisions more so as compared to a year ago However, 93% believe their workforce is not achieving optimal productivity due to a lack in data skills Data Analysis, Data Interpretation for Decision Making in Business, and Data Protection and Risk Management were the top data-related skills necessary but lacking in their workforce SINGAPORE - Media OutReach - 1 July 2020 - As Singapore progressively reopens its economy, majority of companies in Singapore have voiced that the data literacy of their workforce is more important now than before the COVID-19 outbreak. However, a data skills gap is hindering the productivity of 93% of employers in Singapore. These insights were revealed in the recently launched NTUC LearningHub Data Skills report, which features insights from industry leaders such as global tech giant IBM, Japanese tech conglomerate Softbank and leading analytics software company Qlik. The report, entitled 'A View From the Ground: Closing the Data Skills Gap in the Covid-19 Era and Beyond' uncovers both employers' and employees' views on the degree of reliance on data and business intelligence in Singapore's business landscape, the general perception about the data-related competencies of the nation's workforce, hiring trends and preferences of businesses here, and recommendations for closing skills gaps in order for businesses and workers to remain competitive. A prevalent skills gap was uncovered as employers identified the data-related skills which were necessary but lacking in their workforce. Employers voted Data Analysis (voted by 67%), Data Interpretation for Decision Making in Business (voted by 50%), and Data Protection and Risk Management (voted by 49%) as the most necessary data skills for their businesses. At the same time, these skills were perceived as lacking within their companies as voted by 47%, 37% and 32% of employers respectively. Story continues Almost all (94%) of employers surveyed said they have increased their reliance on data and business intelligence to make business decisions now as compared to a year ago. Industry clusters such as Professional Services, Trade & Connectivity, and Lifestyle top the list when it comes to experiencing increasing use of data in the workplace to drive business decisions with over 90% of business leaders in these categories saying so, as compared to those in Manufacturing (88%) and Build Environment (69%). "As companies are thrusted into transformation during this Covid era, employers have actively reassessed the workforce they need in order to navigate the new economy. The COVID-19 storm is far from over and all business leaders must work out their strategies in weathering this very turbulent and uncertain period ahead. In this complex business environment, data will help us a lot in supporting our intuition as we make difficult business decisions," says NTUC LearningHub CEO Kwek Kok Kwong. "To help all of us understand the importance of data and how it can support businesses, we embarked on this research. We hope that through this report, more business leaders will understand how to plug the data skills gap and overcome the possible inertia in encouraging more employees to embrace data. We also hope that more workers will gain insight into the overall market demand for data and motivate themselves to pick up these skills. In this decade, data will be key to business success and data literacy will therefore be a core skill required in many future jobs. My tip for workers is to pick up these skills quickly and you will be more competitive in the job market," adds Mr Kwek. Commenting on the findings, Andrew Campbell, Senior Partner, Asia Pacific, Talent and Transformation at IBM says, "I'm excited to participate in this study with NTUC Learning Hub! The findings in the paper are especially relevant in light of the current Covid-19 crisis. The pandemic has highlighted the criticality of data for Singapore's people and business. While obtaining data can be solved in various ways through the use of technology, gaps still exist in the ability to interpret and use data. Singapore's commitment to continuously up-skilling and increasing the data literacy of its workforce will be critical for continued success and to ensure that Singapore keeps its reputation as a regional and global business trailblazer." "We at Qlik have been a long-time champion of data literacy and believe this research is very timely at a time where more organisations are turning to data and analytics to build agility to pivot to new norms during this pandemic," says Suganthi Shivkumar, Managing Director for ASEAN, India and Korea at Qlik. "The report shows the roadblocks ahead for businesses in attaining a data literate workforce. From the employer's side, providing tools, training and access to data is a critical step. Employees should ask more questions, interrogate the facts given, identify where they can use data then ask for that data. Together, this will create a more pervasive data-driven culture so everyone can confidently read, understand and work with data to attain more optimised business value and outcomes. This organisation wide active intelligence can inspire more data confidence across all functions." Eric Lim, Sales Director, Softbank Robotics Asia Pacific adds, "It is a timely research study to understand from an employer's perspective on how one's job have since transformed and data-skilled jobs have grown so much in importance across various industries and in the job market. With the COVID-19 situation, data analysis jobs will allow employees to stay gainfully valuable to the company and to be able to perform their work remotely with the data extraction. Both employers and employees are also embracing a work transformation that data will accelerate both the achievement of company's goals and the performance of employees. It is definite that data training courses are here to stay as a continual life-long upgrading integral skill set." To download the full NTUC LearningHub's Data Skills Report 2020, visit: www.ntuclearninghub.com/data-skills-2020/ About NTUC LearningHub NTUC LearningHub was corporatised in 2004 with the vision of transforming the lifelong employability of working people. We work with both corporate and individual clients to provide learning solutions in areas such as Infocomm Technology, Healthcare, Employability & Literacy, Business Excellence, Workplace Safety & Health, Security, Human Resources and Foreign Worker Training. To date, NTUC LearningHub has helped over 21,000 organisations and achieved over 2.5 million training places across more than 500 courses with a pool of over 400 certified trainers. As a Total Learning Solutions provider to organisations, we also forge partnerships and provide a wide range of relevant end-to-end training solutions and work constantly to improve our training quality and delivery. For more information, visit www.ntuclearninghub.com. Theres a couple of people who dont want to participate in that. Im honestly glad the mass majority of people have been. If we see that more people refuse to participate in contract tracing were going to have a problem, Kalyanaraman said. Were not gonna be able to control the spread. Were not going to be able to keep people from getting sick, and were not going to be able to keep things open. SINGAPORE - Media OutReach - 1 July 2020 - Dataxet, a data intelligence company, has announced that it has acquired Sonar Platform in Indonesia along with News and Ads Monitoring Agency (NAMA) in Malaysia. This marks Dataxet's latest efforts in building its network of data intelligence capabilities across Asia, following its joint venture with Truescope in Singapore. "The strategic acquisitions of recognised companies such as Sonar Platform and NAMA marks Dataxet's progress in building its branded network of integrated data intelligence in Asia following the launch of Truescope Singapore," said David Liu, CEO & Co-Founder of Dataxet. "Securing presence in key commercial markets across Asia is part of our plan to provide a truly 'best-in-class' data intelligence at scale while ensuring localised expertise and context." Amien Krisna, Founder and CEO of Sonar Platform, who will join Dataxet's executive board after the acquisition shares, "I'm excited to join the Dataxet Group and look forward to the opportunities that the combination of our expertise will bring. Sonar Platform has a track record of delivering insights with the use of smart technology which we want to bring to the Dataxet network." Ooi Kiam Hong, CEO and Founder of NAMA adds, "I trust in the team's vision of building a robust and next-generation data intelligence network -- one that continuously focuses on product innovation, technology and talents to deliver smarter insights for clients." 1. Sonar Platform, founded in 2015, boasts of two state-of-the-art intelligence modules: i. Sonar Analytics -- intelligence platform that combines social media, digital media, print media and marketplace data sources aimed at delivering mission critical insights and automated insight reports on demand. Using artificial intelligence, the application can automate the immense processing, analysis and reporting of billions of social and digital media to capture and analyse sentiment, trends and industry content. Story continues ii. Sonar Influence -- end-to-end social media influencer management platform covering influencer discovery, campaign management and intelligent reporting aimed at optimising branded influencer campaigns and maximising ROI. iii. Crisis support, audience profiling, campaign reporting and bespoke audits are some examples of its strategic add-on services provided for its clients beyond these intelligence platforms. The company's portfolio includes a range of well-known global brands across diverse sectors such as Microsoft, Grab, Huawei and AirAsia. 2. News and Ads Monitoring Agency (NAMA) was founded in 2006 and has grown to be the largest independent media monitoring company in Malaysia. i. Provides a full range of traditional media monitoring service with comprehensive coverage across print, broadcast and radio. ii. Amongst its services, the company also delivers customised media measurement and insights reports to several global and local brands from industries such as travel, financial services and telcos. Jason Lee, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Dataxet adds, "While the COVID-19 pandemic has certainly affected parts of the economy, Dataxet is not slowing down and instead, looking forward to ensure that we stay ahead of what the market needs and be at the forefront of the industry in providing smart, accurate and actionable intelligence. Growing a diverse and creative pool of talents, starting with Amien, along with continuous product innovation and creative collaborations, will be our key priorities as we look to grow Asia's 'best-in-class' media and data intelligence network and capabilities." About Dataxet Dataxet Pte Ltd is a leading integrated data intelligence holding company operating in Asia. Its branded networks provide best-in-class media monitoring services along with localised research and data analytics expertise to deliver accurate, applicable and actionable data insights. https://www.dataxet.com/ Discussions around digital banks have resurfaced once again, as the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) announced that 14 of the 21 initial digital bank applicants have moved on the next stage of assessment. As a recap, the MAS had said in June last year that it would issue two digital full bank (DFB) licences and three digital wholesale bank (DWB) licences. The original intention was to confirm the successful applicants by June, and for them to begin operations by the middle of 2021. However, with COVID-19, this timeline has been pushed back. The selection should now take place in the second half of 2020, and applicants also need to review their business plans and assumptions in light of the pandemic. This liberalisation of the banking industry does signal that change is coming to the competitive landscape. Could digital banks herald a permanent and structural change in the way banks operate? The case for digital banks Digital banks themselves are not a new concept. MAS had already allowed local banks to pursue such a business model since 2000. However, the difference now is that non-bank companies are allowed to apply for the licence. These new digital banks are allowed to offer the same types of banking services as traditional banks but are expected to be more competitive as they do not operate physical locations. Countries such as Japan, Hong Kong and South Korea have already set up digital banks. MAS intention is for these digital banks to target under-served segments of the Singapore market and allow these individuals and/or businesses to gain access to banking services. A report released by global consultancy firm Bain & Company, in collaboration with technology firm Google and Singapores Temasek Holdings, found that four in 10 Singaporean adults are under-banked. This term refers to a person not having full access to a variety of banking services, and in turn, digital banks are expected to close this gap. Incumbents have developed digital capabilities Story continues Lets not forget that the incumbent local banks have also not been standing still. In its recently-released annual report 2019, DBS Group Holdings Ltd (SGX: D05) described in detail its pursuit of digital transformation and its investments in technology over the years. DBS was also named Worlds Best Digital Bank by Euromoney, a testament to its ongoing efforts in digitalising various aspects of its business over the years. If you look up the word digital in the banks annual report, you get a total of 180 hits. DBS has invested in cloud infrastructure and re-architected its applications to be cloud-ready. Another example of the banks digitalisation effort is the launch of a multi-tier financing facility in China that is built on a logistics blockchain platform. Not to be outdone, United Overseas Bank Ltd (SGX: U11) also has a digital banking initiative known as TMWR (pronounced tomorrow). TMWR offers a full suite of banking solutions for the tech-savvy customer through a mobile-only app. Co-existing and filling the gaps Digital banks will not be bringing anything brand new to the table. What they are striving to do is to fill the gaps that may exist in the current population, as highlighted above. Thus, I believe the incumbents can co-exist together with the new digital bank aspirants. The number of under-banked and even unbanked individuals in Singapore and Asia at large remains significant. KPMG estimated that only 27% of those living in Southeast Asia have a bank account. In poorer countries such as Cambodia, this percentage drops to just 5%. As the pie continues to grow larger for the banking industry, all players within this space stand to benefit. There will be more than sufficient opportunities for all players to grow their customer base and offerings in the years to come. Get Smart: An evolution, not a revolution In a nutshell, digital banking represents an evolution within the industry, rather than a revolution. As they say in the business world change is the only constant. The banking industry has been evolving over the years and the incumbents need to adapt to changes in the business landscape. And these changes will inevitably include the introduction of digital banks. Although the industry will experience changes, I argue that these are incremental ones, rather than a big radical one. Investors need to brace themselves for more of such possible changes in the near future, as technology and disruption are the buzz-words in this modern era. With share prices battered to multi-year lows, many attractive investment opportunities have emerged. In a special FREE report, we show you 3 stocks that we think will be suitable for our portfolio. Simply click here to scoop up your FREE copy before the next stock market rally. Click here to like and follow us on Facebook and here for our Telegram group. Disclaimer: Royston Yang owns shares in DBS Group Holdings Limited. The post Will Digital Banks Permanently Alter the Banking Industry? appeared first on The Smart Investor. New daily coronavirus cases in the United States soared past 50,000 for the first time Wednesday, as the World Health Organization delivered a grave warning that the global pandemic is accelerating. Restaurants, bars and beaches in the world's worst-hit nation closed from California to Florida, as states reeling from yet another surge in the deadly virus braced for Independence Day festivities. Global infections have hit their highest level in the past week, WHO data showed, with chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus saying new cases topped "160,000 on every single day." The grim milestone came as the European Union left the United States, Brazil and Russia off its final list of nations safe enough to allow residents to enter its borders. With more than 52,000 new COVID-19 cases in the United States alone in the past 24 hours, according to a Johns Hopkins University tally, several US states imposed 14-day quarantines on visitors in the buildup to the long weekend's July 4 celebrations. California suspended indoor dining at restaurants in Los Angeles and several counties, while New York scrapped plans to allow restaurants to seat customers inside from next week. President Donald Trump reiterated his belief that the contagion will "at some point... sort of just disappear, I hope." But the US leader who has yet to be seen in public wearing a face mask during the pandemic added he would have "no problem" doing so. - EU travel ban eased - The rollbacks came as the European Union reopened its borders to visitors from 15 countries. The bloc hopes relaxing restrictions on countries from Algeria to Uruguay will breathe life into its tourism sector, choked by a ban on non-essential travel since mid-March. Travelers from China, where the virus first emerged late last year, will be allowed to enter the EU only if Beijing reciprocates. And Brazil -- which has suffered the most deaths globally for the last week, and is the second-worst affected country overall -- was excluded entirely. It topped 60,000 total fatalities Wednesday, after suffering 1,000 deaths in just 24 hours. However, with over 10 million known infections worldwide and more than 500,000 deaths, the pandemic is "not even close to being over", the WHO warned. Data provided by the UN health agency for the seven days from June 25-July 1 showed the highest number of new daily cases ever recorded came on June 28, when over 189,500 new cases were registered worldwide. - 'Dutch brothels reopen' - According to the United Nations, the coronavirus crisis could cost global tourism and related sectors from $1.2 to $3.3 trillion in lost revenue. Greece, which has suffered fewer than 200 virus deaths, has seen its economy hit hard by lockdowns and travel restrictions -- all but ending its lucrative tourism season before it began. Romanian Cojan Dragos was "the first tourist" in one Corfu hotel after driving there with his wife and daughter. "We have the whole hotel just for us," he told AFP. Separately, Spain and Portugal held a ceremony as they reopened their land border. The Netherlands also confirmed the reopening Wednesday of another tourist draw -- its brothels and red-light districts. "I'm totally booked," said sex worker Foxxy, adding that she had held a "little party" when she heard restrictions would be lifted. - Clusters spur new lockdowns - Russia did not make the EU's list of approved countries so its citizens will be absent from the bloc's tourist hot-spots. The country, however, enjoyed a public holiday Wednesday as it voted in a referendum to approve constitutional changes allowing President Vladimir Putin to stay in power for another 16 years. Putin was forced to postpone the vote in April as his government tackled an outbreak that has infected almost 650,000 people -- the third-highest in the world. In other countries, clusters are still causing problems. Parts of the Australian city of Melbourne suffered sharp rises in infections, spurring new stay-at-home measures. The Palestinian Authority announced a five-day lockdown across the West Bank after a surge in confirmed cases. And textile factories in the central British city of Leicester were suggested as the reason for a spike in infections that has prompted the reimposition of local restrictions. - Americas spike - In the United States, spikes across southern and western states are driving a surge in national infections. Texas, which again smashed its daily COVID-19 record with over 8,000 new cases, joined Florida and California in closing some beaches for the upcoming holiday weekend. Apple announced it would close another 30 US stores on Thursday, half of them in California. A further 700 deaths nationwide took the US past 128,000 deaths in total. The Pan American Health Organization warned that the death toll in Latin America and the Caribbean could quadruple to more than 400,000 by October without stricter public health measures. The US government announced this week it had bought 92 percent of all remdesivir production -- the first drug to be shown to be relatively effective in treating COVID-19. Britain and Germany, however, said Wednesday they had sufficient stocks of the drug. - 'Corona baby' - In Britain, some 1,500 acts from Ed Sheeran and Coldplay to Paul McCartney and The Rolling Stones urged the county's government to save the live music industry, which has been collapsing because of the coronavirus. But while lockdown measures have been a disaster for many, some have welcomed the chance to spend more quality time with hard-working partners. burs-amz/ch Ireland, Luxembourg need more muscle to police tech giants, EU report says FILE PHOTO: A combination photo from files of Facebook Google and Twitter logos By Foo Yun Chee BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Ireland and Luxembourg, European headquarters to Google , Facebook , Twitter and Amazon , need a substantial boost in resources to deal with data breaches by U.S. tech giants, a European Union report said. The report by the European Commission, seen by Reuters, sought to assess the effectiveness of the EU's landmark data privacy rules known as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) adopted in 2018. GDPR requires companies to seek people's consent before using their personal data or face steep fines. European Vice President for Values and Transparency Vera Jourova has previously lauded the rules as a compass to guide the EU into the digital age. The report said that data protection agencies across the 27-country bloc had increased staff by 42% increase and budgets by 49% between 2016-2019, but the Irish and Luxembourg governments needed to do more. "Given that the largest big tech multinationals are established in Ireland and Luxembourg, the data protection authorities of these countries act as lead authorities in many important cross-border cases and may need larger resources than their population would otherwise suggest," the report said. The Irish watchdog has opened cases into Facebook, Facebook-owned Instagram and WhatsApp as well as Twitter , Apple , Verizon Media, Microsoft-owned LinkedIn and U.S. digital advertiser Quantcast. The report urged national watchdogs to launch joint investigations that would lead to more harmonised rules and approaches. It said some of the challenges were reconciling data privacy rights with the right to freedom of expression, and how to apply the rules to technologies such as artificial intelligence, facial recognition, blockchain and the internet of things. Enforcement continues to be the weak link, said Eva Simon at the Civil Liberties Union for Europe. "There are still far too many governments, organisations and businesses flouting the rules," she said. (Reporting by Foo Yun Chee. Editing by Jane Merriman) Members of the army work at a coronavirus testing station set up in Victoria Park in Leicester. (AP) As Leicester became the first city in the UK to be placed in a local lockdown following a spike of coronavirus cases, there are concerns that other northern areas may follow. Both Bradford and Doncaster are clearly of concern, according to a key scientist in the coronavirus response. Imperial College London's Professor Neil Ferguson, who used to advise the government before resigning for breaching lockdown rules, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "It's inevitable we will (have further local outbreaks), we are relaxing lockdown rules and that means that contacts in the population are going up and that's a very variable process. Asked about Bradford and Doncaster, he said: "Those are areas, where not as high as Leicester, but they have some of the highest numbers of cases per 100,000 of the population, which is the relevant measure, so they're clearly of concern. Professor Neil Ferguson, of Imperial College London, speaking by video link to the House of Lords Science and Technology Committee. (PA) His concerns were echoed by epidemiologist John Wright, who told the BBC that areas with similar demographics to Leicester should be on constant alert for new outbreaks. He added that areas with large BAME communities and "multi-occupancy, multi-generational living such as Bradford were at risk of coronavirus spikes. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. In the face of the fears of a potential local lockdown, Bradford Council has said it is working hard to prevent it. Council leader Susan Hinchcliff admitted that cases were too high and urged local residents to continue to follow the guidelines around staying at home as much as possible. She added: We must all stay vigilant, we dont want to see a second spike of cases that inevitably would mean more deaths. Dont be conned into thinking its all OK now, its not. Dr Duncan Robertson, from Loughborough Universitys School of Business and Economics, said that based on Public Health Englands weekly rate of COVID-19 cases per 100,000 tests, Bradford could be next to face a lockdown. With a rate of 69.4 coronavirus cases per 100,000, Bradford sits behind Leicester, with 140.2 coronavirus cases for every 100,000 people tested. Story continues However, he added that it was not known whether these are locations of community spread or are contained outbreaks in schools or other locations. Depending on those factors, Robertson said lockdowns may not be appropriate. Doncaster's director of public health has also dismissed rumours that the town could be heading for a local lockdown. Dr Rupert Suckling said there had been a significant reduction in coronavirus cases since mid-June, adding: More data is now becoming available nationally and this will be open to scrutiny and speculation. Children's play swings remained locked and chained, due to the pandemic, in Spinney Hill Park, Leicester. (Getty) With Leicester continuing in lockdown as the rest of England gets ready to reopen pubs and restaurants at the weekend, Ferguson said there is an "illusion out there that we are past the worst" and warned that "this is far from over. He said: We were, in retrospect, one of the most heavily seeded countries with infection in Europe. "I would say, before we make international comparisons though, just bear in mind we are still very early into this pandemic there's a bit of an illusion out there that somehow we are past the worst. "In this country we've probably had no more than 8% of the population infected. "This is far from over, so I think lessons can be learned from what happened in the UK up to now, but I would prefer to focus on getting the next six months right before looking back in earnest." Coronavirus: what happened today Click here to sign up to the latest news, advice and information with our daily Catch-up newsletter Read more about COVID-19 How to get a coronavirus test if you have symptoms How easing of lockdown rules affects you In pictures: How UK school classrooms could look in new normal How public transport could look after lockdown How our public spaces will change in the future Help and advice Read the full list of official FAQs here 10 tips from the NHS to help deal with anxiety What to do if you think you have symptoms How to get help if you've been furloughed Hong Kong on Wednesday marked both a sharp jump in the number of imported coronavirus cases and an end to a 17-day streak without a locally transmitted infection, though the local woman who tested positive was living with recent returnees. Health authorities reported 28 Covid-19 cases in all, with the 27 imported ones marking the most since 30 returning Hongkongers were reported to be infected on June 22. The infection of the 46-year-old woman, whose husband and son were confirmed positive on Tuesday after returning from the United States about two weeks ago, has prompted the health authority to carry out virus tests for residents of the Sha Tin public housing estate block where the trio live. Get the latest insights and analysis from our Global Impact newsletter on the big stories originating in China. An expert warned the case showed that the risk brought by people arriving from the US was not lower than those returning from other high-risk countries, and they should also be placed in specific quarantine facilities. The Centre for Health Protections latest update brings the citys total number of confirmed infections to 1,233. Among the 28 new cases were 25 Hong Kong residents who returned from India aboard Ethiopian Airlines flight 5611, which landed in the city on Tuesday. The other two imported cases included one from Kazakhstan and one from Indonesia. The centre said the woman linked to the two imported cases from the US lives in Mei Sau House at Mei Tin Estate in Tai Wai, part of Sha Tin district. The patient possibly acquired the infection from her husband and son through home contact. The case is classified as epidemiologically linked with imported cases, the centre said in a press release. According to the centre, the woman developed symptoms including a fever and cough on Friday and saw a private doctor in Lam Tin the same day. She was admitted to Prince of Wales Hospital in Sha Tin on Tuesday, where she tested positive for the coronavirus after her husband and son were first confirmed to be infected. Story continues Before her hospital admission, she had visited some vegetable and meat stalls near Tai Wai Market as well as a supermarket in Mei Tin Estate. Beginning Wednesday, deep throat saliva specimen bottles were distributed to residents at Mei Sau House. The bottles were also to be distributed to staff of the premises visited by the patient during her infectious period. The centre called the move a precautionary measure for early detection of possible transmission into the community. Epidemiological investigations and relevant contact tracing on the confirmed cases were still ongoing. Dr Leung Chi-chiu, chairman of the Medical Associations advisory committee on communicable diseases, said the womans infection reflected a loophole in the current home quarantine arrangement. If any household contacts of a person who is undergoing home quarantine show symptoms, the Centre for Health Protection should be notified, Leung said. The centre could then make an assessment and collect specimen for testing. This would be a safer way and would not miss a case, he added. At present, household contacts of people receiving home quarantine are not required for Covid-19 testing. Leung said people arriving from the US, which saw about 20,000 to 40,000 new cases each day in recent weeks, should also be placed in specific quarantine facilities. Currently, people arriving from countries deemed to be high-risk, such as Pakistan and India, are required to take the 14-day quarantine in government facilities. This article Coronavirus: Hong Kongs streak without local infection comes to an end, while city records 27 new imported cases, most from same flight first appeared on South China Morning Post For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2020. The European Union and German nation flags are pictured before a debate on the consequences of the Brexit vote at the lower house of parliament Bundestag in Berlin BERLIN (Reuters) - German Chancellor Angela Merkel agreed with her counterparts in Portugal and Slovenia that the EU should focus on rebuilding the bloc economically and socially after the coronavirus crisis in the next 18 months when they each hold the rotating presidency. "The trio's joint programme focuses on the management of the COVID-19 pandemic and the economic and social rebuilding of Europe. The aim is to strengthen the EU's resilience to pandemic crises in the long term," Merkel's spokesman Steffen Seibert said in a statement after the three held a video conference. Germany assumes the rotating presidency in July, followed by Portugal in January 2021 and Slovenia in July next year, and so they can help set some of the priorities for the bloc. The leaders agreed that to tackle the social consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic, Europe must quickly return to a path of growth, Seibert said. He added that the three heads of government agreed measures to combat climate change and digitalisation must be at the forefront of recovery efforts. (Writing by Madeline Chambers; Editing by Michelle Martin and Paul Carrel) Targets 1000 licensed clubs to serve a global audience of millions KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA - Media OutReach - 1 July 2020 - Evolution Wellness, Asia's leading health club operator whose portfolio of brands also includes Celebrity Fitness and Fitness First, today announced the launch of a competitive licensing programme for its high value, low price (HVLP) gym brand GoFit. A new concept developed and owned by Evolution Wellness, GoFit is guided by its brand values of Smart, Bold, and Invigorating, and a game-changer in the HVLP category, presenting members with a smart new way to train through a no-frills, fuss-free yet high quality gym experience. Through its global licensing programme, Evolution Wellness sees an opportunity to address an audience of millions, and confidently predicts a global reach of over 1000 licensed clubs. With membership prices starting from approximately USD20 a month, GoFit is not just affordably priced, but also very well equipped with a wide range of cardio, strength and Olympic lifting equipment catering to all levels of gym goers -- from the new-to-fitness customer, to the fitness fanatic. At a GoFit club, access is gained through an app for increased security, which facilitates 24/7 operating hours should the demographic require it, while a self-managed membership system makes it easy for members to purchase add-on services such as a session on a HydroMassage Lounger1, or a FitQuest fitness assessment2. Members can also participate in a Signature GoFit workout3, SuperCircuitTM; work out to scheduled or on-demand digital classes, as well as stream their own workouts onto the large screens in the MyGoZoneTM. The first GoFit club in the world, which is owned and operated by Evolution Wellness, opened its doors to members at Central i-City Mall in Shah Alam, Malaysia last November, and is already serving over 2,000 members. The flexible nature of the GoFit model saw the first location implementing a ladies-only 'gym within a gym', privately accessed through the woman's changing room. "This feature has been a fantastic success in the Malaysia market, and we believe that it has significant further potential in markets overseas," said Simon Flint, Chief Executive Officer, Evolution Wellness. Story continues Evolution Wellness has already committed to a further 12 GoFit clubs in Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia on an owned and operated basis, and is in discussion on a number of additional sites in the Philippines, Hong Kong, and Singapore. "In addition to our owned and operated clubs, we are today officially launching our licensing programme which will see this new and exciting HVLP brand go global. We already have keen interest from investors looking to participate in this at the master licensee level, which gives us a lot of confidence in the credibility and reach of this brand," Flint added. "The collective experience of our senior leadership team draws from decades of exposure to the global fitness industry, therefore there's a lot of captured learning invested in creating our GoFit brand. The public response to our launch site in Malaysia has been everything we could have hoped for, and we are genuinely excited to introduce this brand onto the global stage." GoFit's Director of Licensing, Nad Myan, said, "The budget gym segment around the world has experienced accelerated growth in recent years, and we feel that there is still a lot of room for growth in the truly high value, low price category. We're excited at GoFit's potential to change the way people think about budget gyms, and we'd like to invite fitness-loving entrepreneurs and individuals to join us on our journey. We have a competitive licensing programme that we believe is the most attractive fitness business platform for those looking to venture into the vibrant global fitness industry, with the expertise and commercial support of Asia's leading health club operator." For more information about GoFit licensing opportunities, please visit http://bit.ly/GoFitLicensing2020. For further media enquiries / interview requests about GoFit or Evolution Wellness, please contact: Jillyn Tan (jill.tan@evolutionwellness.com). Download more images of the first-ever GoFit club at Central i-City Mall in Shah Alam, Malaysia here. Notes: HydroMassage provides an invigorating recovery programme delivered by travelling water jets under a waterproof skin (so the user doesn't get wet) to help alleviate muscle and soft tissue injuries. FitQuest is a fitness assessment that utilises four simple exercises (or tasks) and a heart rate recovery measurement that only takes four minutes to complete. Once the tasks have been completed, the results are displayed on the screen immediately and are also accessible online. The FitQuest machine can also be used to perform a body composition analysis to determine a variety of metrics including body fat and muscle percentage. SuperCircuit is a proprietary GoFit programme, with a mixture of cardio and strength training to give you that full-body burn. Members train in a designated zone for SuperCircuit where our equipment selection has been carefully constructed to ensure ease of use, adding to the efficiency the workout. About GoFit GoFit was created with the intention of making fitness accessible to more people. Guided by its brand values of Smart, Invigorating, and Bold, GoFit aims to provide members with a convenient approach to fitness using technology as an enabler, in line with its brand positioning 'to energise life through easy and affordable fitness.' It offers members a smart new way to train through a no-frills, fuss-free gym experience. Malaysia is home to the pioneer GoFit club, which opened in November 2019. Get smart. Go. Get started with GoFit by visiting www.gofit-gym.com. About Evolution Wellness Evolution Wellness is the owner and operator of Asias largest wholly-owned network of fitness clubs. Established in 2017 following the coming together of two leading fitness brands in Southeast Asia Celebrity Fitness and Fitness First were on a journey of growth from fitness to wellness. Our vision is to build a comprehensive wellness ecosystem for our members and customers, and providing a compelling range of propositions to help them become the best versions of themselves. With a network of more than 170 properties across six countries, were focused on leveraging the strength of our brands, and continuing to grow our business through continuous innovation, expansion, diversification, with robust strategic governance. For more information about Evolution Wellness and our portfolio brands, please visit www.evolutionwellness.com. Workers' Party candidate for East Coast GRC Nicole Seah speaking to residents at Bedok North on Wednesday morning (1 July). SINGAPORE The Peoples Action Partys (PAP) 11th hour decision to field its first assistant secretary-general Heng Swee Keat in East Coast Group Representative Constituency (GRC) reflects the ruling partys view that the Workers Party (WP) has a good slate of candidates in the GRC, said WP chief Pritam Singh on Wednesday (1 July). The opposition party chief also acknowledged that amid economic uncertainty, there might be a flight to safety that favours the incumbent party. Nonetheless, voters want to see more opposition seats in the House. We know that Singaporeans want to see an opposition in Parliament, he said. I think they want to have a balance in Parliament; some semblance of a balance. So then the onus is on us to ensure that we can put a good slate of people out there who are prepared to fight for Singaporeans, he added. You cant rely on someone else to vote for the opposition The WP leader was speaking to reporters after a walkabout in Bedok North, along with the partys five candidates for East Coast GRC: Kenneth Foo, Terrence Tan, Dylan Ng, Nicole Seah, and Abdul Shariff Aboo Kassim. The PAP is fielding Heng, who is Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister, along with Maliki Osman, Jessica Tan, Cheryl Tan and Tan Kiat How. At GE2011, the PAP team won 54.8 per cent of votes in the GRC compared with the WPs 45.2 per cent. The PAP performed better at GE2015, garnering 60.73 per cent of ballots compared with the WPs 39.27 per cent, when the Fengshan ward was carved out of the GRC into a Single Member Constituency (SMC). For GE2020, Fengshan has been absorbed back into the GRC. With the WP - the only opposition party with a presence in the previous Parliament with six seats - working the ground over the past two electoral cycles, observers expect another close contest. As the WP team walked through the Fengshan Market and Food Centre at Block 85 Bedok North Street 4 early on Wednesday morning canvassing support, some stallholders and residents recognised the party members and called out to them, with some explicitly stating their support for the candidates. Story continues At the doorstop interview held at Block 58 New Upper Changi Road, coincidentally a stones throw away from the PAP headquarters at Block 57B, a reporter asked Singh for his take on voters flocking to the proven track record of the incumbent PAP in times of economic uncertainty. Acknowledging that it will be a difficult election with a flight to safety instinct, Singh said, And thats why we have pitched our message to voters accordingly. You have to make your vote count. You cant rely on somebody else to cast the vote for the opposition. Singh added that even if all 21 of the WPs candidates across the various constituencies are voted in, the PAP government would have a very strong mandate with control over two-thirds of Parliament, and they can still push their agenda through. But we have to grow, we have to evolve with Singapore society and the Workers Party wants to play its part, he said. We promise to put up the best fight On the PAPs strategy in fielding Heng in East Coast at the 11th hour, Singh said, The move of Mr Heng (in appearing late at the Nomination Centre)...obviously there was an element of strategic surprise on the part of the PAP. Of course to us, we see it as a strong challenge, but it also says something about the PAPs assessment of the Workers Party team in East Coast. He added, I think they see the slate as a very strong one and they know theyll have to fight hard for every vote as is what the PAP always does in every election. They are a party with deep resources. For us, we promise to put up the best fight as well. I think weve got a good slate of candidates - broad, very diverse backgrounds, and I think theyll represent Singaporeans well in Parliament. When asked about the WPs strategy, Singh said that the party generally focuses on areas where it has contested before. But with electoral boundaries subject to changes at each GE, he added, A lot of the decision making, the strategic thinking behind how the WP will operate really turn on the Electoral Boundaries Review Committee (EBRC). So the plan changes every five years because the boundaries change every five years. Referring to the case of Fengshan ward, Singh said, It was carved out into an SMC. Five years later its back into a GRC. And these sort of things of course make it harder for the Workers Party to plan. But we dont just wait for the EBRC report to start doing our work. I think the East Coast team (and) group of volunteers, have been constantly working the ground, to the best of their ability, and I think theyll put up a good fight, he added. On whether the WP will have to change its strategy with a PAP heavyweight now contesting in East Coast GRC, Singh said, Well have to fight hard for every vote. It wasnt as if it were someone else we would be fighting any less harder. But we take it as a challenge. Obviously Mr Heng and the PAP take the contest on the slate that the WP has put up very seriously and well fight hard for every vote. Nicole Seahs star power? At the interview, Singh was also asked whether the team would be relying on Nicole Seahs star power: she had contested in Marine Parade GRC in 2011 under the National Solidarity Party banner with her team garnering about 43 per cent of the votes against a team helmed by Emeritus Senior Minister and former Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong. In response, the WP leader said, I think I would be more reliant on the Terrence Tan star power and the Kenneth Foo star power and Mr Abdul Shariff...(they) will bring something for Singapore and Singaporeans in Parliament. A total of 192 candidates are contesting 93 parliamentary seats across six four-member GRCs, 11 five-member GRCs and 14 SMCs. Apart from East Coast GRC, the WP is contesting in Hougang and Punggol West SMCs, and in Aljunied, Sengkang and Marine Parade GRCs. The PAP is contesting all 93 seats. Follow Yahoo News Singapores GE2020 coverage here. Stay in the know on-the-go: Join Yahoo Singapore's Telegram channel at t.me/YahooSingapore Other Singapore stories: GE2020: PAP candidate Tan See Leng clarifies directorship issue surfaced on social media COMMENT: PAPs GE2020 tactics show ingenuity of GRC system GE2020: Parties explain, analyse candidacy decisions as they begin campaigning GE2020: E-rallies to be live-streamed from Suntec, 3 time slots per day GE2020: Singaporeans shouldnt think NCMPs can replace elected opposition MPs WP Dennis Tan GE2020: All seats contested for second straight GE, Heng Swee Keat springs surprise GE2020: My hunt for the anchor man (Left to right) WPs Jamus Lim, SDPs Chee Soon Juan, PSPs Francis Yuen, SDPs Bryan Lim, PSPs Leong Mun Wai, and PAP logo. (PHOTOS: Various parties) SINGAPORE Seven candidates from the ruling Peoples Action Party (PAP) and three opposition parties contesting in the 2020 General Election (GE) are scheduled to debate live on Wednesday (1 July) night on national television. Four representatives from the PAP, the Progress Singapore Party (PSP), the Workers Party (WP), and the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) will take part in the English debate. The opposition participants for this debate are SDP chief Chee Soon Juan, WPs new GE candidate Jamus Jerome Lim, and PSPs Central Executive Committee member Francis Yuen while the PAPs representative is Minister for Foreign Affairs Vivian Balakrishnan. Three representatives from the PAP, the SDP, and the PSP will separately debate in Mandarin. The opposition participants are PSPs Assistant Secretary-General Leong Mun Wai and SDP member Bryan Lim while the PAPs representative is Education Minister Ong Ye Kung. The WP told Yahoo News Singapore that it would not be sending a representative for the Mandarin debate. National broadcaster Mediacorp said earlier in a press release on Wednesday that it will be televising two live hour-long political debates titled Singapore Votes 2020: The Political Debate in English and Mandarin. The English debate will be participated by a representative invited from four political parties that are fielding the most number of candidates at the GE on 10 July. The PAP, PSP, WP, and SDP are fielding 93, 24, 21, and 11 candidates, respectively. When asked to confirm the full line-up of participants across both debates, a Mediacorp spokesperson said the company would not be able to share its details in advance and that it was up to the various parties to nominate their representatives. The debate will have two segments one where a moderator will ask the candidates a series of questions on topics including unemployment, helping businesses, and social mobility, and the other where they will get to ask each other questions and respond to them. Story continues The English debate will be aired on Channel 5 at 8pm with a simulcast on CNA938 radio. It will also be live-streamed on meWatch and various CNA online platforms as well as broadcast on CNA at 9pm. The Mandarin debate would be aired on Channel 8 at 9pm with a simulcast on CAPITAL 958 and live-streamed on meWatch and 8world.com. There have been previous televised forums and debates during the GE and Presidential Election since 2011. Debates line-up English PAP: Vivian Balakrishnan contesting Holland-Bukit Timah GRC Holland-Bukit Timah GRC PSP: Francis Yuen contesting Chua Chu Kang GRC Chua Chu Kang GRC WP: Jamus Lim contesting Sengkang GRC Sengkang GRC SDP: Chee Soon Juan contesting Bukit Batok SMC Bukit Batok SMC Mandarin PAP: Ong Ye Kung contesting Sembawang GRC Sembawang GRC PSP: Leong Mun Wai contesting West Coast GRC West Coast GRC SDP: Bryan Lim contesting Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC Follow Yahoo News Singapores GE2020 coverage here. Stay in the know on-the-go: Join Yahoo Singapore's Telegram channel at t.me/YahooSingapore Other Singapore stories: GE2020: PAP candidate Tan See Leng clarifies directorship issue surfaced on social media COMMENT: PAPs GE2020 tactics show ingenuity of GRC system GE2020: Parties explain, analyse candidacy decisions as they begin campaigning GE2020: E-rallies to be live-streamed from Suntec, 3 time slots per day Birthday wishes Call 281-422-8302 or email david.bloom@baytownsun.com to wish someone a happy birthday. We will print your birthday wish on Page 2 of The Sun. Happy Birthday Wishes Baltimore is looking at either having students go to school two days a week, or have them go to school buildings for one week and stay at home the next, Santelises said. This would allow half the student body to be in school at a time. The district also is looking at using one day a week to bring in students who have particular needs, such as students from immigrant families who are learning English, special education students, or those who have not been engaged with school since the pandemic began. Singapore Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat (second from right) speaks with hawkers at East Coast GRC during a walkabout in July 2019. To his right is former minister Lim Swee Say, who is retiring from politics and stepping down as MP for East Coast. (PHOTO: Heng Swee Keat/Facebook) SINGAPORE Following the end of the nomination process on Tuesday afternoon (30 June), various candidates offered explanations and analysis of their party strategies as they begin campaigning for the 10 July General Election. All eyes were on Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat, who made the surprise move from Tampines group representation constituency (GRC) where he had served as a Member of Parliament (MP) since his entry into politics in 2011 to East Coast GRC, where the anchor minister Lim Swee Say is retiring from politics. It was a move that very few had anticipated, and DPM Heng took to his Facebook page on Tuesday to explain his decision. He said that in these current uncertain times due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the ruling Peoples Action Party (PAP) cannot afford a succession gap in East Coast GRC. We need a full team that can take care of the residents and position them to come out of this crisis stronger than before. I told (Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong), I will move to East Coast, he wrote in his Facebook post. After serving for almost a decade, I am very attached to Tampines and the people there. But Tampines has a very good team. The MPs have been working well together, and with the residents. If I move, Tampines residents will still be well taken care of. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. Later on Tuesday, Heng said in a PAP online media conference that he was prepared to go anywhere where he can be of value. I want to be able to mobilise Singaporeans, wherever they may be, to work together, he added. We are in the midst of really serious global pandemic with serious repercussions for years to come. And therefore, it is important of us to... bring all Singaporeans together to combat this. Pritam: Sign that PAP takes WP challenge seriously Heng will lead PAPs East Coast GRC candidates against a Workers Party (WP) team consisting Nicole Seah, Kenneth Foo, Dylan Ng, Terence Tan and Abdul Shariff Aboo Kassim. WP secretary-general Pritam Singh believes that DPM Hengs decision to contest in East Coast is a sign that the PAP takes WPs challenge in the constituency with utmost seriousness. Story continues Its an important signal the PAP are sending, that they take our challenge in East Coast very seriously, he said during a doorstop interview at Hougang single-member constituency (SMC) on Tuesday. Id say we take their challenge equally seriously and thats why weve put a strong slate of candidates in each constituency. WP chairman Sylvia Lim also added that the party feels honoured that PAP has seen fit to send DPM Heng to helm the partys East Coast team. We are also quietly confident (of) the slate that we field there. In fact, the slates that we field in every constituency we are contesting in are strong and diverse slates who will be able to represent the residents of the area well, she told reporters after submitting nomination papers at Deyi Secondary School. SDP addresses surprise moves in candidacy Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) secretary-general Chee Soon Juan also address his partys decision to send chairman Paul Tambyah to contest in Bukit Panjang SMC. In the last GE, Tambyah had helmed the SDP team that contested in Holland-Bukit Timah GRC, and was expected to do likewise at this GE. Instead, he will be facing PAPs Liang Eng Hwa, who is also moved from his previous constituency in Holland-Bukit Timah GRC to contest in Bukit Panjang, after former incumbent Teo Ho Pin retired from politics. Chee insisted that every SDP candidate must be able to pull his own weight. We made a very conscious move to make sure that we streamlined our number and made sure that we emphasised on quality and not quantity, he said during a party online media conference on Tuesday. We wouldn't be fielding these 11 if we werent confident that we can get elected. Besides Tambyahs surprise move, SDPs Benjamin Pwees candidacy in Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC was also unexpected, as he had been seen in walkabouts in Yuhua SMC. Similarly, James Gomez was fielded in Holland-Bukit Timah GRC when he had been spotted in Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC. Another surprise was SDPs fielding of Tan Jee Say as a Holland-Bukit Timah candidate. Tan was a former presidential candidate, as well as the former secretary-general of SingFirst party, which had been dissolved a few days before this GEs nomination day. He had said in a Facebook post on Monday that he had requested to rejoin SDP, whom he had represented in GE2011 also at Holland-Bukit Timah GRC. When asked during the media conference whether his last-minute return to SDP would affect his candidacy, Tan said, It wouldn't be a disadvantage. It's just a matter of going back. It's like going back to your roots, the values that you champion for Singaporeans. Lee Hsien Yang explains his decision not to contest Progress Singapore Party (PSP) member Lee Hsien Yang, the younger brother of PM Lee, also took to social media to explain his decision not to contest in the GE. He had come under heavy speculation whether he would contest for PSP after making public his entry into the party last week. Political leadership in Singapore needs to be much more than about one family or one man. The empirical evidence shows that dynastic politics causes bad government, he wrote in a post on his Facebook page on Tuesday. I have chosen not to stand for political office because I believe Singapore does not need another Lee... I am involved through speaking up, by supporting candidates and parties I believe in, by contributing my time, ideas and resources to causes I support, and by seeking an open and independent media. I do not seek power, prestige or financial rewards of political office. He also urged voters to vote seriously to rescue the future of the country we love. Politics is not just for politicians. It is for every citizen, he wrote. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. Follow Yahoo News Singapores GE2020 coverage here. Stay in the know on-the-go: Join Yahoo Singapore's Telegram channel at http://t.me/YahooSingapore Related stories: GE2020: All seats contested for second straight GE, Heng Swee Keat springs surprise GE2020: Singaporeans shouldnt think NCMPs can replace elected opposition MPs - WP Dennis Tan GE2020: Who are the candidates contesting in your constituency (GRC)? GE2020: Who are the candidates contesting in your constituency (SMC)? A view shows Israeli settlement buildings around Givat Zeev and Ramat Givat Zeev in the Israeli-occupied West Bank By Jeffrey Heller and Dan Williams JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israeli annexation in the occupied West Bank might be weeks away, a government minister said as a start date on Wednesday for cabinet discussions of the move slipped by in the absence of a green light from Washington. Palestinians seek the West Bank for a future state. In a show of Palestinian unity, some 3,000 people in the Gaza Strip, including members of the mainstream Fatah party and the rival Hamas group that runs the enclave, protested against annexation. Israeli leaders decided in May that cabinet and parliamentary deliberations on extending Israeli sovereignty to Jewish settlements and the Jordan Valley in the West Bank, in coordination with Washington, could begin as of July 1. But with no agreement with Washington yet on the modalities of the move under a peace proposal announced by U.S. President Donald Trump in January, and talks with the White House still under way, no cabinet session was scheduled for Wednesday. "I think that it will happen in the coming weeks or months, but I am not versed in the details," Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz, a member of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's right-wing Likud party, said about annexation on Israel Radio. An aide to Netanyahu said talks with Washington - Israel's main ally - were continuing and that the prime minister had consulted Israeli defence officials on Wednesday, with more discussions to be held "in the coming days". Palestinian leaders, the United Nations, European powers and Arab countries have denounced any unilateral territorial steps planned by Israel and consider settlements it has built on land captured in a 1967 war as illegal. Israel disputes this, citing biblical, historical and political roots in the West Bank. FOCAL POINT Netanyahu has made annexation a focal point of his fifth term in office in what some critics see as an attempt by the right-wing leader to deflect attention from his corruption trial, which began in May, and enhance a political legacy. Story continues He has denied charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust. A lengthy delay or scaling down of annexation in the face of vocal opposition from many of Washington's Arab allies would be politically embarrassing for Netanyahu, who has often hailed the "historic opportunity" for Israel provided by the Trump plan. Trump's blueprint, which he says is intended to help bring peace between Israel and the Palestinians, also calls for creation of a Palestinian state but with Israel sovereignty over 30% of the West Bank. The Palestinians have rejected the plan. In an editorial in Israel's largest selling newspaper on Wednesday, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson called for any annexation plans to be scrapped. France's foreign minister, Jean-Yves Le Drian, told French parliament that "an annexation decision could not be left without consequences". He said Paris was "examining different options at a national level and also in coordination with our main European partners". (Writing by Jeffrey Heller, Additional reporting by Maayan Lubell in Jerusalem, Nidal al-Mughrabi in Gaza, Guy Faulconbridge in London and John Irish in Paris, Editing by Timothy Heritage) (From left to right): PAP's Vivian Balakrishnan, SDP's Chee Soon Juan, WP's Jamus Lim and PSP's Francis Yuen. (SCREENCAPS: CNA) SINGAPORE Ruling Peoples Action Partys (PAP) Vivian Balakrishnan, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, and Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) chief Chee Soon Juan engaged each other and two others from opposition parties in a live debate on national TV on Wednesday (1 July) evening. Workers Partys (WP) new general election (GE) candidate Jamus Jerome Lim and Progress Singapore Partys (PSP) Central Executive Committee member Francis Yuen made up the rest of the panel for the English debate session. These parties have been invited to participate in the debates as they are fielding the most number of candidates at the GE on 10 July. The PAP, PSP, WP, and SDP are fielding 93, 24, 21, and 11 candidates respectively. The opposition participants for the Mandarin debate, which took place after the English session, were PSPs Assistant Secretary-General Leong Mun Wai and SDP member Bryan Lim while the PAPs representative was Education Minister Ong Ye Kung. Yahoo News Singapore covered the sessions live: This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. Follow Yahoo News Singapores GE2020 coverage here. Stay in the know on-the-go: Join Yahoo Singapore's Telegram channel at t.me/YahooSingapore Other Singapore stories: GE2020: Heng Swee Keat's move reflects PAP's view WP has strong East Coast team Pritam Singh GE2020: PAP candidate Tan See Leng clarifies directorship issue surfaced on social media COMMENT: PAPs GE2020 tactics show ingenuity of GRC system GE2020: Parties explain, analyse candidacy decisions as they begin campaigning GE2020: E-rallies to be live-streamed from Suntec, 3 time slots per day French President Emmanuel Macron will travel to the Mauritanian capital Nouakchott next week for a summit of West African leaders to discuss the tough campaign against jihadists in the Sahel region, his office said Friday. Macron will make the trip to the West African desert state Tuesday for face-to-face talks with the leaders of Niger, Chad, Mauritania, Burkina Faso and Mali -- countries which contribute to the G5 Sahel force fighting a growing Islamist insurgency. The G5 force works with the over 5,000-strong French Barkhane force which has been deployed in the region for the last seven years but has encountered increasing resistance from jihadists. The meeting in Mauritania comes six months after a summit in the French city of Pau where the leaders vowed to intensify the fight against jihadists. After the Nouakchott meeting, the six leaders will hold video talks with other key figures including European Council President Charles Michel and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, said a French presidential official, who asked not to be named. Half-a-year following the Pau summit, the security situation is getting better but remains "deeply fragile", according to French Defence Minister Florence Parly. The summit comes after France earlier this month was able to claim one of the biggest successes of its deployment -- the killing of the head of Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), Abdelmalek Droukdel. Operations have also intensified in the region on the borders of Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger seen as a sanctuary for fighters of the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (IS-GS). The IS-GS was designated in January as the number one enemy of France's Barkhane and has itself been fighting Al-Qaeda affiliated groups. Macron earlier this year signalled that all the options were on the table for the future of the French force, including withdrawal. But now officials in Paris emphasise that while French troops will not be there for ever, it is too soon to pull out. The president's predecessor, Francois Hollande, had launched the deployment in 2013 to chase out jihadists linked to Al-Qaeda who had overtaken key northern cities in Mali. At the Pau talks in January, Macron and Sahel leaders discussed growing dissatisfaction on the ground with France's military presence. Local protests and criticism of the Barkhane force have riled French officials, not least after 13 soldiers were killed in a helicopter collision in Mali in December 2019 while pursuing jihadist fighters -- the deadliest toll for the French military in nearly four decades. Macron has said he is wary to send soldiers to countries where their presence was not "clearly wanted", saying in December: "we need the political conditions to accompany the military work we do." By Brendan O'Brien (Reuters) - Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves signed a bill into law on Tuesday that replaces the current state flag bearing a Confederate emblem, a gesture triggered by support across the United States to dismantle symbols of slavery and racism. The removal of the flag, a long-simmering source of controversy in one of the breakaway Southern states that fought in the American Civil War of the 1860s, follows the death of George Floyd, a Black man killed in police custody in Minnesota. His death has sparked nationwide protests against racial injustice and police brutality, and revived demands for the removal of statues of Confederate leaders, Christopher Columbus and others considered symbols of racism and colonial oppression. "I understand the need to commit the 1894 flag to history and find a banner that is a better emblem for all Mississippi," Reeves said in a televised speech. "We must understand that all who want change are not attempting to erase history." The measure signed by Mississippi's first-term Republican governor also created a commission to design a new state flag. Voters will have the chance to approve the design in November, Reeves' office said in a statement. After the signing of the bill, a Mississippi state flag was removed from an array of flags of all states in the Dirksen tunnel at the U.S. Capitol, NBC said, citing a video. The emblem was replaced with the Great Seal of Mississippi, portraying an eagle with spread wings and a shield with stars and stripes centered on its chest. The state flag, which prominently features the so-called Confederate battle flag, had flown above the state Capitol building in Jackson for 126 years. It was taken down this weekend after state lawmakers approved the bill, media said. In the 19th century, southern states faced with the prospect of having to give up slavery formed the Confederacy and broke away from the United States, leading to the Civil War, fought from 1861 to 1865. Symbols of the failed rebellion were erected throughout the South during the years of racial segregation and violence known as the Jim Crow era. Despite years of progress and civil rights for Black Americans, many states resisted removing them. (Reporting by Brendan O'Brien in Chicago; Additional reporting by Maria Ponnezhath; Editing by Grant McCool and Clarence Fernandez) FILE PHOTO: The sun is seen behind a crude oil pump jack in the Permian Basin in Loving County By Stephanie Kelly NEW YORK (Reuters) - Oil prices rose nearly 2% on Wednesday following a drawdown in U.S. crude inventories from record highs and a string of positive manufacturing data, but a surge in coronavirus cases tempered gains. Brent crude rose 80 cents, or 1.9%, to $42.07 a barrel by 12:43 p.m. EDT (1643 GMT). U.S. crude rose 59 cents, or 1.5%, to $39.86 a barrel. U.S. crude inventories fell more than expected, dropping by 7.2 million barrels last week, after hitting all-time highs for three consecutive weeks, Energy Information Administration data showed. Analysts had expected a 710,000-barrel drop. Much of the drawdown was attributed to refiners ramping up production after reducing runs this spring because of the pandemic, as refinery utilization rates rose by 0.9 percentage point to 75.5%, their highest since early April. "Largely we are moving forward in the way of demand and not backward, despite the negative view of coronavirus cases rising," said Tony Headrick, energy markets analyst at CHS Hedging. Improving global economic activity supported prices as well. In China, factory activity grew at a faster clip in June, a private business survey showed. Germany's manufacturing sector contracted at a slower pace in June, while French factory activity rebounded into growth. In a sign that fuel demand is recovering, tens of millions of barrels of crude and oil products stored on tankers at sea due to the coronavirus crisis are being sold, shipping sources said. GRAPHIC: Brent and WTI price forecast since June 2019 https://fingfx.thomsonreuters.com/gfx/editorcharts/nmovajqkmpa/eikon.png However, investors are cautious after a surge in infections in the United States and a warning from the U.S. government's top infectious disease expert that the number could soon double. Following an agreement to curb supplies, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries produced an average of 22.62 million barrels per day (bpd) in June, a Reuters survey found, down 1.92 million bpd from May's revised figure. Worlds top producers slash output https://fingfx.thomsonreuters.com/gfx/ce/bdwpkaeyopm/world%20top%20prodcers.JPG (Reporting by Stephanie Kelly in New York, additional reporting by Bozorgmehr Sharafedin in London and Aaron Sheldrick in Tokyo, Editing by Marguerita Choy and Emelia Sithole-Matarise) Panama's former president Ricardo Martinelli must face corruption charges just eight months after he was acquitted of spying on political foes, one of his lawyers said on Wednesday. "They charged him," his lawyer Ronier Ortiz told reporters outside the public prosecutor's office in the capital Panama City. According to local media, Martinelli has been linked to the so-called "New Business" case in which an editorial group was allegedly bought using public money during his 2009-14 term as president. Martinelli is due to be interviewed by prosecutors on Thursday but his lawyers say he cannot be prosecuted because of a law -- the speciality principle -- that says a person cannot be tried for a different crime to the one that provoked their extradition. The former president was extradited from the United States in 2018 -- he fled there in 2015 -- and held in pre-trial detention to face charges of spying and misappropriation of public funds. "My summons is not just a violation of my speciality principle, procedural guarantees and my human rights. Above all it is a smokescreen," Martinelli wrote on Twitter. He said the summons was designed to detract from another corruption investigation against former president Juan Carlos Varela, his former ally but now political enemy. Martinelli has been linked with several other corruption scandals and claims he was the victim of political persecution by his successor Varela's government. Varela, who left office last year, was questioned on Monday by anti-corruption prosecutors over alleged illegal campaign donations from scandal-ridden Brazilian construction giant Odebrecht, which has admitted to paying $59 million in bribes to Panamanian officials between 2010 and 2014, when Martinelli was in power. "We'll fight to the death," insisted Ortiz, adding that "those managing justice are corrupt and dirty." Singapore Democratic Party chief Chee Soon Juan debated against Foreign Affairs Minister Vivian Balakrishnan in a televised broadcast featuring representatives from four political parties on 1 July 2020. (SCREENSHOTS: CNA) SINGAPORE Minister for Foreign Affairs Vivian Balakrishnan on Wednesday (1 July) rebuked Singapore Democratic Party chief Chee Soon Juan for his false statement that the government plans to increase the countrys population to 10 million during a televised debate. Speaking during the debate in English between representatives of four political parties ahead of General Election (GE) 2020, Dr Balakrishnan was responding to Dr Chees question on whether the ruling Peoples Action Party (PAP) government has the intention to raise the population to such a level. Let me state for the record, we will never have 10 million (people). We won't even have 6.9 million. The government doesn't have a target for the population, Dr Balakrishnan said during the debate broadcast live on TV and online. Calling Dr Chees comments a false strawman, Dr Balakrishnan added, What we want is a Singapore core, that is demographically stable, able to reproduce ourselves, able to create opportunities and jobs for ourselves, and able to stay as a cohesive whole. The SDP has framed its opposition against the alleged population target in its Four Yes, One No GE campaign. Dr Balakrishnan cited a media release issued by the Prime Ministers Office (PMO) in response to statements circulating online about the population target. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. In its media release earlier Wednesday, the PMO said, The National Population and Talent Division (NPTD), Strategy Group, Prime Ministers Office, would like to state categorically that these statements are untrue. The Government has not proposed, planned nor targeted for Singapore to increase its population to 10 million. The government has maintained that Singapores population size is affected by factors, including birth rates, life expectancy and global developments, and does not seek to achieve any particular population size, the PMO said. The PMO cited a population outlook provided in Parliament in 2018 that forecast Singapores total population is likely to be significantly below 6.9 million by 2030 given recent trends. This outlook remains valid today, added the PMO, which warned that appropriate action may be taken against any such further publication of misleading statements. Story continues During the debate, Dr Balakrishnan, Dr Chee, the Workers Party member Jamus Lim and the Progress Singapore Party member Francis Yuen outlined their respective partys views on various issues. Discussions about the job prospects of Singaporeans, the outlook for local companies and Singapores fiscal position dominated the proceedings. Yuen called for changes to employment policies to favour Singaporean workers amid the economic slowdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic, such as forcing companies to localise by quota. Dr Lim said wage growth in Singapore has lagged behind economic growth relative to other developed countries and questioned whether the PAP is able to measure the efficacy of its policies. He called on voters not to give the ruling party a blank check. In response to the comments by the opposition GE candidates, Dr Balakrishnan said that the government is already implementing measures to create 100,000 job and skills upgrading opportunities in the short term to deal with the economic crisis. The PAP candidate for Holland-Bukit Timah GRC also mentioned that while 60,000 foreigners had lost their jobs in Singapore in the first five months of the year, the number of local PMETs (professional, manager, executive and technician) has been increasing by three per cent a year. We've had emergency infusions to save jobs. We have moved four budgets to keep our businesses afloat especially our SMEs (small and medium enterprises), in order to keep jobs for our own Singaporeans...We are continuing to accelerate this necessary transformation that our economy has to undergo because of the digital revolution, said Dr Balakrishnan. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. Follow Yahoo News Singapores GE2020 coverage here. Stay in the know on-the-go: Join Yahoo Singapore's Telegram channel at t.me/YahooSingapore Other Singapore stories: LIVE: #GE2020: Singapore Votes 2020 The Political Debate (English) GE2020: PAP candidate Tan See Leng clarifies directorship issue surfaced on social media COMMENT: PAPs GE2020 tactics show ingenuity of GRC system GE2020: Parties explain, analyse candidacy decisions as they begin campaigning GE2020: E-rallies to be live-streamed from Suntec, 3 time slots per day FILE PHOTO: Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Chair-Elect of GAVI and former finance minister of Nigeria, takes part in a panel during the Clinton Global Initiative's annual meeting in New York GENEVA/BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The World Trade Organization (WTO) began the process this month of selecting a new director-general to replace Brazil's Roberto Azevedo, who is stepping down a year early at the end of August. Nominations are open until July 8 and four nominees have so far been received from Egypt, Mexico, Nigeria and Moldova, according to WTO documents. Azevedo's successor will need to steer reforms and negotiations in the face of rising protectionism, a deep recession caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and growing trade tensions, notably between the United States and China. The Geneva-based body normally takes nine months to choose a new chief, but now wants to do so in three. It prefers to pick a chief by consensus, moving to a vote only as a last resort. Below is a summary of possible candidates: AFRICA Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala (Nigeria), board chair of global vaccine alliance Gavi Okonjo-Iweala, 65, is an economist and development specialist who has served as Nigeria's foreign minister and finance minister and as a managing director of the World Bank. The former Harvard and MIT student's work has involved efforts to make immunisation programmes financially sustainable. WTO reported her nomination on June 9. A document showed she has regional backing from West Africa. [L8N2DZ3ER] Abuja had previously backed another of its nationals, Yonov Frederick Agah, in a process via the African Union that was supposed to nominate a single African candidate. Hamid Mamdouh (Egypt), currently Geneva-based lawyer Former trade negotiator for Egypt and ex-WTO official who helped draft an agreement on trade in services in the landmark Uruguay Round deal - an experience that he said gave him essential "bridge-building" skills. Mamdouh, 67, is currently advising the G20 presidency, Saudi Arabia, on trade and investment matters. WTO confirmed his candidacy on June 9. Amina Mohamed, (Kenya) sport and culture minister Mohamed, 58, is a former Kenyan ambassador to the WTO who was the first woman to chair the WTO's General Council in 2005. Story continues She ran for the director general post unsuccessfully in 2013. Her CV says she speaks four languages, has a law degree and is an "excellent strategist and visionary" who has advocated broad participation in the WTO reform process. She did not respond to a request for comment. Arancha Gonzalez Laya (Spain), Spanish foreign minister A lawyer, she served as chief of staff to then-WTO chief Pascal Lamy between 2005 and 2013. Trade officials say she may be unacceptable to the U.S. administration given strained relations with Washington under Lamy's leadership. Asked about her potential candidacy, she said she had a "full plate" with her current job. Phil Hogan (Ireland), European trade commissioner He is in his second role as a European commissioner, previously covering agriculture, and confirmed he was considering a bid. A politician of the centre-right Fine Gael party, he has also served as a minister in two Irish governments. He advocates reform at the WTO, agreeing with the United States and Japan on the need to update global rules on industrial subsidies. But his own relations with Washington have been less cordial amid persistent transatlantic trade tension. Tudor Ulianovschi, (Moldova) former minister of foreign affairs Ulianovschi, fluent in four languages, was foreign minister between 2018-2019 and was formerly a diplomat and has some experience in the private sector. The WTO confirmed his candidacy on June 16. Jesus Seade (Mexico), 73, senior trade official in Mexican government Mexico nominated Seade, who helped rework the North American Free Trade Agreement, to the WTO on June 8, a document showed. He previously worked at universities in Hong Kong. (Reporting by Emma Farge in Geneva, Philip Blenkinsop in Brussels, Andrea Shalal in Washington, William James in London, Belen Carreno in Madrid, Katharine Houreld in Nairobi and Frank Jack Daniel in Mexico City; Editing by Mark Heinrich, Mark Potter and Alex Richardson) Zunar: Image on book cover not manipulation of Jata Negara Amid calls for action against an alleged mockery of a national symbol, cartoonist Zunar said the controversial image featured on a book cover should not be seen as a manipulation of the Jata Negara. Instead, Zunar (above) said the designer would have used the national coat of arms only as a visual reference, rather than to manipulate its original image. "This is because only one part, less than 50 percent of the whole complete national coat of arms image, was used in this piece of art. "Manipulation is when someone uses the whole logo and twists one or a small part of the whole logo," Zunar told Malaysiakini. "To understand this, it is the same as it is forbidden to use the national flag as a whole cloth, but if we take only the strips or only the sun part, I don't think it is against the law," he said. Home Minister Hamzah Zainuddin, who ordered police to take stern action against those involved, had said it is an offence to imitate the coat of arms under Section 3(1)(a) of the Emblems and Names Act 1963. Zunar, whose full name is Zulkiflee Anwar Haque, argued that an artist should not be held responsible for the public interpretation of their work. "When we talk about art with messages, the wider the interpretation, the better. For this drawing, the interpretation is very wide and broad. "The basic principle for this is, 'as an artist, my job is to produce this art, but I am not responsible for other people's interpretation'," he said. Zunar added he was puzzled by critics who deemed the image as offensive, including Communications and Multimedia Minister Saifuddin Abdullah, who labelled it as "biadab" (insulting). According to graphic designer Fahmi Reza, the image used on the book cover was an oil painting that was publicly exhibited six years ago. Zunar said he first came across the painting about two years ago and saw it as an image of a charismatic woman. "The way I look at it, it is an abstract, self-expression art with a symbolic message and very wide and broad interpretation. Story continues "I am sure if 100 people look at this drawing, they will come out with 100 ways of interpretation," he said. Noting calls for action to be taken under the Sedition Act, Zunar warned of a potential disaster when individuals with no knowledge of art are given huge powers to police it. "This creates a disaster in our art landscape. "It is very dangerous when the authorities use their interpretation and use a law such as the Sedition Act to justify their actions," he said, stressing that elements of racial politics have come into play in blowing the issue out of proportion. Police yesterday raided the Gerakbudaya bookstore in Petaling Jaya and seized 313 copies of the book, Rebirth: Reformasi, Resistance, and Hope in New Malaysia, after it came under recent scrutiny due to the use of an image on the cover, which several quarters claimed was an insult to the national coat of arms. Prior to the raid, Gerakbudaya director and founder Chong Ton Sin had apologised for the cover, stressing that there was no intent to deliberately insult any parties. It is not OK to live in a society where you get only one side of the story and it is really important for our community and countrys future to be aware of multiple different perspectives, Ahmed said. We need to better understand each other, especially when going through trials like we are now. This is just exposing that need more. (PHOTO: Zander Ng) On 22 June, it was reported that Singaporeans donated S$90 million dollars to Community Chest, the Community Foundation of Singapore's Sayang Sayang Fund, and online donation platform Giving.sg. This amount is made even more staggering as it is equal to donations received in the whole of last year. Which just goes to show that a pandemic not only brings out the worst in Singaporeans, but also the best, and most generous side of its citizens. And where else does charity begin if not from homealong the corridors of HDB flats, where neighbourly kindness begets a generosity inspired by a sense of conviviality and closeness. It is in this spirit that GoodHood.SGs #KindCooks was born; an initiative, which, at its heart, centres around connecting neighbours who need meals with neighbours who can cook. #KindCooks is powered by the GoodHood.SG app that allows people in close proximity at home to connect with each other and seek help be it for food, requesting sundry items, or providing services such as pet-walking and tutoring. To kickstart the #KindCooks movement on 13 June 2020, winner of the inaugural MasterChef Singapore, Zander Ng lent his culinary expertise in creating Buah Keluak Pasta for applicants on the GoodHood.SG app. He was joined by other home cooks who had committed to cooking 200 meals for their neighbours, in a community involvement effort anchored by oscar@sg fund by Temasek Trust. The oscar@sg fund was launched to support ground-up initiatives responding to significant or urgent community needs in Singapore arising from COVID-19 pandemic. I spoke to Zander Ng to delve deeper into his involvement with this generous initiative and find out his thoughts on how food plays a role in fostering a world that is kinder and more inclusive. Zander Ng with founder of GoodHood.SG founder, Nigel Teo (PHOTO: Splash Productions) What does charity mean to you? It really boils down to acts of kindnessthe actions and sacrifices that we make for others. Charity is selfless and has no geographic boundaries. It can span as far as community development outreach programs on the other side of the globe, right through mentoring a younger sibling or child in our home. Story continues A lot of people feel like charity work needs to be this massive outreach program that involves thousands of people, but I really feel like it doesn't need to be that way, you know? It can be a really small act to start with that involves just a handful of people, That small act of kindness then multiplies and gets passed on to the next person, almost infinitely. What role do you think food plays in fostering a kinder and more inclusive world? To me, food has always played an important role in bringing people together. It paves the way for precious memories that we all hold dearly with family, friends, and even people we don't know too well yet who we invite into our home for a meal. It's like the ultimate expression of loveshowing care for someone because when we cook, we put a lot of heart into the dish. It is not just about getting some ingredients together, throwing it into a pan and seeing what comes out of that. The preparation of food is also, in some ways, how we express ourselves, our personality, our intention, and that translates across to the people who we cook for. What excites you the most about this collaboration with Goodhood.sg and oscar@sg fund? What excites me most that with these two organizations and the funding provided, we were able to link neighbours who are in need of assistance with neighbours who are in the position to help and are motivated to do so. There are a lot of home cooks out there who do want to lend a helping hand, so I know for sure that there's an untapped source there that can be further explored. What oscar@sgfund does so beautifully is matching that desire to provide assistance with the logistical aspect of charitywho needs the meals the most, how many meals do they need, and how do we get these meals to them. This is my first time collaborating with #KindCooks. So far, it has been very enlightening and heartening, especially when I hear a recipient feeling so immensely grateful for the food we provide for them. Maybe they haven't received that kind of care or love, or even have a home-cooked meal made especially for them before. So, for the home cook to be able to bring a smile to people's faces is truly a great joy. That's when you know that your food can make someone feel really good about themselves Interestingly, the funding provided by this collaboration helps compensate the drives who deliver the food to the recipients. So that's a whole other set of people who benefited from this although not directly, and I think there could be nothing more beautiful than that. #KindCooks initiative (PHOTO: Zat Astha/Yahoo Lifestyle SEA) What is the biggest lesson the F&B industry can take away from the impact of COVID-19? That we must all learn to adapt and change the way that we do our business, relook the processes we have in place, and continuously learn and reeducate ourselves. For example, there might be a dish or a menu that, for the last couple of years might have worked, but because of COVID-19, it is not working anymore. Those are types of new challenges that force us to think outside the box. With the circuit breaker in place, a lot of F&B establishments had to relook food delivery to keep the business afloat. They've had to consider many things they never expected to have to think about such as creating and developing a new takeaway menu, testing it to ensure that when it reaches the home, it still tastes good. And then there's getting new delivery routes, working with delivery partners. All these things are prime examples of how businesses had to quickly adapt and grow to survive in a challenging situation like COVID-19. Almost daily, we hear of big dining establishments being forced to shut down due to the COVID-19 situation. What do you think regular dining folks can do to keep restaurants afloat? Actively make an effort to reach out to your favourite restaurant and find out how you can have them deliver the food to you. But now that phase two has started, get a group of family and friends together and, only if you feel comfortable doing so, make a reservation to dine in. It doesn't even have to be anytime soonit could be three or four days in advance. The moment these restaurants start getting numbers in the books, they can then begin to plan how much stock to bring in, how much staff to provide for, how many cooks are needed in the kitchen. Just getting in your reservations with them would help a lot. When you look at the state of dining in Singapore today, what is the one thing that gives you hope? We are truly blessed in Singapore to have what I think is one of the most incredible melting pot of cuisines and a breadth of dining options. We have unbelievable hawker cuisine in our hawker centres and food courtstraditional Singaporean dishes that are unbelievable and relatively affordable for the masses. But at the same time, we have these incredibly high-end Michelin star restaurants and chefs here in Singapore who are really pushing the envelope in terms of the cuisine and dishes that they are creating, sometimes using locally grown ingredients. For restaurants that are opening in Singapore, they do have to think about our local palates. It's exciting for us because we have chefs who are classically trained in, for example, classical French cuisine or maybe you Italian chefs coming over and they have had to adapt their food to suit our local palate. It's really an exciting time, to be here in Singapore and to be going out and eating. Balancing the New Normal: COVID-19 closures: 3 lifestyle brands on closing down, shifting operations FOOD REVIEW: Firebake - quality bakehouse with a prawn capellini that is to die for Where to order affordable food during Circuit Breaker, including free meals for the needy Coronavirus: How to help children get used to wearing a face mask or covering This gadget will change your life and how you perform housework forever Shopping: Products for a happier and healthier furkid How to avoid post-lockdown burnout There is an upside to quarantining with your toddler, according to toddler whisperer Dr. Tovah Klein Why family rituals are so important (and 8 ideas for how to incorporate them at home) Cinemas are ready to welcome back moviegoers this July! As was announced by the government last week, cinemas in Malaysia will be allowed to resume operations as of 1 July 2020, after having been temporarily shuttered for more than three months since the Movement Control Order (MCO) was enforced on 18 March. All cinemas will have to adhere to the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) approved by the government, which include gap seating in cinemas, providing hand sanitizers, temperature check, 1-metre social distancing even in queues, and encouraging cinema patrons to wear masks. All cinemas will follow the approved SOPs and will not be adding any of their own, so moviegoers can rest assured that they will be following the same SOPs no matter which cinema they go to. However, not all cinemas will reopen this 1 July, let's take a look below at all the reopening dates for cinemas in Malaysia. Golden Screen Cinemas (GSC) (Photo source: GSC) Reopening date: 1 July All GSC locations in Malaysia will open this Wednesday, except for two undisclosed locations. Moviegoers will be happy to know that there will be no increase to the ticket prices. "Despite the reduction of capacity by 50%, we do not have plans to increase ticket prices. The priority now is the health and safety of our customers and providing assurance to them to return to the cinema with the enhanced SOPs. In fact, we will be launching many innovative value added packages for GSC customers when they return. Movie tickets will be start from as low as RM5," GSC Chief Executive Officer Ms. Koh Mei Lee told Cinema Online. As shown above, movies to be screened include both new releases as well as reruns of older titles. Cinemas will also operate following new operating hours, though Ms. Koh stated the schedule will be adjusted based on moviegoers' demand. mmCineplexes (Photo source: mmCineplexes) Reopening date: 3 July "We are reopening on 3rd July 2020 as we want to take some time to practice and run in with our Operations Team on the new safety measures. It is also a Friday which is a good start to the weekend," said Jason Teo, mmCineplexes' Director of Marketing and Business Development, when asked by Cinema Online regarding the slight delay in reopening their cinemas. Story continues mmCineplexes is in the midst of finalising their list of movies to be screened but moviegoers would be happy to know that they are plenty of irresistible offers for them to enjoy, which include: - RM5 Ticket every day for rerun titles - RM5 Popcorn Combo - Movie Vouchers Deal - Shopee Deal - Fave eCards Deal MBO Cinemas (Photo source: MBO Cinemas) Reopening date: 1 July (except 4 locations) MBO Cinemas locations nationwide will resume operations from this Wednesday, except the following four: MBO Cinemas Harbour Place, MBO Cinemas U Mall, MBO Cinemas Space U8 Mall and MBO Cinemas Melaka Mall. "There are no opening dates set yet for the four locations," Mr. Cheah Chun Wai, MBO Cinemas Chief Operating Officer, told Cinema Online. Take note that the reopened cinemas will follow the new opening hours stated below. Tickets will be priced lower for reruns of previously-released titles, which include the Vin Diesel-starring "Bloodshot", Leigh Whannell's "The Invisible Man", horror comedy "Jodoh Syaitan" and animated films "Trolls World Tour" and "Onwards". Standard pricing will apply to tickets for new releases such as "Kaiji: Final Game", "Low Season", "The Bridge Curse" and more. TGV Cinemas (Photo source: TGV Cinemas) Reopening dates: 1 July (30 locations), 9 July (6 locations), 16 July (TGV Cinemas Tasek Central) 30 out of TGV Cinemas' 36 nationwide locations will reopen this week. The remaining 6 locations that will open next week are TGV AEON Bukit Tinggi, TGV AEON Bukit Raja, TGV AEON Cheras Selatan, TGV AEON Kinta City, TGV Encorp Strand and TGV Cheras Sentral. The slight delay in reopening for these six locations are due to "light upgrade and light repair work," TGV Cinemas Chief Executive Officer Mr. Yeoh Oon Lai told Cinema Online. Moviegoers are in for a treat when TGV locations reopen as they will be able to enjoy reruns of movies released earlier this year, such as "Bloodshot", "Trolls World Tour", "The Invisible Man" and "Fantasy Island", at just RM8 each. Meanwhile, reruns of 2019 titles that include "Jumanji: The Next Level", "Ip Man 4" and "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker" will be priced at RM5 each. "We will also be reducing the number of sessions," said Mr. Yeoh Oon Lai. "Cleaning in between sessions would normally take 20-25 minutes but during the early phase of reopening, it will take double the amount of time." He stated that this is to ensure that the cinema halls are properly cleaned and sanitised. More good news, a new location will be opening soon! Johor Bahru residents will soon be able to catch their favourite movies at the new TGV Cinemas Tasek Central, opening this 16 July. LFS Cinemas (Photo source: LFS Cinemas) Reopening dates: 2 July (LFS Sandakan), 4 July (LFS Kuala Terengganu), 9 or 10 July (all other locations) While it was announced on LFS Cinemas' Facebook that its locations will be reopening on 2 July, Garuna Murthee, Managing Director of LFS Cinemas, clarified to Cinema Online that only its branch in Sabah will open on that day. This will be followed by its cinema in Terengganu on Saturday and the rest will open sometime next week. "Ticket prices will be reduced until blockbusters come in," he added, adding that during the early phase of the reopening, the movies will mostly be reruns of older titles including Tamil-language releases. Normal ticket pricing will apply once major new movies, such as South Korean zombie horror "Peninsula" on 16 July, start coming in. Other Cinemas Nationwide (Photo source: Emperor Cinemas Malaysia) Aside from the abovementioned locations, below are the reopening dates for other cinemas in Malaysia: 1 July 2020 1. City Cineplex 2. Superstar Cinema 3. Cinehouse 4. Eastern Cineplex 5. Paragon Cinemas 6. Growball Cinemax 7. Womei Cineplex 8. Amerin 9. TSR Cinemax 2 July 2020 1. Blockbuster Cineplexes 3 July 2020 1. One Cinemas 2. Mega Cineplex 9 July 2020 1. Grand Cineplex 1 August 2020 1. KPI Emperor Cinemas, Max Cinemas, Boan Cinemas and Jitra Mall Cineplex have yet to set a reopening date, while Megalong Cineplex's reopening was originally scheduled for 1 July but will have to be postponed due to flash flood in Penampang, Sabah. Support Local Journalism Your membership makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}} Which is exactly the type of food that Ericksen likes to make. After all, Filipino dishes can best be described as a prime example of "East meets West" cuisine. Located in Southeast Asia between the South China Sea and the Pacific Ocean, the Philippines has food which combines traditional Asian ingredients and many associated with Spanish recipes. This is because the Philippines was under Spanish rule from the 16th century until just before the start of the 20th century. Indeed, one of Ericksen's most unusual menu items combines eastern flavors before giving it a south-of-the-border twist. Mateo's Pulled Pork Sisig Tacos are made with grilled, slowly roasted pork shoulder that is blended with onions, lemon juice and soy sauce. Served in flour tortillas with pico de gallo, you'll have a dish that will draw oohs and aahs in either Manila or in Mexico City. Would this sort of fusion soul food also play well in Seoul, South Korea? Don't ask Ericksen. All she knows is that Mateo's Tteokbokki is already a hit. "People have been calling and placing orders for Tteokbokki all morning," she said. "Who knew it would be this popular?" SIOUX CITY -- Officials of Western Iowa Tech Community College have opened up the Sioux City campus for students to conduct academic business and will begin the fall semester in late August with precautions taken due to the coronavirus pandemic. A Wednesday college press release said students can resume face-to-face appointments. Since the college was closed to the public in March due to community spread of the novel coronavirus, most student services have been available only remotely. Now, services can be done in person, over the phone or via Zoom. WITCC President Terry Murrell said college offerings for the fall semester include both online and flex courses. Flex courses will combine face-to-face, online and Zoom learning, with instructors delivering as much content as possible in the traditional classroom setting, he said. The NAACP has been a powerful ally in the fight for equality and justice located in the heart of our state for more than 30 years, spokeswoman Shareese DeLeaver Churchill wrote in an email. While we hope to continue this partnership regardless of where they are based, the governors chief legislative officer Keiffer Mitchell, whose family has a long and proud legacy both in Baltimore and the NAACP, has reached out to Mr. Johnson on behalf of the administration. What did the officers need? The medical gear vital to first responders. That included 9,000 pairs of nitrile exam gloves and four 1-gallon containers of hand sanitizer, purchased online and from area wholesale stores. Donations also included 450 face masks, most from the Grace Chinese Christian Church of Elkridge. Xu, 50, found them boxed neatly on the doorstep of her home in Ellicott City and delivered them all. Slate Plus members get more Care and Feeding from Jamilah Lemieux every week. Dear Care and Feeding, We have a full-time nanny that has returned to work after a nearly six-week paid hiatus during the lockdown. We never had a direct conversation with her about social distancing expectations, but its clear now that we have to. My mom is 79 and has other COVID complications; she doesnt live with us, but shes on her own about 15 minutes away, and we want her to be able to see us on occasion (safely, outside, and with masks), so our family has been very isolated since mid-March. We live in Houston, the new hot spot, and yesterday our nanny texted us a photo of her out with a couple of friends. It was meant as a cute Look, Im having fun! photo, but obviously, the implications are so much bigger. My husband and I dont go out, and we havent seen friends except at a distance and outside. Were both working from home. My husband would rather get a new nanny who is more aligned with our needs on social distancing than go back to paying her to stay home and safe. Shes an adult and has a life, so it feels terribly awkward to impose these private-life requests and restrictions on her. But her actions directly impact our health. Its the new reality of pandemic life. Do you have any advice for words and reasonable requests I can use so that we all feel as safe as possible right now? Nanny Trouble Dear NT, To be fair, the problem started when you and your husband failed to make the new terms of employment clear. While one would hope that your nanny would practice social distancing for her own safety and out of concern for the family she works for, the mixed messages in the media and from government officials have left a lot of folks simply unclear on how important it is that they refrain from nonessential contact with other people. Let your nanny know why you require a caregiver who is practicing social distancing and what youd need that to look like in order for her to remain with your family. If she is unable to abide by these rules, let her know that you have no choice but to part ways with her. Even if she agrees to stay on, you may want to ask for a two-week self-quarantine period between her social hang and her first day back at work. Letting go of someone who plays such an important role in your family is likely to be difficult, but you have a responsibility to keep your household safe, and that means having a nanny who is willing to shoulder her part of the bargain. Best of luck to you with this. I hope you find a peaceful resolution ASAP! Jamilah Dr. Adrian Barbul, a former Sinai colleague now at Vanderbilt University, said: He was an excellent surgeon and an excellent teacher, qualities not always found in one person. He was inspiring and had a way of taking complex issues and making them understandable and memorable. He had a broad surgical knowledge and inspired others to ask questions. He was a wonderful mentor that way. When Vijaykumar Thuraissigiam stepped over the U.S.-Mexico border and turned himself over to a Border Patrol agent 25 yards away, its not likely he was thinking about Congress. Probably he was hoping to find safety in the United States, having fled Sri Lanka following a brutal white van abduction, a phenomenon where unidentified men in white vans kidnap and torture politically active Tamils. When immigration officials botched the asylum screening process at the border and denied him the chance to apply for asylum, he tried to challenge their decision in federal court. But in a sweeping decision on Thursday, Thuraissigiams path to asylum came to an end when the Supreme Court ruled that Congress could, without violating the Constitution, strip Thuraissigiam and thousands of asylum-seekers like him of the right to go to court and challenge even major errors in the asylum process. With the courts stepping away, the burden is now on Congress to fix its mistakes and protect due process. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Despite the modern issues it raised, Thursdays decision was rooted in the United States past. For generations after the United States was founded, individual states set rules about who was permitted to enter from abroad, not the federal government. But in the late 19th century, rising anti-Asian racism culminated in the first federal immigration laws, the Chinese Exclusion Act. And when the first challenge to those laws reached the Supreme Court, it resulted in a decision dripping with bigotry and the creation of a new plenary power doctrinea doctrine that remains in place today. Boiled down to its most basic, the plenary power doctrine provides that when it comes to the rights of people seeking entry into the United States, the Bill of Rights plays second fiddle to Congress. Advertisement Subscribe to the Slatest newsletter A daily email update of the stories you need to read right now. We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try again. Please enable javascript to use form. Email address: Send me updates about Slate special offers. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms Sign Up Thanks for signing up! You can manage your newsletter subscriptions at any time. For Thuraissigiam, that meant that when he arrived at the border in 2017, he was put through the expedited removal process, created by Congress in the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996, commonly known as IIRIRA. Like many similar laws passed during the tough on crime mid-90s, IIRIRA was aimed squarely at bringing down the boot and grinding it in. It created sweeping new grounds for deportation, restricted the pathways for undocumented immigrants to remain in the United States, and installed hidden weapons in the immigration laws that lay mostly dormant for a generation. Advertisement Expedited removal was one of those weapons. Under this process, first applied across the border in 2004, a single Border Patrol agent can rapidly issue orders of deportation to people arriving at the border, unless a person can demonstrate to immigration officials that they have a credible fear of persecution in their home country. If officials determine that a persons fear is credible, they may apply for asylum, a way to remain in the United States permanently. If not, theyre deported. Advertisement But immigration officials often get things wrong, especially during rushed border processing. In 1998, Congress tasked the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom with reviewing the expedited removal process. In reports issued in 2005 and 2016, the USCIRF raised the alarm that asylum-seekers are often processed incorrectly, have claims denied by officers who misapply the law, or are otherwise denied a fair process. And that was before this administration began turning away asylum-seekers at ports of entry and instituting a dizzying new array of policies at the Southern border designed to generate denials and effectively eliminate the right to seek asylum in the United States. Unfortunately, for those who believe officials made the wrong decision in their case, IIRIRA made challenging that decision impossible. In Section 242(e) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, Congress declared that no court may issue an order stopping an expedited removal, unless a person claims to be a United States citizen, permanent resident, or someone previously granted refugee status. Advertisement Advertisement This jurisdiction-stripping isnt unique to expedited removal. Separate provisions in IIRIRA require challenges to the deportation process to be brought in individual appeals, and severely limit deportation-related class-action lawsuits. This blocks advocates from the single-most powerful tool to fix constitutionally broken systems: the courts. Such jurisdiction-stripping provisions have even blocked attempts to ensure that no child faces deportation without a lawyer. In 2016, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals cited these provisions to block a class-action lawsuit seeking the right to counsel for children, telling the plaintiffs to bring the claim in an individual case. But when advocates found a child who had been ordered deported without a lawyer and argued for his right to counsel, the 9th Circuit dodged the question by overturning his deportation order on other grounds. Advertisement When immigration officials declared that Thuraissigiam did not have a credible fear of persecution, in a process he believed had violated his rights, he went to federal court. He argued that IIRIRA had unconstitutionally stripped him of his right to seek habeas corpus review of legal errors in the deportation order. He also argued that he had an inherent right under the due process clause to a fair proceeding, a right that could only be vindicated by a federal court order. Advertisement In last weeks Supreme Courts decision, Justice Samuel Alito rejected Thuraissigiams right to a day in federal court, holding that the right to habeas corpus does not permit challenges to legal errors in the deportation process. Advertisement But Alito went even further. For the first time in generations, the court expanded the plenary power doctrine to people who had already crossed the border, holding that asylum-seekers like Thuraissigiam have only those rights regarding admission that Congress has provided by statute. As Justice Sonia Sotomayor explained in her dissent, expanding this doctrine gives a constitutional seal of approval to IIRIRAs elimination of any meaningful judicial oversight at the border. Scholars have long called for overturning the 130-year-old plenary power doctrine. But despite recent opportunities to address its origins in the virulent anti-Asian racism of the late 19th century, DHS v. Thuraissigiam shows that the court is content to treat the doctrine as neutral. Advertisement If asylum-seekers can only get the process theyve been given by Congress, its long past time for Congress to take a hard look at the mistakes it made in the 1990s. IIRIRA was signed by President Bill Clinton just months after the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996 and only two years after the so-called superpredators bill. Like IIRIRA, both of those laws singled out groups overwhelmingly made up of minorities and stripped its targets of procedural rights to challenge unfair decisions or biased systems. Advertisement Advertisement The harsh consequences of IIRIRA and similar laws from the mid-1990s have been felt across communities of color for generations. Thankfully, as thousands march for Black lives across the country, politicians are beginning to pay attention to the problems caused by the tough on crime ethos. Despite recent attempts to tackle criminal justice reform, Congress hasnt shown interest or willingness to address the many structural ways in which immigration officials are insulated from accountability. Advertisement When Congress next dives into the fever swamp of immigration law, it needs to ensure that the process given to immigrants is one that reflects the American value of due process. Of course, crafting a better future is more complicated than eliminating a single bad bill. Fixing IIRIRA will require everything from eliminating jurisdiction-stripping and harsh detention policies to protecting asylum from a future Trump-like administration, while restoring and creating paths for longtime residents of the United States to obtain permanent legal status. Thuraissigiam makes clear that congressional action is the only option. Because if the Supreme Court wont stop relying on a doctrine founded in bigotry, then its up to Congress to take the first step toward an immigration system that protects the foundational principle of a fair day in court for all. This article is adapted from Cold Call, a bonus episode of Slow Burns new season. Jo-Anna Burnett is three years older than I am, and like me, she grew up in New Orleans. In 1989, when she was 12, she noticed that one particular story was dominating the local news. I remember it was almost every single day there was coverage on this former Ku Klux Klansman who was running for office in an American city, she told me. Advertisement Burnett was looking for a topic for her schools social studies fair. When David Duke won his race for the state House of Representatives, she knew what she wanted to do. I had just found his name and number in the White Pages. And, uh, I think I was surprised it was just right there. Advertisement Advertisement Burnett grabbed a tape recorder and her parents speakerphone and headed out to the garage. And then she started dialing. She tried the number several times, with no answer. After about 10 tries, somebody picked up. Im like, oh, wow. Like, this is David Duke. Really, finally, OK. And then I just immediately start asking questions. Duke immediately tried to parry them. Burnett: How do you think you got elected? Duke: I got elected because people believed and agreed with what I talked about. Burnett: OK, but, OK. You say youre not, like, you know, like a bigot anymore? Duke: I never was a bigot, maam. Burnett: OK, but you call yourself a racialist. Duke: No, I dont. Burnett: Well Duke: I call myself a white civil rights activist because I believe in equal rights for everybody. Thats what I call myself. Advertisement Burnett is Black, and she knew that Duke had been in the Ku Klux Klan. But she says she wasnt afraid of him. I think I was just still really puzzled and trying to understand, you know, this persons type of thinking, she said. Duke, in turn, wanted to get inside Burnetts head. To do that, he needed to know whom he was talking to. Advertisement Burnett: Do you think that you should be removed from the Louisiana [Legislature]? Duke: Well, of course not. I was elected legally. Wait, is this for a report? Or whats this call about? Burnett: Uhm, its for my social studies project. Duke: Oh, OK. What school do you go to? Burnett: Audubon Montessori. Duke: Uh-huh. How old are you? Burnett: 12. Advertisement Duke spoke in a calm, even tone. He told Burnett that he opposed forced integration of education. He said the best qualified people should get jobs and promotions and scholarships and that racial discrimination goes on today in America against white people in those areas. When Burnett asked if hed really changed since leaving the Klan, he turned the question back around. Well, I think that we all change, and I think that we all grow. And I think that my statements have been recorded and photographed, he said. Im sure there are some things in your life that maybe youd change if you could, that youve done, whether to individuals or, you know, to parents or teachers or friends. Advertisement Dukes goal in interviews isnt to explain himself. Its to manipulate the record. Burnett was skeptical. Shed heard a lot of stories about Dukes past, and she wanted answers. She asked him about his use of racial slurs, whether hed been affiliated with a Nazi group, and if his wife had left him because he was in the Klan. Duke denied everything. He was defensive and cagey and manipulative. He also criticized the 12-year-olds interviewing technique. Advertisement Let me tell you something, he said. All youre doing in this interview is repeating allegations and attacks made against me by the media. Duke told Burnett that she needed to have an open mind. He suggested that she read the book Race and Reason. The author, Carleton Putnam, believed that Black Americans were genetically inferior to white Americans. Advertisement Duke talked to Burnett for 20 minutes that night. Shes not sure why he stayed on the phone that long. She thinks that Duke may have thought she was white and that shed pass on his talking points to her parents. Burnetts parents werent Duke supporters. They did believe in good manners, though, and they asked their daughter to write Duke a thank-you note. Duke printed Burnetts letterand her home addressin the newsletter for his National Association for the Advancement of White People. Advertisement Advertisement I received at least three letters that I remember from prisoners, from inmates telling me that they were, you know, 5-foot-whatever or 6-foot-whatever, brown hair, blue eyes, and, you know, they were Aryan, she said. Theres a moment at the very end of Burnetts tape that really got to me. It comes when her conversation with Duke is over, but before she stops her recorder. You heard it, she says. God, that guy is a jerk. Well, maybe not. He was just getting his points through, and he was like, you should look at two sides of every story. Burnett was puzzling through her conversation with David Duke in real time. I mean, hes saying I should get the book Race and Reason! she said. You should learn and listen to both sides of an argument. Yes, butshould I really be letting David Duke tell me this? Advertisement Should we be letting David Duke give us his side of the argument? Ive thought about that question a lot as Ive been doing my research for Slow Burn. Its standard practice in journalism to reach out to any subject youre reporting on. For one thing, people have a right to respond to accusations youre making against them. Plus, a story typically benefits from the perspective of its main subject. But David Duke is not a typical subject. Advertisement Advertisement Consider Tom Snyders interview with Duke on NBCs Tomorrow Show in 1974the one we excerpted in the second episode of our series, where the host and the white nationalist sounded almost chummy. Snyder introduced Duke to a huge new audience, and I dont think he understood the gravity of that choice. The 37-year-old late-night host wasnt as prepared as the 12-year-old Jo-Anna Burnett: He allowed Duke to define himself and to spread his white nationalist message nationwide. Other TV anchors have done a much better job confronting Duke. (Youll hear about one of them later in our series.) But sometimes, the best choice is to keep someone like Duke off the stage entirely. And thats why I wont be interviewing Duke for this season of Slow Burn. Advertisement In the episodes weve already released, listeners have heard plenty of Dukes voice. I dont think theres any doubt about what he believed in the 70s, 80s, 90s, or today. Duke told Burnett that we all change and grow, but hes still using whatever platform he has to foment racism and anti-Semitism. Duke is also congenitally dishonesthe made himself a mainstream political candidate by lying about his views and his background. His goal in interviews isnt to explain himself. Its to manipulate the record. Advertisement Im doing this series because I think the Duke phenomenon warrants close scrutiny, and because the ideas he espouses are still with usand still dangerous. Advertisement But Duke the politician is not currently a threat. Yes, he attached himself to the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, and yes, he supported Donald Trumps run for the presidency. But the last time he ran for office, in 2016, he got 3 percent of the vote in a bid for the U.S. Senate. Talking to him now would serve no ones interests but David Dukes. Well be sure to include Dukes responses to allegations leveled against him. But his core beliefsthat Black people are inferior to white people, that the Holocaust never happeneddont deserve to be debated. So were not going to hand him the microphone. Listen to this full episode of Slow Burn below, or subscribe to Slow Burn on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Join Slate Plus for your ad-free feed. A New York judge halted the publication of a tell-all book by President Donald Trumps niece Mary Trump, granting a temporary injunction Tuesday after a court filing claimed the book violates a decades-old nondisclosure agreement signed by Mary Trump as part of an inheritance settlement. Mary Trumps hotly anticipated book Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the Worlds Most Dangerous Man is set to be published by Simon & Schuster on July 28. The publisher describes the book as a firsthand, lived account by the daughter of Trumps older brother of the toxic family, including the nightmare of traumas, destructive relationships, and a tragic combination of neglect and abuse that made Trump the man he is today. Mary Trump went on to get a Ph.D. in clinical psychology and turns her expert eye inward on her family history. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The order from Judge Hal B. Greenwald essentially pauses the dissemination of the book until a hearing on the matter scheduled for July 10. The book is already in the ether however, and numerous news outlets have reported on portions of Mary Trumps account as part of the standard public relations buildup of such a newsy, high-profile book launch. Simon & Schuster said in a court filing that it was unaware of Mary Trumps NDA that was part of an inheritance settlement upon the death of her grandfather, President Trumps father, Fred Trump. Mary Trumps own father, Fred Trump Jr., died in 1981 of an alcohol-related disease. A lawyer for Mary Trump and Simon & Schuster said that any intervention by the courts would amount to prior restraint of Mary Trumps First Amendment right to free speech. Advertisement Subscribe to the Slatest newsletter A daily email update of the stories you need to read right now. We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try again. Please enable javascript to use form. Email address: Send me updates about Slate special offers. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms Sign Up Thanks for signing up! You can manage your newsletter subscriptions at any time. Last month, the Daily Beast reported that Mary Trump was the primary source for a Pulitzer Prizewinning 2018 New York Times investigation into the Trump family finances. Simon & Schuster CEO Jonathan Karp said in the court filing knowing that no litigation resulted from the Times article, we were entirely confident in Ms. Trumps ability to tell her story regarding her own family. Simon & Schuster said it had already printed 75,000 copies of the book and many are already with retailers ahead of the books publication date. Advertisement The legal action taken against the publication of presumably damning details of Trumps life is one of many legal haymakers thrown by the Trump legal team, and comes on the heels of the presidents legal efforts to suppress former national security aide John Boltons own tell-all book about his time in the White House. Often the legal squabbles have the opposite of the intended effect and gin up interest rather than tamp down disclosures. Mary Trumps book, for example, is already No. 1 in Amazon book sales based on preorders even before its official release. This is an installment of Veepstakes, Slates series on who Joe Biden should pick as his running mate. Last November, in an interview on CNN, Sen. Amy Klobuchar lamented the double standards she saw in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination. Neither she nor her fellow female senators would have made it to the debates with the diminutive resume of Pete Buttigieg, then the mayor of Indianas fourth-largest city, Klobuchar said. She was pointing to a persistent gender discrepancy in politics: Men who run for office are judged on their leadership potential, no matter how young or inexperienced they may be, while women usually have to demonstrate a robust history of relevant experience and expertise before theyre taken seriously as candidates for executive office. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Democratic primary ended with the most diverse group of candidates in history being whittled down to a contest between two white men, an optical disaster that Joe Biden tried to alleviate by promising to nominate a woman to serve as his vice president. If one good thing is to come of this tacky, tokenizing quest to give a woman second billing in his administration, it might be a lowering of the barrier to entry for capable women in politics. (Raising the barrier for ambitious young men would have been a better outcome, but here we are.) In recent weeks, as the Biden campaign has purportedly been expanding its shortlist to include more Black women, several politicians whove previously been skipped by the national spotlight have found themselves in its path. With so few Black women in the usual positions from which candidates source their veepsgovernorships, Senate seatsthe Biden campaign has had to expand its sights to include some people who might not have otherwise gotten consideration. Advertisement This doesnt make Bidens gambit any nobler. If Biden had truly wanted to improve the pipeline for women seeking office and help Americans get used to seeing women in charge, he could have quietly chosen a woman as his running mate without the showboating fanfare. Now, any woman who makes the ticket will face even harsher accusations of being an undeserving diversity hire than she would have if she hadnt been delivered as the keeping of a campaign promise. By reducing the value of political representation to an ideology-neutral gimmick, Biden elevated his own image at the expense of his future vice presidents. On both issues, Bottoms has proved herself capable of many things Biden is not. But I digress! Lets talk about the silver lining. One of the Black women currently being vetted who wasnt on Bidens original shortlist is Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, a former city council member and judge who would make a worthy choice for vice president. Bottoms is one of several U.S. mayors and governors whove earned outsize places in national media coverage by filling the vacuum left by the White Houses lack of leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic and persistent protests against racist police brutality. As mayor, Bottoms has enforced strict guidelines to prevent viral transmission in Atlanta even as Gov. Brian Kemp began reopening Georgia while infection rates were still climbing. Shes also been a formidable presence in national conversations about police violence. In a wide variety of forumsincluding Sesame Streets CNN special on the protests, the New York Times opinion page, and Oprahs town hall on racismBottoms has delivered personal and passionate analyses of the current Movement for Black Lives and the problems with policing. Advertisement On both issues, Bottoms has proved herself capable of many things Biden is not. In her public appearances, shes what Biden wants to be, and maybe used to be, but isnt: a compelling and charismatic off-the-cuff speaker. Shes able to speak to the challenges and opportunities of this moment with clarity, humility, and warmth; Biden is prone to dubious, unprompted self-glorification and has rarely finished a train of thought. Bottoms can hold up actual policies shes enacted, such as eliminating cash bonds for nonviolent crimes, as national models for criminal justice reform; Biden is about as far from a progressive reformer as youll find in the Democratic Party. Biden hasnt been directly accountable to a constituency since 2008. As a current elected official, Bottoms has a very recent record of decisive leadership for voters to judgeboth the good, like her swift response to a recent instance of police brutality, and the bad, like what progressives have deemed her inadequate protection of Atlanta residents displaced by gentrification. Advertisement Advertisement Bottoms is no leftist insurgent; like Biden, shes thoroughly embedded in the Democratic establishmentso much so that she was recently named the chair of the Democratic National Committee platform drafting committee. On race, her rhetoric, though heartfelt and urgent, is more measured politician than militant activist. Though shes only 50, the way she talks about Biden and race is in line with the worldview of an older generation, at odds with many progressive readings of the issue. I didnt know him personally at the time, but I knew his heart, she told the Los Angeles Times of her early support for Biden. What was most striking to me is that he was an older white man willing to stand beside and behind a younger black man to help lead our country. This reasoningmore concerned with Bidens personal beliefs and relationships than with his policy platform and leadership recordignores the systemic racism hundreds of thousands of Americans have been protesting in the streets. Advertisement Still, Bottoms actual record on racial justice is more impressive than these lackluster statements. In addition to her strides on criminal justice reform, she refused to allow Immigration and Customs Enforcement to continue detaining immigrants in an Atlanta jail. While Biden is out here calling for more police trainings, Bottoms acknowledges that racism transcends lesson plans. I dont think that we can out-train our way as a country out of where we are and how we view race, she said in a CNN town hall. On June 11, she formed a new advisory board on police use of force and asked them to deliver initial policy reform recommendations within two weeks. And, though Bottoms took some deserved heat for scolding protesters who were damaging property, she comes by her caution honestly, as the daughter of a man who spent time locked up and, as she noted at that press conference, the mother of four Black children who she knows would be disproportionately likely to be harmed if police caught them in proximity to unlawful protest. Advertisement But the most important reason why Bottoms would make an excellent vice president has nothing to do with her and everything to do with Biden. The presidential candidate doesnt react well to being told hes wrong. When confronted with bad behavior from his past and pressed to do better, Biden usually doubles down with defensiveness, half-truths, anger, and blame. Bottoms is well-positioned to get past that shell of egotism and wield some real influence. She has proved her loyalty to Biden by backing him early, before most Democratic officials had picked a candidate, so he may be more likely to listen to her. Her politics appear to be a bit to the left of Bidens, but he still sees her as an ideological peer. To the extent that a vice president can influence her administrations broader policy agenda, as many progressives hope a veep to the left of Biden might, Bottoms has a better shot at being heard than some other candidates on the list. Bottoms, meanwhile, has been praised for her open-mindedness and willingness to learn. When advocates first began talking about [bail bond reform], she wasnt familiar with it, civil rights lawyer Tiffany Roberts, who co-chairs Bottoms commission on criminal justice reform, told Atlanta magazine last year. When she learned more, she was receptive of implementing it. With Biden leading the ticket, the best progressives can hope for is a vice president who has his ear, and whos willing to lend them her own. The following article is a written adaptation of an episode of Hi-Phi Nation, Slates podcast of philosophy in story form. For Marilynn Winn, prison abolition is the mission to make other peoples lives take a different path than hers did. Winn spent 40 years in and out of the criminal justice system, trapped in a vicious cycle where shed shoplift because she couldnt get a job with her criminal recordwhich would land her back in prison, again and again. Now 69 years old, Winn is the co-founder and executive director of Women on the Rise, an organization in Georgia led by formerly incarcerated women of color. Shes working to close the Atlanta City Detention Center, or ACDC, a jail with a perverse history. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Winn explains: When [Atlanta] was granted the opportunity to host the Olympics, the city said we want to beautify the city of Atlanta. So were going to tear down all these projects and were going to build nice apartments, and then were going to bring everybody back. But that didnt happen, according to Winn. When Atlanta displaced people from the housing projects to build new, nicer-looking apartments, they prohibited people with criminal records from applying to live therepeople who had otherwise lived in the affordable, subsidized places these apartments were replacing. They even prohibited spouses and family members with criminal records from living there, on pain of evicting the whole family. Those people became instantly homeless, Winn says, and thats when the crime rate went up. So then they said, well, what are we going to do with all these homeless people? So they said were going to build a new jail, a larger jail. During the time of the Olympics, were going to take all the people up off the street and put them in there. And so they built Atlanta City Detention Center. Advertisement The jail is in downtown Atlanta. It houses people detained for traffic violations, failures to pay a ticket, disorderly conduct, possession of marijuana, sex work, shoplifting, crimes like that. According to Winn, at the time she wanted to abolish ACDC, the annual budget was $32.5 million, and it jailed about 700 people a night. Winn has been to ACDC herself: Its where Ive seen the most abuse. Two or three officers beating a person at one time. That was the reason, in my heart, I wanted it closed. The steps she took to close the jail are a lesson in decarceration. Advertisement Step 1. Decriminalize what you can. We start looking at low-hanging fruit, she says. We started looking at ordinances that people were being arrested for most. So we started attacking those ordinances. In this case, those were crimes that dont serve a useful public safety function, crimes that other cities do quite well at not enforcing, like jaywalking, spitting on the sidewalk, standing in the way of a drivewaythe kind of crimes that were, frankly, chicken shit. They were the crimes that served as pretext for stop and frisk, and then jailing people on other charges. This eventually included possession of small amounts of marijuana, which they changed from an arrestable offense to a $75 ticket. Winn says that out of 81 ordinances, 41 were removed from the books. Advertisement Step 2. Ban the box, or make it illegal in the city to require job applicants to state their criminal history for hiring. The result is an increase in employment and decrease in property crime for people who were once discriminated against. Step 3. Place something in between police and jailspre-arrest diversion. Winn calls it a collaboration with the Atlanta Police Department: If you feel like Marilynn would benefit from a program, instead of taking her to jail, youll call someone from pre-arrest diversion. Sex workers who are picked up, those who suffer addiction, those with mental health disorders, or those who are homeless are placed into the custody of community-sponsored programs to house and treat people. Advertisement Advertisement Most importantly, police must log that theyve placed someone into pre-arrest diversion so they get credit on the job for something other than a successful arrest. Winn says: The first thing we do, if they are homeless, they become housed that day. If they relapse, theyre not out of the program. If they go to jail, theyre not out of the program. [The police] ask for the judge or call someone from my office and say, We got one of your folks. You need to come and get them. It wasnt easy, and Winn says that some police are still not on board: They still think people need to be in jail. We do go back-and-forth with them even now. Advertisement Step 4. Be such a pain in the ass to police commanders that they ask their line officers to do pre-arrest diversion when they can. Winn explains: We get the arrest records, and were looking at if this person right here should have came to [pre-arrest diversion], this person should have been not in jail. So we start calling [the police officers] commanders: Why is this person continuing to lock people up for this crime right here? They should have been calling us. Advertisement In a matter of two years, the work of Winns organization dropped the incarceration rate at the jail from 700 people a day to about 70. It does not make no sense for our city to spend $32.5 million to run a jail for 70 people, she says. The jail is the beast. So we made it a point that everything we do, were going to take away from the jail. Were gonna starve the beast. Advertisement The underlying principle of Winns prison abolitionism is a principle she has herself lived through: Cages dont work. They dont lower crime, and they dont help the people who are in them become better citizens when theyre out. Instead, respond to wrongdoing with compassion and help, and the reduction in crime and public danger will follow. Sometimes people respond by denying the facts. They think that, contrary to all evidence of the last 40 years, prisons and the permanent collateral consequences they impose actually improve lives. But once they get past the willful ignorance, the typical response is moral, not empirical: The opponents think that people who do bad things deserve some kind of pain as payback. Maybe not excessive pain, but some kind of pain. They think that its an injustice to let bad people who do bad things go free. And its even more of an injustice to give them benefits they didnt earn, like a free education, housing, and medical treatment. This kind of justice is called retributive justice, and its contrary to Winns entire approach. I dont think people deserve to be punished, she says. We got people with all types of illnesses. We dont know what they are, but we have doctors and psychiatrists and all those thingsthey know what they are. Its something else that they need. Its a service. To listen to the entire episode on free will and state punishment, click the player below or subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. In the past several weeks, amid unprecedented protests responding to recent high-profile deaths of unarmed Black men and women at the hands of police, Americans opinion on law enforcement has profoundly shifted. Large-scale reform suddenly seems like a distinct possibility. One common refrain on social media and elsewhere suggests that we replace cops with social workers. This has largely taken the form of a broad gesture, with people intuiting that social workers, who are trained to nonviolently aid those in crisis might have a better hope of resolving problems than cops, but professional associations for social workers have joined the chorus too. The National Association of Social Workers itself gestured toward this idea in a June 16 tweet: @realDonaldTrump signed an executive order calling for more police training. #socialworkers will be integral: This is what they have studied and worked on all their lives. We will have the best of them put in our police departments The New York chapter of the NASW was even more direct, posting a since-deleted graphic stating, social workers belong in police departments. But as a social worker myself, I greet this newfound zeal for our work with some suspicion and reluctance. In order to fully understand why, it helps to know something about the history of my discipline. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Switching police officers with social workers would do nothing to address the fundamental disparities poisoning the criminal justice system. The United States only began widespread social programs to aid the disenfranchised during the Great Depression. Before then, most forms of aid were administered through private benevolent societies funded by the upper class. These funds were most often distributed by members of the societies, primarily women, known as friendly visitors. They would visit the poor where they lived and try to encourage them to lift themselves out of poverty through a combination of personal stories and moral persuasion while helping dispense some aid. They did provide some relief, but the problems with the model are starkly obvious: They did little to challenge the systems that made such people poor in the first place and were mainly focused on assuaging the guilt of the privileged. Advertisement Other protosocial workers resisted this model, believing that to be effective, one must live in the community in which one works. Jane Addams, founder of Hull House in Chicago, is perhaps the most representative of this approach. Addams founded Hull House in 1889, and over time, the organization compiled a variety of services to aid the working-class immigrants who were its neighbors: kindergarten and day care facilities, an art gallery, libraries, art classes, and an employment bureau, among others. Addams was an outspoken public intellectual and pacifist, and she would be rewarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1931 for her efforts. She was also a eugenicist, a position she shared with many other early social workers and supposed progressives in the early part of the 20th century. Addams and others were attracted to the scientific veneer of eugenics and saw it as a way to prevent the widespread suffering they routinely witnessed. Advertisement Advertisement The efforts of the friendly visitors and the settlement house residents combined over time to form the discipline of social work. Colleagues of Addams founded the graduate school where I received my training and now teach, the School of Social Service Administration at the University of Chicago, formerly known as the Social Science Center for Practical Training in Philanthropy and Social Work, before it merged with the university in 1920. While there are obvious differences in how we practice today, some features of those earlier efforts have been retained: Many social workers, whether case workers or child protection advocates, visit clients in their homes to offer them services to lift them out of their current situations in some manner. Just as before, the majority of social workers are white, and often the people that we serve are not. There remains an inescapable element of the outsider parachuting in to help the poor and deserving before returning to their homes. None of this is news to most contemporary social workers; these are active conversations we are having at our work, in schools, and across social media. Switching police officers with social workers would do nothing to address the fundamental disparities poisoning the criminal justice system; we would still have a mostly white professional class primarily working with people of color. Advertisement Advertisement More serious proposals for reform have proposed shifting some resources from the police to social workers, so that we could answer calls for people in a mental health crisis. Many cities have tried variations on this approach, and it tends to work pretty well. Police tend to be used to fill in gaps in the public sector, but there is no clear reason why people trained to use force need respond to those in a mental health crisis, or those experiencing homelessness. Social workers and other trained professionals are much more equipped to offer targeted assistance, are much less likely to escalate the situation, and offer solutions that are much more cost effective. The swap is not sufficient, however. Perhaps most obviously, its not always immediately obvious if a person is experiencing a mental health crisis, or if something else is going on. Here is an example, from my neighborhood: Two years ago, police responded to calls that an individual was breaking windows in an alley. They found Charles Thomas, then a fourth-year student at the University of Chicago, in the midst of a likely manic episode caused by his bipolar disorder. The police seemed to have some idea of this, as one of them shouted, We have a mental at one point, but that did not stop the officers from shooting him when they reported that he ran toward them and they felt threatened. Thomas survived but was charged with two felonies, and his legal woes are ongoing. Advertisement Having social workers integrated into a police department would not have stopped the cops from shooting Charles Thomas. They most likely would not have answered the call because it was not immediately apparent that he was in a mental health crisis, and even if they were present, it is not at all clear that their voices would be regarded above those of the police officers. Social workers would not have prevented the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Elijah McClain, or countless others, because these situations are not the results of police not understanding mental health issues but of police not understanding policing. Social workers are also limited by the constraints of our social safety net; we can only refer them to mental health treatment or housing solutions if such resources exist in the first place. The solution to the problem of modern policing cannot only be having social workers work alongside police or respond to people in mental health crises, for the problem is modern policing itself. Any suggestion for reform that falls short of a wholesale reinvention of what the police do and how exactly they serve us falls short. At worst, it drafts social workers into an unjust system to provide a putative stamp of approval for their actions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Social work is in the midst of its own reform efforts; after a swift outcry to the NASWs tweet, it has backed away from any gesture of approval. While I hope that we can contribute to solving the issue of police brutality, we are not the answer. A temptation that has been present within social work from the beginning is to offer a thin veneer of respectability to systems that must be radically reimagined. We should seize the momentum of our moment and not settle for any such compromises. The first step is to begin listening to Black and brown Americans as they share their stories and their efforts at reform; anything less merely continues the dynamics of white supremacy that have led us to this problem in the first place. For more of Slates news coverage, subscribe to What Next on Apple Podcasts or listen below. Alien black pines give way to original nature at Bratislavas Devinska Kobyla Planting trees is not always a good idea, say nature conservationists. On the first Sunday in March, flames on the protected Devinska Kobyla Hill frightened inhabitants and visitors of Devinska Nova Ves on the outskirts of Bratislava. It was neither an accidental fire nor an illegal burning of grasslands, but a controlled incineration of remains of whipped alien black pines. Nature conservationists removed them as part of a long-term systematic care for this valuable natural area. Devinska Kobyla National Nature Reserve Encompases the 514-metre high Devinska Kobyla Hill, the highest point of Bratislava and part of the Small Carpathians mountain range and the paleontological locality of Sandberg. It is located between the boroughs of Devinska Nova Ves, Devin and Dubravka, close to the border with Austria. Protected area: 1,011,157 m2 Declared protected in 1964 Fourth (out of five) degree of protection Complex of the southernmost tip of the Small Carpathians with extraordinary botanical, zoological, geological and paleontologistical values. Home to xerothermic communities with a rich representation of protected and endangered species. BROZ has restored the grazing of goats on Devinska Kobyla This is how we free up space for rare plant species typical of Devinska Kobyla, Pavol Littera, from the non-profit organisation Regional Association for Nature Conservation and Sustainable Development (BROZ), told The Slovak Spectator. He admitted that communication failed on their part, informing the fire brigade and police about the incineration, but forgetting to pass on the information to the local municipal office. Negative effects of good intentions The black pines were planted under the previous communist regime, paradoxically with good intentions. At that time, there existed the opinion that forests is what was valuable in nature, said Littera. Such rocky areas were perceived as empty and of no value. Therefore, it was a great effort to afforest such slopes. This also happened in this area, although according to Littera it had to have expended a huge amount of energy, given the steepness of the slope and the shallowness of the soil. 1. Jul 2020 at 17:17 | Jana Liptakova Volkswagen scraps plans in Turkey and might look at Bratislava instead Reports suggest the German carmaker might widen its production in its plant in Slovakia. German carmaker Volkswagen's dropped plans to build a brand new factory in Turkey could lead to an extension of the number of models produced at the VW plant in Bratislava. The models that might arrive in Bratislava are the Passat and Superb. This would increase the usage of the plants production capacities and there would be a bigger chance that people in the plant would have work, said Martin Jesny, an industrial analyst at Revue Priemyslu magazine, as cited by the SITA newswire, adding that an additional advantage would be that these models are different types of models than those currently produced in Bratislava and that they target different markets. The Slovak arm of the German carmaker, Volkswagen Slovakia, has not confirmed the information. We do not comment on the potential allocation of products on principle, said Lucia Kovarovic Makayova, spokesperson of VW Slovakia, as cited by SITA. Scrapped plans in Turkey Related article Passat might soon be made in Bratislava Read more Volkswagen has decided against building a new factory in Turkey, car industry publication Automotiver News said on Wednesday, citing sources at the German carmaker. The slump in demand for cars across the globe means that adding more capacity is unnecessary from todays perspective, Volkswagen said in an emailed statement on Wednesday, according to German media like the Handelsblatt newspaper. The 1.3 billion facility with a capacity of 300,000 cars was to serve as a production hub for Volkswagen in the Middle East and other nearby markets. It should have replaced the production of the carmaker in Emden, Germany, which should switch to the production of electric cars. The German carmaker said it would now produce new cars at existing facilities instead. Volkswagen will produce the new generation Passat and Superb in its plant in Bratislava, writes the Automotive News website referring to sources within Volkswagen. Based on them, the carmaker has already decided over producing Passat and Superb in Bratislava, SITA wrote. Related article VW Slovakia extends production of e-car models Read more If confirmed, analyst Jesny sees this as positive news because the plant in Bratislava would produce middle-class models on a slightly different platform than it has produced so far. Moreover, even though these models are not the most popular on the market, they have stable clients. These are traditional cars of companies fleets, said Jesny, adding that moreover, their attractiveness is increased by the fact that both models have also an electrified hybrid version. He further highlights that the plant in Bratislava has very good results in quality and production effectiveness, and simultaneously it is a well-running plant producing many models under one roof. During the time being, the Bratislava plant manufactures premium SUVs and small city cars. Such a solution [moving the production of Passat and Superb] is definitely more efficient than building a brand new plant in uncertain times, said Jesny. 1. Jul 2020 at 20:06 | Compiled by Spectator staff Breakfast With The Babies will take place at The Meadowlands this Friday (July 3), with post time at 9 a.m. The SBOA of New Jersey is again generously sponsoring bagels, muffins and refreshments provided for all those in attendance. Baby race proofs will be provided to all guests. The East Deck will be open to owners at 8:30 a.m., and the races will get underway at 9 a.m. with an announcer calling the action. All tables will be properly spaced for physical distancing, and owners will have access to hand sanitizer and restrooms. Reservations are required, and can be made by emailing Marianne Rotella at [email protected]. All owners must enter from the open gate located on the east side of the building. Owners will have their temperature taken upon entrance and must have a mask on when not seated at a table. Anyone with a temperature of 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit (38.0 degrees Celsius) or higher will not be allowed entrance. No outside food and beverage is allowed on property. The grandstand will remain open following qualifiers for simulcasting and live racing at 7:15 p.m. Capacity remains at 25 per cent. For more details, visit playmeadowlands.com. (Meadowlands) You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 The Mesquite Tri-East NAACP has been meeting with Mesquite city officials and Police Chief Charles Cato to discuss 10 items that the organizat Southport, NC (28461) Today Partly cloudy skies. High 87F. Winds SW at 15 to 25 mph.. Tonight Partly cloudy this evening with more clouds for overnight. Low 77F. Winds SW at 10 to 20 mph. He also described Ann Anastasi as the mastermind of the plot. She manipulated her daughter and Struss, prosecutors said, into the murder of her husband. She handed the gun used in her husband's murder to Struss when he entered the home on the night of Oct. 4. Fire marshals in Iredell County and its municipalities have not approved any fireworks displays for the Fourth of July. However, fireworks vendors report higher individual sales this year. Municipalities and organizations are canceling or postponing fireworks displays for the Fourth of July because of the coronavirus pandemic and concerns about not being able to maintain social distancing guidelines during the display. In the week and a half before the Fourth of July, fireworks stands popped up near interstate exits around Statesville, and the pandemic has been treating them well because there are no public fireworks displays. At the stand in front of Signal Hill Mall, Nicole McCoy had just finished breaking down boxes of fireworks that restocked the stand on Tuesday. She said it usually took another day to reach their sales at that time. People are home with their families and are looking for things to do, McCoy said. Usually, they can go to official fireworks displays. McCoy said the cost of fireworks was not enough to dissuade people from buying a few devices to celebrate the Fourth. Homer Hobbs was manning the stand The owner of a house damaged when a car smashed into it in Katikati says he has been told that speed may have been a factor in the crash. Emergency services were called to the single vehicle crash on Middlebrook Drive at 8.50pm. A police spokesperson says it appears the vehicle collided with a fence, before hitting the side of a house. "One person reportedly has moderate injuries." Martin Sydenham owns the home the vehicle crashed into and says he has been told the vehicle was not doing the posted speed limit. However, this has not been confirmed by police. The vehicle on its side following the crash. Martin says a young professional mum lives at the property. He says she was a bit shocked by the loud impact to the house which occurred. "The house is still liveable, so the person in the home won't have to shift out as a result of the damage. Although they will be mightily inconvenienced when one and possibly two walls of the garage and/or some of the roof will need to be removed to rebuild the walls." Now Martin has had time to process what has happened, he says he is angry. "Once I'd heard that she (his tenant) and her child were unhurt, although understandably scared and shocked, they were at the rear of the house, thus not immediately affected by the damage, I have to say that I am now angry. "My insurance company will have to bear the brunt of the costs of repair. "In Europe, every driver must have at least third-party insurance so that events like this are paid for by the insurers of the person whose at fault. "An event like this would result in the faulty party then having elevated insurance premiums by way of a learning experience." Martin says he doesn't understand why third party insurance isn't mandatory in NZ. "In other countries the cops can check your insurance status on the fly, just as they can here for vehicle and taxation status." A police spokesperson says enquiries into the circumstances of the crash are ongoing. The serious crash unit is investigating the crash. The leaders of the guarantor countries of the Astana process are set to meet on Wednesday and discuss the situation in Syria reports SANA. On Tuesday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov announced that Russian President Vladimir Putin will hold discussions via video on Wednesday with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Sputnik quoted Peskov as saying that these discussions will tackle the situation in Syria. The guarantor countries (Russia, Turkey, Iran) of the Astana process have held several meetings over the past few years regarding the situation in Syria. Astana meetings started in the Kazakh capital at the beginning of 2017, with 14 such meetings having been held, and one of them was held in the Russian city of Sochi. The meetings as a whole affirmed their adherence to preserving Syrias sovereignty and territorial integrity and continuing to combat the terrorist organizations until they are completely eradicated. This article was edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author. The Central Authority for Financial Supervision has identified over 13 billion Syrian pounds that has been erroneously used or embezzled writes Al-Watan. The President of the Central Authority for Financial Supervision, Muhammad Baraq, told Al-Watan that 13.15 billion Syrian pounds, as well as 425,370 euro and 455,170 dollars had been discovered for the year 2019 and were requested to be recovered from authorities in the economic and administrative sectors for the benefit of the public treasury. He added that 5.4 billion pounds of that sum was due to corruption as a result of irregularities that had been discovered, including embezzlement, forgery and defects, leading to damages to public money. The remainder of the discovered sum was due to investigative issues in which a defect or error was observed and corrected, after which administrative penalties were requested against the violators, without referral to court. He pointed to the issuance of 35 decrees including the pre-trial detention of some of the violators who had tried to tamper with payments, in addition to various disciplinary penalties. Most importantly, according to Baraq, strong decisions and deterrent penalties were issued to ensure the collection of these funds and lifting the pre-trial detention of people who had paid the sums they owed. He stressed that it is not necessary for every file or case that is placed under scrutiny and observation to be linked to a corruption case. He pointed out that 1,209 public entities were placed under the scrutiny of the economic sector in administrations and branches, including 250 public entities such as companies or institutions, of an economic nature. The remainder were subsidiaries linked to those institutions and companies. This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author. Following a disagreement with the regime, an Iranian militia has established a separate prison in Deir ez-Zor and has withdrawn from an agreement on prisoner transfers writes Deir Ezzor 24. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), an Iranian militia, set up a new prison in eastern Deir ez-Zor governorates al-Bukamel, the third prison in the city that Iranian militias have taken control of recently. The new prison is located in the al-Bukamel market, and will be used to punish Iranian militia members who violate laws and directives. Iranian militias previously handed over their imprisoned fighters to regime forces after investigating them. But lately they reneged on this agreement and started placing them in a prison under the administration of the IRGC, amid disputes between Iranian militias on one side, and regime and Russian forces on the other in al-Bukamel. Iranian militias had been using two prisons in al-Bukamel. One of them was located near the al-Hijannah Traffic Circle next to the Aisha Hospital, and the other was behind the al-Bukamel National Hospital. Both prisons were run by the Iraqi Hezbollah militia and were for civilians. The Iranian Quds Force commander, Esmail Ghaani, was in recent days inspecting Iranian militias in the al-Bukamel area. Ghaanis visit came after Iranian militias in al-Bukamel took control of the city and forced regime forces to leave their checkpoints. They also banned a Russian-backed Palestinian mlitia from opening headquarters in the city. Al-Bukamel occupies a strategic location for Iran. Iran-backed militias mainly control the Badia and eastern Deir ez-Zor, as the area is considered a pathway from Iran to Syria via Iraq. This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author. Russia has announced that it has withdrawn from a UN mechanism that shared information about humanitarian sites in Syria writes Al-Masdar. Russias permanent representative to the United Nations, Vasily Nebenzia, confirmed Russias withdrawal from the UN mechanism for exchanging information about humanitarian sites in Syria, noting that it has no mandate from the Security Council. This mechanism was the result of a voluntary agreement. It has no mandate from the UN Security Council. I have referred more than once to the disadvantages of this mechanism, but it has been consistently ignored, Nebenzia said during a meeting of the UN Security Council on Monday. The Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations for Humanitarian Affairs, Marc Lukoc, said that Russia had informed the United Nations of its withdrawal from the clearing-house mechanism on humanitarian sites and the movements of humanitarian personnel inside Syria on Jun, 23, 2020. Earlier, the Russian delegate to the United Nations had criticized the mechanism, indicating that it is not without flaws, but rather is used for disinformation campaigns, as there were cases of use of the sites, referred to as humanitarian, by terrorists. Nebenzia also pointed out the difference between the coordinates of the United Nations and the true locations. Washington feels a shock Commenting on the Russian withdrawal from the UN mechanism, the US permanent representative to the United Nations, Kelly Craft, said the United States was shocked by the Russian decision. The US will not waiver in our commitment to the Syrian people and will do everything we can to get them the aid they need to survive. This Council has a decision to make: join us in supporting the cross-border humanitarian aid mechanism or let people die, she tweeted. This article was edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author. The Russian-backed Fifth Assault Corps has established a training camp for fighters who have defected form the Syrian government forces reports Smart News. Several members, who recently defected from the Syrian government forces, joined training camps of the Russian-backed Fifth Assault Corps (FAC) in the Busra al-Sham area, eastern Daraa, southern Syria. On Tuesday, military and local sources reported to Smart News that the Russian-backed FAC launched military training courses for defected members and officers in Busra al-Sham. The sources added that the FAC held a meeting in the city on Jun. 7, 2020, with the representatives from the villages of Daraa, to present the idea of launching a 15-day military training course for a group of members who will be responsible of protecting their villages and towns; the group will be directly affiliated with the FAC. The sources clarified that this project aims to protect young men who evaded compulsory recruitment. The sources mentioned that these training courses will be divided into two sessions, the first is train the members to escort and protect commanders, and the second session is training to use all types of weapons. Earlier, officers from the Russian Army met with a delegation of the Syrian government forces and commanders of the FAC, which was formed by Russia and includes former Free Syrian Army (FSA) fighters. Frequent shooting incidents occur in the Daraa governorate, targeting Syrian government forces members, former FSA fighters, and former employees of local councils, amidst accusations by activists that the Syrian government forces are responsible for these incidents. The Syrian government gained total control of the Daraa governorate after concluding reconciliation agreements with FSA factions under a Russian sponsorship. The agreements included a ceasefire, handing over the FSA weapons, and allowing people who refused to reconcile to head for northern Syria. The agreement guaranteed that the Syrian government forces would not prosecute those who wish to stay in Daraa. This article was edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author. Wednesday, July 1, 2020 Seven Days, Vermont Law School to Hold Classes Online This Fall: The Vermont Law School will hold all classes online this fall in response to the coronavirus pandemic, the college said Monday. The decision comes as higher education institutions across the nation are grappling with how best to balance learning experience with safety amid the virus' continued spread. "The most demanding challenge posed by the pandemic is uncertainty," said Thomas McHenry, president and dean of Vermont Law School, in a press release. "We want to provide as much notice to our students, faculty, and staff, in order to plan appropriately and deliver the high-quality course content and access to faculty that VLS is known for." ... Vermont Law School does not offer on-campus housing and therefore does not rely on room and board revenues, as do many other colleges. Explaining its decision to remain online, the law school noted that while Vermont is a "low-risk" state, the pandemic is raging in areas of the country where many students reside, which could make it difficult for students to come to campus or return home. Prior TaxProf Blog coverage: https://taxprof.typepad.com/taxprof_blog/2020/07/vermont-law-school-goes-100-online-in-fall-2020.html That actually is the Black self determination that our politics require, Byrd said, that we dont just respond to the Democratic Party. That we dont just respond to the Republican Party. We dont just say Black lives matter and beg people to care. We build an alternative container for all of us to connect, outside of the white gaze, to say this is what we want for our communities. The celebration will run from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday, June 26, and will feature music, art, strolls on the strand -- and a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Pride Tower. Google has launched a new website that is to help people understand how YouTube works. The website called How YouTube Works is a part of the companys transparency measures and it aims to answer peoples questions about various facets of the companys video-streaming platform. Google says that the site will answer users questions about how YouTube tackles videos involving topics such as child safety, harmful content, misinformation, and copyright and how it has responded to the COVID-19 crisis and how we support elections. In addition to this, the newly launched website will provide users an in-depth look at our products and settings, such as YouTube Search, Recommendations, privacy controls, and Ad Settings. Users will also be able to access YouTubes Guidelines and monetization policies so that they know what content they can and cannot put out on the platform. How YouTube Works apart from detailing how the platform functions on an everyday basis will also show facts and figures from its Community Guidelines Enforcement Report, which explain how and why certain videos have been removed. Lastly, the company will also provide data, records, and current trends that have emerged on YouTube to help users better understand the next generation of Creators and artists. Google says that How YouTube Works will be launching in the US first following which it will be made available in other countries over time. Large cities like Los Angeles and New York already have policies against releasing booking photos but make exceptions. For example, the New York Police Department, the nations largest, releases information on arrests but doesnt put out mug shots unless investigators believe that will prompt more witnesses to come forward or aid in finding a suspect. Georgia and New York stopped releasing booking photos in an effort to curtail websites that charge people to remove their picture and booking information. Microsoft on Tuesday announced a new initiative aimed at helping 25 million people globally acquire digital skills. The programme will combine Microsofts all existing resources from LinkedIn, GitHub, and Microsoft. It will focus on primarily three areas including leverage data to identify in-demand jobs and skills required for them, giving free access to these learnings, and low-cost certifications and free job-seeking tools. Microsoft has also announced a $20 million in cash grants to help nonprofit companies around the world. About $5 million of the cash grants will be given to nonprofits run by people of colour in the US. Microsoft bets big on digital skills (Microsoft) Microsofts new tools: LinkedIn has rolled out a new dashboard that gives real-time labour market data. The free dashboard helps government, policymakers, and business leaders better understand these markets. The insights can be accessed via LinkedIn.com/workforce. The dashboard covers more than 180 countries. Microsoft has also expanded its LinkedIn Learnings library to help job seekers acquire the core skills needed for the new economy. It has extended Microsoft Learn programme as well. For those looking for developer roles, they can sign up for GitHub Learning Lab. Those who can self-attest that their employment had been affected by Covid-19 will be eligible for a discounted fee of $15 for Microsoft Certifications exams. These exams typically cost over $100. In India, Microsoft has partnered with NASSCOM Foundation and Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship to directly train 2,000 young women and trainers at the Industrial Training Institutes on skills. As societies reopen, its apparent that the economy in July will not be what it was in January. Increasingly, one of the key steps needed to foster a safe and successful economic recovery is expanded access to the digital skills needed to fill new jobs. And one of the keys to a genuinely inclusive recovery are programs to provide easier access to digital skills for people hardest hit by job losses, including those with lower incomes, women, and underrepresented minorities, wrote Smith in the post. ShareChat, an Indian social networking platform, on Thursday said that it recorded 5 lakh downloads on an hourly basis and more than 15 million downloads since the Indian government announced a ban on the 59 Chinese applications. The company said that it has witnessed more than 1 lakh posts that support the move to ban Chinese apps. Over 1 million users liked the posts whereas over a half-million shares were made on WhatsApp. ShareChat says it has 60 million active users on its platform which is available in 15 Indian languages. With over 1 billion monthly Whatsapp shares, today users spend more than 25 minutes daily on the platform. As per the latest official data, ShareChat has 150+ million registered users and 60 million monthly active users across 15 Indian languages, the company said in a release. The announcement comes shortly after MyGov India joined the Indian social networking platform. We paused certain slow apis for now, the video feed is loading now. Team will take a nap and work on this from early morning to optimise the slow APIs. Hopefully tomorrow end of day all app apis will work. Till then, just enjoy chingari videos. Sumit Ghosh (@sumitgh85) June 30, 2020 The Indian companies are also looking at the ban as a new window of opportunity to scale up their userbase and provide local alternatives. Its time for the Indian startup community to get back to their planning boards and chalk out a robust plan for a strong technology infrastructure which ensures user needs for a seamless experience and secure online presence are met. Preparedness to compete on merit on a global scale should be the way forward, said Shubhendra Vikram, Founder and CEO Hapramp, a Gurgaon-based startup. UPDATE: Looks like users in India have already started seeing this feature in Spotify for Android and iOS. Given the pace, the roll out process should be done soon. Original: Spotify is making your listening experience even better this time by introducing live-lyrics in its app. The feature, which was confirmed to be under tests back in November last year, is now coming to 26 markets including India, Latin America and Southeast Asia regions. As the name suggests, the feature will show you live lyrics as the music is played in the background. This can be accessed by tapping on the Lyrics option at the bottom of the Now Playing screen. A report by TechCrunch adds that this feature will go live by 10AM EST, which means around 7.30PM IST today (July 1). The music streaming app has joined hands with lyrics provider Musixmatch, the same firm that was spotted being used during the test back in November last year. While the feature was being tested, some Canadian users reportedly got access to it. However, it looks like Spotify wont be bringing this to that region for now. Also read: How to listen to your Spotify playlist on Amazon Echo smart speaker As reported by TechCrunch, out of these 26 markets, 22 will be getting the lyrics support for the first time as only Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia and Mexico already had some form of lyrics support in the past. The entire list of countries getting this includes Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Chile, Mexico, Peru, Bolivia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, India, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, El Salvador, Uruguay, Vietnam, Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Taiwan, Singapore and Hong Kong. This feature comes a few days after Amazon bought Spotify to Alexa. The availability means Amazon Echo users will be able to stream music from Spotify. You can ask Alexa in English and Hindi to play Spotify. Users will be able to request music by artist, album, track, genre, curated and personal playlists, as well as podcasts from their Spotify accounts. Samsung finally launched its BTS editions of Galaxy S20+ and Galaxy Buds+ in India. Microsoft announced a new initiative to help 25 million people globally. TikTok has been making headlines ever since the ban on 59 Chinese apps in India. Today TikToks CEO shared a message for its employees in India. Spotify also made quite a buzz today with the launch of lyrics and a new subscription plan. Later in the day WhatsApp dropped a package filled with many new features. So heres a breakdown of everything tech that made headlines today. Microsoft skills Microsofts new programme will combine its resources from Linkedin and GitHub to help people acquire digital skills. Microsoft has also announced a $20 million fund in cash grants to help nonprofit companies around the world. Around $5 million of the cash grants will be given to nonprofits run by people of colour in the US. Galaxy S20+ BTS edition Samsung opened pre-bookings for the BTS editions of Galaxy S20+ and Galaxy Buds+ in India. Both products will go on sale starting July 10. The BTS editions are purple in colour and carry the K-Pops group logo along with heart iconography. Galaxy S20+ and Galaxy Buds+ BTS editions can be pre-booked from the Samsung India website. TikTok CEO Kevin Mayer message TikTok is possibly taking the biggest impact as India banned 59 Chinese apps. Other than losing its biggest user base, the future of TikTok employees in India is also unsure. TikTok CEO Kevin Mayer wrote a message talking about how the app has empowered millions of people in India. He reiterated the companys stand on abiding with privacy laws and rules. Spotify lyrics, Premium Duo Spotify finally launched lyrics on its platform and in 55 markets. In India real-time lyrics are gradually rolling out and it has started appearing on select songs. Spotify also launched its Premium Duo subscription plan in more countries including India. Priced at 149 per month, this Spotify plan is for two people living under the same roof. WhatsApp features WhatsApp made a surprise announcement of not just one but five new features. These include new animated sticker packs, dark mode on WhatsApp web and desktop, group calling improvements and QR code support. WhatsApp on KaiOS is also getting support for Status updates. These features will be available to users in the coming weeks. Last week we saw Realme launching its new earbuds, the Buds Q in India priced at 1,999. These new earbuds are now going on sale. Interested buyers can get their hands on the wearable device today starting 12PM IST from Realme.com and Amazon India website. The entry-level wireless TWS comes in three colours - Quite Black, Quite White and Quite Yellow. The Realme Buds Q come with a 10mm large bass boost driver and also have a gaming mode that is said to offer 119ms low latency. The Gaming mode is powered by the company's own R1Q True Wireless Chip. You also get an AAC high-quality sound system for batter clarity. The Buds Q support touch controls for actions like play/pause, answering a call, playing the next song etc. Weighing at 3.6g, the Realme Buds Q, as per the company, offers 4.5 hours of playback time, and 20 hours in total with the charging case. This is because of the 40mah battery capacity in Buds Q and 400mAh additional battery in the charging case. With an IPX4 rated body, the earbuds are waterproof and dustproof. Realme Buds Q (Realme) The device connects to your smartphone seamlessly using the Realme Link app. So, as soon as you open the charging case, the R1Q chipset recognises the movement and activates the earbuds before hand, which results in quick pairing. The arch rival to Realme Buds Q is Xiaomis Redmi Earbuds S. The device comes with a range of 10 metres in an obstacle-free environment and has a battery capacity of 43mAh per earbud. The case, however, has an additional 300mAh battery. Xiaomi says that its Redmi Earbuds S is primarily tuned for bass, considering the genre most people listen in India. Adding to this is the special Game Mode that reduces the latency by 50% to 120ms. ASUS Malaysia has officially unveiled the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 gaming laptop, which is priced from RM4499 onwards and its available from today onwards for selected variants (refer to the table at the bottom). In terms of where you can purchase the aforementioned laptop, it is expected to be available platforms such as Lazada, Shopee, as well as the ASUS experience stores and authorized distributors. In terms of the tech specs, the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 comes equipped with up to a Ryzen 9 4900HS, Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060, up to a resolution of WQHD and up to 120Hz refresh rate depending on the variant. But thats not all, the laptop comes with a feature unique the to G14 series called the AniMe Matrix which allows the user to display pixel art and effects via the 1215 mini-LEDs located on the lid. Zephyrus G14 in Eclipse Grey (left) and Moonlight White (right) Tech specs ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 - RM4499 ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 - RM5299 ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 - RM6199 ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 - RM7699 Processor AMD Ryzen 5 4600HS AMD Ryzen 5 4600HS AMD Ryzen 7 4800HS AMD Ryzen 9 4900HS Graphics NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 4GB NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650Ti 4GB NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660Ti Max-Q 6GB NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Max-Q 6GB Display 14" 1080p 120Hz 14" 1080p 120Hz 14" 1080p 120Hz 14" 1080p 120Hz RAM 8GB DDR4-3200 8GB DDR4-3200 16GB DDR4-3200 16GB DDR4-3200 Storage 512GB NVMe SSD 512GB NVMe SSD 512GB NVMe SSD 1TB NVMe SSD AniMe Matrix n/a Yes Yes Yes Colour Eclipse Gray Moonlight White and Eclipse Gray Eclipse Gray Moonlight White and Eclipse Gray Date Arrival Aug 2020 Available now (Moonlight White), Aug 2020 (Eclipse Gray) Aug 2020 Available now (Moonlight White), Aug 2020 (Eclipse Gray) In addition to that, there are other features such as Single Sign On which lets you sign in straight into Windows when you tap on the power button as well as ErgoLift which provides not only improved cooling, but also a better typing experience. To find out more information in regards to the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14, head over to ASUS' official website or read our review here. With all that said, would you be interested in getting any of the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 variants? Let us know on our Facebook page and for more updates like this, stay tuned to TechNave.com. 'Reasonable' for some, 'a slap in the face' for others The UN agency overseeing international aviation cut the COVID-hit industry some slack this week by modifying a landmark scheme to curb the sector's CO 2 emissions. The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) voted overwhelmingly on Tuesday to change the baseline year used for calculating emissions under the 2016 deal, known as CORSIA. Before the plan was modified, airlines agreed to cap future CO 2 emissions starting next year at levels averaged across 2019 and 2020, or pay into offset schemes if those limits are exceeded. International aviation emissions were about 70 percent higher last year than in 2005, and had been projectedbefore the coronavirus outbreakto increase more than 300 percent by 2050, according to ICAO estimates. But the pandemic has brought commercial aviation to a near standstill since early March. That means exceptionally low CO 2 emissions from commercial aviation in 2020 would also lower the threshold beyond which airlines would be forced to pay for offsets from next year. As a result, ICAO said only 2019 will be used as a reference year. "The value of 2019 emissions shall be used for 2020 emissions to avoid inappropriate economic burden on the aviation industry," ICAO said in a statement. The agency left open the possibility that further "adjustments" could be made in the future. Alexandre de Juniac, head the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the airline industry's trade group, described the revised rules as "reasonable". Billions in bailouts "First, it maintains the commitments that the airlines have made at the same level," he told journalists by phone. "Second, they are reasonable because they point to an objective that is reachable in the long run." The COVID-19 crisis will see airline passenger revenues drop by $314 billion in 2020, a 55 percent decline compared to 2019, IATA said in April. Watchdog groups, however, reacted to the change with scepticism. "CORSIA was already far below what it needed to avoid climate catastrophe," said the International Coalition for Sustainable Aviation, whose members include WWF, the Environmental Defense Fund, Carbon Market Watch and Brussels-based NGO Transport & Environment. "The ICAO Council's decision to further deflate the ambition of CORSIA is a betrayal to future generations, and a slap in the face to the multilateral work to build the program," the group said in a statement. The scaling down of ambition is happening despite the industry receiving billions of dollars in government bailouts, the civil society organisations noted. Direct emissions from aviation account for more than two percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, according to the EU Commission for Energy, Climate Change and Environment. If global aviation was a country, it would rank among the top 10 emitters. Explore further Global aviation industry focuses on climate at Montreal talks 2020 AFP Future Work Lab: augmented and virtual reality applications enable cost-effective planning and a faster way to adapt production systems in the event of disruptions on the shop floor. Credit: Fraunhofer IAO/Ludmilla Parsyak Gathering with customers and colleagues at meetings, events, workshops and seminars and collaborating with them in person has always been importantbut it is not an option for the foreseeable future. The coronavirus pandemic is forcing us to find new ways of working together. The Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Engineering IAO and the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation IPA have already developed solutions to enable remote communication in tomorrow's work scenarios. Cooperation with their partners from industry and research is shifting to the digital Future Work Lab run by the two Stuttgart-based institutesa solution that crosses boundaries and borders. This new form of connectivity is made possible by digital twins and virtual lab tours. The concept of a digital twin is widely accepted in modern manufacturing and represents a key component of Industrie 4.0. It provides a digital model of the entire production process and a means of intervening directly in production at any time. Put simply, a digital twin is a digital representation of a real object in the digital world. Researchers at Fraunhofer IAO and Fraunhofer IPA are now taking this concept even further by applying it to the field of knowledge transfer. Anyone interested in the latest research and innovative solutions offered by Fraunhofer IAO and Fraunhofer IPA can find information they need and check out innovative new methods on site. Now, scientists working on the "FutureWork360" project are creating digital twins of their lab environments using a laser scanner. By bringing these labs into the digital realm, they can make them available online. Visualization of these digital twins is handled by the technology partner Hemminger Ingenieurgesellschaft mbH. Virtual access to research and innovation Digital twin: the digital twin helps technical support staff solve problems. Credit: Fraunhofer IAO/Kai Effinger "The 360-degree scanner captures our laboratories and makes them available online so that people can access them from anywhere and at any time", says IAO researcher and project manager Yeama Bangali. Visitors to the website www.futurework360.de/en.html can take virtual tours of the labs and explore them at their own pace to get an initial idea of what they offer. The choice of tours currently includes additive manufacturing, assistance systems, digital planning and connected manufacturing systems. Bangali and her team have been offering guided tours since the end of March, and visitors can also attend live Q&A sessions in online meeting rooms. The scientists' research is presented through texts, videos and images. Examples include the use of virtual reality to help people experience different forms of human-machine-collaboration. "If a company expresses interest in a specific use case, then we invite them to an online session. The response to this digital form of interaction in virtual labs has been very positivewe observed that particularly clearly in the webinars we had organized with members of Plastipolis, an industry and research cluster that promotes the French plastics industry," says Bangali. New working models enabling new and climate-friendly ways of working The aim of the FutureWork360 project, which is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), is to explore what virtual forms of collaboration might look like in the future. "Our approach offers excellent potential in times of crisis and beyond. It's easy to run an Open Lab Day online using our digital platform. We also offer an efficient and climate-friendly working model for international collaboration. Eliminating travel costs is easy if nobody has to fly," says Bangali. The researcher and her colleagues are currently working on new tools for collaboration and optimizing the digital twin of the Future Work Lab. At Winch Energys mini-grid in Sierra Leone, women will be employed as energy entrepreneurs, renting out the batteries for household and micro-enterprise use. Credit: University of Sheffield Researchers from the University of Sheffield are delivering affordable, clean energy to remote communities in Sierra Leone as part of a pioneering new project. The collaboration, led by Mobile Power Ltd in partnership with Professor Dan Gladwin from the University's Energy Institute and Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering, has already developed pay-per-charge smart battery packs to address the lack of grid electricity in the country. The pay-as-you-go smart battery rental system, developed by Mobile Power, supplies affordable, clean energy to poor households and enterprises in off-grid communities. The batteries are charged at solar charging stations before being delivered to customers, thereby removing the need for dangerous traditional petrol generators and reducing energy costs by up to 75%. A second project will now work with Professor Dan Gladwin and other battery storage experts from the University to develop significantly larger lithium-ion battery packs that can store energy as part of a mini-grid and will be 'hot swappable' meaning they can be rented out for household, transport and commercial use, such as to run fridges for medicines in hospitals, then returned back to the micro-grid to be recharged. In Sub-Saharan Africa, population growth outstrips electrification, even while people increasingly rely on electrical equipment for communication and commerce. This lack of energy stifles economic growth and limits living standards and opportunities. A study by Mobile Power in 2016/17 showed that 20% of household income in Sierra Leone is spent on lighting and mobile phone charging. Most of these lighting costs are spent on disposable batteries, which creates an environmental issue, and mobile phones are charged at 'telecentres' in towns, powered by polluting and dangerous petrol generators. Professor Dan Gladwin, Professor in Electrical and Control System Engineering at the University of Sheffield, said: "These new battery packs can be swapped in or out of the micro-grid without shutting down the power system and are designed to maximise the life of the battery cells under different applications. They can one day be providing power to a whole village and the next day be swapped out to drive the motor of an electric KeKes (auto rickshaw). For households where the cost of connection to the mini-grid is prohibitively high, these packs are easily carried to the home and are capable of powering multiple devices for long durations." The partnership between Mobile Power and the University will enable research into pack design and its docking/charging system to optimise charging speeds, cycle life of the battery packs and the management of the hot-swappable system. Jono West, Founder and Chair at Mobile Power and Project Lead, said: "We are grateful for the partnership with Professor Dan Gladwin, particularly in his support and advice to date. We look forward to working closer together on this project." Two other project partners will be conducting field trials at two sites in Sierra Leone: Winch Energy, a global, off-grid energy developer and technology integrator, and Pink Power, a local non-governmental organisation (NGO). At Winch Energy's mini-grid in Sierra Leone, women will be employed as energy entrepreneurs, renting out the batteries for household and micro-enterprise use. At Pink Power's site in Freetown, a trial will take place to power electric tuk-tuk's with the battery packs. This will be part of Pink Power's wider project on training vulnerable women to drive the tuk-tuks as a form of employment. Jono West said: "Two of the greatest challenges facing the world in meeting the UN's Sustainable Development Goals for Agenda 2030 are universal energy access and gender equality and women's empowerment. This Innovate UK Energy Catalyst project looks to find a way to allow these goals to mutually support one another, by empowering women entrepreneurs in the delivery of energy services in hard to reach communities through Mobile Power's battery technology." The University of Sheffield's Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering has built a reputation for being a world leader in electromagnetics, semiconductors and communications. Researchers in the department are experts in all aspects of electronic and electrical engineering. Their expertise has helped them develop long lasting partnerships with world leaders in industry and academia as well as form nationally and internationally recognised research centres based at the University. Teaching in the department is informed by its world leading research which helps engineering students at the University learn by a combination of theory and hands-on practical lab sessions in its state-of-the-art facilities with courses accredited by the Institute of Engineering and Technology (IET). Explore further Researchers demonstrate bi-directional wireless charging on hybrid UPS truck As residents of the neighborhood near the city's downtown watched from balconies, police cleared out the protesters' tents from a park within the zone and made sure no one was left in the park's bathrooms. At one point, a loud bang was heard in the park, followed by a cloud of smoke. The Brunswick-Golden Isles Chamber of Commerce combined two of its annual events The Chamber Experience and Business and Bites to bring the business community together for fun, networking and fundraising for the chamber. It was the chambers first large-scale in-person event since early Richwood, TX (77531) Today Partial cloudiness early, with scattered showers and thunderstorms during the afternoon. High 91F. Winds S at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 40%.. Tonight Scattered thunderstorms early, then mainly cloudy overnight with thunderstorms likely. Low 76F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 70%. 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. ALTO PASS Theres good news for Southern Illinois peach-lovers. The peach harvest is looking great. We have a huge crop, Michelle Sirles, vice president of Rendleman Orchards Inc., said. We will have peaches now through Labor Day. Sirles and her husband, Wayne, are the sixth generation of Rendlemans to operate the 147-year-old family farm located in Union County. The farm grows 14 different varieties of peaches with a staggered growing season. The result is a new peach variety ripens each week through early September. They also grow white-flesh peaches, donut peaches and three varieties of nectarines, along with produce and apples. At rendlemanorchards.com, schedules show which varieties will be available which weeks. As of the current growing season, Rendleman Orchards offers a sign-up for email alerts for specific varieties of their fruit through their website. Whether youre looking for Cresthaven peaches, Sunglo nectarines or Fuji apples, the alerts will make sure you dont miss your favorites. Currently, a newer early peach called Desiree is available in the farm market, which opened last week for the season. Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday. I feel like when the statue was placed there, we did not have a voice. Now we do and we need to stand up and say, We don't want to look at it every day, she said. Support Local Journalism Your membership makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}} Eventually, Able said the group would like to see the Confederate flag removed from the corner of Russell Street and John C. Calhoun Drive. The flag is owned by the Sons of the Confederate Veterans and sits on private property. "Once I moved out of state, you don't see it. But when I moved back here and somebody pulls up behind me and it is on the front bumper of their car, it is that feeling you get," she said. "I don't think people realize that it is a feeling of almost terror. I feel that is what it is a symbol is of: hate and terror." Coalition President James Glover said the removal of the monument would be a step forward for the black community in Orangeburg." As an African American male raised in Orangeburg, Glover said he has personally experienced racial profiling and different experiences with law enforcement or casual citizens. But he says the monument is a constant reminder to him of oppression. "Having a statue such as that on the square that symbolizes a man that fought to keep slavery, that is a reminder every day," he said. You might not always know what the story was about, said a fellow Navy SEAL, but you could be sure Feeks was going to tell it with enthusiasm. John Bolton, the former national security adviser, writes in his new book that President Donald Trump makes decisions based on only one calculation: his own political self-interest. Talking to George Stephanopoulos on ABC, Bolton warned about the serious dangers of a second Trump term: "The biggest fear I have is that his policymaking is so incoherent, so unfocused, so unstructured, so wrapped around his own personal political fortunes, that mistakes are being made that will have grave consequences for the national security of the United States." Trump's already making many mistakes with "grave consequences" for the national interest. One of the most debilitating is his severe crackdown on foreigners seeking to immigrate here, whether to find economic opportunity or to flee persecution. This is being done for only one purpose: to stir up Trump's base for the fall election by exploiting nativist fears and demonizing "the others." There's nothing new about this strategy. Trump announced his run for president by denouncing supposed hordes of Mexican "rapists" pouring across the border, and during the 2018 midterm elections, he tried -- and failed -- to scare voters with a nightmare "caravan" of criminals invading from the south. Boating in South Carolina has also gone from being a mostly seasonal activity to one that is just about year-round. Remarkably, while the number of boats and boaters has continued to rise, the rate of incidents and boating-related fatalities has decreased, both in terms of accidents per-1,000 registered vessels, and in raw numbers. It's well-known that alcohol use is the leading contributing factor in recreational boater deaths. While there may often be another, more proximate, cause of a collision -- such as failure to maintain a proper lookout -- alcohol use is very often a contributing factor. Because of this, an aggressive and innovative BUI enforcement strategy has been at the center of SCDNR's efforts to bring down the state's incident and fatality numbers, beginning in 1996 when the agency's first Boating Safety Action Force (B-SAF) team was created. BUI enforcement is a year-round priority for SCDNR officers patrolling the waterways of the Palmetto State. The basic strategy behind B-SAF was to supplement those regular boating enforcement patrols with concentrated, highly visible "saturation" patrols during high-traffic weekends and events such as major holidays, regattas or festivals during the spring and summer boating seasons. B-SAF remains an important component of the agency's overall boating enforcement effort. SUMMER SPECIAL!!! - Sign up at 20% OFF for Full Access to all of the online content and E-Editions on the www.thewordlink.com website here! (The charge will appear as "Country Media Inc." on your credit card statement) Coquille, OR (97420) Today Mostly cloudy early, then sunshine for the afternoon. High 73F. Winds NW at 10 to 15 mph.. Tonight Partly cloudy early followed by cloudy skies overnight. Low 56F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph. We need to stop the culture of blame. Yes, people of color in this country have long endured gross injustices. However, rather than focus on the past, shouldnt we be working on the very real problems we have in the here and now? Serious reforms are needed in many areas, addressing problems such as poverty, housing discrimination, a failing public school system, lack of school choice, drug addiction, gang violence, breakdown of traditional family structures and values, and a culture of welfare dependency. The Zimbabwe Daily Staff Reporter Harare, Zimbabwe The MDC Alliances national Youth league has labelled President Emmerson Mnangagwas spokesperson, George Charamba, a pathological liar. Baseless allegations by Emmerson Mnangagwas mouth piece, George Charamba that MDC Alliance is the root cause of the current economic woes stalking our country must never go unchallenged. Like the proverbial bad carpenter, Charamba blames the opposition for the countrys economic misfortunes while at the same time absolving Mnangagwa and the looting cabal. In a blanket of mind boggling rants making rounds in the media, Charamba exhibits pathological lies typical of ZANU PF supporters. - Advertisement - Contrary to what he terms implosive MDC politics, there is no implosion in the MDC Alliance led by president Nelson Chamisa. The only political party implosions we are witnessing at the moment are happening in Mnangagwas ZANU PF. It is in ZANU PF where manifestations of implosion have led to the expulsion and suspension of Killer Zivhu and Energy Mutodi respectively. Is it not common sense that a party whose Health Minister is in courts over corruption scandals signifies implosion of greatest magnitude? When a whole Minister of Defence holds a presser just to dismiss coup rumours then it speaks volumes of the trouble in paradise. It is in ZANU PF where the centre no longer holds and that has ripple effects on the economy. The stinking levels of corruption by ZANU PF officials and wanton disregard of basic human rights breeds lack of confidence from investors. Charamba must stop behaving like a village drunkard who after imbibing in kachasu would go around blaming everyone in the neighborhood for his family troubles. Is it not a public secret that corruption and all the socio-economic ills we are facing are just symptoms of illegitimacy and leadership failure by Charambas boss? It is very unfortunate that direct beneficiaries of a corrupt system like Charamba will never tell Mnangagwa the truth that he has failed and must resign, said Stephen Chuma, MDC Alliances national Youth spokesperson. Like this: Like Loading... Fort Payne, AL (35967) Today A few showers in the morning with thunderstorms developing for the afternoon. Storms may contain strong gusty winds. High 82F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 90%.. Tonight Showers and thunderstorms likely. Low 64F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%. A fire broke out in montee de Clausen on Wednesday morning. The road is currently closed for traffic. The fire broke out at about 7:30 am. The road has been closed for traffic in order to allow the fire department to intervene, and the area should be avoided until further notice. Thomas Toussaint / RTL Luxembourg On Tuesday, CSV MP Paul Galles expressed great concern over the youth unemployment rate in Luxembourg. Eurostat recently published figures which do not shine a good light on the Grand-Duchy: 24.7% of young people are unemployed. Galles asked the Minister of Labour, Dan Kersch, how the government is planning to solve this problem. About 20,200 people were registered at the unemployment agency Adem on 31 May. Among them about 2,030 young people under 25. Minister of Labour, Dan Kersch stated: If the percentage of people looking for employment increased by a dramatic 33% over a one-year period, this increase is even more dramatic for people under 25 at 59.1%. As Minister of Labour, I have no interest in embellishing such a problematic situation The coronavirus crisis is hitting young people especially hard when it comes to unemployment. According to Adems most recent calculations, the youth unemployment rate is currently stabilising at about 12.8%, which according to Kersch is already way to high. However, the rate is also much lower than the one cited by Eurostat: 24.7% Young people aged between 14 and 25 in Luxembourg are often still attending school or university, and are not part of the active population. We are aware that compared to other countries, we have a lot of, lets call them young adults, who are still at school. We dont see this a reason for concern, quite on the contrary Kersch explained that Eurostat did not take this Luxembourgish particularity into account. 32 councillors are currently exclusively taking care of young people looking for work. However, the topic should not be neglected: Over a one-year period, Adem could only offer half as many apprenticeships in the month of June. The minister also expects that youth unemployment will be a topic during the upcoming tripartite. I agree with Mr Galles: We have to talk about the insecurity of employment contracts. On one hand the fixed-term contracts, but on the other hand and mainly the much more complicated interim contracts, which affect a lot of young people. I expect that this will be a topic of discussion during next Fridays tripartite Kersch expects the social partners to offer concise ideas during these discussions. The Prime Minister, Xavier Bettel, together with the Minister of Health, Paulette Lenert, addressed the press and public on the latest chamber discussions. Note: this has now ended. See our summary right here. With fears rising on a sudden uptick in confirmed cases, the conference will in turn deliver the latest position and stance the country will adopt in the COVID-19 battle. We will have livestream and will continually update this feed with live translations. The government said it was aware of the importance of the Nordstad for the gradual development of northern Luxembourg. Five municipalities are set to merge into "Nordstad" in what represents one of the most ambitious projects of its kind in Luxembourg. Residents can share their opinions, visions, and recommendations for the hybrid municipality until the end of the month. You can give your feedback online at visionnordstat2035.lu. Minister for Spatial Planning Claude Turmes explained that it is important for residents who live in this region to give feedback as they are the ones who are most familiar with the strengths and potential weaknesses of northern Luxembourg. This does not mean that the survey is restricted to people living in affected municipalities - everyone can participate. FlixBus will expand its Luxembourg network from 2 July, offering options to take a direct bus from the Grand Duchy to the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Switzerland and Italy. The new bus routes will take travellers from Luxembourg to new destinations such as Amsterdam, Brussels, Metz, Nancy, Basel Lucerne & Milan. It will also incorporate new German destinations, offering travel to Hamburg, Munich, Stuttgart and Cologne. The complete timetable can be found on the FlixBus website and app, where tickets can be booked as of 1 July. FlixBus will employ strict hygiene and safety measures. Buses will be disinfected after each journey and frequently ventilated. Contactless ticketing and restrictions on boarding or disembarking will be in place, while passengers will be asked to wear face coverings while onboard. The expansion plans will continue throughout the summer, with the first domestic connections added in Britain from 2 July. FlixBus will start with four domestic routes from London to Bristol, Guildford, Birmingham and Portsmouth, while a connection between Luxembourg and London could be a possible next step in building the network. Or does appropriation refer to the budget for an entire agency, such as the state Department of Commerce, under which the BSO is grouped along with the Maryland State Arts Council, the Department of Tourism and others? If so, the governor could cut some programs more and others less, as long as Commerces budget didnt drop by more than 25%. Temperatures in Britain could exceed 40 degrees Celsius every three or four years by 2100 if greenhouse gas emissions continue unabated, research published Tuesday has found, as climate change increases the likelihood of scorching heat waves. The modelling study by Britain's Meteorological Office found that emissions are dramatically increasing the likelihood of extremely warm days in the UK, particularly in the southeast. Without climate change, a summer in which the mercury went above 40 Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) somewhere in the UK would be expected around once in hundreds, or even thousands of years, the researchers found. But sweltering 40C days have already become more likely with global warming, and are currently estimated to occur every 100 to 300 years, they reported in the journal Nature Communications. If the present high rates of greenhouse gas emissions continue, these extremes could occur every three to four years by 2100, the study concluded. Even under a mid-range emissions scenario, they could still happen around every 15 years. Lead author Nikolaos Christidis said the rate of change in the expected frequency of these high temperatures was "remarkable". "Exceeding extreme temperature thresholds like the 40C in the UK would be accompanied by severe impacts -- on public health, transport infrastructure," he told AFP, adding that a key motivation for the study was to help build the country's resilience to such events. - Temperature extremes - Last year the highest ever UK temperature, 38.7C, was recorded in the eastern city of Cambridge. In 2018 the sizzling UK summer temperature was estimated to have become 30 times more likely due to man-made climate change. "Our paper shows that the likelihood of hitting 40C is rapidly increasing," Christidis said. Comparing local and countrywide temperature average, the research also identified parts of the country likely to exceed 30C, 35C and 40C by century's end. They ran simulations using 16 climate models available from the Earth System Grid Federation to estimate the likelihood of extreme temperatures in a given location. Globally, Earth's average surface temperature for the 12 months to May 2020 is close to 1.3C above preindustrial levels, the benchmark by which global warming is usually measured, according to recent data from the European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service. Under the 2015 Paris Agreement, nearly 200 countries have pledged to collectively cap the rise in Earth average surface temperature to "well below" 2C, and to 1.5C if possible. Europe on Friday toughened its stance on Iran and warned the US against sanctions in the latest bid to stop the unravelling of the international agreement on Tehran's nuclear programme. The decision by Germany, France and Britain to back a UN arms embargo extension on Iran follows growing tensions with Tehran since US President Donald Trump unilaterally pulled out of the 2015 nuclear accord and introduced new sanctions. The three European signatories to the Iran nuclear deal said they had reservations about lifting the arms embargo, a blow to Tehran which had been calling for an end to the restrictions. The joint statement by three European foreign ministers came after the UN nuclear watchdog on Friday also passed a resolution critical of Iran -- the first since 2012 -- and demanded Tehran allow more inspections of two of its nuclear sites. Iran agreed with major world powers in 2015 to halt its nuclear programme in return for an end to crippling sanctions. But since Trump pulled out of the deal, Iran has begun to roll back its own commitments, fuelling US criticism it wants to build nuclear arms, a claim Tehran denies. The ban on selling weapons -- such as battle tanks, combat aircraft, warships and missiles or missile systems -- to Iran had been set to be progressively eased from October. "We believe that the planned lifting of the UN conventional arms embargo established by Resolution 2231 next October would have major implications for regional security and stability," the European ministers said. But the European nations, who remain committed to the nuclear deal, also said they opposed Washington's "maximum" pressure tactics with sanctions. "We firmly believe that any unilateral attempt to trigger UN sanctions snapback would have serious adverse consequences" in the UN Security Council, they said. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani earlier this month urged UN Security Council members to oppose a US "conspiracy" to extend the arms embargo. The three European powers said they plan to address the arms embargo issue "in close coordination" with UN Security Council permanent members Russia and China. - Need for inspections - The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) earlier on Friday passed a resolution put forward by European states, urging Tehran to provide inspectors access to two sites in Iran to help clarify whether undeclared nuclear activity took place there in the early 2000s. It calls on Iran to fully cooperate with the IAEA and satisfy its requests without delay, including by providing prompt access to the sites. Sanctions and the Iranian economy / AFP Iran has been blocking access to the sites for months, prompting a growing diplomatic row. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who has advocated a hard line against Iran on multiple fronts, said Tehran must "immediately comply" or face consequences. "If Iran fails to cooperate, the international community must be prepared to take further action," he said in a statement. But Iran's envoy to the UN in Vienna, Kazem Gharib Abadi, insisted the resolution will not "encourage Iran to grant access to the Agency based on fabricated and unfounded allegations". "Iran categorically deplores this resolution and will take appropriate action in response," he said. Even though the sites in question are not thought to be directly relevant to Iran's current nuclear programme, the agency says it needs to know if activities going back almost two decades have been properly declared and all materials accounted for. - 'No exceptions' - Iran has hinted that such an IAEA resolution could cause "complication and difficulties" for the future of the 2015 accord, also known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). Speaking to reporters after the resolution was passed, IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi said it would be "absolutely unacceptable" if an example were to be set that states can be selective in their implementation of agreements with the UN agency. "There are no exceptions," Grossi said. "I intend to sit down with Iran very soon and to try to solve this as soon as possible." Iran says the IAEA's access requests are based on allegations from Tehran's arch-enemy Israel. Additional information provided by the IAEA in the form of satellite images to back up its requests "contained no convincing underlying reason" to provide access, Tehran argues. This is something we dont want to do, he said. As he has in the past, Gordon framed the need to follow public health guidelines in economic terms. If people wear face masks, wash hands and social distance, the states economy will continue to recover, he argued. I think people thought, No big deal, Gordon said. And you know we can just do what we want to. And I think that carelessness and cavalier attitude has been incredibly unfortunate. And so, you know, I come back to saying, if you want the economy to keep going, if you want to make sure that we stay open, if you want to see us move forward to where we were hoping to be, you know, people will mask up, he said. People will adhere to these things. People wont be so cavalier. Many people in the state continue to forgo wearing masks in public. Gordon compared such reluctance to a game of chicken, to a degree. At indoor businesses in Casper, for example, there are fewer people wearing masks than those going without them. And that often doesnt end well, he said. So its best to use good judgment. Were really counting on people to do that. COLONIAL Life Insurance Company (Trinidad) Ltd (CLICO) is solvent, yet it still owes the Government $2.09 billion as part of its 2009 bailout arrangement. In addition, approximately $1.66 billion provided with respect to British American Insurance Company (Trinidad) Limited (BAT) remains unpaid. This according to 38th quarterly report of the Central Bank, which was filed in the High Court pursuant to section 44E (7) of the Act, which reported on the period which ended March 31, 2021. The report provides a snapshot of the progress of proposals to restructure CLICO, BAT and Clico Investment Bank (CIB) In summary, of the approximately $18 billion (inclusive of preference interest due) provided by the Government in respect of CLICO, approximately $16.6 billion has been repaid by CLICO, leaving a balance of approximately $2.09 billion as at February 28, 2021, the report noted. Payments for interest on the preference shares due to the Government have commenced. As at February 28, 2021, the remaining interest due to the Government on these preference shares amounted to approximately $32.8 million, it noted. The report noted that by January 24, 2019 approximately $5 billion in cash payments were made to the Government in consideration for an appropriate reduction in CLICOs liabilities to GORTT. A further cash payment of approximately $300 million (paid in tranches) was made to GORTT by CLICO between March 20 and 27, 2020. An additional $125 million was paid to GORTT on July 8, 2020. On September 17,2020, pursuant to another Ministerial direction, CLICO was directed to pay GORTT $600 million, in cash, in two tranches in exchange for an appropriate reduction in liabilities owed to GORTT. The first tranche of approximately $300 million was paid to GORTT on September 30, 2020 and the second tranche of approximately $300.1 million was paid in two parts on October 24,2020 and October 30,2020, respectively, it said. CLICOs most recent audited financial statement, for the 12 months ending December 31, 2020, indicate the company had positive net worth of $3.23 billion at the end of 2020. That means the insurance company is in a position to pay off all of its liabilities, including the $2.09 billion it owes the Government. The 2020 audit showed that CLICOs after tax profits plunged by 95 per cent for the year ending December 31, 2019. CLICO recorded $119.23 million in after-tax profit in 2020, compared with $123.69 in 2019 Its total assets amounted to $13.55 billion in 2020, down from $14.90 billion at the end of 2019, while its total liabilities for 2020 were $10.31 billion. CLICO has been under the control of the Central Bank since 2009, in accordance with Section 44D of the Central Bank Act. In an interview earlier this year, Central Bank Governor Dr Alvin Hilaire said he is anxious for T&Ts regulator of financial institutions to close the book on this countrys largest bailout. As I told you before, we want to get out of this thing yesterday. Right? We are not in the business of running insurance companies. Most of the conditions are no longer there in terms of the systemic issue. And in terms of the health of the financial system, so we dont have a systemic problem, he had said. Ministerial directives Despite CLICO being under the management of the Central Bank, the report noted that a number of transfers were made pursuant to ministerial directives over the course of the Central Banks management of CLICO. Directives by the Minister of Finance to CLICO are allowed under section 44 F(5) of the Central Bank Act, which states: In the performance of its functions and in the exercise of its powers under section 44D the Bank shall comply with any general or special directions of the Minister and shall act only after due consultation with the Minister. Among the ministerial directives recorded in the Central Bank document are: 1. In January 2017, in light of the unanticipated delay in the sale of MHIL shares and pursuant to directions from the Minister of Finance to the Central Bank, CLICO obtained an independent valuation of CLICOs 100 per cent shareholding in Occidental Investment Limited (OIL) and Oceanic Properties Limited (OPL) in preparation for the transfer of these shareholdings to the Government, thereby appropriately reducing CLICOs liabilities to the Government. The valuation report was completed and the share sale and purchase agreement executed by the parties on March 28,2017. On May 8, 2017, the parties signed the necessary share transfer forms to facilitate the transfer of CLICOs 100 per cent shareholding in OIL and OPL to the State Enterprise, Golden Grove-Buccoo Limited. 2. In November 2017, pursuant to directions from the Minister of Finance to the Central Bank, arrangements were commenced to facilitate the purchase and cancellation of certain Government bonds held by CLICO in consideration for an appropriate reduction in liabilities owed by CLICO to the Government in order of priority. The relevant Sale and Purchase Agreement was executed on July 26, 2018 and a Variation Agreement which amended the value of binds to be transferred was executed on August 30,2019. 3. On April 11, 2018, approximately $107 million of a WASA loan facility together with a cash payment of $21 million were effectively transferred to the Government for an appropriate reduction in liabilities owed by CLICO to the Government in order of priority. 4. Pursuant to directions from the Minister of Finance, agreements were executed on March 29, 2018 for the transfer of CLICOs approximately 21 per cent shareholding in One Caribbean Media Limited (OCM) and approximately five per cent shareholding in West Indian Tobacco Company Limited to the Government based on an independent valuation, in consideration for an appropriate reduction in liabilities owed by CLICO to the Government in order of priority. These shares were transferred on April 25, 2018. 5. On April 30, 2018, CLICO received from the liquidator of CIB, the Deposit Insurance Corporation, an interim distribution of 27,619,219 Republic Bank Limited (RBL) shares and 848,564 OCM shares. Pursuant to directions from the Minister of Finance, the Central Bank directed CLICO to transfer to the Government the RBL shares and the OCM shares based on the price determined by an independent valuation in consideration for an appropriate reduction in liabilities owned to the Government in order of priority. These shares were transferred to the Government on July 4, 2018. 6. On September 7, 2018 and April 4, 2019, bonds totally approximately $502 million (now valued at approximately $500 million pursuant to a Variation Agreement dated August 30, 2019) were transferred to the Government (for cancellation) in exchange for an appropriate reduction in liabilities owed by CLICO to the Government. 7. Further to directions to the Central Bank from the Minister of Finance, CLICO was directed to transfer one of its properties located in Chaguanas and one another located in Port of Spain to the Government, based on an up-to-date independent valuation, in consideration for an appropriate reduction in liabilities owed by CLICO to the Government. For the property located on Chaguanas, the relevant sale and purchase agreement was executed on April 9, 2019 and the deed of assignment was registered on February 6, 2020. The purchase agreement and the deed of lease for the property located in Port of Spain were executed on August 5,2020 in exchange for an appropriate reduction in liabilities. Stalled sale The report noted that progress on the sale of traditional insurance portfolios of CLICO and BAT has been impacted by ongoing court proceedings in the context of a challenge by one of the bidders of the portfolio. An injunction was granted to Maritime Life (Caribbean) Ltd in July 2020. In the 2019 financial statement, it reclassified assets in preparation for sale to Sagicor. CLICOs balance sheet showed the reclassification of over $7 billion in assets, in the form of Government bonds, from investment securities to assets held for sale. In addition, it shifted all of its $6.43 billion in insurance contractsand all but $145.48 million of the $1.66 billion classified as investment contractsto $7.72 billion of liabilities directly associated with assets held for sale. Note 18 of CLICOs financial statement indicates: The sales and purchase agreement allows for the parties to exit the contract by mutual agreement as well as by either party, if the other party fails to fulfil stipulated terms as outlined in the agreement. But Note 18 adds: CLICO remains fully committed to the sale of the portfolio and the execution of the signed agreement. Directives to sell the asset from the Central Bank as controller of CLICO under section 44D of the Central Bank Act have not changed. CONSPIRACY theorists with too much time on their hands were the ones who created an issue over the arrival of 80 vials of Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine that came to the country last week for use by officials at the National Security Ministry. So said Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley yesterday at the Covid-19 media conference at the Diplomatic Centre in St Anns. THE Police Service Commission (PolSC) has the green light to proceed with a new shorter process to appoint a Police Commissioner and Deputy Commissioner. Leader of Government Business Camille Robinson-Regis made this clear yesterday in response to a story in the Sunday Express which stated that the legal notice giving effect to the process was to be debated in the Parliament today. The two Democratic members of the Maryland elections board voted in favor of holding another mostly mail-in election because they believe its the best way to ensure the greatest number of people can successfully vote. Under their preferred method, every eligible voter would be mailed an absentee ballot and there would be additional in-person centers open for early voting and on Election Day. IT was a Christmas Eve-like atmosphere in supermarkets yesterday as people rushed out to stock up on supplies for the Labour Day and Fathers Day weekend during which curfew hours have been extended. During today which marks the Labour Day holiday and Fathers Day which is tomorrow, people are only permitted to be outdoors between the hours of 5.01 a.m. to 10.01 a.m. The curfew in effect on these days is 10.02 a.m. to 5 a.m. the following day. Even though there was a plea by Supermarket Association president Rajiv Diptee not to crowd the supermarkets yesterday, he said most of his member stores described the last-minute rush like Christmas Eve. Minister of National Security Stuart Young says the State received information that people were paid to protest yesterday. Young was speaking at his ministrys office in Port of Spain during a news conference called as a result of fiery protests throughout the capital city from early yesterday. ON Sunday morning, just like Saturday morning, there was a lot of loud talking coming from the back of a mini- mart in Santa Cruz. A mini-bar that has no bar licence (because it is in the middle of a residential community) but is a liming spot that has some great ties that apparently keep their loose practices untouched. Todays Labour Day is the second to be observed under conditions of the Covid-19 pandemic. This year, imposition of a 19-hour curfew as part of the current state of emergency makes for even greater stringency against public activity. PHOENIX A new U.S. Supreme Court ruling allowing state funds to be used for parochial school scholarships in Montana cements in place a system that has existed in Arizona for years, all with the blessing of courts. The nations high court in 2011 upheld a virtually identical program in Arizona. And while the reasoning of the justices in that case was different, the result is the same. In fact, Arizona has a much more direct form of aid to religious schools than the one at issue in the Montana case decided Tuesday. But even that has been found to be legal by state courts here. At issue in both Arizona and Montana is a system that gives people a dollar-for-dollar credit against their income taxes for money donated to organizations that provide scholarships for students to attend private and parochial schools. In the Arizona program, individuals can divert up to $593 a year double that for couples to the scholarship organizations. There are similar programs for corporations and insurance companies. All totaled, the state Department of Revenue figures there was about $192 million taken in these credits in the 2018 fiscal year, the most recent figures available. Hoffman said a lot of this is linked to the announcements Monday from the governor in the latest efforts to curb the spread of the virus, including promoting and enforcing social distancing. We cant even have groups of more than 10 people at the pool, Hoffman said. How can we possibly open our schools safely where we know that we have classrooms of 20, 30 or more students and high schools with upwards of thousands of students and teachers all coming together. Even the governor conceded that Aug. 17 start date is aspirational. And if last school year is an indication, those dates tend to slip. Duceys original mid-March order got extended by another two weeks before he and Hoffman pulled the plug on the rest of the academic year, telling schools to do the best they can in remote and online education. If nothing else, there seems to be an agreement that pushing the start date for the new year back at least two weeks if not longer makes sense. It has become clear over the past couple of weeks that it is just not safe for students and staff to congregate in-person at school facilities, Hoffman said. This was an unfortunate, but necessary decision to protect the healthy and safety of all Arizonans. "At the time this ordinance was adopted, we felt that there was community engagement with all of the incidents and what is happening throughout the country in terms of the issue," Tucson Mayor Regina Romero said. "I feel that is important that we repeal and if there is continued dialogue and conversation and engagement with the community that leaves us to relook at an ordinance such as this, then that would be good." The ordinance was passed unanimously during an April council meeting in response to a nationwide trend where people show up at crime scenes to record police, looking to create conflicts they can post online for profit. The council pointed to a video of a female Tucson Police officer who was subject to an X-rated tirade from a so-called "first amendment auditor." The lone dissenting vote was Councilman Steve Kozachik, who acknowledged the concerns regarding the lack of input, but that he's in support of delaying it as opposed to repealing it. "None of our employees should have to go to work and be subjected to that," he said. Contact reporter Justin Sayers atjsayers1@tucson.comor 573-4192. Twitter: @_JustinSayers. Facebook: JustinSSayers. 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. On June 28, the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation documented the hatching of a leatherback sea turtle nest on Captiva a very rare occurrence for the Gulf coast of Florida. SCCF volunteer permittee Kerry Salatino saw that the leatherback nest had hatched that morning and was able to photograph two hatchlings that were still making their way to the sea. One of the small black turtles, which are more than double the size of loggerhead hatchlings, fell into a hole that had not been filled in by beach-goers. Fortunately, Kerry was able to rescue it from the hole and help it get safely to sea, SCCF Coastal Wildlife Director Kelly Sloan said. These hatchlings also crawled towards the dunes before turning towards the sea because of artificial lighting. This is a great example of why its so important to fill in holes and turn off all lights visible from the beach. The hatching marked the first time a leatherback nest has been documented on Captiva, which also surpassed on June 28 its record for the most loggerhead nests ever recorded with 196. The nest was being invaded by fire ants, so we inventoried the nest immediately instead of waiting the standard three days, Sloan said. A total of 56 hatchlings made it to the Gulf of Mexico. In 2009, a leatherback nest hatched on Sanibel, which was a first for all of Lee and Collier counties. The largest of the seven species of sea turtles found worldwide, leatherbacks very rarely nest on Gulf coast beaches. In Florida, they normally nest on the Atlantic coast. Last year, about 1,100 leatherbacks nested in Florida, with most in Palm Beach and Martin Counties, according to data from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. The first evidence of a leatherback this season was no April Fools joke as tracks were discovered on April 1 on Sanibel, before early morning beach monitoring began on April 15. On May 10, the SCCF Sea Turtle Team encountered a leatherback on Sanibel and named her Juniper. It has been really exciting to see such a giant and uncommon species on Sanibel, SCCF Research Associate Andrew Glinsky said. The leatherback sea turtle is larger, dives deeper, travels farther, and tolerates colder waters than any other sea turtle. Most average 6 feet in length and weigh from 500 to 1,500 pounds. At a little over 5-feet-long, Juniper is an average-sized leatherback. While we dont have visual confirmation that the nest that hatched on Captiva was laid by Juniper, we are pretty confident these are Junipers offspring, Sloan said, adding that the first documented leatherback nest was inundated by the tides and surf of Tropical Storm Cristobal and did not hatch. Leatherbacks also look distinctively different from other sea turtles. Instead of a shell covered with scales or shields, they are covered with a firm leathery skin and have seven ridges running lengthwise down their backs. In May, Sloan reached out to biologists with Florida Leatherbacks Inc., a nonprofit dedicated to researching leatherbacks that nest on the east coast of Florida. FLIs Chris Johnson and Kelly Martin successfully placed a satellite tracking device on Juniper while she was nesting on Sanibel on May 19. This was an amazing opportunity to track a leatherback from a location never before tracked and gain valuable research data about her behavior and movements in the Gulf of Mexico, Martin said. Based on timing between nests, FLI biologists believe that Juniper may have laid nine nests this season. Their tracking shows that she swam as far north as Sarasota and out into depths of nearly 200 feet in the Gulf in-between nesting events. Leatherbacks are listed as endangered in the United States. Only an estimated one in 1,000 to 10,000 sea turtle hatchlings will make it to adulthood. Thanks to all of you who help protect our hatchlings by turning off all lights visible from the beach, removing beach furniture, filling in holes, and keeping our beaches free of litter, Sloan said. With the Fourth of July holiday weekend coming up, its especially important to remember that we share the beaches with these ancient animals. To follow Junipers travels, visit www.trackturtles.com. For more on SCCFs sea turtle monitoring program, visit www.sccf.org/our-work/sea-turtles. In Republican circles with the notable exception of the man who leads the party the debate about masks is over: Its time to put one on. As a surge of infections hammers the South and West, GOP officials are pushing back against the notion that masks are about politics, as President Donald Trump suggests, and telling Americans they can help save lives. Sen. Lamar Alexander, a Tennessee Republican, on Tuesday bluntly called on Trump to start wearing a mask, at least some of the time, to set a good example. "Unfortunately, this simple, lifesaving practice has become part of a political debate that says: If youre for Trump, you dont wear a mask. If youre against Trump, you do, Alexander said. Its a rare break for Republicans from Trump, who earlier this month told the Wall Street Journal that some people wear masks simply to show that they disapprove of him. And the Republican nudges for the public and the president to embrace mask-wearing are coming from all corners of Trumps party and even from friendly conservative media. Read the full story here: Here's an update on all developments. Scroll or swipe further for in-depth coverage. OPINION: "Many African Americans have called for reparations, and this country, including whites like me, need to get on board," says our latest local contributor. "We live in a country where systemic racism can no longer be tolerated." Editor's note: Le Hong Lam is a journalist, film critic, and author based in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. In this op-ed originally written in Vietnamese and published in the June 21, 2020 issue of the Tuoi Tre (Youth) daily, Lam addressed the issue of Vietnamese representation in Vietnam-themed films by Western directors, exploring how Vietnamese are often, in his words, "identity-less" in these movies. His comments have been translated and edited by Tuoi Tre News for clarity, consistency, and coherence. The long-standing tradition of warped, misinformed representations of Vietnam by foreign filmmakers is present yet again in Spike Lees latest Hollywood feature Da 5 Bloods, which leads us to one question: what gave rise to this distorted view of Vietnam? The answer was never as straightforward as Foreign directors dont understand Vietnam. Nguyen Thanh Viet, author of the Pulitzer-winning novel The Sympathizer, posted a lengthy write-up on the Lee's movie on his Facebook page. Basically, for American movies of the [American war in Vietnam], it doesn't matter whether the American is the hero or antihero as long as the American is the center. Better to be a villain or antihero than virtuous extra (that's for the Vietnamese, Cambodians, Laotians, and Hmong), Viet says in a series of posts. Americans would rather talk about killing each other than admit that the Vietnamese were killing them." Viet claims to be an admirer of many of Lees movies, but he could not sit through Da 5 Bloods, besides the classic Spike Lee opening montage, because it was a mess. Americans being the center in movies about wartime Vietnam Da 5 Bloods does not try to conceal its cliched use of imagery: it is crammed with stereotypes and a 'single story' mentality a style that has been heavily employed by foreign filmmakers to describe Vietnam in their pictures. These stereotypes can be seen throughout the movie, from the scornful amputated kid in a bar named Apocalypse Now, the clique of Vietnamese veterans leering at the African-American ex-GIs, to the float market vendor who turned agitated and hurled vengeful rebukes when the Americans refuse to buy from him. Lee also presents the tropes of female Vietnamese prostitutes and mixed-race children struggling in post-war realities. While these stories do exist in real life, they have also been overused in war-themed movies about Vietnam from foreign directors. With Da 5 Bloods, Lee attempted to put his touch on the well-trodden territory of movies about the war in Vietnam by telling the story from the perspective of black soldiers, a demographic that rarely made it to the spotlight of the genre. Yet, Lees conception of Vietnam and Vietnamese people remains at least 20-30 years behind contemporary material. The director is not an isolated case of Vietnamese misrepresentation, but he is now a part of a long-standing tradition where skewed viewpoints depict an identity-less style of characterization for Vietnamese characters, one perpetuated by even the grandest of directors and their silver screen spectacles, rendering Vietnamese bystanders in their own country. In the late 1970s to early 1980s and even the 1990s, the U.S.-Vietnam war as a topic was blasted on heavy rotation in the sphere of filmmaking, being the running theme among many Oscar-nominated flicks, other A-list movies, and festival winners. This stands as a manifestation of the collective trauma caused by a haunting war that dragged on for two decades, one that Americans were, and are, trying to do away with. These movies exclusively show the American view and the experience of American soldiers examples being Oliver Stones Platoon and Born on the Fourth of July, Hal Ashbys Coming Home, Michael Ciminos The Deer Hunter, F. Ford Coppolas Apocalypse Now, Stanley Kubricks Full Metal Jacket, and John Irvins Hamburger Hill. Vietnamese characters show up in these movies without an identity, devoid of a perceivable fate, or, in other cases, portrayed as an integral part of a poverty-ridden nation much like the landscape or other set pieces. These issues of biased perspective and unjust attitude have been extensively addressed in Nguyen Thanh Viets quintessential novel The Sympathizer. Despite not being painted as savage, amoral or devoid of identity, Vietnamese representation in Da 5 Bloods is still susceptible to American cliches and biases. The outlandish stories of Vietnam told by foreign directors Beyond the American realm, war and post-war issues in Vietnam are also the concerns of directors from many other cinema industries. Although the outsider perspective still came off prominently, these movies have attempted to shed light on the condition of Vietnam during and after the war. Still, those attempts are one from the outsiders, and to say that they got it right would be a reach. In 1970, French auteur Raoul Coutard went to Saigon to shoot his movie Hoa-Binh, alternatively entitled The Bamboo Incident in the U.S. market. This is the first feature film directed by Coutard, an already-established cinematographer who was involved in the works of Jean-Luc Godard a pioneering figure of the French New Wave movement, whose filmography includes French classics such as Le Mepris (1963), Pierrot le Fou (1965), and Week-end (1967). Hoa-Binh flaunts a new humanitarian view of the war in its climactic days. The movie stays non-partisan to explore the life of children during the war. It opens with a monologue of a child: Dad, what does peace mean? The movie is set during a phase of turmoil that ravaged Vietnam for over 30 years. The question shows up again at the end of the movie when the father played by star actor Le Quynh enters the war, but his wife falls ill and dies, leaving their adolescent child all alone and shunned by their relatives. The poor boy has to scrape along on the street to survive and take care of his little sister, all in the thick of the war. The film may remind viewers of the animated masterpiece Grave of the Fireflies from Japanese director Isao Takahata. Hoa-Binh was in competition at the prestigious Palme d'Or and won the Best First Work category at the 1970 Cannes Film Festival, then went on to win an Oscar for Best International Feature Film in 1971. In spite of its progressive and humanistic approach, the movie still viewed Vietnam through the lens of a foreigner and thus suffered from that bias. The actors, though being Vietnamese, speak French and act in an overtly naive manner apart from the solid performance from acting veteran Le Quynh. The writing also reveals the directors lack of information on his subject matter, with one scene sticking out as a prime example: upon hearing a loud noise from outside, the young boy asks, Mom, is that a cyclone? His mother replies, There are no cyclones in Vietnam, its just the sound of helicopters. (Vietnam is hit by around a dozen cyclones every year.) Star actor Le Quynh as captured in this screenshot of Raoul Coutards 'Hoa-Binh' (1970) Famed Hong Kong director Ann Hui also created a cinematic trilogy on the fate of the Vietnamese people after the war, starring top-billed actors of the Hong Kong movie industry: Chow Yun Fat, Andy Lau, and Cherie Chung. The trilogy was shot entirely outside of Vietnam and the cast spoke Cantonese while playing Vietnamese characters. The nuanced approach of this trilogy never made up for its alien vantage point, which barely touched on the actual fate of post-war Vietnamese individuals. In the 1990s, French cinema contributed two more movies to the U.S.-Vietnam war movie archive: Regis Wargniers Indochine and Jean-Jacques Annauds L'Amant, both of which were well received by international audiences and helped bring tourism to Vietnam in the wake of its Mo Cua (open-door) policy. Yet again, these two films only furthered the individualistic narrative of the French colonizer in Vietnam and Indochina. Vietnamese landscapes were beautifully portrayed but served as no more than the background for the Frenchmans exotic stories. Ha Long Bay as captured in Regis Wargniers 'Indochine' (1992) (To be continued) Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! TOULOUSE, France/PARIS -- Airbus is cutting 15,000 jobs within a year, including 900 already earmarked in Germany, saying its future is at stake after the coronavirus outbreak paralysed air travel. Airbus is moving swiftly to counter damage caused by a 40% slump in its 55-billion-euro ($61.8 billion) jet business following the pandemic, balancing belt-tightening against aid offered by European governments and future priorities. But it faces tough talks with governments as well as unions, which immediately pledged to fight compulsory redundancies. A 2008 restructuring triggered rare strikes and protests. Its going to be a mighty battle to save jobs, said Francoise Vallin of the CFE-CGC union. Europes biggest aerospace group said it would cut 5,000 posts in France, 5,100 in Germany, 900 in Spain, 1,700 in the UK, and 1,300 elsewhere by mid-2021, for a core total of 14,000. The broader tally includes another 900 job cuts planned before the crisis at its Premium AEROTEC unit in Germany. On June 3, Reuters reported reduced jet output pointed to cuts of 14,000 full-time posts. Earlier on Tuesday, French union sources predicted 15,000 cuts in total. Britains Unite union called the measures industrial vandalism. Frances hard-left Force Ouvriere union and others said they would oppose mandatory cuts. There was immediate political pushback in France, where the government of President Emmanuel Macron this month announced a 15-billion-euro support package for aviation. The number of job cuts announced by Airbus is excessive. We expect Airbus to fully use instruments put in place by the government to reduce job cuts, a finance ministry source said. Airbus refused to exclude sackings, but said it would first seek voluntary departures, early retirements and other measures. It wants to start implementing cuts this autumn and complete them next summer - a brisk deadline for such plans in Europe. Chief Executive Guillaume Faury said the company had been left with no choice by the dire industry crisis. It is the reality we have to face and we are trying to give a long-term perspective to Airbus, he told reporters. Production outlook Airbus said in April it was reducing output by a third, but has raised that to 40% as it presses the case for job cuts. Sources say the discrepancy reflects different ways of measuring output on a weighted basis, rather than an immediate new cut. We think we are rather stable now and there will be minor adjustments as we have in normal times, Faury told Reuters. But he added, minor changes can be bigger than seen in past because there is more volatility in the market. Exceptional secrecy had surrounded the politically sensitive restructuring affecting jobs in Britain, France, Germany and Spain, the companys key backers in a fierce contest with U.S. rival Boeing for orders and industrial clout. About 37% of the 135,000-strong Airbus workforce is due to retire this decade, led by veterans of its best-selling A320. Boeing is cutting over 12,000 U.S. jobs, including 6,770 involuntary layoffs, after the pandemic compounded woes caused by the 15-month-old grounding of its 737 MAX. Airbus programmes chief said it was slowing a push into after-sales services while maintaining a strategy of diversifying into the high-margin area. Some industry sources say Airbus has all but abandoned a goal of more than doubling services revenue to $10 billion this decade and transferred some staff to other roles. An experimental coronavirus vaccine developed by Inovio Pharmaceuticals Inc showed promise and was found to be safe in an early-stage human trial, the company said on Tuesday. The vaccine, one of 17 being tested in humans and part of the Trump administrations Operation Warp Speed program, induced immune responses in 34 of the 36 healthy volunteers aged 18 to 50 years, Inovio said. The company, however, did not disclose more details on the exact response the vaccine induced, saying the full data will be published in a peer-reviewed medical journal later. Shares of the company fell 10.1% to $28.49 as Wall Street analysts said the initial data provided only a limited look into the vaccines effects. Immune responses in the study were measured by the vaccines ability to generate binding antibodies, or virus-neutralizing antibodies, and T-cell responses, two metrics considered vital for a successful vaccine. Wed like to see data on these measures separately and broken out by dose before drawing too many conclusions, Piper Sandler analyst Christopher Raymond said. More studies would be needed to show if the antibody and other responses mean the drug can stop the virus in humans. Inovio said it is planning to begin a mid-to-late stage study in summer to measure the vaccines efficacy. Meanwhile, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said on Tuesday that for a coronavirus vaccine to be effective it would have to prevent or decrease the severity of the disease in at least 50% of people who are vaccinated. One of the main purposes of the early trial by Inovio was to check safety and the company said most of the 10 patients with side-effects experienced only redness at the site of the shot. Chief Executive Officer Joseph Kim told Reuters the trial was a success. This may be the safest vaccine among other platforms being used against COVID-19, he said. With her husband left jobless by the pandemic, the last thing Indonesian mother Juarsih needed was to get pregnant, but now she's expecting a third child -- one of many in the country anxiously preparing for a COVID-fuelled baby boom. Indonesian authorities believe there could be 400,000 more births than usual next year as lockdowns keep couples at home and cut access to contraception, prompting fears of an increase in abortions and stunting of children in poorer families. Juarsih, 41, says her birth control ran out as clinics closed or slashed hours and overwhelmed hospitals struggled to keep up with mounting coronavirus infections in the world's fourth most populous country. The mother of two teenagers is now too scared of the deadly respiratory disease to risk going out for a pregnancy checkup in her hometown Bandung, on Java island. "At first I was shocked when I found out that I was pregnant," she said. "I started feeling happy later although there's still some sadness... I should be grateful but this is happening at a difficult time." Contraception use has "dropped drastically" since the pandemic took hold across the sprawling archipelago in early March, Hasto Wardoyo, head of Indonesia's national population and family planning board, told AFP. Health authorities are worried increasing numbers of expectant parents will turn to abortions and push up maternal mortality rates. "We're also worried about stunting -- not all families can afford proper nutrition," he said. 'Dads, please control yourself' With access to hospitals and contraceptives difficult, health authorities have been forced to get creative. One campaign saw health workers in government vehicles rolling through communities to announce that now wasn't the time to have a baby. "You can have sex," one message blared out as workers trundled through a village. "You can get married. But don't get pregnant." "Dads, please control yourself... You can have sex as long as you use contraception." A street is pictured from an aerial view with less vehicles due to lockdowns and stay-at-home-orders during the COVID-19 pandemic near Jakarta, Indonesia. Photo: AFP Birth control has been a key plank of a family planning push launched by Indonesia's late dictator Suharto half a century ago. The program was later applauded for population control measures that saw in a big drop in the then developing nation's fertility rates. This week authorities launched a one-day blitz that aimed to give away contraceptives to one million citizens. Condoms are not popular in Indonesia, where some 98 percent of contraceptive users are women, mainly of hormone injections and birth-control pills. The family planning agency also enlisted the help of celebrities with huge social media followings to get the word out to the country's nearly 270 million people. 'Corona baby' At a health clinic in the capital Jakarta Monday, mother-of-two Rahma took advantage of the handouts, admitting that there was more romance in her household since the virus struck. "My husband has spent a lot more time at home," she laughed. "But since I'm using this programme I'm not worried about having more babies." Still, infection fears are keeping many at home like Ratna Dewi Nur Amalia, who has decided to rely on charting her menstrual cycle in the hopes of avoiding pregnancy. "I wanted to go to the gynaecologist for my birth control, but then the pandemic happened," said the 39-year-old Amalia. "I'm too scared to go anywhere near a hospital." Nearly 3,000 people have died of COVID-19 in Indonesia, according to an official tally, but independent researchers say the real toll could be several times higher. Budget cuts and a decentralized political structure across the huge country already made it tough to educate the public about family planning. "Now health workers are too busy focusing on handling corona patients so birth-control services have been pushed aside," said Kusmana, the head of West Java's family planning agency, who goes by one name. But the pandemic's work-from-home orders were an unexpected blessing for Arie Novarina and her husband after the busy couple's nearly two years of fruitless efforts to conceive. The 38-year-old is now pregnant with her first child. "Maybe it was because we were healthier and not exhausted anymore, and we had lots of quality time together at home," said Novarina, a state-owned firm employee. "My husband and I joke that this is a corona baby." Clay Center, KS (67432) Today Rain ending this morning. Breaks of sun in the afternoon. Cooler. High near 80F. Winds NNW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 90%.. Tonight Mostly clear. Low 58F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph. Mekong Show, a performance consisting of puppetry and a circus coming this July, is expected to be an inviting and spectacular show to satisfy audiences in Ho Chi Minh City. The show, whose script was written by Le Quy Duong and directed by Nguyen Phi Son, is the Phuong Nam Art Theater's key art project in 2020. It received an investment of around VND1 billion (US$43,000) from the municipal Department of Culture and Sports. The Mekong Show is scheduled for a two-night debut at 8:00 pm on July 4 and 5 at Gia Dinh Park on Hoang Minh Giam Street in Phu Nhuan District, Ho Chi Minh City. Tickets are available at the gate for between VND100,000 ($4.30) and VND200,000 ($8.60). During the 60-minute art show, the audience will experience snapshots of life in Vietnam's southern region dating back more than three hundred years. Lively scenes recreating how the local people of the past co-existed with wild animals, such as tigers and crocodiles, in the Mekong Delta region promise to bring an immersive experience. The stories of the regions first land explorers, whose bravery and hardworking contributed to the Mekong Deltas prosperity and wealth, will also be told on the stage. Performances are embedded with various circus skills such as acrobatics, aerial dance, flying trapeze, swinging double trapeze, and more. The musical art of don ca tai tu and various folk songs typical of southern Vietnam handpicked by musician Ho Van Thanh for the show will accompany the artists performances, highlighting the indigenous culture of the delta. Don ca tai tu is a musical art that evokes peoples life and work on the land and rivers of southern Vietnam. The art style was officially recognized by UNESCO as an intangible cultural heritage of humanity in 2013. With an aim to appeal to young audiences, Thanh also incorporated elements of contemporary music into the traditional musical pieces. "To induce an effective impact from the show, we had to carefully choose which kinds of musical instruments [were to be used in the show], especially the percussion instruments to evoke the Mekong Delta's characteristics," Thanh told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper. Mekong Show is one of the biggest theatrical performances the Phuong Nam Art Theater has produced. Around 50 performers have been rehearsing for 20 days to prepare for the show, according to the shows director Nguyen Phi Son. The Phuong Nam Art Theater's management board hopes to get more constructive feedback after the debut of the show to gradually improve its quality, said board director Le Dien. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Approximately 3,000 foreigners will be allowed to enter Ho Chi Minh City to facilitate the operations of local businesses, the municipal Department of Labor, War Invalids, and Social Affairs said at a conference on Tuesday. These foreigners include managers and experts who work for enterprises in the southern metropolis, according to Nguyen Van Lam, deputy director of the department. Among them are 82 spouses and children of the foreign experts, Lam added. At the meeting, many businesses stated that their operations have been negatively impacted as foreign investors, technical experts, skilled workers, and managers have not been allowed to enter Vietnam due to the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. Several firms said they have been unable to operate imported machines as they need to be assembled by foreign technicians. In order to resolve the issue, Ho Chi Minh City authorities have been reviewing and approving the proposals of local businesses regarding the entry of foreign experts and employees. The list of foreigners who are allowed to enter the southern metropolis is updated on the website of the Department of Labor, War Invalids, and Social Affairs on a weekly basis, Lam stated. Those who have been allowed to get into the city can receive their visas at the embassies of Vietnam in their home countries. They will be required to stay at quarantine centers for 14 days upon their arrival, the official stated, adding that they can also opt to spend their quarantine at local hotels for a fee. Previous data from the Ministry of Labor, War Invalids, and Social Affairs showed that more than 25,000 experts and skilled workers from abroad had been unable to return to work in Vietnam since the end of March due to COVID-19-related travel restrictions. Among them, nearly 8,500 were foreign experts needed for transport and electricity projects and for key positions in foreign direct investment (FDI) companies Vietnam has closed its borders to foreigners since March 22 to stem COVID-19 spread. The country's COVID-19 tally stands at 355, with 335 having recovered as of Wednesday morning, according to Ministry of Health statistics. No deaths from the disease have been recorded. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Check out the news you should not miss today: Politics The Embassy of Indonesia in Vietnam and the Embassy of Vietnam in Indonesia on Tuesday jointly launched a logo design competition to celebrate the 65th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two nations (December 30), according to Vietnam News Agency. Vietnamese and Indonesian citizens of all ages can participate. Society Vietnams novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) tally was at 355 on Wednesday morning, with 20 in treatment and 335 recoveries, according to the Ministry of Health. Wednesday also marked the 76th day without community transmission of the virus in Vietnam. The north-central province of Quang Tris foreign affairs department on Tuesday said it had sent a dispatch to the Consulate General of Vietnam in Laos Savannakhet Province, requesting verification of an incident in which a Vietnamese, 26-year-old Nguyen Duong Phi, was allegedly beaten and detained for several days by Seponh District police for unknown reasons, according to his mothers account. Nguyen Van My, 39, from the southern province of An Giang on Tuesday presented himself to police and admitted he had beaten his wife to death at their tenanted house in neighboring Long An Province on the same day. Local authorities are investigating the report. Police in the north-central province of Thanh Hoa on Tuesday said they had arrested Nigerian Ajearo Chuckwugekwu Godwin, 34, after an initial investigation showed Godwin was the main suspect in a nearly VND900 million (US$38,600) fraud as well as the kingpin of a transnational Internet fraud ring. Business As of June 2020, Vietnam's footwear leather exports have only reached 50 percent of the volume of the same period last year as stores in Europe and the U.S. have had to shut down due to COVID-19, Diep Thanh Kiet, vice-chairman of the Vietnam Leather, Footwear and Handbag Association, said at the 2020 International Conference on Footwear Industry held in Ho Chi Minh City on Tuesday. Lifestyle The Czech-Vietnam Tourism Forum was held in Prague on Tuesday as part of the activities to celebrate the 70th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties and step up tourism cooperation following the COVID-19 pandemic,the Vietnam News Agency reported. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! An Indonesian man working in Binh Duong Province, located in southern Vietnam, tested positive for COVID-19 on Tuesday, apparently the countrys first local transmission in more than two months, though the Ministry of Health has not officially logged this case. The male patient was born in 1989 and stays in a hotel in Ben Cat Town, Binh Duong, the Ho Chi Minh City Center for Disease Control said in a quick report on Wednesday. The Indonesian citizen entered Vietnam via Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City on March 11. He then went to Binh Duong in his companys car. From that date till June 29, he just traveled between his hotel and company, dropping by a supermarket and a rice stall for food. He never came to Ho Chi Minh City during this period. On Tuesday, he traveled with a compatriot in their companys car to a clinic in Thao Dien Ward, District 2, Ho Chi Minh City for a COVID-19 test before his flight back to Indonesia. The patient visited Ben Thanh Market in District 1, Ho Chi Minh City prior to his return trip to Binh Duong. His test returned positive the same day so he was admitted to the Binh Duong General Hospital right away. Health workers in Ho Chi Minh City have traced and quarantined four medical staff members of the clinic who were in close contact with the patient. Their samples were taken on Wednesday morning in a centralized quarantine center. Authorities have been tracking six other medical staffers and 11 normal patients who visited the clinic at the same time as the Indonesian man for isolation. The Indonesian patient appears to be Vietnams first locally-transmitted case in 2.5 months. The Ministry of Health still put the number of confirmed coronavirus infections in Vietnam at 355 on Wednesday night, unchanged from Tuesday. This means the ministry has yet to document the Indonesian case. The health ministry has not recorded any local transmission for the last 76 days. Vietnam has closed its borders to foreigners since March 22 to stem COVID-19 spread, while the country has grounded commercial flights to and from other nations. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! The Department of External Affairs in the north-central province of Quang Tri has requested the Vietnamese Consulate General in Laos' Savannakhet Province to verify a case where a Vietnamese citizen is reported to have been beaten and held by Lao police for days. Nguyen Thi Kham, a local in Quang Tri's eponymous town, told the authority that her 26-year-old son Nguyen Duong Phi had been hit and detained by the police department in Savannakhet's Seponh District for no proper reason. Phi is living with a permanent residence permit in Savannakhet and operates bulldozers for work in Seponhs Thakhong Village, according to Khams report on June 29, On his way to work on June 24, a group of people who claimed to be police, wearing no uniforms and carrying no police ID cards, asked Phi to present his personal papers. As Phi refused to comply with their request and kept going, the group used force to stop his vehicle, held him, beat him, and asked for a fine of 1.3 million Lao kip (US$144) or they would not let him go. Phi did not agree to pay the sum and has been temporarily held in custody at Seponh Districts police station since June 24. Kham also sent a number of photos together with her written account of the incident to the Quang Tri external affairs department showing Phis injuries to prove that her son was beaten. The department on Tuesday said that it had sent a note to the Vietnamese Consulate General in Savannakhet asking the diplomatic mission to verify Khams report. It requested the agency in Savannakhet follow the case and contact authorities in Laos to ensure the protection of the Vietnamese citizen. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! It seems there just may be an upside to the global pandemic, in the form of Hamilton the movie. A filmed version of the hit Broadway musical was due to be released on the big screen in 2021. Instead Disney nabbed the rights and has fast-tracked it to Streaming. Now you dont need a plane or Broadway ticket (neither of which are readily available) to experience this exhilarating production. Filmed in 2016 at the Richard Rodgers Theatre, on a largely spartan stage, this production is written by Lin-Manuel Miranda (His Dark Materials, Fosse / Verdon): book, lyrics and music. If thats not enough he also stars in the title role. The man is simply a genius. Hamilton is a towering work. Building on his success with In the Heights, the score comprises hip-hop, jazz, R&B and traditional music theatre to weave its magic across an often-overlooked chapter in American History: how a West Indies immigrant Alexander Hamilton, helped ratify the American Constitution. To bring a new perspective to this biography director Thomas Kail (Grease Live) uses a predominantly Black and Latino cast, including for the roles of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and more. The pace ignites like dynamite as recitative meets hip hop and finger snappin. American history was never so cool, riffing on a revolving stage. A massive 46 tunes, of varying length unfold -many linking seamlessly from scene to scene or within them. At the heart of the story is Hamilton (Lin-Manuel Miranda) whose ambitions for change in a young New York lock horns with the establishment and risk being derailed by his own habit of talking way too much. But he bonds with young revolutionaries, marries Eliza (Phillipa Soo) and is hired by George Washington (Christopher Jackson) to fight the Brits in the American War of Independence. Jonathan Groff (Looking) almost steals the show as King George III, who warns America, I will send you a full battalion to remind you of my love. Its possibly the best ruler cameo since Pilates turn in Jesus Christ Superstar. Hamilton is full of wry, woke observations as it twists history books, including Angelicas (Renee Elise Goldsberry) retort to Jeffersons notion that all men are created equal: Im a compel him to include women in the sequel! The politics of it all is sometimes complex, but the staging by Kail is brilliantly creative (ok make that 2 geniuses) right up to its spellbinding final act, with dazzling choreography from Andy Blankenbuehler. The net effect is something akin to Assassins meets Les Miserables meets a 50 Cent concert. Curiously for Disney, there are occasional adult themes and language But it is singing we are here for. The ensemble are triple threats, rippling in vocals as well as in biceps. Leslie Odom Jr. stops the show as lawyer and vice president Aaron Burr with The Room Where it Happens, Renee Elise Goldsberry is exquisite in her intimate Satisfied and Phillipa Soo is captivating with her emotional solos such as Burn. Daveed Diggs also brings humour to his dual roles Marquis de Lafayette and Thomas Jefferson -including his very own drop the mic moment. Lin-Manuel Miranda is a tour de force in the title role, and the audience at this filmed production are clearly on board from the get-go. I can only imagine this is a helluva night of exhilarating, empowering theatre. Hamilton airs Friday on Disney+ Related Hard Quiz is off to The Netherlands with is first overseas format to premiere this Saturday on public broadcaster BNNVARAs NPO 1. Produced by Dutch production company, SkyHighTV, Hard Spel translates as Hard Play. Hosted by Richard Groenendijk, this Dutch language version will follow the same format as Australias Hard Quiz. Aussie host Tom Gleeson, said: Weve sold Hard Quiz to the country that gave us Big Brother and The Voice. Hard Quiz is produced by Thinkative Television for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Format sales were handled by Hat Trick International for Guesswork Distribution. Related Showbiz veteran Hazel Phillips OAM made a surprise appearance on Studio 10 this week, from her Gold Coast home. Phillips, 90, was only the second woman in Australia to win a Gold Logie (following Lorrae Desmond), for Girl Talk, the first midday show on the new Channel 10 in 1967. When Channel 10 first started, the public were put to the vote on who theyd like to see on the new channel and I came out top of the bill, so they put me on daily at 12. I was the first talk show host in this country, she said. As she recalled, TV Week once reported on her salary alongside the likes of Don Lane and Graham Kennedy. (They got) $5000 a week and Hazel Phillips was the highest paid woman. $350 bucks. 7 live shows a week. But I thought it was great. My husband had swanned off at some stage and I was left with an 8 and 10 year old so I had to earn my keep, she said. In 2011, she performed in Australias Got Talent, reaching the semi-finals. This week showing she was not about to shun the spotlight, she was promoting a new line of retro-fridges. Go Hazel! You can check her out at 10 Play. Related Former 10 Chief Executive Officer Paul Anderson, who resigned in March, has thanked and farewelled staff. Anderson joined Network 10 in 2003 but after announcing his resignation, both as 10 CEO and Executive Vice President of ViacomCBS Australia/ NZ, agreed to stay for an interim period to assist with a smooth transition to new management. In an email to staff today he said, This note is to let you know that I am now officially on leave from 10. And while I have contractual obligations, Beverley (McGarvey) and the management team are running the network -with a lot of success in very trying conditions. The world we live in at the moment is incredibly difficult for all sectors of the community and economy. Beverley and the team are doing an amazing job and their ratings and revenue performance for the first half of 2020 say it all. Anderson thanked Sales boss Rod Prosser for leading his team through an unprecedented advertising period. I would also like to acknowledge the incredible job that our team are doing on Studio 10, 10 News First, and The Project. This has been an extraordinary year to report on and your efforts have been amazing. Anderson, who is well regarded amongst 10 ranks, is yet to announce his future plans. At some stage I do hope to come in and say goodbye properly in person to all of you. I really do hope I get that chance. This network has been a massive part of my life and will always remain very special to me, he added. ViacomCBS is not seeking a replacement CEO, but confirmed co-leads, one of which is Beverley McGarvey, as Chief Content Officer and EVP of ViacomCBS Australia and New Zealand. The other appointment is yet to be confirmed. Related Ozark has been renewed for a fourth season by Netflix -but it will also be the shows last. Season 4 will be split into two parts consisting of seven episodes each (previous seasons have comprised 10 eaah). Were so happy Netflix recognized the importance of giving Ozark more time to end the Byrdes saga right, showrunner Chris Mundy said. Its been such a great adventure for all of us both on screen and off so were thrilled to get the chance to bring it home in the most fulfilling way possible. Mundy will return as showrunner, writer and executive producer and will reunite with Jason Bateman as the creative forces behind both parts of the new season. Laura Linney (who becomes co-exec producer), Julia Garner, Sofia Hublitz, Skylar Gaertner, Charlie Tahan, and Lisa Emery all return. A super sized season means super sized problems for the Byrdes, Bateman said. Im excited to end with a bang(s). Source: Variety Related Thank you for reading! Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading. SBS has closed its Melbourne office, radio and production studios in Federation Square after an employee tested positive for COVID-19. SBS News reports an employee returned a positive coronavirus test on Sunday, with close contacts identified and told to self-isolate. The worker had last attended the workplace on Thursday 25 June. The site closed on Sunday afternoon for additional cleaning but re-opened on Monday. On Tuesday evening, Victorian Health authorities contacted the public broadcaster to say it had revised its health guidelines for the workplace. SBS management chose to close the Melbourne workspace from 1 July to allow for further contact tracing. Employees have been told to work from home if able to do so. The SBS Sydney newsroom closed in March when it was linked to another positive case. Related Tyler, TX (75702) Today Isolated thunderstorms during the morning becoming more widespread this afternoon. Storms may contain strong gusty winds. High 88F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%.. Tonight Thunderstorms likely. Low 66F. Winds NNE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%. 30 June 2020 The Annual General Meeting of Interoil Exploration and Production ASA was held at Ruselkkveien 14, Oslo on Tuesday 30 June 2020 at 15:00 CET. Find the minutes from the Annual General Meeting attached. Please direct any further questions to: ir@interoil.no. *************************** Interoil Exploration and Production ASA is a Norwegian based exploration and production company - listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange - with focus on Latin America. The Company is operator of several production and exploration assets in Colombia and Argentina. Interoil currently employs approximately 50 people and is headquartered in Oslo. This information is subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant to Section 5-12 the Norwegian Securities Trading Act Attachment Dublin, June 30, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Digital Transformation Asia Pacific: 5G, Artificial Intelligence, Internet of Things, and Smart Cities in APAC 2020 - 2025" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. From predicting what will happen with 5G technology in the next few years to identifying how 5G will transform business, this report is must-have research for any ICT company looking to expand business within the region. This report represents the most comprehensive research available focused on the role and impact of 5G, AI, and IoT technologies in Asia Pac. It also provides an analysis about how these technologies will have a positive feedback loop effect with smart cities. This report identifies market opportunities for deployment and operations of key technologies within the Asia Pac region. While the biggest markets China, Korea, and Japan often get the most attention, it is important to also consider the fast-growing ASEAN region including Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei, Laos, Myanmar, Cambodia, and Vietnam. In fact, many lessons learned in leading Asia Pac countries will be applied to the ASEAN region. By way of example, H3C Technologies Co. is planning to offer a comprehensive digital transformation platform within Thailand that includes core cloud and edge computing, big data, interconnectivity, information security, IoT, AI, and 5G solutions. The AI segment is currently very fragmented, characterized with most companies focusing on silo approaches to solutions. Longer-term, researchers see many solutions involving multiple AI types as well as integration across other key areas such as the Internet of Things (IoT) and data analytics. AI is expected to have a big impact on data management. However, the impact goes well beyond data management as we anticipate that these technologies will increasingly become part of every network, device, application, and service. Data analytics at the edge of networks is very different from centralized cloud computing as data is contextual (example: collected and computed at a specific location) and may be processed in real-time (e.g. streaming data) via big data analytics technologies. Edge Computing represents an important ICT trend in which computational infrastructure is moving increasingly closer to the source of data processing needs. This movement to the edge does not diminish the importance of centralized computing such as is found with many cloud-based services. Instead, computing at the edge offers many complementary advantages including reduced latency for time-sensitive data, lower capital costs, and operational expenditures due to efficiency improvements. For both core cloud infrastructure and edge computing equipment, the use of AI for decision making in IoT and data analytics will be crucial for efficient and effective decision making, especially in the area of streaming data and real-time analytics associated with edge computing networks. Real-time data will be a key value proposition for all use cases, segments, and solutions. The ability to capture streaming data, determine valuable attributes, and make decisions in real-time will add an entirely new dimension to service logic. In many cases, the data itself, and actionable information will be the service. Many industry verticals will be transformed through AI integration with enterprise, industrial, and consumer product and service ecosystems. It is destined to become an integral component of business operations including supply chains, sales, and marketing processes, product and service delivery, and support models. The term for AI support of IoT (or AIoT) is just beginning to become part of the ICT lexicon as the possibilities for the former adding value to the latter are only limited by the imagination. AI, IoT, and 5G will provide the intelligence, communications, connectivity, and bandwidth necessary for highly functional and sustainable smart cities market solutions. These technologies in combination are poised to produce solutions that will dramatically transform all aspects of ICT and virtually all industry verticals undergoing transformation through AI integration with enterprise, industrial, and consumer product and service ecosystems. The convergence of these technologies will attract innovation that will create further advancements in various industry verticals and other technologies such as robotics and virtual reality. In addition, these technologies are destined to become an integral component of business operations including supply chains, sales, and marketing processes, product and service delivery, and support models. There will be a positive feedback loop created and sustained by leveraging the interdependent capabilities of AI, IoT, and 5G (e.g. a term coined as AIoT5G). For example, AI will work in conjunction with IoT to substantially improve smart city supply chains. Metropolitan area supply chains represent complex systems of organizations, people, activities, information, and resources involved in moving a product or service from supplier to customer. Smart cities in particular represent a huge market for Asia Pac digital transformation through a combination of solutions deployed urban environments that are poised to transform the administration and support of living and working environments. Accordingly, Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) are transforming at a rapid rate, driven by urbanization, the industrialization of emerging economies, and the specific needs of various smart city initiatives. Smart city development is emerging as a focal point for growth drivers in several key ICT areas including 5G, AI, IoT, and the convergence of AI and IoT known as the Artificial Intelligence of Things or simply AIoT. Sustainable smart city technology deployments depend upon careful planning and execution as well as monitoring and adjustments as necessary. For example, feature/functionality must be blended to work efficiently across many different industry verticals as smart cities address the needs of disparate market segments with multiple overlapping and sometimes mutually exclusive requirements. This will stimulate the need for both cross-industry coordination as well as orchestration of many different capabilities across several important technologies. Story continues Select Report Findings Mobile Edge Computing will be key for private wireless implementation AI, IoT, and 5G (AIoT5G) will be the most influential technologies for smart cities Key 5G applications for business will be IoT connectivity, SMB/corporate mobility, and fixed wireless IoT technology will need to adapt to support the dynamic between public and private wireless networks IoT systems will become increasingly more cognitive rather than relying solely upon autonomic event-response logic Report Benefits Identify a roadmap for successful digital transformation with key technologies Recognize the impact of smart cities on ICT evolution and digital transformation Understand the architectural framework and solutions for tomorrow's digital ecosystems Identify the impact of 5G, AI, edge computing, and IoT on enterprise and industrial segments Understand how emerging technologies will transform service and resource management systems Identify how the convergence of AI and IoT (AIoT) will pave the way towards the network of the future Key Topics Covered 1. Executive Summary 2. Introduction 2.1 Digital Transformation in Asia Pac 2.2 Technology-Driven Transformation 2.2.1 Fifth Generation (5G) Cellular 2.2.2 Artificial Intelligence 2.2.3 Edge Computing 2.2.4 Internet of Things 2.2.5 Artificial Intelligence of Things 3. 5G Market Outlook 3.1 Evolution of LTE to 5G Networks 3.1.1 LTE Advanced 3.1.2 Peer-to-Peer Communications: LTE Direct 3.1.3 LTE Advanced Pro 3.1.4 5G Network Deployment 3.2 5G Infrastructure 3.3 5G Capabilities 3.3.1 Scalability for Machine Communications 3.3.2 Optimizing Network, Application, and Service Needs 3.4 5G Applications and Services 3.4.1 Enhanced Mobile Broadband 3.4.2 Ultra-reliable Low-latency Communications 3.4.3 Massive Machine-type Communications 4. Artificial Intelligence Market Outlook 4.1 AI Technology Matrix 4.1.1 Machine Learning 4.1.2 Natural Language Processing 4.1.3 Computer Vision 4.1.4 Speech Recognition 4.1.5 Context-Aware Processing 4.1.6 Artificial Neural Networks 4.1.7 Predictive APIs 4.1.8 Autonomous Robotics 4.2 AI Technology Readiness 4.3 Machine Learning APIs 4.3.1 IBM Watson API 4.3.2 Microsoft Azure Machine Learning API 4.3.3 Google Prediction API 4.3.4 Amazon Machine Learning API 4.3.5 BigML 4.3.6 AT&T Speech API 4.3.7 Wit.ai 4.3.8 AlchemyAPI 4.3.9 Diffbot 4.3.10 PredictionIO 4.3.11 General Application Environment 4.4 AI Technology Goals 4.5 AI Tools and Approaches 4.6 Emotion Detection with AI 4.6.1 Facial Detection APIs 4.6.2 Text Recognition APIs 4.6.3 Speech Recognition APIs 4.7 IoT Application and Big Data Analytics 4.8 Data Science and Predictive Analytics 4.9 AI in Edge Computing and 5G Networks 4.10 Cloud Computing and Machine Learning 4.11 Smart Machine and Virtual Twinning 4.12 Factory Automation and Industry 4.0 4.13 Building Automation and Smart Workplace 4.13.1 Cloud Robotics and Public Security 4.14 Self-Driven Network and Domain-Specific Network 4.15 Predictive 3D Design 4.16 Market Solutions and Application Analysis 4.16.1 AI Market Landscape 4.16.2 AI Application Delivery Platform 4.16.3 AIaaS and MLaaS 4.16.4 Enterprise Adoption and External Investment 4.16.5 Enterprise AI Drive Productivity Gains 4.16.6 AI Patent and Regulatory Framework 4.16.7 Value Chain Analysis 4.16.8 IoT Ecosystem 4.16.9 AI Use Case Analysis 4.16.10 Competitive Landscape Analysis 5. Internet of Things Market Outlook 5.1 IoT Overview 5.2 IoT Technology 5.3 IoT Functional Structure 5.4 IoT Network Architecture 5.5 Economic Impact Analysis 5.6 Market Factors and Challenges 5.7 Machine Learning and other forms of Artificial Intelligence 5.8 The Artificial Intelligence of Things 5.9 Edge Computing and Fog Computing 5.10 Digital Twin Technology 5.11 5G to Drive Substantial IoT Network Expansion 6. Artificial Intelligence of Things Market Outlook 6.1 The Artificial Intelligence of Things 6.2 AIoT Market Analysis 6.2.1 Equipment and Components 6.2.2 Cloud Equipment and Deployment 6.2.3 3D Sensing Technology 6.2.4 Software and Data Analytics 6.2.5 AIoT Platforms 6.2.6 Deployment and Services 6.3 AIoT Sub-Markets 6.3.1 Supporting Device and Connected Objects 6.3.2 IoT Data as a Service 6.3.3 AI Decisions as a Service 6.3.4 APIs and Interoperability 6.3.5 Smart Objects 6.3.6 Smart City Considerations 6.3.7 Industrial Transformation 6.3.8 Cognitive Computing and Computer Vision 6.3.9 Consumer Appliances 6.3.10 Domain-Specific Network Considerations 6.3.11 3D Sensing Applications 6.3.12 Predictive 3D Design 6.4 AIoT Supporting Technologies 6.4.1 Cognitive Computing 6.4.2 Computer Vision 6.4.3 Machine Learning Capabilities and APIs 6.4.4 Neural Networks 6.4.5 Context-Aware Processing 6.5 AIoT Enabling Technologies and Solutions 6.5.1 Edge Computing 6.5.2 Blockchain Networks 6.5.3 Cloud Technologies 6.5.4 5G Technologies 6.5.5 AIoT Digital Twin Technology and Solutions 6.5.6 Smart Machines 6.5.7 Cloud Robotics 6.5.8 Predictive Analytics and Real-Time Processing 6.5.9 Post Event Processing 6.5.10 Haptic Technology 7. Digital Transformation in Asia Pac Market Analysis and Forecasts 7.1 LTE and 5G Services in Asia Pacific 7.1.1 LTE and 5G Services in APAC 2020-2025 7.1.2 LTE and 5G Services in APAC by Country 2020-2025 7.2 AI Technology in Asia Pacific 7.2.1 AI Chipsets in Asia Pac 2020-2025 7.2.2 AI Technology in Asia Pacific 2020-2025 7.2.3 AI Technology in Asia Pacific by Country 7.3 IoT Technology in Asia Pacific 7.3.1 IoT Technology in APAC 2020-2025 7.3.2 IoT Technology in Asia Pacific by Country 2020-2025 7.4 AIoT Technology in Asia Pacific 7.4.1 AIoT Technology in Asia Pacific 2020-2025 7.4.2 AIoT in APAC by Technology and Solution 2020-2025 8. Summary and Conclusions 8.1 Transformation of ICT Networks 8.2 Broadband Evolution is a Key Factor 8.3 The Rise of Private Wireless Networks 8.4 The Rise of Edge Networking and Computing 8.5 Optimizing Data Management is Crucial 8.6 Digital Transformation in Manufacturing and Industrial Automation Companies Mentioned Alchemy Amazon AT&T BigML Diffbot Google IBM Microsoft PredictionIO Wit.ai For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/6r9p4x Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research. CONTACT: CONTACT: ResearchAndMarkets.com Laura Wood, Senior Press Manager press@researchandmarkets.com For E.S.T Office Hours Call 1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call 1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 Visitors arrive at Commerzbank's headquarters before the bank's annual news conference in Frankfurt FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Cerberus wants Commerzbank to cut far more than a reported 7,000 jobs as part of plans by Germany's second biggest bank to reduce costs, a person familiar with the matter said. The U.S. activist investor, one of Commerzbank's largest shareholders with a stake of more than 5%, has been pressing for big changes, with a dramatic restructuring a concern for German banking unions. Cerberus plans to present Commerzbank with a "succinct view" on measures it should take on headcount and other moves in the coming weeks, the person said on condition of anonymity, adding that job cuts should be "definitely beyond" 7,000. A spokeswoman for Commerzbank, which at the end of 2019 employed around 48,500 workers, plans to announce details of cost-cutting measures by August at the latest, said: "Currently, different options and scenarios are being discussed. No decisions have been taken." Commerzbank's supervisory board was set to discuss the possibility of a further 7,000 redundancies, in addition to the more than 4,000 job cuts announced last autumn, the business daily newspaper Boersen-Zeitung reported on Tuesday. "A strategy that is influenced by Cerberus is definitely not in the interest of employees," said Stefan Wittmann, who represents labour on the supervisory board and is an official at Germany's Verdi union. Citing finance industry sources, Boersen-Zeitung said Commerzbank, under pressure from shareholders over its strategy and leadership, was now considering closing 400 of its 1,000 German offices, or double the number previously mentioned. A meeting of Commerzbank's supervisory board planned for Wednesday will not take place as worker representatives wanted to have time to study documents detailing proposals by the bank and these had not been provided, the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung reported. Cerberus sought to invoke quicker change at Commerzbank, which rejected its demand for two supervisory board seats. (Reporting by Vera Eckert, Anneli Palmen, Hans Seidenstuecker and Tom Sims; Editing by Clarence Fernandez, Madeline Chambers, Sabine Wollrab and Alexander Smith) Dublin, June 30, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Development Strategies of Huawei, 2020 and Beyond" company profile has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. This report provides an overview of Huawei in terms of revenue performance and market presence; points out three major challenges amid the US-China trade war and COVID-19 pandemic; examines countermeasures of the company in response to US government charges against Huawei, COVID-19 pandemic, and difficulties facing its business groups over the years. Report Scope Development of Huawei, touching the company's revenue and profit performance and its business group revenues in recent years New product solutions of Huawei's new Cloud & AI and smart car business units Three major challenges facing Huawei and the company's countermeasures In December 2018, the US government requested the Canadian police to arrest Meng Wanzhou pursuant to the extradition treaty between Canada and the United States. In May 2019, the US government restricted US firms from selling components and technology to Huawei and put Huawei in a difficult situation. In 2020, following embracing cooperate restructuring and supply chain strengthening strategies, Huawei has been attempting to maintain revenue growth and survive from the global backlash against Huawei, especially the United States and its allies, while maintaining its leading position in the global communications market in the 5G era. Key Topics Covered 1. Introduction of Huawei 1.1 Maintained Double-Digit Revenue Growth in 2019 Despite US Sanctions 1.2 Huawei Has Telecom Customers in All Markets Outside of the US 2. Challenges Facing Huawei 2.1 US Restrictions on Supply and Demand Hamper Huawei's Market Expansion 2.1.1 Supply-side: Barriers on Huawei's Acquisition of Critical US software and hardware components Increase 2.1.2 Demand-side - Restrictions placed in the name of national security on the purchase of Huawei equipment by US companies with alternatives suggested 2.2 COVID-19 Epidemic May Negatively Impact Huawei in Two Ways 2.2.1 Mobile Carriers Delaying Their Network Upgrades and Reducing Their Annual Capital Expenditures 2.2.2 Many Countries Have Questioned China's Handling of the Epidemic and Huawei May Be Caught in the Backlash 2.3 Slow Growth in Two Major Business Groups with Better Performance Needed in Europe and East Asia 3. Countermeasures of Huawei 3.1 Response to US Government and COVID-19 3.1.1 Actively Counter US Government's Accusations through Litigation and Public Statements 3.1.2 Consolidation of Relations with Friendly European Nations 3.1.3 Huawei Aims for Becoming an International Leader in Communications Technology 3.1.4 Improving the Self-Sufficiency in Critical Software and Hardware 3.2 Response to Issues Facing Business Groups 3.2.1 Consolidation of 5G Orders for Chinese Market 3.2.2 Corporate Restructuring to Create New BU for Cloud & AI and Smart Car 3.2.3 Continued Rollouts of New Products into Main Product Lines 4. Author Perspective List of Tables Table 1 Huawei Revenue and Profit Performance, 2013-2019 Table 2 Annual Revenue Growth of Huawei by Business Group and Geographic Region, 2013-2019 Table 3 Huawei's Response to US Government Sanctions Table 4 Leading US/Chinese ICT Vendors; Lobbying Amount in the EU Table 5 R&D Spending of the Top Three Mobile Communications System Vendors, 2015-2019 Table 6 Key Investments of Hubble Technology, 2019-2020 Table 7 Outcome of Huawei Bids on China Mobile 5G Projects List of Figures Figure 1 Huawei's Revenue Distribution by Business Group, 2013-2019 Figure 2 Huawei's Revenue Distribution by Region, 2013-2019 Figure 3 Huawei's Market Presence in Key Telecom Equipment Markets, 2019 Figure 4 Research Findings on 5G Patent Families Figure 5 Illustration of HiSilicon Product Lines Figure 6 Six Features of Huawei Cloud Figure 7 Huawei HiCar Product Features and Strategies Figure 8 Huawei 1+8+N Product Roadmap Figure 9 Huawei WeLinks Four Key Product Elements and Results of Pre-Launch Trials Story continues Companies Mentioned 3PEAK Inc. Alibaba Apple China Mobile CICT Ciena Cisco Da-Jiang Innovations Ericsson FiberHome General Electric Google Hikvision HiSilicon HP Huawei IBM iDeepWise Artificial Intelligence Intel Jiehuate Micro-Electronic Juniper Kingdee LG Microsoft NewCoSemi Beijing Nokia North Ocean Photonics NTT Docomo Oppo Qualcomm Sharp Shoulder Electronics Tarconn Electronics Suzhou Yutai Auto Electronics Tencent Tianyue Advanced Material Technology Vivo Xiaomi Youyou Network ZTE For more information about this company profile visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/rbe185 Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research. CONTACT: CONTACT: ResearchAndMarkets.com Laura Wood, Senior Press Manager press@researchandmarkets.com For E.S.T Office Hours Call 1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call 1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 DGAP-News: Manz AG / Key word(s): AGM/EGM The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. Manz AG successfully holds its first virtual Annual General Meeting Reutlingen, June 30, 2020 - Manz AG, a global high-tech engineering company with an extensive technology portfolio, successfully held its 2020 Annual General Meeting today, Tuesday. Due to the restrictions imposed by the Covid-19 pandemic, this year's General Meeting was conducted virtually. The presence of the represented share capital equaled approximately 61.0%; all items on the agenda were adopted by a large majority. The Management Board used this opportunity to report to shareholders in detail on Manz AG's operational and strategic development in fiscal year 2019, for which the Management and Supervisory Board were approved by a large majority at the General Meeting. In addition, the Management Board focused on the profitable first quarter of 2020 and the current situation. While companies around the world are heavily impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic, Manz AG significantly improved its profitability in the first quarter of 2020 and recorded positive consolidated earnings. Considering the extraordinary situation since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Management Board believes that the high-tech engineering company is well positioned for the future. As a result, Manz continued the commissioned projects as planned. The company is in regular contact with its customers regarding further promising project orders. In this regard, the Management Board would like to thank all employees in particular for their successful commitment over the last few months despite the impacts of the pandemic. Martin Drasch, Manz AG's CEO, is correspondingly confident about the future after a challenging business year 2019: "We have made significant progress in terms of profitability thanks to highly efficient project processing and cost savings. We believe that future opportunities and prospects for us as a high-tech engineering company are good overall, even though Manz is naturally also facing particular challenges in the current difficult economic climate that we have weathered very well to date." The detailed voting results for the respective agenda items will be made available for download in a timely manner on the company website www.manz.com in the Investor Relations / Annual General Meeting section. Company profile: Manz AG - passion for efficiency Founded in 1987, Manz AG is a global high-tech equipment manufacturing company. Its business activities cover the areas of Solar, Electronics, Energy Storage, Contract Manufacturing and Service. With many years of expertise in automation, laser processing, vision and metrology, wet chemistry and roll-to-roll processes, the company offers manufacturers and their suppliers innovative production solutions in the areas of photovoltaics, electronics, and lithium-ion battery technology. The company's product portfolio includes both customer-specific developments and standardized single machines and modules, which can be linked to create complete custom systems. Manz AG offers high-quality, needs-based solutions that can be integrated early into customer projects to contribute significantly to customer success. The company, listed on the stock exchange in Germany since 2006, develops and produces in Germany, Slovakia, Hungary, Italy, China and Taiwan. It also has sales and service branches in the USA and India. Manz AG currently employs roughly 1,600 workers worldwide, around half of whom work in the Asia region, which is key to the company's target industries. Manz Group revenue in the 2019 financial year totalled around 264 million euros. Contact Manz AG Axel Bartmann Phone: +49 (0)7121 - 9000-395 Fax: +49 (0)7121 - 9000-99 E-mail: abartmann@manz.com cometis AG Claudius Krause Phone: +49 (0)611 - 205855-28 Fax: +49 (0)611 - 205855-66 E-mail: krause@cometis.de 30.06.2020 Dissemination of a Corporate News, transmitted by DGAP - a service of EQS Group AG. The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. The DGAP Distribution Services include Regulatory Announcements, Financial/Corporate News and Press Releases. Archive at www.dgap.de Impoverished communities and diverse ecosystems in Colombia are under threat due to the COVID-19 pandemic, researchers say. Due to historical inequalities, communities in the countrys Andean lowlands are economically poorer and more vulnerable than those in the high Andes. The pandemic and lockdown restrictions have meant many lowland people are unable to meet their basic needs. This situation puts highly biodiverse ecosystems at risk. People may be forced to extract precious wood species from the forest to buy food, and may also be pushed to work with coca producers and drug traffickers, often leading to environmental and social damage. A research team working in the area led by the University of Exeter and the University of Bristol is raising money to help the people of La Serrania de Las Quinchas during the crisis. Our project aims to understand how socio-ecological systems in the Colombian Andes survive and recover following years of conflict, said Dr Dunia H. Urrego, who is from Colombia and is now based at Exeters Global Systems Institute. Our research sites are located at different altitudes and environments in the inter-Andean valleys, and one thing is very clear: lowland communities are more impoverished and vulnerable than those in the high Andes. Yet, these lowland communities are essentially the gatekeepers of some of the most diverse ecosystems in the world. This is the case in Las Quinchas, where the pandemic has affected peoples livelihoods, with direct repercussions for deforestation and conservation. By contributing to this crowd-funding campaign, people can help vulnerable communities in Colombia and ultimately help protect biodiversity. The campaign will support the communities of Puerto Pinzon and La Cristalina, two villages of about 900 inhabitants in total living inside La Serrania de las Quinchas. The villages are isolated, with little access to medical facilities. They have suffered greatly during the internal armed conflict due to paramilitary forces and drug traffickers in the area. This history also makes the villagers at Las Quinchas a lot more vulnerable to the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr Monica Amador, of the School of Geographical Sciences at the University of Bristol, said: It is clear that we need to do our best to contribute. We are aware of the importance of showing our support during these difficult times of Coronavirus, both for social and environmental reasons. The coronavirus crisis should turn our focus towards increasing environmental protection and promote harmonious socio-environmental relationships and inclusive socio-environmental governance. The crowd-funding campaign will provide food, face masks and antibacterial gel for the most vulnerable families in Las Quinchas. The organisers expect to help 70 families about 350 people. To find out more and contribute, visit: www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/lasquinchas-relief Dr Urrego added: Besides economic help, I feel we can help these vulnerable communities by creating awareness and giving them a voice. The research project BioResilience of socio-ecological systems in the Colombian Andes is one of five UK projects supported by the Natural Environment Research Council and the Arts and Humanities Research Council under the Newton-Caldas ColombiaBIO programme. DGAP-News: MBH Corporation Plc / Key word(s): Acquisition The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. MBH CORPORATION PLC FURTHER BOOSTS ITS EDUCATION VERTICAL WITH ACQUISITION OF LEARNING WINGS PTE LTD. London, 30 June 2020, MBH Corporation plc (MBH), a diversified investment holding company, announces its 13th acquisition, taking the next step in its growth strategy for 2020 and widening the geographical reach of its education vertical. MBH is expanding its portfolio even further with the 100% acquisition of Learning Wings Pte Ltd (Learning Wings), one of Singapore's leading education companies, serving non-profit organisations and schools across the republic of Singapore. Learning Wings will sit within MBH's education vertical, to date, the organisation's largest vertical, now comprising six companies serving the education and training sector. For the year ended 31 December 2019, Learning Wings generated revenues of SGD0.8m (about GBP0.5m). This latest acquisition takes the pro-forma revenues of the MBH Group portfolio companies up to GBP81.5m in the financial year 2019. Learning Wings is a highly stable business, having launched in 2000 to later become a leader in its field having worked with over 680,000 students in 138 primary schools. The business provides well-recognised education programmes, which include Speech & Drama, Phonics, English, Math, Entrepreneurship and Life/Personal Skills. The estimated total consideration is approximately SGD1.4m (which includes the acquisition of a commercial property worth approximately SGD0.4m). The consideration will be finalised once the 31 December 2019 audit has been completed. Convertible notes will be used to settle the purchase consideration. At the date of conversion, the convertible note will convert into MBH shares at the lower of the 30 day volume weighted price preceding the conversion date or EUR 1 per share. This acquisition is subject to regulatory approvals from the Ministry of Education, Singapore. Within MBH's education vertical, Learning Wings will reside under Acacia Training Limited to help boost their international expansion plans as this represents their first global acquisition. Victoria Sylvester, Managing Director of Acacia Training Limited commented: "We are really excited that Learning Wings is joining the group as part of Acacia Training's tactical acquisition strategy. Being our first company outside of the UK to join our team, we are looking forward to continuing our future plans to explore the opportunities that will be created by widening our business community in the education vertical." Callum Laing, CEO of MBH Corporation plc, added: "Further growth within the education sector has been a large part of our plan for some time and we're particularly pleased to help the team at Acacia realise their ambitions for establishing a footprint outside of the UK. Learning Wings is a strong business with an incredible depth of experience and knowledge that will serve Acacia and our wider group well." Gabriel Goh, Director of Learning Wings, commented: "It is exciting for Learning Wings to join MBH and find synergy among like-minded entrepreneurs and businesses on the other side of the world. Learning Wings has matured over two decades and this marks the beginning of an exciting chapter for us. Joining MBH gives us added credibility to our clients and partners and we intend to leverage on MBH as a growth platform to expand with a 2-prong approach: via M&A as well as organically, in particular our online initiative. This COVID-19 situation has shown us how we can take our large number of physical classes online and capitalise on this new normal." About MBH MBH Corporation plc is a diversified investment holding company, listed on the Frankfurt and Dusseldorf Stock Exchanges. The company acquires small to medium bfd across multiple geographies and sectors that are well established, profitable and looking to scale. By leveraging the Agglomeration strategy, MBH Corporation plc is able to create substantial shareholder value through the consistent and accretive acquisition of excellent companies. www.mbhcorporation.com About Learning Wings Learning Wings was established in 2000, serving children in the Primary and Pre-school levels in Singapore. Having partnered with Singapore Ministry of Education schools and non-profit organization, the company has worked with over 680,000 students in over 138 primary schools. https://learningwings.com.sg/ Contacts for IR and media enquiries: MBH Corporation plc, Charlotte Williams, charlotte@unity-group.com, +44 (0)770 396 3953 Kirchhoff Consult AG, Nicole Schuttforth, nicole.schuettforth@kirchhoff.de, +49 (0)40 609186 64 Perception A, Phil Anderson & Charlie Nelson, phil@perceptiona.com, +44 (0)776 749 1519 30.06.2020 Dissemination of a Corporate News, transmitted by DGAP - a service of EQS Group AG. The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. The DGAP Distribution Services include Regulatory Announcements, Financial/Corporate News and Press Releases. Archive at www.dgap.de Press release Regulated information 30 June 2020, 7:30 a.m. CEST IRVINE, CA, and HERSTAL, BELGIUM 30 June 2020 MDxHealth SA (Euronext Brussels: MDXH) (the "Company" or "MDxHealth") a commercial-stage innovative molecular diagnostics company, today invites the holders of securities issued by the Company to its special and extraordinary general shareholders' meetings that will be held on Thursday 30 July 2020 at 1:00 p.m., Belgian time. The items on the agenda of the special and extraordinary general shareholders' meetings include the proposed appointment of new directors and change in the directors' remuneration, as well as the renewal of the authorisation to the board of directors to increase the share capital within the framework of the authorised capital and the adoption of an amended and restated version of the articles of associations in accordance with the provisions of the Belgian Companies and Associations Code and reflecting some technical changes. Exceptionally, and in accordance with the Belgian Royal Decree no. 4 of 9 April 2020 on miscellaneous provisions relating to co-ownership and corporate and association law in the context of the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, the board of directors of the Company has decided to hold the special and extraordinary general shareholders' meetings behind closed doors without the physical presence of the holders of securities of the Company and their representatives. As a result, the shareholders of the Company can exercise their voting rights only by voting by mail or by means of a written proxy to the chairman of the board of directors. Furthermore, holders of securities of the Company can only exercise their right to ask questions related to the items on the respective agendas of the special and extraordinary general shareholders' meetings by means of written questions prior to the respective meetings. For more information, please see the convening notice. Story continues In order to participate to the special and extraordinary general shareholders meetings of the Company, the holders of securities issued by the Company must comply with Article 7:134, 2, first indent of the Belgian Companies and Associations Code and the articles of association of the Company, and fulfill the formalities described in the convening notice. The convening notice, forms and other documents relating to the special and extraordinary general shareholders meetings can be consulted on the Companys website. As postal services may be disrupted and as the deadline for the submission of voting by mail forms, proxies and written questions is a Sunday during which there is usually no ordinary postal service, the Company recommends the holders of its securities to use e-mail for all communication with the Company regarding the general shareholders' meetings. The Company's email address for such communication is: agsm@mdxhealth.com. About MDxHealth MDxHealth is a multinational healthcare company that provides actionable molecular diagnostic information to personalize the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. The Company's tests are based on proprietary genetic, epigenetic (methylation) and other molecular technologies and assist physicians with the diagnosis of urologic cancers, prognosis of recurrence risk, and prediction of response to a specific therapy. The Company's European headquarters are in Herstal, Belgium, with laboratory operations in Nijmegen, The Netherlands, and US headquarters and laboratory operations based in Irvine, California. For more information, visit mdxhealth.com and follow us on social media at: twitter.com/mdxhealth, facebook.com/mdxhealth and linkedin.com/company/mdxhealth. For more information: MDxHealth info@mdxhealth.com Important information The MDxHealth logo, MDxHealth, ConfirmMDx and SelectMDx are trademarks or registered trademarks of MDxHealth SA (the "Company" or "MDxHealth"). All other trademarks and service marks are the property of their respective owners. This press release contains forward-looking statements and estimates with respect to the anticipated future performance of MDxHealth and the market in which it operates. Such statements and estimates are based on assumptions and assessments of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which were deemed reasonable but may not prove to be correct. Actual events are difficult to predict, may depend upon factors that are beyond the Company's control, and may turn out to be materially different. MDxHealth expressly disclaims any obligation to update any such forward-looking statements in this release to reflect any change in its expectations with regard thereto or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based unless required by law or regulation. Attachment Mobimo Holding AG / Key word(s): Personnel Release of an ad hoc announcement pursuant to Art. 53 KR The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. Gerhard Demmelmair to lead Mobimo's Portfolio and Transactions business area Lucerne/Kusnacht, 30 June 2020 - The Board of Directors of Mobimo Holding AG has appointed Gerhard Demmelmair (born 1971) as Head of Portfolio and Transactions and member of the Executive Board. Gerhard Demmelmair is expected to join Mobimo at the start of 2021 and work together with his team in the areas of active portfolio management, transactions, marketing and strategic facility management. The business area is currently managed directly by CEO Daniel Ducrey. "We are delighted to have brought Gerhard Demmelmair, a proven real estate specialist, on board. He has extensive expertise in transactions gained over many years, a stellar track record in portfolio and asset management and plenty of management experience," says Daniel Ducrey, CEO of Mobimo. "He will drive the business area forward and make a valuable contribution to Mobimo's future success." Gerhard Demmelmair started his career at pom+ Consulting, a consultancy specialising in real estate, before joining Nationale Suisse in Basel in 2003, where he served as Head of Real Estate and Portfolio Management and member of the Executive Board with responsibility for portfolio strategy, project development and transactions. Since 2010, he has worked for Swiss Life Asset Management as Head Real Estate Portfolio Management, with the seniority of an Executive Director. In this role, he was responsible for the real estate portfolio management of the Swiss Life Investment Foundation and of the Swiss real estate funds and was a member of the Management Team. Gerhard Demmelmair studied at ETH Zurich and graduated in civil engineering. If you have any questions, please contact: Mobimo Holding AG Marion Schihin, Corporate Communications +41 44 397 11 86 ir@mobimo.ch www.mobimo.ch About Mobimo: Mobimo Holding AG was established in Lucerne in 1999 and has been listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange since 2005. With a real estate portfolio with a total value of nearly CHF 3.3 billion, the Group is one of the leading real estate companies in Switzerland. The portfolio comprises investment and development properties in first-class locations in German-speaking and French-speaking Switzerland. Mobimo generates stable rental income with its residential and commercial properties, while its development expertise and full pipeline allows it to create value enhancement potential in its own portfolio and for third parties. The investment volume of development properties for its own portfolio totals around CHF 0.7 billion. Mobimo has a stable business model, pursues a sustainable strategy and provides its shareholders with an attractive return. End of ad hoc announcement Press Release Nokia and Djezzy implement ultra-high network capacity technology to meet growing mobile traffic demand Nokia Wavence solution for carrier aggregation supports increased traffic demand ahead of 5G rollouts 30 June 2020 Espoo, Finland Nokia today announced that it has successfully completed a trial with Algerian mobile operator Djezzy, using microwave carrier aggregation technology to support increased demand for capacity. The trial utilized Nokias Wavence microwave transport solution with an ultra-high capacity of 8.5Gbps over a distance of nearly 6 kilometers. With its reduced latency and high capacity, the solution will allow Djezzy to deliver compelling experiences to its 14.2 million subscribers. During the trial, which took place in the city of Setif earlier this year, capacity was increased from 3.5Gbps to 8.5 Gbps and covered a distance of 5.7 kilometers, demonstrating how carrier aggregation technology can be utilized to support ever-increasing demands for data. This will become increasingly important as Djezzy prepares to cope with traffic growth and 4G densification. The trial also marks yet another milestone for Nokia in reaching such multi-gigabit capacity on a microwave radio link. The Nokia Wavence solution, which was used in the trial, offers innovative, high-capacity ultra-broadband transceivers to support operators as they transition to 5G networks. It also supports backhaul and fronthaul evolution with multi-gigabit capacity and low-latency transport with industry-leading levels of transmitted power. Eric Bourland, Chief Digital and Technology Officer at Djezzy Algeria, said: This is an important trial that delivers ultra-high capacity granting Djezzy a solid solution for Mobile Backhaul. We believe this fast deployment of microwave carrier aggregation will help us achieve our goal of boosting eMBB. It also allows us to improve our network capacity in order to meet the growing mobile traffic demand in Algeria. Story continues Giuseppe Targia, VP MN Transport Business Unit, Mobile Networks at Nokia, said: This trial demonstrates how carrier aggregation technology can be utilized to support the ever-increasing demands for data, particularly at a time when connectivity is so crucial. We are delighted to continue our strong partnership with Djezzy on this project and will continue to work with it hand-in-hand to deliver innovative microwave solutions that support its business targets. Resources: About Nokia We create the technology to connect the world. Only Nokia offers a comprehensive portfolio of network equipment, software, services and licensing opportunities across the globe. With our commitment to innovation, driven by the award-winning Nokia Bell Labs, we are a leader in the development and deployment of 5G networks. Our communications service provider customers support more than 6.4 billion subscriptions with our radio networks, and our enterprise customers have deployed over 1,300 industrial networks worldwide. Adhering to the highest ethical standards, we transform how people live, work and communicate. For our latest updates, please visit us online www.nokia.com and follow us on Twitter @nokia. Media Inquiries: Nokia Communications Phone: +358 10 448 4900 Email: press.services@nokia.com About Djezzy Djezzy is an Algerian Telecommunications operator that was established in July 2001. The company provides a wide range of services such as prepaid, postpaid, data as well as value-added services. Djezzy covers 95% of the population and its 3G services have been deployed in 48 Algerian provinces or wilayas. Djezzy launched its 4G services on in 2016 which today covers 38 wilayas with the commitment to cover more by 50% by 2021. Djezzy is part of the VEON group, an international communication and technology company guided by a vision built on entrepreneurial roots and whose values are based on customer satisfaction, innovation, partnership and transparency. For more information follow us on Twitter @djezzyofficial or Facebook or at our website www.djezzy.dz . Contacts: Media and Public Relations Djezzy.media@otalgerie.com Trondheim, 30 June 2020: NORBIT, a global provider of tailored technology to carefully selected niches, today announces that the company has been awarded a new contract with an existing customer within the aquaculture market. We are very pleased to be awarded a repeat order from this customer, proving the value of our product, says Per Jrgen Weisethaunet, CEO of NORBIT. The value of the contract is approximately NOK 10 million and the order is expected to be delivered during the second half of 2020. The order falls under the companys Oceans segment. For more information, please contact: Per Jrgen Weisethaunet, CEO, +47 959 62 915 Charlotte Knudsen, IR and Communications, +47 9756 1959 About NORBIT ASA NORBIT is a global provider of tailored technology to carefully selected niches. The companys business is structured to address its key markets; Oceans, targeting the global maritime markets, Intelligent Traffic Systems (ITS), offering connectivity solutions for truck applications, and Product Innovation and Realization (PIR), with in-house multidisciplinary R&D and manufacturing. NORBIT is headquartered in Trondheim, Norway, with manufacturing facilities in Selbu and Rros, Norway and 12 offices and subsidiaries around the world. For more information: www.norbit.com This information is subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant to Section 5-12 the Norwegian Securities Trading Act. Five French NGOs offering support to undocumented migrant minors have set up a camp in the centre of Paris. They are demanding that the authorities provide migrant minors with administrative support, protection and housing. Volunteers from the NGOs have set up individual tents for 75 migrants at the Jules Ferry square near Place de la Republique in the 11th district of Paris. The NGOs are also fighting for the unaccompanied youth to be recognised as minors by the authorities as it will enable them to obtain greater protection under Frances child welfare system. The unaccompanied migrant minors live rough and face risk of abuse and exploitation. They say their efforts to obtain documents as minors failed as officials considered them to be adults. Meanwhile, they have no proper housing facilities while their asylum requests are being processed. The administrative process takes between six months to a year and a half. So, during that time the youth have to fend for themselves, said Florent Boyer, coordinator for Utopia56. Doctors Without Borders (MSF), TIMMY support to exiled minors, the Committee for the Health of Exiled (Comede), Midis du MIE and Utopia56 are the five aid groups which mobilised efforts to set up the red tent camp near Republique in the centre of Paris. They say that along with other aid groups, they are the ones which provide support and housing to the youth in the absence, they claim, of adequate action from local authorities. "They have to rely on help from associations for lodging, food and medical care," MSFs Caroline Douay told AFP. This not the job of NGOs to fund such services. She added that roughly 300 foreign minors live in or near Paris, in hotels or on the street. According to the aid groups, the local authorities did not provide any support at all for the youth during winter and the Covid-19 lockdown. Story continues "I arrived in Paris seven months ago after going through Libya and spending three days on an inflatable boat in the Mediterranean before reaching Lampedusa, Andre, a 17-year-old Ivorian, told AFP. But French officials ruled he was not a minor, a decision he has appealed against. According to MSF, local authorities often make mistakes in refusing to acknowledge the migrant youth as minors as proved by the 2019 ruling of a judge who recognised 56 percent of them as such. Dozens of camps have sprung up in Paris in recent years, set up by migrants from Africa, the Middle East and South Asia, some hoping for asylum but many others hoping they will reach the northern coast near Calais and eventually Britain. Most camps are cleared out by police, and the government has vowed to prevent them by opening more shelters for asylum seekers, though it has also stepped up deportations of those whose requests are rejected. European aeronautics giant Airbus has announced it will shed 15,000 jobs as part of a restructuring plan to recover from the coronavirus pandemic, which grounded flights and shook up the global air industry. The French government has asked the company to minimise forced job losses. Airbus announced the job cuts as part of a restructuring plan it said was needed to help weather an economic crisis it expected to worsen in an industry hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic. It has, unfortunately, now become clear that the crisis the aviation sector is facing will be of a length and magnitude that calls for more structural and wide-ranging actions, CEO Guillaume Faury in a video posted to social media late Monday. Given the scale of the crisis and the share of our business that has disappeared for the foreseeable futurewe consider that a reduction of positions cannot be avoided. The redundancy plan targets 5,000 jobs in France and an equal number in Germany, where an additional 900 jobs are to be lost under a previous plan. The job losses under the new plan are expected by summer 2021. 'Minimise redundancies' After announcing 15 billion euros in loans and guarantees for the air industry last month, including 7 billion for flag carrier Air France, the French government is keen to put pressure on the companies to ensure they save as many jobs as possible. The state urges Airbus to ensure that there are as few forced redundancies as possible, Junior Transport Minister Jean-Baptiste Djebbari told BFM television. Djebbari estimated the state rescue funds could save 2,000 of the jobs targeted in France through a long-term reduced-work scheme and through investment in newer, cleaner planes. The minister also said Air France would announce plans to shed nearly 7,600 jobs this week and called on the airline to minimise compulsory redundancies as well. Its not 7 billion euros to pay for redundancy programmes. Its 7 billion for survival, to pay salaries at the end of the month. Story continues The French state owns 11 percent of Airbus and 14.3 percent of Air France-KLM. Airbus warns of national animosities Airbus is a European multinational company generally considered the main competitor of US planemaker Boeing. Its head office is located near the French city of Toulouse, with manufacturing in France, Britain, Germany and Spain, as well as Canada, China and the United States. The companys last restructuring in 2008 provoked changes in governance and management that saw French and German staff blaming each other from problems, and Faury warned against national or regional animosities among staff over the new restructuring. The last thing we need on top of Covid-19 is finger-pointing between colleagues along national or local lines, read a letter seen by Reuters agency. That would be unhelpful, unjustified and contrary to the DNA of our company. (with newswires) China imposed a sweeping national security law on Hong Kong Tuesday, dramatically tightening its grip on the semi-autonomous city in a historic move decried by Western nations as a threat to the financial hub's freedoms. Described by Beijing as a "sword" hanging over the heads of those endangering national security, the law took effect hours after it was signed by President Xi Jinping and just six weeks since it was first unveiled. Fed up with pro-democracy protests that rocked the city last year, China's top lawmaking body enacted the legislation following closed-door deliberations that kept details secret until its passage. The law gives Beijing jurisdiction over "very serious" national security crimes, with offenders facing up to life in prison, according to the text published late Tuesday. The controversial law also empowers China to set up a national security agency in the city, staffed by officials who are not bound by local law when carrying out duties. The new suite of powers radically restructures the relationship between Beijing and Hong Kong, toppling the legal firewall that has existed between the city's independent judiciary and the mainland's party-controlled courts. "It marks the end of Hong Kong that the world knew before," prominent democracy campaigner Joshua Wong tweeted as his political party Demosisto announced it was disbanding. "With sweeping powers and ill-defined law, the city will turn into a #secretpolicestate." Some Hong Kongers responded by deleting Twitter accounts and scrubbing other social media platforms. In contrast, former city leader Leung Chun-ying took to Facebook to offer bounties of up to HK$1 million ($130,000) for anyone who could help secure the first prosecutions under the new legislation or track down people who have recently fled the city. Twenty-seven countries, including Britain, France, Germany and Japan, urged Beijing to "reconsider the imposition" of the legislation, saying in a statement to the UN Human Rights Council that it "undermines" the city's freedoms. The move has also added fuel to tensions between Beijing and Washington, where condemnation of the move crossed the aisle. Top Democrat Nancy Pelosi said its "brutal purpose" was to "frighten, intimidate & suppress the speech of Hong Kongers," and Republican Mitt Romney tweeted that his "heart aches for the people of Hong Kong. Any semblance of freedom and autonomy has vanished." - 'Fundamental change' - As part of the 1997 handover from Britain, Hong Kong was guaranteed certain freedoms -- as well as judicial and legislative autonomy -- for 50 years in a deal known as "One Country, Two Systems." The formula helped to cement the city's status as a world-class business hub, bolstered by a reliable judiciary and political freedoms unseen on the mainland. Critics have long accused Beijing of chipping away at that status, but they describe the new security law as the most brazen move yet. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he was "deeply concerned" and that London would scrutinise the law "to understand whether it is in conflict" with the handover agreement. The law bans four types of national security crimes: subversion, secession, terrorism and colluding with foreign forces to endanger national security. The text gave three scenarios in which China might take over a prosecution -- complicated foreign interference cases, "very serious" cases and when national security faces "serious and realistic threats." Cases can be passed to mainland China, with the Supreme People's Procuratorate and the Supreme Court designating the judicial authorities handling them. Lead perpetrators and serious offenders can receive 10 years to life in prison for engaging in one of the national security crimes. The law also said certain national security cases could be held behind closed doors without juries in Hong Kong if they contained state secrets, although the verdict and eventual judgments would be made public. "It's a fundamental change that dramatically undermines both the local and international community's confidence towards Hong Kong's 'One Country, Two Systems' model and its status as a robust financial centre," Hong Kong political analyst Dixon Sing told AFP. - Restore stability - On the mainland, national security laws are routinely used to jail critics, especially for the vague offence of "subversion." Beijing and Hong Kong's government reject those allegations. They have said the law will only target a minority of people, will not harm political freedoms in the city and will restore business confidence after a year of historic pro-democracy protests. "I urge the international community to respect our country's right to safeguard national security and Hong Kong people's aspirations for stability and harmony," Hong Kong city leader Carrie Lam told the UN Human Rights Council in a video message on Tuesday. Millions took to the streets last year, while a hard core of protesters frequently battled police in often violent confrontations that saw more than 9,000 arrested. Hong Kong has banned protests in recent months, citing previous unrest and the coronavirus pandemic, although local transmissions have ended. Some Western nations warned of potential repercussions ahead of the security law's passing. However, many are also wary of incurring Beijing's wrath and losing lucrative access to the mainland's huge economy. "We deplore this decision," said European Council head Charles Michel. Washington -- which has embarked on a trade war with China -- has said the security law means Hong Kong no longer enjoys sufficient autonomy from the mainland to justify special status. The United States on Monday ended sensitive defence exports to Hong Kong over the law, prompting China to threaten unspecified "countermeasures." PAP's candidates for West Coast GRC S Iswaran and Desmond Lee. (Photo: Joe Nair/Yahoo News Singapore) by Bertha Henson If the Peoples Action Party (PAP) cannot equal or surpass that 70 per cent vote share it was given in GE2015, it will only have itself to blame. It made some masterful tactical moves on Tuesdays Nomination Day (30 June) to shore up constituencies which it perceived will have strong opposition contenders. Ministers were moved like chess pieces on the board adding Desmond Lee to its West Coast GRC slate which already has one minister in S Iswaran, and Heng Swee Keat making a last minute appearance at East Coast GRC. East Coast voters would have to think hard about whether they want to keep or discard the prime minister-in-waiting. West Coast voters would have to decide between giving an old warhorse, Dr Tan Cheng Bock and his Progress Singapore Party (PSP), a chance or keep two full ministers. With the two coasts fortified, the PAP moved Ng Chee Meng to anchor the new GRC of Sengkang. Josephine Teo was moved out of her Marymount portion of Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC to helm Jalan Besar. It looked like a move to safety for her, as Marymount is now a single-seat ward and comparatively, she isnt the most popular of ministers. On the other hand, office holder Grace Fu stayed put in Yuhua single-seat ward, as she did in the last election. The Workers Party (WP) is in retreat, spreading its key people around to consolidate its defence of Hougang and Aljunied GRC. There is no master stroke this time as in GE2011, when Low Thia Khiang struck out of Hougang to helm Aljunied GRC. I think Low should have contested this round, to help his successor Pritam Singh solidify his base. Over the past decade, the WP has been quite wise about showcasing its stars. Four candidates have had exposure in Parliament as Non-Constituency MPs (NCMPs) in two terms. Gerald Giam, Yee Jenn Jong, Leon Perera and Dennis Tan, besides fighting in past elections, have cut their teeth in Parliament. But the other WP candidates, even those who had contested in the last election, have had a very low profile. Like new PAP candidates, newcomers would have a hard time gaining face and name recognition with voters. But, unlike the PAPs new faces, they cannot graft themselves onto strong, prominent personalities in GRCs. Story continues If Pritam Singh had struck out of Aljunied GRC, which had a much reduced vote share in GE2015, to helm another GRC team, he might well suffer the fate of Chiam See Tong, who moved out of Potong Pasir to contest Bishan-Toa Payoh in GE2011 only to find his party turfed out into the cold with no seat at all. That is the ingenuity of the GRC system. Voter considerations about individuals on the slate counts for as much as the strength of the slate as a whole. It comes down to not just voting along party lines, but also whether some individuals are worth sacrificing. Its a tough call but not unprecedented. Aljunied voters showed the way when it decided to sacrifice three office-holders to bring in Low and the WP in GE2011. Looking at the WP candidates spread out among four GRCs, I cant tell which is the B team. But looking at the contestants on the PAP side, I would say that Sengkang GRC would be the key battleground for the two sides. It would be interesting to watch how Ng Chee Meng, a lieutenant general and former Chief of Defence Force, squares up to the WP slate which includes academic Jamus Lim, touted as the partys newest star. The PAPs superior tactical strategy comes at a time when voters are more concerned about keeping their jobs than other issues. Even cost-of-living issues and price of HDB flats pale in comparison to the overarching need for employment. The PAPs manifesto reflects this. The PAP is also making much of the NCMP argument that guarantees that the opposition will always have a voice in Parliament or at least 12 voices. So, there will be an elected PAP MP to look after the constituents needs, and the failing opposition candidate to articulate opposition views. This argument, however, assumes that opposition voters would be happy enough to have their views ventilated, even if no action results from this. Giving all 12 NCMPs voting rights, even for constitutional amendments, will not make a difference in Parliament, except as a recording in Hansard. Thats because the PAP will still have a super-majority. Do the maths: If all 93 seats go to the PAP, there will be 12 NCMPs, making a total of 105 parliamentary votes. A two-thirds majority required to amend the Constitution is 70, well within the PAPs super-majority. I think the PAP is shooting itself in the foot. The opposition can turn the NCMP argument on its head: Vote opposition into Parliament, break the PAPs super-majority, and you will still have the PAP looking after your needs at the constituency level. Thats because failed PAP candidates will become grassroots advisers and make every attempt to win back the vote in the next round. For that to happen, some GRCs would have to go the opposition and were back to square one having to weigh the slate and candidates. Voters will have a lot to think about over the next nine days. Bertha Henson is a veteran Singapore journalist who now lectures at NUS. The views expressed are her own. Follow Yahoo News Singapores GE2020 coverage here. Stay in the know on-the-go: Join Yahoo Singapore's Telegram channel at http://t.me/YahooSingapore Related stories: GE2020: All seats contested for second straight GE, Heng Swee Keat springs surprise GE2020: Singaporeans shouldnt think NCMPs can replace elected opposition MPs - WP Dennis Tan GE2020: Who are the candidates contesting in your constituency (GRC)? GE2020: Who are the candidates contesting in your constituency (SMC)? The US has bought up almost the entire global supply of one of two drugs used to treat coronavirus which UK patients helped test. Remdesivir , which was developed to treat Ebola, is produced almost exclusively by US pharmaceutical giant Gilead Sciences - and it has been priced at $2,340 (1,892) per patient in wealthier nations. The company has agreed to send nearly all of its supply of the drug to the US over the next three months. This means remdesivir will not be available for use on patients in the UK and Europe until October, Dr Andrew Hill, a senior visiting research fellow at Liverpool University, told Sky News. He said: "This deal that's been struck by America means that people with COVID-19 in the UK can't get access to these treatments that would get them out of hospital quickly and might improve their chances of survival. "So far, we know that for the next three months there will be no supplies of remdesivir - America will take the drugs and we won't have access to them. That's the case in the UK and Europe." UK patients took part in the clinical trials that showed that the drug worked, Dr Hill said. "A lot of drugs haven't worked, so I think the people in Britain deserve something in return from the United States," he said. "We have to have equality between countries. We have to have the ability of UK health authorities to access these drugs in return for taking part in these studies and people risking their own health. "Remdesivir is a drug which gets people better faster, gets them out of hospital, it might improve survival. "It is the only thing we have, and if we can't get it from the US, we are not allowed to get it from Indian factories that are making it, there is a way round this." He said low and middle-income countries can produce generic versions of the drug, but are unable to sell them to Europe because Gilead has a patent for it. Dr Hill said the UK could issue "a compulsory licence" which would allow the government to access medicines from abroad and "bring the drug in from India, Bangladesh and other countries where it is being made". Story continues "In the meantime, there is a legal way to get the drug in through buyers clubs and we have done this for HIV, hepatitis and cystic fibrosis," he said. "People can get their own supplies from foreign countries and that is perfectly legal." He continued: "You think about this for a treatment. What about if there is a vaccine? What if a vaccine is restricted to the US only? "This is a taste of things to come and it could get worse," he warned. "We have to decide whether we want to be strong with the US, or people with COVID-19 suffer, recover more slowly and potentially die faster." He said there is a "sacrosanct" ethical agreement called the Declaration of Helsinki, whereby if people take part in a clinical trial in a country, they have to have a mechanism to access that drug after it has been approved. "I think that contract is in question," he added. :: Listen to the Daily podcast on Apple Podcasts , Google Podcasts , Spotify , Spreaker The move by the United States comes after health officials warned the number of new cases reported each day could hit 100,000 in the country after a spike in infections. Trials of the antiviral medicine on coronavirus patients have showed it reduces the length of time they experience symptoms from 15 to 11 days by stopping the virus reproducing. Health Secretary Matt Hancock has described the use of remdesivir on COVID patients as the "biggest step forward in the treatment of coronavirus since the crisis began". NHS bosses had hoped to roll it out to adults and teenagers suffering severe symptoms in UK hospitals, but the US move appears to have put this on hold. Another drug that appears to lessen symptoms in coronavirus patients is a common steroid called dexamethasone . But unlike remdesivir, it is cheap to produce and widely available across the globe. Business minister Nadhim Zahawi said governments and firms should cooperate to ensure access to coronavirus treatments. Mr Zahawi told Sky News the UK had "rightly" stockpiled dexamethasone, but suggested cooperation rather than competition was the way forward. "We deliberately made sure that we had enough stock of dexamethasone, rightly so," he said. "But we also want to cooperate because the best outcome for the whole world is that we work together." He pointed to deals struck by AstraZeneca to supply a vaccine around the world if the Oxford team's work is successful. "By attempting to compete, I think we ultimately undermine all of our strategies," he said. "Much better to work together than to work to undermine each other." Eurostar is to restart direct services from London to Amsterdam and Disneyland Paris in the coming weeks. The cross-Channel train operator announced it will resume its Anglo-Dutch route from July 9. Although direct services will run to the Netherlands, passengers travelling in the reverse direction will need to change trains in Brussels, where passport checks and security screening will be carried out. To view this content, you'll need to update your privacy settings. Please click here to do so. Eurostar will restart its services to Disneyland Paris from August 2. The routes have been closed since March due to the drop in demand caused by the coronavirus pandemic. Eurostar is offering more flexibility on all its fares, enabling passengers who book throughout the rest of the year to alter their travel plans up to 14 days before departure without a fee. The firm said all travellers must wear a face mask as part of additional hygiene measures. Passengers will be seated at a safe distance apart and trains will be deep-cleaned before every journey. At least 18 people were killed and at least six were injured in an explosion and fire at a medical clinic in Tehran, Iran, on June 30, local news reported. According to reports, the explosion and subsequent fire at the Sina Athar Clinic located near the Tajrish Metro Station were attributed to a gas leak after initial investigations by authorities. Videos from the Iranian Students News Agency show firefighters battling the blaze, injured people being carried away, and local authorities on the scene. Credit: Iranian Students News Agency via Storyful French President Emmanuel Macron and leaders from the G5 Sahel group of countries have met in Mauritania to discuss the ongoing fight against jihadists. Macron's first trip outside of Europe since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic is a sign of solidarity with the region, according to the Elysee Palace. Efforts continue, progress is significant, but still insufficient, said Mauritanias President Mohamed Ould Ghazouani. This Nouakchott summit gives us the opportunity to exchange views on the evolution of the security situation in the region. In light of, not only the resurgence of violence in Libya and its negative impact on the entire sub-region, but also of the dangerous expansion of terrorists to new regions, the Mauritanian leader added, referring to the attack in Kafolo, Cote dIvoire last June. Ghazouani said that debt for the poorest countries must be cancelled, especially since governments budgets had taken a hit with the fight against the coronavirus pandemic. This would help solve the root socio-economic problems that have contributed to the insurgency, according to the Mauritanian president. Moussa Faki Mahamat, chairperson of the African Union Commission, and Louise Mushikiwabo, head of the Francophonie group, also took part in the Nouakchott meeting, as well as Spains Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez. Moving forward Discussions focused on strategy, some six months after the last meeting in Pau, south-western France. Talks on 13 January had not been particularly positive given several months of difficulties on the ground. In Pau, priorities had been defined in terms of the enemy, Islamic State in the Greater Sahara, (ISIS-GS), and targeting a particular region, the border area of Mali, Niger and Burkina. Six months later, although the gains made are fragile, the state of things is seen completely differently, with a view that victory is possible in the Sahel. Strengthened by an additional 500 troops, Operation Barkhane, has increased its operations and changed its way of working. Story continues New strategy To try and dislodge the jihadists, the French military operation will use less convoys containing heavy and slow vehicles, often the target of homemade improvised explosive devices. Instead, it aims to put more of a long-term, permanent presence in place on the ground. The 2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment have been designated on the ground, with complete autonomy, out in the wild, for several weeks in coordination with regional armies, as had previously been decided in January. After several months, the results are evident, according to the French military, several hundred jihadists have been neutralised, including the killing of Abdelmalek Droudel, the head of Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), in a targeted attack on 3 June. Paris wants to see consolidation of military gains through the action of national armies, through redeployment of forces to unstable areas and targeted development projects. Macron said he is convinced that victory in the Sahel is possible, but forces from G5 Sahel countries must show exemplary action on the ground, amid accusations of human rights abuses during some military operations. Were getting back on track, thanks to the efforts that have been made over the past six months, Macron added. By Andreas Rinke BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany has secured enough supplies for now of remdesivir, which is set to become the first COVID-19 treatment approved in Europe, and is banking on developer Gilead to meet future needs, the country's health ministry said on Wednesday. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) this week said it had secured all of Gilead's projected production for July and 90% of its production in August and September, in addition to an allocation for clinical trials.[nL4N2E62WK] "The federal government has early on secured remdesivir for the treatment of coronavirus patients. Currently, there are still sufficient reserves," Germany's health ministry told Reuters in a written statement. With a conditional market approval, which is expected to be issued by the EU Commission this week, comes an obligation to deliver sufficient quantities in the future, it added. "We trust Gilead will meet this obligation," the ministry said. Once supplies are less constrained, HHS will stop managing the allocation, Gilead said at the time of the department's statement. Gilead has linked up with generic drugmakers based in India and Pakistan to supply remdesivir in 127 developing countries, but it has not discussed its supply strategy for developed nations outside the United States. (Writing by Ludwig Burger; Editing by Jan Harvey) FILE PHOTO: Turkish Red Crescent President Kinik is pictured at his office during an interview with Reuters in Istanbul, ISTANBUL (Reuters) - The head of the Turkish Red Crescent denied expressing homophobic sentiments in a tweet criticised as offensive by the agency he represents, saying the comment had been in defence of the rights of abused children. Kerem Kinik, chair of the Red Crescent Society of Turkey, said on Twitter on Sunday - celebrated by LGBT communities worldwide as Pride Day - that he would "fight against those who violate healthy creation". He said late on Tuesday there was nothing in the tweet "targeting any specific group or segment of society". "That's why I specifically used the word paedophilia to point out paedophiles and that has nothing to do with sexual orientation as is being claimed," Kinik said in a statement in English sent to Reuters. The tweet drew a rebuke from the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), the movement's international network, where Kinik is one of five vice presidents. The IFRC said the comment was "wrong and offensive," adding Kinik was subject to a code of conduct that "forbids any form of homophobia, hate speech or prejudice." The group said it was assessing its next step. In the tweet Kinik wrote: "We will not let you step on human dignity. We will protect nature and the mental health of our children. We'll fight against those who violate healthy creation... and impose their paedophiliac dreams cloaked as modernity on young minds." Homosexuality is not a crime in Turkey, but hostility to it is widespread and authorities have cracked down on LGBT events. On Monday, a presidency spokesman said "LGBT propaganda poses a grave threat to freedom of speech," and the IFRC "became complicit in that attack by targeting" Kinik. (Reporting by Jonathan Spicer; editing by John Stonestreet) Injury Reserve's Stepa J. Groggs Dies at 32: He Was a 'Loving Father, Life Partner and Friend' Jordan Groggs, who performed with Injury Reserve under the name Stepa J. Groggs, has died at the age of 32. Groggs' death was confirmed by his Arizona-based rap group in a tribute shared on social media. The artist died on Monday, according to the post. A cause of death was not given. "REST IN POWER," the tribute read. "Jordan Alexander Groggs a loving father, life partner and friend. (6/1/1988-6/29/2020)." To view this content, you'll need to update your privacy settings. Please click here to do so. RELATED: Remembering the Stars We've Lost in 2020 Groggs was a founding member of Injury Reserve, which he started fellow rapper Ritchie With a T born Nathaniel Ritchie in 2013 after working at a Vans store that Ritchies mother owned, according to Pitchfork. Injury Reserve shortly became a trio when Groggs and Ritchie recruited Parker Corey into the lineup. The group made their musical debut when they released their first mixtape, Live from the Dentist Office, in 2015. They followed up with another mixtape, titled Floss, a year later before putting out their Drive It Like It's Stolen EP in 2017. To view this content, you'll need to update your privacy settings. Please click here to do so. The trio dropped their first full-length studio album in 2019. The record featured collaborations with artists such as A-Trak, Rico Nasty, Freddie Gibbs and DRAM. On Tuesday, Ritchie paid tribute to Groggs on his Instagram, sharing photos of his friend throughout the years. "REST IN POWER my brother," he wrote. "I love you so much." Corey also posted a slideshow of Groggs in his honor, writing on his Instagram account, "Rest in power." To view this content, you'll need to update your privacy settings. Please click here to do so. A GoFundMe page has been set up in support of Groggs' family in the wake of his passing. "Groggs's heart has touched everyone he has came across. He will live on through his family, supporters, and the communities he was apart of," a description for the page read. "Jordan Alexander Groggs is survived by Anna and their four children Joey, Jayden, Toph, and Ari." Three Myanmar military officers were found guilty by a court martial investigating atrocities against Rohingya Muslims in conflict-ridden Rakhine state, the army announced Tuesday. The rare action against military members came as Myanmar faces charges of genocide at the United Nations' top court over a brutal 2017 crackdown against the Rohingya. Some 750,000 Rohingya fled to neighbouring Bangladesh with accounts of widespread murder, rape and arson. Rights groups accused security forces of committing atrocities in various villages, including Gu Dar Pyin, where they alleged at least five shallow mass graves had been found. Estimates from survivors in Bangladesh put the death toll in the hundreds. After initially denying the allegations, the military started court martial proceedings in September, admitting there had been "weakness in following instructions" in the village. The commander-in-chief's office announced Tuesday the court martial had "confirmed the guilty verdict" and sentenced three officers. No details were provided on the perpetrators, their crimes, or sentences. Rights groups Amnesty International called the lack of transparency on the court martial "alarming". "Closed door trials shrouded in secrecy, and marred by a lack of independence in the military judiciary system, are not the way to end military impunity in Myanmar," said Amnesty's Ming Yu Hah. The government has largely supported the army's justification of the 2017 operations as a means of rooting out insurgents. Civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi admitted at the International Court of Justice in December, however, that disproportionate force may have been used. The military has maintained any atrocities were committed by a few maverick individuals. UN investigators also found evidence of extrajudicial killings in other Rakhine villages, Maung Nu and Chut Pyin. The army chief's office said Tuesday a court of inquiry would "continue to investigate" events at both villages. In 2018 the military sentenced members of the security forces to a decade in prison for the killing of 10 Rohingya in Inn Din village, but they were released after serving less than a year. Two journalists who exposed the massacre were detained for more than 16 months before they were pardoned following global outcry. The state remains a flashpoint of ethnic and religious tensions, and the military has been locked in battle since January last year with insurgents fighting for more autonomy for ethnic Rakhine Buddhists. Intensified fighting over the weekend drew alarm from the UN on Sunday, who called for both sides to respect international humanitarian law as thousands more civilians fled their homes from artillery shelling. By Yesim Dikmen and Bulent Usta ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Converting Istanbul's sixth century Hagia Sophia back into a mosque would sow division, the spiritual head of the world's Orthodox Christians warned on Tuesday, ahead of a Turkish court ruling on a building that has been a museum since 1934. President Tayyip Erdogan has proposed restoring the mosque status of the UNESCO World Heritage Site, a building at the heart of both Christian Byzantine and Muslim Ottoman empires and today one of Turkey's most visited monuments. The court is set to rule on July 2 on a challenge to its current status that disputes the legality of its conversion into a museum in 1934 in the early years of the modern secular Turkish state founded by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk. "The conversion of Hagia Sophia into a mosque will disappoint millions of Christians around the world," said Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, the spiritual head of some 300 million Orthodox Christians worldwide. He is based in Istanbul. Hagia Sophia - the foremost church in Christendom for 900 years and then one of Islam's greatest mosques for 500 years after the Ottoman conquest of Istanbul, then known as Constantinople, in 1453 - is a vital centre where East and West embrace, he told a church congregation. Changing its status will "fracture these two worlds" at a time when mankind needs unity more than ever because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Bartholomew said. "MATTER OF NATIONAL SOVEREIGNTY" However, groups have campaigned for years for Hagia Sophia's conversion into a mosque and Erdogan, a pious Muslim, backed their call ahead of local elections last year. Many Turks argue that mosque status would better reflect the identity of Turkey as an overwhelmingly Muslim country, and recent polls show that most Turks support a change. The United States and neighbouring Greece have both expressed concerns about the bid to restore the mosque status of the building, which is known in Turkish as Ayasofya. Story continues The U.S. religious freedom envoy, Ambassador Sam Brownback, said it holds enormous spiritual and cultural significance to billions of believers of different faiths around the world and called on Ankara to retain its status. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu has criticised international interference. "This is a matter of national sovereignty," he said in a television interview. "What is important is what the Turkish people want." (Writing by Daren Butler; Editing by Jonathan Spicer and Gareth Jones) Videos Sorry, there are no recent results for popular videos. Dozens of airplanes from international companies were seen sitting dormant at Alice Springs Airport on June 30 as the COVID-19 pandemic forced the virtual shutdown of the aviation industry. The planes included some Singapore Airlines-branded Airbus A380s that had been kept at the airport since late April 2020. Border closures and restrictions on international travel due to the coronavirus pandemic have forced airlines to drastically reduce flights. Australian airline Qantas suspended all international flights until the end of October 2020, except for potential flights between Australia and New Zealand. Alice Springs was preferred as a site for plane storage due to its year-round dry climate and low humidity, according to reports. Credit: Kim Daysh via Storyful US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Tuesday urged the UN Security Council to extend an arms embargo on Iran, warning that the Middle East's stability was at risk, but he faced wide skepticism over US threats to trigger sanctions. The United States is warning it could employ a disputed legal move to restore wide UN sanctions on Iran if the Security Council does not prolong a ban on conventional arms sales that expires in October. Veto-wielding Russia and China, which stand to gain major arms contracts from Iran, oppose an extension of the embargo which was established for five years under a 2015 resolution that blessed a denuclearization accord with Iran negotiated under former US president Barack Obama. Taking his case to the Security Council, Pompeo said that ending the ban would let Iran send more advanced weapons to regional allies such as the Palestinian militant movement Hamas and Lebanon's Hezbollah and become a "rogue weapons dealer" farther afield. "Iran will hold a sword of Damocles over the economic stability of the Middle East, endangering nations like Russia and China that rely on stable energy prices," Pompeo told the session, held virtually due to coronavirus precautions. The Security Council session publicly unveiled a report that found that cruise missiles and drones used in attacks last year on Saudi Arabia -- including on Abqaiq, the world's largest oil processing center -- included material of Iranian origin. "Iran is already violating the arms embargo even before its expiration date. Imagine if Iranian activity were sanctioned -- authorized -- by this group if the restrictions are lifted," Pompeo said. - Iran demands embargo end - Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif questioned the credibility of the report on the Saudi attacks, saying the UN secretriat was "utterly unprofessional." He questioned in turn why there was no outcry about US weapons, pointing to Washington's invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan and President Donald Trump's arms sales that have contributed to Saudi Arabia's devastating offensive in Yemen. "This very regime absurdly accuses Iran of 'meddling' in its own region," Zarif told the session, with a mid-level US diplomat listening after Pompeo left. Zarif called the timely end of the arms embargo "inseparable" from the preservation of the nuclear deal and Security Council Resolution 2231 which backed it. Trump, who has close relations with Saudi Arabia and Israel, in 2018 pulled out of the nuclear accord, calling it "disastrous," and slapped sweeping unilateral sanctions on Iran, which had been promised economic relief for abiding by the deal. Iran has since taken small but escalating steps away from compliance with the nuclear accord as it presses for sanctions relief. The Trump administration has recently argued that the United States technically remains a participant in the nuclear deal as it was listed in the 2015 resolution -- and therefore can trigger UN sanctions if it determines that Iran is violating its terms, including on the arms embargo. "We cannot accept an attempt to get a blessing for the US-desired maximum pressure policy through the Security Council," said the Russian ambassador, Vasily Nebenzia. "What we get in the end is an uncontrollable escalation," he said. - Doubts over US approach - China's UN ambassador, Zhang Jun, said the five-year arms embargo -- itself a compromise between the Obama administration and Moscow and Beijing -- should end as scheduled under the 2015 resolution. "Having quit the JCPOA, the US is no longer a participant and has no right to trigger snapback at the Security Council," Zhang said, using the official name of the deal, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. European allies of the United States have voiced support for extending the embargo but also oppose new sanctions, saying the bigger issue is Iran's nuclear program. "We would not," French envoy Nicolas de la Riviere said, "support unilateral proposals leading to the return of sanctions." "They would only deepen divisions in the Security Council and beyond and would not be likely to improve the situation on the ground of nuclear non-proliferation," he said. Some analysts see the US push as a way to kill the nuclear deal altogether, potentially days before Trump faces re-election. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Tuesday urged the UN Security Council to extend an arms embargo on Iran, warning that its expiration would risk the stability of the oil-rich region. "Iran will hold a sword of Damocles over the economic stability of the Middle East, endangering nations like Russia and China that rely on stable energy prices," Pompeo told the virtual session, referencing two opponents of prolonging the embargo. The United States is adamant about prolonging the ban on conventional arms sales to its adversary which expires in October and has threatened to use a disputed legal move to force a return of UN sanctions on Iran. The session heard a UN report that found that cruise missiles and drones from an attack last year in Saudi Arabia -- a close US ally and Tehran's regional rival -- were of Iranian origin. "Iran is already violating the arms embargo even before its expiration date. Imagine if Iranian activity were sanctioned -- authorized -- by this group if the restrictions are lifted," Pompeo said. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif was scheduled to address the Security Council later. By Patricia Zengerle, Mark Hosenball and Steve Holland WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democrats and a leading Republican hawk on Tuesday called for U.S. President Donald Trump to consider imposing new economic sanctions on Russia if a reported Russian effort to pay the Taliban to kill U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan was confirmed. Trump has been under pressure over a New York Times report on Friday that a Russian military intelligence unit had offered bounties for U.S. and allied soldiers and later reported that he received a written briefing on the matter in February. After Trump initially said he was not briefed on the matter, the White House said Trump was not "personally" briefed but did not address whether he had received a written report, read it, and why he had not responded more aggressively if so. "The President was never briefed on this, this intelligence still has not been verified, and there is no consensus among the intelligence community," White House spokeswoman Kayleigh McEnany told reporters. The shifting statements have generated controversy among Trump's fellow Republicans as well as Democrats as he seeks re-election on Nov. 3. House of Representatives Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff, a Democrat, said Trump should take action against Moscow. "We should be considering what sanctions are appropriate to further deter Russia's malign activities," he told reporters after a briefing for House Democrats at the White House. Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden called Trump's handling of the matter a "dereliction of duty." And Republican hawk John Bolton, Trump's former national security adviser, told Reuters if the allegations were true it was "tantamount to an attack on Americans directly." "That requires a very serious response," he said. "It could well be asymmetric economic sanctions. The White House has sought to play down reports in the Times and the Washington Post that it knew of accusations that Russia paid the Taliban bounties to kill U.S. and coalition troops but had not briefed Trump or acted on the information. Story continues Four U.S. government sources have confirmed to Reuters that credible U.S. intelligence suggested Russia offered such bounties. A fifth person familiar with the matter said such intelligence was first brought to the White House's attention around March 2019 but it was then uncorroborated and "could have been disinformation." The New York Times cited two unnamed officials as saying officials gave Trump a written briefing in late February laying out their conclusion that Russia had paid bounties. The newspaper said it was in the Presidents Daily Brief (PDB) document - the premier product of U.S. intelligence agencies that is prepared for him to read. A U.S. government source told Reuters material is sometimes included in PDBs so that other officials can evaluate it. In this case, the source said that the matter was raised at a high level earlier this year, the intelligence is regarded as credible, and steps were taken to formulate a response. The source suggested a response was still under discussion and Trump arguably did not have to be involved while the information was checked out. However, a congressional source voiced skepticism that such information would be included in a PDB with an expectation the president would not read it and that others would deal with it. On Tuesday, the New York Times reported that U.S. officials had intercepted data showing big financial transfers from an account controlled by Russias military intelligence agency to a Taliban-linked account. It said this eased disagreements in the U.S. intelligence community and undercut White House officials claim that the intelligence was too uncertain to brief Trump. (Reporting by Patricia Zengerle and Mark Hosenball in Washington; Additional reporting by Diane Bartz, Tim Ahmann, Idrees Ali, Susan Heavey, Lisa Lambert, Phil Stewart and Jonathan Landay; Writing by Arshad Mohammed, Andy Sullivan and Susan Heavey; Editing by Steve Orlofsky, Howard Goller and Grant McCool) Sky News The prime minister has said it is "looking good" for 19 July to be the "terminus point" for England's coronavirus restrictions - but did not rule out the prospect of further lockdowns in the winter. "You can never exclude that there will be some new disease, some new horror that we simply haven't budgeted for or accounted for," Boris Johnson said when asked if he could discount the possibility of reimposing COVID-19 measures later this year. Government adviser Dr Susan Hopkins warned at the weekend there may be the need for winter lockdowns if hospitals become "overwhelmed" at some point. The Taliban reaffirmed their commitment to a February deal to draw down the war in Afghanistan during a call with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, the group's spokesman has said. The discussion came as US President Donald Trump faces mounting pressure to explain why he did nothing after being reportedly told that Russian spies had offered and paid cash to Taliban-linked militants for killing American soldiers. The Taliban have denied that their fighters received any Russian bounties, and the group's Qatar-based chief negotiator Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar reiterated their pledge not to strike against the US. Baradar told Pompeo that "according to the agreement, we do not allow anyone to use Afghan soil against the US and other countries", Taliban spokesman Suhail Shaheen said Monday in a statement on Twitter. The New York Times, citing anonymous officials, had reported last week that Trump had been told about the alleged Russian bounties but he did nothing in response. Trump denied being informed of the assessment while the White House said the claim had been kept from him because the intelligence underpinning it was unverified. But another report from the Times on Monday said the president had received a report about the alleged Russian bounties as early as February. That month, the United States had pledged to withdraw all its troops from Afghanistan by mid-2021 in return for security guarantees in a bid to pave the way for negotiations between warring sides. Under the landmark agreement, which excluded the Afghan government, Washington and the militants said they would refrain from attacking each other. The Taliban spokesman said Baradar and Pompeo discussed concerns about the deal, including intra-Afghan talks and the release of 5,000 imprisoned insurgents. "We are committed to starting intra-Afghan talks," Baradar told Pompeo, blaming the hold-up on the delayed release of prisoners, according to Shaheen. The Afghan government in Kabul has said it has freed nearly 4,000 Taliban prisoners so far in a bid to kickstart the negotiations. Pompeo acknowledged the Taliban had refrained from attacking urban centres and military bases under the deal, but called on them to do more to reduce overall violence, according to Shaheen. Violence had dropped across much of the country after the Taliban offered a brief ceasefire to mark the Islamic Eid al-Fitr festival last month, but officials say the insurgents have stepped up attacks in recent weeks. Most attacks by the Taliban have targeted Afghan security forces, although there are regular police reports that civilians have been killed in roadside bomb blasts. TikTok on Tuesday denied sharing users' data with the Chinese government, after India banned the wildly popular app as ties with Beijing deteriorate sharply following a deadly border clash. Blaming each other for the brutal hand-to-hand battle on June 15 as talks make little headway, the Asian giants have been bolstering their border forces as anti-China sentiment grows in India. As India reportedly considered hiking tariffs and with some Chinese imports held up at ports, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government on Monday banned 59 Chinese apps including TikTok, WeChat and Weibo. The ministry of information technology said the apps "are engaged in activities... prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India, security of state and public order". The move mirrored growing unease about Chinese tech firms in other countries, in particular regarding telecom giant Huawei. TikTok, owned by China's ByteDance, allows users to upload and share short videos and is spectacularly popular in India -- its 120 million users have made it the app's top international market. On Tuesday, the head of TikTok India issued a statement saying the firm has "not shared any information of our users in India with any foreign government, including the Chinese government". "Further if we are requested to in the future we would not do so," Nikhil Gandhi said, adding that "hundreds of millions of users, artists, story-tellers, educators and performers... (depend) on it for their livelihood." It remains unclear, however, how the bans would work, with Indians who have downloaded TikTok on their phones still able to use the app on Tuesday. Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian told a regular press briefing that China is "strongly concerned" about the announcement and looking into the situation. He said the country has always asked Chinese firms to abide by international rules and local laws as they work with foreign parties, adding that China-India cooperation is mutually beneficial and damaging this is not in India's interest. - 'Befitting response' - China and India have long had a prickly relationship. But the border clash was the first deadly violence on their disputed Himalayan border in 45 years, claiming the lives of 20 Indian soldiers. Chinese casualties are unknown. The Indian deaths triggered outrage on social media with calls to boycott Chinese products. Chinese flags were set on fire and traders destroyed Chinese goods at scattered street protests. Ties were strained last August when New Delhi revoked the semi-autonomous status of Indian-controlled Kashmir and split off Ladakh -- parts of which are claimed by China -- into a new administrative territory. India shares US unease about growing Chinese influence in the Indian Ocean and New Delhi has bolstered defence cooperation with Washington as well as Australia and Japan. India has also been irked by China's backing of arch-rival Pakistan and the construction of an economic corridor going through parts of Kashmir controlled by Islamabad but claimed by India. Since the latest clash, the nuclear-armed neighbours have reinforced the border between Ladakh and Tibet. India has deployed thousands more troops and is conducting extra military flights over the mountainous region. "Those who cast an evil eye on Indian soil in Ladakh have got a befitting response," Modi said in his weekly radio address on Sunday. He was due to address the nation again at 4:00 pm (1030 GMT) on Tuesday. - 'Self-reliant' - With Asia's third-biggest economy dealt a sucker punch by the coronavirus, the apps ban fits in with Modi's vision outlined in May of a "self-reliant India" able to produce all it needs at home. But New Delhi has a trade deficit of around $50 billion with China, with India's pharmaceutical, electronics and automotive sectors hugely reliant on imports of Chinese raw materials and components. Chinese electronic firms also have a major presence in India, with cellphone brands like Xiaomi -- which manufactures in India -- enjoying a market share of almost 65 percent. The ban on the apps "is fine as a gesture of protest but we should be very careful with escalation right now," said Manoj Joshi from the Observer Research Foundation, an Indian think tank. "Right now I don't think there are any easy options for New Delhi." By Stephen Nellis (Reuters) - The payments by Alphabet Inc's Google to Apple Inc to be the default search engine on Apple's Safari web browser create "a significant barrier to entry and expansion" for Google's rivals in the search engine market, the UK markets regulator said in a report released on Wednesday. Apple received the "substantial majority" of the 1.2 billion pounds ($1.5 billion) that Google paid to be the default search engine on a variety of devices in the United Kingdom in 2019, according to the report. The U.K. Competition and Markets Authority, in its final report investigating online platforms and digital advertising, said the arrangements between Apple and Google create "a significant barrier to entry and expansion" for Google's rivals in the search engine market. Those rivals include Microsoft Corp's Bing, Verizon Communications Inc-owned Yahoo and independent search engine DuckDuckGo, all of which also make payments to Apple in exchange for being search engine options on its devices, the report said. "Given the impact of preinstallations and defaults on mobile devices and Apples significant market share, it is our view that Apples existing arrangements with Google create a significant barrier to entry and expansion for rivals affecting competition between search engines on mobiles," the regulators wrote in the report. Apple and Google did not immediately return requests for comment. Bernstein analyst Toni Sacconaghi earlier this year estimated that Apple generates about $9 billion per year globally from licensing arrangements, revenue with gross margins above 90% and with about 80% of the total coming from Google. Apple reports the revenue in its services segment, which investors are looking to for growth as consumers slow the pace of iPhone upgrades. In the report, the U.K. regulators said enforcement authorities should be given a range of options to address the Apple-Google arrangement, including requiring "choice screens" in which users decide which search engine to set as a default during device setup or restricting Apple's ability to monetize default positions. Apple told the regulators that monetization restrictions would be "very costly," according to the report. (Reporting by Stephen Nellis in San Francisco; Editing by Leslie Adler) The UKs world-class aerospace industry will be lost forever unless there is urgent action to support the sector through the current crisis, a leading union is warning. Unite said its research revealed that almost 12,000 aerospace job losses have been announced in recent months at some of the UKs biggest companies, including 1,700 by Airbus earlier this week. The union said it has repeatedly warned that without swift action to support the aerospace industry, more jobs will go on a vast scale and the UKs crown as an industry leader will be stolen by competitor countries. A study for the union showed that 102,000 workers are directly employed in the aerospace sector, with many thousands more in indirect employment. The sector has a turnover of more than 38 billion, generating over 9 billion for the UK economy every year. Unite said it wanted the UK government to follow the lead of countries such as France and Germany and put in place a programme the sector needs to survive, rebuild and recover. Unite assistant general secretary Steve Turner said: Unless we see comprehensive action to support UK aerospace now, then this world-class industry could well be lost on the Johnson governments watch. There is not a moment more to be lost. This is a sector that generates billions for the national coffers, helping fund our NHS, public services and the Governments promised infrastructure spend. It supports jobs the length and breadth of the country and is central to UK national security. Aerospace is exactly the sort of high-skilled industry, based in the communities that need to be at the heart of the Prime Ministers promised levelling up efforts. This is a flexible, committed workforce. It stepped up during this crisis, manufacturing ventilators and other equipment desperately needed for the NHS and to protect the public. They deserve so much more than a government that turns a deaf ear to requests for assistance. Story continues While aerospace workers in France and Germany are being embraced by their government, kept in decent paid work, working a shorter working week and retraining in preparation for the upturn, playing their part in building a greener, stronger economy, our governments inertia will see thousands of jobs lost and more of our business move overseas. Mr Turner warned that recent job losses will snowball into an avalanche of further redundancies without help. A Government spokesman said: We understand this is a difficult time for businesses and workers across the aerospace sector and stand ready to support those at risk of losing their jobs. The aerospace sector remains a critical part of the UK economy and we will continue to work closely with industry to ensure it can rebuild as the civil aviation market recovers. While conditions remain challenging, firms can continue to draw on the Governments financial support packages, including billions of pounds of loans and guarantees, tax deferrals and the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme. Isaac Haxton Wins Poker Masters Online PLO Series Main Event July 01 2020 Will Shillibier Isaac Haxton has triumphed in the Poker Masters Online PLO Series Main Event, winning $675,000 after defeating Grazvydas Kontautas heads-up. The partypoker Ambassador topped a field of 29 players that included Viktor Blom, Sam Trickett, Joni Jouhkimainen, Andras Nemeth, Laszlo Bujtas, Pascal Lefrancois and purple jacket winner Eelis Parssinen. Poker Masters Online PLO Series Main Event Results Rank Player Country Payout (USD) 1 Isaac Haxton Canada $675,000 2 Grazvydas Kontautas Lithuania $442,104 3 Aku Joentausta Finland $225,000 4 Chris Kruk Canada $157,896 Haxton failed to record a cash during the Poker Masters Online PLO Series festival before the Main Event, but made it count as he walked away with a six-figure payday. just setting up my twttr jack (@jack) READ MORE: Parssinen Holds Off Nemeth and Kyllonen to Win Poker Masters Online PLO Series Final Day Recap With five players left and only four places paid, Haxton held a commanding chip lead with 2.8 million at the start of the day, and soon increased that to over 3.6 million by the time the first break was reached. When play resumed, Haxton didn't let up. As Kontautas, Santos and Joentausta all battled it out at the bottom of the ladder, only Kruk managed to show any resistance. That was until Joentausta doubled through him to move into second place. However, second place was only 532,000 chips compared to the 4.2 million of Haxton. Bubble Bursts Meanwhile, Santos had fallen to the bottom of the chip counts and was sent to the rail by Haxton, guaranteeing the remaining players $157,896. Isaac Haxton raised to 120,000. Andre Filipe Santos called. The flop came and Haxton bet 98,121 and Santos called all in. The turn was the and the river and Santos was eliminated, bubbling the Poker Masters Onlien PLO Series Main Event. Joentausta would double up through Haxton twice, with Kontautas getting one of his own to leave Kruk short. He would double once, before getting in kings against Haxton. However, the turn gave Haxton trips to eliminate Kruk. Closing Stages Over the course of three-handed play, Kontautas battled back to overtake Haxton as the stacks levelled out between the players. Haxton even took a spell as the shortstack, but eventually, after an hour of three-handed play there was a breakthrough. Joentausta was sent to the rail in a hand that saw Haxton regain the chip lead, holding 3.6m in chips compared to heads-up opponent Grazvydas Kontautas. Compared to three-handed play, heads-up play took a lot shorter. Eventually, both players flopped flush draws, and after Kontautas shoved the ace on the turn, Haxton called with top pair and the nut flush draw and rivered the flush to secure victory and the $675,000 payout. Chatham, VA (24531) Today Sunny to partly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 94F. Winds WSW at 10 to 15 mph.. Tonight Mostly cloudy skies. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 71F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph. Photo credit: TOM OF FINLAND, Untitled, 1987, Graphite on paper, 1987 Tom of Finland Foundation From Esquire In 1939, a young Helsinki-based student by the name of Touko Laaksonen had a secret. In-between classes, the 19-year-old sketched what came to him in dreams the vivid, breathless ones that shock our consciousness when the sun rises and soon assembled a small archive of "naughty drawings". The naughtiest part being an illegal one: those that came to the artist in his REM-induced euphoria were not young attractive women. They were attractive young men, so muscled and chiselled that they were barely contained in their labourer's uniform, loaf-like hands firmly planted on the smalls of narrow backs, among other places. And yet the dream was abruptly cut short. As global conflict called time on academia, the young Laaksonen was enlisted to fight in the Winter War against the USSR before further deployments in World War 2, and he destroyed all traces of his work. On the surface, the army was not so welcoming of such expression. It's likely you've never heard of Touko Laaksonen. But you may've seen his work in its purest form, and you've certainly seen it in the epochal wardrobe of Freddie Mercury, and the Village People, and every tweet that refers to a semi-famous handsome man as 'zaddy'. For Laaksonen is more famous by his pen name, a pseudonym that came to define several strands of gay culture before paddling in the mainstream: Tom Of Finland. Photo credit: JW Anderson Just recently, it was British designer JW Anderson's turn to re-home Finland's landmark work into a limited edition collection to coincide with Pride (another ever-important event placed on ice by Covid-19), and a very important birthday (Tom would've been 100 this year). Anderson himself is a collector of the artist. Though this is no cookie-cutter rainbow-edged 'capsule', or a knee-jerk signal to profess 'allyship' when so many brands fail to even make a contribution to LGBTQ+ charities despite co-opting the flag. This stuff isn't for the sanitised Citibank float, either. Upon felt tote bags and neoprene visors, Tom Of Finland's brigade of burly men are doing what they've always done: tying one another up, refusing shirts, half-smiling as muscles are grabbed and zippers undone. And in comparison to some other works, these are far tamer waters though a continuation of the designer's penis keyring is not for the pearl-clutcher, with a Tom Of Finlandification of studs and piercings upon black leather, with JW Anderson donating 20 per cent of sales of the signature accessory in all colours to UK Black Pride and LGBTQ+ youth homeless charity Akt. Story continues JW Anderson is one of the few homegrown British designers to command a large fandom with his own name. And this collection, by very token of Anderson's brand capital, is a visible counter to the Disneyfied garb labels cynically peddle. These are pieces plucked from the carnal fringes when Pride began as a riot in response to police raids of the gay-friendly Stonewall Inn. It's authentic, undoctored even more so as queerness itself only ever did exist on the fringes. "Even as conversations about sexuality and homosexuality were expanding in the press, gay materials only circulated on the fringes in the mid-twentieth century. Most mainstream discussion of homosexuality presented men as perverts or criminals; at best, they were sad victims," says Dr Justin Bengry, a history lecturer at London's Goldsmiths, and course convenor of the university's Queer History MA programme. "Men who wanted to find gay materials could do so in pulp novels and under-the-counter magazines, but none of this was mainstream. However, the kinds of physique magazines where Tom Of Finland's art was published had a wide distribution among gay men, surpassing by far the reach of activist publications." This meant that American titles like Physique Pictorial an early proto-porn title to which Finland contributed were a way to explore intrinsic desires under the heavy cloud of national censorship. Photo credit: Tom Of Finland Foundation, CDLP What's more, Tom Of Finland's inkling for the hyper-masculine helped shape gay men's perceptions of self, and those around them. "The image of gay men that dominated mainstream representation at this time was the 'pansy' or the 'sissy'," says Bengry. "He was an object of ridicule and derision, a failed example of masculinity. Tom Of Finland's art showed that men who desired other men could be masculine, virile, and powerful a response to a culture that so often told gay men they could never be 'real men'." So masculine are they, that Tom Of Finland's subjects veer on the cusp of sexually-charged caricature. Shoebox jaws aren't the exception; they're the rule. Good looks are essential. Muscles are so big that chests prove almost Olympian, mythological meatheads that openly and unashamedly indulge in behaviour that was only whispered about, keen to enjoy the palpable homoeroticism felt by men who spent months and months together in isolation. Tom Of Finland's subjects were soldiers, and mountaineers, and police officers: there to protect and serve (one another) in a world that decried them. In theirs, 'real men' liked 'real men' too, and delighted in rejecting the traditional use of their ample virility. Undue pleasure, just without the inconvenience of procreation. JW Anderson isn't the first to pull Tom Of Finland into menswear. While a charitable foundation named after the artist promotes and preserves erotic art in a creative sense (sales of Anderson's collection will raise funds for the organisation too), Scandi textiles outfit Finlayson pinned the more playful images to towels, totes and keyrings, a moustachioed truck driver winking from a reflective bag charm. If you know, you know. Cult underwear label CDLP also partnered with the foundation in 2018, resulting in a collab that was a little more direct, siphoning a portion of proceeds to the foundation. Barely-there briefs were plucked straight from the monochrome sketch of a textbook Tom Of Finlander, in addition to jockstraps (a staple of gay pornography with roots in all-male sport). It was as close to naked as you'd get without shedding the trademark of the artist which was the point. "I almost never draw a completely naked man, he has to have at least a pair of boots," Finland is well-quoted to having said. "To me, a fully-dressed man is more erotic than a naked one. A naked man is, of course beautiful, but dress him in black leather or a uniform ah, then he is more than beautiful. Then he is sexy." Photo credit: TOM OF FINLAND, Untitled, 1988, Graphite on paper, 1988-2020 Tom of Finland Foundation Muscle alone did not make Tom Of Finland's brand. It was the clothing. Of course, certain artefacts are still largely shackled to parts of gay cultures: black leather trucker caps, for example, and police shirts so tight they pose an occupational hazard. We don't see them much in heteronormative spaces (which is why the parades of Pride are so important). But is there an element of Finland's cartoonish fixation in the ever-shrinking clothes of Love Island, of oversized glutes crowbarred into suffocating denim? Of men that fawn and gush over the gains of their fellow gym goers? Is Tom Of Finland's refurbishment of masculinity now a lead for men at large? And, are the oversized frames of porn heterosexual or otherwise now the norm? It's tempting to connect the dots. In a community historically mired in deep shame, Tom Of Finland taught many to be ferociously unashamed, to appropriate the uniforms of their oppressors into products of subculture, to out-male the men who told them they weren't enough. That shame endures. Homosexuality was still classed as a mental illness until 1981 in Finland. And, hyper-masculinity has become something of an overarching standard in gay idealism: that to be any lesser is to be sub-par, that to be 'straight passing' is a trophy. This cannot be solely placed at the door of Tom Of Finland, says Bengry. "Today, we might look at these images concerned that they reinforce a 'masc4masc' culture that devalues camp and derides feminine gay and queer men, but in the context of the 1950s and 1960s, Tom Of Finland's images are erotic, playful and subversive." Tom Of Finland's work isn't flawless. No work is, especially as our window of progressivism actually progresses into a larger, different vision. Nazi uniforms for example, are commonplace in earlier pieces, inspired by Finland's time on the front. The artist vocally condemned its source, saying "the whole Nazi philosophy, the racism and all that, is hateful to me, but of course I drew them anyway they had the sexiest uniforms!" Which, in itself, is problematic, though Tom Of Finland was quick to state the he believed their designer to be gay too. Placing the kit of a supremacist, gay-hating nation into a sexually charged homoerotic setting could also be seen as the ultimate act of political defiance, too. And, during a time when social progress was barely a mumble in public discourse, Finland's vision has been heralded as an early form of inclusivity by some, with several sketches of Black men and men of colour depicted within his work. These too have faced accusations of hypersexualisation by critics a racist trope often and wrongly suffered by these very peoples but supporters champion it as an early form of inclusivity. Everything, after all, in Tom Of Finland's universe is hypersexualised. The controversy still stands. Photo credit: Itella Posti Oy / Finland. Original images (1978,1979) Tom of Finland Foundation / USA. Ultimately, Finland wanted to illustrate a salvation of sorts. "My drawings are primarily meant for guys who may have experienced misunderstanding and oppression and feel that they have somehow failed in their lives," he said in 1990. "I want to encourage this minority group, to tell them not to give up, to think positively about their act and whole being. Of course, this took time and an entire ongoing movement that only saw the artist's sexuality decriminalised in own his home country at the grand old age of 61. There's still a long way to go. Though now, there is a wider appreciation of Finland's work. In 2014, three Finnish first class stamps were released celebrating Tom Of Finland a world first in the mail industry as the first postage stamp to depict homoerotic art. "Pretty risque" said a Washington Post article at the time. Pretty great, said everyone else, as it became one of the best-selling stamps in the nation's history. He was also the subject of a 2017 feature film that was pitched as the Finnish entry of Best Foreign Language Film at the Oscars. The Academy, then still in the doldrums of out-of-touchness, failed to echo the legion reviews. And he's also in your wardrobe, too. In JW Anderson and CDLP, yes. But bare chests are back as well. Buttons are to be undone. Perhaps our drowned world of PornHub and OnlyFans and social liberation has desensitised us to such images: we're OK to model our menswear about men who like men because that's chill and we're progressive and we're cool. But Tom Of Finland was doing this before the lights hit green, before lawmakers even acknowledged our existence, and corporations followed suit. Or, perhaps, we're a lot more like a young Touko Laaksonen than we'd think; grappling with fantasies we're told to dispel, cracking padlocked dreams open in art, and clothing, and in Pride, increasingly unafraid of the attractive nightly callers in our dreams. Like this article? Sign up to our newsletter to get more delivered straight to your inbox SIGN UP Need some positivity right now? Subscribe to Esquire now for a hit of style, fitness, culture and advice from the experts SUBSCRIBE You Might Also Like As Armenias COVID-19 epidemic continues to metastasize, with its infection rate among the highest in the world, the countrys leadership has said that it will continue to rely on voluntary self-isolation rather than reimposing a lockdown. The country ended its two-month lockdown on May 4 and since then the spread of the novel coronavirus has accelerated rapidly, Eurasianet writes in the article Armenian officials rule out new lockdown even as COVID worsens. For most of June, Armenia has been registering more than 500 new cases per day, often more than 700; it is the leader in the Caucasus and Central Asia in total cases and total deaths from coronavirus even as it has the lowest population in the region. While on some days recoveries outnumber new cases, on average the number of active cases continues to rise. "Today Armenia is a world leader in terms of total confirmed cases of COVID-19 and new daily cases per million people, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said on June 26. This is a serious problem for us, for all of us, but there is a greater problem which causes this problem. There is no understanding of the seriousness of the situation in Armenia. In spite of the dire epidemiological situation, officials have recently insisted that they do not intend to reinstate the lockdown. Virtually every enterprise is open in Armenia restaurants, bars, shopping malls, gyms and swimming pools albeit under new sanitary regulations mandating that staff wear masks and tables at restaurants are set apart from one another. As of June 25, the authorities had shut down 3,752 enterprises for violating the regulations. Since May 25, everyone must wear a mask, even outdoors. But even as many other countries in the region have reinstated lockdowns in the face of a resurgent coronavirus, Armenian officials insist they will not follow suit. Pashinyan has suggested that Armenias low level of voluntary adherence to social distancing guidelines means that a legally enforced lockdown wouldnt work. Some wonder why we do not resort to a total lockdown, Pashinyan said during a June 29 press briefing. Analyses show that if we impose a lockdown and it is not maintained properly, it will have a lasting and catastrophic impact on the economy. The lockdown may prove effective only if each of us adheres to strict safety rules in our individual behavior: if they are clearly followed, there will be no need for a new lockdown. Pashinyan also has suggested that the economy would suffer too much if a strict lockdown were imposed again. "It is important to note that the government's challenge is to keep the right balance between economic and healthcare/social concerns, he said at another briefing, on June 26. Over 70,000 jobs were lost due to the pandemic until April, and if the lockdown was in force longer, then there was a danger that Armenia could face a social collapse. It is apparent to us that we have to do everything to learn to live alongside the virus. Pashinyan also said that the current regime may be toughened if the situation continues to get worse. As far as we have no serious changes in numbers, as far as we have not recorded an opposite dynamic, we have to choose the policy of toughening the measures and the package of the toughening can be in various directions, he said. But for the most part, the government is relying on voluntary self-isolation. In a June 28 Facebook post, Health Minister Arsen Torosyan called on Armenians to implement a conscious, voluntary lockdown by refraining from nearly all social activities, from eating in restaurants to holding birthday parties to allowing children to play outside. There is simply no other way out of this situation, he said. In a separate television interview, he pointed out the positive side of Armenias response: "We decided to learn to live with this situation. In the process of learning, when we had a closed economy and restricted people's movements, we developed our healthcare capacity, and that is why we have such good statistics, he said. In particular, Armenias case mortality rate is about 1.7 percent, just like Germany, he said, when much of the rest of the world had a rate of five to ten percent. As of June 30, Armenia has registered a total of 25,542 COVID-19 cases, with 14,048 recoveries and 443 deaths directly from the disease and an additional 147 deaths of people who had the disease but were deemed to have died from other causes. The big problem with the announcement in early June that the first freight train had left the Chinese city of Lanzhou bound for the Uzbek capital, Tashkent, is that the railway link in Kyrgyzstan needed for the trip is not yet done. Not even close to being completed, Radio Free Europe writes in the article Kyrgyzstan The Missing Link In China's Railway To Uzbekistan...And Beyond. It would seem the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan (CKU) railway is just another of those grand projects conceived decades ago that might never be built. But in this case there is some hope it will be realized -- though it will probably have to wait for better times in a world economy. To compensate for the lack of a full Kyrgyz link on this project, a new "road-rail" combined-cargo transport line has been devised. The train that left Lanzhou station in China's northwestern Gansu Province on June 5 is carrying a load of some 230 tons of electrical appliances worth about $2.6 million. The train first traveled to Kashgar in the western Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, near the border with Kyrgyzstan. From Kashgar, the goods were loaded onto trucks for the journey westward across Kyrgyzstan to the city of Osh, where they were reloaded onto a train headed for Tashkent. Part of that route used the Pap-Angren railway line in Uzbekistan that the Chinese helped build and which opened in early 2016. The loading and unloading of goods, along with the trucking operation, will be repeated when the train from Tashkent leaves for China due to carry some 525 tons of Uzbek cotton worth some $1 million. On June 17, Kyrgyz President Sooronbai Jeenbekov held a meeting with Foreign Minister Chingiz Aidarbekov, Transport and Roads Minister Janat Beyshenov, and Vasily Dashkov, the head of the state railway company Kyrgyz Temir Zholy, to discuss railway issues that included the line from China to Uzbekistan. Jeenbekov reportedly described the railway line connecting China and Uzbekistan as one of the largest and most strategically important projects for Kyrgyzstan. On June 18, according to the Kyrgyz Temir Zholy website, "construction of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway will start in a month," and company head Dashkov said he didn't see any "particular obstacles" but rather just a "few points [to conclude]." But that message disappeared from the website on June 19. The head of Kyrgyz Temir Zholy's Railway Design and Construction Department, Zhamshitbek Kalilov, later said the June 18 post was a misunderstanding and said there is no way construction will start in July. Not Kyrgyzstan's route Kalilov said talks with Chinese and Uzbek officials were continuing, mainly by videoconference due to the coronavirus, but he mentioned there were still issues with financing and the perennial problem of track-gauge size.The CKU railway has been discussed since the latter part of the 1990s. The prime ministers of China, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan all met at the Kyrgyz-China Irkeshtam border post on July 21, 1997, to open the crossing. They said at the time they would also soon open the Andijon-Osh-Kashgar highway, though the highway only started being used to ship goods in early 2018 -- when they promised a railway would also connect the three countries. In June 2001, Kyrgyz Transportation and Communications Minister Kubanychbek Jumaliev announced an agreement had been reached for construction of the CKU railway line but it was more than six years later -- in January 2008 -- that China's Xinhua news agency reported construction of the railway had begun and the line would be completed in 2010. Since then, the project was often mentioned when Uzbek or Kyrgyz officials met with Chinese officials but little progress was made on finishing it. In 2017, Kyrgyz President Almazbek Atambaev spoke about the railway project, objecting to the fact that the proposed railway line would not make any stops in Kyrgyzstan. Atambaev proposed the railway take a different route than the one planned, so that trains would also serve the remote Kyrgyz towns of At-Bashi and Kazarman, a significant deviation north from the original plan and one that Atambaev admitted would add $1.5 billion to the cost of building the railway. Kalilov indicated the route was still not completely agreed upon. In March 2018, when Kalilov was transport minister, he said China was insisting on the shortest route possible through Kyrgyzstan. That likely means through the Irkeshtam crossing, some 230 kilometers nearly due west from Kashgar, and the route that trucks currently use as part of the road-rail link. But Kalilov said Kyrgyzstan was exerting "all efforts so that the railroad goes through the pass at Torugart," which would run some 165 kilometers north from Kashgar before turning west into Kyrgyzstan and head toward Uzbekistan. Kyrgyzstan does not have the extra $1.5 billion Atambaev mentioned and, in the June 18 message briefly posted on the Kyrgyz Temir Zholy website, Dashkov said the railway through Kyrgyzstan had an estimated price tag of some $4.5 billion. The line is not long, only some 450-500 kilometers, but it passes through the mountains, sometimes at altitudes of 2,000 to 3,500 meters. That means it will require the construction of nearly 50 tunnels -- and more than 90 bridges. A very tall order for any country but especially one like cash-strapped Kyrgyzstan. Dashkov said that when it came to money, "the Russian and Uzbek sides are ready to help us." It was a curious statement, as neither of those countries are in a financial position to spend that kind of money on construction of a railway through Kyrgyzstan and, in Russia's case, it is difficult to see why Russia would spend money on a project that would provide a trade route between Asia and Europe that avoids Russian territory. That said, there were reports at the end of November 2019 that Jeenbekov said Russia had provided Kyrgyzstan with 200 million rubles (then worth some $3.15 million) to prepare the "technical-economic basis" for the CKU railway, and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in April 2020 there were talks with China about Russia's participation in building the CKU railway. The best route west Reports at the start of June about the opening of the road-rail, combined-cargo transport line claimed that if and when a railroad did go through Kyrgyzstan, it would be the shortest route for China to trade with Europe and the Middle East. Currently, the main railway line connecting China to Europe and the Middle East runs through Kazakhstan's Khorgos crossing and one report said that by shipping through Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan the route would be "295 kilometers shorter than through Khorgos." It also claimed that "compared with the traditional route [through Khorgos], the time saved would be as much as five days." That prospect might not be appealing to Kazakhstan, but several other countries stand to benefit from such a route if the CKU line is extended further westward. One report said the extension would run through Afghanistan, Iran, and Turkey to Europe, while another said the route would run through Turkmenistan and, by ferry, across the Caspian Sea to Istanbul and to Europe. Ideally it could split and do both, though any railway line through Afghanistan would face the same security problems that have for more than 20 years prevented construction of electricity lines and natural-gas pipelines from Central Asia through Afghanistan to Pakistan. More immediately for China's interests, the completion of the CKU line would open a line to the Mingbulak oil field in Uzbekistan. Mingbulak is best-known for being the site of possibly the worst inland oil spill in history. An explosion at a well in early March 1992 led to some 285,000 tons of oil being spilled, which helped fuel a fire that burned over an area of more than 60 hectares for some two months. The site was abandoned until the China National Petroleum Corp (CNPC) signed a deal in October 2008 (that runs until 2035) to reopen and develop the field. Work was suspended again in 2015 due to the low price of oil on world markets, but resumed in 2017, and the CNPC believes there is more than 30 million tons of oil there and that Mingbulak can eventually produce some 4,000 barrels per day. Not a huge amount, especially for China's needs, but it is less than 500 kilometers from China's border. As it stands now, the only way to transport it is via road. But Mingbulak is located in Uzbekistan's Namangan Province, as is the Pap railway station that is on the CKU railway line. And assuming Kyrgyzstan can convince China, Uzbekistan, and whoever might be funding the railway's construction to include some train stops in Kyrgyzstan, Transport Minister Beyshenov claimed in August 2019 the railway line could help Kyrgyzstan open up new mining sites that would allow Kyrgyzstan to export more coal, gold, aluminum, iron, and other resources. Kyrgyzstan almost surely will not start construction of its segment of the railway line anytime soon. But the CKU railway is one of the last two major projects connecting China to Central Asia that remains incomplete (the other is Line D of the Turkmenistan-China natural-gas pipeline. And the proposed extension of the railway to Europe and the Middle East -- one day far off in the future -- will always be appealing to more countries than just China, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan. Kyrgyzstan almost surely will not start construction of its segment of the railway line anytime soon. But the CKU railway is one of the last two major projects connecting China to Central Asia that remains incomplete (the other is Line D of the Turkmenistan-China natural-gas pipeline. And the proposed extension of the railway to Europe and the Middle East -- one day far off in the future -- will always be appealing to more countries than just China, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan. Government officials in Nur-Sultan are working to attract more foreign investments in what is Central Asias wealthiest economy to increase production in the oil and gas industry amidst the global economic turmoil. With a population of almost 19 million, Kazakhstans economy is largely dependent upon oil and natural gas reserves, Caspian News writes in the article Kazakhstan Seeks To Attract Foreign Oil & Gas Investments Amidst Global Crisis. An ongoing pandemic of coronavirus disease has halved the value of nearly 80 percent of Kazakhstans exports, but officials believe the countrys top industry still has untapped potential. Citing the need to attract foreign investors, Magzum Mirzagaliyev, who heads Kazakhstans ecology, geology, and natural resources agency, said the country was looking for an experienced partner to develop a successful marketing strategy. We have already held the first round of negotiations with a company of this kind this is IHS Markit, based in the UK and the US, Mirzagaliyev said in an interview with Interfax Kazakhstan, mentioning the global leader in information, analytics, and solutions for the major industries and markets that drive economies worldwide that serves more than 50,000 key customers in over 140 countries. We agreed to create a joint working group that will soon analyze the investment opportunities of the country, and we are also planning to launch a series of road-show. Kazakhstan is the worlds ninth-largest crude oil exporter, accounting for three percent of the worlds total oil reserves. According to the data provided by the minister, the countrys total recoverable hydrocarbon resources are estimated at 76.4 billion tons of oil equivalent. More than 90 percent of Kazakhstans oil is concentrated in its 15 largest fields, which include Kashagan, Tengiz, and Karachaganak. At the same time, five of these fields offer little promise for oil and gas, while five others have not yet been explored. Mirzagaliyev is convinced that a series of shows, which are expected to take place in different places around the globe to give the public information about the industry, could be a key. These shows are nothing new for the Central Asian country. In 1992, Kazakhstan launched its first road-show in Houston, Texas, resulting in the launch of exploration at the Chinarevskoye oil and gas-condensate field, located 75 kilometers northwest of the super-giant Karachaganak field. One year later, in 1993, the government of Kazakhstan again organized two road-shows, in Houston and London. Today, the whole world knows about the outcome of these shows: along with such deposits as Kairan, Aktoty, Kalamkas-Sea, and others, the unique Kashagan field was discovered, Mirzagaliyev said, mentioning the Central Asian nations biggest oilfield. This time, Kazakhstan is eager to launch these events again in four locations. According to the government data, road-shows are scheduled for late 2020 and early 2021. Houston, which is considered the worlds premier energy hub, was again chosen to host one of the events. The Houston region is home to 4,600 energy-related companies, including more than 500 exploration and production firms, 800 oilfield service companies, and more than 90 pipeline establishments. London, Singapore, and Dubai are reportedly picked as the next locations for the road-shows. Meanwhile, the recent announcement from Kazakhstans minister came after the government revealed this week that it would tighten the lockdown of the country, to prevent the spread of coronavirus. Many believe that the impacts of the strict lockdown measures a sharp drop in oil prices, the travel restrictions as well as the shutdown of SMEs can lead to a significant drop in Kazakhstans GDP. In its recent report, KPMG, a global network of professional firms providing audit, tax, and advisory services, claims that the COVID-19 crisis impacts may have a catastrophic effect on the economy of Kazakhstan. The current situation with COVID-19 is likely to cause one of the deepest crises in Kazakhstan since the collapse of the USSR since COVID-19 caused a global economic crisis, the scale of which is still difficult to estimate, reads the report. The first round of the presidential election in Poland did not reveal the winner. The second round will be held on July 12, the current president Andrzej Duda (almost 44% in the first round) and the mayor of Warsaw Rafal Tshaskovsky (about 30%) will take part in it. Elections, regardless of the outcome, have already been called historic. Firstly, they pass from the second attempt - the first in May failed due to organizational problems in a pandemic. Secondly, one could vote for the presidential candidate as usual by coming to the polling station, or by mail if the epidemiological security measures taken by the authorities seemed to be insufficient. And in the second round, similarly. Thirdly, and this is the main thing - Tshaskovsky could simply not exist. Opposition "Civic Platform" at the May presidential election introduced the Deputy Speaker of the Sejm to Malgozhat Kidava-Blonskaya. She led the campaign no matter. The results of the research predicted her results in the region of 5 percent, when the brightest moment of the campaign of Mrs. Kidava-Blonskaya for the presidency occurred - she suddenly turned to her supporters ... to boycott the vote. When it became clear that the chances and ambitions of the Civic Platform can be put to an end with a clear conscience, the elections were postponed until June. And the party brilliantly took advantage of the situation by lawfully exposing a new candidate - Rafal Tshaskovsky, who did not need special promotion and was known as a young, modern and quite suitable for the liberal part of Polish society. This strong move has changed the nature and course of the campaign. It would seem that the difference in results in the first round leaves no chance for success to the mayor of Warsaw. Still, 14 percent is a serious gap. What is the head of the capital counting on and is there anything to count on? It turns out there is, if we study the administrative and social cards of the distribution of votes. The current president, Andrzej Duda, succeeded in small towns, and middle-aged and elderly people voted for him. While the mayor of Warsaw, Rafal Tzaskowski, the residents of large cities of Poland, young people and some middle-aged Poles want to see the president. If Tshaskovsky manages to win over the votes of the candidates who have withdrawn from the struggle, the task of closing the lag of 14 percent is no longer a daunting task. In this case, Pan Tshaskovsky is counting heavily on an energetic short-term campaign, which he, apparently, wants to reduce to television debates with Duda. Or at least for one meeting with him on live television. There are chances to win the election. Its too early to give up with such a result and its worth fighting for victory, Tshaskovsky announced, addressing the incumbent with a proposal on television debates in any form. The proposal sounded quite insistent, and observers found an explanation for this, referring to the analytical layout proposed by the influential publication Rzeczpospolita. According to the publication, a uniform anti-campaign was opened against the mayor of Warsaw at some point. In just two weeks, in mid-June, Andrzej Douda devoted 94 positive and some neutral stories to state television. In the same period, Rafal Tshaskovsky won the attention of state television in 67 subjects, of which not a single one could be called positive with all his will. According to media experts, nine of them can be regarded as neutral, and the rest with a negative connotation. It is worth emphasizing - this is not about objectivity, because a negative plot may well be objective, but rather about tendentiousness. With this in mind, it becomes clear why Tshaskovsky is so persistent in calling on the president to go on television debates. But if Duda does not dare to go to the battle, then the situation of the mayor of Warsaw is not hopeless. Effective cooperation with candidates who have left the struggle is by no means an unimaginable process. Moreover, the political views of some of them have something in common with Tshaskovskys platform. The question goes into the price. Not in a literal sense, of course. If Tshaskovskys cooperation with former presidential candidates develops, then he can add about 20 percent to his 30 percent of the votes, bypassing Andrzej Dudu with a small margin, who, according to Polish experts, does not have such a resource for the second round. They predict that the incumbent president is likely to gain fewer votes than in the first round because of the banal electoral laziness, which will exceed the result shown in the first round. The current presidential election in Poland is also significant in that it did not attract much attention from the international community, with the possible exception of Russia. Local media were quite active in covering the Polish electoral process. On the one hand, this seems to be logical - a neighboring country, characterized by unfriendly rhetoric, which is almost the main ally of the United States in the EU and in general on the European continent. On the other hand, in a series of stories on the elections in Poland, Andrzej Duda was positioned as a Russophobe, while his rival Rafal Tshaskovsky, if not a Russophile, was a supporter of improving relations with Russia, as Lech Walesa had recently called for, to power riding a wave of pan-Americanism and Russophobia. The Polish colleagues, whom I asked the question of how Tshaskovsky can be considered a politician loyal to Russia, learning about how he was characterized by some Russian media, were genuinely surprised. According to them, a picture has developed in which there is no noticeable difference between Duda and Tshaskovsky on the Russian question. Andrzej Duda nominated by the party Law and Justice. Rafal Tshaskovsky - by the opposition Civil Platform. But the fact is that both parties have a pronounced right wing, and the competition between them is old and intense. With a certain difference in economic issues or, say, traditional values and ultra-liberal trends, they have a similar, if not the same approach to a number of other issues, including the Russian one. During the current election campaign, both Duda and Tshaskovsky as a whole did not pay much attention to foreign affairs - they were far from the main ones, and Russia had almost nothing. Dudas position, however, is well known - he considers Moscow to be the main threat to Poland. As for Tshaskovsky, when asked by journalists about a possible improvement in relations with Russia, he said that he did not see Russia as a responsible participant in international relations and it is correct that the EU and NATO pursue a tough and principled policy towards Russia, because theres another there is no way. The interlocutor of Vestnik Kavkaza is Seda (Star) Khaytaev, Peoples Artist of the Chechen Republic, soloist of the State Dance Ensemble Vainakh, which celebrates its 80 anniversary last year. Seda was born in 1987, she had to see and survive all the horrors of the war in Chechnya, but defeating fear, becoming a real star, because her name is translated that way. - Seda, how did you end up in the Vainakh ensemble? - My childhood was a difficult period. Only now I understand what fear our mothers felt for their children, when every day could be the last. No one then thought about any dances, nor about any culture. There was a war - the worst thing that can be on earth. But in the 2000s, we all breathed freely. Something magical appeared in the air of Chechnya, which encouraged creativity. Large-scale work was underway to restore the capital of the Chechen Republic. Whoever was in the post-war Grozny will forever remember the ruins - the sinister aftertaste of war. In their place, new houses grew, streets and avenues, parks were broken. It was a time of daring and decisive actions, creation. The Chechen people rebuilt houses, collected and restored cultural objects bit by bit. The ensemble Vainakh was revived. I just saw an announcement about a set of dance troupe and went to a rehearsal. And now for more than 15 years I have been dancing in the ensemble. - What does it mean to you to be a soloist in a dance ensemble? Vainakh is a state dance ensemble in which no one, especially the soloists, has the right to make a mistake. We show the audience more than a dance, we give all the beauty and poetry of the Chechen culture, we show in the dance the traditions and rites of the Chechen people. In general, a national dance is a story about the people themselves, about their spirit and their character. And when you are entrusted with the responsibility to represent the image of a Chechen girl, there can be no justification for any weaknesses and trifles. Everything - from the smallest detail of the costume, to the faint gesture of the hands, turning the head and the look itself - should be perfectly calibrated. The life of a professional dancer is the life of an athlete. Daily, sometimes exhausting workouts - rehearsals especially before large performances - is hard work. - What is the most difficult thing for you in the ensemble? I'm afraid it may seem inconsistent, but for me, rehearsals never presented a particular problem. For me, always the most difficult was and remains the struggle with the fear of the stage. This feeling never dulls and does not go anywhere. The first moments before entering the stage are always the most exciting and disturbing, but as soon as you get out of the wings, you forget about everything. The viewer looks at you from the audience, and sees not the personality of the soloist, but the image of the whole people. A solo dance is both excitement, and fear, and a storm of other feelings that instantly disappear when music begins to sound, and you live in the way that you embody. - What is your favorite dance? - I will not be original if I say that the wedding dance is the embodiment of tenderness and beauty of any Caucasian dance, in particular, Chechen dance. But there is one important and interesting nuance. In the Chechen wedding dance there is a peculiar prelude, telling about the meeting of the young at the spring. According to the Chechen tradition, the spring is a place of acquaintance, meeting, communication. In dance, a girl cannot raise her hands above her shoulders, she dances with her eyes down. The guy has no right to touch the girl. A certain distance is maintained between partners, which in the most expressive way shows sincerity, beauty and purity of real human relations. The plot of the dance is a request for consent to get married, the girl, turning away from her partner, reaches out and releases her handkerchief as a sign of consent. - How is the Vainakh ensemble different from other dance groups? - First of all, the mission that the whole team of our ensemble carries. The peculiarity of Vainakh is a reverent attitude to the tradition of dance, without any modern additions. We have a program traditional for the choreographic collective, a large composition of the dance group, a live orchestra. All this serves the main purpose - to tell the world and all peoples about the beauty and wealth of the Chechen national culture. We carry a message to the world, telling about the beauty of the Caucasus, the customs of the highlanders and the national character. Costumes, outfits - an integral part of the dance. Color, cut, pattern, even the smallest details are very important, as they create a complete image of the picture that we show the viewer. National dance is an illustration of the natural beauty of human relations, male power and female plastic. - What would you recommend to girls who dream of becoming beautiful? - In the folk tradition, there are many different means to emphasize the feminine beauty and grace, making it subtle, unobtrusive, and very expressive. One of such techniques is the Caucasian national dance as a system of cultural and physical education. Dance and learn national dances - this will make any girl more beautiful and elegant. The image of a stately woman - a true bitterness is known throughout the world. In my opinion, Caucasian choreography is the best way to form the main female qualities, both physical and spiritual, as well as remember the traditions, history and culture of your people. Russia's Central Election Commission estimates that 72.14 percent of voters approve of amendments to the constitution, with 20 percent of ballots counted, Sputnik reports. Russian Central Election Commission (CEC) head Ella Pamfilova said on Wednesday that, according to the preliminary data, almost 65 percent of Russian citizens cast their ballots in the vote on constitutional amendments. "According to our preliminary data, the turnout was 65 percent of the voting participants included in the list," Pamfilova said. The CEC chairwoman noted that the extremely low number of violations were detected in the course of the vote, adding that the online format of voting that was available in Moscow and the Nizhny Novogorod Region proved to be popular among their residents. Pamfilova also said that Russia's CEC would take all necessary measures to crack down double voting attempts. The turnout includes the votes cast from June 25 until polls close at 8:00 p.m. local time. Earlier in the day, Chief of Main Directorate for Political-Military Affairs of the Russian Armed Forces Andrey Kartapolov stated that over 99 percent of Russian military servicemen participated in voting on the amendments. "In the Armed Forces, the all-Russian vote on the constitutional amendments proposed by the president [Vladimir Putin] is almost over by now. We, as usual, actively participated in the voting more than 1.5 million people voted. The turnout is 99,991 percent, according to our estimates," Kartapolov told reporters. Commenting on the voting, Helene Laporte, a European Parliament member who observed the process, stated that it complies with all democratic and sanitary standards. "The second round of municipal elections just ended in France, and, comparing these elections, I can say that the voting here [in Russia] meets all the democratic requirements ... The right to vote has been granted to absolutely everyone, even disabled persons and those who cannot get to a polling place can vote at home," Laporte said at a briefing at Russias Civic Chamber. The European Union has decided to reopen its borders to Georgia as from July 1. According to the EU Council, as from 1 July, EU member states should start lifting the travel restrictions at the external borders for residents of the following third countries: Algeria, Australia, Canada, Georgia, Japan, Montenegro, Morocco, New Zealand, Rwanda, Serbia, South Korea, Thailand, Tunisia, Uruguay, China, subject to confirmation of reciprocity. Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia said the EUs decision to include Georgia in the list of green countries is yet more proof of close partnership. Calling it an important achievement Gakharia said "it is the recognition of the success" of Georgia, Georgian people and its government in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic. Gakharia said now the Georgian officials will continue active consultations with each EU-member state to ensure safety of flights for Georgian citizens. On behalf of the Georgian people I would like to thank the EU for its recognition, trust and strategic partnership, Gakharia wrote on Facebook. Foreign Minister David Zalkaliani also noted that the EUs decision to reopen its skies to Georgian citizens builds up Georgias image as one of the world's safest countries. EU Ambassador to Georgia Carl Hartzell has also welcomed Georgias inclusion among the countries to which the European Union will reopen its borders tomorrow, on July 1. The total number of COVID-19 cases in Georgia reached 931, 795 patients have recovered, while 15 others have died. As of today 121 people remain infected with COVID-19. Azerbaijan continues international cooperation regarding COVID-19, Assistant to the President of Azerbaijan, Head of the Department of Foreign Policy Affairs of the Azerbaijani Presidential Administration Hikmat Hajiyev said. "Azerbaijan continues cooperating with the World Health Organization in this sphere," assistant to the president of Azerbaijan said at the briefing of the Operational Headquarters under the Azerbaijani Cabinet of Ministers in Baku. "One of the most important steps taken by Azerbaijan was President Ilham Aliyev's initiative to hold a special session of the UN General Assembly," he noted. Hajiyev said that this is a vivid example of trust and respect for Azerbaijan. According to him, there are opinions to extend the anti-COVID quarantine regime for two more weeks in Azerbaijan. "The issues related to coronavirus in Azerbaijan are being monitored around the clock, the necessary instructions are being given, the measures are being taken," assistant to the Azerbaijani president said. Hajiyev stressed that the issue of rendering support to the people being treated at home is also being considered. The assistant to the Azerbaijani president also said that coronavirus reveals big social, economic and other problems on a global scale. "Coronavirus exacerbates the problems in the world. Globally, coronavirus must be recognized as a war. We will feel this threat until coronavirus is eliminated," Hajiyev said. He noted that the Armenian authorities hide most of the country's coronavirus figures. Hajiyev emphasized that Armenia asks other countries for help and at the same time opposes the Azerbaijani presidents global initiative to convene a special session of the UN General Assembly. "This again exposed Armenias true essence, assistant to the Azerbaijani president added. All countries show solidarity regarding the battle with COVID-19. All countries stress great importance and relevance of this initiative. However, Armenia, opposing this initiative, demonstrated its true nature." Italian police said Wednesday that they had seized a world record 15-ton haul of amphetamines made by ISIS in Syria. The drug, in the form of 84 million Captagon tablets, was worth about one billion euros ($1.1 billion), police said in a statement, describing the operation as "the biggest seizure of amphetamines in the world", CBS reports. "We know that the Islamic State finances its terrorist activities mainly by trafficking drugs made in Syria, which in the past few years has become the world's largest producer of amphetamines," the statement added. The shipment was hidden in three containers found in the port of Salerno, just south of Naples.Video posted to the Italian Financial Guard military force's Twitter page showed agents using saws to cut into large paper and steel drums to reveal thousands of tablets stuffed inside. Captagon, a brand name, was originally for medical use but illegal versions have been dubbed "the Jihad Drug" after being widely used by ISIS fighters in combat, the police noted. Chancellor Angela Merkel decried new U.S. sanctions against the Nord Stream 2 pipeline as not compatible with Germanys interpretation of legal standards and said the project should be completed, BNN reports. We will act in this context, Merkel said in Berlin on Wednesday as lawmakers queried her on the first day of Germanys six-month EU presidency. Germany is preparing to strike back against the U.S. if President Donald Trump follows through on his threat to kill off the NordStream 2 gas pipeline with additional sanctions, officials familiar with the discussions have said. The 1,200-kilometer (745 mile) pipeline under the Baltic Sea, designed to pump Russian gas directly to Germany, has triggered deep division between EU member states. Oil prices rose on Wednesday after an industry report showed crude stockpiles in the United States staged a bigger drop than expected, suggesting demand is improving even as the coronavirus outbreak spreads around the world. Brent crude rose 31 cents, or 0.8%, to $41.58 a barrel by 0632 GMT after declining more than 1% on Tuesday. U.S. crude was up 35 cents, or 0.9%, at $39.62 a barrel, having dropped by 1.1% in the previous session. U.S. crude and gasoline stocks fell more than expected last week, while distillate inventories rose, data released by the American Petroleum Institute (API) late on Tuesday showed. Crude inventories dropped by 8.2 million barrels to 537 million barrels, against analysts forecasts for a draw of 710,000 barrels, Reuters reported. Also supporting prices was a drop in output from the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) to the lowest in two decades in June. The 13-member grouping produced an average of 22.62 million barrels per day (bpd) in June after they agreed to cut output, a Reuters survey found, down 1.92 million bpd from Mays revised figure. The main voting day on amendments to the Constitution of the Russian Federation is being held nationwide today, on July 1. By the decree of Russian President Vladimir Putin, this day has been declared non-working. A public vote is being held on the proposed constitutional amendments. If over 50% of the Russian public approve of the changes, the bill will enter into force. About 50 million Russian nationals took part in the Constitution amendments voting in five days, according to chair of the Central Election Commission Ella Pamfilova. She said that on June 30, the voting turnout reached 45.7%. The final turnout at the online voting on amendments to the Russian constitution was 93.02%, with more than 1.1 ballots issued, according to the data on information screens at the center monitoring the voting process. The online vote began on Thursday, June 25, at 10:00 a.m. Moscow time and finished at 20:00 Moscow time on June 30. Voters from the Moscow and the Nizhny Novgorod region could take part. As many as 1,107,648 ballots were issued in the system of remote electronic voting. Around one million voters in Moscow and some 140,000 in Nizhny Novgorod regions have registered for taking part in the online voting, TASS reported. The vote was initially set to take place on April 22, however, Putin chose to postpone it due to the situation with the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in Russia. During a working session earlier, Putin approved July 1, 2020, as the new date for the vote. The document proposes to expand the powers of the Russian parliament and the Russian Constitutional Court, a fixed number of presidential terms, as well as the prevalence of the Russian Constitution over international agreements. The document also expands the governments obligations in the social sphere. The amendments to the Constitution stipulate that the Russian head of state can only serve two terms, however, one of the amendments proposes that the current president can be re-elected if the new version of the Constitution comes into force. Russian President Vladimir Putin told his counterparts from Turkey and Iran on Wednesday that there was a need for peaceful dialogue between the opposing forces in Syrias civil war, Reuters reports. Putin also told Turkeys Tayyip Erdogan and Irans Hassan Rouhani in a televised video conference that hot spots of terrorism still remain in Syrias Idlib and other regions. An inclusive inter-Syrian dialogue should be actively promoted within the framework of the constitutional committee in Geneva. I propose to support this process, to help the participants to meet and start a direct dialogue, Putin said. U.S. President Donald Trump spoke with Queen Elizabeth II and wished her a belated happy 94th birthday, the White House said. The rare royal phone call occurred more than two months after the queens birthday in April, and the queens office said it was part of a series of calls to world leaders. "The president wished the Queen a happy birthday, marking 94 extraordinary years," White House spokesman Judd Deere said in an initial statement revealing the call. Trump also expressed his condolences for the more than 43,000 British coronavirus pandemic victims, Deere said. The pair "discussed close cooperation on defeating the virus and reopening global economies," Deere said, and "reaffirmed that the United States and United Kingdom stand together in our special relationship and will emerge from this trying time stronger than ever before." In a statement hours later, the royal familys press office placed a different emphasis on the conversation, The New York Post reported. "Today, The Queen spoke to President Trump by telephone from Windsor Castle ahead of Independence Day in the United States on the 4th July," the UK office said. With an increasingly open business environment, and continuing international integration, Vietnam has long been regarded as a promising destination for foreign investment. A photo of an AirPods Pro case printed with "Assembled in Vietnam". Photo courtesy Twitter @alixrezax Its recent success in containing and combatting the coronavirus pandemic, with just 355 cases and no deaths reported as of June 30, could enhance its reputation even further. In our recent survey of over 200 readers, an incredible 87.2 per cent of respondents said they agreed or strongly agreed with the statement Viet Nam is a more promising investment destination. Many will be waiting for the resumption of flights for the tourism sector to recover, however, this suggests investors will be making their own plans to touch down in Viet Nam. Giles Cooper, Co-Director of Duane Morris Vietnam, agreed with the sentiment, saying: Viet Nam can be rightfully proud of its handling of the COVID crisis. Its response proves the ability to engage all of Government in a coordinated effort in pursuit of a common goal. Prior to the outbreak of COVID-19, Viet Nam was already seeing an influx of foreign businesses, most looking to move manufacturing away from China and avoid the impacts of current global trade tensions. Viet Nams exemplary handling of the pandemic, in stark contrast to other, more developed, nations, is only accelerating this process. There is clear and immediate interest from multinationals wanting to move operations to Viet Nam, building on momentum already established following bellicose US-China trade rhetoric, Cooper went on to say. In addition to a top-notch virus response, Viet Nam boasts political stability, continuing rapid and sustainable economic growth, as well as increasing per capita income. Samsung has long had a manufacturing presence in the country, but now another tech giant Apple is making the move by shifting some production away from China. With a young workforce and growing technical expertise, its likely well see more big names lured by Viet Nams promise. Ousmane Dione, World Bank Country Director for Viet Nam, told Viet Nam News: The COVID pandemic provides a fantastic opportunity for Viet Nam to position itself in attracting more businesses, FDI and investment. Viet Nam today is one of the very few countries across the world which can be qualified, to some point, as a corona-free country. As enterprises currently, after the shock related to the COVID pandemic, are revisiting their strategy with respect to how to diversify and how to minimise the risks associated with global value chain disruption, Viet Nam provides a unique opportunity for relocation. Already opening back up after a short period of social distancing, Viet Nam looks to be one of the first countries out of the gate in restarting its economy. Following several years of strong GDP growth, 2020s figures are sure to take a dip due to the countrys large tourism industry. However, the quick and effective handling of coronavirus showcases what Viet Nam is capable of and is especially relevant when considering the motivation to use large-scale, multi-stakeholder infrastructure projects, supported by a brand-new Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Law, as a means of mitigating the worst of the inevitable economic impact, Cooper said. Attracting investment capital is part marketing and Viet Nams COVID success story so far is a big PR win. With new-generation deals like the EU-Viet Nam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) coming into force, its clear that Viet Nam has, by no accident, positioned itself extremely well to face the uncertain times ahead, Cooper said. VNS Vietnam records lowest GDP growth rate in 30 years Vietnams gross domestic product (GDP) increased 1.81 percent during the first six months of 2020, the lowest first-half growth pace since 2011, according to the General Statistics Office (GSO). Administrative procedure reform is the key to unlocking the full potential of the Europe-Viet Nam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA), said participants at a conference on Tuesday. EuroCham Chairman Nicolas Audier addresses the dialogue, themed Administrative Reform: A Key Role in EVFTA Implementation, held by the EuroCham and the Prime Ministers Advisory Council for Administrative Procedure Reform on Tuesday in Ha Noi. The European Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam (EuroCham) and the Prime Ministers Advisory Council for Administrative Procedure Reform held the conference in Ha Noi to discuss administrative reform ahead of the implementation of the EVFTA. The dialogue, themed 'Administrative Reform: A Key Role in EVFTA Implementation', gathered business leaders, Government officials and members of the diplomatic corps to discuss how administrative reform can help to unlock the full potential of the EVFTA, which is set to enter into force on August 1. The event also featured the launch of EuroChams 12th Whitebook publication. The Whitebook is EuroChams annual report, where the chambers 17 Sector Committees raise issues most important to their business operations and highlight actions the Government could take to improve the business environment and increase trade and investment with the EU. With the EU-Viet Nam Free Trade Agreement entering into force in August, it is essential that business and Government work together to ensure its smooth and successful implementation, said EuroCham Chairman Nicolas Audier. One of the most critical factors will be accelerating Viet Nams positive progress in administrative reform, streamlining business conditions, strengthening the business environment, and modernising the legal framework. That is why EuroCham publishes the Whitebook, now in its 12th edition. Our members share the goal of the Government to attract more foreign direct investment. In this time of COVID-19, with economies around the world struggling with the impact of the pandemic, Viet Nam now has a once-in-a-generation chance to capitalise on the EVFTA and attract more FDI from European enterprises looking for an open, competitive, and business-friendly market. "If the Government takes on board the recommendations in our Whitebook, I am confident that we will see even more European companies investing in Viet Nam in the future, said Audier. This is the third time that the Prime Ministers Advisory Council for Administrative Procedure Reform has held a dialogue with the European business community. The dialogue has become an annual activity of the Council and EuroCham in Viet Nam recently, said Mai Tien Dung, Minister and Chairman of the Government Office. Dung welcomed EuroCham's efforts in the publication of the 2020 Whitebook. With solid foundation after 30 years of diplomatic relations, the soon implementation of the EVFTA will create stable and long-term frameworks to maximise co-operation potential, creating a new impetus to strongly promote and deepen economic-trade-investment relations between Viet Nam and the EU. The COVID-19 pandemic has negatively affected all socio-economic aspects. However, Viet Nam has basically contained the disease, maintained the macroeconomy, resumed business activities and brought life to a 'new normal' state, determined to realise its dual goal, which is combating the pandemic and at the same time revitalising the economy, Dung said. Although the economic growth forecast for Viet Nam this year is only from 2.7-4.9 per cent, international organisations still highly value Viet Nams efforts in achieving positive growth and minimising the impacts of the pandemic. The Prime Minister has directed the implementation of solutions to remove difficulties for production and business, ensure food security, promote disbursement of public investment and ensure social security as well as boost administrative procedure reform. From the beginning of its tenure in 2016, the Government has reduced and simplified 3,893 out of 6,191 business conditions, cut 6,776 out of 9,926 categories of goods and products subject to specialised inspections and 30 out of 120 administrative procedures for specialised inspection. The total social saving was estimated at 18 million working days per year, equivalent to more than VND6.3 trillion per year (US$270 million). A portal called 'The National Public Service Portal' has been in operation for nearly six months with 725 online public services launched, up by 90 times compared to its inception and three times against three months ago, Dung said. Dung proposed European enterprises frankly share the difficulties they are facing and encouraged them to deliver recommendations for regulatory, policy, and administrative procedure reforms. At the conference, participants discussed a wide range of issues including the EVFTA, access to innovative pharmaceuticals and a predictable and consistent legal environment for investment, medical device machine installation in hospitals, goods labelling requirements, food safety inspection registration certificates, and tax tariffs applied to functional foods; E-Commerce, certificate of Free Sale, the registration process for anti-bacteria products and the management of e-commerce platforms. VNS EVFTA a big opportunity for firms after COVID-19 shock: ministry The European Union Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) will create significant opportunities for Vietnamese firms to recover and develop after the COVID-19 pandemic, COVID-19 has forced us to reevaluate our network, said Chief Revenue Officer Vasu Raja in a statement. American will have a significantly smaller international network in the year ahead, but we are using this opportunity to hit reset and create a network using the strength of our strategic hubs that we can build and grow upon and be profitable on in this new environment. The e-commerce wave has opened a new consumption trend in which anyone can create a platform of their own to start a business. Bui Ngoc Ha, born in 1987, runs Minh Nhan, a small footwear workshop, and also works as a teacher at Vu Duy Thanh High School. In the first phase of the workshops operation, she faced difficulties with her own business. So in addition to traditional sale channels, she decided to sell products online to introduce her products to more clients. With the support of Lazadas staff, I overcame the initial difficulties and got used to the new sale method, especially livestream, Ha said. According to Ha, there are 1,500 viewers of each episode, while the number of followers has increased by 60 percent. Surprisingly, sales during Covid-19 increased steadily by 50 percent. On rush days, Ha organizes seven episodes of livestream a day, which allows her to get regular orders. With stable output of 200-300 pairs of shoes a day, the workshop has created stable jobs for 20 local workers and many families. Doan Tran Thuy Linh, the owner of Light Coffee brand, said prior to 2017, she sold coffee directly to sales agents and coffee houses. However, the revenue was not high enough to offset the distribution costs, and she did not have time to take care of her kids. Analysts said online sales and e-commerce are very useful for petty merchants and micro businesses, which lack big budgets for rent and TV advertisements. Online sale/shopping is a growing tendency which is expected to contribute to the development of e-commerce. So she decided to open an online shop in 2017. Light Coffee became the seller with the highest revenue on Lazada in 2018, 2019 and 2020; it sometimes has 5,000 orders a day with total revenue of VND1 billion a month. Truong Thi Tam began selling organic cosmetics on Facebook. However, since Facebook has increasingly tightened the sale of goods, she decided to use more online channels to boost sales. At first, when she began using livestream, Tam only organized two livestream episodes a week. At that moment, the revenue was low and interactions were weak. Later, when Covid-19 broke out, Tam focused on livestreaming in March, organizing 10 livestream episodes a week and gained very encouraging results. The sales soared by 14 times, while the number of orders rose by 15 times and the number of followers were up by 70 times. Analysts said online sales and e-commerce are very useful for petty merchants and micro businesses, which lack big budgets for rent and TV advertisements. Online sale/shopping is a growing tendency which is expected to contribute to the development of e-commerce. Under the master plan on developing e-commerce in 2021-2025,which has been approved by the government, 55 percent of the population would buy goods online by 2025 with average shopping value of $600 per head per annum. Kim Chi Online sales rise sharply amid pandemic As Vietnamese are now favoring contactless purchases in Covid-19, online sales have increased rapidly. Vietnams Open Budget Index (OBI) increased rapidly in 2019 compared to 2018, according to a survey released on July 1. Conducted by the International Budget Partnership (IBP) and announced globally and in Vietnam for the seventh time, the Open Budget Survey showed that Vietnam had advanced in the three pillars of transparency, participation, and oversight. Ngo Minh Huong, Director of the Centre for Development and Integration (CDI), said that after a slight decline in the 2010-2017 period, Vietnams OBI rose strongly in 2019. The results are evidence of the efforts of the Vietnamese Government and Finance Ministry in implementing commitments regarding open information in resources management and use, making it easier for people to discuss budget matters along with legal reform and budget management towards greater transparency, Huong said. Vietnam scored 21.2 points in the Ministry Open Budget Index (MOBI) last year, which reveals the budget transparency of ministries and central agencies, up 10.2 points compared to 2018. Of the 44 surveyed ministries and agencies, the State Bank of Vietnam ranked first with 73.17 points, followed by Vietnam Television with 49.56 points. Twenty-four ministries and agencies put at least one out of the six documents they must show to the public online, while 18 announced their budget estimates in 2020 to the public and 17 showed their budget balance in 2018. At the same time, eight out of 44 ministries and agencies reported the implementation of budget plans for the first quarter of 2019, while ten made public reports on the implementation of budget estimates in the first half of 2019, seven announced such documents for the first nine months of 2019, and eight published reports for the entire 2019. Nguyen Duc Thanh, Chief Advisor of the Vietnam Institute for Economic and Policy Research (VEPR), said the results of the two MOBI surveys conducted so far in 2018 and 2019 reveal a higher level of commitment by ministries and central agencies in implementing the 2015 Budget Law. He added that compared to localities, ministries and central agencies showed less transparency./.VNA However, they have also delved into the issue of whether the country can take advantage of this opportunity, especially the issue of high-quality human resources, one of the major bottlenecks to this endeavor. Vietnams policies for foreign labor still have many barriers. The current law allows only foreign labor in four positions, namely experts, chief operating officers, technical workers and managers, with the condition that Vietnamese labor cannot fill the positions - PHOTO: LE MINH KHUE Foreign direct investment (FDI) in Vietnam in the first five months of this year was US$10.9 billion, of which fresh capital was US$7.4 billion, up 15.2% from the year-earlier period, and additional capital was US$3.5 billion, soaring 31.4% year-on-year. The strong foreign capital flow into Vietnam is a highlight in the wake of the Covid-19 heavy devastation with serious impacts on trade and investment. Over the long term, most opined that countries like Vietnam will continue to benefit greatly from the international capital flight from China. However, whether they can take advantage of this opportunity or not is another story, as FDI capital may bring negative consequences if there is no appropriate selection. In other words, the selection of FDI projects with high technology, grey matter content and added value is the most necessary and important factor for this opportunity. Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has recently decided to set up a special team to welcome giants, or projects of big multinationals, high-tech groups and leaders of supply chains, to Vietnam. Nevertheless, the country is plagued with many bottlenecks which can restrict the capital inflow. While issues like sites and infrastructure can be solved with site clearance and strong public investment policies, constraints in logistics or supporting industries cannot be removed overnight. Above all, it is the issue of high-quality human resources for projects with high technology and at the upper end of the supply chain. Over the past years, most FDI projects in Vietnam have focused on simple processing or assembly, and so have employed mainly unskilled workers. To attract successfully high-tech projects, the demand for high-quality manpower is becoming more urgent than ever. However, it must be admitted that the current human resources are still unable to meet both qualitative and quantitative criteria of those projects. One important reason is the development of the education and health sectors over the past many years has yet to meet expectation. The mechanism to attract talents, overseas Vietnamese and Vietnamese students abroad remains poor, not to mention the capacity to meet the demand for high-tech economic development in the future. Therefore, for many FDI technology projects, high skilled foreign labor is an essential force for their complete and stable operations. High-quality labor import While it takes time to develop high-quality human resources but the current education and training policies in Vietnam remain inadequate, attracting foreign intellectuals and high-quality foreign labor to work in Vietnam should be considered a solution to prepare human resources to meet the demand of foreign invested enterprises as well as to call for more high-tech investors to choose the country as a potential destination. Over the past many years, Vietnam has had an advantage in maintaining socio-political stability and steady economic growth versus other countries in the region. The country is also home to many famous sceneries, tourist attractions and resorts. After their visits to Vietnam, many foreigners have chosen the country for long-term residence and living. Still, one disadvantage that should be rectified is education and health. However, many local and foreign entities have begun investments in these two sectors. Further, Vietnam has emerged not only as a success in fighting Covid-19 but also a humanitarian country with the policy of leaving no one behind. Efforts to save the infected English pilot, albeit costly, have apparently created a good impression on many foreigners, thus giving the country an opportunity to attract more foreign visitors. The FDI inflow also needs accompanying services regarding law and finance, areas which require the participation of experts and intellectuals. However, Vietnams policies for foreign labor still have many barriers. The current law allows only foreign labor in four positions, namely experts, chief operating officers, technical workers and managers, with the condition that Vietnamese labor cannot fill the positions. Foreigners currently work in Vietnam under the forms of labor contracts, in-company movements, assignments from parent companies and execution of economic or commercial contracts. Early this year, the American Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam (AmCham) proposed that decrees guiding the implementation of the revised Labor Code should specify a new, reasonable process for applying labor permits for expatriates who are working in Vietnam and have been granted labor permits. In addition, policies regarding welfare, insurance and income tax should be improved and revised to attract high-quality foreign labor to Vietnam as well as overseas Vietnamese. To make them attach long to Vietnam, immigration policies should also be made easier. In reality, many countries have changed immigration policies to attract foreign labor. Japan, facing the population aging affecting its economic growth, issued a new immigration law in April to ensure enough labor for economic development. For high-skilled labor for industries in need, Japan grants indefinite term visas and allow them to bring their families. There is a close relation and connection between economic development and high-tech investment projects and high-quality human resources. A multinational who wants to develop investment projects with high grey matter content often looks at local human resources, not merely incentives. In the other way round, intellectual workers are attracted to and find opportunities in countries where there are high-tech enterprises and works which need their grey matter, not projects with outdated, environment polluting technologies. A simile is the eagle is not easy to live with the vulture or wealthy tourists shun places crowded with members of zero dong tours. SGT Foreign ministers of ASEAN member countries and Australia agreed to enhance cooperation in COVID-19 control and vaccine development at a teleconferenced special meeting on June 30. Deputy Foreign Minister Nguyen Quoc Dung speaks at the Special ASEAN-Australia Foreign Ministers' Meeting on COVID-19 on June 30 Authorised by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh, Deputy Foreign Minister Nguyen Quoc Dung, head of the ASEAN Senior Officials Meeting (SOM) delegation of Vietnam the country holding the blocs chairmanship this year, attended the event. ASEAN and Australian officials pointed out that the ongoing complex developments of the pandemic pose latent risks of a second wave of infections, which requires countries to stay vigilant. The two sides agreed to step up sharing information and experience, improving response capacity, and work together to effectively contain the outbreak. They also agreed to coordinate closely to develop and produce COVID-19 vaccines and medicine, to ensure broad access for the public. The officials re-affirmed their countries commitments to supporting one anothers citizens affected by the pandemic and creating conditions for repatriation if there are demand and situation permits. At the meeting, ASEAN and Australia also said they will work closely to minimise the pandemics socio-economic impacts, support the recovery and maintenance of regional and global supply chains, and discuss measures for gradually easing and lifting travel restrictions among them, including the possibility of setting up travel corridors among the countries, under suitable medical conditions. They will increase capitalising on existing mechanisms like the ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement and the economic assistance and development cooperation programmes of Australia, while actively helping to promote multilateral trade and the signing of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP). Besides, the countries said they will coordinate to ensure peace, security, stability and respect for law, thus creating favourable conditions for efforts to concentrate on the COVID-19 combat in the region. ASEAN countries also appreciated Australias assistance for the bloc in the pandemic prevention and control, both at the regional level and via bilateral cooperation programmes. Officials of the Southeast Asian nations proposed Australia actively support ASEANs initiatives like the COVID-19 ASEAN Response Fund and the regions stockpile of medical supplies, and help the bloc build a master plan for recovering from and mitigating impacts of the pandemic. Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne reiterated that her country attaches importance to ASEAN and puts the grouping at the centre of its Indo-Pacific strategy. Australia highly values ASEANs efforts in COVID-19 response and pledges to continue financial aid for the bloc and its members to improve the capacity of their healthcare systems, she noted. On this occasion, Payne also presented several proposals, including the ASEAN-Australia initiative on health security, political-security cooperation between the two sides, more medical scholarships for ASEAN countries, and an aid package of 280 million AUD (192.4 million USD) for ASEAN to fight the coronavirus. Addressing the special meeting, Deputy Foreign Minister Nguyen Quoc Dung said ASEAN has shown the highest political resolve and promoted joint actions in line with the blocs theme of Cohesive and Responsive for 2020. As each others strategic partners, ASEAN and Australia should increase sharing information and experience, providing technical assistance, improving capacity, and staying vigilant against a second wave of COVID-19. They should also ensure the interests and equal treatment of ASEAN countries citizens in Australia, and boost cooperation to minimise the pandemics socio-economic impact towards sustainable recovery, he noted. In the current context, countries need to uphold their sense of responsibility even more and avoid taking any action that causes instability or negatively affects efforts to curb the pandemic, according to him./.VNA The Ministry of National Defence held a video conference of the ASEAN Defence Senior Officials Meeting Plus Working Group (ADSOM+ WG) in Hanoi on Tuesday. Lieut. Gen Vu Chien Thang, Director of the Defence Ministrys Foreign Relations Department, head of the Vietnamese delegation to the ASEAN at the conference. Lieut. Gen Vu Chien Thang, Director of Vietnam's Ministry of Defence's Foreign Relations Department, presided over the meeting, which was attended by heads of the ADSOM+ WGs of nine other ASEAN members and officials from the bloc's eight dialogue partners Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, the Republic of Korea, Russia and the US, along with representatives from the ASEAN Secretariat. The meeting aimed to enhance practical defence co-operation between ASEAN members and partners within the ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting Plus (ADMM+) framework, prepare for the teleconference ASEAN Defence Senior Officials' Meeting Plus (ADSOM+) on July 7, as well as discuss activities of expert groups within the ADMM+ framework, and the host country's ceremony to mark the 10th anniversary of ADMM+. Speaking at the meeting, Lieut. Gen Vu Chien Thang announced the success of the online table-top exercise on COVID-19 response between ASEAN states' medicine military units in May this year, saying it was a practical measure to realise the commitments by member defence ministers' in their statement on COVID-19 response co-ordination adopted in February. Delegates meet on the sidelines of the conference. He said the Vietnamese defence ministry hopes co-operation within ADMM and ADMM+ will thrive, demonstrating the role of the defence sector in the fight against the pandemic. Pham Manh Thang, Deputy Director of Vietnam Ministry of Defences Foreign Relations Department, said the conference ended successfully, with all parties ready to contribute despite major differences. "The participating countries highly valued the proactiveness, robustness and flexibility of Vietnam amidst the complex developments of the COVID-19 pandemic," Thang added. In addition to agreeing on the agenda and technical guarantee for the ADSOM+ Conference, representatives of the countries attending the ADSOM+WG Conference touched on the co-operation programmes within the framework of ADMM+, and agreed to discuss the three-year co-operation plan in the ADMM+ framework and conferences slated to be held in Hanoi in August 2020. An international defence exhibition and a conference on the role of women in UN peacekeeping efforts, both scheduled to take place in Vietnam, were also discussed at the meeting. VNS The smart fertilizer, used once per crop, saves money and labor, and reduces environmental pollution. The fertilizer is the product of Dr Tran Quoc Toan from the chemistry faculty of the Thai Nguyen University of Education and his colleagues from the Institute of Chemistry, an arm of the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology. The trial use of the smart fertilizer in growing tea, tomatoes, medicinal herbs and oranges has brought satisfactory results. This is the first time Vietnam has produced this kind of effective, cheap and environmentally friendly fertilizer. According to Toan, fertilizer usage efficiency in Vietnam and the world is very low (just 30-50 percent), due to the evaporation of ammonia and washout process. This increases expenditures, reduces economic efficiency and causes pollution to the environment. This kind of fertilizer, slowly released, provides sufficient nutrients for a long time, thus avoiding washout. Among slow-released fertilizers, controlled polymer-coated fertilizer (smart slow-release fertilizer) is the best because it controls the life span of the product, while the nutrient release model suits the crops growth cycle, unaffected by soil properties. Among slow-released fertilizers, controlled polymer-coated fertilizer (smart slow-release fertilizer) is the best because it controls the life span of the product, while the nutrient release model suits the crops growth cycle, unaffected by soil properties. However, as the production cost of the smart fertilizer is high, 3-10 times higher than normal fertilizers, smart fertilizers are mostly used in developed countries including the US, Japan, Canada and Europe. In Vietnam, there are very few research projects on slow-release fertilizer. It is imported at high prices and is not suitable to Vietnams climate and soil conditions. Therefore, Toan and his co-workers decided to make a slow-release fertilizer which is cheap, friendly to the environment and effective in agricultural production. The fertilizer comprises two parts, including the sheath (polymer) and core (containing nutrients). The polymer sheath is biodegradable, and acts as a semi-permeable membrane to control the release of nutrients. By adjusting the thickness of the polyurethane membrane, farmers can adjust the release speed as they want (3, 6, or 9 months). The nutrients in the core part, including soluble fertilizers such as urea, KCl, DAP, MAP and natural clay minerals, are covered with a polymer shell. The nutrients are gradually released to the plants, which avoids washout and saves labor. The trial use of the smart fertilizer in growing tea, tomatoes, medicinal herbs and oranges has brought satisfactory results. Toan said the smart fertilizer is not expensive because it uses cheap domestic materials. The production cost is just 30-40 percent of imports and could be 25-30 percent in mass production. The inventors have registered for a utility solution at the National Office of Intellectual Property (NOIP). Le Ha Scientist honored for work on environmental conservation, preservation of red-shanked douc langurs Le Thi Trang, 34, deputy director of GreenViet, has been honored as one of 10 Hotspot Heroes by the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF). Do Xuan Vuong, Hoang The Nam and Ngo Quang Tai, three students at the Hanoi University of Science and Technology, are seeking a way to help the millions of people with mobility disabilities, many of which were caused by wars and accidents. Tai, 22, noticed the difficulties his cousin, who lost his right arm in a labor accident some years ago, faces in daily life. From left: Hoang The Nam, Ngo Quang Tai, Do Xuan Vuong This sparked a desire to create a product that can support the disabled and help make their lives more comfortable. In late December 2019, Vuong, Nam and Tai began thinking of applying brainwave reading technology to regulate an artificial arm, allowing the disabled to use the arm like a real arm. According to Tai, unlike some robot arms which had sensors installed in hands or biceps, their product will connect signals from a Mindwave headset via Bluetooth protocol. The received signals will be transmitted to the microprocessor via the UART (Universal asynchronous receiver-transmitter) for analysis, from which signals will be given to control the arm. With thoughts about gestures, the arm will create different types of signals and electronic circuits will control the motor to stretch the fingers. Do Xuan Vuong, Hoang The Nam and Ngo Quang Tai, three students at the Hanoi University of Science and Technology, are seeking a way to help the millions of people with mobility disabilities, many of which were caused by wars and accidents. With this, users just need to wear an artificial arm with attached electrical circuits to the biceps to grasp or type keyboard via nerve waves transmitted from the brain to the fingers. The biggest difficulty, according to the reserachers, is practicing to collect fixed brainwaves. When moving, people will emit many different types of brain waves, and the task of the team is to analyze and create a standard library with fixed waveforms. Users need to practice thinking with the headphones to get the correct waveform. For each move, they need to practice many times to find the best waveform. This process must be done continuously so that brainwave control is mastered over a long period of time. This is a complicated process, because the waveforms depend on peoples feelings and age. They believe that it will take them four months to create a library of basic gestures. At present, the artificial arm works with simple grips. We will have to try 10,000 times to get the most standard wave data, Vuong said. During the process of developing their idea, the students found a design of an artificial arm and foot made by a group of engineers and scientists at Johns Hopkins University in the US. We developed the product to make it better, Vuong said. At present, the total cost for one product is VND10-13 million. However, the costs will be lower in the future, and the device will not only be able to move the hands but also the wrist and elbows. Chi Mai Three Vietnamese female scientists named among Top 100 Asian researchers Three Vietnamese female scientists have been named among the 100 most outstanding researchers of the year, according to Singapores Asian Scientist Magazine. Vietnam has the opportunity to upgrade forecasting technology, improve forecasters roles, and heighten peoples awareness about the impact of natural disasters. Mai Van Khiem, director of National Hydrometeorological Forecast Center, said natural disasters have become complicated with climate extremes and records set in recent years. These include the highest temperature of 43oC measured in the northern part of the central region and the record heavy rains in Vinh City and Phu Quoc Island. Vietnams hydrometeorology sector has strengthened international cooperation to improve forecasting quality. Through this cooperation, Vietnam can access new forecasting technologies and international data. Vietnams hydrometeorology sector has strengthened international cooperation to improve forecasting quality. Through this cooperation, Vietnam can access new forecasting technologies and international data. Since 2018, units of the National Meteorological Forecasting Center have established relations with IRI (the US International Research Institute for Climate and Society), CIAT (International Center for Tropical Agriculture), UK Met Office and FMI (Finnish Meteorological Institute), and participated actively in multi-sided activities of WMO (World Meteorological Organization) and Typhoon Committee. The national forecasting agency now can give forecasts and warnings about some phenomena that occur on a small scale, such as quantitative rain that serves flash flood forecasting. This is a phenomenon that has great impact on natural disasters and geological disasters such as flash floods and landslides that are very difficult to predict, according to Khiem. In 2019, 10 more weather radars were put into operation. With the current radar system, Vietnam can watch phenomena once every five minutes, especially thunderstorms, whirlwinds, lightning and hail. This can give warnings about thunderstorms, whirlwinds, lightning and hail 1-3 hours in advance. According to Khiem, Vietnam has reinforced the network of monitoring stations, especially automatic rain monitoring stations. The thick network of stations gives more information to experts to forecast flash floods and landslides. In 2019, Vietnam put into operation 18 lightning positioning stations that identify places where thunderstorms or lightning can occur. With the support of advanced technologies, meteorological forecasting has been improved considerably. However, Khiem said scientists have noted that natural disasters appear to no longer occur in accordance with natural laws. What happens this year may be quite different from what happens in following years. Asked about plans for the future, the national forecasting agency will increase the quality of quantitative rain forecasts based on international forecast systems and local data. This will provide more reliable and more detailed information about quantitative rains 24 or 48 hours in advance. The forecasting agency is striving to not only give warnings of meteorological factors, but also predict the possible impact and risks that natural disasters can cause, thus helping ministries and branches efforts to cope with disasters. Thanh Lich Vietnam joins global efforts to respond to climate change Vietnam supports and joins global efforts to respond to climate change and address its security implications, particularly in its current role as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council. The Ministry of Health announced that it has completed providing online public health services level 4 for all administrative procedures under the management of the health sector after six months of implementation. Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam speaks at the ceremony on June 30 Launched in November 2019, the Ministry of Health's Public Service Portal, at https://dichvucong.moh.gov.vn, is the only portal to focus on all online public services of the health ministry. Speaking at a ceremony on June 30, Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam praised the efforts of the Ministry of Health and relevant sectors in completing the online public service level 4 five years ahead of schedule. The Deputy PM also urged other ministries and agencies to quickly deploy and complete the online public service at level 4. Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long said that in recent years, the Ministry of Health has paid much attention to administrative reforms in efforts to improve the efficiency of administration management, create transparency in State agencies' activities, and better serve people and businesses. Since 2014, the health ministry has been one of the first ministries to implement a complete online food safety service, meaning all works, from submitting, supplementing, processing documents, collecting fees and returning results, are implemented in a digital environment. The Ministry of Health was also one of the first ministries to implement the Vietnam National Single Window mechanism since 2015. In 2019, the Ministry of Healths Public Service Portal was officially opened. Long stressed that this was a digital revolution in the health sector, contributing to change the face of the health sector in the application of information technology. The Ministry of Health currently has 281 administrative procedures in 14 fields. By the end of 2019, after five years of implementation, the ministry had built and put into operation 90 online public services levels 3 and 4 in the fields of food safety and nutrition, pharmaceuticals; cosmetics; medical equipment and facilities, training and scientific research, information and technology, medical examination and treatment, as well as preventive medicine with nearly 400 records received every day. The Ministry of Health's Public Service Portal has been successfully integrated into the National Public Service Portal, National One-Stop Portal and local public service systems to form a platform to support citizens and businesses. From the beginning of January to date, the health sector handled more than 33,400 files online, of which 4,919 in the equipment and medical field; 8,708 in food safety, 18,027 in drug administration and 1,724 in administration of medical examination and treatment, according to statistics from the health ministry. Online public service at level 4 means service payments can be done online, and transaction results are available either online or by post, upon request./. Public services on national portal to support 4 million people Six public services to assist people and enterprises affected by the COVID-19 pandemic were launched on the national public service portal on May 12, according to the Government Office. Three Chinese men have been detained for illegally entering Vietnam on June 29 for gambling. Three Chinese men illegally enter Vietnam for gambling The Tra Co Border Station in Mong Cai City, Quang Ninh Province, announced that at 10 pm, they had found a group of Chinese men carried by Vietnamese men to enter the country illegally to gamble while they were on patrol. Pham Van Uoc, born in 1985, and Le Van Thong, born in 1994, were carrying three Chinese men with their motorbikes when they were detected. The three Chinese men are Liao Qian Hong and Lin Jia Tian from Xi'an and Hoang Hua Tuan from Fujian. According to Pham Van Uoc, a man named A Phat called him at 9.40 pm and told him to bring three men into Vietnam. Since Uoc only has one motorbike, he asked his cousin to help him. The Chinese men admitted that they came to Vietnam to gamble at Loi Lai and Hong Van hotels. After reporting the case, the men have been quarantined. Laodong/Dtinews Minority-owned businesses made up about 90% of those receiving funds, and half are located on the South and West sides, according to the Department of Planning and Development, which manages the funds. Vietnam response to the COVID-19 pandemic has been nothing short of perfect, according to a survey of our readers. Health workers at University Medical Center in HCM City pose for a photo during a break from fighting the virus. Photo courtesy of University Medical Center in HCM City In an online questionnaire, we asked more than 200 people how they thought the country has handled the threat of the coronavirus. They included locals, expats and foreign tourists in Vietnam. An overwhelming majority strongly agreed Vietnam, its authorities, frontline workers and the community as a whole has battled the virus well, reflecting the amazing results seen since the first case was recorded in January. Last night, the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control said there have been no new cases of coronavirus in Vietnam. There are currently just 20 people nationwide being treated for the disease, with 335 out of the 355 total cases making a full recovery. Doctors of Cho Ray hospital in HCM City visit the most critically ill COVID-19 patient in Vietnam, Scotsman Stephen Cameron. He is recovering well and expected to return to his home country on July 12. Photo courtesy of Cho Ray hospital Viet Nam News editor-in-chief, Trinh Thanh Thuy, said: We as journalists obviously have to be impartial when it comes to reporting the news. But we wanted to gauge a response to better understand how well Vietnam has coped with COVID-19 and what better way to do that than to ask our readers for their opinions. Our week-long survey gave a series of statements regarding how well the country has handled the threat and what next in terms of travel, tourism and business. A staggering 84.2 per cent of readers strongly agreed Vietnam has dealt with the COVID-19 pandemic in a positive way with 14.3 per cent of those surveyed agreed with the statement. Just a small fraction, 1.5 per cent of all those questioned, answered with a neutral response. More than half of those people questioned (51.7 per cent) felt Vietnam is now a more promising destination for business and investment while just under half (46.8 per cent) felt the country is now a more attractive destination for tourists. But when it came to deciding when Vietnam should reopen its borders to international visitors, opinion was much more divided. It seems our readers believe safety must come first, and the best course of action would be to gradually allow international visitors but only based on the current coronavirus situation in the country those people are coming from. We asked whether the country should open up as soon as possible to boost tourism, but most people surveyed said no, with 33.5 per cent disagreeing and 18.2 per cent strongly disagreeing. Instead, almost half of those surveyed (47.8 per cent) agreed that the best course of action to take would be a gradual reopening of borders in line with how well other countries have dealt with the pandemic. We also suggested the country has done enough to help foreigners stuck in Vietnam on tourist visas and 70.9 per cent of those surveyed either agreed (32.5 per cent), or strongly agreed (38.4 per cent). The excellent work carried out by our frontline medical professionals was also appreciated, with 77.3 per cent of readers saying they now have greater faith in the local health care system. One of the tougher measures introduced during the pandemic was social distancing, when the Government restricted peoples movements nationwide to find the virus. But despite its tough stance, an overwhelming 90.1 per cent of readers agreed (39.9 per cent) or strongly agreed (50.2 per cent) that social distancing instructions and regulations were clear and easy to follow. There have been allegations made that some foreigners living in Vietnam have felt discriminated against during the past five months, but more than half of our readers (52.3 per cent) did not think this was the case. I would like to thank all those people who took the time to respond to our survey, our editor-in-chief added. I hope we can all work together to continue to not only deal with the threat of COVID-19, but also to help the country get back on its feet after the pandemic. VNS Paul Kennedy Vietnam helps ASEAN battle the COVID-19 pandemic This year, the Chairmanship of ASEAN has been taken up by Vietnam, which is its third time since the country joined ASEAN 25 years ago. Members of the Vietnamese coast guard force have helped poor fishermen throughout the country keep earning a living from the sea after social distancing triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as drought and salinity. Vietnamese coast guard force supports poor fishermen to continue earning their living from the sea after social distancing. In northern Hai Phong City, Le Thi Van, 89, of Dinh Village, Hoang Chau Commune, Cat Hai Island District, said due to social distancing, her son had to stay at home for many weeks instead of going fishing as usual. The family depends on her son's fishing, so their income fell sharply. Her son also had to bring up his two children, she said. Life has become harder, she added. However, coast guards donated money, rice and medical masks to help local fishermen to overcome difficulties after social distancing. Each gift consists of 10 kilos of rice, 10 medical masks and VND300,000 (US$13). I feel very thankful, she said. Nguyen Quoc Chuan, another poor fisherman in the commune, said he was happy because of the support. It is not only material but also spiritual support for poor fishermen like us when we meet numerous difficulties after social distancing, he said. Nguyen Dinh Huong, Secretary of the communes Party Committee, said the commune treasured the support from the coast guard. In the central province of Quang Binh, coast guards have given VND40 million (US$1,700) to a local fund to build houses for poor people in Ba Don Town. Colonel Tran Van Rong, Political Commissar of the Vietnam Coast Guard High Commands Region 1, said the money was not much but it showed the coast guards care for the poor fishermen in the locality. We want to encourage them to continue to go sailing, catching fish as well as work with us to preserve our marine security, he said. The coast guard force also assisted farmers in southwestern provinces to cope with drought and salinity in the programme 'Coast guards accompany with fishermen', which was launched in 2017. Hearing about the drought and salinity in late March, the Vietnam Coast Guard High Commands Region 4 dispatched a vessel carrying 140 cu.m of freshwater, 2,000 litres of clean water, 3,000 litres of drinking water, 40 kilos of rice, 200 medical masks and 100 hand sanitiser dispenser to give to the 175 residents of Hon Chuoi Island Commune, the southern province of Ca Mau. The coast guards also sent 2 tonnes of rice, 100 boxes of medical masks and 1,000 leaflets about COVID-19 prevention to 270 poor fishermen in Kien Luong Town, the Mekong Delta province of Kien Giang. Senior Lieutenant Colonel Le Van Tu, deputy Political Commissar of the high command region 4, said the coast guards wanted to help the fishermen overcome difficulties triggered by the pandemic. The coast guards also explained laws on seas, islands and coast guards to the fishermen, as well as laws on exploitation of seafood towards sustainable development of fishery, he said. Senior Lieutenant Colonel Le Huy, deputy head of Politics Department of the Vietnam Coast Guard High Command, said in total, the coast guards had spread COVID-19 prevention measures to more than 10,000 people so far. It aimed to help raise public awareness of preventing the spread of the pandemic, he added. The coast guards had donated more than 24,000 medical masks, 7,000 hand sanitiser dispensers and 3.2 tonnes of rice recently. They also carried a total 4,000 cu.m of freshwater, 1,100 litres of drinking water and 10 tanks of clean water to poor fishermen in the country. All of them were worth more than VND500 million (US$21,600), he said. The value of the gifts was not much, but it showed the kind heart of the coast guards to poor fishermen, he said. It helped to enhance national cohesion, contributing to the enforcement of laws and protection of the sovereignty of the islands and seas of the nation, he said. VNS Support for people affected by COVID-19 pandemic An outpouring of support has been shown for people affected by the COVID-19 pandemic across the country, including providing free rice for underprivileged people and supporting poor teachers and students. The UK newspaper The Guardian has named the Deck Saigon in HCM Citys District 2 as the world's best bar. The Deck Saigonin HCM Citys District 2 is locatedon the bank of the Sai Gon River. Photo thanhnien.vn The bar is located at 38 Nguyen U Di Street on the bank of the Saigon River where visitors can see jumping fish and the setting sun. The alfresco dining venue is elegantly decorated with glass doors, warm lighting, and furnishings by top local designers as well as traditional wooden decks surrounded by bamboo trees. The list of best bars in the world was compiled by editors of the leading British newspaper based on their travel experiences. Katerinas Bar in Greece, the King Cole Bar in New York City, and Canico Bar in Portugal were also included on the list. Earlier in May, most non-essential services in Vietnam, including bars, reopened after more than two months of temporary shutdown as a preventive measure to contain the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic. VNS The Bun Nua district High School, built from non-refundable aid provided by the Vietnamese Government, was inaugurated and handed over to Phongsaly District, Laos, at a ceremony held at Tay Trang International Border Gate in Dien Bien Province on June 30. Delegates at the handover ceremony Construction of the school was built at a total cost of VND120 billion under a memorandum of agreement signed between Vietnams Dien Bien province and Laos Phongsaly Province in 2016. Covering nearly 38,500 square metres, the school has 40 classrooms which can provide education to more than 1,800 students. Speaking at the Deputy Governor of Phongsaly Province, Thongsy Saosoulinphon expressed his thank to the Vietnamese Government and Dien Bien Province in particular for the project, pledging to manage and operate the school effectively. The project is an illustration of the two countries sincere and close relations between the provinces of Dien Bien and Phongsaly as well as other Laos northern provinces in general. It also contributes to nurturing and deepening the traditional friendship and special solidarity between the two Parties, States, Governments and peoples. Also on June 30, Metfone, the Cambodian affiliate of Vietnams telecom group Viettel, handed over a video conferencing system to the Royal Gendarmerie of Cambodia (RGC). Delegates at the event to hand over Metfone's video conferencing system to the Royal Gendarmerie of Cambodia on June 30. This system is a long-term cooperation project in which Metfone will use its high technologies and experienced personnel to assist the RGC to digitalise the forces systems and apply new techniques. Metfones technicians will install this system at 28 video conferencing locations of the RGC and supply them with telecom facilities that are among the best of their kind. RGC Commander Gen. Sao Sokha appreciated the companys wholehearted and practical assistance for the force in recent times, especially since COVID-19 broke out. He believes that the new technologies equipped for RGC will help boost the effectiveness of its activities. Nhan Dan As of Wednesday, however, Black Hawk County is seeing an average of 25 cases per day. These past few months have been extremely difficult for all of us, and I know we all want to go back to our normal routine, but this pandemic is not over, Egbuonye said in the video. This is not the time to give up. Support Local Journalism Your membership makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}} The state of Iowa also had somewhat of a lull in cases after the first wave, recording an average of 251 cases per day on June 3 after an average of 559 cases per day on May 7. Since May 3, the average has risen steadily, and now sits at 391 cases per day. That rising number is one reason Iowa was one of eight states added to New Yorks travel advisory Tuesday, which requires any individual traveling from 16 states to quarantine for two weeks. According to New York Gov. Andrew Cuomos office, the states travel advisory applies to travelers from any state with a positive test rate higher than 10 per 100,000 residents over a 7-day rolling average or a state with a 10% or higher positivity rate over a 7-day rolling average. Were taking all the precautions necessary to make this safe, Duffy said. The groups website states participants will have to sign a form that seeks to identify anyone who has been to a coronavirus hot spot and could exclude them from the event. The website also notes Center for Disease Control and Prevention recommendations but adds, social distancing is a suggestion by the CDC, not a law. This rally was created and called the Freedom Rally to promote freedom of choice. Attending is just that, freedom of choice. Large gatherings were banned earlier in the year but Gov. Kim Reynolds has allowed them to resume. Murphy said he and other officials emailed the governors office to suggest she reconsider allowing large gatherings but didnt hear back. Asked about the message, Reynolds spokesman Pat Garrett said in a text message, We are not aware of this request. David Penton, the Kossuth County Emergency Management coordinator, said local officials are especially worried that after keeping cases low for months, the rally could lead to the disease spreading at a time when cases are rising in other states, such as Florida. People are a little discouraged that that could all be thrown into the wind, Penton said. We dont want to be another Florida. Statewide All information from the Iowa Department of Public Health, except where noted. (In parenthesis: how the number has changed since the day before.) The total number of people who tested positive for an active novel coronavirus infection since testing began in March 2020. 7-day average of cases: 391 (+13) Percent change in cases over 14 days: 34.1% (+4%). National average: 82.4% (-0.4%). (Info: KFF.org) The average number of people who become infected by an infectious person. Over 1.0 means the virus will spread, and below 1.0 means it has stopped spreading. (Info: Rt.live) Deaths: 714 (+5) The total number of people whose deaths were attributable to the novel coronavirus since IDPH began tracking such deaths in March 2020. Negron said the centers will help small businesses apply for funding through the Business Interruption Grant and Rebuild Distressed Communities programs, which are geared toward businesses that sustained losses during the pandemic and civil unrest after George Floyds killing by Minneapolis police in late May. The deadline to apply for the Business Interruption Grant is July 7, and the Rebuild Distressed Communities program will run through August. Winneshiek County sheriffs deputies said Brady Bakken, 19, of Castalia, was traveling south on Centennial in a BMW when two ATVs pulled out in front of him. He merged into the oncoming lane to pass the ATVs, and Larson merged toward Bakken to turn into a driveway. Bakken was unable to avoid the collision and struck the rear left of Larsons ATV, according to deputies. Larson was ejected. Bakken was cited for failure to provide proof of insurance. Man sentenced for re-entering US CEDAR RAPIDS A man who illegally returned to the United States after being deported was sentenced Monday to more than four months in federal prison. Dagoberto Pacheco-Mata, 29, a citizen of Honduras illegally present in the United States and residing in Tama, received the prison term after a March 11 guilty plea to one count of illegal re-entry into the United States. At the guilty plea, Pacheco-Mata admitted he had previously been deported from the United States in November 2011 and illegally re-entered the United States without the permission of the United States government. Pacheco-Mata was arrested in February 2020 after his presence in the United States came to the attention of immigration agents. Courtesy Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps When Fourth of July arrives in Washington, fireworks bursting in the air aren't the only sounds that traditionally enliven the capital. The U.S. Army's Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps normally sounds out tunes such as Yankee Doodle at a National Archives ceremony, then steps off into the National Independence Day Parade. The buglers, fifers and drummers are crowd-pleasers, not least for their splashy uniforms. Their red wool jackets, beige waistcoats and trousers, black tri-corner hats and gray wigs hark back to the Revolutionary War. But America's 244th birthday isn't occurring during a normal time. Fireworks will still explode over D.C., but the Fife and Drums Corps' 70 soldier-musicians will be idle. This year the Archives will host a virtual celebration, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. E.T. And the parade? Like many spectacles from sea to shining sea, it's been canceled. Center for American War Letters Archives Millions marked the end of the war with letters home to loved ones The Center for American War Letters at Chapman University in California, directed by Andrew Carroll, works to seek out and preserve correspondences from every U.S. conflict. Within the centers collection are thousands of World War II letters. Here are some excerpts: Medical Officer Allen Boyden writes to his wife from Europe on V-E Day, May 8, 1945 Dearest The war is over! Its hard to believe when I look back on the state of the war at the time I left for overseas exactly 29 months ago. At that time Im happy I did not realize that it would take so long. It is wonderful to know that Germany at last is completely beaten.... The wickedness and bestiality has finally ceased, aside from a bit of sporadic fighting here in this country. These people have been oppressed 6 long years ... and their genuine welcome of the Americans brings tears to our eyes. They are truly grateful. We walk down the streets to have flowers thrust upon us, people smiling and waving and saluting us from all sides. Seeing the joy on the faces of these people free again after so long has taught us something of the meaning of freedom. Enough for tonight. I love you, and know in my heart that we will soon be together. Allen. Lydia Klepac, in Detroit, Michigan, writes to her husband, Cpl. Walter Klepac, about their infant son, who was born after Walter had deployed Dearest Walter: Oh my darling! You are really coming home to see us! Gee, I can hardly believe it and I keep reading your letter of May 28 over and over. But Ill really believe it when I can touch your face, honey, and feel your loving arms around me once again. Will you please pinch me hard to see if Im only dreaming. Okay Ill wait until you get home, then we shall see. Oh happy days. Sonny will really be with his dear daddy. Youll have to take it a little slow with him at first, honey, but Im sure it wont be long for you two to become real pals. This will be the first time he really sees you, Daddy, and naturally youll be a stranger to him at first. He has heard Daddy repeated so many, many times that Im sure he knows that such a person exists... Besides, he can say ta-ta perfect now and he has kissed his daddys picture a millions times already. Ill close with Gods blessings and a Good-nite. Bye, Darling!... 1st Lt. William Lee Preston writes a more reflective letter to his brother John about the news of the German surrender May 10, 1945 Dear John Yes, the war in Europe is over. I dont know what the reaction was in the States as a whole. Over a patched-up radio, we heard that ticker tape and paper floated down from New York buildings. We heard that there were wild celebrations in the streets in London by civilians, English and American soldiers. But, John, the frontline troops didnt celebrate. Most of the men merely read the story of victory from the division bulletin sent to the troops, and said something like Im glad, and walked away. Perhaps it was a different story in their hearts, or perhaps they were too tired, or thinking of home too much, or thinking of their buddies who didnt live to see the victory, to do much celebrating or merrymaking. But Im sure of one thing the troops were glad they wouldnt have to fight anymore I was. What our future is, we dont know, but everyone is sweating out the South Pacific troop movement. My love to Eleanor and Troy. Your brother, Bill 1st Officer Henry Hank Ketchum describes to his loved ones on hearing about the Japanese surrender and the unexpected (and somewhat lighthearted) reaction some soldiers had about returning to the States August 13, 1945 Dearest Family, I got the urge to write early this morning and so thought it would be a good idea to get a long letter off to you.... We were in Luliang, China, at a movie when they stopped everything and announced that the Japanese had offered to surrender.... The whole camp, or rather, base about blew up. Anti-aircraft guns shooting, flares going up, tracer machine gun fire, pistols, rifles, and every noise possible could be heard.... Everyone was ready to go home and be a civilian again, and then most of us stopped dead in our tracks. Be a civilian? Earn our own money? Look for a job? What kind of a job? ... Well, all for now! Love and miss you all. Your loving son, Hank Assistant Army Physician Robert S. Easterbrook writes to his parents about tending to Hideki Tojo, after Tojos failed suicide attempt (12 Noon) 12 Sept. 45 Dear Mom & Dad: I dont imagine you could ever guess where I am as a write this letter. At present, Im sitting in a chair about 3 feet from the bedside of the ex-premier of Japan Hideki Tojo. We were in duty last night, in surgery when he arrived at approximately 9:40 P.M. ... As there was no whole blood available at the moment, we gave him 600 cc of blood plasma, after which he perked up enough to make a statement. He told Gen. Eichelberger (thru the interpreter) that he was sorry to cause so much trouble. He had planned on shooting himself in the head, but had been afraid it would muss up his face too much so had decided on the heart. He used a 38 caliber automatic, & the bullet entered just below & medial to the left breast & emerged from the back about 2 inches higher. Im damned if I know how it missed his heart. Its almost 1 oclock & time to check him. Back in a few minutes... 2:25 p.m. Blood transfusion started. It will take about an hour. 3:40 p.m. The transfusion has ended & everyone except the two nurses, the guard & myself has cleared out. Tojo is resting quietly & the color is coming back a little.... somethings wrong 4:25 p.m. Phew, that was nice! He developed a severe chill & pain in the heart & wound from the blood given him. It was a little questionable there for a while, but he came out of it OK. (dammit). You know, its funny to be taking care of someone & not knowing whether you want him to live or not. Well, folks, its almost time for my relief; so Ill close off for now, take another check on him & call it a day. Love, Bob P. S. In my next letter Ill send a piece of his shirt. It has blood on itbut dont wash it. Just put it away in my room. Launched in 2007, the New York-based hedge fund turned its focus to newspapers during the Great Recession, buying stakes in companies that had declared bankruptcy such as MediaNews, Philadelphia Media Network and Journal Register. It also had a stake in Tribune Co., the bankrupt former parent company of Tribune Publishing. William Cummings USA TODAY South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem said despite health experts concerns about a large gathering amid the coronavirus pandemic, people would not be social distancing during a July 3 celebration at Mount Rushmore that will be attended by President Donald Trump. In an interview with the Republican governor on Monday, Fox News host Laura Ingraham decried the cancellation of other Independence Day celebrations and asked Noem for her response to those citing health concerns as the reason to cancel all of these patriotic displays? You know Laura, in South Dakota, weve told people to focus on personal responsibility. Every one of them has the opportunity to make a decision that theyre comfortable with. So, we will be having celebrations of American independence, Noem said. We told those folks that have concerns that they can stay home. But those who want to come and join us, well be giving out free face masks, if they choose to wear one. But we wont be social distancing. Noem encouraged to people to be ready to celebrate, to enjoy the freedoms and the liberties that we have in this country. She also said it was a chance to talk about our history, what it brought us today, with the opportunity to raise our kids in the greatest country in the world. Yeah, the media is just freaking out about the COVID problem, Ingraham said of the news coverage of the COVID-19 outbreak that has killed more than 127,000 people in the U.S. and is infecting an increasing number of people in many states. Noem has been reluctant to issue lockdowns and other restrictive measures in response to the pandemic and Ingraham praised her decision, pointing to the fact there have been only 6,826 confirmed coronavirus cases and 93 related deaths in South Dakota as of Wednesday low figures even for a state with a population of fewer than 900,000 residents. But health experts fear the celebration, which 7,500 people are expected to attend along with a lack of mitigation efforts could lead to a spike in infections in the communities near the event and where the attendees live. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has four levels of coronavirus risk for events and the Mount Rushmore fireworks falls into the highest risk category: a large in-person gathering where itll be hard for attendees to remain 6 feet apart and attendees have traveled from outside the local area. South Dakota State Medical Association President Dr. Ben Aaker, who also works as an emergency medicine physician, told the Sioux Falls Argus Leader that if people do not follow CDC guidelines there is a lot to be concerned about. Right now, we feel that we have enough beds for what were currently undergoing, but if we have large events such as this event at Mount Rushmore, that has the potential to overwhelm the hospital system, Aaker said. Aaker said those who go to the fireworks show should stay 6 feet apart and wear masks. Health Secretary Kim Malsam-Rysdon said the state health department provided input for the event organizers and is encouraging people to social distance to the extent possible and to wear masks, if theyre comfortable doing so. Like Noem, Malsam-Rysdon said those who have concerns should stay home. Noem has also asked any attendees who arent feeling well before the event to stay home, though health experts have noted that a large percentage of infections are likely spread by people not showing serious symptoms. Earlier this month, Noem said plans to possibly reduce the number of tickets of the event had been scrapped. In addition, she said those who dont get tickets will able to gather outside the monument grounds to watch the show. Other recent large outdoor gatherings, most notably the massive protests against racial discrimination and police brutality across the nation, have not yet been linked to large spikes in infections. The fireworks display at Mount Rushmore to celebrate Independence Day was first held in 1998. It has not happened since 2009, when the National Park Service ended it because of fire danger after a pine beetle infestation. But NPS determined that launching fireworks at Mount Rushmore this year would pose only a slight fire risk. Some fire experts disagree and think the fireworks show is ill-advised. Bill Gabbert, the former fire management officer for Mount Rushmore and six other national parks in the region, said shooting fireworks over the extremely flammable ponderosa pine forest should not be done. Burning debris, the burning embers and unexploded shells fall into a ponderosa pine forest and ponderosa pine is extremely flammable, said Gabbert. The planned 2002 show was canceled due to fire concerns amid extremely dry conditions. In January, while announcing a trade deal with China at the White House, Trump said Noem had asked him to resume the fireworks show at Mount Rushmore. I said, What can burn? Its stone, Trump said. So, I called up our people and within about 15 minutes we got it approved. Staff reports Aberdeen News The South Dakota State University Southeast Research Farm will be hosting a virtual field day version of the farms annual field day online July 7, at 2:00 p.m. Due to health concerns surrounding COVID-19, this years field day will be held virtually via webinar with presentations and field tours showcased on video. The Southeast Farm Virtual Field Day will include a pre-recorded video of our researchers discussing their projects including feedlot research, rye varieties, forages, soil quality, cover crops, interseeding, weed control, the SDSU oat breeding program and water quality. The video will be accompanied with an hour-long webinar where researchers will present in-depth data about their projects, and webinar participants will have an opportunity to ask questions. Webinar topics include: Corn Nitrogen Application Timing Peter Kovacs, Department of Agronomy, Horticulture and Plant Sciences Assistant Professor Rye: Something old, something new Peter Sexton, Associate Professor and SDSU Extension Sustainable Cropping Systems Specialist; David Karki, SDSU Extension Agronomy Field Specialist; Bradley Rops, Southeast Farm Operations Manager and Ben Brockmueller, Graduate Research Assistant Rye in the Feedlot Warren Rushce, SDSU Extension Beef Feedlot Management Associate and Zach Smith, Department of Animal Science Assistant Professor Certified crop consultant educational credits (CEUs) will be available at the event. Webinar participants will need internet access to participate. Registration is not required. Visit the SDSU Extension website at https://extension.sdstate.edu/event/southeast-research-farm-virtual-field-day to learn more about the webinar, signup for email reminders and submit questions for our researchers. Videos can be accessed on the day of the event and the webinar recording will be posed for viewing after July 7 at https://extension.sdstate.edu/tags/south-dakota-agricultural-experiment-station. For more information, contact Peter Sexton, Associate Professor and SDSU Extension Sustainable Cropping Systems Specialist, at peter.sexton@sdstate.edu or 605-563-2989. In-Principle Eligibility from Finnvera for Project Financing Perth, July 1, 2020 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Hastings Technology Metals Ltd ( ASX:HAS ) ( FRA:5AM ) is pleased to announce that it has successfully received in-principle eligibility for the Finnish Export Credit Scheme (the "Scheme") from Finnvera plc ("Finnvera"), who are mandated by the Government of Finland as administrators of the Scheme for an indicative commercial contract amount of AUD 75 million.Finnvera together with its subsidiary Finnish Export Credit Ltd ("FEC"), comprise the official Export Credit Agency of Finland and was established to provide export financing services in support of Finnish companies' trade with buyers domiciled abroad.Hastings has been in negotiations for the supply of capital equipment from a Finnish Tier 1 company for its Yangibana Rare Earth Project and is considering entering into a commercial contract concerning delivery of goods and services with the aggregate value amounting up to AUD 75 million. Finnvera has confirmed that the commercial contract is in-principle eligible for Finnvera and FEC support of a loan amounting to AUD63m.Due diligence is being undertaken on the economic, technical, legal, environmental and social aspects. The Finnvera Guarantee and FEC Financing is also subject to compliance with policies pursuant to the OECD Arrangement and final approval will be made by the Board of Directors of both Finnvera and FEC.As announced in April 2019, Hastings has already received in-principle eligibility for the German Government's UFK Scheme from Euler Hermes Aktiengesellschaft. In addition, the North Australia Infrastructure Fund (NAIF) has also been in negotiations with the company on a senior debt facility in conjunction with the UFK scheme.Mr Charles Lew, Executive Chairman of Hastings commented "this eligibility for Finnvera export credit financing support further demonstrates the bankability of our Yangibana project and brings us one step closer to financial close. We welcome the participation of Finnvera as another senior debt provider".About Hastings Technology Metals Ltd Hastings Technology Metals Ltd (ASX:HAS) (FRA:5AM) is advancing its Yangibana Rare Earths Project in the Upper Gascoyne Region of Western Australia towards production. The proposed beneficiation and hydro metallurgy processing plant will treat rare earths deposits, predominantly monazite, hosting high neodymium and praseodymium contents to produce a mixed rare earths carbonate that will be further refined into individual rare earth oxides at processing plants overseas. Neodymium and praseodymium are vital components in the manufacture of permanent magnets which is used in a wide and expanding range of advanced and high-tech products including electric vehicles, wind turbines, robotics, medical applications and others. Hastings aims to become the next significant producer of neodymium and praseodymium outside of China. Hastings holds 100% interest in the most significant deposits within the overall project, and 70% interest in additional deposits that will be developed at a later date, all held under Mining Leases. Numerous prospects have been identified warranting detailed exploration to further extend the life of the project. Brockman Project The Brockman deposit, near Halls Creek in Western Australia, contains JORC Indicated and Inferred Mineral Resources, estimated using the guidelines of JORC Code (2012 Edition). The Company is also progressing a Mining Lease application over the Brockman Rare Earths and Rare Metals Project. Hastings aims to capitalise on the strong demand for critical rare earths created by the expanding demand for new technology products. Northern Territory Operations Update Sydney, July 1, 2020 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Empire Energy Group Limited ( ASX:EEG ) ( OTCMKTS:EEGUF ) is pleased to update shareholders regarding the upcoming EP187 'Carpentaria-1' exploration drilling campaign in the Northern Territory's Beetaloo sub-Basin.Highlights include:- The drilling location for Carpentaria-1 has been selected- Empire has selected a preferred drilling contractor and commercial negotiations for the drilling contract are well advanced- Long lead items have been ordered including the well head and casing- The well design has been finalised to allow for evaluation of the Velkerri Shale and Kyalla Shale and future production testing- COVID-19 protocols in place to allow resumption of planned field activities- Drilling is presently planned to commence in Q3 2020Target Shale Horizons and Carpentaria-1 Drilling LocationThe Velkerri Shale and Kyalla Shale, Empire's primary and secondary targets for 2020 drilling, are ~1.4 billion years old and were deposited in an equatorial marine setting. Significant organic material is entrapped in the shales and with maturation over time has created a significant unconventional hydrocarbon resource play.As previously reported, Empire's late 2019 2D seismic program has been instrumental in demonstrating the depth, formation thickness and lateral extent from offset data sets of the established hydrocarbon-bearing shales of the Beetaloo Sub-basin within Empire's EP187 tenement. The target shales are interpreted to be buried to an ideal depth for both gas and liquid hydrocarbon generation for potential future commercial extraction.Empire's interpretation demonstrates that the gross interval of the Velkerri Shale, Empire's primary EP187 objective, extends from ~2,200 metres depth to ~2,800 metres depth at our proposed drilling location, Carpentaria-1, and the secondary objective liquids-rich/gas bearing Kyalla Shale is prognosed to be present at ~1,400 metres depth, over a 100m interval.The Company's new seismic data has delineated an easterly extension of the Beetaloo sub-Basin into EP187 comprising two prospects, one of approximately 40,000 acres (~160km2), and a second prospect which extends across approximately 25,000 acres (~100km2). Using the results of the seismic program, Netherland, Sewell and Associates International, Inc. ("NSAI") generated an independent prospective resource estimate on Empire's Velkerri and Kyalla Shale holdings in EP187 with a best estimate prospective resource of 2.4 TCF. Empire's Carpentaria-1 drilling program will target these shales in EP187.Empire's Northern Territory total property package has been independently assessed by NSAI with a total best estimate prospective resource of 13.46 TCF gas.Carpentaria-1 Well DesignEmpire's Carpentaria-1 well will be drilled to a planned depth of 2,900m, which will allow Empire's technical team to fully evaluate the Velkerri Shale and the Kyalla Shale. This includes an extensive formation evaluation programme, coring and wireline logging, coupled with a series of 'Injection Fall-Off Tests' to identify the most productive horizons for planned hydraulic stimulation for Carpentaria-1 next season.The goals of the Carpentaria-1 Q3 2020 drilling program will be:1. To identify and prove the extension, depth and thickness of the Kyalla and Velkerri Shales in EP187;2. To generate a detailed assessment of rock properties, hydrocarbon content, formation permeability and reservoir pressure with a view to high-grading intervals in the target shales for vertical hydraulic stimulation and testing, and subsequent horizontal well design and placement and extended production testing; and3. To formulate a strategy to achieve best appraisal results in the proposed 2021 hydraulic stimulation program with a view to early production.The well design schematic for the Carpentaria-1 2020 drilling program is shown above. Casing and a wellhead have been ordered for delivery to the wellsite.After Carpentaria-1 reaches the target depth and the formation evaluation program is completed, the well will be temporarily suspended over the NT Wet Season. The well will then be re-entered early in the 2021 NT Dry Season (Q2 2021) (subject to Board and Government approvals) to carry out the vertical fracture stimulation program and production flow testing. This work is analogous to the vertical fracture stimulation and flow test recently carried out by Santos on Tanumbirini-1 which exceeded initial expectations with gas flow rates of over 1.2 mmcf / day.Carpentaria-1 Drilling Program ExecutionSubject to drilling contract completion, Empire currently expects to commence drilling operations in Q3 2020. The drilling of the Carpentaria-1 well to 2,900m and formation evaluation program is expected to take ~45 days. Empire will keep the market informed as final preparations for, and execution of, the drilling program progress.As previously advised, Empire's Environment Management Plan ("EMP") for the drilling of Carpentaria-1 was approved by the Northern Territory Department of Environment and Natural Resources ("DENR") in Q1 2020. The EMP is for Dry Season drilling, so Empire has submitted a revision to the EMP with provisions to continue drilling if the program is not complete by the end of the Dry Season. DENR has confirmed that the approved Dry Season EMP will remain valid while the revision is assessed which will allow Empire to commence drilling in Q3 2020.Empire has a COVID-19 Management Plan approved by the NT Chief Medical Officer in place that includes exemptions to Northern Territory border and movement restrictions. However, with the Northern Territory border planned to be reopened on 17 July 2020, it is likely that the COVID-19 Management Plan will not be required.Empire has initiated the regulatory approval process for the vertical stimulation of Carpentaria-1, which is expected to be executed in Q2 2021 (subject to Board and Government approvals). The vertical stimulation and flow testing program will provide appraisal data to allow Empire to select the optimal depth to drill a horizontal section and carry out a multi-stage horizontal stimulation appraisal.The horizontal drilling and multi-stage stimulation phase will likely be carried out late in 2021 (subject to Board and Government approvals).To view tables and figures, please visit:About Empire Energy Group Ltd Empire Energy (ASX:EEG) (OTCMKTS:EEGUF) holds over 14.5 million acres of highly prospective exploration tenements in the McArthur and Beetaloo Basins, Northern Territory. Work undertaken by the Company since 2010 demonstrates that the Eastern depositional Trough of the McArthur Basin, of which the Company holds 80% has very considerable conventional and unconventional hydrocarbon potential. The Beetaloo sub-Basin, in which Empire holds a substantial position, has independently assessed world class hydrocarbon volumes in place with a major ramp up in industry activity underway to appraise substantial discoveries already made by major Australian oil and gas operators. Empire Energy is an experienced conventional oil and gas producer with operations in the Appalachia region (New York and Pennsylvania). Empire has been successfully developing and producing oil and gas since 2006. Company Presentation Perth, July 1, 2020 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Wiluna Mining Corporation Ltd ( ASX:WMX ) ( FRA:NZ3 ) ( OTCMKTS:BKHRF ) is a developing gold mining company listed on the ASX ( ASX:WMX ) that controls 100% of the Wiluna Gold Operation located at the northern end of the Western Australian Goldfields.Four gold systems have been defined on the Company's 1,600 km 2 tenure to date with substantial production growth and discovery potential with the primary objectives being:- Exploring for discoveries "Under the Headframe" and regionally; discoveries located near existing development and infrastructure; and- Transitioning to a two staged production profile of 120kozpa of gold in Stage 1 (September 2021), increasing to +250kozpa gold and gold dore in Stage 2To view the presentation, please visit:About Wiluna Mining Corporation Ltd Wiluna Mining Corporation (ASX:WMX) (OTCMKTS:WMXCF) is a Perth based, ASX listed gold mining company that controls over 1,600 square kilometres of the Yilgarn Craton in the Northern Goldfields of WA. The Yilgarn Craton has a historic and current gold endowment of over 380 million ounces, making it one of most prolific gold regions in the world. The Company owns 100% of the Wiluna Gold Operation which has a defined resource of 8.04M oz at 1.67 g/t au. In May 2019, a new highly skilled management team took control of the Company with a clear plan to leverage the Wiluna Gold Operation's multi-million-ounce potential. Mt Stirling Phase 1 Drilling Complete & Phase 2 Targeting Perth, July 1, 2020 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Torian Resources Limited ( ASX:TNR ) is pleased to advise of the broad nature of mineralisation across the Mt Stirling block (Figure 1*) identified in its preliminary eight-hole drill program. The Company is highly encouraged by these first results from the green fields exploration program. The results confirm the exploration model and the data collected is invaluable for planning in future drilling campaigns.Drilling was designed to test the continuity of the Stirling Main Zone alone strike and down dip (MSRC-026 to 028), and to test the South Zone to determine if the mineralisation was present in the sub-surface. Results obtained will refine targeting of the larger Phase 2 drill program which Torian expects to begin in Q3 2020.Main Zone: Holes MSRC-026 to 028 intercepted very wide (30m to 50m) gold bearing mineralisation (Figures 2 and 3*). This demonstrates that the Main Zone has continuity at depth and remains open along strike to the northwest and southeast. Future drilling will continue to define the strike length of the zone and test the deeper extensions of the deposit.South Zone: Holes MSRS-031 and 032 returned low-grade narrow intercepts (5m to 9m) (Figure 4*). This demonstrated this zone has limited potential to the northwest and future drilling needs to target the southeast extensions, towards the RED 5 claim line approximately 500m away, to determine if the zone will improve in width and grade. See Table 1* for a full breakdown of all assays.Torian Chairman Mr Louie Simens said, "These assays have increased our confidence in the scale of mineralisation at the Mt Stirling Block, particularly at the Main Zone. Our next task is to vector in on the zones that contain higher grade gold. We have identified a strike length of 1km and it remains open at depth. The target is compelling, and these results have been vital in the planning for a larger Phase 2 drill program, preparations for which are well advanced and which Torian expects to commence in the near term.With almost 13 Moz in resource located across Red 5's King of the Hills, St Barbara's Gwalia and Saracen's Thunderbox mines, all in our immediate neighbourhood in the Leonora district, we are confident that this region is a great place to be looking for new major discoveries as we undertake our systematic exploration approach across the entire project area."Diorite mapping and sampling program completedOn the Diorite Block, mapping, prospecting, and sampling has been completed which focussed on the historic Diorite King Mine and Diorite Queen mines and to continue further target generation. The focus of this campaign was as follows (Figure 5):- Explore, locate and sample the 15 known showings contained within the Diorite historic mining camp (red triangle*) with a focus on the historic 73g/t Au [grade sourced from Mindat.org] Diorite King Mine and Diorite Queen mines;- Explore a number of the high priority targets identified by Southern Geological Consultants (blue hatched boxes); and- Investigate the Iron Formation lithologies (red lines) within the Diorite Block to determine if these units have any potential to host Archean BIF gold mineralization. BIF gold deposits have been a historic major producer within the Archean of Canada (aka 5.0 Moz Au Musselwhite Mine in Northern Ontario).A total of 105 rock chip and 157 soil samples have been collected from the Diorite Block and dispatched to ALS Kalgoorlie for geochemical analysis with assay results pending. Digital mapping of the Diorite Block is now in progress. Assay results are likely to begin to be received and announced in the next few weeks.*To view tables and figures, please visit:About Torian Resources Limited Torian Resources Ltd (ASX:TNR) is a gold exploration and development company with an extensive and strategic land holding comprising eight projects and over 400km2 of tenure in the Goldfields Region of Western Australia. Torian's flagship project, Zuleika, is located along the world-class Zuleika Shear. The Zuleika Shear is the fourth largest gold producing region in Australia and consistently produces some of the country's highest grade and lowest cost gold mines. Torian's Zuleika project lies north and partly along strike of several major gold deposits including Northern Star's (ASX:NST) 7.0Moz East Kundana Joint Venture and Evolutions (ASX:EVN) 1.8Moz Frogs Legs and White Foil deposits. Torian's other projects include the strategically located Mt Stirling and Malcolm Projects in the Leonora region (near Red 5's King of the Hills Project), where it recently completed updated Mineral Resource Estimates and preliminary scoping studies, and a suite of other projects in the Kalgoorlie region including Credo Well JV Zuleika JV, Bonnie Vale, Gibraltar and Mount Monger/Wombola. Podcast with Matt Gill Melbourne, July 1, 2020 AEST (ABN Newswire) - White Rock Minerals ( ASX:WRM ) wishes to advise that a podcast of an interview by ProActive Investors with its Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Matt Gill is available. In this interview, Matt Gill discusses the recent capital raise and the current exploration program at the Company's Last Chance Gold Prospect, located within its 100% owned Red Mountain Project in central Alaska.The podcast can be viewed via:on the Company's website.Last Chance Gold ProspectThe Last Chance Gold Prospect sits within this Tintina Gold belt and is a large (15km2), strong (up to 418ppb gold) and robust gold anomaly defined by 27 stream sediment sample points. The gold anomaly has a highly anomalous core >100ppb gold in first order stream catchments over 3.5km of strike east-west and at >75ppb gold extends over 6km of strike. The gold anomaly is located in the headwaters of Last Chance Creek. Downstream from this Prospect, significant placer workings commence 12km to the north and extend further north downstream through the foothills of the Alaska Range.The Tintina Gold belt of Central Alaska hosts a diverse range of world class gold deposits including Donlin Creek (45 Moz Au), Pogo (10 Moz Au) and Fort Knox (13.5 Moz Au). Each of them different, but a compelling reward for dedicated greenfields exploration. The intense initial geology and geochemistry exploration focus will provide rapid data with which to build knowledge about the gold system at Last Chance and how best to design a drill program to achieve results.To listen to the podcast, please visit:About White Rock Minerals Ltd White Rock Minerals Ltd (ASX:WRM) is a diversified explorer and near-stage producer, headquartered in Ballarat, Victoria. The Company's flagship exploration project is Red Mountain in central Alaska. At Red Mountain, there are already two high grade zinc - silver - gold - lead VMS deposits, with an Inferred Mineral Resource of 9.1 million tonnes @ 12.9% ZnEq for 1.1 million tonnes of contained zinc equivalent. The Company is also exploring its recently discovered large intrusion related gold anomaly at Last Chance, also located in the Tintina gold belt of Alaska, home to multi-million gold ounce deposits like Pogo, Fort Knox and the Donlin Project. The Company also has the Mt Carrington project, located near Drake, in Northern NSW, which is a near-production precious metals asset with a resource of 341,000 ounces of gold and 23.2 million ounces of silver on an approved mining lease, and with a Gold First PFS and JORC Reserve. White Rock Minerals is listed on the Australian Stock Exchange. Most of what he said Monday was smoke and mirrors for the lack of a substantive plan going into what traditionally is the most violent holiday period of the year. We would be much better off if he had shown up at that news conference with information we didnt already know. And what the welfare state has done, in my opinion, is incentivize Black women to marry the government, and allow men to abandon their financial and moral responsibilities to their families. Weve gone from 25% of Black kids born outside wedlock in 1965, to nearly 70% now. You cannot attribute that to Jim Crow and racism. It has to do with bad government policy. Justices are often fickle with precedents, using them when convenient and disregarding them when not. Roberts has been willing to overturn rulings in some major cases. Most notable was the Citizens United decision, which said corporations, labor unions and other independent groups can spend as much as they want in political campaigns. But in that case, the law he voted to overturn presented genuine conflicts with established constitutional rights. Instagram Celebrity Amanda Kloots admits in a new post her husband's arduous struggle with coronavirus and his never-ending roller-coaster journey to recovery has taken a toll on her. Jul 1, 2020 AceShowbiz - Amanda Kloots had an "outburst" in front of hospital staff as she visited her husband Nick Cordero on the 89th day of his Covid-19 hospitalisation. The "Rock of Ages" star has been under doctors' care since March (20), as he continues to face health complications following a brutal coronavirus battle, which cost him his leg and required him to be fitted with a temporary pacemaker, all while he was in a medically-induced coma. Nick remains in the ICU (intensive care unit) in a Los Angeles hospital, and Amanda told fans on social media she "had a hard day" on Monday (29Jun20), revealing, "I cried all day basically." The fitness guru confessed that she "got mad at God" as she expressed her frustrations that, while she and others around the world pray for Cordero's recovery, she felt their family couldn't catch a break. "I broke big time today; at home, at the hospital in front of doctors and while sitting next to Nick," she wrote. "I couldn't keep it together." However, Amanda vowed the setback won't stop her from continuing to push forward, insisting, "It's OK to cry, to get mad and say it's not fair." "I will keep my faith and keep asking for miracles. I will put my armor back on and walk taller tomorrow. I will do the best I can do and make myself as big as I can." Noting that the past 89 days of watching her husband battle the disease have been "tough," Amanda signed off, "I broke today. I'll be back tomorrow." WENN Celebrity The 'Riverdale' actress fails to impress her social media followers as she shares her steamy picture accompanied with a caption that demands justice for Breonna Taylor. Jul 1, 2020 AceShowbiz - Actress Lili Reinhart is "truly sorry" after facing criticism for using a topless photo of herself to draw attention to the senseless killing of Breonna Taylor. The "Riverdale" star is one of the many celebrity activists demanding justice for the family of Taylor, an emergency medical worker who was fatally shot multiple times in her own home in March (20) during a bungled drug raid in Louisville, Kentucky. The police officers involved in the shooting have yet to be charged, so Reinhart attempted to use her Instagram popularity to encourage her 24.2 million followers to add their voices to the campaign for racial justice by sharing a half-naked snap of herself posing by a lake. "Now that my sideboob has gotten your attention, Breonna Taylor's murderers have not been arrested. Demand justice," she wrote in the accompanying caption. However, Reinhart's methods fell flat with followers, who put her on blast for the "tone deaf" post, prompting the actress to delete the image and explain her actions on Twitter. "I've always tried to use my platform for good. And speak up about things that are important to me," she began. "I also can admit when I make a mistake and I made a mistake with my caption. It was never my intent to insult anyone and I'm truly sorry to those that were offended..." "I'm still learning and trying to be better. But I understand that my caption came off as tone deaf," she continued. "I truly had good intentions and did not think it through that it could come off as insensitive." WENN Celebrity News outlet Lifezette is the one who first made the allegations by running a headline that reads, 'Alyssa Milano embroiled in blackface scandal-damning video comes back to haunt her.' Jul 1, 2020 AceShowbiz - Alyssa Milano is among celebrities who are accused of wearing blackface in the past. However, the "Charmed" alum was quick to set the record straight, insisting in a Twitter post that the accusation was far from truth. News outlet Lifezette, a site founded by Fox News commentator Laura Ingraham, was the one who first made the allegations by running a headline that read, "Alyssa Milano embroiled in blackface scandal-damning video comes back to haunt her." It didn't took long before the actress caught wind of the article and fired back fiercely in a Twitter post on Tuesday, June 30. "Hey, a**holes. The below picture is me parodying Jersey Shore and Snookie's [sic] tan," she said of the MTV personality Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi. "Snookie's tan (she is a sweetheart by the way) is worthy of parodying as is [Donald Trump]'s 'tan'." "So go f**k yourselves with your smear campaign," Alyssa continued in her tweet before linking the full video of the Funny or Die skit. Alyssa Millano denied wearing blackface in an old video. This is not the first time for Alyssa to address the matter. Earlier this week, she took to the blue bird app to warn her followers that "the right wing trolls are using a still from this funny or die video where a parodied Snookie from Jersey Shore." She added, "If you see the screen grab that they are using maybe you can shut them down with a link to the entire video." Prior to this, Jojo Siwa was also falsely accused of having a dancer wearing blackface in her music video for "Nonstop". Setting the record straight, the "Dance Moms" alum posted a lengthy statement on her Instagram page on Friday, June 26 to slam "irresponsible" comments and posts about her as she thinks that "everyone seems to rush to conclusions without having all of the facts." "I would like to address the music video that we shot for 'NONSTOP' in February. We're talking about kids dressing up as circus animals! No one in my video is wearing blackface," she wrote. "It's awful that anyone's mind would even go there. Kids dressing in animal costumes, having their faces painted to look like animals, acting the part. There were zebras, tigers, dogs, clowns, mermaids, everything." Instagram Celebrity The 'Beverly Hills, 90210' alum is seen grabbing lunch with the 38-year-old Australian model at Sugar Taco in Los Angeles, weeks after confirming his split from Megan Fox. Jul 1, 2020 AceShowbiz - Brian Austin Green is single and clearly ready to mingle following his split from Megan Fox. The 46-year-old has been spotted hanging out with Maxim model Tina Louise, a few weeks after he sparked romance rumors with Courtney Stodden. On Tuesday, June 30, the "Anger Management" alum was spotted on a lunch date with the 38-year-old Australian beauty at Sugar Taco in Los Angeles. According to TMZ, the restaurant wasn't quite open when they rolled up, so they did a lap around the block together. Later, they returned and eventually ate out at Sugar Taco, before leaving together. The two didn't show any public display of affection, but they clearly enjoyed each other's companion and had a fun conversation during their walk. Brian, who is best known for his portrayal of David Silver on 1990s series "Beverly Hills, 90210", wore a white Captain Planet T-shirt, paired with ripped light blue jeans and black and white checkered sneakers. He had a black face mask dangling around his neck and his face was adorned with scruffy black beard. Tina, meanwhile, wore a low-cut black mini dress with black leather heeled boots. She also rocked black sunglasses and accessorized with gold cross earrings as she carried a black leather purse with a gold chain strap. Earlier this month, Brian sparked dating speculation with Courtney Stodden after they hung out together at the Mejico Grill & Tequila Lounge in Agoura Hilla, California on Saturday, June 13. The two were seen leaving together, with the actor carrying a takeout bag along with him. Despite the sighting, it was said there was nothing romantic going on between Brian and Courtney yet. About the Saturday outing, an eyewitness told PEOPLE, "They picked up food together. Brian had already paid for food. They were not acting at all like they are together." Brian announced in mid-May that he had separated from his actress wife Megan Fox. He said in an episode of his "Context with Brian Austin Green" podcast that they had "really been trying to sort of be apart" since the end of 2019. He also addressed Megan's dating rumors with Machine Gun Kelly. While admitting "it sucks when life changes and something that you're used to, that you've been doing for 15 years, you try and not get rid of but you change," he had nothing against his estranged wife's relationship with the rapper. He added, "I will always love her. And I know she will always love me and I know as far as a family what we have built is really cool and really special." Instagram Celebrity The 'Law and Order: Special Victims Unit' actor comes out with the news about Coco Austin's dad just two days after urging fans to take the COVID-19 pandemic seriously. Jul 1, 2020 AceShowbiz - Rapper and actor Ice-T's father-in-law has been hospitalised in Arizona with COVID-19. The star has shared a photo of Coco Austin's dad wearing an oxygen mask on social media. "Coco's father checked into the Hospital yesterday. Covid in AZ," Ice-T tweeted on Tuesday, two days after he urged fans to take coronavirus seriously. Ice-T encourages the usage of face mask in public amid the COVD-19 pandemic. "At this point, wearing a Mask in public is more of an IQ test," he wrote. Instagram Celebrity Thomas Manzo, who was married to the 'Real Housewives of New Jersey' alum from 2007 until 2016, is charged with committing a violent crime in aid of racketeering activity. Jul 1, 2020 AceShowbiz - Former "The Real Housewives of New Jersey" star Dina Manzo's life off screen is as full of drama as it was on screen. Her ex-husband Thomas Manzo has been arrested for allegedly plotting an attack on her current husband David Cantin. Thomas and John Perna, an alleged organized crime soldier, were arrested in New Jersey on Tuesday, June 30 and were charged with allegedly committing a violent crime in aid of racketeering activity and conspiracy to commit a violent crime, according to an indictment released by the U.S. Attorney's Office in New Jersey. According to the documents, in 2015, Thomas, who was a co-owner of a restaurant and wedding venue (the 'Venue') in Passaic County, ordered John to assault David, who was at the time dating Dina, in exchange for a discounted or free wedding. It's alleged that the restaurateur was "upset" that David "had an ongoing relationship with" his ex-wife Dina and "planned to have a violent assault committed on" David "that would leave a permanent facial scar." John carried out the planned assault on July 18, 2015. He and an accomplice followed Dina's then-boyfriend "to a strip mall in Passaic County, New Jersey," where the pair "attacked" David "in the parking lot," according to the indictment. He allegedly "used a dangerous weapon, namely a slap jack, with the intent to inflict serious permanent injury" on David. The document states that in "return for the commission of the violent assault" on David, John "fulfilled his agreement to hold the reception at a free or discounted price." Many of the guests invited to the reception were allegedly members of the Lucchese Crime Family. Thomas was additionally charged with falsifying and concealing records related to the federal investigation of the crime, while John has also been charged with conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud related to the submission of a false car insurance claim. Thomas and John could face up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for the racketeering charges against them. Both defendants made appearances on Tuesday via video conference before U.S. Magistrate Judge Cathy L. Waldor. Dina was married to Thomas in 2007 and separated in 2012. Their divorce was finalized in 2016. They share a daughter, 14-year-old Lexi Ioannou. Dina later tied the knot with David in June 2017. Thomas' arrest came on the heels of the pair's third wedding anniversary, which they marked with loving Instagram posts. "He puts his arms around me and I am home... 6.28 Happy Anniversary my love, forever is a looong time but I look forward to every minute of it with you," Dina captioned a smiling photo of herself and David embracing. The TV personality's husband, meanwhile, posted on his own page a series of photos of himself with his wife. "Happy Anniversary to the most amazing, beautiful, and incredible woman in the entire world," he wrote in the caption. He declared, "@Dina I will spend an eternity loving you, caring for you, respecting you, showing you every day that I hold you as high as the stars. I love you, baby!" WENN Celebrity Aside from resolving the class action lawsuit filed by more than 30 women, the money will settle another lawsuit against the movie mogul filed by the Office of the Attorney General in February 2018. Jul 1, 2020 AceShowbiz - A group of victims who came forward with sexual misconduct and harassment allegations against Harvey Weinstein have been awarded a $19 million settlement. According to Variety, the members of the class action lawsuit - believed to be more than 30 women - are now waiting for the payment to be approved by the bankruptcy and district courts. Once agreed, the money will create a victims' fund, which will allow all women abused by Weinstein under certain circumstances to make confidential claims for separate damages. As well as resolving the victims' lawsuit, filed in November 2017, the money will settle another lawsuit filed by the Office of the Attorney General in February 2018 against Harvey, his brother Bob, and The Weinstein Company due to the hostile work environment at the business. Reacting to the settlement, Attorney General Letitia James said: "Harvey Weinstein and The Weinstein Company failed their female employees. After all the harassment, threats, and discrimination, these survivors are finally receiving some justice. For more than two years, my office has fought tirelessly in the pursuit of justice for the women whose lives were upended by Harvey Weinstein." "This agreement is a win for every woman who has experienced sexual harassment, discrimination, intimidation, or retaliation by her employer. I thank the brave women who came forward to share their stories with my office. I will forever carry their stories in my heart and never stop fighting for the right of every single person to be able to work harassment-free." But the deal hasn't gone down well with all victims in the class action lawsuit. Lawyers representing six of the women have called the settlement a "sellout", as it doesn't require Weinstein himself to accept responsibility or pay out any money from his own pocket. It's also considerably less than the amount the women had asked for in the first place. Weinstein is currently serving a 23-year sentence in a New York prison after being found guilty of sexual assault and rape in the third degree. With the COVID-19 pandemic, Sengstacke-Rice said she had been monitoring the news and looking for ways to hold the parade, which is the second largest in the nation. Weeks back she realized the state would need to be in phase five of Gov. J.B. Pritzkers reopening plan and the Aug. 8 parade could not go on as planned. So Defender Charities partnered with ABC 7 to produce a one-hour special called Bud Billiken: Celebrating 91 Years, which will include performances by the student teams and surprise celebrity guests. Instagram Celebrity The 'Growing Up Hip Hop: Atlanta' star makes public of the robbery on his Twitter account as well as his Instagram page while offering a cash reward for someone who can help him track the thieves down. Jul 1, 2020 AceShowbiz - Bow Wow recently experienced an unfortunate thing. The rapper-turned-actor shared on his Instagram account on Tuesday, June 30 that two thieves broke into his home and took off with his beloved bike. He let out his frustration in a video in which he revealed that the perpetrator was two tattooed white men. "I know y'all didn't know that was my s**t, now y'all do," he said. The "Growing Up Hip Hop: Atlanta" star then continued, "It's a problem. Listen, we can do this two ways, alright." He gave the thieves an option to return the bike and no questions would be asked. However, if they refused to do so, the TV star would track them down and make it worth the public's while. Bow Wow also made public of the robbery on Twitter while offering a cash reward for someone who could help him track the thieves down. Sharing screenshot of CCTV video when the thieves took action at his home, Bow Wow wrote, "ANYBODY IN ATLANTA - buckhead midtown area know these clowns HIT MY DM ASAP ON IG NOW!!! YALL STOLE THE WRONG BIKE! ITS UP! CASH REWARD." Detailing the reward, Bow Wow shared on Instagram Stories, "10,000 cash reward! FIND HIM DM ME." Upon watching his video, fans apparently thought it was unnecessary. "Boy just call the police and show them the video," one fan advised Bow Wow. Another fan added, "Man just file an insurance claim Bow Wow, Geez." Seemingly thinking that Bow Wow wouldn't keep his promise, one fan wrote, " 'Promethises, Promethises'." Meanwhile, someone else thought that he might be lying about the whole thing, writing, "Was it really his bike? Or is this another Bow Wow challenge?" WENN Celebrity The rapper-turned-actor threatens to bring Marlow Stern of The Daily Beast to court after the latter blasts the former N.W.A member for allegedly ordering his security to beat up a rabbi in 2015. Jul 2, 2020 AceShowbiz - Ice Cube has taken a legal action against a reporter for bringing up old claims that he assaulted a rabbi. The "Ride Along" star made sure he wasn't playing with his threat after Marlow Stern of The Daily Beast wrote an article detailing "Ice Cube's Long, Disturbing History of Anti-Semitism." In the article, Stern wrote, "It is hard to give Ice Cube the benefit of the doubt given the fact that his anti-Semitic activities have extended beyond the realm of the internet." He continued, "He's an ardent supporter of Louis Farrakhan, one of the world's most prominent anti-Semites, and, most troubling of all, the rapper and actor was accused in May 2015 of ordering his entourage to beat up a rabbi." In 2015, it was reported that Ice Cube, whose real name is O'Shea Jackson, ordered his security to beat up Rabbi P. Taras after the rabbi accidentally bumped into the 51-year-old star outside an elevator at the MGM Detroit hotel. The rabbi filed a $2 million lawsuit against Ice Cube for assault and battery, but the former N.W.A member denied the allegations. As the article gained traction on social media, Ice Cube took to Twitter to hit back at Marlow. "The statement by Marlow Stern is a f**kin lie," he tweeted on Tuesday, June 1. "I never ordered my security to beat up anybody. Get your facts straight or I'll see you in court you a**hole." He later posted a photo of the reporter and wrote, "This is Marlow Stern, the punk that's out there pushing that poison." He later shared images of a cease-and-desist letter addressed to the journalist, demanding a retraction of the article. "Don't play with me," he warned Marlow. "This is just phase one." Ice Cube is a known supporter of the Nation of Islam and its leader Louis Farrakhan. He recently battled CNN host Jack Tapper's claim that Louis is a "vile anti-LGBTQ anti-Semitic misogynist," telling the news anchor to "watch [his] mouth." Instagram Celebrity The 45th president of the United States tweets he becomes 'more and more angry at China' as the country has recorded more than 2.6 million confirmed cases and more than 127,000 deaths. Jul 2, 2020 AceShowbiz - Donald Trump is blaming China yet again for the coronavirus pandemic that has plagued the country. As the United States sees a spike in the COVID-19 cases, the president blasted China, which he believes is responsible for the global spread of the novel virus. "As I watch the Pandemic spread its ugly face all across the world, including the tremendous damage it has done to the USA, I become more and more angry at China," the president tweeted on Tuesday night, June 30. "People can see it, and I can feel it!" America is still struggling to contain coronavirus as it sees a surge in the number of new confirmed cases after several states lifted COVID-19 restrictions. The country currently accounted for the world's highest number of infections and fatalities with 2,629,372 and 127,322, respectively, according to the Johns Hopkins University. Trump's tweet comes amid the escalated tension between Washington and Beijing which has been ongoing for the last few months. Also on Tuesday, China announced retaliation against the U.S. after it announced revocation of Hong Kong's special status. Trump has previously blamed China for the coronavirus crisis. He insisted on calling it "Chinese Virus" despite WHO's instruction to refrain from using the term. Earlier this month, the 74-year-old former real estate tycoon renamed the virus "Kung Flu" at a rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma. "By the way, it's a disease, without question, has more names than any disease in history, he said. "I can name 'kung flu.' I can name 19 different versions of them. Many call it a virus, which it is. Many call it a flu. What is the difference?" As with his previous controversial comments on COVID-19, Trump's latest tweet has earned him backlash from his haters. "Blame this on the people who decided to travel and not wear masks, not the entirety of the Chinese people," one person corrected the president. Another similarly commented, "He mad at China bc the US don't wanna follow instructions??okaaa somebody come get their president." A third person blasted the president, "the fact that he had the chance to prevent covid from coming to america & did NOTHING but is blaming china says ALOT about him. wtf chinese people aint ask to get sick!" Instagram Celebrity The Injury Reserve member has passed away at the age of 32, only a year after releasing a debut album with his bandmates Ritchie With a T and Parker Corey. Jul 2, 2020 AceShowbiz - Rapper Stepa J. Groggs has passed away at the age of 32. The Injury Reserve star's death was confirmed by his Arizona-based rap group in a tribute shared on social media on Tuesday (30Jun20). A cause of death has yet to be announced. "REST IN POWER," the tribute read. "Jordan Alexander Groggs a loving father, life partner and friend. (6/1/1988-6/29/2020)." Groggs was a founding member of Injury Reserve, which he started with fellow rapper Ritchie With a T in 2013 after working at a Vans sneakers store that Ritchie's mother owned. The hip-hop duo later recruited Parker Corey into the line-up and became a trio and scored success after releasing several mixtapes and EPs and their self-titled debut album last year (19). Following news of Groggs' passing, Ritchie paid tribute to his pal on his Instagram sharing photos of his friend throughout the years. "REST IN POWER my brother," he wrote. "I love you so much." Corey also posted a slideshow of Groggs in his honour, writing on his Instagram account, "Rest in power." BUTTE COUNTY, Calif. - The state mandate requires Californians to wear face coverings, but Butte County and Chico city officials said they cannot enforce it. "It's important for people to know county public health has no authority to enforce which is kind of odd they can issue them but can't enforce them," said Shari McCracken, Chief Administration Officer for Butte County. McCracken told Action News Now the reasoning is from a lack of resources. "If you think about the number of people compared to the number of staff it would be impossible," she said. "When you're out in public and perhaps you see someone not wearing a face covering you can never know what applies to a specific person, so we cant assume they aren't being compliant they might have a health issue," said Lisa Almaguer, county PIO. "I wear it every time I go out of the house I mean I got kids and I got my parents to worry about so I don't wanna get it and give it to someone else im really considerate to others instead of just thinking about myself," a community member said. "I've been in places where people have been coughing and its weirded me out I don't know its a scary situation," another community member said. McCracken says economic enforcement is powerful. "If I don't think a business is honoring or complying with the state's order I don't have to shop there I can spend my money somewhere else," she said. One woman said she wears a mask to avoid confrontation, "If I walk in there and it looks like im going to have to fight I'll go ahead and put it on, but I think the face mask thing is a political ruse." "I feel it's important to wear them in public places with other people around because it's respectful towards everyone's views but personally if im just with my friends or something I personally won't be wearing one cause I've been around them for a while," a community member said. "I think a mask says I care about you and your health and that's what Chico is all about caring for one another so do your part and wear a mask," said Ann Schwab, the Mayor of Chico. Public health says younger children two and under and those with specific health and breathing conditions are not required to wear a mask. The governor's mask mandate says you should wear a mask when inside a public space or when you can't socially distance yourself outside. Businesses are responsible for reviewing the state's orders and guidelines regularly. PARADISE, CALIF. - The $202 billion budget signed by Governor Gavin Newsom Monday evening includes the $7.3 million promised to the Paradise Irrigation District to help sustain it following the devastating Camp Fire. The funding is considered critical to providing clean water to residents for rebuilding efforts. The money was not included in the Governor's May revise budget proposal but was included in the final spending plan. Republican Senator Jim Nielsen of Tehama said, "Camp Fire survivors spoke up loud and clear. I thank the people of Paradise for their strength and courage to continue the fight to rebuild their Town. Republican Assemblyman James Gallagher commented, "It's ridiculous that this was such a budget battle to begin with. the town of Paradise has already suffered through so much ... " Most of the Town of Paradise was destroyed and 84 people were killed in the Camp Fire in November of 2019, caused by PG&E's faulty electrical lines. OROVILLE, Calif. An Oroville man was arrested by Butte County Sheriffs Deputies on suspicion of sexual abuse of a child. On June 22, a parent called BCSO to report that 31-year-old John Zulkoski had sexually abused a minor while staying at a family friend's home, deputies said. That evening, the parent of the victim confronted Zulkoski about the sexual abuse but he ran off just before deputies arrived at the home to investigate. Deputies contacted the parent and two minors, who were both under the age of 10. One of the minors confirmed the abuse to BCSO. The minor was transported to a Sacramento area hospital for treatment. Detectives interviewed Zulkoski on June 26, where he admitted to sexually abusing one of the minor victims. Zulkoski was arrested and booked into the Butte County Jail. His bail has been set at $1.2 million. Anyone with information regarding this investigation is asked to contact Detective Mary Barker at 530-538-7671. CHICO, Calif. -- The Payment Protection Plan that was set to end Tuesday night after being available for nearly 3 months has been extended to Aug. 8. "Im thankful the government is trying to do something but I believe were going to need more, said Enzo Perri, owner of Celestinos New York Pizza His business received $84,000 from the Payment Protection Plan, but he doesnt believe its enough for local businesses. Perri says Celestinos saw a 50% decrease in sales, but is unsure if he wants to apply for another loan. Theres an uncertainty whether its going to be forgiven, said Perri. Theres some tax implications from what I understand maybe $20,000 of tax I will have to pay even if its forgiven, so its not a huge benefit for me other than retaining some of my key employees. Owner of Sin of Cortez Danielle Ius says she also needs more money, but is worried about loan forgiveness. When I applied for this loan the terms were ridiculous. The money I was able to get I would never be able to spend it so being the cautious person I am I only took half the amount of money, said Ius. Ius says her payroll was three times less before COVID-19 even hit. She says her sales dipped below 60% and is hoping to apply for the other half of her loan. I asked and they said no it wasnt an option but I may call today to see if anything like that has changed but I think basically once you go through the process you cant go back and ask for more, is what they relayed to me, said Ius. Both businesses used the loan for payroll, utilities, and rent. As of now, there are still $130 billion of unused loans from PPP. To sign up for the PPP, click HERE. Editors Note: This article was written hours before the U.S. Senate made an announcement, right before the expiration of the small business loan PPP, that an extension was passed to extend the program to Aug. 8. Click here to read more on the extension. The band on 59 Chinese apps, including TikTok, UC Browser, Helo, Likee, among others, has thrown brands as well as social media influencers plans in a turmoil. As reported earlier, in a late night move on June 29, 2020, the Ministry of Information Technology, invoking its power under section 69A of the Information Technology Act read with the relevant provisions of the Information Technology (Procedure and Safeguards for Blocking of Access of Information by Public) Rules 2009 and in view of the emergent nature of threats, decided to block 59 Chinese apps since in view of information available they are engaged in activities which is prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India, security of state and public order. Prior to this move, 52 Chinese were flagged as threat to national security by the Indian intelligence agencies earlier this month. A cross-section of digital experts have gauged the implications of this ban, especially for brands who had already formulated their plans around TikTok, besides analysing how the influencer ecosystem will be impacted. Industry Reactions Shradha Agarwal, Co-founder & COO, Grapes Digital: India is the worlds second largest Internet market with nearly 723 million online population. This is the first time that the Government of India has ordered a ban on so many Chinese apps. Over the last year or two, TikTok has created a huge number of users from India, largely from younger age groups and with the same reason larger brands were considering the platform to connect with their target audiences with engaging and quirky content. With this ban, strategies for a lot of brands will need to be re-visited and business as an overall will also be impacted, especially for brands that resonate with the younger audiences. The app has gone completely offline and is no longer working for users in India, and the impact is going to be very high for multiple stakeholders. Clients: TikTok was not only being used as a reach and branding platform, but also as a platform to drive performance for FMCG, beauty, education and finance sectors. The hashtag challenge on TikTok was booked for the next 60 days, which means all plans related to driving awareness and engagement are to be replanned. Agencies: If the clients plans suggested or closed for any campaigns had TikTok, then it means a whole lot of rework for agencies to identify new platforms or a huge loss of revenue as clients might not use that money at all for anything else. A hashtag challenge used to cost Rs 35 lakh approximately, now imagine that even if you earn 5-10 per cent as media commission, all that is gone. Now coming to retainers, a lot of clients were giving a fixed retainer to drive content on TikTok, now that the app is banned that fixed revenue also goes down the drain. Influencers: A lot of agencies were also using TikTok influencers for their clients, and trust me, a lot of influencers livelihood was based on TikTok. All that is also now stopped, creating a huge uproar amongst influencer arms of the agencies and these influencers themselves. Sandeep Sreekumar, Managing Director, Media Moments: Over the years, apps like TikTok, Helo and the likes had caught the eye of various brands and had developed into strong marketing mediums. Now, with the recent update, there will be a shift in the platforms used by the influencers while the overall approach will remain the same. This move will also open new opportunities for many Indian apps. And it will be interesting to see how Indian apps like Chingari, Mitron and Roposo will come to the fore and cash in on the situation. For instance, many apps experienced a massive increase in the download rates soon after the announcement. Having said that, thorough understanding, planning and research will be required before associating with these apps to deliver the right message and content. But as long as quality content is being created, audiences will follow and as long as audiences are there, brands will invest regardless of the platform. Divanshi Gupta, Director, The Marcom Avenue: The recent geopolitical events on Indo-China borders have resulted in the Indian Government banning TikTok and other 58 apps in the light of protecting the privacy and sovereignty of its residents. This action may have its repercussions on both the governments, but it is definitely going to have a significant impact on the brands and advertisers who had set aside the quarter budget for influencer marketing campaigns on TikTok social media. This short-form content media app had begun to attract a considerable number of users. And now, the advertisers will have to undeniably shift their strategy and focus on creating long-form content on platforms, like YouTube and Instagram, with already established and known faces by bidding adieu to TikTok influencers. Honey Singh, CEO & Co-Founder, ARM Worldwide: Content creators have already started nurturing their other platforms like Instagram and YouTube. After this ban, I feel there will be a significant spike on Instagram. These content creators will also face monetary losses since brands have already started pausing their planned TikTok activities for now. At the moment, we are already in touch with many content creators and figuring out how to finish ongoing campaigns. Lastly, this ban will also allow these content creators to think about building a uniform fan following. Impact on Overall influencer marketing: TikTok was just in its initial phases in terms of influencer marketing; it was hardly 15-20 per cent of overall budgets assigned for influencers marketing. So, while it was a part of influencer marketing, it was not the backbone of it. TikTok helped change brand perception since marketers recently started experimenting with the platform for influencers and paid media. In the case of regional outreach, brands will shift back to YouTube. Impact current campaigns: While it was recently removed from the Play Store listing, existing users having the app installed can still access the platform. While there are no clear guidelines or clarity, brands should complete planned commitments with an additional post on linked channels like Instagram. Impact for Influencers earning: Anti-China sentiments have already started depleting the wallets of influencers. After the ban, all the scheduled campaigns from the brands are on pause until further clarity from the Government. Creators having large followings on other channels like Instagram/ YouTube may recover, but there will be a significant loss for them. The silver lining is that content creators should realise that nothing is permanent. They should start working on an omni-channel presence. Aside from nurturing an audience on a platform, a community beyond a single rented house is a must. The thumb rule for any brand is to know exactly where their audience is. Long-term solutions can include developing platforms such as forums, websites, blogs and newsletters to nurture their audience beyond a single platform. butterscotchmango is a specialized Marketing & Media Consulting firm focusing on Marketing Optimization & Transformation, Digital Consulting & Transformation and Revenue Enhancement Media Solutions. 24 years in marketing consulting with big names KPMG & EY. What is your thought behind co-founding a specialized marketing & media consulting firm? And why do you think now is the right time for the same? A spoonful of absolute joy that makes you forget what came before - The right people, the right knowledge and the right mindset - Thats the recipe to taste marketing & media transformation. Marketing & Media Consulting is my passion; embarking on this entrepreneurial journey, we are committed to create an agile and innovative platform that provides customized marketing solutions to our clients. At butterscotchmango, we believe in looking at the problem from clients perspective, recommend an actionable solution and hand hold the client in its implementation. Implementation is where most consulting firms leave the client alone; we willing to address this gap and walk the entire path together with our client. Today, it is imperative that someone takes up the initiative to bridge this ever-widening gap of external consultants and preferred partners. What is your take on post-covid advertising opportunities? How will it impact the marketing strategies and budget? This pandemic has not just modified consumers media habits but has also altered the behavior and perception towards consumerism, values and messages of brands. Speaking of media, we all have witnessed the significant drop in advertising spends across medium due to various factors such as drop in revenues, lack of original content, lockdown etc. However, I am confident that advertising spends will soon see a rebound from big advertisers as people and economy return to normalcy and brands will want to maintain or grow their pre-covid SOV. During these mentally, emotionally and financially testing times, Brands need to be more considerate and empathetic in their messaging and focus more on safety, hygiene and overall well-being of not just their consumers but also of society and environment. This is also the time for brands to showcase their values, ethics and responsibility towards society. All this must be done while subtly promoting your brands and products. At the same time, brands have to be cautious to avoid being perceived as opportunistic in these times. And this will continue for some time even after pandemic is over. Has the time already come for digital to lead; ahead of TV. Which other media can play a significant role? Honestly while we all are optimistic about the adaptation and subsequent growth of digital media- avoidance of other media is a tradeoff. Over the past 2 decades I have seen this that each of media like Print, OOH, Radio, Ambient etc have their critical role to play in the communication mix for brands. But yes, Television is still the medium with highest reach, even in the developed countries, and advertisers know this. And at the same time, digital has seen double digit growth over the years and will continue to do so in near future. Though a part of the digital growth is at the expense of traditional media, esp. Print and Radio, however, I believe it is also fueled by overall increase in marketing spends and small & local first-time advertisers exploring digital-only approach. So rather than looking at each medium in isolation, advertisers and agencies are focusing on integrated media approach that utilizes strengths of each medium to enhance and complement that of other medium. While they are jumping to adapt and leverage digital media to the fullest- we will help them to make that leap by setting ground principles best for them. You spoke about founding team with relevant industry and consulting experience. Why do you think all of you are better equipped? The USP and biggest differentiator for Butterscotchmango is its founding team. Professionally, we have been working together for over a decade, our thoughts are aligned and we share a common passion for Marketing & Media Consulting. Cumulatively we have over 60 years of work experience between the founding team members Narayanan Ramachandran, Karandeep Singh, Mandeep Singh and myself. Narayanan Ramachandran Director & Founding Team Member, butterscotchmango, a seasoned Marketing and Media Professional with over 18 years of experience across Leading Advertising Agencies, Media Houses & Consulting Firm. He has donned multiple hats across Marketing Functions, Advertising Agency, Revenue & Digital Consulting. He has successfully strategized and executed many Go To Market Strategic marketing programs which have won many awards and Industry accolades. Karandeep Singh Director & Founding Team Member, butterscotchmango, a marketing & media professional with 12+ years of experience. He has a unique mix of industry and consulting experience at leading Consulting firms and Media Agencies such as KPMG, EY, Accenture and GroupM. He is a seasoned media professional who has led and successfully delivered large marketing & media assignments in India & Global Markets. He has closely observed marketing strategies across categories and geographies that enables him to deliver great value to his clients. Mandeep Singh Manager & Founding Team Member, butterscotchmango is a Marketing and Media professional with 7 years of experience working as a Media Planner & Marketing Consultant. In his earlier stints at EY and KPMG, Mandeep had worked on projects assisting various advertisers across different sectors in achieving media efficiencies and cost savings for their marketing spends. He started his career as a Media Planner with leading agencies before joining Consulting space. Overall, we have come together for one reason, which is that, there is lot we all can offer clients. With the consulting experience and layering it with creative Data and media capabilities we believe that we can assist the client in their marketing transformation journey. More so in the current scenario when the marketing teams all over are embracing smart media and digital possibilities we can help them with strong blueprints in this journey to make it more exciting and risk-free. United Airlines plans to fly about three times more routes in August than it did last month as passengers slowly return to the skies, even as the number of new COVID-19 cases across the U.S. rises. This Social Media Day, the 360 marketing agency Chimp&z Inc has pioneered the Social Animal Awards to honor social media platforms. The agency has launched a poll survey on this day for all the social media stakeholders. Be it those who leverage it for work and/ or recreational purposes, Chimp&z Inc invites all Netizens to vote for their preferred platform under 12 categories. Vote here: https://forms.gle/PYAzHXk9NsYMdJpe6 For two decades now, social media has been evolving and changing the course of human interaction. Chimp&z Inc has masterminded virtual awards that acknowledge the platforms and their unique features with unconventional titles that they most certainly deserve. The 12 distinctive categories include nominations ranging from Facebook & Instagram to Pinterest, and veteran platforms like Orkut & MySpace. The agency is inviting other creative and digital agencies, media houses, advertising & media personnel, social media experts, and every single user on social media from across the world to cast their votes for their favorite platforms. In its first year, Chimp&z Inc Social Animal Awards is out-and-out being promoted on the companys social media handles. It plans to make this initiative a recurring one in the years to come. Vote here: https://forms.gle/PYAzHXk9NsYMdJpe6 The winners shall be declared on 7th July 2020 on Chimp&z Inc social pages Praying holds a strong significance in the Indian culture, where purity is touted as an important element in our devotion. Since ancient times, camphor has been an essential part of the act, often used as a pure offering along with extending to spiritual benefits such as purification of thoughts or energy in the house. Mangalam Camphor, one of the leading camphor manufacturers in India, understands this very significance of purity in the act of praying and addresses it through the offering of 100% pure camphor tablets. Currently due to the commoditised nature of this category, there are a lot of local brands that sell adulterated camphor at a cheaper price. Consumers don't even know they are buying adulterated camphor. Hence, the adulteration goes unseen as the consumer is not equipped with parameters of evaluation for pure camphor. To combat this, the strategic approach was to strengthen the consumer pull by equipping consumers with the criterion to evaluate camphors purity by building a strong preference for pure camphor from Mangalam. With this campaign, Mangalam Camphor took the onus of educating consumers about the widespread sale of adulterated camphor and moved them towards making an informed choice. The TVC, in a tongue-in-cheek manner, urges consumers to buy nothing but pure camphor for their prayers and strengthens the association of Mangalam with purity. Commenting on the launch of the campaign, Abhijit Avasthi, Co-founder, Sideways, said, "It's always exciting to build a brand in a category that is primarily commoditized. These are rare opportunities. To bring alive the purity promise of Mangalam camphor we cooked up a comic tale about a small town drama actor caught in an odd position." This June, in celebration of Pride Month, workforce solutions company ManpowerGroup Singapore, in partnership with global brand experience agency VMLY&R, has launched #PridePass, an initiative aimed at driving diversity and inclusion in the workplace by creating a place for Lesbian-Gay-Bisexual-Transgender-Queer individuals to find exciting job opportunities from inclusive organisations. Today, in more than half of the world, LGBTQ people face discrimination in the workplace and when applying for jobs, based on their gender identity and sexual orientation. This means that LGBTQ employees can be rejected for jobs, overlooked for promotions or fired for being who they are. Despite this, there is growing support for the LGBTQ community from businesses across the globe, with over 90% of Fortune 500 companies having already adopted LGBTQ-friendly workplace policies. With this growing number of inclusive organisations, ManpowerGroup and VMLY&R wanted to find a way to better connect inclusive companies to LGBTQ talent across the globe, and #PridePass was born. ThePridePass.com is a one-of-a-kind online jobs aggregator for the LGBTQ community, designed to bring together job listings from inclusive companies. By tagging #PridePass in their job listings, any company can see their job openings being featured on the website, making it easier for them to connect with LGBTQ talent. #PridePass was designed to help companies make a real impact by acting through hiring. It is a purposeful utility that will continue to help the LGBTQ community beyond Pride Month, said Valerie Madon, Chief Creative Officer, VMLY&R Asia. Its a call for more companies to open their doors and create an inclusive and diverse work environment because we believe that talent is not dependent on gender identity or sexual orientation. ManpowerGroup and VMLY&R are calling for companies to support LGBTQ talent as inclusive employers by tagging #PridePass in their job listings. Commenting on the launch of PridePass, Linda Teo, Country Manager at ManpowerGroup Singapore, said: As an organisation, we are committed to fostering social change to create healthy and happy working environments which are socially responsible and free from discrimination. PridePass represents a step in the right direction, giving employers in Asia and across the globe the opportunity to join the cause and show their support for LGBTQ talent. Designed for easy participation, any company can join the cause and find out more about PridePass by visiting http://www.thepridepass.com/. ShareChat, the Indian social media platform, today welcomes MyGov India, an initiative by Government of India for citizen engagement, on its platform. With this development, MyGov India will be able to connect and engage with over 60 million active users in 15 Indian languages. on the platform. With the Indian government putting a ban on 59 Chinese internet platforms on Monday owing to serious national security, privacy and other risks, the announcement on MyGovIndia joining ShareChat makes immense significance. Berges Y Malu, Director - Public Policy, ShareChat said, ShareChat is silently leading a social media revolution with a strong focus on regional outreach keeping its Bharat connect pristine. Over the years, we have worked on addressing our complex regional diversity and scaled up to more than 60 million active users. We have made this possible with our content diversity across 25+ categories that connects culturally with every user on the platform. MyGovIndias presence reaffirms our connect with the Indian culture and ethos and inspires us to stay committed towards our regional and language-first internet users Speaking on the ban of 59 Chinese apps, he said, We welcome the move from the government against platforms that have had serious privacy, cyber security and national security risks. We expect the government to continue their support for the Indian startup ecosystem In April 2020, ShareChat has helped in promoting Aarogya Setu extensively on the platform, and contributed INR 50 million worth of ad-credits in spreading awareness around Aarogya Setu ShareChat was built with a vision to provide a comfortable digital space not only for the language-first internet users, but also for every first-time internet user. The platform enables every user to share their thoughts, emotions, opinions; and become friends with others without any language barrier. Spearheading India's internet revolution, ShareChat is changing the way in which the next billion users will interact on the internet. With over 1 billion monthly Whatsapp shares, today users spend more than 25 minutes daily on the platform. Quaker Oats, one of Indias leading brands in the oats segment, from the house of PepsiCo India, on National Doctors Day salutes the dedication and compassion of The Real Fit Heroes our healthcare community with a special digital film. Read Also : Exxon Mobil And BBDO India Offer Mobil Lockdown Lessons Supporting the tireless devotion of our frontline workers, who are bringing hope to many during these challenging times, Quaker applauds their efforts through a special digital film with a warm message from Quaker Brand Ambassador, Vikas Khanna. Through this film, Quaker urges netizens to salute and thank the Real Fit Heroes doctors, nurses and many more such healthcare professionals for their compassionate and heroic work in the fight against the pandemic. Dilen Gandhi, Senior Director and Category Head Foods, PepsiCo India, said The healthcare professionals have shown true resilience, selflessness and strong commitment and have worked tirelessly. On National Doctors Day, Quaker salutes our frontline warriors for their relentless efforts and unwavering spirit that has brought hope to all of us. Our digital film is a tribute to extend our appreciation for the healthcare heroes and recognize their continued dedication. We are also serving ready-to-eat *oatmeals, through vending machines in some leading Government hospitals in New Delhi for easy on-the-go access. We are also distributing packs in hospitals in various cities of India as a small gesture. May they stay real fit forever. Sharing his thoughts, Quaker Oats Brand Ambassador, Vikas Khanna, said, I wish to thank all the healthcare professionals for working tirelessly during these challenging times. Today, on National Doctor's Day, we salute the dedicated efforts and compassion of our Healthcare workers that has filled all of us with hope of better lives. Quakers digital film is a tribute to extend our collective appreciation for the healthcare heroes as they continue to serve the country. To support these healthcare heroes, earlier this month Quaker Oats had announced that it will provide over 1 lakh oatmeals* to doctors, nurses and healthcare professionals working tirelessly in COVID-19 specialty hospitals across New Delhi. The oatmeals* were provided by installing Quaker Oats vending machines in leading government hospitals. The special initiative was flagged off by Dr. Randeep Gulleria, Director, AIIMS along with Abhishek Singh, IAS, Deputy Commissioner, New Delhi. ShareChat, the largest Indian social media platform, witnesses an exponential growth since the government announces ban on 59 Chinese apps citing concerns around national security and interest. The platform has recorded 5 lakh downloads on an hourly basis, and over 15 million downloads since the ban was announced. Speaking on the growth, Farid Ahsan, COO and Co-founder, ShareChat, said, We are excited to see the way people are exploring ShareChat for the endless possibilities it offers to the people and making it the preferred Indian social media platform. We are thankful for their continuous support and yet again, enabling us to emerge as the leader in the Indian social media landscape. We are confident that this sets up the foundation of another success for ShareChat. The platform has already seen more than 1 lakh posts supporting the government move towards banning Chinese applications. The posts were liked by over 1 million users, with over half a million shares on WhatsApp. Amidst the development, yesterday ShareChat announced MyGov India joining ShareChat. With this development, MyGov India will be able to connect and engage with over 60 million active users in 15 Indian languages. on the platform. Spearheading India's internet revolution, ShareChat is changing the way in which the next billion users will interact on the internet. With over 1 billion monthly Whatsapp shares, today users spend more than 25 minutes daily on the platform. As per the latest official data, ShareChat has 150+ million registered users and 60 million monthly active users across 15 Indian languages. Exciting times are about to unfold for the fans of Sony SAB shows as the shoots for all shows have now resumed and will be back with new episodes soon. Sony SAB's light-hearted family entertainer Tera Kya Hoga Alia too has started shooting fresh episodes, but with a new interesting storyline. While a new chapter is about to unfold in the lives of Alia and Tara, the show will also witness the inclusion of Chhavi Pandey and NeeluKohli as Tara and Saudamini respectively. Tera Kya Hoga Alia revolves around Alia (Anusha Mishra), Alok (Harshad Arora) and Tara who are teachers in Gyansarovar School in Agra. Alia and Taras lives are about to take a drastic turn as they prepare to take up newer roles in their professional lives. Being teachers in the same school, Alia and Tara were contesting for the position of the Vice-Principal. But with a new principal, Saudaminiat the helm of affairs,the school will be divided into two sections- Hindi Medium and English Medium. Played by NeeluKohli, Saudamini is a strict principal who does what is best for the business. As the school is divided into 2 different sections, Alia is the Vice-Principal for Hindi-medium section and Tara, now played by Chhavi Pandey, is the Vice-Principalfor the English-medium section. Chhavi and Neelu are not the only new inclusion to the existing cast of the show. With this division, new teachers will be introduced in the story. The very gorgeous Shiny Dixitwill play the role of Kavya Clinton, French and History teacher, who is from London as her father is British and mother, Indian. She has graduated fromthe UK and has come to India to learn about the Indian culture. Adding to the glam quotient, Aarvika Gupta will enter as a Math teacher - Y aka Yashika Gupta. She doesnt like her original name and prefers being called Y. Y is born in a middle-class family but is ashamed of the fact and thus, attempts to behave like high-class people. Chhavi Pandey, playing the role of Tara said, I am excited to enter Tera Kya Hoga Alia as Tara. It has been a long gap since we have been to shooting and I have been missing it a lot. Its like a new start for me as I will be working on a new show after this difficult phase and I am sure I will have fun with the entire cast. The character of Tara is very elegant and she is now going to be the Vice-Principalof the English medium section of the school. So, I am really looking forward to play this character and I hope the audiences will enjoy it too. NeeluKohli, playing the role of Saudimini said, Saudimini has entered the school as the new principal and as soon as she joined the school, she has divided it into two sections. A lot of changes are about to come with Saudaminis entry and it will surely entertain the viewers. This is a really strong character as Saudamini is a rule maker, a leader and business-minded woman. I am eagerly looking forward to playing this character and hoping for it to translate well on screen as well. For more, stay tuned to Tera Kya Hoga Alia as it returns with fresh new episodes, only on Sony SAB After the Indian Government banned 59 Chinese apps citing security reasons, China reacted by banning of the Indian media in China. None of the Indian websites can be opened in China, even via VPN. DNPA (Digital News Publishers Association), which is an industry body consisting of top media publishers, has now urged the Government of India to look into this seriously, and extend the ban to all the news apps/platforms invested by china or Chinese investors to ensure that biased information does not reach Indian users. Also Read: Can Indian social media apps fill the void left behind by TikTok Pawan Agarwal, Chairman, DNPA, said, This is the time that we should consider upholding Indias security and sovereignty as the utmost priority. Similarly, Shailesh Gupta, President, Indian Newspaper Society, on behalf of its members, stated that the action of the Chinese government to restrict access of Indian newspapers and media websites is uncalled for and even the access through VPN (Virtual Private Network) server has been blocked by creating a technologically advanced firewall. Gupta strongly urged the Government of India to expeditiously take steps to ban all kinds of access to Chinese media in India and call off collaborations/ investments made by Chinese in Indian media companies forthwith. The Federal Council Bern, 01.07.2020 - During its meeting on 1 July 2020, the Federal Council released the first phase of the guarantee credit for aviation-related businesses. It granted SR Technics Switzerland AG a deficiency guarantee of 60% on a bank loan of CHF 120 million in order to bridge a liquidity shortage. The Federal Council believes that SR Technics provides essential services to airlines which could not be supplied from elsewhere in the short term. The guarantee is subject to strict conditions and the risk borne by the Confederation is compensated in line with market rates. The entire aviation industry has been severely affected financially by the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite a gradual recovery, the number of flights is still low. As aviation is an economically critical infrastructure, the Federal Council decided on 8 April 2020 to take measures to ensure that Switzerland remains connected to the international air transport system. During its special session, Parliament approved guarantee and budgetary credits worth over CHF 600 million each to support aviation-related businesses, as well as an amendment to the Civil Aviation Act. Line maintenance is vital for operation During its meeting on 1 July 2020, the Federal Council released the first phase of the guarantee credit to support aviation-related businesses worth CHF 79.2 million (72 mn plus interest and fees). This will provide SR Technics Switzerland AG (SRT) with temporary liquidity. SRT operates internationally as a provider of technical maintenance services for aircraft, components and engines, and has its headquarters in Kloten. It provides critical line maintenance, which ensures that Switzerland's airports continue to operate in an orderly manner. Subsidiary involvement The Confederation will only act in a subsidiary capacity. SRT has implemented various cost-cutting measures, while its shareholders are contributing to meeting the liquidity needs as far as possible. A consortium of banks has granted an additional loan for the remaining CHF 120 million needed, of which 60% is covered by a deficiency guarantee provided by the Confederation. This guarantee represents CHF 72 million (plus interest and fees). The banks are responsible for the remaining 40% of the credit risk. The Confederation will see an outflow of funds only if the deficiency guarantee is utilised. Both the Confederation and the banks will be compensated for their involvement in line with market rates. It is intended that SRT will repay the additional loan within three and a half years. The agreements ensure compliance also with the other conditions laid down by the Federal Council in its decision of 8 April 2020. Specifically, the pledging of shares provides adequate collateral. Furthermore, the funds guaranteed by the Confederation may be used solely to maintain Swiss services, and no funds, in particular dividends, may be distributed to shareholders abroad until the additional loan has been repaid in full. Finally, conditions relating to location and employment law have been defined. According to the Competition Commission (COMCO), the aid is not compatible with the air service agreement. The Federal Council has noted this position, but wishes to maintain the support. The Federal Council believes that it is not possible to substitute SRT's line maintenance in the short term, in particular due to the stringent regulatory requirements. Rapid action is required due to the necessary liquidity. SRT's failure would place an additional burden on flight operations during this challenging period of flight resumption. Address for enquiries Philipp Rohr, Communications Federal Finance Administration FFA Tel. +41 58 465 16 06, kommunikation@efv.admin.ch Publisher The Federal Council https://www.admin.ch/gov/en/start.html Federal Department of Finance https://www.efd.admin.ch/efd/en/home.html The Federal Council Bern, 01.07.2020 - The Federal Council was informed at its sitting of 1 July 2020 that the organisation committee and the United Nations have decided that the United Nations World Data Forum (UNWDF) cannot take place in October 2020 and should be held at a later date. The UNWDF is an event of global importance in support of the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. This, the third meeting of the UNWDF, will be organised in Bern by the Swiss Confederation in cooperation with the United Nations. The UNWDF cannot take place from 18 to 21 October as planned. This is due to the coronavirus pandemic and the associated difficulties in planning a global event, particularly with regard to travel restrictions. A reduced virtual form of the Forum is planned for this autumn, which will provide an opportunity to address the most important topics, including data needs and data use during pandemics. The UNWDF is intended to bring together participants from different regions, countries and data communities data producers and data users from both the public and private sectors to foster exchanges and engage in a productive dialogue. It was launched by the UN Member States in line with the 2030 Agenda, to meet the growing needs for data and to harness the power of technology and other innovative tools. It also aims to encourage all countries to publish high-quality standard sets of data that are comparable, accessible, up to date and reliable. This is a challenge, especially for countries whose statistical systems are less well developed. Implications of UNWDF postponement The series of events organised under the Road to Bern' banner will continue. The Swiss Confederation will be involved in a number of data and sustainability conferences in Switzerland and abroad right up until the opening of the forum. These events will raise public awareness of the statistical challenges posed by the 2030 Agenda and support its implementation in Switzerland over the course of this year and next. Address for enquiries FSO Media Service: media@bfs.admin.ch FDFA Media Service: kommunikation@eda.admin.ch Publisher The Federal Council https://www.admin.ch/gov/en/start.html General Secretariat FDHA http://www.edi.admin.ch Federal Department of Foreign Affairs https://www.eda.admin.ch/eda/en/home.html Notre Dames position on in-person instruction is among the most rigid, showing how far universities are willing to go to compel professors to return to campuses after classes were abruptly moved online this spring. College faculty, who are generally older and more likely to develop complications from a COVID-19 infection than students, say that being forced to teach in person could expose family members in their homes to the virus, and also question whether all students will adhere to a variety of new safety protocols that are supposed to be in place. Linda Caldwell is the former executive director of the Tennessee Overhill Heritage Association. She has served on numerous regional, state, and national boards for organizations that focus on history, preservation, community arts, and rural economic development. She can be reached at lindacaldwell1942@gmail.com A technology that would enable beekeepers to detoxify hives of pesticides was developed at Cornell University and is now being licensed throug The U.S. Department of Agricultures weekly Crop Progress report indicates that as of June 6 farmers have planted all their intended acres or Would you like to receive breaking news notifications from The Post and Courier? Sign up to receive news and updates from this site directly to your desktop. Breaking News Columbia Breaking News Greenville Breaking News Myrtle Beach Breaking News Aiken Breaking News Click on the bell icon to manage your notifications at any time. Success! Please click the 'Allow' button in the 'Show Notifcations' alert in your browser if one is available. Thank you for signing up! Please enable notifications in your browser and reload the page. The chairman of the U.S. House Armed Services Committee is, apparently, a gambling man. During the committee's Wednesday review of annual defense legislation, the National Defense Authorization Act, Rep. Adam Smith said he would "confidently bet $100" that the Savannah River Site would not uphold its end of the inchoate cross-country plutonium pit production mission. "This isn't like, I don't know, remodeling a bowling alley into a restaurant," the Washington Democrat said of the mothballed Mixed Oxide Fuel Fabrication Facility, a single doubting remark in a longer string of skepticism. "You got to move a lot of very thick concrete walls around, and you got to make sure it works. Seeing what they did at Los Alamos, its very difficult to make these things." Assurances made to Smith at the Savannah River Site the nuclear-weapons-and-waste hub south of Aiken and New Ellenton seemingly weren't effective. Smith on Wednesday said he was "worried that we are going to spend billions of dollars, just like we did on the MOX facility, to get nothing." And that, he continued, "would not be good." Federal law mandates the production of 80 plutonium pits the cores at the heart of modern nuclear weapons per year by 2030. The U.S., though, has for years lacked the ability to produce pits en masse. To resolve the problem, and to satisfy military demand, the National Nuclear Security Administration and the U.S. Department of Defense in May 2018 recommended making the cores in two states, at two sites. Fifty per year would be made at the Savannah River Site, at a reworked MOX, they counseled. The remaining 30 per year would be made at Los Alamos National Laboratory, a storied plutonium center of excellence near Albuquerque and Santa Fe, New Mexico. Either site could alone boost production to satisfy the 80-pit demand if needed, according to two separate-but-related environmental studies. A single-site pit production approach, though, would be "perilous," according to U.S. Rep. Joe Wilson, the Republican representing South Carolina's 2nd Congressional District. The National Nuclear Security Administration, a semiautonomous U.S. Department of Energy agency, axed the MOX project at the Savannah River Site in late 2018. The incomplete nuclear fuel plant was more than a decade in the making and had consumed billions of dollars, as Smith mentioned. Repurposing the unfinished MOX facility is no "easy thing to do," the committee chairman cautioned. And construction of the Savannah River Plutonium Processing Facility, as it's been coined, is likely to be "extremely expensive," Rep. Jim Cooper, a Tennessee Democrat, warned at the same meeting. Beyond that, "most people think it's unlikely to be completed on time," Cooper said. An independent review of the federal government's pit production strategy in 2019 found that reaching 80 pits per year is possible, but "extremely challenging;" no available option will likely satisfy the demand by deadline; and further risk assessment is needed. "Members of this committee know full well problems that we've had in the past with premature and, sometimes, inadequate construction plans," Cooper said, arguing for additional oversight. "We want to make sure that there are not unnecessary delays or cost overruns at Savannah River." A Congressional Budget Office study released early last year very roughly estimated pit production to cost $9 billion over the next decade. National Nuclear Security Administration and Savannah River Nuclear Solutions officials have acknowledged the tight deadline they are facing. The same officials, though, have expressed confidence in hitting the mark and executing what's been asked of them. NNSA chief Lisa Gordon-Hagerty has described pit production as "one of our highest national security priorities." The Tastes original schedule of July 8-12 remains intact, but gone are the dozens of vendors representing Chicagos restaurants and thousands of customers eager for bites of rib tips, gator bites and Polish sausages. Instead, a more modest Taste To Go will feature a variety of virtual events in lieu of a real-life gathering and eating in Grant Park. All events will be broadcast on the DCASE YouTube page. Offerings include: The Fourth of July is traditionally the time to gather friends and family to celebrate summer, fire up the grill, pour tart lemonade and and break out the red, white and blue to give a nod to our country. But with Covid-19 cases on the rise, those big plans along with the massive fireworks display at Navy Pier, have been cancelled. Even though you cant have a large gathering, you can celebrate Old Glory with your fellow household members or a few close friends if you have the outdoor space. This is the time to get creative, so put on a Stars and Stripes face mask, create a patriotic playlist and have an at-home parade followed by a barbecue you wont soon forget. Here are 7 star-spangled ways to celebrate the biggest holiday of the summer. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and the powerful American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) are facing off over a letter the progressive firebrand sent Tuesday warning against Israeli efforts to annex parts of the West Bank. AIPAC took the rare step of warning lawmakers against signing onto Ocasio-Cortezs letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, using a Twitter thread Monday to argue that the letter explicitly threatens the US-Israel relationship. Eleven other House Democrats and failed presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., nonetheless jointed Ocasio-Cortez and signed onto the letter. Should the Israeli government move forward with these plans, they would actively harm prospects for a future in which all Israelis and Palestinians can live with full equality, human rights and dignity, and would lay the groundwork for Israel becoming an apartheid state, as your predecessor John Kerry warned in 2014, the 13 lawmakers wrote Pompeo. Why it matters: AIPACs public rebuke of the Ocasio-Cortez letter followed a quieter yet unsuccessful attempt to dissuade the majority of House Democrats from signing onto a separate letter warning the Israelis against annexation. Several AIPAC-friendly Democrats, including House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., Middle East panel Chairman Ted Deutch, D-Fla., and Rep. Brad Schneider, D-Ill., signed onto last weeks letter. That letter addressed to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Benny Gantz and Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi warned that annexation would undermine a two-state solution. However, it refrained from using the word apartheid, called for a demilitarized Palestinian state and did not threaten to restrict US military aid. Whats next: Ocasio-Cortez, Sanders and their allies advocate conditioning US military aid to Israel should it move ahead with annexation, something that center-left and progressive advocacy groups such as J Street have started advocating in recent months. We will include human rights conditions and the withholding of funds for the offshore procurement of Israeli weapons equal to or exceeding the amount the Israeli government spends annually to fund settlements, as well as the policies and practices that sustain and enable them, the 13 lawmakers wrote. Know more: Congressional Correspondent Bryant Harris brings you up to speed on the anti-annexation letter signed by 189 House Democrats. And be sure to read about the dueling letter greenlighting annexation signed by 116 House Republicans. An Egyptian company has discovered a large gold deposit in the countrys Eastern Desert, the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Resources announced today. The ministry said the gold discovered in the Iqat region is estimated to be more than 62,500 pounds (28,000 kilograms, or a million ounces). The mining company Shalateen made the discovery. Shalateen and the government will form a joint venture to extract the gold, the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Resources said in a press release. That would be about $1.8 billion at today's prices; mining.com said the government expected the cost of developing the site to be $1 billion over 10 years. Observers have believed Egypts deserts possess large quantities of gold for years, and the government is now prioritizing gold exploration. In August, Egypt ratified mineral resources amendments aimed at encouraging gold mining in the country. The new measures reduced government fees collected from gold miners in a bid to encourage investment. A government forecast last year predicted that gold mining could create more than 100,000 new jobs in the populous country. The state hopes to gain $375 million in gold mining investments over the next two years, the ministry said. Egypt is seeking to provide more arms to its army in light of the Turkish threats in the Mediterranean and Libyan territories. Reports have been circulating since mid-June about Egypt acquiring the Russian super-defense system dubbed the Bastion to secure its coasts and gas fields in the Mediterranean. The Bastion system has the ability to protect 600 kilometers (373 miles) of coast and secure a sea area of 100,000 square kilometers (38,600 square miles), and is armed with vertical launch platforms with a total of 36 rockets. In 2015, Egypt signed contracts with Russia to buy $3.5 billion worth of arms, to be gradually handed over. The contract came in light of the shaky relations between Cairo and Ankara following the ouster of Muslim Brotherhood President Mohammed Morsi in 2013. The 2015 deal included a Bastion system and 12 fourth-generation Modern Air Force fighters, Sukhoi Su-30MKI, fourth-generation MiG-29M, Mi-35M attack helicopters, S-300VM anti-ballistic missile systems, Tor ME2, Kornet anti-tank missile complexes and Mi-17 transport helicopters. Egypt is strengthening its naval capabilities in light of the challenges it faces in the Mediterranean, especially after Turkish newspaper Yeni Safak, which is close to the ruling Justice and Development Party in Ankara, reported in mid-June that Turkey plans to establish a naval military base in the Libyan city of Misrata overlooking the Mediterranean. Not only did Egypt conclude deals with Moscow to arm the Egyptian navy, it also plans to sign a contract with Italy for the same purpose. Italian newspaper La Repubblica reported June 12 that Cairo plans to sign with Italy the largest military deal with a European country worth about $10 million euros ($11.2 million). The newspaper said that the major deal includes two Bergamini-class FREMM frigates, in addition to four other frigates that will be built specifically for Egypt. According to Global Firepower, a website specializing in military affairs, the Egyptian navy ranks seventh globally, while Turkey ranks 20th. On June 20, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi called on the Egyptian army to be ready to carry out any operation in Libya to protect its national security, during his visit to the army forces at a base near the western border, in conjunction with increasing Turkish military action in western Libya. The Egyptian military readiness and support of the Egyptian navy was not limited to armament; the Egyptian navy carried out a joint naval training with the Spanish navy in the Red Sea and Mediterranean on June 18, in response to Turkey conducting a training for its navy and air forces in the Mediterranean on June 12, Another Egyptian-Spanish naval training took place on June 25 in the Red Sea. Egyptian military spokesman Col. Tamer al-Rifai said that the training is one of the specific combat exercises that contribute to achieving cooperation between the marine formations to confront threats and hostilities. Meanwhile, Israel has expressed its concerns about Egypt boosting the capabilities of its navy, as Israeli media reported, most notably Israel Defense magazine that published an article in May, saying, The Egyptian navy is improving at a secret and rapid pace, explaining that the Israeli navy is not willing to reveal the action it will take to deal with this development. Maj. Gen. Nasr Salem, military expert and adviser at the Nasser Higher Military Academy, told Al-Monitor, The Egyptian army follows a policy of deterrence, which depends on the principle of preparing for war, even if it does not want to fight that is, equip itself with force, arm and display its strength in joint exercises until its enemies retreat. He added, The Egyptian navy is ranked globally in terms of strength, armament and personnel, and it is mandated to protect Egypts wealth in the Mediterranean and Red Sea and protect gas exploration projects. Salem noted, The Egyptian navy has strengthened itself in order to meet the challenges Egypt faces within the Mediterranean, namely the threats by hostile countries. He explained that there is no good reason for any country to be disturbed by strengthening and arming the Egyptian navy because the Egyptian creed is defense and not attack. Salem expects that the Egyptian navys ranking would improve during the next year due to its increased armament and major arms deals. Gen. Yahya al-Kadwani, a member of the parliamentary Defense and National Security Committee, told Al-Monitor, Egypt faces regional threats that have clearly emerged since 2011 after a number of neighboring countries such as Libya and Syria collapsed, as well as in 2013, after the Muslim Brotherhoods rule ended. Those countries extremist groups have been waiting out the storm in Egypt, so the Egyptian army responsible for protecting the country recognized these challenges and worked to increase its armament. He added, Such challenges were clear after the Turkish aggression against Libya and the explicit threat to the Egyptian borders, so the state decided to support the army especially the navy with weapons and training. Kadwani noted that Egypt's military strength guarantees the stability of the region as a whole and protects the Arab countries from Turkish expansionist ambitions, explaining that Egypt under Sisis reign relied on a policy of diversifying arms sources so that it would have the ability and freedom to arm the Egyptian army. CAIRO Arab foreign ministers have recently called on Ethiopia to refrain from filling the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) next month without Egypt and Sudans prior agreement. The statement comes as Cairo seeks to increase pressure to block the filling of the dam. The UN Security Council met to discuss the issue June 29, with Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry warning that the dam threatened the lives of 150 million Egyptians and Sudanese. The Arab ministers' decision came at the conclusion of the Arab League emergency meeting held June 23. The meeting called for the need for all parties to refrain from taking any unilateral measures, and the need for Ethiopia to refrain from filling the GERD reservoir without reaching an agreement with the downstream countries (Egypt and Sudan) on the dam filling and operation rules. The decision stated that the water security of Egypt and Sudan is an integral part of the Arab national security and stressed the rejection of any action or measure that affects the rights of Nile countries. Egypt announced June 19 the faltering of tripartite negotiations with Ethiopia and Sudan over the contentious points related to the $4 billion GERD, which is being built near Ethiopia's border with Sudan. The Egyptian Ministry of Irrigation said in a statement June 19 that during the discussion of the legal aspects, Addis Ababa refused the conclusion of a binding agreement between the three countries in accordance with international law and insisted on reaching guidelines it can unilaterally amend. On the same day, Cairo called on the UN Security Council to intervene to resume the talks. Chairperson of the African Union (AU) and Republic of South Africa President Cyril Ramaphosa intervened and held an emergency AU summit on June 26, with the participation of Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan. The three parties agreed during the summit to form a committee made up of experts from the three countries and from the member states of the Bureau of the AU Assembly, as well as representatives of international observers. They also agreed to resume negotiations on the GERD within two weeks, according to an AU statement released June 28. For his part, Hossam Zaki, assistant secretary-general of the League of Arab States, told MBC Egypt June 24 that Egypt has received good Arab support in the Renaissance Dam crisis, as Arab foreign ministers said in their last meeting that they are all for supporting Egypts water rights. Zaki said he hoped this Arab support would serve as a strong component of the efforts deployed in the crisis and would be useful at the Security Council. Tarek Fahmy, professor of political science at Cairo University, told Al-Monitor over the phone, The Arab position as a whole is supportive of the Egyptian position, and the Arab League meeting came to issue a unified decision supporting Egyptian and Sudanese rights in the Renaissance Dam crisis. However, this position needs to be translated into real mechanisms. Fahmy added, There are a lot of measures that Arab countries can take to support Egypts position. There are Arab investments, including Saudi and Emirati investments, in Addis Ababa. And one of the pressure cards that could be used against Ethiopia is to threaten to stop or hold off such investments. Egypt will not ask them to go for such a measure and will leave them to willingly take such a decision. "The Arab role may also be activated through consultations with international actors, which might strengthen Egypts position at the UN Security Council, he said. On June 29, the UN Security Council held a session to discuss the Nile dam dispute, during which it expressed its support for the AU efforts to resume tripartite negotiations. The council meeting came upon Egypts request submitted to the Presidency of the Security Council on June 19. Fahmy expressed fear of what he described as Sudanese prevarication, especially with regard to the Arab League decisions or the complaint to the Security Council. In May, Sudan expressed reservations about a draft resolution issued by the Arab Foreign Ministers Council expressing solidarity with Egypt and Sudan regarding the Renaissance Dam. Subsequently, and after full coordination between the two countries, Minister of State at the Sudanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs Omar Ismail said during the Arab League Council meeting June 23 that there is consensus between Sudan and Egypt on the Arab draft resolution on the Renaissance Dam. Former Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation Mohamed Nasruddin Allam played down the impact of the Arab Leagues resolution on the GERD and told Al-Monitor, The Arab Leagues decision has no tangible impact. There will only be real impact when influential Arab countries proceed to supporting Egypt in the Security Council or start pressuring Ethiopia to return to the path of negotiations and complete the tripartite agreement. This is the role [the Arab League] is expected to play. Allam added, Arab countries can widely assist Egypt by communicating with members of the Security Council regarding the Egyptian complaint, by supporting efforts to unify the Egyptian and Sudanese positions, and by using Arab investments in Ethiopia to pressure the country not to take any unilateral action regarding the filling of the dam. This comes as Ethiopia announced its intention to start filling the dam in the next two weeks. The Ethiopian prime ministers office announced in a June 27 statement Ethiopias commitment to attempt to reach a final agreement with Egypt and Sudan within this period, under AU sponsorship. On June 27, the Kuwaiti al-Qabas paper cited well-informed sources (which it did not name) saying that efforts are currently underway to come up with an Arab pressure position in the coming days with the aim to intervene in non-Arab issues, including the GERD dispute. The paper reported the presence of contacts and coordination on the Arab level to contain the situation and calm all the parties concerned in these issues to reach a final agreement with minimum losses. Ahmed Youssef Ahmed, professor of political science at Cairo University and former dean of the Institute of Arab Research and Studies, told Al-Monitor over the phone, The position of the Arab League reflects faith in the fairness of the Egyptian and Sudanese issue and the necessity of Arab support. If Arab support remains limited to a diplomatic decision, it would not have an impact at a time when Ethiopia is showing continued intransigence and taking tough positions. But if such a diplomatic position is translated into a language affecting interests and economics, then it would have a significant impact considering some Arab investment and trade interests in Ethiopia, he added. Fahmy said, The crisis complexity requires an Arab effort in support of Egypt and real measures on the ground that would benefit all parties and not only Cairo. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called on the United Nations Security Council today to extend the conventional arms embargo on Iran indefinitely, only to face several harsh rebukes from allies and adversaries alike. While American allies in the Middle East have started to line up behind US threats to snap back multilateral sanctions on Iran should the UN refuse to extend the embargo, the Security Council nonetheless appeared unmoved by Pompeos arguments at todays virtual meeting. From Israel to the Gulf, countries in the Middle East who are most exposed to Irans predations are speaking with a single voice: Extend the arms embargo, said Pompeo. The council has a responsibility to listen to them. The United States overwhelming preference is to work with this council to extend the arms embargo to protect human life, to protect our national security and to protect yours. The arms embargo is currently set to expire in October as the first sunset provision under the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). Iran has said that China and Russia have both expressed interest in selling it combat aircraft once the embargo expires. Accordingly, Beijing and Moscow have indicated that they will veto any US effort to extend the arms embargo. But its unclear whether Washington even has enough Security Council votes to advance its resolution in the first place. It is very unfortunate that the United States left the JCPOA and by doing this leaving, actually violating international law because the JCPOA is enshrined in a binding [UN] resolution, said the German ambassador to the UN, Christoph Heusgen. Ironically, Pompeo has cited US participation in the JCPOA to argue that Washington has the right to pursue snapback sanctions on Iran under the Security Council resolution in question. However, it remains unclear whether the United States has the legal authority to pursue snapback sanctions under the resolution given its 2018 withdrawal from the accord and reimposition of crippling unilateral sanctions on Iran. Having quit the JCPOA, the US is no longer a participant and has no right to trigger snapback at the Security Council, said Chinas envoy to the UN, Zhang Jun. The UN resolution lists the United States as a JCPOA participant. However, it also states that the United States will refrain from re-introducing or re-imposing the sanctions that it has ceased applying under this JCPOA, without prejudice to the dispute resolution process. Zhang urged the United States to stop its illegal unilateral sanctions and to return to the right track of overseeing the JCPOA as well as its underlying UN resolution. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres wrote in a report on JCPOA implementation this month that he regrets the withdrawal of the United States of America from the plan in May 2018, as well as the steps taken by the Islamic Republic of Iran since July 2019 to cease performing its nuclear-related commitments under the plan. I call upon all member states to avoid provocative rhetoric and actions that may have a further negative impact on regional stability, wrote Guterres. Germanys Heusgen and other Security Council representatives echoed similar sentiments throughout the meeting. Since the US withdrawal, Iran has tripled its stockpile of low-enriched uranium past the limits laid out in the JCPOA. Brian Hook, the State Departments Iran policy coordinator, took Pompeos place in the middle of the three-hour long meeting. Hook recently returned from a tour of the Middle East to get US allies on the same page with regard to extending the arms embargo. After meeting with Hook, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu came out in favor of snapback sanctions on Iran today. Hook also visited the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia over the weekend, all of which endorsed extending the arms embargo on Iran. Until March 2019, Turkey did not have a coffee museum. The drink that has been the most cherished in Anatolia, the Balkans and the Levant since the 16th century finally has a place of its own thanks to coffee lover Semih Yildirim. Yildirim is the owner of Kahve Muzesi. In the last decade, Turkish coffee has made a comeback among young urbanites who have been yearning for more diverse tastes. Yildirim not only loves and knows his coffee but also works with some of the best names in the field. Atila Narin, one of the authors of the amazing book "Lost Coffees of Anatolia," is the coordinator of the museum in the magical town of Safranbolu. Turkish coffee assumes different names (Greek, Armenian, Syrian coffee) in the region and in restaurants outside the region. But regardless of the name, the meaning is the same. The coffee beans are roasted either dark or medium, then ground into a powder, is the finest grinder setting on professional machines. Then it is brewed with cold water with no filter in a small pot over the low fire. Brewing over hot coals or sand is praised for a smoky flavor. These brewing and grinding methods are what makes it Turkish coffee. Yildirim explained that the reason they chose Safranbolu as the home of their museum was the historic spirit of this UNESCO-protected city and its Turkish delight, which pairs well with coffee. The museums collection has been in the works for over a decade. Yildirim and his team traveled all over Anatolia looking for different recipes and artifacts at antique stores. After a while, word got around and coffee aficionados started sending in their family heirlooms for the museum. Yildirim kindly took Al-Monitor on a virtual tour of the amazing museum, while visitors took real tours and chatted with Yildirim and his colleagues. The Turkish saying, The heart desires neither the coffee nor the coffeehouse, but just the company and interaction with others, is alive in the warm welcome at the museum. The artifacts there help connect abstract tastes with historic figures. On display are some amazing coffee grinders, cups, pots ("cezve," also known as Turkish "ibrik" in the United States) and roasters that belonged to prominent figures of Ottoman and Turkish history. Turkeys founder Mustafa Kemal Ataturk appears right next to 34th Ottoman Sultan Abdulhamid, a favorite of Islamists and conservatives in Turkey. It might be one of the few places you will see their images right next to each other. Both men were said to love their coffee. The one image that struck me most was a piece of history I had experienced. It was a donated coffee pot of late Cemil Filik, known to Istanbuls coffee lovers as the most impressive coffee master. Filik ran a small coffee shop on the busy Istiklal Avenue in Beyoglu district. Its coffee stood out even in the Turkish coffee world, where strong is the most frequent descriptor. Filik, who died in 2019, was known for his own blend of coffee and unique friendly service for his regular customers. The coffee museum offers artisanal trays with cold water, grape juice and a bit of desert to accompany the coffees served. Its menu is still evolving and it is the only location in the world where one can find so many different regional and historic types of coffee served in one location. Here are some examples: Roasted chickpea (nohut kahvesi) coffee is what the name says. During World War II, as coffee imports were halted, aficionados had to find another way. Hence, they substituted roasted chickpeas to make a warm foamy drink. Once coffee imports resumed, most people quit this coffee. The museum pairs this one with raisins in its impressive service tray. Ice cream (yandirma) coffee is a bit more than the name suggests. The medium roast coffee is made with no sugar added and it is served in a cup, with a scoop of Maras province ice cream floating on top. This ice cream is very thick due to high levels of sahlep, or powdered orchid root. Once the cold ice cream meets the warm coffee, it infuses its sugars and produces a delightful aroma and creamy drink. Perhaps the most intriguing of the menu is the flirty Turkish coffee, served with crushed roasted almonds on top. Serving Turkish coffee is a tradition when the groom visits the brides family to ask for her hand. Brides-to-be are expected to make the coffee so that the crushed almonds will float atop of the coffee cup. The trick is to eat the crushed almond pieces without spilling the coffee or allowing them to sink. Legend says that if the crushed almonds are sweet, then the bride is happy to marry. If they are bitter, then it signals she is not interested. Saffron coffee is one that Yildirim himself blends at the museum by using local Safranbolu saffron. It is the most popular coffee at the museum and is praised for its smoothness and unique taste. Saffrons health benefits as a strong antioxidant and aphrodisiac has made it a popular culinary product in recent years. Along with saffron, other spices such as ground cardamom, carob and chocolate are infused into the once-in-a-life-time taste. The museum pairs this coffee with handmade baklava, another specialty of Safranbolu. There are some things to be taken home or order online from this amazing museum, such as rare handmade coffee cups, coffee pots and chocolate bites to go with your coffee. But most important are the packaged coffee options. There are two main blends, one a standard Turkish coffee while the other is called Ottoman coffee. Yildirim said, You brew it with just the same method, however Ottoman coffee is a blend that I mix on the premises. It has cardamom, sahlep, chocolate, saffron, carob and a special coffee cream. In addition, the museum offers higher quality coffee options from Ethiopia, Guatemala and Honduras. Most Turkish coffee beans are what is called Rio Minas from Brazil. We are trying to offer more complex options. We buy the beans, roast and grind them for Turkish coffee, he added. Yemens warring parties are using secret prisons to disappear and torture detainees, according to a grim new report from a leading human rights group. The Mwatana Organization for Human Rights documented 1,605 cases of arbitrary detention, 770 cases of forced disappearance and 344 cases of torture at 11 detention centers across Yemen since 2016. Some of the abuse may amount to war crimes, the group said. "This report confirms one fact: that all parties to the conflict are involved in committing arbitrary detention, enforced disappearance and of course the torture," said Osamah Alfakih, Mwatanas director of communications and advocacy. "They do this because the accountability has been absent for a very long time." Drawing on more than 2,500 interviews with former detainees, the 87-page report released Tuesday determined the Iran-aligned Houthi group was responsible for a majority of the detention-related abuse with 904 of the arbitrary or abusive detentions, 353 cases of forced disappearance, 138 cases of torture and 27 deaths in detention. The Houthi rebels, who frequently broadcast forced confessions on loyal TV channels, have used detention, enforced disappearance and torture as a method of domination, spreading terror among society, the reports authors said. Forces backed by the United Arab Emirates, including the Southern Transitional Council (STC), were also named as abusers in the report. In detention centers run by the separatist group, prisoners were subjected to a wide range of torture that included nail removal, forced nudity and threats to rape them and their families, Mwatana said. In the southern province of Abyan, former prisoners held by the STC-affiliated Security Belt said torture techniques included being forced to drink urine and being hanged upside down from ceilings. Some detainees were put in freezing cold pools of water until they lost consciousness, they said. Mwatana also documented at least 90 of forced disappearance at the hands of forces loyal to President Abed-Rabbo Mansour Hadi in Marib, Taiz, Al Jawf, Shabwah and Hadhramaut governates. Islah Party authorities in Marib often accused detainees of spying for the UAE or working for the Houthis, the report found. Yemen has been embroiled in civil war since 2014, when the Houthi movement, backed by Iran, seized the capital Sanaa and captured large swaths of the country from pro-government forces. More than five years of war has killed thousands of civilians and left nearly 80% of the population in need of some form of humanitarian assistance, the United Nations says. In March 2015, a Western-backed military coalition led by Saudi Arabia intervened to restore the internationally recognized government. On at least four occasions, Mwatana said airstrikes from the coalition hit detention centers in Houthi-controlled areas, adding to the fear of the families of those forcibly disappeared about the fate of their detained relatives. In August 2019, the coalition targeted four community college buildings in the city of Dhammar, including one Mwatana says was being used as a detention site by the Houthis. With the health care system on the brink of collapse and the novel coronavirus spreading undetected throughout the war-ravaged country, Mwatana has called on all authorities to release those held in overcrowded, unsanitary detention centers. The detention conditions in general are very appalling, Alfakih said. The fears of COVID-19 spreading in these places turn into nightmares for the prisoners and also for the families." I do think that we need to continue to concentrate on those businesses that represent uncontrolled spread (of coronavirus), Johnson said Friday. And here Im thinking, tightly packed bars I know that hurts people to hear me say that, here in Wisconsin; that might be something we need to control given that the virus can spread through the air and because cases have been increasing in the past few days. A bipartisan group of US lawmakers urged the United Nations to reopen a key border crossing into Syria that Russia shut down in January using its veto power at the Security Council. Senate and House foreign affairs chairmen James Risch, R-Idaho, and Eliot Engel, D-N.Y., joined ranking members Bob Menendez, D-N.J., and Mike McCaul, R-Texas, in a statement calling on the UN to renew two humanitarian crossings in northwest Syria and restore the humanitarian crossing in northeast Syria. Russian and Chinese efforts to block these humanitarian crossings represent a cruel and inhumane attempt to prop up the [Bashar al-Assad] regime at the expense of the Syrian people, the lawmakers said. The UN has a responsibility to the Syrian people to ensure that assistance, including medical assistance to treat COVID-19, can be provided by permitting all three crossings. Why it matters: Russia and China wielded their veto power at the UN to force the closure of two humanitarian aid crossings into Syria from Iraq and Jordan. The other two crossings from Turkey remain open. Whats next: Some observers fear that Russia will also attempt to shutter the two remaining aid crossings from Turkey when the UN debates a resolution to renew them next week. Know more: Amberin Zaman has the inside story on the UN battle to reopen the Jordan and Iraq border crossings to humanitarian aid. As Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi widens his crackdown on government critics, a bipartisan group of foreign policy experts including former officials urged US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to call out America's longtime ally for human rights abuses. The United States should make clear it is watching, the Working Group on Egypt wrote in a letter addressed to Pompeo Tuesday. As one of Egypts most important international partners, the United States has a responsibility to use its influence with Sisi to halt these egregious abuses of internationally recognized human rights. The report noted the January death of dual citizen Mostafa Kassem in Egyptian custody, as well as the ongoing detention of Americans including Mohammed Amashah and Khaled Hassan. American citizen Mohamed Soltan, an activist who spent nearly two years in a Cairo prison, recently filed a lawsuit in a US court against Egypt's former prime minister and other officials he blames for his detention and near death during it. In apparent retaliation, five of Soltans cousins were arrested last month in Egypt on trumped-up terrorism charges and his father has disappeared from his prison cell. The actions represent blatant interference in the US justice system and an affront to his legal rights as an American citizen, the group wrote. Why it matters: Since taking power in a 2013 coup, Sisi has faced mounting criticism over detaining thousands of political opponents, including peaceful demonstrators and journalists. In September, security forces rounded up some 4,000 protesters in the most sweeping mass arrest since Sisi took office. In recent months, Egypt has arrested or forcibly disappeared a number of voices critical of the governments handling of the novel coronavirus pandemic, including prominent political activist Sanaa Seif. Former Washington Post journalist Noura Younis faces charges related to her work as editor-in-chief of independent news website Al-Manassa. Whats next: Rights groups have accused President Donald Trump, who has referred to Sisi as a great leader, of turning a blind eye to human rights violations in the country. After Kassem, an Egyptian-born auto parts dealer from New York, died following a hunger strike in an Egyptian prison, a number of lawmakers called on Trump to sanction and impose visa restrictions on the Egyptian officials involved. The Working Group on Egypt urged Pompeo to hold firm to human rights conditions on $300 million in military funds to Egypt, which are set to expire at the end of September. Last year, the State Department chose to not withhold the sum, describing Egypt as critical to US national security interests. Know more: Learn more about Soltans lawsuit against former Egyptian Prime Minister Hazem el-Beblawi and other officials he says were involved in his 22-month imprisonment. ISTANBUL Social media companies are once again facing the prospect of state regulation in Turkey, and this time digital rights advocates believe lawmakers will follow through on threats to impose tighter controls on the platforms. In a televised speech Wednesday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced his party would introduce legislation requiring social media companies to establish a legal presence in the country, where they would need to abide by Turkish laws and domestic court decisions. The news comes after Turkish Finance Minister Berat Albayrak and his wife Esra Albayrak, the presidents daughter, announced the birth of their fourth child in a Tuesday tweet that was met with a slew of insults online. Turkeys Interior Ministry has since launched an investigation into the incident, detaining a number of account holders for insulting a public official, a crime carrying a minimum one-year sentence in Turkey. Do you see why we oppose social media like YouTube, Twitter, Netflix, et cetera? Erdogan asked Wednesday. It is imperative that these channels are brought under control. The president added that social media platforms would be forced to appoint representatives in Turkey, echoing a proposal introduced in April that would have required the companies to open offices in the country or have their bandwidth cut by up to 95%, rendering the platforms inaccessible in Turkey. The proposal was introduced along with economic measures against the coronavirus pandemic but was later dropped. We are determined to do whatever is necessary for social media platforms to set up fiscal and legal representation in our country, Erdogan said Wednesday. "We will implement access bans and legal and fiscal penalties after completion of the regulation. Following the presidents speech, digital rights advocates said a proposal similar to the April draft bill is likely to be introduced in parliament. I think after today it is possible that we can see more control on social media, Isik Mater, research director at Turkey Blocks, a nonprofit that tracks online censorship, told Al-Monitor. It's going to come fast because the president took this as an attack on his family, so it's kind of personal. Mater noted the move comes days after a separate incident in which a June 26 live video broadcast of Erdogan speaking with Turkish students received nearly 400,000 dislikes on YouTube. The backlash was credited to student anger over state officials reluctance to postpone high school and university entrance exams amid the coronavirus pandemic, and the president later requested comments be removed from the page. Mater said the combined incidents have left the president furious over social media use in Turkey, a country where more than 95% of mainstream media outlets provide government-friendly coverage or are owned by companies close to Erdogans Justice and Development Party. He was never a big fan of social media, as we all know, and now this is going to be a very convenient excuse for him to regulate it, Mater told Al-Monitor. Also on Wednesday, the Radio and Television Supreme Council, the states media regulator, ordered a five-day blackout on two critical media networks, Halk TV and Tele 1 TV. The move comes after The Independent's Saudi-owned Turkish edition was blocked in Turkey this spring in retaliation for Saudi Arabia blocking access to Turkeys Anadolu Agency and public broadcaster TRT's Arabic edition in the kingdom. With tight controls on mainstream outlets, social media platforms remain some of few places Turkish citizens can express their views freely and receive less regulated news. A recent report by the Center for American Progress found widespread public distrust of Turkeys mainstream media outlets was pushing an increasing number of domestic news consumers, particularly those supporting opposition parties, to seek out information from online platforms. Yaman Akdeniz, a law professor at Istanbul Bilgi University and a founder of the Freedom of Expression Association, said pressure on independent news outlets and journalists remains constant in Turkey, noting several hundred social media users were detained this spring for sharing provocative posts about the pandemic. Following a brief downturn during the crisis, Akdeniz said internet blocking activity in Turkey was returning to pre-pandemic levels and he expected the increased online policing to extend to social media platforms. Turkey is already one of the worst countries for censorship and the internet is already heavily regulated, Akdeniz told Al-Monitor. I wonder what else the government can do apart from completely banning all the social media platforms, as indicated by President Erdogan today. He continued, saying the government will likely compel social media companies like as Twitter, YouTube and Facebook to open offices in Turkey and force them to "obey the law of the land." Of course, in reality the president and the government want to get rid of the increasing number of critical voices on social media platforms and the true aim of such new laws and regulations will be to silence dissent, Akdeniz said, adding that if social media platforms accept the conditions, they will become the long arm of Turkish law enforcement agencies. France reportedly pulled out of a NATO naval operation in the Mediterranean Sea following the investigation into an earlier maritime incident with Turkey. It is the latest in a series of disagreements between the NATO allies over the strategic body of water and Libya. In June, France accused Turkey of harassing one of its warships in the eastern Mediterranean. France says it was inspecting a civilian cargo ship suspected of bringing weapons to Libya, which is subject to a UN weapons embargo. France said a Turkish ship conducted repeated radar targeting of the French vessel as it was doing the inspection, which Turkey denied. NATO announced it would conduct an investigation following the incident. The results of the investigation prompted France to pull out of NATOs Sea Guardian operation, Reuters reported today, citing a French defense official. What exactly the investigation concluded is unknown. A NATO official told Al-Monitor the report is classified and will be discussed by NATO members soon. The NATO military authorities have submitted their report on the incident between a Turkish ship and a French ship in the eastern Mediterranean last month, the official said, adding, This is a classified report and will be discussed among allies in the NATO Military Committee in the near future. Meanwhile, Operation Sea Guardian is continuing, according to the NATO official. The operation focuses on counterterrorism, freedom of navigation, infrastructure protection and other goals in the Mediterranean. France and Turkey have had a series of open disagreements over the sea and Libya this year. France sides with Cyprus and Greece in their dispute with Turkey over hydrocarbon drilling in the eastern Mediterranean. The area Turkey seeks to drill for the energy source is considered by France, Greece and the European Union to be Greek and Cypriot waters. In Libya, Turkey supports the UN-recognized Government of National Accord, which is fighting the Libyan National Army (LNA). France has spoken in favor of the LNA and has allegedly armed the group. The Mediterranean and Libyan issues prompted France to join Greece, Cyprus, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt in an anti-Turkey alliance in May. The presidents of Turkey, Iran and Russia held a virtual summit to discuss the latest developments in Syria today. Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Hassan Rouhani and Vladimir Putin convened under the so-called Astana format thats seen the three regional powers make accommodations while pursuing conflicting agendas in Syria. Turkey backs anti-government Sunni rebels while Iran and Russia are propping up the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Why it matters: It was the three leaders' first such meeting since Turkey butted heads with Russia and Iran in the rebel held-province of Idlib in March. At least 33 Turkish soldiers perished in a February airstrike thought to be carried out by Russian air force jets. Turkey retaliated against Syrian regime forces and Iran-backed Shiite militias, earning plaudits from the United States. But a cease-fire for Idlib struck in Moscow in March between Erdogan and Putin was largely on the latters terms. US President Donald Trumps envoy for Syria engagement, Ambassador Jim Jeffrey, who cheered Turkey on against the Russians in Idlib, will have been miffed by the joint statement put out by the trio that laid rest to speculation that the Astana process was dead. It contained thinly veiled pot shots at the United States with its reference to the illegal seizure and transfer of oil revenues that should belong to the Syrian Arab Republic. Trump said that US forces are staying on in the Kurdish-run northeast to secure two major oilfields there that contain most of the countrys oil. In a swipe at the Syrian Kurds, the statement said the leaders rejected illegal self-rule initiatives. The presidents also took aim at US sanctions against Syria, saying they were in contravention of international law, international humanitarian law and the UN Charter, particularly in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally and most probably to appease Rouhani, reckons Kerim Has, an analyst of Turkish Russian affairs, the statement blasted Israel for its continued airstrikes against Iranian targets in Syria. "I don't believe Russia will prevent Israel's airstrikes," Has told Al-Monitor. Whats next: The wording of the statement suggests that Russia is willing to grant Turkey more time to fulfill its Astana mandate, that is to defang jihadi rebels in Idlib and prevent them from attacking Russian military assets. Ankara appears to have won the support of the most powerful Sunni rebel group on the ground, Hayat Tahrir Sham (HTS), in helping tame more radical factions. But Russias ultimate aim is to help the regime win back full control of the province and to drive the United States out of Syria. Allowing Turkey to grab more land in the Kurdish-controlled northeast, notably the mainly Arab town of Qahtaniyah, could be a quid pro quo for letting government forces advance further and win full control of the M4 and M5 highways. But Ankara is unlikely to agree to the kind of regime offensive that would send millions more Syrian refugees to seek shelter in Turkey. Much horse-trading lies ahead before the next Astana summit, which is meant to take place in Iran though no date has been set. Know more: For more on Turkeys maneuvers in Idlib read Fehim Tastekins pieces about how HTS is doing Turkeys job in Idlib and how the Turkish lira is now the main currency in the province. The Pentagon will continue to accept Turkish-made parts for Lockheed Martins F-35 Joint Strike Fighter through 2022, despite the United States vow to kick Ankara off the program by this year. A Defense Department spokesman told Bloomberg that a decision was made last year to allow Turkish defense manufacturers to fulfill current contracts in order to avoid costly, disruptive and wasteful contract terminations. NATO member Turkey is still barred from purchasing the F-35, a decision the Trump administration announced last year in response to Ankaras purchase of Russias S-400 missile defense system. Why it Matters: The decision may help maintain the F-35s already troubled production chain. Turkish firms are contracted through 2022 to manufacture more than 900 parts for the program, with 400 manufactured exclusively by Turkish suppliers. A US government watchdog office reported last month that manufacturing shortages for the F-35 program increased significantly in 2019 and that Turkeys expulsion from the production chain would likely worsen matters. The Pentagon said alternative suppliers have been identified to fill the role of Turkish manufacturers by the time the current contracts expire. The row over the S-400 and the F-35 came amid the lowest point in Turkey-US relations in decades. The United States has said the S-400s radar system will be able to gather data on the F-35s capabilities, providing the Kremlin with valuable intelligence on the fifth-generation fighter. Turkey originally ordered 100 F-35A's, placing it among the Joint Strike Fighters biggest buyers along with other US allies Australia, Japan and the United Kingdom. Turkey unveiled its first F-35 delivery in 2018, but the United States said other completed aircraft would not be delivered. Whats Next: The S-400 dispute remains at an impasse for now, but there are signs of potential paths forward. The Turkish government said in April it had temporarily postponed activation of the missile defense system, citing the coronavirus pandemic. US Senator John Thune (R-SD) has proposed an amendment to the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act that (NDAA) would allow the United States to purchase Turkeys S-400. If the proposal makes it into the NDAA, it could provide both sides an off-ramp from the dispute. Know More: Diego Cupolo looks at whether US threats to sanction Turkey if it activates the S-400 played into Ankaras decision to postpone the move, and Amberin Zaman shows how Ankaras shipment of COVID-19 protective equipment to the United States was a small step toward recovering Turkeys reputation in Washington. A new episode of war of words is being waged between Tehran and Washington over the Iran nuclear deal, also known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). A US-proposed resolution formally discussed at the UN Security Council on Tuesday is now at the center of the soaring tensions. The proposal aims to bring the council members on board to indefinitely extend a contentious arms embargo on Iran, which will be effectively expired under the JCPOA and UN Resolution 2231 in October. Reacting to the US plan and the council discussions, Irans President Hassan Rouhani issued a fresh warning to the White House. Rouhani said his country will not allow the US government to deal a political blow to the accord, and any such move will be met with a firm response. He also acknowledged the economic damage inflicted on Iran after the US departure from the JCPOA in May 2018. In the Security Councils virtual session also attended by Irans Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif members appeared to show little interest in the US plan, largely expressing support for the full implementation of the JCPOA, while some also urged Tehran to resume its full compliance with the accord. Since last May, Tehran has been walking away from some of its commitments, tripling the size of its stockpiled uranium but at no degree coming close to acquiring a nuclear bomb. In his televised Cabinet meeting, Rouhani once again moved to reassure the other signatories that any moment they fully honor their obligations, we will also immediately return to our commitments. In its last two reports on the status of the JCPOA, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has raised concerns about Tehrans decision to bar inspection at two of its nuclear sites. The reports triggered an IAEA Board of Governors resolution June 19, the first anti-Iran statement since the multilateral agreement was signed in 2015. The Security Council meeting, according to Rouhani, also turned into a stage for yet another US political failure. The assertion was shared by various Iranian media outlets, even Rouhani critics, as they unanimously lauded the Islamic Republics diplomacy and its legitimacy in the dispute. Yet there were also growing fears about how the council will ultimately handle the US plan. Pro-Reform economist and former lawmaker Jalal Khoshchehreh called the US proposal a tough credibility test for the Security Council. Any approval of the US plan, he wrote, will be a privilege for US President Donald Trump, who considers the collapse of the deal a ticket to reelection. Irans foreign minister, who has been engaged in unrelenting diplomacy to deter the success of the US plan, concluded his address to the council with a 1951 quote from then Iranian Prime Minister Mohammad Mossadegh, who advised the same body to resist pressure from Britain, which was pushing to reverse his patriotic plan to nationalize the Iranian oil industry. A comedian sits in a Tel Aviv cafe, a huge gift-wrapped package on the table in front of him. Ive been asked to bring you a gift. Looks good, doesnt it? beloved thespian Dov Navon asks the camera. This was given by the bigmouth American to a friend of his in Israel, who knows a thing or two about presents. The bigmouth is obviously President Donald Trump and his friend is Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The background music evokes gaiety and innocence, but when Navon opens the package it blows up in his face, leaving his shocked face blackened by smoke. The bit ends with the message, Annexation is a gift that will blow up in our face. On its first day, the viral video logged over 100,000 views, becoming a hot news item. Its credits directed viewers to the sponsor the Geneva Initiative, an organization established 20 years ago to advance the vision of two states for two people. Ahead of the July 1 target date for the start of Israeli annexation of West Bank territory, the group choose a shocking message for its campaign to win over Israeli public opinion. It succeeded beyond all expectations. Representatives of the political right railed against what they described as a leftist organizations cynical exploitation of the national trauma of suicide bombings in major city cafes during the second intifada. The left presents: The peace process that blew up in our face in cafes, Knesset member and former Transportation Minister Bezalel Smotrich of right-wing Yamina tweeted in a cutting response. We have not seen such a display of self-awareness in a long time. Smotrich was giving voice to Israeli fury at the terror attacks that took the lives of over 1,000 Israelis just after the Camp David summit 20 years ago at which then-Prime Minister Ehud Barak presented then-PLO chief Yasser Arafat with a generous proposal diving the land between the two peoples. The Geneva Initiative foresaw the response but wanted to generate a public debate on the two-state vision and restore the issue to the agenda after years of public indifference to the peace process. The looming annexation has sparked an awakening of civil society groups on the left, achieving a surprising measure of success after long years of mostly fruitless campaigns. Zulat, a recently created human rights think tank led by former Knesset member and Meretz chair Zehava Gal-On, one of the leading voices and most familiar faces of the Israeli left, sponsored another campaign that is making the rounds. On June 25, the institute issued a wide-ranging report, The Laundry, arguing that Netanyahu and his allies use laundered terminology to conceal from the Israeli public that the annexation is government-sanctioned apartheid. The 25-page document argues that the prime minister is carrying out a complex move in cooperation with media and political stakeholders to whitewash the annexation and hide its potential implications for Israel and its democratic character. The report, issued on the eve of what could have been the annexation date, got the reaction Gal-On hoped for, sparking emotional discussions in the media and in political forums and going viral on social media. The report provides an expose of the whitewashing methods and an in-depth analysis of their repercussions for Israel. It points to how the term implementing Israels sovereignty has taken root in mainstream media and the political system to hide that the planned move imposes essentially an apartheid regime in the West Bank, threatening Israels status as a democracy. Tracking media mentions, the reports authors found an increase of 3,425% in the use of the term implementing sovereignty from December 2019 to January 2020, whereas mention of apartheid remained largely unchanged and even declined in some media outlets. Gal-On is pleased with the result of her institutes maiden project. We have managed to show how within less than a decade, annexation of [West Bank] territories, which was once a concept advocated by the loony fringes of Israeli society, has become declared government policy, Gal-On told Al-Monitor. This move could have repercussions ranging from escalation of violence and all the way to the anchoring of apartheid policy in Israeli law. Nonetheless, the right has mounted a successful, calculated, long-term campaign to wrap territorial annexation in rustling pink cellophane and market it to the Israeli public as a legitimate, reasonable and almost necessary step. Other bodies on the political left have also been spurred into action in the international arena in bids to undermine annexation. One of these, an ad hoc coalition calling itself The Israeli Peace Parliament, includes 25 former Knesset members. On June 25, the majority of the US House Democratic Caucus signed an open letter opposing unilateral annexation. The letter was apparently instigated by members of the "Israeli Peace Parliament, who appealed to the US lawmakers in an urgent letter expressing concern that the impending move would be detrimental to Israels security, democracy, Palestinian rights and regional stability. These latest achievements have given Israels leftist organizations a badly needed tailwind, proving that their activity has been effective in throwing cold water on annexation both in the domestic arena and vis-a-vis the US administration. The efforts of these groups have exposed weakness and irrelevance among the established political parties represented in the current Knesset. In that sense, civil society has stepped into the vacuum and mounted an effective offensive. For the first time in years, the political left has stirred up significant debate and raised substantive issues beyond the personal battle against Netanyahu. It has finally managed to challenge the ideological right. In what's being described as the biggest seizure of amphetamines in the world, police in southern Italy have confiscated over $1 billion worth of drugs believed to be produced by the Islamic State (IS) in Syria. The 84 million tablets bearing the Captagon symbol were discovered by police on Wednesday in the port of Salerno, south of Naples. Investigators say the 15-ton haul was stashed in three containers containing large cylindrical paper rolls. A Twitter video published by Italys finance police, known as Guardia di Finanza, showed the pills pouring out of the rolls as agents cut into them with chainsaws. Guardia di Finanza said IS planned to sell its synthetic drugs on the European market where coronavirus lockdowns have hampered domestic sales. Given the shipment's $1.2 bililion value, investigators believe a consortium of criminal groups were involved in its purchase. "Many smugglers, even in consortiums, have turned to Syria where production, however, does not seem to have slowed down," the police statement read. Known by its brand name Captagon, the stimulant fenethylline was once used to treat depression, narcolepsy and ADHD, but the United States and other countries have since banned the drug for its addictive nature. Usually sold as a blend of amphetamines, caffeine and other substances, the stimulant remains popular in much of the Middle East, especially Saudi Arabia. The amphetamine-based drugs ability to inhibit tiredness and fear has also made it popular on Syrias battlefield, where IS militants and other armed groups are known to use it. We know that the Islamic State finances its terrorist activities mainly by trafficking drugs made in Syria, which in the past few years has become the worlds largest producer of amphetamines, police said Wednesday. In May 2018, the US-allied Maghawir al-Thowra militia in eastern Syria seized $1.4 million worth of Captagon during an anti-IS raid with coalition forces. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo today waded into the Turkish debate over whether to turn the historic Hagia Sophia museum back into a mosque. The United States views a change in the status of the Hagia Sophia as diminishing the legacy of this remarkable building and its unsurpassed ability so rare in the modern world to serve humanity as a much-needed bridge between those of differing faith traditions and cultures, said Pompeo. We seek to continue to work with the government of Turkey on a broad range of issues of mutual interest, including the preservation of religious and cultural sites. Pompeo praised Turkeys outstanding administration of the Hagia Sophia as a museum for nearly a century, allowing it to remain accessible to all. The secretary's warning comes after US envoy for religious freedom Sam Brownback called on Turkey last week to maintain the Hagia Sophia as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Why it matters: Pompeos statement comes the day before Turkeys Council of State the countrys highest administrative court reviews a request to undo the historic buildings status as a museum, a bete noire for Turkish Islamists. President Recep Tayyip Erdogans office has hinted that the Turkish government could endorse reverting the Hagia Sophia into a mosque. The Hagia Sophia aside, the United States and Turkey differ on several other contentious issues, including Ankaras purchase of the S-400 Russian missile system and its campaign against the Kurdish Peoples Protection Units in northeast Syria. Whats next: The Council of States ruling on the Hagia Sophia could come as soon as tomorrow or within the next two weeks. Know more: Kadri Gursel examines Erdogans use of the Hagia Sophia card to bolster his socially conservative base amid a backlash over Ankaras handling of the coronavirus pandemic. A Turkish military jet delivered coronavirus-related aid to Iraq today. The assistance comes as Turkey continues its war against Kurdish militants in the country, despite opposition from Baghdad. The flight was the doing of the Turkish Ministry of National Defense and Ministry of Health. It carried unspecified medical supplies to help Iraq with its COVID-19 outbreak, the Turkish Ministry of National Defense said in a tweet today. Iraq is currently experiencing a major outbreak of the virus. The country has registered well over 1,000 cases per day for weeks despite lockdown measures and a ban on most passenger flights. Iraq registered 2,415 cases today, bringing the total number of infections the country has had to 51,524, according to Iraqi Ministry of Health statistics. The Turkish aid is significant because of Turkeys ongoing military operations in Iraq, which have been condemned by Iraqi authorities. Last month, Turkey began a large-scale operation against Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) fighters in Iraq. Turkey has performed such operations for several years. The PKK is a Kurdish armed group that seeks greater Kurdish political and cultural rights in Turkey. It has long based itself in the mountains of the autonomous Kurdistan Region of Iraq near the Turkish border. It also has a presence in the disputed and federally controlled Sinjar and Makhmour areas of Iraq in the west and north, respectively. Turkey and the United States consider the PKK a terrorist organization. Iraq summoned the Turkish ambassador over its actions last month, and the Kurdistan Regional Government called on Turkey to respect its sovereignty. It is possible Turkey seeks to mend its strained relations with Iraq with the delivery, but Turkey has given virus aid to many countries around the world. The Turkey-PKK conflict is continuing in Iraq amid the pandemic. A widely covered Turkish airstrike injured civilians last week in Iraq's Kurdistan Region. Turkish state media also reported that it successfully targeted PKK fighters in northern Iraq on Sunday. Danny Danon, permanent representative of Israel to the United Nations, and Riyad Mansour, permanent observer of Palestine to the United Nations, talk about the prospects for annexation, extension of Israeli sovereignty over Jewish settlements in the West Bank, the potential reaction in the region, the Trump Administrations peace plan, and the prospects for resumed direct Israel-Palestinian talks. Related links: Winn-Dixies parent company has announced that it is participating in a campaign to pressure social media companies to enforce their existing policies on hate speech. The Stop Hate For Profit campaign is enlisting big corporations in the U.S. and globally to withdraw advertising dollars from social media platforms, beginning today. Southeastern Grocers, the parent company of Winn-Dixie, said it will put an indefinite hold on advertising with Facebook and Instagram in hopes that they will continue to champion progressive change, the company said in a statement. The campaign began in the wake of national protests following the killing of George Floyd while in Minneapolis police custody. Among other aims, the campaign calls on Facebook to remove public and private groups focused on white supremacy, antisemitism, conspiracies, Holocaust denialism, vaccine misinformation and climate change denial. At the same time, Southeastern Grocers is reportedly considering changing the name of Winn-Dixie. The name Winn-Dixie came from Winn & Lovetts 1955 purchase of 117 Dixie Home Stores. The name Dixie has long had connotations with the song Dixie, written in the 1850s for blackface minstrel shows, with the name used synonymously for the South as a region. Winn-Dixie still has several dozen stores across Alabama. Across our country, we find ourselves in a time in which harsh realities are being confronted, difficult questions are being asked and divisive feelings are being expressed, Southeastern Grocers said in a statement. As a company, we believe taking a stand and fostering a culture of belonging, inclusion and diversity extends far beyond our own four walls. Among the companies participating in the Stop Hate for Profit campaign are Adidas, Best Buy, Coca-Cola, Ford, Hershey, Honda, Levis, lululemon, Patagonia, Reebok, Target, Verizon and others. Reuters reported Facebook annually generates $70 billion in advertising sales revenue, with about a quarter of it coming from big companies and the vast majority from small businesses. Facebook says its investments in artificial intelligence software have allowed it to find 90 percent of hate speech before users report it. Alabama has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to block a federal judges order that the state cannot prohibit counties from offering curbside voting during the July 14 runoff. Plaintiffs in a lawsuit against the state argued that counties should be able to offer curbside voting to accommodate voters who are concerned about exposure to COVID-19. The state argues that if federal courts order the state to allow curbside voting they are effectively changing state law for an election thats just two weeks away. Alabama Solicitor General Edmund LaCour of the state attorney generals office filed the emergency application for stay on Monday with Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. LaCour asked the Supreme Court to block a lower court ruling in favor of four voters and three organizations who claimed that certain Alabama laws violated the rights of some voters who are at serious risk of illness from the virus. The state turned to the Supreme Court after the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals denied the states request to stay U.S. District Judge Abdul Kallons order. Kallon ruled on June 15 that Secretary of State John Merrill could not block counties from offering curbside voting. Merrill has stopped counties from setting up curbside voting because he did not think it was allowed under state law, the court documents say. Kallon also ruled that election officials in three counties could not enforce a photo ID requirement and witness requirement on some absentee voters who are at risk of serious illness from COVID-19. That part of Kallons ruling applied to only Jefferson, Mobile, and Lee counties. LaCour, the attorney of record for the state, argued that Kallons ruling effectively changes Alabama election laws on the eve of an election, which he said the Supreme Court has repeatedly warned lower courts not to do. LaCour wrote that trying out a brand new voting procedure, curbside voting, during a pandemic would create more logistical and safety problems than it would fix and is likely unlawful. He also wrote that creating the exceptions to the photo ID and witness requirements for absentee voting in three counties creates an unworkable mishmash of law that cannot be uniformly administered. And he noted that absentee voting in the state in the runoff is already under way. Because of the pandemic, Merrill announced that anyone can apply for an absentee ballot who does not want to go to the polls because of concerns about COVID-19. Merrill said they can do so by checking a box on the absentee ballot application that says they have an illness or infirmity that prevents their attendance at the polls. Justice Thomas requested that the plaintiffs in the case respond to the emergency application for a stay by noon Thursday. The NAACP Legal Defense & Educational Fund, the Southern Poverty Law Center, and the Alabama Disabilities Advocacy Program represent the plaintiffs in the case. They hailed Kallons decision and the 11th Circuits denial of the states request for a stay as important victories for voting rights of those at risk from COVID-19. The state argued that setting up curbside voting on short notice would pose numerous problems, including the need for more ballot tabulating machines and poll workers. The state disputed the appeals courts assertion that setting up curbside voting created minimal burdens because it generally requires the use of polling supplies and staff that already exist, saying theres no evidence to support that. This story will be updated. Five children, including a 4-month-old infant, are hospitalized in Huntsville after testing positive for the novel coronavirus. Also among those children is a 4-year-old cancer patient, Huntsville Hospital CEO David Spillers said Wednesday. Spillers said he expected all of the children to make recoveries, but also noted that this is the first time the hospital has seen such young patients during the pandemic. The children are hospitalized at Huntsville Hospital for Women & Children. If you think this doesnt affect young people, it actually affects young people, Spillers said. Its the first time weve seen that during the pandemic. Related: AL.coms coverage of the coronavirus pandemic The announcement on the hospitalized children comes after Spillers said Monday that a 16-year-old COVID-19 was on a ventilator at Huntsville Hospital. I challenge people who resist wearing face coverings to think about this next time you resist wearing face coverings, Spillers said. Anybody could have COVID, anybody could give COVID to somebody else. You can be giving COVID to a child. If the thought of you accidentally giving COVID to someone, a child who is trying to deal with cancer, isnt reason enough to put on a face covering, I dont know what is. I think its time to think about others when you resist wearing face coverings. Madison County, like much of the state, is seeing a sharp rise in the number of COVID-19 cases. Spillers said there are 121 patients in the Huntsville Hospital Healthcare System across north Alabama, including 36 at the main hospital campus in downtown Huntsville. Elsewhere in the system, there 19 patients at Decatur-Morgan Hospital, 19 in Marshall Medical South in Boaz, 14 in Marshall Medical North in Guntersville, 11 in Helen Keller Hospital in Sheffield and eight at Athens-Limestone Hospital. Altogether, there have been 1,057 cases of COVID-19 in Madison County since March, but 304 of those cases were reported in the last seven days. The infection of children, however, brings a new element to the raw number of cases in north Alabama. This is the first time weve seen that in our community, said Spillers, noting that the childrens hospital in Huntsville helps cover the area between Nashville and Birmingham. Those patients do well (elsewhere). They are in the hospital. We have to watch them. Im very confident the outcomes will be good for those children. Spillers said that its not known where the children contracted the virus and he was not suggesting that their parents did anything wrong. I think its just a direct result of more COVID in the community and more people engaging around children and infecting them, he said. The children didnt go out and get this. Someone brought it to them. Spillers then circled back to his ongoing push for masking. We have to take care of our children, he said. These children arent capable of making these decisions. The adults making the decisions to be around children without masks on, theyre putting those children at risk. Gov. Kay Ivey has appointed Barbara Cooper as secretary of the Alabama Department of Early Childhood Education, replacing Jeana Ross, who retired. The department administers Alabamas highly regarded First Class prekindergarten program. Dr. Barbara Cooper has spent her professional career dedicated to helping students achieve their greatest potential, Ivey said in a press release. She and I share the same goal, and that is to make Alabama a better place, which begins with our youngest citizens. Cooper has worked in education for more than 30 years, most recently at the Department of Early Childhood Education since 2018. Cooper has also served as deputy state superintendent/chief academic officer of the Alabama State Department of Education, deputy superintendent of Huntsville City Schools, chief equity and engagement officer of Aurora Public Schools (Colorado) and as a principal with Denver Public Schools. She has teaching experience ranging from elementary to teacher instruction. I look forward to serving Alabamas children and families for many years to come, Cooper said. I appreciate Governor Iveys confidence in selecting me to serve in this new capacity and I look forward to hitting the ground running. Ross had served as secretary since 2012. The governor announced her retirement in May. The National Institute for Early Education Research has recognized Alabamas prekindergarten program for meeting all of its quality benchmarks for 14 straight years. The Legislature has increased funding for First Class Pre-K in recent years but it is still not available statewide. During the 2018-2019 school year, the program served about 17,000 4-year-olds, or about 30% of those eligible statewide. Jackson County Circuit Judge Jenifer Holt says there is no reason for her to recuse from the case of Brittany Smith, an Alabama woman charged with murdering an alleged rapist. There has been no showing whatsoever here that (Judge Holt) maintains a personal bias toward (Brittany), nor does there exist even a reasonable appearance of bias toward her, to require (Holt)s recusal from these proceedings, the Alabama Attorney Generals Office wrote on behalf of Holt in court records. The Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals ordered Judge Holt to respond to a request from Brittanys lawyer Ron Smith (no relation) seeking to have the judge removed from the murder case. In a petition to the Court of Criminal Appeals, Brittanys attorney argued that Holt should be ordered to recuse from the case because of comments she made in public court filings. In a 19-page order issued earlier this year, Holt wrote that Smiths testimony at a Stand Your Ground hearing contained inconsistencies, deceptions and contradictions. Those comments which were widely reported by local and national news outlets, including AL.com could taint the potential jury pool, Brittanys defense argued. Holt issued the order in response to Brittanys testimony that she acted in defense of herself and her brother when she fatally shot Todd Smith (no relation) during the early morning hours of Jan. 16, 2018. The deadly incident happened in the kitchen at Brittanys home in the tiny northeast Alabama city of Stevenson in Jackson County. Earlier in the night, Brittany testified, Todd raped and strangled her. (A nurse documented more than 30 injuries on Brittanys body, and concluded the bruises, bite marks and signs of strangulation were consistent with a sexual assault.) Brittany testified that when her brother came over to confront Todd about the rape, the men fought. Brittany told Judge Holt that Todd was holding her brother, Chris McCallie, in a headlock and threatening to kill them all when she fired the gun. Brittany asked the judge to grant immunity from prosecution and dismiss her murder charge under Alabamas Stand Your Ground self-defense law. The judge declined to do so, ruling that Brittany hadnt proven the killing was legally justified. In her order, the judge accused Brittany of giving inconsistent accounts and attempting to alter or destroy evidence, and wrote that Brittanys testimony about material facts was significantly at odds with the physical evidence, exhibits, and other witness testimony. By including those comments in a public order, Holt could influence potential jurors and negatively affect Brittanys chance of getting a fair trial, the defense argued in their petition to the Court of Criminal Appeals. But Judge Holt says her order was crafted from a thorough review of the testimony and evidence. Ultimately, if recusal were required on the basis of (Holts) findings in her denial of pretrial immunity, trial judges across Alabama would be required to recuse themselves in every single case where Stand Your Ground immunity is sought by the defendant and they are required to make a determination of witness credibility on this issue before trial, the attorney generals office wrote in Holts response. In the interests of due process and proper appellate review, trial courts should be encouraged, rather than hindered, in their efforts to closely evaluate the evidence before them and to make comprehensive findings of fact based on their assessment of the evidence. The burden is on Brittanys defense, according to Holts response, to overcome the presumption that the judge is impartial. To win her petition and have Holt removed from the case, Brittanys defense has to prove their argument by a preponderance of the evidence meaning more than half of the evidence is in her favor. In Holts response, the attorney generals office argues that adverse rulings made by judges during legal proceedings arent sufficient evidence of bias or prejudice. Even when the remarks reflect strong views, they arent grounds for recusal if they are based on observations made by the judge during the performance of her judicial duties, the response says. If Holt recuses from the case, it would likely be assigned to John Graham, the only other circuit judge in Jackson County. Its unclear when the Court of Criminal Appeals might issue a decision. In the petition to the Court of Criminal Appeals, Brittanys attorneys also challenged a subpoena requested by prosecutors and approved by Holt. The subpoena sought Brittanys medical records from a recent hospital stay. Jackson County District Attorney Jason Pierce is seeking to revoke Brittanys bail, saying she missed drug testing while she was in the hospital. Additionally, Pierce has said alleged that Brittany failed a recent drug test. A condition of her bail is that she pass drug and alcohol screenings. Brittanys attorney argued that the subpoena amounted to a fishing expedition and was issued without the defense having a chance to fight it. In her response to the Court of Criminal Appeals, Holt said she halted compliance with the subpoena to give the defense an opportunity to argue against it. Eventually the judge authorized the subpoena and ordered that the medical records be handed over to her office for review. Only the portions relevant to the bond revocation would be shared with prosecutors, Holt said. The Court of Criminal Appeals has halted compliance with the subpoena, and a bond revocation hearing has been put on hold pending the outcome of Brittanys appeal. Its unclear when Brittanys murder case could go to trial. Jury trials are halted in Alabama until September because of COVID-19. Read more about Brittany Smiths case: Woman facing prison for killing alleged rapist wants new judge Judge says she has no personal bias against Brittany Smith Two years after Alabama woman says she killed her rapist in self-defense, new evidence emerges UPDATE: Family has been located. EARLIER: Authorities are asking for the publics help finding family of a man who died last month in Birmingham. Jamie Jernile Means, 36, was found unresponsive about 3:04 p.m. June 23 in a Green Springs Highway motel room. Jefferson County Chief Deputy Coroner Bill Yates said Means was found by motel management doing a welfare check. He was pronounced dead on the scene. No foul play is suspected in Means death, but his body is ready to be released for burial and coroners officials have not been able to locate his family. Means was believed to homeless but frequented Birminghams Southside and had previously lived on 16 Place S.W. in Birmingham. Family members are asked to call the coroners office at 205-930-3603. A public meeting on a major environmental issue drew a light turnout Tuesday near Mobile, as Alabama Power proceeded with a series of gatherings on plans to close coal ash ponds at several power plants. Alabama Power spokesman Michael Sznajderman said that between 80 and 90 people had attended the meeting in Satsuma over the first half of its two-hour run. At that point, new arrivals had dwindled to a trickle. Sznajderman said about half that many had attended a similar meeting Monday night in Eutaw. Similar meetings are coming up in Walker, Shelby and Jefferson counties. Environmental groups have criticized the utility for holding them during a pandemic and for not offering an online option. Sznajderman has said the company cant put them off indefinitely and that their format makes them unsuitable for livestreaming. The resulting situation caused some discomfort among elected officials on hand. This is not a social gathering, said Mobile County Commissioner Merceria Ludgood, whose district includes Barry Steam Plant, with a nearly 600-acre ash pond just off the Mobile River. Some things have to go on. Theyre doing this as safely as they can. Im glad they had it in the northern part of the county, she said, meaning it was accessible for the communities closest to the plant. Its unfortunate this is being held in the middle of a pandemic, said State Rep. Adline Clarke. Clarke said it was jarring to attend a public meeting hours after Gov. Kay Ivey extended her Safer at Home order amid rising COVID-19 case counts statewide. I hesitated to come here, she said. I feel like a hypocrite, honestly, being here. But this is important to my constituents. An EPA rule passed in 2015 has required many utilities to mitigate the potential hazards posed by ash ponds located near waterways. The ash contains toxic heavy metals, and the danger was demonstrated by a 2008 spill in Tennessee: A ruptured dike released more than a billion gallons of ash slurry, much of which made its way into tributaries of the Tennessee River. The EPA lays out two paths for a problematic pond: One is to truck out all the ash and store it in a secure landfill. The other is to pump out the water, treating it as its removed. The remaining ash is then consolidated on a smaller footprint, surrounded by walls and dikes to protect against leaks and floods, and capped with a cover that keeps additional water from seeping in. Alabama Powers meetings are not intended as a forum to weigh the merits of the two approaches; theyre designed to help make the case for the cap-in-place approach that the utility prefers. After waiting outside due to the need for social distancing, visitors to Tuesdays meeting were able to circulate through a half-dozen or so stations at which company representatives provided information and answered questions about various aspects of the cap-in-place plan for Barry. Ludgood said that constituents whod contacted her about the issue, in general, were not worked up about which option was better. I think the more you know the better, she said of the meetings value. Clarke, however, said that the coal ash question had generated more letters and comments than shed gotten on any other issue, and that her constituents had a strong preference for having all the waste hauled out of the Barry site. Asked if the meeting gave such people a chance to have their views heard, Clarke said she was at least somewhat concerned about that. Theres no perfect solution, she said. She said she encouraged people interested in the issue to watch a video recently released by the Mobile Bay National Estuary Program. This series of meetings provides an opportunity for people to file written comments with Alabama Power, and Sznajderman said that the utility also will take comments online. The next step in the process is approval by the Alabama Department of Environmental Management, which will post a draft permit and open a public comment period before finalizing it. Clarke said that based on conversations with ADEM officials, she thinks the draft permit is likely to be made public in mid-August. Remaining coal ash meetings: Plant Gorgas: Wednesday, July 1, 5-7 p.m., Alabama Powers HVAC Training Center, 3711 Industrial Court, Jasper, AL. Plant Gaston: Monday, July 6, 5-7 p.m., Wilsonville Baptist Church, 9851 S. Main St., Wilsonville. Plant Miller: Tuesday, July 7, 5-7 p.m., West Jefferson Town Hall, 7000 West Jefferson Road, Quinton. Police in Baldwin County are asking for the publics help in finding a 16-year-old girl who has been missing since Sunday, the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency said Wednesday. Cailie Amiurah Powell was last seen around 5 a.m. June 28 near County Road 54 in Silverhill. Cailie may be traveling in a tan GMC Arcadia with no tag and headed to Houston. Cailie was described as 5-feet 3-inches tall, 125 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes. Anyone with information on Cailies whereabouts was asked to call the Silverhill Police Department at 251-947-4010 or call 911. I dont know that they are going to be able to do anything to get me back, he said. Its really hard to trust them. In two or three years will my position change? Maybe. But when we got off ship, my wife said, Yeah, Im not doing that again. " Cities of all sizes are trying to figure out how to deal with the COVID-19 outbreak. As the number of cases continues to rise in many parts of the United States including much oof Alabama, government leaders continue to make decisions they hope will prove to be beneficial for their communities. The results of those decisions wont be known for some time. Nevertheless, people such as Fairhope Mayor Karin Wilson hopes to keep her citizens encouraged and hopeful for a strong and quick recovery from the fallout of COVID-19. As proof she is invested for the long haul, Wilson announced June 15 her intent to run for re-election noting her work to help alleviate a budget deficit and implementing a true strategic plan for the city. Never could those things be more important as businesses are forced to close, jobs are lost and revenue evaporates in many places due to COVID-19 lockdowns. How Wilson and many of the states mayors navigate this challenging time will have a profound impact on Alabama for many years to come. Reopening Alabama is our mayoral town hall series meant to bring some of the mayors of Alabama face-to-face with citizens. We want you to ask your questions directly to the mayors through this one idea: How do we reopen Alabama responsibly? Reopening Alabama: A mayoral town hall series by AL.com, returns this week at 11 a.m. on Thursday at www.facebook.com/aldotcom or www.youtube.com/aldotcom with Mayor Wilson, and hosted by Ivana Hrynkiw. A recording of the event can be heard later by calling: 800-472-0172. Our guests so far have been Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin, Montgomery Mayor Steven Reed, Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle and Tuscaloosa Mayor Walt Maddox. The series, sponsored by AARP Alabama, will continue weekly at 11 a.m. each Thursday as follows: July 9: Mobile Mayor Sandy Stimpson If you have a question for Mayor Wilson for Thursdays fifth mayoral town hall, please send me an email: igould@advancelocal.com We invite you to ask your questions at the town hall, hopeful to bring you on screen to ask Mayor Wilson your question face-to-face during the live event. We also will answer questions in our Facebook comments as they are posted. Thanks in advance for your interest and participation. Montgomery police are searching for a 17-year-old girl who disappeared six days ago, the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency said Monday. Lesley Luna Pantaleon was last seen wearing black pants, a black shirt and black shoes June 24 near Perry Street in Montgomery. Lesley was described as 4-feet 11-inches tall, 90 pounds, with brown eyes and black hair. She has a scar on her left cheek. Anyone with information on her whereabouts was asked to call Montgomery police at 334-215-7867 or 911. A 74-year old state prison inmate has died after testing positive for COVID-19. Daniel Everett was serving a life sentence for a Madison County conviction of production of obscene matter involving children under the age of 17. He was incarcerated at Staton Correctional Facility in Elmore. According to Alabama Department of Corrections officials, Everett was already housed in Statons infirmary because of multiple advanced and chronic medical conditions. On June 11, he was tested for COVID-19 after another inmate in the infirmary tested positive for the virus and subsequently died. Once officials received notice that Everett was positive for the virus, said ADOC spokeswoman Linda Mays, he was moved to medical isolation within the facilitys infirmary. He was later transferred to a local hospital for additional care on June 22 once his condition began to deteriorate. He remained in the hospital until his death on Tuesday. Everett is the seventh state inmate to die after testing positive for the virus. The first inmate death was reported in mid-April. Additionally, one ADOC employee has died after testing positive for coronavirus. Last week, prison officials announced the death of a Tutwiler employee, the first employee death in the state prison system. They did not identify the employee. To date, 69 total cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed among the inmate population since March, 43 of which remain active. Among the staff and contract employees, there are 81 COVID-19 active cases. Eighty four staff members who previously self-reported a positive test have been cleared by medical providers to return to work. A Georgia man has pleaded guilty to making threats against schools in east Alabama and west Georgia. Levi Calhoun III, 28, pleaded guilty Tuesday to making threats against school and conveying false information, according to a joint announcement Wednesday by Middle District of Alabama U.S. Attorney Louis V. Franklin Sr. and FBI Special Agent in Charge James Jewell. According to court documents, on Nov. 7, 2018, Calhoun created and used a fake Facebook account to spread several threats that someone would attack one or more schools in Eufaula and in Quitman County, Ga. schools with firearms and explosive devices. When creating the fake social media account, Franklin said, Calhoun used images from another Facebook user causing him a great deal of distress when law enforcement contacted him to verify he was not actually making the threats. Fortunately, agents quickly traced the fake account back to Calhoun. On March 12, 2019, Calhoun was indicted by a federal grand jury on one count of making threats by mail or telephone and one count of conveying false information. Following his guilty plea to both counts, Calhoun is facing up to 10 years in prison. A sentencing date will be scheduled in the next few months. We will not tolerate domestic terrorism in any form, but especially when it is directed against our children, Franklin said. Students should be able to get an education without fear or the threat of violence. Mr. Calhouns actions were unacceptable, and I hope this prosecution sends the message that we will not abide any threats of violence against a school. The FBI will continue to support our state and local partners in the realm of online threats to life and property, Jewell said. The safety and well-being of our students and teachers comes first and will always be a priority to the FBI. On Monday, the Supreme Court handed down a key ruling addressing a Louisiana law requiring abortion doctors to maintain admitting privileges with a nearby hospital. Abortion providers challenged the law as an undue burden on the right to abortion, as established by Roe v. Wade. In a 5-4 decision, the nation's highest court struck down the Louisiana law. Pro-life advocates who champion the health of both women and their unborn children are discouraged. Abortion clinics are surgical clinics. Thus, they should operate with the same standard of care required for other types of surgical clinics. When a woman suffers complications from an abortion, the physician should be able to admit her to a hospital for further treatment and provide continuity of care. That the abortion is healthcare crowd doesnt, itself, insist upon this for women is revealing. For the second time in as many weeks, Chief Justice John Roberts, a George W. Bush appointee, has voted in ways that are bruising to social conservatives. First, joining Trump appointee Neil Gorsuch in deciding that protections established by Title VII of the Civil Rights Act extend to sexual orientation and gender identity, and again in Monday's decision in the Louisiana abortion case. It turns out the SCOTUS isn't a wholly-predictable ATM, into which we insert votes on election day, and then wait for it to spit out the rulings we ordered. Yes, there are philosophical tendencies and past rulings elected leaders can study when considering a judicial nominee. And don't forget the increasingly dramatic confirmation hearings (Kavanaugh!) to give us a sense of who a potential justice is and how they might rule in certain scenarios. But at the end of the day, they are human beings attempting to apply the law to complex issues--untethered from accountability thanks to lifetime appointments--so nothing is guaranteed. While we're taking the Supreme Court to the woodshed, our elected leaders need not smirk. They've failed us, too. The GOP spent the first two years of the Trump administration controlling the White House and both houses of Congress, and never stripped Planned Parenthood of its federal funding. A cynic might conclude that conservative politicians are more dedicated to fundraising and campaigning on the abortion issue than actually addressing it. So spare me any sackcloth and ashes from the Republicans who quietly stared at their shoes while that play clock ran out. Back to the courts. Not only did we lose this round, but conservative legal analyst David French suggests that the margin of defeat might be worse than the 5-4 decision suggests. He notes that of the four dissenting votes, only Justice Thomas bothered in his dissent to challenge the foundation of abortion rights found in Roe and Planned Parenthood v. Casey. The others simply spoke to the secondary issue on the table: whether or not the Louisiana law amounted to an undue burden on the established right to abortion. It's not conclusive, but it doesn't paint a picture of a conservative wing of the court chomping at the bit to get its hands on Roe and overturn it. Frustrating though it may be, pro-life advocates can't afford to give up on legal remedies to protect the unborn. After all, it took a legal solution, one that required a horrific war to bring it about, to free enslaved people in this country. American slavery was our first great collective spitting on the image of God in human beings. Abortion is our second. We must continue to pound that gate with the battering ram of our political influence. Just as with the cry to end dehumanizing slavery and racial discrimination, justice demands it. But given that legal solutions have proven hard to bring about--even when we "win" on election day--our strategy must continue to mature and diversify. Rather than always gazing forlornly toward Washington, we need to spend more time looking up and down Main Street. I understand why it's tempting to focus exclusively on the political and legal strategy for saving babies. Overturning Roe is the only solution that could cut abortion numbers drastically in a day. The pathways to reducing abortion demand require personal relationships and time, messy people with real names and faces, and are no more guaranteed than the mythical Roe reversal. The Main Street stuff bears fruit over time (abortion rates have been trending steadily downward for years), but it is hard work. It requires much less of us to stare at Washington all day, waiting to cheer or lament what they have or have not done. I hope I live to see Roe v. Wade reversed. But I will not live paralyzed by my grief and longing until they do. There's too much to do. We serve a God who simply asks for our faithfulness as he works his will in the world. He'll handle the outcomes. So buck up pro-lifers, and keep chopping wood. Dana Hall McCain is a widely published writer on the topics of faith, culture, and public policy. She is a Visiting Fellow with the Alabama Policy Institute and a member of the 2020 Leadership Council for the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention. This is an opinion column. This was inevitable, Mountain Brook. Especially now. Inevitable, though long overdue. And overlooked. Or buried beneath the immaculately tended lawns that characterize your city. For 55 years, Emmet ONeal greeted visitors to the citys spacious libraryhis name stretched atop the entrance in bold gold letters as families, as children, strode inside seeking knowledge. Yet nothing inside the beautiful building reveals this ugly truth about the man who served as Alabamas governor between 1911 and 1915 and was a framer of the states onerous and arcane constitution: ONeal was an unabashed supporter of white supremacy. On April 19, 1901, according to an article published in 1949 in the scholarly Journal of Negro History (founded in 1916 my Dr. Carter G. Woodson) titled Populism and Disfranchisement in Alabama, ONeal, then a city alderman from Florence and delegate to the states constitutional convention to be held later that year, spoke during a meeting of the Democratic State Executive Committee. [The] paramount purpose of the constitutional convention, he is quoted as saying, is to lay deep and strong and permanent in the fundamental law of the State the foundation of white supremacy forever in Alabama, and that we ought to go before the people on that issue and not suggest other questions on which we differ. Later, at the convention, he doubled-down similarly, wrote author R.B. Rosenburg in Alabama Governors: A Political History of the Statethough with even more offensive wording. The paramount purpose of the convention is to purify and elevate the political conditions in Alabama [by] secur[ing] permanent white supremacy in this state. ONeal chaired the conventions Committee on Suffrage and Elections. On May 23, 1901, at a pre-convention gathering where the agenda was simply to disenfranchise the Negro, ONeal, according to the same article, stated: If we abridge or deny the Negro the right to vote, we take this action not in hostility to him as a race, not on account of his color or previous conditions of servitude, but because his exercise of suffrage without restrictions makes it unsafe to the life of this state and detrimental to all the interests of the people among whom he resides The white race must dominate because it is the superior race, and in that domination the Negro will find the safest pledge and guarantee of just and impartial administration. Yeah, read that again. ONeals suffrage committee ultimately created voter registration provisions to unequivocally disenfranchise Blacks (even though some affected poor whites, as well). They included a $1.50 poll tax, requiring registrants to read and write English and to own at least $300 of property. In A Tragic Century; The Aftermath of the 1901 Convention, Wayne Flynt writes: 1n 1900, approximately 181,000 African-Americans had been eligible under the old 1875 constitution. By January 1, 1903, only 2,980 had been permitted to register under the new document. In the Black Belt, he additionally noted, Black registered voters in the 14 counties dropped massively: from 79,311 to 1,081. The number of white registered voters statewide fell, too, though only by 41,300, the author said, mostly for failing to pay the poll tax. Regarding womens suffrage, ONeal was equally condescending, opining voting was contrary to the theory of southern civilization, which held that woman was the queen of the household and domestic circles. Essentially, the king could vote (presuming hes white), but the queen, not so much. As governor, many of ONeals actions reinforced his racist leanings. He defied his own all-white committees recommendation to split an annual $10,000 in federal appropriations between the Alabama Polytechnic Institute (now Auburn) and two of the states all-Black schools: Tuskegee Institute and the Huntsville State Colored Normal School (now Alabama A&M). Instead, he awarded all the funds to API. At the 1912 governors convention, he offered a resolution supporting a national bill that would make interracial marriage a crime. Honestly, any building Alabama named for a white man who lived a century ago is likely honoring a racist. So ONeal was a man of his time. Of his awful time. He is not, however, a man of this time. Not anymore. Not now. His name must come down and the library renamed. ONeal did show at least a modicum of racial equity. He refused to pardon a white man found guilty of killing a Black man and spoke against mob violence against Blacks. Lynchings, during his term, were said to decline precipitously. Still, Mountain Brook, its time to make a change that perhaps should have happened long ago. Responding to an email regarding whether city officials had contemplated renaming the library, Mountain Brook mayor Stewart Welch wrote: City officials have not discussed changing the name of our library and this is a topic that is worthy of thoughtful consideration. At minimum. The change may no doubt be complicated by the fact that the library building was originally a gift of the Elizabeth and Kirkman ONeal Foundation, created by the former governors son. (It has since been dissolved, according to foundationcorp.org) Mountain Brook is, of course, the whitest (97%) of Birminghams over-the-mountain cousins birthed by white flight. But residents today widely consider themselves more progressive than their predecessors. In early June, hundreds showed up for a protest rally held at Crestline Elementary School in the wake of the murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer, which sparked a national awakening regarding police reform and racial inequities. Driving through the citys neighborhoods recently, Ive even spotted an occasional Black Lives Matter yard sign. Its time, Mountain Brook, to demonstrate just how much. Update: On July 13, the MB City Council passed a resolution changing the name to ONeal Library. A voice for whats right and wrong in Birmingham, Alabama (and beyond), Roys column appears in The Birmingham News and AL.com, as well as in the Huntsville Times, the Mobile Register. Reach him at rjohnson@al.com and follow him at twitter.com/roysj * Username This is the name that will be displayed next to your photo for comments, blog posts, and more. Choose wisely! We worked so hard together, struggling to build something meaningful. With great success came our promises to each other that we would not let it change us or our life together, she said in a statement Tuesday. I dont recognize the man that Dan has become. It is time to reveal his deceit and betrayal. After so much pain, it is time for truth. It is time to right these wrongs. 2018 has been a fantastic year for comics and it is a great time to start reading. New readers have new places to jump in and its the easiest Tens of thousands of protesters poured onto the streets of several Sudanese cities to correct the path of the revolution that removed longtime President Omar al-Bashir last year. Demonstrators on Tuesday gathered in the capital, Khartoum, and its twin cities Khartoum North and Omdurman, waving Sudanese flags and chanting slogans calling for greater civilian rule. The protesters want economic reforms and the appointment of civilian state governors, as well as justice for those killed in the anti-government demonstrations before and after the overthrow of al-Bashir in April 2019. Our demands are peace and justice. a protester in Burri, east of Khartoum, told AFP news agency. This march is to put the revolution back on course. The million-man march was called by the Sudanese Professionals Association and the so-called Resistance Committees, which were instrumental in the months-long protests against al-Bashir and the generals who took over power for months after his removal. Sudan has since August been led by a civilian-majority administration presiding over a three-year transitional period. Brandee Butler is director of the Civil Liberties Division at the Open Society Foundations' Initiative for Europe. Protests against racial injustice and the COVID-19 pandemic have exposed racial inequalities rife within social and economic systems around the world. Fed up with police brutality and systemic racism against African Americans and other racialised groups, people staged protests against racial injustice in all 50 states across the United States. Anti-racism protests also took place across European capitals including London, Dublin, Amsterdam, and Berlin, and cries for racial justice ricocheted around the world. While these uprisings were sparked by the police killing of an unarmed Black man, George Floyd, the outpouring of pain and anger in the midst of the COVID-19 global pandemic is about so much more. White supremacy is, of itself, a lethal public health issue that predates and exacerbates the impacts of COVID-19. The data, where available, are clear. International media have reported shocking health disparities in the US where COVID-19 death rates for racial minorities are disproportionately high, most dramatically for African Americans who, on a national average, are dying at 2.4 times the rate of white people. In Europe, there is reason to expect similar trends. According to data from the British government, Black men and women are more than four times more likely to die from COVID-19 than white people when taking age into account. South Asians also face significantly heightened risks compared with their white counterparts. Norways public health experts found that people born in Somalia are contracting COVID-19 at rates more than 10 times the national average. Similar trends have emerged in Sweden and Finland. Apart from these examples, however, there is surprisingly little data or discourse about the impact of the disease on racial and ethnic minorities in the rest of Europe. This silence speaks volumes about Europes approach to racism. The vast majority of EU member states do not use the concept of race or ethnic origin in data collection, in spite of policies like the European Racial Equality Directive and the Employment Equality Directive which prohibit racial or ethnic discrimination. France outright prohibits it. Without disaggregated data, it is virtually impossible to quantify the extent of discrimination experienced by racial and ethnic groups or the impacts of COVID-19 on their lives. Most evidence on racial health disparities points to the persistence of structural racism as a driving force for the social determinants of health. In the US and UK, minority populations are more likely to be poor, overrepresented in precarious and front-line work, have less access to quality healthcare, information and healthy food options, and are more likely to live in densely populated housing. Much of the same is true for Somalis in Norway and other Nordic countries. Given the scarcity of reporting from other European countries, you could be lulled into believing that these trends are unique. While there are no official figures, racial and ethnic minorities, including Roma, Muslims, and people of African descent, make up at least 10 percent of the EUs total population. Independent surveys by the EU Fundamental Rights Agency and research by anti-racism activists reveal experiences of widespread racial and ethnic discrimination in labour, education, health, housing, and criminal justice. The European Network Against Racism has also mapped accounts of recent rights violations, including racial profiling and hate crimes, reflecting heightened risks for minorities during the COVID-19 crisis. A 2017 report by the European Commission cites sources of resistance to collecting racial and ethnic equality data including fears, based on historical precedent, that it will contribute to discrimination and essentialise minority groups, or that education and poverty data, for example, are not effective proxies for measuring discrimination. Many also cite data protection concerns. Interestingly, these concerns have not prevented states from collecting equality data on the basis of gender and age. The truth, however, is perhaps best reflected in quotes from Member State reports included in the European Commissions research. A Danish report acknowledged that there is currently little political support as there is little recognition that discrimination is a problem in Denmark. In its report, the Portuguese Ministry of Justice similarly noted an official and institutional discourse that problems of discrimination are not applicable to the Portuguese. However, anti-racism activists and scholars disagree. Benjamine Laini Lusalusa of the Belgian decolonisation collective KUMBUKA has spoken of a pervasive and calculated ignorance which prevents Europeans from acknowledging or effectively addressing structural racism. Critical race scholar Alana Lentin similarly has written about a European silence that enables states to not only avoid the issues, but to proclaim themselves nonracist, or even anti-racist, in the face of evidence to the contrary. As politicians debate how to rebuild in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, European leaders have an opportunity to reverse, rather than entrench, existing inequalities. Stimulus and recovery packages should include measures to address the needs of Europes most disadvantaged racial and ethnic minority groups who bear the brunt of the crisis. In addition, the EU must impose new funding conditions that require public bodies in member states to collect equality data based on race and ethnic origin, using methodologies guided by minority groups, and to report on efforts to eliminate inequality under the Directives. This will be critical to ensure an inclusive and sustainable recovery for Europe. Only equipped with this knowledge can Europe meaningfully address systemic racism to forge a more inclusive and enduring Union. The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial stance. The Pakistani government does not seem willing to shift its spending priorities despite the burgeoning COVID-19 challenges. Pakistan has emerged as one of the countries with the fastest rate of coronavirus infections in recent weeks, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). The country reported its first coronavirus case on February 26 and is now among the top 15 most-affected countries. More than 4,000 people have lost their lives to the disease in Pakistan since the beginning of the outbreak. Moreover, there is a significant shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE) and ventilators in the country. Despite all this, Islamabad allocated $7.85bn for defence and merely $151m for health in the budget for the financial year 2020-2021. This represents a 12 percent rise in Pakistans defence spending compared with the last financial year. The single-line figure presented in the budget does not give a full picture of the amount actually being spent on defence either. To avoid hard questions from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Pakistan refuses to be fully transparent about its military spending. Major acquisitions by the armed forces, spending on the public sector development programme (PSDP), expenditure on the nuclear programme and para-military forces, payments for military pensions, a newly set-up national security division and a few other military expenditures are not reflected in the budget. If these were to be added to it, Pakistans defence spending would be even higher at around $11bn. The increase in defence spending comes at a time when Pakistan is forced to allocate 41 percent of its expenditure to debt servicing. The economy was underperforming even before the onset of COVID-19, surviving on an IMF loan package of $6bn. The gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate had plummeted from 5.5 percent in the 2017-2018 financial year to 2.4 percent in 2020-2021. Following the coronavirus outbreak, it decreased further to -1.5 percent. This marked the first time in Pakistans history that a negative growth rate was recorded. Before the pandemic, Pakistan was already burdened by an external debt of about $112bn. Today it is facing the additional challenge of feeding some 25 million poor families that can no longer make a living due to COVID-19. Moreover, the country saw a 30 percent reduction in tax revenue, due to the governments incompetence and decreased spending caused by the coronavirus lockdown. This led to a reduction in overall health spending, as the provincial governments received a less funds from the federal government. Speaking at the World Economic Forum on May 20, Pakistans Prime Minister Imran Khan appealed to G20 countries to help create the fiscal space Pakistan and other developing nations need to divert resources to healthcare and the environment. Earlier in April, Pakistans Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi reached out to his British counterpart, Dominic Raab, to ask for his help in convincing G20 countries to provide debt relief to Pakistan amid the pandemic. So far, Islamabad has spent some $424m on coronavirus relief. However, as demonstrated by the governments repeated appeals for debt relief, more funds are needed to efficiently tackle the crisis. Nevertheless, the countrys government seems to be more interested in keeping the powerful and bloated military content and impressing its strategic allies than providing support for the millions of struggling Pakistani citizens. This is why it gifted a plane full of PPE to the American military in May despite the growing domestic need for protective equipment. Khans government, in collusion with the military, is desperately trying to take control of more funds at a time when provincial governments are struggling to meet the most basic needs of their constituents. There is a consistent effort to undo the 18th amendment to the countrys 1973 constitution, which gives financial autonomy to the provinces and reduces the federal governments share. The military believes that a reduction in the funds available to the armed forces would affect its ability to counter the multiple threats facing the country. This is why it is unwilling to limit its spending to create fiscal space for the government to meet the needs of the poor and the vulnerable during the continuing crisis. Crucially, it is also not interested in opening its budgetary plans to public scrutiny. For years, continued political instability and the militarys involvement in and control over politics prevented successive federal governments from questioning the spending habits of the armed forces. The military made threat assessments and decided on its modernisation needs without any input from civilian authorities. It is, for instance, impossible for the parliamentarians to ask the army to make do with the domestically produced main battle tank al-Khaled, rather than buying new Chinese tanks. Despite paying more than $2bn in military pensions every year (a major expenditure that is not included in the defence budget), the government is not allowed to question what the military does with the revenues from its $20bn private business empire either. The military business also gets approximately $90.9m annually in tax exemptions from the state. Furthermore, the armed forces, unlike civilian departments, have the authority to move funds from one head of account to another. This means that it never has to surrender resources back to the state at the end of a financial year. Despite the continuing dispute with India over Kashmir, a war between the two neighbours does not seem likely. Pakistans nuclear programme provides the necessary deterrence to prevent a ground war. This means there is no need for an increase in defence spending, especially at a time when the country is facing an unprecedented crisis and Indias attention is sufficiently diverted towards its own problems with China. The military is still getting a large share of the nations resources as a result of its gradual usurpation of power and decades-long dominance of the state apparatus. By claiming more and more funds in the name of national security the military is simply trying to grab greater political, economic and social space for itself to the detriment of millions of struggling Pakistani citizens. The army chief is already a member of the top economic decision-making body, and military officers dominate most institutions. The government and other state institutions seem unable to resist the militarys growing demands and put the people first. Pakistans foreign allies, donors and partners, therefore, have a duty to pressure Islamabad to rethink its priorities. The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial stance. "Grisha," a Russian presenter and event planner, was working in Chechnya when he was detained and tortured. He was mistakenly released but then sought sanctuary when he realized the Chechens were looking for him. Eventually, in the face of threats to their safety, Grisha's boyfriend, his mother and sister, along with her two young children, also needed to take refuge, creating a greater challenge and more middle-of-the-night maneuvers for their rescuers. Ethiopian government says it has launched an investigation into the violence in Hawi Gudina and Daro Lebu districts. Clashes this week between different ethnic groups in Ethiopias Oromia region have killed at least 61 people, according to local officials. The Ethiopian government said on Monday it was investigating the violent incidents in Hawi Gudina and Daro Lebu districts, the latest round of violence in a region hit by deadly unrest in 2015 and 2016. Addisu Arega Kitessa, regional spokesman, said in a statement on Sunday that 29 ethnic Oromos were killed between December 14 and 17 by ethnic Somali attackers in Hawi Gudina. The violence prompted revenge attacks in Daro Lebu, which resulted in the killing of 32 ethnic Somalis, he added. The region is working to bring the perpetrators to justice, Addisu wrote on Facebook. It was not immediately clear what caused the latest violence. It came after 16 ethnic Oromos were killed on Tuesday by soldiers trying to disperse a protesting crowd in Oromias Chelenko town, Reuters news agency reported. Task force In a statement, Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn denounced the latest clashes and expressed his deepest condolences to families of victims, the state-run FANA news agency said on Monday. He also announced that a task force has been set up to investigate the attack, as well as the incident in Chelenko. Oromia was rocked by violence in 2015 and 2016, sparked by plans to allocate farmland in the region, which surrounds the capital, Addis Ababa, for development. Authorities later scrapped the land scheme, but anti-government protests that began in Oromia and spread into Amhara region and elsewhere flared again over political and human rights, as well as the continued detention of opposition demonstrators. The violence, which left hundreds dead, prompted the government to impose a state of emergency in October 2016. The measure, which was lifted in August, restricted a number of rights and led to the arrest of more than 21,000 people. 21 Savage said he wants to empower youth to manage their money. His program will work with mobile banking service provider Chime and EverFi, an education technology platform. The rapper launched his Bank Account program in 2018 to teach financial literacy to teenage students across the United States. Henry, who co-anchored Americas Newsroom between the hours of 9 a.m. and noon on weekdays, had slowly rehabilitated his career on Fox following a four-month leave of absence that ended in 2016. That followed published reports of an extramarital affair that he had conducted with a Las Vegas cocktail waitress. Its not your imagination. Youve been hearing more fireworks than usual. Between homemade displays, and cancellations of popular city fireworks shows like the one at Navy Pier, Chicagoans have taken Fourth of July celebrations into their own hands. This has led to a huge increase in fireworks sales which, in a market hit hard by COVID-19-related factory closures, has also led to a shortage. SEARCY, Ark. Seth Sims, junior biochemistry major, is among more than 1,500 Harding University students included on the dean's list for grades achieved during the Spring 2020 semester. The dean's list is published each semester by Dr. Marty Spears, university provost, honoring those who have achieved high scholarship. To be eligible, a student must be carrying 12 or more hours with a 3.65 or higher grade-point average and no incompletes. Harding University is a private Christian university located in Searcy, Arkansas. Waynoka city sales tax measure loses by one vote State Question 802 for Medicaid expansion passed by a narrow margin in Oklahoma Tuesday, garnering 50.48 percent in favor with 49.52 percent opposed. Unofficial returns list 340,279 votes in favor statewide and 333,761 against. The measure will become part of the state constitution, which will prevent legislators from enacting rules that could make it more difficult to quality for coverage such as work requirements. Nearly 200,000 low-income adult residents are expected to gain health insurance through this measure, which wont go into effect until next year. Expansion is estimated to bring a little more than $1 billion additional federal funds annually to Oklahoma, according to Amber England, the initiative campaign manager. The state will have to pick up 10 percent of the cost. However, Woods County voters disagreed with the state majority with 62.58 percent voting against the state question. The unofficial tally was 1,097 votes against and 656 in favor in the county. A Woods County proposition allowing restaurants to serve alcoholic beverages by the drink for on-premises consumption on Sunday was passed by a 60.14 percent margin. Numerous other counties in the state have already passed a similar measure. The proposition only applies to those establishments already serving alcohol. The City of Waynoka sales tax proposal went down to defeat by one vote, according to state election board results. The one percent sales tax was intended in part for capital improvements of the Waynoka Municipal Swimming Pool. Of the total 173 votes cast, 87 voted against the sales tax and 86 in favor. For state corporation commission, Republicans in the county voted 81.99 percent for Todd Hiett over Harold D. Spradling. Statewide voters also chose Hiett. Incumbent U.S. Senator Jim Inhofe outdistanced his three Republican opponents with a 72.93 percent margin in Woods County. Statewide, Inhofe took 74.06 percent of the vote. On the Democrat ballot, Abby Broyles took a 51.99 percent margin in the county. She was also the favorite statewide with 60.74 percent. Vote counts are considered unofficial until finalized at 5 p.m. on Friday, July 3. Until that time, protests and requests for recounts may be filed. Lake Charles, Louisiana (70615) Today Cloudy early with scattered thunderstorms developing this afternoon. High 89F. Winds S at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 40%. Locally heavy rainfall possible.. Tonight Scattered thunderstorms this evening becoming more widespread overnight. Low 73F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 80%. Locally heavy rainfall possible. The law, imposed following anti-government protests in Hong Kong last year, makes secessionist, subversive, or terrorist activities illegal, as well as foreign intervention in the citys internal affairs. Any person taking part in activities such as shouting slogans or holding up banners and flags calling for the citys independence is violating the law regardless of whether violence is used. its definition of those crimes could be interpreted broadly to include various forms of speech or organizing. At a time when the Left has progressed from calling for socialism in the face of an economic boom to calling for the defunding of police in the face of mob violence, anyone not knee-deep in the fever swamp of radicalism should be rallying together to defend civilization against the barbarians. Yet, a number of prominent politicians whose egos blot out the sun are working instead to spread chaos under a false flag of conservatism in order to avenge petty slights and advance narrow personal ambitions. They are striking the ancient pose of fiddling while Rome burns. One such group has formed a political action committee to elect Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden. They dare to call their creation the Right Side PAC, a name that cannot pass any truth in advertising test. A Biden administration would throw open the door to the left at its peak of revolutionary zeal and destructive policy proposals. Prominent among this group of nominally Republican operatives from the camps of the late John McCain and the Bush family is Anthony Scaramucci, who served all of ten days as communications director before President Donald Trump fired him. Scaramuccis vision of the world does not extend beyond his mirror. His years as a hedge-fund manager on Wall Street do not sit well with Main Street, but he never-the-less claims to be very confident that we can convince a large group of Republican voters that Biden is the right person to vote for if they want to stay true to their principles and to the legacy of the Republican Party. A legacy is a term usually associated with the dead and Scaramucci and his ilk represent a shallow wing of the GOP that is breathing its last in terms of abusing public trust to advance private gain. While it is easy to dismiss this group as small-minded malcontents, there is more than personal pique at work here. This can be seen in the main policy disagreement with President Trump that leads them to Biden. That is Free Trade in general and economic ties to China in particular. Scaramucci has criticized President Trumps trade war with Beijing, asking What would be nonsensical for the United States? To create a Cold War with China. We have a strong bilateral relationship with China. He is the voice of transnational businesses that plunged heavily into China looking for profits on the advice of liberal intellectuals and libertarian economists who claimed such ventures would foster world peace through interdependence; a ChinAmerica globalism. The Chamber of Commerce has been the head cheerleader for this notion with a certain brand of country club Republicans happy to chant along. The Chamber still says its policy and advocacy efforts are guided by the belief that commercial engagement and the expansion of trade and investment ties between the United States and China benefit both countries and their business communities. The Covid-19 pandemic has postponed the Chambers 11th China Business Conference, but it still held a virtual U.S.-China CEO Dialogue on June 18. After paying lip service to Beijings unfair trade practices and its growing geostrategic threat, the Chamber rejected the use of tariffs that would disrupt the supply chains that have made so many major domestic industries dependent on state-run Chinese partners. It then concluded, Despite recent tensions and the clear challenges of working with China, a functional relationship between the United States and China is in the fundamental interests of Americans, and of peace and stability in the world. Mitt Romney also falls into this category. Though the Utah Senator has not gone all the way to endorse Biden, he has declared he will not vote to re-elect President Trump. He did vote for one of the articles of impeachment against the president, the only Republican to do so. It should be remembered that the last time the left was on a rampage of todays scale was fifty years ago when a GOP President was impeached and resigned. The result was the chaos of the 1970s, one of the worst decades in our history, marked by defeat overseas (which led to the slaughter of millions across Southeast Asia) and stagflation at home(which ruined the lives of millions). And there were some foolish Republicans then, as well, who aided and abetted the catastrophe. Mitt Romney marching in a Black Lives Matter demonstration (YouTube screen grab, cropped) Romney is miffed that after running for president for six years he lost a race he could have won. It would be easy to dismiss Romneys chagrin over Donald Trumps success, but there is more to it. Romney made a fortune at Bain Capital, which prides itself on directing Western money into Chinese development. Its Beijing office was Inspired by the vast potential of the Chinese nation and its people, Bain was the first foreign strategy firm to plant roots in Beijing. For more than 25 years, our team has partnered with change-oriented clients. Bain Greater China also has offices in Shanghai and Hong Kong. But then Bain operates all over the world; a true transnational firm with no allegiance except to itself. Romney fit right in. Romney has been inconsistent in recent statements about China, but in a familiar pattern. He has warned of the growing Chinese threat yet has opposed actions to meet the threat. When President Trump imposed tariffs on a broad array of Chinese goods in 2018 based on national security concerns, Romney proclaimed, Im not a fan of trade wars. I hope the tariffs can soon be removed and replaced by a mutually agreeable trade agreement. In other words, continuing business when the strategic situation requires a decoupling of the U.S. economy from Chinese influence and the rebuilding of hollowed out domestic industry. Joe Bidens record looks like an attractive alternative to President Trumps confrontational approach to China for those who do not want to see commerce and investment affected in a world returning to Great Power competition. After leaving the vice-presidency, Biden set up the Penn Biden Center in association with the larger Penn Global network, which has deep ties to Chinese institutions. At the Penn Biden Center website, China gets mentioned in a section titled "Advancing the Dialogue of Globalism." The section opens with a photo of Vice President Biden meeting with then-Vice President Xi Jinping as they tour an irrigation project in China. This image presents the key theme of "partnership." It is claimed that "Populism and nationalism may slow the tide of globalism, but they cannot stop it." These are golden words to the Scaramucci-Romney set whose opposition to President Trump is rooted in their distaste for the nationalism he expounds. Biden acknowledges "China is playing the long game by extending its global reach, promoting its own political model, and investing in the technologies of the future" and that "the United States does need to get tough with China. If China has its way, it will keep robbing the United States and American companies of their technology and intellectual property. It will also keep using subsidies to give its state-owned enterprises an unfair advantage -- and a leg up on dominating the technologies and industries of the future." While this sounds like President Trump, Biden rejects the policy implications. He still wants to cooperate with Beijing on issues where our interests converge, such as climate change, nonproliferation, and global health security." Yet, there is no sign that Beijing believes our interests do converge on these issues. And Biden is calling for massive defense spending cuts in the face of Beijings military buildup (a result of the massive transfer of capital and technology from the West) which is rising tensions across the entire Indo-Pacific region. Rogue Republicans who think that by electing Biden they can turn the GOP back to a pre-Trump orientation are exhibiting a blindness to how the world is evolving both at home and abroad. President Trump tapped into trends that developed independently of his candidacy and will continue to grow beyond the 2020 election. The Lefts virulent campaign against President Trump stems from the fact that he represents an approach different from the standard Republicanism that the left has grown confident in beating. President Trumps stress on national unity and the common good strikes directly at the lefts class warfare model (with its dangerous tactic of provoking racial discord) that rejects the very concept of America. The left prefers opponents who accept their assigned role in the class warfare narrative as selfish bastards with no social conscious or higher loyalty. In contrast, a leader who elevates his vision to providing sovereignty, prosperity and security to the American people as a whole, a people who are united because they all have the same red blood regardless of class or race (as President Trump has stated time and again) poses a challenge the Left cannot handle. If their response to Make America Great is that America does not deserve to be great, the left will lose. It is the positive, national message that must become the core conservative principle if anything is to be conserved worth the effort. Those who do not understand and embrace it can no longer claim to be part of the movement; they are part of the problem, not part of the solution. William R. Hawkins is a consultant specializing in international economic and national security issues. He is a former economics professor who has served on the staff of the US House Foreign Affairs Committee. We are witnessing the utter destruction of American values. This great country is not an accident. It was born of geniuses who through some form of Providence came together to literally will the United States into existence. Not only did they launch a new republic, they set it up for unprecedented success by combining freedom with inalienable rights. The underpinning that allowed for an explosion of creativity and prosperity for centuries was fundamentally that hard work could be rewarded, and lifestyles enhanced. There was an implicit understanding that while the United States provided no guaranteed outcomes, it did offer unprecedented opportunities for success. Were there equal opportunities for the slaves (and their immediate descendants) brought to the United States against their will? No. Did traders from Britain, Portugal, and France roam the African Continent capturing slaves for export to buyers around the world? No, they didnt have to. Dominant African tribes were more than happy to do the dirty work and sell lesser advantaged peoples into slavery. It was ever thus. Perhaps the greatest folly of the past month (and thats not an easy one to pick, given the daily deluge of chicaneries being foisted on the American populace) is the notion that slavery was a uniquely American peculiarity, and blacks in America are owed reparations because of the way they have been treated from the 1600s until today. Perhaps Al Sharpton sums up the thought process from his speech (click here) at a George Floyd memorial service. The premise here is that no African Americans in the United States have been successful because the white man has held them back. First, this is patently absurd, as there are millions of successful African Americans in the United States. Second, while no human being today can possibly justify the enslavement of another human being, the fact is that the Emancipation Proclamation was 158 years ago. I do not accept the fact that the white mans knees have been on the black mans neck right up to present day. The Civil Rights Act was signed into law half a century ago. Trillions of taxpayer dollars have been spent on what could easily be deemed to be reparations in everything but name. Before I move on to the here and now, I want to be clear that I do not know what it is like to be a black man in the United States. I cannot put myself in his shoes. I think too many white people believe they can assuage some sense of personal guilt by trying to put themselves in a black persons shoes. But a white person will never know what it is like to be black, Indian, Chinese, or Iraqi, any more than someone from one of those cultures would know what it is like to wake up every day as a white person and be remonstrated for the sins of generations past. So lets debunk some of this nonsense. Slavery dates back to the earliest annals of man. There has always been slavery, and it continues today. In fact, in only the last two hundred years have some of the greatest civilizations of all time renounced slavery. For the Egyptians, Greeks and Romans, it was taken as a given that slavery was part of the natural state of man. Aristotle wrot: For that some should rule and others be ruled is a thing not only necessary, but expedient; from the hour of their birth, some are marked out for subjection, others for rule In the Roman empire, slaves formed an integral part of its growth and prosperity. Slaves had no rights, and were nothing more than a commodity. This practice lasted for centuries. Slavery in the Roman empire ceased when the empire dissolved; it was not by or through any act of man. Even the early Christian philosophers, (while considering slavery as a symptom of mans fall from grace), did not distance themselves from the practice. Thomas Aquinas wrote men of outstanding intelligence naturally take command, while those who are less intelligent but of more robust physique, seem intended by nature to act as servants The only two major civilizations to abolish slavery are the United Kingdom and the United States. You see, slavery still exists today. There are over 40,000,000 enslaved people, 71% of whom are females. 25,000,000 of them are involved in forced labor. With the exception of one Latin American country, this is taking place in Africa, eastern Europe, and Asia. To learn more, click here. Slavery was not invented by Americans, and it didnt end when Abraham Lincoln closed the door to it here in the U.S. So how did the completely senseless and tragic death of George Floyd devolve into the anarchy pulsing through Americas cities today? Is this really about George Floyd? I posit for your consideration that the professional agitators and extremists have leaped upon Mr. Floyds death to do what they do best. Namely, this is their time to destroy the United States and all that has made it the country of hope and opportunity for hundreds of millions of people. I do not know if China, Russia, or internal fomenters of destruction are funding this wanton violence and destruction. I do know that George Floyd was just the excuse. The attack on police, institutions, and statues are not about him. They are being orchestrated by those who wish to radically change the United States. I have watched in horror as statue after statue has been torn down. This is our history! It is the good, the bad, and the ugly, and it is what made us what we are today. The mob rule is reminiscent of the Nazi brown shirts in the 1930s. Groupthink has consumed major segments of our population. One just scratches ones head in bewilderment when learning of U.S. Grants statue being defaced. Really? The general who ended the military part of the Civil War and dedicated the emancipation statue in Washington D.C.? Yes, the statue with Abraham Lincoln; the one with a slave rising up and breaking his shackles to symbolize his new-found freedom. Yes, the statue paid for by freed black slaves! Yes, the statue endorsed by Frederick Douglass, the leading black abolitionist of the era. Yes, that statue. Reasonable people wake up every day to a new assault on their senses. Opposing thought is stifled or worse yet, punished. Our history is being eradicated on a scale never-before experienced. Rest assured, your grandchildren will not be learning about American exceptionalism or manifest destiny in their social studies classes. And before some of you on the left jump on that one, remember, its not whether you agree with the theories; its that they are very much part of our history, and should not be swept under the carpet because a progressive groundswell rejects the notions. It is naive not to connect the dots between the insurrection and assaults on law enforcement and the radical agenda being advanced by the Democrats in the 2020 election. Joe Biden has capitulated and allowed the socialist wing of the party to coopt the party platform. The Democrats will attack everything hard-working Americans hold dear. Once again, I implore readers not to focus on the myriad faults exhibited by our current president. He is flawed; very flawed. But the imminent, (and very real) threat of a socialist takeover looms large. As I said, our wonderful, magnificent experiment in freedom and opportunity lies in bed on a respirator. If more Americans dont wake up, the Democrats will gladly pull the plug. Image credit: Pixabay public domain It's been only one month since the success of the first SpaceX Crew Dragon launch, but NASA has already modified SpaceX's contract to allow the company to launch astronauts on reused rockets and spacecraft. This is a big jump for NASA, which is confident in SpaceX's promises despite one of its reusable rockets exploding the day before its successful launch of astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS). The idea of reusable rockets is to make them capable of powering multiple trips into space, thus dramatically lowering the cost of travel and making commercial activities possible. In the case of SpaceX, NASA is rewarding technology that isn't quite ready to go. NASA has tried this technology in the past but had little success. NASA did eventually develop reusable rockets during the Shuttle missions, but they proved to be much more difficult to operate than anticipated, resulting in expenses rising 4,000 percent above estimates to over a billion dollars a flight. Refurbishment fell below expectations, with the shuttle taking an average of 80 days for repairs rather than the seven days NASA initially projected. As NASA tried unsuccessfully to produce efficient reusable rockets, other nations like Russia completed more practical projects and innovations, giving America no choice but to start making greater use of lower-cost foreign rockets to conduct missions. While this put an end to NASA's pursuit of reusables, Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Richard Branson, and other venture capitalists' entry into the space marketplace has brought the idea back. Venture capitalism is about taking huge risks with the hopes of huge rewards, but the trouble is that they are not experimenting independently. They have roped NASA back into participating in this endeavor yet again before working out all the kinks. Seemingly forgetting their agency's failed history of making reusables operational, leadership at NASA have begun doling out government contracts. The results have been predictable. While these companies' reusable projects have had some things to cheer about over the years, they continue to run into many of the same problems NASA faced in terms of ensuring steady cost savings and adequate reliability. The promise of reusable parts that would lower expenses hasn't panned out the way many have hoped. Similar to how NASA saw issues with engine repairs and other failures that drastically raised launch prices, these private firms have seen accidents, cost overruns, and a frequent inability to actually recycle the parts they have deemed "reusable." Limited payloads have also been a struggle for some time, as reusables' carrying capacity is much lower than that of a single-use rocket and often makes the projects not worth the cost. Making matters worse in SpaceX's case is that it has overestimated the cost-savings for its reusable endeavors in the past. For example, in one mission, SpaceX had to raise its price by fifty percent compared to what it had offered previously after getting "a better idea of the costs involved." It had to do this despite already having the highest price of the three contractors competing for contracts with that mission. NASA wants reusable technology to be ready so it can make interplanetary exploration affordable and practical. But in the process, it may have let dreams get in the way of reality. If these rockets were already reliable, Musk wouldn't be dedicating his entire team to working on the project in the aftermath of an explosion. Reusables may be the future of space travel and commerce, but taxpayer money and astronauts should not be the test subjects As a scientist, I believe in empirical data. In the realm of the government, events can and should be replicated consistently before the government decides to make use of technology that's critical for national security. Until there is more concrete evidence of reusable rockets' reliability and safety, the national space program should refrain from including them further in future space operations. Phil Kiver, Ph.D., is an Army veteran of Iraq and Afghanistan. He received his doctorate in strategic studies at Henley-Putnam University. We're busy up here with COVID, another New York Times story based on people familiar with the situation, another day of former V.P. Joe Biden hiding in the basement, and lots of rumors about President Trump dropping out. Down in Mexico, the situation is not about rumors. Last week, Mexico City police chief Omar Garcia Harfuch was gunned down near his Lomas de Chapultepec home in Mexico City. For the record, I'm very familiar with that part of Mexico City. It's upscale and exclusive. How did people with high-powered rifles enter this supposedly secured neighborhood? The assassination attempt happened at an intersection at 6:30 in the morning. Where were these people hiding? It should scare the heck out of every politician, business executive, and mom driving her kids to a private school. The good news is that Chief Garcia Harfuch survived the bullets. There were other injuries on both sides of the shootout. What does this attack mean? Was it an aberration or a sign of things to come? The Colombianization of Mexico City? President Lopez-Obrador was vague as always. He is apparently saying this attack confirms that his approach against the cartels is working. I guess he is saying they are more dangerous because we are killing more of them. Really, Senor Presidente? As the aforementioned article points out, violence in Mexico is out of control. In other words, every news report confirms that we are seeing the highest number of murders in Mexican history. As my Mexican friend said: "Esto esta peor," or this is getting worse. I think the police chief would agree with that! PS: You can listen to my show (Canto Talk) and follow me on Twitter. On Sunday, June 28, 2020, Poles voted for president. Thirty years ago, Poland was so lightweight politically that such an event would have passed unnoticed. Today, as Alasdair Lane rightly notes, who becomes president in Poland will have consequences for the entire E.U. (Forbes, 28 June 2020). The two leading candidates were the incumbent Andrzej Duda and Warsaw mayor Rafa Trzaskowski. They got, respectively, 43.67 percent and 30.34 percent of the vote. There will be a second round. Under Duda's leadership, Poland launched major investment programs such as building a canal across the Vistulan Peninsula, with the view to making the Polish port of Elblag easily reachable by large ships; and the mega-airport in Baranow that will compete with the Frankfurt hub in Germany. Duda's government has improved the standard of living of the poorest citizens by giving families a $125 bonus for each child and, recently, a one-time $125 voucher for the child's summer vacation. The money became available because Duda substantially curbed corruption. Under the previous (Civic Platform) administration, billions of dollars left Poland annually as companies falsely claimed exemption from the value-added tax. Duda's good-looking opponent, Rafa Trzaskowski, proved himself to be a singularly inept manager. In 2019, Warsaw's sewer system failed, and untreated sewage poured directly into the Vistula. Cities and towns along the Vistula River, all the way to Gdansk, were affected, and so was the Baltic Sea. Trzaskowski was unable to cope with the problem and had to ask the conservative government (which he otherwise badmouthed) for help which he received. Neither Greenpeace nor any other ecological organizations gave publicity to the event or blamed Trzaskowski for a lack of management skills. Did I make myself clear? Major media in Europe and America have favored Trzaskowski over Duda. Here is how the media reported Duda's substantial lead over Trzaskowski. The article in Politico announced, "Polish presidential election heads to second round" (Politico, 28 June 2020). Trzaskowski is called "centrist," whereas the ruling party (of which Duda is not a member but with which he sympathizes) is called "nationalist." In the above-mentioned Forbes article, the incumbent president is called "a man who plays fast and loose with press freedom and the rule of law." There is no documentation for such statements, and indeed, it seems incomprehensible how a free election could be held under a president who allegedly is lawless. Duda is compared to the "notorious" Viktor Orban of Hungary, a "right-wing reactionary." He is said to be "less extreme," however. The attempt by the Polish government to get rid of judges appointed still under communism is called "a legislative clamp down on judges and journalists critical of the government." Incidentally, eighty percent of the Polish media are foreign-owned. U.S. News and World Report calls Duda "populist" and "right wing." EuroNews calls Trzaskowski "pro-EU," as if Duda were against Poland's membership in the E.U. The Guardian calls him "homophobic" ahead of the election (19 June 2020). The BBC chooses "nationalistic," a universal term of condemnation in today's public debate. The BBC adds that COVID-19 caused the Polish economy to go into a recession. Aren't other economies also suffering? Yes, but recession is a handy stone with which to hit a politician one dislikes. Incidentally, isn't every government supposed to care for its own nation primarily? Why call conservative governments nationalistic and avoid this label when describing radically leftist governments, such as Maduro's in Venezuela? Journalists apparently feel that it is not necessary to provide documentation concerning labels slapped on conservative governments. Incidentally, the Polish state has never passed laws discriminatory of homosexuals neither after nor before World War 2. In the Second Polish Republic, several homosexual artists reached much recognition, such as composer Karol Szymanowski or writer Jarosaw Iwaszkiewicz. The general consensus in Poland has been that homosexuality is a private matter and it should not become a topic of public discussion. There is a long way from this to being "homophobic" or imposing penalties for homosexuality. So why does calling Duda "homophobic" come so easily to "objective" journalists? Who voted for Trzaskowski? Here is a partial explanation. Under Soviet occupation, over two million Poles joined the Communist Party. Add to that their families and friends, and those who collaborated with the secret police or were members of it and their families. They are now retired, are Polish citizens, and have the right to vote. Whom do you think they vote for? Duda, who keeps repeating that he is working for the Polish people, or Trzaskowski, who mouths slogans about the E.U., progress, and sexual liberation? The BBC has titled its article "Poland's clash of values in presidential election." Indeed, this is a struggle not between two parties, but between two civilizations: the civilization of demanding more and more ideological supervision from the state, and imposing more and more restrictions that are euphemistically called "political correctness." The other civilization is that of holding on to the tradition of natural law (so widely accepted in Poland) and safeguarding liberty, while also caring for material welfare of the citizenry and for technological development. Poland is an easy target too big not to be noticed yet not a great power, with neighbors that are not entirely reconciled to seeing her free of their commandeering. This is why it is so easy to slap labels on Polish events. These labels show glaring political bias in the media. Should we not try to point out how easily bigoted stereotypes are worked into world news? Image: Radosaw Czarnecki via Wikimedia Commons. The nightmare is no product of imagination. It is real: infanticide for the purpose of organ-harvesting is real. Madeline Osburn of The Federalist reports on shocking new video of deposition testimony under oath confirming crimes worthy of comparison to Dr. Mengele: [V]ideos of witnesses under oath show that not only did the abortion giant profit from the sale of fetal organs, but that Planned Parenthood and its business partner, Advanced Bioscience Resources (ABR), violated federal law that mandates a fetus born with a beating heart is a human being equally entitled to protections under the law. "Placing an order for body parts from a born alive infant uses the means of interstate commerce to obtain the death of a human being through organ harvesting," Daleiden says in the video. "If the federal law is applied equally to born-alive infants, this is murder for hire." In the video, ABR's procurement manager Perrin Larton describes how fetuses "just fall out" of some women in the operating room "once every couple months." She says she receives these intact fetuses straight from the abortion doctor and dissects them in the clinic lab for body parts. Larton is asked if those fetuses have a heartbeat. "It depends," she says. "I can see hearts that are not in an intact P.O.C. [product of conception] that are beating independently." In a deposition with Dr. Deborah Nucatola, former medical director for Planned Parenthood Los Angles and current medical director at Planned Parenthood of Indiana and Kentucky, she admits she has had "non-viable" fetuses delivered in her facilities. When asked how she determines whether a fetus born alive is considered viable, Nucatola says it "depends on where you work" and that one way she determines a baby's viability is "the availability of interventions" at the facility. Finally, Jon Dunn, the CEO of Planned Parenthood Orange County testifies that at least once he was made aware of a fetus born alive at his facility. The staff did not call 9-1-1 and "kept it warm and comfortable," Dunn said. Living human beings are killed by denying them care, and their organs are harvested for profit. A grand jury is required, in my opinion. Hat tip: J.J.Sefton. Photo credit: YouTube screen grab. China will ban the import of all solid waste from 2021 for environmental reasons, but ferrous scrap will not be affected by the move. Well-placed sources with deep knowledge of government policy told Fastmarkets on Wednesday July 1 that the ban - announced by the Ministry of Ecology and Environment a day earlier - does not affect imports of the steelmaking raw material. Import restrictions imposed since July 2019 have significantly slowed the inflow of ferrous scrap into China. The Chinese government issues limited import quotas for scrap from time to time. Since the restrictions were put into place, Chinese mills that have strong demand for scrap have been urging authorities to introduce a new set of standards to allow the reopening of the country to imports, especially since they are now cheaper than domestic supply. For instance, Fastmarkets assessment for steel scrap heavy scrap domestic, delivered mill China was at 2,600-2,640 yuan ($368-373) per tonne including value-added tax on June 29, while that for steel scrap H2 export, fob main port Japan was 24,000-24,500 ($223-227) on June 24. Sources in and out of China expect new scrap import standards to be implemented in the first quarter of 2021, although a source at the China Association of Metal Scrap Utilization - one of the entities tasked with drawing up the new standards - said it was hard to give a timeline for the rollout at this stage. Have any questions? Please give us a call at 907-561-7737 Putin, who has been in power for more than two decades longer than any other Kremlin leader since Soviet dictator Josef Stalin said he would decide later whether to run again in 2024. He argued that resetting the term count was necessary to keep his lieutenants focused on their work instead of darting their eyes in search for possible successors. This page contains all of The Anchorage Press coverage of the novel coronavirus outbreak, and the illness it causes, called COVID-19. Because this outbreak impacts public health, our coverage of the coronavirus is available to all readers. Our journalists are working hard to bring you the verified information below. Please consider supporting important local journalism with a subscription. (Click Here) Are you an Anchorage resident whos been affected by the illness? Send us an email: matt.hickman@anchoragepress.com. (Image source from: Twitter.com/TelanganaCMO) KCR To Hold A Crucial Cabinet Meeting About Lockdown:- Telangana witnessed a huge number of new coronavirus cases and most of them are registered in the limits of GHMC. Despite of several measures taken and rules imposed, the cases kept increasing. Telangana Chief Minister KCR has been keen to impose lockdown in the limits of GHMC for two more weeks. The crucial call will be taken today through a cabinet meeting. KCR will discuss about this with the ministers, legislators and the officials before making an announcement about the same. All the Common Entrance Tests that are planned to be conducted in July are canceled which added strength that the lockdown will be imposed very soon in the limits of Hyderabad. The new lockdown rules will continue in Telangana in the containment zones informed the government. KCR will also meet the Health officials before the cabinet meeting and will discuss about the further measures to be taken to control the spread of coronavirus in the state. The hospitals are full and there are several patients who are denied admission in the private hospitals. Though some of the cases created a stir, Telangana Health Minister Etala Rajendar said that the government is trying their best to battle coronavirus with the available resources. KCR is expected to interact with the media today evening and announce about the decisions taken in the cabinet meeting. As per the ongoing speculation, strict lockdown will be imposed in the limits of GHMC from July 3rd to 20th. (Video Source: Mahaa News) YS Jagan Flags Off 1088 Ambulances In Vijayawada:- Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jaganmohan Reddy today flagged off 1088 ambulances of 104 and 108 services that could serve the people of the state in this tough time. The event took place on the occasion of Doctor's Day. YS Jagan along with the ministers and legislators waived off the flag after the vehicles marched towards their respective districts and towns. These vehicles are designed to provide health care facilities for the people who are in need. Some of the ambulances are aimed to serve in an emergency, some of them are designed with advanced life support systems. Some others are available with a basic life support system. There are separate vehicles with neo-natal support. YS Jagan was focused on this program from some time and took things prestigiously. A whopping amount of budget has been allocated for this. Health Minister Alla Nani was present along with YS Jagan during the flag off event. 744 doctors are specially appointed to work on these vehicles to provide support and medical facilities for the people across the state. Special medical camps will be conducted in all the remote villages of Andhra Pradesh soon. (Video Source: TV9 Telugu Live) Google has been hard at work trying to bring early earthquake warnings and alerts to Android at the system level as part of Google Play Services. Thats based on a recently reported tear-down of the app by 9to5Google, showing the progress made so far. The alert system appears to be based on ShakeAlert, which is funded by the US Geological Survey and others. That means, at least in its earliest incarnation, the feature would primarily apply to the West Coast. As with other early alert systems for earthquakes, the goal here is straightforward. Namely, the company hopes to integrate into that system so that users can be warned at the first signs of trouble. The alerts are based on early tremor detection and associated algorithms for predicting larger quakes. How much progress has Google made introducing earthquake alerts to Android? This would essentially bring the functionality of apps such as LAs ShakeAlertLA or UC Berkleys MyShake to the system-level. Android would utilize users approximate location to deliver the notifications. Those, as noted above, would be driven in turn by ShakeAlerts sensor arrays. Advertisement Depending on the epicenter of the quake, two separate alerts can be presented. The first type of alert warns of imminent shaking. It tells users to expect shaking to begin soon and provides details about the magnitude of the quake. The second type of alert mentions how far away the earthquake is and how strong it is. Theres no current mention of a map in the notifications but its though Google will include one behind a tap on the notification. Thats a common practice among the best of earthquake apps. Additionally, Google has outlined some key information associated with the app. That would be displayed to users upon introduction to the feature. The feature will warn users that magnitude and intensity are estimates and also that alerts wont always arrive ahead of the quake. Thats mostly going to depend on the magnitude, how much advance warning tremors allow for, and where the epicenter is. Advertisement Moreover, the feature warns that not all earthquakes can even be detected in advance. Users of the feature are reminded that its a good idea to make a plan for the eventuality. That includes, as many Californians already know, identifying potential hazards and securing objects that could become hazards if moved during a quake. The alerts may also be used to predict and warn of aftershocks. If this works, Google will undoubtedly expand on it further Based on previous statements from the US Geographical Survey, the system could be a big deal if it works. The organization has previously indicated that the seconds or even tens of seconds of advanced warning can mean the difference between life and death. That short time span gives people and systems that counter or respond to earthquakes an advantage of time. That time, consequently, saves both life and property. Advertisement So it isnt entirely shocking that Google is working to implement the system, even if it would only initially be useful to a relatively small percentage of users. That could expand if it proves successful though. Direct integration could improve the time-lapses involved since it bypasses the standard SMS-based methods. Those can, in areas or at times of high congestion, be severely delayed. There are other apps that can be used as well. But with system-level early earthquake alerts from Google, that problem may be at least partially solved. It also solves the problem of alert saturation. As of 2019, 39.5 million people live in California. But Berkleys app, covering the entire state, only has 500,000 installs on the Play Store. There are, conversely, 10 million people in LA. But only 100,000 installs for that regional app. That would likely prompt the company two work with similar surveys in the US and abroad. And, may ultimately lead to further integration with early warning systems for other potential disasters. Googles GSuite offers users a healthily-featured alternative to expensive options such as Microsoft Office. And, it enables users to edit those documents, spreadsheets, slideshows, or even forms on the go. Thats thanks largely to the fact that Chrome allows the files to be both created and edited directly from Google Drive. And, of course, thats ignoring the Android and iOS apps for the tools. But its also possible to create a new file in the Chrome browser with some simple shortcuts. That holds true for Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, and even Forms. Fortunately, there are a number of ways to create a new file in any of those with shortcuts directly entered into the URL Omnibox in Chrome. First things first, you need Chrome and probably want a new tab Each of these new file shortcuts will require a new tab in Chrome. If a new tab isnt opened up, users will lose whats already been opened in their current tab. Chrome makes this easy via a quick tap. In the browser, it has placed a plus icon on desktop platforms, to the right-hand side of the right-most tab. Advertisement Tapping on that opens up a fresh tab with Chromes New Page UI, which will always open to the right-hand side of the right-most tab as well. Conversely, users can also press and hold the ctrl key while the Chrome window is active and then press the t key. Or, if users want a new tab in a new window, users can start by holding the ctrl key and then press n. The former keyboard shortcut will, as implied, open up a new tab on the right-hand side of the right-most tab. The latter will open up a new tab in an entirely new window. Google Docs New File Shortcuts Google Docs is the G Suite equivalent of Microsofts Word program. As a word processor and a web app, its a powerful tool that allows quick document creation on the go. Advertisement As noted above, there are actually several ways to open up a brand new document for each of the document types. Each URL is relatively straightforward but its worth listing them all out for reference. Typing any of the following URLs into the Google Chrome Omnibox Chromes dual-purpose address and search bar will open a brand new Google Docs document. docs.new doc.new document.new Google Sheets New File Shortcuts Google Sheets is the G Suite functional equivalent of Microsofts Excel spreadsheet creation and editing program. Like Docs, its a web-based tool geared toward those who need the organizational and data tracking software. But it can be used directly in Chrome and saves directly to Google Drive or locally, as well discuss later on. Also like Docs, creating a new spreadsheet in Google Sheets via Chrome is straightforward. Users simply need to open a new tab as described above. Thats if they dont want to lose the current tab. Then, entering any of the following URLs into the Omnibox address bar will call forward a new Sheets document. Advertisement sheets.new sheet.new spreadsheet.new Google Slides New File Shortcuts Google Slides is, as might be guessed by now, a G Suite app for creating slideshows a lot like Microsoft PowerPoint. Its web-based with easy saving in Google Drive or offline. And its easy to access directly in Chrome via a short URL entry in the Chrome Omnibox address bar once users are in the tab or new tab they want to create the document in. Entering any of these into the URL box will open a new Google Slides document. slides.new slide.new presentation.new Google Forms New File Shortcuts Last but not least is Google Forms. While there really isnt a Microsoft equivalent to speak of here. Thats because Forms is a survey administration app. Its used for creating, well, forms. That includes survey-type forms that can be created for filling and shared from as Google puts it a variety of pre-made themes. Advertisement Or users can create their own. But in either case, the easiest way to create a brand new form directly in Chrome is to enter any of the following into the URL Omnibox in the browser. forms.new form.new Heres how you can move the files once theyve been created Now, once the G Suite document or other file has been opened using shortcuts in Chrome and edited theres one final matter that should be discussed. Thats how files that are created this way are saved. As is the case with all G Suite files, theyre typically saved to Google Drive. But that doesnt mean theyll save where users want them when created using URL shortcuts. Instead, Google generally just saves them to Drive without much care for the organization. Getting the files moved to where users actually want them to be stored is easy enough though. Advertisement For this example, were using a Google Docs document, but this works with any of the document types mentioned here. To move a document around: Rename the document, spreadsheet, slideshow, or form so that it can be found later as needed via a search Once the UI informs that the changes have been saved to drive, the file will appear in the My Drive directory of Google Drive Click the Move icon, shaped like a file folder icon with a right-facing arrow Navigate to where the file will be kept Clicking the right-facing chevron arrow will take users through and into individual folders, where those are nested. Clicking the folder icon with a plus inside will create a new folder in the current directory A toast message will appear at the top, indicating that it was successfully moved Conversely, users can also make the file available offline immediately simply by navigating the File menu shown in the above gallery. Downloads can be saved in a variety of formats for different purposes. Advertisement Those file types will vary depending on the G Suite tool in use. But Google does generally offer a variety of extension types. For instance, Google allows Docs files to be saved as Microsoft Word, OpenDocument Format, Rich Text Format, PDF Document, Plain Text, Web Page, or EPUB Publication. Conversely, users can tap or click Make available offline to get a quick download that they can take and save offline before uploading it later. OnePlus CEO, Pete Lau, has confirmed the price range of the upcoming OnePlus Nord. The phones name got confirmed yesterday, after which the companys CEO decided to tease its price during the first part of the companys documentary. The OnePlus Nord price range may surprise you Pete Lau said the following: Nord will be our first product below $500 in recent years. There you have it, the OnePlus Nord will, for sure, cost less than $500. That will make it considerably cheaper than the OnePlus 8 ($699) and OnePlus 8 Pro ($899). That is to be expected, though, as the OnePlus Nord will be a mid-range smartphone. Advertisement The phone has been rumored to come with a $299 price tag, though that may have been too optimistic. We do hope that its price will be below $400, which fits in the sub-$500 category. Still, its possible that it will cost $400+, which would not be surprising considering OnePlus wants to release a really capable mid-range handset. Well see what will happen in the end. The company released the first part of its documentary OnePlus released the first part of its teased documentary. This documentary will come in four parts, and the first part has a duration of around 10 minutes. Advertisement The documentary did not share much, to be quite honest, well, aside from this price range confirmation and some OnePlus Nord prototypes. The whole point of this documentary is to give you some insight into what it takes to develop a smartphone. https://www.instagram.com/tv/CCDvb9lpaI6/ OnePlus usually takes 9-12 months for a smartphone campaign, from its inception to the final product. Well, the OnePlus Nord campaign was much shorter, the team had six months to bring it to life. Advertisement That being said, that brought a lot more stress to the whole process, and this documentary will show it all. In the first part, youll get the sense of urgency, thats for sure. Carl Pei, the companys co-founder, also decided to scold the employees in it, which is interesting to see, as in behind-the-scenes content. This documentary also reveals that the phone has been inspired by the Nordic design trend, which was to be expected considering its name. OnePlus even revealed some Nord prototype images Now, in terms of the prototypes, you can check them out in the gallery below this paragraph. Do note that the devices shown here do not represent the final product. Advertisement The OnePlus Nord is expected to arrive on July 10. That date hasnt been confirmed by OnePlus just yet, but it has been rumored. We do know, however, that it will arrive to India and some European countries first. The device will probably be made out of metal and glass. We know it will feature two front-facing cameras, so were probably looking at a pill-shaped display camera hole. The device is also expected to offer the Snapdragon 765G, 5G connectivity, 30W fast charging, and more. Read our preview for more information. According to a new report from wireless tracking firm Opensignal, Verizons network still offers the fastest 5G download speeds globally. While its speed was down from the last Opensignal report, Verizon comfortably sits at the top with an average 5G download speed of 494.7 Mbps. The other three major American wireless carriers, AT&T, T-Mobile, and Sprint, which is now part of T-Mobile, offer average 5G download speeds of 60.8 Mbps, 49.2 Mbps, and 49.5 Mbps respectively. This isnt surprising at all, though. This big difference is because of the different types of wireless spectrum each carrier is using for its 5G networks. Verizon uses the higher-frequency, millimeter-wave technology (mmWave) which is known for its significantly better speed but poor coverage. AT&T, T-Mobile, and Sprint, on the other hand, use the low-band/mid-band spectrum which is all about coverage. And thats clearly visible in the latest Opensignal report. Advertisement Verizons superfast 5G speeds are barely used According to the report, Verizon users are connecting on average to a 5G service for only about 0.4 percent of the time, which is much lower than the average time users on other networks are getting a 5G connection. 5G availability on Verizon has further dropped since the last Opensignal report. T-Mobile has the best 5G coverage in the US, with its users connecting to the next-gen network 22.5 percent of the time. AT&T users are seeing 5G availability 10.3 percent of the time. Users of T-Mobile-owned Sprint are connecting to its 5G network 14.1 percent of the time. All of the three carriers using the low-band/mid-band spectrum saw an increase in their 5G coverage over the past couple of months. Advertisement Clear enough, 5G networks are still spotty and users are connected to 4G most of the time. On average, the overall speed experience that a 5G user enjoys is pretty much the same on all wireless networks. Opensignals download speed experience data accounts for the average 3G and 4G download speed that 5G users see. AT&T and Verizon had a statistical tie for the top spot, with the report showing average speeds of 42.6 Mbps and 41.0 Mbps respectively. T-Mobile and Sprint are offering average download speeds of 33.7 Mbps and 28.2 Mbps on their respective networks. Advertisement At the end of the day, its the same old story. Every carrier has something to brag about. Verizons network offers the fastest 5G download speeds but coverage is highly spotty. T-Mobile has the best 5G coverage while AT&T offers the best overall download speed experience. A lot may change over the coming months As carriers continue to deploy their commercial 5G networks nationwide, these figures may change dramatically in the future. AT&T plans to use the technology called Dynamic Spectrum Sharing (DSS) to expand its 5G network nationwide over the coming months. Advertisement This technology essentially shares 4G airwaves with 5G for improved performance. It allows the deployment of both 4G and 5G networks in the same frequency band. Verizon also plans to use the DSS technology to launch a low-band 5G network this year. This will certainly bring the carriers Opensignal performance in line with the other network operators. T-Mobile, which recently merged with Sprint, is also expanding its 5G coverage using Sprints mid-band 2.5GHz spectrum. Opensignal collected the data from almost 16 million measurements from over 2.4 million active 5G devices between Facebook has announced that it will now be aiming to prioritize original news reporting on peoples feeds. This is in response to calls from users to see more of this type of content. The company is, therefore, changing its ranking system in order to reflect this view. From now on Facebook will prioritize original reporting with transparent authorship. This comes as Facebook is under fire from advertisers for its stance on misinformation and hate speech. Many advertisers are boycotting the company in the month of July to show their dissatisfaction. The company has created a voting hub to promote real news but this is not enough after scandals such as the one surrounding Cambridge Analytica. Advertisement Original news reporting moving up our feeds Facebook says they want to give more air time to the journalists that create this original content. The company says that this expertise and effort should be given priority on the feeds of users. The definition of an original story is quite complex so Facebook says they will be working with academics and publishers over its approach. Facebook will do this by looking at a story and the articles that are written on said story. Then it will find out which articles are most often cited as the original source. Facebook will prioritize these articles on peoples feeds to shine a light on this reporting. Advertisement This will not change the fact that most of the stories people see are shared by their friends or pages they follow. Instead, if there are multiple stories available in ones feed the most original one will be boosted. Facebook will also now actively demote content that does not have transparent authorship. Alongside prioritizing original news reporting, Facebook will review the bylines of articles to assess their transparency. Editorial transparency is an industry standard which ends to demote clickbait an ad farming. This allows Facebook to work with a number of reputable organizations to this end. Advertisement How will this effect publisher? As Engadget reports this is likely to have little impact on publishers. Facebook points out that this is just a minor change in its new ranking system. The overall process includes a lot of signals of which this is only one. Therefore, it is unlike that this one change will be too impactful. Facebook will hope that this change to the way it handles news will begin to stem the flow of bad press. However, as mentioned this is only a minor change and may not convince many it will make much of a difference. Hopefully, though this will see a shift in the way Facebook handles news content in the future. UPDATE: OnePlus has just confirmed, via Tech Radar, that the OnePlus Nord will ship with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G processor, which supports 5G. ORIGINAL ARTICLE: Qualcomm has confirmed that the OnePlus Nord will be fueled by a 5G processor. This confirmation came by accident, though, it seems. The news has been shared by XDA Developers, along with a tweet that revealed it. That tweet came from Qualcomm EU Twitter handle, though it seems to have been removed since. That suggests that someone pulled the trigger ahead of time. Advertisement Qualcomm has accidentally confirmed that the OnePlus Nord will support 5G In any case, even though the tweet is no longer available, we still know what it said. Qualcomm said that its excited to be working with OnePlus as the company embarks on #NewBeginnings (the OnePlus Nord hashtag), powered by a Snapdragon 5G chipset. Qualcomm did not specifically mention which chip will the phone use, but it will almost certainly be the Snapdragon 765G. A well-known tipster, Max J., revealed as much not long ago. He reconfirmed it several times thus far. That is a good thing, the Snapdragon 765G is one of the best mid-range processors the company has to offer. This G variant also supports 5G connectivity, so it fits. Advertisement The OnePlus Nord name has been confirmed by the company yesterday. OnePlus CEO also confirmed that the phone will cost less than $500. Therefore, it will be a lot more affordable than the OnePlus 8 series. That is to be expected, as this is supposed to be a budget handset. Some rumors even suggested it will cost $299, but that was probably too optimistic. The OnePlus Nord will be made out of metal and glass, quite probably. The device will include a pill-shaped display camera hole, which will host two selfie cameras. Advertisement The device will feature a 90Hz fullHD+ AMOLED display, which will be flat You can expect the device to sport a large fullHD+ 90Hz display. That will be an AMOLED panel, and it will probably be flat. You can also expect a large battery to be included in the phone. Speaking of which, chances are the device will support 30W fast wired charging, just like its siblings. Wireless charging probably wont be included, and the same goes for an official IP rating. The device will launch in India and Europe first, it may arrive to more markets later on. OnePlus has even released the first part of its documentary recently, which talks about the development process of this phone. Advertisement The OnePlus Nord hype is growing, mainly thanks to the company itself. This will be a spiritual successor to the OnePlus X, and chances are it will launch after July 15. When you look at the age of that baby and considering the amount of pain and suffering that shes going through, to say that out of her mouth, with all of that pain, thats a lot of strength and a lot of awareness of her surroundings, he continued. I told the mother, I say, well you know thats 50% of her strength and once she lays eyes on you, and you being able to touch her, thats the other 50%. That would bring 100% recovery. A new patent spotted at the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) seems to suggest that Samsung is ready to use a flexible battery in its foldable smartphones. Reported by Dutch site LetsGoDigital, the patent reveals a battery with a flexible segment. Unlike current designs though, the slimmer portion isnt just comprised of connectors between two cells. Its actually part of secondary cells themselves. That means that Samsung is able to save space by putting part of the battery capacity under the hinge itself. The benefit of that would be devices that have larger capacity without wasting space where the hinge is. Instead, that portion of the design can be used for the battery too. Leaving room for other components that cant be bent in more rigid parts of the design. For example, the motherboard and associated chips as well as cameras can be placed in space that used to be occupied by the battery. Samsungs flexible battery designs arent limited to current folding designs for smartphones Another interesting aspect of the patent, as laid out by the source, is that this doesnt appear to be limited to current folding smartphone designs either. As shown in the images below, Samsung doesnt intend the flexible battery designs to simply accommodate horizontal- or vertical-folding smartphones. Or, at the very least, not solely for devices that have a single fold. Advertisement Those designs are, of course, shown as well. But breaking the battery cells into more large and small components allows for more. Perhaps most intriguing is one such concept showing a phone that folds multiple times as many as three hinges with four segments. That segmentation would allow for smartphones that are aimed more at portability than even the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip. For instance, Samsung might be able to build a smartphone that folds up into a smaller overall space. That would fit more easily in pockets or a small bag. Or, conversely, it might allow for smartphones that fold in multiple directions. That could accommodate a device that folds open for a smartphone mode and then further again for a tablet mode. Taken to the extreme, the design could ultimately pave the way even further still. Samsung is no stranger to novel smartphone design patents. And among those are several that dont fold but roll up like a scroll. Using materials that allow for thinner, flexible batteries could feasibly allow those types of rolling gadgets to eventually be manufactured. Thats only a speculation, of course, but maybe possible if the limits of the technology as described by the patent can be pushed that far. Advertisement Smartphones designed on this arent arriving this year Now, although theres now a patent for this technology that doesnt mean it will be used in the real world anytime soon. Thats the case with all patents and not just this one from Samsung. Patents typically act as a starting point for design ideas rather than an end-point for smartphone design. If Samsung does have plans to utilize this patent in real-world devices, those wont necessarily be launching soon. The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 2, for instance, may not launch until February of next year. That would be in keeping with the current pattern of launches from the company. And, if rumors about that gadget or the expected Samsung Galaxy Fold 2 expected in August bear any truth, those devices are already effectively set in stone. So they wont likely use this new technology. It seems like Samsung will not participate in IFA 2020 due to COVID-19, at least according to a new report. This information has been making the rounds in South Korean media, even though the company hasnt confirmed anything just yet. IFA 2020 is set to take place in early September, though this time around with a changed participation rules. Only the companies and media will be allowed to attend, not the general public. That precaution has been taken in order to avoid the spread of COVID-19. Well, it seems like Samsung wasnt to prevent it completely, by not attending the tradeshow at all. Advertisement Samsung allegedly opted not to attend IFA 2020 due to COVID-19 The aforementioned report claims that the company has re-evaluated its plans when it comes to mass gathering, due to the pandemic. That makes all the sense in the world. The company will host its Unpacked event in an online-only format in August. As a side note, Samsung has been attending IFA since 1991, and announced a ton of interesting products as part of the tradeshow. It seems like that tradition will be broken this year. Having said that, the company is set to announce quite a few exciting products in the coming weeks. It is rumored to launch the Galaxy Tab S7, and S7+ this month, alongside the Galaxy Watch 3. Advertisement All of those are high-end products. Thats not all, though. Samsung is also preparing to launch five additional high-end devices next month. The companys annual Galaxy Note Unpacked event will take place in August. Samsung will announce five flagship-grade devices during its Unpacked event It is rumored to kick off on August 5, but nothing has been confirmed just yet. In any case, during that event, the company will announce the Galaxy Note 20, Note 20+, and Note 20 Ultra handsets. Thats not all, though. During that same event, the Galaxy Fold 2 is also rumored to arrive, alongside the Galaxy Z Flip 5G. So well get not one, but two foldable smartphones. Advertisement As you can see, the upcoming weeks will be quite exciting both for the company, and for its fans. Samsung is going all out, revealing tons of high-end hardware for us to enjoy. The company may surprise us even further, by adding some more products to the table, but this is plenty as it is. Eight high-end products within one month is well, not something you see often. Samsung will start heavily teasing its upcoming products soon, even though many of them leaked already, in one form or the other. OnePlus will soon announce its new mid-range smartphone, and its name will allegedly be OnePlus Nord. Do note that the phones name is still not confirmed, though. Well refer to it as Nord for the remainder of the article, though. In any case, the OnePlus Nord wont be coming to the States, and many people are wondering why that is. OnePlus has announced quite recently that the OnePlus Nord will launch in Europe and India, while the US wasnt mentioned. It is worth noting that OnePlus said the phone will be first introduced in Europe and India, so its possible that more markets will follow. The US probably wont see the Nord at all, even though theres a chance it will arrive later on. OnePlus has a rather odd market placement strategy when it comes to its smartphones, or at least it seems that way. I wouldnt hold my breath for the US launch, but weve reached out to OnePlus for a comment in the meantime (comment included below the article). That being said, lets try to answer that question, why wont the OnePlus Nord launch in the US, at least initially. Well, OnePlus is extremely careful when it comes to choosing markets for its product launches. The company wants to sell the most units, and its usually choosing the markets that are the best-suited for that. And theres our main reason, OnePlus probably doesnt think the US is a suitable market or the OnePlus Nord. Now, you can always ask why is that?, read on. Advertisement Its only a mid-range smartphone OnePlus tends to launch its best of the best devices in the US. And by that, we mean the highest-end, most expensive products. OnePlus is not the only company that does that, several other OEMs are following the same path. They all seem to think that consumers in the US prefer flagship phones, at least the vast majority of them. While that may be the case for some people, I do see a hole in this thinking. There are quite a few mid-range phones that did extremely well in the US. The iPhone SE may not be the best example, as its Apples handset, and those phones are extremely popular in the US. It also comes with a flagship processor. Samsung did launch quite a few mid-range phones in the US, and they sold really well. Googles Pixel 3a may be the perfect example, actually. That device sold better than its higher-end siblings, and there are people in the US who dont want to break the bank for a phone. The thing is, consumers in the US usually buy phones on contract, that is the way, still. Well, thats not the case for all of them, the Pixel 3a and similar phones proved that. Perhaps OnePlus should have taken a risk and launch the Nord in the US as well, to see how it does. Some people are craving a great mid-range smartphone, and by the looks of it, the Nord could tick all the boxes. Advertisement OnePlus stands in its own way Even with its flagship-grade offerings, OnePlus had a rather odd policy when it comes to smartphone launches in the US. When releasing two flagship-grade phones, it only made one available in the US. Lets take the OnePlus 7 series as an example. The OnePlus 7 was the more affordable variant, while still packing the flagship processor, and the same main camera as its sibling. That device did not reach the US, unfortunately. OnePlus opted to launch only the OnePlus 7 Pro, its premium offering. And while most people who are interested in OnePlus devices would probably jump towards the Pro model, weve seen quite a few complaints on OnePlus decision. Quite a few consumers wanted to get the regular model instead. There could be several reasons for that, its price could be one, its size another. Extreme focus on India Now, the OnePlus Nord is coming to Europe as well, not just India, but India will still be the main market for the device. Some of you probably already know that OnePlus released two smart TVs by now, the OnePlus TV Q1 and Q1 Pro. Both of those TVs arrived last year, and by this day, theyre only available in India. Indian users seem to be extremely interested in OnePlus devices, which is one of the main reasons why OnePlus puts such great focus on that country. The company is even manufacturing devices in India. Advertisement The thing is, those TVs would probably do really well in both Europe and the US. OnePlus is not exactly a well-known TV manufacturer, but perhaps OnePlus should have taken the risk. We do hope that it will happen with the upcoming budget smart TVs, though we somehow doubt it. Those TVs will also launch in India first, and its possible they wont become anywhere else. Lets hope the same faith wont follow for the OnePlus Nord, as it would be great to see that device in the US as well. Lets hope things will change As mentioned at the beginning of the article, weve reached out to OnePlus for a comment (check it out down below), and well update this article if / when we get an answer. We do hope that OnePlus launches will cease to be regional for some products, though. The OnePlus Nord has a huge potential, based on what we know thus far, and it would be a shame not to offer it in more markets. If youd like to know more about the device itself, check out our preview article. OnePlus comment: Advertisement At OnePlus, were dedicated to bringing flagship experiences to all our devices. Our history has shown that focusing on just a few markets first and then expanding has worked well. While this new smartphone product line will initially be available in Europe and India, we look forward to bringing more affordable smartphones to North America in the future. So, it seems like OnePlus is planning to bring affordable handsets to the US, but it did not strictly say it will be the OnePlus Nord. It remains to be seen. Purchase an online subscription to our website for $7.99 a month with automatic renewal. Each online subscription gives you full access to all of our newspaper websites and mobile applications. To cancel you may contact Customer Service @ 256-235-9253 or email JPAYNE@ANNISTONSTAR.COM For a limited time, for NEW SUBSCRIBERS ONLY a NEW ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION is just $59.99 for the first year. Existing customers do not qualify for the specials! After the first year, well automatically renew your subscription to continue your access at the regular price of $69.99 per year. Please note *Your Subscription will Automatically Renew unless you contact Customer Service To Cancel* Anniston, AL (36206) Today Cloudy skies this morning followed by scattered showers and thunderstorms during the afternoon. High 82F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 60%.. Tonight Thunderstorms. Low 68F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%. The man had been riding the train when another man began to argue with him and later physically attacked him, police said in a media notification. The other man took out a knife and stabbed him, police said. (ANSA) - ROME, JUL 1 - Rome prosecutors said Wednesday that Egypt's chief prosecutor was mulling a response to their requests to quiz five intelligence service officers over the 2016 torture and murder of Italian student Giulio Regeni. Rome prosecutors had a videoconference on the case on Wednesday. Last month Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio wrote to his Egyptian counterpart reiterating Italy's demand for the truth about Regeni's death. Cambridge doctoral researcher Regeni, 28, was found dead on February 3 2016 a week after disappearing on the Cairo metro. He had been tortured so badly that his mother said she only recognised him by the tip of his nose. Rome prosecutors placed five members of Egypt's security apparatus under investigation for the murder, sparking Cairo to stop significant cooperation in the probe into the Friuli-born researcher's death. At various times Egypt has advanced various explanations for his death including a car accident, a gay lovers' tiff and abduction and murder by an alleged kidnapping gang that was wiped out after Regeni's documents were planted in their lair. Regeni was researching Cairo street sellers unions for the British university, a politically sensitive subject. The head of the street hawkers union had fingered Regeni as a spy. Rome recently drew condemnation from Regeni's parents by announcing the sale of two frigates to Egypt. Premier Giuseppe Conte subsequently said that while the deal had been technically approved, it had yet to get final political approval. Di Maio also said the deal was on hold. (ANSA). 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. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson called on Israel to halt the controversial plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank, writing on Wednesday in a Hebrew op-ed published in an Israeli newspaper. "I profoundly hope that annexation does not go ahead," Johnson wrote in a rare appeal to Israelis, published on the front page of Israel's largest daily newspaper, Yediot Aharonot. Johnson warned that annexation of parts of the West Bank, a territory seized by Israel in the 1967 Middle East war and where the Palestinians wish to build their future state, will be "a violation of international law." He warned that if Israel will go through with the move, "Britain will not recognize changes to the 1967 lines, except those agreed between the two parties." Johnson said he was "fearful" that the annexation plan will fail to secure the borders of Israel and "will be contrary to Israel's own long-term interests." He urged Israelis to return to negotiation talks with the Palestinians, which reached an impasse in 2014. "It will demand a compromise from both sides," he said, adding that the only way Israel will achieve security is by reaching a peace deal that "will enable justice and security to both Israelis and Palestinians." Johnson's remarks came on July 1, which Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has set as the target date for the beginning of the annexation of the Jordan Valley, part of the West Bank. On Tuesday, after meeting U.S. Special Representative for International Negotiations Avi Berkowitz, Netanyahu said that his government is still "working" on the annexation plan, suggesting that it will be postponed. Israeli Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi said on Wednesday that Israel's West Bank annexation plan is "unlikely" to begin on its July 1 set date. "It seems unlikely to happen today," Ashkenazi said in an interview to Army Radio. Ashkenazi is a member of Blue and White, a centrist party and Netanyahu's new partner in a power-sharing coalition government. Netanyahu and Benny Gantz, leader of Blue and White, are at odds over the starting date of the annexation, with Netanyahu declaring July 1 as its start-date and Gantz wanting to postpone it until after the coronavirus crisis. The annexation plan was received with widespread condemnations by the Palestinians, most of the Arab world, and the international community. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet urged Israel on Monday to halt the "illegal" plan. (CGTN) US$200,000 in cash and US$200,000 in Huawei Cloud resources up for grabs in Asia Pacific SINGAPORE, July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Developers around the world are being invited to put their skills to the test on a global stage with the HUAWEI HMS App Innovation Contest, AppsUP, launching on 30th June by Huawei Mobile Services. In APAC, prizes in cash and Huawei Cloud resources totalling US$400,000 will be given out to Top 20 winners of Best App, Best Game, Honorable Award, as well as in special categories for Most Social Impact App and Most Popular App in the region. The inaugural contest will see entrants compete against other talented developers to create innovative apps that improve and help navigate everyday life. Using the full suite of app development tools and resources available through HMS Core, the AppsUP contest provides a platform for developers in each of the five competition regions: Asia Pacific (APAC), Europe, Middle East & Africa, Latin America and China to showcase their skills and innovation. The contest aims to inspire global developers to help users explore a better digital life through mobile apps. The winners of the contest will get the chance to have their apps promoted on HUAWEI AppGallery, making them accessible to hundreds of millions of HUAWEI device users from more than 170 countries and regions. Prizes and wider benefits also include: USD$1 million global funding by the Shining-Star Program to the five competition regions, in cash prizes in the following categories: Best App, Best Game, Most Social Impact App, Most Popular App, Honorable Award global funding by the Shining-Star Program to the five competition regions, in cash prizes in the following categories: In APAC, a total prize pool of US$400,000 including US$200,000 in cash and US$200,000 in Huawei Cloud vouchers will be awarded to winners including in cash and in vouchers will be awarded to winners Global media promotion opportunities Priority access to Huawei Developers events, courses and certifications Opportunity to compete on a global stage and showcase technical ability using leading HMS Core kits Discussion with industry experts and AppsUP expert judging panel To celebrate the launch of the contest, Huawei hosted a live virtual event on Tuesday 30th June to showcase what is in store for developers. The event marked the opening of the global contest including talks from Zhang Ping'an, President of Consumer Cloud Service, Huawei Consumer Business Group, HMS Core experts, and developers of leading apps from AppGallery. Zhang Pingan, President of Consumer Cloud Service, Huawei Consumer Business Group, delivered the keynote speech on the launch of the HUAWEI HMS App Innovation Contest Commenting on the launch of the HUAWEI HMS App Innovation Contest, AppsUP, Zhang Ping'an said: "The number of talented developers of HMS ecosystem is growing. The work that developers do is integral to so much of our daily life. Through the apps they create, they empower us to seamlessly navigate the world around us. At Huawei, we want to invite developers to join us in building a better future and turn their ideas into reality using HMS Core offered by Huawei Mobile Services." Support for APAC developers in the form of HUAWEI Cloud vouchers[1] and online training workshops The developers in the APAC region will be rendered Huawei Cloud vouchers that can be used to claim infrastructure services for computing, storage, network etc. Upon successful contest registration and identity verification, all developers will first receive Huawei Cloud voucher from a minimum value of US$200. Each team that completes the contest application with their app submission will also be awarded with an additional amount of US$4,000. Developers who are new to Huawei Mobile Services can also look forward to online training workshops to learn how to integrate their apps with HMS Core Kits. They can simply register their interest via appsup.apac@huawei.com. Prize pool worth US$400,000 in total for Top 20 APAC winners In APAC, prizes in cash and Huawei Cloud resources totalling US$400,000 will be given out to Top 20 winners of Best App, Best Game, Honorable Award, as well as in special categories for Most Social Impact App and Most Popular App in the region. Top 20 Prizes for APAC's AppsUP winners are as below: APAC Prizes Award Title Number of Awards USD/Per Team Cash HUAWEI Cloud Voucher HUAWEI Cloud Academy Credits Top 20 Best App 5 15,000 15,000 95 Best Game 3 15,000 15,000 95 Honorable Award 12 2,500 2,500 95 Additional Special Awards Most Social Impact App 3 15,000 15,000 95 Most Popular App 1 5,000 5,000 95 APAC's Stellar Panel of Judges The AppsUP contest will feature a panel of esteemed judges with a wealth of experience in the mobile app development industry. The judges for the APAC region are Johnson Lim, the President of Malaysia Mobile Technology Association (MMTA); Jonathan Defensor De Luzuriaga, the President of Philippine Software Industry Association (PSIA); Pariwat Wongsamran, the Director of Startup Thailand; Richard Chua, the General Manager of IGG Singapore Pte Ltd; and Suresh Jayaraju, the Founder and CEO of Innovopod, India. How to enter AppsUP To enter, participants must register an account on the official contest website, http://bit.ly/AppsUP-APAC between 30th June and 30th August 2020 and sign up either as an individual or as a team of up to three members. All apps must be developed integrating HMS Core and submitted on the contest official website before 18:00 (UTC+8) on 30th August 2020, where a panel of regional industry experts will score each entry on social value, business value, user experience and innovativeness. From there, the Top 20 finalist apps in each region will be selected, and made available for the public to view and vote on the contest official website, and for download on HUAWEI AppGallery from 21st September, before the Finals reveal in 6th October. To find out more, visit http://bit.ly/AppsUP-APAC. #HMSInnovateforAll [1]: Terms & Conditions apply, please refer to AppsUP official website for more details. Photo - https://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20200626/2842329-1-a?lang=0 Photo - https://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20200626/2842329-1-b?lang=0 Airbnb's Online Experiences empowers Singapore's local F&B industry by providing an alternative revenue stream and an opportunity to reach a global audience The launch of Online Cooking Experiences celebrates Singapore's diverse culinary landscape w ith Chef Malcolm Lee of Candlenut, the world's first Michelin-starred Peranakan restaurant, a long with other leading F&B outlets Chef Malcolm joins other award-winning chefs offering Online Experiences globally, such as David Chang , Marc Favier , Christina Bowerman and more Online Experiences have quickly evolved to become one of guests' favorite ways to 'travel the world' virtually, with bookings in Singapore , growing by almost 700% since launch SINGAPORE, July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Get ready to embark on a virtual foodie adventure and whip up a gastronomic storm in your own kitchen as Airbnb unveils a new curated collection of Online Cooking Experiences in Singapore. The Online Cooking Experiences in Singapore are an avenue to empower Singapore's local F&B industry by providing an alternative revenue stream and an opportunity to reach a global audience. This initiative, which is a step in the right direction to help the industry bounce back from the COVID-19 pandemic, is supported by the Singapore Tourism Board, a champion of Singapore's homegrown culinary talent and the country's vibrant dining culture. The collection of Online Cooking Experiences celebrates Singapore's diverse culinary landscape with Secrets of a Michelin-starred Chef , an Online Experience hosted by Chef Malcolm Lee of Candlenut, the world's first Michelin-starred Peranakan restaurant, along with Online Experiences from other leading F&B outlets such as Cheek ( Flavors from Down Under with Chef Rishi ), IBHQ ( Cocktail Cabinet aka Mix it like a Pro ) as well as Jekyll & Hyde (Classic Cocktails w/a Touch of Singapore). Airbnb Online Experiences - Secrets of a Michelin-Starred Chef with Malcolm Lee "Connecting with people through food is my passion as a chef, so I am delighted to have the opportunity to share my passion with a global audience through Airbnb Online Experiences," said Chef Malcolm Lee. "I am looking forward to giving guests from all over the world the chance to discover and learn more about Singapore's famed food culture and Peranakan cuisine in the comfort of their own homes." Chef Malcolm Lee joins other award-winning chefs around the world offering a new curated collection of Online Cooking Experiences, including David Chang (of Momofuku Restaurant Group), Marc Favier (Marcore in Paris, France), Christina Bowerman (of Glass Hostaria in Rome, Italy) and more, who are set to provide guests with a sneak peek behind the counter with their unique recipes and techniques. The global Online Cooking Experiences collection also features a diverse array of culinary experiences hosted by Take A Chef . "Airbnb Online Experiences have quickly evolved to be one of our guests' favorite ways to 'travel the world' virtually," said Parin Mehta, Director (Asia-Pacific), Airbnb Experiences. "With the launch of Online Cooking Experiences in Singapore, we are looking forward not only to connect top chefs with our global community of guests, but also to showcase the best of Singapore's culinary culture to the world and support the recovery of our F&B industry post COVID-19." Ms Ranita Sundra, Director, Retail and Dining, STB, said, "In the face of adversity, our F&B industry has shown that it is innovative, adaptable and willing to try out new business formats. The Online Cooking Experiences in Singapore is an example of a new platform that F&B establishments can leverage to showcase their culinary creations to the world and raise the global profile of Singapore's dynamic F&B scene. It is also an opportunity for the industry to connect with customers in fresh ways, as well as diversify their business models." Since launching Airbnb Online Experiences in April 2020, bookings in Singapore have grown by almost 700%[1], and Food & Drink has been its most popular category globally and across Asia-Pacific. Guests can now gain unique access to Michelin-starred and top-rated chefs from their very own kitchen. Other Online Cooking Experiences launching today include: Guests can view the full roster of Online Cooking Experiences and book here. For those interested in hosting an Online Experience, learn more here. [1] Based on internal Airbnb Experiences booking data as of May 2020. About Airbnb Airbnb is one of the world's largest marketplaces for unique, authentic places to stay and things to do, offering over 7 million accommodations and 40,000 handcrafted activities, all powered by local hosts. An economic empowerment engine, Airbnb has helped millions of hospitality entrepreneurs monetize their spaces and their passions while keeping the financial benefits of tourism in their own communities. With more than half a billion guest arrivals to date, and accessible in 62 languages across 220+ countries and regions, Airbnb promotes people-to-people connection, community and trust around the world. https://news.airbnb.com Newsroom Post: https://news.airbnb.com/en-ap/airbnb-launches-online-cooking-experiences-in-singapore/ Press Kit: https://airbnb.box.com/s/ilc7f9ocog9ra8s6mlxbdu3qndq6x5x0 Photo - https://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20200626/2842370-1?lang=0 Not at all. It just seems like a lot of back-and-forth talk. Yes. I'm growing very worried over what might happen. If it keeps up, I might be a little more concerned. I think there are much larger things to concern us as a country. It's hard to tell; I can't take the leader of either country seriously. Vote View Results About 9 p.m. May 14, Alec Gonzales, 22, of Elmhurst, with the intent to kill, fired a Bushmaster AR-15 eight times while driving in an SUV by Linden Avenue and Van Buren Street, police and prosecutors said. Bullets struck the 54-year-old victim in the side and grazed his scalp, and he was taken to Elmhurst Hospital and was recovering, prosecutors said. His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai, has reviewed the final preparations of the Hope Probe, scheduled to launch to Mars on July 15. The meeting was chaired by His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, President of the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC), as the countdown begins for the UAEs much-anticipated historic launch to the Red Planet in the Arab worlds first interplanetary mission. The Emirates Mars Mission seeks to establish the UAEs entry to the space industry, advance the countrys capabilities in space science and engineering and develop young Emirati and Arab talents capable of contributing to global efforts in space exploration. His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum said, The Hope Probe embodies the culture of possibilities deeply rooted in the UAEs approach, philosophy and journey of accelerating development since the foundation. He added, Our journey to space represents a message of hope to every Arab citizen that we have the innovation, resilience and efforts to compete with the greatest of nations in the race for knowledge. Hope Probe is an accomplishment for every Arab, a source of pride for every Emirati, and a path-breaking achievement for our engineers. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum concluded: The UAE will continue deploying its efforts and resources and collaborating with nations to build a better future for humanity. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum met the Emirates Mars Mission team as the country prepares for the probes launch from Tanegashima island in Japan, set according to schedule despite challenges posed by the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) global outbreak. During the meeting, he was briefed on the final pre-launch preparations by Omran Sharaf, Project Director of the Emirates Mars Mission, who also explained the different tasks assigned to the team leading testing operations. The Dubai-based space missions control team are coordinating efforts from the MBRSC with the launch team in Japan who will soon be joined by Emirati engineers and experts to manage and oversee the launch. The meeting was also attended by HE Mohammad Al Gergawi, Minister of Cabinet Affairs and the Future, HE Dr. Ahmed Belhoul, Chairman of the UAE Space Agency, HE Hamad Obaid Al Mansoori, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the MBRSC and HE Saeed Al Eter, Director General of HH the ruler of Dubais Executive Office. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum said, Hope Probe highlights our national treasure of hundreds of young Emirati engineers and experts working on the mission. These young people are part of drafting a beautiful chapter in the UAEs future. He added, Despite challenges posed by the coronavirus pandemic, we remained committed to our plans to meet the launch schedule of the historic space mission, in efforts have truly reflected the UAEs slogan that the impossible is possible. He noted, The Hope Probe represents a message of hope and optimism to mankind. Our space mission is aimed at serving humanity. Preparations The Hope Probes scheduled launch date on July 15, 2020 was set based on careful scientific review of the earth and Mars orbits, with the launch window extending to August 13, 2020. The journey of transferring the Hope Probe from Dubai to the launch site in Tanegashima Island in Japan, which remained on track despite Covid-19 complications, spanned more than 83 hours and underwent three major stages. The lift-off is scheduled on Wednesday July 15, 2020 at 00:51:27 UAE timing from Tanegashima Space Centre. The unmanned probe is expected to enter Mars orbit on February 2021, marking the UAEs Golden Jubilee Celebrations. The Hope Probe is currently undergoing extensive testing operations at the launch station in Japan. A team of specialized young Emirati engineers are currently supervising the probes pre-launch preparations. The Emirates Mars Mission The Emirates Mars Missions Hope Probe is considered the biggest strategic and scientific national initiative announced by UAEs President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan and His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum in 2014. The space mission aims to build a space industry in the UAE as part of the countrys vision to invest in future knowledge-based economies. The UAE Space Agency is funding and supervising necessary details for implementation, while the MBRSC is responsible for the execution and supervision of all stages of the design, development, and the launch of the Hope Probe. The probe will provide the first truly global picture of the Martian atmosphere and its layers. It will gather scientific data on the Martian atmosphere and share it freely with scientific and academic partners around the world. The data will give deeper insights into the past and future of our own planet and the potential of life for humans on Mars and on other distant planets. Three advanced science instruments mounted on the probe will capture complete data from Mars. The Emirates Mars Mission will study why Mars is losing its upper atmosphere and explore the connection between lower and upper layers of the atmosphere. It will also be the first probe to study climate throughout daily and seasonal cycles, observing weather phenomena such as dust storms, changes in temperature, and changes in the Martian atmosphere patterns depending on topography. The probe will reveal the causes of Martian surface corrosion. The historic mission will coordinate with the global Mars science community to answer key questions that no other mission has previously addressed around the Red Planet. Owosso, MI (48867) Today Cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 68F. Winds WNW at 15 to 25 mph.. Tonight Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low 42F. NW winds at 10 to 20 mph, decreasing to less than 5 mph. A representative of the office said they could not provide an estimate of how many cases likely would be dropped, and emphasized that each case would still be examined individually. Support local journalism Now, more than ever, the world needs trustworthy reportingbut good journalism isnt free. Please support us by making a contribution. A view of Snowmass Base Village on Tuesday. Its developer is asking for a five-year extension of vesting rights, flexibility in future building designs and other changes during a review the town's planning commission is conducting today. Just because students might be returning to college campuses this fall doesnt mean professors will be joining them. Controversy over whether instructors need to be in the classroom during the fall term has erupted at campuses including the University of Notre Dame, where professors are pushing back, noting the dangers of face-to-face classes while the coronavirus pandemic continues to rage. Hi, I have applied for the 820 partner visa, and my partner is submitting his sponsorship form. He is now an Australian citizen, but when he first arrived in Aus in 2012, he came on a 457 (skilled sponsorship visa) with his now ex wife. They divorced in 2015, but she was listed as a secondary applicant on his visa, and was sponsored by the same company sponsoring him. Under the question "have you ever sponsored someone on a visa" should he answer yes or no? Technically I don't think he did, but I want to make sure we don't make a mistake, and I can't find any help / info online! Thanks! Disability advocates in Arizona are criticizing a decision by the state allowing hospitals to activate a Crisis Standards of Care Plan that enables statewide triage protocols for acute care facilities. Why it matters: Gov. Doug Ducey (R) said at a briefing the policy would help combat surging coronavirus cases. But disability rights groups issued a statement Tuesday urging health officials to revise the plan because they said it "could result in discriminatory denial of life-saving healthcare during the COVID-19 pandemic." "It's not needed today, but were anticipating that it will be there in the future. This is our time to act to save and protect as many Arizona lives as possible." Ducey's comments at Monday's briefing A tweet previously embedded here has been deleted or was tweeted from an account that has been suspended or deleted. What they're saying: The Arizona Center for Disability Law said it wrote to the health department earlier this year asking officials to modify the CSC guidelines "to incorporate explicit nondiscrimination requirements and provide for reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities." However, these changes weren't incorporated into the guidelines and it received no response from health officials, the group said. The other side: A petition from medical providers, signed by more than 1,100 people, asked state leaders to "utilize crisis care standards" because they say they are working under "a huge strain on an already stressed hospital system." The petition, which also calls for the stay-at-home order that expired in May to be reinstated, notes the Crisis Standards of Care Plan (CSC) is "something that most of us, when choosing our career, thought we would never be doing," noting it was usually only implemented in extreme situations in the U.S., such as terrorist attacks." Arizona hospitals asked the state health department last Friday to formally activate the CSC. An Arizona Hospital and Healthcare Association spokesperson told KPNX, "Moving to crisis standards of care will allow consideration of regulatory waivers as well as additional liability protections." The big picture: Ducey announced at Monday's press conference he was ordering bars, clubs, movie theaters, waterparks and gyms to close for 30 days in response to spiking cases. Former national security adviser John Bolton told CBS News' "The Takeout" podcast" on Wednesday that he would have personally briefed President Trump if he saw intelligence that Russian officials offered bounties to Taliban-linked militants to kill U.S. troops, but cautioned that Trump is simply not receptive to intelligence briefings. Driving the news: "The purpose of the briefing process is to meet the particular needs of the president and present it to him in the way that best suits his desires," Bolton said. "The problem with Donald Trump is not that he is not receptive to one means or another. He's just not receptive to new facts." The big picture: Bolton said that because of Trump's "lack of interest in intelligence," the briefings he receives do not have as much information as they should. He declined to comment on reports that he had been involved in briefing the president on the Russian bounty matter in 2019. Trump has denied that he was briefed on the matter before it was first reported by the New York Times last week, and the White House has said that the intelligence was unverified. The New York Times later reported that the intelligence was included in a February edition of the President's Daily Brief, which Trump has been reported to seldom read. On Wednesday, Trump tweeted that the reports are a "Fake News Media Hoax started to slander me & the Republican Party." What he's saying: "It's a complex process and there's no point where it gets to be, you know, just right like in Goldilocks and three bears, and then you run in and tell the president," Bolton said. "You don't take everything in to the president, but when American troops are threatened by an adversary like Russia in this way, if there's any indication this is an ongoing operation, it's something the president needs to take into account." Bolton said he agreed with Susan Rice, his predecessor in the Obama administration, who wrote in an op-ed that she would have shown the intelligence to Obama. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis told reporters on Tuesday that the state will not reinstate restrictions or close businesses to mitigate the spread of the novel coronavirus. Why it matters: More than 50% of coronavirus infections in the U.S. are from states like Florida, Texas, California and Arizona, Axios' Marisa Fernandez reports. NIAID director Anthony Fauci warned at a Senate committee hearing earlier on Tuesday that states "skipping over" checkpoints in federal reopening guidelines are contributing to hot spots in states including Florida, Texas and Arizona. Driving the news: Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) urged people to stay home last week to fight the "rampant" spread of COVID-19, as the state paused its reopening. Abbott said in a Friday interview that he regretted how quickly bars were allowed to reopen in the state. What he's saying: When asked by reporters on Tuesday if he would tell people to stay home as Abbott did, DeSantis explained that social distancing has been recommended throughout the state's reopening and that protecting the elderly and vulnerable are the state's priorities. "We're not going back, closing things. I don't think that that's really what's driving it, people going to a business is not what's driving it," DeSantis said. "I think when you see the younger folks, I think a lot of it is more just social interactions, so that's natural." "We're open, we know who we need to protect, most of the folks in those younger demographics, although we want them to be mindful of what's going on, are just simply much much less at risk than the folks who are in those older age groups." Where it stands: Florida's current phase of reopening does not put a limit on how many visitors can be in stores or gyms and allows bars to serve half as many guests as they normally would, although the state has suspended on-premises consumption of alcohol at bars. Social distancing is encouraged at all businesses. Daily fatalities reported in the state have declined since last Thursday, per the state's health department. Florida recorded its highest daily increase in coronavirus infections last Friday. The state has reported over 3,500 deaths, more than 14,500 hospitalizations and over 152,00 confirmed cases. Go deeper: Fauci says he's "concerned" about "disturbing surge" of infections in Texas, Florida and Arizona Former President Jimmy Carter issued a statement on Wednesday calling Israel's planned annexation of up to 30% of the West Bank a "massive, illegal expropriation of Palestinian territory" that would jeopardize peace treaties and mark the end of any possible two-state solution. Why it matters: Carter famously brought the leaders of Egypt and Israel together for secret negotiations that resulted in the 1978 Camp David Accords. His statement echoes sentiments expressed by the United Nations, the European Union and Arab nations who believe that annexation will deal a devastating blow to peace efforts. What he's saying: "Israels planned annexation of up to 30% of the West Bank as early as today would violate international laws prohibiting the acquisition of territory by force and changing the status of occupied territories. The planned move would violate the Oslo and Camp David Accords and jeopardize Israels peace treaties with Jordan and Egypt. For decades, Jewish settlements in the West Bank have expanded, jeopardizing any possible establishment of a sovereign Palestinian state alongside Israel. Formal annexation will signal the end of the internationally agreed-upon two-state framework for peace, and with it the possibility for a just solution to the conflict. The envisioned annexation would amount to a massive, illegal expropriation of Palestinian territory. Annexation must be stopped, and the Israelis and Palestinians should return to meaningful negotiations based on U.N. resolutions and previous bilateral agreements." Go deeper: Why Israels annexation plans matter for the region Intelligence is more art than science, often involving piecing together a puzzle without a template and with many missing pieces. But last year and again earlier this year, intelligence officials developed a sufficiently clear picture to report their findings in the Presidents Daily Brief, an intelligence product that is seen only by the president and a handful of top administration officials. Those finding were distributed more widely in May and also shared with NATO officials. Small businesses will need the legislatures' support "in providing low-barrier opportunities for funding and financing" of new ventures, Camille Carter, president of the Madison (Wis.) Black Chamber of Commerce, told Axios' Kim Hart during a virtual event on Wednesday. What Carter is saying: "We are really needing to work in alignment with our legislatures and our financial institutions to find additional pathways and ways in which we can fund businesses to rejump the commerce." Russians have overwhelmingly approved constitutional changes that could allow President Vladimir Putin to stay in office for 16 more years, electoral officials said Wednesday, though independent observers have reported widespread irregularities, AP reports. Why it matters: This is the most significant package of constitutional changes since the fall of the Soviet Union, and it will allow Putin who has led Russia either as president or prime minister for 20 years to serve two more terms after his current mandate ends in 2024. Critics have decried it as a power grab and cast doubt on the results. The big picture: Elements of social conservatism such as "faith in God" and opposition to gay marriage will also be added into the constitution. Parliament will receive new powers, including the ability to appoint the prime minister, while the president will have greater control over the judicial system. There was no outside scrutiny of the vote, which took place over seven days, per the BBC. Opposition leaders like Alexei Navalny called for a boycott of the election, while the Kremlin offered incentives to boost turnout. Go deeper: Read Axios' special report on 20 years of Putin The Russian government is working with the Afghan government, regional countries, and the Taliban to "gain increased influence in Afghanistan" and "expedite a U.S. military withdrawal," according to a Department of Defense report published Wednesday. Why it matters: The report was released amid a mounting controversy over allegations that U.S. intelligence assessed that Russian operatives were paying bounties to Taliban-linked militants to kill U.S. troops. President Trump has denied that he was briefed and tweeted Wednesday that the reports are a "Fake News Media Hoax started to slander me & the Republican Party." What's happening: Despite public denials, Russia has supported the Taliban politically to "cultivate influence with the group, limit the Western military presence, and encourage counter ISIS operations," the Pentagon wrote. The report says Russia has supported a U.S.-Taliban agreement "in the hope that reconciliation will prevent a long-term U.S. military presence." Russia has also been working to "address security challenges that might arise" from a U.S. troop withdrawal. Go deeper: Trump's spy chief to brief Senate panel amid reports of Russian bounties Michael Glassner, the man who organizes President Trump's rallies, has been "reassigned," and Trump's 2016 Arizona chair Jeff DeWit will join the campaign as chief operating officer to oversee the final stretch to election day, three sources familiar with the situation tell Axios. Driving the news: Jared Kushner engineered these moves. Glassner, a Trump campaign original dating back to 2015, has been told he will now be handling the campaign's various lawsuits, sources say. DeWit, a Kushner ally, is a businessman and former Arizona state treasurer who served as chief financial officer of NASA under Trump from 2018 until earlier this year. Between the lines: One person familiar with the shake-up defended Glassner as the unfortunate guy whose head needed to roll for the Tulsa rally debacle, where the attendance was nowhere near what the president had anticipated. "Michael didn't really make many mistakes [at Tulsa]," the source said. "He did what he always did, and it just didn't work post-COVID." "I think he knew he was going to take the punishment for this," the source added. "It was on his watch." But a second person familiar with the decision pushed back, saying it wasn't fair to blame Glassner and that he was ultimately going to be reassigned to a different role regardless of what happened in Tulsa. This source said Glassner had been filling the role during the "ramp up stage" of the campaign but "was never intended to be the chief operating officer for the final stretch." The backstory: Kushner had been talking with DeWit for a couple of weeks about coming into this role, per a source familiar with the discussions. In 2016, Kushner brought in DeWit to help him oversee the campaign's budgeting, finances and contracts. In his 2020 role, DeWit will be doing "dynamic budgeting" for the Trump campaign, working with the finance team, reassessing the campaign's spending and keeping an eye on expenses as fundraising builds towards election day, according to that source. DeWit will also be heavily involved with the rally operations like he was during the 2016 campaign. Stephanie Alexander remains the campaign's chief of staff. Trump campaign response: After Axios approached the Trump campaign with this reporting, communications director Tim Murtaugh responded in a statement, "This is not a reaction to Tulsa. Michael Glassner is moving into the long-term role of navigating the many legal courses we face, including suits against major media outlets, some of which will likely extend beyond the end of the campaign." "He is one of the founding members of Team Trump and his dedication to the success of the President is unmatched." Behind the scenes: Some in the White House have heaped blame on the Trump campaign for the small turnout in Tulsa, even though the president was adamant about making a large rally happen immediately and earlier than some on his team thought prudent. Some of the president's advisers now admit privately that they underestimated how scared their elderly supporters would be to join an indoor, mostly mask-free crowd, without social distancing. The Trump campaign has to quickly figure out how to make rallies work in the age of coronavirus. The old way of doing rallies was basically telling Glassner to go get it done, but that approach collapsed in Tulsa. A larger team is expected to handle Trump rallies going forward, with myriad additional considerations including legal liability, health guidance and local government regulations. The big picture: As Axios reported, Trump's advisers are sounding alarms about his re-election prospects to a degree we've not heard since the president entered the White House three and a half years ago. As lawmakers turn their attention to another coronavirus stimulus package, Republicans and Democrats each say theyve learned many lessons from the $2 trillion CARES Act. The problem is, they cant agree on what those lessons were. Why it matters: With just an 11-day window in late July to act, and without the market free-fall of March to motivate them, Congress may choke on a compromise package that many economists see as necessary to keep the economy upright. Between the lines: Because the House and Senate have alternating recess schedules Congress will have to reach a deal on the Phase 4 package in the small window between July 20-31. That's the time period between when they return from their respective recesses and when temporarily increased unemployment payments to more than 33 million Americans will expire. What we're hearing: "Regardless of your politics, the enhanced unemployment benefits expire at the end of July and theres still too many unemployed," Societe Generale U.S. chief economist Stephen Gallagher tells Axios. "The government is just obligated to continue to offer more support." The catch: One big battle between Democrats and Republicans is over the reason unemployment has remained so high. GOP lawmakers argue that enhanced jobless benefits were too generous. "A lot of people have sort of rationally said, 'I prefer to keep getting the [unemployment] benefit for as long as I can because I'm making, 100 or 150 or 200% of what I made at work,'" a Republican aide familiar with the stimulus talks tells Axios. "So we definitely see that as a significant bug and we don't want to repeat that mistake." Democrats contend that the economy was so badly damaged that workers don't have jobs to go back to and without the increased $600 a week payout from unemployment insurance will face poverty and possibly homelessness. The state of play: In May, House Democrats passed the $3 trillion HEROES Act, which focused its funding on state and local governments, including smaller counties and municipalities, as well as medical testing and housing assistance. They also believe the Trump administration did a poor job of getting aid to the hospitals and medical providers that needed it the most, according to a senior Democratic aide. On the other side: Republicans have focused their attention on liability protection for companies and small business aid, while calling for an alternative to enhanced unemployment like a tax cut or bonus incentive for laid-off employees who return to work. What went wrong: The Paycheck Protection Program, which "spent vastly more money than the number of jobs it saved," according to a new report from the National Bureau of Economic Research, has more than $125 billion in funds left over. Business owners complained that the restrictions were overly burdensome, and data show the funds largely did not go to states, industries and communities that most needed the money. Additionally, more than 90% of the government's $500 billion loan program for larger companies remains untapped. GOP aides said the mistake that sent $1.4 billion in stimulus funds to dead people appeared to be a bureaucratic mixup by the Internal Revenue Service rather than a policy problem that Congress needs to fix. What's next: Republicans have been asserting for months that the government must evaluate both the effectiveness of the CARES Act and the economic impact of reopening passing another large stimulus bill. But some of those reevaluation plans took a backseat in June as lawmakers struggled to address the growing unrest across the country in response to the murder of George Floyd. On Friday, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell reiterated this position: "In July, well take a snapshot of where the country stands, see how the jobs are coming back, see where we think we are." McConnell also made clear that the HEROES Act is a nonstarter. Instead, he said any sort of stimulus package with a shot of passing would be drafted in his office, adding that those talks won't begin in earnest for another few weeks. The problem with this plan, as one senior Senate Democratic aide put it, is "theyre missing the cliffs that are coming up" with the nationwide moratorium on evictions ending July 25 and state and local governments facing deadlines to produce balanced budgets. White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said Wednesday that the career CIA officer who chose not to verbally brief President Trump on the intelligence about alleged Russian bounties made "the right decision." Driving the news: National security adviser Robert O'Brien told Fox News earlier Wednesday that "once the U.S. received raw intelligence on the Russian bounties, U.S. and coalition forces were made aware even though the intelligence wasn't verified." "The DOD came out and said as soon as we had this information, we made sure that we had tactics in place, that we took protective measures, to look after our soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines in Afghanistan. That hasn't been reported. That was done right," O'Brien said. "Here at the White House, when we had this raw intelligence, we started an interagency process to look at options, so that if the intelligence turned out to be verified, if it could be corroborated, then we'd have options to go to the president with to address the Russian situation." Why it matters: The revelation that the U.S. military took "protective measures" after learning about the intelligence has raised questions about why the commander in chief wasn't briefed. Former national security adviser John Bolton told CBS on Wednesday: "You don't take everything in to the president, but when American troops are threatened by an adversary like Russia in this way, if there's any indication this is an ongoing operation, it's something the president needs to take into account." Bolton also cautioned that it's difficult to brief Trump because he's "just not receptive to new facts" and has a "lack of interest in intelligence." Worth noting: The New York Times has reported that the intelligence was in the written President's Daily Brief in February, which Trump has been reported to seldom read. What she's saying: "Until there's a strategic decision for the president to make, until it is verified, it is not briefed up to the president of the United States, that's how intelligence works," McEnany told reporters. "The president believes in and has great faith in Ambassador O'Brien and the others who made the decision that this shouldn't be risen to his desk. It was a career CIA officer with more than 30 years of tenure who made the decision not to brief it up, and the national security adviser agreed with that decision." who made the decision that this shouldn't be risen to his desk. It was a career CIA officer with more than 30 years of tenure who made the decision not to brief it up, and the national security adviser agreed with that decision." "She's an excellent officer and does great work and made the decision not to brief it up. It was the right decision to make, and at this moment, as I speak to you, it is still unverified," McEnany said. Flashback: McEnany condemned the New York Times on Tuesday for publishing "unverified" allegations about intelligence on the reported Russian bounties, suggesting that "rogue intelligence officers" are undermining Trump and the country's security. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian said on Wednesday that the novel coronavirus is continuing to spread in Armenia despite his governments efforts to get people to follow its anti-epidemic rules. Pashinian reported a nearly 30 percent year-on-year surge in the total number of deaths registered in the country in June. Of course changes in these mortality statistics are not fully connected with the coronavirus, but the coronavirus situation definitely has a significant impact on them, he told a daily news briefing in Yerevan. The Armenian Ministry of Health reported earlier in the day that 10 more people died from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, bringing the official death toll to 453. The figure does not include the deaths of 149 other people who were also infected with the virus. The ministry says that these deaths were primarily caused by other, pre-existing diseases. The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the country of about 3 million rose by 523 to 26,065. Ministry data shows that almost 29 percent of coronavirus tests carried out on Tuesday came back positive. Unfortunately, we are still not succeeding in achieving our main strategic goal in the fight against the coronavirus epidemic, said Pashinian. Our main strategic goal is to learn to live with the coronavirus. The prime minister again complained that many Armenians still do not practice social distancing or wear face masks in public areas despite his and other officials persistent appeals. He said that on Tuesday alone police fined almost 2,700 citizens for not complying with these requirements. Opposition politicians and other critics of Pashinian blame his government for the continuing coronavirus crisis. Some of them say that the government never properly enforced a nationwide lockdown imposed in late March and lifted it too soon. Pashinian indicated his continuing opposition to renewed lockdown restrictions in the country. We are continuing to put the emphasis on changing the personal behavior of each of us because this is how we are going to overcome the coronavirus epidemic with minimum economic losses, he said. Meanwhile, the European Union and the World Health Organization (WHO) donated 10,000 test kits to Armenia on Wednesday. In a joint statement, they said that the donation will allow wider testing for COVID-19 across the country free of charge. The Armenian health authorities carry out an average of over 2,000 coronavirus tests on a daily basis. They are expected to start using soon coronavirus tests manufactured by the Yerevan-based Institute of Molecular Biology. The director of the state-run institute, Arsen Arakelian, announced that it will produce at least 2,000 tests a day. Armenia will not have to import them anymore, he said. By Laman Ismayilova Azerbaijani designer Gulnara Khalilova has delighted the guests of the fifth season of Aspara Fashion Week (Kazakhstan) with stunning collection of outfits created with the use of kelagayi called "Silk Treasure". The four-day fashion show was held virtually amid coronavirus pandemic, bringing together designers from many countries Before the show, Gulnara Khalilova addressed the event. In her speech, the Azerbaijani designer stressed that her other fashion collections were successfully presented at Fashion Weeks and international events in Turkey, Russia, China, Austria, Romania, Great Britain, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and other countries. The designer plans to present her new collection on international catwalks in future. She also expressed her gratitude to the founder of the Aspara Fashion Week project, the famous designer from Kazakhstan Aidarkhan Kaliyev for the invitation. Notably, this fashion collection was first presented in November 2019. The project was implemented jointly with the national brand "Azerbaijan Kelagayi" with the support of the International Mugham Center. The event was dedicated to the fifth anniversary of the inclusion of traditional art and symbolism of kelagayi in UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage List. Gulnara Khalilova, the head of the Center of National Costumes, is a frequent guest of international fashion weeks. She is the two-times winner at Eurasian International Fashion Festival "Silk Road" held in China. Her works are also very popular among Turkish public figures, representatives of culture and art such as Ajda Pekkan, Emrah Erdogan, Beyazit Ozturk, Soner Sarikabadayi, and others. She also designed costume for Azerbaijan's 2013 Eurovision representative Farid Mammadov and created hand panel with the official mascots of the EuroGames. During the opening of Rio 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio, Champion of the European Games Ilham Zakiyev was in national dress, created by the designer which was a novelty in the history of the Olympic movement. Khalilova is the author of a number of books dedicated to the traditions of clothing, including the history of Azerbaijan national clothing, the textbooks and catalogs for higher education institutions. In 2014-2015 she worked as a teacher at the State Academy of Fine Arts. Since 2017, she is teaching at Khazar University. The designer also heads the Women's Entrepreneurship Development Association. --- Laman Ismayilova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Lam_Ismayilova Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Laman Ismayilova President of the International Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation Gunay Afandiyeva has taken part as an honored guest in the video conference "Makhtumkuli and the Turkic world." Co-organized by the Embassy of Turkmenistan in the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Institute of Literature named after Nizami Ganjavi of the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences, the conference was attended by the heads of international and public organizations, diplomats, representatives of the scientific and creative intelligentsia of Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan. The President of the Foundation praised the personality and work of Makhtumkuli Fragi. "Makhtumkuli occupies an exclusive place not only in literature, but also in the public and national consciousness of Turkmens. Absorbing the philosophical feelings of Ahmed Yasawi and Yunus Emre, the great classics of the Turkic world, Makhtumkuli, with his public literary morality and national worldview, opened a new era in Turkmen poetry ", said Afandiyeva. She stressed that the Turkic national thinking is fully manifested in the creative activity of the poet, and the poetry of Fragi grows from a single Turkic root. Paying attention to the importance of promoting the work of a great thinker, the President of the Foundation noted that the study, research and publication of the poets valuable heritage is of great importance for the development of literary and cultural ties between Turkic-speaking countries and the promotion of a common Turkic culture. Gunay Afandiyeva also reported that the International Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation is preparing an anthology of poems "Giants of the Turkic World", noting that the poems of Makhtumkuli are also included in this book. The event was attended by the heads of international and public organizations, diplomats, representatives of the scientific and creative intelligentsia of Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan. --- Laman Ismayilova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Lam_Ismayilova Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Laman Ismayilova Indonesia has issued post stamps dedicated to the 20th anniversary of the inclusion of Icherisheher in UNESCO's World Heritage List. The post stamps were issued by the state-owned company Indonesia Post at the initiative of the Azerbaijani Embassy in Indonesia in line with the relevant order signed by President Ilham Aliyev on February 27, 2020 According to the agreement reached between the state-owned company Indonesia Post and the Azerbaijani Embassy, the stamp has been put into circulation this month at the country's central and regional post offices. Azerbaijan became member of UNESCO on June 3 1992, after restoration of its independence. In 2003, Azerbaijan and UNESCO signed the framework agreement on cooperation in the areas of culture, science, education and communication, which allowed Azerbaijan to become one of the donors of UNESCO. Many Azerbaijan's cultural sites have been included into UNESCO's World Heritage List. The Icherisheher (Old City), Maiden Tower and Shirvanshah's palace were included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2000, while since 2007 the Gobustan National Historical-Artistic reserve was also listed among these heritages. Sheki, a significant city at the crossroads of the historic Silk Roads was inscribed on UNESCO's World Heritage List during the 43rd session of the World Heritage Committee held in Baku. In 2017, UNESCO recognized Azerbaijan's dolma as the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Art of crafting and playing with kamancha, presented jointly by Azerbaijan and Iran, was also inscribed on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. UNESCO also celebrated the 600th anniversary of the death of the great Azerbaijani poet and thinker Imadaddin Nasimi and the 200th anniversary of the first settlement of Germans in Azerbaijan last year. --- Laman Ismayilova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Lam_Ismayilova Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz On Wednesday, Mayor Lori Lightfoot talked about the role of community members in helping to identify violent offenders to police, or better yet helping to stop them before they shoot. The gang shooters arent strangers, she pointed out, they live in the neighborhoods they are destroying. They can be fingered. I need the moms on the block. I need the block club presidents, Lightfoot said. I need the members of the faith community. I need the people doing street intervention, and I need families. Yes, the families too whoever can intervene to calm a grudge, prevent a retaliation, talk sense, save a life. By Ayya Lmahamad Azerbaijans Health Ministry has announced that citizens with COVID-19 do not need to visit clinics anymore and will be treated at home from now on by signing written undertaking not to leave their homes. So far, patients with symptoms have sought emergency medical care for COVID-19 testing directly at medical facilities. Head of Health Ministry department Nadir Zeynalov said at the briefing of Operational Headquarters on June 30 that 39 coronavirus treatment points have been created on the basis of polyclinics in Baku and adjacent regions. From now on, information on persons who feel the signs of coronavirus will reach these points, and special medical team will visit this person and conduct tests. If patients test positive, treatment will be performed at home under the supervision of a doctor. If the patients health condition worsens, he will be taken to one of the coronavirus treatment units. Zeynalov added that the condition of such patients is controlled by district doctor via phone, and if necessary, the doctor will visit the patient at home to examine his condition. Furthermore, the ministry official said that those patients who easily tolerate the disease and are treated under supervision of doctor at home, will be provided with medicines as well as vitamins through polyclinics. Additionally, he emphasized that the hiring process of doctors has been announced, which will allow optimization of current work. The pandemic is unpredictable. No country's health care is ready for such a pandemic. It is possible to bring necessary equipment from outside, but it is impossible to bring doctors from abroad. Therefore, all countries have to improve the knowledge of their doctors, he said. During the briefing, Presidential aide Hikmat Hajiyev stressed that Azerbaijan continues international cooperation in connection with the COVID-19 with the World Health Organization. He emphasized that one of the most important steps taken by Azerbaijan in the international arena was the Presidents initiative to hold a special session of the UN General Assembly. Hajiyev noted that the initiative was supported by more than 130 countries of the world, and it was a bright example of trust and respect for the Azerbaijani state. Meanwhile, head of department of the Management Union of Medical Territorial Units in Azerbaijan (TABIB) Yagut Garayeva stated that Azerbaijan does not use rapid COVID-19 tests, as they were not approved by the World Health Organization and do not guarantee 100 percent detection of coronavirus infection. "Today we are conducting PZR test, which has been evaluated by the WHO as the most effective test to detect coronavirus, she said. She emphasized that vaccine development is a long process, and so far there are no facts confirming that the vaccine has already been created in any country. "There are no facts confirming that the vaccine has already been created in any country. After the development of the first trial versions of the vaccine it will be necessary to study its impact on the body. The use of trial vaccines has not yet begun. It is too early to talk about it yet, Garayeva stated. As of July 1, Azerbaijan has registered 17,524 COVID-19 cases and 213 coronavirus- related deaths. The total number of recovered patients is 9,715. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Akbar Mammadov Azerbaijan's Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov held discussions on the current dynamics in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and next steps in the peace process with his Armenian counterpart Zohrab Mnatsakanyan at a video-conference meeting on June 30. The meeting took place with the mediation and participation of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs and the Personal Representative of the Chairperson-in-office. During the meeting lasting one hour, the co-chairs noted the increase of the aggressive rhetoric. In his turn, Mammadyarov stressed that Armenia's provocative actions escalate the rhetoric. Mammadyarov also raised the issue of illegal activities, including infrastructure changes carried out by Armenia in the occupied Nagorno-Karabakh territories of Azerbaijan. At the meeting, the sides reached an agreement to organize the next video conference of the Foreign Ministers of Azerbaijan and Armenia in July with the mediation and participation of the Minsk Group co-chairs. Besides, the co-chairs pointed out that they would explore the possibility of organizing the meeting in person between the ministers at the earliest opportunity. Regarding that meeting, the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs made a press statement on the same day, in which they noted the significance of promoting and maintaining an atmosphere conducive to peace and favourable to substantive negotiations. They assessed positively the relative stability on the ground and expressed satisfaction that the sides continue to use existing direct communication links to avoid escalation, reads the statement. Moreover, the co-chairs recalled their statement of 9 March 2019. In this regard, yet they also touched upon recent provocative statements and inflammatory rhetoric between the sides. For this purpose, the co-chairs added that possible steps intended to change the situation on the ground in tangible ways could undermine the settlement process. In the statement, the co-chairs emphasized that there is no military solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, urging that the sides take additional steps to strengthen the ceasefire and prepare the populations for peace. The Co-Chairs also stressed the urgency of resuming monitoring exercises under the leadership of the PRCIO as soon as conditions allow, reads the statement. To note, the OSCE Minsk co-chairs - Igor Popov (Russia), Stephane Visconti (France), Andrew Schofer (USA) and Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Andrzej Kasprzyk also participated in the video meeting. It should be noted that on May 18, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister and the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs agreed to work on determining the date and time of the next meeting of the Foreign Ministers of Azerbaijan and Armenia with the mediation of the Minsk Group co-chairs after the softening of the outbreak. Earlier, on 21 April, with the participation of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs, Azerbaijani and Armenian Foreign Ministers, Elmar Mammadyarov and Zohrab Mnatsakanyan discussed the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict according to the joint statement adopted in Geneva in a video-conference. Thus, this year the first meeting of Azerbaijani and Armenian Foreign Ministers with the participation of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs and the Personal Representative Andrzej Kasprzyk took place in Geneva on 28-30 January. Azerbaijan and Armenia are locked in a conflict over Azerbaijans Nagorno-Karabakh breakaway region, which along with seven adjacent regions was occupied by Armenian forces in a war in the early 1990s. More than 20,000 Azerbaijanis were killed and around one million were displaced as a result of the large-scale hostilities. The OSCE Minsk Group co-chaired by the United States, Russia and France has been mediating the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict since the signing of the volatile cease-fire agreement in 1994. The Minsk Groups efforts have resulted in no progress and to this date, Armenia has failed to abide by the UN Security Council resolutions (822, 853, 874 and 884) that demand the withdrawal of Armenian military forces from the occupied territories of Azerbaijan. --- Akbar Mammadov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @AkbarMammadov97 Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Akbar Mammadov To prepare the population for peace, Armenia must withdraw the occupying forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding regions of Azerbaijan and not obstruct the return of IDPs to their homes, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Leyla Abdullayeva said in a briefing on July 1. It is clear that the root of the tension, rhetoric, confrontation and hostility in the region is Armenia's aggressive policy, the military occupation of internationally recognized territories of Azerbaijan and ethnic cleansing of many local Azerbaijanis in these territories carried out by Armenia, she said. Commenting on the information released by the Armenian Foreign Ministry on yesterdays meeting between the two countries' ministers under the auspices of OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs, Abdullayeva noted: The statement issued by the Armenian Foreign Ministry on the meeting once again reiterates the completely unfounded position of the occupying country. Abdullayeva stressed that it is well known to all, including to Armenia that there is no such notion as the people of Karabakh. Armenians living in Karabakh form one of two communities living in this region of Azerbaijan; the Azerbaijani community of Karabakh were expelled from their homes as a result of the Armenian aggression and became an IDP, she said. The spokesperson emphasized that the purpose of the negotiations on the settlement of the conflict is to restore the violated fundamental rights and freedoms of these people, to ensure the withdrawal of the Armenian armed forces from the territory of Azerbaijan. There is no other way to ensure lasting peace, stability and security in the region, Abdullayev said. Abdullayeva reminded that during yesterdays meeting, Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov raised the issue of illegal actions, including infrastructure changes in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan carried out by Armenia. The minister also stressed that Armenia's provocative actions serve to inflame rhetoric, Abdullayeva said. To note, on June 30, Azerbaijan's Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov held discussions on the current dynamics in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and next steps in the peace process with his Armenian counterpart Zohrab Mnatsakanyan at a video-conference meeting. The meeting took place with the mediation and participation of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs and the Personal Representative of the Chairperson-in-office. Azerbaijan and Armenia are locked in a conflict over Azerbaijans Nagorno-Karabakh breakaway region, which along with seven adjacent regions was occupied by Armenian forces in a war in the early 1990s. More than 20,000 Azerbaijanis were killed and around one million were displaced as a result of the large-scale hostilities. The OSCE Minsk Group co-chaired by the United States, Russia and France has been mediating the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict since the signing of the volatile cease-fire agreement in 1994. The Minsk Groups efforts have resulted in no progress and to this date, Armenia has failed to abide by the UN Security Council resolutions (822, 853, 874 and 884) that demand the withdrawal of Armenian military forces from the occupied territories of Azerbaijan. --- Akbar Mammadov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @AkbarMammadov97 Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Ayya Lmahamad Special quarantine regime in Azerbaijan may be extended until July 19, Presidential aide Hikmat Hajiyev said at the briefing of Operational Headquarters on June 30. A two-week strict quarantine regime entered force on June 21 in the territory of Baku, Sumgayit, Ganja, Lankaran, Yevlakh, Masalli, Jalilabad and Absheron region. Hajiyev said that such quarantine mode will yield results in the coming days, although the trend shows that the decision made were correct. However, he highlighted that the increasing number of infected people in the country, is due to non- compliance with the requirements of special quarantine regime. He once again stressed that citizens should still observe the rules concerning the wearing of medical masks and observance of social distance. Moreover, he added that issues related to the COVID-19 in Azerbaijan are monitored around the clock, as well as all necessary instructions are given and measures are taken. Hajiyev noted that the issue to support to persons treated at home is also under consideration. "Coronavirus aggravates problems in the world. Coronavirus must be recognized as war in the world scale. We will feel this threat until coronavirus is eliminated, he said. Azerbaijan first introduced quarantine regime on March 24, and on June 18 decision was taken to extend special quarantine regime until August 1. Under the new lockdown rule, citizens are allowed to leave their place of residence only after obtaining SMS permissions. Operation of shopping centers, restaurants, cafes, beauty salons, as well as museums, exhibition halls, sport and beaches was also suspended until July 5. As of July 1, Azerbaijan has registered 17,524 COVID-19 cases and 213 coronavirus- related deaths so far. The total number of recovered patients is 9,715. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Ayya Lmahamad Some 1,403 citizens were fined over the past 24 hours for violating the strict quarantine regime that entered force on June 21, main traffic police department under the Ministry of Interior reported. All 1,403 were fined according to Article 211.1 of the Code of Administrative Offences. Of them 1,223 were drivers who failed to follow the quarantine regime requirements and 175 were citizens not using facial masks in the public transport. Five others were subjected to administrative liability. The fines are due to the special quarantine regime that will be in force until July 5 in the territories of Baku, Ganja, Sumgayit, Lankaran, Yevlakh, Masalli, Jalilabad and Absheron region. Residents are required to obtain SMS permits before leaving their place of residence during the two-week strict lockdown. In the meantime, 800 cars which had sought to leave these territories were stopped, and returned back on June 30. Earlier it was reported that 14,907 citizens were fined in the period of June 21-29 for violating quarantine regime, as well as 635 drivers were fined during June 14-16 lockdown, and 2,524 drivers were fined during June 6-7 lockdown. Azerbaijan first introduced quarantine regime on March 24, and on June 18 decision was taken to extend special quarantine regime until August 1. On June 18, Cabinet of Ministers announced decision to impose a two-week strict quarantine regime. Under the new lockdown rule, citizens are allowed to leave their place of residence only after obtaining SMS permissions. Operation of shopping centers, restaurants, cafes, beauty salons, as well as museums, exhibition halls, sport and beaches was also suspended until July 5. Azerbaijan mandated wearing face masks on May 31. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Akbar Mammadov Azerbaijan has sent medical supplies amounting to 25 tonnes to Iraq to help this country to fight COVID-19. According to Iraqs Foreign Ministry, preventive medical supplies were delivered from Baku to Baghdad by plane on June 30. Medical supplies include syringes, masks, sterilizers, protective suits, and medical alcohol. The Iraqi Foreign Ministry said that this humanitarian aid reflects the depth and interdependence of relations between the two countries and activation of bilateral cooperation in confronting the viral pandemic. Humanitarian aid delivered by Azerbaijan's Silk Way Airlines has been handed over to the Iraqi side by employees of the Azerbaijani embassy in Iraq. Earlier on June 25, Azerbaijan sent medical supplies weighing 4,5 tonnes to Afghanistan. Moreover, on June 10, Azerbaijan provided humanitarian aid worth $25,000 to Yemen. It should be noted that on June 9, President Ilham Aliyev said that Azerbaijan has made individual donations to the World Health Organization, and humanitarian assistance to 29 WHO member-countries, including $5 million to Iran during the COVID-19 pandemic. --- Akbar Mammadov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @AkbarMammadov97 Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Ayya Lmahamad Azerbaijan has repatriated 250 citizens stranded on the border with Russias South Caucasus Republic of Dagestan due to the lockdown over COVID-19, Presidential aide Hikmat Hajiyev said at the briefing of Operational Headquarters on June 30. Hajiyev stated that citizens crossed the border in special buses, and are accommodated by the Ministry of Emergency Situations in receiving and sorting station established near Samur border checkpoint in the Gusar region. He stressed that first and foremost, they have undergone the appropriate medical examination. Those arriving by special buses and charter flights are not allowed to leave their homes for two weeks and the electronic permit system for citizens will not be applied to them during this period. Earlier, on June 23, during the telephone conversation of Deputy Prime Minister of Azerbaijan Shahin Mustafayev and head of Dagestan Vladimir Vasilyev, agreed to increase the number of citizens returning across the state border, in line with instructions of Azerbaijan and Russian Presidents. It should be noted that, on June 16 Presidential aide Hikmat Hajiyev said that Azerbaijan has repatriated 2,976 citizens from Russian. Moreover, Azerbaijan has so far repatriated over 25,000 citizens from different countries over COVID-19 pandemic. Azerbaijan closed its borders with Russia over COVID-19 on March 18. Azerbaijan first introduced special quarantine regime on March 24 and the fourth stage of quarantine regime easing came into force May 31. However, the borders remain closed. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Akbar Mammadov Azerbaijan National Agency for Mine Action (ANAMA) has neutralized 219 unexploded ordnance across 11 regions and four cities in the country in June 2020, the agency told local media on July 1. The neutralized ammunition also include five anti-tank mines and 47 cartridges of various calibres, the agency said. The territories where mines and ordnance found are placed in Aghstafa, Jabrayil, Fuzuli, Goranboy, Khizi, Khojavend, Imishli, Gazakh, Guba, Shamkir, Tartar regions and Baku, Ganja, Sumgait and Lankaran cities. During the operations, a total area of 731,034 square meters (73.1 hectares) in these regions and cities was inspected. The agency noted that 490 operational staff, 116 administrative staff, 6 mechanical mine clearing vehicles and 40 mine detection dogs are involved in the operations. Thus, in June, a total of 26 appeals were received by the law-enforcement and security agencies of Azerbaijan. On the basis of the appeals, 23 operative and urgent operations were made together with the employees of the MIA, the MES, the Ministry of Health and the SBS. As a result, 10,730 square meters were inspected in Agstafa, Fizuli, Goranboy, Khizi, Khojavend, Imishli, Gazakh, Guba, Shamkir, Tartar regions, and cities of Baku, Ganja and Lankaran. Hence, 46 unexploded ordnance (UXO), 4 anti-tank mines and 47 cartridges of different calibres were found and transported to the Agency's Central Destruction Area to ensure the safety of the local population. It should be noted in June, a mine accident was registered in the Agstafa region, as a result of which one person was injured. So far, generally, 544 million 786 thousand 682 square meters (54,478.67 hectares) have been cleared, 807 thousand 819 mines and unexploded ordnance (UXO) found and neutralized since 1999, when Azerbaijan and UNDP signed the joint project on Crisis Prevention and Recovery on April 2 of that year. Based on that joint project, Azerbaijans National Agency for Mine Action was established. --- Akbar Mammadov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @AkbarMammadov97 Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Ayya Lmahamad Azerbaijan has allocated $300,000 to the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) for Palestinian refugees, local media reported with the reference to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on July 1. The aid was allocated upon President Ilham Aliyev order in response to Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation Dr Yousef Al-Othaimeens request to support the fight against the coronavirus pandemic in Palestine. The need for humanitarian assistance to Palestine has arisen due to the spread and consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. It should be noted that Azerbaijan recently provided humanitarian aid to Yemen, as well sent medical supplies to Afghanistan and Iraq over COVID-19. Azerbaijan has also made individual donations to the World Health Organization, and provided humanitarian assistance to 29 WHO member-countries, including $5 million to Iran during the COVID-19 pandemic. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Akbar Mammadov Azerbaijan has ranked 54th among 166 countries in the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Index, becoming the leader in the South Caucasus region and leaving many CIS countries behind for sustainable development. According to the report on Sustainable Development 2020, Azerbaijan jumped five ranks compared to 2019 and secured its place in the 54th rank. Azerbaijans SDG Index score was 72.6 this year, meaning that the country is on average 73 per cent of the way to the best possible outcome across the 17 SDGs. In terms of the SDG Index score, Azerbaijan is the regional leader among its neighbours. Russia ranked 57 (71.9) in the list, while Georgia and Iran ranked 58 and 59 with 71.8 scores accordingly. Turkey and Armenia ranked 70 (70.3) and 75 (69.9) respectively. In terms of the regional comparison, the regional average score for Azerbaijan was 70.9 in the report. In addition, Azerbaijan is also the leader among other CIS countries. Thus, Kazakhstan was ranked 65 (71.1 scores), Uzbekistan 66 (71.0), Tajikistan 78 (69.4), Kyrgyzstan 52 (73.0), Moldova 42 (74.4) and Belarus 18 (78.8). Furthermore, the report shows that Azerbaijan has achieved in the no poverty goal of Sustainable Development Goal. The country has also improves other sustainable development goals. Thus, in spite of the remaining challenges, the trend for the achievement in sustainable goals zero hungry, good health and well-being, affordable and clean energy, sustainable cities and communities, climate action, peace, justice and strong institutions and partnership for the goals is increasing in Azerbaijan. In the case of the clean water and sanitation goal, despite the remaining significant challenges, Azerbaijan is experiencing an on track trend, which means that Azerbaijan follows a course that is likely to achieve this SD goal. Scandinavian countries secured the first three places in the ranking. With 84.7 scores, Sweden leads the SDG Index score rating for 2020, followed by Denmark (84.6) and Finland (83.8). It should be noted that the SDG Index tracks country performance on the 17 SD Goals, as agreed by the international community in 2015 with equal weight to all 17 goals. The score signifies a countrys position between the worst (0) and the best or target (100) outcomes. It should be noted that in 2015, all United Nations Member States adopted that 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The heart of the agenda is 17 Sustainable Development Goals that are an urgent call for action by all countries - developed and developing - in a global partnership. The Sustainable Development Goals are "No Poverty", " Zero Hunger", " Good Health and Well-being", " Quality Education", " Gender Equality", " Clean Water and Sanitation", " Affordable and Clean Energy", " Decent Work and Economic Growth", " Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure", " Reducing Inequality", " Sustainable Cities and Communities", " Responsible Consumption and Production", " Climate Action", " Life Below Water", " Life On Land", " Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions" and " Partnerships for the Goals". --- Akbar Mammadov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @AkbarMammadov97 Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz This is shades of, like Larry Hoover from the 1990s, Lightfoot said at an unrelated news conference. What these drug enterprises are doing is this: These spots, they can earn $30 to $50,000 a day. Theyre extraordinarily lucrative. Which is why theyre literally willing to fight to the death to keep those spots. But cynically and this is what the superintendent was saying, and why hes frustrated they put young people out on those corners. By Ayya Lmahamad Azerbaijani Health Ministry and a group of experts from Italy exchanged views on pandemic situation, during the videoconference held on June 30, Italian Embassy reported in its Facebook page. Taking into account Italys experience gained during the COVID-19 pandemic, the team of experts of the Spallanzani Institute headed by scientific director Giuseppe Ippolito had a thorough exchange of views with the chief technical and sanitary management of the epidemic in Azerbaijan. Italy is sharing with Azerbaijan experience and best practices gained by the institute, which has played a leading role in emergency response to infectious diseases and pandemics in Europe and the world. The videoconference was a first step in cooperation aimed at structuring by thematic area and establishing a regular dialogue. Ambassador Augusto Massari, Minister Ogtay Shiraliyev and his deputy Viktor Gasimov also participated in the meeting. The videoconference followed the meeting between Ambassador Augusto Massari and Azerbaijani Health Minister Ogtay Shiraliyev on June 25. The purpose of the meeting was to exchange views on measures taken by Italy and Azerbaijan in the fight against coronavirus, during which Azerbaijani side expressed interest in studying the Italian experience. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Akbar Mammadov Azerbaijans President Ilham Aliyev has signed the laws on the military-financial cooperation and preferential trade agreements between Azerbaijan and Turkey, the presidential website reported on July 1. Earlier, on 31 May, the Azerbaijani parliament (Milli Majlis) adopted the laws on military financial cooperation between the Governments of Azerbaijan and Turkey, and Preferential Trade Agreement between the Governments of Azerbaijan and Turkey. It should be noted that Azerbaijan and Turkey signed the agreements on military-financial cooperation and preferential trade during Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogans one-day visit to Baku on February 25. The agreement on preferential trade will give a great impetus to increase the trade turnover between the two countries from $4.5 billion to $15 billion. --- Akbar Mammadov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @AkbarMammadov97 Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Trend Wind energy, biofuels or solar energy could be the potential spheres for cooperation between Poland and Azerbaijan, Press Office Director at Polands Foreign Ministry Andrzej Fafara told Trend. "Poland has a strong potential for cooperation in the sphere of renewables and green technologies as well. Poland is successfully diversifying the supply of fossil fuels and share of renewable energy resources in our energy-mix is steadily growing Many of our companies have developed various interesting technologies which may be of interest to many companies and institutions in Azerbaijan," he said. Fafara said Poland sees the potential for cooperation in the field of energy between the two countries. "However it is up to the companies to develop such cooperation on the basis of its economic merits. We support further development of the Southern Gas Corridor which is already becoming an important connection between Azerbaijan and the EU and stimulating such cooperation. We try to diversify energy supplies to our country. The LNG terminal in Swinoujscie and the Baltic Pipe gas pipeline are key infrastructure projects that strengthen our economy and the energy security," he added. Earlier, Head of the Environmental Policy Department of the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources Rasim Sattarzade told Trend that the generation of wind and solar energy in the country will gradually increase in volumes. "For Azerbaijan, oil and gas remain the main source of electricity production. However, in accordance with plans, half of the country's total energy consumption should be generated by renewable energy sources by 2050. Azerbaijan has the potential to draw up this indicator to 6 percent by 2025, and to 10 percent - by 2030," said Sattarzade. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz PHOENIX (3TV/CBS 5) The state is breaking records but not in a good way. On Wednesday, the Arizona Department of Health Services reported 4,878 additional coronavirus cases and 88 new deaths. Thats a record-high single-day jump. Ahead of the Fourth of July weekend, a time when families tend to gather, a local emergency room doctor is issuing a warning. I literally cant understand it. I dont know what more I need to tell people how dangerous this is. I feel like a broken record, said Dr. Murtaza Akhter from University of Arizona College of Medicine. So far, the coronavirus has infected 84,092 people in Arizona. To put it in perspective, that is 10,000 more people than the population of Flagstaff. According to the state department of health, coronavirus cases started going up again following Memorial Day weekend, when people began to socialize after months at home. Phoenix surgeon explains what hospitals' 'crisis mode' means for you [Medical staff looks at] who needs to go first? Dr. Ross Goldberg explained. Not that [patients] are denied care. Its just an order of who needs to go based on how sick they are and what they need in the emergent time. Dr. Akhter worries this holiday weekend will be disastrous. "Large gatherings are a terrible idea, to expose yourself to people who are immuno-compromised - can get sick easy, the elderly who have a higher rate of dying - is dangerous and selfish. Top health expert warns hospitals could operate under crisis care for months Will Humble, who served as the director of the Arizona Department of Health Services under Gov. Brewer, welcomed the governors action although he said it came too late for over-stressed hospitals. He said this time around there may not be a hospital bed waiting for you if you do get really sick, since ICU bed usage has reached an all-time high of 89 percent. The demographics of people getting COVID-19 are also changing. A lot of people try to say that COVID is all about the old folks but its also about the young folks too, said Dr. Akhter. He also said not to let your political views get in the way of your safety. If you do go out, even if it is just with immediate family, wear a mask. New Arizona concern: Study shows asymptomatic COVID patients could have long-term lung damage There is a big concern here in Arizona because over 39,000 of the state's COVID cases are in the 20 to 44 age group, far more than any other age group. This idea of individualism is kind of crazy. There are plenty of rights of ours that are restrictive. I mean, you have to wear a seat belt; you get penalized if you dont. There will be other years for barbecues; this is not it. On Monday, the Governor Ducey urged residents to stay home when possible, wear masks, and stop gathering in large groups. PHOENIX (3TV/CBS 5) Hospitals throughout Arizona are implementing their crisis standards of care as they anticipate seeing more and more COVID-19 patients. While some say that means doctors will be deciding who gets care who doesnt, Dr. Ross Goldberg, a Valleywise surgeon and the president of the Arizona Medical Association, says its more about prioritizing when patients get care. Basically [crisis mode] is a designation for hospitals to allocate resources depending on whats going, Goldberg said. Were having a large influx of COVID patients. As that number increases, which it probably will, we can then shift resources as needed to deal with that surge of patients. Patients all patients, not just those with COVID-19 are triaged based on acuity. Doctors also look at the patient's age and prognosis. Point values are assigned to those criteria and patients with the lowest scores are moved to the front of the line. [Medical staff looks at] who needs to go first? Goldberg explained. Not that [patients] are denied care. Its just an order of who needs to go based on how sick they are and what they need in the emergent time. Although hospitals are in crisis mode, Goldberg said people should go to the hospital if needed. Diseases dont take a vacation just because we have COVID. We have other things going on, he said. People need to remember they need to see their physicians and come to the hospital like they normally would if theres a problem. We really encourage everyone not to delay things because that could make it worse. Goldberg also talked about what everyone can do to help slow the spread of the coronavirus that causes COVID-19. Wearing a face mask is part of that. As a surgeon, Im used to wearing masks, and I dont like to wear masks all the time either. I really need everyone to participate on this. This really is a community attempt to stop the spread of the virus, he said. Every person is important. Every person is responsible to everyone else. The wearing of the masks, the social distancing, the hand hygiene I understand it can be frustrating. I understand its a burden sometimes, or its an interference with your life. It a short-term sacrifice for a long-term gain. The sooner we all do this and get control of the virus, the sooner we can get things back to normal. RELATED STORIES PHOENIX (3TV/CBS5) -- One of the states top health experts warns that it could take months before hospitals operating in crisis mode can return to normal. On Monday, Gov. Ducey authorized hospitals to implement their crisis standards of care as the record number of new coronavirus cases push care facilities to the brink. Under these protocols, care is rationed to conserve resources which could lead hospitals to choose which patients receive treatment and which ones dont. Arizona to close bars, gyms, theaters again; delay start of school Governor Doug Ducey and state leaders announced pushing back the opening of schools in Arizona in the fall due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. At the same time, the governor also issued an executive order to close bars, gyms, movie theaters, water parks and tubing rentals for 30 days to slow the spread. Will Humble, who served as the director of the Arizona Department of Health Services under Gov. Brewer, welcomed the governors action although he said it came too late for over-stressed hospitals. HonorHealth nurse describes dire circumstances in ERs and ICUs People are waiting in the hallways of the ERs. Its not safe, she said. Were short staffed. Every hospital is short staffed. Humble worries about a situation in which doctors and nurses might have to decide who gets treatment and who doesn't. Id expect us to see the numbers to start to turn around in terms of new cases long before were able to dig of the crisis standards of care, he said. PHOENIX (3TV/CBS 5) The Arizona Department of Liquor announced Wednesday that it has suspended the liquor licenses of two Life Time Biltmore restaurants because Life Time stayed open in violation of Executive Order 2020-43, which Gov. Doug Ducey issued on Monday. The order requires indoor gyms and fitness clubs or centers to shut down for 30 days. Life Time Biltmore, along with some other gyms, did not do that. When investigators with the Arizona Department of Liquor Licenses and Control (DLLC) went to Life Time Biltmore on Tuesday and found it open, they suspended the liquor licenses of the Life Cafe & Lounge and the Rooftop Bistro. Both are owned by LTF Club Operations Company Inc., according to the announcement. The Department took action against the liquor licenses of the two businesses as each presented one of a number of enticements to continue regular operations at Life Time Biltmore, said John Cocca, the DLLC director. Duceys most recent executive order allows law enforcement or any regulatory body to go after businesses not in compliance with the shutdown. Arizonas Family reached out to the Phoenix Police Department, which said it has not cited the business. Department spokeswoman Sgt. Mercedes Fortune said officers went to Life Time Biltmore and informed the manager of the new Executive Order. Some gyms, including Mountainside Fitness, Orange Theory, and F45 were open Tuesday despite the order. Life Time sent an email to members saying it planned to fully open today. Mountainside Fitness CEO and found Tom Hatten announced that he intended to sue Ducey over the order. The Scottsdale Police Department told Arizonas Family that officers cited the Mountainside Fitness location near 116th Street and Shea Boulevard. No other Valley police departments said they had cited or warned other gyms or fitness centers. Duceys one-month pause also applies to bars, movie, water parks, and tubing rentals. PHOENIX (3TV/CBS 5) -- Police are investigating after two children and a woman were found dead after officers responded to reports of a stabbing in Phoenix Sunday morning. According to Phoenix police spokesperson, Sgt. Tommy Thompson, officers found a 7-year-old boy, Meadn Meles-Hebtom, 9-year-old girl, Arsema Kidane, and 19-year-old woman, Abraha Danait dead at an apartment near 17th and Glendale avenues around 9 a.m. A 28-year-old man also at the apartment was taken to the hospital in critical condition but is expected to survive. Phoenix Eritrean community mourns the loss of 2 kids, young woman stabbed A family friend says the mother of the two children walked into the gruesome scene Sunday morning at the Santa Fe Springs apartments near 17th and Glendale avenues and then ran to neighbors begging for help in her native language. Police said the woman is believed to be a relative of the children, and the man is believed to be a family member who was living with the family at the time. "The babies were just learning to live, they had a whole future ahead of them and now someone with no heart took that away from them. It is sad, it is sad," said neighbor Jeanette Simmons. No additional information was available regarding the identities of the people involved or if a suspect was taken into custody. Homicide detectives are on scene investigating. "This is not the way a Sunday should go, to wake up and know that two children have lost their life, plus a teenager, it is crazy," Simmons said. Stay with Arizona's Family for updates on this developing story as they become available. A Sydney food blog celebrating the world's great culinary underbelly. We are ham-fisted enthusiasts who dig traditional foods, hole-in-the-wall restaurants, and international supermarkets of mystery. Jim Brady, the presidents press secretary, was the first to be hit by gunfire, and then Washington, D.C., police Officer Thomas Delahanty. McCarthy was hit by the third bullet after putting himself between the shooter and the president, and a fifth bullet ricocheted off the limousine and hit Reagan under the arm, moments after Secret Service agent Jerry Parr pulled the president inside. Both my wifes and my own families have relocated out of state (specifically to the Southeast) and a number of our close friends have or are in the process of doing so as well across the country, Wade said in an email. We both felt it was a time both personally and professionally to look at opportunities out of state to be closer to our families. Bluefield, WV (24701) Today Mixed clouds and sun this morning. Scattered thunderstorms developing this afternoon. Storms may contain strong gusty winds. High 81F. Winds WSW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 50%.. Tonight Scattered thunderstorms early, overcast overnight with occasional rain likely. Low 59F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%. President Trump is moving toward his 2024 candidacy as per all indications from his enlightening address to the NC GOP on June 5, 2021. Considering this political vector as a distinct possibility: What is your electoral pleasure as an integral cog in this Representative Republic? No Vote: Mr. Trump will never be president again as we boldly march toward a Socialist society. Yes Vote: Mr. Trump was the best president since Ronald Reagan, and we need a real leader, who is fully cognitive of that responsibility in these tumultuous times.. Were going to put extra manpower on the Fourth of July and were going to enforce our ordinance, DeVries said. Normally we ride up and down the streets and we tell everybody thats blowing off fireworks to stop. We understand its a family thing sometimes, but this is way out of control this year. Gulf Greyhound Park is permanently closing down after nearly 30 years in business. Gulf is one of the largest and last remaining dog racing tracks in the state, according to the Texas Racing Commission. The state agency regulates horse and greyhound racing through licensing, on-site monitoring and enforcement. The simulcast and event center opened in La Marque in 1992 to much fanfare, generating more than $200 million in its first full year of business. Gulf halted live racing in 2015 but resumed live and simulcast racing with adjusted, shorter seasons in 2017. General manager Sally Briggs said in a press release sent out by the city of La Marque that the park is closing down due to a "decline in parimutuel live racing and simulcast wagering over the past few years." FORMAL INVESTIGATION: Multiple dog deaths at Gulf Greyhound Park spark questioning from both racing advocates, opponents Animal rights advocates have called out the park in the past for questionably high numbers of dog injuries and deaths they allege are related to poor upkeep of the track. "It's always been a hot injury rate track," David Peck, president of the Texas Greyhound Association previously told Chron.com. "Gulf has a higher rate of major severe, needing-surgery type dogs." According to a post on the park website, uncashed tickets and vouchers can be sent to: P.O. Box 488, La Marque, Texas, 77568. rebecca.hennes@chron.com Almost three years after Tropical Storm Harvey flooded two Southeast Texas middle schools, the Federal Emergency Management Agency has completed the approval process to pay for the majority of their demolition and reconstruction. The funding comes after years of delays that caused lawmakers and officials to decry the process by which disaster relief is distributed. Related: Patience wears thin as FEMA again delays school demo Officials with Hardin-Jefferson ISD, which received almost $28 million in funding to replace Henderson Middle School in Sour Lake, said details on how the funding will be spent would be shared in the coming weeks. We are pleased with the announcement made by Sen. John Cornyn's office, district spokesperson Mandy Fortenberry said in a statement. It has been a long road to get to what appear to be the final steps in this journey of Harvey recovery. We are so thankful for the support that we have received from Rep. Brian Babin as well as Cornyn's office. According to a release by Cornyn, Henderson Middle School was inundated with floodwater that remained in the facility for approximately two weeks in length and fostered an environment that induced the growth of mold and mildew. Extensive damage cataloged during the review included the destruction of all flooring, exposed outlets, duct work, kitchen equipment and more. The release also noted that because the cost of the project was estimated to be above the threshold of $5,000,000, a third-party expert panel of engineers and cost estimators with the United States Army Corps of Engineers reviewed FEMA's evaluation and independently validated that the facility is eligible for replacement under FEMA's policy. The overall cost of damages to Henderson Middle School totaled more than $30 million. The Army Corps of Engineers and FEMA came to a 90% federal cost share agreement, awarding the district $27,818,876.25 in federal funding. The districts focus, Fortenberry said, is the upcoming school year and the obstacles we face in the current pandemic. In a statement released Wednesday, Cornyn thanked FEMA and the Trump administration for the move. With the help of community, resilience, and sheer hard work, Texans have come a long way since Hurricane Harvey hit nearly three years ago, but scars of its devastation still show throughout our state, Cornyn said in the document. Im thankful to the Trump administration for providing this federal grant to Hardin-Jefferson ISD to help Texas families get back on their feet after the storm. The grant comes six months after officials said they were nearing a conclusion, while Hardin-Jefferson ISD administrators said the community needed to see progress. I think our community has been very supportive, but I think they also would like to see some movement in this, Hardin-Jefferson Superintendent Brad McEachern said at the time. They have also dealt with FEMA, so they understand the FEMA process. But there gets to a point where you want to see some things happen. Brian Babin, R-Woodville, told The Enterprise in June that FEMA officials in Washington were delaying the project. We had everything worked out, and then all of a sudden we got a monkey-wrench thrown into the works by FEMA in Washington at their headquarters, he told The Enterprise. We are trying to work through this so we can get Henderson Middle School rebuilt. Related: Lawmaker calls for FEMA reform Other Southeast Texas districts are seeing similar grants after years of delay, including Vidor ISD, which received $19 million at the end of May and will begin demolition of the badly-damaged Vidor Middle School next week. Vidor ISD is excited to move forward with this important project and we look forward to getting our students in a more stable learning environment, Vidor Superintendent Jay Killgo told The Enterprise. We also want to thank our community for their patience as we have negotiated the hurdles associated with this project. That project originally was approved to move forward in October 2019, but was delayed just days before the scheduled demolition. Other districts, such as Hamshire-Fannett ISD, continue to struggle with damage from recent tropical events. When asked in January about the lengthy review process, a FEMA official told The Enterprise it was intended to protect the recipients of federal funds. Its understandable that some applicants will be frustrated with the process, Joseph Vermette, external affairs director for FEMA Region 6, said at the time. However, larger and more complex projects may take more time to adjudicate. Accuracy and attention to detail take time, and we want to ensure the best possible outcome for the applicant. isaac.windes@hearstnp.com twitter.com/isaacdwindes Editors note: This open letter was signed by the CEOs of all three Southeast Texas hospital groups, the Southeast Texas Regional Advisory Council, and the current and past presidents of the Jefferson County Medical Society: The number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients in Southeast Texas has increased significantly in the past weeks and we are deeply concerned. First, we want to assure our community that we are working together, through the Southeast Texas Regional Advisory Council (SETRAC), to respond to this crisis. Our teams are rising to this challenge with incredible compassion and professionalism. Everything is being done to ensure the best possible coordination and care for our patients; however, we need your help. "While we are very grateful for the many thousands of cards, meals, and PPE that have been donated to our organizations since the start of the pandemic, today we need our community to demonstrate its resolve by taking action to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and to prevent a significant surge in our hospitals. "Our communities have proven time and time again that we are resilient and come to the aid of our neighbors in time of need. Through hurricanes, floods, explosions and more youve proven that the citizens of Southeast Texas are like no other weve been there for one another before, and we are asking you to do it again. "It is proven that when people wear a face mask in public, maintain a physical distance of at least six feet from others, and practice frequent hand hygiene, it reduces the spread of the virus. We are writing this letter to implore the people of Jefferson and the surrounding counties to do these three simple things to help us save lives. "During the initial Stay Home-Work Safe orders, we flattened the curve. While the reopening of the economy undeniably added challenges, working as a community together we can reduce the spread while getting back to work. COVID-19 is spreading quickly because too many people thought it was safe to go back to life as usual. We strongly believe the people of this community can, and should, get out to do the things they need to do to earn a living and support our economy. But to successfully do that, we need everyone to take all needed steps to limit their risk of exposure and help protect those around them. Masks, physical distancing and hand washing - these things work and can help get the virus back under control in our community. "Thank you for your support. We stand together to serve you and your family today, and always. All the members of the plan commission urged the village board to create incentives to encourage owners of historic houses to maintain and preserve them as quickly as possible. But they disagreed on whether village officials needed a moratorium on further demolition while they developed those incentives and approved them as ordinances. WASHINGTON - The most recent former Republican vice president, Dick Cheney, and his Wyoming congresswoman daughter, Liz, say wearing masks is manly. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., says there should be no stigma associated with covering one's face as public health experts advise, and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., says doing so is essential to fully reopening the economy. The GOP-led city of Jacksonville, Fla. - which President Donald Trump recently selected to host many of the Republican National Convention festivities in part because of its relatively lax public health restrictions - is now mandating that people wear masks at indoor public spaces. And even Sean Hannity and Steve Doocy, two of Trump's most fervent and loyal boosters on Fox News Channel, have joined the chorus of mask advocates. "I think that if the president wore one, it would just set a good example," Doocy said Tuesday on "Fox & Friends" as he interviewed Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel. "MAGA should now stand for 'masks are great again.' Let me give you some marketing advice right there." McDaniel chuckled and said she would "take that under consideration" - but her laugh underscored the reality that Trump is unlikely to change his campaign slogan. The president has refused to trumpet his own administration's recommendation that people cover their faces. He he has set an example by not wearing a mask at public events, and he has used his bully pulpit to mock others who do and to cast doubt on the efficacy of masks. But with coronavirus cases soaring across the nation - and most precipitously across Florida, Texas and other parts of so-called Trump Country - many prominent Republicans are now echoing the pleas National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Anthony Fauci and other health experts that people wear masks to slow the spread of the virus and to help the economy reopen safely. The recent shift on the political right has left Trump isolated, with the president and his White House staff openly resisting the calls for mask-wearing. "The president has said he has no problem with masks, that he encourages people to make whatever decision is best for their safety and to follow what their local jurisdictions say," White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said Tuesday. "CDC guidelines are still recommended but not required, and the president is the most tested man in America." That is a marked contrast in tone from other elected Republicans, who have been talking about the issue in recent days with fresh urgency. Particularly among GOP senators, there has been a noticeable uptick in public comments and social media posts proactively encouraging the public to adorn masks as the number of infection rises nationwide. Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C. - who usually wears a flag-emblazoned mask on Capitol Hill - tweeted Monday that wearing a mask is "one of the simplest and easiest ways to help stop the spread of #COVID19." Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, the second-oldest member of the Senate, on Monday posted a photo on Instagram of himself wearing a mask with the logo of the University of Northern Iowa with the caption, "everybody's got to do their share." McConnell told reporters on Tuesday, as he waved his Washington Nationals logo mask, "What we're all trying to demonstrate for everybody in the country is, the single most important thing you can do - not only to protect yourself but to protect others - until we get a vaccine, is put on a mask. It's not complicated." At a coronavirus hearing Tuesday, Senate Health Committee Chairman Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., said, "Unfortunately this simple lifesaving practice has become part of a political debate that says: If you're for Trump, you don't wear a mask. If you're against Trump, you do. That is why I have suggested the president should occasionally wear a mask even though there are not many occasions when it is necessary for him to do so. The president has millions of admirers. They would follow his lead." Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., told reporters last week, "Everyone should just wear a damn mask." Michael Steele, a former RNC chairman, said Republican leaders have hardened their position on masks simply because the virus is infecting "the heart of their base, which we all knew it would." Residents in so-called red states, Steele said, "don't have superpowers and aren't somehow immune from the ravages of covid-19. That's why it was paramount for the president to be the voice of leadership here, not to undermine the scientists, not to berate the Dr. Faucis of the world. And now Fox says the president should set a good example and put on a mask. Really, now? After 120,000 deaths? After a million-plus people get infected?" The rise in cases has not changed the thinking inside the White House. Officials there have long defended the rejection of masks by Trump and many on his staff members by arguing that he and anyone who comes into close contact with the president is regularly tested for the coronavirus. Vice President Mike Pence has worn a mask on several recent occasions, including a trip over the weekend to Texas, one of the nation's virus hot spots. He decides when to cover his face based on state and local guidelines as well as a predetermination of whether social distancing can or cannot be maintained, according to a White House official. When Trump travels Friday to South Dakota to participate in an Independence Day fireworks celebration at Mount Rushmore, masks will be available but not required, and there will be no social distancing mandates. "We told those folks that have concerns that they can stay home, but those who want to come and join us, we'll be giving out free face masks, if they choose to wear one. But we won't be social distancing," South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, a Republican, said Monday on Fox News. At Saturday's "Salute to America" fireworks extravaganza, which Trump is hosting at the White House, social distancing will be observed and facial coverings and personal hand sanitizer will be provided to guests, according to White House spokesman Judd Deere. The enthusiasm for mask-wearing among congressional Republicans is not universal. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., is one of a very small minority who regularly does not cover his face on Capitol Hill. Paul, who was diagnosed with the coronavirus this year, insists that he is now immune and therefore cannot spread the virus to others, though the medical data on immunity is inconclusive. Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., one of the youngest members of the Senate, usually does not wear a mask on Capitol Hill, though he wears one in situations where he is unable to maintain much distance from others. Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., was spotted carrying - not wearing - his mask into a senators-only lunch on Tuesday and said, "I haven't seen how particularly effective these are." Health experts worldwide have strongly pushed for the use of masks to limit the spread of the novel coronavirus, and the strategy has been deployed aggressively in many countries that have been more successful in combating the virus than the United States. In the U.S., one June 16 study by researchers at the University of Iowa found that states with mask mandates had an associated decline in the growth rate of coronavirus cases. Mask-wearing is popular with the public. An ABC News-Ipsos poll released last week found that 89% of adults who left home in the previous week said they wore a face mask, which was up from 55% in early April. A Pew Research survey in mid-June found that 71% of Americans overall say people in their community should wear masks at least most of the time when they go out to public places where they may be near others; 52% of Republicans said masks should be worn at least most of the time compared with 86% of Democrats. And an Axios-Ipsos poll released Tuesday found that 53% of Americans said they are wearing a mask "at all times" when leaving their home while 83% report wearing a mask at least "sometimes." Democrats are about twice as likely to say they wear a mask "at all times," 71% compared with 35% of Republicans. Margie Omero, a Democratic pollster whose firm, GBAO, has been regularly surveying the public on masks and other coronavirus topics, said, "Mask-wearing didn't have to be partisan. The data about mask-wearing hasn't changed. But Trump has been critical of masks, and many have been taking their cues from him. So when you see Republican leaders now suggesting people wear masks, you have to wonder whether they are just getting caught up on the science, or whether they're making a different political calculation." Alex Castellanos, a veteran Republican strategist, said the divide over whether to cover one's face is, like many things in the Trump era, political. "Mask wearing has become a totem, a secular religious symbol," Castellanos said. "Christians wear crosses, Muslims wear a hijab, and members of the Church of Secular Science bow to the gods of data by wearing a mask as their symbol, demonstrating that they are the elite; smarter, more rational, and morally superior to everyone else." - - - The Washington Post's Aaron Blake, Scott Clement and Karoun Demirjian contributed to this report. Texas businesses that own their own real estate face an unsolvable math problem. Lets start with one side of the math equation. Property tax appraisals by law are set in January. You may recall January 2020, which we all agree took place about seven years ago. COVID-19 months are like dog years. The lines on my face prove it. Back in January the halcyon days, the golden years, the boom time the stock market indices traded at record highs, the Texas unemployment rate was 3.5%, and oil sold at $60 per barrel. The result: Real property tax appraisals went up, compared to 2019. Those higher appraisals have arrived in the mail. We calculate taxes by multiplying appraisal values by tax rates. The tax rates did not drop. So real estates taxes owed are up. In many cases by a lot. Meanwhile, the stock market has been lets call it volatile. Texas unemployment hit 13% in May. Until last week, oil had been below $40 per barrel since March. So heres the other side of the math equation. While results vary, the last three months for many businesses have been terrible. Catastrophic for most in the food and drink, lodging, retail and real estate sectors, as well as oil and gas. The unsolvable math equation is this: How do already vulnerable businesses stay afloat when theyre sustaining and the one authority they cant avoid the tax man is taxing them on boom-time valuations? If you start asking around for responsible authorities who can solve this, you quickly get a picture that reminded me of that scene in Quentin Tarantinos Reservoir Dogs in which everybody points the gun at everybody else. A more sophisticated movie critic than me (my wife) points out that Tarantino appropriated that image from movies directed by John Woo. But I digress. The point is, everybody points to somebody else as the authority to fix it. I sat down with Bexar County Tax Collector-Assessor Albert Uresti. He said cities and counties have asked the state of Texas to freeze taxes at 2019 levels but the governor has refused. He also pointed out that the county appraisal district, not his office, sets property value levels in January. By law, those appraisals cannot be changed. Further, taxing authorities school districts, the county hospital district, the city and county, Alamo Colleges all set tax rates. Lower tax rates would have to come from them. So there are a lot of moving parts. Urestis office merely collects the taxes that others have set. Roberto Trevino, the District 1 city councilman and chair of the Bexar Appraisal District board, confirmed that cities and counties asked the governor to freeze taxes at 2019 levels. He said Gov. Greg Abbott ignored that request but responded via the news media that tax rates could not be frozen at 2019 levels as requested. Trevino echoed Urestis frustration, saying a freeze or rollback could be done through a specific disaster declaration, but the pandemic, so far, has not been declared a disaster, at least for the purposes of tax relief. And about those taxing entities? I dont have any evidence that taxing entities are lowering their tax rates, Trevino said. Referring to the city knowing that our revenue issue is in the hundreds of millions he said he saw little chance the city or other taxing authorities will cut tax rates. So what happens next? Property owners have until Monday to protest their January 2020 tax valuations. A tax protest could be taken up online or through an in-person hearing, probably no sooner than August. Appraisal offices are currently closed because of the pandemic. As Trevino explained, the appraisal district has been working to make in-person tax valuation appeals possible. This unsolvable math problem for businesses has severe consequences. As Uresti confirmed, the penalty rate for nonpayment on taxes is 13% added to the balance due. Delinquent payers will also eventually become liable for attorneys fees, which run between 15 and 20% of the balance. Without a disaster declaration, Uresti said, his office is not allowed to waive any of those fees. This is particularly bitter for business owners who shut down from March to May. The solutions available to homeowners to soften the blow of real estate taxes do not apply to businesses that own their property. Uresti touted Bexar Countys 10-month payment plan available to homeowners as an example of his offices flexibility. However, most business owners with commercial mortgages already set aside tax installments, in escrow, throughout the year. In other words, theyre already on a monthly payment plan. Homestead exemptions, senior citizen exemptions, health-related exemptions the programs Urestis office is rightly proud of do not apply to business owners. They really have no recourse, except to fight their property value appraisal. Trevino said the appraisal district anticipates plenty of valuation challenges. This year in particular, he said, We recognize that there is a major flaw in the way tax appraisals are being done. But, he said, the appraisal districts hands are tied by state law. We will work with anyone, he said. My staff will tell you that I have never, ever once turned away a homeowner or business owner that was sincere and wanting to keep their property. If they come and see us, yes, were going to require a down payment. Yes, were going to require them to enter into a payment agreement, but we will work with them. And yet heres the thing. Nobody has a solution to this unsolvable math problem for Texas business owners who own property. Except, I guess, just protest your appraisal value? You have one day left. Michael Taylor is a columnist for the San Antonio Express-News and author of The Financial Rules for New College Graduates. michael@michaelthesmartmoney.com twitter.com/michael_taylor Bedford, PA (15522) Today Variable clouds with scattered showers and thunderstorms, mainly during the afternoon hours. A few storms may be severe. High 87F. Winds WSW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 50%.. Tonight Scattered thunderstorms this evening, then cloudy with rain likely late. Low 61F. Winds WNW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 90%. At the same time, I think thatll cut down a lot of violence. The police wont be subjected to that and the police violence will go down, the criminal violence will go down, but we have to start somewhere, Jezierny said. So do I like the rioting and the violence? Absolutely not. I think its when I look at everything, its a sad country right now, for everything thats going on. And I think a lot of this can be avoided to come to the table and talk and eliminate the looting and eliminate the rioting, because you dont get anywhere with that. I think you get more in talking. A selection of the paintings set to be shown at the Ulster Museum A selection of the paintings set to be shown at the Ulster Museum A selection of the paintings set to be shown at the Ulster Museum Powerful paintings chronicling the impact of the coronavirus pandemic are to be showcased in an exhibition. Londonderry man Barry Turton started his collection of portraits of fatigued frontline NHS staff as a way of expressing gratitude and to document his own journey through the period. Mr Turton, a retired art teacher who launched the project in March as lockdown took hold, said the images were a kind of diary. "I did my first painting on the day everyone stood on their doorsteps and clapped for the NHS workers," he added. "Some of the pieces I have produced have been at the request of other people who wanted a painting of someone they love who is on the frontline, but some of the paintings are very personal to me and my family. "I did a painting of my mother Gloria, who has dementia and is in a nursing home. "I painted her sitting on a chair with one of her nurses behind her, waving. "I did it because I felt so bad for all the relatives of people in homes who weren't able to go and visit their parents or even say goodbye or be there in their final moments. "I am sure the elderly residents felt abandoned, so in the painting there is a face that could be my daughter or my sister that is whispering in my mother's ear, comforting her." Another painting depicts his partner Catherine's brother Michael, who has Angelman syndrome, meaning he is brain-damaged and has the mind of a two-year-old. Mr Turton issued an invitation to people in Derry who wanted a painting of someone on the frontline. In the end, he completed 10 as a thank-you for their dedication. Among them were a number submitted to the Royal Ulster Academy for an exhibition in the Ulster Museum. Mr Turton said the project helped him deal with the crisis. "I was asked to enter my paintings into this competition because they are paintings of a time that hopefully will never be repeated again," he added. "Doing these paintings has been my way of releasing what was in my head and recording what happened during this pandemic in the same way as some people do diaries." Deputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill has told MLAs she stands over her actions at Bobby Storey's funeral. Ms O'Neill made clear that she would not be quitting following the controversy over the large crowds that gathered in west Belfast for the event. She also declined the opportunity to apologise to anyone who might have contracted Covid-19 as a result of being among the crowds on Tuesday. The Deputy First Minister told members of the Executive Committee that the things the organisers could control - such as the size of the cortege and the numbers inside the church - were observed. Ms O'Neill, who said much of the criticism aimed at her was "political point-scoring", said she would continue in her role as joint head of the devolved administration. However, Ms O'Neill said a selfie photograph that was taken of her and two other attendees at the funeral "should not have happened". She said it happened in the "blink of an eye" at the close of the commemoration at Milltown cemetery. First Minister Arlene Foster said the executive's public health message has been damaged by what unfolded at the funeral. Earlier today, Arlene Foster called on Michelle O'Neill to apologise for joining thousands of mourners at the funeral of IRA veteran Bobby Storey. There have been growing calls for the Michelle O'Neill to resign, including from Justice Minister Naomi Long. It comes as the Health Department recorded a second successive day of no new deaths in NI. Read More Here's how Wednesday unfolded: Hospital and care home visits are to resume from next Monday after the Health Minister announced a further easing of lockdown restrictions yesterday. Robin Swann also said that birthing partners will now be permitted to accompany pregnant women for scans and at the birth of children. The announcement comes after the Department of Health said there had been no further deaths due to Covid-19 in the past 24 hours. There have been three positive tests for the virus, bringing to 23 the total number of positive tests over the past week. Northern Ireland's coronavirus death toll remains at 551 and there are currently no coronavirus-related cases in intensive care units. "As we have passed through the peak of the spread of the virus I am acutely aware there are many families yearning to see loved ones, either in hospital or in our care hones," the minister said at the Executive's daily Covid-19 briefing. "Whilst everything will have to remain agile for as long as the threat of the virus remains, the new guidance will include a number of measures such as in both general wards and intensive care units, one visitor at a time will now be permitted to visit a patient at any one time. "In our Covid-free care homes two people will be permitted access to visit at any one time where this can be accommodated as long as this can be carried out safely and under the usual social distancing requirements." Mr Swann also detailed the easing of restrictions for expectant mothers. "An issue I have been particularly mindful of in recent weeks is that women have had to attend baby scans alone," he continued. "I recognise personally that baby scans are a hugely important experience, not only for the mother, but also for the father. "Birthing partners will be facilitated to accompany pregnant women to scans, anomaly scans, for the duration of labour and the birth and to visit antenatal and postnatal wards as appropriate. "All people visiting our health and social care settings will be required to wear face coverings. "Anyone showing or experiencing symptoms of Covid-19 or any other infection should not visit, even if those symptoms are mild or unconfirmed. "I thank all our staff, patients, residents and family members for abiding so devotedly with what I absolutely understand was a very difficult visiting regime." Chief Medical officer Dr Michael McBride said that he anticipated "huge anxiety" as Northern Ireland exits lockdown and warned that people should expect to see cluster outbreaks of the virus in the weeks and months ahead. "The full impact the virus has had will not be realised for some time to come. "The virus doesn't read our plans and it doesn't read our guidance and despite our best efforts we will see clusters and outbreaks in the weeks and months ahead," he said. "This is something we may have to live with for some time to come." Mr Swann said his Department was already preparing to deal with cluster outbreaks, with plans in place for isolated lockdowns if required. He also said he was backing the call from Infrastructure Minister Nichola Mallon for face coverings to be mandatory on public transport. The Executive failed to discuss the issue earlier this week, but Mr Swann said he would support the policy if it was on the agenda at Thursday's meeting. "We have supported the strong recommendation that people should wear face coverings in confined spaces," the Minister said. "That includes on public transport." The Chief Medical Officer said that there is now stronger evidence to support the wearing of face coverings. "There is now stronger evidence about the benefits of face coverings in terms of protecting other people," said Dr McBride. "But the change in the weight of the evidence hasn't translated to the number of people wearing face coverings. "We have more work to do in convincing the public that is the right course of action. "Making it mandatory will undoubtedly help in certain situations," he added. Paula and John Elliott from Co Down at Doheny and Nesbitts pub in Dublin Belfast and beyond should be braced for busy bars and restaurants boasting large queues ahead of reopening this Friday, industry experts have said. But some say there must also be long-term government support for those that are too small to cope with distancing. Rajesh Rana, director of Andras Hotels, says, optimistically, that "there will be queues outside every pub in Belfast" at 11am on Friday, when bars which serve food or have an outside area are allowed to reopen. But there remain fears that small bars and pubs which cannot operate with social distancing may never reopen. Colin Neill, chief executive of Hospitality Ulster, said: "What we have been asking the Executive for is to give us a date for 'wet pubs' reopening. "They see it more high risk than food only. If they are all table service, that should alleviate any problems. "It's really important that government gives us a date. Regrettably, I do think this virus, and therefore social distancing, will be here for a very long time. We need government to help those businesses which just physically cannot reopen." Speaking on the Ulster Business Podcast, Janice Gault, chief executive of the Northern Ireland Hotels Federation, said while "everyone is looking forward to coming back", there is a "little bit of nervousness around it". "We have discovered that people miss the type of product we provide," she said. But many spots, even those which are technically able to open their doors to serve food, will not open this weekend. "The days of the shoulder-to-shoulder pub and back-to-back restaurant will not be with us for a while," Mr Neill says. "There will be a responsibility on customers, businesses and staff to do everything to stop the spread of this virus." Mr Rana, whose company owns hotels such as The Crowne Plaza and Ibis in Belfast, said while the "core of hotels won't have changed", customers will start noticing differences. "Hotels are about hospitality ... the fundamentals won't change. There will be more distance between yourself and fellow diners, but the real work is behind the scenes," he said. "In our four star hotels, breakfast will be largely served. The buffet is a touch point we are trying to avoid. "In the mid-market and budget hotels there will be a range of 'to go' options, just presented in a different manner." Ms Gault says while businesses are now keen to bring staff back to work, getting through to March next year "is going to be a challenge". A woman who could not see her mother buried due to Covid-19 restrictions has told how she was reduced to tears after watching crowds at the funeral of Bobby Storey. Brenda Doherty spoke out after a row erupted over the presence of senior Sinn Fein figures, including Deputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill, at the service, which was attended by several thousand people. Health Minister Robin Swann warned that breaches of coronavirus rules such as those seen in west Belfast could plunge Northern Ireland into a Leicester-style regional lockdown. Mr Swann stopped short of joining unionist colleagues in calling for Ms O'Neill to resign over her participation in the huge gathering. He did say, however, that he feared her attendance at the Storey funeral, where there was a "clear beach of the Executive's own regulations", could lead to a Dominic Cummings-style revolt among the public. The PSNI said it would review footage of the funeral and "consider any suspected breaches" of the regulations. Stormont rules indicate that up to 30 people are currently allowed to meet outside while socially distancing. Sinn Fein minister Conor Murphy, who was also present along with Mary Lou McDonald and former leader Gerry Adams, said all reasonable steps had been taken to follow the guidance. Expand Close Coronavirus victim Ruth Burke (left) with her daughter Brenda Doherty / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Coronavirus victim Ruth Burke (left) with her daughter Brenda Doherty But the daughter of Ruth Burke (82), who died on March 24 and was Northern Ireland's fourth coronavirus victim, said she had been left "so angry". "As a family, we have done everything that has been asked of us," an emotional Mrs Doherty said. "To say I feel we have been kicked in the teeth is an understatement. "Fourteen weeks ago our mummy died. We accepted we couldn't be with her. We accepted we couldn't bring her home. We accepted that only 10 of us could be there. "We accepted that we couldn't carry her. We accepted that she was lowered into the grave before my sister and I were allowed inside the cordoned-off area. "I know that restrictions have been relaxed since then, but not to the degree we saw today. We are all hurting. "Only 30 can attend in line with social distancing. It's not the first time we have seen funerals that have broken the guidelines, but to see the Deputy First Minister attend with her party members is a step too far. "You have disrespected us, you have disrespected the guidelines you signed off. Shame on you, Michelle O'Neill. Shame on you. "My family has not been together yet to mourn as one. I haven't seen my granddaughter since Mummy died. We haven't been able to be there for each other. "Today I'm left feeling as if I have 'mug' written over my face." This is the second time in four days that Ms O'Neill has been criticised, having travelled to Dublin at the weekend for the formation of the new Irish government. On April 9, she said about funerals: "We can't grieve in the way that we normally do. "The rules are there for a reason. Everybody needs to follow the rules. No one is exempt." Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Previous Next Close The funeral of Bobby Storey takes place in Andersonstown, west Belfast on June 30th 2020 (Photo by Kevin Scott for Belfast Telegraph) Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph Mary Lou McDonald and Gerry Adams as the funeral of Bobby Storey takes place in Andersonstown, west Belfast on June 30th 2020 (Photo by Kevin Scott for Belfast Telegraph) Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph Gerry Kelly and Michelle O'Neill as the funeral of Bobby Storey takes place in Andersonstown, west Belfast on June 30th 2020 (Photo by Kevin Scott for Belfast Telegraph) Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 30th June 2020 The funeral of Bobby Storey has taken place in Belfast. Photo by Philip Magowan / Press Eye Philip Magowan / PressEye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 30th June 2020 The funeral of Bobby Storey has taken place in Belfast. Photo by Philip Magowan / Press Eye Philip Magowan / PressEye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 30th June 2020 The funeral of Bobby Storey has taken place in Belfast. Photo by Philip Magowan / Press Eye Philip Magowan / PressEye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 30th June 2020 The funeral of Bobby Storey has taken place in Belfast. Photo by Philip Magowan / Press Eye Philip Magowan / PressEye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 30th June 2020 The funeral of Bobby Storey has taken place in Belfast. Photo by Philip Magowan / Press Eye Philip Magowan / PressEye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 30th June 2020 The funeral of Bobby Storey has taken place in Belfast. Photo by Philip Magowan / Press Eye Philip Magowan / PressEye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 30th June 2020 The funeral of Bobby Storey has taken place in Belfast. Photo by Philip Magowan / Press Eye Philip Magowan / PressEye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 30th June 2020 The funeral of Bobby Storey has taken place in Belfast. Photo by Philip Magowan / Press Eye Philip Magowan / PressEye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 30th June 2020 The funeral of Bobby Storey has taken place in Belfast. Photo by Philip Magowan / Press Eye Philip Magowan / PressEye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 30th June 2020 The funeral of Bobby Storey has taken place in Belfast. Pictured: Conor Murphy MLA. Photo by Philip Magowan / Press Eye Philip Magowan / PressEye The funeral of Bobby Storey takes place in Andersonstown, west Belfast on June 30th 2020 (Photo by Kevin Scott for Belfast Telegraph) Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph The funeral of Bobby Storey takes place in Andersonstown, west Belfast on June 30th 2020 (Photo by Kevin Scott for Belfast Telegraph) Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph The funeral of Bobby Storey takes place in Andersonstown, west Belfast on June 30th 2020 (Photo by Kevin Scott for Belfast Telegraph) Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph The funeral of Bobby Storey takes place in Andersonstown, west Belfast on June 30th 2020 (Photo by Kevin Scott for Belfast Telegraph) Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph The funeral of Bobby Storey takes place in Andersonstown, west Belfast on June 30th 2020 (Photo by Kevin Scott for Belfast Telegraph) Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph The funeral of Bobby Storey takes place in Andersonstown, west Belfast on June 30th 2020 (Photo by Kevin Scott for Belfast Telegraph) Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph The funeral of Bobby Storey takes place in Andersonstown, west Belfast on June 30th 2020 (Photo by Kevin Scott for Belfast Telegraph) Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph Mary Lou McDonald and Gerry Adams as the funeral of Bobby Storey takes place in Andersonstown, west Belfast on June 30th 2020 (Photo by Kevin Scott for Belfast Telegraph) Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph The funeral of Bobby Storey takes place in Andersonstown, west Belfast on June 30th 2020 (Photo by Kevin Scott for Belfast Telegraph) Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph The funeral of Bobby Storey takes place in Andersonstown, west Belfast on June 30th 2020 (Photo by Kevin Scott for Belfast Telegraph) Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph The funeral of Bobby Storey takes place in Andersonstown, west Belfast on June 30th 2020 (Photo by Kevin Scott for Belfast Telegraph) Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph The funeral of Bobby Storey takes place in Andersonstown, west Belfast on June 30th 2020 (Photo by Kevin Scott for Belfast Telegraph) Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The funeral of Bobby Storey takes place in Andersonstown, west Belfast on June 30th 2020 (Photo by Kevin Scott for Belfast Telegraph) On Monday, the day before the Storey funeral, Ms O'Neill said: "Everyone who is attending the funeral should observe the public health advice." At Tuesday's Stormont briefing, Mr Swann voiced his condemnation. "I'm concerned with what I saw in west Belfast. We cannot afford any part of Northern Ireland to become another Leicester where we have to look at regional lockdowns," he said. "In regards to a breach, I believe that the PSNI have been asked to investigate that." Mr Swann said he "sincerely hopes this isn't the Dominic Cummings effect in Northern Ireland", referring to when the public believed they had been given an excuse to break the rules after Boris Johnson's adviser travelled to the north-west of England during lockdown. Agriculture Minister Edwin Poots, who was forced to have a small funeral following the death of his father Charlie in April, said he understands the anger many families who buried loved ones during the pandemic will now have. "What has happened today is something which will heap further pain upon those families," he explained, adding that it "seriously undermines the credibility of the regulations that the Executive have still in place and the senior people in the Executive being in attendance at it". Justice Minister Naomi Long said: "When those who make the rules break the rules, it is more hurtful still for all who made huge sacrifices to obey the regulations." TUV leader Jim Allister said Ms O'Neill's position was "untenable" following her "grossly offensive and insulting conduct". UUP leader Steve Aiken said it was a case of "the leaders of the republican movement showing a flagrant disregard for public health guidance". Conor Murphy said all reasonable steps had been taken to follow the guidance, with an "enormous number" of stewards present to manage crowds. He added: "This clearly is a very, very popular figure within republicanism. It was clearly going to be a very significant funeral and all efforts were made to try and manage that in line with the guidance." The Northern Ireland Secretary has joined those questioning the actions of the Deputy First Minister in attending an IRA veterans funeral that saw hundreds of people line the streets. Michelle ONeill has faced calls to resign following Bobby Storeys funeral in west Belfast on Tuesday. Police are investigating potential breaches of coronavirus lockdown rules that restrict outdoor public gatherings to 30 people. A picture posted on social media by a Sinn Fein branch in the Irish Republic showed Ms ONeill posing for a selfie close to two men, one of whom had his arm on her shoulder. The picture was subsequently deleted. On Wednesday, the Deputy First Minister defended the event, saying the cortege only had 30 people in it and social distancing inside the church was exemplary. Secretary of State Brandon Lewis questioned the attendance of Ms ONeill and other Sinn Fein executive ministers. Expand Close Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald with Michelle ONeill at the funeral (Liam McBurney/PA) PA / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald with Michelle ONeill at the funeral (Liam McBurney/PA) Mr Lewis said he understood that some people were frustrated and angry at what happened. I was a bit surprised when you are saying to people youve got to follow those guidelines, he said. People have given so many sacrifices over the last couple of months, particularly in Northern Ireland where we have seen people really strongly following the guidelines, weve seen lower levels of things because people are following those guidelines so well. Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Previous Next Close The funeral of Bobby Storey takes place in Andersonstown, west Belfast on June 30th 2020 (Photo by Kevin Scott for Belfast Telegraph) Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph Mary Lou McDonald and Gerry Adams as the funeral of Bobby Storey takes place in Andersonstown, west Belfast on June 30th 2020 (Photo by Kevin Scott for Belfast Telegraph) Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph Gerry Kelly and Michelle O'Neill as the funeral of Bobby Storey takes place in Andersonstown, west Belfast on June 30th 2020 (Photo by Kevin Scott for Belfast Telegraph) Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 30th June 2020 The funeral of Bobby Storey has taken place in Belfast. Photo by Philip Magowan / Press Eye Philip Magowan / PressEye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 30th June 2020 The funeral of Bobby Storey has taken place in Belfast. Photo by Philip Magowan / Press Eye Philip Magowan / PressEye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 30th June 2020 The funeral of Bobby Storey has taken place in Belfast. Photo by Philip Magowan / Press Eye Philip Magowan / PressEye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 30th June 2020 The funeral of Bobby Storey has taken place in Belfast. Photo by Philip Magowan / Press Eye Philip Magowan / PressEye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 30th June 2020 The funeral of Bobby Storey has taken place in Belfast. Photo by Philip Magowan / Press Eye Philip Magowan / PressEye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 30th June 2020 The funeral of Bobby Storey has taken place in Belfast. Photo by Philip Magowan / Press Eye Philip Magowan / PressEye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 30th June 2020 The funeral of Bobby Storey has taken place in Belfast. Photo by Philip Magowan / Press Eye Philip Magowan / PressEye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 30th June 2020 The funeral of Bobby Storey has taken place in Belfast. Photo by Philip Magowan / Press Eye Philip Magowan / PressEye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 30th June 2020 The funeral of Bobby Storey has taken place in Belfast. Photo by Philip Magowan / Press Eye Philip Magowan / PressEye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 30th June 2020 The funeral of Bobby Storey has taken place in Belfast. Pictured: Conor Murphy MLA. Photo by Philip Magowan / Press Eye Philip Magowan / PressEye The funeral of Bobby Storey takes place in Andersonstown, west Belfast on June 30th 2020 (Photo by Kevin Scott for Belfast Telegraph) Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph The funeral of Bobby Storey takes place in Andersonstown, west Belfast on June 30th 2020 (Photo by Kevin Scott for Belfast Telegraph) Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph The funeral of Bobby Storey takes place in Andersonstown, west Belfast on June 30th 2020 (Photo by Kevin Scott for Belfast Telegraph) Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph The funeral of Bobby Storey takes place in Andersonstown, west Belfast on June 30th 2020 (Photo by Kevin Scott for Belfast Telegraph) Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph The funeral of Bobby Storey takes place in Andersonstown, west Belfast on June 30th 2020 (Photo by Kevin Scott for Belfast Telegraph) Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph The funeral of Bobby Storey takes place in Andersonstown, west Belfast on June 30th 2020 (Photo by Kevin Scott for Belfast Telegraph) Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph The funeral of Bobby Storey takes place in Andersonstown, west Belfast on June 30th 2020 (Photo by Kevin Scott for Belfast Telegraph) Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph Mary Lou McDonald and Gerry Adams as the funeral of Bobby Storey takes place in Andersonstown, west Belfast on June 30th 2020 (Photo by Kevin Scott for Belfast Telegraph) Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph The funeral of Bobby Storey takes place in Andersonstown, west Belfast on June 30th 2020 (Photo by Kevin Scott for Belfast Telegraph) Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph The funeral of Bobby Storey takes place in Andersonstown, west Belfast on June 30th 2020 (Photo by Kevin Scott for Belfast Telegraph) Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph The funeral of Bobby Storey takes place in Andersonstown, west Belfast on June 30th 2020 (Photo by Kevin Scott for Belfast Telegraph) Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph The funeral of Bobby Storey takes place in Andersonstown, west Belfast on June 30th 2020 (Photo by Kevin Scott for Belfast Telegraph) Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The funeral of Bobby Storey takes place in Andersonstown, west Belfast on June 30th 2020 (Photo by Kevin Scott for Belfast Telegraph) I am surprised we would have someone from the executive of any description being in a position where it would be perceived to be that they are not doing that. Her told BBC Radio Ulster: I can understand peoples frustrations. Its not something I would have done. Expand Close Brandon Lewis (Niall Carson/PA) PA / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Brandon Lewis (Niall Carson/PA) Ms ONeill insisted everything was done in accordance with the guidelines. Regrettably a considerable number of family members were unable to take part in the cortege as a result of the current restrictions, like many other families who have been unable to properly grieve or mourn the loss of a loved one in a traditional way as a result of the Covid crisis, she told the Irish News. These restrictions have been very difficult for families who have lost a loved one and particularly those who lost a loved one during the period when society was in lockdown. On Tuesday, Stormont health minister Robin Swann said the funeral must not become Northern Irelands Dominic Cummings moment. Mr Swann said the scenes in Andersonstown, where roadsides were packed with people as the cortege carrying Mr Storey passed by, was a clear breach of Stormont restrictions. Sinn Fein president Mary Lou McDonald and former leader Gerry Adams were among other high-profile party members at the service and a later commemoration event at Milltown cemetery. Ms ONeill in particular has faced strong criticism from political rivals in Northern Ireland, given her role as the joint head of a Stormont Executive that has been instructing people to limit the size of funerals during the lockdown. Mr Swanns weekly Covid-19 media conference was dominated by the issue on Tuesday as he was challenged on whether the executives credibility had been undermined. He was asked if the incident could lead the public to question the point of abiding by the rules the way some people did after the Prime Ministers top adviser Mr Cummings was accused of breaching regulations during a trip to the North East of England during lockdown. I sincerely hope that this isnt the Dominic Cummings effect in Northern Ireland because in our health service we cant afford it to be, he said. A man has died in Rathfrilland after becoming trapped under his car after it rolled a short distance. Police confirmed the man was 39-year-old Loughlin Maginn from the Warrenpoint area. He died following the incident at a car park on Downpatrick Street on Wednesday. "It is believed at this time that Loughlin tragically died after he became trapped under his car when it rolled a short distance after being parked in the car park shortly before 12.30pm," a PSNI spokesperson said. Sinn Fein South Down MP Chris Hazzard expressed his condolences following the death. The local community has been shocked and saddened to hear of the death," Mr Hazzard said. My heart goes out to all the family at this very sad time. I was heartbroken for them all today when I heard this tragic news. Loughlin and his wider family are well respected in the local area and todays news will leave many shocked and saddened. Our thoughts are with all Loughlins friends and loved ones at this sad time. Police appealed for anyone with information to come forward. "Police enquiries into the incident are ongoing and officers would ask anyone that witnessed the incident or who may have captured dash-cam footage to contact them in Lurgan or the Collision Investigation Unit at Sprucefield on 101 quoting reference number 763 01/07/20," the spokesperson said. Hong Kong: One country, two systems' optimised Chief Executive Carrie Lam Distinguished guests, fellow citizens, Today marks the 23rd anniversary of the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China. It is a day of great historical significance and it gives me much pleasure to celebrate the occasion with you together. First of all, the national anthem of the PRC that we played and sang at the flag-raising ceremony this morning and at the beginning of this reception is protected by the National Anthem Ordinance of the Hong Kong SAR. Like the national flag and the national emblem, the national anthem is the symbol and sign of the nation. As an inalienable part of our country, the Hong Kong SAR is duty-bound to preserve the dignity of the national anthem through legislation. The Hong Kong SAR Government introduced the National Anthem Bill into the Legislative Council in January 2019. After 18 months of deliberation, the bill was eventually passed by the LegCo on June 4 this year. It came into effect upon publication in the gazette on June 12. The National Anthem Ordinance provides for the playing and singing, protection and promotion of the national anthem to preserve the dignity of the country, enhance the sense of national identity among citizens and promote patriotism. The offences stipulated in the ordinance only concern the misuse of the national anthem, or public and intentional acts with an intent to insult the national anthem. While it is important for us to respect and protect the national anthem, safeguarding national security is of even greater importance as this concerns the unity, territorial integrity and development interests of our country and is closely related to the livelihood of our people. Yesterday, the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress passed the Law on Safeguarding National Security in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the Peoples Republic of China (the National Security Law in Hong Kong). The national law was added to Annex III of the Basic Law and started to be applied in Hong Kong by way of promulgation by the Hong Kong SAR Government on the same day. The enactment of the national law is regarded as the most significant development in the relationship between the central authorities and the Hong Kong SAR since Hong Kong's return to the motherland. It is a historical step to improve the system for Hong Kong to safeguard our country's sovereignty, territorial integrity and security. It is also an essential and timely decision for restoring stability in Hong Kong. The significance of this decision is multifaceted. It shows that the central government is determined to restore stability in Hong Kong, after a year of escalating violence and riots since last June. It shows that the central government is determined to protect the vast majority of law-abiding citizens in Hong Kong from the minority who attempted to undermine national security. It also shows that the central government is determined to preserve and better "one country, two systems", a principle underlying Hong Kongs stability and prosperity since the Hong Kong SAR was established 23 years ago. Over the past month or so, in the face of all sorts of smearing and malicious attacks by foreign and local bodies and individuals against the enactment of the National Security Law in Hong Kong at the state level, government officials and legal experts in the Mainland, my governing team and I, local business and political leaders as well as various sectors in the community have explained from various perspectives that it is constitutional, lawful, reasonable and rational for the central government to introduce the National Security Law in Hong Kong. The law will neither undermine the high degree of autonomy, the judicial independence and the rule of law in Hong Kong, nor will it affect the legitimate rights and interests of Hong Kong people. It targets an extremely small minority of people who commit four types of crimes that seriously threaten national security as provided in the law, namely secession, subversion of state power, organisation and carrying out of terrorist activities, and collusion with foreign or external forces to endanger national security. It serves to protect the life and property and basic rights and freedoms of the overwhelming majority of our citizens. I would like to take this opportunity to extend my sincere gratitude to all those who have spoken openly for the National Security Law in Hong Kong and the some three million people who have signed in support of the law online and on the street. The enactment of the National Security Law in Hong Kong is a turning point to take Hong Kong out of the current impasse and restore stability and order from the chaos. The Hong Kong SAR Government will do its utmost and remain steadfast in its duties to fulfil the primary responsibility of implementing the National Security Law in Hong Kong. I will soon set up a committee on safeguarding national security in the Hong Kong SAR which will fully collaborate with the central governments office for safeguarding national security in Hong Kong to ensure that the legislative objectives of the National Security Law in Hong Kong are achieved and that the mechanism for safeguarding national security will be established and improved to guarantee the continued success of one country, two systems in Hong Kong and the long-term prosperity and stability of our city. The implementation of the National Anthem Ordinance and the National Security Law in Hong Kong signifies the fulfilment of the constitutional responsibility of the Hong Kong SAR to better the institution of "one country, two systems" and bring the relationship between "one country" and "two systems" back on the right track. However, to ensure that members of the public respect the national anthem of their own volition and safeguard national security wholeheartedly, public promotion and school education are of utmost importance. The relevant departments of the Hong Kong SAR Government will collaborate with different sectors of society and provide them with the necessary resources in order to carry out the related work properly. As I said at my inaugural ceremony three years ago, "hope propels a society forward, and confidence is the foundation of hope." The past year has been the toughest challenge in my 40 years of public service. Not only have I faced unprecedented personal attacks, but I was also worried about the future of Hong Kong. I am extremely grateful to the central government for its trust in me, to my family and close friends for their unreserved love and to colleagues at all levels for their staunch support. Their care and concern has given me strength amid difficult times and faith that better days will prevail. Similarly, after one whole year of social and political unrest, we should be confident that Hong Kong will emerge stronger after stability is restored. In the coming two years, leading the Hong Kong SAR Government out of the current political predicament, overcoming the post-epidemic challenges, reviving the economy, restoring Hong Kongs international reputation, rebuilding the relationship between the Government and our young people, and re-establishing social order are no easy tasks. However, as long as we all make Hong Kong our home, and are willing to put aside our differences and move on, I believe that there are always more solutions than problems and that Hong Kong can definitely build a better future. May all of you have a happy festive day! This is the English translation of Chief Executive Carrie Lams speech at the reception in celebration of the 23rd anniversary of the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region at the Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre on July 1. This story has been published on: 2020-07-01. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. The state and federal government got off to a slow, rocky start. In many ways they were unprepared and did not fully understand how to fight COVID-19, DiMaria wrote in an e-mail. However, I was impressed how the federal government was able to rebound and mobilize temporary hospitals, ventilators and PPE. My main concern is that politicians in Washington spend too much time posturing and trying to blame the other party instead of working together for the benefit of our country. While our Founding Fathers gave us a constitution that is flexible enough to address unforeseen crisis, they could not imagine the level of partisan bickering and divisiveness we see today. Simon Byrne was the Policing Board's unanimous choice as Chief Constable a year ago. Both unionist and nationalist members strongly believed he was the right man for what is an unbelievably demanding and challenging job. Byrne beat tough competition from then senior PSNI officers Stephen Martin and Mark Hamilton, and high-profile Bedfordshire Chief Constable, John Boutcher, who is heading the Stakeknife investigation. One year on, the reviews are mixed for the PSNI Chief Constable. He's widely described as a workaholic who is massively committed to the job. But his lack of knowledge of the nuances of Northern Ireland has led to several PR disasters, and some critics aren't confident that he has the skills required to avoid future ones. In September, he talked about the PSNI taking paramilitaries' children from them. "My message to them is, 'You carry on doing this, we will have your house. If you keep going we will have your car, we will have your kids, we will have your benefits and we will put you in jail'," he said. There was widespread dismay that the Chief Constable appeared to be suggesting that children could be used as weapons in the fight against terrorism. Besides, the PSNI doesn't have the power to round up youngsters and send them to children's homes in order to punish paramilitary parents anyway. At a time when his force is trying to win hearts and minds in republican communities, Byrne seemed oblivious to the damage than the image of an English policeman threatening to take Irish children from their parents would cause. A massive U-turn occurred the next day with Byrne acknowledging that his "enthusiasm to talk in sound bites has caused a distraction". Expand Close The photograph posted on Twitter by Chief Constable Simon Byrne (centre) on Christmas Day / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The photograph posted on Twitter by Chief Constable Simon Byrne (centre) on Christmas Day On Christmas Day, he visited police in South Armagh and tweeted a photograph of himself outside Crossmaglen PSNI station with four officers, two of whom were brandishing assault rifles. Former Policing Board member, Tom Kelly, says it was a disastrous photo. "At a time when he needed an image of near normality for policing, he brought back dark imagery and memories of the past. A past which most people, including police, are keen to move on from." Kelly sees Byrne as "a decent man who is totally out of his depth". He says: "You need to be a skilled communicator for the job, and he's a poor one. "He has been bruised by all the gaffes. "A Chief Constable must exude confidence and leadership. "He must be sure-footed. "Those are not traits that I see in Byrne." Former Assistant Chief Constable Alan McQuillan disagrees: "Simon Byrne has made some mistakes but he has a very difficult job to do. "In Northern Ireland all sides attempt to politicise the police for their own ends. "He's trying to find a way through that. "He's doing his best. "Sometimes it doesn't work, but he's very well-meaning and well-intentioned. He has the interests of the police service, and of the community, at heart." Byrne had to backtrack on a proposal to change the force's badge on uniforms and equipment. He had floated the idea of modifying the emblem, removing the words Police Service Northern Ireland from the badge used on signs, vehicles and uniforms. But unionist parties and the Police Federation voiced their opposition. Coronavirus has meant that the Chief Constable hasn't been able to implement his neighbourhood policing plans. Current financial constraints could affect the pledges in New Decade, New Approach to increase the number of police officers in Northern Ireland. "We're 2,000 officers below what the Patten recommendations outline," McQuillan says. "Simon Byrne is also having to deal with major changes to his senior team. Expand Close Garda Commissioner Drew Harris and PSNI Chief Constable Simon Byrne met on Saturday morning (PSNI press office/PA) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Garda Commissioner Drew Harris and PSNI Chief Constable Simon Byrne met on Saturday morning (PSNI press office/PA) "The appointment of Drew Harris as Garda Commissioner in 2018 has led more of our top officers seeing that as a possible career path. "Detective Chief Superintendent Paula Hilman took up a senior role in the Garda (Assistant Commissioner) in April. "The road to Dublin is wide and I think that we will lose some more officers. "It would be good to see some members of An Garda Siochana coming our way so that it's a two-way process." Deputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill has defended her attendance at the funeral of leading republican Bobby Storey in west Belfast on Tuesday. The Sinn Fein vice-president insisted the cortege had a "maximum of 30 people in it" in keeping with new Covid-19 regulations agreed on Monday. Photographs from the funeral showed two long lines of republicans behind the hearse, and people gathered in crowds. Expand Close The funeral cortege makes its way to Milltown Cemetery Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The funeral cortege makes its way to Milltown Cemetery Speaking to The Irish News, Ms O'Neill also insisted that there was social distancing inside St Agnes' Church. "Regrettably a considerable number of family members were unable to take part in the cortege as a result of the current restrictions, like many other families who have been unable to properly grieve or mourn the loss of a loved one in a traditional way as a result of the Covid crisis," she said. "These restrictions have been very difficult for families who have lost a loved one and particularly those who lost a loved one during the period when society was in lockdown." Read More There has been widespread criticism of Sinn Fein members' attendance at the funeral. Northern Ireland Secretary of State Brandon Lewis surprised at the images from the funeral saying he understood the frustrations of the public at its scale. Expand Close The late Bobby Storey Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The late Bobby Storey Yesterday, Robin Swann told the Executives daily conference that he was very concerned with what he saw and that no-one should be immune from following the guidelines. He was speaking as it was confirmed there had been no further deaths from Covid-19 in the previous 24 hours, but said Northern Ireland cannot afford to become another Leicester. A spike in infections saw lockdown restrictions reimposed on Leicester earlier on Tuesday. There is no person or position or point of privilege that is above the guidance we had laid down, no one is immune from it, the minister said. I do hope what we saw today does not undermine the message in Northern Ireland that has got us to where we are today. The virus remains a serious threat in Northern Ireland, despite the actions and words of some. Mr Swann said that he understood the PSNI would investigate any potential breaches of the guidelines. The regulations we have put in place are there to save lives, he said. I seriously hope this is not the Dominic Cummings effect in Northern Ireland. Please dont let this weaken your resolve, two wrongs do not make a right. I ask people to keep with what they have been doing because it has saved lives. Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Previous Next Funeral of senior republican Bobby Storey takes place in west Belfast - June 30 2020 [Photos] Close The funeral of Bobby Storey takes place in Andersonstown, west Belfast on June 30th 2020 (Photo by Kevin Scott for Belfast Telegraph) Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph Mary Lou McDonald and Gerry Adams as the funeral of Bobby Storey takes place in Andersonstown, west Belfast on June 30th 2020 (Photo by Kevin Scott for Belfast Telegraph) Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph Gerry Kelly and Michelle O'Neill as the funeral of Bobby Storey takes place in Andersonstown, west Belfast on June 30th 2020 (Photo by Kevin Scott for Belfast Telegraph) Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 30th June 2020 The funeral of Bobby Storey has taken place in Belfast. Photo by Philip Magowan / Press Eye Philip Magowan / PressEye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 30th June 2020 The funeral of Bobby Storey has taken place in Belfast. Photo by Philip Magowan / Press Eye Philip Magowan / PressEye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 30th June 2020 The funeral of Bobby Storey has taken place in Belfast. Photo by Philip Magowan / Press Eye Philip Magowan / PressEye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 30th June 2020 The funeral of Bobby Storey has taken place in Belfast. Photo by Philip Magowan / Press Eye Philip Magowan / PressEye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 30th June 2020 The funeral of Bobby Storey has taken place in Belfast. Photo by Philip Magowan / Press Eye Philip Magowan / PressEye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 30th June 2020 The funeral of Bobby Storey has taken place in Belfast. Photo by Philip Magowan / Press Eye Philip Magowan / PressEye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 30th June 2020 The funeral of Bobby Storey has taken place in Belfast. Photo by Philip Magowan / Press Eye Philip Magowan / PressEye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 30th June 2020 The funeral of Bobby Storey has taken place in Belfast. Photo by Philip Magowan / Press Eye Philip Magowan / PressEye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 30th June 2020 The funeral of Bobby Storey has taken place in Belfast. Photo by Philip Magowan / Press Eye Philip Magowan / PressEye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 30th June 2020 The funeral of Bobby Storey has taken place in Belfast. Pictured: Conor Murphy MLA. Photo by Philip Magowan / Press Eye Philip Magowan / PressEye The funeral of Bobby Storey takes place in Andersonstown, west Belfast on June 30th 2020 (Photo by Kevin Scott for Belfast Telegraph) Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph The funeral of Bobby Storey takes place in Andersonstown, west Belfast on June 30th 2020 (Photo by Kevin Scott for Belfast Telegraph) Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph The funeral of Bobby Storey takes place in Andersonstown, west Belfast on June 30th 2020 (Photo by Kevin Scott for Belfast Telegraph) Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph The funeral of Bobby Storey takes place in Andersonstown, west Belfast on June 30th 2020 (Photo by Kevin Scott for Belfast Telegraph) Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph The funeral of Bobby Storey takes place in Andersonstown, west Belfast on June 30th 2020 (Photo by Kevin Scott for Belfast Telegraph) Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph The funeral of Bobby Storey takes place in Andersonstown, west Belfast on June 30th 2020 (Photo by Kevin Scott for Belfast Telegraph) Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph The funeral of Bobby Storey takes place in Andersonstown, west Belfast on June 30th 2020 (Photo by Kevin Scott for Belfast Telegraph) Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph Mary Lou McDonald and Gerry Adams as the funeral of Bobby Storey takes place in Andersonstown, west Belfast on June 30th 2020 (Photo by Kevin Scott for Belfast Telegraph) Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph The funeral of Bobby Storey takes place in Andersonstown, west Belfast on June 30th 2020 (Photo by Kevin Scott for Belfast Telegraph) Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph The funeral of Bobby Storey takes place in Andersonstown, west Belfast on June 30th 2020 (Photo by Kevin Scott for Belfast Telegraph) Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph The funeral of Bobby Storey takes place in Andersonstown, west Belfast on June 30th 2020 (Photo by Kevin Scott for Belfast Telegraph) Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph The funeral of Bobby Storey takes place in Andersonstown, west Belfast on June 30th 2020 (Photo by Kevin Scott for Belfast Telegraph) Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The funeral of Bobby Storey takes place in Andersonstown, west Belfast on June 30th 2020 (Photo by Kevin Scott for Belfast Telegraph) The minister also announced that general visits to hospitals and care homes will be allowed to resume under a number of conditions from Monday. Partners of pregnant women will also be allowed to accompany them to hospital and doctor visits throughout the pregnancy from baby scans to labour and post-natal care. In hospital wards and intensive care units one person will be allowed to visit a patient at any one time. In Covid-19 free care homes two people will be allowed to visit a resident at any one time. Masks must be worn by those visiting hospitals and care homes and social distancing and other public health advice must be adhered to. There have been three positive tests for the virus, bringing to 23 the total number of positive tests over the past week. The Northern Ireland coronavirus death toll remains at 551 and there are no coronavirus-related cases in ICU. Chief Medical officer Dr Michael McBride said he anticipated huge anxiety as Northern Ireland exits lockdown. The full impact the virus has had will not be realised for some time to come, he said. The virus doesnt read our plans and it doesnt read our guidance and despite our best efforts, we will see clusters and outbreaks in the weeks and months ahead. This is something we may have to live with for some time to come. MLAs have taken back control of the power to set allowances for members' offices and staff costs in a move that could cause "serious damage to the reputation of the Assembly". MLAs voted to give the Assembly Commission, which is responsible for the day-to-day running of Parliament Buildings, control of allowances. The move was backed by the DUP, Sinn Fein and the SDLP, while the UUP, Alliance, Greens and People Before Profit gave their support to an amendment from TUV leader Jim Allister. The North Antrim MLA proposed that an independent body be given the role of setting future allowances, subject to Assembly Commission guidance. However, Mr Allister's proposal was rejected by a vote of 67 to 20, with one abstention. He said he feared that those behind the proposal had failed to learn from previous abuses of the expenses system. "Those who tabled the motion must have short memories. I do not think that the public have," added the TUV leader. "The public well remember that when the system that is proposed in the motion was in operation - namely, that MLAs controlled, through the commission, their own expenses - it was abused and the product was scandal." Alan McQuillan was part of the panel in an independent review which previously determined the salaries, expenses and pensions paid to MLAs. He said: "This decision takes them back 10 years. They will be the only legislative body in the UK or Ireland doing this. "My fear is that, give it two or three years and we will find ourselves in the original situation, causing serious damage to the reputation of the Assembly." DUP MLA Keith Buchanan, who put forward the allowances proposal, said the current rules failed to recognise economic realities facing MLAs. "The motion will enable the Assembly Commission to ensure that members can legitimately purchase basic items to help them to deliver services to our constituents, that an MLA's contact details can be promoted on the constituency office, and, most notably, to ensure that the terms and conditions of employment of the staff who work in our offices are fair and reasonable," he added. Sinn Fein's John O'Dowd argued that the TUV amendment would cause further delays to expenses reforms. Mr O'Dowd said: "Go back to your staff in your constituency offices, or some of your staff may be sitting in offices in this building. "Sit down in front of them, look them in the eye and say, 'I had the opportunity to correct a wrong, but I backed an amendment in the full knowledge that it would fail'." A Co Down Pastor has had an emotional but happy return to the Ulster Hospital for the first time since he was in intensive care for coronavirus. Mark McClurg, the evangelical pastor of Newtownards Elim Church, had no underlying health conditions when he was hospitalised in March. But coronavirus quickly left him fighting for his life in the Dundonald hospital. There are so many I want to personally thank because for me, the Ulster Hospital will always be the place where not only my wee babies were born, but my life was saved, he said, speaking to the BBCs Good Morning Ulster radio programme. We need to protect the NHS and Im so glad were coming through this, he said. I just see a lot of people going out and not really thinking that this coronavirus is still about. For me in ICU, it always felt like I was running uphill and couldnt get any breath and somebody had dropped two bags of broken glass into my lungs and they were filling with water. Everything was a struggle but I was so grateful that I was able to talk even though I was really ill. At the hospital, Pastor McClurg who is married to Claire (42) and is father to Liliana (5) and twin boys Josiah and Judah (2) was cared for by clinical lead sister Shauna Lynam and Jenny Bradley, a physiotherapist. Ms Lynam said staff at the hospital are still uncertain as to what the future holds. I think personally in work were just taking it week by week. No one can tell whats ahead for us, she said. There was certainly a time where we were concerned for ourselves, not knowing this disease and there was concern at what level of nursing we would have to move to, having watched Italy and all the other countries ahead of us, it brought us a level of anxiety. I think when the same team comes in every day we face those anxieties together. Ms Bradley added: We were all going home to potentially vulnerable relatives. I care for my mother, who is 86 and quite frail. Even now, I would still be quite cautious. The hands-on treatment was no different, the difference was doing it kitted out in the full PPE, difficulties with communication with patients who are anxious and stressed, she said. Three young people from Northern Ireland have each won a prestigious award for their fundraising efforts and work in their local communities. Jamie Harkin (18) from Omagh, Hannah Kempston (17) from Belfast and Ben Mooney (13) from Bangor will all be given a Diana Award today during an online awards ceremony. Set up in memory of Princess Diana, the aim of the charity and the award is to foster, develop and inspire positive change in the lives of young people. Jamie was inspired to create a special calendar in memory of his English teacher, who died from cancer in 2017, and raised 10,000 in the process, while Hannah helped design a national curriculum against cyber bullying, and Ben has raised money for a number of cancer charities. A former head boy at Drumragh Integrated College, Jamie made the Pockets of Positivity calendar in tribute to the late Graham Peters. He also volunteers for Care For Cancer and donated all of the money he raised to the charity. Jamie, who will be studying social sciences at King's College London this September, said the Diana Award was a fitting tribute for his late teacher. "His wife, Karen, was really, really proud of the calendar and how much was raised but obviously that she now knows about the Diana Award, she's completely over the moon," Jamie explained. "She was delighted for me and a lot of my family and friends will be able to watch me online to get the award. "It's a really fitting tribute to him because he would have wanted to have been remembered in that way. The Diana Award recognises positive change which was the point of the calendar initially. "It's the end of my school year now and I'll be going off to university in September so it has been a really nice end." Jamie said the award was totally unexpected after he was nominated by Care For Cancer. "I was never working towards this award," he said. "I just got an email one day saying I was nominated for this and I had won. "They thought what I had done was amazing and that it needed to be recognised. It was a real shock and just came out of the blue." Meanwhile, Ben's family are looking forward to the online awards ceremony and have already put the champagne on ice. Ben's early childhood was marred by stays in hospital but he was inspired to raise money for cancer charities following the death of his granny, Iris, who died from the disease. He has raised thousands for local and national charities by doing everything from running dressed as a sumo wrestler to clinching a Guinness World Record for the longest paper clip chain. Ben's mum Pauline said the whole family were proud of him. "He was really shocked because he didn't realise he had been nominated," explained Pauline. "He's an #iwill ambassador and it was their team that nominated him for the award. "We're all proud of him and it has spurred him on just to keep working away to try and fund raise. "It gets him out of the house, gives him a bit of exercise and he does a bit for other people." The #iwill campaign encourages young people under 20 to participate in social action. Finally, Hannah's nomination for the award came about through her passion for astronomy as she was the first youth council member with the Irish Astronomical Association and chief editor of 'Stardust Kids', a quarterly magazine exploring astronomical themes. Her technical skills enabled Hannah to make a real contribution to the Supercell Youth Board, helping to design a national curriculum against cyberbullying. She also volunteered with the project 'Volume Control' in the Oh Yeah Centre in Belfast, organising concerts in safe, local venues for young people. A woman accused of killing her daughter at their Co Antrim home must remain in custody, a judge ruled on Wednesday. Aleksandra Wahab was refused bail amid fears she may flee if released on a charge of murdering five-year-old Nadia Zofia Kalinowska. The little girl was discovered at the house on Fernagh Drive, Newtownabbey in December last year. Examinations confirmed she had sustained head and abdominal injuries which prosecutors have likened to forces exerted a in road traffic collision. Evidence of multiple fractures at various stages of healing was also found. Aleksandra Wahab, 26, and her 32-year-old husband Abdul Wahab are jointly charged with murder, causing or allowing the death of a child, and grievous bodily harm with intent to Nadia over a year-long period. The couple, originally from Poland and Pakistan, emphatically deny all allegations against them. Instead, they claim the girl sustained the fatal injuries when she fell down a flight of stairs at their Fernagh Drive address in the middle of the night. Lawyers for Mrs Wahab set out medical opinion to support the contention that Nadia was a clumsy, accident-prone child. Barrister Gavyn Cairns said: "This report now raises fundamental questions about the decision to charge the applicant." He also confirmed that his heavily pregnant client is due to give birth again in less than two months time. However, prosecutors expressed concerns that Mrs Wahab could return to Poland. Crown lawyer Fiona O'Kane said the two defendants had met and formed a relationship online. The couple married after Aleksandra and Nadia arrived in the Republic of Ireland in 2016, leading a transient lifestyle before moving across the border, the court heard. "They have resided at three different addresses in Antrim and Newtownabbey, and have no known ties to Northern Ireland," Mrs O'Kane submitted. District Judge Mark Hamill was told five consultant pathologists backed the prosecution case that Nadia's injuries could not have been due to a simple fall down the stairs. Denying bail to Mrs Wahab, Mr Hamill cited the risk of flight. He said: "Ultimately it will be for a jury to deal with the suggestion this child was extremely clumsy, had a high pain threshold and was simply accident prone." The accused was remanded to appear again with her husband, who is still in custody, in four weeks time. It is safe to travel abroad as long as coronavirus protocols are adhered to, an infectious disease specialist has said. There is uncertainty around whether people should travel overseas after chief medical officer Tony Holohan advised Irish residents to cancel foreign holidays to prevent a potential second surge. However, the Government has said travel restrictions could be eased by opening up air bridges with other countries that have low rates of infection. If we do the hand-washing, social distancing and wear a face mask then yes, it is safe to travel Jack Lambert Jack Lambert, infectious diseases specialist at the Mater and Rotunda hospitals, said it is safe to fly to foreign countries if people follow protocols. The Department of Foreign Affairs has advised people not to take non-essential trips abroad, but there is no ban on overseas travel. Ryanair is operating 40% of its schedule across Europe from Wednesday. It's good to be back This morning we restarted our schedules with 1000 daily flights across Europe pic.twitter.com/JZ8DRjDzLG Ryanair (@Ryanair) July 1, 2020 If we do the hand-washing, social distancing and wear a face mask then yes, it is safe to travel, Mr Lambert told RTE radio. When I was working in hospital I took care of 700 people who had Covid. I didnt stand there without a mask I used all of the appropriate precautions and I did not catch Covid-19. We have to to come up with practical solutions because there is no end point with Covid, but there is an end point with our economy. There is an end point with how long people can continue to live in lockdown and have total restrictions on travel for business, family and personal reasons. We stayed home for the past three or four months and we still have Covid circulating in the community and we have a few cases of Covid-19 coming into the country because of travel. I am trying to come up with a practical solution that looks to the future and is gong to be safe. Expand Close (PA Graphics) Press Association Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp (PA Graphics) I wouldnt recommend going to Florida because Covid is rampant in Florida. Would I go to Greece, Slovenia? Absolutely. I probably think it is safer to go there then city centres in Ireland at the present time because Covid is still circulating in the community in small numbers. I think we have to come up with solutions that are practical and not just come up with broad strokes that nobody should travel and everybody should be quarantined. We have to have a measured response to this because going forward, this is not a short-term problem this is a long-time pandemic. One new Covid-19 death and 11 new cases were confirmed in Ireland on Tuesday. There have been 1,736 Covid-19 related deaths in Ireland and 25,473 confirmed cases. The new Government is set to appoint 17 junior ministers (Julien Behal/PA) The Government is expected to appoint junior ministers following a Cabinet meeting on Wednesday. There are 17 junior minister roles available, with extra focus on the appointments following criticism of the gender and geographical spread of the Cabinet ministers. Taoiseach Micheal Martin is expected to address the geographical imbalance after the Government was criticised for not appointing one senior minister in the west of Ireland. While recently demoted ministers are usually given a junior minister role, there are more TDs seeking to be appointed than there are seats available so disappointment for some is inevitable. Fine Gael and Fianna Fail have seven ministers each to appoint, while the Green Party has three. Expand Close Jennifer Carroll MacNeill is the only female Fine Gael TD in contention for a role as a junior minister (Brian Lawless/PA) PA / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Jennifer Carroll MacNeill is the only female Fine Gael TD in contention for a role as a junior minister (Brian Lawless/PA) Former Fine Gael culture minister and education minister Joe McHugh may get a new role, while outgoing junior ministers John Paul Phelan, Paul Kehoe and Patrick ODonovan are also in the running. New TD Jennifer Carroll MacNeill is the only female Fine Gael TD in contention for a junior ministry. Fianna Fail frontbenchers such as Jack Chambers, Jim OCallaghan and Thomas Byrne will be looking for roles after they were overlooked for Cabinet positions. Fianna Fail TDs Niamh Smyth, Anne Rabbitte and Robert Troy also hope geography will be on their side due to the lack of ministers from their regions. Green Party TD Eamon Ryan may give a role to Nessae Hourigan, despite the fact that she campaigned against the party entering coalition with Fianna Fail and Fine Gael. The 17 new junior ministers, combined with the 15 Cabinet ministers and three super junior ministers make this Government one of the largest in history. The project, open to college and high school students, allows them to work virtually to imagine what leaders should be doing in order for the world to better deal with the COVID-19 pandemic, the district said. The students will then use research they have conducted to create a guide for policy-making. Former culture minister Josepha Madigan was among junior ministers appointed by the Government on Wednesday evening (Brian Lawless/PA) Former Cabinet member Josepha Madigan was among the junior ministers appointed by the Government on Wednesday evening. She takes over responsibility for special education and inclusion within Irelands Education Department. Fine Gael parliamentary party chairman Martin Heydon assumes a range of farming responsibilities at Agriculture. Minister of State Dara Calleary will be assigned to the Department of Media, Tourism, Arts, Culture, Sport and the Gaeltacht, a Government statement said. I look forward to working with my colleagues to progress our common goal of a fairer, more equal Ireland. Micheal Martin Taoiseach Micheal Martin said: This government reflects the shared future that each party has signed up for. We are ambitious in our plans and the appointment of the ministers of state reflects our priorities for the five years. The ministers of state will play a key role in the delivery of the Programme for Government and will ensure that no sector is left behind. I look forward to working with my colleagues to progress our common goal of a fairer, more equal Ireland. The Taoiseach had been expected to address the geographical imbalance after the Government was criticised for not appointing one senior minister from a constituency in the west of Ireland. While recently demoted ministers are usually given a junior minister role, there were more deputies seeking to be appointed than there were seats available so disappointment for some was inevitable. Fine Gael and Fianna Fail had seven ministers each to appoint, while the Green Party had three. Others appointed included: Thomas Byrne Department of the Taoiseach and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (EU Affairs); Patrick ODonovan Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (OPW); Ossian Smyth Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (Public Procurement and eGovernment); Jack Chambers Department of Finance (Financial Services, Credit Unions and Insurance); Anne Rabbitte Department of Children, Disability, Equality and Integration (Disability); Colm Brophy Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (Overseas Development Aid and Diaspora); Charlie McConalogue Department of Justice and Equality (Law Reform); Joe OBrien Department of Rural and Community Development (Community Development and Charities); Peter Burke Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government (Local Government and Planning); Malcolm Noonan Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Heritage and Electoral Reform). Robert Troy Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (Trade Promotion); Damien English Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (Employment and Retail Businesses); Mary Butler Department of Health (Mental Health and Older People); Frank Feighan Department of Health (Public Health, Well Being and National Drugs Strategy); Niall Collins Department of Higher Education, Innovation and Science (Skills and Further Education). The Government previously appointed Senator Pippa Hackett to be Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and deputy Hildegarde Naughton to be Minister of State at the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport. The 17 new junior ministers, combined with the 15 Cabinet ministers and three super junior ministers make this Government one of the largest in history. Last week Lasair Dhearg (Red Flame) were out on the streets of Belfast fighting "imperialism", "colonialism", "occupation", "subjugation" and "partition". Armed with a step ladder and what looked like some sticky-backed plastic signs, they were out to bring on their Marxist republican revolution. It sounds rather like a Monty Python script, with a dash of Blue Peter and a lot of Citizen Smith. They had selected a number of street names and sent out a cadre of activists with the revolutionary mission of sticking up 14 new street signs with names. Most of the new names were those of members of the Provisional IRA, the Irish Republican Brotherhood or the United Irishmen. Donegall Square South was to be renamed Bobby Sands Street and Norfolk Drive was to become Maire Drumm Street, while Queen's University was to be renamed Mairead Farrell University. Now, it has certainly brought them a bit of publicity, because I suspect that until last week 99.9% of the population of Northern Ireland had never heard of them, even though Lasair Dhearg claim to have been formed in west Belfast July 2017. We already have a crowded field of republican socialist and socialist republican organisations, with the Irish Republican Socialist Party, Republican Network for Unity, Eirigi (Rise Up) and Saoradh (Liberation) to name but a few, but now Lasair Dhearg have decided to enter that already crowded field. In fairness they do have a website, a logo, a manifesto and a long list of grievances, but a perusal of their website suggests that they have more grievances than members. This is very much a micro-group. As regards their relationship with other micro-groups, their current spokesperson Pol Torboid was formerly a spokesperson for Eirigi and, indeed, several of their cadre of leaders were formerly prominent in Eirigi. Schisms, resignations and realignments are a feature of these micro-groups. But back to the street name signs, which were easily stuck up and probably just as easily removed by someone else afterwards. On their website Lasair Dhearg have a quotation from the South American Marxist revolutionary Che Guevara: "The first duty of a revolutionary is to be educated." With such a commendable commitment to education I am sure, therefore, that Lasair Dhearg will welcome me providing some historical information about two of their temporary street names, William Drennan Street, which was proposed for Ireton Street in the lower Ormeau area, and The Invincibles Street, which was proposed for Cavendish Street in the Springfield Road area. The endorsement of The Irish National Invincibles is not altogether surprising. They were the Irish republican gang which carried out the Phoenix Park murders in Dublin in 1882. One of their victims was Lord Frederick Cavendish, and Lasair Dhearg wanted to replace the family name of a victim with that of the organisation that killed him. Of course, that is not altogether surprising, especially since the Lasair Dhearg website eulogises the late Billy McKee, the most bitter of all the Provisional IRA godfathers. Seamus Heaney spoke of "hope and history", but some people seem to prefer "hate and history". However, there may be hope, and for that I turn to another of the names they selected, Dr William Drennan. He was the Belfast-born son of a Presbyterian minister and the founder of the Society of United Irishmen. However, Dr Drennan left the United Irishmen, took no part in the 1798 rebellion and, like many other former United Irishmen, became reconciled to the Union of Great Britain and Ireland. Indeed, in 1811 Dr Drennan wrote in The Belfast Penny Magazine: "Be Britons with all your souls and forget your Father called himself an Irishman." I suspect that the members of Lasair Dhearg have never read those words, which are hardly in keeping with the revolutionary republican aspirations of their organisation. Nevertheless, I can only hope that the members of Lasair Dhearg, with their endorsement of Dr William Drennan and their enthusiasm for education, will come to a similar conclusion. In the meantime, when there is so much depressing news, their ill-informed antics did at least bring a smile to my face. Michelle O'Neill standing on the podium at Stormont on Thursday afternoon pontificating on Covid-19 regulations will make herself, and the entire Executive, a laughing stock. At the very least, she needs to say sorry first. Not to unionist politicians or other opponents, but to the plain people of Northern Ireland who have abided by the rules O'Neill's party set and broke. On Wednesday, she put the criticism of herself and Sinn Fein over Bobby Storey's funeral down to cheap "political point-scoring". If she believes that, then she is deaf and blind to public opinion. This is not a story which exists in the Stormont bubble. It is one which has spilled out onto the streets. People of all religions and all politics, and none, are angry. They see Sinn Fein discarding the guidelines when they no longer suit. If Michelle O'Neill maintains her position of refusing to apologise, then the big question is whether Arlene Foster will stand with her on Thursday afternoon for the Executive press conference. Expand Close Michelle ONeill gives an update at a Covid-19 briefing at Stormont / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Michelle ONeill gives an update at a Covid-19 briefing at Stormont The First Minister will be aware that doing so could endanger her own credibility. Politicians from across the spectrum have been receiving emails, social media messages, and phone calls from emotional constituents who have made huge sacrifices when they themselves were bereaved. An email to Mrs Foster came from a Catholic mother whose nine-day-old baby had died. She was hurt beyond belief by Bobby Storey's big funeral. She had been forced to restrict who was there to comfort her as her tiny infant's coffin was lowered into the ground. Sinn Fein's breach of the guidelines puts it in Dominic Cummings territory. And his actions were conducted privately. The Shinners brazenly flouted the regulations in a full frontal public display. Michelle O'Neill even posed for a selfie with two other mourners in Milltown Cemetery. Imagine if Dominic Cummings had done that at Barnard Castle? I don't for a second believe that O'Neill is personally arrogant, but she is very misguided if she thinks that her actions didn't come across that way. Expand Close Bobby Storeys funeral on Tuesday / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Bobby Storeys funeral on Tuesday Bobby Storey's funeral was organised in the belief, conscious or subconscious, that he was "special", entitled to a send-off that other citizens have been denied. This is in conflict with the very tenets of republicanism where all the children of the nation are treated equally, and some are not more equal than others. Sinn Fein is totally isolated on this issue at the Executive table. Michelle O'Neill continues repeating the nonsense that Stormont's funeral guidelines weren't breached. Let's get this clear - they were flouted on many fronts. The guidelines say that remains shouldn't be brought home and there should be no wake. Storey's remains were brought to his home for a three-day wake. No more than 10 people are permitted inside the church. There are reports of up to 150 being present for Requiem Mass in St Agnes. The guidelines prevent public gatherings of more than 30 people. There were hundreds, if not thousands, lining the streets for Storey. This funeral was not organised in "the blink of an eye". Sinn Fein had over a week to plan it. The party could have abided by the rules and ensured it was private with a public event commemorating him in the Felons, or wherever, when the coronavirus crisis is over. Even allowing for the importance of republican traditions, what unfolded surely can't be justified. Storey wasn't killed "on active service". The war ended over a quarter of a century ago. The only war that matters now is the one against Covid-19. Sinn Fein supporters are circulating photos of searches for Noah Donohoe, or raising questions about social distancing at a rally for him, and saying these breached guidelines. They demean themselves and their party by doing so. He was a 14-year-old boy missing, now dead. Neither Noah nor his mother Fiona sit at Stormont drawing up rules for the rest of us to obey. Sinn Fein MLAs eulogised Storey when O'Neill was under pressure on Wednesday at the Committee for The Executive Office. There were references to his time in prison and in the IRA, and how he had been forced to leave his north Belfast childhood home because of intimidation. Arlene Foster said that she had been forced out of her home as an eight-year-old because her father had been a policeman. "It is wrong that we spend our time today reminiscing about what happened in the 70s, 80s and 90s. We have to deal with the public health of the people of Northern Ireland today," she added. If the DUP can manage not to live in the past when it comes to Covid-19, surely Sinn Fein can make that leap too. 'Today marks 104 years to the day since thousands of soldiers from Ulster, and across Ireland, went over the top of the trenches in northern France - beginning the Battle of the Somme.' (stock) Today marks 104 years to the day since thousands of soldiers from Ulster, and across Ireland, went over the top of the trenches in northern France - beginning the Battle of the Somme. Of the nine Victoria Crosses awarded that day, four were earned by Ulstermen. By the end of the day many more had made the ultimate sacrifice. In normal circumstances, I would have been representing Her Majesty's Government today at the annual remembrance ceremony taking place at Northern Ireland's national war memorial, the Ulster Tower in France. Sadly, due to ongoing public health restrictions, that was not possible - however, I am pleased that a wreath will be laid on my behalf by the Somme Association in honour of those from the 36th (Ulster) Division who laid down their lives. The Division lost some 5,500 men over two days of battle, either killed, wounded or missing. Ordinary individuals exemplifying extraordinary bravery in the face of adversity. The Ulster Tower is a fitting monument to the fallen; standing pristine and tall in the serene French countryside, surrounded by poppy fields. The tower, with the nearby Thiepval Memorial, are the only indication of the horrors of war and the confrontation which unfolded there over a century ago. Next year, the tower will mark its centenary as one of the first memorials to be erected on the Western Front. As is tradition, wreaths will also be laid at the memorial in the nearby village of Guillemont which commemorates the sacrifice of the 16th (Irish) Division who fought there, and at Ginchy, so heroically in September 1916, suffering 4,200 casualties. This is a poignant and important reminder of our shared and intertwined history on these islands. Regardless of background or political affiliation, brave men from across the island of Ireland volunteered and fought together for the greater good. Many did not make it home. This collective and unprecedented heroism will be recalled in the various tributes paid today at Belfast City Hall, and at other memorial events across Northern Ireland. Despite these difficult times, it is a privilege for us all to pause to remember those who fought so valiantly on our behalf and it is appropriate we salute the sacrifice made by all those from across the island of Ireland throughout the First World War. We owe a great deal to the courage and professionalism displayed by our armed forces, not just on that day, but every day since - without their contribution and, in so many cases, sacrifices, Northern Ireland would not be the place it is today. The UK Government will always uphold the values of democracy and justice, preserved by those who fought on our behalf at the Somme and on many other battlefields since. We owe our freedoms to them, and we must never forget. Brandon Lewis CBE MP is Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Members of a teachers network form a human chain in from of Central Shaheed Minar, a national monument in Dhaka, to protest against the Digital Security Act, June 22, 2020. Human Rights Watch called on Bangladeshs government Wednesday to repeal the Digital Security Act as the watchdog group joined media members and activists in demanding the abolition of the controversial law, under which dozens of journalists have been charged. Bangladesh authorities were using the abusive law to harass and indefinitely detain activists, journalists, and other critics of the government and its political leadership, the New York-based watchdog group said in a statement. The administration of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wazed should immediately take steps to amend or repeal the law to protect freedom of speech, it said. Human Rights Watch issued the call a day after a court determined that journalist Shafiqul Islam Kajol should remain locked up following a two-day remand, which allowed police investigators to question him on allegations linked to the act. The ruling party is literally playing with peoples lives by holding them in indefinite detention under spurious charges amid a global pandemic, said Brad Adams, the groups Asia director, referring to Hasinas Awami League. Instead of using COVID-19 as a pretense to lock up critics, the authorities should be responding to the pandemic by releasing people like Kajol, who have been arbitrarily arrested and pose no danger to others. Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal challenged the statement from HRW. We do not think that the Digital Security Act needs to be scrapped. This law is to protect people from online defamation, he told BenarNews. The people who were arrested under this act had written defamatory comments against individuals on social media. Those who were aggrieved filed cases against them, he said, adding, It is natural that law enforcers will arrest those accused. The law, which went into effect in September 2018, includes harsh prison sentences for online defamation, insulting a persons religion and other offenses. Critics have complained that it impedes free speech. The act poses a serious threat to free speech and freedom of the press in Bangladesh because at least 40 journalists have been accused of violating the laws provisions, according to the Sampadak Parishad (Editors Council), a group of news editors. The home minister questioned whether the number was accurate. You are talking about the arrest of 40 journalists, but I think three or four of the arrested are genuine journalists while the others are fake journalists, Khan said. Awami League members filed cases against Kajol in March, accusing him of obtaining information illegally and publishing false, intimidating and defamatory material on Facebook and Messenger, Amnesty International said at the time. The main purpose of the Digital Security Act is to harass people, lawyer Jyotirmoy Barua, who represents Kajol, told BenarNews. Kajol, who went missing in March, resurfaced on World Press Freedom Day, May 3, near Bangladeshs frontier with India. Border guards said he walked into the country without a passport after not being heard from for more than 50 days. He was arrested under a section of the penal code that allows a person to be detained based on a reasonable suspicion. Teen held under law In addition to journalists, activists and others have been detained under the act. Last month, a 15-year-old boy was arrested north of Dhaka and sent to a juvenile detention center after a local ruling party politician said he had badmouthed our mother-like leader a reference to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina according to HRW. The boy has yet to be released from custody. On June 24, a court granted a two-remand for police to interrogate cartoonist Ahmed Kishore, activists Mushtaq Ahmed and Didarul Bhuiyan and business owner Minhaz Mannan Emon, whose brother, Xulhaz Mannan, was among a string of activists, secular bloggers and intellectuals killed by Muslim extremists in machete attacks between 2013 and 2018. They have been arrested on charges of spreading anti-government remarks and rumors regarding the coronavirus situation and various law enforcement agencies, Police Sub-Inspector Jamshedul Alam said at the time of their arrest in early May. Last month, Indiana conducted a study that tested 40,000 nursing home staff in more than 480 facilities, he said. The aim was to learn who needs testing and how often, Rusyniak said. Social distancing, masks and other societal measures had also likely slowed the spread to workers, who were then less likely to unknowingly show up and spread the virus among residents, he said. Voters passed a $195 million bond issue to build a new central library and improve several satellite libraries. The new location will be north of the sheriff's offices. Some oppose the new location, even through the board paid $12 million for the land. Some want more funds allocated to the other, satellite libraries. Your thoughts? Email us at letters@bendbulletin.com You voted: Weve never had to deal with this level of crowd and unrest. Thats not how it started. It was a protest. Sometimes protests they do start out peaceful, and a lot of them do end peacefully. Unfortunately, in that situation it wasnt. As sheriff, my goal has always been to be prepared for any possible scenario, Martinez said. Chief health officer will oversee BGSU plans to combat the spread of COVID-19 Bowling Green State University and the Wood County Health Department (WCHD) have signed a mutual aid agreement and announced an innovative public-public partnership to improve the public health of Wood County and northwest Ohio through health instruction, practice, research and workforce development. As two public organizations that are committed to working through the COVID-19 global pandemic as well as promoting the overall health of the community, BGSU and WCHD will explore opportunities to: Collaborate on public health projects, provide educational opportunities for BGSU students and additional assistance to Wood County Health Department employees to serve the needs of northwest Ohio; Provide increased involvement of health department staff to serve as mentors, student advisors, guest lecturers at BGSU, and for BGSU students, faculty and staff to serve as technical resources and guest lecturers for WCHD; Jointly develop grant applications to generate new and additional funding to support their outreach missions for the region; Develop initiatives, including activities related to research opportunities, pandemic planning, grant funding, workforce development, community health assessments and program evaluation; Collaborate with other Wood County partners in completing Ohio Department of Health requirements for the Community Health Assessment (CHA) and the Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP) for Wood County; Share resources in the future, such as shared-use space and supporting of joint-staff positions between WCHD and BGSU. "This is another example of how BGSU is a national leader in partnerships, and it demonstrates BGSU's steadfast commitment to supporting our region and Ohio," BGSU President Rodney K. Rogers said. "Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, our commitment to the health and safety of one another is stronger than ever. We have partnered with an organization who shares our mission to create public good and values the health of our University and the communities we serve." BGSU Appoints Chief Health Officer Former Wood County Health Commissioner Ben Batey, MPH, RN, has accepted the appointment as BGSU chief health officer. Batey will continue focusing on the public health of Wood County through this growing partnership. Prior to assuming the chief health officer position at BGSU, Batey served as health commissioner of the Wood County Health Department since 2014 and brings extensive clinical experience in infectious diseases and epidemiology. He also held several leadership positions with the department since June 2010, including CEO of the Wood County Community Health Center, director of nursing, and infectious disease, emergency preparedness coordinator and epidemiologist. Before joining WCHD, Batey was a registered nurse for Mercy St. Anne Hospital and Mercy Home Care. Batey holds a Master of Public Health degree from Northwest Ohio Consortium for Public Health (Bowling Green State University/University of Toledo), along with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Mercy College of Ohio. As chief health officer, Batey will oversee BGSUs comprehensive plans to combat the spread of COVID-19 among its students, faculty and staff. This new position also elevates and integrates a holistic health portfolio, enhancing programming in population health from both community and academic perspectives. "At the very core of all that we accomplish is also a commitment to public health. This is an opportunity for us to come together to not just overcome the COVID-19 global pandemic, but to support one another and build a brighter future for our communities," Rogers said. "Our new chief health officer position and partnership with WCHD will ensure our University preserves and promotes the public health and its role in creating public good." To best support the communities BGSU and WCHD serve, both organizations are committed to navigating the transition as Bateys leadership in public health is needed to assist the health departments local response to COVID-19. Bateys cabinet-level appointment as chief health officer at BGSU begins July 27. 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. On this Tuesday, I continue to be astounded by the lunacy on display in America. Now the radicals want to banish St. Louis. Thats correct - the name St. Louis is apparently triggering negative feelings in some far left kooks. But why? I dont know. St. Louis was named by French trappers who floated the Mississippi River in the 18th century. They established an outpost near the river and named it after the famous French king and canonized saint... Louis the ninth. Born in 1214, Louis by most accounts was a good guy. He fed his poor subjects, reformed the French justice system introducing due process, and upheld the Christian belief system - unusual for a King back then... hello Henry the Eighth. Other countries actually used King Louis to arbitrate disputes because of his quote: moral integrity. So whats the beef with St. Louis, far left loons? What new city name do you want? Actually, Im foolish for even asking that question. The radicals could brand the city Fidelville ... or Che - Fransisco. Wait, San Francisco is also named after a saint ... and Los Angeles after angels. Sorry I brought it up. Power to the people. Leave St. Louis alone. Tonight on the No Spin News, well have reaction to our Stand Up for Your Country campaign. Hope you check in beginning at six eastern. For the first time in South Africa, producers of Ready to Drink (RTD) beverages are invited to enter the Michelangelo International Wine & Spirits Awards, where they will be able to present their products to a panel of acclaimed judges for adjudication. Consumer trends drive category growth #BizTrends2020: 5 spirits trends in South Africa for 2020 Curated, experiential and tailored experiences were at the forefront of South Africa's alcohol consumption trends in 2019... Michelangelos founder and organiser of the competition, Lorraine Immelman, explains the decision: We could no longer ignore the rapidly expanding RTD category. The decision to include RTDs in the competition is a natural follow-on from our expansion in 2014, when Michelangelo first opened the competition to spirits."Since then, we have been open and committed to adjudicating all wines and spirits, segmented into every possible variety which now also includes pre-mixes and flavour-infused base spirits. These range from vodka, whisky and brandy to the fast-growing segments of gin, rum and tequila.While RTD beverages have been around in South Africa since 1996, the first RTDs to be locally produced emerged in 2003 when Klipdrift developed a limited run of pre-mixed brandy and Coke. Its success, coupled with changes in consumer trends, have spurred on a tsunami of colourful RTD offerings in drinks stores around the country.With the sale and consumption of alcohol banned under Levels 4 and 5 of lockdown, low- and non-alcohol products in the RTD category experienced rapid growth and made it top of mind for many consumers. However, while convenience and easy availability are key drawcards, the quality of the cans contents is a major factor," says Immelman.Considering their widespread popularity, local producers of RTD products deserve the chance to have their pre-mixed cocktails tasted and awarded by a credible and internationally recognised competition such as the Michelangelo Awards. By entering, producers of RTD beverages can help establish their credibility, while their consumers can make better informed buying decisions, concludes Immelman.Entries for the Michelangelo International Wine & Spirits Awards close on 31 July 2020. Enter here: https://maiwsa.co.za/Entries L'Oreal South Africa has appointed Hlengiwe Mathenjwa as the new director of its Midrand manufacturing plant in Johannesburg, effective 1 July 2020. Hlengiwe Mathenjwa Career journey L'Oreal begins production of hand sanitiser at Gauteng factory L'Oreal South Africa has started producing hand sanitisers under its beauty brand Garnier... A South African, Mathenjwa takes the helm of the beauty company's first and largest manufacturing facility in the Africa & Middle East region.LOreals Midrand plant specialises in haircare, skincare and personal hygiene products.It produces a large array of the companys international portfolio of African beauty brands such as Dark & Lovely and Restore Plus developed by LOreals team of scientists and biologists based in its South African Research and Innovation Centre.Hlengiwes vast experience in the chemical industry led her to LOreal South Africa in 2013 as a lab manager before growing to take the lead of the Quality Department.Sharing highlights of her journey, she says: My time at LOreal has been so empowering. Having the opportunity to spend one year at our Caudry Plant in France, specialising in skincare, on a performance improvement assignment transformed my career. It was hard being away from my family and adjusting to a new culture.Upon returning to South Africa Hlengiwe took up the role of production manager overseeing the manufacturing of products made locally.I am very grateful and humbled to be given this opportunity to lead our Midrand Plant. I appreciate the recognition and trust that the company has put in me. I am looking forward to working with everyone to lead LOreal Manufacturing Midrand through this unprecedented time and beyond, says Hlengiwe.Stretching over around 35,000 square meters, LOreals Midrand plant employs more than 150 staff members across different functions, with over 56% female employees. Products manufactured here are exported throughout Africa, Europe and the Middle East.LOreal also has plants in Nairobi, Kenya and Cairo, Egypt. As part of its partnership with Lionesses of Africa, the all-female business network in Africa, Volkswagen has introduced 'The Lionesses Den' and is calling on female-owned businesses in South Africa to share a two-minute pitch. The top three pitches will win capital to invest in their businesses and in turn help drive the South African economy forward. Who is eligible to enter? This offers an opportunity for female entrepreneurs to access capital amid the Covid-19 challenges on the South African economy and small businesses in particular.According to a 2018 survey conducted by Facebook, in partnership with the World Bank and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), female entrepreneurs are in a minority within the entrepreneurial landscape and, even though half of South Africas population is female, only 34% of small, medium and micro enterprises are led by females.In addition to this, regardless of the financial impact of Covid-19, many female-led businesses have already been struggling to stay afloat because of the lack of cash injection to invest back into operations, skills, marketing, and infrastructure.Martina Biene, head of the Volkswagen Brand in South Africa says a lot needs to be done to support female entrepreneurs to continue their role in helping to alleviate unemployment, poverty and drive the economy forward.Volkswagens Lionesses Den is a chance for female entrepreneurs to use the capital to pay salaries, upskill, purchase stock, invest in marketing or proper infrastructure, says Biene.Female entrepreneurs who are part of the Lionesses of Africa network, across all sectors and industries can enter the competition by submitting their two-minute recorded video business pitch on the Lionesses Den website.Two of the biggest challenges facing female entrepreneurs on the entrepreneurship journey is access to markets and funding. In light of the current pandemic which is severely impacting the ability to do business as usual, both of these challenges have become even greater. So, at this critical time, the difference this cash injection will make to the winners, especially in light of this time of business unusual, will be substantial, says Melanie Hawken, founder and CEO of Lionesses of Africa.Volkswagens Lionesses Den competition runs from 1 July 2020 to 2 August 2020. The selected winners will be announced on 21 August 2020 during the Lionesses Lean-In event.To become part of the Lionesses of Africa network, go to www.lionessesofafrica.com and to enter the Volkswagen Lionesses Den initiative, go to www.vwlionessesden.co.za With current concerns regarding COVID-19, it is a great option to provide to schools while adhering to their safety measures. As in the past, the 45-minute presentation is free as the standard package. I also have a more extensive No Bulliez Pleaze program as a development and bullying prevention event. While the standard package is effective, at a greater value to schools, the Rize Up, Stand Up No Bulliez Pleaze presentation which comes with a cost but also includes special activities, 20 provided copies of my childrens book and customized development and reflective classroom opportunities. A group of startups graduated from a 20-week Drone Start-Up Accelerator Programme, which aimed to equip the businesses with the tools and skills needed to drive the adoption of drone technology in South Africa and harness its potential to boost employment. Clive Mathe, founder of KURAI, an agricultural technology company. Transforming the industry Participants Rine Holdings offers services and solutions in technical security and intelligence, monitoring, and surveillance services in the public and private sectors. offers services and solutions in technical security and intelligence, monitoring, and surveillance services in the public and private sectors. Sovereign Creativez facilitates online drone pilot training. facilitates online drone pilot training. Pragmatic Master uses Artificial Intelligence and drones to simplify construction monitoring and asset management through data collection and analysis. uses Artificial Intelligence and drones to simplify construction monitoring and asset management through data collection and analysis. Fade Communications is a production company offering film, video, and live streaming services. is a production company offering film, video, and live streaming services. Ziyakhipha Projects & Services is an audio visual and video conferencing technology company. is an audio visual and video conferencing technology company. QP Drone Tech designs and manufactures UAV security monitoring and surveillance solutions. designs and manufactures UAV security monitoring and surveillance solutions. KasieLabs is a digital skills training provider that also offers drone pilot training. is a digital skills training provider that also offers drone pilot training. Nafasi Za Angani is a data analytics company that uses drones to digitise construction sites and derive analytics that improves workflows and efficiencies. is a data analytics company that uses drones to digitise construction sites and derive analytics that improves workflows and efficiencies. Africa Drone Kings manufactures, supplies, and maintains drones, robotics, and software. manufactures, supplies, and maintains drones, robotics, and software. Shibus Construction offers construction, building, maintenance, monitoring, and inspection of all civil engineering services, using drones in smart construction applications. offers construction, building, maintenance, monitoring, and inspection of all civil engineering services, using drones in smart construction applications. Mgwambani Security & Projects deploys drones for security and surveillance needs. Conceptualised and Developed by Mzansi Aerospace Technologies and funded by the Small Enterprise Development Agency (Seda), the programme equipped 13 startups with the skills and tools to drive the adoption of drone technology in South Africa. This Programme was hosted at the Ekurhuleni West TVET College in Katlehong and was also supported by corporate innovation partners that included Royal HaskoningDHVThe learning journey which started in February 2020 culminated in a virtual Demo Day on 26 June 2020, when the startup founders virtually presented their pitch decks to a panel of judges and investors, as well as guest attendees.The judging panel included representatives from Development Finance Institutions, Enterprise Supplier Developer funds, startup ecosystem providers including The Innovation Hub, Wits Business School, other accelerators, academia and venture capital investors.This has been a great learning journey for the startups, who were excited to pitch their ideas to investors who can help them scale their businesses. Because of the Covid-19 lockdown, startups werent able to test their solutions or do market validations with customers a key part of the programme but we improvised with the webinar pitches, which were very well presented. Ironically, with Covid-19 shifting the programme to an online platform, it has given us an opportunity to expand our reach, and future programmes will adopt a dual approach that combines online and in-person engagement says Victor Radebe, founder of Mzansi Aerospace Technologies.The idea for the programme was influenced by two main challenges: the fact that most startups fail because there is no market demand for their product, and that, of the 60 licensed drone operators in South Africa, only one is black owner-managed. The programme aimed to help startups to refine their innovations, with the intention of gaining traction in the marketplace or service that solves specific challenges in various industries.Gideon Treurnich, strategic business development manager at Royal HaskoningDHV South Africa, said: Despite the lockdown, we were still able to host training sessions for the startups, as planned, including a session on the use of drones in infrastructure asset management. We also included one of the startups in a client proposal to assist with drone photography in a factory setting. This inaugural programme was a massive success and we look forward to expanding our involvement in future programmes.The startups who took part include:The next Drone Accelerator Start-up Programme will be held in Limpopo, Vhembe District.To find out more, go to https://mzansiaero.tech/ To ensure that medical students can continue their education in a safe environment during the Covid-19 pandemic, the Royal College of Surgeons Ireland (RCSI) University of Medicine and Health Sciences will create a unique satellite campus at Ireland's largest stadium, Croke Park. Safe, flexible spaces RCSI lectures will be held in event spaces throughout Croke Park for the 2020/2021 academic year beginning in September. Over 650 students will use these facilities to continue their learning at a safe physical distance in smaller learning communities, which will cycle through the campus on alternate days over a six-day week.In addition to being well connected to the RCSI city centre campus and the rest of Dublin, Croke Park is close to Beaumont Hospital, the main RCSI teaching hospital. This proximity of the new satellite campus to Beaumont will allow academics who work there to easily travel to deliver lectures.From Monday through Saturday, students will also have access to study spaces, restaurants and other amenities at the Croke Park facilities beyond teaching hours. Provisions have been put in place to allow the facilities to be used for sporting events on Saturdays if matches return in the autumn.There is no doubt that the academic year ahead will be like no other in our universitys 236-year history. Across the university, our academic and professional staff are working tirelessly to address the challenge of continuing to deliver an exceptional education in a much altered environment, said Professor Cathal Kelly, CEO/Registrar of RCSI.We are developing an engaged blended learning programme and putting robust safety measures in place in order ensure we can provide a positive educational experience in a safe environment. Teaming up with Croke Park Meetings & Events will ensure that our students receive a meaningful and safe educational experience when they return this autumn.Most of the students that will use the new satellite campus would typically attend lectures in Beaumont Hospital. The facilities in the Dublin city centre campus will also reopen with social distancing measures and innovative timetables, which will allow for a balance of both on-campus and digitally-engaged teaching.Croke Park is delighted to provide a range of safe, flexible spaces where the RCSI can continue the educational experience of future doctors during these unprecedented times. We look forward to working with the university team and accommodating its students in our meeting and events spaces, which are reopening this week. said Mark Dorman, head of stadium business, Croke Park.Outside of Croke Park, RCSI students will continue to benefit from clinical teaching in one of Europes most advanced clinical healthcare simulation centres on 26 York Street and in the Education and Research Centre at Beaumont Hospital.In early March, RCSI made the decision to move forward some final examinations for medical students by seven weeks, anticipating the closure of universities. This allowed the final medical students to graduate early and enter the workforce on time. Quartet re-forms after 15 years and their unique sound looks set to win over new fans. The beat must go on. It was not an attempt to recapture that which had gone-the prime of youth, the precious time, shared with friends, the dreams chased and sometimes obtained, and the limelight. There was another reason for Dada, one of the most recognizable and best-selling Chinese pop-rock bands, to reunite after a 15-year hiatus. A clue is in their latest single, See You Again, released on June 19. They wanted to meet their fans again and say sorry for leaving the stage so soon. A decade and a half after they released their last album, and silently parted ways, the four are back on stage, again as one. "Passing through the floating yesterdays, passing through the memories we had ... Just for the last time we said 'see you again'," they sing in the music video for the new song, which was recorded in the later stages of the COVID-19 pandemic in Wuhan, their hometown, and the city hardest hit by the coronavirus in the country. In 2000, the four members of Dada, lead vocalist Peng Tan, guitarist Wu Tao, bassist Wei Fei and drummer Zhang Ming, all from Wuhan, came to Beijing for the first time as a group. It was there they made history as the first ever Chinese mainland rock band to sign with the Warner Music Group. A year later, they released their award-winning debut album, Angel. They released their second album, The Dada Golden Age, in 2003, then held their first live concert at the Beijing Exhibition Hall Theater the following year. However, in 2005, to everyone's surprise, Dada disbanded at the peak of their popularity. There was no announcement of a breakup, no visible signs of internal squabbling, but just a sudden disappearance, like ships that pass in the night, gone, vanished. "The name of the latest single, See You Again, is for our fans, to whom we didn't say goodbye 15 years ago," says Peng, who composed the song along with guitarist Wu. "We didn't have a full closure, and now we are back again." The song continues in the band's music style, which is a mixture of catchy pop tunes and rock beats. The softly-spoken lead vocalist still sings with his clean and soothing voice. The music video features Wuhan landmarks which they personally hold dear, such as the East Lake, the river port and a local food court. The four members pass through the streets in black and white to indicate their past, heading to a common destination, to record together, in full color. "I am happy that Dada is back," commented a fan with the handle 27Age. "Their new song reminds me of my younger days, when I rode my bicycle and listened to their songs on my Walkman." "Dada's reunion brings back nostalgic memories for the band," wrote music critic Chi Bin on microblogging platform Sina Weibo on June 19. "When the new song plays, everything about Dada and our young days flashes back." Peng, 42, who formed Dada with the other three members in 1996, has similar emotions. "When we wrote and recorded See You Again together, the process also took us back to our early days," recalls Peng. "Back then, we were in our early 20s and all we wanted to do was to release an album." Although they "dreamed about a sound cycle of city-to-city music tours followed by new albums and their big sales", the fact was that they spent three whole years working on their debut album, without knowing if they would succeed or not. They had sent out numerous music samples to record companies, but got no answer. That was until veteran music producer-promoter Song Ke, the then head of Warner Music Group's China office, listened to their sample and was impressed by their original songs. He invited the band to Beijing and helped them launch their career, which seemed "unbelievable" when Peng and other members first heard the news. "When I listened to their songs, I decided to see the band in person. I wanted to create a space for them to write music and sing their songs," says Song. In its heyday, the band not only gave shows nationwide but also did for magazines and advertisements. Looking back on their golden days, Peng mentions one show in particular, which was held in a city in northeastern China after they released their second album. There was a huge crowd welcoming the band. The band was overwhelmed by the noise and chaos. "We were treated like stars. It seemed like that the craziness had nothing to do with our music," recalls Peng. Strangely, it was this type of feeling that made them all uneasy. They were reluctant to adjust, as fame demands, to the diktats of others. So the band decided to split up and each member pursued their own interests. "During the days after our breakup, I didn't want to mention the name of Dada again," drummer Zhang Ming says. Zhang considered Dada as an "ex-girlfriend" that would evoke nostalgia and a bit of embarrassment. Peng released a solo album, titled Teen Spirit, in 2007, and also became an actor in theatrical productions. The four members of Dada are all married and some have become fathers, including Peng. He married model-actress Chang Chunxiao more than a decade ago and they had a daughter in 2016. The couple even released a few singles together. In June 2019, they had the chance to perform together as a band again at the Cactus Music Festival in Chengdu, Southwest China's Sichuan province. That chemistry worked its magic once again, and they sang their old hits, such as South and Waiting. The band announced their reunion a few months later and signed to Modern Sky, one of the key indie music companies in China. "Though we headed in different directions after the split, we've still managed to get back together by singing our songs. We felt it was the right thing to do to be Dada again," says Peng. You are here: Business Chinese firms are making great strides in brand value on the global playing field, a market report showed Tuesday. A record high of 17 Chinese companies have made it into the 2020 BrandZ Top 100 Most Valuable Global Brands Ranking, compared with 15 last year, according to BrandZ, a global brand equity platform. Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba led Chinese firms in the ranking, rising to the sixth place this year, up one spot from last year with a value of 152.53 billion U.S. dollars. Tech giant Tencent ranked second among Chinese companies, with its brand value surging 15 percent to 150.98 billion U.S. dollars. China's leading liquor maker Kweichow Moutai was the fastest growing brand in 2020 with a staggering growth of 58 percent, while internet giant Meituan and e-commerce giant JD.com also registered robust performance in brand value expansion. Bolstered by innovation and creativity, Chinese popular video-sharing app TikTok, known as Douyin in China, entered the list for the first time and was placed at 79th, the highest-rank among other newcomers. The ranking is commissioned by global communication services provider WPP and conducted by brand equity research consultancy Kantar. It examines market data from Bloomberg with consumer insights from over 3.8 million consumers, covering more than 17,500 brands across 51 markets. The Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council issued a statement on Tuesday, voicing firm support for the newly adopted Law of the People's Republic of China on Safeguarding National Security in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR). The office pledged full support for and cooperation in the work related to the implementation of the law to ensure its effective enforcement in the HKSAR. The law was passed at the 20th session of the Standing Committee of the 13th National People's Congress (NPC), China's top legislature. The law's adoption by the NPC Standing Committee, its inclusion in Annex III to the Basic Law of the HKSAR and its promulgation in the HKSAR, constitute a milestone event for the practice of "one country, two systems," said the statement. It will offer a strong institutional guarantee for fully and faithfully implementing the "one country, two systems" principle, effectively safeguarding national sovereignty, security and development interests, maintaining long-term prosperity and stability of Hong Kong, and ensuring the steady and sustained implementation of "one country, two systems," said the statement. Hong Kong will therefore embrace a turning point for ending chaos and bringing back order, it added. The law has clearly defined four categories of crimes that severely endanger national security and their corresponding penalties, and established and improved the enforcement mechanisms for safeguarding national security at the levels of both the central government and the HKSAR, said the statement. The law fully conforms with the "one country, two systems" principle, China's Constitution and the Basic Law of the HKSAR, and is a major move to improve the institutional framework of "one country, two systems," the statement noted. The law will improve Hong Kong's legal system and bring more stability, stronger rule of law and a better business environment to Hong Kong, said the statement. Related law-enforcement and judicial organs of the central authorities and the HKSAR will perform their duties and functions in accordance with the law, exerting joint efforts to ensure the effective enforcement of the law on safeguarding national security in the HKSAR and related existing laws in the HKSAR, it said. Noting that the Chinese government is firmly committed to safeguarding national sovereignty, security and development interests, implementing the "one country, two systems" principle and opposing interference in Hong Kong affairs by external forces, the statement said no intimidations or sanctions will change Hong Kong's global economic status, nor will they deter the Chinese people. President Xi Jinping on Tuesday underlined the importance of relying on reforms to tackle changing situations and open up new prospects, while encouraging exploration with good outcomes in key spheres. Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, specified the requirements in a speech at the 14th meeting of the central committee for deepening overall reform. The breakthrough and leading role of reforms must be given full play for the country to achieve the goals and tasks outlined in the 13th five-year plan, win the battle against poverty, complete the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects, and embark on a new journey toward building a modern socialist country, said Xi, who heads the committee. Li Keqiang and Wang Huning, both members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and deputy heads of the central committee for deepening overall reform, also attended the meeting. The meeting reviewed and approved a series of reform plans and guidelines on state-owned enterprises (SOEs), the integrated development of new generation information technology and the manufacturing industry, the rural homestead system, the integrated development of media, the education evaluation system, and the state-owned art troupes. It also heard a report on reform progress of the medical and health care system since the third plenary session of the 18th CPC Central Committee. The next three years will be crucial for the country's SOE reforms, the meeting noted, stressing efforts to optimize the layout and structure of the state-owned economy to make it more competitive, innovative, controllable, influential, and more able to withstand risks. In terms of the integrated development of new generation information technology and the manufacturing industry, the meeting said that efforts should be made to speed up the innovative development of the industrial internet with a focus on advancing smart manufacturing. The meeting urged efforts to deepen the integrated media development and mechanism reforms, and cultivate talent in the all-media sector to build a set of competitive, strongly influential new types of mainstream media. Educational evaluation is a matter concerning the direction of educational development, so it is necessary to set up an educational evaluation system that is scientific, and in line with the requirements of the times, the meeting said. Meanwhile, the meeting stressed the further development of state-owned art troupes to stimulate their vitality. Since the third plenary session of the 18th CPC Central Committee, the country has been improving medical services through establishing the world's largest basic medical security network, and reducing the medical treatment burden for patients, putting people's lives and health first, it noted. The meeting called for attaching great importance to the application of the new generation of information technology in the field of medicine and healthcare, reshaping the management and service mode, optimizing the allocation of resources, and improving service efficiency. It stressed the need to make plans for the reforms in the 14th Five-Year Plan period, focus more on making institutional improvement, and optimizing governance system, and do more to address deep-seated institutional problems. The Kafkaesque Imperium has taken yet another absurd step towards mean absurdity with another superseding indictment against Julian Assange. This move by the US Department of Justice seems to have surprised those involved in his extradition proceedings. Mark Summers QC, one of the members of the Assange legal team, did not conceal his astonishment at the call over hearing at Londons Westminster Magistrates Court. We are surprised by the timing of this development. We were surprised to hear about it in the press. What is baffling about this latest act of brutish pantomime is that the spruced up indictment does not contain new charges so much as added flesh. WikiLeaks editor-in-chief Kristinn Hrafnsson could only remark upon this fact with consternation. We already know the sinister import of the charges, the lions share of 17 focused on alleged violations of the US Espionage Act, and one of conspiring to commit computer intrusion. US prosecutors evidently felt that the latter charge required bulking. On June 24, the DOJs Office of Public Affairs made mention of a federal grand jurys return of a second superseding indictment [] charging Julian P. Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks, with offenses that relate to Assanges alleged role in one of the largest compromises of classified information in the history of the United States. No additional counts are added, but the new document is not immaterial in what it builds upon. It seeks to draw out the character of Assange as the enterprising hacker who also sought to recruit his fellow kind, a move that transparently seeks to undermine any journalistic or publisher credentials. It also casts a wider net against WikiLeaks, its associates and those who gave it a lending hand, while expanding the timeline of alleged nefarious acts (no longer restricted to March 2010, it targets alleged activities between 2009 and 2015). According to the charging document, Assange and others at WikiLeaks recruited and agreed with hackers to commit computer intrusions to benefit WikiLeaks. The document makes mention, for instance, of Sarah Harrison, former spokesperson Daniel Domscheit-Berg, and digital activist Jacob Appelbaum. It also hones in on Assange on the conference circuit, noting how he, along with a WikiLeaks associate, participated at the Hacking at Random conference in the Netherlands. Assange sought to recruit those who had or could obtain authorized access to classified information and hackers to search for, steal, and send to WikiLeaks the items on the Most Wanted Leaks list that was posted on WikiLeakss website. Assange is described as encourager and provocateur, suggesting to potential recruits that, unless they were a serving member of the United States military, they would have no legal liability for stealing classified information and giving it to WikiLeaks because TOP SECRET meant nothing as a matter of law. This indictment does little to improve on previous defects. As Kevin Gosztola writes in the indispensable Shadowproof, the DOJ draws heavily on statements from FBI informants, namely Sigurdur Siggi Thordarson and Hector Xavier Monsegur (Sabu) of the LulzSec hacker group. Thordarson was fired from WikiLeaks in November 2011 after his embezzlement ventures amounting to $50,000 were discovered. According to WikiLeaks, In light of the relentless ongoing prosecution of US authorities against WikiLeaks, it is not surprising that the FBI would try to abuse this troubled young man and involve him in some manner in the attempt to prosecute WikiLeaks staff. The Bureaus pieces of silver for Thordarsons services amounted to $5,000. Monsegurs part in the whole business was, according to activist Jeremy Hammond and key figure in the hacking of the intelligence firm Stratfor, to entrap WikiLeaks in a cash-for-leaks scheme. It was also Monsegur who gave the hacker collective AntiSec access to the companys information trove. Hammond was duly entrapped in transferring, without his knowledge, confidential data to an FBI server. Monsegurs rather smelly pride of place in the indictment is that of allegedly fielding requests from Assange to look for (and provide to WikiLeaks) mail and documents, databases and pdfs. Another protagonist also makes an appearance in the prosecutorial show. To encourage leakers and hackers to provide stolen materials to WikiLeaks in the future, Assange and others at WikiLeaks openly displayed their attempts to assist [Edward] Snowden in evading arrest. Harrison, tagged WLA-4, is noted as assisting Snowden make his exit from Hong Kong to Moscow in 2013. The assistance provided by WikiLeaks is deemed conspiratorial; vocalised support for Snowden given by Assange at the Chaos Computer Club conference on December 31, 2013, is trotted as an example of incitement to theft. Gosztola notes the purposeful mutilations by the prosecutors regarding statements made by Assange regarding radical transparency. Assange, for instance, is noted as claiming: that the famous leaks that WikiLeaks has done or the recent Edward Snowden revelations showed that it was possible now for even a single system administrator tonot merely wreck[] or disabl[e] [organizations]but rather shift[] information from an information apartheid systeminto the knowledge commons. The actual quote is more qualified in its philosophical belligerence, emphasising such liberated knowledge as a disciplining force and constructive constraint upon those with extraordinary power and information while also being used to construct and understand the new world that were entering into. Assanges stance on information, and his encouragement to the young to rush into the ranks of the Central Intelligence Agency, is taken as an exhortation of bad faith, encouraging the theft of classified information and the ruination of secrecy. A better reading of this, urges Gosztola, is to see this as a call to young people to help the public address a crisis of corruption in government by forcing transparency at a time when the government abuses the classified information system to conceal waste, fraud, abuse, and other illegal actions. The new indictment has made something of a mockery of the London extradition proceedings. Judge Vanessa Baraitser conceded to being informed of the superseding document by email, but still awaits its official receipt. Prosecution barrister Joel Smith merely remarked that both parties were still pouring over its contents and implications. If we need to involve the court then we will inform the court at the appropriate time. Summers was less sanguine, suggesting that the expansive larding of the new indictment would affect future management hearings. This shows, stated Hrafnsson, how they are abusing due process in the UK and flaunting the legal systems rules. During the hearing, Judge Baraitser was again her merry self, suggesting that Assange had no good reason to avoid attending the call-over session. According to word from Belmarsh prison officials, he was refusing to attend for fear of contracting COVID-19, which was no reason at all. Medical evidence had to be supplied for any absence at the next call-over session on July 27. Another entry into the book of travesty that is this entire affair has been made. On a December 2010 episode of Fox News Freedom Watch, John Bolton and the shows host Andrew Napolitano were debating about recent WikiLeaks publications, and naturally the subject of government secrecy came up. Now I want to make the case for secrecy in government when it comes to the conduct of national security affairs, and possibly for deception where thats appropriate, Bolton said. You know Winston Churchill said during World War Two that in wartime truth is so important it should be surrounded by a bodyguard of lies. Do you really believe that? asked an incredulous Napolitano. Absolutely, Bolton replied. You would lie in order to preserve the truth? asked Napolitano. If I had to say something I knew was false to protect American national security, I would do it, Bolton answered. Why do people in the government think that the laws of society or the rules dont apply to them? Napolitano asked. Because they are not dealing in the civil society we live in under the Constitution, Bolton replied. They are dealing in the anarchic environment internationally where different rules apply. But you took an oath to uphold the Constitution, and the Constitution mandates certain openness and certain fairness, Napolitano protested. Youre willing to do away with that in order to attain a temporary military goal? I think as Justice Jackson said in a famous decision, the Constitution is not a suicide pact, Bolton said. And I think defending the United States from foreign threats does require actions that in a normal business environment in the United States we would find unprofessional. I dont make any apology for it. I am going to type a sequence of words that I have never typed before, and dont expect to ever type again: John Bolton is right. Bolton is of course not right in his pathetic spin job on the use of lies to promote military agendas, which just looks like a feeble attempt to justify the psychopathic measures he himself took to deceive the world into consenting to the unforgivably evil invasion of Iraq. What he is right about is that conflicts between nations take place in an anarchic environment internationally where different rules apply. Individual nations have governments with laws that are enforced by those governments. Since we do not have a single unified government for our planet (at least not yet), the interactions between those governments is largely anarchic, and not in a good way. International law, in reality, only meaningfully exists to the extent that the international community is collectively willing to enforce it. In practice what this means is that only nations which have no influence over the dominant narratives in the international community are subject to international law. This is why you will see leaders in African nations sentenced to prison by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for war crimes, but the USA can get away with actually sanctioning ICC personnel if they so much as talk about investigating American war crimes and suffer no consequences for it whatsoever. It is also why Noam Chomsky famously said that if the Nuremberg laws had continued to be applied with fairness and consistency, then every post-war US president would have been hanged. And this is also why so much effort gets poured into controlling the dominant international narrative about nations like Russia which have resisted being absorbed into the US power alliance. If you have the influence and leverage to control what narratives the international community accepts as true about the behavior of a given targeted nation, then you can do things like manufacture international collaboration with aggressive economic sanctions of the sort Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer is currently calling for in response to the the completely unsubstantiated narrative that Russia paid Taliban fighters bounties to kill occupying forces in Afghanistan. In its ongoing slow-motion third world war against nations which refuse to be absorbed into the blob of the US power alliance, this tight empire-like cluster of allies stands everything to gain by doing whatever it takes to undermine and sabotage Russia in an attempt to shove it off the world stage and eliminate the role it plays in opposing that war. Advancing as many narratives as possible about Russia doing nefarious things on the world stage manufactures consent for international collaboration toward that end in the form of economic warfare, proxy conflicts, NATO expansionism and other measures, as well as facilitating a new arms race by killing the last of the US-Russia nuclear treaties and ensuring a continued imperial military presence in Afghanistan. We havent been shown any hard evidence for Russians paying bounties in Afghanistan, and we almost certainly never will be. This doesnt matter as far as the imperial propagandists are concerned; they know they dont need actual facts to get this story believed, they just need narrative control. All the propagandists need to do is say over and over again that Russia paid bounties to kill the troops in Afghanistan in an increasingly assertive and authoritative tone, and after awhile people will start assuming its true, just because the propagandists have been doing this. Theyll add new pieces of data to the narrative, none of which will constitute hard proof of their claims, but after enough bombshell stories reported in an assertive and ominous tone of voice, people will start assuming its a proven fact that Russia paid those bounties. Narrative managers will be able to simply wave their hands at a disparate, unverified cloud of information and proclaim that it is a mountain of evidence and that anyone doubting all this proof must be a kook. (This by the way is a textbook Gish gallop fallacy, where a bunch of individually weak arguments are presented to give the illusion of a single strong case.) This is all because international law only exists in practical terms to the extent that governments around the world agree to pretend it exists. As long as US-centralized empire is able to control the prevailing narrative about what Russia is doing, that empire will be able to continue to use the pretext of international law as a bludgeon against its enemies. Thats all were really seeing here. _____________________ 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 Max Blumenthal breaks down the Russian bounty storys flaws and how it aims to prolong the war in Afghanistan and uses Russiagate tactics to continue pushing the Democratic Party to the right Multiple US media outlets, citing anonymous intelligence officials, are claiming that Russia offered bounties to kill US soldiers in Afghanistan, and that President Trump has taken no action. Others are contesting that claim. Officials said there was disagreement among intelligence officials about the strength of the evidence about the suspected Russian plot, the New York Times reports. Notably, the National Security Agency, which specializes in hacking and electronic surveillance, has been more skeptical. The constant flow of Russiagate disinformation into the bloodstream of the Democratic Party and its base is moving that party constantly to the right, while pushing the US deeper into this Cold War, Blumenthal says. Guest: Max Blumenthal, editor of The Grayzone and author of several books, including his latest The Management of Savagery. Borsa Italiana non ha responsabilita per il contenuto del sito a cui sta per accedere e non ha responsabilita per le informazioni contenute. Accedendo a questo link, Borsa Italiana non intende sollecitare acquisti o offerte in alcun paese da parte di nessuno. Sarai automaticamente diretto al link in cinque secondi. (English Translation for Reference) The Law of the People's Republic of China on Safeguarding National Security in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Contents Chapter I General Principles Chapter II The Duties and the Government Bodies of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region for Safeguarding National Security Part 1 Duties Part 2 Government Bodies Chapter III Offences and Penalties Part 1 Secession Part 2 Subversion Part 3 Terrorist Activities Part 4 Collusion with a Foreign Country or with External Elements to Endanger National Security Part 5 Other Provisions on Penalty Part 6 Scope of Application Chapter IV Jurisdiction, Applicable Law and Procedure Chapter V Office for Safeguarding National Security of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Chapter VI Supplementary Provisions Chapter I General Principles Article 1 This Law is enacted, in accordance with the Constitution of the People's Republic of China, the Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China, and the Decision of the National People's Congress on Establishing and Improving the Legal System and Enforcement Mechanisms for Safeguarding National Security in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, for the purpose of: ensuring the resolute, full and faithful implementation of the policy of One Country, Two Systems under which the people of Hong Kong administer Hong Kong with a high degree of autonomy; safeguarding national security; preventing, suppressing and imposing punishment for the offences of secession, subversion, organisation and perpetration of terrorist activities, and collusion with a foreign country or with external elements to endanger national security in relation to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region; maintaining prosperity and stability of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region; and protecting the lawful rights and interests of the residents of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. Article 2 The provisions in Articles 1 and 12 of the Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region on the legal status of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region are the fundamental provisions in the Basic Law. No institution, organisation or individual in the Region shall contravene these provisions in exercising their rights and freedoms. Article 3 The Central People's Government has an overarching responsibility for national security affairs relating to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. It is the duty of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region under the Constitution to safeguard national security and the Region shall perform the duty accordingly. The executive authorities, legislature and judiciary of the Region shall effectively prevent, suppress and impose punishment for any act or activity endangering national security in accordance with this Law and other relevant laws. Article 4 Human rights shall be respected and protected in safeguarding national security in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. The rights and freedoms, including the freedoms of speech, of the press, of publication, of association, of assembly, of procession and of demonstration, which the residents of the Region enjoy under the Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and the provisions of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights as applied to Hong Kong, shall be protected in accordance with the law. Article 5 The principle of the rule of law shall be adhered to in preventing, suppressing, and imposing punishment for offences endangering national security. A person who commits an act which constitutes an offence under the law shall be convicted and punished in accordance with the law. No one shall be convicted and punished for an act which does not constitute an offence under the law. A person is presumed innocent until convicted by a judicial body. The right to defend himself or herself and other rights in judicial proceedings that a criminal suspect, defendant, and other parties in judicial proceedings are entitled to under the law shall be protected. No one shall be liable to be tried or punished again for an offence for which he or she has already been finally convicted or acquitted in judicial proceedings. Article 6 It is the common responsibility of all the people of China, including the people of Hong Kong, to safeguard the sovereignty, unification and territorial integrity of the People's Republic of China. Any institution, organisation or individual in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region shall abide by this Law and the laws of the Region in relation to the safeguarding of national security, and shall not engage in any act or activity which endangers national security. A resident of the Region who stands for election or assumes public office shall confirm in writing or take an oath to uphold the Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China and swear allegiance to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China in accordance with the law. Chapter II The Duties and the Government Bodies of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region for Safeguarding National Security Part 1 Duties Article 7 The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region shall complete, as early as possible, legislation for safeguarding national security as stipulated in the Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and shall refine relevant laws. Article 8 In order to safeguard national security effectively, the law enforcement and judicial authorities of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region shall fully enforce this Law and the laws in force in the Region concerning the prevention of, suppression of, and imposition of punishment for acts and activities endangering national security. Article 9 The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region shall strengthen its work on safeguarding national security and prevention of terrorist activities. The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region shall take necessary measures to strengthen public communication, guidance, supervision and regulation over matters concerning national security, including those relating to schools, universities, social organisations, the media, and the internet. Article 10 The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region shall promote national security education in schools and universities and through social organisations, the media, the internet and other means to raise the awareness of Hong Kong residents of national security and of the obligation to abide by the law. Article 11 The Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region shall be accountable to the Central People's Government for affairs relating to safeguarding national security in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and shall submit an annual report on the performance of duties of the Region in safeguarding national security. The Chief Executive shall, at the request of the Central People's Government, submit in a timely manner a report on specific matters relating to safeguarding national security. Part 2 Government Bodies Article 12 The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region shall establish the Committee for Safeguarding National Security. The Committee shall be responsible for affairs relating to and assume primary responsibility for safeguarding national security in the Region. It shall be under the supervision of and accountable to the Central People's Government. Article 13 The Chief Executive shall be the chairperson of the Committee for Safeguarding National Security of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. The other members of the Committee shall be the Chief Secretary for Administration, the Financial Secretary, the Secretary for Justice, the Secretary for Security, the Commissioner of Police, the head of the department for safeguarding national security of the Hong Kong Police Force established under Article 16 of this Law, the Director of Immigration, the Commissioner of Customs and Excise, and the Director of the Chief Executive's Office. A secretariat headed by a Secretary-General shall be established under the Committee. The Secretary-General shall be appointed by the Central People's Government upon nomination by the Chief Executive. Article 14 The duties and functions of the Committee for Safeguarding National Security of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region shall be: (1) analysing and assessing developments in relation to safeguarding national security in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, making work plans, and formulating policies for safeguarding national security in the Region; (2) advancing the development of the legal system and enforcement mechanisms of the Region for safeguarding national security; and (3) coordinating major work and significant operations for safeguarding national security in the Region. No institution, organisation or individual in the Region shall interfere with the work of the Committee. Information relating to the work of the Committee shall not be subject to disclosure. Decisions made by the Committee shall not be amenable to judicial review. Article 15 The Committee for Safeguarding National Security of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region shall have a National Security Adviser, who shall be designated by the Central People's Government and provide advice on matters relating to the duties and functions of the Committee. The National Security Adviser shall sit in on meetings of the Committee. Article 16 The Police Force of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region shall establish a department for safeguarding national security with law enforcement capacity. The head of the department for safeguarding national security of the Hong Kong Police Force shall be appointed by the Chief Executive. The Chief Executive shall seek in writing the opinion of the Office established under Article 48 of this Law before making the appointment. When assuming office, the head of the department for safeguarding national security of the Hong Kong Police Force shall swear to uphold the Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China, swear allegiance to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China, and swear to abide by the law and to observe the obligation of secrecy. The department for safeguarding national security of the Hong Kong Police Force may recruit qualified professionals and technical personnel from outside the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region to provide assistance in the performance of duties for safeguarding national security. Article 17 The duties and functions of the department for safeguarding national security of the Hong Kong Police Force shall be: (1) collecting and analysing intelligence and information concerning national security; (2) planning, coordinating and enforcing measures and operations for safeguarding national security; (3) investigating offences endangering national security; (4) conducting counter-interference investigation and national security review; (5) carrying out tasks of safeguarding national security assigned by the Committee for Safeguarding National Security of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region; and (6) performing other duties and functions necessary for the enforcement of this Law. Article 18 The Department of Justice of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region shall establish a specialised prosecution division responsible for the prosecution of offences endangering national security and other related legal work. The prosecutors of this division shall be appointed by the Secretary for Justice after obtaining the consent of the Committee for Safeguarding National Security of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. The head of the specialised prosecution division of the Department of Justice shall be appointed by the Chief Executive, who shall seek in writing the opinion of the Office established under Article 48 of this Law before making the appointment. When assuming office, the head of the specialised prosecution division shall swear to uphold the Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China, swear allegiance to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China, and swear to abide by the law and to observe the obligation of secrecy. Article 19 The Financial Secretary of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region shall, upon approval of the Chief Executive, appropriate from the general revenue a special fund to meet the expenditure for safeguarding national security and approve the establishment of relevant posts, which are not subject to any restrictions in the relevant provisions of the laws in force in the Region. The Financial Secretary shall submit an annual report on the control and management of the fund for this purpose to the Legislative Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. Chapter III Offences and Penalties Part 1 Secession Article 20 A person who organises, plans, commits or participates in any of the following acts, whether or not by force or threat of force, with a view to committing secession or undermining national unification shall be guilty of an offence: (1) separating the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region or any other part of the People's Republic of China from the People's Republic of China; (2) altering by unlawful means the legal status of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region or of any other part of the People's Republic of China; or (3) surrendering the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region or any other part of the People's Republic of China to a foreign country. A person who is a principal offender or a person who commits an offence of a grave nature shall be sentenced to life imprisonment or fixed-term imprisonment of not less than ten years; a person who actively participates in the offence shall be sentenced to fixed-term imprisonment of not less than three years but not more than ten years; and other participants shall be sentenced to fixed-term imprisonment of not more than three years, short-term detention or restriction. Article 21 A person who incites, assists in, abets or provides pecuniary or other financial assistance or property for the commission by other persons of the offence under Article 20 of this Law shall be guilty of an offence. If the circumstances of the offence committed by a person are of a serious nature, the person shall be sentenced to fixed-term imprisonment of not less than five years but not more than ten years; if the circumstances of the offence committed by a person are of a minor nature, the person shall be sentenced to fixed-term imprisonment of not more than five years, short-term detention or restriction. Part 2 Subversion Article 22 A person who organises, plans, commits or participates in any of the following acts by force or threat of force or other unlawful means with a view to subverting the State power shall be guilty of an offence: (1) overthrowing or undermining the basic system of the People's Republic of China established by the Constitution of the People's Republic of China; (2) overthrowing the body of central power of the People's Republic of China or the body of power of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region; (3) seriously interfering in, disrupting, or undermining the performance of duties and functions in accordance with the law by the body of central power of the People's Republic of China or the body of power of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region; or (4) attacking or damaging the premises and facilities used by the body of power of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region to perform its duties and functions, rendering it incapable of performing its normal duties and functions. A person who is a principal offender or a person who commits an offence of a grave nature shall be sentenced to life imprisonment or fixed-term imprisonment of not less than ten years; a person who actively participates in the offence shall be sentenced to fixed-term imprisonment of not less than three years but not more than ten years; and other participants shall be sentenced to fixed-term imprisonment of not more than three years, short-term detention or restriction. Article 23 A person who incites, assists in, abets or provides pecuniary or other financial assistance or property for the commission by other persons of the offence under Article 22 of this Law shall be guilty of an offence. If the circumstances of the offence committed by a person are of a serious nature, the person shall be sentenced to fixed-term imprisonment of not less than five years but not more than ten years; if the circumstances of the offence committed by a person are of a minor nature, the person shall be sentenced to fixed-term imprisonment of not more than five years, short-term detention or restriction. Part 3 Terrorist Activities Article 24 A person who organises, plans, commits, participates in or threatens to commit any of the following terrorist activities causing or intended to cause grave harm to the society with a view to coercing the Central People's Government, the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region or an international organisation or intimidating the public in order to pursue political agenda shall be guilty of an offence: (1) serious violence against a person or persons; (2) explosion, arson, or dissemination of poisonous or radioactive substances, pathogens of infectious diseases or other substances; (3) sabotage of means of transport, transport facilities, electric power or gas facilities, or other combustible or explosible facilities; (4) serious interruption or sabotage of electronic control systems for providing and managing public services such as water, electric power, gas, transport, telecommunications and the internet; or (5) other dangerous activities which seriously jeopardise public health, safety or security. A person who commits the offence causing serious bodily injury, death or significant loss of public or private property shall be sentenced to life imprisonment or fixed-term imprisonment of not less than ten years; in other circumstances, a person who commits the offence shall be sentenced to fixed-term imprisonment of not less than three years but not more than ten years. Article 25 A person who organises or takes charge of a terrorist organisation shall be guilty of an offence and shall be sentenced to life imprisonment or fixed-term imprisonment of not less than ten years, and shall be subject to confiscation of property; a person who actively participates in a terrorist organisation shall be sentenced to fixed-term imprisonment of not less than three years but not more than ten years and shall be imposed with a criminal fine; and other participants shall be sentenced to fixed-term imprisonment of not more than three years, short-term detention or restriction, and shall be liable to a criminal fine. For the purpose of this Law, a terrorist organisation means an organisation which commits or intends to commit the offence under Article 24 of this Law or participates or assists in the commission of the offence. Article 26 A person who provides support, assistance or facility such as training, weapons, information, funds, supplies, labour, transport, technologies or venues to a terrorist organisation or a terrorist, or for the commission of a terrorist activity; or manufactures or illegally possesses substances such as explosive, poisonous or radioactive substances and pathogens of infectious diseases or uses other means to prepare for the commission of a terrorist activity, shall be guilty of an offence. If the circumstances of the offence committed by a person are of a serious nature, the person shall be sentenced to fixed-term imprisonment of not less than five years but not more than ten years, and shall be imposed with a criminal fine or subject to confiscation of property; in other circumstances, a person shall be sentenced to fixed-term imprisonment of not more than five years, short-term detention or restriction, and shall be imposed with a criminal fine. If the act referred to in the preceding paragraph also constitutes other offences, the person who commits the act shall be convicted and sentenced for the offence that carries a more severe penalty. Article 27 A person who advocates terrorism or incites the commission of a terrorist activity shall be guilty of an offence. If the circumstances of the offence committed by a person are of a serious nature, the person shall be sentenced to fixed-term imprisonment of not less than five years but not more than ten years, and shall be imposed with a criminal fine or subject to confiscation of property; in other circumstances, a person shall be sentenced to fixed-term imprisonment of not more than five years, short-term detention or restriction, and shall be imposed with a criminal fine. Article 28 The provisions of this Part shall not affect the prosecution of terrorist offences committed in other forms or the imposition of other measures such as freezing of property in accordance with the laws of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. Part 4 Collusion with a Foreign Country or with External Elements to Endanger National Security Article 29 A person who steals, spies, obtains with payment, or unlawfully provides State secrets or intelligence concerning national security for a foreign country or an institution, organisation or individual outside the mainland, Hong Kong and Macao of the People's Republic of China shall be guilty of an offence; a person who requests a foreign country or an institution, organisation or individual outside the mainland, Hong Kong and Macao of the People's Republic of China, or conspires with a foreign country or an institution, organisation or individual outside the mainland, Hong Kong and Macao of the People's Republic of China, or directly or indirectly receives instructions, control, funding or other kinds of support from a foreign country or an institution, organisation or individual outside the mainland, Hong Kong and Macao of the People's Republic of China, to commit any of the following acts shall be guilty of an offence: (1) waging a war against the People's Republic of China, or using or threatening to use force to seriously undermine the sovereignty, unification and territorial integrity of the People's Republic of China; (2) seriously disrupting the formulation and implementation of laws or policies by the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region or by the Central People's Government, which is likely to cause serious consequences; (3) rigging or undermining an election in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, which is likely to cause serious consequences; (4) imposing sanctions or blockade, or engaging in other hostile activities against the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region or the People's Republic of China; or (5) provoking by unlawful means hatred among Hong Kong residents towards the Central People's Government or the Government of the Region, which is likely to cause serious consequences. A person who commits the offence shall be sentenced to fixed-term imprisonment of not less than three years but not more than ten years; a person who commits an offence of a grave nature shall be sentenced to life imprisonment or fixed-term imprisonment of not less than ten years. The institution, organisation and individual outside the mainland, Hong Kong and Macao of the People's Republic of China referred to in the first paragraph of this Article shall be convicted and punished for the same offence. Article 30 A person who conspires with or directly or indirectly receives instructions, control, funding or other kinds of support from a foreign country or an institution, organisation, or individual outside the mainland, Hong Kong and Macao of the People's Republic of China to commit the offences under Article 20 or 22 of this Law shall be liable to a more severe penalty in accordance with the provisions therein respectively. Part 5 Other Provisions on Penalty Article 31 An incorporated or unincorporated body such as a company or an organisation which commits an offence under this Law shall be imposed with a criminal fine. The operation of an incorporated or unincorporated body such as a company or an organisation shall be suspended or its licence or business permit shall be revoked if the body has been punished for committing an offence under this Law. Article 32 Proceeds obtained from the commission of an offence under this Law including financial aid, gains and rewards, and funds and tools used or intended to be used in the commission of the offence shall be seized and confiscated. Article 33 A lighter penalty may be imposed, or the penalty may be reduced or, in the case of a minor offence, exempted, if an offender, criminal suspect, or defendant: (1) in the process of committing an offence, voluntarily discontinues the commission of the offence or voluntarily and effectively forestalls its consequences; (2) voluntarily surrenders himself or herself and gives a truthful account of the offence; or (3) reports on the offence committed by other person, which is verified to be true, or provides material information which assists in solving other criminal case. Sub-paragraph (2) of the preceding paragraph shall apply to a criminal suspect or defendant who is subjected to mandatory measures and provides a truthful account of other offences committed by him or her under this Law which are unknown to the law enforcement or judicial authorities. Article 34 A person who is not a permanent resident of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region may be subject to deportation as the sole or an additional punishment if he or she commits an offence under this Law. A person who is not a permanent resident of the Region may be subject to deportation if he or she contravenes the provisions of this Law but is not prosecuted for any reason. Article 35 A person who is convicted of an offence endangering national security by a court shall be disqualified from standing as a candidate in the elections of the Legislative Council and district councils of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, holding any public office in the Region, or serving as a member of the Election Committee for electing the Chief Executive. If a person so convicted is a member of the Legislative Council, a government official, a public servant, a member of the Executive Council, a judge or a judicial officer, or a member of the district councils, who has taken an oath or made a declaration to uphold the Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China and swear allegiance to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China, he or she shall be removed from his or her office upon conviction, and shall be disqualified from standing for the aforementioned elections or from holding any of the aforementioned posts. The disqualification and removal from offices referred to in the preceding paragraph shall be announced by the authorities responsible for organising and managing the relevant elections or for the appointment and removal of holders of public office. Part 6 Scope of Application Article 36 This Law shall apply to offences under this Law which are committed in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region by any person. An offence shall be deemed to have been committed in the Region if an act constituting the offence or the consequence of the offence occurs in the Region. This Law shall also apply to offences under this Law committed on board a vessel or aircraft registered in the Region. Article 37 This Law shall apply to a person who is a permanent resident of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region or an incorporated or unincorporated body such as a company or an organisation which is set up in the Region if the person or the body commits an offence under this Law outside the Region. Article 38 This Law shall apply to offences under this Law committed against the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region from outside the Region by a person who is not a permanent resident of the Region. Article 39 This Law shall apply to acts committed after its entry into force for the purpose of conviction and imposition of punishment. Chapter IV Jurisdiction, Applicable Law and Procedure Article 40 The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region shall have jurisdiction over cases concerning offences under this Law, except under the circumstances specified in Article 55 of this Law. Article 41 This Law and the laws of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region shall apply to procedural matters, including those related to criminal investigation, prosecution, trial, and execution of penalty, in respect of cases concerning offence endangering national security over which the Region exercises jurisdiction. No prosecution shall be instituted in respect of an offence endangering national security without the written consent of the Secretary for Justice. This provision shall not prejudice the arrest and detention of a person who is suspected of having committed the offence or the application for bail by the person in accordance with the law. Cases concerning offence endangering national security within the jurisdiction of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region shall be tried on indictment. The trial shall be conducted in an open court. When circumstances arise such as the trial involving State secrets or public order, all or part of the trial shall be closed to the media and the public but the judgment shall be delivered in an open court. Article 42 When applying the laws in force in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region concerning matters such as the detention and time limit for trial, the law enforcement and judicial authorities of the Region shall ensure that cases concerning offence endangering national security are handled in a fair and timely manner so as to effectively prevent, suppress and impose punishment for such offence. No bail shall be granted to a criminal suspect or defendant unless the judge has sufficient grounds for believing that the criminal suspect or defendant will not continue to commit acts endangering national security. Article 43 When handling cases concerning offence endangering national security, the department for safeguarding national security of the Police Force of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region may take measures that law enforcement authorities, including the Hong Kong Police Force, are allowed to apply under the laws in force in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in investigating serious crimes, and may also take the following measures: (1) search of premises, vehicles, vessels, aircraft and other relevant places and electronic devices that may contain evidence of an offence; (2) ordering any person suspected of having committed an offence endangering national security to surrender travel documents, or prohibiting the person concerned from leaving the Region; (3) freezing of, applying for restraint order, charging order and confiscation order in respect of, and forfeiture of property used or intended to be used for the commission of the offence, proceeds of crime, or other property relating to the commission of the offence; (4) requiring a person who published information or the relevant service provider to delete the information or provide assistance; (5) requiring a political organisation of a foreign country or outside the mainland, Hong Kong and Macao of the People's Republic of China, or an agent of authorities or a political organisation of a foreign country or outside the mainland, Hong Kong and Macao of the People's Republic of China, to provide information; (6) upon approval of the Chief Executive, carrying out interception of communications and conducting covert surveillance on a person who is suspected, on reasonable grounds, of having involved in the commission of an offence endangering national security; and (7) requiring a person, who is suspected, on reasonable grounds, of having in possession information or material relevant to investigation, to answer questions and furnish such information or produce such material. The Committee for Safeguarding National Security of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region shall be responsible for supervising the implementation of the measures stipulated in the first paragraph of this Article by law enforcement authorities including the department for safeguarding national security of the Hong Kong Police Force. The Chief Executive shall be authorised, in conjunction with the Committee for Safeguarding National Security of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, to make relevant implementation rules for the purpose of applying the measures under the first paragraph of this Article. Article 44 The Chief Executive shall designate a number of judges from the magistrates, the judges of the District Court, the judges of the Court of First Instance and the Court of Appeal of the High Court, and the judges of the Court of Final Appeal, and may also designate a number of judges from deputy judges or recorders, to handle cases concerning offence endangering national security. Before making such designation, the Chief Executive may consult the Committee for Safeguarding National Security of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and the Chief Justice of the Court of Final Appeal. The term of office of the aforementioned designated judges shall be one year. A person shall not be designated as a judge to adjudicate a case concerning offence endangering national security if he or she has made any statement or behaved in any manner endangering national security. A designated judge shall be removed from the designation list if he or she makes any statement or behaves in any manner endangering national security during the term of office. The proceedings in relation to the prosecution for offences endangering national security in the magistrates courts, the District Court, the High Court and the Court of Final Appeal shall be handled by the designated judges in the respective courts. Article 45 Unless otherwise provided by this Law, magistrates' courts, the District Court, the High Court and the Court of Final Appeal shall handle proceedings in relation to the prosecution for offences endangering national security in accordance with the laws of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. Article 46 In criminal proceedings in the Court of First Instance of the High Court concerning offences endangering national security, the Secretary for Justice may issue a certificate directing that the case shall be tried without a jury on the grounds of, among others, the protection of State secrets, involvement of foreign factors in the case, and the protection of personal safety of jurors and their family members. Where the Secretary for Justice has issued the certificate, the case shall be tried in the Court of First Instance without a jury by a panel of three judges. Where the Secretary for Justice has issued the certificate, the reference to "a jury" or "a verdict of the jury" in any provision of the laws of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region applicable to the related proceedings shall be construed as referring to the judges or the functions of the judge as a judge of fact. Article 47 The courts of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region shall obtain a certificate from the Chief Executive to certify whether an act involves national security or whether the relevant evidence involves State secrets when such questions arise in the adjudication of a case. The certificate shall be binding on the courts. Chapter V Office for Safeguarding National Security of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Article 48 The Central People's Government shall establish in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region an office for safeguarding national security. The Office for Safeguarding National Security of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region shall perform its mandate for safeguarding national security and exercise relevant powers in accordance with the law. The staff of the Office shall be jointly dispatched by relevant national security authorities under the Central People's Government. Article 49 The Office for Safeguarding National Security of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region shall perform the following mandate: (1) analysing and assessing developments in relation to safeguarding national security in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, and providing opinions and making proposals on major strategies and important policies for safeguarding national security; (2) overseeing, guiding, coordinating with, and providing support to the Region in the performance of its duties for safeguarding national security; (3) collecting and analysing intelligence and information concerning national security; and (4) handling cases concerning offence endangering national security in accordance with the law. Article 50 The Office for Safeguarding National Security of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region shall perform its mandate in strict compliance with the law and be subject to supervision in accordance with the law. It shall not infringe upon the lawful rights and interests of any individual or organisation. The staff of the Office shall abide by the laws of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region as well as national laws. The staff of the Office shall be subject to the supervision of the national supervisory authorities in accordance with the law. Article 51 The Office for Safeguarding National Security of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region shall be funded by the Central People's Government. Article 52 The Office for Safeguarding National Security of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region shall strengthen working relations and cooperation with the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, and the Hong Kong Garrison of the Chinese People's Liberation Army. Article 53 The Office for Safeguarding National Security of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region shall establish a mechanism of coordination with the Committee for Safeguarding National Security of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region to oversee and provide guidance on the work of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region for safeguarding national security. The working departments of the Office shall establish mechanisms for collaboration with the relevant authorities of the Region responsible for safeguarding national security to enhance information sharing and operations coordination. Article 54 The Office for Safeguarding National Security of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region shall, together with the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, take necessary measures to strengthen the management of and services for organs of foreign countries and international organisations in the Region, as well as non-governmental organisations and news agencies of foreign countries and from outside the mainland, Hong Kong, and Macao of the People's Republic of China in the Region. Article 55 The Office for Safeguarding National Security of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region shall, upon approval by the Central People's Government of a request made by the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region or by the Office itself, exercise jurisdiction over a case concerning offence endangering national security under this Law, if: (1) the case is complex due to the involvement of a foreign country or external elements, thus making it difficult for the Region to exercise jurisdiction over the case; (2) a serious situation occurs where the Government of the Region is unable to effectively enforce this Law; or (3) a major and imminent threat to national security has occurred. Article 56 In exercising jurisdiction over a case concerning offence endangering national security pursuant to Article 55 of this Law, the Office for Safeguarding National Security of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region shall initiate investigation into the case, the Supreme People's Procuratorate shall designate a prosecuting body to prosecute it, and the Supreme People's Court shall designate a court to adjudicate it. Article 57 The Criminal Procedure Law of the People's Republic of China and other related national laws shall apply to procedural matters, including those related to criminal investigation, examination and prosecution, trial, and execution of penalty, in respect of cases over which jurisdiction is exercised pursuant to Article 55 of this Law. When exercising jurisdiction over cases pursuant to Article 55 of this Law, the law enforcement and judicial authorities referred to in Article 56 of this Law shall exercise powers in accordance with the law. The legal documents issued by these authorities on their decisions to take mandatory and investigation measures and on their judicial decisions shall have legal force in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. The institutions, organisations and individuals concerned must comply with measures taken by the Office for Safeguarding National Security of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in accordance with the law. Article 58 In a case over which jurisdiction is exercised pursuant to Article 55 of this Law, a criminal suspect shall have the right to retain a lawyer to represent him or her from the day he or she first receives inquiry made by the Office for Safeguarding National Security of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region or from the day a mandatory measure is taken against him or her. A defence lawyer may provide legal assistance to a criminal suspect or defendant in accordance with the law. A criminal suspect or defendant who is arrested in accordance with the law shall be entitled to a fair trial before a judicial body without undue delay. Article 59 In a case over which jurisdiction is exercised pursuant to Article 55 of this Law, any person who has information pertaining to an offence endangering national security under this Law is obliged to testify truthfully. Article 60 The acts performed in the course of duty by the Office for Safeguarding National Security of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and its staff in accordance with this Law shall not be subject to the jurisdiction of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. In the course of performing duty, a holder of an identification document or a document of certification issued by the Office and the articles including vehicles used by the holder shall not be subject to inspection, search or detention by law enforcement officers of the Region. The Office and its staff shall enjoy other rights and immunities provided by laws of the Region. Article 61 The relevant departments of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region shall provide necessary facilitation and support to the Office for Safeguarding National Security of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in performing its mandate in accordance with this Law, and shall stop any act obstructing the performance of such mandate and hold those who commit such act liable in accordance with the law. Chapter VI Supplementary Provisions Article 62 This Law shall prevail where provisions of the local laws of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region are inconsistent with this Law. Article 63 The law enforcement and judicial authorities and their staff who handle cases concerning offence endangering national security under this Law, or the law enforcement and judicial authorities of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and their staff who handle other cases concerning offence endangering national security, shall keep confidential State secrets, trade secrets or personal information which they come to know in the process of handling such cases. A lawyer who serves as defence counsel or legal representative shall keep confidential State secrets, trade secrets or personal information which he or she comes to know in the practice of law. The relevant institutions, organisations and individuals who assist with the handling of a case shall keep confidential any information pertaining to the case. Article 64 In the application of this Law in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, the terms "fixed-term imprisonment", "life imprisonment", "confiscation of property" and "criminal fine" in this Law respectively mean "imprisonment", "imprisonment for life", "confiscation of proceeds of crime" and "fine"; "short-term detention" shall be construed, with reference to the relevant laws of the Region, as "imprisonment", "detention in a detention centre" or "detention in a training centre"; "restriction" shall be construed, with reference to the relevant laws of the Region, as "community service" or "detention in a reformatory school"; and "revoke licence or business permit" means "revoke registration or exemption from registration, or revoke licence" as provided for in the relevant laws of the Region. Article 65 The power of interpretation of this Law shall be vested in the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress. Article 66 This Law shall come into force on the date of its promulgation. NDHSRF SENDS TOP FOUR QUALIFIERS TO NATIONALS Bowmans Wilson wins Short Go goat tying at state Sunday For more than three days, North Dakotas best high school rodeo competitors converged on the Bowman County Fairgrounds. For some... Kulseth places 27th at State Golf Tournament The Crossroads Golf Club was the host of the 2021 Class B State Boys Golf tournament. Karsen Kulseth was making... Authorities have announced class-resuming arrangements for non-senior students in high schools in Wuhan, the capital of central China's Hubei Province and a city previously hard hit by the COVID-19 outbreak. Schools will reopen on July 10 for senior high school freshmen and sophomores, including those in secondary vocational and technical schools, and their summer holiday will begin on July 31, according to a press conference on Tuesday. Non-senior students in junior high schools will end their online courses on July 5. Teachers and students will return to schools on August 10, and classes will last until August 30. Students in primary schools and kindergartens will start their summer holiday on July 5. Non-senior students in colleges are not required to go back to campus unless needed. They need to apply and obtain approval from their colleges if they want to return. Off-campus training institutions can apply for class resumption after meeting relevant requirements for epidemic prevention and control, Xia Chunyin, deputy head of the Wuhan Education Bureau, said at the conference. Their offline classes will be allowed to resume no earlier than July 10. Hubei lowered its novel coronavirus emergency response from level II to level III from June 13. As of Monday, the province had one asymptomatic case under medical observation. Various groups in Hong Kong on Tuesday hailed the passage of the Law of the People's Republic of China on Safeguarding National Security in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) and voiced their support. The Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong (DAB) said the law is of great importance as it helps plug the loopholes in safeguarding national security in Hong Kong, stop violence and curb disorder, and ensure the successful practice of "one country, two systems." It said the law will also ensure the long-term prosperity and stability of Hong Kong and protect the legitimate rights and interests of Hong Kong residents. The DAB said the passage of the law demonstrates that the central authorities have confidence in Hong Kong and attach great importance to Hong Kong's law enforcement and judiciary as well as the legitimate rights and interests of Hong Kong residents. The DAB called on Hong Kong residents from all walks of life to join hands to support the implementation of the law, safeguard national security, restore Hong Kong's stability and order and focus on livelihood and economy. The Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions (HKFTU) said the law can plug the loopholes in safeguarding national security in Hong Kong, effectively stop violence and curb disorder, and crack down on relevant criminal acts and activities, so as to ensure the steady and sustained development of the cause of "one country, two systems." The law will provide more comprehensive protection for the legitimate rights and interests of Hong Kong residents and enable Hong Kong to better integrate into the overall development of the country so as to enjoy greater room for its growth, the HKFTU said. Noting that the legislation process was carried out strictly in accordance with the Constitution, the Basic Law of HKSAR and the Legislation Law, the HKFTU said opinions of various sectors in Hong Kong have also been fully solicited and studied. The Hong Kong Coalition hailed the passage of the law as a strong measure to stop violence and curb social disorder, as well as plug the legal loophole in safeguarding national security in Hong Kong. The coalition, which was launched in May with an aim of uniting the whole society and finding a way out of the current predicament for Hong Kong, called on all people to put aside political disputes and unite as one to jointly safeguard Hong Kong. Expressing its full support for the passage of the law, the Hong Kong Federation of Education Workers urged the HKSAR government to carry out national security education in the society as the law comes into force and set guidelines on education on the law and provide training for teachers. It also called on the HKSAR government to provide more support to schools in strengthening education on national conditions. The New People's Party said the law will help restore peace and order in the Hong Kong society and boost development of economy and improve people's livelihood. The law's enactment marks a new beginning for Hong Kong 23 years after its return to the motherland, as well as a new stage in the implementation and development of "one country, two systems," the group said. Calling the law a milestone in the practice of the "one country, two systems," the Business and Professionals Alliance for Hong Kong appealed to all sectors in Hong Kong to set aside differences, commit themselves to socio-economic development, respect and abide by the law and support the law enforcement agencies in clamping down on criminal acts endangering national security. Alex Washburne received his PhD in quantitative and computational biology at Princeton University, spent two years working on microbiome data analysis at Duke University and is now a research scientist at Montana State University. He recently co-lead a study estimating 8.7 million Americans had COVID in March, and he has consulted various private-sector, county, state, national and international managers with COVID responses. Five trailers of equipment have been sent to Brandon by the provincial government in case more flooding occurs, Infrastructure Minister Ron Schuler told the Sun on Tuesday afternoon. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 30/6/2020 (355 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Advertisement Advertise With Us Five trailers of equipment have been sent to Brandon by the provincial government in case more flooding occurs, Infrastructure Minister Ron Schuler told the Sun on Tuesday afternoon. These trailers contain tools like water pumps and water tubes that can be used as a barrier to protect businesses. While these trailers are based in Brandon for the time being, Schuler said they could be deployed anywhere in Westman within 30 minutes. "(Municipalities) just have to reach out to Emergency Measures and we'll get equipment to them," he said. The good news, according to the minister, is that the weather projections are now forecasting that a less severe storm will hit Brandon instead of another big storm as originally thought. A flood warning and high-water advisory sent out by the province at 4:40 p.m. on Tuesday afternoon said a "moderate precipitation system" is in the forecast and could dump a further 30 to 80 millimetres of rain on southwestern and western Manitoba. While not a small amount of rain, it pales in comparison to the 155 centimetres dropped on Brandon last Sunday. Schuler toured flood-hit areas of Westman this afternoon, meeting with fellow Progressive Conservatives MLAs Reg Helwer and Len Isleifson in the Brandon area and Eileen Clarke up near Minnedosa. The minister also visited Rivers and Rapid City, where a tornado was confirmed to have touched down on Sunday. While in Brandon, Schuler got a first-hand look at the flooded road to Brandon Municipal Airport and a flooded underpass on Highway 110 near the junction with Provincial Road 457, accompanied by Brandon Mayor Rick Chrest. "It's just devastating, all the water that came at your communities," he said. "It's not the amount of rain, it's how quickly it came. We had a look at Rivers dam and Minnedosa, it's unbelievable how much water washed through the community." He said his department is paying attention to the situation and will be receptive to calls for help. (RON SCHULER ON TWITTER) Infrastructure Minister Ron Schuler and Brandon West MLA and Central Services Minister check out a flooded overpass on Highway 110 near the junction with Provincial Road 459 on Tuesday. Teams from Manitoba Infrastructure will be assessing damage to provincially-owned roads and bridges in the near future. In Brandon, the city is making plans in case the Assiniboine River floods. Municipal workers have set up pumps in areas likely to need drainage in case of a flood and preparations are being made in case the dike opening at 18th Street North at Grand Valley Road needs to be closed. Residents are being warned to stay away from the river and stay off the dikes. During business hours, the Civic Services Complex on Richmond Avenue offered Brandonites empty sandbags and sand and Brandon City Hall handed out cleanup kits to the occupants of flooded homes courtesy of the Canadian Red Cross. Both those facilities will be closed on Canada Day. The Sun was unable to connect with Mayor Rick Chrest late Tuesday afternoon to get an update on the situation. Premier Brian Pallister extended his sympathies to Westman residents during a press conference presenting an update on the province's finances in the wake of COVID-19. "Our thoughts and prayers are with you folks in Westman right now as you endure this incredible weather event," he said. Opposition and NDP leader Wab Kinew also sent his best wishes to flood-affected areas during an interview. Kinew said he is planning to visit the region later this week. "We offer our full support to everybody in the area to try and help with the damage that's been done and help people directly," he said. cslark@brandonsun.com Twitter: @ColinSlark MINNEDOSA, RIVERS & RAPID CITY -- Cleaning up in the aftermath of the unprecedented Sunday storms, which cut a swath from Brandon in the south all the way up to Winnipegosis, appeared to be the order of the day Tuesday the calm before a possible second onslaught. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 30/6/2020 (355 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Advertisement Advertise With Us MINNEDOSA, RIVERS & RAPID CITY -- Cleaning up in the aftermath of the unprecedented Sunday storms, which cut a swath from Brandon in the south all the way up to Winnipegosis, appeared to be the order of the day Tuesday the calm before a possible second onslaught. In Minnedosa, businesses along the main street prominently display images of Minnedosa Collegiate graduates a way to celebrate the youths milestone, despite COVID-19. On Monday, that street filled with water. Alison and Scott Burgess, owners of Corner Stone Grill in Minnedosa, weathered COVID-19 restrictions beginning in March. Slowly, the province began lifting limits on businesses and, while business was not exactly normal, some sense of making it through had prevailed. TIM SMITH/THE BRANDON SUN The Corner Stone Grill in Minnedosa was one of several businesses on Main Street that were severely impacted by flooding caused by Sunday's storm activity. The water level dropped overnight into Tuesday allowing residents and business owners affected by the flooding to begin cleaning up. Then came Sundays catastrophic weather event, sauntering slowly up from North Dakota, which then slammed southwestern Manitoba. Water flooded Minnedosa, among many others from the skies, from overland flooding, and from the swelling Little Saskatchewan River. The Corner Stones basement surged with water. Unlike most other basements in the area, this one housed upright freezers, refrigeration units, all of the food stock, and even the restaurants point-of-sale system. Water in the basement reached chest height. "Overwhelmed. Humbled by all the kindness that has been shown to us, the support from our community. Im also angry. Im sad. Literally, every emotion you can imagine, Ive felt it in the last 36 hours," said Alison, through tears. "Stressed. Im worried about my husband." TIM SMITH/THE BRANDON SUN Ashton Rowan helps move equipment out of the flooded basement of the Corner Stone Grill in Minnedosa on Tuesday. In the wake of Sunday's severe storm activity the restaurant was flooded with several feet of water in the basement, where much of the restaurant equipment was. The water level fell overnight allowing the owners and several volunteers to begin hauling out ruined equipment and food as well as begin to clean up the mess caused by the floodwater. The couple, with help from half a dozen other people, were removing everything from their restaurants basement to dispose of it. They didnt know what would come next. Overwhelmed. Humbled by all the kindness that has been shown to us, the support from our community. Im also angry. Im sad. Literally, every emotion you can imagine, Ive felt it in the last 36 hours. Stressed. Im worried about my husband. Alison Burgess co-owner of Corner Stone Grill in Minnedosa "Were doing our best to get through, and see whats on the other side" Alison said. "The COVID thing is everybody. The flooding is everybody in this town. Its another layer 2020 hashtag dont like it." Alison said she didnt know if theyd be able to open the restaurant ever again. TIM SMITH/THE BRANDON SUN Kerrie (not last name given), salvages items from around her camper that sits surrounded by floodwater on the former shore of Lake Wahtopanah near Rivers, Manitoba on Tuesday as flooding from Sunday's storm activity continues to affect the region. The Brandon Sun spoke to a retired farmer as he strolled down Minnedosas main street, which had dried out by early Tuesday afternoon. His own house, not too far from the Corner Stone, had basement flooding and a washed-out driveway. The senior, who preferred not to have his name in the paper, said hed never witnessed anything quite like Sundays storm. "We had seven inches one time. But I wasnt in town then. I was out on the farm," he said. "I remember it was quite a gush of water, but not like this." The swollen Little Saskatchewan River roars through the dam at Minnedosa Lake on Tuesday afternoon as flooding from Sunday's storm activity continues to affect the region. The former farmers rain gauge, with a 5-inch capacity, filled twice that night. He confirmed water came to town by various pathways, any way water can flow ditches, ravines, dips and valleys in town, and the Little Saskatchewan, which flows right through Minnedosa. Water finds all the low spots, he said. The rush of water took out the rail line, possibly in three place, though by Tuesday, the train passed through town again, holding up traffic as it usually does. At Jake Fast Park, a small campground outside Rivers, Shirley and Stan Glushek saw their rain gauge fill past eight inches, its limit. Lake Wahtopanah, the downs reservoir contained by a dam, is an idyllic spot, with RVs and trailers well established. The Glusheks own trailer, for example, is built up, and includes a deck, a shed and various other summer-home amenities. They experienced the reservoir overflow, something they said the third-generation owner Larry Fast has never heard of. TIM SMITH/THE BRANDON SUN Brooklyn Boyd, Parker Dougall, Mason Robins, Hudson Boyd and Ashley Boyd all have a water fight not far from the Swollen Little Saskatchewan River in Rapid City on a hot and humid Tuesday. "I watched every inch," Stan said about the water creeping over the containing hill. Stan figured their home away from home the couple hails from Oberon east of Brandon might weather another 10 inches, should the second predicted storm come. Beyond that, all would be lost. Kerrie, who live in Brandon and withheld her last name, placed her fifth wheel RV near the Glusheks place late last summer. The water line reached just below the RVs belly on Tuesday. More water would mean she would lose it. Stan and his friends were working on pulling it out. Her Brandon home is without water, because of a sudden sinkhole which developed Sunday night. Despite the water she waded through, Kerrie hadnt showered recently. Several other RVs did not survive Sunday. TIM SMITH/THE BRANDON SUN A portion of Highway 10 washed away at the rail underpass north of Forrest during flooding caused by Sunday's powerful storm activity. The highway was partially opened to traffic again on Tuesday afternoon. Kerrie and the Glusheks retained their sense of humour. What else can you do? But Stan recalled hearing "that tornado noise, which I was told sounds like the roar of a train. Oh yeah, she was roaring." Indeed, three miles outside Rapid City, a tornado ruined Deb and Garth Inglis farm. The family, including Garths children continued clean-up Tuesday, but they were taking essentials only because they werent certain about insurance protocols. When the storm hit, the family descended into the basement. When they came out a few hours later, their world had changed. Giant trees were uprooted or cracked halfway through. Sheds had flown across the yard. The property was decimated, and as Garth noted, almost selectively. Their car was intact. The swollen Little Saskatchewan River roars through the dam at Minnedosa Lake on Tuesday afternoon as flooding from Sunday's storm activity continues to affect the region. The family remained in shock. Not too far away, at Nevin Farms, Ryan Nevin said they were at the edge of the tornado. "A wild storm and a tornado," said Nevin about what happened Sunday night. "We didnt hear anything. No train whistle or that kind of thing." The family was out doing yard work and a neighbour stopped by to tell them about a tornado warning. Nevin, his wife and their three kids descended into their basement at 4 or 5 p.m Sunday. About 45 minutes later, they came out. "Trees down. Power went out. And noticed some bins down," Nevin said. Nevin meant oversized grain bins, though not his largest. Six bins were blown into the fields beyond the central property. "They were all spread out out back," he said. In all areas The Brandon Sun visited Tuesday, reports indicated no one was hurt. mletourneau@brandonsun.com Michele LeTourneau covers Indigenous matters for The Brandon Sun under the Local Journalism Initiative, a federally funded program that supports the creation of original civic journalism. OTTAWA - Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has named business owner and philanthropist Salma Lakhani as Alberta's new lieutenant-governor. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 30/6/2020 (355 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. OTTAWA - Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has named business owner and philanthropist Salma Lakhani as Alberta's new lieutenant-governor. When she formally takes over the role, Lakhani will become Canada's first Muslim lieutenant-governor. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has named business owner and philanthropist Salma Lakhani as Alberta's new lieutenant-governor. Lakhani is seen during the presentation of an honorary diploma in community services leadership from NorQuest College in Edmonton in a 2019 handout photo. When she formally takes over the role, Lakhani will become Canada's first Muslim lieutenant-governor. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-NorQuest College She replaces Lois Mitchell as the Queen's representative in the province. Lakhani has been long recognized for her work and philanthropy in a range of fields, including health care and human rights. She has mentored young students with English as a second language and helped steer a committee dedicated to helping vulnerable women gain access to education. Lakhani was born in Uganda and has an honours degree in clinical biochemistry from the University of Manchester. She has been in Edmonton for more than 40 years, owning and operating an early childhood education centre. In 2005, she was awarded the Alberta Centennial Medal for outstanding achievements in the province. And in 2012, she was awarded the Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Medal honouring service to Canada. Lieutenant-governors, the highest-ranking officers in each province, carry out a variety of official duties including swearing in the premier and cabinet, opening each session of the legislative assembly and signing bills into laws. "Ms. Lakhani is devoted to supporting people in her community, from new immigrants and young people, to women and families," Trudeau said in a news release Tuesday. "As lieutenant governor of Alberta, I know she will serve the people of her province and our country well, and continue to be a source of inspiration for all Canadians. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 30, 2020 MONTREAL - Quebec's traditional July 1 moving day has always involved a certain amount of chaos, as thousands of people simultaneously pack up their belongings and move to new homes. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 1/7/2020 (354 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. A man walks by the buildings at 4300-4302 on Saint Urbain street in Montreal, Sunday, June 28, 2020. Quebec's traditional July 1 moving day has always involved a certain amount of chaos, as thousands of people simultaneously pack up their belongings and move to new homes. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes MONTREAL - Quebec's traditional July 1 moving day has always involved a certain amount of chaos, as thousands of people simultaneously pack up their belongings and move to new homes. But this year, advocates say the hunt for a new apartment has been more difficult than ever, as COVID-19 exacerbates a housing crisis brought on by low vacancies, rising rents and a wave of tenants being displaced by landlords hoping to retake their dwellings or capitalize on their property values. Veronique Laflamme, the spokeswoman for the housing rights' group FRAPRU, says some 1,200 households across the province have called different organizations seeking help in finding a new place to live twice as many as last year. Of those, at least 322 had yet to sign a new lease on the eve of moving day. In a phone interview, she said COVID-19 has not only led to major job losses but also caused hardship for those already struggling to pay their rents, including those on social assistance or in low-income jobs. Those vulnerable people "risk being adding to the ranks of the unemployed who lost their jobs and find themselves in a greatly vulnerable situation." She said the pandemic made viewing apartments more difficult, especially in hard-hit Montreal, where the vacancy rate sits at a 15-year low of 1.5 per cent, and affordable apartments are becoming scarce. A recent study compiled by a renters' rights group, the Regroupement des comites logement et associations de locataires, found that provincially the prices listed online for apartments available for rent averaged $1,044 per month some 30 per cent higher than the average rent being paid by current tenants, according to the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation's numbers. In Montreal, the figure was 43 per cent higher. Laflamme said nearly half of those who called for aid this year are leaving their previous apartments unwillingly. Among those forced out, she said, are a growing number of so-called "renovictions," when tenants are displaced because of major renovations, and rents are subsequently hiked. Collin Kenwood, a 44-year-old Montreal renter, says he's well aware of the problem. Kenwood, who is disabled, said he thought he'd gotten lucky last year to find a one-bedroom basement apartment he could afford for himself and his dog in Montreal's central Plateau-Mont-Royal neighbourhood, but the situation has since become a nightmare. Video provided by Kenwood shows water dripping from the ceiling of the bathroom, which he said caused chunks of ceiling to fall. He says the building's landlord has consistently dragged his feet on repairs, instead pressuring him and other tenants to find another place to live so major renovations can be carried out. "He's trying to muscle people out," said Kenwood, who has filed a formal notice with the province's landlord and tenant rental board, asking the owner to address a leak in the ceiling, a deteriorating living room wall and a broken stove. But in a response to Kenwood's filings, which The Canadian Press has viewed, the landlord accuses Kenwood of violating several rules, including keeping a dog despite a no-pet clause, blocking access to rooms in the building, causing other tenants to leave the building and storing property without having access to a storage unit. A document Kenwood says is his lease does not specify that he cannot have animals, and he says he had a verbal agreement to store his belongings in the building. He says the accusations are unfounded. The landlord and tenant rental board has not ruled on the case. Three other current and former tenants who spoke with The Canadian Press described a series of problems with the building, ranging from leaking ceilings to intermittent hot water, broken locks and, in one case, a stove giving off electric shocks. All said the landlord was slow or neglected to fix issues, while all but one said they'd been asked orally when they were moving out. Philippe Holas, who is in the process of moving out, said the landlord waited a month to fix a leaky ceiling, and did not respond promptly when hot water stopped working. He said the landlord told him and his roommate they should find another apartment, warning them the place would become "uninhabitable" due to major construction. Holas said he has also filed a formal notice with the rental board. The other two tenants interviewed have not filed notice with the board. When reached by phone, landlord Morrie Cuttler said the tenants' claims are "completely inaccurate," and he denied failing to carry out repairs. "Whatever issues (there are) in the building are being looked after," he said. He said his family has owned the building for 80 years, housing hundreds of tenants, and he attributed the complaints to a disgruntled tenant. He denied trying to get tenants to leave improperly. Robert Beaudry, the city councillor responsible for housing, said Montreal is currently in a housing crisis caused by a vacancy rate below one per cent in many neighbourhoods. He said the city is working with local housing organizations to help people who can't find apartments, in some cases renting them storage units and hotels temporarily. Montreal is also taking action against the so-called renovictions by drafting stricter rules for landlords who wish to subdivide or enlarge their units in central neighbourhoods. But while the city is doing what it can, he noted that many responsibilities, including most enforcement and construction of subsidized housing, require the province's help. The Quebec government has stepped up during the pandemic, offering emergency rent supplements for those who risk homelessness, interest-free loans for up to two months' rent and support for cities. However, Laflamme says COVID-19's lasting economic effects will mean that many more people will be in trouble once emergency government aid runs out, while eviction hearings that were temporarily paused due to the pandemic will soon resume. This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 1, 2020 Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 30/6/2020 (355 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Johanne Coriolan, left, a family member of Pierre Coriolan and activists Wil Prosper, right, and Maguy Metellus attend a news conference in Montreal, Wednesday, Feb. 7, 2018. In the throes of a mental health crisis, Pierre Coriolan, 58, died after police opened fire after using a taser and shooting rubber bullets to try to subdue him. They also used their batons and a taser again after the gunshots were fired. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes MONTREAL - Johanne Coriolan says her adoptive father, Pierre, was a gentle giant. He was so tall, in fact, that he often had to duck to get through doors and that is an image that Johanne says she can still vividly see in her memories from childhood. But when Montreal police met Pierre in the hallway outside his apartment on June 27, 2017, Johanne says the officers only saw a threat not the devoted father, brother and uncle that his family knew. In the throes of a mental health crisis, Pierre Coriolan, 58, died when police opened fire after using a Taser and shooting rubber bullets to try to subdue him. They also used their batons and a Taser again after the gunshots were fired. Part of what happened in the hallway was captured on video. "We watched my father get shot down. We can't lie to ourselves; he was shot down," Johanne Coriolan told The Canadian Press in an interview. "There won't be any justice because he can't come back, but the first thing that they (the police and the city) can do for all the families, not just us is to admit their wrongs. Admit that you escalated something. Just admit it." The three-year anniversary last Saturday of the death of Coriolan, who was Black, came amid widespread demonstrations against police violence and anti-Black racism in the United States and Canada. The police killings of at least three people who were in crisis this month in New Brunswick and Ontario have also raised serious questions around whether officers should be responding to mental health calls at all. Chantel Moore, a 26-year-old First Nations woman, was killed during a police wellness check in Edmundston, N.B.; Rodney Levi, a member of Metepenagiag First Nation in New Brunswick, was fatally shot by the RCMP; and Ejaz Choudry, a 62-year-old father of four with schizophrenia, was fatally shot by police at his home in Mississauga, Ont. Last week, the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto, the country's largest mental health teaching hospital, said police should no longer be deployed as first responders for people in crisis. "For too long, the health-care system has relied on police to respond to mental health crises in the community. Transformative change is needed to support a new way forward. People with mental illness and their families deserve better," the centre said. Montreal police say they respond to 33,000 mental health calls every year, or about 90 calls per day. Over the past decade, the force has launched a variety of programs meant to help its officers better respond to calls involving people in mental health crisis. Last year, it announced that it planned to have all its patrol officers complete a two-day "containment and de-escalation training" by 2022. In 2012, Montreal police launched a program with the local health authority through which officers respond to calls alongside social workers. They also have another program, known as RIC, to train patrol officers to better respond in crisis situations. In an email to The Canadian Press, the Montreal police service said it could not say how many officers have been trained in either the RIC program or the "containment and de-escalation" training program to date. The police also said they could not comment directly on the Coriolan case because a coroner's inquiry into his death is ongoing. "Officers serve a highly diverse population and, like in all large cities, must regularly interact with citizens who are dealing with mental health issues or crises," the statement said, noting that officers are trained "to better enable them to interact with these vulnerable people." But Alain Arsenault, a Montreal lawyer whose firm represents the Coriolan family at the coroner's inquiry and in a civil suit against the City of Montreal, said police training does not go far enough. Montreal police are not sufficiently prepared to respond to mental health calls, Arsenault said, and officers too often pull out their guns without first trying to de-escalate the situation. "Will it take more citizens demonstrating to truly get a better handle on the police? That's what I'm hoping. Will it happen? I don't know," he said. "But you can be sure that if it doesn't happen, we're going to find ourselves in major conflict situations. It's a question of when." Marie-Livia Beauge, a lawyer and activist in Montreal, said money should be redistributed from the city's police budget to have more people trained to respond to mental health calls. Those people should be unarmed and not be police officers, and they need to know the community they are working in, she said. Alternatively, she pointed to the fact that in other countries, including the United Kingdom, patrol officers do not carry guns, and suggested Montreal could also consider that. "As long as the (police) mentality does not change, it is better to reduce the interactions between the police and the community," Beauge said. For Johanne Coriolan, the first step remains admitting that something is wrong. "As long as they won't admit that there is wrongdoing, that there is racism, that they don't know how to interact with minorities, that they don't know how to interact with people in crisis, nothing will change," she said. She said the recent protests have created a sense of hope though. "I'm really impressed and happy that people are going out into the streets. They can't silence us for this long. They have tried to silence us, but we still have a voice." This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 30, 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic stifled Memorial Day ceremonies in Newfoundland and Labrador on Wednesday, as the crowds who usually gather on July 1 were replaced by much smaller commemorations. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 1/7/2020 (354 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. The COVID-19 pandemic stifled Memorial Day ceremonies in Newfoundland and Labrador on Wednesday, as the crowds who usually gather on July 1 were replaced by much smaller commemorations. Most public events to remember the Royal Newfoundland Regiment soldiers who died during the First World War were cancelled due to the pandemic, and officials urged residents to stay home and mark the occasion privately, or watch ceremonies shared online. "This is the first year there hasn't been public ceremonies on July 1st," said Neal Tucker, a member of the Great War Living History Committee, a group that does First World War reproductions in Newfoundland and Labrador. Tucker said he normally would go to Clarenville, about 110 kilometres from his home in Elliston, N.L., to join the Memorial Day commemoration there. This year, he went to take photos at the cenotaph in Clarenville, among other towns, with another member of the committee, and the group shared a video compilation of those photos on Facebook. He said the mood in Clarenville when they were there was "very solemn" and "very quiet." "It was strange, kind of eerie, to be there in the uniform like we usually do, and there's just no one else around. It was very, very strange," said Tucker. July 1 is the anniversary of the Battle of the Somme in 1916, when hundreds of Royal Newfoundland Regiment soldiers joined the fighting near the village of Beaumont-Hamel in northern France. "Over 800 soldiers went into battle and only 68 were able to enter rollcall the next day," Tucker said. "It was a national tragedy." A small ceremony was held at the Newfoundland National War Monument in St. Johns on Wednesday morning. Members of the local Royal Canadian Legion and the Royal Newfoundland Regiment, and Judy Foote, the lieutenant governor of Newfoundland and Labrador, attended the event, which was shared on Facebook. A moment of silence was observed, and three wreaths were laid at the foot of the monument. A trumpeter also played two short pieces. The City of St. John's has encouraged residents to commemorate both Memorial Day and Canada Day virtually during the pandemic. The city is hosting a television special that will air at 6:30 p.m. local time Wednesday. "We are pleased to have the Canadian Armed Forces' support in highlighting our role in the Great War and the many remarkable monuments the City of St. Johns has that commemorate our provinces contribution to keeping our country safe," Mayor Danny Breen said in a statement. Seamus O'Regan, Canada's minister of natural resources, who represents the riding of St. John's SouthMount Pearl, also said people should commemorate Memorial Day even though it "might look a little different this year." "I ask that you all take time out of your day to remember the Newfoundlanders and Labradorians who laid down their lives so we could live ours. We will remember them," O'Regan wrote on Twitter. This report by The Canadian Press was first published on July 1, 2020. MONTREAL - This year's edition of the Montreal International Jazz Festival may have given music fans a glimpse into how they'll be attending performances for the next little while. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 1/7/2020 (355 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. A huge crowd gathers for the annual giant mid-festival street show at the Montreal International Jazz Festival Tuesday in Montreal, July 6, 1999. This year's edition of the Montreal International Jazz Festival may have given concertgoers a glimpse of how they may have to enjoy musical performances for the next little while. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Paul Chiasson MONTREAL - This year's edition of the Montreal International Jazz Festival may have given music fans a glimpse into how they'll be attending performances for the next little while. After cancelling what would have been the 41st edition of the festival in April, the festival held online shows through Facebook from Saturday until Tuesday evening. The performances can be seen on the festival's website until July 30. Vice-president of programming Laurent Saulnier said he wasn't sure about hosting a digital edition of the festival as it wouldn't compare to a real event. But he said he's now realized that an alternative version is better than nothing at all. "It was just impossible to spend a summer without the jazz festival," Saulnier said in an interview. The digital event featured performers ranging from pianist Jean-Michel Blais, Fredy V. and the Foundation, Charlotte Cardin, Jeremy Dutcher, Naya Ali, and more. There was also a re-aired 2004 performance featuring Montreal pianists Oscar Peterson and Oliver Jones. Montrealer Caleb Owusu had made plans to attend his first-ever jazz fest, but figured he would have to wait once the event was initially cancelled. He discovered the festival would make its way online through a friend's social media post and enjoyed performances, but said he would have loved to have seen the shows in person. "I think (with) everybody sitting at home having to watch concerts online, I think thats the new kind of FOMO, fear of missing out. You wish you were there in the audience in the room, watching them live," Owusu said. This year's performances took place in an empty L'Astral theatre in downtown Montreal while following a number of public health guidelines. Ali, a Montreal-based rapper who was born in Ethiopia, said only she and a DJ were allowed in. "When you walk in, they take your temperature. Youve got to wear a mask before your performance. Youve got to sanitize your hands, Ali said. Saulnier said an average of nearly 4,000 viewers watched the streams each day up until Tuesday's finale. But performers like Blais lamented not having the crowd inside the venue for their performances. "Youre playing in front of one, two, three-thousand people, but youre also alone. So you don't have the feedback (from the crowd). Its just very weird, to be honest. But I think we can, somehow, get used to it," Blais said. Frederic Varre, the frontman of the seven-piece ensemble group Fredy V. and the Foundation, said the band performed as a quartet due to the restrictions. Fortunately, the band was able to decide amicably who would be performing at LAstral, Varre said. "It was a beautiful conversation of selflessness and people just putting their egos aside and letting the music take the decision, especially in this post-COVID world where we all have to make sacrifices," Varre said. "It's not business as usual so we can't act like it's business as usual." While the jazz festival was able to find an alternative way to run, the wider Montreal music scene is seeing some struggles. Local venues such as La Vitrola announced they would be closing permanently, while its sister venue Casa Del Popolo will return as a bar and restaurant. But artists like Ali remain optimistic that they can return to performing on stage in front of crowds by the end of the calendar year. "Were still gauging the situation but just seeing how things are going right now. I think its a possibility in the very near future," Ali said. Livestreams and pre-recorded shows may be the reality for right now, but Saulnier hopes they won't be for long. "To be real honest, I hope that, pretty soon, we'll go to any concert venue to see a live show with a lot of people," he said. "I know that it won't be in the next few weeks, but let's hope we will have a real Jazz fest in 2021. That's the goal for everybody." This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 1, 2020. OTTAWA - The federal government says it has extended tight rules barring most foreign travellers from entering Canada until the end of July as part of efforts to slow the spread of COVID-19. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 30/6/2020 (355 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. A passenger waits beside his luggage at the departure terminal at Pearson International Airport in Toronto, Friday, May 24, 2019. The federal government says it's extended tight rules on foreign travellers' entering Canada until the end of July, to keep COVID-19 from spreading. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young OTTAWA - The federal government says it has extended tight rules barring most foreign travellers from entering Canada until the end of July as part of efforts to slow the spread of COVID-19. The restrictions covering people seeking to enter Canada from countries other than the United States were set to expire at midnight Tuesday, the end of June. The rule was imposed by an order of the federal cabinet in March. "I can confirm the order has been extended," said Rebecca Purdy, a spokesperson for the Canada Border Services Agency. "All travel of an optional or discretionary nature, including tourism or recreation, is covered by these measures." Entry from the United States is covered by a separate order that's currently in effect until July 21 after having been extended three times. The border agency pointedly reminded people Tuesday that the restrictions on travel into Canada from the United States remain even on Canada Day and U.S. Independence Day on July 4. The exceptions to the order barring people entering from non-U.S. countries include immediate family of Canadian citizens or permanent residents, as well as to cover cases such as flight crews. The extension of the order comes at the same time as the European Union's council recommended its members lift entry restrictions on residents of a number of non-EU countries, including Canada. That recommendation isn't binding on member states. The EU says it's based on the current COVID-19 situation in those countries and the measures each is taking to keep the novel coronavirus contained. The United States, where cases of the illness have been rising again, is not on the list. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 30, 2020. HALIFAX - Nova Scotia has launched a review of a long-term care facility where 53 people have died of COVID-19, but opposition leaders say the process lacks the scope and transparency needed to bring lasting improvements. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 30/6/2020 (355 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Nova Scotia is launching a review of a long-term care facility where 53 people died due to COVID-19, with the goal of avoiding a similar outbreak in the fall. A driver enters a shuttle bus at Northwood Manor, one of the largest nursing homes in Atlantic Canada, in Halifax on Tuesday, June 2, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Vaughan HALIFAX - Nova Scotia has launched a review of a long-term care facility where 53 people have died of COVID-19, but opposition leaders say the process lacks the scope and transparency needed to bring lasting improvements. Health Minister Randy Delorey said Tuesday he has appointed infectious disease consultant Dr. Chris Lata and former British Columbia associate deputy minister of health Lynn Stevenson to a review committee that will look into the outbreak at the Northwood facility in Halifax. "We are very concerned and saddened about what happened there. We want answers for the families and friends who lost loved ones from this terrible virus," Delorey said during a news conference. Lata and Stevenson are being assigned to interview staff, family and medical experts as they look into what factors contributed to the spread of COVID-19 at Northwood. The terms of reference for the probe say reviewers will consider how timely the facility's responses were to COVID-19 infections at each stage of the outbreak, based on information available at the time. They are to examine staff scheduling and analyze whether "movement (of staff) through the facility" contributed to the spread. In addition, they're to do a review of the best methods to prevent the spread of infection in long-term care facilities, and to apply this evidence to improve Northwood's layout and operations. The $80,000 study begins immediately and is to be complete by Sept. 15, prior to an expected second wave of infections many epidemiologists predict will come with the fall flu season. The province says it will also do a separate, internal review of infection prevention and control in nursing homes across the province. Delorey has committed to making the recommendations of the Northwood review public, but the minister will have control over whether details about the reviewers' findings and analysis will be provided to the public. Progressive Conservative Leader Tim Houston said the format of the review seems designed to protect the province from embarrassing revelations on issues such as whether sufficient protective gear was available to staff. "The process is important because what Nova Scotians need is a process that will instill confidence," he said in an interview. "For me, a public inquiry equals transparency, openness and has binding recommendations." The Nova Scotia Health Coalition, an advocacy group that promotes public health care, expressed similar concerns. "The terms of reference focus too heavily on the actions of staff and leadership at Northwood," director Chris Parsons said in a statement. The coalition is calling for a full public inquiry, which would allow for independence from the minister and provide wider investigative resources and legal powers. NDP Leader Gary Burrill said the review fell short of what families who lost loved ones in Northwood had called for. "A full, transparent public inquiry into shared rooms and staffing in long-term care is critical if we are to learn from this preventable tragedy," he said. However, Delorey said he feels that overall the long-term care sector in Nova Scotia fared well during the pandemic, and his focus is on finding solutions for Northwood in a timely way. The health minister noted only 10 of 140 facilities in the province had COVID-19 infections of staff or residents, and in all instances except Northwood the virus was contained. The Halifax campus of the facility has seen 246 infections of residents to date. Northwood's chief executive has said the spread of the illness was in most instances linked to residents who were in either double- or triple-occupancy rooms passing it to roommates. The board of Northwood has for several years requested capital funding from the province to add more space to Northwood, which is the largest non-profit care home in Atlantic Canada. However, management and public health officials have also faced scrutiny on whether they responded quickly enough as the pandemic was declared. A class-action lawsuit proposed by family members of the deceased residents has alleged the home's administration knew since early March, if not sooner, that the rapid spread of infection could be reduced by maintaining and enforcing physical distancing, yet moved too slowly to enforce the measures. The suit also alleges there were shortages of protective equipment, an allegation the union that represents care workers also raised. The allegations haven't been proven in court, and the facility has said it intends to respond vigorously. In addition, the Nova Scotia Nurses' Union released a study last week saying staffing levels need to be increased in Northwood and other facilities, calling for the hiring of 600 nurses and 1,400 continuing care assistants across the system. Delorey said the province hasn't hired more staff at Northwood, but hasn't filled beds left vacant from patients who died or moved out during the pandemic. Nova Scotia has had 1,062 confirmed cases of COVID-19. The province identified its first new case in two weeks on Tuesday, saying it was related to travel and the person has been self isolating since returning to the province. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 30, 2020. OTTAWA - When Sweeny Karande was in her nursing program in India, her teacher presented her with an award as the best outgoing student. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 1/7/2020 (355 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. OTTAWA - When Sweeny Karande was in her nursing program in India, her teacher presented her with an award as the best outgoing student. "This is just the beginning," her teacher said. "You can't stop here." Omair Imtiaz, 32, originally from Dubai, now lives in Charlottetown, P.E.I. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO Karande took those words to heart. The next nine years were full of new beginnings as she journeyed from India to Ontario to Nova Scotia and then the Northwest Territories, where she now works full time as a registered nurse. There will be another new beginning this Canada Day: Karande is set to join 18 others in swearing the oath to become a Canadian citizen. Canada Day citizenship ceremonies are a holiday tradition, but this year, the COVID-19 pandemic means the celebrations are going digital. Karande's ceremony won't be the first held online. Since April 1, over 1,000 virtual oath ceremonies have taken place, mostly quiet affairs. The marquee Canada Day group event will be streamed on YouTube, and is expected to feature remarks from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and former governor general Adrienne Clarkson. People ranging in age from six to 66 will take the oath, representing 13 different countries, the Immigration Department said. While they're all united in their new citizenship, some have another bond: they work in health care. The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the role new Canadians play in the health-care system. According to data from the 2016 census, more than a third of the 245,000 people working as nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates are immigrants. Karande, now 29, grew up in a large village in the southwestern Indian state of Goa, where she'd always wanted to become a nurse. Her family couldn't afford university tuition, so she enrolled in an auxiliary nursing and midwifery program. Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Marco Mendicino, second from top right, leads participants as they raise their hands to swear the oath to become Canadian citizens during a virtual citizenship ceremony held over livestream due to the COVID-19 pandemic, on Canada Day, Wednesday, July 1, 2020, seen on a computer in Ottawa. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang When a recruiter for Canadian personal support worker programs came calling in 2010, her siblings pooled their money together so she could enrol. She arrived in Cornwall, Ont. the next year, where she lived in a two-bedroom apartment with three other Indian students, often relying on the food bank to get by. She did a placement at St. Joseph's Continuing Care Centre, and one night her colleagues knocked on her door. On the street was a whole SUV filled with food for her and her roommates. She would find equally welcoming communities, she said, when she arrived in Halifax for nursing school, and again when she moved up to Hay River, N.W.T., to take a full-time nursing job. "This was my end goal, and finally I am a nurse and I'm getting my citizenship this is really awesome," she said. "I love every bit of it." Omair Imtiaz is also becoming a citizen on Canada Day, a feat he also attributes in part to the kindness and guidance of many near strangers along the way. He was sent to Canada by his father in 2007 to join his older brother, already in Moncton, N.B. From there, he moved to P.E.I, and found himself struggling to balance the demands of his undergraduate degree, part-time jobs and the freedom of student life in Canada. He ended up suspended from university, and was on the cusp of losing his student visa and being forced to leave. A classmate sat him down at a party and said she'd help him get through it. The day before his visa expired, they went to reenrol in school. He had intended to study to be a pharmacy technician, but he changed his mind after speaking with the enrollment officer and he signed up for a residential care worker program instead. The woman from the party? She became his wife. And the program led to the job he's now held for eight years at the John Gillis Memorial Lodge in Belfast, P.E.I. "I can never count my blessings enough for what Canada and its people have given me," he said. "So this is my way of giving back to the community, giving to the most vulnerable." Imtiaz, 32, said when he walked through the doors of the care home, many residents had never seen a brown person before. He was met with hostility, but within days familiarity bred comfort and then genuine friendship, he said. "Education and that personal contact can go a long way," he said. Karande said she's fielded her own experiences with racism. But it was finding out about Canada's own record on that score that has stuck with her more. While in nursing school, she learned about Indigenous history and the impact the residential school system was having on the current health and well-being of Indigenous communities. India had its own experiences with British colonialism that linger to this day, she said, but to be confronted with the harmful effects on Indigenous Peoples in Canada shocked her. She decided to turn the anger to action. "I felt like I was obligated to do so," she said. "I was just doing my part." She began to search for nursing jobs in Indigenous centres, finally landing in Hay River, a town of nearly 4,000 people where just under half identify as Indigenous. She's been there now for almost a year, working at the Hay River Health and Social Services Authority. She described the move up North as scary, given what she'd heard about the cold, but has now embraced the outdoor lifestyle. She is also committed to reconciliation. With her citizenship comes the right to vote a right that she intends to take seriously. "It is a privilege to have the opportunity make change," she said. "I believe there is a lot of change that needs to be implemented in terms of Indigenous people, in terms of different races and how they are being treated in Canada. I'm very excited that I'm finally a citizen." This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 1, 2020. PEMBINA, N.D. - A Winnipeg woman has been sentenced to six years in the United States for trying to purchase a toxin off the dark web. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 30/6/2020 (355 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Sijie Liu, 37, from Winnipeg, pleaded guilty for attempting to pickup a toxin in the United States that she had ordered on the dark web. She was sentenced to six years in a U.S. District Court in North Dakota on June 22 for attempting to acquire a chemical weapon. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-Cass County Sheriffs Office MANDATORY CREDIT PEMBINA, N.D. - A Winnipeg woman has been sentenced to six years in the United States for trying to purchase a toxin off the dark web. Sijie Liu, 37, was sentenced in a U.S. District Court in North Dakota on June 22 after pleading guilty to attempting to acquire a chemical weapon. Court documents said the woman went on the dark web, which is a hidden part of the internet only accessible through tailored software, to try to buy a toxin in February 2019. She was, in fact, communicating with an undercover agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The court documents said Liu ordered 10 millilitres of the toxin and had it shipped under a fake name to a business that receives mail in Pembina, N.D. She also ordered personal protective equipment including a mask, apron and gloves. The documents gave no indication what the toxin was or whether there was a motive behind the purchase. About a month later, Liu crossed the Canada-U.S. border from Manitoba and told officials that she planned to go shopping in Grand Forks, N.D. for the day. Instead, she drove a few kilometres to the business where the packages were shipped to. The documents said she identified herself as Julie Chen and signed off on six packages. She also claimed to be picking up one other package for a friend named Sijie Liu. When Liu left the business with a small flatbed cart loaded with the packages, she was arrested. An affidavit from an FBI agent filed in court said that before Liu was questioned by officers, she said: "I know what I did was wrong." Later, when Liu contacted a man identified as her husband, she was overheard saying she had broken the law, the affidavit said. Liu is to remain incarcerated in the U.S. until she can be transferred to Canada to serve the rest of her sentence. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 30, 2020 Flash Speaking at the 44th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council on Tuesday, Cuba on behalf of 52 countries welcomed the adoption of the Law on Safeguarding National Security in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region by China's top legislature. The number of countries, which signed the joint statement Cuba read at the session, is expected to rise. "Non-interference in internal affairs of sovereign states is an essential principle enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations and a basic norm of international relations," a representative of Cuba read the joint statement. "In any country, the legislative power on national security issues rests with State, which in essence is not a human rights issue and therefore not subject to discussion at the Human Rights Council," said the statement. "We believe that every country has the right to safeguard its national security through legislation, and commend relevant steps taken for this purpose." "In this context, we welcome the adoption of the decision by China's legislature to establish and improve a legal framework and enforcement mechanisms for the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) for the purpose of safeguarding national security, as well as China's reaffirmation of adherence to 'one country, two systems' guideline," the statement said. "We are convinced that this move is conducive to ensure 'one country, two systems' is steady and enduring, and that Hong Kong enjoys long term prosperity and stability. The legitimate rights and freedoms of Hong Kong residents can also be better exercised in a safe environment," it continued. "We reiterate that Hong Kong is an inseparable part of China, that Hong Kong affairs are China's internal affairs that brook no interference by foreign forces. We urge relevant sides to stop interfering in China's internal affairs by using Hong Kong related issues," it concluded. Chinese lawmakers on Tuesday voted to adopt the law at the 20th session of the Standing Committee of the 13th National People's Congress (NPC), China's top legislature. It took effect at 11:00 p.m. local time on Tuesday in Hong Kong. The promulgation of the law was signed by HKSAR Chief Executive Carrie Lam and published in the Gazette, according to a statement of the HKSAR government. The law that has 66 articles in six chapters clearly defines the duties and government bodies of the HKSAR for safeguarding national security; the offenses and their corresponding penalties; jurisdiction, applicable law and procedure; office of the central people's government for safeguarding national security in the HKSAR; and other contents. Flash The UN Security Council on Tuesday encouraged the Afghan government and the Taliban to work toward an early start of peace negotiations. In a press statement, the members of the Security Council welcomed steps taken so far by the two sides to move toward the start of intra-Afghan negotiations, most notably the partial implementation of commitments to release prisoners, facilitated through direct talks between them. The council members called for the rapid release of remaining prisoners in the coming days and for efforts to reduce violence in order to encourage a swift start to intra-Afghan negotiations. They welcomed the political agreement between President Ashraf Ghani and his political rival Abdullah Abdullah that ended the political impasse stemming from last year's presidential election, and expressed the hope that it will pave the way for timely intra-Afghan negotiations. The council members expressed concern over the recent increase in violence, which continues to take the lives of innocent civilians. They stressed that any attack targeting civilians, hospitals, medical and humanitarian personnel and facilities is unacceptable and that the perpetrators must be held accountable. They expressed their serious concern over the presence of the Islamic State and other international terrorist groups in Afghanistan and over the significant increase in the cultivation, production, trade and trafficking of illicit drugs in the country. They welcomed the efforts of regional and international partners and organizations in advancing regional connectivity, development, and reconstruction in Afghanistan, which is vital to ensuring stability and economic development in the country. The press statement was released after the Security Council held a virtual meeting on Afghanistan on Thursday. Flash The Iran nuclear deal remains crucial to regional and international security, said Rosemary DiCarlo, the UN undersecretary-general for political and peacebuilding affairs, on Tuesday. "The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), endorsed by (Security Council) Resolution 2231, is a significant achievement of multilateral diplomacy and dialogue. It remains crucial to the global nuclear non-proliferation architecture and to regional and international security," DiCarlo told the Security Council, using the official name of the nuclear deal. It is, therefore, regrettable that the future of this agreement is in doubt after the withdrawal of the United States from it and the reversal of some of Iran's commitments, she said. The United States withdrew from the agreement in May 2018. Before that date, the International Atomic Energy Agency verified in 11 reports that Iran was complying with its nuclear commitments contained in the plan, she noted. "We regret the U.S. withdrawal from the plan. The reimposition of U.S. national sanctions lifted under the plan, as well as the decision not to extend waivers for the trade in oil with Iran and on all remaining JCPOA-originating projects, are contrary to the goals of the JCPOA. These actions have impeded the ability of Iran and other member states to fully implement the plan and the (Security Council) resolution." The United Nations also regrets the steps Iran has taken since July 2019 in response to the U.S. withdrawal, she said. As a result of those steps, Iran has surpassed JCPOA-stipulated limits on its uranium enrichment level and on its stockpiles of heavy water and low-enriched uranium. Iran has also lifted JCPOA limitations on its nuclear research and development activities, she said. Notwithstanding the current challenges to the nuclear deal, it remains the best way to ensure the exclusively peaceful nature of Iran's nuclear program. Its full implementation, as well as faithful adherence to Resolution 2231, is also fundamental to regional stability, said DiCarlo. Suncorp Group chief executive Steve Johnston is moving to put his stamp on the financial conglomerate, unveiling a restructure that will result in the departure of insurance boss, Gary Dransfield. Mr Johnston also reiterated he had no plans to sell Suncorp's banking arm, despite some market calls for it to be divested, as he announced Commonwealth Bank executive Clive van Horen had been poached to run the bank. Suncorp CEO Steve Johnston. Credit:Attila Csaszar Suncorp on Wednesday said it was adopting a new operating model and leadership structure aimed at improving performance and speeding up its digital transformation. Under the changes, Mr Dransfield is leaving and accountability for the performance of its largest business, insurance, will be split between two executives, Lisa Harrison and Paul Smeaton. One of western Sydney's most famous restaurants has been earmarked for potential acquisition, joining two heritage buildings also slated to make way for the new Parramatta Powerhouse. The owners of the El-Phoenician restaurant, which is at the heart of Parramatta's Eat Street, have been advised their business is in line to be compulsorily acquired, according to two sources close to the process but not authorised to comment. Under terms of compulsory acquisition, the owners are eligible to receive market value plus premium, a buyout of any lease and relocation expenses, amounting to what would likely be a multimillion-dollar offer. The El-Phoencian on Church Street in Parramatta. Credit:Steven Siewert The fine-dining Lebanese restaurant, an institution on Church Street for 20 years, would make way for a pedestrian laneway to the new Parramatta Powerhouse. Hardware giant Bunnings has ended its timber supply contract with Victoria's state-owned logging agency, with the company announcing on Wednesday it would only source legal timber from sustainable operations. Last month the Federal Court found in favour of a community environment group that argued the state logging agency breached the law by failing to protect the endangered Leadbeater's possum when it logged 66 sites designated for logging in Victoria's Central Highlands. Bunnings has ended its supply contract with Victoria's state-owned logging agency. "Bunnings has a zero-tolerance approach to illegally logged timber that dates back two decades and our commitment is to only source timber products from legal and well-managed operations," said Bunnings merchandise director Phil Bishop. "Ultimately, we believe that customers and team members have the right to expect that the timber they purchase is sourced from responsible and lawful forestry operations." The division of domestic labour among Australian families has barely budged during the pandemic, despite more than half of households shaking up their work arrangements. The Australian Institute of Family Studies released on Thursday the first results of its Life During COVID-19 survey, which quizzed more than 7000 Australians during May and June, to understand how the nation was adjusting to the crisis. "Household labour still sits with me": Lucy Fogarty with 15-month-old twins Poppy and Mia. Credit:Eddie Jim Almost two-thirds of respondents said they were now always working from home, compared to just 7 per cent pre-pandemic. But there has been very minimal change to the way parents share childcare and housework. Forty-one per cent of female partners take care of most of the domestic chores now, compared to 43 per cent before. Similarly, 52 per cent of mothers say they do the bulk of the parenting, a small drop from 54 per cent. AIFS director Anne Hollonds said the results proved certain social norms were "pandemic resistant". She said she had initially been expecting that the crisis much like the way it overhauled our working lives would have helped transform some entrenched gender patterns where household responsibilities were largely "women's work". Welcome to Stalin World at least that is its unofficial name. At Grutas Park, about 130 kilometres south-west of Vilnius in Lithuania, some 80 statues from the Soviet era have been put out to grass. Historians say there may be a place for such theme parks in Australia. Girls joke around with statues of Soviet founder Vladimir Lenin, left, Felix Dzerzhinsky, centre, founder of the first Soviet secret police force and Soviet ruler Josef Stalin, right, at the Grutas Park in Druskininkai, Lithuania. Credit:AP Grutas Park was the brainchild of Lithuanian entrepreneur Viliumas Malinauskas, who recognised the tourism potential for a collection of unloved relics in a country occupied for half a century by the Red Army. Paying visitors can picnic alongside the head of Lenin or in the shadow of a towering statue of Stalin, both deposed from their former city-centre plinths. Prime Minister Scott Morrison is pushing for an end to the virus border wars that have turned Victoria into a pariah state as Premier Daniel Andrews vowed to press the state's case in private conversations with other leaders. Queensland and South Australia's decision to keep their borders closed to all Victorians in response to a spike of COVID-19 cases in some Melbourne suburbs has alarmed the business community and tourism operators who fear it will establish a damaging pattern for future local outbreaks. Prime Minister Scott Morrison with his "roadmap'' for pandemic recovery. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen The decision of both states to maintain a hard border closure is in contrast to the more targeted approach of NSW, which on Wednesday announced heavy penalties including jail for anyone caught travelling to and from NSW and Melbourne's hot spot suburbs, while keeping its southern border open to other Victorians. Mr Morrison, who has consistently stressed the need for open borders during the pandemic, will raise the issue with state and territory leaders at next Friday's meeting of the National Cabinet on July 10. WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT A group of animal rights activists are prepared to face jail time by leaking footage of alleged animal cruelty in two NSW knackeries, although the owners of one of the facilities claims the footage is not recent. The group, called Aussie Farms, released secret camera footage from Burns Pet Food and Luddenham Pet Meats on Monday afternoon, despite that action being prohibited by the NSW Surveillance Devices Act (2007). The knackery at Luddenham Pet Meats in Luddenham, NSW. Credit:Aussie Farms Three minutes of the footage was released on the group's Facebook page, with a longer version available on the group's website. "Uncle Lyall" Munro, a Kamilaroi elder, joined the ground-breaking 1965 Freedom Rides with activist Charles Perkins, which protested against discrimination throughout NSW and led to Aboriginal people gaining entry to the Moree Swimming Baths for the first time. He died in May. Government sources told the Herald plans are underway for between 500 and 2000 mourners to attend the funeral on July 11 at Moree's Burt Jovanovich Oval, which would allow for physical distancing. Dignitaries, including NSW Governor Margaret Beazley, are expected to fly in from Sydney and elsewhere. Internal emails show the Health, Aboriginal Affairs and Premier's departments have been in talks for a month about how to safely accommodate the event given COVID-19 restrictions and the additional vulnerability of Indigenous communities. The NSW government has approved a state funeral for Indigenous land rights activist Lyall Munro Senior but is scrambling to placate health authorities' concerns about the potential for the mass gathering in Moree to spread coronavirus. Emails seen by the Herald show Premier Gladys Berejiklian approved the event while a limit of 50 attendees at funerals still applied, with an expectation the family would seek an exemption to the rules. But later in June, Health Minister Brad Hazzard removed the 50-person limit for funerals as long as they complied with the rule of one person per four square metres. "The Premier was quite clear in approving the state funeral that it needed to occur consistent with public health orders in force at the time of the funeral, and no special privileges will apply for a state funeral in terms of the process for applying for, or the consideration of, any exemptions," wrote a bureaucrat from the Aboriginal Affairs Department in an email to other departments on June 3. She also advised the family expected "at least 500 people will want to attend the funeral given the size of uncle's family and his importance to the community". One person with knowledge of the event said NSW Health was "freaking out" about the potential danger. However, another source indicated the concerns mostly related to Victorian attendees, given the coronavirus outbreak in that state. A NSW Health spokesman did not return calls. In a statement, a spokeswoman for the Department of Premier and Cabinet said precautions were being drawn up to protect the community, and it was important to respect the family's privacy. Flash Four U.S. media organizations have been required to declare to China, in written form, information including their staff, finances, operations, and real estate owned by them in China within seven calendar days, starting from Wednesday. According to Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian, the four U.S. organizations are the Associated Press (AP), United Press International (UPI), the Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS), and National Public Radio (NPR). Zhao made the announcement at a daily press briefing on Wednesday in response to a U.S. announcement on June 22 that China Central Television, the People's Daily, the Global Times, and China News Service had been designated as foreign missions in the United States. "The above-mentioned measures by China are entirely necessary and reciprocal countermeasures in response to the unreasonable oppression conducted by the U.S. to these Chinese media organizations' branches in the U.S.," said Zhao, stressing that China's measures are an entirely justifiable defense. Four men injured in a central Queensland coal mine methane explosion almost two months ago are still in a Brisbane hospital, while a board of inquiry investigating the incident will also look at high-risk methane levels at the mine. The May 6 explosion at the Grosvenor mine near Moranbah, owned by Anglo American, seriously injured five men, who were airlifted to Brisbane. One man was released from hospital weeks ago. Four mine workers are still in hospital after the May 6 methane explosion. Credit:File image/Glenn Hunt The four remaining men are now out of intensive care but remain in hospital in a stable condition, an Anglo American spokeswoman said. Meanwhile, the board of inquiry set up by Mines Minister Anthony Lynham to investigate the incident has confirmed its terms of reference include "high potential incidents involving exceedances of methane" at Grosvenor and other mines between July 2019 and May 2020. The deaths of two patients who had been waiting in ambulances outside hospitals are being investigated by the states healthcare watchdog, as coronavirus protocols are blamed for blowing out emergency room delays. The Victorian Ambulance Union says at least two people have had fatal cardiac arrests in ambulances ramped outside hospitals within the past five weeks, while patients flagged for possible COVID-19 infections have been repeatedly denied immediate access to hospitals. The deaths have prompted Health Minister Jenny Mikakos to ask Safer Care Victoria to urgently examine the medical treatment given to the patients to see what, if anything, could have been handled better. My thoughts and sincere sympathies are with the patients families, Ms Mikakos said. Ambulance Union secretary Danny Hill said one woman died at the Austin Hospital in the citys north-east late last month after going into cardiac arrest in an ambulance bay. The irony of this weeks postcode lockdown is hard to miss. We've been bonded throughout the COVID-19 pandemic by the words "we're all in this together". But there's nothing like local lockdowns to threaten an ethos that has been so important to general community compliance with the directions and restrictions imposed on us by chief health officers in Victoria and across the country. There's nothing like local lockdowns to threaten an ethos that has been so important to general community compliance. Credit:Getty Images Add to this the increasingly terse exchanges between state and territory leaders, many of whom are overseeing far lower rates of transmission than Victoria, and you start to wonder whether fewer people feel the force of that common cause weve been exhorted to uphold over recent months. There is no obvious basis for questioning the medical and health advice at the heart of postcode lockdowns that will mean stage three restrictions reinstated until July 29, and possibly beyond. But while there's no evidence that there's a better alternative in the circumstances, history will be a harsh judge if the outbreaks we have seen over the past couple of weeks lead to a broader expansion of the postcode lockdown to other areas across Melbourne, in particular. Part of this risk may lie in whether postcode lockdowns, while targeting those in affected areas, breed complacency in unaffected parts of Melbourne that testing has not exposed as hotspots. In that scenario, the verdict will be exceedingly harsh. One of the developers who was last year slapped with hefty fines over the illegal demolition of Melbourne's Corkman Pub has been linked to a construction site where two union officials were allegedly assaulted. Raman Shaqiri's lawyer confirmed on Wednesday that the developer is involved with building works at a site on Toorak Road in Hawthorn East where two CFMMEU members were allegedly attacked early on Tuesday morning. Developer Raman Shaqiri is involved with building works at a worksite in Hawthorn East. Credit:Joe Armao About 250 CFMMEU members gathered at the construction site on Wednesday morning, however the protest action was called off after concerns were raised over breaches of social distancing guidelines. Police said they spoke with those in attendance to ensure they were adhering to social distancing rules, before asking them to disperse about 8.40am. The organiser of the protest will be issued with a $1652 fine for breaching the orders of the Chief Health Officer, a spokesman said. When Matt and Melissa Georgeades opened their new gyms in November and February, it was the realisation of a long-held dream. But after one of their gyms had been open for just three weeks, the couple was forced to shut the doors for 12 weeks to comply with coronavirus restrictions. After lockdowns eased, the couple reopened for nine days only to discover on Tuesday they would again have to shut both gyms for four more weeks from midnight Wednesday. Melissa Georgeades, co-owner of opened Body Fit Training's Airport West and Craigieburn gyms. Credit:Justin McManus "I'm shattered," Mr Georgeades said. "We've put everything on the line to open these two gyms, and they've been closed more than they've been open." Both the couple's Body Fit Training gyms in Airport West and Craigieburn are within the 10 Melbourne postcodes subject to four-week lockdowns because of the concerning rate of COVID-19 transmission. The Berejiklian government has banned Victorians in coronavirus hotspots from crossing the border into NSW, with those who disobey risking $11,000 fines and six months in jail. NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard said he would sign a Public Health Order on Wednesday evening that would give police the power to fine people from Victoria's virus strongholds who had entered NSW. NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard has banned travellers from Victorian hotspots. Credit:Getty "Victorians right now from those hotspots are not welcome in NSW. We are sorry. If you come to NSW you will be exposed to the possibility of six months' jail and $11,000 fines." NSW residents have been told not to visit the Victorian hotspots. Those who ignore the warnings are required to self-isolate for 14 days or face the same fines, Mr Hazzard said. Police officers in Western Australia's north travelled 300 kilometres to a remote community in the Kimberley to charge an Aboriginal boy with the theft of a pram he had not stolen, according to evidence before a parliamentary committee. In a similar instance, a teenager from Onslow spent two weeks in jail for stealing a $2 ice cream after his bail application was refused following opposition from the prosecution. Dennis Eggington CEO Aboriginal Legal Service Aboriginal Legal Service chief executive Dennis Eggington. These are just two of several stories shared by the Aboriginal Legal Service in a parliamentary committee hearing held on Wednesday examining the use of excessive force by police. An ALS delegation, including prominent Aboriginal advocate Dennis Eggington, accused police of discriminating against Aboriginal people, particularly in rural and remote communities. The West Australian has published a front page apology from its editor two days after printing a cartoon that referred to an Aboriginal character using an offensive three-letter racial slur. The newspaper had been under intense pressure to apologise after initially blaming an "outside agency" for the Modesty Blaise comic strip. Editor of The West Australian Anthony De Ceglie. Credit:WAtoday Prominent WA footballer and paid Seven West Media contributor Nic Naitanui blasted the publication and Aboriginal leaders called for a boycott of The West Australian until it had apologised. The newspaper's editor Anthony De Ceglie apologised for any hurt the cartoon had caused. Prime Minister Scott Morrison has delivered a 10-year defence strategy that will open the door to investing in new weapons technology. The strategy includes purchasing long-range anti-ship missiles from the US to support its fleet of Super Hornet fighter aircraft. In this episode, Sunday Age editor David King is joined by foreign affairs and national security correspondent Anthony Galloway to discuss the strategy and how it will impact on Australia geopolitically. Our supporters power our newsrooms and are critical for the sustainability of news coverage. Becoming a subscriber also gets you exclusive behind-the-scenes content and invitations to special events. Click on the links to subscribe to The Sydney Morning Herald or The Age. Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese says he will lead Labor to the next election regardless of the result in Saturday's Eden-Monaro byelection. Both Mr Albanese and Prime Minister Scott Morrison are expected to campaign alongside their candidates in the final days of the campaign, with about one in four voters in the NSW seat having already voted. Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese (right) speaks in June with the man he replaced as Labor leader, Bill Shorten. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen Underlying tension between the Liberals and the Nationals which are both fielding candidates in the field is again threatening to derail the Coalition's bid at regaining the seat, which would be the first time a government had won a seat from the opposition mid-term for a century. Mr Albanese, campaigning alongside candidate Kristy McBain on Wednesday, said the byelection was not about his future but about the residents of a regional seat hit hard by drought, bushfire and the COVID-19 pandemic. Defence Minister Linda Reynolds will warn China's actions have "deeply unsettled" the Indo-Pacific region and put at risk the security of Australia and its neighbours, as the Morrison government looks to acquire an anti-ballistic missile defence shield for the first time. Senator Reynolds will on Thursday declare the growing competition between the United States and China has forced Australia to rethink its strategy to defend the nation, as it looks to roll out a series of long-range anti-ship missiles under a $270 billion build-up of the defence force over the next decade. Defence Minister Linda Reynolds will give a speech on Thursday saying Australia is "deeply unsettled" with China's military push into the Indo-Pacific. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen The Morrison government on Wednesday released a major update to its 2016 Defence White Paper, acknowledging it no longer had a decade to defend against potential threats with the possibility of military conflict in the region. Along with purchasing new long-range missiles for its fleet of Super Hornets to defend its deployed forces abroad, Australia will also investigate the possibility of developing hypersonic missiles that can travel at least five times the speed of sound. Australia must and will prepare for the real risk of armed conflict in its region: that was the bracing message of the new defence plan launched by Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Tuesday. The document is innocuously titled the Defence Strategic Update. But that is a euphemism for something of profound significance to the nation's future a blueprint for a military capable of fighting major wars, and thus in principle helping to prevent them from breaking out. HMAS Toowoomba fires a missile during exercises in the Pacific in 2018. Credit:Royal Australian Navy At one level, this is simply about government executing its first duty: providing for the security of the nation, its interests and values. What has changed is that the government now recognises a rapidly worsening horizon of risk and knows it can no longer defer hard choices about what the Australian Defence Force is for. Former High Court judge Dyson Heydon is no longer practising as a barrister, it emerged on Wednesday, as a fresh allegation came to light he "used his public standing on the High Court" to lure a woman into a position where he could make advances on her. In a separate development, police said they had begun investigations on other allegations of inappropriate conduct that may amount to indecent assault. Former High Court justice Dyson Heydon, pictured in 2015. Credit: Anna Kucera According to the NSW Bar Association, "Dyson Heydon does not hold a 2020-21 practising certificate." NSW barristers' practising certificates expire each year on June 30 and they are required to renew their credentials by July 1. Mr Heydon's decision not to renew his practising certificate comes as ACT police chief Neil Gaughan confirmed that the High Court has been contacted regarding allegations of sexual harassment levelled against Mr Heydon by six former associates. A record 1.4 million desperate Australians are relying on food banks to put dinner on the table amid fears the end of JobKeeper in September will see charities overwhelmed by migrants, students and the unemployed. Those struggling crashed the Australian Taxation Office website trying to access up to $10,000 from their superannuation savings on Wednesday, as the charity sector revealed people who have never needed a handout in their lives are now reliant on food and financial support. Charities are reporting record number of Australians are needing help to get through the coronavirus recession, including 1.4 million who have received food relief. Credit:Jason South While more than 1.7 million people are on JobSeeker and another 3.3 million on the $1500-a-fortnight JobKeeper wage subsidy, charities have noted a surge in the number of people who have missed out on federal assistance. Foodbank chief executive Brianna Casey on Wednesday told the Senate's coronavirus committee there had been a 78 per cent jump in people needing food relief since the advent of the pandemic. Chinese-Australians will be subject to extraordinary new national security laws imposed by Beijing on Hong Kong as it looks to stamp out pockets of global resistance to its growing influence. The new measure, contained within a sub-section of the sweeping new legislation is one of a series of powers that will see those found guilty of subversion, colluding with external elements or undermining the Chinese state subject to life-imprisonment. A woman makes a gesture during a protest against the national security law in Hong Kong on June 28. Credit:Getty Image Chinese-Australians accused of subversion or secession activities in Australia such as pro-democracy rallies are likely to come under the microscope of authorities if they attempt to return to Hong Kong. Article 38 states the law will apply to "offences under this law committed against the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region from outside the region by a person who is not a permanent resident of the region". The law is broad enough to apply to all Australians but in practice is likely to only apply to those with Chinese heritage. There are more than 1.2 million Australians with Chinese ancestry, including 677,000 who were born in China, the second-largest group of overseas-born residents in the country. Hong Kong: Hong Kong police fired water cannons and tear gas and arrested more than 300 people on Wednesday as protesters took to the streets in defiance of sweeping security legislation introduced by China that critics say is aimed at snuffing out dissent. Beijing revealed the details of the much-anticipated law after weeks of uncertainty overnight, pushing China's freest city and one of the world's most glittering financial hubs onto a more authoritarian path. Andrew Wan, a pro-democracy legislator, is arrested by riot police during a protest in Hong Kong on Wednesday. Credit:Bloomberg As thousands of protesters gathered downtown for an annual rally marking the 23rd anniversary of the former British colony's handover to China in 1997, riot police used pepper spray to make arrests, while shops and one metro station closed. "I'm scared of going to jail but for justice I have to come out today, I have to stand up," said one 35-year-old man who gave his name as Seth. Brussels: The King of Belgium has become the first monarch to express remorse over his country's brutal colonial past. King Philippe offered his "deepest regrets" over atrocities during Belgian rule in the Congo in a letter to Democratic Republic of Congo President Felix Tshisekedi. It was published on Tuesday, on the 60th anniversary of the DRC's independence. Belgium's King Philippe has offered his deep regrets for the injuries and humiliation suffered by the Congolese under colonial rule. Credit:AP The king's great-great-great-uncle, Leopold II, ruled a region containing the whole of the DRC as a private rubber-producing slave state. More than 10 million Africans are estimated to have died there. A campaign is being waged to remove statues of Leopold in Belgium, and some have been vandalised in Black Lives Matter protests. London: The European Union's bid to make a free trade agreement with Australia conditional on Canberra taking tough action on climate change has been undermined by a new report which warns the bloc is "not on track" to meet its own emissions reduction commitments. Fresh analysis by the EU's statistics agency found the 27-nation group might not achieve its target of cutting pollution by 40 per cent by 2030 unless extra measures are enacted to accelerate the pace of progress. The conclusion is particularly significant because it underscores the scale of the transformation needed over the next decade if the European Parliament pushes ahead with plans to revise the target from 40 to 55 per cent. The European Union appears to have achieved its 2020 emissions reductions goals but the 2030 targets are in doubt. Credit:AP The EU has sought to position itself as a global leader on the environment by pledging to make the continent carbon neutral by 2050 and refusing to sign trade deals if the other party does not "respect" the Paris climate accord. They are now trailblazers of another kind, subjects of at least three scientific studies. Loading Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine is conducting research that involves evaluating the DNA of the surviving and deceased members of the large Italian American family for genetic clues. DNA from those who died will be retrieved from hairbrushes, a toothbrush, a blood sample and tissue from an unrelated gallbladder surgery. Each Thursday, Elizabeth Fusco, the youngest of the 11 children, donates antibody-rich blood plasma that is used to treat patients with the virus to determine if it can help boost their immune response. "We know another wave is going to come," Elizabeth Fusco said. "It's inevitable. Whatever will help this world is all I care about." Their help may prove useful well before the predicted second wave hits as states like Florida and Texas confront an alarming surge in new cases. The Fusco family's trauma began just before the state's lockdown, as a slow cascade of closures marked the start of a new normal. On March 13, Rita Fusco Jackson, 56, became the second person to die of COVID-19 in New Jersey, which has since recorded 14,992 deaths, making it number two in the nation behind New York for virus-related fatalities. Within a week, her mother, Grace Fusco, 73, and two brothers, Carmine, 55, and Vincent, 53, had also died. Grace Fusco's sister on Staten Island died weeks later. A photograph of the Fusco children and their parents, Grace and Vincenzo, from 1980, is displayed in Freehold, N.J., on June 9, 2020. The Fusco family lost five relatives to the coronavirus. Credit:Bryan Anselm/The New York Times Their story became an urgent, cautionary tale about the potency of the disease and the importance of staying apart at a time when social distancing was still a novel concept. During the first week of March, Carmine Fusco, the eldest son who was visiting from Pennsylvania, had described feeling chilled during a routine Tuesday dinner in Freehold that drew about 25 family members, his siblings said. The precise source of the extended family's infection is unclear, said Joe Fusco, a horse owner like his father and brothers who had spent time in the weeks beforehand with both brothers who died. He recalls waking up feeling "beat up" the morning after the dinner, which was held at the house where his mother lived with three of his siblings and their families. He was admitted to the hospital days later, beginning a medical odyssey that would last 44 days. Much of the treatment was experimental, he said, and involved trial and error. "When I was leaving the hospital, the doctor said, 'You don't realise the debt of gratitude the world owes your family,'" said Joe Fusco, the father of three children ages 10 to 18. As news accounts of their story swept the globe, the family was cited by state health officials as a prime reason for staying apart. Loading Still, even as they were being held up as the family no one wanted to become, Elizabeth Fusco was stepping into the role of the little sister everyone might hope to have. Elizabeth Fusco, 42, and her daughter were among those who contracted the virus; like many other family members, they never showed symptoms. With four people already dead, two on ventilators and a sister hospitalised and receiving oxygen, Elizabeth Fusco emerged as a ferocious advocate, even as she feared for her own daughter, Alexandra, who is 12 and was born with a serious health condition, congenital diaphragmatic hernia. "They would tell me to calm down," she said. "No. I'm not going to calm down. Tell someone who didn't lose a mom, a sister and two brothers in a matter of less than seven days to calm down. "Tell me how you're going to save my brother and sister." The family held a four-person funeral April 1. They remain anguished that the two siblings who were on ventilators at the time were not there and are planning a memorial celebration and burial after a full Mass in early August. Elizabeth Fusco said she temporarily shoved mourning aside. "I consumed my time with I'm not going to lose another one," she said. Desperate, she and other relatives pushed doctors to try a variety of treatments: remdesivir, convalescent plasma, hydroxychloroquine. "I don't care if you were giving them rat poison if you told me that that was going to fix them," she said, her voice trailing off. She called the governor on his cellphone. She and her mother's cousin, Roseann Paradiso Fodera, a family spokeswoman, were on a first-name basis with congressional aides. They lobbied anyone who would listen for access to experimental medicines, and, later, for autopsies that never happened. The nurses and the medical staff at CentraState Medical Center, the hospital in Freehold where Grace Fusco and five of her children were treated, served as the family's eyes, ears and loving hands at a time when visitors were not allowed inside. "For 44 days, every three to four hours, I was on the phone with them," Dana Fusco said. The hospital declined to comment, citing privacy concerns. When her husband awoke Easter Sunday, she asked that he not be immediately told of the deaths. Once he was stronger, she was allowed a visit to tell him in person. Loading To the Fuscos, the virus's path showed little logic. An infected relative who is a heavy smoker showed no symptoms, and two older uncles with myriad underlying health problems rebounded in about a week. Several of the sickest family members had no serious underlying health problems, Joe Fusco said. More than three months later, a numb calm has set in. "Like it didn't happen," Reid said. "It's just they're not here." Dwelling on the past, she said, is a luxury she does not have. "I've got to move on," said Reid, who, along with her husband and daughter, shares a house with Joe's family. "I've got a young daughter." Bryan, OH (43506) Today Partly cloudy skies this morning will become overcast during the afternoon. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 72F. Winds WNW at 15 to 25 mph.. Tonight Mostly cloudy early, then clearing overnight. Low 46F. Winds NNW at 10 to 20 mph. It's no surprise with the heightening tensions in the United States, that more Asians are taking part in the conversation around race relations than ever before. From Instagram posts to spreading awareness to donations and education links about the cause, there seems to be an uprising of interest and a societal reckoning of sorts, compelling us all to action. But whilst our intentions may be good, many are asking how does Black Lives Matter truly impact those living in Asia and why do we care so much about this movement, particularly with limited black residents and citizens in Asian countries? Well perhaps because the age-old tale of being discriminated against for the colour of one's skin, the inflection of one's accent or the circumference of one's eyes and features, is one that hits home and hits home hard. While the plight of African-Americans and more widely, black people, can never be comparable to that of an Asian's, there are striking similarities and pain points arising from their cause and movement for equality, that resonate closely with the lives of many in this region. Corruption, police brutality, profiling, bullying on the basis of skin tone are all amongst the top reasons why Asia can't stop getting behind #BlackLivesMatter. Despite being in different continents, the same facets of hatred that make daily life unbearable are shared and recognised. Or maybe, seeing the power of this movement has given Asians a chance to reflect on what racism truly means within our own continent and countries and how we address the countless micro and macro aggressions within our own societies. In a study conducted by the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) and racial harmony group, OnePeople.sg in 2018, survey results indicated that whilst religious harmony and integration were rising locally, 73% of Malays, 68% of Indians and just over half of others (including Eurasians) felt they still experienced discrimination in the workplace in Singapore based on language, skin colour, education or other distinguishing factors. Couple this with these elements: the pressure in Indian countries for women to bleach their skin and achieve the coveted 'wheatish' complexion for marriage, to the standards of impossibly fair and taut alabaster skin in Korea, to the ostracising of Muslims in Afghanistan and Pakistan based on the actions of a few radical extremists and you can see why and how a push for change can start to resonate within this part of the world. Of course, you needn't look further than the vitriol that has been spit up by thousands worldwide against innocent Chinese and other Asian races in the backdrop of the now raging Coronavirus pandemic accused of everything from attempted world domination to being inherently diseased to being responsible for the entire world's COVID-19 diagnoses, racism against Asians has never been at a higher tension point than today. Far from verbal abuse alone, many Chinese-Americans, Chinese-Australians and Chinese-English are enduring physical violence and threats to their lives in countries they've been born and raised in, all based off unfounded hatred and frankly, pure ignorance. The aforementioned should realistically sum it up. But for the benefit of others in the community who are still questioning the notion of locals getting behind a distant movement, let's go into detail with three main reasons. We see the movement as a chance to self-reflect on our own societal ideals "Black Lives Matter is undoubtedly an important cultural milestone no matter where you are in the world. And while the subject matter may not be relevant to me personally, I can understand and empathise with the essence of injustice and inequality." Says Cheryl, 29, an advertising director in Singapore. "If anything, these events should educate us so that we make informed judgements even here in Asia." Mariana, 29 and a corporate lawyer, agrees. "We have to care about and support the Black Lives Matter movement as part of our common humanity. At the same time we can take inspiration and have the courage to start (if you haven't already) or continue to speak out on race issues in Singapore or anywhere in Asia. You have to speak out. Speak out, for your friends who you love of different races who may feel they can't speak out about their racist experiences out of fear it will make you feel uncomfortable or that you'll judge them. Speak out, so they know it's ok for them to speak out too." Perhaps that's the crux of the argument isn't it? Why do we need to be the same race as the people suffering on the other side of the world to activate our common thread of humanity and empathy? Since when does marginalisation, segregation, and brutality require the same tone of melanin to garner outrage and condemnation? As Asians, we know and understand the feeling of judging and being judged, but how many times do we utilise our voices to stand up to the prejudices we may be harbouring, both internally and externally? For many, the Black Lives Matter movement, has given them the vehicle and the mouthpiece for courage they've wanted for a long time in Asia. "I've seen so many examples of racism and hatred in Singapore since I've moved here three years ago," shares Melissande, 27, a marketing professional. "But because this isn't my country (I'm French) I haven't said anything. Watching the Black Lives Matter movement, I feel like I can finally openly talk about racism and stop people from saying disgusting things. It's almost like I know have a reason or an excuse." We can relate to the contributing factors of race & class and how they affect our society Whilst the conversation about racial prejudice has been largely around the treatment of black people in the US based on the colour of their skin, much of the tension we're seeing also arises from the systemic oppression that classism has had over countless years in America. Black families on average earn 10x less per household in the United States with one in five black families incurring a higher percentage of debt compared to their equity. Compare that to their 66% owning white counterparts and you will see that history has never truly allowed African-Americans to play economic catch-up. Snapshot to a continent like Asia, where half a billion people are counted as not economically secure and living on less than between US$5.50-$15.50 per day, we may have more in common with the Black Lives Matter Movement than we think. Amanda, a medical professional aged 35, shared: "I'm half Indian, half-Malay and spent many years in India growing up. When I see #BLM and people dying or being locked up because the system is against them, I feel a sense of heartbreak. I watched lots of people on the streets of India get unfairly arrested for being poor or homeless and they don't even have the funds to eat, forget paying legal fees and asking for justice. There is so much corruption that you don't need to be black to understand why it hurts." Mahmood, 32, an IT Technician agrees. "We migrated to Singapore from Bangladesh when I was just one years old and I've been raised as a Singaporean my whole life. I see many of my Singaporean country-men struggling to live with poor wages and strenuous working conditions in hawker centres while other Bangla brothers and sisters face discrimination in foreign dormitories and the construction industry. I know how harsh people can be to darker men and women and when you're poor and you want a better life, sometimes you can feel so helpless." And whilst Amanda and Mahmood both agree that black people and Asians have very different levels of impact in the current climate, Amanda feels that the plight of both minority communities is inextricably linked by two key factors: poverty and a lack of education. "If we give them the money to support themselves and have basic welfare, we can start to re-build a system where they can go into it educated and empowered to defend themselves as opposed to victims of circumstance and history." The world is changing and more and more of us want to be free of the burdens of discrimination and judgement We've all heard how millennials and Gen Z are fast becoming the first group in history of virtually colour-blind individuals, raised in a melting pot they were born into. They've known no other world than one where everyone lives together and for many, they can't understand why this is still an issue. "I don't understand why need to argue about race. Like it's 2020. We all have friends from different backgrounds and cultures, most of my friends aren't even Singaporean. I don't see them for their skin, I see them for them as people. Is it really that hard to do?" Samuel, 19, is an expat from the US who has grown up in Singapore for the last ten years. Sam is not alone in how he feels. Most expats I spoke to vehemently agreed that they're also raising their children to be aware and respectful of celebrating racial differences, but to be blind to them when it comes to play, work and giving one another respect or equality. "Black Lives Matter to me is part of a wider worldwide problem and I think it's really important for us to care." Says Martine, 31, a Dutch national who is raising a one-year old in Singapore. John, 44, agrees. "I tell my children you're lucky to grow up in a place like Singapore, where you can go to international schools and meet people of different backgrounds. Learn about the world, open your mind and absorb the culture. I want them to take back this well-rounded view of the world if we ever move home to Australia, so they can continue to live it and pass it on no matter where they go." Ultimately, we can ask all day why we should care and what we get out of doing so. But the truth is, this is a defining moment in history not just for the US, but the world. For the first time in a long time, we've reflected as human beings to take accountability for our actions and focus on change that is tangible, meaningful and long-lasting and leading to a more harmonious society. You don't need to be any colour to understand that. Can we stamp out racism in its entirety and remove all prejudice? Maybe not now, maybe not ever. Will we change the hearts and minds of every human being? Never. Can we accomplish total and utter world peace and no judgement? Highly unlikely. But what we can continue is this dialogue and do so openly, without chastising anyone for caring, be they black, white, Indian, Asian or any other. This is a human problem, not a race one and if we don't understand that today, we perhaps never will. Remember: "Injustice anywhere, is a threat to justice everywhere" Martin Luther King Jnr. Dear Reader, Business Standard has always strived hard to provide up-to-date information and commentary on developments that are of interest to you and have wider political and economic implications for the country and the world. Your encouragement and constant feedback on how to improve our offering have only made our resolve and commitment to these ideals stronger. Even during these difficult times arising out of Covid-19, we continue to remain committed to keeping you informed and updated with credible news, authoritative views and incisive commentary on topical issues of relevance. We, however, have a request. As we battle the economic impact of the pandemic, we need your support even more, so that we can continue to offer you more quality content. Our subscription model has seen an encouraging response from many of you, who have subscribed to our online content. More subscription to our online content can only help us achieve the goals of offering you even better and more relevant content. We believe in free, fair and credible journalism. Your support through more subscriptions can help us practise the journalism to which we are committed. Support quality journalism and subscribe to Business Standard. Digital Editor The next favipiravir brand will be in market soon as Hyderabad-based Dr Reddy's Laboratories (DRL) on Wednesday said that it has tied up with the innovator Fujifilm to launch the brand Avigan in India. DRL has the rights to sell the drug overseas other than Japan, China and Russia. The company did not wish to disclose the price of the drug or by when it could launch it in the Indian market. It would be a nod from the country's drug regulator before it can launch the product for Indian market. Mumbai based Glenmark has launched the drug for Rs 103 per tablet. Several companies ... on Wednesday said it has supplied over 1,000 new 'Traveller Ambulances' to the to help in the fight against pandemic. These ambulances include 130 advanced life support ambulances, 282 basic life support ambulances and over 656 mobile medical units that will significantly upgrade the healthcare infrastructure, improve reach and reduce response time, the company said in a statement. The mobile medical units delivered to the are also equipped with COVID-19 screening facilities and can be accessed by the citizens by dialling 104, it added. Managing Director Prasan Firodia said:"The ongoing pandemic has suddenly highlighted the inadequacies in our healthcare system. It is very heartening to see that local administrations and state governments are responding quickly by upgrading their public health delivery systems." The company said all of its ambulances comply with all the provisions of the recently introduced National Ambulance Code. The Dr Abhay Firodia Group has also earmarked Rs 25 crore to support various COVID-19 relief activities by supporting upgradation of healthcare infrastructure and facilitating mobile clinic/testing capabilities that have treated over 10 lakh patients during the lockdown period, the statement said. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Six workers were killed and 17 others injured when a boiler in a thermal power unit (TPS II) of Ltd exploded on Wednesday, officials said. The NLC India's integrated mining-cum-power plant is located in Neyveli in Cuddalore district in The injured have been admitted to hospital. It is the second major boiler blast in In May, four persons were killed when a boiler in the TPS II exploded. The company's TPS II consists of seven units of 210 MW each. The cause of the boiler blast is yet to be ascertained. Chief Minister K. Palaniswami expressed grief over the deaths and announced a compensation of Rs 300,000 each to the bereaved families. Palaniswami also announced Rs 100,000 each to severely injured workers and Rs 50,000 each to other injured. Union Home Minister Amit Shah, meanwhile, talked to CM Palaniswami and assured him of all possible help. The Home Minister took stock of the situation of the incident in a telephonic conversation with Palaniswami. "Anguished to learn about the loss of lives due to a blast at Neyveli power plant boiler in Have spoken to @CMOTamilNadu and assured all possible help," Shah tweeted. The Home Minister further said that Centre's paramilitary wing Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) is already on the spot to assist the relief work. "Praying for the earliest recovery of those injured." Food Minister on Wednesday said some states like and are lagging behind in distribution of free ration under the PMGKAY and they should be more "sensitive" towards the poor during this COVID-19 crisis and take proactive measures. The Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY), announced as part of the Rs 20 lakh crore stimulus package to help those affected due to the coronavirus-induced lockdown, was earlier valid for a three-month period from April to June. The same has been extended for five months till November. More than 80 crore people will be provided 5 kg free wheat/rice per month along with 1 kg free whole chana to each family per month under the scheme. This is over and above the subsidised grains given under the Food Security Act (NFSA). "We have no problem in providing foodgrains to states. When it is being given free, I don't understand what is the problem with states in distribution. We are taking this issue seriously," Paswan said at a digital press conference. Several letters have been written to laggard states and even spoken to chief ministers and food ministers of those states, he claimed. "Despite all efforts, they are not taking any action. They should be more sensitive towards the poor in this crisis and take proactive steps." As per the latest data, has not begun the distribution of June month quota of free ration under the PMGKAY, while only 47 per cent achieved in Bihar, 48 per cent in Madhya Pradesh, 60 per cent in Manipur and 66 per cent in Delhi in the same period. Paswan said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has extended the PMGKAY for next five months, even though 22 state chief ministers had sought for only three months. "We thank the Prime Minister for this. Our ministry has given direction to all states to begin lifting the grains for distribution for next five months immediately. There is no shortage of foodgrains with us," he said. The minister also mentioned that the states should plan and lift the grains immediately from the state-owned FCI godowns so that they do not face problems in distribution during the rainy season, he said. About 93 per cent foodgrains distribution achieved in the month of April and May, respectively, while only 75 per cent distribution took place in June under the PMGKAY, he added. There was less than 90 per cent of foodgrains distribution during the April-June period in the states of West Bengal, Sikkim, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Manipur, Delhi, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, and Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, data showed. On pulses distribution under the PMGKAY, Paswan said 4.49 lakh tonnes of pulses have been distributed so far against the target of 5.87 lakh tonnes for the April-June period. On availability of chana (gram) for distribution in next five months under the scheme, he said the government has more than 29.49 lakh tonnes of this pulse in stock, sufficient to meet the demand under the PMGKAY. Food Secretary Sudhanshu Pandey said the distribution of free grains and pulses under the PMGKAY and to migrant labourers would cost the exchequer Rs 1,48,938 crore. This includes Rs 1,22,839 crore for free grains and Rs 11,800 crore for pulses under the PMGKAY. Under Atma Nirbhar Bharat scheme for migrant labourers, the food secretary said the cost of free grain distribution for May-June was Rs 3,109.52 crore. The foregone cost of Central Issue Price for foodgrains (which comes to approximately Rs 1,400 crore per month ) entails an expenditure of approximately Rs 11,200 crore. "Thus, the estimated cost for distribution of food grains (rice and wheat) and pulses will be Rs 1,48,938 crore approximately," he added. On ration card portability, Paswan said 20 states/UTs so far are ready with infrastructure to provide the service and the central government requests others to join at the earliest. He said many states highlighted the challenges related to slow internet or limited connectivity and assured that he will take up these issues with the telecom ministry for appropriate solutions. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) : The CB-CID, tasked with probing the death of a father-son duo who were allegedly thrashed by the in Tuticorin, launched investigation into the case on Wednesday. The Madras High Court had on Tuesday directed the investigating agency's Tirunelveli DSP Anil Kumar to probe the death of the two traders, who died in a hospital after being allegedly beaten up by personnel at the Sathankulam station last week. CB-CID officials led by Kumar conducted enquiries with the family members of the deceased, besides in the locality where the duo ran their cellphone shop. CB-CID sleuths also visited the Sathankulam police station, since brought under the Revenue department as directed by the High Court. P Jayaraj and his son Bennicks, arrested for 'violating' lockdown norms over business hours of their cellphone shop, died at a hospital in Kovilpatti on June 23, with the relatives alleging that they were severely thrashed at the Sathankulam police station by the personnel earlier. The incident had triggered a nation-wide furore, leading to the suspension of five policemen, including an inspector and two Sub-Inspectors. The former SP is on compulsory wait. The Madras High Court had directed a CB-CID probe into the matter although the state government had transferred the case to the CBI. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The People's Liberation Army (PLA) has deployed more than 20,000 of its troops along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) near the Eastern Ladakh sector even as India is closely watching the activities of another 10,000-12,000 Chinese troops deployed in Xinjiang with high mobility vehicles and weaponry in the rear positions with the capability to reach the Indian front in 48 hours time. "The Chinese Army has deployed around two divisions worth of troops (around 20,000) along the LAC in the Eastern Ladakh sector. 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 on Tuesday reported four fresh cases, taking the states COVID count to 191, an official said. The four new cases were registered from West Kameng district and they are military personnel who returned from Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Delhi and Maharashtra. They were lodged in a quarantine facility and were asymptomatic, Surveillance Officer Dr L Jampa said. The state now has 128 positive cases, he said adding that 62 patients have recovered from the disease and one person died. Jampa said reports of 1759 cases are awaited. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Top star on Wednesday described as "brutal killing" the death of a Tutcorin father- son duo, alleged victims of torture, and expressed shock over the 'inappropriate behaviour' of some policemen with a Judicial Magistrate probing the matter. "#sathyama vidave koodathu (this should not be spared at any cost,)," the actor said about the episode in a tweet, with the hashtag in Tamil trending on Twitter minutes after he put up the post with an image of him, striking a visibly angry pose. "While the entire humanity has opposed the brutal killing of the father and son by torture, I was shocked at the way some policemen behaved and spoke in front of the (judicial) magistrate. All those involved should get appropriate punishment. This should not be spared," he said. P Jayaraj and his son Bennicks, arrested for 'violating' lockdown norms over business hours of their cellphone shop, died at a hospital in Kovilpatti on June 23, with the relatives alleging that they were severely thrashed at the Sathankulam station by the personnel earlier. The incident had triggered a nation-wide furore, leading to the suspension of five policemen, including an inspector and two Sub-Inspectors. The former SP is on compulsory wait. Earlier, the Judicial Magistrate probing the deaths had informed the Madras High Court Madurai bench that personnel at the Sathankulam station did not cooperate with him, even as one of the constables made disparaging remarks against him. Another policeman had displayed "intimidating, macho body language." Subsequently, the court had summoned three policemen, including an Additional SP, on Tuesday where the constable who allegedly made the remarks againsg the JM had submitted he spoke so by mistake since he was "overstressed."The court, which has taken up the case, had transferred the investigation to CB-CID till the CBI takes over the probe. The government had on Monday transferred the probe to CBI. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Type address separated by commas Your Email: Majority of hotel operators expect that it will take 13 to 24 months for their hotels to return to revenue per available room (RevPAR) levels of last year, according to a survey conducted by global property consultant JLL. The survey was conducted on 15 leading hotel operators in India. The COVID-19 pandemic has brought the world to a standstill, with the hospitality, travel and tourism sector being the most affected due to travel restrictions across the world and within India, it noted. According to the survey, only 20 per cent of the operators believe that their hotels could ... The Uttar Pradesh government is preparing to roll out the red carpet for software giant Microsoft to set up a world-class technology hub in Greater Noida, UP foreign investment and export promotion minister Sidharth Nath Singh said on Wednesday. "The state will roll out the red carpet for Microsoft to make it easier for the company to do business," said Singh, who has been holding virtual road shows with global industry players in order to convince them to invest in the state by offering incentives. Dear Reader, Business Standard has always strived hard to provide up-to-date information and commentary on developments that are of interest to you and have wider political and economic implications for the country and the world. Your encouragement and constant feedback on how to improve our offering have only made our resolve and commitment to these ideals stronger. Even during these difficult times arising out of Covid-19, we continue to remain committed to keeping you informed and updated with credible news, authoritative views and incisive commentary on topical issues of relevance. We, however, have a request. As we battle the economic impact of the pandemic, we need your support even more, so that we can continue to offer you more quality content. Our subscription model has seen an encouraging response from many of you, who have subscribed to our online content. More subscription to our online content can only help us achieve the goals of offering you even better and more relevant content. We believe in free, fair and credible journalism. Your support through more subscriptions can help us practise the journalism to which we are committed. Support quality journalism and subscribe to Business Standard. Digital Editor The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Wednesday said SBICAP, the capital markets wing of State Bank of India (SBI), will set up a special purpose vehicle (SPV) to purchase the short-term papers, maturing within three months and rated as investment grade, from non-banking financial companies (NBFCs). The facility will not be available for any paper issued after September 30, 2020 and the SPV would cease to make fresh purchases after September 30, 2020, and would recover all dues by December 31, 2020; or as may be modified subsequently under the scheme," the central bank said in ... 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 With the contagious Covid-19 virus gripping the nation, the first line of defence, and other healthcare workers have been caught in the eye of a storm. The saviours are at the highest risk for depression, insomnia, anxiety, and increased alcohol consumption. The thought that you may cause the infection to your loved ones when you go back home every single day is crawling under their bellies. "There is always a constant fear that runs in my mind that what if I am spreading the deadly to my children, who diligently follow the hygiene guidelines as suggested by the health bodies," said Dr Shuchin Bajaj, Internal Medicine, Ujala Cygnus Orthocare Hospital, New Delhi. Besides battling with fear, Dr Bajaj also struggles with sparing quality time for the family. "Since life has become different especially for a healthcare professional, I try to utilize the time with my family as I know I might have just a couple of hours to spend with them in our 24-hour job. It's very hard to express those feelings as a father, who can't hug their children and kiss them," added Dr Bajaj. Who would have thought that the person who could provide aid against the disease would be in the clutches of the disease itself? who are in hotspots usually show a higher degree of a psychological burden compared to the ones away from them. "A large proportion of healthcare professionals, especially are experiencing symptoms of anxiety, depression, insomnia, and psychological distress. They report severe symptoms, which should not come as a surprise, as they often must engage in a lot of emotional labour, like reassuring patients, while keeping their own emotions in check," said Dr Shweta Sharma, Consultant-Clinical Psychologist, Columbia Asia Hospital, Gurugram. The old adage 'Prevention is Better than Cure' comes handy for the doctors when it comes to stopping the Covid-19 spread. The sole fear among doctors which increases anxiety level in them is of their family being affected due to them, along with long working hours with PPE kits. "I practice Yoga, meditation to come out of depression and try spending quality time with my family with some recreational activities," said Dr Ashok Rai, BAMS, MD, Kanchan Poly Clinic, Badarpur. "Though it is a noble profession, for one to embrace it every single day and fight one's fear and the patients' fear and illness is not an easy task. Doctors should be discussing with their peers and watch their moods in terms of feeling sad, mood swings, increased irritability, increased anger, please speak to someone competent to handle mental health," said Dr Preeti Singh, Sr Consultant Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Paras Hospitals, Gurugram. Like soldiers on the frontline, doctors are performing their duties during the ongoing pandemic with utmost diligence. We need to acknowledge their contribution and should express the gratitude in these testing times. Life has become an emergency drill for medics working 24X7 at a full-fledged Covid-19 hospital armed with PPE kit and determination to save lives. National Doctor's Day, July 1, is a perfect day to thank all of them for their round the clock service. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Wednesday said 270 billion Australian dollars will be invested to modernise the country's defence capabilities in the coming decade to maintain regional security and deter or respond to "aggression" in the strategic Indo-Pacific, amidst flexing its muscles in the region. "The challenges and nature in the Indo-Pacific have meant we need a new approach and one that actively seeks to deter actions that are against our interests, the prime minister said. Morrison said that the Indo-Pacific was the epicentre of rising strategic competition and tensions. Territorial claims are rising across the Indo-Pacific region, as seen recently on the border between India and China, and the South Sea, and the East Sea. China has been fast expanding military and economic influence in the Indo-Pacific region, triggering concern in various countries of the region and beyond. China is also engaged in hotly contested territorial disputes in both the South China Sea and the East China Sea. Beijing has built up and militarised many of the islands and reefs it controls in the region. Both areas are stated to be rich in minerals, oil and other natural resources and are vital to global trade. Morrison said the world was changing rapidly after the COVID-19 outbreak. This simple truth is this: Even as we stare down the COVID pandemic at home, we need to also prepare for a post-COVID world that is poorer, that is more dangerous and that is more disorderly, the prime minister said. "The risk of miscalculation and even conflict is heightening. Regional military modernisation is occurring at an unprecedented rate," Morrison said. ''You've got to have a responsible deterrent and plays an important role in our region, working with others, particularly like India and Japan and many other nations, Indonesia, right across the Indo-Pacific,' he said. India, Australia, the US and Japan are part of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad), an informal grouping which shares intelligence and conducts military drills. "'We've got to be aware of the potential threats that can emerge. I mean, the strategic competition between China and the United States means that there's a lot of tension a lot of risk of miscalculation,'' he told a news channel. In an official statement, Morrison said the new investments totalling 270 billion Australian dollars (USD 186.7 billion) will be made across air, maritime and land assets to give the Australian Defence Force enhanced options to protect interests and its assets. The new defence plan, he said, was ''to maintain regional security and deter or respond to aggression in the Indo-Pacific as part of the 2020 Defence Strategic Update and Force Structure Plan." The new defence expenditure will include acquiring advanced maritime strike capability system AGM-158C Long Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM) from the US Navy at an estimated cost of 800 million Australian dollars (USD 553 million), 9 billion Australian dollars (USD 6.2 billion) will be spent on developing hypersonic weapons and an additional recruitment of 800 defence personnel will be done, including 600 personnel in the Navy. "These new capabilities will provide a strong credible deterrent in our region that will help provide the stability and security we need,'' Morrison said, adding that investments would also be made for integrated and automated sensors and weapons. "'We're for a peaceful, stable Indo-Pacific, a certain environment in which people can trade and live their lives and sovereign nations can work and trade with each other and have good relationships,'' he said. Defence Minister Linda Reynolds said military capability in the region was modernising rapidly and it needed to maintain a regional capability edge. It is essential that we have the capabilities that can hold forces and infrastructure at risk from a greater distance, to influence decision-making of those who may seek to threaten our national interests, Reynolds said. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) US Secretary of State on Tuesday (local time) urged UN Security Council to extend the arms embargo on which is scheduled to expire in October. "Because of the flawed nuclear deal negotiated by the previous American administration, the arms embargo on the world's most heinous terrorist regime is scheduled to expire on October 18th, a mere four months from now. Four months," Pompeo said while urging the members to "Stand for peace and security, as the United Nations' founders intended." He said, "If you fail to act, will be free to purchase Russian-made fighter jets that can strike up to a 3,000 kilometer radius, putting cities like Riyadh, New Delhi, Rome, and Warsaw in Iranian crosshairs. will be free to upgrade and expand its fleet of submarines to further threaten shipping and freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, the Persian Gulf, and the Arabian Sea." "Iran is not a responsible democracy like Australia or India. Just consider the secretary general's UNSCR 2231 report that we're discussing today. The report confirmed that weapons used to attack Saudi Arabia in September 2019 were of Iranian origin. The report has also confirmed the weapons interdicted off the coast of Yemen in November of 2019 and February 2020 were of Iranian origin," he said. The US Secretary said that Iran has already been violating the arms embargo, even before its expiration date. "Imagine if Iranian activity were sanctioned, authorized by this group if the restrictions were lifted." He said, "The United States' overwhelming preference is to work with this council to extend the arms embargo to protect human life, to protect our national security, and to protect yours. We've imposed arms restrictions on Tehran in various forms for 13 years, and with good reason, and to substantial effect." "Renewing the embargo will exert more pressure on Tehran to start behaving like a normal nation," he added. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Tesla Inc on Wednesday became the highest-valued automaker as its shares surged to record highs and the electric carmaker's market capitalization overtook that of former front runner Toyota Motors Corp. Tesla shares gained 5% in early morning trade to a record of $1,133, boosting the company's market cap to $209.47 billion - roughly $6 billion more than Toyota is currently valued by investors.Tesla is now worth more than triple the combined value of U.S. automakers General Motors Co and Ford Motor Co . The shares' meteoric rise, up more than 163% since the start of ... British Prime Minister announced a 5-billion-pound (about US $6.2 billion) plan to fuel economic recovery in the wake of the crisis. In a speech in Dudley on Tuesday, a city close to Birmingham in the West Midlands region, Johnson said the government "is wholly committed not just to defeating coronavirus, but to using this crisis finally to tackle this country's great unresolved challenges of the last three decades," Xinhua news agency reported. At a podium decorated with the slogan "build, build, build", Johnson noted the new plan is an "infrastructure revolution" to "build and rebuild those vital connexions to every part of the UK." According to a statement from 10 Downing Street, the massive plan covers hospital maintenance, road network, school rebuilding and courts upgrades, through a bold program of "national renewal, uniting and levelling up the UK". In his speech, Johnson regarded crisis as the biggest and most immediate economic challenge that Britain faces. "We must work fast because we have already seen the vertiginous drop in GDP and we know that people are worried now about their jobs and their businesses," he said. "We will not be responding to this crisis with what people called austerity," Johnson added, "next week the Chancellor (of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak) will be setting out immediate plan to support the through the first phase of recovery," he said. Johnson also said the government will continue and step up the biggest ever program of funding the National Health Service (NHS) and Health Secretary Matt Hancock will set out the list of 40 new hospitals in the next few days. Britain's shrunk by a record 20.4 per cent in April as a result of measures. Ruth Gregory, senior UK economist from the London-based economic research consultancy Capital Economics, said the prime Minister's announcement signals that the British government's intention is to sustain the fiscal stimulus further ahead, rather than lurch towards fiscal austerity as it did after the global financial crisis. --IANS rt/ (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Dr Reddy's Laboratories on Wednesday announced partnership with Japan's Fujifilm Corporation and Dubai's Global Response Aid (GRA) for the development, manufacture and sales of Avigan tablets (favipiravir), a potential treatment of COVID-19. Under the tripartite agreement, Fujifilm grants Dr Reddy's the exclusive rights of manufacturing. It also grants both Dr Reddy's and GRA the rights to develop, sell and distribute Avigan in all countries other than Japan, China and Russia. Dr Reddy's would have exclusive rights for development, selling and distribution of Avigan in India. Further, Fujifilm would receive an upfront undisclosed license fee and royalties on sales from Dr Reddy's and GRA, it said. Fujifilm will provide Dr Reddy's and GRA an array of data on Avigan's preclinical and clinical studies that it has accumulated so far. In addition, Fujifilm will grant Dr Reddy's right to use Avigan's patents of formulation and manufacturing method. Dr Reddy's will herewith establish a setup for manufacturing drugs of the same quality as Avigan, and utilize GRA's global sales network to supply the manufactured drugs swiftly and in a stable manner. The Fujifilm Group is currently conducting a clinical study on Avigan targeting COVID-19 patients in Japan and the US, and is working to increase the drug's production by partnering with domestic and overseas companies. Dr Reddy's and GRA shall introduce the product in the market post all applicable approvals in the respective countries, it added. Shares of Dr Reddy's Laboratories were down 0.76% to Rs 3911. The stock traded in the range of Rs 3,887 to Rs 3,963.60 so far. Dr Reddy's Laboratories' consolidated net profit jumped 71.5% to Rs 781.10 crore on a 10.3% rise in net sales to Rs 4,431.80 crore in Q4 March 2020 over Q4 March 2019. Dr Reddy's Laboratories is an integrated pharmaceutical company. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Godfrey Phillips India reported 19.86% fall in consolidated net profit to Rs 38.69 crore on 3.56% rise in total income to Rs 622.15 crore in Q4 March 2020 over Q4 March 2019. The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 30 June 2020. Shares of Godfrey Phillips India settled 1.45% lower at Rs 1,017.95 yesterday. Godfrey Phillips India reported 47.85% rise in consolidated net profit to Rs 384.87 crore on 15.8% rise in total income to Rs 2,983.45 crore in the year ended 31 March 2020 (FY 20) over FY19. Godfrey Phillips India is one of the largest FMCG companies in India. The company makes some of the most popular cigarette brands in the country like Four Square, Red and White, Cavanders, Tipper and North Pole. Godfrey Phillips India also manufactures and distributes iconic brand Marlboro under a license agreement with Philip Morris. The company has expanded business interests in chewing products, mouth fresheners, confectionary and retail. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Mishra Dhatu Nigam (MIDHANI) slipped 6.29% to Rs 204.10 after standalone net profit tumbled 49.70% to Rs 40.38 crore on 39.47% fall in total revenue from operations to Rs 203.63 crore in Q4 March 2020 over Q4 March 2019. Profit before tax (PBT) slumped 51.50% to Rs 55.70 crore in Q4 FY20 over Q4 FY19. Tax expense declined 55.70% to Rs 15.31 crore in Q4 FY20 over Q4 FY19. The Q4 result was declared after market hours yesterday, 30 June 2020. The board has recommended a final dividend of Rs 1.56 per equity share for the year ended 31 March 2020. MIDHANI and state-run NALCO have jointly incorporated a new joint venture company, Utkarsha Aluminium Dhatu Nigam on 21 August 2019 for setting up high-end aluminium alloy production plant at Nellore, Andhra Pradesh. The joint venture (JV) company has not started its operations. The spread of COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdown in the last week of March 2020, has affected final inspection, certification, shipment of materials on account of supply chain disruptions, restrictive movements has impacted the company's turnover. Meanwhile, MIDHANI has appointed Madhubala Kalluri, General Manager (Finance & Accounts), as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of the company with effect from 30 June 2020. MIDHANI is one of the leading manufacturers of superalloys, titanium & titanium alloys, special purpose steels and other special alloys. The Government of India held 74% stake in the company as of 31 March 2020. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) All mutual fund purchases will attract from Wednesday but experts believe it will have "little to no impact" on retail as charges are too low. The of 0.005 per cent will be applicable on all purchase transactions including systematic investment plans (SIPs), lumpsums, dividends reinvested and switch-ins. Apart from purchase transactions, transfer of units from one demat to another demat account including market or off-market transfers will attract of 0.015 per cent. However, no such duty is applicable on redemption or sale of units. Amit Jain, co-founder and CEO at Ashika Wealth Advisors said levy of stamp duty will hardly impact mutual fund as it is too low to have any significance. "It will have little to no impact on retail It does not really impact retail investors unless they invest several crores of rupees for less than 3 months. However, corporate investors investing several crores and also investing for few days to a month in categories such as overnight funds may see some impact,"said Vidya Bala, co-founder of Primeinvestor. "What investors need to be aware of though is like the period of exit load, a small sum will be deducted from their investments, before units are allotted," she added. However, Jimmy Patel, CEO at Quantum Mutual Fund said the stamp duty charge will have impact on investors investing in Now, they will be allotted units after deducting the stamp duty. The impact will depend on the holding period and a long-term investor will have minimal impact, said Omkeshwar Singh, who is head RankMF at Samco Securities. Prateek Mehta, co-founder of Scripbox, said the stamp duty will be applicable on both debt as well as equity funds. It is a one-time charge and its impact will be felt only by very short-term investors as the annualised impact over the short term is higher. "For mid to long-term investors across mutual fund instruments, there will not be any material impact," he added. Since fresh purchases would attract stamp duty each time, he advised investors to not rejig their portfolio frequently so as to avoid the impact of stamp duty. Explaining about allotment of mutual fund units, Bala said units will be allotted only after deducting stamp duty. For example, an investor will suffer Rs 5 for every Rs 1 lakh. So, for an investment of Rs 1 lakh, units will be allotted on Rs 99,995. Stamp duty charge is due to an amendment in the Indian Stamp Act, 1899 by Finance Act 2019. It requires collection of stamp duty on all securities market instruments, including It was originally to be effective from January 9 , but the government later postponed it to be effective from July 1. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Opposition parties in Bihar on Wednesday alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's address to the nation had an eye on the upcoming Bihar polls, with the saying the BJP cannot win the elections on PR stunts. The state unit of the BJP, however, rubbished the allegations saying that the opposition parties have a narrow mindset. In his speech on Tuesday, Modi had referred to 'Chhath Puja' twice, though the festival which is the biggest in Bihar, is close to five months away. The prime minister then followed up his speech with a flurry of tweets in languages spoken across the country, with two of them in Bhojpuri, which is commonly spoken in Bihar. In a tweet in Bhojpuri, Lalu Prasad's responded to the prime minister's remarks, saying, "You have come to think of Bhojpuri now. A few months ago you had suddenly remembered Litti-Chokha. You think you can fight elections on the basis of such PR stunts?" The Bihar assembly election is due in October-November this year. The 'litti-chokha' barb was an apparent reference to Modi's savouring of the Bihari delicacy at a stall set up as part of the 'Hunar Haat' in Delhi earlier this year. "Remember, the elections in Bihar are going to be a mahasangram (epic battle). You may have won over the turncoat with a flawed DNA. You won't be able to win the trust of the people of the state who are seekers of justice, the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) said. The remark by the opposition party was aimed at Modi's DNA jibe at Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar during the 2015 assembly polls which the JD(U) chief had fought and won in a "grand alliance" with the and the Congress. Kumar's abrupt exit from the alliance and return to the BJP-led NDA three years ago led to the RJD being ousted from power. This continues to rankle the RJD, which hopes to garner public sympathy over betrayal of mandate by the chief minister. RJD's estranged allies Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) and Rashtriya Lok Samata Party (RLSP) seemed to be in agreement that the gestures by Prime Minister Modi were essentially an electoral stunt. HAM spokesman Danish Rizwan and RLSP national general secretary Madhaw Anand came out with statements to the effect. The common allegation made by the HAM and the RLSP in their statements was that the speech was made with an eye on assembly elections in Bihar and the prime minister seemed more interested in ensuring his party BJP's victory than providing real benefits to the poor. However, at a press conference held here, BJP's Bihar president Sanjay Jaiswal rubbished the charge and asserted that opposition parties are demonstrating their "chhoti soch" (narrow mindset). These regional parties have such a narrow vision that they do not appear to know that 'Chhath' is now not just a festival of Bihar. People from the state are spread across the country and the festival is, therefore, celebrated everywhere, he said. Jaiswal also pointed out that the prime minister had tweeted in many other languages, including Sanskrit, and wondered why the opposition was making a big fuss over the issue. Sources in the NDA in Bihar, however, said that a masterstroke has been played by Modi, on whose charisma the JD(U)-BJP combine depends as much for its success in the assembly poll as the goodwill earned by Nitish Kumar during his 15 years as chief minister. Kumar's performance, numerous failures notwithstanding, is acknowledged by all as having been better than that of his predecessors. The JD(U) chief, who will seek his fourth consecutive term in the elections, came out with a nod of approval. "I thank the Prime Minister and express my gratitude towards him for extending the Garib Kalyan Ann Yojana under which the poor will now get free ration for another five months," Kumar tweeted. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Every chairman of the State Bank of India (SBI), the largest bank in the country , has contributed to the growth and stability of the bank. The current chairman Rajnish Kumar who took the baton from Arundhati Bhattacharya in October 2017, has also grown the bank and is steadying the ship in a most challenging time for the banking industry to set the foundation for future growth. Kumar, who is the twenty-fifth chairman of the SBI, will retire in October. He has set specific priorities for the bank in the coming years in the fast-changing banking landscape. Kumar has spelled out the strategy in the recently released annual report. Here are the key focus areas: Improving market share in the five metros The entry of new generation private banks in the mid-90s and the subsequent expansion of these banks in the retail banking saw public sector banks losing market share. While SBI is quite big in home loans and deposit mobilisation, it has to improve its market share in many key areas in top five metros -- Delhi NCR, Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad. Follow fintech model of cashflow-based SME lending The banks have historically lent to SMEs based on past financial performance and the hard numbers for three to five years. But the shift is happening with the start-ups and new enterprises generating good cashflows within few years of starting their operations. SBI is now readying with advanced analytics by using GST network data and other inputs like POS volumes for underwriting small loans. Partnerships with NBFCs for co-lending The bank is in discussion with dozens of new age NBFCs, fintechs and traditional NBFCs for co-lending. Over half a dozen NBFCs have already been onboarded where the bank is lending based on the lead generated by these new players. The bank is also digitising the entire process where the loan leads would flow directly from an NBFC platform to the bank with very little human intervention. Supply chain financing The bank has always been active in the supply chain financing but there is now a focussed approach to reach out to more players in the supply chain ecosystem. In the just concluded financial year, the bank has signed new partners like Bosch, Hero Electric, OPPO Mobile and Dabur etc. The bank has also worked on the risk-based pricing under supply chain financing. Cost and productivity Two and a half years ago, the bank had merged five of its associate banks with itself, which brought in additional people and the branches. Since digitisation is reducing reliance on people and the branch channels, the bank is focussing on rationalisation and reskilling of workforce, improving employee productivity and redeployment of workforce from admin to sales roles. Also Read: TikTok CEO Kevin Mayer calls ban unfortunate; says employees well-being top priority Also Read: RBI outlines norms for special liquidity scheme for NBFCs, HFCs Hero MotoCorp, the world's largest two-wheeler manufacturer, reported a 26.8 percent decline in domestic sales at 450,744 units in June 2020 as compared to 616,526 units in June 2019. On the sequential basis, the auto major registered a growth of four times over the month of May 2020, when it dispatched 112,682 units. The company said it has achieved 90 per cent of its pre-coronavirus levels after reporting subdued performance in March, April and May. In February, the two-wheeler major had posted sales of 4.98 lakh units. "Considering these are unusual and highly disrupted times, it is appropriate and logical to compare the sales trajectory in the sequential months, and not with the corresponding month of the previous year," the company said in a filing to the Bombay Stock Exchange. For the first quarter of financial year (April-June) 2020-21, Hero MotoCorp reported total sales of 563,426 units as most of the plants remained shut in wake of coronavirus pandemic. "The sales in the first quarter of FY'21 was subdued due to the impact of COVID-19 and the effects of the closure of the plant operations and the retail outlets through the entire month of April and most of May," it said. Also Read: Maruti reports 54% YoY decline in sales in June; sells less than 40% of pre-coronavirus level "We have demonstrated phenomenal leadership quality and tenacity to clock a sharp vertical growth in our sales at a time of massive disruption and uncertainty. This is an overwhelming reiteration of the enduring trust and faith that our customers repose in Brand Hero," said Pawan Munjal, Chairman and CEO, Hero MotoCorp. "Sales of over 4.5 lakh two-wheelers in a highly disrupted month is also a clear signal of the resilience of the Indian economy to be able to revive in the face of any adversity. This has vindicated our strong belief in the robust fundamentals of the Indian economy," he added. Munjal further stated that a major part of the market demand has emanated from the rural and semi-urban markets, which have been helped to a large extent by the various stimulus packages rolled out by the government. According to him, a combination of multiple factors, including the forecast of a normal monsoon, a bumper Rabi crop and the upcoming festive season are expected to keep the momentum going over the next few months. Also Read: Hero MotoCorp's Splendor sprints ahead of Honda Activa in FY20 The company said it has made significant progress in ramping-up the production across all its eight manufacturing facilities - six in India and two in global markets. More than 95 per cent of the customer touch points of Hero MotoCorp have been operational, also with strict safety measures and protocols in place, it said. In the month of June, Hero MotoCorp launched an integrated online sales platform - eSHOP- to enable a seamless buying experience for the customers digitally. It also commenced the dispatches of its popular premium motorcycle - the Hero Xtreme 160R. The new Xtreme 160R is available at Hero MotoCorp showrooms across the country at price of Rs 99,950 (Front Disc with Single Channel ABS) and Rs 1,03,500 (Double Disc with Single Channel ABS). Meanwhile, shares of Hero MotoCorp ended Wednesday's trade at Rs 2,547 apiece, down 0.05 per cent, against previous closing price of Rs 2548.35 on the BSE. Merger and acquisition (M&A) activities in India witnessed a downtrend in the first half of 2020 with total deal value touching a three-year low, largely owing to liquidity crunch in the wake of coronavirus pandemic, says a report. According to Refinitiv, formerly the Financial & Risk business of Thomson Reuters, India Inc's M&A deals fell to a three-year low of $38.1 billion in the first half of 2020, a 14.1 per cent decline compared to the first half of 2019. Similar to deal values, number of deals also witnessed a 22.7 per cent decline on the back of 25.8 per cent fall in domestic M&A deals. India-targeted M&A stood at $35.1 billion, down 14.5 per cent from the same period last year, the lowest first half period since 2017, the report said. Domestic M&A activity also dropped by 25.8 per cent in value compared to last year and totaled $17.9 billion as number of announced domestic deals fell 19.9 per cent from a year ago. Also Read: How CSR impacts public M&A deals Facebook stake purchase in Reliance Industries' Jio Platforms is the largest India-involved deal so far this year. This brings India inbound M&A activity to $17.3 billion, up 1.6 per cent from the first half of last year, as per the report. On April 22, social media giant Facebook, through its wholly-owned subsidiary Jaadhu Holdings LLC, announced an investment of $5.7 billion (Rs 43,574 crore) to acquire a 9.9 percent stake in billionaire Mukesh Ambani's telecom arm Jio Platforms. This is the largest investment for a minority stake by a technology company anywhere in the world and the largest FDI in the technology sector in India, RIL had said in a statement. Also Read: CCI approves Facebook's 9.99% stake acquisition in Jio Platforms As per the report, the United States was the most active foreign acquirer in India in terms of value as well as number of acquisitions, as value doubled to $8.4 billion (from 64 deals) compared to a year ago, capturing 48.9 per cent market share. Meanwhile, outbound M&A plunged to its lowest level in more than a decade as deal activity fell 74.1 per cent from a year ago and reached $449.6 million. The United States was the top most targeted nation in terms of value as well as number of deals from Indian companies with 17 deals worth $229.7 million, or 51.1 per cent market share. Also Read: Corporate debt crisis takes a toll on mergers and acquisitions in 2019 The first half of the year was dominated by M&A deals in the energy and power sector, followed by telecommunications and financials sector. "Majority of the deal making activity involving India targeted the energy and power sector which totaled $8.6 billion, up 31.9 per cent from a year ago and captured 22.7 per cent market share. Telecommunications and financials rounded out the top three industries with 15.5 per cent and 14.6 per cent market share, respectively," the report said. BofA Securities takes the top spot for any Indian involvement announced M&A league tables, with $6.7 billion in related deal value each, capturing 17.6 per cent market share. KEY HIGHLIGHTS Hopes the government verification will end soon, and India operations will resume India remains a crucial market Asks employees to make use of this time to study and upskill Addressing employees through a virtual town hall on ByteDance's internal communications platform, Kevin Mayer, the chief executive of the company assured that they were closely working with the government to resolve all issues. Kevin, who left the post of Disney's streaming head to become TikTok CEO, was joined by Nikhil Gandhi, TikTok's India head, and Rohan Mishra, India head, Helo, during the address to its over 2,000 employees based in the country. In the 30-minute-long town hall, Kevin also said that he was closely monitoring the situation and actively engaging with the government in all the dialogues. Even as the company is proactively providing all the necessary documents and compliances to establish its bonafides, he further said that all the verification of the companies claims could take a couple of weeks. Reiterating that TikTok was adhering to all the rules and regulations applicable, in India he asserted that that there was no violation of any laws on the part of the company. Most importantly he also told employees that TikTok will bounce back strongly once the issue is resolved. Assuring employees that India will remain a very important market to the company, and that the government's move to ban few of ByteDance's apps would not result in layoffs or salary cuts for employees in India. Kevin, who also is the Chief Operation Officer at ByteDance (parent company of TikTok), said that while Indian clients were important, the employees were even more important to them. He also advised the employees to make use of the time to study and upskill themselves. Kevin's address comes on the back of Indian government banning 59 Chinese apps, which it said posed a threat to the security of the nation and also geo-political tensions arising out of China-India army standoff at the country's northern border in Ladakh. ALSO READ: ByteDance confident ban on TikTok, Helo will be lifted soon ALSO READ: TikTok CEO Kevin Mayer calls ban unfortunate; says employees well-being top priority Niti Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant on Tuesday said all apps released in India must adhere to the country's data integrity, privacy and sovereignty, a day after the government banned 59 apps. Asserting that India has to be a data sovereign country, Kant also said apps must be transparent in terms of origin and final destination of data. The 59 apps, most of which have Chinese links, were banned by the government citing that they were prejudicial to sovereignty, integrity and security of the country. "All Apps released in India must adhere to India's data integrity, privacy, sovereignty and transparency. They must be transparent in origin & final destination of data. India has to be a data sovereign country. This is critical. Apps against whom action taken are lifestyle apps," Kant said in a tweet. In a series of tweets, he also said that time is ripe for the best of India technology companies to develop technology solutions for India and the world. Also read: Paytm founder Vijay Shekhar Sharma hails ban on 59 Chinese apps; faces backlash Indians will leverage strength of diversity and build for India together, Kant said, adding that transparency, privacy, security and ease of access will be the key principles of our product design. He also pointed out that the AarogyaSetu app, developed for tracking COVID-19 patients, has been a unique example of technology innovation in India, built for India, and used by millions of Indians. "Many more such examples will be created by young Indian innovators," he said. The ban on the 59 apps also came against the backdrop of the current stand-off between India and China along the Line of Actual control in Ladakh. On Monday, the Information Technology Ministry said it has received many complaints from various sources, including several reports about misuse of some mobile apps available on Android and iOS platforms for "stealing and surreptitiously transmitting users' data in an unauthorised manner to servers which have locations outside India". "The compilation of these data, its mining and profiling by elements hostile to national security and defence of India, which ultimately impinges upon the sovereignty and integrity of India, is a matter of very deep and immediate concern which requires emergency measures," the ministry had said in a statement. Also read: How much money does TikTok make in India? Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday said that the coronavirus situation in the national capital was 'not terrible' and because of the 'hard work of everyone,' it was now under control. Addressing media via online briefing, the chief minister said, "It was predicted that, by June 30, Delhi would have 1 lakh COVID-19 cases out of which 60,000 would be active cases but today we only have about 26,000 active cases. This is the result of everyone's hard work that we have been able to control the situation". However, the CM added that there was no room for complacency as the virus was unpredictable. According to the Delhi government's health department data, more than 75 per cent of the total coronavirus cases in the national capital were reported in June. As many as 66,526 fresh coronavirus cases were reported from June 1 to June 30. The current coronavirus count of the city stands at 87,360, out of which 26,270 are active cases, 58,34 have been cured and 2,742 are dead. With the rising number of coronavirus cases in Delhi, the state government is ramping up its strategy to combat the virus. The Delhi government has said a door-to-door survey will be completed in all containment zones of Delhi on a priority basis. The total number of containment zones in Delhi now stands at 440; a total of 91 zones have been de-contained to date. The city has also started a serological survey from June 27 till July 10. At least 20,000 samples will be collected as a part of a serosurvey. A strict monitoring plan will also be implemented at the district level. The state government has mandated everyone to download the Aarogya Setu app, especially in the worst-affected neighborhoods. Also read: GST collection jumps 46% to Rs 90,917 crore in June compared to May; declines 9% YoY Also read: Patanjali's Coronil to now be available in market; all protocols followed, says Baba Ramdev The Chinese media has said that India should not underestimate the consequence of an economic war with the country after the Centre banned 59 Chinese apps. It said that the move has dealt a blow to the confidence of Chinese investors and that the Indian economy could remain subdued for a protracted time. Chinese government mouthpiece Global Times called the ban "nonsensical" and said that India has made the "political crackdown" on Chinese companies more blatant. "If India's sovereignty can be damaged by a handful of apps, just how vulnerable is it?," said the news site. The Centre had stated that the apps made it to the ban list as "they are engaged in activities which is prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India, security of state and public order". The news site said that the ban would hurt commercial interests of some Chinese companies but that India is in no position to "cause harm to China's juggernaut economy". Global Times said that while some people have been calling for a boycott of Chinese products, achieving it is quite difficult. "There are no available and affordable alternatives to Chinese-made products such as smartphones, chemicals, automotive components and many other items," it said. It stated that China has been calling for calmness and earnest efforts in order to preserve bilateral ties between the two countries. The news site blamed the Modi government for failing to "rein in the rising nationalism" among Indians and encouraged such a boycott to escalate. It said that such an order will further worsen bilateral ties between both countries. The news site said that while border brawls have happened earlier as well, "it would be uncommon for the two countries to engage in an economic war". Global Times said that even after the Doklam standoff in 2017, bilateral ties had recovered fast and "India's economic losses were limited". It added that if the Indian government continues to "pamper" the nationalist sentiment then the country would face more losses than during Doklam. "We sincerely hope the Indian government will wake up to the reality of the situation and help prevent the current crisis from deteriorating to a firestorm," it stated. Also read: No legal framework to ban TikTok! Crackdown on Chinese apps easier said than done Also read: How much money does TikTok make in India? India will not allow Chinese companies to participate in highway projects, including those through joint ventures, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said on Wednesday amid border standoff with China. Gadakri also said the government will ensure that Chinese investors are not entertained in various sectors like Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs). The senior minister's assertions assume significance against the backdrop of border standoff between India and China in Ladakh that also saw the death of 20 Indian Army personnel last month. Amid escalating tensions, the government on Monday banned 59 apps, mostly having Chinese links, citing threats to national security. Also Read: TikTok CEO Kevin Mayer calls ban unfortunate; says employees well-being top priority "We will not give permission to joint ventures that have Chinese partners for road construction. We have taken a firm stand that if they (Chinese companies) come via joint venture in our country, we will not allow it," Gadkari told PTI in an interview. The Road Transport, Highways and MSME minister said a policy will be out soon banning Chinese firms and relaxing norms for Indian companies to expand their eligibility criteria for participation in highway projects. Currently only a few projects which were undertaken much earlier involve some Chinese partners. When asked about this, the Minister said that the new decision will be implemented in current and future tenders. With respect to existing tenders and future bids, Gadkari said rebidding would be done if there are any Chinese joint ventures. "We have taken a decision to relax norms for our companies to ensure that they qualify in bidding in large projects. I have directed the Highways Secretary (Giridhar Aramane) and NHAI Chairman (SS Sandhu) to hold a meeting for relaxing technical and financial norms so that our companies can qualify to work," he said. Elaborating on the decision, Gadkari said if a contractor can qualify for a small project, he can also qualify for a large project. "Construction norms are not good so I have asked to change it. We are changing it so that we can encourage Indian companies," he added. According to him, qualification norms for projects are being rationalised to ensure Indian companies do not require to enter into pacts with foreign partners to grab projects. "Even if we have to go for foreign joint venture in the areas of technology, consultancy or design, we will not allow Chinese," the Minister said. About the MSME sector, Gadkari said the effort is to enhance the capacity of local production but at the same time foreign investment is being promoted. However, he made it clear that despite decision to encourage foreign investment, Chinese investors would not be allowed. "For upgradation of technology, research, consultancy and other works, we will encourage foreign investment and joint ventures in MSMEs but in case of Chinese we will not entertain them," he said. On stopping of consignments from China at Indian ports, the minister said there is "no arbitrary stopping of goods" at Indian ports and the government is initiating path-breaking reforms to help MSMEs and businesses in a bid to make the country self-reliant. "It is a good step. The imports from China will be discouraged and the country will take large strides towards self-reliance," the Minister said and added that he is among the strongest proponents of 'Atmanirbhar Bharat'. Gadkari said that he had urged departments concerned to expedite clearance of consignments which were booked two to three months in advance before the situation took its present shape. After a representation from a farmers and traders' body that imported agriculture equipment consignments were delayed at ports, Gadkari in a letter to Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Commerce and Industries Minister Piyush Goyal had sought early clearance of the said consignments. There are reports that customs authorities at Chennai and Vishakhapatnam ports are conducting extra scrutiny of consignments from China. Gadkari, as per the information, did not mention the name of the country from where these equipment were imported. "Indian business has the strength and skills to grow further and power our journey towards self-reliance. Under strong leadership of PM Narendra Modi, the Government of India is proactive and initiating path-breaking reforms that will help businesses and MSMEs," he said. Most of these equipment, as per the information, pertain to spraying devices for pesticide control as the same had been diverted to urban areas during the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak. Amid heightened border tensions with China, Indian customs officials have started physical inspection of all consignments coming from the neighbouring country specially Chennai and Vishakhapatnam ports. Also Read: Hero MotoCorp domestic sales fall 27% to 4.5 lakh units in June Also Read: RBI outlines norms for special liquidity scheme for NBFCs, HFCs Amid the uproar on social media over significantly high electricity bills in Maharashtra, one of the power suppliers Adani Electricity has explained how it calculated the charges. It said that since meter readings were called off by Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission (MERC), the company based the bills for March, April and May on the average billing of the previous three months of December, January and February. Since electricity consumption is less during winter months, the average also fell resulting in low bills during the lockdown months before shooting up in June. The clarifications from MERC and Adani Electricity came after netizens from the state took to social media to ask about the process behind the high electricity bills in the month of June. Actress Taapsee Pannu asked the company how the electricity bill could be Rs 36,000 when it was less than Rs 5,000 in April and May. Actress Renuka Shahane also took to Twitter to ask how her bill has spiked from Rs 5,510 in April to Rs 18,080 for May. She said that she was billed Rs 29,700 for May and June together. And this one is for an apartment where no one stays n its only visited once in a week for cleaning purpose @Adani_Elec_Mum I am now worried if someone is actually using the apartment without our knowledge and you have helped us uncover the reality pic.twitter.com/GeBQUSJaft taapsee pannu (@taapsee) June 28, 2020 Meter reading that was temporarily halted due to the coronavirus lockdown has been resumed from June. WHY THE SPIKE Typically, electricity consumption shoots up from April till the onset of monsoon. But during the lockdown, consumers ended up paying less since the meter readings were not being taken and calculations were based on the average of the previous three months. The MERC order came in March, following which the companies computed the lockdown bills based on the electricity charges of December, January and February. Since those are winter months, electricity consumption was less, which brought down the average, leading to low bills for the three months. However, upon calculation of the meter readings after lockdown, the extra amount left from the three months were added to the June bill, showing a significant spike in charges. Also read: Rs 3,850 in May, Rs 36,000 in June: Unusual hike in electricity bill shocks celebs, Mumbai residents "Moreover, a large number of individuals also refrained from going out, as well as worked and studied from home during this pandemic," it said. The company said that this rise in consumption has been witnessed across utility levels. "In some segments, power consumption has increased by two-three-fold. Moreover, due to the lockdown, as most consumers were working from home, the consumption of power had increased even more," it added. MERC reiterated AEML and said, "The balance amount payable after adjusting the average bill amounts for each of the three months March, April and May have led to higher bill that was issued in June." Adani Electricity added that upon receiving the actual meter readings, the bills will be adjusted and the extra amount would be debited or credited. HOW IT WAS CALCULATED Since commercial and industrial establishments were shut during the lockdown months, the power companies allowed a moratorium on the payment of fixed charges. Arrear charges were also waived off by the companies. The bills were processed on the basis of 10 per cent of average energy consumption for establishments where meter reading was not available. Adani Electricity said that if the customer has paid more or equal to 80 per cent of the bill amount then the delay payment charges (DPC) on the unpaid amount will be reduced by 50 per cent. For instance, if the bill amount is Rs 2,000 and if the customer has paid more than 80 per cent or Rs 1,650 then DPC has been charged as 0.65 per cent which is half of normal charge of 1.25 per cent on the balance amount. In case the bill on actual reading is lower than the assessed billed amount, DPC will be recomputed based on the actual bill, it said. Once calculated, the amount would be added or deducted from the bill. Also read: Infosys workforce increases 166% in 10 years but electricity consumption only 20% "In case, the amount paid by you based on the assessed billing is higher than that payable as per actual reading (when taken), the holding charge (equivalent to 1-month MCLR rate of SBI as on billing date) on excess amount paid shall be credited to the consumer," it said. If the bill is lower, then the amount will be levied on the consumer's account. BILL PAYMENTS ON EMI MERC has also allowed companies to accept bills on EMIs. If the bill is more than double the average for the period of March to May then consumers would be allowed to make the payments in three EMIs. It also said that if a bill is being contested, the companies cannot disconnect the electricity line. "Nobody should be disconnected for non-payment until the bill related grievance of the consumer is redressed, including the exercising of choice for making payment in EMIs," said MERC. BILL GRIEVANCES As confusion around high bills mount, MERC has asked power companies to take measures to address these issues. The power suppliers in the state -- MSEDCL, BEST Undertaking, AEML and TPC -- have been asked to ensure transparency while dealing with consumer grievances. Grievance officers will also be appointed to ensure that the concerns are addressed within a day. Software utility for consumers to verify their bills must also be provided, it said. It said if excessive consumption is noticed then meter reading should be checked on suo moto basis. Also read: Coronavirus impact: Eight core industries' output shrinks 23.4% in May China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) on Tuesday has created 81-metre long signage between Finger-4 and Finger-5 at the north bank of Pangong Tso in eastern Ladakh. Satellite images show 'China' written in Mandarin language on the signage near the Pangong Lakeshore. Besides, the PLA also appears to have drawn a map of China on part of the lakeshore,The Times of India reported. With this, China has sought to deride India's claim that the Line of Actual Control (LAC) runs north to south at Finger-8. Pangong lake, located at 14,000ft in the Himalayas is divided into eight 'Fingers'. India believes it has the right to patrol from Finger 1 to Finger 8, while China believes it has the right to control from Finger 8 to Finger 4. At present, Chinese troops are deployed at Finger 4. The Chinese troops have intruded 423 metres at the Galwan Valley, according to NDTV. The PLA army has pitched 16 tents and tarpaulins and deployed 14 vehicles along the 423-metre stretch of Indian territory. Images shared on Chinese social media sites tried to highlight possible water damage to Indian camps along the swollen #Galwan river, unfortunately for the Chinese it ended up focusing attention to the mirror deployment by India in the sector #indiachinastandoffpic.twitter.com/XEOuXy1KMP - d-atis (@detresfa_) July 1, 2020 Meanwhile, Indian and Chinese militaries yesterday held an over 10-hour Corps Commander-level dialogue with a focus on finalising modalities for the disengagement of troops from various standoff points in eastern Ladakh, and explored ways to ease tension in the region, government sources said. The talks took place on the Indian side of Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Chushul sector in eastern Ladakh. In the previous two rounds of talks, the Indian side demanded immediate withdrawal of Chinese troops from various areas in the region. The Indian and Chinese armies are locked in a bitter standoff in multiple locations in eastern Ladakh for the last seven weeks, and the tension escalated manifold after 20 Indian soldiers were killed in a violent clash in Galwan Valley on June 15. The Chinese side also suffered casualties but it is yet to give out the details. Also read: Unemployment rate falls to 10.99% in June from 23.48% in May: CMIE Also read: China to declare curbs on US media outlets, says Global Times editor Hu Xijin The European Union announced Tuesday that it will reopen its borders to travellers from 14 countries, but most Americans have been refused entry for at least another two weeks due to soaring coronavirus infections in the US. Travelers from other big countries like Russia, Brazil and India will also miss out. As Europe's economies reel from the impact of the coronavirus, southern EU countries like Greece, Italy and Spain are desperate to entice back sun-loving visitors and breathe life into their damaged tourism industries. More than 15 million Americans are estimated to travel to Europe each year, while some 10 million Europeans head across the Atlantic. Citizens from the following countries will be allowed into the EU's 27 members and four other nations in Europe's visa-free Schengen travel zone: Algeria, Australia, Canada, Georgia, Japan, Montenegro, Morocco, New Zealand, Rwanda, Serbia, South Korea, Thailand, Tunisia and Uruguay. The EU said China is subject to confirmation of reciprocity, meaning it must lift all restrictions on European citizens entering China before it will allow Chinese citizens back in. Countries considered for the safe list are also expected to lift any bans they might have in place on European travellers. The list is to be updated every 14 days, with new countries being added and some even dropping off depending on whether they are keeping the disease under control. Still, many people both inside and outside Europe remain wary of travel in the coronavirus era, given the unpredictability of the pandemic and the possibility of second waves of infection that could affect flights and hotel bookings. Tens of thousands of travellers had a frantic, chaotic scramble in March to get home as the pandemic swept across the world and borders slammed shut. The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the United States has surged over the past week, and President Donald Trump also suspended the entry of all people from Europe's ID check-free travel zone in a decree in March. In contrast, aside from a notable recent outbreak tied to a slaughterhouse in western Germany, the virus's spread has generally stabilized across much of continental Europe. European Union countries hastily slapped restrictions on who could cross their borders in February as the virus spread in Italy. Then in mid-March the Europeans limited all non-essential travel to the 27 EU member states plus Liechtenstein, Iceland, Norway and Switzerland. Non-EU citizens who are already living in Europe are not included in the ban. The EU list does not apply to travel to Britain, which left the EU in January. Britain now requires all incoming travelers bar a few exceptions like truck drivers to go into a self-imposed 14-day quarantine, although the measure is under review and is likely to ease in the coming weeks. The requirement also applies to UK citizens. Also read: Scandal-hit PIA halts operation to Europe after EU ban on its flights for 6 months State Bank of India (SBI), the largest bank in the country, is in discussion with dozens of new-age NBFCs, fintech and traditional NBFCs for co-lending. Hindustan Unilever (HUL) has begun discussions on possible alternatives to raw materials it imports from China in its bid to help the country become self-reliant. Kevin Mayer, CEO of TikTok, in an open letter, said the company is working with all stakeholders to address the related concerns after the app was banned in India. Read for more top stories from the world of business and economy: 1. From co-lending to reskilling workforce, SBI's top 5 focus areas post-COVID The bank is in discussion with dozens of new age NBFCs, fintechs and traditional NBFCs for co-lending. Over half a dozen NBFCs have already been onboarded where the bank is lending based on the lead generated by these new players. 2. Coronavirus fallout: HUL aims to shift supply from China; in talks for alternatives Speaking to shareholder at HUL's 87th annual general meeting, Mehta further stated that the company has initiated talks on the matter as it imports raw materials and packaging materials worth over Rs 400 crore from China. 3. TikTok CEO Kevin Mayer calls ban unfortunate; says employees well-being top priority Mayer, in his message, said that the company would do anything in its power to restore the positive experiences and opportunities that they can be proud of. 4. GST collection jumps 46% to Rs 90,917 crore in June compared to May; declines 9% YoY The spike in June could partly be due to the fact that returns of the month of April, March as well as some returns of February were filed in the month of June 2020. 5. Unemployment rate falls to 10.99% in June from 23.48% in May: CMIE Haryana has highest unemployment rate of 33.6 per cent, followed by Tripura at 21.3 per cent and Jharkhand at 21 per cent. As the world continues to grapple with the impact and deaths left behind by the coronavirus pandemic, a new strain of swine flu with the possibility of mutating into a pandemic has come to the fore. A new strain of H1N1 flu has been detected in China, which must be "urgently" contained to prevent another pandemic, warn scientists. The new strain of swine flu has been detected in China's pig farms. The H1N1 flu had wreaked havoc in 2009 leading to the deaths of over 2.8 lakh people. It eventually morphed into seasonal flu. Called G4 EA H1N1, the new strain has been common since 2016. According to a study published by National Academy of Sciences, the strain effectively replicates in human airways. While it has only infected some people without causing any disease, there is a possibility of that scenario changing for the worse. The study said that the G4 EA H1N1 has all the makings of a candidate pandemic virus. The researchers said that the spread in pigs must be urgently contained and humans monitored. The researchers studied pigs across 10 provinces from 2011 to 2018. They collected 338 blood samples from workers across 15 pig farms as well as 230 from nearby households. They found the strain in 10.4 per cent of the workers and 4.4 per cent of the others. The infection was higher -- 20.5 per cent -- in workers between 18 and 35 years of age. Ian H Brown, head of the virology department at Britain's Animal and Plant Health Agency said that predicting is not a precise science but close attention would be advisable. Brown warned that the virus could become as aggressive as the SARS virus. Other variations of H1N1 was circulating in pigs in Europe and Asia for decades but the G4 virus began rising sharply after 2014. US' top physician and immunologist said that virus was not an "imminent threat" but it is "something we need to keep our eye on the just the way we did with in 2009 with the emergence of the swine flu." Also read: Another flu with 'pandemic potential' detected in China A wedding in Bihar's Patna took a tragic turn with the death of bridegroom and 95 guests turning out COVID-19 positive. The wedding was on June 15 and was attended by over 350 guests in Paliganj, 50 km from Patna. The 30-year-old groom, a software engineer based in Gurugram, passed away two days after tying the knot. He was however cremated without being tested for coronavirus, although he was asymptomatic. The administration could not test the groom as his family had already performed the last rites without informing the authorities. Also Read: 'Never claimed Coronil can cure coronavirus': Patanjali does U-turn as doubts grow stronger The groom returned to his village Deehpali on May 12 for his wedding. During the period, he developed symptoms for COVID-19. The groom was reportedly unwell and his condition further deteriorated during the wedding ceremony. He had diarrhoea and was being treated at a hospital in Patna. But his family reportedly forced him to take medication and continue with the ceremony. The man died two days after his wedding at AIIMS, Patna. The administration went into a tizzy when informed about the matter after an anonymous caller tipped Patna's District Magistrate Sri Kumar Ravi. As many as 15 attendees tested COVID-19 positive after which the administration began contact tracing. On Monday, 80 more people who attended the wedding tested positive for novel coronavirus, making it possibly the first such case of mass spread of COVID-19 in Bihar. Meanwhile, the bride tested negative for COVID-19. Also Read: Coronavirus update: 18,543 new cases, 507 deaths in 24 hours; tally surges to 5.8 lakh The administration said that the guidelines were blatantly flouted by the family who went ahead with the wedding despite the groom manifesting COVID-19 symptoms. It also noted that there was a gross violation of social distancing rules as only 50 people are permitted to attend any wedding function. However, there were over 350 guests at the ceremony. Meanwhile, the district magistrate has ordered an investigation into the matter. Scotch Brite, the popular line of abrasive products is a known name in Indian households. But hardly any stock investor knows the listed MNC behind the popular brand, even as the stock has offered multibagger returns in the last 15 years. The 32-year old firm has multiple product lines well-diversified among segments such as automotive, consumer, medical, safety, hygiene, energy, electronics and airospace and aircraft maintenance, etc. If you had invested Rs 5 lakh in its stock in 2005, it would have turned you a crorepati (Rs 1.5 crore) by now. This is 3M India. The stock has soared to Rs 19,122.75 level as of Monday's close from Rs 634.20 level on June 29, 2005, compounding at an annual growth rate of 25.47 per cent. In absolute terms, the stock has surged a whopping 2,915 per cent! The company's US-based parent 3M owns 75 per cent stakes in the company, hence a low float of only 25 per cent is available for investors in India. Headquartered in Bengaluru, the company has four manufacturing facilities in the country - two in Pune and one each in Bengaluru and Ahmedabad. It has two R&D centres in Bengaluru and Gurgaon. The company operates in four business segments -- safety n industrial, transportation and electronics (70 per cent), healthcare (15 per cent) and consumer (10 per cent). The first two contribute 70 per cent to its revenues, while healthcare and consumer comprise 15 per cent and 11 per cent, respectively. Financials and valuations 3M India's March quarter profit after tax (PAT) may have declined marginally to Rs 60.11 crore on year-on-year basis, on a long-term basis, it has risen exponentially. From Rs 38.42 crore in financial year 2004-05, its PAT rose eight times to Rs 323 crore by FY19, while its revenues surged seven times to Rs 2,809 crore from Rs 380 crore in FY05. Note that 3M India changed its financial year from January-December to April-March in 2010. The company, which is virtually debt free with more than Rs 780 crore cash on its books as of FY20, has generated over 29 per cent average return on capital employed (ROCE) in last 15 years. On valuations front, however, the stock has been trading at a premium. Its 12-month trailing price to earnings (PE) ratio is as high as 96.68. It has ruled in the range of 51.5 and 112.5 in the last five years. Low impact of coronavirus The company which was already in PPE and sanitiser manufacturing pumped up its production post COVID-19, which it believes should cushion lockdown blues in June quarter earnings. "One of factories in Pune where we produce hand sanitiser and other medical products for hospitals continued to operate throughout the lockdown. Workers did a fantastic job working with local authorities to keep everything running. Since healthcare contributes 15 per cent to our revenues, it should support Q1 financials," says Ramesh Ramadurai, MD, 3M India. Going forward, while Ramadurai believes COVID-19 will hit company's profits to some extent, he sees recovery to be faster. "The whole business around sanitisation, hygiene and safety is large for us which are high priority areas at this point in time. These segments will recover faster because as industries and factories restart they will focus on safety, sanitisation and hygiene. These areas will be growth drivers for us in the near-term," he says. What analysts say Despite sound financials and robust stock performance, hardly any brokerages have 3M India under their universe. Business Today reached out to at least five brokerages which confirmed that they do not track the stock. "We do not have coverage on 3M India. However, the company is innovation driven and has most characteristics of a good MNC," pointed out Deepak Jasani- Head of Retail Research at HDFC Securities. JM Financial, which although doesn't cover the stock, mentioned in an industry report in May that 'a vast range of niche high-margin products catering to multiple industries will drive growth in 3M India'. Taking into account company's past performance, fundamentals, and seemingly low impact of COVID-19, the stock appears promising, but is richly valued. Consult your advisor before you dip into it. Also read: Vodafone Idea share price slips 5% on Rs 11,644 crore Q4 loss Stocks to watch today: Here is a list of top stocks that are likely to be in focus in Wednesday's trading session based on latest developments. Investors are also awaiting March quarter earnings that are scheduled to be released today. Share Market LIVE: Sensex rises 70 points, Nifty at 10,317; Axis Bank, BPCL, ITC top gainers Auto stocks: Automobile majors will announce their June sales today. Vodafone Idea: The telecom major nearly doubled the losses in March quarter to Rs 11,643 crore from Rs 6,438 crore in the immediate previous three-month period. Bharti Airtel: Company said Carlyle Group will invest $235 million for approximately 25% stake in Nxtra Data Ltd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Bharti Airtel. JSPL: Company plans to sell its entire stake in its Oman asset Jindal Shadeed Iron and Steel Co LLC (JSIS Oman) to promoter company Templar Investments Ltd. Marico: Company said it has acquired balance equity stake of 55% in Zed Lifestyle from its existing shareholders. Bank of Baroda: Lender said Capital Raising Committee of the bank has approved issuance of Basel III Compliant Additional Tier I Bonds for aggregate total issue size not exceeding Rs 2,000 crore in single or multiple tranches. ONGC: Company reported March quarter loss at Rs 3,098 crore as against a profit at Rs 4,226.45 crore in athe same quarter last year. Company's revenue came in at Rs 21,456.2 crore as against Rs 23,710.05 crore in the same quarter previous year. GMM Pfaudler: Compay board has approved setting up a greenfield manufacturing facility for glass lined equipment in Hyderabad, Telangana. RITES: Company reported March quarter profit at Rs 139.01 crore as against a profit at Rs 145.20 crore in athe same quarter last year. Company's revenue came in at Rs 570.70 crore as against Rs 737.26 crore in the same quarter previous year. Godfrey Phillips: Company reported March quarter profit at Rs 38.7 crore as against a profit at Rs 48.3 crore in athe same quarter last year. Company's revenue came in at Rs 678.7 crore as against Rs 647.9 crore in the same quarter previous year. Kalpataru Power Transmission: Company informed the exchanges that it has received new orders of Rs 956 crore. Larsen & Toubro: Company said it has achieved a major milestone under 'Make in India' initiative by building a cryostat for $20 billion global fusion project. Loading the player... Airtel sells 25% stake in data centre business to US-based Carlyle for Rs 1,780 crore US-based private equity firm, Carlyle Group announced on Wednesday that it will buy a 25% stake in Bharti Airtel's data centre business, Nxtra Data for $235 million (around Rs 1,780 crore). Airtel will continue to hold the remaining 75% stake in the business. Nxtra will use the proceeds from the stake sale to scale up its infrastructure across the country. Govt orders internet service providers to block 59 Chinese apps with immediate effect Government has directed all internet service providers to block 59 Chinese applications, including TikTok, Shareit, CamScanner under the emergency clause of the IT Act. The government has issued web link along with the IP addresses that will make internet service providers easily block access to Chinese apps. Coronavirus crisis: EU reopens borders to 14 countries; excludes India, US, Russia, Brazil The European Union announced Tuesday that it will reopen its borders to travellers from 14 countries, but most Americans have been refused entry for at least another two weeks due to soaring coronavirus infections in the US. Travelers from other big countries like Russia, Brazil and India will also miss out. As Europe's economies reel from the impact of the coronavirus, southern EU countries like Greece, Italy and Spain are desperate to entice back sun-loving visitors and breathe life into their damaged tourism industries. GST collection jumps 46% to Rs 90,917 crore in June compared to May; declines 9% YoY IndiGo, Vistara, other airlines announce fresh salary cuts, leave without pay India's aviation industry continues to brave the impact of coronavirus pandemic despite restoration of its operations. Several domestic airlines, including IndiGo, Vistara have opted for fresh salary cuts for July in order to trim cost due to low demand and battered profits. India reports first quarterly current account surplus in 13 years India's current account turned positive in the last quarter of the 2019/20 fiscal year as a result of a lower trade deficit and a sharp rise in net invisible receipts, the Reserve Bank of India said on Tuesday, the first quarterly surplus in 13 years. The current account recorded a surplus of $600 million or 0.1% of Indian gross domestic product in the three months to March 2020 compared to a deficit of 0.7% in the same period a year ago, RBI data showed. Amazon Pantry available in over 300 cities in India; to deliver to over 10,000 pin codes Amazon Pantry, the marketplace for shopping everyday essentials and groceries is now available in over 300 cities across the country. In May last year, Amazon has expanded its Pantry service to 110 cities. Offering the convenience of ordering groceries online, Amazon also claims offers saving of up to 35 per cent on monthly groceries of tables and branded FMCG products. Coronavirus fallout: India's factory activity plummets for third month straight in June KEY HIGHLIGHTS Maruti despatched 51,274 passenger vehicles to dealerships in June, 54 percent less than June 2019 It was also less than 40 percent of the 133,702 units it had despatched in the last pre-Covid month in February Industry was expected to recover 60-70 percent of pre-covid sales in June. Almost 90 percent of Maruti's showrooms are now open Toyota and MG Motor fared no better and continue to face headwinds on demand and logistics issues India's largest carmaker Maruti Suzuki reported a 54 percent decline in sale of passenger vehicles in the domestic market in June at just 51,274 units. June was the first full month since the lockdown restrictions were eased in the middle of May but the company's tally was less than 40 percent of its pre-Covid19 levels of February. The company registered a 44 percent decline in sales at 10,458 units in the mini car category that comprises cars like Alto and S Presso, while its most voluminous compact segment consisting of brands like the Wagon R, Swift, Celerio, Ignis, Baleno and Dzire registered an over 57 percent drop at 26,696 units. In the mid size sedan segment (Ciaz) the decline was the steepest at 76.2 percent with sales of just 553 units. Utility vehicles saw a 45 percent drop at 9,764 units, while vans registered a 59 percent decline at 3,803 units. Contrary to expectations, the numbers are significantly lower than the levels the company was operating at in February when it had sold 133,702 units. During the course of June, several companies had said they hoped to recover upto 60-70 percent of pre-Covid era sales during the month. The company has said nearly 90 percent of its 3,087 dealerships are now open across the country. "There is way too much uncertainty to predict when we will get back to normal levels. The definition of normal itself may need to be revised," company chairman R C Bhargava had said last month. Also read: To boycott Chinese imports, make Indian manufacturing competitive: Maruti Chairman RC Bhargava Analysts have predicted companies like Maruti and Hyundai that have higher penetration in rural markets and a sizeable portfolio of cars at the low end entry level segments may stand to gain in the post-Covid era as consumers may shift from public transport to private usage on concerns of health. Bhargava has however said it is too early to judge whether there has been any such impact yet. "We also have to take into account job losses and salary cuts. Consumers may be less inclined to purchase big ticket items," he had said. Others have not fared any better either. Toyota Kirloskar Motor reported a 63.5 percent decline in sales last month at 3,866 units, which was also around 37.3 percent of its pre-Covid sales tally of February 2020. "With demand gradually coming back in the market and with strong support from our dealer partners as well as the hard work of our SBUs (Strategic Business Units), we have been able to keep up with customer expectations. Thanks to our special financing offers and buy back offers which has also helped bring customers back to dealerships. Our retails (sales from dealers to customers) is nearly double of wholesales (sales from TKM to dealers) second month in a row thereby bringing down our dealers inventory carrying cost by more than 50 percent over the past two months. We are also seeing a visible growth in online enquiries as well as bookings," said Naveen Soni, Sr. Vice President, Sales & Service, TKM. "Post COVID the market has been showing a shift towards entry level suffix in all products that we sell and we are monitoring such trends and adjusting our future production according to market demand based on Toyota Pull System which supplies vehicles to dealers when it is required, where it is required and how much is required. Our production side has been helping us ramp production to be able to meet customer requirements. Going forward, we would like to focus on ramping up production while placing the highest priority to the safety and well-being of all stakeholders and by adopting the 'Safety and Health First' approach at all times." MG Motor that is owned by China's largest automaker SAIC and sells the Hector SUV in the country reported sales of 2,012 units last month. The brand debuted in India in the fag end of June 2019, so a comparison to last year is not valid. As the sole Chinese firm in the country, MG, however, may be at the receiving end of the ongoing campaign to boycott Chinese products in the country. A number of its customers have already posted their cancellation orders on social media in the last fortnight. MG was also one of the first companies in India to be face disruption due to supply chain issues as a result of the coronavirus pandemic in China at the start of this year. The company said it continues to face headwinds on supply chain and logistics issues. "Even though our sales performance in June 2020 was better than May this year, we continue to face headwinds in supply chain and logistics due to multiple issues," said Rakesh Sidana, Director - Sales, MG Motor India. "Our teams are doing their best to overcome these challenges and we are looking forward to the launch of the Hector Plus in July 2020." Also read: Escorts' tractor sales jump 21.1% in June on strong rural demand Aviation turbine fuel (ATF) or jet fuel prices were hiked by around 7.5 per cent on Wednesday, marking the third rise in a month. As per the state-owned oil marketing companies' data, with the current hike, the ATF price will rise by 2,922.94 per kilolitre (kl) in Delhi to Rs 41,992.81 per kl. In Kolkata, jet fuel will cost Rs 46,604.85 per kl; Rs 41,575.94 per kl in Mumbai; and Rs 43,332.53 per kl in Chennai. Notably, ATF charges were increased by a record 56.6 per cent or Rs 12,126.75 per kl on June 1, while prices went up by Rs 5,494.5 per kl or 16.3 per cent on June 16. With the start of domestic flights on May 25, the regulatory body Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) had capped the fares according to seven bands for the next three months in order to keep flight tickets affordable. Now with the ATF prices going up, and considering cap on fare hike, the airlines will be faced with the difficult option of flying with limited planes or incur extra costs. After the start of Unlock 2.0 from today, domestic flights and passenger trains have already been allowed in a limited manner. Their operations will be further expanded in a calibrated manner but the rising ATF charges must be a worry for airlines. The ATF prices had significantly fallen in March before the flight operations were suspended in India. Due to very limited air traffic, prices dropped further in April. In February, the ATF prices in Delhi were in the range of Rs 60-65,000 per kl. READ: LPG cylinder price hiked for 2nd month straight; check out cooking gas rates in metro cities India's aviation industry continues to brave the impact of coronavirus pandemic despite restoration of its operations. Several domestic airlines, including IndiGo, Vistara have opted for fresh salary cuts for July in order to trim cost due to low demand and battered profits. According to several reports, IndiGo wrote a mail to its pilots informing them of 5.5 days of leave without pay. With this, IndiGo extended the leave without pay (LWP) policy to 10 days, effective from July 1. Moreover, the Gurugram-based airline also slashed salaries of under-training transition captains and transition first officers by over 45 per cent. In May, IndiGo initiated 20-25 per cent pay cuts for senior staff, including pilots. It also started a graded leave-without-pay programme for all its employees until July. Apart from IndiGo, Tata-Singapore Airlines joint venture Vistara announced a top-down 5-20 per cent pay cut of 40 per cent of its staff from July onwards. Vistara CEO Leslie Thng told employees in an email, "From 1st July, 2020, to 31st December 2020, I will take a 20 per cent pay cut and we will be implementing a monthly pay cut scheme for staff (except for pilots as follows): 1) 15 per cent pay cut for staff in Level 5 and 4, 2) 10 per cent pay cut for staff in Level 3 and 2, and licensed engineers in Level 1C, 3) 5 per cent pay cut for staff in Level 1 with monthly CTC equal or more than Rs 50,000". On May 5, Vistara announced that senior employees will have to go on compulsory leave without pay (LWP) for up to four days per month in May and June. The full-service airline sent the same set of senior employees on compulsory LWP for up to six days in April. In addition to this, AirAsia India would continue to cut its pilot salaries by 40 per cent. AirAsia India slashed pilot salaries by 40 per cent for the months of May and June. In April, senior management at AirAsia India underwent a 20 per cent pay cut, while executives in other categories received reduced salaries of 7-17 per cent. Wadia Group-controlled GoAir has also decided to continue its ongoing scheme of leaves without pay for over 90 per cent of its staff in July as well. All domestic carriers resumed their services in a calibrated manner from May 25. Government halted flight operations on March 25 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, post-May 25, airlines were permitted to function up to 30 per cent of their capacity. Besides, the union aviation ministry continues to suspend commercial international flights to and from India till July 15 as coronavirus cases rise exponentially. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has anticipated a loss of $84 billion as the coronavirus pandemic reduces revenue by half to mark the worst year in the aviation sector's history. With most of world's airliners currently parked, IATA said revenue would likely fall to $419 billion from $838 billion last year. Also read: Despite free ration, Rs 35,951 crore food subsidy bill for April-May 50% of last year Also read: Scandal-hit PIA halts operation to Europe after EU ban on its flights for 6 months Pakistan's scandal-hit national carrier on Tuesday announced to discontinue its operation to Europe after the EU''s aviation safety agency banned its flights for six months over safety concerns. The European Union Air Safety Agency (EASA) said that the suspension of the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flights would be effective from July 1. However, the PIA can appeal against it. In a statement, the PIA said that all passengers booked on its flights to European sectors will have the option to either extend their bookings for a later date or get full refunds. It said that the PIA administration was in contact with the EASA to allay their concerns and to take necessary corrective measures along with filing the appeal against the decision. "PIA sincerely hopes that with reparative and swift actions taken by the Government of Pakistan and PIA Management, earliest possible lifting of this suspension can be expected," it said. The EU ban came after Aviation Minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan in a major embarrassment to his nation told the media last week that nearly a third of the PIA pilots had fake licenses. He also said at least three crashes in the recent history, including the latest on May 22, were caused due to negligence of pilots. The world reacted in horror while opposition in Pakistan demanded that the minister should be sacked for washing the proverbial dirty linen in the public. The PIA grounded more than 140 pilots and wrote to foreign missions and international aviation watchdogs that it was addressing the problem but apparently everybody was not convinced. Also read: Vietnam grounds all Pakistani pilots over 'dubious' licence concerns Also read: Coronavirus crisis: UAE suspends all flights from Pakistan as cases cross 2 lakh KEY HIGHLIGHTS Dr Reddy's will develop, sell and distribute Avigan in India under the deal Avigan was approved for manufacture and sale in Japan in 2014 as an influenza antiviral drug FUJIFILM will provide Dr. Reddy's with data on Avigan's preclinical and clinical studies Glenmark sells Favipiravir under the brand name FabiFlu priced at Rs 103 per tablet Hyderabad-based Indian pharma major Dr. Reddy's Laboratories announced on Wednesday that it is partnering with FUJIFILM Corporation, through FUJIFILM Toyama Chemical Co. Ltd and Global Response Aid, for the development, manufacture and sales of Avigan Tablets, a drug believed to be effective in treatment of COVID-19 patients. Avigan is also commonly known by its generic name Favipiravir. A note issued by Dr Reddy's says, "under the tripartite agreement signed on June 30, 2020, FUJIFILM grants Dr. Reddy's the exclusive rights of manufacturing and also grants both Dr. Reddy's and GRA the rights to develop, sell and distribute Avigan in all countries other than Japan, China and Russia. Dr. Reddy's would have exclusive rights for development, selling and distribution of Avigan in India. Further, FUJIFILM would receive an upfront license fee and royalties on sales from Dr. Reddy's and GRA." FUJIFILM will provide Dr. Reddy's and GRA with an array of data on Avigan's preclinical and clinical studies that FUJIFILM has accumulated so far. Dr. Reddy's and GRA will use this data for clinical studies in regions where coronavirus continues to spread. FUJIFILM will also grant Dr.Reddy's right to use Avigan's patents of formulation and manufacturing method. Dr. Reddy's will establish a setup for manufacturing drugs of the same quality as Avigan, and utilise GRA's global sales network to supply the manufactured drugs swiftly and in a stable manner. FUJIFILM Group is currently conducting a clinical study on Avigan targeting COVID-19 patients in Japan and the US. It aims to increase the drug's production by partnering with domestic and overseas companies. Dr. Reddy's and GRA shall introduce the product in the market after all applicable approvals. Avigan tablet, developed by FUJIFILM Toyama Chemical, was approved for manufacture and sale in Japan in 2014 as an influenza antiviral drug. The drug is used in Japan only when there is an outbreak of novel or re-emerging influenza virus, and other influenza antiviral drugs are either not effective or insufficiently effective. Dr Reddy's is not the only company which will produce Favipiravir in India, there are others too. Glenmark on June 20 announced that Glenmark had become the first pharmaceutical company in India to receive regulatory approval for oral antiviral Favipiravir, for the treatment of mild to moderate COVID-19 cases. It launched its first generic under the brand name FabiFlu priced at Rs 103 per tablet. The spokesperson said, Glenmark was the first to run a trial on COVID patients in India and most patients exhibiting mild to moderate symptoms could benefit from FabiFlu use. The drug is sold as a prescription-based medication, with recommended dose being 1800 mg twice daily on day 1, followed by 800 mg twice daily up to day 14. Cipla is another company seeking regulatory approval to launch the drug. Also read: Coronavirus: Fujifilm to partner with Dr Reddy's to sell anti-flu drug avigan globally Highlights U.S. employment law does not specifically bar caste-based discrimination. But California regulators sued tech company Cisco over job discrimination. Two of Ciscos managers were found harassing an Indian-American employee. On Tuesday, California regulators sued Cisco Systems Inc (CSCO.O) accusing it of discriminating against an Indian-American employee. The employee was harassed by two managers because he was from a lower Indian caste than them, as reported by Reuters. U.S. employment law does not specifically bar caste-based discrimination, but California's Department of Fair Employment and Housing contends in the lawsuit that the Hindu faith's lingering caste system is based on protected classes such as religion. The lawsuit, filed in federal court in San Jose, does not name the alleged victim. It states he has been a principal engineer at Cisco's San Jose headquarters since October 2015 and that he was born at the bottom of caste hierarchy as a Dalit, once called "untouchables." Like other large Silicon Valley employers, Cisco's workforce includes thousands of Indian immigrants, most of whom were born Brahmins or other high castes. Former Cisco engineering managers Sundar Iyer and Ramana Kompella also are defendants in the lawsuit, which accuses them of harassment for internally enforcing the caste hierarchy. Cisco spokeswoman Robyn Blum said the network gear maker followed its process to investigate employee concerns in this case and would "vigorously defend itself" against the lawsuit. "Cisco is committed to an inclusive workplace for all," she said. "We were fully in compliance with all laws as well as our own policies." Iyer and Kompella did not immediately respond to requests for comment. It was not immediately known if the two have retained attorneys. The civil rights group Equality Labs in a 2018 report cited in the lawsuit found that 67% of Dalits surveyed felt treated unfairly at their U.S. workplaces. At Cisco, the unnamed employee reported Iyer to human resources in November 2016 for outing him as a Dalit to colleagues. Iyer allegedly retaliated, but Cisco determined caste discrimination was not illegal and issues continued through 2018, the lawsuit states. Cisco reassigned and isolated the employee, rejected a raise and opportunities that would have led to one and denied two promotions, according to the lawsuit. Hindus traditionally grouped people into four major castes based on ancestry, and Dalits in India still struggle with access to education and jobs 65 years after India banned caste-based discrimination. Highlights Nearby Share is indeed in the works for Android phones, Google has said. The Nearby Share feature is available to download via the beta channel. It is much like Apple's AirDrop feature but for Android phones. Google's answer to Apple's popular file-sharing tool AirDrop is coming through soon. After months of rumours, Google has finally confirmed that the Nearby Share feature for Android devices is under development. The feature will allow Android phones to exchange files wirelessly, much like how Apple allows iPhone, iPad, and Mac to exchange files seamlessly using AirDrop over a wireless connection. The Nearby Share feature is expected to arrive later this year, probably with the release of Android 11. "We're currently conducting a beta test of a new Nearby Share feature that we plan to share more information on in the future. Our goal is to launch the feature with support for Android 6+ devices as well as other platforms," Google told Android Police while confirming the Nearby Share feature for Android devices. Folks at Android Police managed to get their hands on the Nearby Share feature in its beta stage, which has limited functionalities for now. The feature is rolling out via Play Services Beta on eligible handsets and is up for testing. It will allow the transfer of files of any format, but its functionalities are said to appear differently depending on the content being shared. Besides appearing as an app in the share list for a file, the Nearby feature will show up as a prompt for when a file is previewed. The latter was spotted in an Android 11 video leak, reports Android Police. The Nearby Share seems to be working on Pixel 4 XL and Pixel 3a devices running Android 10, but how it looks on a device could change with Android version. This means that Android 11 may have a slightly compact version of Nearby Share feature to minimise the visual clutter. As noted in the report, the Nearby Share feature works for photos, videos, music, and documents, in addition to supporting other shareable content such as tweets and URL links. When tapping the share button, the share list will show the Nearby Share option. If it is used for the first time, the user needs to set up the feature by entering the default device name and configure visibility settings -- both of which can be changed anytime. The visibility settings include All Contacts, Some Contacts, and Hidden, much like what AirDrop has. But there is an option to send files to anyone who is not in the contacts list, as well. Visibility can also be changed using the toggle in Quick Settings. When in use, the Nearby Share begins to scan for proximate devices for file sharing. There is a cross icon on top to end sharing files, along with the profile photo icon to dive into Nearby Share settings. The settings also include the option to customise what mechanism the feature should use when transferring files. For small files, a mobile connection can be used. There are also Wi-Fi and offline sharing available as options. The recipient needs to accept the approval before Nearby Share transfer files to their device. This would stop people from misusing the feature by blasting out an objectionable photo to a stranger's device that is in proximity. Moreover, Nearby Share will not work unless it has been set up on a device, irrespective of its availability on the sender's side. Google's Nearby Share feature is expected to roll out as early as Android 11 release timeline. It is not clear whether it will work only on Android 11 or it will reach devices running Android version 10 or lower. Government has directed all internet service providers to block 59 Chinese applications, including TikTok, Shareit, CamScanner under the emergency clause of the IT Act. "Order to block all 59 Chinese apps to internet service providers have been issued now," Department of Telecommunications (DoT) source told PTI news agency. The government has issued web link along with the IP addresses that will make internet service providers easily block access to Chinese apps. "The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has issued directions for blocking 24 apps under the emergency clause 69A of the IT Act 2000, in addition to 35 apps for whose blocking instructions have been issued earlier today itself," a DoT order to internet companies said. Also read: Ban is tougher this time! Not easy for TikTok to make a comeback DoT asked the operators to submit compliance reports immediately, failing which action would be taken. According to the rules, DoT must inform telcos and internet service providers (ISPs) with telecom licences if any website or app is to be blocked. Indian government on Monday banned 59 apps with Chinese links, including the hugely popular TikTok and UC Browser, stating they were prejudicial to sovereignty, integrity, and security of the country. Against this backdrop, TikTok CEO Kevin Mayer is scheduled to address employees in India on Wednesday. Also read: EXCLUSIVE: TikTok CEO Kevin Mayer to address 2,000 panic-stricken ByteDance India employees Yesterday, TikTok India head Nikhil Gandhi also spoke to employees to assure there would be no layoffs as a fallout of the ban. He told the panic-stricken employees that the company was engaging with the government to understand its concerns so that they could address them. Also read: After ban, Tiktok says it does not share data with Chinese govt; 10 points Also read: Ban on TikTok, other Chinese apps gives India's 'Chingari' fresh hope; 5 lakh downloads in 72 hours The inaugural CEO of Saudi Arabian Military Industries (SAMI), Dr Andreas Schwer, has been appointed Chairman of the Melbourne-based industrial-scale additive manufacturing company Titomic (ASX:TTT) www.titomic.com. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/52243513/en Titomic Limited Appoints Andreas Schwer as Chairman (Photo: Business Wire) Beginning immediately, Dr Schwer, who boasts a 25-year career in the global defence, manufacturing, and aerospace industries will bring a wealth of experience to Titomic. The news comes just days after Titomic announced the appointments of Mr Dag W.R. Stromme, a former Managing Director of Morgan Stanley; and Mr Humphrey Nolan, an experienced leader in the global industrial and distribution industries. As the first CEO at SAMI, which was established in 2017, Dr Schwer led this greenfield operation to become a multi-billion-dollar company in 2020 before recently stepping down. Prior to his role at SAMI, Dr Schwer was Chairman and President of Rheinmetall International - Rheinmetall AG. Dr Schwer also held roles including CEO of Combat Systems & Executive Board Member of Rheinmetall Defence overseeing the units of Combat Platforms, Weapons & Munitions, Protection Systems, and Propulsion Systems. Dr Schwer also holds 12 years experience at Airbus in executive roles across the Defence & Space and Helicopter divisions. Titomics Managing Director and Founder, Mr. Jeff Lang, said: Andreas extensive professional experience in the global defence and aerospace sectors facilitates strong opportunities for Titomic to become a dominant player in the USD$4 trillion metals manufacturing industry for a green-tech future. Further, Dr Schwer stated; I am honoured to accept the role of Chairman at Titomic and look forward to leading the Company to capitalise on its considerable opportunities and further add shareholder value. I believe Titomics industrial scale metal additive manufacturing and sustainable, green technology has tremendous commercial potential to take metal manufacturing industries into the future. Dr Schwer has a Dipl.-Ing in Aerospace Engineering and a PhD in System Modelling and Numerical Optimisation, both from the University of Stuttgart, and a Master of Science in System-Engineering from TU Delfi (The Netherlands). Dr Schwer says hes delighted to be joining the Board of a company thats starting to make its presence felt globally, as demonstrated by the sale of two Titomic Kinetic Fusion systems to a global defence manufacturer, as well as reaching agreements with companies of the calibre of Boeing, Airbus, and Thales. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/52243513/en Ryanair's load factor - a measure of how well an airline is filling available seats - will be almost 70% on Wednesday, the airline's boss Michael O'Leary said. Europe's biggest budget airline returned to a more regular schedule on Wednesday and expects to fly at 40% of its usual capacity for the peak summer month of July. "We'll carry about 104,000 passengers," O'Leary told Sky News. Ryanair flew just 110,000 passengers throughout April and May after the pandemic shut down most European air travel. (Reuters) Source: www.businessworld.ie Whats new: Wudongde hydropower station, the fourth largest Chinese hydropower station in installed capacity, saw its first section come online on Monday. The giant power station spans the Jinsha River, the upper stretches of the Yangtze River, in the southwest province of Yunnan and Sichuan. It will have a total installed capacity of 10.2 million kilowatts 45% of the Three Gorges Dams capacity when full operations begin in July 2021. The project cost some 120 billion yuan ($16.97 billion) to build, and should produce 38.91 billion kilowatt-hours on average per year. Whats the background: China Three Gorges Corporation (CTG) owns the development rights of the Wudongde hydropower station and holds a 70% stake in the company formed to manage the stations operations. People at China Yangtze Power Co. Ltd., the listed arm of CTG, told Caixin that the Wudongde power station will be incorporated into the listed companys assets, but when and how this will happen is still under discussion. Yangtze Power manages four hydropower stations in China, including the Three Gorges Dam, the worlds largest power station in terms of installed capacity. Quick Takes are condensed versions of China-related stories for fast news you can use. To read the full Caixin article in Chinese, click here. Contact reporter Lu Yutong (yutonglu@caixin.com) and editor Marcus Ryder (marcusryder@caixin.com) A fugitive accused of helping online wealth-management company Qbao.com illegally raise billions of yuan has been returned to China from Greece, state media reported Wednesday. The case is just the latest development in one of the largest illegal fundraising cases in Chinas fast-growing internet finance industry. Qbao.coms website has been shut down, and police believe millions of investors across China may have fallen prey to its Ponzi-style scam. Police said the fugitive, surnamed Xiong, helped with the technological design of Qbao.coms promotional activities and also did some data analysis, according to a report by state-run broadcaster CCTV. Xiong admitted to offering technological support from 2013 to 2017, and said there were 20 to 30 staff engaged in data analysis at Qbao.coms Shanghai office. Launched in 2012, Qbao.com, also known as Qianbao or money treasure in Chinese, offered annualized returns of up to 80% to investors who deposited specified amounts with the company and participated in its promotional activities, such as by sharing product information on social media or simply signing into their accounts every day for a certain period. In 2017, Qbao.com said it had 200 million registered users. However, the business model was met with skepticism over its sustainability. In December 2017, Zhang Xiaolei, who was then head of Qbao.com, turned himself in to police amid a slew of allegations that the Nanjing-based company had been scamming investors. A source close to authorities told Caixin in 2018 that he was accused of illegally raising 70 billion yuan ($9.9 billion). Nanjing police later said they found the company mainly used the funds it raised from new investors to pay returns to old ones. Read more In Depth: Qbao Founder in the Clink After Rags-to-Riches Promises In June 2019, Zhang was sentenced to 15 years in prison (link in Chinese) for fundraising fraud. Xiong said he earned more than 50,000 yuan per month working for Qbao.com, according to the CCTV report. To escape possible punishment, Xiong spent 250,000 euros ($280,705) for Greek residency. He fled China in June 2017, half a year before Zhang turned himself in. In March 2018, prosecutors in the eastern city of Nanjing issued an arrest warrant for Xiong on suspicion of illegal fundraising. Three months later, Interpol issued a red notice against Xiong, which led to his later arrest by Greek police, the official Xinhua News Agency reported (link in Chinese), citing police in Jiangsu province, where Nanjing is located. This May, Greece agreed to extradite Xiong. Chinese police officers accompanied Xiong on his flight back to China, which landed Sunday in the northern Chinese city of Shijiazhuang. He is now being held in quarantine at a hotel in Nanjing. The case remains under investigation. Internet finance, including peer-to-peer lending, used to be a boon for individuals and businesses in urgent need of money. But in recent years, the sector has come under intensified government scrutiny amid a spate of fraud cases that were due in part to slack supervision. Han Wei contributed to this report. Contact reporter Tang Ziyi (ziyitang@caixin.com) and editor Michael Bellart (michaelbellart@caixin.com) Caixin Global has launched Caixin CEIC Mobile, the mobile-only version of its world-class macroeconomic data platform. If youre using the Caixin app, please click here. If you havent downloaded the app, please click here. St. Johnsbury, VT (05819) Today Scattered thunderstorms. A few storms may be severe. High 86F. Winds S at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 60%.. Tonight Thunderstorms this evening followed by occasional showers overnight. Low 64F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%. article $100.00 / for 365 days Sponsored Content Articles Policy & Procedure Only content submissions which satisfy our conditions for publication will be published. The fee for publication via this portal is $100. This fee is non-refundable. 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Sign in * Username This is the name that will be used to identify you within the system. Choose wisely! * First name * Last name Your real name will be displayed next to your photo for comments, blog posts, and more! * Email Your e-mail address will be used to confirm your account. We won't share it with anyone else. * Password Create a password that only you will remember. If you forget it, you'll be able to recover it using your email address. The northern province of Yen Bai held a ceremony on June 30 to mark the 120th anniversary of its establishment and receive the Independence Order, first class. Speaking at the ceremony, permanent member of the Secretariat Tran Quoc Vuong praised the achievements recorded by the province in recent years but noted that its economy remains small with a low level of competitiveness. He urged the provincial authorities to strive to overcome difficulties so as to transform Yen Bai into a moderately well-off province in the northern mountainous region. The senior Party official also asked the province to pay attention to protecting natural resources, especially forests and mineral resources. Yen Bai Province was established under French colonial rule in 1900 and was home to an uprising staged by the Vietnamese Nationalist Party leader Nguyen Thai Hoc in 1930. The uprising was suppressed but created significant resonance in the revolutionary movement in Vietnam and the world at the time. During the subsequent wars against the foreign powers following the August Revolution, Yen Bai Province upheld its heroic tradition and made significant contributions to the final victory. On this occasion, the people and government of Yen Bai Province were awarded with the Independence Order, first class. Do you have an athlete in mind that contributes to the team or sport, holds sportsmanship and team spirit, has epic playmaker moments and/or in general makes the the sports fun? If yes, please make your nominations for our edition of Athlete Spotlight. CLICK TO NOMINATE This page contains all of The Capital Journals coverage of the novel coronavirus outbreak, and the illness it causes, called COVID-19. Because this outbreak impacts public health, our coverage of the coronavirus is available to all readers. Our journalists are working hard to bring you the verified information below. Please consider supporting important local journalism with a subscription. (Click Here) Are you a Pierre resident whos been affected by the illness? Send us an email: jeffrey.hartley@capjournal.com. Have any questions? Please give us a call at 605-224-7301 The church bell in the steeple of Ann Street United Methodist Church in Beaufort will ring out at 2 p.m. Fourth of July, when organizers of Let Freedom Ring say the signing of the Declaration of Independence was announced in 1776. (Cheryl Burke photo) Back in May, Toyota gradually resumed operations at its facility in Bidadi, Karnataka. Subsequently, the company started catering to the pending customer orders that had accumulated over the past few months. The company had sold 3,866 units in June as compared to 1,639 units sold in May, thereby witnessing a growth of 235 per cent. That said, the company had sold 10,603 units in the domestic market in June 2019 and had exported 804 units of the Etios. With lockdown regulations being relaxed in several parts of the country and with demand picking up in the market, Toyota dealers reportedly sold vehicles to customers from their held inventory in May 2020 thereby ensuring a lean inventory at the dealership by end of May. Speaking on the occasion, Naveen Soni, Vice President, Sales and Service, TKM said, With demand gradually coming back in the market and with strong support from our dealer partners as well as the hard work of our SBUs (Strategic Business Units), we have been able to keep up with customer expectations. Thanks to our special financing offers and buy back offers which has also helped bring customers back to dealerships. Our retails (sales from dealers to customers) is nearly double of wholesales (sales from TKM to dealers) second month in a row thereby bringing down our dealers inventory carrying cost by more than 50 per cent over the past two months. We are also seeing a visible growth in online enquiries as well as bookings. The company claims to have witnessed a shift towards the entry level suffix and based on trend will adjust the future production. The company will follow the Toyota Pull System to supply the vehicle to the dealers based on when it is required, where it is required and how much is required. Toyota will also ramp up the production in the days to come with all the safety protocols in-place. The sales for Toyota is expected to witness a healthy gradual growth over the next few months with the relaxations in norms. Toyota Photo: Contributed Every Wednesday is #takeoutday across Canada, an initiative to help support restaurants during these unpredictable times. Fittingly, today being Canada Day, the theme this week is Canadian Farmer Day. If there was ever a time to support local, its now. Seek out ways to buy from Okanagan producers by looking for labels showcasing local, the Buy BC logo, or looking for menu items that identify a farm or supplier in your region. Your new favourite takeout spot may be taking a much-deserved day off on July 1, but why not make the weekend patriotic? Or the whole month of July? There are many ways to celebrate not just returning to a local bistro, but maybe taking ingredients home to prepare. Home delivery of fresh produce has taken off (tip, look for CSA Community Supported Agriculture), with new options popping up alongside boxed deliveries that have been established for a while: Plot Twist Farms, Naramata: weekly boxes of local veggies, with add-ons such as soups from BRODO, premade meal from Poplar Grove, and wine from Terravista. Unearthed Organics, Kelowna: get a personalized selection by creating an account, of microgreens, herbs, veggies, tree fruits, and more. Harkers Organics, Cawston: one-time or subscription boxes of organic fruits and veggies, including a keto option, plus cider (new 100 calorie, infused ciders were just released), and wine boxes. Localmotive, Summerland: currently they may be at capacity for new subscribers, but if you cant join the delivery service, visit their low-waste market in Penticton There are options to either pick up a gourmet meal or have it delivered, with minimal preparation just heating and plating, with local ingredients taking up the plate: BRODO Kitchen, Penticton: new date night dinners are posted on their social media each week; call or email by 4 p.m. Thursday to order, pick up on Friday. Joy Road, South Okanagan: known for their al fresco dinners, you can order a beautifully arranged long table dinner box (more on this in a future column), paired with wine. Valley Direct Foods, delivery: Valley Direct has a wide delivery area and a vast selection of anything and everything from vegan cheeses to game meat to baked goods, with items from small producers. Summerhill Pyramid Winery, Kelowna: takeout organic dinners, with cuisine themes, plus frozen entrees, fresh salads, and wine and local spirits are available. However you enjoy Canada Day, hopefully you can source a sweet treat. Perhaps a patriotic strawberry and vanilla ice cream paleta from Nummerland. UPCOMING EVENTS As events slowly return, be sure to read safety protocols and event policies when booking, as well as descriptions closely as some may be in-person, virtual, or a hybrid experience. Sundays, through Aug. 23, Kelowna: House of Rose hosts Smooth Sunday Sounds from 1:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. Guests are requested to limit visits to one hour. July 2, Penticton: Time Winery hosts live music with performer Ari Neufeld. July 9, Summerland: Joy Road heads to Lightning Rock Winery for Al Fresco dining. July 17, Okanagan Falls: Noble Ridge hosts its annual Vine Dining event with Backyard Farms. Photo: Twitter An explosion from a gas leak in a medical clinic in northern Tehran killed 19 people, Iranian state TV reported Tuesday. Authorities initially said 13 people were dead, but Jalal Maleki, spokesman for the Tehran Fire Department, later told state TV that the toll had risen to 19. State-run IRNA news agency also quoted Maleki as saying the dead included 15 women and four men. Maleki added that firefighters had rescued 20 people. Video posted online appeared to show more than one explosion and thick black smoke rising from the flames. Hamidreza Goudarzi, deputy Tehran governor, told state TV that a leak from medical gas tanks in the building was the cause of the explosion and fire. People in nearby Tajrish Bazaar rushed to the scene, impeding a rescue operation, authorities said. Videos on social media showed people gathered outside of the building. State TV said there could be more explosions because there were a number of oxygen tanks remaining in the medical centre. Witness Marjan Haghighi told The Associated Press that police blocked roads to the neighbourhood. Photo: The Canadian Press Naga women wear masks as a precaution against the coronavirus and walk past closed shops early morning in Kohima, capital of the northeastern Indian state of Nagaland, Tuesday, June 30, 2020. Several Indian states have reimposed partial or full lockdowns to stem the spread of the coronavirus. (AP Photo/Yirmiyan Arthur) Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in a live address Tuesday that the country's coronavirus death rate is under control, but that the country is at a critical juncture. Modi's sixth address since the pandemic began came as India reported nearly 570,000 infections and over 16,000 deaths. It is true that if you look at the death rate of corona, then in comparison to many countries of this world, India seems to be in (good) condition, Modi said, crediting his decision to close down the country to all but essential activity from late March to early June. But since the lockdown was lifted, the caseload has shot up, making India the world's fourth-worst affected country. While some restrictions remain, many industries and businesses have reopened, and Indians have cautiously returned to the streets. Modi blamed people for failing to wear masks or follow social distancing guidelines. People are becoming careless, he said, adding, we need to call out the violators. He also urged local administrations to be more stringent about enforcing distancing norms. Modi said free food rations for 800 million of the country's 1.3 billion people would continue until November. He said the government would offer a single ration card that would apply across state boundaries. The biggest beneficiaries will be those poor people who leave their village and go elsewhere for work, he said, indirectly referring to the tens of thousands of migrants who left India's cities when the lockdown began, and are now beginning to return as industry comes back online. The US Army said Tuesday that it has quarantined 90 students and personnel with its Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape course at Fort Bragg in North Carolina after an individual in the course tested positive for coronavirus. Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription, or activate your access, to continue reading. BCIC and EDII to build cement plant in Bangladesh ICR Newsroom By 01 July 2020 Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corp and Saudi-based Engineering Dimension International Investment have agreed to build a cement plant under the name of Saudi Bangla Integrated Cement Co Ltd. The new plant will have a clinker capacity of 12,000tpd and a cement capacity of 3000tpd, based on the supply of limestone from Meghalaya, India. In addition to producing cement from its own clinker, the plant will also supply 4Mta of clinker to grinding units in Bangladesh. The project is expected to provide 700 direct and indirect jobs. Published under Power Cement begins commercial operations at 7700tpd plant 01 July 2020 Pakistans Power Cement Ltd has announced that its 7700tpd clinker production plant has reached its rated capacity and will therefore begin commercial production from 1 July 2020. The company noted production levels of 450,096t and 502,541t of cement and clinker, respectively, during the 9MFY19-20. Domestic sales reached 418,757t, while cement exports were at 4372t and clinker exports at 111,800t. Overall this represents a nine per cent decline in both domestic and export sales. However, clinker export sales advanced by 100 per cent compared to the corresponding period in the previous fiscal. The companys capacity utilisation decreased to 44 per cent from 73 per cent in the 9MFY18-19. The increased competition in the region due to surplus capacities had reportedly put adverse pressure on selling prices. The steep rise in fuel, power and packing material costs also had a further negative impact, according to a company report. The companys report noted how the government recently incentivised the construction sector by legislating a package to increase cement consumption in the country. If effectively implemented, the new construction policy could play a significant role in the governments promise of providing 10m employment opportunities and 5m houses to the country. Published under Protesters have gone to the home of a second City Council member. Vice Chairman Ken Smith said he had a visit at his Hixson home. He said, People have every right to peacefully protest but coming to my home is targeting my family, not peacefully protesting. There is nothing peaceful about creating fear in my children and my neighbors. "If the protesters hoped this behavior would help move this discussion forward or make me want to want to work with them, they are wrong. Protesters earlier went to the home of Chairman Chip Henderson, and he also had a negative response. Marie Mott and Cameron Williams, leaders of nightly protests in Chattanooga, disavowed the home visits to council members. They said: One has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws, was one of Martin Luther King, Jr.s many famed quotes. And decades later in downtown Chattanooga, there are a growing number of people questioning many of these unjust laws. "That does not mean we will always agree on what each of us thinks is the best way to achieve justice. "@ICantBreatheCHA was formed from the inception of the 2020 protests following the documented murder of George Floyd by Minnesota police officers. Since, we have partnered with Concerned Citizens for Justice and Democratic Socialists of America Chattanooga Chapter during the protests, and we have nothing but respect for their founders and the work they have done. "However, Marie Mott and Cameron Williams, as the public faces of @ICantBreatheCHA, cannot support recent actions at the homes of local elected officials. This is the level of privacy invasion that we are fighting against for the greater public good, and we do not believe meeting them at this level is the answer. "As an organization, our goal is to inform and engage the public in civic dialogue, and effect change. "Police brutality, participatory budgeting, 8toAbolition initiatives, and many other human rights issues are shared passions of ours and the other organizations we align with. "While our belief in the injustice of these laws is shared by CCJ and Chattanooga DSA, it cannot be assumed that all of our actions align. "We will always support, encourage, and participate in public protest and the rights of the people to use their voices. However, any additional direct action by these organizations cannot be condoned by @ICantBreatheCHA at this time." In a filing in the Daniel Wilkey cases in Federal Court, the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office gives details on what caused the loss of some in-car and body-cam videos on Jan. 20. The filing says all of the videos related to the case in which former deputy Wilkey was involved were saved. The Sheriff's Office said it was able to pinpoint shortcomings by two software firms it was using that together led to the crash. The filing says: The Hamilton County Sheriffs Office Computer Network is a vast collection of interdependent systems, comprised of hardware and software, interconnected by a number of network switches dispersed throughout numerous physical facilities. The heart of the HCSO Network resides in the Administration Office, inside a dedicated server room. The HCSO manages its own Network domain, which is a named grouping of hosts and servers with managed login, access to resources, and permissions. The HCSOs Network domain is housed in a series of large, rack-mounted servers, which function as the brains behind the network. These servers have a specialized operating system installed and running on them. This OS is provided by a third-party vendor referred to as VMWare. This specialized OS allows the HCSO to install and run multiple operating systems (such as Windows) on our network. The word server typically leads one to visualize a physical computer that sits in a network rack. In todays modern enterprise IT environment, however, physical space is not always plentiful. One of the considerations building a network is a need to maximize the physical space inside a network closet. The answer to this conundrum is virtualization. Virtualization is the practice of creating managed slices of server resources that work exactly like separate stand-alone physical servers with their own separate operating systems. From the users standpoint, there is no functional difference than working on a physical server. The appearance and functionality are the same, thus the term virtual. This allows the organization to compartmentalize the various informational platforms it uses. These operating system instances are referred to as virtual machines (VM). The advantage of a VM is clear - .less physical rack-space, multiple servers. Virtual machines communicate with a large amount of disk storage referred to as a storage area network (SAN). A SAN is a dedicated, high-speed network of disks, network cards and processors. A SAN is primarily a way of creating virtual hard drives and virtually attaching them to any physical or virtual computer via the network so that those virtual hard drives work exactly like a physical hard drive physically attached. A SAN uses server and network resources to make virtual slices of disk space available to other physical and virtual servers as needed. SANs were adopted by the HCSO to improve application availability to its employees and performance of the applications by segregating storage traffic from the rest of the network traffic. Storage traffic is a term used to describe the network load that is involved when a disk is being tasked with sending information that requires a large amount of data to be transferred from that disk repository, such as files, etc. Network traffic, which usually consists of very small amounts of data, is not as intensive. The benefits of segregating these types of traffic through the switches is that a network engineer gains more efficiency and speed. SANs also enable the HCSO to more easily allocate and manage disk/storage resources, achieving better efficiency. Instead of having isolated storage capacities across different servers, a pool of disk capacity can be shared across many different workloads and carved up, allocating various sizes of storage to a resource as needed. As a matter of course, this system of disks is quite large and must be formatted in such a manner as to ensure that if one drive fails, other drives can continue to provide operability. To that end, the HCSO SAN is formatted in a method referred to as redundant. This is a generalized term to describe a method of formatting disks, more technically referred to as a Redundant Array of Independent Disks (RAID). In a RAID, data is spread across multiple disks, to ensure that if one or more disks physically malfunction, the data is saved in such a way that a technician can simply replace the malfunctioning drive. The system then adapts and copies the data back to the new drive and the entire operation continues unaffected. The HCSO has over 50 drives in its SAN, comprised of multiple RAID configurations. Redundancy is not back-up. Back-up is a term used to describe a number of methods, both hardware and software based, which make actual copies of large portions of disk space to use in the event of a disk failure or when network engineers make changes that cause unexpected results to a networks behavior. In cases such as these, they would then roll back to the state that the network was in prior to the changes they made, in order to restore functionality to the desired result. THE 3-2-1 BACKUP PROTOCOL The 3-2-1 backup protocol is an easy-to-remember acronym for a common approach to keeping data safe in almost any failure scenario. The protocol states: keep at least three (3) copies of your data, and store two (2) backup copies on different storage media, with one (1) of them located offsite. The 3-2-1 protocol is not required by any entity that certifies any procedures of the HCSO. Rather, it is a practice within the information technology sector. The HCSO does observe this protocol with its core data. However, backup of video storage is different. Core data consists of anything other than video data, including, but not limited to: all user files, email, records management systems, SQL data, booking records, booking data, etc. Video data consists of over 100 TB of only video footage. The HCSO designates the video data separately from the core data because of its volume. Because of the volume of in-car videos and the length of time that they are retained by the HCSO, the requirements to deploy a fail-safe method of back up for these particular files have been too cost-prohibitive for a government agency of the HCSOs size. Backing up video using a 3-2-1 protocol (over 100 TB of files) would require a storage solution costing tens of thousands of dollars, as well as the employment of additional IT staff. It would require at least two (2) similar allotments of disk space in addition to the production disk (including room for growth), the software and hardware to manage these back-ups and the manpower to dedicate to the increased volume of tasks associated with maintaining this level of network infrastructure. A production disk is a term used to identify the disk that is actually running the service and to which users connect. All other versions are back-ups. The back-ups are reserved for their explicit purpose of backing up data, rather than being used in day-to-day operations. The software that the HCSO uses to perform back-ups is produced by a company called VEEAM. The HCSO uses this third-party software to back up user files, case management files, server OS/configurations, email, etc. These are core components of our network and though voluminous, they are maintained in compliance with the 3-2-1 backup protocol. The misconception proliferated in the media is that the HCSO provided no back-up solution for video footage. The HCSO does have a method of back-up in place for the Arbitrator VM system; however, the decision was made at the original implementation phase that the 3-2-1 protocol backup of this video storage would not be possible due to cost prohibitions. The HCSO proceeded with a partial back-up protocol and procedures within the software to monitor the health of the video storage regularly. One of the prime features of the VMWare system is that it has the ability to take what are referred to as snapshots of the various disk file structures along with varying other aspects of the disk. A snapshot is a catch-all term used to describe a collection of data, as it appeared at the time that the snapshot was created. When another snapshot occurs, that particular instance is another, unique collection of data, as it existed at that time. It could consist of anything, but in the case of the HCSO, the contents of the snapshots in question were the files that make up the Arbitrator virtual machine. Once snapshots are on the disk, a third-party backup application entitled VEEAM takes over and compares this snapshot with information in its back-up repository, in order for VEEAM to determine what changes have occurred over time. Once VEEAM makes this determination, it then consolidates all of these snapshots and folds them back into the disk as one entity, discarding the unnecessary snapshots. Unbeknownst to HCSO Networking, in spite of the HCSOs decision to set up the VEEAM software to bypass the potentially destructive nature of snapshotting the Arbitrator video files, VMWare was actually taking snapshots of these video files covertly, with no inherent ability for their software to notify or even indicate that snapshotting was taking place. The fact that snapshots of such a large quantity were taking place covertly and then failing to consolidate, caused them to pile up and consume the allotted size of video disk space, which in turn, caused the Arbitrator system to begin to slow down and be unresponsive. THE ARBITRATOR SYSTEM CRASH On the morning of January 10, 2020, around 9 a.m., one of our network technicians discovered that the Arbitrator video server was running unusually slowly. A technician began to inspect the VM (server) in question and noticed the machine was displaying a need for disk consolidation in VMWare. The technician then shut down this VM and attempted a disk consolidation task, which failed. He attempted several more times to consolidate the disk and get the VM to boot back up. Each attempt was unsuccessful. Having exhausted this option, the next step was to call the vendor, VMWare, to troubleshoot and attempt to resolve the issue. VMWares first step was to look at the internal VMWare VMFS filesystem on the SAN to assess the status of the Arbitrator virtual machine. The initial assessment was that the VM was running with 92 snapshots piled up on the disk. Per VMWares specifications, any machine holding more than 30 snapshots would be running a high risk of data corruption. VMWare then: 1. Attempted to consolidate the VM disk through the programs graphical user interface (GUI), which failed, leaving only one snapshot consolidated; 2. The VMWare technician then moved the corrupted VM to another datastore (a totally different disk SAN) This was performed by VMWare in order to attempt to get the VM to boot up. This was also unsuccessful; and 3. The final attempt by VMWare to correct the issue was to clone or copy the VM to another brand new VM (in effect a fresh copy of the Arbitrator server). After about 8 hours of this attempted cloning, this method also failed. At this point, VMWare had exhausted all of the options available to them. The decision was made by HCSO Network technicians to begin performing two simultaneous tasks. One was to establish an initial cause of potential data loss, and the other was to begin investigation into a third-party data recovery option. INVESTIGATION BY THE HCSO OF THE ARBITRATOR SYSTEM CRASH The investigation by HCSO Networking began with VMWare. The following questions were asked of the vendor: Q.) We setup our VMWare user interface to warn us if any of our VMs had a snapshot in their environment. Why were we not warned about these snapshots? A.) Per VMWares design, third party Application Programming Interface (API) snapshots (VEEAM) are not shown to the end-user GUI of VMWare without writing a customized alarm in VCenter (component of VMWare). Q.) Why was the HCSO not informed of this requirement? A.) VMWare stated simply that this was the way the program was designed. At this point, HCSO IT ended its questioning of VMWare. We did request and receive assistance from VMWARE with creating a custom event notification, wherein an email message is sent to the HCSO that there are snapshots that are not consolidating. This event notification has been tested and found satisfactory, and is currently in use. The HCSO Networking Investigation continued with VEEAM. The following question was asked of VEEAM: Q.) Per VEEAMs logs, snapshots have not been successfully consolidated on this virtual machine since December 31st 2019. Why was this not brought to our attention via a warning or error? A.) Per VEEAMs design, this event is considered informational only, and not a remarkable error or warning, and therefore is never brought to the users attention. A screenshot of the support log illustrates where the error occurred. Line 5 is the failure point. It says HS-ARBITRATOR2 has stuck VM snapshot, will attempt to consolidate periodica... At this point, our questioning of VEEAM ended. It was determined that any further questioning of the companys engineering practices on such a critical point would be fruitless. The HCSO concluded that the data loss was caused by a combination of several design factors of the two separate vendors, primarily: - VMWares design decision to not show existing snapshots in the GUI that are taken through their API; and - VEEAMs design decision to treat unsuccessful disk consolidation as an informational event instead of a warning or error. Attempted Data Recovery The HCSO contacted three different vendors for data recovery. The one that the HCSO determined would be most capable was DriveSavers. They instructed the HCSO to purchase a disk drive large enough to get the VMs disk file and remaining snapshots copied to it and overnighted to them for investigation. At this point, the HCSO Network staff had two mandates: (1) perform the requested copy for DriveSavers; and (2) re-format the existing video drive space on the SAN in order to set up a new clean and working version of the Arbitrator virtual machine and storage space for the continued operation of our officers in-car video footage that was still being generated on a daily basis and waiting for upload. The copy process took approximately ten (10) days. On the morning of February 3, 2020, the device (with the data) was shipped off to DriveSavers. Once copying the data was completed, the re-format and new virtual machine set-up was initiated successfully. On the morning of February 17, 2020, Adam Marthaler spoke with DriveSavers and received the news that 99% of the data was full of 0x00 characters (all zeros in the block-level data sense) and was essentially useless. With these findings, data recovery was deemed not possible. DriveSavers shipped the drive back to the HCSO, where it was promptly placed into secure storage inside our Property and Evidence facility for safekeeping, where it has remained since that time. Applicability to Wilkey Videos The Wilkey in-car videos were preserved well before this data loss. At no time was there a question of whether the Wilkey videos were securely preserved and documented. Almost a year prior to the final incident in July of 2019, the HCSO had identified the weaknesses inherent with the nature of the back-up methods used for this type of evidence and had begun the process of researching, selecting and negotiating the migration to a different system for the collection and storage of both in-car video and of body camera video. This was largely possible at this time due to the changes in the ability to store data securely in a cloud format. Not only has cloud storage become more secure, and therefore considered an appropriate manner of storage by various oversight agencies, but it has also become more affordable over the years as opposed to previously being cost prohibitive, as it was when the HCSO first chose the Arbitrator system for the collection and maintenance of in-car video. There have also been a number of published misrepresentations with regard to the HCSOs production of the Wilkey videos. One example of the inaccurate media narrative is that the HCSO could not produce the videos in a timely manner, thus requiring the assistance and resolution implemented by the TBI within 24 hours. At no point did the TBI participate in the pulling of videos. In fact, with the assistance of the vendor, the HCSO Network staff was able to utilize a mass export solution, so that an initial copy of all videos requested was delivered to the DAs office by the time that the TBI agent had arrived onsite at the HCSO. The TBIs only contribution to the project was supplying six (6) extra laptops to the District Attorneys Office, as well as to assist in getting the contents of the original removable drive copied to said laptops, in order to facilitate review by more than one individual at the DAs Office. These laptops were provided by TBI only because the HCSO did not have six extra laptops on-hand to loan to the DAs Office for an indefinite period of time. Regarding the copying of videos, the Arbitrator software contained a feature that allowed HCSO Network personnel to set parameters for video to be exported based on the date range and badge number. HCSO Network personnel performed the mass export by inputting the date range requested by the DAs Office of January 1, 2019 through July 11, 2019, narrowed by Wilkeys badge number. The video footage pulled for the HCSO IA at Lt. David Sowders request, was pulled on December 18, 2019, using the same procedure. Budgetary Considerations The HCSO has an annual budget of $59 million as of fiscal year 2019. From this budget, it pays salaries, operates a jail and provides oversight for the Silverdale Detention Center, and provides a superior level of service to our community with these taxpayer funds. Of that $59 million dollars, $1.35 million (approximately 2%) is allotted for capital expenses. Of that fractional amount, the HCSO purchases patrol cars, bulletproof vests, office supplies, cell phones, computers, software, and hardware. It further provides training to its employees and maintains facilities from those funds among other things. To say that budgeting for these needs is a challenge would be using charitable language at its most optimistic. Despite the budgeting challenges, the HCSOs commitment to excellence for our citizens does not waiver. In April of 2019, Cleveland City Schools Director of Operations Hal Taylor presented the Cleveland City School Board of Education with a transportation plan that included Parent Responsibility Zones. This was suggested to reduce the number of students being transported daily on Cleveland City School buses. The State of Tennessee only supplies BEP funding for students who live more than 1.5 miles from their school. Until the recent past, this was not enforced by the state. Currently there are numerous students who ride CCS buses who live within that 1.5 mile parameter. Officials said, "The City of Cleveland has consistently worked on building more sidewalks to create safe paths for pedestrians to travel. This is a work in progress and eventually will allow the BOE to adopt these zones school by school. "Currently, Cleveland High School has the only enforced PRZ in the city. The Cleveland/Bradley County Greenway makes it possible for many CHS students to ride their bikes or walk to school. Also, there is a sidewalk from Peerless Road to Paul Huff Parkway. "While at some point in the future PRZs will be enforced, that will not take place during the 2020- 2021 school year. In the meantime, progress is being made on sidewalks around Blythe Bower Elementary and the Greenway, which offers many students access near Mayfield Elementary and George R. Stuart Elementary. "Cleveland City Schools thanks the Board of Education and the Mayor and City Council for their partnership in developing Cleveland into a more walkable community." If you have ever worn a military uniform, you know what it is like. You are young, and honestly dont understand the world around you. You go where you are told, you do what you are told. You put your life on the line to protect people you probably do not know, for purposes you do not understand. You may even be required to take the life of someone else to protect those people. Lost in all the hoopla of everything people are fighting today is that the politics of a different time are being seen by the politics of our time.I didnt know my ancestors, but their blood runs through my veins - not their ideologies or politics.Nevertheless, here I am this July 4th holiday grateful for my life and to live in a country where we have freedom. I am not sure future generations will have the same freedoms moving forward. What keeps racing in my mind is what did I know as an 18-year-old? Not much. I would like to tell you that I fought so that men could be free. Perhaps there was some underlying noble reason in my motives. The truth probably lies elsewhere. I wanted to go to college, I really could not afford to go, and I knew I needed time, space and money. The Marines offered me an opportunity to find myself, and get the money that I needed to go to college. If I had to risk my life to achieve that dream, I would do it.Lost in time, lost in all the debate of recent days, is that people much like you and me took great risks to get here. They boarded a ship, a plane, a raft, or walked across the Bering Strait. Yes, some Americans were shackled and taken from their land, in the most barbaric manner possible and stripped of their dignity, ripped from their family. It was inexcusable. My genetic tests tell me some of that blood also runs through my veins. Along with Native-American, I am a mixture of all of America. If you only see the world in Black and White, you miss all of the other colors.The great thing about leading a non-partisan organization is that I am free to speak the truth to people - including those in power, without prejudice. In many ways, it is liberating. Because of that position, it is easier to have conversations with policymakers on both sides of the political aisle. I also apply that to my personal life, looking for those common denominators to build relationships. Our nation has traditionally had respect for statesmanship.In his interview with Forbes Magazine, Harvards Arthur Brooks, author of the bestselling book Love Your Enemies: How Decent People Can Save America from the Culture of Contempt, states the media, especially social media, fuels our addiction to contempt. He adds, America is addicted to political contempt...many of us still compulsively consume the ideological equivalent of meth from elected officials, academics, entertainers and some of the news media. That is why it is critical for those seeking to be informed on issues like education to find a trusted messenger capable of bringing everyone together to find the best solutions.Jonathan Haidt, a professor of ethics at New York University, in his interview with The Atlantic, adds to this point, Does anyone really think we are going to win people over by insulting them and spouting hatred toward them? Hatred is killing our country, as much as the demonization of others. Mr. Haidt also added, When theres so much hatred, a democracy cant work right. You cant get compromise. You get exactly the situation that the founders feared, that [James] Madison wrote about in Federalist 10, which is faction, which is people care more about defeating the other side than they do about the common good.Our history is what it is. We cant change what is behind us, we can only change what is in front of us. We should encourage people to protest and speak out on perceived injustices. However, if you want to embrace lawlessness and riot, destroy and commit crimes, you should face consequences. Across America, including cities in Tennessee, we have imposed a curfew on law-abiding citizens, and our very freedom is being lost because of the chaos of others.This is not a nation that will long survive for anyone, as long as might makes right, and people are forced to live in fear. Martin Luther King Jr. said many things on which we can reflect, like the words of Gandhi and Jesus, words get twisted and taken out of context, but on this Dr. King was clear. I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character. Your character matters. It always did and it always will, and the final judge of your character will be the great arbitrator and final authority: God.Alexis de Tocqueville was alleged to have written, America is great because she is good, and if America ever ceases to be good, she will cease to be great. Regardless of where the quote came from, many of our elected leaders have embraced that foundational truth. Like President Reagan said, Americas best days are yet to come. Our proudest moments are yet to be. Our most glorious achievements are just ahead. This July 4 is a day for committing the country as the signers of the Declaration did in 1776 when they pledged their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honor to securing American independence. Just like they did in 1776, for better or worse, we must move forward together.* * *JC Bowman is the executive director of Professional Educators of Tennessee, a non-partisan teacher association headquartered in Nashville. Governor Bill Lee announced that Tennessee has the fewest distressed counties statewide since 2007, down from 15 in 2019 to 11 counties according to the Appalachian Regional Commission.McNairy, Jackson, Fentress and Morgan counties have shown tremendous improvement and we are proud to support continued efforts for greater stability and prosperity, said Governor Lee. As these counties improve beyond distressed status this means more residents have access to quality jobs and economic security and we are committed to efforts that sustain this progress.Each year, ARC prepares an index of county economic status for every county in the United States.Economic status designations are identified through a composite measure of each county's three-year average unemployment rate, per capita market income, and poverty rate. Based on these indicators, each county is then categorized as distressed, at-risk, transitional, competitive or attainment.McNairy, Jackson, Fentress and Morgan counties advanced out of distressed designation, signaling improved economic conditions for their residents. No Tennessee counties were added to the distressed list this year.We are focused on supporting rural Tennessee, especially our distressed counties as we strive for greater economic outcomes, TNECD Commissioner Bob Rolfe said. In 2013, Tennessee had 26 counties classified as distressed, and we are pleased to announce a drop to a 13-year low. Todays news reaffirms our long-term rural strategy, which is built around a full suite of community development grants and enhanced efforts to support job creation in our most economically vulnerable communities.We have been working daily to improve the economic status of McNairy County, McNairy County Mayor Larry Smith said. We are grateful to hear todays news, but we know that our work is only just beginning. Moving forward, we will continue to work hard and think outside the box to support the unique needs of our county. We are thankful to Governor Lee for his support of rural communities like ours.I am thankful to Governor Lee and his incredible staff for their tremendous efforts in helping lift our community out of distressed status, Jackson County Mayor Randy Heady said. We know that many factors go into this designation, but I believe that with the continued efforts of our governor, his staff and the proud citizens of our county, we will shed that label for good. The sky is the limit for Jackson County.I was honored to receive the good news that Fentress County has moved off of the distressed county list, Fentress County Executive Jimmy Johnson said. I would like to thank Governor Bill Lee, along with his staff and the Department of Economic and Community Development for the plan and great guidance to follow to make this possible. We will strive harder than ever to make Fentress County a better place for our citizens to live. Thanks to all who have supported us on our journey.This is great news for Morgan County. We have worked extremely hard to help lift our county off of the distressed list, Morgan County Executive Brian Langley said. We will continue working hard to make sure we keep Morgan County on the right track. A lot of positive things are happening in Morgan County, and we look forward to continuing to lead the way. Girl Scout Cookies can mean different things to different people. For some, they are a welcome treat. To others, an irresistible temptation. To some of the recipients of Friends of the Troops care packages, Girl Scout Cookies are a sweet reminder of home.Friends of the Troops is a non-profit based in Chattanooga that focuses on helping members of the United States Armed forces who, for any reason, slip through the cracks of other organizations. CEO and founder Jessica Duke felt inspired to start Friends of the Troops after realizing that soldiers and their families were often overlooked by other organizations shed volunteered with.Despite others warning her what a challenge it would be to start a non-profit, Friends of the Troops began operations in 2019. In their short existence, the non-profit already has corporate partnerships, volunteers in 16 different states and currently supports several hundred servicemen and women.Starting in 2020, Girl Scouts of the Southern Appalachians is partnering with Friends of the Troops by supplying them with Girl Scout Fall Product and Cookies that will be included in the various care packages that they send out.Friends of the Troops specifically tries to focus on all servicemen and women who do not have family support, either because they have no family, or their family cant afford to send care packages themselves. For those on active duty overseas, Friends of the Troops sends care packages and cards. For those actively serving stateside, in addition to care packages and cards, they may also receive new baby support and help around the holidays. Sending care packages overseas is their biggest program right now; most of the Girl Scout Cookies will go overseas.Its not just active duty servicemen and women that Friends of the Troops serve; they also have special programs for veterans. Their veteran programs include cards, support for homeless veterans, and participation in the mail call programs of the Honor Flight Network and Honor Air. They also assist veterans in need in the local communities with various projects, new baby support, and aid veteran families in need around the Holidays.Care packages help to boost morale and brighten the day of those serving. Ms. Duke says of Friends of the Troops, What we are doing is really having a positive impact on the people. It does make their deployment better and reminds them that they have not been forgotten. Ms. Duke is very excited about the partnership with GSCSA. She points out that Fall Product items will be perfect to ship; its too hot to ship other food items that might melt. She says that the cookies will be shipped out as soon as they receive them from the council.The mission of Friends of the Troops is to honor, aid and encourage servicemen and women. With help from Girl Scout Fall Product and Cookies, they can continue to do so. Prosecutors say "substantial sentence is warranted" for the leader of the "Cream Scheme" despite a 13-page letter he wrote to Judge Sandy Mattice. Prosecutors Perry Piper and Franklin Clark said, "The letter submitted by Wilkerson has, respectfully, done nothing to improve his situation." Wilkerson is set to be sentenced on July 28 in the major health care fraud case. He will be the final defendant to be sentenced. In their own 16-page reply, the prosecutors said, "In essence, Wilkerson argues that the entire investigation, prosecution, and verdict are a mistake. If the Court knew the full story, Wilkerson posits, the Court would have found him and his co-defendants not guilty." Noting his statement about the pain cream being an alternative to opioids, they said, "Once again, Wilkerson steers the case toward pain management and the dangers of the 'opioid crisis.' As the Court heard, pain cream was only one part of the defendants scheme. He offered, at unconscionable prices, a multitude of creams having nothing to do with pain: creams to treat skin problems, migraines, warts, stretch marks, and erectile dysfunction. Add to that the 'wellness pills,' which also cost about $6,000 per bottle - and were shown at trial to be a compilation of nominally priced ingredients available at Walmart." Prosecutors said, "Despite Wilkersons arguments to the contrary, the proof showed that Wilkerson was paying Dr. Candace Craven to sign prescriptions for the creams without actually seeing the patients. They said on May 17, 2014, Kirtis Green, while in Florida, texted Wilkerson, This is where I want to be. Permanently. Wilkerson replied, Bango. Then Im sure I will too. We will just set up an online fax account and feed scripts to Michele constantly. Green said, Perfect. She said she will sign 500 a time once karma opens. Wilkerson then added, Ha ha. Perfect. Noting that Wilkerson said the cream business only lasted nine months, prosecutors said, "In that short time, Wilkerson devised and executed a scheme that bilked private insurance companies, Tricare, and finally Hamilton County Schools, out of $35 million." Prosecutors said, "Wilkerson suggests that paying his prescribers to authorize the creams was the only right way to compensate providers that I was aware of. The only right way to use prescribers would have been for Wilkerson not to pay them at all: it is not how the payments were made - it was that they were made by Wilkerson that reveals the fraud. The 'right way' would have been for the patients to see a medical professional who did not have a stake in the outcome." They also said, "Wilkerson claims that Amanda Morgan Booker approached him regarding the marketing of the creams. Ms. Morgan Booker testified to the opposite: she stated that Wilkerson approached her and claimed 'that a lot of Hamilton County insurance was covering for teachers and asked me to have a conversation with my husband if he would be interested in bringing people on to get the creams, pharmaceutical, whatever we called it.' Ms. Morgan Booker replied to Wilkerson that she 'would have a conversation with my husband' about recruiting teachers to order the creams. Wilkerson confirmed that Ms. Morgan Booker would be 'compensated' for her husbands efforts in bringing on Hamilton County Schools employees. Wilkerson created an LLC for Morgan Booker, ARM LLC, through which she received the payments for the Hamilton County Schools creams that were ordered through her husband (Keitha Booker)." Governor Bill Lee signed Executive Order No. 53 on Wednesday, granting limited COVID-related liability protection to health care providers. He said, Hospitals, nursing homes, and health care workers are on the front lines of fighting this pandemic, and this EO provides protection from liability with respect to COVID-impacted treatment and resource availability, except in cases of gross negligence or willful misconduct. Because the law only allows us to take this action for healthcare providers, any other liability issues will need to be taken up by the General Assembly. 90 Day Fiance stars Elizabeth Potthast and Andrei Castravet have never seen completely eye to eye when it comes to issues like modesty, drinking, and gender roles. Elizabeths sisters and parents often pushed back against Andreis strict requests about his wifes bachelorette party, calling him controlling and overly demanding. On a recent episode of TLCs 90 Day Fiance: Happily Ever After, it was clear that Elizabeths familys opposition to Andreis stricter cultural norms and beliefs was still in full swing. The 29-year-old went wedding dress shopping with her mom and sisters for her upcoming second wedding to Andrei in his home country of Moldova. The shopping trip brought up some cultural differences in terms of modesty and fashion, and Elizabeths family certainly didnt stay silent about them. Andrei Castravet and Elizabeth Potthast | Elizabeth Potthast via Instagram RELATED: 90 Day Fiance: Elizabeth Asks Her Dad to Pay For Her Wedding To AndreiAnd It Doesnt Go As She Expects Elizabeth said her wedding dress in Moldova had to be more modest than she was used to Andreis last-minute announcement of an upcoming second wedding in Moldova left Elizabeth scrambling to find a dress off the rack. With no time for alterations, she explained, she had to make sure that whatever she chose was appropriate and didnt need any alterations. Im a little nervous, because Im not sure how its going to go, the 90 Day Fiance star said of her upcoming wedding. But hopefully, I can have my dream wedding. And as for her dress, Andreis familys religious background meant that it needed to be long-sleeved and highly modest. So it definitely has to the be on the modest side, because theyre Orthodox, Elizabeth told the shopkeeper. So, very modest. How much coverage do you need? one of Elizabeths sisters asked skeptically. Elizabeth explained that cleavage was the biggest potential problem. My boobs have to be covered, to respect his parents, because thats their culture, she said. The 90 Day Fiance stars mom pushed back against the modesty requirements Elizabeths family had often previously pushed back against Andreis cultural traditions, as they considered them too strict. The 90 Day Fiance stars mom, Pamela, argued that her daughter shouldnt have to follow Andreis norms on her own wedding day. I understand that his culture has rules, and they want their ladies to be modest when theyre there for their wedding, Pamela told 90 Day Fiance producers. But at the same time, Elizabeth is American. She wasnt raised in Orthodox Christianity. Why is she trying to meld into a Moldovan culture, versus just being who she is? It wasnt easy to find a wedding dress that fit the bill in terms of modesty, either. The first dress Elizabeth tried on showed too much cleavage, and the second did as well. Dont you think thats too scandalous? Pamela wanted to know as Elizabeth walked out in a sleeveless, low-cut dress. I dont think thats scandalous at all, Elizabeths sister piped up, seeming to critique Andreis strict expectations for his wifes dress. Elizabeth was adamant that she adhere to her in-laws norms. It fits me like a glove, but this is so inappropriate, and theres no sleeves, she lamented of the somewhat revealing dress. I cannot wear this dress. I just cant. Andreis wife eventually found her dream dress But all was not lost. After a few initial tries, Elizabeth finally walked out in a flowing gown that fit her perfectly. She squealed in excitement as she gushed over the dress. I love it! the 90 Day Fiance star said of the dress. This is literally what I always envisioned. It has the sleeves, and it has these beautiful pearls, and the beading in the back. Still, it wasnt quite modest enough for Andreis taste. The only thing is, my boobs, Elizabeth pointed out. But the shopkeeper draped a white winter shawl over Elizabeths shoulders, which pulled the look together. Elizabeths family was just as thrilled about her dream dress. You look like youve gotten dropped out of heaven, her sister Becky raved. Its the epitome of everything you said you wanted. Andreis wife explained that her first weddingin the U.S., after the initial 90 dayswasnt everything she wanted, due to the time restrictions placed on the couple by the K-1 visa requirements. Now, her wedding in Moldova would be her fantasy. My first wedding wasnt my dream wedding, so I do want to have our dream wedding in Moldova, the 90 Day Fiance star said. Snow falling, and coming in on a horse and carriage like Cinderella. Despite the last-minute rush, Elizabeth was thrilled with the dress she found. I thought it would be near to impossible finding a winter dress in Florida, she admitted. But ultimately, she found the perfect dress which fit the modesty standards she was looking for. Its everything that I wanted, she said with a smile. 90 Day Fiance stars Andrei Castravet and Elizabeth Potthast have always struggled in their marriage due to Andreis strained relationship with his in-laws. Elizabeths tight-knit, Florida-based family often accused Andrei, who hails from Moldova, of being overly controlling and strict, as well as of mooching off of Elizabeths father, Chuck Potthast. On a recent episode of TLCs 90 Day Fiance: Happily Ever After, those ongoing issues came out in full force when Elizabeth went dress shopping for her upcoming second wedding to Andrei in Moldova. Some of Elizabeths sisters wouldnt be able to attend due to their young children, and they pulled no punches when it came to their resentment of Andrei for the last-minute wedding plans. Andrei, Eleanor, and Elizabeth Castravet | Elizabeth Potthast Castravet via Instagram RELATED: 90 Day Fiance: Elizabeth Struggles To Find a Dress That Covers Her Cleavage For Her Moldovan Wedding Elizabeth explained that two of her sisters couldnt attend her second wedding Elizabeth hoped to find her dream dress for her upcoming Moldovan wedding during a shopping trip. But it was a bittersweet moment, because she knew that the last-minute nature of the event meant that two of her sisters wouldnt be able to attend. Becky and Megan arent going to be able to make it to the wedding in Moldova because its last minute, and they have new babies, the 90 Day Fiance star told TLC producers. Although I understand, its really disappointing that they cant be there. Becky, meanwhile, had some harsh words for Andrei. She made it clear where she placed the blame for her inability to go to the wedding. Its actually really hard for me to be here today, Becky admitted. I have no doubt in my mind that this was something that he planned, maliciously, to keep us from being there. One of her sisters began to break down when she saw her in her dream wedding dress After trying on a few initial wedding dresses, Elizabeth finally found the perfect gown for her special day. But her sister Becky stayed quiet, even as the rest of the family gushed over the dress. You havent said anything, Elizabeth pointed out to her sister. The floodgates opened as Becky began to describe why she felt so heartbroken. Im just not going to be able to see you wearing this, she told the 90 Day Fiance star as tears came to her eyes. This is literally everything that youve always envisioned. Its sad, because Im not going to be able to be there. And you look so beautiful. You always talked about your long-sleeve dress in the winter. I dont want to miss it. Another of Elizabeths sisters, Jenn, stuck up for Beckyand pushed against Andreis decision. Its just not fair, she declared. Its not fair to have her sitting her crying because she knows she cant be there. The 90 Day Fiance star said she now understood some of what Andrei felt on their original wedding day Elizabeth rushed to hug her sister and apologize for her pain. Still, the 90 Day Fiance star explained, she didnt feel like she had any other choice. In order to baptize their baby daughter, Eleanor, in Andreis country, they would need to get married in a local church first. I wouldnt have agreed to this short notice if it wasnt for her, Elizabeth said, referring to Eleanor, and having to baptize her. In order to do that, we have to be marriedIf we dont do it now, it probably wont happen. Still, Becky retorted, Youre just hurting peoples feelings. Im not intentionally hurting anybodys feelings, the 90 Day Fiance star replied. Jenn agreed, Youre not. Andrei is. Becky told 90 Day Fiance producers that she felt incredibly resentful of Elizabeths husband. She held him responsible for the whole debacle. Andrei is literally at the bottom of my s*** list, Becky announced. Hes robbing me of being able to see my sister fulfill her dream wedding. While Elizabeth understood her sisters feelings, she felt she owed Andrei the sacrifice of a wedding in Moldova. After all, his family wasnt able to attend their first wedding in the U.S., so she explained that now she felt she understood how hed felt that day. To know that they cant be there, Elizabeth said of her sisters, it sucks. We grew up together, and we always talked about what we envisioned for our weddings. But when you fall in love with someone from a different country, sometimes you have to make tough sacrifices. Though Nicole Nafziger is no longer on 90 Day Fiance, the former star continues to upset fans pretty regularly. Initially, Nafziger made her followers angry by continually posting clickbait that made it seem like she was in Morocco with her boyfriend, Azan Tefou. Now, Nafziger is actually in Morocco but fans are still upset with her because in order to go visit Tefou, she had to leave her daughter May behind. Nicole Nafziger and Azan Tefou | Instagram via alwayssnicole Nicole and Azan have had a rocky relationship Some couples on the show seem to really be enamored with one another. Tefou and Nafziger have never been one of those couples. From the moment TLC started to tell their story, fans called Tefou out for seeming completely uninterested in Nafziger. The two ended their season without getting married. Later, they canceled their upcoming nuptials, claiming that it would be too expensive. RELATED: 90 Day Fiance: Fans Are Upset with Nicole Nafziger Over An Instagram Post In 2018, Nafziger and Tefou called off their wedding because it was going to be too expensive. With the unused money from the wedding, the two decided to open up a beauty shop in Morocco. Nicoles trip to Morocco Nafziger finally made it back to Morocco in March. Unfortunately, shortly after she arrived, the borders closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Sucks everything is closed, she wrote on her Instagram story. I am still in Morocco for everyone who wants to know. Not going home just yet but Im fine. Were good. Because of the pandemic, Nafzigers trip has lasted a lot longer than planned. Fans have been outraged at how long Nafziger has been away from her daughter. Nice to see her auntie puts May first, one person commented on a photo of May. You should be ashamed of yourself for not being with May and instead chasing some guy that doesnt really want you around in Morocco. When this sweet kid gets old enough to understand her mothers desperation, and leaving her just to be with a man that doesnt actually want her, I hope May will have someone to talk to, another person commented. RELATED: Why Some 90 Day Fiance Fans Thinks Nicole Nafziger Is Staying Alone in Morocco Nicole Nafziger responds to the haters People have been telling Nafziger that she is technically allowed to come back to the US for weeks. For all those saying she cant come home, she can, one person commented on a recent photo. If youre American and need to get home, there are limited flights out and the American [government] is paying for the flight. By this point, Nafziger decided to set the record straight. Haha, theyre paying for it? she responded. Id like to know where they said that because every time Ive looked into it, its [2-3 times] the price of a normal flight that the passenger has to pay. Yall think youve got it all figured out because of whatever you [hear], but [were] you one of the people who had to actually email the government to see? Nope. Stop judging my [life] and decisions. Just an idea. I know you wont listen because its easier to pin me as a bad mom and gossip about the drama. Soon enough, yall can take a [peek] into my real life. Maybe. A finsta is the word kids these days use when referring to their fake Instagram. Often, a finsta is a second account, apart from a users main Instagram profile, that is mainly hidden from the outside world. Close friends and/or family members will typically be the only ones to follow a finsta, as its where the Instagram user will usually post their less-flattering selfies, funny memes, or whatever else they deem to fit outside of their main Instagram pages aesthetic or brand. And now we think the movie star Ben Affleck has a finsta. Does Ben Affleck, known for movies like Good Will Hunting and The Town, have a secret Instagram account? Ben Affleck at the premiere of Justice League in 2017 | Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic Kelsey Weekman is the hero among us who discovered Ben Afflecks alleged secret Instagram account. After she tweeted about it, the story picked up steam. Then, Weekman also wrote a blog post on the topic for In the Know. Weekman, who dubs herself a news editor and newsletter writer on Twitter, started the piece by discussing her fascination with Ben Affleck and Ana de Armas relationship. The couple has a sort of bizarre gravitational pull about them that makes me constantly want to know more about them and why theyre together, Weekman wrote. They met on the set of a psychological thriller called Deep Water at the end of 2019, but the pairing remains a bit unusual. The Batman actor and girlfriend Ana de Armas dont follow each other on their public accounts So, she did some digging. Weekman had read that de Armas and Affleck dont follow each other on Instagram. I thought that was unusual because paparazzi famously spotted Affleck snapping photos of Armas on the beach in Costa Rica, the editor continued. Why was it so odd? Well, de Armas posted the Costa Rica pics on her Instagram page. And soon after, Affleck commented. Photo credit pls, he wrote. And yet he still didnt follow her, Weekman posited. i found ben affleck's finsta pic.twitter.com/eYwXQ0AymD kelsey weekman (@kelsaywhat) June 4, 2020 RELATED: Jennifer Garner Reacts to Ben Affleck Saying Their Divorce Is His Biggest Regret Then, amid her investigative research, she just so happened to find an Instagram account that appear[ed] to be Afflecks fake Instagram account, or finsta. Howd she seek it out? I went to de Armas Instagram page and looked at the 500 accounts she follows, and while searching for Ben Affleck, I stumbled upon an account under the name Ben,' Weekman explained. Could it really be him, though? Weekman kept looking for further evidence. Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner followed each other on Afflecks secret Instagram account The potential proof kept on coming. I immediately noticed that the accounts handle was positiveattitudehunting a clear (although groan-worthy) play on one of his most famous movies, Good Will Hunting, Weekman noted. Not to mention the Instagram accounts profile picture: a shot of Affleck canoodling with de Armas. And the Instagram bio is almost too obvious: just a dad who sometimes makes movies. Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck at the Oscars in 2013 | Jason Merritt/Getty Images RELATED: What Did Ben Affleck Do Before Becoming Famous? But the weirdest thing? The possible finsta account had just three other accounts following. de Armas, obviously, because she led me to this page in the first place, Weekman wrote. But its not just his current love interest Afflecks ex-wife (with whom he shares children), Jennifer Garner, also follows. Now only one question remains who is the third follower of Afflecks alleged account? Weekman wondered near the end of her blog post. Of course, a Matt Damon finsta is one possibility. Or, as Weekman pointed it out: its possible its one of Afflecks older children, Casey Afflecks finsta, Tom Bradys finsta, Dunkin Donuts. After all, its Ben Affleck. As the finsta-finder put it: it could be anyone. Romances between soap opera actors are quite common, and General Hospital star Chad Duell seems to understand this well. He is currently dating Courtney Hope, who appears on The Bold and the Beautiful. Since Duell and Hope are not working on the same show, some fans might be curious about how they crossed paths with each other. How did Duell and Hope meet, and what is their relationship currently like? Heres what we know. Chad Duell and Courtney Hope | Greg Doherty/Getty Images Chad Duell and Courtney Hope met because of another General Hospital actor Couples meeting through mutual friends is a common occurrence around the world. Duell and Hopes relationship started like this as well. They met at a party and were introduced to each other by Duells then-costar, Bryan Craig. Upon talking to one another, Duell and Hope found they had a lot in common. However, both Duell and Hope admitted to Soaps In Depth they were a bit hesitant about pursuing a relationship at first. I wanted to hang out with her, Duell said, but part of me knew I would end up dating her. I guess I was scared. Meanwhile, Hope wasnt sure what love was actually supposed to be like. She shared, My parents always used to tell me love should be easy and with someone whos your best friend. Growing up, I didnt believe that existed anymore. When I met Chad, it was the first time I ever saw what they were talking about. Duell and Hope began dating soon after and things seem to be going very well for the couple. Duell and Hope have been living together for three years RELATED: General Hospital: Who Did Chad Duell Date Before Courtney Hope? Duell and Hope have shown their commitment to each other by moving in. They have been living together for three years so far, including riding out the recent coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic side by side. Weve been living together about three years now, Hope told Soaps.com. Were definitely two peas in a pod we havent had any moments where its like, Im sick of you! And thats a good thing. As for how they dealt with quarantine, Hope said, I felt like there were stages of quarantine in the beginning we both had a little anxiety over it, then set an at-home routine so we could be productive. Its just us and our three dogs. We like our alone time, too he likes to play his games, and I like fitness and crafts. Duell and Hope try to do romantic things for each other RELATED: A Look at The Bold and the Beautifuls Courtney Hope and General Hospitals Chad Duells Life Together at Home Duell and Hope seem to be at the stage where they are comfortable with each other, but the couple still tries to do romantic things for each other. Duell shared with Soaps In Depth that Hope once showed her love in a rather huge wayshe flew him to Japan. He said, For my birthday, Courtney got me a trip to Japan and a room at the hotel my favorite movie, Lost in Translation, took place in. That was probably the coolest thing anyones ever done for me. Meanwhile, Duells gestures for Hope are a bit more subtle, but they are no less important. Being thoughtful is a form of being romantic, Hope shared. Ill come home from a long day at work and hell bring me flowers or even just my favorite protein bar. That means something to me. Hes thinking about me. A lot has been said about Prince Harry and Prince Williams reportedly strained relationship in recent years. The younger prince has also openly addressed the fact that he and his brother are on different paths. Much of this has allegedly steemed from the princes speedy romance with Meghan, Duchess of Sussex. Though Prince William has been labeled the bad guy for expressing his concerns about the Suits alum, he wasnt the only member of the British royal family who suggested that Prince Harry proceed with caution. According to a new royal book, Kate Middleton also confronted her brother-in-law about Meghan. RELATED: The Royal Family Is Terrified Prince William Will Be Depicted as the Bad Guy in Meghan Markle and Prince Harrys New Book Initially, Prince Willam was concerned about Meghan Markle and Prince Harrys relationship Just a few short months after being introduced to Meghan on a blind day, a smitten Prince Harry introduced her to his family. Unfortunately, it did not go over as well as he wanted. Though everyone was gracious with the Suits alum, Prince William pulled his brother to the side to voice some concerns. The older prince cautioned his brother not to move too hastily and to wait to really learn more about Meghans character. According to Daily Mail, Harry went mental and accused his brother of trying to finish their relationship before it had started. That conversation started the reported tension between the brothers, and it didnt help when more family members chimed in. RELATED: Meghan Markle Should Have Followed in Kate Middletons Footsteps and Ignored Bad Press, Expert Says Kate Middleton never got a chance to know Meghan Markle Since she was pregnant with Prince Louis and wrangling her own family along with her royal duties, Kate never got a chance to truly bond with Meghan. I dont think that she ever pulled Meghan under her wing and said, Ill show you the ropes, a source told Tatler Magazine. The women have lived very different lives and have very different perspectives on royal life. Therefore, much to Meghans disappointment they never got the opportunity to build the relationship that so many people wanted them to have. Of all the people in the royal family, Meghan said she had hoped to develop a close relationship with Kate, but was never given the chance, a source told Daily Mail. It was hurtful and disappointing for Meghan. RELATED: Kate Middleton Is Devastated That Shes No Longer Close With Prince Harry Kate Middleton confronted Prince Harry about Meghan Markle Kate was extremely close to Prince Harry whom she has known since he was a teenager. The prince often referred to Kate as the sister he never had. Following the Cambridges marriage, they often attended royal engagements together as a trio. However, the prince and the duchess tight-knit bond began to fracture after Kate confronted Prince Harry about Meghan. [Kate] gently reminded him that he was dating someone with a completely different life, past, and career and it would take time, care and attention for them to integrate, investigative journalists Dylan Howard and Andy Tillett write in Royals at War: The Untold Story of Harry and Meghans Shocking Split with the House of Windsor reported the Daily Mail. Unfortunately, Prince Harry did not heed Kates advice, and their relationship has not been the same since. Queen Elizabeth isnt above enjoying certain indulgences, from a bit of cake to a cocktail at the end of a long day. The key to keeping fit and staying in control is limiting these little luxuries and not having them too often. But when its time to celebrate, Her Majesty knows just what to reach for. The first champagne brand to receive the highly coveted stamp of approval from the royal family is also rumored to be the queens current favorite. Queen Elizabeth | Yui Mok WPA Pool/Getty Images RELATED: How Does Queen Elizabeth Take Her Tea? Food Habits Her Majesty Always Follows Queen Elizabeth prefers Bollinger champagne Anyone familiar with British history might get a chuckle out of the fact that Queen Elizabeth supposedly drinks one glass of Bollinger champagne each night before going to bed. The humor lies in the fact that like most upscale champagne brands, Bollinger hails from France. And relations between the British people and the French have seen some rough spots over the centuries. But Her Majesty seems to have no trouble enjoying one of the treasures of France today. Bollinger was the first champagne brand to receive the official royal stamp of approval signifying the makers had supplied goods to the royal family for five years or more. Other royally recognized champagne brands Queen Elizabeth II | Anwar Hussein/Getty Images To date, only eight total champagne brands received a royal warrant. Besides Bollinger, that list includes favorites such as Lanson, Moet & Chandon, Veuve Cliquot, Laurent Perrier, and Krug, Harpers Bazaar reported. And even commoners can get in on the fun. Most of the brands offer highly affordable options, with varieties of Bollinger retailing for anywhere from $50 to $150 per bottle. Of course, certain bottles are more expensive than others, but for the most part, all royally recognized brands are refreshingly low priced. The queens favorite cocktail Queen Elizabeth enjoys sipping on bubbly, but when it comes to choosing a favorite cocktail, Her Majesty usually has something else in mind. Former royal chef Darren McGrady revealed that the queen adores a gin and Dubonnet with a slice of lemon and a lot of ice just before lunch. The Queen Mother was also rumored to enjoy this exact same libation. The drink is made by combining two parts Dubonnet an aromatized wine-based aperitif with one part dry gin. Her Majesty most likely uses the gin brand Gordons, which also has a royal warrant. Other preferred libations in the royal family Prince William and Kate Middleton | Matt Mackey Pool/Getty Images Most of the royals drink socially and in moderation. Apparently, Prince Philip and Prince William prefer drinking beers instead of cocktails. Meanwhile, Prince Charles is known to indulge in a gin and tonic, while Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge is a fan of whiskey. Camilla Parker Bowles and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex are much more likely to pour a glass of wine. The queen has her own brand of wine Queen Elizabeth even has her own brand of wine. In 2011, the U.K.s largest wine producer, Laithwaites, was given permission to plant seven acres of grapes at Windsor Castle. They harvested them to make royally unique wine that quickly sold out. Windsor Great Park Vineyard 2014 got rave reviews and was described as having, a fine fizz with rich toasty length. The Bold and the Beautiful was the first show to make a move in regards to resuming filming in Hollywood. In a recent interview, head writer/showrunner Bradley Bell talked about new things coming down the pipeline for the soap opera. Kiara Barnes of The Bold and the Beautiful | Cliff Lipson/CBS via Getty Images The Bold and the Beautiful had re-started production but ended up pausing After production was suspended for several months, The Bold and the Beautiful was announced to be presumably the first U.S. scripted television series to go back to work on set. In order to resume filming, many safety protocols had to be in place by several entities, including the City of Los Angeles and the state of California. These protocols also had to be signed off and cleared by the Hollywood unions. By this time the state of California recently lifted restrictions on filming recently, clearing the path for things to return. The show first resumed production with all the new guidelines in place on June 17. That same day, it was revealed that the show would not resume and go on a small break before coming back due to some issues with testing. The show was set to come back on June 23. RELATED: The Young and the Restless Star Mishael Morgan Debuts Star-Studded I Have A Dream Project For Juneteenth However, on that day, it was revealed that the show would come back until a day later than expected on June 24. A spokesperson told Deadline about the initial delay, saying, The Health Department had some additional questions about the lab TV City provided The Bold and the Beautiful with last week, which produced several false positives. We have not had, nor do we have, any positive COVID-19 cases and are not shut down, but we needed an additional day to provide them with requested information. No information has been released that indicates that the show didnt go back into production on June 24. Bradley Bell teases what he and the writers have been working on In a recent interview with Soap Opera Digest, the soap operas showrunner, Bradley Bell, spoke about coming back and what theyve been working on during the quarantine. He also gave viewers some tidbits about what to expect when it returns. RELATED: The Bold and the Beautiful: Which Co-Star Did Darin Brooks Marry in Real Life? The writers and I have been working a lot, he said. Its kind of strange to have almost unlimited time to write these episodes because you can rethink them and you have more time so you can define the characters more, refine the story more. You can also have, in a way, too much time because you can think things to death. Soap operas, as a genre, have just kind of always been fly by the seat of your pants. Were just eager to get back into production. Were going to be cranking out as many shows as we can as quickly as we can. Bell teased that there will be new characters brought aboard when the show comes back. We definitely have a stockpile of scripts to draw from now. We have a few new characters coming aboard. You know, having all this time to name a characteryou come up with 100 different names. And then you think, Maybe this one is better or maybe we can tie it into this family. Its really a great luxury more than anything else. The Bold and the Beautiful airs weekdays on CBS. Vanna White is more than the glamorous and elegant co-host of Wheel of Fortune. When shes not revealing letters on the puzzle board (and clapping a lot), youll find her working at one of her favorite hobbies crochet! When White began co-hosting Wheel of Fortune in 1982, it had been many years since shed picked up her crochet hooks. But one day backstage, she saw her pregnant hairdresser crocheting a baby blanket, and asked if shed help her brush up on her skills, reigniting her love of crochet. Vanna White | Getty Images How Vanna White got into crochet RELATED: Is It True That Vanna White and Pat Sajak Barely Work? Wheel of Fortune Behind the Scenes White was born on February 18, 1957, in Conway, South Carolina. Her grandmother taught her to crochet at the age of 5, but she eventually lost interest in the hobby. After high school, White worked as a model and was a contestant in the Miss Georgia USA pageant in 1978. In 1982, Wheel of Fortune was looking for a new co-host, after the departure of original hostess Susan Stafford. White beat out more than 200 applicants to ultimately become Staffords successor in 1982. After the hairstylist backstage got her back into crocheting, White was thrilled to hone the craft. She did so so well, in fact, that shes practically ambidextrous because of it! The funny thing which I didnt realize at the time is that she was left-handed. Im right-handed, but I watched and copied her movements, and Ive been crocheting left-handed for the past 37 years. White told AARP in 2019. She crochets everywhere With her busy schedule, you might wonder how White has time to crochet. But the truth is, she crochets everywhere she goes! White brings projects with her to doctors office waiting rooms and on airplanes, and also keeps one in her car and by her bedside. She even crochets behind the puzzle board during breaks on Wheel of Fortune! I love to crochet afghans. I have made countless afghans over the years as gifts for friends and family. I put a tag in each one that says Handmade for you by Vanna White. I think that handmade gifts are so meaningful and more valuable to people than the most expensive store-bought product. I love the look on peoples faces when I give them a blanket for a new baby or an afghan for their home. I have this one friend who has a 13-year-old, and I made a blanket for him when he was a baby. After 13 years, she tells me that he still loves it. That means everything to me. White said in an interview with Etsy in 2008. She donates half the proceeds from her yarn line to charity During an appearance on The Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson in 1986, White told guest host Joan Rivers about her love of crochet. Years later, White was approached by Lion Brand Yarns to create her own line. Launched in 2007, Vannas Yarn Family now includes Vannas Choice, Vannas Glamour, and Vannas Pallettes. Its available at craft stores nationwide. When creating her yarn line, White knew she also wanted to give back. She went to Memphis, Tennessee, to visit the St. Jude Childrens Research Hospital. During my visit, I met some of the patients and their parents. I learned that St. Jude saves the lives of children, but it also does tremendous research to find cures for cancer and other diseases. And the hospital takes good care of the whole family. The St. Jude staff members were warm and friendly and helpful. It was just amazing. Once you go to the hospital, how can you say no? White writes on St. Judes website. White donates half the proceeds from her yarn sales to St. Judes. In 2018, White and Lion Brand Yarn reached an incredible $2 million in donations. After more than a decade on YouTube, it looks like Shane Dawsons days as a content creator on the platform are over. YouTube took action against Dawson on June 29, after he was linked to another round of lewd behavior and beauty guru drama. However, the YouTube community has been trying to get Dawson canceled for ages. The controversial creator has been accused of racism and lewd behavior multiple times over the years. A recent video of Dawson pretending to pleasure himself to a poster of an underaged Willow Smith appears to have been the last straw. YouTube has demonetized all three of Shane Dawsons channels In light of Dawsons recent drama, YouTube has taken pretty severe action. All three of Dawsons channels, including Shane, ShaneDawsonTV, and ShaneGlossin have been demonetized indefinitely. YouTube generally reserves such punishment for content creators who repeatedly act out in inappropriate ways. Shane Dawson | Mike Windle/Getty Images for Dick Clark Productions RELATED: Why Has the Internet Canceled Logan Paul Again? For example, Logan Paul, who uploaded a video depicting a suicide victim in Japan, briefly had his ad revenue suspended. Paul removed the content and issued a public apology. YouTube eventually restored his ability to earn ad revenue. JayStation, who has six million followers, quit YouTube in a huff in February 2020 after YouTube demonetized him, according to Business Insider. There is no word on when or if Dawsons earning potential will be restored. Still, many within the community are hoping YouTube takes a permanent stand against Dawson, who has used blackface, racial stereotypes and has often joked about pedophilia on his YouTube channels and on his social media accounts. Target and Morphe have also taken action against Dawson YouTube is not the only company that has attempted to distance itself from Dawson and the drama he is accused of creating. According to TubeFilter, Target has made the decision to remove Dawsons books from their stores. Dawson penned two books, I Hate Myself, and It Gets Worse. I Hate Myself was published in 2015. It Gets Worse was released the following year. Both books made it to the New York Times Bestseller list. The opening of a Morphe store | Gabe Ginsberg/Getty Images for Morphe RELATED: Why Is Shane Dawson Such a Controversial YouTuber? Morphe has also put distance between itself and Dawson. Morphe, best known for its makeup brushes, has removed Dawsons collaborative collection from its website. The company has, however, not issued an official statement on the future of their relationship with Dawson. While the company may have made a decision when it comes to Dawson, they are sticking by Jeffree Star. Stars collection is still available for purchase directly through Morphe. Star is accused of being at the center of Dawsons drama with the beauty guru community. Shane Dawson is losing followers quickly The drama for Dawson doesnt appear to be slowing down. Not only has he lost deals and been demonetized, but now everyone within the beauty community is weighing on his behavior, and he is losing viewers and followers by the second. Tati Westbrook, who was embroiled in drama with James Charles last year, uploaded a 40-minute video addressing inflammatory and manipulative behavior she claims Dawson and Star engaged in. Tati Westbrook | Gregg DeGuire/WireImage RELATED: Is James Charles Officially Canceled By The Makeup Community? On YouTube, Dawsons main channel, Shane, has lost nearly 1 million subscribers in the last 12 hours. On Twitter, his follower count plummeted from almost 12 million followers to 9 million followers in the same timeframe. He isnt fairing much better on Instagram. According to Social Blade, Dawson has lost more than 350,000 followers over the last 30 days. In 2014, Louisiana enacted a law requiring doctors performing abortions to have admitting privileges at nearby hospitals. Earlier this week, the Supreme Court struck down the law. Legislators said the requirement would improve the level of care that clinics provide for women. Abortion regulations in Louisiana and other conservative states have resulted in clinic closures and corresponded with falling abortion rates nationwide. Beyond the Supreme Courts power, the federal government plays a key role in terms of shaping public opinion around abortion, says Alexandra DeSanctis, a staff writer for National Review and the host of the For Life podcast. But I think in terms of what comes before courts, and what actually goes into effect, what actually matters for the everyday American in terms of how they think about abortion, is policy at the state level, said DeSanctis. And I think that even among pro-lifers, there are plenty of people who think you couldn't even really pass a ban on abortion through the U.S. Congress. ...So I do think if this is going to be a successful fight for pro-lifers, we have to think first and foremost of the micro-level, local and state policy first. DeSanctis joined digital media producer Morgan Lee and editorial director Ted Olsen to discuss what was surprising and unsurprising about the SCOTUS decision, what makes John Roberts tick, and if trying to get cases to the highest court in the land should be the goal for pro-lifers. Take Quick to Listens survey! What is Quick to Listen? Read more Rate Quick to Listen on Apple Podcasts Follow the podcast on Twitter Follow our hosts on Twitter: Morgan Lee and Ted Olsen Follow our guest on Twitter: Alexandra Desanctis Music by Sweeps Quick to Listen is produced by Morgan Lee and Matt Linder The transcript is edited by Bunmi Ishola Highlights on Quick to Listen: Episode #219 There are 133 pages of opinions on this case, and only 16 of them were by Chief Justice John Roberts. Can you help our listeners understand the basis of his decision? Alexandra DeSanctis: So, a little bit of context first. The law at stake, in this case, was in Louisiana, its an admitting privileges law very similar, though not identical, to the Texas law that was struck down by the Supreme Court in 2016. And at that time, John Roberts wrote a very thorough, excellent dissent disagreeing with the way that the majority had reinterpreted Planned Parenthood v. Casey to strike down the Texas admitting privileges law. But in this decision, while he sided with the judgment of the majority, saying that the Louisiana law must be struck down, he explicitly said, I still believe that whole woman's health was wrongly decided, but the fact is that it was decided that way and because it's precedent, we have to uphold it, as opposed to a very obvious reason why it needs to be overturned. And to me, my thought is, perhaps the obvious reason is it's wrong and you yourself think it's wrong. So you would think that would be more grounds to consider reversing it very shortly thereafter. But he's just kind of resting there on stare decisis (Latin for let the decision stand). It seems the consensus that Judge Roberts is more prone to invoke stare decisis social issues, and more likely to express an opinion to overturn economic issues, like hes more of economic conservative that a social conservative. Whats your take on that? Alexandra DeSanctis: I'm not sure exactly what it is about Robert's philosophy in terms of which issues he has a particular opinion on, but I think the best way to read him at this pointgiven that he's overturned precedent in the past on other issues, but he's very hesitant to do so when it comes to abortion clearlyis that the reason is probably less about his own personal views about one issue versus another. Article continues below Hes an institutionalist and he is willing to do what he thinks it takes, and decide in a way, that he thinks he needs to in order to uphold the reputation of the court. And for some reason, I think he just has it in his mind that if the court were to start walking back its abortion jurisprudence, this would make the court appear political. And to me, I think it appears much more political when you have a Chief Justice saying, The court was wrong to decide this, but we must stand by it, so youll continue to respect us. That makes very little sense to me, but from people I trust and from my reading of what he's done in the past, I think this particular area of law just makes him very fearful about disturbing public opinion or the status quo. Lets get into some of the details of this particular case. One of them was about the question of doctors needing to have admitting privileges at a local hospital. What type of medical professionals need admitting privileges? And is it unusual to require admitting privileges for a doctor who performs abortions? Alexandra DeSanctis: It certainly wasnt unusual in Louisiana, which was the question at stake here. I'm not familiar enough with the laws in other states to say how common this is. But I do know for a fact that in the state arguments in favor of this policy, they were pointing out that Louisiana already required that every other ambulatory surgical center in the state and any doctor who practices medicine must have admitting privileges at a local hospital. The idea being, if you're having people in for outpatient surgery, there's always a higher risk with these types of procedures. You want to ensure that people can get into a hospital more easily for follow-up care if they need it. So if you're performing dental surgery, you must have admitting privileges at a hospital within 30 miles. And so this policy was essentially closing a loophole that existed in Louisiana law that was exempting abortionists from that mandate and saying, if you're performing abortion surgical abortions, you don't actually have to have these admitting privileges. It was really just trying to even out the law and make sure that all outpatient surgeries were covered by this sort of policy. People supporting this law in Louisiana argued that this is significantly different than the earlier case that the Supreme court had decided. Can you talk about what they said was different? Alexandra DeSanctis: So my understanding of the argument the state was making in favor of this policy and what the fifth circuit in Louisiana did when they upheld the law last year was that they found was that the law would not close any clinics. So in Texas, part of the rationale for striking down the admitting privileges law had been that if this policy went into effect more than a dozen abortion clinics would have to close because the doctors wouldn't have been able to get admitting privileges. And Louisiana pointed out that would not be the case there. Essentially, it wouldn't affect women's ability to obtain an abortion because the doctor should have no trouble getting admitting privileges at a local hospital. And so they tried to distinguish along those grounds. I think it's worth touching on a secondary issue in the case, which was whether or not abortionists have the standing to challenge a policy like this. And that's something in Justice Clarence Thomas's dissent. Chief justice Roberts barely even addressed the question of standing, but the state of Louisiana made a pretty compelling case that if the policy was a problem for women, it ought to be women themselves challenging the regulation and saying it was somehow impeding their access to abortion. But in fact, it was abortion providers, challenging the regulation on behalf of women. And as the state pointed out, I think pretty compellingly, oftentimes abortionists interests are directly at odds with a woman seeking an abortion. Article continues below You mentioned the Thomas dissent, which is notable, not just because he really hammered on standing, but also for this line where he says, the court created a right to abortion out of whole cloth without a shred of support from the constitution text. He went on to say the precedents are grievously wrong and shared should be overruled. Some pro-lifers are very frustrated that Thomas was all by himself on that and that no other conservative justice signed onto that dissent. How do you feel about that? Alexandra DeSanctis: I loved the dissent. I really appreciated that because I felt like someone in the room is saying what needs to be said here. And of course, I would have been overjoyed to see even just the four dissenting justices sign onto that dissent. Ive seen arguments that the fact that no one else signed onto that dissent means they none of them agree with it or even that the other conservative or originalist justices therefore must accept the framework of Planned Parenthood v. Casey. But I don't think that's the case. I think you're dealing with different temperaments, different judicial philosophies, and someone like Justice Alito, I don't think you could really make the case that he's a fan of the logic of Planned Parenthood v. Casey, but he also isn't a Justice Thomas who comes out guns blazing every time he has a chance to knock down the foundations of poor jurisprudence. So while I would have loved to see more support for what Thomas wrote, I wouldn't necessarily read the tea leaves in a terribly melodramatic way. Whats interesting from looking at the responses from the more liberal side is theres some nervous hand ringing. They think Justice Roberts ruling as strategic and that hes really setting up for undercutting of Roe v. Wade. Theres are two camps. One thinks hes signaling pro-lifers to go big, pointing to a line where Robert says, we weren't asked whether we think that Casey and Roe were rightly decided, so we are not going to be addressing that in our decision. The other view is that Robert is signaling to profilers to bring cases where he can chip at this through a whole lot of smaller restrictions on abortion. Does either of those make sense to you? Or which do you think might be a better read? Are there prospects for overturning Roe or Casey, or is the future small state regulations? Alexandra DeSanctis: I don't really buy into either of those theories as much as I would like to. I'd love to make myself believe that Roberts has some kind of complex vision for actually getting some of these egregious precedents overturned. But if one of the two were more plausible, I would say, I think the former is because I think if you're thinking the way he is, from an institutionalist point of view, it makes sense for the court to really narrowly focus on precisely what it's being asked to do. Here, it wasn't being asked to talk about Casey or to overturn Casey. But he was incorrect that the state hadn't asked him to overturn whole woman's health. And so to me, the fact that he was presented an opportunity a mere four years later to uphold a law that he believed ought to have been upheld four years ago, that he says he still believes ought to have been upheld four years ago, but wouldn't do it, tells me there's not really some kind of grand strategy at work here. Because why would he uphold a four-year-old precedent, but be willing to overturn a multiple-decades-old precedent? Article continues below So, do pro-lifers go big or do they work in an incremental fashion? I have always been of the mind, at least as long as I've been following all of this as a non-lawyer, that you kind of have to do a little bit of both. You've got to try chipping away at this legal regime bit by bit, and just get as many things before the court as you can and hope for the best because very clearly you can't count on anything. Lets focus on how the pro-life movement has worked to advance their cause through state legislatures. What types of laws have been successful, and which are the ones that have been struck down more often? Alexandra DeSanctis: Last year we saw a number of cases where states passed heartbeat bills. And these are bills that prohibit abortion after a fetal heartbeat can be detected, which is usually about six weeks into pregnancy. So this is a pretty bold pro-life policy. And then we watched as, one by one, courts, at least at the very least enjoined these policies while the challenges were going through the courts. And so none of them actually took effect. And I don't think we can really expect any of them to take effect. And I think that's part of the problem with policies that actually go big. In a sense, you're just almost always going to see them struck down because, under the framework of Casey, you can't get away with very much as a pro-life legislature. You just aren't going to be able to put those policies into effect. But the good thing about trying is you're going to get them before the court and maybe eventually one of them will be upheld, you just kind of never know. We've seen states permitted to have regulations in effect like a 20-week ban or many states will regulate abortion later in pregnancy. But the question is, what types of exceptions have we put in place? That's kind of a little known aspect of the Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton decisions, that even if a state is permitted to regulate abortion, they always have to have a maternal health exception, which means that if a woman's mental health, familial health, financial health, or something sort of vague category like this is deemed to be at risk, she can get an abortion up until birth. And so even though that's not really written into policy, there's always that kind of backdoor that allows abortion on demand. Would you say that in the pro-life advocacy movement in general there has been broad support for trying to chip away at abortion rights? Or is there a frustration or even tension at times over this strategy? Alexandra DeSanctis: I think there's certainly been tension. I referenced those heartbeat bills, and that is a really good example of the difference in perspective, even among pro-lifers, on what the best legal strategy is. Because obviously all pro-lifers would support having such a policy in place, but there's sort of this incrementalist view that you have to start with a broader restriction. The thought is that if the court is going to strike down an admitting privileges law, how on earth are you going to get away with putting a heartbeat bill in place? So we really need to start with the bigger picture in mind and focus on broader restrictions like trying to get the court to slowly overturn things like whole women's health. But the other argument is gaining more steam, which is the court's not even willing to overturn whole woman's health. Why on earth would we keep playing small ball like this in a sense and fighting over things like putting restrictions on abortion clinics? Let's just actually argue against Roe v. Wade. Go right for the heart of what's wrong with our abortion jurisprudence and force courts to answer that question. Article continues below It seems like working through the state legislature has been successful in many ways. Is there some sort of asterisk that basically says it has to be a red state or is this something that is finding success in bluer states as well? Alexandra DeSanctis: I think lesser covered aspects of the admitting privileges law at stake in Louisiana is that it was passed on a bipartisan basis. It was introduced by a Democratic, female legislature and signed into law by a Democratic governor. Same thing when Louisiana passed a heartbeat bill last summer. So it's certainly not exclusive to red States. There are places around the country where you have pro-life Democrats at the state level. But I think you are certainly seeing a big picture shift in the Democratic party moving very far away from any kind of abortion restrictions whatsoever. And I think as a result these sorts of pro-life policies tend to be more concentrated in red states for the most part, though not exclusively. Even with the Supreme Court rulings going against pro-lifers, the U.S. abortion rate has declined more than 50% since 1980 and continues to decline fairly dramatically. What is your read on that is? Is that state-based regulation? Is that winning hearts and minds? Is it a little bit of everything? Alexandra DeSanctis: I do think there is certainly some changing of hearts and minds. The public opinion on abortion tends to stay relatively stable, but if you look at the macro view over the course of decades, the number of Americans who support some kind of abortion restrictions is certainly growing, especially among younger Americans. You'll see openness to things like a 20-week ban or a ban on abortion of fetuses diagnosed with down syndrome. So around the edges, I think you are seeing some change in public opinion. Whenever people talk about the abortion rate, I do think that's a really hopeful sign, and the pro-abortion side often likes to attribute this to just an increased use of contraception, but in fact, there's also a higher rate of women who choose to carry an unintended pregnancy to term. And so to me, that definitely shows there's some changing of hearts and minds in the culture on this issue. I think it's certainly worth celebrating, but at the same time, we're now below a million abortions every year in the country, and so it is still kind of a grim thing to celebrate, but it is a positive trend. In our country, there seems to be this just huge outpouring of energy and attention that is just given to federal politics. But how much do federal politics matter when it comes to fighting abortion rights in your opinion? Alexandra DeSanctis: I think it matters quite a bit in terms of public opinion and shaping the conversation that we have about abortion. If you remember back in February, there was a fight in the Senate over the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act, which was a pro-life bill brought by Senator Ben Sasse. And I think those types of conversations happen But I think in terms of what comes before courts, and what actually goes into effect, what actually matters for the everyday American in terms of how they think about abortion, is policy at the state level. And I think that even among pro-lifers, there are plenty of people who think you couldn't even really pass a ban on abortion through the U.S. Congress. There might not be the authority for that. Article continues below So I do think if this is going to be a successful fight for pro-lifers, we have to think first and foremost of the micro-level, local and state policy first. Earlier this year, you wrote a piece about some of the lesser-known groups, communities, and activists and the pro-life movement. Why did you decide to do this story and how did you find your subjects? And can you also share a little bit about who you profiled? Alexandra DeSanctis: This is one of my favorite pieces I've ever written actually, and I ended up interviewing about 20 different pro-life leaders and activists. I have been covering abortion now for about four years for The National Review, and in the course of doing that, not only do I do my own reporting and my own commentary, but I read a lot of commentaries and a lot of reporting on this topic. And I just found it to be so deficient because you just always see this line that the only people who oppose abortion are white Christian males who are trying to control women's bodies. That only misogynists oppose abortion, only Christians oppose abortion. That there are people who are trying to impose their religious values on you or a white supremacist. Just these absolutely ridiculous arguments. And as someone increasingly familiar with the pro-life movement, I just know for a fact that this isn't the case, but the voices who've disproved this argument are either ignored or actively silenced and attacked by abortion supporters. And so I wanted to write a piece interviewing and speaking with some of the people who disprove this totally false narrative. From African American pro-lifers, who have a really vast pro-life network that I learned a great deal about, to feminist pro-lifers and non-religious, or secular atheist pro-lifers, who oppose abortion for scientific reasons because they know it takes a human life. And so it was a very informative experience trying to build up contacts in these different groups and getting the perspective from these people who really do disprove the false narrative. Even just to take one example, I had no idea the extent to which Black Baptist activists and leaders in the African American community are working so hard on this issue. They have just an immense network of people doing really grassroots work. It's not political work. It has nothing to do with who you vote for really. It's just going within their networks, talking to people in the African American community about how bad abortion is for them and how these women are not choosing abortion because they see it as freedom or a way out of trouble. They see it as something difficult, something they don't want to have to choose. They don't feel like they have other options. And so even just learning about that type of work was really eye-opening for me. And I hope that piece has helped people to realize just how false this pro-choice narrative is. As someone who is extremely familiar with this movement and with what's happening both at the grassroots level and also at the political level, what are some of the stories that you would recommend we watch for in the next couple of years? Alexandra DeSanctis: Well, I think theres probably going to be a circuit court split on the question of these discrimination abortion bans, which is certainly worth paying attention to because the question of down syndrome abortion, or sex-elective abortion, or even race-selective abortion is a really touchy topic. And it's something that's very difficult for people who support abortion to grapple with. Because on the one hand, there's this kind of argument that some people would say for something like down syndrome abortion, it's compassionate to end these lives because it's going to be a life of suffering. That's a really tricky argument to make. It's very a touchy topic. Article continues below But I think having those conversations in the public square really helps to expose how terrible abortion is because of course, it's not compassionate to kill someone who's going to face a particular type of suffering. It sort of opens people's eyes to the fact that all abortion is some kind of discriminatory killing, regardless of the reason it's chosen. And so I think those sorts of debates, should they come before courts, would be a good point for the pro-life movement to sort of open people's eyes a little bit. And then I guess I would keep my eyes peeled for debates in the conservative legal world about how we revisit perhaps what types of justices we support, and what kinds of questions we ask potential nominees to answer having to do with Roe and Casey. There has been this kind of thread running through some of the pro-life world to not make this a religious issue but to tackle it as a human rights issue. Do you think that there should be a shift in the way we talk about religious commitments and pro-life efforts? Alexandra DeSanctis: I think that the religious right has rightly found a home for itself in the Republican party and in the idea that originalist, conservative justices are going to bring about the policy aims that we support by and large. I think Christian ideals naturally lineup with the natural law and natural rights tradition of The Constitution and the Declaration of Independence. And so I think thats, for the most part, been a pretty successful alliance. But I do think that that means we're in a party with people who don't really have the same priorities as us. And that's going to turn out with us getting disappointed. And I don't know that that means there's a better way of going about it or a better alliance available to us, I think that they're going to be disappointments along the way because we don't live in a country where Christianity is embraced by a large enough number of the people to have that be our laws and our tradition. And so I do think there are ways to try and demand more from the partnerships we've made and not always be sort of the redheaded stepchild. We seem to always be the ones having to compromise rather than the ones getting our priorities listened to. But I don't know if that means we should try and cast off the alliance entirely and look for help somewhere else. My interview with John C. Richards Jr. on how we are doing with race and justice today. Image: By kentoh via Shutterstock Today I am glad to share a conversation I had not too long ago with my friend John Richards on the topic of race and justice. You can view the entire interview here . John serves as pastor of assimilation at St. Marks in Little Rock, Arkansas, but I got to know John when he served as managing director here at the Wheaton College Billy Graham Center. Ed: Tell us a bit about what you are up to in fighting for racial justice. John: I'm from Brunswick, Georgia. My hometown is there, born and raised there 18 years, spent 18 years of my life in Brunswick. This is where the Ahmaud Arbery murder happened in February. Folks from my hometown reached out to me and wanted to talk about what they could do to get the case on the national radar. The McMichaels had been not arrested for at least 60 days around that time. A lot of folks locally were asking a lot of questions. In my background as a lawyer, I gave them some peaceful action steps. I am an advocate of nonviolent demonstration. One of the things that you can do is advocate for victims when they don't have voices. One of the things I asked them to do was call local authorities to get it on the national radar. Thirty days later, it became a national story. A lot of people saw the video. That's when the Georgia Bureau of Investigation came inwhen local authorities did not arrest them. As soon as they came to the scene, the third gentlemen had the video and showed it to them. Even based on that evidence, they refused to make an arrest. I've been involved in that since March when we were trying to get this on the national radar. I think one of my good friends put it well when he said, "Brunswick, Georgia was the match and Minneapolis was the gasoline," and we're all seeing that social fire burn right now. Ed: Why are you concerned about white pastors not speaking up on some of these issues? John: Martin Luther King, Jr. is one of my heroes in the faith in terms of him making and effecting real change. During his time, there was a dichotomy in the black community. You either had the Martin Luther King folks, or the Malcolm X folks. Thankfully, King's argument won the day, which was nonviolent protest and intended to help move our country forward. But the question becomes, How far have we come? Ahmaud Arbery was shot February 23rd. Some white pastors have been preaching patience since then and asking that the legal system run its course. One mentioned that, "We have to let the wheels of justice turn." I responded, It's very hard to let wheels turn when the car is on blocks, and there are no wheels. One of the things that we wanted to do was put wheels on that car so they could turn. We reached out to local authorities. It was nonviolent. It was a resistance, but it was a resistance that caused change. That's what we set out to do. I continue to call my local clergy members to the carpet on their silence in all of this. I understand the hesitancy to jump into things like this early on in the process, but you don't need to be hesitant to jump into lament or the anger that someone created in the Imago Dei has their life cut short. When I heard Mr. Floyd crying as a grown man for his mom, he used affectionate terms, saying, "Mama." To watch him die while other people looked on brought tears to my eyes. I'm tired of begging people to display righteous anger and asking them to speak up about black pain that's on public display. To see that and not hear anything about that from fellow clergy was difficult for me. Ed: One of the things that we've been trying to do here is to elevate the voices of black evangelicals. The posture I've tried to take in the midst of this is imperfect, but is a posture of listening and listening to you and to other African American leaders and others. What have you seen lately that concerns you in regards to how white pastors are responding? John: I'm in a predominantly African American church here in Little Rock, Arkansas. We're walking through the book of Mark through a series called Chain Breaker. This Sunday, we happened to be on the text where Jesus walks on the water, and the disciples are afraid. The sermon title was Not Another Storm! Obviously, there's cultural connections there. Overwhelmingly, when you look at African American sermons from Sunday, you're going to see connections to what is going on around us. One of the things that concerned me is that I had a colleague reach out to me who said, "I attended church at a predominantly white church, and I got a two-minute prayer about this. Then the pastor went on to continue our series on marriage." In a culture where we've experienced this kind of pain, one pastor decided that he was going to continue a series on marriage without addressing the elephant in the church. I saw more of this on social media. This is concerning for me because the silence is still speaking. Even when you're silent, you're saying something. Ed: I'm going to ask some questions that I would expect Anglo pastors might ask. Some of the questions will be, Well, what would you have us to say? What would have been the right thing to say? Should I have been to do the whole sermon differently? Would it have been better to address this inside of the context of what we were already preaching on? What would be your recommendation? John: To paraphrase a quote from Karl Barth: "You got to have the Bible in one hand and the newspaper in the other." We need to be able to address what's going on in the culture around you in the text if we are expository preachers. Many people preached on Pentecost on Pentecost Sunday. Talking about Pentecost and whats going on today is low-hanging fruit from a preaching perspective. You're talking about unified folks and being able to speak in people's language. Those are things you can address from the pulpit while remaining faithful to the church calendar. I think that sometimes we need to take divine detours. Ed: How would you then help pastors who weren't sure how to address this issue? John: I think that it starts with acknowledgement. Obviously, that happened in some instances when you talk about prayer. It starts with the acknowledgement piece, but then it also moves towards proper understanding. I think the disconnect is a misunderstanding of the lived experience of people outside of your social location. When you don't understand people outside of your social location, you're going to view their experience through your own lens. Finding other lenses through which you can look at scripture is important. This is a big problem in our Western context because most of our commentators are Anglo. But there are pastors, teachers, and preachers who have preached messages on certain texts that might be helpful if you go and look at some of their messages. I would say that even if you don't know how to apply it to the context, look for other sources to help you. You do that in the commentary sense when you go and prepare your message through commentaries. Step outside of the box and listen to some other voices. Ed: Let's talk about the riots that occurred. How do we think through that from a biblical standpoint? John: Some of the statements surrounding the riots is indicative of our culture. We're bipolar and polarized, and some people are going to be sitting in one place or another. I think there's a third way. People are appropriating King without understanding him. King did write that, "Riots are the language of the oppressed." But King also was very clear on rioting. He says, "Nowhere have the riots won any concrete improvements, such as have the organized protest demonstrations." He's trying to push people towards organized protest. On violence, he says, "Through violence you may murder a murderer, but you will never murder murder." He's essentially saying, I understand the language of these riots, but that's not the end game for me. As pastors, we have to say that we understand that we live in this fallen world. We understand that some of the people rioting do feel oppressed. Ed: Is there any hope towards people moving together to fight injustice, and if there is, where is that hope? John: I think there is hope. I believe in the gospel and the gospel is the ultimate hope not just for this world, but for this society and culture. When you have gospel-centered people and people who live out the gospel, this can have significant impact on the culture and society around us. As long as I'm preaching and teaching the gospel, I'm always going to have hope. Now I'll be clear with you, it's becoming increasingly hard to be a bridge builder, when people on the other side of that bridge are waiting to verbally attack me. It's like I'm walking across a bridge and I see somebody just waiting to attack me. But I'm dedicated and committed to that work because I know that it's not going to take one community to do it. It's going to take all of us to do it. When you look at the Emancipation Proclamation, Frederick Douglass didn't sign that. When you look at the Voting Rights Act, Martin Luther King did not sign that. It's going to take all of us, and I'm committed to doing that work together on a unified front, but I want to make sure I also tell my brothers and sisters, that youve got to listen well in this season. Ed: How are we doing as white evangelicals today, and what do we need to do in this moment? John: I think it's probably much harder today for an evangelical to recognize his or her blind spots when it comes to race and racial tension. When you look at history, you always go back and think about what you could have done differently. I much rather my brothers and sisters today not have that perspective. Because in 1963, Martin Luther King was a rabble rouser for most people, and now we have a national holiday named after him. Most congregations who were around then wouldn't have him in their pulpits, and now they quote him from their pulpits. It's hard for us as believers to say that there's something inside of us that still needs to change, and that's part of our sanctification process. Part of that is because we come into our relationship with Christ having broken relationship with others. In order to fix relationship with others, we have to recognize some of that broken past, and then work towards that unification in the future. Ed Stetzer: What resources would you commend to folks who are interested in stepping into this kind of work? John: I would say get a full view of King. His Testament of Hope is literally everything that he wrote and spoke over the years. Rather than having memes and tweets that are one-offs, its good to understand who he was as a person. Then Ronald Takaki's A Different Mirror. It is a historical perspective on the multicultural dynamics in America, especially early on. Some of your ancestors came over as immigrants, and had similar experiences from some of my ancestors as indentured servants in the Northeast. Jemar Tisby also wrote a book called The Color of Compromise. In an era when swift social media reactions and public repudiations offer an instantaneous form of rebuke and discipline, what role does the church have in holding its leaders and members accountable for online speech? Aimee Byrd has found herself at the center of this question. The author of Why Cant We Be Friends?, Byrd has come under fire from some within her Reformed theological tradition for her latest book, Recovering from Biblical Manhood and Womanhood. The fight has largely played out on blogs and in private online discussions, but also has Byrd and her critics each calling for Orthodox Presbyterian Church (OPC) sessions (church elders) to take action. Two weeks ago, screenshots from a private Facebook group called Genevan Commons were posted on an anonymous website that describes itself as an archive of reviling, cyberbullying, harassment, sexism, and racism among church officers and laypeople. Byrds supporters have challenged the harsh comments within the Facebook groups threads, including remarks that address her motives, appearance, and relationship with her husband. Theyve asked whether the leaders responsible will be held accountable for the remarks. We are greatly concerned that officers of the church, who have sworn to be accountable to their brethren in the Lord would attempt to hide behind a group that pledges itself to secrecy, as if locker room talk could somehow be exempted from the accountability of the church on the basis of an alleged right to privacy, read a statement signed by several dozen OPC pastors and elders. Byrd was well known for blogging as The Housewife Theologian at the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals and for co-hosting the Mortification of Spin podcast with Carl Trueman and Todd Pruitt. The Alliance ended its years-long partnership with Byrd earlier this month after she declined to answer questions related to her latest book. While Genevan Commons represents a small sliver of the Reformed corner of the Christian internet, believers across traditions have followed Byrds saga as a case of online chatter turned ugly. In the quick back-and-forths in posts and comments, arguments over competing doctrine can easily collapse into character assassination and unbiblical speech, said Daniel Darling, author of A Way with Words: Using Our Online Conversations for Good. I think a lot of pastors and leaders forget that when theyre online, theyre in public, said Darling, vice president for communication at National Religious Broadcasters. Joe Thorn, a pastor and podcaster based in Illinois, said pastors whose discussions and ministry extend online need to become fluent in apologizing for their mistakes. He told CT hes seen too many fellow pastors respond to online criticism by defending their own stances and growing more convinced of their own righteousness. Thorn himself has had to apologize, publicly and privately, for things hes said online. My life is accountable to the elders and congregation of Redeemer Fellowship, he saidand that includes the comments he makes on his social media accounts and as co-host of the Doctrine and Devotion podcast. In Byrds case, most of her fiercest critics are OPC pastors and elders. The denomination is relatively small, with about 300 congregations across the US and Canada. As a member, Byrd pledges to submit to the governance of her congregation and heed its discipline, even in case you should be found delinquent in doctrine or life. So far, her leaders have not subjected her to church discipline over her books or blog posts, which she says are in line with the confessions of her faith. But that hasnt stopped her critics. When members of the Genevan Commons found Byrds accountability lacking, they wrote blog posts with specifics about how to oppose what they described as Byrds feminism. Byrd told CT that her detractors called ahead to at least one of her speaking engagements to inform the retreat center of concerns over Byrds teachings. Group leaders have defended their remarks and the Genevan Commons group. The idea that Ive tried to create a place where we are unaccountable is foolish, wrote Shane Anderson on The Daily Genevan in April. In life many discussions are considered appropriately private, and yet the Christian ought to know he can be brought to account both by church discipline now and on the day of judgment before Christ. I have no problem with that, and they should stop pretending that I have some secret, hidden agenda or actions. The anonymous website GCScreenshots featured not only the Facebook groups remarks against Byrd and other Reformed women, but also a list of the hundreds of Facebook users who belonged to the group, including the church affiliations of the pastors and elders who were members. Todd Pruitt, who has publicly defended Byrd, lamented that the hundreds of users who never slandered Byrd appeared on the list of members. Both he and fellow podcast co-host Carl Trueman heard from dozens of men who belonged to the group but didnt realize it or never commented. One pastor told Pruitt his wifes employer was contacted over his membership in the group. Steven Wedgeworth, a Presbyterian Church in America pastor who appeared to make crude comments in a screenshot posted by the site, alleging that the images were edited to omit context or to wrongly indicate that some of his negative comments were about Byrd. Byrd fired back on her blog last week, disputing Wedgeworth for minimizing the groups slanderous comments. Im tired of making a case that is blatantly obvious, wrote Byrd, referencing that multiple sources have surfaced screenshots showing similar patterns of harmful language. Why do I have to say all this? Why am I the one defending my reputation? When will there be a conversation about qualifications for those in spiritual authority over Christs sheep? Concerned OPC elders have been working to assemble evidence of sinful speech from the group. Mark Garcia, an OPC minister and president of the Greystone Theological Institute in Coraopolis, Pennsylvania, said denominational leaders had contacted him privately for advice on the best way for a presbytery to discipline those who penned the comments in question. When Garcia saw rude messages in the Genevan Commons group, he says, he left the group and used his personal Facebook page to repudiate the sinful things others said about Byrd. (Former members say the group still exists, but its smaller and more tightly moderated.). Garcia believes its fair to critique Byrds work online, but a discussion of the ethics of her behavior, deceit, and the like does not belong in those contexts, in social media, or anywhere else except for the one context where the Lord has provided for her accountability: her session, he told CT. Garcia is continuing to pray that God will bring swift justice, peace, and unity to his people in the ministry of his wise Spirit. He fears the process will be hampered by allegations of slander both on the part of Byrds critics and her supporters. But theres good reason the church doesnt match the pace of so-called cancel culture, leaders say. Within the church, the goal of discipline is restoration and growth in godliness, as opposed to in the broader culture, where the goal is punitive silencing and ostracizing. The wheels of Presbyterian justice move slowly. Theres wisdom in that, said Pruitt, who recently deleted his Twitter account out of concern he was spending too much time in fruitless debates. Sometimes in our zeal to be vindicated we can cause collateral damage thats ungodly. The opportunities to speak out and offer influence also heap additional responsibility on Christian leaders. Just look at the warning of stricter judgment in James 3:1, followed by the instructions around taming the tongue, said Darling. When you speak online, people are watching. We have to weigh our words, he said. We forget that bearing false witness online is an actual sin. Are churches more contagious than casinos?! Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment A congregation in Nevada has filed a request for relief from state-imposed restrictions on in-person gatherings that only apply to faith communities and not secular entities. Calvary Chapel Dayton Valley, a church based in Lyon County, filed an injunction request with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit on Monday. At issue are restrictions imposed by Gov. Steve Sisolak that limit gatherings at houses of worship to 50 people while allowing secular entities like casinos and gyms to operate at 50% capacity. The church hopes to also be allowed to hold worship services at 50% capacity, which would be around 90 people per in-person indoor gathering. The risk of COVID-19 exposure is greater at a restaurant than it is at a house of worship like Calvary Chapel that practices social distancing, eliminates coffee and snacks, and passes nothing person-to-person, the lawsuit states. Courts agree that assemblies at restaurants and houses of worship are comparable. Yet the governors directive limits all religious gatherings to 50 people regardless of seating capacity, social distancing, or any other pertinent factor. Read more at: https://www.christianpost.com/news/nevada-church-fighting-state-limits-worship-gatherings-not-imposed-on-casinos-gyms.html 82% of white evangelicals would vote for Trump despite concerns about job performance: study Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Eighty-two percent of white evangelical Protestant registered voters say they would vote for President Donald Trump or lean toward voting for him if the 2020 presidential election were held today even though an increasing share of them disapprove of the way he has been doing his job, according to a new Pew Research Center survey. This support is 5% higher than the 77% of white evangelical Protestant voters who indicated in another Pew survey that they backed Trump after the 2016 presidential election. Exit polling has shown that 81% voted for him in 2016. Results from the latest Pew survey conducted June 16 to 22, show that despite the strong support the president has among white evangelicals, a declining number approves of the way he has been handling his job in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic and the social unrest over racial injustice and police brutality. The survey shows that 72% of white evangelicals approve of the way the president is doing his job reflecting a 6% drop from two months ago. Only 17% said they would support his rival, presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden whose campaign recently revealed that they are courting evangelical voters. Biden is only faring 1% better than 2016 Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton who got 16% of the white evangelical vote. Some 26% of white evangelical Protestants say Biden would make a poor president while 49% believe he would be terrible. Seventy percent of them say Trump has been good or great in his role. Dean Inserra, the Southern Baptist pastor of City Church in Tallahassee, Florida, told The Washington Post that Trump continues to enjoy strong support from evangelicals because he is seen as the Christian choice and a defender of the faithful. Some think that a vote for Trump is a Christian vote, that it means theyre voting against abortion or theyre happy with the Supreme Court. Its the ends justifies the means, he said. Trump represents a defender of their way of life. Hes the representation of someone whos on their side, Inserra added. Ralph Reed, founder of the Faith and Freedom Coalition, admitted to The Washington Post that there has been frustration and disappointment in evangelical ranks about Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr.s recent role in advancing both gay and abortion rights. In two major decisions last month, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that federal law prohibits discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity, and rejected a Louisiana state law requiring abortion providers to be held to similar standards as ambulatory surgical centers. Evangelicals see the court decisions as fuel to ensure Trump is reelected to appoint more conservative judges to the Supreme Court, said Reed. Voters of faith know that that project to shift the court in a more conservative direction is on the 5-yard line and its a strategic imperative to get President Trump reelected, he said. The Louisiana decision has brought the life issue into fuller relief and reminded us why we have to give the president the chance to nominate more justices. But not all agree. Southern Baptist Theological Seminary Public Theology Professor Andrew T. Walker argued that the Supreme Court's decision in favor of LGBT workers, which was written by Trump appointee Justice Neil Gorsuch, works against evangelicals' rationale in supporting Trump. "Gorsuch writing the opinion eviscerates the main rationale that religious conservatives have in voting for Trump. But Gorsuch is moot, he contended. Only 8% of black Protestants who overwhelmingly disapprove of President Trump said they would vote for him in the survey while 88% back Biden. Some 54% of black Protestants said Biden would make a good or great president while 36% said he would be average. Another 8% indicated that Biden would be a poor or terrible leader. Cuba gives pastor early release after serving 1 year in prison for homeschooling his children Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Cuba has released Christian Pastor Ramon Rigal, who spent over a year in prison for homeschooling his children. The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom, an independent, bipartisan panel of experts that advises Congress and the federal government, issued a statement Wednesday praising Rigal's release. Rigal, who was arrested with his wife, Ayda Exposito, in April 2019, was serving a two-year term and was previously scheduled to be released in 2021. Although it's unclear why he was granted early release, it comes as the government has released thousands of prisoners in recent months to combat the spread of coronavirus. The pastors release was confirmed by Pastor Mario Felix Lleonart Barroso, a missionary who was arrested several times by the Cuban government before he and his family arrived in the U.S. as refugees in 2016. You can tell all the brothers who have been praying for us that we are very grateful for your prayers and all of the support you have given us, Rigal said in a statement shared through Barroso. I know those prayers came to the throne of God and answered them. It's beautiful to see how even if they don't know me personally they have cared about me and my family, putting him into practice. According to USCIRF, Rigal and his wife were arrested for homeschooling their children after they expressed concerns about the public schools promotion of socialism and atheism. The couple was later sentenced for acts against the normal development of a minor. Exposito was released from prison in April 2020. While we welcome the release of Pastor Rigal and are thrilled that he is reunited with his family, this was not the first time that Pastor Rigal and his wife were arrested in relation to their religious beliefs, USCIRF Commissioner James Carr said in a statement. The Cuban government must immediately cease harassing this couple and allow all Cuban parents, including the Rigals, to raise their children pursuant to their own faith. In its statement Wednesday, USCIRF also called on the Cuban government to release independent journalist Roberto Jesus Quinones Haces, who was detained for trying to cover the couples trial. He was sentenced to a year in prison last August for the crime of disobedience. Christian Solidarity Worldwide, an international organization that serves persecuted Christians in over 20 countries, had previously warned that the bullying of children in public schools over their religious beliefs is relatively common in Cuba. CSW reported that it received a number of cases that involve pastors children being denied educational opportunities. The Cuban authorities targeting of children on account of their religious beliefs or those of their parents is a deplorable violation of fundamental human rights, CSW Chief Executive Mervyn Thomas said in a statement in March. Last December, the U.S. State Department placed Cuba on its special watch list of countries that engage in or tolerate severe violations of religious freedom. In a March report, USCIRF detailed how Cuban authorities manipulated the legal system to wage persistent harassment against religious leaders. USCIRF also voiced concerns over the denial of religious freedom for human rights activists and journalists. Additionally, the report goes into detail about how the government controls religious activity and groups through a permit system. Cuba, USCIRF warns, is also punishing religious leaders for their constitutional advocacy. In mid-February 2019, the Rev. Carlos Sebastian Hernandez was labeled a counter-revolutionary in response to his advocacy for strong constitutional protections of religious freedom. Others, including Pastors Alain Toledano Valiente and Marcos Perdomo, were interrogated by police, the USCIRF report explains. Yoruba Priest Alexei Mora Montalvo went on a 15-day hunger strike to protest the harassment he and his family were experiencing leading up to the constitutional referendum. The backlash continued after the constitutional referendum, USCIRF added. In June, seven Cuban Protestant denominations that jointly opposed the Constitution established the Cuban Evangelical Alliance. The alliance broke off from the Council of Churches of Cuba because it did not feel represented before the Cuban authorities. USCIRF notes that CEA members were blocked from receiving foreign visitors and were interrogated by authorities. CEA leaders were also blocked from attending the State Departments Ministerial to Advance Religious Freedom last summer. Hillsong Family church wades into mask-wearing dispute in Florida after pastor, wife get coronavirus Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Grace City Church, a fast-growing Hillsong Family church in Lakeland, Florida, waded into the divisive issue of mask-wearing in Florida Sunday when it announced that it would ask members to wear masks after the churchs husband and wife team of lead pastors revealed they had been infected with the new coronavirus. During an online service Sunday, the pastors of the church, Andrew Gard and his wife Christina, confirmed their mild infection with COVID-19. The confirmation came after they gathered for the first time in person since the lockdown began for a church prayer night on June 14. Gard said he and his wife chose to get tested due to "some potential exposure." In-person weekend services were scheduled to resume last weekend but as a result of their infection with the virus, the pastors said they were pausing that plan until July 12 when they would ask churchgoers to wear masks during services. Were excited to come back and gather again and when we do come back, just want to encourage you were going to be creating as safe of an environment as possible. We probably are going to be asking people to wear masks. Were going to be encouraging that, asking people to do that so that we dont have to shut down once we open back up because three fourths of our staff get it or something like that, Gard said. Gards comments on the masks came after he asked the church to pray for Lakelands health officials and political leaders, including founding church member Lakeland Mayor William Bill Mutz whose proposal to have residents wear masks indoors in the wake of rising coronavirus infections in Florida, did not get enough support from local politicians last week. Lets be praying right now for our city. I know Central Florida, Polk County and Lakeland are experiencing a little bit of a surge in this regard so lets be praying for our city, lets be praying for our medical professionals, lets be praying for Mayor Mutz who goes to our church, and our city council members some of who go to our church, Gard said. Florida reported a one-day record of 9,585 positive coronavirus cases Saturday and as of Tuesday had at least 146,333 cases, according to a New York Times database, and at least 3,446 deaths from the virus. Polk County, which includes Lakeland, reached a one-day high of 213 cases last Friday, then reported 404 new positive tests Saturday for a total of 3,182 overall cases and at least 92 deaths. Amid rising numbers, a mandate to require face masks in Lakeland proposed by Mutz failed to make it to a vote a week ago, according to ABC Action News. I am disappointed that we didnt even get enough interest to get a vote on the topic, Mutz opined after the vote. "So there is no motion to accept the executive order, and we will not do a mask mandate. The result of that will be in the numbers." The mandate was rejected despite presentations made to city commissioners by Danielle Dummond, executive vice president and chief operating officer of Lakeland Regional Health, and Dr. Steven Achinger of Watson Clinic, who both recommended the wearing of masks. "The more masks that we have being worn in a public space, the safer that public space is. No question," Dr. Archinger said, noting that masks are the most cost-effective way of keeping the local economy open safely. Dummond also noted to commissioners that the LRH had seen an increase in ventilator use, and of the 50 ICU beds available, 48 are currently in use and 30 are COVID-19 patients. Two days after his mask mandate was rejected by Lakeland officials, Mutz continued to share his disapproval about the decision in a message on his Facebook page from a local pastor. I so appreciate the POWER of balancing this perspective during life's more challenging moments: Do unto others and wearing a mask . . . Denial is one of the disastrous traits of this mess. Some believe that if you ignore it, it doesnt exist. Still, others believe that if it helps you get what you want, then any behavior is acceptable, he began. Community is not built on self-serving attitudes, instead, on shared responsibility. I suppose the logic of someone saying, making me wear a mask is taking away my rights, is akin to saying, telling me not to drive drunk is taking away my rights. When you consider individual or collective rights, on one end is anarchy. On the other end is authoritarianism. There is a balance between these two. I happen to believe that the golden rule, which exists in virtually every culture, is what we are losing. Treat others as you would have them treat you. The modern vernacular would read, Dont infect others as you dont want them to infect you. The issue of mask-wearing in Florida has divided Republican leaders in the state over whether it should be a choice or mandate. Some places like Tampa, St. Petersburg and Hillsborough County have passed mandates that require masks to be worn indoors. In Jacksonville, where the Republican National Convention is expected to take place in August, Republican Mayor Lenny Curry has made it mandatory to wear a mask in indoor public spaces. Gov. Ron DeSantis has said, however, that he wont stand in the way of local rules regarding masks while simultaneously suggesting that policing facial-wear would backfire. Many Florida residents have been captured on video fiercely opposing wearing masks during the pandemic while invoking God, the devil, the U.S. Constitution and claims of communism. "They want to throw God's wonderful breathing system out the door," Sylvia Ball said during a recent public comment session with the Palm Beach County Board of County Commissioners. "All of you are practicing the devil's law," another woman identified as Cristina, who promised a citizen's arrest for those who are going against the "freedom of choice," noted. "Every single one of you that are obeying the devil's laws are going to be arrested." Gard in his comments to his congregants Sunday urged them to pray for a sound mind to prevail as well as grace for those in leadership. Lets be praying that God would give us all just a sound mind and that we would make the best decisions possible. I also really want to encourage us as a church, lets have grace for people that are making difficult decisions. The thing that Ive always wanted to be, I want to be the kind of person just extending grace when people are in difficult positions and high positions of leadership. And so please. Lets be Grace City, he said. Judge blocks Trump admin. rule requiring Central Americans to first seek asylum in countries they enter Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment A federal judge appointed by President Donald Trump struck down the administrations asylum regulation that required Central Americans to first seek asylum in other countries they traveled through before seeking asylum in the United States. U.S. District Judge Timothy J. Kelly on Tuesday night struck down the rule enacted last summer that bars immigrants from applying for asylum in the U.S. if they did not first apply for asylum in a country they passed through before reaching the U.S. southern border. The order halts the implementation of the policy and denied the governments request to stay the order pending the governments likely appeal of his decision. Kelly, who was appointed to the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia in 2017 and is among 200 other federal judges appointed by the Trump administration, sided with immigration advocacy nonprofits. The plaintiffs, who include immigration advocacy groups and nine asylum seekers, claimed that the regulation published by the Department of Homeland Security and the Justice Department, known as the third-country asylum rule, violated the Immigration and Nationality Act as well as the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act. The rule essentially requires asylum seekers from El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and other Central and South American countries to go through the asylum process in other countries before applying for asylum in the U.S. The plaintiffs contend that the ruling was arbitrary and capricious and issued without notice-and-comment procedures. They further argued that the policy has virtually halted asylums at the southern border for the last year. Kelly called the rule unlawfully promulgated and accused the Trump administration of not following the proper protocols outlined in the Administrative Procedure Act as it did not allow enough time for a public comment period. The APA generally requires substantive rules to be promulgated through notice-and-comment rulemaking, Kelly wrote in his opinion. "These procedures are not a mere formality. The federal government argued that exceptions to the APA requirements applied to the rule. One of them is called the good cause exception, where an agency does not need to provide notice and an opportunity to comment when the agency for good cause finds that notice and public procedure thereon are impracticable, unnecessary, or contrary to the public interest. According to the judges ruling, the administration also argued that through the foreign affairs function exception, the normal notice-and-comment requirements dont apply to the extent that there is involved . . . a military or foreign affairs function of the United States. Defendants argue that notice-and-comment rulemaking would have been impracticable and contrary to the public interest because that process would have led to a surge of asylum seekers at the southern border of the United States, the order explains. The Departments asserted upon the Rules promulgation that if it were published for notice and comment before becoming effective, smugglers might communicate its impending effects to potential asylum seekers, thus creating a risk of a surge in migrants hoping to enter the country beforehand. Kelly also said in his decision that the administration failed to document any immediate surge that has ever occurred during a temporary pause in an announced policy. Because of border restrictions enacted by the Trump administration in response to the coronavirus pandemic, the order might have little impact in the near term. However, refugee advocates are calling the courts decision a victory. The court determined what we have all known since this rule was created that it is illegal, it violates everything this country stands for, and it must be thrown out, Manoj Govindaiah, litigation director at Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services, a plaintiff in the case, said in a statement. The court's decisive action is a victory to all asylum seekers and human rights protectors everywhere. Hardy Vieux, senior vice president at Human Rights First, another plaintiff, said in a statement that the ruling prevents the administration from doing an end-run around the law. In the United States of America, we follow the rule of law, even when it benefits asylum-seekers demonized by this administration, Vieux asserted. Matthew Soerens, a national coordinator of the Evangelical Immigration Table and director of U.S. church mobilization for World Relief, has previously argued that countries like Mexico have almost no capacity to adjudicate asylum requests. People trying desperately to go through our complex legal processes to request protection simply can't win, because we keep changing the rules, Soerens tweeted last September. The Supreme Court ruled last September to temporarily allow enforcement of the asylum rule, lifting an injunction ordered by a federal judge in California. Attorney Gen. William Barr said at the time that the new rule will reduce the burdens associated with apprehending and processing hundreds of thousands of aliens along the southern border. In January 2019, Trump declared a national emergency in response to what many described as a border security and humanitarian crisis. The Trump administration has also issued other asylum protocols, including a policy that requires asylum seekers to wait on the Mexico side of the border until their asylum claims can be adjudicated. Judge temporarily blocks Iowa law requiring 24-hour waiting period for abortion Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment A judge has put a temporary block on a newly signed Iowa law that would require a woman seeking an abortion to wait at least 24 hours before undergoing the procedure. The block on Tuesday prevents House File 594 from taking effect, which was scheduled for Wednesday. The law also also prohibited a court of law or equity from withdrawing life-sustaining procedures from a child against the wishes of a parent unless the child had died. Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds signed it into law on Monday, saying she was proud to stand up for the sanctity of every human life. Life is precious, life is sacred, and we can never stop fighting for it. I applaud the Iowa lawmakers who had the courage to stand strong and take action to protect the unborn child, stated the governor. The Iowa chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union and Planned Parenthood of the Heartland and Planned Parenthood Federation of America filed a lawsuit to strike the bill down even before Reynolds signed it. Erin Davison-Rippey, Iowa executive director of Planned Parenthood North Central States, claimed in a statement in June that the law would delay a person's ability to get an abortion by weeks. Many of our patients must drive four or more hours one-way for abortion services, so this legislation will only create more hurdles to getting care, stated Davison-Rippey. It's already hard enough for many Iowans to access abortion services, especially in the middle of a global pandemic. This is clearly a political ploy to create barriers to sexual and reproductive health care in Iowa. Bob Vander Plaats of the socially conservative group The Family Leader defended the law to local news media outlet KCCI of Des Moines. We think the 24-hour waiting period is a very reasonable waiting period to give a woman the opportunity to decide if she really wants to go through with this after taking a second look at the ultrasound, said Vander Plaats. In June 2018, the Iowa Supreme Court ruled 5-2 to strike down a state law that required a 72-hour waiting period before allowing an abortion procedure. In truth, the evidence conclusively demonstrates that the Act will not result in a measurable number of women choosing to continue a pregnancy they would have terminated without a mandatory 72-hour waiting period, concluded the courts majority. Moreover, the burdens imposed on women by the waiting period are substantial, especially for women without financial means. Under the Act, patients will need to make two trips to a [Planned Parenthood of the Heartland] clinic since it is likely they would not be readily able to obtain certification from a local, non-PPH provider. Nigeria could be next Rwanda or Darfur if world doesn't act, advocates warn Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment A genocide expert and former Congressman Frank Wolf have warned that violence being committed against Christians in Nigeria and the U.S. governments failed response to it could lead to another genocide like the ones that occurred in Rwanda and Darfur. Wolf, a longtime Republican representative from Virginia who is the namesake of the International Religious Freedom Act passed by Congress in 2016, joined Genocide Watchs Greg Stanton, Nigerian bishops and other religious freedom advocates on a Zoom call with reporters last week hosted by the advocacy group In Defense of Christians. When the world and the U.S. ignored genocide in Rwanda, hundreds of thousands of people died. History, I believe, is repeating itself, Wolf contended. Almost daily reports show increasing violence and death in Nigeria. An implosion of Nigeria will destabilize the surrounding countries and send millions of refugees into Europe and beyond. The conversation comes as estimates show that thousands have been killed and millions displaced since 2015 due to attacks carried out by predominantly Muslim Fulani militias against predominantly Christian farming communities in the Middle Belt of Nigeria as well as Islamic extremist attacks carried out by Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province in northeast Nigeria. Advocates have for years called on the international community to recognize the ongoing violence in Nigeria as a genocide. Genocide Watch, a nonprofit formed in 1999 that seeks to raise awareness and influence public policy regarding acts of genocide, estimates that as many as 27,000 people have been killed by extremists or Fulani jihadis in the last decade. According to Genocide Watch, the violence carried out by Fulani militias and Islamic terrorists in Nigeria combine to make the deadliest genocidal massacres committed by any terrorists since 2010. Boko Haram has committed genocide in Nigeria, has killed over 27,000 Nigerians, more than ISIS killed in Iraq and Syria combined, Wolf stressed during his opening remarks. The Fulani militants are committing genocidal massacres against Nigerian Christians. While some international organizations have in the last year warned the International Criminal Court about the genocidal implications in Nigeria, Stanton, the Genocide Watch founder, told those on the call that Genocide Watch has labeled the pattern of Fulani jihadi violence in Nigeria a genocide since 2012. He said that Genocide Watch raised alarms about the genocidal implications of Boko Haram long before 2012. What is preventing the world from facing this huge problem? Stanton asked. The first problem that we face [with] the Fulani militias is the dominant current narrative, which is denial. Denial is a part of every genocide. It starts in the beginning and it usually goes way after. What we got here [in Nigeria], the traditional narrative is the herder-farmer conflict. That was exactly the narrative, by the way, in Rwanda, before the genocide there. Stanton explained that the U.S. ambassador to Rwanda at the time thought of the violence committed against the Tutsis in the early 1990s as a civil war and conflict. Ultimately, hundreds of thousands of Tutsis were killed by ethnic Hutu extremists in just three months in 1994 as toxic rhetoric spread through the country incited Hutu radicals to attack their Tutsi neighbors. The result was, [the ambassador] was unable to see that this was also a genocide, not facing the fact that actually most genocides occur during civil wars or international wars, Stanton said. So we went along hoping the Arusha Accords would hold and so on in 1993. Finally, the denial ended up in April of 1994 with one of the worst genocides in history. Stanton warned that a similar dynamic is taking place in Nigeria. Our own embassy is still denying that this is genocide, that the Fulani militias are committing genocide, he said. So have human rights groups. Human Rights Watch, for instance, thinks of it that way. The International Crisis Group thinks of it that way. These are very distinguished organizations and I have great respect for them. But they are dominated by what I would call conflict-prevention narrative. In essential terms, the U.S. embassys policies on this violence have been what I call conflict resolution policies. They try to get the groups together and they try to have sort of Kumbaya moments in which people talk to each other and everybody is hunky-dory and they get along. Stanton argued that the problem with those types of policies is that they do not reach the terrorist groups. They also dont reach the army and the police and others who need to be really conscious of this huge problem in their country, he said. I think that is a fundamental misunderstanding of the problem that comes from this dominant false narrative of the Fulani jihadists. A predominant narrative of the violence in the Middle Belt is that they are farmer-herder clashes resulting from the fact that desertification in northern Nigeria is driving nomadic herding communities south in search of scarce land resources. A report released last week by a group of lawmakers in the United Kingdom suggests that Christian farming communities appear to be the main victims of the violence in the Middle Belt although some reprisals by vigilante groups have targeted Fulani communities. These killings are specifically in Christian villages. So when we say it is genocide against Christians, governments of the world don't want to hear that, including Nigeria's government, Benjamin Kwashi, the Anglican Archbishop of Jos, said on the call. They have always explained it away as farmers-and-herders clashes. There is no doubt that in history, communities have always had their clashes. The Fulani who we know have always had their clashes with local people. They are usually settled. But this is different because these killers are well armed. They shoot, they slaughter and burn down houses and businesses and destoy barns where food storage has been kept. These are calculated systematic, intentional killings of people and driving them away from their land. Kwashi said that there are some lands in the Plateau state and Kaduna state where indigenous people are not able to go back to their farms without being killed by Fulani extremists. The difficulty that I have is that these people have not been brought to justice, Kwashi said. How can we say that this is not intentional in the attempt to wipe out these villages who are majority Christians? Stanton argued that the Fulani militants leave the Muslim village nearby completely alone. Every single person of the 7,600 Christians that have been killed in Nigeria since 2015 by Fulani militias has been Christian, Stanton claimed. Thats genocide. It is the intentional destruction, in whole or in part, of a religious group. Stanton stressed that Christian villagers and farmers have no conflict with Fulanis. The Fulanis now arrive with truckloads, maybe 100 of their fighters. They simply massacre a Christian village, he added. Wolf agreed with Stantons assessment of the U.S. embassys approach. I want to say this clearly, the current policies and actions of the American Embassy in Nigeria have failed, he said. I believe we need a special envoy for Nigeria, in the Lake Chad region, a person who can coordinate the U.S. response to the crisis by various aid agencies of our government, who can work with the allies in France and England and other NATO countries. Stanton said that one way to overcome the dominant narrative is by conducting a full-scale international investigation that would result in an authoritative report. As we did with Darfur, however, we realized that even after an investigation by our own government that it wasnt enough to convince the [United Nations], Stanton said. They put together their own commission of inquiry, which came out with a report that said that there was not enough evidence of intent to say that Sudan was committing genocide against the people of Darfur, which was nonsense. By the time the commission was formed, there were already 50,000 Darfuris who had been murdered with the help of the Sudanese government with bombings and so forth. That, unfortunately, is what is happening in Nigeria today. The central government, the federal government, essentially is acting as a bystander. It is not pursuing actively. Wolf warned that every day there is a delay in appointing a special envoy means more people will die. When the appointment is made, Secretary Pompeo should stand next to the appointee to show that he or she has the support of the secretary and the administration, Wolf said. I believe the failure to act means thousands more will die in Nigeria and there will be serious repercussions in Africa and beyond. A special envoy for Nigeria and the Lake Chad region can essentially overrule the denialism of our ambassador," Stanton stressed. They can really organize an effort to do something about these massacres and genocide, he said. UK churches to reopen July 4 with social distancing guidelines Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Correction appended Churches and other houses of worship in the United Kingdom will see a loosening of restrictions on in-person gatherings starting on July 4, according to Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Houses of worship were shut down in late March in an effort to help curb the spread of COVID-19 and not overwhelm hospitals with patients all at once. Since June 13, individuals have been allowed to enter for private prayer, but now people will be allowed to attend services. In an announcement made last week in the House of Commons, Johnson noted a range of loosened restrictions on gatherings, including for houses of worship. These include allowing in-person worship services, provided they follow government recommended social distancing guidelines. Mr. Speaker, I know that many have mourned the closure of places of worship, and this year, Easter, Passover and Eid all occurred during the lockdown, Johnson said. So I am delighted that places of worship will be able to reopen for prayer and services including weddings with a maximum of 30 people, all subject to social distancing. The House of Bishops of the Church of England received clarification from the government that the limit of 30 applied to weddings and other "stand-alone" services such as baptism and confirmation. There is no limit on the number of attendees at regular worship services as long as households are kept two meters apart, according to the Church of England. Wearing face coverings is voluntary. Churches are being advised against singing hymns, as many are concerned that it could spread the virus. They are also being advised, per government guidance, to record the names of attendees for 21 days to assist "track and trace" if required. Theaters and museums will also reopen. However, there will be no live performances allowed for the time being for the sake of performers. Bishop of London Sarah Mullally, head of the Church of Englands Recovery Group, said in a statement that she welcomed the prime ministers announcement. The last three months have been an extraordinary time the first period without public worship and the sacraments in England in more than 800 years, Mullally said. There will be real joy as we begin to come together again if even at a physical distance but I also know that many will be understandably cautious at this news. Recently, many countries, especially in Europe and Asia, have begun to gradually reopen their secular and religious facilities following government-ordered lockdowns. In May, Germany allowed for the reopening of houses of worship, with certain restrictions put in place during the service, including no singing and no handshakes. We must work to make sure we bring the number of new infections down further, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said at the time. If the infection curve becomes steep again, we need to have a warning system to notice it early and be able to act. In June, New Zealand lifted all restrictions on in-person gatherings, including churches, as the Pacific island nation had gone several days without a single new case of COVID-19. Correction: July 1, 2020: An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated that there was a 30-person limit on worship services. The cap only applies to weddings and stand-alone services, not regular worship services. Sweden discriminates against elderly with COVID-19; 'active euthanasia,' critics say Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Controversy is brewing in Sweden amid reports that elderly patients infected with the coronavirus were not only denied crucial medical care but pushed into premature death in the nation's nursing homes. According to Bioedge, health authorities in the Scandinavian nation have received many complaints about how their elderly relatives were treated while in such homes. Those suspected to have COVID-19 were quickly placed on palliative care, given morphine, and denied supplementary oxygen and intravenous fluids and nutrition. For many residents, this was essentially a death sentence. Approximately half of all coronavirus deaths in the Scandinavian country were residents of nursing homes, as reported by The Wall Street Journal. People suffocated, it was horrible to watch. One patient asked me what I was giving him when I gave him the morphine injection, and I lied to him, said Latifa Lofvenberg, a nurse. Many died before their time. It was very, very difficult. According to official guidelines in Sweden issued by the National Board of Health and Welfare when the pandemic began, it was suggested that doctors triage patients based on their so-called biological age, considering their overall health and the prospects for recovery prior to making treatment decisions. Sweden's response to the virus differed from many other nations in that the nation declined to shut down their economy and allowed citizens to continue living their lives relatively normally with some moderate precautionary measures; most bars, restaurants, schools, and retail stores were permitted to stay open. Swedish officials said earlier this year their goal was to reach "herd immunity." Regarding its medical facilities, the Scandinavian country's approach was to keep hospital intensive-care units from being overwhelmed with elderly patients who had a low chance of surviving and thus keep them open for younger people should a surge in the virus occur. Such a surge did not happen and the elderly were denied access to unused facilities. These guidelines have too often resulted in older patients being denied treatment, even when hospitals were operating below capacity, critics of the approach told the WSJ. Some critics went even further, asserting the approach amounted to euthanasia. Older people are routinely being given morphine and midazolam, which are respiratory-inhibiting, Yngve Gustafsson, a geriatrics specialist at Umea University, told Swedish newspaper Svenska Dagbladet. That doctors were prescribing over the phone a palliative cocktail for the sick elderly left him aghast. Its active euthanasia, to say the least, he said. Echoing Gustafsson, the Discovery Institutes Center on Human Exceptionalism Wesley J. Smith noted in National Review last week that the Swedish policy is "what happens when there is an explicitly invidious health-care rationing policy." "The nuances get lost and the discriminated-against population are deemed better off dead." In the United States, more than 43 percent of COVID-19 deaths have come from nursing homes and other long-term care facilities though residents and workers there have made up only 11 percent of all U.S. cases, according to The New York Times. Still, stories have emerged of very elderly people contracting the virus and then recovering from it. 100-year-old World War II veteran Lloyd Falk of Virginia survived the coronavirus earlier this year following a 58-day stay in the hospital. Falk lost his wife of 74 years to the disease a few weeks prior to his recovery, according to local NBC affiliate WXII12. Similarly, 102-year-old Sophie Avouris survived a coronavirus infection in a Manhattan rehabilitation center, NPR reported in May. She had been in a nursing home recovering from hip replacement surgery when she fell ill. She was a newborn baby in Greece when the 1918 influenza spread across Europe. Christies specialist Evelyn Lin describes Sanyus melancholic painting as emerging from a golden period of creative originality. It was sold for HKD 191,620,000 on 10 July at Christies Hong Kong In the years that followed the Second World War, Paris was a place fraught with political struggle and possibility. The city was rebuilding itself, and those on the left and the right were arguing passionately about its future identity. Between the riots and the curfews, artists, philosophers and writers met in cafes to discuss new forms of art. In the midst of this volatility was the Chinese painter Sanyu (1895-1966), who had arrived in Paris in 1920, high on the excitement of avant-garde innovation. Born in Sichuan province in 1895, the youngest in a family of wealthy manufacturers, Sanyu had travelled to France to study art, enrolling in life-drawing classes at the Academie de la Grande Chaumiere in Montparnasse. Through the dynamic agent, Henri-Pierre Roche (1879-1959), Sanyu was introduced to the influential expats of the Parisian art scene Gertrude Stein, Constantin Brancusi, Pablo Picasso and was soon exhibiting at the Salon des Tuileries. In the 1930s, however, the artist fell into dire financial straits. The family allowance he depended on ended abruptly with the death of his brother. He lacked the personality for schmoozing with gallerists and dealers who could have helped sell his art, says Christies specialist in Modern & Contemporary Art, Evelyn Lin. By the outbreak of the war, things had got desperate. To earn a living, Sanyu began making ceramics and lacquering Chinese furniture. Lin believes the experience brought about a profound change in the artists technique. The traditional colours and simple lines found in ceramics and Chinese folk art inspired him to start experimenting with these styles in his paintings. When Saudi Arabia last saw a merger of two of its biggest banks, the oil price was recovering from a dramatic slump, the kingdom was in the midst of a deep recession and its debt exceeded the size of the economy. That was in 1999, as Samba Financial Group joined forces with United Saudi Bank to create one of the largest banks in the country. Just over two decades later, Samba is once again at the center of consolidation as a year intended to showcase the progress of the kingdom's transformation plan turns into one of the most testing in its recent history. The financial industry was supposed to be the linchpin of "Vision 2030," Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's masterplan to wean the economy off oil. Global investors would put money into state assets being privatized and buy government bonds to help fund new projects. Domestic banks would lend to entrepreneurs and families to help them set up businesses and buy homes. Instead, banks have joined their counterparts across the world in reacting to a raft of unforeseen challenges while the Saudi central bank has been forced to step in to shore up the financial industry. The collapse in oil prices coupled with the impact of the coronavirus outbreak has crippled Saudi Arabia's revenue. Shutdowns of business activity remain in place as the authorities struggle to control the pandemic. Saudi lenders could have been saddled with as much as 10 billion riyals ($2.7 billion) of provisions for potential defaults had the central bank not intervened, governor Ahmed Alkholifey said on Tuesday. "The banking sector will come under immense pressure to support sovereign and quasi-sovereign borrowing needs, as global bank lending is likely to remain constrained," said Rachna Uppal, senior analyst for the Gulf at London-based research company Castlereagh Associates. "The future success of Saudi Arabia's diversification strategy will depend on the development of a viable private sector, which needs more investment-not less." The $15.6 billion deal to combine National Commercial Bank and Samba, which was announced last week, would create a banking giant in terms of loans with almost a 30% market share in the kingdom and assets exceeding $200 billion. It would also give the Public Investment Fund a stronger hand in the economy to help finance the hundreds of billions of dollars in new projects. Chaired by Prince Mohammed, PIF is the largest shareholder in both NCB and Samba, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Serious discussions on the tie-up started in March, Samba Chairman Ammar Alkhudairy said. That was the month the oil price halved and the Covid-19 outbreak escalated worldwide. The two businesses complement each other, with NCB dominant in retail and mortgages and Samba catering to large Saudi companies, Alkhudairy said in an emailed response to questions. In a separate statement, NCB Chairman Saeed Al-Ghamdi echoed that rationale. "In the short to medium term, having a very strong balance sheet will help in reducing the negative impact of the economic maelstrom the world is enduring," Alkhudairy said. "In the longer term, the merged bank will be able to seize opportunities and outperform the peers." The economic hinterland is clear. The International Monetary Fund warned in February that without significant reform financial wealth as a proportion of gross domestic product would drop to zero by around 2036. Since then, the government has said it would borrow 100 billion riyals more in 2020 than planned, and raised its debt ceiling to 50% of GDP from 30%. The government has responded to the deteriorating outlook by tripling consumer tax and increasing duties on a 53-page list of products while cutting back on spending across infrastructure projects and allowances paid to public employees. "The austerity measures will heap more pressure onto the banking system," said Ashraf Madani, an analyst at rating agency Moody's Investors Service. "We see downward pressure on both profitability and asset quality over the next 12 to 18 months." Several years of low lending growth were already leading banks to look at consolidation as a way to create value and more deals are possible, Madani said. Two smaller Saudi banks, SABB and Alawwal, completed a merger in 2018. Bank lending has been driven almost exclusively by mortgages, which benefited from generous state subsidies as part of Prince Mohammed's goal of expanding homeownership. With those now ended as part of the cuts, new lending opportunities will be hard to find. Saudi banks have high capital buffers to absorb losses, and few have yet to start raising money from global bond investors. But the Saudi Arabian Monetary Authority, the kingdom's central bank, is increasingly having to support them. That comes just as the government is leaning on them more heavily to fund the national budget deficit and Vision 2030 projects. In a bid to try and protect banks from losses on loans to small businesses and shore up liquidity, SAMA has already provided about 80 billion riyals of free deposits. That far exceeds the support banks received in 2016, when a drop in oil prices hit government finances and led it to stop paying contractors. SAMA will have to go further, providing additional cheap deposits to the banks over the next 24 months, according to Aybek Islamov, an analyst at HSBC Holdings. Up to 75 billion riyals in small-business loans may need support from the central bank by the end of the year, he estimated in a report. If they are still unable to repay loans by that point, SAMA may need to pump more money into the banking system. Other areas of the economy may also need government support as industries struggle to cope the virus shutdowns, according to Edmond Christou, bank analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence. There's an increased risk of corporate default that would mean banks have to set aside more money, he said. The latest bit of bad news was restrictions placed on the hajj pilgrimage to Mecca in mid-June. Intended to contain the virus spread in a country that is still seeing almost 4,000 new infections a day, it will also hurt businesses and take away a significant source of foreign currency. More than 2 million people took part in the Islamic ritual last year. For a small number of investors the lack of progress diversifying the economy has already led them to start betting against the kingdom. Peter Kisler, a portfolio manager at hedge fund North Asset Management, expects Saudi finances to come under increasing strain and may force the country to abandon its currency peg to the dollar. "All they've done over the past five years is issue lots more external debt and that's made them more vulnerable," Kisler said. "The economic prospects are getting slowly worse." Many events have helped show appreciation for essential workers, from those in the medical field to those who deliver packages, stock grocery shelves or prepare food in restaurants during the coronavirus pandemic. Texans for Natural Gas decided it was time to thank the essential workers in the oil patch who are responsible for producing the energy that powers medical devices and kitchens. So, the group hired a plane to fly over Midland-Odessa Monday afternoon with a banner thanking oilfield workers. We wanted to do something big, and whats bigger than an airplane with a banner? said Elizabeth Caldwell, spokeswoman for the grassroots organization that advocates for oil and natural gas. The reason we decided to undertake this is, we saw how essential workers across Texas and the U.S. were being thanked, she said in a phone interview. We wanted to thank our oil and gas essential workers and make them feel appreciated. Like any essential worker, oil and gas workers are putting themselves on the line to keep energy flowing. She said thats important as more people work from home, using more electricity for things such as WiFi, heating and cooling, and more transportation fuels are used for increased deliveries, she said. This is the first time the group has done this, and while other producing regions in Texas could appreciate the banner, it was flown only over Midland-Odessa, Caldwell said. The oil and gas industry is going through incredibly tough times right now, but Im confident the industry will recover. Its resilient; oilfield workers are resilient. Its tough going, but roughnecks are even tougher, Caldwell said. The banner featured several hundred signatures, affixed to the banner in the shape of Texas, that the group had gathered online. Were happy to get the message out, thanking oil and gas workers, Caldwell said. Houston hotels are not expected to return to pre-pandemic revenue levels until 2024, according to commercial real estate firm CBRE. Some may not make it that long. The American Hotel and Lodging Association predicts the industry is facing "massive foreclosures of thousands of hotel properties" across the nation, according to a press release sent out Wednesday. "With a sharp decline in travel demand, nine times worse than September 11 and with lower room occupancy than during the Great Depression, our small business owners are struggling to survive," Chip Rogers, the association's chief executive, said in the release. CMBS: Commercial mortgage securities may be next flashpoint At special risk are hotels that were funded with mortgages that were bundled into securities, known as commercial mortgage-backed securities, or CMBS. Commercial real estate investors are confronting issues similar to those faced by investors in residential real estate mortgages in the years leading up to the housing bust of more than a decade ago. As with homes, most commercial properties are purchased with mortgages, which are then bundled into securities and sold to investors, whose returns depend on property owners making their monthly payments. One fifth of securitized hotel mortgages were delinquent in May, data from securities data company Trepp show. But hotels owners who are struggling to make monthly payments are finding much less flexibility if their mortgages have been securitized, according to a survey by the hotel association. Only 20 percent of hotel owners whose mortgages had been bundled into securities have received any relief on their loans, compared to 91 percent of hotel owners who had borrowed from banks, making it more likely for such mortgages to foreclose, Rogers said. "Without action to shore up commercial debt especially CMBS loans, the hotel industry will experience mass foreclosures and permanent job losses which will snowball into a larger commercial real estate crisis impacting other segments of the economy." Several Houston hotels with securitized mortgages, including Hilton Houston Post Oak and Crowne Plaza Houston on Katy Freeway, began trying in May to receive payment relief due to the effects of the pandemic. If they do not find a solution, they could be foreclosed on in November. In a letter to the Department of Treasury and Federal Reserve, a group of U.S. representatives called for relief for CMBS loans. "We request the Federal Reserve devise a relief plan for these borrowers, who through no fault of their own, have experienced a significant drop in revenue on account of the COVID-19 pandemic and related governmental orders," they wrote, saying that a wave of CMBS loan foreclosures would destroy jobs and cause property values to fall, dealing a blow to state and local tax revenues. Those calling for the change included six of the 35 U.S. representatives from Texas: Republicans Van Taylor, Lance Gooden, Will Hurd, Michael Burgess and Roger Williams and Democrat Vicente Gonzlez. OST Liquor is the new black owned liquor store in Third Ward area offering a creative customer experience. The store held its grand opening on Houston's holiday, June 27, and is ready to serve the community. The Third Ward area has shown major support of the business, and they plan to expand their reach even further. "Right now is definitely the time to be a black owned business. If you're not African-American, you're being awakened by things that have been happening in our community. Now it's like you can feel a shift in energy-- people want to go out of their way to shop black," Owner, Chirs Cooper said. "There's been a super large outpouring of support in Houston. That's been a huge success for us." As majority owner of the liquor store, Cooper detailed the importance of black ownership in an area like Third Ward. "We thought that Third Ward was a significant place to have a black-owned liquor store, especially on a street like OST. It's quite a few black businesses in the area. We think of OST as a black corridor, there was no better place to open it," Cooper said. The couple not only owns the OST Liquor Store, but also the beauty supply, housed next door to the establishment. The store is not only concerned about representation in the liquor business, but also educating the community on different alcohol, and exposing people to different brands. "We want to highlight the smaller brands, the ones that a lot of people may not know of," Cooper said. "Total Wine and Spec's don't always come into our neighborhoods. We understand that African-Americans are very brand loyal. We want to educate our community and our people about the different options that they actually have." Customer service is big when shopping for your favorite drinks, and OST Liquor is prioritizing just that. The store has an open floor plan, perfect for shopping for your favorites, and also to ask employees for assistance. OST Liquor has come up with a few solutions to help Houston receive their drink needs during COVID-19. "You have to think about it- it's 2020. You can order online for pickup and delivery, and use our app. We want to give people excellent customer service and meet people where they are," Cooper said. "We came up with 'double-cup cocktails' where we're packaging drinks-- not mixing them but packaging the liquor so you can make your favorite signature drinks at home." The company wants to help other businesses thrive as well. "We've partnered with a black-owned company called Mall Run to do our deliveries in the Houston area," Cooper said. The store delivers to customers who live inside the loop, and the store packages liquor--so you can be your own bartender, from the comfort of your own home. The owner, a Houston transplant originally from the Bay Area, used some of his hometown connections to secure a deal with rapper E-40's liquor and wine brand. "Again, it's just about educating the community and giving exposure to the brands people may not know." OST held its grand opening last Saturday, and is already making waves in the Third Ward area. The OST Liquor Store is located at 3928 Old Spanish Trail, Suite E, Houston, Texas 77021. Chron.com is following the latest headlines on the COVID-19 pandemic and its effects on the Houston area. Tuesday marked the highest single-day increase in COVID-19 cases for the state to date with more than 7,000 new cases reported, according to the Houston Chronicle's data team. From Monday to Tuesday, cases had risen by 4.9 percent, or 7,726 cases, to a total of 164,724 statewide. The statewide total has more than doubled since the end of May, and the rolling average for new cases is now at 5,866.9 cases. An additional 42 new deaths were reported, bringing the state's death count up to 2,457. In the Houston region, cases have doubled since the end of May; there are now 43,673 confirmed cases in the region, a 2.8 percent increase from Monday. Harris County saw a 2.3 percent increase, or 693 new cases, and is now at 31,422 cases total. Three more deaths were reported in the Houston region; the death count is now at 534. ON HOUSTONCHRONICLE.COM: Claiming confusion, Texas Medical Center changes how it reports ICU capacity amid COVID-19 As of Tuesday evening, 6,533 people have been hospitalized with COVID-19 across Texas. There are 13,711 beds available and 5,561 ventilators still available. Harris County is under a face mask order through Aug. 26 and residents are encouraged to stay home except for essential needs. The order mandates county businesses to require customers and employees to wear a mask and includes a $1,00o fine for violators. NOTE: The numbers included in this report represent a one-day change in confirmed cases from Monday, June 29 to Tuesday, June 30. It is still unclear how many of the state's new cases can be attributed to jail inmates from the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. Despite Texas surge of new COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said Tuesday evening that he doesnt need the advice of the nations top infectious disease doctor, Anthony Fauci. Fauci said today hes concerned about states like Texas that skipped over certain things. He doesnt know what hes talking about, Patrick told Fox News host Laura Ingraham in an interview. We havent skipped over anything. The only thing Im skipping over is listening to him. Patrick also said Fauci has been wrong every time on every issue, but did not elaborate on specifics. RECORD NUMBERS: Texas COVID-19 cases jump 7K in one day, highest increase yet During a U.S. Senate hearing on Tuesday, Fauci said the nation is going in the wrong direction with coronavirus cases. It could get very bad, Fauci said, warning that new cases could go up to 100,000 a day if people continue to defy advice on social distancing and face masks. He said states like Arizona, California, Florida and Texas have each had to roll back reopening plans as cases in those states climb, noting that half of the new cases nationwide have been reported in those states. The sharp increase of new infections and hospitalizations rates, he said, have also jeopardized reopening plans throughout the country. Weve got to make sure that when states start to try and open again, they need to follow the guidelines that have been very carefully laid out, with regard to checkpoints, Fauci said. What weve seen in several states are different iterations of that, perhaps maybe in some, going too quickly and skipping over some of the checkpoints. Those checkpoints have been outlined by the White House; before proceeding with a phased economic comeback, states are encouraged to satisfy criteria related to case numbers, testing and hospital capacity. Fauci is not the only expert sounding the alarm on case numbers in Texas. Earlier this week, Dr. Deborah Birx, the coordinator of the White House Coronavirus Task Force, included Austin in a group of metro areas she categorized as concerning given the citys positivity rate over the past seven days. Last week, Gov. Greg Abbott shut down bars across the state for a second time as part of a series of moves to contain a coronavirus spike in Texas. He also scaled back restaurant capacity to 50%, shut down rafting and tubing businesses, and banned outdoor gatherings of over 100 people unless approved by local officials. On Thursday, Patrick said closing bars was the right decision. In my view, the worst thing we can do is to lock down Texas again. Thats not what Gov. Abbott wants. Thats not what I want, he said. But we need help from the young people out there to help bring these number of cases down and free up hospital beds. Patrick previously sparked a firestorm for saying in an earlier Fox News appearance he would rather perish from the new coronavirus than see the economy destroyed for his grandchildren by overreaction to the disease. HOT SPOTS: Texas counties with the highest number of confirmed COVID-19 cases No one reached out to me and said, As a senior citizen, are you willing to take a chance on your survival in exchange for keeping the America that all America loves for your children and grandchildren? And if that's the exchange, Im all in, he said at the time. The Texas Tribune thanks its sponsors. Statewide, more than 6,500 patients in Texas were hospitalized with the coronavirus Tuesday, a record-breaking number and a figure that has gone up nearly every day since June 1. According to data from the Texas Department of State Health Services, there were 1,405 available staffed intensive care unit beds statewide and 13,711 available hospital beds, but with regional disparities. The increase in infections here came as the local leaders have pleaded with Abbott to allow them to issue stay-at-home orders or mandate face coverings. We are having an experiment, a gamble, in the hopes that we can be the first community that suddenly flattens the curve without a stay-at-home order, said Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo who represents parts of Houston, one of the countrys fastest growing coronavirus hot spots. In his interview, Patrick told Ingraham that the state will make further decisions based on the listening to a lot of science and a lot of doctors. Then, he said, Gov. Abbott, and myself and other state leaders will make the decision. No thank you, Dr. Fauci. It was like something had struck him out the blue. Houston visual artist, Robert Hodge, never expected to be hit with the excruciating symptoms of COVID-19. He had just envisioned his collaborative Houston mural project called, "Resilient," which honors the unsung heroes who have emerged strong in these dire times--either in the face of COVID-19 or in the battle for social justice after George Floyd's death. "The first week is the worst week--the fever, chills, body aches, shortness of breath," Hodge said. "I could barely talk. You can pass out. You're not conscious of the breathing. You dont want to move at all. That COVID-19 will really mess you up." Hodge had just signed on to the mural project with Midway Companies' downtown GreenStreet property when he contracted COVID-19. "If you have faith, it gets reactivated. You've got to keep your body moving. COVID-19 attacks your lungs," Hodge said. "It's really a gamble every time you go out. One slip up, and you can get it. I was trying to retrack how I got it." Despite his COVID-19 battle, Hodge stayed tenacious about his mural project. What has always inspired Hodge is just how resilient Houstonians are during tough times and amazing way they stick together. That "stick together" sensibility sparked the vision for his mural. Hodge's concept is to use sticky notes to spell out the words "Resilient" and "HOU" and then add a heart that will hold the mural together. His idea is to have each sticky note list the name of an individual who has stood resilient during this time of COVID-19, the fight for social justice through the Black Lives Movement, or some other defining challenge. "I'm excited because it's not a a typical mural, " Hodge said. "I love collaboration. It's great to collaborate and get the community involved. I'm excited to get back out in the world. It's the first project I have been working on since I got sick." The person Hodge would like to honor on his sticky note submission is his sister who is a health care worker. "I would send a sticky note to my sister," Hodge said. "They're dealing with migraines and masks all day--and then they take care of people at home. That would be my sister." Hodge's inventive mural won't be unveiled until mid-July. He encourages all Houstonians to take some time to submit a name the unsung hero in their life who has stood resilient during these tough times. If you know of an individual who epitomizes strength, courage and "radical resilience", submit their name here to #StickTogetherHOU. alison.medley@chron.com Sharon Steinmann / Bloomberg Small, local Houston businesses impacted by the novel coronavirus pandemic may find some relief soon thanks to a new $30 million grant program recently approved by Harris County Commissioners. The Small Business Recovery Fund (SBRF) program aims to help local businesses with 30 or fewer employees facing financial hardship due to COVID-19 with grants up to $25,000. The program is aimed at assisting "the most vulnerable" small businesses, according to a release from Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo's office. Investigative journalist Wayne Dolcefino was arrested and jailed Tuesday after interrupting court proceedings. Dolcefino was found in contempt of court by Harris County Criminal Court at Law 16 Judge Darrell W. Jordan June 30 after entering the courtroom while Judge Jordan was conducting a hearing via Zoom. 'LUDICROUS': Montgomery County judge takes aim at Abbott's order shutting down bars The spectator (Dolcefino) was disrupting court, he was warned 3X: have a seat or leave courtroom. He refused, kept demanding to interview judge. Upon final warning, Judge stated he would be held in custody, to which spectator responded: Do what you have to do, a court document reads. According to KPRC 2, Dolcefino went to request investigators be added to cases he is currently working on. The court document further states the Dolcefino "prevented the court from conducting its proceedings in a dignified, orderly, and expeditious manner." Dolcefino was found guilty and sentenced to three days in Harris County Jail, six months of probation and a $500 fine. Dolcefino was an investigative reporter at ABC13 before founding Dolcefino Consulting in 2012. Before a camping and kayaking trip along the Texas coast, Pam LeBlanc and Jimmy Harvey decided to get coronavirus tests. They wanted a bit more peace of mind before spending 13 days in close quarters along with three friends. The two got drive-thru tests at Austin Emergency Center in Austin. The center advertises a minimally invasive testing experience in a state now battling one of the countrys worst coronavirus outbreaks. Texas recorded 5,799 new cases Sunday and recently reversed some if its reopening policies. They both recalled how uncomfortable it was to have the long nasal swab pushed up their noses. LeBlancs eyes started to tear up; Harvey felt as if the swab was in my brain. Their tests came back with the same result negative, allowing the trip to go ahead but the accompanying bills were quite different. The emergency room charged Harvey $199 in cash. LeBlanc, who paid with insurance, was charged $6,408. I assumed, like an idiot, it would be cheaper to use my insurance than pay cash right there, LeBlanc said. This is 32 times the cost of what my friend paid for the exact same thing. LeBlancs health insurer negotiated the total bill down to $1,128. The plan said she was responsible for $928 of that. During the pandemic, there has been wide variation between what providers bill for the same basic diagnostic test, with some charging $27, others $2,315. It turns out there is also significant variation in how much a test can cost two patients at the same location. Harvey and LeBlanc were among four New York Times readers who shared bills they received from the same chain of emergency rooms in Austin. Their experiences offer a rare window into the unpredictable way health prices vary for patients who receive seemingly identical care. Three paid with insurance and one with cash. Even after negotiations between insurers and the emergency room, the total that patients and their insurers ended up paying varied by 2,700%. Such discrepancies arise from a fundamental fact about the U.S. health care system: The government does not regulate health care prices. Some academic research confirms that prices can vary within the same hospital. One 2015 paper found substantial within-hospital price differences for basic procedures, such as MRI scans, depending on the health insurer. The researchers say these differences arent about quality. In all likelihood, the expensive MRIs and the cheap MRIs are done on the same machine. Instead, they reflect different insurers market clout. A large insurer with many members can demand lower prices, while small insurers have less negotiating leverage. Because health prices in the United States are so opaque, some researchers have turned to their own medical bills to understand this type of price variation. Two health researchers who gave birth at the same hospital with the same insurance compared notes afterward. They found that one received a surprise $1,600 bill while the other one didnt. The difference? One woman happened to give birth while an out-of-network anesthesiologist was staffing the maternity ward; the other received her epidural from an in-network provider. The additional out-of-pocket charge on top of the other labor and delivery expenses was left entirely up to chance, co-authors Erin Taylor and Layla Parast wrote in a blog post summarizing the experience. Parast, who received the surprise bill, ultimately got it reversed but not until her baby was nearly 1 year old. The Trump administration has taken steps to limit patients out-of-pocket costs for coronavirus testing and treatment, using relief funds to reimburse providers for uninsured patients bills. Insurers are required to cover patients coronavirus tests with no cost-sharing or copayments. Alex Azar, the health and human services secretary, reiterated that commitment in a Sunday interview on CNN, saying, If you are uninsured, it will be covered by us. The testing experience of the Texas group suggests that it doesnt always work out that way. Some emergency rooms charge cash prices and tack on testing fees that insurers are not required to cover. In this case, the patient who paid cash actually got the best deal. Harvey has health insurance but felt it would be a hassle to use it for the coronavirus test. So he paid for his test with two $100 bills after receiving the nasal swab and was on his way. LeBlanc let the emergency room take a photograph of her insurance card. She ended up with $6,408 in charges, mostly from an outside lab called Genesis Laboratory that handled her testing. She received explanation-of-benefit statements suggesting she would owe more than $1,000. Jay Lenner, who also got a drive-thru test from the same provider, used his insurance and received a similarly long list of charges. He recalls a provider saying he would be tested only for coronavirus, but bill records show he was also screened for Legionnaires disease, herpes and enterovirus, among other things. The emergency room also charged him $1,684 for using its facility and $634 to see one of its doctors. All told, he ended up with $5,649 in bills, of which his insurance plan paid $4,914. Lenner didnt end up on the hook for any of it, but he is still frustrated. Ultimately, we pay for this in higher premiums, he said. Michelle Tribble, a spokesperson for Austin Emergency Center, said it needed to charge high prices because insurers often pay only a small share of their fees. For emergency room visits, the reimbursement to us by insurance companies is typically a fifth or a third of total charges, she said. If an insurance company were to bill a patient for an out-of-network visit to our emergency room, our billing company would go to bat for that patient and would appeal on their behalf. Austin Emergency Center and Genesis Laboratory had differing explanations for why patients like Lenner were screened for so many conditions. Tribble said the lab makes the determination of what to test for. Edward Cienki, a spokesperson for the laboratory, said, Genesis does not order clinical laboratory tests. LeBlanc learned of the discrepancy only because her husband happened to be on the phone with Harvey when a price estimate from her insurer arrived in the mail. Harvey said, I hear Pam in the background saying, What the heck is this? She used the information about what her friend had paid to negotiate her charges down to $199 as well. And after she reached out to a local television station, which devoted a segment to her charges, her health plan began investigating the bill. On Thursday, after returning from another camping trip, LeBlanc learned the bill would be dropped entirely. This article originally appeared in The New York Times. As Lake Houston area residents patiently waited for their coronavirus test on Tuesday, a line of cars stretched nearly half a mile from Emergency Hospital Systems Deerbrook on FM 1960 to the Kroger entrance near the intersection of Townsen Boulevard. The hospital, located at 8901 FM 1960 Bypass Rd. W. Suite 105, Humble, started doing COVID-19 testing on June 24 and will continue until at least the end of this week from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. It is unclear how long they will continue testing in the future. Originally they had planned to only do the testing site last week, so it is up to upper management to continue next week, according to Tamesha James, the director of registration and lab manager. EARLY VOTING: Face shields, gloves, wipes: Texas votes as virus rages James said they have completed as many as 600 tests in a day since they started the program last week. The hospital has to capability to do as many tests as possible, however, they are limited by staff size. They have tried to increase the number of people helping so that they can provide more tests, but currently have only about seven people working the testing line. Ill be honest with you, we didnt expect the turn out to be what it was, James said. Each day its increased, almost doubled. The decision to provide tests came as positive coronavirus cases began to rise across the state. The trend has followed suit in the Lake Houston area. In District E, encompassing Kingwood, some of Summerwood and Clear Lake, positive results have grown from 1.6% to 11% in less than 30 days, according to Dave Martin, Mayor Pro Tem and District E Councilmember. Today I have a plea for my neighbors in District E, mask up, stay home, wash your hands and please social distance, Martin said in a Houston Television video last week. THE LATEST: Texas counties with the highest number of confirmed COVID-19 cases so far Emergency Hospital Systemss goal was to help provide people in the area with a local resource for testing, although they have had individuals tested from as far as Angleton and Lake Jackson. Their Cleveland location is also providing testing that is drawing in people as far away as Lufkin. A lot of people that were calling back and telling them that theyre positive, theyre shocked...I think people were just coming to get tested just to see, you know, to get the test because they are hearing numbers are increasing, James said. James said that many are surprised to hear a positive result as they do not have symptoms. The lab manager said she has heard of several devastated parents who found out their children tested positive. I dont think over half of the people that we are calling back and telling them that they are positive thought that they would be positive. A lot of them are asymptomatic, meaning they dont have symptoms (yet), and so theyre shocked, theyre in disbelief I think were really seeing how its affecting the community as a whole right now. ON HOUSTONCHRONICLE.COM: Daily coronavirus numbers for Houston, rest of Texas To help prevent the spread of the coronavirus, James recommends wearing a mask, washing hands, and cleaning. The CDC also recommends wearing a mask, washing hands frequently, and clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces, among other measures that can be found on their website. She said its important for people to see that if the health care workers are following these rules to stay safe, its important that the general public does as well to protect themselves or just stay home. Those who were contacted with a positive case said that while they didnt know, they had been around others who they could have accidentally spread it to. After letting those individuals know of their positive case, those who were potentially exposed are coming to be tested as well. By wearing a mask and following guidelines, James said she thinks it will help in flattening to curve. Wearing the mask is a very important thing, thats what we depend on here as health care workers to keep us safe, James said. We deal with positive patients every day and so far the staff has been safe because we are wearing our mask so that is very important. Kingwood lab opens for COVID-19 testing BAS Premier Testing in Kingwood is a clinical lab providing COVID-19 tests to the local community at cost. Located at 22175 Professional Drive, Kingwood, BAS Premier Testing completes the COVID--19 test for $139 and will have results in 24 hours. They provide forms for reimbursement for insurance providers as well. In addition to their testing location, they will come to offices on-site and test employees and have results with 24 to 36 hours. According to their website, they are working on a COVID-19 home test kit that is coming soon. For more information, call (281) 319-TEST. savannah.mehrtens@chron.com For Stacy Gouty, bartender at Houston's The Cottonmouth Club, the pandemic has been marked by this unpredictable struggle--staying safe from COVID-19 and keeping financially afloat. Employees of Texas bars, ordered to shut their doors Friday for the second time in less than four months, are facing a unique challenge. PACKED NIGHTCLUBS: Crowd caught on video at Houston nightclub amid COVID-19 surge "It's a lot to weigh on your brain," said Gouty, who knows one friend who has been diagnosed with COVID-19. "It's been extremely stressful. The stress comes from uncertainty." Gouty said that the most important thing for the staff at The Cottonmouth Club was that they maintain safety guidelines. "It was hard for people in the bars to keep on their masks," he said. "With the spike, we decided to close again." Large crowds have been caught on video at several Houston nightclubs including Cle and Spire, since the initial reopening of Texas. "The bars that pack out like that ruin it for everyone who are taking the extra steps," Gouty said. Gouty said that the financial struggle for Houston bartenders has been a heavy one, but so many in the service industry are stepping up to help each other out. "We got a lot of help in the process--with Houston Shift Meals, offering free meals," Gouty said. "Hugo's, Backstreet Cafe started an FB group to offer free help available for the industry every day. That helped out a lot. I got some leeway on rent because of my landlady. There's no government assistance for the bar industry. The service industry takes care of each other. " 'I CAN'T BELIEVE IT': 92-year-old Houston man gives up everything to be with wife during COVID-19 Something unexpectedly positive came out of the struggle. The shutdown during the pandemic gave birth to a new podcast which generated some income. "We live-streamed on Instagram every night at 9 p.m.," Gouty said. "We started to talk about regular bar stuff. We linked a Venmo to that. We were selling t-shirts, and that kept us afloat for a while." When asked about the Texas Bar and Nightclub Alliance's plan to sue Texas over bar closure, Gouty didn't mince his words. "It's ludicrous," Gouty said. "A lot of people are advocating for that. It's a lot of people who don't care for public safety. I think it's come down to this--it's care about others over caring about your pocketbooks. You're putting others in danger, not just yourselves." Gouty said many Houston bartenders, bar owners and other members of the service industry are hurting right now. "I think everyone needs to practice some compassion," Gouty said. "If you know bartenders who are not working right now, check up on them. Some people's employment is being cut off. Tell them, 'Hey, I'll bring you a burger.' Anything helps, really. Have a lot more compassion in general. Just step outside yourself a bit. Just care...whether it's wearing a mask or checking in on your friends." alison.medley@chron.com With the recent spike in positive COVID-19 cases in the greater Houston area and Montgomery County, some churches have chosen to close temporarily out of an abundance of caution. On June 26, Woodlands Church announced that it would not be holding in-person services for the next two weekends In response to the rapid increase of COVID-19 cases in our area, according to a message sent to the churchs members. We decided to go online in an abundance of caution, and also to really protect the vulnerable, said Ryan Shook, creative director at Woodlands Church Our church always tries to think How do we love our community and show love to those around us? And after a lot of prayer and thought our church leaders came together and decided that the best way to love the community right now would be to not gather and to help prevent the spread of the disease. The church will continue to monitor the positivity and hospitalization rates in the county and if possible will try to meet in-person July 12. THE LATEST: Texas counties with the highest number of confirmed COVID-19 cases so far But if the cases continue to rise as they do then well make changes, Shook said. Online services Church members who are part of an at-risk group are encouraged to watch online even if the church can meet in-person. For the services that the church has held in-person, masks were required and families are spaced six feet apart. Right now, Shook said he is not aware of any positive cases in the congregation. During this time it has presented a lot of challenges to churches large churches and small but its also presented a lot of great opportunities, Shook said. For us, its been a really great opportunity to reach out and increase our online presence through Zoom, Life groups, or small groups, through online streaming. But Woodlands Church is not the only church in the area that has made changes or been affected by the virus. On June 14, Alan and Joy Clayton, the pastors and creators of Ark Church in Conroe, were diagnosed with COVID-19. Just a week earlier, on June 7, Ark Church had re-opened to in-person services. ON HOUSTONCHRONICLE.COM: Daily coronavirus numbers for Houston, rest of Texas: June 30 According to the message sent to members of the church on June 16, the church decided to continue in-person services on Wednesdays and Sundays. We have experienced a rather challenging week dealing with what we initially thought was a sinus infection but turned out to be the COVID-19 virus, the Claytons told their congregation in the message. The good news is that we are at home recovering, praying, and doing better every day. Precautions and prayer In its message, the church reiterated the precautions it is taking, including cleaning and disinfecting the building often, taking the temperatures of all staff and volunteers, hand sanitizer available throughout the building, and encouraging the use of masks while also providing them, among others. Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Conroe announced recently that it would be closing the week of June 29 because Pastor Philip Wilhite was positively diagnosed with COVID-19. MORNING REPORT: Get the top stories on HoustonChronicle.com sent directly to your inbox I began feeling ill late Sunday evening June 21 and went to an urgent care clinic Monday where I was tested fr COVID 19, the pastors original message read on the churchs website. The results came back late this afternoon indicating I am positive for the coronavirus. Though my temperature has returned to normal, I still need to isolate. The church and parish offices were immediately closed and services were moved online. First communion masses have been canceled until further notice and in a message to the community Wilhite said it is the churchs hope to resume Masses at 25 percent capacity the weekend of July 11 and 12. Wilhite encouraged his members to consider getting tested themselves. Other members of the church leadership have been tested but as of June 30 were still awaiting their results. Masses will return contingent on all priests being found negative for COVID-19 and symptom-free for at least 10 days. While I have no idea from whom I contracted the virus, I take this as a good opportunity to remind myself and each of us to wear a mask and maintain social distancing, Wilhite said in his latest message to members. It would be too easy to be asymptomatic and infect others unknowingly. jamie.swinnerton@chron.com Its been just over two years since five Conroe families learned they would be getting new homes thanks to the city of Conroes Community Development Block Grant Program. And on Wednesday the Dugan-area families were welcomed to their newly built homes to begin a new chapter in their lives. The CDBG program provides decent, safe and sanitary housing for low- to moderate-income residents by the rehabilitation of existing structures to a condition which, at a minimum, brings the structure into compliance with HUD. Residents are selected through an application process through the city. This cycle of CDBG Houses has taken much longer than our usual turn-around time, due to a legal matter involving the previous contractor, said Director of Community Development Nancy Mikeska. As with all legal matters, they can take some time to resolve. Once that was done and we brought on the new contractor, ProTek, Construction, LLC the progress on the houses got back on track and we are happy to welcome home these clients who have been so patient through the whole process. Samuel Martinez, 65, said being selected for the program is a blessing. I just waited, Martinez said during the original tour of his dilapidated home in 2018. Sometimes you have to wait for God to answer your prayers. Martinez, who has worked with the Conroe ISD custodial department for more than 40 years, has owned the small one-bedroom home on South Third Street since 1978. And while the home fell into disrepair years ago forcing him to leave the structure, he has continued to pay his taxes on the unlivable home. I didnt want anyone to take it, he said of the home, which sits on a large lot with mature trees. Martinezs new home spans 1,265 square feet and has three bedrooms and one bath. The cost of the home was $94,000. Also moving into new homes were Ashley Montez, Bobby and Erma Goosby, Queen Gray and Patricia Cartwright. Montez, 32, who was gifted the property with electrical and foundation issues by her grandmother, now has a new $94,000 home with three bedrooms and one bath. The home is just over 1,200 square feet. For the Goosbys, a 1,371 square foot, three bedroom and two bath house is now home. The elderly couple has been married for 57 years and owned the property for 50 years. The $114,500 home is also wheelchair accessible. Gray, 71, who works in the health care industry and approaching retirement, now has a new home to make taking care of her disabled daughter much easier. The $111,000 three-bedroom, two-bath house spans 1,375 square feet. Cartwright, 54, has owned her property for six years. However, the home was in such disrepair, it was removed before she was accepted into the program. Now, she and her teen daughter have a three-bedroom, two-bath house spanning 1,371 square feet. The home cost $108,500. ProTek has done an amazing job making the dream of owning a beautiful new home a reality for these clients, Mikeska said adding the program has helped complete 74 homes. Each and every family I have worked with I have grown to know and love. Having an opportunity to help people who need my help and seeing them return to their new home reminds me of how blessed I am in my life. It is a special day for our program and for these families. Mayor Toby Powell called the program an asset to the city. It has not only removed many dilapidated structures that are dangerous, but it has provided hope to those who were about to be homeless, he said. There can be no greater blessing than to know your family has a place that belongs to them, a home that is theirs. My prayer is that these beautiful homes provide many years of happiness for each of these wonderful families. cdominguez@hcnonline.com As needs-based service organizations, the Community Assistance Center and Interfaith of The Woodlands have a long and close history of working together for the community. But in the time of COVID-19, the organizations' food pantries have found a new way to work together to help those in need. We have a really healthy partnership anyway, on a regular basis, outside of a global pandemic, said Kathy Rifaat, Director of Development for CAC, which is based in Conroe. In times of emergencies, we already had that relationship established. So, it makes it easier to go into action as a team. Before the temperatures crawled into the 90s Wednesday morning, volunteers from the CAC, Interfaith, and Kroger, started setting up a mobile food pantry in the parking lot of Woodforest Bank Stadium. By the time the pantry was ready to open at 10 a.m., hundreds of cars had already lined up. The pantry had enough food for 600 families. Each family would receive two bags of shelf-stable groceries, a bag of fresh produce, and a gallon of milk. The food was from Kroger and the milk was from Borden. This was the first mobile food pantry that the CAC and Interfaith have held together, and as the economic crisis driven by COVID-19 closures continues it likely wont be the last. As long as the need continues, well continue to analyze and modify how we can best meet those needs, said Lucy Gomez, Vice President of Programs for Interfaith of The Woodlands. Obviously, were stronger together, so we would want to partner as much as we possibly can. Separately, the CAC and Interfaith have been hosting mobile food pantries across the county since March as a way to continue meeting the need in the area in a way that adheres to safety precautions recommended to slow the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. Both organizations have seen a dramatic increase in the need for their services since COVID-19 hit Montgomery County. The summer months, particularly, are heavy anyway because kids are home from school, Gomez said. This just exasperates that issue. Compared to this time last year, both the CAC and Interfaith say that they have seen over a 100 percent increase in clients coming to their food pantries. For many of these new clients, this is their first time experiencing food insecurity. Its hitting our folks that are mostly self-sufficient that have already run through their savings to pay for their home and their utilities and now are having to ask for assistance, and seeking out assistance when they dont normally do that, Gomez said. Along with being food pantries, both Interfaith and the CAC can offer financial assistance for rent and utilities. Volunteer opportunities, as well as schedules for future mobile pantries, can be found on the organizations' websites, cac-mctx.org and woodlandsinterfaith.org. jamie.swinnerton@chron.com The Montgomery Independent School Districts Board of Trustees has named the lone finalist in the search for its new superintendent. After receiving 45 applications for the position, the board unanimously voted during Tuesdays special meeting to make Heath Morrison, the former Superintendent of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools in North Carolina, its new leader. The board has also hired a new Montgomery High School principal, Andria Schur, who previously served as a principal in Spring and who will replace Brandi Hendrix, who now serves at Brenham ISD. Morrison is expected to take the helm of the school district as it navigates not only the novel coronavirus pandemic, but the task of balancing a $1.7 million deficit. The board has expressed it want to be the premier school district in Texas. I am thrilled, honored and humbled to be selected as the lone finalist for Montgomery ISD, Morrison said over a Zoom video at the school boards special meeting on Tuesday upon receiving the news. Montgomery ISD has an incredible brand and one of the things that people say about brand is that your brand is not what you say you are, its what people say about you. The state of Texas and this community has so many amazing things to say about Montgomery because of the phenomenal teachers, excellent principals and staff and its a community that really loves and supports its schools, Morrison continued. Thats incredibly exciting and a big reason why I am so thrilled to have this opportunity to come and join this community. The school boards president Jim Dossey informed the public, which included about 40 people with a few in masks gathered at the districts Education Support Center, about the process of the superintendent search. During the meeting he shared the process was somewhat conducted behind closed doors and that the free job had become very time consuming. The board had an aggressive timeline with the goal of make it selection in time for the new school year. Thank you to the community for allowing us as board members to go through this process, we are all very tired, it has been a very long process, we believe that we have chosen the best person for this job. We didnt go for the easy choice, we went for the best choice, Dossey said. Morrison will replace Beau Rees, who served as Montgomery ISDs superintendent since 2011. Rees began his position as the new superintendent at Weatherford Independent School District in June, following an announcement in April. The board voted in May to have Ann Dixon. to serve as the interim superintendent. A proposal was sent out in April for a search firm. Out of three received the board chose Thompson & Horton LLP,, which he described as well-known and respected search firm in Texas. Dossey said the board chose the firm because they wanted the absolute best and wanted to start the process with that in mind for Montgomery. He explained the search firm asked each board member to provide 10-12 names of people from the community who would be on focus groups, including teachers, administrators, and other respected people in the community, including students. Dossey described the overall results of that as incredible participation from the recommended participation, from which the board heard themes about what the next superintendent at Montgomery should be. From there the board narrowed down the nearly 50 applications by looking at its qualifications and agreed as a board, which top six applicants they wanted to bring back for interviews. A couple weeks later the board interviewed each candidate for two hours. We asked them very detailed questions as a board, what they would do in certain situations, what is important to them, how does their district compared to Montgomery, and so for those two hours we got to know each one very well, Dossey said. The board chose two final candidates to bring back for a second round of interviews. The board conducted two second round interviews and spent 3.5 hours with them each night. Dossey informed the public that the board asked, very detailed questions about the candidates backgrounds, what they would do in certain situations that were going on in Montgomery and how that compared to their own district. He said the board conducted its own research before the interviews to find out if there was anything specific, they needed to ask the finalists about before selecting Morrison for the last phase. We knew the final candidate very well at that point, but the reference we talked to were really unbelievable, Dossey said. We talked to 20 references. Each board member called references on the final selected candidate. I dont know about you, but I dont even know if I know 20 people in general. But they overwhelmingly voted their approval of this candidate. It was really unbelievable. Dossey said that the board was unified during the process to make the best selection possible. According to information from the school district, Morrison started out as a social studies teacher in Virginia and Maryland before he quickly moved into administration. After serving as principal at the middle school and high school levels, Morrison was selected as Maryland Principal of the Year in 2004. He served as a Community Superintendent in Montgomery County, Maryland, before being selected to serve as Superintendent of Washoe County School District in Reno, Nevada. He has most recently served at his previous role in North Carolina. In 2011, Morrison was named Nevada Superintendent of the Year, and in 2012, he became AASAs National Superintendent of the Year. Under his leadership, all school districts saw rapid gains in state test scores, graduation rates, and participation and performance in Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate courses, Montgomery ISD information stated. He has led efforts to promote personalized plans of instruction for every student and utilize technologies to inspire innovative teaching and learning. At the local, state and national level, he has actively championed the importance of teachers and principals. For the last several years, Morrison has served in the private sector, first as the Senior Vice-President of Government Affairs at McGraw- Hill Education, before his promotion to President of the School Group. He holds a doctorate degree in educational policy and planning and a masters degree in educational administration from the University of Maryland. He graduated with a bachelors degree in government from the College of William and Mary Morrison is a member of the Aspen Global Leadership Network and serves on the College of William and Mary Development Board, the release stated. He married his high school sweetheart, Jennifer, and they have two children, Samantha and Zachary, and a foster daughter, NaShara, Montgomery ISD said. The Montgomery ISD Board of Trustees is confident that Dr. Morrison is the perfect fit for this community, and we are excited to welcome him to the MISD family, the release stated. mellsworth@hcnonline.com Virginia Lund, center, and others work out in an exercise class at the Missoula Family YMCA on Friday. The YMCA is kicking off its 2020 Annual Support Campaign, which helps provide financial assistance for membership costs and support for programs like senior group exercise programs and scholarships for kids to play soccer and basketball. The Embassy of Indonesia in Vietnam and the Embassy of Vietnam in Indonesia on June 30 officially launched together a logo competition to celebrate the 65th founding anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two nations (December 30). The Embassy of Indonesia in Vietnam and the Embassy of Vietnam in Indonesia on June 30 officially launched together a logo competition to celebrate the 65th founding anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two nations (December 30). The deadline to receive submissions starts from 00.00 on July 1, 2020 and ends at 24.00 on July 31, 2020. Right after the deadline for receiving submissions, the Organizing Committee will judge and announce the winning logos before August 5, 2020. The logos should demonstrate 65 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries as well as reflect Indonesia and Vietnams strategic partnership and cooperation. Logos should express creative, sophisticated, solemn and modern design styles with clear, harmonious colors and shapes, which are highly aesthetic, typical of Vietnam and Indonesia. The final winning logo will be used by the Embassy of Vietnam in Indonesia and Indonesian Missions in Vietnam (the Embassy in Hanoi and the Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City) as the official brand identity for the celebration of 65 years of diplomatic relations between Indonesia and Vietnam and in all official events in 2020. All Vietnamese and Indonesian citizens of all ages can participate. Each individual can send up to 3 logo designs in the file format .jpeg, weighs at least 3 MB and maximum 5 MB to vnri65.1955.2020@gmail.com (for participants in Indonesia) and rivn65@gmail.com (for participants in Vietnam). VeggieTales creator talks Americas sin of racism, conservative pushback, how Jesus would respond Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Phil Vischer, creator of the popular Christian animation "VeggieTales" and voice of Bob the Tomato, has been actively using his platform to address issues of racial injustice. The Christian Post spoke with the animator to discover his passion behind tackling these issues and his response to his conservative followers. Following the police-involved death of George Floyd, many Americans are discussing issues pertaining to race and the debate around systemic institutionalized racism. To add to the discussion this month, Vischer first penned a blog, titled Racial Injustice has Benefited Me - A Confession, which he followed up with a video, Race in America, that's available on the Holy Post channel on YouTube. Below is an edited transcript of Vischers conversation with The Christian Post (watch full video interview below) where he talks about why he, as a Christian, feels a responsibility to push back against racial injustice. He revealed some of the conversations hes had with conservatives surrounding his stance and why he is willing to speak out whether people try and take it out on Veggie Tales or not. Christian Post: Race is a topic you have discussed for some years now. Tell us what encouraged you now to share about how being white gave you access to opportunities that others did not have? Vischer: Someone immediately said, Oh, Phil, why weren't you talking about this two weeks ago? And so I pointed them to the podcast we did three years ago and said, I was all the way back. That started [because] my brother is the dean of a law school in Minneapolis, a Catholic University, St. Thomas University, after the Philando Castile shooting, which I believe was 2016 and led to quite a bit of protest. I-94 in Minneapolis, during the protests, was shut down, a group of protesters walked out onto the Interstate and shut it down. A lot of people in Minneapolis were very angry about that. It came out in the press that one of the leaders of that protest was an African-American woman, was a law professor who worked for my brother. Angry alumni demanded that my brother fire her for participating in that protest. He said he wasn't going to. And instead, he went back to them and said to these angry white alumni, I want you to try to think of what it would take, what would have to happen in your life that would make you so upset that you would walk out onto an interstate and shut it down. What would it take for you to be that upset? My family started a Bible conference in northwest Iowa way back in the 1930s and it's still going on every year. My brother and I were supposed to teach a whole week class in 95% white, northwest Iowa and my brother decided to do a day on racial justice, on racial inequality. So he did a whole mess of research and then he did a day. We're talking about kind of hot button issues in our culture, but the data that he had come up with about racial inequality in America just blew my mind. So I came back to Chicago where we do the Holy Post Podcast, I mentioned on the podcast my brother taught this course, I just learned stuff, I had no idea. And people said, Oh, tell us. So I got my brother's notes and I presented them on the podcast as a special episode. That became one of the most popular episodes we'd ever done as lots of white Christians like me saud I'd never heard half of that stuff. So that was 2017. Then we get to George Floyd in 2020. And Minneapolis, again, protests, again, shutting down interstates in Minneapolis again and then spreading all over the country. And I'm starting to see pop up all over social media: Why are they so angry? Racism is done. Racism, we ended it in the 1960s. And I started pointing people to that podcast episode to say this might help but it's an hour and 15 minutes long and you have to go 20 minutes in before it starts. So people just weren't doing it. I'm seeing all these little videos fly back and forth. Here's someone saying there's no such thing as racism. Here's two people arguing about white privilege. A lot of these videos just didn't have any data in them. They were opinions, but not history. So I thought, OK, well, what if I took that podcast episode, that hour and 15-minute podcast episode, and tried to cram it down into a short as possible video as I could? which turned out to be a 17-minute video to walk through 100 years of racial history in America. It turns out that just went absolutely viral. As of yesterday, it's been watched 5 million times. CP: How did the information you learned turn from historical data to something where you thought you wanted to examine how racism has benefited you? Vischer: The other part of the story is my family ... moved from Iowa to the suburbs of Chicago in 1980. I had a month left of middle school and then we started going to a church; it's in our denomination or local denominational church. ... My mother's been at that church without break for almost 40 years now. The church went through some really rough times, it was an aging white congregation and it was shrinking, just totally shrinking. And then we had no pastor and then it was getting smaller and smaller and it looked like we were kind of on death watch for our denomination. And our district superintendent in our denomination said, "Hey, I think you should talk. There's another church in the denomination right down the street that's growing that has a really dynamic young pastor. They don't have a building. You have a building, no pastor and you're shrinking. Maybe you guys should talk about merging." And we said, OK, what church is it? And it was a second generation immigrant Korean congregation. Wait, what? You want to take a mostly white congregation and an Asian immigrant congregation and just shove them together and hope that that works. We spent about a year meeting and discussing it. It's been four years ago now I was an elder at the time, both congregations voted and we decided to merge and create a multi-ethnic congregation. So we have a Korean senior pastor, a Korean youth pastor, a Korean college pastor, a Filipino worship pastor, and then most of the rest of the staff is white from the old white church. And so we put all that together. But the amazing thing is, since we did that four years ago, the church has doubled in size. It's now about 1,000 people a week meeting, and it's African American, and it's Latino, and we have Indians. And we're getting like 120 college kids on a typical weekend because they want to worship someplace that looks like the world they're actually living in, that they're growing up in. Because of this, all of a sudden, I'm sitting around the fire in my small group with an African-American couple, listening to their stories of what it's like to live in white America, in the white suburbs. I'm talking with an Asian family about what it's like to be Asian in white America. I'm hearing stories that are just completely beyond my experience. That's what led me to start to look at my own story and the way I tell my own story, and that was the theme of that blog. If you know my story, my dad walked out when I was nine years old, my parents split up and we went from upper middle class to probably for a couple years, we were living below the poverty line because my mother had never worked before. She had a nurse's degree but had never practiced. So she had to pull out the dusty nursing degree and try to find a job in Muscatine, Iowa, to support three kids after my dad had left. Then we relocated to the Chicago suburbs and we went to school and my brother went to Harvard and he became a successful college professor. And my sister has a doctorate and my mom got her doctorate and she became a college professor. So I used to tell the story like we had nothing, but we worked really hard and now look at us, what a success story! Then I'm learning about, in particular, wealth inequality between African American families and white families, the average white family has 10 times the household wealth of the average black family. The average black family has 60% of the income of the average white family, but only 10% of the wealth. The reason that is because most wealth, most intergenerational wealth in America, is homeownership. That's how most Americans have generated wealth to pass from one generation to the next. We very actively, starting in the 1930s, encouraged white families to own homes and discouraged nonwhite families from owning homes. There were policies that we put in place and there were specific reasons which made sense at the time; now they look horribly racist. In hindsight, we declared that white and black families were incompatible racial groups and should never live in the same community; that was in 1932 in the Federal Housing Administration guidebook ... It was policy. Because of that, so few African-American families have homes that they've owned that have been passed through generations that have generated wealth for college, in particular wealth for how do you move and start your life over if your life falls apart? I realized that when our lives fell apart in Muscatine, Iowa, and we had nothing, we didn't have nothing. We had a nice house for Muscatine, Iowa, standards and my mom was able to sell that house and use the money to buy a much smaller house but in a nice suburb of Chicago, which had funded, by all those nice houses, fantastic schools. CP: There are people debunking that systemic racism exists. Can you talk a little bit about that? Vischer: There's a pretty good argument to say there aren't. It is very hard to find explicitly racist laws today because it's illegal. So even if they pop up somewhere, pretty soon somebody's going to notice and file a lawsuit, and they're knocked down. But that doesn't mean that there isn't residual racism from prior laws. So just for example, do you know why there's no unemployment insurance for agricultural workers? Because in the 1930s, during the Depression, when unemployment insurance was proposed, Southern senators insisted that it be for white people only, that no black people could get unemployment insurance. Northern senators said, No, we're not doing that. But they had to come up with a compromise. The compromise was it doesn't apply to agricultural workers or service workers, which in the South were the jobs held by black people. So it was the same thing, it was the same result. It's not an explicitly racist law but it was done in a way that had the same impact. We see that over and over again. There were whites-only zoning ordinances in suburbs where if you were a nonwhite family, it was against the realtors code of ethics to show a house in a white neighborhood to a nonwhite family. You would lose your realtor's license until 1950, if you help the black family buy a house in a white neighborhood. The realtors code of ethics is a system, so that's not an individual sin. That's a systemic sin. We forget that the Bible has both. The Bible, we always talk about that we're called to repent as individuals of our individual sins. But Israel over and over again is called to repent as a nation for things that not every member of the nation did. After the exile, they come back and they start intermarrying with people from other nations that was against God's law. They're called to repent. Did every single Israelite intermarry with another nation with a woman from another nation? Of course not. But the whole nation is called to repentance. We're so individualistic in America that we can't stand the notion of being held responsible for anything that we didn't individually do. So we focus on the New Testament, which is a much more individualistic focus because it's not about a nation. It's about individuals within the Roman Empire. If you go back to the Old Testament, you see the people of God time and time again called to repent for things they did collectively as a nation, not individually. I think that's a moment we in the Church, as the people of God say, OK, no, you personally never owned slaves, you personally never kicked African Americans out of your coffee shop, you personally did not redline your neighborhood so that African Americans couldn't get subsidized mortgages. But we collectively [did]. We're so quick to say, We won World War II, we won the Cold War, we sent a man to the moon. No, you didn't do any of those things but America did those things. And we love to put ourselves together when it's something good. Then you say we oppress the Native Americans; "I didn't do that." So we clearly have a double standard where we love to associate ourselves with the great things America has done and hate to be associated with the terrible things America has done. America is no better or worse than we are. We all do good and terrible things. So some of the pushback for me has been, You're making America sound terrible and that really makes me sad. America is no nobler nor sinful than we are, it is the sum of us. So unless you reject the idea that you are sinful, you can't reject the idea that America is sinful. And we need to repent of those sins. CP: Many conservative readers are pushing back saying, "The gospel is all that we need" and saying statements such as what youve shared are liberal. What do you say to that? Vischer: It's funny and this is a little controversial to say, but it's true. We never say the Gospel is all we need when we talk about abortion. We say we need conservative Supreme Court justices, and we need to change laws and we need new guidelines, and we need new policies. Somehow, when we turn the page to racism, now the Gospel is all we need and we don't need any laws. We don't need to do anything to change. Nothing needs to change in society except the heart. So I find it a little funny when we're picking the issues that we personally care about and saying, "We really need to be active, we need to go out, we need to go out and protest abortion," and we do, I'm with you. Let's go out and protest abortion. But then to say, "Oh, wait, the thing you want to protest? No, no, the Gospel is all we need." Let's take a step back and examine that. I think we might have a double standard there. So I think God cares about both. I think He cares about the unborn. I think He cares about the newborn black boy in the inner city who has a one in four chance of ending up in prison in his lifetime, who is more likely to go to prison than to go to college. I think that breaks God's heart also. I've had people push back and say, "Well, rank them, rank abortion versus racism. I don't think God has a big wall chart of sin. So we can walk and chew gum at the same time. We can be pro-life and pro-our black friends at the same time. We can be anti-racist and anti-abortion at the same time. Our politics make it difficult. We've taken all of these issues and we've divided them between two buckets: the liberal bucket and the conservative bucket. And if you identify yourself as a conservative, you can't care about anything that the liberals care about. And if you identify yourself as a liberal, you can't care about anything that is conservative. That's ridiculous. As Christians, here's what that means. It means we've made our political identity more important than our spiritual identity. Because Jesus is never going to say, "I would care about that issue, except I hear liberals care about that issue, or I would care about that issue, except I hear Republicans care about that issue so I'm not going to care about that issue." No! Jesus' heart went out to the least of these. And the least of these is the unborn, the least of these are African Americans in the inner city who don't have a chance to get a good job, who can't find fresh food within a five-mile radius, who will be discriminated against in housing practices. We've seen recently when an African-American woman applies for an apartment in New York City, she's more likely to get the apartment if she has an Asian roommate, and the Asian roommate puts her name on the application instead of the African American's name. There's no law that says African-American women can't rent apartments. But you're more likely to get a note back saying the apartment's no longer available if your name sounds African American. We can be upset about that without it meaning we're somehow betraying our tribe because our tribe is Christ followers. It's not Democrats. It's not Republicans. It's Christ followers and He cares about everybody. CP: How can we encourage people to stop being offended with what's happening right now and actually deal with their own biases? Vischer: I go back to what my brother said to his angry alumni. When they said, "You need to fire that woman because she shut down I-94" and he said, "I want you to tell me what would make you so upset that you would do what she just did?" Just think about that. So for every white Christian out there whether you consider yourself liberal, conservative, libertarian, moderate, independent, I don't even care what could happen that would make you so upset that you would go out and protest like that, that you might even feel like picking up a rock and throwing it through a window. If you say, "I would never ever do that because that's not American. We kind of have to remember that's how America started. It started as a protest with people in the middle of the night, picking up boxes of tea and throwing them violently off the ship in protest. Then OK, are you a Protestant? What does that word mean? What's the root of Protestant? It's protest. We all started out as protesters. You're American, you're a protester. You're a Protestant, you're a protester. So we're all protesters! What we don't like is when people protest against things that we're not that upset about. Then we get kind of bent out of shape and we really don't like property damage. That's understandable. There are people all over the world that are being persecuted in ways that are real and violent and bloody, and way worse than losing your favorite Arby's. So it's OK, they had insurance, they can build a new Arby's. Stop staring at what's happened and look at the issues behind. Ask the question, what would make you so upset that you would be willing to do that? We did a whole podcast episode about the Christian tendency to enjoy conspiracy theories. Just like the people with the coronavirus who say Bill Gates did it , conservative Christians have a high proclivity to buy into some of those stories, partly because we believe the world is actually against us, which is biblical. There is some biblical basis in that partly because of the history of the 20th century and starting with the Scopes Monkey Trial and the history of fundamentalist Christianity. We felt that American media and the American intelligentsia, the "elites" turned on us. Right about in 1920s to 1930s, we believe that America turned on us and we pulled back, we became more insular, and we became more angry and more suspicious. That's gone on ever since. So when we hear. "I heard that Bill Gates is trying to take over the world and put microchips in all of our children. And that's probably the mark of the beast. That makes sense to me." So now it's the same thing when we see a riot. When we see a race riot and we hear, "I heard that George Soros funded that riot. That makes sense, that a rich guy who's on the other side politically is behind all this." We just have to calm the heck down because the other side will do it to us too. I don't know if you've ever watched any episodes of "The Handmaid's Tale" on Hulu. There are people on the far left that believe that is what I want because I'm a conservative Christian, that I want America to look like "The Handmaid's Tale." So Handmaid's Tale is a conspiracy theory about conservative Christians and that's what we would do. And you can find somewhere online, a sermon from some preacher somewhere that will support that suspicion. So we do it to them and they do it to us. We find some radical voice on the left and say, "Aha, they want to ban the Bible. They want to get rid of all white depictions of Jesus." CP: How do we keep the heart of Jesus in this, when such extreme thoughts are prevalent? Vischer: I don't think Jesus ever looked at a stranger and assumed the worst about them. Ever! I think He always assumed the best. The story of the Good Samaritan, it literally is a story of your enemy, the person you despise, being the one who helps you, being the one who loves you. So when He's telling a story like that, He's just not letting you have prejudice against your enemy. He's not letting you think the worst, assume the worst. When we assume the worst, we're going against the teaching of Christ. So when I look at my enemy and I see him as my brother and say, "How can I show this person love? But I think he's trying to ruin America." Honestly, that is not my number one priority as a follower of Jesus, to worry about who is or isn't more likely to ruin America. My number one priority as a follower of Jesus is to show him the love of Jesus. That's it. And then we'll take it from there and we'll probably become friends. CP: Have you been afraid that people are going to take this out on "VeggieTales"? Vischer: "VeggieTales" is now owned by NBC Universal, which is a big giant media company and they did a deal with the Trinity Broadcasting Network to create some new episodes which I've been involved in. I need to do what I believe God has called me to do, regardless. Actually I had someone say, "Man I really love VeggieTales but I'm so sorry that you're a leftist now." If loving my neighbor means you can't like VeggieTales anymore, first of all, I'm not sure you watched episode number three, which was are you my neighbor? It was about loving the weirdos and the people that are different. So it's OK. I'll keep making veggies as long as they invite me to and I'll keep talking about interesting things. We are in such a crucial moment where our culture is becoming increasingly post-Christian. That makes us very uncomfortable because it is very new. We are not used to being a minority and we don't know what to do with that and it's very easy to just default to anger because that's the human response to a loss of privilege, or a loss of power, or a loss of influence, is to fight back. This is a perfect opportunity to go back to the way the Church was in the first, second, and third century and say, "Well, gee, they had zero influence. They had zero political power." What do they do? They loved people. They love people and it changed the Roman Empire. It absolutely transformed the Roman Empire. So we need to think of ourselves a little more like that, that we're not living in the promised land. We're living in the Roman Empire where we are exiles and we are influenced by love, not by anger. CP: Is there anything else you'd like to add? Vischer: I don't think so. The Holy Post Podcast. You can check it out. We talk about stuff like this every week. It gets pretty interesting. And we'll keep doing what we're doing. Three months after the initial COVID-related shutdown and a month into an incremental reopening, the Pasadena Chamber of Commerce, which represents over 600 businesses, is still finding ways to navigate through economic uncertainty while developing projects focused on community needs. Business of all sizes will be impacted from this pandemic, chamber president Cristina Womack said. We will all have to continue to be creative in coming up with unique ways to serve customers, develop new marketing strategies and ways to engage with clients. Throughout the shutdown, the chamber kept members informed about options and assistance programs via frequent virtual meetings and seminars (including one called Virtual Membership 101) and continues to find ways to support businesses as they reopen, or deal with entire or partial closures or gain a second wind through services like online retail or curbside pick-up. Our purpose is to advocate and connect our community through educating and serving our members, Womack said. This focus remains the same even during times of uncertainty and due to the leadership of our board of directors and staff we were equipped and ready to respond with quick decisions and applying our purpose for the greater community. Projects with food pantries and graduating seniors Like businesses, the chamber did its own shapeshifting by using its resources to respond to needs in the community with programs like Operation Stock the Shelves, a partnership between the chamber, the city and 15 area churches to stock food pantries that had been depleted. At that time, we knew we needed to shift our focus to that dire need in our community, Womack said. Over two days, the program collected non-perishable food items for Pasadena food pantries for distribution to those in the community in need. In May, the chamber partnered with the city and the Pasadena ISD Education Foundation to launch Paint Pasadena, a project that started with an idea from a recent PISD graduate to highlight businesses and organizations developing post-COVID services while also spotlighting graduating seniors missing out on a traditional cap-and-gown ceremony. The project led 2020 grads on a scavenger hunt all over the city to locate yard signs placed in front of over 150 businesses and take a photo in front of each location, tag the chamber and the business they were visiting and qualify to win a variety of prizes, including up to $500 in cash scholarships. This gave the seniors a chance to get out and explore the city, since they had been stuck at home for a few months, and it also offered our Pasadena businesses some much needed exposure on social media, Womack said. Members pulling together This isnt the first time the business community has been rocked by unforeseen circumstances. In 2017, Hurricane Harvey was a glimpse into the communitys resilience and generosity and while the circumstances are different, Womack said she finds hope in how businesses are looking out for each other. I remain impressed and overjoyed at the response Ive seen from our community during the COVID-19 crisis, she said. I have seen (chamber) members helping members in ways I never imagined possible, such as a local small business buying gift cards from a struggling Pasadena restaurant and handing them out to other chamber members to enjoy. Weve seen four members, who all run local small businesses in Pasadena, offer to pay for chamber memberships of some of their fellow members who are struggling during this time to support them and the work of the chamber. Chambers are not funded through grants or municipality funds and are totally dependent on membership and event-driven revenue. During the pandemic, we have made all of our informational webinars and resources available to any business or nonprofit organization regardless of membership status as way to support the business community and those in need of valued resources, Womack said. As for any long-term impacts of COVID-19 on the local economy, Womack said she believes in the resourcefulness of business leaders and individuals. Business of all sizes will be impacted from this pandemic, and we will all have to continue to be creative in coming up with unique ways to serve customers, develop new marketing strategies and ways to engage with clients, she said. Some businesses are thriving, and some are hurting, and the reality is some might not make it, but together we can continue to stimulate the local economy by supporting local businesses in our community. The pandemic, Womack said, has caused a reimagining of what it means to be an employer and employee and has created a new normal in the workplace. I dont think, however, that all of the long-term impacts are going to be negative because during this time we have seen organizations advance technologies and innovate at rapid speed, she said. Behaviors have shifted, employers are learning flexibility and adaptability and those are all positive outcomes, despite the unfortunate circumstances that have accompanied the pandemic. In recent weeks, Harris County officials warned of a second wave in coronavirus cases. Another shutdown is always a concern, Womack said, and if businesses are going to survive, everyone will have to do their part. Shutting down our businesses again is certainly not ideal, but by working together in compliance with (Centers for Disease Control) guidelines and Harris County executive orders we can help minimize that becoming our reality again, she said. We have pulled together over the last three months, been creative in our thinking, and come up with ways to keep our economy going strong through these difficult times. If there is one thing I know for sure, we are a proud city who will do whatever it takes to push forward. yorozco@hcnonline.com courtesy FBCSD The Fort Bend County Sheriffs Office (FBCSD) is asking for the publics help to locate a Sugar Land teen who has been missing more than a week. Zachary Ramirez, 15, was last seen on Wednesday, June 24, and is believed to have left his residence in the 16300 block of Brush Meadows Court, in the Sugar Land area sometime between midnight and 7:30 a.m., according to a FBCSD press release. Officials say there is no evidence of foul play. The city of Oak Ridge North has canceled its July Fourth parade and a small associated ceremony due to safety issues stemming from the COVID-19 novel coronavirus. One city staff member has tested positive for the coronavirus and another is in quarantine, officials confirmed Wednesday. Heather Neeley said the one city staff member who did test positive and the other who is quarantined were primarily outdoor workers. Both are at home and the entire 40-person city staff, 17 of which are police department staff, will be tested for the virus by officials from the Montgomery County Public Health District. Related: The Woodlands announces July Fourth fireworks show details Fortunately, there was actual staff member who was positive and another whose child was positive. Their peditrician said they should quarantine for two weeks with their child. Both of these employees were kind of outdoor employees, so weve been keeping all of the public works staff in the shop for that two weeks period. Well do some testing here for those employees to make sure everyone is healthy, Neeley said. After that first piositive case, we ramped up our antibacterials sprays (and sanitizer) gels on everyones desk. The two people are quarantining and they have said they have not had bad symptoms so were waiting on the two-week period for the all-clear. In regard to the Fourth of July parade, Neeley said safety issues were paramount in deciding to cancel the event. Officials had already reduced the scope of the event, not scheduling the annual Party in the Park or the classic car show that are annual staples. We did not have a whole lot of entrants this year, we had about eight to 10 and we normally have 30. Since we were not doing the Party in the Park anyway, it wasnt worth the risk to our volunteers and our residents to put them in that position, Neeley added. We could have worn masks and swe could have done the social distancing. We felt it was the most responsible position to call it off for this year. Other impacts from COVID-19 have been mild Neeley said the pandemic has obviously affected the city in many ways, but it has not been as drastic as some other communities across the state. The Marilyn Edgar Park swimming pool is still open at 50 percent capacity and sales tax revenue is not suffering as much as other areas. We have not had any lifeguards come down with anything or been sick, and I have not heard from any residents. The governors orders did not mention pools, it said they could stay open. We are still under those orders, but it has been going relatively smoothly. I think people (using the pool) have been responsible. Related: Oak Ridge North extends local disaster declaration for 30 days Oak Ridge North does not have as large of a retail and restaurant footprint of businesses as other area cities like Conroe, Shenandoah or The Woodlands. The sales tax revenue has taken a dip, Neeley noted, but it has been manageable. The losses of in-person sales tax revenue have been offset to a small degree by internet sales tax revenue, which began being distributed to cities earlier in 2020. Surprisingly, we are doing well. We felt like Aprils numbers would be most telling, since it was the fullest month of the shutdown. We were down that month 28 percent from last April, however year to date, were only down 8 percent in sales tax revenue. That is not a large number, she added. We are hopeful that if things can stay curbside and if they can stay at a certain capacity and masks can be worn inside, we wont suffer and that revenue will be OK. Neeley said the citys 40-person staff has remained upbeat and positive during the pandemic, something she attributed to the family feel at the small city of roughly 3,000 residents. Everyone is doing surprisingly well, I think it is part of being a small staff. most of us have our own office, so if you need to talk to someone you can stand at the door and be 6 feet away, she said. We are lucky in that we have a full-time person who cleans our building and she has been doing extra (cleaning), making sure (door) handles are clean. weve been back at full staff and everyone has been doing great. It would be nice if we could find our new normal, but looks like we have a little more way to go. jeff.forward@chron.com BENZIE COUNTY -- For two years, Advocates for Benzie County ran a successful construction trades pre-apprenticeship training program. START (Skilled Trades Apprenticeship Readiness Training) offered hands-on learning for persons who were seeking careers in the construction industry. Instructor Bill Ford taught two cohorts with a total of 12 persons based on curriculum from the Michigan Regional Council of Carpenters under the guidance of their representative Jason Reed. The first year, they worked on a house being built by Habitat for Humanity, and in the second year, they constructed the new pavilion at Bellows Park along Crystal Lake for the city of Frankfort. After two years, Advocates determined that they would not be able to offer the program without a major funding partner and then, combined with the COVID-19 pandemic, the decision was made to discontinue the program. However, conversations are going on between the Michigan Regional Council of Carpenters Council and Children and Family Services Youthworks program about the possibility of offering similar training in the area in the future with the START program as a model. At the beginning of the START program, Advocates purchased a mobile classroom/workshop with generous grants from the Community Foundation for Benzie County, the Foundation's Charlie and Linda Kehr Fund and additional gifts from individual donors. It is a resource for teaching and on-site instruction. Since Advocates is not offering the START program, the board decided to give the trailer to the two Benzie County school districts in the hopes of the future development of skilled trades classes in the county. Superintendents Matt Olson (Benzie Central) and Jeff Tousley (Frankfort-Elberta Area Schools) were present to take ownership of the trailer. "We're glad to have this remarkable resource as we look forward to ways in which we might expand our offerings for our students," Tousley said. Olson also expressed his thanks. "This represents the partnership between the schools and the community as represented by the Advocates," Olson said. "We are grateful to Advocates for this gift." Rev. John E. Harnish, president of the Advocates board, said, "The purpose of the initial grant and the gifts which made the mobile classroom possible will continue to be honored as the schools make use of this equipment here in Benzie County. We are excited about the possibilities for enhancing the work of Benzie Central and Frankfort-Elberta schools in serving the needs of our students. "The positive results of the START program provide a model for ways in which men and women can learn new skills and move into new careers," he continued. "It's all part of 'Building a Better Benzie'." The perfect road trip awaits in Nova Scotia Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Driving across Nova Scotia you quickly see how this province in Canadas Maritimes has a cityscape reminiscent of small-town New England and a gorgeous rocky landscape similar to what is seen in parts of the British Isles or along the Nordic coast. This makes for a perfect late summer or early fall weekend road trip. It is a road trip I did in the middle of summer after flying into Halifax, Nova Scotias largest city and provincial capital. The reason parts of Nova Scotia remind visitors of New England is simple: History. Before, during and after the American Revolution what became Nova Scotia had deep connections with New England in the United States. This was also where a large number of loyalists, as sympathizers of the British cause during the American Revolution were called, settled after American independence was won with the cessation of hostilities. From Halifax, drive along Nova Scotias scenic South Shore coast to Lunenburg with its UNESCO-listed historic old town. The postcard-perfect old town features colorful wooden homes and former maritime warehouses, many of which face the harbor. The harbor front also bears a passing resemblance to the quaint Hanseatic Quarter in Bergen, Norway. Many of the old homes, which once belonged to fishermen or merchant mariners, feature what is called the Lunenburg Bump. This local adaption of the bay window makes the already charming streetscape even more charming. Lunenburg is the kind of destination that even in peak summer season is pretty much dead by 9 oclock at night. By then, the day trippers are long gone and most locals or overnight visitors have finished dinner. It is also small enough that everything you will see or do is walkable. Speaking of walking, a tour from Lunenburg Walking Tours is a great way to orientate yourself. Nearby is Mahone Bay, with its three highly photographed 19th century churches, and Blue Rocks, a small fishing village that is far less crowded than the equally charming Peggys Cove. At the eastern end of Nova Scotia is Cape Breton. The drive here from Lunenburg takes about six hours, if you dont stop too many times for pictures along the way. (Nova Scotias artificially low speed limits are also frustrating.) This island looks and feels distinct from the mainland. Once part of New France, settlers arrived en masse from Scotland after Britain replaced France as the colonial power. So much so that Gaelic was the first language for many Cape Bretoners until relatively recently. The transition from France to Britain is on display at the Fortress of Louisbourg National Historic Site. The partially reconstructed fortified city is basically a time machine back to the late 1740s about a decade before the French lost Louisbourg to the British in 1758 during the almost entirely forgotten Seven Years War. It sits directly across the harbor from the modern town of Louisbourg, which has struggled with the decline of Canadas Atlantic fisheries. I have been to a lot of forts and I can easily say that the Fortress of Louisbourg, despite being a reconstruction, is one of the best. Beyond fortifications and countless exhibits with artifacts is a dynamic living history component that includes historical interpreters dressed in authentic period clothing. You can even eat a multi-course 18th century French meal at Hotel de la Marine, which is actually Louisbourgs best restaurant. Where to stay In Lunenburg, I stayed at the aptly named Lunenburg Arms, a charming hotel that combines the design and services of a boutique hotel with the feel of a bed-and-breakfast inn. Louisbourgs biggest problem is its lack of accommodations. There are no full-service hotels, which explains why so many visitors leave town after visiting the fortress. I stayed at Point of View Suites, which was comfortable but basic. If I had to do it over again I would have stayed overnight in the reconstructed fort. How to get there I flew into Halifax, which at the most is just one stop from most U.S. airports. Spires and Crosses, a weekly travel column exclusive to The Christian Post, covers old churches, history and heritage, architecture, culture and art. Follow @dennislennox on Twitterand Instagram. ALBANY Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo said "citizen compliance is slipping," therefore New York City restaurants were not opening for indoor dining on Wednesday as scheduled. The governor's announcement dealt a setback to New York City's ailing economy, including a restaurant industry crippled by being shut down during the coronavirus pandemic. "I'm not making these decisions. We are making these decisions. It depends on what we do. ... We have to reduce the concentration of gatherings of people," he said. "Phase three dining we are going to postpone and it's going to be postponed until the facts change and it is prudent to open." Cuomo added that "everything else is going to continue ... all across the state" and that delaying the opening of indoor dining will only affect New York City restaurants. The Capital Region was entering phase four reopening Wednesday. Days after saying "large malls" would not open until they install high-efficiency particulate air filters, the governor on Wednesday said the benefit of air filtration on preventing or reducing the spread of COVID-19 is "not determinative in any way." It's unclear whether that means malls or other large indoor gathering facilities will be required to install HEPA filters before opening. "This is just an added benefit," he said. "We are just trying to do everything we can and ... you do see across the country, by the way, more and more data that says they're having problems in indoor places with air conditioning." Cuomo said the state will continue efforts to monitor travelers from states with high rates of coronavirus infections and to implement a mandatory 14-day quarantine for those travelers. The list of high-risk states swelled to 16 on Wednesday: Arkansas, Arizona, California, Iowa, Idaho, Nevada, Texas, Utah, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee. "We do have a problem in New York City," Cuomo said. "Citizen compliance is slipping. That is a fact." He also criticized President Donald Trump for the administration's handling of the pandemic and states that reopened and are now seeing spikes in new infections. "States that were in denial, that underestimated the virus, now they're all singing a different tune," Cuomo said. "Now they're all saying we better start taking this seriously. ... They're going backwards on their reopening plan, which is just what we talked about happening. ... States are now having to roll back their reopening plan. ... The buck stops on the president's desk. ... In this state the buck stops on my desk." On Monday, Cuomo said "any malls that will open in New York ... large malls, we will make it mandatory that they have air-filtration systems that can filter out the COVID virus." Mall operators have pushed back on any assertion that their indoor heating, ventilation and air-conditioning systems pose a danger. Latest coronavirus-related cancellations, postponements The latest coronavirus numbers in NY Sign up for the Times Union coronavirus newsletter Full coronavirus coverage Last week, Pyramid Management Group, which operates Crossgates Mall, had issued a second statement calling Cuomo's decision to keep malls closed "unfair and unjustified." The company also asserted that the governor is citing inaccurate information. "The state has cited a report from China regarding one isolated restaurant environment on the 3rd floor of a building," the statement reads. "That report has been refuted by multiple health professionals in the United States. In addition, experts from Vanderbilt, Penn State and Johns Hopkins University have noted that the standards for HVAC systems in the United States are significantly higher than other countries. More tellingly, there have been no COVID-19 cases transmitted through HVAC systems." Archbishop of San Francisco calls toppling of St. Junipero Serra statue work of Satan Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone of San Francisco called the recent toppling of a statue of celebrated missionary Father Junipero Serra in the California citys Golden Gate Park the work of Satan when he exorcised the site of the attack on Saturday. Evil is present here," Cordileone said in a video of the exorcism posted by the archdiocese on YouTube. "This is the activity of the evil one who wants to bring down the Church, who wants to bring down all Christian believers. So, we offer now prayer and bless this ground with holy water so that God might purify it, sanctify it and that we, in turn, might be sanctified." Serra, who was canonized by Pope Francis in 2015 during his first visit to the United States, is known for bringing Catholicism to California in the 1700s when the state was a Spanish colony. While Cordileone remembers Serra as a "great hero" and "great defender" of indigenous peoples, activists told USA Today that Serra was far from being a defender of the indigenous peoples. They want his statues to be removed throughout the state. "It is an act of violence to even have the statues in our homelands," Elena Ortiz, chair of the Santa Fe Freedom Council of The Red Nation social justice organization, said. "Its not just the statue, but its what it represented: the celebration of our genocide." According to PBS, native tribes in Alta California, including the Chumash and Tongva, were often forced to convert nearly at gunpoint. They also reportedly faced beatings and imprisonment for disobedience. According to USA Today, Serra was noted for his role in enslaving Native American people. Many of the native tribe members did not survive mission life as diseases introduced by the Spanish led to a significant decline in their population. Cordileone urged Catholics, however, to pray the rosary, fast and inform themselves about the real history of the Church and Serra. "I would ask our people to learn the history of Father Serra, the missions, the whole history of the Church, so they can appreciate the great legacy the Church has given us, given the world, he said. So much truth, beauty and goodness. Its a wonderful legacy that we should be proud of. There are those that want to make us feel ashamed of it. The archbishop noted that Serra was a big part of his life as he grew up very close to the first mission that Serra founded in San Diego. As he prayed with other Catholics at the site of Serras toppled statue, Cordileone said the attack, which took place on June 19, was being driven by an evil intent to bring down the Church. Ive been feeling great distress and sort of a deep wound in my soul when I see these horrendous acts of blasphemy and disparaging of the memory of Serra who was such a great hero, such a great defender of the indigenous people of this land," Cordileone said. Black Jesus painting to be displayed at St. Albans Cathedral in the UK Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment A painting depicting the last supper with Jesus Christ shown as a black man will be temporarily installed at a historic cathedral in the U.K. St. Albans Cathedral will install the painting, titled A Last Supper by Lorna May Wadsworth, who used Jamaican-born model Tafari Hinds as her inspiration for how Jesus would look. Inspired by the famous Leonardo da Vinci painting, the Wadsworth piece will be on display at the Cathedrals Altar of the Persecuted on Saturday through Oct. 31. In a statement shared with The Christian Post, the cathedral said the purpose of displaying the artwork is to show its support for the Black Lives Matter movement. The Very Rev. Jeffrey John, dean of St. Albans, said in the statement that he believed the church was not in a strong position to preach to others about justice, racial or otherwise. But our faith teaches that we are all made equally in the image of God, and that God is a God of justice, he added. Black Lives Matter, so this is why we have turned our Altar of the Persecuted into a space for reflection and prayer with Lornas altarpiece at the heart. In comments posted to the cathedral's website, Wadsworth said she felt inspired to challenge people over the Western myth that Jesus had fair hair and blue eyes. My portrayal of him is just as accurate as the received idea that he looked like a Florentine, she said. I also knew that, from a previous portrait of Tafari, there is something in his countenance that people find deeply empathetic and moving, which is the overriding quality I wanted my Christ to embody. Debates over the racial depictions of Jesus have been a source of periodic controversy, especially when some have advocated for vehement rejection of western imagery portraying Him as white. Progressive activist Shaun King garnered immense criticism and said he received death threats after he advocated for destroying statues, stained glass, and tapestries depicting Jesus, Mary, and the apostles with ethnic European features. Yes, I think the statues of the white European they claim is Jesus should also come down. They are a form of white supremacy. Always have been, he tweeted on June 22. Roberto Wakerell-Cruz of The Post-Millennial argued that King was attempting to cancel Jesus and wanted to destroy churches and statues. The tear them down attitude displayed by King is the same one that has now seen beloved president Theodore Roosevelt be canceled, as New York's Museum of Natural History has now announced that the statue will be torn down, wrote Wakerell-Cruz. Michael Brown, host of the Line of Fire radio program, said in an op-ed that an issue many people are overlooking is not whether Jesus is depicted as white or black, but whether He is depicted as a Jew. "The historic contrast was not between a white Jesus and blacks. It was between a white, Gentile Jesus and Jews," Brown said. "So a major reason that white artists depicted Jesus as white was because they forgot about his Jewish (and Middle Eastern) roots. Not only so, but since the Jews were viewed as demonic and evil, Jesus had to be different than them, hence a white, non-Jewish Jesus. (Or, in other cultures, a black, non-Jewish Jesus.)," Brown wrote. In a column for The Telegraph on Sunday, Nick Timothy criticized Archbishop Justin Welby's response to King's demands that statues depicting a white Jesus be toppled. "When a Black Lives Matter activist called for statues of Jesus to be pulled down because they portrayed Him as a white European, Welby had the chance to draw the line. Jesus is depicted in different ways the world over, the Archbishop explained. He might have gone on to say that the significance of Jesus is spiritual, not political or racial, that Jesus was God made flesh, and that we are all made in Gods own image. "Instead, he agreed that the depiction of Christ in Western countries should change and criticized the 'sense that God is white.' Jesus was 'Middle Eastern, not white,' he later reiterated, studiously avoiding the more accurate description that Jesus was a Jew. But then Middle Eastern Jews, or Israelis as we also call them, are these days an unfashionable minority to defend." CHOP gets chopped: Seattle police, FBI dismantle protest zone after 2 teens killed Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Seattle police and the FBI began the work of dismantling the Capitol Hill Organized Protest zone early Wednesday morning after Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan issued an executive order calling for the immediate clearing of the occupied area after two teenagers were killed. The mayors executive order comes a day after Horace Lorenzo Anderson, the father of one of the teenage shooting victims, demanded that the National Guard be brought in to tear down the zone. The zone and its surrounding area have been the scene of several reported robberies, rapes and shootings. Andersons 19-year-old son was shot and killed in CHOP on June 20. "This doesn't look like a protest to me no more," Anderson told Seattle news station KIRO. "That just looks like they just took over and said we can take over whenever we want to." At around 3 a.m. Monday, a second teenager was killed by CHOP protesters who shot at a Jeep Cherokee as the driver attempted to drive through the protest zone. Inside the vehicle was a 16-year-old boy who was shot and killed and a 14-year-old boy who was wounded. Detectives who were called out to the scene searched the vehicle but said in an SPD Blotter update that "it was clear the crime scene had been disturbed." They're now urging witnesses to contact the Seattle Police Department's violent crimes tipline. Over 100 Seattle police officers entered CHOP Wednesday morning where they were met by protesters who overturned portable toilets and erected a barricade of trash bags and cans in retaliation, The Seattle Times reported. This order, and our police response, comes after weeks of violence in and around the Capitol Hill Occupied Protests Zone, including four shootings, resulting in multiple injuries and the deaths of two teenagers, Seattle Police Chief Carmen Best said in a statement. In a series of news updates released by the SPD, the department said 31 arrests had been made by 9:25 a.m. for failure to disperse, obstruction, resisting arrest, and assault." Among those arrested was a 29-year-old man who "was in possession of a large metal pipe and kitchen knife when he was taken into custody, the department added. The SPD released photos of the weapons and said city workers also recovered improvised spike strips designed to puncture vehicle tires in the area of the CHOP. City workers have also recovered improvised spike stripsdesigned to puncture vehicle tiresin the area of the CHOP. pic.twitter.com/x4Des6hPGq Seattle Police Dept. (@SeattlePD) July 1, 2020 Police cleared an area for people to exit CHOP through the south end of the zone and warned protesters that if they attempted to stay, they would be arrested. A man named Harry Rick Jones, who was part of security inside CHOP, also urged protesters to leave the area and indicated that they would regroup and find another place to go, The Seattle Times reported. Seattle's mayor has faced criticism for backing the demonstrators and defending the CHOP/CHAZ occupation as a legitimate expression of peaceful protest. Durkan was also denounced for suggesting CHOP might turn out to be "the summer of love" in an interview with CNNs Chris Cuomo despite numerous reports of crimes that left residents and business owners fearing for their lives. Following weeks of chaos, Durkan announced last week that police would be returning to the East Precinct and the city would begin shutting down CHOP "at night." After Durkan said the area would be shut down she was met with protests at her home led by Seattle City Councilwoman Kshama Sawant and that's when she took action to tear down the CHOP occupation zone. A statement released by the mayor's office on Monday called Sawants actions dangerous stunts in part because Durkan's home address was concealed from public records because of the death threats mostly related to her work as Seattles U.S. Attorney under President Obama. On Tuesday night, Durkans office sent a letter to Seattle City Council President M. Lorena Gonzalez calling for an investigation into Sawants actions and for her dismissal from the city council. "The letter from Durkans office levels five allegations against Sawant including 'using her official position to lead a march to the mayors home Sunday night,'" reports Capitol Hill Seattle. Sawant has been a vocal defender of CHOP and dismissed reports of the crimes committed there as conservative propaganda perpetuated by capitalists. In one series of tweets, she called capitalism a police state and said the crimes and killing inside CHOP underscores the urgency to Defund police by at least 50 percent. City workers began removing barriers erected around CHOP on Tuesday, which protesters quickly replaced by moving the few remaining city trash cans and other objects around their designated parameter. At a press briefing on Capitol Hill Monday morning, Seattle Police Chief Carmen Best said enough is enough. Two African American men are dead, at a place where they claim to be working for Black Lives Matter. But theyre gone, theyre dead now, Best said, referring to the killing of the teenager killed Monday morning as well as the fatal shooting of Anderson's who was killed two Saturdays ago. This is dangerous and unacceptable, she added. Protesters occupied several blocks around Cal Anderson Park and the Seattle Police Departments East Precinct for about three weeks. Chief Best currently being interviewed by @WWConverge on Facebook Live: https://t.co/OCbJut4Un4 Seattle Police Dept. (@SeattlePD) July 1, 2020 The Washington Post "Post Reports" is the daily podcast from The Washington Post. Unparalleled reporting. Expert insight. Clear analysis. Everything you've come to expect from the newsroom of The Post - for your ears. - - - In April 1865, President Abraham Lincoln visited the fallen capital of the Confederacy. The president took great pleasure sitting in the chair that had been used just two days earlier by Jefferson Davis, the leader of the rebellion he had finally quelled. Thousands of African Americans rushed to welcome the leader who had emancipated them in Richmond, Va. One freed slave even fell to his knees. Adm. David Porter, the commander of the Union fleet on the James River, recalled in his memoir that this moment made the president deeply uncomfortable. "Don't kneel to me," Lincoln told the man. "That is not right. You must kneel to God only and thank him for the liberty you will hereafter enjoy." Eleven days later, Lincoln was assassinated. Eleven years after that, on the anniversary of the president's death, a statue was unveiled in Washington to honor Lincoln. The statue depicts him holding a copy of the Emancipation Proclamation as an unshackled black man in a loincloth kneels at his feet. Much of the money for this project was donated by freed slaves. This is why it is known as the Freedmen's Memorial. Now, seven score and four years later, some people want to get rid of the statue. The activists who have been gathering frequently in Washington's Lincoln Park, a few blocks from the Capitol, say the depiction diminishes the agency of black people in securing their own liberation. Some say it promotes white supremacy. A few local leaders have called for the monument to go into a museum. Boston's arts commission voted unanimously on Tuesday night to remove an exact replica of the statue that was installed in a park just off Boston Common in 1879. The demands to take down a monument to Lincoln have outraged those who believe that mobs pulling down memorials of other abolitionists and Ulysses S. Grant, the commanding general who helped Lincoln save the Union, have gone too far. President Donald Trump has spoken in defense of the Lincoln Park statue. The National Park Service has surrounded it with fencing to protect against vandalism, and law enforcement officers from various agencies are present at all hours to make sure the memorial is not toppled. Former congressman Jesse Jackson Jr., D-Ill., is among those arguing for the bronze monument to stay, a group that includes several of the nation's preeminent historians. "It's not just a statue of a man being subservient to Lincoln," Jackson said. "We can't tear down everything. You can't, on the one hand, celebrate Juneteenth . . . and then tear down the statue that marks the event. How much sense does that make?" The son of a civil rights leader who was with Martin Luther King Jr. when he was assassinated said he is all for replacing statues of Confederate generals. The anger of protesters is "legitimate," he said, but it should not be directed at the Emancipation Memorial, another name for the monument. "Some of this is emotion that is broadly misplaced," he told The Washington Post's Michael Miller. "Our ancestors came to this location to honor Mr. Lincoln. We still should." While the $20,000 needed for construction was provided by freed blacks, the committee that decided how it would look was exclusively white. An early proposal by sculptor Harriet Hosmer depicted a black Union soldier and Lincoln in a sarcophagus. The final design was by sculptor Thomas Ball. James Yeatman, the chairman of the St. Louis-based sanitary commission that collected the donations, said during his speech at the unveiling that Ball reviewed photographs of an escaped slave named Archer Alexander, and that he adjusted his design from a kneeling slave, "represented as perfectly passive," to an emancipated slave, who was still kneeling but acting more as an "agent in his own deliverance." Kirk Savage, a professor of architectural history at the University of Pittsburgh, recounted the long paternalistic process of erecting the statue in a 1997 book called "Standing Soldiers, Kneeling Slaves: Race, War and Monument in Nineteenth-Century America." "Ball's emancipated man is the very archetype of slavery: he is stripped, literally and figuratively, bereft of personal agency, social position, and accoutrements of culture," Savage wrote. "Ball's work hardly lived up to the great ambitions of the sponsors or to the even greater rhetoric of Reconstruction. Most disastrously, perhaps, the monument failed to speak to the experience of those who actually paid for it and made it possible. None of these failures was foreordained, however; no one in 1866 could have predicted that Ball's design would emerge triumphant from the profusion of schemes circulating at the time." Historian C.R. Gibbs, the author of "Black, Copper & Bright: The District of Columbia's Black Civil War Regiment," believes the kneeling slave in the monument probably was inspired by an old abolitionist image used to fight for freedom for enslaved black people. "It was probable that the white sculptor was influenced by the poster with the words, 'Am I Not a Man and Brother' over a kneeling slave," Gibbs told The Post. Something of a generational divide has emerged among black people over whether to take down the statue, with younger people more eager to get rid of it and older people more likely to cite the context of the era in which it was installed. Marcia Cole, 71, a historical reenactor who dresses up as Charlotte Scott, the freed slave who chipped in the first $5 contribution for the construction of the statue, has been coming the statue recently to make the case for keeping it there. She sees a liberated figure. "He's not kneeling on two knees," Cole told NPR. "He's rising. You look at his hands. . . . He's pushing off. He's not shackled to anyone. He's holding the broken chains of slavery in his hands." More than 25,000 people attended the 1876 unveiling ceremony, during which Frederick Douglass delivered his most famous speech, chastising Lincoln for being too ambivalent about ending slavery early in the war before ending up in the right place. Yale University historian David Blight opened his 888-page biography of Douglass, "Prophet of Freedom," with the moment. "The event was a first," Blight wrote in the book, which won a Pulitzer Prize last year. "Black people had never before been represented on a national monument. . . . No African American had ever faced this kind of captive audience, of all the leadership of the federal government in one place; and no such speaker would ever again until Barack Obama was inaugurated president in January 2009." (Blight wrote an opinion column last week arguing against tearing down the statue, even though it "uses racist imagery.") One of Douglass's great-great-great-grandsons, Kenneth Morris Jr., is calling for the memorial to stay in place. "I don't put this statue in the same category as Confederate monuments that were put up in the early 19th century as badges of servitude [and] badges of white supremacy," he told the local Fox affiliate. Democratic Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton, the District of Columbia's nonvoting representative in Congress, wants to move the statue to a museum. "Although formerly enslaved Americans paid for this statue to be built in 1876, the design and sculpting process was done without their input, and it shows," she said in a statement. "The statue fails to note in any way how enslaved African Americans pushed for their own emancipation." - - - The Washington Post's Mariana Alfaro contributed to this report. Christian leaders speak out as Trump's extended travel ban goes into effect Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Christian leaders have spoken out in response to President Donald Trumps expanded travel ban that went into effect last Friday, expressing concern over its impact on countries where religious persecution is severe. Shortly after taking office in 2017, Trump came under intense scrutiny when he signed an executive order restricting immigration from six Muslim-majority countries that fail to meet minimum security and information-sharing requirements. But an amended ordersigned by Trump on Jan. 31 adds four African countries as well as Kyrgyzstan and Myanmar to a travel restriction list that already includes Iran, Libya, Somalia, Syria, Yemen, Venezuela and North Korea. Under the amended policy, immigrant visas are suspended for Nigeria, Myanmar, Eritrea and Kyrgyzstan. Those from Sudan and Tanzania will not be considered for the U.S. diversity visa program. The new restrictions will not apply to tourists, businesses or other nonimmigrant travel. According to the Department of Homeland Security, the new restrictions are tailored to country-specific deficiencies and travel-related risks due to the countries unwillingness or inability to adhere to our identity management, information sharing, national security, and public safety assessment criteria. As the Trump administration has been accused of anti-Muslim animus in the past, the DHS asserts that the restrictions do not reflect animus or bias against any particular country, region, ethnicity, race, or religion. While those on the political left have long been vocal in their opposition to the travel restrictions, the expansion of the policy drew responses from some Christian leaders who have been supportive of the Trump administrations push to promote international religious freedom. This includes David Curry, president of Open Doors USA, a global persecution watchdog organization active in over 60 countries. Six of the 13 countries included on the travel ban list are listed on Open Doors USAs 2020 World Watch List of the 50 worst countries in the world when it comes to Christian persecution. Eritrea is ranked No. 6, while Nigeria is ranked No. 12 and Myanmar is ranked No. 19. Though I recognize there is an important discussion on how to best deal with terrorists who are present dangers to free societies, we must never restrict based on religious identification, Curry said in a statement shared with The Christian Post. Its up to us to exemplify religious tolerance and freedom on a daily basis. To the degree we have failed in the past, lets never fail to fix the wrong and to keep raising the level of freedom. Travis Wussow, vice president of the Southern Baptist Conventions Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, told The Alabama Baptist that SBC churches are among the most committed people in the country when it comes to ministering to those fleeing persecution. Wussow asserted that while international religious freedom has been a priority to the Trump administration, any policy that closes the door to refugees undercuts such a priority. He stressed that the U.S. should find a way to balance security and compassion. [Our churches] recognize that all of those escaping tyranny are made in the image of God, and many of them are our brothers and sisters in Christ, Wussow said in a statement. Thats why, from the beginning, the ERLC has asked our government to do everything possible to provide security without turning away from those in danger and need. World Relief, an evangelical refugee resettlement agency and humanitarian arm of the National Association of Evangelicals that has helped resettle thousands of refugees since the 1980s, has long opposed the travel ban. World Relief President Scott Arbeiter argued in a statement that the new restrictions will mean families seeking reunification will be stymied. This overly broad policy unfairly targets individuals of particular nationalities in Africa and Asia, and sadly its consistent with various other policies that have the effect of significantly restricting legal immigration to the United States, Arbeiter stated. Although the extended travel ban does not apply to the U.S. refugee resettlement program, World Relief fears how the ban will impact Myanmar. Myanmar, also known as Burma, has been the top country of origin for refugees resettled to the U.S. in the past decade with over 150,000 resettled in the last 12 years. Many of those 150,000, World Relief notes, are persecuted Christians. Prior to the official signing of the travel ban extension, Michael K. Le Roy, president of the reformed Christian institution Calvin University in Michigan, voiced concern with reports of Nigerias inclusion in the travel ban with U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom Sam Brownback. Le Roy raised the issue during a question and answer session at the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities Presidents Conference in Washington. He said that Calvin Universitys mission is to equip students to think deeply, to act justly and to live wholeheartedly as Christs agents of renewal in the world. I am really concerned about these reports that I have heard that Nigeria may be [put] on the banned country list, he said, adding that the university has students that come from Nigeria. We have a long history of working with [Nigerian Christian students] to the extent that a ban would limit those students opportunities to be a part of our community. He argued that a ban on Nigeria and other countries would rob Christian students from those places of the opportunities. Brownback responded by saying at the time that he didnt know anything about plans to put Nigeria on the travel ban list but noted that the U.S. State Department recently put Nigeria on its special watch list of countries that engage in or tolerate severe violations of religious freedom because of the amount of violence that is going on there and the lack of effective government response. It seems to me that we really ought to be bringing people into the United States and not excluding them from being in the United States, Brownback said on Jan. 29. Particularly, when people get an education in the United States, they tend to go back and be key leaders in those nations. That has been one of the great gifts that we have given to the world and the world has given back to us. WOOD RIVER The number of deaths from coronavirus has tapered off, and it appears the spread is slowing at least somewhat in both Illinois and Madison County. But officials with the Madison County Health Department warn the pandemic is not over, and precautions still need to be taken. Bottom line, it is still very much here, said Amy Yeager, health promotion manager for the Madison County Health Department. As of Tuesday, the county had recorded 939 positive cases and 68 deaths, while the state totals are 143,185 and 6,923. In Madison County, the data shows a pattern of more positive cases being reported from Wednesday through Friday. Officials have said part of the reason for that is local testing facilities recalibrate their equipment early in the week, meaning fewer tests are run. Yeager noted that there are a number of trends they are seeing. One is that more testing finds more positive cases. Statewide, officials said hitting the 20,000-plus tests per day mark was important, but a side effect of that would be more positive tests, especially among those who are asymptomatic. Testing increasing is going to show an increase in cases, Yeager said. Locally, part of that increase has come from the recent start of mobile testing stations. Yeager said they are changing the name to community testing because people thought it was a drive-through service. The key is while the number of cases increases, the positivity rate, or percentage of those testing positive, goes down. That rate has decreased dramatically, and is currently at 2.6 percent statewide. It had been as high as 17 percent in mid-May. Health officials at both the state and local levels also said there would be additional virus spread as society opened up. Another trend one showing up in part because of increased testing is an increase in the percentage of cases among younger victims. Statewide data shows most COVID-19 cases are among 20- to 59-year-olds, while deaths are overwhelmingly in the 60- plus range. Almost half of the fatalities statewide 3,080 as of Wednesday are 80 or older. Madison County Health Department data shows a similar spread. On Monday, officials for the first time noted an age and gender group females in their 20s passed the 100-case mark. Females in their 30s are not far behind with 90 cumulative positive cases, according to information posted on the departments Facebook page. The increases that we are seeing in these age groups for both genders reflect the current national trend that young adult cases are quickly rising. A concern among health officials is that, as society and the economy starts to open up again, those younger victims who are more likely to be asymptomatic, or experiencing mild symptoms that are easily dismissed may pass the virus to the older, more vulnerable population. They dont tend to get as sick, but they do tend to carry it, Yeager said. If you dont feel like something is as big a threat to you, youre more likely to relax the guidance. Another Madison County trend, one which seems to go against the state and national trends, is that most of the positive cases are overwhelmingly female. A total of 575 women and 374 men have tested positive in Madison County. Weve talked a lot about this at the office, Yeager said. We dont really know why theres way more females than males. That is a big difference and we dont know what the difference is. State and national numbers are much more even. In Illinois 50.9 percent of positive cases are women, with 47,2 percent men and another 1.8 percent unknown or left blank on the form. However, statewide deaths are skewed the opposite way, with 54.4 percent of fatalities being male. In Madison County, 37 of the 68 fatalities were women. One concern among health officials is that people need to consider all the ramifications of the virus. When people just keep looking at the deaths, theyre missing the point, Yeager said. Part of the problem is that when we all realized that everybody wasnt going to drop over dead if they got COVID (people relaxed), she said. We know the elderly and those with severe medical conditions, are going to have the most severe reactions, but younger people can have them too. She noted that, in addition to death, a severe reaction to COVID-19 can be very debilitating and have long-term health impacts, especially if someone has to go on a respirator. Because of that, Yeager said it is still important to follow health guidelines, especially hand washing, social distancing and wearing masks. The Illinois Department of Public Health is now touting the 3 Ws wear face covering, wash hands and watch your distance. We are in Phase 4, Yeager said. We know people are very excited to get out and have more activity. Under Phase 4, gatherings of 50 people or fewer are allowed; restaurants and bars reopen; public facilities such as gyms and theaters can open; travel resumes; and child care and schools reopen under guidance from the Illinois Department of Public Health. Yeager said Illinois will remain at Phase 4 until either a vaccine or effective treatment for COVID-19 is available. An upsurge in cases could result in moving backward, she said. More information and data is available from the Illinois Department of Public Health at www.dph.illinois.gov or the Madison County Health Department at www.co.madison.il.us/departments/health/index.php. William Luther, Staff / Staff A man linked to the disappearance of Fort Hood soldier Vanessa Guillen shot and killed himself early Wednesday as law enforcement tried confronting him, search officials said. Texas Equusearch founder Tim Miller said he believes the man who took his life around 1:30 a.m. in the 4700 block of East Rancier Avenue in Killeen is connected to the criminal investigation surrounding Guillen's disappearance. He declined to say more, citing the ongoing investigation into her death. Harris Countys mandatory mask order will remain in effect at least until late August, Commissioners Court decided Tuesday. The court extended the countys disaster declaration until Aug. 26 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, allowing County Judge Lina Hidalgo to extend the mask rules until that date as well. The mask order, which Hidalgo issued June 19, mandates that businesses require patrons to cover their faces. The item, which has been extended for weeks at a time since Hidalgo first issued it in March, was set to be lengthened until July 15. Commissioner Adrian Garcia proposed extending the declaration and mask rules through the rest of the summer, citing the severity of the pandemic. His Democratic colleagues, Hidalgo and Commissioner Rodney Ellis, agreed. We dont know the full nature and impact of the virus, and were dealing with a medical emergency that has a lot of aspects to it, Garcia said to Hidalgo. I would rather give you the runway and capacity to navigate this pandemic rather than thinking in the back of your head, Oh, Ive got to put an extension on the agenda. The vote to the extend the declaration was 3-2, with the two Republican commissioners, Steve Radack and Jack Cagle, voting no. Cagle did not speak out against masks, but he expressed concern that Hidalgo ordered the mask rules and approved some pandemic-related expenses unilaterally, instead of consulting with Commissioners Court. In 72 hours, we can get together, Cagle said. These are decisions that we as members of Commissioners Court should be participating in, and the public should be able to participate in. Radack echoed Cagles concerns. Wearing masks and practicing social distancing are key to slowing the virus spread, health experts say. The rules apply to customers ages 10 and over. Businesses that do not comply can be punished by a $1,000 fine, though Hidalgo directed law enforcement to focus on education rather than citations. The county remains at its highest threat level, ordered by Hidalgo on Friday in response to a surge in cases and hospitalizations since Memorial Day. The county health department is urging residents to voluntarily stay at home except for essential errands, similar to the stay-at-home period of March and April. Hidalgo last week unsuccessfully lobbied Gov. Greg Abbott for the power to make these recommendations mandatory. Mayor Sylvester Turner on Monday also asked the governor to give us back our tools to issue restrictions. The Houston region has set a record high for COVID-19 hospitalizations in 17 of the past 19 days, and on Tuesday eclipsed more than 3,000 patients for the first time. A Baylor College of Medicine model predicts the virus may peak here in mid-July. The fire marshals office has been tasked since March with enforcing pandemic restrictions at businesses. The county has received 857 complaints about mask order violations since it went into effect 11 days ago, Fire Marshal Laurie Christensen said. Her inspectors only investigate businesses in unincorporated Harris County; other complaints are referred to cities or the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission. The state agency last week suspended the alcohol permits for 17 establishments across Texas after finding they had violated COVID restrictions. The county has yet to issue a single citation to any business since the pandemic began. Commissioners Court also on Tuesday approved 10 year-long compliance monitor positions, along with 10 leased vehicles for the Harris County Fire Marshals Office. The new employees will help enforce pandemic-related rules, including the mask order, Christensen said. Weve asked for COVID monitors not necessarily to write a citation, but to go in and educate first, Christensen said. If we start having repeat issues, we could write a citation. zach.despart@chron.com twitter.com/zachdespart Centers for Disease Control and Prevention The Ector County Health Department reported the ninth death of an Ector County resident from coronavirus, according to a press release. The patient was a 57-year-old man who died Tuesday night at a Fort Worth hospital. Medical Center Health System CEO and president Russell Tippin said the eighth floor of MCH will be converted to treat coronavirus patients. MCH will be going on a diversion status for out-of-county transfers, he said. Any elective surgeries that require an overnights stay will be suspended during this time. The government has mandated that hospitals keep 15 percent of their occupancy available, he said. We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form Evangelical church network distributes 750K meals to feed hungry during COVID-19 Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment A United States-based evangelical association has helped churches in over 10 countries in the former Soviet Union provide over 750,000 meals to hungry families as the coronavirus pandemic has caused economic struggles and hunger. The Illinois-based Slavic Gospel Association, which serves over 6,350 churches across countries in Eastern Europe and Asia, has worked with its partners to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars to feed families as the region continues to see spikes in the number of coronavirus cases. Russia recently surpassed over 400,000 diagnosed cases of COVID-19 and ranks third in the world in a number of cases, according to data from Johns Hopkins University & Medicine. Over 5,000 have died in Russia after contracting the virus and the country is still on lockdown. The churches recognize that while this pandemic is a very difficult situation where many people are suffering, it probably represents the greatest opportunity for the proclamation of the Gospel since the [Berlin] Wall came down, SGA President Michael Johnson told The Christian Post. The churches and the church workers are highly motivated to do what they can to minister to the people in those communities, both in word and deed. These people are already doing the work, Johnson added. What we are trying to do is connect people here with the churches over there and help them to purchase resources locally so they can distribute food, medicine, and other items. SGA, which was founded in 1934 to covertly distribute Bibles to Christians in the communist Soviet Union, today serves churches in the former Soviet Union aligned with the Union of Evangelical Christian and Baptist Churches. SGA established its Christ Over COVID campaign earlier this spring and issued a worldwide call to prayer. In the background, the SGA has worked with its partner ministries in the U.S. and elsewhere around the world to secure financial resources to help evangelical churches in those countries serve those in distress. Johnson said that because SGA has a giant network of churches, it can get aid to the point of need in just about all parts of those countries, even in the remotest regions in northern Siberia. We have an infrastructure that we have established in those countries that provide all the accountability as well as the supply chain facilities, he said. "So we are able to get the resources out to people pretty quickly. Those church workers have such compassion in their countries and they meet these people at their point of need. And many of these people are at the end of their ropes. In some cases, Johnson said church workers and volunteers are serving people who are at the point of suicide and others who havent eaten in days. They are really meeting those needs. Many of those people are open to the word of God, Johnson said. In order to identify the regions that need the most help at this time, SGA has coordinated with the national leaders of the Union of Evangelical Christian and Baptist Churches. As time goes on, that network of churches that are distributing these resources continues to grow, Johnson said. We send the money over and the food and everything is purchased over there locally and distributed to the people who are in need. The churches are aware of the people in need already. In many cases, they will go to the local municipality to get a list of people who are in need and take that list and go visit those people. According to SGA Communications Director Joel Griffith, the needs depend on the region. He said in Ukraine, where there has been an armed conflict since 2014, a lot of people are trapped and cant afford to leave even though their apartments and houses have been shelled out. This food support is vital to them as pastors go and visit those areas, Griffith said. In Central Asia, Griffith said poverty is horrendous and some of governments havent really been as responsive to the pandemic as others. A lot of attention gets focused on large cities, but when you get out to the outlying villages, the impact is severe and they dont have the medical infrastructure that they do in some of the larger cities, Griffith added. So the impacts are much more severe there. According to Johnson, SGA is also helping its local partners to feed orphans during the lockdowns. We have access into hundreds of state-run orphanages but in many cases, the childrens homes, because of a lack of funding as a result of the collapsing economy, have had to shut down facilities, Johnson detailed. Many of these kids are social orphans. This means at least one parent is alive but they have been taken away from the homes because of alcoholism and abuse. Now, they are being brought back to their homes. It is a very difficult situation. These workers are following these kids around and visiting them at the home to make sure everything is OK, and delivering food to them and their families. Although some state governments in the United States are in the early phases of their reopening plans, Johnson expects the impact of the pandemic will last much longer in the countries SGA serves. Yesterday, there was a big spike in cases in Russia. I think those counties are about three or four weeks behind us in terms of the onset of the pandemic, he said. They are in a more difficult situation than we are because they lack the medical infrastructure. And the Russian economy, which impacts a lot of those countries in that region and is based on the cost of fuel, is collapsing. It has reverberated all throughout that region. Johnson stressed that there is still a lot of fear. But as a result of the aid, he said, many are coming to Christ. Yevgeny Bakhmutsky, pastor of the Russian Bible Church in Moscow, said in a statement shared by SGA that there is an amazing hunger for truth and openness to the Gospel among people as church pastors are working day and night to visit, preach, consult and provide aid to people in need. Our church has created a fund to help in Moscow, Bakhmutsky wrote. Even non-Christians (including some nominal Muslims) are donating some money to it. We are working as volunteers every day. Can you imagine we have a dozen online Bible study Zoom groups for unbelievers now! We could not have dreamed this would be possible before! Many people are preparing for the worst. There is less joy to be found, but churches have become truly joyful places in our society, the pastor said. Our church will soon baptize 15 people who came to faith in Christ during this pandemic. Its all happening because of your faithful assistance and help. 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. 10 fun immigration facts about Canada As Canada celebrates its 153th birthday today, here are 10 fun Canadian immigration facts. Alexandra Miekus Kareem El-Assal Aa Accessibility Font Style Serif Sans Font Size A A Canada celebrates its 153th birthday today on a holiday known as Canada Day. Throughout Canadas history, immigrants have joined the countrys founding Indigenous peoples to help build a great country. To celebrate Canada Day, CIC News has put together the following list for you to discover 10 fun immigration facts about Canada: 1. July 1 commemorates the joining of Canadas three original provinces: Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and the Province of Canada, which is now Ontario and Quebec, into one nation in 1867. Today, Canada has ten provinces and three territories. Canada Day marks almost exactly the middle of the year. July 1 is the 182nd day and there are 183 days left to the year. 2. The Constitution Act,1867 outlines immigration as an area of shared responsibility between Canadas federal government, and the provinces and territories. This was because Canadas original provinces had experience recruiting immigrants from Europe prior to 1867, and immigration was seen as vital to the economic development and security of the provinces upon Canadas founding. 3. Quebec became Canadas first province to launch a dedicated immigration ministry in 1968. At the time, Quebec recognized the importance of welcoming more immigrants to maintain its Francophone character and political influence within Canada. Thirty years later, Manitoba became the first province to sign a Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) agreement with the federal government, in 1998. Today, 12 of Canadas 13 provinces and territories operate their own immigrant selection program to help grow their economies. Collectively, Canada offers over 80 immigration programs for skilled workers. Find out if you are eligible for any Canadian immigration programs 4. In 1967, Canada became the first country in the world to introduce a points system for economic class immigrants. Canada introduced the points system to help it assess immigration candidates objectively based on human capital characteristics such as their age, education, language skills, occupations, and work experience. This model has since been adopted by other countries such as Australia and New Zealand. Canada continues to use this model; for example, Express Entry uses the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) to score and rank immigration candidates. 5. Canada has a population of 38 million people. Almost 22 per cent of the Canadian population were immigrants the last time a census was conducted, back in 2016. Each year, Canada welcomes immigrants from around 200 different countries. 6. Canadas flag became the countrys official flag on February 15, 1965. The flag on the Peace Tower of Parliament in the nations capital, Ottawa, is changed every day and given to citizens for free. However, the Canadian governments website has a warning: there is a waiting period of more than 100 years! 7. Canadian citizens did not have legal status until the Canadian Citizenship Act took effect on January 1, 1947. Prior to this date, anyone born or naturalized in Canada was a British subject. Among its features, the Act defined who was a Canadian citizen, and how Canadian citizenship could be obtained or lost. Today, most immigrants become citizens. In fact, over 85 per cent of immigrants obtain Canadian citizenship, which is one of the highest rates in the world. 8. Canada has over 500 immigrant-serving organizations across the country. The purpose of these organizations is to provide free supports to help immigrants integrate into Canadas economy and society. These organizations provide English and French language classes, job training, mentorship, and many other forms of assistance. You can find organizations close to you by visiting the website of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). 9. Canada has a museum of immigration. The Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21 is located in Halifax, Nova Scotia. This site was chosen because Pier 21 welcomed almost one million new immigrants to Canada between 1928 and 1971. 10. Since 1867, Canada has welcomed over 19.5 million immigrants. Despite the coronavirus pandemic, Canada remains committed to high levels of immigration. Prior to the start of the pandemic, Canada was planning to welcome more than one million new immigrants over the next three years. Happy Canada Day! Find out if you are eligible for any Canadian immigration programs 2020 CIC News All Rights Reserved Wilkes-Barre, PA (18701) Today Partial cloudiness early, with scattered showers and thunderstorms during the afternoon. A few storms may be severe. High 89F. Winds SSW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 60%.. Tonight Thunderstorms this evening followed by occasional showers overnight. Low 63F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%. Thousands of Christians killed in Nigeria: UK lawmakers call for investigation into reports of 'genocide' Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Violence against Christians in Nigeria can pave the way for genocide, a group of U.K. parliamentarians warned this week in a new report analyzing the impact of violence carried out by Boko Haram extremists and Fulani militias throughout the West African country. The U.K. All-Party Parliamentary Group for International Freedom of Religion or Belief, a bipartisan group of lawmakers from both houses of parliament, released its new report Nigeria: Unfolding Genocide? on Monday. As Nigeria continues to struggle with the Boko Haram insurgency and the existence of its splinter group, Islamic State West African Province, APPG members are concerned about reports of escalating violence characterized as a farmer-herder conflict even though a disproportionate number of killings are being carried out by militant Fulani herdsmen against predominantly Christian farming communities in the country's fertile Middle Belt region. International rights advocates have contended that the standard for genocide has been reached in Nigeria as estimates have suggested that thousands of Christians have been killed in the Middle Belt as a traditional arbitration process between farmers and herders over damaged crops has broken down in recent years. Violence in both the Middle Belt and northeast Nigeria (where Boko Haram and ISWAP commit atrocities) has led to the mass displacement of millions as entire communities have been forced to flee in fear for their lives in the wake of massacres. Among all the injustices for the U.K. to help correct in the near future, the widespread and growing persecution of Christians should be top of the list, Member of Parliament Jim Shannon said in a statement. Thus, as the U.K. faces the challenge of lockdown and mass quarantine for the first time in living memory, I ask you to please spare a thought for those Christians who face not only a pandemic but also threats of violence and persecution that we cant imagine. The report urges the government of Nigeria and the international community to implement recommendations to help save the lives of Nigerian citizens, such as comprehensive investigations and prosecutions. As Nigerian Government Ministers have publicly and rightly admitted, Christians are being ruthlessly targeted, specifically because of their Faith, the report states. Undoubtedly though, peaceable Muslims, through collateral violence, can also become victims of this cruel Islamist religious ideology. It is a destructive and divisive ideology which readily mutates into crimes against humanity and can pave the way for genocide. We must not hesitate in saying so, the report adds. Unfortunately, Boko Haram are not the only threat that Nigerian Christians face. Attacks by armed groups of Fulani herdsmen have resulted in the killing, maiming, dispossession and eviction of thousands of Christians. It is difficult for us in the West to sometimes even imagine this kind of suffering, so it is important that we recognize the stories of survivors. The report examines multiple drivers of increased violence carried out by Fulani militias against farming communities and the periodic retaliatory violence. Factors analyzed include resource competition, religious sectarianism [most Fulani herders are Muslim], poor land management by the Nigerian Government, population growth, climate change and insecurity. Rapid population growth, climate change and desertification have decreased the water available for land and grazing and put pressure on resources, the report states, citing a United Nations estimate that about 80% of the Sahels farmland is degraded and the land available to pastoralists is shrinking. This means that grain and food production is forcing pastoralists into a desperate search for fertile pasture. As herders travel further distances in search of water and land for grazing, they come into conflict with local farmers, who accuse the herders of encroaching onto their land and damaging their crops, the report adds. The increased conflict has strained the capacity of traditional leaders to reduce tensions and resolve conflict amicably. This has contributed to the breakdown of historical dispute settlement mechanisms and conflict turning to violence. While there are economic factors at play, the report also states that the escalation of violence must also be seen in the context of the growing power and influence of Islamist extremism across the Sahel. Multiple groups, such as the Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP), a splinter of Boko Haram and an affiliate of the weakened Daesh caliphate in Iraq and Syria, continue to extend their networks in Nigeria, Mali, Niger, Cameroon, Chad and Burkina Faso, the report explains. While not necessarily sharing an identical vision, some Fulani herders have adopted a comparable strategy to Boko Haram and ISWAP and demonstrated a clear intent to target Christians and symbols of Christian identity such as churches. The APPG received numerous reports about Christian pastors and community heads being targeted. During many of the attacks, herders are reported by survivors to have shouted Allah u Akbar, destroy the infidels and wipe out the infidels, the report alleges. Hundreds of churches have been destroyed, including over 500 churches in Benue State. As the Bishop of Truro concluded in his report for the U.K.s Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the religious dimension is a significantly exacerbating factor in clashes between farmers and herders and targeted violence against Christian communities in the context of worship suggests that religion plays a key part. While Christians appear to be the main victims of the violence in the Middle Belt, the report explains that attacks by Fulani herders have led to periodic retaliatory violence, as farming communities conclude that they can no longer rely on the authorities for protection or justice. Some local vigilantes, led by youths, take matters into their own hands by going on violent reprisals against Muslims who they believe are backed by the Government, the report states. Such retaliatory violence cannot be condoned. However, their reprisals must be seen in the context of an urgent need for the authorities to enforce the rule of law to protect all its citizens. In the report, Baroness Caroline Cox asserts that the asymmetry and escalation of attacks by well-armed Fulani militia upon these predominately Christian communities are stark and must be acknowledged. Such atrocities cannot be attributed just to desertification, climate change or competition for resources, as [the U.K.] Government have claimed, Cox asserted. Vice-Chair of the APPG Fiona Bruce added that the targeted attacks against churches and heightening religious tensions indicate that religious identity plays a role in the farmer-herder conflict. Some local observers have gone so far as to describe the rising attacks as a campaign of ethno-religious cleansing, Lord David Alton of Liverpool said in the report. Armed with sophisticated weaponry, including AK-47s and, in at least one case, a rocket launcher and rocket-propelled grenades, the Fulani militia have murdered more men, women and children in 2015, 2016 and 2017 than even Boko Haram, destroying, overrunning and seizing property and land, and displacing tens of thousands of people. This is organized and systematic. The report notes that Fulani herders have also been victimized as criminality has played a role in some village raids, cattle rustling, and abductions. The increase in criminality and rural banditry has coincided with the rising prices of cattle. The lawmakers warn that due to the rising criminality, people displaced from their communities and robbed of their livelihoods are more likely to become criminals themselves in order to survive. Evidence received by the APPG suggests that the ready availability and low price of firearms in Nigeria has played a role in escalating violence, the report notes. The ongoing instability in Libya has led to a huge increase in the number of firearms flowing into the country. Combined with the huge supply of weapons left over from civil wars in Liberia, Ivory Coast and Sierra Leone, as well as the domestic Nigerian arms manufacturing industry, this means that firearms are readily available in Nigeria and have fallen dramatically in price in recent years. The report was critical of the Nigerian government, calling out its inability to provide security or justice to farmer or herder communities. Failure to prosecute past perpetrators of violence, or heed early warnings of impending attacks has facilitated the rise of armed militia which often form along ethno-religious lines to protect community interests, the report states. The inability of the Nigerian Federal and State Governments to protect Christian farmers, and the lack of political will to respond adequately to warnings or to bring perpetrators of violence to justice, has fostered feelings of victimization and persecution. The APPG agrees with Amnesty Internationals conclusion that failure to protect communities, as well as cases of direct military harassment or violence, combined with an unwillingness to instigate legitimate investigations into allegations of wrongdoing, demonstrate, at least, willful negligence; at worst, complicity on the behalf of some in the Nigerian security forces. Last week, a spokesperson for the Nigerian presidency refuted claims that genocide is being committed against Christians in Nigeria, claiming the efforts by U.K. lawmakers and rights groups in the U.S. are part of a misleading campaign funded by a separatist group that wants to sew division and lack trust in the government. Advocates in the U.S. who've raised concerns about the genocidal implications of violence in Nigeria denied the governments accusation that they are somehow affiliated with the Indigenous People of Biafra, an organization that Nigeria recognizes as a terrorist organization. If the Nigerian Government is blind to the issue of religious persecution in the country, it is clear that the issue will not be addressed, wroteEwelina U. Ochab, co-founder of the Coalition for Genocide Response. However, the international community cannot be blind to the reports of atrocities and must ask important questions. How will the Nigerian Government explain the mass killings in Nigeria as recorded by several international organizations? What is the Nigerian Government doing to ensure that the acts are investigated and the perpetrators prosecuted? In 2018, the Nigerian House of Representatives declared killings in the Middle Belt state of Plateau to be a "genocide." Last December, the U.S. government included Nigeria for the first time on its special watch list of countries that engage in or tolerate severe violations of religious freedom. Morristown, TN (37814) Today Partial cloudiness early, with scattered showers and thunderstorms during the afternoon. Storms may contain strong gusty winds. High 88F. Winds WSW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 50%.. Tonight Thunderstorms this evening will give way to steady rain overnight. Low 63F. Winds W at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 100%. New York Citys coronavirus testing and contact tracing program had an unquestionably bumpy start when it began at the start of June but things are looking up. Two weeks into the programs launch, contact tracers were having difficulty locating individuals who had tested positive for the coronavirus. A week ago, it was reported that the program only had a 35% contact rate with infected individuals ideally it would be 75%. The program ran into difficulties due to the difficulty of the work, underskilled contact tracers and privacy concerns. They were also struggling to isolate infected individuals in hotel rooms rented by the city. New York City Health + Hospitals Test & Trace Corps Deputy Executive Director Jackie Bray told City & State that the program is beginning to make strides as its first month comes to a close. We always knew that it would take New Yorkers a little while to get used to this new thing called contact tracing in their lives, she said. But weve actually been really excited and impressed with how much New Yorkers are participating. How well New Yorkers understand that they need to pick up their phone, talk to us and give us their close contacts in order to keep their loved ones safe. According to Bray, as of Saturday, the program has reached 98% of individuals that they have an accurate phone number for, and 62% of those individuals are completing the programs intake interview. Our goal is to get that number closer to 75%, but were quite happy with 62% because it means that the majority of the people that were talking to understand that its really important to participate, she said. While most individuals are opting out of isolating in hotels provided by the city, the Test & Trace Corps is providing them with information on how to isolate while living with family and has been ensuring that food and medication is available to those at home, according to Bray. The program also appears to be cognizant of privacy concerns regarding the sensitive information being requested from New Yorkers, particularly among minorities who have felt intruded upon by the city in the past. Bray credits the programs training, which centers around building empathy and trust with individuals, as well as working with community-based organizations and hiring over 50% of the programs tracers from the neighborhoods that have been most impacted by the coronavirus. This is hard stuff, Bray said. Were talking to people whove been diagnosed with COVID-19, and were talking to them about the need to really separate themselves from their loved ones, to not go to work, to not leave their home for 10 to 14 days. Thats hard to do. We understand that thats hard to do. Its essential to stop the spread of the virus, but we dont want to play down that were asking New Yorkers to make continued sacrifices. While all information provided to contact tracers is supposed to be confidential, state Sen. Kevin Thomas has introduced a bill to ensure that all data collected by contact tracers across the state will be used solely for public health purposes. The lack of privacy protections (when it comes to contact tracing) is a nightmare but also a potential public health catastrophe, Albert Fox Cahn, the founder and executive director of the Surveillance Technology Oversight Project at the Urban Justice Center, a civil rights and privacy advocacy group, told City & State. Information provided to contact tracers can never be handed over to the police or (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement). For many people of color and immigrants, privacy is crucial, and we have fears that this information can be used to surveil New Yorkers, and the rush to violate privacy protections puts the largest health crisis weve faced in jeopardy. South Korea, for example, has used cellphone data, credit card histories, mobile applications and facial recognition technology to track infected individuals. However, it is highly doubtful that such surveillance would ever be implemented in the U.S., let alone in the city, due to potential human rights violations. Contact tracing apps have been floated as a way to track individuals, but research indicates that those apps have not been nearly as reliable as other means of collecting data, such as contacting individuals by phone or in person. Bray said the city doesnt have any plans to develop an app at the moment and is currently only contacting individuals by phone. It wasnt always clear how effective an app would be because people need to opt in, she said. And for that to work, all of the people interacting with the app would have to opt in and the apps have to be on and running in the background. We havent ruled it out in any way, shape or form. Were constantly taking a look at the technology available, but were not currently using an app. Bray said that while the city initially hoped to have 10,000 tracers on staff, it is content with the 3,000 tracers it has already hired, since the city is seeing far fewer positive coronavirus cases, though the city could hire more tracers if needed. As coronavirus cases begin to sharply increase in many other states, Bray said it is important for New Yorkers to remain vigilant when it comes to wearing masks and maintaining a safe distance from others. But most importantly, she said New Yorkers need to get tested for the virus and cooperate with contact tracers if they test positive. I know we were talking about contact tracing, but all contact tracing starts with testing, she said. Its called a test and trace program for a reason. Testing is safe. It is free. It is in your neighborhood. Go get a test. As new cases of the coronavirus surge in many states, Gov. Andrew Cuomo and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio are pulling the plug on the resumption of indoor dining in city restaurants on Monday. Now is not the time to forge ahead, the mayor told reporters Monday morning. Indoors is the problem. More and more, the science is showing it. Public health experts have said the coronavirus spreads much more easily in crowded indoor settings like bars and restaurants. More compliance with social distancing and a stabilization of the national spike in cases will determine when the table could be set for the resumption of indoor dining, according to the governor. Other aspects of the reopening process continue apace. The numbers are good, and the numbers are steady, the governor told reporters at a Monday press conference in Manhattan regarding the latest data on hospitalizations, deaths and positive tests for the coronavirus. Weve been smart about what we did in handling COVID. New York City will enter the third phase of reopening on Monday, while the Capital Region entered the fourth phase of reopening on Wednesday. Long Island and the mid-Hudson Valley regions could follow in early July. But that could all change if the pandemic surges here as it has in other states. Weve made tremendous progress, Cuomo said. Weve been through hell and back but this is not over. Location: Chisinau, Moldova Application Deadline: 10 Jul 2020, 23:59 (GMT+2:00) Type of Contract: Individual Contract Starting date: 20 Jul 2020 Reference to the project: Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) Expected Duration of Assignment: July 2020 December 2020 (27 working days), with the possibility of extension Background The UN Human Rights Office (Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights OHCHR) represents the world's commitment to universal ideals of human dignity. It has a unique mandate from the international community to promote and protect all human rights. The OHCHR field presence in Moldova, led by the Human Rights Adviser, assists the UN RC Office, UN Country Team in Moldova (UNCT), Government and civil society in strengthening human rights and human rights-based approaches, working closely with the UN Country Team on capacity building and mainstreaming human rights in their work, as well as providing support in engagement with national actors on human rights, including advising national authorities upon request. Thematic priorities for the work of the Office are: (i) Strengthening rule of law and accountability for human rights violations; (ii) Enhancing equality and countering discrimination; Integrating human rights in sustainable development; (iii) Enhancing civic space and peoples participation. Starting from 2019 UN OHCHR Moldova jointly with other UN entities will be implementing the Programme One UN Joint Action Cross-river support to Human Rights (2019 -2022). Under the direct supervision of the Programmes Thematic Area Coordinator, in close collaboration with National Human Rights Officers and under overall guidance and supervision of the Human Rights Adviser, the consultant, together with an existing consultant, (referred to as the team of consultants) undertake field visits in the Transnistria region to map the actions required for the creation of a Roma community mediators institution in the region. Based on the conclusions of the field visits, during which the consultants will organize meetings with Roma in Roma communities located on the left bank of Nistru river, and the experience of creating a Roma community mediators institution on the right bank of Nistru river, the consultants will prepare an Action Plan for the creation of a Roma community mediators institution on the left bank. Scope of work The Team of Consultants works under the direct supervision of the Programmes Thematic Area Coordinator, in close collaboration with National Human Rights Officers, OHCHR/UN staff, project partners, organisations and underrepresented groups. They will also work with other stakeholders for the effective achievement of results, anticipating and resolving complex program-related issues and information delivery. Under the present Terms of Reference, the Team of Consultants will: Undertake field visits on the left bank of Nistru river to collect information on the situation of Roma people, based on a developed survey and on the actual number of Roma living in the area; Draft the field visit reports on the visited areas, densely populated by Roma on the left bank of Nistru river; Contribute to the analysis of the regulatory framework of the left bank of Nistru river, related to the rights of Roma and to the instauration of Roma community mediators institution, specifically focusing on contributing with experience and knowledge, from the right bank of Nistru river, on the establishment and functioning of the Roma community mediators institution; Develop a roadmap for the creation of the Roma mediators institution in the Transnistria region based on the observance of the actual situation in the field, coupled with the best practices from the right bank of Nistru river; Develop a multi stakeholders action plan for the creation of Roma community mediators institution on the left bank of Nistru river. Requirements for experience Academic Qualifications: Completed high school education; University degree in social science, law, human rights or other relevant discipline would be a strong asset; Experience of at least 5 years in the field of Roma rights may be considered in lieu of University degree; Post-graduation education/courses in human rights would be considered an advantage. Experience and skills: At least 3 years of professional experience in organizing capacity building, community mobilization and/or awareness raising activities for community groups especially in the field of Roma rights; Previous experience of working in the Transnistria region of the Republic of Moldova on human rights and empowerment of vulnerable groups, would be considered a strong advantage; Previous experience of working with NGOs, decision-makers- at the regional and local levels in the Transnistria region of the Republic of Moldova would be considered a strong advantage. Language Requirements: Fluency in oral and written Russian; working knowledge of English and Romanian language would be considered an advantage; Knowledge of one or more relevant minority languages, including Bulgarian, Ukrainian or Romani, as well as sign language(s), will be a strong advantage. Diversity Clause: Applicants from under-represented groups (persons with disabilities, Roma and other ethnic, linguistic or religious minorities, persons living with HIV, refugees and other noncitizens) will have an advantage during the selection process. OHCHR is committed to reasonably accommodate the working environment for the persons with special needs. For details please follow the link below: https://sc.undp.md/jobdetails/2045/ Times of crisis are watershed moments. For years, the journalism industry has propped up the crumbling twentieth-century model for a free and independent press with inadequate and makeshift solutions. As covid-19 wipes out the stopgaps, and the system collapses, the only way out is forward. In our fourth webinar for the Journalism Crisis Project, our panelists pushed against the idea that this is the moment to save journalismin fact, saving the industry is entirely the wrong paradigm. Heather Chaplin, the founding director of the journalism and design program at the New School, reminded viewers that the economic crisis facing journalism is dire. The industrys best hope is to reimagine the free press for the twenty-first century, Chaplin said. The old model cannot be salvaged, nor should it be. The minute that you realize, wait, my job isnt to try to save the thing; my job is to reinvent something newthe possibility space expands exponentially, she said. What does the free press that we want look like, and what conditions need to be in place for it to happen? Answering such questions requires imagination, collaboration, and listening. We have no metrics for success that arent about the industrys business, Chaplin said. We measure money. We measure circulation. But how do we know if were serving our purpose? Talking to communities is an essential step, as Letrell Crittenden, Program Director of Communication at Thomas Jefferson University and a fellow at the Tow Center, noted. Earlier this year, Crittenden and colleague Andrea Wenzel conducted a series of interviews in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, paying particular attention to communities of color and seeking to understand residents information needs. If the goal is to keep the community abreast of vital information, both the local news community and local officials must recognize that the traditional manner in which they attempt to connect with local residents is not accessible or fully embraced by wide portions of the community, Crittenden and Wenzel wrote, publishing their findings in April, against the backdrop of the health crisis. Understanding how local residents consume and share information, and what they are willing to trust, is indeed a public health issue. Its also a requirement for journalism. One of the necessary conditions for building a strong free press that serves the public in its entirety is to find a successful financial modeland its not necessarily one-size-fits-all. Everythings going to have to be scaled to particular communities, Crittenden said in our webinar. Whats working in Philadelphia isnt necessarily going to work in Pittsburgh. Emily Bell, director of the Tow Center, agreed. One of the things that has drained out of the free press in the past few years has been the idea that we should be building policies and funding models that are genuinely pluralistic. Whether the news outlets of the present and future turn to foundation funding, nonprofit models, community investment, public capital, or some combination of each, the financial models of the past are behind us. The public needs journalism, and journalists need to ask where the current model is failing, and how it can be rebuilt. Sign up for CJR 's daily email The Journalism Crisis Project aims to train our focus on the present crisis, tallying lost jobs and outlets and fostering a conversation about what comes next. We hope youll join us (click to subscribe). CONTRIBUTE TO OUR DATABASE: If youre aware of a newsroom experiencing layoffs, cutbacks, furloughs, print reductions, or any fundamental change as a result of covid-19 , let us know by submitting information here . (Personal information will be kept secure by the Tow Center and will not be shared). Below, more on recent changes in newsrooms across the world: JOURNALISM JOBS AND OPPORTUNITIES: MediaGazer has been maintaining a list of media companies that are currently hiring. You can find it here. The Deez Links newsletter, in partnership with Study Hall, offers media classifieds for both job-seekers (at no cost) and job providers. And the Press Freedom Defense Fund has announced an Emergency Relief Program for professional journalists in the USyou can find the application here. To receive a weekly email from the Journalism Crisis Project, subscribe to our newsletter here. Has America ever needed a media watchdog more than now? Help us by joining CJR today Lauren Harris is a freelance journalist. She writes CJR's weekly newsletter for the Journalism Crisis Project. Follow her on Twitter @LHarrisWrites. Is the end nigh for institutional Christianity? Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment The end seems nigh for conservative institutional Christianity. Catastrophic... seismic... the opening of a Pandoras Box... These were some of the terms used by experts who focus on law and religious liberty as they sought to describe the impact of the Supreme Courts June 15 landmark ruling that now includes sex as a factor in hiring and firing, along with race, religion, and national origin. Today, said Justice Neil Gorsuch, we must decide whether an employer can fire someone simply for being homosexual or transgender. He and a majority of his fellow SCOTUS judges found that basing employment decisions on sex or sexual orientation, including gender identity, is indeed discriminatory, based on Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. Princeton jurisprudence professor Robert George called the decision catastrophic because it will undermine respect for the rule of law. Russell Moore, leader of the Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, was concerned that precedents would create confusion. The public meaning of words changes and the Supreme Courts decision in 2020 could mean that future legislators wont know what they are voting to pass. Whatever the complexities and ambiguities of legal language, for many churches and related religious organizations, it will be apostasy or the arena, compromise or the catacombs. Jesus shocked His followers one day when they were marveling at the mighty edifice of the Jerusalem Temple. But, warned the Lord, the time will come when not one stone will be left upon another. This was unimaginable to the disciples. The Temple was the sanctuary, fortress, and repository for all that defined their civilization. Jesus prophecy came true in 70 AD, resulting in the slaughter of many Jews. In our time there are people who would celebrate the end of institutional Christianity. But their celebrations would be based on a shallow understanding. The problem is not institutions, but institutionalism, which is an all-consuming, compromise-inducing focus on the survival of the institution, whatever the cost. In fact, a societys health is proportional to the health of its key institutions. In the Christian worldview these are Family, Church, Education, and Vocation. But the problem with institutions is that they are fat targets for lawsuits. Jesus told His disciples what would happen in a period when the stones come tumbling down: At that time many will fall away and will betray one another. Many false prophets will arise and mislead many. Because lawlessness is increased, most peoples love will grow cold... But the one who endures to the end will be saved. (Matthew 24:10-13) How, then, can churches endure when institutions are assaulted by the wrecking balls of litigation? The answer: Take away the target. This brings us back to the topic of the first century Roman catacombs. The early church endured through the cataclysms of Roman persecution, not necessarily in institutional form, but in dynamic community. Church leaders now must focus on readying their congregations to function primarily as living organisms rather than inert structures. This does not mean that there is no institutional form. That structureless condition would only foster chaos and more confusion. The concern is graphically illustrated in Ezekiels vision of the valley of dry bones. (Ezekiel 37) The prophet sees himself set down in an arid place littered with dried-out bones. In the vision, God instructs Ezekiel to prophesy to the bones that God will cause breath to enter you that you may come to life. Ezekiel does as ordered. Even before the words are out of his mouth, he hears the rattling of bones coming together. In the midst of it all, God commands Ezekiel to prophesy to the breath and call to the four winds to breathe on the slain (bones), that they come to life. Ezekiel watches as the once-scattered bones are joined, stand on their feet, and become an exceedingly great army. This vision teaches powerful lessons for churches in the challenging moment we inhabit. Towns and cities are littered now with the dry bones of religious institutions in scattered disarray, apparently powerless to deal with the crises sweeping toward them. Extremists on one side call for all the institutional forms of the faith to come down, while those in the other extremes want all the focus and resources to be given to buttress the stones of institutionalism. But Ezekiels vision reveals that structure must be made to be filled with the wind the Spirit of God. Institutional structure is dead and useless without the breath. But the wind must have structure lest it be dissipated in the desert. Churches must prepare now for the day when not one institutional stone is left upon another. Jesus spoke to His disciples not only about stones, but also about wineskins. Institutionalism was again the issue the institution of the Sabbath. He had been criticized by the religious establishment for working on the Sabbath by healing people and sanctioning His disciples as they plucked grain to eat and seemed to forego fasting. Jesus said to the critics: No one puts new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the wine will burst the skins, and the wine is lost and the skins as well; but one puts new wine into fresh wineskins. (Mark 2:21-22 NASB) Who knows but that God may be using our difficult cultural period and its upheavals to bring forth a new wineskin? One day in July 2016, Casey Newton, a tech reporter for The Verge, sat down at Facebook headquarters in Menlo Park for the biggest interview of his career. Across from him was Mark Zuckerberg. With his characteristic geeky excitement, Zuckerberg described the promising initial test flight of Aquila, a drone with a wingspan larger than a 737 jet that was part of his plan to provide internet connectivity all over the world. Though Newton hadnt witnessed the test flight in Yuma, Arizonano members of the press were invitedhe believed Zuckerbergs account of it. When his article was published, it reported that Aquila was so stable that they kept it in the air for 90 minutes before landing it safely. Months later, however, a Bloomberg story revealed that the flight hadnt gone so smoothly after allAquila had crashed. While the craft had indeed stayed aloft for longer than intended, high winds tore a chunk out of a wing, leading to a crash landing. I immediately, of course, felt like an idiot, Newton says. In retrospect there were definitely questions that I should have asked that I did not. Facebook downplayed the crash, offering to the press a range of excuses: a rough landing was always expected; the cause was mostly a software malfunction; the long flight time was the real story. Newton published a more critical follow-up piece, but the damage was done: he had been had. (The Aquila drone was soon grounded and, within two years, the entire program scrapped.) That experience, honestly, it really changed the way I thought about the company and reported on the company, Newton says. Before that, I sort of thought, My goal is to get in front of Mark Zuckerberg and ask him questions, and if I do that, I can do good journalism. After the Aquila experience, Newton realized that he could be sitting in front of the CEO and still not get the story. Youre better off trying to report around the margins of the company. Sign up for CJR 's daily email Newton is still in touch with executives at Facebooksome of them are subscribers to his newsletterbut hes since focused his attention on the companys abuses of low-level employees and third-party contractors. He no longer trusts Facebook like he once did. It can feel impossible to comprehend Facebooks total influenceor to overstate its impact on journalism. Newtons professional arc, from enthusiastic tech beat reporter to skeptical industry investigator, matches the trajectories of a number of journalists in recent years. The 2016 presidential election in particular prompted a change in worldview against Facebook and the power wielded by Big Tech. The media had learned, perhaps belatedly, the cost of taking Facebook at its word. More recent, and adversarial, reporting has produced important stories about Facebooks refusal to tackle the proliferation of right-wing extremism and conspiracy theories on its platform. In advance of the 2020 election, more journalists are taking a hard look at the Trump campaigns once-heralded digital operation, which spends heavily on Facebook advertising, and its bombastic overseer, Brad Parscale, who has been promoted to overall campaign manager. Beyond the companys dissembling, reporting on Facebooks operations has become increasingly complex simply because of its size. The company controls the communications and informational intake of more than two and a half billion people. It can feel impossible to comprehend its total influenceor to overstate its impact on journalism. The past four years have made tech reporters out of many journalists who would otherwise confine their scope of interest to politics, culture, labor, or economics. Facebooks reach extends across every beat. In conversations with more than fifteen journalists and industry observers, I tried to understand what it is like to cover Facebook. What I found was troublesome: operating with the secrecy of an intelligence agency and the authority of a state government, Facebook has arrogated to itself vast powers while enjoying, until recently, limited journalistic scrutiny. (Some journalists, like The Observers Carole Cadwalladr, have done important work linking Facebook data to political corruption in the UK and elsewhere.) Media organizations have stepped up their game, but they suffer from a lack of access, among other power asymmetries. Many journalists contacted for this story declined to talk out of fear of hurting relationships with Facebooks communications shop. A number of journalists agreed to be interviewed, only to pass after speaking to their editors and PR reps. Some spoke to me off the record. Nearly everyone I talked to acknowledged that the relationship between Facebook and journalists had dramatically deteriorated in recent years. It wasnt long ago, after all, that Facebook and its comms shop was, for many journalists, a valued source. Facebook appeared in 2004, during a period of general techno-optimism. The site had a palatable origin story, a wunderkind founder, and a minimalist design, and it was largely treated as a trendy newcomer to the social network scene. Covering the company soon became a full-time job for some tech journalists, especially at digital publications like TechCrunch or Gizmodo that expected writers to generate a stream of news and scoops. Meanwhile, Facebooks comms shop practically acted as an assignment editor, doling out exclusives to generate good press and curry favor with journalists. Kate Losse, an early Facebook employee who would go on to write The Boy Kings, a memoir of her time at the company, told me in an email that journalistic coverage of Facebook in its first years was focused mostly on product updates. A notable story might be about a new feature in the sites news feed. Sam Biddle, a reporter at The Intercept who was working at Valleywag and Gizmodo in the early 2010s, told me that Facebook would offer up scoops to journalists that they credulously swallowed. It was like pigs at a trough, Biddle says. We were all trying to get the same drip-drip of product news out of Facebook, no matter what outlet you were at. In those years, scandals involving the company were mostly low-grade stuff: users unhappy about design changes; public disputes between the founders (as dramatized in The Social Network); murky data collection practices that caused the FTC to force Facebook to sign a consent decree in 2011. Facebook did face some public criticism about its role in eroding consumer privacy, but any skepticism tended to be watered down with exuberant praise. A 2008 GQ profile of Zuckerberg anointed him Boy Genius of the Year even as it asked, Do you trust this face? In private, Facebook has cultivated relationships with writers and influencers while also carefully working to shape a public narrative. In 2018, as part of a lawsuit filed in a UK court, the company produced thousands of pages of documents and emails that revealed how the companys comms team operated during part of 2014 and 2015. Staffers and their partners at the OutCast Agency, an outside firm, worked with reporters for months on articles that they hoped would paint the company in a good light. A Time magazine cover story about Facebooks charitable mission to wire the world that was facilitated by Facebooks Internet.org division was applauded internally as a win. Sometimes, Facebook wrote the story itself. Emails in the document dump suggest that in 2014, in the run-up to Facebooks F8 show, at which it unveils new features for developers, staff at the OutCast Agency wrote an article about how to use Facebook to build an app. They sent the article to a man named Eric Siu, who has written extensively and positively about using Facebook in business, for publication under his byline at Entrepreneur.com. The article does not appear to have been published, but it shows that Facebook is willing to push its message using Astroturfed content under the patina of credibility lent by sites like Entrepreneur. (Siu didnt respond to requests for comment; nor did several former OutCast Agency staffers who now work in various divisions of Facebook.) A similar tactic was employed in 2018, after George Soros criticized Facebook as a menace against which society needed to be defended in a public speech in Davos. The company hired a firm to produce incendiary pro-Facebook research that contained anti-Semitic tropes about Soros, a Jewish Holocaust survivor, as the shadowy funder of anti-Facebook groups. The documents were then passed around to journalists with the urging that they look into Soross financial interests. In the ensuing controversy, Elliot Schrage, Facebooks head of comms and policy and already on the way out, was blamed, while Sheryl Sandberg and Mark Zuckerberg stated they had no knowledge of the affair. Facebook employs the only comms people who have ever yelled at me. The 2016 presidential election changed everything. After Donald Trumps ascent, greased by the Cambridge Analytica scandal and the embedding of Facebook staff in the Trump campaigns digital operation, tech was seen as a political force unto itself. Journalists began digging into Facebook in a way few had before. The company responded by closing itself off. People have described it to me as a bunker mentality, says Charlie Warzel, a New York Times opinion writer who covers technology, media, and politics. The relationship is just naturally strained by the fact that theyre dealing with a crisis pretty much weekly, if not more frequently. In 2018 and 2019, Caryn Marooney and Rachel Whetstone, two of Facebooks leaders in policy and communications, left the company. In their place, Warzel notes, Facebook has installed some really talented flacks from political power centers like Washington, DC, and London. Those include Nick Clegg, the former British Lib-Dem party leader, and a handful of former Republican operatives, such as Joel Kaplan, Facebooks VP of policy, who is also a prominent friend and supporter of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh. Campbell Brown, a former CNN anchor and charter school booster who is married to Dan Senor, himself a former Mitt Romney adviser and spokesman for the US military occupation of Iraq, was brought in to develop relationships with news organizations. Mike Isaac, a New York Times technology reporter, estimates that the comms and policy divisions now employ several hundred people. The companys PR team also appears to have gotten more sophisticated. In 2017, Zuckerberg went on a yearlong listening tour across the United States that, while it earned some mockery, raised his political profile. Top execs including Andrew Bosworth and Adam Mosseri have been tweeting more, giving the impression of public availability. And Facebook PR staff sometimes contact reporters about their tweets, trying to quash stories before they emerge. They have smartly all gotten on Twitter and basically watch all reporters on Twitter, Isaac says. To expand its public outreach, Facebook publishes blog posts to explain new initiatives and efforts to clamp down on misinformation. The company continues to make use of embargoed scoops. It also cultivates reporters and influencers through off-the-record dinners, conference calls, and media scrums. Taylor Lorenz, a New York Times Style reporter, told me that last year she attended an off-the-record dinner sponsored by Instagram. She described the guest list: an Instagram executive, bookers from morning shows, editors of pop culture websites, music critics. To her mind, the dinner didnt present company propaganda so much as opportunities for informal conversation about trends or new productswhat an executive might think about TikTok, for example. But in terms of actual reporting, these events count for little. When it comes to anything consequential, Im not going to talk to them on background, Lorenz says. I want to hear what they have to say on the record. Otherwise its useless to me. Marie C. Baca, an independent journalist who has written extensively about Facebook, says off-the-record events are an attempt to shape a storys reporting from its inception. In 2018, when Baca was a reporter for the Albuquerque Journal, Facebooks PR staff came to town to hold off-the-record events about one of their programs for small businesses. Reporters were game, she said, because it was the only access they could get. When they are not courting journalists in off-the-record meetings, Facebook representatives are known to be difficult, even combative. Facebook employs the only comms people who have ever yelled at me, Biddle says. Lorenz has also seen Facebook shift its tone. I think the tension comes when you report on anything political, Lorenz says. The stakes are higher for them. While reporting a story earlier this year on Michael Bloombergs purchase of positive messages from influencers, Lorenz heard constantly from Facebook PR representatives. She compared the level of attention to when she wrote an article a couple of years ago about Facebooks balky ads system. At the time, Facebook PR reps called Lorenz and demanded headline changes and corrections, which she and her editors refused. One longtime Silicon Valley reporter who covers Facebook told me the company has a history of front-running storiesfeeding information to other publications to get ahead of potentially bad press. It has demanded, and received, approval for quotes. Several reporters told me that Facebook, like other large tech companies, makes aggressive use of off-the-record sourcing to obstruct the reporting process. Its pretty standard for a tech comms person to give you an on-record statement, theyll talk about the story with you on background, and then when its published, theyll come back to you and try to undermine it off the record, says Biddle. It has a big effect on the finished product, he explains, meaning that hes left with important information he cant tell his readers. To the extent that salient, substantive answers are given to reporters during these conversations, its often done in a way that minimizes the reporters ability to actually transmit that information to their readers. I experienced some of this myself while reporting this article. Over the course of two weeks, I spoke with a Facebook communications representative via phone calls and emailall off the record. I described the general arc of my story and asked specific questions about important details. The evening before publication, the company representative provided responses, on background, to my questions, as well as a statement from John Pinette, Facebooks vice president of global communications. The majority of reporters we work with tell us our relationships with them are professional and productive, he wrote. A company of our size and impact is going to attract scrutiny from journalists, and it should. Thats why its in our interest to develop relationships based on trust and candor. Indeed, the impression the comms person endeavored to create was one of opennessFacebook is constantly talking to journalists, after allwithout providing much real information that I could share transparently with readers. Michael Nunez, a technology journalist who has worked at Forbes and Gizmodo and has broken several notable stories on Facebook, is more blunt in his assessment of Facebooks comms operation. In his experience, he says, Facebook has been willing to lie on the record. Nunez recalled reporting on an internal poll in which Facebook employees asked Zuckerberg whether the company should do something to try to stop Donald Trump from becoming president. When he asked a Facebook flack about it, they denied the poll existed. I remember begging this person: Im not asking you to confirm the validity of this, Nunez said. Im looking at [a screenshot of] it. Im just here asking you for a comment. In Nunezs eyes, Facebook is not a trustworthy interlocutor. The company seems to be pretty comfortable with obfuscating the truth, and thats why people dont trust Facebook anymore, he says. Theyve had the chance to be honest and transparent plenty of times, and time and time again, you see that the company has been misleading either by choice or by willful ignorance. Others, like Warzel, see in Facebooks battle-hardened posture a strategic effort to resemble companies like Amazon, which rarely responds to public controversy and somehow manages to weather every storm. Facebook has erected a vigorous security apparatus and modified its internal culture to one defined by secrecy and a loose-lips-sink-ships attitude. Openness was once a part of Facebooks internal culture. The workplace was known for Zuckerbergs weekly all-hands meetings, in which employees could submit questions for consideration. According to a longtime Silicon Valley reporter, the company shared information internally knowing that there was no reason for employees to go talk to a reporter. People were generally happy. People enjoyed their jobs. They thought they were connecting the world and making it a wonderful place. And I guess any internal debate stayed within the confines of the company. Now you start to see a lot of cracks in the facade. The cracks have made way for more internal dissent, including an employee walkout in June in a rare show of public protest against Zuckerbergs refusal to crack down on threatening posts by President Trump. Amid this bubbling-over of discontent, more leakers have appeared. In October, a recording of an all-hands meeting was leaked to Newton at The Verge in which Zuckerberg talked about company threats ranging from TikTok to Sen. Elizabeth Warrens antitrust proposals. To stanch the leaks, Facebook has erected a vigorous security apparatus and modified its internal culture to one defined by secrecy and a loose-lips-sink-ships attitude. It is locked down in a way in which no other tech company is, says Warzel. With the knowledge that a company that has built a globe-spanning surveillance apparatus might always be watching, reporters and sources take tremendous precautions. Any Facebook-issued device, or even a phone with the Facebook app installed, could be vulnerable to the companys internal investigators. If a source has friended a reporter on a social network or merely looked up their profile on a company computer, Facebook can find out. It can potentially tap location data to see if a reporter and a source appear to be in the same place at the same time. Warzel compares the companys mentality to that of an intelligence agency. I have former Facebook sources who will tell me an interesting tip and then lament that they dont know a single person who could possibly confirm this, even though these people would like to confirm this, because they dont own a single device that Facebook couldnt forensically tap into to figure out the source of a leak. Facebook hires exCIA agents for its security operations, says Newton. (BuzzFeed has also reported on Facebooks hiring of former intelligence officers.) After he started doing critical reporting on the company, he went through his own information security training. In 2016, after Nunez published a Gizmodo article on political bias in Facebooks trending-topics feature, every one of his Facebook friends who worked at the company was individually called into a room and interrogated by company staff. Private messages between Nunez and his friends were read back to them. Its really unfortunate because it seems there are employees at Facebook who genuinely have a conscience, a sense of moral and ethical obligations, and want to see the company adhere to that, Warzel says. Every big powerful organization leaks, and thats a way of holding it accountable outside the walls of that company. More and more of the best journalism is going to be done without any help from Facebook. What Facebook has become is the presss assignment editor, its distribution network, its great antagonist, devourer of its ad revenue, and, through corporate secrecy, a massive block to journalisms core mission of democratic accountability. Faced with these daunting circumstances, what can journalists do better? Part of the challenge of covering Facebook is that many beat reporters are not granted the time and resources needed to develop sources within a hostile company. Instead, they are often expected to report on the latest viral controversy. Every week seems to bring new evidence of horrific behavior abetted by the Facebook platform and overlooked by its harried staff of poorly paid moderators. The result is accountability journalism that points fingers but doesnt address root problems. This kind of reporting is important, but theres a way in which it serves as a form of reactive content moderation that Facebook should be doing on its own. It leaves one to ask: What does accountability journalism look like for Facebook when its own systems of accountability are so lacking? One story helps sum up the situation. In 2018, Jesselyn Cook, a tech reporter for HuffPost, learned that photos of her had been taken from a Facebook photo album and posted in a private Facebook group. The posts were sexist and abusive, and Cook began to receive harassing messages. She reported the group to Facebook, but no action was taken. Eventually, she managed to get the ear of one of the groups administrators, who agreed to delete the photos. Two months later, Cook contacted Facebook againthis time as a reporter seeking comment about the experience for an articleand the company quickly responded. Within hours, the group was deleted. Cooks experience is sadly representative. Too often, the company doesnt acknowledge a problemharassment of doctors by anti-vaccine activists, say, or deception in political advertisinguntil the press covers it or a politician complains. Its as if Facebook is constantly playing a game of whack-a-mole, but at its own pace and with little regard for its users. Facebook responds best to bad press, Judd Legum, who publishes the newsletter Popular Information, says. This dynamic serves no one. Over and over, the press is left chasing down Facebook reps for comment on a single offensive group or account on a platform of billions of people. Until Facebook provides comprehensive solutions for these problems of harassment, content moderation, and user experience, journalists will always be talking about the latest outrage that pops up on the platform. This leaves little media oxygen for reporting on first-order issues about the company and its larger societal machinations. Adrian Chen, a former staff writer for The New Yorker and Gawker, says that journalists need to investigate the internet political economy as much as the mechanics of the Facebook platform. We need to understand how they wield their influence politically to create the environment that has allowed them to become what they are. What Facebook has become is the presss assignment editor, its distribution network, its great antagonist, devourer of its ad revenue, and, through corporate secrecy, a massive block to journalisms core mission of democratic accountability. Whether journalists can survive these conditions to produce meaningful, critical work about Facebook depends as much on their own adaptability as it does on the backing of revenue-minded media owners who might not wish to antagonize one holder of the advertising duopoly during an unfolding economic calamity. Except for one or two premium-tier media properties, journalism needs Facebook more than Facebook needs journalism. I dont think the adversarial relationship between Facebook and the press is going to change, Biddle says. Its a question of whether Facebook is going to stop resenting it so obviously and realize that this is what comes with being an enormously powerful, enormously wealthy corporation. Has America ever needed a media watchdog more than now? Help us by joining CJR today Jacob Silverman is the author of Terms of Service: Social Media and the Price of Constant Connection. His website is jacobsilverman.com and his Twitter handle is @silvermanjacob. On Monday morning, the Supreme Court struck down a law restricting abortion access in Louisianaanother major victory for progressives following the courts recent rulings protecting Dreamers and gay and trans workers. On Monday afternoon, a judge in Minneapolis set a tentative, March 2021 trial date for the white police officer who killed George Floyd, and the three other cops who were present and did not intervene. Also on Monday afternoon, the Republican governor of Arizonawhere confirmed cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, are surgingreversed reopening measures, and the Democratic governor of New Jersey, which is not currently a hotspot, took a similar step. In DC, Kayleigh McEnany, the White House press secretary, told reporters that President Trump was not briefed on intelligence, which the New York Times made public last week, suggesting that Russia paid Taliban-linked militants to kill US troops in Afghanistan. On Monday evening, the Times reported that, actually, Trump was briefed. And Carl Bernstein dropped a 4,000-word story for CNN containing rich, shocking details of Trumps calls with world leaders. Yesterday morning, House Democrats went to the White House for a briefing on the Russia-Taliban intelligence. They left unsatisfied. In the Senate, Dr. Anthony Fauci warned a committee that daily cases of COVID-19 could surpass 100,000 nationwide if we dont arrest our current trajectory; as he spoke, the US was on its way toward registering more than 48,000 new cases, breaking its daily record. Fauci also warned the committee that we need to keep our eye on a recently-discovered strain of swine flu out of China; it doesnt presently pose a threat, but it could, according to researchers, have pandemic potential. Early yesterday afternoon, Joe Biden, the Democratic candidate for president, gave a rare in-person speech, then took questions from reporters for the first time in months. At 3:30pm, McEnany convened a briefing at the White House; she told reporters that Trump does read, and is the most informed person on planet Earth when it comes to the threats that we face. A couple hours later, the Republican governor of Mississippi signed a law removing the states Confederate-inspired flag, a response to the reckoning that has followed Floyds killing. Then, the Senate surprisingly voted to extend the Paycheck Protection Program, a COVID-era federal stimulus plan for small businesses, pending House and presidential approval. Originally, the program was set to expire at midnight. ICYMI: Kayleigh McEnany, media critic Midnight also dropped the curtain on the first half of 2020, ending a six-month period in which America livedand diedthrough a brush with war with Iran, a rollercoaster (and at times dysfunctional) presidential primary, Trumps impeachment trial and acquittal, a pandemic, and what may turn out to be the most significant civil-rights demonstrations in a generation. There has been, and continues to be, too much news. Journalists often note as much in darkly humorous termswhat a year this week has beenbut it is also true. Almost all of the developments listed aboveand plenty more that arent detailed heredemand our attention, our empathy, our thoughtful analysis, and, often, our anger and sadness. But such total, thorough engagement is impossible. What constitutes too much news might seem obvious: loads of important stuff happening all at once. But thats an over-simplification. Some massive storieshurricane season, for instance (hello, second half of 2020)are to some extent random, and even those stories are usually tied to broader, omnipresent forces and threats that demand constant vigilance. (By the way, the Arctic just had its hottest day on record.) Other big stories that may appear separate are actually intimately connected, as my colleagues Betsy Morais and Alexandria Neason demonstrated recently. Systemic racism caused both the killing of Floyd and the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on communities of color; the latter fueled the protests that were nominally a response to the former, which in turn drove forward change, both synthetic and real, across the world. Chronologywhich we were always told was our friendis skewy right now, too. When we urgently report a spike in confirmed COVID cases, were actually reporting transmission that happened days or weeks ago, as well as deaths that are still to come. Big stories coexist in a messy ecosystem of cause, effect, suggestion, escalation, and acceleration. Human beings, including journalists, dont tend to be good at holding that ecosystem in mind all at once. In March, as the coronavirus crisis intensified in the US, Zeynep Tufekci, a techno-sociologist, wrote for The Atlantic that the medias failure to raise an early alarm about the coming pandemic reflected its inability to think about complex systems and their dynamics. Tipping points, phase transitions (water boiling or freezing), and cascades and avalanches (when a few small changes end up triggering massive shifts) are all examples of nonlinear dynamics in which the event doesnt follow simple addition in its impacts, Tufekci wrote. Her words still apply to our thinking about the pandemic, and almost everything else. Sign up for CJR 's daily email The basic rhythms of the news cycle dont help us. Each days news must fill the same amount of column space, the same number of cable-news hours, the same length of radio news bulletin. Usually, the most important of that news is hyped in all-caps headlines, blaring chyrons, and BREAKING NEWS jinglesthis exerts a flattening effect, making it harder, over a long period of time, to distinguish actual news from attention hustling. At times like this one, when almost everything in the news is actually important, its especially difficult to maintain a well-calibrated sense of proportion. Sure, we have some crude metrics for the bigness of news. Recently, for example, FiveThirtyEight calculated that the Times already ran 33 banner A1 headlines this yearmore than it ran in the whole of 2016, and substantially more than the election-year average (since 1968) of 10 banner headlines before election day. Intuitively, that means something to anyone trapped in the present news cycle. But the logic of the full-width headline can accelerate at times like this: if x merits one, doesnt y? And what about all the stories from news cycles pastto do with climate change, forgotten police killings, poverty, and so onthat deserved a banner headline and didnt get one? How do we measure their bigness? There are no easy answers to any of this. Media criticism is often about contrasting what big outlets should have covered and what they actually did cover on a given day. Thats always been subjective, but now, with America and the world rushing into an ever-darker place, it feels harder than ever to separate clear urgency from clear triviality. When I started writing this newsletter, in October 2018, the pace of the news felt impossibly frenetic; in hindsight, that time looks quaint. Now, for the first time, it feels to me that to be astride everything of importance is to be pulled apart. Below, more from the news: Another huge story thats accelerating: Today, China imposed a draconian new security law limiting freedoms of speech and association in Hong Kong. Already, the Timess Vivian Wang and Alexandra Stephenson write, it has had a dramatic chilling effect. Writers have asked a news site to delete more than 100 articles, anxious that old posts could be used against them, they write. And on Wednesday, the anniversary of Hong Kongs return to Chinese controla day usually observed by huge pro-democracy marchesa scattered crowd of protesters tried to rekindle that energy, only to be corralled by the police and arrested over offenses that did not exist a day earlier. Today, China imposed a draconian new security law limiting freedoms of speech and association in Hong Kong. Already, the Timess Vivian Wang and Alexandra Stephenson write, it has had a dramatic chilling effect. Writers have asked a news site to delete more than 100 articles, anxious that old posts could be used against them, they write. And on Wednesday, the anniversary of Hong Kongs return to Chinese controla day usually observed by huge pro-democracy marchesa scattered crowd of protesters tried to rekindle that energy, only to be corralled by the police and arrested over offenses that did not exist a day earlier. Telling the whole story: For the Post, Kyle Swenson profiles the Coronavirus Resource Center at Johns Hopkins University, which helps millions of users keep track of COVID data. Staffers at the center, Swenson reports, are wrestling with doubts about whether the numbers can truly capture the scope of the pandemic, and whether the public and policymakers are failing to absorb the big picture. They know what they are producing is not a high-resolution snapshot of the pandemic but a constantly shifting Etch a Sketch. For the Post, Kyle Swenson profiles the Coronavirus Resource Center at Johns Hopkins University, which helps millions of users keep track of COVID data. Staffers at the center, Swenson reports, are wrestling with doubts about whether the numbers can truly capture the scope of the pandemic, and whether the public and policymakers are failing to absorb the big picture. They know what they are producing is not a high-resolution snapshot of the pandemic but a constantly shifting Etch a Sketch. Test, test, test: NPR commissioned researchers at Harvard to calculate how many daily COVID tests each state would need to run to mitigate the spread of the disease, and how many tests each would need to run to suppress it. Currently, 32 states are failing to meet even the former, lower threshold. Last week, I argued that news outlets should hold elected officials to specific, quantifiable testing targets, as a way of focusing the broader outrage about the US handling of the virus. NPRs database is a great place to start. NPR commissioned researchers at Harvard to calculate how many daily COVID tests each state would need to run to mitigate the spread of the disease, and how many tests each would need to run to suppress it. Currently, 32 states are failing to meet even the former, lower threshold. Last week, I argued that news outlets should hold elected officials to specific, quantifiable testing targets, as a way of focusing the broader outrage about the US handling of the virus. NPRs database is a great place to start. Trump card: A judge in New York placed a temporary restraining order on a forthcoming tell-all book by Mary Trump, the presidents niece, after Robert Trump, the presidents brother, filed a lawsuit alleging that the book is in breach of a nondisclosure agreement that Mary Trump signed with other members of the family. The books fate will be decided at a hearing on July 10; its currently slated to be published on July 28. Ted Boutrous, Mary Trumps lawyer, said the ruling flatly violates the First Amendment. Other notable stories: ICYMI: Why did Matt Drudge turn on Donald Trump? Has America ever needed a media watchdog more than now? Help us by joining CJR today Jon Allsop is a freelance journalist. He writes CJRs newsletter The Media Today. Find him on Twitter @Jon_Allsop. On April 4th, 2019, around 4pm, a crowd gathered on the corner of Utica Avenue and Montgomery Street in the Crown Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn. The weather was sunny and warm. The group had come for a memorial event: a year earlier, Saheed Vassell, a thirty-four-year-old Black man, had been shot and killed by a group of police officers: Leon Dinham, Anthony Bottiglieri, Bekim Molic, and Omar Rafiq. It was here that Vassell took his last breath. People held orange signs that read Justice For Saheed; across the street, friends gathered outside the barbershop where he used to work. They played music, danced, and celebrated his life. Lorna and Eric Vassell, Saheeds parents, were there. The memorial had another purpose, tooas a protest against a decision that had just been made, by Letitia James, New Yorks attorney general, not to seek criminal charges against the officers who killed Vassell. In the two years since he died, so many Black people have lost their lives to police brutality that it can be hard to keep track of the names. Some are engraved into the national consciousness: Freddie Gray, Philando Castile, Sandra Bland, Oscar Grant, Mike Brown, and now Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade, and George Floyd. But others go unknown outside of their communities. Maybe these fatal encounters occur so often that even when the press covers a story, the next case has already appeared, overtaking our attention. According to data from Mapping Police Violence, a research collaborative, police killed three people per day in 2019, totaling nearly 1,100 killings. Twenty-four percent of those killed were Black, despite Black people making up only thirteen percent of the population. Each time, reporters have struggled to catch up; sometimes they didnt. Vassell, a local fixture, who moved from Jamaica to Crown Heights at the age of six, was one of the stories that passed most people by. The neighborhood in which he lived is home to a vibrant West Indian community. Eric Vassell became a deacon of the Brooklyn Community Church, which Saheed visited every morning at 5am. Saheed attended Apex Technical School, in nearby Long Island City. Saheed was a welder, Eric told me. He was fascinated with iron, so whenever he walked out on the street he would pick up stray metal objects. In 2008, after two of his closest friends diedone in a car crash, the other at the hands of policeSaheed began to struggle with his mental health. We realized that he was acting different, saying different things, and ending up at the hospital where they diagnosed him with bipolar disorder, Eric said. People in Crown Heights knew Vassell to be mentally unstable, but harmless. He is well known to everybody, Kevin Davis, who runs the barbershop where Saheed worked, told me. Nobody would have anything bad to say about him. He went on, If you had a conversation with him, you would be surprised to know what he knows. Just sometimes he would get in his head and be in his own little world. Even the cops were acquainted with Vassell. The police in the neighborhood got along with Saheed because they saw him every day on the street, Eric said. He would stop and have conversations with them because he loved to talk. So how, then, did Vassell end up losing his life to police gunfire? On the day he was killed, officers received reports that a man was walking down the street, brandishing what appeared to be a handgun. He looks like hes crazy, a partial transcript from a 9-1-1 caller read. Hes pointing something at people that looks like a gun and hes like popping it as if, like, if hes pulling the trigger. Five officersthree in plainclothes, two in uniformresponded at the scene. Four of the officers, seeing Vassell seem to point an object at them in what they later described as a two-handed shooting stancefired a combined ten fatal rounds into his body. But as it turned out, what was in Vassells hand was not a gun at all. His bipolarity had worsened to a point at which he could no longer work as a welder, his father said; yet Vassell continued to collect and carry around metal objectspieces that made him feel, at least, like he was still a man of his trade. NO BODY-CAMERA or dash-camera footage was released in Vassells case; repeated requests, filed through the Freedom of Information Act, yielded no helpful evidence. A surveillance video, used by the New York City Police Department during a press conference, was meant to provide assurances that killing Vassell on the street that day was justified. But Bruce Brooks, a friend of Vassells who appeared alongside him on the tape, said that the cops were misinterpreting what they saw. He and Vassell were playing around, he told me; he said, Dont shoot me, dont shoot me! as a joke. With two competing accounts, the story of Saheed Vassell was turned over to media reports, whichas in so many cases of police brutalityrendered a narrative primarily through the eyes of the cops. The NYPD made sure journalists knew that Vassell had encountered law enforcement before. They did not wait 24 hours before they started sending these things out about him, painting him as a violent person, as a radical type of person, Eric Vassell told me. Pipe-wielding man killed by NYPD hoarded metal junk, read a headline from the New York Post; Fox News said, Unarmed black man fatally shot by NYPD had long rap sheet, once arrested without pants and eating rocks. Those who witnessed Vassells murder insisted that a metal piece photographed as evidence by police was something other than the pipe that he had been holding at the time he was shot. Alex Willie, who was working at the barbershop on the corner during Vassells final moments, told me, It was a small, dark object. It wasnt silver. Kevin Davis agreed. What he had in his hand was not what was in the photograph, he said. Maybe he had that in his pocket, but it was not what he had in his hand. A year later, when investigators with the attorney generals office decided not to charge the officers who killed Vassell with any criminal misconduct, they made note that information NYPD released about Vasells past with law enforcement came from sealed records and served no useful purpose except to denigrate Mr. Vassell. The surveillance footage, these investigators observed, had been slowed down and stopped at various points to emphasize a narrative that the object Mr. Vassell wielded appeared to be a weapon. Recently, Eric has been participating in protests against police brutality. He cant help but notice that the name of his sonand many othersget left out of the calls for justice. When it comes to my son and his murder, a lot of people dont even know about him and some of these young men that died at their doorstep, he told me. It wasnt until George Floyd that more people took this all seriously and started to realize that the police brutality around them and the racism is vibrant. He continued, Were still on the frontline and were still fighting for justice. ICYMI: The most feared owner in American journalism looks set to take some of its greatest assets Has America ever needed a media watchdog more than now? Help us by joining CJR today Akintunde Ahmad is a recent CJR Fellow and now an Ida B. Wells Fellow with Type Investigations. He is based in Oakland. Two decades of financial disasters from Enron Inc.s collapse in 2001 to Wirecard AGs meltdown have left the Big Four accounting firms facing a major cultural problem that regulators may struggle to resolve. The 1.9 billion euros ($2.1 billion) missing from Wirecards balance sheet brought the chief executive officers arrest, the German payments firms insolvency filing and a lot of finger-pointing. Some have blamed German regulator BaFin for its oversight failures. Wirecards auditor, Ernst & Young, called it an elaborate fraud that even a very rigorous probe may not have discovered. But EY is also on the hot seat. It was added to a class-action style lawsuit against Wirecard on Tuesday, and stands accused of failing in its most fundamental duty. Its a systemic problem facing not just EY, but also the other members of the Big Four: KPMG, Deloitte and PriceWaterhouseCoopers, according to Atul Shah, an accounting and finance professor at City University of London. After the 2008 crash, hardly any auditor was fined or went to jail over their failure to warn society, Shah said. After that it got worse the common factor is the cultural problem. The Big Four have each developed lucrative advisory arms to compete with McKinsey & Co. and other firms to provide the opportunity for revenue growth and brand building that accounting doesnt. However, regulators say that creates an inherent conflict of interest and encourages the auditors to be restrained in their audits to protect consulting opportunities. Now EYs role as Wirecards accountant has prompted German politicians to blast their countrys regulators and to join their British counterparts in calling for the Big Four to be broken up. EY is committed to a multidisciplinary model because it provides the technical skills and industry expertise necessary to deliver high-quality audits, as well as the resources to invest in technology, the firm said in a statement. Quality audits depend on a broad team with diverse skills, delivered with a culture based on shared values, it said. Deloitte has been consistent in our support for reform, the firms deputy CEO, Stephen Griggs, said. We remain committed to playing our role in delivering change that embraces audit quality, improves choice and restores trust. KPMG and PwC declined to comment. BaFin has already come under fire after it took more than a year to report Wirecard for suspected market manipulation following a tip-off from a whistle-blower about irregularities at the payments company. BaFin chief Felix Hufeld issued an apology, saying that it shared responsibility for the complete disaster at Wirecard because it didnt do a good enough job as a regulator. Fabio de Masi, a leader of Die Linke party in the German Bundestag, has demanded a comprehensive reassessment of BaFins role. Sven Giegold, a German member of the European Parliament, has called for the legislative body to open an investigation into Wirecard. Hes also asking the European Commission, the EUs executive arm, to review its rules on auditing. We have to end the wrong incentives for statutory audits, Giegold said, adding that audit firms have to be fully separated from advisory business. On Wednesday, Wirecards offices in Germany and two locations in Austria were raided by Munich prosecutors as part of a probe into the scandal. Twelve prosecutors and 33 police officers are conducting the searches. Even if the Wirecard scandal has shaken Germanys financial sector, critics in the U.K., where the Big Four have a big presence, have been calling for reform for nearly a decade to little effect. That may be because the companies influence with regulators is too strong to allow a breakup. Political Clout The audit regulatory landscape has few neutral voices, said Karthik Ramanna, a professor of public policy at the University of Oxford, pointing to former Big Four accountants who take roles with the regulatory bodies. Alumni abound. A number of former partners at the Big Four firms sit on committees at the Financial Reporting Council, the U.K.s industry watchdog. Anne Whitaker, former head of audit and risk partner for EYs U.K. financial services practice, chairs the FRCs Audit Quality Review committee. John Hitchins, who spent 26 years as a partner at PwC, mostly specializing in bank audit and advisory services, and former KPMG partner Sean Collins, also sit on the conduct committee with her. Paul George, who up until this year was the FRCs executive director for corporate governance for 16 years, had previously been a partner at KPMG for 17 years, according to his LinkedIn entry. The FRC said it has strict rules about members or former members of the profession sitting on its committees and is transparent on such matters. The law requires that no accountant or auditor can sit on a regulatory board within three years of leaving the profession, it said via email. Michael-John Albert, who works on the delivery of audits at EY, and Veronica Poole, a senior partner at Deloitte, are members of the FRCs corporate reporting council, an advisory panel without decision-making power. Councils include current professionals to give up-to-date insights, and are subject to the same conflict of interest rules, the FRC said. Still, the influence of industry members is a force, experts say. They have become very big political operators and have captured the regulatory process, City Universitys Shah said. EYs German unit said that Wirecard provided false confirmations and statements about escrow accounts and that even the most robust and extended audit procedures may not uncover a collusive fraud. All of the firms have grappled with their own scandals in the last decade, many of which remain under investigation. Last month, the FRC reprimanded KPMG after the firm admitted shortcomings in three years of work for a client, which had to restate its distributable reserves twice. The U.K. watchdog last week ordered a probe into PwC and EYs work for defunct London Capital & Finance Plc. Last year, Deloitte was fined 4.3 million pounds ($5.3 million) for its failure to properly audit the accounts of a unit of Serco Group Plc. The FRC already said in April that its plans to force a split of the Big Fours accounting and advisory units had been put on hold because of the coronavirus outbreak. Last week it said its now going to move forward with the plan to achieve operational separation of audit practices, and would implement that plan as soon as next year. Accounting experts are skeptical. Virus Impact A few months ago the threat of seismic government action seemed more credible but Covid has put a pause to that for now, said Michael Willis, director of the University of Cambridges master of accounting degree program. I dont think well see a lot of regulatory change in the short run because of the Covid volatility. There is precedent. When Enron, the worlds largest energy trader, collapsed in a fraud of as much as $40 billion in 2001, Arthur Andersen was convicted for obstruction of justice before the conviction was unanimously overturned by the Supreme Court in 2005. Still, it became the first large global accounting firm to be shut down and the Big Five became the Big Four. Post-Covid, if the world settles down to a world of tranquility, then its doable, said John Gilligan, director of the Said Finance Lab in Oxford, and a former partner at Deloitte. But if youre sailing a ship in a storm, you need to bring it into anchor in harbor before you can do any repairs. With assistance from Karin Matussek. Copyright 2021 Bloomberg. A plaintiffs attorney cannot avoid a showdown with a cruise line at the federal courthouse in Miami simply by pleading the case as an action that does not require the courts jurisdiction under admiralty law, a federal appellate court ruled Tuesday. The 11th Circuit Court of Appeals reversed, vacated and remanded a decision by U.S. District Court Judge Ursula Ungaro that found the court had no jurisdiction to hear Carmela DeRoys lawsuit against Carnival Corp. That ruling, if upheld, would have allowed the claim to proceed to state court and a possible jury trial. DeRoys attorney, M. Benjamin Murphey, filed the suit as an in personam action to get around a forum-selection clause in Carnivals passenger agreement that requires federal courts to hear any disputes when federal jurisdiction applies to the claim. The legal term refers to a courts jurisdiction over a person, as opposed to property. Admiralty law is derived from the federal courts jurisdiction over seafaring vessels. It was a creative effort, the 11th Circuit panel said in its opinion. But DeRoys proposed loophole does not exist, so she cannot escape the forum-selection clauses ironclad consequences. The injury that prompted the lawsuit is not mentioned until the 13th page of a 16-page complaint: DeRoy was injured when she tripped over a dip in the carpeting on the 6th deck of Carnivals Valor cruise ship. Murphey said his client suffered an orthopedic injury. Much of the rest of the complaint presents arguments as to why the U.S. Court for the Southern District of Florida has no jurisdiction. We all know the state of play, Murphey said in a telephone interview. If Im going to have to fight somebody, I want to fight where the terms are best for me. The complaint that Murphey wrote on DeRoys behalf says that federal courts have for many years failed to understand that passengers dont have to file claims against cruise lines under admiralty law. Court decisions have confused the concepts of forum, subject-matter jurisdiction, personal jurisdiction, claims presented and applicable law, the suit says. Murpheys law firm, Lawlor White & Murphey in Fort Lauderdale, represented some of the plaintiffs in those lawsuits. In DeRoys case the firm argued that the federal court lacked jurisdiction. DeRoy is a Florida resident and Carnival is headquartered in South Florida, so theres no diversity, the suit argues. The courts jurisdiction under admiralty law doesnt apply because the suit was filed in personam, the complaint says. The 11th Circuit didnt agree. The panels opinion notes that DeRoy had also pursued a lawsuit in state court. The Florida Third District Court of Appeal, which has jurisdiction, has ruled that the forum-selection clauses in Carnivals passenger agreements were enforceable in three previous decisions. The appellate court said the U.S. Supreme Court concluded in a 1991 decision that cruise lines have a special interest in clarifying where they can be sued, since their business involves transporting passengers through many jurisdictions. In short, the forum-selection clause does not contain the loophole DeRoy urges, the court said in conclusion. To the contrary, it serves as a moat around the federal-court forum, ensuring that claims where federal jurisdiction could lie, if litigated at all, stay in federal court. NILAND, Calif. A wind-driven wildfire destroyed homes and forced evacuations as it tore through a rural Southern California desert town near the Salton Sea, authorities said Monday. In the meantime, residents who evacuated because of a wildfire in Utah returned to their homes, while firefighters continued to battle a wild land blaze near Tuscon, Arizona. The Southern California fire erupted Sunday evening in Niland, a small and poor agricultural community about 100 miles (160 kilometers) from San Diego. Damage was still being assessed but the current estimate was 20 homes destroyed and about 130 people displaced, said Linsey Dale, a spokeswoman for Imperial County. The American Red Cross Southern California Southern California Region said it was working to provide shelter. Its very devastating in that area right now, Dale said. Niland, population about 1,000, is located at the north end of an agricultural region that stretches south to the U.S.-Mexico border. The fire was pushed by strong winds, forcing evacuation of the entire township. Every local fire truck and firefighting team responded and firefighting help also came from elsewhere. The fire is the latest blow to Californias Imperial County, which has been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic. More than 500 patients have been moved to hospitals in other counties over the past five weeks to relieve strain on the countys healthcare system. In southern Arizona, more than 1,000 firefighters battled a wildfire in extremely windy conditions in the Santa Catalina Mountains that has closed a state park and forced evacuations northeast of Tucson. The fire sparked by lightning more than three weeks ago has now burned across more than 167 square miles (432 square kilometers) . It was estimated Monday morning to be 45% contained. No one has died and no structures have been damaged but seven minor injuries have been reported since the fire broke out June 5. Most of Arizona was under a red-flag warning Monday due to extreme fire danger. Winds are expected to gust up to 40 mph (64 kph) in dry conditions with low humidity. The weather service is telling us this could be one of the windiest days in the Tucson area in years, incident commander Aaron Thompson said Monday. Crews were focused Monday on protecting radio towers on Mount Lemmon. The nearby community of Summerhaven was among those areas under evacuation orders. Residents in the southern Catalinas between Catalina Highway milepost 3 and Redington Road also were given evacuation orders Sunday night. Sabino Canyon, Bear Canyon, Catalina State Park and part of Catalina Highway remain closed. In Utah, residents of Saratoga Springs were allowed to return home Monday after wildfire prompted the evacuation of about 3,100 homes. The fire destroyed one home and damaged 12 others Sunday, city officials said Monday. The blaze had spread to nearly 19 square miles (49 square kilometers) and was 25% contained Monday afternoon. The Knolls Fire started south of the community on the shore of Utah Lake on Sunday. in strong winds and heat. Meanwhile, a wildfire sparked by fireworks in the Lehi area forced out residents of houses and an apartment building early Sunday before crews managed to turn back the blaze as it encroached on a neighborhood, officials said. A suspect was cooperating with law enforcement, Utah Fire Info said in a tweet. Fireworks are prohibited in the area. Strong wind gusts had been reported in the area as the Traverse Fire grew to about 450 acres (200 hectares) before it was completely contained Monday. About the photo: This Sunday, June 28, 2020 photo provided by El Centro Fire Department shows a wildfire burning through a section of Niland, Calif. A wind-driven wildfire has destroyed about 20 homes and forced evacuations as it tore through the rural town of Niland in the Southern California desert near the Salton Sea. Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. William Russell Allton was born in Dewey, Oklahoma on April 25, 1931 to Russell Frank and Alice Mae (Steffens) Allton. He attended school in Claremore and graduated with the class of 1948. On August 26, 1949 Bill married Jimmie Louise Reed and the couple made Tulsa home for the first 25 year CLEVELAND, Ohio Cleveland City Council on Wednesday approved spending up to $2 million to refit the citys 200-plus buildings to make them safer for workers and the public during the coronavirus crisis. Mayor Frank Jackson also signed the legislation, which allows the city to buy materials such as dividers, barriers, signs, no-touch hand-washing stations, temperature sensors and disinfecting equipment. It also authorizes the city to hire contractors to do the work. The $2 million covers just the initial portion of work, Sharon Dumas, Jacksons finance director and acting chief of staff, told City Council. The money is part of a $31 million federal grant Cleveland was awarded to help cope with the pandemic. Cleveland now will seek bids for the work and the materials, Dumas said in an email. That contrasts with the no-bid process that Cuyahoga County Executive Armond Budish is using to award similar work at the county using federal aid. In June, the County Council approved the Budish administrations plan to award $15 million to make coronavirus-related modifications to county buildings. To select the eight contractors getting the work, the administration used what it described as a better and faster process that involved the scoring of qualifications, proposals and costs, but no sealed bids containing the companies lowest prices for the work. The county said then it opted for the expedited process due to concerns about meeting a Dec. 31 deadline to spend the federal aid. Money unspent by that date must be returned to the federal government. Good-government advocates, including Common Cause Ohio, contend that competitive bidding helps ensure taxpayers get the best deals for their money and avoids as much as possible having politics influence the awarding of contracts. Clevelands legislation specifically requires a competitive bidding process, though Dumas, via email, said the city likely will expedite matters, perhaps shortening the window during which bids may be submitted. The work will allow Cleveland to reopen offices that have been shuttered for months. Cleveland has more than 200 buildings scattered across the city. City Hall has remained closed since mid-March, when Jackson ordered employees to work remotely. Offices are still operating, but access by the public is limited to online communications and use of drop boxes on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Dumas recently told City Council that the administration hoped it could reopen the building sometime in July. But before that can happen, offices will need to be refitted for safety and procedures likely will be implemented to control how many people are in the building at one time. More from Cleveland City Hall Jackson administration wont say if it stands by Cleveland police chiefs claim that protesters breached Justice Center TSA, city investigating new case of driver crashing through perimeter fence at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport Spike in Cleveland coronavirus cases rooted in days immediately after May 30 protest and a rise in social activity Social unrest will continue unless society addresses systemic inequities, disparities and racism, Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson warns Messianic church in Israel wins restraining order in case against anti-evangelism group Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment A Messianic Jewish congregation of about 350 people in Israel has won a restraining order against members of an anti-evangelism organization that it says has for years harassed the congregation and even damaged its property. Pastor Israel Pochtar of Congregation Beit Hallel based in Ashdod, said in a statement that the congregation has faced a targeted persecution campaign lead by the Orthodox Jewish anti-missionary organization Yad LeAchim. The campaign, he said, began in 2011 when a mass demonstration was organized and busloads of protesters demonstrated outside the church. Pochtar said some rabbis even encouraged further actions against us. It has been nine years of systematic oppression, harassment and outright persecutions on many levels, fuelled by a hate-campaign led by Yad Le-Achim where they have called time and time again for actions against us, declaring their goal is to stop our work completely and drive us out of the city, the pastor explained. Their systematic and targeted harassment has filtered down to many areas affecting directly our congregation and ministry. According to Pochtar, a judge recently determined that Yad Le-Achim and anyone on their behalf is not allowed to come within 100 meters (328 feet) of our building. Pochtar said they've been inundated by activists who gather at churchs property on a weekly basis to intimidate worshipers. These protesters have filmed congregants as they walked into services, intimidated children and blocked the entrance, which has led confrontations. Weve had police called many times, and it has been complicated to get them to protect our rights, until now when we finally have the course resolution, he wrote. They have vandalized our property, causing us great financial damages. They were caught on camera doing that and yet the authorities didnt do anything to protect us. Pochtar said protesters are also now forbidden from filming or photographing people who attend services. Additionally, he said protesters are required to obtain permits from city hall and the police before they can organize a demonstration outside the church. This is such a significant victory and breakthrough for not only Beit Hallel Congregation, but for all local believers in Israel, Pochtar wrote. It is so crucial to stand against injustice, especially when you know your rights and the law is on your side. We have to prepare our horses for battle, so we can see Gods victory in the lives of all local Israeli believers who face religious oppression every day simply for their faith in Yeshua. Ludmila Zakharchuk, a lawyer for Congregation Beit Hallel, confirmed the court order to Kehila, a news organization that covers the Messianic Christian community. We won the court case just a few days ago, Zakharchuk was quoted as saying. They harassed us for so long. We filed dozens of complaints with the police and nothing happened so eventually we went to court. The court order comes as Messianic believers, those who believe in Christ as Messiah but hold to traditional Jewish traditions, have faced opposition to their outward expressions of faith from activists and groups like Yad Le-Achim. Yad Le-Achim is said to be responsible for waging a six-month campaign urging Israeli media authorities to shut down GOD TVs new Hebrew-language channel Shelanu, which sought to broadcast Messianic Jews sharing their faith in Christ. The Israeli government announced on Sunday that it ordered Shelanu to stop broadcasting because of allegations the network hid a missionary agenda when it applied for a television license. Yad Le-Achim praised the decision as a huge victory for Yad LAchim. Pochtar said that Yad LAchim members have also used their influence to exert pressure on his congregation from within city hall. [T]hey have been able to get our permit to operate our humanitarian work from our new building revoked, Pochtar said. Hundreds of families in need have suffered as a result of that, our work had to be restructured so that we are able to continue operating our humanitarian outreach despite the obstacles. Pochtar said that Yad Le-Achim also used its influence with the local Ministry of Interior Affairs in Ashdod to question the residency and citizenship status of several of the families that attend Beit Hallel. [O]ne of them is our Associate Pastor Eitan and his wife, Yulia, who has been denied any kind of status and almost deported, despite Eitan having citizenship, Pochtar explained. Theyve had to seek legal advice from a lawyer to help their case; something that is out of reach for most people. All the avenues they have used in order to hurt, oppose, hinder and outright stop us and our work has been arbitrary and systematic, Pochtar added. They have not made it a secret and publicly called the entire Orthodox community to join forces with them in order to cleanse the city from our presence, using any means possible SEVEN HILLS, Ohio -- One of Fire Chief Jamie Meklemburgs admitted pet peeves is the condition of the citys fire hydrants. Ever since I started in Seven Hills earlier this year, the state of our fire hydrants is really kind of eating at me a little bit, Meklemburg said. We had a lot of different projects -- street and sewer -- over the years. So when Cleveland Water comes in and places the new hydrants, a lot of times they havent been painted. The ones that have been painted throughout the city arent in the best shape, so Im kind of hoping to get some buy-in from our community. The idea is to help us beautify their neighborhoods because -- believe it or not -- the freshly painted hydrants make the street look a lot better, he said. The Fire Department recently announced its Adopt-A-Hydrant program, which Meklemburg said was actually an idea proposed by a local family seeking a project to spruce up their street. Due to COVID-19, this is actually the first project Ive had a chance to roll out, Meklemburg said. So far, so good. Were looking for residents that would like to adopt three or four fire hydrants in their neighborhood to keep them clear of weeds, trash and snow. All participants will be presented with a certificate of recognition from the fire department after completion. The Adopt-A-Hydrant program finds Sherwin Williams offering the city a 50 percent discount on paint and supplies, with Seven Hills Health and Rehab Center agreeing to pick up any costs. Residents interested in participating in the Adopt-A-Hydrant program can email or call the Seven Hills Fire Department at 216-524-3321. Were handing out brushes and a quart of paint, which is enough for three hydrants, Meklemburg said. Its really a great project for kids. As far as the colors, the chief said the hydrant trunks will be painted red, with the caps and top dark gray. The result is an homage to not only the colors of the Seven Hills ambulances, but also The Ohio State University Buckeyes. Thats the colors were going with, Meklemburg said. I want them to be Buckeyes colors. And if there are any Michigan fans, Im not sorry. There are roughly 925 hydrants throughout Seven Hills, with the fire chief hoping to get 200 adopted this year and all of them painted by next summer. Overall, he said the program will have a positive impact on the community. In my mind, taking pride in the little things makes a huge difference, Meklemburg said. Mayor Anthony D. Biasiotta agreed. Its exactly this kind of civic involvement that makes Seven Hills a great place to live and work. Contributions day in and day out from our residents never cease to amaze me. Read more news from the Parma Sun Post. CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The state of Ohio has confirmed that 64 more Clevelanders have been infected with COVID-19 coronavirus, Mayor Frank Jacksons administration reported Tuesday. The daily total pushed the citys spiking 7-day average for daily new cases above 50 cases per day. One case previously attributed to Clevelands total has determined to be a non-Clevelander. That case now is part of Cuyahoga County Board of Healths totals. The new cases raise Clevelands total confirmed cases to 2,351. Seventy-five deaths in Cleveland have been linked to the virus. Since mid-June, the daily case average, based on a 7-day rolling average, has more than quadrupled to more than 50 cases a day. The average was slightly less than 11 cases per day on June 16. Cleveland Department of Public Health has identified 473 probable case. Those cases lifted the citys total caseload to 2,824. Those infected have ranged in age from less than 1 year old to more than 100 years old. Eighteen percent of those cases required hospitalization, according to the Cleveland Department of Public Health. Fifty-four percent of the cases involve women. About 60% of all those infected are African American. About 16% are white. Asian residents comprise about 1% of the cases. Race is unknown for 15% of the cases. The Cleveland Department of Public Health will work to identify any people who were in close contact with the newly confirmed patients to determine who now would require testing or monitoring for symptoms of COVID-19. At least 51,789 people have confirmed or probable coronavirus to date, the Ohio Department of Health said Monday, up from 743 a day earlier. The Ohio case figure includes at least 2,863 confirmed or probable deaths, up 45 from Mondays state report. This is over twice as high as the 21-day average of deaths of 21. The increase in cases and deaths doesnt necessarily mean they all occurred in the past 24 hours. There is some lag time between when they occur and when local entities notify the state. The figures to watch are hospitalizations and intensive-care unit admissions, which indicate serious cases, some of which can lead to death. Ohio is testing more people but Ohio physicians -- as well as Gov. Mike DeWine -- say the surge cant be blamed on increased testing alone. The state reported 6,694 cases in Cuyahoga County as of Monday. There were 352 deaths reported. The Centers for Disease Control and Preventions updated tally on Tuesday reported 2,581,229 cases and 126,739 deaths in the United States. Those numbers tend to lag other reporting sites. Johns Hopkins University of Medicine reported that as of Tuesday evening 2,629,372 people had become infected with the coronavirus. By its tally, deaths in the United States totaled 127,322. More from Cleveland City Hall Social unrest will continue unless society addresses systemic inequities, disparities and racism, Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson warns Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson approves final piece of $100-million incentive package for Sherwin-Williams headquarters Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson OKs ban on new dollar stores while city considers new regulations Clevelands bill for overtime pay tops $3M for quelling May 30 rioting, follow-up security and cleanup PUT-IN-BAY, Ohio Officials with the Toledo-Lucas County Health Department and Ottawa County Health Department say several people who recently visited bars and restaurants at Put-in-Bay have tested positive for the COVID-19 coronavirus, according to reports. WTVG Channel 13 reports at least seven people have tested positive. Six people are from Lucas County and one from Ottawa County, the Sandusky Register reports. All of the people visited Put-in-Bay between June 17 and 21. The Port Clinton News Herald reports that the people who tested positive visited the Commodore Hotel, Mr. Eds and The Mist. Anyone who was at those locations from June 17 to 21 is being asked to self-quarantine for 14 days. The virus can spread when people are in close proximity to each other and not wearing face coverings, Nancy Osborn, Ottawa County Health Commissioner, said in a news release to the News Herald. The public must understand the importance of personal responsibility and take the vital steps to protect themselves and others from the unnecessary transmission of COVID-19. Osborn tells the Register that her department has receiving reports that businesses are not using due diligence to maintain social distancing among customers. A DJ shared this photo of his gig last night in Put In Bay, lockdown part 2 dead ahead. pic.twitter.com/eU569NT4Pl bridget d. ginley (@bridgetDginley) June 28, 2020 They have assured us they will change their practices, Osborn said. We are monitoring what their practices are. Put-in-Bay Mayor Jessica Dress released a statement saying the majority of businesses have complied with state requirements, including employees wearing masks, limiting capacity and implementing the highest level of cleaning standards. We ask that visitors help us do the same, Dress said. As one of the only regular Ohio summer destinations open for business, we have seen record numbers of people on the island and want to continue serving all of them in the safest way possible. CLEVELAND, Ohio Ohio experienced a decrease in the mortality rate for the coronavirus over the past three months, but younger people account for an increasing percentage of new infections, according to data from MetroHealth. The mortality rate for the virus that causes COVID-19 has declined from 8.6 percent in April to 5.2 percent in May and a projected 2.2 percent in June, according to data released Tuesday. The largest drop in the mortality rate is among people age 60 or older; 23 percent of the cases from that age range died in April, but only 7.4 percent are projected to die in June. Declines in deaths and hospitalizations among older people are the result of a combination of factors, including earlier testing for the virus and steroid treatments that have helped hospitalized patients. But its largely an indication that older Ohioans have taken precautions such as social distancing, wearing face masks and frequently washing and sanitizing their hands, MetroHealth President and CEO Dr. Akram Boutros said. The elderly population, the highest-risk people, have continued to follow the protocols by being socially distant and wearing masks, Boutros said. Healthcare workers and government officials have also done a better job at preventing outbreaks in nursing homes, Boutros said. The most recent data from the Ohio Department of Health shows nursing home patients account for roughly 70 percent of all coronavirus deaths in the state. Even still, older Ohioans remain significantly more likely to be hospitalized or die after being infected, the data says. MetroHealth is projecting a 0.1 percent mortality rate for people under the age of 40 this month, and a 0.5 percent mortality rate for people ages 40 to 59. Coronavirus cases have surged over the past two weeks in Ohio, reaching a high of nearly 1,000 new infections on Friday. But MetroHealth projects the increase will not overwhelm hospitals if Ohioans continue to take precautions against the virus, Boutros said. The epidemic is not under control, and its not out of control. Things have not really changed, Boutros said. We continue to need to observe social distancing, wear a mask and use common sense. Younger people are accounting for a larger percentage of new coronavirus infections in Ohio, MetroHealth data shows. (Courtesy MetroHealth) Percentage of cases under age 40 increase The increase in new cases in Ohio coincides with a sharp increase in the percentage of coronavirus cases attributed to people under the age of 40. That age range accounted for 56 percent of the states new coronavirus infections over a two-week period ending June 28, compared to just 27 percent for the two-week period ending April 5. The trend is not limited to Ohio, which is among 35 states that have seen an increase in cases over the past 14 days, according to data from The New York Times. Coronavirus cases are surging Arizona, California, Florida and Texas, and data shows young people are making up a growing percentage of new cases in many areas. While younger people are much less likely to die or even be hospitalized if theyre infected, they should be cautious because they could spread it to parents or grandparents, particularly over the upcoming Fourth of July holiday, Boutros said. You may be safe, and you may have low likelihood of getting hospitalized or dying. But if they get it, they still have high risk, he said. The rate of coronavirus infections resulting in hospitalizations has declined over the past three months in Ohio, according to data from MetroHealth. (Courtesy MetroHealth) Rate of hospitalizations has decreased The state has quadrupled its coronavirus testing over the past three months, and is now testing nearly 20,000 people per day. The rate of positive tests has plateaued near 5 percent over the past month, according to the data. Boutros said some of those results may be false positives because the state is now allowing asymptomatic people to be tested, so the actual positivity rate may be closer to 4 percent. Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine warned Monday that the spike in new cases cannot be blamed on an increase in testing alone, because hospitalizations for COVID-19 have also increased as of late. The Cleveland, Cincinnati and Dayton areas have all seen cases rise, DeWine said at a news conference. While hospitalizations have increased amid the recent spike, the overall rate of coronavirus infections resulting in hospitalizations has declined, according to MetroHealth. Just 10.7 percent of cases are projected to result in hospitalizations this month, compared to 16.2 percent in April. The increasing percentage of cases involving young people has helped reduce the hospitalization rate, but its not the only factor. People over age 60 were hospitalized in nearly 30 percent of coronavirus cases in April, but that has dipped to roughly 26 percent in June. An increase in testing has helped healthcare workers identify new cases sooner so they can be treated at home, Boutros said. Were now taking care of people earlier, Boutros said. Theyre getting less sick. A spike in new infections Last month, MetroHealth projected an increase in new coronavirus cases as Ohio lifted its stay-at-home order and eased other restrictions put in place to limit the spread of the virus. The resulting increase in person-to-person contact made an increase in cases inevitable, but MetroHealth projected the rise would not overwhelm hospitals. The hospital system projected new coronavirus cases would reach a high near 900 at the end of May but drop below 200 by the middle of June. In reality, new coronavirus cases did decrease near the middle of the month. But they have surged over the past two weeks, reaching a high of nearly 1,000 on Friday. A [younger] swath of the population are not social distancing, and you see their numbers are rising at a very rapid rate, Boutros said. It would be great if they continued to follow the advice of wearing masks and social distancing and cease having indoor activities that seem to be creating the spread, but I prefer it to be them than the [older population] who have a higher mortality rate. Cleveland Public Health Director Merle Gordon said Monday that the citys spike in cases can be traced to June 3 or 4. Those dates coincide with the lifting of a curfew for the downtown and Ohio City areas, which the city restricted access to after a riot broke out during a May 30 protest of the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati and Dayton are among the Ohio cities where Black Lives Matter protesters took to the streets earlier this month. However, a study by the National Bureau of Economic Research did not find a link between the protests and a spike in cases. Read more from cleveland.com: Mapping Ohios 51,046 coronavirus cases, plus latest case, death, hospitalization trends 1,745 Ohio nursing home patients now dead with coronavirus; 71% of all known Ohio COVID-19 deaths MetroHealth projects rise in coronavirus cases as Ohio reopens, but that social distancing will keep uptick from overwhelming hospitals COLUMBUS, OhioAs the number of coronavirus cases rises in Ohio and around the country, increasing attention has been paid to the role of bars in spreading the disease. Some bars have become the source of COVID-19 outbreaks including one Michigan bar that has been linked to more than 100 cases of the virus. Several people who recently visited bars and restaurants at Put-in-Bay have tested positive. Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Texas, and parts of California, all of which allowed bars to reopen weeks ago, have now ordered them shut again as the number of new coronavirus cases surges upward, especially in the South and West. Should Ohio do the same thing? Every bar is different, of course, but many bars are ideal places to spread the coronavirus: patrons crowd in enclosed areas to socialize with each other and drink alcohol, which often results in them lowering their guard and not wearing masks as they become increasingly inebriated. Seats and stools are often bolted to the floor, so they cant be spread out. People are sitting very close together. Theyre talking loudly to talk over music, which projects the virus. Theyre interacting with people that they may not know, said Dr. Robert Siegel, a Stanford University professor of microbiology and immunology. Bars seem to sort of violate all of the things that we know are useful in protecting us. Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nations top infectious-disease expert, offered similar thoughts before a U.S. Senate panel on Tuesday. Bars really not good. Really not good, Fauci said during testimony before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. Weve really got to stop that right now when you have areas that are surging like we see right now. In Ohio, bars and restaurants were closed in mid-March until Gov. Mike DeWines administration allowed them to reopen on May 15 for outdoor service, followed by indoor service a week later. DeWine is set to provide an update on his latest plans at a briefing Thursday, but closing bars is not on the agenda, said spokesman Dan Tierney. Administration officials are always monitoring the data and seeing what its telling us, he said. Tierney noted that what constitutes a bar can be pretty broad -- anything from an Applebees to a nightclub to a dive bar. Eating and drinking establishments in the Buckeye State still have to follow a lengthy list of health rules, including requiring patrons to remain seated at least six feet apart from other groups. But as news and social-media reports make clear, those rules are frequently ignored. In addition, several Ohio bars argued in a lawsuit filed last month that its difficult for them to enforce the rules, as they have no legal authority to order patrons to remain seated or apart from each other. Even more ridiculous is the requirement that plaintiffs ask patrons not to enter if they are symptomatic of COVID-19, the lawsuit states. How can a non-medical doctor be expected to diagnose a patron standing in line waiting to get in? And then, if once in, if the bar patron is found to be infected with COVID-19, be subject to criminal liability for failure to diagnose? But the bars lawsuit doesnt seek to have the state force them to close again. It instead aims to lift the health regulations that they must follow after reopening. In general, the bar and restaurant industry argues that if they arent allowed to remain open, many of them will have to shut their doors permanently. An Ohio Restaurant Association survey released Tuesday found that 68% of Ohio restaurants expect to lose money in 2020 and more than 71 percent have seen sales drop compared to last year. The devastation to our industry can NOT be overstated, the ORA stated in an April 18 update. The ORA believes when owners and managers take responsibility, and when guests do their part to respect those policies, bars and similar businesses can successfully remain open, group spokeswoman Homa Moheimani said in an email. While some safety measures may be more challenging to implement in a bar environment, the Ohio Restaurant Associations bar owner members have made the same commitment as our restaurant owners to do what is needed to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, Moheimani stated in an email. She also noted that the ORA has created the Ohio Restaurant Promise, a voluntary program in which eateries pledge to abide by a number of anti-coronavirus steps, Andrew Herf, executive director of the Ohio Licensed Beverage Association, a group representing liquor permit holders in the state, said absolutely people should feel safe going to bars if proper guidelines are followed. Herf said that while some other states just set maximum capacities for bars, Ohios guidelines are more extensive. On top of that, Herf said many bars are going far beyond the state health rules some put shower curtains or plexiglass between tables, and one bar owner even set up ultraviolet lights to try to kill any lingering viruses on indoor surfaces. Herf said hes heard the concerns about bar staffs ability to force patrons to follow the guidelines, and he recommends that bar owners talk with their customers as they come in. I think what we have found, for the most part -- the people that want to support their local business dont want to be the reason that the local business gets shut down, Herf said. And if one thing that you can do is not stand up with your drink because the bar owner gets in trouble, I think a lot of patrons now, they understand that. One measure that can help mitigate the spread of coronavirus is having bar patrons only drink on outdoor patios, instead of staying inside. That would be super helpful, Siegel said, so long as people remain separated and wear masks when not drinking. To that end, the Ohio Department of Commerce is allowing many bars to convert their parking lots into temporary outdoor patios. In addition, the Ohio House passed legislation last month to set up a permanent permitting system to allow customers to drink alcohol on parking lots and other outdoor areas immediately adjacent to their premises. The bill still needs the approval of the state Senate and DeWine to become law. But Dr. Adaora Adimora, a professor of medicine and epidemiology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, said many bars, especially in urban areas, dont have the space to provide adequate social distancing outdoors. Its not rocket science, Adimora said. What do you think is going to happen if you go sit in a bar, close to somebody else, in a relatively small space without a mask? One obvious way to mitigate the problem is for bargoers to stay home. But thats easier said than done given human nature especially for younger people, said Richard Petty, a psychology professor at Ohio State University. People are social animals. We are not isolated creatures -- we need human contact and connection, Petty said. And thats especially important in that younger age group when theyre still trying to figure out who they are and theyre making social connections -- they have a tight group of friends or theyre going to bars to to meet people. Petty compared people who go to bars to people who decide to drive drunk. Its a similar kind of mentality. Im invincible. Its fine. I can get home. Nothing will happen, Petty said. And of course, we know drunk drivers cause accidents. And they kill people who are innocent. Read more Ohio coronavirus stories: Ohio Senate sends Gov. Mike DeWine bill lessening penalties for violating coronavirus health orders, prompting likely veto Outdoor Ohio nursing-home visits can resume on July 20, Gov. Mike DeWine says Where are Ohios biggest coronavirus spikes? Gov. Mike DeWine is extending public health orders that were due to expire. Here is a list. Reopening guidelines for Ohio schools delayed again, to Thursday CLEVELAND, Ohio A 37-year-old Cleveland man was sentenced to life in prison Tuesday after pleading guilty to charges in connection with the 2019 shooting death of his girlfriends brother. Henry Stafford will not be eligible for parole for 17 years, Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Michael OMalley said. Stafford pleaded guilty in Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court to murder, intimidation of a crime victim or witness, and having weapons under disability. Prosecutors say Stafford shot and killed Christopher Eden, 35, at a home in the citys West Boulevard neighborhood in October 2019. Stafford reportedly covered his face, went into Edens room, and fired multiple shots at Eden while he was in bed. Eden died of his wounds at MetroHealth Medical Center. Stafford escaped and, days later, called his girlfriend and threatened to kill her, prosecutors say. He was arrested four days after the shooting occurred. More crime-related content on cleveland.com: Man points loaded gun at protesters in North Canton, police say Black Lives Matter mural in Cleveland vandalized; councilman decries message calling movement Marxist Cuyahoga County judge orders new trial for four men convicted of rape, citing fellow judges conversations with his wife about the case Driver on Ohio Turnpike in Summit County accused of trafficking heroin Elyria police search for shooting suspect after 2 seriously wounded CLEVELAND, Ohio - The Lodge at Geneva-on-the-Lake has started its Signature Immersion tour and wine shuttles. Led by Certified Wine Specialist Lauren Fiala, the weekend Signature Immersion tour takes wine lovers to three wineries. Cost is $75 and includes tastings, light appetizers, a gift bag including a treat from Mariannes Chocolates and keepsake glass. Saturday stops Debonne Vineyards, 7840 Doty Road, Madison: Private tasting with food pairing (light appetizer). South River Vineyard, 6062 South River Road, Geneva: Barrel tasting and private cellar tour. Kosicek Vineyards, 636 Ohio 534, Harpersfield: Tasting. Sunday stops Grand River Cellars, 5750 S. Madison Road (Ohio 528), Madison: Cave tasting with food pairing (light appetizer). Ferrante Winery, 5585 Ohio 307, Geneva: Tank sample, two samples at tasting bar and light cheese pairing. Laurello Vineyards, 4573 Ohio 307E, Geneva: Tasting, relaxation, live music. On the wine shuttle, guests visit three or four wineries at driver's discretion. A premium shuttle, which goes to four wineries, is $45. It departs 1:30 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 3:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday. The deluxe shuttle heads to three wineries and costs $35. It leaves at 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and also 11:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Shuttle costs do not include tastings or other services. Because of coronavirus restrictions, the tours and shuttle each operate with a capacity of eight guests, plus driver. Reservations and advance deposits are required for both the Signature Immersion tour and shuttles. Seating is limited. For details and reservations, call 440-466-7100, ext. 0. The Lodge at Geneva-on-the-Lake is at 4888 North Broadway (Ohio 534) in Geneva-on-the-Lake. (Photo courtesy Your Social Mask) Masks for eating and drinking on sale: Going out to a bar or restaurant but want to stay protected from coronavirus? Check out these masks that allow you to eat and drink without taking them off. I am on cleveland.coms life and culture team and cover food, beer, wine and sports-related topics. If you want to see my stories, heres a directory on cleveland.com. MASON, Ohio The mask hid the smile on my face as we hit 91 mph, pointed straight down Orions 300-foot first drop. Trust me, I was smiling. Kings Island, which opens to season passholders Thursday, unveiled its new steel behemoth this week, a super-smooth coaster with a space theme. The debut was delayed by three months, due to the coronavirus pandemic. The pandemic has necessitated numerous additional changes at Kings Island, Cedar Point and other amusement parks, including the mandatory wearing of face masks. Members of the media Wednesday were required to wear masks to participate in a preview event at Kings Island. I wore a mask for most of the four-hour event, including three rides on Orion. It felt secure and didnt bother me on the roller coaster at all. I barely knew it was there. Walking around wearing a mask in the blazing sun on an 87-degree day was another matter. Without question, the face covering made me hotter. But there were opportunities to take it off and cool down, at restaurants and mask-free RelaxZones located throughout the park. The mask requirement probably wouldnt keep me from going to an amusement park, but it might make me more selective about when I would go. Cool, overcast days would be my choice although with reservations now required to visit, it may be difficult to be so spontaneous. In addition to the mask requirement, Kings Island showcased several other new policies that will be in place starting Thursday. They also will be operational next week, when Cedar Point opens, on Thursday, July 9, to season passholders and on July 11 to resort guests. Among the changes: * Guests must fill out a simple, three-question health survey before arriving at the park (have you experienced any COVID-19 symptoms, been in direct contact with someone with COVID-19, or been told you may have COVID-19?); and submit to a temperature scan. * Signs and other markers have been placed throughout the park at restaurants, at games of chance, in ride queues and elsewhere encouraging guests to stay at least 6 feet apart from each other. If the group of journalists I was with is any indication, this will be a challenge. It seems second nature for people to bunch up together while waiting in line. All the more reason to keep that mask on. * The park added 600 new hand sanitizer dispensers, at ride entrance and exits, restaurants and elsewhere. A tent for temperature checks at the entrance to Kings Island. A mask-free RelaxZone at Kings Island. Signs on the ground encourage Kings Island guests to keep 6 feet apart from other park visitors. Ride crews will be sanitizing rides regularly, as well, according to Chad Showalter, director of communications for Kings Island. Crews at Orion were wiping down the trains perhaps every three ride cycles, a process that will undoubtably add to wait times. In addition, most rides will operate about half full to keep visitors from riding too close together. The lines for any new ride in any year are long, acknowledged Showalter. Its unclear how crowded the parks will feel once they are fully open. Showalter declined to say how many guests are expected Thursday for the parks first day of operation. At a press conference in June, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said both Kings Island and Cedar Point agreed to limit attendance to about 20% of capacity, at least to start. According to the Cedar Point website, between 10,000 and 12,000 guests will be admitted during the parks first weeks of operation in July. No doubt, Kings Island will draw plenty of coaster fanatics from outside of the region simply to experience Orion, one of the most anticipated new rides of 2020. The coaster is the worlds seventh giga-coaster, an industry term for a ride that features a 300-foot first hill or first drop. The coaster, designed by Swiss firm Bolliger & Mabillard, reminded me of a cross between Cedar Points Millennium Force the worlds first giga-coaster, with a 310-foot first hill and super-smooth GateKeeper, also designed by B&M. (Though Millennium Force retains the top spot on my list of best coasters.) The coaster anchors a newly themed area at the back of the park called Area 72, home to a research compound where scientists are investigating ways to transport humans to another planet. Orion is a prototype test vehicle. Kings Island season passholder Zahra Murphy said the coaster may be her new favorite ride at the park. It was so fast and so smooth, she said. Murphy, who sat behind me on Orion, quickly confirmed one question I had about wearing a mask on a coaster: It is possible to scream and loudly with a cloth covering your mouth. It was the only way I could get through it, she said, justifying the loud noises that came from the rear of the train. It was no problem screaming with a mask on. I had no problem screaming either. Trust me -- underneath my mask, I was one happy, smiling, screaming coaster fan. Orion anchors the new themed Area 72 at Kings Island. Kings Islands Orion coaster: By the numbers First hill: 287 feet First drop: 300 feet Top speed: 91 mph Length: 5,321 feet Height requirement: 54 inches Cost: About $31 million More information: Kings Island opens to non-passholders on July 12. Single-day tickets are $45. Reservations are required. See visitkingsisland.com Read more: Cedar Point opens reservation system for season passholders; park opens July 9 Cedar Point Shores wont open for 2020; Cedar Point announces reduced hours, no Fast Lane passes for sale Cedar Point, Kings Island, Kennywood, Waldameer prepare to reopen, with adjustments: Amusement park guide 2020 Cedar Points mask rule ignites firestorm of fan protests on social media CLEVELAND, Ohio The power management company Eaton, which employs 2,500 Ohioans, on Wednesday said it wants to do its part to slow climate change and become carbon neutral by 2030. The Dublin, Ireland-based company has a goal of reducing its carbon emissions by at least 50 percent in the next decade. It also aims to work with its partners to lower its indirect carbon emissions. These targets reflect our belief that corporations have a broader responsibility to society, and that includes helping halt the effects of climate change, said Eaton chairman and CEO Craig Arnold in a news release. We call upon companies around the world to join us in addressing this global emergency. The United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change said in a 2018 report that people have already increased the temperature of the earth by 1 degree Celsius above pre-industrial levels. The result is an increased frequency of severe weather, rising sea levels and a reduction in Arctic ice. Lake Erie has already felt the effects of climate change. Severe weather has caused erosion across Ohios farming fields. That means fertilizer runoffs into the Maumee River watershed and eventually into Lake Erie, where it nourishes toxic algal blooms. The globe is on track to warm by 1.5 degrees Celsius between 2030 and 2052 if nothing changes, the report says. If the planet heats above that threshold and warms 2 degrees Celsius, there would be disastrous consequences. Such an increase in temperature would decimate coral reefs and the Arctic Ocean sea ice would likely completely melt at least every decade. Keeping the warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius would reduce climate change and its effects on ecosystems and human health, but it requires rapid and far-reaching change across sectors including energy, industry and transportation, the report says. Human carbon emissions would need to decrease to 45 percent of 2010 levels by 2030. Eatons 2030 greenhouse gas targetsare also consistent with the challenge presented to corporations by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), Eaton said in a news release. The company wants to help keep the globes warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. The climate emergency we face is no longer an abstract issue for scientists to resolve, Arnold said in a news release. Its not a problem for our children or their children to confront. Its happening now, and its a crisis for every continent, every nation and every individual. If we act now, we still have time to minimize the impact of climate change, to limit the force and frequency of devastating natural disasters, and ultimately, to save lives. COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The Ohio Senate on Tuesday passed a bill decriminalizing violations of public health orders during an emergency, legislation that Republican Gov. Mike DeWine will veto, his spokesman says. Senate Bill 55 would make violating a health order a minor misdemeanor carrying a maximum $150 fine, with a warning for first-time offenders. Its currently a second-degree misdemeanor, which carries a penalty of up to 30 days in jail and a maximum $750 fine. The bill otherwise increases penalties for people convicted of dealing drugs near a treatment center. But the Ohio House, which like Senate is controlled by Republicans, added the language affecting health orders as an amendment to the bill last month. DeWine still intends to veto the bill, a spokesman reiterated Tuesday. Hes previously said he would veto any bill that would weaken his administrations ability to respond to the coronavirus. I dont understand why anyone would think this is a great time to be changing the law, to be taking away the power of the executive branch to protect people, DeWine said in May. Senate President Larry Obhof, a Medina County Republican, declined to say whether the Senate intends to try to override any veto from DeWine. Well save that conversation internally among the senators for another day. But its been part of a broader discussion that weve had, he said. The move is part of a series of steps the state legislature particularly the House has made to push back against coronavirus restrictions imposed by DeWine this year. The House last month also passed a bill that would require additional legislative approval for any emergency health orders, although the Senate rejected the changes. The Senate rejected a different House bill that would require state contact tracers to obtain written consent before conducting an interview with someone believed to have come into contact with someone infected with COVID-19. Read recent coverage by clevleand.com Ohio Senate rejects bill requiring written consent for coronavirus contact tracing, OKs symbolic DeWine rebuke DeWine to state legislature: I will veto any bill that prevents me from protecting Ohio Ohio House passes bill that would decriminalize violating coronavirus health order Ohio House Republicans move to limit Health Director Amy Actons authority Speaker Larry Householder has been a consistent critic of Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine during coronavirus response The Peoples Committee of Yen Bai province, the European Plastics Window Company Ltd (Eurowindow Holding) and the T&M Vietnam Investment JSC held a groundbreaking ceremony for the Melinh Plaza Yen Bai project in Yen Bai city on June 29. Leading officials of the province kick-starts construction on the project. This is one of the projects to mark the 120th founding anniversary of Yen Bai province (April 11, 1900-2020), and the 75th founding anniversary of the provincial Party organisation (June 30, 1945-2020). Melinh Plaza Yen Bai is built in Minh Tam ward, Yen Bai city by the T&M Vietnam Investment JSC an affiliate of the Eurowindow Holding. Secretary of provincial Party Committee and Chairwoman of provincial Peoples Council Pham Thi Thanh Tra and Chairman of provincial Peoples Committee Do Duc Duy present flowers to T&M Vietnam Investment JSC. Nguyen Canh Hong, Eurowindow Holding Vice Chairman, said that Yen Bai is a potential land for real estate projects as it is located at the gateway of the northwestern region and a central point in one of the key economic corridors Kunming-Lao Cai-Hanoi-Hai Phong. The project aims at bringing convenient and advanced products for Yen Bai residents, thus contributing to intensifying socio-economic development and creating a facelift for Yen Bai city and making it soon become a Tier-2 urban area. Chairman of provincial Peoples Committee Do Duc Duy speaks at groundbreaking ceremony. Vice Secretary of the provincial Party Committee and Chairman of the provincial Peoples Committee Do Duc Duy said that the project, once operational, will not only bring about huge interests for investors, but also create a highlight in Yen Bai citys urban development as well as in trade and service development in the city and the province at large./. Nigeria refutes Christian 'genocide' claims; charity says gov't 'spinning propaganda' Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Advocacy groups are refuting a statement released Sunday by the Nigerian presidency contending that international rights groups who say there is ongoing genocide against Christians in Nigeria received funding from a separatist organization. Garba Shehu, a spokesperson for Nigeria President Muhammadu Buhari, accused the Indigenous People of Biafra of spending $85,000 per month to fund an international smear campaign through nongovernmental organizations and media outlets in the United States and Europe. This statement from Buharis officials is to distract from their own incompetence or collusion with the perpetrators of genocide on the Christian communities in the North and Middlebelt parts of Nigeria, said Ann Buwalda, president of Jubilee Campaign USA, which advocates for ethnic and religious minorities. The Nigerian government has been facing increased international pressure to protect its citizens as thousands have reportedly been killed in recent years by Islamic extremist groups like Boko Haram in the northeast or ethnic herdsmen radicals who have launched several attacks on sleeping farming communities in the Middle Belt. Shehu claimed that organizations and lawmakers in both the U.S. and Europe are being duped by the IPOB into thinking that the government is implicit in the killing of Christians. He argued that IPOB is trying to drive a wedge between Nigeria and Western allies. A very deep and wide investigation by an agency of the Nigerian government working with international partners has found that there are two interconnected campaigns being run by IPOB, Shehu said. Both are using the cover of Christianity and calling for a U.S. Special Envoy to be appointed to stop the genocide of Christians in Nigeria. IPOB was founded in 2012 and seeks to restore the independent state of Biafra in eastern Nigeria. It is recognized as a terrorist organization in Nigeria. For reasons of convenience, [the groups leadership] claims to have an interest in the welfare of Christians but this is a ruse: the case for independence, the leader believes, is strengthened by proving the government of Nigeria is autocratic, engaged in a silent slaughter of their own citizens along religion and ethnic lines and that therefore the only viable option for the unique religious and ethnic minority is a sovereign Biafra separate from Nigeria. Shehu called the international media campaign divisive and said that available evidence suggests that the campaign has been funded with $85,000 in monthly spending since last October with no records of the source of this largesse. The campaign consists of producing articles in the names of the alleged Christian NGOs leaders (of campaign groups created at the time this PR contract with a US lobbying firm was signed) and letters to and from members of Congress to the White House, he said. Unfortunately, some Members of Congress have clearly been persuaded there is indeed a Christian persecution underway in Nigeria and do so quoting the campaign and they are known to be taking up the case directly with the White House to appoint the special envoy. Shehu complained that one American charity secured a meeting with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and made presentations to members of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom. Last December, the U.S. State Department added Nigeria for the first time to its special watch list of countries that engage in or tolerate severe violations of religious freedom. Shehu added that there is also a European angle to the campaign that is more opaque than its US sister campaign because there is less legal requirement for public filings. [W]hat is known of this at the moment is that their Budget is sufficient to hire four PR firms in the UK, Belgium, France and the US (the latter additional to the above), he noted, while pointing out that there was a debate held on Christian genocide in the U.K. House of Commons. Shehu accused IPOB of misusing the issue of the welfare of Christians purely to further their own political ends and of the international community to ignore this campaign. However, activists in the U.S. pushed back against the Buhari government's statement and assured that they have no connection with IPOB. Among several international organizations raising awareness of Christian persecution in Nigeria is Jubilee Campaign USA, which submitted data and research to the International Criminal Court last year arguing that the standard for genocide has been reached when it comes to violence against Christians in Nigeria. The Jubilee Campaign report focused mostly on the violence occurring in the Middle Belt of Nigeria and northern states, where thousands of Christians have been displaced by attacks from predominantly Muslim Fulani herdsmen and Islamic groups like Boko Haram. Buhari himself is an ethnic Fulani. Jubilee Campaign's Buwalda told The Christian Post that although the Biafra movement has also raised genocide concerns relating to their community in southeast Nigeria with the ICC, the movement is in no way associated with her organization. Jubilee Campaign USA has not had any contact with Biafra related persons, nor have we ever taken up the issue, she said. All of the Jubilee Campaign reports submitted to the ICC regarding the genocide issue has related to the Middle Belt and northern states. No one we have advocated for has ever mentioned separatism, she added. All the people we have advocated on behalf of have been pleading for help from the government of Nigeria their government and asked us to go to the ICC on account of the utter failure of the federal government of Nigeria to provide protection from the gross and systematic persecution the Christian community in those states who have suffered ..." Buwalda said that no one the Jubilee Campaign is aware of who has been advocating on the Nigeria issue has ever received a dime of funds from Biafra-related persons. Dede Laugesen, executive director of the U.S.-based advocacy group Save the Persecuted Christians, told CP that her organization has partnered with Mission Africa International, Jubilee Campaign, the Leah Foundation, the Nazarene Fund and other groups to press for a U.S. special envoy to Nigeria to address ongoing violence. President Buhari is spinning propaganda to suggest any of us are working with the IPOB, Laugesen stated. We support a strong, united, peaceful Nigeria something the IPOB opposes. We have not, and would not, coordinate with or take money from the secessionists of IPOB. We look forward to the day when all Nigerians live united in peace and security. Religious freedom and rule of law must be strengthened and defended at all levels of the Nigerian government. Laugesen stressed that corruption and radical Islamic agendas must be rooted out. Buhari has failed at both while the blood bath of Christians continues unabated and Islamic terrorist groups rampage, rape and murder with impunity, she stated. The overwhelming evidence is clear. Its time past time for the international community to intercede. According to Open Doors USA, the Biafra separatist movement based in Southeast Nigeria has also faced persecution. However, according to USCIRF's 2020 annual report, media reports indicated that members of IPOB attacked five Christians, including a priest, for holding a mass in defiance of IPOB orders to stay at home. Emeka Umeagbalasi, a Christian criminologist based in the southeastern Anambra state, an Igbo-dominated area that seceded as part of an independent Biafra in 1967, told CP that the presidency is obviously panicking and trivializing the ongoing genocide against Christians in Nigeria. Umeagbalasi heads a civil society organization called the International Society for Civil Liberties & Rule of Law (Intersociety), which regularly produces statistical reports on how many Christians have been killed in different acts of violence across Nigeria. Intersociety has estimated that over 11,500 Christians were killed between June 2015 and March 2020 in Nigeria. In a statement Tuesday, Intersociety explained that it has received support in the form of free professional resource donations, expert advice, technical assistance and individual cash donations or cash sums that are periodically and voluntarily donated by some concerned citizens who are usually less politically exposed persons. Other sources of income for Intersociety include periodic cash sums allocated by Umeagbalasi himself. Intersociety stressed that the organization has never received sponsorship from a foreign body or international grant sponsorships and stated that its advocacy campaigns regarding the killing of Christians in Southern Kaduna, Plateau and Benue were done free of charge "without group sponsorship." On the issue concerning the Presidencys allegation of international and IPOB sponsorship of Christian NGOs, we are not surprised, Intersociety said. It is a tragedy in Nigeria that those in the position of leadership are never interested in rendering leadership services, but to rapaciously enrich themselves through state coffers. ... [This] explain[s] why they see the legitimate activities and services rendered by independent bodies including rights and democracy NGOs as sponsored. Because every aspect of their public office dealings is heavily monetized or quantified in monetary terms, they see any other societal service as sponsored.'" Intersociety noted that Nigeria has in the past engaged in a war of words with international rights groups. There have been accusations that Amnesty International is sponsored by politicians who seek to damage Nigeria's reputation or that the organization is being taken advantage of by Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province. IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu issued a statement on Facebook Sunday stating that every dime the indomitable IPOB family worldwide contribute towards our liberation goes towards the dismantling of Nigeria and restoration of Biafra, I mean every dime. Once again, Nigerian Government has inadvertently confirmed that we spend big on our diplomatic offensive, Kanu wrote in the post. USCIRF Commissioner Johnnie Moore, who visited Nigeria to meet with victims earlier this year in his personal capacity, told CP that Nigeria "would be totally immune to this criticism if it simply did more to protect its most vulnerable citizens." "I believe Nigeria is absolutely capable of protecting its citizens if it chooses to do so, but so far its efforts have been inadequate," Moore said. "After all, no one including, the government itself denies that innocent people are dying throughout the country unnecessarily, and sometimes, daily. CLEVELAND, Ohio Amid spiking coronavirus cases in Montgomery County, Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley announced a mask requirement for everyone in the city. The announcement from Whaley comes on the heels of a surge in cases statewide, with newly confirmed cases in Ohio reaching more than 1,000 on Wednesday the highest count since April. Whaley, a Democrat, is the first mayor of a major Ohio city to require mask wearing in public. Southwest Ohio is driving much of the spike in coronavirus cases in the state, including a 66% increase in Montgomery County over the past two weeks. In a Wednesday press conference, Whaley said Dayton residents would be required to wear masks in public settings to help curb that spike. I know that, unfortunately, wearing a mask has become a political flash point, Whaley said. But I also know that masks save lives. Masks are incredibly effective in reducing the spread of this virus. Masks are a small sacrifice that we can all make to take care of one another and to keep our businesses open as we continue to weather this storm. Whaley said there will be exceptions, such as for children under 6 and people who are unable to wear masks because of medical conditions or developmental disabilities. Masks would not be required for activities where it would be prohibitive, such as swimming or a visit to the dentist. As part of the plan, the city distributed masks to businesses and other public places. The whole thought is if you go into a public space, there will be masks right there that are disposable, Whaley said. We have distributed, right now, 45,000 masks to do that. Whaley likened it to a no shoes, no shirt policy requiring some level of clothing in businesses. She said she did not envision authorities being the main enforcement mechanism, with business owners taking the lead. The measure is set to go before the Dayton City Council Wednesday night. Whaley said she has support from council members for its passage. It will take effect starting 8 a.m. Friday. Masks are one of the easiest and least invasive measures individuals can take to stop the spread of coronavirus. While they do not fully protect the wearer from inhaling the respiratory droplets carrying virus, they have been shown to stop the wearer from spreading the virus to others. But theyve become a politicized issue for some, with Republicans generally questioning mask wearing and the science behind it. Statehouse Republicans have especially ignored the warnings from health officials, with the majority of the Republican caucus choosing to not wear masks in a public setting. Allies of Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder have been particularly adversarial toward any mask requirement. Republican Gov. Mike DeWine is one of the few elected Republicans in the state who makes a point of routinely wearing a mask and advocating for the public to follow suit. He originally announced a mask requirement as part of the reopening process, though he buckled to political pressure just one day later, removing the order. At the time, he said the order would have gone too far and the public would not have accepted it. Masks are still required for employees statewide, with some exceptions. Its an appropriate and welcome response to increasing numbers of COVID-19 cases in their area, DeWine said in a statement. Masks are recommended by the CDC and medical professionals to help protect other people. Wearing a mask will allow us to help keep businesses open and help prevent further spikes. I encourage other communities to consider following Daytons lead. The governor is slated to give an update on revisions of state coronavirus orders on Thursday. Rotunda Rumblings Near and far: Ohio isnt the only state that looks competitive in the presidential race right now. As Seth Richardson writes, at least 10 high-profile states can firmly claim swing status, including some recent GOP strongholds, as dissatisfaction with President Donald Trumps handling of several crises continues. Ready for battle: If the polling wasnt enough of an indication that Ohio has turned into battleground territory for the 2020 election, the Trump campaigns decision to buy $18.4 million in network television advertising should be one, Richardson writes. The ad buy is hefty, especially for a state Trump won by 8 percentage points in 2016, and with other more closely contested states getting relatively less attention in the first round of purchases. Health order showdown: Gov. Mike DeWine will veto a bill the Senate approved Tuesday that would decriminalize violating an emergency health order, his spokesman says. As Andrew Tobias reports, Senate Bill 55 would remove the possibility of jail time and reduce the maximum fine for violating a health order from $250 to $150. The Senate agreed to the health-order language and other House amendments to the bill, which otherwise would escalate penalties for people convicted of selling drugs near a drug-treatment center. SB3 passes: The Ohio Senate on Tuesday approved Senate Bill 3, the sweeping criminal-sentencing reform bill that would reclassify most drug possession felonies as misdemeanors. Tobias reports the bill now is headed to the Ohio House after more than a year of formal hearings. Acquired immunity: In a party-line vote, Ohio Senate Republicans on Tuesday voted to approve House Bill 606, which grants businesses and health-care workers legal immunity from lawsuits alleging responsibility for spreading COVID-19. The Senate amended the bill, passed last month by the House, to remove Bureau of Workers Compensation protection guarantees for essential workers and first responders, arguing they were unnecessary. The bill now heads back to the House, which is not scheduled to meet for months, for a possible conference committee. Up and up: Tuesdays number of coronavirus cases, deaths, hospitalizations and ICU admissions are up, and higher than the 21-day averages, Laura Hancock reports. The only thing that hasnt risen is the number of people on ventilators. Wheres the spike in Ohio? Sixty-two of Ohios 88 counties have had more new coronavirus cases in the last two weeks than the two weeks before that. Wheres the spike? Mostly across southern Ohio, especially in heavily populated counties in and around Cincinnati and Dayton, Rich Exner explains in mapping it out for every county. Youth movement: The death rate for the coronavirus in Ohio has decreased as testing has become more widely available and officials take more precautions with vulnerable populations, Evan MacDonald reports. However, younger people are starting to account for a higher percentage of infections as the state reopens and people return to work. Piece of work? The Ohio unemployment system needs oversight and improvement, workers and advocates say, which is why theyre pressing the Ohio Senate to pass a bill that just advanced out of the House. In a virtual Tuesday press conference, they shared stories about waiting for their unemployment and falling behind on bills. Balancing the checkbook: State Treasurer Robert Sprague and the DeWine administration have merged two separate websites that detailed state government spending. As Andrew Tobias reports, the revamped OhioCheckbook.gov will combine features some overlapping of websites founded by former Gov. John Kasich and former Treasurer Josh Mandel. State officials say the state will save $900,000 by consolidating the sites. Im Mr. Brightside: Former Consumer Financial Protection Bureau director and Ohio Attorney General Richard Cordray argues in The Washington Post that Mondays U.S. Supreme Court ruling that invalidated the CFPB directors independent tenure was a sheep that comes in wolfs clothing because it left all other aspects of the agency in place. In fact, Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. pointedly noted that the CFPBs structure and duties remain fully operative without the offending tenure restriction, wrote Cordray. Cash back offer: Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost is co-signing onto state officials movement to order General Motors to fully refund the $60 million in state tax credits the automaker received for its now-shuttered Lordstown plant. Profit, it has long been said, is not a dirty word in Ohio. But a broken promise is, wrote Yost, a Columbus Republican, in a brief sent Tuesday to the Ohio Tax Credit Authority, which approved the tax credits to GM more than a decade ago. GM argued in a letter that being forced to repay the tax credits would be inconsistent with the spirit of economic development and our significant manufacturing presence in Ohio and the Mahoning Valley. Frosty the chairman: Cuyahoga County Republican Party Chairman Rob Frost will no longer serve in that role after Highland Heights Council President and Trump delegate Lisa Stickan succeeded in her Tuesday election bid, Richardson writes. Frost served 15 years in the post and his ouster brings some confusion to one of the largest county parties in the state just 125 days before the November election. Viva la revolution: Several county Republican parties are revolting against DeWine, upset with his handling of coronavirus, the Cincinnati Enquirers Scott Wartman reports. The Mercer, Darke, Shelby, Williams, Van Wert and Preble county parties signed a letter telling the Republican governor the damage you are doing economically is translating politically. Whether thats actually true is unknown given DeWines sky-high approval ratings. In 2018, he won each of those counties with more than 69% of the vote. Know when to Holder em: Democratic former U.S. Attorney General pledged $135,000 for Ohio statehouse candidates from his National Democratic Redistricting Committee aimed at ending Republican gerrymandering. Per a release from the organization, $85,000 will go to Ohio House of Representatives candidates and $50,000 will be in support of other candidates. Holders group poured some money into the state in 2018 as well. Its not easy being green: A plan that Democrats in the House of Representatives released Tuesday to address the climate crisis includes Toledo Democratic Rep. Marcy Kapturs proposal to reestablish a Civilian Conservation Corps. As Americans grapple with the economic fallout resulting from COVID-19, a federal jobs program like the Civilian Conservation Corps not only makes sense, it is desperately needed, said a statement from Kaptur. Full Disclosure Five things we learned from the Feb. 15 financial disclosure form of state Rep. Brian Baldridge, a Winchester Republican. 1. Aside from his legislative salary, Baldridge reported earning up to $999 from his agriculture business, Baldridge Bio-Research, and $50,000 to $99,999 as a firefighter and paramedic for Anderson Township. 2. Baldridge's investments include retirement funds through the Ohio Public Employees Retirement System and the Ohio Police and Fire Retirement System, stock in Procter and Gamble and a mutual fund through AXA Investments deferred compensation. 3. At some point in 2019, Baldridge owed more than $1,000 to First State Bank and Fifth Third Bank. 4. The Ohio House of Representatives reimbursed Baldridge $3,432 in travel expenses. Baldridge also received travel expenses of $141.50 from the Ohio Chamber of Commerce, $266.80 from the Ohio House Republican Organizational Committee and $66.70 from the House Republican Campaign Committee. 5. Baldridge amended his report to include a gift worth more than $75 from Friends of Householder. On the Move Kaitlyn Fillhart announced she is departing as state Rep. Niraj Antanis legislative aide to manage state Rep. Laura Laneses re-election campaign. Antanis new aide is Jordan Tidwell, who most recently served as public information clerk for the Ohio House clerks office. The Cuyahoga County Republican Party elected a full slate of officers on Tuesday: Central committee: Party chair Lisa Stickan Vice chair Chris Corrigan Treasurer Robert Bodi Assistant Treasurer Tierra Morrison Secretary Amanda Billy Executive committee: Executive director Donna Walker-Brown Vice chair Brad Lamb Treasurer Michael Thomas Assistant Treasurer Candice Miller Secretary Beverly Jones Birthdays State Sen. Hearcel Craig Blaine Kelly, former Ohio Republican Party communications director Straight From The Source One of the reasons Toledo has seen relatively little political corruption, historically, is because the public doesnt tolerate it either. These members of Council are entitled to their day in court, and they should be presumed innocent until proven otherwise. -Toledo Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz in a tweet after the FBI arrested four Toledo City Council members on bribery charges. Capitol Letter is a daily briefing providing succinct, timely information for those who care deeply about the decisions made by state government. If you do not already subscribe, you can sign up here to get Capitol Letter in your email box each weekday for free. WASHINGTON, D.C. - As President Donald Trump repeated threats to veto a defense spending bill because it contains language requiring name changes for military bases named for Confederate leaders, both of Ohios U.S. Senators said they back the name changes. In a Wednesday interview with Ohio reporters, Democratic U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown said it just amazes me that Trump would consider vetoing a bill that gives service members a raise and wont criticize one of the most despicable leaders in the world, Russian president Vladimir Putin, while instead calling out people who want to remove the names of traitors to our country from the nations military bases. Brown said many Confederate generals went to the U.S. military academy at West Point, pledged their support for the U.S. government, and then went to war against the United States. They should have their names on nothing, period, said Brown, adding that his mother, who hailed from a small town in Georgia, would also support renaming the bases. I will Veto the Defense Authorization Bill if the Elizabeth Pocahontas Warren (of all people!) Amendment, which will lead to the renaming (plus other bad things!) of Fort Bragg, Fort Robert E. Lee, and many other Military Bases from which we won Two World Wars, is in the Bill! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 1, 2020 During an earlier interview with Ohio reporters, Republican U.S. Sen. Rob Portman said he is OK with renaming Army bases named for Confederate generals through the normal process. He suggested they should be named for individuals who are deserving of being held up as good examples. I would think Medal of Honor winners might be a good place to start. Theres plenty of great heroes out there. Portman said his father was stationed at Fort Benning in Georgia, which is named for Confederate General Henry Lewis Benning, and at Fort Hood in Texas, which is named for Confederate General John Bell Hood. He said that if his father were alive, he would back the name changes because his Army experiences were about camaraderie, not the name of his military base. I would hope the legislation wouldnt be vetoed over that, and I suspect that well be able to work something out, said Portman. Late Tuesday night, Trump expressed his frustration with a provision in the National Defense Authorization Act that would change the names of 10 Confederate-named military bases and purge Confederate images and symbols from the nations defense facilities within three years. I will Veto the Defense Authorization Bill if the Elizabeth Pocahontas Warren (of all people!) Amendment, which will lead to the renaming (plus other bad things!) of Fort Bragg, Fort Robert E. Lee, and many other Military Bases from which we won Two World Wars, is in the Bill! Trump stated on Twitter. More coverage: Sen. Rob Portman calls for sanctioning Russia if outrageous bounty reports are true U.S. Supreme Court strikes down Louisiana abortion law, similar to Ohios, requiring doctors to have agreements with nearby hospitals Senate Democrats including Ohios Sherrod Brown thwart consideration of GOP police reform bill Ohios U.S. Senators urge support for Asian tire dumping complaint Vice President Mike Pence to visit Lordstown on Thursday Ohio Congress members introduce bill to help hospitals financially hit by coronavirus Can he do that? Local health experts question President Trumps decision to withdraw the United States from the World Health Organization Q & A: Trump adviser and Cleveland native JaRon Smith discusses police reform Ohio Democrats in Congress praise Supreme Court DACA decision decried by Trump: Read it here Prompted by Cleveland case, Sen. Rob Portman introduces bill to crack down on Chinese intellectual property theft Senate passes bill by Sen. Rob Portman to fund National Park repairs What is Juneteenth and should it be a federal holiday? Panel chaired by Rep. Marcia Fudge examines voting during the COVID-19 pandemic Ohio U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown decries calls for business liability relief in COVID-19 legislation The $600 question: Should the federal unemployment subsidy continue? Local pastor tells congressional police reform hearing that police cuts made Cleveland 'unbelievably unsafe Sherrod Brown chides Housing Secretary Ben Carson at Senate hearing ERIE, Pennsylvania The hot sand burned the bottoms of my bare feet as I raced from my parked bike to the water. Ouch, ouch, ouch, I muttered to myself as I hopped across 100 yards or so of sand. Then: Wow, this beach is big. And its not the only one. Presque Isle State Park, about 90 miles east of Cleveland, has not one, not two, but 13 sandy beaches, spaced along the 7-mile-long peninsula that juts into Lake Erie like an outstretched arm. Lake Erie beaches sometimes get a bum rap, particularly now, with high water levels causing significant erosion along the shoreline. And yes, there is some evidence of erosion along some parts of the lakefront here. But for the most part, these beaches are in terrific shape, by far the best stretches of sand anywhere along the southern Lake Erie coast. The one I was hurrying across was Beach 11, on the protected far east side of the peninsula, popular with families with small children. I also stopped by Beach 10 (also known as Budny Beach, named after the Erie teenager who became the first person to swim across Lake Erie, in 1975); Sunset Point, also known as Kite Beach, popular with kite fliers (though not on the calm day of my visit); Leslie Beach and Beach 8. I would have stopped by more if I wasnt running out of daylight. Presque Isle is a day-use park theres no state park campground here, no public cabins, no lodge. I wish there was, if only so I would have an excuse to stay longer. Presque Isle State Park's Beach 11 -- lots of sand and calm water makes it perfect for smaller kids. Playing in the water at Beach 8, one of 13 beaches at Pennsylvania's Presque Isle State Park. More than the beaches Continually reshaped by wind and waves, Presque Isle was formed 11,000 years ago by a retreating glacier. Its name is French for almost an island, and in fact, it has been an island, most recently in the 1920s, cut off from the mainland by Mother Nature. The land figures prominently into several periods of American history, most notably the War of 1812, when Oliver Hazard Perry presided over the construction of several ships in Presque Isle Bay that would be used in the pivotal Battle of Lake Erie. After that battle in September 1813, the ships returned to Erie, where troops lived on the vessels throughout the harsh winter. Their miserable experience led to the renaming of the small body of water where they moored now called Misery Bay. A lot of them ended up dying, said Caroline Judd, a guide on the tour boat Lady Kate. Many were buried, at least temporarily, in adjacent Graveyard Pond. Overlooking Misery Bay: an 80-foot limestone monument to Perry, erected in 1926, similar, though not nearly as tall, as the 352-foot high Perry Peace Memorial on Ohios Put-in-Bay. Perry Monument at Presque Isle State Park pays tribute to Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry, who spent time in Erie before and after the pivotal Battle of Lake Erie in 1813. Houseboats anchor inside Horseshoe Pond at Presque Isle State Park. Paddleboarding and kayaking on Misery Bay at Presque Isle State Park on the Lake Erie shore in northwest Pennsylvania. Across the bay from the Perry Monument is Horseshoe Pond, where a couple dozen houseboats float in the water, summertime abodes offering the ultimate in waterfront living. Houseboats on the bay go back more than a century, prior to the parks existence, an inexpensive way for early immigrants to settle in the city. Since then, the houseboats have been consolidated in one area of the park and are decidedly not the ramshackle structures they once were. I admired the residences from shore, then continued on my tour, using my bicycle to explore the far reaches of the 3,100-acre park. A 13.5-mile multi-use trail winds around the park, separated from the roadway along most of the route, linking all the attractions, including two lighthouses, hiking trails, beach volleyball courts, picnic areas, boat rentals and more. Youll also want to get out on the water. I took a 90-minute narrated cruise aboard the Lady Kate, which departs from Misery Bay and travels along the coast before turning around at the Presque Isle Lighthouse, built in 1872 and still in use today. The lighthouse, with its signature square tower, is normally open for tours in the summer, though is currently closed. Other boating options at Presque Isle include kayak, pontoon, rowboat and paddleboard rentals, plus tours and lessons. There are also 11 miles of hiking trails here, including the 1.5-mile Gull Point Trail, which leads to the Gull Point Natural Area, a popular area for birders; and 2-mile Dead Pond Trail, which winds through several ecological zones. I spent a short time walking along the 1.25-mile Sidewalk Trail, constructed by the U.S. Lighthouse Service more than a century ago as a path from the Presque Isle Lighthouse to the boathouse on Misery Bay. But I turned around when I realized that my sandals werent anything close to appropriate footwear. And also, I really just wanted to be walking on the beach. The Sidewalk Trail at Presque Isle State Park. Surreys are available to rent at Presque Isle State Park. Evidence of beach erosion near the Presque Isle Lighthouse at Presque Isle State Park. Back to the beach I hopped back on my bike and pedaled to Beach 8, then made a beeline for the water across the still-toasty sand. The park, in partnership with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, employs a major, multimillion-dollar beach replenishment effort every year, according to park operations manager Matthew Greene. This years replenishment program is expected to use more than twice as much sand as previous years, due to what Greene called historic levels of erosion caused by high water levels, as well as other factors. The park had to close briefly in March because roadways were flooded, he said. For decades, the park has worked aggressively to both assist Mother Nature and mitigate the effects of human development on the beaches. Some of these efforts are hard to see, while others are more obvious, including 58 breakwalls, located just off the shoreline, designed to lessen the erosive effects of high winds and waves. The efforts seem to be paying off. Presque Isle is Pennsylvanias most-visited state park, with more than 4 million visitors every year and that number is expected to increase in 2020, said Greene, as more travelers seek close-to-home, outdoor activities this summer. On the sunny Friday of my visit, the parks parking lots were full and roadways were crowded. I had no trouble finding my perfect place on the beach, however. With 13 beaches, you can almost always find whatever stretch of sand makes you happy crowded and loud or isolated and quiet. Just keep your sandals on until you find it. Because the sand can get hot. Fun in the sun at Presque Isle State Park's Beach 10. A quiet stretch of sand near Sunset Point at Presque Isle State Park. If you go: Presque Isle State Park Where: Presque Isle State Park is about 100 miles east of Cleveland, via I-90 east to exit 18, then north on Pennsylvania 832 into the park. Beach information: Numerous beaches have lifeguards, noon to 7:30 p.m. daily through Labor Day. Several beaches offer bathhouses, concessions and other amenities. For a list: dcnr.pa.gov/StateParks/FindAPark/PresqueIsleStatePark/Pages/Swimming.aspx Water quality: The Erie County Health Department monitors water quality at Presque Isle beaches twice a week. For updates: eriecountypa.gov/departments/health/what-we-do/beach-sampling-results/ Note: The Tom Ridge Environmental Center, which acts as a visitors center for the park, is currently closed. Activities: The Yellow Bike rental company offers a variety of two- and four-wheel rentals; Presque Isle Canoe & Boat Livery rents a variety of watercraft, including kayaks, pontoons and paddleboards; and Presque Isle Boat Tours offers scenic trips aboard the Lady Kate. Staying overnight: There are numerous private campgrounds, cabins and cottages, and hotels nearby. See visiterie.com for information. Nearby: Waldameer amusement park is immediately adjacent to Presque Isle. The small, family-friendly park opens July 3. See waldameer.com. And no visit to Presque Isle would be complete without a stop at Saras Restaurant, for burgers, hot dogs, fries and shakes. The diner is located at the entrance to the park, 25 Peninsula Drive. Information: sarasandsallys.com. More information: dcnr.pa.gov/StateParks/FindAPark/PresqueIsleStatePark/Pages/default.aspx or 814-833-7424 Editors note: This is one in an ongoing series about state parks in Ohio and surrounding states. Please send suggestions to Travel Editor Susan Glaser, at sglaser@cleveland.com. In addition to bikes and kayaks, visitors can rent an Aqua-Cycle at Presque Isle State Park. Read more: Exploring Pennsylvanias Ohiopyle State Park: Rafting on the Youghiogheny, waterfalls, hiking, biking and more From the Great Allegheny Passage to Fallingwater and the Flight 93 memorial, theres plenty to see in Pennsylvanias Laurel Highlands region Pennsylvania Turnpike goes cashless, will bill you Exploring Salt Fork State Park: boating, fishing, hiking and Bigfoot, two hours from Cleveland In our world of divisiveness, generally, most people can agree crime is bad. But what about hate crimes? We have all heard the loaded-phrase before, but many remain unclear about what elevates a seemingly regular crime into a hate crime? Two recent incidents reported on by the Clevel PCUSA General Assembly observes 8 minutes, 46 seconds of silence for victims of bigotry Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Presbyterian Church (USA) closed its 224th General Assembly with an observance of silence that lasted 8 minutes and 46 seconds for victims of prejudice, and racism specifically. On May 25, a Minneapolis police officer pressed his knee into the neck of a handcuffed George Floyd for that amount of time as two other officers held onto his back and legs, leading to his death. The incident, which was captured on police body cameras and recorded by bystanders, sparked massive protests and riots across the United States. The PCUSA's observance of silence took place on Saturday, as part of the final plenary session for the general assembly, which was the first in the denominations history to be held online. General Assembly Co-Moderator Elona Street-Stewart said that the observance, which she described as a vigil, had a broader meaning than just one tragic death. This vigil is not simply to remember the tragic murder of George Floyd, but to remember all the injustice suffered by black, indigenous, and people of color due to systemic racism and white supremacy, Street-Stewart said. To remember the economic oppressions upon people who are poor, to remember the denial of many immigrants the rights of U.S. citizenship, to remember the iniquities suffered by those whom our nation has forsaken. Street-Stewart also hoped that those involved in the vigil of silence would remember and repent of marginalizing our siblings in our churches and throughout our denomination. Let us be resolved and repent to live out the justices of Gods kin-dom, let us be resolved to use our resources and privileges to live out the Churchs great ends into the streets, our communities, our cities, our nations, and our world, she continued. Earlier in the session, PCUSA General Assembly Stated Clerk the Rev. Herbert J. Nelson prayed to Mother God on behalf of African American women who have been victimized in various ways. Help us to repent, to live lives that restore those whose wounds are still there, Nelson prayed. We need you, Lord. Were waiting. Our girls, our women theyre waiting. Their families are waiting. Amen. 2020 marked the first year the PCUSA general assembly was held exclusively online, after the denomination decided to cancel its in-person gathering due to COVID-19 concerns. Because of the move to an online platform, the scheduled agenda had to be reduced to key items, including church leadership elections, budget, and actions from special committees. In April, Stated Clerk Nelson assured those concerned that despite the shortened schedule, the general assembly still intended to address social justice issues. We are not divorcing ourselves from social justice. We are in a world and nation that is hurting in many ways and people cannot connect with loved ones who are dying, Nelson said at the time. We have always been pro-justice. This is not a diminishing of that. I do think there is a need for us to be very poignant in our way of expressing who we are as Presbyterians. CLINTON [mdash] George E. Kunau, Jr. age 78 of Clinton, passed away Thursday, June 10, 2021 at his home. In following George's wishes cremation rites have been accorded. Private services will be held at a later date. Burial will be in St. Mary's Cemetery. Honorary pallbearers will be Mark Ho Refugees make face masks to help American evangelical churches fight coronavirus Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Refugees in the largest refugee camp in Europe have made thousands of cotton face masks, some of which are being distributed at evangelical churches in the United States, as a way to give back to people in the West and help them battle the coronavirus. Refugees fleeing violence and persecution from across the Middle East and Northern Africa, who are now sheltered in the Moria refugee camp on the Greek island of Lesbos, have been busy in recent months making face masks during the coronavirus pandemic as part of an effort funded by two international nongovernmental organizations. The efforts initially began as a way to create face masks for the refugees themselves and mitigate the spread of COVID-19 in the extremely overcrowded camp that shelters over 15,000 people despite having an official capacity of about 2,000 people. Many people living at the camp are waiting for their asylum claims to process and are living in horrendous conditions. The refugees began making masks for themselves to try to help with the mitigation efforts. Once they finished, they asked to continue making the masks and send them elsewhere to help, Pastor Robbie McAlister, who works with the National Immigration Forum and the Evangelical Immigration Table, told The Christian Post. This is giving them an opportunity to have a purpose. McAlister said that these are refugees who have nothing that are giving back to people that have come and serve them with whatever they can. Its just a beautiful story of what I would call reciprocal love and care for one another. The mask-making effort is sponsored by the nonprofit organizations When We Band Together and Team Humanity, both of which have provided the infrastructure and materials needed to make tens of thousands of masks. From McAlisters understanding, there are between 150 to 200 refugee volunteers that have produced masks. According to WWBT, the volunteers are working with Team Humanity, which established a mask-making center next to the refugee camp. So far, the masks, which are 100% cotton, double-layered and washable, have been sent throughout Europe and the U.S. McAlister, a consultant who has encouraged churches throughout South Carolina to serve in Moria, received about 2,000 of the face masks. So far, he has distributed them to seven churches in South Carolina, most of which have sent teams to Moria in the past. About 300 volunteers from churches across South Carolina have visited the camp in the last 3 1/2 years. The pastor also gave 750 face masks to Columbia International University, a private Christian school that has also sent volunteers to Moria. A lot of churches are making them available to their members and tell them the story that these are made by refugees who are trying to give back to those of us who have gone and tried to help them, he said. A lot of the pastors have used [the face masks] to share a positive message about refugees to their congregations. It is just a great opportunity for us to just show that we are all part of humanity and we need to care for one another and God loves the whole world. He certainly has a special place in His heart for the orphan or the widow or the vulnerable and those that are sojourning. McAlister said that his church, Riverbend Church in Lexington, has encouraged members to take the face masks and pray for the refugees every time they use the masks. It is a way for us to give even from here without actually being in the camp, he said. Jimmy Parris, the senior pastor of River Springs Church in Irmo, told CP that he led a team of six members from his church to visit the camp in February, right before the coronavirus lockdowns began to take place. He said that his church has received about 100 of the face masks. The masks have been made available for people at River Springs Church, which recently resumed its in-person services. We also have a community blessing box outside of the church that we usually fill with groceries and nonperishables, diapers and things like that, Parris said. We have been able to stock that with masks as well for people in the community who might need them and not have access to them. A lot of folks are very shocked by the fact that they are doing this for us. [But the refugees] feel it is so important to give back. McAlister noted that many of the refugees in the camps are well educated and looking for a way to maintain their sense of self-worth. [Some] were working jobs as professors and businessmen or whatever. A lot of them are multilingual and they find themselves in these camps with no outlet for their creativity and their work opportunity, he said. Providing these kinds of outlets gives them a sense of wellbeing and self-worth as well. They are not happy being there and not able to contribute. Financial technology firm TransferWise has obtained a license from the U.K. markets watchdog to offer retail investment services to clients. The London-based firm started life as a means of sending money internationally online. In 2018, it made a deeper push into banking by offering a "borderless" multi-currency account tied to a debit card. Users have so far deposited 2 billion ($2.5 billion) with the account. Now, TransferWise plans to launch a service that lets users of the account invest passively in investment funds from third-party providers. The company said Wednesday that it had received permission from the U.K.'s Financial Conduct Authority to deal in investments. "About three or four years ago we saw that people and more so businesses are not only sending money, they're also receiving money internationally," TransferWise CEO and co-founder Kristo Kaarmann told CNBC in a video call. Kaarmann said the problem the platform's users have had lately is finding a way to make a return on their cash. He added that TransferWise wanted to take a different approach to traditional banks, which lend out customer deposits and charge interest. U.S. Army paratroopers assigned to 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade prepare to board an aircraft prior to an airborne operation in Aviano Air Base, Italy, June 24, 2020. WASHINGTON President Donald Trump has selected an option for withdrawing U.S. military personnel from Germany and redeploying those forces elsewhere, the Pentagon said in a statement Tuesday night. "The Secretary of Defense and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff briefed the President yesterday on plans to redeploy 9,500 troops from Germany. The proposal that was approved not only meets the President's directive, it will also enhance Russian deterrence, strengthen NATO, reassure Allies, improve U.S. strategic flexibility and U.S. European Command's operational flexibility, and take care of our service members and their families," Pentagon spokesman Jonathan Hoffman said Tuesday. "Pentagon leaders look forward to briefing this plan to the congressional defense committees in the coming weeks, followed by consultations with NATO allies on the way forward," Hoffman added. The movement of 9,500 U.S. service members from Germany resurfaces claims made by the Trump administration that the NATO ally has been "delinquent in their payments" to NATO. Trump has frequently dressed down NATO counterparts and threatened to reduce U.S. military support if allies do not increase spending. Last year while in London, Trump singled out German Chancellor Angela Merkel for not meeting the 2% of GDP spending goal set in 2014. "So we're paying 4 to 4.3% when Germany's paying 1 to 1.2%, at max 1.2%, of a much smaller GDP. That's not fair," Trump said in December. According to the NATO figures, the U.S. spends less than Trump noted, 3.42% of GDP on defense, while Germany now spends 1.38%, which is an increase of about 11% from 2018. Read more: Here's what each NATO country contributes financially to the world's strongest military alliance Last week, senior administration officials discussed Poland's President Andrzej Duda's visit to the White House, the first by a foreign leader since the start of the coronavirus pandemic. The White House officials would not offer details of the partial withdrawal of U.S. forces from Germany and would not discuss the possibility that service members could potentially be relocated to Poland. Instead, the officials touted Warsaw's financial commitments to NATO as well as the approximately $16 billion in foreign military sales, which includes the U.S. most expensive weapons system, the F-35 Lightning II fighter. The administration officials also volleyed questions on the matter to White House National Security Adviser Robert O'Brien's op-ed in The Wall Street Journal. "The Cold War practice of garrisoning large numbers of troops with their families on massive bases in places like Germany is now, in part, obsolete. Modern warfare is increasingly expeditionary and requires platforms with extended range, flexibility and endurance. While air bases and logistics hubs remain important, the Cold War-style garrisoning of troops makes less military and fiscal sense than it did in the 1970s," O'Brien wrote in an op-ed published on June 21. He added that the 25,000 U.S. troops slated to remain in Germany still represents a "strong" commitment to Germany by the United States. Singaporean voters queue at a polling station to cast their votes in the general election on Sept. 11, 2015. Roslan Rahman | AFP | Getty Images Singapore is set to hold its general election on July 10 a little more than a month after the country started easing restrictions aimed at containing one of Southeast Asia's largest coronavirus outbreaks. Singapore's ruling party, the People's Action Party, has never lost an election before and has governed the city state since 1959, before the country's independence in 1965. The upcoming election is gearing up to be different from the previous ones before. Here are five reasons why Singapore's next election is worth watching. Coronavirus cases are still climbing The Southeast Asian country is not the first to hold a national vote in the middle of the pandemic. South Korea in April held parliamentary elections that resulted in a decisive win for President Moon Jae-in's party. While the South Korean government was largely praised for its handling of the virus at the time of its elections, Singapore's response which was initially seen as a success globally lost some of its shine due to an outbreak within dormitories that house migrant workers. Those workers usually men from other Asian countries working in low-wage, labor-intensive jobs account for more than 90% of nearly 44,000 confirmed infections in Singapore, according to the health ministry's data. Zoom In Icon Arrows pointing outwards The total number of new cases reported daily still hovers in the hundreds. However, a decline in infections outside the dormitories led the Singapore government to ease much of its partial lockdown measures last month, paving the way for the election to be held. Still, some observers warned that infections in the wider community could climb in the lead-up to the July 10 vote. "Any surge in community cases ... to the polling day might lead to criticism on the government's decision, and will, therefore, backfire (on) its approval rating," consultancy The Economist Intelligence Unit said in a note last week. Economic crisis looming The coronavirus pandemic hit Singapore at a time when its open and trade-dependent economy was already feeling the effects of the U.S.-China trade war. Singapore is forecasting its worst economic recession since independence in 1965. The economy is expected to shrink by between 4% and 7% this year, according to official estimates. Zoom In Icon Arrows pointing outwards In the past, times of crises helped the ruling party to score larger electoral wins as voters preferred a steady hand to lead the country. In the 2001 general election which was held soon after the Sept. 11 attacks in the U.S. the party received 75.3% of the votes. But such "flight to safety" often occurred at the onset of a crisis, not in the middle of it, said Eugene Tan, associate professor of law at the Singapore Management University. "I think now Singapore is in the eye of the storm, and how the government has handled the crisis so far, I think that's going to come under very robust scrutiny during the campaign period," Tan told CNBC's "Squawk Box Asia" last week. "I don't think it's all clear that this is the general election that will favor the ruling party, the odds are that it would, but we shouldn't exclude the possibility that voters may take a different view," said Tan, a regular commentator of Singapore politics. Changing of guards Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong had previously said he was ready to step down by the time he turns 70. Lee, who has held the top job since 2004, is now 68 which means the upcoming election could be his last as prime minister. Lee is only the third prime minister of Singapore since independence. He's the son of the city state's widely respected founding prime minister, the late Lee Kuan Yew. Current Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat is tipped to succeed Lee. Heng and a group of cabinet ministers dubbed the fourth generation, or 4G, leaders have been at the forefront of the country's response to the coronavirus outbreak. Those ministers are expected to play a bigger role in leading the ruling People's Action Party, or PAP, in the upcoming election. Opposition politics For only the second time since Singapore's independence, all 93 parliamentary seats that are up for grabs in the election will be contested. The ruling PAP is the only one that has fielded candidates for every seat. The PAP has won every election since independence often even before polling day, because opposition parties sometimes fielded candidates for only a handful of seats. The last election in 2015 was the first time that every parliamentary seat was contested. Last week, the prime minister's younger brother, Lee Hsien Yang, joined an opposition party. Although the younger Lee is not contesting in the election, he is expected to help rally support for the opposition. Lee Hsien Yang, the son of Singapore's founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew and younger brother of current premier Lee Hsien Loong, joins the opposition Progress Singapore Party. Suhaimi Abdullah | Getty Images Their father, Lee Kuan Yew, co-founded the ruling party and was Singapore's longest serving prime minister from 1959 to 1990. He was widely credited for the development of Singapore a former British colony from a third-world country into the advanced city state that it is today. Safe campaigning and voting Apple CEO Tim Cook pose next to an image of the new iPhone 11. Apple is pressuring suppliers to cut production delays for its next-generation iPhone range after coronavirus lockdowns in China and the U.S. put the technology giant behind schedule, the Nikkei Asian Review reported, citing unnamed sources. The iPhone maker is slated to release four models in its 5G lineup with three different screen sizes and is facing delays of between four weeks and two months for mass production of those, the Nikkei said. Apple was not immediately available for comment when contacted by CNBC. Apple assembles most of its iPhones in China but the design team and other functions are at its Cupertino, California headquarters. During the height of the coronavirus pandemic in China earlier this year, the factories which assemble Apple's iPhones were shut. They have since reopened. But in March, California enacted a "shelter-in-place" order which affected Apple's staff. Some of Apple's employees returned to the company's head office in June to try to get the iPhone released on time, the news publication reported. Sources told the Nikkei Asian Review that Apple was now less likely to postpone the launch of the 5G iPhones until 2021. The publication reported that had been the worst-case scenario it was facing three months ago. Apple typically announces its new iPhones in September. The Nikkei said the reported delays on where the company would normally be in development for that timeline. One source told Nikkei that some final iPhone assembly could be delayed until early October and that further delays are possible. Apple's rivals including Samsung and Huawei already have 5G-capable phones on the market. While the next-generation networks are not that widespread, they are developing in some countries like China and South Korea very quickly. Some analysts see the release of a 5G iPhone as a potential catalyst for Apple's stock to rise higher. Apple has also told its suppliers to build more than 45 million units of older iPhone models the iPhone XR, the iPhone 11 range and iPhone SE to keep its sales momentum up, the Nikkei reported. Read the full Nikkei Asian Review report here. Lawmakers are giving cash-strapped entrepreneurs more time to apply for emergency funding. But the effort might be insufficient to keep business owners afloat. The Paycheck Protection Program, the forgivable loan program that was established through the federal CARES Act, was originally intended to cover eight weeks of payroll costs, plus mortgage interest, utilities and rent expenses. June 30 was supposed to be the last day for a bank to sign off on one of these loans. The Senate made an eleventh-hour save on Tuesday night, voting to extend the deadline to Aug. 8. The measure sailed through the House on Wednesday. President Donald Trump must sign off on the proposal to put it into effect.Since the program first opened on April 3, about $520 billion has gone to small businesses. More from Smart Tax Planning: Uncle Sam is paying 5% interest on tax refunds. It's taxable Fast rollout of PPP loans raises fraud risk, watchdog says Treasury, IRS will not delay Tax Day a second time However, accountants say that this move falls short even as small-business owners grapple with a contracting economy and the possibility of closing even longer amid spikes in coronavirus cases. "I don't know who is out there clamoring for these loans that didn't get them already," said Adam Markowitz, enrolled agent at Howard L. Markowitz PA CPA in Leesburg, Florida. "Senators spoke about the hospitality and tourism industry, restaurants and bars," he said. "These companies already theoretically had gotten PPP, so they either need more of it or they need some other funding device." Indeed, while the first $349 billion of PPP funding was claimed in the first two weeks, the second infusion of $310 billion on April 27 still hasn't been spent down. CEOs from four tech giants Amazon, Apple, Facebook and Google have all agreed to testify before the House Judiciary Committee, a spokesperson confirmed to CNBC on Wednesday. The committee later confirmed that the hearing will be held on July 27. Apple CEO Tim Cook had appeared to be the last to confirm his attendance at the hearing, according to a recent report from Politico. According to the report, Facebook and Google both agreed to make their top executives available if the other companies did the same. Amazon said in a letter to the House Judiciary Committee that CEO Jeff Bezos would be willing to testify, according to a copy obtained by CNBC last month. Recode co-founder Kara Swisher first reported the news in a tweet that the CEOs agreed to testify. The hearing would mark the first time all four executives testified together in front of Congress, though it's not yet clear if the event would take place in person or virtually given the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. Though Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg, Google's Sundar Pichai and Apple's Tim Cook are all veterans of congressional testimony, Amazon's Jeff Bezos has never before appeared before Congress. A Facebook spokesperson declined to comment and deferred to the committee. An Amazon spokesperson declined to comment and referred to the letter the company sent to the committee confirming Bezos' testimony. Google declined to comment, and representatives from Apple did not respond to requests for comment. The House Judiciary Committee announced its antitrust investigation into the four tech companies in June 2019. Testimony from the CEOs would mark one of the final steps before completing the probe, which is expected to produce new legislative proposals to reform and regulate the digital market. In a January interview, Cicilline told CNBC it's "clear" to him that the digital marketplace is "not functioning properly, that there's not robust competition there." He said effective legislation would need to reinvigorate competition and enable a new class of start-ups to grow. While the House probe will not result in enforcement actions against the company, investigations by federal and state regulators could. The Justice Department is reportedly nearing a potential lawsuit against Google over alleged anticompetitive practices while the Federal Trade Commission has been investigating Facebook. Apple and Amazon have also attracted antitrust scrutiny from enforcers both in the U.S. and abroad. The House antitrust probe has represented a rare bipartisan effort in the Judiciary Committee. But as the panel nears the legislative phase, some Republican members have threatened to fracture that united front. Several members wrote to Judiciary Chairman Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y. in February that they "will not participate in an investigation with pre-conceived conclusions that America's large tech companies are inherently bad, cannot be allowed to exist in society, and must be broken up." The charge came after a video of Nadler at a fundraising event surfaced online where he could be heard talking about "changing the distribution of power" and "breaking up all the large companies." Politico reported that Nadler did not call specifically to break up the tech companies, and was speaking generally about changes needed to tackle the issue of concentrated market power. Though their incentives may differ, there still appears to be an appetite from both sides of Congress to tamp down tech's wide-reaching power. Republican complaints of tech platforms alleged bias against conservatives have been emboldened by President Donald Trump's recent executive order seeking to strip tech companies of liability protection for their moderation protocols. And Democrats have called on the companies to more strictly enforce hate speech violations in light of recent protests for racial justice. But the question remains of how to regulate the industry and whether antitrust is the appropriate tool to do so. Members of Congress have introduced bills aiming to restrict tech's powers in other ways, by limiting the amount of data they're able to collect and store and limiting their ability to target potential voters with ads. -CNBC's Annie Palmer and Salvador Rodriguez contributed to this report. Correction: This article has been updated to indicate that the CEOs will testify before the House Judiciary Committee. An earlier version of this story misstated which committee would receive the testimony. Subscribe to CNBC on YouTube. WATCH: How US antitrust law works, and what it means for Big Tech Amin H. Nasser, president and CEO of Saudi Aramco, speaks during a news conference at the Plaza Conference Center in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia November 3, 2019. Saudi Aramco Chief Executive Amin Nasser is confident oil demand will continue to rebound in the second half of the year, as coronavirus-related lockdowns slowly ease. "The worst is behind us," Nasser told IHS Markit Vice Chairman Dan Yergin at a CERAWeek Conversations event held online on Tuesday. "I'm very optimistic about the second half of this year," he added, pointing to data in China that shows both gasoline and diesel demand had started to stabilize near pre-Covid levels. IHS Markit had previously reported that Chinese demand had returned to 90% of pre-Covid levels by the end of April. "More countries will start opening up, so we see that reflected in the demand on crude," he added, saying oil demand had already rebounded to around 90 million barrels from 75 to 80 million barrels in April. The view from the head of Saudi Arabia's state-owned oil giant is in line with IEA and OPEC projections, which see demand averaging 91.7 million barrels per day and 90.6 million barrels per day respectively in 2020. "There are different forecasts looking at between 95 and 97 million barrels of oil per day by year-end, so it will all depend on whether there will be a second wave of coronavirus or not," Nasser said. People prepare to go tubing on Salt River amid the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Arizona, U.S., June 27, 2020. Cheney Orr | Reuters The Arizona Department of Health Services on Wednesday reported nearly 4,900 new coronavirus cases and 88 new deaths, a record single-day jump in both grim markers ahead of Vice President Mike Pence's visit to the state later in the day. The coronavirus has infected a total of 84,092 people and killed 1,720 people in Arizona so far. The state's previous single-day high in the number of additional cases was 3,593 on June 23 ahead of President Donald Trump's scheduled event in Phoenix. While an increase in Covid-19 testing and a potential lag in data reporting of the daily case numbers could account for the rise in positive cases, the number of hospitalizations in Arizona has steadily increased over the past weeks. According to a CNBC analysis of data compiled by the Covid Tracking Project, Arizona as of Tuesday reported 2,516 people currently hospitalized on a seven-day average, a near 35% increase compared with a week ago. Arizona is nearing max capacity of intensive care unit beds with 1,495, or 89%, of the state's ICU beds in use as of Tuesday. The number of ventilators being used at hospitals also reached a record high of 795, according to the state's department of health. Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey rolled back the state's reopening plans and closed all bars, gyms, movie theaters and water parks Monday. He said Arizona will try to restart the businesses in 30 days. "We can't be under any illusion that this virus is going to go away on its own. Our expectation is that next week our numbers will be worse. It will take several weeks for the mitigation that we have put in place and are putting in place to take effect," Ducey said. Claudia Clemente, MA, performs a test for the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) as a part of Valle del Sols testing at Tolleson Fire Department Station 161 in Tolleson, Arizona, U.S. June 18, 2020. Courtney Pedroza | Reuters Employees and visitors wearing protective masks walk past an electronic stock board at the Shanghai Stock Exchange in Shanghai, China, on Monday, March 2, 2020. Only one major index in Asia Pacific ended the first half of 2020 in positive territory. China's CSI 300, which tracks the largest stocks listed on the mainland, has gained 1.64% in the past six months. The rest of the major markets in the region painted a bleak picture of continued pain inflicted by the coronavirus pandemic. That's despite many countries in Asia Pacific garnering international praise for their efforts in curbing the virus' spread. In New Zealand, a country that has arguably had the greatest success in containing the coronavirus outbreak domestically, the NZX 50 index still sat approximately 0.4% lower so far this year. Taiwan's economy has been hailed as having held up "extremely well," but the Taiex has still fallen more than 3% in 2020. Southeast Asia's best-performing market was Malaysia's FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI Index but even that was more than 5% lower for the year so far. In Vietnam, another country often lauded for its success in containing the virus, the VN-Index is still around 14% lower year to date. Here's how other major Asia Pacific markets have performed so far in 2020, based on data from Refinitiv Eikon as well as CNBC calculations as of their Tuesday close: This is the script of CNBC's news report for China's CCTV on June 8, 2020, Monday. Saudi Arabia's latest move could mean that the major producer is using every tool at its disposal to try to boost oil prices and make up for lost revenue from the price war and the epidemic. The latest data we shows that Saudi crude exports fell 21.9 per cent in the first quarter and revenues fell by $11bn. Other OPEC producers are facing similar problems, such as the latest figures from Algeria, which showed a 26 per cent fall in energy revenues in the first quarter, adding more than 26 per cent to the country's trade deficit. Now that Saudi Arabia has set new export prices, expect other OPEC members to follow soon. The Saudi move will also squeeze the margins of downstream refineries. In particular, Asia, Saudi Arabia's main export market, has seen the biggest price increases. We know that OPEC and its Allies recently agreed to extend their production cut by 9.7 million barrels a day for another month, which is a positive factor for oil prices. The one-month extension was shorter than the market had expected. This is largely due to concerns that the recent rebound in oil prices and the expected improvement in demand could lead US oil companies to start increasing production again, according to the report. In fact, Texas-based Parsley Energy already plans to resume most of the capacity it cut in early June. EOG Resources and others have also started to reuse their wells. The company has also said it will accelerate production in the second half of the year. Now, both Brent oil prices and US WTI oil prices have been trading above the price of $40/barrel. This will further accelerate the resumption of US shale production. But the United States is facing weather obstacles in resuming production. As tropical Storm Cristobal approaches, oil and gas producers in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico have reduced offshore oil capacity by nearly 35 percent and natural gas output by more than 32 percent. Oil platforms in the Gulf of Mexico account for about 16 percent of daily U.S. crude production. In addition, more than 45 percent of U.S. refining is located in the region. In addition to the uncertainty in the US, there are concerns about the implementation of production cuts by OPEC and its Allies. Combined with Saudi Arabia's latest price move, this could add up to a near-term price shock. At the recent OPEC + meeting, the issue of commitment implementation was discussed again. The OPEC member's compliance rate is 89%, and the OPEC+'s compliance rate is 92%. Kingsley Jones Founder and CIO. Jevons global I think we're gonna expect volatility, if you add to those concerns about compliance, we just dont know what the US shale sector response will be, you know these price some guys can come back on stream and start producing again, or even drilling new wells We will continue to pay attention to the trend of oil prices. So. Baptists defend outgoing Exec. Committee chairman amid racism accusations, bylaws dispute Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Southern Baptist leaders are defending their outgoing Executive Committee chairman, who was tarred as a racist on social media following a misunderstanding over how officers are appointed to the committee. Amid ongoing unease about the theological direction of the nation's largest Protestant group, allegations emerged last week that a new theologically conservative network within the Southern Baptist Convention was attempting to take over the denomination's Executive Committee, and that its now former chairman, Mike Stone, was a racist for denying the new chairman, Rolland Slade the first-ever African American to hold the position from nominating new EC officers. The EC, which has 86 members, serves as the administrative arm of the SBC that some have referred to as the Southern Baptist House of Representatives. It reviews the work of the Convention's many ministry endeavors, distributes funds given for the various missions, plans and manages the denomination's annual meeting, and handles legal matters, among other things. Stone explained in an interview with The Christian Post Monday that the bylaws of the SBC only allow the election of officers to occur at a meeting held the day before the denomination's annual meeting and state specifically that they are to occur at the convention hotel. Yet due to the cancellation of the 2020 annual meeting as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, a special EC meeting had to be called. The bylaws had to be amended to permit the election of officers, a simple revision that had been discussed for nearly a month by EC officers, including Stone and Slade. Four days before the required deadline to announce the new bylaw amendment, Stone became aware that the CEO of the EC, Ronnie Floyd, was proposing a substantial revision to the process to elect officers, which would have given the incoming chairman, Slade, the ability to make the nominations of officers. Historically, that responsibility has always been given to the outgoing chairman, and revising this process had not been previously discussed. When Stone realized how substantial the change was, Stone convened a meeting, the officers reviewed it and unanimously declined Floyd's recommendation, a unanimity which included the new chairman. SBC bylaws also require 10 days' notice if the bylaws are to be amended. "Therefore, it came painted as my attempt to take a nomination privilege away from Mr. Slade, the first-ever African-American chair of the committee. That's where the racial accusation (against Stone) came in," Stone told CP. An amendment offered at a recent EC meeting by SBC pastor and EC member Jared Wellman that mirrored what Floyd had previously pitched to the officers was voted down. Wellman published a blog post in SBC Voices on June 24 accusing Stone of manipulating the process and argued that the Conservative Baptist Network was operating in a heavy-handed manner with "double-minded messaging." "The Executive Committee had restructured the Committee into four new Standing Committees that had not yet been populated, and I recommended during the meeting that we wait until those Committees were populated which would allow the new Chairman to have the opportunity, like former Chairmans, to have a significant part in electing new Chairmans. This recommendation was declared 'out of order' by Stone because it would have 'substantially changed the nature of the bylaw,'" Wellman argued last week. Soon after Wellman's article went live, the SBC social media world added to it, asserting that Stone's actions were motivated by racial prejudice. Stone told CP that though Wellman has never accused Stone of racism, the inaccurate information nevertheless led others to make such claims. CP reached out Monday to Wellman for further comment on this article but received no response. "When it came time for me to place nominations before the committees which I'm required to place by the bylaws, to my total surprise Mr. Slade offered alternative candidates. That's his right to do because these are not appointments, they're nominations. I nominate as the chair and then the floor is open. Nowhere in our precedent have there been opposing nominations between the outgoing and incoming chair," Stone said. Yet on Thursday at another EC meeting, Slade acknowledged that he had misread and misunderstood the relevant bylaws pertaining to officer nomination procedures, and apologized for how he had handled the situation, and noted that the way Stone was vilified online was wrong. "Mike is a man of integrity and high ethical character. He does not deserve to be characterized in any negative way. He is my predecessor, my friend and, most importantly, my brother in Christ. He deserved better from me. I sincerely apologize for the hurt and damage my actions this week have caused to him, his reputation, his family and the Emmanuel Baptist Church of Blackshear, Georgia," Slade said in a statement to Baptist Press Friday. Stone told CP that all is forgiven and his respect for Slade remains but Wellman has reportedly doubled down. "To me, it strains at credulity that [Wellman] cannot read the bylaw and see that he was inaccurate. Mr. Wellman has been upset with my leadership of the Executive Committee for the better part of my term," the former EC chairman said. But his esteem for Slade has "increased exponentially," Stone said. "What I saw Thursday when Mr. Slade apologized in front of the whole committee, even though it was a Zoom call, you sense the spirit of the call and Brother Rollands esteem in the minds of Christian brothers and sisters increased." Speaking to the charge that the recently-formed Conservative Baptist Network was conspiring to take over the SBC EC, Stone explained that of the four officers that he nominated, he had no idea that two were in any way connected with CBN and he had never discussed it with them. He knew a third nominee was sympathetic to the CBN and the fourth was Rod Martin, the highly publicized co-founder of the group. Stone added that if the recent activity of the EC was evidence of a secret agenda, he does not know how it could be characterized as such. "Nominations of officers for the Executive Committee have never given rundowns of affiliations," he noted, partly because it is a small body and they all know each other. The EC is already a theologically orthodox, philosophically conservative group and when leaders are pulled from it no one should be surprised that many have an affinity for the new network, he said. Asked if the accusation that the CBN was scheming to pack the EC with their people because some are suspicious of some of the network's other aims on a more macro level, Stone said: "I definitely think that's true." The Conservative Baptist Network "is a fairly new organization that is still largely unknown to the wider circle of Southern Baptists and because of that, there is a natural hesitancy or concern. So I think it's a legitimate question: Who is this group and what are their goals?" he said. He believes once the CBN becomes more widely known it will become clear that the network is manifestly in favor of a strong SBC and its Cooperative Program. Rod Martin, the CBN co-founder who was nominated by Stone to be an EC officer, said in a Tuesday CP interview that the idea some seem to have that the new Baptist network set in motion an ominous plot to take over a key denominational entity a notion he pushed back on in a Todd Starnes Media piece last week challenging Wellman's assertions is "silly" and "facially foolish." "Everybody in the world knew exactly who Mike Stone was and he did what every chairman did before him was required to do by the bylaws to do, which is to nominate a slate of officers," Martin said. Broadly speaking within the denomination at large, the new network has been well-received, he explained. The network co-founder has spoken with a number of SBC pastors who appear ready to "throw in the towel," are presently considering redirecting the funds they contribute to the denomination's Cooperative Program, and are thinking they can further the Gospel in keeping with the denomination's statement of faith the Baptist Faith and Message 2000 as independent congregations. "To me, that's horrifying because I don't believe there has ever been a greater amalgamation of the Lord's resources than the Cooperative Program and the Cooperative Program funded ministries, and the Southern Baptist Convention. And CBN is in large part to give those guys a voice and some hope that somebody stands with them." For those within the SBC currently entertaining views espoused in other evangelical movements like Baptist21 and The Gospel Coalition like critical race theory one of the CBN's greatest stated concerns about the direction of the denomination Martin believes many are well-intentioned and are earnestly trying to address race issues besetting the church and wider culture. But critical race theory is not a useful tool to do that because the Gospel is sufficient, he maintains. "I think the big problem that is being missed in certain circles in SBC life is that merely because certain leaders articulate an agenda such as critical race theory, it doesn't mean that the Baptist in the pew is following along. I would say that the Baptist in the pew does not listen to what gets talked about on The Gospel Coalition's website. So that being the case, they are a bit shocked to hear that things are going on in denominational life that sound more like CNN than the Conservative Resurgence, and they're disturbed by that," Martin said. "In some cases I think it may stem from the 2016 election. They were turned off by politics in some way and so they've thrown out the baby with the bath water, so if anybody has an answer that falls on the conservative side of anything it must be wrong because of Trump. But I believe that they are going down not just a dangerous road but a road that is fraught with damage all along its path, because every step down that road further alienates people from one another," he said. "I believe that the Gospel is the way to save not just the souls of Americans but America itself. I think the SBC is one of the greatest tools God has ever created to achieve that end. And I think if we can have this family discussion and sort out some issues that I think matter a great deal, and more importantly, matter to a great many Southern Baptists, we will be healthier as a result and the outcome will be something we can be very happy about." This is the script of CNBC's news report for China's CCTV on June 10, 2020, Wednesday. Despite the recent rise in international oil prices, the major investment Banks are starting to warn of downside risks. The Goldman Sachs research team said on Tuesday that oil prices could see a 15 to 20 percent correction in the coming weeks. Monday's small selling could be a sign that a correction has begun. Goldman Sachs said the downside risks were mainly due to uncertainty on the demand side and excess inventories. Although Goldman Sachs announced that it will raise its 2020 oil price expectations, they are not willing to see more oil prices at this stage. The bank currently expects Brent oil prices to be US$40.40 per barrel and WTI oil prices to be US$36 per barrel, both of which are below Current trading price. A day earlier, Morgan Stanley, another big investment bank, warned that the oil price rally was unlikely to last long time. The bank's research team believes the recent rise in oil prices has been driven more by supply-side factors than demand, and it is unclear whether downstream refiners will be able to restore strong demand. For Qatar's energy minister, the possibility of a second wave is also a risk that cannot be ignored in the oil market. He also said the price war waged was a huge mistake. Saad Al-Kaabi Qatari energy minister I think it was a very big mistake XXXX You know, flooding the market is what caused us to go to a very low level. And then the pandemic basically took it almost to a very dangerous area where people could not afford to produce anymore. So, Demand is the biggest issue now. Qatar became the first Middle Eastern country to leave OPEC in January 2019. After that Qatar has focused its efforts on plans to develop and increase gas production. Qatar is also known as a small, wealthy country in the Middle East, thanks largely to its oil and gas reserves. But not all countries have been so lucky, such as Turkey. The recent oil and gas dispute between Turkey and Greece have made the Mediterranean tense, making it another focus of attention in the oil market. Turkey's domestic oil and gas resources are relatively scarce, mainly dependent on imports. In 2016, data showed that its imports accounted for about 53% of domestic consumption, and Turkish domestic oil prices were also very unstable. The country adjusted oil prices 36 times in the two months during the outbreak, according to official data. To wean itself off oil imports, Turkey's national oil and Gas company has obtained licenses from the Turkish government. Seven of them are off the coast of Greece's main islands. That has provoked a furious response from Greece, whose foreign minister said on Monday it was ready to respond to any provocation by Turkey. The issue is complicated by the importance of the Mediterranean's location, which involves the European Union, Russia and many others. The leaders of Greece and Cyprus are scheduled to visit Israel separately later this month to discuss the gas pipeline issue in the eastern Mediterranean. Markets expect tensions to rise further by then. We will keep an eye on this issue. China has asked four U.S. media organisations to submit details about their operations in the country, the foreign ministry said on Wednesday in what it described as retaliation for U.S. measures against Chinese media outlets. The Associated Press, UPI, CBS, and National Public Radio are required to provide information about their staff, financial operations and real estate in China within seven days, foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian told a daily news briefing. "We urge the U.S. to immediately change course, correct its error, and desist in the political suppression and unreasonable restriction of Chinese media," Zhao said. The United States and China have been engaged in a series of retaliatory actions involving journalists in recent months, amid increasing tensions over a range of issues, from the coronavirus pandemic to Hong Kong. Last month, the United States said it would start treating another four major Chinese state media outlets as foreign embassies, following similar measures taken by Washington earlier in the year. That designation similarly required the outlets to report their personnel and real estate holdings. In March, China expelled about a dozen U.S. journalists from the New York Times, the News Corp-owned Wall Street Journal, and the Washington Post. At the time, it also asked those outlets, as well as broadcaster Voice of America and Time magazine, to provide details on their China operations. That had followed Washington's move to slash the number of journalists permitted to work in the United States at four major Chinese state-owned media outlets. The AP, NPR, CBS and UPI did not immediately respond to requests for comment. In May, Washington limited visas for Chinese reporters to a 90-day period, with the option for extension. Previously, such visas were typically open-ended. BEIJING The central Chinese government passed a sweeping new security law for Hong Kong that took effect just hours before the 23rd anniversary of the city's handover from the U.K. to China on Wednesday. The National Security Law strengthens Beijing's control on Hong Kong, a semi-autonomous region with greater democratic freedoms and alignment with international business standards than the mainland. That special status has made Hong Kong an attractive hub for many international companies wanting to tap the Greater China market. "Some of the recent happenings in Hong Kong represent a deviation from 'one country, two systems,'" Zhang Xiaoming, executive deputy director of Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council, said Wednesday at a press conference. He was referring to the framework that allows Hong Kong some legal and economic autonomy that other Chinese cities do not have. Hong Kong, a special administrative region of China, was a British colony that returned to Chinese rule in 1997. "The purpose is not to take the pro-democratic camp in Hong Kong as an imaginary enemy. The purpose is combating a narrow category of crimes against national security," Zhang said, according to an official English translation of his Mandarin-language remarks. "The 'one country two systems' has already spoken volumes of the political tolerance of the central (government)." "People with different views, they may continue to exist for a long time in Hong Kong ... You should not use this (difference in views) as a pretext to ... turn Hong Kong into a safe haven of anti-China forces," he said. Under the new legislation, many of the activities carried out by protesters in Hong Kong over the last year become punishable by law. What began as largely peaceful mass protests against a controversial extradition bill more than 12 months ago turned into violent clashes with police. An official English translation of the new law stipulates that a person who acts with a view to "undermining national unification" of Hong Kong with the mainland faces punishment of up to lifetime, depending on the severity of the offense. Financial support for such activities is also a crime. The security law also laid out in broad strokes what could be deemed offenses by "terrorist organizations" and those who collude with foreign entities. The text also says those who are not permanent Hong Kong residents can be deported if they break the law. Hong Kong's status as one of the world's most prominent financial hubs appears to be under threat. Beijing has unanimously passed a new national security law for the territory, which some experts warn has the potential to erode the very structures that grant the region major privileges on the international stage. The legislation bans sedition, secession and treason against China, crimes that can mean life in prison. "China constantly uses national security as a reason for saying, 'I don't have to abide by any rules. I can arrest you without any need for explanation,'" said Robert Koepp, founder and principal at Geoeconomix. China's premier says the law is designed to protect the long-term prosperity of the city, which has been gripped by protests since 2019, but critics worry that China's move to tighten its hold jeopardizes the freedoms that China guaranteed to Hong Kong for 50 years when the U.K. handed it over in 1997. "We didn't expect this full-scale frontal attack," said Hong Kong legislator Claudia Mo. "Beijing obviously thinks this is going to be a knockout blow for the Hong Kong democracy movement. ... This is the end of Hong Kong as we know it." Why now? With the West largely distracted by the global coronavirus pandemic and superpowers like the U.S. already retrenching under increasingly isolationist policies experts say the timing of the national security law actually makes a lot of sense for China. Also at play? A need to shore up support at home. China's handling of the outbreak in Wuhan drew the wrath not just of the international community but also of some mainland Chinese citizens. In addition, China's economy is in bad shape. It took a big hit from Covid-19, but even before that, growth was slowing. 2020 marked the first time in decades the Communist Party opted not to set a growth target for the economy. Some analysts say Beijing needed a quick fix to repair its image at home. Getting Hong Kong to fall in line is a hugely popular mission among the general population one that could help distract from other problems. Perhaps the biggest factor at play is that China just doesn't need Hong Kong nearly as much as it used to. In the 1990s, Hong Kong accounted for 27% of the Chinese economy. Now, it represents less than 3%. China's megacities like Shenzhen, Beijing, Shanghai, Chongqing and Guangzhou have seen explosive growth since the '90s. Instead of having one hub city attracting foreign investment and workers, China now has several, and without the red tape that comes with Hong Kong's special status. That means the Chinese government has fewer and fewer incentives to keep Hong Kong happy and economically independent. Why Hong Kong still matters China has been relying less and less on Hong Kong for years now. Shanghai has become a major business hub, attracting multinationals from around the globe. And Shenzhen, a metropolis to the north of Hong Kong, has grown into a massively productive, manufacturing powerhouse that helped turn China into the world's biggest exporter. But Hong Kong's status as one of Asia's most prominent financial hubs will be hard to shake. The city's seamless interface with the West, not to mention its massive port, make it a very easy place to do business with global investors. For much of its history, Hong Kong has functioned as a key East-West conduit for global finance and trade, thanks in large part to its independent judiciary and regulators that guarantee an ironclad rule of law. Although multinational companies now run out of mainland China and Hong Kong, international businesses and investors trust Hong Kong's legal system. Operating out of mainland China is a trickier proposition with its authoritarian legal system and strict capital controls. So, even though Hong Kong doesn't contribute nearly as much to China's annual GDP as it once did, it remains China's lifeline to cash from the West. Most of the foreign direct investment flowing into and out of China goes through Hong Kong. Chinese companies also prefer Hong Kong when it comes to raising and borrowing money. Take a look at this chart comparing the amount of cash raised by mainland businesses going public across the major stock exchanges. The Hong Kong exchange dominates. The city is just as popular when it comes to helping mainland businesses borrow cash through bonds or loans. Hong Kong is also home to private banking, fintech and derivatives trading. But perhaps the biggest difference between Beijing and Hong Kong is access to the global currency market. China has used Hong Kong's financial institutions to help prop up its national currency. In June, Chief Executive Carrie Lam unveiled a new proposal to transform the city into a more prominent offshore center for the Chinese yuan, one part of a larger initiative to further integrate the city with the financial markets of mainland China. Some experts say the city's greatest advantage is its position as a major offshore funding center for U.S. dollars. The Hong Kong dollar has been pegged to the greenback since 1983, which has been key to ensuring financial stability. Investors typically feel safe leaving their cash in Hong Kong and dealing in Hong Kong's local currency, because it's easily convertible to U.S. dollars This is a big part of what propelled Hong Kong to become the premiere financial hub that it is today. And it is, according to analysts, one of its most important contributions to China. "What's changed for Hong Kong over the years is that it is a much smaller part of China's GDP today than it was 20 years ago," said Ravi Agrawal, managing editor of Foreign Policy. "But even so, it is still a vital component, in that it provides dollar financing for much of China's big companies that use Hong Kong for that very fact. So any pressure from the United States could hurt." Some China watchers say that American threats to upend Hong Kong's special privileges might include limiting the city's access to U.S. dollars a move that could set off a domino effect, beginning with capital flight and culminating in a currency collapse and huge losses to investors. But this outcome is part of the "nuclear scenario" one that analysts think is highly unlikely. A financial hub in jeopardy Box from Empathy Wines Empathy Wines Constellation Brands announced plans on Wednesday to acquire Empathy Wines, a direct-to-consumer vintner co-founded by entrepreneur Gary Vaynerchuk. Terms were not disclosed. Empathy, founded in 2019, has sold about 15,000 cases of its signature California-sourced wine and has amassed more than 2,000 subscribed customers, who purchase the product exclusively online. The acquisition comes at a time when many states are slowing or reversing their reopening plans as coronavirus cases climb. Restrictions on bars and indoor dining may be extended, providing a boon for alcohol e-commerce. "The DTC (direct-to-consumer) market was growing at more than two times the rate of the general market in wine consumption pre-Covid," said Robert Hanson, president of wine and spirits for Constellations Brands, which has a wide array of wines in its portfolio, including Robert Mondavi, Ruffino, Simi and The Dreaming Tree. "Everything that's occurred since has just been an acceleration of that." Vaynerchuk has long been an innovator in the e-commerce space. He started working at his family's retail wine business, bagging ice, at age 14. He used the business as a springboard to building the Wine Library into an e-commerce platform in the late-'90s. During his tenure, the company grew from doing $3 million in annual sales to $60 million. Since then, Vaynerchuk has gone on to start several other businesses, including restaurant reservation booking platform Resy, which was acquired by American Express in 2019. Consumers have been slow to shop for alcohol online. But the coronavirus pandemic is shifting more sales online, and wine and spirits have seen some of the greatest gains. The category saw a 74% increase in online sales from March 11 through April 21, according to a June report from Adobe. "I would argue, out of every category on the consumer level, bev alc has the most to gain, because most people were not educated on the options," Vaynerchuk said. "Most people understood they could buy cereal, soap, a plant and spoons on the internet, [but] because of the way liquor laws have been through the years ... there was a lot of misinformation or lack of education on the options." While online giant Amazon has benefited from the spike in e-commerce, an array of smaller sites and niche brands like Empathy has seen surges in their businesses that were previously unimaginable. Delivery services like Minibar, which operates in 18 states, saw a jump in orders as high as 131% in mid-March, while competitor Drizly, which operates in 26 states plus the District of Columbia and Alberta, Canada, saw sales up about 300% from earlier in the year. In mid-April, roughly one month after shelter-in-place orders began taking effect, Nielsen reported that online alcoholic beverage sales rose 387% for the week ended April 11. However, while more Americans are buying alcohol to drink at home, researchers say that it's not enough to offset lost sales at bars, restaurants and sporting venues. Brand analysis company IWSR expects to see double-digit declines for fiscal year 2020, and estimates that it will take five years for sales to return to pre-Covid levels like those seen in 2019, when worldwide beverage alcohol volume saw a slight increase. "Like many other industries, it's incredible how a few months of lockdown will result in several years of recovery," said Mark Meek, CEO of IWSR. "But ... alcohol has proven to be remarkably resilient in previous downturns, and this should be no different." Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) speaks during a press conference on the coronavirus outbreak at the U.S. Capitol March 11, 2020 in Washington, DC. Schumer and other members of the Democratic caucus called for corporations and employers to offer paid sick leave to all employees following recommended health procedures. Also pictured (L-R) are Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Sen. Ben Cardin (D-MD), Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR), Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA), Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA). The Democrats' plan marks a starting point in talks on a relief bill with Republicans, who want to let the unemployment benefit expire at the end of the month. Democrats say the bill would improve the program by tying additional aid to economic conditions rather than setting an arbitrary date to end it. Congress approved in March an additional $600 per week in federal unemployment insurance, on top of what states normally provide, as part of the $2 trillion pandemic rescue package. The policy has given the millions of workers laid off or furloughed during the outbreak a critical income backstop, but it expires at the end of the month even as the U.S. unemployment rate hovers above 13%. Senate Democrats unveiled a plan Wednesday to extend enhanced unemployment benefits until a drop in a state's unemployment rate, when it would be phased out. The legislation would extend the enhanced insurance through March but reduce the amount beneficiaries receive as the economy recovers. Once a state's three-month average unemployment rate dips below 11%, the benefit would get cut by $100 for every percentage point the jobless rate falls until it slides below 6%. For example, beneficiaries would get an extra $500 per week if their state's average unemployment rate sits between 10% and 11%. Once it drops below 10%, the enhanced benefit would fall to $400 per week. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat who introduced the bill along with Senate Finance Committee ranking member Ron Wyden of Oregon, said letting the benefit expire would mean "millions of American families will have their legs cut out from underneath them at the worst possible time in the middle of a pandemic when unemployment is higher than it's been since the Great Depression." Republicans have opposed extending the policy. They argue that the benefit, which leaves many people making more than they did while working, deters employees from going back to work. Returning is a difficult prospect for many Americans who do not receive hazard pay or guaranteed sick leave during the pandemic. On Tuesday, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said that "to have the basic protections of unemployment insurance is extremely important and should be continued." But he called the extra jobless benefit a "mistake." Some Senate Republicans and Trump administration officials have supported a back-to-work bonus, potentially paid out weekly. McConnell has said the Senate will consider another coronavirus aid package when it returns from its two-week Fourth of July recess. The $3 trillion relief bill House Democrats passed in May would extend the enhanced federal unemployment benefit through January. The June jobs report set for release Thursday will provide a picture of how much the economy recovered as states started to reopen more businesses in recent weeks. Increased risks to Americans' health and the economy have surfaced in recent days as the pandemic continues to rip across the country. Coronavirus cases across the U.S. have spiked, forcing states including California, Texas and Florida to pause or roll back their economic reopening plans. The U.S. has reported more than 2.6 million Covid-19 cases and at least 127,000 deaths related to the disease by far the highest totals in the world, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. Subscribe to CNBC on YouTube. Prague residents dine on a 500-meter-long table set on the Charles Bridge after restrictions were eased following the coronavirus pandemic on June 30, 2020, in Prague, Czech Republic. Thousands of people gathered in the capital city of the Czech Republic to give the coronavirus a "symbolic farewell," with a gigantic dinner table set up along a 14th-century bridge to mark the occasion. Guests on Tuesday were encouraged to sit at a 500-meter-long table on Charles Bridge, a historic landmark in the center of Prague that crosses the Vltava River, and celebrate together without any social-distancing measures. Musicians performed in the open streets as neighbors shared food and drinks brought from home. The street party was only made possible because of the lack of tourists in the city, the event's organizer reportedly said. To date, the EU state of roughly 10 million people has recorded fewer than 12,000 coronavirus infections, with 349 deaths nationwide, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. U.S. President Donald Trump delivers a speech following a tour of Fincantieri Marinette Marine in Marinette, Wisconsin, June 25, 2020. President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he supports another round of direct payments to Americans and claimed he wants to give out more money than Democrats have already proposed. "I do, I support it, but it has to be done properly," Trump said when asked during a Fox Business Network interview at the White House whether he was in favor of sending another round of stimulus checks to blunt the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. "I support actually larger numbers than the Democrats," Trump added. The president did not, however, seem keen on continuing enhanced unemployment benefits. Trump said last month that the U.S. will be doing a "very generous" additional stimulus package. It may have been the cause of some serious tension between the U.S. and Europe, but the Irish finance minister believes an international deal on a digital tax is still possible. The United States shocked European nations earlier this month when it pulled out of international negotiations over such a tax. Both sides of the Atlantic had been at odds over plans in certain European capitals to tax technology giants more, but decided to take their differences to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in search of a compromise. The latest U.S. move to leave the talks eroded any hopes for a quick deal. But Paschal Donohoe, the Irish minister of finance, told CNBC Wednesday: "I am actually optimistic about our ability to make progress on this inside the OECD." "I think we need to view what is happening inside the OECD at the moment as a pause, that is happening for many different reasons, but I think it will be possible later on in the year or maybe early next year to make progress inside the OECD," he said. Ireland was one of the few countries voting against an EU-wide digital tax back in 2018, pushing for a broader agreement with other nations beyond the European level. Ireland hosts some large tech firms, which have headquarters there. In addition, the country was asked back in 2016 by European authorities to recoup 13 billion euros in unpaid taxes from Apple. Apple and the Irish government appealed that decision. The United States has been a fierce opponent of plans to make digital giants pay more in taxes, as the majority of these firms are American. It is the White House's view that digital taxes are unfair toward U.S. companies. Speaking to CNBC, Donohoe said: "I think it is important that we change how we tax digital companies," while also describing a "genuine concern" over the implications of making changes in this field. Baylor College of Medicine's Dr. Peter Hotez warned Wednesday that the long-term health consequences of the coronavirus remain uncertain, even though medical professionals have a better grasp of treating a current infection. "We still have to address that long-term debilitating effects. The effects of this virus are going to haunt us for a generation, I'm afraid," Hotez said on CNBC's "Power Lunch." Hotez's comments come as states in the South and West such as Arizona, California and Texas experience a dramatic rise in Covid-19 cases and hospitalizations. In Texas, in particular, total cases have more than doubled since Memorial Day, and its governor, Greg Abbott, has ordered hospitals in eight counties to suspend elective procedures to preserve bed capacity. But Hotez, dean of Baylor's National School of Tropical Medicine in Houston, said some patients who end up in the intensive care unit because of the virus are able to leave quicker than patients were earlier in the pandemic. He attributed that to a range of improved treatments from convalescent plasma to Gilead Sciences' antiviral drug remdesivir. "So we are doing better at ICU care, and we're learning how to take care of these patients," Hotez said, adding that those developments may ultimately lower the mortality rate for a virus that has so far killed at least 512,000 people across the world. Yet for all that medical professionals have learned about Covid-19, Hotez said he still worries about what they do not know about its impacts on people who become infected but survive. "We're starting now to hear about permanent injury to the lungs, to the ... heart, the vascular system, permanent neurologic injury because of this virus," Hotez said. The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute part of the National Institutes of Health announced last month that it was beginning a study to examine the long-term health impacts of the coronavirus. The study hopes to examine 3,000 adults who were hospitalized with Covid-19 in the U.S. Hotez, who also is co-director for vaccine development at Texas Children's Hospital Center, called the recent surge of coronavirus cases in the Lone Star state "scary." As of now, hospitals in Texas still have capacity for more patients, but "that's not the point," Hotez said. "The point is we're seeing this very steep rise in community transmission across the metro areas of Texas, especially Houston." If that spread of the virus is not slowed, Hotez said, even the Texas Medical Center the world's largest medical complex, located in Houston will be strained. "And that's where I think a lot of the emphasis has to be on right now. How do we interrupt that steep, steep acceleration that we're seeing?" Vehicles pass the Tesla Inc. assembly plant in Fremont, California, U.S., on Monday, May 11, 2020. Around 11:00 a.m. California time on Wednesday, Tesla CEO Elon Musk sent out an e-mail congratulating his tens of thousands of employees. "Just amazing how well you executed, especially in such difficult times. I am so proud to work with you!" read the email in its entirety. Tesla is expected to report its second quarter vehicle delivery and production numbers after the bell on Thursday, and Musk's Wednesday email suggests that Tesla hit its goals. It follows Musk's exhortation earlier in the week to "go all out" as "breaking even is looking super tight." According to a consensus of analysts surveyed by FactSet, as of July 1, Wall Street expects Tesla to deliver 72,000 vehicles for the period. (Estimates range from 39,000 to 86,000 units expected.) Auto sales slumped during the second quarter after Covid-19 outbreaks led to health restrictions on households and businesses, mass layoffs and wage cuts. Tesla had to close its main U.S. car plant in Fremont, California, for several weeks due to health restrictions. Musk defied and sued regulators in Alameda County over their orders and returned to full operations a few days before getting official clearance to do so. To revitalize demand, Tesla cut prices of its electric vehicles during Q2 by as much as 6% in North America. It also made pricing changes in China, where its Shanghai plant came back online relatively quickly after a health-related shutdown. Throughout the last month of the quarter, Musk has sent several "Everybody" e-mails, which have promptly leaked to press, where shareholders could easily get a sense of his messaging. For example, in early June, Musk sent out a pair of "Everybody" e-mails, obtained by CNBC and others, in which he boasted about a glowing Model Y review in the Wall Street Journal and urged employees to stay motivated amid Model Y production and delivery problems. He said, in another one of the emails: "It is extremely important for us to ramp up Model Y production and minimize rectification needs." He added, "We are doing reasonably well with S, X, and 3, but there are production and supply chain ramp challenges with Model Y, as is always the case with new products." Tesla shares set new records Wednesday, giving the company a valuation of $208 billion and making it the most valued car company, ahead of Toyota. European travel and leisure stocks have rebounded in recent weeks but still have a long way to go before returning to pre-crisis levels. The Stoxx 600 travel and leisure sector, which covers 16 companies, sank 42% in the first quarter of 2020. This was on the back of lockdown measures across Europe and wider travel restrictions to contain Covid-19. In comparison, the sector gained 6% in the second quarter of 2020. "You're going to struggle here to see a linear recovery," Mark Manduca, a travel and leisure analyst at Citigroup, told CNBC Monday. He added that believing the sector would rebound to pre-crisis levels in the next six to 12 months is "too optimistic." European economies have begun to reopen during the second quarter as infection rates have slowed. However, this has been done gradually and there are still many travel restrictions in place. For instance, Greece is still not welcoming British tourists and many summer destinations have opened their doors again with strict social-distancing measures, which will limit capacity in hotels and restaurants. "The shares have rallied in the past 30 days, which we believe is due to more countries relaxing restrictions around travel, companies gaining additional sources of liquidity, and a market rotation into cyclicals," UBS analysts said about European airlines in a note earlier this month. "Nevertheless, the industry faces the most challenging summer season it has faced in decades," they added. The industry will have to convince customers that it's safe to travel in order to boost demand. A logo of 5G is seen at a Huawei authorised experience store on May 29, 2020 in Beijing, China. The U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has officially designated Huawei and ZTE national security threats. That means that companies cannot use an $8.3 billion government subsidy program, known as the Universal Service Fund, to purchase, maintain or support any equipment or services from the two Chinese telecommunications giants. "With today's Orders, and based on the overwhelming weight of evidence, the (FCC's Public Safety and Homeland Security) Bureau has designated Huawei and ZTE as national security risks to America's communications networksand to our 5G future," FCC Chairman Ajit Pai said in a statement. The ruling formalizes a unanimous FCC vote in November in which the regulator declared both Chinese companies as national security risks. Huawei and ZTE did not respond to a request for comment when contacted by CNBC. Being a woman in corporate America comes with its fair share of challenges, often facing gender discrimination and bias in the workplace. But, if you're a Black woman, or woman of color, these gender-based challenges are often compounded by obstacles of racism, making it even harder to navigate your way to the top. Currently, there are a record 37 women leading Fortune 500 firms, an increase from last year's record high of 33. Of these women, just three are women of color and none are Black or Latina. When looking at the total workforce in the U.S., Black women account for 7% of the population, but make up 12% of minimum wage earners, according to data from Lean In. Of C-suite leaders today, 21% are women and just 1% are Black women. All of this is despite the fact that 75% of Black women view themselves as very ambitious towards their career, with 40% hoping to make it to a management position within the next five years, according to CNBC and SurveyMonkey's Women at Work survey released earlier this year. This means that regardless of a Black woman's desire to advance in her career, there are seemingly insurmountable barriers ahead of her that make it harder to reach the top. "There's a very clear trend that women are having a harder time in the workplace than men, women of color are having a harder work experience than White women and Black women are having sort of the hardest experience overall," Lean In's deputy director of communications, Rachel E. Cooke, tells CNBC Make It. Below, Cooke, along with several other diversity leaders and experts, breaks down how sexism, racism and a lack of leadership support impact Black women's experiences at work. And, they detail how corporate America's diversity and inclusion efforts fail to make a real difference. Minda Harts, founder & CEO of The Memo. Courtesy Minda Harts Impact of racial and gender discrimination When looking at the obstacles Black women face at work, there are several different ways in which racism and sexism play out. One of those ways is in the form of microaggressions and insensitive comments made by peers that make Black women feel like outsiders. Bestselling author and entrepreneur Minda Harts remembers first-hand how those microaggressions and comments impacted her career. After college, Harts landed a job working as an administrative assistant for a Fortune 500 company. During her first year in corporate America, she says she had a boss who made a comment about her burnt orange nail polish in front of other colleagues and joked for 15 minutes about "Black people loving bright colors." "This behavior turned into a routine of daily microaggressions," Harts says. And, as the only Black woman in her office, she says, "I felt like I couldn't say anything in fear of being labeled the stereotypical trope of the 'angry Black woman' or accused of taking it the wrong way." Harts, who is the CEO and founder of The Memo LLC, a career development company for women of color, says, "I learned at an early age to silence myself when it came to race, and it was at the expense of my own well-being." It was for this reason, she says, she wrote her book, "The Memo: What Women of Color Need to Know to Secure a Seat at the Table," because she wanted other marginalized women to know that it was okay for them "to talk about those inequalities" in order to advance at work. Dr. Dnika Travis, VP of research at Catalyst, says that the inequalities Black women face at work often lead to an "emotional tax," in which Black women are always "on guard to protect against bias, discrimination and unfair treatment." According to Catalyst's 2018 report, 58% of Black women reported being "highly on guard" in the workplace. "Obviously, there is a real cost for the emotional tax of Black women," Travis says. And, if "we look at the holistic life experience of having to navigate the potential of bias and unfair treatment, of not being able to bring your full self to work, of having to constantly be on guard and worry 'if I go into a meeting am I going to be viewed in a stereotypical way,'" we will see that this extra burden has an impact on companies' retention of Black women. Melonie Parker, Google's chief diversity officer. Photo credit: Google Lack of support for advancing to the top Due to ongoing issues of racism and sexism in the workplace, data shows that Black women are less likely than women overall to feel like they have an equal opportunity to advance in their career. For every 100 men promoted to manager, just 58 Black women are promoted to the same role, according to Lean In. Additionally, when looking at the experiences of Black transgender women, 47% report being fired, denied a promotion or not hired due to their gender identity. Melonie Parker, Google's chief diversity officer, is not surprised by these statistics as she recalls the time she was almost passed over for a promotion while working in the aerospace and defense industry years ago. At the time, she says, she was being tapped for a vice president role when a male mentor at the company, who was a senior level VP, called her and told her, "Your manager is going to call you. He's going to try to talk you out of [the job]. Don't let him talk you out of it. I will explain later." Roughly 30 minutes after talking to her mentor, Parker says she received a call from her male manager saying, "Your name came up about this job, but you wouldn't like the location. I don't think you should do it." "It played out just like my male mentor told me," Parker says. "And [my manager] was shocked when I said, 'Nope, I am interested. I do want to go through with the interview process." Eventually, Parker landed the job. But, she says, it was only because she had a mentor at the company who gave her a heads up about the bias that was at play. "I know I would have trusted my manager had I not gotten that phone call encouraging me differently," she explains. "I would've thought my direct manager had my best interest at heart." Parker, who worked in the aerospace and defense industry for 20 years before joining Google, says one of the biggest lessons she learned early in her career was to seek out support and mentorship from people who don't look like her. This included White male executives because she knew that if she had at least one male mentor in leadership, they could advocate for her and support her even in the midst of other people's biases. "I have not naturally had that access, but I have worked to ensure that I had that access," she says in regards to securing male mentors and sponsors. For her, she says, this included going to after work happy hours and networking events so that she could gain the necessary visibility that was needed to move up the ranks. When looking at the access and support Black women receive in the workplace, data from Lean In shows that Black women are less likely than White women to say that their manager gave them a chance to manage other people or projects and they are less likely to say they've had opportunities to showcase their work. Additionally, just 26% of Black women say they've had equal access to sponsorship and 59% say they've never had an informal interaction with a senior leader at their company. "What that tells us is that Black women aren't getting the support and the connection that they need from senior leaders who are generally white men," Cooke says. This includes informal interactions with executives where you're invited to after work happy hours, company luncheons or team activities where workplace bonding takes place. Pamela Nonga Ngue, senior digital content specialist at Lean In, says that the lack of support Black women receive at work can be linked to affinity bias, which is people having a favorable bias towards others who remind them of themselves or have similar experiences to them. This means, she says, that a lot of senior leaders who are white men "might naturally be drawn to, or feel like they have more in common with, other white men and may not reach out to people of a different race or a different gender." As a result, Nonga Ngue says, Black women are often overlooked in the promotion and pay raise process, leading to ongoing issues of pay inequality and isolation in the workplace. Currently, data from the Census Bureau shows that Black women earn 62 cents for every dollar earned by white men, a figure that is less than the 82 cents the average woman earns for every dollar earned by men. Luis Alvarez Diversity efforts missing the mark He said "Asia cannot be an exception" when the whole world is suffering from the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. The IMF last month slashed its forecasts for the global economy . It projects the world economy could shrink by 4.9% this year before rebounding to grow by 5.4% next year. The region is still in a better shape compared to other parts of the world, but a weaker global economy has made it difficult for Asia to grow, Changyong Rhee, director of the Asia and Pacific department at IMF, told CNBC's " Squawk Box Asia" on Wednesday. The fund said in a blog post published Tuesday that Asia's economy will likely contract by 1.6% this year a downgrade from its previous forecast of no growth in April. Asia's economy is expected to shrink this year "for the first time in living memory," the International Monetary Fund said, warning that the region could take several years to recover. What we are worried about Asia is actually the recovery from 2020. Asia was the first region to be hit by the coronavirus disease or Covid-19 which first emerged in the Chinese city of Wuhan. After the virus spread globally, many governments imposed measures that restrict people's interactions and movements, which severely reduced economic activity. Rhee said Asia's economy is expected to rebound strongly to register a 6.6% growth next year. But the level of economic activity in the region would still be lower than what IMF had projected before the pandemic, he added. "What we are worried about Asia is actually the recovery from 2020," said Rhee. He explained that countries in the region have a "heavy dependence" on trade, tourism and remittances segments of the global economy that were hit hard by the pandemic. "Even if we develop new medical solutions, the recovery of ... contact-intensive sectors will be slow, tourism for example. So because of that, I think Asia's recovery will be protracted," he said. And if there is a second wave of infections in the region, many governments may not have the firepower to support their economies like they did during the first wave, Rhee added. That's especially true for the region's emerging economies, which have "relatively limited" policy space to respond to a resurgence of cases, he explained. "So I wonder, if the second wave happens, whether the Asian governments can use the same stimulus as in the ... first crisis," he said. "So we have to be more concerned, more cautious." India will not compromise on its strategic interest, a cabinet minister said on Wednesday, even as New Delhi and Beijing seek to defuse tensions after last month's border clash in the Himalayas. A "violent face-off" in the Galwan Valley in Ladakh left 20 Indian soldiers dead. While India said both sides suffered casualties after troops reportedly fought with improvised weapons firearms are limited in the border areas under a previous agreement. China did not disclose if any of its soldiers died in the clash. It was the first time in more than 40 years that a border stand-off between the two nuclear powers resulted in casualties. "India wants peace," Pralhad Joshi, India's minister for coal, mines, and parliamentary affairs, told CNBC's Tanvir Gill. "At the same time, as already prime minister (Narendra Modi) has said, that there is no compromise as far as Indian border is concerned," he said. "India will never lose any land and we will never compromise on our strategic interest." Still, the South Asian country wants peace but its border and territories are also "very important," Joshi added. Top military commanders from India and China this week started a third round of talks to ease tensions along their de facto border also known as the Line of Actual Control, local media reports said. Indian forces have also stepped up deployment along the border, they said. Former diplomats and political commentators have said the altercation in June was a "turning point" in one of Asia's most important bilateral relationships. There is a growing anti-China sentiment in India, with many calling for a boycott of Chinese brands. Citing security concerns, New Delhi this week banned dozens of Chinese mobile apps, including the highly popular short video creation app TikTok. A worker cleans the floor in a McDonald's restaurant in the Chicago Loop on March 19, 2020 in Chicago, Illinois. McDonald's is pausing its U.S. reopening plans for 21 days as coronavirus cases spike across the country. States like Michigan, Colorado and Florida have been responding to the recent surge by delaying or rolling back efforts to reopen their economies. Tuesday marked the sixth day that the average number of new Covid-19 cases exceeded previous highs set in April, when some officials thought the U.S. reached its peak. About 2,200 of McDonald's U.S. dining rooms are currently open, which is roughly 15% of its total U.S. footprint. Franchisees who have already reopened dining rooms and are not facing any rollbacks from local officials can decide if they want to keep them open. "To be clear: owner/operators will make the final decision in these situations," Joe Erlinger, head of McDonald's U.S. division, and Mark Salebra, chair of the National Franchisee Leadership Alliance, wrote in a note to franchisees on Wednesday that was viewed by CNBC. The two men also emphasized that franchisees should continue to be disciplined about safety measures, including wearing masks properly and adhering to wellness and temperature check procedures. "This surge shows nobody is exempt from this virus even places that previously had very few cases," they wrote. "Moving forward, we will continue to monitor the situation and adjust as needed to protect the safety of our employees and customers." The Wall Street Journal first reported McDonald's plans to halt reopenings. Former White House acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney told CNBC on Wednesday that President Donald Trump "probably should" urge American residents to wear a mask during the coronavirus pandemic. "It would not hurt him ... politically and it certainly wouldn't hurt us economically and would probably help for him to go out and say, 'You know what, go back to work, just a wear a mask. It's the best thing you can possibly do,'" Mulvaney, now a special envoy to Northern Ireland, said on "Squawk Box." Trump has largely eschewed wearing a face covering in public during the Covid-19 crisis, and even suggested some people choose to wear them only to "signal disapproval of him." The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention now recommends people wear a mask in public, especially in settings where social distancing is difficult to maintain. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Cali., on Sunday called for the CDC to issue a mask mandate, which some state and local governments have done. Mulvaney, who Trump removed from his post as acting chief of staff in March, is the latest Republican in Washington to diverge from the president on face masks. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said on Monday there should be "no stigma" about wearing a face covering, emphasizing it's about "protecting everyone we encounter." On Sunday, Vice President Mike Pence urged Americans who are living in areas with Covid-19 outbreaks to wear a mask in public. Pence's comments came at an event in Texas, one of the U.S. states currently experiencing a significant rise in coronavirus cases and hospitalizations. Mulvaney's comments Wednesday followed the results of the latest CNBC/Change Research poll, which showed a majority of voters in six swing states key to the 2020 election disapprove of how Trump is handling the pandemic. Only 43% of voters agree that Trump is setting a good example and providing accurate information about proper Covid-19 precautions, the poll found. Just over 1 in 10 Americans who are out of work because of the coronavirus pandemic don't have a good chance of getting called back to their old jobs, according to recent research from the Economic Policy Institute, a left-leaning think tank. About 11.9 million Americans who are unemployed as a result of the pandemic, or about 7.2% of the workforce, have no hope of returning to their old jobs, while 5.7 million workers, or 3.5% of people, expect to get called back to work but probably won't, writes Heidi Shierholz, senior economist and director of policy at EPI. That puts the share of the workforce currently out of work with no reasonable chance of returning to their jobs at roughly 11%, or about 17.6 million people. "It is likely that many of those who expect to be called back to their jobs will find that those furloughs have turned into permanent layoffs," Shierholz says. Overall, the rate of permanent unemployment is "high across the board," Shierholz says, but Black and Brown workers, as well as women especially Hispanic, Asian, and Black women will likely be hit the hardest. Younger Americans and those with lower levels of education are also expected to have a higher rate of permanent job loss. And unless Congress acts, even the workers that reasonably expect to return to their old jobs are on shaky ground, Shierholz says. The federal government needs to continue to provide support to individuals, businesses and local governments, as well as put in place public health measures and child care relief to make a successful reopening happen, she says. There needs to be demand for goods and services in order for furloughed workers to be needed by their former employers and get called back. "If not, many won't [be called back], and we will face sustained, extremely high unemployment," Shierholz says. Part of the necessary federal relief includes extending the extra $600 in unemployment benefits, Shierholz says. The $600 weekly payments from the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation program were put in place as part of the $2.2 trillion CARES Act Congress passed in late March. Americans who are eligible for unemployment insurance receive an extra $600 on top of what they normally claim under their state's benefits. Yet those benefits are set to expire before the end of the month. Because of the wording of the CARES Act, states will end the $600 extra payments on July 25 or 26, rather than on the 31st, depending on how the state's weekly calendar is set up. While Democrats have pushed for extending the benefits, some Republicans have questioned whether the $600 boost is deterring Americans from returning to work. Typically, unemployment benefits replace about 45% of a worker's pay, but with the boost, some workers may earn more money while unemployed than by returning to their jobs. Some policymakers have introduced alternatives to extending the $600 benefit, including paying workers a "bonus" when they return to work. Yet not extending the $600 unemployment boost will likely cost the U.S. over five million jobs over the next year, according to EPI. "Letting this extra $600 in unemployment insurance benefit expire at the end of July would by itself cause more job loss than was seen in either of the recessions of the early 1990s or early 2000s," writes Josh Bivens, director of research for the Economic Policy Institute. Extending the $600 unemployment benefits through the middle of next year would provide an average GDP quarterly boost of 3.7%, Bivens predicts. "I think most people think that when the $600 gets cut off that if they're not unemployed, it's not going to affect them. But when 30 million people are no longer getting $600 extra dollars, that's going to have a multiplier effect on the whole economy," says Michele Evermore, senior policy analyst for the National Employment Law Project. Check out: The best credit cards of 2020 could earn you over $1,000 in 5 years Don't miss: The extra $600 unemployment benefits will end before July 31 National Security Advisor John Bolton answers questions from reporters as he announces that the U.S. will withdraw from a treaty with Iran during a news conference in the White House briefing room in Washington, October 3, 2018. I cringed during the entire hour of John Bolton's ABC News interview last month. Not because I am a Trump supporter, or because I am a Republican. I cringed because I have been fortunate enough to be one of a very small group of people who serve as the closest advisors to a president of the United States. I imagine that my colleagues, from both parties and all administrations, cringed as well. Because what John Bolton did is perhaps one of the most classless and despicable acts of betrayal possible by someone allowed inside that inner circle. And it may change the presidency forever. Bolton's greatest transgression is not publishing a tell-all book, or even doing so while the president is still in office. Nor is it that he was apparently writing the book while still serving in the West Wing. Bolton's cardinal sin is that he put himself before the president, before service, and before the country. He forgot that he was staff, and that he was not the president. In doing so, he just confirmed what those who worked with him already knew: that Bolton was eager to advance his own interests to the exclusion of everything else. In fact, most of Bolton's book apparently focuses on how he thought he would be a better president than the president. He was stunned that the president was "giving too much" to the North Koreans; disturbed that the president "didn't understand" how to deal with Putin. It seems Bolton believes that those matters are best left to the national security advisor, rather than the president. That Bolton doesn't like the president's policies should surprise no one. Bolton would likely welcome U.S. military intervention in Venezuela and North Korea, expansion of American military presence in Europe and elsewhere overseas, and perhaps even full-scale war with Iran. The president would prefer none of those things, and has been both clear and consistent in that policy. Importantly, the president got elected on his policies. Bolton did not. Some have criticized the president for hiring Bolton in the first place. But the blame for the mismatch falls mostly with Bolton. Other members of the administration have advocated policies, only to see the president ultimately settle on a different plan. I know because it happened to me on spending issues more than once. But most were able, after having had the chance to argue the point, to support the president's final decision.The few who were not had enough class to leave the Administration. Only Bolton stayed to actively undermine the president. Bolton says that he feels compelled to publish the book now in order to save the country from Donald Trump. His "Exhibit A" is the president's meeting with Chinese President Xi in Osaka, where Bolton alleges the president solicited illegal foreign support for his re-election. Yet, to my knowledge and the NSA works under the chief of staff Bolton made no complaint to anyone about the matter at the time. And no one else "in the room where it happened" including Secretaries Mike Pompeo, Steven Mnuchin, Wilbur Ross, Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer or I saw anything even approaching inappropriate behavior. Let me be clear: I support Donald Trump and consider myself loyal to him as president. I was his chief of staff and a member of his Cabinet. But my oath was to the Constitution, not the president. And if I ever saw what I considered to be illegal activity emanating from the Oval Office, if I ever saw anything that I considered an impeachable offense, or if I saw anything that would violate the Constitution, I would not stand quiet. For that matter: neither would Mike Pompeo or Steven Mnuchin. Or John Kelly or Jim Mattis, both of whom have been critical of the president. But among them, only John Bolton is alleging criminal activity. Of course, only John Bolton is trying to use the president to sell books. Bolton closed his interview by saying he would not vote for President Trump, or Joe Biden, but that he would try to find someone else. Unspoken was something else: that he hopes to work for some other person in some future administration. But any future president would have to wonder, if John Bolton is sitting across the desk from him or her in the Oval Office, whether Bolton was truly there to serve the nation, or just adding a chapter to his next book. That is the fate that Bolton deserves. What is truly sad, however, is that, with this precedent set, every president of any party will most likely have a nagging thought in the back of his or her head: is the person sitting across from me now the next John Bolton? John Bolton may feel good about what he has done. And he well may benefit financially. But the Presidency, and this nation, are worse for it. Mick Mulvaney is a former congressman from South Carolina and recently served as acting chief of staff to President Donald Trump. He is the United States' special envoy for Northern Ireland. 'VeggieTales' creator talks white privilege; credits success to access to education, opportunities Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Phil Vischer, creator of the popular Christian animation "VeggieTales," said he decided to use his platform to address issues of racial injustice by penning a blog where he said that being white gave him access to opportunities that others did not have. With over 65 million "VeggieTales" videos to date, Vischer said he's had a successful life despite being raised in a single-parent home and surviving on baloney sandwiches. "I'm watching America burn, and watching fingers point in all directions. Of course, I'm not a racist. I've never kneeled on anyone's neck or denied housing to anyone. So I'm clean. Right?" He recently wrote in a blog posted to his podcast website Holy Post. "This situation has me examining how I tell my story, and I am more convinced than ever that how we tell our stories matters. I have benefited from racial injustice," Vischer said. The animation filmmaker detailed how hard life was for him after his parents divorced. He then revealed the struggles that he, his siblings, and his mother faced. Despite all odds, they all went on to accomplish great things. "After marrying a tradesman, my mother got her doctorate at age 50 and became a college professor. My brother ended up at Harvard Law and is now dean of a law school in Minnesota. My sister has a doctorate and teaches in NYC. And I am a filmmaker of moderate renown," Vischer continued. "Did we work hard? Yes, I guess so. But lots of people work hard and don't have nearly as much to show for it. So what is the missing factor? The factor that may be even more important than the hard work," he said: "We were white." Vischer then reflected on the many privileges he said his family had, going back generations, because they were white. He also spoke of the opportunities his grandparents and parents had because they had access to quality education. "How did a wealthy, white suburb help launch my filmmaking career? A good education was part of it," he said. "A high school with lots of resources was part of it. Making films with my church friends whose neighboring wealthy high school actually had film classes was part of it." "A friend at church had a friend who owned a video production company that just happened to be looking for a summer intern. A couple of phone calls and I had an internship, that led to a job, that led to my work in computer animation, that led to my career as a filmmaker of moderate renown," he added. He said although his story might seem like it has nothing to do with race or economic inequality, it does because of the opportunities allotted to him. "We had friends who knew people who owned companies. If we had relocated to a much poorer community specifically a non-white community the odds of bumping into someone at church who knew someone who owned a film production company would have been next to nothing. Wealthy communities bring proximity to opportunity," he said. Vischer said those facts have "everything" to do with racial injustice. "Way back in the 1930s the federal government decided that white families should be encouraged to own homes, and black families should not. Seventy years of policies encouraging and underwriting white home ownership, and discouraging black home ownership have led to a profoundly inequitable America," Vischer said. "Did I work hard? Yes, but not unusually hard. Not nearly as hard as many of my brown and black neighbors, who hold down multiple jobs just to pay rent." Were we of above-average intelligence? I suppose so. But so are many people who struggle to find opportunity in America. So what made the difference? We were white." Vischer ended his blog by sharing what he thinks about the unrest happening in the U.S. following the death of George Floyd. "So when I see people of color protesting injustice or living in poverty in wrecked communities, people in Ferguson, Missouri, or Minneapolis or Chicago or Flint, Michigan, and I feel the urge to say, 'Well, if you just worked harder you could do what I did' That is a lie. We built a system to favor ourselves. And it worked amazingly well," he added. Pfizer shares jumped more than 3% Wednesday after it released positive results from its closely watched early-stage human trial of a coronavirus vaccine. The trial evaluated 45 people. Each participant received 10, 30 or 100 microgram doses of the vaccine or a placebo. The company said one of its four coronavirus vaccine candidates produced neutralizing antibodies, which researchers believe is necessary to build immunity to the virus, in all participants who received two of the 10 or 30 microgram doses after 28 days, according to the preliminary data. The findings were posted in a paper released on MedRXiv. The company said the levels of neutralizing antibodies were 1.8 to 2.8 times higher than in recovered Covid-19 patients. After 28 days, all participants in the two lower-dose groups had significant levels of binding antibodies, the company said. "We are encouraged by the clinical data of BNT162b1, one of four mRNA constructs we are evaluating clinically, and for which we have positive, preliminary, topline findings," Kathrin Jansen, head of Pfizer's vaccine research and development, said in a press release. "We are dedicated to develop potentially groundbreaking vaccines and medicines, and in the face of this global health crisis, we approach this goal with the utmost urgency." The headquarters of German immunotherapy company BioNTech stands on April 22, 2020 in Mainz, Germany. Thomas Lohnes | Getty Images The U.S.-based pharmaceutical giant has been working alongside German drugmaker BioNTech. The companies' experimental vaccine contains genetic material called messenger RNA, or mRNA. The mRNA is a genetic code that tells cells what to build in this case, an antigen that may induce an immune response to the virus. Pfizer said the vaccine was generally well tolerated, though the experimental vaccine caused fever in some patients, especially for those who were in the 100 microgram group. Most patients reported pain at the injection site, which was mild to moderate, the company said, except in one of 12 subjects who received a 100 microgram dose, which was severe. The findings posted Wednesday have not been peer-reviewed yet. The effort by Pfizer and BioNTech is one of several working on a potential vaccine to prevent Covid-19, which has infected more than 10 million people worldwide and killed at least 511,851, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. There are more than 100 vaccines currently under development, according to the World Health Organization. Another leading vaccine candidate from biotech firm Moderna is expected to enter a late-stage trial later this month, pending the results from its mid-stage trial. If all goes well in Moderna's next trial, its vaccine could be available for public distribution by the end of the year. Dado Ruvic | Reuters U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo speaks during a news conference at the State Department in Washington, U.S., July 1, 2020. WASHINGTON Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Wednesday said he frequently discusses Afghanistan with his counterparts in Moscow. But he punted on questions about intelligence regarding Russians offering bounties to target and kill U.S. service members in the war-torn country. "I don't want to comment about the intelligence," Pompeo said during a State Department press briefing. "CIA put out a statement, DNI put out a statement, and I think the intelligence community handled this incredibly well," he said. "We see threats in our intelligence reporting to our soldiers stationed all over the world, every single day," the nation's top diplomat added, saying that Russia's malign affairs in Afghanistan were not new. "The Russians have been selling small arms that put Americans at risk there for 10 years, we've objected to it," he said, "I talk with them about this each time, stop this." Pompeo's comments come after The New York Times reported that a U.S. intelligence assessment said Russia offered bounties to target and kill American troops in Afghanistan. "We've taken the threat and the president's taken the threat to our forces in Afghanistan incredibly serious throughout the entire duration of this administration," said Pompeo, who was CIA director and an Army officer before leading the Department of State. In a statement issued just before midnight, the Pentagon said Monday that the intelligence regarding the bounties has not been confirmed. "The Department of Defense continues to evaluate intelligence that Russian GRU operatives were engaged in malign activity against United States and coalition forces in Afghanistan. To date, DOD has no corroborating evidence to validate the recent allegations found in open-source reports," Pentagon spokesman Jonathan Hoffman said in a statement. GRU is a Russian military intelligence group that has been accused of interfering in the 2016 U.S. election. "Regardless, we always take the safety and security of our forces in Afghanistan and around the world most seriously and therefore continuously adopt measures to prevent harm from potential threats," Hoffman added. Earlier this week, Pompeo warned the Taliban's main negotiator during a videoconference call not to attack American citizens amid the bounty reports. The Monday call, between Pompeo and the Taliban's deputy leader and chief negotiator, Mullah Baradar, focused on the full implementation of the Doha agreement, according to a State Department statement. The Doha accord, signed by the U.S. and the Taliban in February, plans for the withdrawal of foreign military forces from Afghanistan in exchange for security guarantees and a reduction in fighting. "The Secretary made clear the expectation for the Taliban to live up to their commitments, which include not attacking Americans," State Department spokesperson Morgan Ortagus said in a Tuesday statement. The move to remote work has emptied out offices, but for many minority and low-income job candidates, crowded family apartments lacking office technology are not a suitable replacement. Daniel Acker | Bloomberg | Getty Images The mass migration to remote work helped companies solve a major coronavirus challenge, but the recent civil unrest has exposed diversity and opportunity gaps across the U.S., which telecommuting is beginning to exacerbate. Low-income students and students of color entering the workforce are struggling to overcome a telecommuting digital divide. The data is starting to back up the personal experience. A WayUp survey in April 2020 highlighted that Black and Hispanic college students and recent grads are much less comfortable with virtual work than their White peers. "Now that I'm back home in Illinois living with my mom, I'm in a very tiny apartment where there is no separation between eat, work and sleep. ... If I want privacy, it doesn't exist," said Ibrahim Mokhtar, a Black student at the University of Southern California who is spending his summer interning remotely with the nonprofit organization GiveDuet. Remote work capability as top concern The WayUp survey indicated that among all students, how capable they are of working remotely is a top concern, but Black and Hispanic students were 145% more likely than White peers to express this issue. Among respondents who indicated that they were most concerned about being able to perform a remote internship, over half were Black or Hispanic. Respondents also identified a lack of physical space to work as a key issue. Census data shows that Black households have 20% more people and Hispanic households have 80% more people compared to White households, which can result in concerns about background noise, distractions, as well as the basic concern about lack of space. Zamir Ramirez, who is Mexican American and navigating his first year working full-time at Nickelodeon Animation from home, said space is vital for his working environment but hard to find. "For low-income families like my own, finding a room to work in is difficult. It can be cramped, it's usually a room that's used as storage, and there's no real sense of privacy. That already does a lot in terms of the psyche," Ramirez said. "We have a big family of kids, so anywhere I go, I'm pretty much around loud kids going buck wild," said Destiney Johnson, a junior at Grambling State University who identifies as Black. She relocated to a relative's house to do her immersive research internship program with Florida International University this summer. "I realized I could get in a better situation living elsewhere," Johnson said. Technology barriers Access to technology has made remote work particularly difficult for members of low-income families. The 82% of White adults in the U.S. who report owning a desktop or laptop computer compares to 58% of Blacks and 57% of Hispanics who indicated the same in a 2019 Pew Research Center survey. Black (66%) and Hispanic (61%) respondents in the Pew survey reported having broadband internet, versus 79% of White adults. "Financially, having good internet where you can keep your camera and audio on for Zoom and other things is difficult, especially when everyone is on their devices at the same time." Mokhtar said. The financial stress caused by the pandemic has made these work-related expenditures an ever greater challenge. "The hidden costs that people never talk about, like internet or even a desk, are huge," he said. "If I want privacy, it doesn't exist," says Ibrahim Mokhtar, a Black student at the University of Southern California living at home with his mother in Illinois and interning remotely with nonprofit GiveDuet this summer. Ibrahim Mokhtar To compensate for the financial burden of setting up a work-from-home space, Mokhtar was able to receive a CARES Act emergency grant through USC. The Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act's Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund was distributed to universities across the U.S. for students facing hardships as a result of the pandemic. USC students who have filed or can file for Federal Student Aid also qualify for this grant and are eligible to receive up to $3,000 each in aid. "Thankfully, I had savings from my past internships and on-campus jobs, but getting funding from the school was a very big help," Mokhtar said. Career development and 'code-switching' For Ramirez, one of the biggest hurdles of being a new full-time employee remotely is having opportunities to connect with co-workers and managers. "Young professionals need to network and develop relationships with their bosses that's what the first year is used for," he said. "At home that disconnected is felt. It's much more difficult to reach out to people without feeling like I'm encroaching on their time." As there is more talk of "living at work" overwhelming a more balanced "work from home" environment, there are specific difficulties that young workers from underrepresented minorities face when their worlds of work and home are the same. Jephtha Prempeh, a Black student from USC who recently started a remote internship with the government-focused consulting arm of Michael Bloomberg's Bloomberg Philanthropies, says switching between personal life and work life is difficult. "I don't have that fresh space to come back and be myself," Prempeh says. Jephtha Prempeh Christine Cruzvergara, vice president at jobs platform Handshake which connects students and university career offices to employers, a "LinkedIn for college" said every student deals with uncertainty when starting a new job, but additional barriers for students of color in a virtual workplace will need to be addressed. Corporate culture can be harder to learn remotely, she said, giving as an example the concept of code-switching changing languages or language styles in different settings can be particularly prevalent for students of diverse backgrounds, who feel the need to switch from their own vernacular to a workplace standard. "Some might have to code-switch in the workplace and determine how to do that when they're mostly on email and phone calls with limited body language to read," Cruzvergara said. "They're going to have to find other cues to give them a sense of what the culture is like and how to navigate it in terms of their conversations and their relationships." For Jephtha Prempeh, a Black student from USC who recently started a remote internship with Bloomberg Associates, the government-focused consulting arm of Michael Bloomberg's Bloomberg Philanthropies, being home with family and working from a bedroom makes code-switching even more complicated. "I do feel self-conscious about if I sound intelligent, but speaking differently and approaching things differently does change my home space, and I can't shake it off when the day is done. I don't have that fresh space to come back and be myself," Prempeh said. Students are often afraid to ask and jeopardize their internship. Help your employer understand your situation. Don't try to cover it up. Everette Fortner associate vice president at the University of Virginia's career center Despite socioeconomic gaps making remote work challenging, many students feel supported in their roles, both with material resources and emotional support. "I would be absolutely unable to take care of myself mentally and get the work done if it wasn't for the fact that I have a very understanding and reasonable boss and team," Mokhtar said. "I'm able to communicate with everyone on the team pretty easily, so they know what I'm dealing with." Everette Fortner, associate vice president at the University of Virginia's career center encourages students to speak up to their managers about their concerns with remote work. "Students are often afraid to ask and jeopardize their internship. Help your employer understand your situation. Don't try to cover it up. ... It's a matter of continually communicating with your manager about how to best get your work done in the living situation you're in," Fortner said. Johnson said her program spoke to each intern prior to their start date to ensure they had all of the resources they needed for work, and were even provided a stipend to cover for any additional supplies. "I was worried if I was going to be prepared and have everything I needed to do a good job, so I'm really happy they took that into consideration," she said. The diversity and inclusion push in the workplace needs to start from the hiring process taking into account the digital divide. "If you want to recruit and manage a diverse group of people, you need to ensure you're not only sourcing those candidates, but that you're also interviewing them in a way that removes as much bias as possible," said Liz Wessel, co-founder and CEO of WayUp. She said the remote environment can be used to help diversity efforts, as hiring managers can use technology to access a wider range of diverse candidates without the physical and financial barriers of travel. New monthly data from apartment rental platform Zumper shows San Francisco rents were down nearly 12% year over year in June, making the city's decline the largest in the nation, and a record slide for San Francisco. It's also the second consecutive month San Francisco rental prices have dropped, says the company, which based these statistics on 9,000 listings in San Francisco. According to Zumper, the median rental price for a one-bedroom apartment in San Francisco fell 11.8% year over year, from $3,720 to $3,280, beating May's 9% drop. The survey also reports a 1% uptick in national rents, with the average median apartment in the U.S. renting for $1,229 in June. "Zumper has been tracking rent prices across the country for over five years but we have never seen the market fluctuate quite like this," says Zumper co-founder and CEO Anthemos Georgiades. "For example, rent prices in San Francisco have historically only gone up and typically only incrementally, yet now we are seeing double-digit percent rent reductions. This is unprecedented for this generation of renters." The new numbers reflect prices in June, just weeks after Twitter and Facebook announced many employees currently working from home during the coronavirus pandemic could continue to do so permanently. As many tech workers in San Francisco mull their newfound geographic freedom, Georgiades says, the city's real estate market is rapidly changing. Georgiades says the dramatic dip is due in part to "the very real move of many mainly technology employers to a future of remote work, meaning millions of employees now looking outside of dense metropolitan areas for their next home now that their commute time is no longer a factor." He also attributes the shifts in the U.S. rental market to "pandemic pricing," adding "unprecedented number of Americans are unemployed and landlords are having to adjust to this in their rent renewals or vacancy price asks." The decline in rents could also have an impact on would-be homebuyers in San Francisco, according to Schery Bokhari, an economist at Redfin. Retired Navy Capt. Mark Kelly, husband of former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz., testifies during the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on "What Should America Do About Gun Violence?" on Wednesday, Jan. 30, 2013. Bill Clark | CQ Roll Call Democrats lead in three pivotal U.S. Senate races as President Donald Trump falls into a deeper hole in his reelection bid, according to a new CNBC/Change Research poll. The survey took the pulse of competitive Senate elections in Arizona, Michigan and North Carolina three of the six 2020 election swing states featured in the poll released Wednesday. The other states Florida, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin do not have Senate contests this year. In Arizona, Democratic former astronaut Mark Kelly leads Republican Sen. Martha McSally by a 53% to 44% margin, according to the CNBC/Change Research poll. The senator, appointed to fill the late John McCain's seat after she lost a 2018 election in the state to Democratic Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, has consistently trailed Kelly in polls. Senator Gary Peters, a Democrat from Michigan, speaks during a Senate Subcommittee on Transportation and Safety hearing in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2020. Stefani Reynolds | Bloomberg | Getty Images Meanwhile, Democratic Sen. Gary Peters of Michigan one of the few Democratic senators facing a strong Republican challenge this year holds a 49% to 42% edge over GOP Army veteran John James, the survey found. While Trump narrowly won the state on his way to the White House in 2016, recent polls have showed a challenging environment in Michigan for both the president and James. In North Carolina, Democratic former state Sen. Cal Cunningham holds a 51% to 41% advantage over Republican Sen. Thom Tillis, according to the CNBC/Change Research poll. A RealClearPolitics average of recent polls shows a much closer race for the Senate seat. When it comes to the next coronavirus stimulus package and providing more direct financial aid, the question on most Americans' lips is, "Will they or won't they?" One political analyst predicts it's likely lawmakers will go for all three options on the table to provide direct financial help to Americans, even as Washington politicians engage in a war of words on Capitol Hill. "There is going to be a pot of money, and it is going to go towards a combination of round two stimulus checks, continued unemployment and back-to-work bonuses," said Ed Mills, Washington policy analyst at Raymond James. The reason, Mills said, is that the climbing cases of coronavirus are in states that voted Republican in 2016 and could help push members of that party to provide more support, particularly because it's an election year. Democratic politicians have already expressed their backing for more financial relief. More from Personal Finance: Many American expats are still waiting for their stimulus checks Treasury Department, IRS will not extend Tax Day a second time What unemployment benefits will look like without the extra $600 a week Looming deadlines will also put pressure on lawmakers, Mills predicts. For 46 states, July 1 is the start of the fiscal year. Because 49 states aren't allowed to run deficits, that will mean an uptick in state and local layoffs unless something changes, he said. Meanwhile, the extra $600 weekly in unemployment benefits is set to expire in late July. That's as many states are pressing pause on reopening plans as coronavirus cases rise. "To the extent that it's really looked at as one pot of money to deal with multiple issues, the easiest compromise is a lower dollar amount," Mills said. "I think if I were to anticipate something that gets reduced first it would be the unemployment benefits." WASHINGTON The nation's highest-ranking Air Force officer praised Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun for quickly working with the Department of Defense to fix the KC-46 aerial refueling tanker, which the defense contractor promised would be the backbone of U.S. airpower. "I'm far more confident today in the performance and the behavior of Boeing on the KC-46 than I ever been in my entire time here and I give the new CEO, a lot of credit for being a man of his word," Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Goldfein said in a teleconference hosted by Brookings. Calhoun, who ascended to the top spot at Boeing in January, committed to the four-star general that he would rectify the issues lumbering over the new tanker program. "Three days after the new CEO Dave Calhoun got in place, I wrote him a letter, he came to see me. We had a very frank conversation and I asked him for a couple of things," Goldfein said. He said he told Calhoun: "Listen, I'm not seeing the resources being placed against this program that need to be placed. I'm no longer interested in half measures when it comes to remote visual system, and quite frankly I'm not seeing the talent from the company on this program that I should be seeing." Last January, after a two-year delay, the Air Force received its first two Boeing aerial refueling tankers. And while the Air Force plans to buy 179 tankers, the program has been plagued with a litany of problems, including foreign object debris and issues with the camera system used during the refueling process. The delivery marked a major milestone for the program which was more than $3 billion over budget. When asked to select two people or groups most responsible for the recent increase in hospitalizations, 35% said the president the largest share among the answers. Trump was followed by "people not wearing masks" at 34%, "states reopening their economies too soon" at 32% and "people not social distancing" at 29%. As cases spike in pockets of the South and West after states reopened their economies, likely voters in Arizona, Florida, Michigan, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin believe Trump shoulders much of the blame, the survey released Wednesday found. Voters in six key 2020 election states have little good to say about how President Donald Trump is handling the coronavirus as the pandemic tears through the country, according to a new CNBC/Change Research poll. The poll suggests many voters think Trump plays a role in the policies and behaviors that have contributed to the flood of infections. A majority of respondents, 55%, said they agree that the president is urging states to restart their economies too quickly in order to boost his reelection prospects, while 45% disagree. The survey found only 43% of voters agree that Trump is setting a good example and providing accurate information about proper Covid-19 precautions. Another 57% disagree. Trump has drawn backlash for not wearing a face covering in public, a practice his administration says can help to slow infections. The poll, taken from Friday to Sunday, surveyed 3,729 likely voters in the six states and has a margin of error of plus or minus 1.6 percentage points. Along with a wave of other recent surveys, it shows Trump has significant ground to make up before November if he wants to win a second term. Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden leads the incumbent by a 50% to 44% margin across the swing states, wider than the 48% to 45% edge he held in a poll taken two weeks earlier. Here's the current state of the race in individual states, according to the CNBC/Change Research poll: Arizona: Biden 51%, Trump 44% Biden 51%, Trump 44% Florida: Biden 50%, Trump 45% Biden 50%, Trump 45% Michigan: Biden 48%, Trump 43% Biden 48%, Trump 43% North Carolina: Biden 51%, Trump 44% Biden 51%, Trump 44% Pennsylvania: Biden 50%, Trump 44% Biden 50%, Trump 44% Wisconsin: Biden 51%, Trump 43% The survey also shows challenges for Republicans running in Senate races in Arizona, Michigan and North Carolina. Democrats need to win those seats two of which are held by the GOP and one by Democrats and a handful of others to flip control of the Senate. Republicans hold a 53-47 majority in the chamber, and keeping it would help them stifle Democratic priorities if Biden wins the White House and his party holds the House. In Arizona, Democratic former astronaut Mark Kelly leads GOP Sen. Martha McSally by 53% to 44%, the poll found. Democratic Sen. Gary Peters holds a 49% to 42% advantage over Army veteran John James in Michigan. In North Carolina, Democratic former state Sen. Cal Cunningham also holds a 51% to 41% edge over Republican Sen. Thom Tillis. While current polling averages show Kelly and Peters holding wide leads, other recent surveys show a tight race between Cunningham and Tillis. The findings come as voters in the six states grow more concerned about Covid-19. Arizona and Florida, in particular, are recent hot spots and are among a growing list of states that have scaled back or stalled their economic reopening. Across the six swing states surveyed, 71% of respondents say they have very or somewhat serious concerns about coronavirus. Two weeks ago, the number stood at 64%. In response to the increase in cases, 43% of voters surveyed say states should increase precautions again and 27% say they should pause reopening; 18% say the states should continue relaxing precautions, and 12% say they should lift restrictions immediately. While Trump has not worn a face mask in public, most swing-state voters have not followed his lead. The poll shows 75% of respondents say they are wearing masks in public, up from 68% two weeks ago. Researchers at Goldman Sachs say a federal mask mandate could reduce new infections and prevent an estimated 5% dip in GDP that would otherwise accompany new lockdowns. Graphics by CNBC's Nate Rattner Subscribe to CNBC on YouTube. In this article GOOGL FB The logos of Facebook and Google apps displayed on a tablet. Denis Charlet | AFP via Getty Images Britain's competition watchdog has set out recommendations for new regulations to tackle the dominance of Google and Facebook in the online advertising market. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said Wednesday that it had proposed the creation of a "Digital Markets Unit" designed to rein in platforms with "a position of market power" when it comes to digital ads. The new unit would enforce a code of conduct on Google, Facebook and other major players in the industry to make sure they don't "engage in exploitative or exclusionary practices." It would have the power to impose fines on the companies if necessary. Under newly proposed rules, the CMA is asking for the ability to order Google to share click and query data with rival search engines, force Facebook to give consumers a choice over whether to accept targeted advertising and to impose a "separation of platforms where necessary." The CMA said it wants to "lift the lid on how advertising revenue drives the business model of major platforms." According to the regulator, around 80% of the 14 billion ($17 billion) of U.K. spending on digital ads in 2019 went to Google and Facebook. Google has a more than 90% share of the search advertising market in the U.K., the CMA said, while Facebook controls more than 50% of the display advertising sector. "Advertisers today choose from a wide range of platforms that compete with each to deliver the most effective and innovative ad formats and products," Ronan Harris, Google's vice president for the U.K. and Ireland, said in a statement Wednesday. "We support regulation that benefits people, businesses and society and we'll continue to work constructively with regulatory authorities and Government on these important areas so that everyone can make the most of the web." Facebook said the company would engage with U.K. government bodies "on rules that protect consumers and help small businesses rebuild as the British economy recovers" from the coronavirus pandemic. "We face significant competition from the likes of Google, Apple, Snap, Twitter and Amazon, as well as new entrants like TikTok, which keeps us on our toes," a spokesperson for the company said in a statement. "Giving people meaningful controls over how their data is collected and used is important, which is why we have introduced industry leading tools for people to control how their data is used to inform the ads they see." The problem is 'international in nature' Though the CMA's recommendations have a domestic focus, the watchdog said the problems it had identified were "international in nature" and that it would look to "take a leading role globally" as part of its digital strategy. "Through our examination of this market, we have discovered how major online platforms like Google and Facebook operate and how they use digital advertising to fuel their business models," Andrea Coscelli, chief executive of the CMA. "What we have found is concerning if the market power of these firms goes unchecked, people and businesses will lose out." The U.S. still isn't testing enough people for the coronavirus, especially as outbreaks accelerate in many states, former Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb told CNBC on Wednesday. The U.S. has struggled to roll out rapid and effective diagnostic testing since the beginning of the outbreak, when the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shipped faulty test kits to state health officials. Once diagnostic companies such as LabCorp and Quest began to manufacture their own tests, the strained supply chain caused further delays. By the end of April, when the coronavirus had infected more than 1 million people in the U.S., the country had tested just over 6.3 million people, or almost 2% of the population, according to data collected by the Covid Tracking Project. The U.S. is now running more than 500,000 Covid-19 tests a day, but that's still not enough, Gottlieb said. "The problem is that even though we have a lot of testing we have well more than 500,000 tests a day and that's going to continue to grow we're going to be short on tests in places where there's epidemics," Gottlieb said on CNBC's "Squawk Box." "States like Texas and Florida, they're falling behind on testing right now because the testing isn't evenly distributed across the country." Gottlieb's comments come after White House health advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci warned lawmakers Tuesday that if the U.S. outbreak continues on its current trajectory, the country could hit more than 100,000 new cases per day. Gottlieb said Wednesday the U.S. is already at that point, the country's just not testing enough to detect all the new patients, especially mildly symptomatic people who might not seek testing on their own. "So it might be hard to diagnose 100,000 infections a day for the foreseeable future, but we're well more than 100,000 cases a day right now," he said. As businesses continue to bring employees back to work and as schools try to reopen in the fall, widespread testing will be a crucial part of the U.S. effort to contain the virus, Gottlieb said. Back in April, Harvard University published a report that said the U.S. would need to ramp up testing capacity to at least 5 million tests a day by early June to reopen the economy. One strategy for ramping up testing is bringing testing into schools and offices. "There's a lot of conversations going on right now about deploying testing in the workplace and also in schools, and I've been privy to some of those conversations with my proximity to some of the testing companies," Gottlieb said, adding that there's a few reasons why companies haven't rolled that out on a large scale yet. "Employers don't want to be the ones getting the results, taking possession of the tests, so there's been a reluctance to leap right now." The way it would work, Gottlieb said, is employers might ask workers to download an app that would provide a symptom checklist, which would depend on employees self-reporting. If they report symptoms, the employers can "make sure that they weren't in proximity to anyone who had Covid through contact tracing in the workplace." If deemed necessary, the employer could either provide testing or ship them an at-home sample collection kit. "What the employers are reluctant to do is bring the testing onsite and actually have to take control of it," he added. "It's understandable. They're not health-care companies." Gottlieb's comments on ramping up testing come after President Donald Trump said at a campaign rally last month that he instructed officials to "slow the testing down, please." Trump has repeatedly attributed a nationwide increase in confirmed coronavirus cases to increased testing even though health officials and some Republican governors acknowledge that the number of new cases is far outpacing the increase in testing. Disclosure: Scott Gottlieb is a CNBC contributor and is a member of the boards of Pfizer, genetic-testing start-up Tempus and biotech company Illumina. 5 differences between Democrat, GOP police reform bills Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment As protesters across the United States continue to demand that cities defund police departments in the wake of George Floyd's death, a stalemate between Democrat and Republican lawmakers could thwart the passing of nationwide police reforms. Both the Republican-controlled Senate and the Democrat-controlled House have introduced police reform bills. Even though the Senate bill was blocked by Democrats this week, the Houses billpassed 236-181 on Thursday, with three Republicans voting for it. The legislation is unlikely to pass in the Senate. While there are major differences, there are also similarities that could indicate areas of common ground. Below are five areas where there are some similarities or differences between the two police reform bills. Chokeholds Many outraged demonstrators have been calling for a ban on police use of chokeholds following the videoed death of the 46-year-old Floyd underneath the knee of a Minneapolis police officer on Memorial Day. Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., introduced the GOP police reform package earlier this month that sought to increase transparency at police departments and incentivize state and local agencies to ban the use of chokeholds by their officers. However, Scotts bill was opposed by Senate Democrats, with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., calling the bill woefully inadequate. Democrats argue that the GOP bill does not outright ban what they are calling chokeholds more accurately known as a "vascular neck restraint" or "carotid restraint control hold." These are sleeper holds that temporarily reduce blood supply to the brain and render a person unconscious for seven to 10 seconds. These holds do not restrict a person's ability to breathe because they do not compress the trachea. The other type of hold is a respiratory hold that puts pressure on the trachea and restricts a person's ability to breathe. "This type of hold should never be used by law enforcement unless lethal force is justified," says Police magazine. The GOP bill would condition federal funding on whether state and local police departments enact policies that restrict the use of chokeholds defined as maneuvers that block the ability for suspects to breathe except in cases where deadly force is authorized. Scott contends that requiring state and local agencies to adopt policies that restrict the use of chokeholds to get federal funding is essentially a default a ban on chokeholds. His bill also instructs the Justice Department to develop a policy for federal law enforcement agencies that would ban chokeholds except when deadly force is authorized, according to The Wall Street Journal. One criticism by Democrats of the GOP bill is that while it also incentivizes bans on the use of chokeholds, it does not expressly call on agencies to ban the use of carotid restraint control holds. Scott has said that he's open to amending the language of the bill but accused Democrats of stonewalling the legislation. According to The Associated Press, the House bill goes as far as banning respiratory holds and carotid restraint control holds for federal law enforcement agents. It would also condition federal funding for state and local law enforcement agencies based on the enactment of bans on both. No-knock warrants Many have also called for a ban on no-knock warrants following the police shooting of Breonna Taylor in Louisville, Kentucky, earlier this year. Taylor was shot when police officers executed a no-knock search warrant of her apartment. Democrats oppose the GOP bill because it doesnt ban no-knock warrants while the Democrat bill does. No-knock warrants are court orders allowing police to enter a property without knocking on a door or ringing a doorbell before they enter. The practice is typically used in more dangerous police investigations and raids. The House bill the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2020 would specifically ban the use of no-knock warrants by federal agents investigating drug cases and would incentivize through federal funding that state and local law enforcement departments prohibit the use of no-knock warrants. AP reports that the Republican proposal requires through the threat of withholding federal funds that state and local law enforcement agencies report specific data on their uses of no-knock warrants to the Department of Justice every year. Scotts bill would require the Justice Department to produce a yearly public report on the use of no-knock warrants nationwide. Scott has said that Republicans in the Senate want to collect more data on no-knock warrants before instituting a sweeping change banning the practice. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., introduced a standalone bill in the Senate earlier this month that would require federal law enforcement officers to provide notice before they execute a search warrant. His bill would also require state or local law enforcement agencies to adopt a similar policy to receive Justice Department funds. Taylors mother, Tamika Palmer, praised Pauls bill. "I think it's just the beginning, but I'm definitely satisfied," Palmer told The Courier-Journal. "I definitely think it will help families after mine." Qualified immunity The House bill seeks to end what is known as qualified immunity, a legal principle that provides government officials with immunity from civil lawsuits relating to their actions as government agents. The immunity generally should not protect actions that violate established legal precedent. The immunity principle has been seen as a way to guard against unnecessary legal action filed against government officials. Because of the qualified immunity doctrine, police officers are not typically held responsible for questionable actions on the job, even in cases where people have died. The U.S. Supreme Court has upheld the qualified immunity principle in the past, and the court recently turned down other challenges to the doctrine in its next term. The House bill would radically change federal misconduct laws to make it easier for courts to hold officers personally liable for violating the rights of suspects. GOP leaders argue that eliminating qualified immunity will open officers up to unnecessary legal liabilities and hurt efforts to recruit qualified police officers. Rep. Doug Collins, R-Ga., argued on the House floor this week that the recent elimination of legal shields in precincts around Atlanta could result in an exodus of officers who are applying for jobs elsewhere because they don't think they can get backed up. White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany told media this week that she believes the Democrat bill would undermine the due process rights of every officer by making pending and unsubstantial allegations available to the public, causing reputational damage based on allegations alone. In the Senate, one Republican, Mike Braun of Indiana, has introduced his bill seeking to reform the doctrine of qualified immunity. Braun argues that the current interpretation of qualified immunity allows law enforcement in high-profile excessive force and abuse-of-power cases to avoid civil suits. He says that government employees have access to an overly broad qualified immunity defense that is extended to cases when officers commit egregious acts. Scott has proposed the idea of implementing a decertification process for officers who commit misconduct. Scotts bill also calls for and would fund training for law enforcement officers that touches on alternatives to using force, de-escalation strategies, and when officers should engage when another officer is using excessive force. The Democrat bill does not address this concern, according to a side-by-side comparison of the legislation by AP. Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin, D-Ill., called the Republican-backed proposal a "token, half-hearted approach," which many took as a racial slur since Scott is black. "To call this a token process hurts my soul for my country, for our people," Scott, the author of the legislation, said. National registry and database Both bills call for greater reporting by police departments to the federal government when it comes to cases that involve police use-of-force. The Democrat bill calls for a national registry that logs complaints and disciplinary records of police officers. The House bill also requires states to report to the Justice Department any incident in which force is used against a civilian or law enforcement officer, AP reports. Additionally, under the House bill, agencies would be required to report to the Justice Department the reason why force was used as well as information on the race, sex, age, ethnicity, national orientation and housing status of every civilian who was handled by use of force. The Senate bill would require state and local law enforcement agencies to report all use-of-force incidents and officer-involved deaths to the FBI every year. Under the bill, the FBI would produce a yearly report based on the national use-of-force data collected from all agencies. The bill holds that jurisdictions that do not comply could lose federal funding. Scotts bill also calls for the creation of commissions to study the criminal justice system and the status of black men in America. Changes to federal law According to AP, the House bill would amend federal civil rights law that governs police misconduct to no longer require prosecutors to prove something that carries a high burden of proof if they want to prosecute officers: that an officers actions were willful. Such a measure would make it easier to hold police officers criminally responsible under federal law for violating the rights of an individual knowingly or with reckless disregard. By comparison, the Senate bill does not amend that section of civil rights law. People stand in line at a clinic offering quick coronavirus testing for a fee in Wilmington on Monday, June 29, 2020. Brittan Murray | Long Beach Press-Telegram | Getty Images The U.S. reported more than 44,700 coronavirus cases on Tuesday, the second-highest daily increase since the beginning of the nation's outbreak, according to a CNBC analysis of data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. The newly reported cases bring the nation's total to more than 2.63 million cases, roughly a quarter of the globes' near 10.5 million infections, according to Johns Hopkins. As of Tuesday, the U.S. reported an average of 41,132 new cases, based on the previous seven days to eliminate fluctuations in daily reporting. Tuesday marked the sixth day that average exceeded previous highs set in April, when some officials thought the U.S. reached its peak. Zoom In Icon Arrows pointing outwards New cases rose by 5% or more in 40 states across the U.S., including in states like Florida, California and Texas. Daily new case counts could surpass 100,000 new infections per day if the outbreak continues at its current pace, White House health advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci told Congress on Tuesday. He said the U.S. is "not in total control" of the coronavirus pandemic, adding that 50% of new cases are coming from four states: Florida, California, Texas and Arizona. "I'm very concerned and I'm not satisfied with what's going on because we're going in the wrong direction if you look at the curves of the new cases, so we really have got to do something about that and we need to do it quickly," Fauci told senators in a hearing held by the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. On Wednesday, both California and Arizona reported record increases in new cases, according to their health departments. California state officials later said that some of those new cases were confirmed earlier, but weren't reported in the state's official tally until Wednesday due to a backlog in reporting among local health departments. Arizona is nearing max capacity of intensive care unit beds with 1,495, or 89%, of the state's ICU beds in use as of Tuesday. Texas reported a record increase in new cases and people hospitalized with Covid-19 on Tuesday, according to the state's health department. Gov. Greg Abbott ordered hospitals Tuesday to postpone elective surgeries in four additional counties to preserve space for Covid-19 patients. Zoom In Icon Arrows pointing outwards There are now eight counties in Texas that have been ordered to postpone elective procedures. On June 25, Abbott suspended procedures in Bexar, Dallas, Harris and Travis counties, which include the state's largest cities: San Antonio, Dallas, Houston and Austin, respectively. Texas is one of 16 states that are subject to New York's travel advisory, requiring all travelers headed to New York from those states to quarantine for 14 days. Eight states California, Georgia, Iowa, Idaho, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nevada and Tennessee were added to New York's original list due to "significant community spread" of Covid-19, according to the order. Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker announced a similar advisory on Tuesday that instructs travelers arriving from most states to self-quarantine for 14 days. Visitors from Rhode Island, Connecticut, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, New York and New Jersey are exempt from the directive. Zoom In Icon Arrows pointing outwards BY THE NUMBERS IN THE NEWS TODAY STOCKS TO WATCH SHOWS February 22, 2021 10.00 am Bazaar Corporate Radar Bazaar Corporate Radar is your window into the minds of top CEOs, Boardrooms, global economists, fund managers and sector analysts. If it?s making news, you?ll find it on Bazaar Corporate Radar. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 1) - The Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura has called for the immediate suspension of all agriculture and agri-based products to prevent entry of new swine flu from China. The group said this is if the Agriculture department does not implement the first border policy through border examination facilities. It also criticized what it sees as the lack of action on the planned P2-billion first border examination facilities that were supposed to be installed at ports in Manila, Bataas, Cebu, and Davao. "In the era of global pandemic, food safety and public health concerns we urge the government to strictly implement the global standard of Quarantine First Policy," SINAG said in a statement on Wednesday. Late 2019, Agriculture Secretary William Dar said border quarantine facilities worth P400 million each would be placed in selected ports across the country to prevent smuggling of agriculture products. This was considered to be one of the challenges faced by the department in its fight against African Swine Fever, with several smuggling cases of pork and pork-based products reported last year. Experts have reported a new strain of swine flu in China called G4, which is found to be similar to H1N1 swine flu, the cause of the 2009 pandemic. Reports said that swine industry workers in China got infected with the new strain. Meanwhile, Bureau of Customs Commissoner Rey Guerrero has directed port officials to be vigilant and to carefully examine containers to make sure that no infected pork and pork products will enter the country. The BOC also assured that it has been strictly monitoring entry of agriculture products and ensuring that procedures are followed to prevent entry of infected products. Also, the bureau said guidelines on the Electronic Tracking of Containerized Cargo System were already released to cater examination of reefer importation in ports. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 1) Following the easing of lockdown restrictions in most areas in Cebu province, Governor Gwendolyn Garcia said she will focus on reviving the tourism industry upended by the COVID-19 pandemic. The national government on Tuesday downgraded the community quarantine status in the province until July 15, from a general community quarantine (GCQ) to a slightly more relaxed modified GCQ (MGCQ). This is with the exception of some areas, including Cebu City which remains under enhanced community quarantine. Talisay City, as well as the municipalities of Minglanilla and Consolacion, meanwhile, are under GCQ. In a virtual press conference with local authorities in Cebu and members of the COVID-19 Inter-agency Task Force on Wednesday, Garcia welcomed the MGCQ status and called it a very positive development. The loosening of rules, she said, will allow the provinces tourism sector to gradually recover. Since tourism activities have been halted, there are many who are out of work, Garcia said. We will focus now on the resumption of tourism activities in many of our towns, such as whale watching, canyoneering, thresher shark watching, and a lot of other activities," she continued. Garcia, however, clarified that these will be subject to strict health protocols. The governor added that Cebu will now be investing more in agricultural production, as she cited the need for food self-sufficiency and to provide opportunities for people to earn. If theres anything that this lockdown has taught us, its that Cebu is not self-sufficient in food, she pointed out. Cebu City still has enough funds The reopening of the economy, however, is a different story for Cebu City the only area in the country placed under the strictest lockdown. Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu, who is also chief overseer of the COVID-19 pandemic response in the city, said once the ECQ is lifted in the area, he plans to continue implementing strict quarantine measures in some 20 barangays. These are those that would continue to log high cases of the coronavirus disease. Magkakaroon pa rin sila ng lockdown until dahan-dahan na ma-reduce yung number of cases in their barangay, he said. Meron akong gagawing threshold doon. The moment na ma-reach nila yung threshold, they will be free from the lockdown already. [Translation: They will still be under lockdown until we see a decrease in the number of cases in their barangay. I will set a threshold for that. The moment they reach the threshold, they will be free from the lockdown already.] Meanwhile, amid fears that the city is running low on funds, Mayor Edgardo Labella assured constituents that they have enough to aid residents during the quarantine. A supplemental budget amounting to 500 million has earlier been approved by the City Council, and will be used to purchase 200,000 sacks of rice, according to the mayor. He added that the citys existing 2020 budget can still provide 1 million each for all 80 barangays. I think they will be distributed next week, with the guideline that 80% of the 1 million should be devoted to the purchase of food, and 20% should be devoted to the purchase of protection materials, like masks, he said. Based on the latest data from the Department of Health in Central Visayas, there are currently 6,175 confirmed COVID-19 cases in Cebu City. Of this number, only 3,440 are active cases, after 2,551 patients recovered and 184 died. To date, the Philippines has recorded a total of 38,511 infections, with 10,438 recoveries and 1,270 deaths. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 1) Students who haven't taken the National Medical Admission Test for the upcoming academic year may still be admitted by medical schools, the Commission on Higher Education announced on Wednesday. However, this only applies for Academic Year 2020-2021, as the NMAT had been postponed due to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and declaration of enhanced community quarantine on Luzon and other areas of the country, CHED said. A prerequisite for admission into Philippine medical schools, NMAT is a standardized test which aims to improve the selection of applicants who wish to get in to these academic institutions. This year, the NMAT was supposed to take place in March. It had around 9,000 registered applicants, according to data from the Center for Educational Measurement, which administers the test. CHED Chairman J. Prospero De Vera III said the commissions decision was prompted by concerns from parents and students on how to pursue their medical education without the required test. With the various HEIs set to open classes starting August, the CHED decision should settle the concerns of students, parents, and HEIs offering medical education, said the commission. To date, there are 56 higher education institutions in the Philippines authorized to offer the Doctor of Medicine program, CHED added. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 1) The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) on Wednesday said it will ask for more funds as more overseas Filipino workers affected by the COVID-19 crisis seek cash aid. Sa dami kasi ng humihingi ng tulong, hihingi kami ng dagdag tulong kay Presidente Duterte, Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III said in a briefing when asked about DOLE's cash assistance program for OFWs. [Translation: Since a lot of OFWs have appealed for assistance, we will seek additional help from President Duterte.] As of mid-June, more than 155,000 overseas Filipino workers received cash aid from the Abot Kamay ang Pagtulong for OFWs or AKAP program of the department. READ: More than 155,000 OFWs receive cash aid Roque Under the program, OFWs who have been displaced due to lockdowns are entitled to a one-time financial assistance worth 10,000. Bello noted that AKAP, which still has a budget of about 700 million, received around 500,000 applications for relief. Earlier, AKAP already got an additional 1 billion funding due to surge of aid requests. Initially, 1.5 billion budget was allotted for it. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 1) President Rodrigo Duterte has ordered three government agencies to investigate J&T Express, whose personnel got caught in a viral video mishandling parcels. In his weekly address to the nation aired early Wednesday morning, Duterte instructed the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), and Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG) to look into the local courier. I am ordering now because the CIDG is listening and the NBI to investigate you at ang BIR to look into your finances. Yung mga padala, nawawala tapos pagdating pinapalitan, wala ng laman (The parcels went missing and when they are received by the sendee, they have nothing inside), said Duterte. Duterte also warned he would not hesitate to order the closure of J&T Express if there will be violations found in the investigation of the three government agencies. As a courier, because of many complaints, I will close you down. Sigurado yan, sasarhan kita, whether you like it or not (I am sure that I will close you, whether you like it or not), the President added. In a video widely shared on social media last week, some men were seen throwing packages into a J&T Express delivery truck which drew anger from netizens. J&T Express issued an apology on their social media accounts, saying it will sanction the personnel involved in the mishandling incident. "We would like to reiterate that we do not tolerate such acts and behavior, and we humbly take responsibility for this incident," the courier firm said in a statement. J&T Express was set up in the country in 2018, having originated in Indonesia. It now works with big brands such as online shopping app Shopee. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 1) A doctor at the East Avenue Medical Center was held hostage by a patient on Wednesday morning. A police report said Dr. Russel Carandang was attending to Hilarion Achondo at the emergency room of the hospital at around 5:52 a.m. when the patient grabbed a syringe and pointed it at the doctor's neck. Achiondo was being treated following a vehicular accident. Police who were in the hospital investigating a separate case saw the incident and talked to Achondo. The suspect was pacified and later apprehended. The report said both Carandang and Achondo were brought to the Quezon City Police Department Criminal Investigation Detection Unit for an investigation. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 1) Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque on Wednesday brushed off criticisms over his latest remark congratulating the country for beating a COVID-19 case forecast, saying he will keep on doing it to encourage Filipinos amid the pandemic. Speaking to CNN Philippines, Roque said he wont hesitate to make the praise a monthly routine as a constant reminder to people that the coronavirus battle can be fought and won. I think, every month now, Im going to keep on doing it, and I really dont care about the critics, Roque said in an interview with The Source. I think people should be reminded, that although there are mathematical models, we could still control what happens in our lives. I will keep on doing it because its the only way we could encourage people, he added. In his Tuesday media briefing, Roque happily exclaimed that the Philippines proved wrong a forecast by the University of the Philippines' OCTA Research Team that COVID-19 cases in the country could rise to 40,000 by the end of the June. Prior to the statement, the nationwide toll stood at 36,438. READ: 'Congratulations, Philippines': Roque says the country beat UP's COVID-19 forecast The statement drew flak from netizens who stressed that the virus not UP was the real enemy. Some also questioned the need for praise, when the country continues to record rising number of infections. Roque agreed with that view and asked for understanding as the Philippines continues to fight and thrive in the pandemic. Ang kalaban talaga ay COVID. Siguro parang ringside commentator itong UP, yung sinasabi nila ang magiging score. Konting intindi lang po, the spokesperson said in response to critics. [Translation: COVID is the real enemy. Perhaps UP is only the ringside commentator, the ones who are telling the score. Were asking for some understanding.] The state universitys latest study also projected that by July 31, infections may further surge to at least 60,000. Roque, on the other hand, said he hopes the case count in the country will not reach 50,000 by the end of July. Another disappointment: 4 pro-life reactions to Supreme Court blocking La. abortion clinic law Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment On Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in June Medical Services v. Russo that a Louisiana state law holding abortion clinics to the same standards as surgical centers was unconstitutional. Justice Stephen Breyer announced the judgment, being joined by Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Sonia Sotomayor, and Elena Kagan. Chief Justice John Roberts filed a concurring opinion. The opinion was built off of an earlier 5-3 Supreme Court ruling known as Whole Womans Health v. Hellerstedt, which struck down a similar law in Texas. In this case, we consider the constitutionality of a Louisiana statute, Act 620, that is almost word-for-word identical to Texas admitting-privileges law, wrote Breyer. Those findings mirror those made in Whole Womans Health in every relevant respect and require the same result. We consequently hold that the Louisiana statute is unconstitutional. Pro-choice groups celebrated the decision, with organizations like Planned Parenthood hailing it as a victory for womens health and abortion access. Many patients seeking abortion in Louisiana can [breathe] a sigh of relief, stated Planned Parenthood on Twitter. Your ability to access abortion shouldnt be determined by where you live, how much money you make, and the color of your skin and well keep working to make that a reality for ALL people. However, many pro-life activists and conservatives denounced the decision. Here are four pro-life reactions to the latest Supreme Court decision. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 1) Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque may have celebrated too early. The country may have actually reached the projected 40,000 COVID-19 cases when June ended, the government's former task force adviser said Wednesday. "He's not in touch with reality the Filipino people will come round in their own time, wondering what happened and why the world blew up around them," Leachon said in a text message to CNN Philippines. "The Palace communication plan has to change. People are dying and losing hope," he added. This comes a day after Roque congratulated the public for supposedly disproving the projection of the University of the Philippines OCTA Research Team that COVID-19 cases will have reached 40,000 by June 30. READ: 'Congratulations, Philippines': Roque says the country beat UP's COVID-19 forecast Roque was referring to the 36,438 COVID-19 cases last recorded by the Department of Health when he held the briefing. But during that period, there were a total of 46,272 positive tests already reported by the agency. Roque also insisted that the country is still "winning" the COVID-19 battle despite 1,000 cases still to be validated by the government, citing testing czar Vince Dizon. But Roque's jovial approach did not sit well with some critics, who claim that the government should focus on beating the virus, instead of projections by experts. On Wednesday, Roque maintained that his congratulatory remark was meant to celebrate the "small victory" of missing UP's forecast for the first time. READ: Roque defends Congratulations, Philippines remark amid backlash: Ill keep doing it to encourage people "They have been perfectly accurate in their forecasting of how many cases we would have at the end of the month," he told CNN Philippines' The Source. "As far as I know, this is the first time we missed it not by much but we still missed it." But Leachon maintained that the numbers are larger than what Roque has been claiming, with more samples that were not yet processed by laboratories. No less than the Department of Health noted in its statistics that there were 3,068 testing backlogs as of Sunday. This even rose to 3,521 as of Tuesday. "I dont know where he (Roque) gets the information on the backlogs, but definitely its not 1000," Leachon said. "You can just look at the number of testing facilities that did not submit reports the past days and you can tell that there are likely more cases that are still pending." As of Tuesday, the Philippines has logged 37,513 COVID-19 cases. Leachon said this means the number of unique cases is "somewhere between 37,000 to 46,000 as of June 30." For the former task force adviser, while this figure includes duplicates and unvalidated results, this is not a reason to be complacent. "Backlogs are signs of ineptitude and inefficient work regardless of the number. We can't make people listen with lives lost, progressive poverty, high unemployment rate and mental health issues," Leachon said. He added: "Stonewalling of information does not help the people. People wont make needed sacrifices, instead they will cling to the status quo." The UP research team projected that come July 31, infections may further surge to at least 60,000. Cases in Metro Manila may also top 27,000 and Cebu province 15,000 by then. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 1) The Philippine National Police is now ruling out the misencounter angle in the fatal shooting of four soldiers by policemen in Jolo, Sulu. Police Brigadier General Bernard Banac, PNP spokesperson, said Wednesday that based on their analysis of reports on the ground, the soldiers did not fire a single shot at the police. The PNP is now calling it a shooting incident, involving nine policemen. Nakita natin na wala namang paggamit o pagpapaputok ng baril mula sa mga namatay na sundalo. Nakalagay lang doon ay umamba umano, umamba, Banac told reporters. [Translation: We saw that there was no use or firing of guns from the soldiers who died. The reports only said they threatened to do so.] Banac added that the local police may have failed to preserve the crime scene, and that the Jolo Municipal Police Station would be held liable if this is proven. President Rodrigo Duterte has ordered the National Bureau of Investigation to speed up its investigation. He also sought a meeting with the nine cops tagged in the incident, said his spokesman, Harry Roque. The PNP-Internal Affairs Service is conducting its own probe with the National Police Commission. This would ensure an impartial investigation and prevent any biases, PNP-IAS chief Alfegar Triambulo said. READ: Cops who killed soldiers in Sulu misencounter disarmed, under restrictive custody PNP Four Army officers were killed in a police operation in Jolo, Sulu on Monday. They are Maj. Marvin Indammog, Cpt. Irwin Managuelod, Sgt. Jaime Velasco, and Cpl. Abdal Asula -- all from the Armys 9th Intelligence Service Unit of the 11th Infantry Division. Initial reports from the Sulu Provincial Police Office said the cops involved claimed self-defense, after the soldiers supposedly lifted and pointed their firearms first at the police. But Army Chief Lt. Gen. Gilbert Gapay said it was a rubout and his men were "murdered" by the police personnel. In a statement on Wednesday, Gapay said the incident will not affect the harmonious working relationship between the police and military, and vowed to revisit protocols to prevent similar incidents in the future. CNN Philippines' David Santos and Eimor Santos contributed to this report. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 1) Army Chief Lt. Gen. Gilbert Gapay was emotional as he welcomed the remains of the soldiers killed in a controversial police operation in Jolo, Sulu on Tuesday. Three of the four Army men, who died in the operation on Monday were flown from Zamboanga City to Villamor Air Base in Pasay City. The Philippine Army rendered honors for late Major Marvin Indamog, Captain Irwin Managuelod, and Sergeant Eric Velasco. The remains of the fourth slain soldier, Corporal Abdal Asula, were buried in Sulu in compliance with Islamic traditions. An enraged Gapay addressed the media after the ceremony for the slain troops. He did not mince his words while discussing how the Jolo police reported the incident. He described it as "fabricated, full of inconsistencies, and misleading." Initial reports from the Sulu Provincial Police Office said the cops involved claimed self-defense, after the soldiers supposedly lifted and pointed their firearms first to the police. The report added that the incident occurred when the soldiers allegedly tried to flee the police station after they were brought in for questioning. "With the report, whitewash na kaagad eh! There was no misencounter here. It was a rubout. " he said. Gapay said as his voice continued to rise, "Masama ang loob namin to what happened to the Army personnel who were murdered by the policemen." [Translation: You can see the report was whitewashed. We are furious with what happened to the Army personnel who were murdered by the policemen.] The National Bureau of Investigation will conduct an autopsy on the remains of three soldiers in Manila before these are turned over to their respective families. The NBIs regional office in Zamboanga that is handling the probe was given 10 days to submit its initial report, according to Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra. Army said at least 9 policemen were part of the operation that killed the troops. The policemen have been disarmed and their movement restricted while the investigation is ongoing. Gapay also called for the relief of the Sulu Provincial Police Chief and the Jolo municipal police chief, citing command responsibility. "We're not generalizing the PNP here. We're talking about Jolo PNP here. Heads will roll here and those that will be (found) liable should be punished to the max," he said. The Armed Forces of the Philippines has urged the public not to blow things out of proportion, saying the agency continues to work well with the PNP in strengthening the countrys response against terrorism and the COVID-19 pandemic. Ang gusto po ng dalawang lider ng AFP at PNP, ay huwag na nating palakihin itong insidenteng ito, AFP Spokesperson Edgard Arevalo said on Tuesday. [Translation: What the AFP and PNP leaders would want is to not make a big deal out of this incident.] Senator Ronald Bato Dela Rosa who had previously served as chief PNP also urged ground commanders from both sides to diffuse tensions and prevent it from escalating pending results of the probe. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 1) The National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) should probe other broadcast networks that continually operate with expired legislative franchises, a lawmaker demanded. Rep. Micaela Violago (2nd Dist., Nueva Ecija) raised the issue on Wednesday in a joint hearing of the House Committee on Legislative Franchises and the Committee on Good Government and Public Acccountability. It has been called to my attention that there are more than 15 broadcasting companies that are still continuously on air even though their franchises are already expired, she said. Violago did not identify the broadcast firms, but revealed that some of them have been operating without a franchise since 2015. Dapat maging patas ang proseso natin (our process should be fair) so may I ask the NTC to make a proper action regarding this matter, she said. Bulacan Rep. Jonathan Sy-Alvarado, chairman of the Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability, asked Violago to file a House resolution on the matter. On Tuesday, NTC ordered ABS-CBN to stop the broadcasts of its Sky Direct and TV Plus channels. READ: NTC stops broadcasts of Sky Direct, ABS-CBN's TV Plus channels in Metro Manila Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 1) The governments new inter-agency panel set to investigate killings linked to thousands of anti-drug operations will look into each and every case, Malacanang said Wednesday, as it remained confident of a fair probe on the matter. In an effort to improve our capacity to investigate and punish the perpatrators of human rights violations, we have created an inter-agency body headed by the DOJ (Department of Justice) to look into each and every case of alleged killing, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque told CNN Philippines The Source. The inter-agency response is necessary to assure the country and the international community of the (impartiality) of the investigation of these deaths arising from police operations, he added. Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra, speaking before the United Nations Human Rights council on Tuesday, said the Philippines has formed a body to look into all anti-drug police operations that resulted in deaths. Guevarra said the panel which is set to release a report in November only reevaluates the cases, with the Philippine National Police conducting its own investigations. The statement came in response to UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelets report on the Philippines current situation, which found some serious human rights violations in the implementation of the current administrations flagship anti-drug campaign. In her comprehensive review, Bachelet said that the governments bloody war on drugs is being carried out without due regard for the rule of law, due process, and the human rights of people, adding that the ongoing killings have become widespread and systematic. She called on the Philippine government to strengthen its accountability mechanism, improve data gathering on alleged police violations, review its policies, and coordinate with civil society. "In the absence of clear and measurable outcomes from domestic mechanism, the council should consider options for international accountability measures," she stressed READ: UN rights chief says Duterte drug war without regard for due process, human rights Human rights advocates have repeatedly slammed President Rodrigo Duterte's drug campaign, which has led to the death of thousands of suspected users and dealers. Government data shows over 6,000 people have been killed in anti-illegal drug operations since Duterte took office in July 2016. Local and international rights groups, however, say thousands more have died in extrajudicial killings a claim the government has repeatedly denied. In response to the UNs latest report, Roque stressed that no nation can claim a perfect record when it comes to human rights cases, citing current problems in other areas including the United States, Australia, and Europe. Its not a perfect world for human rights, Roque said. What is important is that where there are atrocities or acclaimed violations of human rights, that the burden of the state to investigate and punish the perpetrators thereof are in fact complied with. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 1) The Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators or POGOs planning to leave the country are not exempt from paying due taxes, Malacanang said on Wednesday. Of course they have to pay the taxes, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque told CNN Philippines The Source. Roque disclosed that one POGO company has stopped doing business in the country and has moved to Cambodia. The spokesperson added that two other operators among the biggest in the industry have already settled their tax obligations. Roque, however, did not identify the companies. He stressed that those with unsettled dues would have to pay up or they will be encouraged to likewise leave the Philippines. I think the government is firm, (Finance) Secretary (Sonny) Dominguez has said they have to pay up if they want to continue to operate, Roque said. The POGO industry was permitted to resume operations under limited capacity in May, subject to requirements such as testing for all workers for COVID-19 before being cleared to work, the payment of taxes and guarantee fees to the state, and the practice of social distancing in the workplace. The online gambling business was bombarded with a number of allegations in the past few months. It faced lawmakers' and officials inquiries on tax liabilities which reportedly amounted to over 50-billion as well as other POGO-related crimes including the controversial money laundering scheme, illegal drug trade and sex trafficking. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 1) The Philippine government may ask for more time to bring home the remains of hundreds of OFWs from Saudi Arabia due to logistical issues, a Foreign Affairs official said on Wednesday. DFA Undersecretary Brigido Dulay said members of the Inter-Agency Task Force may seek an extension to the July 4 deadline to transport 278 bodies, including 129 who died of COVID-19. Saudi authorities earlier asked the Philippines to bring home the remains of 301 OFWs who died in the kingdom. Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III said of that number, 152 OFWs died of COVID-19, but 23 of them have already been buried in Saudi Arabia. "The July 4 is already being discussed, to extend the July 4 deadline. Because on the part of DOLE, they have to mount a charter plane for this one. I understand that the plane may not be available by July 4, aside from the fact that when we transport cadavers, a lot of paper work needs to be done in the Saudi Arabia side," he said in an online forum. With the possibility of a delay, DFA assured the repatriation will push through. The Labor Department has said the government will charter two flights from Riyadh and Jeddah, where the remains will be transported from various regions in Saudi Arabia before they are flown back to the Philippines. Upon arrival, the remains of those who succumbed to the coronavirus will be brought directly to crematoriums. Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III said they will do their best to meet the deadline despite the number of requirements from the Saudi government. "We are doing our best para ma-meet lahat ng requirements, including health protocols, 'yung mga exit visa, lahat ng pahintulot ng employers, pahintulot ng mga next of kin. We will try to bring them home by July 4," he said in a separate briefing. [Translation: We are doing our best to meet all the requirements, including observing health protocols, completing the exit visa, permission from employers, and the next of kin.] The countrys COVID-19 inter-agency task force earlier approved the request to fly home the remains of the coronavirus-infected OFWs after health officials declared it was safe to bring home the bodies. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 1) The Supreme Court has dismissed a petition that challenged the constitutionality of the Bayanihan to Heal As One Act, the law that gave President Rodrigo Duterte additional powers for coronavirus response. The Court dismissed the Petition as it failed to show grave abuse of discretion committed by the respondents, the Supreme Court said in a statement on Wednesday. It said the justices reached the decision during an en banc session on Tuesday and that only Associate Justices Marvic Leonen and Samuel Gaerlan dissented. Lawyer Jaime Ibanez filed the petition on June 2, saying Republic Act No. 11469 or the Bayanihan Act was unconstitutional since it granted the President legislative authority that should be vested only in Congress. Ibanez' petition also asked the Supreme Court to annul the omnibus guidelines on community quarantine saying that the Inter-Agency Task Force, the policy-making body in the governments COVID-19 response, has no legislative authority to issue one. Congress held a special session in March to approve the Bayanihan Act, which enabled Duterte to reshuffle the savings within the 2020 General Appropriations Act to address the crisis. Duterte then submitted weekly reports to Congress until the law expired last month. Lawmakers are pushing for another bill, a proposed Bayanihan to Recover as One Act which House Speaker Alan Peter Ceyatano said would include "more specific" fund allocations. The Senate earlier passed on second reading its version of the bill, but it adjourned without approving the measure after Malacanang refused to certify it as urgent. Uh-oh! It could be you, or it could be us, but there's no page here. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 2) The chief of Jolo Police was relieved from his post over the fatal shooting of four Army troops by policemen, the Philippine National Police confirmed on Thursday. PNP spokesperson Bernard Banac said Lieutenant Colonel Walter Annayo was relieved as part of command responsibility for the actions of his nine men. Those killed in the shooting incident in Jolo, Sulu on Monday were Maj. Marvin Indammog, Cpt. Irwin Managuelod, Sgt. Jaime Velasco, and Cpl. Abdal Asula all from the Armys 9th Intelligence Service Unit of the 11th Infantry Division. Initial reports from the Sulu Provincial Police Office said the cops involved claimed self-defense, after the soldiers supposedly lifted and pointed their firearms first at the police. But Army Chief Lt. Gen. Gilbert Gapay said it was a rubout and his men were "murdered" by the police personnel. PNP later ruled out the "misencounter" angle in the shooting incident. Banac said that based on their analysis of reports on the ground, the soldiers did not fire a single shot at the police. He added that the local police may have failed to preserve the crime scene. President Rodrigo Duterte has ordered the National Bureau of Investigation to speed up its investigation. He also sought a meeting with the nine cops tagged in the incident, said his spokesman, Harry Roque. Duterte doesnt want the issue to escalate further, joining calls from top military and police leaders for calm among the PNP and Armys ranks, according to Defense Chief Delfin Lorenzana. The PNP-Internal Affairs Service is also conducting its own probe with the National Police Commission. Joe Biden courts evangelicals as polls show Trump slipping with voting bloc Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment As polls show President Donald Trumps support slipping among white evangelicals, the campaign for presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden sees an opening for their candidate to pull away voters from the presidents most faithful voting bloc. The battle for the soul of our nation deeply resonates with evangelicals, John McCarthy, deputy national political director for the Biden Campaign, told David Brody, chief political analyst at the Christian Broadcasting Network, in a recent interview for Just the News. They would be open to Joe Bidens message as well. Earlier this month, Robert P. Jones, chief executive of the Public Religion Research Institute, noted in an interview with The New York Times that that since 2016, the share of the American population that is white and evangelical has declined by two percentage points, to 15%. A PRRI poll also found that while 80% of white evangelicals said they approved of the job the president was doing in March, by the end of May, with the coronavirus pandemic raging along with racial discord, his favorability sank to 62%. Among white Catholics, the poll also showed a decline in approval by 27%. He had an opportunity in March when people were looking to him. And then within four weeks he squandered it, Jones said. While Bidens campaign admits that a majority of evangelicals are likely to remain with team Trump, they believe they can appeal to younger millennial evangelicals with more moderate views and suburban women. And they have been engaging with evangelical pastors and women around the country on issues like racial injustice, immigration reform and climate change. Those issues tug at the heart of faith voters, McCarthy said. A Politico report earlier this month said the Biden campaign was in the early stages of scheduling an on-camera sit-down with Brody, who also conducted several interviews with former President Barack Obama during his 2008 campaign following a successful effort of engaging with evangelicals. Obama won 26% of the evangelical vote in 2008 and 21% in 2012. Hillary Clinton on the other hand only got 16% of the evangelical vote in 2016. She did not do significant outreach to evangelicals. "I've been very clear that the invitation was not given in 2016, Michael Wear, former faith outreach director for the Obama Campaign in 2012, told Just the News. Broad swaths of the faith community did not feel like the Democratic nominee was interested in their vote." Trump came away with 81% of the white evangelical vote. Wear believes that Biden is on track to do what Obama did in his outreach to the faith community. I think he's doing what he needs to do to let people from different faith communities, moderate and conservative Christian voters, know that they can vote for him and they'll have a partner, Wear said. "If former Vice President Biden is on track for those 2012 Obama numbers (21% of white evangelicals), he will win by a significant margin. The Biden campaign is also targeting Latino evangelicals and Catholics despite concerns about certain issues like abortion. Catholics are not single-issue voters, McCarthy said. Its not about just one or two issues. Its more of an overarching theme as to where are the lessons of Christ found. New New York Times/Siena College polls show Trump trailing at least slightly behind Biden in six states that he won in 2016, including Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, where he trails by double digits. You cant win with these numbers. Theyre atrocious numbers, Edward J. Rollins, co-chairman of the pro-Trump super PAC Great America and the former campaign manager for Ronald Reagans 1984 reelection campaign, told The Washington Post. The president must straighten his campaign out and convey to the American people that he can move forward and lead, Rollins said. Hes got to go out and add 10 points pretty quick. If he can do that, hell win. If not, Biden is sitting there as the alternative. A Pew Research Center Survey in March shows that 55% of Americans think Biden is at least somewhat religious compared to 28% who see President Trump that way. Heres the problem for Trump: He needs to be at 81 percent or north (with evangelicals) to win reelection. Any slippage and he doesnt get a second term, and thats where Joe Biden comes into play, Brody told Politico. In this environment, with everything from the coronavirus to George Floyd and Trump calling himself the law-and-order president, Biden could potentially pick off a percent or 2 from that 81 percent number. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 2) Five areas in Barangay BF Homes in Paranaque City will be placed under calibrated lockdown, the city government announced on Wednesday night. Mayor Edwin Olivarez ordered the lockdown in Clinicville (Purok 1 and 2), J. Marquez Compound, Sampaloc Site 2 (Apple St., Chico St., Dalandan St., Calamansi St.), Masville (Purok 3, Purok 3A, Aratiles 1, Aratiles 2), and Target Range 1. The calibrated lockdown in the aforementioned areas will start on Friday, July 3, at 6:00 a.m. and will end on Sunday, July 5, at 12:00 m.n. The Paranaque city government will implement mass testing in these places, Olivarez said in a statement. The mayor emphasized that only frontliners will be allowed to go out of their houses in the lockdown areas. Olivarez assured that all affected households will receive food packs and basic essentials during the days of the calibrated lockdown. The Paranaque City Environment and Natural Environment Resources Office will also perform total disinfection in these areas on Saturday, July 4. To date, Paranaque City has 1,120 confirmed COVID-19 cases along with 302 active infections. Additionally, some 58 persons died and 760 individuals recovered from the virus in the city. Barangay BF Homes has the most number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the citys District 2 with 134. Nine areas in Barangay San Dionisio and ten streets in Barangay Baclaran were previously placed under a three-day calibrated lockdown by the Paranaque city government. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 2) - Rep. Jesus Crisipin Remulla (7th District, Cavite) apologized on Wednesday after he was caught by the camera scribbling notes while the Philippine national anthem Lupang Hinirang was being played. Known for his close scrutiny on the legislative franchise of broadcast network ABS-CBN, Remulla blamed ABS-CBN people for spreading the video online. "Id like to apologize for an earlier incident na ako poy may sinusulat na note nung nag-flag ceremony tayo (Id like to apologize for an earlier incident where I was caught writing notes during the flag ceremony), said Remulla during the continuation of the inquiry on the media giants franchise. As usual, the ABS-CBN people are the ones playing it up now on social media," he said. "But I will forgive them." Remulla claimed that he was just preparing questions that he would ask during the hearing. Ang sa akin ho, I wrote the note - hindi ho excuse to- (For me, I wrote the note, -this is not an excuse-) because something went into my mind for the questions I will ask..," he said. "Ako ay humihingi ng dispensa sa ating mga kababayan (Im very sorry to our fellow citizens)." Section 38 of the Republic Act 8491 or the Flag and Heraldic Code of the Philippines states that everyone should stand at attention and sing with fervor the national anthem. Anyone who fails to observe the provisions of the law shall be fined with P5,000 to P20,000 and/or imprisonment of up to a year. Remulla said he is willing to pay the penalty if asked to do so. Magbabayad tayo kung kinakailangan po [We will pay if necessary], he said. (CNN) Hong Kong was facing up to a new reality on Wednesday, after China's central government imposed a sweeping national security law late the night before that critics say has stripped the city of its autonomy and precious civil and social freedoms, and cements Beijing's authoritarian rule over the territory. Hundreds turned out to protest the legislation in the busy shopping district of Causeway Bay but were met with a heavy security presence. Riot police fired pepper spray into the crowd, kettled and dispersed protesters, and deployed water cannons. During the protest, Hong Kong police made the first arrests under the new law, including a man who was holding a black independence flag, and soon afterward a woman with a sign reading "Hong Kong Independence." At least 300 people were arrested on Wednesday, with nine arrests of five men and four women on suspicion of violating the national security law, according to police. Police said in an earlier tweet that one officer was injured after being stabbed in the arm. The new law came into effect in Hong Kong in the lead-up to July 1 -- the 23rd anniversary of the handover of Hong Kong from British rule to China -- and dramatically broadens the powers of local and mainland authorities to investigate, prosecute and punish dissenters. In vague language, the legislation criminalizes secession, subversion, terrorism, and collusion with foreign powers. People convicted of such crimes can face sentences of up to life in prison. The move has also sparked international condemnation. The British government said Wednesday it would offer a path to citizenship for eligible Hong Kong residents, calling the new law as a threat to the city's freedom. Fearing they could be targeted under the new law, several political and activist groups in the city formally disbanded in advance of the law being introduced Monday. On the streets, the effects could be seen elsewhere too, as shopkeepers tore down posters that supported anti-government protests, and many citizens hastily deleted social media posts and accounts. One passerby, who only gave the initial JM, and his daughter said they would now consider using a virtual private network (VPN) to protect themselves online and would even consider leaving the city. "Its hard to not self-censor. I think most people will be more cautious," they said. "Even though I don't want to leave (Hong Kong) it's time that I need to think about it." July 1 is traditionally a day of protests in the city but for the first time since handover, police did not give permission to protesters to hold peaceful demonstrations. Despite the threat of stricter penalties, several hundred protesters did turn out chanting and waving flags. Police demanded they stop shouting pro-independence slogans -- they also unfurled a purple flag warning protesters of being in violation of the new law. On June 30, police commanders were told in a training session that anybody seen waving an independence flag or chanting for independence should be arrested, a police source said -- as should anyone found in possession of independence flags. The scene was a marked difference from a year ago when tens of thousands of people marched through Hong Kong's streets protesting a bill that would allow China to extradite Hong Kong citizens. Protesters had stormed the city's government headquarters, spray-painting messages in Cantonese and English on the walls of the legislative chamber demanding that the extradition bill be dropped. That fear may now be a reality under the new security law, which permits for certain cases to be tried in the mainland instead of Hong Kong. On Wednesday, Hong Kong's top official, Chief Executive Carrie Lam, said the law is a "crucial step to ending chaos and violence that has occurred over the past few months" in the city. "The national security law is the most important development in securing ties between China and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region since the handover," she said, framing criticism of the law as "vicious attacks." What's in the law? The stringent new legislation and its 66 articles were kept secret from the public until the law went into effect and appear to offer the government, courts, police and authorities a roadmap to quash any hint of the mass anti-government protests that rocked the city last year. Here are some of the key takeaways of the law, according to a translation from Chinese state news agency Xinhua. Those found guilty could face life in prison: - The law establishes four new offenses of secession, subversion, terrorism, and collusion with foreign powers. The maximum penalty for each is life imprisonment. - Activities such as damaging public transport and public services "in order to pursue political agenda" can be considered terrorism -- a provision that appears to target protesters who last year disrupted traffic and the city's infrastructure. - A terrorism charge can also include the vaguely worded provision of "other dangerous activities which seriously jeopardize public health, safety or security." China can take over cases and hold secret trials with no jury: - The Chinese central government will establish its own law enforcement presence in Hong Kong, labeled the "Office for Safeguarding National Security." - A national security committee for Hong Kong will also be established, comprised of Hong Kong government officials and an adviser appointed by the Chinese central government. The group's workings "shall not be disclosed to the public," and "decisions by the committee shall not be amenable to judicial review." - Hong Kong's Chief Executive now has the power to appoint judges to handle cases related to national security. National security cases involving state secrets can be tried without a jury. - Hong Kong courts will oversee national security cases but Beijing can take over prosecution in certain circumstances, applying Chinese law and prosecution standards. - In these cases, Beijing can choose which prosecuting body will hear the case and which court it will be heard in, meaning that cases could potentially be held in the mainland. The anti-government protests last year were sparked over a proposed law that would allow extradition to mainland China. - Trials will be held in an open court but when the case involves "state secrets or public order" it can be moved behind closed doors. This will affect foreigners, news organizations, international companies: - The law targets perceived foreign interference in Hong Kong. Throughout the protests, the Chinese government blamed "foreign forces" for interfering in the city's affairs. The law states that anyone who "steals, spies, obtains with payment, or unlawfully provides state secrets or intelligence" to a foreign country, institution, organization or individual will be guilty of an offense under collusion with foreign powers. - The law also makes it an offense for people to call on a foreign country, institution, organization or individual to impose sanctions or blockades on Hong Kong. The US said it would impose visa restrictions on current and former Chinese officials over Hong Kong. - Working with a foreign government, institution, organization or individual to incite hatred against the Hong Kong or Chinese Central government is now a offense. - A new national security unit will be set up in the Hong Kong Police Force that will have the power to search properties, intercept information and perform covert surveillance without a warrant. It can also recruit members from outside of Hong Kong -- potentially allowing mainland officers to operate in the city. - The law also directs the Hong Kong government, along with the new commission, to strengthen its management over foreign news agencies and non-government organizations. Other significant parts of the law: - The law requires that Hong Kong "shall promote national security education in schools and universities." The last time Hong Kong tried to introduce Chinese civic education into local schools in 2012, tens of thousands of people protested on the streets, arguing it constituted mainland propaganda. - Ultimately, the national security law trumps local laws: the new legislation states that if there is a conflict with existing Hong Kong law, the national security law will prevail. 'A short, sharp sword' The legislation has been widely criticized by opposition lawmakers in Hong Kong, human rights groups and politicians worldwide. Many worry it will be used to target political dissidents, activists, human rights lawyers and journalists amid the central government's continuing crackdown on civil society under Chinese President Xi Jinping. Opponents of the law say it marks the end of the "one country, two systems" -- a principle by which Hong Kong has retained limited democracy and civil liberties since coming under Chinese control. Crucially, those freedoms include the right to assembly, a free press, and an independent judiciary, rights that are not enjoyed on the Chinese mainland. On Wednesday, the Chinese government staunchly defended the law, calling it a perfect embodiment of the "one country, two system" policy. "If we want to implement 'one country, one system,' things would have been much simpler," said Zhang Xiaoming, executive deputy director of China's Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office. "We could have directly applied Chinese criminal code, prosecution law and national security law to Hong Kong. Why would we go to such lengths to tailor-make a national security law for Hong Kong?" Officials also brushed aside concerns over the law's impact on freedom of speech, judicial independence and political diversity, reiterating that it targets only a tiny minority of people who intend to do real harm to Hong Kong. Shen Chunyao, director of legislative affairs commission of the National People's Congress Standing Committee, China's top lawmaking body, which passed the new law, said only under "very rare" circumstances would Chinese state security agents and judicial authorities get involved in Hong Kong cases. "We don't want to see (such occurrences), but we must set up a system that take such risks and factors into consideration," he said. Michael Tien, Hong Kong's Deputy to the National People's Congress, said the law was being blown "out of proportion" and that its main purpose was to "act as a deterrent." "It's a short, sharp sword hanging over a minority of people," Tien said. He added that he believes cases in which Beijing steps in and sends people to the mainland to be tried will be a "different level of crime." "I do not call rocking a bus or paralyzing the Hong Kong public transport as an imminent threat to national security," he said. But Jimmy Lai, a Hong Kong media tycoon known for his outspoken support of the city's pro-democracy movement, said the law "spells a death knell to Hong Kong because it supersedes our law and our rule of law." Rights group Amnesty International said the legislation "represents the greatest threat to human rights in the city's recent history." On Wednesday, Canada updated its travel advice for Hong Kong, warning its citizens that they "may be at increased risk of arbitrary detention on national security grounds and possible extradition to mainland China." United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said it was a "sad day for Hong Kong, and for freedom-loving people across China" with the imposition of the national security legislation in Hong Kong. He said the law "destroys the territory's autonomy and one of China's greatest achievements." This story was first published on CNN.com, "Protests break out in Hong Kong as first arrest made under new security law" The Coastal Point is a local newspaper published each Friday and distributed in the Bethany Beach, South Bethany, Fenwick Island, Ocean View, Millville, Dagsboro, Frankford, Selbyville, Millsboro, Long Neck and Georgetown, Delaware areas. Penn State students now have even more time to request a housing contract cancellation, according to an email sent to students. Requests may be submitted through Friday, July 10 via students' eLiving account without any financial penalty. The offer only applies to upperclass students, as first-year students are required to live on campus. Additionally, Penn State Housing sent an email Tuesday to students who were on the on-campus housing waitlist, telling them to find off-campus housing because they don't have any space left in on-campus dorms. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, dorm rooms will be limited to two occupants, meaning options like supplemental housing won't be available this year. "At this time, we recommend that you explore off-campus housing for the 2020-2021 academic year," the email reads. Although it's still early on, the email suggests that students who opt for remote learning this fall may want to live on campus during the spring semester. The spring housing waitlist will become available at noon on October 1 via eLiving. MORE CAMPUS COVERAGE Penn State student starts petition for reduced tuition for virtual courses in coming semester A Penn State student started a petition to adjust the fall 2020 semester tuition rate in lig Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf will sign into law two bills created to reform police practices in the commonwealth following nationwide protests over George Floyd's death, according to the Associated Press. Floyd was an unarmed, 46-year-old Black man who was killed during his arrest by a Minneapolis police officer in May. The officer restrained Floyd in a neck hold for eight minutes and 46 seconds. One of the bills passed will require police departments to conduct background checks of all potential hires, including a report from the job applicant's previous department, if applicable. The report must include all disciplinary actions, complaints against the individual and the reason he or she no longer works for that department. Additionally, the Municipal Police Officers Education and Training Commission will be required to maintain an electronic database with the aforementioned information. However, the public won't have access to the database or its information. The second bill requires that officers are trained every other year on how to interact with people of different racial and ethnic backgrounds, and receive annual instruction on de-escalation and harm-reduction techniques. It also requires a mental health evaluation for post-traumatic stress disorder to be completed for officers who used lethal force within 30 days of such an incident, or if a supervisor requests an evaluation be completed. Such officers who show PTSD symptoms must be cleared by a licensed physician in order to return to work. Both bills passed unanimously in both the Pennsylvania House and Senate. RELATED John Hickenlooper wont have long to relish his cruise to the Democratic nomination in Tuesdays U.S. Senate primary. He still has a case to make to Colorado, one left unsettled in my insider's eye after all his years as governor and all these months on the campaign trail. "Ive never lost an election in this state, and I dont intend to lose this one," he pointed out to his supporters in his victory speech Tuesday night, before talking climate change, health care and the woes of tax breaks for the rich. Cory Gardner didnt sound scared when I talked to him Tuesday night. I wasn't skilled enough to hem him in with questions about Trump on election night. Trump who? We'll be talking more about Gardner's heavy campaign burdens in the weeks ahead an unpopular president, a faltering economy, and energized Democratic electorate and a state that has moved far to the left since the last time Gardner was the challenger in 2014. There's no hemming Gardner in on Trump. I tried. Donald who? The Democrats have taken to calling the incumbent "No Comment Cory" for his lack of willingness to discuss the Republican president's antics and scandals. Hick, so far, has been unwilling to talk much about anything. Hes offered no personal agenda beyond the usual Democratic talking points. If I wanted to know what Hick thinks since he hasn't been available to reporters in awhile now I guess I could contact Nancy Pelosis office. The former governor won the primary on the brute strength of his name recognition, the deep pockets of out-of-state Democrats and his reputation for good will. He might be battered, but hes not beaten, and it pays not to beat on him too hard. Coloradans dont like that kind of politics, and Hickenlooper has built his brand on it. I remember a particularly tough TV ad in the closing days of his run for governor in 2014. The piece asked if the incumbent governor could keep Coloradans safe, and it made passing reference to the assassination of Hickenloopers prisons chief, orchestrated by a white supremacist prison gang. If you dislike everything about Hickenloopers politics, you probably still like the guy. Despite all his money, fame and fancy friends, hes still an everyman who makes the mistakes you would probably make if you had to be both charming and insightful for cameras and critics. Trish Zornio, a first-time candidate who lasted longer than most and ran near the top of the pack throughout the campaign, endorsed Hickenlooper. Nows the time for unity for her party, she tells me. 'We need science in the Senate': Trish Zornio endorses former primary rival John Hickenlooper John is, without a doubt, the best candidate to go up against a Republican incumbent senator when Democrats need to build back the majority, Zornio said in a statement. Throughout the last year and a half, Colorado Democrats have fought to champion the nuances of our causes, she said in an email Tuesday, after I asked for her appraisal. We've embattled over how best to achieve universal healthcare, how best to combat climate change, and how best to protect immigrants, women, minorities, and working families. But one thing is for sure, at the end of the day we've always been on the same team. Any differences between us are minuscule compared to the differences we have with Cory Gardner. Zornio pointed at health care, citing Gardners vote with fellow Republicans to repeal the Affordable Care Act. While we acknowledge climate change, he ignores it. she said of Gardner, though Romanoff portrayed Hickenlooper as in bed with oil and gas, and an industry that employed him before the bar business did. And while we believe in defending our country without keeping children in cages, he aided in separating children from their parents and tossing away the key. Today's GOP is out of step with Colorado, and our impassioned primary has never undermined our need to come together starting July 1 to defeat Donald Trump and his chief supporter, Cory Gardner. We're ready for November. Long-time Hickenlooper nemesis Joe Salazar endorses Romanoff in Democratic US Senate primary In what could be the day's least surprising development, former state Rep. Joe Salazar on Wednesday made it official that he's endorsing former state House Speaker Andrew Romanoff in Colorado's Democratic U.S. Senate primary. Joe Salazar, the former state representative who barely lost the Democratic nomination for attorney general last year, backed Romanoff. Salazar, a civil rights attorney, now leads Colorado Rising, the environmental advocacy organization and lead combatant against the industry. "Now that Hickenlooper appears to be the winner of the primary, it will be important for his campaign to stop all the unforced errors," Salazar told me in a text. "Hes in the title fight now, and Gardner is formidable. "Hick has a lot of work to do to court progressive Democrats and unaffiliated voters. The next few weeks will tell us a lot about who he is." The question will persist throughout this campaign as to whether Hickenlooper really wants this. His party certainly does. My friend Dick Wadhams, the former Colorado GOP chairman and national-caliber campaign strategist, has told me a couple of different ways that the one thing every successful politician hes known has is an unquenchable thirst to win. Hick has shown little or no sign of that yet. When he was campaigning for president in Iowa last year and the idea of taking on Gardner was raised, he famously said: Im not cut out to be a senator. Senators dont build teams. Senators sit and debate in small groups, which is important, right? But Im not sure thats my Im a doer. Thats what gives me joy. Like Salazar said, he's got plenty to do now. $25K rewards offered to find killers of slain 1-y-o and 3-y-o killed in Chicago Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment A group of Chicago businessmen has announced two $25,000 awards for anyone who provides information leading to the arrest of suspects who killed a one-year-old baby last weekend and a 3-year-old child over Father's Day weekend. Twenty-month-old Sincere Gaston was shot Saturday afternoon while he was with his mother in a car in Chicagos Englewood neighborhood, according to NBC Chicago. Another car pulled up next to their vehicle and a person inside fired at least seven shots. A bullet hit the boys chest and he was later pronounced dead at St. Bernard Hospital. His mother suffered a graze wound to her head. Of the dozens of killings that took place on Father's Day weekend was the killing of 3-year-old Mekhi James. James was shot when he was riding in a car with his stepfather while on his way home from getting a haircut. Earley Walker, owner of W&W Towing, along with a new group of business leaders called Im Telling, Dont Shoot, announced at a press conference Sunday $25,000 awards for people who provide information leading the arrests of the people who killed Gaston and James. The business leaders were joined at the press conference by 16th Ward Alderman Stephanie Coleman. [I]ts a group fed up with gun violence in our communities, Walker said, according to NBC Chicago. We are tired and fed up with gun violence, and the innocent bystanders are being killed. Our kids are dying at a fast rate, and its time for change. Weve got to do something, Walker added. I am absolutely ecstatic that these business owners are standing behind me to support this initiative. We need to find this killer. At least 65 people were shot across Chicago last weekend. According to The Chicago Sun-Times, 18 victims who were shot last weekend have died, including three children. The newspaper reports that the city has already surpassed 300 homicides so far in 2020, a mark that Chicago didnt reach until early August in 2019. Over the Fathers Day weekend, more than 100 people were shot and at least 14 were killed, including five children, the Associated Press reports. Among the victims killed this month in Chicago is Gary Tinder, a 20-year-old DePaul University student and member at Edgewater Baptist Church. ABC 7 Chicago reports that Tinder was shot while walking home from work in the Rogers Park neighborhood. Tinders friends said they can't imagine what motive anyone would have to shoot him. As of Monday afternoon, Tinders friends have raised over $24,000 through a GoFundMe campaign to benefit his family. Rev. Ira Acree of Greater St. John Bible Church in Chicago told The Chicago Tribune that a line was crossed with James killing. This is a horrific Fathers Day. This 3-year-old baby lost his life, Acree said. I could not pastor this community and not say something. The pastor referred to protests against police brutality over the death of George Floyd. He expressed concerns about the safety of the citys black youth. We say black lives matter, but were here to say black baby lives matter more, Acree was quoted as saying. At least 1,508 people in Chicago have been shot from January until June 22, according to a tracker run by The Chicago Tribune. Colorado Politics is published both in print and online. Our website features subscriber-only news stories daily, designed for public policy arena professionals. Member subscribers also receive the weekly print edition of our award-winning newspaper, containing outstanding features and news stories, in their mailboxes every Saturday. The Missourians Opinion section is a public forum for the discussion of ideas. The views presented in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Missourian or the University of Missouri. If you would like to contribute to the Opinion page with a response or an original topic of your own, visit our submission form [ Editor: ZY ] Dragon boat race is a traditional event for the Dragon Boat Festival, aka Duanwu Festival, which falls on the fifth day of the fifth month of the Chinese lunar calendar, or June 25 this year. Investigators can't rule out foul play in case of missing Amish teen Linda Stoltzfoos Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment The family of Linda Stoltzfoos, an 18-year-old Amish teen from Lancaster County, Pennsylvania who went missing over a week ago after attending church, is asking the public for prayers as investigators say they cant yet rule out foul play. Now that the primary and secondary search of the local area have been completed the primary way you can help Linda right now is through prayer. Pray that the Lord keeps her safe and that we are successful in finding her, a statement from Stoltzfoos' family posted on Facebook last Saturday reads. At this point there are a variety of agencies involved in continuing the search for her whereabouts. Search and rescue teams, detectives, the police department, and even the FBI. If you have first-hand knowledge or information that may be considered a lead, please inform the authorities immediately. According to East Lampeter Township Police, Stoltzfoos is about 5 feet, 10 inches tall and weighs about 125 pounds. She was last seen June 21 around 12:30 p.m. on a farm on Stumptown Road, near Bird-in-Hand, close to where the church service was held. She was wearing a tan dress, a white apron and a white cape. After more than a week of prayer vigils and searches for the missing teen by security officials and volunteers from the community, there is still no sign of Stoltzfoos. Nothing leads us to believe that she wanted to leave on her own, East Lampeter Township Police Lt. Matthew Hess told The York Daily Record. We cant rule out foul play or that she left on her free will. Local police are asking any drivers, bicyclists, pedestrians or others who may have traveled along certain roads on June 21 between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. to contact them, WGAL reported Monday. Those roads are Mill Creek School Road, Stumptown Road, Gibbons Road, Beechdale Road and Mill Creek Road. "Some people may have noticed something, observed something while they were traveling on those roadways that they feel might be insignificant, or they did see something and just weren't feeling comfortable contacting the police," Hess told WGAL. "We are reaching out to them to ask them to contact us as part of the investigation. No tip is too small. No little bit of information is not worthy of at least letting us hear about it. While there is a history of young people leaving the Amish community in rebellion, investigators say this does not appear to be the case with Stoltzfoos. Some youngsters leave the Amish community due to the strict interpretation and application of Scripture in which the community separates itself from the things of the world. Merv Fisher, Stoltzfoos uncle who left the order years ago, as did his wife, who is Stoltzfoos sister, told The York Daily Record on Sunday that no matter what happens with Stoltzfoos' case, the Amish community will forgive just as they did with the Nickel Mines School tragedy. On Oct. 2, 2006, 32-year-old Charles Carl Roberts IV entered West Nickel Mines Amish School in Lancaster County's Bart Township where he killed five girls and injured five others before killing himself. The Amish are very quick to forgive. 'Its Gods will, and we forgive,' is what they think. They know there are consequences, as far as the legal system goes. But here, they dont know what happened. There are no consequences. But they have an unwavering faith that the truth will prevail. They have an unwavering faith that God is in control, Fisher explained. But, here, they dont know what the truth is yet. They dont know what happened. Nobody knows what happened. It seems the entire community is searching for an answer, and we dont have one yet. The darkness will be exposed and the truth will prevail. The community has hope. They know the truth will prevail. Hess said the case was quite unusual because he hasnt encountered anything like it in the last 15 years. I dont recall anything like this in the last 15 years. Its like she just disappeared without any reason, he told The York Daily Record. Fisher noted however that the one positive thing he has seen from Stoltzfoos disappearance is how it has brought the community together. Its more than Ive seen in my 40 years, he was quoted as saying. It has brought the outside English and Mennonite and Amish communities together in a way Ive never seen. The East Lampeter Township police confirmed to Fox43 that the FBI is now assisting in the search for Stoltzfoos. Movie Review: Chintu ka Birthday - Divided by language and nationality, united by war and a birthday cake Movie Review: Chintu ka Birthday Rating: 3/5 Language: Hindi Cast: Vinay Pathak Tillotama Shome Seema Pahwa Bisha Chaturvedi Vedant Chibber Directors: Devanshu Kumar, Satyanshu Singh Producers: Tanmay Bhat, Rohan Joshi, Ashish Shakya, Gursimran Khamba Writers: Devanshu Kumar, Satyanshu Singh Music: Naren Chandavarkar, Benedict Taylor Production Company: First Draft Cinematographer: Siddharth Diwan Editor: Charu Shree Roy Distributor: Zee5 Divided by language and nationality but united by war - that is how a couple of Americans, some Iraqis and an Indian family end up celebrating a little boy's birthday together, in the movie Chintu ka Birthday by Zee5. Dont mistake it for a childrens movie, even if the first few frames make it feel so. In fact it is only a while into the movie that you even realise that it is based in Iraq and not in India. That's how much the Bihari family - stuck in a foreign land and longing for their homeland - strongly hold on to their Indianness in the first few frames. Madan Tiwari (Vinay Pathak) is a water-filter salesman and a successful one at that, with his name in the newspapers to prove it. Until America attacks Iraq. Madans daughter Lakshmi (Bisha Chaturvedi), wife Sudha (Tillotama Shome) and her mom (Seema Pahwa) give commendable performances as does Vinay Pathak as Madan. Photo Courtesy: Zee5 The war-torn nation soon has a water supply problem and water filters are the last thing they need. But long before all that, Madan has flown his entire family, including his mother-in-law, to Iraq and now the whole family is stranded in war-torn Baghdad. The Indian government in New Delhi declares that all Indians have been evacuated from Iraq so how was this family forgotten? Madan finds out during one of his beseeching calls to his employers and government officials in India, that they have been flown out on Nepalese passports. This is one of the bewildering parts of the script. How could all concerned have missed this, one wonders? The dialogues are in Hindi, English and Arabic, yet flow seamlessly, as does the traditional folk song by Madans wife Sudha (Tillotama Shome) and her mom (Seema Pahwa). The story revolves around Madans son Chintu (Vedant Raj Chibbers) wanting to celebrate his birthday during the turbulent era of Saddam Hussein's downfall. His school friends understand the importance of this day and his best friend Majeed (who earlier has presented him a replica of Saddams hand) gives him Jihadi material as a birthday gift, much to his familys horror. Chintu is cute and his Iraqi friend Majeed is bound to elicit a grin with his swagger and bravado. Photo Courtesy: Zee5 His sister Lakshmi (Bisha Chaturvedi) too is determined that war shouldn't be a showstopper, spending days decorating and trying to get him a surprise cake. However, a bomb goes off and all bakeries are shut so she decides to bake a cake at home. Her easy banter in Arabic with their supportive Iraqi landlord, Mehdi, shows how children easily pick up foreign tongues. The landlord's affection for the family is clear for all to see but where his loyalty lies is a lot more difficult to determine. The Iraqis hated their ruthless leader Saddam, but they don't have any fondness for the foreign ones from the USA who are replacing Saddams soldiers either. American soldiers (Reginald L Barnes and Nicholas Scholz) represent the US military invaders, as they barge into the Tiwari home and send Mehdi scuttling into a rat-infested store-room. American soldiers (Reginald L Barnes and Nicholas Scholz) represent the ugly face of US military invasion as they barge into the Tiwari home. Photo Courtesy: Zee5 The rest of the interestingly strong story is about the family trying to hold on to any and all shreds of optimism and celebrate Chintus birthday despite the hostility and suspicion of the American soldiers, one of whom is violent and volatile. Madan does the athithi devo bhava bit and even explains the meaning of all their names but the Kamasutra is the only one the soldiers catch on to. Madan and his wife as optimistic, middle class value holders, who give the benefit of doubt to everyone and try to make the best of the worst situations, come across as very likeable characters, as do his children. The performances of the lead actors is believable and commendable as is that of the younger actors. Chintus friend Majeed is bound to elicit a grin with his swagger and bravado despite the chaotic situation. You can catch the trailer here and the movie on Zee5. Fantastic food is more important to many travelers than museums, hotels, and souvenirs, and we've compiled all the must see spots across the country to have a one-of-a-kind dining experience. We're serving up hefty plates of the country's tastiest, most mouth-watering, and decadent meals. We're talking lip smacking pizza, tasty deli entrees, boat loads of bacon, fresh seafood, finger licking deep fried dishes, and that's only the beginning. So bring your appetite and your stretchy pants as we dive into a healthy portion of Food Paradise! Corsicana, TX (75110) Today Scattered thunderstorms during the morning becoming more widespread this afternoon. Storms may contain strong gusty winds. High 91F. Winds S at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 70%.. Tonight Thunderstorms likely this evening. Then a chance of scattered thunderstorms overnight. Low 67F. Winds NNE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 80%. Read this article in its entirety in the July/August 2020 digital edition. . . No one could have foreseen the impact of COVID-19 on businesses and industry, much less life in general. But cosmetic companies have picked up the pieces where they can and not only revamped their product offerings to fulfill a critical needi.e., sanitizers and cleansers, and more of thembut also donated dollars, products and more in the fight against COVID-19. Just how were companies able to pivot their R&D and production to meet this new consumer need? And what other altruist acts have they performed? Cosmetics & Toiletries appealed to several beauty giants to learn more. The following are select responses and highlights from 15 companies activities. These are presented in random order and are, by no means, comprehensive; but they provide a good sense of the massive R&D reinvention and outpouring of altruism coming from the cosmetics industry in response to this global crisis. The Estee Lauder Companies R&D efforts: In early March, the global pandemic caused a hand sanitizer shortage around the world, wrote Lisa Napolione, senior vice president for global research and development (R&D) at The Estee Lauder Companies (ELC). In response to the problem, ELC united teams comprised of formulators and microbiologists in our R&D organization and members of our manufacturing and global supply chain teams to begin formulating and producing hand sanitizer for high-need groups and populations, including front line medical staff. She added that once the formula was created, the challenge for ELCs teams was to quickly produce large volumes of hand sanitizer while maintaining compliance with U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and global regulations. Ethanol, the main component in the product, is highly flammable, posing complications to what sites would allow for large-scale production. Keeping in mind the safety of our teams, we were able to identify three locations in the United States, the United Kingdom and Belgium that could produce high volumes of hand sanitizer. Napolione furthered, Almost every department in R&D had a role in releasing the hand sanitizer; from formulation to process development, quality to analytics, and safety to packaging. It took just two weeks of all-hands-on-deck work to move from benchtop batching to our first full-scale production batch. To help support the initiative, brands like Jo Malone London and Bumble and Bumble donated packaging supplies. She explained that currently, ELCs Melville plant is able to produce a total of 1,500 kg of product across three batches per day, which involves two compounders working on each batch. However, our teams are learning quickly from their experiences and will be quadrupling our batch sizes soon, meaning fewer, but larger, volumes of hand sanitizer being made at a time. As of May 2020, we have made 320,000 bottles of the product globally, with 200,000 coming from the U.S., 85,000 coming from the U.K, and 35,000 coming from Belgium. These bottles have been sent around the world to those working on the front line. Our goal is to produce at least 1,000,000 million bottles to better aid in the fight against COVID-19, wrote Napolione. As the COVID-19 crisis evolves, ELC will continue to align its philanthropic resources based on emerging needs, prioritizing food, medical and emergency assistance. Relief efforts: Napolione also shared several efforts by ELC to stand with the global community, help limit the spread of the virus and ease related economic hardships. The company has made monetary and in-kind donations, donated hand sanitizer and established the ELC Cares Employee Relief Fund, among other efforts. Donations include: A $2 million grant awarded to Doctors Without Borders/Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) to support their continued life-saving work around the world and response to coronavirus. In New York City, where the company is headquartered, a grant was provided to support the establishment of The NYC COVID-19 Response & Impact Fund, administered by the New York Community Trust and bringing together multiple philanthropic partners. The fund has now raised more than $95 million. In China, more than $800,000 was awarded to relief efforts including the Red Cross Society of China, Shanghai Charity Foundation and Give2Asia. Additionally, $1.4 million worth of in-kind donations were provided to the China Women's Development Foundation to support front line medical staff. An additional $1.4 million pledge to support local front-line relief and response efforts to regions and countries around the world. These include the Community Chest of Korea, the British Red Cross, Age UK, the Spanish Red Cross (Spain) and Direct Relief (U.S.). ELCs Charitable Foundation (ELCCF) accelerated nearly $9.5 million in renewal grants, including $6.8 million in MAC VIVA GLAM grants, to provide current grantee partners with flexible funding in this time of need. Products contributed in partnership with BeautyUnited to support front line health care workers. Two million surgical masks for those on the front lines in New York. MAC Cosmetics' VIVA GLAM Fund allocating $10 million to 250 local and global organizations to provide essential needs and services to people at high risk. Avedas support of The Salon & Spa Relief Fund to help care for artists and salon and spa professionals. The brand also donated $600,000 to help salons prepare to reopen following mandated closures. Aveda also has donated more than 125,000 bottles of shampoo, lotion and other products to organizations and nonprofits helping those on the front lines. Clinique donated 50,000 skin care products as a thank you to the doctors and nurses in New York City's hospitals. Finally, the ELC Cares Employee Relief Fund was created on behalf of the Lauder family and ELC employees to support ELC employees worldwide facing financial hardships due to COVID-19. When the program launched, eligible U.S. and U.K. employees were given the option to donate with a 5 company match through the end of June 2020. Kao Corporation R&D efforts: Kao Corp. also shared its R&D efforts in response to COVID-19. We have increased disinfectant production by more than 20 times in Japan from the latter half of April by utilizing all factories where production is possible, wrote Hiwako Yoshino, manager of public relations for corporate communications, Kao Corp. We are also planning to start the production of disinfecting liquids outside of Japan, [beginning] in Germany [with] products to be donated to hospitals. From Germany, we plan to quickly expand production to other regions. Regarding necessary changes to R&D processes, Yoshino added, We made the necessary applications, received early approval from the government, and obtained manufacturing licenses at all four of our factories capable of producing disinfectant solutions. We [also] worked to start production as fast as possible. Relief efforts: In terms of community outreach, Yoshino highlighted two areas of focus for the company: support for health and hygiene, and research toward a coronavirus vaccine. First, the company launched its Protect Japan project to provide products for hygiene and disinfection along with evidence-based information that can be immediately put to use in daily life. We are expanding these activities globally to the countries and regions where the Kao Group operates, Yoshino wrote. Kao is also providing public guidance related to hygiene on its website via hand-washing information and Q&As. [In addition, we are] providing useful information about hand-washing with live commercials on TV programs[and] strengthening production capacity for disinfectant and hand wash products. Potential treatment? Furthermore, Yoshino highlighted the companys discovery of SARS-Coronavirus-2 neutralizing VHH antibodies, which have therapeutic potential against COVID-19. The Safety Science Research Laboratory of Kao Corp. is part of a research team led by Prof. Kazuhiko Katayama at Kitasato University, wrote Yoshino. [Together, they] have recently discovered VHH antibodies that neutralize severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The antibodies have the potential to be developed as a new therapy and diagnostic tool for COVID-19. Revlon and Symrise Major manufacturers have also teamed up with supplier companies in an effort to support local communities. Revlon and Symrise, for example, partnered to produce and donate six tons of hand sanitizer to local hospitals to aid in the fight against COVID-19. To achieve this, Symrise re-engineered its manufacturing lines to produce a new FDA-compliant formula. Revlon then leveraged existing packaging to bring the product to hospitals and front-line medical workers as quickly as possible. Both companies are working with local governments to support those most in need near Revlons Oxford, NC facility as well as Symrises Teterboro, NJ facility. Products were distributed to hospitals, front line county workers, police and fire departments, and EMS personnel through North Carolinas Healthcare Preparedness Coalition and The Chief Officer of Bergen County's Executive Branch. "As the world faces the continued impact of COVID-19, Revlon is proud to have collaborated with our long-time partner Symrise in the production of hand sanitizer to support our local communities," said Debra Perelman, president and CEO of Revlon, in a press statement. The health, well-being and safety of our Symrise associates, external partners as well as those in the local communities we serve are the most important priorities for Symrise during these challenging times," added Achim Daub, global president scent and care, management board, Symrise AG. Andreas Steiner, senior VP consumer fragrances, Symrise North America, also noted, "We feel obliged to help our local communities wherever we can. Our ingredient know-how helps us to produce hygienic hand sanitizer for local health support in New York and New Jersey, among many others around the globe. LVMH and Firmenich Another collaboration announced early during the pandemic was the partnership between Firmenich and luxury goods giant LVMH. They used perfume and cosmetics production sites to manufacture hand sanitizer. More specifically, LVMH factories, which produce products for brands like Christian Dior and Givenchy, produced free disinfectants for French authorities and the Assistance Publique-Hopitaux de Paris, which is Europes largest hospital system. Firmenich also adapted the production at its La Plaine manufacturing site to donate 20 tons of disinfectant solution to the Geneva University Hospital (HUG), and medical and emergency services. As a responsible Swiss company, we must take action and lead by example, to help our local community during these exceptionally challenging times, commented Gilbert Ghostine, CEO, Firmenich, in a press statement. Johnson & Johnson With its broad market profile, Johnson & Johnson (J&J) has dedicated many resources to COVID-19 treatment and managementacross industries. The company made a $50 million commitment in support of health care workers on the front lines. The latest contribution includes support for the American Nurses Foundation; the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund, which will support the World Health Organizations work; the CDC Foundations All of Us Campaign; and Dimagi, one of the worlds largest providers of mobile technology in support of front line health workers. J&J also donated 1 million renminbi to the Chinese Red Cross Foundation to help purchase masks, protection suits and sanitizer, and another $3.7 million in personal protective equipment (PPE) for front line health workers including goggles, protective suits and masks. In addition, 48,000 bottles of Band-aid brand isopropyl alcohol have been donated to help contain and prevent the further spread of the virusalong with more than 1,300 packs of Acuvue brand contact lenses, donated to medical workers. In relation, in January 2020, J&J announced it would provide $250 million over 10 years to help inspire, recruit, train, retain and mobilize front line health workers through its Center for Health Worker Innovation. In support of providers treating patients with COVID-19, Ethicon, a Johnson & Johnson Medical Devices Company, and not-for-profit company Prisma Health collaborated in early April 2020 to manufacture and distribute a device developed by Prisma Health that allows a single ventilator to be fitted for use by two rescuable patients for ventilatory support until individual ventilators are available. Ethicon will use 3D printing technology to manufacture and distribute the device at no cost to health care providers in the United States during the pandemic. Importantly, J&J also has been heavily dedicated to the research and development of a potential vaccine to prevent the disease. According to the company, its experience in combating epidemics such as Ebola, along with its expertise in respiratory illnesses, makes it qualified to help aid in the fight. As such on March 30, 2020, Johnson & Johnson announced that a lead vaccine candidate had been selected to move into clinical trials by September 2020 at the latest. It also shared that, together with BARDA, the company had committed $1 billion dollars to co-fund vaccine research and development, plus additional funding to further its ongoing work to identify potential antiviral treatments against COVID-19. The company also plans to scale up its global manufacturing capacity with the goal of eventually providing the world with 1 billion doses of a safe and effective vaccine for emergency pandemic use on a not-for-profit basis. Procter & Gamble Procter & Gamble contributions of product and in-kind support exceed $15 million and will continue to increase as the company works with communities around the world. Its products have also been donated from 30 brands in more than 30 countries to ensure families in need have cleansing, health and hygiene products. Furthermore, it is using its marketing and communications expertise to encourage consumers to support public health measures such as social distancing, to help flatten the curve and slow the spread of the virus. P&G also modified equipment to produce hand sanitizer in nearly one dozen global manufacturing sites, sharing products with hospitals, health care facilities and relief organizationsto the tune of 45,000 liters per week, according to the company website. The company has been running extra production shifts and putting idled equipment back into service. . . .Read more in the July/August 2020 digital edition. . . The facial wash and cleansing market was estimated at US $22.19 billion in 2018. Pre-COVID-19, it was projected to expand cumulatively and annually by 6.0% from 2019 to 2025, according to Grand View Research. This number will likely increase. In relation, the global shampoo market was expected to reach ~$25.73 billion by 2019, according to Lucintel. And pre-COVID-19, it was projected to increase with a CAGR of 3.76% between 2020 and 2025, Mordor reports. What's driving this growth in both skin and hair cleansing? Anti-pollution protection, for one, which had already been on the upswing. Add to this a new consumer focus on cleansing and hygiene, and numbers will continue to climb. As such, this brief literature review highlights recent research in skin and hair cleansing; from photoxic concerns to foaming, thickening and natural, surfactant-free formulating, and more. Consensus from Chinese Experts on Skin and Mucous Membrane Cleaning and Protection in Health Care Workers Fighting COVID-19 Dermatologic Therapy; Y. Yan, H. Chen,...H. Li, et al.; https://doi.org/10.1111/dth.13310 According to this special issue article, health care workers (HCW) striving to prevent and control COVID-19 are prone to skin and mucous membrane injury that can cause acute and chronic dermatitis, secondary infection and the aggravation of underlying skin diseases. In fact, as cited herein, one crosssectional study surveyed 330 HCWs responding to COVID19 cases and found that 71% of respondents reported selfperceived skin barrier damage with symptoms ranging from burning, itch and stinging, to dryness, erythema and maceration. See related: A Delicate Dance, Mildness and Efficacy to Cleanse Compromised Skin To combat these effects, the present article provides a consensus for protecting skin and mucosa barrier, jointly written by the China Dermatologist Association, Chinese Society of Dermatology and National Clinical Research Center for Skin and Immune Diseases. Specifics on hand cleansing include UV disinfection, hot water baths, chlorinecontaining disinfectants, peracetic acid or 75% ethanol to inactivate the virus. Furthermore, the use of moisturizing products after hand hygiene is highly recommended to achieve better protection. For more details, see the full article. Tolerability of Hair Cleansing Conditioners: Inconclusive Case of Wen by Chaz Dean Cutaneous and Ocular Toxicology; E.M. Warshaw, J.P. SChlarbaum, ...S.A. Hylwa, et al.; https://doi.org/10.1080/15569527.2020.1722154 This double-blind, randomized, controlled trial was designed to evaluate consumer complaints of skin rash/irritation and hair loss/breakage to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) with the use of Wen by Chaz Dean Sweet Almond Mint Cleansing Conditioner. According to the article abstract, studies have not yet provided an explanation for these reports. To assess the tolerability of the almond mint cleanser, its effects were compared with those of three other hair cleansing conditioners and two controls: salicylic acid shampoo and baby shampoo. In some 200 volunteers, semi-open patch tests and duration-escalation repeat open application tests for five weeks showed no significant differences in tolerability. The authors concluded this study provides clinical evidence of the comparative lack of cutaneous effects with the use of this product. Non-photoxic Response to Wen by Chaz Dean Hair Cleansing Conditioners Cosmetics; K.M. Towle, E.S. Fung and A.D. Monnot; https://doi.org/10.3390/cosmetics6030053 An older study (September 2019), also related to Wen by Chaz Dean (WCD) hair cleansing conditioners, sought to examine whether the photoactivation of cosmetic products or ingredients might be associated with adverse skin reactions including alleged symptoms of redness, burning and irritation. Here, mouse fibroblast cells were exposed to the test articles for one hour. Following incubation, one set of treated cells was irradiated with solar simulated light while a duplicate set was kept in the dark. The difference in cell viability was used to determine the phototoxic potential of the test articles. Under these conditions, WCD hair-cleansing conditioners were not phototoxic, while the positive control was significantly phototoxic. Modern and Mild Skin Cleansing, a Review J Cosmetics, Dermatological Sciences and Applications; Z. Li; doi: 10.4236/jcdsa.2020.102009 This review provides a summary of mild skin-cleansing technologies to address the side effects brought about by some surfactants. For example, anionic surfactants have good lathering and cleansing properties although they also have a small micelle size and high charge density, potentially contributing to skin irritation induced by surfactants. To address this issue, the author advises the addition of non-ionic/amphoteric surfactants to the cleanser formulation to reduce micelle charge density and sterically hinder micelle-skin protein binding, making anionics less harsh. Humectants, emollients and occlusive agents also may be added to the cleanser to reduce surfactant skin penetration or lower the damage caused by surfactant systems. For complete details, see the full article. Creamy, Thick, High-viscosity Cleansing Compositions U.S. Pat 20200170894A1; Assignee: LOreal SA; Publication date: June 4, 2020 LOreal inventors have disclosed a cleansing composition having a high viscosity and a cream-like texture. The composition includes anionic surfactants, fatty alcohols, glyceryl esters, cationic polymers, non-cationic polysaccharides and optionally, one or more of: conditioning agents, amphoteric surfactants and opacifying agents. A reportedly unique matte, non-pearlescent appearance can be achieved when an amphoteric surfactant such as a betaine is included. Furthermore, the thick consistency of the composition enables the suspension of particles such as clays, powders, colorants and scrubs. According to the disclosure, the unique balance of the different surfactants can form surprisingly effective cleansing compositions that are robust, stable and safe, and have pleasant rheological properties and a cream-like texture. In addition, it was not necessary to incorporate sale to impart the desirable viscosity or thickness. Patent accessed on June 30, 2020. Alpha-sulfonates Improve Foamability in Hair and Scalp Cleansing Products Base of Knowledge, Warsaw University of Technology; K. Spryszynska; Engineers thesis According to this university thesis, recent cleansing products have been launched utilizing mild alternatives to SLS and SLES. Sulfonates, for example, are recognized as alternative anionic surfactants that show good biodegradability and stability in wide temperature and pH ranges. This work investigated the effects of disodium 2-sulfododecanoate on the foaming properties of surfactant solutions, as well as its solubility and impact on viscosity and transparency. Results indicated disodium 2-sulfododecanoate was not feasible as the primary and only surfactant in skin and hair cleansing products and should not be used as a replacement for SLS and SLES. However, its foaming properties, to a limited extent, could contribute to the improvement in aesthetics and utility of cosmetic products. Acanthophyllum Squarrosum (Hawthorn) Saponins for Surfactant-free Herbal Shampoo J Cos Derm; E. Moghimipour, M. Jasemnezhad, S.M. Soleymani and A. Salimi; https://doi.org/10.1111/jocd.13483 According to these authors, saponins from the roots of Acanthophyllum squarrosum (hawthorn) can serve as cleansing agents to create surfactant-free shampoos. Saponins were extracted from hawthorn through several steps and incorporated into a test shampoo. The shampoos foam strength was tested using the RossMiles method and its cleansing power was assessed using Thompson's test. The optimum formula with 15% total saponins was evaluated. According to the authors, the liquid shampoo provided excellent cleansing, demonstrated pseudoplastic rheology and exhibited acceptable pH, surface tension and organoleptic stability characteristics. Archdiocese defends statue of Saint Louis IX after praying Catholics clash with protesters Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment The Archdiocese of St. Louis in Missouri defended the statue of King Louis IX of France located in front of St. Louis Art Museum in Forest Park as praying Catholics clashed with protesters seeking to tear it down because the king persecuted Jews. A change.org petition seeking to change the name of St. Louis the city and remove the kings statue says since the killing of Michael Brown in Ferguson, America has been undergoing a new civil rights movement which includes removing the statues of racists, slave masters, and Confederates from public spaces. In 2017 St. Louis removed the Confederate Monument in Forest Park after protests. In 2020 the statue of Christopher Columbus was removed from Tower Grove Park. It is now time for St. Louis to take the bold step to remove the statue of King Louis IX from Forest Park and rename the city, it says. For those unfamiliar with King Louis IX he was a rabid anti-semite who spearheaded many persecutions against the Jewish people. Centuries later Nazi Germany gained inspiration and ideas from Louis IX as they embarked on a campaign of murderous genocide against the Jewish people. Louis IX was also vehemently Islamophobic and led a murderous crusade against Muslims which ultimately cost him his life. The petition, which had nearly 1,000 required signatures as of Monday evening, argues that naming the city after the king while keeping a monument to him is disrespectful to both Muslims and Jews. Louis IX is the only king of France to be canonized in the Catholic Church. The devoted Catholic once ordered the burning of some 12,000 manuscript copies of the Talmud and other Jewish books. In a statement on Sunday, the Archdiocese of St. Louis defended the king as a saint who reverenced God and did much to care for the poor. The history of the statue of St. Louis, the King is one founded in piety and reverence before God, and for non-believers, respect for ones neighbor. The reforms that St. Louis implemented in French government focused on impartial justice, protecting the rights of his subjects, steep penalties for royal officials abusing power, and a series of initiatives to help the poor. King Louis IXs renowned work in charity helped elevate him to Sainthood, the archdiocese said. His daily suppers were shared with numerous beggars, whom he invited to the royal table. On many evenings, he would not let them leave before he washed their feet. He personally paid to feed more than 100 poor Parisians every day. His care for the sick was equally moving; St. Louis frequently ministered to lepers. He also created a number of hospitals, including one for the blind and another for ex-prostitutes. For Catholics, St. Louis is an example of an imperfect man who strived to live a life modeled after the life of Jesus Christ. For St. Louisans, he is a model for how we should care for our fellow citizen, and a namesake with whom we should be proud to identify. Protesters were encouraged to focus their energy on programs and policies that will dismantle racism and create a more equal society for all races and religions instead of tearing down statues. The Archdiocese of St. Louis is encouraged by the winds of change that are at hand, but believes that this energy of change should be focused on programs and policies that will dismantle racism and create a more equal society for all races and religions. As Catholics, we believe that each personno matter their race, religion, background or beliefis created in the image and likeness of God. As such, all should be treated with love, respect and dignity. We should not seek to erase history, but recognize and learn from it, while working to create new opportunities for our brothers and sisters, the archdiocese said. In a clash with protesters at the site of the statue over the weekend, Fr. Stephen Schumacherinsisted that Louis was good and had nothing to do with Africans, since during the Crusades he fought against Arabs, who had conquered North Africa. Other Catholics who defended the statue like Anna Kalinowski told KMOX: "He stood for the truth, he stood for goodness and beauty which are attributes of God. That's why he's a saint. It was a rough time, the medieval times were difficult and he went on the crusades to help oppressed Christians in the holy lands and to spread the truth of God." Read this article in its entirety in the July/August 2020 digital edition. . . COVID-19, short for coronavirus disease 2019, is caused by a newly discovered member of the coronavirus family that has been named SARS-CoV-2. This virus was officially recognized as the cause of unexplained and life-threatening respiratory infections observed in December 2019 in Chinas Hubei province. The virus is highly contagious. In just a few months, it spread to nearly every continent in the world and has been declared a global pandemic by the World Health Organization.1 Current estimates, as of the writing of this article, show more than three million cases of COVID-19 have been documented, with over 200,00 of these cases ending fatallyper Microsoft News COVID-19 Tracker. SARS-CoV-2 is a member of the coronavirus family, and this is not the first time that a member of this family has been associated with a life-threatening epidemic. SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV are also viruses from this family that has been very active within the last few decades since their initial identification.1 While these were bad, SARS-CoV-2 is even worse in terms of the total number of infections, fatalities and global reach;1 and the increasing severity of emerging coronaviruses should make us pause to think of the implications of future viral outbreaks. The coronaviruses were named after their shape was observed under an electron microscope. The viruses are spherical or slightly elliptical and covered with spike-like protrusions, which give them a crown-like appearance (corona is Latin for crown). These spike-like protrusions are in fact glycoproteins that the virus uses to bind to target cells and initiate an infection.2 With respect to SARS-CoV-2, it is thought that a recent mutation (as late as in 2019) in these glycoproteins is the root cause behind the viruss sudden ability now to infect humans.3 In humans, the SARS-CoV-2 virus targets cells that express the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) on their plasma membrane.2, 4 Certain areas of the spike-like glycoprotein will attach to membrane-bound ACE2 in the target cell, allowing other areas of the viral glycoprotein to initiate the fusion of the viral particle and the target cell. Infection of potential target cells therefore depends on both the target cell presenting ACE2 on their cell surface and the virus having access to the cell. Since the virus can survive suspended as an aerosol in water droplets, this makes the most common point of direct interaction between the virus and target cells presenting ACE2 in the respiratory tract, and thus COVID-19 is seen primarily as a respiratory disease. However, ACE2 has a broad expression pattern across many of the organs within the human body.4 It is expressed throughout the cardiovascular system, endocrine system, reproductive system, central nervous system, reproductive system and even the integumentary system. And, while the initial contact between target cells and the virus mainly occurs in the respiratory tract, evidence is emerging that the symptoms of COVID-19 are by no means limited to the respiratory system. Studies are showing that SARS-CoV-2 infections can also cause diarrhea, vomiting, confusion, headache and cardiac injury, demonstrating that once an individual is infected, the virus can spread and infect the different organ systems within the body that express ACE2.5, 6 In addition to the effects noted in the digestive, central nervous and cardiovascular systems, COVID-19 is suspected of infecting the integumentary system. In fact, the current literature is reporting more case studies from individuals diagnosed with COVID-19 showing signs of a wide range of cutaneous lesions.7, 8 As of now, the studies pertaining to the cutaneous effects of COVID-19 are of a general descriptive nature and the exact cell types presumably infected by SARS-CoV-2 in the skin have not been specifically identifiedalthough that may change between now and the publication of this article due to the current worldwide effort to research this virus. However the skin has a fully functional renin-angiotensin system in it, and histological studies have shown that ACE2 expression can be observed in the basal layer of the epidermis and cells of the sebaceous gland,9 suggesting that at the very least, epidermal keratinocytes and sebaceous cells could be at risk of COVID-19 infection. As the world races to find both vaccines to prevent infections and medications to aid in recovery, there are perhaps some ways in that the skin care industry may assist in limiting the cutaneous effects of SARS-CoV-2 (and by extension, other common skin viral infections). Like most cells in the body, skin cells have an innate immune system with components specifically designed to address viral infections. While these systems can be effective in younger individuals, there is evidence in the literature showing that as humans age, the effectiveness of the skins innate immune system begins to decline;10 a phenomenon referred to as immunosenescence. While the aspects of immunosenescence have been described, there is relatively little research in the current literature addressing the specific mechanisms by which it occurs, or even studies examining how it can be prevented. Given the current worldwide concern for viral infections, this may be an opportune time to correct this deficit in our collective skin care knowledge base of how aging skin loses its ability to respond to viral infection. Antiviral Mechanisms in Skin It is well-known the skin is the outermost layer of the body, and in its most basic form, it is a physical barrier between us and external pathogens such as viruses. Yet, despite this protection, there are ways by which viruses can circumvent that physical barrier and gain access to viable cells in the skin; examples include physical trauma to the skin or indirect entry through the respiratory or digestive tracts. Once the virus has access to its target cell, it will bind to it and begin the process of fusing with the cell such that it is able to introduce its nucleic acid cargo into the cytoplasm of the target cell. Viral genetic information can be stored as either DNA or RNA, and these in turn can be either single or double-stranded. With respect to SARS-CoV-2, its genetic information is stored as a single strand of RNA (+ssRNA), approximately 30 kb in length.1 In humans, our cells have evolved protective mechanisms against these types of viral attacks and within cells, the first line of defense are special receptors that recognize foreign nucleic acids (non-host cell nucleic acids). With respect to RNA viruses, there are a few prototypical receptor families. Toll Like Receptors (TLR) play a role in innate immune response, and in terms of skin cells, TLR3, TLR7 and TLR9 all react to viral nucleic acids. These receptors are located within either the plasma membrane or cytoplasmic endosomal membranes. TLR3 reacts to double-stranded viral RNA, while TLR7 will react with single-stranded viral RNA.11 While the TLR family of receptors is membrane-bound, there are also receptors within the cytosolic compartment itself. These include receptors such as RIG-1 (retinoic acid-inducible gene 1) and MDA5 (melanoma differentiation associated gene 5). RIG-1 can interact with both single- and double-stranded RNA while MDA5 reacts only with double-stranded RNA.11 These few viral nucleic acid sensors are just a small sampling, and there are many more types within our cells. Once these viral nucleic acid receptors are activated, they initiate a signaling cascade that travels through many cytoplasmic protein intermediates. In some cases, the signaling cascade involves organelles such as the mitochondria and peroxisomes12 to reach the nucleus and promote one of the main inflammatory signals for viral infection: the formation of interferon.11 The process of the innate response to viral infection up to this point is commonly referred to as the early phase. Cells are able to produce many different types of interferon, including alpha, beta, gamma and lambda. While these are all considered interferons, they will work through different types of interferon receptors: Type 1: alpha and beta; Type II: gamma; and Type III: lambda.10 These released interferons can act in both an autocrine and paracrine manner to activate further defenses in both the original infected cell and the neighboring cells, and the different types of interferon receptors will converge in terms of activating a common set of defense proteins commonly referred to as ISGs (interferon-stimulated genes), which includes hundreds of final protein products. The induction of the ISG genes is referred to as the late phase of the innate viral response. The ISG proteins serve an amazing variety of functions with respect to addressing RNA viruses; Table 1 provides just a glimpse of their broad range of capabilities. As the table suggests, the viral defense proteins are designed to stop the infection at many levelsprevention of the translation of the viral RNA, either by degrading it or by covering it in sequestering proteins; targeted destruction of viral proteins that are produced through autophagy; the total shutdown of cellular protein synthesis; or preventing the release of the newly synthesized viruses. Under normal conditions, these viral defenses can be quite effective but there are times when these simply do not work. As humans have developed many layers of intracellular antiviral defense, viruses have also counter-evolved mechanisms to evade these defenses.13 Evasion methods used by viruses can be incredibly complicated or elegantly simple but research into overcoming these evasion methods normally involves culturing the virus. This is something that most labs in our industry are not set up to do. However, our industry can examine another means by which cellular antiviral defenses may no longer workby taking a good look at immunosenescence in aging skin. . . .Read more in the July/August 2020 digital edition. . . References 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. There are certain jobs where lying on your resume, in retrospect, can almost seem charming. Certainly many a celebrity has told a tale where they got the part after lying about baton twirling skills or whatever other dumb shit they had to cram the day before showing up on set. It looked cool when the kid in Almost Famous lied about being an adult to write an article for The Rolling Stone. Gordon Ramsay has never taken a cooking course but instead started his culinary journey by throwing soup at waiters until someone eventually had to hire him. (Maybe don't Google that last one.) But pilot is not one of those professions and that was made all too clear when, on May 22nd, a Pakistani airline crashed in the city of Karachi, killing 97 of its 99 passengers and crew members on board. As it turns out, an incredible 141 of 450 (about a third) of Pakistan International Airlines pilots have "suspicious licenses" and while it's not clear if the two pilots that caused the crash in Karachi were also owners of suspect licenses, we'll just say that they tried to land without lowering the landing gear and let you draw your own conclusions. Continue Reading Below Advertisement It gets even worse when on Thursday it was revealed that 262 of Pakistan's 860 pilots (commercial and airline transport) have fake flying licenses. According to Pakistani Aviation Minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan, the pilots would pay someone to take their exams for them, with some of them paying for all eight papers required to obtain a license. It's truly mind-blowing why someone wouldn't feel confident enough to take a pilot's exam, but would then feel confident enough to go fly a plane full of a hundred people. Maybe if the exams are like this I can see the logic: To enjoy our website, you'll need to enable JavaScript in your web browser. Please click here to learn how. Email Whatsapp Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment In terms of lives lost, families separated, people imprisoned, and churches shut down, the 21st century has, so far, been the worst period of persecution against Christians in recorded history. Among the hottest persecution hot-spots is Nigeria. According to religious freedom watchdog Open Doors USA, Nigeria ranks at #12 worldwide for persecution of Christians. Islamic terrorist organization Boko Haram is the known villain in Nigeria, and justifiably so. They are among the most brutal Islamist radical terror groups in the world. Just last week, attacks in northeastern Nigeria by a Boko Haram splinter-group left dozens of soldiers and civilians dead. Back in January, the group beheaded Nigerian pastor Lawan Andimi. Kidnapped from his village and forced to negotiate for his release with the government, Andimi wouldnt break. Instead, he turned his hostage video into a stunning testimony to Christ. Still, as bad as Boko Haram is, much of the recent bloodshed in Nigeria has been perpetrated by militant Hausa-Fulani herdsmen. This largely Muslim ethnic group specializes in night raids on Christian villages in Nigerias Middle Belt. In a statement last June, Nigerian Christian leaders claimed that over 6,000 personsmostly children, women and the aged[have been] maimed and killed in night raids by armed Fulani herdsmen. They also described the continuous abduction of under-aged Christian girls by Muslim youths for forced marriages. According to Open Doors, these attacks are essentially religious cleansing, attempts to eradicate Christianity from the region. According to Nigerian Christians, the more appropriate word is genocide. The term fits. As I pointed out last March, genocide has been carefully defined by the International Convention for the Prevention and Punishment of Genocide, and the word should not be tossed around carelessly. Genocide is action intended to destroy in whole or in part a national, ethnic, racial, or religious group. Clearly, genocide is what Boko Haram and the Fulani herdsman are after in Nigeria. Nigerian president Muhammadu Buhari, however, denies this. In a recently issued statement, he insisted that false allegations of persecution of Christians are a most misleading campaign. President Buhari, by the way, is the son of a Fulani chief. Thankfully, there are international voices taking the plight of Nigerian Christians seriously. The U.K. Parliament released a report putting the G-word front and center. Entitled, Nigeria: Unfolding Genocide? the report issues a stirring call to Britain and the world to speak out on behalf of all the survivors and victims of violence, and to highlight the seriousness of the situation and the level of injustice that Nigerian Christians face. Describing the report in Forbes (and by the way, good for Forbes for covering this story), one human rights activist called for comprehensive investigations and prosecutions by bodies like the International Criminal Court. But, she insisted, the first step has to be that the world admits the nature and severity of the atrocities. The crimes must be recognized for what they are and a most misleading campaign is not that name. The U.S. must lead the way. Earlier this month, an executive order by President Trump made religious freedom a foreign policy and national security priority. Its now time to make act on those words. Nigerian Christians cant afford to wait. Besides calling this crisis what it is, a genocide, the U.S. could ease the process for asylum-seekers and immigrants from Nigeria. Nigeria was among the six countries President Trump added to the travel and immigration ban in February and, currently, Nigerian refugees hoping to flee to the United States must prove their need by submitting an exhaustive stack of paperwork. Those in danger should not have to go to so much trouble to demonstrate what the world should already know. Please, consider supporting Open Doors and other organizations that raise awareness, advocate for, and offer support for the persecuted. Even so, as important as political and financial assistance are, Christians in Nigeria need one thing from us above anything else: our prayers. Originally posted at breakpoint.org Crossville, TN (38555) Today Partly cloudy skies this morning. Thunderstorms likely during the afternoon. Storms may contain strong gusty winds. High 82F. Winds WSW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 80%.. Tonight Showers and thundershowers early, then overcast overnight with occasional rain. Low 58F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%. He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? Micah 6:8 As our nation grapples with ongoing unrest in response to racial tension and injustice, the best recourse for the Christian is to turn to Scripture. Its important to not only read it and share it, but to allow the Holy Spirit to use it to challenge and mold us. During these trying times, one of the most quoted and shared passages, particularly by those desiring to speak to social justice, is Micah 6:8: He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? This has long been one of my favorite verses in the Bible. It is simple in its message and easily quotable. But, it is also one of the most challenging verses, speaking directly to the heart of the issues we are facing today. Whenever Im struggling with my faith or knowing what to do, I often come back to this verse; it urges me to set aside my own inclinations and seek after the heart of God. The Context of the Book of Micah The prophet Micah, a contemporary of Isaiah, Amos and Hosea, lived during the reigns of the kings of Judah: Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah. He witnessed good kings and evils and he saw Gods people follow God and stray away from Him. Micah wrote his prophecy to warn Israel and Judah of its impending judgment--because of their disloyalty to God. But, its not all bad news. Micah also prophesies about Gods plan for redemption through Jesus (Micah 5) and the love, compassion and forgiveness God offers (Micah 7:18-20). The Meaning of Micah 6:8 Micah 6:8 is a great verse to write on an index card and place on your desk or refrigerator. It packs quite a punch; its practical and its action-oriented. Essentially, Micah is saying that God is more pleased with our actions than our words; Hes more satisfied with our obedience than our worship. Micah mentions three things God requires: doing justice; loving-kindness or mercy; and walking humbly. Well take a closer look at the justice part in this article, but its important to note that all three of these are actions. Take mercy or kindness. The Hebrew word used here is hesed, and its much richer in many than anything the English language offers. Its often translated as faithfulness, steadfast love, kindness, lovingkindness or mercy. And, its used more of God than it is of people. In reality, hesed is all of those things, rolled into one. It also involves action: love expressed in activity towards another. The same is true of walking humbly. For starters, walking with God implies an active faith--one that sees God as a daily guide. It implies that we are seeking Him in all aspects of our lives. In doing so, we are reminded that as followers of God, we are to be marked by a life of humility. We are encouraged to set aside our selfish desires and align ourselves to Gods will as opposed to our own. In means having a full reliance on God, not ourselves. What Does it Mean to Do Justice? Justice might seem simple, but theres a lot here that many of us dont always grasp about the biblical concept. In unpacking it, it speaks directly to many of our current issues. For a deep dive into this topic, there are a plethora of resources available. Two Ive been particularly impacted by while researching is Generous Justice, by Tim Keller; and this video and 3-part podcast series by the Bible Project. I strongly encourage you to check out all of these resources, and Im sure there are others, to deepen your understanding of the concept. When we think of justice, many of us conjure images of a courtroom, with a judge, attorneys, witnesses and a jury. I think of Tom Cruise thundering away at Jack Nicholson in A Few Good Men. I want the truth! You cant handle the truth! Simply put, we usually just think of justice as being a punishment for wrongdoing. Someone has committed a crime, and they receive the punishment they deserve. Justice is served! The word used for justice throughout the Bible, and in Micah 6:8, is mishpat, and it includes this type of punishment, or retributive justice. But, its also more than that; it includes giving people their due or right. This is often referred to as restorative justice. Its proactively seeking out the vulnerable and helping them. Mishpat is used more than 200 times in the Old Testament, often to speak to the idea of treating all people fairly and as they deserve, being created in the image of God. Interestingly, in Deuteronomy 18, we see that the tithe that is to be set aside for the priestly work is called a mishpat. In Proverbs 31:9, we read Open your mouth, judge righteously, defend the rights of the poor and needy. Mishpat here is giving people their due, which can include protection and care. The Psalmist writes of mishpat in Psalm 146:7-9: [The Lord] executes justice for the oppressed, gives food to the hungry. The Lord sets the prisoners free; the Lord opens the eyes of the blind. The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down; the Lord loves the righteous. The Lord watches over the sojourners; he upholds the widow and the fatherless, but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin. This speaks of God breaking down unjust systems and restoring dignity to the downtrodden. Given this enhanced view of the word for justice in Micah 6:8--mishpat--its clear that the meaning is far beyond just making sure bad guys are punished. If we are passively watching the plight of the vulnerable or oppressed, and giving it what amounts to a shoulder shrug, we are guilty in Gods eyes of shirking our responsibilities. True Biblical mishpat is when the problems of the vulnerable become my problems. True righteousness, in turn, is tied to my posture toward others in my community. To fully grasp what we can glean from Micah 6:8 and Gods desire for justice and righteousness, there are 4 things we need to recognize--from the full counsel of Gods word--that relate to our current crisis. 1. Recognize the Worth of Every Life in Todays World In the beginning, God created man in his own image (Genesis 1:27). We were never intended to be like animals. We were imprinted with a moral code and an ability to see something injustice. As we think about this with the backdrop of todays current events, I want to be clear about one thing. This is not a call to say All Lives Matter in response to Black Lives Matter. In fact, its the contrary. Of course, all lives matter to God and they should matter to us. But, right now, we need to understand the suffering of specific groups as a first step to helping us all heal. Theres a powerful image circulating on social media of Jesus going to rescue the one lost sheep while the other 99 are behind him holding All Sheep Matter signs. When our Black brothers and sisters are steadily experiencing injustice and inequities, we all need to speak up for them. When we fully understand the intrinsic value of EACH human life, its easier for us to feel pain when they feel pain. 2. Recognize the Need for Justice in Todays World Ive always been amazed when Christians have no problem acknowledging the fact that we live in a fallen world where sin is prevalent, but cannot bring themselves to admit that sin can permeate and become a cancer in our earthly systems. No system is immune to sins destruction--the judicial system, criminal justice system, education, politics or even the church. We live in a broken world. Any system created by man, by nature, will be flawed and rife with injustice. Once we acknowledge that, we need to develop a clear picture of who is suffering the most injustice due to these systemic failures. One of best breakdowns Ive seen on this topic is this video from Veggie Tales creator Phil Vischer. He uses data to walk through the history of how we ended up where we are today. For example, how it came to be that the average Black household has 60 percent of the income of the average white household, while having only 1/10 of the wealth. Without wealth, its hard to send kids to college, start businesses, stabilize during loss of income and so much more. Many systems that were put into place following the freeing of the slaves through the Civil Rights Act and beyond have led to the reality of these grim statistics. Im not here to tell you what the right solutions are, because I dont know, he says. Im just here to ask you to do one thing care. Realizing there is injustice--and caring--is the first step to enacting meaningful change. 3. Recognize the Most Vulnerable to Injustice in Todays World Throughout the Old Testament, it is clear that God cares for the vulnerable. This is what the Lord Almighty said: 'Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another. Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the foreigner or the poor,'"(Zechariah 7:9-10a). These are the four specific types of people often mentioned in regards to justice: the poor, widow, orphan and immigrant. They are the Quartet of the Vulnerable, a term first coined by scholar Nicholas Wolterstorff in his book called Justice. These four groups of people lacked the capital, influence or power to improve their situations. They were stuck at the lowest rungs of society. They were often mistreated and abused. Justice for the vulnerable isnt just an Old Testament concept. We are all familiar with Jesus in the Temple as mentioned in Luke 4:18-19: The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor. He expands on the quartet of the vulnerable and includes the prisoner, the blind and the oppressed. Its clear: God is for the forgotten, the beat-down, the shut-out and the left-behind. Today, its easy to think about other groups who are vulnerable. In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Ive been heartbroken hearing the stories coming out of our nursing homes and other senior living facilities. Elderly people would certainly classify as vulnerable. How about the population of people experiencing homelessness? Of course! In light of everything that has happened in recent weeks, its imperative that we carefully examine our response to racial injustice as well. The Black community is crying out for help. Theyve been oppressed for centuries--an oppression that did not end with Juneteenth. Our country has an ugly history--one that held back many because of their race, while allowing others to benefit with a leg up. Martin Luther King, Jr., wrote this from a Birmingham jail: Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly. The mishpat, or justness, of a society, according to the Bible, is evaluated by how it treats these groups, Keller writes in Generous Justice. Any neglect shown to the needs of the members of [these groups] is not called merely a lack of mercy or charity, but a violation of justice, of mishpat. God loves and defends those with the least economic and social power, and so should we. That is what it means to do justice. 4. Recognize Our Own Role in Bringing Justice in Todays World What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead (James 2:14-17). In Matthew 25, Jesus describes the final judgment, when the sheep will be separated from the goats. And, it isnt an internal private faith that He references. Its the fact that His true followers took action: For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me (Matthew 25:35-36). Gods desire for us to have an active faith. Its clear He is not as interested in our presence in a church pew on Sunday as He is in our presence working in our community the rest of the days of the week. The verses preceding the famous Micah 6:8 verse hits the nail on the head. Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousands of rivers of oil? (Micah 6:7). God doesnt desire our worship as much as He desires our obedience. If you are trying to live a life in accordance with the Bible, the concept and call to justice are inescapable. We do justice when we give all human beings their due as creations of God. Doing justice includes not only the righting of wrongs but generosity and social concern, especially toward the poor and vulnerable, writes Keller. A closer walk with Christ necessitates that we care deeply about issues of injustice in our community and in our world. Micah 6:8 makes it clear that we need to place an active role in our community--recognizing injustice and then working actively to correct it. Today, we are living in a moment begging for that type of response. Lord, break our hearts for what breaks Yours. Photo Credit: GettyImages/wildpixel Brent Rinehart is a public relations practitioner and freelance writer. He blogs about the amazing things parenting teaches us about life, work, faith and more at www.apparentstuff.com. You can also follow him on Twitter at @brentrinehart Litchfield Township, MN (55355) Today Mainly sunny to start, then a few afternoon clouds. Cooler. High 68F. Winds NNW at 10 to 20 mph.. Tonight Mostly clear. Low 48F. NW winds shifting to SW at 10 to 15 mph. Email Whatsapp Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment If Jesus is returning soon, should I still save for retirement? A young man asked me exactly that question a few years ago. We were at a church service, and I had just preached a sermon on the end times. That week, at his workplace, the young mans employer had given him the option of contributing to a 401(k) retirement savings plan. This individual knew it was important to plan for the future. But he also wondered if, in light of the Second Coming, that type of savings was an unwise use of money. He asked me for advice. Ill be honest: Im a pastor, not an investment advisor. I dont get asked for financial planning advice very often. But I did have an answer for that young man. Before I tell you what it was, however, let me share a fascinating story. The young mans question brought to mind a unique moment in American history. Abraham Davenport and New Englands Dark Day History recalls May 19, 1780, as New Englands Dark Day. At the time, George Washington and the Continental Army were still fighting in the Revolutionary War. Camped with his troops in New Jersey, General Washington noted in his diary how the weather had been strange for several days. The sun had appeared to be red. The skies had grown yellowish and the clouds were the color of rust. On May 18, he recorded the presence of dark, ominous, heavy and uncommon kind of clouds. The next day, the morning of May 19, the clouds grew even darker. Fog and a shadowy sky settled across the region. By noon, the sun had been completely obscured across New England, as if day had become night. Indoor workers took lunch by candlelight. Outdoor laborers struggled to see their work, and some quit early. As the darkness continued, birds returned to their nests, farm animals reacted in terror, and local commerce began to shut down. Shop owners closed their businesses. Citizens speculated about the cause. Had the sun somehow been darkened? Was this the judgment of God? Could the darkening skies be a sign of the Second Coming of Christ? The state legislature was meeting that day in Connecticut. As the darkness persisted, members of the governing body became uneasy. One legislator made the motion to adjourn their meeting, suggesting everyone return to their homes and families to prepare for the end of the world. Thats when a 65-year-old councilman and militia colonel named Abraham Davenport stood up to calm his colleagues. I am against adjournment, he said in a stirring speech. The day of judgment is either approaching, or it is not. If it is not, there is no cause of an adjournment; if it is, I choose to be found doing my duty. I wish therefore that candles may be brought. Aides brought in candles and the meeting continued. The world did not end and the skies eventually cleared. Historians later determined that the darkness was the result of extensive forest fires in Ontario, Canada, which the wind had blown south into New England. In the days that followed, however, Davenport was hailed as a great hero and leader. The 19th-century poet John Greenleaf Whittier even wrote a poem commemorating the councilmans resolve, noting how simple duty hath no place for fear. Should we plan for tomorrow? This brings me to my answer to the young mans question. If the end is near, should we carry on with our daily business? Should we make wise financial decisions about the future? Should we save money at all? Or should we simply hunker down with our families, preparing for the apocalypse and awaiting Christs return? I believe we should follow the example set by Abraham Davenport. When Christ returns, I choose to be found doing my duty. In other words, hope for Christs return on a future date but do the right thing today. Live as if you will experience a full life on earth. Go to school. Get married. Have children. Spend wisely and save responsibly. Yes, contribute to your 401(k) or otherwise plan for retirement. Not every student of Bible prophecy will give the same advice, of course. All of us know the stories of otherwise well-meaning believers who made public statements that the end would occur within a specific year or even on a particular date. These teachers were inevitably proven wrong. Many of them lost credibility and many of their most dedicated followers lost their savings or businesses as a result. As I explain in my new book, Tipping Point, I believe we are living in the end times and that Christs return is sooner than many expect. But while I am confident of the things I preach and teach, I am not God. I do not have the right nor the ability to set an exact date for when the end will come. Instead, I would rather point you toward Scripture, highlighting the signs and evidence. I will leave it to God to measure time and keep the dates. So live your life for the honor and glory of God. Do your duty but do it with a constant awareness that the Day of the Lord may arrive at any moment, like a thief in the night. This article is adapted from The Tipping Point: The End is Here by Jimmy Evans. You can pick up the book here. When two problems are put together to come up with a solution, government is working. Problem: Nonprofits are at a loss with many volunteers who are retired now choosing to stay home and safe during the pandemic. Problem: Youth face fewer jobs this summer with some camps closed that used to provide employment and with other opportunities shrunk by the pandemic. Solution: ConnectiCorps. This is a new community service program, modeled after the successful national AmeriCorps, that provides an avenue for young people to work and acquire skills with nonprofits in the areas of food security, housing and antipoverty assistance. Nonprofits across the state are on the frontlines of the COVID emergency, providing critically needed services to vulnerable people across Connecticut, Gov. Ned Lamont said Tuesday in announcing the program. The ConnectiCorps program is a great way to provide support to those nonprofits and to offer to our young people the opportunity for public service in these times of great challenge to our communities. It will be a national AmeriCorps program on the state level. Participants will receive a modest income, mileage reimbursement and be eligible for a stipend to help pay for their higher education or repay qualified student loans. This is possible through a state partnership with the Connecticut Community Nonprofit Alliance and the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving, which contributed a significant grant through its COVID-19 Response Fund. ConnectiCorps also will be funded through an AmeriCorps state and federal grant approved by Serve Connecticut, which is the Connecticut Commission on Community Service under the state Office of Higher Education. Thats a lot of collaboration and, as always with taxpayers money involved, transparency is imperative. The initial focus will be on the greater Hartford region, given the contribution of the Hartford Foundation, and participants will live in the communities where they will serve. We would like to see other philanthropic organizations step up to expand the focus to other regions, especially Fairfield and New Haven counties which have been particularly affected by the coronavirus. ConnectiCorps will recruit 60 to 80 youth for part-time service with COVID-safety training and personal protection equipment at up to 20 nonprofit sites for a year. The experience gained and the community connection made can be pivotal for a young person. Employment opportunities for Connecticuts youth got another boost this week with the governor releasing an additional $2 million from the Coronavirus Relief Funds to expand the Connecticut Youth Employment Program, an ongoing initiative through the state Department of Labor, which already had $4.5 million allocated. The expansion of this state-wide program will give more youth jobs with community health agencies where they will support and educate populations disproportionately affected by the virus. The pandemic has had a devastating impact on the economy, as well as public health. Establishing the ConnectiCorps and increasing financial support of the youth employment program are two positive steps by government to provide opportunity to youth while strengthening communities. Always being on the lookout for emerging technologies with high growth potential is the basis of successful investing, particularly if youre open to making bold decisions. And when it comes to new tech, nothings quite as exciting as space exploration. Space the final frontier offers more than a few opportunities for the exploring investor. Moon rockets and space stations don't come cheap, and space was once the exclusive domain of national governments. But public and private companies are now involved in satellites, research, mining, communications and space tourism. The space business has branched into several distinct sectors, with hundreds of companies involved, and has even developed its own market index and specialized research sources. Related: How This AI Company Is Working to Transform Space Exploration in an Age of Global Change According to the Space Foundation, the revenue of the global space industry totaled almost $415 in 2018. More importantly, however, predictions by the Bank of America Merrill Lynch put the worth of the industry at a massive $2.7 trillion by 2045. So, if innovative technologies are your thing, nows the time to get in on the action and begin investing in space companies. Weve all heard about SpaceX the company behind the development of a reusable rocket and launch system, founded by Elon Musk. SpaceX is a privately funded company with no plans of going public, however, so at the time of writing it doesnt present any investment opportunities. Related: NASA Astronauts Successfully Dock SpaceX Crew Dragon at ISS However, there are several public companies on the market working in different areas of space exploration. Although they might not be receiving the same publicity as SpaceX, theyre no less worthy of attention and investment. 1. Virgin Galactic (SPCE) Virgin Galactic part of Richard Bransons Virgin Group empire was the first publicly traded commercial space tourism company. The majority of the companys efforts are focused on making passenger flights into space a reality. Related: Virgin Galactic Signs NASA Deal to Take Private Citizens to the ISS In addition to its ambition to conquer space, Virgin Galactic is also developing hypersonic travel technology, having entered into a Space Act Agreement with NASA. Hypersonic flights would revolutionize intercontinental travel, cutting down the transit time between London and New York to as little as two hours, instead of the eight it takes with current flight technology. A trip from London to Australia, meanwhile, would take just four and a half hours instead of almost 22. 2. Boeing (BA) In addition to designing, manufacturing and selling airplanes, telecoms equipment, missiles and rotor craft, Boeing is also working on rockets. Boeings history with space travel reaches back further than most people realize: in 1969, the company was involved in the creation of the Saturn V rocket, which propelled Apollo 11 to the Moon. In the course of its work with NASA, the company has also built numerous satellites, as well as being responsible for managing the International Space Station. Currently, Boeing is developing spacecraft capable of carrying astronauts to and from the International Space Station. The companys largest space project is the Space Launch System rocket, intended to explore deep space. 3. Northrop Grumman (NOC) Northrop Grumman is one of the worlds leading weapons manufacturers, with an annual revenue of over $30 billion. Although recently, the companys been known mostly for its development of stealth bombers, it has been working in the field of space tech development for over 60 years. At the moment, Northrop Grumman is working on building NASAs James Webb Space Telescope. The company is also involved in the development of the Chandra Space Telescope and the Dawn asteroid explorer, as well as taking part in programs intended to develop technology for observing Earth from space. 4. Lockheed Martin (LMT) The worlds largest defence contractor, Lockheed Martin is one of the major players in the space industry, too. As a contractor to NASA, the company built parts for the Apollo 11 spacecraft in the 1960s as well as satellites and space probes. Lockheed Martins other major space projects include the deep-space Orion spacecraft and the Mars InSight lander. In terms of stock prices, Lockheed Martin is the highest on this list, having reached almost $440 in February this year. During the crisis-related crash in mid-March, the companys stock dropped to just under $300, suffering much less than the vast majority of other stocks. It also recovered very well, reaching over $400 in the first week of June. 5. Procure Space ETF (UFO) This exchange-traded fund focuses on investing in companies that are already profiting from the space industry, rather than looking to in-development tech and far-off revenue streams like space tourism. Specifically, the ETFs policy is that 80 percent of investments are into companies that receive at least half of their profits from the space industry. An example of how profit can be made from space without involving space flight or related tech is how satellites are used for emerging technologies on Earth. 5G, blockchain and crypto currencies, for instance, are all dependent on satellites and other space-based systems. Key holdings of Procure Space include Boeing (described above), Iridium Communications, Airbus and Maxar. Related: 25 Unforgettable Moments in Space Exploration to Celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Apollo 11 Related: Fivetran Raises $100 Mn; Enters Unicorn Club Amid Pandemic Bangalore-Based Zeta Expands Its Footprint In Vietnam and Philippines A Portable UV-C Case Can Disinfect Your Phone and Small Belongings Copyright 2020 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved Email Whatsapp Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment We use too many words out of season, particularly in conversations about race, ethnicity, and justice. This was particularly evident this past Sunday when the President retweeted a video of a man shouting White power at protestors. The Twitter outrage was immediate. Most, of course, objected to the mans use of a phrase associated with White Nationalists like the Klu Klux Klan. The backlash to outrage at the Presidents post was as immediate. Many people posted phrases like If Black people can say, Black Power!, why cant white people say White power? While the President rightly deleted the tweet, the outrage and the backlash press us to think more critically about the racially-charged phrases that have become commonplace in our national discourse, on social media, and in our communities. Black Power. White Power. White Supremacy. #BlackLives Matter. #AllLivesMatter. Christians, as People of the Book, understand that words matter and that words have power. Because of what Scripture teaches, Christians should be among the first to condemn and to repudiate any ideologies and systems (including White supremacy and anti-Semitism) which teaches the inherent superiority of one people group or the inferiority of another. These ideologies deny that all people are created in Gods image (Gen 1:27-28), that Jesus commanded us to love our neighbor as ourselves (Mk. 12:31), and that God intends to bring all ethnic groups into a new, fully-reconciled community (Eph. 2:14-22). Because we believe the historic words of Scripture matter, we have another reason to vigorously object to the offensive recent use of the phrase, White Power: those words were stripped from their historical context. Why Black Power Is Okay, But White Power Is Not he phrase Black Powera potent assertion of Black dignity, Black agency, and Black creativitybecame widespread in the late 1960s. It was that eras #BlackLivesMatter. Both Black Power and #BlackLivesMatter are prophetic responses to the sins committed against the Black community by our country beginning with the arrival of the first enslaved Africans 400 years ago and continuing to the present day. Both phrases emerged out of on-going agony, discrimination, and marginalization. Although secular creeds, both phrases resonate deeply with Scriptural truths about human purpose, dignity, and value. In what is implied and what is stated, both are compressed songs of lament and resistance. That is why White power and #AllLivesMatter anger so many people. Responding to the question, Do #BlackLivesMatter? with #AllLivesMatter is a deflection and non-answer. If your daughter asks, Do you love me?, you wouldnt respond I love all of my family members. Perhaps more offensively, both phrases appropriate the prophetic protest against white supremacy to serve white supremacys emotional and political needs. Both phrases take acts of resistance and commoditize them to drain them of threat. It was done to Black music when white musicians modified and recorded and profited from work originally created by Black artists (Gospel, Blues, Jazz). It continues to be done whenever Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.s words about love are not spoken hand-in-hand with his words about Gods desire for justice. And, in this instance, it was done again. We should not be surprised that repurposing prophetic words provokes a heated response. After all, many people in our pews are outraged when the culture strips Christmas and Easter of its revolutionary religious significance to serve commercial ends. They should be able to understand, if only by analogy, why White Power and #AllLivesMatter similarly offend those committed to ethnic reconciliation and justice. Black power and #BlackLivesMatter carry similar revolutionary significance. Historic Context Matters I cant breathe. These words may have launched the current racial protests, but they similarly are embedded in a historic context. What gives those words power? So many Black people have died over the centuries while gasping I cant breathe. Those were likely the last words of 1.8 million enslaved Africans who suffocated below deck and died of malnutrition and disease during the Middle Passage from Africa to America. Those were likely the last thoughts of more than 4,400 African American men and women, boys and girlssometimes entire familiesas they were lynched in nearly every state in our country. Those were likely the last experiences of African Americans dying of COVID-19, at two or three times the rate of other ethnicities, in part because poverty and access to healthcare have affected their communities. It is this larger historical contextthe suffocating reality of racism and white supremacy that made the last words of Eric Garner and George Floyd so powerful, so haunting, so resonant. It is that same historical context that causes so many young protestors to croak those words as tear gas (or other chemical weapons) covers their faces. The words I cant breathe resonate historically and speak prophetically to them. Fruit in Season If phrases like Black Power, #BlackLivesMatter and I cant breathe need to be said with an understanding of their historical context, so do our words on ethnic reconciliation and justice. The Scriptural basis to speak out is clear. We believe God is holy, and he demands both personal and social righteousness so that people and cultures, systems and societies reflect his character. We believe God denounced social injustice in the Old Testament and triumphed over its evil on the cross in the New. We believe he challenges us to answer the questions, Am I my brothers keeper? and Who is my neighbor? We believe he intends to reconcile people of every tribe, nation, language into a new people who follow Jesus example of sacrificial service. But evangelical Christians have largely remained silent. Until now. It seems we are in a new season. The next generation is watching. College and high school students in the U.S. belong to a generational cohort which is no longer majority white. InterVarsity Christian Fellowship students are 53% non-white or international students, which matches the percentage of students of color on campus. They expect the causes they embrace (including their churches) to speak up and to speak out on issues of justice. College students tell us that the most compelling witness to Jesus life, death, resurrection, and ascension on an ethnically-diverse campus is an ethnically-reconciled community. Therefore, they seek out multiethnic Christian communities on their campuses. As they study scripture together, concerns about police misconduct, immigration reform, and Kung-Flu comments from their political leaders cannot be written off as political questions. These are pastoral concerns for the members of their campus fellowships. (The line between pastoral and political is largely the line between those you minister to and those you do not minister to.) The protests need spiritual resources for lasting change The culture and academia can provide many different tools to identify how racism permeates our systems and structures and how to deconstruct them. But they offer few tools on how to build a just and reconciling community. It is impossible without uniquely Christian words like sin, repentance, righting of wrongs, and restoration. It is impossible without the vision of the redeemed and reconciled human family that we--as the Body of Christ--are being made into as described in Ephesians and Revelation. It cannot be achieved without prayers of confession that are both personal as well as corporate, in which the sins of entire peoples are owned and acknowledged (e.g. Neh. 1 and Dan. 9). The church seems more ready. In 2015, InterVarsity was castigated by many conservative Christians for discussing #BlackLivesMatter and for worship team members wearing Black Lives Matter: Imago Dei t-shirts on stage at its Urbana Student Missions Conference. By contrast, just a few weeks ago, the president of the Southern Baptist Convention, J.D. Greear, stated publicly: Southern Baptists, we need to say it clearly: As a gospel issue, black lives matter. Of course, black lives matter. Our black brothers and sisters are made in the image of God. According to a recent Barna study, an overwhelming majority of pastors (94%) believe the church has a responsibility to publicly denounce racial discrimination. The time is ripe. The world is waiting to hear you speak about Gods concern for the marginalized and for justice. God has given you breath. Use it. WESTPORT The town is continuing its three-pronged approach to reopening schools in the fall, pending further or more precise information from the state. On Monday, the towns School Reopening Steering Committee presented a report on work its done over the past month to prepare for the fall school year. This is a working draft, Anthony Buono, assistant superintendent of teaching and learning, said at a Board of Education meeting. These are not recommendations at this point. These are just ideas and things that are being developed, and some of our best thinking at this time. Buono, who also co-chairs the reopening committee, said state guidelines for reopening schools were Monday afternoon but more time was needed to incorporate them in local plans. The committee is still working on a three-pronged approach: a blended learning model, strengthening the distance learning program and a complete return to the schools, he said. The goal of the state at this time and the recommendation is to get all of our students back to the schools in the fall, he said. The state guidelines strongly encourage schools to group students in small permanent groups to encourage social distancing and minimize the chance of closing a school if an infection is reported. Suzanne Lavassuer, supervisor of health services, said spacing between desks, as well as staggering of arrival and dismissal times, are all being considered. I think as we start to map this out and start to wrap our brains around how many kids will be coming to school at one time, well have to look at some of these different entry ways, Lavassuer said. Transportation will be available, but Lavasseur said the district would encourage parents to transport their kids. Schools will also monitor attendance and illness to track trends. Students who have medical conditions that might put them at risk, or they might have a a family member whos immunocompromised or has other risk factors, will be provided options for virtual learning, she said. Certainly this will be done on a case-by-case basis. BOE member Vik Muktavaram said he was glad state guidelines had came in, but noted the importance of the communitys confidence in the guidelines. The transparency, the way we are doing it now, I think is incredibly helpful in terms of alleviating some of those concerns, he said. I just want to reiterate that its important to consider the aspect in terms of confidence. Muktavaram said the earlier specific concerns can be addressed, the better prepared the district will be. Several parents submitted public comment voicing concern they were being left out of the decision making process. But Lavassuer said the steering committee is proposing frequent updates throughout the summer to keep the community up-to-date. I think communication is key in allowing families and staff to speak to us directly or contact us easily with any concerns and addressing them then, she said. Lavassuer said the committee has also been working with Westport-Weston Health District Health Director Mark Cooper to possibly set specific triggers for closing a school, or the district, if COVID-19 cases begin to spike again. We dont have the specifics ironed out yet, but that is part of the plan. she said. Board members also discussed paying for implementing guidelines to accommodate changes, such as bus monitors, in the fall. John Bayers, co-chair of the reopening committee, said now that state guidelines hae been released, the committee would be able to answer budget concerns in the coming weeks. Now that we have the guidelines from (the state) we will be in a better position to provide a financial update for the board in the next few weeks, he said. Therefore the board will be in a better position to move forward to the Board of Finance, the RTM and whoever else is needed in the conversation. dj.simmons@hearstmediact.com FAIRFIELD Town police are reminding residents not to let themselves be easy targets for thieves in honor of National Vehicle Theft Prevention Month. As the temperature rises, so does the number of vehicle break-ins and thefts across the country, Fairfield Police Chief Christopher Lyddy said. July is recognized by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration as National Vehicle Theft Prevention Month each year since the summer is when most vehicle thefts and break-ins take place, police said. Every year, more than 770,000 vehicles are stolen, according to the NHTSA. About 41 percent are never recovered. The NHTSA warns that vehicle parts are also targets, and valuable items left in vehicles, including radios, wheel covers, engines, air bags, GPS units, cellphones, laptops and purses. Residents are urged to remove all valuables from their vehicles, and to lock their vehicles. Fairfield police also encouraged residents to get into the habiat of the 9 p.m. routine, meaning checking outside to make sure all vehicles are locked and no valuables left in sight. We encourage residents to follow these tips in order to protect their vehicle and other valuable possessions this summer, Lyddy said. If a resident has their vehicle broken into or stolen, police urge those residents to call the police department to report the crime. From there, residents will have to contact their insurance company to file a claim within 24 hours of when the vehicle was found stolen or broken into. Irish comedian kicked off Twitter for saying 'men aren't women' Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Twitter has shut down the account of Irish comedian Graham Linehan for stating that men are not women, words the social media company considers "hateful conduct" toward transgender-identifying people. According to The Guardian, the social media giant reportedly barred the "Father Ted" sitcom creator from the platform for "repeated violations of our rules against hateful conduct and platform manipulation" after he tweeted "men are not women tho" when replying to the Women's Institute wishing transgender members a Happy Pride. Linehan, who is also known as Glinner, appeared to post on the popular U.K. parenting website Mumsnet about the suspension. Im really sorry to barge in on you Mumsnettters with my problems, but Ive been finally suspended from Twitter and I have a feeling theyre either going to ban me or just take my verified tick, the Saturday post read. Ive submitted an appeal with Twitter and the Better Business Bureau but I thought Id post here too so people knew what was going on. The Irish comedian has in recent years used the platform to criticize transgenderism, frequently noting its harms to gays and lesbians. In a BBC Newsnight interview in February, Linehan expressed his alarm regarding the medicalization of gender, particularly insider joking at the London-based Tavistock clinic where staff would reportedly jest among themselves about the experimental hormonal and surgical gender-transitioning of all the homosexuals in Britain. Linehan, who reportedly had hundreds of thousands of Twitter followers, is not the first left-leaning voice to be struck from the website for stating that "men are not women," a phrase now seen by Twitter as hateful toward transgender-identified people. In November 2018, Canadian feminist journalist Meghan Murphy was permanently booted from Twitter after she referred to Jessica Yaniv a male trans activist who infamously alleged that several aestheticians discriminated against him for declining to wax his genitals as "him." The aestheticians, some of whom worked out of their homes and were ethnic and religious minorities, reportedly told Yaniv they were not trained to wax male genitals and did not offer such services. Murphy had previously tweeted "men aren't women tho" exactly as Linehan had. Murphy has not been allowed back on the platform and even filed a lawsuit against the company. Twitter's ban of Murphy occurred before the social media company revised its user rules, which forbade "misgendering" as part of its hateful conduct policy that could warrant suspension. The new user rules policy was applied to Murphy retroactively. In 2018, Linehan received a warning from West Yorkshire police after a Twitter scuffle with the transgender activist Stephanie Hayden, where Hayden accused him of dead-naming referring to a transgender-identifying person by the name they used before undergoing gender transition. WESTPORT Its not just for the Fourth of July that the American flag was proudly displayed on the front and back of the antique colonial house at 16 Morningside Drive South. The star-spangled banner has been a fixture there year-round for decades. My mom was the biggest patriot in the world, said Janet Beers, whose mother the late Anne Beers owned the home from the late 1970s until her passing just over a year ago. Anne Beers held dear that flag and all it stands for. According to Janet Beers, her mother served as a pharmacist mate in the U.S. Navy and when she was discharged in 1946, she went to Tufts University. Additionally, Janet Beers said, her mother marched in every Westports Memorial Day parade wearing the exact uniform she wore in the service. She was honored at Town Hall the year before her passing at age 94. The nine-room, 3,236-square-foot white house with green shutters sits on a property of just over one level acre in a very convenient location in the Greens Farms neighborhood, within easy walking distance of Greens Farms Elementary School, and shops and restaurants on the Post Road (Route 1). Walk right out your door to the Greens Farms Elementary School and playground. ... You literally can walk or bike ride to almost everything Westport has to offers such as Barnes & Noble, spas, restaurants, food stores, beaches, and the Greens Farms train station, according to the co-listing agents. The convenience is compelling but so is the homes history, which only came to light after exhaustive research was conducted by Bob Weingarten, house historian for the Westport Museum of History and Culture, formerly the Westport Historical Society. Weingarten scoured deeds and other documents, uncovering at least four different spellings of the original owners last name and the correct date of the homes construction: 1901. The latter was helped along by Anne Beers son Dan, who provided Weingarten with a photograph of a wood beam in the homes basement into which was carved Charles Banetz BILT 1901. That information prompted Weingartens further research which confirmed the build date, nine years earlier than previous thought because some documents were overlooked due to the various spellings of Banetzs name. Weingarten wrote a lengthy article about this house and its history titled Written in Wood or Stone, and published in the Greens Farm Living publication in July 2017. More Information ABOUT THIS HOUSE STYLE: Antique Colonial ADDRESS: 16 Morningside Drive South PRICE: $924,900 ROOMS: 9 FEATURES: 1.01-acres, level property, oversized wrap-around deck, proximity to Greens Farms train station, short drive to local beaches, walking distance to Post Road (Route 1) shops and restaurants, across the street from Greens Farms Elementary School and playground, cable - available, wet bar, skylights, one fireplace, zoned central air conditioning and oil heat, 30-gallon water heater tank, full partially finished walk-out basement, attic, detached two-car garage, public water and sewer connection, four bedrooms, two full baths SCHOOLS: Greens Farms Elementary, Bedford Middle, Staples High School MILL RATE: 16.71 mills ASSESSMENT: $753,800 TAXES: $12,709 See More Collapse In it, Anne Beers was quoted: Without his research and persistence we would not be able to identify the history of the house. It is now recognized as the Charles Banetz House c. 1901, complete with a Historical Society plaque at the front entrance. The plaque attracted the attention of two Banetz relatives recently. Janet Beers said she and her brother Dan noticed a car driving by several times and pointing to the sign. We were home so we went out and talked to them and invited them in to tour the house and showed them the beam in the basement that Charles had carved out, Janet said. Turns out they were the granddaughter and great-granddaughter of Charles Banetz, who emigrated from Hungary in 1893, settling in Westport. This home was loved and enjoyed by three generations of family. The exterior of this home is very charming and is sheltered by tall trees, specimen plantings, and framed by a classic old stone wall with a white picket fence, the agents said. The Beers family spent time entertaining and having dinner on their deck almost every summer night, they said. This beautifully designed, oversized deck is right off the kitchen and family room, which offers a vaulted ceiling, skylights, wet bar, ceramic tile floor, and floor-to-ceiling red brick fireplace. Below the deck is a stone patio. The formal living room has a fireplace and multipaned doors to the extensive deck. The dining room has a picture window view of the deck and yard. In the kitchen there are granite counters and glass-front cabinetry. The master suite is on the first level and the additional three bedrooms and a bath are on the second level. The lower level game or recreation room has a fireplace and the detached two-car garage has a full unfinished loft that could easily be converted into another an in-law or au pair bedroom and bath, a recording or art studio, or a home office. For more information or to make an appointment to see the house contact Doris J. Rowe and Tara Rowe Hawley of Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage; Rowe at 203-767-0920 or rowehouses@aol.com, and Hawley at 203-331-5939 or tara.hawley@coldwellbankermoves.com A bill from Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) would simplify loan forgiveness from the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and has CUNAs full support. Cramer introduced the Paycheck Protection Program Small Business Forgiveness Act Tuesday, with Sens. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.). Americas credit unions wholeheartedly support Sen. Cramers Paycheck Protection Small Business Forgiveness Act, said CUNA President/CEO Jim Nussle. This bill will allow Americas small business owners and Main Street financial institutions to remain focused on serving their communities rather than on jumping through burdensome regulatory hurdles. Specifically, the bill would: Forgiveness for covered PPP loans of less than $150,000, if the borrower submits a simple, one-page attestation form to the lender. The borrower shall be held harmless from any enforcement action if the borrowers attestation contained any falsehoods. So, you think youve got problems? Weve seen a lot of problems arising in the midst of COVID-19. What this virus is doing to our seemingly distant normal lives is second only to the pain its causing the families of those suffering from and with it. Whether we have been or are sick, whether weve been furloughed or let go, whether we know someone who is suffering or have just seen the stories on the news, we are all living a different life than we lived just a few months ago. Now more than ever, we are looking at things differently, examining our values and assessing our needs. With so many lives affected, this virus impacts those less fortunate, and those who care for them even more acutely. Needs are greater. Support is needed urgently, but the nonprofit organizations who exist to step in are being hit and hit hard. The very people we turn to for help need our help, for us to step up, now more than ever. According to the StarTribune, Minnesota nonprofit organizations lost $1 billion of anticipated revenue in the month of April alone. The Wall Street Journal reported this week that the future of nonprofits across the country looks bleak as their revenue dries up because of the coronavirus. The article quotes Antony Bugg-Levine, CEO of the Nonprofit Finance Fund as saying, The virus-related revenue disruption is an unprecedented calamity for nonprofits. As long-standing institutions in our community, credit unions have been there for their membership through previous uncertain times. Credit unions were brought to the US to offer community support to the underserved, and its time again. Now more than ever, credit unions will be called upon to lead. Some credit union executives may worry about an inability to significantly grow membership in 2020 (CUNA projects less than 1.5% growth), or worry about stagnating loan growth or decreasing loan-to-asset ratios. These are important concerns when you exist to serve your members and your community. However, many nonprofits organizations also serving members and the community are worried they wont be in existence by the end of 2020. Nearly half of charities surveyed have fewer than 3 months of operating capital on hand to weather this storm. Most economists expect the economic impact and the effects on nonprofits to last for the rest of the year or even longer. Cullman, AL (35055) Today Isolated thunderstorms this morning, then mainly cloudy during the afternoon with thunderstorms likely. Storms may contain strong gusty winds. High 81F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 80%.. Tonight Showers and thunderstorms likely. Low 63F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Rainfall near an inch. Locally heavy rainfall possible. STORY LINK GBP to JPY Exchange Rate Volatility Persists as Markets Jump Between Risk-On and Risk-Off GBP Exchange Rates Rebounding as Q2 2020 Comes to an End Random is the word. I dont think it has anything to do with the announcement of the government. We know that the announcement of infrastructure planning was going to come. I wouldnt try and find an excuse. Maybe its been oversold. It could be that liquidity is poor today, JPY Exchange Rates Struggle to Capitalise on Bursts of Safe Haven Demand GBP/JPY Exchange Rate Forecast: Will Risk-On Movement Persist? Like this piece? Please share with your friends and colleagues: While investors have been a little more eager to look for safe haven currencies recently, the British Pound to Japanese Yen (GBP/JPY) exchange rate has been recovering this week. Investors are buying the Pound back from its lows, while some brief jumps in market optimism and risk-sentiment have been limiting the market movement towardsAs safe haven demand fluctuates, GBP/JPY has seen broadly mixed movement in recent weeks. Last week saw GBP/JPY attempt to jump, before risk-sentiment fell again and GBP/JPY only closed the week at the level of 132.27.This weeks movement has been similar so far. GBP/JPY has been trending with a largely upside bias amid hopes for a global economic recovery, but the spectre of a second wave of coronavirus infections is making investors hesitant to sell the Yen too much. GBP/JPY has touched on a fortnight high of 133.91 this week, but at the time of writing is trending a little lower in the region of 133.61.Investors have been buying the Pound since yesterday, despite a lack of support for the British currency.While the Pounds outlook is clouded by fears that the coronavirus pandemic will continue to impact Britains economy, as well as concerns that 2020 could end with a no-deal Brexit, investors still bought the Pound today.This is because investors are buying the British currency from its cheapest levels in month-end fixings. It has been a heavily bearish few months for the Sterling, and the currency is cheap.Kenneth Broux, Analyst at Societe Generale, speculates Sterling may have been oversold:The latest UK data had little notable impact on the Pound outlook however. Britains latest manufacturing PMI met forecasts and came in at 50.1.The report indicated that there was still much uncertainty in the manufacturing outlook, which could be said for Britains economic outlook on the whole.The Japanese Yen is a traditional safe haven currency. It is often appealing in times of global market uncertainty.Safe haven demand has indeed been rising in recent weeks, as global fears of a second wave of coronavirus infections rise.Despite this though, risk-off movement and safe haven demand have not been consistent enough for the Japanese Yen to hold its ground.This has been due to continued signs of hope that some major economies, like the Eurozone, could recover from the pandemic strongly towards the end of the year. This has kept investors from moving too far from risk-sentiment.On top of this, the latest Japanese data has been underwhelming. It has perhaps indicated that Japans economy was not weathering the pandemic as well as hoped. Japans retail sales, unemployment rate and Tankan index stats this week all fell short of forecasts.Markets have been jumping to and from risk-sentiment and safe haven demand lately. Uncertainty over whether major economies will rebound from the coronavirus pandemic or fears that the pandemic could get much worse are dominating the outlook.This has meant that currencies correlated to safe haven demand, like the Japanese Yen, have actually been more volatile than usual.Due to persisting hopes of economic recovery in some major economies, safe haven demand is not consistent enough to help the Yen to hold near its highs.As a result, the Pound to Japanese Yen exchange rate is likely to continue its recovery attempts, even if upcoming Japanese data impresses.On the other hand though, lingering signs of safe haven demand could also limit GBP/JPYs potential for gains.Investors will be hesitant to buy the Pound to Japanese Yen exchange rate too much, as the Pound outlook remains dented by coronavirus fears and the Japanese Yen could still benefit from a sudden surge in risk-aversion. International Money Transfer? Ask our resident FX expert a money transfer question or try John's new, free, no-obligation personal service! ,where he helps every step of the way, ensuring you get the best exchange rates on your currency requirements. TAGS: Pound Yen Forecasts STORY LINK Pound Australian Dollar (GBP/AUD) Exchange Rate Steady as Markets Remain Cautious Over Rising Covid-19 Cases GBP/AUD Exchange Rate Rangebound as Australian Coronavirus Cases Increase Pound (GBP) Steady Despite Concerns Over a No-Deal Post-Brexit GBP/AUD Outlook: Could Improving UK Consumer Sentiment Boost Sterling? Like this piece? Please share with your friends and colleagues: The Pound to Australian Dollar (GBP/AUD) exchange rate held steady today, with the pairing currently trading around AU$1.79.The Australian Dollar (AUD) remained subdued today on growing fears of a possible second spike in coronavirus cases, with America suffering from an increasing number of infection rates. As a result, markets are feeling uneasy on the prospect of another setback for the global economy.Meanwhile, fears are rising over Australias own coronavirus crisis, with rates of infection increasing in Victoria. Any further clusters in Melbourne or other cities in Australia would drag down the Aussie on fears for the future of the economy should lockdowns be strengthened.In Australian economic news, today saw building permits fall by -16.4% in May, leaving many investors concerned for Australias economic recovery in the near-term.National Australia Bank (NAB) economist Kaixin Owyong commented:The large fall reflects the sharp decline in housing market activity in April due to lockdown restrictions, where approvals lag housing market activity as it takes weeks for a building permit to be approved once lodged.The Pound (GBP) held steady today despite warnings from the rating agency S&P that the UK could be facing a perfect storm economically from the coronavirus crisis and a possible no-deal post-Brexit.The S&P commented:A second, bigger wave of (coronavirus) infections in autumn, then followed by a switch to WTO trade rules in January would be a perfect storm.Meanwhile, concerns over UK-EU trade negotiations are weighing on Sterling today, with no further signs of the two powers coming to any consensus on a possible post-Brexit trade deal.Today also saw the German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, warn that the European Union must prepare for a possible no-deal Brexit. This follows Prime Minister Boris Johnsons vow that the UK would walk away at the end of the year.As a result, Sterling traders are remaining cautious as the outlook for the British economy continues to look uncertain.Australian Dollar (AUD) investors will be looking ahead to tomorrows release of Junes AiG Performance of Construction figures. Any signs of improvement would prove AUD-positive.Tomorrow will also see the release of Australias trade balance figures for May. If theres any indication of improving export data, then we could see the Australian Dollar benefit from renewed hopes for the economy.Pound (GBP) traders will be awaiting tomorrows release of the UK GfK Consumer Confidence data for June. Any signs of improvement in Britians consumer morale could see the GBP/AUD exchange rate edge higher. International Money Transfer? Ask our resident FX expert a money transfer question or try John's new, free, no-obligation personal service! ,where he helps every step of the way, ensuring you get the best exchange rates on your currency requirements. TAGS: Australian Dollar Forecasts Pound Australian Dollar Forecasts Kankakee, IL (60901) Today Cloudy skies this morning will become partly cloudy this afternoon. High around 70F. Winds NW at 10 to 20 mph.. Tonight Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low 49F. Winds NW at 10 to 15 mph. Uncertain and unsettling: China approves controversial Hong Kong security law Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment The Peoples Republic of China has approved a new national security law for Hong Kong, igniting greater concerns about human rights in the semi-autonomous region. Chinese President Xi Jinping signed the measure into law, set to take effect on Tuesday, which was aimed at cracking down on terrorist and subversive actions in the administrative region. Tam Yiu-Chung, the representative for Hong Kong on the National People's Congress Standing Committee, expressed optimism over the newly signed law. We hope the law will serve as a deterrent to prevent people from stirring up trouble, stated Tam, as reported by the Associated Press. Dont let Hong Kong be used as a tool to split the country. However, many human rights groups have opposed the law, arguing that it undermines the semi-autonomous status of Hong Kong, first created in 1997, and curbs civil liberties. Joshua Rosenzweig, head of Amnesty Internationals China Team, released a statement in advance of the law being passed, arguing that the measures were troublesome. Hong Kong stands at the cliff-edge of an uncertain and unsettling future, its freedoms threatened by national security legislation that could override the laws currently protecting the citys inhabitants from the worst excesses of state-sponsored repression, he stated. The Chinese government must abandon plans to pass a national security law for Hong Kong unless it can provide water-tight guarantees that the legislation conforms with human rights in all aspects. Stephen McDonell, China correspondent for the British Broadcasting Corporation, wrote an analysis of the new law in which he labeled it a frighteningly open-ended tool to suppress political agitation. Like similar laws on the Chinese mainland it appears that it can be manipulated to meet the needs of the Communist Party as required to crush almost any action deemed threatening, argued McDonell. The new law comes following several months of large-scale protests on the part of Hong Kong residents in response to efforts by Beijing to increase mainland control over the city. One concern is that it will be used to crack down on those openly supporting the democracy movement in Hong Kong, with at least one group already ceasing operations as a precaution. The U.S.-based Christian persecution watchdog International Christian Concern warned in advance of the passage of the law that it might be used to target pro-democracy clergy, as well. Under such laws, vocal Hong Kong clergy who have been supportive of Hong Kongs democracy movement, such as Cardinal Joseph Zen and Auxiliary Bishop Joseph Ha Chi-shing, could be extradited to mainland China to be tried, since Beijing considers them to be threats to the regime, stated ICC last week. Other hundreds of protestant leaders or Christian organizations who have actively spoken out against the Hong Kong government might face the same fate, since Beijing has said it considers the mass protests that began last June as terrorist acts and any calls for Hong Kongs independence from China as acts of sedition." Elizabeth City, NC (27909) Today Cloudy and damp with rain this morning...then becoming partly cloudy. High 92F. Winds W at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 100%.. Tonight Clear to partly cloudy. Low 77F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph. KATIE SMOLEN Our Town Correspondent Johnstown City Council voted to sell its sewage collection system in a special meeting Tuesday that followed a public hearing at Greater Johnstown High School. The sale to the Greater Johnstown Water Authority, aka GJWA, looks to bring about $24 million in revenue to the city. Part of the proceeds from the sale is being put towards the citys unfunded pension liabilities, to help move the city towards its goal of leaving Act 47 in October 2021. Were very happy, said Mayor Frank Janakovic. This has been a long process in the making, well over two years. Were happy to see it come to a positive conclusion here this evening with council. This was just the action to get that moving. The final purchase, the acquisition wont happen probably for weeks or maybe a month or two. Some of those in attendance were not as happy with the decision as the two parties partaking in the sale. Some residents raised concern as to the benefit of the sale. I dont see the benefit to the citizens and taxpayers of the city of Johnstown, downtown resident Chad McLaren said. Local activist John DeBartola said that he believed the sale was a monopoly of the market and raised concern as to why other municipalities that participate in the system do not have members on the authority. Ill quote my good friend Jack Williams, This sale is bull----, DeBartola said, quoting former councilman Jack Williams. Steve Kocsis of Coopersdale questioned councils spending on staffing and said he was not in favor of the sale. Why dont you people up there work for free if you really care about the city?, he said. You would if you give a damn. All you care about is how to screw the property owners. You people need to start using your heads. If you want to sell something then go ahead, but use it for the police and firemens pensions and nothing else. The purchase still needs to be approved by the GJWA, according to Michael Kerr, the authoritys resident manager. Kerr said that the authority also has to go to the market to sell bonds which he described as two big variables for the sale. If the sale occurs, the water authority is also taking over responsibility for getting the sewage system into compliance with a Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection consent order to reduce flows by Dec. 31, 2022, as well as the $63 million in debt related to the sewer system. Posted Wednesday, July 1, 2020 12:18 pm With COVID-19 cases increasing over the past few weeks, Snohomish County officials are not only hesitant to continue reopening, they're worried about having to take a step back in the process. The deciding factor would be if cases in the county start rapidly climbing, as has happened in other parts of the United States, and hospitals begin to fill up with COVID-19 patients, Snohomish County Executive Dave Somers said during a Tuesday news briefing. If that happens, the county might move back to Phase 1 of the state's four-phase Safe Start reopening plan rather than proceeding to Phase 3, Somers said. "A week or so ago, I would have thought it was a remote possibility," Somers said. "I don't feel that way anymore. I think going back to Phase 1 is clearly one of the options that could be in front of us." For four of the past 10 days, the county has recorded more infections per day than it had in six weeks. In the week of June 23-29, the county recorded 180 cases. It had another 168 in the previous week and 110 the week before that. The "honeymoon" period of late May and early June has passed, said Dr. Chris Spitters, health officer for the Snohomish Health District. "These are, in the current period, unprecedented figures that clearly do signal obviously increased case rates and increased transmission," Spitters said at the Tuesday briefing. The number of people being diagnosed with COVID-19 each day in King and Pierce counties is also rising more quickly, according to the state's most recent situation report. Parsing the trend is more difficult in King County because of an increase of testing. That isn't the case in Snohomish and Pierce counties, where testing volumes haven't changed much. This suggests the uptick is connected to increasing transmission across the Puget Sound area. Between June 2 and 16, Snohomish County had 23.6 infections per 100,000 residents. But for the two-week span ending June 27, it had 39 infections per 100,000. That puts Snohomish County far above the threshold to continue reopening. When Secretary of Health John Wiesman decides whether a county can move to the next phase, he generally wants the county to have had 25 or fewer new infections per 100,000 residents over the past two weeks. (The magic number was originally 10 cases per 100,000, as recommended by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, but was later relaxed to 25.) Another cause for alarm: While some of these new infections are among people who have been in close contact with a COVID-19 patient, many of the newly diagnosed don't know anyone with the disease and don't work in jobs that put them at a higher risk of contracting the virus, Spitters said. "Of course, that is the most concerning, because that signals there are cases out there that we are unaware of," he said. The Snohomish Health District says the county's health care system is still in good shape, which is another important factor for moving into a new phase. For the last period of available data, June 2-20, about 4% of the county's hospital beds were being used by suspected COVID-19 patients, and 64% of beds were occupied overall. The state Department of Health's target for counties to move to the next reopening phase is for less than 10% of beds to be filled by COVID-19 patients and less than 80% of beds to be occupied overall. Spitters said he agreed with Somers that, if the numbers don't bend in the right direction, Snohomish County could be moving backward instead of forward in the reopening process. "We need everyone to try and help us flatten that curve," Spitters said. "If we can't do it and it starts running away like it did in March, we would have no choice." Dalton, GA (30720) Today Mostly cloudy this morning with thunderstorms developing this afternoon. Storms may contain strong gusty winds. High 87F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%.. Tonight Showers and thunderstorms likely. Low 67F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Rainfall may reach one inch. SAUGERTIES, N.Y. After 24 hours of confusion that started with a cease-and-desist order from the state and ended with a clarification of tha The following items are based on information provided by officials in law enforcement and th Diane Pineiro-Zucker has been a reporter at the Daily Freeman since April 2013. Pineiro-Zucker worked as a reporter in the Freemans Rhinebeck bureau in the early 1980s, left to become executive editor at Taconic Newspapers in Dutchess County. In this Thursday, Feb. 25, 2010, file photo, President Barack Obama presents a 2009 National Medal of Arts to Milton Glaser, in the East Room of the White House in Washington. Ashland, KY (41101) Today Partly cloudy early then heavy thunderstorms this afternoon. A few storms may be severe. High 84F. Winds WSW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Rainfall may reach one inch.. Tonight Showers and thundershowers this evening will give way to steady rain overnight. Low 57F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Posted Wednesday, July 1, 2020 10:14 am A Rainier man accused of robbing a man sitting on the curb of a Centralia convenience store at gunpoint made his preliminary appearance in Lewis County Superior Court on Monday. James E. Beck, 31, who was accompanied by an unknown accomplice, was charged with first-degree robbery and second-degree assault. Lewis County Deputy Prosecutor Brad Meagher requested bail be set at $50,000. He doesnt have any history that I know of however the allegations are rather serious so the state is concerned about community safety, Meagher said. Becks attorney for the day, Rachael Tiller, said that her client asked to be released on a personal recognizance bond. Judge James Lawler sided with the state and set bail at $50,000. According to the affidavit of probable cause, on June 25 a Centralia police officer responded to the AM/PM store on Harrison Avenue in Centralia for a report of a robbery. When the officer arrived, he contacted a man who said he was sitting on the curb outside the store when two men pulled up in a truck and went into the store. The alleged victim told the officer that prior to the suspects attempting to enter the store, one of them told the victim he was not sitting in a very safe spot because anything could happen, according to the affidavit. When the two suspects approached the other man sitting on the curb, the taller man of the duo said empty your pockets, the alleged victim told police, and the shorter man, later identified as Beck, pulled out a silver firearm and pointed it at his cheek, according to the affidavit. The alleged victim told police that Beck said, Empty your pockets or get shot in the face, according to the affidavit. A day later, the officer received footage from the incident where the alleged victim was not in the picture, but the two suspects are seen running back to their vehicle. Later in the day, Centralia police were notified that a deputy with the Thurston County Sheriffs Office made contact with the vehicle involved in the alleged robbery, and the driver of the vehicle was identified as Beck, according to the affidavit. Beck agreed to speak with the responding officer where he admitted that he had contacted the alleged victim that night at the AM/PM store. However, he would not identify the taller suspect, only that he was JD, according to the affidavit. Additionally, Beck admitted to hitting the alleged victim on the shoulder and telling him to empty his pockets, but when asked about the firearm, Beck said JD had a gun but not him, according to the affidavit. Lawler scheduled Becks arraignment hearing for July 2. Sunbury, PA (17801) Today Sunshine this morning. Increasing clouds with thunderstorms developing this afternoon. A few storms may be severe. High near 90F. Winds SSW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 60%.. Tonight Scattered thunderstorms this evening followed by occasional showers overnight. Low 63F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%. Posted Wednesday, July 1, 2020 10:03 am A transient man was in Lewis County Superior Court Monday evening for his preliminary appearance after he allegedly attempted to light a building on fire early that morning. Nathaniel I. Witt, 34, was charged with first-degree arson. According to the probable cause statement, on June 29 Chehalis Police officers were dispatched to the 200 block of Southeast Washington Avenue just after midnight for a suspicious person complaint in which a male, later identified as Witt, was reportedly screaming and threatening to burn down a building. While officers were en route, a second report came in stating Witt had poured gasoline on the front porch and had lit it on fire. Once officers had arrived, they were told Witt had left the scene and was believed to be walking toward a nearby business. A resident was able to extinguish the fire, according to the statement. Officers also confirmed gas had been poured on the porch and observed blankets that appeared to have been intended to be a wick which led from the porch to the house, according to the statement. Officers went to the business where they found Witt walking in the parking lot. I exited my vehicle and called out Nathan to which the male said that it was not his name and his name was something similar to Devil Child, an officer wrote in the statement. Police confronted Witt, who was wielding a fixed blade knife in his right hand and a pry bar in his left, according to the statement, and asked him to stop. Witt reportedly replied no and asked the officer, who did have his firearm out, to shoot him, according to the statement. The officer was able to talk with Witt and get him to drop the knife and pry bar, at which point he was taken into custody. In court on Monday, Deputy Prosecutor Brad Meagher requested that bail be set at $100,000, citing an extreme threat to community safety and a criminal history that includes a third-degree assault conviction in 2018 and a few other felony convictions that were over a decade old. Witts attorney for the day, Rachael Tiller, asked on behalf of her client that he not be released, rather he be transported to a mental health facility. Mr. Witt gave me permission to inform the court that he does hear voices, it sounds like they are getting worse, and he also needs help with his medication, Tiller said. Superior Court Judge James Lawler set bail at $100,000 but asked Tiller to notify Witts court-appointed attorney about his request for transportation to a mental health facility so that an order could be worked on to fulfil his need of services. Lawler scheduled Witts arraignment hearing for July 2. A devastated retired nurse has opened up about how she was scammed out of almost $100,000 after falling for a man she met on a dating website. Single mother-of-three Marjan de Wilt, from Adelaide in South Australia, struck up an online relationship earlier this year with a 'charismatic' businessman she knew as 'Kyle'. Appearing on Channel 10's The Project, the 69-year-old revealed how she lost her life savings after she unwittingly became involved in a cruel romance scam. Scroll down for video Single mother-of-three Marjan de Wilt (pictured) has opened up about the moment she was swindled out of nearly $100,000 after falling for a man she met on a dating website When the devastated 69-year-old mother (pictured with her three sons) realised she had become the victim of an online romance scam, she told her son Marcel (far left) 'There is no doubt it was a game being played very well and I was drawn in beautifully to the seduction,' she told the show. 'There are challenges for people of my age to get to know others who might be single so I thought I'd try the online dating.' Shortly after setting up her dating profile, Marjan met 'Kyle', a 'successful' businessman who claimed he was also from Adelaide but had been spending years travelling the world for work. 'I liked his photo, he was charismatic, and I believed that the generous person that was depicted would be the perfect partner,' she said. 'Everything was very seductive, an ideal picture he had painted for me.' She said he convinced her he was ready to return to Australia to be with her. Marjan shared romantic messages from Kyle, who convinced her he wanted to be with her As their romance blossomed online, he spent weeks building her trust by sending gifts to her home such as roses, a teddy bear and even bath towels with her name embroidered on them During their message exchange, Marjan said he made her believe he was coming home to see her by sharing his flight tickets, which she eventually learned were fake. But as their romance blossomed online, 'Kyle' spent weeks building her trust by sending gifts to her home such as roses, a teddy bear and even bath towels with her name embroidered on them. However, it wasn't long until he started asking her for money - all while convincing her to keep their relationship under wraps. 'I do not want your family to know this,' Kyle said in one of the messages to Marjan. He started making up excuses about why he needed more money, including how he was detained so he needed the cash for his passport, as well as convincing her he would invest her money so they'd be 'set up for life'. The single mother struck up an online relationship earlier this year with whom she thought was a 'charismatic' businessman she knew as 'Kyle' After more than two months, she had already sent him $78,000 from her bank accounts and superannuation, along with $20,000 from her credit card. 'I didn't want to tell anybody. I could not believe that I had found myself so destitute,' she said. 'It's easier for people to say "this person looks too good to be true". I realise now that I was being slowly brainwashed by professional criminals.' When the devastated mother realised she had become the victim of an online romance scam, she told her son Marcel Blanch-de Wilt. Marcel said he was was 'gobsmacked' when he looked through his mother's bank statements to find she had been scammed out of nearly $100,000. The mother and son have tried to report the matter to the police but there was nothing they could do because the fraudulent scam occurred overseas. Marjan previously told Channel Nine's A Current Affair that Kyle had 'projected' a profile of a 'lonely person' whose wife died five years ago. 'I felt he was a completely honest person... I guess I was naively romantic,' she said. 'When one hears of someone in a very difficult circumstance, it's very hard to say no.' Marjan previously told Channel Nine's A Current Affair how Kyle had 'projected' a profile of a 'lonely person' whose wife died five years ago Knowing his mother will never see the money again, Marcel has set up a GoFundMe page in a bid to help get her back on her feet. 'My mum is the victim of an online scam that has taken everything. She is a retired nurse. She is single and lives by herself. She has raised us, three boys, all by herself. She has lost all her savings,' Marcel said. 'Over two months she was scammed by criminals overseas, so there is no chance of the money being returned. The criminals were experts and targeted my mother's good nature and generosity. 'She believed her money was being invested and would help provide for her family. She has committed her life to putting others first and it was taken advantage of. 'My mum has a heart of gold as you can imagine, she has been left shattered, heart-broken, and embarrassed by these cold-blooded thieves. 'We don't want the criminals to win. We don't want our mother to lose hope in the world. Please donate whatever you can.' Shopping according to season and eating vegetarian meals just one day a week will save big money on your grocery bill, an Aldi shopping expert has claimed. Nicole Higgins shared tips in a blog post for Aldi Unpacked advising Australians of five simple ways to save money at the checkout as the country enters a new financial year. She said following 'Meat Free Mondays' - a campaign aimed at slowing climate change by reducing consumption of meat - is as good for your back pocket as it is for the environment. Ms Higgins recommended creating a monthly budget and only buying fruit and vegetables in season, which are typically cheaper and better quality than out-of-season produce. The 2019 Food Waste Report from Rabobank found the average annual food spend per Australian household grew to $7,982 last year, a two percent increase on the 2018 figure. That's the equivalent of roughly $152 a week. And with Australia officially in recession for the first time in 29 years, it's more important than ever to take charge of your finances - starting with the weekly shop. Scroll down for video A woman drafts a budget, one of the simplest ways to take charge of your regular expenditure according to Aldi shopping expert Nicole Higgins (stock image) 1. Create a monthly budget Having a exact figure for how much your food shop will be every time you go to the supermarket is the easiest way to stay on track, Ms Higgins said. She advised drafting up a monthly budget to determine what you must cut back on and where you can afford to splurge. 'Hold your bank account to account,' she said. More than 3.5million Australians have already cut spending or reduced home loans to survive the impact of the coronavirus outbreak, a special report from the Australian Bureau of Statistics revealed on Tuesday. Interestingly, Ms Higgins urged shoppers to 'resist the temptation' of reductions on groceries. She said they make you more likely to disregard budgets and shopping lists and throw items in the trolley you don't really need. 2. Shop seasonally Ms Higgins said buying fresh produce according to what's in season is not only cheaper, it also adds variety. Stacey Randall, 32, and her eight-year-old daughter Skyelaih from the Barossa Valley, one hour north of Adelaide in South Australia 'Each month there will be new fruits and vegetables in season so your taste buds will never get bored,' she said. She told shoppers to watch for Aldi 'super savers', which are discounts on meat, fruit and vegetables that change each week. Adelaide mother Stacey Randall, 32, who worked as a chef for eight years, previously told Daily Mail Australia that shopping for fruit and veggies at her local farmer's market is almost 50 percent cheaper than buying the same items in the supermarket. Ms Randall said she regularly bags deals like three punnets of strawberries for $5 that's compared to $3.90 per punnet at Coles. 'Shop around and see what deals you can find. I find getting fruit and veg from markets and smaller shops gets you the best bargains,' she said. How to buy seasonally and save money on fresh food this winter Buying fruit and vegetables in season usually means they'll be cheaper and better quality than out-of-season produce you just need to know when to buy them. Use this guide to shop smart and save money on fresh produce this winter and spring. MAY Fruit: Apples, banana, grapefruit, grapes and kiwi Vegetables: Broccoli, carrot, cauliflower, mushrooms, potato and pumpkin JUNE Fruit: Banana, grapefruit, kiwi and mandarin Vegetables: Broccoli, carrot, cauliflower, potato and pumpkin JULY Fruit: Banana, grapefruit, lemon, mandarin and orange Vegetables: Broccoli, Brussels sprout, cauliflower, mushrooms and potato AUGUST Fruit: Banana, grapefruit, lemon, mandarin and orange Vegetables: Broccoli, cauliflower, mushrooms and silverbeet SEPTEMBER Fruit: Banana, grapefruit, lemon and orange Vegetables: Artichoke, beetroot, broccoli, cauliflower, mushrooms and spinach OCTOBER Fruit: Banana, grapefruit and lemon Vegetables: Artichoke, asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower, leek, mushrooms and spinach Source: Healthy Kids New South Wales A fresh produce haul from a South Australian farmers' market, which cost $43 for everything pictured Advertisement 3. Adopt 'Meat-Free Mondays' There's plenty of proteins that offer the same nourishment as meat, without the hefty price tag, Ms Higgins said. Beans, lentils and eggs are all affordable additions to the weekly shopping list that won't throw your budget out of whack. 'No matter your moral or sustainable views cutting meat once a week will mean you are trimming your grocery bill, improving your health and reducing your environmental impact,' she said. 4. Meal prep on Sundays While it's well-worn advice that meal prepping is cheaper, faster and healthier than making dishes separately, Ms Higgins said spending a few hours every Sunday preparing food for the week ahead will free up funds for the finer things in life. She recommends freezing single portions for on-the-go breakfasts and quick lunches to discourage buying expensive takeaway fare. Buying in bulk will also cut your supermarket spend, Ms Higgins says, especially on cuts of meat and pricey essentials like toilet paper and laundry detergent. 'A whole chicken is usually around $5.99, and when you compare that to the price of pre-cut chicken you are looking at a substantial saving,' she said. Part of Adelaide mother Stacey Randall's monthly food prep, which she makes for her truck driver partner to discourage him from splurging on roadhouse takeaways - at a remarkable cost of just $110 Sydney blogger Steph Pases's militarily organised pantry (left) and fridge (right), with food separated in labelled containers so she can see where everything is 5. Store items clearly Sydney parenting blogger Steph Pase, known for her immaculately organised home Arranging groceries so they are easily visible in the fridge and pantry reduces the risk of doubling up and spending needlessly on products, Ms Higgins said. She advised investing in glass containers and shelving units so food can be seen from every angle. Sydney parenting blogger Steph Pase, 29, who is known for her immaculately organised home, strategically arranges her fridge to eliminate waste, stacking half-eaten snacks and anything nearing its expiry date at the front to ensure they're used, not thrown in the bin. She keeps things in regimented order with $8 trays and $5 bottle holders from Kmart, proving an organised kitchen doesn't need to cost much. With dine-in cafes, chandeliers, gourmet meals and a fancy bar with beer on tap, these 7-Eleven stores could easily be mistaken for a hip restaurant. The very modern convenience stores in Taiwan stand out from the rest of the world as it offers customers more than just a coffee and sandwich. Once they step through the doors, diners are greeted with row upon row of grocery essentials, beauty and skincare items, household supplies, books, and stationery. With stunning chandeliers hanging from the ceiling of the dining area, customers can heat up their homestyle meals in the in-store microwave and enjoy it in the seating area with family and friends. Thousands of Australians are blown away by the spectacular 7-Eleven stores in Taiwan, featuring dine-in cafes with in-house baristas and beer on tap Customers can pick cakes, doughnuts, tarts or sweet pastries from cabinets in a self-service From the outside, the 7-Eleven in Taiwan looks very different to any other stores in the world The stores have been dubbed the ultimate 'food heaven', offering its customers restaurant-inspired meals that won't break the budget. There's also a self-serve section for customers to plate up their own hot savoury meals or pick cakes, doughnuts, tarts or sweet pastries from the glass cabinets. Besides the dining experience, shoppers can get whatever they need at the one-stop-shop, as well as use the in-store kiosks with touchscreen to pay for utility bills, parking tickets, cellphone services and SIM cards or donate to charity. There's a fancy bar in the corner of one of the convenience stores, serving beer on tap Once they step through the doors, diners are greeted with row upon row of grocery essentials, beauty and skincare items, household supplies, books and even clothing With stunning chandeliers hanging from the ceiling of the dining area, the convenience store can easily be mistaken for a hip restaurant For a dine-in experience, customers can simply heat up their meals in the in-store microwave and enjoy it in the seating area just like a cafeteria Customers can order delicious cakes, doughnuts, tarts or sweet pastries from glass cabinets For beauty buffs, there's a section dedicated to a huge range of makeup and skincare items Besides the dining experience, customers can also buy books and stationery products Travellers from all walks of life have visited one of the many 7-Eleven stores in Taiwan, as they insist it's nothing like they have ever seen before. Spectacular pictures of the Taiwanese convenience stores have emerged on social media in recent days, with many Australians saying they have been blown away as they called on 7-Eleven to 'pick up your game'. 'Australia needs to level up it's 7/11 game,' one said, while another added: 'Why is Sydney so behind?' Many described the stores as 'boujee', while others were stunned by the spectacular interior, with one saying: 'Everything American is better around the world.' Ben Fogle has admitted he's 'heartbroken' over the death of a woman who appeared on his New Lives in the Wild series after moving to a remote part of Canada to help her husband overcome PTSD. Julius Strauss, from London, settled in British Columbia in 2005 with his partner Kristin Srauss, where they set up The Wild Bear Lodge, a bear watching business. The former journalist, who reported for a national broadsheet on the world major conflicts of the 1990s and early 2000s, from the war in Afghanistan to the civil war of Kosovo, had credited the lodge with helping him recover from PTSD. In 2016, the couple had welcomed TV adventurer Ben to their home, and told him about their fight to stop bear hunting in the Canadian wilderness. But after last night's episode, Ben announced that Kristin had sadly passed away aged 43 in February, after being diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer. Heartbroken fans found that Julius was now moving on from his bear watching venture in the Selkirk Mountains of British Columbia and selling his business after Kristin's passing. Fans of Ben Fogle: New Lives in the Wild were saddened to hear that former war correspondent Julius Strauss, from London, was selling his bear watching business in British Columbia after the death of his partner Kristin, who passed away from cancer in February The news was a sad blow after the episode found the couple happy and thriving, looking forward to expanding their business, following their campaign to protect the wildlife in their region. A tearful Ben made the announcement at the end of last night's show, praising Kristin's legacy. 'Over the years, the wild folk around the world that have let me into their lives have become an integral part of mine. Friends for ever,' the presenter said. Kristin and Julius had successfully campaigned for a grizzly bear ban in British Columbia, which was put in place in 2017, and were looking to the future 'Six months after visiting Julius and Kristin, the unthinkable happened. 'Kristin was diagnosed with terminal cancer and just a few weeks later, she lost her life. I'm devastated,' he added. 'But she leaves an extraordinary legacy, she was part of that grizzly bear hunting ban. 'Sending you so much love, Julius. Hold those you love close to you tonight. Goodnight.' During the show the adventurer had praised the 'truly extraordinary couple's' campaign for a ban on grizzly bear hunting, which had come into fruition in 2017. 'You're so inspiring, you've motivated me to carry on with some of my campaigns as well,' he had told them as they parted ways. Following up with the couple three years after his initial 2016 visit and two years after the ban had been implemented, Ben had found Julius and Kristin as happy as ever and looking to the future. Unfortunately, heartbroken Julius's plans were put to a halt after Kristin's death, and the former war reporter is now selling his wildlife lodge. During his first visit, Ben had helped Julius and Kristin with the maintenance of the lodge, and learned about their fight to protect wildlife in the region 'After the tragic loss of Kristin in February, Julius is now looking to move on,' the Wild Bear Lodge's website now reads. 'Wild Bear Lodge will be available for a private sale. If you are interested in creating your own wilderness dream, please send us a note. 'Julius expects to continue running the lodge until new owners are up and running, and will be available for an extensive handover,' it added. The news of Kristin's death came as a shock to viewers, who had been touched by the couple's incredible story. 'Feeling so inspired, yet completely heartbroken, sounds cliched, but things like this really puts life in perspective,' one wrote. ulius, pictured during his days as a war correspondent with Russian soldiers in Chechnya, suffered from PTSD due to the harrowing scenes he witnessed 'So sorry to hear about Julius in your programme tonight. A truly inspiring couple and she deserved to live a full life, so sad,' one said. 'Yes I cried as well. Wasn't expecting it,' said another. 'It was just heartbreaking. Completely floored my wife and I,' one wrote. 'Just finished watching New Lives in the Wild and cheered when Julius told Ben Fogle there was now a ban on hunting grizzly bears in British Columbia. To then hear Kristin passed away not long after filming broke my heart. What an amazing legacy she left,' another said. Julius previously told Ben about his battle with PTSD, saying: 'Ten years of war really chews away at your head. Some of my friends were killed, others had drink and drug problems. Revisiting the couple three years after the initial show, Ben had found Kristin and Julius happy and looking to the future 'I thought I was OK then one day in Sierra Leone in 2000, I got hit by a horrible dread and sense I was going to die and my balance went. I know now it was what we would call PTSD.' Julius said he carried on working despite his deteriorating mental health but then one particularly harrowing story he covered caused him to snap. 'I went to Iraq and Afghanistan trying to manage the PTSD, then in 2004 I covered a horrible incident in Southern Russia where more than 100 children were killed. 'I was there and I thought this has to be a changing point in my life, I can't do this anymore,' he said. Viewers were devastated to hear about Kristin's death and sent their support to Julius after the announcement By this time, he had met and fallen in love with Estonian Kristin, who had been married to a diplomat and was the bureau chief for Reuters News Agency. The pair decided to give up their high-flying careers to travel across Canada in a camper van. After coming to British Columbia in 2005 and setting the bear lodge, the couple had quickly discovered the devastating impact of bear hunting on the grizzly bear population in the region. The couple had to work hard to establish their own business so they could afford to pay the mortgage on their dream home and do up the property where they would live. Julius trained to be a bear guide and Kristin became a chef so they could offer a unique wilderness experience to tourists who stayed on their ranch. Heinz has launched a set of DIY kits for making ice cream with its famous condiments, including ketchup and mayonnaise, with fans branding the move 'sacrilege'. The six Heinz Creamz kits also come in smokey BBQ flavour, best topped with a sprinkling of bacon bits, and Salad Cream, paired with strawberries and Saucy Sauce - a blend of of mayonnaise and ketchup. Each 15 ice cream kit includes your chosen sauce, the recipe, a keystone-engraved golden scoop with a spoon and a Heinz Creamz tub to serve up the bizarre summer treat. However the condiment-inspired treats, to celebrate National Ice Cream Month, have divided opinion with Heinz fans revealing how the creations have gone 'too far'. Heinz Creamz in Ketchup flavour topped with meringue (left). BBQ flavour ice cream best served with bacon bits (right) Each 15 ice cream kit includes the chosen sauce, recipe, a keystone-engraved golden scoop with a spoon and a Heinz Creamz tub to serve up the bizarre summer treat How to create Heinz Ketchup ice cream at home Serves 4 Prep Time: 15 minutes Cooling Time: 15 minutes INGREDIENTS 200g Double cream 170g Condensed milk 70g Whole milk A 70g Squeeze of Heinz Tomato Ketchup EQUIPMENT Whisk or mixer Freezer-safe bowl METHOD 1. Chill all of the ingredients in the fridge for at least an hour before starting. 2. Add all of the ingredients to your mixer and combine them using the whisk attachment on the slowest setting. Alternatively, follow the same principles using a mixing bowl and an electric handheld whisk, or whisk by hand. 3. Once all of the ingredients are combined, gradually increase the speed until you reach the fastest setting, whisk the ingredients as hard as you can! 4. Continue mixing until the mixture begins to form soft peaks (so when you turn your whisk upside down, the peaks are just starting to hold). 5. Gently pour the mixture into your Heinz Creamz tub or a freezer safe container. Leave to set in the freezer for a minimum of 3 hours. Suggested topping: The ideal dessert for a hot summers day when crowned with a crumble of meringue and drizzled with raspberry coulis. Advertisement Commenting on a post by the Facebook group, Extreme Couponing and Bargains UK, many were torn over the idea of pairing their favourite sauce with ice cream. Hannah Gray posted: 'I mean I love ice cream but that's going too far!' Sam Ayres, from Arlesey, branded the range 'sacrilege' while Teresa Davies asked: 'Is it April Fool's Day?!' However some were more eager to try the flavours with one woman tagging her friend, who she described as a 'weird salad cream addict'. Salad Cream flavour topped with strawberries (left). Heinz experts likened the Saucy Sauce to a Pad Thai when topped with peanuts, sweet chilli sauce and lime Stephanie Feechan wrote: 'Omg you can have salad cream ice cream,' alongside a laughing and sick face emoji. Her friend Leah Harris replied: 'Omg I would actually try it too.' On Twitter, one user was divided over her love for ice cream and the 'odd flavours'. She wrote: 'Not sure how I feel about Heinz Ice Cream. I mean I love ice cream, but I'm more of a mint choc chip or raspberry ripple kinda gal #icecream #weird #odd #oddflavours.' Another Twitter user posted a picture of the Creamz tubs captioned: 'Me: You know, self-isolating is hard, but it's for the best, I'm just trying to stay productive and not do anything crazy while I'm stuck inside. Heinz:' Heinz described the Ketchup flavour as having the 'unmistakable taste' of the sauce laced with 'tomatoey goodness'. Mayo Creamz topped with blackberry compote and layer of crumble (left). A Ketchup sorbet suitable for vegans (right) On Twitter, one user was divided over her love for ice cream and the 'odd flavours' and described herself as a 'raspberry ripple kinda gal' The alternative summer dessert is best served with a 'sprinkling of meringue and swirl of raspberry coulis'. And vegan fans can rejoice after a dairy-free Ketchup sorbet has been developed, which can be enjoyed with a 'sprig of basil and a drizzle of basil pesto'. The Saucy Sauce also boasts a set of unconventional serving suggestions with Heinz flavour experts likening it to a Pad Thai when topped with peanuts, sweet chilli sauce and lime. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle would 'hatch big projects over dinner and expect them to be actioned within days' while they were working royals - but have 'learned from the mistakes of the past', sources have claimed. The Duke, 35, and Duchess of Sussex, 38, are currently living in LA at Tyler Perry's $18 million mansion with their son Archie, 13 months, having stepped back from life in The Firm in March. Insiders have claimed the couple have learnt from their time in the royal family, telling Vanity Fair's Katie Nicholl: 'The problem is she and Harry have a tendency to hatch big projects over dinner and expect them to be actioned within days. 'Meghan had brilliant ideas, but she was always in a hurry and aides had to sit down and explain that foundations and big projects take thought, time and commitment, they cannot be rushed.' Prince Harry, 35, and Meghan Markle, 38, have 'learned from the mistakes of the past' when building their new foundation Archewell, sources told Vanity Fair's Katie Nicholl The source, who claims to have worked with the Sussexes, said that people may say what they want about the Duchess, but she 'works incredibly hard.' Meanwhile another source revealed that while the Duchess' work ethic was commended by some courtiers, others quickly grew concerned she was taking on too much during her time in the royal family. But the insiders revealed how the couple have 'learned from the mistakes of the past' and are now determined to 'get the next stage right' as they look forward to the launch of their new charitable foundation Archewell. According to sources, the couple are building a 'long term plan' to become global philanthropists and high-profile public speakers. Insiders have revealed how the Duke and Duchess of Sussex would 'hatch big projects over dinner' and 'expect them to be actioned within days' One said 'everything they're doing' is part of Archewell, including their efforts to support patronages amid Covid-19, volunteer work and support for the Black Lives Matter movement. Another source said the couple are in 'no hurry' to launch the foundation because 'it's something they want to do for the rest of their lives.' The comments come as an explosive new book claimed Meghan has 'very high standards' and her 'Hollywood gung-ho attitude' put her at odds with royal aides. The Duchess is thought to have alienated herself from the staff tasked with easing her transition into royalty. Her 'West Coast energy' - which included 5am starts and 'text message bombardments' - drove staff to distraction, investigative journalists Dylan Howard and Andy Tillett claim in their upcoming book Royals At War. One insider told the authors: 'Meghan can be difficult. She has very high standards and is used to working in a Hollywood environment. However, there is a different degree of respect in the royal household.' The former American actress apparently failed to adapt to traditional royal protocol within the royal family, and has now 'burned too many bridges'. Meghan reportedly also raced to support charities without considering the details of her patronage, according to the book, with the author being told: 'It was all too rushed, without proper research.' The Duchess of Sussex (pictured recently), who is currently living in LA with Prince Harry, and their son Archie, one, is thought to have alienated herself from the staff tasked with easing her transition into royalty Meghan's exacting standards resulted in a 'remarkable' staff turnover, according to the book, with five aides having quit or relocated following the mother-of-one's wedding to Prince Harry in May 2018. One senior female protection officer allegedly left after becoming exasperated because Meghan 'ignored advice about venturing into risky crowd situations'. Her 'particular brand of up and at 'em West Coast energy' drove staff to distraction, investigative journalists Dylan Howard and Andy Tillett claim in their new book Royals At War (pictured) But insiders revealed to Howard and Tillett that Meghan found the constraints of royalty frustrating - especially the expectation that she would remain diplomatically impartial and not voice opinions. In September Prince Harry and Meghan Markle broke free of palace aides, and hired PR firm Sunshine Sachs, whose clients include include Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lopez. Howard said of the move: 'Insiders told me that by that point, Meghan had burned too many bridges. 'The Palace is run by a hierarchy of advisors, aides and equerries who hold the real power. Once Meghan cut herself free of those strings, there was no way back.' Shawn Sachs and Keleigh Thomas Morgan, who represented the Duchess when she was an actress on Suits, guided her through high-profile matters - including her guest edit of British Vogue. Sunshine Sachs is considered one of the US's top crisis management firms, and was named the top PR company by the New York Observer in 2014. Founded in 1991, it has a workforce of about 185 people and counts high-profile corporations such as Microsoft and eBay among its clientele. A woman who gave birth to triplets in lockdown has revealed her she broke down in tears when her doctor told her she was expecting three babies, but now says her daughters are a 'blessing'. Cherise and her husband Dave, who are both from South Africa but live in Walton-On-Thames in Surrey, told Lorraine Kelly they've been through a 'rollercoaster of emotions' having babies in lockdown. They welcomed Harley, Chloe and Lacey on April 21, making them a family of seven with their two older sons, Sloane and Troy. Speaking on Good Morning Britain today Cherise said they have no history of twins or triplets in the family, and they were often teased by people who said they might be expecting more than one child. 'They're so calm and serene. You wanted girls and got your wish times three,' Lorraine said. Cherise and Dave welcomed triplets Harley, Chloe and Lacey on April 21, making them a family of seven as they already had two older sons, Sloane and Troy. 'It was a rollercoaster of emotions,' Cherise told Lorraine. 'I'll be honest I burst into tears when she said there were three. I immediately thought of my boys and wondered how I was going to spend time with them. 'But very quickly, Dave and I came to terms with it, the same day we told our family and we've been super excited about it. The couple said they had a rota for feeding and changing, but the sisters have mostly taken it in turns to be fed and cry. The couple, pictured with their daughter, said they had a rota for feeding and changing, but the sisters have mostly taken it in turns to be fed and cry. The triplets are pictured at home after spending a few weeks in hospital, as they were so small Dad Dave added that he thought he wouldn't be allowed in the delivery room, until the last minute. 'Up until delivery date I it was a no-go. But the day before, I go the go ahead and was able to see my babies. Dave, who works from home, added that he's lucky his colleagues have been flexible with him while working from home, allowing him to get involved with caring for the triplets. 'The gorgeous, positive side of lockdown is I'm at home and can help out. I can't say enough for my boys because they've stepped up and done the job for me too. We've got so close over the last few months,' he added. 'I'm very fortunate right now, I'm juggling a new start-up but blessed that I have great colleagues and a wonderful family. Smiling, Lorraine commented: 'We can see how much they love their baby sisters. Speaking on Good Morning Britain today Cherise said they have no history of twins or triplets in the family, and they were often teased by people who said they might be expecting more than one child. Cherise is pictured feeding her daughter in hospital after giving birth to the triplets Lorraine also asked the couple how they've managed being apart from family, because Cherise's mother lives in South Africa so hasn't been able to meet her grandchildren yet. 'Everyone wants to come around and have a cuddle, I really miss my mum' Cherise said. 'She still works so agreed to come over for two months but obviously everything is shut so she can't , magnificently, she's coming over in December'. Well deserved nap! Cherise is pictured taking a nap with her daughter after giving birth to triplets Sons Sloane and Troy said it was the 'best surprise ever' to get three little sister come home Because the triplets were so small, they needed to stay in hospital after birth. Cherise stayed with them for a week, and then took daily trips to visit them in the NICU. In a video diary after the triplets came home, Cherise revealed taking them for a walk was the first time she'd been outside the house, other than for hospital visits, in 11 weeks. Her sons added that the three little sisters were 'the best surprise ever' and they love to help out with them. A retired senior Metropolitan Police officer has spoken out about her experience of racism within the force throughout her 30-year career. Shabnam Chaudhri, 55, of Essex, told how colleagues would call her the 'Bounty' and claims she was 'held back' from progressing up the ladder after making an official complaint about her treatment. Instead of feeling supported, she said she felt subsequently victimised and was labelled a 'troublemaker' who 'plays the race card', which made her feel 'scared' about going to work. Following an anonymous internal complaint, Shabnam was investigated - and later cleared - of misconduct - the toll of which led to a diagnosis of PTSD and tinnitus. Shabnam Chaudhri, 55, of Essex, has spoken out about her experience of racism within the force throughout her 30-year career Speaking to the BBC, Shabnam said she used to call her sister 'crying down the phone' on her commute to work because she was so scared she would lose her job. 'It warranted me to leave after just over 30 years,' she said. 'I'd love to have stayed for 35 years, but if I stayed I'd have been watching my back. 'I'd be scared every time I got a phone call, thinking, "Are they watching me? Have I done some something wrong?"' Shabnam told how it took four applications before she was accepted to join the police in 1989. Her first three rejections were allegedly due to her being too skinny, too young and lacking 'life experience'. Growing up in East London she had already experienced discrimination first-hand; she recalled having their windows smashed and racist flyers put through their letterbox. Shabnam (pictured early in her career) told how it took four applications before she was accepted to join the police in 1989. Her first three rejections were allegedly due to her being too skinny, too young and lacking 'life experience' Shabnam shared this letter dated May 26, 1983 in April last year, tweeting: 'The first of many applications to join the police. After six years, several rejections, 1989 I was in! 30 years later I'm still proud to be serving. Can't think of many who get told to put on a stone to get their dream job!' She told how her mother was once the victim of a racially motivated assault on the way home from the mosque, and afterwards she bought her daughter trainers so she could run away from attackers. Shabnam said it taught her to stand up to racism and instilled a desire in her to 'make a difference'. She finally landed a placement as an officer on the beat in Bethnal Green, but claims she was subjected to prejudice by her own colleagues. 'They used to call me the "Bounty",' she told the BBC. 'On one occasion an officer grabbed hold of me, put a weapon to my head and said, "Everybody stop or the Paki gets it." 'I just wanted to get on with the job, so I accepted it as part and parcel of being an officer.' Shabnam finally landed a placement as an officer on the beat in Bethnal Green, but claims she was subjected to prejudice by her own colleagues. Pictured early in her career After progressing to the rank of detective sergeant, Shabnam made an official complaint of racism in 1999, claiming it held her back in her career. It was the same year at the Macpherson Report, which investigated the death of black teenager Stephen Lawrence and branded the Metropolitan Police 'institutionally racist'. After a racism awareness training session - a recommendation of the report - Shabnam put in a complaint after an officer called Muslim headwear 'tea cosies' and mispronounced 'Shi'ites' to make an offensive joke. But instead of feeling supported, Shabnam said she was victimised to the point where the job she loved suddenly became a place she was 'scared to work' - with items going missing from her desk and her team blanking her. Feeling her position had become untenable, she moved boroughs, but claims she'd developed a reputation as a 'troublemaker' which had a negative impact on her relationship with her new team. Speaking to the BBC, Shabnam said she used to call her sister 'crying down the phone' on her commute to work because she was so scared she would lose her job A long legal battle ensued, which saw Scotland Yard forced to pay damages to officers Shabnam accused in 2005 after an Employment Tribunal ruled the force had treated those officers unfairly - a decision criticised by Met commissioner Sir Ian Blair. The problem of officers facing backlash when they raise racial grievances was not new; in 2005 a report from the Commission for Racial Equality found there was a 'general feeling' from a number of the correspondents involved that 'grievance procedures were operating to their disadvantage'. Sir David Calvert-Smith, who led the team behind the report, said lessons have still not been learned. Shabnam added that there wasn't a full cultural transformation of the Met, though the force did try to address inequalities for black and minority officers and 'introduced good processes'. In 2015, Shabnam landed the role of a staff officer at the Inspectorate of Constabulary - the policing watchdog known as HMIC, after doing a training course designed to help BAME officers further their careers. Shabnam said there wasn't a full cultural transformation of the Met, though the force did try to address inequalities for black and minority officers and 'introduced good processes' But, after she'd held a leaving do and was ready to hit the ground running, her job offer was withdrawn due to a problem during the vetting process - because Shabnam declared she knew someone whose family may have been involved in crime. Despite her association eventually being deemed low risk by the Met's Professional Standards Departments (PSD), with Shabnam having made the decision not to have any further contact with the individual in question, she said it demonstrated an 'unconscious bias' within PSD. 'I think I wasn't believed at face value because of a stereotype that BAME officers associate with criminals,' she told the BBC. When Shabnam later applied for an acting superintendent role, an anonymous caller reported her for not entering her work hours properly, sparking another investigation which left her 'devastated'. After making an official complaint, Shabnam said she was victimised to the point where the job she loved suddenly became a place she was 'scared to work' - with items going missing from her desk and her team blanking her. Pictured outside Scotland Yard Despite everything, Shabnam said she 'loved' being an officer and 'wouldn't change any of what I did' It was during this seven month investigation for gross misconduct that she received the Outstanding Contribution prize at the No2H8 Crime Awards for her work in tackling hate crime, which helped her feel 'vindicated'. She was cleared and given the job, but it was her final hurrah in the force and she retired in December last year. Shabnam said she hopes the recent killing of George Floyd at the hands of a white police officer in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and the Black Lives Matter movement will help bring about change. Despite everything, Shabnam said she 'loved' being an officer and 'wouldn't change any of what I did'. The Metropolitan Police told the BBC there is 'no place for discrimination or victimisation' in the force and said improvements have been made to its grievance procedures, with a dedicated Discrimination Investigation Unit now in place. Scotland Yard told the publication it has amended its employment and vetting process to make it 'smoother' and all officers now have training in unconscious bias, diversity and inclusion. Customers shop at a duty-free shop in Haikou, capital of south China's Hainan Province, June 29, 2020. Hainan province will ease the limitations on duty-free shopping with the quota to be raised from 30,000 yuan (about 4,230 U.S. dollars) to 100,000 yuan per person per year, and provide more categories of duty-free commodities. The policy will come into effect on July 1. (Xinhua/Guo Cheng) BEIJING, June 29 (Xinhua) -- China's Hainan Province will increase its annual tax-free shopping quota for travelers, according to the Ministry of Finance (MOF) Monday. With effect from Wednesday, the quota will be raised to 100,000 yuan (about 14,123 U.S. dollars) per person each year from the current 30,000 yuan, the MOF and China's customs and taxation authorities said in a joint statement. The categories of duty-free goods will also be expanded, said the statement, while some electronic products will be added to the duty-free list. The current tax-free limit of 8,000 yuan for a single product will be lifted, and the number of categories with a single-purchase quantity limit will be significantly reduced, according to the statement. The duty-free shopping policy was implemented in April 2011 and has been improved since then, with the sales of offshore duty-free shopping hitting 53.8 billion yuan and the number of buyers reaching 16.31 million by the end of 2019. The policy adjustment will greatly improve consumers' shopping experience, release policy dividends and enhance confidence in the development of the Hainan Free Trade Port, said an offical with the MOF. Enditem 2 1 [ Editor: SRQ ] Posted Tuesday, June 30, 2020 4:45 pm Demonstrators in Pasco on Tuesday heckled Gov. Jay Inslee during an outdoor news conference, forcing the governor to move to an indoor space as he tried to speak on Washingtons response to the coronavirus pandemic. Inslees visit to Columbia Basin College comes as Central Washington has become a hot spot for COVID-19. As of Sunday night, Franklin County where Pasco is located had reported 1,610 confirmed cases of the virus, according to the state Department of Health. Nearby Yakima County trails only King County in overall COVID-19 cases in the state, even as it has only a fraction of the population. Benton County has also seen an increase in cases. At Tuesdays news conference, demonstrators loudly peppered Inslee who last week announced a statewide requirement to wear masks in public with questions and remarks as he spoke at a lectern set up outside a college building. TV coverage of the scene showed perhaps a few dozen protesters. But only a handful of them were shouting at the governor, according to Inslee spokesman Mike Faulk. The few individuals shouting expletives and conspiracies at both the governor and the media were asked repeatedly to be respectful of everyones time, he wrote in an email. But, They chose to continue shouting expletives and conspiracies. One woman shouted, Youre taking away our freedoms, as Inslee discussed how wearing masks would help prevent the spread of the virus and make it safer for businesses to reopen. After repeated shouted remarks, the governor moved the news conference indoors to finish his remarks and take questions from reporters there. When we hold a media event in a public space, anyone is welcome to listen, Faulk wrote in an email after the news conference ended. Unfortunately, several individuals chose to drown out the news conference for the media and the rest of the public in attendance, which included non-disruptive protesters who may disagree with the governor but still wanted to hear him speak. Inslees order on masks like other pieces of the governors emergency orders to tamp down on the virus has been met with derision by some. Last week, the Lewis County sheriff advised residents to dont be a sheep when it came to following the mask requirement. He later issued a statement softening his views on mask wearing. Glamorous mothers from around the world are proving that becoming a parent does not mean your best-dressed days are behind you. Women have taken to Instagram in recent weeks to share their best mirror selfies, beach snaps and red carpet worthy looks and used hashtags like #MILF, #hotmom and #glammum to help spread the message. The posts celebrating their beauty are often met with supportive comments from other women who admire their confidence on camera. Some of the women featured take a 'more is more' approach and dress up in their finery for the social media snaps. Others show that there is nothing more attractive than natural beauty and keep their outfits and make-up perfectly pared back. Here, FEMAIL shares a selection of some of the stunning women sharing their snaps online... Lady in red! This stunning nurse and proud mother from Finland looks sensational in a red fit-and-flare dress. She shared the photo on Instagram with #Milf #womenempowerment Birthday girl: British mother-of-two Sara shared this photo from her Brighton home to mark her 30th birthday. She has two children, aged six and one, and shares her travels on Instagram Fun in the sun! This Polish mother-of-one shared a bikini snap from a recent trip to the Netherlands and declared: 'Summer is here' as she posed on a set of steps leading to the water Bright and beautiful: Glamorous mother Shana, from the US, shares photos of her adorable daughter, four, on Instagram. Posting this snap, Shana joked she'd been 'photobombed' Flying the flag: Mother Yana of Charlotte, NC, strikes a pose with a gun in this Instagram snap Hat's off to her! British Instagram user and mother Jada Ohanuzue showcased a casual look to mark a day out in the sun last week. The style maven shares lifestyle ideas on social media All out glam! The Lancashire mother-of-two behind Instagram account blessedwith_boys_, left. Right, Abbie, from Glasgow, has one son and shares photos of their adventures on Instagram Flower power: Instagram user Tebogo Molefhe, who describes herself as a 'glam mumpreneur' brought a dash of brightness and colour to her followers' day with this vibrant photo Printed perfection! Elegant Onyin, from Abuja, Nigeria, shared this photo to celebrate Mother's Day (left). Right, London-based Instagram blogger Mama Monologues Throwback: Mother Jasmine, from Devon, shared this photo with a caption joking she didn't look like that today because 'her son kept her up half the night' Best foot forward! Stylish American mother Jesika wears overalls in this Instagram photo. She has a beautiful five-year-old daughter who frequently appears in her social media snaps Mirror selfie! Instagram user Teresa, 22, of Dallas, Texas, is proud mother to a beautiful baby girl named Camila. Her followers went wild over her flowing blonde hair in this photo A jet-setting art fraudster has finally been arrested after escaping the police for eight months, following accusations he stole more than $20million from art dealers. Inigo Philbrick, 33, from Connecticut, allegedly scammed collectors and dealers by selling them the same artwork for inflated prices before his fraud was uncovered in 2019. It's a spectacular fall from grace for the contemporary art scene's wonderboy, who opened galleries in Mayfair and Miami, and seemed to have a 'Midas touch' for investing in works by emerging artists who went on to become successful. On the arm of his glamourous ex-girlfriend Victoria Baker Harber, who stars in Made In Chelsea, his credentials in high society and the art world seemed untouchable. But he has now been arrested by the FBI in the Republic of Vanuatu, in Oceania, and charged with wire fraud and aggravated identity theft, which could see him spend 22 years in prison, while his assets, estimated at $70million, have been frozen. Inigo Philbrick, 33, from Connecticut, scammed art dealers around the world by selling them the same artwork for inflated prices before his scam was uncovered in 2019. He was arrested in the Republic of Vanuatu on June 11. Pictured with his ex-partner Francisca Mancini in the FraGalerie Patrick Seguin Philbrick, whose father was the former director of the Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum in Connecticut, started his career as an intern at the White Cube Gallery in London in 2010, after graduating from Goldsmiths College. Founder Jay Jopling told Le Monde he was 'clever, ambitious, he had a good eye and an incredible instinct for business'. He quickly ascended the ranks of the art world, opening his own gallery in Mayfair in 2013 and another in Miami. By 2016, he was making $55 million a year thanks to his eye for emerging artists, buying works from up-and-coming talent, including Wade Guyton, Christopher Wool, Rudolf Stingel and Sterling Ruby. Philbrick dated Made in Chelsea star Victoria Baker Harber. The art scene wonderboy was accused of defrauding $20million (16,143,600) fro art dealers around the world This early success financed Philbrick's taste for the finer things, jet-setting around the globe to St Moritz and Ibiza where he spent his money on drugs and partying. Convinced he had the 'Midas touch,' the gallery owner started to tread on dangerous ground when he promised buyers he coud get them 'insane return on investments' which failed to materialise. For instance, he persuaded collector Aleksandar Pesko to buy a Basquiat painting called humidity for $18.4m, saying they could sell it for $35m at Christie's,. However, the sale never materialised, and an anonymous source from the acution house later said they'd never made an offer on it. Between 2016 and 2017, Philbrick turned to another scheme in order to keep his business afloat. It was revealed Philbrick would partner up with other companies to buy artworks and re-sell them without notifying the other parties. Le Monde cites the example of a Picasso portrait from New York artist Rudolf Stingel, which the fraudster bought for $7.1million (5,725,014) with the German company Fine Art Partners, a financial services company specialising exclusively in the art market. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman paid around $5million to buy the immersive installation All the Eternal Love I Have for the Pumpkins (pictured) by Yayoi Kusama, even though German company, Fine Art Partners, also claimed ownership Without notifying FAP, the gallery owner sold the painting for $6million (4,841,400) to offshore company Guzzini Properties and pocketed the money. However, FAP was alerted to the coup when Guzzini Properties put the painting up for auction at Christie's in 2017. At the same time, Serbian financier Aleksandar Pesko revealed that Philbrick had sold him 50 per cent ownership of the same work of art for $3.35million (2,704,555). Pesko also bought a Jean-Michel Basquiat painting called 'Humidity' for $18.4m (14,813,656) 50-50 with Philbrick after the fraudster convinced him they could sell it for $35million (28,178,850) at Christie's, but the sale was never materialised. On another occasion, Pesko had agreed to buy another Basquiat painting 50-50 with Philbrick, only to find Philbrick had made the same offer to another investor. After FAP sued Philbrick in 2019 in the hope of recovering other artwork they had bought jointly with the fraudster, it was revealed he had employed the same scheme to sell an installation by Japanese contemporary artist Yayoi Kusama to Saudi Arabia in 2019. In 2017, Fine Art Partners had bought the Kusama for $3.3million from an auction house in New York through Philbrick. It began suing Philbrick and his gallery in October 2019, seeking the return of art worth $14million (11million) that had been purchased by Philbrick's gallery, which included the pumpkin room. Several other collectors have since accused Philbrick of fraud, including the billionaire businessmen, the Reuben brothers. Facing a growing pile of accusations, Philbrick vanished in October 2019 and fled to Republic of Vanuatu in hopes to escape justice. However, the was arrested by local authorities after an investigation and handed to the US in Guam. 'As alleged, Inigo Philbrick was a serial swindler who misled art collectors, investors, and lenders out of more than $20 million,' The US attorney for the Southern District of New York Geoffrey S. Berman said in a press release. 'You cant sell more than 100 per cent ownership in a single piece of art, which Philbrick allegedly did, among other scams. 'When his schemes began to unravel, Philbrick allegedly fled the country. Now he is in U.S. custody and facing justice, Berman added. A British blogger has seen her skincare tips book become the first beauty title to top the charts in 18 years. Caroline Hirons, 50, from London, has been dubbed 'the most powerful woman in beauty', due to her 20 years of experience in the industry, with her recommended products selling out within hours across the globe. The trained aesthetician boasts almost a million followers and subscribers on her combined social media channels, and her YouTube videos garner millions of hits. And now her book, Skincare: The ultimate no-nonsense guide, which was released this week, has become the first beauty title to become a Sunday Times number one bestseller. Caroline Hirons, 50, from London, has been dubbed 'the most powerful woman in beauty', due to her 20 years of experience in the industry, with her recommended products selling out within hours across the globe The book, which retails at between 10 and 20, is described as the 'go-to book for people of all ages and skin types who want to feel and look fantastic'. It focuses on busting skincare myths, and gives readers of all ages a guide on how to get good skin on any budget. The blogger shares cheat sheets, and tricks to glow, having previously admitted that getting 'healthier, brighter skin' is top of her priority list, and she battles with sallow skin. Reacting to the news that she had reached the number one place, Caroline tweeted yesterday: 'Thank you, thank you! You have made Skincare the first Official Top 50 No.1 in 18 years for a title that falls under the Fashion & Beauty category. I'm off to drink a lot of tea! Cheers everyone!'. The trained aesthetician boasts almost a million followers and subscribers on her combined social media channels, and her YouTube videos garner millions of hits Speaking to the Evening Standard about what motivated her to write the book, the blogger - who frequently appears on This Morning - admitted she had never planned to write a book until fans gave her the idea. Skincare: The ultimate no-nonsense guide, has become the first beauty title to become a Sunday Times number one bestseller She said: 'Writing a book was never part of the plan. But at events my readers kept telling me things like 'my mum doesn't know how to access the blog properly' or 'my best friend doesn't read blogs'. 'So they were screen-grabbing different parts of the blog, printing them out and sending them to people, or putting them on their bathroom wall. Eventually, I thought I better make their lives a bit easier'. One of Caroline's top tips is to avoid make-up wipes, and her most essential product is cleanser. She said of the biggest cleansing mistakes: 'Using wipes! Do not use wipes to cleanse. The only thing wipes are good for are festivals. At festivals. And even then you should put them in the bin, not flush them. 'Or using micellar water as a second cleanser. They were designed to be used in situations when theres no access to water, think festivals or backstage at fashions shows. It was never meant to be a permanent fixture in skincare routines. 'Youre better off using a good oil cleanser and flannel its more gentle, nourishing and quicker all round. Your skin will thank you.' Speaking to The Cut recently about how the pandemic has affected skincare, she said: 'I think it's made them sit up and take care of their skin a bit more. I've heard that many people's skin is changing. Most people have gone one of two ways. They're either dry, dehydrated, flaky, or they're breaking out.' A mother has opened up about her heartbreak after she had to endure a traumatic 52-hour labor to deliver her stillborn baby boy after he died of complications in the womb. Mother-of-three Megan Stiles, 26, from Sioux Falls, South Dakota, found out she was expecting a fourth child in February 2019, revealing she and her husband Davy, 30, were overwhelmed with joy at the news - especially after experiencing a miscarriage three months before. However, at their 20-week scan, the pair were given the heartbreaking news that their baby was terminally ill and had multiple genetic anomalies and hydrops fetalis, a serious life-threatening condition where a fetus has an abnormal build-up of fluid in the tissue around the lungs, heart, abdomen or under the skin. Heartache: Megan Stiles, 26, and her husband Davy, 30, were overjoyed to learn that they were pregnant with their fourth child - but soon learned he had a terminal illness Family first: The couple, who have three children, Luka, Leland, and Elliot, were told their baby had multiple genetic anomalies and hydrops fetalis, a serious life-threatening condition Heartbreaking: Six months into her pregnancy, Megan was told that her baby did not have a heartbeat, and she then had to be induced to deliver the fetus, who she named David Initially it seemed as though the pregnancy was going well, and - while Megan and Davy, who are parents to Luka, six, Leland, three, and Elliot, two, admit they were fearful of having another miscarriage, their unborn baby seemed to be growing stronger and healthier. Heartbreakingly, things changed for the couple at 20 weeks at a routine anatomy scan where they were due to find out their baby's gender. Instead they were given the news about the child's devastating illness. Doctors explained to Megan and Davy that hydrops fetalis had a 90 per cent fatality rate and were advised to come back the next day to undergo a fetal blood transfusion and amniocentesis because without it their baby would not survive. The procedure went as well as expected but a week later Megan found out that it hadn't worked to improve their unborn son's condition and was told that he would pass away within two weeks. Megan was offered a termination, which she refused, deciding instead to give her baby every fighting chance at survival. As a result, she had to visit the hospital twice a week because her pregnancy was considered very high risk and the likelihood of developing complications grew with each day that passed. Megan's baby defied doctors and remained stable for seven and a half weeks until on August 10, 2019, Megan could no longer feel him moving. At the hospital, nurses confirmed that there was no longer a heartbeat and Megan was told that she would have to deliver her baby - this would be her first vaginal birth. Megan was induced at 27 weeks and six days pregnant and after 52 hours in labour, her son David Carl Stiles was born sleeping on August 12, 2019, weighing 1lb 2oz and 11in long. In that moment Megan and her family instantly fell in love. As heartbreaking as it was to leave the hospital without David, Megan decided that she had to keep her son's memory alive and she created David's Hearts, where she knits keepsake hats for bereaved parents, and through this she has become an advocate for bereaved parents. By sharing David's story she hopes to break the 'taboo' surrounding baby loss. 'I cried tears of joy [when I found out we were pregnant]. We were ecstatic to find out that after our miscarriage we'd be expecting our rainbow baby so soon. I was scared of the potential of a second miscarriage, but so thrilled,' said Megan. 'They detected that he had multiple genetic abnormalities and a condition called hydrops fetalis. 'Some of the genetic anomalies that we were told about were the hydrops fetalis, severe anaemia and blood flow restriction to his brain, a portion of his brain was missing, he had severe IUGR and cardiomyopathy among other things. 'They told me that day of what was wrong and explained that hydrops has a 90 per cent fatality rate. Hopeful: Megan, pictured while pregnant, and Davy were told by doctors that their unborn baby had only a 10 per cent chance of survival Options: The couple were advised to undergo a fetal blood transfusion and amniocentesis because without it their baby would not survive Defying the odds: Although their unborn child managed to survive for seven weeks after the procedure, in August 2019, Megan and Davy were told that their baby had passed away 'We had a fetal blood transfusion and an amniocentesis done. A fetal blood transfusion is similar to an amniocentesis where they stick a needle into your abdomen and draw out amniotic fluid, except they stick the needle through your abdomen, into the placenta and to the umbilical cord and transfuse blood to the baby. 'I cried [when I was told it hadn't improved David's condition]. At that time, they also told me he had one to two weeks to live and I was so mad. I left the hospital screaming and cussing in the car and blaming the doctor who had given me his grim prognosis. 'I questioned her credentials and ability to determine such a thing. At the appointment, she urged me to terminate my pregnancy and I blatantly told her that it's not my job to determine who lives and dies. 'I stayed as positive as I could given the situation. They were prepping me for his death, despite the fact he kept on going week by week and I'm thankful for that, because it hit hard in some ways when he finally did pass, but I never gave up hope that he could make it through. Faith: Megan credits her faith in Jesus for giving her the strength to deliver David after he had passed away 'I walked in each week for our ultrasound telling them I'd see them next week with a wiggly baby. My medical team had told me on multiple occasions that they were impressed with the grace and positivity I had through the whole situation. 'I was hurting, scared and had the worst anxiety of my life, but I took the situation head-on as fearlessly as possible, because to me there was no other option.' Megan credits her faith in Jesus for giving her the strength to deliver David after he had passed away. 'Having the subconscious awareness of his passing I think was a tremendous help. Having them do the hard work of perinatal hospice care while I clung onto the hope and fight for his life is another thing that helped. And just knowing that we didn't give up and did everything we could,' she said. 'I don't have any "what ifs" because of that. I know that every step we took was everything we could do. And ultimately, my faith held me together. I couldn't make it through any of this without my faith in Jesus. 'When I walked into the labor and delivery, I walked in with the body of a first-time mother, despite having three other children. I had never given birth vaginally before, which meant my body was learning this as it went, to put it into simple terms. 'Because I was only in the twenty-seventh week of pregnancy, my body was not ready to give birth. My cervix wasn't dilated or softened in anyway and in a situation of ideal birth, the odds we stacked against me. 'They did a total of four types of inductions over a 50-hour period. The first three giving me intense and painful contractions, but literally doing nothing to change my cervix in order to move me further along in labour like they were supposed to. Essentially it was like having false labour with real contractions. Painful: Megan had only ever given brith via C-section, and David's delivery was her first vaginal birth - and after he arrived, she and Davy spent time holding their son's body Upset: 'Because I was only in the twenty-seventh week of pregnancy, my body was not ready to give birth,' Megan explained, describing the 52-hour labor as 'traumatic and excruciating' 'The last two hours were a mix of the most intense labor and pains I've ever experienced in my life, getting an epidural because we learned in a little over fifty-one hours I had finally dilated to three centimeters and then going from three centimeters to seven centimeters and ready to push in less than an hour. 'My epidural didn't have time to fully kick in, but it was just enough to give me enough mental stability to push. David was born in less than five minutes and two pushes. Birth itself was a breeze. Labor was traumatic and excruciating. 'When he came out, they wiped him off and immediately laid him on my chest. This was a big deal, because given the fact I've had all C-section births, this was the first time I was the first to hold my baby. 'I sat there soaking in every inch of him trying to retain his features into my memory and telling him how beautiful he was. I don't think there was a dry eye in that room. It was a bittersweet moment and I don't think full reality had set in. 'I knew he wasn't alive, but every bit of me was still sitting there just waiting for him to make a sound or movement. I was so happy to meet him, but not nearly ready to say goodbye.' Adjusting to life at home without David was difficult for Megan and she is thankful to both her family and church family for supporting her. Sharing her family's story so openly has helped Megan to grieve and has been an incredible cathartic process for her and through this she has started David's Hearts. 'It was strange. I had all the instincts and reactions of what you would have with a new-born, but my arms were empty,' she said. 'My anxiety was really high and I couldn't handle hearing any child cry, or be loud. I spent most of my time laying in my bed clung to his little blanket. I had a hard time making any types of decisions or holding a conversation. 'Being able to outwardly express how I feel was a tremendous help. It was like a weight lifted off my chest. Instead of bottling everything up, I got to release it. I validated those feelings for myself, but also made them real to the world. 'This subject is so taboo for people. It makes them uncomfortable and they don't like to talk about, nor do they know how. I want to change that. The language a bereaved parent uses to speak about their child gives others permission to speak the same way. Speaking out: The mother-of-three says that sharing her family's story so openly has helped Megan to grieve and has been an incredible cathartic process for her Looking ahead: Adjusting to life at home without David was difficult for Megan and she is thankful to both her family and church family for supporting her Tributes: Megan decided that she had to keep her son's memory alive and she created David's Hearts, where she knits keepsake hats for bereaved parents 'Some people still are careful about bringing him up but having conversations with others about him as if he's a part of our family is a huge part of the healing process, because he is a part of our family. 'One thing that I was bummed out about was that I couldn't find anything to dress David in that was his size. I had no type of keepsake to show how tiny he really was. And I spent a good two to three weeks really thinking about that fact. How many other parents felt the same way having micro preemies and smaller? It started because I wanted something to represent his size and I knew that this entire journey couldn't be for nothing. 'We couldn't just endure seven and a half months of pregnancy to go home empty handed and just leave it at that. I didn't want my son's life to be for nothing and I didn't want parents to go home completely empty handed. 'Keepsakes are a huge part of navigating grief for me and I wanted to help others as well. I've been crocheting since I was nine years old and I knew I could make hats the size of these tiny little babies by doing this. Thus, David's Hearts Bloomed. 'Helping others is probably one of the biggest components in my healing journey. The stories these families tell me of heartbreak and learning to deal with their grief. 'How me sharing my story and using David's life to bring healing and hope to others, is helping them. How can that not bring some joy back in your life? My son is changing lives that never got to meet him.' Finally, Megan shared some words of advice to parents. 'Cherish those babies, they're extra special. One child does not replace another, and one child doesn't fix the loss of another. Let your children you've lost be a part of your daily family dynamic,' she said. 'Don't be afraid to talk about that child with your rainbow. Every child whether here on earth or in heaven should be a huge part of the family. 'We don't have any rainbow babies yet, but our children we do have living know exactly who their brother is and we talk about him daily. His photos are displayed proudly on our walls and we each have special keepsakes representing him. 'Any future children will just roll into that same dynamic.' You can find out more about Megan's initiative to keep David's memory alive on Facebook and on Instagram. The King and Queen of Bhutan have shared the name of their newborn son, four months after his birth. King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, 40, and Queen Jetsun Pema announced on Instagram yesterday that they have named him Jigme Ugyen Wangchuck. The couple are already parents to four-year-old Prince Jigme Namgyel Wangchuck, known as the Dragon Prince, who could be seen kneeling alongside his brother and parents in the new portraits. The snaps were taken at the Trelda Tsechu prayer ceremony at Thimphu Tashichodzong, where the family said they had offered prayers for both of their sons. King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, 40, and Queen Jetsun Pema shared a series of new family portraits on Instagram yesterday as they revealed their four-month-old son's name is Jigme Ugyen Wangchuck Sharing the photos on the official Instagram page, the royal family wrote: 'On the auspicious occasion of the Birth Anniversary of Guru Rinpoche (Trelda Tsechu), His Royal Highness the Second Gyalsey to His Majesty The King and Her Majesty The Gyaltsuen has been named Jigme Ugyen Wangchuck. 'His Royal Highness will be referred to as Gyalsey Ugyen Wangchuck.' It went on: 'His Majesty The King and Her Majesty The Gyaltsuen graced the Trelda Tsechu prayer ceremony at Thimphu Tashichodzong, and offered prayers along with Their Royal Highnesses Gyalsey Jigme Namgyel and Gyalsey Ugyen Wangchuck. 'The Trelda Tsechu prayers are performed annually for the benefit of all sentient beings. The snaps were taken at the Trelda Tsechu prayer ceremony at Thimphu Tashichodzong, where the family said they had offered prayers for both of their sons 'Led by the Prime Minister, representatives of the Dratshang, Government and Armed Forces offered Mendrel Ku Sung Thukten to His Royal Highness the Gyalsey on behalf of the people of Bhutan.' Their oldest son, Prince Jigme Namgyel Wangchuck, is the heir to the Bhutanese throne. King Jigme, the hugely popular fifth Druk Gyalpo, studied in the UK and the US and ascended the throne in 2006, aged just 26 after his own father abdicated. Unlike his son, who plans to have a monogamous marriage, the former King, who introduced democracy to Bhutan during his reign, has four wives, all sisters who he married on the same day. The King, known as the Dragon King, with both of his sons. The couple's oldest son, Prince Jigme Namgyel Wangchuck, pictured right, is the heir to the Bhutanese throne But despite his own upbringing, the current monarch has made clear that he only plans to have one wife, whom he married on October 13, 2011, when she was still an international relations student at Regent's College in London. The match made headlines at the time because the young King was more openly affectionate with his wife than citizens were used to - leaving the couple to be called 'the William and Kate of the Himalayas'. The Duke of Sussex paid tribute to young people working to make a change across the world as he presented a Princess Diana Award via video message today. Prince Harry, 35, led big names including Dame Emma Thompson, Liam Payne and Miranda Hart in honouring young changemakers across the world with the coveted award. Speaking on behalf of Prince William and himself from California, where he is currently living with Meghan Markle, 38, and Archie, 1, Harry said his mother would have been 'fighting your corner', on what would have been Diana's 59th birthday. Referring to Meghan's speech supporting the Black Lives Matter movement, Harry joined her in apologising that they hadn't got the world to a place where young people 'deserve to be'. The Duke of Sussex paid tribute to young people working to make a change across the world as he presented a Princess Diana Award via video message today Speaking from a personal point of view, Harry said: 'My wife said recently that our generation and the ones before us haven't done enough to wipe the wrongs of the past. I too am sorry. 'Sorry that we haven't got the world to the place where you deserve it to be. Institutional racism has no place in our societies, yet it is still endemic. 'Unconscious bias must be acknowledged without blame to create a better world for all of you. I want you to know that we are committed to being part of the solution and to being part of the change that you are all leading. Now is the time and we know that you can do it.' Addressing all the recipients of the award who have worked to address social injustice in a surprise congratulatory video message, the Duke said: 'I am so incredibly proud to be part of these awards as they honour the legacy of my mother and bring out the very best in people like you. 'You are all doing such incredible work and at a time of great uncertainty, you have found the power and inspiration inside of you to make a positive mark on the world, and I love that The Diana Award is able to help you do it. Speaking on behalf of Prince William and himself from California, where he is currently living with Meghan and Archie, Harry said his mother would have been 'fighting your corner', on what would have been Diana's 59th birthday (seen in 1996 at a British Red Cross Projects visit In Angola) 'I know that my mother has been an inspiration to many of you and I can assure you she would have been fighting your corner. Right now, we're seeing situations around the world where division, isolation and anger are dominating as pain and trauma come to the surface.' Harry added: 'Like many of you, she never took the easy route, or the popular route, or the comfortable one - but she stood for something and stood up for those who needed it'. He highlighted the work of 24-year-old James Frater from London, who is working to increase the representation of black students at university, and said: 'I see the greatest hope in people like you and I'm confident about the worlds future and its ability to heal because it is in your hands.' Last month Meghan gave a video address to her old school in Los Angeles in which she talked about George Floyd's murder and apologised for where the world still was Harry highlighted the work of 24-year-old James Frater from London, who is working to increase the representation of black students at university Today 184 inspirational children and young people were presented with the highest accolade a young person can achieve for social action or humanitarian efforts - The Diana Award. The first virtual ceremony for The Diana Award took place this afternoon, on The Diana Award YouTube channel. Established in memory of Diana, Princess of Wales, the Award is given out by the charity of the same name and has the support of both her sons, The Duke of Cambridge and The Duke of Sussex on what would have been Princess Diana's 59th birthday. Congratulations: Liam Payne has surprised a 13-year-old who won a Diana Award for her social action and humanitarian efforts The Vamps star James McVey hosted the 2020 Diana Awards, which saw support from a host of celebrities who honoured young changemakers from all over the globe The recipients of the award have this year demonstrated their ability to inspire and mobilise their own generation to service their communities through campaigning, volunteering, fundraising, fighting injustice or overcoming extreme life challenges. Although their causes and backgrounds are varied, what they all have in common is that they are changing their communities and the world. 'I know you know that black lives matter': What Meghan told the students for graduation speech On Black Lives Matter: 'With as diverse, vibrant and opened minded as I know the teachings at Immaculate Heart are, I know you know that black lives matter' On the 1992 Los Angeles riots: 'I remember the curfew and I remember rushing back home and on that drive home, seeing ash fall from the sky and smelling the smoke and seeing the smoke billow out of buildings' On waiting to speak out: 'I wasn't sure what I could say to you. I wanted to say the right thing and I was really nervous that I wouldn't or that it would get picked apart. And I realised the only wrong thing to say is to say nothing' On African Americans killed by police: 'George Floyd's life mattered and Breonna Taylor's life mattered and Philando Castile's life mattered and Tamir Rice's life mattered, and so did so many other people whose names we know and whose names we do not know. Stephon Clark, his life mattered' On what her teacher once told her: 'One of my teachers, Ms Pollia, said to me as I was leaving for a day of volunteering, 'always remember to put other's needs above your own fears'. And that has stuck with me throughout my entire life' On people coming together: 'We are seeing people stand in solidarity, we are seeing communities come together and to uplift. And you are going to be part of this movement. Advertisement The Vamps star James McVey hosted the 2020 Diana Awards, which saw support from a host of celebrities who honoured young changemakers from all over the globe. Virtually presenting and surprising the young people for their work were The Duke of Sussex, Ade Adepitan MBE, Aisling Bea, Katie Boulter, YolanDa Brown, Miranda Hart, Steph McGovern, James McVey, Liam Payne, Will Poulter, Ashley Singh, Dan Smith - Bastille, Cel Spellman, Dame Emma Thompson DBE, Sam and Mark, Hacker the Dog. Tessy Ojo, Chief Executive, The Diana Award, said: 'I am truly blown away by all the young changemakers being celebrated today. 'They are tackling some of the world's biggest issues, from mental health and climate change, access to education and sanitation, gender equality and racial injustice, a systemic issue that has recently come to the surface and I am truly proud of how these young people from across the globe are fighting hard to create a better world for us all. 'Beyond today's celebration, we remained committed to working alongside these young people in rebuilding a society that works for all. We are proud of our over 20-year history of creating and championing change for young people'. Dame Emma Thompson added: 'I'm thrilled to be sending a huge congratulations to literally everybody. I've read all the case studies what amazing work you're all doing from knife crime, to deradicalization, to gender rights, to cancer, to food inequality. 'You are all immensely impressive, and I send you such congratulations and such love during these strange, strange times. Your voices are the most important voices. Your voices are the future, and I salute you all with all my heart.' Meanwhile, Liam Payne said: 'Young people are the future of our society so for me it's important to recognise their achievements and the contributions they're making. 'When we celebrate young people it puts the often-invisible social change work in the spotlight and I'm proud to be supporting The Diana Award and the young changemakers who are making the world a better place for all of us.' Speaking in the video, Miranda Hart admitted: 'It has been truly incredible to read the achievements of the young activists who are rightly being celebrated with a Diana Award. 'They deserve our recognition for the difference they are already making in their young lives, inspiring others, following what is on their heart and bravely finding their voice to raise awareness of vital issues that need to be heard and need change'. And Dan Smith of Bastille said: 'A massive congratulations to everyone receiving a Diana Award today. Now more than ever it's so important to celebrate social justice in young people and The Diana Award is a brilliant way of doing that'. Established in memory of Diana, Princess of Wales, the Award is given out by the charity of the same name and has the support of both her sons, The Duke of Cambridge and The Duke of Sussex on what would have been Princess Diana's 59th birthday Hacker the Dog was among those virtually presenting and surprising the young people for their work A 19-year-old from Liverpool received an award for his services to mental health awareness A restaurateur and BBC podcaster who fought for better awareness of cancer in the BAME community has tragically lost her own battle with the disease. Saima Thompson, 31, who ran a popular Pakistani restaurant in Brockley, South London, died on Saturday, two years after she was first diagnosed with lung cancer. Her family posted a moving tribute to Saima on her social media pages saying: 'She is the centre of our universe and we are beyond devastated.' Brockley restaurant owner and podcaster Saima Thompson, 31, died on Saturday following a two-year battle with metastatic cancer following a lung cancer diagnosis in 2018 Last summer, she recorded the Fresh to Death podcast for BBC Sounds in a bid to help break the taboo that she felt cancer could still be in the South Asian community Many others paid tribute to the work that Saima did to raise awareness, particularly in the South Asian community, of the importance of getting checked early for potential cancer symptoms. Cancer diagnoses amongst the BAME community often come later than in other communities, leading to poorer outcomes. Saima was first diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer when she was 29 in 2018 after suffering with a swollen throat. Alongside running the Masala Wala Cafe, which has garnered critical acclaim for its modern take on Pakistani food, she started a blog curryandcancer following her diagnosis and recorded a podcast, Fresh to Death. She told the Evening Standard in November 2018 that she wanted to break down the taboo that cancer - and in particular lung cancer - can still be in some communities. Saima founded the Masala Wala Cafe, which won heavy praise for its modern take on Pakistani food 'She made a lasting impact on everyone she met': Saima's family paid tribute to her on her social media channels following her death on Saturday Saima said: 'Theres a real shame factor attached, and its so heavily associated with smoking. I dabbled with cigarettes in my early 20s, but Im only 29 and Ive spoken to plenty of people who have never smoked who also live with it too. She added: 'It can be taboo in our culture to talk about cancer. My mother came here from Pakistan in the Eighties, and to tell her the diagnosis, when she didnt even know about cancer and what it meant, was hard.' In a post on Instagram, Saima's family wrote: 'She made a lasting impact on everyone she met, and compacted a lifetime of love, work and close connections with people during her 31 years. We love you forever. You are our guiding light and always will be.' The Prince of Wales championed Britain's rural tourism when he visited celebrity farmer Adam Henson's farm attraction - and found himself surrounded by piglets. Charles, 71, toured Cotsworld Farm Park in Guiting Power near Cheltenham, Gloucestershire - a rare breed centre visited by 150,000 people a year which opens its doors to the public on Saturday after months of closure due to the coronavirus outbreak. The heir to the throne was keen to learn how the attraction and a 1,600-acre holding both run by Henson, who co-presents the BBC's Countryfile programme, were coping during the pandemic which has seen businesses suffering financially. In a lighter moment the prince was taken into a small field and shown an inquisitive Gloucestershire old spot sow and her energetic piglets, after Henson tempted them over by pouring feed into a trough. The Prince of Wales, 71, visited a farm park in Gloucestershire run by BBC Countryfile presenter Adam Henson (pictured together) to learn how the attraction has coped during the Covid-19 pandemic today The royal was greeted by farmer and television personality Adam Henson during a visit to Cotswold Farm Park in Guiting Power near Cheltenham Prince Charles looked at wheat from his farm called Heritage Blend as he visited Shipton Mill, which holds HRH's Royal Warrant and specialises in high quality traditional milling in Long Newnton, near Tetbury, Gloucestershire The royal family have been slowly returning to public duties as lockdown restrictions have been relaxed, and Charles has already attended a ceremony welcoming France's President Macron to the UK and met health and care workers at a hospital in Gloucester last month. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have also been meeting the public, visiting local businesses close to their Norfolk home. Social distancing rules were followed as Charles, patron of the Rare Breeds Survival Trust (RBST), arrived at the farm and greeted staff and BBC host Adam Henson at a distance. The presenter's attraction is a RBST accredited farm park and during the visit Charles was shown its conservation area, which includes beehives, a miniature wild flower meadow and space for insects to thrive. Prince Charles was introduced to Victoria, a Suffolk Punch horse by farmer and television personality Adam Henson (pictured left) during a visit to the rare breed centre Prince Charles met with staff members during his visit as he continues to slowly return to public duties as lockdown restrictions have been relaxed The royal's visit to Cotswold Farm Park highlights the important work that these farm parks do in preserving British native breeds. Pictured, Charles smiles as he views rare breeds During his visit, the prince saw many of the rare breeds that live on the farm in the livestock area. Pictured, being introduced to Victoria, a Suffolk Punch horse by farmer and television personality Adam Henson Charles looked at a Gloucestershire Old Spot pig with her piglets during a visit to Cotswold Farm Park The royal is a passionate farmer who runs Home Farm in Gloucestershire by his organic principles. Pictured, looking at Gloucestershire Old Spot piglets Charles is a passionate farmer who runs Home Farm in Gloucestershire by his organic principles and in the past has reared the rare breed pigs, which were traditionally kept in orchards and known for their high-quality meat before falling out of favour. He has reared the likes of Tamworth pigs and Irish Moiled, Gloucester, Shetland and British White cattle, as well as Hebridean and Shropshire sheep at his Home Farm near Tetbury. During his visit, the prince saw many of the rare breeds that live on the farm in the livestock area, including Suffolk Punch horses, Albion cattle, North Ronaldsay Sheep, Bagot Goats, Exmoor ponies and Gloucestershire old spot pigs. He was also introduced to Victoria, a 19-year-old Suffolk Punch horse - another rare breed - and posed for a picture with the imposing animal. Henson said: 'I know he wanted to come to make a statement, to get it out there, the value of rural tourism, rare breeds, conservation and education - that's very much what we're about. 'We're a big commercial farm but the diversification and rural tourism part of our business is essential, but has been suffering seriously during Covid-19, as so many other businesses have.' Prince Charles donned a grey blazer and matching trousers as he walked past Highland Cattle during his visit The aim of the visit is to encourage visitors to return to them when they re-open and go back regularly throughout the year to watch the animals change and grow. Pictured, looking at a Gloucestershire Old Spot pig with her piglets Prince Charles donned a pair of stylish sunglasses as he visited Shipton Mill, which holds HRH's Royal Warrant and specialises in high quality traditional milling A Boer goat poses for a picture as Britain's Prince Charles, right, visits Cotswold Farm Park Social distancing rules were followed as Charles, patron of the Rare Breeds Survival Trust (RBST), arrived at the farm and greeted staff Since lockdown began, Ive been struck by how many women are now juggling three daily shifts: paid work, household tasks and home-schooling. And all the while feeling they must give the impression to their employers that they can manage this without any impact on themselves or their work. I chair the Diversity Project, which aims to broaden diversity in the investment industry. During lockdown, weve been hosting ask me anything calls, where people can share things they may be uncomfortable talking about with their employer, and its clear from the questions asked that women have been adjusting to a new way to life, getting up at 6am and finishing work as late as 10pm, cramming in home-schooling, preparing meals, food shopping and cleaning during the day, only to return to their desks after their children are in bed. Its a familiar story. Our household has numbered 13 for most of lockdown, with eight of my nine children here as well as my eldest daughter Flos husband and their two young children. Dame Helena Morrisey explored how juggling paid work, household tasks and home-schooling is taking women back to the 1950s (file image) While Im (extremely) grateful that my husband Richard does the cooking, Im in charge of tackling the rather extensive laundry and supervising home-schooling for four children who are still of school age. Working women may be able to limp on like this for a little while, but its not sustainable. That so many businesses and shops and, soon, restaurants have reopened before schools means women are left with even more of a burden. Men may have been helping out more at home but mothers are doing about ten hours more childcare a week than fathers since schools and nurseries closed, according to a study by the University of Bristol and University College London. Mothers combine paid work with other activities nearly always childcare during almost half their working day, compared with less than a third of dads work hours, according to the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS). Its hardly surprising that many women feel they are returning to a domestic scene more akin to the 1950s than 2020 only with paid work on top. Researchers at the University of Sussex found that two-thirds of employed mothers describe themselves as the default parent during lockdown, with 70 per cent responsible for home-schooling. This will put their careers at risk as time wears on especially as we face the probability of a global recession, with job losses looming. Mothers are 47 per cent more likely than fathers to have permanently lost their jobs or quit already, says the IFS, and 14 per cent more likely to have been furloughed. Dame Helena argues the coronavirus crisis has exacerbated existing inequalities, in areas including education, gender, socio-economics and race (file image) Single-parent households the vast majority of them single mothers have seen their average weekly earnings fall by 73 in the crisis, from 326 to 253, as they struggle to cope with childcare and work, the Institute for Social and Economic Research reports. Equal pay is another casualty. Since 2017, the Government has required large businesses to publish figures comparing mens and womens pay. But this year, they were excused because of the pandemic. This backward step is especially poignant as 2020 marks the 50th anniversary of the Equal Pay Act. The harsh reality is that the coronavirus crisis has exacerbated existing inequalities in our society in many areas: education, socio-economics, gender and race. Not only are women more likely to be working on the front line of this crisis 76 per cent of healthcare workers are female, and they are also more likely to have key-worker jobs as supermarket cashiers, in social care and in schools but they are also more likely to be poorly paid. Mums are boredom more likely to have lost their jobs Of the one million key workers on less than the real living wage 9.30 an hour, or 10.75 in London a shocking 98 per cent are women, according to the Womens Budget Group. We had made decent strides over the past decade. Pre-pandemic, 75 per cent of British women were in paid work and the gender pay gap for full-time workers had reached its narrowest-ever point. There are record numbers of women in Parliament and on corporate boards. But Im concerned that this hard-won progress is at risk of reversing. Businesses and the Government have many pressing concerns and there is a risk of overlooking the key role women must play in our economic recovery. But if we can resume progress, there is a great opportunity to be seized. PricewaterhouseCoopers claim that increasing the female employment rate to the same level as Sweden, would grow the economy by almost 9 per cent (file image) Recent research by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) shows that if we increased the female employment rate to the same level as Sweden one of the most gender-equal societies our economy would grow by almost 9 per cent, equivalent to 180 billion. Its not simply about fairness towards women, important as that is. Its about making things better for everyone. It makes economic sense. So how do we prevent women being dragged back to the 1950s? One area that needs intervention is the childcare sector. A study for the Early Years Alliance suggests that one nursery in four may have to close without a bailout. According to a report by the Fawcett Society, 10,000 childcare providers and 150,000 childcare places could be lost. That workforce is 97 per cent female, which means more womens jobs at risk. And it also means more mothers having to stay at home to look after their children, so they are less able to focus on their careers. Over the past 20 years, different governments have sought gradually to improve the provision of childcare to help working families. Ive spoken to many Ministers for Women and Equality over the years about the need to do more, with childcare in Britain still expensive compared with other countries. Lack of affordability is usually the reason given, but at a time when emergency budget measures are being taken to support our economy, childcare should be high on the list. Dame Helena says women need to be involved in decision-making as lockdown eases, the key people making decisions in Government are all men (file image) Extra funding could enable local authorities to fill gaps in provision or support private nurseries, allowing them to survive. Creative use of buildings that are empty due to social distancing, such as church halls, could also help resolve concerns over safety which are preventing some parents from taking up their childs nursery place. Childcare helps child welfare as well especially children from less privileged backgrounds. We also need to ensure women are involved in decision-making as lockdown is eased. The key decision-makers on the coronavirus crisis in Government are all men. Women make up just 14 out of 50 members of SAGE. Black and ethnic minority women are especially under-represented in decision-making forums. We missed the opportunity, after the 2008 financial crisis, to address many things we knew were wrong with our economy. Now we have a chance to learn from our mistakes. It strikes me that we have a real opportunity today to commit to accelerating our progress towards gender equality and then reap the benefits. I FEEL GUILTY AT WORK AND GUILTY ABOUT MY BOYS Town planner Viv Cartmell, 40, is married to piano teacher Tom, 44. They have two sons, aged two and four, and live in Morpeth, Northumberland. She says: Viv Cartmell, 40, (pictured) who lives in Morpeth, Northumberland, admits she feels guilty for not doing the 30 hours of work she's paid for and for telling her children to sit in front of the TV Since lockdown began, the juggling act has never stopped and its almost impossible to manage. This morning, I ignored my son because I was finishing an email and he went to the fridge and spilled milk all over the kitchen floor. I used to work 30 hours a week, now Im managing 20 or 25. Work is understanding but Ive got to keep up. Im lucky Im getting paid but when this is all over there will be more cuts and restructuring. I turn on my laptop at 7.30am and start working when the boys are watching a bit of telly. In the afternoon, Ill look after them while keeping on top of emails. I cant take a call from a member of the public my boys would be too noisy! Sometimes I do an hours work after theyve gone to bed. I feel guilty about work because I am being paid to do 30 hours and Im not doing that, and guilt with the boys for often saying: Heres a snack, sit in front of the telly. At the beginning I would get annoyed if the boys interrupted me. But I understand now, they have to come first. Not having the nursery means I never get a break, were with the boys 14 hours a day. Im not used to it, as Ive always gone out to work. Tom, whos self-employed, is still teaching, but hes doing virtual lessons. He does help with everything except the cleaning. I HAVE TO CRAM IN HOME-SCHOOLing AT THE WEEKENDS Julie Hawkins, 43, is a self-employed paralegal secretary. She lives with her daughter, Kaylyn, eight, near Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire. She says: Julie Hawkins, 43, (pictured) who lives in Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire, said she's been spending evenings and weekends home-schooling her daughter As a single parent, Im used to managing my child alongside running my business and not going out much. But home-schooling has been hard. Ive been spending hours with Kaylyn in the evening and at weekends, making sure she is up to speed. While I work, she has had to entertain herself planting seeds, writing stories or doing art. Shes very creative. The hardest thing is food shopping. We live in a rural area and going to the supermarket means a 40-minute round trip. The other day we were turned away from one shop. It had a one- person rule. I said: Im a single parent. What am I supposed to do? Im not going to leave her in the car. Someone replied: Why dont you leave her with a childminder? I thought, what part of isolation dont you understand? My daughter was sobbing. I hope in the long run Covid-19 is going to help single mothers. If employers were more flexible going forward and let women work from 10am until 4pm or, even better, work from home for the last hour or two of the day so they could collect their child, it would make a massive difference. I'D RATHER COOK FOR 200 THAN MY TWO CHILDREN Asma Khan, 50, is a chef who normally runs The Darjeeling Express, a restaurant in Soho, London. She is now at home with sole charge of her two sons, aged 20 and 15. Asma Khan, 50, (pictured) who runs a restaurant in Soho, London, admits she's been re-learning how to be a mother during lockdown Being a mother in lockdown is relentless. Id much rather cook for 200 people than for my two children. All the reward you get is watching them eat for 35 seconds, then the food is gone and you wash up. My god, I hate washing up. The dishwasher is running all the time. My 20-year-old is really into fitness. He eats eight meals a day. My younger son was born for social distancing. He is like my husband, a bit of a recluse. Hes having the best days of his life. I have forgotten what my life was like before the restaurant, and now I am re-learning how to be a mother. My husband is severely asthmatic so we thought it was safer for him to be on his own. He is living near by, in a flat on loan from a friend. As for the restaurant, I have an all-female team former nannies and home cooks, none professionally trained. Now all are furloughed. Even when we reopen, which we wont manage for this weekend, I wont break even if I can only seat 25 in my 55-seat restaurant. Its very worrying but I am trying to stay positive. I wont let it sink, even if I have to spend my savings. Ive put so much of my life, my blood, sweat and tears, into the restaurant. 'YOU GET LUNCH MADE AND THEN IT'S TIME FOR TEA, JUST A NEVER-ENDING CIRCLE OF BOREDOM' Jacinta Wake, 53, is the founder of Bolland Nursery. Separated, she has three children, aged 21, 17 and 15, and lives in Northumberland. Jacinta Wake, 53, (pictured) from Northumberland, who bought a nursery building when she was 22, said it feels like she's back at the beginning I bought the nursery building for 23,000 when I was 22, and since the day it opened it has never been quiet. It changed my life. The day we had to close, I cried. I had 47 children, six staff and parents who relied on me. My deputy manager came here as a schoolgirl when I first opened the nursery. I wasnt thinking about the finances, I was thinking of everyones wellbeing. I am using [local authority] early years funding to pay salaries, but it is a drop in the ocean. I have a small reserve of money but its not going to last for ever. We are reopening on August 1, but I know Im going to have to cut hours and obviously that has an effect on my staff. Some parents are nervous about sending their children back and you cant socially distance from a young child. You cant not change a nappy or wipe a nose. I feel Im back at the beginning. But I did it once, Ill do it again. And now theres a lot more to do at home because there are big teenagers with me all the time. Lucia, whos 21, had to come back because her university has closed. The boys think they are pulling their weight just by doing their schoolwork. Its like being a stay-at-home mum. You get lunch made and then its time for tea. Just a never-ending circle of boredom. At work you can make a bit of time for yourself, but when youre at home, a mum and trying to work as well, its really tricky. Interviews by Sally Williams Professor Sue Black OBE is understandably bitter. Last year, she was a candidate in the London Mayoral election, standing for the Womens Equality Party, when that bid had to be cut short for health reasons, following complications from a simple operation shed had more than 15 years earlier. Ive been completely debilitated by a procedure which would never have been used if the patients were men, says Professor Black, one of Britains most eminent mathematicians and computer scientists. Its been a shattering blow to a woman who is no stranger to adversity, having lost her mum at 12 and left school at 16 with few qualifications. The scandal is that shes one of thousands of women who have suffered as a result of the same operation: using a type of surgical mesh known as tension-free vaginal tape (TVT) to treat incontinence and prolapse. British women who've been left permanently injured after having Tension-free vaginal tape (TVT) surgery are calling for the mesh to be banned, including Professor Sue Black OBE (pictured) Up to 40 per cent of mothers experience these problems post-childbirth. TVT was introduced more than 20 years ago as an alternative to more complicated (and costly) repair surgery: the TVT procedure costs less than 1,000 and is carried out as a day case compared with three nights in hospital for the traditional approach. While the mesh has been problem-free for some shockingly, we dont know the true numbers of those who have had the surgery, because there is no official count as many as 8,000 British women, but potentially up to 100,000, have been left permanently injured after the hard plastic material disintegrated inside them, slicing into the soft tissue it was designed to hold in place. In many cases, the implanted mesh have become embedded deep into the womans reproductive organs, causing chronic infection, excruciating pain and nerve damage. Some have been left unable to work or even walk and are now in wheelchairs. The mesh has also destroyed sexual function, causing marriages to fail. In one tragic case, Canadian Chrissie Brajcic, 42, died from sepsis as a result of antibiotic resistance brought on by repeated efforts to treat infections caused by the mesh. Reports to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which regulates drugs and medical devices, indicated up to half of women whod received the mesh had some kind of complication. For years, those affected were often dismissed, told by medics that their symptoms were in the mind. A campaign by the Mail led to the establishment, in 2018, of a review into the mesh, led by Tory peer, Baroness (Julia) Cumberlege. TVT was introduced more than 20 years ago to treat incontinence and prolapse. Pictured: The controversial vaginal mesh implant Next Wednesday that report will finally be published, but campaigners fear it wont go far enough. The Mail has learned the report will call for the establishment of a network of seven regional centres staffed by urologists, gyn-aecologists, colorectal surgeons and pain specialists, able to perform the intricate surgery involved in removing the mesh. Its also expected to call for a mandatory register of all mesh operations and details of any woman undergoing it, although insiders have been told this could take three years to set up and it wont be retrospective. Although the mesh has been banned elsewhere, including Australia and New Zealand, here regulators have only agreed to a pause in its use. The report is not expected to extend this to a ban. This means that the procedure could still be offered if a register is put in place. While welcoming the setting up of specialist removal centres, as well as a central register, campaigners are dismayed that the failure to ban the mesh has only awarded them a partial victory. Im extremely disappointed as I wanted to put all this behind me. Although it will be difficult for surgeons to offer the mesh because theres no register, I think we will have to keep our campaign going because there will be surgeons itching to start using it again, said Kath Sansom, who set up the pressure group Sling The Mesh (which has 8,000 members) after her own problems with it. Kath Sansom (pictured) who set up the pressure group Sling The Mesh, said she will probably need specialist physiotherapy for the rest of her life because of the pain from having TVT She had the mesh implanted in March 2015 to correct mild incontinence following the birth of her two daughters (13 and 18 years before) and, like so many others, she suffered problems. Although she got the mesh removed after just six months, the damage was done. I was in pain as soon as I woke up from the anaesthetic, she says. I used to do high board diving, mountain biking and ran my own photography business. Ive had to give up those things and I will probably need regular specialist physiotherapy for the rest of my life because of the pain, says the journalist, 52, who lives in March, Cambridgeshire. Annette Powers, 58, a former occupational therapist, has suffered similar damage and thinks the mesh should be banned. The mother-of-two from Stilton, Cambridgeshire, struggles to walk for more than a few hundred yards after having the mesh inserted in 2002. After 16 years of chronic and painful infections, she had some of the mesh removed, but the stabbing pains have returned. The infection has obviously come back, she says in despair. As for Professor Sue Black, she has been anxiously waiting for the report. While broadly welcoming it as good news, she says she is unsure of what longer-term changes it will bring. She remains concerned about safeguards for medical treatment for women. Over the course of the Mails nine-year campaign for the mesh victims, we have spoken to around 100 women whose lives have been ruined by TVT about the humiliation and intimate agony implanted mesh has caused. Among them have been peers of the realm, politicians and senior professionals, but none of them has been willing to be quoted. Annette Powers, 58, (pictured), who lives in Stilton, Cambridgeshire, has been experiencing difficulty walking since having the mesh inserted in 2002 Professor Black, who successfully led the call to prevent the closure of Bletchley Park and has been a guest on Desert Island Discs, is the highest profile woman to go public about her own experiences. Until recently, Professor Black, 58, was planning to run for election as the mayor of London. Among her proposals was a plan to establish a womens health research centre and address poor regulation of medical devices. Now she has fallen victim to the very problems she was intending to highlight. Im normally energetic, but Im just not strong enough to do this at the moment. I normally walk a lot and go swimming and I cant do any of that, never mind campaign for mayor, she says. One of the reasons why this has gone on for so long is that we have a blind faith in the medical profession and the last thing anyone wants to talk about is their vagina or incontinence. The industry has relied on that fact to keep all this quiet. I didnt want to talk about any of this either, but reading all the stories of these injured women, I felt I have to. Ive had a relatively lucky escape: the advice women have been given, the nature of the advertising of the mesh (that it was risk-free), and the stories of doctors offering only counselling for extreme pain, telling families their mums making everything up or is mentally ill, is truly shocking. This procedure has been quite barbaric and the fact its been happening for 20 years or more is even worse, says Professor Black. Professor Black, 58, (pictured) said she was able to do park runs and go to the gym after having the treatment, however she began to experience complications when entering menopause Her own problems started after the birth of her youngest daughter in February 2004. Straightaway, I knew something felt wrong. Id had stress incontinence before, but it was manageable until then. Her GP sent her for physio, but then she was referred to a gynaecologist. He said my options were the old-fashioned three-hour pelvic repair operation using my own tissues, which he said meant I would have to stay in hospital for several days and take several weeks off work, or there was a new gold standard operation, where I would be in and out in a day. He explained it as a tape and showed me diagrams. What I didnt know then, but know now, is that the surgeon has to guess where to put it. That is why they so often put it in the wrong places. She had the surgery in 2005 at the age of 42. I was fine after. I was fit, I did park runs and went to the gym. I was delighted as the operation cured the incontinence. However, Professor Black, who is married to Dr Paul Boca, 51, an IT consultant, found the relief was temporary. By 50, I started going into menopause and I thought the symptoms were to do with that. I also developed tiny raised hard purple lumps on my body. The mesh a foreign material inserted in the body can cause allergic reactions as the immune system tries to reject it. My face started to get puffy and I found I could only pee if I sat on one side, she says. Corinda Daw, 53, (pictured) who lives in Essex, had the TVT procedure seven years ago to treat mild incontinence About two years ago, my sister read an article about mesh and said it could be the problem, but my GP said she didnt think it had anything to do with it. After insisting on further investigations, Professor Black eventually had most of the mesh removed in August 2018 by a specialist, thanks to her husbands private health insurance. It was impossible to remove all of it, because it was embedded. After that, the lumps went within a week, my face didnt look puffy and I could pee normally. She knew more surgery would be necessary to remove the rest of the mesh, but was not banking on a further operation to remove scar tissue caused by the 2018 procedure. This second, hour-long procedure took place in 2019. The day afterwards I fainted in hospital and lost blood because of post-operative bleeding. That led to me becoming anaemic and getting a series of infections. After six courses of antibiotics, she is still facing a third major operation which will involve two months off work. Its all fairly traumatising, she says. Explaining her decision to speak out, she says: If this mesh thing had happened 20 years ago, I would have been too shy to talk about it in public, but you get more confident with age. This year the Government introduced a new Medicines and Medical Devices bill to give faster access to new treatments. However, there is none of the detailed testing required for new devices which is needed before a drug is approved. For the Government to create a situation where less regulation is in play so these things can get to market quicker, is indefensible, Professor Black says. Womens health considerations are poorly researched. We need better safeguards for medical treatment on women, including mesh. VICTIMS FACE YEARS WAITING FOR SURGERY TO REMOVE FAULTY IMPLANTS Seven years ago, Corinda Daw, 53, underwent an NHS operation for mild incontinence using TVT, a procedure her surgeon said would take 20 minutes and work for ever. Instead, the married mother-of-two, from near Harwich in Essex, was left in agony, unable to urinate and with her sex life destroyed as the tape strangled her insides and migrated into her bladder. Corinda had to wait 16 months just to join an NHS waiting list to have the mesh removed. According to one expert, it will take about 20 years to clear the waiting list of women who need the surgery. Trapped in pain, Corinda could endure no more and, last August, she used her husbands pension to pay for private surgery to remove it. Corinda (pictured) waited ten months to see a consultant who told her to expect a wait of another three months for a removal operation Corinda, a sales consultant, had been referred for the TVT surgery after seeing her GP about the mild incontinence when sneezing and coughing. The urological surgeon she was sent to said she was a perfect candidate for a TVT. But as soon as the operation was over, I found I could not pass urine, says Corinda, who had to use a catheter. I was in agony from pelvic pain. It was five months before I could pass water naturally. But it has never been right. Her sex life also suffered. I had no pleasure sensation, only pains like a chronic urinary infection, she says. She had no idea what was behind her symptoms until three years ago, when her husband Martyn, a harbour-master, read a feature on mesh injury in the Mail. He thought, That sounds like my missus. I read it and thought the same, so I went to a new GP and asked for a mesh removal operation. It took ten months to get to see a consultant who told her to expect a wait of another three months for an operation date. But no appointment came. Corindas recently retired husband then suggested sacrificing his pension pot for a private mesh-removal op. The NHS waiting list has driven many women into private surgery, says Sohier Elneil, a consultant urogynaecologist at University College Hospital. I have known women to take second mortgages or cancel holidays of a lifetime to fund ops, she says. Corinda underwent the three-hour surgery, at a cost of 10,000, at the Spire Bristol Hospital. The surgeon found the mesh had attached itself to the inside of Corindas groin and migrated into her bladder. There was 27cm of the stuff strangling my organs, she says. The surgeon said it would have caused more damage over time. Three days after the op, I cried with relief. The pain had disappeared and I could pass water easily. But Corinda fears her sex life will never recover: The mesh took away the feelings a woman should have, a cruel price to pay for treatment for mild incontinence. Posted Wednesday, July 1, 2020 3:25 pm Spokane has joined several other communities vying to host the command center of the newest branch of the armed forces the U.S. Space Force. Spokane County commissioners unanimously voted Monday to nominate the region as a potential site for the U.S. Space Command headquarters. Spokane Mayor Nadine Woodward signed a similar letter nominating the city of Spokane on Friday. County Commissioner Al French said the new Space Command headquarters could bring hundreds of civilian jobs to the region, economic growth and a brighter future for Fairchild Air Force Base. From our standpoint, its all good news, assuming that we win, he said. French said the application process likely will be incredibly competitive. The Air Force previously had a smaller number of sites it was considering for the Space Command, but revised requirements in May. French said he doesnt view the city of Spokanes separate nomination as competition with the county, saying it might improve the odds of getting selected. Im good with whatever site is chosen as long as its in Spokane County, he said. This means our odds are better when we can offer multiple options. Brian Coddington, city of Spokane spokesman, said the multiple nominations showed community support, which may be a good sign if either Spokane County or the city of Spokane makes it to later stages of the selection process, where the Air Force will screen communities for additional requirements. When reached by phone Monday, a representative from U.S. Space Force said staff are currently not allowed to disclose information beyond application materials posted online. Those materials do not include whether the new Space Command headquarters will be mostly for administrative purposes, or would also be a launching site for many of Space Forces missions. To be considered as a site for the Space Command headquarters, applicants must be within 25 miles of a military base, be one of the 150 largest metropolitan statistical areas in the United States and have an score of at least 50 out of 100 on the livability index created by the AARP Public Policy Institute. Finding a community with good livability scores will help attract and maintain talent, according to application materials. Multiple governments in one metropolitan area are allowed to apply to be the site of the new Space Command Center, as long as each request is endorsed by the governor, which is also a requirement for applicants. The due date for communities to nominate themselves is June 30. Gov. Jay Inslee already has endorsed the city of Spokanes request, as well as requests from Kent, Lakewood, Tacoma, Everett, and Vancouver. Tara Lee, Inslee spokeswoman, said he also will endorse Spokane Countys request. As a long supporter of the military and defense economic sector in WA our states second largest direct public employer Governor Inslee is pleased to endorse multiple Washington communities in their efforts to host the new headquarters. Our states commitment to supporting the national defense and our robust space and aerospace industry make us an ideal candidate, she wrote in an email statement. The Space Force was established by President Donald Trump in a memorandum in December 2018, but wasnt funded until this year. It is currently made up of reassigned airmen from the Air Force Space Command. The Space Force is currently headquartered in Colorado Springs, but the Air Force plans to choose the new command center early next year and have it operational by 2026. French said the county received some help in preparing to nominate itself from the states delegation to Congress. Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers organized a briefing to educate local leaders on what they need to do to nominate themselves. In a prepared statement Monday, McMorris Rodgers said she will support the process in every way possible. This is an exciting opportunity and the Spokane region is uniquely suited for it as the home to Fairchild Air Force Base, she said. Protecting and expanding Fairchild is a top priority for me. Viewers were left in hysterics today when both Sky and BBC News had one of their interviews crashed by toddlers. Dr Clare Wenham, from South London, appeared on BBC News today to discuss the coronavirus crisis, when her daughter Scarlett began rearranging a unicorn picture behind her, and even struck up a conversation with the newsreader. Meanwhile journalist Deborah Haynes, from Kent, was interrupted on Sky News by her son who paid her a visit to discuss how many biscuits he was allowed to eat. Both channels' viewers were delighted by the exchanges, with one teasing that Clare's daughter was the 'best child interrupts news' clip they'd ever seen, while Deborah's son was praised for his keen biscuit negotiation skills. Journalist Deborah Haynes (pictured) , from Kent, was interrupted by her son during an interview for Sky News Dr Clare Wenham (pictured), from South London, appeared on BBC News today to discuss the coronavirus crisis On BBC news earlier today, Dr Wenham appeared to speak about the COVID pandemic with Christian Fraser at her South London home when her daughter Scarlett appeared. After Dr Wenham apologised, Scarlett remained in the room and began rearranging a shelf behind her, trying to figure out where to put a picture she had painted of a unicorn. 'Mummy, where do you want this picture, she asked, before repeating, 'Mummy, where do you want it?' After attempting to continue the interview, Christian gave in and addressed the little girl saying: 'Scarlett, I think it looks better on the lower shelf. It's a lovely unicorn.' Both channel's viewers were delighted by the exchanges, with one teasing that Clare's daughter was the 'best child interrupts news' clip Upon hearing her name mentioned, Scarlett asked her mother: 'Mummy, what's his name?' 'My name is Christian,' replied the newsreader. Scarlett went on: 'Christian, I'm just deciding where it can go and where mummy wants it to go.' 'I think just on that shelf is great, thank you,' said Dr Wenham, 'I'm so sorry'. The presenter remained in good spirits about the interview, joking that it was 'the most informative interview I've done all day'. Scarlett began rearranging a shelf behind her, trying to figure out where to put a picture she had painted of a unicorn After attempting to continue the interview, host Christian Fraser gave in and addressed the little girl and she asked him his name Viewers were left in hysterics, with one writing: 'I love kids. They don't care if mum has an important BBC interview. They must attend to the much more important matter of WHICH SHELF TO PUT THE UNICORN PICTURE.' Journalist Charlie Haynes agreed: 'This is without a doubt the best 'child interrupts BBC news interview' i've ever seen. Zero f**ks given, doing some interior design in the background behind her mum, then comes over to demand the presenter's name.' Many praised the way Christian handled the situation, writing: 'I love that the anchor was able to play it off for her and make everyone comfortable. What a good guy.' Another agreed: 'Good on the news reader to act normal and engage with the child....well done BBC!' Sky New's Foreign Affairs editor Deborah apologised after her son entered the room in search of biscuits while she was being interviewed by presenter Mark Austin Next came Sky New's Foreign Affairs editor Deborah, from her home in Kent, whose son entered the room in search of biscuits while she was being interviewed by presenter Mark Austin. Deborah was seen stopping mid-sentence as her son opened the door and came in, saying: 'Hold on that's my son arriving, really embarrassing.' 'Can I have two biscuits', he asks, to which the journalist replied: 'Yes, you can have two biscuits, really sorry about that.' Viewers found the incident hilarious, with several teasing that the toddler had chosen the perfect time to 'gain leverage in the snack negotiations' Mark, 61, London, then cuts the interview short saying: 'We'll leave Deborah Haynes there, in full family swing'. Viewers found the incident hilarious, with several teasing that the toddler had chosen the perfect time to 'gain leverage in the snack negotiations'. 'Send the kid to Brussels to lead the Biscuit negotiations. Let's get biscuits done', wrote one. Mark, 61, London, then cuts the interview short saying: 'We'll leave Deborah Haynes there, in full family swing' Another added: 'He knew what he was doing - gaining leverage in the snack negotiations. If mum hadn't been on the telly, he'd have ended up with a piece of fruit. Two biscuits - great result. ' Despite several users finding the 20-second incident amusing, several commented on the conduct of Austin writing that it was a 'shame' the interview ended so abruptly. Charlie Haynes once again tweeted: 'What a shame sky ended the interview so quickly'. Despite several users finding the 20-second incident amusing, several commented on the conduct of Austin writing that it was a 'shame' the interview ended so abruptly Another agreed: 'She was multi-tasking just fine and had resolved the whole thing. Did he really cut off the interview at the point when the biscuit negotiation had already been concluded?' 'My thoughts exactly, said another, 'And, so been there while working from home too... savvy kids know when to leverage snacks. ' Piers Morgan took to Twitter to tease: 'Why did you cut away? this was by far the best TV youve anchored for months.. and @haynesdeborah was handling things with hilarious aplomb.' However even Mark himself seemed to regret his decision, later admitting: 'It was the best bit of the programme . Should have stayed with you ! Smart negotiator right there.' Deborah later tweeted thanking the public for their 'lovely' reaction to the interview, teasing that her son managed to land himself a couple of chocolate digestives - while both Mark and Piers Morgan weighed in on the interview Deborah later tweeted thanking the public for their 'lovely' reaction to the interview, teasing that her son managed to land himself a couple of chocolate digestives. She penned: 'Thank you for the lovely comments after my sons impromptu appearance mid-live-broadcast. I can confirm that his high-stakes negotiating skills netted him two chocolate digestives.' While lockdown may exacerbated the volume of children dropping in on their parent's interview, it was a peril of those working from home long before the pandemic. In 2017, Robert Kelly, an associate professor of Political Science at Pusan National University in Busan won the hearts of the nation when his two children interrupted in on air. The interviewees toddler bursts into the room in a bright yellow top and performs a hilarious dance behind him Hilarious footage showed expert Robert, 47, handling serious questions on the country's president, Park Geun-hye, being ousted from power. But suddenly, a toddler bursts into the room in a bright yellow top and performs a comical dance behind the Cleveland, Ohio, native. Kelly focuses entirely on the camera as he attempts to blindly hand off his daughter, who is clearly curious as to who he is talking to. And his parental problems soon double as a baby also excitedly makes his way into the room under his own power in a walker. To complete the farce, his wife Jung-a Kim then comes skidding through the threshold. Both parties try to keep their cool despite the hilarious interruption from his young child His parental problems soon double as a baby also excitedly makes his way into the room in a stroller She grabs the two youngsters and attempts to drag them out of the door, but one of them can be heard wailing and the baby's walker suddenly won't fit back through the door. Eventually, she manages to get them both out, and the interview continues. When the interview finishes, broadcaster James Mernendez says: 'There's a first time for everything. I think you've got some children who need you!' Last month Good Morning Britain Meteorologist Laura Tobin found herself having to improvise on air while juggling working from home and childcare. Working mum: Good Morning Britain weather forecaster Laura Tobin was interrupted by her daughter Charlotte, two, as she recorded the show last month GMB shared a clip of Laura trying to prerecord a weather forecast only to be joined by her daughter Charlotte, two, who Susanna Reid was meant to be playing quietly nearby. 'Mummy's just going to talk to some people, can you just be really quiet,' Laura was seen asking her daughter. Just seconds later though she was forced to gently shush Charlotte as she continued to talk. Laura managed to get through a few lines before her little girl wandered into shot, leading to giggles and an apology from Laura to her producers. Courtney Kube was reporting for NBC, when her young son interrupted her on set 'Excuse me, my kids are here!' Kube smiled as she tried to remove her son from the camera's view Sharing photo of herself and Charlotte, Laura admitted that at least her little girl didn't interrupt her live broadcast. 'Thats a wrap from me & my helpful assistant Charlotte (who also helped with makeup) I hoped shed be distracted by play-Doh & colouring-She wasnt (for a recording) BUT breakfast meant my live weather went uninterrupted. Who can relate?', she penned. In October last year, NBC reporter Courtney Kube was interrupted by her young son during a live news broadcast - after he wandered onto the set at their Washington DC studios. Kube, who is NBC's national security and military reporter, was ever-the-professional as her cheeky toddler began hugging her and tried to pull on her hair. 'Excuse me, my kids are here!' Kube smiled as she tried to remove her son from the camera's view. Kube has been an NBC employee for almost two decades and often brings her twin boys to the TV studios Earlier this year, newsreader 's young daughter was seen entering the screen during a live broadcast to tell her mum that she had just received a text message. The incident took place on local channel TaghilTV in the city of Nizhniy Taghil located in the south-western Russian region of Sverdlovsk Oblast In the footage, the anchor, named Anna Kizilova, reads out the news before a little girl enters the frame and tries to hand her a phone. When the mortified presenter tries to gently push her daughter Elizaveta out of shot, the girl says: 'But mum, you have a message.' Anna Kizilova, reads out the news on live Russian TV before her daughter enters the frame and tries to hand her a phone The incident took place at the studio for local channel TaghilTV in the city of Nizhniy Taghil The TV presenter told Central European News (CEN) that she had to collect her daughter from nursery and quickly return to work when the incident happened. She said: 'I wasn't married at the time and my mum lived on the other side of town so there was no one I could leave her with when I had to go to work.' Kizilova said that she was not punished by channel bosses for the live mishap. She commented: 'I was worried about losing my news role, but the producer asked the team about the public reaction and was told that it had been positive. The incident took place in 2012, but was shared on social media earlier this year. Meghan Markle wowed former gang members when she spoke 'perfect' Spanish during a visit to a Los Angeles charity with Prince Harry. Speaking about the 'wonderful' time that Meghan, 38, and Harry, 35, spent visiting Homeboy Industries cafe and bakery last month, founder Father Greg Boyle praised the mother-of-one's linguistic skills, describing her 'perfect' Spanish as a 'revelation'. 'She spoke Spanish perfectly with one young woman,' he told People. 'She just went right into Spanish, which was a revelation and it was very good.' Making an impression: Meghan Markle (pictured front row, third from right) wowed volunteers at a visit to an LA charity last month when she spoke Spanish 'perfectly' to a young woman Skilled: Homeboy Industries founder Father Greg Boyle said Meghan, 38, 'just went right into Spanish, which was a revelation' Learning: Father Boyle joked that Meghan was 'quite good' at baking in the kitchen, while Harry was 'less' skilled than his wife Meghan is said to have learned Spanish during her time interning at the US Embassy in Buenos Aires, Argentina, while she was a student at Northwestern University; she also studied French for several years while filming Suits in Canada. But it wasn't just Meghan's linguistic skills that impressed Father Boyle and the other volunteers during the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's charity visit in June. The charity founder also praised the mother-of-one's baking skills, revealing that she was 'quite good' at preparing the croissants and other baked goods that Meghan and Harry made alongside the other volunteers during their trip to the charity - which works with ex-gang members and helps to provide food for the vulnerable. However, while Meghan excelled in the kitchen, Father Boyle joked that Prince Harry didn't possess the same natural abilities as his wife, joking: 'Meghan is quite good at it... and Harry probably less so.' Still, the couple - who wore gloves, face masks, and hairnets during the visit - made a very positive impression on their fellow volunteers, and on Father Boyle, who described them as being 'completely engaged and very informal'. He also praised the couple's very obvious connection, explaining that, while they went out of their way to connect with the other volunteers in the room, 'they'd always find their way back to each other'. 'It was just sweet,' Father Boyle added. 'They seem to have a good time together. We all felt special that they chose to come to our place.' He also revealed that the former royals arranged the visit shortly after the murder of George Floyd, who died at the hands of white police officer Derek Chauvin and three colleagues during an arrest over Memorial Day Weekend. Father Boyle said that the mother-of-one - who has previously attended a Homeboy Industries workshop alongside her mom Doria Ragland - made very clear when she spoke to him that the couple wanted to get stuck in during their visit, explaining that the mother-of-one 'didnt want to have a long-table discussion or presentation or even a tour'. Friendship: Meghan first met Father Boyle (pictured) while she was studying at Immaculate Heart High School in Los Angeles, which the charity founder has a long relationship with History: Meghan and her mother Doria Ragland (pictured with Harry in 2018) have previously attended a Homeboy Industries cooking workshop together The charity founder added that Meghan's focus was 'helping to address food insecurity in the country' - an issue that she and Harry have centered much of their volunteer work around since moving to LA, where they were previously spotted delivering food to critically-ill residents in April. At the time of the couple's visit, Homeboy Industries shared snaps of Harry and Meghan working away in the kitchen on Instagram, while stating in the caption: 'Thank you to Harry and Meghan, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, for visiting and standing in kinship with our Cafe and Bakery teams yesterday! 'Our staff were thrilled to work alongside them as they helped prepare food and learned more about our newly launched #FeedHOPE program, which employs our program participants to provide meals to food-insecure seniors and youth across Los Angeles in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.' Meghan donned a smart white shirt and relaxed denim jeans for the volunteering effort, sweeping her hair into a low bun to tuck into her net. Meanwhile Prince Harry opted to match his wife in a similar smart white shirt as he joined her on the production line. The couple could be seen helping out to bake bread, as well as folding dough and sorting out food boxes for the vulnerable in their new hometown. Meghan first met Father Boyle 20 years ago at a Homeboy Industry cooking workshop where she and her mother Doria made tamales. Father Boyle, who has worked closely with Meghan's alma mater, Immaculate Heart High School in Los Angeles, said: 'The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were just "Harry and Meghan" to the homies. 'They rolled up their sleeves and deeply engaged with our workers in the bakery and cafe. It was immediate kinship and heartening in its mutuality.' Harry and Meghan's spokesman said 'the duchess mentioned that the spirit and style reminded her of the times she visited the Luminary Bakery in London', a social enterprise that offers disadvantaged women in the UK new opportunities. Mariana Enriquez, manager at Homegirl Cafe, said: 'It was remarkable to share our Feed Hope program with Harry and Meghan. 'They are both down to earth and kind. The staff was honored they took the time to see us, hear us and walk on our journey today. We will never forget it.' A representative of the couple said the Duke and Duchess 'connect deeply' with the organization's mission (which includes resources such as counseling, education, legal assistance, addiction recovery and employment ops) and feel it's 'a perfect example of how empathy, kindness, and compassion can change the world.' The organization describes itself as 'a beacon of hope in Los Angeles to brave men and women seeking to transform their lives after gang-involvement and incarceration.' It provides support to nearly 9,000 individuals through job training and free services such as tattoo removal, mental health services, GED classes, legal services, and more. It also helps provide space for our clients to heal from intergenerational cycles of violence in a community of radical compassion. Heartfelt: Father Boyle said that Meghan got in touch with him after the death of George Floyd, which she addressed during a speech to graduating students at her alma mater (pictured) 'Engaged': Father Boyle said that Meghan and Harry (pictured in March in London) 'seem to have a good time together' It is the third time the couple have been seen volunteering during the course of the coronavirus pandemic. In April, Meghan and Prince Harry were spotted out on the streets of LA as they continued their volunteering work for charity amid the crisis. The couple were seen linking arms and holding hands as they delivered packages to residents from the back of their $35,000 Cadillac XT5, having seemingly downgraded from the Porsche SUV they had used previously. It emerged that the couple, who moved to Los Angeles with 11-month-old son Archie a month ago, have been distributing meals to the needy in LA for the Project Angel Food charity A source close to the couple told the Daily Mail that they had hoped to keep their volunteering private but were glad the charity was being recognized. Three weeks prior to the couple's visit to Homeboy Industries, Meghan addressed Floyd's tragic death in a speech made to her former high school, Immaculate Heart, telling graduating students during the video message that his life 'mattered'. Meghan, who attended the school from the age of 11 to 18, also named other African Americans who were killed in the US by police in recent years. 'George Floyd's life mattered and Breonna Taylor's life mattered and Philando Castile's life mattered and Tamir Rice's life mattered,' she said. On speaking out about Mr Floyd, she said: 'I wasn't sure what I could say to you. I wanted to say the right thing and I was really nervous that it would get picked apart. And I realized the only wrong thing to say is to say nothing.' The Sussexes initially moved to Canada after stepping down as senior working royals on March 31 but are now forging out new lives for themselves as they set up home in California. Fans of Netflix's Unsolved Mysteries reboot have revealed their horror over finding out that one victim's husband carried her skull around a funeral home and spent over a year sleeping with her ashes. The first six episodes of the new series were released on Wednesday, and one case explores the death of Patrice Endres from Cumming, Georgia. The 38-year-old hairdresser and mom disappeared from her salon in broad daylight on April 15, 2004. Patrice left behind her son, Pistol Black, and her husband Pistol's stepfather Rob Endres, who openly despise each other. The two are both featured in the episode, and viewers were appalled by Rob's 'creepy' demeanor, with some convinced he had to be involved in his wife's death. Scroll down for video Confession: Rob Endres (pictured) revealed on the second episode of the Unsolved Mysteries reboot that he carried around his late wife Patrice's skull and slept with her ashes Mystery: The hairdresser from Cumming, Georgia, disappeared from her salon in broad daylight on April 15, 2004 Rob was 50 years old, around 20 years Patrice's senior, when they first met during a haircut. He never got along with Pistol and was hostile toward his stepson, even after he married Patrice. He was admittedly possessive of his wife, and their marriage wasn't doing well, according to family and friends. On the morning of Patrice's disappearance, she dropped her son off at school just like any other day. When Pistol was sent to the principal's office later that day, he was asked to call his mom, but there was no answer. After it was revealed that she was missing, authorities had little evidence to go on. While money had been taken from the salon's safe and her lunch had been left out uneaten, there was no evidence of a break-in or struggle. Looking back: Patrice left behind her son, Pistol Black (pictured), who was a teenager when she went missing Only leads: Patrice is believed to have disappeared from her business, Tamber's Trim 'n Tan Salon, between 11:37 a.m. and 11:50 a.m. The police only knew that something happened between 11:37 a.m., the time of the last phone called she had picked up, and 11:50 a.m., the time of the first phone call she didn't answer. The episode is titled '13 Minutes' in reference to the 13 minutes in which she is believed to have disappeared from her business, Tamber's Trim 'n Tan Salon. Patrice's skeletal remains were found behind Lebanon Baptist Church in Dawson County on December 6, 2005. However, her wedding ring was not recovered and has never been found. Serial killers Gary Michael Hilton and Jeremy Bryan Jones have both been suspects in her death, with the latter even confessing to her murder. He later recanted his confession and there was no evidence to link him to the crime. Open case: Patrice's skeletal remains were found behind Lebanon Baptist Church in Dawson County on December 6, 2005. However, her wedding ring was not recovered Mystery: Rob was and still is a suspect, but he has an alibi and there has never been any evidence to suggest he had anything to do with his wife's death Authorities have determined that it was unlikely either man killed Patrice. Rob has an alibi in the form of a gas receipt that shows he was 45 minutes away at the presumed time of his wife's disappearance. While it's improbable that he was involved, it's not impossible, according to detectives. He was and still is a suspect, but there has never been any evidence to suggest he was involved or hired someone to kill his wife. Rob has pushed for Patrice's murder to be solved, but many viewers agreed there was something off about the stepfather, who kicked his wife's teenage son out of their home as soon as she disappeared. Hard to handle: Rob has Patrice's ashes and never let Pistol (pictured ) see them Final words: 'Yes, I'm protective of Patrice,' he said. 'And I have her. That's a good thing' Toward the end of the episode, he recalled asking the funeral home director Judson Caldwell to lay out Patrice's remains for him because he wanted to see her. 'I picked up her skeleton, I mean her head, and carried it around for a while,' he said. 'Put her back, kissed her goodbye. I thanked Mr. Caldwell and I left. He asked me if I was okay to drive. I was. That's the last time I saw Patrice anywhere near intact.' Rob has Patrice's ashes and never let Pistol see them. 'Probably for a year or longer, after Patrice was returned to me, her ashes, she stayed in my bed. I slept with her. It's something that I typically don't share with people. 'But she was like my teddy bear,' he said. 'Cause that's how we used to, you know, that's how we used to sleep, snuggled together. Just brought back good memories. 'And yes, I'm protective of Patrice,' he added. 'And I have her. That's a good thing.' Stunned: Viewers have been taking to Twitter to share their horror over Rob's comments, with some insisting he must have killed his wife People have been taking to Twitter to share their shock over Rob's spine-chilling interview, with many insisting he had to have been behind his wife's murder. 'So yeah, that creepy a** husband on Unsolved Mysteries def killed his wife. Carried her skull around the funeral home?? Slept with her ashes?? That "And I have her" line at the end?? WTF,' one person tweeted. '#UnsolvedMysteries ep 2... the f*****g husband did it,' someone else insisted. 'Obviously. He changed the locks on her son THE NEXT DAY, walked around with her skull, slept for a year with her ashes and said they never argued?? F*****g red flags all over the god damn place. Give her son the ashes!!' Another compared Rob to Tiger King star Carole Baskin, whose husband Don Lewis mysteriously vanished and was later pronounced dead. 'EPISODE 2 OF UNSOLVED MYSTERIES IS THE NEXT CAROL BASKIN,' the fan wrote. 'I am completely disturbed by what I just watched and I remember this case vividly.' Blood samples taken from New Yorkers reveal some antibodies against the novel coronavirus much earlier than previously believed, a study suggests. Researchers found that around 10 to 20 residents out of about 500 in the Big Apple had been built up an immune response in late February. That's about two percent of those tested at that time. That's about one week before the first case was confirmed on February 29 and announced on March 1 by Gov Andrew Cuomo. The team, from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, says the findings could mean the virus was circulating in New York in late January or early February. Coronavirus antibodies were detected in about 2.3% of samples for the week ending on February 23, with 1.4% in one group (above) and 0.9% in another group This means the virus was likely circulating in New York as early as late January or early February. Pictured: A graph showing 0.9% of patients testing positive for coronavirus antibodies for the week ending on February 23 The first case in New York was confirmed on February 29 and announced by officials on March 1. Pictured: People wear a protective face mask outside The Smith on the Upper East Side in New York City, June 30 For the study, published on pre-print site medRxiv.org, the team analyzed around 5,500 plasma sample taken from patients at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City. Patients were split into two groups. The first group was the 'sentinel group' being those who visited the ER or were admitted to the hospital with suspected cases of coronavirus. The second group was the 'screening group,' which consisted of people who came for non-coronavirus visit such as OB/GYN appointments, transplant surgeries and so on. Over two weeks, starting with the week ending in February 9, researchers did not find any antibodies for COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus. However, on the week ending February 23, researchers found that 2.3 percent of samples, between 10 and 20, contained antibodies. About 1.4 percent of people in the sentinel group had antibodies as did 0.9 percent of those in the screening group This means these New Yorkers were likely infected with the virus about two weeks earlier before they recovered. However, the first case was confirmed at Mount Sinai on February 29 and New York officials announced the first case in the state - a Manhattan woman who had recently traveled to Iran - on March 1. Another slight increase was seen for the week ending in March 1, with about 5.2 percent among both groups testing positive for antibodies. A spike among the sentinel group, those suspected of having the virus, occurred during the week ending March 22, and occurred among the screening group fort he week ending March 29. By the week ending April 19, antibody prevalence was 58.1 percent among the sentinel group and 19.3 percent among the screening group. Both are below the estimated 67 percent that is needed to achieve community immunity against the virus. 'These data potentially suggest an earlier than previously documented introduction of SARS-CoV-2 into the NYC metropolitan area,' the authors wrote. It's unclear when the virus was first introduced, but it's much earlier than previously believed. 'You're probably talking about very early in February,' lead author Dr Florian Krammer, an immunologist at the Icahn School of Medicine, told The New York Times. 'It looks like there was at least low-level circulation.' Advertisement New daily coronavirus infections are surging in the US, with more than 47,000 new cases confirmed Tuesday marking an increase of more than 80 percent over the new cases reported in a single day just two weeks ago, according to a Reuters tally. Steep national increases in cases are driven by a handful of states, eight of which hit record-high new cases Tuesday. Those states are Alaska, Arizona, California, Georgia, Idaho, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Texas. Nearly 2,637,000 Americans have now caught coronavirus and 127,427 people have died of the viral infection. Top US infectious disease specialist Dr Anthony Fauci warned during a Tuesday Senate hearing that daily infections could soar to 100,000 'if this does not turn around' and, while he declined to predict a specific number of fatalities, he worries the death toll in the US could reach 'disturbing' heights. President Trump has attributed the surging daily case numbers to a 'great' expansion of coronavirus testing in the US. The number of test run Tuesday, June 30, was nearly double the number of tests run on May 30, according to data from the Covid Tracking Project. But the number of daily cases has now far surpassed what was thought to be the pandemic's peak, in April. Public health experts warn that, although the number of people dying each day is down significantly, these increases typically lag behind case increases, with one recent study estimating a 17-day delay. Eight US states - Alaska, Arizona, California, Georgia, Idaho, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Texas - hit record-highs for new coronavirus cases on Tuesday. COVID-19 cases across the US increased by 46 percent in the week ending June 28, compared to the previous seven days, with the majority of rises occurring in the West and South of the country Amid alarming coronavirus case increases, states are beginning to roll back their reopenings. After its cases doubled over the past two weeks, Arizona Governor Doug Ducey issued an executive order for bars, gyms and movie theaters to shut down immediately on Monday. It became the fourth state to roll back its reopening, following California, Texas and Florida, which took similar action last week. Each of the three are now averagine 5,000 new infections a day. Tuesday, Delaware ordered some of its beach towns shut down their bars after a recent spike in cases. More than 11,500 people in Delaware have now tested positive for coronavirus and the state announced 95 new cases Tuesday. Over the weekend, 270 new cases were diagnosed. Delaware Governor John Carney's order was met with protests in at least one town. Citizens in Dover took to the streets brandishing signs that read 'enough is enough.' The re-closures come just before the July 4 weekend, which would have been a boon to businesses, especially in beachfront towns, where bars will now have to shut their doors. Like Delaware, Alaska's total number of cases is low compared to more populous states like California or Texas, but the recent uptick is disturbing. TEXAS: With 6,975 new cases confirmed Tuesday, Texas hit a new record-high for its number of daily coronavirus infections ALASKA: The state has ranked near the bottom of the US for coronavirus cases, but set a record high of 48 new infections on Tuesday On Tuesday, 48 new cases were confirmed in the sparsely populated state, bringing the total to 544 (including 144 visitors). It's the largest single-day increase in cases in the state to-date, and includes 12 non-residents. Fourteen Alaskans have died of coronavirus. Alaska was among the last states to be hit by coronavirus. Only Hawaii and US territories like Guam and the Virgin Islands currently have fewer cases. In the past three weeks, as cases have ticked up in the state, Alaska has stepped up screening and testing at its airports. Last week, about 5,000 travelers were tested. Airport screening and testing has resulted in 45 positive tests so far, according to KTVA. Arizona is still the most worrisome state. New daily infections there - as sell as in Florida, Louisiana, Idaho and Washington state - have more than doubled in the past week. ARIZONA: Once again, Arizona has hit a record high number of new daily coronavirus infections with nearly 4,7000 new infections confirmed yesterday ARIZONA: Nearly 1,600 people have died of coronavirus in Arizona, but public health experts warn the death toll may lag behind the surging case rates According to data tracking from Johns Hopkins University, 4,630 new coronavirus cases were added to Arizona's talley on Tuesday. That falls just shy of Monday's record 4,682 new cases in the state. Arizona's Republican governor Doug Ducey on Monday all bars, gyms, movie theaters and water parks to close for at least 30 days. The state's cases increased 29 percent in the last week after reporting several record daily increases in cases. Most Arizona bars and nightclubs opened after the governor's stay-at-home and business closure orders were allowed to expire in mid-May. Texas, too, has rolled back its reopening, which began in mid-April. Yesterday, 6,975 new coronavirus cases were confirmed in the Lone Star state, shattering its previous single-day increase record of 5,996 new cases last week. On Friday, Governor Greg Abbott announced a number of new, but modest restrictions on businesses. Even as cases have surged, daily deaths have remained relatively low in the US. Public health experts warn that death increases may lag several weeks behind case increases, but a major fatality spike has not been seen following the April peak of daily infections, according to a chart from OurWorldinData.org Bars or restaurants that gross most of their income from alcohol must close at noon. Dine-in restaurants are allowed to stay open, but only at 50 percent occupancy. All river rafting and tubing businesses were ordered closed, and outdoor gatherings of more than 50 people must now get permission from local authorities to proceed. He stopped short, however, of re-issuing full closures or stay-at-home orders. Governor Abbott said the state would take further action only if the rate of positive tests there exceeds 10 percent. With 2,119,036 total tests run and 159,986 cases, the state now current rough positivity rate is 7.5 percent. Now, local leaders are calling on the governor to allow them to issue their own stay-at-home orders. 'If you are not willing to take these actions on behalf of the state, please roll back your restriction on local leaders being able to take these swift actions to safeguard the health of our communities,' Sam Biscoe, interim Travis County judge, wrote in a letter to Abbott on Monday. California has taken a much stricter approach to the pandemic and was one of the first states to shutdown. But its cases are once again surging. Now, 222,917 Californians have tested positive in total, with 6,367 new positives confirmed Monday, marking the second-highest single day increase in the state to-date. Governor Gavin Newsom ordered bars in several counties, including Los Angeles County, to reclose, and reinstated stay-at-home orders in the border county of Imperial, California. OKLAHOMA: The state has had relatively low case rates, but on Tuesday it set a record of more than 12,500 new cases (Pictured: a graph of cases by date of onset. Cases confirmed on Tuesday may be reflected in bars for previous days, when symptoms began) IDAHO: On June 30, Idaho set a record for the highest number of new infections in the state to-date, suggesting it may become a hotspot On Tuesday, Governor Newsom warned that more restrictions - including mandatory mask-wearing and potentially renewed stay-at-home orders - are to come. 'Tomorrow well be making some additional announcements on efforts to use that "dimmer switch: that weve referred to, and begin to toggle back on our stay-at-home order and tighten things up," said Newsom during a press briefing. 'The framework for us is this: if youre not going to stay home and youre not going to wear masks in public, we have to enforce and we will, and well be making announcements on enforcement tomorrow.' South Carolina, Oklahoma, and Idaho also hit their greatest number of new cases in a single day since coronavirus hit the US. Although increases in the Southern US have been largely blamed for the surging overall US total, the addition of these states suggests that the issue may be more widespread than previously thought. An experimental coronavirus vaccine being tested by Pfizer Inc and its German partner BioNTech showed encouraging early results, the companies announced on Wednesday. The trial recruited 45 people, who received either a low, medium or high dose of the vaccine in two shots or a placebo. Volunteers given either the low or medium dose had immune responses in the range expected to be protective, when compared to COVID-19 survivors, according to the preliminary findings. The results, which were published on pre-print site medRxiv.org, have been submitted for publication in a scientific journal, but have not yet been peer-reviewed. Researchers randomly gave 45 healthy volunteers either a low dose, a medium dose or a high dose of a coronavirus vaccine, or a placebo. Pictured: The first patient enrolled in Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine clinical trial at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore receives an injection, May 4 Those who received either two shots of the low or medium dose of the vaccine generated levels of neutralizing antibodies between 1.8 and 2.8 times greater than those seen in recovered patients (above) 'We still have a ways to go and we're testing other candidates as well,' Philip Dormitzer, chief scientific officer for viral vaccines at Pfizer's research laboratories, told STAT News. 'However, what we can say at this point is there is a viable candidate based on immunogenicity and early tolerability safety data.' The vaccine candidate from Pfizer and Biotech uses part of the pathogen's genetic code to get the body to recognize the coronavirus and attack it if a person becomes infected. For the study, three groups of 12 received either a 10-microgram dose, a 30-microgram dose or a 100-microgram dose. Nine were given a placebo. The highest dose shot caused fevers in about half of the group, so a second shot wasn't given. Three weeks later, participants were given a second dose. Following that, 8.3 percent of the 10-microgram group and 75 percent of the 30-microgram reported fevers. However, these side effects did not result in hospitalization, nor were considered life-threatening, and resolved after about one day. The immunization generated not just antibodies against the virus but specifically neutralizing antibodies, meaning they stop the virus from infecting human cells. Results showed the levels of neutralizing antibodies were between 1.8 and 2.8 times greater than those seen in recovered patients. Volunteers who received one 100-microgram dose had lower levels of antibodies than those who were given two shots of the low or medium dose. Following news of the preliminary results, shares of Pfizer rose by four percent on Wednesday. The US pharmaceutical giant hopes to begin a large-scale trial this summer, but did not specify which jab it would be testing. Around 200 vaccines are being developed around the world with more than 15 currently in later-stage human trials such as AztraZeneca in partnership with Oxford University, Inovio and Moderna. A number of pharmaceutical companies are expected to begin human trials later this summer including Johnson & Johnson, Merck and Sanofi. Volvo Cars has confirmed it is recalling 2.2 million vehicles worldwide due to an 'extremely rare' seatbelt safety issue, which impacts almost 170,000 UK cars. The recall is the Swedish brand's biggest ever, and applies to passengers cars built between 2006 and 2018. There are eight affected models, which include the S60, S60 Cross Country, V60, V60 Cross Country, XC60, V70, XC70 and S80. Volvo's biggest recall: Some 2.2m cars are being called back by the Swedish brand in its biggest safety recall in history. One of the models impacted is the V70 built between 2008 and 2016 A total of 169,481 cars in the UK are said to be affected, according to Volvo's records. In a statement released on Wednesday, it said that investigations have identified a problem regarding the front seat belt fastening, mounted on the outer side of the front seat. 'The front seat belt fastening cable may over time suffer from reduced strength under certain circumstances,' it explained. These are the eight models built between 2006 and 2018 that are being recalled A total of 169,481 cars in the UK are said to be affected, according to Volvo's records. One of those is the XC60 built from 2009 to 2016 The recall is for a problem with the front seat belt fastening, mounted on the outer side of the front seat of cars including the 2011-2018 S60 Damage to the cable, which is located in a rubber sleeve on the outside of the seat, could result in 'reduced seat belt restrain function'. Volvo said instances of the fault manifesting are 'extremely rare' and the safety recall has been issued as a 'precautionary' measure. Stefan Elfstrom, a spokesman for the car brand, told Swedish public radio this morning: 'We have seen that this wire can be subject to wear and tear under special conditions,' reducing the seat belt's protection, he said, adding 'this is a very rare problem'. There have been no reports of injuries or accidents linked to the fault. 'The front seat belt fastening cable may over time suffer from reduced strength under certain circumstances,' Volvo explains. The recall is being issued to owners of S60 Cross Country models built between 2016 and 2018 V60 and V60 Cross Country models produced between 2011 and 2018 are also being recalled The manufacturer's statement added: 'We apologise for the inconvenience caused to our customers, and are grateful for their cooperation as we look to perform this precautionary action.' Volvo Cars UK says that if you own one of the affected vehicles, until it has been repaired, it recommends 'the driver and passenger ensure that the seat belt fastening is in a vertical position, aligned with the backrest, so that it will not be bent over the seat cushion when entering the seat'. 'This will reduce the risk of damage of the seat belt fastening,' it said. Volvo said instances of the fault manifesting are 'extremely rare' and the safety recall has been issued as a 'precautionary' measure. Pictured: Volvo's 2007-2016 S80, which has also been called back Recalls of impacted UK models should be completed by the end of 2020 and not cost owners a penny. The Volvo XC70 (2008-2016) is one of the models impacted Owners are being informed of the recall from today, and Volvo says it hopes to fix all 169,481 cars by the end of the year at no cost to owners. Owners can check if their car is impacted by going to the Volvo Cars UK website or can call a dedicated team dealing with the issue on 01628 422522. No currently produced Volvo cars are affected, it says. A five-year-old boy with two prosthetic legs has completed a heroic walking challenge and raised more than 1 million for the NHS hospital that saved his life. Tony Hudgell had to have both his legs amputated in 2017 as a result of abuse suffered at the hands of his birth parents. He set out to raise 500 for the hospital that saved his life by walking 10km in 30 days. Tony Hudgell, five, from West Malling, Kent, has raised more than 1 million for the Evelina London's Children's Hospital in London Tony, five, pictured with his adoptive parents Paula left, and Mark, right, suffered abuse at the hands of his birth parents. His legs were so badly damaged surgeons were forced to amputate both of his legs The youngster was inspired by the charity walk of his hero Captain Tom Moore But his incredible efforts captured the hearts of tens of thousands of people, with a staggering 1,073,121 raised for Evelina London Children's Hospital in just a month. Tony has had to relearn how to walk on his new prosthetic legs but was determined to follow in the footsteps of his hero Captain Tom Moore. He hugged his adoptive parents Paula and Mark Hudgell as he crossed the finish line in his home town of West Malling in Kent on Tuesday afternoon after completing his challenge. They were joined by friends, family and hospital staff to celebrate Tony's achievement. Ms Hudgell, 52, said: 'It is incredible to think that just a few weeks ago Tony could barely take a few steps. He is such a strong and determined boy and we are so proud. 'We'd like to thank everyone who has been so generous in supporting Tony's fundraising and we couldn't be happier that the money is going to a place that is so special to our family. 'I still can't get my head around it to be honest, it still doesn't seem real. 'I'm just so incredibly proud of him and everything he's done has just been amazing.' Tony was greeted with cheers and applause as he passed through the balloon arch finish line on Tuesday. Tony's dedication saw him beam down from Picadilly Circus in London, pictured Tony, pictured, had to learn how to walk with his new prosthetic legs Cat Flanagan, one of Tony's nurses at Evelina Hospital, said: 'Ever since he was a very little boy he has captured all of us in his heart. 'His achievement is amazing just from a personal point of view, his walking is so much improved. 'Now he's walking so well and just the achievement for the hospital is incredible.' Tony was inspired to take on the challenge after seeing fellow fundraiser Captain Tom on television and recently received a video message from Captain Tom himself, congratulating him on his achievement. Following in the footsteps of @captaintommoore, Tony pledged to walk 10km for Evelina London, raising over 1,000,000, so far. His story is so heartwarming that his inspiration, Captain Tom, got in touch to cheer him on. https://t.co/xZUOlHuiJ1 #GoTonyGo @paula_hudgell pic.twitter.com/tFS9YxyKBQ Evelina London (@EvelinaLondon) June 26, 2020 Caroline Gormley, associate director of fundraising at Evelina London, said: 'We'd like to wish Tony and his family a huge congratulations on this incredible achievement. Tony is a true inspiration. 'It was a joy to see Tony take the final steps of his challenge with a cheeky smile on his face. 'The money raised will help us to support children with complex needs, like Tony, across the region to ensure that all children in our care can live their best lives, today and tomorrow from small steps, like making sure that the environment where they receive care is extra special so that children and families feel safe and happy, to big leaps like funding research, new facilities and cutting-edge technology.' To donate to Tony's fundraiser, visit: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/tonys-10k-walk Puerto Rico will force all new arrivals to take a coronavirus or else quarantine for 14 days after a series of outbreaks blamed on infected travelers. The island's governor said the new rules will come into effect on July 15 and will mean that all travelers will have to take a molecular swab test 72 hours before they travel, and submit the results. Anyone who refuses, or tests positive, will be forced to quarantine for 14 days on arrival. In order to be released from quarantine, they must submit a negative test. The rules will also require all travelers to wear masks to stem the spread of the infection. Puerto Rico has reported 7,465 cases of the virus and 153 deaths. Puerto Rico will require all new arrivals to undergo a coronavirus test 72 hours before departure and share the results. Those who test positive, or refuse, will have to quarantine for 14 days on arrival (pictured, a test is carried out at the airport in Puerto Rico) Health Secretary Lorenzo Gonzalez said that only the results of a swab test taken 72 hours before departure will be accepted. Results of antibody tests and any other test, including blood tests, will not count. 'If you don't want to be tested, stay home. Dont come here and complicate our situation,' he said. Most molecular tests involve a nose or throat swab and are used to diagnose an active infection. The move mirrors restrictions applied by some European nations as they eased out of lockdowns in recent weeks, while trying to prevent a second wave of infections. Puerto Rico, which has a population of 3.2million, is currently emerging from a lockdown that began in mid-March. In order to enforce the quarantine, Gonzalez said a system known as 'Sara Alert' will randomly target those who are supposed to be isolating using texts, phone calls and personal visits. A graph of the daily number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Puerto Rico (blue bars) and the total number of confirmed cases (yellow line) up to June 29, the most recent data available A graph showing the daily number of suspected cases in Puerto Rico (blue bars) and the total of suspected cases (yellow line) up until June 29, the most recent data available Passengers who do not respond to text messages requesting health updates will be fined. Gov. Wanda Vazquez said her administration will recruit 350 people to help with tracking and monitoring efforts. 'We cannot let our guard down, especially with people who live elsewhere and are infected,' she said. The new rules come amid an alarming resurgence of cases in the U.S. mainland, with states like Texas, Florida and California backtracking on reopenings. Meanwhile, worldwide, officials report 500,000 confirmed deaths and 10 million confirmed cases. Several weeks ago, Vazquez asked the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration to temporarily ban commercial flights from cities in the U.S. mainland that are considered coronavirus hotspots. The FAA did not respond to that request. The rules, which will kick in from July 15, will also force all travelers to wear masks after a spate of recent infections blamed on new arrivals (pictured, governor Wanda Vazquez in a mask) Puerto Rico expects to receive up to 9,000 passengers a day in upcoming months, compared with the roughly 4,500 daily current arrivals, said Carla Campos, executive director of Puerto Ricos Tourism Company. Vazquez's administration will require that all passengers fill a form prior to arriving in Puerto Rico with required information including where the test was taken. Vazquez also stressed that everyone has to wear a mask if theyre outside or going into a business. Puerto Ricos main international airport will continue to be the only one accepting all commercial flights, with no date yet on when other airports, including a smaller international one in the islands northwest region, will reopen. Currently, passengers can voluntarily undergo a test at the Luis Munoz Marin airport. More than 280,000 people have been tested, with more than 660 positive results, said Gen. Jose Burgos, commissioner of the islands Emergency Management Bureau. Posted Wednesday, July 1, 2020 12:15 pm Almost eight months after state voters approved car-tab tax cuts, the Washington State Supreme Court on Tuesday heard arguments about the legality of Initiative 976, including whether people were misled by the ballot title. Previous vehicle fees and taxes, including those for city road work and Sound Transit, remain in effect. The court didn't rule on Tuesday, and no date has been set yet for justices to do so. A King County judge in February largely upheld the initiative but kept it on hold while the lawsuit seeking to overturn the measure was being appealed. Justice Steven Gonzalez critiqued a phrase in the I-976 ballot title that says vehicle taxes and fees would be lowered to $30 "except voter-approved charges." In some scenarios, notably a Seattle $60 car-tab fee to fund increased bus service, voters overwhelmingly gave local support. "I want to know what the policy is. I'm having difficulty discerning it," Gonzalez pressed Alan Copsey, a lawyer for the state Attorney General's Office, which is defending I-976. "Is 'voter-approved taxes' those which are previously approved? Or those to be approved in the future?" Copsey answered the measure repeals past voter-approved car taxes and fees, and moments later affirmed, "I am not aware of any that are not touched." Gonzalez said, "What if it said 'including voter-approved charges' instead of, 'except voter-approved charges.' Would that be accurate?" Other arguments explored whether it's legal for I-976 to base state taxes on car values by Kelley Blue Book, a private company, which are lower than what's in current state law. And if that's illegal, was the ballot title therefore misleading? Stephen Pidgeon, an attorney for tax opponent Clint Didier, a Franklin County Commissioner who is among those defending the initiative, supplied an answer: "That can be lawfully reverse engineered and already has been at the state-Senate level." In other words, the state could reduce tax bills by simply valuing cars with a depreciation system very close to Blue Book, as proposed this year in Senate Bill 5042. Disgruntled drivers have asked for that provision, because Sound Transit uses a system that overvalues vehicles, based on state laws. For instance, a five-year-old car is assigned 65% of its new value for tax purposes, when Kelley Blue Book averages 39%. David Hackett, an attorney for King County, argued that I-976 amounts to unconstitutional "logrolling" by mixing Blue Book valuations, a reduction of state car-tab fees to $30, and clauses not in the ballot title that aimed to reduce Sound Transit taxes and debt. "This initiative is a dumpster fire by the standards of the law," Hackett said. In particular, he highlighted how people in Spokane, Ephrata and Buckley, Pierce County, were thrust into voting about Sound Transit taxes not affecting them. But state attorney Copsey told the court: "The question is not whether I-976 is good policy or bad policy. The voters have demonstrated that it is the policy they want." He further argued the main provisions of I-976 "are all categorically related to one another. They are all related to the limitation or restriction of fees on motor vehicles." With the measure tied up in court, the state Legislature and Gov. Jay Inslee have suspended some projects and shuffled budgets as if I-976 will ultimately take effect and reduce state cash flows. They are bracing for more-severe cuts in 2021. Even before the COVID-19 economic collapse, the state Department of Transportation was on track to need 63% of its funds just to pay project debts by the late 2020s. So losing car-tab money could squeeze maintenance budgets harder, or impair the ability to keep big highway on track, barring some future gas-tax or other tax increase. I-976 was sponsored by anti-tax activist and GOP gubernatorial candidate Tim Eyman. The lawsuit seeking to overturn the measure was brought by a coalition of groups including the Garfield County Transportation Authority, Seattle and King County. A dog called 'Sprocket' has sparked a woman-on-woman brawl after gatecrashing an 80th birthday party. Jake Michael Wear, 28, and his mother Katrina Jean Wear, 54, appeared at Rockingham Magistrate's Court over the altercation at his grandfather's birthday celebration at a Perth home last September. The court heard a row broke out after Sprocket escaped from her home and entered Ms Wear's yard during the family gathering before eating the birthday cake, The West Australian reported. Sprocket the dog (pictured) was at the centre of an ongoing neighbourhood dispute, which spiralled out of control at an 80th birthday party last year An argument between Ms Wear and her female neighbour, who came to retrieve her dog, then turned physical, and they started pulling each other's hair and trading punches. Several guests at the celebration joined the melee including Ms Wear's son, who kneed the victim twice to the stomach as he tried to free his mother. The victim claimed she suffered a broken nose, which needed hospital treatment. The court also heard Ms Wear damaged the victims glasses by stomping on them. The family's lawyer Michael Tudori told the court Ms Wear was an embroiled in an ongoing dispute with her neighbour over Sprocket repeatedly escaping from her yard. Both mother and son expressed remorse for their actions as they pleaded guilty to assault. The incident ended up in Rockingham Magistrate's Court (pictured) this week, where a mother and son were fined $1650 Ms Wear also pleaded guilty to criminal damage. The neighbour, 30, recalled her version of the 'traumatic' incident, where she denied Sprocket helped herself to the sweet treat. 'Our dog hasn't got an appetite for birthday cake,' the woman told the court. 'I've never been in a fight myself, and to be set upon like that ... it was all so surreal.' Magistrate Leanne Atkins described Ms Wear's behaviour as 'totally unacceptable'. as she fined the woman and her son $1,650 each. Essence Magazine has been hit with accusations of sexual harassment, bullying and pay inequity, in a scathing essay penned by an anonymous group of staff members who claim the company has been 'hijacked by corporate greed and an unhinged abuse of power.' Essence denied all allegations in a statement released one day after a Medium blog post published under the byline, 'Black Female Anonymous' on Sunday accused leadership of creating an 'extremely unhealthy work culture.' The coalition of employees called for the resignation of CEO Richelieu Dennis, Essence Ventures board member Michelle Ebanks, COO Joy Collins Profet, and Chief Content Officer Moana Luu. The magazine, which caters to a black female audience, was described as the 'most deceptive Black media company in America', as the disgruntled authors claim the company capitalizes on the idea of black female empowerment brand but fails to practice it in the workplace. The authors of the essay, 'Black Female Anonymous' called for the resignation of CEO Richelieu Dennis (center) Essence Ventures board member Michelle Ebanks (left) COO Joy Collins Profet, and Chief Content Officer Moana Luu (right) for allegedly creating an 'extremely unhealthy work culture' The essay comes on the heels of the magazine's 50th anniversary celebration. The anonymous group accused Essence of capitalizing on the idea of black female empowerment brand but failing to practice it in the workplace The essay includes allegations of abuse, intimidation, wrongful layoffs, pay inequality and mistreatment of black female employees, however it provides little to no specific details on the alleged events. The group has launched a petition online demanding a change in leadership and urging corporate sponsors such as AT&T, Chase Bank, Coca Cola, Walmart and other brands to immediately 'divest' all its partnerships with the company. The authors accuse Dennis, 49, who acquired the publication in 2018, of having a 'surface-level commitment to Black women driven by greed and a debaucherous sexual appetite.' They claim the married CEO has a history sleeping with women on the Sundial staff [the parent company of Shea Moisture sold to Unilever in 2017] and preys on female employees at private company events. The essay, however, does not provide specifics on his alleged harassment or identify any women involved. Dennis is also accused of forcing employees to sign non-disclosure agreements in an effort to protect him from potential backlash from 'wrongful layoffs' and 'libelous activity' and allegedly intimidating black female staff who questioned the legal contract. The group has launched a petition online demanding a change in leadership and urging corporate sponsors such as AT&T, Chase Bank, Coca Cola, Walmart and other brands to immediately 'divest' all its partnerships with the company They claim some black female staffers have experienced mental health issues and even 'repeated miscarriages' under the 'malignant' leadership of Ebanks who joined as president in 2005. 'Under both leadership of Ebanks and Joy Collins Profet, Chief Operating Officer, staff suffered from intense anxiety, depression, evidenced by signs of extreme weight gain or loss, workforce isolation and surrendered resignations,' the essay states. 'It is also sadly, under Michelle's management that Black female staff on maternal leave or recently returned from work after giving birth, were dismissed from their roles or at minimum threatened with dismissal.' During a company town hall in 2019, the authors claim Ebanks 'casually pointed to the door and told staff they could leave' when they asked about pay raises. They also allege the company 'initiated interrogation tactics' to 'find the mole' after a staff member anonymously sent in a complaint to Dennis and Ebanks regarding Moana Luu's 'workplace bullying.' 'Essence's C-suite leadership team strategically tells the market it "serves Black women deeply" under the safe seal of 100% Black ownership, but for the Black women who makeup over 80% of the company's workforce, they are systematically suppressed by pay inequity, sexual harassment, corporate bullying, intimidation, colorism and classism,' the essay states. 'Essence magazine is failing Black America. When Black media companies become unstable, it triggers the instability of the entire culture. 'The demand for a new America calls for the complete accountability of all Americans, even those of us in Black America and our cultural institutions. Black women deserve to feel safe both in white America and Black America.' Essence responded to the allegations in a lengthy statement uploaded on its website on Monday, describing the last 24 hours since its release as 'heartbreaking'. '[A]nonymity does not negate accountability. Facts will always matter, and we are not afraid of the truth. The allegations and mischaracterizations throughout whether of pay inequity, intimidation, and otherwise are unfounded attempts to discredit our brand and assassinate personal character,' the statement said. '[O]ur message is simple the accusations are false and we fully deny them. We are not succumbing to a cancel culture. We are not going to defame anyone. We are not meeting hurt with hurt. 'We know there is a lot of pain and a lot of healing that needs to happen in our communities, but we don't have to destroy each other to heal.' The essay comes on the heels of Essence's 50th anniversary celebration. The Black Female Anonymous group has also launched an Instagram page 'takebackessence' as part of their campaign calling for new leadership. Adidas's HR chief has retired to 'pave the way for change' after facing backlash for calling racism 'noise' during a company meeting. Karen Parkin, 55, the global head of human resources at Adidas AG, stood down from her position on Tuesday. In a memo to staff, seen by The Wall Street Journal, she wrote: 'I recognize that the focus on me has become a hindrance inhibiting the company from moving forward.' At a meeting last year at the Boston headquarters of Reebok, owned by Adidas, Ms Parkin said racism was 'noise' that was only discussed in America, and denied the company had any issue with it. Karen Parkin (pictured), the global head of human resources at Adidas AG stood down from her position on Tuesday On June 12, Ms Parkin admitted she 'should have chosen a better word', but added: 'It was my responsibility to make clear our definitive stance against discrimination, and this I did not. Should I have offended anyone, I apologize.' Her resignation came after a group of black employees called on Adidas's supervisory board to investigate Ms Parkin and her strategy for addressing racial issues in the workplace. Igor Landau, the chairman of the supervisory board, said Ms Parkin has always acted in the best interest of the company and its people. 'Her decision to leave the company reflects that commitment and her belief that a new HR leader will best drive forward the pace of change that Adidas needs at this time,' he said. At a Reebok meeting last year at the Boston headquarters of Reebok, owned by Adidas, Ms Parkin said racism was 'noise' that was only discussed in America, and denied the company had any issue with it (file image) Adidas invested $120 million in racial-justice causes in the US and the sportswear giant said a minimum of 30 per cent of all new positions in the US at Adidas and Reebok will be filled with Black and Latino people. It agreed to finance 50 university scholarships for Black students each year over five years. On June 10 Adidas posted a statement on its Instagram page that read: 'First we need to give credit where it's long overdue: The success of adidas would be nothing without Black athletes, Black artists, Black employees and Black customers. Period. On June 10 Adidas posted a statement on its Instagram page that read: 'First we need to give credit where it's long overdue' At the beginning of last month fashion brands including luxury accessory brand Senreve, jewelry brand Bychari, Nisse (pictured) and Livincool all pledged donations to the Black Lives Matter movement 'Remaining silent is not a neutral position when the people we should be standing with live in fear of police brutality due to systemic racism. 'With that in mind, it's our people who we owe this to the most. Our Black co-workers have shown us through their words and actions what leadership looks like, and the changes adidas can make as a brand. They've led the response that we will continue to implement together. 'This isn't the final step, this is just the first.' On a separate tile the statement continued: 'For most of you, this message is too little, too late. Los Angeles-based streetwear brand Livin Cool is donating 100% of profits from their newly released Gradient Collection to to the Color Of Change Organization Justin Bieber's clothing line has donated an unspecified amount to Color of Change to support the fight for racial equality 'We've celebrated athletes and artists in the Black community and used their image to define ourselves culturally as a brand, but missed the message in reflecting such little representation within our walls. 'It's time to own up to our silence. Black Lives Matter.' Ms. Parkin, who is British, joined Adidas in 1997 as a sales director in the UK. She rose through several executive roles, including head of its global supply chain and was promoted to its human resources chief in 2014. In 2017, she was the first woman named to its executive board since 1993. In her memo, she said travel restrictions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic made it difficult for her to commute between her home in Portland, Oregon, and her office in Germany. The employees are pressing the company based in Herzogenaurach, Germany, to create an anonymous public channel to submit any problems about racism. Atlanta-based shapewear brand Spanx is donating $100,000 to local organizations in their city, plus $100,000 to Black Lives Matter, NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund and the Minnesota Freedom Fund In an effort to foster permanent change in our community, swimwear and apparel brand 437 has launched the 437 Business Fund, where they will be distributing $20,000 in the form of grants between four Black female-founded initiatives The Business Fund is a long-term commitment to supporting the movement against racism, and towards justice and equality The demands from Black employees were reported by The Wall Street Journal in mid- June. 'I am deeply committed to our goals of creating a more diverse, inclusive and equitable company,' Parkin, a board member, said in a statement. 'While we have made progress in many areas, there is much more work to be done. 'However, it has become clear to me that to unify the organization it would be better for me to retire and pave the way for change.' Igor Landau, chairman of Adidas AG's supervisory board, said in a statement that Parkin's decision to leave the company reflects her belief that a new HR leader will 'best drive forward the pace of change that Adidas needs at this time.' 100% of profits from the new PrettyLittleThing x Saweetie collection are being donated to Black Lives Matter Kim Kardashians solutionwear line is donating an unspecified amount across multiple organizations In the wake of protests over police brutality sparked by the death of George Floyd, for which four former Minneapolis police officers have been charged, Adidas, like many other brands, took to social media in support of racial equality. But employees at Adidas and other companies like Amazon accused them of hypocrisy, saying their own workforces lacked diversity. Adidas employs about 59,000 people around the world. Adidas said its CEO Kasper Rorsted will assume responsibility for global human resources on an interim basis until a successor is appointed. At the beginning of last month fashion brands including luxury accessory brand Senreve, jewelry brand Bychari, Nisse and Livincool all pledged donations to the Black Lives Matter movement. Senreve donated $15,000 and matched 100 per cent of the amount any of their team members choose to donate. They took to Instagram to express their sadness, saying: 'Our hearts are broken over tragedy and trauma. We strive for SENREVE to be a platform for good.' Nisse, the upscale Turkish ready-to-wear brand, donated 100 per cent of proceeds from TogetherWeAreStronger shirts to the NAACP Organization. And Livincool, the Los Angeles-based streetwear brand (a celebrity favorite) donated 100 per cent of profits from their newly released Gradient Collection to to the Color Of Change Organization. The stepmother of fired Atlanta cop Garrett Rolfe has broken her silence to defend him, saying the 'horrible war on police officers' needs to end, as she reveals she was axed from her job in a 56-second phone call after he was hit with charges. Melissa Rolfe says that after her stepson shot Brooks twice in a Wendy's parking lot during a botched arrest attempt on June 12, her employers initially told to take six to eight weeks of paid time off to be with her family. But she lost her job as the human resources director of Equity Prime Mortgage in Atlanta days later on June 18. Melissa says she'll never work for the company again and claims she was fired in a 'political move' for supporting her stepson. 'I would say withhold your judgement Let the truth come out,' she said to Fox News on Tuesday, revealing she believes Garrett Rolfe will be exonerated. 'I feel like it was bad timing all the way around. We have a horrible war on police officers, and it needs to end,' she added. Melissa Rolfe, the stepmother of fired Atlanta police officer Garrett Rolfe, says she was axed from her job in a 'political move' after he was charged for fatally shooting Rayshard Brooks On June 17 Garrett Rolfe (left) was hit with 11 charges including felony murder for fatally shooting Rayshard Brooke, 27, (right) in a Wendy's parking lot during a botched arrest attempt on June 12 Melissa made headlines earlier this month with it emerged that Equity Prime Mortgage fired her from the company. The company said she was fired due to a 'hostile work environment', but Melissa says she was fired because of her relationship to her stepson. 'It was such false statements about me. Nothing was true,' she added. Melissa had worked at Equity Prime Mortgage in Atlanta since February and was the human resources director for the companys nearly 400 nationwide employees. Despite being initially offered paid time off, by June 18 - a day after officer Garrett Rolfe was hit with 11 charges including felony murder in Brooks' death - her company changed its tune, she said. She was terminated from her position as human resources director of Equity Prime Mortgage in Atlanta, where she's worked since February, a day after her stepson was charged Melissa and her husband dropped Garrett at the attorney's office to turn himself into the authorities. Afterwards she received a 56-second call from her direct manager saying she was being terminated immediately, but allegedly didnt provide a reason. The company released a statement saying Melissa was fired for violating company policy and creating an uncomfortable work environment for fellow employees. The company said while it values a 'diversity of thought', 'when those views create a hostile working environment, we must make difficult decisions and part ways.' Melissa said she was left absolutely 'stunned' at the allegation and that as HR director she is well versed on company policies and insists she did nothing wrong. 'When I would speak with my direct manager and with the president, I was being assured that everything was fine in the office, continually through the phone calls and text messages that I was receiving,' Melissa said. 'Everything's fine. My job was fine. Don't worry about it. We're not getting any negative feedback. So I was very surprised at how I was able to create a hostile work environment. I hadn't been back,' she added. The statement said Melissa, a HR director, had violated company policy and created an 'uncomfortable' and 'hostile' working environment as she was transitioning to a leave of absence granted by the firm Melissa Rolfe suspects she was targeted for her posts on social media where she shares photos of Garrett saying 'I Stand with Officer Rolfe'. She also reached out to local politician Marjorie Green, who supports the police system, about her family's suffering through these times Melissa suspects she was targeted for her posts on Facebook where she stood by her ste son including photos of him with the phrase 'I stand with Officer Rolfe' She also reached out to local politician Marjorie Green, who supports the police system. 'Our family has been completely devastated by all of this nonsense,' Melissa wrote to Greene. 'We've heard rumors that it was due to a Facebook post. We heard the rumor that it was because I reached out to our future Congresswoman Marjorie Greene, which I absolutely have the right to do. But again, they've not said anything so I don't know what their exact position is,' Melissa said. Melissa claimed that the companys president told her some of the security guards in the Atlanta office were upset with her for her link to Brooks' death. 'Supposedly the statement was "did you know your HR directors son killed one of your brothers." I was flabbergasted,' Melissa said. This screen grab taken from body camera video provided by the Atlanta Police Department shows Rayshard Brooks speaking with Officer Garrett Rolfe, left, in the parking lot of a Wendy's restaurant on June 12 before he was fatally shot Even though she lost her job, her husband still has full time employment and the family has been supported through donations from Garretts legal defense fund. But she says shell never work for Equity Prime Mortgage ever again. 'I do not want that job back. Ive lost total confidence with that company. I wouldnt feel safe at that company anymore. They have completely defamed me,' she said. Now Melissa is focusing on proving her stepson's innocence. On Tuesday Garrett Rolfe was granted $500,000 bond. He faces 11 charges in the killing of Brooks, including felony murder. A Gucci-wearing brunette in hotpants has become the sixth person to be charged over the death of Vergel Velasquez last year. Stacey Kelly was arrested in Kingsford in Sydney's east on Tuesday and taken to Maroubra Police Station where she was charged with Mr Velasquez's murder. The 35-year-old is the sixth person to be charged over Mr Velasquez's mysterious death as police are still unsure of the motive for an alleged bashing. Mr Velasquez was found unconscious with severe head injuries in the stairwell of his unit block in Girraween on December 30 last year, police said. Stacey Kelly was arrested in Kingsford in Sydney's east (pictured) on Tuesday afternoon over the alleged bashing The 42-year-old died in Westmead Hospital the following day, with police reporting 'a group of men had been involved in a physical altercation'. Ms Kelly joins five other men charged in relation to Mr Velasquez's death, with Michael Porter, Shane Weatherall, Leslie Fernando and Lionel McGrady all charged with murder in Moree in northwestern NSW last week. Lidcombe man Jeremy Owen James Smith was also arrested on Monday with the same charge. Ms Kelly was refused bail and is due to appear in Waverley Local Court on Wednesday, with the other five accused remaining before the courts. The 35-year-old (pictured) has become the sixth person to be arrested for an alleged brutal bashing Despite the arrests, detectives are still unsure of the motive behind the alleged attack as none of the arrested group are cooperating with police inquiries, they claim. Detective Superintendent Danny Doherty in April said Mr Velasquez was the victim of a 'ferocious and brutal attack'. 'It's clear from what we've found so far that he was really a non-violent person, he really wouldn't harm anyone,' Supt Doherty told reporters. 'For this to happen ... I don't think the community could stand this.' A baby boy has died in an isolated Northern Territory town, just a few doors away from where a two-year-old girl was raped. Police found the infant unresponsive after being called to a public housing property on Haddock Street in Tennant Creek at 9.17am on Tuesday. 'Paramedics transported the child to the Tennant Creek Hospital. He was pronounced deceased a short time later,' a police spokesman said. 'Investigations into the circumstances surrounding the death of the child are underway.' Officers reportedly found the baby boy just a few doors away from where a two-year-old girl was raped by a 25-year-old man in 2018. Stuart Street, the main strip of isolated NT town Tennant Creek. A baby boy has died in the town after police found him unresponsive at a public housing property on Tuesday morning Doctors reportedly tried to resuscitate the boy but were unsuccessful, citing cardiac arrest or respiratory failure as possible causes of death, according to The Australian. Investigators blocked off the property with police tape until late in the day, according to locals. The deceased baby boy is survived by his mother, father and an older sibling aged roughly two or three. Both parents were reportedly heavy drinkers, with the mother believed to be part of a large Tennant Creek family while the father is from Elliott, which is 250km north. Tennant Creek is far away from major urban centres Darwin and Alice Springs, and has suffered social problems such as substance abuse, crime and sexual predation of children NT Government child protection agency Territories Families is aware of the death. 'Territory Families' thoughts are with the baby's family at this difficult time,' a spokeswoman said. 'Territory Families will work with and assist Police as required while they investigate this matter. 'As this case is currently the subject of a Police investigation, no further comment can be made.' The baby boy was found unresponsive just a few doors down from where a man raped a two-year-old girl while her mother was sleeping on February 15, 2018. The boy was rushed to Tennant Creek Hospital (pictured). Doctors reportedly tried to resuscitate the boy but were unsuccessful, citing cardiac arrest or respiratory failure as possible causes of death He infected the child with the sexually transmitted disease gonorrhoea and she suffered severe psychological damage. News of the rape shocked Australia, prompting then-prime minister Malcolm Turnbull to visit Tennant Creek. The rapist, now 27, pleaded guilty to sexual intercourse without consent and was jailed for 13 years in March. Tennant Creek is far away from major urban centres Darwin and Alice Springs, and has suffered social problems such as substance abuse, crime and sexual predation of children in the past. A top Sydney neurosurgeon whose wife accuses him of assaulting her in their bedroom says he never laid a hand on her and it was she who attacked him. Dr Timothy Steel told Downing Centre Local Court how his work Christmas party descended into police being called to the couple's Bellevue Hills home the next morning. Dr Steel's wife Emma has accused her husband of kicking, punching and slapping her after he came home intoxicated early one morning last year. The former model alleges her husband had been having an affair with his receptionist, with whom he was in a hotel room on the night of the Christmas party. Dr Timothy Steel told Downing Centre Local Court how his work Christmas party descended into police being called to the couple's Bellevue Hills home the next morning Dr Steel's wife Emma has accused her husband of kicking, punching and slapping her after he came home heavily intoxicated early one morning last year. Couple pictured together in November 1 2005 Dr Steel's wife Emma (pictured) has accused her husband of kicking, punching and slapping her after he came home heavily intoxicated early one morning last year Dr Steel, who is said to earn between $6million and $8million a year, is facing charges of assault occasioning actual bodily harm, common assault and damaging property. The 56-year-old has categorically denied ever having an affair with the receptionist - or anyone else - during his marriage or of assaulting 41-year-old Mrs Steel. Dr Steel said that on Friday, December 13 last year, he had organised a Christmas party at Woolloomooloo's W Hotel for 50 to 60 guests. Among those invited were friends, colleagues, nurses, radiographers, theatre staff and three receptionists. Dr Steel said that morning his wife had been in a bad mood and while in the shower she had thrown a wet fake tanning mitt across the bathroom at him. 'I hate you,' Mrs Steel allegedly said. 'Why don't you just leave. Get out.' Dr Steel said he performed surgery that day and then attended the W Hotel where the party had paid for drinks and canapes to be served from 6 to 9pm. Mrs Steel arrived at the gathering with the couple's children, sat in an area separate from the main party and stayed about an hour and a half. 'She was aggressive, angry and hostile to me,' Dr Steel told the court. 'She would not speak to me and she told me to stay away. 'She did not come anywhere near me. She was rude to my staff.' Dr Steel said he left the party shortly after his wife tried to call his receptionist about 4.20am. Mrs Steel has accused of having an affair with that woman, a claim he said was untrue. Dr Steel said his wife screamed at him with accusations he had been having an affair with his secretary Angie Turner (pictured left). His practice manager Stephanie Jobson is pictured right The former model alleges her husband had been having an affair with his receptionist, with whom he was in a hotel room on the night of the Christmas party. She is pictured centre alongside Roxy Jacenko (left) and another friend (right) at a social event Mrs Steel has said she confronted her husband while he was in bed about 8.45am and reminded him the couple was due at a well-known Rose Bay restaurant at 1pm. 'I said to him, "Tim we're not going to be able to go to lunch with our neighbours at Catalina,"' Mrs Steel said. 'I was trying to talk to him and getting no response.' Mrs Steel told the court her husband then allegedly attacked her, assaulting her four times with a punch to the head and stomach and a slap to the face. She also accused him of pinning her down and ripping her hair extensions out. After the alleged assault Dr Steel had run downstairs and jumped in the pool while holding his wife's phone. Mrs Steel then called police. Dr Steel said on Wednesday he had been sound asleep, face down in bed, when his wife woke him up by scratching his back and head. 'I was awoken by severe pain in my back and behind my ears,' he said. ''I was hit about three or four times.' Dr Steel said his wife screamed at him with accusations he had been having an affair with his secretary Angie Turner. He said she told him: 'You're a f***ing disgrace. I't disgusting. You've been with Angie. 'You were having sex with Angie. I had a private investigator following you. I've got everything I need.' Pictured: Dr Steel, a senior neurosurgeon and spine surgeon at St Vincent's Hospital Dr Steel said there was a scuffle over a phone he thought was his but later turned out to belong to his wife. He denied ever hitting or intentionally hurting Mrs Steel. 'My only preoccupation was to get the phone,' he said. 'I couldn't understand why she continued to attack me and my only concern was getting out the door. 'I had not done what my wife was accusing me of. I just wanted to stop being hit and get away.' Ms Turner told the court she had never had anything other than a professional relationship with Dr Steel. Any suggestion she had an affair with him was 'ridiculous'. After the Christmas party she had been in a hotel room with Dr Steel and practice manager Stephanie Jobson. Dr Steele had paid for the room because Ms Turner lived in Cronulla and Ms Jobson lived in Wollongong. Ms Turner was surprised Mrs Steel had tried to call her about 4.20am. 'I just said to him, "I think you need to go",' she said of Dr Steele. 'He seemed frightened. He seemed very concerned to go home and face Emma because they had been fighting all night. 'I think she told him to f*** off at one stage.' Ms Jobson was also asked is he had ever had an affair with Dr Steel. 'Absolutely not,' she said. Dr Steel said he had gone downstairs and jumped into the pool because he was in so much pain. 'When I was being attacked and scratched the whole top half of my body... was burning and so I was looking for something to calm it down and put the fire out, as such,' he said. He believed the phone he had in his hands was his and knew it was water-resistant for 30 minutes. Mrs Steel said red scratch marks across her husband's body shown in photographs tendered to the court were inflicted as she tried to defend herself. Dr Steel outside court on Tuesday. He is facing charges of assault occasioning actual bodily harm, common assault and damaging property Dr Steel described a troubled marriage and alleged his wife had previously attacked him. 'She is regularly aggressive,' he said. 'Regularly confrontational and regularly demanding. 'When she is confronted by difficulties her behaviour deteriorates. Certainly verbal abuse is common and verbal denigration is almost constant.' Mrs Steel has also claimed she was the victim of ongoing financial abuse, which Dr Steel denies. Mrs Steel told the court on Tuesday her husband gave her $10,000 a month for personal expenses and $10,000 to run their household but sometimes the total sum was up to $24,000. Dr Steel said the household allowance covered costs including their children's expenses, after-school activities, clothing and groceries. Dr Steel is seen leaving Downing Centre District Court during a break in proceedings on Tuesday It did not go towards bills such as rates, utilities, school fees, holidays, motor vehicle expenses, insurance, takeaway food or restaurant meals. The court heard in total Mrs Steel received $175,902 in regular payment over seven months last year, which included a top-up of $30,902 to the $2,500-a-month she was given. Dr Steel's solicitor Paul McGirr said it was 'farcical' under those circumstances for Mrs Steel to claim financial abuse. 'I was living within our means of a four to six million annual salary,' she said. 'I was spending five per cent of our annual income.' Mrs Steel claims she is in fear of her husband and police have applied for an apprehended violence order against him. 'I'm petrified because of the ongoing abuse,' she told police. Dr Steel is one of Australia's leading neurosurgeons. His wife alleges he would reduce his payments to her if he was unhappy with her Mrs Steel said her husband had always controlled her life and the couple's finances during their 11-year marriage. 'Throughout my marriage I have been very controlled, not allowed to go out when I would like to go out,' she said. 'I'm not allowed to live my life under my rules. 'It's always been under Tim's rules.' On Tuesday Mr McGirr asked Mrs Steel if Dr Steel had paid her $175,902 between June 1 and December 31 last year. 'I don't know the exact amounts,' she said. 'My husband Dr Steel earns between four to six million each year.' Mrs Steel insisted she had been the victim of financial abuse and that her husband reduced her payments if he was unhappy with her. 'I would send him a text message begging him to put the regular amount which was ($2,500) a week,' she said. 'The payments were going in regularly. He was just changing the payments. 'He would just decrease them if I didn't do what he said. 'I was bribed, Mr McGirr. I was bribed. I was a puppet.' Emma Steel (centre) pictured at a Christmas lunch at the Sydney Childrens Hospital Silver Committee in 2014 Mr McGirr questioned why Mrs Steele could not survive off an allowance of $24,000 a month from her husband. Mrs Steel said she would have to ask for further funds from her husband such as $2,500 to buy Christmas presents. 'A lot of the time he would say that's your budget and you have to live within your means,' she said. 'He would use the term advance - he would "advance" me.' Mr McGirr asked Mrs Steel if her husband had deposited $1.3million into her superannuation account in 2017. 'I haven't checked my super account,' she said. 'I don't know what's in my super account. I could log in and have a look. I don't know.' Asked what evidence she had of her husband having an affair Mrs Steel conceded she had never seen them together 'kissing or being intimate'. 'I've seen text messages between the two of them and I'd heard conversations between them,' she said. Mrs Steel denied having told her husband she had hired a private investigator to follow him. Dr Steel, a senior neurosurgeon at St Vincent's Hospital in Darlinghurst, is unable to practise due to the charges against him. The hearing continues. A typical workers health will give out well before they reach the pension age of 65, research suggests. Employees who turn 50 can expect only an average of nine more years in good shape. Yet the pension age is now 65 and will rise to 66 in October. The studys lead author, Marty Parker, said that older workers would find it increasingly challenging to hold on to their jobs. A study undertaken at Keele University suggests that employees who turn 50 can expect only an average of nine more years in good shape (stock image) Healthy working life expectancy from age 50 is below the remaining years to state pension age, said the academic from Keele University. While everyones lives are different, our results suggest that many people will find it challenging to work for longer as the state pension age goes up. Poor health and a lack of appropriate job opportunities are a major reason for early retirement, sickness absence from work, and reduced productivity while at work. Older workers especially those in more deprived areas and in manual jobs will benefit from proactive approaches to improve health and workplace environments. In November 2018, the state pension age became 65 for all, but this is gradually increasing and now depends on your date of birth. Those born after April 6, 1978, will have to wait until they are 68. The Keele study, which is published in The Lancet Public Health, analysed data from 15,000 men and women aged 50 and over from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing and tracked them between 2002 and 2013. The authors made estimates of healthy working life expectancy and found that gender, wealth and location were factors. In November 2018, the state pension age became 65 for all, but this is gradually increasing and now depends on your date of birth. Those born after April 6, 1978, will have to wait until they are 68 (stock image) From the age of 50, men can expect to be healthy and remain in work longer than women for 10.9 years compared with 8.3 years. The self-employed fared better than average because they can usually avoid manual labour. The North East had the worst rate of healthy working life expectancy three years lower than the South East. The researchers called for a variety of interventions from Government and bosses to help employees extend their working lives. A shopper who attended a packed street market has been a abused by locals after a bumper sticker on his car gave away where he was from. Hundreds of Victorians travelled to a market in Daylesford, 112km northwest of Melbourne, and flouted social distancing measures on Sunday. Mark, one of the weekend visitors, was approached by a local woman and asked to leave when she spotted his Essendon Mazda bumper sticker. A Melbourne man was abused by a local woman in Daylesford, 112km northwest of Melbourne, after she spotted the Essendon Mazda sticker (pictured) on the bumper of his car Crowds were pictured swarming Daylesford market on Sunday- the same day Victoria witnessed a 75 new cases of COVID-19, the biggest jump since March 'She proceeded to say to me: "Go back to Essendon",' Mark told 7NEWS. 'We don't even live in Essendon,' he explained. Essendon has three active coronavirus cases reported at schools but is not considered one of Melbourne's COVID-19 hotspots. Mark said the experience had put 'a sour taste' in his mouth. Pictures of shoppers crowding the Daylesford market emerged on Monday as Melbourne continues to battle against a second wave of coronavirus infections. Victoria has recorded case numbers surged by 75 on Sunday, 71 on Monday and 64 on Tuesday - an extra 210 cases in just three days - in the biggest jump in cases since the state was locked down in March. Experts say the spike should be immediately stamped out with politicians on guard to reimpose strict lockdown conditions in the worst suburbs if cases are not immediately controlled. Photos shared across social media showed Victorians flouting social distancing regulations as they browsed through stalls The images shared on social media showed Victorians standing shoulder-to-shoulder browsing the stalls, in clear breach of social distancing recommendations. Labor MP for Macedon Mary-Anne Thomas, expressed her 'disappointment' at the scenes in her electorate. 'I was shocked and very disappointed to see these photos on social media over the weekend,' she wrote on Facebook. 'Scenes like this in Daylesford are completely unacceptable, and while visitors are welcome you must follow the rules.' 'I have spoken to Council today and am ready to help as needed.' Ms Thomas said in response, the Council had begun working with Victoria police and the Department of Health and Human Service to prevent future incidents. 'Once again, to locals and visitors alike, please please use common sense,' she added. 'Keep your distance and wash your hands. And if you see a crowd don't join it, walk away and protect your health and that of your loved ones.' The images (one pictured) were shared on Facebook by Labor MP Mary-Anne Thomas, with many commentators expressing outrage over market-goers deliberately ignoring safety directives CORONAVIRUS CASES IN AUSTRALIA: 27,244 Victoria: 20,269 New South Wales: 4,273 Queensland: 1,161 Western Australia: 692 South Australia: 473 Tasmania: 230 Australian Capital Territory: 113 Northern Territory: 33 TOTAL CASES: 27,244 ESTIMATED ACTIVE CASES: 269 DEATHS: 897 Updated: 5.31 PM, 11 October, 2020 Source: Australian Government Department of Health Advertisement The images provoked outraged comments, with some calling for markets to be closed. 'I can't believe how arrogant people are, we've been told what not to do and these idiots just go along their merry way with no consideration for anyone else!' one person wrote. 'It's people like this that is going to put us further back so no one can leave their home!' Others said market organisers had put safety directives in place, but they were being ignored by the vast majority of attendees. 'Following the rules is so easy and so important. I know market organisers work so hard to try and ensure the rules are observed. They then get blamed when people ignore the rules,' someone else said. Locals from other surrounding Victorian towns, such as Woodend, Malmsbury and Kyneton, said they had witnessed similar disregard for social distancing rules since restrictions were eased last month. 'I live off one of the tracks coming from Camels Hump in Mt. Macedon,' a man added. 'The conduct of many visitors has left a lot to be desired. Absolutely no adherence to social distancing. Hoards of people up and down the tiny tracks.' An Australian man has revealed his terrifying encounter with a yowie and now believes he has the evidence that could prove the creature's existence. David Taylor, 50, has been collecting evidence about the mythical creatures for the past 12 years in locations across Queensland. Although he claims to have spotted yowies 'hundreds of times' he says nothing will ever match the excitement of his first encounter. Speaking to Daily Mail Australia Mr Taylor revealed he first saw a yowie at Dularcha National Park, an hour north of Brisbane, in 2008. Yowie researcher David Taylor, 50, has been collecting evidence on the mythical creatures for the past 12 years in locations across Queensland. Pictured are two yowies he spotted while hiking through bushland The father-of-11 said he was on a bike ride with his ex-partner in the deep bushland when the couple became lost and he suddenly felt like something dangerous was close by. 'Something made me look left, I didn't see anything, I didn't hear anything, I didn't smell anything I just felt compelled to look,' he told Daily Mail Australia. 'It was huge, it look three steps. One step took it across the path that was as wide as a car, the second step it was into the bush and the third step it was totally gone.' Mr Taylor said has spent over a decade collecting evidence he believes will help prove the existence of the yowie. Pictured are a large set of footprints he found in Queensland bushland Mr Taylor said the yowie, which was only 100 metres away, stood seven feet tall and had a strange fusion of human and ape-like characteristics. 'It looked like an ape due to the hair but it had real human characteristics in how it was built and its behaviour,' he said. 'The facial features are more human and some parts of its hair was plaited. 'The adrenaline that went through me was just explosive. I just wanted to get out of there as quick as I could.' Mr Taylor first saw a yowie at Dularcha National Park, an hour north of Brisbane, in 2008 and has been searching for them ever since. Pictured is a yowie in the bushes During his search he has found several footprints, taken several images and claims to have found a banana half-eaten by the huge beast (pictured) The researcher said it was enough to get him hooked on the search for yowies and he has since spotted them on the Sunshine Coast, the Gold Coast and in Ingham. 'I'm the kind of guy where until I see something I won't believe in it but I wont call other people a liar,' he said. Mr Taylor (pictured) said he has seen hundreds of yowies since he started searching for them 12 years ago Yowies have their roots in Aboriginal folk tales and now have thousands of believers with many claiming to have personally seen the beast which features an appearance similar to that of Big Foot. During his quest to find the mythical creatures Mr Taylor believes he has photographed several yowies deep in the scrub and discovered a banana half-eaten by the one. He has also stumbled across several large footprints he believes belongs a yowie. 'I've had them growl at me, I've had rocks thrown at me and I've had tree branches thrown at me that look more like the actual tree than a branch,' he said. Mr Taylor believes yowies are very territorial but are not violent in nature. 'There has been times were I've had about four or five of them around me, and if they wanted to kill me they could have easily done it.' Mr Taylor said he has found yowies on the Sunshine Coast, the Gold Coast and in Ingham. Pictured is a yowie deep in Queensland bushland While the researcher has taken many photos of yowies over the years he admitted many are poor in quality but he said the explanation is simple. 'People don't understand that the fight or flight sensation you experience when you see one is uncontrollable and you've got a maximum of three seconds before they are gone,' he said. 'So by the time you are controlling the shakes and you are trying to get the camera out, that's why you get a lot of blurry photos.' Mr Taylor said he understands why some people do not believe in yowies but encourages people to find out for themselves. 'My saying is 'hey if you don't believe me, come out with me for a week and see what your thoughts are after that',' he said. Families who've lost loved ones to coronavirus are preparing legal action against the Government over claims they would not have died had ministers locked down the country sooner. Around 1,000 grieving relatives say the Government 'gambled' with people's lives when they failed to act quickly enough or heed the warnings from other countries as Covid-19 tore across Europe. They also want an investigation into the flawed testing regime, the levels of protective clothing that was available and other issues surrounding planning for the pandemic. The group has engaged lawyers for advice, are petitioning for a public inquiry and have demanded a meeting with the Prime Minister and Health Secretary. Around 1,000 grieving relatives say ministers 'gambled' with lives by failing to lock down quickly enough or heed warnings from other countries Jo Goodman, spokesman for the Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice group, whose father, Stuart, 72, contracted the virus the week before lockdown and died on April 2, said she was 'appalled' that the Government had so far 'blanked' their request to meet. She said relatives were bereft by the lack of empathy or support from Whitehall and want ministers to launch an interim inquiry, ahead of a full public inquiry into the pandemic. 'The Government must learn lessons, and quickly, to prevent more deaths should the predicted second wave hit the UK later in the year,' she said. If the Government refuses calls for a public inquiry, lawyers representing the families say they are prepared to challenge the decision via a judicial review at the High Court. Among those in the group include Jane Smith, 67, a supply teacher who lost her husband of almost 30 years Godfrey 'Gof' Smith, 71, in April. The businessman and former paramedic caught the virus from a disabled friend just days before Boris Johnson ordered the lockdown on March 23 and died on April 4. His supply teacher widow, Jane, 67, told the Mail: 'If the Government had locked down a week or two earlier Gof would still be alive. I would like somebody to say, 'we got it wrong.' I know there wasn't an A to Z of how to deal with coronavirus but I'm worried that (without an inquiry) the powers that be we won't learn from it. Nobody can hurt me anymore, the virus has taken the best thing in my life, but so many other people could also lose a loved one in the second wave and I don't want anyone to feel the way I do. 'This is life and death, there's nothing more serious. For God's sake, we must learn from what's happened. The Government should have the courtesy of meeting with us to discuss our experiences. They need to show us a bit of respect and empathy.' Paralegal Hannah Brady, 24, agreed lessons needed to be learnt from the near 44,000 lives lost in the UK. Her father, Shaun, 55, who had no underlying health conditions and visited the gym three times a week, spent 42 nights fighting Covi-19 in intensive care before doctors told Miss Brady and her younger sister, Tasha, 22, that there was nothing more they could do. He died hours after they turned off his life support, on May 16. Professor Neil Ferguson (pictured) has said introducing the restrictions just a week earlier would have halved the death toll 'My dad's death was needless,' Miss Brady said. 'We should have had him for another 30 years, he was taken before his time. For the Government not to respond to our petition or desire to meet is disgusting. This isn't politically motivated, if we had lost 44,000 people to Covid-19 under a Labour government I would be doing the same thing. We are trying to use our pain and grief, which is so raw, to save lives in a second wave. We are content to wait for a full scale inquiry but we need an urgent one in the interim, not to apportion blame, but to see what we got wrong, so it is not repeated.' Professor Neil Ferguson, a senior member of the Scientific Advisory Group on Emergencies (Sage) until he was forced to step down for flouting lockdown measures in May, has already claimed that introducing them just a week earlier would have cut the number of people dying by at least half. And just last week the UK's top health leaders, including presidents of the Royal College of Physicians, Surgeons, GPs and Nursing, and the chair of the British Medical Association, also asked for a review of the first stage of the pandemic to learn lessons, including why black, Asian, and minority ethnic communities have borne a 'disproportionate burden'. Miss Goodman, whose father was a former photographer and picture editor, said the easing of the pandemic and the scenes of huge crowds gathering on the country's beaches and at outdoor raves, apparently flouting social distancing rules, was 'difficult to stomach' while the virus still posed a danger and people were dying daily. She added: 'The Government gambled with people's lives when they failed to lockdown the country quickly enough in March. Everyone could see what was happening in Italy and Spain, but we were still being told it was safe to go out as normal. 'They have no respect for the bereaved families. They have ignored our request for a meeting and have only this week sent us a cursory acknowledgment of our petition. 'They don't want any attention on the scale of the loss of life. They say they are prepared for the second wave because they have mothballed the Nightingale hospitals it's as if they are saying it's okay, so long as they have beds for people to die in. 'Every day the Government offers condolences to those who have been bereaved, but while it is unwilling to engage with us, it is very difficult to accept its sympathy.' The families' petition suggests a full public inquiry must consider the timing of the UK lockdown on 23 March, which was later than almost all European countries; the state of the Government stockpile of personal protective equipment and testing capacity; the response to warnings in the 2017 Exercise Cygnus report that the UK was not adequately prepared for a pandemic; the disproportionately high number of black and minority ethnic people who have died from Covid-19; the transfer of patients from hospitals to care homes and several other key issues. Solicitor Elkan Abrahamson, of Broudie Jackson Canter, who worked with the Hillsborough families and is representing the Covid-19 bereaved, said that while they were prepared to wait for a full public inquiry, an interim review was needed now, ahead of a predicted second wave. He added that meeting relatives should be the Government's first step to acknowledging their grief and suffering. 'The Government is constantly saying that they are aware that each death represents an individual tragedy and a grieving family; why then will they not agree to meet?' Mr Abrahamson said. Bungling Portuguese police failed to DNA test evidence in a rape case which could have led to the capture of the prime suspect in the Madeleine McCann case two years before her disappearance, it has emerged today. Clothes and rope from a villa in southern Portugal where Christian Brueckner raped a 72-year-old American woman in 2005 were not DNA tested. German prosecutors are now convinced that this crucial oversight by Portuguese police left 43-year-old Brueckner free to snatch Maddie two years later. Sex criminal Brueckner raped the OAP in the Casa Jacaranda villa - just a 10-minute walk from the Algarve apartment where the McCanns holidayed in 2007. The 2005 rape case inquiry was abandoned five months after the horrific attack, while neither a red T-shirt stuffed in the victim's mouth nor a nylon rope used to tie her hands together were DNA tested, according to The Sun. Portuguese police failed to DNA test evidence in a rape case which could have led to the capture of the prime suspect in the Madeleine McCann case two years before her disappearance (left, Christian Brueckner; right, Madeleine McCann) Sex criminal Brueckner raped the OAP in the Casa Jacaranda villa - just a 10-minute walk from the Algarve apartment where the McCanns holidayed in 2007 Official documents show Carlos Farinha, then Director of the Judicial Police's Forensic Science Laboratory, wrote in a November 2009 letter: 'We have learned by telephone that the examination is no longer necessary. We are therefore cancelling the tests and returning the material sent to us for analysis.' Brueckner was arrested over the rape in 2017 and convicted in December after German police reinvestigated and did DNA tests. MailOnline previously reported in June how German prosecutors had written to Maddie's parents to tell them that she is dead. They refused to disclose how they knew, insisting that any further information could jeopardise the inquiry into suspect Christian Brueckner. Hans Christian Wolters, who is leading the case, said he could not share key evidence with Scotland Yard officers or police in Portugal. German prosecutors are now convinced that this crucial oversight by Portuguese police left 43-year-old Brueckner free to snatch Maddie two years later MailOnline reported in June how German prosecutors had written to Kate and Gerry McCann (pictured together in 2007) to tell them that she is dead Christian Brueckner is the prime suspect in the disappearance of Madeleine McCann in 2007 'I sympathise with the parents but if we reveal more details to them it might jeopardise the investigation,' he said. 'We have concrete evidence that our suspect has killed Madeleine and this means she is dead. The parents have been told the German police have evidence that she is dead but we have not told them the details.' The prosecutor also confirmed there is 'no forensic evidence' the child is dead, but there is 'concrete evidence' she has not survived her 13-year disappearance. Scotland Yard and German police have received more than 1,000 calls since sex offender Brueckner, 43, was identified as a suspect in connection with Madeleine's disappearance from Praia da Luz in May 2007. They believe the German drifter burgled holiday homes in the Algarve and on some occasions sexually assaulted women and girls inside the properties. Thousands of jobs are on offer but many Australians are reluctant to return to the workforce due to generous government handouts, according to a new report. Retail sales assistants, truck drivers, child carers, receptionists, managers and registered nurses are among the jobs on offer. But employers struggling to find workers have blamed a 'lack of applicants' despite a surge in unemployment in the wake of COVID-19, data from the National Skills Commission showed. Retail sales assistants are one of the jobs employers are looking to hire for, but many say there has been a 'lack of applicants' In a survey conducted on 5,700 employers with 3,500 vacant positions, 44 per cent said their biggest problem was a small number of applicants. 'The most commonly mentioned occupations that employers have been recruiting for since 7 April 2020 include retail sales assistants, truck drivers, child carers, receptionists, managers and registered nurses,' the NSC report said. 'Around 30 per cent of recruiting employers were having (or expected to have) difficulty filling their vacancies. 'Lack of applicants' was the most common reason (mentioned by 44 per cent of employers having difficulty recruiting), followed by 'applicants lack experience' (27 per cent).' These were followed by the 'location' of the vacancy and 'applicants lack technical skills' (both 20 per cent). Employers also asked for workers that had skills which relate directly to the role they would be working in. Some of the most admired skills mentioned by employers were assisting and caring for others, customer and personal service, operating vehicles, controlling machines and process, along with selling. Job advertisements have also risen for roles such as nursing and sales representatives, according to data from the Department of Education, Skills and Employment. There were nearly 300 ads listed for nursing and accounting roles in Australia within the last week. More than 250 ads were posted for sale roles and nearly 200 for computer software professions. Truck drivers, child carers, receptionists, managers and registered nurses are the top jobs employers are looking to hire for, according to data from the National Skills Commission Unemployment rose to 7.1 per cent in May. Childcare staff are also reportedly in demand following the coronavirus outbreak Prime Minister Scott Morrison said earlier this week the government will not allow the JobSeeker payments to 'impede' people returning to work. 'What we have to be worried about now is that we can't allow the JobSeeker payment to become an impediment to people going out and doing work, getting extra shifts,' he told 2GB on Monday. 'And we are getting a lot of anecdotal feedback from small businesses, even large businesses where some of them are finding it hard to get people to come and take the shifts because they're on these higher levels of payment.' Unemployment rose to 7.1 per cent in May following the outbreak of coronavirus. As cases have started to ease within Australia, venues are reopening and staff are urged to return to work. Former Liberal minister Craig Laundy said his pubs were struggling to get workers back through the doors because they were too comfortable on COVID-19 handouts. He said staff at his pubs throughout NSW that were on JobKeeper payments were refusing to work shifts. 'We are going out to the marketplace and advertising at the moment. We are not getting much in return,' he told the Today Show. 'I think people looking for work out there aren't looking. 'I would get off your backside, effectively, and put your hand up and answer these ads.' Nurses and receptionists are also some of the jobs looking to hire after the outbreak of coronavirus People lining up for JobSeeker payments outside of Centrelink. Employers with workers on the JobSeeker allowance are not required to notify the government if employees refuse to work ALH Group Western Australia manager Ric Torchia says young people who live in affluent areas are also particularly reluctant to return to work at the 27 bars he manages across the state. INDUSTRIES THAT HAVE THE MOST JOBS AVAILABLE Registered nurses Accountants Sales representatives Software and applications programmers Contract, program and project administrators Computer network specialists Management and organisational analysts Information officers General clerks Source: Australia Department of Education, Skills and Employment Advertisement 'I'm calling people offering them their shifts back and they're saying, 'I'm good, thanks. I'll come back when JobSeeker ends',' Mr Torchia told The West Australian. 'JobSeeker is actually hurting us because it's like this designer drug they don't want to get off. They're not interested in coming into work for 20 hours a week when they can earn the same amount at home.' He suspects young people in well-off suburbs have moved back in with their parents and are living comfortably on JobSeeker while poorer people still struggle. 'In the past, they (affluent people) would not have considered the dole but it has become so widespread now,' he said. Some 1.6 million Australians currently claim the JobSeeker allowance, which is now $1,100 per fortnight since it was doubled in April. On September 27, the JobSeeker payment is set to return to $550 a fortnight. The JobKeeper program - which pays $1,500 a fortnight to those left temporarily unemployed by forced business closures - has also created problems for businesses. New figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics show one in five people on JobKeeper has been receiving more money through the wage subsidy than they would normally earn. Anyone looking for work can visit Job Jump Start. Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the government will not allow the JobSeeker payments to 'impede' people returning to work The Australian Taxation Office website has crashed as thousands of people rushed to withdraw a second $10,000 from their superannuation. Australians struggling financially amid the coronavirus pandemic were granted another opportunity to dip into their retirement fund from July 1. The site crashed within half an hour of the new financial year, with users reporting outages from as early as 12.14am on Wednesday morning. The Australian Taxation Office website has crashed 30 minutes into the new financial year as thousands of people applied to withdraw a second $10,000 from their superannuation. The federal government launched the Early Release Super Scheme in April to help Australians hit hard by the pandemic. Pictured are people queued outside a Melbourne Centrelink office on March 24 The federal government launched the Early Release Super Scheme in March, allowing Australians to access $20,000 of their superannuation over two years. The first $10,000 could be withdrawn during the 2019-20 financial year, and the same amount again during the 2020-21 financial year. More than 2.2 million approved applications have already withdrawn a combined total of $18.5 billion. Many citizens and permanent residents appeared to still be cash-strapped, flooding back on Wednesday to complete the second round of withdrawal applications. As the site buckled, customers were meet with an error message that read: 'Were currently experiencing a high volume of traffic. 'We understand significant numbers of people need to access our online services. More than 2.2million people accessed their super funds during the first round of the scheme. Pictured are people lining outside Centrelink to apply for financial aid as the country entered lockdown earlier this year Customers signing in to lodge their tax or apply to access their super fund were met with a error message (pictured) after the site crashed due to high traffic 'We are proactively managing our online traffic so that systems continue to be available. Thank you for your patience.' The collapse prompted outrage online, with customers slamming the government for not being better prepared. 'Seriously you have one job, 'Daemon Heath wrote on Twitter. 'A basic website with text that gets slammed once a year (you know this in advance). Do better. if it's a funding issue strike and get the government to cough up proper infrastructure. Complete joke.' 'When your IT dept is incompetent on the biggest day of the year,' Mike Shanahan tweeted, sharing an image of the error message on the website. 'Whats going on? 10 minutes and counting. Your website is making me late for work,' Kate Buttery wrote. One man added:' Does any government's website ever actually work? Fix your piece of s**t servers.' Outraged website users slammed the federal government for timing the second round of the Early Release Super Scheme with the new financial year Experts have warned young Australians that dipping into their superannuation early could have a dire impact on their long-term retirement savings 'Great start. Another tick of complete incompetence,' another post read. Applications for accessing super early in the 2020-21 financial year are available via the MyGov website and close on September 24. Australians can only access their super if they're unemployed, are eligible to receive a job seeker payment, have been made redundant since January 1 or had their work hours reduced by at least 20 per cent. However, experts have urged young Australians to consider the consequences of pulling funds early after billions of dollars were wiped from accounts in recent months. A 35-year-old who withdraws $10,000 now will see a $19,411 reduction in their super when they retire at 67, according to the Money Smart calculator. Frustrated customers flocked to social media to express their disappointment over being unable to access the government website Industry Super Australia chief executive officer Bernie Dean said the quick-fix could have a dire effect on long-term retirement savings. 'It does come with a pretty hefty price tag but we recognise that young people don't necessarily think about the long-term,' Mr Dean told News Corp on Tuesday. 'We also recognise they may not be in a position to make up the lost ground themselves. He warned early withdrawals can 'wipe out' your life and income protection cover if your super balance falls low. The MoneySmart website advises Australians to seek government assistance and speaking to their bank or lender about possible financial assistance before dipping into your super. A teenage boy has died after he fell into a river in a country park in Glasgow. The body of the 16-year-old was recovered from the water in Pollok Country Park, Glasgow. Police, fire and ambulance crews were called to the park around 5.10pm on Tuesday evening. Police, fire and ambulance crews were called to Pollok Country Park in Glasgow around 5.10pm yesterday where the body of a 16-year-old boy was recovered from White Cart Water A witness said a police helicopter was seen in the area and a rescue boat had been seen searching the water A police helicopter could be seen circling above the area and a rescue boat had been searching the river. Police Scotland confirmed that they had recovered a body from White Cart Water. A police spokesperson said: 'Around 5.10pm on Tuesday police responded to a report of a concern for a person in the water at Pollok Country Park, Glasgow. 'Emergency services attended and the body of a 16-year-old boy was recovered. 'There are no apparent suspicious circumstances and a report will be submitted to the Procurator Fiscal.' A police officer has accidentally pepper sprayed herself while chasing a fleeing suspect, almost allowing the man to escape. Footage shared to social media shows several police officers in pursuit of a man on foot and in vehicles in Maraenui, New Zealand. The video shows the man running from a female officer as a police car with wailing sirens follows and onlookers film and jeer. A female police officer is seen chasing after a man and trying to pepper spray him The officer missed her target as she continued to chase him before accidentally spraying herself, allowing the man to make a run for it One witness could be heard yelling, 'run dad run' in the background as the man was pepper sprayed by the officer. The officer missed her target as she continued to chase him before accidentally spraying herself, allowing the man to make a run for it. But just seconds later he was tackled by another officer and arrested. During the arrest, another police car that was called to the scene was held up behind a convertible driving slowly. Another police officer chases after the man before tackling him to the ground and arresting him The video has been viewed more than 30,000 times since it was first posted on Instagram six days ago. Social media users commented on the post, laughing at the blunder. 'She pepper sprayed herself haha,' one wrote. 'Sign him up for the [New Zealand] Warriors. He ran more metres than their forward pack last week,' someone else joked. A NZ Police spokeswoman told Daily Mail Australia that it's not uncommon for police officers to be affected by residual spray. Economists have been grappling to explain the reason why there is such a big divide in wealth between colder and warmer countries. However, the link between temperature and economic prosperity is undeniable. Europeans and North Americans suffer through bitterly cold winters but reap the benefit of living in one of the world's richest regions. Northern Asian countries also have higher economic output than nations in Asia's south. By contrast, places like Indonesia, Vietnam and Brazil, where residents enjoy toasty temperatures throughout the year, are much poorer. While political stability, industry and natural resources are important variables, the geographical pattern is well established. According to Australia Youtubers, Economics Explained, the main reason is that in the formative years of society, people in colder climates needed much higher levels of planning and co-operation or they would have perished in winter. Both hunting and foraging were difficult in winter, so food had to be stored, while housing and other buildings had to be well constructed to keep out the cold - requiring co-operation between neighbours to construct them. Europeans suffer through bitterly cold winters but reap the benefit of living in one of the world's richest regions (pictured: Luxembourg) 'In a country like Norway, people would not survive the harsh winters unless they planned ahead to stockpile food, build good shelters and reserve fuels like oil, coal or wood. This gave these economies a head start,' they say in the video. 'It wasn't so much that people were more industrious because of the cold. It was more so that societies that weren't industrious just froze and died off. 'This kind of forced industriousness would compound itself over many generations that values capital goods more so than a society that has had it easy throughout its entire existence.' In more tropical climates, there was less of a need to build proper dwellings, and hunting and foraging for food was possible year-round. The theory holds true for Australia, with the two wealthiest capital cities, those being Sydney and Melbourne, experiencing some of the coldest temperatures. Darwin, which is one of the poorest capital cities, is also the warmest. 'Logically speaking, Darwin should be one of the most prosperous. It's much closer to significant natural resource wealth and it is significantly closer to trading partners like China, Malaysia and Indonesia - but it's not. 'Darwin is the poorest capital city in Australia and it is also the hottest.' Capital chief economist Shane Oliver said colder climates tend to be more conducive to productive work. 'Hotter countries tend to have lower living standards. It's all to do with extreme temperatures making it harder to get work done.' Places like Indonesia (pictured), Vietnam and Brazil, where residents enjoy toasty temperatures throughout the year, are much poorer The theory holds true for Australia, where the two wealthiest capital cities, Sydney and Melbourne, experience some of the coldest temperatures, compared to Darwin, which is one of the poorest capital cities and the warmest The theory holds true for Australia, with the two wealthiest capital cities, those being Sydney and Melbourne, experiencing some of the coldest temperatures. Darwin (pictured), which is one of the poorest capital cities, is also the warmest 'Australia is seen as having a fairly temperate climate, especially in Sydney and Melbourne where the bulk of economic activity occurs. The exception would be Darwin which tends to struggle, it doesn't have a lot of industry. 'Australia's moderate climate maybe makes life easier, it may have held back economic active a bit more than other countries because we're not as motivated.' Critiques of the theory argue that ancient civilizations prove the theory wrong with ancient Egypt, the Mayans and the Persians all calling warmer regions home. Countries like prosperous and tropical Singapore also appear to contradict the rule, though its commercial sector is dominated by those with ancestry from cool China. In the video from Economics Explained, they claimed the link between temperature and economic prosperity would change over time because of changes to how wealth is generated. About 2,000 years ago, a country's wealth was strongly linked to how much food it could produce, whereas these days wealth is determined by industry and innovation. 'Cold countries got a bit of a head start in the age of innovation, but places like Singapore show that this head start will not last for ever. 'Every country has potential regardless what the weather is outside.' No conclusive studies have been done on the subject. Economics Explained is a YouTube channel dedicated to discussion of economic matters and began in 2012. The theory holds true for Australia, the two wealthiest capital cities, those being Sydney and Melbourne, experience some of the coldest temperatures Sydney (pictured) is one of the most prosperous cities in Australia thanks to its moderate climate, economists say The heartbroken father of a Marine who died in a roadside car bomb attack in Afghanistan last year says there's 'no way' the president didnt know about intelligence that Russian bounties were being placed on deployed American troops. Erik Hendriks, the father of Cpl. Robert A, Hendriks, 25, wants answers about the circumstances surrounding his sons tragic death and is calling out the president for failing to protect troops. 'I am a Republican and I am a Trump supporter. But there would be no way he didnt know about it if Russians were paying off these cowards like mafia pay off hit men. I would expect the government to have 1,000 percent support behind these warriors,' he said to the New York Times. Corporal Hendriks, along with Marines Staff Sgt. Christopher K.A. Slutman, 43, of New York and Sgt. Benjamin S. Hines, 31, of Pennsylvania, died when their armored vehicle was hit by a vehicle loaded with explosives near Bagram Air Base, about 20 miles north of Kabul last year. The investigation into Russias suspected bounty operation is focused on the April 8, 2019 car bombing, officials familiar with the matter said. President Donald Trump has denied that he was ever briefed on an intelligent report on the bounty operation seeking to push the US out of Afghanistan, even though officials have refuted him and said he was told about it. The father of Cpl. Robert A Hendriks, 25, (left and right) who was killed by a car bomb in April 2019 while serving in Afghanistan, is speaking out and blaming Trump for failing to protect troops Hendriks' family is speaking out amid reports that the April 8, 2019 car bombing is being investigation to see if it's linked to intelligence claims that Russia paid bounties to Taliban-linked militants to kill US troops in Afghanistan 'If it does come out as true, obviously the heartache would be terrible.' Hendriks, who says he isnt a political person, supported having troops in Afghanistan and was proud of his sons uniform. 'Thank God these warriors were there. I really do believe if they were not there, the enemy would be here. I know my son supported it,' Hendriks said. Felicia Arculeo, the mother of a Marine killed last year in Afghanistan wants to see an investigation into reports her son may have been killed by Taliban fighters paid for by Russia 'You would think they would have had the best intelligence and the best backing over there,' he said in a telephone interview from his home in Glen Cove, New York. 'If I find out this information was given to this administration or a previous administration, because lets face it, who knows how long this could have gone on, the little faith I have in government would go down the drain,' he said. 'Who knows the truth anymore?' he added. For Hendriks, a retired New York City police detective, its more than a political debate its a matter of understanding his sons death. 'I can talk to 1,000 people a day and they have no idea what it is like to lay down at night and to lose a son like they do,' he said. Hendriks said his ex-wife Felicia Arculeo, the mother of Cpl. Hendriks, is 'living a nightmare'. Speaking on CNBC on Monday she said 'the parties who are responsible should be held accountable, if thats even possible.' Sgt. Benjamin S. Hines, 31, (left) and Staff Sgt. Christopher K.A. Slutman, 43, (right) were also killed in the bomb attack in April 2019 Cpl. Robert Hendriks is pictured hugging his mother Felicia Arculeo For Cpl. Hendriks, it was his first deployment to Afghanistan, where he was serving with his brother Joseph Hendriks. His brother escorted his body back to the US. The three men were killed just days before they were scheduled to return home from Afghanistan. In Trumps time in office hes pushed to reduce the number of American troops in Afghanistan. Hes also worked to patch up relations between the US and Russia. But Trump's work in office has only led to fury among some veteran communities. 'Regardless of whether or not these reports are corroborated, the loss of any American service member is tragic,' Nate Anderson, the executive director of Concerned Veterans for America said to the Times. 'The larger issue here is keeping our troops deployed in places like Iraq and Afghanistan to fight wars that no longer serve our national interest,' he added. This week VoteVets created a social media video slamming Trump on the Russia bounty operation, which has already been watched over three million times on Twitter. President Donald Trump has denied that he was ever briefed on an intelligent report on the bounty operation seeking to push the US out of Afghanistan, even though officials have refuted him and said he was told about it President Donald Trump has denied that he was made aware of an intelligence report that Russia secretly offered bounties to Taliban-linked militants to kill American troops in Afghanistan White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany abandoned attempts to discredit an intelligence report that Russians were offering bounties on U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan on Tuesday Even though Trump claims he was never briefed on the Russian plot - former National Security Officer John Bolton told colleagues he briefed the president back in March. Two officials told the New York Times on Monday that the matter appeared on the president's daily brief agenda. One said it was included sometime in February, another cited a more specific date as February 27. On Tuesday White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany abandoned attempts to discredit that Russian bounty report and instead blasted media for its reporting. 'The front page of the New York Times is not the venue for discussing classified information,' she announced when she came to the podium. 'As a result of this New York Times report, who's going to want to crop cooperate with the United States intelligence community? Who's going to want to be a source or an asset, if they know that their identity could be disclosed? Which allies will want to share information with us, if they know that some rogue intelligence officer can go splash that information on the front page of a major U.S. newspaper?' she argued. 'The President was never briefed on this, this intelligence still has not been verified, and there is no consensus among the intelligence community,' McEnany argued repeatedly on Monday. Her defense of the president and offensive strategy came as Joe Biden, the Democrats' presumptive 2020 nominee, criticized the president for not knowing about the intelligence report and not taking stronger action upon learning about it. A new law will ban alleged killers from using the the so-called 'Fifty Shades defence' to counter murder charges, it can be revealed. An amendment to the Domestic Abuse Bill would prevent 'consensual rough sex' from being a defence to harming or killing a victim. The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) tabled the amendment last night amid pressure from campaigners for legislation to stop abusers who kill their partners from claiming their victims were a willing participant in a 'sex game gone wrong'. It is feared that this is often cited as a defence to reduce murder charges to manslaughter, or to get a less severe sentence. The legislative change will enshrine in law the House of Lords ruling R v Brown, where a group of men who engaged in consensual but unusually severe sadomasochistic sexual acts were convicted of wounding and assault. But MPs have previously raised the death of Natalie Connolly in 2016, who bled to death after 'rough sex' with her boyfriend John Broadhurst after an alcohol and cocaine binge, as an example of where the 'consent defence' has been used. An amendment to the Domestic Abuse Bill working its way through Parliament follows concerns from MPs about the use of the 'consent defence' in murder cases following 'rough sex' (left, Essex backpacker Grace Millane; right, Natalie Connolly) Multi-millionaire property developer Broadhurst was jailed for three years and eight months after admitting manslaughter by gross negligence. It also follows criticism by police of the 'rough sex defence' in the trial of the murder of 21-year-old Essex backpacker Grace Millane. Campaign group We Can't Consent To This says it has counted 59 women in the UK killed by men who have used the defence since 1972. MPs including former deputy Labour leader Harriet Harman and Mark Garnier of the Conservatives have campaigned for legislative changes. Ms Harman, a former solicitor general, told The Daily Telegraph: 'This is a highly significant step forward in protecting women from male violence. The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) tabled the amendment amid pressure from campaigners for legislation to stop abusers who kill their partners from claiming their victims were a willing participant in a 'sex game gone wrong' (pictured, the Commons on March 18, 2020) 'Now men will no longer be able to say 'it was her fault I killed her, because I was only doing what she wanted. It was rough sex gone wrong'. 'The law will now be there unequivocally to protect women from this male sexual violence. This will send a strong message to men that they cannot beat women and get away with it. They cannot drag their victim's name through the mud in court. 'And it will strengthen women by telling them that the law will protect them. It will tell the police, prosecutors and courts that the '50 shades of grey defence' has ended - and it must be rigorously enforced'. Mr Garnier, who called the death of his constituent Ms Connolly 'the stuff of nightmares', called the Government's response 'a breakthrough in how we tackle the rough sex defence' and get victims justice. Justice Minister Alex Chalk said: 'No death or other serious injury - whatever the circumstances - should be defended as 'rough sex gone wrong'. 'Perpetrators of these crimes should be under no illusions - their actions will never be justifiable in any way, and they will be pursued rigorously through the courts'. An indigenous screenwriter has slammed the SBS for being 'racist' and leaving her on the brink of suicide during her time as a cadet journalist. Katie Bedford, who started her career at the seemingly multicultural public broadcaster, said colleagues left her feeling like a 'dopey blackfella in the corner'. In a lengthy rant on Twitter, Ms Bedford said her time working at the taxpayer-funded SBS left her so anxious she was unable to eat. The writer claimed she was even introduced as the 'indigenous cadet journalist' but because it was her dream job, she let the comments slide. 'By the end of two years: my writing was worse, my self-esteem destroyed, I had suicidal thoughts,' she wrote on Twitter. 'The stress on my body meant I developed eczema, I lost my period for four months, I stopped eating; a piece of toast filled me for the day because of anxiety,' she said. 'This is what racism does'. When she 'started to get short' with people making comments against her, Ms Bedford (picured) claimed she was pulled aside and told she had an attitude problem Both she and other Aboriginal colleagues suffered from racism and micro-aggressions, Ms Bedford claimed. In a thread titled 'my first career' the former journalist explains it has taken her years to get over the experience but wanted to 'add her voice' as part of the Black Lives Matter movement. 'I still carry trauma and feel sick about it. Colleagues have been sharing their story and I'm adding my voice. We need to change the system,' Ms Bedford wrote. She explained that she won a cadetship with SBS and was excited because it was 'touted as a champion of diverse voices'. 'It wasn't a champion for me,' Ms Bedford said. Ms Bedford said she still carries 'trauma' over her time working at the taxpayer-funded SBS in a lengthy rant on Twitter (pictured) 'I still believe in the SBS charter and mission and personally think they have the best content in (Australia) and a lot of good people in the newsroom.' She claimed she was made to endure 'jokes' about alcoholism and was told to clean her desk in front of others in the newsroom. The Aboriginal journalists were sent an email to improve their grammar, were told to do a course for school students and had their accents mocked. 'We felt dumb straight away. I was the newest to the team, but the other Aboriginal journalists had been there for years - they were confused,' she wrote. 'Why just us?' Ms Bedford said she and other Aboriginal journalists were forced to go through their stories line by line and were told why it was bad and never good enough. In one instance she was told classical music 'wasn't indigenous enough' and was told to add sounds of didgeridoo instead. In a thread titled 'My first career' the former journalist explains it has taken her years to get over what she went through but wanted to 'add her voice' as part of the Black Lives Matter movement 'I understand that this was a national broadcaster and I had to speak in the formal English way but what should have been a ten-minute session in the voice-over box, would turn into two hours and I'd come out defeated, ashamed of the way I spoke,' she wrote. When she 'started to get short' with people making comments against her, Ms Bedford was pulled aside and told she had an attitude problem. 'No one cared about the racism we received. It was more about protecting that person and the company,' she wrote. Ms Bedford said she was always 'made to feel dumb' and had her confidence crushed while working at the SBS. She had even made a formal complaint but nothing was done to help her or her colleagues. 'That's when sh*t really hit the fan,' Ms Bedford tweeted. 'The person did the classic white fragility thing and made themselves the victim; us Aboriginal journalists were the ones being horrible to the non-Indigenous staff.' Katie Bedford (pictured), who started her career at the public broadcaster, said she had her 'self-esteem destroyed' and felt like a 'dopey blackfella in the corner' 'They threatened to sue me.' Ms Bedford said that eventually all her Aboriginal colleagues left the SBS and most of them didn't even stay in media. 'Some of us speak about the trauma we still carry. We joke about that f**king grammar website and not being able to speak English well!' she wrote. 'We want t-shirts ''I survived as an Aboriginal journalist''.' SBS managing director James Taylor issued a statement on Tuesday night admitting the taxpayer-funded broadcaster still 'has a way to go'. 'I've been shocked and saddened by accounts of racism experienced at SBS,' the statement read. 'SBS stands opposed to any form of racism or exclusion. It can take many overt and less overt forms, none of which are acceptable.' The eight member government-appointed SBS board includes chair of indigenous media peak body Dorothy West and people of Greek, Italian and Indian heritage but the internal leadership team shows little-to-no diversity Ms Bedford (pictured) said that eventually all her Aboriginal colleagues left the SBS and most of them didn't even stay in media 'Racism is abhorrent and I am committed to ensuring it has no place at SBS.' Mr Taylor said all members of the SBS leadership team are committed to the broadcaster's 'purpose and Charter'. He said the commitment is reflected in content and services delivered across Australia each day. 'The diversity of our people across SBS is one of our greatest strengths,' he said. 'I stand by the valuable contributions every one of them makes, and the programming, news coverage and radio services they provide which reflect and explore modern Australia, unlike any other media organisation.' 'I recognise that representation matters, and not unlike many institutions today, we still have a way to go to reflect the diversity of the audiences we serve amongst our senior leadership team.' 'We are committed to improving this.' Hundreds of people flooded Ms Bedford's Twitter to show their support, including SBS Homecoming Queens screenwriter Michelle Law. Ms Bedford (pictured, right) said she was introduced as the 'indigenous cadet journalist' but because it was her dream job, she let the comments slide Ms Law responded with a photograph of the all-white SBS leadership team with the caption: 'What in White hell @SBS'. The eight member government-appointed SBS board includes chair of indigenous media peak body Dorothy West and people of Greek, Italian and Indian heritage but the internal leadership team shows little-to-no diversity. Dr Lou Bennet, an academic on indigenous languages, replied to the image with: 'Jesus, Mary n Joseph that's a white wash'. ABC journalist Louise Milligan also said: 'I'm sure these are all smart, talented people, but did no one pause to think a broadcaster dedicated to diversity & multiculturalism should also reflect diversity & multiculturalism?' 'How does this happen in 2020?' SBS journalist Amos Roberts and actor Ronny Chieng pointed out that the ABC leadership team looked similar. 'This explains why everything feels fresh, authentic and cutting edge at the Australian ABC,' Mr Chieng wrote. 'As a white journo at Dateline I'm sickened and ashamed to read this. I saw this happen at the ABC as a cadet in the mid '90s and I really hoped that we'd got better, but obviously not,' Mr Roberts said. Young Palestinian journalist Jennine Khalik, who spent seven years as a reporter at the ABC, also took to Twitter to detail her experiences with racism. Young Palestinian journalist Jennine Khalik, who spent seven years as a reporter at the ABC, also took to Twitter to detail her experiences with racism (pictured) 'I once went to SBS for an interview about a potential casual position years ago super informal and a higher up who interviewed me asked what my family background was. I said Palestinian,' she wrote. 'How did we end up in Australia? I explained my parents were refugees.' The interviewer told Ms Khalik he had been on a political junket to Israel but she had no idea how it was relevant. 'Very little asked about my experience. It was brief and very calculated. I didn't hear from him again,' she tweeted. 'I remember driving back home to Western Sydney feeling sick to my stomach. I have experienced anti-Palestinian racism everywhere in the media.' SBS journalist Amos Roberts and actor Ronny Chieng pointed out that the ABC leadership team (pictured) looked similar 'For years I stayed mostly tight-lipped but it's more important than ever to talk about it and to document it somewhere.' Ms Khalik also said she was duped into believing the public broadcasters were 'better and non-racist' because they were 'supposedly more progressive'. 'I've buried so many of these experiences because they make me feel physically ill but every time I see someone else speak out/point out how monolithic an outlet is, so much of it comes rushing back,' she wrote. During her first week at the ABC, Ms Khalik says she was 'told she was exotic' and was pressured to 'put on a broken Arabic accent to dub the English on a documentary about Syria'. 'There was rampant bullying and cliquey-ness and ego and ignorance,' Ms Khalik wrote. 'I'm so glad I knew like six normal people in the whole building, otherwise I wouldn't have lasted. On the newsroom floor, valid stories were shut down because of fears of reader backlash. That was openly said.' Millions of COVID-19 testing kits Australia bought from billionaire Andrew 'Twiggy' Forrest's non-profit organisation will expire in a matter of weeks. The mining magnate, 58, announced in April he had secured ten million coronavirus testing kits from a Chinese company at a cost of $200million. So far, just 4.8 million of these have been received by the Australian government - with a shelf life of just six months - but now tax-payers will refund every penny. The $200million purchase by Mr Forrest's Minderoo Foundation was touted at the time by the businessman for vastly expanding Australia's testing capacity, saying it allowed 'mums and dads and boys and girls to get tested across our country'. The tests, bought from the Beijing Genomics Institute, are now in plentiful supply in Australia - with twice as many kits stockpiled nationally than the 2.4 million COVID-19 tests carried out to date. Mining billionaire Andrew Forrest (pictured, left, with his wife Nicola) The mining magnate's ten million coronavirus testing kits only have a shelf life of six months A healthcare worker is seen testing for COVID-19 in Keilor, Melbourne on Wednesday (pictured), as the state's premier warned all 6.4 million Victorians could soon be locked down The government has said it will refund the costs Minderoo - which has said it is not making money on the deal - incurred in acquiring the tests. The Department of Health has confirmed the products only have a shelf life of six months. 'If the government and BGI and Minderoo didnt cover this adequately, then shame on them, because this is not an unknown,' Pathology Technology Australia chief executive Dean Whiting told The Guardian. Staff prepare to test residents in Keilor, Victoria on Wednesday (pictured) as testing is ramped up across Melbourne Mr Forrest (pictured, left with Health Minister Greg Hunt, right) as he announced the extra ten million COVID-19 test kits had been secured from China in April He added that Minderoo's purchase of nucleic acid extraction kits from a BGI company for Australia had been helpful. PTA bills itself as the country's leading representative for the pathology industry in Australia - covering 90 per cent of all pathological tests across Australia. A submission to a senate select committee by the organisation in May expressed concern about Minderoo's acquisition of the tests. 'Whilst we fully support increasing product diversity and supply chain certainty, we are... concerned about the lack of transparency and consultation,' the submission read. Pictured is the equipment earlier supplied by Mr Forrest to help Australia through the early stages of the pandemic Responding to the criticism, Mr Forrest's foundation said it had been focused on its goal of expanding testing capacity. 'Our only priority has been to do what the government asked us to do: deliver Covid-19 PCR testing equipment and tests that substantially increased Australias testing capacity during this pandemic,' a spokesman for the foundation said. The revelation comes after Mr Forrest caused controversy in April when he invited the Victorian China Consul-General Zhou Long to speak at a ministerial press conference announcing the testing kits had been secured. The consul-general did not take questions but credited the 'open, transparent and responsible' manner with which China had worked alongside the World Health Organisation. Coronavirus tests (pictured in Melbourne on Wednesday) have been ramped up, but millions more testing kits are about to expire The speech was delivered amid increasing tensions between the two countries after Prime Minister Scott Morrison called for an inquiry into China's handling of the COVID-19 outbreak. Mr Forrest said at the time backlash over the unexpected appearance was a 'complete non-story'. The billionaire denied claims Mr Zhou's appearance represented a hijacking and said the health minister was aware the Consul-General would be in attendance. Mr Forrest also used his contacts in China to secure $160million worth of much-needed medical supplies for Australia. Earlier in April, it emerged Minderoo had stepped up to help by fronting the cash for the 90 tonnes of medical supplies, with state governments to reimburse the organisation for any goods used. A three-year romance between two young lovers has come to an end and a baby girl has been left without a father after a horror car crash. Couple Tamzyn Rodda, 21, and Slayde Collins, 24, were hurled through the front windscreen of their Toyota Hilux after Mr Collins lost control of the car on Chambers Flat Road in Logan in Brisbane's south just before 1.30am on Sunday. Mr Collins, a dedicated father to the couple's two-year-old daughter Grace Marie, died at the scene. Ms Rodda is now in intensive care in Brisbane's Princess Alexandra Hospital, and her family are now faced with the agonising task of telling her she has lost her partner when she regains consciousness. Tamzyn Rodda, 21, (left) with her partner Slayde Collins, 24 (right). The pair were thrown through the windshield of their Toyota Hilux as it rolled on Sunday Mr Collins holding his two-year-old daughter Grace Marie. Mr Collins died in the crash and Ms Rodda was taken to hospital, while young Grace faced the prospect of becoming an orphan 'This is a very tough time for Tamzyn, Grace and obviously all Slayde's and Tamzyn's family and friends,' Ms Rodda's friend Nicole Fitzpatrick told The Courier Mail. 'I can't even imagine how she will feel when she wakes up to find out she has lost her love. 'It brings tears to my eyes to even think about the hurt she will feel.' Ms Rodda was revealed to be in a stable condition on Tuesday but still remains in intensive care at hospital. Ms Fitzpatrick's GoFundMe page for Grace and Ms Rodda reportedly raised more than $1,900 in a few hours. The raised funds will go towards Mr Collins' funeral, Ms Rodda's medical bills and to look after little Grace, according to her family. The couple publicly displayed their affection when Mr Collins updated his Facebook profile picture (pictured) to one of himself with Ms Rodda last month Now that Mr Collins has passed away, his romance with Ms Rodda has tragically and abruptly come to an end. Ms Rodda and Ms Collins first met each other in 2017 and began dating shortly after before Grace was born. Logan local Aaron Lecomber said the couple were were well known among his friends and very 'obviously' in love. The couple publicly displayed their affection when Mr Collins updated his Facebook profile picture to one of himself with Ms Rodda last month. 'I love you,' Ms Rodda commented, prompting Mr Collins to reply: 'Love you.' Tamzyn taking a selfie with baby Grace Marie. The family is now rallying around the pair It is believed Mr Collins and Ms Rodda were dropping two friends home when their vehicle rolled near a notorious blackspot and they were flung through the windshield on to a grassy verge in front of a Chambers Flat property. Local resident Colin Chapman came out of his house to find the terrible scene and said he held Mr Collins in his arms as he died. Mr Collins' partner Tamzyn had been sitting in the front passenger seat at the time of the crash and was critically injured. She was rushed to the intensive care unit of Brisbane's Princess Alexandra Hospital. On Monday she remained in intensive care in a stable condition with injuries to her head and pelvic region. The couple's two-year-old baby daughter Grace Marie is being cared for by family members as relatives and friends rallied around the young family. Tributes poured in for the devoted young father from devastated family and friends as news of Mr Collins' death spread. Tamzyn Rodda (pictured left) was in a stable condition in intensive care on Monday with head injuries. Her beloved partner Slayde Collins (right) was killed in the crash 'Watching you grow into a young man, an amazing dad to Grace, a hard worker and larrakin was an absolute pleasure,' wrote Carly Downer. 'My heart is broken to see such a wonderful, kind-hearted soul gone too soon - you will be forever missed Slayde Collins.' Logan resident Aaron Lecomber who shared a circle of friends with the couple said the tight-knit community had been deeply hurt by the tragedy. 'It's a difficult time because everyone knows each other through mutual friends,' he told the Courier Mail. The community had not yet recovered from the loss of Aaron Young last month, who was killed while loading a trailer in Beenleigh. Mr Collins' devastated mother Mel Collins, grandmother to Grace, posted a beautiful photo on Facebook of her son cradling his newborn daughter, along with a photograph of Slayde with his motocross bike. 'My baby doing what he loves,' she wrote. There were two other women in the Toyota Hilux at the time of the crash, one aged 25 from Holmview and one aged 19 from Crestmead. Slayde Collins taking his tiny baby daughter Grace for a walk along the beach. Family members described Slayde as an amazing father and a kind-hearted, gentle soul The Toyota Hilux pictured after the horrific accident at Chambers Flat on Sunday Both suffered minor injuries and were treated by paramedics at the scene, police said. The crash happened on Chambers Flat Rd on a curve near Kenny Rd, a blackspot near where a 27-year-old man died last year when his motorcycle collided with a car turning into Isla St. Logan City Council has reviewed the speed limit on the street a number of times and residents have been calling for the road to be fixed. Residents will meet Council officers on Wednesday to discuss the issue, The Courier Mail reported. The crash brought Queensland's road toll to 117 with five fatalities in just 48 hours. Police from the Forensic Crash Unit are investigating and have asked anyone with information to please contact Queensland police. After decades of soaring rental prices Sydney's long suffering tenants are finally getting the upper hand. A massive drop off in migration and overseas students has left rental vacancies at their highest ever levels during the coronavirus crisis. With so many empty properties and the unemployment rate also accelerating, real estate experts say rental prices are likely to fall even further, giving renters the upper hand over struggling landlords. Long-suffering Sydney tenants are finally starting to see some relief after decades of soaring rental prices There are currently 30,000 homes and apartments sitting vacant in the Harbour City. The majority of them are in the more exclusive and sought-after suburbs. Over 7,000 apartments are currently available in Sydney's CBD and eastern suburbs. There are 4,000 places to rent in the trendy inner-west, 3200 available in the greater Western Suburbs and about 900 in the Canterbury-Bankstown area. 'There is plenty of choice and downward pressure on rents, these are good times to be a tenant,' Dr Andrew Wilson, chief economist with My Housing Market, told 9News. 'There's really no sign that we are going to see an easing in new supply or an increase in new demand that will soak up these numbers.' Sydney's CBD has seen the largest decline in rental prices with apartments dropping from an average of $828 in 2019 to $690 during the pandemic. The 16 percent drop in the city was followed closely by a 13.9 percent slump in Pyrmont and a 13.7 dive in Mascot. There are currently 30,000 homes and apartments sitting vacant in Sydney as the number of potential tenants dries up With the unemployment rate also soaring due to the COVID-19 pandemic, real estate experts say rental prices are likely to fall even further. Picture: Long queues are pictured at Centrelink in Sydney's Darlinghurst Although property investors and landlords are facing greater financial strain as the number of potential tenants dries up, some property analysts say the problem could be worse. 'It does look like rental markets are highly fragmented', Tim Lawless of CoreLogic said. 'But it's certainly not falling off a cliff.' 'We will probably see more urgent sales coming into the marketplace.' Despite the doom and gloom for Sydney's property investors, real estate prices have actually risen in one area. The average property price in Paramatta has increased by 4.4 percent during the pandemic. New South Wales will ban people entering the state from 36 Melbourne suburbs which have been locked down due to a Covid-19 outbreak. Health Minister Brad Hazzard said anyone from those areas caught in NSW could face six months in jail and an $11,000 fine from 11.59pm tonight. Around 300,000 Melbourne residents from 10 postcodes have been ordered back into lockdown from Thursday as Victoria battles a second wave of the deadly disease. New South Wales residents are allowed to return home from those hotspots but must isolate at home for 14 days. Mr Hazzard said he was 'still working through' how police will enforce the rule - but said one option would be to quiz drivers with Victorian licence plates on where they have been. There are no plans for border checkpoints. Military personnel are seen conducting testing at the new mobile testing site in Melbourne This map shows the suburbs which will be subject to stay-at-home orders from Wednesday at 11.59pm after a spike in coronavirus cases Queensland announced a similar policy on Tuesday and went further by requiring residents returning from those hotspots to pay for two-week hotel quarantine before being allowed home. 'Victorians living in virus hotspots have to take the Victorian and NSW health orders seriously and should be very aware that NSW will impose penalties if they seek to leave hotspot suburbs to enter NSW,' Mr Hazzard said today. There will be exemptions such as to obtain urgent medical care or for compassionate reasons. Meanwhile, restrictions on entertainment venues, weddings, community sport and other gatherings will be eased in NSW from today but strict physical distancing measures remain in place. Mr Hazzard said businesses should ensure they have a COVID Safety Plan outlining exactly how they will maintain a safe environment for their staff and customers. 'Until we have a vaccine, everyone has a role to play keeping the community safe, whether that is mum and dad at their kid's soccer match or your local cafe operator,' Mr Hazzard said. 'The NSW Government has always said with the easing of restrictions comes risk, so I urge everyone to maintain physical distancing, get tested if you feel unwell and stay home if sick.' COVID rules are eased in NSW The following COVID-19 restrictions have been eased from today, July 1: The number of people allowed inside indoor venues will be determined by the 'one person per 4 square metre' rule, with no upper limit. This includes function centres. Kids' and adult community sport can recommence. Cultural and sporting events at large stadiums, racecourses and motor racing tracks will be allowed up to 25 per cent of their normal seated capacity to a maximum of 10,000. These events must be ticketed and seated and follow strict guidelines. Alcohol can still be served to seated patrons only, including at conference and function venues. Cinemas, theatres and concert halls can reopen subject to the one person per 4 square metre rule. The rules on gathering remain the same: 20 guests inside the home and 20 for gatherings in a public place. Advertisement The Victorian government has re-imposed stay-at-home orders for 36 suburbs in ten postcodes after recording 139 new cases of the deadly virus in the past two days. After just four weeks of freedom, those residents will be banned from leaving their homes except for work and school, food shopping, giving care and daily exercise. Restaurants, gyms, pubs and all other non-essential services in the suburbs must once again close their doors. Affected businesses will be compensated with a government cash grant of $5,000. Residents from the ten postcodes will not be allowed to go on holiday and the government will announce a support package for affected tourism businesses tomorrow. The lockdown will last for four weeks and come into force from 11.59pm on Wednesday. Police will be enforcing the orders with random vehicle checks similar to random breath tests and will dish out on-the-spot fines. Premier Daniel Andrews said the lockdown was 'deeply painful' and 'damaging for businesses' but insisted that it was necessary. 'If we don't take these steps now we will be locking down every postcode,' he said. The curve in Victoria has skyrocketed over the past couple of weeks as coronavirus infections continue to grow from within the suburbs of Melbourne Which 36 suburbs are being locked down again? 3012 - Brooklyn, Kingsville, Maidstone, Tottenham, West Footscray 3021 - Albanvale, Kealba, Kings Park, St Albans 3032 - Ascot Vale, Highpoint City, Maribyrnong, Travancore 3038 - Keilor Downs, Keilor Lodge, Taylors Lakes, Watergardens 3042 - Airport West, Keilor Park, Niddrie 3046 - Glenroy, Hadfield, Oak Park 3047 - Broadmeadows, Dallas, Jacana 3055 - Brunswick South, Brunswick West, Moonee Vale, Moreland West 3060 - Fawkner 3064 - Craigieburn, Donnybrook, Mickelham, Roxburgh Park, Kalkallo Advertisement In a new testing blitz across the hotspot suburbs, officials will be knocking on doors and offering people on-the-spot swabs. 'Please, on behalf of every Victorian family, if you, or a family member, get a knock on the door and the offer of a test, please say yes,' Mr Andrews said. During a testing blitz over the weekend, 928 people refused to get tested in Broadmeadows and Keilor Downs alone. Mr Andrews has also asked the Prime Minister to divert all international flights away from Melbourne for two weeks so the city does not have to quarantine returned travellers. Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton confirmed Victoria was suffering a second wave after recording zero cases on 5 June. 'The virus seems to have been snuffed out in early June. There is no evidence of any original virus from February, March, around currently,' he said. Victoria recorded 64 new cases of the virus on Tuesday. The number, down from the 75 reported on Monday, is the state's sixth-worst figure since the pandemic began. The future of Public Health England is in doubt after Prime Minister Boris Johnson admitted parts of the Government's coronavirus response had been 'sluggish'. Speaking to the country ahead of the UK's 100th day in lockdown, Mr Johnson said the failures in dealing with the pandemic had made it feel like being in a 'recurring bad dream'. Although he did not name Public Health England (PHE), sources told The Telegraph they believed the Prime Minister was referring to the beleaguered agency. He had earlier criticised the body's response in meetings with Conservative MPs. PHE has been responsible for the initially chaotic coronavirus testing regime as well as the decision made early in the crisis to abandon widespread tracking of the virus. The future of Public Health England is in doubt after Prime Minister Boris Johnson admitted parts of the Government's coronavirus response had been 'sluggish' The move is seen by many scientists as one of the central mistakes in Britain's handling of the pandemic. The UK has the highest number of coronavirus deaths in Europe. PHE was also criticised for refusing the offer of help from universities and private labs to carry out tests. And on Tuesday, the agency was at the head of a painful public row after the Government ordered the localised lockdown of Leicester to stop a new outbreak. Councillors in the city expressed their anger at a lack of testing data and information after the infection rate rose during the past two weeks. Speaking on Tuesday, Mr Johnson said: 'I know that there are plenty of things that people say and will say that we got wrong, and we owe that discussion and that honesty to the tens of thousands who have died before their time, to the families who have lost loved ones, and of course there must be time to learn the lessons, and we will.' Speaking to the country ahead of the UK's 100th day in lockdown, Mr Johnson said the failures in dealing with the pandemic had made it feel like being in a 'recurring bad dream'. Pictured: A soldier passes a self-test to a member of the public in Leicester And speaking of what was wrong with the official administrative system, he added: 'The problems in our social care system, the parts of government that seemed to respond so sluggishly that sometimes it seemed like that recurring bad dream when you are telling your feet to run and your feet won't move.' A former Conservative health minister told The Telegraph: 'I think PHE is destined for the chop, and the main issue is why we didn't ramp up testing sooner'. Former Conservative leader Iain Duncan Smith added that he would 'abolish PHE tomorrow' because it has made decisions which 'puzzled people'. Among PHE's alleged failures are that - according to another source - it has been 'too slow' and forced the Government to intervene to take over some of its functions. And the Joint Biosecurity Centre, which was set up at the beginning of June and determines the UK's COVID-19 alert level, was reportedly established to do the job PHE should have been doing. PHE was set up by Jeremy Hunt when he was Health Secretary to advise the Government on public health issues. PHE has been responsible for the initially chaotic coronavirus testing regime as well as the decision made early in the crisis to abandon widespread tracking of the virus. Pictured: The agency's chief executive Duncan Selbie It is an executive agency of the Department of Health and Social Care. Mr Johnson earlier hinted that PHE's existence might be under threat when he told the 1922 Committee of Tory MPs in May that he was planning a review of 'a number of institutions' after the pandemic is over. The Telegraph added that the Treasury under Chancellor Rishi Sunak is reviewing plans about whether or not plans for a new PHE base in Harlow, Essex, should go ahead. Mr Johnson's comments came in a speech in which he vowed to move on from the coronavirus crisis with a package of spending measures. Relaunching his Government, the Prime Minister pledged to bring forward 'the most radical reforms of our planning system since the end of the Second World War'. He said the move, which will see ministers take the axe to swathes of red tape, would pave the way for an 'infrastructure revolution' that would create jobs now and improve productivity long-term. Mr Johnson said the Government wanted to 'build, build, build', but added that he would 'build back better, build back greener, build back faster.' Chancellor Rishi Sunak will lead a new unit, dubbed 'Project Speed' to fast track major infrastructure projects and identify bottlenecks in the system that need to be cleared away. The Prime Minister hinted that he would also take the bulldozer to parts of the Whitehall machine, saying he had been frustrated by its 'sluggish' response to the coronavirus pandemic. Coronavirus cases are back on the rise in New South Wales, sparking fears of a second outbreak. Fourteen new cases were diagnosed in NSW in the 24 hours up until to 8pm on Tuesday, which brought the total number to 3,203 recorded since January 25. All 14 new cases were returned travellers now in hotel quarantine. The spike comes as Melbourne struggles to contain a second wave of new infections with 212 cases in Victoria in the last three days, including 73 on Tuesday. The figures have prompted state health minister Brad Hazzard to urge NSW residents to not cross the border and issued a ban for anyone coming from Victorian hotspots. There are fears a second coronavirus outbreak in Victoria may spread to NSW. Pictured are Sydneysiders getting tested at a drive-through clinic in Bondi Anyone from a Melbourne hotspot caught in NSW could face six months in jail and an $11,000 fine from 11.59pm Wednesday. Anyone from NSW who recently visited a Melbourne hotspot must now self-isolate for 14 days. 'The message to NSW residents is don't go to Victorian hotspots, just don't go,' Mr Hazzard said. 'It's not something we want to do but we must do for our own safety.' It's understood the minister will sign a public health order implementing the changes later on Wednesday, the ABC reported. NSW recorded 14 new coronavirus cases on Tuesday. Pictured is a man being tested at St George Hospital The spike in new NSW infections coincided with a further easing of the state's lockdown restrictions with the return of community sport and increased numbers allowed in larger outdoor venues. The 50-person limit on at indoor venues such as pubs, cafes, restaurants and churches was also scrapped while sporting venues with capacity of up to 40,000 will also open up to crowds to fill up to a quarter of the normal capacity. Of the 3,203 coronavirus cases in NSW, 2,787 have recovered while 63 cases are being treated by NSW Health, including one in intensive care. Around 16,243 tests were conducted in NSW on Tuesday, compared with 12,950 tests on Monday. Health minister Brad Hazzard urged NSW residents to not cross the Victoria border, which has recorded 212 cases in the last three days. Pictured are queues at a drive-in coronavirus testing site at Melbourne Showgrounds on Tuesday 'That is so important and will continue to be so important,' Mr Hazzard said. 'We're seeing what's happening just across the border, in Victoria, and the message for all NSW residents is this COVID-19 pandemic is still very much a risk to us here in NSW.' Health authorities urge anyone who feels unwell with mild symptoms such as a runny nose or scratchy throat to self-isolate and get tested. NSW has carried out more than 870,000 tests while the number of deaths remains at 51, almost half of the national toll. Victoria has reported 73 new daily cases of coronavirus as it battles a second wave of the deadly disease. The figure, up from the 64 reported on Tuesday, means the state has recorded 212 cases in the past three days. Around 300,000 Melbourne residents from 10 postcodes have been ordered back into lockdown from Thursday to slow the spread. Premier Daniel Andrews today announced twelve new mobile testing sites have been set up in the 36 locked down suburbs. 'As of last night we had knocked on some 54,000 doors in those high-risk suburbs and post-codes offering advice, testing information and in some cases the self-administering test kits,' he said. Mr Andrews said the lockdown was 'painful' but said it was better than shutting down the whole state. 'Ultimately, if I didn't shut down those postcodes I'd be shutting down all postcodes and I don't think we want to get to that point,' he said. Mr Andrews said the new case figures were 'somewhat pleasing' because they are consistent rather than doubling every day. This map shows the suburbs which will be subject to stay-at-home orders from Wednesday at 11.59pm after a spike in coronavirus cases Guests at the Stamford Hotel in Melbourne are seen wearing masks as they get into taxis on June 25 After just four weeks of freedom, thousands of residents will be banned from leaving their homes except for work and school, food shopping, giving care and daily exercise. Restaurants, gyms, pubs and all other non-essential services in the suburbs must once again close their doors. Affected businesses will be compensated with a government cash grant of $5,000. Residents from the ten postcodes will not be allowed to go on holiday and the government will announce a support package for affected tourism businesses. The lockdown will last for four weeks and come into force from 11.59pm on Wednesday. Police will be enforcing the orders with random vehicle checks similar to random breath tests and will dish out on-the-spot fines. Premier Daniel Andrews said the lockdown was 'deeply painful' and 'damaging for businesses' but insisted that it was necessary. 'If we don't take these steps now we will be locking down every postcode,' he said. The curve in Victoria has skyrocketed over the past couple of weeks as coronavirus infections continue to grow from within the suburbs of Melbourne Which 36 suburbs are being locked down again? 3012 - Brooklyn, Kingsville, Maidstone, Tottenham, West Footscray 3021 - Albanvale, Kealba, Kings Park, St Albans 3032 - Ascot Vale, Highpoint City, Maribyrnong, Travancore 3038 - Keilor Downs, Keilor Lodge, Taylors Lakes, Watergardens 3042 - Airport West, Keilor Park, Niddrie 3046 - Glenroy, Hadfield, Oak Park 3047 - Broadmeadows, Dallas, Jacana 3055 - Brunswick South, Brunswick West, Moonee Vale, Moreland West 3060 - Fawkner 3064 - Craigieburn, Donnybrook, Mickelham, Roxburgh Park, Kalkallo Advertisement In a new testing blitz across the hotspot suburbs, officials will be knocking on doors and offering people on-the-spot swabs. 'Please, on behalf of every Victorian family, if you, or a family member, get a knock on the door and the offer of a test, please say yes,' Mr Andrews said. During a testing blitz over the weekend, 928 people refused to get tested in Broadmeadows and Keilor Downs alone. Mr Andrews has also asked the Prime Minister to divert all international flights away from Melbourne for two weeks so the city does not have to quarantine returned travellers. Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton confirmed Victoria was suffering a second wave after recording zero cases on 5 June. 'The virus seems to have been snuffed out in early June. There is no evidence of any original virus from February, March, around currently,' he said. An Australian tradesman has lifted the lid on the brutal punishments handed out to workers who turn up late at his construction site. The Canberra man shared a series of videos to TikTok showing late workers being whacked with poles, tackled and even sprayed with fire extinguishers. In one video a group of tardy tradesmen are seen coming up on the site's elevator only to be met with 15 screaming men armed with metal poles. The group have a moment to react before they're forced to run the gauntlet. 'This was a daily thing and it hurts,' the man wrote. Tardy tradesmen at a Canberra construction site were forced to run the gauntlet by their colleagues Around 15 colleagues armed with metal poles met their co-workers before punishing them for being late In another clip, one worker is seen desperately running through a group of tradesmen while being belted with sandbags. A third clip shows a late worker being crash-tackled to the ground before being covered in a cloud of fire retardant from an extinguisher. The surrounding workers are seen banging poles, clapping and laughing as their late colleagues suffer. 'That's the type or place you want to work at with people like that,' someone commented. One tradesmen runs in desperation to escape his colleagues hitting him with metal poles Tradesmen who arrived late to work were whacked with poles and sprayed with fire retardant as a punishment from their colleagues at a construction site across the road from Canberra Centre shopping mall in the ACT on Thursday The moment one tradesman is tackled to the ground while another begins outrageously spraying a fire extinguisher 'If I had done this on my site people would be having a sook,' said another. 'Like gladiators going into the arena,' said one. 'Running the gauntlet' was originally a military punishment where the victim was forced to run between two rows of men who would strike at him as he passed. The punishment is also used as a rite of passage or 'hazing' for uninitiated members of a certain groups, such as university colleges. 'Running the gauntlet' is formerly a military punishment in which the victim is forced to run between two rows of men who strike at him as he passes Qantas has launched a direct flight from Sydney to Byron for the first time in 15 years in time for the school holidays. Since 2005, the flying kangaroo's budget subsidiary Jetstar has primarily flown travellers to Ballina - near the New South Wales north coast town that's home to movie stars Chris Hemsworth and Zac Efron. Jetstar has also provided direct flights from Melbourne, but this service is set to have fewer customers as NSW bans visitors who have been to 36 COVID-infected Melbourne suburbs. On Wednesday morning, the airline's regional carrier QantasLink flew direct from Sydney to Byron Bay - the first for Qantas in 15 years. Qantas has launched a direct flight from Sydney to Byron for the first time in 15 years in time for the school holidays The launch of the one-hour flight came just days before the start of the New South Wales July school holidays. QantasLink chief executive John Gissing said the onset of COVID-19 had delayed the launch, originally scheduled for early 2020. 'These additional flights are coming at the right time for families who've spent much of the recent months confined to their homes and are looking forward to getting out and exploring their own state,' he said. 'Byron Bay continues to be an incredibly popular destination for holidaymakers of all types, and was one of the most in demand destinations for Qantas and Jetstar over the past month.' Airfares aren't cheap, however, with return flights this weekend costing $499. Travellers prepared to wait until late July, and fly during the week, can get a return flight for $233. Since 2005, the flying kangaroo's budget subsidiary Jetstar has flown travellers to Ballina near the New South Wales north coast town that is home to Australian movie star Chris Hemsworth (pictured at Byron Bay) and a holiday spot for Zac Effron Qantas's embattled rival Virgin Australia had been offering return economy airfares from Sydney to Ballina from $109 but it has grounded the majority of its domestic flights. US private equity group Bain Capital takes over today after Virgin Australia Holdings's administrator Deloitte last week accepted their bid over rival Cyrus Capital Partners. From July 20, QantasLink is flying direct from Sydney to Orange in the state's central west. The autistic son given up for adoption by parenting YouTuber Myka Stauffer and her husband James is 'happy' in his new home and already calls his new mom 'momma', according to authorities. The Delaware County Sheriff's Office said Monday that no charges will be brought against the couple after concerns were raised for Huxley's welfare last month when the Stauffers shared the news on their popular YouTube channels that they had 'rehomed' the four-year-old boy. A redacted report on the investigation seen by Buzzfeed News said the little boy was 'very happy and well taken care of' by his new parents and that there were 'no signs of any abuse'. The report also stated the couple had told authorities they 'couldn't take care of him anymore' because he had shown 'severe aggression towards the other kids.' This comes as the Stauffers are reportedly facing death threats over the scandal. The autistic son given up for adoption by parenting YouTuber Myka Stauffer and her husband James is 'happy' in his new home and already calls his new mom 'momma', according to authorities. Pictured Myka and Huxley, the four-year-old boy they said they had 'rehomed' Myka and James Stauffer with their four biological children and Huxley. The Delaware County Sheriff's Office said Monday it had closed the case against the couple after concerns were raised for Huxley's welfare earlier this month when the Stauffers shared the news on their popular YouTube channels that they had 'rehomed' the four-year-old boy Authorities said they had met with the little boy and his 'prospective adoptive parents' on June 9 as part of the investigation into the adoption. Deputy Susanna Leonard wrote that Huxley 'seemed very active and showed no signs of any abuse from what I could visually see', was already able to say the words 'momma,' 'go,' and 'open' and was communicating with his new mom through sign language. 'When we walked into the office, [Huxley's] adoptive mother was singing a song to him as he was sitting on her lap smiling,' Leonard wrote in the report. '[Huxley] appeared to be very happy and well taken care of.' Authorities also investigated and interviewed the Stauffers on June 4 and performed welfare checks on their four biological children, the report said. The probe found no signs of abuse on any of the children. The couple gave specific details about Huxley's behavior and said they had hired a 'very expensive' full-time carer to ensure both him and their other children were safe, according to the report. They said it was 'an intolerable situation to continue' and they had concerns it would get worse as Huxley grows older, the report stated. A redacted report on the investigation seen by Buzzfeed News said the little boy was 'very happy and well taken care of' by his new parents and that there were 'no signs of any abuse'. Myka and James Stauffer with their four biological children and Huxley Myka runs a popular parenting YoutTube channel under her name and James a YouTube channel called Stauffer Garage, about car cleaning and car detailing tricks Leonard went on to dispel concerns that the Stauffers had trafficked the little boy, after it emerged they had set up a GoFundMe to raise money for his adoption. 'As far as the talk of possible human trafficking against [Huxley], it was determined that the process of his adoption is being conducted legally,' Leonard wrote. She wrote that the couple said they raised just $800 from the fundraiser which was used to screen an adoption agency - while the adoption set them back $42,000. Leonard concluded that Huxley's adoption was above board and was being legally facilitated through a private adoption agency. No charges will be brought against the Stauffers and there will be no follow up investigation. The couple created a social media storm when they shared a tearful video earlier in the month, revealing they had 'rehomed' Huxley because the boy has special needs that they were not equipped to meet. The Stauffers, who have four biological children together, adopted Huxley from China in 2017. The couple created a social media storm when they shared a tearful video (pictured) last month, revealing they had 'rehomed' Huxley because the boy has special needs that they were not equipped to meet Last Wednesday, Myka broke her silence over the controversy in an Instagram post where she apologized for 'letting down so many women that looked up to me as a mother' The parents did not say where Huxley had gone, nor did they explain the process by which the child was matched with and handed over to his new family. The bombshell admission sparked a furious backlash online and cost Myka, who runs a popular parenting blog, her partnership with Kate Hudson's sportswear company Fabletics and other lifestyle brands. Last Wednesday, Myka broke her silence over the controversy in an Instagram post where she apologized for 'letting down so many women that looked up to me as a mother'. 'I wanted to help so bad I was willing to bring home any child that needed me,' she wrote in the post that has gained more than 12,700 likes. 'For this I was foolish, naive, and arrogant. I wish so bad I was more prepared and done more.' James is yet to address the scandal on his YouTube channel Stauffer Garage, about car cleaning and car detailing tricks. Friends of a young fitness fanatic who was stabbed to death in Melbourne admit he previously had links to violent street gangs, but had recently managed to 'turn his life around'. Thomas Tran, 20, was allegedly killed when he got caught up in a fight as he walked home from a gym in Oakleigh, a suburb in the city's south-east, on Monday evening. Tran's death is the third fatal stabbing on Melbourne's streets in as many weeks. The spate of deaths has led to fears over rising gang violence, but Tran's friends and family were quick to claim he was in the 'wrong place at the wrong time'. Stabbing victim Thomas Tran (centre, with hat backwards) had left behind violent street gangs and 'turned his life around' after falling in love, friends of the 20-year-old have revealed Tran, 20, (pictured with his mum Amy) was allegedly killed when he got caught up in a fight as he walked home from a gym in Oakleigh, a suburb in the city's south-east, on Monday evening Tran's friends and family were quick to claim he was in the 'wrong place at the wrong time' 'Thomas was innocent. Wrong place, wrong time,' one of Tran's friends wrote. 'He was not in a gang, he already grew out of that stage like three or four years ago... he turned his life around and fell in love. 'He only goes to Oakleigh to catch up with his mates that live in the area, by mates I don't mean gang members, I mean actual friendships.' Among the photos posted in tribute to Tran was one that showed him throwing up a gang sign with his hand. Tran's shattered girlfriend visited the crime scene on Tuesday afternoon and begged for the violence to stop. Trish Nguyen, his girlfriend of more than two years, said she hopes whoever killed him 'get what you f***ing deserve'. 'They're too worried about being cool. It's not fair anymore, it needs to stop,' she told media. 'We've lost a loved one, it's really not worth it. Friends of Tran (right), his local politician and former school were among those to pay tribute to him in the wake of his death Mr Tran's girlfriend Trish Nguyen (pictured, centre) tearfully begged for the violence to stop during an emotional ceremony at the crime scene on Tuesday 'You shouldn't do that to people's families. I hope you get what you f***ing deserve for doing that to him.' Ms Nguyen paid tribute to her boyfriend, saying he was selfless. 'He really cared about people and he really loved everyone. He put everyone before him,' she said. Tran's heartbroken mother Amy also collapsed to the ground as she visited the scene on Tuesday morning. Comforted by relatives, she lit incense at the makeshift shrine that grew dramatically in size throughout the day as mourners took bouquets of flowers to the scene. Victoria Police arrested three people aged 15 to 20 over the attack, but all have since been released. The exact circumstances surrounding the incident are being investigated. Machar Kot (pictured), died after being stabbed in Melbourne's CBD on Monday, June 22 Solomone Taufeulungaki (pictured), 15, was stabbed and killed in Deer Park on June 16 Solomone's devastated parents attended the Brimbank Shopping Centre where their son was killed the day after his death but instead of adding to the rising tensions they called for calm Atunaisa Taufeulungaki collapses to the ground in tears near the spot where his son died as he and his wife Salome prepare to add to the makeshift memorial in honour of their boy Police are appealing for anyone who may have been in the area of Chester Street and Atherton Road between 7.30pm and 8pm on Monday and anyone who has camera footage to come forward. Tran's death comes after Solomone Taufeulungaki, 15, was stabbed and killed in Deer Park on June 16 and Machar Kot, 21, died of knife wounds in Melbourne's CBD on June 22. In the aftermath of Taufeulungaki's death, his friends claimed he was 'jumped' by a gang called 'The Brotherhood'. They also alleged the gang had vowed to get 'another one'. 'They carry like machetes, guns, just like small guns,' the friend told A Current Affair. 'If it was my choice, I would go for revenge but this is the parents' choice and they forgive them.' 'Rest In Love Toko. Actually speechless aye, all I know is that I will see you again,' Mape Taufeulungaki (right) wrote alongside a picture with his brother Solomone (left) A police officer stands guard at the crime scene outside Brimbank Shopping Centre in Melbourne's outer western suburbs Much like Tran's mother, Taufeulungaki's parents also visited the scene of their son's death the day after the tragedy. While there were calls for retaliation against the alleged perpetrators, the parents of the dead boy called for calm and said they had forgiven his attackers. 'We want our son back home... we don't need any justice,' Solomone's mum Salome Taufeulungaki said tearfully. Six teenagers have been charged in relation to Taufeulungaki's death, while 22-year-old Marco Deng handed himself into police over the death of Kot. A young black Massachusetts woman filmed the moment a white man allegedly followed her in his car and demanded to know what she was doing in his neighborhood, saying he felt 'unsafe'. Julia Santos, 21, was on her way home on Monday after she picked up free dog food from a local who posted about it in a neighborhood Facebook group in Groveland. She said as she drove home she passed through Juniper Terrace and realized a man was following her for several streets in his car. Disturbed by being tailed for two miles, Santos turned onto a side street to escape the man, where he pulled up next to her and confronted her. 'So what are you driving up Juniper Terrace for?' the white man is seen saying in the video, wearing a white T-shirt and sunglasses. Black woman Julia Santos, 21, of Groveland, Massachusetts filmed the moment she confronted a white man (above) who allegedly followed her in his car for two miles on Monday before asking what she was doing in his neighborhood. He told her 'I dont feel safe with you driving around my neighborhood' She had been picking up free dog food from a local who posted about it on Facebook when she was tailed by the man. She shared the video on Twitter where it has gone viral Santos said she's lived in Groveland all her life and was shocked that the man insisted on knowing why she was in that specific neighborhood. Santos pictured on social media 'Actually. If youre concerned if you want to look on the Town Crier (a Facebook Group) someone offered a bag of dog food, which I have in the back of my vehicle, Santos replied, her voice shaking. 'Where? Juniper Terrace is a very small street, you didnt stop,' the man replies, trying to seem friendly. 'I did. I stopped, I grabbed the dog food that is right there and then I left and saw you follow me all the way here and I turned right here because quite frankly, I dont feel safe right now,' Santos replied. 'You dont feel safe? I dont feel safe with you driving around my neighborhood,' the man quipped back. Santos challenged the man, asking if he followed her because she's black. 'I dont know what color you are what color are you?' the white man replied. 'Im black and thats why youre following me?' Santos said. Police have opened a criminal investigation into the incident and Groveland Police Chief Jeffrey Gillen said the clip 'deeply disturbed' him. Police said they have identified and spoken with the man in the video, but did not release his name 'Thats good, youre black, congratulations!' the man replied. Another womans voice is then heard in the background saying, 'What are you doing? I dont like the fact that this poor girl is being harassed' and the man backs up in his BMW convertible. 'I just got Karen'd? This man followed me home because I went to pick up DOG FOOD at somebody's house! He followed me all the way to my house so I turned on a side street and he said he felt "unsafe,"' Santos posted on Twitter, where the clip racked up over 193,000 views and nearly 3,000 retweets. Santos said she's lived in Groveland all her life and was shocked that the man insisted on knowing why she was in that specific neighborhood. 'Think i'll just go cry and try to emotionally process today lol,' Santos tweeted after posting the video of the incident This Twitter user said on the disturbing video: 'Reminder that "Karens" come in all shapes and sizes 'Think i'll just go cry and try to emotionally process today lol,' she tweeted after posting the video of the incident. Police have opened a criminal investigation into the incident and Groveland Police Chief Jeffrey Gillen said the clip 'deeply disturbed' him. Police said they have identified and spoken with the man in the video, but did not release his name. 'This is a good example to show this stuff is really happening,' Adriana Santos, Julias sister said to the Boston Globe. 'It was definitely shocking to watch, especially knowing my sister so well. I could definitely hear in her voice how shook up she was,' Adriana added. Twitter users voiced their fury over the video where Santos was seemingly targeted on account of her skin color, with some dubbing the man in the video a 'Chad'. 'Reminder that "Karens" come in all shapes and sizes,' one Twitter user wrote. 'This Chad is following and harassing a black girl who was afraid to drive home. She stopped and filmed. The video ends when someone comes to her aide. This Chad looks more like a Karen, dontcha think? if you toss me his address, I'll get his name so his boss knows,' another Twitter user added. 'This is literally one of my nightmares as a woman but add being black that's 100 times more scary...' another social media user said. A former Bondi cafe owner who tried to smuggle $150million worth of cocaine into Australia has been slammed for a 'formulaic and cliched' letter begging a judge for leniency. Darren John Mohr, 46, was found guilty of conspiring to import 500kg of cocaine into Australia by a jury in March, and now faces the grim prospect of life behind bars. Mohr was described as 'senior player' in an operation to have half a tonne of coke smuggled into Sydney via fishing boat but was arrested while waiting for it to arrive on Christmas Day, 2016. Mohr sat sullen and alone during a court sentencing hearing on Wednesday, in what was a far cry from the glamorous lifestyle of luxury cars and overseas holidays that he once flaunted on social media with his bikini model ex-lover. Read Mohr's full letter below What once was: A suited Darren John Mohr and his bikini model ex-girlfriend Krissy Marsh with a white Rolls Royce prior to his Christmas Day arrest in 2016 after a flopped coke importation Mohr and Marsh show off designer watches on their way to a family wedding in a Rolls Royce. Life is now very different 'I will carry the weight of my poor decision forever': Mohr - who penned a letter to the judge - is seen as he appeared in the New South Wales Supreme Court on Wednesday During the hearing, prosecutor Michelle England branded Mohr a liar, claimed 'pretty much everything' he says is self-serving and criticised a letter of 'remorse' he wrote to Justice Helen Wilson. As Mohr squinted across the room at her through a pair of glasses, Ms England read out extracts from his plea for leniency. The letter, obtained exclusively by Daily Mail Australia, began: 'Your Honour, as I roll over and look at the clock it reads 3.55am. 'I have been awake with my thoughts for some time'. Ms England commentated that Mohr was implying he was 'lying awake, thinking about this', and continued reading his letter to the court. 'Prior to my offending,' he says, 'I have worked continuously very hard to get to where I was and with one stupid decision I've lost it all.' Your Honour, as I roll over and look at the clock it reads 3.55am. I have been awake with my thoughts for some time'. Darren Mohr in a letter to the court But Ms England told the court what Mohr did - travelling to three continents to organise the importation - wasn't an 'impulsive' criminal act. 'The characterisation of the offending was that it was stupidity. 'There was no awareness there of the criminality involved.' The prosecutor added: 'Theres no real acknowledgment about his role in this specific conspiracy. 'I would go further and submit the expressions of remorse are cliched and formulaic.' In Mohr's letter, the hospitality worker said he had 'brought shame' on his family name and 'will carry the weight of this poor decision forever'. 'I never wanted to be a criminal,' he wrote. 'I stayed out of trouble nearly all my life and truly wanted to just be a normal man and settle down with a family. 'I never went looking for these kinds of things however, when an opportunity was offered I regretfully took it. 'I can say no more than I am truly sorry and will carry the weight of this poor decision forever.' Mohr was long time friends with Ms Marsh before they began a relationship. On right, he suns himself on a boat The drug smuggling conspirator reclines on a luxury couch with an exotic bird and a dog prior to his arrest, above DARREN MOHR'S 'CLICHED AND FORMULAIC' LETTER PLEADING FOR LENIENCY 'Your Honour, 'As I roll over and look at the clock it reads 3.55am. I have been awake with my thoughts for some time. 'It is during these hours that I reflect on the chain of events that have led me here. 'I am writing this letter to you in the hope that you will consider what I have written when imposing a sentence on me. 'For two years I was under house arrest thinking nothing of my defence. Only now have I truly realised the weight of my actions and the mistakes I have made. 'I accept the part I had to play in the conspiracy and have taken responsibility for my actions in it. 'I never wanted to be a criminal. I stayed out of trouble nearly all my life and truly wanted to just be a normal man and settle down with a family. Plain clothed police officers upon his arrest in Sydney's east on Christmas Day 2016 'I never went looking for these kinds of things however, when an opportunity was offered I regretfully took it. 'I can say no more than I am truly sorry and will carry the weight of this poor decision forever. (REDACTED) 'I've had nearly four months since my trial which has given me plenty of time to think of the effects of my actions. 'I have brought shame to a family name that has always made me and my closest loved ones immensely proud.... 'During my recent time in Gaol I have experienced the knock on effects of drugs and how it affects peoples' lives. ';I have seen families ruined, health destruction, violence and the immense burden drugs financially bring on the Australian people.' 'Prior to my offending I had worked continuously and very hard to get to where I was and with one decision I have lost it all .... (SOME REDACTIONS) 'I had become reckless and the value I had on my life was diminished.' 'The time I have spent in gaol has not been wasted. I have held down a job and work with main and protection inmates. Locked up: Police slapped handcuffs on Mohr (left) after arresting him over the coke bust in December 2016 and sat him in the gutter (right) 'I feel that upon my release I will be more focused on re-entering the workforce and becoming a productive member of society again. 'I will take it upon myself to repair the damage I have done both to my family and the community. 'I apologise to Your Honour and the community for what I have done. I am genuinely sorry for the part I played in trying to bring drugs into this country and potentially harming so many. 'I have taken responsibility for these actions and will accept whatever punishment Your Honour feels necessary. 'Yours, Darren Mohr' Advertisement DARREN MOHR'S ELABORATE DRUG PLOT AT SEA A court previously heard Mohr's group sought to take a vessel docked at Sydney Fish Markets into international waters to meet a 'mother ship' from Chile. It was there, at sea, when a half-tonne of cocaine would be loaded upon the Dalrymple ship. However, the ship returned to shore without the goods. He was arrested on Christmas Day in 2016. He was found guilty of the single charge of conspiracy in March and now faces sentencing. Advertisement The court on Wednesday heard evidence Mohr had grown up with 'financially privileged peers' but himself couldn't afford certain luxuries. Ms England said the court did not know why he felt the need to import 500kg of cocaine to meet his desires for wealth and power. The prosecutor said the only explanation she could make for his behaviour was greed. Mohr's defence counsel, Grant Brady SC, told the court that his client was 'really honest' in evidence before the court on sentencing. Judge Wilson said the evidence he gave at trial seemed to be an 'elaborate fraud' and asked if what he was telling the court now was another attempt to manipulate it. 'Your Honour would not come to that finding,' Mr Brady said. Mohr during another scene from his previous life where he cruised around the Monaco harbour Mr Brady said part of Mohr's personality was 'narcissistic, ego-driven behaviour', driven by a desire for 'power and money'. He said Mr Mohr was 'caring' and 'insecure', but had also described himself as 'ego-driven, self-centred and controlling'. Mr Brady spoke extensively about where his client placed in terms of his role in the syndicate. Mohr will be sentenced on Friday. Federal law enforcement authorities said on Tuesday a civil rights investigation is underway into the death in 2019 of an unarmed Black man in Colorado after police applied a chokehold to him and he was sedated by paramedics. The federal probe was launched last year into the death of Elijah McClain, 23, who went into cardiac arrest and died days after the encounter in the Denver suburb of Aurora, according to a joint statement from the Justice Department's civil rights division, the FBI and the U.S. Attorney for Colorado. The agencies said releasing the existence of an ongoing investigation is done only when it is in 'the best interest of the public and public safety.' Aurora Interim Police Chief Vanessa Wilson declined to specify what the photographs showed, when they were taken or what the officers were doing near the memorial for McClain (pictured), whose death in August last year has been at the center of protests throughout Colorado against racism and police brutality In body-cam footage of the fatal incident, McClain is heard pleading with the officers that, 'I just can't breathe correctly'. He went into cardiac arrest on the way to the hospital and died days later 'Recent attention on the death of Elijah McClain warrants such disclosure,' the agencies said. Aurora police did immediately respond to requests for comment. McClain was approached by three officers from the Aurora, Colorado police department on August 24, 2019 on a report of a suspicious man walking along a street in the suburb. Police subdued him, even though he was not suspected of committing a crime, and applied a carotid neck hold to him as McClain said repeatedly that he could not breathe, according to audio recordings released by police. The Aurora PD later determined that the three officers involved in McClain's death had acted within acceptable policy and training, with the district attorney overseeing the case declining to level any criminal charges against them Paramedics then injected him with ketamine. McClain lapsed into a coma and died days later. A local district attorney declined to file charges against police or the paramedics, citing an inconclusive autopsy. Governor Jared Polis last week appointed a special prosecutor to review the case, and an internal affairs investigation has been launched into three officers who took photographs of themselves at the scene. An attorney for the McClain family, Mari Newman, said a civil rights investigation 'was long overdue.' On Tuesday, Aurora Police announced that three officers were placed on paid leave pending an investigation after they were allegedly depicted re-enacting Elijah McClain's death in police custody. Aurora Interim Police Chief Vanessa Wilson released a statement late Monday saying she learned of the apparent images on Thursday and 'immediately' ordered an Internal Affairs investigation as a 'top priority'. Wilson declined to specify what the photographs showed, when they were taken or what the officers were doing near the memorial for McClain, whose death in August last year has been at the center of protests throughout Colorado against racism and police brutality. Aurora police officers, dressed in riot gear, line up outside the Aurora Police Department Headquarters as people shout from behind a fence while protesting the death of Elijah McClain on Saturday Protester and violinist, Jukka Pawley, continues to play music to honor Elijah McClain, as Aurora police fire tear gas into the crowd behind him during a vigil in Aurora, Colorado However, sources told CBS Denver the photographs allegedly show the three officers re-enacting the carotid restraint that was used on McClain during his fatal arrest near the 1900 block of Billings Street. The Aurora Police Department has not yet returned a DailyMail.com request for comment on the claims. The images were said to have been disseminated within Aurora PD between several officers, CBS' Brian Maass reported. It's unclear if the officers were on duty or were wearing their uniforms when the purported images were taken. In her statement, Wilson said the investigation will be publicly released on its conclusion, which will include photographic evidence in addition to the officers' names. Lt. Chris Amsler, a spokesman with the Aurora Police Department, said police are investigating whether the photos of the officers near the site of McClains death violate any department policies and if a recommendation for any punishment should be issued. At the scene where the images were said to be taken, near City Center Park, members of the Aurora PD were seen pepper spraying peaceful protesters Sunday during a violin performance to honor McClain's memory. The presence of the police was sudden. At one point only the noise of the violinists could be heard before the police suddenly began storming the gathering to the crowd's cries of 'No!'. In one video of the altercation, a woman can be heard yelling at the police to 'stop' as officers in riot gear began forcibly removing demonstrators out of the park and administering pepper spray. The protesters continued to stand their ground for as long as they could with some even forming a human chain around the violinists to protect them from police. Eventually, the demonstration was forced into a parking lot, where musicians continued to play violin and protesters broke out in song. The McClain family's lawyer, Mari Newman, had been at the vigil with Elijah's two younger sisters when police began forcefully dispersing the crowd. She called the police response 'brutal, totally uncalled for and outrageous'. The Euro 2020 football championships were today rocked by a coronavirus crisis after Scotland's star midfielder Billy Gilmour tested positive for Covid-19 just three days after facing England. The 20-year-old Chelsea footballer will now be forced to self-isolate for ten days, hours after playing a major role in Scotland's goalless draw with England at Wembley Stadium last Friday in his first start for the national team. Gilmour (left, and bottom left with Scotland manager Steve Clarke) was seen hugging some of his Chelsea team-mates after the match - and there could now be doubts over both Ben Chilwell and Mason Mount (right, together) prior to England's final group game against the Czech Republic tomorrow. No other Scotland players have been affected or identified as close-contacts, meaning all will be available as they face Croatia in a winner-takes-all Group D clash at Hampden Park in Glasgow, which is also tomorrow at 8pm. But Gilmour will play no part in the match for Scotland, who are in their first major tournament since World Cup 1998. They sit bottom of Group D with one point and need to beat Croatia to have a chance of progression. As for England, all 26 players and the wider support team returned negative results after the latest round of PCR testing by Uefa on Sunday - the full squad are expected to train at Spurs Lodge in Chigwell this morning. The Scottish and English football associations remained in talks with Public Health England this morning regarding close contacts of Gilmour, but none have been identified. Half a dozen other teams in the tournament, which has been delayed by a year, have also suffered Covid-19 cases - and Gilmour's positive test is the second to hit the Scotland camp since the squad met up earlier this month. Dozens of Harvey Weinstein's sexual misconduct accusers will receive a nearly $19million settlement, the New York Attorney Generals office announced Tuesday. A victims' compensation fund of $18,875,000 will be created and distributed among dozens of accusers if approved by judges in federal courts. However, it's not clear how many accusers will receive the payout. In the agreement survivors will also be released from their confidentiality, non-disclosure, or non-disparagement agreements with the Weinstein Company and any former representatives of the company related to Weinsteins sexual misconduct. Harvey Weinsteins accusers of harassment and sexual abuse will receive a nearly $19million settlement, the New York Attorney Generals office announced Tuesday. Weinstein pictured feebly clutching his walker upon entering his sex crimes trial in March New York Attorney General Letitia James announced the settlement on Twitter on Tuesday The settlement is an effort to resolve two lawsuits against Weinstein, who was convicted of first-degree criminal sexual assault and third-degree rape and sentenced to 23 years in prison in March. The settlement stems from a 2018 civil rights lawsuit filed by the New York AGs office against the disgraced movie producer, his brother Robert Weinstein and the Weinstein companies at large for 'egregious violations of New Yorks civil rights, human rights, and business laws.' That lawsuit accused Weinstein and his company of leading a hostile work environment. The settlement would also end a separate class-action lawsuit brought in 2017 on behalf of nine women who accused Weinstein of sexual harassment or assault. Under the plan the fund will be distributed among 'women who experienced a hostile work environment, sexual harassment, and gender-based discrimination while working at The Weinstein Company, as well as sexual abuse by Harvey Weinstein,' the attorney generals office said. 'Harvey Weinstein and The Weinstein Company failed their female employees. After all the harassment, threats, and discrimination, their victims are finally receiving some justice,' New York Attorney General Letitia James said in a statement. 'This agreement is a win for every woman who has experienced sexual harassment, discrimination, intimidation, or retaliation by her employer,' James said. 'This agreement is a win for every woman who has experienced sexual harassment, discrimination, intimidation, or retaliation by her employer,' James said in a statement Lauren Young (left) and Jessica Mann (right) at Weinstein's trial where they both took the stand on March 11 The agreement still has to be approved by the district court as well as the bankruptcy court presiding over the Weinstein Companys bankruptcy case. However, attorneys for six of Weinstein's alleged victims disagree with the settlement, calling it a 'sell out' because Weinstein isn't accepting responsibility or paying out of his own pocket. 'The proposed settlement is a complete sellout of the Weinstein survivors and we are surprised that the Attorney General could somehow boast about a proposal that fails on so many different levels,' attorneys Douglas H. Wigdor and Kevin Mintzer said to CNN. Weinstein is currently serving out his sentence at Wende Correctional Facility in Erie County, New York 'We are completely astounded that the Attorney General is taking a victory lap for this unfair and inequitable proposal, and on behalf of our clients, we will be vigorously objecting in court,' they added. Weinstein fell from one of the most powerful names in Hollywood to one of the most disgraced. In his four-week #MeToo trial in Manhattan, accusers unearthed how he abused his power, preyed on dozens of women over the course of three decades, often dangling the promise of a movie career in exchange for sex acts. In the trial six woman shared how they were abused by Weinstein and in the end he was convicted for the sexual assault of former Project Runway production assistant Miriam Haleyi and the rape of former actress Jessica Mann. Weinstein, who has been accused of sexual misconduct by more than 100 women, still faces trial on rape and sexual assault charges in Los Angeles. Weinstein is currently serving out his sentence at Wende Correctional Facility in Erie County, New York. Commuters will face chaos on the border of New South Wales and Queensland with drivers sitting in two-hour-long queues as police conduct checks, sources claimed. Queensland is officially reopening the border to all states and territories except Victoria on July 10 after the state shut down on March 26. Senior police on Wednesday were forced into emergency meetings to figure out how to introduce the changes on a ground level. Commuting times between the border and Brisbane are expected to be sent into chaos with drivers waiting in queues for up to two hours as they are forced to produce paperwork. In the most extreme circumstances, one police source even remarked that traffic could be backed up from the border to more than 600km away in Newcastle, the Courier Mail reported. Commuters will face chaos on the border of New South Wales and Queensland with extreme two hour queues as police conduct checks (checkpoint on the border on Wednesday pictured) A police officer directs a car for further inspection at a check point on the Queensland-New South Wales border in Coolangatta (pictured on Wednesday) 'Police have no idea how they are going to do this. It's a response from a bureaucrat. It's just a debacle,' the source said. 'Police are saying we can stop each car. But the traffic will be from the border to Newcastle.' Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said anyone entering the state will be asked to declare they have not been in Victoria in the past two weeks. Anyone entering the state will be asked to produce paperwork showing they have not been in Victoria for 14 days, risking a $4,000 fine if caught lying. But the police source claims it will be near impossible to stop Victorians from entering the state. 'They have to complete a form which says they haven't been in Victoria in the past two weeks. The virus manifests itself in three to four weeks. Police are asking how is two weeks going to solve anything,' the source said. Queensland is officially reopening the border to all states and territories except Victoria on July 10 after the state went into lockdown on March 26 (a border checkpoint pictured on Wednesday) Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk (pictured on Tuesday) said anyone entering the state will be asked to declare they have not been in Victoria in the past two weeks A police officer inspects a car at a check point on the Queensland-New South Wales border (pictured on Wednesday) The source said police are being abused at the border and there are fears it will only get worse. The Queensland Police Service said it is currently work-shopping how to facilitate changes to the state border restrictions. Police are planning to implement new processes at border checkpoints to make it more seamless and the proposed changes will be made available soon. It means that Australians can finally visit Queensland tourist hotspots including Cairns and the Gold coast, giving hope to ailing tourism businesses. The Australian Federation of Travel Agents welcomed the decision. CEO Darren Rudd told Daily Mail Australia: 'This is a step in the right direction which strikes the right balance between the necessary caution and getting the economy restarted.' Senior police on Wednesday were forced into emergency meetings to determine how to introduce changes on a ground level (police checking a car on Wednesday) Traffic is seen on the Pacific Highway in New South Wales near the Queensland Border Queensland's tourism industry is ready to welcome interstate travellers as they start flowing into the Sunshine State in less than two weeks when the border reopens. Relief is how Queensland Tourism Industry Council boss Daniel Gschwind has described the news the border will open from July 10. He says hotels and tourism operators have tight COVID-safe plans in place, and tourists should feel safe staying and playing in the Sunshine State. 'We are relieved and it's an outcome that we had hoped for,' Mr Gschwind told AAP. 'The industry has worked hard on hygiene and cleanliness plans that not only satisfy the chief health officer but should give confidence to customers who have that at the top of their concerns.' The decision brought a broad smile to the face of Visit Sunshine Coast chair David Ryan. Motorists are stopped at a checkpoint on the Gold Coast Highway at Coolangatta on the Queensland/NSW border border in March Queensland will stop Victorians entering the state while letting all other Australians in from July 10 (pictured, the border near the Gold Coast) He said Sunshine Coast tourism has been through one of the worst periods in recent decades and even with tourists flowing in, it will be a slow recovery. 'The decision to open the border with NSW will be a massive fillip for the local industry because the situation was looking rather grim for many operators after the school holidays,' Mr Ryan said in a statement. The Queensland government also announced that it is moving to stage three of coronavirus restrictions from Friday as it relaxes rules. The cap on numbers in venues is removed and replaced with social distancing and casinos have been allowed to open. Border control signage is seen as motorists approach the Queensland - New South Wales border But Queensland will continue to live under some form of restrictions on their daily lives until a vaccine is found. Ms Palaszczuk told reporters on Wednesday industries would not simply bounce back to the way they operated before the global health crisis. 'It's never going to be exactly the same, so we are in this post-COVID world,' she said. 'Until there is a vaccine we have to keep up with the social distancing, we never know when there could be a new case. 'We have contact tracing in place ready to go and as we've seen it can emerge very quickly, like it has in Victoria.' A grandfather was horrifically stabbed in the head and neck while trying to deliver a toy to his granddaughter. Laurie Dobson, 64, was dropping off a teddy bear in Banksia Grove, north Perth, on May 22 when he tried to break up an argument happening on the street. Former carer Shanelle Govan, 26, admitted she brutally attacked Mr Dobson with a kitchen knife when he intervened, The West Australian reported. Laurie Dobson, 64, (pictured left) was stabbed in the head and neck while dropping off a teddy bear to his granddaughter (pictured right) in Banksia Grove, north Perth, on May 22 Joondalup Magistrates Court heard on Wednesday that Mr Dobson (pictured with his granddaughter) was stabbed after trying to resolve an argument in the street Govan pleaded guilty to aggravated unlawful wounding when she appeared in Joondalup Magistrate's Court on Wednesday. The court was told Govan stabbed Mr Dobson, a stranger to her, twice in the neck and narrowly missed his carotid artery. The 64-year-old received wounds to his neck and ears and had to be rushed to the Royal Perth Hospital to undergo emergency surgery. Govan's attack snapped a bone in Mr Dobson's neck and the court heard doctors were still waiting for swelling to go down before they could operate. She also admitted she assaulted an auxiliary police officer in Northbridge on the same day and had obstructed a public officer in Banksia Grove on April 3. The 26-year-old's lawyer did not oppose an application made by prosecutors to have Govan's case sent to the District Court for sentencing. The court heard it was 'possible' that Govan's charge may be upgraded to occasioning grievous bodily harm. Govan faces up to seven years in prison and could receive a maximum sentence of 14 years in jail if her charge is upgraded. Former carer Shanelle Govan, 26, admitted to stabbing the 64-year-old (pictured) and pleaded guilty to aggravated unlawful wounding Mr Dobson spoke out after the attack and revealed his wounds had almost left him paralysed. 'I'm deaf in this ear, so if she'd gone down into the ear I would be totally deaf. 'And if it had been more horizontal, I would have been paralysed from the neck down,' he explained. 'No grandchild should have to sit there and watch her granddad holding a towel filling up with blood,' Mr Dobson said. Govan's mother, Serena Williams, has also spoken out about how her daughter struggled with mental illness and seeking help in the lead up to the attack. Ms Williams and Govan's sister, Ruth Stevens, have both publicly apologised to Mr Dobson and labelled the 26-year-old's actions as out of character. The former carer was remanded in custody and will face the District Court of Western Australia over the unlawful wounding charge on August 28. Her remaining charges will be heard in the Joondalup Magistrate's Court on September 2. A mum-of-two is in the fight for her life after her cervical cancer went misdiagnosed for more than a year. Lucy Dolbel from Queensland's Sunshine Coast had her world turned upside down when she was diagnosed last October after being rushed to hospital for a blood transfusion. The five centimetre tumour had gone undetected for more than a year after she suffered a 'massive hemorrhage' at a house party, which doctors initially diagnosed as a heavy period. 'It was a bit of a shock as after Googling, we were like these are classic symptoms of cervical cancer that weren't picked up,' Ms Dolbel told Seven News. Lucy Dolbel (pictured with her husband on their wedding day) is battling cervical cancer Ms Dolbel opted for alternative treatment as the tumour was too far advanced to be be operated on. She claims she's since been told the number of life-saving blood transfusions she can have in the future is limited and will be based on a cost-benefit analysis. 'If you bleed again, if you're not doing the radiotherapy and chemotherapy, then we'll restrict your treatment... it's heartbreaking, it's immoral,' Ms Dolbel said. She and her husband Stephen have vowed to challenge the decision by health officials through the necessary political and legal channels. Ms Dolbel has been rushed to hospital several times in recent months due to life-threatening blood haemorrhages. Contracting coronavirus has added to her recent health complications, which resulted in a month of extreme quarantined isolation for the family. 'Several times in the last few months she has been rushed into emergency to receive urgent interventions to save her life, and on two occasions she has even been told to make provision for the fact that she may not survive the blood loss even with such interventions,' Mr Dolbel wrote on a GoFundMe page. 'Having to say a potential goodbye to those she loves before she is admitted to theatre has been absolutely heart wrenching for us all.' Mr Dolbel has given up work to become her 24-7 carer in case she haemorrhages again. 'Every single day is like living a loaded gun to your head, not knowing when it's going to go off,' he told Seven News. Stephen Dolbel (right) has given up work to look after his wife Lucy (left) during her cancer battle He's grateful for the $13,300 raised in the last two weeks to help ease the financial burden and search for private treatment options. 'Those who know us both, know that we are very independent people and so the thought of asking for help has to date been something we have sidelined as an option,' Mr Dolbel wrote on the fundraising page. 'However, recent events mean that I am now realising it is time to swallow my pride and speak out and ask for help.' Meanwhile, his wife has warned others to trust their gut instinct and get a second opinion if they feel something is wrong. 'You might not have a medical degree but no one will know your body better than you,' Ms Dolbel said. Australia is bracing for the possibility of war on home soil for the first time in almost 80 years as defence spending is supercharged. Prime Minister Scott Morrison has announced Australia will be acquiring long-range missiles that can hit a target 370km away, as part of a plan to spend $270billion on defence hardware during the coming decade. A top military expert is warning a war in the Asia-Pacific was likely within the next ten years, as China became increasingly aggressive. As recently as 2013, Australia's defence spending as a proportion of the economy was the lowest it had been since 1938 - before the onset of World War II. In a post-pandemic world of the 2020s, Mr Morrison hinted the likelihood of a hot war on Australian soil was the greatest since the 1940s, when the Japanese bombed Darwin and sent midget submarines into Sydney Harbour. Scroll down for video More than half of $270billion will be spent on improving Australia's air and maritime forces, including buying new AGM-158C Long Range Anti-Ship Missiles from the US (pictured) Australia is bracing for the possibility of war on home soil for the first time in 80 years as it supercharges defence spending. Prime Minister Scott Morrison has announced Australia will be acquiring long-range missiles that can hit a target 370km away, as part of a plan to spend $270billion on defence hardware and cyber security during the coming decade. Pictured is a Long Range Anti-Ship Missile 'Even as we stare down the COVID pandemic at home, we need to also prepare for a post COVID world that is poorer, more dangerous and more disorderly,' he told the Australian Defence Force Academy in Canberra on Wednesday. 'The only time Australia has faced an existential threat was when the global and regional order collapsed in the 1930s and 1940s. 'Now we must face the reality that we have moved into a new and less benign strategic era - one in which the institutions and patterns of cooperation that have benefited our prosperity and security for decades are under increasing strain.' The Australian Strategic Policy Institute's director of defence, strategy and national security Michael Shoebridge said China under President Xi Jinping was increasingly aggressive - making a war in the Asia-Pacific more likely within the next decade. 'The most obvious source of military conflict in our region is Beijing under Xi Jinping,' he told Daily Mail Australia. 'This all means that major military conflict in our region is now credible well within the "ten years warning time" that Australian strategy has been based on until now.' A hot war in Asia would mark the bloodiest ideological conflict in Asia since the height of the Cold War. Australia, under Robert Menzies, sent troops to the Korean War in 1950 and to the Vietnam War in 1962 in a bid to crush Communist forces and support the United States - Australia's biggest defence ally since World War II. In 2020, Mr Shoebridge said China was Australia's biggest military threat, despite being Australia's biggest trading partner, and the No.1 buyer of iron ore exports used to make steel. 'This flows from the coercive, expansionist behaviour of the Chinese government,' he said. In a post-pandemic world of the 2020s, Mr Morrison hinted the likelihood of a hot war on Australian soil was the greatest since the 1940s, when the Japanese bombed Darwin (pictured in 1942) and sent midget submarines into Sydney Harbour 'This is about Beijing's covert, corrupting interference in Australian and other countries' political systems and its industrial scale cyber hacking, as well as its aggressive use of its military and associated paramilitary forces, not just in the South China and East China Seas, but in Hong Kong, in Xinjiang and on the India-China border.' China's territorial claims over the South China Sea have heightened tensions with Vietnam and the Philippines, and are threatening to draw the US into a broader conflict. Mr Morrison noted these tensions could potentially lead to war. 'The Indo-Pacific is the epicentre of rising strategic competition,' he said. 'Our region will not only shape our future - increasingly it is the focus of the dominant global contest of our age. 'Tensions over territorial claims are rising across the Indo-Pacific region - as we have seen recently on the disputed border between India and China, in the South China Sea, and in the East China Sea. 'The risk of miscalculation - and even conflict - is heightening.' In 2020, the Chinese Communist Party is increasingly showing its belligerent side. Australia's biggest trading partner China, under Communist Party President Xi Jinping's (pictured with Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison) leadership, is increasingly aggressive in the Asia-Pacific region China in the 21st century is seeking to overtake the US as the world's biggest military superpower, and supplant its place as the No.1 global economy. 'Relations between China and the United States are fractious as they compete for political, economic and technological supremacy,' Mr Morrison said. The Prime Minister, however, said they were far from the only nations that threatened global trade. 'It's not just China and the United States that will determine whether our region stays on the path of free and open trade, investment and cooperation that has underpinned its prosperity and stability,' Mr Morrison said. The COVID-19 pandemic has already stretched Australia's finances, as business shutdowns threaten to spark the steepest economic downturn since the 1930s Great Depression. Despite that, Mr Morrison has declared Australia's defence spending will exceed two per cent of gross domestic product. The government is also considering buying a range of other weapons and defence systems including the surface-to-air Missile, the High Mobility Rocket Artillery System and the MGM-140 Army Tactical Missile System. Pictured is a rocket being launched in South Korea as part of an exercise to prepare for North Korean aggression As recently as 2013, Australia's defence spending as a proportion of the economy fell to 1.56 per cent, the lowest since 1938 - sparking criticism from former US deputy secretary of state Richard Armitage. The $270billion to be spent over the coming decade will dwarf the $195billion Mr Morrison's Liberal predecessor Malcolm Turnbull promised in 2016 following the release of a Defence White Paper. Mr Shoebridge said Australia's defence capabilities would be geared towards attacking enemies rather than just defending home soil, noting the Prime Minister's comparison of 2020 with the 1940s. 'The parallels have given the government an urgency in shifting the Australian Defence Force from a high technology force with a defensive focus to a force with an increased offensive capability - to deter military adventurism in our near region and to respond if that fails,' he said. More than half of $270billion will be spent on improving Australia's air and maritime forces, including buying new AGM-158C Long Range Anti-Ship Missiles from the US. The missiles, which were designed in the United States in 2014, cost about $5million each and can hit a target 370km away, giving Australia significant new range. The $270billion to be spent over the coming decade will dwarf the $195billion Mr Morrison's Liberal predecessor Malcolm Turnbull promised in 2016 following the release of a Defence White Paper. Pictured is a Russian warhead They will be attached to F/A-18F Super Hornet planes and can also be paired with other defence aircraft. Troops will be trained how to use the weapon next year. The government is also considering buying a range of other weapons and defence systems including the surface-to-air Missile, the High Mobility Rocket Artillery System and the MGM-140 Army Tactical Missile System. In addition, between $5billion and $7billion will be spent on undersea surveillance systems, and up to $17billion will go towards buying more fighter aircraft. Up to $11billion will be spent on remotely-piloted and autonomous combat aircraft, including air teaming vehicles. Between $8billion and $11.5 billion will buy long range rocket fires and artillery systems including two regiments of self-propelled howitzers. Australian troops (soldiers Private Samantha Dickins and Private Maddison Hamilton) face the biggest deployment in an Asian war since Robert Menzies sent forces to the Korean War in 1950 and to the Vietnam War in 1962 A nurse celebrating her wedding day jumped into action to help a car accident victim, just moments after leaving her own ceremony. Rachel Taylor, 22, and her husband Calvin, 23, just tied the knot on June 21 and left their blissful ceremony in Minnesota around 8.30pm. But as they were on their way to their new town home in Inver Grove Heights, they saw an accident where a car and van crashed on the Fifth Avenue bridge over Interstate 494 in South St. Paul. As the occupants of that crash tried to talk things out, a black Chevy Tahoe sped into the scene and crashed into other vehicles, adding to the chaos and injuring a woman named Tamara Peterson. 'I saw a couple of people dragging a woman over to the side of the road. I could see a gash in her right leg. I think I saw her bone in it,' Taylor said to the Twin Cities Pioneer Press. Nurse Rachel Taylor, 22, tended to a car crash victim on a highway while still wearing her wedding dress, just moments after leaving her own ceremony, on June 21 in St. Paul, Minnesota Husband Calvin shared a photo and the backstory of the amazing rescue on Facebook Taylors nursing instincts kicked in and still wearing her wedding dress she ran over to help the injured woman. She dragged the woman to the side of the road where she held her and kept her calm until paramedics arrived. Taylors husband took a picture of the rescue scene where a group of people are seen on a sidewalk, surrounding the injured woman. He wrote on Facebook: 'On our way back to our home after an amazing and beautiful wedding day, literally blocks from our new home, we saw a large SUV crash into another accident involving three other vehicles. 'As we pulled over, we saw people pulling a woman from between two cars with a gash in her leg that went down to her femur. Calvin and Rachel Taylor pictured above 'My rockstar of a bride gets out of the car, wedding dress and all, and rushes over to help while I called 911.' He said that Rachel held the injured woman and talked to her to keep her calm for about 15 minutes until EMTs could get her on a stretcher. Rachel and I are on our way to our honeymoon, and I am still blown away that she got out of the car in a scary situation to do what she does best,' he added. Rachel said that during incident she kept reassuring the woman. 'I just talked to her. I said, "Youre so strong. Youre so brave. Im so proud of you,"' Taylor said. A view of the crash shared by Tamara Peterson's relative pictured above A view of the car crash scene involving multiple vehicles above 'She was awesome and helped save my life by keeping me focused, and calm. She certainly is a gifted angel and chose the right career path,' Tamara Peterson said. Peterson is now recovering at home and hopes to meet the Taylors again to say thank you. A GoFundMe page has been launched for her medical expenses. 'I just went into nurse mode. It seemed pretty natural. I was pretty surprised. Ive always been lacking in confidence about my nursing abilities so it was nice to see that in a situation like that, I knew what to do,' Rachel said, reflecting on her rescue. Advertisement New York City - which has been gripped by weeks of protests that has seen stores looted, fireworks set off, statues daubed with paint and rising crime including shootings - has voted to slash $1billion from the NYPD budget. The cut, which comes amid a $9billion shortfall in city revenues due to coronavirus lockdown, will cancel the recruitment of 1,163 new officers, strip $484million from the overtime budget and transfer $354million to other services - including handing control of school safety officers from the NYPD to the Department of Education. The contentious budget passed with 32 votes in favor and an unusually large 17 votes against just ahead of the midnight deadline following hours of delays - leading to criticism from all sides. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez, a representative for parts of the Bronx and Queens, said the policing cut amounts to 'funny math' and does not go far enough in reducing the force's $6billion annual budget - which activists want to reinvest in community services instead. But council member I. Daneek Miller, co-chairman of the Councils Black, Latino and Asian Caucus, bitterly opposed the move, saying it makes no sense to cut funding at a time when crime is on the rise. Scroll down for video Unrest continues: Protesters chanted slogans during a protest to defund the NYPD in a place they are calling the 'City Hall Autonomous Zone', ahead of Tuesday's vote The vote comes following weeks of protests and fraught negotiations with Mayor Bill de Blasio as New York City grapples with a $9billion revenue loss due to the coronavirus pandemic Protesters locked arms outside City Hall on Tuesday as lawmakers debated the city budget on policing amid mounting pressure from its residents A protester climbs a statue outside Surrogate's Court near an encampment outside City Hall on Tuesday Demonstrators block traffic near an area being called the 'City Hall Autonomous Zone' that has been established to protest the New York Police Department and in support of 'Black Lives Matter' New York Police Department officers stand guard in riot gear on the grounds of City Hall as demonstrations continue in the 'City Hall Autonomous Zone' that has been established to protest their department Protesters link arms outside New York's City Hall as politicians take a last-minute vote on a budget which aims to strip $1billion from the NYPD Police officers stand guard outside City Hall in New York as protesters pressure city leaders into defunding their department An ambulance drives through demonstrators near of an area being called the 'City Hall Autonomous Zone' 'Black folks want to be safe like everyone else, we just want to be respected,' he said, according to the New York Times. 'We cant allow folks from outside our community to lecture us about Black lives and what we need in our communities.' The budget also includes deep cuts to other services including a hiring freeze for all departments except emergency services, $1billion in 'labor savings', scrapping a scheme that reduced transport fares for the underprivileged, and scrapping a composting program. De Blasio has warned that 22,000 city employees may lose their jobs come October, when a new class of police officers is due to start training despite Tuesday's cut, if other savings cannot be found. Asked about criticism of his policing cut from all sides, he told the NYT: 'Some people are never happy.' Protesters have been camped outside City Hall for a week, demanding the city slash $1billion from the NYPD's budget amid a nationwide campaign to 'defund' the police. While calls to defund police are years-old, the proposals found new prominence amid a wave of Black Lives Matter protests sparked by the deaths of George Floyd and other Black Americans at the hands of cops. Demonstrations continued for a seventh day on Tuesday with thousands gathering outside what they are calling the 'City Hall Autonomous Zone', ahead of the vote. Video footage shared on social media showed the moment a violent clash broke out between cops and protesters as officers attempted to control the crowds by pushing them towards the sidewalk with their batons. In a clip taken four hours before the decision was made, officers are seen yelling at protesters to step back while one protester, who is out of frame, fires back at the cops saying they are 'not welcome here' and urging them to leave. 'You are dangerous and violent and you are hurting us!' the female protester shouts. Taken nearly at 5:40am this morning at #OccupyCityHall in Manhattan. Even after we obeyed their orders to move to the sidewalk, they continued to push us even further back. We werent having it. pic.twitter.com/kvXK3hX8eR Ryan Shuler (@RyanEShuler) June 30, 2020 Chaos: Video footage shared on social media showed the moment a violent clash broke out between cops and protesters as officers attempted to control the crowds by pushing them towards the sidewalk with their batons Violence breaks out: Some protesters were seen pushing back as cops shoved them with their nightsticks One protester, who is out of frame, is heard firing back at the cops saying they are 'not welcome here' and urging them to leave A demonstrator climbs a traffic lamp wearing a shirt that reads 'defund the police' ahead of a city hall vote that stripped $1billion in funding from the NYPD Demonstrators stage a sit-in protest on the steps of city hall in New York as they campaign to defund the NYPD Black Lives Matter protestors continue to congregate at City Hall as part of the 'Defund NYPD' and 'Occupy City Hall' movement in New York People protest in the street outside a protest to defund the police in a place they are calling the 'City Hall Autonomous Zone' in support of 'Black Lives Matter' Demonstrators form a line near an area being called the 'City Hall Autonomous Zone' that has been established to protest the New York Police Department Passerby stop to look at graffiti reading 'no justice' that has been scrawled across a statue outside New York City Hall, along with black paint that has been daubed on two other figures On early Wednesday morning, critics of the deal said the billion dollar cut wasn't a billion dollar cut at all. Some of the funding reduction, they noted, was merely shifting police functions and they doubted the promised reduction in overtime would ever happen. City Council Speaker Corey Johnson disputed Mayor Bill de Blasio's characterization that $1billion was being 'shifted away' from the NYPD budget, saying the mayor and some council members refused to agree to a police hiring freeze. 'I know that there are many who are disappointed,' he said before the vote. 'I am disappointed as well. I wanted us to go deeper.' He nonetheless urged members to pass the budget: 'Today's budget agreement is one of necessity,' he said. The proposal also did little to assuage the demonstrators, with many saying they intended to stay outside City Hall indefinitely. 'We are being gaslit,' said activist Jawanza James Williams. 'This movement is about so much more than the $1billion, and this means they don't understand what we're saying.' Activists say the budget needs to make a substantial, not symbolic, difference in advancing racial justice and curbing the size and power of the nation's largest police force. Five years ago, the City Council - then as now, overwhelmingly Democratic - added nearly 1,300 additional officers to the NYPD. Now, Johnson has said he was wrong to support the expansion. Council budget leaders said they needed to balance calls to cut policing with residents' concerns about safety. 'Many in my community have supported police and want police. They just want families and young people to be treated fairly,' said Councilwoman Vanessa Gibson, who represents a Bronx district where over half of residents are Hispanic and about 40 per cent are black. Gibson said she'd met Tuesday with relatives of a Bronx 17-year-old who was shot and killed Sunday, days after his high school graduation. The proposal did little to assuage the demonstrators, with many saying they intended to stay outside City Hall indefinitely A female protester wearing a protective masks sits near City Hall late Tuesday as a police officer looks on A female protester disables a police camera during a protest to defund the police Two protesters join hands and raise their fists in the air in a symbol of defiance and solidarity amid defund the police protests Protestors outside of City Hall in Manhattan, New York, as politicians debated the city budget on policing Protestors gather outside of Manhattan Criminal Court to demand the release of a man named 'Joseph', a protester who was arrested earlier in the day Protesters gather outside the New York City Municipal Building near City Hall Park to protest policing Protestors outside of City Hall in Manhattan, New York, as politicians debated the city budget on policing 'I don't want anyone to misunderstand and think that we don't care and that we have not been working our behinds off to get to a place of equity,' while ensuring communities 'are not left behind with crime, violence, illegal guns in our communities, no programs, no activities, and no hope for a better tomorrow,' Gibson said. But some other members said the budget proposal didn't dig deep enough into police spending. Councilman Brad Lander, who voted no, called it 'more budget-dancing than meaningful reductions.' Cuts would come from canceling a nearly 1,200-person police recruiting class set for next month - though another class in October is scheduled to go forward - as well as halving overtime spending, redeploying officers from administrative functions to patrol and ending police responsibility for school crossing guards and homeless outreach. The police department also would give up control over public school security, which the NYPD took over from the Department of Education in 1998. The city has about 5,300 civilian school safety agents. De Blasio said details were being worked out, but the Education Department would train the agents. Money would go instead to education, social services in communities hit hard by the virus, and summer youth programs for over 100,000 people. Protesters block Center Street, which runs outside New York City Hall, with bikes amid a demonstration against police Hundreds of Black Lives Matter protestors congregate at the City Hall as part of the 'Defund NYPD' and 'Occupy City Hall' movement in New York City Protesters in New York listen to a man speak during action aimed at defunding police services People take part in a protest to defund the police in a place they are calling the 'City Hall Autonomous Zone' in support of 'Black Lives Matter' Protesters have occupied City Hall Park day and night for at least a week calling for the city's police budget to be slashed An upside-down American flag with the names of black people who had died at the hands of police is hung on railings near New York City Hall during a Black Lives Matter protest Other cuts are being made to the NYPD's capital budget, including cancelling plans to build a new police precinct in Queens and instead using the money to build a community center. Pictured: Protesters on the steps of City Hall hours before lawmakers announced the decision An aerial view of Black Lives Matter protesters continuing to demonstrations at the City Hall as part of the 'Defund NYPD' and 'Occupy City Hall' movement in New York City A man climbs on a TV truck as he takes part in a protest to defund the police in a place they are calling the 'City Hall Autonomous Zone' in support of Black Lives Matter People protest in the street outside a protest to defund the police in a place they are calling the 'City Hall Autonomous Zone' in support of 'Black Lives Matter' Other cuts are being made to the NYPD's capital budget, including cancelling plans to build a new police precinct in Queens and instead using the money to build a community center. 'We all understand that we have to answer the concerns of this moment, that people want to see our society progress,' de Blasio, a Democrat, said at a news conference. He vowed the changes would not compromise public safety. Police officials didn't comment Tuesday. Commissioner Dermot Shea has said he was open to giving up school safety and other cuts, as long as the amount of officers on patrol doesnt shrink. The NYPD budget is now around $6billion, plus several billion dollars more in shared city expenses such as pensions. The new plan calls for an ambitious, nearly $300million cut in police overtime. The department paid out $115million in overtime just during recent protests over Floyd's May 25 death in Minneapolis. The city budget totaled nearly $93billion when passed last June. Before the virus hit, de Blasio proposed a more than $95billion spending plan for the budget year that starts Wednesday. Hardware giant Bunnings has banned 'illegally logged timber' from a Victorian state government-owned forestry company. Bunnings Director of Merchandise Phil Bishop announced they would be ending their contract with VicForests 'in light of the recent legal finding' on Wednesday. VicForests was found to have breached its industry code by logging in areas that impacted the critically endangered Leadbeater's possum and vulnerable Greater Glider by the Federal Court in May. 'We will be discontinuing all sourcing of timber from VicForests and will no longer be accepting raw material input into our supply chain from VicForests as of 30 June,' Mr Bishop said. 'We believe that customers and team members have the right to expect that the timber they purchase is sourced from responsible and lawful forestry operations.' A Bunnings Warehouse worker measures a piece of wood. The hardware giant has banned all timber from forestry company VicForests, which is owned by the Victorian state government Mr Bishop said Bunnings has 'long supported' VicForests but could not continue to do so since they breached the Code of Practice for Timber Production 2014. 'Bunnings has a zero-tolerance approach to illegally logged timber that dates back two decades and our commitment is to only source timber products from legal and well managed forest operations,' Mr Bishop said. 'While we only sell a small portion of VicForests' total harvest, we acknowledge this decision may have an impact on the industry and we are working closely with affected suppliers on a transition plan.' VicForests legal troubles started when the company came under fire from Community group Friends of Leadbeater's Possum (FLBP). A VicForests logging operation. The company was found to have breached its industry code by logging in areas that impacted the critically endangered Leadbeater's possum and vulnerable Greater Glider by the Federal Court in May The wildlife protection group argued VicForests' logging operations in the habitats of great gliders and Leadbeater's possum were against federal law. Represented by Environmental Justice Australia in the Federal Court, the group was able to successfully argue their case in May. Justice Debra Mortimer found VicForests had breached the code of practice in 26 coupes and that 41 proposed coupes were unlikely to comply. One coupe was partially logged and counted as both past and proposed, bringing the total to 66 coupes affected. 'VicForests' conduct of forestry operations is likely to have had, or is likely to have, a significant impact on the greater glider as a species and/or the Leadbeater's possum as a species,' Justice Mortimer said in court. Bunnings Director of Merchandise Phil Bishop (pictured) said his company has a 'zero-tolerance approach to illegally logged timber' A VicForests spokesman said the company 'acknowledges today's decision of the federal court and will carefully consider the implications on its harvesting program' in a statement at the time. The state government-owned company also sought to minimise the damage it had done to Victorian forests. 'VicForests harvests 2,500-3,000 hectares each year, about 0.04 per cent, of the entire public native forests in Victoria nominally equivalent to 4 trees in the 10,000,' the spokesman said. 'About 94 per cent of Victorian native forests are in protected areas that cannot be harvested or are unsuitable.' An elderly scammer spent $750,000 on a luxury yacht after defrauding Australians through a cold-call syndicate. Robert Gordon Stewart, 76, admitted receiving $830,000 in the scam, and was sentenced to five years behind bars in Southport District Court on Wednesday. However, Judge Catherine Muir ordered he be released after serving 20 months because of his age and poor health. The money was traced through a cold-call syndicate operating in 2014, but investigators could not link Stewart directly with the scam. 'But the sheer amount of money ... indicated the defendant knew where the money was coming from,' prosecutor Matt Hynes told the court. The elderly man spent $750,000 on a 70-foot yacht, but has now been left with just $32 to his name (stock image) Stewart dishonestly received about $832,000 for himself through the scam, a portion of which was spent buying a $750,000, 70-foot luxury motor yacht. Judge Muir said Stewart took deliberate steps to conceal his involvement in the scam. 'The way in which the money was withdrawn and reinvested, it was clear that this money was obtained by fraudulent means,' Judge Muir said. He admitted receiving tainted property by way of an act constituting a crime. Stewart has a lengthy criminal history across Queensland, NSW and Victoria for offences with dishonesty, fraud and operating while bankrupt. 'You paid these two other people for their services which allowed you to remain one step removed from the handling of the money,' Judge Muir told the court. 'In that sense your offending was serious.' His crimes date back more than 50 years but Stewart is now broke with just $32 to his name, Southport District Court heard. Advertisement Hong Kong police today made their first arrests under a landmark new security law giving Beijing draconian powers to punish dissent in the city. A man with a 'Hong Kong Independence' flag was the first to be arrested hours after the law came into force, and 23 years to the day since Britain returned the former colony to China - with the city's cherished freedoms now in doubt. Police later made six more arrests under the new law - including a 15-year-old girl with another independence flag - while 180 people were detained on other charges after a new round of protests which led to authorities firing water cannon. Police officers detain protesters during a rally against a new national security law on the 23rd anniversary of the establishment of the Hong Kong A Hong Kong riot police was stabbed on the left shoulder by a protester while trying to tackle another demonstrator during a rally against a new national security law on Wednesday Hong Kong police said the officer was wounded at around 4pm as he attempted to arrest a 'suspect' in Hong Kong's Causeway Bay. Thousands of outraged Hong Kong citizens took to the streets today to protest against the new law viewed by some as the end of the city's freedom China rammed the law through its rubber-stamp parliament and kept the wording shrouded in secrecy, but finally revealed details last night - unveiling strict new measures which could see Hong Kong protesters repressed on the mainland. Vandalism against government buildings or public transport can now be treated as subversion or terrorism with life sentences for those who break the rules. China's feared security agencies will openly set up shop in Hong Kong for the first time, and human rights groups say the law has 'frightening loopholes' which could allow Beijing to round up protesters and extradite them to the mainland. Beijing has faced a chorus of anger over the law, including from Britain which today called it a 'clear and serious violation' of the treaty which led to the 1997 handover. However, China insists the law is only aimed at a 'handful of criminals' and told foreign critics it was 'none of your business'. The first victim of China's new security law: A man with a 'Hong Kong Independence' flag was arrested in Causeway Bay hours after the law came into force A woman was arrested for carrying this sign calling for 'Hong Kong independence' which was decorated with British and American flags Riot police deploy pepper spray towards journalists as protesters gathered for a rally against the new national security law in Hong Kong Police fired water cannon to disperse protesters today after the passage of a law which China claims will not affect Hong Kong's freedoms despite international criticism Police detain a protester after spraying pepper spray during a protest in Causeway Bay before the annual handover march Riot police gesture during a rally against the new security law in Hong Kong today as the law's passage coincided with the 23rd anniversary of the city's return to Chinese rule Activists say the bill will be 'the end of Hong Kong as we know it' while China insists it is necessary to restore order after months of violent clashes in the city (pictured, protesters march in Hong Kong today) Hong Kong's Beijing-backed leader Carrie Lam strongly endorsed the new law in her speech marking the 23rd anniversary of the handover today. 'This decision was necessary and timely to maintain Hong Kong's stability,' Lam said following a flag-raising ceremony and the playing of China's national anthem. Speaking at the harbour-front venue where the last British governor Chris Patten handed Hong Kong back to Chinese rule, Lam described it as the most important development in the 23 years since then. Luo Huining, the head of Beijing's top representative office in Hong Kong, said at the ceremony that the law was a 'common aspiration' of Hong Kong citizens. A pro-democracy party, The League of Social Democrats, organised a protest march during the flag-raising ceremony. About a dozen participants chanted slogans echoing demands from protesters last year for political reform and an investigation into accusation of police abuse. The law's passage topples the legal firewall that has existed between the city's judiciary and the mainland's party-controlled courts. Critics say the law effectively ends the 'one country, two systems' framework under which Hong Kong was promised a 'high degree of autonomy' after the handover. China promised to maintain Hong Kong's way of life for at least 50 years, but 23 of them have passed and critics say that Beijing has already reneged on the deal. Article 55 of the law states that Beijing's national security office in Hong Kong could exercise jurisdiction over 'complex' or 'serious' cases. In Beijing, Zhang Xiaoming of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office said suspects arrested by Beijing's new security office could be tried on the mainland. He said the mainland's national security office abided by Chinese law and that Hong Kong''s legal system could not be expected to implement the laws of the mainland. Local authorities are barred from interfering with central government bodies operating in Hong Kong while they are carrying out their duties, according to the text of the law. Schools, social groups, media outlets, websites and others will be monitored while China's central government will have authority over the activities of foreign non-governmental organizations and media outlets in Hong Kong. Article 38 even suggests that people living outside Hong Kong could be prosecuted for crimes committed abroad. Police have already begun enforcing the new law, holding up a purple banner warning protesters that they could be prosecuted under it. A woman with a sign saying 'Hong Kong independence' adorned with British and American flags met the same fate as the first man arrested, with police vowing to 'take resolute enforcement action in accordance with' the new law. 'Advocacy for independence of Hong Kong is against the law,' security minister John Lee told reporters. More than 70 others were arrested over illegal gatherings, although they were not detained under the new law. Hong Kong's Chief Executive Carrie Lam (central) stands with former chief executives as they attend a flag-raising ceremony to mark 23 years since the colony was handed back to China The Chinese and Hong Kong flags are unfurled during a flag-raising ceremony at the Golden Bauhinia Square in Hong Kong Critics of the national security law staged a protest in Hong Kong today to coincide with the flag-raising ceremony Riot police clear a street as protesters gathered to rally against the new national security law A protester (right) dressed as a Chinese police officer takes part in a protest in Causeway Bay today A campaign group called Fight for Freedom: Stand With Hong Kong said it was the 'darkest day for the people of Hong Kong since the handover in 1997'. 'What it means is that Hong Kong, as the world knows it, is dead,' the group said, comparing the law to the construction of the Berlin Wall. 'This sweeping law has effectively ended 'One Country, Two Systems', which has been the foundation of Hong Kong's prosperity.' More than two dozen countries - including Britain, France, Germany and Japan - urged Beijing to reconsider the law, saying in a statement to the UN Human Rights Council that it undermines the city's freedoms. The U.S. has already begun moves to end special trade terms given to the territory, saying military exports could fall into the hands of the Communist Party. Congress has also moved to impose sanctions on people deemed connected to political repression in Hong Kong, including police officials. Britain has said it could offer residency and possible citizenship to about three million of Hong Kong's 7.5million people. Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said today that Beijing had breached the Joint Declaration between the UK and China which agreed the terms of the handover. Due to make a statement to MPs in the House of Commons later in the day, Mr Raab said he will 'honour' the UK commitment to those with the British National (Overseas) nationality. His Labour counterpart Lisa Nandy said the government had 'failed to provide further details' on its proposals since first voicing them five weeks ago, and urged Mr Raab to 'lay out the concrete steps he will take' later today. China has said it will impose visa restrictions on Americans it sees as interfering over Hong Kong. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo denounced the threat of a visa ban as a sign of 'how Beijing refuses to take responsibility for its own choices' and said the law's adoption 'destroys the territory's autonomy and one of China's greatest achievements.' Beijing's 'paranoia and fear of its own people's aspirations have led it to eviscerate the very foundation of the territory's success,' Pompeo said in a statement. Canada, meanwhile, updated a travel advisory for citizens in Hong Kong warning that they faced an increased risk of arbitrary detention or even extradition to China. China said Canada's actions were 'completely unreasonable.' 'Hong Kong affairs are China's internal affairs, no foreign country should interfere,' foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said at a regular briefing. In Taiwan, which Beijing regards as a breakaway province, authorities opened a new office to deal with Hong Kongers seeking refuge. Around 5,000 Hong Kongers moved to Taiwan last year as the city was shaken by massive anti-government protests. Helicopters fly the Hong Kong and China flags over Victoria Harbour as Hong Kong marks the 23rd anniversary of its handover to China At her weekly press conference on Tuesday morning, Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam (pictured) - a pro-Beijing appointee - declined to comment on what the law contained Pro-Beijing supporters wave Chinese and Hong Kong flags and drink champagne today as they celebrate a controversial new security law Authorities in Beijing and Hong Kong have repeatedly said the legislation is aimed at a few 'troublemakers' and will not affect rights and freedoms. Zhang, the official at the Hong Kong and Macau office, rejected foreign criticism of the law today and said: 'It's none of your business'. 'If what we want is one country, one system, it would have been simple,' Zhang said. 'We are completely able to impose the criminal law, the criminal procedure and the national security law and other national laws on Hong Kong. 'Why would we need to put so much effort into formulating a national security law tailor-made for Hong Kong?' Some pro-Beijing officials and political commentators say the law is aimed at sealing Hong Kong's 'second return' to the motherland after the first failed to secure order. They also say the measure will restore business confidence after a year of historic pro-democracy protests. Millions took to the streets last year while a smaller hardcore of protesters frequently battled police in violent confrontations that saw more than 9,000 arrested. Hong Kong banned protests in recent months, citing previous unrest and the coronavirus pandemic, although local transmissions have ended. 'With the release of the full detail of the law, it should be clear to those in any doubt that this is not the Hong Kong they grew up in,' said Hasnain Malik, head of equity research at Tellimer in Dubai. 'I saw this morning there are celebrations for Hong Kong''s handover, but to me it is a funeral, a funeral for 'one country two systems',' said lawmaker Kwok Ka-ki. China yesterday boasted of holding 'a sword over lawbreakers' heads' after Beijing passed the new security law. President Xi Jinping signed the law into effect Tuesday after it was unanimously passed by Beijing's rubber-stamp parliament, side-stepping a vote in Hong Kong. A pro-China supporter takes a selfie at a rally in Hong Kong today as news filtered out that the new security law had been passed Hong Kong police detain a pro-democracy protester during demonstrations in May Pro-democracy campaigner Joshua Wong (pictured) said that 'sweeping powers and ill-defined law' would make Hong Kong into a 'secret police state' The 'one country, two systems' formed the bedrock of the city's transformation into a world-class business hub, bolstered by a reliable judiciary. Critics have long accused Beijing of chipping away at that status, but they describe the security law as the most brazen move yet. Human rights groups have warned the law could target opposition politicians seen as insufficiently loyal to Beijing for arrest or disqualification. Amnesty International said before the law was published in full that it appeared to contain 'frightening loopholes that would enable mainland authorities to detain and try suspects'. 'There are also questions over whether the law will allow national security detainees to be treated differently from other criminal suspects,' Amnesty said. 'This could include being held in special detention facilities or being detained for indefinite periods of time. It could even involve being extradited to the mainland a threat that prompted, and was blunted by, the 2019 protest movement.' On the mainland, national security laws are routinely used to jail critics, especially for the vague offence of 'subversion'. 'It marks the end of Hong Kong that the world knew before,' said activist figurehead Joshua Wong, as he quit the pro-democracy Demosisto party he founded during the 2014 umbrella protest amid fears of reprisals. 'With sweeping powers and ill-defined law, the city will turn into a secret police state. Hong Kong protesters now face high possibilities of being extradited to China's courts for trials and life sentences,' he added. The teenage son of champion jockey Shane Dye has accused his mother of being obsessed with money and calling his stepfather a 'useless piece of s***'. Jack Dye, whose father won a Melbourne Cup and four Golden Slippers, has given evidence against his mother Emma Steel in a domestic violence case. Mrs Steel has accused her second husband, top neurosurgeon Timothy Steel, of assaulting her in their home at Bellevue Hill in Sydney's eastern suburbs. The 41-year was previously married to Dye, nicknamed 'Billy Idol' at the peak of his riding fame, and Jack Dye has lived with her and Dr Steel for the past 15 years. Emma Steel (pictured) has accused her husband Dr Timothy Steel of kicking, punching and slapping her after he came home intoxicated after his work Christmas party last year. Mrs Steel's son Jack Dye, whose father is champion jockey Shane Dye, has given evidence against her Jack Dye (pictured) told Downing Centre Local Court his mother Emma Steel had regularly complained his stepfather did not give her enough money despite being given an allowance of at least $24,000 a month. Jack's father Shane won a Melbourne Cup and four Golden Slippers Jack Dye has lived with his mother Emma and stepfather Timothy for the past 15 years. He is pictured left with his father Shane Dye and older brother Nick, whose mother is Karla Dye On Wednesday Jack gave evidence in Downing Centre Local Court, where his stepfather is defending charges of assault occasioning actual bodily harm, common assault and damaging property. Police allege Dr Steel came home from his work Christmas party in the early hours of December 14 last year and punched, slapped and kicked his wife in the couple's bedroom. The 56-year-old has denied all charges and given evidence he was sleeping soundly after a late night when woken by his wife, who assaulted him. Mrs Steel also claims to be the victim of financial abuse, despite being given a personal allowance of $10,000 a month plus $10,000 for family expenses and $4,000 for a full-time nanny. Jack Dye said his mother continually demanded more money from his stepfather and had been particularly antagonistic towards her husband in the days leading up to the alleged assault. 'She was abusive with Tim and demanding more money and basically saying she didn't have enough money to feed the kids,' he said. Police allege Dr Timothy Steel (pictured on Wednesday) came home from his work Christmas party in the early hours of December 14 last year and punched, slapped and kicked his wife Emma in the couple's bedroom Dr Steel's wife Emma has accused her husband of kicking, punching and slapping her after he came home heavily intoxicated early one morning last year. Couple pictured together in November 1 2005 The week before the alleged assault Dr Steel had taken Jack to Dubai to attend the races as a reward for his hard work leading up to sitting the HSC. Dr Steel had also paid for Jack's best friend to accompany them as the boy's father had committed suicide and his mother was working three jobs to support him. WHO IS SHANE DYE? Raymond Shane Dye was born in Matamata, New Zealand in 1966 and is now 53. He was an apprentice jockey in his homeland before moving to Sydney where he first rode for Vic Thompson at Warwick Farm in the late 1980s. Dye won more than 90 Group 1 races including the 1989 Melbourne Cup on Tawriffic and the 1995 W.S. Cox Plate on Octagonal. He won four consecutive Golden Slippers from 1989 to 1992 and had a successful partnership with the champion thoroughbred Tie the Knot. Dye rode for eight years in Hong Kong and stepped out of the saddle in 2013. He was inducted into the Australian Racing Hall of Fame in 2014. Advertisement Jack said when his mother found out about the arrangement she was livid. 'She was continually angry,' he said. 'She was continually ripping in about [Jack's friend].' The 19-year-old said two days before their departure Mrs Steel had called his friend's mother and accused her of 'stealing from our family'. Mrs Steel had even confronted his friend in their home and abused him, Jack said. 'My mum called [his friend] a leech and said him and his family were never welcome here,' he said. 'She was yelling at the top of her lungs and forced him out of the house.' Jack said he was aware of the household's financial arrangements and thought his mother could run the family's affairs with $24,000 a month, which works out to be $288,000 a year. 'I thought it was more than enough,' he said. Jack said his mother regularly harangued his stepfather about finances. 'Every second night she would say Tim's useless and does nothing for the family. She'd call him a useless piece of s***. 'She'd always say she had no money to feed her kids and Tim was depriving them of food essentially.' Jack described his stepfather as 'relaxed' and 'very reasonable'. 'I've lived with him for the past 15 years and I've never had an issue.' Dr Steel, who has moved out of the family home, said when his wife found out he was paying for Jack's friend's trip to Dubai she was 'very angry'. 'She expressed it to me. She expressed it to Jack. She telephoned [the friend's] mother and expressed how disgusted she was he was going.' Shane Dye was one of Australia's top jockeys before heading to Hong Kong to ride more winners. He won 91 Group 1 races and in his heyday was dubbed 'Billy Idol' Dr Steel said upon their return from Dubai his wife was still angry with him. 'She continued to be very angry and openly displayed that anger about the trip.' Dr Steel agreed with his solicitor Paul McGirr his marriage was 'tumultuous'. 'Emma has made multiple comments in the last 12 months, "I'm only in this relationship for the money - all I need from you is the money",' he said. Mrs Steel has accused her husband of assaulting her on December 14, the morning after his work Christmas party and just days after the Dubai trip. The former model alleged Dr Steele had been having an affair with his secretary, with whom he was in a hotel room on the night of that festive gathering. Dr Timothy Steel told Downing Centre Local Court how his work Christmas party descended into police being called to the couple's Bellevue Hills home the next morning Dr Steel has categorically denied ever having an affair with the secretary - or anyone else - during his 11-year marriage to Mrs Steel. He said that on Friday, December 13 he had organised a Christmas party at Woolloomooloo's W Hotel for 50 to 60 guests. Among those invited were friends, colleagues, nurses, radiographers, theatre staff and three receptionists. Dr Steel said that morning his wife had been in a bad mood and while in the shower she had thrown a wet fake tanning mitt across the bathroom at him. 'I hate you,' Mrs Steel allegedly said. 'Why don't you just leave. Get out.' Dr Steel said he performed surgery that day and then attended the W Hotel where the party had paid for drinks and canapes to be served from 6 to 9pm. Mrs Steel arrived at the gathering with the couple's children, sat in an area separate from the main party and stayed about an hour-and-a-half. 'She was aggressive, angry and hostile to me,' Dr Steel told the court. 'She would not speak to me and she told me to stay away. 'She did not come anywhere near me. She was rude to my staff.' Dr Steel said the party had gone longer than planned and he went home shortly after his wife tried to call his secretary at about 4.20am. Dr Steel said his wife screamed at him with accusations he had been having an affair with his secretary Angie Turner (pictured left). His practice manager Stephanie Jobson is pictured right The former model alleges her husband had been having an affair with his receptionist, with whom he was in a hotel room on the night of the Christmas party. She is pictured centre alongside Roxy Jacenko (left) and another friend (right) at a social event Mrs Steel has said she confronted her husband while he was in bed about 6am and reminded him the couple was due at a well-known Rose Bay restaurant at 1pm. 'I said to him, "Tim we're not going to be able to go to lunch with our neighbours at Catalina,"' Mrs Steel said. 'I was trying to talk to him and getting no response.' Mrs Steel told the court her husband then allegedly attacked her about 8.45am, assaulting her four times with a punch to the head and stomach and a slap to the face. She also accused him of pinning her down and ripping out her hair extensions. After the alleged assault Dr Steel had run downstairs and jumped in the pool while holding his wife's phone. Mrs Steel then called police. Jack Dye (pictured) was rewarded by his stepfather with a trip to the races in Dubai after studying hard for his HSC. The 19-year-old still lives with his mother at Bellevue Hill Dr Steel said on Wednesday he had been sound asleep, face down in bed, when his wife woke him up by scratching his back and head. 'I was awoken by severe pain in my back and behind my ears,' he said. 'I was hit about three or four times.' Dr Steel said his wife screamed at him with accusations he had been having an affair with his secretary Angie Turner. He said she told him: 'You're a f***ing disgrace. It's disgusting. You've been with Angie. 'You were having sex with Angie. I had a private investigator following you. I've got everything I need.' Pictured: Dr Steel, a senior neurosurgeon and spine surgeon at St Vincent's Hospital Dr Steel said there was a scuffle over a phone he thought was his but later turned out to belong to his wife. He denied ever hitting or intentionally hurting Mrs Steel. 'My only preoccupation was to get the phone,' he said. 'I couldn't understand why she continued to attack me and my only concern was getting out the door. 'I had not done what my wife was accusing me of. I just wanted to stop being hit and get away.' Ms Turner told the court she had never had anything other than a professional relationship with Dr Steel. Any suggestion she had an affair with him was 'ridiculous'. After the Christmas party she had been in a hotel room with Dr Steel and practice manager Stephanie Jobson. Dr Steele had paid for the room because Ms Turner lived in Cronulla and Ms Jobson lived in Wollongong. Ms Turner was surprised Mrs Steel had tried to call her about 4.20am. 'I just said to him, "I think you need to go",' she said of Dr Steele. 'He seemed frightened. He seemed very concerned to go home and face Emma because they had been fighting all night. 'I think she told him to f*** off at one stage.' Dr Steel outside court on Tuesday. He is facing charges of assault occasioning actual bodily harm, common assault and damaging property Ms Jobson was also asked is he had ever had an affair with Dr Steel. 'Absolutely not,' she said. Dr Steel said he had gone downstairs and jumped into the pool after the scuffle because he was in so much pain. 'When I was being attacked and scratched the whole top half of my body... was burning and so I was looking for something to calm it down and put the fire out, as such,' he said. He believed the phone he had in his hands was his and knew it was water-resistant for 30 minutes. Mrs Steel said red scratch marks across her husband's body shown in photographs tendered to the court were inflicted as she tried to defend herself. Dr Steel described a troubled marriage and alleged his wife had previously attacked him. 'She is regularly aggressive,' he said. 'Regularly confrontational and regularly demanding. 'When she is confronted by difficulties her behaviour deteriorates. Certainly verbal abuse is common and verbal denigration is almost constant.' Dr Steel is seen leaving Downing Centre District Court during a break in proceedings on Tuesday Dr Steel strongly denied Mrs Steel's claims of financial abuse. He said the $10,000 monthly household allowance covered costs including their children's expenses, after-school activities, clothing and groceries. It did not go towards bills such as rates, utilities, school fees, holidays, motor vehicle expenses, insurance, takeaway food or restaurant meals. On top of that Mrs Steel received $10,000 in personal expenses. The court heard Mrs Steel received $175,902 in regular payment over seven months last year. Mr McGirr said it was 'farcical' under those circumstances for Mrs Steel to claim financial abuse. 'I was living within our means of a four to six million annual salary,' she said. 'I was spending five per cent of our annual income.' Mrs Steel claims she is in fear of her husband and police have applied for an apprehended violence order against him. 'I'm petrified because of the ongoing abuse,' she told police. Dr Steel is one of Australia's leading neurosurgeons. His wife alleges he would reduce his payments to her if he was unhappy with her Mrs Steel said her husband had always controlled her life and the couple's finances during their marriage. 'Throughout my marriage I have been very controlled, not allowed to go out when I would like to go out,' she said. 'I'm not allowed to live my life under my rules. 'It's always been under Tim's rules.' On Tuesday Mr McGirr asked Mrs Steel if Dr Steel had paid her $175,902 between June 1 and December 31 last year. 'I don't know the exact amounts,' she said. 'My husband Dr Steel earns between four to six million each year.' Emma Steel (centre) pictured at a Christmas lunch at the Sydney Childrens Hospital Silver Committee in 2014 Mr McGirr questioned why Mrs Steele could not survive off an allowance of $24,000 a month from her husband. Mrs Steel said she would have to ask for further funds from her husband such as $2,500 to buy Christmas presents. 'A lot of the time he would say that's your budget and you have to live within your means,' she said. 'He would use the term advance - he would "advance" me.' Mr McGirr asked Mrs Steel if her husband had deposited $1.3million into her superannuation account in 2017. 'I haven't checked my super account,' she said. 'I don't know what's in my super account. I could log in and have a look. I don't know.' Dr Steel, a senior neurosurgeon at St Vincent's Hospital in Darlinghurst, is unable to practise due to the charges against him. The hearing continues. E-scooters will be allowed on Britain's roads for the first time from Saturday, the Department for Transport has announced. New regulations enabling trials of rental e-scooters will come into force on the weekend and the first schemes are expected to be launched next week, transport minister Rachel Maclean revealed. International firms are already vying for a slice of the UK's new e-scooter trade - prompting fears that cities will be awash with them, as they have been in Europe. Eighteen companies have bid to be part of the trial and they include UK-based shared bike operator Beryl, which has recently launched a range of e-scooters, Swedish scooter startup Voi, Berlin-based scooter company Tier, Amsterdam-based scooter provider Dott and US-based Bird, Lime and Spin. Tier says it already has 1,000 scooters at the ready in a UK warehouse and will be shipping over more soon. Lime added says it has 'thousands of scooters ready to be rolled out across the UK'. European cities including Paris and Brussels have seen locals complain about the number of e-scooters now clogging up their roads. In Paris 13 firms piled into the market in the first year and soon the French cpatial was awash with 20,000 e-scooters. YouTube star Emily Hartridge was en route to a fertility clinic scan last July when she was killed in a crash on her e-scooter. Pictured is the presenter showing her joy as she is presented with the scooter The social media star's tragic death is thought to be the first involving an e-scooter, but her mourning partner does not believe the vehicles should be banned Paris: Riders speeding down pavements, randomly-parked scooters cluttering curbs and the city's historic squares, and a growing number of accidents are among the many issues with e-scooters Only rental e-scooters will be allowed on roads, and they will be limited to 15.5mph. The trials are being held for 12 months to assess whether the devices reduce traffic and what impact they have on the safety of users and those around them. Riders who participate in the pilots will need a full or provisional car, motorcycle or moped licence, must be aged at least 16 and will be urged to wear a helmet. Some fear the safety of the vehicles, which have already been involved in fatal accidents including YouTube star Emily Hartridge who was en route to a fertility clinic scan last July when she was killed in a crash in Battersea, south west London. The scooters have already caused controversy across the Atlantic. The Associated Press estimates there have been at least 11 electric scooter rider deaths in the US from the beginning of 2018 to last June- nine of those were on rented scooters. A study by watchdog Consumer Reports last February said there had been at least 1,545 scooter-related accidents in the U.S. since 2017. In 2018, Dr. Tarak Trivedi, an emergency room physician in Los Angeles and co-author of one of the first peer-reviewed studies of scooter injuries counted 249 scooter injuries, more than 40% were head injuries. Just 4% were wearing a helmet. Electric scooters were first launched in California in September 2017 by Bird, followed eight months later by competitor Lime. By half-way through 2018, they had both hit Europe, moving swiftly on into the Middle East, Asia and Latin America. Bird and Lime are the largest shared-scooter operators in the world. In Europe, over the course of a yeara total of 13 operators piled into the Paris market, putting 20,000 scooters on the streets. British teenager Karmen Curley, 18, faced a $150,000 (118,000) medical bill over a brain injury she suffered after falling from an electric scooter while on holiday in the US. Above: Karmen at UCLA Hospital in Los Angeles Electric scooters were first launched in California in September 2017 by company Bird, followed eight months later by competitor Lime The backlash wasn't long coming as pedestrianscomplained they were being terrorised by silent riders speeding down pavements, randomly-parked scooters cluttering curbs and the city's historic squares, and a growing number of accidents. What is the current law on e-scooters in Britain? According to the Department of Transport, e-scooters are classed as 'powered transporters' and meet the legal definition of a 'motor vehicle'. They must therefore meet a number of requirements in order to be used on the road, including having insurance and conforming to 'technical standards.' As they do not, they are considered illegal to use on roads in Britain. The Metropolitan Police has also said it is illegal to use e-scooters on the road and riders risk being fined or even having penalty points on their licence. Riders also risk having their e-scooters seized by police. The Department of Transport said e-scooters are covered by the 1988 Road Traffic Act, which also includes Segways, hoverboards, go-peds (combustion engine-powered kick scooters), powered unicycles, and u-wheels'. The ban does not apply to electrically-assisted pedal bicycles. According to the Department of Transport: 'For motor vehicles to use public roads lawfully, they must meet a number of different requirements. These include insurance; conformity with technical standards and standards of use; payment of vehicle tax, licensing, and registration; driver testing and licensing; and the use of relevant safety equipment. 'If the user of a powered transporter could meet these requirements, it might in principle be lawful for them to use public roads. However, it is likely that they will find it very difficult to comply with all of these requirements, meaning that it would be a criminal offence to use them on the road.' E-scooters are also banned from using pavements under the 1835 Highway Act. E-scooters can be used on private land with the landowner's permission. However, from Saturday, you will be able to use them - under certain conditions. A legal framework governing trials is set to confirm that vehicles will be limited to 15mph and will only be allowed on roads, cycle lanes and tracks, but not pavements. Advertisement There are now fears the UK could be hit by a similar wave of problems. A British teenager faced a $150,000 (118,000) medical bill over a brain injury she suffered after falling from an electric scooter while on holiday in the U.S last year. Karmen Curley, 18, from Newtownabbey, Northern Ireland, was visiting her sister Sian, in Los Angeles, when she suffered the horrific injury after hitting a pothole. Karmen's sister Sian said that Karmen was riding a scooter made by the company, Bird. The teenager's accident comes amid controversy over the safety of electric scooters in the US and other countries following several deaths and serious injuries. Bird was a strong proponent of a 2018 change in the law in California which removed the legal requirement for scooter riders to wear helmets. Speaking to the BBC in February last year, Bird's director of safety, Paul Steely White, said the number of injuries caused by scooters is minimal. 'The number of injuries... amount to less than a fraction of 1% of the total number of e-scooter rides taken worldwide. 'Car crashes kill more than one million people each year. And for every person cars kill on impact, many more lives will be cut short due in part to their devastating impact on our climate,' he added. Ben Pepper, associate solicitor at Bolt Burdon Kemp, has warned that e-scooters don't currently need insurance. He said: 'E-scooters have become a common sight on the roads, despite them being illegal at present. Even at low speeds a collision with an e-scooter can cause significant injury to the rider, pedestrians or damage to other vehicles. 'Sadly, we have already seen a number of incidents involving e-scooters that have resulted in catastrophic injuries and some fatalities. 'Currently, there is no mandatory requirement for e-scooter riders to have insurance. 'If that remains the case when e-scooters are legalised, those who are injured by e-scooters may have difficulty pursuing a claim against the rider and accessing justice. 'The Government will need to strictly regulate the safety requirements of e-scooters and in my opinion riders should be legally obligated to have some form of insurance in place.' Speaking on the UK's decision, minister Ms Maclean said: 'As we emerge from lockdown, we have a unique opportunity in transport to build back in a greener, more sustainable way, which could lead to cleaner air and healthier communities across Great Britain. 'E-scooters may offer the potential for convenient, clean and cost-effective travel that may also help ease the burden on the transport network, provide another green alternative to get around and allow for social distancing. 'The trials will allow us to test whether they do these things.' E-scooters are currently banned in the UK on public roads and pavements, but this does not stop many people using them. She was struck by a lorry in Battersea, south London, in July last year. Pictured is a helmet lying at the scene The Metropolitan Police caught nearly 100 riders in London in a single week last summer. E-scooters pose 'genuine threat' to blind people, experts warn E-scooters will present a 'genuine threat' to blind and partially-sighted people when they are legalised on Britain's roads from Saturday, MPs have heard. Eleanor Southwood, who chairs the Royal National Institute of Blind People, told the Commons Select Committee that guidelines being introduced are not enough to ensure safety. Ms Southwood said: 'I think, from our perspective, it's really clear that even with all of the safeguards and some of the things that we saw put into place by yesterday's announcement, we do consider e-scooters to be a real and genuine threat to the ability of blind and partially-sighted people to move around independently and safely.' Dr Rachel Lee, policy and research manager at charity Living Streets, told the committee: 'We have serious concerns at the safety of e-scooters for pedestrians. 'They could be useful in a future testable system but ... our infrastructure currently is not up to that job. 'Before you know it, someone who's vulnerable, elderly, maybe can't see, or even children, are being knocked over by someone going at quite a speed.' Advertisement YouTube star and TV presenter Ms Hartridge became the first person in the UK to be killed while riding an e-scooter when she was struck by a lorry in Battersea, south London, in July last year. The grieving boyfriend of Ms Hartridge later revealed his partner was en route to a fertility clinic scan when she was killed in a crash on the e-scooter he had given her as a birthday present. Jacob Hazell said he and the 35-year-old presenter - who he described as the 'most beautiful woman in the world' - were overcome with excitement as they planned for a baby. The 28-year-old said everything in their lives was 'going right'. But in a heart wrenching interview, he recalled his creeping sense of dread when the clinic said Ms Hartridge had failed to turn up to the appointment. And he revealed his anxiety then turned into devastation after stumbling across the news that his girlfriend had died in a collision with a lorry in Battersea on Friday 12 July. Alan Clarke, director of UK policy and government affairs at US scooter rental firm Lime, said: 'Today's announcement that the UK is embracing micromobility, with trials of e-scooters now able to begin, presents a real opportunity for change. 'E-scooters have been commonplace on roads and in cities across Europe for some time and Lime users around the world have already taken more than 150 million rides, saving more than 12,000 tonnes of CO2, whilst helping to reduce congestion and air pollution. 'Over the coming days, weeks and months as trials start, we're looking forward to building healthier, greener and safer cities across the UK.' A man armed with a bazooka turned up alongside gunmen with assault rifles trying to protect protesters demonstrating in Florissant, Missouri, after a black man was run over by a white cop. The heavily armed men, calling themselves the People's Protection Group, marched alongside demonstrators against the police in Missouri on Tuesday. It comes after a police detective from the town was suspended and charged with two counts of assault, one felony and one misdemeanor, and one count of armed criminal action. Detective Joshua Smith, 31, was caught on a Ring doorbell camera running down a 20-year-old black man with his unmarked police car before beating him. The gunmen raised their fists in solidarity with protesters and some were seen talking to police outside their department building. The man was armed with a bazooka as he joined a group calling themselves the People's Protection Groups at demonstrations in Florissant, Missouri, on Tuesday It comes after a police detective from the town was suspended after he was caught on a Ring doorbell camera running down a 20-year-old black man with his unmarked police car before beating him. Pictured, the man with a rifle and a bazooka The armed men walked among protesters following the arrest of an innocent black man on June 2 At the beginning of last month the 20-year-old man, who police did not name, was detained after he was thought to be the driver of a vehicle involved with a shots-fired incident outside the nearby Ferguson Police Department on June 2. Ring doorbell camera footage posted on Facebook by Real Stl News, captured the moment the man was run over by the detective's unmarked SUV. It happened at 11.30pm on June 2, a day after four St. Louis police officers were wounded and a retired St. Louis police captain was fatally shot during a violent night in the city. The victim was heard screaming as he was thrown to the ground by the vehicle, before an officer jumped out. The cop later was seen beating down on the man as he laid on the ground screaming, 'Help!' and 'I don't have nothing!' Police said the man was run down by the detective around 11.30pm in the 9800 block of Eastdell Drive in the City of Dellwood. It later emerged the man was not the suspect they were looking for, but he now faces charges for drug possession and resisting arrest. Barricades have been set up outside police headquarters and the National Guard also parked an armored vehicle outside the building as demonstrators gathered Members of the group could be seen talking to police while wearing bandanna's over their faces. This man had a handgun attached to his belt The gunmen raised their fists in solidarity with protesters and some were seen talking with police outside their department building Police Chief Timothy Fagan said the man was treated at the hospital for an ankle injury, but the man's attorney, Jerryl T. Christmas said his injuries were far worse. He said the man's leg was 'shattered' and required multiple surgeries. 'He was traumatized,' Christmas said. Fagan said police are seeking municipal charges against all three men for possession of drug paraphernalia and resisting arrest. No weapons were found on the men or in their car. In addition to Special Prosecutor Tim Lohmar's investigation of the officer, US Attorney Jeff Jensen said his office, the Civil Rights Division at the Department of Justice and the FBI also are reviewing the case to determine if a federal response is warranted. A white man was seen walking with protesters while carrying a bazooka on his back The men gathered guns and ammunition from the trunk of the car as they prepared to join demonstrators on Tuesday The police department's windows were boarded up to protect them from protesters. The man with the bazooka spoke to one of the officers Lohmar, speaking last week, called the video 'shocking' but said it showed only part of the encounter. 'What I saw is not standard police work, it is not acceptable police work,' he said. The arrest led to several peaceful protests involving hundreds of people outside of police headquarters in Florissant, including a 'die-in' in which participants lay face down with their hands behind their backs. A few dozen protesters also gathered on Monday outside Lohmar's office urging prosecution of Smith. A small protest of about 100 people was held Sunday outside the Florissant Police Department with residents demanding the detective be fired. Barricades were set up outside police headquarters and the National Guard also parked an armored vehicle outside the building. The actions of the unnamed detective in the footage come as protests have erupted across the country in response to the police-related slaying of George Floyd, a black father of two, in Minneapolis on Memorial Day. 'I was furious. I was outraged because I'm already tired as a black man,' Bishop Derrick Robinson who was among the protesters tells KMOV4. Ring doorbell camera footage taken in Dellwood, Missouri, shows an unmarked police vehicle shooting down a residential street just before it mows down a man suspected in a case of shots fired outside the nearby Ferguson Police Department An unidentified detective is later seen in the footage beating the man while he is on the ground The man in the footage also is heard screaming 'I don't have nothing!' 'That detective, what he did, was intolerable in our community and we're calling for him to be fired, not just suspended and we want the chief of Florissant to respond to us and to fire him. 'We're not gonna pay for him to be on leave. Enough said. We're tired.' Florissant Police Chief Timothy Fagan has called on the FBI and the St. Louis County Police Department to handle the investigation for possible civil rights violations. Fagan at a press conference explained he did not yet want to identify the detective because of the video's possible impact to the community. 'I think peoples' emotions are very high at this time and I have some concerns that they're going to be upset when they see this and rightly so and that's part of the reason I wanted to stand in front of you and talk to you to make sure you all and the public understands we are also concerned,' he tells KMOV4. Fagan says he did not learn about the incident or the video until Saturday. A small protest of about 100 people was held Sunday outside the Florissant Police Department with residents demanding the detective be fired Barricades were set up outside police headquarters in Florissant and the National Guard also parked an armored vehicle outside the building The armored vehicle parked outside the Florissant Police Department 'I'll tell you what I believe I see in the video which is that the male then gets up and tries to run and then officer tries to take the male into custody and from my view looks like he struck the individual at least two times, he looks like he kicks him and then hits him with a forearm,' Fagan says. There also were two other cops in the vehicle at the time the man was run down. Both were placed on leave following the incident and they also have not been identified. Steven Lopez, a 23-year-old protester, was arrested in the fatal shooting It was also discovered that one of the officers is related to a spokesperson working for St. Louis County Prosecutor Wesley Bell. That required the case to be turned over to St. Charles County Prosecuting Attorney Tim Lohmar to avoid a conflict of interest. Meanwhile, a 23-year-old man was arrested in the fatal shooting of a photographer documenting a Breonna Taylor protest at a park in Louisville, Kentucky, Saturday night, police said. Steven Lopez is being held in connection with the shooting death of 27-year-old Tyler Gerth, who was fatally wounded after bullets were fired at the Taylor demonstration, according to an arrest citation. Lopez, who had been seen at other protests and was previously arrested with other demonstrators, was wounded in the leg by gunfire from bystanders at the park who were defending themselves, the arrest citation said. He has been charged with murder and wanton endangerment. Steven Lopez is being held in connection with the shooting death of 27-year-old Tyler Gerth (pictured), who was fatally wounded after bullets were fired at the Taylor demonstration Video footage (pictured) taken at the peaceful protest just before the mayhem began around 9 p.m. in Jefferson Square Park showed a gunman opening fire on masses of people who were in attendance. The shooting took place at a park that has become a focal point for the city's protests demanding justice for Taylor, the black EMT who was gunned down by cops in her apartment back in March. Louisville Police Chief Robert Schroeder said Lopez had been participating in the protests since they began and had been arrested a few times. The arrest citation said Lopez was born in 1996, but it lists no driver's license number or home address, other than Louisville. Video footage taken at the peaceful protest just before the mayhem began around 9pm in Jefferson Square Park showed a gunman opening fire on masses of people who were in attendance. The footage also showed people rushing to help a person lying in a pool of blood. Gerth had been out shooting pictures since the protests began over Taylor's passing and had posted the images on his Instagram account, the Courier Journal reports. He was a vocal supporter of the movement before his passing, according to relatives. His godfather was Joe Gerth, a columnist for the Courier Journal. Tyler Gerth in turn was godfather to the writer's daughter. Protesters at the park Sunday said Lopez was a familiar face around the protests but sometimes caused trouble. Julie Sullivan, who was near the corner where the shooter fired, said Lopez was asked to leave earlier on Saturday. Sullivan said she heard about eight gunshots that broke up an otherwise calm day of demonstrations. She saw some nearby children and yelled for them to crawl toward her. 'I've never been through anything like that, and I hope I never go through anything like that again,' Sullivan said. Lopez, who had been seen at other protests and was previously arrested (pictured) with other demonstrators, faces murder and first-degree wanton endangerment charges for the death of Gerth Gerth's family members released a statement saying they were 'devastated that his life was taken was from us far too soon.' 'Tyler was incredibly kind, tender hearted and generous, holding deep convictions and faith,' they wrote. 'It was this sense of justice that drove Tyler to be part of the peaceful demonstrations advocating for the destruction of the systemic racism within our society's systems,' the family members explained. 'This, combined with his passion of photography led to a strong need within him to be there, documenting the movement, capturing and communicating the messages of peace and justice.' A vigil was to be held for Gerth at Jefferson Square Park Sunday night. Louisville Metro Police Department released a statement confirming that there were reports of shots fired in the park at around 9pm and that authorities tried to save one man who died at the scene. Officers then received a report of another shooting victim at the Hall of Justice. The second victim was taken to University Hospital with non-life threatening injuries, police said. Louisville police released a statement confirming that there were reports of shots fired in the park at around 9pm Saturday. Pictured is an image of footage taken of the scene The park is seen taped off later that night after the shooting that left Gerth dead, police said Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer after the shooting Saturday said he was 'deeply saddened' by the incident. 'I am deeply saddened by the violence that erupted in Jefferson Square Park tonight, where those who have been voicing their concerns have been gathered,' Fischer said in a statement. 'It is a tragedy that this area of peaceful protest is now a crime scene.' This marks at least the second shooting in the last month during protests in Louisville over Taylor's death. On May 28, seven people were shot in a shooting near City Hall. Taylor's mother broke her silence over the violence then urged people to stop 'hurting each other' amid demands for justice over her daughter's slaying. Taylor, 26, was shot eight times and killed when three plain clothes officers performed a botched no-knock arrest warrant at her apartment in Louisville on March 13. Breonna Taylor (pictured) was shot eight times and killed when three plain clothes officers performed a no-knock arrest warrant at her apartment in Louisville on March 13 The three officers said they were investigating drugs offenses and that Taylor's boyfriend opened fire on them when they entered. Her family say neither she - a hardworking EMT - nor her boyfriend used drugs and that he fired his gun because he thought the three plain clothes officers were intruders. This week Louisville police fired one of the cops involved in her death saying he showed 'extreme indifference to the value of human life' when he 'blindly fired 10 rounds' into her apartment. Officer Brett Hankison, 44, was fired Tuesday from the department for his part in her killing, where he violated the department's regulations and deadly force standards, Louisville Metro Police announced. Hankison said he was appealing the decision, as his attorney blasted his firing as 'a cowardly political act'. Officer Brett Hankison was fired Tuesday from the department for his part in the killing of black EMT Taylor, 26, Louisville Metro Police announced Sgt. Jonathan Mattingly (left) and Officer Myles Cosgrove (right) are the other two cops involved in the killing of the black woman. Neither of them have been fired The Kentucky Attorney General is still yet to decide whether to bring charges against any of the three cops three months on from Taylor's slaying and the other two cops involved - Jonathan Mattingly and Myles Cosgrave - have not been fired. Last week, FBI agents searched Taylor's home for evidence as part of their revived investigation. Louisville PD has repeatedly come under fire for its handling of the case. Earlier in the month, the force released a heavily redacted incident report which said Taylor had no injuries despite her having been shot eight times and killed in the raid. The family has accused the city of deliberately ignoring subpoenas for records relating to her death that were requested as part of a lawsuit filed by the victim's mother, Tamika Palmer, back in April. Taylor's death has sparked outrage across America. NEW YORK: Hundreds of Black Lives Matter protesters congregate at the City Hall in New York as part of the 'Defund NYPD' and 'Occupy City Hall' movement NEW YORK: In New York, hundreds of protesters camped outside City Hall Saturday night demanding lawmakers slash the New York City police budget by $1billion NEW YORK: The demonstrators are demanding the New York City Council City Council cut at least $1 billion from the police department's current $6 billion budget when it begins considering a new city budget Protesters have been taking to the streets of the nation demanding an end to police brutality and systemic racism, and calls are mounting for widespread police reform. In New York, hundreds of protesters camped outside City Hall Saturday night demanding lawmakers slash the New York City police budget by $1billion. The 'Occupy City Hall' encampment began forming Tuesday following weeks of street protests over the death of Floyd and other black Americans killed by cops. The demonstrators are demanding the New York City Council City Council cut at least $1 billion from the police department's current $6 billion budget when it begins considering a new city budget. According to NY1, protesters have designated the area police free, and say officers have been keeping their distance. The encampment was told it is allowed to remain a protest zone as long as no structures were set up, the New York Post reported. PORTLAND: In Portland, Oregon, protesters have been trying to establish an autonomous zone outside the North police precinct PORTLAND: Saturday marked the 31st night of protests and reports of clashes between protesters and cops continued Organizers have called it 'Occupy City Hall' - a nod to the 2010 Occupy Wall Street movement a few blocks away in Zuccotti Park. Meanwhile over in Portland, Oregon, protesters have been trying to establish an autonomous zone outside the North police precinct. Scenes descended into chaos Friday night on the one-month anniversary of Floyd's death with stores looted and fires set in the area. Saturday marked the 31st night of protests and reports of clashes between protesters and cops continued. According to reports on social media, officers deployed shot pepper balls at protesters and tear gas was used to disperse crowds as Portland Police put out a statement that riot control agents were being used at around 1:30am and told people 'you are ordered to disperse immediately'. Reports also surfaced that a car had been driven into protesters in the area. Fears have arisen that Beijing could punish 'everyone on the planet' with its national security law in Hong Kong with an alarming clause targeting people who are outside of China. The landmark legislation, officially passed on Tuesday, outlaws secessionist, subversive or terrorist activities, as well as foreign intervention in the city's internal affairs. But one article of the controversial law also targets foreigners outside of China who support independence for Hong Kong, stoking fears of the Communist country seeking to expand its influence beyond the borders. It comes as Hong Kong police have made their first arrest under the landmark law imposed by Chinese government, giving Beijing draconian powers to punish dissent in the city. Fears have sparked that China could punish 'everyone on the planet' with its national security law with an alarming clause targeting people who are not residents of Hong Kong. Pictured, a police officer raises his pepper spray handgun as he detains a man in Hong Kong Wednesday The landmark legislation, officially passed on Tuesday, makes secessionist, subversive or terrorist activities illegal, as well as foreign intervention in the city's internal affairs. Riot police deploy pepper spray towards journalists as protesters gathered for a rally in Hong Kong today Despite most of the rules applying to Hong Kong citizens, a shocking rule appears to target what critics describe as 'everyone on the planet.' Police detain a protester after spraying pepper spray during a protest in Causeway Bay before the annual handover march Despite most of the rules applying to Hong Kong citizens, a shocking rule appears to target what critics describe as 'everyone on the planet.' According to Article 38 of the draconian legislation, it 'shall apply to offences against the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region under this law committed from outside the region by a person who is not a permanent resident of the region.' This means that foreigners who support independence for Hong Kong or call for imposing sanctions on the Chinese government could be prosecuted upon entering Hong Kong or mainland China, even if they are not residents of the city. Critics of China including Hong Kong's large diaspora may face legal risks if they enter or return to the city as non-Hong Kong residents can be prosecuted for their acts conducted outside of the region, according to the clause. This means that foreigners who support independence for Hong Kong or call for imposing sanctions on the Chinese government could be prosecuted upon entering Hong Kong or mainland China, even if they are not residents of the city. The Chinese and Hong Kong flags are unfurled during a flag-raising ceremony at the Golden Bauhinia Square in Hong Kong Pro-democracy supporters around the world reacted to the shocking clause targeting foreign citizens with horror. Activists say the bill will be 'the end of Hong Kong as we know it' while China insists it is necessary to restore order after months of violent clashes in the city (pictured, police search pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong today) Pro-democracy supporters around the world have reacted to the shocking clause targeting foreign citizens with outrage. Human rights organisation Hong Kong Watch slammed the rule as 'absurd'. Johnny Patterson, Director of the group, told MailOnline: 'Given that the US Congress unanimously passed a bill sanctioning Hong Kong human rights abusers, presumably this law now means all of Congress could hypothetically face prosecution if they go to Hong Kong. 'The broad application of Article 38 to anyone, anywhere is absurd. 'But the real victims of this legislation are Hong Kong's people. It smashes the firewall between Hong Kong and China, and is a serious blow to human rights.' Pro-democracy supporters around the world reacted to the shocking clause targeting foreign citizens with horror. A reporter is seen falling down after being sprayed with pepper spray by police during a protest in Causeway Bay during the annual handover march in Hong Kong The law, imposed by China after last year's anti-government protests in the semi-autonomous city, took effect on Tuesday at 11pm. A man with a 'Hong Kong Independence' flag (pictured today) was the first to be arrested in Causeway Bay hours after the law came into force '[The law] is simultaneously extraordinarily broad and vague,' Sophine Richardson, China director at Human Rights Watch, said to MailOnline, 'so much so that the wording of particular clauses does not matter much. 'It gives the authorities to do whatever they wantcharge anyone for almost anything; have a jury or a trial by judge; hold trials in public or in secret; use Hong Kong law or mainland law. National security laws are meant to be necessary and proportionate. This one is the absolute opposite.' International critics have also expressed their outrage on social media. Benedict Rogers, human rights activists, tweeted: 'The #NationalSecurityLaw imposed by Beijing on #HongKong is more outrageous than expected. 'Did Beijing just grant itself sweeping extraterritoriality to...everyone on the planet?' said American journalist, Bethany Allen-Ebrahmian. Peter Lewis, presenter of Radio Television Hong Kong, commented: 'President Xi Jinping now thinks he can spread Chinese law around the world and it even applies to acts undertaken outside of #China by people who aren't residents of HK.' WARNING: #HongKong's #NationalSecurityLaw applies to everyone across the globe according to Article 38. President Xi Jinping now thinks he can spread Chinese law around the world and it even applies to acts undertaken outside of #China by people who aren't residents of HK. Peter Lewis - on the radio in Hong Kong (@MoneyTalkR3) July 1, 2020 Oh my god am I reading this right??? Article 38: The law applies to persons who do NOT have permanent resident status in HK and commit crimes under this law OUTSIDE Hong Kong. Did Beijing just grant itself sweeping extraterritoriality to...everyone on the planet? B. Allen-Ebrahimian (@BethanyAllenEbr) June 30, 2020 The #NationalSecurityLaw imposed by Beijing on #HongKong is more outrageous than expected Not only does it impose life sentences It also potentially makes me & my colleagues "criminals" Article 38 says non-HK citizens not even in HK can be deemed to have violated this Law! pic.twitter.com/x8S8V5zzZn Benedict Rogers (@benedictrogers) June 30, 2020 A man with a 'Hong Kong Independence' flag was arrested in Causeway Bay hours after the law came into force and 23 years to the day since Britain returned the former colony to China - with the city's cherished freedoms now in doubt. China rammed the law through its rubber-stamp parliament and kept the wording shrouded in secrecy, but finally revealed details last night - unveiling strict new measures which could see Hong Kong protesters repressed on the mainland. The law, imposed by China after last year's anti-government protests in the semi-autonomous city, took effect on Tuesday at 11pm. The law makes secessionist, subversive or terrorist activities illegal, as well as foreign intervention in the city's internal affairs. Any person taking part in secessionist activities, such as shouting slogans or holding up banners and flags calling for independence, is in violation of the law regardless of whether violence is used. The most serious offenders, such as those deemed to be organising the crimes, could receive a maximum punishment of life imprisonment. Lesser offenders could receive jail terms of up to three years, short-term detention or restriction. Hong Kong's leader strongly endorsed the new law in her speech marking Wednesday's 23rd anniversary of the territory's handover from colonial Britain. 'This decision was necessary and timely to maintain Hong Kong's stability,' Carrie Lam said following a flag-raising ceremony and the playing of China's national anthem. A pro-democracy political party, the League of Social Democrats, organised a protest march during the flag-raising ceremony. About a dozen participants chanted slogans echoing demands from protesters last year for political reform and an investigation into accusation of police abuse. The law further blurs the distinction between the legal systems of semi-autonomous Hong Kong, which maintained aspects of British law after the 1997 handover, and the mainland's authoritarian Communist Party system. Critics say it effectively ends the 'one country, two systems' framework under which Hong Kong was promised a high degree of autonomy. The law directly targets some of the actions of anti-government protesters last year, which included attacks on government offices and police stations, damage to subway stations, and the shutdown of the city's international airport. Acts of vandalism against government facilities or public transit can be prosecuted as subversion or terrorism, while anyone taking part in activities deemed as secessionist would also be in violation of the new law. Critics say it effectively ends the 'one country, two systems' framework under which Hong Kong was promised a high degree of autonomy. Hong Kong independence protesters gathered in a mall in the city Tuesday to observe a minute of silence after the security bill was passed Hong Kong's Chief Executive Carrie Lam (central) stands with former chief executives as they attend a flag-raising ceremony to mark China's National Day celebrations early on Tuesday Acts of vandalism against government facilities or public transit can be prosecuted as subversion or terrorism under the draconian security law. A pro-China supporter takes a selfie at a rally in Hong Kong today as news filtered out that the new security law had been passed Hong Kong's police had issued a statement saying they would consider as illegal any flag or banner raised by protesters deemed to be promoting Hong Kong's separation from China or expressing support for independence for Tibet, Xinjiang and the self-governing island democracy of Taiwan that China claims as its own. Concerns have also been raised over the fate of key opposition figures, some of whom have already been charged for taking part in protests, as well as the disqualification of candidates for the Legislative Council elections scheduled for September. Schools, social groups, media outlets, websites and others will be monitored and their national security status will be raised, according to the law's text, while Beijing will have authority over the activities of foreign non-governmental organisations and media outlets in Hong Kong. The legislation was mandated under Hong Kong's local constitution but an earlier attempt to pass it in the city's legislative body in 2003 was shelved in the face of massive public opposition. Having lost patience, Beijing finally decided to circumvent the Hong Kong legislature and have it passed on Tuesday by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, China's rubber-stamp parliament. President Xi Jinping signed a presidential order putting the law into effect and it has been added to the Basic Law, Hong Kong's constitution. A primary school has been forced to close after a year one pupil tested positive for Covid-19 and a teacher is suspected of having the virus. Paganel Primary School in Selly Oak, Birmingham, temporarily closed yesterday after an email was circulated internally to staff. The messages make clear a year one pupil tested positive for the virus last Thursday, while a staff member was awaiting test results. The school and Public Health England has confirmed a single case of Covid-19 and a suspected case at the premises. Paganel Primary School (above) in Selly Oak, Birmingham, temporarily closed yesterday after a year one pupil tested positive for Covid-19 and a teacher is suspected of having the virus It was said to be likely the school would be shut until the end of the week, with the 'year one bubble' closed until Thursday, July 9, allowing fellow pupils the two week isolation period. It is understood letters issued by the school explained to parents of children within the bubble to self-isolate, before a subsequent letter said there was a suspected case and the school made the decision to close. In an email sent to staff only and seen by BirminghamLive, head teacher Bethan Gingell wrote: 'By now you will have all received the group call that the school will be closed until further notice. 'This decision has been made following information that a year one child has tested positively for Covid-19 and a staff member has a suspected case of Covid-19. 'The Chair of Governors and myself have made the decision to close the school to everyone until we have the test result from the staff member. This as the letter states is a precaution to protect us all. 'As soon as we have the test result I will be in touch. it is highly likely that school will remain closed this week. The year 1 bubble will remain closed until the 9th July.' In an email, above, sent to staff only, head teacher Bethan Gingell wrote: 'A year one child has tested positively for Covid-19 and a staff member has a suspected case of Covid-19' It was said to be likely the school, pictured, would be shut until the end of the week, with the 'year one bubble' closed until Thursday, July 9 In a subsequent email, from the deputy head Vicki Shuter, the school said it was working alongside Public Health England to manage the situation. The school told MailOnline: 'Following the confirmation on Monday of a single case of COVID-19 in a bubble at Paganel Primary School in Birmingham and a suspected case in a staff member, the Headteacher and Board of Governors have taken the difficult decision to close the school on a temporary basis as a precautionary measure. 'PHE was contacted by the school leadership yesterday morning and will be working with Birmingham City Council in providing advice and support to the school on the management of the incident.' A spokesperson for Public Health England said: 'Following the confirmation on Monday of a single case of COVID-19 in a bubble at Paganel Primary School in Birmingham and a suspected case in a staff member, the Headteacher and Board of Governors have taken the difficult decision to close the school on a temporary basis as a precautionary measure. 'PHE was contacted by the school leadership yesterday morning and will be working with Birmingham City Council in providing advice and support to the school on the management of the incident.' A woman was left in a state of shock while working from home when she spotted a lone bear scaling the roof of her neighbour's house. Terri Warren, 51, from Anchorage, Alaska, filmed the cinnamon bear prowl back and forth along the first-floor roof and walk past the second-floor window of the property. The keen wildlife photographer, who lives in the aptly named Bear Valley neighbourhood, described how the curious creature casually wandered around the roof before climbing back down. Terri Warren, 51, a wildlife photographer from Anchorage, Alaska, watches the cinnamon bear scale the roof of her neighbour's property The creature, which was filmed on June 5, walks around a corner of the roof and continues to prowl the area During the footage, which was captured on June 5, the bear prowls the first-floor roof and passes a window. The animal then turns around a corner and looks out into the distance before making its way back along the roof. Ms Warren said she continued to keep a watchful eye over the creature in the hope that it would not climb into her neighbour's home. She told KTUU News: 'I saw this cinnamon climb up the neighbour's house! By the time I got my phone back out he was just sitting on their deck. 'So I watched for a while and then he went on the roof and climbed down! It was crazy! I'm glad they weren't home!' She added: 'We do see them a lot, it's kinda normal, I do live in Bear Valley. But I've never really seen or watched one scale a house or walk on the roof before so that was new to me.' The creature walks around the roof and passes a window before making its way back to the other side The bear, which was later spotted wandering around the neighbourhood, stays close to the property and looks out into the distance Ms Warren, who revealed that she has also seen the animal walking around her neighbourhood, said that she would forever be drawn to photographing wild animals in their element. She continued: 'Alaska never ceases to amaze me, and I am well aware we live in their neighbourhood, just as they live in ours. 'One minute a black bear can be sauntering up the road, and ten minutes later a cinnamon is scaling the neighbour's house and wandering around their roof. 'I respect the wildlife here and will forever be drawn to watching and photographing them in their element. 'People were amazed at the video it's been shared all over on social media.' The Philippine president has retained a strict lockdown in a central city he described as a new coronavirus hot spot, while the capital and the rest of the country were placed in lighter quarantines. President Rodrigo Duterte made the announcement last night on TV, further stretching three-month lockdowns and quarantines that officials call successful but his critics describe as ridden with failures and confusion. The Philippines has among the most COVID-19 cases in Southeast Asia with more than 37,500 people infected, including 1,266 who have died. Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte gestures during a meeting with the Inter-Agency Task Force on the Emerging Infectious Diseases at the Malacanang presidential palace compound in Manila, Philippines on Tuesday June 30, 2020 Duterte blamed Cebu city, which will remain under a lockdown up to July 15, for many violations of the rules that led to infection spikes. 'Cebu is now the hot spot for COVID. Why? Many of you did not follow. So don't get mad at me,' he said. The Philippines shut down most businesses in March but has reopened the economy recently as unemployment soared and massive government funds dwindled for cash and food aid for the poor. Other developments in the Asia-Pacific region in the past 24 hours include 8,653 new coronavirus cases and 507 deaths in India, with June proving to be the worst month since the pandemic hit the country in late January. Armed policemen man a checkpoint along a road in Cebu City, central Philippines on June 24, 2020 - which has since reentered lockdown A policeman mans a checkpoint along a road in Cebu City, central Philippines on June 24, 2020, after the government tightened its enhanced community quarantine restrictions India's total cases reached 585,493 on Wednesday, more than 400,000 of them reported in June alone. India's health ministry said 17,400 people have died. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expressed concern over negligence in maintaining social distance and wearing masks. In South Korea a new 'high risk' categorization of religious facilities is being considered, which would put them in line with nightclubs, hostess bars and karaoke rooms as potential venues for the spread of COVID-19 following a slew of transmissions tied to church gatherings. The Philippines has among the most COVID-19 cases in Southeast Asia with more than 37,500 people infected, including 1,266 who have died Philippine Coast Guard personnel assist stranded residents on board BRP Gabriela Silang patrol ship on their journey to Cebu island, at Manila Bay, Philippines, 25 June 2020 According to reports, Cebu City topped the list of areas affected by the coronavirus and COVID-19 disease infections in the country Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said Wednesday more than 40 per cent of the country's newly confirmed infections over the previous three days were traced to places of worship. He pleaded people to refrain from religious gatherings and criticized churches and other facilities for failing to use proper prevention measures. High-risk facilities are advised to close or otherwise must enforce anti-virus measures and register visitors with smartphone QR codes so virus carriers can be tracked. While China reported just three new cases Wednesday, all in the capital Beijing where an outbreak last month appears to have run its course amid intense testing and case tracing. No new deaths were reported, leaving the toll at 4,634 among 83,534 cases of COVID-19 recorded since the virus was first detected in the central Chinese city of Wuhan late last year. With 328 cases reported since June 11, Beijing has reinstated some prevention measures, suspended classes for schoolchildren and carried out 8.3 million virus tests among the city's more than 20 million residents. A British backpacker who was stabbed to death at a hostel in Australia had told a friend just hours earlier that her killer was sexually abusing her, a coroner has found. Mia Ayliffe-Chung was killed in August 2016 by mentally-ill Frenchman Smail Ayad, who also fatally wounded Mia's friend Thomas Jackson when he bravely tried to save her. The 20-year-old British woman was attacked at a north Queensland hostel where she had already complained about Ayad's unwanted sexual advances, but he was not moved out of the dormitory room they shared. Other guests had noticed Ayad's behaviour change after Ms Ayliffe-Chung arrived at the hostel, and she told a friend that Ayad had been touching her and saying he 'wanted her to be his girlfriend'. Mr Jackson received a posthumous Queen's Gallantry Medal for giving his life to try and protect Ms Ayliffe-Chung in the attack, while another man who also helped her - backpacker Daniel Richards - survived and received the same honour. Mia Ayliffe-Chung, 20, had previously worked as a waitress in Surfers Paradise before travelling to north Queensland for fruit picking work to extend her visa Coroner Nerida Wilson published her findings on the killings on Wednesday, saying there was no need for a formal inquest because it was unlikely to lead to recommendations preventing similar deaths in the future. Ayad, who was 29 at the time of the stabbings, was initially charged with two counts of murder, but these were later dropped after he was found to be of unsound mind. Ms Ayliffe-Chung, who was at the tail end of a 12-month world trip, had worked as a waitress at Gold Coast venue The Bedroom just days before travelling to Home Hill near Townsville in north Queensland. The findings of the Coronial investigation reveal that someone, whose name was redacted from the report, said Ms Ayliffe-Chung had made complaints about Ayad, who she had just met after being put in the same room. 'I remember that Mia told me there was a guy in her room that was getting too close to her, physically by touching her and was verbally harassing her,' the witness said according to The Gold Coast Bulletin. 'Mia said that he was saying things like that ''he wanted her to be his girlfriend'' and that ''he wanted sex from her''. I didn't know who the male was that she was referring to at this point.' The person also claimed Ms Ayliffe-Chung complained that Ayad would follow her around, while other male backpackers reported he would make sexual comments about her and referred to her as his 'wife'. The owner of the backpackers' hostel said the woman had not complained to her about Ayad. About 11pm on the night of the fatal attacks, CCTV captured Ayad dragging Ms Ayliffe-Chung onto a balcony where he slashed her neck before 'launching' on her as she lay on the ground trying to defend herself from his knife. Ayad then threw himself from the balcony, head first, with his arms extended as if he was attempting to fly, coroner Wilson said. 'The scene at the hostel was one of chaos, confusion and fear,' she said. Ayad then returned to the hostel where Mr Jackson was attempting to help Ms Ayliffe-Chung. 'What is the matter, calm down. What the f*** are you doing?' Mr Jackson was heard asking before Ayad came at him with the knife. Tom Jackson received a post-humous Queen's Gallantry Medal for giving his life to try and protect Ms Ayliffe-Chung in the attack Police established a crime scene and forensic officers combed through the dormitory looking for evidence Ayad, who was 29 at the time of the stabbings, was initially charged with two counts of murder, but these were later dropped after he was found to be of unsound mind Police said Ayad had been smoking cannabis in the hours before the horrific attack Blood seen splattered on the concrete in one of the common areas of the backpackers hostel where the attack took place Mia Ayliffe-Chung pictured with her former boyfriend Australian man Jamison Stead Ms Ayliffe-Chung died on a bathroom floor from a stab wound to her heart. She also suffered injuries to her head and neck. Mr Jackson died in hospital six days later from a knife wound to his brain after being stabbed in his right eye, head, neck and chest. The coroner said Ms Ayliffe-Chung and Mr Jackson were 'in the prime of their life and enjoying a carefree experience of a lifetime' when they were killed. 'Their life, and their death, touched many.' Ayad, also a backpacker, had apparently warned a fellow French traveller that 'something will happen tonight', adding: ' I feel like everybody wants bad things for me like something will happen to me.' Ms Ayliffe-Chung had been on a trip around the globe before she landed in Australia She had previously travelled to Turkey and India and had been working on the Gold Coast 10 days before she went to the backpackers near Townsville Ms Wilson also said in her findings that Mr Jackson and another British male backpacker, Daniel Richards, who came to the aid of Ms Ayliffe-Chung had shown remarkable courage. 'Both Mr Jackson and Mr Richards exhibited extraordinary bravery and compassion remaining with Mia rendering assistance whilst their own safety was still at risk,' she said. Mr Richards was awarded the Queen's Gallantry Medal by Prince William at a ceremony in London in 2018, while Mr Jackson's family collected his medal posthumously. Ayad remains in custody in a mental health facility in Australia but is expected to be deported to France. He will be held in another mental health facility when he arrives in that country. A key figure behind the Stop Hate for Profit initiative has said that Harry and Meghan have asked which brands they can 'target' in support of the movement. Stop Hate for Profit is calling on major companies to pull their advertising campaigns from Facebook until the social media giant takes action to stop the spread of so-called hate speech. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have asked Jim Steyer, one of the organizers of the advertising boycott, 'which brands they could help target', although it is not clear in which way the couple will do this. The initiative has already attracted support from major brands including Coca Cola and Unilever. A key figure behind the Stop Hate for Profit initiative has said that Harry and Meghan have asked which brands they can 'target' in support of the movement Jim Steyer (pictured), who is chief executive of the charity Common Sense Media and a lecturer on civil liberties at Stanford University, said Harry and Meghan had reached out to the organizers personally and asked how they could get involved Mr Steyer, who is chief executive of the charity Common Sense Media and a lecturer on civil liberties at Stanford University, said Harry and Meghan had reached out to the organizers personally and asked how they could get involved. 'They are outspoken advocates of Stop Hate for Profit and we appreciate that,' Mr Steyer told The Times newspaper. He continued: 'We are gratified that they have spoken out. This is a multiracial couple that has dealt with hate speech and racist statements, so the fact they want to be part of the Stop Hate for Profit movement is terrific, and now they are thinking of their own kids.' Stop Hate for Profit is calling for companies to withdraw advertising from Facebook and sister site Instagram this month in order to force the company to do more to tackle hate speech on its social media platforms. Leading civil rights groups including the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People are behind the project, which has already attracted support from Coca Cola and Unilever among others. Facebook shares have dropped a staggering $56 billion after major companies including Unilever and Coca-Cola pulled their advertisements from the social media giant, despite CEO Mark Zuckerberg promising action on hate speech and putting a warning label on a Republican National Committee (RNC) video. Shares in the platform went crashing 8.3 percent to $216.08 by the closing bell Friday - its lowest in three months - after more than 100 advertisers boycotted the firm for its failure to stop hate speech and misinformation posted on its platform. Seen: CEO Mark Zuckerberg This wiped $56 billion off Facebook's market value and dealt a hefty $7.2 billion blow to Zuckerberg's personal fortune, pushing him down from third to fourth place on Bloomberg Billionaires Index and leaving him with a new net worth of $82.3 billion. Coca-Cola and Unilever became the latest major corporations to pull the plug on Facebook advertising Friday, joining several firms including Dove, Honda and Ben & Jerry's in a show of support for the #StopHateForProfit campaign. Coca-Cola announced a pause on all paid social media advertising globally for at least 30 days saying 'there is no place for racism in the world and there is no place for racism on social media' while Unilever, one of the world's biggest advertisers, said it would stop spending money with Facebook for the rest of the year. Zuckerberg buckled under the pressure Friday and announced new content policies for the platform, including tighter restrictions on advertising and labels for 'harmful' posts from public figures. Since stepping back as a senior member of the Royal Family and relocating to North America, Meghan Markle has been a vocal supporter of the Black Lives Matter movement and some have suggested that a political career could await the duchess. In a clip released in the wake of George Floyd's death to her alma mater, Immaculate Heart High School, the 38-year-old former actress said: 'George Floyd's life mattered and Breonna Taylor's life mattered and Philando Castile's life mattered and Tamir Rice's life mattered'. Since stepping back as a senior member of the Royal Family and relocating to North America, Meghan Markle has been a vocal supporter of the Black Lives Matter movement and some have suggested that a political career could await the duchess On speaking out about Mr Floyd, she said: 'I wasn't sure what I could say to you. I wanted to say the right thing and I was really nervous that it would get picked apart. And I realised the only wrong thing to say is to say nothing'. Royal author Lady Colin Campbell recently claimed that Meghan's move to the US was part of a plan to shift into the political sphere. It comes as the duke and duchess intend to launch their own charitable foundation, Archewell, which will reportedly address online hate speech. 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. However the public launch was postponed as Harry and Meghan focus their efforts towards the coronavirus crisis and Black Lives Matter movement, according to reports. Turkey said today it expects to be included in the UK's plan for quarantine-free air bridges to kick start holidays - as the release of a list of safe countries was delayed again. Ministers had been expected to unveil a list of countries that will be approached to form air bridges for quarantine-free travel to and from the UK today. But the announcement of details of the traffic light system is now expected to be made by ministers tomorrow. There is speculation it will include 50 countries, including most Western European states and British overseas territories - but with question marks over nations including Portugal. Turkey's ambassador to the UK said this morning that his country believes it will be among them - despite the country having higher daily cases of coronavirus than the UK. It came amid claims loopholes in the air bridge plans could make the UK's quarantine rules pointless. Umit Yalcin insisted it is safe to open up travel despite a recent spike in cases after lockdown restrictions to combat the spread of Covid-19 were eased. 'I'm optimistic because we are expecting to be included in that list because, scientifically, the facts and figures should talk and the numbers related to corona for Turkey is very low,' he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme. 'All the numbers relatively and comparatively with other countries are very low, especially in touristic areas in the Aegean and Mediterranean coast the numbers are zero. 'Because of that reason we are expected to be included on that list.' Sunseekers on the beach in Croatia yesterday - one of the destinations expected to feature on the air bridge list He took the action despite UK plans to include Greece in a 'green' group of countries it was safe for Britons to travel to using quarantine-free air bridges, when an official list is released later this week Turkey's ambassador to the UK said this morning that his country believes it will be among them - despite the country having higher daily cases of coronavirus than the UK Pressed that numbers nationwide in Turkey are high, the ambassador said 'we are not expecting that second wave' and argued that cases are centred on cities. With holiday makers anxiously awaiting the government's list of exempt destinations there are claims a swathe of other countries will be able to dodge the 14-day restrictions even if they are not included. The EU yesterday agreed 15 states from outside the bloc - including Algeria, Japan, China, Rwanda, Thailand, Morocco and Tunisia - will be allowed to come and go freely. However, that raises the prospect they could just take an indirect route to the UK via an air bridge. Tory MP Henry Smith, chairman of the cross-party Future of Aviation Group, told the Telegraph the whole quarantine idea should be rethought. 'It starts to beg the question as to whether we should have a broader opening up, rather than bilateral corridors,' he said. The government's list of air bridges had been expected to be released last week, and was then delayed again from the formal quarantine review date on Monday. There were heavy hints it would be published today, but it is now due tomorrow. However, travel firms have been forced to scrap thousands of flights and holiday packages in Greece after the nation extended its ban on arrivals from the UK. TUI, Ryanair, Easyjet, Jet2 and British Airways have all axed travel plans for Brits who booked in the hope of a quick getaway in early July. But the Greek prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has extended a UK flight ban that was due to end today to July 15. Greece has been relatively lightly affected by coronavirus, but the UK continues to be one of the worst affected countries in Europe. TUI, Ryanair, Easyjet, Jet2 and British Airways have all axed travel plans to Greece (pictured) for Brits who booked in the hope of a quick getaway in early July Tui, the UK's biggest tour operator, was due to serve four Greek islands when it resumed operations on July 11, while EasyJet had announced plans to resume flights from the UK to Greece next week with fares starting at 39.99. The boss of TUI yesterday demanded clarity over the air bridge scheme, warning that other countries could follow Greece's example. Andrew Flintham, managing director of TUI UK & Ireland, said the proposal could only work after 'two-way conversations' between Britain and other countries, adding: 'I think there's still going to be a few bumps in the road.' Under the traffic light system, drawn up by the Joint Biosecurity Centre and Public Health England and set to be in place by July 6, countries will be rated green, amber or red based on coronavirus infection levels, the reliability of official data and confidence in test and trace systems. The automatic 14-day quarantine requirement will remain only for 'red-rated' countries such as the US and Brazil. Travel between 'green' and 'amber' countries will be quarantine-free, but passengers will have to fill in a 'locator form' to trace their movements. Tourists are charged 44 for a KEBAB and can only swim in the sea if they spend up to 65 at some Turkish resorts as they hike their prices to recoup coronavirus losses A beach bar in Turkey is charging tourists 43 for a doner kebab as the country's hard-hit tourism sector tries to bounce back after coronavirus. One shocked customer's receipt also showed they forked out 7.30 (61.59 lira) for a small coffee and 22 (184.78 lira) for some stuffed pitta bread in tourist hotspot Bodrum. Meanwhile, Macakz Hotel is making visitors pay 65 to swim in the sea, local media reports. Bodrum Mayor Ahmet Aras said businesses are struggling to survive after the Covid-19 pandemic and the city - which relies heavily on tourists - is 'responsible for taking whatever it can from the pockets of tourists to the last penny'. One shocked customer's receipt (pictured) also showed they had been charged 7.30 (61.59 lira) for a small coffee and 22 (184.78 lira) for some stuffed pitta bread in a beach bar in tourist hotspot Bodrum Bodrum Mayor Ahmet Aras said businesses are struggling to survive after the Covid-19 pandemic and said the city (stock image pictured) - which relies heavily on tourists - is 'responsible for taking whatever it can from the pockets of tourists to the last penny' Bodrum Mayor Ahmet Aras said in a press conference: 'I dont care if someone wants to pay a high price for a doner kebab. They can pay TL 100,000 if they want' He said in a press conference: 'I dont care if someone wants to pay a high price for a doner kebab. They can pay TL 100,000 if they want.' He stressed that there are restaurants in the area that charge significantly less for the same food. Britain could form an air bridge with Turkey, allowing tourists to travel freely between the two with no mandatory 14-day quarantine. But plans were thrown off after it was revealed that the number of new coronavirus cases in Turkey has doubled in a month after the country started easing lockdown restrictions in late May. Professor Guner Sonmez, of Uskudar university, said he feared the government was losing control. Turkey has seen 198,613 cases and more than 5,000 deaths due to the killer bug. This is not the first time visitors have been hit with massive bills from restaurants in popular tourist spots. Meanwhile, Macakz Hotel (pictured) is making visitors pay 65 to swim in the sea, local media reports The Antico Caffe di Marte (pictured) in Rome came under fire for the expensive prices it charged tourists before threatening to sue complaining customers Two Japanese tourists were presented with a bill for 429.80 (pictured) at The Antico Caffe di Marte A restaurant in Rome came under fire for the expensive prices it charged tourists before threatening to sue complaining customers. In Greece, American soldier Francisco Tajeda and his friends were left aghast after being presented with a staggering $935 check for a modest lunch of calamari, salads and beers The Antico Caffe di Marte began making headlines after a two Japanese tourists were slapped with a bill for 380 for a fish and spaghetti dish. A photograph of a receipt posted to travel review website TripAdvisor shows that the meal for two at Antico Caffe di Marte came to a massive 429.80. The pair had only ordered two plates of fish with spaghetti, alongside glasses of water and were shocked to see part of the bill was an 80 (70) service charge. The Japanese travellers' story quickly echoed across the internet and newspapers as people were left in disbelief at the cost. But the restaurant is now threatening to sue complaining customers claiming that the story has meant the restaurant now sits empty most days. Carlo Scorza, a lawyer for the restaurant has refuted the claim that staff members were preying on unsuspecting tourists. He added that the cost of the dish was due to customers failing to notice that the price of the dish is per 100g of the food provided. In Greece, an American soldier and his friends were left aghast after being presented with a staggering $935 check for a modest lunch of calamari, salads and beers. Francisco Tajeda, 38, from Brooklyn, revealed on TripAdvisor how staff at the DK Oyster restaurant in Mykonos refused to give their party a menu or show them prices, before surprising them with the final tab. Francisco said was appalled when he was handed this check for a modest lunch of calamari and beers at the DK Oyster restaurant in Mykonos A member of New York's 69th Infantry Regiment, Francisco said he couldn't believe his eyes when he realized they'd been charged $661.41 (591) for six plates of calamari and $167.87 (150) for six beers - an eye-watering $27.97 per drink. Francisco and his friends were also charged $66.46 (59,40) for three Caesar salad appetizers with chicken, $20.14 (17.80) for two bottles of water and an additional $20.18 (18) for a single glass of tomato juice. However, representatives from the beach-side restaurant stood by their prices, insisting 'if you can't afford them, to avoid any bitterness,' opt for something cheaper. Downing Street today said it does not know if Boris Johnson's pledge to process all coronavirus tests within 24 hours by the end of June has been kept. The Prime Minister promised on June 3 that every test would be turned around within one day by the end of the month. Number 10 has so far failed to provide any data on progress towards hitting the target with the deadline now having passed. The first set of what will be weekly statistics on the 24 hour target will be published tomorrow but they will only cover the period between June 18-24. That means it will not become clear until the end of next week, when the second set of data will be published, if the target was met by June 30. Asked directly if Number 10 does not yet know if the target was met by the deadline, the Prime Minister's Official Spokesman replied: I dont, no.' Experts believe the swift processing of tests is crucial to stopping the spread of the deadly disease because the sooner a positive test is identified, the sooner that person's contacts can be traced and told to self-isolate, breaking the chain of transmission. It came as a new survey of more than 300 care homes found approximately one in eight residents had not yet been tested for coronavirus. Respondents told the National Care Forum (NCF) that 2,318 staff (9 per cent of the total) and 1,706 (12 per cent) of residents in care homes in England are still awaiting Covid-19 tests. This is despite all homes with residents over 65 having been offered testing and Health Secretary Matt Hancock pledging on May 15 that 'every resident and every member of staff in our elderly care homes in England' would be tested 'between now and early June'. The NCF data suggests the Government has missed this target. Boris Johnson, pictured in Dudley yesterday, is under pressure to reveal whether he has met his pledge to process all coronavirus tests within 24 hours by the end of June The UK currently has a daily testing capacity of approximately 280,000. Pictured is a drive-through testing station in Chessington on May 1 Mr Johnson and Mr Hancock have faced questions throughout the pandemic over the amount of time it takes for people to get their test results. The Prime Minister was grilled on the issue in the House of Commons on June 3 by former health secretary Jeremy Hunt. Mr Hunt had asked the Prime Minister to reveal how many tests were currently being processed within 24 hours and to commit to publishing that number on a regular basis. Mr Johnson replied: 'The answer is that we already turn around 90 per cent of tests within 48 hours. 'The tests conducted at the 199 testing centres, as well as the mobile test centres, are all done within 24 hours, and I can undertake to him now to get all tests turned around in 24 hours by the end of June, except for difficulties with postal tests or insuperable problems like that.' Downing Street has been repeatedly pressed in recent days to give an update on whether the Government was on track to hit the end of June target. However, data on the issue has not been released. The Prime Minister's Official Spokesman was yesterday unable to say whether the pledge had been met. The spokesman said: 'We said that was something that we wanted to achieve by the end of the month and we're talking to Department of Health and Social Care about how we can make that data available. 'We've been working to turn around those test results as quickly as possible but I don't have those figures for you.' The Government's failure to set out any progress which may have been made towards hitting the target has prompted concerns that the deadline has not been met. Mr Hunt has previously written to the Prime Minister seeking an update and reassurances that efforts were on track. Last week the Tory chairman of the Health Select Committee said: 'Test and Trace needs rapid turnaround of test results to be effective so I am concerned that I have still not had a reply to my earlier letter to the Prime Minister asking for data on 24 hour test turnaround. 'Today I have written again asking him to confirm that we are on track to meet his 24 hour turnaround target by the end of June.' The members NCF, which represents 120 of the UK's social care charities, surveyed employ 24,681 staff and support 14,213 residents in 332 care homes. The results, covering from early May to June 25, showed about 445 staff (three per cent) and 767 residents (eight per cent) tested positive. Residents and staff were only tested once. Of these, 53 per cent of staff (239) and 30 per cent of residents (233) were asymptomatic. The NCF said this is a 'vital indication of the need for routine and repeat testing in care homes to manage the risk of transmission'. The majority of respondents stated that, on average, it took up to four days to receive test results. NCF executive director Vic Rayner said: 'Testing of all those receiving care in care homes and the staff delivering it must continue to be an absolute priority. 'What we see from the results is the need for ongoing routine and regular testing of residents and staff in care homes. 'It's encouraging to see the high number of care homes that have received Covid-19 testing to date, but this cannot be a one-time arrangement. 'It is vital that we move to regular and repeat testing in our fight against Covid-19 in care homes, in order to continue to keep people safe and prevent the spread of infection.' Covid-19 may cause priapism an erection lasting longer than four hours, doctors have warned. An unidentified 62-year-old man from France suffered the painful condition while receiving care in hospital for a severe bout of the coronavirus. His erection was caused by trapped blood in the penis, which was found to be full of blood clots when it was drained by medics. Blood clotting, or thrombosis, has been reported as a dangerous complication in up to a third of coronavirus-infected patients. When clots block arteries or veins, the blockages can trigger fatal heart attacks and strokes. They can also lead to pripiasm. But this is believed to be the first time priapism has been seen as a side effect of the coronavirus, which has killed 500,000 people worldwide. The patient left intensive care after spending two weeks on a ventilator, suggesting he has now recovered from Covid-19. A 62-year-old man in France suffered priapism an erection lasting longer than four hours while receiving care in hospital for severe Covid-19 Doctors at Centre Hospitalier de Versailles in Le Chesnay, an area near Paris, wrote about the man in The American Journal of Emergency Medicine. Myriam Lamamri, an intensive care doctor, explained how blood clotting caused by Covid-19 has been extensively reported during the pandemic. Normally, blood clotting occurs when someone injures themselves. The clot stops a wound, such as a paper cut, from bleeding. This process can happen at the wrong time, causing thrombosis - when blood clots develop in the arteries and veins. These clots block the heart, brain and lungs. Hospital patients with Covid-19 are suffering blood clots but doctors are mystified as to why. THIRD OF HOSPITALISED COVID-19 PATIENTS DEVELOP CLOTS As many as 30 per cent of people in hospital with the coronavirus develop blood clots, according to doctors. Experts say they have seen rising numbers of people with tiny clots in their lungs as well as larger ones in the veins as hospitals have filled up with Covid-19 patients. Clots are dangerous because they can damage the tissue around them and also break off, travelling to the brain or heart to trigger a stroke or heart attack. Professor Roopen Arya, from King's College London, said in May: 'I think it has become apparent that thrombosis is a major problem,' the BBC reported. 'Particularly in severely affected Covid patients in critical care, where some of the more recent studies show that nearly half the patients have pulmonary embolism or blood clot on the lungs.' Professor Arya said he thinks rates of blood clots among people who are severely ill with Covid-19 could be 30 per cent or higher. The reason patients are developing clots is because the virus makes their blood stickier, he observed, by triggering the release of certain hormones in the lungs. Professor Arya added: 'In severely affected patients we are seeing an outpouring of chemicals in the blood and this has a knock-on effect of activating the blood clotting.' Blood thinners, which are usually used to prevent or shrink clots, are dangerous in high doses because they can lead to uncontrollable bleeding in the event of an injury. Larger numbers of clots is likely increasing the virus's death rates, Professor Arya said. Advertisement Some say the virus is directly causing their blood to change. Another theory is that the viruss effects on the immune system could also ramp up clotting through a variety of pathways. Dr Lamamri said this is the first time 'penile thrombosis' has been reported in a patient with Covid-19. The patient to his doctor with a fever, dry cough, difficulty breathing and diarrhoea, and two days later was rushed to hospital where a test confirmed the coronavirus. On arrival he was mechanically ventilated because he was showing signs of respiratory failure, called ARDS. A physical examination found 'previously unidentified priapism', suggesting it had been there for some time. The two corpora cavernosa the chambers of tissue inside the penis were rigid. But the tip was flaccid. The man suffered low-flow priapism when blood becomes trapped in the erection chambers as opposed to high-flow priapism, caused by injury. It can often occur without a known cause in men who are otherwise healthy. It also affects men with sickle-cell disease, leukemia (cancer of the blood), or malaria. The man was sedated and so he was unable to answer questions about how much pain he was suffering but the condition is known to become excruciating. An ice pack was applied to the penile area. After four hours of a persistent erection, doctors sucked out the blood from his penis using a needle. They found 'dark blood clots' which they said were the result of thrombosis induced by the coronavirus. The doctors came to this conclusion because no other alternative cause of priapism was found and the virus is known to cause blood clotting complications. They wrote: 'Although the arguments supporting a causal link between COVID-19 and priapism are very strong in our case, reports of further cases would strengthen the evidence. 'The clinical and laboratory presentation in our patient strongly suggests priapism related to SARS-CoV-2 infection.' Any form of priapism can cause long-term damage, and therefore needs to be treated as quickly as possible. As well as draining the blood from the penis, the doctors injected the man with drugs to normalise his nervous system and he was given medication to prevent blood clotting. He hasn't suffered priapism since leaving hospital, the report said. Dr Richard Viney, a consultant urological surgeon at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham, said this case was 'interesting' and he hadn't come across any Covid-19 patients with priapism himself. He told MailOnline: 'We havent seen any cases of Covid-related priapism like this and we have dealt with more Covid patients than any other European hospital as far as Im aware, so this is clearly a rare but explainable manifestation of Covid. 'Although the article doesnt go into detail on his follow up I would suspect a high likelihood of profound erectile failure after this event which is unlikely to respond to medication. He would likely require a penile prosthesis insertion should he want to maintain his potency. 'In this patient, he has low flow priapism which would certainly fit with microemboli (little clots forming in smaller blood vessels) and this is one of the complications of Covid we see in many other organ systems.' Dr Viney said an alternative explanation might be profound hypoxia - deprivation of oxygen. This is seen in males who die by hanging, who have erections after their death, attributed to pressure on the cerebellum at the base of the brain created by the noose. It has been given the nicknames 'Angels Lust or the Terminal Erection. A store owner who was abused for 'hoarding' toilet paper which she was planning to sell to vulnerable members of the community has vowed to never help again after the 'nightmare' experience. Celia Deng, 47, imported about 10,000 rolls from China to supply her two shops during the COVID-19 shortage. She and her staff have been selling discounted loo rolls to people struggling to find any in store, even delivering free packets to her neighbours throughout the crisis. But on June 16, tradesman Elie Abousleiman and two of his colleagues stumbled upon the mountain of 48-packs in a park in Macquarie Fields in Sydney's south-west. They immediately assumed she was one of the so called 'hoarders' who had stripped supermarket shelves bare and contributed to purchasing limits throughout Australia. The men livestreamed themselves taking toilet paper from the pile and encouraged other people to come down and help themselves, leading to an onslaught of abuse from the public. Concreter Elie Abousleiman (left) and two of his colleagues stumbled across a pile of toilet paper being temporarily stored by shop owner Celia Deng outside a home in Macquarie Fields in Sydney's south-west on June 16 'I'll never do it again,' Ms Deng told news.com.au after she received a tirade of backlash online. 'The attitudes people [had towards] me, I'm very upset. I never, ever do it again this would be my last time. I'm not touching toilet paper given all those attitudes, all what they said to me, I just couldn't accept it.' Ms Deng said some of the people targeting her made comments about her race but that she had chosen not to let herself get angry about it. 'I can understand why people would say, ''oh this Asian lady hoarding the toilet paper'', people couldn't buy it, all the anger come out. I know all that blame comes out, I can understand why they said that,' she said. 'But they don't know what is the story behind it.' Ms Deng's stores sell a four-pack of toilet paper for just $1.99. The trio filmed themselves picking up 48-packs from the mountain of toilet paper piled high outside the home in Macquarie Fields in Sydney's south west Pictured: The huge mountain of toilet paper lying on public land in the suburb next to Ms Deng's home. She and her staff were in the process of moving the shipment into storage at her home Pictured: The Appin newsagent Ms Deng operates as a franchisee. She said she is selling the toilet roll at a profit margin of only five per cent She was inspired to begin importing it when she realised elderly and disadvantaged members of her community were missing out in supermarkets. She said her profit margin on the product was as little as five per cent, but that she hadn't minded up until this point because her customers 'are lovely people'. While a handful of people did arrive at her home and help themselves to the product, she said some came back and returned what they'd taken after the learned the truth of the matter. 'I'm not angry at all because they are my local neighbours - they are lovely people,' she told Daily Mail Australia. 'They came to grab the toilet paper because they were told it was free.' Ms Deng, who arrived in Australia 12 years ago as a skilled migrant, did not report the incident to the police. Pictured: One of Ms Deng's shop assistants Roanna James with some of the toilet rolls imported from China by her manager. She said her boss had bought the large quantity of loo roll to help her community to get access to the product at a cheap price Ms Deng was moving the consignment into her home (pictured) next to park land to supply her two convenience stores Both Mr Abousleiman and Ms Deng confirmed he started filming the altercation when she declined their offer to help move the shipment for $500. Ms Deng claims he also called her a 'stupid b*tch'. One social media user said 'her intentions sounded fair and genuine' after learning Ms Deng had been stockpiling to sell to the local community. 'So they offered to move it for her for $500 and when she declined they tried to sell them for $5 before 'giving them out for free' knowing they belonged to someone else,' one person said. 'She had a convenience store - shipped them from China and was barely making a profit from her selling price.' 'She isn't hoarding it so this guy is in the wrong,' another said. Others rallied behind the tradesmen though, with one saying if she did not want the product taken she should not have left it in a public area - even temporarily. 'The toilet paper was in a park next to her home. This wasn't on her private property,' another commenter wrote. 'If that was her house in the pictures why couldn't she just put it on her property? Her property is big - there is a lot of space.' Many social media users were sympathetic to Ms Deng following the revelation she had been stockpiling supplies to sell to the local community Others rallied behind the tradesmen though, with one arguing she shouldn't have left the haul in a public area The Cabinet Office has said recipients of the Queen's 'racist' knighthood honour can exchange the award for an updated design after after a petition was launched claiming its insignia is 'racist' and 'looks similar to George Floyd's killing'. The insignia for the Most Distinguished Order of St Michael and St George - one of the Queen's highest honours - once featured a picture of a white angel standing on the neck of a black man. The image, which was changed in 2011 to feature a light-skinned devil, is actually a depiction of the Archangel Michael defeating Satan. But a new petition says the redesign doesn't go far enough - and wants it to be completely overhauled. Monty Python star Sir Michael Palin was among those who had called for the honour to be changed once again after seeing its original incarnation. In response to a question from MailOnline, the Cabinet Office said on Wednesday that people who received the honour before it was updated in 2011 can exchange it for a newer one. The Cabinet Office has said recipients of the Queen's 'racist' knighthood honour can exchange the award for an updated design after after a petition was launched claiming its insignia is 'racist' and 'looks similar to George Floyd 's killing'. Pictured: The old design for the star insignia give to those appointed to the Most Distinguished Order of St Michael and St George The insignia for the Most Distinguished Order of St Michael and St George - one of the Queen's highest honours - once featured a picture of a white angel standing on the neck of a black man but was updated in 2011. Pictured: The new design A spokesman said: 'I can confirm that yes, honours recipients can request to exchange their pre-2011 insignia for one displaying the updated (post-2011) design.' Sir Michael was appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of St George and St Michael in 2019 for services to travel, culture and geography and has the new version of the honour. The petition calling for the honour's overhaul claims the insignia still conjures racist imagery and bears a resemblance to the death of black man George Floyd. He died in May after a white Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck for almost eight minutes as he was being arrested. The Governor General of Jamaica, Sir Patrick Allen, who received the award in 2009 has the old design - and has said he will no longer wear the insignia, reports the Telegraph. Sir Michael said although his honour features the updated drawing, he backs calls for a redesign after seeing its previous incarnation. He told the Telegraph: 'Though the image on my award is of a white Satan being vanquished, I think that depiction is inappropriate and offensive and I would back the Governor-General of Jamaica's call for it to be re-designed.' Sir Michael Palin (pictured), who was appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of St George and St Michael in 2019 for 'services to travel, culture and geography', has now backed calls to change the design - his honour features the new design Governor General of Jamaica Sir Patrick Allen received the award in 2009, meaning his honour would feature the old design The Cabinet Office says the premise of the petition is 'inaccurate' because the picture was redesigned nine years ago and now features a light-skinned devil, while those who wish to exchange their pre-2011 insignia can request to, a spokesperson added. The Queen's six highest honour: What is the Order of St Michael and St George? The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is a British order of chivalry. It was founded in 1818 by King George IV while he was Prince Regent for his father. The honour was originally awarded to those holding commands or high position in Mediterranean territories acquired in the Napoleonic wars. In more recent times, the award has been given to those who hold high-ranking overseas roles in a non-military capacity - such as diplomats and governors of the Commonwealth. The Order is the sixth-most senior in the British Honours system after The Most Noble Order of the Garter, The Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle, The Most Illustrious Order of Saint Patrick, The Most Honourable Order of the Bath and The Most Exalted Order of the Star of India. Advertisement On the decision to not wear the honour, a spokesperson for the Governor-General of Jamaica told the Telegraph: 'This follows concerns raised by citizens over the image on the medal, and the growing global rejection of the use of objects that normalise the continued degradation of people of colour.' Sir Patrick received the award in 2009, meaning his honour would feature the old design. The Order of St Michael and St George is awarded by the Queen to ambassadors and diplomats for distinguished service. It is the sixth most senior in the honours system after The Most Noble Order of the Garter, The Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle, The Most Illustrious Order of Saint Patrick, The Most Honourable Order of the Bath and The Most Exalted Order of the Star of India. An image on the badge shows St Michael trampling on a prostrate Satan, but campaigners say it looks like the recent killing of Mr Floyd. An online petition calling for the redesign of the badge on the honour founded in 1818 after the Napoleonic wars has attracted more than 16,000 signatures. The change.org petition, started by Tracy Reeve, says: 'This is a highly offensive image. It is also reminiscent of the recent killing of George Floyd by the white policeman in the same manner presented here in this medal. 'We are calling for this medal to be completely redesigned in a more appropriate way and for an official apology to be given.' Bumi Thomas, a British-Nigerian activist, told The Guardian that the image on the badge was of 'a black man in chains with a white, blue-eyed figure standing on his neck'. She added: 'It is literally what happened to George Floyd and what has been happening to black people for centuries under the guise of diplomatic missions active, subliminal messaging that reinforces the conquest, subjugation and dehumanisation of people of colour.' Although Sir Michael (pictured being knighted by Prince William in 2019) said his honour features the new badge, the comedian and television presenter has backed calls for a redesign after seeing other examples Sir Patrick Allen (pictured receiving the award from the Queen in 2009) has said he will no longer wear the insignia and called for it to be redesigned Sir Simon Woolley, the director of Operation Black Vote, said: 'The original image may have been of St Michael slaying Satan, but the figure has no horns or tail and is clearly a black man.' However the Cabinet Office, who are responsible for the design of the honour, said the premise of the petition was 'inaccurate'. A government spokesperson said: 'The premise of this petition is factually incorrect the insignia for the Order of St Michael and St George was updated in 2011.' The man believed to have ordered the execution of the 43 teaching students who disappeared after being detained by corrupt cops in Mexico has been arrested. According to local media, Angel Casarrubias Salgado alias 'El Mochomo', the leader of the Guerreros Unidos (Warriors United) Cartel, was detained last week in the central Mexican State of Mexico. For five years Angel has reportedly had a price on his head of 15 million COP (3,237) for his suspected role in the notorious kidnapping of 43 teaching students who were never found. The kidnapping, which shook the whole world, happened when 43 male teaching students from the rural village of Ayotzinapa were detained by corrupt police on their way to a protest and handed over to the Guerreros Unidos Cartel, after which they were never seen again. Angel Casarrubias Salgado alias 'El Mochomo', the leader of the Guerreros Unidos (Warriors United) Cartel, was detained last week in the central Mexican State of Mexico For five years Angel has reportedly had a price on his head of 15 million COP (3,237) for his suspected role in the kidnapping of 43 teaching students (pictured) who were never found According to local media, intelligence reports from the interrogation of detainees suggest that el Mochomo gave the order for the 43 students to be executed, although their bodies were never found. Last year, the new Mexican left-wing president Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador announced plans to reinvestigate the case 'nearly from scratch', after 77 detainees were released amid allegations of official incompetence and corruption. The suspect's brother Sidronio Casarrubias, who was previously the cartels head, was arrested in 2014 as a main suspect of the mass kidnapping, but was absolved by a judge last year, who determined that he was being held illegally and tortured to extract a confession. 43 male teaching students from the rural village of Ayotzinapa were detained by corrupt police on their way to a protest (pictured) and handed over to the Guerreros Unidos Cartel Protest over the disappearance of 43 students of Ayotzinapa, Iguala, Guerrero, Mexico A protest over the kidnapping of the teaching students, no bodies have been found although it is believed that El Mochomo ordered their execution The United Warriors was originally founded by a third brother, Mario alias 'El Sapo Guapo' (The handsome toad) who started the illegal gang when his former drug bosses were arrested. A fourth brother Adan Zenenalias 'El Tomate' (the tomato) also become the leader of the cartel after Mario and then Sidronio were arrested, although he was also captured in 2015 shortly afterwards. According to local media, there is a fifth brother Alfredo, who is an officer in the army, although his service record has been kept private by the army due to the 'right to privacy.' According to media sources, the cartel is currently believed to be inoperative as most of the members are missing or arrested. Boris Johnson has pleaded with Israel not to give critics a 'gift' by pushing ahead with plans to annex Palestinian territory. In an article for an Israeli newspaper, the PM said he had followed the proposals to absorb occupied parts of the West Bank with 'sadness'. Stressing he is a 'life-long friend' of the Middle East state, he warned that the move was against international law, and would harm its 'long-term interests'. Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu has been mooting starting the process of annexing West Bank territory as early as today. But there are signs of a rift within his coalition, amid opposition from normally supportive countries. Boris Johnson said he had followed the proposals to absorb occupied parts of the West Bank with 'sadness'. Pictured, the Maale Adumim settlement east of Jerusalem Mr Johnson (left) pleaded with Benjamin Netanyahu (right) not to give critics a 'gift' by pushing ahead with plans to annex Palestinian territory In his article reported on ynetnews.com, Mr Johnson repeated his opposition to the West Bank policy. 'It is with sadness that I have followed the proposals to annex Palestinian territory,' he wrote. 'As a life-long friend, admirer and supporter of Israel, I am fearful that these proposals will fail in their objective of securing Israel's borders and will be contrary to Israel's own long-term interests.' Mr Johnson warned that 'annexation would represent a violation of international law'. He added: 'It would also be a gift to those who want to perpetuate the old stories about Israel.' 'I profoundly hope that annexation does not go ahead,' he said. 'If it does, the UK will not recognize any changes to the 1967 lines, except those agreed between both parties.' Mr Netanyahu has said he intends to extend Israeli sovereignty to Jewish settlements and the Jordan Valley. The step would be in line with a blueprint announced by Donald Trump in January under which Israel would control of 30 per cent of the West Bank. But international opposition has mounted in the past few weeks, with Palestinian leaders, the United Nations, European powers and Arab countries rejecting the annexation of land captured by Israel in the 1967 war. Corbynista Labour MP Rebecca Long-Bailey has finally deleted a tweet praising a controversial interview that saw her axed from the shadow Cabinet almost a week ago. Former leadership candidate Ms Long-Bailey was sacked as shadow education secretary by Sir Keir Starmer last Thursday after linking to an interview by the ex-communist actress Maxine Peake. In the Independent interview, Shameless star Ms Peake repeated an anti-Semitic conspiracy theory linking Israelis to the murder of George Floyd which sparked the Black Lives Matter protests. She later apologised. But Ms Long-Bailey's tweet, which described Ms Peake as 'an absolute diamond' was only removed from her Twitter feed late last night, as recorded by ab account which monitors tweets deleted by MPs. Her sacking reignited Labour's internal row over anti-Semitism, with supporters of former leader Jeremy Corbyn rounding on Sir Keir to demand she be reinstated. The new leader, who has vowed to remove the stain of anti-Semitism from the party, has refused to do so. Former leadership candidate Ms Long-Bailey was sacked as shadow education secretary by Sir Keir Starmer last Thursday after linking to an interview by actress Maxine Peake In the Independent interview, Shameless star Ms Peake repeated an anti-Semitic conspiracy theory linking Israelis to the murder of George Floyd which sparked the Black Lives Matter protests But the tweet, which described Ms Peake as 'an absolute diamond' was only removed from her Twitter feed late last night, as recorded by a Twitter account which monitors MPs deleted tweets Ms Long-Bailey this week accused Sir Keir of plunging Labour into an avoidable mess by sacking her. On Monday night she claimed he made up his mind to dismiss her too quickly and did not give her a chance to correct her mistake. Writing in The Guardian, Mrs Long-Bailey said she had a quick read of the offending article by actress Maxine Peake before sharing it on Twitter. She said her heart sank when she learned of concerns over a passage in which the actress said the US police had learned the tactics that killed George Floyd from the Israeli secret services. The Leader of the Oppositions office asked her to delete the original tweet but when she did not do so, she was sacked. Mrs Long-Bailey wrote: When he did call me, he had made his decision. It was a mess, and an avoidable one. Of course I take responsibility for my own actions. Her sacking reignited Labour's internal row over anti-Semitism, with supporters of former leader Jeremy Corbyn rounding on Sir Keir to demand she be reinstated, which he ignored Would I have retweeted the article knowing some of its contents would cause hurt? No of course not. Sir Keir told Sky News he stands by his decision to sack Mrs Long-Bailey from her role as shadow education secretary last week. She has since been replaced by Kate Green, the MP for Stretford and Urmston. Sir Keir said: When I took over as leader of the Labour party, I said I would root out anti-Semitism, and Ive been judged by my actions, not by my words. I took the decision I did on Thursday and it was the right decision. I wont go through the ins and outs of the discussions... but its well known that she was asked to delete the tweet that didnt happen, and I took the action that I did. Victoria will use three 'weapons' to fight a second wave of coronavirus infections. The state recorded 73 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, marking more than two weeks of double-digit increases. Australia's Acting Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly said the weapons to control the second wave in infections were to 'test, trace, and isolate'. But Professor Kelly also revealed that efforts to control the spread were being hampered by the reluctance of residents in Melbourne's coronavirus red zones to take a test, with one in ten refusing to go for a free swab. From 11.59pm on Wednesday, 36 suburbs from 10 postcodes will be subject to stay-at-home orders until July 29. Victoria recorded 73 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday. Pictured: A coronavirus test is conducted in Hallam, Melbourne, on Wednesday Pictured: People have swab samples taken during testing for COVID-19 in a suburban park in Melbourne Professor Kelly said efforts to contain the April COVID-19 outbreak in Burnie, Tasmania, provided a model for Victoria to follow. 'We learned that going hard and going quickly was important,' he told a press conference on Wednesday. 'We looked at the three main weapons that we have to fight this virus, in the absence of a vaccine, in the absence of universally effective treatment. 'That's the test, trace, and isolate component, which is being done, was done in north-western Tasmania, continues now to be done in Victoria.' Professor Kelly said the first weapon was already in use, with 20,000 tests being conducted in Victoria on Tuesday, with pop-up testing sites and health workers going door-to-door. Australia's Acting Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly (pictured) said one in ten residents in Melbourne's coronavirus red zones were still refusing testing Victoria is battling a second wave of coronavirus infections in Melbourne's outer-suburbs 'The second weapon is that social isolation piece, the lockdowns, so-called, which will come into effect in those parts of Melbourne, that was what was done in north-western Tasmania,' Professor Kelly said. 'And the third one is borders. So as happened in north-western Tasmania, a decision was made as to where the main problem was, and to really concentrate the resources on those areas.' Professor Kelly said the 10 per cent test refusal rate in COVID-10 hotspots was usually explained by parents being worried they would test positive, which would then required their children to take the swab. International flights will be diverted away from Melbourne for two weeks. Pictured: Travellers arrive at Sydney Airport from Melbourne 'The main one was around kids,' he said. 'But then some misunderstanding about what the test was about and why it was been taken. 'Explaining about the COVID-19 element and why it's important is a really key component.' Professor Kelly added Victoria's red zones are a 'very multicultural area of Melbourne', with many different ethnic and language groups. International flights will be diverted away from Melbourne for two weeks. Queensland is banning Victorians from entering the state but welcoming other visitors from July 10. There were 20,000 coronavirus tests were conducted in Victoria on Tuesday CORONAVIRUS CASES IN AUSTRALIA: 27,244 Victoria: 20,269 New South Wales: 4,273 Queensland: 1,161 Western Australia: 692 South Australia: 473 Tasmania: 230 Australian Capital Territory: 113 Northern Territory: 33 TOTAL CASES: 27,244 ESTIMATED ACTIVE CASES: 269 DEATHS: 897 Updated: 5.31 PM, 11 October, 2020 Source: Australian Government Department of Health Advertisement South Australia has shelved plans to reopen its Victorian border but is weighing up a travel deal with NSW and the ACT. Premier Gladys Berejiklian has urged NSW residents not to open their doors to Victorians despite stopping short of closing the border. She added on Wednesday that NSW was not keen to take additional international flights redirected from virus-hit Melbourne, saying they should instead go to other capital cities such as Adelaide or Perth. 'NSW has borne the overwhelming burden of returning Aussies on behalf of the nation, Victoria has as well to some extent,' Ms Berejiklian said. 'It's fair given those diversions that other states take on those flights (to) Melbourne. Even today, I got an update saying over the past week, there's been a 50 per cent increase in the number of overseas travellers in hotel quarantine. 'It's reasonable to say to other states who've been able to live in their bubbles because we've borne the burden of these overseas travellers, 'please share in that burden, we've already done 30-odd thousand'.' The US government has sparked outrage globally after buying almost the entire world supply of Gilead's remdesivir to treat coronavirus patients. Donald Trump was today accused of 'undermining' the global coronavirus fight by potentially denying the rest of the world supplies of remdesivir. Remdesivir is the only drug approved in the US to treat coronavirus. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced the purchase on Monday. It means that any other country will be hard-pressed to get access to the potentially life-saving antiviral medication. Britain's business minister Nadhim Zahawi criticized the US President's decision to make the rest of the world compete for the medication, originally designed to treat Ebola but proven to speed up recovery time for coronavirus patients. The US has bought almost the entire global supply of remdesivir (pictured), one of only two drugs proven to be effective against coronavirus Mr Zahawi told Sky News: 'It's much better to work together than to work to undermine each other, so we'll continue in that spirit.' He said the UK had 'rightly' stockpiled dexamethasone, another accepted treatment for coronavirus, but suggested cooperation rather than competition was the way forward. Dr Andrew Hill, a senior visiting research fellow from Liverpool University, said: 'This deal that's been struck by America means that people with Covid-19 in the UK can't get access to these treatments that would get them out of hospital quickly and might improve their chances of survival. UK patients took part in the clinical trials that showed that the drug worked, Dr Hill said. 'A lot of drugs haven't worked, so I think the people in Britain deserve something in return from the United States,' he said. 'We have to have equality between countries. We have to have the ability of UK health authorities to access these drugs in return for taking part in these studies and people risking their own health.' Dr Deborah Gleeson, Public Health lecturer from LaTrobe University in Melbourne, Australia, told SBS News: 'It's quite outrageous that the US government has bought up almost the entire next three months supply of remdesivir. 'It's a very concerning precedent because if we see the vaccine coming from a US company, we're likely to see the same type of behavior and hoarding by the US and other developed countries.' 'With a pandemic like Covid-19, the problem won't be solved until it's sold for the whole world.' Many countries fear the US action will leave them short of the drug in the event of a second wave of the virus later this year. Italian newspaper La Repubblica said supplies to Europe were at 'high risk' while a spokesman for the German Ministry of Health said: 'The federal government secured remdesivir for the treatment of corona patients at an early stage. 'There are still enough reserves at the moment. Approval of Remdesivir for use in the European market is expected later this week. Admission entails the obligation to be able to deliver to a reasonable extent. We expect Gilead to honor that commitment. Maria Jesus Lamas, spokeswoman for the Spanish Agency for Medicines and Health Products, said: a 'strict monitoring' of the 'stock' of remdesivir is being carried out and they have asked the subsidiary of the company in Spain to 'bring as many treatments as possible.' She added that if the current situation remains the same there should be enough stock but it is unclear if the country suffers from an outbreak similar to what occurred in the Spring. New York University bioethicist Dr Arthur Caplan told DailyMail.com: 'I suspect there will be enough demand [in the US] - even though remdesivir is not a wonder drug - that it will be used here and won't go anywhere else for many, many months. 'It's not a huge loss, but it's a loss. It will mean more suffering. I don't think it's going to cost lives.' National Institutes of Health (NIH) tests of remdesivir indicated that patients treated with the drug recovered 31 percent faster than those who got a placebo. The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced the deal with Gilead last night. Pictured, President Donald Trump on Thursday, June 25 'We deliberately made sure that we had enough stock of dexamethasone, rightly so,' he said. WHAT IS REMDESIVIR AND DOES IT WORK AGAINST COVID-19? Remdesivir was developed by Gilead Sciences to treat Ebola, the deadly hemorrhagic fever that emerged in West Africa in 2014. Ebola, like Covid-19, is caused by a virus, and scientists have tested remdesivir to treat coronavirus patients. Trials produced encouraging results earlier this year when it showed promise for both preventing and treating MERS - another coronavirus - in macaque monkeys. Studies on humans have produced mixed results. In a US government-led study, remdesivir shortened recovery time by 31 per cent 11 days on average versus 15 days for those given just usual care. But it had not improved survival according to preliminary results after two weeks of followup. Results after four weeks are expected soon. The drug appears to help stop the replication of viruses like coronavirus and Ebola alike. It's not entirely clear how the drug accomplishes this feat, but it seems to stop the genetic material of the virus, RNA, from being able to copy itself. That, in turn, stops the virus from being able to proliferate further inside the patient's body. Advertisement 'But we also want to cooperate because the best outcome for the whole world is that we work together.' Dexamethasone, a cheap steroid that has been around for decades, became the first medicine proven to reduce the death rate among hospitalized patients. One leading Oxford University scientist involved in trials of the medicine called for fairer access to the drug, manufactured by California-based pharmaceutical firm Gilead Sciences. Professor Peter Horby, chair of the UK government's advisory panel Nervtag, said Gilead would have been under 'certain political pressures locally' as a US company. The Oxford scientist told BBC Radio 4's Today program argued that fair pricing and access of any drugs proven to fight the coronavirus were two crucial issues in the pandemic. Professor Horby said: 'The trial that gave the result that allowed remdesivir to sell their drug wasn't just done in the US, there were patients participating through other European countries, in the UK as well, and internationally, Mexico and other places. 'And I wonder how they would feel knowing now that the drug is going to have restricted availability in their own country and would they have volunteered for that trial if they had known that?' Mr Zahawi went on to highlight deals struck by AstraZeneca to supply a vaccine around the world if the Oxford team's work is successful. 'By attempting to compete, I think we ultimately undermine all of our strategies.' Meanwhile, Gilead has donated a supply of the drug to Australia's national medical stockpile, with the federal health minister, Greg Hunt, saying there will be enough to meet demand in the county. Despite this Alice Motion, Associate Professor from University of Sydneys school of chemistry said the US actions were 'a real concern'. She said: 'Remdesivir is a medicine that helps people to recover faster, but imagine if the same thing happened with a vaccine that emerges. That would be terrible.' Associate Professor Barbara Mintzes from the University of Sydneys Charles Perkins Centre and School of Pharmacy told The Guardian: 'The US arrangement to buy 500,000 doses of remdesivir from Gilead raises concerns not only about access in other countries but also how to prevent profiteering from the Covid-19 pandemic and ensuring that patients who need treatment are able to access it.' British business minister Nadhim Zahawi accused President Donald Trump's administration of 'undermining' the global fight against coronavirus by making countries compete for medications proven to help It comes after the German government strongly condemned an alleged US attempt to get exclusive rights to a vaccine being developed by CureVac, a pharmaceutical company based in the southwestern Germany city of Tubingen, in March. In May, the French government reminded home-grown pharmaceutical giant Sanofi that equal access for everyone to any future vaccine 'is not negotiable' after the company's CEO told US media Washington would be prioritized. Sanofi later changed its mind under pressure from the French government. Justin Trudeau, the Canadian Prime Minister, previously warned: 'We know it is in both of our interests to work collaboratively and cooperatively to keep our citizens safe.' The drug will likely be unavailable for critically ill patients across Europe until October, raising fears for coronavirus patients in the across the world (Pictured: Gilead Sciences in California) The drug's impact on survival odds was minimal. Just over seven percent of those on remdesivir died, compared to 11.9 percent of those on not on the drug. But even this potential benefit will be unavailable to other countries for at least the next three months. WHAT IS THE OTHER DRUG USED TO TREAT COVID-19? Dexamethasone, a cheap steroid that has been around for decades, became the first medicine proven to reduce the death rate among hospitalised patients. An Oxford University scientist who led a British trial of the drug, Professor Peter Horby, said treating eight people with the drug could save one life and cost just 40 in total. It could save up to 35 per cent of patients relying on ventilators - the most dangerously ill - and reduce the odds of death by a fifth for all patients needing oxygen at any point. Dexamethasone, first created in the 1950s, is usually given to treat ulcerative colitis, arthritis and some types of cancer. It is already licensed and proven to be safe, meaning it can be used in human patients immediately, and is a generic drug, meaning it can be manufactured cheaply and en masse by companies all over the world. Results of the RECOVERY trial, which involved 6,000 Covid-19 patients and was led by Oxford University scientists, suggest the steroid can prevent death in one in eight ventilated coronavirus patients and one in 25 on breathing support. It is the first trial to show a treatment provides significant impact in reducing the risk of death. But the drug given as either an injection or once-a-day tablet had no benefit for people who were hospitalized with the virus but did not require oxygen. Advertisement 'The WHO and other groups have said that it's not good to hoard a drug that you don't need...people may argue that we should give it to the countries that need it most,' Dr Caplan said. 'But Trump has made it clear that he is going to provide drugs and vaccines - if they become available - to Americans first. He feels it's the right thing to do and I suspect that there's a little bit of a political motivation, given that there's an election coming up, I'm not surprised at all.' Gilead Sciences, which makes remdesivir, has already donated about 120,000 treatment courses of the drug to the US stockpile - a supply set to run out next month. Remdesivir is under patent to Gilead, which means no-one else is able to make the drug without permission. An option for the British government is the 'compulsory license', which is a legal tool that would allow the Gilead's patents for the drug to be ignored. Generic versions of the drug could them be bought from countries such as India which do not recognize the patent. However, the UK does not like to do this as it would irritate the domestic pharmaceutical industry which claims 20 year copyrights are needed to make back the cash invested in developing new treatments. Now the US will have guaranteed access to all 500,000-plus treatment courses the company plans produce in July, and 90 percent of its production for August and September. 'President Trump has struck an amazing deal to ensure Americans have access to the first authorized therapeutic for COVID-19,' said HHS Secretary Alex Azar. 'To the extent possible, we want to ensure that any American patient who needs remdesivir can get it. 'The Trump Administration is doing everything in our power to learn more about life-saving therapeutics for COVID-19 and secure access to these options for the American people.' Hospitals will be able to purchase the drug in amounts allocated by the HHS and state health departments. As this is a hospital drug patients will not pay for it directly for Medicare and most private insurers the cost is incorporated into payments made by the insurer. The HHS has already been allocating 1.5 million doses donated by Gilead earlier in the outbreak after remdesivir first showed its effectiveness against the disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus in clinical trial results announced at the end of April. According to the HHS it will continue to allocate the drug to states and areas based on Covid-19 hospital burden. Brian Hicks, Medical Devices Analyst at GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company, said: 'The US Governments latest purchase will have wide-ranging implications for its own citizens, as well as for the broader global community. Firstly, as six doses of remdesivir are administered per treatment per patient, less than 100,000 patients in the US will initially be treated with it. According to GlobalDatas COVID-19 Dashboard, there are over 1.7 million active cases currently in the US. Combined with a concerning resurgence of cases in recent weeks, the majority of US patients in the next few months will fail to access the drug. 'Secondly, with Gileads recent remdesivir pricing announcement, some patients, regardless of whether under private insurance or certain government programs, will also struggle to even afford treatment. Many COVID-19 patients who lack health insurance or sufficient funds will view remdesivir treatment as a luxury. 'Thirdly, it will take almost three months for Gilead to produce the initial 500,000 approximate doses even just for US patients, meaning that the millions of COVID-19 patients outside the US will not have access to the drug until October 2020 at the earliest. Even when additional stocks become available, this is a clear ethical issue as it is possible that rich, developed nations will purchase all available stocks and thus leave poorer, developing nations to continue seeking treatments. 'As Gileads remdesivir production rate is projected to increase in the next few months, GlobalData expects hundreds of thousands of patients to be treated with it before a potential vaccine is developed. The accelerated recovery of these patients health will also benefit hospitals, as more beds, ventilators, and other medical devices will become available for other patients. Despite these benefits, Gilead should continue to address the availability and cost challenges, as this pandemic will need to be conquered by all countries cooperating and supporting one another.' The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimated that there were 98.4 people hospitalized for every 100,000 people in the US. Various models have estimated that by mid-July, between 1,000 and 15,000 Americans will be newly hospitalized a day. Many of those projections have shifted upwards in recent weeks, as the number of new cases in states like Texas and Arizona have hit new highs on a daily basis. By July 15, the University of Washington's Institute of Health Metrics (IHME) currently projects that 209,553.86 US hospital beds will be full. With 100 percent of Gilead's supply committed to the US next month, 94,200 patients will be able to receive a full treatment course. The US has purchased 100% of next month's global supply of the antiviral remdesivir to treat American coronavirus patients and 90% of the supply for August and September, meaning there will be very little left for other nations Gilead has been criticized for charging $2,340 for a typical remdesivir treatment course for those covered by government health programmes in the US and other developed countries. This is despite remdesivir costing less than $10 to produce. Gilead Sciences Inc rose 1.8 per cent as a result of its pricing, as Wall Street's main indexes inched up on following a sharp selloff last week. HOW MUCH WILL REMDESIVIR COST? Gilead Sciences announced it would charge governments of developed countries $390 (320) per vial of remdesivir. Most hospitalized patients will need six vials of the Ebola drug equating to $2,340 for every patient, the California-based firm said. Gilead's chief executive Daniel O'Day revealed the pricing structure in an open letter. Mr O'Day wrote the firm had set the price for developed countries 'to ensure broad and equitable access at a time of urgent global need'. It did not announce which countries this would apply to and said the $390 price would apply to Americans covered by government healthcare. For US private insurance companies, the cost will be $520 (420) per vial, or a total of $3,120 (2,540) per patient. But Gilead is allowing pharmaceutical firms to make generic supplies of the drug in 127 poor or middle-income countries. The price was swiftly criticized with a consumer group called it 'an outrage' because of the amount taxpayers invested toward the drug's development. Advertisement The drug interferes with the virus's ability to copy its genetic material, stopping the virus from proliferating further inside the body. In a US government-led study, remdesivir shortened recovery time by 31 per cent 11 days on average versus 15 days for those given just usual care. But it had not improved survival according to preliminary results after two weeks of followup. Results after four weeks are expected soon. The Institute for Clinical and Economic Review, a nonprofit group that analyzes drug prices, said it likely costs $9.32 (7.60) to make a 10-day course of remdesivir. 'This is a high price for a drug not shown to reduce mortality,'said Dr Steven Nissen, chairman of cardiovascular medicine at the Cleveland Clinic. 'Given the serious nature of the pandemic, I would prefer that the government take over production and distribute the drug for free.' Peter Maybarduk, an attorney at the consumer group Public Citizen, called the price 'an outrage.' 'Remdesivir should be in the public domain' because it received at least $70million in US public funding toward its development, he said. 'The price puts to rest any notion that drug companies will "do the right thing" because it is a pandemic,' Dr Peter Bach, a health policy expert at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York said. 'The price might have been fine if the company had demonstrated that the treatment saved lives. It didn't.' Gilead says it will have spent $1billion on developing and making the drug by the end of this year. The drug has emergency use authorization in the US and Gilead has applied for full approval. President Trump and his administration have taken a resolutely 'America-first' approach to the coronavirus pandemic In 127 poor or middle-income countries, the company is allowing generic makers to supply the drug. Two countries are doing that for around $600 per treatment course. 'We're in uncharted territory with pricing a new medicine, a novel medicine, in a pandemic,' Gilead's chief executive, Dan O'Day, said. Gilead estimated that with 90 percent of its supply dedicated to the US government for August and September, there will be enough of the drug for 174,900 and 232,800 treatment courses, respectively, each of those months. Cases are expected to rise in much of the rest of the world as well. Brazil, for example, is projected to need more than five times as many beds per 100,000 people in its population as the by July 15, according to IHME's model. Saudi Arabia is projected to have 15 times as many full beds. By September, the IHME model projects that the number of hospitalizations for coronavirus will be higher in nations in Africa, the Middle East and South America than in the US But for those nations, there will be no remdesivir - an antiviral originally developed to treat Ebola, which can shorten recovery times markedly, and may improve survival odds, marginally - available next month, and very little available through August and September. The international community never managed to agree upon a way to fairly distribute vaccines and treatments for the 2009 H1N1 swine flu. And there are no entities with the authority to enforce such distribution. The WHO can call upon nations to behave in a philanthropic manner, but it has no punitive authority. 'Who's in charge to say where [a drug or vaccine] will go? It's really just local governments and they tend to respond politically more than ethically or scientifically,' said Dr Caplan. Hoarding remdesivir away from the rest of the world may not have particularly deadly consequences for other countries, but it's the latest signal of a nationalist posture that could, if and when a vaccine is available, Dr Caplan said. 'I think when China has one, it's likely want to keep its vaccines [for itself], and India for India, and Britain for Britain, and the US for the US, too. 'We need to have a much more serious discussion about the future distribution for drugs and vaccines.' China has already approved an experimental COVID-19 vaccine for its military members, and the UK currently leads the race among the rest of the world's nations - so it could even be the US that loses out on the life-saving immunization as a result of the nationalist approach to development being taken by the Trump administration and, seemingly, much of the world. A smirking killer posed in a jacuzzi with a glass of champagne just hours after being released early from a jail term for ramming his ex-girlfriend off the road to her death in a high-speed chase. Michael Wheeler has sickened the family of his victim, 22-year-old Sophie Taylor, by posting the celebration photo on social media. Ms Taylor's grieving mum Jackie said seeing the photo feels like her heart has been 'ripped out and stamped on'. Michael Wheeler, 23, was pictured posing in a jacuzzi with a glass of champagne just hours after being released early from his jail term for causing death by dangerous driving She is now campaigning for tougher sentences and a petition has already gained more than 9,000 signatures. Wheeler was released from jail on June 18 after serving less than half of his sentence for causing death by dangerous driving. The heartless thug and his girlfriend had chased Taylor through the streets of Cardiff before ramming her off the road. Taylor suffered catastrophic injuries while her passenger lost a leg in the 2016 horror crash. Wheeler, 23, pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving and was given seven-and-a-half years in prison while his girlfriend Melissa Pesticcio, 24, who denied the charge, received a six-and-a-half year sentence following a two week trial at Cardiff Crown Court in 2017. But after serving less than half of his seven and half year sentence Wheeler was released last week - despite having an intimate relationship with his personal prison officer who later resigned. Mother-of-four Jackie, 55, said she was stunned after seeing the photo of a grinning Wheeler with a glass of champagne in his hand. She said: 'I received a phone call at 3pm from my probation officer and by 6.45pm he was happily posting pictures of himself on Instagram. 'It is an outrage. The pictures are of him drinking champagne in a hot tub so he's obviously celebrating. 'My kids are all on social media and are in bits after seeing the photo. I have reported him to the probation service and they have said this is totally unacceptable. Sophie Taylor, left, 23, with her mother Jackie. Sophie suffered catastrophic injuries in the 2016 horror crash 'How can this monster be released? He is already living the life while all I have left of my precious Sophie are my photographs, memories and her grave. 'To put something like this out there and share it publicly is extremely insensitive. 'I didn't even have time to let Sophie's family and friends know he was out. They started messaging me the picture wondering if he had been released.' Wheeler's Instagram account has now been set to private after receiving backlash for the post on a 'Justice4Sophie' Facebook page. He and Pesticcio had chased Sophie in their cars for three miles after she asked him to return 5,800 she'd spent on a motorbike a day before he got back with his ex Mellisa. Sophie was pulled from the wreckage after the car was slammed into the wall, but hours later she had her life support machine switched off while her friend Joshua Deguara, 21, who was in the passenger seat, lost a leg. Devastated Jackie had been campaigning for the pair to remain in jail after it was confirmed they would only serve half their sentences. Under Ministry of Justice sentencing guidelines almost all prisoners only serve half their sentence. Mrs Taylor said Wheeler can continue with her life while all she is left with are memories of her daughter who wanted to train as a midwife. She said: 'Sophie was a pretty girl, who was obsessed with Disney. We went to Florida every year and she was a real girly girl. 'She wanted to start a midwifery course before her life was ripped away from her. She deserved so much more. Wheeler and Pesticcio had chased Sophie in their cars through the streets of Cardiff for three miles after she asked him to return 5,800 Wheeler, left, 23, and his girlfriend Melissa Pesticcio, right, 24, pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving at Cardiff Crown Court and were given a total of 14 years 'Why impose a prison sentence if they are not going to serve anywhere near it? This campaign is for tougher sentences and I will campaign for this until the day I die. 'Why are they being let out early? They have ripped my heart out and stamped all over it.' Wheeler was released early even though he was found to be having an inappropriate relationship with a prison officer during his time at HMP Parc Prison. Savannah Dean, of Weig Road, Swansea, showered Wheeler with love letters and photos before she resigned last year and admitted misconduct in public office. She was sentenced to six months in prison suspended for a year. Passing sentence over the 'highly sexualised' relationship, Judge Michael Fitton said: 'Misconduct in public office is a very serious matter and such behaviour undermines public confidence in the prison system. 'It was unsettling for other prisoners, who see someone receiving different treatment, and impacts on the work of other prison officers.' Jackie took an instant dislike to Wheeler when she met him in her kitchen just weeks before her daughter's death. The family had just returned from a holiday in Florida and Sophie was not long out of a four-year relationship with her first love. Sophie and her mother Jackie. Unbeknown to Jackie, Sophie took out a 6,000 loan to buy Wheeler a motorbike one Saturday in July Admin worker Jackie said: 'He was odd and there was something creepy about him. He didn't look at me and he seemed really edgy and couldn't wait to get away. 'I said hello and he just put his head down, grunted, and scurried off. Later, I asked Sophie about him and she told me it was nothing serious and they were just getting to know each other. 'I told her I hope she didn't mind me saying but I didn't like him particularly after he ignored me. She said she'd speak to him about it before coming back but it never happened.' Jackie claims Amazon parcels soon started arriving to the house which she later discovered included a PlayStation and expensive clothes which her daughter was buying for Wheeler. Unbeknown to Jackie, Sophie took out a 6,000 loan to buy Wheeler a motorbike one Saturday in July. But the next day he crashed it and when Sophie went to visit him in hospital she was frogmarched out by Wheeler's ex girlfriend, Melissa Presiccio, who said they were now back together. Sophie's grave, pictured. Jackie said Wheeler and Pesticcio have never shown any remorse or offered any apology for Sophie's death Heartbroken Sophie followed up with Wheeler about paying her back for the bike but was ignored. On the day of her death, in August 2016, she confided in her uncle about the loan. He convinced her to tell the police before going home to tell her mother. But she picked up a friend first and went to Wheeler's house to check if he was there because he was ignoring her messages and calls. Wheeler was parked out front and proceeded to chase Sophie with the help of Presticcio before she was eventually killed in Adamstown, Cardiff at 12.35am on August 22. 'I was asleep in bed and had work the next morning when I was awoken by a knock on the door,' Jackie said. 'I thought I was dreaming but it went on and on. 'It was a traffic officer telling me that Sophie had been in an accident. He said it was very serious and I went with him straight away. 'My two boys Harry and Oliver, 19 and 22, were at their dad's and I was alone. I couldn't even dial the numbers on my phone to call family when I was in the police car because I was shaking so much. But I was expecting to find Sophie sat up in bed and for me to say 'Oh what's happened now'. 'A senior nurse told me they had looked at Sophie's brain scans and there was nothing they could do. They wanted my permission to turn off the life support machine and to donate her organs. I said I needed to see her and I told the nurses she was cold and she needed blankets. I would have given away her organs if I'd had time to think about it but I was in a mess.' Surrounded by family, Sophie's life support was turned off at 8am that morning while a distraught Jackie held her hand. Jackie said Wheeler and Pesticcio have never shown any remorse or offered any apology for Sophie's death. Sophie's funeral in August 2016. She was pulled from the wreckage after the car was slammed into the wall, but hours later she had her life support machine switched off 'If they would have shown genuine remorse it would have helped,' she added. 'All I have left to fight for now is justice with the petition. I still don't know how he has been left out early. Even though there is an exclusion order in place to stop the pair visiting Cardiff City Centre I don't know how I will react if I see them out and about.' Remembering Sophie, Jackie said she was a homegirl who loved her family. She was also extremely proud to be the first baby born in Cardiff on New Year's Day, 1994. Jackie added: 'She used to bring the newspaper clippings to job interviews and say 'this was me'. Sophie even teased her siblings about it and said 'well you weren't born on the first day of the year were you'. 'She loved her family and Sophie adored Christmas and would say let's put the tree up and I would have to tell her it's November.' A Ministry of Justice spokesman said: 'We understand the release of a prisoner can cause distress to victims, and our thoughts are with Miss Taylor's family, as well as Mr Deguara and his family. 'Anyone released from prison faces strict conditions while on licence, such as curfews and exclusion zones, and can be returned to custody immediately if they are breached. 'This Government is making the most serious offenders spend longer in prison and will introduce life sentences for those who cause death by dangerous driving.' Patients are being asked to phone A&E and book an appointment instead of just turning up under an NHS trial. Casualty departments in Portsmouth and London will run pilot schemes of the '111-first' model as early as next week, the chief executive of the NHS said. Those with life-threatening problems will be told to attend straight away but those with a broken limb, for example, may be told to wait. Attendances to A&E have dramatically dropped during the coronavirus pandemic as people have steered clear of hospitals during the lockdown. But as casualty units become busy again, the NHS is looking at how it can manage patient flow and enforce social distancing in hospitals. MPs were told two weeks ago an appointment-first system in A&E could help prevent overcrowding. It comes as leading doctors have warned of the huge backlog of NHS operations and cancer diagnoses as a result of Britain's Covid-19 crisis. Patients are being asked to phone A&E and book an appointment instead of just turning up under a trial at NHS hospitals Stephen Powis, NHS England's national medical director, told the Commons Health and Social Care committee that the NHS wanted to move towards a phone-ahead scheme. He said: 'We are piloting various forms of that "call first" [model] in London, in Portsmouth, in other areas too, because we want to make sure that we get the model right. 'We want to move as we did before Covid increasingly to a 111-first model, which ensures that we do everything we can to give appropriate advice to signpost people to the most appropriate place for treatment.' Patients would ring a number like the NHS 111 line, which is for patients to ring if they need help but it is not an emergency as a first point of contact. NIGHTINGALE HOSPITALS USED FOR CANCER DIAGNOSES Two newly-built Nightingale hospital are being converted into cancer testing centres to clear a huge backlog of potential cancer patients, the chief executive of NHS England said today. Sir Simon Stevens revealed today that the 200-bed Exeter Nightingale site will start screening multiple patients a day starting from Monday to help cope with the growing number of people waiting for tests to find out if they have the disease. The hospital, originally built for Covid patients in the event intensive care wards were overwhelmed, will be open seven days a week, from 8am to 8pm. It follows the 500-bed Nightingale in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, which started offering CT scans for suspected cancer sufferers on June 4. It comes amid fears of a cancer time bomb, with leading charities estimating 2.5million cancer patients have missed out on vital tests and treatment this year because of the coronavirus crisis. Charities have also warned there could be an additional 18,000 cancer deaths in 2020 because of the number of patients who have been diagnosed too late. Sir Simon told MPs that a number of private sector hospitals could be transformed into coronavirus-free cancer clinics in the coming months to clear the backlog. He suggested the Nightingale in Exeter and other dedicated diagnostic and endoscopy suites will be able to see much more patients than standard cancer clinics and said staff will use new types of testing to speed the processes up. Sir Simon added: 'The first of those is going to be the Exeter Nightingale which we are going to partly repurpose for non-Covid CT scanning that will begin next Monday and run eight until eight and seven days a week. 'So yes, this is an opportunity and a necessity, quite frankly to do something quite different in diagnostics.' NHS statistics suggest thousands of cancers could have been missed due to a huge drop in referrals amid the coronavirus crisis. Just 79,573 urgent cancer referrals were made by GPs in England in April 2020 60 per cent down from 199,217 in April 2019. Advertisement The pilot study in Portsmouth will begin this week, with call handlers able to book people into a timed slot to attend A&E. A second pilot scheme in London is expected to start later this month. It is not clear exactly which hospitals will be involved. Patients who are deemed to be urgent and at risk of death will still be told to go straight to A&E. People who do not have an appointment won't be turned away, however. The aim is to quicken patient flow through emergency departments so people don't have to wait hours in waiting rooms or worse, corridors. Amanda Pritchard, NHS England chief operating officer, said that they wanted people who needed to use A&E to do so in 'as much as possible a planned booking way [so] that we're avoiding overcrowding'. She added: 'However, it's worth saying that we're not at the moment envisaging that the 111-first model would be the only way you get to A&E.' The number of people visiting A&E departments dropped sharply in the early months of the pandemic. NHS England figures show that the number of people going to A&E in April was 57 per cent lower than the year before, and the lowest on record. May was only 42 per cent lower than the year before, showing that attendees are creeping up again. Emergency medicine doctors have said that they will not be able to see the same number of A&E patients as they did before while Covid-19 remains a problem. It would be impossible to enforce social distancing when there are people waiting for care on trolleys in corridors - as has been the case at the busiest of times. Katherine Henderson, president of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine, called for an appointment system on June 16. She told the House of Commons Health and Social Care Select Committee: 'We need to think about booking into urgent treatment centres, and maybe even emergency departments for particular time slots for somebody who does need to go to the emergency room, say they need an X-ray of a potentially broken limb.' MPs were told that appointments in A&E departments could become a permanent measure to prevent overcrowding following the pandemic. Dr Henderson said NHS 111, which has seen an increased input from clinicians during the pandemic, could be used as an initial contact point. She said that patients could then be offered booked appointments into urgent treatment centres and 'hot clinics', where those with known health problems could be directed to a specialist. 'We are absolutely dedicated to still being the safety net for patients, but the problem beforehand was that we'd become the safety net for the system,' Dr Henderson said. 'We were becoming very, very crowded, and we had people in corridors. And the idea that you could have a vulnerable 80-year-old with a hip fracture in a corridor next to someone else who could have Covid is just impossible. 'So, we cannot let that happen and we need to find a way of making it possible for people to get the care they need where they need it, which doesn't always require necessarily going to the emergency department. She said this would need to be carefully considered before being implemented so that it did not exacerbate health inequalities. During the committee session, which focused on delivering NHS and care services during the pandemic and beyond, the huge backlog of NHS operations was also discussed. The 2million routine operations cancelled because of the coronavirus pandemic may take up to five years to clear, according to the UK's top surgeon. Professor Derek Alderson, president of the Royal College of Surgeons, said it was 'completely unrealistic' to think elective surgery will be back up and running anywhere near capacity this year. Professor Alderson said the only solution was for the NHS to renew its contract with private hospitals to create 'Covid light' zones. He told MPs: 'I think that dealing with the backlog is not something that's achievable simply in weeks, you know, we stopped for 12 weeks so we can catch up in 12 weeks - I mean, that to my mind, is completely unrealistic. 'This is certainly many months, it may take us a few years to catch up. 'We really do need a programme recovery of surgery and the sustainability of surgery that probably looks at four or five years in order to have a resilient system and take things forward in the best possible way.' Sir Stevens revealing yesterday that two newly-built Nightingale hospitals will be converted into cancer testing centres to clear a huge backlog of potential cancer patients. He revealed the 200-bed Exeter Nightingale site will start screening multiple patients a day starting from Monday. The hospital, originally built for Covid patients in the event intensive care wards were overwhelmed, will be open seven days a week, from 8am to 8pm. Leading charities estimating 2.5million cancer patients have missed out on vital tests and treatment this year because of the coronavirus crisis. Advertisement Bradford, Barnsley and Rochdale are three of the areas of England most at risk of being hit by a 'local lockdown' like the one imposed in Leicester to control the coronavirus, according to official data. Statistics for the week ending June 21 the most recently available show those areas had the highest Covid-19 infection rates in the country, each with more than 50 positive tests per 100,000 people. Only Leicester recorded more (140.2). It comes as government sources today said local lockdowns could be 'just days away'. But ministers have yet to officially confirm which parts of England are in the firing line. Barnsley Council today called for 'extra care and vigilance' among its citizens because of the high infection rate and the risk of a Covid-19 flare-up that could see the city shut down. Other areas that may face being plunged into another lockdown include Bedford, Oldham, Rotherham, Tameside, Blackburn with Darwen and Kirklees, which all have more than 30 cases per 100,000 people. At the other end of the scale, in the week from June 15 to June 21, West Berkshire, South Tyneside and the City of London all recorded zero coronavirus cases per 100,000 population. And the rate was lower than one in South Gloucestershire, Wokingham, Gloucestershire, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, Redcar and Cleveland, Torbay, Lambeth and Portsmouth. The Government came under fire today for not publishing detailed numbers of cases for local areas, missing off tens of thousands of 'Pillar 2' test results received from private contractors that run public testing centres. The official decision not to publish Pillar 2 data, which now make up the vast majority of confirmed cases, could be missing out more than 80 per cent of cases from public information. Even local councils and public health officials say they aren't being given the right information and are battling to find out what's happening in their areas. One NHS doctor working in Yorkshire called the discovery 'another Tory scandal' and said: 'Covering up what is happening is about as dangerous and stupid as it gets'. As police today pledged to stop and fine drivers trying to flee Leicester for drinking or shopping after the city, it was also revealed: Officers will carry out spot checks on vehicles leaving locked-down Leicester and could turn them around if their journey is not essential; Walkers confirmed 28 positive Covid-19 cases at its crisp factory in Leicester, which employs 1,400 people across the site in the Beaumont Leys area of the city; Boris Johnson denied failing to share crucial Covid-19 infection data with Leicester authorities as Keir Starmer slammed the 'lost week' while the disease was allowed to run riot before city was locked down; The coronavirus death toll in Leicester's hospitals increased to 399 as officials confirmed seven more deaths even in today's NHS statistics; Garment manufacturers in Leicester vowed to defy the city's local coronavirus lockdown, protesting that they cannot afford to lose any more money even if it means putting lives at risk; Leicester-style localised lockdowns are 'just days away' from being imposed after dozens of towns and cities saw coronavirus cases surge in the past week, government sources claimed. As Public Health England (PHE) data emerged showing its high infection rate, Barnsley Council today moved to squash rumours of a local lockdown there. It has called for 'extra care and vigilance', Sky News reported, but denied measures like those seen in Leicester will be necessary. Public Health England publishes some weekly data from Pillar 2 tests but not detailed numbers. Its most recent report shows Bradford, Doncaster and Barnsley currently have some of the highest rates of infection in England outside of Leicester (shown in red) In a joint statement, the council's director for public health Julia Burrows and lead councillor Sir Steve Houghton said: 'The number of cases is Barnsley is higher than the national average. 'We are seeing transmission in the community across the borough, and like many places across the country have had clusters and outbreaks in a handful of care homes, schools and workplaces, as we expected would happen.' They said the clusters have 'started to ease thanks to local control measures and we are seeing the early signs of a return to the reduction in daily cases', which means 'we do not believe at this stage any further measures will need to be implemented such as the ones seen in Leicester'. Health Secretary Matt Hancock confirmed lockdown measures will be extended in the East Midlands city for at least two weeks after a dramatic surge in coronavirus cases, with non-essential shops closed again and schools shut from Thursday. It will not be reviewed again until July 18, according to Government documents. Pubs in the city will not be allowed to be reopen this weekend to celebrate 'Super Saturday', nor will people be allowed to visit friends and relatives unlike everywhere else in the country. MORE LOCAL LOCKDOWNS ARE JUST 'WEEKS AWAY' Leicester-style localised lockdowns are 'just days away' from being imposed after dozens of towns and cities saw coronavirus cases surge in the past week, it was claimed today. Bradford, Doncaster and Barnsley are said to be at the top of the Government's list of potential Covid-19 hotspots as the virus continues to run rampant in Yorkshire. Former Government scientific adviser 'Professor Lockdown' Neil Ferguson, of Imperial College London, said these towns and cities were 'clearly of concern' and suggested they could be next to roll back the draconian curbs. Parts of Kent, the North West of England and more than a dozen London boroughs are also being kept under review after clusters of cases in the last week. Professor Ferguson told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme this morning: 'Absolutely, it's inevitable we will [see more lockdowns]. We're relaxing lockdown rules and that means that contacts in the population are going up. 'That's a variable process that will vary from place to place and that means there will be some places where there are too many contacts and we get clusters of transmissions what's critically important is that we detect those early and adopt the measures necessary to locally reduce transmission again.' On whether Bradford and Doncaster could be next to lock down, Professor Ferguson said: 'Those are areas where, not as high as Leicester, but they have some of the highest number of cases per 100,000 of the population. 'They're clearly of concern. I think there are a set of measures being introduced in those areas to track down transmissions but whether we need more measures will depend on whether we can pull case numbers down. 'A second national wave is an agglomeration of small outbreaks like the Leicester one merged together across the country that's exactly what we want to avoid by snuffing out those small outbreaks when they are just sparks, when we're not seeing a national large increase in case numbers.' Advertisement The city is setting up a new testing centre in the Humberstone area in the east of the city, where cases are spiking, in a bid to try and get on top of the outbreak. The Chief Constable of Leicestershire Police, Simon Cole, told the Press Association: 'The challenges is there's a major public health crisis here in Leicester. 'We've had twice as many cases in the last week here in Leicester than the whole of London has had so clearly for policing we need to work with partners, we need to work with local communities and between us we need to get that infection rate of Covid down all across Leicester and Leicestershire.' Asked if the data suggested that there were particular areas of Leicester that needed more policing than others, Mr Cole said: 'We're trying to make sure we've got a presence all across the area because this is about where people live, it's about where people work, and it's perhaps about where people have been gathering so we need to be in all those kind of places. 'We need to make sure, with our public health colleagues that the message reaches people in all those different communities across the city and parts of the county too.' Police have pledged to stop and fine drivers trying to flee the city after it was put under a fresh lockdown following a spike in Covid-19 cases in the city. Officers will carry out spot checks on vehicles leaving locked-down Leicester and could turn them around if their journey is not essential, it was revealed today, as confusion reigned because some areas in the city limits are in lockdown while neighbours are not. Leicestershire Police is also threatening 100 fines amid growing concerns that residents may flee for the county's open pubs, hair salons or other attractions while patrols will also break up mass gatherings in the city after they were partially blamed for a spike in coronavirus cases in June. Leicester City Council and Public Health England issued a map on Tuesday detailing exactly which areas in Leicestershire will be subject to the lockdown, with the boundary extending to Birstall to the north of the city and Wigston to the south. But those living on a street in Scraptoft last night said they were 'totally confused' by the Government's lockdown boundary, as it leaves half the road under strict lockdown and others free to enjoy the nationwide easing of restrictions on July 4. Kathleen McDonagh, 77, who lives a few metres inside Leicester's lockdown border with her daughter Mary, 56, faces a wait of at least two weeks before she can enjoy relaxed Covid-19 measures and be able to head to the pub, hair salons and restaurants. The pair will also have to wait before they can visit with their children and grandchildren, enjoy a cup of tea at The White Horse, or attend mass at the nearby St Joseph's Catholic Church. Pictured: The lockdown zone in Leicester, which has left some Britons in lockdown while their neighbours are not Pictured: Where the border cuts across Leicester on Bowhill Grove, after Matt Hancock announced a local extension of lockdown ROW OVER LOCATIONS OF THE COVID-19 CASES IN ENGLAND The true locations of new coronavirus cases have stirred up a row over the data being shared by the Government. A Financial Times investigation today revealed that the way the Government's data is being published means tens of thousands of positive coronavirus tests cannot be located on a map. This is because Pillar 2 tests done by private contractors in drive-through centres, mobile testing centres and at-home swabs are not all broken down into local authority data. As a result, although the official website confirms there have been 312,654 cases of the coronavirus confirmed in the UK so far, they are not all accounted for. The nation-by-nation breakdown lists only 197,032, missing off 37 per cent of them for which the location is not published. When it was announced that a local lockdown was being considered in Leicester, public data showed only 77 cases of Covid-19 had been diagnosed between June 13 and June 26. But the Department of Health has since revealed that there are, in reality, more than 944 cases that have appeared in the past fortnight. The reason for the stark difference is that the Government is not disclosing cases found through 'Pillar 2' testing, which is swab tests done on members of the public. Even councils tasked with protecting their citizens from local flare-ups of Covid-19 claim they do not have easy access to the data. Boris Johnson was today accused of letting coronavirus run wild in Leicester during a 'lost week'. In brutal clashes at PMQs, Mr Johnson furiously denied failing to share crucial data on infections with the authorities in the city. But Labour leader Keir Starmer accused him of being 'slow to act' and said local officials were left believing there were only 80 positive tests per week, when the real figure was more than 940. Advertisement Meanwhile, Veronica Cayless, 77, who lives in a house opposite the McDonaghs, is excited to restart her life alongside most Britons on what has been dubbed 'Super Saturday'. Her home falls outside the extended lockdown boundary, which was announced on Monday amid a spike in Covid-19 cases in Leicester. The city accounted for around 10 per cent of all positive cases in Britain over the past week. Almost 400 people have now died in Leicester's hospitals with Covid-19, the Mercury reports, after a further seven victims were confirmed today at University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust. There have been a total 399 fatalities caused by the virus, not including people who have died in care homes or personal houses. The Midlands has been the second worst affected region in England, with 5,733 hospital deaths - fewer than the 6,099 registered in London but more than 4,694 in the North West. The most people died on April 2 and April 6, when there were 12 and 11 deaths, respectively at the UHL hospitals. The timings coincide with the national peak of the outbreak, which came on April 8. In light of the new lockdown in the city, bosses at the University Hospitals and Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust said in a joint statement: 'Services are not under significant pressure at the moment but we are well prepared for any increases in people needing hospital treatment or monitoring in the community. 'NHS partners in Leicester have been working closely with Leicester City Council and Public Health England in response to the increased number of people testing positive for coronavirus in the community.' The true locations of new coronavirus cases have stirred up a row over the data being shared by the Government. A Financial Times investigation today revealed that the way the Government's data is being published means tens of thousands of positive coronavirus tests cannot be located on a map. This is because Pillar 2 tests done by private contractors in drive-through centres, mobile testing centres and at-home swabs are not all broken down into local authority data. As a result, although the official website confirms there have been 312,654 cases of the coronavirus confirmed in the UK so far, they are not all accounted for. The nation-by-nation breakdown lists only 197,032, missing off 37 per cent of them for which the location is not published. When it was announced that a local lockdown was being considered in Leicester, public data showed only 77 cases of Covid-19 had been diagnosed between June 13 and June 26. But the Department of Health has since revealed that there are, in reality, more than 944 cases that have appeared in the past fortnight. The reason for the stark difference is that the Government is not disclosing cases found through 'Pillar 2' testing, which is swab tests done on members of the public. Even councils tasked with protecting their citizens from local flare-ups of Covid-19 claim they do not have easy access to the data. A Written Parliamentary Question, for which the answer was posted on Twitter by Labour Shadow Health Minister, Justin Madders, revealed that Deloitte a private company running public testing centres is not required to share its data locally. The Government's answer said: 'The contract with Deloitte does not require the company to report positive cases to Public Health England and local authorities.' Officials in Leicester were furious that they had not been given detailed data by the Government until the early hours of Monday morning, when lockdown rumours were rife. Police check cars in York on March 26. Officers will perform similar checks to ensure locals are obeying the new locdkown in Leicester Kathleen McDonagh, 77, who lives inside the border in Scraptoft with her daughter Mary (seen together), 56, faces a wait of at least two weeks before she can enjoy relaxed lockdown measures and be able to head to the pub, hair salons, restaurants alongside the rest of Britain Testing efforts have been scaled up in Leicester so local officials can get on top of the outbreak, with military personnel drafted in to staff temporary test sites (Pictured: A centre at Levington Leisure Centre in the city) There are now five coronavirus testing centres in Leicester and citizens have been urged to stay at home and return to lockdown measures to stop the spread of the virus (Pictured: A testing facility at a leisure centre) Official testing data showed a rise of just 77 cases of Covid-19 between June 13 and June 26, when the news of the looming local lockdown first broke, but the Department of Health has since confirmed there were actually 944 but not all the data was published WHICH AREAS HAVE THE HIGHEST COVID-19 INFECTION RATES? Leicester (140.2 cases per 100,000 people) Bradford (69.4) Barnsley (54.7) Rochdale (53.6) Bedford (42) Oldham (38.6) Rotherham (33.6) Tameside (33.3) Blackburn with Darwen (32.9) Kirklees (30.3) Source: Public Health England data for June 15 to June 21 Advertisement WHICH AREAS HAVE THE LOWEST COVID-19 INFECTION RATES? City of London (0 cases per 100,000 people) South Tyneside (0) West Berkshire (0) South Gloucestershire (0.4) Gloucestershire (0.6) Wokingham (0.6) Torbay (0.7) Redcar and Cleveland (0.7) Cornwall and Isles of Scilly (0.7) Portsmouth (0.9) Source: Public Health England data for June 15 to June 21 Advertisement Sir Peter Soulsby, mayor of the city, said on Monday: 'We've had considerable difficulty in getting the data out of the Government until very recently and we're only now getting the opportunity to analyse them properly.' Public health director for Leicester, Ivan Browne, told BBC Radio 4: 'Information has been challenging all the way through this. 'So what we now have, as of the end of last week, is we now have postcode data that allows us to map in that kind of level... we do know where we're seeing the positive cases which helps us to map it and therefore to take action in the appropriate areas.' POLICE SAY THEY WILL STOP DRIVERS LEAVING LEICESTER AND FLOUTERS WILL FACE 100 FINES Police have pledged to stop and fine drivers trying to flee Leicester for drinking or shopping after the city was put under a fresh lockdown following a spike in Covid-19 cases in the city. Officers will carry out spot checks on vehicles leaving locked-down Leicester and could turn them around if their journey is not essential, it was revealed today, as confusion reigned because some areas in the city limits are in lockdown while neighbours are not. Leicestershire Police is also threatening 100 fines amid growing concerns that residents may flee for the county's open pubs, hair salons or other attractions while patrols will also break up mass gatherings in the city after they were partially blamed for a spike in coronavirus cases in June. It came as the NHS set up another temporary coronavirus testing centre in the north east of Leicester the epicentre of the city's Covid-19 outbreak - taking the total to five in the city. Yesterday Leicester City fan Colin Browning tweeted a callout for people to join him on a coach to Nottingham for a night in the pub for 15 including space on a 48-seater bus including 'free hand sanitiser, masks and gloves'. It sold out on Tuesday but he reduced it to a minibus last night after admitting he had 'gone over the top'. It came after people booked minibuses and coaches to ferry them up to nearby Nottingham and Derby to drink on 'Super Saturday' this weekend - when the rest of England emerges from lockdown on July 4. Nottinghamshire's chief constable Craig Guildford says his officers are also ready to act if Leicester residents turn up for 'shopping or a night out' in Nottingham while British Transport Police will be checking those using trains between the two cities. Advertisement Health Minister for the Government, Nadine Dorries, said local authorities had been able to access the data with an 'authentication code' since June 22. But she added in a tweet: 'It isn't publicly available yet, but that will hopefully change soon.' There are now growing concerns that the Government is still not sharing the full picture of local outbreaks, leaving councils under-prepared. Dr Clive Peedell, a cancer doctor working in the NHS in Yorkshire, said on Twitter: 'We have another Tory Government scandal on our hands. 'Failure to publish Pillar 2 results (public test results) is truly shocking. Covering up what is happening is about as dangerous and stupid as it gets. A public inquiry is urgently needed.' Liz Kendall, Labour MP for Leicester West, said: 'Pillar 1 is tests in hospitals. This is published. Pillar 2 is tests from drive through centres and home testing kits done by commercial labs. This is not made public. Leicester was only given this data very late in the day. 'According to [Financial Times] a PHE source says decision not to publish this crucial data was made by Ministers. 'We urgently need to know whether this is the case and ensure in future, all data is fully shared. [Because] whats happening in Leicester could be happening elsewhere.' Claudia Webbe, the MP for Leicester East, said the Government was 'drip-feeding' the truth to the city and that there had been 'delays & inefficient testing data'. But she agreed: 'The reality is clear the rate of infection is high,' and backed the decision to put the city back in lockdown. Dr Rosena Allin-Khan, MP for Tooting in London, said the incomplete data being given to councils 'leaves them unable to analyse infection rates'. Professor Kate Ardern, director of public health at Wigan Council told the Financial Times: 'If I don't know who is being tested, and getting positive tests, in the community because one of the major elements of the testing system isn't currently sending me complete and reliable intelligence... it actually hampers our ability to get ahead of the curve on outbreak management.' Ian Hudspeth, a chairman at the Local Government Association, which represents councils around the UK, said: 'It is clear that more precise, granular information is needed in order to help councils track down and isolate any specific outbreaks or clusters. COVID-19 OUTBREAK IN LEICESTER WALKERS CRISPS FACTORY Walkers today confirmed there have been 28 positive cases of Covid-19 at its crisp factory in Leicester. The firm, which employs 1,400 people across the site in the Beaumont Leys area of the city, said it had seen a 'steady increase' in the number of confirmed cases during June. Walkers claimed its track and trace procedure indicated the transmission of the virus was 'not in our factory'. The company claims the rise 'coincides with the roll-out and uptake of testing' in Leicester. The firm, which employs 1,400 people across the site in the Beaumont Leys area of the city, said it had seen a 'steady increase' in the number of confirmed cases during June A spokesperson said: 'The safety of our team and their families is our number one priority and we continue to maintain the highest level of vigilance to help prevent the spread of the virus and to protect our people. 'We have seen an increase in the number of confirmed cases, reflecting the situation in the local community and coinciding with the roll-out and uptake of testing. 'We are in regular contact with the local health authorities and government bodies and are reassured that we have all the correct measures in place to protect our employees.' The company added employees with a confirmed or suspected case of Covid-19 were self-isolating on full pay. A number of other food processing plants in Leicester have had confirmed cases of the infection, including Samworth Brothers and Pladis, which makes biscuits for McVities. Scientists say food processing plants may be ideal locations for the virus to spread because they are cold - meaning the virus can survive for longer and people's airways are more susceptible to infection - and people work close together. Advertisement 'This data needs to be provided promptly and shared quickly, with both district councils and upper tier local authorities, to ensure the swiftest and most effective response.' He said it was vital that responses are 'proportionate' and the public understand why they are happening - and that police-enforced lockdowns should be a 'last resort'. Despite the row over data, Prime Minister Boris Johnson today denied that the Government had kept it secret from local councils, insisting in Prime Minister's Questions that it was shared. His opponent, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, accused the PM of letting coronavirus run wild in Leicester during a 'lost week'. In the Commons, Sir Keir said: 'At the daily press conference on June 18 the Health Secretary said ''there's an outbreak of Covid-19 right now in parts of Leicester''. 'Yet it was only on Monday evening this week that the Government introduced restrictions. That's a delay of 11 days during which the virus was spreading in Leicester. Why was the Government so slow to act?' Mr Johnson said the Government 'acted decisively' and 'put on the brakes' in Leicester. 'Actually the Government first took notice and acted that was going on in Leicester on June 8 because we could see there was an issue there,' he said. 'We sent mobile testing units shortly thereafter. 'We engaged actively with the authorities in Leicester, with public health in Leicester, with everyone responsible in Leicester, in the way we have done with other areas that have had similar issues. 'Unfortunately in Leicester, it did not prove possible to get the results that we have seen elsewhere so on Monday we took the decision, which I hope the right honourable gentleman approves of, to go into lockdown in Leicester.' Jess Phillips, Labour MP for Birmingham Yardley and shadow minister for domestic violence, tweeted: 'Boris Johnson is just lying. It has been incredibly hard for local authorities to get data and information from the beginning of the crisis.' The crisps company Walkers today confirmed there have been 28 positive cases of Covid-19 at its crisp factory in Leicester. The firm, which employs 1,400 people across the site in the Beaumont Leys area of the city, said it had seen a 'steady increase' in the number of confirmed cases during June. Labour leader Keir Starmer (right) accused Boris Johnson (left) of being 'slow to act' and said local officials in Leicester were left believing there were only 80 positive tests per week, when the real figure was more than 940 LEICESTER HOSPITAL DEATH TOLL NEARS 400 Almost 400 people have now died in Leicester's hospitals with Covid-19, the Mercury reports, after a further seven victims were confirmed today at University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust. There have been a total 399 fatalities caused by the virus, not including people who have died in care homes or personal houses. The Midlands has been the second worst affected region in England, with 5,733 hospital deaths - fewer than the 6,099 registered in London but more than 4,694 in the North West. The most people died on April 2 and April 6, when there were 12 and 11 deaths, respectively at the UHL hospitals. The timings coincide with the national peak of the outbreak, which came on April 8. In light of the new lockdown in the city, bosses at the University Hospitals and Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust said in a joint statement: 'Services are not under significant pressure at the moment but we are well prepared for any increases in people needing hospital treatment or monitoring in the community. 'NHS partners in Leicester have been working closely with Leicester City Council and Public Health England in response to the increased number of people testing positive for coronavirus in the community.' Advertisement Walkers claimed its track and trace procedure indicated the transmission of the virus was 'not in our factory'. The company claims the rise 'coincides with the roll-out and uptake of testing' in Leicester. This comes after Leicester became the first UK city to be plunged back into lockdown on Monday night, after 944 new cases were identified in the last two weeks. A spokesperson said: 'The safety of our team and their families is our number one priority and we continue to maintain the highest level of vigilance to help prevent the spread of the virus and to protect our people. 'We have seen an increase in the number of confirmed cases, reflecting the situation in the local community and coinciding with the roll-out and uptake of testing. 'We are in regular contact with the local health authorities and government bodies and are reassured that we have all the correct measures in place to protect our employees.' The company added employees with a confirmed or suspected case of Covid-19 were self-isolating on full pay. A number of other food processing plants in Leicester have had confirmed cases of the infection, including Samworth Brothers and Pladis, which makes biscuits for McVities. Scientists say food processing plants may be ideal locations for the virus to spread because they are cold - meaning the virus can survive for longer and people's airways are more susceptible to infection - and people work close together. WHICH AREAS HAVE THE HIGHEST CORONAVIRUS INFECTION RATES IN ENGLAND? (Public Health England data from June 15 to June 21) Area name Covid-19 cases per 100k people Area name Covid-19 cases per 100k people Leicester 140.2 Newcastle upon Tyne 5.3 Bradford 69.4 Brighton and Hove 5.2 Barnsley 54.7 Brent 5.1 Rochdale 53.6 County Durham 5.1 Bedford 42 Oxfordshire 5.1 Oldham 38.6 Westminster 5.1 Rotherham 33.6 Cambridgeshire 5.1 Tameside 33.3 North Tyneside 4.9 Blackburn with Darwen 32.9 Darlington 4.7 Kirklees 30.3 North Lincolnshire 4.7 Peterborough 27.9 Solihull 4.7 Luton 26.6 Somerset 4.7 Derby 24.5 Hertfordshire 4.6 Kingston upon Hull, City of 22.6 Walsall 4.6 Manchester 21.6 Bexley 4.5 Southend-on-Sea 20.8 Merton 4.4 Leicestershire 20.8 Norfolk 4.3 Sheffield 20.6 Hartlepool 4.3 Leeds 19.8 Bracknell Forest 4.1 Wirral 19.2 Ealing 4.1 Wakefield 18.6 Dudley 3.7 Stoke-on-Trent 18 Surrey 3.7 Doncaster 17.4 Redbridge 3.6 Cheshire East 16 Southwark 3.5 Central Bedfordshire 15.9 Gateshead 3.5 Bolton 15.8 Northumberland 3.4 Lancashire 15 Newham 3.4 Northamptonshire 14.9 West Sussex 3.3 Stockton-on-Tees 14.7 Greenwich 3.1 East Riding of Yorkshire 14.1 Islington 2.9 North Yorkshire 13.8 Isle of Wight 2.8 Shropshire 13.7 Tower Hamlets 2.8 Kent 13.5 Wandsworth 2.8 Slough 13.4 Enfield 2.7 Bury 13.2 Hillingdon 2.6 Nottinghamshire 12.6 Haringey 2.6 Calderdale 12.4 Rutland 2.5 Stockport 12.3 Hackney 2.5 Cheshire West and Chester 12.3 Barnet 2.3 Thurrock 12.2 Bromley 2.1 Milton Keynes 10.8 Herefordshire, County of 2.1 Blackpool 10.8 Windsor and Maidenhead 2 Nottingham 10.6 Lewisham 2 Swindon 10.4 Sutton 2 Warwickshire 10.3 Bristol, City of 1.9 Salford 10.2 Havering 1.9 Trafford 10.2 Camden 1.9 Wolverhampton 9.9 North East Lincolnshire 1.9 Derbyshire 9.7 Reading 1.8 Birmingham 9.6 Sunderland 1.8 Staffordshire 9.4 Harrow 1.6 Warrington 9.1 Croydon 1.6 East Sussex 9 Plymouth 1.5 Telford and Wrekin 8.4 Suffolk 1.5 Sefton 8.4 Barking and Dagenham 1.4 Middlesbrough 7.8 North Somerset 1.4 Kensington and Chelsea 7.7 Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole 1.3 Hounslow 7.4 Hampshire 1.2 Sandwell 7.3 Wiltshire 1.2 York 6.7 Kingston upon Thames 1.1 St. Helens 6.7 Dorset 1.1 Liverpool 6.3 Bath and North East Somerset 1 Halton 6.2 Richmond upon Thames 1 Medway 6.1 Devon 1 Buckinghamshire 6.1 Portsmouth 0.9 Knowsley 6 Lambeth 0.9 Hammersmith and Fulham 5.9 Torbay 0.7 Essex 5.8 Redcar and Cleveland 0.7 Cumbria 5.8 Cornwall and Isles of Scilly 0.7 Worcestershire 5.7 Gloucestershire 0.6 Coventry 5.7 Wokingham 0.6 Lincolnshire 5.7 South Gloucestershire 0.4 Southampton 5.5 City of London 0 Wigan 5.5 South Tyneside 0 Waltham Forest 5.4 West Berkshire 0 WHICH AREAS OF LONDON HAVE THE HIGHEST INFECTION RATES? London, once the epicentre of Britain's coronavirus outbreak, now has some of the lowest infection rates in the country, according to Public Health England data. Kensington & Chelsea, a rich area in the west of the capital, now has the highest infection rate with 7.7 cases per 100,000 people, according to data from June 15-21. This is the highest in London but pales in comparison to the rate of infection in England's new hotspot - Leicester - where there are 140 cases per 100,000. Next after Kensington is Hounslow, with 7.4 cases per 100,000, and Hammersmith and Fulham with 5.9 - all are in the west end of the city. The others in the top 10 are Waltham Forest (5.4), Brent (5.1), Westminster (5.1), Bexley (4.5), Merton (4.4), Ealing (4.1) and Redbridge (3.6). At the other end of the scale, areas with two or fewer cases per 100,000 people include Lewisham, Sutton, Havering, Camden, Harrow, Croydon, Barking & Dagenham, Kingston, Richmond, Lambeth, and the City of London where there have been 0 cases per 100,000. HOW DO COVID-19 INFECTION RATES VARY ACROSS LONDON? (PUBLIC HEALTH ENGLAND DATA) Borough Covid-19 cases per 100,000 Borough Covid-19 cases per 100,000 Borough Covid-19 cases per 100,000 Kensington and Chelsea 7.7 Newham 3.4 Lewisham 2 Hounslow 7.4 Greenwich 3.1 Sutton 2 Hammersmith and Fulham 5.9 Islington 2.9 Havering 1.9 Waltham Forest 5.4 Tower Hamlets 2.8 Camden 1.9 Brent 5.1 Wandsworth 2.8 Harrow 1.6 Westminster 5.1 Enfield 2.7 Croydon 1.6 Bexley 4.5 Hillingdon 2.6 Barking and Dagenham 1.4 Merton 4.4 Haringey 2.6 Kingston upon Thames 1.1 Ealing 4.1 Hackney 2.5 Richmond upon Thames 1 Redbridge 3.6 Barnet 2.3 Lambeth 0.9 Southwark 3.5 Bromley 2.1 City of London 0 Advertisement More local lockdowns are 'just DAYS away' PHE sources claim, as experts warn Bradford and Doncaster could be next to be hit by restrictions after Leicester Leicester-style localised lockdowns are 'just days away' from being imposed after dozens of towns and cities saw coronavirus cases surge in the past week, it was claimed today. Bradford, Doncaster and Barnsley are said to be at the top of the Government's list of potential Covid-19 hotspots as the virus continues to run rampant in Yorkshire. Former Government scientific adviser 'Professor Lockdown' Neil Ferguson, of Imperial College London, said these towns and cities were 'clearly of concern' and suggested they could be next to roll back the draconian curbs. Parts of Kent, the North West of England and more than a dozen London boroughs are also being kept under review after clusters of cases in the last week. Public Health England and Department of Health sources told Sky News they had earmarked 36 Covid hotspots in England where lockdowns could be 'just days away'. But the Government is yet to officially confirm which areas are most at risk of outbreaks. And the full extent of local infection rates is also still unclear because of a huge gap in the data given out to the public and what is known inside Number 10. The Government does not disclose coronavirus cases found through 'Pillar 2' testing, which is swab tests done on members of the public. Only the results of hospital patients and healthcare staff tested for the virus are being made public, despite accounting for just a fraction of overall cases. For comparison, Leicester officially recorded just 80 new positive tests between June 13 and June 26, according to the Government's official testing data. But health secretary Matt Hancock revealed that there were in fact 944 diagnoses made during that time, when Pillar 2 testing was included. Local councils and public health officials say they aren't being given proper testing data and are now battling with the Government to find out what's happening in their areas. Peter Soulsby, mayor of Leicester, said he had tried 'for weeks' to prise testing results from the Government, which delayed the city's lockdown. But Boris Johnson refuted these claims in the House of Commons today, claiming ministers had been forthcoming with swabbing data for all local authorities in England. Public Health England data shows Leicester's infection rate is twice as high as the second-worst-hit city of Bradford Former Government scientific adviser Professor Neil Ferguson, of Imperial College London, said Bradford and Doncaster were 'clearly of concern' because the Yorkshire cities have some of the highest numbers of cases per capita in the country Professor Ferguson told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme this morning: 'Absolutely, it's inevitable we will [see more lockdowns]. We're relaxing lockdown rules and that means that contacts in the population are going up. 'That's a variable process that will vary from place to place and that means there will be some places where there are too many contacts and we get clusters of transmissions what's critically important is that we detect those early and adopt the measures necessary to locally reduce transmission again.' On whether Bradford and Doncaster could be next to lock down, Professor Ferguson said: 'Those are areas where, not as high as Leicester, but they have some of the highest number of cases per 100,000 of the population. 'They're clearly of concern. I think there are a set of measures being introduced in those areas to track down transmissions but whether we need more measures will depend on whether we can pull case numbers down. 'A second national wave is an agglomeration of small outbreaks like the Leicester one merged together across the country that's exactly what we want to avoid by snuffing out those small outbreaks when they are just sparks, when we're not seeing a national large increase in case numbers.' Professor Ferguson said the UK was too slow to ramp up testing, which left the country playing catch up with the epidemic. Data compiled by Public Health England (PHE) shows Havering and Wiltshire have seen the biggest week-on-week increases in confirmed Covid-19 infections (300 per cent). In comparison, Leicester has recorded a 5 per cent jump in cases going from 39 cases registered between June 13-19 to 41 in the following seven-day spell Pictured: The lockdown zone in Leicester, which has left some Britons in lockdown while their neighbours are not He added: ' I think without doubt we didn't ramp up testing fast enough and therefore we were relatively blind in late February, early March about truly how much infection was happening in the community in this country brought in from Spain and Italy and other countries. 'It was only once we started hospital surveillance we got a good handle on that and from that point onwards we acted very quickly, it was just a little too late. The 36 'at-risk' areas in England Havering Wiltshire Wandsworth Gloucestershire Ealing Hammersmith and Fulham Doncaster Plymouth Barking and Dagenham Westminster Milton Keynes Wakefield Haringey Medway Hounslow Brent Harrow Kensington and Chelsea Slough Suffolk Redbridge Sandwell Enfield Tower Hamlets York Sunderland Wigan Windsor and Maidenhead Leicester Gateshead Isle of Wight Richmond upon Thames Portsmouth Redcar and Cleveland Derbyshire Walsall In Scotland, Lanarkshire and Dumfries & Galloway are also experiencing a surge in cases. Advertisement 'We were one of the most heavily seeded countries with infection in Europe, while we introduced lockdown measures around the same time as European countries, a little later than some, the epidemic was more progressed. 'Per 100,000 of the population yes we're one of the worst affected European countries. I would say before we make international comparisons, just bear in mind that we're still very early into this pandemic. 'Lessons can be learned from what happened in the UK up till now but I would prefer to focus on the next six months right before looking back in earnest.' Other scientists and public health officials have warned of more localised lockdowns after it emerged parts of Kent, London and Scotland are still experiencing clusters of the virus. Professor Deenan Pillay, a virologist at Universtiy College London, told the Guardian: 'I am expecting there to be a number of Leicesters. The base level of infections going on in the UK is still much higher than it was in other countries in Europe when they started to release their lockdowns,' he added. Jeanelle de Gruchy, president of the Association of Directors of Public Health, told the newspaper: 'We need to be cautious on easing lockdown because we are not out of the woods yet. Leicester is a sobering example of that. It should make us cautious about being too gung-ho in easing different measures.' Infections have risen in the Medway, the West London boroughs of Hammersmith and Fulham and Ealing, and Lanarkshire and Dumfries & Galloway in Scotland. Figures show these areas experienced an increase of 10 or more weekly infections between June 18 and June 25 - but this is likely to account for just a fraction of overall cases because the Government does not make Pillar 1 testing data available. For example, government data shows the UK has officially recorded 311,965 Covid-19 cases since the crisis began to spiral out of control in February. But PHE has only revealed the area-by-area data for 63 per cent of the infections meaning the location of 115,000 confirmed cases is missing. The massive disparity in figures is seen clearly in Leicester. Leicester City Council (LCC) claims there has been 3,216 laboratory-confirmed coronavirus cases across the city since Britain's outbreak began to spiral out of control in February. Local officials revealed 944 of those Covid-19 infections were diagnosed in the past fortnight meaning the city's epidemic has grown by roughly 70.6 per cent since mid-June. This equates to roughly 977 coronavirus cases for every 100,000 people. But that data given to the LCC, which takes into account the results of all tests carried out across NHS, Public Health England and commercial laboratories, is not available to the public. Data shows how Leicester's coronavirus outbreak has grown over time. The numbers compiled for England only include pillar one swab tests, which officials say are only given to patients with a medical need or key workers Government-released data shows Leicester has only recorded 1,056 cases of the coronavirus since the pandemic began a third of the figure obtained by LCC. It revealed only 366 new infections have been confirmed in May and June. Data on the results of pillar one tests analysed by The Daily Telegraph shows Leicester last week recorded the second-highest amount of cases across England behind only Kent (101). However, the rate in Kent the upper tier local authority with the most diagnosed cases (5,591) has dropped 16 per cent week-on-week. Nine of the 36 authorities where Covid-19 cases are rising, including Sunderland, Portsmouth and York, recorded no new cases between June 13 and 19. How a large BAME population, poverty and crowded households may have contributed to Leicester's spike in cases Government officials, local politicians and scientists are divided over whether Leicester is experiencing a real surge in cases or whether better testing is simply finding more of them where it wasn't before. It is also not clear whether there are any characteristics of Leicester which make it more likely to see a surge in cases, or if random chance has meant the first 'second wave' is happening there. Experts say many of the risk factors in Leicester are the same in all major cities in England. The mayor of the city, Sir Peter Soulsby, said on BBC Radio 4 this morning that a report sent to him by the Government 'actually acknowledges that it's very likely that the increase in number of positives identified is a result of increased testing, and that actually there's perhaps nothing of any great significance in those results.' Director of Public Health for the city, Ivan Browne, said: 'Interestingly it [the surge in cases] is very much around the younger, working age population and predominantly towards the east part of our city. We started to see this level through our testing programme. 'Young people work in many industries across the city so at this stage what we're trying to do is gather as much epidemiological information as we can to really try and get underneath and have an understanding. I don't think at the moment that we are seeing a single source or a single smoking gun on this'. It was always likely that surges in cases would be seen in cities first. There are more people, raising the risk, and those people are more likely to live in densely populated areas and come into contact with strangers on a regular basis. Dr Shaun Fitzgerald, from the University of Cambridge, said: 'There will be differences in the ease with which people can maintain physical distance between densely populated areas and rural environments so it isn't surprising to me that we may see localised flare-ups, which in turn may need suppressing through delayed easing or temporary re-introduction of some constraints on some movements and activities.' Leicester also has high levels of deprivation, which affects people's lives in ways that put them at risk of catching the virus. Dr Simon Clarke, a microbiologist at the University of Reading, told MailOnline: 'In deprived areas people are more likely to have to go to work, less likely to be able to work from home, and more likely to use public transport. They can't distance themselves from others.' The Samworth Brothers sandwich factory in the city reported over the weekend that it had diagnosed cases of Covid-19 among its staff. Food processing factories are a higher transmission risk because cold environments allow the virus to survive for longer on hard surfaces and make people's airways more susceptible to infection. Dr Clarke added that the types of work people do may increase their risk. 'Blue collar cities are now at higher risk than places like London and Manchester which have more financial services,' he added. Advertisement They all recorded either one or two cases the following week, hence why they were included in the list of areas where outbreaks appear to be growing. Doncaster a town in South Yorkshire recorded the biggest actual spike in coronavirus cases over the two-week period, going from 11 to 32. The London boroughs of Hammersmith and Fulham (seven to 18) and Ealing (five to 14) also witnessed big jumps in the actual numbers of cases. Thirteen other London boroughs are also experiencing a rise in coronavirus cases, according to the analysis of the figures by The Telegraph. Official figures do show the number of infections are dropping, however. The average number of lab-confirmed cases has dropped to 894 the lowest since March. It emerged today that one in seven children have tested positive for the virus in Leicester, according to The Telegraph. Prevalence is now thought to be 15 per cent among under-18s in the East Midlands city - almost three times higher than the rest of England. A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Social Care said: 'We have been working closely with our local partners, providing them with the resources and tools so that they can take swift action to deal with any new local spikes in infections.' Government officials, local politicians and scientists are divided over whether Leicester is experiencing a real surge in cases or whether better testing is simply finding more of them where it wasn't before. It is also not clear whether there are any characteristics of Leicester which make it more likely to see a surge in cases, or if random chance has meant the first 'second wave' is happening there. Experts say many of the risk factors in Leicester are the same in all major cities in England. The mayor of the city, Sir Peter Soulsby, said on BBC Radio 4 this week that a report sent to him by the Government 'actually acknowledges that it's very likely that the increase in number of positives identified is a result of increased testing, and that actually there's perhaps nothing of any great significance in those results.' Director of Public Health for the city, Ivan Browne, said: 'Interestingly it [the surge in cases] is very much around the younger, working age population and predominantly towards the east part of our city. We started to see this level through our testing programme. 'Young people work in many industries across the city so at this stage what we're trying to do is gather as much epidemiological information as we can to really try and get underneath and have an understanding. I don't think at the moment that we are seeing a single source or a single smoking gun on this'. It was always likely that surges in cases would be seen in cities first. There are more people, raising the risk, and those people are more likely to live in densely populated areas and come into contact with strangers on a regular basis. Dr Shaun Fitzgerald, from the University of Cambridge, said: 'There will be differences in the ease with which people can maintain physical distance between densely populated areas and rural environments so it isn't surprising to me that we may see localised flare-ups, which in turn may need suppressing through delayed easing or temporary re-introduction of some constraints on some movements and activities.' Leicester also has high levels of deprivation, which affects people's lives in ways that put them at risk of catching the virus. Dr Simon Clarke, a microbiologist at the University of Reading, told MailOnline: 'In deprived areas people are more likely to have to go to work, less likely to be able to work from home, and more likely to use public transport. They can't distance themselves from others.' The Samworth Brothers sandwich factory in the city reported over the weekend that it had diagnosed cases of Covid-19 among its staff. Food processing factories are a higher transmission risk because cold environments allow the virus to survive for longer on hard surfaces and make people's airways more susceptible to infection. Dr Clarke added that the types of work people do may increase their risk. 'Blue collar cities are now at higher risk than places like London and Manchester which have more financial services,' he added. Hundreds of officials who worked for former Republican President George W. Bush are set to endorse Democratic White House hopeful Joe Biden, people involved in the effort said, the latest Republican-led group coming out to oppose the re-election of Donald Trump. The officials, who include Cabinet secretaries and other senior people in the Bush administration, have formed a political action committee - 43 Alumni for Biden - to support the former vice president in his Nov. 3 race, three organizers of the group told Reuters. Bush was the country's 43rd president. The Super PAC will launch on Wednesday with a website and Facebook page, they said. It plans to release 'testimonial videos' praising Biden from high-profile Republicans and will hold get-out-the-vote efforts in the most competitive states. The group is the latest of a number of Republican organizations opposing Trump's re-election, yet another sign that he has alienated some in his own party, most recently with his response to the coronavirus pandemic and nationwide protests over racial injustice and police brutality against Black Americans. Staying out of it: George W. Bush, who last met Donald Trump at the time of George H.W. Bush's funeral, is refusing to intervene either way in the 2020 election. But now a group claims hundreds of his former officials will campaign for Joe Biden Relationship: George W. Bush was presented with the National Constitution Center's Liberty Medal in Philadelphia in 2018 - along with his wife Laura - for promoting 'liberty and equality' 'We know what is normal and what is abnormal, and what we are seeing is highly abnormal. The president is a danger,' said Jennifer Millikin, one of the 43 Alumni organizers, who worked on Bush's 2004 re-election campaign and later in the General Services Administration. The other two members who spoke to Reuters are Karen Kirksey and Kristopher Purcell. Purcell worked as a communication official in the Bush White House. Kirksey was on the Bush 2000 campaign, and later in the Agriculture and Labor Departments. Millikin said the group was not yet ready to name all its members or its donors. It has to provide a list of initial donors to the Federal Election Commission by October. Bush's office has been informed about the group, but the former president is not involved and has not indicated if he approves of its aims, she said. Freddy Ford, a spokesman for Bush, said Bush had retired 'and won't be wading into this election.' Bush, who is still admired by many moderate Republicans, won praise for saying the May 25 death in Minneapolis of George Floyd, an unarmed Black man, in police custody reflected a 'shocking failure', and urged that protesters be heard. Earlier, he released a video calling for Americans to unite in the face of the pandemic. Despite policy differences with Biden, 'hundreds' of former Bush officials believe the Democrat has the integrity to meet America's challenges, the 43 Alumni members said. 'This November, we are choosing country over party,' said Purcell. 'We believe that a Biden administration will adhere to the rule of law... and restore dignity and integrity to the White House.' 'We really have had overwhelming support for our efforts,' Kirksey said. As a Super PAC, the group's members are forbidden by law from working with or communicating with the Biden campaign, but can raise unlimited amounts of money and run ads or hold events to support the candidate. The Biden campaign declined to comment. Erin Perrine, a Trump campaign spokeswoman, said of 43 Alumni for Biden: 'This is the swamp - yet again - trying to take down the duly elected President of the United States.' Dozens of Republican former national security officials are set to back Biden, claiming that Trump is a threat to U.S. security, people involved in the effort told Reuters. Trump has also drawn sharp criticism from retired military leaders over his apparent attempts to involve the armed forces in efforts to quell the anti-racism protests. Other Republican groups opposing his re-election include the Lincoln Project, co-founded by George Conway, husband of Trump counselor Kellyanne Conway. Trump has expressed contempt for Republican and conservative figures who oppose him, saying on Twitter that 'Never Trumper' Republicans are 'human scum.' A 'criminal genius' dog was caught red-handed stealing cakes from a kitchen counter after checking to see if the coast was clear. Kara Probin, 25, from Wrexham, North Wales, decided to set up a hidden camera in her kitchen after more than 15 cakes that she had baked during the coronavirus lockdown vanished. After leaving the lens pointed at three cupcakes on her wooden counter, the mother-of-one, who has been baking at home with her civil engineer partner Owen Davies, 26, saw her hungry pointer River steal the baked goods and scarper. Three-year-old River is caught red-handed stealing cakes from the kitchen counter in Wrexham, North Wales The hungry pointer tries to grab hold of the one of the baked goods before it topples over the worktop Owner Kara Probin (pictured with her dog River), 25, from Wrexham, North Wales, decided to set up a hidden camera after more than 15 cakes went missing amid the coronavirus lockdown During the footage, which was captured on June 29, the three-year-old dog sniffs out the tasty treats and tries to reach one using her paw. Having checked the coast is clear, River drops out of sight before reappearing and grabbing the nearest cake with her right paw and dragging it to the floor. Seconds later, the hungry hound reappears and snaffles another cupcake in her jaws before scarpering out of shot and leaving the final cake on its side. Ms Probin, who is mother to five-week-old Bobi Davies, was stunned when she found out who the culprit was. She said: 'I've no idea how she managed to get the cake and leave it upright. She must be a criminal genius.' Ms Probin, who initially thought her other pointer Winnie had been stealing the cakes, added: 'I was shocked when I checked the camera and I saw it was River, I thought it was our other pointer Winnie as she is the greedy one. 'We've been baking all the way through lockdown and every time we left cake on the side, it would go missing. 'I decided to catch them in action and it turned out it was River. She must have had 15 over the last few months - all different flavours and sizes. There's been slices and cupcakes gone. 'At one point we left a slice in a bowl at the back of the kitchen counter thinking ''there's no way either of them can get that''. After checking the coast is clear, the canine takes a second cupcake (left) and leaves the final cake on its side (right) Ms Probin, who has been baking at home with her civil engineer partner Owen Davies (pictured together), 26, decided to set up the secret camera after noticing that her cakes were vanishing Ms Probin said the cupcakes River stole were made from the left over mixture from her third birthday cake. Pictured; River poses next to her birthday cake 'We came back and lo and behold the bowl was still on the counter, but it was empty. It was completely upright.' Ms Probin explained that the cupcakes had been made from leftover cake mixture used to make River's third birthday cake. She continued: 'I had baked River a cake for her third birthday at the weekend and these cupcakes were just made from what was left over. Obviously she'd decided she hadn't had enough. ' Of her dogs, she said: 'They're relatively small for their breed and River is the smallest, so she has to get on her back legs to reach up. 'It's always Winnie who has looked guilty, never River, so she has just taken the blame. 'River will jump at the table when you're eating but she has never stolen food. Winnie used to snatch food when she was younger, but never River. She's not normally like that.' An ex-Liberal Party candidate who faces losing his job after being accused of calling a tradesman of Maori decent 'gorilla head' has denied the comment was racist. Bayard Tokohihi Heke, a concrete contractor from Queensland, attended a meeting with Michael Kitzelmann - the general manager of Balranald Shire Council - and several others to discuss the design of a new concreting project. During the meeting last November in Balranald, in the state's south-east, Mr Heke - a father-of-nine from the Gold Coast - claimed Mr Kitzelmann said he had a 'gorilla head' multiple times in front of other people. 'The meeting was about putting an emblem or figure in the concrete, like the frog shapes that had been put in the concrete pavement along the shopping centre,' his statement read, according to news.com.au. Bayard Tokohihi Heke (pictured) is of Maori decent and claims councillor Michael Kitzelmann said he had a 'gorilla head' The 48-year-old said one woman suggested a frog shape and another suggested hand prints, before Mr Kitzelmann said: 'None of that, we'll have Tooks' gorilla head imprinted in the concrete.' Mr Heke claimed Mr Kitzelmann made the comment three times in total, leaving him 'hurt, offended, angry and upset'. But the general manager denied claims of racism and denied the allegations in a statement to Daily Mail Australia. 'The allegation of racial vilification against me is untrue, vile and vexatious.' 'It was a jocular exchange between myself and another Council staff member and was not directed at Mr Heke.' He penned an apology letter to the contractor, spelling Mr Heke's name incorrectly, according to news.com.au. 'Please be assured that at no time during this interaction was there any intent to cause insult or upset towards yourself or any other person in attendance,' he wrote. Mr Kitzelmann described the comment as 'banter to create a jovial environment where everyone enjoyed the work they were doing'. Mr Heke claimed Mr Kitzelmann (pictured) made the comment three times in total, leaving him 'hurt, offended, angry and upset' While Mr Kitzelmann told NCA NewsWire that four out of the six people in the room were not offended by the comment, Mr Heke said no one in the conversation laughed. Mr Heke said the apology letter was insincere and brushed the comment off as a joke. His lawyer Peter Jess contacted the council to find out if there was any further action being taken, and was told the matter had been 'resolved' Mr Jess said that response was unacceptable and contacted local state MP Helen Dalton from the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party, who has requested Mr Kitzelmann be stood down. She said she would take the issue to the Human Rights Commissioner if the situation wasn't addressed. But Mr Kitzelmann slammed Ms Dalton's actions and said he is 'disgusted and appalled' that she was not supporting council staff. 'The only way that this matter can be addressed fairly without bias and be put behind us is for Mr Heke to refer this matter to the NSW Anti-Discrimination Commission so that a full and independent inquiry can be held to determine the true facts in this matter.' by Guy Opperman A brain tumour. This was not what I was expecting. I was 45, a former jockey, fit and in reasonably good health. I had gone for a three-mile run that morning. A brain tumour. That was what the doctor was telling me was wrong with me. I felt the colour drain out of me. We were in St Thomas' Hospital in London. The doctor was young, aged barely 30, and covering the busy night shift in A&E. 'Mr Opperman, I am so sorry. I have had a look at the scan of your head. You have a tumour on the inside of your skull that is pressing down on the brain. You will need an operation to remove it.' I was numb with fear and shock. He then advised me there was about a two to three per cent chance of death in such an operation, and a significant risk of stroke or paralysis. The young doctor paused. 'Would you like to see the scan?' There was a picture of the inside of my head on the screen, taken from above. High above my left ear was a 2in lump. On the scan my tumour was white. Around the tumour was heavy bruising, stretching across my head; it was obviously pressing down on to my brain. Looking at the tumour I felt sick. There was something alive in my head. After being admitted to hospital, I lay in bed deep in thought. It was 1.30am. I felt very alone. I began to ask myself questions: How long had I had this? What symptoms had I shown? Was I going to die? Most of all, I thought what a waste. I loved my life at the time. I like it more now. That morning, Tuesday, April 26, 2011, had started like any normal day in the House of Commons. It was the first day back after the Easter break. I was really looking forward to the summer session. I had been an MP for 11 months and felt I was starting to make a real difference. I had spent the previous Easter recess campaigning around the North-East fighting the local elections and leading the local 'No to AV' campaign. I had noticed that in the previous three months I was getting more tired in the evenings and suffering headaches. I work 9am to 10.30pm Monday and Tuesday, 9am to 7.30pm on Wednesday and Thursday and then travel north, home to Hexham. Gratitude: Opperman stands with the people who helped him on the day he found out he had a brain tumour, Nadhim Zahawi on the left, and Dr Dan Poulter, right It is a 620-mile commute but I think it is important that I am there about three weekends out of four. On weekends I have surgeries, campaigning and events to go to. I had put my tiredness down to the pressures of work. That Tuesday we had been debating the Finance Bill. I began to feel progressively worse. I had a blinding headache and my eyesight was blurring. Suddenly, at 10.30pm, I was violently sick. A good friend, Nadhim Zahawi, the MP for Stratford on Avon, found me, sat me in the Central Lobby of the Commons, and along with Andy Bell, one of the doormen, they got some help. A doctor colleague of mine, Dan Poulter MP, arrived. Normally he is an obstetrics and gynaecology specialist. I greeted him weakly by saying, 'Dan, I am not pregnant but I don't feel very well!' Dan had seen enough in his time in A&E to know I needed to go to hospital. He conducted a detailed review of my symptoms and summoned an ambulance. I was taken to St Thomas', which overlooks the House of Commons. I spent the next two weeks in hospital and saw many doctors and dozens of nurses. After a while I was transferred to the National Neurological Hospital in Queen Square, Central London. My family, friends and loved ones came to see me almost daily. For the patient there is only the waiting. For friends and family they can do so little but worry so much. My surgeon at Queen Square was Mr Neil Kitchen, an amazingly skilled consultant neurosurgeon. Under his care I had a variety of scans that showed I had a meningioma, a type of tumour that grows from the meninges, the layer of tissue that lies above the brain just inside the skull. It was slow-growing but if I did not have it removed, I would die. Neil came to see me and advised that I have two operations: they wanted to do a cerebral angiogram and an embolisation first before they removed the tumour by a craniotomy. An embolisation requires the femoral artery in your thigh to be opened and then a wire passed up through your body into your head, where they burn off the base of the tumour to prevent future bleeding. If you think about such operations you would never do it, but after a deep breath I took their advice and asked them to crack on. The embolisation was a success and two days later I was booked in to have a craniotomy, where they open the head. Neil had to advise me that they would be operating within millimetres of the brain and that I might suffer some operative nerve and brain damage. These potential complications, aside from death, included an inability to talk and possible paralysis down the right side. The day of the operation was May 5, 2011. I had been an MP exactly one year. Heroic: The Mail on Sunday's report in May on Dan Poulter's intervention I remember thinking how important it was to be of use, if I survived. As I went into surgery the anaesthetist began his work. Apparently, my last words before going under were: 'It's the AV vote today don't forget to vote against it.' A craniotomy is performed by shaving the hair, then cutting the skin with a scalpel to reveal the skull. This is then opened with the medical equivalent of a tiny circular saw. Once the skull is opened the surgeon then removes the tumour with an even smaller circular saw. Neil managed to remove my tumour without damaging the brain, or causing any bleeding. I was very lucky. I came round late that afternoon in the High Dependency Unit. Neil came to see me beaming. 'We got all of it out, Guy.' I grinned and said: 'And I can talk, and move my arms and legs!' Two days later the test results came back showing that my tumour was benign. Neil advised me that it would not recur and that I would be better than before. I immediately began making plans. Within two more days I had got myself discharged back to my parents' home. It was odd to be at home again in my 40s but my parents cared for me as only parents can. Slowly I began to read the hundreds of wonderful cards and letters that were pouring in from colleagues, friends, constituents and the Prime Minister. They sustained me through the long months of recovery that followed, requiring extensive tests and lots of physiotherapy to get my atrophied limbs back into action. I have too many doctors, nurses, friends and loved ones to thank for their help on the road back to fitness. I am now back at work and enjoying every minute. In August I went back to work first in Westminster and then home to Hexham. I walked Hadrian's Wall in Northumberland to raise money for two great charities, to prove my fitness and to reconnect with the people I work for. Most nights we took over a village hall for question-and-answer sessions. I realised I was back in business. I'm now relishing getting stuck in back at Westminster, doing what I am employed to do. Through my time in hospital I saw all that was good about the NHS. The staff cope with tremendous pressures with good humour. But not all is rosy: the doctors and nurses battle bureaucracy and managerial edicts that defy logic. There are bizarre rules about waiting times and guidelines that often do more harm than good to the patient. Some of the attempts to control infection are disproportionate. Nurses and doctors are not allowed to sit on your bed or a chair, even when counselling you, because of the possibility of infection. China has announced its retaliatory measures against Washington's new restrictions on Beijing's state media by demanding four American media outlets provide sensitive company information. The Associated Press, United Press International, Columbia Broadcasting System and National Public Radio must send a written report about their staff, finance, operation and real estate holdings inside China within seven days, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. The news comes after the United States announced last month that it would start treating four major Chinese media outlets as 'foreign embassies', a move that will restrict their operations on American soil. China has announced its retaliatory measures against Washington's new restrictions on Beijing's state media by demanding four American media outlets provide sensitive company information. This file picture taken on November 9, 2017 shows an American flag being flown next to the Chinese national emblem during a welcome ceremony China's actions are 'entirely necessary countermeasures against the United States' unreasonable oppression of Chinese media organisations in the U.S.,' Zhao said at a regular press briefing. The file picture shows Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson, Zhao Lijian David Stilwell, the senior U.S. diplomat for East Asia, told reporters on June 22 that the designation would affect China Central Television, the China News Service, the People's Daily and the Global Times. He said the decision reflected their real status as 'propaganda outlets' under the control of the Chinese Communist Party. China's actions are 'entirely necessary countermeasures against the United States' unreasonable oppression of Chinese media organisations in the U.S.,' Zhao said at a regular press briefing. The U.S. State Department had already listed five other Chinese media outlets as 'foreign embassies' in February. All nine outlets 'are effectively controlled by the government of the People's Republic of China,' State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus said in June. After the first group of outlets were ordered to cut their Chinese staff working in the United States, Beijing hit back by expelling more than a dozen U.S. nationals working for The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo met senior Chinese official Yang Jiechi in Hawaii last month, with little apparent effect on soaring bilateral tensions. In this file photo taken on March 25, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo speaks during a press conference The U.S. State Department had already listed five other Chinese media outlets as 'foreign embassies'. Beijing also ordered the papers, as well as Voice of America and Time magazine, to declare in writing their staff, finances, operations and real estate in China. This file picture shows the Chinese nationalist newspaper Global Times published on December 12, 2016 Beijing also ordered the papers, as well as Voice of America and Time magazine, to declare in writing their staff, finances, operations and real estate in China. Zhao said at a press briefing today that the U.S. restrictions on Chinese media 'exposed the hypocrisy of the so-called press freedom touted by the U.S..' China urges the U.S. to 'correct its mistakes and stop the political suppression and unreasonable restrictions on Chinese media', Zhao said. All nine Chinese state-run news organisations are required to report details of their US-based staff and real estate transactions to the State Department. Their news reporting will not be restricted, U.S. officials said in June. Relations between Beijing and Washington have worsened as the two sides trade barbs over blame for the COVID-19 pandemic and human rights violations. The United States has led a global backlash against a national security law imposed on Hong Kong by Beijing Tuesday, cutting off defence exports and revoking the financial hub's special trade status. U.S. President Donald Trump said yesterday that he was growing 'more and more angry at China' over the pandemic, which he blames on Chinese inaction and lack of transparency. Meanwhile, China has accused the Trump administration of politicising the pandemic to deflect from its own handling of the crisis. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo met senior Chinese official Yang Jiechi in Hawaii last month, with little apparent effect on soaring bilateral tensions. A Harvard graduate threatened to stab the next person on campus who says 'All Lives Matter'. Claira Janover criticized the slogan in a satirical video on social media. She said it was the equivalent of a paper cut compared to a knife wound for black people. Janover took to video sharing platform TikTok to denounce people who had the 'caucasity' to use the controversial slogan which has been condemned as detracting from the suffering of black communities. 'Caucasity' is a slang term used to describe the act of doing something with the 'audacity of white privilege'. Claira Janover took to video sharing platform TikTok to denounce people who had the 'caucasity' to use the slogan Janover, who has 113,000 followers on TikTok, can be heard saying in the clip: 'The next person who has the sheer nerve, the sheer entitled caucasity to say 'All Lives Matter', imma stab you. 'Imma stab you and while you're struggling and bleeding out, imma show you my paper cut and say 'my cut matters too''.' According to Janover's LinkedIn page, she is a Government and Psychology graduate from Harvard University According to Janover's LinkedIn page, she is a Government and Psychology graduate from Harvard University. Her profile also states that she worked as a business analyst for accounting firm Deloitte and has volunteered for the Connecticut Democrats. Her comments sparked backlash online, with some taking issue with the way in which Janover had expressed her view. 'Harvard senior Claira Janover threatens to stab anyone who says "all lives matter." Will liberal colleges and universities ever teach students that speech = violence?' one person said. Another Twitter user wrote: 'Is there something in the water that these crazy liberals drink? This Harvard Leftist threatened to stab anyone on campus who says 'all lives matter?'' Others praised Janover for taking a stance against racism, and pointed out that her video was intended as 'satire'. '#ClairaJanover is articulate, educated and brave. It's obvious that the republicans are threatened! Your critical thinking scares them love. @cyanover we are with you!!' one supporter wrote. Harvard University has taken a stance against racism and police brutality in the wake of George Floyd's death. In a statement published online, the university said: 'We are outraged by the countless deaths of Black people at the hands of police officers and citizens caused by a system that treats Black people as expendable... 'As many students across the nation and world engage as citizens and leaders in protesting violence against Black communities, we affirm their rights and freedoms to peacefully protest. 'We stand in solidarity with these students and support their work to end systemic racism in this country. Students who exercise their rights by peacefully protesting will not have their chances of admission compromised.' 'All Lives Matter' is a controversial slogan that has arisen in response to the Black Lives Matter protests in the wake of George Floyd's death. It has been criticized as erasing the experiences of black people and dismissing the racism that African-Americans and black communities across the world face. Walmart has come under fire for selling All Lives Matter T-shirts and Blue Lives Matter T-shirts amid protests calling for an end to systemic racism and police brutality against black people Giant US retailer Walmart recently announced it would discontinue sales of 'All Lives Matter' T-shirts on its website after it came under fire for selling the merchandise amid protests calling for an end to systemic racism and police brutality against the black community. The All Lives Matter items sold on the store's US website are advertised by a company called Old Glory. A company called New Way sells merchandise for the police solidarity Blue Lives Matter movement. Walmart also sells an array of Black Lives Matter clothing. Critics blasted the company saying selling such controversial items detracts from the Black Lives Matter movement. An 18-year-old man was arrested overnight on suspicion of murdering two sisters nearly a month after they were found stabbed to death in a London park. Bibaa Henry, 46, and Nicole Smallman, 27, were killed in a frenzied knife attack at Fryent Park in Wembley, North West London, in the early hours of June 6. They had spent the evening celebrating Ms Henry's birthday, but police were called to the park the next day at about 1pm to reports of two women found unresponsive. Detectives and paramedics attended the scene but Ms Henry, who lived in Brent, and Ms Smallman, from Harrow, were both pronounced dead at the scene. Overnight, Scotland Yard arrested the teenager at a home in South London on suspicion of both murders, and he was taken into custody where he remains today. Police visited the victims' family in person today to tell them about the arrest, which comes after officers recovered 1,000 exhibits and went to hundreds of homes. Bibaa Henry (left) and Nicole Smallman (right) were murdered in Wembley, North West London Police said they were happily taking selfies, listening to music and dancing with fairy lights (pictured) until at least 1.13am on June 6, but calls to them at about 2.30am went unanswered The bodies were found by Ms Smallman's boyfriend Adam, who also found the murder weapon after taking it upon himself to return to where they were last seen. The victims' family have criticised the initial police response and were left shocked when it was claimed two officers had taken 'sickening' photographs of the bodies. The women were in a group of people who gathered in the park from 7.40pm on June 5 to celebrate the birthday, with people leaving gradually during the evening. By about 0.30am on June 6, only the sisters remained, and they are last thought to have had contact with their family and friends at 1.05am. Police said they were happily taking selfies, listening to music and dancing with fairy lights until at least 1.13am, but calls to them at about 2.30am went unanswered. Both sisters were then reported as missing to police late on June 6, before they were both found on Sunday. A post-mortem gave the cause of death as stab wounds. Forensics officers investigate at Fryent Park in Wembley, North West London, on June 9 Officers guard forensics tents at Fryent Park on June 8 while the investigation continues Detective Chief Inspector Simon Harding said: 'This investigation into the awful death of two sisters is of course a priority for the Metropolitan Police Service and my officers have been working around the clock to identify the person responsible. 'They dehumanised our children': Mother slams 'toxic' Met Police after officers 'took selfies' with bodies of her murdered daughters Mina Smallman The grieving mother of two women who were stabbed to death slammed the 'toxic' Metropolitan Police after two officers were accused of taking selfies next to the bodies of her daughters. Mina Smallman said the accused officers 'dehumanised' her murdered daughters Nicole Smallman and Bibaa Henry by taking the selfies in Wembley - which are believed to have been shared with members of the public. Mrs Smallman told the BBC yesterday about the moment she learned her daughters were dead, saying: 'All I remember is letting out a howl that came from the core of my soul, that's the only way I can describe it.' And speaking about the selfies, she added: 'The lead person said "I don't know how to tell you this but police officers were taking selfies and posing for pictures with your dead daughters". 'Those police officers dehumanised our children. If ever we needed an example of how toxic it has become, those police officers felt so safe, so untouchable, that they felt they could take photographs.' Advertisement 'Given the significance of this development, we visited the family in person today to inform them of the arrest. Our thoughts remain with them at this very difficult time. 'A team of forensic officers have been a constant presence at the park over the last few weeks carrying out meticulous fingertip searches at what is a vast and complex crime scene. 'Whilst that work has now concluded, smaller searches in outer areas of the park will continue. To date officers have recovered more than 1,000 exhibits including property belonging to both Nicole and Bibaa, collected hours of CCTV and visited hundreds of homes and businesses. 'And those enquiries remain ongoing. I would continue to appeal to the public to come forward with any information they feel may be relevant to our investigation.' It comes after two Scotland Yard officers were arrested for allegedly taking 'sickening' photographs of the bodies of the two murdered sisters. The grieving family were said to have been 'extremely distressed' after it emerged that 'non-official and inappropriate photographs' were taken at the murder scene. It is alleged that two officers deployed to guard the murder scene took photographs of their bodies and sent the images to a group of people, including members of the public. Both were arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office last Monday and the matter was passed to the Independent Office of Police Conduct (IOPC) to investigate. The referral last Friday was made on the same day that the women's family released a haunting last image of the sisters with fairy lights as they danced together in the park. The selfies, taken on a tripod barely an hour before the double murder, were recovered from one of their mobile phones after their bodies were found. The watchdog is also investigating whether officers properly carried out a search after the women were reported missing due to the length of time it took to discover their bodies. The independent investigation will consider whether any criminal charges should be brought. A police officer stands next to flowers at an entrance to Fryent Park in Wembley on June 8 An aerial showing police guarding the forensics tents at Fryent Park in Wembley on June 8 Both officers, who are based on the North East Command, have been suspended from duty and are currently on police bail. The victims' mother Wilhelmina Smallman was the first female BAME archdeacon in the Anglican church. Last month Mrs Smallman released a heartbreaking tribute to her elder daughter Ms Henry, a senior social worker and Ms Smallman, a freelance photographer. She said: 'The pain we feel as a family is so deep no words can express how we are feeling.' A tech boss with a personal wealth of $16billion used to cry himself to sleep because his parents couldn't afford to buy a computer and thought his greatest achievement would be finally moving out of the bedroom he shared with his brother. Scott Farquhar is one half of a partnership that spawned $50billion software company Atlassian, one of the most successful business exports from Australia. But 40-year-old Farquhar and his Atlassian co-founder, Mike Cannon-Brookes, couldn't have come from more different beginnings. While Cannon-Brookes' father was the head of a law firm and spent thousands of dollars sending him to an elite boarding school, Farquhar grew up in a working class family from Castle Hill, in Sydney's north-west. His parents worked multiple jobs to make ends meat, from fast food restaurants to waste disposal centres and night shifts at petrol stations. Atlassian Mike Cannon-Brookes and Scott Farquhar (pictured in 2006) gatecrashed a tech conference and gave out free beer to spread the word about their start-up tech company Pictured: The room where Farquhar set up his first computer and tried to play games on it as a child Farquhar told ABC's Julia Zemiro he was still troubled by memories of begging his parents to buy him a computer when they clearly couldn't afford it. 'I remember... crying myself to sleep, asking for a computer from my dad,' he said. 'My friend had one... [I thought] why can't we have one?,' he said. 'Not realising that there was probably a huge burden on my father to be able to afford something like that. I feel horrible now, but I cried myself to sleep.' Farquhar said he would visit his friend's house to play on the computer, until one day about three months later he came home to find one waiting for him. 'My dad found a second hand computer at work that he could buy cheaply... It didn't play games but I probably spent a year trying to get it to,' he revealed. 'Maybe that's where my interaction with computers comes from. I was, vainly, for ages trying to read all the manuals and learn the books to get this game to play.' Atlassian co-founders Scott Farquhar (left) and Mike Cannon-Brookes (right) pictured with their partners The duo started the Atlassian Foundation, which is the philanthropic arm of their company, in an attempt to give back to the community Farquhar said he would visit his friend's house to play on the computer, until one day about three months later he came home to find one waiting for him Farquhar returned to his childhood home in Castle Hill for Wednesday night's episode of Home Delivery, and fondly recalled his time growing up there. 'Going from sharing a bedroom with my brother to having my own bedroom was an amazing accomplishment,' he laughed. 'The concept of having lots of money to spend is something that I'm probably still grappling with.' Farquhar, who is now worth about AUD$16billion but still drives a $40,000 Subaru Outback, said he is constantly trying to work out the best way to spend his fortune to help the community. 'How to spend it correctly to make the biggest impact in the world,' he said. The duo started the Atlassian Foundation, which is the philanthropic arm of their company, in an attempt to give back to the community. Scott Farquhar (left) and Mike Cannon-Brookes (right) were classmates at University of New South Wales The pair met at school and decided to start a business together so they didn't have to get 'real jobs' 'We've got money to give away,' he said. 'We do girls' education in developing countries... we're trying to get every company on the planet to give one per cent of their profit... we want it changed so that every company gives back as part of being.' Farquhar's friendship and partnership with Cannon-Brookes is as solid as ever, despite the somewhat rocky start to their friendsihp. 'I thought the people who'd came from private schools were a little bit arrogant in the first day of university,' he explained after revealing Cannon-Brookes' upbringing. 'They kind of looked down, I think, on us public school people.' But the pair became fast friends regardless of their backgrounds, and soon Farquhar was invited into an email from Cannon-Brookes along with a handful of other students asking if they'd be interested in starting a business together. 'The email said: ''Let's not get a real job... let's not have to wear a suit to work. If we can earn the same amount that our colleagues are earning we'll have won'',' Farquhar explained. More than 3,000 Atlassian staff work at 10 offices worldwide, including Sydney, San Francisco, Austin, Amsterdam and Manila 'There were a few people who were interested originally, but they dropped out one by one, risk-averse, or they wanted a real job, so it ended up just being the two of us starting this company. 'It wasn't originally started because we wanted to change the world. That came later. It was started because we didn't want to get a real job and thought we could do something interesting.' The pair were 'winging it' for the first few years. They sought advice from a venture capitalist who begged them to change their tactics because they'd never make money on the trajectory they were on. But they stuck to their guns and eventually dropped the venture capitalist all together when they realised they were succeeding on their own. Now, 18 years on, the company is worth an estimated AUD$50billion - a far cry from the $10,000 credit card debt they started the business with. An Instagram model and aspiring actor has been arrested by elite strike force police who target outlaw motorcycle gangs - just months after she was released on bail for a string of crimes. Monique Marina Agostino was convicted of multiple charges after the glamorous 24-year-old helped rob four Sydney shops in under an hour in November 2018. She had been appealing the severity of her 18-month sentence and was released on bail but allegedly breached her conditions - sparking a police search to apprehend her. Monique Marina Agostino was convicted of multiple charges stemming from a crime spree in which the glamorous 24-year-old helped rob four Sydney shops in November 2018 Instagram model Monique Marina Agostino, 24, charged with a series of burglaries, outside court in February 2019 after skipping her first court date Strike Force Raptor officers swooped and arrested Agostino at Harris Park on Wednesday afternoon, according to News Corp. As well as the outstanding arrest warrant, police also charged the former Northern Beaches schoolgirl with being possession of allegedly stolen goods. Agostino, a single mother, grew up in the Sydney suburb of Belrose and attended Killarney Heights High School before briefly working at a real-estate agency in Manly. She was sentenced in 2019 to 18 months in in jail for the break-and-enter robberies on cafes and convenience stores. She was also sentenced on a second separate spate of charges for crimes committed at Blacktown Westfield Shopping Centre in May 2019. Those charges were for offences including possessing three diazepam tablets - a restricted benzodiazepine once known as Valium, possessing the prohibited drug ice, possessing a knife in Target, and stealing a $90 jacket from budget clothing retailer Supre. Her appeal was scheduled to be heard at Downing Centre court on July 22. Police had circulated an image of Agostino on Tuesday saying they were looking for her for allegedly breaching her bail conditions. At about 1pm on Wednesday officers from the elite bikie-busting squad stopped the car she was driving in Sydney's west. Officers allegedly found prescriptions, property, and identification documents that were stolen. She was charged with three counts of goods suspected stolen in/on premises (not motor vehicle) at Parramatta Police station. Agostino was on Wednesday refused bail to appear in Parramatta Local Court on Thursday The single mother allegedly went on a burglary spree in November 2018, targeting several cafes and convenience stores across Sydney's northern beaches In her previous court appearance for sentencing in 2019, Agostino represented herself after her former barrister, Bronwyn Pullinger withdrew from the case. Magistrate Jacqueline Milledge sentenced Agostino on more than 10 separate charges, with the sentences to be served concurrently. The longest term she received was 24 months in prison, with a non-parole period of 18 months. Agostino told magistrate Jacqueline Milledge at the time it would be her fault if she harmed herself behind bars. 'It's your fault. I've been suicidal in the past,' Agostino said, according to news.com.au. Agostino was told she could apply for bail through the Supreme Court and enter drug rehabilitation - to which the mother responded 'I don't need drug rehab'. 'You do what you want to do because clearly all the choice you have been making are working for you,' Ms Milledge replied. Agostino defence was that she had only half a gram of the drug on her and the knife was a wire-cutting Stanley knife she had found while cleaning her car. The court previously heard how Agostino drove a number of teenage boys wearing black masks to the shops where they jemmied open the doors using a chisel. While Police prosecutor John Sharpin told the court Agostino did not break into the premises herself but was nearby in her car and knew the accused people. Agostino was sentenced in 2019 to 18 months in jail for the break-and-enter robberies on cafes and convenience stores The whirlwind crime spree erupted in the early hours of November 6 last year when security camera footage showed a person trying to break in to a business, dressed in black with their face covered. Three premises were broken into within six minutes. At 1.52am, the Pound and Pizza restaurant in Tramore Place, Killarney Heights was broken into and a Samsung Galaxy mobile phone stolen. Two minutes later, they tried to break in to the House of Fruit convenience store. Two minutes after that, they hit the nearby Le Parisien Cafe. They then drove 15km to the upper north shore suburb of St Ives where they broke into the Stanley Street Cafe at 2.48am, less than an hour after their first attack. A credit card and $300 were stolen from the Stanley Street Cafe and Agostino used the card to buy $11.55 worth of McDonald's in Brookvale. Less than three weeks later, Agostino was again involved in a burglary, breaking in to the Forestville Bakery where $1000 was stolen. She also received separate jail terms of two months apiece in 2019 for a series of bail offences for failing to appear in court. A monkey which received a pig's liver during a groundbreaking experiment in China has survived for over two weeks, experts have claimed. The animal is one of the three macaques that underwent organ transplant operations conducted by a team of surgeons earlier this month, according to a hospital in north-western China's Xi'an city. The success could mean that Chinese researchers are a step closer to solve a global shortage of human organs for transplantation, the hospital has said. A monkey which received a pig's liver during a groundbreaking experiment in China survived for over two weeks, surgeons have claimed. The picture shows the animal after surgery The animal was one of the three rhesus macaques that underwent organ transplant operations conducted by a team of researchers earlier this month in northwestern China's Xi'an city Medical experts extracted a pig's heart, kidney and liver before transplanting the organs to three rhesus macaques on June 13, according to the Xijing Hospital, which is affiliated to China's Air Force Medical University. Footage released by the local government shows one of the primates lying on the operating table after the medical experts completing the procedure. The three transplants were conducted at the same time and all organs were functioning perfectly following the surgery, the Xi'an hospital said. The monkey that received a kidney only survived for a day while the primate with a transplanted heart died after a week. But the macaque with the pig's liver had lived 16 days - the longest-surviving animal to receive a foreign liver transplant in the world - the team announced on Monday. It is understood that the monkey remains alive. A team of Chinese medics extracted a pig's heart, kidney and liver before transplanting the organs to three monkeys on June 13, according to the Xijin Hospital in north-western China The monkey that received a kidney only survived for a day while the primate with a transplanted heart died after a week. The picture shows the monkey after receiving a pig's liver The researchers said that they used a genome-editing technique known as porcine endogenous retroviruses (PERV) to perform the experiment. A scientist is pictured explaining the operation after completing all three transplants from a pig to three monkeys in Xi'an The researchers said that they used a genome-editing technique known as porcine endogenous retroviruses (PERV) to perform the experiment. The record-breaking experiment comes after two chimera piglets containing monkey DNA have previously been born in China. Although both died within a week and appeared to be normal, the baby animals had genetic material from cynomolgus monkeys in their heart, liver, spleen, lung and skin. Scientists said the research, which required more than 4,000 embryos to get the piglets, aims to find ways of growing human organs in animals for transplantation. The record-breaking experiment comes after two chimera piglets containing monkey DNA have previously been born in China. Although both died within a week and appeared to be normal, the baby animals had genetic material from cynomolgus monkeys 'This is the first report of full-term monkey-pig chimeras', Tang Hai at the State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology in Beijing told New Scientist. Five-day old piglet embryos had monkey stem cells injected into them that had been adjusted to produce a flourescent protein, allowing researchers to find out where the cells ended up. The scientists said it was unclear why the two chimera piglets died, but as eight other normal piglets that were implanted also died, they think this is a problem with the IVF process rather than chimerism. Despite the research, some members of the scientific community have warned against creating chimeras due to ethical concerns. Neuroscientist Douglas Munoz at Queen's University in Kingston, Canada, said that research projects like this 'just really ethically scares me'. 'For us to start to manipulate life functions in this kind of way without fully knowing how to turn it off, or stop it if something goes awry really scares me.' Monkey stem cells were injected into five-day-old pig embryos before they were implanted into sows. However, China shows no sign of stopping after proposing to create monkeys with partially human-derived brains in order to better study diseases like Alzheimer's However, China shows no sign of stopping after proposing to create monkeys with partially human-derived brains in order to better study diseases like Alzheimer's. And Yale University stem cell expert Alejandro De Los Angeles has written that the search for a better animal model to stimulate human disease has been a 'holy grail' of biomedical research for decades. 'Realising the promise of human-monkey chimera research in an ethically and scientifically appropriate manner will require a coordinated approach', he said. A human-pig hybrid embryo was created in January 2017, at the Salk Institute in San Diego, but died 28 days later. It is hoped the research could offer an alternative to organ donation. Around three people a day die in the UK according to the NHS and 12 in the US because replacement organs cannot be found. The return of a 'green onion' flavored cereal has been hailed as a major win for democracy in South Korea. Kellogg's has brought back the green onion flavored cereal 16 years after it was first offered as cartoon candidate in a light-hearted 'presidential election' for the Chex Choco Empire in a TV commercial. Makers assumed that chocolate-flavoured Cheki would win over green onion-flavoured Chaka, due to the tastes of children, however South Korean voters had other ideas. The 2004 PR stunt was meant to end in an easy victory for sweet Cheki, but votes for Chaka surged past those for Cheki, catching Kellogg's unawares. Citing multiple votes by individuals, the company halted online voting, threw out duplicate votes and declared Cheki the winner. Kellogg's has brought back the green onion flavored cereal 16 years after it was first offered as cartoon candidate in a light-hearted 'presidential election' for the Chex Choco Empire in a TV commercial Chaka fans cried foul, and decried Cheki's subsequent 16-year rule as that of an illegitimate tyrant. Chaka remained in the public consciousness via regular hashtags like #PrayForChex, and memes depicting the onion character as a freedom fighter. Now the 'president' who was wrongly overthrown has triumphantly returned, the limited edition of the Chex cereal sold out within two days when it hit online stores, following years of almost ceaseless campaigning by enthusiasts. 'We never expected consumers would be interested in this product for over 16 years,' Kim Hee-yeon, a spokeswoman for Kellogg's Korea, told Reuters. 'Every time we launched new cereals or had promotional events, online communities would repeatedly ask for the flavour.' Chaka's success was so momentous that on the day it was announced earlier this month it surged past North Korea's bombing of an inter-Korean liaison office to become the top trending topic on South Korean social media. Now the 'president' who was wrongly overthrown has triumphantly returned, the limited edition of the Chex cereal sold out within two days when it hit online stores 'The cheating forces of Cheki were ousted and Mr. Chaka's 16-year struggle has finally come to an end,' one fan wrote on Twitter. A TV advertisement apologised for the delay and featured a small child whose dreams of onion cereal were crushed. Promotional materials included a faux political poster with an image of Chaka over former U.S. President Barack Obama's campaign slogan 'yes we can.' Limited edition of the five-grain cereals are usually on sale for about three months, but that could be extended if sales are strong, Kim said. The company had been working on developing the cereal for 15 years, but had struggled to find the right onion flavour, she added. When it called for 50 'early tasters' it received more than 14,200 applications. Traditional Korean breakfasts are often savoury and even spicy, and many people seemed to envision the onion flavour as a potential bar snack with beer, rather than in a bowl with milk. 'I had adult-like taste in food since I was young, so I love local food with garlic, green onion or kimchi,' said food blogger Lee Soo-jeong, 24, who voted for Chaka as a child and was an early taster. Her verdict on the long-awaited cereal? 'The green onion flavour is too mild.' Smith, 46, had his wrist broken in the violent incident in Valdosta, Georgia A man is suing Valdosta Police Department officers and the Georgia city of Valdosta for breaking his wrist during a wrongful arrest. Body camera video shows Antonio Arnelo Smith handing his driver's license to a Black police officer and answering questions cooperatively before a white officer walks up behind him, wraps him in a bear hug and slams him face-first to the ground. 'Oh my God, you broke my wrist!' the 46-year-old Black man screams as two more white Valdosta officers arrive, holding him down and handcuffing him following the takedown. One eventually tells Smith he's being arrested on an outstanding warrant, and is immediately corrected by the first officer who says they've got the wrong man. Antonio Arnelo Smith speaks to an officer as Sgt. Billy Wheeler approaches him from behind in Valdosta, Georgia on February 8 Antonio Arnelo Smith is slammed face-first to the ground by a Valdosta police sergeant Antonio Arnelo Smith after being slammed face-first to the ground by a Valdosta police sergeant, in Valdosta on February 8 Clutching his wrist and whimpering, Smith was let go without charges after the violent encounter on February 8 in Valdosta, Georgia, near the Florida state line. He's suing all four officers, as well as Valdosta's police chief, mayor and others, saying police used excessive force and violated his civil rights. 'When you see that video, you can't help but say this is a travesty,' said Nathaniel Haugabrook, one of Smith's attorneys. 'Nobody should be done that way.' The federal lawsuit comes during a national outcry over police brutality against people of color, sparked by the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Haugabrook said police stopped Smith for questioning after a drug store employee reported him for panhandling outside. 'Obviously it has some racial tones to it,' Haugabrook said Thursday. Smith's encounter with police went largely unnoticed for more than four months, until he filed a lawsuit on June 19. The city of Valdosta issued a statement three days after that, saying police are conducting an internal investigation and that Smith never filed a complaint. City officials also released one of the four body camera recordings - that of the officer who grabbed Smith, which doesn't show the takedown because the camera is pressed to Smith's back. Valdosta officials didn't release body camera videos with a clearer view until after the Valdosta Daily Times published one received from Smith's attorneys. Body camera video shows Antonio Arnelo Smith handing his driver's license to a Black police officer and answering questions cooperatively before a white officer walks up behind him, wraps him in a bear hug and slams him face-first to the ground The city's statement said police responding to a report that a man was harassing customers and asking for money outside the drug store simultaneously found two suspects nearby who fit the description. Officers questioning one of them learned he had an outstanding arrest warrant. The other was Smith. The city's statement says that an officer, identified in the lawsuit as Sgt. Billy Wheeler, approached Smith mistakenly believing he was the wanted man, and 'advised him to place his hands behind his back.' Smith 'began to resist by pulling his arms forward and tensing his body,' prompting Wheeler to take him to the ground, the city said. This is not an accurate description of what the officers' body cameras recorded. The video shows Wheeler walk up silently behind Smith, grab his right wrist and pin both of his arms to his sides in a bear hug. Only then does he order Smith to put his pinned hands behind his back, and Wheeler slams him to the ground almost immediately thereafter. Asked about this discrepancy, a city spokeswoman, Ashlyn Johnson, said the city had no further comment. She said she did not know the status of the officers involved. 'The City of Valdosta and the Valdosta Police Department take any report of any injury to a citizen seriously,' the statement said. He's suing all four officers, as well as Valdosta's police chief, mayor and others, saying police used excessive force and violated his civil rights. Violent arrest pictured above The videos, recorded at noon on a clear, sunny day, show the encounter from beginning to end. Smith cries out in pain that his wrist is broken, and Wheeler says: 'Yeah, he might be broke.' The officers remove the handcuffs within about a minute and call for an ambulance. Still on the ground, Smith asks why he's being arrested. 'We have a warrant for your arrest,' one officer tells Smith. That prompts the officer who first stopped Smith, identified in court records as Dominic Henry, to correct them. 'Hey, this was another guy,' Henry says. 'The guy with the warrant's over there. No, there's two different people.' Smith leaves the scene before paramedics arrive. His lawyer said Smith wanted to get away from the officers as quickly as possible, and the wrist never healed properly. Smith's lawsuit in U.S. District Court seeks unspecified monetary damages. In a letter sent to Valdosta officials seeking a settlement before the lawsuit was filed, Smith's attorneys asked for $700,000. But he also wants something more, his lawyer said: A commitment by the Valdosta Police Department to reform. Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, inspects poverty alleviation work in a tea farm of Laoxian Township, Pingli County of the city of Ankang, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, April 21, 2020. (Xinhua/Yan Yan) BEIJING, July 1 (Xinhua) -- The Communist Party of China (CPC) is embracing its 99th anniversary as it leads the country's homestretch toward building a moderately prosperous society in all respects despite the impact of COVID-19 and a global economic recession. The CPC has reaffirmed its commitment to realizing its first centenary goal of creating a well-off society for 1.4 billion Chinese people on schedule. This transformation will be one of the world's most exciting stories in modern history. This miracle is created by a political party that has faced misunderstanding, distrust and even misjudgement that its existence would be short-lived. Uncertainties ripple through the world today, calling into question the definition of governance legitimacy. In this context, the CPC's ideas and practices are increasingly relevant and inspiring in the eyes of the international community. STAYING TRUE TO FOUNDING MISSION Ever since the Party's founding on July 1, 1921, the Chinese communists have been struggling to seek fulfillment for the Chinese people, and rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. After seven decades of governance, the CPC has transformed China from an isolated agricultural society into the world's second-largest open economy. Fireworks explode during a grand evening gala marking the 70th founding anniversary of the People's Republic of China (PRC) in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 1, 2019. (Xinhua/Lan Hongguang) Now the CPC is leading the nation's battle to wipe out the absolute poverty that has haunted the nation for thousands of years. The Party sends its finest cadres to the frontlines to make sure not a single family is left behind on the nation's way to common prosperity. Sticking to its people-centered philosophy, the Party never stops striving to meet the people's needs for a better life, ranging from those in education, employment, medical services and housing, to environment, security, and fairness and justice. The Party has no special interests of its own. It has never been afraid of breaking the shelters of vested interests, and sweeping out obstacles hampering development. That is why the CPC is competent to think both strategically and pragmatically. The leadership keeps its eye on the country's sustainable future and formulates long-term plans, while at the same time setting short-term goals to solve prominent issues that concern the people the most. A recent survey by the Pew Research Center finds China tops the 2019 global rankings in terms of the levels of satisfaction with government performance, with over 86 percent of Chinese surveyed expressing satisfaction, far above the global average of 47 percent. This wide public support is the key to the CPC's strength and confidence in long-term governance. STICKING TO ITS OWN PATH The CPC has created China's recipe for success, officially called "socialism with Chinese characteristics." It is a path suited to China's national conditions. Tourists admire the skyline view of Lujiazui area at the Bund in Shanghai, east China, Jan. 6, 2020.(Xinhua/Wang Xiang) Following this path, China keeps pushing forward reform and opening up. The market-government relationship, where the market plays a decisive role in resource allocation and the government better serves its duty, boosts steady and healthy economic development. Stability is maintained. Social creativity is sparked. The principle of "the people running the country" is put into practice in China's political and social activities. China is proving its resilience in the face of challenges, with its innovation faster, middle class bigger, cultural life richer, and confidence stronger than ever before. As the global economy contracts by 4.9-percent in a coronavirus-driven plunge in output, China is the only major economy that could see growth this year, according to a forecast by the International Monetary Fund. Deputies to the 13th National People's Congress (NPC) leave the Great Hall of the People after the closing meeting of the third session of the 13th NPC in Beijing, capital of China, May 28, 2020. (Xinhua/Xing Guangli) ABILITY TO PURIFY, IMPROVE, REFORM ITSELF To have the courage to carry out self-reform and conduct strict self-governance is the most distinctive part of the Party's character. The CPC has drawn lessons from many political forces that have failed to break the historical cycle of gaining political power only to lose it. It tightens discipline, improves work styles, fights corruption, and punishes wrongdoing. China has also completed massive institutional reform, touching upon a wide range of entities of the Party and the state, paving the way for future development. Its self-reform will never end. The CPC is a dynamic organization with a strong ability to learn and to adapt. It has been advancing theoretical explorations and adapting Marxism to a Chinese context. By improving itself, the CPC has enhanced its ability to lead the country in the course of innovation-driven, coordinated, green, open, and shared development. STRESSING UNITY &VITALITY The CPC upholds democratic centralism. It fully expands intraparty democracy, giving play to the initiative and creativity of Party organizations at all levels as well as its members. Once decisions are made, they should be effectively implemented. Renowned Chinese respiratory specialist Zhong Nanshan (C, front) attends an oath-taking ceremony via video connections for two new probationary Party members in Wuhan to take the oath of joining the Communist Party of China, in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province, March 2, 2020. (Xinhua/Deng Hua) The Party exercises overall leadership and coordinates work in all areas. Under the CPC leadership, people's congresses, governments, and supervisory, judicial, procuratorial, and social organizations work together coordinately. Such mechanisms are especially vital for a big country with complicated national conditions. The system has proven efficient in pooling resources to deal with major problems, such as epidemic prevention and control, relieving natural disasters, and supporting the development of ethnic minorities. The CPC forges a contingent of competent and professional officials, who are a central pillar of strength for the cause of the CPC. Its distinctive organizational arrangements of selecting and appointing officials guarantee the centralized, unified leadership of the CPC Central Committee, and maintain stability and continuity of policies, while stimulating vitality for development. GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE The CPC maintains an open mind towards development experiences of other countries, and is ready to share its own in this increasingly connected world. It embraces the surging trends of global multi-polarity, economic globalization, IT application, and cultural diversity. Members of a Chinese medical team attend a ceremony at Jiangbei International Airport in southwest China's Chongqing, May 13, 2020. The Chinese government sent a team of medical experts to Algeria to help the country fight the COVID-19 pandemic. (Xinhua/Liu Chan) The Party is committed to building a community with a shared future for humanity. China has become an indispensable force in resolving global and regional issues, from wealth inequality and trade and investment to climate change, terrorism, and peace-keeping. The CPC has not only sought to serve the Chinese people, but also made contributions to the development of the whole world through the Belt and Road Initiative, said Salah Adly, general secretary of the Egyptian Communist Party. "China pursues a strategy of international cooperation based on mutual benefit, peace, and prosperity." China is now moving closer to the world's center stage, and closer than ever before to national rejuvenation. The victory to realize the first centenary goal lies ahead, but so do hardships. China is still the world's biggest developing country. It is also facing a complicated external environment, especially when protectionism and unilateralism are bringing uncertainty to the world. Aerial photo taken on Oct. 21, 2018 shows the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai), the main venue of the first China International Import Expo (CIIE), in Shanghai, east China. (Xinhua/Ding Ting) The CPC must continue to reinforce itself for another lofty target: a great, modern socialist country that is prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced, harmonious, and beautiful. As it turns 99, the Party is starting anew to answer history's call in a new era. [ Editor: WXY ] Italian police have seized a record 1 billion euros worth of amphetamine pills known as the 'drug of the Jihad' that arrived from Syria. Investigators discovered 84 million pills of the drug Captagon inside machinery and large cylinders when they impounded three container ships that docked in the southern port of Salerno. The operation was 'the biggest seizure of amphetamines in the world', customs police colonel Domenico Napolitano said. The port of Salerno is in traditional Italian mafia territory and organised crime has long been suspected of having control over drugs coming into the port. Captagon is popular in the Middle East, and widespread in war-torn areas such as Syria, where conflict has fuelled demand and created opportunities for producers. Police used electric saws to cut through cylinders and steel drums, made thick enough to try and evade customs' scanning devices Captagon was used in the 1960s to treat narcolepsy and depression and is one of several brand names for fenethylline hydrochloride A police statement said Captagon was known as the 'drug of the Jihad' after being found in militant hideouts, including one used by the Islamists who killed 90 people at the Bataclan theatre in Paris in 2015. Production was initially concentrated in Lebanon and it provides the Islamic State group with revenue to finance its militant activities, police said. A video posted to the Italian Financial Guard military force's Twitter page showed agents using saws to cut into large paper and steel drums to reveal thousands of tablets stuffed inside. Police used electric saws to cut through 6.5-foot high cylinders, made thick enough to try and evade customs' scanning devices, as they removed the pills from the hollow centers. Italian authorities believe the coronavirus lockdown across Europe has hindered the production and distribution of synthetic drugs, forcing traffickers to organise shipments from Syria to fill the market Police say they're investigating if Naples-based Camorra organized crime clans might have ordered the huge shipment for international sale. Two weeks earlier, a much smaller shipment of the drug was also seized in Salerno's port in a shipment of counterfeit clothing The operation was 'the biggest seizure of amphetamines in the world', customs police colonel Domenico Napolitano said Captagon was used in the 1960s to treat narcolepsy and depression and is one of several brand names for fenethylline hydrochloride, a drug compound belonging to a family of amphetamines that can inhibit fear and ward off tiredness. Italian authorities believe the coronavirus lockdown across Europe has hindered the production and distribution of synthetic drugs, forcing traffickers to organise shipments from Syria to fill the market. Police say they're investigating if Naples-based Camorra organized crime clans might have ordered the huge shipment for international sale. Two weeks earlier a much smaller shipment of the drug was also seized in Salerno's port in a shipment of counterfeit clothing. In that raid, investigators one million Captagon pills as well as 2,800kg of hashish. A military pilot died in a fighter jet crash at Shaw Air Force Base in Sumter, South Carolina. Base officials confirmed the fatality early Wednesday morning, but did not release the name of the pilot. The crash occurred on the military base around 11:30 p.m. Tuesday while the pilot was performing a routine training mission in a F-16CM Fighting Falcon assigned to the 20th Fighter Wing. The pilot was the only person on board. The crash occurred on the military base around 11:30 p.m. Tuesday. Video shared to social media showed the aircraft in flames on the tarmac as smoke billowed from the wreckage Video shared to social media showed the aircraft in flames on the tarmac as smoke billowed from the wreckage. While the cause of the crash is under official investigation, The Aviationist quotes two sources as saying that 'the accident may have been caused by an inability of the aircraft to extend its landing gear into the landing configuration.' The jet reportedly 'flew as low as possible' so the pilot could eject, but the aircraft 'crashed and flipped'. Shaw is one of the largest Air Force bases in the country, with more than 5.400 military members on base. Tuesday's accident was the latest in a series of Air Force crashes that have occurred across the past five weeks. The pilot was performing a routine training mission in a F-16CM Fighting Falcon jet (pictured) Last month, there were two crashes on at the Eglin Air Force Base in Florida. On May 15, an F-22 assigned to the 43rd Fighter Squadron crashed, but the pilot managed to safely eject. Less than a week later, an F-35A Lightning II from 58th Fighter Squadron crashed at the base. The pilot also managed to safely eject from the aircraft and was transported to hospital. Prominent Tory MP David Davis today accused Public Health England of being 'over-controlling' amid mounting pressure on Number 10 to scrap the agency over its handling of the Covid-19 crisis. In a scathing attack on the government-run body, Mr Davis claimed it had got 'every single task' wrong since the coronavirus outbreak began to spiral out of control. PHE was responsible for the initially chaotic coronavirus testing regime as well as the decision made early in the crisis to abandon widespread tracking of the virus. The move was seen by many scientists as one of the central mistakes in Britain's handling of the pandemic. The UK has the highest number of coronavirus deaths in Europe. Mr Davis told MailOnline: 'They made a complete mess of the testing arrangements; they were over-centralised, over-controlling and massively reduced our ability to test.' He warned the decision criticised heavily by top scientists at the time then 'handicapped' later decisions and was 'precisely the wrong thing to do'. It comes after it was reported last night that the future of Public Health England was in doubt after Boris Johnson admitted parts of the government's Covid-19 response had been 'sluggish'. And yesterday it was revealed that 1,000 grieving families who've lost loved ones to coronavirus are preparing legal action against the government over claims they would not have died had ministers locked down the country sooner. In a scathing attack on the government-run body, Tory MP David Davis claimed PHE had got 'every single task' wrong since the coronavirus outbreak began to spiral out of control Former Conservative leader Iain Duncan Smith added that he would 'abolish PHE tomorrow' because it has made decisions which 'puzzled people'. When asked if he agreed with Sir Iain's claim he would scrap the agency in a heartbeat, Mr Davis told MailOnline: 'We've probably got other things to do. 'But before the winter crisis, the government has to reorganise this, whether that's abolition or taking some of the powers away from them and giving them to someone else.' Mr Davis, MP for Haltemprice and Howden in Yorkshire, added: 'We can't manage the next winter [the ways things are run now].' MailOnline has approached Public Health England for comment. The Prime Minister did not name PHE in his speech but sources told The Daily Telegraph that they believed he was referring to the beleaguered agency. It comes after it was reported last night that the future of Public Health England was in doubt after Boris Johnson admitted parts of the government's Covid-19 response had been 'sluggish' PHE was responsible for the initially chaotic coronavirus testing regime as well as the decision made early in the crisis to abandon widespread tracking of the virus. Pictured, a member of the military working at a drive-through testing centre passes swabs to a car Mr Jonson, who said the failures in dealing with the pandemic had made it feel like being in a 'recurring bad dream', had earlier criticised the body's response in MP meetings. He hinted that PHE's existence might be under threat when he told the 1922 Committee of Tory MPs in May that he was planning a review of 'a number of institutions' after the pandemic is over. WHAT HAS PUBLIC HEALTH ENGLAND DONE WRONG? Public Health England has come under fire for the way it has handled the UK's coronavirus testing system, for which it was responsible at the start of the Covid-19 crisis. Its directors have tried to divert blame, explaining that major decisions are taken by Government ministers in the Department of Health, but the body has been accused of being controlling. These are some of the mis-steps for which PHE has been blamed: Test and trace stopped on March 12 On March 12 the Government announced it would no longer test everybody who was thought to have coronavirus, and it would stop tracking the contacts of cases to try and stop the spread of the disease. As a result, Britain effectively stopped tracking the virus and it was allowed to spiral out of control. It didn't have the capacity to test the number of people who were catching the virus, officials have since admitted. Conservative MP David Davis today said that was 'precisely the wrong thing to do'. Professor Yvonne Doyle, PHE's medical director, told MPs in May: 'It was a decision that was come to because of the sheer scale of cases in the UK'. Insufficient contact tracing capacity Papers published by Government scientists on SAGE revealed that PHE only had enough contact tracing capacity to last two weeks in the event of a virus outbreak. PHE experts themselves said in February that capacity should be increased immediately but admitted it could only be expanded about 10-fold, to contact 8,000 people per day, which still wouldn't be enough. The paper warned: 'Where cases of higher generational numbers become predominant CCI is expected to be of limited benefit outside of certain special cases and should be discontinued.' Pledged antibody tests in March PHE's Professor Sharon Peacock said on March 25 that the UK was on course to have antibody tests available to the public that month. She confirmed the Government had bought 3.5million of the tests and was evaluating their quality. They could be available to the public 'within days', she said at a Downing Street briefing. Three months later, however, and they are still not a reality. Officials have since decided there are no tests good enough available, and there is no proof that the results will be of any use to the public. Testing efforts slowed by centralised lab approach Scientists in private labs, universities and research institutes across the country said in April that their offers to help with coronavirus testing had fallen on deaf ears. PHE was pressing ahead with a 'centralised' model of testing in which only its own eight laboratories and some in NHS hospitals were being used to analyse tests. 'Little ship' labs, of which there are hundreds around the country, had the tools to process tests and could have increased testing capacity rapidly if officials had agreed to work with them, they said. But it took Britain until the end of April to manage more than 100,000 tests in a day, while Germany had been managing the feat for weeks by utilising private laboratories. Advertisement PHE an executive agency of the Department of Health was also criticised for refusing the offer of help from universities and private labs to carry out tests. Yesterday the agency was at the head of a painful public row after the Government ordered the localised lockdown of Leicester to stop a new outbreak. Councillors in the East Midlands city expressed their anger at a lack of testing data and information after the infection rate rose during the past two weeks. Speaking last night, Mr Johnson said: 'I know that there are plenty of things that people say and will say that we got wrong. 'We owe that discussion and honesty to the tens of thousands who have died before their time, to the families who have lost loved ones, and of course there must be time to learn the lessons, and we will.' He added: 'The problems in our social care system, the parts of government that seemed to respond so sluggishly that sometimes it seemed like that recurring bad dream when you are telling your feet to run and your feet won't move.' A former Conservative health minister told The Telegraph: 'I think PHE is destined for the chop, and the main issue is why we didn't ramp up testing sooner'. Among PHE's alleged failures are that - according to another source - it has been 'too slow' and forced the Government to intervene to take over some of its functions. And the Joint Biosecurity Centre, which was set up at the beginning of June and determines the UK's COVID-19 alert level, was reportedly established to do the job PHE should have been doing. The Telegraph added that the Treasury under Chancellor Rishi Sunak is reviewing plans about whether or not plans for a new PHE base in Harlow, Essex, should go ahead. Mr Johnson's comments came in a speech in which he vowed to move on from the coronavirus crisis with a package of spending measures. Relaunching his Government, the Prime Minister pledged to bring forward 'the most radical reforms of our planning system since the end of the Second World War'. He said the move, which will see ministers take the axe to swathes of red tape, would pave the way for an 'infrastructure revolution' that would create jobs now and improve productivity long-term. Mr Johnson said the Government wanted to 'build, build, build', but added that he would 'build back better, build back greener, build back faster.' Chancellor Rishi Sunak will lead a new unit, dubbed 'Project Speed' to fast track major infrastructure projects and identify bottlenecks in the system that need to be cleared away. The Prime Minister hinted that he would also take the bulldozer to parts of the Whitehall machine, saying he had been frustrated by its 'sluggish' response to the coronavirus pandemic. Families who've lost loved ones to coronavirus are preparing legal action against the Government over claims they would not have died had ministers locked down the country sooner, it was reported last night. Around 1,000 grieving relatives say the Government 'gambled' with people's lives when they failed to act quickly enough or heed the warnings from other countries as Covid-19 tore across Europe. They also want an investigation into the flawed testing regime, the levels of protective clothing that was available and other issues surrounding planning for the pandemic. The group has engaged lawyers for advice, are petitioning for a public inquiry and have demanded a meeting with the Prime Minister and Health Secretary. Jo Goodman, spokesman for the Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice group, whose father, Stuart, 72, contracted the virus the week before lockdown and died on April 2, said she was 'appalled' that the Government had so far 'blanked' their request to meet. Boris Johnson unveiled firm plans for the UK to take in up to three million Hong Kong residents today as he blasted China over a draconian new clampdown on opposition. The Prime Minister hit out after the introduction of a landmark new security law giving the communist state sweeping powers to punish dissent in the former British territory. He said that the legislation - which sparked a new wave of protests today - was a a 'clear and serious violation' of the joint declaration between the UK and China over Hong Kong's future. And he said that the UK would open its doors to those living there to come to Britain to escape the clampdown by the totalitarian regime. Speaking at Prime Minister's Questions today Mr Johnson said: 'The enactment an imposition of this national security law constitutes a clear and serious breach of the Sino-British joint declaration. 'It violates Hong Kong's high degree of autonomy and is in direct conflicts with Hong Kong's basic laws. The law also threatens freedoms and rights protected by the joint declaration. 'We made clear that if China continued down this path we would introduce a new route for those with ''British National Overseas'' status to enter the UK, granting them limited leave to remain with the ability to live and work in the UK and thereafter to apply for citizenship, and that is precisely what we will do now.' Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab later told MPs that BNOs would receive five-years' leave to remain under a 'bespoke' immigration plan. A man with a 'Hong Kong Independence' flag was the first to be arrested hours after the law came into force, 23 years to the day since Britain returned the former colony to Chinese rule. Shadow foreign secretary Lisa Nandy raised concerns over police brutality in Hong Kong and called for an inquiry. She told the Commons: 'Overnight pepper spray and water cannons were used against the pro-democracy protesters. It is now time for Britain to lead on an inquiry into police brutality.' The Prime Minister hit out after the introduction of a a landmark new security law giving the communist state draconian powers to punish dissent in the former British territory There were protests in Hong Kong after the law came into force, 23 years to the day since Britain returned the former colony to Chinese rule Huawei 5G role 'under review' as MPs urge UK to hit China in the wallet Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said the Chinese telecom firm Huawei's involvement in the UK's future 5G network is 'under further review'. Tory MP Jonathan Gullis (Stoke on Trent North) called for Huawei to have no part in the UK's 5G network. Mr Raab said: 'The issue we have got in 5G is frankly a longer-term issue where we failed to provide the diversion of supply which allows us to rely on high-trust vendors rather than high-risk vendors. 'That matter is now, as he knows, in light of US sanctions currently under further review by the National Centre for Cyber Security and we will come to the House when that has thoroughly been looked at.' Former Conservative party leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith told MPs 'it is time to hit them in the one place that China cares about, which is its economy'. Sir Iain said: 'We run to China to buy goods and to invest, it is time for us now to review every single programme here in the UK and around the free world. We learnt a lesson 80 years ago about appeasement of dictators, maybe that should be applied today.' Dominic Raab replied 'it is right to say that what is at threat here is not just individual obligations in relation to the people of Hong Kong, but a wider question of China trying to recraft the rules of the international system'. Fellow Tory Bob Seely (Isle of Wight) said: 'We were slow to prepare for the new authoritarianism in Russia and now China. Will he take the feelings and the sentiment that he's heard today from the House on Huawei, on other issues, on board?' Mr Raab told MPs that although the UK does not want a bad relationship with China, 'we will not do anything that imperils our vital interests and we will not lie down and sacrifice our values for the purposes of trade, commerce or anything like that'. Advertisement Mr Johnson is under pressure from across the political spectrum to take a firmer stance against Beijing, including over the role of Chinese firm Huawei in the UK's 5G network. He was also facing calls to act over the breach of the 1985 Sino-British Joint Declaration, the legally binding agreement to give Hong Kong a level of autonomy for at least 50 years under the 'one party, two systems' plan. Downing Street later warned Beijing that the UK's relationship with China 'does not come at any price'. The Prime Minister's official spokesman said: 'Our approach to China remains clear-eyed and rooted in our values and interests. We have a strong and constructive relationship with China in many areas. 'China has to be part of the solution to any major global problem we face, whether ensuring we do not face another global health crisis, supporting vulnerable countries or addressing climate change, but this relationship does not come at any price. 'It has always been the case that where we have concerns we raise them and where we need to intervene then we will.' Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab told MPs this afternoon: 'For our part, the PM and the Government are crystal clear, the UK will keep its word. 'We will live up to our responsibilities to the people of Hong Kong and I can tell the House that after further detailed discussions with the Home Secretary, I can now confirm we will proceed to honour our commitment to change the arrangements for those holding BNO status. 'And I can update honourable members that we have worked with ministers right across Whitehall and we have now developed proposals for a bespoke immigration route for BNOs and their dependants. We will grant BNOs five years' limited leave to remain, with a right to work or study. 'After these five years they'll be able to apply for settled status and after a further 12 months with settled status, they will be able to apply for citizenship. 'This is a special bespoke set of arrangements, developed for the unique circumstances we face and in light of our historic commitment to the people of Hong Kong. All of those with BNO status will be eligible as will their dependants who are usually resident in Hong Kong and the Home Office will put in place a simple streamlined application process and I can reassure (honourable members) there will be no quotas on numbers.' The legislation - which would allow authorities to crack down on subversive and secessionist activity in the former British colony - has strained relations with Britain and the US. China rammed the law through its rubber-stamp parliament and kept the wording shrouded in secrecy, but finally revealed details last night - unveiling strict new measures which could see Hong Kong protesters repressed on the mainland. Vandalism against government buildings or public transport can now be treated as subversion or terrorism with life sentences for those who break the rules. China's feared security agencies will openly set up shop in Hong Kong for the first time, and human rights groups say the law has 'frightening loopholes' which could allow Beijing to round up protesters and extradite them to the mainland. Beijing has faced a chorus of anger over the law but insists it is only aimed at a 'handful of criminals' and told foreign critics it was 'none of your business'. The UK has offered to allow almost three million of Hong Kong's inhabitants the opportunity to come to Britain if Beijing imposes the national security law. Boris Johnson has said he would effectively upgrade the status of British National (Overseas) passports, which 350,000 people in Hong Kong hold and 2.5 million are eligible to apply for, to grant immigration rights beyond the current six-month limit. Mr told MPs this afternoon that the legislation contains measures that 'directly threaten the freedoms and rights' of the people of Hong Kong. He said: 'First, the legislation violates the high degree of autonomy, executive and legitimate powers and independent judicial authority provided for in paragraph 3 of the joint declaration.' Police display a public announcement banner showing a warning to protesters in Causeway Bay before the annual handover march in Hong Kong thoday Police detain a protester after spraying pepper spray during a protest marking the 23rd anniversary of UK pulling out of Hong Kong in 1997 Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab told MPs this afternoon that the legislation contains measures that 'directly threaten the freedoms and rights' of the people of Hong Kong Mr Raab told MPs that the legislation also contains measures 'that directly threaten the freedoms and rights protected by the joint declaration'. He said the measures 'represent a flagrant assault on freedom of speech and freedom of peaceful protest for the people of Hong Kong'. Mr Raab said: 'Third, the legislation provides that Hong Kong's chief executive rather than the chief justice will appoint judges to hear national security cases, a move that clearly risks undermining the independence of Hong Kong's judiciary.' Tom Tugendhat, the Tory chairman of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee, raised concerns about Chinese influence in the UK's universities. Mr Tugendhat said he welcomes the Government's commitment to those holding BNO passports. He added: 'Can I also, however, state that the nature of extraterritoriality that he speaks about has direct implications on our own university sector and on freedom of speech within our own academic institutions as Chinese students have already been influenced to silence debate and change outcomes here in the UK.' On British judges sitting in Hong Kong, Mr Tugendhat said: 'How can they do that, how can they defend civil rights and commercial rights if they are being violated by the very law they are sent to uphold?' He added: 'And as one final point, would he join with me and the chairs of the select committees of Australia, Canada and New Zealand and call not just to make a statement at the UN Human Rights Council, but to ask that same council to send a special rapporteur to Hong Kong, because what happens in Hong Kong matters to the whole world?' Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab addressed reporters outside the Foreign and Commonwealth Office this morning The Hong Kong crackdown begins: Police fire water cannon at protesters and man holding independence flag becomes the first to be arrested under China's new security law Hong Kong police today made their first arrests under a landmark new security law giving Beijing draconian powers to punish dissent in the city. A man with a 'Hong Kong Independence' flag was the first to be arrested hours after the law came into force, and 23 years to the day since Britain returned the former colony to China - with the city's cherished freedoms now in doubt. Police later made six more arrests under the new law - including a 15-year-old girl with another independence flag - while 180 people were detained on other charges after a new round of protests which led to authorities firing water cannon. China rammed the law through its rubber-stamp parliament and kept the wording shrouded in secrecy, but finally revealed details last night - unveiling strict new measures which could see Hong Kong protesters repressed on the mainland. Vandalism against government buildings or public transport can now be treated as subversion or terrorism with life sentences for those who break the rules. China's feared security agencies will openly set up shop in Hong Kong for the first time, and human rights groups say the law has 'frightening loopholes' which could allow Beijing to round up protesters and extradite them to the mainland. Beijing has faced a chorus of anger over the law, including from Britain which today called it a 'clear and serious violation' of the treaty which led to the 1997 handover. However, China insists the law is only aimed at a 'handful of criminals' and told foreign critics it was 'none of your business'. The first victim of China's new security law: A man with a 'Hong Kong Independence' flag was arrested in Causeway Bay hours after the law came into force A woman was arrested for carrying this sign calling for 'Hong Kong independence' which was decorated with British and American flags Riot police deploy pepper spray towards journalists as protesters gathered for a rally against the new national security law in Hong Kong Police fired water cannon to disperse protesters today after the passage of a law which China claims will not affect Hong Kong's freedoms despite international criticism Riot police gesture during a rally against the new security law in Hong Kong today as the law's passage coincided with the 23rd anniversary of the city's return to Chinese rule Activists say the bill will be 'the end of Hong Kong as we know it' while China insists it is necessary to restore order after months of violent clashes in the city (pictured, protesters march in Hong Kong today) Hong Kong's Beijing-backed leader Carrie Lam strongly endorsed the new law in her speech marking the 23rd anniversary of the handover today. 'This decision was necessary and timely to maintain Hong Kong's stability,' Lam said following a flag-raising ceremony and the playing of China's national anthem. Speaking at the harbour-front venue where the last British governor Chris Patten handed Hong Kong back to Chinese rule, Lam described it as the most important development in the 23 years since then. Luo Huining, the head of Beijing's top representative office in Hong Kong, said at the ceremony that the law was a 'common aspiration' of Hong Kong citizens. A pro-democracy party, The League of Social Democrats, organised a protest march during the flag-raising ceremony. About a dozen participants chanted slogans echoing demands from protesters last year for political reform and an investigation into accusation of police abuse. The law's passage topples the legal firewall that has existed between the city's judiciary and the mainland's party-controlled courts. Critics say the law effectively ends the 'one country, two systems' framework under which Hong Kong was promised a 'high degree of autonomy' after the handover. China promised to maintain Hong Kong's way of life for at least 50 years, but 23 of them have passed and critics say that Beijing has already reneged on the deal. Article 55 of the law states that Beijing's national security office in Hong Kong could exercise jurisdiction over 'complex' or 'serious' cases. In Beijing, Zhang Xiaoming of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office said suspects arrested by Beijing's new security office could be tried on the mainland. He said the mainland's national security office abided by Chinese law and that Hong Kong''s legal system could not be expected to implement the laws of the mainland. Local authorities are barred from interfering with central government bodies operating in Hong Kong while they are carrying out their duties, according to the text of the law. Schools, social groups, media outlets, websites and others will be monitored while China's central government will have authority over the activities of foreign non-governmental organizations and media outlets in Hong Kong. Article 38 even suggests that people living outside Hong Kong could be prosecuted for crimes committed abroad. Police have already begun enforcing the new law, holding up a purple banner warning protesters that they could be prosecuted under it. A woman with a sign saying 'Hong Kong independence' adorned with British and American flags met the same fate as the first man arrested, with police vowing to 'take resolute enforcement action in accordance with' the new law. 'Advocacy for independence of Hong Kong is against the law,' security minister John Lee told reporters. More than 70 others were arrested over illegal gatherings, although they were not detained under the new law. Hong Kong's Chief Executive Carrie Lam (central) stands with former chief executives as they attend a flag-raising ceremony to mark 23 years since the colony was handed back to China The Chinese and Hong Kong flags are unfurled during a flag-raising ceremony at the Golden Bauhinia Square in Hong Kong Critics of the national security law staged a protest in Hong Kong today to coincide with the flag-raising ceremony Riot police clear a street as protesters gathered to rally against the new national security law A protester (right) dressed as a Chinese police officer takes part in a protest in Causeway Bay today A campaign group called Fight for Freedom: Stand With Hong Kong said it was the 'darkest day for the people of Hong Kong since the handover in 1997'. 'What it means is that Hong Kong, as the world knows it, is dead,' the group said, comparing the law to the construction of the Berlin Wall. 'This sweeping law has effectively ended 'One Country, Two Systems', which has been the foundation of Hong Kong's prosperity.' More than two dozen countries - including Britain, France, Germany and Japan - urged Beijing to reconsider the law, saying in a statement to the UN Human Rights Council that it undermines the city's freedoms. The U.S. has already begun moves to end special trade terms given to the territory, saying military exports could fall into the hands of the Communist Party. Congress has also moved to impose sanctions on people deemed connected to political repression in Hong Kong, including police officials. Britain has said it could offer residency and possible citizenship to about three million of Hong Kong's 7.5million people. Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said today that Beijing had breached the Joint Declaration between the UK and China which agreed the terms of the handover. Due to make a statement to MPs in the House of Commons later in the day, Mr Raab said he will 'honour' the UK commitment to those with the British National (Overseas) nationality. His Labour counterpart Lisa Nandy said the government had 'failed to provide further details' on its proposals since first voicing them five weeks ago, and urged Mr Raab to 'lay out the concrete steps he will take' later today. China has said it will impose visa restrictions on Americans it sees as interfering over Hong Kong. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo denounced the threat of a visa ban as a sign of 'how Beijing refuses to take responsibility for its own choices' and said the law's adoption 'destroys the territory's autonomy and one of China's greatest achievements.' Beijing's 'paranoia and fear of its own people's aspirations have led it to eviscerate the very foundation of the territory's success,' Pompeo said in a statement. Canada, meanwhile, updated a travel advisory for citizens in Hong Kong warning that they faced an increased risk of arbitrary detention or even extradition to China. China said Canada's actions were 'completely unreasonable.' 'Hong Kong affairs are China's internal affairs, no foreign country should interfere,' foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said at a regular briefing. In Taiwan, which Beijing regards as a breakaway province, authorities opened a new office to deal with Hong Kongers seeking refuge. Around 5,000 Hong Kongers moved to Taiwan last year as the city was shaken by massive anti-government protests. Helicopters fly the Hong Kong and China flags over Victoria Harbour as Hong Kong marks the 23rd anniversary of its handover to China At her weekly press conference on Tuesday morning, Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam (pictured) - a pro-Beijing appointee - declined to comment on what the law contained Pro-Beijing supporters wave Chinese and Hong Kong flags and drink champagne today as they celebrate a controversial new security law Authorities in Beijing and Hong Kong have repeatedly said the legislation is aimed at a few 'troublemakers' and will not affect rights and freedoms. Zhang, the official at the Hong Kong and Macau office, rejected foreign criticism of the law today and said: 'It's none of your business'. 'If what we want is one country, one system, it would have been simple,' Zhang said. 'We are completely able to impose the criminal law, the criminal procedure and the national security law and other national laws on Hong Kong. 'Why would we need to put so much effort into formulating a national security law tailor-made for Hong Kong?' Some pro-Beijing officials and political commentators say the law is aimed at sealing Hong Kong's 'second return' to the motherland after the first failed to secure order. They also say the measure will restore business confidence after a year of historic pro-democracy protests. Millions took to the streets last year while a smaller hardcore of protesters frequently battled police in violent confrontations that saw more than 9,000 arrested. Hong Kong banned protests in recent months, citing previous unrest and the coronavirus pandemic, although local transmissions have ended. 'With the release of the full detail of the law, it should be clear to those in any doubt that this is not the Hong Kong they grew up in,' said Hasnain Malik, head of equity research at Tellimer in Dubai. 'I saw this morning there are celebrations for Hong Kong''s handover, but to me it is a funeral, a funeral for 'one country two systems',' said lawmaker Kwok Ka-ki. China yesterday boasted of holding 'a sword over lawbreakers' heads' after Beijing passed the new security law. President Xi Jinping signed the law into effect Tuesday after it was unanimously passed by Beijing's rubber-stamp parliament, side-stepping a vote in Hong Kong. A pro-China supporter takes a selfie at a rally in Hong Kong today as news filtered out that the new security law had been passed Hong Kong police detain a pro-democracy protester during demonstrations in May Pro-democracy campaigner Joshua Wong (pictured) said that 'sweeping powers and ill-defined law' would make Hong Kong into a 'secret police state' The 'one country, two systems' formed the bedrock of the city's transformation into a world-class business hub, bolstered by a reliable judiciary. Critics have long accused Beijing of chipping away at that status, but they describe the security law as the most brazen move yet. Human rights groups have warned the law could target opposition politicians seen as insufficiently loyal to Beijing for arrest or disqualification. Amnesty International said before the law was published in full that it appeared to contain 'frightening loopholes that would enable mainland authorities to detain and try suspects'. 'There are also questions over whether the law will allow national security detainees to be treated differently from other criminal suspects,' Amnesty said. 'This could include being held in special detention facilities or being detained for indefinite periods of time. It could even involve being extradited to the mainland a threat that prompted, and was blunted by, the 2019 protest movement.' On the mainland, national security laws are routinely used to jail critics, especially for the vague offence of 'subversion'. 'It marks the end of Hong Kong that the world knew before,' said activist figurehead Joshua Wong, as he quit the pro-democracy Demosisto party he founded during the 2014 umbrella protest amid fears of reprisals. 'With sweeping powers and ill-defined law, the city will turn into a secret police state. Hong Kong protesters now face high possibilities of being extradited to China's courts for trials and life sentences,' he added. Medics who came to New York to help it battle coronavirus when it was the epicenter of the pandemic claim they were short changed their wages, kept inside their hotel rooms and banned from having sex while in the city. The group have sued the company they worked for, Ambulnz, in court in Brooklyn. They claim Ambulnz changed their wage policy once they had already begun work in New York, and allege that the company forced them to stay in their hotel rooms when not on shift, banning them from alcohol or sex because they had to always be on call. One paramedic who traveled to New York from Colorado, 66-year-old Paul Cary, died from coronavirus on April 29, having begun work with Ambulnz on April 1 and falling ill a fortnight later. 'In addition to exercising total control of the movements and whereabouts of Plaintiff and similarly-situated EMTs and paramedics, Ambulnz further controlled their activities, including by prohibiting them from consuming alcohol or engaging in any sexual activity while at their hotel, in order to remain "on call" for any emergencies,' the lawsuit states. James Richard and other EMTs are suing Ambulnz claiming they were not paid promised wages James Richard, 26, the lead plaintiff in the case, traveled from Tennessee to help New York. He worked 12-hour, seven-day shifts for Ambulnz and claims he was promised he'd be paid on a 24-hour, seven days a week basis by the company since the job required him to be on call at all hours. Richard said he worked throughout the month of April responding to heart attacks, gunshot incidents and COVID-19 cases while helping the fire department respond to 911 calls. When he wasn't working, Richard said he was awakened by blaring calls on his emergency-responder radio, which he was required to have with him at all times. Richard told The New York Post he only learned of the company's actual pay policy about two weeks into his stint when he was given a document showing that his pay 1.25 times his regular pay, plus overtime, for seven 12-hour shifts a week would be less than other FEMA responders. He said he was told he could accept the terms or go home. 'I didn't want to leave New York in that state,' he told the paper. 'Morally, I couldn't do that.' Ambulnz, with offices in New York and California, recruited medics to work in New York His attorney, Sally Abrahamson, said he did not expect to make a fortune but did expect to be paid what he was promised. 'Ambulnz promised EMTs and paramedics 24/7 pay only to renege on that once people were deployed to New York City,' she said. 'They did not make, nor did they expect to make, an exorbitant amount of money. 'But, they put their lives on the line and deserve to be paid what they were promised and what the law requires.' After shifts, Richard claims EMTs were not allowed to make their own travel arrangements to get back to the hotel from work sites, but were forced to wait for shuttles for the company or FEMA to transport them, the lawsuit says. When they weren't working their shifts, the EMTs were required to stay in their hotel rooms or otherwise face suspension or termination, according to the lawsuit. James Richard, the lead plaintiff, says the company controlled their lives while in the City The company allegedly monitored the workers' movements by stationing a security guard in the lobby of the hotel, as well as requiring the EMTs to carry phones with GPS. Abrahamson said that once its workers returned home, Ambulnz asked them to sign general-release agreements giving up their right to recover unpaid wages Ambulnz said the suit was 'without merit' and their pay package was fair. 'Ambulnz verified compensation practices for our New York City COVID-19 response contract with two separate, independent top tier labor law firms,' the company said in a statement. 'Both of these firms confirmed that our payroll practices exceeded the amount required by law. 'We are completely confident in the rightness of our position, and believe this lawsuit is without merit.' However, legal experts indicated such employment conditions merit better treatment. Louis Pechman, who teaches a course on wage theft at Fordham Law School, told the New York Daily News the group had a strong case. 'When you tell an employee you have to stay in your hotel room, can't have a beer, and can't have sex, that's pretty good evidence that the time belongs to the company and should be compensable,' he said. More than 25,000 out-of-state EMTs and medics traveled to New York state by April 8, to help with the pandemic. In New York there have been at least 24,855 deaths and 393,454 cases. At the height of the pandemic in April more than 700 patients a day were dying from coronavirus and there were at least 10,000 new infections daily. A driver has been left stunned after he was slapped with a $253 fine for honking his horn outside a pizza shop. Jamie Wimmer received the infringement notice in June after he honked the horn of his car out the front of a pizza joint in Port Adelaide, South Australia. On the notice, the business owner is accused of sounding his horn 'when not permitted to do so'. Jamie Wimmer posted a selfie with the fine on Instagram last week and labelled it 'sketchy' He posted a selfie with the fine on Instagram and labelled it 'sketchy'. 'Now fam I'm no lawyer but that wording is a little sketchy,' he wrote in the caption. 'Basically it means they can fine you whenever they need cash for weekend beers.' Jamie Wimmer (pictured with his partner) said the fine 'basically means they can fine you whenever they need cash for weekend beers' In Australia, it is illegal to honk a car horn unless you are letting other drivers know where you are, coaxing animals off the road, or to stop theft. Sounding a horn for any other reason could land New South Wales drivers a $344 fine, Tasmanian motorists a $126 fine, and Victorian drivers a $282 fine. Last year, South Australian police issued more than $5,000 in fines for people who honked their car horns illegally. A murder investigation has been launched after a 'sweet' five-year-old girl was allegedly killed by her 'severely depressed' mother who then tried take her own life. Little Sayagi Karunanantham was found by neighbours 'lifeless' at her home in Mitcham, south London yesterday with her mother Sutha Karunanantham, 35, in a pool of blood. The neighbours had rushed to the flat on Tuesday afternoon when they heard screaming, and have said they found a 'big bread knife' at the scene. Locals have spoken of their shock after the pair, pictured for the first time today, were flown to hospital following an incident inside the flat in Monarch Parade. The child was pronounced dead shortly after arriving while the woman remains in a critical condition after undergoing a five-hour operation. Sayagi Karunanantham, five, was stabbed to death in her South London home last night while her mother, 35, named locally as Sutha Karunanantham, was in a critical condition in hospital Met Police have launched a murder investigation into the incident, saying all parties involved were known to each other and are not looking for anyone else in connection with the incident Forensic teams and uniformed officers were seen outside the property in Mitcham this morning Floral tributes in memory of the five-year-old girl, were left tied to railings outside the flat The Metropolitan Police said it believes that all parties involved were known to each other and is currently not looking for anyone else in connection with the incident. Detective Chief Inspector Justin Howick said: 'This is a tragic incident and we are working very hard to fully understand what has happened. 'Whilst I know the effects of this incident will, understandably, shock and sadden the local community, please be reassured that we are not seeking anyone else in connection with Sayagi's death and there is no cause for the community to be fearful or alarmed. 'I would like to hear from anyone who feels they may have information that could assist our investigation.' NHS worker and neighbour Elsa Gonzales, 47, described hearing screaming and crying coming from the property, where a family-of-four from Sri Lanka lived. When she arrived with her sister - Riza Marfilla, 55 - she discovered the woman wearing only her underwear. She said: 'A young boy was crying and screaming. I went next door and saw the lady on the floor covered in blood. She had what looked like a knife wound in her stomach. A police cordon remains in force at the scene of the incident, which left a child dead and a woman in a critical condition Sayagi Karunanantham, pictured left and night, was pronounced dead on Tuesday and described by neighbours as 'such a good girl' 'She killed her daughter and then she tried to kill herself. That's what I believe the boy said.' I was on the phone to 999 and I tried to see if the young girl was likely to survive but she looked lifeless there was so much blood everywhere. She had a cut to her throat and I thought that must be it for her, the poor sweet baby. My sister saw a knife, a big bread knife, by the side of the child, Gonzales said. Scotland Yard said it has not made any arrests. They are not looking for anyone else in connection with the incident. Little Sayagi was attending a local Tamil class to learn her parent's language, sources close to the family told MailOnline. Her father, Sivanantham Karunanantham, known as Suganthan, works in a local Sainsbury's supermarket and received a call while on shift informing him of the tragedy. He is being comforted by friends and family today. Sources close to him said his wife had undergone an operation lasting five hours for a knife wound to her stomach and faced further surgery. Ms Gonzales said she had heard the mother was 'severely depressed' and had also been suffering from illness before the incident. NHS worker and neighbour Elsa Gonzales, 47, pictured, described hearing screaming and crying coming from the flat in Monarch Parade A forensics team were seen entering the flat in Mitcham today while a uniformed police officer stood guard outside the first floor property A pool of blood could be seen today outside the property in Monarch Parade, where the girl and woman were found Wahe Guna, 27, who works at the Kwik Mart shop below the flat in Monarch Parade, pictured, said the family were regular customers Blood was seen on the doorstep of the property in Mitcham this morning, as police continue to investigate Paying tribute to the young girl, Ms Gonzales said: 'She's so smart and so tough. She was always fighting with the boys when she played. 'She's always smiling at me. She was such a good girl. My heart breaks for her.' Another neighbour Riza Marfilla, 55, said: 'It's so sad. She likes Bruno - my dog. Whenever she would see him, she would be shoutIng 'Bruno! Bruno!'. 'She is such a sweet child.' A forensics team were seen entering the flat today while a uniformed police officer stood guard outside the first floor property. Meanwhile flowers have been left tied on to a railing outside the flat. One witness saw the father, a worker at Sainsbury's, being spoken to by police. Wahe Guna, 27, who works at the Kwik Mart shop below the flat in Monarch Parade, said the family were regular customers. The Metropolitan Police said they will be releasing further information about the incident later He said: 'He comes everyday in the shop. In the last two or three days I didn't see him. His daughter and his son are of good character. I'm so sad to think she is gone. 'They're a good family. Everyday he comes in to spend a few pounds. Some days I give the children chocolates. 'Yesterday I didn't see them. I didn't see them on Monday or Tuesday.' He added: 'Some people said there were family problems. I've heard people say the mother is depressed. 'At around 4pm yesterday, there was a helicopter and police blocked the road. 'Last Monday he was all smiles. She talked and said, how are you? I don't know what could have happened.' The road outside the property, which is on a parade of shops near Mitcham Library, was closed for several hours last night. Witnesses filmed the police response and the helicopter taking the two victims to hospital. Siobhain McDonagh, the Labour MP for Mitcham and Morden, tweeted: 'Truly tragic events in Mitcham over the last 2 days. My sincere condolences to family & friends. 'My thoughts are also with neighbours & residents who have witnessed such tragedy.' Age UK will be forced to shut charity shops and make staff redundant as a government cash bail-out is coming 'too slowly' to save them. Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced in April that 750 million of extra funding would be made available for charities, distributed by the Big Lottery Fund. However, Age UK North Yorkshire & Darlington chief executive Helen Hunter has claimed the bail-out is too slow in arriving, forcing the charity to look at other cost-saving measures. She said: 'We have been able to draw on some financial support from the National Emergencies Trust, via the local authorities and community foundations, and we are very grateful for the additional funding announced by the Chancellor. 'However, the reality is that, with so many charities needing help, the funding has been slow coming through at a time when revenue generation through our fundraising activities has stopped. Age UK North Yorkshire & Darlington chief executive Helen Hunter has claimed a government bail-out is too slow in arriving, forcing the charity to look at other cost-saving measures 'Therefore, the only option we have is to look at reducing costs, and tough decisions are having to be faced to ensure we protect frontline services and give the charity a sustainable future.' Though not confirming which stores would be affected, an Age UK spokesperson confirmed some stores will be closed 'on a permanent basis'. A statement added: 'We are taking this action with a heavy heart and are currently consulting with staff who are affected and are therefore not able to provide further detailed information at this stage. 'Announcements about those shops not reopening along with the next phase of openings are expected soon.' It comes as a study by Pro Bono Economics, an independent charity, found one in 10 UK charities face bankruptcy by the end of the year as they struggle to cope with a 10billion shortfall caused by the coronavirus pandemic. Matt Whittaker, chief executive of Pro Bono Economics, said: 'If we don't funnel more resource to charities in the coming weeks, it's clear that many will struggle to survive.' Though not confirming which stores would be affected, an Age UK spokesperson confirmed some stores will be closed 'on a permanent basis' Mrs Hunter is due to give evidence to the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Ageing and Older People on Wednesday, July 8 via a virtual meeting with MPs. She has also written to the local MPs whose constituencies are affected by the cost-reduction proposals in North Yorkshire and Darlington. She added: 'This proposal is a highly regrettable consequence of the huge financial impact the coronavirus pandemic has had on the entire charity sector, but our absolute priority is to maintain all our frontline services in these difficult times.' Donald Trump congratulated a far-right candidate who has praised the QAnon conspiracy theory after she bested a five-term Republican representative in Colorado's primary election on Tuesday. 'Congratulations on a really great win!' the president directed at the victor, Lauren Bobert, in a tweet late Tuesday night. 'Thank you, Mr. President!' Boebert responded Wednesday morning. 'Freedom is a great motivator!' Boebert, 33, has risen to notoriety as she defied pandemic restrictions by keeping her restaurant, Shooter Grill, open, which she only gave up after the Garfield County sheriff obtained a cease-and-desist order. The restaurant is located in Rifle, Colorado, which has a population of less than 10,000, and the hook is that it is a pro-gun establishment as Boebert encourages her employees to open-carry their firearms. She is also unabashedly pro-Trump. 'When given the choice, Americans will choose freedom & liberty every single time,' Boebert tweeted the morning following her win. 'The media wants us to believe that we are the minority,' she lamented. 'The American spirit is alive and well. The world is watching.' Even though the district often flip-flops between parties, Boebert is likely to win her race against Democratic candidate Diane Mitsch Bush, who was unsuccessful in her 2018 bid to flip the seat blue. Donald Trump congratulated Lauren Boebert for winning the Republican primary in Colorado's 3rd district on Tuesday night, even though she bested the five-term incumbent he endorsed Boebert, 33, supports the QAnon conspiracy theory that there is a 'deep state' out to get Trump and his supporters She rose to notoriety after defying lockdown orders to keep her pro-Second Amendment restaurant, Shooter Grill, open during the pandemic Staff are encouraged to open-carry their firearms at Shooters Grill The Cook Partisan Voting Index shows Colorados 3rd District going for the Republican candidate by at least six points. Before incumbent Rep. Scott Tipton took office in 2011, the district was run by a Democrat from 2005-2011. But preceding that, a Republican represented the district from 1992 until his retirement. The president retweeted an endorsement Wednesday morning of Boebert from the Christian and conservative-leaning news website NOQ Report. 'A primary win by @laurenboebert, an unabashed conservative supporter of @realDonaldTrump, bodes well for patriots looking for stronger leadership in Washington DC,' NOQ Report Editor-in-Chief JD Rucker tweeted and the president reposted. 'We were proud to endorse her before and we're on #TeamBoebert for the general.' Boebert's upset primary victory Tuesday came after Trump endorsed Tipton in December. 'Congressman @ScottRTipton is a great supporter of the #MAGA Agenda!' the president tweeted of the mostly low-key congressman. 'He fights for your #2A rights and the Border Wall. Scott is working hard for Colorado and has my Complete and Total Endorsement!' Tipton conceded to Boebert in an email: 'District Republicans have decided who they want to run against the Democrats this November.' 'I want to congratulate Lauren Boebert and wish her and her supporters well,' he wrote. Boebert is also a proponent of the QAnon conspiracy theory, which alleges there is a 'deep state' agenda against Trump and his supporters. 'Everything that I've heard of Q, I hope that this is real because it only means that America is getting stronger and better, and people are returning to conservative values,' the Republican candidate told Steel Truth, a QAnon-aligned web show. Colorado's 3rd congressional district encompasses a massive area of 30 counties, spanning from the western border to nearly the middle of the state. But with a total population of less than 800,000 in that area, it only makes up about 13 per cent of the electorate in the state. Boebert also made headlines after confronting former Democratic presidential candidate Beto O'Rourke during a campaign stint through Colorado. During a town-hall meeting in Aurora, O'Roule pledged to seize assault rifles, to which Boebert responded: 'Hell no you're not.' Gun rights have been at the center of the state's political clashes for years between the more rural and urban areas as new restrictions were imposed following mass shootings. 'I am a mother to 4 boys. My husband and I are raising them to be strong men! I refuse to send my children into a socialist nation. Their freedom IS my motivator! Threaten the liberty of Americans, and I'll be there to hold you accountable! #USHouse #CO03 #HellNObeto,' Boebert has pinned at the top of her Twitter page. While many areas in Colorado are red, in particular the rural areas in the 3rd district, the state went blue in the 2016 election with about 5 per cent more voting for Clinton than Trump. Boebert's primary win, however, shows the trend toward more right-leaning, conservative Republicans, rather than centrists like Tipton. Tipton is the third Trump-endorsed Republican to lose in the last three weeks. Tipton is the third Trump-endorsed Republican candidate to lose their primary in the last three weeks showing a trend toward more right-leaning GOPers Trump issued an endorsement of Tipton in December to keep his congressional seat Trump also retweeted an endorsement of Boebert from Christian and conservative news website NOQ Report's Editor-in-Chief JD Rucker on Wednesday Boebart will face off with Democratic challenger Diane Mitsch Bush, who lost to Tipton in the 2018 election Boebert argued during her primary campaign that Tipton too often voted with Democrats. 'America is and always will be the greatest country in the world. Thank you, Colorado!' Boebert tweeted Wednesday morning. 'This is the honor of a lifetime,' she continued. 'Now, the hard work begins to take back the House in November!' While Boebert will not flip her seat if she wins, since it was already red, Republicans are looking to win back their majority in the House of Representatives after losing it to Democrats in the 2018 midterms. Boebert will face off against Democrat primary victor Diane Mitsch Bush, a former Colorado State House member. Mitsch Bush lost to Tipton in the 2018 election, earning 43.6 per cent of the vote compared to the incumbent's 51.5 per cent. What is the first thing you think about when you hear the name Abraham Lincoln? I imagine most people would say 'America's greatest president' followed by 'savior of the Union' and 'the guy who helped end slavery.' For these three reasons, you might think Abe would be spared the increasingly insane and anarchical mob rule protests in the wake of George Floyd's horrific murder. But no, he's now been targeted too. Last week, protesters threatened to tear down Lincoln's statue in Washington DC. It was built to commemorate the Emancipation Proclamation, an executive order signed by the Lincoln that put an end to slavery in the Confederacy. The bronze edifice is an icon image showing him standing over a shirtless African American man with broken shackles around his wrists. He was a real person an ex slave named Archer Alexander, who coincidentally was Muhammad Ali's great-great-great grandfather. And like Lincoln, he fought for the Union and to end slavery. Last week, protesters threatened to tear down Lincoln's statue in Washington DC. It was built to commemorate the Emancipation Proclamation, an executive order signed by the Lincoln that put an end to slavery in the Confederacy In response to protesters threatening to tear down the statue, the U.S. Army activated 400 unarmed National Guard troops to protect monuments in Washingtn D.C. The statue was intended to be a celebration of slaves being set free, one of the most important moments in the whole history of the country. The inscription reads: 'A race set free and the country at peace. Lincoln rests from his labors.' Yet as the controversy over historical statues and memorials being removed gathers momentum, it has become a focus for Black Lives Matter protesters' rage. Now, Boston has decided to remove an exact replica of the statue. The city's Mayor, Marty Walsh, said: 'As we continue our work to make Boston a more equitable and just city, it's important that we look at the stories being told by the public art in all of our neighbourhoods.' For 'look at', try 'airbrush'. Boston is removing a moving and powerful tribute to one of America's greatest stories the emancipation of slavery because it's bowing to protesters who don't seem to understand what it represents. Pressure is growing on Washington to the same. And students at the University of Wisconsin have demanded another statue, just of Lincoln alone, be removed. 'For him to be at the top of Bascom [Hill] as a powerful placement on our campus, it's a single-handed symbol of white supremacy,' said Black Student Union president Nalah McWhorter. Let those words sink it for a moment. Abraham Lincoln, the man who contributed so much to ending slavery, is now 'a symbol of white supremacy'. I despair at what is happening in America. President Trump's response to America's developing violent culture war is a typically inflammatory dog-whistle effort to fire up his base with just months to an election he now looks like losing Joe Biden and the Democrats have surrendered to those waging it with the same cowardly inaction that Trump has shown towards the coronavirus If Joe Biden wants to be president, then it's time Biden and his fellow Democrat leaders, including Nancy Pelosi, stepped up and led the charge against the lunatics intent on eradicating the nation's greatest heroes This is a developing violent culture war that has lost all sense of proportion and perspective and threatens to rip the country apart. I despair at President Trump's response to it because he's being typically inflammatory in a dog-whistle effort to fire up his base with just months to an election he now looks like losing. But I particularly despair at the woeful inaction of Democrats who are sitting back and watching all this crazy nonsense happen and doing nothing to stop it. The party's presidential nominee Joe Biden launched a ferocious attack on Trump yesterday, saying he has 'surrendered' to coronavirus. It was a perfectly justified allegation given America's shocking COVID-19 death toll and the devastating surge in cases all over the country. The President's handling of the pandemic continues to be a total disaster and he deserves all the opprobrium he gets for his shockingly complacent, egotistical, and negligent leadership as the US plunges ever deeper into the virus abyss and consequent economic catastrophe. But this savage, unrelenting culture war may end up causing even more lasting damage as it seeks to destroy everything the nation was built on and everyone who built it. And Biden and the Democrats have surrendered to those waging it with the same cowardly inaction that Trump has shown towards the coronavirus. Covid is scary, but it will be resolved either by a vaccine or drugs to stop victims dying. The destruction of America's very historical foundations is an irreparable act of self-harm that has to be stopped before it's too late. Let me be clear: the disgusting murder of George Floyd was a moment that demanded real change. To watch a black man die on camera for nearly nine minutes at the hard, callous knee of a murderous police officer was something none of us who believe in justice and equality should ever forget. It was astonishing to see the world rise up, or rather down as millions took the knee to show solidarity with #blacklivesmatter. Conservative activist and Trump supporter Jack Posobiec (right) gets into an argument with anti-racism protesters in front of the Emancipation Memorial at Lincoln Park in Washington, DC Protesters arguing both for and against the removal of the Emancipation Memorial debated each other at Washington D.C's Lincoln Park But most of them did so for the cause of racial equality and justice, and not to support the radical political aims of the organisation Black Lives Matter which wants to defund the police and abolish capitalism and whose UK arm has this week launched anti-Semitic social media attacks on Israel. Nor, I would imagine, do the vast majority of those who supported the BLM hashtag and its more general meaning want to see America's greatest heroes defaced and torn down by gangs of blindly furious protesters who seem to have lost all sense of what they're supposed to be protesting about. In the past week, we've seen attacks on George Washington's statue, and Thomas Jefferson's, and Ulysses S. Grant's. And now Abraham Lincoln's. These are the men who helped create America, for goodness sake. None of them was perfect, but the good they all did far outweighs the bad - and it is frankly ludicrous to judge them by the evolved morality of today. The protesters won't listen to Trump. They perceive him, with good reason, to be a race-baiting monster. But the Democrats need to put their own blind hatred of the President to one side for the sake of the country. America is nothing if it's not its history and that history is being desecrated before our very eyes. When the mob comes for a man like Lincoln, it's time for all right-minded Americans, whatever their political persuasion, to say: 'ENOUGH.' The United States is under deadly attack from COVID-19, and much of the blame for the current calamitous situation with the virus can be squared directly at President Trump. But America is also under attack from out-of-control intransigently illiberal liberals and much of the blame for THIS can be squared at other liberals who've stood by and let it happen. Joe Biden spoke a lot yesterday about bringing America back together. But that will never happen if such lawless mob rule is allowed to continue its shameful wrecking ball treatment of the country and its history. If he wants to be president, then it's time Biden and his fellow Democrat leaders stepped up and led the charge against the lunatics intent on eradicating the nation's greatest heroes. Newborn twin sisters were mauled to death by a family dog when their mother briefly left the room to talk to a neighbour. The 'jealous' Labrador and American foxhound cross attacked the 26-day-old premature babies at their home in Piripa, in the northeastern state of Bahia, Brazil, last Tuesday. Mother Elaine Novais, 29, rushed to the aid of her girls Anne and Analu after hearing their cries from her bedroom, but was too late to save them. Mrs Novais, a council worker who had struggled to conceive for nine years, pulled the violent dog away from the twins, but it had already inflicted fatal damage on their abdomens. Mother Elaine Novais, 29, rushed to the aid of her girls Anne and Analu after hearing their cries from her bedroom, but was too late to save them A nurse who lived nearby performed first aid on the twins, one who died instantly from her injuries and the other who later died at Maria Pedreira Barbosa Municipal Hospital after going into cardiac arrest. The dog, described as 'docile', is believed to have become jealous after not receiving as much attention since the birth of the babies. A family member claimed the dog 'was left out in a way, and it no longer had the attention and affection of its owners provided before', reports The Sun. They added: 'That could have caused some kind of jealousy and led the dog to attack the children.' Mrs Novais, a council worker who had struggled to conceive for nine years, pulled the violent dog away from the twins, but it had already inflicted fatal damage on their abdomens Mrs Novais, a council worker, had struggled to conceive for nine years before having the girls Anne and Analu were born one month premature. Police are investigating the deaths Anne and Analu died one day before their due date, having arrived a month early via cesarean section. Police are investigating the deaths, but are yet to take testimonies from the devastated parents. The council of Piripa, a village with a population of 1,000, said in a statement on social media: 'In the face of this immeasurable loss, we express our condolences and sympathy with parents Elaine and Regis, and their friends and family in this moment of sadness and pain. The dog, described as 'docile', is believed to have become jealous after not receiving as much attention since the birth of the babies The council of Piripa, a village with a population of 1,000, expressed their condolences in a statement 'May God comfort your hearts and give you the strength to transform all the pain of this irreparable loss into faith and hope.' Mrs Novais and her husband Regis, 32, had struggled for nine years to have children. Mrs Novais was sedated at the hospital after collapsing from shock. 'Hyper-activity' in blood clotting cells could be the cause of strokes and heart attacks in Covid-19 patients, scientists say. University of Utah experts made the 'important' discovery by comparing the blood of 82 people half of whom tested positive for the coronavirus. Platelets, blood cells that clot, were much more active in samples taken from Covid-19 patients, according to the study. In petri dish experiments, the platelets stuck together faster, a process that leads to the formation of blood clots. Inflammation caused by the virus is likely to be triggering the change, the scientists said. The finding could have implications for how doctors treat patients who are at risk of dangerous blood clots. Up to 30 per cent of hospital patients are suffering blood clots as a complication of the virus, studies show, but doctors are only just starting to understand why. Platelets, which are blood cells that clot (stock) were hyper-active in the blood samples from Covid-19 patients at University of Utah Hospital in Salt Lake City Although the coronavirus is known primarily to cause respiratory failure in the worst cases, it has a number of damaging effects on organs other than the lungs. Thrombosis is when blood clots develop in the arteries and veins, which can block the heart (causing a heart attack), brain (a stroke), or lungs (pulmonary embolism). A study published last week found 62 per cent of 125 hospitalised Covid-19 patients in the UK suffered a stroke during their hospital stay. Although the events are a common occurrence in Covid-19 patients, the drivers are not clear yet. But Dr Robert Campbell, senior author of the latest study, said: 'Our finding adds an important piece to the jigsaw puzzle that we call Covid-19. WHAT'S CAUSING BLOOD CLOTS IN COVID PATIENTS? One in three people who fall severely ill with coronavirus develop dangerous blood clots, which scientists believe is contributing to their deaths. The clots can become fatal if they migrate to major organs, like the lungs, and cut off their blood supply. The blockages can trigger heart attacks, strokes, organ failure and pulmonary embolism, if they migrate to major organs. While experts are unsure why the virus causes the blockages, there are three main theories: CYTOKINE STORM The prevailing theory is that it is the result of a an immune overreaction called a 'cytokine storm'. Cytokines are chemical-signaling molecules which guide a healthy immune response. They tell immune cells to attack viral molecules in the body. But in some people, this response goes into overdrive and immune cells start attacking healthy tissue as well, known as a cytokine storm. As blood vessels become damaged they can leak, causing blood pressure to drop and driving up the chance of clots forming. BYPRODUCT OF INFECTION Other scientists say the surge in strokes may be a byproduct of the way COVID-19 invades the human body. Professor Ian Jones, a virologist at the University of Reading, told MailOnline: 'Covid binds to an enzyme called ACE2 which is on the surface of the cell. 'It simply uses it as a way of attaching itself but in doing so the enzyme function of ACE2 is reduced. 'The consequence of this is an imbalance of hormones called Angiotensin I and Angiotensin II which together regulate blood pressure. 'It could be related to the increase in strokes reported.' VIRUS' UNIQUE SHAPE Dr Robert Bonow, a professor of cardiology at Northwestern University, said it may be the coronavirus' unique shape that is causing the blood-clotting issues. He said the virus' spikes, which latch onto receptors in cells, can also attach to blood vessels. Once they dock onto these blood vessel cells, the viral particles can trigger damage to these as well as to heart muscle, Dr Bonow says. Advertisement 'We found that inflammation and systemic changes, due to the infection, are influencing how platelets function, leading them to aggregate faster, which could explain why we are seeing increased numbers of blood clots in Covid patients.' Dr Campbell and colleagues looked at patients hospitalised at University of Utah Hospital in Salt Lake City. Seventeen of these patients were in the ICU, including nine who were on ventilators, according to the paper in Blood, an American Society of Hematology journal. Some 17 per cent of the Covid-19 patients died. The team compared blood from these patients with samples taken from healthy individuals who were matched for age, gender and race. Using gene analysis, the researchers found that SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19, appeared to trigger genetic changes in platelets. They were more activated which is when the platelet changes shape from a flat disk to a ball, with the ability to call on other platelets to stick together. The authors of the study wrote: 'SARS-CoV-2 induces robust gene expression and functional changes in platelets. 'We postulate that these changes may contribute to thrombotic events in Covid-19 patient.' The virus was not found in the platelets themselves, which suggests it is indirectly causing changes through different pathways. A theory is that inflammation in the body in response to the virus triggers a cascade of changes - including to platelets. Dr Bhanu Kanth Manne, one of the study authors, said the inflammation could affect megakaryocytes, the cells that produce platelets. As a result, critical genetic alterations are passed down from megakaryocytes to the platelets, which, in turn, make them hyperactive. Dr Campbell said: 'There are genetic processes that we can target that would prevent platelets from being changed. 'If we can figure out how Covid-19 is interacting with megakaryocytes or platelets, then we might be able to block that interaction and reduce someone's risk of developing a blood clot.' In laboratory studies, the scientists studied platelet aggregation, an important component of blood clot formation. Platelet aggregation is when the platelets stick to each other to form a clump. This would plug a hole in a wound to stop it bleeding. Platelet aggregation was significantly increased in the blood of Covid-19 patients, compared to healthy donors in tests. This was seen particularly in patients in ICU, suggesting the more severe the disease, the greater platelet hyperactivity. Platelets from Covid-19 patients also showed greater adhesion - when then platelets stick to blood vessel walls. In addition to their traditional role in thrombosis, platelets mediate key aspects of inflammatory and immune processes. The team noted the changes to their activity significantly altered how platelets interacted with the immune system. This likely contributes to inflammation of the respiratory tract that may, in turn, result in more severe lung injury. A Missouri lawyer who was criticized after he and his wife brandished an AR-15 and a handgun as protesters marched onto their private St. Louis estate has said his family was scared 'the mob' would 'come into the house, kill us, burn the house down'. Mark McCloskey, 63, has spoken out in his defense claiming it is 'ridiculous' to call him a racist for his actions as he had spent his career 'defending people that are defenseless' and those that 'need a voice'. McCloskey joined Tucker Carlson on Fox News on Tuesday night stating 'my black clients love us' and and that he and his wife Patricia McCloskey, 61, did what 'I thought I had to do to protect my hearth, my home and my family'. He also appeared on CNN's Chris Cuomo, claiming that what he faced was 'terrorism'. It came a day after St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kimberly Gardner, the country's lead prosecutor, said she was investigating whether charges should be brought against the lawyer couple. Mark McCloskey, 63, appeared on Fox New on Tuesday to defend his actions with his attorney Albert Watkins (right) Armed homeowners, Patty and Mark McCloskey, stand in front their house along Portland Place and confront protesters marching to St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson's house on Sunday 'My wife and I were preparing to have dinner, maybe 70 feet from the gate,' Mark McCloskey told Carlson. 'By the time we looked up and we saw the marchers coming down Kings Highway and getting loud, we looked over the gate and there's no police there. Our private security wasn't there. Nobody's there. 'I look over to my wife and then the gate bursts open and then all these People start coming in. And then a flood of people start coming in,' he said. 'They are angry, they're screaming, they've got spittle coming out of their mouth they're coming toward the house.' McCloskey continued that after watching a 7/11 be burned down with no intervention in a protest in the city on June 22, he felt that he and his wife had to act and they went into the home to grab a handgun and an AR-15. 'I turned to my wife and I said, "Oh my God, we're absolutely alone. There is nobody here to protect us",' he told Fox. 'When I saw that mob coming through the gate with their rage and their anger, I thought that we would be overrun in a second,' he said. 'By the time I was out there with my rifle, the people were 20 or 30 feet from my front wall. I've got a little wall that separates the house from my front yard. I was literally afraid that within seconds they would surmount the wall and come into the house, kill us, burn the house down and everything that I had worked for and struggled for the last 32 years.' 'I saw it all going up in flames and my life destroyed in an instant and I did what I thought I had to do to protect my hearth, my home and my family.' McCloskey spoke to Fox News on Tuesday with his attorney Albert Watkins McCloskey claimed that his actions had nothing to do with race and that he didn't care what race the protesters were. 'Here's the interesting thing, I spent my career defending people that are defenseless for people who are having a hard time making their oracle happen, for people that don't have a voice,' he continued. 'My black clients love us. The night this happened I had some of our black clients calling us, telling us how wrong it was the way the press was writing us up, telling us how wrong it was that we should be portrayed as racist. 'This is what I do for a living. I help people that are down or that need a hand and people that need a voice,' McCloskey added. 'To call us racist is ridiculous and it had nothing to do with race. I wasn't worried what the race was [of] the mob that came through my gate, I was worried that I was going to be killed. I didn't care what race they were.' McCloskey also appeared on CNN told host Chris Cuomo that he was 'protecting my wife, my home, my hearth, my livelihood'. 'My life has been ruined,' he added. 'Its called social intimidation, it's called terrorism.' 'Chris, what's the definition of terrorism? To use violence and intimidation to frighten the public. Thats what happened to me. Thats the damage I've suffered.' Patricia McCloskey drew a firearm on protesters as walked in front of her house on Sunday The couple were seen in multiple videos and photos on Sunday evening touting an AR-15 rifle and a handgun as protesters marched. They were the only ones to lodge an official police report about the confrontation citing 'threats of harm' and police said Monday they would not be charged. Yet St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kimberly Gardner announced Monday that she was working with police and prosecutors to investigate the lawyers for possible threats against the crowd. The McCloskeys' lawyer also appeared on Fox News Tuesday and said that his clients had not broken the lawyer with their actions and should not be charged. 'Given the fact that we have a political animal in the circuit attorneys office, there is a risk,' attorney Albert Watkins said of Gardner. 'If the law prevails, long-standing Missouri law prevails, theyre fine.' Garner has said that she was 'alarmed' by Sunday's events where 'peaceful protesters were met by guns and a violent assault'. St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kimberly Gardner said she was 'alarmed' that 'peaceful protesters were met by guns' and that she is investigating the McCloskey couple despite police saying they were the only ones to file a report and there would be no charges against them 'We must protect the right to peacefully protest, and any attempt to chill it through intimidation or threat of deadly force will not be tolerated,' she insisted. 'Since learning of these events over this weekend, I've worked with the public and the police to investigate these tragic events. 'Make no mistake, the circuit attorney's office we will not tolerate the use of force against those exercising their First Amendment rights, and will use the full power of Missouri law to hold people accountable,' Gardner warned. Video of the McCloskeys went viral after they were seen aiming the guns at demonstrators who walked by their palatial property in the wealthy Forest Park area at around 6pm on Sunday. Protesters were en route to Mayor Lyda Krewson's home to demand her resignation after she released the names and addresses of residents who had suggested defunding the police department. The video of the couple's standoff went viral with some supporting the pair's right to protect their private property and others claiming that they broke the law by threatening a peaceful protest. At one point, the pair seemed to be unknowingly pointing their weapons at one another other while trying to keep protesters away from their home - dubbed the Niemann Mansion. In the video, demonstrators chanted 'Let's Go' as the couple stood their ground at their front door, patrolling back and forth. While the couple has had support for their actions they have also met with backlash. About 300 protesters had gone through a gate into this closed-off community and were marching in front of the McCloskey home, which is pictured center. The family said they were having dinner outside when the demonstrators arrived The pair are both personal injury lawyers and run McCloskey Law Center from inside their extravagant home. The company's website was taken offline on Monday afternoon because of the large influx of emails and the couple has said they have been forced to board up their office. Police said Monday that people in the crowd yelled threats at the couple and that the McCloskeys would not be charged. They added that they are still investigating but labeled it a case of trespassing and assault by intimidation against the couple by protesters in the racially diverse crowd. According to the NRA, state law does not prohibit the open carrying of firearms, but does prohibit exhibiting 'any weapon readily capable of lethal use' in an angry or threatening manner in the presence of one or more persons. Exhibiting a weapon in this way would likely be a Class D felony punishable by up to four years in prison and a fine not to exceed $5,000. According to the St. Louis American, however, the 'Castle Doctrine' allows people to use deadly force to attack an intruder on their property. Boris Johnson was today accused of letting coronavirus run wild in Leicester during a 'lost week'. In brutal clashes at PMQs, Mr Johnson furiously denied failing to share crucial data on infections with the authorities in the city. But Labour leader Keir Starmer accused him of being 'slow to act' and said local officials were left believing there were only 80 positive tests per week, when the real figure was more than 940. Mr Johnson insisted the 'Pillar Two' testing data, which covers screening of the general population carried out in commercial labs, was shared. Leicester has been plunged into a fresh lockdown after alarm at a surge in cases, and there are claims other areas could be about to follow. Labour leader Keir Starmer (right) accused Boris Johnson (left) of being 'slow to act' and said local officials in Leicester were left believing there were only 80 positive tests per week, when the real figure was more than 940 Pictured: The lockdown zone in Leicester, which has left some Britons in lockdown while their neighbours are not In the Commons, Sir Keir said: 'At the daily press conference on June 18 the Health Secretary said ''there's an outbreak of Covid-19 right now in parts of Leicester''. 'Yet it was only on Monday evening this week that the Government introduced restrictions. 'That's a delay of 11 days during which the virus was spreading in Leicester. 'Why was the Government so slow to act?' Mr Johnson said the Government 'acted decisively' and 'put on the breaks' in Leicester. 'Actually the Government first took notice and acted that was going on in Leicester on June 8 because we could see there was an issue there,' he said. 'We sent mobile testing units shortly thereafter. 'We engaged actively with the authorities in Leicester, with public health in Leicester, with everyone responsible in Leicester, in the way we have done with other areas that have had similar issues. 'Unfortunately in Leicester, it did not prove possible to get the results that we have seen elsewhere so on Monday we took the decision, which I hope the right honourable gentleman approves of, to go into lockdown in Leicester.' But Sir Keir insisted: 'There was a lost week while the virus was spreading.' The full extent of local infection rates is still unclear because of gaps in the data given out to the public and what is known inside the Government. Leicester and other authorities claim they are not being provided with figures from 'Pillar 2'. Jess Phillips, Labour MP for Birmingham Yardley and shadow minister for domestic violence, tweeted: 'Boris Johnson is just lying. It has been incredibly hard for local authorities to get data and information from the beginning of the crisis. 'It won't be a shock that he's a liar but still makes my blood boil that he just stands and lies while people are sick and losing their jobs.' Bradford, Doncaster and Barnsley are said to be at the top of the Government's list of potential Covid hotspots as the virus continues to run rampant in Yorkshire (shown in red) Bradford, Doncaster and Barnsley are said to be at the top of the Government's list of potential Covid-19 hotspots as the virus continues to run rampant in Yorkshire. Former Government scientific adviser 'Professor Lockdown' Neil Ferguson, of Imperial College London, said these towns and cities were 'clearly of concern' and suggested they could be next to roll back the draconian curbs. Parts of Kent, the North West of England and more than a dozen London boroughs are also being kept under review after clusters of cases in the last week. Advertisement Protesters at City Hall toasted their victory with prosecco on Wednesday after the NYPD lost $1billion from their budget and failed to disperse crowds in the 'Occupy City Hall' campsite. Bottles of $8.99 prosecco were passed through the crowd at around lunch time to celebrate Tuesday's city council vote which removes funding from the NYPD's recruiting and overtime budgets. One person was not welcome at the party - the famous pro-Trump Naked Cowboy who ordinarily entertains tourists in Times Square. He was thrown out of the campsite by the protesters after arriving in underwear and holding a guitar that was covered in Trump stickers. The protesters are still not satisfied though. They want the department to be defunded even more or entirely abolished. Between 5.30am and 7.30am, officers cleared barricades surrounding 'Abolition Park' - the name the protesters have given to their camp - and tried to push back protesters who spilled over from the park and onto the street. The protesters had set up barricades on Chambers Street and Center Street to try to expand their 'cop free' zone but police removed them not long after the sun came up to allow traffic to pass through the area again. Three people were arrested before the situation calmed down again. The park continues to be occupied with protesters in tents and there are dozens of cops in riot gear surrounding it. It is unclear how long the protesters will be allowed to stay there. An NYPD spokesman told DailyMail.com on Thursday that the protesters are allowed to remain in the park at present but that the situation was being constantly evaluated. The protesters are outraged that the NYPD has only been stripped of $1billion and not more, saying it needs to be entirely defunded or more heavily penalized. Scroll down for video Protesters toasted with prosecco and champagne on Wednesday morning after the NYPD had $1billion stripped from their budget A protester opens a bottle of prosecco with his teeth. Bottles of sparkling wine were passed through the crowds The protesters toasted their victory but still won't leave the park. They say they want more money to be taken from the police department Protesters painted the word Pigs onto their umbrellas in an insult to the cops at the scene Robert Burck,aka the Naked Cowboy, plays his guitar and thanks a police officer for his service at the City Hall protest on Wednesday morning to the outrage of the Black Lives Matter crowds Burck was forced out of the encampment by angry protesters who took offense to him Burck, holding a guitar covered in Trump stickers, was shown out by huddles of angry protesters Burck was forced out by multiple Black Lives Matter protesters on Wednesday afternoon The cut, which comes amid a $9billion shortfall in city revenues due to coronavirus lockdown, will cancel the recruitment of 1,163 new officers, strip $484million from the overtime budget and transfer $354million to other services - including handing control of school safety officers from the NYPD to the Department of Education. Democrats and protesters are unsatisfied with the cut and say more needs to be done. Police union chiefs, however, are warning that it could have a dangerous effect on officers' ability to keep the city safe. Trump waded into the row on Wednesday morning, tweeting: 'NYC is cutting Police $ by ONE BILLION DOLLARS, and yet the NYCMayor is going to paint a big, expensive, yellow Black Lives Matter sign on Fifth Avenue, denigrating this luxury Avenue. 'This will further antagonize New Yorks Finest, who LOVE New York & vividly remember the horrible BLM chant, Pigs In A Blanket, Fry Em Like Bacon. 'Maybe our GREAT Police, who have been neutralized and scorned by a mayor who hates & disrespects them, wont let this symbol of hate be affixed to New Yorks greatest street. 'Spend this money fighting crime instead!' Combined with de Blasio's lenient bail reform that puts more criminals on the street than before, and a court system that has been back-logged for months because of the COVID-19 pandemic, they say crime is inevitably on the rise and that slashing the budget is not necessarily the right move. There are also ongoing complaints that the NYPD is not cracking down on low-level crime like people breaching social distancing rules while dining outdoors, drinking in the street or being generally anti-social. NYPD cops face off against protesters on Chambers Street outside City Hall on Wednesday morning. The protesters have occupied the park next to City Hall for more than a week now and are demanding that the NYPD have more of its $6billion budget cut. $1bn has been taken off already but they say it's not enough Hundreds of protesters have occupied the park and are refusing to disperse. On Wednesday morning, they huddled beneath umbrellas and chanted 'hold your ground' as the cops tried to move them back into the park The cops removed the barricades the protesters had set up to push them back into the park and off of the street Some of the cops used batons to try to push crowds back. They responded by hitting the officers with their umbrellas The protesters linked arms to stand their ground. They were eventually slowly pushed off of the street Three people were arrested on Wednesday morning. It's unclear why, but cops were seen trying to drag this man from the crowd. He was protected by the other protesters who held on to him Another of the men who were arrested on Wednesday morning at the City Hall protest camp It is unclear why the man was arrested or whether or not he was injured NYPD cops dismantle barricades surrounding the Occupy City Hall protest camp on Wednesday morning The cops pushed some of the protesters back violently as they tried to clear the street for traffic DE BLASIO: BLACK LIVES MATTER WILL BE PAINTED OUTSIDE TRUMP TOWER THIS WEEK De Blasio said on Wednesday that Black Lives Matter will be painted on Fifth Avenue, outside Trump Tower, this week. In an interview with MSNBC, he said: 'That is going to be in a matter of days. 'Whenever he comes back to his old state he'll get a message that he still doesn't understand. 'Maybe seeing it outside his doorstep will help him get the point.' Stores along Fifth Avenue, like Valentino, have tried already to get out out of their leases because they say the appeal of New York City has been lost due to COVID-19. Other cities have already painted enormous Black Lives Matter logos along their streets. Advertisement Across NYC residents have been terrorized for nights on end by illegal fireworks being set off through the night, seemingly with little intervention from the cops. The city's income took a $9billion hit when businesses shuttered at the start of the pandemic and now many remain closed. Traffic levels in the city aren't predicted to return to their 2019 normal until November. Restaurant and retail traffic in New York City is currently 43.6 percent of the 2019 normal, whereas national traffic is at 53.2 percent of normal. Foot traffic from late-May to late-June in New York City increased roughly 18.3 percent, compared to the national increase of 27.7 percent, according to Zenreach data. NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea said on Tuesday that he understood every department must face cuts but that the decision had also been heavily influenced by the Black Lives Matter movement and that it was 'punitive'. He insisted that his officers 'are not going to allow mob rule to take over this city'. 'We're all going to have to make cuts, we understand that, when you look at the fiscal crisis with COVID. 'What concerns me is cuts that have to be made because of tough fiscal decisions vs cuts that could appear to be punitive. 'We'll review all the numbers... it's concern. It's going to impact our ability, I believe, to keep New Yorkers safe in some way, shape or form. 'But we're also managers and it's my job to make the most of the resources that we do have. 'I don't think anyone listening thinks that this is the climate right now doesn't have an impact on what's going on with the budget. 'I think that's self-evident. 'It's my job to make sure it doesn't but we have to also take a look at what's going on, cutting head count at a time of rising crime is going to be an extreme challenge for the men and women of this department,' he said. Commissioner Shea went on to say that slashing the budget would harm communities of color the most because that is where there is most violence. Earlier in the morning, protesters stood atop a barricade with 'abolish police' signs taped to it The protesters had set up barricades on Center Street to try to expand their autonomous zone The front of the Surrogate Courts building has now been defaced with graffiti Protesters set up a barricade at the cross section of Chambers and Center street to try to keep police out The officers removed the barricades first thing on Wednesday morning to allow traffic to pass through again An NYPD officer holds her shield up in a line of other cops in riot gear for another day of crowd control at City Hall The protesters linked arms to defend themselves from the police. Many wore shields or masks to protect themselves and others from coronavirus A protester with a megaphone on Wednesday morning spoke calmly to the cops and asked them if they'd eaten breakfast A different protester lay face down in the street. It's unclear if they were one of the three people later arrested The protester was distraught as they got off the ground and screamed while the officers stood behind them Protesters link arms at the City Hall park protest on Wednesday morning Protesters hold a Black Lives Matter sign on Wednesday morning Unrest continues: Protesters chanted slogans during a protest to defund the NYPD in a place they are calling the 'City Hall Autonomous Zone', ahead of Tuesday's vote The vote comes following weeks of protests and fraught negotiations with Mayor Bill de Blasio as New York City grapples with a $9billion revenue loss due to the coronavirus pandemic Protesters locked arms outside City Hall on Tuesday as lawmakers debated the city budget on policing amid mounting pressure from its residents A protester climbs a statue outside Surrogate's Court near an encampment outside City Hall on Tuesday Demonstrators block traffic near an area being called the 'City Hall Autonomous Zone' that has been established to protest the New York Police Department and in support of 'Black Lives Matter' New York Police Department officers stand guard in riot gear on the grounds of City Hall as demonstrations continue in the 'City Hall Autonomous Zone' that has been established to protest their department Protesters link arms outside New York's City Hall as politicians take a last-minute vote on a budget which aims to strip $1billion from the NYPD Police officers stand guard outside City Hall in New York as protesters pressure city leaders into defunding their department An ambulance drives through demonstrators near of an area being called the 'City Hall Autonomous Zone' 'It's going to impact our patrol strength, our training, and it's probably going to impact people of color more than anyone else. 'We know where the violence occurs in this city,' 'My job is to make sure we are as efficient as possible, we're doing everything can to keep New Yorkers safe... we're going to have to be creative,' he said. Over the last week, there has been a 'significant uptick' in crime across the city. Shea said it was down to a combination of bail reform and a back-logged court system. He questioned why the courts still weren't operating because of COVID when thousands were being encouraged to protest peacefully against the police. Chaos: Video footage shared on social media showed the moment a violent clash broke out between cops and protesters as officers attempted to control the crowds by pushing them towards the sidewalk with their batons Violence breaks out: Some protesters were seen pushing back as cops shoved them with their nightsticks One protester, who is out of frame, is heard firing back at the cops saying they are 'not welcome here' and urging them to leave A demonstrator climbs a traffic lamp wearing a shirt that reads 'defund the police' ahead of a city hall vote that stripped $1billion in funding from the NYPD Demonstrators stage a sit-in protest on the steps of city hall in New York as they campaign to defund the NYPD Black Lives Matter protestors continue to congregate at City Hall as part of the 'Defund NYPD' and 'Occupy City Hall' movement in New York Two protesters join hands and raise their fists in the air in a symbol of defiance and solidarity amid defund the police protests Protesters gather outside the New York City Municipal Building near City Hall Park to protest policing People take part in a protest to defund the police in a place they are calling the 'City Hall Autonomous Zone' in support of 'Black Lives Matter' Protesters have occupied City Hall Park day and night for at least a week calling for the city's police budget to be slashed Patrick J. Lynch, the president of the PBA, said: 'Mayor de Basio's message to New Yorkers today was clear: you will have fewer cops on your streets. 'Shootings more than doubled again last week. 'Even right now, the NYPD doesn't have enough staffing to shift from one neighborhood without making another neighborhood less safe. 'We will say it again: the Mayor and the City Council have surrendered the city to lawlessness. Things won't improve until New Yorkers hold them responsible.' De Blasio defended the budget and said it would be down to good leadership from police bosses to keep people safe. He said his focus was on helping young people. 'Our young people have experienced something we would never have wished on them. We need to uphold them and help them through this moment in history. 'They're going to inherit this city... our young people need to be reached. Not policed. We need to figure out how to nurture and support them,' he said. On Monday, the George Washington statute in Washington Square Park was defaced by vandals who threw red paint on it. The NYPD is now hunting for the suspects who were seen throwing paint balloons at the monument then fleeing. President Trump tweeted about the incident and demanded the pair turn themselves in. 'We are tracking down the two Anarchists who threw paint on the magnificent George Washington Statue in Manhattan. We have them on tape. 'They will be prosecuted and face 10 years in Prison based on the Monuments and Statues Act. Turn yourselves in now!' Trump said. The two suspects who threw paint on the Washington statue in Washington Square Park are now being hunted by police The vandals were filmed with one other person who was wheeling a Citi Bike - which is digitally tracked - through the park at 3.20am on Monday A married father-of-two claimed a 12-year-old boy gave him sexual 'signals' before he indecently assaulted the child in a public toilet in western Sydney. Fouad Hasna, 50, told the Parramatta District Court the child had given him a 'mysterious, sexual look' before he followed him into a Bass Hill Plaza toilet - a known gay 'cruising' spot - in 2017. Hasna said the boy had given him the look outside the shopping centre and followed him inside to the toilets. There he said he heard the boy breathing heavily and masturbating in a cubicle, which aroused him, The Daily Telegraph reported. Married father-of-two Fouad Hasna (pictured) pleaded guilty to indecent assault after forcing a 12-year-old boy into a public toilet and grabbing his genitals before exposing himself 'I was obviously aroused by what he was doing, he was masturbating in the cubicle. I could hear him and see him and hear the breathing,' he said. When the boy left the cubicle the court heard Hasna pushed him back in before grabbing the child's genitals. Hasna already had his own genitals in his hand before forcing the protesting child to his knees, telling him 'I know you want my penis' while the boy was asking him to stop. 'I got it all wrong. I misread it,' he told the court. 'By the look of it I thought he was an adult.' Judge Robyn Tupman slammed the Sydney father for 'victim blaming' and asked if he'd gone out that day 'cruising' for other men. 'Did you think he was a rent boy and was playing hard to get? You were cruising and you thought you got yourself something,' Judge Tupman said. Hasna broke down in the witness stand and related the toll the case had had on him. Hasna was slammed by the judge for 'victim blaming' after saying the boy gave him a 'mysterious, sexual look' before he followed the child into a toilet at the Bass Hill Plaza in 2017 (pictured) 'I brought so much shame to myself and my family and so much distress onto the young person,' Hasna said. 'I couldnt live with myself knowing this person is close to the age of my youngest son.' He said he had 'a very happy married life' and said his homosexual tendencies were only a result of a mental illness that arose from an accident in 2011. Judge Tupman said she was concerned Hasna related his same-sex interest to a mental illness. 'I found it extremely distressing that this person before me was prepared to be labelled a paedophile rather than accepting what he was, be that homosexual or bisexual,' she said. Hasna pleaded guilty to two counts of indecent assault on a child under 16 and faces up to 10 years jail. He is due to be sentenced on July 7. Donald Trump on Wednesday called reports of Russian bounties on American soldiers in Afghanistan a 'hoax' even as his national security adviser admitted the information was in the president's briefing but not given to him. The president blasted The New York Times, which originally reported that Russia was paying Taliban militants bounties to kill U.S. service members. 'The Russia Bounty story is just another made up by Fake News tale that is told only to damage me and the Republican Party. The secret source probably does not even exist, just like the story itself. If the discredited @nytimes has a source, reveal it. Just another HOAX!,' Trump tweeted. Officials in the administration have not disputed the existence of the intelligence report but have said it was not verified and that was why it was not presented to President Trump. National Security Adviser Robert O'Brien told 'Fox & Friends' on Wednesday morning the president wasn't briefed because the allegation against Russia was 'uncorroborated.' But he also acknowledged the allegation was in Trump's briefing material - but the briefer didn't tell the president about it. 'The president's career CIA briefer decided not to brief him because it was unverified intelligence and, by the way, she's an outstanding officer and - in knowing all the facts I know - I certainly support her decision,' he said. President Donald Trump called reports of Russian bounties on American soldiers in Afghanistan a 'hoax' that was 'made up by fake news' Trump's National Security Adviser Robert O'Brien told 'Fox & Friends' the president wasn't briefed because the allegation was 'uncorroborated' but O'Brien admitted information was in president's daily briefing - it just wasn't given to him by the CIA officer doing the briefing O'Brien, after his appearance on Fox News, was asked by reporters at the White House if the information about Russia was in the president's daily brief but he declined to say either way. 'We don't get into to written classified documents. Unfortunately that that's something that there's been spent a little too much that in Washington lately,' he said. While Trump and his staff have argued he was not briefed on the matter, reports indicated the information was in the president's daily brief - a compilation of intelligence reports given to the commander in chief and top administration officials. Trump is said not to read it carefully and is, instead, orally briefed on the matters at hand. President's Daily Brief The President's Daily Brief (PDB) is a daily a multi-source intelligence digest of high-level information and analysis on national security issues produced for the president and key cabinet members and advisers. It has been presented in some form to the president since 1946, when President Harry Truman received the Daily Summary. In 2014, the PDB transitioned from a print product to electronic delivery at the request of President Barack Obama. Given the sensitive nature of the information, most PDBs - even those from many years past - remain classified. Source: Intelligence.gov Advertisement O'Brien seems to confirm this with his account. 'The person who decided early on whether the president should be briefed on this in the Oval ... was a senior career civil servant, at a CIA officer,' he told reporters at the White House. 'And she made that decision because she didn't have confidence in the intelligence that came up. We get raw intelligence and tactical intelligence, every day, hundreds of pieces of intelligence coming every day, thousands of pieces of intelligence come in a week. She made that call,' he said. The New York Times reported in May that Trump's CIA briefer is Beth Sanner, who has three decades of experience. The piece also detailed how the president has a short attention span, rarely reads his daily brief (except for graphs and photos he likes to look at) and tends to get his information from conservative news outlets. White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said on Tuesday the president does read his briefing reports. 'The President does read and he also consumes intelligence verbally. This president I will tell you is the most informed person on planet earth when it comes to the threats that we face,' McEnany said. And Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Russia is a constant threat in Afghanistan and the situation his handled appropriately. 'The president has been consistently aware of the challenges that Russia presents to us, and he is aware of the risk in Afghanistan,' Pompeo said Wednesday at the State Department. 'The fact that the Russians are engaged in Afghanistan, in a way that's adverse to the United States is nothing new,' he said and added: 'We took this seriously, we handle it appropriately.' A Defense Department report out Wednesday found that the Russian government was working in Afghanistan to expedite an American withdrawal of troops. Russia very likely continues to support U.S.-Taliban reconciliation efforts in the hope that reconciliation will prevent a long-term U.S. military presence, the 108-page report stated. As of February, the Russian government was working with the central government, regional countries, and the Taliban to gain increased influence in Afghanistan, expedite a U.S. military withdrawal, and address security challenges that might arise from a withdrawal. Speaker Nancy Pelosi will be briefed on the intelligence on Wednesday, Politico reported. She and the rest of the Gang of Eight will be briefed by White House officials as the administration struggles to deal with the fallout from the Russian bounties claim. The Gang of Eight is compromised of the top leadership in Congress from both parties and the heads of the intelligence committees. Besides Pelosi, it includes Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy, Republican Senator Marco Rubio and Democratic Senator Mark Warner as the chairman and ranking member of the Senate Intelligence committee, and Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff and Republican Rep. Devin Nunes as the chairman and ranking member of the House intelligence committee. The briefings for the Gang of Eight are more detailed than a briefing for all members of Congress. The White House has already held separate briefings for some Democratic and Republican lawmakers. Meanwhile, McEnany on Tuesday abandoned attempts to discredit the intelligence report that Russians were offering bounties on U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan and instead blasted The New York Times for reporting on it and criticized those who leaked the information to the newspaper as going after President Trump. 'The front page of the New York Times is not the venue for discussing classified information,' she announced when she came to the podium. 'As a result of this New York Times report, who's going to want to crop cooperate with the United States intelligence community? Who's going to want to be a source or an asset, if they know that their identity could be disclosed? Which allies will want to share information with us, if they know that some rogue intelligence officer can go splash that information on the front page of a major U.S. newspaper?,' she argued. White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany abandoned attempts to discredit an intelligence report that Russians were offering bounties on U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany spent her short press briefing - called on short notice - defending President Trump and blasting The New York Times for its report on Russian bounties McEnany on Tuesday gave members of the media 40 minutes notice that she would hold a briefing and then only took questions for 15 minutes - a short period marked by her repeated defense of the president and multiple attacks on the report in The Times. She also blasted the intelligence officials who leaked the information to the newspaper in a fiery appearance that was sure to please the president she was defending. 'These are rogue intelligence officers who are imperiling our troops lives. We will not be able to get - very likely not be able to get - a consensus on this intelligence, because of what was leaked to the New York Times,' she said. Asked if these officers were going after President Trump, McEnany responded: 'It very possibly could be. And if that's the case, it is absolutely despicable.' Her defense of the president and offensive strategy came as Joe Biden, the Democrats' presumptive 2020 nominee, criticized the president for not knowing about the intelligence report and not taking stronger action upon learning about it. McEnany continued the arguments she made on Monday - that President Trump was not briefed because the information was not 'verified.' 'The President was never briefed on this, this intelligence still has not been verified, and there is no consensus among the intelligence community,' McEnany argued repeatedly. She did concede he has now been briefed on the matter. 'The president has been briefed on what is unfortunately in the public domain because of the New York Times and the irresponsible leaks. Yes he has been briefed, but that does not change the fact that there is no consensus on this intelligence that still has yet to be verified,' she said. Her briefing came after the State Department revealed Secretary of State Mike Pompeo spoke with a Taliban Deputy and chief negotiator Mullah Baradar and told him not to attack Americans. Pompeo spoke with Baradar via video conference on Monday, the State Department revealed in a brief statement. 'The Secretary made clear the expectation for the Taliban to live up to their commitments, which include not attacking Americans,' the department said. The Trump administration has gotten consumed with the growing crisis over an intelligence report - revealed in The New York Times on Friday - that Russians were paying Taliban officials to kill American soldiers in Afghanistan. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo spoke with a Taliban leader amid the growing crisis over Russian bounties on U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan and told them not to kill Americans Joe Biden said of Donald Trump that 'this man is not fit to be the president of the United States of America' during remarks in Wilmington on Tuesday President Trump and administration officials have repeatedly denied the president knew about the intelligence, which the White House has said is not 'verified,' leading to questions of why Trump wasn't told and whether or not it was contained in his presidential daily brief and - if it was - why didn't he read it. As the administration has struggled to down play the shocking report, Democrats have piled onto the president, accusing him of a 'dereliction of duty' in the words of Joe Biden, the presumptive nominee who spoke in Wilmington on Tuesday. 'If these allegations are true and he did nothing about any of this, then, in fact, I think the public should - unrelated to my running - conclude this man is not fit to be the president of the United States of America,' Biden said of Trump. Some Republicans have jumped to the president's defense. 'This morning I attended a long briefing at @WhiteHouse on reports about Putin putting bounties on our troops in Afghanistan. I'm confident @RealDonaldTrump didn't know about the report, and it's clear our intelligence agencies aren't in complete agreement on this,' wrote Republican Sen. Jim Inhofe, the chairman of Senate Armed Services Committee, on Twitter. The White House has been briefing members of Congress - Republicans and Democrats separately - on the issue but won't say if the president has been briefed on it. The New York Times reported additional information on the payments on Tuesday, citing sources who claimed that American officials intercepted electronic data showing large financial transfers from a bank account controlled by Russia's military intelligence agency to a Taliban-linked account. That led to several arrests of Afghan businessmen believed to be middlemen who operated between the G.R.U. - the Russian intelligence agency - and the Taliban-linked militants. One of those men had $500,000 in cash at their residence. Meanwhile, President Trump on Tuesday embraced a claim that an intelligence report on the Russian bounties was 'wishful thinking' as the families of Marines who died in a car bomb attack demanded justice. The president retweeted two tweets from Geraldo Rivera on the matter as the White House struggled to deal with the fallout from The New York Times' explosive report on the bounties, trying to down play its significance and saying Trump was never briefed on it. Rivera's tweets attacked the reporting in the Times, which followed up its original story with a piece Monday night that said intelligence on the Russian bounties was included in Trump's President's Daily Brief document - a compilation of the latest intelligence information - citing two officials with knowledge of the matter. One of the officials said the item appeared in Trump's brief in late February; the other cited Feb. 27, specifically. President Donald Trump embraced a claim that an intelligence report indicating Russia offered bounties on U.S. service members was 'wishful thinking' - retweeting tweets from Geraldo Rivera on the matter 'After enjoying big splash from sensational #RussianBounty expose, #NYT retreating to shore-admitting 'the underlying intelligence was conflicting.' In 3 years of @realDonaldTrump all NYT/Russia reporting has been based on 'conflicting' intelligence - Also known as wishful thinking,' was one of Rivera's tweets that Trump touted. 'Here's #RussianBounty story in a nutshell: 1-US raid randomly discovers wad of cash in Afghan hut (How much? In a safe? Under a bed? In Capone's vault?) 2-Clever intell op exclaims, 'Say I think this cash came from Moscow!' 3-During daily briefing @realDonaldTrump is told or not,' was the other. President Trump's defense comes as the families of three Marines killed in a car bomb attack in April 2019 demanded justice. U.S. officials are looking at that April attack as one that could have been a result of Russian bounties. Felicia Arculeo, whose son Cpl. Robert Hendriks, 25, died in the April 8, 2019, attack, told CNBC that she wants an investigation into how her son died and 'that the parties who are responsible should be held accountable, if that's even possible.' Hendriks and the other two Marines, Sgt. Benjamin Hines, 31, and Staff Sgt. Christopher Slutman, 43, were killed when a car rigged with explosives detonated near their armored vehicles as they returned to Bagram Airfield days before they were scheduled to return home from Afghanistan. Hendriks' father told the Associated Press that even a rumor of Russian bounties should be immediately addressed. 'If this was kind of swept under the carpet as to not make it a bigger issue with Russia, and one ounce of blood was spilled when they knew this, I lost all respect for this administration and everything,' Erik Hendriks said. But two senior administration officials told NBC News that the White House does not believe there is a link between the deaths of three marines and the bounty offer. Republican Congressman Michael McCaul, who was briefed on the situation at the White House on Monday, told NBC that they were told that 'no one had been killed' as a result of Russia's bounty offer. These images provided by the U.S. Marine Corps show, from left, Sgt. Benjamin S. Hines, 31, of York, Pa., Staff Sgt. Christopher K.A. Slutman, 43, of Newark, Del., and Cpl. Robert A. Hendriks, 25, of Locust Valley, N.Y. All three were killed on April 8, 2019, when a roadside bomb hit their convoy near Bagram Airfield in Afghanistan An Afghan military convoy drives past the site of a car bomb attack where U.S soldiers were killed near Bagram air base on April 9, 2019 Democratic Congressman Adam Schiff, the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee (left with House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer on the right) said 'there may be a reluctance to brief the president on things he doesn't want to hear'; Schiff and Hoyer were among the eight House Democrats briefed by the White House on Tuesday morning The White House continues to deny President Trump knew of the bounties even as reports emerged that top White House officials were aware in early 2019 of the classified intelligence reports on it. Former National Security Adviser John Bolton told colleagues - the AP reported - he briefed President Trump on an intelligence assessment that Russia was secretly offering bounties to the Taliban to kill American troops in Afghanistan in March 2019, much earlier than previously reported. The Times reported it was in the President's Daily Brief, a document packet that Trump is known not to read carefully, instead preferring a verbal briefing on intelligence matters and foreign relations. Hillary Clinton, Trump's 2016 Democratic rival, criticized the president for not knowing about the intelligence. 'Either he knew and chose to do nothing, or he didn't know because he couldn't be bothered to do his job,' she wrote on Twitter. Biden also slammed Trump for reports he does not read his daily briefing, noting he and President Barack Obama read theirs every day when they were in office. 'The president brief was something I read every day as vice president. The president read it every day. I was briefed every morning before I got to the White House, and then again. The idea that somehow he didn't know or isn't being briefed, it's a dereliction of duty if that's the case. If he was briefed, and nothing was done about this, that is a dereliction of duty,' Biden said of Trump. Democratic Congressman Adam Schiff, the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, said 'there may be a reluctance to brief the president on things he doesn't want to hear.' Schiff made his comments after eight House Democrats received a briefing at the White House on Tuesday morning. 'You briefed the president in the manner in which he or she receives information. If the president doesn't read the briefs, it makes it doesn't doesn't work to give him written product, and not tell him what's in it,' Schiff said. 'So, I don't want to comment on this particular case but I just say it's not a justification to say that the president should have read whatever materials he has. If he doesn't read, he doesn't read. They should know that by now,' he noted. Police declared a protest in Portland, Oregon to be a riot on Tuesday night and quickly deployed flash grenades and tear gas to disperse the crowd - despite a court-ordered ban on CS gas being used by officers. The confrontation unfolded after several hundred people marched a mile from Peninsula Park to the Portland Police Association headquarters on the 1800 block of North Lombard Street. By 10:13pm, police declared the disturbance a riot, warning those gathered that, If you do not disperse to the east you are subject to arrest of use of force, to include crowd control munitions. Officers are taking lawful action. Do not interfere with officers taking lawful action, law enforcement told the crowd. Two minutes later, at 10:15pm, officers began administering CS gas a type of tear gas to restore order. Last month a federal court judge banned police from using CS gas on protesters until at least July 24, unless in a life-threatening situation. Police declared a protest in Portland, Oregon to be a riot on Tuesday night and quickly deployed flash grenades and tear gas to disperse the crowd - despite a court-ordered ban on CS gas being used by police The confrontation unfolded after several hundred people marched a mile from Peninsula Park to the Portland Police Association headquarters on the 1800 block of North Lombard Street The reasoning behind the police declaring the scene a riot remains unclear. The Portland Police Department has not yet returned a DailyMail.com request for comment on the matter. Moments earlier, police had urged the crowd to move away from the PPA building because of criminal activity that affected the safety of others. However the alleged illegal wrongdoing remained unspecified. A few members of the crowd were seen throwing water bottles that landed near police, splashing water towards officers, The Oregonian reported. Others were seen setting up trash bins to block off the road. The protesters reacted to the tear gas by heading east and south. Officers ordered them to keep walking two blocks away, until they passed Albina Avenue. At least 150 protesters remained outside the PPA building, and were accompanied by around 50 police officers. Police then set off more devices disperse the crowd before protesters left en masse at around 10:45pm. Within 15 minutes, a large crowd of people began to march back towards the area that police had forced them away from. Police gathered at Interstate Avenue to block the protesters from advancing any further west. The officers then pressed towards the crowd, using noise machines to make announcements and emit harsh sounds to encourage the demonstrators to leave. Several officers arrived in vehicles and rushed towards activists, detaining at least two. Four others were arrested shortly afterwards. As the face off continued, videos from social media appeared to show two officers detaining freelance journalist Cory Elia soon after he identified one of the officers by name. The confrontation unfolded after several hundred people marched a mile from Peninsula Park in Northeast Portland to the Portland Police Association headquarters as demonstrations in the city against police brutality continued for a 33rd consecutive night Last month a federal court judge banned police from using CS gas on protesters until at least July 24, unless in a life-threatening situation The protesters reacted to the tear gas by heading east and south. Officers ordered them to keep walking two blocks away, until they passed Albina Avenue Several officers arrived in vehicles and rushed towards activists, detaining at least two. Four others were arrested shortly afterwards Both police and protesters remained in the area at 11:30pm. The crowd was eventually shepherded to Commercial Avenue, where police loaded into vehicles and left the scene at around 12:15am. Their departure was met with cheers and claps from the crowd. At least one police officer waved back to protesters as their vehicle pulled away from the scene, Oregon Live reported. A crowd of 100 protesters continued marching into the early hours of the morning. The procession arrived outside the North Portland police precinct at around 12:40am, where an overnight clash had occurred between police and protesters on Thursday. An officer on a loudspeaker warned the crowd it needed to disperse because of unspecified criminal activity. Police declared the gathering an unlawful assembly around 12:45am and moved in the press the crowd west. Leave the area now, an officer said on the loudspeaker. It is time to go home. Portland has been a site of frequent protesters since the May 25 police death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. The demonstrations continued for a 33rd consecutive night on Tuesday. Other riots and protests have occurred in all 50 states across the country as crowds protest what they say has been a pattern of police brutality against African-Americans and other minorities. Martin Gugino (pictured) has been released from the hospital four months after suffering a brain injury during a protest in Buffalo The 75-year-old longtime peace activist who cracked his head open and suffered a brain injury after he was pushed to the ground by Buffalo cops during a Black Lives Matter protest four weeks ago has been released from the hospital and is recovering at an 'undisclosed location'. Two weeks ago, Martin Gugino's lawyer, Kelly Zarcone, said that the elderly man would not be returning to his home after 'concerning and threatening messages and one letter' sent to his residence sparked fears over his safety. 'It is not clear that these are credible death threats,' Zarcone said at the time. On Monday, when Gugino was released, Zarcone told ABC News: 'Martin wants to thank the entire hospital staff for their exceptional dedication and professionalism. He received truly outstanding care and for that, he is grateful.' The cancer sufferer has been hospitalized since June 4 when two Buffalo cops shoved him to the pavement. Following the incident, officers Robert McCabe and Aaron Torgalski were arrested and charged with second degree assault after they were caught on camera pushing Gugino to the ground, causing him to crack his head open on the sidewalk and leaving him lying in a pool of his own blood. The footage went viral on social media and sparked outrage that police brutality had occurred at a peaceful protest where demonstrators had gathered to demand an end to police brutality and systemic racism following the Memorial Day death of George Floyd who died under the knee of a white Minneapolis cop. McCabe and Torgalski were suspended and each face up to seven years in prison if convicted of the class D felony. They both pleaded not guilty and were released without bail to appear back in court on July 20. Scroll down for video The cancer sufferer (pictured on June 4) has been hospitalized since June 4 when two Buffalo cops shoved him to the pavement during a peaceful Black Lives Matter protest in Buffalo The footage went viral on social media and sparked outrage that police brutality had occurred at a peaceful protest where demonstrators had gathered to demand an end to police brutality and systemic racism following the Memorial Day death of George Floyd DA John Flynn said the two cops had 'crossed the line' and 'violated the law' when he announced the charges in early June. He added that Gugino was just 'a harmless 75-year-old man' and said the severity of the charges was necessary because the law in New York states that if the victim is 65 years or older and the perpetrator is 10 years younger than them then it is classed as a felony charge. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo welcomed the charges after saying the footage had made him 'physically sick'. 'I was sick to my stomach... it was the same feeling I had for 90 of the past nights when I got the death tolls for coronavirus. I was physically sick to my stomach,' he said of the footage when it was released. Last month, President Donald Trump made the unsubstantiated claim that Gugino is an Antifa 'provocateur' and even went as far as claiming the elderly victim staged the incident. 'Buffalo protester shoved by Police could be an ANTIFA provocateur. 75 year old Martin Gugino was pushed away after appearing to scan police communications in order to black out the equipment,' the president said in a Tweet on June 9. Trump was slammed for his remarks and was accused of floating a 'baseless conspiracy theory'. Cuomo blasted his comments as 'reprehensible' and 'wholly unacceptable'. Last month, President Donald Trump made the unsubstantiated claim that Gugino (pictured) is an Antifa 'provocateur' and even went as far as claiming the elderly victim staged the incident Aaron Torgalski (left) and Robert McCabe (right) were each charged with one count of assault in the second degree At McCabe and Torgalski's initial court hearing on June 6, hundreds of non-uniformed colleagues gathered outside the city court in a show of solidarity for the cops and greeted them with a hero's welcome when they were released (pictured) Gugino's lawyer has insisted Gugino has no connection to Antifa. Law enforcement officers have also sided with their two colleagues. At McCabe and Torgalski's initial court hearing on June 6, hundreds of non-uniformed officers gathered outside the city court in a show of solidarity for the cops and greeted them with a hero's welcome when they were released. This came after the entire Buffalo Police Department's Emergency Response Team resigned in outrage at the two cops' suspension without pay. All 57 officers in the Emergency Response Team resigned from their positions the day after the incident. The Buffalo Police Benevolent Association said the resignations came as a show of 'disgust' at the treatment of their two colleagues but some cops later cast doubt on those claims. More recently, New York City, which has been gripped by weeks of protests that has seen stores looted, fireworks set off, statues daubed with paint and rising crime including shootings - voted to slash $1billion from the NYPD budget. The cut, which comes amid a $9billion shortfall in city revenues due to the coronavirus lockdown, will cancel the recruitment of 1,163 new officers, strip $484million from the overtime budget and transfer $354million to other services - including handing control of school safety officers from the NYPD to the Department of Education. The contentious budget passed with 32 votes in favor and an unusually large 17 votes against just ahead of the midnight deadline following hours of delays. The budget also includes deep cuts to other services including a hiring freeze for all departments except emergency services, $1billion in 'labor savings', scrapping a scheme that reduced transport fares for the underprivileged, and scrapping a composting program. Mayor Bill de Blasio has warned that 22,000 city employees may lose their jobs come October, when a new class of police officers is due to start training despite Tuesday's cut, if other savings cannot be found. A group of university students in Wisconsin are calling for the removal of Abraham Lincoln's statue at their campus, calling it 'a symbol of white supremacy', as Boston's arts commission voted unanimously to remove a statue that depicts a freed slave kneeling at Lincoln's feet. Boston's Emancipation Memorial, a copy of an identical monument that was erected in Washington, D.C., in 1876, has stood in a park just off Boston Common since 1879. On Tuesday night the commission approved its removal, after more than 12,000 people signed a petition demanding the statue's removal. 'What I heard today is that it hurts to look at this piece, and in the Boston landscape, we should not have works that bring shame to any groups of people,' said Ekua Holmes, vice chairperson of the arts commission. 'After engaging in a public process, it's clear that residents and visitors to Boston have been uncomfortable with this statue,' said Marty Walsh, mayor of Boston. Officials did not immediately set a date to take it down, and said details would be worked out at their next meeting on July 14. Their decision came as the University of Wisconsin wrestles with complaints over its statue of Lincoln. That statue, at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, has sat on top of Bascom Hill, looking down State Street toward the Capitol Dome, since 1906. New students rub Lincoln's left shoe for good luck, and his lap often serves as a prop for seniors seeking a commencement photo. Yet in light of a wave of statues being pulled down across the country, following George Floyd's May 25 killing and subsequent protests, the Black Student Union and Student Inclusion Committee are calling for Lincoln's removal from their campus. 'For him to be at the top of Bascom as a powerful placement on our campus, it's a single-handed symbol of white supremacy,' said Nalah McWhorter, Black Student Union president, in an interview with the Wisconsin State Journal. The statue of Lincoln and a freed slave will be removed after a Tuesday night vote in Boston The statue of Abraham Lincoln has stood outside Bascom Hall in Madison, WI, since 1906 Nalah McWhorter, Black Student Union president, says Lincoln's statue must come down She told the Badger Herald: 'I just think he did, you know, some good things. 'The bad things that he's done definitely outweighs them. 'And I do want the 100 per cent removal of the statue. I don't want it to be moved somewhere or anything like that. I want it removed.' A petition to have the statue removed has gained more than 360 signatures. Last week protesters took matters into their own hands, and two statues at the state Capitol were toppled - one of Civil War abolitionist Hans Christian Heg and another of a female figure that represents the states 'Forward' motto. Supporters of Lincoln's removal point out that he ordered the largest mass execution in U.S. history, condemning 38 Dakota men to death by hanging in Minnesota in 1862. He signed the Homestead Act, which provided settlers with land taken away from Native Americans who were pushed onto reservations. And they say he was racist, despite being against slavery. A petition to have the statue removed from University of Wisconsin campus has been started In 1854 in Peoria, Illinois, he said: 'My ancient faith teaches me that 'all men are created equal'; and that there can be no moral right in connection with one man's making a slave of another.' Yet four years later, during a debate speech, he argued that there is a physical difference between black and white races and that he favored the 'superior' position assigned to the white race, according to a Chicago Tribune report. 'There is a physical difference between the white and black races which I believe will forever forbid the two races from living together on terms of social and political equality,' Lincoln is quoted as saying. Wisconsin is the home of the Republican Party, which was born out of a movement to end slavery. 'I think when people say, okay, Abraham Lincoln freed the slaves,' said McWhorter. 'I think that's looking at a very small piece of his presidency at the time. 'So you can kind of see here you freed the slaves, but you also did this and this and this and that. And then when you show that to people, it's kind of hard to deny those facts in history.' Paint covers the 'Forward' statue outside the Wisconsin State Capitol in Madison on June 2 The 'Forward' statue was toppled on June 23 following a night of protest The movement to remove the statue is strongly opposed by the university's chancellor, Rebecca Blank. 'As the leader of UW-Madison, I believe that Abraham Lincoln's legacy should not be erased but examined, that it should be both celebrated and critiqued,' she said. In 2015, a different student group called 'About Race UW' created a list of demands, including the removal of Lincoln from Bascom Hill. The idea was abandoned after being seen as 'too extreme' within the black community. More recently, the university's student government called in 2017 for the addition of a plaque recognizing Lincoln's role in the deaths of the 38 Native Americans. Blank declined, saying Lincoln's role in the matter was 'restrained' and he had refused a territorial governor's proposal to sentence 350 others to death. In the years since, Blank has not changed her position on keeping Lincoln just outside her office in Bascom Hall. 'Like those of all presidents, Lincoln's legacy is complex and contains actions which, 150 years later, appear flawed,' she said. Rebecca Blank, the chancellor of the university, does not want Lincoln's statue removed Nalah McWhorter is campaigning for the removal of Lincoln from the university campus ABRAHAM LINCOLN'S RACIAL LEGACY Lincoln was born in 1809 in Kentucky He was president from 1861-65 He was shot dead in April 1865 in DC In 1854 in Peoria, Illinois, he declared his opposition to slavery, saying: 'My ancient faith teaches me that 'all men are created equal'; and that there can be no moral right in connection with one man's making a slave of another.' Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863, as the country moved into the third year of the Civil War. Lincolns proclamation had declared 'that all persons held as slaves' within the rebellious states 'are, and henceforward shall be free.' *** In 1852 Lincoln said he rejected 'both extremes' on the slavery debate. Lincoln said in 1858 he was against racial equality: 'There is a physical difference between the white and black races which I believe will forever forbid the two races from living together on terms of social and political equality.' In August 1862 Lincoln told a group of black leaders during a visit to the White House that they were to blame for the Civil War, telling them: But for your presence amongst us, there would be no war. Lincoln told journalist Horace Greeley his priority was saving the union, saying: 'If I could save the union without freeing any slave, I would do it; and if I could save it by freeing all the slaves, I would do it; and if I could save it by freeing some and leaving others alone, I would also do that.' Frederick Douglass in 1876 said Lincoln was 'preeminently the white mans president, entirely devoted to the welfare of white men'. Douglass continued: 'He was ready and willing at any time during the first years of his administration to deny, postpone, and sacrifice the rights of humanity in the colored people to promote the welfare of the white people of this country.' Advertisement 'However, when the totality of his tenure is considered, Lincoln is widely acknowledged as one of our greatest presidents, having issued the Emancipation Proclamation, persuaded Congress to adopt the 13th Amendment ending slavery and preserved the Union during the Civil War.' Manisha Sinha, a University of Connecticut professor and Civil War historian, said she would be 'horrified' if UW-Madison took Lincoln's statue down. She characterized the recent push to expand statue removal beyond Confederate generals and other obvious symbols of slavery to include widely celebrated individuals with complicated pasts, such as slave-owning presidents, as 'misplaced.' 'History is complex and nuanced and a lot of the figures we revere, like (George) Washington or Lincoln, are not perfect in all things,' she said. 'We should be able to tell that complex story instead of saying, "This guy was all bad and we should get rid of him." 'You could destroy our entire history because it's based entirely on dispossession of Native Americans.' Blank said that progress at her university had been made. Last summer the university installed a plaque on Bascom Hill acknowledging that the campus was built on Ho-Chunk land, and hired its first tribal relations director in the fall. The Wisconsin Union renamed two of its spaces previously named after prominent alumni who, while students in the 1920s, belonged to the Ku Klux Klan. And a multi-year public history project is underway to collect stories of individuals who experienced and overcame prejudice on campus. 'Everyone agrees that there is much more to do,' Blank said, adding that some new commitments will be announced in early July. UW-Madison students of color said recent efforts are appreciated but do little to overcome the daily isolation of living on a campus where 2 per cent of the student body is black and less than 1 per cent of students are Native American. McWhorter, a junior studying marketing and management, said she understands the university is overwhelmed with challenges right now amid the pandemic and associated economic fallout. 'But I do wish to see more action to show that black students do really matter here,' she told the Chicago Tribune. 'Its a lot of talk about how they support us, but I just want to see more done.' Coronado, CA (92118) Today Partly cloudy skies. High 74F. Winds WNW at 10 to 15 mph.. Tonight Partly cloudy early followed by cloudy skies overnight. Low near 65F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph. Advertisement Seattle police on Wednesday reclaimed their precinct in the city's 'occupied' protest zone after the mayor finally issued an early morning executive order to vacate the area. At least 31 people were arrested at the Capitol Hill Organized Protest (CHOP) zone which has seen two deadly shootings and crime rise by more than 500 per cent in just over three weeks. People had occupied several blocks around a park and the Seattle Police Department's East Precinct after officers abandoned the building on June 8 following clashes with protesters calling for an end to police brutality. Calling the gathering at the East Precinct and Cal Anderson Park an 'unlawful assembly' Mayor Jenny Durkan demanded all barriers be removed in an order issued in the early hours of Wednesday. Seattle police confirmed in a tweet early Wednesday that they would be 'in the area this morning enforcing the Mayor's order'. Officers in riot gear issued a dispersal order at 5am leading to the 31 arrests within just 30 minutes amid fears the protesters could now move to West Precinct. Police tweeted: 'Because suspects in recent shootings may still be in the area, and because numerous people in the area are in possession of firearms, Seattle Police officers involved in this morning's response will be equipped with additional protective gear.' Eyewitness Omari Salisbury said: 'The Seattle Police Department basically reclaimed the precinct in less than 30 minutes, five feet at a time with the bicycle officers out in front.' Speaking outside the precinct Wednesday morning police chief Carmen Best confirmed her officers had reclaimed the precinct, with the help of Bellevue police and the FBI, but could not offer a time frame on when they would move back in. She said: 'Our job is to support peaceful demonstration but what has happened on these streets over the last two weeks is lawless and it's brutal and bottom line it is simply unacceptable.' President Donald Trump has repeatedly criticized the Seattle protest area, as well as city and state leaders. He tweeted Monday morning that the protesters 'have ZERO respect for Government.' Scroll down for video Seattle police showed up in force early Wednesday at the citys occupied protest zone, tore down demonstrators tents and used bicycles to herd the protesters after the mayor ordered the area cleared following two fatal shootings Police swarmed the zone known as CHOP at about 5am; at least 31 people were arrested, said Police Chief Carmen Best Clearing out: City crews dismantle the Capitol Hill Organized Protest (CHOP) area outside of the Seattle Police Department's vacated East Precinct Police clear campers from Cal Anderson park as city crews dismantle the Capitol Hill Organized Protest (CHOP) area Police detain a person as city crews dismantle the Capitol Hill Organized Protest (CHOP) area. Thirty-one people were arrested this morning Police detain a man as city crews dismantle CHOP which protesters have occupied since June 8 Seattle police on Wednesday moved in to reclaim their precinct in the city's 'occupied' protest zone Eyewitness Omari Salisbury said: 'The Seattle Police Department basically reclaimed the precinct in less than 30 minutes, five feet at a time with the bicycle officers out in front' TIMELINE OF VIOLENCE IN SEATTLE'S CHOP ZONE June 8: Protesters occupy the area; police abandoned the precinct June 20: A 19-year-old man is shot dead and a 33-year-old man was wounded June 24: Nearby businesses and property owners filed a federal lawsuit against the city June 29: Two teens shot - one fatally - in Jeep at zone's concrete barriers June 30: Barricades at Seattle's cop-free zone are torn down as protesters replace concrete barriers with trash cans and couches July 1: Early hours : Mayor Jenny Durkan demand all barriers are removed after a 525 per cent spike in violent crimes in the area 5am: Police swarm the zone 5:30am: Eyewitnesses say officers have cleared the area 7am: Chief Carmen Best confirms police have taken back precinct Advertisement Police said: 'Since demonstrations at the East Precinct area began on June 8th, two teenagers have been killed and three people have been seriously wounded in late-night shootings. Police have also documented robberies, assaults, and other violent crimes. 'Because suspects in recent shootings may still be in the area, and because numerous people in the area are in possession of firearms, Seattle Police officers involved in this morning's response will be equipped with additional protective gear.' At least 100 police officers swarmed the zone known as CHOP at about 5am and a loud bang was heard at about 6:15am followed by a cloud of smoke. Officers tore down demonstrators' tents and used bicycles to herd the protesters. Police tore down fences that protesters had erected around their tents and used batons to poke inside bushes, apparently looking for people who might be hiding inside. Most protesters appeared to have dispersed several hours after the operations started and armed officers looked on from rooftops as clean-up crews of workers arrived to break down tables and tarps that protesters had set up in the zone. Protester Rick Hearns used his megaphone to tell demonstrators: 'We've made history. Everybody out. We'll get another place. Don't taunt the officers.' Chief Best said: 'The CHOP has become lawless and brutal. Four shootings, two fatal, robberies, assaults, violence and countless property crimes have occurred in this several block area.' Tweeting their moves to dismantle the area police said: 'Police have observed individuals in the vehicles with firearms/armor. The vehicles also appear to be operating without visible license plates. 'Anyone who remains in the area, or returns to the area, is subject to arrest.' Confirming the 31 people arrested police said one man, 29, was in possession of a large metal pipe and kitchen knife when he was taken into custody. Police also released a video documenting the acts of violence inside CHOP over the last few weeks. Crews had already used heavy equipment Tuesday in an attempt to remove makeshift barriers around the CHOP zone following the two fatal shootings. But demonstrators dragged couches and other items to replace the structures. Those were largely gone later Tuesday. City crews dismantle the camp outside of the Seattle Police Department's vacated East Precinct Clean-up: Seattle police enter the East Precinct on Wednesday after clearing out the CHOP zone Volunteer medic Marty Jackson had described the area as an 'active war zone'. The clean-up Wednesday is seen above The move to dismantle the area follows the shooting death of a 16-year-old boy, named as Antonio Mays Jr, in the early hours of Monday morning. A 14-year-old was also critically injured when eyewitnesses say armed security inside the zone fired 300 rounds. Lorenzo Anderson, 19, was shot on the protest area on June 20. His father, Horace Lorenzo Anderson, said: 'This doesn't look like a protest to me no more. That just looks like they just took over and said we can take over whenever we want to.' Volunteer medic Marty Jackson had described the area as an 'active war zone' and said: 'I don't think we're gonna stop here.' He told KUOW it was CHOP's own armed security who fired at the car driven by the teen after it crashed into a barrier, killing him and critically wounding the 14-year-old. Warning people not to come to the CHOP zone, Jackson added: 'Because now it's like pretty much an active war zone. Now you have security and medical always looking around waiting to see the next.' City crews dismantle the CHOP area outside of the Seattle Police Department's vacated East Precinct on Wednesday People kneel in front of a line of Police officers on bicycles as Seattle Police retake the Capitol Hill Occupied Protest (CHOP) area, including their East Precinct, in Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan called the city's 'occupied' protest zone an 'unlawful assembly' in an order Wednesday. Seattle police confirmed Wednesday they would be 'in the area this morning enforcing the Mayor's order' People have occupied several blocks around a park and the Seattle Police Department's East Precinct for about two weeks. Police abandoned the building following clashes with protesters calling for an end to police brutality Seattle police block a street with their bicycles in the Capitol Hill Organized Protest zone early Wednesday A protester stands with her hand up in front of a road blocked by Seattle police in the Capitol Hill Organized Protest zone early Wednesday, Police tore down fences that protesters had erected around their tents and used batons to poke inside bushes, apparently looking for people who might be hiding inside Most protesters appeared to have dispersed several hours after the operations started and armed officers looked on from rooftops as clean-up crews of workers arrived to break down tables and tarps that protesters had set up in the zone Footage from inside the zone had shown the chaotic scenes and the bullet ridden vehicle in the immediate aftermath of the shoot out Monday. City workers on Friday tried to remove makeshift barriers erected around the area but stopped their work after demonstrators objected. Seattle police Assistant Chief Adrian Diaz said Tuesday the large, makeshift barriers would be removed in incremental steps to allow traffic to move through portions of a road that had been closed off. 'So far, you know, everything is peaceful this morning, so that's a good sign,' Diaz told The Seattle Times. Police said one man, 29, was in possession of a large metal pipe and kitchen knife when he was taken into custody President Donald Trump has repeatedly criticized the Seattle protest area, as well as city and state leaders Calling the gathering at the East Precinct and Cal Anderson Park an 'unlawful assembly' Mayor Jenny Durkan had demanded all barriers be removed after a 525 per cent spike in violent crimes in the area Here is more recent video of the current situation at 11th/Pine/Olive @KIRORadio #CHOPseattle pic.twitter.com/3AZmyG2xJa Hanna Scott (@HannaKIROFM) July 1, 2020 widgets.js" charset="utf-8"> widgets.js" charset="utf-8"> 13 arrests have now been made as @SeattlePD clears out the protest zone known as #CHOPseattle after @MayorJenny gave emergency order to clear the area. Live streaming now @KING5Seattle https://t.co/v3iaqWvZH9 Amity Addrisi (@AmityAddrisiK5) July 1, 2020 There had been increasing calls by critics, including President Trump, to remove protesters from the 'Capitol Hill Occupied Protest' area east of downtown. Protesters say they should not be blamed for the violence in the area. People continued to add artwork, flowers and candles at a memorial for the 16-year-old on Tuesday. Chief Best said the shootings are obscuring the message of racial justice promoted by protesters. Nearby businesses and property owners also filed a federal lawsuit against the city last week, saying officials have been too tolerant of those who created the zone and that officials have deprived property owners of their property rights by allowing the zone to continue existing. Also Tuesday, Mayor Durkan asked the City Council to investigate council member Kshama Sawant, accusing her of opening City Hall to protesters on June 9 and participating in a protest march to Durkan's home on Sunday. 'She and organizers knew that my address was protected under the state confidentiality program because of threats against me due largely to my work as U.S. attorney,' Durkan wrote. Sawant said she had not organized the march and wasn't taking Durkan's words personally, The Seattle Times reported. 'In reality, this is an attack on working people's movements, and everything we are fighting for, by a corporate politician desperately looking to distract from her failures of leadership and politically bankrupt administration,' Sawant said in a statement. Earlier this month Sawant and other council members called on the mayor to resign over what they called the Police Department's militaristic response to protests. Durkan has said she will not resign. Mayor Jenny Durkan, right, had demanded all barriers be removed from the city's 'occupied' protest zone after a 525 per cent spike in violent crimes in the area. Chief Carmen Best, right, said: 'The CHOP has become lawless and brutal. Four shootings-two fatalrobberies, assaults, violence and countless property crimes have occurred in this several block area' Police also released a video documenting the acts of violence inside CHOP over the last few weeks. The clips, taken in the early hours of a Monday morning, show the bullet ridden vehicle in the moments after gunfire broke out Protesters stand on barricades a block away as Seattle Department of Transportation workers remove other barricades at the intersection of 10th Ave. and Pine St., Tuesday Nearby businesses and property owners filed a federal lawsuit against the city last Wednesday, claiming officials have been too tolerant of those who created the zone and that officials have deprived property owners of their property rights by allowing the zone to continue existing. The business owners said they were not trying to undermine the protesters' anti-police-brutality and Black Lives Matter messages. But the owners said they have suffered because the creation of the zone has limited their access to their businesses and that some owners trying clean graffiti from their storefronts or attempting to photograph protesters have been threatened. A second lawsuit was filed by attorney Jacob Bozeman Monday. He said: 'To abdicate the authority to an unelected, unauthorized and armed group of people to decide who can come and go, who can be searched and seized, and under what portions of the city you can come and go from, for fear of physical retaliation against you, is unconstitutional.' PICTURED: 16-year-old boy shot dead inside CHOP as cops release footage of gunmen prowling streets inside the zone on the night he died The 16-year-old boy shot dead inside Seattle's Capitol Hill Organized Protest (CHOP) zone has been named as Antonio Mays Jr. Mays Jr was killed in the early hours of Monday morning after eyewitnesses say the area's armed security fired at the Jeep his was driving. A 14-year-old boy was also critically wounded in the shooting. Seattle police on Wednesday reclaimed their precinct in the city's 'occupied' protest zone after the mayor finally issued an early morning executive order to vacate the area. Law enforcement also released a video documenting the acts of violence inside CHOP over the last few weeks. Gunmen are seen prowling through the area on the night of Mays Jr's death. One eyewitness said 300 rounds were fired on the night of his killing. Antonio Mays Jr was killed in the early hours of Monday morning inside CHOP A second teen, Lorenzo Anderson, 19, was shot dead in the area on June 20 DailyMail.com has contacted police for the latest on their investigation into the fatal shooting to determine where any of those in the video are suspects Police have released a video documenting the acts of violence inside CHOP over the last few weeks; gunmen are seen prowling on the night of Mays Jr's death DailyMail.com has contacted police for the latest on their investigation into the fatal shooting to determine where any of those in the video are suspects. His death marked the second fatal shooting in the area after a 19-year-old was killed on June 20. A second teen, Lorenzo Anderson, 19, was shot dead on the protest area on June 20. His father, Horace Lorenzo Anderson, said: 'This doesn't look like a protest to me no more. That just looks like they just took over and said we can take over whenever we want to.' PICTURED: Fox News reporter is back at Seattle's CHOP zone two days after he was trapped inside his car by dozens of Black Lives Matter protesters 'after he shoved woman' Fox News reporter Dan Springer was pictured back at Seattle's CHOP zone Wednesday - two days after he was trapped inside his car by Black Lives Matter protesters. An angry mob trapped the correspondent in his vehicle after a BLM member claimed she was shoved by King, DailyMail.com disclosed Monday. River, a BLM protester at CHOP, claimed to DailyMail.com that Springer had pushed a woman at the event, telling her to get back, prompting the woman to throw her coffee at him. Springer then retreated into an SUV with private armed security guards protecting the car, as a group of 50 barricaded the vehicle and demanded for him to apologize. After 20 minutes the angry crowd died down and another vehicle pulled up, with Springer jumping inside and speeding away, according to onlookers. Fox News' Dan Springer was pictured back at Seattle's CHOP zone Wednesday River explained the group was protesting Fox News and Springer over the network's alleged fake news stories aired about CHOP when the incident occurred At one point, the protesters jumped on the hood of the SUV and placed a barricade in front of it so Springer couldnt leave the area Fox News Correspondent Dan Springer was trapped in his car in Seattle after he allegedly shoved a protester, DailyMail.com can disclose One of the two Tulsa, Oklahoma, police officers who were shot during a traffic stop has died of his injuries. Police Chief Wendell Franklin announced that Sgt. Craig Johnson, 45, died at the hospital on Tuesday afternoon. He said Johnson was shot multiple times during the Monday attack, including one shot to the head that was 'critical.' Franklin described Johnson's death as a 'tremendous loss' to the police department. 'His sacrifice will not go unremembered,' he said. Tulsa police Sgt Craig Johnson, 45 (left), died of his injuries on Tuesday after being shot during a traffic stop on Monday. Officer Aurash Zarkeshan (right) remains hospitalized in serious condition Authorities said David Ware, 32 (pictured in his mugshot), shot the two officers after an alleged scuffle early Monday morning in Tulsa A patrol car at the division where the officers worked has been covered in flowers, balloons, American flags and handmade signs as a tribute. Johnson and rookie officer Aurash Zarkeshan were shot at about 3.30am on Monday during a traffic stop. The suspected gunman, 32-year-old David Anthony Ware, went on the run and was arrested following a manhunt that lasted more than seven hours. According to a previous press conference, Zarkeshan pulled Ware over as he drove a 2007 Chevy Cobalt near 8900 E. 21st street. It was discovered that the vehicle had expired temporary tags, prompting Zarkeshan and Johnson, who arrived on the scene as backup, to inform Ware that the car would be towed. Ware reportedly argued that the officers were 'violating his rights' and refused to exit the vehicle at their request. A standoff lasted several minutes and involved officers asking Ware to vacate the vehicle a total of 12 times. Melanie Dickey, a registered nurse for over 40 years, places an item on a makeshift memorial for Tulsa Police Officers Craig Johnson and Aurash Zarkeshan at Mingo Valley Division Anna Hok, left, and Terrie Dyer embrace and pray at a makeshift memorial for the Tulsa officers on Tuesday Off duty Tulsa Police Officer Aaron Myers adjusts items on the makeshift memorial Tuesday During this time, Ware reportedly called his friend Matt Hall, 29, to pick him up from the area. As Ware continued to refuse, the sergeant displayed his Taser and did what is called an 'arc,' meaning he showed that the tool was on. He did that three times. Ware still refused to exit the vehicle, so Johnson deployed the Taser gun at the suspect. Ware managed to fight the electric shocks and was not disabled by the Taser. The officers then tried to forcibly remove Ware from the car. During the struggle, one of the men also used pepper-spray on Ware, authorities said. Ware eventually exited the vehicle, but brandished a handgun and proceeded to fire several rounds at the officers, authorities said. Authorities provided a map to show where the incident happened at 8900 E. 21st Street around 3:30am Monday in Tulsa, Oklahoma Zarkeshan pulled Ware over as he drove this 2007 Chevy Cobalt near 8900 E. 21st Street because it had expired temporary tags Johnson was shot in his head and body. Zarkeshan was shot in his head, upper body, and lower body, according to an arrest affidavit. Ware then allegedly stood over Johnson after he had been hit and shot him three more times. Then, Ware slowly walked to a waiting vehicle driven by Hall and fled the scene. The injured officers were left lying on the ground as Ware sped away. Police employed helicopters and dogs to track down the suspected gunman. After following several leads, they found him at a house and got him to surrender. Ware's alleged accomplice, Hall, was arrested later Tuesday in Broken Arrow. Johnson had joined Tulsa police in 2005 and was promoted to sergeant in 2015, Franklin said. Ware allegedly refused to exit his car so it could be towed, and a scuffle ensued. Johnson used a Taser on the suspect, but it failed to disable him The ex-convict then allegedly pulled out a gun and opened fire on the officers, fatally shooting Johnson in the head and injuring Zarkeshan 'Sgt. Johnson was a good man who made our lives better, who trained his fellow officers to be better,' said Tulsa Mayor G.T. Bynum. Ware's allegedly getaway driver Matt Hall (pictured) faces a count of being an accessory murder and a related charge He continued: 'Tulsas a city that loves and honors heroes. Today we feel the tremendous pain of losing one. In the days ahead, I hope that both the Johnson family and the men and women of the Tulsa Police Department will feel our city gathered around them, showing that same love for them that Sgt. Johnson and his sacrifice showed for us.' Oklahoma Gov Kevin Stitt released a statement on Tuesday, calling the officers' shooting a 'senseless act of violence.' 'My hope is that Sgt. Johnson is forever remembered for the heroism, courage and bravery he displayed while protecting Tulsa for 15 years,' Stitt stated. Franklin said Johnson was survived by his wife, two young sons and parents. He said Johnson's family had decided to donate his organs. Authorities were seen Monday afternoon searching for Ware around the suspected area Officers utilized helicopters and reportedly used police dogs in their attempts to locate Ware Zarkeshan had been on patrol for less than six weeks since graduating from the police academy in the spring, the chief said. He remains in serious condition at the hospital. A motive for the shooting was unclear. Tulsa police Capt. Richard Meulenberg said Ware had no known bias against the police. Ware faces charges of murder, shoot with intent to kill and firearm possession, and Hall faces a count of being an accessory murder and a related charge. Both are being held without bond at the Tulsa jail. Records indicate that Ware has a lengthy criminal history, which includes a burglary conviction and arrests on a wide array of charges, including grand larceny, resisting arrest, carrying a concealed weapon, drug possession and shoplifting. Advertisement The city that never sleeps has changed its mind. For the past month, illegal fireworks set off at all hours of the night have been wreaked havoc on New Yorkers' sleep. And the neverending fireworks plague was compounded by Macy's announcement it would pop them off at five 'surprise' locations without warning in the lead-up to the Fourth of July. On Twitter, exasperated New Yorkers pleaded to make it stop and begged the department store to read the room. Both Mayor Bill de Blasio and Governor Andrew Cuomo have formed task forces and crackdown to end the menace. 'We're going to start a huge sting operation to go and get these illegal fireworks at the base,' Mayor Bill de Blasio said. There has been a huge increase of loud pop, pop, pop punctuating the night and then an explosion of color across the five boroughs and especially in Brooklyn. In New York City, complaints over the illegal pyrotechnics have soared almost 13 times to 13,315 compared to last year, according to the New York Post. Beyond sleepless nights for denizens, there have been serious consequences. In the Bronx, an illegal firework struck a three-year-old boy and seriously injured him after it flew into his family's apartment window on the sixth floor. A man flung a firework at a homeless man, 66, who was sleeping on the street in Harlem that resulted in minor burns. Then there were the New Yorkers who seemed to hurl them at each other for sport. In June, New York City has become the Wild West of illegal fireworks with Brooklyn as its OK Corral. Complaints over the illegal pyrotechnics have soared almost 13 times to 13,315 since last year, according to the New York Post. Nor is the phenomenon limited to the New York. Other cities, such as Boston, Los Angeles and Chicago have also seen a significant spike in calls about the loud pop pop pop punctuating the night while denizens are trying to sleep. Above, a New Yorker records the red flash of an illegal firework going off in Brooklyn on June 24 Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the usual Macy's Fourth of July extravaganza has been canceled. Instead, there will be fireworks throughout the week leading to the holiday celebrating American independence. Where is the city has been kept under wraps in order not to draw crowds during the coronavirus pandemic. Above, fireworks explode over the Statue of Liberty during Macy's Fourth of July Fireworks Spectacular on June 30 There are many theories circulating about why the fireworks boom now. New York City has been in lockdown since March due to the coronavirus pandemic. While the city, once an epicenter that saw thousands of death, is slowly reopening but it is nowhere near where it once was. The most likely explanation is boredom, but there are conspiracies that include the CIA and police departments setting them off in communities of color in response to the nationwide wave of protests sparked by George Floyd's murder in late May. Above, the white light of illegal pyrotechnics burns bright at a Harlme playground on June 20 In Boston, the number shoot up from 139 calls to the police to 7,844 this June, according to 10 Boston. In Los Angeles, officers investigated over 1,400 calls between June 1 and the 20th, according to a local NBC station. In Chicago, 7,042 calls flooded the city's Office of Emergency Management and Communication compared to 842 complaints last year, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. Above, a New Yorker records the red smoke and white fireworks in an empty park in Brooklyn on June 24 At both the city and state level in New York, task forces have been formed to combat the menace, which has had serious consequences beyond sleepless nights for denizens. In the Bronx, an illegal firework struck a three-year-old boy after it flew into his family's apartment window on the sixth floor. A man flung a firework at a homeless man, 66, who was sleeping on the street in Harlem that resulted in minor burns. Then there were the New Yorkers who seemed to hurl them at each other for sport. Above, people set off fireworks in Brooklyn on June 24 New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio set up a task force with members of the NYPD's Intelligence Bureau, fire marshals from the Fire Department of the City of New York, known as the FDNY, and the Sheriff's Bureau of Criminal Investigation. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, who has long feuded with de Blasio, has organized his own task force called the Fireworks Enforcement Detail with the state police looking to stop the flow of fireworks from Pennsylvania. Above, fireworks in Harlem on June 20 Pennsylvania appears to be one source of the illegal firework influx into New York City. The legality of fireworks differs from state to state. In some places, like New York, the sale and distribution is illegal. Cops busted two Brooklyn men with $2,000 worth of the sparkling goods that seemed to be from Pennsylvania, where they are legal. Another two men are charged with trafficking $6,000 of the out-of-state contraband that ranged from firecrackers to sparklers. De Blasio set up a task force with members of the NYPD's Intelligence Bureau, fire marshals from the Fire Department of the City of New York, known as the FDNY, and the Sheriff's Bureau of Criminal Investigation. 'We also intend to go to the root cause - and that is the people who are supplying the fireworks, the folks who are profiting off of illegal fireworks,' de Blasio said. Sheriff Joseph Fucito told Gothamist that the task force would tackle the fireworks like they would tobacco or firearms coming from out of state. Shutting down the network is one of the best ways that we can stop the flow of contraband into the city, he said. Despite the task force formation targeted at sales and distribution, the ongoing problem is not a top priority for the city to quell. Many New Yorkers feel they have no recourse except for honking outside of Gracie Mansion where de Blasio resides - and Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams actively urged people not to call 911. The NYPD has plenty of its plate with the pandemic and mostly peaceful protests against police brutality. But there have been incidences of looting of upscale retail stores and for several days, protestors camped at City Hall have called for the defunding of the police. On Tuesday, the city cut $1 billion from the NYPD's budget. Governor Andrew Cuomo told radio station WAMC on Monday that the constant drum of fireworks going off is 'out of control.' 'I don't know what is going on. I don't know what is going on,' Cuomo said.' You can be in New York City, it sounds like the Wild West at night. Even in Albany, I'll tell you the truth.' Cuomo, who has long feuded with de Blasio, has organized his own task force called the Fireworks Enforcement Detail with the state police looking to stop the flow of fireworks from Pennsylvania. Across the country, some vendors have seen their consumer firework sales doubling or even tripling from last year, Julie Heckman, the executive director of the American Pyrotechnics Association, told CNN on Tuesday. Heckman told USA Today that the industry is 'predicting a record year in consumer fireworks sales.' Even in a 'normal' year, there are injuries connected to fireworks around the Fourth of July and most of them were burns, according to the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission in the CNN report. Scott Smith, secretary of the National Fireworks Association, told NPR that he believes the fireworks being shoot off are not professional grade, which are tracked by bar code. 'Their fuses burn more quickly, and so you need a special tube, or mortar, to launch them safely one that will send them far away quickly,' according to the NPR article. Pennsylvania appears to be one source of the illegal firework influx into New York City. The legality of fireworks differ from state to state. In some places, like New York, the sale and distribution is illegal. Cops busted two Brooklyn men with $2,000 worth of the sparkling goods that seem to be from the state where it is legal. Another two men are charged with trafficking $6,000 of the out-of-state contraband that ranged from firecrackers to sparklers. Above, a wooden container for fireworks that were shoot off in Harlem on June 20 Scott Smith, secretary of the National Fireworks Association, told NPR that he believes the fireworks being shoot off are not professional grade, which are tracked by bar code. 'Their fuses burn more quickly, and so you need a special tube, or mortar, to launch them safely one that will send them far away quickly,' according to the NPR article. Above, people set off fireworks on June 30 on Bedford Avenue in Brooklyn Across the country, some vendors have seen their consumer firework sales doubling or even tripling from last year, Julie Heckman, the executive director of the American Pyrotechnics Association, told CNN on Tuesday. Heckman told USA Today that the industry is 'predicting a record year in consumer fireworks sales.' Above, a man sets off some sort of pyrotechnic device on June 16 on Bedford Avenue in Crown Heights, Brooklyn Meanwhile, New Yorkers will contend with another round of fireworks this week that are city approved and from Macy's. Where exactly in the city has been kept under wraps in order not to draw crowds during the coronavirus pandemic. COVID-19 has completely changed Macy's display this year, which is usually held on the Fourth of July and televised live. Instead of one extravaganza to celebrate Independence Day, there will be fireworks at five different locations during the week leading up to the holiday. While Brooklyn has been hit hard with the setting off of fireworks, other parts of the city, such as Harlem, have had their fair share of the nuisance. Cynthia Ceilan, who lives on the Upper West Side, told NPR that despite her exasperation with the fireworks, she was not calling the police for fear of a confrontation between cops and the person setting them off. But even if she did call the NYPD, Ceilan told NPR: 'I have this terrible feeling that there will be cops who would say, "Oh, you want to defund the police? Well, you deal with this problem."' Eric Anderson, 33, got so fed up with he nightly fireworks in Brooklyn that he started a Twitter handle FireworksNo. 'It's kind of been a bit all-consuming to be honest,' Anderson told NPR. 'I go to bed hearing it. I get woken up hearing it, and then on my Twitter feed all anybody is doing is talking about it.' Even in a 'normal' year, there are injuries connected to fireworks around the Fourth of July and most of them are burns, according to the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission reported in a CNN article. A three-year-old in the Bronx was hurt by an illegal firework that somehow flew into the window of his family's sixth-floor apartment. A man threw a firework at a homeless man sleeping on the street in Harlem. The 66-year-old sustained minor burns. Above, a man stands over his illegal fireworks in Harlem on June 30 Eric Anderson, 33, got so fed up with he nightly fireworks in Brooklyn that he started a Twitter handle FireworksNo. 'It's kind of been a bit all-consuming to be honest,' Anderson told NPR. 'I go to bed hearing it. I get woken up hearing it, and then on my Twitter feed all anybody is doing is talking about it.' Above, fireworks shoot straight up on June 24 in Brooklyn Above, blue smoke rises from an illegal firework in Brooklyn on June 24. 'We also intend to go to the root cause - and that is the people who are supplying the fireworks, the folks who are profiting off of illegal fireworks. We're going to start a huge sting operation to go and get these illegal fireworks at the base,' Mayor Bill de Blasio said late last month Despite the task force formation targeted at sales and distribution, the ongoing problem is not a top priority for the city to quell. Many New Yorkers feel they have no recourse except for honking outside of Gracie Mansion where de Blasio resides - and Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams actively urged people not to call 911. Above, smoke fills Bedford Avenue in Brooklyn after fireworks are set off on June 30 Above, a box of spent Midnight Madness on a Harlem street on June 30. According to retail descriptions it is 'yellow, blue, red & purple stars with white strobes, followed by gold comets to white and red strobes. It has 41 shots and costs on website $49.88 The NYPD has plenty of its plate with the pandemic and mostly peaceful protests against police brutality. But there have been incidences of looting of upscale retail stores and for several days, protestors camped at City Hall have called for the defunding of the police. On Tuesday, the city cut $1 billion from the NYPD's budget. Above, fireworks on Bedford Avenue in Crown Heights on June 16 New York Governor Andrew Cuomo told radio station WAMC on Monday that the constant drum of fireworks going off is 'out of control.' 'I don't know what is going on. I don't know what is going on,' Cuomo said.' You can be in New York City, it sounds like the Wild West at night. Even in Albany, I'll tell you the truth.' Above, a bright white fireworks display in Brooklyn on June 24 Above, fireworks explode near One World Trade Center on the on the second of six nights of the Macy's July 4th fireworks shows in New York City on June 30, 2020 as seen from Weehawken, New Jersey Two out of three sisters who killed their 'rapist' father after suffering years of sexual abuse and torture at his hands must stand trial for premeditated murder, Russian authorities have said. Mikhail Khachaturyan, a 57-year-old alleged mafia boss, was killed with his own hunting knife and a hammer by his daughters Krestina, Angelina and Maria - then aged 19, 18 and 17 - in 2018 in what their supporters say was an act of self-defence. But officials have refused to see it that way, ordering Krestina and Angelina to stand trial while saying that Maria should receive psychiatric treatment. The Russian Investigative Committee acknowledged 'mitigating circumstances' in the case but the two older sisters could still face 20 years in prison. The latest twist in the case comes only five months after prosecutors said they were dropping charges - but the committee subsequently refused to close the case. Mikhail Khachaturyan, 57, was killed by his daughters Krestina, Angelina and Maria after subjecting them to years of physical and sexual abuse The committee's insistence on murder charges for Krestina and Angelina came despite state investigators agreeing that the father inflicted 'physical and mental suffering on his daughters over a long period of time'. Their motive in killing him was 'acute personal hostility', investigators found. Lawyer Yaroslav Pakulin said: 'The girls were in a traumatic situation for a long time. 'They feared not only for their health, but also for their lives, and only defended themselves from their father.' Evidence reported from the investigation revealed the father threatened one of his 'terrified' daughters, saying: 'You will take the place of your mother. 'I will marry you and you will give birth to my baby.' An expert report said: 'He ordered them to get undressed in front of him, saying that he wanted to 'check' them. 'Then ordered them to [perform a sex act on] him, saying that he had problems with his prostate and it would be a cure.' Investigators say he 'abused and humiliated' them 'with various weapons'. Maria Khachaturyan, left, and Angelina Khachaturyan, right, killed their father with their sister Krestina as he slept in a chair after years of abuse The three sisters say they acted in self-defence when they killed Mikhail Khachaturyan (pictured here with two of the girls when they were younger) after years of 'sexual abuse' Mikhail Khachaturyan (left) was stabbed to death in Moscow by his three daughters, including Angelina (pictured right) Angelina had blood streaming from her face after one attack by her father who had links both to senior Russian officials and criminal kings, say reports. However, the sisters admitted that Khachaturyan was sedated and sitting in an armchair and not directly threatening them when they took his life in 2018 with his hunting knife and a hammer. Initially Maria had claimed he was attacking them with a knife when they killed him, but then admitted he was dozing in an armchair. Maria stabbed him, and Angelina hit him with a hammer. Krestina's lawyer has claimed she had no part in the actual killing although she was present. Investigators said Maria was not 'aware of the actual nature of the actions taken' in attacking her father and should be committed to a psychiatric hospital. Angelina (left) is set to face trial while Maria (right) should be treated by psychiatrists, Russian state investigators said Angelina Khachaturyan pictured in court at an earlier stage of the legal process The shocking case had transfixed Russians amid defence demands that the sisters could not be held responsible for their actions. Lawyers are appealing for the women to be treated as victims, arguing that years of 'torture and sexual abuse' from their 'controlling paedophile father' meant that they had used 'necessary self-defence' when they killed him. Almost a million people have signed petitions demanding they are allowed to go free. A court earlier ruled that Maria did not understand her actions when she was part of the alleged 'group' conspiracy kill their 'mafia boss' father. After the attack, Maria admitted: 'We all were scared. It seems that Krestina checked his pulse. I called the ambulance and police.' The Russian prosecutor general will now make a final decision on the charges they will face in court. Lorraine Gooden suffered cuts to her face (pictured) after she was hit by a woman five times over the limit on May 9 last year A woman who suffered broken bones and cuts to her face after she was hit by a woman five times over the legal alcohol limit at 9.30am later learned the drunk driver is her neighbour. Lorraine Gooden was taking her daily stroll in Belrose, in Sydney's northern suburbs, on May 9 last year when a red Mercedes mounted the curb and rammed into her from behind. The 46-year-old's head shattered the car's windscreen and she was thrown about 10 metres into a brick wall. Monica Mecham, whose house backs onto Ms Gooden's property, was behind the wheel of the car with a blood alcohol reading of 0.278. Mecham was sentenced to 12 months in jail after pleading guilty to high-range drink driving, but she successfully appealed the sentence and is now serving a 12-month Intensive Corrections Order in the community. Ms Gooden and her husband Nick told A Current Affair of the moment they learnt the drunk driver was their back fence neighbour. 'The next day, she rang my phone and Nick answered the phone and then it suddenly dawned on us who it was, that was the driver,' Ms Gooden said. The couple, who are hoping to move houses, said it's 'hard' to living close by to Mecham. 'It's hard to still live here. For a long time I was very angry about that,' Ms Gooden said. 'Why should we have to be the ones changing everything about our life and she can just do what she likes. Monica Mecham, whose house backs onto Ms Gooden's property, was behind the wheel of the car with a blood alcohol reading of 0.278 Ms Gooden was taking her daily stroll in Belrose, in Sydney's northern suburbs, on May 9 last year when a red Mercedes (pictured) mounted the curb 'She's the one who's got away with it and we're the ones who feel like we've been prosecuted.' Ms Gooden suffered memory loss, a fractured left wrist and facial lacerations during the accident. 'Everyone has told me that I'm a walking miracle. They don't know how I'm alive, talking, walking. Each of them have come baffled about how I've survived,' she said. Mecham is disqualified from driving for 10 months and has been ordered to attend Alcoholics Anonymous meetings. Ms Gooden said: 'My home is my safety net and every time I walk out the door I go ''what if she's driving?'', ''what if she's behind me?''.' Jared Kushner is shaking-up his father-in-law's campaign team, starting with 'reassigning' Donald Trump's campaign organizer after the Tulsa rally flop last month. Michael Glassner knew, a person familiar with the reorganization told Axios in a Tuesday report, knew he was going to take the fall for the massive campaign rally mishap, where attendance was nowhere near anticipated after thousands of fake ticket requests were filled out. 'Michael didn't really make many mistakes,' the source claimed, adding that 'he did what he always did' when planning the Tulsa rally. '[I]t just didn't work post-COVID,' they conceded. 'I think he knew he was going to take the punishment for this,' the source continued. 'It was on his watch.' Kushner, the president's senior adviser, is taking lead on the shake-up, and three sources familiar with the situation told Axios that he assigned Trump's 2016 Arizona chair Jeff DeWit as chief operating officer to oversee the final stretch to November. DeWit's new role will include a heavy hand in organizing and running rallies, like he was also involved with in 2016. Donald Trump's campaign organizer Michael Glassner (left) is being 'reassigned' to a legal role after the Tulsa rally failure Trump's senior adviser and son-in-law Jared Kushner is leading a reorganization effort within the campaign after the rally turn out a dismal crowd and the polling shows the president losing to Joe Biden Trump's 2016 Arizona chair Jeff DeWit (pictured) has been brought on board as chief operating officer to oversee the final stretch to November including having a heavy hand in rally operations The Trump campaign downplayed the movement within the team. 'This is not a reaction to Tulsa,' the campaign's Communications Director Tim Murtaugh claimed in a statement. 'Michael Glassner is moving into the long-term role of navigating the many legal courses we face, including suits against major media outlets, some of which will likely extend beyond the end of the campaign.' 'He is one of the founding members of Team Trump and his dedication to the success of the President is unmatched,' Murtaugh continued. Another person familiar with the decision claimed it wasn't fair to blame Glassner, and asserted regardless of what happened in Tulsa, he 'was never intended to be the chief operating officer for the final stretch' and was just filling the role for the 'ramp up stage.' Glassner has been with the Trump campaign since 2015 helping organize the massive signature rallies. According to various sources, he will now be a more behind-the-scenes paper pusher handling the campaign's lawsuits. DeWit is a businessman who previously served as an Arizona state treasurer and chief financial officer of NASA under Trump from 2018 to earlier this year he is also an ally of Kushner. Kushner brought in DeWit in 2016 to help oversee the campaign's budget and contracts, and the two have been in talks for weeks about him coming into another campaign role, a source familiar with the discussions revealed. Donald Trump's comback rally in Tulsa turned out a less-then crowd, with more than 6,000 attendees of the more than 19,000 seats in the stadium Now DeWit will do 'dynamic budgeting' for the reelection effort, the source said, which will include reassessing the campaign's spending and overseeing fundraising efforts. DeWit will be reupping his role in rally operations, like he did in the last presidential election, as well. President Trump was adamant about having a massive comeback rally post-coronavirus as he was forced to take a break from his usual campaign tactics with the emergence of the threat and implementation of state-wide lockdowns and social-distancing restrictions. He announced last month he was returning to the scene with a bang at a rally in Tula, Oklahoma where no social distancing or masks would be required. While it was announced that around 1 million tickets were requested on the website, the BOK Stadium, which has a capacity of 19,199, saw only around 6,200 attendees. Many White House officials have blamed the poor Tulsa rally turnout on the president's campaign team, while TikTok users and K-Pop fans have claimed they were able to successfully bolster the president's efforts by filling out fake forms for ticket requests giving a false sense of a high demand. Coronavirus antibody tests that can be done at home would get the results wrong a third of the time, a damning study has found. A review of research found that rapid 'have you had it' coronavirus kits, which screen the blood to look for signs of past infection, have major flaws. They correctly identify someone who has had the disease only 66 per cent of the time, on average - and this could drop as low as 49 per cent in some cases. Officials in the UK have refused to offer antibody tests to the public because they fear people will stop following social distancing rules if they think they're immune to Covid-19. In reality, there is no proof that people cannot get the illness twice. The study in the British Medical Journal found that lab-based tests were more accurate but still not perfect, correctly identifying positive results between 84 and 97.8 per cent of the time. The findings, based on 40 studies from around the world - most of them in China - suggest the tests are not ready for mass use. And the team of experts said antibody testing should be halted until they are improved. However, academics added it's too early to rule out the tests as a useful pathway out of the pandemic, because the conclusions are unreliable. A review of research found that rapid 'have you had it' coronavirus kits, which give a result on the spot, correctly identify someone has had the disease just 66 per cent of the time. This compares with laboratory-read antibody tests - which can correctly identify someone who has had Covid-19 at least 84 per cent of the time The hope of antibody tests are that they can show that someone has previously been infected with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19. There is a further assumption that a positive test result would indicate that person is immune from re-infection and could possibly go back to work. But this possibility has been largely discredited already, for example on the grounds that we still do not know how immune people are, if they have antibodies to the virus, and we do not know how long any immunity might last. The latest review of evidence indicates antibody tests are not yet good enough to detect Covid-19 antibodies in the blood. WHY IS ANTIBODY TESTING IMPORTANT? WHAT IS AN ANTIBODY TEST? Unlike tests to diagnose diseases, antibody tests show who has been infected and recovered. The body makes antibodies in response to many illnesses and infections, including other coronaviruses. New blood tests are being developed to identify antibodies unique to SARS-CoV-2, the official name of the new coronavirus. The tests look for two kinds of antibodies: immunoglobulin M (IgM) and G (IgG). The body quickly produces IgM antibodies for its initial attack against infections. It makes IgG antibodies more slowly and retains them longer; IgG antibodies suggest possible immunity. WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN RAPID TESTS AND ASSAYS? Some companies are developing finger-prick tests that get results in minutes. These are called immunoassays and will form the basis of home testing kits. Others are developing far more accurate tests called enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) that require sending blood samples to a lab for analysis. DO ANTIBODIES TO THE NEW CORONAVIRUS CONFER IMMUNITY? While antibodies to many infectious diseases typically confer some level of immunity, whether that is the case with this unique coronavirus is not yet known. And how strong immunity might be, or how long it might last in people previously infected, is not clear. With some diseases like measles the immunity can be lifelong. With others, immunity can wane over time. Scientists cannot know with certainty that reinfection is not possible until further research. Advertisement A team of international researchers led by the McGill University Health Centre in Montreal, Canada, looked at 40 studies between January 1 and April 30 that measured the accuracy of a Covid-19 antibody test. Some 70 per cent were from China. The rest were from the UK, US, Denmark, Spain, Sweden, Japan and Germany. There are two ways that an antibody test can give a wrong result. It could say the blood sample contains antibodies when in fact the person was never infected a false positive. Or it could declare that there are no antibodies when in fact the person was previously infected a false negative. Sensitivity of an antibody test measures the percentage of people who are correctly identified as having a disease. Specificity measures the percentage of people who are correctly identified as not having a disease. Dr Mayara Lisboa Bastos and colleagues found the sensitivity of antibody tests broadly ranged from 66 per cent to 97.8 per cent depending on the type of test used. This means that between 2.2 and 34 per cent of patients who have had Covid-19 would be missed and wrongly told they had never had the illness. Lateral flow immunoassays (LFIA), the method that would be used for home test kits, has the lowest sensitivity - between 49 and 79 per cent - meaning up to half of people who have had Covid-19 would not be spotted. The average sensitivity of laboratory tests - known as ELISAs and CLIAs - was 84.3 per cent and 97.8 per cent, respectively. All types of antibody tests would work using a blood sample from either a finger prick or a vein. But LFIA tests can give a result on the spot, like a pregnancy test, while ELISA and CLIAs must be sent to a lab and carried out by technicians using specialised equipment. When specificity results of the antibody tests in each study were pooled together, they ranged from 96.6 to 99.7 per cent, meaning that between 3.4 and 0.3 per cent of patients would be wrongly identified as having had Covid-19. This could be dangerous if those people believe they have already had the infection and are safe to stop taking preventative measures when they are in fact still at risk. Once again, the lab tests were more specific than the LFIA test. Based on the results, the authors explain that, if an LFIA test is applied to a population where 10 per cent of people have had Covid-19, for every 1,000 people tested: 31 who never had the disease will be incorrectly told they are immune. 34 people who had Covid-19 will be incorrectly told that they were never infected. If five per cent of people had been infected, which is closest to the most recent estimate for England from the Office for National Statistics infection survey: 32 would be incorrectly classified as infected. 17 would be incorrectly classified as uninfected. The researchers said: 'Currently, available evidence does not support the continued use of existing point-of-care serological tests.' LFIA tests can give a result on the spot, like a pregnancy test, and are highly sought for. Ministers promised Brits would be able to get pregnancy-test style blood kits to tell them whether they've ever had the virus back in March. But none have proved accurate enough Studies also showed antibody tests were most sensitive when they were conducted at least three weeks after symptoms started. They were sensitive a maximum of 98.9 per cent of the time compared with within the first week, a maximum of 50.3 per cent of the time. The findings back another review of a similar size, looking at 54 studies on a range of antibody tests, published last week. The 300-page independent review, led by the Cochrane institute and the University of Birmingham, said antibody tests can detect fewer than 30 per cent of positive results if used too early. ANTIBODY TESTS 'ONLY ACCURATE BETWEEN THREE AND FIVE WEEKS AFTER ILLNESS' Coronavirus antibody tests are only known to be accurate between three and four weeks after someone has had Covid-19, a scientific review has found. They may also not work on people who have only had a mild illness, but researchers admitted they can't be sure because almost all of the studies have been carried out on patients who were so badly ill they were hospitalised. One scientist said the evidence showed no antibody tests currently available on the market are good enough to be used outside of hospitals. The 300-page independent review, led by the Cochrane institute and the University of Birmingham, analysed data from 54 scientific studies of antibody tests used on 16,000 blood samples. The tests examine people's blood to look for antibodies substances made by the immune system that indicate whether they have had Covid-19 in the past. In the UK the tests, which Boris Johnson once promised people would be able to take themselves at home, are not currently widely available. The accuracy of them is a huge sticking point they can detect fewer than 30 per cent of positive results if used at the wrong time, the review warned. And scientists still aren't really sure what they mean. In usual medicine, the presence of certain types of antibodies means someone is almost guaranteed not to get an illness again but there is still no proof Covid-19 survivors are immune. Professor Jon Deeks, a medical tests expert at the University of Birmingham, was one of the scientists behind the international review. He said: 'Weve analyzed all available data from around the globe discovering clear patterns telling us that timing is vital in using these tests. 'Use them at the wrong time and they dont work.' Advertisement If someone took one of the blood tests within two weeks of developing symptoms, studies found, only seven out of 10 Covid-positive people would receive a positive result (70 per cent test sensitivity). Between 15 and 35 days after symptoms, this accuracy increased to more than 90 per cent, on average. It showed that antibody tests are only accurate between three and four weeks after someone has had Covid-19. They may also not work on people who have only had a mild illness, but researchers admitted they can't be sure because almost all of the studies have been carried out on patients who were so badly ill they were hospitalised. But Professor Jon Deeks, who led the Cochrane review, said antibody testing should not be ruled out yet. Commenting on today's findings, he said: 'Point of care tests have benefits in terms of accessibility and speed over laboratory tests, which may make them preferable in some settings, even if they do not achieve exactly the same level of accuracy. 'Their development and evaluation is of importance and should continue.' Scientists have said the reviews come to similar conclusions, but are not entirely reliable. Dr Alexander Edwards, an associate professor in biomedical technology, University of Reading, said: 'By collating together so many studies, we are starting to see a picture emerge, but its still a sketch and there are still important gaps where its not yet possible to even guess what the picture shows.' Kevin McConway, emeritus professor of applied statistics, The Open University, said: 'If these reviews are based on studies that are not always very good science, it must be the case that the conclusions from the reviews cannot be as clear as would be ideal. 'In fact that finding [of Dr Bastos' review] is not entirely robust, statistically, and it remains plausible that the difference between the LFIA tests and others could perhaps, just about, be explainable by random variation.' The UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has described antibody tests as 'game changing' in its response to the pandemic. Ministers promised Brits would be able to get pregnancy-test style blood kits to tell them whether they've ever had the virus back in March. But three months down the line the tests still haven't materialised for the public, as officials have still yet to approve any. In a big step forward, health officials finally approved two lab-based tests made by pharma giants Roche and Abbott last month and bought 10million of the kits. But they are only available for health and social care staff and results need to be read in the lab. Advertisement Britain today announced 176 more coronavirus deaths as government experts estimated up to 3,000 people are still getting infected each day in England but the crucial R rate has dropped in every region. Department of Health chiefs say the official number of laboratory-confirmed victims now stands at 43,906 but separate government figures show the UK topped the dreaded 50,000 mark a month ago. Britain recorded more than 1,000 daily fatalities during the darkest days of its crisis but the outbreak has slowed drastically in the past month. For comparison, only 155 deaths were recorded yesterday. Government data shows 154 Covid-19 victims were recorded last Wednesday, followed by 184 and 250 in the two weeks before. But the rolling seven-day average of daily deaths is still 118, exactly the same as it was this point last week. Analysis shows it is the first Wednesday to Wednesday period since the start of April that the daily average hasn't dropped. Meanwhile the rate of coronavirus cases dropped from 10.7 cases per 100,000 of the population to 6.7 in just a week, a drop of 37.4 per cent. Separate data released today by a team at Public Health England and Cambridge University predicted up to 3,000 people are still getting infected in England every day, including 1,000 in the Midlands. The rate is in line with figures from a separate government-run Covid-19 surveillance testing scheme, as well as data from a symptom-tracking app, which suggest the speed at which the outbreak is shrinking is levelling off. The team believe the R rate has dropped in every region to be between 0.7-0.9, putting it in line with the official figure given by SAGE after last month saying it had risen to above the dreaded level of one in several regions. In other coronavirus developments in Britain today: Leicester-style local lockdowns are 'just days away' from being imposed after dozens of towns and cities saw coronavirus cases surge in the past week, government sources claimed; Donald Trump was accused of 'undermining' the global Covid-19 fight by buying up almost the entire global supply of remdesivir one of only two drugs approved to treat the disease on the NHS; Turkey said it expects to be included in the UK's plan for quarantine-free air bridges to kick start holidays as the release of a list of safe countries was delayed again; Retailer John Lewis is expected to axe stores and workers as well as jobs at its sister business Waitrose while Harrods revealed it must slash around 700 posts as coronavirus continues to choke Britain's high streets; Prominent Tory MP David Davis accused Public Health England of being 'over-controlling' amid mounting pressure on Number 10 to scrap the agency over its handling of the Covid-19 crisis; Covid-19 may cause priapism, doctors have warned after an infected 62-year-old in France was struck down with an erection that lasted longer than four hours; Around 1,000 grieving relatives of coronavirus victims are preparing legal action to force a public inquiry after accusing the government of 'gambling' with lives by failing to lock down fast enough. HOW DEADLY IS THE VIRUS? The Cambridge-PHE team looked at the deaths across England to work out an estimated infection-fatality rate - the percentage of people who will die if they caught the virus. They suggested COVID-19 kills 1.1 per cent of people it infects, which would make it eleven times deadlier than seasonal flu. But they admitted it could be as low as 0.79 or as high as 1.4 per cent. AGE GROUP OVERALL 0-4 5-14 15-24 25-44 45-64 65-74 75+ DEATH RATE 1.1% 0.00046% 0.0012% 0.004% 0.027% 0.41% 2.7% 17% SO, HOW DOES IT COMPARE TO OTHER ESTIMATES? 0.1% FLU FLU 0.19% ANTIBODY SAMPLE FROM HELSINKI, FINLAND ANTIBODY SAMPLE FROM HELSINKI, FINLAND 0.37% ANTIBODY SAMPLE FROM GANGELT, GERMANY ANTIBODY SAMPLE FROM GANGELT, GERMANY 0.4% ANTIBODY SAMPLE FROM STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN ANTIBODY SAMPLE FROM STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN 0.75% EXPERT ESTIMATE FROM REVIEW OF 13 STUDIES EXPERT ESTIMATE FROM REVIEW OF 13 STUDIES 0.79% ANTIBODY SAMPLE FROM NEW YORK CITY Advertisement Department of Health figures released today showed 226,398 tests were carried out or posted the day before. The number includes antibody tests for frontline NHS and care workers. But bosses again refused to say how many people were tested, meaning the exact number of Brits who have been swabbed for the SARS-CoV-2 virus has been a mystery for a month since May 22. Health chiefs also reported 829 more cases of Covid-19. Government statistics show the official size of the UK's outbreak now stands at 313,483 cases. But the actual size of the outbreak is estimated to be in the millions, based on antibody testing data. The daily death 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. The data does not always match updates provided by the home nations. Department of Health officials work off a different time cut-off, meaning daily updates from Scotland as well as Northern Ireland are always out of sync. And the count announced by NHS England every afternoon which only takes into account deaths in hospitals does not match up with the DH figures because they work off a different recording system. For instance, some deaths announced by NHS England bosses will have already been counted by the Department of Health, which records fatalities 'as soon as they are available'. NHS England today posted 50 deaths in hospitals across the country. Wales recorded six Covid-19 fatalities in all settings, followed by one in Scotland and none again in Northern Ireland. The death figures come as a PHE/Cambridge team updated their real-time estimates of the coronavirus outbreak in England. The model based on death data from NHS England and regional health officials, antibody surveillance sampling and mobility reports estimated that 5.16million people across the country (9 per cent of the population) has already had the coronavirus. Academics behind the modelling predicted that 5.62million people had been infected across the country in its projection at the start of June. The rate is similar to data seen from a separate antibody surveillance scheme carried out by PHE, which suggested the rate was 8.5 per cent. But it is higher than data from a separate ONS sample, which has previously put the national level of infection at around 6.78 per cent. It comes as separate estimates produced by experts at Public Health England and Cambridge University today suggested the R-rate - the average number of people each Covid-19 patient infects - is at 0.76 in the South West Separate data showed the R rate was around 0.78 in the East of England and was only slightly lower in London (0.77) The estimates from the Public Health England and Cambridge University team suggested the R rate was currently the highest in the Midlands (0.89) and the lowest in the North East and Yorkshire (0.70) Academics say the R rate in the North West is 0.8. And they said the reproduction number in the South East is likely to be 0.76 HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE CAUGHT THE VIRUS IN YOUR REGION? REGION ENGLAND EAST LONDON MIDLANDS NE AND YORKS NORTH WEST SOUTH EAST SOUTH WEST TOTAL CASES 5,160,000 502,000 1,600,000 957,000 633,000 745,000 544,000 184,000 'ATTACK RATE' 9% 8% 18% 9% 7% 11% 6% 3% What is the attack rate? The Cambridge-PHE team used this term to describe the percentage of any given group that has been infected. For example, an attack rate of 20 per cent in London suggests one in five people living in the capital have already had the virus. How accurate is the above number? The experts gave a range of numbers for each region and settled on their best guess, which was the number quoted above. The full ranges were: ENGLAND: 4,200,000 - 6,880,000 (8% - 12%) EAST: 403,000 - 672,000 (6% - 10%) LONDON: 1,300,000 - 2,110,000 (15% - 24%) MIDLANDS: 774,000 - 1,280,000 (7% - 12%) NE AND YORKS: 511,000 - 849,000 (6% - 10%) NORTH WEST: 602,000 - 1,000,000 (9% - 14%) SOUTH EAST: 436,000 - 734,000 (5% - 8%) SOUTH WEST: 146,000 - 249,000 (3% - 4%) Advertisement Analysis of the PHE/Cambridge data showed London has been, by far, the worst-hit region of England (18 per cent). At the peak of the capital's crisis - said to be the same day lockdown was imposed - 140,000 are thought to have caught the infection. In comparison, only 3 per cent of people in the South West are thought to have been struck down by the coronavirus. The team claim between 1,500 and 5,780 people caught the virus across England on June 26 and that the rate has been fairly stable since the start of May. The team calculated that the crucial 'R' reproduction rate fell to just 0.46 in the capital in the aftermath of the lockdown being introduced. However, the rate in London as well as other regions slowly began to creep up to between 0.8 and 0.9 by mid-May but has dropped or remained stable in the past month. At the beginning of the outbreak London was the worst affected region but the latest numbers suggest it is now ahead of all but two regions in terms of recovery. The data, published by the university, suggests London is recording just 290 cases each day behind only the South West (68) and the North East (155). In contrast, the Midlands home to Leicester is recording 1,030 daily infections and has an R rate of 0.89, the highest for any region in the country. Keeping the rate below one is considered key to easing lockdown because it means the outbreak is shrinking as not everyone who catches it passes it on. If the figure rises higher, it means people infected with the virus are spreading it to others at a rate faster than one-to-one, which could see the disease spiral out of control once again. Government advisers last week claimed the R rate for the UK and England remains between 0.7 and 0.9 for the third week in a row. But they admitted it could be as high as 1.0 in the North West. Meanwhile, the PHE/Cambridge team's modelling shows only one death occurs in every 91 cases giving it an infection-fatality rate of around 1.1 per cent. The above data shows how many people were getting infected with the coronavirus in every region of England, based on the PHE and Cambridge University modelling HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE REALLY BEING INFECTED EACH DAY IN ENGLAND? The number of people catching the coronavirus each day in England remains a mystery official estimates last month revealed wildly varying statistics. Public Health England and the University of Cambridge experts predicted 16,700 new infections were cropping up each day. But the Office for National Statistics, which calculates a weekly measure, suggested that only 5,570 people are catching the virus on a daily basis, on average. An unofficial app being run by King's College London, based on people self-reporting their symptoms, even estimated there were 9,400 new cases each day. But all three of the most recent estimates made by each team are now very close to each other. For example, Public Health England and Cambridge, who aim to give a snapshot of the entire nation, now say cases have dropped to below 3,000. The ONS's most recent estimate of 3,100 daily cases is based on swab testing samples of 25,000 people. It predicts only new cases in the community, not hospital patients who people who live in institutions or homes. The app run by King's College, on the other hand, only counts people who get symptoms and many don't. It put the most recent estimate as low as 1,900 daily cases last week. All the figures should be taken with a pinch of salt and used together, scientists say. Testing figures do not show the true number of people infected because many people catch the virus but never test positive for it, either because they don't realise they are sick, because they couldn't get a test, or because their result was wrong. Advertisement Studies conducted around the world have produced a slightly lower figure, suggesting it is up to eight times deadlier than seasonal flu which kills 0.1 per cent of cases. The PHE/Cambridge team admitted the actual infection-fatality rate could be as low as 0.79 or as high as 1.4 per cent. And the study showed huge variation between different age groups, warning the virus has an infection-fatality rate of around 17 per cent for over-75s. But it is below 0.027 per cent for anyone under the age of 44 the equivalent of one death for every 3,700 coronavirus cases. For people between the ages of 45 and 64, the team said the death rate was around 0.41 per cent while the rate was approximately 2.7 per cent for people aged between 65 and 74. The number of people catching the coronavirus each day in England remains a mystery official estimates last month revealed wildly varying statistics. Public Health England and the University of Cambridge experts predicted 16,700 new infections were cropping up each day. But the Office for National Statistics, which calculates a weekly measure, suggested that only 5,570 people are catching the virus on a daily basis, on average. And an unofficial app being run by King's College London, based on people self-reporting their symptoms, even estimated there were 9,400 new cases each day. But all three of the most recent estimates made by each team are now very close to each other. For example, Public Health England and Cambridge, who aim to give a snapshot of the entire nation, now say cases have dropped to below 3,000. The ONS's most recent estimate of 3,100 daily cases is based on swab testing samples of 25,000 people. It predicts only new cases in the community, not hospital patients who people who live in institutions or homes. The app run by King's College, on the other hand, only counts people who get symptoms and many don't. It put the most recent estimate as low as 1,900 daily cases last week. All the figures should be taken with a pinch of salt and used together, scientists say. Testing figures do not show the true number of people infected because many people catch the virus but never test positive for it, either because they don't realise they are sick, because they couldn't get a test, or because their result was wrong. Professor Keith Neal, an epidemiologist at the University of Nottingham, said: 'The model is estimating the number of new infections to be higher than more direct surveillance systems such as the ONS survey and the Zoe-Covid symptoms app. 'The difference is now narrowing though. Their estimate of the number of new cases also has a widespread range, the highest estimate is nearly four times larger than the lowest estimate of new infections. 'The data is again reported as "Midlands" although this is two regions, East and West Midlands. The spike in cases seen in Leicester would have been added into the figures for the combination of two regions. 'If the number of new infections in the Midlands is relatively low, the rest of this area excluding Leicester of about 9million people must have few cases if the model is correct. 'The estimate of R becomes increasingly less accurate as the total number of cases falls. This applies even more as R is estimated for smaller areas.' The cities and towns 'next in line for lockdown': Government releases roll call of at-risk areas with high Covid-19 infection rates - with Bradford, Barnsley and Rochdale top of the list behind Leicester The areas most at risk of local lockdowns like the one being imposed in Leicester could be Bradford, Barnsley and Rochdale, according to official data. Statistics for the week ending June 21 show those areas had the highest Covid-19 infection rates in England, each with more than 50 positive tests per 100,000 people. Barnsley Council has today called for 'extra care and vigilance' among its citizens because of a high infection rate and the risk of a local outbreak. But it ruled out a Leicester-style local lockdown and said case numbers are now starting to return to normal levels. The infection rate there was 54.7 cases per 100,000 people two weeks ago, almost a third of the 140.2 in Leicester. Other areas at risk include Bedford, Oldham, Rotherham, Tameside, Blackburn with Darwen and Kirklees, which all have more than 30 cases per 100,000 people. At the other end of the scale, in the week from June 15 to June 21 - the most recently available data - West Berkshire, South Tyneside and the City of London all recorded zero cases per 100,000 population. And the infection rate was lower than one, on average, in South Gloucestershire, Wokingham, Gloucestershire, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, Redcar and Cleveland, Torbay, Lambeth and Portsmouth. The Government has come under fire today for not publishing detailed numbers of cases for local areas, missing off tens of thousands of 'Pillar 2' test results received from private contractors that run public testing centres. The official decision not to publish Pillar 2 data, which now make up the vast majority of confirmed cases, could be missing out more than 80 per cent of cases from public information. Even local councils and public health officials say they aren't being given the right information and are battling to find out what's happening in their areas. One NHS doctor working in Yorkshire called the discovery 'another Tory scandal' and said: 'Covering up what is happening is about as dangerous and stupid as it gets'. Public Health England publishes some weekly data from Pillar 2 tests but not detailed numbers. Its most recent report shows Bradford, Doncaster and Barnsley currently have some of the highest rates of infection in England outside of Leicester (shown in red) MORE LOCAL LOCKDOWNS ARE JUST 'WEEKS AWAY' Leicester-style localised lockdowns are 'just days away' from being imposed after dozens of towns and cities saw coronavirus cases surge in the past week, it was claimed today. Bradford, Doncaster and Barnsley are said to be at the top of the Government's list of potential Covid-19 hotspots as the virus continues to run rampant in Yorkshire. Former Government scientific adviser 'Professor Lockdown' Neil Ferguson, of Imperial College London, said these towns and cities were 'clearly of concern' and suggested they could be next to roll back the draconian curbs. Parts of Kent, the North West of England and more than a dozen London boroughs are also being kept under review after clusters of cases in the last week. Professor Ferguson told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme this morning: 'Absolutely, it's inevitable we will [see more lockdowns]. We're relaxing lockdown rules and that means that contacts in the population are going up. 'That's a variable process that will vary from place to place and that means there will be some places where there are too many contacts and we get clusters of transmissions what's critically important is that we detect those early and adopt the measures necessary to locally reduce transmission again.' On whether Bradford and Doncaster could be next to lock down, Professor Ferguson said: 'Those are areas where, not as high as Leicester, but they have some of the highest number of cases per 100,000 of the population. 'They're clearly of concern. I think there are a set of measures being introduced in those areas to track down transmissions but whether we need more measures will depend on whether we can pull case numbers down. 'A second national wave is an agglomeration of small outbreaks like the Leicester one merged together across the country that's exactly what we want to avoid by snuffing out those small outbreaks when they are just sparks, when we're not seeing a national large increase in case numbers.' Advertisement As data emerged showing its high infection rate, Barnsley Council today moved to squash rumours of a local lockdown there. It has called for 'extra care and vigilance', Sky News reported, but denied measures like those seen in Leicester will be necessary. In a joint statement, the council's director for public health Julia Burrows and lead councillor Sir Steve Houghton said: "The number of cases is Barnsley is higher than the national average. We are seeing transmission in the community across the borough, and like many places across the country have had clusters and outbreaks in a handful of care homes, schools and workplaces, as we expected would happen.' They said the clusters have 'started to ease thanks to local control measures and we are seeing the early signs of a return to the reduction in daily cases', which means 'we do not believe at this stage any further measures will need to be implemented such as the ones seen in Leicester'. Leicester is facing schools and non-essential shops having to close again as lockdown rules roll back to stricter measures this week. And pubs in the city will not be allowed to be reopen this weekend, nor will people be allowed to visit friends and relatives. The city is setting up a new testing centre in the Humberstone area in the east of the city, where cases are spiking, in a bid to try and get on top of the outbreak. The Chief Constable of Leicestershire Police, Simon Cole, told the Press Association: 'The challenges is there's a major public health crisis here in Leicester. 'We've had twice as many cases in the last week here in Leicester than the whole of London has had so clearly for policing we need to work with partners, we need to work with local communities and between us we need to get that infection rate of Covid down all across Leicester and Leicestershire.' Asked if the data suggested that there were particular areas of Leicester that needed more policing than others, Mr Cole said: 'We're trying to make sure we've got a presence all across the area because this is about where people live, it's about where people work, and it's perhaps about where people have been gathering so we need to be in all those kind of places. 'We need to make sure, with our public health colleagues that the message reaches people in all those different communities across the city and parts of the county too.' Official testing data showed a rise of just 77 cases of Covid-19 between June 13 and June 26, when the news of the looming local lockdown first broke, but the Department of Health has since confirmed there were actually 944 but not all the data was published HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE REALLY DIED OF THE CORONAVIRUS? Department of Health: 43,575 (June 29) Department of Health's latest death count for all settings stands at 43,575, as of June 29. This only counts people who have been officially tested for Covid-19 and diagnosed by the Department of Health. National statistical bodies: 54,541 (June 21) Data from the Office for National Statistics shows 49,610 people had died and had Covid-19 mentioned on their death certificate in England and Wales by June 19. This includes people who were tested and also those not officially diagnosed. Matching data from Scotland (National Records of Scotland) shows 4,119 people had been killed there by coronavirus up to June 21, while Northern Ireland (Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency) recorded 812 up to June 19. These are more accurate than the Department of Health's count but are 10 days out of date because it takes so long to process death certificates. Excess deaths: 65,079 The total number of excess deaths has passed 65,000. 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 59,187 deaths between March 20 and June 19, as well as 4,917 in Scotland and 975 in Northern Ireland. Advertisement Because of the way the Government's data is being published, tens of thousands of positive coronavirus tests cannot be located on a map if not diagnosed in a hospital, a Financial Times has investigation revealed. This is because Pillar 2 tests - done by private contractors in drive-through centres, mobile testing centres and at-home swabs - are not all broken down into local authority data. As a result, although the official website confirms there have been 312,654 cases of the coronavirus confirmed in the UK so far, they are not all accounted for. The nation-by-nation breakdown lists only 197,032, missing off 37 per cent of them for which the location is not published. When it was announced that a local lockdown was being considered in Leicester, public data showed only 77 cases of Covid-19 had been diagnosed between June 13 and June 26. But the Department of Health has since revealed that there are, in reality, more than 944 cases that have appeared in the past fortnight. The reason for the stark difference is that the Government is not disclosing cases found through 'Pillar 2' testing, which is swab tests done on members of the public. Even councils - tasked with protecting their citizens from local flare-ups of Covid-19 - do not have easy access to the data. A Written Parliamentary Question, for which the answer was posted on Twitter by Labour Shadow Health Minister, Justin Madders, revealed that Deloitte - a private company running public testing centres - is not required to share its data locally. The Government's answer said: 'The contract with Deloitte does not require the company to report positive cases to Public Health England and local authorities.' Officials in Leicester were furious that they had not been given detailed data by the Government until the early hours of Monday morning, when lockdown rumours were rife. Sir Peter Soulsby, mayor of the city, said on Monday: 'We've had considerable difficulty in getting the data out of the Government until very recently and we're only now getting the opportunity to analyse them properly.' Public health director for Leicester, Ivan Browne, told BBC Radio 4: 'Information has been challenging all the way through this. WHICH AREAS HAVE THE HIGHEST COVID-19 INFECTION RATES? Leicester (140.2 cases per 100,000 people) Bradford (69.4) Barnsley (54.7) Rochdale (53.6) Bedford (42) Oldham (38.6) Rotherham (33.6) Tameside (33.3) Blackburn with Darwen (32.9) Kirklees (30.3) Source: Public Health England data for June 15 to June 21 Advertisement WHICH AREAS HAVE THE LOWEST COVID-19 INFECTION RATES? City of London (0 cases per 100,000 people) South Tyneside (0) West Berkshire (0) South Gloucestershire (0.4) Gloucestershire (0.6) Wokingham (0.6) Torbay (0.7) Redcar and Cleveland (0.7) Cornwall and Isles of Scilly (0.7) Portsmouth (0.9) Source: Public Health England data for June 15 to June 21 Advertisement 'So what we now have, as of the end of last week, is we now have postcode data that allows us to map in that kind of level... we do know where we're seeing the positive cases which helps us to map it and therefore to take action in the appropriate areas.' WHAT IS THE R NUMBER? AND HOW IS IT CALCULATED? WHAT IS R0? Every infectious disease is given a reproduction number, which is known as R0 - pronounced 'R nought'. It is a value that represents how many people one sick person will, on average, infect. WHAT IS THE R0 FOR COVID-19? The R0 value for SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, was estimated by the Imperial College COVID-19 Response Team to be 2.4 in the UK before lockdown started. But some experts analysing outbreaks across the world have estimated it could be closer to the 6.6 mark. Estimates of the R0 vary because the true size of the pandemic remains a mystery, and how fast the virus spreads depends on the environment. It will spread faster in a densely-populated city where people travel on the subway than it will in a rural community where people drive everywhere. HOW DOES IT COMPARE TO OTHER VIRUSES? It is thought to be at least three times more contagious than the coronavirus that causes MERS (0.3 - 0.8). Measles is one of the most contagious infectious diseases, and has an R0 value of 12 to 18 if left uncontrolled. Widespread vaccination keeps it suppressed in most developed countries. Chickenpox's R0 is estimated to be between 10 and 12, while seasonal flu has a value of around 1.5. WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO HAVE A LOW R0? The higher the R0 value, the harder it is for health officials control the spread of the disease. A number lower than one means the outbreak will run out of steam and be forced to an end. This is because the infectious disease will quickly run out of new victims to strike. HOW IS IT CALCULATED? Experts use multiple sources to get this information, including NHS hospital admissions, death figures and behavioural contact surveys which ask people how much contact they are having with others. Using mathematical modelling, scientists are then able to calculate the virus' spread. But a lag in the time it takes for coronavirus patients to fall unwell and die mean R predictions are always roughly three weeks behind. Advertisement Health Minister for the Government, Nadine Dorries, said local authorities had been able to access the data with an 'authentication code' since June 22. But she added in a tweet: 'It isn't publicly available yet, but that will hopefully change soon.' There are now growing concerns that the Government is still not sharing the full picture of local outbreaks, leaving councils under-prepared. Dr Clive Peedell, a cancer doctor working in the NHS in Yorkshire, said on Twitter: 'We have another Tory Government scandal on our hands. 'Failure to publish Pillar 2 results (public test results) is truly shocking. Covering up what is happening is about as dangerous and stupid as it gets. A public inquiry is urgently needed.' Liz Kendall, Labour MP for Leicester West, said: 'Pillar 1 is tests in hospitals. This is published. Pillar 2 is tests from drive through centres and home testing kits done by commercial labs. This is not made public. Leicester was only given this data very late in the day. 'According to [Financial Times] a PHE source says decision not to publish this crucial data was made by Ministers. 'We urgently need to know whether this is the case and ensure in future, all data is fully shared. [Because] whats happening in Leicester could be happening elsewhere.' Claudia Webbe, the MP for Leicester East, said the Government was 'drip-feeding' the truth to the city and that there had been 'delays & inefficient testing data'. But she agreed: 'The reality is clear the rate of infection is high,' and backed the decision to put the city back in lockdown. Dr Rosena Allin-Khan, MP for Tooting in London, said the incomplete data being given to councils 'leaves them unable to analyse infection rates'. Professor Kate Ardern, director of public health at Wigan Council told the Financial Times: 'If I don't know who is being tested, and getting positive tests, in the community because one of the major elements of the testing system isn't currently sending me complete and reliable intelligence... it actually hampers our ability to get ahead of the curve on outbreak management.' Ian Hudspeth, a chairman at the Local Government Association, which represents councils around the UK, said: 'It is clear that more precise, granular information is needed in order to help councils track down and isolate any specific outbreaks or clusters. 'This data needs to be provided promptly and shared quickly, with both district councils and upper tier local authorities, to ensure the swiftest and most effective response.' He said it was vital that responses are 'proportionate' and the public understand why they are happening - and that police-enforced lockdowns should be a 'last resort'. Despite the row over data, Prime Minister Boris Johnson today denied that the Government had kept it secret from local councils, insisting in Prime Minister's Questions that it was shared. His opponent, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, accused the PM of letting coronavirus run wild in Leicester during a 'lost week'. In the Commons, Sir Keir said: 'At the daily press conference on June 18 the Health Secretary said ''there's an outbreak of Covid-19 right now in parts of Leicester''. 'Yet it was only on Monday evening this week that the Government introduced restrictions. That's a delay of 11 days during which the virus was spreading in Leicester. Why was the Government so slow to act?' Mr Johnson said the Government 'acted decisively' and 'put on the brakes' in Leicester. 'Actually the Government first took notice and acted that was going on in Leicester on June 8 because we could see there was an issue there,' he said. 'We sent mobile testing units shortly thereafter. 'We engaged actively with the authorities in Leicester, with public health in Leicester, with everyone responsible in Leicester, in the way we have done with other areas that have had similar issues. 'Unfortunately in Leicester, it did not prove possible to get the results that we have seen elsewhere so on Monday we took the decision, which I hope the right honourable gentleman approves of, to go into lockdown in Leicester.' Jess Phillips, Labour MP for Birmingham Yardley and shadow minister for domestic violence, tweeted: 'Boris Johnson is just lying. It has been incredibly hard for local authorities to get data and information from the beginning of the crisis.' Advertisement A giant statue of Christopher Columbus has been taken down in Columbus, Ohio after city Mayor Andrew Ginther claimed it was a symbol of 'patriarchy, oppression and divisiveness'. On Wednesday morning, workers spent three hours removing the monument, which has stood outside City Hall for 65 years and was a gift from the city of Genoa, Italy - the birthplace of Columbus. Hardhats were seen scaling the 20-foot statue shortly after daybreak, before it was hoisted on to the back of a truck and taken away to a storage facility. Mayor Ginther's order to remove the Columbus statue has caused outrage, particularly among members of the city's Italian community, who say they are 'flabbergasted' by the move. It comes as many statues of historical figures have been removed, toppled and vandalized across the country in recent weeks, amid widespread protests calling for an end to systemic racism. A giant statue of Christopher Columbus has been removed in Columbus, Ohio after city Mayor Andrew Ginther claimed it was a symbol of 'patriarchy, oppression and divisiveness'. Hardhats were seen scaling the 20-foot statue shortly after daybreak, before it was hoisted on to the back of a truck and taken away to a storage facility Mayor Ginther's order to remove the Columbus statue has caused outrage, particularly among members of the city's Italian community, who say they are 'flabbergasted' by the move Announcing his intention to remove the statue last week, Ginther stated: 'For many people in our community, the statue represents patriarchy, oppression and divisiveness. That does not represent our great city, and we will no longer live in the shadow of our ugly past'. 'Now is the right time to replace this statue with artwork that demonstrates our enduring fight to end racism and celebrate the themes of diversity and inclusion.' He added: 'By replacing the statue, we are removing one more barrier to meaningful and lasting change to end systemic racism.' According to FOX 8, the mayor has 'asked the Columbus Art Commission to launch a community-driven process for a replacement'. Workers commenced the three-hour removal process shortly before dawn, after the statue was ordered to be taken down by Mayor Andrew Ginther While Columbus explored the Central and South American coasts during the late 15th century, he never set foot in North America. However, the Italian-born explorer became an important symbol for Italian- Americans who emigrated to the US during the early 20th century, where they faced widespread ethnic and religious persecution. Joseph Contino, an second generation Italian-American and the Public Relations Chairman of the Columbus Piave Club, told FOX 8 that there was 'a lot of pride' in the statue that stood outside City Hall. 'There's definitely far too much pride to just throw it away, I mean you need to ask us our opinion. You can't just speak for us or not speak at all to us. I'm a little flabbergasted, a little surprised by it,' he stated. Also on Thursday, a Columbus statue was removed in Atlantic City, New Jersey, amid fears it will be vandalized. Also on Thursday, a Columbus statue was removed in Atlantic City, New Jersey, amid fears it will be vandalized The statue has been standing at the base of the Atlantic City Expressway since 1958, but will now go into storage for 'safekeeping' A crane removed the statue, which has stood in place for 62 years The statue has been standing at the base of the Atlantic City Expressway since 1958, but will now go into storage for 'safekeeping'. The monument may eventually be relocated in the nearby town of Hammonton. It comes as Columbus statues have been vandalized and destroyed in cities across the country - with many claiming that Christopher Columbus spurred centuries of genocide against indigenous populations in the Americas. The monument may eventually be relocated in the nearby town of Hammonton, but will be placed into storage for the time being Earlier this month, a Columbus statue in Boston's North End was beheaded Meanwhile, a monument to the Italian-American explorer in Richmond, Virginia was pulled down by activists, before it was set on fire and rolled it into a lake A statue of Christopher Columbus is shown vandalized at Bayfront Park in Miami Last month, a statue of Columbus in Boston was beheaded by protesters. Meanwhile, a monument to the Italian-American explorer in Richmond, Virginia was pulled down by activists, before it was set on fire and rolled it into a lake. Video showed crowds cheering at the statue's destruction. Statues of Columbus were also destroyed in Miami and Minnesota. Meanwhile, NYPD guards have been called in to protect a statue of Columbus in New York City amid fears it will be defaced. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has refused to remove the statue, located at Columbus Circle in Manhattan, because of its 'significance to Italian-Americans'. The pedestal where a statue of Christopher Columbus stands is seen vandalized at Bayfront Park in Miami In Minnesota protesters pulled down a statue of Christopher Columbus outside the State Capitol last month The publishers of Mary Trump's book have revealed they have already printed 75,000 copies and did not know about her non-disclosure agreement with her uncle and his siblings until recently. Simon & Schuster said it had already sent vast numbers of the tell-all memoir to booksellers in a rebuttal to the Trumps winning a temporary injunction against them on Tuesday. The publisher's chief executive Jonathan Karp said they only found out two weeks ago that Mary signed an agreement not to write a memoir back in 2001. During the negotiation for the book, which Simon & Schuster won after a bidding war with 10 other publishers, Mary claimed she had the 'full power and authority' to write it and there was 'no impediment' to its publication. Simon & Schuster claim that Mary's book, which the blurb says will talk about the 'toxic' Trump family, will actually provide 'valuable eyewitness source material for historians and citizens'. They also revealed that Mary contacted them 'unsolicited' with the proposal for the book titled 'Too Much and Never Enough, How My Family Created the World's Most Dangerous Man', which is already No.1 on the Amazon bestseller list. The publishers of Mary Trump's book have revealed they have already printed 75,000 copies and did not know about her non-disclosure agreement with her uncle and his siblings until recently During the negotiation for the book, which Simon & Schuster won after a bidding war with 10 other publishers, Mary claimed she had the 'full power and authority' to write it and there was 'no impediment' to its publication. They also revealed that Mary contacted them 'unsolicited' with the proposal for the book titled 'Too Much and Never Enough, How My Family Created the World's Most Dangerous Man', which is already No.1 on the Amazon bestseller list Simon & Schuster said it had already sent vast numbers of the tell-all memoir to booksellers in a rebuttal to the Trumps winning a temporary injunction against them on Tuesday The documents were filed in the Dutchess County Court, just north of New York City, where the publishers claim the temporary injunction imposed by a judge is 'unconstitutional' and a breach of their First Amendment rights. A judge ruled they had to refrain from 'publishing, printing or distributing' any copies of the book ahead of a hearing on July 10th. The book is due to come out on July 28th and the ruling could delay its publication. In their latest filing Simon & Schuster wrote: 'The book includes Ms. Trump's invaluable insights about the President of the United States and his financial dealings, among other things. 'Americans have a right - even a need - to know such information. 'Plaintiff's discomfort with the contents of the book falls cosmically short of the showing required to justify a prior restraint.' The Trumps went to court over the book by Mary, 55, which promises to detail a 'nightmare of traumas, destructive relationships, and a tragic combination of neglect and abuse'. The Trumps claim Mary is breaching a non disclosure agreement that she signed 20 years ago to settle a dispute over the will of family patriarch Fred Trump Sr, the President's father. In his affidavit, Simon & Schuster chief executive Karp said Mary approached them in May last year with her book proposal, which they won after the bidding war. In her contract with Simon & Schuster, Mary said she had the 'full power and authority to make this agreement and to grant the rights granted hereunder'. She claimed she 'has not previously assigned, transferred or otherwise encumbered (the rights)'. Lawyers for the president's younger brother Robert, 71, attempted to file papers last Tuesday in Queens County Surrogate's Court against Mary and her publisher Simon & Schuster. The court had ruled that the filing was botched and they had to refile The publisher's chief executive Jonathan Karp (left) said they only found out two weeks ago that Mary signed an agreement not to write a memoir back in 2001. The temporary injunction against the book was made by Judge Hal B. Greenwald (right) and it states that Mary and Simon & Schuster will have to appear before the court in Poughkeepsie, upstate New York, on July 10 Karp said: 'Simon & Schuster had (and has) no reason to doubt the accuracy of Ms. Trump's warranties - she expressly warranted that there was no impediment to her ability to tell her own story.' The first the publishers heard of her nondisclosure agreement was 'about two weeks ago, well after the Book had been accepted, put into production, and printing had begun', according to Karp. In the affidavit, Karp said that Simon & Schuster 'no longer maintains control' of the copies of the books that have already been shipped to booksellers, suggesting there is little they can do to stop them from going on sale. In their legal filing, Simon & Schuster's lawyers claim Mary's book will 'address issues of profound importance to our country'. They claim that stopping it from being published 'would be unprecedented in this country' and would cause 'substantial and irreparable damage' to their business. Katie Townsend, a lawyer representing free expression groups Reporters Committee for the Freedom of the Press, the Association of American Publishers and the PEN American Center, condemned the injunction. The groups requested to join the case against the Trumps because of the danger it poses to the First Amendment. Townsend said in a legal filing: A restraint of just one day is an unacceptable affront to the First Amendment and a restraint of more than a week, as this court has already ordered, is extraordinary. Imbuing an almost 20-year-old, exceedingly vague contractual provision with the power to block the publication of a book would constrain public discourse to an extreme and unacceptable degree. Townsend added that the book was of immense public interest because it is a first-hand account of the man who now holds the highest elected office in the United States government, from the perspective of a member of his own family. Mary is one of two children by Fred Trump Jr, the President's older brother who died in 1981 aged 42 after battling alcoholism. Mary and her brother Fred III had filed suit against Trump, Robert and their sister Maryanne in 2000 (pictured together), for wrongful termination of medical benefits and coverage. When Fred Sr died in 1999, Mary and her brother Fred Trump III challenged his will because they claimed that the Trump family exerted undue influence to cut them out Mary is one of two children by Fred Trump Jr, the President's older brother who died in 1981 after battling alcoholism. When Fred Sr died in 1999, Mary and her brother Fred Trump III challenged his will because they claimed the Trump family exerted undue influence to cut them out. Mary claimed in a lawsuit filed in 2000 that in retaliation to them challenging Fred Sr's will, the Trumps ended healthcare for her side of the family. The President has previously said that Mary is 'not allowed to write the book' because he and the rest of the family settled with her and everyone signed the non disclosure agreement. The temporary injunction against the book was made by Judge Hal B. Greenwald and it states that Mary and Simon & Schuster will have to appear before the court in Poughkeepsie, upstate New York, on July 10. Until then anyone who works for the company or with Mary cannot do anything that would make the contents of the memoir public. This includes 'directly or indirectly' allowing parts of it to be published, which means they are unable to leak any sections to journalists. This closes an avenue of defense for Simon & Schuster who also published the memoir of Donald Trump's former national security adviser John Bolton. The President went to court to try and gag him but a federal judge ruled that so much of the content was already in the public domain it was impossible. Ted Boutrous, a lawyer for Simon & Schuster, said they would appeal to the New York State Supreme Court's Appellate Division. He has called the injunction 'a prior restraint on core political speech that flatly violates the First Amendment'. He said: 'This book, which addresses matters of great concern and importance about a sitting president in an election year, should not be suppressed even for one day'. Charles Harder, a lawyer for the Trumps, said they will 'pursue this case to the very end'. Furious parents have demanded a school reinstates its star head teacher who was suspended for saying some teachers were 'sat at home doing nothing' during lockdown. Pauline Wood, from Grange Park in Sunderland, is under investigation after accusing her staff of bragging that they were spending 'more time watching Netflix' at home than they were working during the coronavirus pandemic as they were only coming into school two days a week. But concerned parents have now written to the board of governors at Grange Park Primary School, saying the local community has been left 'devastated'. Fiona Telford, right, sent an email to the school's board of governors in support of Pauline Wood, left, who is under investigation for comments she made on a BBC radio station Fiona Telford, whose daughter Francesca attends year three at the school, told MailOnline: 'Parents and people from the local community have emailed governors and were absolutely devastated at the way Mrs Wood has been treated. 'She's just absolutely fantastic with our children and teachers as well, the way she has been treated is absolutely appalling. 'Mrs Wood was leaving in September anyway but she hasn't even had the chance to say goodbye to the students, who absolutely adore her. 'I only told my eight-year-old girl yesterday and she's gutted. Mrs Wood knows them individually and is just a lovely, lovely person.' Ms Telford sent an email to the board of governors yesterday, expressing her sadness at their decision and praising the 'relentless pursuit of excellence' from the head teacher, who spearheaded Grange Park Primary School's ascent up the Ofsted grading system. She added: 'Mrs Wood most definitely needs to be reinstated - every single parent I've spoken to, even grandparents and carers of children, were absolutely gobsmacked. 'We were planning to go to the school and say our goodbyes while socially distancing, and while she's being investigated no-one can. 'I wouldn't want this to impact her negatively and tarnish all the good work she has done over the 15 years she's been head teacher.' Melanie Jordison, whose child previously attended the school, also sent a letter to the board, saying she is 'disgusted with the attitude of governors' who suspended Mrs Wood. She wrote: 'This situation needs resolving as at present I, and other people in Sunderland and around the country, think that this situation of suspending the headteacher has brought the school into disrepute.' Mrs Telford sent an email to the board of governors yesterday, expressing her sadness at their decision (pictured: a general view of Grange Park Primary School) Mrs Wood, pictured speaking to pupils, spearheaded the school's rapid ascent up the Ofsted grading system from 'inadequate' to 'outstanding' in 15 years Mrs Wood, a married mother-of-three, said she had been suspended on full pay on June 12 by the school's new chair of governors Mary Hodgson. She claimed Ms Hodgson had told her the action was being taken due to her 'bringing the school into disrepute' by making her comments about teachers in an interview on local radio three days earlier. Previously speaking to MailOnline, Mrs Wood said she had been left 'disappointed' by her suspension and believed proper procedures had not been followed. She disclosed that she had already handed in her notice at Grange Park School in Sunderland last January so she could leave in August, partly because she felt 'a small minority' of staff were not pulling their weight. Mrs Wood was working out her notice, ready to leave at the end of August, when she was suspended over her and banned from going back into the 220-pupil school without permission. She said she and her former chair of governors 'who had been amazing' had handed in their notice, partly because they had 'seen a few signals' that they were being undermined by some staff. Mrs Wood said: 'We felt one or two staff were being niggardly and I thought, 'Do I really need this now?' 'So we both decided we would resign in January so that the school had a really good chance of recruiting the cream of the crop for September. In December, it felt we had this little group who were acting like petulant kids.' Mrs Wood (left) is being investigated for potentially bringing her school into 'disrepute' during an interview on local BBC radio earlier this month Though the BBC interviewer praised Mrs Wood (far left) for her 'very refreshing' honesty, the school's governors suspended her after a complaint that she made 'potentially disparaging comments' about her staff She had read out texts on BBC Radio Newcastle from parents concerned about the level of support schools have been offering children, including one which said a statement all schools were working hard to help pupils was 'simply wrong'. Though the BBC interviewer praised Mrs Wood for her 'very refreshing' honesty, the school's governors suspended her after a complaint that she made 'potentially disparaging comments' about her staff. She was told this 'raised serious concerns about your professional conduct and judgement which potentially brings the school into disrepute'. Mrs Wood claimed that some teaching staff had reportedly refused to work on site for three days a week - instead of two - citing problems getting childcare cover. After she was suspended, she told Schools Week: 'It is very concerning that a headteacher can be suspended for giving a truthful answer to questions posed by members of the public.' 78% of education settings that normally have children in nursery, Reception, Year 1 or Year 6 were open to at least one of these year groups on June 18, DfE says This is up from June 11 when over two in three (67 per cent) primary schools opened more widely to pupils. 92 per cent of settings were open in some capacity on June 18 - the same as the previous week, according to the Department for Education (DfE) statistics. Around 1,160,000 children attended an education setting on June 18, representing 12.2 per cent of pupils who normally attend, up from 9.1 per cent on June 11. Attendance continues to be highest among Year 6 pupils, with 34 per cent of all Year 6 children in attendance on June 18, up from 26 per cent on June 11. Attendance was 26 per cent in Year 1, up from a fifth the previous week, and 29 per cent in reception, up from 22 per cent on June 11, the figures show. Advertisement She has since tweeted: 'As Headteachers, our job descriptions say we should hold staff to account.' Mrs Wood has been at Grange Park for 15 years and has been repeatedly praised in Ofsted reports for her 'relentless' pursuit of 'excellence'. She was credited with overseeing an extremely positive impact on pupils' outcomes' and saw the school shortlisted for a prestigious TES award in 2012. The head teacher said she did not know who had nominated the school for the award, but said she was thrilled. Mrs Wood has also championed breakfast clubs to help low-income working families avoid going on the dole. She had kept the price of the school's club at just 1 for nine years to 2014 in a big boost for parents. She told the Sunderland Echo in 2014: 'The cost of childcare can be a big barrier to working, and the lower-paid the job, the less likely it is that parents will feel it is worth it. 'Even breakfast clubs can start to add up if parents have more than one child at school and need to use them every day. The cost can then eat into a salary and make it seem pointless for parents to work. 'But it is vital that parents are given the opportunity to work and set a good example for their children. And that's why we haven't raised the price of our breakfast club in almost a decade.' Grange Park, which is in one of the most deprived areas in the country and has 226 pupils, now sits in the top two per cent for phonics and maths at key stage two level nationally. Chair of Grange Park school governors Mary Hodgson previously said that she could not comment on personal circumstances as it would be a 'breach of confidentiality'. Mrs Wood was working out her notice period and a job advert for her position closed in March. It offered applicants a salary of between 57,986 and 67,183 a year for the permanent role, starting from September 1. General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) Geoff Barton said head teachers can 'give their perspective and insight to the public via the media'. He added that general advice to workers is for them to have three key messages for the interviews and to be helped by someone when they prepare. It comes after education unions faced accusations they were sabotaging efforts to get children back to school, with the National Education Union insisting Boris Johnson's 'one metre plus' rule will still make teaching difficult. School closures are overwhelmingly impacting disadvantaged children, with a recent survey revealing two million children in the UK had done barely any schoolwork at home during the coronavirus lockdown. Around one in five pupils have carried out no schoolwork, or less than an hour a day, since schools closed partially in March. Meanwhile, only 17 per cent of children put in more than four hours a day. Other figures revealed that nearly a third (31 per cent) of private schools provided four or more online lessons daily, compared with just six per cent of state schools. MailOnline has contacted the school's board of governors for comment. A former white supremacist who is now a proud BLM supporter cried happy tears after having an enormous 13-year-old swastika inking covered up - proudly telling his daughter 'daddy doesn't hate people anymore'. Dickie Marcum from Cincinnati, Ohio committed to the huge racist chest piece when he was 20 and despite regretting it a year later claims he kept it as 'punishment' for ever having it done. The ashamed 34-year-old, who hasn't been swimming since having the tattoo, even had a red 'X' tattooed over it at his home by a pal in a bid to cover it up, but the ink faded away. Dickie Marcum cried happy tears after having an enormous 13-year-old swastika inking covered up - proudly telling his daughter 'daddy doesn't hate people anymore' Dickie pictured with his wife, 27-year-old restaurant manager Kayla Marcum Determined to turn his back on his racist past, steelworker Dickie decided to take advantage of a tattoo studio's offer to cover intolerant tattoos for a charitable donation, and banish the Nazi insignia forever. Repentant Dickie went under the needle on 'Juneteenth' - a holiday celebrating the end of slavery in the United States - and proudly showed off the results of his new rose tattoo on social media, issuing a public apology to 'everyone he hurt'. Now, the BLM supporter said he feels a 'weight' has been lifted and that he has a responsibility to amplify minority voices. Dickie said: 'The past week has been nothing but tears for me and they've all been happy. 'I'm absolutely in love with this tattoo and I think a rose was a lovely choice because it represents love and growth, and I think that's a perfect representation of who I am now. Repentant Dickie went under the needle on 'Juneteenth' - a holiday celebrating the end of slavery in the United States - and proudly showed off the results of his new rose tattoo on social media, issuing a public apology to 'everyone he hurt' 'When I came home and my wife saw the cover-up, she started crying and hugged me and kept saying that she's so proud of me. 'My daughter doesn't really know what that [swastika] symbol is, so I explained that the tattoo meant that daddy didn't like people, and now she knows daddy doesn't hate people anymore. 'I'm proud of myself, but I still feel shame for ever getting it. 'I have said and done things to people that they didn't deserve and I'll never forget those moments.' Dickie, who is married to 27-year-old restaurant manager Kayla Marcum, said his negative attitude towards people of colour started at high school when he was bullied by some black students at the age of 15. The ashamed 34-year-old, who hasn't been swimming since having the tattoo, even had a red 'X' (right) tattooed over it at his home by a pal in a bid to cover it up, but the ink faded away This, coupled with socialising with people who regularly used racial slurs, laid the foundations for his beliefs. In 2007 a black man was convicted of kidnapping and attacking his girlfriend, an experience that left him 'blinded by hate' and led to him getting the tattoo. Dickie said: 'When I heard what a black man had [done], I was blinded by hate and immediately shut down and all I could think about was how much I hate 'them'. 'It's a really stupid way to think, and I can't justify how I felt and I'm not going to, I was an idiot and I held onto that tattoo for 10 years as punishment to myself. 'Because I lived almost 20 years having that mentality, I felt like I deserved the shame that I felt and it was so heavy I couldn't bring myself to remove my shirt. I didn't swim for 13 years. 'When I came home and my wife saw the cover-up, she started crying and hugged me and kept saying that she was so proud of me.' Dad-of-three Dickie said working on a construction site alongside people from different races in later in 2007 persuaded him to change his mentality. A fortnight ago, more than a decade after getting the inking, Dickie shared snaps of his cover-up by tattoo artists at Silkworm Tattoo in Hamilton, Ohio, on Facebook. The post has racked up more than 70,000 likes, shares and comments from people thrilled at his journey. It reads: 'I want to give a HUGE shoutout to Kevin and Devin at Silkworm Tattoo for helping me close a long, horrendous chapter of my life. 'As a lot of you may know, I used to be a huge racist. I didn't know any better. 'Because of this, I decided to get something that would change my life for the worse. 'For YEARS, I carried a symbol of hate on my chest. Today, I no longer carry that. I cried happy tears when I saw the cover up. 'Not seeing that stupid f**king symbol staring back at me. 'Thank you Phil Knoche for letting me know that they were offering this service. Dad-of-three Dickie pictured at a Black Lives Matter protest in Cincinnati, Ohio Dickie pictured with his two-year-old son, Kane. Dickie said: 'The people who knew what I had on my body, who knew how much I couldn't stand them, pulled me in, they embraced me and showed me that my mentality was wrong' 'They are covering racial tattoos for free, as long as you donate to a charity. I'm really sorry. I'm sorry to everyone I hurt. I'm sorry for everything I've done in the past. 'I kept the tattoo for a long time as punishment for ever getting it. 'I even tried to tattoo an 'X' over it, hoping that people would see that it was no longer me. 'Over the past 15 years I've grown as a person. I've judged character, not skin color. 'It was pointed out to me that I got it covered on Juneteenth, I didn't even realise that was today. 'I was so preoccupied with making sure I got to my appointment on time. I love you all.' Dickie, who is dad to Kathryn Marcum, five, three-year-old Killian Marcum, and Kane Marcum, two, said he had a lot of support from friends and family on his journey. Dickie said: 'The people who knew what I had on my body, who knew how much I couldn't stand them, pulled me in, they embraced me and showed me that my mentality was wrong. 'They showed me that just because I'd dealt with certain things from certain people, it doesn't mean that everybody is that way. 'You need to judge by character, not by colour. 'Once I got starting to know these men on a personal level, I realised how stupid I was for ever even thinking that entire races were beneath me. 'When I heard about the tattoo studio's offer I got in touch and days later they had something drawn up and I went in. 'It wasn't my original intention to have it done on Juneteenth, but I can't ignore the coincidence of getting it covered on that day. 'I was so overwhelmed when I got my tattoo that when they explained what each charity was I picked one involving children who have got in trouble with the law.' Dickie Marcum pictured with Kathryn, 5, Killian, 3, and Kane, 2, and his wife Kayla, 27 Dickie donated $60 (39) and plans to donate more when he returns to get his new tattoo finished this week. Before the cover-up, Dickie attended a BLM protest in Cincinnati and claims people have messaged to ask him to attend more events since his inking saying he's now a 'symbol' for the movement. Dickie said: 'I feel like a weight has been lifted, but I also feel like responsibility has been put in its place, and I feel now I need to get out there and speak for those who are going unheard. 'I fully support the Black Lives Matter movement. Though I had people of every colour show me the light, at no point was that ever their responsibility to eradicate that type of hate, but it's people like me who need to do that. 'They shouldn't have to convince people not to hate them.' Transport for London has been accused of banning bus drivers from forcing passengers to wear face masks despite it being made compulsory two weeks ago. Workers claimed they have been threatened with discipline if they try to enforce the rule despite them being at high risk of contracting coronavirus. TfL hit back saying staff had not been stopped from telling customers to wear face masks, adding they would not be reprimanded for doing so. Drivers have locked horns with passengers over the wearing of coverings after it was made mandatory on June 15. The Unite union, which represents more than 80,000 bus workers, warned there would be a second spike in Covid infections if wearing coverings was not enforced. It comes as 44 TfL workers have died of the killer virus, with 29 being London bus drivers. Workers claimed they have been threatened with discipline if they try to enforce the rule despite them being at high risk of contracting coronavirus (file photo from March 15) One driver told LBC: 'We're seeing a huge amount of people that aren't complying, there's no enforcement taking place, and it's putting the safety of our other passengers who are complying at risk. 'We have some of the most vulnerable people in society using London buses, and selfish individuals that don't wear a mask, and we can't stop them boarding without the risk of being disciplined.' Another added there were no police or revenue inspectors to enforce the rules and said he was told to 'absolutely not enforce it'. TfL denied the claims. Under the new Government regulations, policemen and TfL have the power to tell people to leave buses if they do not wear a face mask. Those who are exempt include children under 11, people who have trouble breathing and anyone who finds it difficult to manage them correctly. Drivers have locked horns with passengers over the wearing of coverings after it was made mandatory on June 15 (pictured on June 10) London Mayor and chairman of TfL Sadiq Khan faced weeks of criticism over the lack of protection for drivers in the early stages of the outbreak. He insisted transport workers did not need PPE, despite fury from the grieving families of bus drivers who had tragically died. It was not until mid-April when he finally conceded public transport users should wear face masks or coverings. By this point 20 bus drivers in the capital had already died from coronavirus and it was another month before they started to be issued with PPE on May 18. Critics say bus drivers should have been given PPE from the beginning of March, when the threat posed by the virus to public transport networks was emerging. In recent weeks the Mayor has often spoken of the importance of wearing face masks on public transport. After hearing the drivers' claims, the Tories blasted Mr Khan for hypocrisy, with London Conservatives' Transport's Keith Prince accusing him of mixed messaging. He said: 'How can the Mayor in one voice be calling on the Government to introduce masks in shops, and yet he doesn't even allow bus drivers to wear them, he does nothing to help those bus drivers enforce passengers to use them?' Unite union warned of the dangers of a second wave of coronavirus infections if face masks were not worn on public transport. London Mayor and chairman of TfL Sadiq Khan (pictured) faced weeks of criticism over the lack of protection for drivers in the early stages of the outbreak It came after Transport Secretary Grant Shapps announced bus and rail timetables will return to 85 per cent of normal services this month. Unite called for bus operators, not bus drivers, to take responsibility and make people wear masks. It said it was concerned the rules of wearing coverings and maintaining social distancing on public transport was being ignored. Unite national officer for public transport Bobby Morton said: 'Unite members are increasingly reporting the rules on face coverings and social distancing on public transport, especially buses, are being flouted. 'With the frequency of public transport increasing and passenger numbers rising, the danger of a second spike will be greatly increased unless decisive action is taken to ensure the rules are followed. 'It is not the role of bus drivers, nor do they have the power, to prevent someone without a face covering from boarding a bus. 'The failure of bus operators and the police to deal with this increasing problem is potentially risking the health of bus workers and passengers, and could have disastrous consequences for the nation's public health.' The Unite union, which represents more than 80,000 bus workers, warned there would be a second spike in Covid infections if wearing coverings was not enforced As many as 44 TfL frontline workers have died from coronavirus during the Covid-19 outbreak. Director of Bus Operations at TfL Claire Mann told MailOnline: 'It is absolutely not the case that bus drivers should be stopped from asking customers to wear face coverings and they should not be disciplined for doing so. 'Bus drivers should be engaging with customers to make sure they are aware that it is a requirement to wear face coverings on public transport unless they are exempt, where they feel comfortable to do so. 'We have issued communications to bus operators about the role of bus drivers in encouraging compliance with the new regulations. 'The police and TfL enforcement officers are deployed to priority locations across the bus network to explain the requirement and encourage compliance. 'Everyone should be wearing a mask on our services unless they are exempt and bus drivers can now also use an on-bus reporting function to report issues with non-compliance. 'This assists with the deployment of police and TfL enforcement officers and helps target messaging to customers. 'We ask the public to remember that some customers will be unable to wear a face covering for medical reasons that may not be immediately obvious.' A federal program providing Americans with free masks during the coronavirus pandemic has run out of the facial coverings, according to internal communications. It was also revealed that the TSA may be facing a shortfall in facial coverings. An internal document from the Department of Homeland Defense, or DHS, to other federal agencies noted that Project: America Strong, which provides free Personal Protective Equipment, or PPE, to Americans, had run out of face masks. The program's website on Wednesday confirmed the demand for face coverings 'has exceeded supply.' The same internal document mentioned the TSA also was facing a potential shortfall in masks. The same internal document mentioned the TSA also was facing a potential shortfall in masks. TSA agents, wearing a facial coverings, are pictured at Seattle-Tacoma Airport The 'TSA remains susceptible to shortages in critical PPE items caused by strain and unreliability of the supply chain, particularly for surgical masks' the internal document said, Yahoo News reported. The revelations come after a Trump administration effort that brought facial masks into the US from overseas was set to end this week, according to federal officials. The administration's Project Airbridge would be ending with the last flight carrying Personal Protective Equipment, or PPE, supplies arriving in Ohio Tuesday. Project Airbridge was set to end with the last flight carrying Personal Protective Equipment, or PPE, supplies arriving in Ohio Tuesday. An earlier shipment of PPE supplies delivered by the program are pictured after arriving in Oregon Despite new surges in the pandemic after states began to reopen, administration officials said they were sure that current supply levels were enough. However, they said they can still restart the program again, CNN reports. Masks and other PPE supplies have been in short supply since the pandemic hit US shores. So far, there have been more than 2.6 million cases in the US of the coronavirus, which has been blamed for more than 127,000 deaths. Significant progress was made in slowing and containing the spread of the deadly virus across the nation in former epicenters, including New York. But the masks shortage comes as states that moved quickly to reopen after mandated lockdowns have seen new spikes in infection rates that have threatened the country's reopening efforts. Project: America Strong, a federal program which provided more than 346 million free masks to Americans, has stopped accepting requests after running out of the facial coverings, according to its website. 'As a result, we are no longer accepting new requests. We are currently assessing requests on hand and prioritizing delivery to support populations most susceptible to the disease,' the site explained. The program, run by the Department of Health and Human Services, or HHS, alerts that requests received may take 10 to 15 business days for 'processing and determination on whether your order can be fulfilled'. An internal document from the Department of Homeland Defense to other federal agencies noted that Project: America Strong, providing free Personal Protective Equipment, to Americans, ran out of facial coverings. Its website (pictured) Wednesday confirmed the claim A spokesperson for the HHS confirmed the shortage and said that Project America had intended to distribute masks as part of a 'multi-prong approach to re-open American economic activity while continuing to limit the spread of COVID-19,' reports Yahoo News. 'HHS distributed more than 346.4 million coverings under Project: America Strong to state, tribal, territorial, local, and federal agencies, as well as the transportation sector, long-term care facilities, dialysis centers and other critical infrastructure sectors, as well as faith-based and volunteer organizations.' A spokesperson for the TSA said the agency 'has an adequate supply of PPE' in response to a request for comment on a report in Yahoo News about the potential shortage for its agents working at the nation's airports. Trump administration officials also said they were confident with the nation's PPE supply levels after the ending of 'Project Airbridge' this week. The program, started when the US faced severe shortages of PPE and overseen by Jared Kushner, the president's son-in-law, organized about 249 flights to bring in the supplies, a spokesperson said. Trump administration officials said they were confident with the nation's PPE supply levels after the ending of 'Project Airbridge' this week. The program, started when the US faced severe shortages of PPE and overseen by Jared Kushner, the president's son-in-law (pictured) FEMA, the lead agency on the flights, said a restart of the program will depend on state data on the coronavirus pandemic and direction from federal COVID-19 experts. The program expedited the delivery of millions of supplies to the US as the administration touted its efforts to address PPE needs across the nation. But Kushner did not have direct experience in such work and the program received heavy criticism after supplies were hard to track after their arrival. Senate Democrats Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut and Chuck Schumer of New York have called on the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee, or PRAC, for an investigation into the program. They claim the initiative was fraught with 'delays, incompetence, confusion, and secrecy.' Boris Johnson today tore into Nicola Sturgeon over her threat to quarantine people entering Scotland from England - insisting there is 'no border' within the UK. The PM derided the First Minister's repeated refusal to rule out the move, saying it was 'absolutely' astonishing she thought it was an option. 'There is no such thing as a border between England and Scotland,' Mr Johnson told MPs. But at her daily briefing in Edinburgh later, Ms Sturgeon accused the premier of 'absurd and ridiculous political comments', saying there was obviously a 'geographical boundary'. The bitter clashes mark another escalation in tensions between Mr Johnson and Ms Sturgeon, who has previously slated him for acting 'recklessly' by loosening lockdown too quickly. Scotland has been taking a distinctly more cautious approach to easing restrictions, and there have even been claims that the SNP is using the crisis to fuel the drive for independence. At PMQs, Boris Johnson tore into Nicola Sturgeon over her threat to quarantine people entering Scotland from England - insisting there is 'no border' within the UK At her daily briefing in Edinburgh later Ms Sturgeon accused the premier of 'absurd and ridiculous political comments' Government releases roll call of at-risk areas with high Covid-19 infection rates Bradford, Barnsley and Rochdale are three of the areas of England most at risk of being hit by a 'local lockdown' like the one imposed in Leicester to control the coronavirus, according to official data. Statistics for the week ending June 21 the most recently available show those areas had the highest Covid-19 infection rates in the country, each with more than 50 positive tests per 100,000 people. Only Leicester recorded more (140.2). It comes as government sources today said local lockdowns could be 'just days away'. But ministers have yet to officially confirm which parts of England are in the firing line. Barnsley Council today called for 'extra care and vigilance' among its citizens because of the high infection rate and the risk of a Covid-19 flare-up that could see the city shut down. Other areas that may face being plunged into another lockdown include Bedford, Oldham, Rotherham, Tameside, Blackburn with Darwen and Kirklees, which all have more than 30 cases per 100,000 people. At the other end of the scale, in the week from June 15 to June 21, West Berkshire, South Tyneside and the City of London all recorded zero coronavirus cases per 100,000 population. And the rate was lower than one in South Gloucestershire, Wokingham, Gloucestershire, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, Redcar and Cleveland, Torbay, Lambeth and Portsmouth. Advertisement Asked about the situation by Conservative MP Andrew Bowie at PMQs, Mr Johnson said: 'There have been no such discussions with the Scottish administration about that but I would point out what he knows very well - there is no such thing as a border between England and Scotland.' However, at her own briefing later Ms Sturgeon said: 'What there definitely is, is a geographical boundary to my powers as First Minister. 'If the Prime Minister is questioning that now, I'm not sure what he would say if I pitched up in Newcastle and started to try to implement Scottish Government policies in Newcastle. 'And see what I've just said there? It's absurd too, which is why we shouldn't be having these discussions. 'We should all be focusing with an absolute laser-like focus on what we need to do within our own responsibilities and working together when necessary to stop a virus.' On the possibility of people having to quarantine after entering Scotland, Ms Sturgeon said there are no such proposals at the moment, but added: 'Given the nature of what we're dealing with right now - just to remind the Prime Minister: an infectious virus - I would not be doing my job properly if I ruled things out that, as we see from countries around the world, are being used selectively in appropriate circumstances to try to contain a virus. 'If I'm looking at the data and the evidence and I'm seeing that there's a risk to Scotland of infection coming in from other parts of the UK and I think that there needs to be measures taken to contain that, then I will discuss that with other administrations as appropriate.' Ms Sturgeon insisted her one objective during the pandemic is 'trying to stop this virus getting out of control'. She said anyone trying to turn the crisis into a 'political or a constitutional argument' needed to 'go and take a long hard look at yourself in a mirror'. 'If you're being honest with yourself, you will admit that you're failing people or risking failing people, so I'm not going to do that,' she said, The PM derided the First Minister's repeated refusal to rule out the move, saying it was 'absolutely' astonishing she thought it was an option Boris Johnson insists UK DOES have enough remdesivir to treat all coronavirus patients who need it Boris Johnson moved to allay fears of an anti-coronavirus drugs shortage today after Donald Trump bought up almost the entire global supply of remdesivir. The US president was accused of 'undermining' the global coronavirus fight by splashing the cash on one of only two drugs approved to treat Covid-19 on the NHS. Business minister Nadhim Zahawi was among those who criticised his decision to make the rest of the world compete for the medication, originally designed to treat Ebola but proven to speed up recovery time for coronavirus patients. But Downing Street and the Department of Health later played down the significance of the move, insisting that the UK has enough of a stockpile to treat everyone who needs it. The Prime Minister's official spokesman said: 'The UK currently has a sufficient stock of Remdesivir.' And the Department of Health said it had secured supplies in advance and had enough to treat every NHS patient who needs it. The US Department of Health and Human Services (HSS) had earlier revealed it had secured more than 500,000 treatment courses of remdesivir for American hospitals. It represents the entire global supply for July and 90 per cent of stocks for August and September, leading to fears of an autumn shortage. Advertisement The quarantine row came as Britain today announced 176 more coronavirus deaths as government experts estimated up to 3,000 people are still getting infected each day in England but the crucial R rate has dropped in every region. Department of Health chiefs say the official number of laboratory-confirmed victims now stands at 43,906 but separate government figures show the UK topped the dreaded 50,000 mark a month ago. Britain recorded more than 1,000 daily fatalities during the darkest days of its crisis but the outbreak has slowed drastically in the past month. For comparison, only 155 deaths were recorded yesterday. Government data shows 154 Covid-19 victims were recorded last Wednesday, followed by 184 and 250 in the two weeks before. But the rolling seven-day average of daily deaths is still 118, exactly the same as it was this point last week. Analysis shows it is the first Wednesday to Wednesday period since the start of April that the daily average hasn't dropped. Separate data released today by a team at Public Health England and Cambridge University predicted up to 3,000 people are still getting infected in England every day, including 1,000 in the Midlands. The rate is in line with figures from a separate government-run Covid-19 surveillance testing scheme, as well as data from a symptom-tracking app, which suggest the speed at which the outbreak is shrinking is levelling off. The team believe the R rate has dropped in every region to be between 0.7-0.9, putting it in line with the official figure given by SAGE after last month saying it had risen to above the dreaded level of one in several regions. Meanwhile, the coronavirus crisis continued to wreak havoc on British business. John Lewis is expected to axe stores, workers and one of its headquarters as well as jobs at its sister business Waitrose while Harrods today revealed it must slash around 700 posts. The bad news at two of the UK's best loved department stores came amid disaster for retailers up and down the country as TM Lewin, Harveys, Bensons for Beds and Upper Crust hit the wall and tens of thousands of jobs are at risk in the ailing airline and engineering sectors. The lockdown has hammered UK business with John Lewis unveiling reopening plans for another 10 stores including its first in Wales and Scotland as well as the chain's flagship shop in Oxford Street - but sources admitted it is 'highly unlikely' that all 50 will ever reopen again. Boss Sharon White, who joined from broadcasting watchdog Ofcom before the pandemic began, has also written to 80,000 staff at the retailer and its supermarket Waitrose warning them that their bonus is unlikely next year as she tried to improve profits. Harrods boss Michael Ward has also told his staff that 700 jobs will have to because of the need to cut costs. In a memo to staff he said: 'With a heavy-heart, today I need to confirm that due to the ongoing impacts of this pandemic, we as a business will need to make reductions to our workforce' and said 14% of its 4,800 staff would likely lose their jobs'. A pole dancing pioneer who set up Australia's first studio dedicated to the exotic dance has died aged 52. Paula Vivoda, the owner and director of Bobbi's Gold Pole Dancing Studio, died on Wednesday, June 24 'due to illness', according to her family. Going by the name 'Bobbi', she helped put pole dancing on the map across the country, opening Australia's first dedicated studio in 2004. Her death was announced by husband Pedro in a Facebook post on Saturday. A pole dancing pioneer who set up Australia's first studio dedicated to the exotic dance has mysteriously died at 52 Paula 'Bobbi' Vivoda, the owner and director of Bobbi's Gold Pole Dancing Studio, died on Wednesday June 24 'due to illness' 'Our beautiful Paula peacefully passed away on Wednesday June 24 2020 due to illness,' the tribute read. 'To our family and close friends who have supported us throughout her illness we thank you for your undivided support and love. 'She was like a butterfly. Lived a life too short but flew brighter than most.' Pedro said his wife was a pioneer in the pole dancing industry and 'will be forever missed'. 'As her husband of over 20 years, I have now lost the true counterpart of my soul and am deeply saddened, completely devastated and heartbroken,' he wrote. According to the website for Bobbi's Gold Studio, Paula had an early background in Jazz Ballet before a professional Cabaret career performing shows in Japan. Her passing was announced by husband Pedro in a Facebook post on Saturday She helped put pole dancing on the map across the country, opening Australia's first dedicated studio in 2004 She then turned to her 'passion', the exotic dance industry. There are Bobbi Pole Studios in Sydney, Perth and Malaysia. 'On the 24th of June our namesake, Bobbi Vivoda, passed away,' a tribute from Bobbi's Pole Studio Sydney read. 'I write these words with a heavy heart and tears in my eyes, and I don't quite have the right words just yet to honour her. 'I'm still in shock and just processing this heartbreaking news.' X-POLE Australia, which provides professional-grade pole fitness and dance poles, also paid tribute. According to the website for Bobbi's Gold Studio, Paula had an early background in Jazz Ballet before a professional Cabaret career performing shows in Japan. She then turned to her 'passion', the exotic dance industry 'Bobbi of Bobbi's Pole Studio Sydney and her team were responsible for the early days of pole in NSW, teaching sensual pole in Sydney's first dedicated pole studio in Castlereagh St,' it read. 'Most Sydney studios were started by someone that at some point did classes with Bobbi.' Pole dancing enthusiasts have flooded Bobbi's Facebook page to thank her contribution to the exotic dance industry Pole dancing enthusiasts have flooded Bobbi's Facebook page to thank her contribution to the industry. 'You will literally be missed by thousands of people around the world. The impact you've had on people's lives is unbelievable. You are truly a pioneer and the epitome of so many dancers inspiration,' one person wrote. Another wrote: 'This is heartbreaking. I never knew she was ill. I had just gotten a pole in 2009/2010, I had no idea what to do with it. 'I got on YouTube and I found Bobbi. I fell in love with her dancing I bought all her DVDs. Her influence is still alive in my dance today.' Other tributes labelled the pole dancer as a 'legend' and 'icon'. 'Rest In Peace Bobbi. Thank you for introducing me to the beautiful world of pole dancing. You'll be remembered as a legend.' During an emotional press conference in Washington, DC, the family of missing Fort Hood soldier Vanessa Guillen said they believe their loved one is dead and that the serviceman who killed her is the same individual who turned a gun on himself when police tried to make contact with him early Wednesday morning. 'We have a dead person because of sexual harassment,' the family's attorney Natalie Khawam said at the start of the press conference. The medical examiner has yet to confirm if the remains found on Tuesday belong to Guillen. But the soldier's family said Wednesday that they believe the remains are hers. 'Its not confirmed yet whether its my sister or not but everything points to it,' Guillen's sister, Mayra, told reporters in DC. The US Army Criminal Investigation Command said that another suspect is in custody. That individual is a civilian and the estranged wife of a former Fort Hood soldier. Authorities have not said what the nature of the relationship was between the deceased soldier and the woman who was arrested. Khawam and Guillen's sisters said that the second suspect tied to the soldier's apparent death is the soldier who killed himself early Wednesday morning as police tried to make contact with him. Mayra said she actually met the man who Guillen accused of sexual harassment and walking in on her while she was showering before she disappeared in April. During an emotional press conference in Washington, DC, the family of missing Fort Hood soldier Vanessa Guillen said they believe their loved one is dead and that the man who killed her is the same man who turned a gun on himself when cops tried to make contact with him 'Its not confirmed yet whether its my sister or not but everything points to it,' Guillen's sister, Mayra (pictured speaking), told reporters in DC. Mayra also said she met the suspect who killed himself when she went to the Fort Hood base 'We have a dead person because of sexual harassment,' the family's attorney Natalie Khawam (pictured speaking) said at the start of the press conference. She then demanded a congressional investigation into Guillen's case 'When I first when up to that base that subject I met him not knowing that he had something to do with it. I felt something was telling me that he did something. He still had the nerve that same day to laugh in my face and apparently now he kills himself why I dont know,' Mayra said. According to a statement from the Killeen Police Department, authorities located the suspect in the 4700 block of East Rancier Avenue around 1.29am Wednesday morning. 'As officers attempted to make contact with the suspect, the suspect displayed a weapon and discharged it towards himself,' police said in the statement. Authorities said the suspect died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound at the scene. Police said they tried to make contact with the suspect who is believed to have been connected to one of Fort Hood's criminal investigations. The identity of the suspect has not been released and no other information about the man was revealed. Guillen's (left and right) family says that she had accused an unnamed sergeant of sexually harassing her and claimed she felt unsafe before she disappeared According to a statement from the Killeen Police Department, authorities located the suspect in the 4700 block of East Rancier Avenue (area pictured) around 1.29am Wednesday morning Guillen was last seen at the Fort Hood Army Base in Killeen, Texas, on April 22 wearing a black t-shirt, light purple leggings and black Nike sneakers Guillen's younger sister, Lupe, accused Fort Hood officials of covering up the case and lying to their family since the soldier (left and right) disappeared Police release information about suspects connected to Vanessa Guillen's disappearance While the details are still being pieced together by police surrounding Vanessa Guillen's case, authorities have released the following information: July 1: Fort Hood soldier kills himself Early Wednesday morning, a soldier believed to be connected to the disappearance of Guillen died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Killeen police said they attempted to make contact with the soldier around 1.29am but the man shot himself before he could be arrested. July 1: Guillen family hold press conference Guillen's two sisters and their father held a press conference demanding justice for their loved one who they believe is dead. The family said they believe that remains found on Tuesday are those of Guillen. During an emotional plea, the sisters called for a congressional investigation into Guillen's case. They also revealed that the suspect who shot himself early Wednesday morning is believed to be the same man who sexually harassed Guillen before she vanished in April. July 1: Civilian is arrested Authorities also announced the arrest of a woman who is the estranged wife of a former Fort Hood soldier. Police did not say what the nature of the relationship was between the suspect who killed himself and the woman. Advertisement According to the US Army Criminal Investigation Command, the soldier 'fled the post late yesterday'. 'The name of the soldier will not be released at this time pending the notification of next of kin,' the command confirmed. The civilian suspect was arrested by Texas Rangers. She is currently being held at the Bell County Jail awaiting charges by civilian authorities. 'We have made significant progress in this tragic situation and are doing everything possible to get to the truth and bring answers to the family of Pfc. Vanessa Guillen,' said Chris Grey, the spokesman for Army CID. 'We stand here for justice. We stand here for Vanessa,' Khawam said during the press conference as she slammed the Fort Hood base for the way Guillen's case has been handled. 'We stand here for every service member who suffered harassment and didn't feel safe reporting it.' Khawam, along with Guillen's family, called for a congressional investigation into the way the young woman's case was handled. She also demanded legislation that would protect women. 'If she could get killed, anyone could get killed. This could happen to our mothers, sisters, daughters. We want a bill in her name.' Guillen's family says that she had accused an unnamed sergeant of sexually harassing her and claimed she felt unsafe before she disappeared. Khawam said Guillen once claimed that a superior walked in on her showering and another verbally assaulted her with vulgar remarks in Spanish. Last week the Fort Hood Army base launched an investigation into Guillen's allegations that a sergeant sexually harassed her. Guillen's younger sister, Lupe, accused Fort Hood officials of covering up the case and lying to their family since the soldier disappeared. 'They lied to our faces every single day,' Lupe said. 'How can this happen on a military base while she was on duty?' 'They take it as a joke! My sisters no joke; my sisters a human being and I want justice and I want answers because my sister did not do this to herself. 'If this could happen to my sister, it could happen to other service women and men.' Guillen was last seen at the Fort Hood Army Base in Killeen, Texas, on April 22 wearing a black t-shirt, light purple leggings and black Nike sneakers. Volunteer group Texas EquuSearch came across the remains in an undisclosed area in Coryell County, not too far from the site where the remains of missing soldier Gregory Wedel-Morales (pictured) were found on June 19 Morales, who was also known as Gregory Wedel, was last seen on August 19, 2019 driving his personal vehicle outside of Fort Hood. He was to be discharged within days after his disappearance, the Army said Both Morales and Guillen were stationed at the Fort Hood Army Base in Killeen, Texas Her car keys, barracks room key, identification card and wallet were later found in the armory room where she was working earlier in the day. Volunteer group Texas EquuSearch came across the remains in an undisclosed area in Coryell County, not too far from the site where the remains of missing soldier Gregory Wedel-Morales were found on June 19. Morales, who was also known as Gregory Wedel, was last seen on August 19, 2019 driving his personal vehicle outside of Fort Hood. He was to be discharged within days after his disappearance, the Army said. Morales joined the Army in June 2015 as a motor transport operator and had been assigned to the 1st Sustainment Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division at Fort Hood since November 2016, according to the Army. A $25,000 reward is being offered for information about his death. Morales disappeared about eight months before Guillen vanished from the base. Eurostar is to restart direct services from London to Amsterdam and Disneyland Paris next week - but all passengers will be required to wear a face mask. The cross-Channel train operator announced it will resume its Anglo-Dutch route from July 9. Although direct services will run to the Netherlands, passengers travelling in the reverse direction will need to change trains in Brussels, where passport checks and security screening will be carried out. Eurostar is to restart direct services from London to Amsterdam in the coming weeks Eurostar will restart its services to Disneyland Paris from August 2. The routes have been closed since March due to the drop in demand caused by the coronavirus pandemic. Eurostar is offering more flexibility on all its fares, enabling passengers who book throughout the rest of the year to alter their travel plans up to 14 days before departure without a fee. The firm said all travellers must wear a face covering as part of additional hygiene measures. Passengers will be seated 'at a safe distance apart' and trains will be 'deep-cleaned' before every journey. It comes as Turkey said today it expects to be included in the UK's plan for quarantine-free air bridges to kick start holidays - as the release of a list of safe countries was delayed again. Services to Disneyland Paris in France, pictures, will also be resuming from August 2 Ministers had been expected to unveil a list of countries that will be approached to form air bridges for quarantine-free travel to and from the UK today. But the announcement of details of the traffic light system is now expected to be made by ministers tomorrow. There is speculation it will include 50 countries, including most Western European states and British overseas territories - but with question marks over nations including Portugal. Turkey's ambassador to the UK said this morning that his country believes it will be among them - despite the country having higher daily cases of coronavirus than the UK. It came amid claims loopholes in the air bridge plans could make the UK's quarantine rules pointless. With holiday makers anxiously awaiting the government's list of exempt destinations there are claims a swathe of other countries will be able to dodge the 14-day restrictions even if they are not included. The EU yesterday agreed 15 states from outside the bloc - including Algeria, Japan, China, Rwanda, Thailand, Morocco and Tunisia - will be allowed to come and go freely. However, that raises the prospect they could just take an indirect route to the UK via an air bridge. A graphic demonstrates which countries are open for quarantine-free travel and which aren't Tory MP Henry Smith, chairman of the cross-party Future of Aviation Group, told the Telegraph the whole quarantine idea should be rethought. 'It starts to beg the question as to whether we should have a broader opening up, rather than bilateral corridors,' he said. The government's list of air bridges had been expected to be released last week, and was then delayed again from the formal quarantine review date on Monday. There were heavy hints it would be published today, but it is now due tomorrow. However, travel firms have been forced to scrap thousands of flights and holiday packages in Greece after the nation extended its ban on arrivals from the UK. TUI, Ryanair, Easyjet, Jet2 and British Airways have all axed travel plans for Brits who booked in the hope of a quick getaway in early July. Angela Merkel has warned that the EU must prepare for the possibility of a No Deal Brexit and the chance that their post-Brexit relationship could fail. The Chancellor made the comments as Germany took the helm of the bloc's rotating presidency after months of standstill because of coronavirus. This week the EU and Britain resumed negotiations on how to define Britain's future economic ties with the bloc, but the tone has hardened in both camps. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has insisted there is no chance of extending the Brexit transition period beyond the end of December, despite jibes from Brussels that the UK cannot afford another hit after the pandemic. Merkel already warned last week that Britain would 'have to live with the consequences' of weaker trade ties with the EU in a no-deal outcome Merkel already warned last week that Britain would 'have to live with the consequences' of weaker trade ties with the EU in a no-deal outcome. 'I will keep pushing for a good solution, but the EU and Germany too must and should prepare for the case that an agreement is not reached,' Merkel told German lawmakers in Berlin today. The veteran leader was speaking on the first day of Germany's six-month EU presidency, set to be dominated by the coronavirus pandemic and its economic fallout. London and Brussels only have until the end of December to clinch a new Brexit agreement or end their half-century relationship without specific plans for how they plan to trade or coexist in other fields. Without a deal, ties would be reduced to minimum standards set by the World Trade Organization with high tariffs and serious disruptions to business. Boris Johnson has insisted there is no chance of extending the Brexit transition period beyond the end of December, despite jibes from Brussels that the UK cannot afford another hit after the pandemic The main sticking points are over rights to access UK fishing waters, and whether Britain must comply with the bloc's state aid rules and environmental, social and labour standards in return for a free trade deal. Germany has set itself an ambitious agenda for the EU presidency, which observers say may be the last chance for outgoing chancellor Merkel to shape her European legacy. Her main goal is to push through a massive economic recovery plan to help the 27-member club cope with its steepest recession since World War II, triggered by a pandemic that has so far killed more than 500,000 people worldwide. 'We are living in very serious times and need to react accordingly,' Merkel told German MPs. Brexit negotiator David Frost (pictured left) and Michel Barnier met face-to-face for the first time since March on Monday, as they tried to thrash out differences on fishing rights and demands to obey the bloc's rules The chancellor, who has just over a year left in her final term, has thrown her political weight behind the proposed 750-billion-euro ($843-billion) recovery fund. The fund would controversially be financed through shared EU borrowing, in a stunning U-turn for Germany after years of opposition to debt pooling. 'An extraordinary situation requires a special solution,' said Merkel. The first big test of Germany's EU custodianship will come at a July 17-18 EU summit, where Merkel hopes leaders will reach an agreement on the recovery fund. The money is expected to come mainly in the form of grants for countries hit hardest by the pandemic, such as debt-laden Italy and Spain. But so-called frugal nations including Austria and the Netherlands want to rein in the spending and are insisting on loans rather than grants. Merkel has urged holdout nations to show unprecedented solidarity with hard-hit neighbours, warning that an uneven recovery could undermine the EU single market and end up harming stronger economies too. But 'member states' positions are still very far apart' on the matter, she admitted. If accepted, the rescue fund would be a milestone for EU unity. It would also be a big win for Berlin, and could ease some of the lingering resentment from the eurozone debt crisis a decade ago when Merkel's government insisted on harsh austerity for struggling nations like Greece. German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas (left) takes over the rotating European Union presidency of the 27-member bloc from Croatian Foreign Minister Gordan Grlic-Radman during a symbolic handover in front of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin on 1 July Merkel has stressed the need for the bloc to prepare for the post-pandemic future, including through a more unified approach to health issues and by investing in climate-friendly projects. Environmental demonstrators gathered outside the chancellery Wednesday with bags of fake euro banknotes to demand that any coronavirus stimulus be spent on 'a green and just future'. At a Berlin press conference, Economy Minister Peter Altmaier said Germany supported the bloc's goal to become carbon neutral by 2050. He also said Germany would use its EU presidency to push for 'more robust' supply chains within the EU after the virus outbreak left member states scrambling to secure protective gear mainly made in China. Berlin would fight to make progress 'as quickly as possible' on a EU-China investment agreement aimed at levelling the playing field, he said. The Duchess of Sussex has claimed that her royal wedding to Prince Harry at Windsor Castle raised more than 1billion in tourism revenue for Britain. Meghan Markle also said the income generated for the public purse 'far outweighed' the contribution of taxpayers' money towards crowd security in May 2018. The claim was made within the latest documents released as part of her High Court battle against The Mail On Sunday over an article which reproduced parts of a letter she had sent to her father Thomas Markle in August 2018. UK taxpayers contributed to the estimated 32million cost of the wedding, although the church service, flowers and reception were paid for by the Royal Family. The majority of the estimated figure - 30million - was funded by the taxpayer and mostly spent on security measures, including costs on protecting Windsor with a heavy police presence, crowd control and restrictions placed on businesses. Prince Harry and Meghan after their wedding at Windsor Castle in Berkshire on May 19, 2018 Meghan's legal team said they had already confirmed that she had been 'a working member of the Royal Family and to some (relatively nominal) extent publicly funded'. Her lawyers also said the royal wedding was 'not, in fact, publicly funded, but rather personally financed by HRH The Prince of Wales' - Harry's father Prince Charles. The submission added: 'Any public costs incurred for the wedding were solely for security and crowd control to protect members of the public, as deemed necessary by Thames Valley Police and the Metropolitan Police.' However, consulting firm Brand Finance previously estimated that the royal wedding would provide a boost to UK tourism of only 300million. The experts said at the time of the wedding that the 1billion figure would only be reached if other sectors of the economy such as retail and fashion were factored in. Harry and Meghan ride in an Ascot Landau after their wedding ceremony in Windsor in 2018 It estimated an overall boost to the UK economy of 1.05billion, which also included 300million in public relations value, 250million for retail and restaurants, 150million for the fashion industry and 50million on merchandise. Experts at Bridebook, who calculated the 32million wedding cost figure, also found that Meghan's dress, the flowers, food and drinks came in at nearly 1million. They said 20 silver-plated trumpets to announce the event would come in at 90,000 and the glass marquee for the evening reception would cost 300,000. The lemon elderflower cake from Violet Bakery in East London was estimated at 50,000, while flowers at Windsor Castle cost about 110,000. Harry and Meghan wave as they ride through Windsor on a carriage following their wedding Other costs footed by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport included about 230,000 on a PA system and 4,000 on staff travel and expenses. The Government also paid 1,084,512 to the local council for stewarding, crowd control barriers, big screens, waste disposal, barriers and associated costs. Tourism authority VisitBritain also estimated that about 50,000 Americans were in the crowds lining the roads in Windsor and enjoying the atmosphere in London for the wedding. Retailers in the capital had expected a 60million sales boom from tourist spending. Mugs featuring the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are pictured on sale in Windsor. The royal wedding is thought to have boosted the economy in merchandise sales by 50million Airbnb said people would rake in 12million from renting out their properties, while extended hours for pubs meant an estimated 10million sales boost according to the British Beer and Pub Association. Brand Finance has also said the Royal Family generates at least 2billion of annual revenue to the UK economy from promoting endorsements to bolstering power. The couple are said to be worth about 24million according to Money.com, while Meghan is believed to have accrued a net worth of 4million from her acting career. The Duke and Duchess have now signed up with a top American public speaking agency which has a raft of A-list clients on its books. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle ride in an Ascot Landau after their wedding in May 2018 As part of their break with the Royal Family, Harry and Meghan will earn their own income and they are expected to do so in part by giving speeches. It is thought the couple wish to focus on social issues, including racial and gender inequality, the environment and mental health. They have now signed up to the Harry Walker Agency, reported the Los Angeles Times. Founded in 1946, it bills itself as the worlds leading speakers bureau. The New York-based agency already has a string of famous faces on its books including former US presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton. In recent months Harry and Meghan have both taken part in video calls with charities they support and are planning to launch their charitable foundation Archewell. The Duchess of Sussex has also provided a voiceover for a Disney film about elephants that was released in April. Prince Harry is working with Oprah Winfrey on an upcoming series on Apple TV. Earlier in June Meghan told graduates at her alma mater Immaculate Heart High School in Los Angeles that she was saddened by racial divisions in the US and that she was moved to speak out following the death of George Floyd. A Chinese woman has been left horrified after doctors found a live cockroach stuck in her ear. Medics removed the wiggling bug from her ear after it had crawled into the patient's head when she was asleep. The resident, known by her surname Chen, sought medical attention in southern China's Guangdong province after hearing a constant scratching noise, according to the local press. Medics removed the wiggling bug from the Chinese woman's ear after it had crawled into the patient's head when she was asleep. The picture shows the insect after it was removed Medics said that the insect would burrow Ms Chen's eardrum if it was not removed in time. The incident came to light when the woman was rushed to the Guangdong's Second People's Hospital in Zhuhai of southern China last Wednesday. Ms Chen had woken up with severe pain in her ear while hearing a constant scratching noise. The resident even felt an extreme itch after she tried to dig her ear with a stick. She told Guangdong Television: 'I couldn't see what was inside my ear, but I felt it crawling even deeper when I was digging my ear with a stick.' The incident came to light when the woman was rushed to the Guangdong's Second People's Hospital in Zhuhai of southern China last Wednesday. The otoscope picture shows the bug inside Ms Chen's ear after the cockroach crawled into her head while she was sleeping The medic then spotted the yellow cockroach wiggling in the woman's (not pictured) ear canal using an otoscope and pulled it out with a pair of tweezers. The picture shows Dr Yi performing an ear check on a female patient at the Guangdong's Second People's Hospital in Zhuhai Dr Yi at the Zhuhai hospital saw Ms Chen after she was brought in by her worried family members. The medic then spotted the yellow cockroach wiggling in the woman's ear canal using an otoscope and pulled it out with a pair of tweezers. The bug would likely to burrow Ms Chen's eardrum if it was not removed in time, according to the medical specialist. Dr Yi said that he had already treated another two patients who suffered the same problem as Ms Chen several hours ago. The doctor advised residents to use insect repellents frequently to keep these uninvited guests out of their home, particularly in the summer when the heat is high. Dr Yi said that he had already treated another two patients who suffered the same problem as Ms Chen several hours ago. The picture shows Dr Yi performing an ear check on a patient at the Guangdong's Second People's Hospital in Zhuhai of southern China's Guangdong province But Dr Yi suggested people not to remove the insects by themselves with cotton buds or ear picks to avoid further agitating the bugs or causing infections. The medic said that some insects that were sensitive to lights could be led out by shining a torch into the ear. 'If they still don't crawl out, you can use a few drops of peanut oil or vegetable oil to stick some of the insects and they'll die inside,' he added. A coronavirus jab might not provide full immunity against the disease, the head of Britain's vaccine task force warned today. Kate Bingham told MPs she was confident the world would have some form of Covid-19 vaccine by early 2021. But she said she was less optimistic that the jab could protect against catching the infection and it's more likely it will only reduce the severity of symptoms. Mrs Bingham warned the jab could be so weak that elderly people have to take two doses to help fight the illness. A Covid-19 vaccine has been touted as a quick fix to the pandemic that could bring an end to the social distancing measures in place around the world. The MMR jab, for example, almost guarantees that someone will never get measles, mumps and rubella. But experts say Covid-19 vaccines may be more like those that protect against the flu reducing the risk of experiencing severe symptoms should infection occur. Kate Bingham told MPs today she was confident the world would have some form of vaccine against Covid-19 by early 2021. But she said she was less optimistic that the jab could protect against catching the infection and it's more likely the vaccine will be able to reduce severity of symptoms Professor Sarah Gilbert, who is leading the development of the Oxford University jab, said elderly people may need two shots of the vaccine Mrs Bingham told the House of Commons Science and Technology Committee: 'I'm relatively optimistic we will find a vaccine that will be able to treat the population. 'The caveat is... is it a full sterilising vaccine, which means you cant get infected, or is it one that basically just takes the edge off the symptoms so it reduces mortality? 'Clearly we would like to get to a sterilising vaccine so that people are prevented from being infected. 'But in the near term we may just have to satisfy ourselves with a vaccine that reduces the severity of the disease and Im pretty optimistic we will get that. 'How quickly it takes before we get a sterilising vaccine I dont have a strong view yet.' There is still no proven jabs for other coronaviruses like SARS and MERS despite dozens of attempts to develop them for nearly two decades. How the injectable vaccines from Imperial College London and Oxford University would work What is the difference between the vaccines being developed by Oxford University and Imperial College? The science behind both vaccine attempts hinges on recreating the 'spike' proteins that are found all over the outside of the COVID-19 viruses. Both will attempt to recreate or mimic these spikes inside the body. The difference between the two is how they achieve this effect. Imperial College London will try to deliver genetic material (RNA) from the coronavirus which programs cells inside the patient's body to recreate the spike proteins. It will transport the RNA inside liquid droplets injected into the bloodstream. The team at the University of Oxford, on the other hand, will genetically engineer a virus to look like the coronavirus - to have the same spike proteins on the outside - but be unable to cause any infection inside a person. This virus, weakened by genetic engineering, is a type of virus called an adenovirus, the same as those which cause common colds, that has been taken from chimpanzees. If the vaccines can successfully mimic the spikes inside a person's bloodstream, and stimulate the immune system to create special antibodies to attack it, this could train the body to destroy the real coronavirus if they get infected with it in future. The same process is thought to happen in people who catch COVID-19 for real, but this is far more dangerous - a vaccine will have the same end-point but without causing illness in the process. Advertisement Experts say a big reason for these failed attempts was that investment dried up when the outbreaks fizzled out thanks to contact tracing and social distancing. But because the coronavirus pandemic has crippled the global economy, vaccines in development have benefited from an abundance of funding. The UK has invested hundreds of millions of pounds into jabs being made by Oxford University, the frontrunner to become the world's first vaccine, and Imperial College London. Professor Sarah Gilbert, who is leading the development of the Oxford University jab, reiterated that elderly people may need two shots of the vaccine. She told MPs: 'We have previously vaccinated with this type of vaccine technology and have seen good immune responses in older adults and people into their eighties. 'It will be a question of determining, not whether it works at all, but the immune response is significantly less in older people. 'If it turns out that it is you might be able to get around that by giving a stronger dose or an extra dose to try to bring their immune response up to the same level you see in younger people.' Mrs Bingham added: 'I think it's important to understand is these vaccines may not be a single shot and in many cases they are already predicted to require two doses in order to generate that immunity so that's another aspect we have to think about as we build up this vaccine portfolio.' The Oxford vaccine, leading the global race, is currently being trialled on more than 10,000 people in Britain, Brazil and South Africa after moving into phase III trials. Scientists have had to move trials abroad because there are now so few cases of the coronavirus in the community in Britain. Meanwhile Imperial College London's vaccine has now moved into human trials and has reported no sign effects. Their vaccine candidates work by training the body to identify the coronavirus so it can rapidly fight off the illness before it has chance to cause an infection. Oxford and Imperial's injectable vaccines are two of the frontrunners to cure the disease, but the researchers behind them admit they won't be perfect. The competing universities said today they could end up being used together to provide lasting immunity. Scientists around the world increasingly think booster jabs will be needed to maintain protection against the virus that causes Covid-19, as initial immunity provided by a vaccine may well fade over time. Natural immunity to other coronaviruses, which cause common colds, is thought to last from several months to a couple of years. The potential flaw with the Oxford vaccine is that it uses a harmless virus as a microscopic Trojan horse to smuggle in tiny fragments of Covid-19 coronavirus RNA the bug's genetic blueprint. The recipient's immune system learns to identify this RNA as foreign, and so creates antibodies to protect against it. But experts fear that if a person is subjected to multiple doses of this jab, their body might 'mistakenly' develop an immune response to the Trojan horse virus itself called an adenovirus thus rendering it useless. UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock last month announced frontline NHS and social care workers, over-50s and Britons with heart or kidney disease would be the first in line to get a Covid-19 vaccine. The widow of slain Sydney gangland figure John Macris has come face-to-face with her husband's alleged killers. Viktoria Karida, 33, broke down in tears and had to leave the room as two Bulgarian brothers accused of the execution-style hit were led into the Athens court on Wednesday. 'I am devastated but I remain strong,' Ms Karida told reporters, according to News Corp. Viktoria Karida (right) broke down in tears and had to leave the room as two Bulgarian brothers accused of the execution-style hit on her husband (left) were led into the Athens court on Wednesday Former Playboy model Viktoria Karyda, 33, started modelling again for high-end Greek designer Kathy Heyndels in 2020 The former model and reality TV star arrived at court alone wearing a green and black striped blouse and a $3,000 white leather Celine handbag. Bulgarian national Yuliyanov J Raychev Serafim, 31, has been charged with first degree murder after Macris was shot getting into a smart car parked outside his luxury house in the hillside suburb of Voula. His brother Milen Raychev is accused of stalking Macris for 19 days before driving the Nissan Pulsar getaway car after the October 2018 shooting. CCTV footage of the attack shows a man dressed in dark clothes similar to those found in a hotel room rented by Serafim. Both brothers have denied the charges, however, saying if they were professional hitmen as police claim, they wouldn't have used their own passports to check into the Athens hotel. A Bulgarian man Yuliyanov J Raychev Serafi (centre) allegedly stalked and killed Australian gangster John Macris at his home in Greece Ms Karida, who has two children with Macris, was later met at the court by a friend. She told Greek media last week that she was unsure how she would react when she confronted the two men and whether she would 'find the strength to stand up to [the men] who [allegedly] deprived my children of their father.' The former Playboy model also revealed the pair's two children Achilles and Alexandra had learnt about how their father was killed by watching it on YouTube. The two children were staying in a resort on the Greek Island of Paros on the weekend and had posted messages to their father on what would have been his 48th birthday. 'Daddy, I love you a lot, I will never forget you,' a message from Achilles said. Macris's daughter wrote: 'Daddy, I love you a lot, you are the best there is no other like you, you are very kind, happy birthday.' Ms Karyda put her career on hold after her gangster husband, who was gunned down while getting into his car in Greece CCTV footage of the attack shows a man dressed in dark clothes similar to those found in a hotel room rented by Serafim Police officers stand over the covered body of Greek-Australian John Macris who was shot dead outside his house in southern Athens The lieutenant governor of Texas has said Anthony Fauci 'doesn't know what he's talking about' after the infectious disease chief warned the United States could see 100,000 new cases a day. Dan Patrick, a former talk radio host, spoke hours after Dr Fauci told a Senate hearing that the U.S. was on a worrying path. 'I am very concerned,' said Fauci on Tuesday, with about 40,000 new cases being reported a day. He said he 'would not be surprised if we go up to 100,000 a day if this does not turn around.' But Patrick dismissed Fauci's warnings, saying the doctor had been 'wrong every time, on every issue.' Dan Patrick, lieutenant governor of Texas, said Fauci 'doesn't know what he's talking about' The U.S. now has more than 40,000 new infections each day, the July 1 data shows Infections are rising rapidly mostly in parts of the West and South, and Fauci and other public health experts said Americans everywhere will have to start following key recommendations if they want to get back to more normal activities like going to school. 'We've got to get the message out that we are all in this together,' by wearing masks in public and keeping out of crowds, said Fauci, infectious disease chief at the National Institutes of Health. Texas on Tuesday reported a record-breaking daily increase in coronavirus cases, with 6,975 new infections identified. There have been 127,000 deaths in the U.S. Patrick told Fox News that he rejected Fauci's recommendations. 'Locking down doesn't work!' he said. 'If it did, those two states [California and New York] would be doing better than Texas. 'Fauci said today that he's concerned about states like Texas that skipped over certain things. 'He doesn't know what he's talking about! We haven't skipped over anything. 'The only thing I'm skipping over is listening to him. 'He has been wrong every time, on every issue. I don't need his advice anymore. We'll listen to a lot of science, a lot of doctors, but no thank you, Dr Fauci.' Fauci, director of National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, testified on Tuesday Arizona, Virginia, Alabama, Kentucky, Florida and Tennessee were the states that saw the largest increases in deaths in the past week Texas has had 2,421 people die from the virus, Patrick said. The Fox News host, Laura Ingraham, said that she had heard the ICU wards were full of people who did not have COVID. Patrick said 1,500 beds out of 7,177 were taken by COVID patients. 'We step back on the bars, which I think was the right condition. All these people are young, who are getting ill. 'In my view the worst thing we could do is lock down again.' Tubers prepare to float the Comal River in New Braunfels, Texas, on June 25 People gather on Sixth Street in downtown Austin, Texas on May 23. Bars have now closed U.S. infections have increased by 80 per cent over the past two weeks. Diagnoses almost doubled last week with 31 states reporting an uptick in cases - as Arizona became the latest hot spot to reverse its reopening by closing bars and gyms. COVID-19 cases across the US increased by 46 percent in the week ending June 28, compared to the previous seven days, with the majority of rises in the West and South of the country. Nationally, new cases have consistently spiked every week for four straight weeks. Daily cases have been increasing to record highs of 40,000 in the past week - well above the initial surge of infections that were seen back in mid-April. Infections across the U.S. have now surpassed 2.6 million and more than 127,000 Americans have died since the virus took hold in March. President Donald Trump has put the surge in new cases down to increased testing and has pointed to low death rates across the country as a sign that the pandemic is not out of control. Part of the 46 per cent increase in cases in the past week can be attributed to a 9 per cent expansion in testing over that time frame. While cases continues to spike, deaths are showing a downward trend across the country. Arizona, Virginia, Alabama, Kentucky, Florida and Tennessee were the states that saw the largest increases in deaths in the past week. In Arizona, deaths increased by 62 per cent after recording 249 new fatalities in a week, bringing the death toll to 1,588. More than 2.6 million people in the United States have contracted coronavirus The number of deaths is also worrying health experts, who had hoped it was going to drop Health officials have warned, however, that the death rate could potentially shoot back up again because fatality rates often lag behind infection rates. They also point to the current trend of young adults making up the majority of new cases. Officials say people under 35 years old have been going to bars, parties and social events without masks, becoming infected and then spreading the disease to older, more vulnerable people. Florida followed Texas and ordered all bars to close on Friday and has shut down beaches ahead of the July 4 holiday weekend. In Texas, a group of bar owners sued on Monday to try to overturn Republican Gov. Greg Abbott's order closing their businesses. They contend Abbott doesn't have the authority, and they complained that other businesses, such as nail salons and tattoo studios, remain open. 'Gov. Abbott continues to act like a king,' said Jared Woodfill, attorney for the bar owners. 'Abbott is unilaterally destroying our economy and trampling on our constitutional rights.' But Andrew Cuomo, governor of New York, said that Abbott is on the right path, and he added that Trump should order the wearing of masks. 'States that were recalcitrant are doing a 180, and you have the same states now wearing masks,' Cuomo said. 'Let the president have the same sense to do that as an executive order, and then let the president lead by example and let the president put a mask on it, because we know it works.' On Monday Dr Anne Schuchat, deputy director of the CDC, said that the virus was now spreading too rapidly to control. 'We have way too much virus across the country. It's very discouraging,' she told The Journal of the American Medical Association. 'This is really the beginning. 'I think there was a lot of wishful thinking around the country that, hey it's summer. Everything's going to be fine. We're over this - and we are not even beginning to be over this. 'There are a lot of worrisome factors about the last week or so.' A London Metropolitan Police officer has been warned after tweeting from an official local force account that 'kicking down doors is probably one of our favourite things'. The tweet, which was deleted a short time afterwards, came from the Homerton branch of the Metropolitan Police and showed officers using a battering ram to break down a door. It continued: 'Another warrant conducted on #Victoria ward with the assistance of @MSPHomerton @MPSKingsPark @MPSHackneyWick #knockknock #localpolicing.' An officer has been warned after tweeting from a police account that 'kicking down doors is probably one of our favourite things' A separate Tweet from the @MPSKingsPark Twitter account showed police officers battering down the door After being contacted about the post, the Metropolitan Police said: 'We are aware of an inappropriate tweet sent from the @MPSHomerton twitter account. 'The officer who tweeted this has been given words of advice and the Professional Standards Unit have been made aware. The tweet has now been deleted.' Metropolitan Police confirmed to MailOnline the officer who Tweeted the message was a police officer. Social media users were quick to condemn the tweet, with Guardian columnist Owen Jones posting: 'Really great tweet to send if you want to sound like a bunch of unhinged gangsters, @MPSHomerton! (And yes, this is real).' A fellow social media user responded: 'As a Homerton resident, I find this now-deleted tweet very disturbing. This is why defunding the police and ring-fencing policing budgets for local services is needed.' Guardian columnist Owen Jones wrote: 'Really great tweet to send if you want to sound like a bunch of unhinged gangsters, @MPSHomerton! (And yes, this is real)' A Tweet from @MPSKingsPark showed the inside of the house after a battering ram broke through the door Another complained that the message was 'sinister', adding: 'As someone who lives in Homerton it makes me feel terrified.' It is not the first time a UK police force has been criticised for its use of Twitter. During lockdown in April, Cambridgeshire Police had to clarify officers were not monitoring what people were buying from supermarkets after its Cambridge account tweeted that police were pleased to see the 'non-essential aisles' empty. After members of the public expressed concern, the force said the message had been 'sent with good intentions by an over-exuberant officer'. A new Pew Research Poll released on Wednesday has bad news for Donald Trump - a majority of Americans are dissatisfied with how the country is being run and think that he is a 'poor' or 'terrible' president. The poll was conducted June 16-22 as coronavirus cases spiked in several states that began the reopening process and the economy is still recovering from the hit it took during the pandemic. Additionally, racial tensions remain on the rise amid demonstrations against about police violence and support for the Black Live Matters movement. The Pew poll found that the number of Americans satisfied with how the country is going has dropped 19 points, from 31 per cent in April to a mere 12 per cent in June. And 87 per cent are dissatisfied, the 4,708 adults, including 3,577 registered voters, said in the survey. Also only 46 per cent feel hopeful about American while 53 per cent do not. The Pew poll was one of three polls out Wednesday - and among a spat of recent polls - that show Americans are deeply unhappy with the state of the nation. A new Pew Research Poll released on Wednesday has bad news for Donald Trump - a majority of Americans are dissatisfied with how the country is being run and think that he is a 'poor' or 'terrible' president The Pew poll also follows others in its findings that, if the election were held today, Joe Biden would win, with 54 per cent supporting the presumptive Democratic nominee to the 44 per cent saying they will vote for President Trump. Biden leads by 9.5 points in the RealClearPolitics polling average on the November contest. Trump, who brags about his high approval rating among Republican Party members, does not get high marks for his job performance in the White House in the Pew poll. In it, 42 per cent call him a 'terrible' president with 11 per cent describing him as 'poor.' Only 37 per cent call him a good or great commander in chief. Fewer voters - 28 per cent - say Biden would be a good or great president. But only 28 per cent say he would be terrible while 15 per cent think he would do a poor job. While President Trump has not commented on recent polls, he has called past polls he doesn't like 'fake' polls. And, in early June, when a Wall Street Journal poll showed him losing to Biden by 8 points, Trump called the numbers 'very unfair' and blamed the impeachment process. 'If I wasnt constantly harassed for three years by fake and illegal investigations, Russia, Russia, Russia, and the Impeachment Hoax, Id be up by 25 points on Sleepy Joe and the Do Nothing Democrats. Very unfair, but it is what it is!!!,' he tweeted on June 7. There is good news for the president among the economic numbers in the Pew poll: 51 per cent express confidence in Trump's ability to handle the economy while only 48 per cent say the same of Biden. Again, polling trends stay on track here. While Trump garners high ratings for his economic prowess, he is hurt by his handling of the coronavirus and race relations. The Pew poll found that 35 per cent of voters said they believed President Trump could effectively handle race relations while 48 per cent said Biden could. Americans on COVID Only 37% confident America will get coronavirus pandemic under control 59% say the public has done a bad job of dealing with the disease 28% said public did good job 41% are worried about a family member contracting the disease 36% say someone in their household was laid off due to pandemic 31% say their state has not gone far enough in responding to COVID-19 16% say their state has gone too far Source: Monmouth University Poll Advertisement Only 41 per cent said they were confident in the president's ability to handle the public health impact of the coronavirus pandemic, which has infected 2.69 million Americans and killed more than 129,000. But 52 per cent of those polled expressed confidence in Biden's ability to cope with the coronavirus. The pandemic is the top topic on voters' minds, a new Reuters/Ipsos poll found, and could be the biggest factor in who they vote for in November. The poll found that 81 per cent of Americans said they are 'very' or 'somewhat' concerned about the pandemic, including 7 out of ten Republicans. And when asked the 'most important factor' in determining their vote, 27 per cent cited the candidate's plan to help the nation recover from the coronavirus while 21 per cent said it was the contender's economic plan. Additionally, a new poll from Monmouth University out Wednesday found that 64 per cent of Americans are worried states are starting the reopening process too quickly compared to the 27 per cent who describe it as happening too slowly. And the Monmouth poll showed Americans are starting to judge one another's behavior during the pandemic. The survey found just 28 per cent said the public has done a good job dealing with the outbreak while 59 per cent described a bad job. And confidence that the pandemic is under control has dropped by 25 points since March. That month, 62 per cent of Americans thought the country would be able to limit the COVID-19 outbreak. That number dropped to 37 per cent in June. The Monmouth poll also found voters gave Trump poor marks for his handling of the disease: 54 per cent said he did a bad job to 40 per cent who praised him. Meanwhile, 65 per cent thought state's governors have handled the pandemic well. Voters expressed confidence in Joe Biden's ability to handle the coronavirus pandemic with 52 per cent of those polled by Pew saying he would do a good job; a Reuters/Ipsos poll found a contender's handling of the disease could be a factor when voters go to the polls in November And, in another troubling sign for the president, most of the respondents described the country as moving on the wrong track. The Monmouth poll found 74 per cent said American is on the wrong track while only 18 per cent described it on the right track. In the past that question has proven an accurate predictor of the country's willingness to give an incumbent a second term. President Trump is vowing to veto a massive defense bill to keep military bases such as Fort Bragg named after Confederate officers, swimming against sentiment in his own party and imperiling a 3 per cent pay raise for the troops. Trump took to Twitter late Tuesday to threaten a veto of a $741 billion annual Pentagon authorization bill because it would require a host of military bases named after Confederate figures to be renamed within three years. 'I will Veto the Defense Authorization Bill if the Elizabeth "Pocahontas" Warren (of all people!) Amendment, which will lead to the renaming (plus other bad things!) of Fort Bragg, Fort Robert E. Lee, and many other Military Bases from which we won Two World Wars, is in the Bill!' Trump wrote on Twitter. President Trump is vowing to veto the Defense Authorization Bill if Sen. Elizabeth Warren's amendment to rename military bases named for Confederates remains tucked inside it. There are not enough votes in the U.S. Senate to strip out the amendment President Trump made his veto threat via Tweet Tuesday night. The president has decided to stake out 'heritage' positions in the culture war as part of his re-election strategy that has seen Democrat Joe Biden pulling ahead Fort Bragg is named after Braxton Bragg, a Southern general described as 'the most hated man of the Confederacy.' Historians have said that Bragg 'did as much as any Confederate general to lose the war' because of his string of military losses Virginia's Fort Lee is named after one of the best known figures of the Civil War era, Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee, who President Abraham Lincoln asked to lead the Union Army and defected to lead the southern troops instead Trump rival Sen. Elizabeth Warren, a Masachusetts Democrat and former 2020 contender, won a bipartisan vote in a GOP-controlled panel to force the bases to be renamed, and it's clear that opponents of the idea don't have the votes to remove it during floor debate. Trump's threat comes as he is increasingly appealing to his core supporters as his troubled reelection campaign has fallen behind former Vice President Joe Biden in opinion polls. Trump first announced his refusal to rename military bases on June 10, tweeting out a statement and then having White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany hand it out to reporters and read it aloud. 'These Monumental and very Powerful Bases have become part of a Great American Heritage, and a history of Winning, Victory, and Freedom,' Trump tweeted. 'The United States of America trained and deployed our HEROES on these Hallowed Grounds, and won two World Wars.' 'Therefore, my Administration will not even consider the renaming of these Magnificent and Fabled Military Installations,' Trump said. Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy had told Politico he was 'open' to renaming the 10 bases named for Confederate figures. Defense Secretary Mark Esper also supported the conversation. The Memorial Day death of George Floyd, a black Minneapolis man who was killed by a white police officer, and the subsequent 'Black Lives Matter' protests, motivated McCarthy's change of heart, one Army official told Politico. The events 'made us start looking at ourselves and the things that we do and how that is communicated to the force as well as the American people,' the source said. Confederate statues, among other things, have been targeted for removal because the south seceded from the United States to keep black Americans enslaved. But Trump has shown no evolution on the issue and instead staked his re-election prospects of taking that side on the culture war. He used Twitter to yell at Republican senators who voted in favor of the Warren amendment. But he did it after the vote was conducted - and because it was a voice vote individuals votes weren't recorded. 'Seriously failed presidential candidate, Senator Elizabeth "Pocahontas" Warren, just introduced an Amendment on the renaming of many of our legendary Military Bases from which we trained to WIN two World Wars,' Trump wrote. 'Hopefully our great Republican Senators wont fall for this!' the president roared. On Tuesday, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer challenged Trump to veto a military pay raise over the issue. 'I dare President Trump to veto the bill over Confederate base naming. It's in the bill. It has bipartisan support. It will stay in the bill,' Schumer said Tuesday. The annual measure has passed every year for almost six decades and typically enjoys veto-proof support, though various controversies often mean that it does not pass until late in the year. Trump's salvo probably ensures that the issue won't come to a head until after the November election. Warren's amendment sets up a commission to oversee the process of renaming the bases within three years. Since the Senate's 45 Democrats and two Democratic-aligned Independents are behind the provision, GOP opponents of the idea would have to - at a minimum - summon 50 of the chamber's 53 Republicans to replace it if everyone votes and Vice President Mike Pence is available to break a tie. As a practical matter it would take 60 votes under filibuster rules. That means that opponents of Warrens provision like Sens. Tom Cotton, an Arkansas Republican and top Trump acolyte, and Thom Tillis, a North Carolina Republican, face impossible odds during a floor debate. The chamber is debating the bill now but won't finish it until later this month. 'Instead of mandating the renaming of military bases, including Fort Bragg, we need a thoughtful and constructive process that includes the input of our military communities,' Tillis said. Top Senate Republican Mitch McConnell of Kentucky says that he won't fight the Warren amendments and that he is 'OK' with whatever negotiators on the measure ultimately decide on the issue. That's a view generally shared by top House Republican Kevin McCarthy of California. On Wednesday morning, Schumer eagerly returned to the topic. 'Let me predict, President Trump will not veto a bill that contains pay raises for our troops and crucial support for our military,' Schumer said on the Senate floor. 'This is typical bluster from President Trump. The (defense bill) will pass, and we will scrub from our military bases the names of men who fought for the Confederacy and took up arms against our country.' A Democratic-controlled House panel is holding a daylong bill drafting session Wednesday in which it is sure to address the topic. Racist past of Confederate generals with bases named after them including Leonidas Polk who owned 400 slaves, KKK leader John Brown Gordon and Henry Benning who feared a 'land in possession of the blacks' Henry L. Benning (pictured) owned at least 89 slaves on his 3,000 acres of land HENRY L. BENNING - FORT BENNING, ALABAMA-GEORGIA BORDER The home of the United States Army Infantry School, Fort Benning was named in 1917 for plantation owner and Confederate general Henry L. Benning. Benning was a Georgia lawyer who became an outspoken defender of slavery and advocate for secession in the lead-up to the Civil War. His father owned more than 100 slaves, and tax records from 1863 show that he owned at least 89 slaves himself along with more than 3,000 acres of land. These investments gave him a total wealth of more than $150,000, and one historian has described him as 'devoted to slavery'. In early 1861 he took his secessionist campaign to Virginia, where he complained to the legislature that the abolition of slavery would lead to 'black governors, black legislatures, black juries, black everything. Is it to be supposed that the white race will stand for that?'. He also predicted that 'the land will be left in the possession of the blacks, and then it will go back to a wilderness and become another Africa or Saint Domingo'. Imagining a world in which former slave Frederick Douglass became President, Benning said: 'I say give me pestilence and famine sooner than that.' Benning also made explicit that Georgia was fighting for slavery, saying secession had come from 'a deep conviction that a separation from the North was the only thing that could prevent the abolition of her slavery'. During the Civil War he became a colonel in the Georgia militia and was promoted to brigadier general in 1863, fighting in the Battle of Gettysburg later that year. He died in 1875. Braxton Bragg (pictured) bought a plantation in Louisiana which came with 105 slaves BRAXTON BRAGG - FORT BRAGG, NORTH CAROLINA Fort Bragg is home to more than 50,000 troops and hosts the Army's Special Operations Command. It was named after Confederate general Braxton Bragg in 1918. Born in North Carolina, Bragg moved to Louisiana in 1856 where he and his wife bought a sugar plantation for $152,000 - which came with 105 slaves. The Army says the base is named for Bragg's actions during the Mexican-American War in the 1840s, but Bragg was also a Southern general described as 'the most hated man of the Confederacy'. Although he was sceptical about secession, he defended the South's right to do so and seized a Union arsenal in Baton Rouge in January 1861. Beginning the war as a major-general in Louisiana, he rose to become a general and commander of the Confederate Army of Mississippi. However, he presided over a series of Confederate defeats and was disliked by his subordinates because of his bad temper and combative personality. One officer called him him 'self-willed, arrogant and dictatorial,' while another soldier labelled him 'obstinate, haughty and authoritative'. Historians have said that Bragg 'did as much as any Confederate general to lose the war' because of his string of military losses. Bragg resigned as a commander in 1863 but continued to serve as a military adviser to Jefferson Davis and remained in the Confederate cabinet until its defeat. John Brown Gordon (pictured) owned a 14-year-old girl as a slave JOHN BROWN GORDON - FORT GORDON, GEORGIA Fort Gordon, established during World War II, was named for Confederate lieutenant-general John Brown Gordon. Gordon supported secession and owned slaves as a young man, investing in coal mining operations in Georgia and Tennessee. In 1860, the census showed him owning one 14-year-old girl as a slave, while his father owned four slaves. When war broke out, he returned home to Alabama and became a colonel - impressing Robert E. Lee by promising to hold his ground 'until the sun goes down'. Later promoted to brigadier-general, he led a brigade of Georgia regiments during the Gettysburg campaign in 1863. Although he led a failed assault on Fort Stedman in the final months of the war, Gordon has been called 'one of the most successful commanders' in Lee's army. After the war he entered politics, becoming both a US Senator from Georgia and the Governor of the same state. He was also rumored to be a Grand Dragon of the Ku Klux Klan, and one historian said it was 'almost certain' that he was head of the KKK's Georgia branch. Gordon also served as commander-in-chief of the United Confederate Veterans. He lived until 1904. Leonidas Polk (pictured) is thought to have had as many as 400 slaves on plantations LEONIDAS POLK - FORT POLK, LOUISIANA This base was named after Leonidas Polk, who was both a bishop in the Episcopal Church and a major-general in the Confederate Army. Polk, a cousin of 11th US President James Polk, is thought to have had as many as 400 slaves on sugar plantations in Tennessee. His family owned more than 100,000 acres of land and he initially went to West Point, but diverted to religious life and became Bishop of Louisiana in 1841. Although he had no military experience, he had trained with Jefferson Davis at West Point and used this connection to become a major-general in the Confederate army. Polk also supported the secession of the Southern states by withdrawing his own ecclesiastical diocese from the national church. Known as the 'Fighting Bishop', he blundered early on by ordering troops into neutral Kentucky - prompting the border state to ask for Northern help. He later clashed with the above-mentioned Braxton Bragg, who accused him of disobeying orders during the Battle of Chickamauga in 1863. Polk was killed in action in 1864 while fighting at Pine Mountain, Georgia. Robert E. Lee (pictured) inherited slaves from his father-in-law in 1857 ROBERT E. LEE - FORT LEE, VIRGINIA Fort Lee, 25 miles south of Richmond, is named after Confederate general-in-chief Robert E. Lee. Lee fought in the Mexican-American War and spent three years as a superintendent at West Point, training some of the men who would later serve under him. He owned slaves from the age of 22, when he inherited several families of black people after the death of his mother Ann Lee. In 1857, his father-in-law left him 189 slaves who worked on the estates of Arlington, White House, and Romancoke. The will provided that the slaves should be freed after five years, but Lee tried multiple times to resist this and keep the slaves under his control. Although he was 'not a pro-slavery ideologue' according to one historian, Lee was known to use 'violence typical of the institution of slavery' and some slaves tried to escape his discipline. Some were recaptured and beaten on Lee's orders. He did not finally free the slaves until three days before Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation would have done so anyway. Lincoln had offered Lee the command of Union forces in 1861, but Lee defected instead and became a general in the Confederate army. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia did battle with Grant's federal troops in some of the defining battles of the war, which ended with Lee's surrender at Appomattox Court House in 1865. Lee died in 1870. P.G.T. Beauregard (pictured) grew up in a slave-owning household in Louisiana P.G.T. BEAUREGARD - CAMP BEAUREGARD, LOUISIANA A National Guard training facility, this base was initially named Camp Stafford but renamed after Confederate general P.G.T. Beauregard in 1917. Beauregard was a U.S. Army officer who served in the Mexican-American War in the 1840s, but defected to support the Confederacy when Louisiana seceded in 1861. Born on a sugar plantation outside New Orleans, Beauregard had grown up in a slave-owning household and later rented slaves for himself while in the military. Commissioned as a Confederate brigadier-general in 1861, Beauregard commanded the defenses of Charleston during the bombardment of Fort Sumter which marked the start of the Civil War. Beauregard commanded Southern troops throughout the war, including at the 1862 Battle of Shiloh in Tennessee and during the defense of Petersburg in 1864. But by 1865 he was among the generals who persuaded Confederate president Jefferson Davis to surrender and end the war. After the war he wrote that 'in seventy-five years the colored race [would] disappear from America along with the Indians and the buffalo', although for tactical reasons he advised his fellow white Southerners to accept black voting rights. In later life he became wealthy in his own right by promoting the Louisiana Lottery. He died in 1893. Ambrose Powell Hill (pictured) quit the US Army to join the Confederacy AMBROSE POWELL HILL - FORT A.P. HILL, VIRGINIA A US Army training center in Virginia, this base was established during World War II and named after Confederate general Ambrose Powell Hill. Hill was not a slave owner, but quit the US Army in 1861 to join the 13th Virginia Infantry at the outbreak of the Civil War. He rose through the ranks from colonel to brigadier-general, then major-general and finally lieutenant-general after the Battle of Chancellorsville in 1863. However, he was criticized for his 'less than stellar' performance on the first two days of the Battle of Gettysburg in 1863. Hill reputedly said that he did not want to survive the fall of the Confederacy - and indeed he did not, although he only missed Lee's surrender only by a few days. Hill was killed in action in April 1865, shot by a Union soldier during a battle in Petersburg, Virginia. John Bell Hood (pictured) was from a neutral state but chose to fight for the South JOHN BELL HOOD - FORT HOOD, TEXAS Fort Hood is the Army's 'premier installation to train and deploy heavy forces', and is named after Confederate general John Bell Hood. Hood was from Kentucky, which declared itself neutral in the war, and had previously served in the US Cavalry after graduating from West Point, where he met Lee. The Hood family owned seven slaves in the 1830 census and had 11 slaves by 1840, and Hood himself had a fortune of nearly $10,000 by the end of his life. In 1861, he chose to fight for the South in the Civil War and had been promoted to brigadier-general by 1862. On one occasion he gave orders to procure thousands of slaves - demanding the 'services of 4,000 negroes' for his army. By 1864 he was leading Confederate forces in defense of Atlanta, but failed to stop Sherman advancing through Georgia with his Union troops. After the war he wrote a memoir called Advance and Retreat described as the 'bitter attempt of a soldier to rebut history's judgment of himself'. He died in 1879. George Pickett (pictured) came from a family which owned dozens of slaves GEORGE PICKETT - FORT PICKETT, VIRGINIA This National Guard facility is named after George Pickett, the Confederate general responsible for Pickett's Charge at the Battle of Gettysburg. His Virginia family owned 42 slaves in 1830 and 23 slaves in 1850, when his father was recorded as having a wealth of $50,000. Pickett graduated from West Point in 1846 - although he came last in his class - but defected to the Confederacy at the outbreak of war in 1861. His charge at Gettysburg proved a disaster when he lost more than half of his command to death, injury or capture. In 1864, he signed off the execution of 22 Union soldiers from North Carolina after they were captured at New Bern. However, he escaped justice from a military tribunal after Ulysses Grant - a former West Point classmate - intervened to protect him. He was also saved by President Andrew Johnson's 1866 proclamation that the rebellion was over, allowing him to return from exile in Canada. He died in 1875. Edmund Rucker (pictured) served under Confederate general Nathan Bedford Forrest EDMUND RUCKER - FORT RUCKER, ALABAMA Home to the Army Aviation Center of Excellence, Fort Rucker was originally named Ozark Triangular Division Camp but was later renamed after Confederate general Edmund Rucker. Rucker served under General Nathan Bedford Forrest during the Civil War and was appointed as an honorary general himself. Rucker was in Forrest's cavalry during the Fort Pillow Massacre in 1864 when hundreds of African-American troops were killed by Confederate forces. After the war he became an industrialist in Alabama, working as president of a railroad firm and director of an iron and steel company. He lived until 1924. This is the 'nauseating' moment a torrent of raw sewage spilled across the beach in the Mexican resort city of Acapulco in front of horrified hotel guests. Tourists, who captured the spill on their mobile phones on Thursday last week, said it lasted around 25 minutes and left the air 'very stinky'. Officials said the discharge was likely caused by drains that had broken amid heavy rains which had caused flooding in the area. Tourists in the Mexican beach resort of Acapulco captured the 'nauseating' moment raw sewage spilled across the beach and into the ocean But the state environment agency is now probing the incident, with investigators calling for it to be treated as a federal crime. Authorities said state officials have been dispatched to the area to clean nearby drainage channels. Locals have complained for years of leaky sewage pipes regularly sending untreated waste into Acapulco Bay. Reuters on Tuesday visited the site of a dark sewer leak coming from under a pedestrian bridge near another beach-front hotel off Marbella Plaza, draining into the bay where rolling waves could be seen in the distance. Nestled on Mexicos sun-kissed Pacific Coast, Acapulco was once a favorite getaway for Hollywood stars like Rita Hayworth and Elizabeth Taylor. But in recent years, its tourist industry has been hobbled by gangland violence that has driven away most international tourists and more recently by an acute coronavirus outbreak. Some of the first British holidaymakers have touched down in Majorca as an increasing number of tourist flights flood into the holiday island after Spain opened its borders a week ago. One hundred and forty four flights from abroad landed in Palma airport today, a three-fold increase from yesterday. The passengers, a mixture of tourists and expats returning after lockdown, were set to enjoy temperatures of 34C as they returned for the first time since an easing of coronavirus lockdown measures - the day before ministers prepare to unveil a list of exempt countries. Many Brits who landed flooded straight to the island's beaches to soak up the sun. Many of the travellers who arrived at the airport today headed straight to the seaside British holidaymakers stroll down a strip along the holiday island after arriving in Majorca today Passengers with face masks and luggage wait after arriving at the airport Tourists flooded to the beaches, which were far quieter than usual in July - as they enjoyed temperatures of 34C It comes as holiday makers anxiously await the government's list of destinations that will be exempt from quarantine tomorrow, but there are claims a swathe of other countries will be able to dodge the 14-day restrictions even if they are not included. The EU yesterday agreed 15 states from outside the bloc - including Algeria, Japan, China, Rwanda, Thailand, Morocco and Tunisia - will be allowed to come and go freely. However, that raises the prospect they could just take an indirect route to the UK via an air bridge. Sunseekers on the beach in Croatia yesterday - one of the destinations expected to feature on the air bridge list He took the action despite UK plans to include Greece in a 'green' group of countries it was safe for Britons to travel to using quarantine-free air bridges, when an official list is released later this week Tory MP Henry Smith, chairman of the cross-party Future of Aviation Group, told the Telegraph the whole quarantine idea should be rethought. 'It starts to beg the question as to whether we should have a broader opening up, rather than bilateral corridors,' he said. The government's list of air bridges had been expected to be released last week, and was then delayed again from the formal quarantine review date on Monday. There were heavy hints it would be published today, but it is now due tomorrow. There is speculation is will include 50 countries, including most Western European states and British overseas territories. Turkey's ambassador to the UK said this morning that his country believes it will be among them. Umit Yalcin insisted it is safe to open up travel despite a recent spike in cases after lockdown restrictions to combat the spread of Covid-19 were eased. 'I'm optimistic because we are expecting to be included in that list because, scientifically, the facts and figures should talk and the numbers related to corona for Turkey is very low,' he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme. 'All the numbers relatively and comparatively with other countries are very low, especially in touristic areas in the Aegean and Mediterranean coast the numbers are zero. 'Because of that reason we are expected to be included on that list.' Pressed that numbers nationwide in Turkey are high, the ambassador said 'we are not expecting that second wave' and argued that cases are centred on cities. However, travel firms have been forced to scrap thousands of flights and holiday packages in Greece after the nation extended its ban on arrivals from the UK. TUI, Ryanair, Easyjet, Jet2 and British Airways have all axed travel plans for Brits who booked in the hope of a quick getaway in early July. But the Greek prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has extended a UK flight ban that was due to end today to July 15. Greece has been relatively lightly affected by coronavirus, but the UK continues to be one of the worst affected countries in Europe. TUI, Ryanair, Easyjet, Jet2 and British Airways have all axed travel plans to Greece (pictured) for Brits who booked in the hope of a quick getaway in early July Tui, the UK's biggest tour operator, was due to serve four Greek islands when it resumed operations on July 11, while EasyJet had announced plans to resume flights from the UK to Greece next week with fares starting at 39.99. The boss of TUI yesterday demanded clarity over the air bridge scheme, warning that other countries could follow Greece's example. Andrew Flintham, managing director of TUI UK & Ireland, said the proposal could only work after 'two-way conversations' between Britain and other countries, adding: 'I think there's still going to be a few bumps in the road.' Under the traffic light system, drawn up by the Joint Biosecurity Centre and Public Health England and set to be in place by July 6, countries will be rated green, amber or red based on coronavirus infection levels, the reliability of official data and confidence in test and trace systems. The automatic 14-day quarantine requirement will remain only for 'red-rated' countries such as the US and Brazil. Travel between 'green' and 'amber' countries will be quarantine-free, but passengers will have to fill in a 'locator form' to trace their movements. Tesla Inc eclipsed Toyota to become the worlds most valuable automaker on Wednesday as it stock value soared to record highs. Shares of the Elon Musk-owned company climbed five percent in early morning trade to a record of $1,133, boosting the company's market cap to $209.47 billion - $6 billion more than Toyota. The shares' meteoric rise, which has more than doubled in value since the beginning of 2020, highlights growing confidence among investors about the future of electric vehicles and marks Tesla's shift from a niche carmaker into a global leader of eco-friendly cars. Tesla became the worlds second-most valuable automaker in January, when it surpassed Volkswagen AG. As of Wednesday, the company is now worth more than twice the German manufacturer. Tesla Inc eclipsed Toyota to become the worlds most valuable automaker on Wednesday as it stock value soared to record highs Shares of the Elon Musk-owned company climbed percent in early morning trade to a record of $1,133, boosting the company's market cap to $209.47 billion - $6 billion more than Toyota In the 10 years since he took the company public, CEO Musk has regularly strayed from the norms of the auto industry and broken many of its rules, selling cars online and assembling vehicles at high-cost in California. After several years of losses, Tesla has delivered three straight profitable quarters since the third quarter of 2019 and has surprised investors with solid first-quarter deliveries in 2020 despite the coronavirus outbreak. However, while the companys value continues to soar, there still remains a significant gulf between the scale of Teslas actual car production in comparison to the worlds largest car manufacturers. For instance, Toyota sold 10.46 million vehicles during its 2019 financial year, ending on March 31, 2020. It reported net revenues of $281.20 billion during that time. Tesla, in comparison, ended 2019 with $24.6 billion in revenues, having delivered just 367,200 vehicles. Additionally, when looking at each companys enterprise value, which includes debt, Toyotas $290 billion value exceeds Teslas $252 billion, according to FactSet data. Musk in the past said Tesla would deliver at least 500,000 vehicles in 2020, a forecast the company has not changed despite the coronavirus pandemic. Tesla is expected to report second-quarter delivery numbers this week. Toyota, one of the world's most profitable automakers, sold 10.46 million vehicles during its 2019 financial year, ending on March 31, 2020. It reported net revenues of 30,226 billion yen, or roughly $281.20 billion, during that time Tesla, in comparison, ended 2019 with $24.6 billion in revenues, having delivered just 367,200 vehicles last year But while the companys horizons look bright, Musks future at the wheel of Tesla has been thrown into doubt after investors were urged to remove him as CEO over a controversial bonus deal that could land him a record $55.8 billion. Pirc, an influential adviser to shareholders, recommended to investors Tuesday to vote against Teslas executive pay deal because it unfairly enriches the chief executive. Advisors said the deal had exposed the company to a lawsuit, claiming that: The board, including CEO Elon Musk, awarded themselves excessive compensation packages over a three-year period that allegedly allowed directors to enrich themselves at the companys expense. Pirc then called on investors to vote against re-electing Musk to the board in light of the pay deal, warning that he poses a serious risk of reputational harm to the company and shareholders. They claimed Musks frequent controversial outbursts in interviews and online have cost Tesla millions in settlements, which has exposed an unnecessary reputational risk to the company. Last year, Musk was subject to a $190m defamation lawsuit over derogatory remarks me made about British diver Vernon Unsworth, who was helping to rescue thirteen children trapped in a Thai cave. Musk was found to have not reached the legal standard of defamation, and was not held liable for any damages. The year prior, the US Securities Exchange (SEC) regulator fined Musk and Tesla $20 million over his tweets in which he detailed plans to take the company private at a substantial premium to the share price, causing stocks to surge. As part of the settlement, Musk was force to give up his position as Teslas chairman. In the 10 years since he took the company public, CEO Musk has regularly ignored or broken many of the auto industrys norms and rules, selling cars online and assembling vehicles at high-cost in California (Fremont, CA, factory show above) While the companys future looks bright in the stock market, Musks future as the companys chief executive officer has been thrown into doubt after investors were urged to remove him from the board over a bonus deal that could land him a record $55.8 billion In truth, Musk knew that the potential transaction was uncertain and subject to numerous contingencies. Musk had not discussed specific deal terms, including price, with any potential financing partners, and his statements about the possible transaction lacked an adequate basis in fact, the SEC said in its ruling. Pirc said the incident prompted accusations of stock market abuse, with the SEC alleging that Musk had lied to investors. Mr Musk and Tesla settled these claims with the SEC, paying $40m, causing financial damage. Musks tweets regarding his opposition to coronavirus lockdown measures also caused Pirc concern, the firm said. Mr Musk has been a vocal opponent of the Covid-19 quarantine, and reportedly required workers to return to work during quarantine, without sufficient precautions/protections and despite protests from workers, Pirc said. This concern is furthered as it has also been reported that multiple Tesla employees have tested positive for Covid-19 since returning to work. Investors were also encourage to oppose the re-election of Teslas chair, Robyn Denholm, who succeeded must when he was forced to step down in November 2018. Pirc said she should vacate her position because of the role she played in overseeing Musks pay award. Teslas annual general meeting was due to take place on 7 July, but in a statement Sunday the company revealed it has now delayed the vote until September. All 12 members of the Kemah Police Department have had to self-quarantine An entire police force in a small Texas town less than an hour away from Houston has had to go into quarantine after an employee tested positive for the coronavirus. All 12 members of the Kemah Police Department have had to self-quarantine, Kemah city officials shared with ABC 13. Kemah mayor Terri Gale, five police dispatchers, police chief Walter Grant and three city employees are also self-quarantining. Officials were notified on Tuesday about the officer's infection. Tests were immediately ordered for all of the police staff and city hall employees who had come in contact with the infected officer. The Galveston County Sheriff's office is stepping in to handle police activity for the department. All off-duty deputies are being paid overtime and an additional dispatcher has been brought in to handle calls from Kemah, Galveston Sheriff Henry Trochesset said. Kemah mayor Terri Gale, five police dispatchers, police chief Walter Grant and three city employees are also self-quarantining Mayor Gale said that Kemah city hall and the police station would both be deep cleaned. Gale added that officers and staff could return dependent upon test results, which would be by today. The news of the police department comes as nearly one-third of COVID-19 patients being treated in intensive care units in Houston are now under the age of 50 - as cases continue to spike among young adults across Texas and health workers warn many are getting seriously ill. During the first surge of cases in mid-April, the majority of patients being treated for coronavirus in the Houston Methodist hospital system were older than 50. The Galveston County Sheriff's office is stepping in to handle police activity for the department In a disturbing generational shift, about 60 percent of current patients are under that age bracket. Almost one in three who are now occupying ICU beds are also under 50. Infections are currently spiking among young adults in states like Texas where bars, nightclubs and restaurants reopened - prompting younger generations to start going out again, many without wearing masks. Texas Governor Greg Abbott reversed that decision last Friday when he ordered all bars to close. It comes as some Texas hospitals have been warning they are running out of ICU beds for COVID-19 patients. The Texas Medical Center system had created a COVID-19 'war room' to handle a 66 percent surge in additional ICU patients with strategies including reassigning staff, putting beds closer together and using regular beds for emergency use. They calculated last week that they would run out of space on July 6 if the current increase in Texas severe cases continues. The prime suspect in Madeleine McCann's disappearance made a phone call from the 'same place' she vanished from an hour before she went missing, reports claim. Christian Brueckner, 43, was recently identified as a suspect in the disappearance of Madeleine, who vanished from a holiday apartment in Praia da Luz, Portugal in 2007. German prosecutors have repeatedly claimed they have 'concrete evidence' that the three-year-old was killed, and insisted last month they had shared this information with Madeleine's parents Kate and Gerry McCann in a letter. Details of a call involving a mobile number allegedly used by Brueckner are set to be revealed on the German crime show Aktenzeichen XY Ungelost tonight. Host Rudi Cerne told Focus: 'All I can say at the moment is that one thing we're dealing with here is the number of the Portuguese prepaid card that received a call from the German suspect's mobile. Christian Brueckner (pictured), 43, was recently identified as a suspect in the disappearance of Madeleine, who vanished from a holiday apartment in Praia da Luz, Portugal in 2007 German prosecutors have claimed they have 'concrete evidence' that the three-year-old (pictured) was killed, and insisted last month they had shared this information with Madeleine's parents Kate and Gerry McCann in a letter 'Not even an hour before Maddie disappeared. The call also came from the same place where the little girl was last seen alive, in Praia da Luz on the Algarve.' Mr Cerne said he is 'excited' about what Christian Hoppe, an investigator with Germany's Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA), will reveal when he appears on the show, adding: 'I get the impression something important is happening now.' He added the telephone number allegedly called by Brueckner shortly before Madeleine's disappearance may have a 'very large role' in the ongoing investigation. 'Apparently this telephone number, which was called from the suspect's mobile phone shortly before Maddie's disappearance, has a very large role in the investigation,' Mr Cerne said. 'I would imagine the BKA would need all the information about who owned this prepaid number, who called it, who was called from it. Every little clue, however small, counts - and is processed.' Police previously said a phone linked to Brueckner had received a 30-minute call between 7.32pm and 8.02pm on the night Madeleine disappeared from the Ocean Club apartment complex. Scotland Yard took the unusual step of releasing two mobile telephone numbers as part of an appeal to end the 13-year mystery on June 4. it was claimed a Portuguese prepaid phone number received a call from the suspect 'from the same place' Madeleine was last seen alive (Pictured: Ocean Club in Praia Da Luz) German prosecutor Hans Christian Wolters (pictured) recently told 60 Minutes a phone linked to the prime suspect had been used near the holiday apartment on the night the three-year-old vanished The first number +315 912 730 680 is believed have been used by the prime suspect. He received a call from another Portuguese number + 351 916 510 683 while in the Praia de Luz area. German prosecutor Hans Christian Wolters recently told 60 Minutes a phone linked to the prime suspect had been used near the holiday apartment on the night the three-year-old vanished. He said the phone 'was connecting in the mast' which belongs to the Ocean Club, where Madeleine was staying with her parents and twin siblings Sean and Amelie. Wolters has claimed German authorities had 'concrete evidence' that the three-year-old was killed following her disappearance in May 2007. 'We have concrete evidence that our suspect has killed Madeleine and this means she is dead,' he said. 'The parents have been told the German police have evidence that she is dead but we have not told them the details.' Despite this, Mr Wolters confessed last month 'the investigation may not lead to a charge for the murder of Madeleine McCann,' as it 'could be stopped if we fail to find the missing evidence.' He told the Braunschweig Zeitung: 'I am currently unable to predict the outcome of our investigation but we are still convinced of the guilt of the accused and hope for further promising investigative approaches. 'Of course, it is always good to know where a suspect is to be able to access them if necessary. And, of course, detention always offers a certain guarantee that the detainee will not commit any further crimes.' MailOnline reported in June how German prosecutors had written to Kate and Gerry McCann (pictured together in 2007) to tell them that she is dead Wolters has claimed German authorities had 'concrete evidence' that the three-year-old was killed following her disappearance in May 2007 Christian Brueckner is the prime suspect in the disappearance of Madeleine McCann in 2007 Brueckner is currently serving a 21-month sentence in Kiel, Germany for drugs offences, and it was reported earlier this month he could soon be out of prison on parole. His lawyers have reportedly filed a request for him to be released after serving two-thirds of his sentence, but prosecutors fear he may flee the country after his release. In 2011, Brueckner was sentenced to 21 months in jail for his part in a drugs trafficking ring that supplied marijuana to VIP clients. The serial sex offender is also facing a separate sentence for the rape of a 72-year-old American woman on a waterfront villa less than a mile from where Madeleine went missing in Portugal in 2007. Although he was convicted in December 2019, he appealed against his seven-year sentence and so it cannot be imposed until his appeal avenues are exhausted. Brueckner moved from Germany to Praia da Luz in 1995 after serving part of a two-year sentence for molesting a six-year-old girl in Wurzburg. At the time of Madeleine's vanishing he was living in the area about a 10-minute drive away. Following his identification as a suspect in the case, he has further been linked to the disappearances of six-year-old boy Rene Hasse in the Algarve, 1996, and five-year-old girl Igna Gehnricke in Germany, 2015. This is the ex-teacher girlfriend of Leicester's mayor who has now moved in with him for the city's second lockdown, days after he made a grovelling apology for breaking the rules to stay with her. Sir Peter Soulsby's long-term partner Lesley Summerland, 64 left her home on the outskirts of Leicester last night, moving to his city centre residence inside the new restrictive cordon. She told neighbours the couple decided on the move to avoid any criticism about their living arrangements during Leicester's fresh lockdown, which came into force this week following a sharp rise in coronavirus cases. Pictured: Leicester Mayor Sir Peter Soulsby's long-term partner Lesley Summerland, 64, is said to have left her home on the outskirts of Leicester last night to move into the Mayor's city centre residence within the new restricted zone Sir Peter was accused of being a hypocrite and forced to issue a grovelling apology after being photographed staying with Ms Summerland and carrying out maintenance work at her home during the height of the pandemic in April and May. He said today he has been with Ms Summerland for the 'last couple of weeks', and the pair have formed a 'bubble' between their two homes. 'Lesley and I have been together for the last couple of weeks forming a "bubble" between our two homes as permitted,' Sir Peter said. 'Under the new local restrictions now in place in Leicester, we are discouraged from travelling. Therefore, we are now continuing in a "bubble" at my house in Leicester - in line with the latest regulations - and will remain here for the duration.' A neighbour told MailOnline: 'She told us that they had decided to sit out this second lockdown at Sir Peter's place because he didn't want to get into any more trouble by staying at her home during this lockdown. 'He got enough flak the first time around and had to deal with a lot of negative publicity because a lot of people were angry that he was being hypocritical. He was telling us all to stay at home but wasn't doing that himself.' Leicester's new restrictions came into effect on Tuesday morning with Ms Summerland leaving her residence at 7pm later that day with several bags. Prior to this, she had been staying at her property in Groby with Sir Peter. Sir Peter Soulsby (pictured with the ladder), 71, breached the rules to see his partner Lesley Summerland, 64, (pictured at the window) and carry out maintenance on her home. Neighbours filmed the Labour Mayor at Ms Summerland's home on several occasions. Above: The mayor was filmed climbing a ladder while Ms Summerland leaned out of a window Another neighbour said: 'She had several bags with her and said she and Sir Peter wouldn't be back until this lockdown has been lifted. It's a sensible thing to do because there was a lot of anger at what happened after he was caught out during the first lockdown.' Neighbours filmed the Labour Mayor at Ms Summerland's home on several occasions throughout April and May as he arrived 'carrying overnight bags and shirts.' Ms Summerland, a former teacher who has two grown up children from a previous marriage, has been with Sir Peter for five years. Leicestershire County Council issued this map yesterday showing the area that will be subject to strict lockdown measures Pictured: The mayor of Leicester Sir Peter Soulsby talks to the media before the city became the first UK location to be subjected to a local lockdown after a spike in coronavirus cases, Monday June 29, 2020 She is well known for her union work amongst teachers and once campaigned for religious schools to be abolished. She has been living at her home in Groby for 25 years. Another neighbour said: 'She can be quite outspoken and was very angry when the story of Sir Peter staying with her came out. She felt that some neighbours were out to get her because they don't agree with her strong political views.' In the clips that were published Sir Peter could be seen helping his partner with maintenance on her home and climbing a ladder to fit a window. Throughout May, the Labour politician used his social media account to urge residents to 'stay safe at home'. Police spoke to the Mayor after the visits came to light and gave him advice about the restrictions in place. Data shows how Leicester's coronavirus outbreak has grown over time. The numbers compiled for England only include pillar one swab tests, which officials say are only given to patients with a medical need or key workers Speaking to BBC Radio Leicester last month, he apologised for the error of judgement and admitted 'it was setting a very bad example'. But he pointed to other 'high-profile people' who had flouted the lockdown. Sir Peter told the BBC: 'I don't think anybody would claim that there was anything in my behaviour that ran any risk whatsoever of spreading the virus. 'It can be certainly interpreted as against the spirit of the lockdown, if not against the regulations.' He said he was 'ready to apologise' unlike 'some of the high-profile people who are far more influential in setting policy about this than I am'. Leicester City Council have been contacted for comment. Indoor dining in New York City has been indefinitely postponed as coronavirus cases in other cities around the country continue to soar with people flocking back to their social lives and ignoring warnings from heath experts. Gov. Andrew Cuomo made the announcement on Wednesday and said it would last until it was 'prudent' to allow people back inside restaurants again. Indoor dining was due to begin with on Monday July 6, when the city enters the third phase of its staggered reopening. Cuomo said on Wednesday however that people were not complying enough with existing social distancing rules. He is urging the NYPD to enforce the rules and says that too many New Yorkers have been ignoring them. Coronavirus cases across the state of New York continue to decrease. NY Gov Andrew Cuomo on Wednesday announced that outdoor dining in New York City would not begin on Monday July 6, as planned,and that it was delayed indefinitely People gather at an outdoor restaurant in the East Village on June 28. Cuomo said compliance among citizens in New York is 'slipping' On Tuesday, 625 tests out of 56,710 were positive, meaning the infection rate across the state is 1.1 percent. Hospitalizations are now down to 879. At the peak of the pandemic, more than 18,000 were in the hospital. Thirteen people died across the state on Tuesday. Recent data from New York City health only goes up to June 28, when two people died from COVID-19. Cuomo however said that the 'compliance' among New Yorkers was 'slipping'. 'Citizen compliance is slipping. That is a fact. Look at pictures. Look at any street in Manhattan... go to the East Village, the West Side, Queens, the Bronx... 'I understand it. Been inside a long time..."I miss my friends, Gov says everything's good - I wear a mask, don't really wear it, I do the chin move,"' he said. 'I get why the compliance is slipping but it is a very real problem. 'Second problem, government is supposed to be enforcing compliance. That is not happening. People on June 27 in the West Village, gathering in the street and drinking, despite laws banning it 'We have been clear from day one - local governments don't have any legal authority to determine opening, reopening - it's not what they do. 'That's state government. All the openings and all the re-openings, done by the state government,' Cuomo said. It punishes businesses that have not been able to accommodate outdoor dining or who are relying on it for income. New York, New Jersey and Connecticut are imposing a mandatory 14-day quarantine on anyone traveling in from high-risk states. The order currently applies to 16 states; Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Idaho, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Nevada, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah. Anyone who breaks it is subject to fines. Cuomo says the order is imperative to protect the progress New York - once the epicenter of the crisis - has made. Advertisement The 16-year-old boy shot dead after driving into at barrier at Seattle's Capitol Hill Organized Protest (CHOP) zone has been named as Antonio Mays Jr. Mays Jr was killed in the early hours of Monday morning after eyewitnesses say the area's armed security fired at the Jeep his was driving. A 14-year-old boy was also critically wounded in the shooting. Seattle police on Wednesday reclaimed their precinct in the city's 'occupied' protest zone after the mayor finally issued an early morning executive order to vacate the area. Law enforcement also released a video documenting the acts of violence inside CHOP over the last few weeks. Gunmen are seen prowling through the area on the night of Mays Jr's death. One eyewitness said 300 rounds were fired on the night of his killing. DailyMail.com has contacted police for the latest on their investigation into the fatal shooting and to determine whether any of those in the video released by cops are suspects in the Mays Jr's killing. His death marked the second fatal shooting in the area after a 19-year-old Lorenzo Anderson was killed on June 20. Scroll down for video Antonio Mays Jr was killed in the early hours of Monday morning inside CHOP Police have released a video documenting the acts of violence inside CHOP over the last few weeks; gunmen are seen prowling on the night of Mays Jr's death DailyMail.com has contacted police for the latest on their investigation into the fatal shooting to determine where any of those in the video are suspects One eyewitness said 300 rounds were fired on the night of Mays Jr's killing. A gunman is seen in footage above from that night A gunman is seen above on the night the 16-year-old boy was shot dead. Seattle police on Wednesday reclaimed their precinct in the city's 'occupied' protest zone after the mayor finally issued an early morning executive order to vacate the area Seattle police on Wednesday moved in to reclaim their precinct in the city's 'occupied' protest zone Mayor Jenny Durkan called the city's 'occupied' protest zone an 'unlawful assembly' in an order Wednesday. Seattle police confirmed Wednesday they would be 'in the area this morning enforcing the Mayor's order' TIMELINE OF VIOLENCE IN SEATTLE'S CHOP ZONE June 8: Protesters occupy the area; police abandoned the precinct June 20: A 19-year-old man is shot dead and a 33-year-old man was wounded June 24: Nearby businesses and property owners filed a federal lawsuit against the city June 29: Two teens shot - one fatally - in Jeep at zone's concrete barriers June 30: Barricades at Seattle's cop-free zone are torn down as protesters replace concrete barriers with trash cans and couches July 1: Early hours : Mayor Jenny Durkan demand all barriers are removed after a 525 per cent spike in violent crimes in the area 5am: Police swarm the zone 5:30am: Eyewitnesses say officers have cleared the area 7am: Chief Carmen Best confirms police have taken back precinct Advertisement His father, Horace Lorenzo Anderson, said: 'This doesn't look like a protest to me no more. 'That just looks like they just took over and said we can take over whenever we want to.' Protesters had occupied several blocks around a park and the Seattle Police Department's East Precinct after officers abandoned the building on June 8 following clashes with protesters calling for an end to police brutality. At least 31 people were arrested at the Capitol Hill Organized Protest (CHOP) zone Wednesday which has seen crime rise by more than 500 per cent in just over three weeks. Tweeting the footage of gunmen in the CHOP area over the past three weeks police wrote: 'Some of the violence in and armed individuals in the CHOP have been captured by open source video recorded in the area.' In the clip one person running from gunfire can be heard calling the zone a 'nightmare', adding: 'This has got to be the end of CHOP in my opinion. 'I think it's pretty much over after this. This is kind of a nightmare.' The footage begins on June 20 and shows a fight between demonstrators; one person is surrounded on the ground and appears to be being dragged along. By June 20 - the night of the first fatal shooting in the zone - the sound of gunfire is picked up on security cameras. The footage then cuts to June 29 - the night of Mays Jr's death - and a a number of people are seen prowling the streets with guns. Volunteer medic Marty Jackson had described the area as an 'active war zone' and said: 'I don't think we're gonna stop here.' Speaking outside the precinct Wednesday morning police chief Carmen Best confirmed her officers had reclaimed the precinct, with the help of Bellevue police and the FBI, but could not offer a time frame on when they would move back in. A gunman is seen above on the night the 16-year-old was shot dead. There have been four shootings in the area in and around CHOP in the past three weeks Footage of fighting inside CHOP on June 20 is seen above. Police released the footage Wednesday showing violence in the area over the past three weeks She said: 'Our job is to support peaceful demonstration but what has happened on these streets over the last two weeks is lawless and it's brutal and bottom line it is simply unacceptable.' At least 100 police officers swarmed CHOP at about 5am and a loud bang was heard at about 6.15am followed by a cloud of smoke. Officers tore down demonstrators' tents and used bicycles to herd the protesters. Police tore down fences that protesters had erected around their tents and used batons to poke inside bushes, apparently looking for people who might be hiding inside. Most protesters appeared to have dispersed several hours after the operations started and armed officers looked on from rooftops as clean-up crews of workers arrived to break down tables and tarps that protesters had set up in the zone. Armed security inside Seattle's 'occupied' protest zone fired 300 rounds on the night they shot dead a black 16-year-old boy driving a Jeep, according to one eyewitness Footage from inside the Capitol Hill Organized Protest (CHOP) zone shows the chaotic scenes and the bullet ridden vehicle in the immediate aftermath of the shoot out Those inside CHOP say they started shooting at the Jeep only after two teens opened fire on them and drove into a barricade A second teen, Lorenzo Anderson, 19, was shot dead in the area on June 20 There had been increasing calls by critics, including President Trump, to remove protesters from the 'Capitol Hill Occupied Protest' area east of downtown. Protesters say they should not be blamed for the violence in the area. People continued to add artwork, flowers and candles at a memorial for the 16-year-old on Tuesday. Chief Best said the shootings are obscuring the message of racial justice promoted by protesters. Nearby businesses and property owners also filed a federal lawsuit against the city last week, saying officials have been too tolerant of those who created the zone and that officials have deprived property owners of their property rights by allowing the zone to continue existing. Volunteer medic Marty Jackson had described the area as an 'active war zone' and said: 'I don't think we're gonna stop here' Officers in riot gear issued a dispersal order at 5am leading to the 31 arrests within just 30 minutes amid fears the protesters could now move to West Precinct City crews dismantle the CHOP area outside of the Seattle Police Department's vacated East Precinct on Wednesday Also Tuesday, Mayor Durkan asked the City Council to investigate council member Kshama Sawant, accusing her of opening City Hall to protesters on June 9 and participating in a protest march to Durkan's home on Sunday. 'She and organizers knew that my address was protected under the state confidentiality program because of threats against me due largely to my work as U.S. attorney,' Durkan wrote. Sawant said she had not organized the march and wasn't taking Durkan's words personally, The Seattle Times reported. Two teenagers have been arrested for the beating death of a homeless man whose body was found in an New Jersey alleyway last week. The 17-year-old girl and 15-year-old boy have been charged with first-degree murder in the killing of Bobby Hill Jr., 63, in Camden last Thursday, according to acting Camden County Prosecutor Jill Mayer. Police found the victim's body in an alleyway near the 1100 block of Kaighn Avenue shortly after midnight. A 17-year-old girl and a 15-year-old boy have been charged with murder for allegedly beating homeless man Bobby Hill Jr to death in an alley near the 1100 block of Kaighn Avenue in Camden, New Jersey (pictured) The medical examiner determined that Hill died of blunt force trauma to the head after being beaten to death. The prosecutor's office said that in the course of the investigation, surveillance footage was discovered showing the two teens entering the alleyway with Hill. Several minutes later, they were filmed leaving the area without Hill. Detectives also retrieved video footage from a cellphone belonging to one of the suspects showing Hills body laying in the alleyway after the beating, prosecutors said. Hill was transported to an area hospital, where he died from severe injuries to his head. A motive for the attack has not been disclosed. The two teens remained in custody. Their names are not being released because they are minors. Google and Facebook face a crackdown on their 'monopoly' power which allows them to sweep up billions of pounds at the expense of UK businesses and families. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has demanded the Government takes action to end their stranglehold of digital advertising in Britain in a landmark ruling. The official watchdog suggests their dominance of the advertising market leads to higher prices on everything from hotels and flights to consumer electronics, books, insurance and many other products. The CMA also raised concerns about the way the online giants harvest personal information from consumers so that it can be used to bombard them with targeted advertising. A study by the watchdog lifts the lid on the extraordinary dominance of the two online giants, which have become advertising behemoths on the back of their near-monopoly positions in search and social media. Facebook face a crackdown on their 'monopoly' power which allows them to sweep up billions of pounds at the expense of UK businesses and families. Pictured: CEO Mark Zuckerberg gives the keynote address during the Facebook F8 Developer Conference in San Francisco today The CMA said: 'UK expenditure on digital advertising was around 14 billion in 2019, equivalent to about 500 per household. About 80per cent of this is earned by just two companies: Google and Facebook. 'Google enjoys a more than 90 per cent share of the 7.3 billion search advertising market in the UK, while Facebook has a share of over 50per cent of the 5.5 billion display advertising market. 'Google's revenue per search has more than doubled since 2011, while Facebook's average revenue per user has increased from less than 5 in 2011 to over 50 in 2019.' The CMA said it is 'concerned that they have developed such unassailable market positions that rivals can no longer compete on equal terms'. In a damning assessment, it states: 'Their large user base is a source of market power. Each has unmatchable access to user data, allowing them to target advertisements to individual consumers and tailor the services they provide.' Alarmingly, the CMA suggests Google and Facebook use their dominance to influence the behaviour of consumers. It states: 'Both use default settings to nudge people into using their services and giving up their data - for example Google paid around 1.2 billion in 2019 to be the default search provider on mobile devices and browsers in the UK, while Facebook requires people to accept personalised advertising as a condition for using their service. The report from the CMA said that Google's revenue per search has more than doubled since 2011 'Their presence across many different markets, partially acquired through many acquisitions over the years, also makes it harder for rivals to compete.' The CMA said these issues matter to consumers because weak competition in internet search and social media leads to reduced innovation and choice. It said consumers also give up more personal data than they would like. On prices, it said: 'If the 14 billion spend in the UK last year on digital advertising is higher than it would be in a more competitive market, this will be felt in the prices for hotels, flights, consumer electronics, books, insurance and many other products that make heavy use of digital advertising.' Significantly, the watchdog found that the dominance of Google and Facebook is sucking the life out of newspapers and their online operations. This point was highlighted recently by Peter Wright, editor emeritus at DMG Media, the parent company of the Daily Mail and MailOnline, in evidence to the House of Lords Communications and Digital Committee. The CMA said: 'Google and Facebook's market positions also have a profound impact on newspapers and other publishers. 'The CMA has found that newspapers are reliant on Google and Facebook for almost 40per cent of all visits to their sites. This dependency potentially squeezes their share of digital advertising revenues, undermining their ability to produce valuable content.' The organisation has set out a series of recommendations it believes that ministers should adopt, which could form a template for a new international approach to rolling back the power of the US tech giants. These include allowing Facebook users to opt out of targeted personal advertising and a block on Google's efforts to have its software automatically installed on new smartphones. It recommends a new regulator with powers to 'suspend, block and reverse' anti-competitive decisions by tech platforms, such changes to their algorithms which arbitrarily skew traffic away from one website in favour of another. Chief executive of the CMA, Andrea Coscelli said: 'Through our examination of this market, we have discovered how major online platforms like Google and Facebook operate and how they use digital advertising to fuel their business models. 'What we have found is concerning - if the market power of these firms goes unchecked, people and businesses will lose out. 'People will carry on handing over more of their personal data than necessary, a lack of competition could mean higher prices for goods and services bought online and we could all miss out on the benefits of the next innovative digital platform. 'Our clear recommendation to government is that a new pro-competitive regulatory regime be established to address the concerns we have identified and regulate a sector which is central to all our lives.' Action was backed by consumer champion Which?, whose director of advocacy, Rocio Concha, (correct) said: 'Our research has found that consumers are concerned about how their data is collected and exploited online but feel powerless against tech giants such as Google and Facebook, so it is positive to see the competition regulator pushing to give control back to consumers and address competition concerns. 'It's vital that the government takes these recommendations forward and puts in place a regulatory regime that encourages competition and has the right powers and tools to hold dominant tech firms to account.' New York City mayor Bill de Blasio says a 'Black Lives Matter' mural will be painted in front of Trump Tower 'in a matter of days' - sparking a furious response from the commander-in-chief. De Blasio appeared on MSNBC's Morning Joe Wednesday to provide an update on the mural's creation, nearly a week after he first unveiled plans for the words to be painted down Manhattan's Fifth Avenue - just feet from Trump's former home. 'Whenever Trump comes back to his old state (New York), he'll get a message that he still doesn't understand. Maybe seeing outside his doorstep will help him get the point,' de Blasio grinned. Trump didn't take kindly to de Blasio's taunt, taking to Twitter to lash out at the mayor, who overnight slashed the NYPD budget by more than $1 billion. 'NYC is cutting Police $ by ONE BILLION DOLLARS, and yet the @NYCMayor is going to paint a big, expensive, yellow Black Lives Matter sign on Fifth Avenue, denigrating this luxury Avenue,' the President blasted. 'This will further antagonize New York's Finest, who LOVE New York & vividly remember the horrible BLM chant, 'Pigs In A Blanket, Fry 'Em Like Bacon'. Maybe our GREAT Police, who have been neutralized and scorned by a mayor who hates & disrespects them, won't let this symbol of hate be affixed to New York's greatest street. Spend this money fighting crime instead!' New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio says a 'Black Lives Matter' mural will be painted in front of Trump Tower 'in a matter of days' - sparking a furious response from the commander-in-chief. Pictured is a mock-up showing how the mural could look De Blasio announced the news on Morning Joe Wednesday, just hours after slashing the police budget by $1 billion Trump didn't take kindly to de Blasio's taunt, taking to Twitter to lash out at the mayor, who overnight slashed the NYPD budget by more than $1 billion De Blasio's NYPD budget cut will cancel the recruitment of 1,163 new officers, strip $484million from the overtime budget and transfer $354million to other services. The contentious budget passed the City Council with 32 votes in favor and an unusually large 17 votes against just ahead of the midnight deadline following hours of delays. Meanwhile, last week President Trump claimed the NYPD were 'furious' about the proposal to paint a 'Black Lives Matter' mural in Manhattan as they faced hefty budget cuts. After plans for the mural were unveiled, Julia Arredondo, a spokeswoman for de Blasio, attacked Trump in a statement, saying: 'The president is a disgrace to the values we cherish in New York City. 'He can't run or deny the reality we are facing, and any time he wants to set foot in the place he claims is his hometown, he should be reminded Black Lives Matter.' New York is following in the footsteps of Washington D.C., which had the street leading to the White House painted with a 'Black Lives Matter' mural on June 5. President Trump is regretting listening to son-in-law Jared Kushner's advice on passing criminal justice reform, back-pedaling on his most bipartisan accomplishment, which he's used to attract black voters and combat claims of racism. Axios reported Trump's turnaround Wednesday, hours after Trump further sided with police in the cops-versus-Black Lives Matter debate, referring to a planned 'Black Lives Matter' street mural in New York City as a 'symbol of hate.' The president's current thinking, one source told Axios, is 'no more of Jared's woke s***.' President Trump is regretting listening to son-in-law Jared Kushner in supporting criminal justice reform, which he's used to talk up his record on helping black America. Axios reported Wednesday that Trump believes the move hurt him politically Jared Kushner, captured leaving his D.C. home for work at the White House Tuesday, pushed for passage of the First Step Act and thought the president should promote it heavily as he campaigns for re-election In December 2018, Trump signed the First Step Act, with the president pushing Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Kentucky Republican, to get the bipartisan bill over the line. The legislation had brought together top Republican Sens. Chuck Grassley and Mike Lee and prominent Democratic Sens. Cory Booker and Dick Durbin. In the House, Rep. Doug Collins, a staunch Trump backer during impeachment, worked alongside Rep. John Lewis, a Georgia Democrat and civil rights activist, and Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, a New York Democrat and rising Congressional star, to get it done. Kushner, whose father had been imprisoned, pushed hard for the bill. And it had the support of celebrities and media personalities including Kim Kardashian and CNN's Van Jones. But Trump, according to Axios, feels like the Kumbaya moment, has hurt him politically. Politico reported a similar story back in September 2019. 'It was clear he thinks it's a total dud,' said a source who attended a meeting with Trump, Kushner and campaign ads, as the president's son-in-law suggested that the president promote the First Step Act heavily as part of his re-election strategy. 'He made is abundantly clear he doesn't think it's worth talking about,' the source said of Trump and the law. Trump has brought up the First Step Act recently, but has used it to prove his administration has been good for black Americans, especially in the wake of George Floyd's death and the 'Black Lives Matter' demonstrations that followed. On June 10, the same day he announced he wasn't supportive of renaming military bases named for Confederate figures, Trump hosted a roundtable with black supporters. There, after one of the attendees pointed to his record, he called criminal justice reform a 'big thing,' and chided past administrations for not being able to get it done - and wagged his finger at any Democrats who might try to claim credit. 'I keep hearing about, "Oh, criminal justice reform," and everyone is trying to take the credit,' Trump said. 'And this one, I will say, we will take the full credit because they couldn't have done it without us.' 'So we've done a lot for the black community, and we've done a lot for all communities,' he added at the June 10 meeting. Trump will mention criminal justice reform, further funding historically black universities and colleges and bringing down the black unemployment rate, when he's called a racist. But since the death of George Floyd and his downward momentum in the presidential polls, Trump's broader strategy has been leaning hard into the culture war. On Tuesday night, he threatened to veto the National Defense Authorization Act for an amendment pitched by Sen. Elizabeth Warren that would rename the country's outstanding military bases that are still named after Confederate fighters. President Trump feels he needs to be unequivocally on the side of law enforcement to win re-election later this year. On Wednesday he said a 'Black Lives Matter' mural would be a 'symbol of hate' and would 'further antagonize New York's Finest' On Wednesday, Trump slammed New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and Black Lives Matter activists, who he accused of chanting 'Pigs In A Blanket, Fry 'Em Like Bacon' at the police, for the planned Black Lives Matter art piece on Fifth Avenue. He said the mural would be 'denigrating this luxury avenue.' He also suggested police should interfere in those plans. 'Maybe our GREAT Police, who have been neutralized and scorned by a mayor who hates & disrespects them, wont let this symbol of hate be affixed to New Yorks greatest street,' Trump wrote. 'Spend this money fighting crime instead!' The mural will be painted outside of Trump Tower. The mayor clapped back writing, 'The fact that you see it as denigrating your street is the definition of racism.' White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany explained the president's comments at Wednesday's press briefing 'He agrees that all black lives matter including of that of Officer David Dorn, Patrick Underwood, two officers whose lives were tragically taken amid these riots, all black lives do matter, he agrees with that sentiment,' she began. 'But what he doesn't agree with is an organization that chants, "pigs in a blanket, fry them like bacon," about our police officers, our valiant heroes who are out on our streets protecting us every day,' she added. ABC News' Jonathan Karl pointed out that Americans of all races and in 50 states have attended demonstrations in support of Black Lives Matter. McEnany said the president's tweet was specifically about the official Black Lives Matter organization, which she accused of saying things like 'burn down the system.' 'What's the name of the organization again?' she asked Karl, to which he said Black Lives Matter. 'There you go, you answered my question,' she said, moving on to another reporter's question. Axios reported that Trump feels that it's best for him politically to be unequivocally supportive of law enforcement. In response to the publication's reporting, McEnany said the president is 'very proud' of the work he's done to benefit 'all communities.' 'The First Step Act made historic strides toward rectifying racial disparities in sentencing while his executive order to secure America's streets works with our nation's heroic police officers to ensure we have safe policing and safe communities,' she said. The latter reference was to an executive order Trump signed in the aftermath of Floyd's death to reform policing, which activists say doesn't accomplish their aims. Trump's thinking on the First Step Act also likely means that the police reform bills being discussed on Capitol Hill won't get any White House support. Another source told Axios that any leaks from unnamed sources about a Trump-Kushner rift are being purposely hurtful. 'Numerous anonymous sources have attempted to provide separation between Jared and the president,' a senior White House official said. 'They have failed for the last three and a half years. They are not going to be successful today either.' The Washington Post's opinion editor Karen Attiah has shared images of texts and emails she has received since she was accused of inciting violence after posting an inflammatory tweet on Sunday The Washington Post opinion editor who said white woman are lucky black people aren't looking for revenge has shared images of the threats she says she is receiving from white men. Karen Attiah posted a tweet Wednesday morning showing an apparent text from an unknown number telling her to 'be careful with hate' and that 'revenge only begets revenge'. It warns Attiah that her comments would 'wake white men who will protect their women'. Another email she shared referred to Attiah as a 'monkey' and an 'ape', telling her she was angry 'because white women are beautiful'. It comes after the editor was accused of inciting violence for tweeting that white women are 'lucky' black people are 'just calling them Karens and not calling for revenge'. 'I explicitly said Black people *ARE NOT* calling for this [revenge],' she wrote, as she shared a screenshot of the message she received, which she claims is from a white man. 'A good amount the threats and hate mail Ive been getting are white men threatening me with violence to *checks notes* protect their white women. 'Exactly the point Ive been making about Karen behavior all along. 'America is a racist *and* patriarchal society,' Attiah continued in a second tweet. 'We cannot dismantle the full range of oppression in this society without addressing how toxic ideas of white masculinity interplay with the notion of protecting their women from Black people.' The message Attiah shared appeared to have been sent to her on Monday evening. The Washington Post opinion editor shared screenshots of the texts and emails she says she has been receiving since she posted a controversial tweet about white women on Sunday The text told Attiah to 'be careful with hate' and that 'revenge only begets revenge' She claimed the problem stemmed from men thinking they need to protect white woman 'Be careful with hate. It is a very dangerous and thankless master,' it began. 'Calling for revenge only begets revenge. You don't want to wake white men who will protect women, and come after you and yours. 'We are all human beings with souls. Some of us, have the training, experience, and background to find you and yours in an effort to make an example of racists like you'. On Tuesday evening, Attiah had shared another email in which the writer asked 'Did the monkey actually speak?' 'Did the white-woman-wannabe n***** speak?' it continued. 'You're just angry because white women are beautiful. ALL men agree on that. White men, black men, Hispanic men, Asian men ... all agree that white women are much more desirable than some low IQ'd, low rent, hood rat n*****. 'And that would be you. All black women do is appropriate white culture and try to mimic beautiful white women. And you know it. Revenge? lol you're a** is about to be grass you ugly ape.' Attiah shared a further screenshot of an email that called her a 'monkey' The email told her she is 'just angry because white woman are beautiful' Attiah later retweeted further responses agreeing with her tweet She reposted this tweet that responded to the text screenshot she had shared 'Them: "Karen is a racist, dehumanizing slur!"' Attiah wrote with the screenshot. 'My inbox, after challenging racism.' '"Karen" = naming and shaming the *choice* to engage entitled, aggressive and racist behavior. But the N-word? I didn't choose my skin. The two will NEVER be the same.' Later on Wednesday, Attiah retweeted other users who had responded to the tweet. 'There were serious arguments by white men in the 1860s that Black men should not get the vote bc then they would have the power to access white women,' one read. 'Denying the suffrage to Black men was a way for white men to protect their women.' 'Honestly, women (including those who happen to be white) don't need white men treating them as property. Especially because those white men "protecting their women" often are the same violent ones who will beat/kill them,' another said. Attiah posted the first controversial tweet that sparked backlash and threats on Sunday, saying: 'The lies and tears of white women hath wrought; the 1921 Tulsa massacre, murder of Emmett Till, exclusion of black women from feminist movements, 53% of white women voting for Trump. 'White women are lucky that we are just calling them Karens. And not calling for revenge.' It has since been deleted. Later, in her comments section, she doubled down on the remark, saying: 'I'm just saying. Be happy we are calling for equality. And not actual revenge.' The tweets sparked outrage from users who called for her to be fired. 'Oh so insulting generalizations based on race and gender are okay now? Or are they only okay for you? Just trying to understand the rules,' conservative writer Matt Walsh replied to Attia. 'You threaten white women with violence. WashPo what is your response? The world is watching and waiting,' another tweeted. Soon after, the hashtag #fireKarenAttiah began circulating on Twitter. In recent weeks, a number of prominent people have been fired - or 'cancelled' - for their controversial social media posts but, as of Wednesday afternoon, The Washington Post has not publicly commented on Attiah's incendiary tweet. DailyMail.com has contacted the newspaper's managing editors for a statement. Washington Post opinions editor Karen Attiah tweeted on Sunday that white women were 'lucky' black people were calling them 'Karen's and not calling for revenge' After widespread outrage, Attiah deleted her tweet - but she insinuated that it was not because she regretted her remarks. She retweeted another user who stated: 'When I tweet something and then delete it, it's not because I regret it. It's almost never that. I just want to say some s**t real quick and then leave.' 'Same. Lol,' Attiah wrote above that message. It is unclear whether she was privately reprimanded by The Washington Post and forced to take down her message. Later on Monday, Attiah appeared to tire of the backlash, writing: 'Adding another shot to my drink'. It later seemed as if she wanted to shift conservation away from her controversial remarks, tweeting: 'Anyway...' However, social media users continued to blast the editor and piled on pressure for The Washington Post to make a public response. After widespread outrage, Attiah deleted her tweet - but she appeared to insinuate that it was not because she regretted her remarks. She is pictured speaking on stage at Glamour magazine's 2018 Women Of The Year Summit 'Last night @KarenAttiah of @thewashingtonpost posted this incredibly racist screed where she condemns all white women and makes an implied threat of violence. Has The Washington Post condemned this? Has anyone on the Left?' Matt Walsh wrote. Another predicted that Attiah would not be terminated by The Washington Post. 'There is no greater privilege than getting to be wrong about everything and paying zero price for it. Congrats,' the person sarcastically remarked. Another described Attiah's tweet as 'hateful', while other asked why Twitter hadn't flagged it for inciting violence. Attiah, 34, was born in Texas to Ghanaian immigrants. She graduated with a bachelor's degree from Northwestern University, before going on to study in Accra, Ghana on a Fullbright Scholarship. She later obtained a Master's degree from Columbia University before joining The Washington Post. Attiah has become a prominent media figure in recent years, and famously recruited slain journalist Jamal Khashoggi to The Post prior to his death. She has also appeared on CNN and has spoken at a Glamor magazine Women's Summit. Her Instagram shows her cozying up to a number of celebrities for selfies. Attiah's post sparked widespread backlash. Several asked whether Attiah would be fired from The Washington Post for her remarks Attiah's Instagram shows her posing for selfies with a number of prominent celebrities. She giddily posted this snap with Josh Groban, writing:'Omg. It happened. I have no words' Attiah is seen backstage at a show with comedian Patton Oswalt in 2018 Attiah with Andre Leon Talley in another of her Instagram posts One of Attiah's recent opinion pieces in The Washington Post In her tweet, Attia reference the derogatory term 'Karen' - a new nickname being given to entitled, white women who are caught on camera trying to assert themselves over people of color in social situations. In the past month several months the 'Karen' nickname has taken off, after multiple videos of white women throwing tantrums in public. While many of the exchanges are undoubted examples of bigotry, others are less clear cut. Last week, an unidentified woman in Seattle was filmed sobbing in her driveway and pleading not to be filmed, saying she had a 'black husband'. Karlos Dillard filmed the video, saying the woman had called him the N-word during a road rage dispute. He then started selling t-shirts online with the words 'I have a black husband' printed on them and defended it by saying that 'white people 'profit off of everything black people do in this country' and calling it his 'prerogative' if he wanted to sell the t-shirts. The woman in the video denied flipping him off and he did not accuse her of using a racial slur against him when they were together. That accusation was in a different piece of footage when she was not there. An unidentified white woman in Seattle was filmed sobbing and insisting she was not a Karen after being accused of flipping the bird at a black man at a light stop. Karlos Dillard, the man, followed her home to film her and post the footage online. In another video, he said she'd called him the N-word. That was not caught on tape Conversely, one of the original 'Karen' videos involved white woman Amy Cooper calling the police on Christian Cooper, a black birdwatcher in Central Park, claiming he was threatening her when he had simply asked her to put her dog on a leash. Christian Cooper was never charged but he has since described the footage as proof of how quickly a white person can be to make a false or overzealous accusation against a black person to law enforcement. In light of police brutality and systemic racism within law enforcement, such false accusations, he said, can be particularly dangerous. Litchfield (06759) Today Mostly cloudy skies this morning will become partly cloudy this afternoon. High 83F. Winds S at 10 to 15 mph.. Tonight Partly to mostly cloudy skies with scattered thunderstorms during the evening. Low 64F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 40%. Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan vowed to tighten government control over social media after his daughter and son-in-law were allegedly insulted on Twitter. Finance Minister Berat Albayrak, Erdogan's son-in-law, took to Twitter to announce the birth of his fourth child, Hamza Salih, on Tuesday. Following the tweet, some social media users allegedly insulted his wife Esra Albayrak, 37. Erdogan told members of his party, in a televised address, on Wednesday that his government will introduce legislation to force social media companies to establish a legal presence in Turkey. Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan (above) vowed to tighten government control over social media after alleged insults were directed at his daughter and son-in-law on Twitter This requirement would mean they could be held financially accountable and forced to respond to Turkish court decisions. Responding to the alleged insults of his family, Erdogan said; 'Do you see why we oppose social media like YouTube, Twitter, Netflix, et cetera.? 'It is imperative that these channels are brought under control.' He added: 'Turkey is not a banana republic. We will snub those who snub this country's executive and judicial bodies.' Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu said a number of social media users were detained overnight for tweets that allegedly insulted Esra and Berat Albayrak. Users of 11 out of 19 accounts determined to have shared content that insulted Albayrak and his family were detained, Turkish police headquarters said in a statement on Wednesday. Politicians and social media users rallied in support of the president's family and condemned the attacks on Esra Albayrak. Vice President of Turkey Fuat Oktay spoke out in support of Erdogan's family on Twitter after the alleged insults. Finance Minister Berat Albayrak, Erdogan's son-in-law, (above) took to Twitter to announce the birth of his fourth child, Hamza Salih, on Tuesday Twitter users allegedly insulted Esra Albayrak, 37, (above) after her husband Berat announced the birth of their fourth child on the social media platform The Turkish government has long been considering amendments that would enable it keep social media giants such as Twitter, Facebook and YouTube under check. It could force them to remove content or risk facing heavy fines and restricted access to their platforms. But critics fear the move is aimed at further limiting the Turkish public's ability to access independent news outlets in an environment dominated by pro-government media. Turkey has blocked access to thousands of websites. The government lifted a more than two-year ban on Wikipedia in January, after Turkey's top court ruled the block was unconstitutional. Turkey halted access to the online encyclopedia after it refused to remove content the government deemed to be offensive. Speaking to members of his AK Party today, Erdogan said his party would introduce new regulations to control the use of social media. He added that an increase of 'immoral acts' on the platforms in recent years was due to a lack of regulations. Coroner ruled that Lana was unlawfully killed and Kiril died by suicide A husband flew into a rage and strangled his wife to death before hanging himself while their two-year-old son slept in his cot, an inquest has heard. Kiril Nemcev, 32, attacked his wife Lana Nemceva, 33, after they argued about her mother Liubov Zatsepina moving in with them. The couple's lodger then made the grisly discovery when he returned from work to their home in Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire. An inquest heard Kiril was found unresponsive in the hallway, while his wife's lifeless body was on the bathroom floor. Kiril Nemcev, 32, attacked his wife Lana Nemceva, 33, after they argued about her mother moving in to their Burton Upon Trent home, an inquest into their deaths has heard The couple had been rowing over Lana's mother Liubov Zatsepina (above) moving in with them The couple's lodger then made the grisly discovery when he returned from work to the couple's home in Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire He had a superficial stab wound in his stomach which Lana is thought to have inflicted before he strangled her using a chokehold. Their two-year-old son was in the cot in the couple's bedroom and was unharmed. The couple had moved to the UK from their native Latvia with Lana getting a job as an optometrist while Kiril worked as a chef at Pizza Express. But a hearing at South Stafforshire Coroner's Court heard Kiril had taken medication for anxiety and had researched divorce online before attacking his wife. The couple's lodger Yuri Latchis discovered their bodies after returning home after work and finding the front door locked on September 4 last year. He climbed in through the bathroom window at 11pm where he found Lana lying on the bathroom floor. Kiril, who was found unresponsive in the hallway, had a superficial stab wound in his stomach which Lana is thought to have inflicted before he strangled her using a chokehold Their two-year-old son was in the cot in the couple's bedroom and was unharmed Detective Chief Inspector Dan Ison, of Staffordshire Police, said the couple's relationship became strained when Lana's mother stayed with them. He told the inquest: 'Lana's mother lived at the property at times as well. She was abroad and back home on the day in question. The lodger was at work. 'He returned home shortly after 11pm and found that he couldn't get into the house as he would normally. 'He had to gain access through his own bathroom window which was insecure. 'He then found the bodies of Kiril and Lana. He then made contact with the emergency services to notify us. 'Following extensive forensic examination, such as blood pattern analysis experts, we are satisfied or that there is no third party involvement and Kiril hung himself. 'Working with the available facts that I have is the knife that was recovered from the bathroom next to Lana's body was more than likely used to inflict such an injury on Kiril. 'It is my belief that it was potentially Lana that may have inflicted that injury on Kiril. Detective Chief Inspector Dan Ison, of Staffordshire Police, said the couple's relationship became strained when Lana's mother stayed with them 'He had some recent anxiety issues and had been speaking to his local GP about these anxiety issues. I believe he received medication to help him with that. 'There was certainly tension around Lana's mother living at the address with them. It certainly put pressure on the relationship. DCI Ison added that Lana's mother had been living there to assist with the child and her plan to move back in soon had 'put pressure on the couple's relationship. 'I think the relationship had broken down and I'm aware from telecoms they were researching around divorce Lawyers and separation.' Toxicology showed Kiril had a small amount of alcohol in his system but no drugs. Pathologist Dr Charlotte Louise Randall said: 'The post mortem examination revealed evidence of compression of the neck or strangulation. 'Whatever the method, there is little doubt the pressure on her neck had been sufficiently forceful and prolonged to result in death. Coroner Andrew Haigh addressed Lana's family, saying: 'I am sorry that Kiril and Lana have come to this country to work and I am so sorry that their lives end here in this tragic manner' 'The presence of bruising to the lower face and tears to the inner lining of the lips also raises the suspicion of a hand or object being placed over the mouth or smothering.' In conclusion, Coroner Andrew Haigh said: 'It is clear from the evidence there were difficulties in the relationship and there had been some inquiries about divorce. 'I also accept the evidence that Kiril had some psychiatric problems, mainly anxiety, and had been prescribed medication. 'Police reached the conclusion there has been an altercation, Lana has stabbed Kiril but he has strangled her and then hanged himself. 'My findings will be as follows: Kiril's cause of death is a ligature suspension of the neck, known as hanging. On the balance of probabilities is this is suicide while mentally unwell. 'In respect of Lana, the cause of death is compression of the neck, known as strangulation and is unlawful killing.' Addressing her family, he added: 'I am sorry that Kiril and Lana have come to this country to work and I am so sorry that their lives end here in this tragic manner.' An Oklahoma man notorious in his town for flying Nazi flags on his property has been arrested after allegedly shooting a woman in the back multiple times for stealing one of his swastika-adorned banners on a dare. Alexander Feaster, 44, from Hunter, was arrested on Sunday on charges of assault and battery with a deadly weapon, and shooting with intent to kill. According to Garfield County Sheriff Jody Helm, at around 3am on Sunday, a group of people were at a party across the street from Feaster's home in the 200 block of East Cherokee when 26-year-old Kyndal McVey was apparently dared to steal one of the man's swastika flags. Scroll down for video Alexander Feaster, 44 (left), has been charged with assault and battery with a deadly weapon, and shooting with intent to kill for allegedly shooting Kyndal McVey, 26 (right) Feaster reportedly opened fire after McVey, acting on a dare, snatched one of the Nazi flags from his property (pictured) McVey approached Feaster's yard and snatched the banner. As she turned around to return to her friends, Helm said someone yelled out, 'gun.' 'She dropped the flag at the end of the driveway and shots were fired,' the sheriff told the local station KFOR. According to a probable cause affidavit cited by NBC News, Feaster fired eight rounds, possibly from a Colt AR-15 A2 rifle, and between three and five of the shots struck McVey in the back as she fled. The incident was captured on surveillance video, which was later reviewed by a responding deputy. 'It is important to note that Kyndal did not appear to be in any way, a threat to Feaster due to her obviously running away from his residence with only a flag in her hand,' the affidavit stated. A neighbor said Feaster has been flying swastika-adorned banners at his house for a year McVey collapsed in a ditch, and a friend rushed to her side to administer aid while awaiting first responders. Meanwhile, a neighbor moved their pickup truck in front of Feaster's home to create a barricade for McVey's protection, while a witness trained a gun on his house as a precaution. Deputies who responded to the scene arrested Feaster without incident. Helm said he immediately asked for an attorney. A subsequent search of Feaster's house festooned with swastikas yielded 15 firearms, 'and the deputy wrote in the affidavit it appears the suspect was 'anticipating an incident.' 'There was a large ashtray containing several cigarette buts, and a handcuff pouch containing handcuffs on a box next to the chair,' the deputy stated. 'It appeared that Mr. Feaster was anticipating an incident to take place and had been watching from that spot.' McVey survived the shooting and was taken to OU Medical Center, where she was listed in good condition, reported Enid News and Eagle. McVey was shot between three and five times in the back and collapsed in a ditch. She survived and was hospitalized in good condition According to the description of a GoFundMe campaign, the 26-year-old has undergone at least one surgery and has a long road to recovery ahead of her. A neighbor said Feaster has been flying the Nazi flags over his house for about a year. A couple of the banners previously had been stolen. The neighbor also said that Feaster would sometimes wear an all-black outfit with a red swastika armband in public. A judge set Feaster's bond at $500,000. He is due back in court on July 9. Donald Trump said Wednesday that he wants a second round of direct payments to Americans as the economy continues to roil in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. The president told Fox Business Network in an interview Wednesday afternoon that he wants the second round of stimulus checks to be even bigger than the first, which included $1,200 checks to all Americans who made less than $75,000 in 2019. 'I do, I support it, but it has to be done properly,' Trump told Fox Business host Blake Burman. 'I support actually larger numbers than the Democrats.' 'I want the money getting to people to be larger so they can spend it,' he continued. 'I want the money to get there quickly and in a non-complicated fashion.' Trump added that any legislation needs to include incentives for Americans to go back to work setting him up for a clash with Democrats in Congress over unemployment benefits. Donald Trump said Wednesday that he wants another round of stimulus checks for Americans, but wants the aount to be 'larger' than last time 'so they can spend it' The president told Fox Business' Blake Burman that he wants more benefits than Democrats, but claimed he wanted 'incentives' for people to stop collecting bolstered unemployment and go back to work 'We want to create a very great incentive to work,' Trump asserted. 'So, we're working on that and I'm sure we'll all come together.' A phase four stimulus package has yet to pass through Congress. Unemployment levels skyrocketed as shutdowns began spreading nationwide as the coronavirus threat became greater and case numbers continued to increase. The U.S. experienced its highest unemployment level by millions than had ever been recorded since the inception of the program. Some Republican critics claim the jobless levels were bolstered further by those who made more money on unemployment, with benefit increases passed by Congress as part of phase one stimulus package, than they were making when they had their jobs. Trump's remarks indicate the administration will oppose an effort by Democrats in Congress to renew a $600 supplement to weekly jobless benefits set to expire at the end of July that was contained in earlier coronavirus relief legislation. Many Republicans have argued that the supplemental benefit encourages workers to remain unemployed and they would prefer to provide a benefit for workers returning to the job. Trump said the structure of the last round of financial aid to struggling Americans created a disincentive for people to return to work. 'They wanted to make it too complicated. Also, it was an incentive not to go to work,' the president said of previous relief packages, which included additional money for unemployment benefits. 'You'd make more money if you don't go to work.' The first round of stimulus checks were for the amount of $1,200 for every American adult making less than $75,000 'That's not what the country is all about. And people didn't want that,' he asserted. 'They wanted to go to work. But it didn't make sense because they make more money if they didn't.' 'And so we don't want to have that. We want to have people get out. And we want we want to create a tremendous incentive for people to want to go back to work,' he said. Administration officials have said they will calibrate their response in terms of further stimulus based on economic data set to roll in over the next couple of weeks. Negotiations over another relief bill are not expected to pick up until Congress returns from a break for the July 4 Independence Day holiday. Trump told Fox Business he would meet with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a fellow Republican, later on Wednesday to discuss the stimulus package. A Florida sheriff says he will 'deputize' every lawful gun owner in his county to put down any violent protests his deputies can't handle alone - despite no demonstrations being planned in his county. Clay County Sheriff Darryl Daniels released a three-minute video Wednesday warning protesters away from his suburban Jacksonville county. Violence has followed some demonstrations in the US over the police-related slaying of George Floyd, but many protests have been peaceful and none are currently planned for Clay County. Daniels also said he would protect any peaceful protests, but added that if anyone starts 'tearing up Clay County, that is not going to be acceptable.' 'If we can't handle you, I'll exercise the power and authority as the sheriff and I'll make special deputies of every lawful gun owner in the county and I'll deputize them to this one purpose: to stand in the gap between lawlessness and civility,' said Daniels, sporting a white cowboy hat as he stood in front of 18 deputies. Scroll down for video Putting violent protesters on notice: Darryl Daniels (center), the sheriff in Clay County, Florida, is pictured in a video warning he will 'deputize' every lawful gun owner in his county to put down violent protests his deputies can't handle, in response to George Floyd demonstrations Daniels (pictured from an image posted on Facebook) said he would deputized lawful gun owners for 'one purpose: to stand in the gap between lawlessness and civility' The sheriff's warning follows protests which erupted across the nation after the police-related slaying of Floyd in Minneapolis on Memorial Day. Floyd, a 46-year-old Black father-of-five, died after white police officer Derek Chauvin pressed his knee on the man's neck for almost nine minutes during an arrest. Video footage of the incident taken by a bystander shows the slaying, which triggered Black Lives Matter protests calling for an end to police brutality and systematic racism. Clay County has a population of about of more than 215,000 people and is a suburb of Jacksonville, which has experienced violence during some demonstrations, which prompted a city-wide curfew earlier this month. A sheriff's office assistant chief told News4Jax that Clay County has experienced a 'very slight increase' in threats from outsiders who want to come into the community to protest or to damage public property. Assistant Chief Keith Smith, who spoke to the news outlet, had helped paint over graffiti from a wall near a church that appeared related to the Black Lives Matter movement. An assistant chief said Clay County has experienced a 'very slight increase' in threats from outsiders who want to come into the community to protest or to damage public property. Offensive graffiti (pictured) linked to Black Lives Matter was painted over recently The offensive graffiti was found on a wall near a church, says Assistant Chief Keith Smith 'We don't want this to get out of hand,' Smith said News4Jax. 'We want people to know you have every right to protest, and we will protect that, but Clay County will not tolerate outside instigators.' Daniels, who is also Black, said in the video that his department has a 'great relationship' with its residents, but 'if you come to Clay County and think for one second we'll bend our backs for you, you're sadly mistaken.' 'The second you step out from up under the protection of the Constitution, we'll be waiting on you and give you everything you want: all the publicity, all the pain, all the glamour and glory for all that five minutes will give you.' Daniels, a Republican finishing his first term, is being challenged by six opponents in the upcoming election, including some who accused him of shooting the video for publicity. His challengers include former Atlantic Beach Police Chief Michelle Cook, former Clay County Sheriff's Office Emergency Management Director Ben Carroll and Mike Taylor, a former Florida Department of Law Enforcement agent and state attorney's investigator who has earned the endorsement of former Gov. Jeb Bush, reports USA Today. 'We train under intense situations to control the adrenaline dump,' Taylor said, 'and we don't do a perfect job at it, but we train to be prepared to make decisions under pressure. That's necessary to be effective.' 'To think we can put anyone in that role and it'll be OK, we're asking for a much bigger problem and inviting chaos and anarchy in the streets. The citizens of Clay County deserve better than that,' Taylor told the national newspaper. Eugene O'Donnell, a professor at John Jay Criminal College in New York, agreed there was liability concern with the use of deputized gun owners, because they would lack the proper training and background checks needed for the job. 'It sounds like a posse type of thing,' O'Donnell told DailyMail.com. 'It's very ill-advised. It would be an enormous challenge.' Daniels (left), who is running for re-election, was criticized by his rivals over the video, accusing the sheriff of staging a publicity stunt. He has declined to comment on the remarks Cook said that Daniels may have sounded 'tough and macho,' on the video footage, but accused him of calling 'for vigilantism.' She also said the video footage was a sign Daniels was not fit for leadership and keeping the community 'safe.' A spokesperson for the sheriff's office told DailyMail.com that Daniels was declining to comment on his rivals' remarks. Daniels also is under investigation by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, or FDLE, after his former employer, the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office, announced last year that he'd had an affair with a co-worker when he was running its jails. Daniels, who is married, was accused of later having the woman falsely arrested. He issued an apology, but said he wouldn't discuss specifics. The investigation remains 'active,' an FDLE spokesperson told DailyMail.com Israel's El Al airline cancelled all flights and suspended all operations that were set for Wednesday after the pilot's union announced that it's pilots would not fly due to the company's current financial crisis. The airline's CEO Gonen Usishkin also reportedly ordered all the company's aircraft to return to Israel, while all flights - including passenger and cargo flights - have been cancelled until further notice. According to a report released on Tuesday, El Al has lost $140 million (112 million) in the first quarter of 2020. The airline has a fleet of almost 50 planes and typically flies to over 40 destinations. Pictured: An El Al Israel Airlines Boeing 777-200ER lands at London Heathrow airport in January 2020. All El Al planes have been recalled to Israel today Pictured: An El Al Boeing 747 passenger jet is towed to its gate after landing at Ben Gurion Airport July 9, 2003 near Tel Aviv, Israel. Today, all flights have been suspended 'The administration of the company did not even respect the agreements that were signed with the union less than a month ago,' the Pilot's Union announced on Tuesday evening according to KAN news. 'The union had no choice but to arrive to the conclusion that the owners of the company are unable to save it from its situation.' The dispute between the pilots and the company has not been helped by the airline's refusal to transfer Boeing 737 pilots to Dreamliner aircraft for both passenger and cargo flights, according to the Jerusalem Post. El Al Airlines announced that it was in the advanced stages of reaching an agreement with the government to receive aid El Al Airlines announced that it was in the advanced stages of reaching an agreement with the government to receive aid, but still required the agreement of workers and unions for that aid to be given. Around 100 pilots have continued to work for the airline since the coronavirus crisis began, while the others are on unpaid leave. The news comes as the airline industry struggles around the world due to the coronavirus travel restrictions in place. Pictured: An Israeli worker in full hazmat suit sprays disinfectant in the cabin of an airplane at the Ben Gurion International Airport near the central Israeli city of Tel Aviv, on June 14, 2020 Pictured: A cleaner maintains hygiene at the check-in counters at Ben Gurion Airport on May 14, 2020 near Tel Aviv, Israel Earlier today, it was announced that British Airways would switch all of its short-haul flights from Gatwick Airport to Heathrow as it looks to keep costs down in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. Ryanair today threatened to cut 3,500 jobs if pilots and cabin crew don't agree to pay cuts, the airline's owner Michael O'Leary announced. Yesterday plane maker Airbus announced it will cut 1,700 jobs in the UK, while EasyJet plans to cut 4,500 roles. Meanwhile, an aviation union has accused EasyJet of 'excessive over-reaction' after the airline revealed yesterday that up to 4,500 staff will lose their jobs, and that the carrier has proposed to close bases at London's Stansted and Southend airports and at Newcastle. Advertisement A hysterical man carrying a flag reading 'Protect Confederate Monuments' ran into a crowd of protesters who had gathered to watch the Stonewall Jackson statue in Richmond, Virginia, being removed under a new emergency order. The lone man ran through the crowds to the base of the statue where he unfurled his flag and stood guard in front of the likeness of the Confederate commander, where city crews were working to remove it from its pedestal in the city. He was quickly surrounded by people, liquid was thrown on him and his flag wrenched from his hands, before Richmond Sheriff's deputies were seen escorting him out of the crowds as he wailed and clutched his face. The man was put in a cop cruiser and driven away from the area while protesters were seen torching his flag. This came as swathes of people flocked to the base of the statue Wednesday in support of the historic moment the statue of the oppressive figure was removed from the city. A man carrying a flag reading 'Protect Confederate Monuments' (pictured) was driven out of the area under the Stonewall Jackson statue in Richmond, Virginia, by protesters who gathered to watch the monument being taken down under a new emergency order Protesters cheer as workers remove the statue of Confederate General Stonewall Jackson from it's pedestal Wednesday Richmond Mayor Levary Stoney on Wednesday used his emergency powers to order the immediate removal of all Confederate statues on city land, saying emergency powers were necessary to speed up the healing process for the former capital of the Confederacy amid weeks of protests over police brutality and racial injustice. The move came the same day a new state law took effect granting control of the monuments to the city. The law outlines a removal process of any monuments that would take at least 60 days to unfold. But during a City Council meeting Wednesday morning, Stoney balked as the council scheduled a special meeting for Thursday to formally vote on a resolution calling for the immediate removal of the statues and took matters into his own hands. 'Today, I have the ability to do this through my emergency powers,' Stoney said. 'I think we need to act today.' The lone man ran through the crowds to the base of the statue where he unfurled his flag and stood guard in front of the likeness of the Confederate commander, where city crews were working to remove it from its pedestal in the city He was quickly surrounded by people, liquid was thrown on him and his flag wrenched from his hands, before Richmond Sheriff's deputies were seen escorting him out of the crowds as he wailed and clutched his face The protester in favor of the monument weeps and is removed from the area as work crews remove the statue Stoney argued that the sense of urgency was essential in the interest of public safety, after protesters endangered themselves by taking matters into their own hands and toppling monuments in recent weeks. 'Failing to remove the statues now poses a severe, immediate and growing threat to public safety,' he said, noting that hundreds of demonstrators have held protests in the city for 33 consecutive days. 'As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to surge, and protesters attempt to take down Confederate statues themselves, or confront others who are also doing so, the risk grows for serious illness, injury, or death.' Just hours after Stoney's emergency order, the towering statue of the Confederate general was hoisted from its base. Work crews were spotted near the Jackson statue around an hour after his announcement and hundreds gathered to watch the moment, which marked a step forward for racial justice in the city. Workers at the statue Wednesday to rid the city of the monument of the Confederate commander Work crews work to remove the statue of confederate general Stonewall Jackson Wednesday following weeks of protests City workers safely take down the statue from its pedestal on city land Wednesday to cheers from crowds People flocked to the base of the statue Wednesday in support of the historic moment the statue of the oppressive figure was removed from the city Videos posted on Twitter showed workers being lifted in a crane to the top of the statue, attaching a harness to the massive figure and using power tools to remove the hooves of the statue's carved horse from the base. The work was momentarily disrupted around 4pm as a thunderstorm broke out overhead. Then, just after 4.30pm and in the middle of a downpour, the statue was lifted from its base. Work crews remove the statue. Stoney said he was using his emergency powers to speed up the healing process for the former capital of the Confederacy amid weeks of protests over police brutality and racial injustice Hundreds gathered to celebrate the moment it was taken down Richmond Mayor Stoney ordered the immediate removal of all Confederate statues in the city Wednesday Stoney argued the sense of urgency was essential in the interest of public safety, after protesters endangered themselves by taking matters into their own hands and toppling monuments in recent weeks The removal was met with raucous cheers from the crowds and bells rang out at First Baptist Church on the corner The moment was met with raucous cheers from the crowds and bells rang out at First Baptist Church on the corner. 'This is long overdue,' said Brent Holmes, a black man who watched the moment. 'One down, many more to go.' Stoney was vowed to remove all other Confederate statues on city land over the coming days - of which there are around a dozen including one of Confederate Gen. J.E.B. Stuart. Flatbed trucks and other equipment were already spotted at several other monuments Wednesday. Just hours after Stoney's emergency order, the towering statue of the Confederate general was hoisted from its base. The work and the crowds could not be deterred by the rain as protesters celebrated the historic moment The removal and Stoney's emergency order came the same day a new state law took effect granting control of the monuments to the city The statue is lowered to the ground after being removed from the pedestal. The law outlines a removal process of any monuments that would take at least 60 days to unfold but Stoney took matters into his own hands Wednesday During Wednesday's meeting, city councilors expressed support for removing the statues, but some said the council needed to follow the proper legal process and disapproved of Stoney's move to plow ahead with the removal that day. Interim city attorney Haskell Brown said any claim that Stoney has the authority to remove the statues without following the state process would contradict legal advice he has previously given the council and administration. However, Stoney's order will not extend to the removal of the most prominent and imposing Confederate statue along Richmond's Monument Avenue, that of Confederate General Robert E. Lee. The Lee statue sits on state land rather than city land so Stoney does not have powers to remove it. Stoney's order will not extend to the removal of the most prominent and imposing Confederate statue along Richmond's Monument Avenue, that of Confederate General Robert E. Lee (pictured) Protesters gather at the statue in June to call for its removal. The Lee statue sits on state land rather than city land so Stoney does not have powers to remove it Last month, Virginia Governor Ralph Northam ordered the removal of the monument, but a judge then blocked its removal with an injunction. William C. Gregory, a descendant of signatories to an 1890 deed that transferred the statue to the state more than a century ago, had filed a lawsuit against removing the statue. Richmond Circuit Court Judge Bradley Cavedo extended an injunction mid-June preventing Northam from removing the statue, saying it 'belongs to the people,' and that the governor is 'more of a custodian or fiduciary on their behalf.' The future of the 12-ton, 21-foot statue statue, which is now covered in graffiti from protesters demanding it be toppled, now rests on the resolution of two lawsuits. Rudy Giuliani made a surprise appearance at the White House on Wednesday and answered reporters questions on a number of topics although he declined to say what he was doing in Washington. Giuliani, the former New York City mayor, serves as President Donald Trump's personal attorney and, at one point, served as the administration's cyber czar. He was also a figure during the president's impeachment process as investigators raised questions about the former mayor's clients in the Ukraine. In his unexpected appearance on the White House driveway, Giuliani spent about four minutes answering questions from the press were he called the person who leaked the information on Russian bounties a 'deep state criminal', said presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden was 'not all there' and charged the Black Lives Matters movement with trying to destroy the police. Rudy Giuliani made a surprise appearance at the White House on Wednesday where he answered questions from reporters on a number of topics but declined to say what he was doing in Washington or who he would meet with Rudy Giuliani wore a face mask while walking on the White House driveway - something President Trump has been reluctant to be seen wearing in public In his remarks to the press, Rudy Giuliani slammed Joe Biden as 'not all there' Giuliani had harsh words for the sources in The New York Times article that revealed an intelligence report that claimed the Russian government was paying a bounty to Taliban militants for the killing of U.S. service members in Afghanistan. Giuliani, who made his name in New York City as a federal prosecutor, called the person 'a deep state criminal' who committed a crime that was 'not quite treason but comes close.' 'It's a some kind of a felon in the federal government, some kind of a deep state criminal, because he committed a very serious crime,' Giuliani said. 'That was actionable intelligence. 'I mean, I can't think of a worse crime. It's not quite treason but comes close,' he noted. 'He should be caught and you go to jail for 20 or 30 years. I don't care what it reveals. And what he revealed is something that is in dispute. And if the New York Times had any integrity they wouldn't use it.' He also attacked The New York Times for publishing the story, claiming the newspaper published it so 'they can hurt Trump with another phony story.' Giuliani then pivoted to attacking Joe Biden, echoing a Trump attack line against his Democratic rival by questioning his mental abilities. 'This would be another one in which he demonstrates to us why a cognitively impaired man should not be present to act on this intelligence,' Giuliani said, arguing against a Biden presidency. 'Joe Biden, remember, isn't all there,' he added. 'I mean he's not working with a full deck.' The Trump campaign has repeatedly raised questions about Biden's mental abilities and accused him of hiding in his basement. Biden is avoiding campaigning during the coronavirus crisis as many states still have limits on large gatherings. Trump also has attacked his rival as 'Sleepy Joe.' Biden, in a press conference on Tuesday, was asked if he had been tested for cognitive decline. 'I can hardly wait to compare my cognitive capability to the cognitive capability of the man Im running against,' he replied. Giuliani also had harsh words for the Black Lives Matters movement after New York City's famous George Washington Monument in Washington Square Park was defaced with red paint on Monday as protesters gathered further downtown outside City Hall ahead of a controversial vote that slashed the city's police budget by $1 billion. He called them a 'Marxist organization' out to 'destroy the police.' 'Black Lives Matter is a Marxist organization run by three avowed Marxists, go check. Black Lives Matter has been planning to destroy the police for three years. They finally gotten stupid democrat mayors to agree with them. Please remember that all the, all the lawlessness is happening in democratic cities, run by Democrats,' he said. Giuliani wore a face mask with an American flag motif as he walked down the White House drive way - something President Trump has been reluctant to do in public. Rudy Giuliani popped up on the White House driveway on Wednesday where reporters asked him to stop and take questions Rudy Giuliani called the person who leaked the information on Russian bounties a 'deep state criminal' who was almost guilty of treason Giuliani serves as President Donald Trump's personal attorney Giuliani called the Black Lives Matters movement a 'Marxist' organization out to destroy the police after the arch at Washington Square Park in New York was targeted by vandals throwing balloons And before Giuliani took questions from the press, he posed for a photo with Chanel Rion of One American News Network. Rion and Giuliani worked on a special together for the network on the Bidens' ties to the Ukraine. Hunter Biden, the former vice president's youngest son, sat on the board of Burisma Holdings, a Ukrainian energy company, while his father was vice president. He resigned from that seat after his work became a political hot potato.' During that time Joe Biden urged the Ukrainian government to fire a prosecutor, which Trump and his allies have charged was done to benefit Burisma. The Bidens have denied this and there has been no evidence of wrong-doing on their part. Joe Biden pointed out it was U.S. and international policy to ask this prosecutor to step down. But Trump repeatedly attacked Hunter on his work in the Ukraine, using the line 'Where's Hunter?' at his campaign rallies. His use of it had his supporters laughing and applauding. Trump has used Hunter's work to accuse Joe Biden of political corruption and argue both Bidens benefited financially from the arrangements - all of which the Biden denied. Neither Biden has been charged with any wrong doing. Before Rudy Giuliani took questions from the press, he posed for a photo with Chanel Rion of One American News Network (left) and his assistant Christianne Allen (right) Rudy Giuliani took questions for four minutes from the press before he said: 'Gotta go' Rudy Giuliani was tied to the impeachment investigation due to his work in the Ukraine Giuliani, however, has continued to push the issue. Trump also asked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to meet with Giuliani during the now-infamous phone call that led to the president's impeachment investigation. The House found charged him with two counts - obstruction of Congress and abuse of power - both of which the president was acquitted on. Democratic investigators believed Giuliani was trying to help President Trump's re-election effort by digging up dirt on Biden and the Democratic National Committee in the Ukraine. Giuliani also pushed for former Ukraine Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch to be recalled. Two of Giuliani's associates in his work on the Ukraine - Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman - are being investigated by federal prosecutors in the Southern District of New York. Attorney General William Barr ousted the head prosecutor in that office, Geoffrey Berman, in late June. But Giuliani touched on none of this in his brief appearance before the cameras on Wednesday, ending his interview with the words: 'Gotta go.' Finland's air force has quietly dropped the infamous swastika from its command insignia after critics called for it to be changed because of its links with Nazi Germany. The air force had used the symbol ever since it was founded in 1918 and long before it was co-opted by mass murderer Adolf Hitler's Nazi Party. But in a change first noticed by University of Helsinki academic Teivo Teivainen and reported by the BBC, the air force command has stopped using the unit emblem. Finland's air force has quietly dropped the infamous swastika from its command insignia after critics called for it to be changed because of its links with Nazi Germany However, the emblem of the Finnish air force academy still features a swastika superimposed with a propeller. Teivainen had previously questioned whether the symbol's use was helpful for the Finnish armed forces. The swastika had been used for thousands of years in Indian culture and was a fashionable symbol in the West before it became linked with the crimes of Nazi Germany. A blue swastika on a white background was used on Finland's planes until 1945 and although the country was aligned with Nazi Germany its use was not intended to show allegiance. After the Second World War and until recently, the swastika still featured in some unit emblems, flags and decorations, including on uniforms, a spokesman told the BBC. Since January 2017, the official emblem of the air force has been a golden eagle and circle of wings but the swastika still featured in some unit emblems, flags and decorations, including on uniforms This is despite the fact that since January 2017, the official emblem has been a golden eagle and circle of wings. 'As unit emblems are worn on uniform, it was considered impractical and unnecessary to continue using the old unit emblem, which had caused misunderstandings from time to time,' the air force spokesman said. The geometric symbol is in the form of a cross with arms coming off at right angles. Its name comes from the Sanskrit words for prosperity and good luck. The air force had used the symbol ever since it was founded in 1918 and long before it was co-opted by mass murderer Adolf Hitler's Nazi Party. Pictured: Historic Finnish airforce planes featuring the blue swastika Because of Hitler's genocidal crimes against millions of Jewish people and many others, the swastika symbolises Nazism and anti-Semitism for many people in the West. The swastika became associated with the Finnish air force after a Swedish nobleman, Count Eric von Rosen, gave a plane to Sweden's infant air force which featured a blue swastika painted on it. Afterwards, all Finnish planes had the symbol on until 1945. Professor Teivainen told the BBC he had never suggested the swastika should be banned in Finland, but that the military's duty is to 'defend the nation - not to defend an old count in 1918.' Evene though von Rosen had no associations with Nazism in 1918, he went on to become a leading figure in Sweden's national socialist movement in the 1930s. According to professor Teivainen, he was also a friend of Hitler and a brother-in-law of Herman Goring, Hitler's air force chief. Advertisement The clean up operation began at Seattle's Capitol Hill Organized Protest (CHOP) zone on Wednesday after police in the city reclaimed their precinct following the mayor's early morning executive order to vacate the area. Bulldozers moved in and crushed the camp where protesters occupied several blocks around a park and the Seattle Police Department's East Precinct. Officers had abandoned the building on June 8 following clashes with protesters calling for an end to police brutality. But Republicans, led by Mitch McConnell, say the move to shut down the zone 'is several deaths too late' after two black men were shot dead. At least 31 people were arrested at the CHOP zone Wednesday which has seen the two deadly shootings and crime rise by more than 500 per cent in just over three weeks. Senate Majority Leader McConnell tweeted: 'Finally. Twenty-some days and several deaths too late. The rule of law must not fade in and out with the fashions of the radical left.' Rep Doug Collins added: 'It's sad that it took two deaths for the Seattle mayor to finally realize what we've known all along. WE NEED OUR POLICE!' Pictures show trash and debris being collected by city workers with tents and protest signs taken down. Police said they found 'recovered improvised spike stripsdesigned to puncture vehicle tiresin the area of the CHOP'. The 31 arrests were for failure to disperse, obstruction, assault, and unlawful weapon possession, they added. Scroll down for video The clean up operation began at Seattle's Capitol Hill Organized Protest (CHOP) zone on Wednesday Seattle Department of Transportation begins removing plywood outside the closed Seattle Police East Precinct A Seattle Department of Transportation worker removes a Black Lives Matter Street sign in front of the police precinct Seattle city workers move personal belongings and trash from the former site of CHOP in front of the East Precinct Police Station Pictures show trash and debris being collected by city workers with tents and protest signs taken down Bulldozers moved in and crushed the camp where protesters occupied several blocks around a park and the Seattle Police Department's East Precinct. Officers had abandoned the building on June 8 following clashes with protesters Republicans, led by Mitch McConnell, say the move to shut down the zone 'is several deaths too late' after two black men were shot dead People had occupied several blocks around a park and the Seattle Police Department's East Precinct A city worker moves concrete barricades near 'BLM' graffiti as Seattle Police retake the Capitol Hill Occupied Protest area City workers begin to dismantle tents and barricades left behind after the CHOP area in Seattle was reclaimed by police A protester cries out to onlookers while being arrested during the clearing of Seattle's CHOP on Wednesday Seattle Police arrest a demonstrator who was blocking an intersection as police cleared the CHOP At least 31 people were arrested at the CHOP zone Wednesday which has seen the two deadly shootings and crime rise by more than 500 per cent in just over three weeks Calling the gathering at the East Precinct and Cal Anderson Park an 'unlawful assembly' Mayor Jenny Durkan demanded all barriers be removed in an order issued in the early hours of Wednesday. Seattle police confirmed in a tweet early Wednesday that they would be 'in the area this morning enforcing the Mayor's order'. Officers in riot gear issued a dispersal order at 5am leading to the 31 arrests within just 30 minutes amid fears the protesters could now move to West Precinct. Police tweeted: 'Because suspects in recent shootings may still be in the area, and because numerous people in the area are in possession of firearms, Seattle Police officers involved in this morning's response will be equipped with additional protective gear.' Eyewitness Omari Salisbury said: 'The Seattle Police Department basically reclaimed the precinct in less than 30 minutes, five feet at a time with the bicycle officers out in front.' Speaking outside the precinct Wednesday morning police chief Carmen Best confirmed her officers had reclaimed the precinct, with the help of Bellevue police and the FBI, but could not offer a time frame on when they would move back in. She said: 'Our job is to support peaceful demonstration but what has happened on these streets over the last two weeks is lawless and it's brutal and bottom line it is simply unacceptable.' President Donald Trump has repeatedly criticized the Seattle protest area, as well as city and state leaders. He tweeted Monday morning that the protesters 'have ZERO respect for Government.' A worker cleans off the word 'people' graffitied over the word 'police' at the Seattle Police Department's East Precinct as they retake the Capitol Hill Occupied Protest zone Calling the gathering at the East Precinct and Cal Anderson Park an 'unlawful assembly' Mayor Jenny Durkan demanded all barriers be removed in an order issued in the early hours of Wednesday President Donald Trump has repeatedly criticized the Seattle protest area, as well as city and state leaders Trash and debris can be seen being collected by city workers outside of the SPD East Precinct Clearing out: City crews dismantle the Capitol Hill Organized Protest (CHOP) area outside of the Seattle Police Department's vacated East Precinct Police clear campers from Cal Anderson park as city crews dismantle the Capitol Hill Organized Protest (CHOP) area City crews dismantle the CHOP area outside of the Seattle Police Department's vacated East Precinct on Wednesday City crews dismantle the Capitol Hill Organized Protest zone and clean the area outside of the Seattle Police Department's vacated East Precinct City workers dismantle tents and debris as Seattle;s occupied protest zone is brought to an end City crews use heavy machinery to dismantle the Capitol Hill Occupied Protest (CHOP) area next to the Seattle Police Department's East Precinct A huge cleanup operation gets underway after protesters were cleared out of Seattle's east precinct TIMELINE OF VIOLENCE IN SEATTLE'S CHOP ZONE June 8: Protesters occupy the area; police abandoned the precinct June 20: A 19-year-old man is shot dead and a 33-year-old man was wounded June 24: Nearby businesses and property owners filed a federal lawsuit against the city June 29: Two teens shot - one fatally - in Jeep at zone's concrete barriers June 30: Barricades at Seattle's cop-free zone are torn down as protesters replace concrete barriers with trash cans and couches July 1: Early hours : Mayor Jenny Durkan demand all barriers are removed after a 525 per cent spike in violent crimes in the area 5am: Police swarm the zone 5:30am: Eyewitnesses say officers have cleared the area 7am: Chief Carmen Best confirms police have taken back precinct Advertisement Police said: 'Since demonstrations at the East Precinct area began on June 8th, two teenagers have been killed and three people have been seriously wounded in late-night shootings. Police have also documented robberies, assaults, and other violent crimes. 'Because suspects in recent shootings may still be in the area, and because numerous people in the area are in possession of firearms, Seattle Police officers involved in this morning's response will be equipped with additional protective gear.' At least 100 police officers swarmed the zone known as CHOP at about 5am and a loud bang was heard at about 6:15am followed by a cloud of smoke. Officers tore down demonstrators' tents and used bicycles to herd the protesters. Police tore down fences that protesters had erected around their tents and used batons to poke inside bushes, apparently looking for people who might be hiding inside. Most protesters appeared to have dispersed several hours after the operations started and armed officers looked on from rooftops as clean-up crews of workers arrived to break down tables and tarps that protesters had set up in the zone. Protester Rick Hearns used his megaphone to tell demonstrators: 'We've made history. Everybody out. We'll get another place. Don't taunt the officers.' Officers stood shoulder-to-shoulder on several streets while others created a makeshift fence with their bicycles, using it to push protesters back away from the center of the zone. Chief Best said: 'The CHOP has become lawless and brutal. Four shootings, two fatal, robberies, assaults, violence and countless property crimes have occurred in this several block area.' Tweeting their moves to dismantle the area police said: 'Police have observed individuals in the vehicles with firearms/armor. The vehicles also appear to be operating without visible license plates. 'Anyone who remains in the area, or returns to the area, is subject to arrest.' Confirming the 31 people arrested police said one man, 29, was in possession of a large metal pipe and kitchen knife when he was taken into custody. Police also released a video documenting the acts of violence inside CHOP over the last few weeks. Crews had already used heavy equipment Tuesday in an attempt to remove makeshift barriers around the CHOP zone following the two fatal shootings. But demonstrators dragged couches and other items to replace the structures. Those were largely gone later Tuesday. Seattle police showed up in force early Wednesday at the city's 'occupied' protest zone, tore down demonstrators' tents and used bicycles to herd the protesters after the mayor ordered the area cleared following two fatal shootings Police swarmed the zone known as CHOP at about 5am; at least 31 people were arrested, said Police Chief Carmen Best Police detain a person as city crews dismantle the Capitol Hill Organized Protest (CHOP) area. Thirty-one people were arrested this morning Police detain a man as city crews dismantle CHOP which protesters have occupied since June 8 Wearing helmets and wielding batons and rifles, officers converged on the area at dawn Officers stood shoulder-to-shoulder on several streets while others created a makeshift fence with their bicycles, using it to push protesters back away from the center of the zone Eyewitness Omari Salisbury said: 'The Seattle Police Department basically reclaimed the precinct in less than 30 minutes, five feet at a time with the bicycle officers out in front' Seattle police on Wednesday moved in to reclaim their precinct in the city's 'occupied' protest zone The move to dismantle the area follows the shooting death of a 16-year-old boy, named as Antonio Mays Jr, in the early hours of Monday morning. A 14-year-old was also critically injured when eyewitnesses say armed security inside the zone fired 300 rounds. Lorenzo Anderson, 19, was shot on the protest area on June 20. His father, Horace Lorenzo Anderson, said: 'This doesn't look like a protest to me no more. That just looks like they just took over and said we can take over whenever we want to.' Volunteer medic Marty Jackson had described the area as an 'active war zone' and said: 'I don't think we're gonna stop here.' He told KUOW it was CHOP's own armed security who fired at the car driven by the teen after it crashed into a barrier, killing him and critically wounding the 14-year-old. Warning people not to come to the CHOP zone, Jackson added: 'Because now it's like pretty much an active war zone. Now you have security and medical always looking around waiting to see the next.' People kneel in front of a line of Police officers on bicycles as Seattle Police retake the Capitol Hill Occupied Protest (CHOP) area, including their East Precinct, in Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan called the city's 'occupied' protest zone an 'unlawful assembly' in an order Wednesday. Seattle police confirmed Wednesday they would be 'in the area this morning enforcing the Mayor's order' People have occupied several blocks around a park and the Seattle Police Department's East Precinct for about two weeks. Police abandoned the building following clashes with protesters calling for an end to police brutality Seattle police block a street with their bicycles in the Capitol Hill Organized Protest zone early Wednesday A protester stands with her hand up in front of a road blocked by Seattle police in the Capitol Hill Organized Protest zone early Wednesday, Police tore down fences that protesters had erected around their tents and used batons to poke inside bushes, apparently looking for people who might be hiding inside Most protesters appeared to have dispersed several hours after the operations started and armed officers looked on from rooftops as clean-up crews of workers arrived to break down tables and tarps that protesters had set up in the zone Footage from inside the zone had shown the chaotic scenes and the bullet ridden vehicle in the immediate aftermath of the shoot out Monday. City workers on Friday tried to remove makeshift barriers erected around the area but stopped their work after demonstrators objected. Seattle police Assistant Chief Adrian Diaz said Tuesday the large, makeshift barriers would be removed in incremental steps to allow traffic to move through portions of a road that had been closed off. 'So far, you know, everything is peaceful this morning, so that's a good sign,' Diaz told The Seattle Times. Police said one man, 29, was in possession of a large metal pipe and kitchen knife when he was taken into custody President Donald Trump has repeatedly criticized the Seattle protest area, as well as city and state leaders Calling the gathering at the East Precinct and Cal Anderson Park an 'unlawful assembly' Mayor Jenny Durkan had demanded all barriers be removed after a 525 per cent spike in violent crimes in the area There had been increasing calls by critics, including President Trump, to remove protesters from the 'Capitol Hill Occupied Protest' area east of downtown. Protesters say they should not be blamed for the violence in the area. People continued to add artwork, flowers and candles at a memorial for the 16-year-old on Tuesday. Chief Best said the shootings are obscuring the message of racial justice promoted by protesters. Nearby businesses and property owners also filed a federal lawsuit against the city last week, saying officials have been too tolerant of those who created the zone and that officials have deprived property owners of their property rights by allowing the zone to continue existing. Also Tuesday, Mayor Durkan asked the City Council to investigate council member Kshama Sawant, accusing her of opening City Hall to protesters on June 9 and participating in a protest march to Durkan's home on Sunday. 'She and organizers knew that my address was protected under the state confidentiality program because of threats against me due largely to my work as U.S. attorney,' Durkan wrote. Sawant said she had not organized the march and wasn't taking Durkan's words personally, The Seattle Times reported. 'In reality, this is an attack on working people's movements, and everything we are fighting for, by a corporate politician desperately looking to distract from her failures of leadership and politically bankrupt administration,' Sawant said in a statement. Earlier this month Sawant and other council members called on the mayor to resign over what they called the Police Department's militaristic response to protests. Durkan has said she will not resign. Mayor Jenny Durkan, right, had demanded all barriers be removed from the city's 'occupied' protest zone after a 525 per cent spike in violent crimes in the area. Chief Carmen Best, right, said: 'The CHOP has become lawless and brutal. Four shootings-two fatalrobberies, assaults, violence and countless property crimes have occurred in this several block area' Police also released a video documenting the acts of violence inside CHOP over the last few weeks. The clips, taken in the early hours of a Monday morning, show the bullet ridden vehicle in the moments after gunfire broke out Protesters stand on barricades a block away as Seattle Department of Transportation workers remove other barricades at the intersection of 10th Ave. and Pine St., Tuesday Nearby businesses and property owners filed a federal lawsuit against the city last Wednesday, claiming officials have been too tolerant of those who created the zone and that officials have deprived property owners of their property rights by allowing the zone to continue existing. The business owners said they were not trying to undermine the protesters' anti-police-brutality and Black Lives Matter messages. But the owners said they have suffered because the creation of the zone has limited their access to their businesses and that some owners trying clean graffiti from their storefronts or attempting to photograph protesters have been threatened. A second lawsuit was filed by attorney Jacob Bozeman Monday. He said: 'To abdicate the authority to an unelected, unauthorized and armed group of people to decide who can come and go, who can be searched and seized, and under what portions of the city you can come and go from, for fear of physical retaliation against you, is unconstitutional.' PICTURED: 16-year-old boy shot dead inside CHOP as cops release footage of gunmen prowling streets inside the zone on the night he died The 16-year-old boy shot dead inside Seattle's Capitol Hill Organized Protest (CHOP) zone has been named as Antonio Mays Jr. Mays Jr was killed in the early hours of Monday morning after eyewitnesses say the area's armed security fired at the Jeep his was driving. A 14-year-old boy was also critically wounded in the shooting. Seattle police on Wednesday reclaimed their precinct in the city's 'occupied' protest zone after the mayor finally issued an early morning executive order to vacate the area. Law enforcement also released a video documenting the acts of violence inside CHOP over the last few weeks. Gunmen are seen prowling through the area on the night of Mays Jr's death. One eyewitness said 300 rounds were fired on the night of his killing. Antonio Mays Jr was killed in the early hours of Monday morning inside CHOP A second teen, Lorenzo Anderson, 19, was shot dead in the area on June 20 DailyMail.com has contacted police for the latest on their investigation into the fatal shooting to determine where any of those in the video are suspects Police have released a video documenting the acts of violence inside CHOP over the last few weeks; gunmen are seen prowling on the night of Mays Jr's death DailyMail.com has contacted police for the latest on their investigation into the fatal shooting to determine where any of those in the video are suspects. His death marked the second fatal shooting in the area after a 19-year-old was killed on June 20. A second teen, Lorenzo Anderson, 19, was shot dead on the protest area on June 20. His father, Horace Lorenzo Anderson, said: 'This doesn't look like a protest to me no more. That just looks like they just took over and said we can take over whenever we want to.' PICTURED: Fox News reporter is back at Seattle's CHOP zone two days after he was trapped inside his car by dozens of Black Lives Matter protesters 'after he shoved woman' Fox News reporter Dan Springer was pictured back at Seattle's CHOP zone Wednesday - two days after he was trapped inside his car by Black Lives Matter protesters. An angry mob trapped the correspondent in his vehicle after a BLM member claimed she was shoved by King, DailyMail.com disclosed Monday. River, a BLM protester at CHOP, claimed to DailyMail.com that Springer had pushed a woman at the event, telling her to get back, prompting the woman to throw her coffee at him. Springer then retreated into an SUV with private armed security guards protecting the car, as a group of 50 barricaded the vehicle and demanded for him to apologize. After 20 minutes the angry crowd died down and another vehicle pulled up, with Springer jumping inside and speeding away, according to onlookers. Fox News' Dan Springer was pictured back at Seattle's CHOP zone Wednesday River explained the group was protesting Fox News and Springer over the network's alleged fake news stories aired about CHOP when the incident occurred At one point, the protesters jumped on the hood of the SUV and placed a barricade in front of it so Springer couldn't leave the area Advertisement The 16-year-old boy who was shot dead by CHOP security in Seattle was homeless and had just carjacked a Jeep when he was told by a friend to drive to the cop-free zone 'for safety', DailyMail.com can reveal. Antonio Mays Jr died in a hail of bullets in the early hours of Monday morning and his passenger, a 14-year-old, was critically injured after armed security guards fired on their white Jeep Cherokee, which crashed into the barriers of the Capitol Hill Organized Protest (CHOP) security zone. Ciara Walker, 25, described the two boys as her 'street brothers' and said Mays Jr and the other teen had been living with her and her husband in a tent at the nearby Cal Anderson Park, located just outside the CHOP zone. She told DailyMail.com in an exclusive interview the boys had stolen the Jeep hours before and were being followed and shot at, prompting her to tell the teens to go into the zone for safety. Walker revealed she was on the phone with the boys when they were shot, saying: 'The last thing I heard was a crash and pop pop pop, Im not sure who said what, but one of them said, '''Ah s**t Im hit, I dont wanna die.'' Then the phone went dead.' Antonio Mays Jr, the 16-year-old boy who was shot dead by CHOP security in Seattle, was homeless and had just carjacked a Jeep when he was told by a friend to drive to the zone 'for safety', DailyMail.com can reveal Ciara Walker, 25, (pictured) described the two boys as her 'street brothers' and said Mays Jr and the other teen had been living with her and her husband in a tent at the nearby Cal Anderson Park, located just outside the CHOP zone. Walker revealed she was on the phone with the boys when they were shot, saying: 'The last thing I heard was a crash and pop pop pop, Im not sure who said what, but one of them said, '''Ah s**t Im hit, I dont wanna die.'' Then the phone went dead' Antonio Mays Jr died in a hail of bullets in the early hours of Monday morning and his passenger, a 14-year-old, was critically injured after armed security guards fired on the white Jeep Cherokee they were driving and had crashed into the barriers of the Capitol Hill Organized Protest (CHOP) security zone Police have released a video documenting the acts of violence inside CHOP over the last few weeks; gunmen are seen prowling on the night of Mays Jr's death Armed security inside Seattle's 'occupied' protest zone fired 300 rounds on the night they shot dead a black 16-year-old boy driving a Jeep, according to one eyewitness Walker said she had only known both boys for the past few months, saying: 'They were runaways, we dont know much about them. They werent gang members even though they hung out with Blood gang members. Walker said the two teens had carjacked and beat up the owner of the white Jeep Cherokee just hours before the fatal shooting. They held someone up at knifepoint to carjack the Jeep,' she said. The teens were joy riding around doing stupid s**t but then CHOP security started to follow them, as well as other vehicles, Walker claimed. She added: 'Both [Mays Jr] and [redacted] came to us and told us they were being chased, we told them to get away from them. They had told us that a car was following them with guns and another black Chevy Suburban that had the words ''Security'' written on the car was following them, as well shooting at them. We told them to turn around and drive to the police precinct in the CHOP for safety on 12th and Pine. They drove into the CHOP zone not to ambush the sleeping protesters but for their own safety and it ended up costing at least one of them their life.' Walker said she heard several gunshots, which were too many to count', and insisted the teenagers didn't have firearms. One eyewitness said 300 rounds were fired on the night of Mays Jr's killing, as the wild spray of bullets went into neighboring apartments about 100 yards away, photos obtained by DailyMail.com show. Mays Jr's death marked the second fatal shooting in the area after a 19-year-old Lorenzo Anderson was killed on June 20. Seattle police on Wednesday reclaimed their precinct in the city's 'occupied' protest zone after the mayor finally issued an early morning executive order to vacate the area. DailyMail.com has contacted police for the latest on their investigation into the fatal shooting to determine where any of those in the video are suspects One eyewitness said 300 rounds were fired on the night of Mays Jr's killing. A gunman is seen in footage above from that night A gunman is seen above on the night the 16-year-old boy was shot dead. Seattle police on Wednesday reclaimed their precinct in the city's 'occupied' protest zone after the mayor finally issued an early morning executive order to vacate the area One eyewitness said 300 rounds were fired on the night of Mays Jr killing, as the wild spray of bullets went into neighboring apartments around 100 yards away, photos obtained by DailyMail.com show Seattle police on Wednesday moved in to reclaim their precinct in the city's 'occupied' protest zone Mayor Jenny Durkan called the city's 'occupied' protest zone an 'unlawful assembly' in an order Wednesday. Seattle police confirmed Wednesday they would be 'in the area this morning enforcing the Mayor's order' TIMELINE OF VIOLENCE IN SEATTLE'S CHOP ZONE June 8: Protesters occupy the area; police abandoned the precinct June 20: A 19-year-old man is shot dead and a 33-year-old man was wounded June 24: Nearby businesses and property owners filed a federal lawsuit against the city June 29: Two teens shot - one fatally - in Jeep at zone's concrete barriers June 30: Barricades at Seattle's cop-free zone are torn down as protesters replace concrete barriers with trash cans and couches July 1: Early hours : Mayor Jenny Durkan demand all barriers are removed after a 525 per cent spike in violent crimes in the area 5am: Police swarm the zone 5:30am: Eyewitnesses say officers have cleared the area 7am: Chief Carmen Best confirms police have taken back precinct Advertisement Law enforcement also released a video documenting the acts of violence inside CHOP over the last few weeks. Gunmen are seen prowling through the area on the night of Mays Jr's death. DailyMail.com has contacted police for the latest on their investigation into the fatal shooting and to determine whether any of those in the video released by cops are suspects in the Mays Jr's killing. Protesters had occupied several blocks around a park and the Seattle Police Department's East Precinct after officers abandoned the building on June 8 following clashes with protesters calling for an end to police brutality. At least 31 people were arrested at the Capitol Hill Organized Protest (CHOP) zone Wednesday which has seen crime rise by more than 500 per cent in just over three weeks. Tweeting the footage of gunmen in the CHOP area over the past three weeks police wrote: 'Some of the violence in and armed individuals in the CHOP have been captured by open source video recorded in the area.' In the clip one person running from gunfire can be heard calling the zone a 'nightmare', adding: 'This has got to be the end of CHOP in my opinion. 'I think it's pretty much over after this. This is kind of a nightmare.' The footage begins on June 20 and shows a fight between demonstrators; one person is surrounded on the ground and appears to be being dragged along. By June 20 - the night of the first fatal shooting in the zone - the sound of gunfire is picked up on security cameras. The footage then cuts to June 29 - the night of Mays Jr's death - and a a number of people are seen prowling the streets with guns. Volunteer medic Marty Jackson had described the area as an 'active war zone' and said: 'I don't think we're gonna stop here.' Speaking outside the precinct Wednesday morning police chief Carmen Best confirmed her officers had reclaimed the precinct, with the help of Bellevue police and the FBI, but could not offer a time frame on when they would move back in. A gunman is seen above on the night the 16-year-old was shot dead. There have been four shootings in the area in and around CHOP in the past three weeks Footage of fighting inside CHOP on June 20 is seen above. Police released the footage Wednesday showing violence in the area over the past three weeks She said: 'Our job is to support peaceful demonstration but what has happened on these streets over the last two weeks is lawless and it's brutal and bottom line it is simply unacceptable.' At least 100 police officers swarmed CHOP at about 5am and a loud bang was heard at about 6.15am followed by a cloud of smoke. Officers tore down demonstrators' tents and used bicycles to herd the protesters. Police tore down fences that protesters had erected around their tents and used batons to poke inside bushes, apparently looking for people who might be hiding inside. Most protesters appeared to have dispersed several hours after the operations started and armed officers looked on from rooftops as clean-up crews of workers arrived to break down tables and tarps that protesters had set up in the zone. Footage from inside the Capitol Hill Organized Protest (CHOP) zone shows the chaotic scenes and the bullet ridden vehicle in the immediate aftermath of the shoot out Those inside CHOP say they started shooting at the Jeep only after two teens opened fire on them and drove into a barricade A second teen, Lorenzo Anderson, 19, was shot dead in the area on June 20 Volunteer medic Marty Jackson had described the area as an 'active war zone' and said: 'I don't think we're gonna stop here' Officers in riot gear issued a dispersal order at 5am leading to the 31 arrests within just 30 minutes amid fears the protesters could now move to West Precinct There had been increasing calls by critics, including President Trump, to remove protesters from the 'Capitol Hill Occupied Protest' area east of downtown. Protesters say they should not be blamed for the violence in the area. People continued to add artwork, flowers and candles at a memorial for the 16-year-old on Tuesday. Chief Best said the shootings are obscuring the message of racial justice promoted by protesters. Nearby businesses and property owners also filed a federal lawsuit against the city last week, saying officials have been too tolerant of those who created the zone and that officials have deprived property owners of their property rights by allowing the zone to continue existing. Also Tuesday, Mayor Durkan asked the City Council to investigate council member Kshama Sawant, accusing her of opening City Hall to protesters on June 9 and participating in a protest march to Durkan's home on Sunday. 'She and organizers knew that my address was protected under the state confidentiality program because of threats against me due largely to my work as U.S. attorney,' Durkan wrote. Sawant said she had not organized the march and wasn't taking Durkan's words personally, The Seattle Times reported. President Donald Trump on Wednesday said that many in the intelligence community didn't believe a report that the Russian government was paying a bounty on American troops in Afghanistan. He continued to claim he had never been briefed on the matter, saying it didn't rise to the level of president, and called the report a 'hoax.' 'We never heard about it because intelligence never found it to be of that level, where it would rise to that,' Trump told Fox Business in an interview. 'When you bring something into a president and I see many, many things and I'm sure I don't see many things that they don't think rose to the occasion. This didn't rise to the occasion.' The White House has struggled to do damage control and contain the fallout from Friday's report in The New York Times on the allegation against Russia. The administration has focused its counterattack on the argument that Trump was never briefed on the matter. President Donald Trump said many in the intelligence community didn't believe a report that the Russian government was paying a bounty on American troops Trump added that the intelligence community didn't even buy it. His administration has called the information 'unverified' and said that is why it was never presented to the president during one of his intelligence briefings. 'From what I hear, and I hear it pretty good, the intelligence people didn't even - many of them didn't believe it happened at all. I think it's a hoax. I think it's a hoax by the newspapers and the Democrats,' Trump said. But the president declined to detail what he would do if the report turned out to be true, simply saying: 'If it did happen, the Russians would hear about it. And anybody else would hear about it that was involved.' Trump called the matter a 'hoax' earlier in the day even as his national security adviser admitted the information was in the president's briefing but not given to him, saying it was 'unverified.' The president blasted The New York Times, which originally reported that Russia was paying Taliban militants bounties to kill U.S. service members. 'The Russia Bounty story is just another made up by Fake News tale that is told only to damage me and the Republican Party. The secret source probably does not even exist, just like the story itself. If the discredited @nytimes has a source, reveal it. Just another HOAX!,' Trump tweeted Wednesday morning. Officials in the administration have not disputed the existence of the intelligence report but have said it was not verified and that was why it was not presented to President Trump. National Security Adviser Robert O'Brien told 'Fox & Friends' on Wednesday morning the president wasn't briefed because the allegation against Russia was 'uncorroborated.' But he also acknowledged the allegation was in Trump's briefing material - but the briefer didn't tell the president about it. 'The president's career CIA briefer decided not to brief him because it was unverified intelligence and, by the way, she's an outstanding officer and - in knowing all the facts I know - I certainly support her decision,' he said. President Donald Trump called reports of Russian bounties on American soldiers in Afghanistan a 'hoax' that was 'made up by fake news' Trump's National Security Adviser Robert O'Brien told 'Fox & Friends' the president wasn't briefed because the allegation was 'uncorroborated' but O'Brien admitted information was in president's daily briefing - it just wasn't given to him by the CIA officer doing the briefing O'Brien, after his appearance on Fox News, was asked by reporters at the White House if the information about Russia was in the president's daily brief but he declined to say either way. 'We don't get into to written classified documents. Unfortunately that that's something that there's been spent a little too much that in Washington lately,' he said. While Trump and his staff have argued he was not briefed on the matter, reports indicated the information was in the president's daily brief - a compilation of intelligence reports given to the commander in chief and top administration officials. Trump is said not to read it carefully and is, instead, orally briefed on the matters at hand. President's Daily Brief The President's Daily Brief (PDB) is a daily a multi-source intelligence digest of high-level information and analysis on national security issues produced for the president and key cabinet members and advisers. It has been presented in some form to the president since 1946, when President Harry Truman received the Daily Summary. In 2014, the PDB transitioned from a print product to electronic delivery at the request of President Barack Obama. Given the sensitive nature of the information, most PDBs - even those from many years past - remain classified. Source: Intelligence.gov Advertisement O'Brien seems to confirm this with his account. 'The person who decided early on whether the president should be briefed on this in the Oval ... was a senior career civil servant, at a CIA officer,' he told reporters at the White House. 'And she made that decision because she didn't have confidence in the intelligence that came up. We get raw intelligence and tactical intelligence, every day, hundreds of pieces of intelligence coming every day, thousands of pieces of intelligence come in a week. She made that call,' he said. The New York Times reported in May that Trump's CIA briefer is Beth Sanner, who has three decades of experience. The piece also detailed how the president has a short attention span, rarely reads his daily brief (except for graphs and photos he likes to look at) and tends to get his information from conservative news outlets. White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said the president wasn't angry about not being briefed because he has 'great faith' in his staff. 'The president believes that and has great faith and Ambassador O'Brien and the others who made the decision that this shouldn't be risen to his desk. It was a career CIA officer with more than 30 years of tenure who made the decision not to brief it up and the National Security Adviser agreed with that decision. She's an excellent officer and does great work,' she said Wednesday at her press briefing. 'But this is unverified still at this very moment,' she added. And McEnany said on Tuesday the president does read his briefing reports. 'The President does read and he also consumes intelligence verbally. This president I will tell you is the most informed person on planet earth when it comes to the threats that we face,' McEnany said. Vice President Mike Pence said Wednesday he had not been briefed on the subject. 'No, I was never briefed about that matter. And I'm not going to talk about classified materials...being the father of a United States Marine...I couldn't be more proud of this president's ongoing efforts to support our military,' he told reporters during a trip to Arizona. And Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Russia is a constant threat in Afghanistan and the situation his handled appropriately. 'The president has been consistently aware of the challenges that Russia presents to us, and he is aware of the risk in Afghanistan,' Pompeo said Wednesday at the State Department. 'The fact that the Russians are engaged in Afghanistan, in a way that's adverse to the United States is nothing new,' he said and added: 'We took this seriously, we handle it appropriately.' A Defense Department report out Wednesday found that the Russian government was working in Afghanistan to expedite an American withdrawal of troops. 'Russia very likely continues to support U.S.-Taliban reconciliation efforts in the hope that reconciliation will prevent a long-term U.S. military presence,' the 108-page report stated. 'As of February, the Russian government was working with the central government, regional countries, and the Taliban to gain increased influence in Afghanistan, expedite a U.S. military withdrawal, and address security challenges that might arise from a withdrawal.' Speaker Nancy Pelosi will be briefed on the intelligence on Thursday. She and the rest of the Gang of Eight will be briefed by the CIA director and the director of national intelligence, White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany confirmed on Wednesday. The Gang of Eight is compromised of the top leadership in Congress from both parties and the heads of the intelligence committees. Besides Pelosi, it includes Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy, Republican Senator Marco Rubio and Democratic Senator Mark Warner as the chairman and ranking member of the Senate Intelligence committee, and Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff and Republican Rep. Devin Nunes as the chairman and ranking member of the House intelligence committee. The briefings for the Gang of Eight are more detailed than a briefing for all members of Congress. The White House has already held separate briefings for some Democratic and Republican lawmakers. Meanwhile, McEnany on Tuesday abandoned attempts to discredit the intelligence report that Russians were offering bounties on U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan and instead blasted The New York Times for reporting on it and criticized those who leaked the information to the newspaper as going after President Trump. 'The front page of the New York Times is not the venue for discussing classified information,' she announced when she came to the podium. 'As a result of this New York Times report, who's going to want to crop cooperate with the United States intelligence community? Who's going to want to be a source or an asset, if they know that their identity could be disclosed? Which allies will want to share information with us, if they know that some rogue intelligence officer can go splash that information on the front page of a major U.S. newspaper?,' she argued. White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany abandoned attempts to discredit an intelligence report that Russians were offering bounties on U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany spent her short press briefing - called on short notice - defending President Trump and blasting The New York Times for its report on Russian bounties McEnany on Tuesday gave members of the media 40 minutes notice that she would hold a briefing and then only took questions for 15 minutes - a short period marked by her repeated defense of the president and multiple attacks on the report in The Times. She also blasted the intelligence officials who leaked the information to the newspaper in a fiery appearance that was sure to please the president she was defending. 'These are rogue intelligence officers who are imperiling our troops lives. We will not be able to get - very likely not be able to get - a consensus on this intelligence, because of what was leaked to the New York Times,' she said. Asked if these officers were going after President Trump, McEnany responded: 'It very possibly could be. And if that's the case, it is absolutely despicable.' Her defense of the president and offensive strategy came as Joe Biden, the Democrats' presumptive 2020 nominee, criticized the president for not knowing about the intelligence report and not taking stronger action upon learning about it. McEnany continued the arguments she made on Monday - that President Trump was not briefed because the information was not 'verified.' 'The President was never briefed on this, this intelligence still has not been verified, and there is no consensus among the intelligence community,' McEnany argued repeatedly. She did concede he has now been briefed on the matter. 'The president has been briefed on what is unfortunately in the public domain because of the New York Times and the irresponsible leaks. Yes he has been briefed, but that does not change the fact that there is no consensus on this intelligence that still has yet to be verified,' she said. Her briefing came after the State Department revealed Secretary of State Mike Pompeo spoke with a Taliban Deputy and chief negotiator Mullah Baradar and told him not to attack Americans. Pompeo spoke with Baradar via video conference on Monday, the State Department revealed in a brief statement. 'The Secretary made clear the expectation for the Taliban to live up to their commitments, which include not attacking Americans,' the department said. The Trump administration has gotten consumed with the growing crisis over an intelligence report - revealed in The New York Times on Friday - that Russians were paying Taliban officials to kill American soldiers in Afghanistan. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo spoke with a Taliban leader amid the growing crisis over Russian bounties on U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan and told them not to kill Americans Joe Biden said of Donald Trump that 'this man is not fit to be the president of the United States of America' during remarks in Wilmington on Tuesday President Trump and administration officials have repeatedly denied the president knew about the intelligence, which the White House has said is not 'verified,' leading to questions of why Trump wasn't told and whether or not it was contained in his presidential daily brief and - if it was - why didn't he read it. As the administration has struggled to down play the shocking report, Democrats have piled onto the president, accusing him of a 'dereliction of duty' in the words of Joe Biden, the presumptive nominee who spoke in Wilmington on Tuesday. 'If these allegations are true and he did nothing about any of this, then, in fact, I think the public should - unrelated to my running - conclude this man is not fit to be the president of the United States of America,' Biden said of Trump. Some Republicans have jumped to the president's defense. 'This morning I attended a long briefing at @WhiteHouse on reports about Putin putting bounties on our troops in Afghanistan. I'm confident @RealDonaldTrump didn't know about the report, and it's clear our intelligence agencies aren't in complete agreement on this,' wrote Republican Sen. Jim Inhofe, the chairman of Senate Armed Services Committee, on Twitter. The White House has been briefing members of Congress - Republicans and Democrats separately - on the issue but won't say if the president has been briefed on it. The New York Times reported additional information on the payments on Tuesday, citing sources who claimed that American officials intercepted electronic data showing large financial transfers from a bank account controlled by Russia's military intelligence agency to a Taliban-linked account. That led to several arrests of Afghan businessmen believed to be middlemen who operated between the G.R.U. - the Russian intelligence agency - and the Taliban-linked militants. One of those men had $500,000 in cash at their residence. Meanwhile, President Trump on Tuesday embraced a claim that an intelligence report on the Russian bounties was 'wishful thinking' as the families of Marines who died in a car bomb attack demanded justice. The president retweeted two tweets from Geraldo Rivera on the matter as the White House struggled to deal with the fallout from The New York Times' explosive report on the bounties, trying to down play its significance and saying Trump was never briefed on it. Rivera's tweets attacked the reporting in the Times, which followed up its original story with a piece Monday night that said intelligence on the Russian bounties was included in Trump's President's Daily Brief document - a compilation of the latest intelligence information - citing two officials with knowledge of the matter. One of the officials said the item appeared in Trump's brief in late February; the other cited Feb. 27, specifically. President Donald Trump embraced a claim that an intelligence report indicating Russia offered bounties on U.S. service members was 'wishful thinking' - retweeting tweets from Geraldo Rivera on the matter 'After enjoying big splash from sensational #RussianBounty expose, #NYT retreating to shore-admitting 'the underlying intelligence was conflicting.' In 3 years of @realDonaldTrump all NYT/Russia reporting has been based on 'conflicting' intelligence - Also known as wishful thinking,' was one of Rivera's tweets that Trump touted. 'Here's #RussianBounty story in a nutshell: 1-US raid randomly discovers wad of cash in Afghan hut (How much? In a safe? Under a bed? In Capone's vault?) 2-Clever intell op exclaims, 'Say I think this cash came from Moscow!' 3-During daily briefing @realDonaldTrump is told or not,' was the other. President Trump's defense comes as the families of three Marines killed in a car bomb attack in April 2019 demanded justice. U.S. officials are looking at that April attack as one that could have been a result of Russian bounties. Felicia Arculeo, whose son Cpl. Robert Hendriks, 25, died in the April 8, 2019, attack, told CNBC that she wants an investigation into how her son died and 'that the parties who are responsible should be held accountable, if that's even possible.' Hendriks and the other two Marines, Sgt. Benjamin Hines, 31, and Staff Sgt. Christopher Slutman, 43, were killed when a car rigged with explosives detonated near their armored vehicles as they returned to Bagram Airfield days before they were scheduled to return home from Afghanistan. Hendriks' father told the Associated Press that even a rumor of Russian bounties should be immediately addressed. 'If this was kind of swept under the carpet as to not make it a bigger issue with Russia, and one ounce of blood was spilled when they knew this, I lost all respect for this administration and everything,' Erik Hendriks said. But two senior administration officials told NBC News that the White House does not believe there is a link between the deaths of three marines and the bounty offer. Republican Congressman Michael McCaul, who was briefed on the situation at the White House on Monday, told NBC that they were told that 'no one had been killed' as a result of Russia's bounty offer. These images provided by the U.S. Marine Corps show, from left, Sgt. Benjamin S. Hines, 31, of York, Pa., Staff Sgt. Christopher K.A. Slutman, 43, of Newark, Del., and Cpl. Robert A. Hendriks, 25, of Locust Valley, N.Y. All three were killed on April 8, 2019, when a roadside bomb hit their convoy near Bagram Airfield in Afghanistan An Afghan military convoy drives past the site of a car bomb attack where U.S soldiers were killed near Bagram air base on April 9, 2019 Democratic Congressman Adam Schiff, the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee (left with House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer on the right) said 'there may be a reluctance to brief the president on things he doesn't want to hear'; Schiff and Hoyer were among the eight House Democrats briefed by the White House on Tuesday morning The White House continues to deny President Trump knew of the bounties even as reports emerged that top White House officials were aware in early 2019 of the classified intelligence reports on it. Former National Security Adviser John Bolton told colleagues - the AP reported - he briefed President Trump on an intelligence assessment that Russia was secretly offering bounties to the Taliban to kill American troops in Afghanistan in March 2019, much earlier than previously reported. The Times reported it was in the President's Daily Brief, a document packet that Trump is known not to read carefully, instead preferring a verbal briefing on intelligence matters and foreign relations. Hillary Clinton, Trump's 2016 Democratic rival, criticized the president for not knowing about the intelligence. 'Either he knew and chose to do nothing, or he didn't know because he couldn't be bothered to do his job,' she wrote on Twitter. Biden also slammed Trump for reports he does not read his daily briefing, noting he and President Barack Obama read theirs every day when they were in office. 'The president brief was something I read every day as vice president. The president read it every day. I was briefed every morning before I got to the White House, and then again. The idea that somehow he didn't know or isn't being briefed, it's a dereliction of duty if that's the case. If he was briefed, and nothing was done about this, that is a dereliction of duty,' Biden said of Trump. Democratic Congressman Adam Schiff, the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, said 'there may be a reluctance to brief the president on things he doesn't want to hear.' Schiff made his comments after eight House Democrats received a briefing at the White House on Tuesday morning. 'You briefed the president in the manner in which he or she receives information. If the president doesn't read the briefs, it makes it doesn't doesn't work to give him written product, and not tell him what's in it,' Schiff said. 'So, I don't want to comment on this particular case but I just say it's not a justification to say that the president should have read whatever materials he has. If he doesn't read, he doesn't read. They should know that by now,' he noted. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Wednesday taunted Mayor de Blasio's decision to take $1billion from the NYPD's budget and asked what it actually did for the Black Lives Matter movement. De Blasio pushed the new budget through city council on Tuesday. It hits the NYPD's overtime budget and also stops the recruitment of 1,100 new officers in July. It has satisfied no one. The protesters at City Hall and Black Lives Matter activists want more to be done. Politicians say it amounts to just moving pieces on a chessboard by rephrasing some of the funding categories or shifting them to give the illusion of change without making it. The cops themselves, meanwhile, say it puts them at risk of not being able to properly do their job and that it is a 'punitive' reaction to the national outrage over George Floyd's death. Cuomo, at a press conference on Wednesday, said: 'I dont know what it means. 'What does that mean? Does this mean I am less safe? Where did you take the billion dollars from? Does it mean I am more safe? Does it have any effect on police abuse? I dont know what it means.' Cuomo on Wednesday questioned how much defunding the NYPD by $1billion actually did for the Black Lives Matter movement Another of the men who were arrested on Wednesday morning at the City Hall protest camp He said the department had to instead be 'redesigned' and that while painting Black Lives Matter outside Trump Tower was a 'great' symbol, it would not enforce any real change. 'Were going to paint Black Lives Matter on the street in front of Trump HQ. Great. Mayor Bill de Blasio said on Tuesday that the new budget puts more focus on young people 'From day one, I said I stand with Black Lives Matter. From Day one, I said I stand with protesters. I said great what this nation has done standing up after Mr. Floyds murderIm sorry it took so long. 'Why couldnt we have done it after Eric Garner six years ago? Or Rodney King 30 years ago? But now were here. Great. 'Send that message to Mr. Trump, Black Lives Matter, excessive force has to stop. 'Using the National Guard to stop protesters has to stop.Tell every police department in the United States of America enough is enough. Great. Great. Great. 'You know whats better? Do something. Do something. Do something. 'You know where you start? You start at home. You know where change starts. Change starts with the person in the mirror,' he said. He went on to say the trust between the public and the police force had been eroded and needed to be restored. 'Thats whats going on. And if you dont have respect and trust, you have nothing. It does not work. It is like a marriage. Protesters have occupied City Hall Park day and night for at least a week calling for the city's police budget to be slashed 'The community has said the relationship with the police department doesnt work, and if it doesnt work for the community, then it doesnt work. 'You have to redesign the whole relationship. Bring the police, the politicians, the community together. Start with a blank piece of paper. 'Its going to be a hard conversation,' he said. Protesters outside City Hall are still not satisfied with the defunding efforts. They want to see the force completely reimagined. De Blasio on Tuesday touted the new budget as a step in the right direction. He said he was investing in young people by taking funds from the NYPD and putting them into youth programs instead. He also plans to paint a Black Lives Matter mural along Fifth Avenue outside Trump Tower, something that has enraged the president. Trump considers it a 'symbol of hate'. Ministers unveil plan for schools to reopen in September regardless of restriction on other parts of society Advertisement Whole year groups at secondary school will form 'bubbles' in a massive effort to get all children back in education from September, it was revealed today. Education Secretary Gavin Williamson has unveiled plans for a full return from the beginning of the academic year, with staggered start times and strict classroom rules to minimise the risks of spreading the virus. Every school in England will reopen 'come what may' in September - with sources insisting even if the R rate surges other parts of society will be closed down first to facilitate the move. Guidance published today states that 30-strong classes can form 'bubbles' in primaries, and whole year groups in secondaries - potentially hundreds of children. Social distancing rules can be dropped within bubbles to ensure there is capacity, and parents will face fines if they refuse to send their children. However, whole classes or year groups could be ordered to self-isolate - along with their families - if just two pupils test positive in a fortnight. Entire schools could be shut, although the guidance suggests it will not 'generally be necessary'. The curriculum taught must be 'broad and ambitious', but teachers are instructed to use 'flexibility' to prioritise the most important content that pupils have missed. Underlining the scale of the disruption faced by children, the advice concedes the curriculum might not be back to normal until summer next year. 'Substantial modification to the curriculum may be needed at the start of the year, so teaching time should be prioritised to address significant gaps in pupils knowledge with the aim of returning to the schools normal curriculum content by no later than summer term 2021,' the guidance said. Education Secretary Gavin Williamson will today unveil plans for the full return of schools from the beginning of the academic year in September How will the plan for all schools to return in September work? At primary schools, the current maximum 'bubble' size of 15 will be expanded to more than 30 children, allowing the return of full classes. Secondary schools, where children move between classes, could operate 'whole year bubbles', including potentially hundreds of children. Start times will be staggered, and pupils must sit facing the front to reduce the risk of spreading the virus. Attendance will be made compulsory again, with parents facing 60 fines if they fail to send their children. Classes or year groups could have to self-isolate if just two positive coronavirus cases are found in a school over the course of a fortnight. Schools could be closed altogether if public health officials declare an outbreak. Curriculum should be as 'broad and ambitious' as possible, but teachers can use 'flexibility' to prioritise the most important content missed. Guidance admits curriculum might not be back to 'normal' until next summer. Advertisement Under the new arrangements, primary schools will be able to operate 'bubbles' of more than 30 children, allowing the return of full classes. Secondary schools, where children move between classes, could operate 'whole year bubbles' of more than 200 children. Pupils will face staggered start times and will only be permitted to mix within their own 'bubble' of peers. They will be required to sit facing the front to reduce the risk of spreading the virus. And schooling will be made compulsory again, with parents facing 60 fines if they fail to send their children to school. But action will be required if just two coronavirus cases are identified among pupils in a two-week period. Whole year groups of entire schools may be told to stay at home and self-isolate - along with their families - as a precautionary measure. If the situation is serious, the guidance does not rule out shutting schools altogether. The guidance states that the curriculum must 'remain broad and ambitious', and ensure that 'all pupils continue to be taught a wide range of subjects, maintaining their choices for further study and employment'. But it says teachers should 'make use of existing flexibilities to create time to cover the most important missed content'. Mr Williamson has secured 1billion for a catch-up plan that will allow schools to hire tutors to provide catch-up classes for small groups. Final sign off for the back-to-school plan will not be given until mid-August, based on an assessment of the state of the epidemic. Although children face only a very low risk from the disease, some scientists fear that the reopening of schools could lead to a significant rise in community transmission of the virus. But a Cabinet source said ministers were determined to reopen schools in September, even if that meant other parts of society have to be shut down. 'Schools will reopen in September, come what may,' the source said. 'Everyone can see how important it is, not just to children's education but to the ability of parents to get back to work. Obviously we have to see what happens to the epidemic but the plans are there now for a safe return. 'Hopefully the virus will continue to decline over the summer. But even if the R-number [the number infected by a carrier] is up near one, I think people are clear that schools have to reopen. 'That might mean something else closing in order to keep the overall risk at an acceptable level, but schools have to reopen.' Pupils will face staggered start times and will only be permitted to mix within their own 'bubble' of peers. They will be required to sit facing the front to reduce the risk of spreading the virus Mr Williamson is expected to say Ofsted will not begin full school inspections again until January, but visits will be made to a handful of schools. Schools have also been told to improve their online resources for home-schooling in case an outbreak forces pupils to self-isolate at home. Parents have already complained about the variable quality of virtual teaching at different schools, an issue compounded by the Governmen's failure to provide 230,000 laptops and tablets for the most disadvantaged pupils. New figures show 202,212 laptops were delivered or dispatched to pupils by Tuesday, 88 per cent of the number the education secretary had promised. It is believed said some devices are being sent out without the passwords needed to access it, and the numbers do not cover every disadvantaged child. 'Six are sitting in the office, password protected and can't get into them,' one head teacher told the publication. Another said: 'We have ours but they are locked with passwords no one will let us have.' Mr Williamson defended the scheme at an education select committee: 'We are already in the process of rolling out IT equipment across the school estate, as well as to the most vulnerable children. 'Some 100,000 of those laptops have already been distributed to the most vulnerable and most disadvantaged children . . . We are on schedule to dis- tribute the full 230,000 computers over the coming month.' Ministers are now braced for a battle with the education unions over the details of the plans for a full return in September. But officials point out that the Government's Scientific Group for Emergencies has already concluded that teachers are at no higher risk than other professions. A jab against coronavirus should last for several years at least, said the British scientist whose own vaccine project is the global front-runner. Professor Sarah Gilbert told MPs she was optimistic that a vaccine would provide a good duration of immunity. She is the world-renowned expert leading an Oxford University team that is devising a vaccine, so her claim could help to dispel the fears over how long protection against Covid-19 might last. Concerns had been raised after those with other types of coronavirus which are less dangerous and cause the common cold were able, in tests, to be reinfected within a year. A jab against coronavirus should last for several years at least, said the British scientist whose own vaccine project is the global front-runner (stock photo) But Professor Gilbert told the Commons science and technology committee there may be a better result from a vaccine than the natural immunity acquired when individuals simply recover from a virus. She said: Vaccines have a different way of engaging with the immune system, and we follow people in our studies using the same type of technology to make the vaccines for several years, and we still see strong immune responses. Its something we have to test and follow over time we cant know until we actually have the data but were optimistic based on earlier studies that we will see a good duration of immunity, for several years at least, and probably better than naturally-acquired immunity. Professor Sarah Gilbert, an expert leading an Oxford University team that is devising a vaccine, told MPs she was optimistic that a vaccine would provide 'a good duration of immunity' Asked for a timeline on the vaccine, after the prospect was raised of facing the winter without one, Professor Gilbert told the committee: I hope we can improve on those timelines and come to your rescue. Some 8,000 Britons are taking part in a major trial of the Oxford vaccine, which is being manufactured by pharmaceutical firm AstraZeneca. But, as rates of coronavirus have fallen in this country, researchers are also aiming to vaccinate 4,000 individuals in Brazil and 2,000 in South Africa. It comes as an experimental coronavirus vaccine being tested by Pfizer Inc and its German partner BioNTech produced neutralizing antibodies were between 1.8 and 2.8 times greater than those seen in recovered patients. The vaccine candidate uses part of the pathogen's genetic code to get the body to recognize the coronavirus and attack it if a person becomes infected. How the injectable vaccines from Imperial College London and Oxford University would work The trial, which used 45 people in three groups and a control group, showed encouraging early results. 'We still have a ways to go and we're testing other candidates as well,' Philip Dormitzer, chief scientific officer at Pfizer's research laboratories, told STAT News. 'However, what we can say at this point is there is a viable candidate based on immunogenicity and early tolerability safety data.' The key question in this trials however is whether the vaccine will protect them from becoming infected, or simply make them less ill. It may also work less well in older people because their immune systems are weaker. It comes as an experimental coronavirus vaccine being tested by Pfizer Inc and its German partner BioNTech produced neutralizing antibodies were between 1.8 and 2.8 times greater than those seen in recovered patients Those who received either two shots of the low or medium dose of the vaccine generated levels of neutralizing antibodies between 1.8 and 2.8 times greater than those seen in recovered patients (above) Kate Bingham, head of the UKs Vaccine Taskforce, told MPs she was less optimistic that the jab could protect against catching the infection and it's more likely it will only reduce the severity of symptoms. She told the House of Commons Science and Technology Committee: 'I'm relatively optimistic we will find a vaccine that will be able to treat the population. 'The caveat is... is it a full sterilising vaccine, which means you cant get infected, or is it one that basically just takes the edge off the symptoms so it reduces mortality? 'Clearly we would like to get to a sterilising vaccine so that people are prevented from being infected. Kate Bingham told MPs today she was confident the world would have some form of vaccine against Covid-19 by early 2021. But she said she was less optimistic that the jab could protect against catching the infection and it's more likely the vaccine will be able to reduce severity of symptoms Sir John Bell, regius professor of medicine at Oxford University, also gave evidence to the committee, warning that the UK must prepare for the worst this winter, rather than rely on the development of a vaccine. But he said he has now seen tests for coronavirus of a good standard which can produce a result in a few minutes. Sir John said: That would be transformative because we could all test ourselves regularly and test our kids after theyve been off to a rave and all that stuff. He also urged Britons to have the flu jab to avoid pandemonium in A&E departments. Emergency talks were under way last night to prevent Nicola Sturgeon from undermining plans for 'air bridges' to popular holiday destinations. Ministers agreed a new traffic light system last week that would pave the way for the creation of 'travel corridors', allowing tourists to visit certain 'green' countries deemed safe without the need to quarantine at either end. But Miss Sturgeon yesterday suggested the Scottish government could boycott the scheme, meaning it would not apply at airports such as Glasgow and Edinburgh. This risks scuppering plans for air bridges because they are being agreed with other countries on a UK-wide basis. At PMQs, Boris Johnson tore into Nicola Sturgeon over her threat to quarantine people entering Scotland from England - insisting there is 'no border' within the UK Officials in Westminster were last night holding talks with their counterparts in Scotland in an attempt to smooth over the issue. The row has already contributed to a delay in publishing a list of countries where 'travel corridors' will be put in place. Ministers had originally hoped to publish it yesterday and it could now be delayed until tomorrow, putting in doubt plans to get the scheme up and running by the weekend. A promised air bridge to Greece is already in doubt after Athens said it was not ready to accept flights from Britain, which still has a relatively high coronavirus 'reproduction' rate meaning the illness is not fully under control. A travel industry source said: 'The Greek move opened a can of worms and led to other EU countries with similarly low R rates also thinking they should look at blocking British holidaymakers. There is every chance the whole air bridge plan could be pushed back even further into next week.' It came as some travel agents started abandoning plans to sell holidays this summer due to the uncertainty around air bridges. At her daily briefing in Edinburgh later Ms Sturgeon accused the premier of 'absurd and ridiculous political comments' Lee Hunt, 42, owner of Deben Travel in Suffolk, said: 'We have taken a decision to not take any bookings in July and August. There is so much uncertainty if customers are paying, we need to guarantee to them that they are getting everything they pay for.' Up to 400,000 Britons are thought to have had their holidays ruined by Greece's decision. Meanwhile Miss Sturgeon has also left the door open to forcing visitors from England to quarantine for 14 days if they go north of the border. The idea was ridiculed yesterday by Boris Johnson, who said there had been 'no discussion' about the proposal with Miss Sturgeon. The Prime Minister told MPs: 'There is no such thing as a border between England and Scotland.' His spokesman later clarified he meant there was 'no border infrastructure' to allow the Scottish government to enforce a quarantine on visitors from England. But Miss Sturgeon said it was 'absurd' to suggest there was no border. She denied she was planning to quarantine visitors from England but refused to rule it out, saying: 'If I'm looking at the data and the evidence and I'm seeing there's a risk to Scotland of infection coming in from other parts of the UK and I think there needs to be measures taken to contain that, I will discuss that with other administrations.' Government releases roll call of at-risk areas with high Covid-19 infection rates Bradford, Barnsley and Rochdale are three of the areas of England most at risk of being hit by a 'local lockdown' like the one imposed in Leicester to control the coronavirus, according to official data. Statistics for the week ending June 21 the most recently available show those areas had the highest Covid-19 infection rates in the country, each with more than 50 positive tests per 100,000 people. Only Leicester recorded more (140.2). It comes as government sources today said local lockdowns could be 'just days away'. But ministers have yet to officially confirm which parts of England are in the firing line. Barnsley Council today called for 'extra care and vigilance' among its citizens because of the high infection rate and the risk of a Covid-19 flare-up that could see the city shut down. Other areas that may face being plunged into another lockdown include Bedford, Oldham, Rotherham, Tameside, Blackburn with Darwen and Kirklees, which all have more than 30 cases per 100,000 people. At the other end of the scale, in the week from June 15 to June 21, West Berkshire, South Tyneside and the City of London all recorded zero coronavirus cases per 100,000 population. And the rate was lower than one in South Gloucestershire, Wokingham, Gloucestershire, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, Redcar and Cleveland, Torbay, Lambeth and Portsmouth. Advertisement Asked about the situation by Conservative MP Andrew Bowie at PMQs, Mr Johnson said: 'There have been no such discussions with the Scottish administration about that but I would point out what he knows very well - there is no such thing as a border between England and Scotland.' However, at her own briefing later Ms Sturgeon said: 'What there definitely is, is a geographical boundary to my powers as First Minister. 'If the Prime Minister is questioning that now, I'm not sure what he would say if I pitched up in Newcastle and started to try to implement Scottish Government policies in Newcastle. 'And see what I've just said there? It's absurd too, which is why we shouldn't be having these discussions. 'We should all be focusing with an absolute laser-like focus on what we need to do within our own responsibilities and working together when necessary to stop a virus.' On the possibility of people having to quarantine after entering Scotland, Ms Sturgeon said there are no such proposals at the moment, but added: 'Given the nature of what we're dealing with right now - just to remind the Prime Minister: an infectious virus - I would not be doing my job properly if I ruled things out that, as we see from countries around the world, are being used selectively in appropriate circumstances to try to contain a virus. 'If I'm looking at the data and the evidence and I'm seeing that there's a risk to Scotland of infection coming in from other parts of the UK and I think that there needs to be measures taken to contain that, then I will discuss that with other administrations as appropriate.' Ms Sturgeon insisted her one objective during the pandemic is 'trying to stop this virus getting out of control'. She said anyone trying to turn the crisis into a 'political or a constitutional argument' needed to 'go and take a long hard look at yourself in a mirror'. 'If you're being honest with yourself, you will admit that you're failing people or risking failing people, so I'm not going to do that,' she said, The PM derided the First Minister's repeated refusal to rule out the move, saying it was 'absolutely' astonishing she thought it was an option Boris Johnson insists UK DOES have enough remdesivir to treat all coronavirus patients who need it Boris Johnson moved to allay fears of an anti-coronavirus drugs shortage today after Donald Trump bought up almost the entire global supply of remdesivir. The US president was accused of 'undermining' the global coronavirus fight by splashing the cash on one of only two drugs approved to treat Covid-19 on the NHS. Business minister Nadhim Zahawi was among those who criticised his decision to make the rest of the world compete for the medication, originally designed to treat Ebola but proven to speed up recovery time for coronavirus patients. But Downing Street and the Department of Health later played down the significance of the move, insisting that the UK has enough of a stockpile to treat everyone who needs it. The Prime Minister's official spokesman said: 'The UK currently has a sufficient stock of Remdesivir.' And the Department of Health said it had secured supplies in advance and had enough to treat every NHS patient who needs it. The US Department of Health and Human Services (HSS) had earlier revealed it had secured more than 500,000 treatment courses of remdesivir for American hospitals. It represents the entire global supply for July and 90 per cent of stocks for August and September, leading to fears of an autumn shortage. Advertisement The quarantine row came as Britain today announced 176 more coronavirus deaths as government experts estimated up to 3,000 people are still getting infected each day in England but the crucial R rate has dropped in every region. Department of Health chiefs say the official number of laboratory-confirmed victims now stands at 43,906 but separate government figures show the UK topped the dreaded 50,000 mark a month ago. Britain recorded more than 1,000 daily fatalities during the darkest days of its crisis but the outbreak has slowed drastically in the past month. For comparison, only 155 deaths were recorded yesterday. Government data shows 154 Covid-19 victims were recorded last Wednesday, followed by 184 and 250 in the two weeks before. But the rolling seven-day average of daily deaths is still 118, exactly the same as it was this point last week. Analysis shows it is the first Wednesday to Wednesday period since the start of April that the daily average hasn't dropped. Separate data released today by a team at Public Health England and Cambridge University predicted up to 3,000 people are still getting infected in England every day, including 1,000 in the Midlands. The rate is in line with figures from a separate government-run Covid-19 surveillance testing scheme, as well as data from a symptom-tracking app, which suggest the speed at which the outbreak is shrinking is levelling off. The team believe the R rate has dropped in every region to be between 0.7-0.9, putting it in line with the official figure given by SAGE after last month saying it had risen to above the dreaded level of one in several regions. Meanwhile, the coronavirus crisis continued to wreak havoc on British business. John Lewis is expected to axe stores, workers and one of its headquarters as well as jobs at its sister business Waitrose while Harrods today revealed it must slash around 700 posts. The bad news at two of the UK's best loved department stores came amid disaster for retailers up and down the country as TM Lewin, Harveys, Bensons for Beds and Upper Crust hit the wall and tens of thousands of jobs are at risk in the ailing airline and engineering sectors. The lockdown has hammered UK business with John Lewis unveiling reopening plans for another 10 stores including its first in Wales and Scotland as well as the chain's flagship shop in Oxford Street - but sources admitted it is 'highly unlikely' that all 50 will ever reopen again. Boss Sharon White, who joined from broadcasting watchdog Ofcom before the pandemic began, has also written to 80,000 staff at the retailer and its supermarket Waitrose warning them that their bonus is unlikely next year as she tried to improve profits. Harrods boss Michael Ward has also told his staff that 700 jobs will have to because of the need to cut costs. In a memo to staff he said: 'With a heavy-heart, today I need to confirm that due to the ongoing impacts of this pandemic, we as a business will need to make reductions to our workforce' and said 14% of its 4,800 staff would likely lose their jobs'. President Trump again claimed that the coronavirus would 'disappear' during an interview Wednesday with Fox Business Network. 'I think we're gonna be very good with the coronavirus,' he told Fox's Blake Burman. 'I think that at some point that's going to sort of just disappear. I hope.' House Speaker Nancy Pelosi clapped back Wednesday afternoon tweeting, 'Mr. President, drinking bleach and injecting Lysol won't make it disappear,' she said, sharing the clip. President Trump said Wednesday that he thought the coronavirus would 'disappear,' as he has turned his attention to campaign 2020 fights he wants to get into instead House Speaker Nancy Pelosi clapped back in a tweet referencing comments Trump made in April where he suggested Americans could inject disinfectant Pelosi tweeted that 'drinking bleach and injecting Lysol' won't make the coronavirus diseappear White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany tried to suggest that the coronavirus would disappear via vaccine, despite Trump saying it would disappear and a vaccine would be found Pelosi was referring to comments Trump made in late April when he was still holding coronavirus-themed daily briefings almost every day. 'I see the disinfectant that knocks it out in a minute, one minute. And is there a way we can do something like that by injection inside or almost a cleaning?' Trump mused after hearing research on how coronavirus is killed on surfaces. At Wednesday's press briefing White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany was asked if 'hoping that it will disappear is the president's strategy at this point.' The president has tried to move on from the coronavirus crisis, despite cases rising in the United States, devoting tweets Wednesday morning to 2020 election fodder. He accused Joe Biden of reading from a teleprompter when answering questions from reporters in Delaware Tuesday, which was patently untrue. He then went after New York's plan to paint 'Black Lives Matter' on Fifth Avenue outside Trump Tower by calling it a 'symbol of hate.' The night before he threatened to veto a massive defense bill over an amendment that would rename military bases still named for Confederate fighters. McEnany responded to the reporter's question by saying, 'the president is confident that it will disappear.' 'He's confident that he's put together a revolutionary, first-class team that is going to break through bureaucracy and get us a vaccine,' she said. 'He's confident that that will lead us to a place where we won't have COVID on our hands.' Trump had told Fox Business Network that he thought the coronavirus would disappear 'and I think we'll have a vaccine very soon too.' McEnany's suggestion was that the vaccine would make the coronavirus disappear. She also tried to downplay the growing number of cases. 'We're aware that there are embers in the country, we're aware that there are places with rising cases,' she said, explaining that's why Dr. Deborah Birx, one of the top coronavirus taskforce doctors, was looking at the situation on the ground. She also continued to claim that more testing was part of why the numbers were rising. 'I think the increase of testing is part of the contribution to what we're seeing,' she told reporters. Dr. Anthony Fauci has voiced concern because the positive rate of cases has also grown, showing, as he called it 'community spread.' Since February the president has insisted that the coronavirus would go away, first suggesting it would die with warm weather, but then telling reporters again and again through the spring that it would 'go away.' A murder investigation has been launched after a 'sweet' five-year-old girl was allegedly killed by her 'severely depressed' mother who then tried take her own life. Little Sayagi Karunanantham was found 'lifeless' by neighbours at her home in Mitcham, south London yesterday with her mother Sutha Karunanantham, 35, in a pool of blood. The neighbours had rushed to the flat on Tuesday afternoon when they heard screaming, and have said they found a 'big bread knife' at the scene. Locals have spoken of their shock after the pair, pictured for the first time today, were flown to hospital following an incident inside the flat in Monarch Parade. The child was pronounced dead shortly after arriving while the woman remains in a critical condition after undergoing a five-hour operation. Sayagi Karunanantham, five, was stabbed to death in her South London home last night while her mother, 35, named locally as Sutha Karunanantham, was in a critical condition in hospital Met Police have launched a murder investigation into the incident, saying all parties involved were known to each other and are not looking for anyone else in connection with the incident Forensic teams and uniformed officers were seen outside the property in Mitcham this morning Floral tributes in memory of the five-year-old girl, were left tied to railings outside the flat The Metropolitan Police said it believes that all parties involved were known to each other and is currently not looking for anyone else in connection with the incident. Detective Chief Inspector Justin Howick said: 'This is a tragic incident and we are working very hard to fully understand what has happened. 'Whilst I know the effects of this incident will, understandably, shock and sadden the local community, please be reassured that we are not seeking anyone else in connection with Sayagi's death and there is no cause for the community to be fearful or alarmed. 'I would like to hear from anyone who feels they may have information that could assist our investigation.' NHS worker and neighbour Elsa Gonzales, 47, described hearing screaming and crying coming from the property, where a family-of-four from Sri Lanka lived. When she arrived with her sister - Riza Marfilla, 55 - she discovered the woman wearing only her underwear. She said: 'A young boy was crying and screaming. I went next door and saw the lady on the floor covered in blood. She had what looked like a knife wound in her stomach. A police cordon remains in force at the scene of the incident, which left a child dead and a woman in a critical condition Sayagi Karunanantham, pictured left and night, was pronounced dead on Tuesday and described by neighbours as 'such a good girl' 'She killed her daughter and then she tried to kill herself. That's what I believe the boy said.' I was on the phone to 999 and I tried to see if the young girl was likely to survive but she looked lifeless there was so much blood everywhere. She had a cut to her throat and I thought that must be it for her, the poor sweet baby. My sister saw a knife, a big bread knife, by the side of the child, Gonzales said. Scotland Yard said it has not made any arrests. They are not looking for anyone else in connection with the incident. Little Sayagi was attending a local Tamil class to learn her parent's language, sources close to the family told MailOnline. Her father, Sivanantham Karunanantham, known as Suganthan, works in a local Sainsbury's supermarket and received a call while on shift informing him of the tragedy. He is being comforted by friends and family today. Sources close to him said his wife had undergone an operation lasting five hours for a knife wound to her stomach and faced further surgery. Ms Gonzales said she had heard the mother was 'severely depressed' and had also been suffering from painful stomach ulcers before the incident and was due to have an endoscopy yesterday. NHS worker and neighbour Elsa Gonzales, 47, pictured, described hearing screaming and crying coming from the flat in Monarch Parade The Sri Lankan couple are thought to have lived at the address for eight years and were said to be polite and friendly. Mrs Gonzales said: The husband would ask me for medical advice as I work in healthcare. She was a lovely, friendly lady though. I never heard her angry or upset. And the little girl was exceptionally bright and cheeky and would help her parents communicate with people in English. 'She was playing on her bike just two days ago, very happy and smiling. My heart is broken. Flowers were tied to railings outside the flat yesterday afternoon as a forensics team combed through the property behind a police cordon. A forensics team were seen entering the flat in Mitcham today while a uniformed police officer stood guard outside the first floor property A pool of blood could be seen today outside the property in Monarch Parade, where the girl and woman were found Wahe Guna, 27, who works at the Kwik Mart shop below the flat in Monarch Parade, pictured, said the family were regular customers Blood was seen on the doorstep of the property in Mitcham this morning, as police continue to investigate Paying tribute to the young girl, Ms Gonzales said: 'She's so smart and so tough. She was always fighting with the boys when she played. 'She's always smiling at me. She was such a good girl. My heart breaks for her.' Another neighbour Riza Marfilla, 55, said: 'It's so sad. She likes Bruno - my dog. Whenever she would see him, she would be shoutIng 'Bruno! Bruno!'. 'She is such a sweet child.' A forensics team were seen entering the flat today while a uniformed police officer stood guard outside the first floor property. Superintendent Richard Smith said: Today a family are grieving for their little girl, and we are doing everything we can to support them. This terrible incident has left a family distraught and the local community in shock. I would like to pay tribute to the police officers and ambulance service colleagues who responded to this frightening situation and thank them for working so hard to try and save Sayagi. She will remain in our thoughts. One witness saw the father, a worker at Sainsbury's, being spoken to by police. Wahe Guna, 27, who works at the Kwik Mart shop below the flat in Monarch Parade, said the family were regular customers. The Metropolitan Police said they will be releasing further information about the incident later He said: 'He comes everyday in the shop. In the last two or three days I didn't see him. His daughter and his son are of good character. I'm so sad to think she is gone. 'They're a good family. Everyday he comes in to spend a few pounds. Some days I give the children chocolates. 'Yesterday I didn't see them. I didn't see them on Monday or Tuesday.' He added: 'Some people said there were family problems. I've heard people say the mother is depressed. 'At around 4pm yesterday, there was a helicopter and police blocked the road. 'Last Monday he was all smiles. She talked and said, how are you? I don't know what could have happened.' The road outside the property, which is on a parade of shops near Mitcham Library, was closed for several hours last night. Witnesses filmed the police response and the helicopter taking the two victims to hospital. Siobhain McDonagh, the Labour MP for Mitcham and Morden, tweeted: 'Truly tragic events in Mitcham over the last 2 days. My sincere condolences to family & friends. 'My thoughts are also with neighbours & residents who have witnessed such tragedy.' A spokesman for Scotland Yard said: Officers and London Ambulance Service attended and a woman and a child were inside a property suffering injuries. The woman, aged 35, has been taken to hospital where her injuries are deemed life-threatening. An attractive young horse trainer in the Netherlands, a female politician in the Caribbean and a bestselling author who had become unaccountably cold and secretive with his wife and long-time collaborator. Art historian Blythe Brown knew the clues were hidden in plain sight if she could only break the code... Now she insists she has. This week, the ex-wife of thriller writer Dan Brown filed a jaw-dropping lawsuit against the author of The Da Vinci Code, accusing him of living a 'proverbial life of lies'. But the 'secret double life' is, sadly, more prosaic than the complex mysteries revealed in The Da Vinci Code, published in 2003 and one of the most successful books ever written. She hasn't discovered spoiler alert! that 56-year-old Brown is the secret descendant of Jesus Christ's heretical union with Mary Magdalene (a plot at the heart of his most famous tome). This week, the ex-wife of thriller writer Dan Brown, art historian Blythe Brown, filed a jaw-dropping lawsuit against the author of The Da Vinci Code, accusing him of living a 'proverbial life of lies' But her allegations will be almost as shocking to those who know Brown as far less exciting in person than his dashing fictional characters. Described by one newspaper as 'not exactly a riot of hedonism', his lifestyle includes being at his desk at 4am to write each morning and breaking off every hour to do physical jerks to help 'keep the blood and ideas flowing'. Yet in a plot twist worthy of one of his novels, his ex-wife claims he spent at least the last six years of their marriage 'secretly plundering significant sums of their marital assets' to spend on a string of mistresses around the world. They reportedly included a hairdresser, Brown's personal trainer, a politician on the Caribbean island of Anguilla where they had a holiday home, and a twentysomething Dutch horse trainer on whom Brown lavished expensive presents including a 277,000 prize Friesian horse. 'Dan has lived a proverbial life of lies for at least the past six years, seeming to be the epitome of a world-famous novelist leading a simple life in his home state of New Hampshire, while in reality he was something quite different,' her lawsuit claims. 'For years, Dan has secretly removed substantial funds from his and Blythe's hard-earned marital assets to conduct sordid extra-marital affairs with women one half his age and to pursue a clandestine life.' The alleged 'secret double life' is, sadly, more prosaic than the complex mysteries revealed in The Da Vinci Code, published in 2003 and one of the most successful books ever written. Pictured: The film starred Tom Hanks and Audrey Tautou While she believed their relationship was 'based on mutual trust, respect and honesty', for years the author 'engaged in a systematic pattern of deception and lies', it adds. The Browns met in California in 1990, long before he achieved any success as a writer, and married seven years later. Acknowledging her crucial help in crafting his books, Dan Brown went on to amass an estimated 128 million fortune becoming one of the world's wealthiest writers from a string of bestsellers based around the adventures of Robert Langdon, a professor of art and 'symbology' at Harvard University. The Da Vinci Code alone has sold at least 100 million copies, despite prompting Catholic outcry over its claim that Jesus and Mary Magdalene married and had a child. That book and two others Angels & Demons and Inferno were turned into blockbuster films starring Tom Hanks. Brown has repeatedly acknowledged his wife's importance to his career, telling the Mail on Sunday in 2017: 'I probably wouldn't have written [The Da Vinci Code] without her.' In the book's acknowledgements section, he calls her 'without a doubt the most astonishingly talented woman I have ever known'. And in an unrelated 2005 legal action in London over claims he plagiarised portions of The Da Vinci Code which Brown won he specifically credited her with his including Mary Magdalene and a 'bloodline theory' concerning the Holy Grail into the fast-paced story. Now 67, she is almost 12 years older than him. The couple had no children, Brown saying three years ago that it was intentional, as they wanted to be 'creative'. He added: 'We've got seven books, those are the kids.' Brown's mistresses included a twentysomething Dutch horse trainer Judith Pietersen on whom Brown lavished expensive presents including a 277,000 prize Friesian horse Having repeatedly denied plagiarism claims, Brown said in 2017: 'You can say you hate my book but don't say I'm a liar or a cheater.' Yet his ex-wife is now alleging he is both of these. She is suing the author for misrepresenting the couple's wealth in a sworn financial affidavit he signed as part of their divorce agreement, and for intentional and negligent infliction of emotional distress. She said in a statement on Monday: 'This lawsuit is about standing up for myself and asserting my self-worth. 'I have continually tried to absorb the shocking truth withheld during our divorce that Dan had been leading a double life for years during our marriage, all while coming home to me. 'I trusted this man for decades as my life's love. We worked so hard together, struggling to build something meaningful... I don't recognise the man that Dan has become. It is time to reveal his deceit and betrayal. After so much pain, it is time for truth. It is time to right these wrongs.' Brown says he is 'stunned' she is making what he insists are 'false claims', saying he was fair and truthful in their divorce settlement. 'On the day Blythe and I married, I never remotely thought that we would grow so far apart,' he said. He added: 'I am saddened that there is not enough goodwill from 21 years of marriage to temper her unfortunate actions.' His ex-wife contends that she first noticed he had changed significantly in 2014. Her lawsuit states that he started to act distantly, dress differently and start 'heated arguments' with her 'seemingly over nothing'. She says he announced four years later that he was unhappy and wanted a separation, telling her they had 'grown apart' but that he thought they could 'still enjoy their 'happily-ever-after' as close friends with a continued mutual respect'. In August 2018, she reluctantly moved out of their 'marital dream home' in Rye Beach, New Hampshire. He asked for a divorce and she agreed to his request for a quiet and quick settlement, believing his assurances that he had been fully honest with her and trusting in their joint financial adviser. They agreed to divide their 'purported' marital assets as of July 2018, only for her to uncover after their divorce was finalised in December 2019 'the truth about Dan's secret double life and fraudulent representations relating to their marital assets and his misconduct'. She alleges that for many years he was secretly having an affair with a champion equestrian and horse trainer in her 20s mentioned in court papers as JP but clearly identifiable as Judith Pietersen living in the Netherlands. She had been introduced to Brown by his wife, herself a keen equestrian, after she hired the younger woman in late 2013 to come to New Hampshire and help train the Browns' Friesian horse, Daniel de G. To Mrs Brown, she became a 'friend and confidante' and she even invited her to attend the 50th birthday party she threw for Dan. When Ms Pietersen complained of shoulder pain from botched surgery in the Netherlands, Mrs Brown arranged and paid for her to have corrective surgery in New Hampshire in October 2014, later inviting her to recuperate at the Browns' home. It was during that time, while Mrs Brown was away at a horse show, that the trainer and the author began an affair that Brown told his ex-wife is still continuing, says the lawsuit. Unknown to Mrs Brown, her husband removed 'substantial amounts' from their bank accounts and marital assets and used them to buy 'extravagant' gifts for his lover, say court papers. 'The net effect of these transgressions substantially reduced the marital estate,' says the lawsuit. The presents reportedly included paying for the refurbishment of Ms Pietersen's flat in Holland, a new car and a two-horse transporter lorry. Brown's ex-wife claims he spent at least the last six years of their marriage 'secretly plundering significant sums of their marital assets' to spend on a string of mistresses around the world He allegedly also financed 'an entire horse-training business in Holland for her', including paying 36,000 for a horse that Ms Pietersen named Da Vinci in his honour. However, her business and career was 'catapulted into the big leagues' by Brown buying her again with the couple's money a 'highly coveted, prizewinning' Friesian stallion named LimiTed Edition for $345,000 (276,000), says the lawsuit. Brown reportedly told the horse's owner he intended the horse to be a 'surprise gift' for Blythe. According to his ex-wife, he paid for it with 'secret' money wire transfers that used the name of his literary editor 'to avoid detection'. Brown kept full ownership of the horse but it led to 'major career opportunities for the young rider, including a potential Olympic bid', says the suit. In 2017, the Dutch Press announced that Ms Pietersen was starting her own horse business with the generous support of an 'anonymous sponsor' who, she said, 'puts such trust in her'. A few months later, LimiTed Edition won a Horse of the Year competition. 'That 'anonymous sponsor' was Dan Brown, who was secretly using substantial sums of the Browns' marital assets without Blythe's knowledge', says the lawsuit. In fact, Mrs Brown was so in the dark that she went to the Netherlands with Ms Pietersen in 2018 to an attend an annual stallion show in which the Dutch woman rode the horse. When Mrs Brown confronted her ex-husband in January this year after learning about the secret wire transfers, he allegedly acknowledged he had deceived her personally and financially, saying: 'I've done bad things with a lot of people.' Pressed, he admitted an affair with a local hairdresser she knew and later came clean about his Dutch 'paramour', say the court papers. Mrs Brown says he also cheated on her with a politician in Anguilla, a British Overseas Territory in the eastern Caribbean, where they had a home, and with his personal trainer in New Hampshire. Her suit alleges that he also lied to her about his work and future projects, telling her he had no upcoming projects despite her learning that he has several, including a TV series, Langdon, based on the novels the couple 'created together'. The lawsuit claims Brown 'stands to make millions from these projects, which is undoubtedly why he hid them from Blythe'. It also includes an email from Blythe to Brown from February in which she asked him if his family knew about 'your relationship with Judith'. He replied: 'No. They would be horrified.' The lawsuit specifies undisclosed damages but Mrs Brown says the injury hasn't just been financial. 'Blythe's sense of pain, humiliation, betrayal and anguish is unbearable and debilitating,' says her lawsuit. 'She has great difficulty eating or sleeping, and Dan has caused her to suffer significant emotional distress.' It adds: 'Although finally admitting to his years of deception, Dan has yet to remedy the harm Blythe has suffered.' The lawsuit goes to great lengths to emphasise the key role she played in Brown's enormous success. When they first met, she was working in the music industry as director of artist development at the National Academy of Songwriters in Los Angeles, while says the lawsuit 'Dan was a struggling songwriter without real prospects'. She tried to help him break into the music industry but it proved unsuccessful and they moved to New Hampshire, where he worked as a teacher and she as a dental assistant. The lawsuit goes to great lengths to emphasise the key role she played in Brown's enormous success The lawsuit goes on: 'It was Blythe who recognised Dan's literary skills and talents, and unlimited potential as a writer of fiction.' After they married in 1997, she was a 'full partner in what might be called 'the Dan Brown phenomenon' ' and 'no bystander'. It was Blythe, says the lawsuit, who was the 'driving force' for The Da Vinci Code, giving up her job and developing 'the premise of the critical concepts, historical emphases and complex plot twists of the now famous novel'. Brown has said he was once a devout Christian and the lawsuit claims he was 'uncomfortable' about inventing a relationship between Mary Magdalene and Jesus, but his wife pushed him to 'adopt this fascinating pre-mise'. The lawsuit adds: 'Simply stated, theirs was a joint enterprise in the fullest sense.' Brown has been mocked for ending every chapter of his books with a cliffhanger. He is certainly perched on one now. The coronavirus crisis will herald an era of ultra-cheap European holidays, says the boss of Ryanair. Michael OLeary said the only way his airline can recover is by slashing fares for the next year or two to encourage air travel. As Ryanair resumed flights, OLeary said lower fares would be funded by cutting pay for its 18,000 staff. He said up to 3,000 will be laid off if they do not accept temporary cuts of between 5pc for the lowest-paid cabin crew and 20pc for the top captains. Pilots union Balpa said 96pc of its Ryanair members had accepted the temporary pay cuts to save jobs. Michael OLeary said the only way his airline can recover is by slashing fares for the next year or two to encourage air travel Rejecting concerns that airlines will raise prices to survive, OLeary said the opposite was true among those offering short flights across Europe. The chief executive told the Mail: The only way we can recover is by setting much lower prices for 12 to 24 months. Thats why we need to cut costs and cut pay. As long as there is no massive second wave of the virus, he predicted ultra-cheap fares and bargains being offered by resorts, which will ensure passenger numbers will return to pre-crisis levels by next summer. Several airlines, including British Airways and Easyjet, have announced plans to cut thousands of jobs, warning it will be several years before passenger numbers return to normal levels. But OLeary said: The Spanish hoteliers and the Portuguese resorts are offering historically low prices for families in July and August. They want to get people back moving again. So travel will never have been cheaper on short-haul around Europe. OLeary claimed there was pent-up demand for travel and that huge numbers of people are simply ignoring the idiotic 14-day quarantine imposed on travelling to the UK Airlines have launched a massive summer sale with Ryanair offering one-way flights, before extra charges, for 9.99 to Vienna, 20.99 to Malaga in Spain and 33.99 to Biarritz in France. Desperate tour operators have been offering record 70pc discounts for trips to France, Spain, Italy and Greece. OLeary claimed there was pent-up demand for travel and that huge numbers of people are simply ignoring the idiotic 14-day quarantine imposed on travelling to the UK. He said strict safety protocols would not put people off, and that its flights so far were 70pc full. Hard-pressed families in Manchester or Liverpool or Glasgow have been locked up with their kids for weeks, he said. Are we seriously suggesting theyre going to go to Blackpool in the rain for their summer holiday as opposed to the Algarve or Malaga? They are so conditioned to going to the Mediterranean resorts. I dont see that changing. A group of brave Good Samaritans have been hailed as heroes after they came to the defence of a woman who was allegedly slashed with an axe and strangled. The alleged attack occurred in a carpark on Adelaide Street in the Brisbane CBD shortly after 5pm on Wednesday. Police will allege a man confronted a woman who was known to him and demanded she get into his car while threatening her with an axe. The woman was then allegedly attacked with the axe and choked. A woman was saved by a group of male bystanders in Adelaide St, Brisbane (pictured) A group of men who witnessed the alleged attack rushed to the woman's aid, which allowed her to escape The group struggled with the alleged attacker but managed to restrain the man until police arrived. The Gold Coast woman aged in her 20s suffered a cut to the head and bruising to her shoulder and hands. One of the men who helped the woman suffered a cut on his wrist after he was also allegedly attacked with the axe during the ensuing struggle. The group of men restrained the alleged attacker until police arrived on scene (stock image) A Wishart man, 29, was charged with two counts of assault occasioning bodily harm, acts intended to cause grievous bodily harm, choking and enter premises with intent. He was refused bail to appear in Brisbane Magistrates Court on Thursday. The group of men who rescued the woman from danger have been inundated with praise on the Queensland Police Facebook page. 'So good those men intervened. If they hadn't we would have been hearing a different story altogether,' one person posted. Another added: 'These men should be up for a bravery award! How many could honestly say they would approach someone wielding an axe?' Police are searching for a suspect who attempted to kidnap a teenage girl in central London on Wednesday afternoon. British Transport Police released CCTV images of a man they would like to speak to in connection with the incident which took place at 2.30pm on Wednesday. Officers believe the man approached the woman on the pretence of asking her for help. He followed her she had ignored him and forced his victim to top up his Oyster card at a ticket machine at Waterloo Station. British Transport Police would like to speak to this man in connection with the attempted kidnapping of a woman at Waterloo Station at 2.30pm on Wednesday Officers are keen to talk to this man in connection with the incident The woman was able to escape the man at Westminster Station having been forced onto a Jubilee Line train from Waterloo The man then forced the woman onto a Jubilee Line tube towards Westminster Station. The woman was able to escape and alert station staff between 3.45pm and 3.50pm. The man left the tube station after the woman spoke with staff. A BTP spokesperson said: 'Officers believe the man in the CCTV images may have information that could help their investigation. 'Anyone who recognises him, or anyone with information, can contact BTP by texting 61016 or by calling 0800 40 50 40 quoting reference number 301 of 01/007/20.' Witnesses or anyone who recognises the man can also contact charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. The Prime Minister begged bosses to hold off on cutting jobs yesterday after 12,000 staff were axed in just two days. Boris Johnson said firms should use the furlough scheme and wait until the economy improved before deciding whether to lay employees off. After a string of firms announced job losses on Tuesday, the misery continued yesterday with John Lewis warning of cuts. The retail giant told staff it was 'highly unlikely' all of its department stores would reopen, as it announced the closure of one of its central London offices to cut costs. The much-coveted staff bonus will also be cut to zero for the first time since 1953. Upper Crust also axed 5,000 jobs yesterday, saying sales of its baguettes in train stations and airports had collapsed amid falling passenger numbers. Management consulting firm Accenture announced 900 job losses, and Topshop's owner Arcadia reduced the number of staff in its head office by 500, citing 'very challenging times'. Elsewhere in retail, Harrods, furniture seller Harveys and TM Lewin cut more than 1,500 jobs between them. After a string of firms announced job losses on Tuesday, the misery continued yesterday with John Lewis warning of cuts (Pictured John Lewis in Kingston, Surrey) Harrods (pictured), furniture seller Harveys and TM Lewin cut more than 1,500 jobs between them. Ryanair pilots and cabin crew, who were forced to agree pay cuts of up to 20 per cent yesterday, were still waiting for a final decision on 3,500 job cuts. Virgin Money said it would make 300 redundancies and close or merge 52 branches. On Tuesday, 3,700 redundancies came at Airbus UK and EasyJet, including 700 pilots. Experts believe unemployment could hit 10 per cent even as taxpayers pay the wages of 11 million workers. They fear redundancies are picking up speed as the Government prepares to pare back the furlough scheme from August 1. It follows a 20 per cent contraction in the economy because of the lockdown, making it the worst month on record. This week Mr Johnson laid out a route map out of recession focused around large infrastructure projects, investment in the NHS and schools, and cutting planning red tape. Boris Johnson said firms should use the furlough scheme and wait until the economy improved before deciding whether to lay employees off Sir Philip Green's Topshop empire today revealed redundancy plans, with the Arcadia group poised to cut around 500 of its 2,500 head office jobs amid a restructure in face of the coronavirus crisis (stock image) Department store John Lewis is expected to lose stores, workers and one of its headquarters as well as jobs at its sister business Waitrose (stock image) Harrods (pictured, the department store) today revealed it must slash around 700 posts But yesterday he warned workers were still at a 'very, very serious' risk of losing their jobs. He said: 'I say to employers to keep supporting your workers with the furloughing scheme, it's much better to wait for times to get better rather than laying people off.' Defending his plans for the economy, he added: 'We're going to build, build, build and deliver jobs, jobs, jobs for the people of this country.' In response, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said: 'Next week's financial statement could be the last chance to save millions of jobs. Will the Prime Minister start now by extending the furlough scheme for those parts of the economy which are still most at risk?' The coronavirus crisis has hammered UK business, with John Lewis unveiling reopening plans for another 10 stores including its first in Wales and Scotland as well as the chain's flagship shop in Oxford Street - but sources admitting it is 'highly unlikely' that all 50 will ever reopen again. John Lewis boss Sharon White, who joined from broadcasting watchdog Ofcom before the pandemic began, has written to 80,000 staff at the retailer and its supermarket Waitrose warning them that their bonus is unlikely next year as she tried to improve profits. Harrods boss Michael Ward has also told his staff that 700 jobs will have to go because of the need to cut costs. In a memo to staff, he said: 'With a heavy-heart, today I need to confirm that due to the ongoing impacts of this pandemic, we as a business will need to make reductions to our workforce' and said 14 per cent of its 4,800 staff would likely lose their jobs'. John Lewis was struggling before the pandemic shut down their department stores and supermarkets. In March profits slumped by 23 per cent to 123million and the bonus paid to staff since 1953 was dropped to two per cent of salary - the lowest for more than 60 years. Sharon White's letter to thousands of staff, leaked to the Evening Standard, said: 'The difficult reality is that we have too much store space for the way people want to shop now. John Lewis boss Sharon White has written to staff warning that jobs, stores and the annual bonus are all under threat because of coronavirus The lockdown has hammered UK business with John Lewis unveiling reopening plans for another 10 stores (Kingston pictured) including its first in Wales and Scotland as well as the chain's flagship shop in Oxford Street - but sources admitted it is 'highly unlikely' that all 50 will ever reopen again. Waitrose jobs could also go and staff are likely to lose out on their bonuses for the next year How John Lewis' new boss is forced to wield the axe just months into the job Sharon White only joined John Lewis in January and has been hit by a pandemic that shut its stores and Waitrose supermarkets and now she must cut jobs, stores and bonuses. Ms White, 52, announced last summer she would leave her job as chief executive of Ofcom to take over from current chairman of the retailer Sir Charlie Mayfield at the beginning of next year. Cambridge-educated Ms White had a number of senior civil servant roles at the Treasury and Ministry of Justice before she joined the media watchdog in 2015. The 53-year-old has no formal retail experience and has been described as an 'unlikely candidate' by her predecessor. She is married to Robert Chote, who is head of the Office for Budget Responsibility, with whom she has two children. The couple have been repeatedly dubbed 'Mr and Mrs Treasury'. The mother-of-two was even rumoured to be in the running to become the next Governor of the Bank of England, a 480,000-a-year role. After becoming Second Permanent Secretary in 2013, The Voice named Ms White as the seventh most powerful black person in Britain. She was born to Jamaican immigrant parents and was brought up in Leyton, east London, where she went to a state secondary school. Ms White graduated from Cambridge with an economics degree before studying for her Master's at University College London. Advertisement 'As difficult as it is, we now know that it is highly unlikely that we will reopen all our John Lewis stores. 'Regrettably, it is likely that there will implications for some Partners' jobs. We are in active discussions with landlords about ending some leases and renegotiating others to make the terms more flexible'. On the bonus, she said: 'We entered the crisis with weakening profits, and we have taken a number of actions to preserve cash. Support from the Government has been a big help they have paid most of our furlough costs and given us a holiday from business rates. 'Trade too has not been as bad as our worst-case scenario thanks to a lot of hard work from our Partners. However as our competitors reopen we expect trading to be tougher in the second half of the year. 'There is clearly a lot of uncertainty but as things stand, it is hard to see the circumstances where we will be able to pay a bonus next year. I know this will be a blow for partners who have made sacrifices these past months.' John Lewis has opened 20 stores with social distancing in June and will now open ten more - raising questions about the remaining 20. It said said shops in Basingstoke, Cardiff, Chelmsford, Chester, Edinburgh, Exeter, Glasgow, Stratford and the Trafford Centre will reopen on Monday July 13. Its Oxford Street department store will open later in the week, on July 16, as John Lewis said the size of the shop meant it needed extra time to finalise plans. The latest raft of reopenings will take the total for the group so far to 32 since lockdown restrictions have eased for non-essential shops, with 18 remaining closed. England was the first to allow retailers to reopen, on June 15, followed by Wales on June 23 and Scotland on June 29. John Lewis said it will open more of its shops later in the summer, although insiders have warned previously it is 'highly unlikely' all 50 will ever reopen again. The grim day for retail also saw Sir Philip Green's Arcadia Group blame 'very challenging times' as it revealed plans to trim its head office operations. The firm, which also owns Burton and other high street brands, said: 'Due to the impact of Covid-19 on our business including the closure for over three months of all our stores and head offices, we have today informed staff of the need to restructure our head offices.' Up to 5,000 jobs are also under threat at the group which owns Upper Crust and Caffe Ritazza following plunging passengers numbers at railway stations and airports amid the coronavirus pandemic. The SSP group warned it expects to open only around a fifth of its sites in the UK by the autumn as travel is set to remain at very low levels amid the Covid-19 crisis. It has launched a consultation on a restructure to 'simplify and reshape' the business in the face of the pandemic, which could lead to more than half of its 9,000-strong peak season workforce being axed. Bensons for Beds, Harveys and TM Lewin have all announced layoffs and store closures. Up to 3,500 jobs could go at Ryanair, unless pilots and cabin crew agree to a pay cut. The airline's planes, above at London Southend Airport yesterday, are taking to the skies once again today with around 1,000 flights scheduled to take place Upper Crust and Caffe Ritazza are now at risk Up to 5,000 jobs are under threat at the group which owns Upper Crust and Caffe Ritazza following plunging passengers numbers at railway stations and airports amid the coronavirus pandemic. The SSP group warned it expects to open only around a fifth of its sites in the UK by the autumn as travel is set to remain at very low levels amid the Covid-19 crisis. It has launched a consultation on a restructure to 'simplify and reshape' the business in the face of the pandemic, which could lead to more than half of its 9,000-strong peak season workforce being axed. Advertisement The group, which employs 9,000 people and has around 580 stores including those trading under the Caffe Ritazza brand, said head office and UK staff will be affected. Pre-lockdown, SSP traded from around 2,800 units in airports, railway stations and motorway services stations. It served 1.5million customers every day in 35 countries. SSP Chief executive Simon Smith said: 'In the UK the pace of the recovery continues to be slow. 'In response to this, we are now taking further action to protect the business and create the right base from which to rebuild our operations. 'Regrettably, we are starting a collective consultation which will affect our UK colleagues. 'These are extremely difficult decisions, and our main priority will be to conduct the process carefully and fairly.' Upper Crust owner SSP Group is axing up to 5,000 UK jobs (pictured, in Marylebone Station) The 122-year-old shirtmaker's 66 shops, which also sell shoes, suits and ties, will disappear from the UK high street but its online platform will remain (file photo) Harveys became another casualty of the pandemic on Tuesday as the furniture chain fell into administration, with the immediate loss of 240 jobs TM Lewin collapsed into administration on Tuesday with 600 jobs axed. The 122-year-old shirtmaker's 66 shops, which also sell shoes, suits and ties, will disappear from the high street but its online platform will remain. Shirtmaker TM Lewin collapses into administration TM Lewin collapsed into administration yesterday with 600 jobs axed. The 122-year-old shirtmaker's 66 shops, which also sell shoes, suits and ties, will disappear from the high street but its online platform will remain. The firm blamed the coronavirus pandemic for the move to digital-only as it could not afford to pay rents after stores shut in March. A TM Lewin source told MailOnline an email was sent to staff 25 minutes before a Microsoft team meeting to tell them they were being made redundant. Advertisement The firm blamed the coronavirus pandemic for the move to digital-only as it could not afford to pay rents after stores shut in March. Earlier this month official data from the Office for National Statistics showed there were 600,000 fewer people on the payroll in May than in March. And the number of people claiming work-related benefits, which includes the unemployed, was up 126 per cent to 2.8 million. Money expert Martin Lewis said: 'Due to the change in furlough coming on August 1, I think hundreds of thousands of people possibly a million could face redundancy in the next six weeks.' From August 1, companies will be asked to pay national insurance and pension contributions for the hours an employee is on furlough ahead of further increases in September. There are particular fears for jobs in the travel, retail and leisure industries where demand is not expected to recover for many months. Many pubs, bars and restaurants have said they will struggle to make a profit when they start to open this Saturday, even with one-metre distancing. There were also fresh worries for the creative sector yesterday as Norwich Theatre Royal called off its Christmas pantomime and laid off 113 people half its staff. Advertisement China today threatened to punish Britain for offering three million Hong Kongers an escape route from Beijing's crackdown on dissent. Hours after Britain accused China of 'strangling' Hong Kong's freedoms with a 'grave and deeply disturbing' new security law, Beijing's embassy in London called the offer a breach of international law and warned: 'We firmly oppose this and reserve the right to take corresponding measures.' Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian told reporters that 'the UK should bear any consequences caused by this... Hong Kong matters are China's domestic affairs, and no countries have any right to intervene.' Q&A on Hong Kong's British Nationals Overseas (BNOs) What is a British National (overseas)? Hong Kongers could register for this special status before the 1997 handover. They get a UK passport but no automatic right to live and work in the UK. You cannot apply to become a BNO. How many of them are there? As of February, there were 349,881 BNO passport holders. The Government estimates that there are around 2.9million BNOs currently in Hong Kong. What is Britain offering them? A path to citizenship. BNOs will get five years 'limited leave to remain'. They can then apply for 'settled status'. After 12 months with settled status, they can apply for citizenship. Their close family will also be eligible. Advertisement UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, who unveiled the offer to British Nationals Overseas (BNOs) yesterday, admitted last night that there would be little the UK could do if China tried to stop Hong Kongers from leaving. Beijing regards BNOs as Chinese nationals but one who has already been granted asylum in the UK said 'hundreds of thousands' might take up Britain's offer. The Hong Kong crisis is the latest setback to Britain's relations with China, amid an angry row over Huawei's role in the 5G network and a hardening attitude from many MPs following the coronavirus pandemic - only five years after David Cameron proclaimed a 'golden era' in relations with China. China did not say how it might retaliate, but it has recently hit Australia with a series of tariffs, export bans and warnings against travelling and studying in the country after it led global calls for an inquiry into coronavirus. Australia said today it is considering a similar citizenship offer, while Taiwan has opened an office to help Hong Kongers take refuge there. Hong Kong police began their new crackdown on dissent yesterday, boasting of their draconian new powers as they rounded up hundreds of pro-democracy activists including a 15-year-old girl waving an independence flag. Police used water cannons, tear gas and pepper spray to drive protesters back on the 23rd anniversary of the former British colony's return to Chinese rule. Three were injured when a man flying a Hong Kong independence flag rammed his motorbike into a group of officers. Another man accused of stabbing a police officer in the shoulder was arrested on board a flight that was about to take off for London last night. There was no sign of further protests today. Ten people were specifically arrested under the new security law, which lines up long prison sentences for crimes of 'subversion' and 'terrorism' which critics fear could be used to silence dissent. The law also allows China's feared security agencies to openly set up shop in Hong Kong for the first time, and could open the door for dissidents to be tried on the mainland. An influential group of barristers says the law will weaken the independent judiciary which is seen as key to Hong Kong's success as a business hub. Campaigners say the 'one country, two systems' formula which was meant to guarantee Hong Kong's freedoms until 2047 is now dead - but China insists the law is an internal affair targeting only a handful of 'troublemakers'. Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian (pictured) told reporters at a press conference today that 'all the consequences shall be borne by the UK side' after Britain drew up plans to offer residency to three million Hong Kongers Hong Kong police last night arrested a man accused of stabbing a police officer during protests over the new security law (pictured_ - taking him off a Cathay Pacific flight to London moments before it took off Riot police detain a man as they clear protesters taking part in a rally against a new national security law in Hong Kong on July 1, 2020, on the 23rd anniversary of the city's handover from Britain to China A protester uses a sharp object against a police officer who is trying to detain a man (C) during a rally against a new national security law in Hong Kong Pictured: Riot police officers walk as anti-national security law protesters march during the anniversary of Hong Kong's handover to China from Britain, in Hong Kong, China July 1, 2020 Hong Kongers look to take up Britain's offer 'Hundreds of thousands of people' from Hong Kong might come to the UK after the Government offered an escape route to around three million people in the city, says a former British consulate worker who alleged he was tortured in China. Simon Cheng is the first person to have been granted political asylum by the Home Office after he was allegedly shackled and beaten in secret detention in the Chinese city of Shenzhen. Mr Cheng, a British overseas national, announced Wednesday night that his immigration application had been approved last Friday by the British government. The pro-democracy activist, 29, today said that 'hundreds of thousands of people' from Hong Kong might follow his footsteps and choose to come to the UK. The former consulate worker was detained in China for over two weeks last August after Beijing accused the former consulate worker of inciting unrest amid mass anti-government demonstrations in Hong Kong. Simon Cheng (pictured) is the first person to have been granted political asylum by the Home Office in relation to Chinas crackdown on the Hong Kong anti-government movement after he was allegedly shackled, beaten, forced to stand for long hours in secret detention in China Eunice Wong, a Hong Kong student who has just finished her Master's degree in the UK, said she would be taking advantage of the offer. 'It's the only option. I don't think I can go back home now. I will be persecuted,' she told The Times. In a separate interview with BBC Radio 5 Live, Ms Wong said she would not be able to go home again after talking to foreign media. Thousands of Hong Kong citizens have already expressed their desire to move to Britain on social media platforms. A Facebook group named the 'Official Group for BNO Equality Movement' has seen nearly 3,000 new members in the past month. Numerous Hong Kong websites have published articles explaining the process of applying for the new BNO rights, including one titled 'Things you must know before immigration'. Advertisement Mr Raab told MPs yesterday the 'bespoke' new arrangement to be implemented in the coming months would grant BNOs five years' limited leave to remain in the UK with the ability to live and work. They would then be eligible to apply for settled status and would be able to apply for citizenship after 12 months with that status. At the moment, BNOs can travel on a British passport and receive UK diplomatic help but do not have the automatic right to live or work in Britain. The status had to be acquired before 1997 and can no longer be applied for, although 'dependents' of BNO holders will be eligible under the scheme. As of February, there were nearly 350,000 BNO passport holders, while the Government estimates there are around 2.9million BNOs living in Hong Kong. 'This is a special, bespoke set of arrangements developed for the unique circumstances we face and in the light of our historic commitment to the people of Hong Kong,' Mr Raab said. However, the Foreign Secretary later said 'only a proportion' would be likely to take up the new status. He also said that if Beijing tried to stop people with British National (Overseas) status from leaving Hong Kong, there would be little that could be done by the UK. Mr Raab told ITV's Peston programme: 'There is diplomatic leverage, there are other ways that we can persuade China not to fully implement either the national security law or some of the reprisals you talk about. 'But ultimately we need to be honest that we wouldn't be able to force China to allow BNOs to come to the UK.' The Chinese embassy in London insists that 'all Chinese compatriots residing in Hong Kong are Chinese nationals'. 'If the British side makes unilateral changes to the relevant practice, it will breach its own position and pledges as well as international law and basic norms governing international relations,' it said in a statement. 'We firmly oppose this and reserve the right to take corresponding measures,' it said without elaborating. Separately, foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian warned at a daily briefing today that Britain would bear all consequences for any actions it took over Hong Kong. 'All Chinese compatriots in Hong Kong, including those holding the British National (Overseas) passports, are Chinese citizens,' Zhao said. 'Before Hong Kong returned, the UK side had clearly promised not to provide the right of abode in Britain for holders of the BNO travel documents. The UK side has ignored the Chinese side's solemn position and insisted on changing the policy to provide a route for the relevant individuals to stay in the UK and obtain UK citizenship. '[The UK's move] has seriously breached its own promises and violates international law and the basic principles of international relations. The Chinese side strongly condemns this and reserves the rights of further reactions. The UK should bear any consequences caused by this.' Hu Xijin, the editor of the state-run Global Times, struck a different tone by saying that Britain should either grant citizenship immediately or not at all. 'Johnson government should give Hong Kong BNO passport holders UK citizenship, rather than let them go through a long period of uncertainty,' he said. 'No matter what's China's official response, Chinese people have no objection to UK opening its arms to Hongkongers who want to leave.' Britain regards the new security law as a breach of the 1984 treaty which agreed the terms of the handover - but China regards it as a historical document with no validity today. The officer retreats after being stabbed in the arm and receives treatment to his bloody wounds from his colleagues Protesters chant slogans during a rally against a new national security law in Hong Kong on July 1, 2020, on the 23rd anniversary of the city's handover from Britain to China. - Hong Kong police made the first arrests under Beijing's new national security law on July 1 as the city greeted the anniversary of its handover to China with protesters fleeing water cannon Pictured: A woman reacts after she was hit with pepper spray deployed by police as they cleared a street with protesters rallying against a new national security law in Hong Kong on July 1, 2020 Pictured: A police officer raises his pepper spray handgun as he detains a man during a march against the national security law at the anniversary of Hong Kong's handover to China from Britain in Hong Kong, China July 1, 2020 How UK and China have clashed over 5G, Covid-19 and human rights In October 2015, then-PM David Cameron told Chinese state TV that Britain and China were entering 'something of a golden era in our relationship' - but those ties have since been thrown off course by a series of disputes. HUAWEI AND 5G Beijing has been angered by Western fears that Chinese tech giant Huawei could be used as a front for Communist Party espionage. Huawei has long been lobbying to help build Britain's 5G mobile network, but some politicians fear that Beijing could commandeer the technology to tap into communications. China has previously accused UK ministers of showing 'deep-rooted pride and prejudice' by raising fears about Huawei's involvement. Huawei denies any spying link. In January 2020, Huawei was granted a limited role in the 5G network after the government said it could manage the risks and would keep Huawei out of the 'core' of the network, limiting its role to 35 per cent. But US pressure has prompted a rethink in recent weeks. Ministers admitted this week that US sanctions are 'likely to have an impact on the viability of Huawei as a provider'. Britain is now studying ways it can cut Huawei out of its system entirely and build up an alliance of European and Asian providers that reduces China's dominance in the field. CORONAVIRUS CRISIS UK ministers have said that China faces a 'reckoning' over its handling of the coronavirus crisis, which started in Wuhan late last year and has killed more than 40,000 people in Britain. Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said in May that China has questions to answer about how the disease was allowed to spiral out of control, amid claims that China covered up the outbreak in its earliest days. Britain was among the countries to back Australia's calls for a WHO investigation into the pandemic. China has responded to Australia's pressure with a series of retaliatory measures. China's state-run Global Times stoked further tension in May by saying the UK's response to Covid-19 was 'flippant and ill-prepared' and saying the UK needed a 'miracle' to escape the 'mess' it was in. HUMAN RIGHTS Britain voiced concern about the crackdown in Hong Kong during last year's protests, saying that mass arrests and the use of live ammunition risked 'inflaming tensions'. In addition, Britain was one of 23 countries to voice alarm about Chinese human rights abuses in Xinjiang, where ethnic minority Uighurs have allegedly been detained in 're-education camps'. A joint statement signed by Britain said there were 'credible reports of mass detention; efforts to restrict cultural and religious practices; mass surveillance disproportionately targeting ethnic Uighurs; and other human rights violations and abuses'. Britain also urged China to give 'meaningful access' to UN investigators to assess the situation in Xinjiang. INFLUENCE ON BRITAIN'S ELITE A London club packed with political and business elites was caught in a row last month after a book claimed it was being used by China to 'groom' Britain's elites. The pro-China 48 Group Club, which lists Lord Heseltine among its patrons, is taking legal action over the book which suggested that China sees the club as a channel for its lobbying efforts. The club denied being a 'vehicle for Beijing' and said it was an 'independent body' promoting 'positive Sino-British relations', The Times reported. Experts have previously warned about Chinese tactics of 'elite capture' by appointing prominent foreigners as well-paid advisers and making them 'more amenable to Communist Party aims'. Advertisement Beijing unveiled the details of the security law on Tuesday night after weeks of uncertainty, pushing one of the world's most glittering financial hubs on to a more authoritarian path. The new law is seen as Beijing's boldest step yet to bring the semi-autonomous territory under control of the authoritarian mainland. Hong Kong returned to China in 1997 under a deal known as 'one country, two systems' which maintained rights such as free speech and an independent judiciary that are unknown on the mainland. Beijing promised to preserve the city's way of life until at least 2047 - but critics say its special status is now dead. Brought in following anti-government protests last year, it outlaws any action deemed to be against the national interest of China. Anyone shouting slogans or holding flags calling for independence is violating the law, regardless of whether violence is used. Even driving a bus full of protesters could be deemed illegal. The most serious offenders will be labelled 'terrorists', transferred to the mainland and receive a maximum sentence of life in jail. One example of a terror act, for example, is attacking public transport, something protesters often did last year. But it also includes providing support or assistance for such acts. 'This would mean many 'moderate' or peaceful supporters of the protest movement would be caught under the law if the extreme protesters they assisted were to be arrested as terrorists,' Hong Kong lawyer Antony Dapiran said. Some trials will be held behind closed doors. A new police unit unaccountable to local laws has also been given licence to operate in the territory. Beijing, not Hong Kong, will have power over how the law is interpreted. In a new wave of demonstrations yesterday, protesters initially found themselves outnumbered by riot police, with groups of officers stationed at every major junction. Then thousands arrived to defy tear gas and pepper pellets which were sprayed their way. The first arrest specifically under the new law was a man with a flag that read simply: 'Hong Kong Independence.' A woman holding a sign displaying the Union Flag was also held while others were detained for 'possessing items advocating independence'. Around 370 were arrested on other charges, including unlawful assembly and possessing weapons. Police said that one officer was stabbed in the arm by 'rioters holding sharp objects'. They added that the suspects fled and bystanders offered no help. Authorities later arrested a 24-year-old man at the city's airport in the early hours of Thursday on suspicion of attacking and wounding an officer during protests. A police spokesman said the arrested man was surnamed Wong but could not confirm if he was leaving Hong Kong or working at the airport. Wong had purchased a ticket on Wednesday and boarded the flight with no check-in luggage, the official said. He did not respond to the air crew who called him by name, and was not at his designated seat. Police identified him after conducting a sweep of the plane. Local media reported he was arrested after a relative tipped off police about his his travel plans. Ahead of the protest, pro-democracy activist Tsang Kin-shing, of the League of Social Democrats, warned there was a 'large chance of our being arrested'. He said: 'The charges will not be light, please judge for yourself.' A man who gave his name as Seth, 35, said: 'I'm scared of going to jail but for justice I have to come out today, I have to stand up.' Media tycoon Jimmy Lai said the law meant Hong Kong was 'dead'. He added: 'It's worse than the worst scenario imagined. Hong Kong is totally subdued, totally under control.' Mr Lai, 72, who also supported the Tiananmen Square protesters in 1989, thinks Beijing will come for him but is unfazed. 'I cannot worry, because you never know what kind of measures they will take against me,' he said. Pictured: Riot police (L) deploy pepper spray toward journalists (R) as protesters gathered for a rally against a new national security law in Hong Kong on July 1, 2020, on the 23rd anniversary of the city's handover from Britain to China Pictured: Helicopters with China's national flag and the flag of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region fly over the Victoria Harbor during a ceremony to celebrate the 23rd anniversary of Hong Kong's return to China on July 1, 2020 in Hong Kong, China Pictured: Riot police secure an area in front of a burning road block during a demonstration against the new national security law on July 1, 2020 in Hong Kong, China Pictured: A row of riot police officers is seen in front of a water cannon vehicle during a march against the national security law at the anniversary of Hong Kong's handover to China from Britain, in Hong Kong, China July 1, 2020 Pictured: Pan-democratic legislator Eddie Chu Hoi-dick, Vice convener for Hong Kong's Civil Human Rights Front Figo Chan, and activist Leung Kwok-hung, also known as 'Long Hair', march at the anniversary of Hong Kong's handover to China from Britain, in Hong Kong, China July 1, 2020 Pictured: Protesters chant slogans and gesture during a rally against a new national security law in Hong Kong on July 1, 2020, on the 23rd anniversary of the city's handover from Britain to China Pictured: Demonstrators take part in a protest against the new national security law on July 1, 2020 in Hong Kong, China Pictured: A protester (centre R) is detained by police during a rally against a new national security law in Hong Kong on July 1, 2020, on the 23rd anniversary of the city's handover from Britain to China. - Hong Kong police arrested more than 300 people on July 1 - including nine under China's new national security law - as thousands defied a ban on protests on the anniversary of the city's handover to China Hong Kong barristers warn of threat to independent judiciary Hong Kong's new security law undermines its independent judiciary and could lead to suspects being deported to the mainland, an influential group of barristers has warned. In a scathing critique, the city's Bar Association said the new law dismantles the legal firewall between Hong Kong's independent judiciary - which is seen as crucial to the city's success as a business hub - and China's Communist Party-controlled courts. The Association said the new national security offences were 'widely drawn' and 'are capable of being applied in a manner that is arbitrary, and that disproportionately interferes with fundamental rights, including the freedom of conscience, expression and assembly'. 'Lawyers, judges, police and Hong Kong residents were given no opportunity to familiarise themselves with the contents of the new law, including the serious criminal offences it creates, before it came into force,' it said. Barristers said the law makes clear 'suspects can be removed to face trial in Mainland China' and points out that the process does not have the usual checks and balances of extradition hearings. It noted the law allowed mainland security agents working in Hong Kong to be 'above the reach of local law' and said empowering the city's chief executive to appoint judges to oversee national security cases undermined judicial independence. In response, China dismissed the statement as 'unfounded', claiming officials had held dialogue sessions with Hong Kong residents to hear their opinions on the law. 'The lawyers' association's claim... that the law lacked meaningful consultation is totally unfounded,' said foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian. Advertisement Hong Kong's Beijing-backed leader Carrie Lam strongly endorsed the new law in her speech marking the 23rd anniversary of the handover yesterday. 'This decision was necessary and timely to maintain Hong Kong's stability,' Lam said following a flag-raising ceremony and the playing of China's national anthem. Speaking at the harbour-front venue where the last British governor Chris Patten handed Hong Kong back to Chinese rule, Lam described it as the most important development in the 23 years since then. Mr Raab yesterday rebuked HSBC for supporting the new law, saying that the rights of Hong Kong should not be 'sacrificed on the altar of bankers' bonuses'. HSBC was originally known as the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation. British banking giants HSBC and Standard Chartered - both with a major presence in Hong Kong and on the mainland - joined other firms in publicly backing the law last month. The Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce described the passing of the law earlier this week as 'instrumental in helping to restore stability and certainty to Hong Kong, which has been severely impacted by the social unrest since last year'. 'We need a stable environment which the (security law) aims to provide.' Analysts and members of the business community have said the law could add to the risk and complexity of doing business in Hong Kong, but is unlikely to spark an exodus of foreign firms because the city is still seen as the gateway to the Chinese economy. The city's Bar Association, an influential group of barristers, said the new law dismantles the legal firewall between Hong Kong's independent judiciary - which is seen as crucial to the city's success as a business hub - and China's Communist Party-controlled courts. Hong Kong restaurant is raided by police for displaying pro-democracy posters A noodle restaurant in Hong Kong has been forced to shut down after police raided the eatery for displaying pro-democracy slogans, pamphlets and figurines. The owner of Bowl and Plate, Gordon Lam, announced the store closure today on Facebook after being warned by the authorities that the restaurants decorations might breach the new national security law. The post was accompanied by pictures of Mr Lam tearing down the slogans that were put up six months ago to show support of the ongoing anti-government protests in the city. A noodle restaurant in Hong Kong has been forced to shut down after police raided the eatery for displaying pro-democracy slogans, pamphlets and figurines. The picture shows the owner, Gordon Lam, taking down the posters following police raid The store closure was announced today by the owner after being warned by the authorities that the restaurants decorations might breach the new national security law Another image previously uploaded on the noodle bars Instagram shows the restaurants walls being filled with posters with slogans backing the pro-democracy protesters and supporting Hong Kongs independence. Many customers have left supportive comments under Mr Lams post. One commenter wrote: They cant tear them down. They are in our hearts. Another one read: 'The most important thing is that you're safe. We will help you once the business is reopened. One bowl...I'll eat a few more bowls!' Advertisement The Association said the new national security offences were 'widely drawn' and 'are capable of being applied in a manner that is arbitrary, and that disproportionately interferes with fundamental rights, including the freedom of conscience, expression and assembly'. 'Lawyers, judges, police and Hong Kong residents were given no opportunity to familiarise themselves with the contents of the new law, including the serious criminal offences it creates, before it came into force,' it said. China's move has provoked a backlash around the world. The US House of Representatives last night agreed unanimously to seek tough sanctions on Chinese officials and Hong Kong police. On Thursday, Australian leader Scott Morrison said he was 'very actively' considering offering Hong Kongers safe haven. Taiwan has opened an office to help Hong Kongers wanting to flee, while a proposed bill in the United States offering sanctuary to city residents has received widespread bipartisan support. China routinely dismisses all such criticism as interference in its domestic affairs. One of the crimes in the Hong Kong security law explicitly outlaws receiving funding or support from overseas to disrupt lawmaking in Hong Kong or impose sanctions on the city. Amnesty International said the new law was a 'far-reaching threat to Hong Kong's freedoms'. Its Asia-Pacific regional director, Nicholas Bequelin, added: 'With its vague language and provisions for secret trials, hand-picked judges and mainland security agencies operating freely in the city, the law is wide open to politically motivated, capricious and arbitrary interpretation by the authorities. 'Hong Kongers are facing an assault by the Beijing authorities and the Hong Kong government on freedoms that they have long enjoyed.' One major cause of alarm is Article 38 of the law which purports to claim jurisdiction over national security offences committed overseas, even by foreigners. 'If you've ever said anything that might offend [China] or Hong Kong authorities, stay out of Hong Kong,' Donald Clarke, an expert on Chinese law at George Washington University, wrote in an analysis. 'I know of no reason not to think it means what it appears to say: it is asserting extraterritorial jurisdiction over every person on the planet,' Clarke wrote. The UK updated its travel advice on Hong Kong, saying there is an 'increased risk of detention and deportation'. It advised Britons to 'avoid protests and demonstrations.' Political leaders across the spectrum have condemned China's crackdown, which came quicker than anyone expected. But Rod Wye, of the Chatham House think-tank, said Beijing will not care as it takes advantage of global instability and rifts opening up between Western powers. 'The USA and EU are moving in different directions in many areas. It is perhaps to China's advantage that that should be so,' he said.'Expressions of concern are certainly not going to change the Chinese intention one little bit.' Pictured: Xie Feng, commissioner of the Chinese Foreign Ministry in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region addresses a flag-raising ceremony to celebrate the 23rd anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland on July 1, 2020 in Hong Kong, China Pictured: A person is detained by riot police officers during a march against national security law at the anniversary of Hong Kong's handover to China from Britain, in Hong Kong, China July 1, 2020 Pictured: Riot police officers pinning down a protester during the demonstration. Following the passing of the National Security Law that would tighten on freedom of expression, Hong Kong protesters marched on the streets to demonstrate. Protesters chanted slogans, sang songs, and obstructed roads. Later, riot police officers arrested several protesters while using paintballs and pepper spray, July 1 2020 Even after 99 million years, turns out some things never change. Cuckoo wasps were shades of metallic green 99 million years ago just like they are today, a study of extraordinarily-preserved insects trapped in amber has revealed. The specimens from Myanmar which also included beetles, ants and a soldier fly largely retained the colours they would have sported in the time of the dinosaurs. Most fossils lose their colour over time structural clues are usually not preserved which is why most fossil reconstructions rely heavily on artists imaginations. Cuckoo wasps were shades of metallic green 99 million years ago just like they are today, a study of extraordinarily well-preserved insect fossils in amber has revealed. Pictured, one of the cuckoo wasps (top) preserved in the fossil amber, with a brown ant (bottom) 'The amber is mid-Cretaceous, approximately 99 million years old, dating back to the golden age of dinosaurs,' said paper author and palaeoentomologist Chenyang Cai of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. 'It is essentially resin produced by ancient coniferous trees that grew in a tropical rainforest environment.' 'Animals and plants trapped in the thick resin got preserved, some with life-like fidelity.' The colours sported by animals can off clues about their behaviour and ecology, such as how they escape predators, or attract potential mates. Dr Cai and colleagues had collected 35 pieces of amber with 'exquisitely' preserved insects including wasps, beetles and a soldier fly from an amber mine located in Northern Myanmar. Some of these ancient creepy crawlies which would have lived alongside the dinosaurs appear to have kept their original colours. 'The rare set of amber fossils includes cuckoo wasps with metallic bluish-green, yellowish-green, purplish-blue or green colours on the head, thorax, abdomen and legs,' said Dr Cai. 'In terms of colour, they are almost the same as cuckoo wasps that live today.' The beetles, meanwhile, had bodies in shades of blue and purple, while the soldier fly was a dark metallic green. 'We have seen thousands of amber fossils but the preservation of colour in these specimens is extraordinary,' said paper author and palaeobiologist Diying Huang. The team wanted to understand why the colour was preserved in some fossils but not others and whether the colours had changed over time. Using a diamond knife blade, they were able to cut through the exoskeleton of two of the multi coloured wasps and take a hair sample. The specimens from Myanmar which also included beetles, ants and a soldier fly largely retained the colours they would have sported in the time of the dinosaurs. Pictured, a cleptine wasp preserved in the 99 million-year-old piece of amber Most fossils lose their colour over time structural clues are usually not preserved which is why most fossil reconstructions rely heavily on artists imaginations. Pictured, a green wasp 'The type of colour preserved in the amber fossils is called structural colour, caused by microscopic structure of the animal's surface,' explained paper author and palaeontologist Yanhong Pan. 'The surface nanostructure scatters light of specific wavelengths and produces very intense colours.' 'This mechanism is responsible for many of the colours we know from our everyday lives,' Professor Pan added. The researchers used an electron microscope to prove that the insects exoskeletons were indeed scattering light. This means that the fossils had been exceptionally well preserved and that the colours seen on them had likely remained the same since the Cretaceous period. In fossils where colour was not preserved, the exoskeletons were also badly damaged, explaining their brown-black appearance. Dr Cai and colleagues had collected 35 pieces of amber with 'exquisitely' preserved insects including wasps, beetles and a soldier fly from an amber mine located in Northern Myanmar. Pictured, a preserved cleptine wasp with a blueish-green head 'We have seen thousands of amber fossils but the preservation of colour in these specimens is extraordinary,' said paper author and palaeobiologist Diying Huang. Pictured, an elongate bark-gnawing beetle with a metallic blue colouration 'Extant cuckoo wasps are, as their name suggests, parasites that lay their eggs into the nests of unrelated bees and wasps,' said Dr Cai. 'Structural colouration has been shown to serve as camouflage in insects and so it is probable that the colour of Cretaceous cuckoo wasps represented an adaptation to avoid detection.' 'At the moment we also cannot rule out the possibility that the colours played other roles besides camouflage, such as thermoregulation.' The full findings of the study were published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B. The United States' new Space Force has named one of its new primary field commands 'SpOC' in apparent nod to Star Trek's pointy-eared science officer. Short for 'Space Operations Command', SpOC will join 'Space Systems Command' and 'Space Training and Readiness Command' the force revealed in a statement. Although the new armed forces branch made no explicit reference to SpOC's namesake, this is not the first time Space Force has borrowed from Star Trek. In the long-running sci-fi franchise, the unflappable Spock is half-Vulcan, half-human character played by Leonard Nimoy, as well as Zachary Quinto and Ethan Peck. The United States' new Space Force has named one of its new primary field commands 'SpOC' in apparent nod to Star Trek's pointy-eared science officer. Pictured: Leonard Nimoy's Mr Spock (centre), along with Nichelle Nichols' Lt Uhura (left) and William Shatner's Captain Kirk (right) on the bridge of the USS Enterprise 'SpOC will be the primary force provider of space forces and capabilities for combatant commanders, coalition partners, the joint force and the nation,' a Space Force spokesperson revealed in a statement. The command unit, they added, will be headquartered at the Peterson Air Force Base, which is located in Colorado Springs. The three new primary field commands will be responsible for training space professionals, acquiring space systems from industry developers and supporting combatant commanders. Underneath the field commands there will be two tiers deltas and squadrons. Space Force was founded as the country's sixth military branch following the army, air force, navy, marines and coast guard by President Donald Trump, who has described space as being 'the world's newest war-fighting domain.' 'This is the most significant restructuring of space units undertaken by the United States since the establishment of Air Force Space Command in 1982,' Air Force Secretary Barbara Barrett said in a statement. 'Innovation and efficiency are driving our mission as we position the Space Force to respond with agility to protect our nation's space capabilities and the American way of life.' 'Space Training and Readiness Command or 'STARCOM' is anticipated will be active by next year, and will be overseen by a two-star general. In the interim, a field-grade officer will oversee a provisional 'Space Training and Readiness Delta, which will be established at Peterson Air Force Base next month. 'This unit will serve as the parent organisation for a number of education, training, and operational test and evaluation units transferring to the Space Force in summer 2020,' officials explained. Meanwhile, SpOC and Space Systems Command which will be responsible for overseeing space system acquisition, launches and developing 'space capabilities for war-fighters' are expected will be led by three-star generals. At present, Space Force is being operated with the aid of 16,000 airmen temporarily detailed to the service from what was formerly known as Air Force Space Command. Before the year is out, 6,000 of these personnel are expected to be offered the opportunity to transfer into the Space Force on a permanent basis. 'This is an historic opportunity to launch the Space Force on the right trajectory to deliver the capabilities needed to ensure freedom of movement and deter aggression in, from and to space,' said Space Force's General Jay Raymond. 'How we organise the Space Force will have lasting impact on our ability to respond with speed and agility to emerging threats in support of the National Defense Strategy and Space Strategy.' The familiar naming of the SpOC unit will not be the first time that Space Force has appeared to have taken inspiration from 'Star Trek'. When its logo (left) was first unveiled by President Trump back in January, the design was widely compared to the insignia of 'Star Fleet' (right) the fictional peacekeeping and exploration force of Star Trek's 'United Federation of Planets' The familiar naming of the SpOC unit will not be the first time that Space Force has appeared to have taken inspiration from 'Star Trek'. When its logo was first unveiled by President Trump back in January, the design was widely compared to the insignia of 'Star Fleet' the fictional peacekeeping and exploration force of Star Trek's 'United Federation of Planets'. The insignia first appeared on televisions screen in 1966, featuring on the uniforms of Spock, Captain Kirk and the rest of the USS Enterprise's crew. Star Trek has had a long history of foreshadowing real-world innovations all the way from tablet computers to needle-free medicine injectors and real-time language translators. Disney wants deepfakes to hit the big screen. In a recently published paper, Disney Research Studios described a facial-swapping technology that uses an AI algorithm to realistically alter one's facial features in high-resolution. While the technology isn't by any means novel, the algorithm is unique in that its capable of producing images that are high-resolution and as a result, photorealistic. 'To the best of our knowledge, this is the first method capable of rendering photo-realistic and temporally coherent results at megapixel resolution,' the researchers write in their paper. While other algorithms focus on smooth facial transitions, Disney's algorithm focuses on increasing megapixels, allowing it to produce videos with a resolution of 1024 x 1024. That resolution also means that the images will ultimately look better on bigger screens. As noted by The Verge, outside of the algorithm's high resolution, Disney's deepfake technology is fairly consistent with others of its kind. Though it can automatically adapt to different facial expressions, it has a difficult time with faces that aren't forward-looking and well lit. It's easy to see the technology having applications in CGI, but according to researchers there's still work to be done before the technology can be used commercially. 'While those results are impressive, they are expensive to produce and typically take many months of work to achieve mere seconds of footage,' write the researchers. Beavers are massively changing landscapes in the Arctic by building dams, which melt permanently frozen ground and release greenhouse gases, a new study says. Over the last few years, beavers have expanded into many tundra regions where they had never been seen before, due to an abundance of vegetation. But they are also building more dams in their new homes, creating a host of new lakes which thaw permafrost permanently frozen ground and release trapped gases like carbon dioxide and methane into the atmosphere, contributing to global warming. German and US researchers studied satellite images of a roughly 38-square-mile area of land near the town of Kotzebue on Alaskas Baldwin Peninsula, spanning 17 years. They found the number of beaver dams has risen from just two in 2002 to 98 in 2019 a 5,000 per cent increase, with more than five dams being constructed per year. Higher temperatures leads to more shrub land for beavers in the Arctic tundra. Beavers therefore are building dams in more areas, but the resulting bodies of water are warmer than the surrounding permafrost - ground that remains completely frozen. The warmer lakes therefore accelerate the thawing of permafrost, which releases greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide and methane. A North American beaver (Castor canadensis) works on its dam. This species is active in the Arctic regions of Alaska Their methods are extremely effective,' said Dr Ingmar Nitze from the Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research (AWI) in Potsdam in Germany. Of course, we knew that the beavers there had spread substantially over the last few decades. But we never would have dreamed they would seize the opportunity so intensively. Anyone who wants to predict the future of the permafrost should be sure to keep the beaver in mind. Mapping beaver dams in high-resolution satellite imagery available for the northern Baldwin Peninsula, Alaska. The location of individual dams are indicated with red arrow and the flow direction with a light blue arrow Location of the beaver dam mapping study area on the northern Baldwin Peninsula, northwestern Alaska THAWING PERMAFROST AND GREENHOUSE GASES Carbon is frozen deep in Arctic permafrost ground that remains completely frozen -32F (0C) or colder for at least two years straight. As the Earth warms, scientists worry that some of the carbon in permafrost could escape to the atmosphere as carbon dioxide or methane. Increasing the amount of these gases in the atmosphere could make Earth's climate warm up even more. More info: US National Snow & Ice Data Center Advertisement The furred rodents, which can weigh up to 30kg (66lbs), are armed with sharp teeth to fell trees and shrubs and build dams. These dams offer protection for the semi-aquatic beavers against predators such as wolves and bears by creating a big body of water. Beavers build their lodges in the middle of these water bodies, which are made from mounds of sticks and mud just like dams. But dams cause small valleys to fill with water and form new lakes, which can easily measure a few hectares. There are only two species of beaver the Eurasian beaver and the slightly smaller North American, which is active in the Arctic regions of Alaska. The Eurasian beaver is native to the UK and used to be widespread in England, Wales and Scotland, although UK charities are now engaging in beaver reintroduction projects. In 2018, Dr Nitze and colleagues determined that North American beavers living in an 18,000-square kilometre section of northwest Alaska had created 56 new lakes in just five years. This is partly due to climate change, as rising temperatures mean more habitats offer the shrubs that the animals need for food and building material. In the summer, increased warmth and longer growing seasons have been linked to increases in tundra productivity and shrub-dominated vegetation over the last three decades, attracting beavers. But the beavers' dams are warmer than the surrounding permafrost ground that remains completely frozen (32F (0C) or colder) for at least two years straight. The warmer lakes therefore accelerate the thawing of permafrost, which releases the greenhouse gases. North American Beaver (Castor canadensis). Armed with sharp teeth, they fell trees and shrubs and build dams, causing small valleys to fill with water and forming new lakes, which can easily measure a few hectares The team have used detailed satellite data to track North American beaver activity in two other regions of Alaska to observe where this cycle is taking place. The lakes, which used to freeze solid, are now more beaver-friendly thanks to the thinner layer of ice covering the top at winter. Beavers also aren't hunted as intensively as in the past, meaning its a good time to be a beaver in the Arctic, according to the AWI. As well as a 5,000 per cent increase in beaver dams on a section of the peninsula, the larger area surveyed also experienced a beaver dam boom, which has affected the water balance. Were seeing exponential growth there, said Dr Nitze. The number of these structures doubles roughly every four years. Beavers intentionally do their work in parts of the landscape that they can most easily flood. To do so, sometimes they dam up small streams or the outlets of existing lakes, which expand as a result, but they especially prefer drained lake basins. The animals have intuitively found that damming the outlet drainage channels at the sites of former lakes in an efficient way to create habitat, said study lead author Benjamin Jones at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. So a new lake is formed which degrades ice-rich permafrost in the basin, adding to the effect of increasing the depth of the engineered water body. A Eurasian beaver (Castor fiber). Castor includes two extant species, the North American beaver (Castor canadensis), native to North America, and the Eurasian beaver. Beavers are native to the UK and used to be widespread in England, Wales and Scotland In the course of the 17-year time frame studied, the overall water area in the Kotzebue region grew by 8.3 per cent roughly two-thirds of which was due to beavers. The research team say there have been similar construction booms in other regions of the Arctic and they now want to expand their beaver manhunt across the Arctic. The growth in Canada, for example, is most likely even more extreme, said Dr Nitze While the frozen soil could theoretically bounce back after a few years when the beaver dams eventually break, conditions may not be cold enough for that to happen. The study has been published in Environmental Research Letters. NASA astronauts Chris Cassidy and Robert Behnken stepped out into the vacuum of space to replace an ageing battery on the International Space Station on July 1. The pair started the 229th spacewalk from the ISS at 12:35 BST and spent a total of six hours and one minute outside the station to install new batteries. This was the second spacewalk in a week and saw the astronauts continue where they left off on Jun 26 - improving the power supply to the space station. They successfully moved and connected one new, powerful lithium-ion battery and its adapter and moved an ageing nickel-hydrogen battery for future disposal. NASA says at least two more spacewalks will be needed to complete the power upgrade program that first started in 2017. This was the second spacewalk in a week and saw the astronauts continue where they left off in swapping out old batteries to improve power to the station. Pictured is the spacewalk on June 26 also featuring Cassidy and Behnken They left from the Quest airlock to replace nickel-hydrogen batteries with new lithium-ion batteries that arrived on a Japanese cargo spaceship last month This was the eighth time both Cassidy and Behnken have stepped out into space over the course of their career to repair or upgrade the international station. Cassidy now has spent a total of 37 hours and 21 minutes spacewalking. Behnken has now spent a total of 43 hours and 40 minutes spacewalking. In an earlier spacewalk on June 26 the pair started the work to complete the upgrade to the power channel that the new batteries will be used on. That walk saw them remove five of the six nickel-hydrogen batteries in one of the stations power channels and install two of three lithium-ion batteries. The station is equipped with four large solar arrays and each one feeds electricity into two circuits going into the space station. Each of the eight channels included six nickel-hydrogen batteries to provide electricity when the station is out of sight of the Sun. The original batteries are wearing out and need to be replaced - this started in 2017 and will see the 48 batteries replaced with 24 more powerful lithium-ion batteries. Between 2017 and January this year 36 old batteries in three of the four sets of solar arrays were replaced - the latest round of spacewalks will finish the job. Today's upgrade included removing the last of the six ageing nickel-hydrogen batteries and installing the final of the three lithium-ion batteries. During the six hour space walk the pair also loosened the bolts on other nickel-hydrogen batteries that will be replaced in future spacewalks. This will complete the power capability upgrade on the far starboard truss and complete the station's battery replacement work that began in January 2017 with the first series of power upgrade spacewalks. NASA astronauts Chris Cassidy and Robert Behnken stepped out into the vacuum of space this afternoon to replace an ageing battery on the International Space Station Cassidy and Behnken also routed power and ethernet cables in preparation for the installation of a new external wireless communications system. The new system will bring enhanced HD cameras to the outside of the station and to increase helmet camera coverage for future spacewalks. To support future power system upgrades, they also removed a device called an 'H-Fixture' that was installed before the solar arrays were launched in 1998. The pair will go back out into space for the 230th spacewalk later this month to continue the battery swap outs. Coal power stations are polluting and expensive, and the falling cost of clean energy is pushing the dirty fossil fuel to the brink of extinction, a report has found. Analysis showed installing environmentally-friendly energy sources, such as wind and solar farms, is cheaper than the running costs of 39 per cent of global coal stations. Experts predict that if the global coal fleet was replaced with renewables, then the world economy could see a net saving as soon as 2022. By 2025, the world could save $105billion (85billion) a year if coal was replaced, the study reveals. Scroll down for video Experts predict that if the global coal fleet was replaced with renewables, then the world economy could see a net saving as soon as 2022. By 2025, the world could save $105billion a year if coal was replaced, the landmark study reveals (file) A group of experts penned the study to outline how the world can phase out the use of coal while still recovering from the coronavirus pandemic. They scrutinised nearly 2,500 coal plants around the world to see which ones are no longer competitive when compared with the cost of building clean energy sources to replace them. Findings indicate the energy industry is now at a crossroads as coal power is approaching a financial 'tipping-point'. National Grid went TWO MONTHS without using coal Earlier this month, Britain extended its record for being coal-free to more than two months. Midnight on June 9 marked exactly 61 days (or 1,464 hours) since the last coal generator was active. Warm temperatures and surges in energy production from renewable sources, not a single watt of energy has come from burning coal. Roisin Quinn, head of national control at National Grid ESO, said: 'The weather (and to a lesser extent the lower demand) is the leading factor in these records and trends, and although May's sunshine didn't power us to a record high, overall solar share was up from last month - with periods where solar was comfortably our top power source.' The COVID-19 pandemic has seen people staying at home and travelling less and this has led to a drop in energy demand, according to figures from the National Grid. During a record-breaking May, renewable sources accounted for 28 per cent of all energy production, on average. Solar and wind produced 11.45 and 15.87 per cent of Britain's energy last month, respectively, while hydro added a further 0.69 per cent. This breakdown is vastly different to previous years. National grid says that eight years ago, coal accounted for more than 40 per cent of energy production over the course of the year. Advertisement 'The cost of renewables has fallen so far that it is already cheaper to build new renewable energy capacity, including battery storage, than to continue operating 39 percent of the world's existing coal capacity,' the report states. This figure is predicted to rise to 60 per cent in 2022 and to 73 per cent in 2025. Analysis from the Rocky Mountain Institute found that 81 per cent of the EU's coal-powered plants are already more expensive to run than it would be to build new clean energy solutions. By 2025, with it becoming constantly cheaper to build clean energy sources, this figure will rise to 100 per cent. In five years' time, if the EU was to switch off all coal power stations and instead turn to renewables, it could save a total of $21billion a year, the study claims. China and India would also make enormous savings if they were to make the transition in the next five years, saving 97 and 15 billion US dollars annually, respectively. In contrast, due in part to President Trump abandoning the Paris Agreement and prioritising his country's mining industry, the US would save $9billion a year if it switched entirely to coal this year. However, if this is delayed until 2025, it will actually come at a cost of $7billion a year, the report claims. 'A faster transition from coal to clean energy is within our grasp, and we show how to engineer that transition in ways that will save money for electricity customers around the world while aiding a just transition for workers and communities,' said Paul Bodnar, managing director of the Rocky Mountain Institute. The 2015 Paris climate deal enjoins nations to limit global warming to well below two degrees Celsius above pre-industrial temperatures. it also has a more ambitious target of 1.5C, which it says would be a much more ideal scenario. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) said that for the 1.5C goal to be obtainable, global coal use must decline by 80 per cent below 2010 levels by 2030. The report authors say this analysis is solely focused on financials and does not account the environmental and health impacts of coal. Analysis found installing environmentally-friendly energy sources, such as wind and solar farms, is cheaper than the running costs of 39 per cent of global coal stations (file) 'Coal power is quickly facing economic obsolescence, independent of carbon pricing and air pollution policies,' said Matt Gray, managing director and co-head of power and utilities at the Carbon Tracker Initiative, which was involved in the study. 'Closing coal capacity and replacing it with lower cost alternatives will not only save consumers and taxpayers money, but could also play a major role in the upcoming economic recovery.' Earlier this month, Britain extended its record for being coal-free to more than two months. Midnight on June 9 marked exactly 61 days (or 1,464 hours) since the last coal generator was active. Before this unprecedented coal-free spell, the previous record was 18 days, 6 hours and 10 minutes. During a record-breaking May, renewable sources accounted for 28 per cent of all energy production, on average. Solar and wind produced 11.45 and 15.87 per cent of Britain's energy last month, respectively, while hydro added a further 0.69 per cent. Eco-friendly biomass energy production contributed a further 8.75 per cent. Nuclear - which produces no greenhouse gases - churned out 22.96 per cent of all energy. However, the biggest single contributor was natural gas, with 30.06 per cent of total output from this source. Natural gas is a fossil fuel and does produce greenhouse gases, however it is less damaging to the environment than coal. The final chunk of British energy production (10.22 per cent) was imported from mainland Europe. Over three weeks in April, Rascoll repeatedly sent specific, profanity-laden text and voicemail threats about shooting the victim or otherwise harming her with additional anti-Semitic comments, investigators discovered. The threats escalated again in May with repeated and specific threats to blow up the victims home and car in addition to intimidation to not contact police. Four new species of giant single-celled organisms that live inside 'skeletons' up to four inches long have been discovered lurking in the Pacific Ocean. Two were found hiding inside fan-shaped or flat structures poking out of the seafloor, that they had built themselves, while a third was identified inside a near-perfect ball made out of bits of sponge. Another single-celled organism was found living inside a mudball, but this collapsed when it was touched meaning it could not be identified. A robot picked up the creatures - known as xenophyophores - when it dived three miles below the surface to the Clarion-Clipperton Zone, which is located between Hawaii and the US mainland. Abyssalia sphaerica: This new species of xenophyophore builds a sphere around itself out of bits of sponges. It was found in the Clarion-Clipperton zone, three miles below the surface between Hawaii and the US mainland The xenophyophores were found in the vast Clarion-Clipperton Zone (pictured above) Each organism had its genetics and body shape examined before scientists decided to identify it as a new species. Three of the four were so unique they had to be grouped into distinct genera - a group of similar species - which were named Moanammina, after the Hawaiian word for ocean, and Abyssalia, in recognition of its hostile habitat. Moanammina semicircularis was found on the bottom of the seafloor inside a fan up to three inches long. Abyssalia foliformis was found inside a flat, leaf-shaped structure, and Abyssalia sphaerica was found inside a perfect sphere. Both were built out of pieces of sponge. The fourth species identified was Psammina tenuis, which was found in a delicate, thin and plate-like structure. 'We were so excited to find these beautiful new xenophyophores,' said Andrew Gooday, professor at the UK's National Oceanography Centre and lead author of the study. 'These four new species and two new genera have increased the number of described xenophyophores in the Clartion-Clipperton Zone to 17 (22 per cent of the global total for this group), with many more known but still undescribed.' Moanammina semicircularis: This new species built fans, which poked out of the seafloor. They were up to three inches tall and were collected by an underwater robot Moanammina semicircularis: This species is one of the two new genera identified. It is named after the Hawaiian for ocean. Right is a close-up of its surface Psammina tenuis: This species built a delicate, thin, plate-like home around itself Psammina tenuis: This creature built a fan-like home. Xenophyophores bodies are thought to account for just one per cent of the large structures that they build Oceanographer Craig Smith, from the UH Manoa School and chief scientists of the cruise in which they were found, said: 'The abundance and diversity of these giant single-celled organisms is truly amazing! 'We see them everywhere on the seafloor in many different shapes and sizes. They clearly are very important members of the rich biological communities living in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone. 'They provide microhabitats and potential food sources for other organisms. We need to learn much more about the ecology of these weird protozoans if we wish to fully understand how seafloor mining might impact these seafloor communities.' Metals used for making re-chargeable batteries and touch screens have been found on the surface of the Clarion-Clipperton Zone, sparking an interest in deep sea mining in the area. Potato-sized lumps thought to contain copper, nickel, cobalt, iron, manganese and rare earth elements have all been found on the seafloor, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Abyssalia foliformis: This species builds a flat, leaf-shaped home for itself. It is pictured (left) on the seabed, three miles below the surface, and (right) in the lab for analysis Abyssalia foliformis: This species framework is formed of small granular structures As the area falls in international waters, rights to access its resources are administered by the International Seabed Authority. It has so far handed out 16 deep-sea mining contracts, with exploration areas covering around 400,000 miles. Nine areas of the Clarion-Clipperton seabed have also been designated Areas of Particular Environmental Interest, meaning they are protected from mining activities. The study was published in the European Journal of Protistology. A robot that eradicates coronavirus and other organisms by firing short-wave UV light at surfaces, disrupting their DNA, has been developed in Bahrain. The light is so powerful that experts think it can kill up to 90 per cent of all organisms exposed to it within 30 minutes, in a process known as 'ultraviolet germicidal irradiation'. Designed by Fab Lab Bahrain, the machine is currently being tested in industrial environments before it is released 'as soon as possible'. A spokesman told MailOnline that the price will be made available once the machine is on sale. The invention follows the release of several other machines that use UV radiation to clean viruses from surfaces. MIT in Massachusetts, US, has developed a short-wave UV robot to clean surfaces at a food bank. Denmark-based company UVD Robots also makes a UV light machine that treats rooms in up to 20 minutes, and costs 53,370 ($67,000). And Chinese company Keenon Robotics has launched a robot, which uses UV light and disinfectant to clean surfaces, priced at 32.300 ($40,000). The robot has been tested in industrial environments and is due to be released very soon It kills coronavirus and up to 90 per cent of other organisms exposed within 30 minutes Video footage shows the prototype robot rolling between office desks, chairs and computers, illuminating each with a powerful blue UV light. Humans have to stay out of the room as it works, because the light is so powerful it could also harm human cells. UVD Robotics vice president Simon Ellison told the BBC that after treating a room the machines leave a strange smell, much like burnt hair. UV light kills the virus by disrupting its membrane, causing its DNA to break apart. 'That UV light inactivates SARS-CoV-2 is not surprising,' said Paul Hunter, professor at the University of East Anglia. 'UV inactivates most viruses very efficiently. Indeed UV disinfection is widely used for disinfection of drinking water. 'Given the nature of coronaviruses we would expect them to be especially sensitive to disinfection by either hypochlorite (bleach) or UV light.' The developers said the machine will need to work alone, as its light is so strong it could also damage human cells. The invention follows on from the launch of machines in the US that use UV light to clean surfaces. Pictured is one built by the MIT lab cleaning a food bank in Massachusetts A Chinese company has also unveiled a robot that disinfects using UV light and sprays Bahrain has already rolled out two robots using UV light on isolation wards in hospitals. These machines were designed to speak 12 languages, check body temperatures, respond to voice commands from staff and use facial recognition to identify patients. Dr Waleed Al Manea, from Bahrain's Health Ministry, dubbed these machines a 'medical revolution'. 'We have started using the robots in the isolation and treatment facilities as part of the experimental phase to use AI in the health sector,' he said. 'It is certainly a new medical revolution and we want to see how this benefits patients and staff. A robot with UV light disinfects the headquarters of SK Telecom in South Korea The US army has also purchased a platoon of UV robots, pictured with their lights hidden under mannequins, that will be used to disinfect areas and equipment 'This new technology will help doctors and nurses as they can evaluate the effectiveness of the robots and help incorporate them in their daily work.' The NHS deployed its first robot to clean wards using UV light at Queen's Hospital, Romford, in 2016. It is unclear whether more have been invested in to tackle the coronavirus pandemic. NASA's Mars 2020 mission has been delayed again and won't launch until July 30 'at the earliest' due to problems with the launch vehicle, according to the space agency. This is the second time the launch has been delayed in the past week - it was originally due to set off on July 17 but this was pushed back to July 22. NASA has to get the Mars 2020 craft into space by August 15 or it will miss the 'launch window' for getting to Mars and will face a costly two-year delay. The launch window is determined by the alignment of the Earth and Mars, with lift-off scheduled to ensure the shortest possible travel time between the two planets. Even if it is delayed until the last minute on August 15, NASA says the spacecraft and Perseverance rover will still land on Mars on February 18, 2021 at about 20:00 GMT. If it does miss the deadline and can't launch by August 15 the $3billion cost of the Mars 2020 mission will increase by at least $500 million, NASA said. NASAs Mars 2020 Perseverance rover will be able to study, analyse and even collect samples of rock and soil from the Red Planet to search for signs of ancient life. It also has a weather station, surface radar and panoramic camera onboard The latest delay is the result of processing problems with the launch vehicle that will get the rover and spacecraft off the Earth and into space. Specifically NASA said a liquid oxygen sensor line produced 'off-nominal data' during a practice session and the team need longer to evaluate what happened. 'Due to launch vehicle processing delays in preparation for spacecraft mate operations, NASA and United Launch Alliance have moved the first launch attempt of the Mars 2020 mission to no earlier than July 30,' the agency wrote. 'A liquid oxygen sensor line presented off-nominal data during the Wet Dress Rehearsal, and additional time is needed for the team to inspect and evaluate.' The rover's name, Perseverance, has taken on added meaning in the last few months, according to NASA officials, who say COVID-19 presented new hurdles. The coronavirus pandemic meant NASA scientists had to work in smaller teams, with some working from home, to meet the strict launch window deadline. NASA's Mars 2020 rover mission is expected to go ahead before August 15 despite coronavirus setbacks that could have led to a two-year delay The rover mission is scheduled to launch no earlier than July 30 from Cape Canaveral in Florida on an Atlas V rocket and will land on the Red Planet in February 2021 The previous delay was the result of a contamination issue in the ground support lines at the NASA Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility. The original day was July 17, but due to ground system equipment problems involving a faulty crane the team pushed it to July 20 and then again to July 22. NASA will still have two weeks of potential launch windows before Mars and Earth are no longer aligned in a way that makes the mission possible. The Mars 2020 team said that 'the first launch opportunity is scheduled for no earlier than July 30, 2020' at about 12:50 BST. 'The launch windows will last approximately between 30 minutes and two hours, with a unique launch opportunity every five minutes.' There is a launch opportunity every day between July 30 and August 15 with all launches happening between 12:50 BST and 13:55 BST. The mission will take the Perseverance rover, along with the Ingenuity helicopter, to the Red planet to look for signs of past microscopic life and explore the geology of the Jezero Crater landing site. The Red Planet's surface has been visited by eight NASA spacecraft and this one the ninth will be the first that involves gathering samples to bring back to Earth. NASA says the mission will also demonstrate key technologies to help prepare for future robotic and human exploration possibly within a decade. This aluminium plate will fly to Mars on the side of the Perseverance rover - it commemorates the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and pays tribute to the perseverance of healthcare workers around the world The Mars 2020 mission has been slated to liftoff this summer ever since the agency announced the project in December 2012. Owing to the relative positions of Earth and Mars, launch opportunities only come up every 26 months. As well as the pressure to meet the relatively tight launch window, there are other significant challenges involved in preparing for a mission to Mars. In the case of Perseverance the heaviest payload yet to go to the Red Planet a major challenge was designing a new parachute for landing on Mars. There was also an extensive effort to hone the performance of the rover's Sample Caching System, the most complex and the cleanest mechanism ever sent into space with samples due to be picked up by the ESA Fetch rover in a decade. The plaque dedicated to healthcare workers can be seen on the side of the Perseverance rover that will be heading to Mars in July or August NASA's Perseverance rover will travel across Mars using an ultraviolet laser to determine what minerals and compounds are present in the soil, based on the way the light scatters There will be to other missions to the Red Planet launching this summer - an orbiter that will monitor the weather by the UAE and a Chinese lander mission also searching for life signs The mission to seek signs of past microbial life on Mars and collect rock and soil samples for eventual return to Earth is considered essential by the space agency. 'The mission has one launch, 314 million miles of interplanetary space and seven minutes of terror to get safely onto the surface of Mars,' said Lori Glaze, director of NASA's Planetary Science Division. 'When we see the landscape at Jezero Crater for the first time and we truly begin to realise the scientific bounty before us, the fun really begins.' Unlike for SpaceX's first astronaut launch late last month, NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine isn't urging the public to stay home and watch online to avoid crowds. 'It appears they didn't listen to us,' Bridenstine said. 'So we're asking people to follow all of the necessary guidelines to keep themselves safe.' Perseverance is one of three upcoming missions to Mars. The United Arab Emirates and China are also preparing spacecraft for launch to the red planet by mid-August. The European Space Agency and Russian space agency Roscosmos were due to send the ExoMars Rosalind Franklin rover to the Red Planet this summer, but that mission was delayed due to coronavirus. ESA officials said it wasn't possible to complete all necessary testing and possible adaptations in time for the August launch window deadline. It will launch towards the end of 2022 the next time Earth and Mars are aligned. Two previously unknown Aboriginal sites have been discovered off the coast of Western Australia. Archaeologists found stone tools and evidence of human habitation off the Pilbara coast - the first Aboriginal sites to be discovered underwater. The ancient settlements were once on terra firma but became submerged as sea levels surged in the aftermath of the last ice age. Pictured, images and scans taken of one of the artefacts found by the archaeologists. This is believed to be a stone tool used by Aboriginals around 7,000 years ago One site had hundreds of atefacts, but the other site, at Flying Foam Passage (pictured), yielded just one artefact (left). It is believe more artefacts are likely hidden at this site Divers found the two underwater sites through a series of surveys in the Dampier Archipelago. The sites, at Cape Bruguieres and Flying Foam Passage, may provide insight into the Aboriginal way of life from when the seabed was dry land, researchers hope. Modern-day Aboriginals still consider these marine environments to be sacred and they are now known as 'Sea Country'. Chelsea Wiseman, who has been working on the project as part of PhD research at Flinders University, said: 'At one point there would have been dry land stretching out 160 km [100miles] from the current shoreline. Pictured, Westward facing aerial view of Cape Bruguieres Channel at high tide. Divers found two underwater sites through a series of surveys in the Dampier Archipelago Pictured, divers working o find submerged signs of Aboriginal habitation take pictures of artefacts in the Cape Bruguieres Channel Pictured, artefacts recovered underwater from Cape Bruguieres with well-preserved, acute edges showing no signs of rolling 'That land would have been owned and lived on by generations of Aboriginal people. 'Our discovery demonstrates that underwater archaeological material has survived sea-level rise, and although these sites are located in relatively shallow water, there will likely be more in deeper water offshore.' The divers mapped 269 artefacts, including tools and grinding stones, at Cape Bruguieres in shallow water around 7.8ft (2.4 metres) below modern sea level. Radiocarbon dating and analysis of sea-level changes show the site is at least 7,000 years old, the researchers say. This image shows a selection of artefacts found at Cape Bruguieres (top) and where they were found underwater (bottom) Tiny rock art found in an Australian cave may have been made by CHILDREN using beeswax stencils Incredibly rare pieces of tiny Neolithic rock art found in a shallow Australian cave were made by creating tiny stencils out of beeswax, researchers have concluded. Located in the Yilbilinji rockshelter in northern Australia's Limmen National Park, miniature stencils of this type are only known from two other sites across the globe. Although the site traditionally owned by the Marra Aboriginal people has been known for decades, the tiny art was only documented in 2017. Each of the images is less than 4.7 inches (12 centimetres) in length. Incredibly rare pieces of tiny Neolithic rock art found in a shallow Australian cave, pictured, were made by creating tiny stencils out of beeswax, researchers have concluded Advertisement The second site at Flying Foam Passage includes an underwater freshwater spring 46 feet (14 metres) below sea level. This site is estimated to be at least 8,500 years old. However, the true age of the sites could be even older, as the dating techniques only provide a minimum age. Associate Professor Jonathan Benjamin, of Flinders University in Australia, said: 'Australia is a massive continent but few people realise that more than 30 per cent of its land mass was drowned by sea-level rise after the last ice age. 'This means that a huge amount of the archaeological evidence documenting the lives of Aboriginal people is now underwater. 'Now we finally have the first proof that at least some of this archaeological evidence survived the process of sea level rise. The research team used computer models to predict where these sites most likely would be and probed possible locations with various underwater and remote sensing techniques. They were then investigated by a team of expert archaeologists. The research team say that the discovery of the sites emphasises the need for stronger legislation to protect and manage underwater heritage in Australia. Experts say there are up to two million square kilometres of submerged land which was once above sea level and it may provide major insights into human history. Dr Benjamin added: 'The ancient coastal archaeology is not lost for good; we just haven't found it yet. 'These new discoveries are a first step toward exploring the last real frontier of Australian archaeology.' The findings were published in the journal PLOS One. What started as a way to increase public safety in San Diego has turned into a mass surveillance tool to gather evidence against Black Lives Matter protesters. A report finds the local police department collected footage from smart streetlights across the city to look for evidence linked to vandalism and looting with the hopes of making arrests. Records show law enforcement accessed the streetlights at least 35 times from late May to early June a time period when thousands marched through the streets. Using this technology to spy on civilians may come as a surprise to some, but Electronic Frontier Foundation, a nonprofit that defends civil liberties, predicted the act back in 2017. 'It invades privacy, chills free speech, and disparately burdens communities of color and poor people,' the group shared in a blog post. 'Cameras installed for the benevolent purpose of traffic management might later be used to track individuals as they attend a protest, visit a doctor, or go to church.' Scroll down for video What started as a way to increase public safety in San Diego has turned into a mass surveillance tool to gather evidence against Black Lives Matter protesters The report was shared by Voice of San Diego, which obtained public records showing law enforcement had accessed the streetlights that were installed throughout the city in 2017. The San Diego City Council approved the installation of the smart streetlights in December 2016 - and now more than 4,000 are in place. The main objective of the technology is to gather data to solve transportation problems and for weather predictions, but the streetlights also takes footage of the surrounding area. And because the stream is stored on servers, it can be accessed by request -which is what the San Diego Police Department did from May through June. Records show law enforcement accessed the streetlights at least 35 times from late May to early June a time period when thousands marched through the streets. The San Diego City Council approved the installation of the smart streetlights in 2016 - and now more than 4,000 are in place A report finds the local police department collected footage from smart streetlights across the city to look for evidence linked to vandalism and looting with the hopes of making arrests Numerous arrests of protesters have been made and the footage might be shown in court to help convict the suspects. The Voice of San Diego noted that the city council has provided the camera footage to other agencies, but it is not clear why it was shared with authorities. The records also reveal officers collected footage from the streetlights that was connected to a controversial arrest on June 4 when a police officer in plainclothes put a woman in an unmarked van. She was said to have thrown a cardboard sign at another officer riding a motorcycle through the protest. The incident, which took place near San Diego High School following a protest, was captured on the cell phone of another protester. The main objective of the technology is to gather data to solve transportation problems and for weather predictions, but the streetlights also takes footage of the surrounding area In 2017, Electronic Frontier Foundation published a blog post titled 'Smart Cities,' Surveillance, and New Streetlights in San Diego,' The post was shared shortly after the city received thousands of the smart streetlights. 'Now is the time for San Jose to ensure that its smart streetlights do not become another tool of street-level surveillance,' reads the page. 'To do so, San Jose must adopt an ordinance ensuring democratic control of decisions about surveillance tools. It must also practice privacy by design.' 'Otherwise, residents may find that the new 'smart' technologies designed to improve their lives have instead become tools of government spying.' Some San Diego residents also opposed the installation in 2017, as they were not sold on the benefits but were concerned of the privacy risks. Genevieve Jones-Wright said in an interview with Fox 5: 'For every 1,000th person in San Diego, there are almost two and a half cameras watching.' 'What is very concerning and troubling is that these cameras were installed and are being used all over this city without any oversight.' 'With these cameras having facial recognition capabilities and audio, we don't expect that our conversations are going to be recorded walking down a public street.' The Australian government will deploy 80 drones to public beaches to spot sharks in the waters and protect swimmers from possible attack. The effort is part of a new $8million plan to mitigate the threat of shark attacks, which have risen dramatically in Australia in recent years. According to Agriculture minister Adam Marshall, the drones will feature a number of technical improvements, including the ability to identify the particular species and exact size of each detected shark. The Australian government has approved a new $8million plan to send 80 drones to 34 high risk public beaches to monitor for the presence of sharks in the water The new drones will be sent to 34 high-risk swimming locations along the coastline of New South Wales, and will coincide with a reduction in the number of more expensive helicopters that previously monitored for sharks, according to a report in ABC News. Cheryl McCarthy of the advocacy group Surf Life Saving praised the new program as a major step forward in making public beaches safer. 'It's having those "eyes in the skies" to get a different perspective which you don't have from the beach," McCarthy told ABC News. 'If there are emergency call-outs in the area they can be deployed to back up those search efforts as well.' 'They're easy to move around because they're small and we can trek them into remote areas.' The drones will be able to identify the particular species of shark and record its exact measurements, as well as participate in search and rescue operations in case of missing or injured swimmers The drones are part of a larger effort by the government to mitigate shark attacks, which also includes a smartphone app that tracks recent shark sightings, and a series of drumlines that will hook sharks on a baited line and then signal authorities to come relocate the animal David Wright, mayor of the coastal town of Ballina a little over 100 miles south of Briasbane, expected the drone initiative to boost the local economy as tourists might feel safer traveling to beach towns. 'Councils up and down the coast haven't been asked to pay anything and we're getting this coverage that's going to benefit the tourism industry and the safety of locals,' he said. In addition to the drones, the government will also deploy 35 SMART drumlines, long baited traps connected to GPS-powered buoys that will alert authorities if a shark is caught on the line. A patrol vessel in the vicinity will typically respond within 30 minutes to release the shark from the line and then safely relocate in an area farther away frompopular beaches. The government has also developed SharkSmart, a free smartphone app that will show recent shark sightings, give users alerts on new sightings, and provide general informaiton about different species of shark and shark behavior. Language is as important as expressions when reading emotion, a study has found meaning that being told someone looks 'grumpy' can makes them seem grumpier. Researchers from Australia and the US asked volunteers to rate the emotions of people in either photographs or videos. The team found that when the participants were told that the subjects were feeling a specific emotion, this biased how they interpreted the expressions on show. The effect was most pronounced when dealing with angry, sad or scared faces as opposed to happy, disgusted, embarrassed, proud or surprised the team found. Language is as important as expressions when reading emotion, a study has found meaning that being told someone looks 'grumpy' can makes them seem grumpier (stock image) 'The current studies demonstrate that language context alters the dimensional affective foundations that underlie our judgements of others expressions,' the researchers wrote in their paper. 'Emotions are not simply read from expressions,' they added. 'Rather, language may have the last word.' In the first party of the study, psychologist Megan Barker and colleagues at the University of Queensland asked 172 participants to rate the expressions of 32 pictures of facial expressions paired with one of 24 different 'emotion labels'. For example, labels included such descriptions as 'This person is feeling elated' or 'This person is feeling repulsed'. The team found that the content of the emotion labels had a significant impact on how the participants felt the people in each image were feeling. Researchers from Australia and the US found that this effect was particularly pronounced when dealing with angry, sad or scared faces. Pictured, Grumpy Cat but was she, really? In the second part of the study, the researchers repeated the experiment however, this time, 104 volunteers were asked the rank the emotions of people seen in moving videos. Just as with the static images, the team found that the labels on the images impacted how the participant judged the people's emotional states. The full findings of the study were published in the journal PLOS ONE. Hackers successfully extorted $1.14million from the University of California San Francisco after breaching its internal networks with malicious ransomware. The attack was organized by the Netwalker gang, a hacker group that uses ransomware of the same name, who gained access to UCSF's protected files in early June. After extended negotiation with the hackers, UCSF management agreed to pay the hackers 116.4 bitcoins, or $1,140,895, in exchange for their files being returned. The FBI is currently investigating the attack, and UCSF management have not disclosed how the hackers introduced the ransomware to their network nor described what specific files were affected. Hackers targeted University of San Francisco with a ransomeware attack in early June, locking the staff out of several key files on their network 'The data that was encrypted is important to some of the academic work we pursue as a university serving the public good,' a UCSF spokesperson told the BBC. 'We therefore made the difficult decision to pay some portion of the ransom, approximately $1.14 million, to the individuals behind the malware attack in exchange for a tool to unlock the encrypted data and the return of the data they obtained.' The Netwalker gang has previously attacked a number of other institutions with ransomware, including parts of a local Austrian city government network, Michigan State University servers, and the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District in Illinois, among several others. Once installed on a computer, ransomware uses a private encryption program to lock a user out of their own files, then demand a fee in exchange for the return of the files. In the UCSF hack, the Netwalker gang programmed a fake customer service page that offered to sell a decrypter program that would return the files while a built-in timer counted down. The page said that the price of the decrypter program would double every time the timer reached zero. UCSF staff have not said what files were affected, nor how the ransomware first entered their systems, but the FBI has opened an investigation into the matter A negotiator representing UCSF communicated with a Netwalker hacker through a chat window connected to this order form, and a live log of their chats was broadcast on the dark web. In the chat, the hackers claimed UCSF made '4-5 billions per year' and demanded $3million to release the locked files. The UCSF negotiator offered $780,000, and after several hours of back and forth, they reached a compromise of $1.14million. Cybersecurity experts have suggested the recent widespread shift to remote working has left a number of organizations newly vulnerable to hackers. Cybersecurity experts point to the rise in people working from home during COVID-19 as a major security issue that has created new opportunities for hackers According to Bill Conner of the cybersecurity firm SonicWall, the combination of remote internet connections and less secure personal computers has introduced several new openings that could be targeted. 'In most cases, these are not brand new exploits, [hackers] are not creating new malware,' Conner told the San Jose Mercury News. 'Theyre just attacking more vulnerable areas.' 'Theres more easy access from home than there was in a building, because you have multiple layers of security in your office.' Decapitated sea lions are washing ashore on Vancouver Island, Canada and experts suggest humans are at fault. A resident stumbled upon five beheaded sea lions on different occasions along the shores of Neck Point Park in Nanaimo. Deborah Short was walking her dog on a path when she stumbled upon the first carcass in April and then four more over the course of a few months. 'At first I thought it was a log and then as I got closer, I realized it was a sea lion,' Short told Vice. 'I immediately walked over in that direction, only to discover that its head had been severed. I was just sick to my stomach.' Scroll down for video Decapitated sea lions are washing ashore on Vancouver Island, Canada and experts suggest humans are at fault. A resident stumbled upon five beheaded sea lions on different occasions along the shores of Neck Point Park in Nanaimo After reviewing pictures of the dead animals, marine biologists noted the species is a Stellar sea lion which are near-threatened, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Not only has Short witnessed headless sea lions, but in June she came across one that laid next to a skinned seal. This kind of sea lion does have natural predators, such as killer whales and sharks, but according to Marine mammal zoologist Anna Hall, 'It seems more likely that it is human caused,' as reported by Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). Since April, Short has found a total of five dead sea lions, in addition to a cleaned skull next to a body. After reviewing pictures of the dead animals, marine biologists noted the species is a Stellar sea lion which are near-threatened, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature The beheaded sea lions are washing ashore on Vancouver Island in Canada Short has done her own investigation into the deaths and found several proposals from First Nations groups, native tribes in Canada, that state they should be allowed to harvest local sea lions as the population has experienced a boom. However, Hall said Stellar sea lions are deemed an 'at-risk' population in Canada. More than 70 percent of the entire species births take place on the island's northwestern tip. As reported by the CBC, the five headless sea lions are not the first to wash up on shore. Deborah Short was walking her dog on a path when she stumbled upon the first carcass in April and then four more over the course of a few months More than 70 percent of the entire species births take place on the island's northwestern tip Four headless sea lions were discovered on the island in 2013 and a year later 12 were the shores of Quebec, CBC said. However, the cause behind the gruesome deaths have never been determined. 'It's not the only time this has been seen but it is rare to find such large animals missing their head,' said Hall. Hall is calling on government officials to conduct an animal autopsy with the hopes of learning more about the decapitated sea mammals. 'It's absolutely horrific and appalling that there's anybody on this coastline that would feel that this is an appropriate course of action with regard to a marine mammal or any animal at all,' she told CTV News. NASA developed the smell of space in a lab to help train astronauts before launching into orbit, but the scent has been trapped behind red tape and bureaucracy' for nearly a decade until now. The Eau de Space team was able to get their hands on it and have recreated the formula into a bottled fragrance. The firm pooled records of astronauts describing the aroma of the final frontier, which is a mixture of seared steak, raspberries and rum. However, the scents have been optimized and can be worn safely 'if you like the smell.' Scroll down for video The Eau de Space team was able to get their hands on it and have recreated the formula into a bottled fragrance. The firm pooled records of astronauts describing the aroma of the final frontier, which is a mixture of seared steak, raspberries and rum Steve Pearce, a chemist, was originally contracted by NASA in 2008 to recreate the smell of space in a lab, CNN reports. He used notes from astronauts about their experience to develop the scent, which was used to in training before the space fairing heroes launched into orbit. NASA had hoped exposing them to the aroma of space would ease the mission and eliminate any surprises when they stepped outside of the craft and into the dark abyss. Tony Antonelli, a retired NASA astronaut who flew aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery in 2009, still remembers the day he opened the hatch while in space for the first time. Tony Antonelli (pictured), a retired NASA astronaut who flew aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery in 2009 still remembers the day when he opened the hatch for the first time. He said there was a metallic smell and other things he could not describe Steve Pearce was originally contracted by NASA in 2008 to recreate the smell of space in a lab. He also used notes from astronauts about their experience to develop the scent, which was used to in training before the space fairing heroes launched into orbit (stock) I was completely blown away, after a decade of training no one told me space smells, he said in a video interview. The smell was strong and unique, nothing like anything I have ever smelled on Earth before.' Some kind of metallic mixture of other things that I just didnt know how to describe. Astronaut Don Pettit also described the smell back in 2003: It is hard to describe this smell; it is definitely not the olfactory equivalent to describing the palette sensations of some new food as 'tastes like chicken.' The best description I can come up with is metallic; a rather pleasant sweet metallic sensation. It reminded me of my college summers where I labored for many hours with an arc welding torch repairing heavy equipment for a small logging outfit. It reminded me of pleasant sweet smelling welding fumes. That is the smell of space. The company developed Eau de Space with the goal of sparking interest in STEM learning for K-12 students. The team is also looking into releasing a fragrance called Smell of the Moon based on the excitement around Eau de Space It took Pearce four years to recreate this odor in a lab, which had been locked away for about 10 years. Through sheer determination, grit, a lot of luck, and a couple of Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests, we got it, reads Eau de Spaces Kickstarter campaign. Consumers can purchase a four ounce bottle on the site that contains outer space, comet juice. The company developed Eau de Space with the goal of sparking interest in STEM learning for K-12 students. The team is also looking into releasing a fragrance called Smell of the Moon based on the excitement around Eau de Space. Members of a medical team from Peking University People's Hospital pose for group photos before going into the COVID-19 ICU ward in Wuhan. (Photo by Peking University People's Hospital) In the Communist Party of China Admission Oath, there are a few lines that inspired 30-year-old Liu Zhongdi, a doctor from Peking University Peoples Hospital, to risk his life fighting COVID-19 in Wuhan soon after the outbreak emerged. It is my desire to join the Communist Party of China (CPC), and to be ready at all times to sacrifice my all for the Party and the people, vowed Liu when he signed up to join a medical team dispatched to Wuhan to support the overwhelmed local medical systems, as the unknown virus had by then killed hundreds of people, spreading fear across the country. July 1 this year marks the 99th anniversary of the CPC. A few months earlier, Liu, along with 142 Party members who are also doctors and nurses from Peking University medical team, made good on their promises to the people, and embarked on a journey that they will remember their whole lives. CPC members bound by honor and duty Overworked, doctors in Wuhan risked their lives to save COVID-19 patients. Two months after Lius medical service in Wuhan, he can still remember his first COVID-19 patients. Old and frail, and suffering from severe respiratory failure, most patients were barely able to communicate with him. Though he was told to keep a distance from the patients, sometimes he had to put his ears against their lips to hear what they were saying. Hearing their stories of suffering, and knowing that their loved ones had either died or were in isolation wards made me very upset. I tried my best to not let my emotions cloud my judgment, but it was just too hard, said Liu. 30-year-old Liu Zhongdi, a doctor from Peking University Peoples Hospital, risked his life fighting COVID-19 in Wuhan soon after the outbreak emerged. (Photo provided to People's Daily Online) To get inside the ICU wards, doctors had to wear several layers of protective clothing, and had to go through five doors and four medical buffer areas. Overworked and exhausted, they put their own lives at risk to tackle the virus and save others. Jin Han, a cardiologist, had a terrifying experience when treating a patient in critical condition. The patient took off his mask and had a violent coughing fit, exhaling droplets everywhere in the operating room. Without time to think, Jin and his colleagues gave the patient prompt treatment, only realising the seriousness of the situation afterwards. I decided to come to Wuhan two months after my son was born. I know I would have regretted it if I didnt fight on the frontline, though I feel quite sorry for my family. But I think my boy will be so proud of me, a doctor who came to aid those in need, said Jin. During Lius 70 days of service in Wuhan, the Peking University Peoples Hospital medical team saved countless lives, with a cure rate of 96 percent. Seventy-six days after the citys lockdown, people in Wuhan were finally able to go out and enjoy the fresh air. Eighteen days later, the citys COVID-19 cases had dropped to zero. Though the pandemic situation is still fluctuating, the city is no longer an epicenter, and no longer dangerous. Not every Party member who fought on the front line was as lucky as Liu and Jin, who had the chance to return to their families and share their experience and happiness with them. Many Party members sacrificed their lives in fighting the lethal virus, proving their loyalty to the Party and the people. Despite his poor health, Dai Shengwei, vice headmaster of Wuhan No.17 Middle School, became a volunteer providing assistance to medical professionals from the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. Even though his colleagues tried to persuade him not to, he insisted that he was a Party member and it was his duty to do so. He worked hard for 41 days, and died at the age of 51, the day before the medical team were to return home. Dais wifes expressed concerns about her husband in her diary. He is the backbone of our whole family. I really dont want him to go, but everyone is working so hard for Wuhan, we should too. He doesnt want me to send him off, so I stood by the window watching him leave, hoping he could come back safe, and everyone can be safe. Dai kept his promise as a Party member, but failed his wife. As of press time, 29.77 million Party members have fought the virus on the frontline. Out of 23.69 million volunteers nationwide, 56 percent of them are Party members. Out of 43,000 medical professionals from different regions working in Wuhan during the pandemic, 56.1 percent are Party members. 396 Party members sacrificed their lives during the pandemic to protect the people, while 2,337 became infected with COVID-19. In addition to fighting the pandemic on the frontline, CPC members across the nation have contributed to the cause in different ways. As of March 28, over 79 million members of the CPC voluntarily made donations totaling 8.26 billion yuan (about 1.17 billion U.S. dollars) for prevention and control of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) . The donation campaign is still underway. According to Liu, it was a doctors sense of responsibility and a Party members sense of duty that encouraged him to devote himself to the fight against COVID-19. Even though it has been years since he joined the CPC, the 80-character oath is still etched deeply in his heart. To sacrifice my all for the Party and the people, thats my sole promise\, he added. Great Expectations Lou Afang, a young nurse from Peking University Peoples Hospital, who became a Party member during her service in Wuhan. The stories of Party members fighting COVID-19 have inspired many to apply for Party membership. During the pandemic, 440,000 people applied to become Party members, and 25,000 of them were approved. Among the new Party members, 32.8 percent were young people born after 1990. In March, when the pandemic was at its peak, 34 young Party members from the medical team sent by Peking University to Wuhan wrote a letter to Chinese President Xi Jinping, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, to report their work on the front line, and express their determination to continue to fulfil their roles as Party members in winning the battle. On the frontline to fight the virus, 14 doctors and nurses from Peking University People's Hospital applied to become Party members. In his reply letter, Xi encouraged the young medics fighting COVID-19 on the front line to make their contributions in places where the Party and the people need them most. Commending their fearless contribution to containing the virus, Xi said they had demonstrated through their deeds that the Chinese youth of the new era could be entrusted with great missions. I was still young when SARS took place in 2003, but now Ive grown up and its time for me to take the responsibility to protect the people, said Lou Afang, a young nurse from Peking University Peoples Hospital. Lou became a Party member during her service in Wuhan. Ive joined the Party on the frontline, which is both an honor and a responsibility. I will work hard in the future, and will always be ready to serve the people, said Lou. This photo provided by passenger Haley Ebert shows damage to an engine on a Boeing 777 after parts came off the engine during a flight from San Francisco to Honolulu on Feb. 13, 2018. The plane landed safely as emergency responders waited nearby. The National Transportation Safety Board on Tuesday cited training problems at jet engine manufacturer Pratt & Whitney. (Haley Ebert via AP) (AP) Arsenal have recruited David Luiz to convince his Brazilian team-mate Thiago Silva to join the Gunners from Paris Saint-Germain this summer, according to reports. Silva has already announced that he will leave the French champions after the conclusion of this season's Champions League, bringing to an end his eight-year stint in Paris. And Arsenal are keen to swoop ahead of Everton and Tottenham to sign the 35-year-old on a free transfer as they look to bring in a marquee signing to improve their defence ahead of next season. Thiago Silva returned to training with Paris Saint-Germain this week but will leave soon After eight years, Thiago will be looking for a new challenge come the summer window Le10 Sport in France report that Mikel Arteta has already contacted the player to discuss a potential move, while Luiz has been drafted in as an intermediary to swing the pendulum in the Gunners' favour. The Telegraph previously reported that Silva is desperate to come to the Premier League and is willing to take a significant wage cut to make it happen. He had been linked with a return to Brazil with Fluminense, but recently ruled that out in favour of a move in Europe. 'Everyone knows the affection I have for Fluminense,' he said in an interview with Caras, 'but I still have goals to reach in Europe.' Arsenal have reportedly recruited David Luiz to convince his countryman to join the Gunners Silva would provide plenty of experience for Arsenal's struggling defence next season Silva consoled his Brazil team-mate after the drubbing by Germany at the 2014 World Cup Arsenal have 19-year-old William Saliba arriving from Saint-Etienne following his season back on loan in France, but the youngster could benefit from some experience alongside him in his maiden campaign in England. Luiz could also offer that at the age of 33, but the Brazilian has come under heavy fire for his calamitous displays since the Premier League restart. He came off the bench against Manchester City last month only to get sent off in their 3-0 defeat, missing the club's next match. Young defender William Saliba is also arriving at London Colney after a loan spell in France Liverpool star Mohamed Salah has described his 'unbelievable' feeling after the club clinched their first Premier League title in three decades last week. The Anfield outfit's coronation was confirmed after Manchester City fell to defeat against Chelsea on Thursday - and Salah has played a key role in ensuring Liverpool bettered their runners-up spot from last season. The Egyptian forward has netted 21 goals in 41 appearances this campaign, and outlined his thoughts with Liverpool having been crowned champions with seven games to spare. Mohamed Salah described his 'unbelievable' feeling after Liverpool won the Premier League The Anfield outfit were crowned champions last week after Manchester City lost at Chelsea Salah has also dedicated the team's triumph to the city of Liverpool and the supporters who were unable to attend the matches as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. 'I can't describe with words, it's so hard to say that,' he told LFCTV. 'I do remember, everyone knows that when I came here I said I wanted to win the Premier League. It was the first thing I said, I want to win the Premier League and the Champions League. 'The people started saying, "if you choose one...", but now I can say that I chose both, and thank god we we got both. But the Premier League, I can say it now after we won it, for the city it's something else. Salah has netted 21 goals in 41 appearances for Liverpool this campaign and wants to stay "It's an unbelievable feeling for everybody and for all the fans around the world." Watch our @MoSalah exclusive, as he talks through what it means to win the @premierleague title with the Reds Liverpool FC (Premier League Champions ) (@LFC) June 30, 2020 'Everyone is crazy about the result, everyone is crazy about the Premier League. It's an unbelievable feeling for everybody, and for all the fans around the world. 'Without their support we couldn't do it, but I think they did a great job. And Liverpool, this is for you.' Salah has scored 92 goals in 145 appearances since joining Liverpool from Roma in 2017, and penned a bumper five-year contract the following year. The Egyptian attacker joined Liverpool from Roma in 2017 and was pivotal in the title triumph But the superstar has also unsurprisingly attracted interest from a host of other elite European clubs. The former Chelsea wideman, however, is adamant he wants to remain on Merseyside for the foreseeable future. He told BeIN Sport: 'I'm very happy. I enjoy the atmosphere here. I love this place and I hope to stay for a long time. 'The atmosphere here is different to any other place.' Salah believes there is more to come from Liverpool provided they maintain their standards Liverpool will receive a guard of honour on Thursday from dethroned Manchester City, and Salah also believes that there is plenty more to come from Jurgen Klopp's men provided they can maintain their lofty standards. 'We have adapted well as a team and our understanding is perfect,' he said. 'If this continues, we can achieve more. It's difficult to maintain our current level, but it's not impossible.' Advertisement Is it a mirage? No, it's a new international airport. Renderings have been released for a stunning new 'luxury' airport in Saudi Arabia that has been designed to look like an optical illusion - a mirage in the desert. The stunning design has been created by UK-based Foster + Partners, which says the building will be 'akin to a private members club'. A rendering of the stunning new 'luxury' airport in Saudi Arabia that has been designed to look like a desert mirage The airport will serve the luxury Amaala resort on Saudi Arabia's north-west coast with the Red Sea. According to the resort, on approaching the airport, travellers will see 'stunning land art from the air' and upon entering the terminal will be 'greeted with a sleek mirrored edifice rising from the desert'. The Amaala resort said: 'The structure takes its inspiration from the surrounding environment, resulting in a mesmerising mirage effect. 'A spacious courtyard will anchor the terminal and will be complemented by contemporary interiors complete with unique artwork and tailored experiences.' Among the list of amenities provided will be climate-controlled hangars that will be available for private jets as well as a ground transfer service that will be accessible from inside the arrival hangar. The resort added: 'The airport will reflect Amaala's ultra-luxury hospitality spirit, providing an exclusive private-club experience perfectly encapsulating Amaalas pillars of art and culture, wellness and sport, and sea, sun, and lifestyle.' The airport's master plan was designed by Egis, an international consultancy and engineering group, and 'incorporates unique design practices, drawing inspiration from its location'. The airport is due for completion in 2023 and is estimated to accommodate one million travellers per year once it officially opens. A rendering of the terminal's interior. UK-based architecture firm Foster + Partners, which is behind the design, says the building will be 'akin to a private members club' The Amaala resort is set in 1,604 square miles (4,155 square kilometres) of the Prince Mohammad bin Salman Natural Reserve. Described as a 'year-round destination', when finished it will include 2,500 hotel rooms, more than 800 residential villas, apartments and estate homes as well as 200 'high-end' retail establishments, fine dining, wellness and recreational facilities. All phases of the resort are expected to be complete by 2028. Chief executive officer of Amaala, Nicholas Naples, said: 'A gateway to Amaala, visitors will be greeted by personalised experiences from the moment they step off the plane. From design to personalisation, this will be no ordinary airport. 'Immersed in the spirit of Amaala, the airport will create an environment that embodies the philosophy of the destination beyond. 'This will be a unique space that personifies luxury and marks the start of memorable experiences for the worlds most discerning guests. We are delighted to work with Foster + Partners and Egis on this project.' Gerard Evenden, senior executive partner at Foster + Partners, said: 'Responding to the surrounding landscape, the terminal building will form an exclusive gateway to the Amaala resort. Airport amenities will include climate-controlled hangars, which will be available for private jets 'The passenger experience through the entire building will be akin to a private members club luxurious and relaxing. 'Focusing on the themes of art, wellbeing and sport, the design seeks to establish a new model for private terminals that provides a seamless experience from resort to aeroplane.' Jacques Khoriaty, Middle East and South Asia aviation director at Egis, added: 'Along with embodying the luxurious spirit of the resort, the Amaala airport meets the highest environmental design and sustainability standards, is operationally versatile and incorporates the latest airport technology and best practice standards on offer. A rendering of the marina and yacht club at the Amaala resort, which is in the Prince Mohammad bin Salman Natural Reserve 'It has been a privilege to have worked closely with Amaala to define the requirements of this unique project and we look forward continuing our support all the way through to the opening of the airport in 2023.' Last September, Saudi Arabia introduced tourist visas for visitors from 49 countries, including the UK and the United States. Previously, visitor visas were only issued for religious pilgrimage or business. In the first two months of the new visas being available the country attracted 50,000 visitors. Caravan holidays in Cornwall and getaways in cottages with hot tubs are the breaks Britons are desperate for. That's according to Google, which has released data showing the top five trending holiday search phrases in the UK in the past seven days, with 'Cornwall caravan holidays' ranked No1, up by 400 per cent in a week, and 'holiday cottages with hot tubs' in third place - up 300 per cent. The rest of the ranking comprises 'holiday insurance coronavirus' (2nd, up 350 per cent) and 'holiday homes with pools' and 'holiday cottages by the sea' (joint 4th, up 250 per cent). Caravan holidays in Cornwall are the breaks Britons are most desperate for, according to data from Google. Pictured is the Cornish fishing village of Port Isaac on the north coast Google has also revealed search data presented in a series of interactive maps that reveals the most desired types of holiday by UK nation. One map titled Airbnb v camping reveals that camping is most popular with the Welsh (59 per cent), then the English (58 per cent) and then Scots (53 per cent). However, in Northern Ireland, an Airbnb stay is most popular, with 57 per cent of searches. Another data set compares searches for romantic holidays v holiday with children, with three nations - Northern Ireland (100 per cent), Scotland (58 per cent) and England (54 per cent) - searching for family getaways more. In Wales, it is an equal 50/50 split. When it comes to cheap holidays v luxury holidays, more people in Wales (61 per cent) and Northern Ireland (58 per cent) are looking for bargain getaways. While in Scotland (52 per cent) and England (51 per cent), luxury holidays seem more popular. This Google trends map shows that there have been more searches for camping in England, Wales and Scotland than for Airbnb stays, which have been more popular in Northern Ireland Meanwhile, when comparing Google data for spa weekends v farm stays, spa weekends are most searched for by those in Northern Ireland (100 per cent) and Scotland (61 per cent). There have been more searches for farm stays in Wales (61 per cent) and England (53 per cent). In addition, Google has revealed the top 10 most searched questions surrounding air bridges, which will allow Britons to go on foreign holidays without the need to quarantine. The most searched for question over the past seven days is 'What is an air bridge?' followed by 'Will Turkey have an air bridge?' and 'Will Cyprus be an air bridge?' Searches for 'holiday cottages with hot tubs' are up 300 per cent on Google in the UK in the past seven days The fourth most popular question is 'Will Portugal have an air bridge?' followed by 'When will air bridges be announced?' The rest of the top 10 most popular air bridge questions are 'Will Malta have an air bridge?' (sixth), 'Will Switzerland have an air bridge?' (seventh), 'Why is Portugal not on the air bridge list?' (eighth), 'What is an air bridge plan?' (ninth) and 'How does an air bridge work?' (10th). Ministers had been expected to unveil a list of countries that will be approached to form air bridges for quarantine-free travel to and from the UK today. But the announcement of details of the traffic light system is now expected to be made tomorrow. Lea Michele was seen for the first time since being on the receiving end of backlash over he alleged on-set behavior on Glee with claims ranging from racial discrimination to other forms of unprovoked cruelty. The pregnant 33-year-old actress has kept a relatively low profile for three weeks after her controversy but was seen on a walk in Los Angeles with husband Zandy Reich on Thursday. As she is expecting her first child, her growing baby bump was proudly on display as she sported a black sleeveless cropped top and maternity leggings combination. Scroll down for video Out and about: Lea Michele was seen for the first time since being on the receiving end of backlash over he alleged on-set behavior on Glee with claims ranging from racial discrimination to other forms of unprovoked cruelty Lea completed the look with a pair of APL sneakers and a blue bandana tied around her neck. Her brunette tresses were pulled in an updo as she let her natural looks show by going make-up free. Zandy, 37, kept it comfortable in a black T-shirt, with grey sweatshorts, and white Allbirds shoes. Just us: The pregnant 33-year-old actress has kept a relatively low profile for three weeks after her controversy but was seen on a walk in Los Angeles with husband Zandy Reich on Thursday Blossoming: As she is expecting her first child, her growing baby bump was proudly on display as she sported a black sleeveless cropped top and maternity leggings combination Helping hand: Lea leaned on her man for support as she did a quad stretch Casual cool: Lea completed the look with a pair of APL sneakers and a blue bandana tied around her neck He wore a black trucker hat backwards along with matching sunglasses as he had a patterned bandana tied around his neck while holding onto a white towel. No doubt Zandy has been emotional support for Lea through the tough time but he also served as physical support on the outing as Lea put her hand on his shoulder for balance as she did some stretches before the walk. The outing comes amid another costar of Lea's - Broadway star Craig Ramsay - slammed her for the way that she conducted herself on set even calling her 'a despicable, horrible human being' during an interview on Behind The Velvet Rope With David Yontef. Natural: Her brunette tresses were pulled in an updo as she let her natural looks show by going make-up free Relaxed: Zandy, 37, kept it comfortable in a black T-shirt, with grey sweatshorts, and white Allbirds shoes Man: He wore a black trucker hat backwards along with matching sunglasses as he had a patterned bandana tied around his neck while holding onto a white towel There for her: No doubt Zandy has been emotional support for Lea through the tough time but he also served as physical support on the outing Thanks: Lea handed Zandy's towel back to him Juggling act: She also gave him a water bottle to carry along He had worked with the actress on a Broadway production of Fiddler On The Roof from 2004 to 2005 along with Rosie O'Donnell. Ramsay was asked about the experience when he said: 'I know them all. I just didnt want to hear Lea Micheles name in this interview. At all! I think shes a despicable, horrible human being. I think she has lost touch with reality. 'We were in "Fiddler" together. Rosie is awesome. I still talk - she is a huge mentor and I respect her - how she has been able to survive and thrive with all the nonsense that was tossed at her. As far as Lea Michele is concerned, I think she is one of the most entitled people I have ever come across in this business!' He even recalled being there when she got her part in Glee as he claimed her whole attitude changed from that moment. Not holding back: The outing comes amid another costar of Lea's - Broadway star Craig Ramsay (seen in July 2016) - slammed her for the way that she conducted herself on set even calling her 'a despicable, horrible human being' during an interview on Behind The Velvet Rope With David Yontef Back in the day: He had worked with the actress on a Broadway production of Fiddler On The Roof from 2004 to 2005, as Lea is seen alongside Molly Ephraim (left) and Sally Murphy (center) at opening night in February 2004 Ramsay said: 'I was there when she got the call of, "I got Glee" and I think the entitlement just came over her body. She was possessed with this and from that moment on - cause she moved to la the same moment I did from New York - and I cared for her greatly but the amount of entitlement 'I have never seen the likes of it especially Broadway you cant mess with Broadway, you can get a reputation very quick if you don't respect where you come from - and she is talented, don't get me wrong. She is more talented than the gigs she did the last ten years but that doesn't matter if no one wants to work with you!' The troubled time has seemingly forced the actress to focus on the simple things as a source close to the star told People on Friday: 'She is close to giving birth, taking time to spend with family and reflecting.' 'I think the entitlement just came over her body': Ramsay (seen in February 2015) recalled when she got the Glee gig Perhaps the negative publicity has turned into a positive for Lea as two weeks ago some friends and former co-workers of Michele's told The Post that the Glee alum has 'had a real wake-up call' and wants to 'responsibly' right her wrongs. 'She is listening, she hears what everyone says and wants to apologize. This is her past and she wants to handle things responsibly,' claimed one insider. They added: 'It's never easy to hear people speak about you this way. It's a total shock.' Moving on: Perhaps the negative publicity has become a positive for Lea (seen in November) as two weeks ago some friends and former co-workers of Michele's told The Post that the Glee alum has 'had a real wake-up call' and wants to 'responsibly' right her wrongs One former co-worker of Lea's did not deny that Michele was notoriously difficult to work with, but insisted she was never purposely discriminatory. 'Lea was a b**ch to a lot of people who are now taking the opportunity to come forward. 'She may not be the nicest person, but she's not racist, sexist or transphobic. I would say she has behavioral issues that she's dealing with,' concluded the source. The Post was also told by an anonymous source that Lea has reached out to a number of her former co-stars upon learning of their public disdain for her and her behavior. Issues: One former co-worker of Lea's did not deny that Michele was notoriously difficult to work with, but insisted she was never purposely discriminatory; Lea pictured on Glee in 2009 But whether the star has heard back or if any reconciliations have occurred remains unknown at this time. Days before that another former colleague claimed that Lea did not 'discriminate' because her treatment of everyone was the same, coming from a place of being 'completely self-obsessed.' Speaking to Us Weekly, the unnamed source said 'It didn't matter if you were young or old, black or white it's just kind of her world. 'George Floyd did not deserve this': The bullying allegations came to light after Michele took to social media in early June to pay tribute to George Floyd Remember me? The message was met with an acerbic response from former co-star Samantha Stunner: Samantha, 28, - pictured in August 2019 - who appeared as Jane Hayward on the show's sixth season in 2015, scolded Michele days later, saying: 'Remember when you made my first television gig a living hell?!?!... ' Talented: Ware is seen here with co-stars [L-R] Billy Lewis Jr., Laura Dreyfuss, and Noah Guthrie 'Though she was completely self-obsessed toward everyone, she did not discriminate,' the source said. Adding: 'Things are seen through a lens, and it comes from a very protective place where obviously she's been on guard. She's fiery and she has more of an aggressive personality where most people would play weak or vulnerable or ask for sympathy and Lea does not do that.' 'You know where you stand for the most part with her,' the source said. 'In television, they hire really strong personalities because they create drama,' the outlet reported from the source. 'You don't expect them not to be dramatic off set and in their own lives. That's quite a switch to turn off.' Hitting out: The actress admitted her 'privileged position and immaturity' had contributed to causing pain to her former co-star in a statement posted to Instagram days later Many of the stories shared of Michele stemmed from her time starring as Rachel Berry on Glee from 2009 until 2015. Michele apologized for her behavior days after the first allegations, and said she has 'never judged others by their background or color of their skin.' She also insisted she will learn from the mistakes she has made so she 'can be a real role model for my child' when she gives birth in a couple of months. The bullying allegations came to light after Michele took to social media in early June to pay tribute to George Floyd, writing: 'George Floyd did not deserve this. This was not an isolated incident and it must end' she wrote. Lots to say: Her other co-stars including Heather Morris and Amber Riley spoke out against Michele for her behavior on set along with multiple other guest stars who were on Glee Samantha Ware, who appeared as Jane Hayward on the show's sixth season in 2015, scolded Michele days later, saying: 'Remember when you made my first television gig a living hell?!?!... 'Cause I'll never forget... I believe you told everyone that if you had the opportunity you would 's*** in my wig!' amongst other traumatic microaggressions that made me question a career in Hollywood.' Other stars including Amber Riley have also spoken out against Lea, who was recently dropped by the company Hello Fresh over the controversy. Tough times: Lea played the role of Rachel Berry (back row) on the show's six seasons, getting nominated for an Emmy and two Golden Globe awards with the part Her other co-stars including Heather Morris and Amber Riley spoke out against Michele for her behavior on set along with multiple other guest stars who were on Glee. However, Michele has also received support from Dean Geye - who played her boyfriend on Glee for one season saying she was always 'professional' and 'welcoming' Glee's Iqbal Theba said he was not mistreated by Michele and former Glee producer Marti Noxon has also stuck up for her. Clare Balding has revealed she has kept fit during lockdown with running and pilates and has managed to not put any weight on. The broadcaster, 49, admitted that while she has not lost any weight either, she does feel that her body has changed slightly due to her new workout regime she does alongside her wife Alice Arnold. Speaking to Good Housekeeping, she said: 'Ive never been a runner, and I never thought that I could be one, but its far more enjoyable than I thought it would be. Health: Clare Balding, 49, has revealed she has kept fit during lockdown with running and pilates and has managed to not put any weight on 'Weve been doing Pilates classes online with beautiful toned American women called Rhian or Jessica, but we always end up swearing at them, which is just funny because they can side plank and put their arms in the air and their top legs up and Im like, "What? How am I meant to do that?!"......Frustratingly, I havent lost any weight. 'I havent put any on, but I havent lost any. However, I do think my body shape is changing slightly, mainly because of the Pilates that Im doing. I have been doing a great 10 minute arm workout, too.' Clare added that she has been 'sanguine' since the Olympics were postponed until 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic. The TV star said that people have to adapt to the change and that when the Olympics finally returns next summer, it will be a 'celebration'. Fitness: The broadcaster admitted that while she has not lost any weight either, she does feel that her body has changed slightly due to her new workout regime Clare, who has a new children's book out called The Racehorse Who Learned To Dance, told how she hopes the pandemic will make people be kinder towards each other. The star also said she hopes that when the country fully emerges from lockdown, people are 'more forgiving' and 'grateful'. It comes after Clare previously admitted she thinks Britain could have gone through a 'mental health crisis' during the pandemic. Clare said: 'I havent put any on, but I havent lost any. However, I do think my body shape is changing slightly, mainly because of the Pilates that Im doing' Speaking to Weekend magazine in April, she said: 'Id say were in a mental health crisis right now. 'I cant help wondering if some of it is caused by too much looking in at ourselves. Wildlife offers us a rich alternative. Get your nose out of that iPad! We have an unprecedented challenge across the country, and with limited access to the outdoor world its even more important to take notice of it when were on our daily walk or whatever exercise we choose to do.' Read the full Clare Balding interview in the August issue of Good Housekeeping, on sale the 1st of July. It is available in all supermarkets and online at MagsDirect. After two of his friends died of cancer, actor and musical theatre star Rob Mills has decided to participate in Dry July. Posting on Instagram on Tuesday, the former Australian Idol contestant vowed to give up alcohol for a month to help raise awareness of the disease. In a lengthy post, the 38-year-old said he was 'sad' and tired' as he opened up about the loss of his mates. Raising awareness: After two of his friends died of cancer, actor and musical theatre star Rob Mills has decided to participate in Dry July 'I'm tired. And I'm sad. There seems to be a lot of sadness around at the moment from BLM [Black Lives Matter], COVID, the arts...' he wrote. 'I lost two friends to cancer. Forty-eight and 38 years of age. Michael Falzon and Joe Sassone.' Speaking of Michael, a fellow stage performer, Rob reminisced about their time together in the band Swing on This. 'Booze free': Posting on Instagram on Tuesday, the former Australian Idol contestant vowed to give up alcohol for a month to help raise awareness of the disease 'You were one of the best leading men. What a legacy you leave behind. I always looked up to you,' he wrote. Vowing to go 'booze free for the month', Rob asked that donations be made to the Cancer Council. He then announced that he would also give up social media for a month or 'maybe longer' in order to shed light on youth suicide. Digital detox: He then announced that he would also give up social media for a month or 'maybe longer' in order to shed light on youth suicide Writing about his mate Joe, Rob said he was an 'inspiration' to the young people that he taught, and pointed out that youth suicide 'is on the rise'. 'Joe, although we drifted apart over the years, I know you were an incredible inspiration to the many young people you taught,' he wrote. 'With COVID and social media pressures, boy do they need some inspiration. Youth suicide is on the rise in this country.' Dry July: 'So that's it for me. I'm sad. I'm taking a break. From the drink and from social media for a month. Maybe longer,' he wrote Urging his followers to donate to The Reach Foundation, Rob signed off with a farewell to his fans. 'So that's it for me. I'm sad. I'm taking a break. From the drink and from social media for a month. Maybe longer,' he stated. 'I want to enjoy the moment, rather than enjoy the amount of likes the moment receives.' Triple M host Lawrence Mooney has urged his listeners to talk about their emotions if they're feeling 'overwhelmed, sad, or lost'. In a column for News.com.au on Wednesday, the 55-year-old revealed that seven people he knew personally had died by suicide. Lawrence, whose radio station has partnered with Beyond Blue for the second annual No Talk Day, also urged people struggling with mental health issues to seek help. Important message: Triple M host Lawrence Mooney (pictured) has urged his listeners to talk about their emotions if they're feeling 'overwhelmed, sad, or lost' 'I've been thinking a lot about suicide lately. Not in a prejudicial way just that suicide has been there, around me, the whole time,' he wrote. 'I can name seven suicides where I knew the person. The stuntman, the comedian, the actor, the dancer, the commentator, the model and the storeman.' Lawrence went on to say that 'mental health is not that simple or easy' and that suicide 'is a tragic, lonely and awful way to die'. Devastating: In a column for News.com.au on Wednesday, the 55-year-old revealed that seven people he knew personally had died by suicide Painful questions will never be answered for the family and friends of people who die by suicide, he said, making it even more important to seek help. 'Talk. Tell somebody how frightened you are or overwhelmed or sad or lost. Tell somebody you need help because you can't do it anymore,' he added. 'Maybe I'm straying into the territory of an optimist but I truly believe that if the seven people I knew were given a second chance they wouldn't choose suicide.' Legacy: Painful questions will never be answered for the family and friends of people who die by suicide, he said, making it even more important to seek help The Triple M network teamed up with Beyond Blue on Wednesday to raise awareness of men's mental health. From 6am to 6pm, inspirational stories of Australians who have faced mental health issues will be broadcast across 43 stations. Support is available via Lifeline at 13 11 14, Mensline at 1300 789 978 and Kids Helpline at 1800 551 800 Gigi Hadid fired up her Instagram page this Tuesday to unveil her latest smoldering campaign for Chanel. The 25-year-old, who is currently pregnant by her on-again boyfriend Zayn Malik, revealed in the caption that the images were shot last year. In an evocative snapshot taken by Melodie McDaniel, she showed off her taut midriff in a flowing black crop top with colorful embroidery. 'Dream come true': Gigi Hadid fired up her Instagram page this Tuesday to unveil her latest smoldering campaign for Chanel Sweeping her hair back into a braid, she accentuated her screen siren features with makeup and clasped a couple of glittering belts around her waist. Gigi posed leaning against a mirrored wall alongside a spiral staircase, and her reflection stared right into the camera. 'Have been waiting since December to share this dream-come-true!!!' she gushed at the beginning of her caption. Gigi made sure to thank Virginie Viard, who has succeeded the late Karl Lagerfeld as the creative director of the Chanel brand. Hand in hand: The 25-year-old is currently pregnant by her on-again boyfriend Zayn Malik whom she is pictured with at the 2016 Met Gala She also shared her gratitude to hairdresser Sam McKnight and makeup artist Lucia Pica who helped devise her look for the campaign. Gigi was lately hunkering down with Zayn, her sister Bella Hadid and her mother Yolanda Hadid on the family farm in Pennsylvania. Bella recently returned to the United States after flying out to Sardinia with her pal Hailey Bieber for a modeling gig despite the coronavirus pandemic. Meanwhile Gigi and Bella's younger brother Anwar, who is also a model, has remained in London with his pop star girlfriend Dua Lipa. 'You deserve the best always': Last week Gigi posted an album of herself with with Anwar, including childhood snaps, in order to celebrate her little brother's 22nd birthday Last week Gigi posted an album of herself with with Anwar, including childhood snaps, in order to celebrate her little brother's 22nd birthday. In May Gigi revealed she was 'a few months' along in her pregnancy while jetting around the world for various Fashion Weeks in February and early March. The Maybelline spokesmodel did an Instagram Live with the brand and referred to 'Fashion Month, when I was like already like a few months preggo, you know?' Reality TV stars are raking in the big bucks by selling raunchy content on subscription-based website OnlyFans. But on Tuesday, a Love Island Australia star expressed their repulsion at the thought of appearing on the celebrity porn service. 'This is disgusting! This is not acceptable,' 29-year-old model Justin Lacko cried after a talent scout propositioned them to promote explicit photos and videos. Scroll down for video 'This is not acceptable': A Love Island Australia star has expressed their 'disgust' after being approached by a talent scout to make celebrity porn for adult-only OnlyFans service. Pictured: Female Islanders on season one The angered star is from Australia's debut season of Love Island -which aired in 2018, but is now airing for the first time in the UK in 2020. With his season getting renewed interest from overseas fans, a scout interested in creating content for the UK-based social media platform contacted the hunk. They offered to 'enhance the earning potential' of the male model's content, and seemingly offered the reality TV star '80% commission'. REVEALED: The angered star was Justin Lacko (pictured) from Australia's debut season of Love Island - which aired in 2018, but is now airing for the first time in the UK in 2020 Back in the spotlight! With his season getting renewed interest from overseas fans, a scout interested in creating content for the UK-based social media platform contacted Justin. Pictured with co-star Millie Fuller What is OnlyFans? OnlyFans is a UK-based social media platform that allows influencers to charge followers a monthly subscription fee for videos and photos. The majority of OnlyFans users make adult content ranging from topless selfies to hardcore pornography, but others - including personal trainers - sell non-explicit photos and videos. High-profile Australian users include Married At First Sight's Rhyce Power and Love Island star Vanessa Sierra Advertisement Sharing a warning to fans and fellow reality TV stars and social media influencers, Justin shared the message and captioned it: 'Do not expose yourself at all to anyone! We have a life and a future ahead of us!' 'Now this is disgusting! The reason why we shouldn't be on social medias because live our live but ONLYFANS. Jesus save the world! This is not acceptable.' The Instagram page of the 'Head Of VIP Recruitment' was only created last week and had just 22 posts and less than 100 followers. Justin, who recently became a father, was quick to remove the Instagram Story which devalued content on the adult-only service. Some of Justin's former cast mates have become top earners on OnlyFans since March. Season one stars Shelby Mills, 26, and Edyn 'Mac' Mackney, 24, regularly promote their X-rated OnlyFans content with strategically-covered Instagram posts. 'We have a life and a future ahead of us!' Justin, who recently became a father, warned fans and fellow reality TV stars and social media influencers to think carefully about joining OnlyFans Shelby is on it! Some of Justin's former cast mates have become top earners on OnlyFans since March. Pictured: Justin's co-stars Shelby Mills and Tayla Damir It's believed top earners can earn up to $30,000 per day by sharing exclusive photos, which aren't much different to the content on their Instagram pages. However, content on the platform can range from something as innocent as a suggestive selfie all the way to hardcore pornography. Season two Love Island Australia star Vanessa Sierra, 25, has chosen the latter. Baring all to the bank! Season one star Edyn 'Mac' Mackney, 24, (left) regularly promotes her X-rated OnlyFans content with strategically-covered Instagram posts. Pictured with a friend Racy! Season two Love Island Australia star Vanessa Sierra, 25, is not afraid of pushing the envelope on Instagram or the adult-only website The content on the OnlyFans page she shares with her YouTube star boyfriend, Luke Erwin, is far more explicit, and features the couple engaging in sex acts. Speaking to Daily Mail Australia about their controversial career move earlier this year, the frisky pair said they were simply ahead of the curve by joining OnlyFans. 'I'm not scared to make moves and always jump on social media platforms before the crowd,' Vanessa explained. 'Everyone seems so shocked yet in a couple of years it will be the norm to have an OnlyFans account,' she added. We are just doing what makes us happy and creating content that isn't restricted by Instagram guidelines. We are in the top 0.01 per cent of OnlyFans creators for a reason!' Coronation Street's Bill Roache allegedly has very accurate psychic powers, according to one of his former co-stars. Thelma Barlow, who played Mavis Wilton on the UK's most-watched soap, revealed that a psychic reading Bill gave her about 50 years ago has proven scarily accurate. Bill, 88, who plays Ken Barlow on the soap, studied astrology in the 70s and did a reading for Thelma, 91, which thoroughly impressed the actress, who played Mavis Wilton from 1971 to 1997. Psychic? Coronation Street's Bill Roache allegedly has very accurate psychic powers, according to one of his former co-stars (pictured in April) While speaking on the Distinct Nostalgia podcast, she said: 'He was doing a serious study of astrology at the time and he was doing charts for some of the cast. 'He knew nothing about me at all. I came across it the other week and it is so extraordinary. 'I remember at the time thinking, ''Gosh, this is extraordinary''.' Co-stars: Thelma Barlow (left), who played Mavis Wilton on the UK's most-watched soap, revealed that a psychic reading Bill gave her about 50 years ago has proven scarily accurate (pictured in 1996) She continued: 'He said within the first page, ''There seems to be no influence of a father in your life. '''Maybe he was away a lot. I dont understand this. Maybe you can explain it to me''. 'My father died three weeks before I was born, so I never knew him. Obviously something made Bill write that, but he had no idea about my background or anything.' Powers: Bill, 88, who plays Ken Barlow on the soap, studied astrology in the 70s and did a reading for Thelma, 91, which thoroughly impressed the actress (pictured in 2017) Thelma, who went on to star in BBC series Dinnerladies, said she is planning on writing to Bill to speak to him about the accurate reading. MailOnline has contacted Bill's representatives for comment. Bill is known for his positive beliefs that come from his support of the Pure Love Movement - an organisation which believes the power of love can eradicate war and famine and cure illnesses. Thelma said: 'He knew nothing about me at all. I came across it the other week and it is so extraordinary' (above Bill pictured on the soap with Stephanie Beacham) In 2018 he told The Daily Record that he has decided he's getting younger. He said: 'It's a belief system really. The body was designed to go on forever.' Bill also claims he can see ghosts and is desperate to communicate with aliens. He also says that his animal psychic told him that his pet Jack Russell, Poppy, does impressions of his soap character's wife, Deirdre. Optimistic: Bill is known for his positive beliefs that come from his support of the Pure Love Movement (pictured on Coronation Street in 1961) The star broke up with his girlfriend Emma Jesson, 47, in 2013 after becoming obsessed with spreading the message on the 'power of love'. Bill, who also claims to have slept with more than 1,000 women, then gave up sex to help focus on healing people. He said: 'I dont need a sexual relationship any more. Things still work, everything works, but I dont have that need for sex I used to have.' Love: The star broke up with his girlfriend Emma Jesson, 47, in 2013 after becoming obsessed with spreading the message on the 'power of love' (pictured in November 2019) The actor, who was born in 1932, grew up in Derbyshire before spending five years in the army. It wasn't until he turned 26 that he started his acting career and was invited to audition for the first episode of Coronation Street in 1960. He discovered spirituality during his first marriage with Anna Cropper, the mother of his first two children. The couple divorced in 1974. Celibate: Bill, who also claims to have slept with more than 1,000 women, then gave up sex to help focus on healing people His 18-month-old daughter Edwina died in 1984 from bronchial pneumonia. In 2014, he was put on trial under two rape charges and five charges of indecent assault, which got him suspended from Coronation Street until he was acquitted. Bill believes in past lives and claims that he was a 13th-century rebel in one of his and is hoping to be an 'enlightened master' in his next. Spiritual: He discovered spirituality during his first marriage with Anna Cropper, the mother of his first two children. The couple divorced in 1974 (pictured on Coronation Street in 1972) He performs 'healings' at the Circle of Love group meetings that happen regularly in Manchester. And Bill believes in ghosts and says that the first ghost he ever saw appeared while he was on the toilet. He said: 'I saw my first apparition when I was on the loo. I saw a gritty, grey shape in the doorway with piercing yellow eyes.' Bill also believes humans will soon be able to speak to aliens. Nikki Blonsky came out to the world in a TikTok singing to Diana Ross' anthem I'm Coming Out. Before her coming out became big news, the 31-year-old revealed she wanted to deliver the news personally to John Travolta, who played her on-screen mother in Hairspray. She delivered the news with a text and told The Hollywood Reporter in a Q&A, published Tuesday that they 'had a lovely conversation.' Personally delivery: Before Nikki Blonsky's news of coming out circulated she personally texted John Travolta, who played her on-screen mother in Hairspray, she told the Hollywood Reporter on Tuesday (pictured together in 2008) Blonsky said she made the decision to give him the news personally because 'I did not want the person who played my mother to have to find out about this from anybody else.' 'I felt the need to tell him myself so I texted him and we had a lovely conversation,' she continued. 'I love him with all my heart.' She continued to gush over her co-star saying: 'I couldnt have been more honored to have played his daughter. He is one of the finest human beings youre ever going to meet.' Blonsky and Travolta portrayed the mother-daughter duo Tracy and Edna Turnblad in the 2007 film Hairspray. Gushing: 'I felt the need to tell him myself so I texted him and we had a lovely conversation,' she continued. 'I love him with all my heart' (Travolta pictured in January 2020) Duo: Blonsky and Travolta portrayed the mother-daughter duo Tracy and Edna Turnblad in the 2007 film Hairspray (pictured on screen in Hairspray) They starred alongside an ensemble cast that included Queen Latifah, Michelle Pfeiffer, Zac Efron, Amanda Bynes, Christopher Walken and the late Jerry Stiller. She also shared that her other co-star Brittany Snow and Hairspray director Adam Shankman reached out after her news. 'I was most nervous about my Hairspray family, I think,' she said. Though the comforting words and joy from her co-stars delighted her. Hollywood encouragement: 'My hands havent stopped shaking,' she said. 'Ive been replying to people like Billie Jean King and Debbie Gibson its absolutely mind-blowing the love and support Ive been shown' Supportive: She also shared that her other co-star Brittany Snow and Hairspray director Adam Shankman reached out after her news. 'Hearing from Adam and from Brittany and people who I think so incredibly highly of, it means more than they will ever know,' Blonsky said 'Hearing from Adam and from Brittany and people who I think so incredibly highly of, it means more than they will ever know,' Blonsky said. Adding: 'I was so nervous because I didn't want them to think I was keeping something from them. I wasn't ready at the time to put it all out there.' Another person she wanted to deliver the news to personally was Anthony Carr, who she started dating at 17-years-old after 'falling in love' on the set of Hairspray. 'He couldn't have been kinder and he calls me every day to check on me. I'm just so incredibly grateful,' she said of his response. Reveal: Nikki came out to the Diana Ross anthem Im Coming Out in a TikTok post Sunday And they weren't the only stars who reached out as others continued to offer support. 'My hands havent stopped shaking,' she said. 'Ive been replying to people like Billie Jean King and Debbie Gibson its absolutely mind-blowing the love and support Ive been shown.' She came out to the Diana Ross anthem Im Coming Out in a TikTok post Sunday. 'Hi, its Nikki Blonsky from the movie Im Gay! #pride #imcomingout #hairspray' said the 31-year-old actress in a clip in which she danced in a friend's backyard in Hicksville, New York. The latest: She posted on her Instagram account as well In the comment section, Blonsky showed her gratitude to her 27,000-plus followers who had given her feedback amid the personal announcement. 'Its incredibly true!!!' she said. 'Thank you so much for the love and support!' She also posted a colorful graphic to Instagram that read 'I'm gay,' as confetti rained down. 'I'm coming out #pride,' she wrote simply. He was the first big name to reveal he had tested positive for the coronavirus. And on Tuesday, Tom Hanks had a few words for anyone refusing to wear a mask or practice social distancing to help contain the spread of COVID-19. 'Theres really only three things we can do in order to get to tomorrow: Wear a mask, social distance, wash our hands,' the A-list Hollywood star said, per People. 'Those things are so simple, so easy, if anybody cannot find it in themselves to practice those three very basic things I just think shame on you.' Take COVID-19 precautions: Tom Hanks had a few words Tuesday for anyone refusing to wear a mask or practice social distancing to help contain the spread of COVID-19: 'Shame on you' Hanks, 63, was speaking during a virtual press tour for his new movie Greyhound that premieres on Apple TV+ on July 10. He stressed that it's just 'common sense' to do what has to be done to keep people safe during the pandemic as cases of COVID-19 surge in the U.S. He and wife Rita Wilson contracted the virus while in Australia where Hanks was filming Baz Lurhmann's Elvis Presley biopic. The couple were hospitalized for several days and then continued their recovery in quarantine. They returned home to Los Angeles where they continued to self-isolate. Spoke out: Hank,s who was seen wearing a face covering while out with wife Rita Wilson in LA on June 7, said it's 'common sense' to wear a mask and social distance during the pandemic Tested positive for COVID-19: Hanks and Wilson contracted the coronavirus in March while in Australia, pictured. 'We had about 10 days of very uncomfortable symptoms. Not life-threatening, were happy to say,' Hanks said Tuesday 'We had about 10 days of very uncomfortable symptoms. Not life-threatening, were happy to say,' Hanks said of his and Wilson's experience. 'We were isolated in order to keep an eye on ourselves because if our temperatures had spiked, if our lungs had filled, if any number of things had gone wrong with this, we would have needed expert medical care. We didnt.' He went on: 'I guess we were model recoverers from COVID-19, but we were also isolated so that we would not give it to anybody else that we came in contact with, and since then have been doing the same isolating, social distancing that is being asked of the world so, we are fine.' New role: Hanks made his comments during a virtual press tour for his new movie Greyhound in which he stars as a U.S. Navy Captain in command of an Allied convoy during World War II His movie Greyhound, for which he also penned the screenplay, had been due for release in movie theatres in May but was pushed back to June 12 due to the coronavirus. However, with movie theatres still shuttered in the main across the country, Apple purchased the film for streaming release on its premium subscription service. The World War II story stars Hanks as a U.S. Navy Captain who is given command of a destroyer code-named Greyhound in his first wartime assignment. Despite his inexperience, he finds himself in charge of an allied convoy that's being stalked by Nazi U-Boats. Love Island Australia is currently airing in the UK, two years after it first hit Aussie screens. And on Tuesday, British viewers were shocked after witnessing a physical fight between cast members Grant Crapp and Eden Dally. The majority were 'team Eden', with many expressing how happy they were to see love rat Grant attacked. Fight night! Love Island Australia's iconic fight between Grant Crapp and Eden Dally (pictured) finally aired in the UK this week 'I would pay good money to watch Eden punch some sense into Grant,' tweeted one viewer. 'I really wanted to see Eden punch Grant in the face, its what he deserves,' added another. 'Grant and Eden are both as despicable as each other so I don't care whose right in this fight,' tweeted a third fan. 'Next week': The majority of viewers were 'team Eden', with many expressing how happy they were to see love rat Grant attacked 'I would pay good money to watch Eden punch some sense into Grant,' tweeted one viewer Disappointed? One viewer was upset that producers didn't let the fight go further Grant and Eden's clash was sparked by a group vote that saw fan favourite Justin Lacko sent home over intruder Jaxon Human. After Justin left the villa, Erin Barnett, who was coupled up with Eden at the time, confronted Millie Fuller and Grant's girlfriend Tayla Damir over some comments they'd made. 'I know we made a really tough decision but apparently you guys said if we didn't pick Justin it was unforgivable,' she said. Waste of time? One viewer watched a week's worth of Love Island Australia just to see the fight 'It's all kicking off!' UK Love Island fans were certainly excited to see the fight 'Grant and Eden are both as despicable as each other so I don't care whose right in this fight,' tweeted another fan A clearly unsettled Millie responded: 'I said if Justin leaves I'm going to lose my s**t obviously because he's a close friend.' Annoyed, Erin continued asking why the group would suggest they would never talk to them again. 'In the moment, all your emotions are going,' Tayla explained, with Millie and Grant concurring. 'How would you feel, making that decision?' Eden challenged her. Punching! Grant and Eden's legendary clash first aired back in 2018 on the first season of Love Island Australia 'I can say what I want out of emotion,' Tayla shrieked, prompting Eden to ask the brunette whether she would feel comfortable about making the same decision. Coming to his girlfriend's rescue, Grant wasted no time in squaring up to Eden. Erin attempted to come between the two but was pushed aside as the hunks grabbed each other's collars, forcing Dom Thomas and Josh Moss to pull them apart. Later, Grant was seen hugging a crying Tayla, who sobbed: 'I know you were just defending me but I hated every second of that.' With his ex-wife Megan Fox moving on with rapper Machine Gun Kelly, Brian Austin Green is enjoying the single life with a new lunch date. The 46-year-old BH90210 star was spotted grabbing lunch at Sugar Taco in Los Angeles on Tuesday, with Australian model Tina Louise, 38. While they weren't seen putting on any PDAs, they both were certainly in good spirits. Tina, 38, is a successful glamour model, vegan foodie and an influencer who has graced the covers of magazines such as FHM, Maxim and Zoo Weekly. Lunch date: With his ex-wife Megan Fox moving on with rapper Machine Gun Kelly, Brian Austin Green is enjoying the single life with a new lunch date Green was spotted wearing a white Captain Planet t-shirt, with a black face mask dangling around his neck, though not worn over his mouth and nose. He sported a scruffy black beard along with slightly ripped light blue jeans and black and white checkered sneakers. He completed his look with a black backpack strapped to his back as he headed out to grab lunch with the Australian model. His lunch date Louise was wearing a low-cut black mini-dress with black leather heeled boots. She also rocked black sunglasses with gold cross earrings and completed her look with a black leather purse with a gold chain strap. Brian's look: Green was spotted wearing a white Captain Planet t-shirt, with a black face mask dangling around his neck, though not worn over his mouth and nose Down to earth: Speaking to Inked magazine in 2015, she described herself as a 'tomboy with a bubbly personality' After spending her childhood on a remote farm in rural Victoria, Tina finally found fame at the age of 21 after she was discovered by a photographer. The images of Tina taken by that photographer ended up on the cover of Maxim magazine, essentially launching her career in the Australian modelling scene. In 2007, she took home the title of Australia's Hottest Bikini Model, which landed her in a slew of swimsuit calendars Down Under and internationally. Tina's look: His lunch date Louise was wearing a low-cut black mini-dress with black leather heeled boots In an interview with Rooster, Tina also revealed that she was once named Australia's most downloaded model. Tina also co-owns a vegan Mexican restaurant called Sugar Taco in Los Angeles - the same venue where she was spotted chatting to Brian Austin Green this week. Speaking to Inked magazine in 2015, the tattooed star described herself as a 'tomboy with a bubbly personality.' 'I am a little shy, even though my whole life I've been in front of a camera,' she explained: 'I love adventure and being surrounded by people who make me laugh.' Green was previously spotted grabbing lunch a few weeks ago with blonde bombshell Courtney Stodden, after his split with Megan Fox, who he was married to for 10 years. While they were spotted out and about a few times since Green's split, and since Stodden's divorce from actor Doug Hutchinson was finalized in March. Green and Stodden are reportedly just friends, though, who had been discussing future music collaborations together, according to TMZ. Single life: Green was previously spotted grabbing lunch a few weeks ago with blonde bombshell Courtney Stodden, after his split with Megan Fox, who he was married to for 10 years Green shared a photo of him and his three daughters - Noah, 7, Bodhi, 6 and Journey, 3 - on Father's day, adding his 18-year-old son Kassius (with Vanessa Marcil) texted him the night before. The actor most recently returned as a 'meta' version of himself in the Fox TV reboot BH90210, which brought back all the original cast members of Beverly Hills 90210 playing versions of themselves. He was most recently featured on the big screen in the action sequel Cross 3. Kim Kardashian has been enjoying some quality family time after getting away to her and husband Kanye West's ranch in Wyoming. But the new billionaire recently returned home to Southern California to get back to work on her multiple ventures. She was welcomed home at their Hidden Hills mansion Tuesday with bliss, as she took to her Instagram Story to show off the 'enchanted forest' themed bathroom arrangement from Kanye. Enchanted forest: She was welcomed home at her Hidden Hills mansion Tuesday with bliss, as she took to her Instagram Story to show off the 'enchanted forest' themed bathroom arrangement from husband Kanye West Family getaway: She recently enjoyed some quality family time after getting away to their ranch in Wyoming The 39-year-old revealed the lush pastel florals around the cement tub, which was planted with tall grass and trees. She said while walking around the vast minimalist bathroom: 'So, I come home, and my whole bathroom is decorated like an enchanted forest. And it's so beautiful and so visually pretty, with a sweet note from my husband.' It comes after Kanye, 43, congratulated his wife for reaching billionaire status when she sold a 20 percent stake in KKW Beauty to Coty Inc for $200million. He tweeted along with a still-life photo of vegetables and flowers: 'I am so proud of my beautiful wife Kim Kardashian West for officially becoming a billionaire. Lush florals: The 39-year-old revealed the lush pastel florals around the cement tub, which was planted with tall grass and trees Home sweet home: She said while walking around the vast minimalist bathroom: 'So, I come home, and my whole bathroom is decorated like an enchanted forest' Supportive husband: It comes after Kanye, 43, congratulated his wife for reaching billionaire status when she sold a 20 percent stake in KKW Beauty to Coty Inc for $200million 'Youve weathered the craziest storms and now God is shining on you and our family. So blessed this is still life. So I made you this still life. We love you so much.' The family celebrated the news, along with daughter North's seventh birthday, while vacationing at their Wyoming Ranch. Kim gave a glimpse at the festivities Monday on her Instagram Story, sharing photos of the brood riding horses and go-carts on their 1,400+ acre property. North looked cowgirl chic in a neon green cowhide dress, as she blew out a candle on her purple stetson shaped cake. A source told Us Weekly of the Kardashian/Jenner family's getaway: 'Theyre all having a fun time doing family activities like swimming, etc.' Kim and Kanye posed for some romantic couple photos on their land, serving wild west opulence in black and brown leather looks. Celebration: The family celebrated the news, along with daughter North's seventh birthday, while vacationing at their Wyoming Ranch Horseback riding: Kim gave a glimpse at the festivities Monday on her Instagram Story, sharing photos of the brood riding horses and go-carts on their 1,400+ acre property Cowgirl chic: North looked cowgirl chic in a neon green cowhide dress, as she blew out a candle on her purple stetson shaped cake Romantic time: Kim and Kanye posed for some romantic couple photos on their land, serving wild west opulence in black and brown leather looks It comes after Kanye reportedly took their four kids to the ranch back in April to give Kim 'a break' amid quarantine and rumored marital issues. A source told People: 'Its a huge chaos with all the kids at home. Kanye escapes to his office for a work break. 'He also let Kim have a break last week when he took some of the kids to Wyoming. They have been taking turns caring for the kids.' The Jesus Is King artist bought the ranch in September for $14million, his latest addition to the real estate he's accumulated in Cody since 2017. The property sits 75 miles from Yellowstone National Park, featuring offices, a saloon, an events venue, a shooting range and more. Kanye recently revealed plans to move YEEZY production to Wyoming from China by next year, shortly after revealing the brand's new partnership with Gap. Farmer Wants a Wife is one of the most anticipated reality shows of 2020. And now fans have been introduced to hunky Farmer Alex, who is one of the five lovelorn farmers searching for 'The One' on the series. With the reality show expected to hit screens in the coming weeks, a new trailer has been released, which focuses on Alex's quest for love. First look: Farmer Wants a Wife is one of the most anticipated reality shows of 2020. And now fans have been introduced to hunky Farmer Alex, who is one of the five lovelorn farmers searching for 'The One' on the series Alex, who is a 28-year-old sheep and cattle farmer, is introduced as he pulls up on his motorbike. 'I've never been in love before. I'm 110 per cent ready to fall in love,' he says to the camera. Alex goes on to explain that his farm has been in drought for eight years and he hopes one of the female suitors could be his 'good luck charm.' Looking for love: Alex admits that he has never been in love before. 'I'm 110 per cent ready to fall in love,' he says Featuring snippets of his dates with the girls, it appears that the course of true love may not run smoothly for Farmer Alex as the trailer hints at some dating drama. 'I think he is playing a dangerous game,' one girl comments in the trailer. Alex adds: 'I think I've bitten off a bit more than I can chew.' Trouble in paradise: Featuring snippets of his dates with the girls, it appears that the course of true love may not run smoothly for Farmer Alex Whatever happens between Alex and the girls, he just wants to make sure that he finds the right woman for him. 'It's super important that I pick the right girl, I don't want to get it wrong,' he adds. This comes after a trailer for the series treated viewers to a glimpse of Farmer Alex alongside his fellow farmers Harry, Nick, Sam and Neil back in March. Lovelorn farmers: Alex will be joined by fellow farmers, Harry, Nick, Sam and Neil (all pictured) on the reality series The Channel Seven series will see the five hopeful farmers search for 'The One'. Farmer Wants A Wife was initially on Channel Nine when it originally aired. It ran for eight seasons before it was cancelled. It was renewed in 2016, only to be axed again due to disappointing ratings. Jason Lewis has resurfaced on Australian television, two decades after he found fame starring as hunky male model Smith Jerrod on Sex and the City. And fans could be forgiven for not recognising the 49-year-old during his appearance on Channel Seven's The Morning Show on Wednesday. Gone were the iconic shaggy blond locks and clean-cut look that he once sported on the beloved HBO show. Scroll down for video My, how you've changed! Sex and the City actor Jason Lewis, 49, appeared on The Morning Show on Wednesday (right) and he looked very different to how fans may remember him. Pictured left: Jason as Smith Jerrod on Sex and the City Instead, Jason displayed a rugged beard and a head of slicked-back dark hair. Perhaps the most noticeable change was his thick brown moustache. Jason, whose character famously posed nude for a fictional Absolut Vodka ad campaign on the show, spoke to hosts Larry Emdur and Kylie Gillies about why Sex and the City is still popular today. 'I think it starts with the title': Jason (right) spoke to hosts Larry Emdur (left) and Kylie Gillies (centre) about why Sex and the City is still popular today 'I think it starts with the title, "Sex,"' he smiled. 'Any good writing speaks for something we all experience and they did such a good job of doing that while keeping it funny and entertaining and sensational,' Jason explained. 'But it was always something that was really heartfelt in each episode,' he added. 'It was a good lesson in getting used to your natural state': Jason also revealed what it was like filming the iconic scene in which he stripped nude in front of a live audience Who could forget? Jason's character famously posed nude for a fictional Absolut Vodka ad campaign on the show (pictured) Jason also revealed what it was like filming the iconic scene in which he stripped nude in front of a live audience, including his character's girlfriend Samantha Jones (played by Kim Cattrall). 'It was a lot of takes and a lot of people. It was a good lesson in getting used to your natural state,' he laughed. Explaining why it had taken so long to film the racy moment, Jason said: 'When you have lots of people in one scene, you have different people from different angles.' 'I got to do it from many different directions. The poor cameraman had to deal with me,' he chuckled. Since appearing in Sex and the City, Jason has starred in TV drama Midnight Texas, and Lifetime movies Seeds of Yesterday and If There Be Norms. Love and lust: Jason's character had a wild on-and-off romance with Samantha Jones, played by Kim Cattrall There's 15 years age difference between the A-list couple. But Ben Affleck appeared to be bridging that gap on Sunday, when the 47-year-old actor was snapped sporting a noticeably darker scruff on his face than in April this year. The Oscar-winning screenwriter appeared to have dyed his beard and hair a darker shade as he took both his and 32-year-old girlfriend Ana de Armas' dogs out for a stroll. Strolling: Ben Affleck proved he is a doting boyfriend to girlfriend Ana de Armas, as he took her pup for a walk in Los Angeles on Sunday The Armageddon star proved he is a doting boyfriend to girlfriend Ana, as he took her pup out for a walk with his own canine companion. For his leisurely stroll, the two-time Oscar winner was joined by his trusty German Shepherd, Hutch, and the Knives Out actress' Maltese, Elvis. As he navigated down the sidewalk, Ben cut a casual figure in a pair of dark-wash jeans and a three-quarter sleeve shirt, which displayed the name of Ana's birthplace in Cuba. Before and after: Without his facial covering, the Hollywood veteran put his much darker facial hair on full display on Sunday [R], after recently rocking a more salt-and-pepper look in April [L] Doting dog dad: For his leisurely stroll, the two-time Oscar winner, 47, was joined by his trusty German Shepherd Hutch and the 32-year-old Knives Out actress' Maltese Elvis In addition to getting some fresh air, the Argo actor safely wore a CDC-recommended face mask, before peeling it off to take a smoke. Without his facial covering, the Hollywood veteran put his much darker facial hair on full display, after recently rocking a more salt-and-pepper look. He paired his laid-back ensemble with a pair of dark aviator sunglasses and flaunted his impressive muscles in a fitted red and white t-shirt. Fresh air: As he navigated down the sidewalk, Ben cut a casual figure in a pair of dark-wash jeans and a three-quarter sleeve shirt, which displayed the name of Ana's birthplace in Cuba While soaking up the sunny weather, the father-of-three appeared to enjoy his solo outing with his four-legged companions. Typically, he is accompanied girlfriend or his children with ex-wife Jennifer Garner, who Ben recently introduced to Ana last month. When visiting Violet, 14, Seraphina, 11, and eight-year-old Samuel, the family's golden retriever, Birdie, has also been known to make an appearance. Solo time: Typically, he is accompanied girlfriend or his children with ex-wife Jennifer Garner, who Ben recently introduced to Ana last month Ode to Ana: As he navigated down the sidewalk, Ben cut a casual figure in a pair of dark-wash jeans and a three-quarter sleeve shirt, which displayed the name of Ana's birthplace in Cuba Frequent dog walks: When visiting Violet, 14, Seraphina, 11, and eight-year-old Samuel, the family's golden retriever, Birdie, has also been known to make an appearance Ana has been enjoying time with Affleck's children and recently met his mother, Christina. A source told E! News last month: 'Ana loves kids and couldn't wait to meet them and spend time with them. She knows how much they mean to Ben and so she was anxious to be a part of that.' 'She is very sweet and kind to the kids. They immediately warmed up to her and like her a lot. They are all comfortable together and she's very nurturing. Everything has worked out very well.' Getting serious: He recently introduced his three children, who he shares with ex-wife Jennifer Garner, to his girlfriend The actors met and fell for each other last autumn on the set of the film, Deep Water which is slated for release on November 13. They were later spotted vacationing together in Costa Rica and her home country of Cuba, before returning to Los Angeles to quarantine together. The lovebirds have been quarantining at Affleck's Pacific Palisades home. Prior to the coronavirus shutdown this past March, Affleck was also about to start filming on The Last Duel, which reunites him with childhood friend Matt Damon. Happy: He and Ana have been quarantining at Affleck's Pacific Palisades home We had something where they wanted, where it gave you a disincentive to work last time. And it was still money going to people and helping people so I was all for that, Trump said during an interview with Fox Business Network. But we want to create a very great incentive to work. So were working on that and Im sure well all come together. Alyssa Milano has fired back at critics trying to take the activist actress down over a 'blackface' video. The Charmed star, 47, took to Twitter to slam the accusation that she was being racially insensitive in a 2013 Funny or Die video. Milano asserted that she was 'parodying Jersey Shore and Snookies tan' in the video, during which her face was significantly darkened. Scroll down to see the video Not taking it: Alyssa Milano has fired back at critics trying to take the activist actress down over a 'blackface' video The Who's The Boss? actress wrote, 'Hey, a**holes. The below picture is me parodying Jersey Shore and Snookies tan.' 'Snookies tan (she is a sweetheart by the way) is worthy of parodying as is Trumps tan.' 'So go f*** yourselves with your smear campaign.' It accompanied an image from an article by conservative publication LifeZette. Parody: The Charmed star, 47, [R] took to Twitter to slam the accusation that she was being racially insensitive in a 2013 Funny or Die video, asserting that she was 'parodying Jersey Shore and Snookies [L, in 2019] tan' Debunked: However a link to the original video proved that Alyssa was indeed portraying reality TV star Nicole 'Snooki' Polizzi However a link to the original video proved that Alyssa was indeed portraying reality TV star Nicole 'Snooki' Polizzi. The Jersey Shore actress is known in part for her distinctive tan. The sketch was a parody of a Dove brand commercial which showed how the beauty industry manipulates images to set unrealistic beauty standards for women. However in the FOD video, Milano was made up and styled to resemble Snooki, with the punchline being that Snooki's tan and body had been manipulated to 'distort' perceptions of New Jersey, where her show is set. Homage: The Jersey Shore actress is known in part for her distinctive tan Original: The sketch was a parody of a Dove brand commercial which showed how the beauty industry manipulates images to set unrealistic beauty standards for women Milano seemed to make a veiled reference to the attack in a Monday tweet, in which she wrote, 'Cancel culture is being weaponized by the right/Putin.' 'Take notice of who they are targeting & what is trending. Are they trying to hurt Trumps most vocal critics? Yup.' 'The misinformation campaign has begun. Be vigilant in what you post on social media. Truth still matters.' The actress has long been a vocal Trump critic. She's the masterful Malaysian-born chef who is a fan-favourite on MasterChef Australia And on Tuesday, Poh Ling Yeow spoke about her family's cultural heritage as she enjoyed her mother's mouth-watering traditional dumplings. 'Dinner at Mum's was incredibly delicious taro dumplings of the Dai Bo Hak Hakka clan - not the best looking dish, in fact, a bit like a bird's eye view of pair of dugongs floating in kelp,' the 47-year-old wrote alongside a photo of the delicious dish. 'It brings back the deepest childhood memories': MasterChef star Poh Ling Yeow revealed her family's cultural heritage as she enjoyed her mother's mouth-watering dumplings on Tuesday 'Mum's side of the family is Hakka but from the Fui Jieu clan. My Tai Koo Poh (Great grand Aunty) first learnt this dish from my Grandma's seamstress,' she added. Poh, who is a fifth-generation Chinese Malaysian, explained that the dish is stuffed with pork and shrimp and served with a chili and garlic sauce. Memories: Poh, who is a fifth-generation Chinese Malaysian, said that the dish brings back fond memories of growing up in Malaysia before she moved to Australia as a child She said that the dish always brings back fond memories of growing up in Malaysia before she migrated to Australia as a nine-year-old with her family. 'It brings back the deepest childhood memories of Malaysia, having a go at making these as a wee five-year-old with my Tai and Sai Koo Poh (oldest and youngest great grand aunties) and marvelling at the flavour of Chinese celery for the first time,' she recalled. Poh previously spoke about wanting to reconnect to her culture after moving to Australia as a child and going by the name of Sharon and trying to fit in. Family: Poh is pictured with her mother Christina 'I did such a great job of shedding everything that made me feel different that in my early thirties I had nothing,' Poh told Business Insider Australia back in 2014, before saying she 'got a little bit scared'. 'I thought if I have children I have nothing of my heritage to pass on to them and so I thought I really need to reconnect with my culture. 'And food is such a natural fit for me, I love cooking, I'm just so driven with food.' Cara Santana's latest clothing line nearly met its premature demise after COVID-19 halted most of the fashion industry. But the El Paso-born actress luckily found a new home for the collection, which dropped last week. She went business casual chic Tuesday in the Just Power Through oversized vanilla satin blazer from the Cara Santana Collection, as she met up friends in Los Angeles. Boss style: Cara Santana went business casual chic Tuesday in the Just Power Through oversized vanilla satin blazer from her Cara Santana Collection, as she met up friends in Los Angeles The 35-year-old wore the jacket with only a bra underneath and some faded jeans, which she wore cuffed at the bottom. She finished the look with some black flat top sunglasses and white trainers, while carrying a blue leather slouchy clutch under her arm. Santana removed her protective face mask as she sat down for lunch with a couple of gal pals on the patio at Urth Caffe in West Hollywood. She also visited her friend Anita Patrickson at her nearby custom handmade sandal boutique Amanu. Blue jean baby: The 35-year-old wore the jacket with only a bra underneath and some faded jeans, which she wore cuffed at the bottom Accessorizing: She finished the look with some black flat top sunglasses and white trainers, while carrying a blue leather slouchy clutch under her arm Ladies who lunch: Santana removed her protective face mask as she sat down for lunch with a couple of gal pals on the patio at Urth Caffe in West Hollywood The Vida actress posted photos from the visit, as she posed in her own jacket and a new pair of nude leather gladiator sandals. She took to her story with a video of her feet getting fitted, as the cobbler went to work on the pair. Santana previously tried on some looks from her collection, taking to her story as she prepared for some press appearances. Shoe shopping: She also visited her friend Anita Patrickson at her nearby custom handmade sandal boutique Amanu Gladiator chic: The Vida actress posted photos from the visit, as she posed in her own jacket and a new pair of nude leather gladiator sandals Custom fit: She took to her story with a video of her feet getting fitted, as the cobbler went to work on the pair She documented a near crisis when she got makeup on the Just Relax white poplin shirt dress from her collection, before she switched with the identical dress her assistant Ashlyn Leon was wearing. The fashion blogger was originally set to release the collection as the second season of her Kohls, before COVID-19 ended the partnership, and she took her business to Hilda Batayneh of Reunited Clothing. The size inclusive line features products named after microaggressions women often hear, like She Loves the Attention and Can You Lighten Up. Crisis averted: She documented a near crisis when she got makeup on the Just Relax white poplin shirt dress from her collection, before she switched with the identical dress her assistant Ashlyn Leon was wearing She told Us Weekly: 'I think its important to recognize that embedded in our society is a lack of representation of women in positions of influence and power. 'And often we are subjected to a subtle kind of misogyny that exists and is used to suppress our strength. It can be as simple as a backhanded compliment meant to limit our value and our importance.' Santana added: 'I thought about the needs of every woman and what and how they want to feel when they get dressed. I wanted to create a line that was classic and fun and embraced the duality of strength and femininity that every woman has.' She has snapped back into shape four months after giving birth to her daughter, Ella Wolf. And on Wednesday, supermodel Nicole Trunfio revealed the secret behind her incredible transformation. Appearing on Channel Seven's The Morning Show, the 34-year-old said she was using an Ayurvedic doula (waist trainer) after all three of her pregnancies. Secret: Supermodel Nicole Trunfio has revealed the 'secret' to getting her sensational figure back just four months after giving birth to daughter Ella Wolf. (L) February (R) recently 'I actually studied Ayurvedic medicine and I have always had an Ayurvedic post-partum doula,' Nicole explained on the program. She went on to praise the type of ancient medicine, which originates from India. 'In Ayurvedic medicine they treat you with lots of herbs in the cooking to contract your uterus back and all of your organs after birth.' She went on to praise the importance of binding a woman's stomach after birth. Trainer: 'I actually studied Ayurvedic medicine and I have always had an Ayurvedic post-partum doula,' Nicole said on the show. Seen here wearing the waist trainer 'This in their ancient beliefs, they believe in binding a woman's stomach to ground them after birth as you have all that air in your being,' she explained. 'It is what they use to bind the stomach and it is really supportive.' The Australian catwalk star gave birth to beautiful daughter, Ella Wolf, back in February amid the global pandemic. Helping: 'This in their ancient beliefs, they believe in binding a woman's stomach to ground them after birth as you have all that air in your being,' Nicole added The model is currently in lockdown at her Texas ranch with her musician Gary Clark Jr. and three children: Zion, five, Gigi, two, and Ella-Wolf. Nicole shared an intimate image of herself breast-feeding daughter Ella on Instagram earlier this week. 'I still can't believe I can keep my baby alive, happy, and growing rolls of fat by only drinking my breast milk,' she wrote underneath the photo. Candid: Model Nicole revealed the many wonders of breastfeeding as she shared an intimate selfie feeding her newborn daughter Ella Wolf on Monday 'It's been 4 months, 3 babies later and I'm still amazed,' she continued. In the image, Nicole is seen staring directly into the camera as she feeds her latest bundle of joy. The Australian model has always been an advocate for normalising breastfeeding. Beauty: 'I still can't believe I can keep my baby alive, happy, and growing rolls of fat by only drinking my breast milk,' she wrote underneath the photo earlier this week Despite being an in-demand runway star, Nicole told Vogue in February that her favourite part of the day is eating dinner with her family. 'It's something I always enjoyed as a kid and that I look forward to every day,' she said. The jewellery designer added that she's 'always followed' her 'instincts as a mother' and hopes to 'cultivate them into well-rounded people'. Rumours of a split have plagued Sam Frost and Dave Bashford for months. But on Tuesday, the Home and Away star seemed to finally confirm on social media that the pair have indeed broken up. The actress shared footage to Instagram of herself and her dogs from her TikTok account, in which she was mocking the viral 'couple challenge'. Something to tell us? Sam Frost seemed to confirm her split from Dave Bashford by posting the hashtag '31SingleAndFabulous' alongside a TikTok viral challenge Her beau Dave was no where to be seen in the picture and Sam tellingly added the hashtag '31SingleAndFabulous'. Sam and Dave are yet to officially confirm reports they have split after three years together. But back in January this year, a source close to the pair allegedly 'confirmed' to Woman's Day that they had broken up and that Sam is now prioritising her career over romance. Keeping quiet: Sam and Dave are yet to officially confirm reports they have split after three years together 'It all became too much for Sam who was going through a lot,' the source claimed. 'When things are good, they're both very happy, but the lows are bad. They argue over trivial things.' What's more the couple have not shared a picture together on Instagram since September. On the rocks: A source close to Sam and Dave allegedly 'confirmed' to Woman's Day that they had broken up and that Sam is now prioritising her career over romance Sam rose to fame when she appeared on the 2014 season of The Bachelorette, where she was chosen by Blake Garvey in the finale only to be dumped shortly after for runner-up Louise Pillidge. She then became Australia's first Bachelorette in 2015 and went on to date winner Sasha Mielczarek for 18 months before splitting. In July 2017 Sam confirmed that she was dating her longtime pal Dave. Big Brother Australia's Hannah Campbell felt like an immediate outcast when she entered the house as an intruder. The bubbly brunette, 26, who was targeted for eviction by the show's 'mean girls' in her very first episode, says her first week took a toll on her mentally. She told Daily Mail Australia: 'I didn't realise how bad it was until I watched the show. For a whole week no one really gave me a chance.' Scroll down for video Tough times: Big Brother's Hannah Campbell (pictured) has spoken of her hardest week in the house when she was shut out by her co-stars for being an intruder Hannah had arrived in a metal cage suspended by a crane, alongside three other contestants, Shane Vincent, Soobong Hwang and Danni Keogh, in episode three. 'I struggled coming into the house as an intruder, definitely. And it was for me, personally, the hardest mind game I had to play,' she admitted. 'Everyone had their own groups, and people don't really give intruders a chance, which was really hard. I struggled with that. 'I didn't have a relationship with anyone for the first week... it was hard.' 'People don't really give intruders a chance': Hannah said she initially struggled with feeling like an outsider and didn't have a close relationship with anyone for the first week 'I didn't realise how bad it was until I watched the show': Hannah (centre) spoke about feeling like an outcast after Talia Rycroft and Sarah McDougal (right) gave her the cold shoulder. Pictured with Sophie Budack (left) On day six, Hannah was inadvertently part of the show's first feud when Talia Rycroft and Sarah McDougal took an immediate dislike to her. Talia, 22, and Sarah, 19, remained standoffish throughout the day, and after they won the two-man balance challenge, they nominated the Perth native for eviction. Eighties aerobics star Marissa Rancan, 61, told Hannah at the time to keep her head high and not to worry about the 'jealous and immature' girls in the house. However, Hannah has since clarified: 'My first week was bad, but Talia, Sarah and I are all good friends now. And we're all stronger from it. 'I've got a lot of time for everyone on the show. I'm in close contact with them all.' 'We're stronger from it': Hannah told Daily Mail Australia she has since made amends with Talia (left) and Sarah (right) after they were standoffish towards her in the early days Just dropping by! Hannah (left, in the pink dress) had arrived in a metal cage suspended by a crane, alongside three other contestants, Shane Vincent, Soobong Hwang and Danni Keogh Hannah said she had expected a glamorous red carpet arrival on the show, and was shocked to discover she was one of the last housemates to enter the compound. She said: 'I got ready and all dolled up thinking I was going down the catwalk and meeting Sonia [Kruger]... and next thing I'm thrown into a cage and I was like, "What is happening?!" 'As soon as I saw a whole house of people, my heart dropped.' 'I thought I was going down the catwalk and meeting Sonia': Hannah said she had expected a glamorous red carpet arrival on the show, and was shocked to discover she was one of the last housemates to enter the compound. Pictured: host Sonia Kruger with Angela Clancy Hannah was the eleventh person evicted from Big Brother on Tuesday. There are now only nine housemates left vying for the $250,000 cash prize. Australia will vote for a winner next month during a live finale when there are only three stars remaining. Big Brother Australia continues Sunday at 7pm on Channel Seven Lucy Hale opted for the sporty look Tuesday while out and about in Los Angeles. The 31-year-old actress wore a light tie-dye Etica T-shirt, black leggings and pink trainers while taking her beloved dog Elvis out for a walk. Lucy donned a multi-colored mask amid the coronavirus pandemic and accessorized with black Ray-Ban sunglasses. Sporty look: Lucy Hale opted for the sporty look Tuesday while out and about in Los Angeles. She also wore a pair of small necklaces while making a coffee run with Elvis. Lucy had her black hair parted down the middle and pulled back into a small ponytail. She walked with Elvis at the end of leash and picked up her pooch and loaded him into a large black SUV. Lucy showed her accessories range as she also sported round purple sunglasses. Beloved dog: The 31-year-old actress stepped out with her beloved dog Elvis in a tie-dye shirt from Etica, leggings and Ray-Ban sunglasses Mask on: Lucy wore a multi-colored mask amid the coronavirus pandemic Big car: Elvis got a lift by Lucy into her large black SUV Coffee run: Lucy went on a coffee run in Los Angeles with Elvis Lucy at one point walked next to a masked man who carried Elvis for her. The Memphis native currently has two films in post-production: the biographical drama Son Of The South and the genre-bending dark comedy Big Gold Brick. Lucy has been portraying title character Katy Keene in The CW spin-off of Riverdale since its premiere in February. Cool shades: The Hollywood star wore cool round purple sunglasses Short hair: Lucy had her black hair pulled back into a small ponytail She had a starring role in the Fantasy Island supernatural horror film that was released on February 14 in theaters. The prequel to the 1977 ABC television series earned $48 million worldwide against a production budget of $7 million. She is a co-producer and star of A Nice Girl Like You, which is based on the 2007 popular memoir Pornology by Ayn Carrillo-Gailey, and due out on July 20. Dog carrier: A man carried Elvis while walking next to Lucy He just dropped Wash Us In The Blood, the lead single off of his upcoming album Gods Country. And Kanye West seemed pleased as he headed into his Calabasas offices on Tuesday. For the outing he donned the latest sneakers, Foam Runners from his Yeezy line with Adidas. Repping Yeezy: Kanye West donned the latest sneakers, Foam Runners from his Yeezy line with Adidas as he headed into his Calabasas office on Tuesday He teamed the white slide on sneakers with a bright blue hoodie and brown leather pants. The outing comes just hours after the Yeezus rapper dropped his latest single, featuring Travis Scott, off his upcoming tenth studio album. He simultaneously released a video for the song, directed by Arthur Jafa. 'Wash Us in the Blood, though, has Kanye channelling his emancipated mind towards the sharpest point,' The Guardian said in a review. Adding: 'He is at his most powerful when he doesnt try to be calm, but corrals his anger. Theres a wider lesson there, perhaps, as the US faces its own moment of revelation.' His look: He teamed the white slide on sneakers with a bright blue hoodie and brown leather pants Before: On Monday night he stepped out with his wife Kim Kardashian, who showed off her curves in a mirco cropped top and snakeskin pants, after enjoying dinner in Malibu Kanye also recently announced he would be bringing his coveted Yeezy fashion label to a major retailer after inking a collaboration deal with Gap, the rapper and the company announced on Friday. The 44-year-old rap mogul confirmed the news with a Tweet along with an image of the letters YZY in place of the word Gap in the apparel store's familiar blue square logo. The collaboration 'comes full circle' for the two brands as West actually worked at a local Gap store when he was a teenager. Coming soon: Kanye recently announced he would bring his coveted Yeezy fashion label to a major retailer and has inked a collaboration deal with Gap, the rapper and the company announced on Friday 'YEEZY AND GAP FORM PARTNERSHIP #WESTDAYEVER,' he penned in all caps. In a press release, Gap said that Kaye is 'poised to disrupt retail' with the new clothing line, called simply Yeezy Gap, which is expected to launch in early 2021. Kanye's already established multi-billion-dollar luxury Yeezy line is stylistically in step with the San Francisco founded store, featuring neutral tones, solid colored T-shirts and a casual vibe. West will create 'elevated basics for men, women and kids' and, according to Gap, the 'creative process just getting underway.' In stores next year: In a press release, Gap said that Kaye is 'poised to disrupt retail' with the new clothing line, called simply Yeezy Gap, which is expected to launch in early 2021 His items will be sold at 'accessible price points' - a departure from his signature Yeezy line where a basic beige pair of his Adidas slides retails for several hundred. The retailer and the rapper inked an impressive 10-year deal with an option to renew after just five, according to the New York Times who spoke with a source familiar with the negotiations. After five years, the insider added, Gap is 'hoping' the line will be raking in a billion dollars in sales - a huge boost to the company which took in $4.6 billion in revenue in 2019. West is the sole owner of his Yeezy brand which has a valuation of $2.9 billion and under the terms of his new deal with Gap, the designer will rake in 'royalties and potential equity related to sales achievement', a press release said. The Nanny was one of the biggest sitcoms of the 1990s. And while the series was well received by viewers for six seasons, there's one major storyline that Daniel Davis, who played British butler Niles, never quite understood. Speaking to news.com.au, the 74-year-old actor admitted that he was no fan of his character ending up with longtime rival C.C. Babcock at the end of the series. 'Thats the only part that I never really bought': The Nanny's Daniel Davis, who played Niles on the show, has revealed the one storyline he never liked 'Thats the only part that I never really bought, to tell you the truth,' he said. 'C.C. and I had been so oil and water I didnt buy that we would end up married. But I had to play it, because thats what they wrote ... I dont think Ive ever expressed that to anyone before!' He added: 'I guess they were just wanting to tie up the loose ends.' Daniel admitted that he was hoping that the romance storyline between Niles and C.C. would mean a spin-off series for the couple, but that never happened. Romance: Speaking to news.com.au , the 74-year-old actor admitted that he was no fan of his character ending up with longtime rival C.C. Babcock at the end of the series. (Pictured) The pair's long-running feud was one of the biggest sources of comedy throughout The Nanny's six season run, with both Niles and C.C. sharing a mutual hatred of each other. However, things eventually started to thaw between the pair, and by the final season, Niles proposed to C.C. The first episode of The Nanny follows how the down on her luck Fran Fine, played by Fran Drescher, meets the affluent Sheffield family. All smiles: Daniel (right) poses with The Nanny's Fran Drescher (left) in 2014 After her beau Danny breaks up with her and fires her from his bridal shop in one fell swoop, Fran finds herself selling makeup door-to-door. That's when she happens to ring the bell at the Sheffield home, where a mix-up lets her interview for a nanny position with the family. Although initially reluctant, Maxwell Sheffield, played by Charles Shaughnessy, hires her to take care of his trio of kids. You can watch The Nanny on Stan. He's been impressing the judges with his delicious desserts on MasterChef: Back To Win and is still in the running to win the contest. And it seems Reynold Poernomo knows exactly what it takes to win the Channel Ten cooking show. Footage has emerged of the pastry chef, 26, appearing on MasterChef Indonesia as a guest judge in 2019, alongside his brother Arnold, who was also a judge on the show. Footage has resurfaced of MasterChef star Reynold Poernomo (pictured) appearing on the Indonesian version of the cooking show as a guest judge During his appearance on the cooking program, Reynold taught the contestants how to create one of his popular desserts, the 'White Noise'. The pastry chef was first asked by one of the co-hosts how he feels about being a guest on the show. 'It feels a bit weird because my brother started from here... and for me in Australia now I've come from the contestants to become one of the judges,' he explained. Is that really fair? Reynold's brother Arnold (right) has been a judge on MasterChef Indonesia since 2013 He went on to say: 'Today I'll be making one of my signature desserts it's called 'White Noise'. This dessert is revolved around the colours of white.' The pastry chef also created the same dessert during a competition on the show this year. Reynold first appeared on MasterChef Australia in 2015 and returned for this year's all stars season. On the other side: During his appearance on the cooking program, Reynold taught contestants how to create one of his popular desserts Arnold has been a judge on MasterChef Indonesia since 2013, after appearing first as a guest on the second season before returning as a permanent judge. He is known for teaching contestants how to improve their basic cooking techniques including cleaning and cutting raw food. Meanwhile, Reynold is also no stranger to the cooking world as he co-owns Sydney's popular Koi dessert bars with Arnold and their other brother Ronald. Trump also told Fox Business that people have seen him wearing a mask. But only one image has surfaced of the president wearing a mask. He donned it for a behind-the-scenes tour of a Ford facility in Michigan in May. Reporters were not allowed to accompany Trump on the tour. MasterChef judge Melissa Leong was spotted warmly greeting a friend with a hug on Tuesday in Melbourne. The get together comes as the city is preparing to lock down certain suburbs after seeing a surge in COVID-19 cases the past week. The fashionable 38-year-old looked effortlessly chic in a winter ensemble as she embraced her acquaintance. What would Daniel Andrews say? MasterChef judge Melissa Leong (pictured) was spotted embracing a friend in Melbourne on Tuesday following a surge of coronavirus cases in the city The food critic rugged up against the Melbourne chill in a trendy pair of flared jeans, flattering berry-coloured sweater and a long camel trench coat she worn open. Melissa accessorised with a pair of block-heeled burgundy pumps, a brown and black houndstooth bakers boy cap and she carried a pair of brown sunglasses. She held onto a Louis Vuitton coin purse in classic monogrammed leather, which is available for $1300. So chic! The food critic rugged up against the Melbourne chill in a trendy pair of flared jeans, flattering berry-coloured sweater and a long camel trench coat she worn open Hats off to style: Melissa accessorised with a pair of block-heeled burgundy pumps, a brown and black houndstooth bakers boy cap and she carried a pair of brown sunglasses Melissa wore glamorous makeup with a full coverage foundation, plenty of bronzer to accentuate her stunning facial structure and a dark red lip. She had her luscious raven locks out under her cute cap, letting them fall over in her shoulders in loose curls. Melissa quickly popped out of the studio with her hands full, carrying chocolate and strawberries. What you got there? Melissa quickly popped out of the studio with her hands full, carrying chocolate and strawberries. She held onto a Louis Vuitton coin purse in classic monogrammed leather, which is available for $1300 Remember social distancing? Melissa warmly greeted her friend, with the two wrapping an arm around one another to embrace before walking off That's not 1.5 metres! The get together on Tuesday came on the same day Melbourne recorded another 64 cases of coronavirus She warmly greeted her friend, with the two wrapping an arm around one another to embrace before walking off. Channel 10 has been contacted for comment. It comes as Victoria has seen a massive surge of coronavirus, with 73 new cases of the virus confirmed on Wednesday. The figure, up from the 64 reported on Tuesday, means the state has recorded 212 cases in the past three days. Premier Daniel Andrews announced on Wednesday that about 300,000 Melbourne residents from 10 postcodes have been ordered back into lockdown from Thursday as Victoria battles a second wave of the deadly disease. She is the glamorous host of Big Brother Australia who never puts a foot wrong when it comes to fashion. And on Tuesday, Sonia Kruger, 54, opted for an activewear outfit while taking her five-year-old daughter to daycare. The doting mother was seen walking down the footpath holding Maggie's hand and carrying the little girl's unicorn backpack in the other. Forever young! Sonia Kruger, 54, flaunted her sensational physique as she dropped off her five-year-old daughter Maggie at daycare on Tuesday The age-defying TV presenter looked fantastic in her bodysuit with an accentuated waistband that showcased her trim and taut physique. She matched the look with a long striped coat that looked like a robe with black boots. The Channel Seven host styled her blonde locks up in a bun, and added a touch of glam to her look with gold hoop earrings. Looking fantastic: Sonia matched the look with a long striped coat that looked like a robe with black boots Fun! Her adorable daughter expressed her unique fashion sense with sparkling ears with a pink and blue veil, a fleece jumper with polka dot leggings and cool sneakers She also kept her youthful makeup free visage hidden under a pair of sleek sunglasses. Her adorable daughter expressed her unique style with sparkling ears with a pink and blue veil, a fleece jumper with polka dot leggings and cool sneakers. The mother and daughter appeared to be having an animated conversation about their day ahead. Ready for a busy day: The mother and daughter appeared to be having an animated conversation about their day ahead Busy day ahead: After saying their goodbyes, the blonde looked ready to get on with her work day Ready to go: She adjusted the collar of her robe before getting into her luxury SUV Maggie seemed eager to back to learning and being with her friends as she skipped to daycare. After saying their goodbyes, the blonde looked ready to get on with her work day as she adjusted the collar of her robe before getting into her luxury SUV. Sonia shares Maggie with her partner Craig McPherson, who is a TV producer. The Big Brother has barely aged a day in her long-spanning 30-year media career. A bit of glamour: Sonia styled her blonde locks up in a bun, and added a touch of glam to her look with gold hoop earrings Fabulous figure: The age-defying TV presenter's bodysuit with an accentuated waistband that showcased her trim and taut physique as she made her way into her car But despite being known for her ageless beauty, Sonia recently revealed her one major regret about her appearance. The Queensland-born beauty says told the Herald Sun that she regrets running around in the harsh sun without sunscreen during her youth. 'I often wonder how much better my skin would look today if we had been more sun smart back then,' she admitted. She left fans astounded when she fronted up for the first episode of the newly revamped Big Brother series, last month. Beauty regrets: Despite being known for her ageless beauty, Sonia recently revealed her one major regret about her appearance - running around in the harsh sun without sunscreen during her youth. She said: 'I often wonder how much better my skin would look today' She sent social media into a frenzy with her youthful looks and figure. The Strictly Ballroom star wore a light purple mini dress that flaunted her super slender physique and toned legs. 'Sooo Sonia Kruger never ages! She looks great,' one fan wrote on Twitter at the time. 'Sonia looking like a snack,' a second gushed along with a heart-eye emoji, while a third commented she was 'bloody flawless as usual'. Bella Hadid broke social distancing guidelines, as she lovingly embraced her stylists in a tight group hug on Tuesday. After reuniting with her 'family' on set, she and her glam team looked relived to wrap their arms around each other, while wearing CDC-recommended face masks. 'This is the most we've touched all day,' the 23-year-old supermodel told to her 31.4 million Instagram followers. Glam team: Bella Hadid broke social distancing guidelines, as she lovingly embraced her stylists in a tight group hug on Tuesday In her laid-back Instagram Story, the bombshell cut a stylish figure in a pair of light-wash embellished jeans with crosses emblazoned on them and a loose sweatshirt. Bella's eye-catching denim bottoms hugged every inch of her sensational curves, while emphasizing her exceptionally trim waist. Later, she turned up the heat with a sultry video on her couch in a skimpy white tank top on social media. Stunner: After returning home, she turned up the heat with a sultry video on her couch in a skimpy white tank top During the recording, she zoomed into her picture-perfect face to share an up-close look of her flawlessly filtered face and bright blue eyes. The Vogue cover girl's piercing blue eyes, courtesy of an Instagram effect, were a striking contrast to her raven-haired tresses. She has slowly been returning to work, including a modeling job in Italy amid the coronavirus lockdown. Eye-catching: During the recording, she zoomed into her face to share an up-close look of her flawlessly filtered face and bright blue eyes Bella has spent the majority of lockdown in Pennsylvania on her mother Yolanda's farm alongside her pregnant sister Gigi and her boyfriend, Zayn Malik. Yolanda bought the ranch back in 2017 with hopes of becoming closer to her children, who live in Manhattan. 'It's where we can all come and feel like ourselves again,' Gigi recently told Elle. Farm life: Bella has spent the majority of lockdown in Pennsylvania on her mother Yolanda's farm alongside her pregnant sister Gigi and her boyfriend, Zayn Malik Over the weekend, she wore next to nothing for a pool day on the farm, while lying face down on a pool floatie. In the steamy picture, she stripped down just to a tiny red G-string. She displayed plenty of side boob, while laying on her stomach without a top. Sunrise star Sam Armytage just announced her engagement to boyfriend Richard Lavender. And the 43-year-old has revealed how she almost gave up on love before meeting the handsome Bowral businessman, 60. In a newly resurfaced interview with Tea with Jules from 2014, Sam was personable and warm as she revealed her struggle to find the one. Journey: Sunrise's Samantha Armytage, 43, reveals how she nearly gave up on love before getting engaged to Richard Lavender, 60. (Both pictured) 'I'm hopeless with men,' Sam said. 'If there are 29 great guys in a room and one d**khead, I will pick the d**khead every single time.' Sam went on to say she was attracted to the mysterious bad boy types, admitting she was a bit scared of her own judgement. The breakfast show host even confessed that her mother once told her she has worse taste in men than the late Princess Diana - which she reluctantly agreed. Unlucky with men: 'I'm hopeless with men,' Sam (pictured) said. 'If there are 29 great guys in a room and one d**khead, I will pick the d**khead every single time' Elsewhere in the interview, host Jules Sebastian called Sam a 'man magnet' after the pair went out and Jules was trying to set her up in a hotel bar. 'You were trying to set me up that night in the Gold Coast in a hotel bar,' Sam said during the chat. 'It was so dodgy,' she added. Sam said she interviewed Hollywood actress Nicole Kidman when she was 39, saying she was inspired after she met 'soulmate' Keith Urban at 39. 'She said she met Keith when she was 39, I turned 39 later that year, and I said that is great inspiration that you can find your soulmate at this age,' Sam said. Beauty: Elsewhere in the interview, host Jules Sebastian called Sam a 'man magnet' after the pair went out and Jules was trying to set her up in a hotel bar 'She sprinkled the fairy dust and said you will find your man.' Sam announced her engagement to horse breeder Richard on Sunday, June 21, sharing two photos to Instagram of herself in the arms of her fiance, with a diamond ring on her wedding finger. When she returned to Sunrise the following Tuesday, she told co-host David 'Kochie' Koch that Richard had proposed on the spur of the moment in the paddock of his rural property in the NSW Southern Highlands. Inspiration: 'She said set met Keith when she was 39, I turned 39 later that year, and I said that is great inspiration that you can find your soulmate at this age,' Sam said. Over the weekend, the couple hosted a small get-together at Richard's farm to celebrate their upcoming union. Just five days after announcing her engagement, Sam put her North Bondi home on the market. After purchasing the property for $2.15million back in 2014, she has now listed it with a $2.8million price guide. Samantha and Richard confirmed their romance to WHO magazine in November. They are yet to announce a date for their wedding. They were spotted unpacking groceries from their SUV after a trip tot he supermarket on Sunday in Malibu. But before they did the retail run, it seems Adam Sandler and wife Jackie hit up the beach with their dog. The couple were seen chatting on the sand on the cool and cloudy day with Sandler also bringing along a couple of boogie boards. Celebrity couple: Adam Sandler and wife Jackie hit up the beach in Malibu with their dog on Sunday where they were seen chatting on the sand The actor and producer, 53, was dressed in a coordinated ensemble. He had on a gray t-shirt with the legend 'Dad Joke Loading' across the front along with baggy long black shorts. He added a pair of brown shearling ankle boots and a black and gray patterned cap along with sunglasses. Jackie, 45, had on a green sweatshirt with colorful sleeves and skin tight black leggings and black trainers. Beach trip: Sandler, 53, had on a gray t-shirt with 'Dad Joke Loading' across the front along with black shorts and brown shearling ankle boots and brought along boogie boards The couple tied the knot in 2003 and have two daughters - Sadie, 14, and Sunny, 11. Sandler is coming off his critically-acclaimed performance as jeweler Howard Ratner in the indie film Uncut Gems He also starred in the comedy Murder Mystery with Jennifer Aniston, which was named as the most popular movie on the Netflix streaming service in 2019. The Hollywood star has signed a new four-movie deal with Netflix in January, rumored to be worth a whopping $275 million. Sandler will also return to voice Dracula in the animated sequel Hotel Transylvania 4, which is slated for release on August 6, 2021. His next Netflix movie is entitled Hubie Halloween, where Sandler plays the title character, a Halloween enthusiast living in Salem, Massachusetts. They've been blissfully dating for almost five months. And during a Q&A session with fans on Instagram on Tuesday, all anyone wanted to know is if KC Osborne and Michael Goonan are planning to get married and start a family. 'What? Get married for real?' the 31-year-old professional dancer laughed. Five months already! On Wednesday, KC Osborne dished all the dirt on whether she and Michael Goonan are planning to get married and start a family (both pictured) KC want on to confirm she and Michael planned to tie the knot in the future, but it wasn't a big priority. 'I guess one day. It's not really a priority but one day,' she explained. However, she also revealed that the couple has no plans to start a family anytime soon. 'What? Get married for real?' The 31-year-old dancer said she marry Michael 'one day' When a fan asked, 'Do you want to have children soon?' KC was seen shaking her head from side to side. Despite not having their own plans to have children, KC previously revealed that she finds Michael's two-year-old son Connor to be 'adorable'. KC went on to reveal she is enjoying where her relationship with Michael is at and her favourite thing to do with him is enjoy movie nights at home. That's a no! When a fan asked, 'Do you want to have children soon?' KC was seen shaking her head from side to side 'I love getting snacks and going to bed and choosing a movie,' she said. Michael and KC moved into his Melbourne home only weeks into their relationship due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Last month, the lovebirds enjoyed date night at high-end restaurant Nobu in Melbourne. The professional dancer shared a short clip of herself cosying up to the ice cube businessman during their evening out. Loved up: Married At First Sight's KC Osborne cosies up to her beau Michael Goonan as they enjoy a date night out at Nobu in Melbourne (pictured) But the couple were later joined for their dinner at the Japanese restaurant with a friend. 'Kept the social distance at dinner,' she wrote in the caption of the trio. The reality stars' night out comes as Victoria is experiencing a spike in coronavirus cases. Lauren Silverman was pictured on a walk with her two sons, Adam and Eric and their four dogs in LA on Tuesday. The group, who were joined by their security, also had dog whisperer Cesar Millan with them, who must have been helping them to train their pooches. Teenage son Adam, Lauren's son from her marriage to American businessman Andrew Silverman held dogs Squiddly, Diddly, Daisy and Freddy's leads. Close: Lauren Silverman stroked son Eric's head as they joined his brother Adam (second from right) on walk with dog whisperer Cesar Millan (far right) and their four dogs in LA on Tuesday Lauren, 42, lovingly stroked her son, six-year-old Eric's hair as he walked by her side, but there was no sign of his father, Simon Cowell, 60, on the day. She looked incredible wearing a light green T-shirt tucked into jeans and flat sandals for the outing. Naturally, she wore a face mask and sunglasses as she sipped from a bottle of water. Cesar Millan is a Mexican-American dog trainer with over 25 years of experience in the canine world. Training: Cesar Millan is a Mexican-American dog trainer with over 25 years of experience in the canine world and no doubt he was helping out with Squiddly, Diddly, Daisy and Freddy His television series, Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan, has been broadcast in more than 80 countries. Last week, Simon proudly showed off his Father's Day letter from son Eric, branding it his 'favourite thing ever,' during an appearance on The Kelly Clarkson Show. The music mogul revealed that his son had written that he likes to walk in his dad's footsteps and had signed off by declaring his never-ending love for his father. Classic chic: Lauren looked incredible wearing a light green T-shirt tucked into jeans and flat sandals for the outing Asked to show off an item that makes him proud, Simon joked: 'Well, I would normally hold up a bottle of Corona beer, but it's the most inappropriate beer.' Revealing the item he's actually most proud of, the X Factor boss unveiled the sweet note written to him by Eric. Her said: 'This was given to me on Father's Day and I'm going to read this to you because it was touching. This is from Eric, my six-year-old boy, to me... Taking the lead: Teenage son Adam, is Lauren's son from her marriage to American businessman Andrew Silverman 'I like to waddle, you like to waddle. I like fish, and you like fish. You like to swim, and I like to swim. 'I like to walk in your footsteps standing tall like you. You have webbed feet, and I have webbed feet and I will always love you, Eric.' After reading out the letter, Simon declared: 'It's my favourite thing I've ever had.' Catherine Tyldesley has revealed her husband Tom Pitfield and son Alfie, 5, have both tested positive for coronavirus antibodies. The former Coronation Street star, 36, previously voiced her concerns her family had fallen ill with the virus back in November, after a man on their flight collapsed. Catherine wrote on Instagram this week: 'We have just got our test results back. I thought Tom and Alfie had it in November and nobody quite believed it. It turns out I was right. Tested: Catherine Tyldesley has revealed her husband Tom Pitfield and son Alfie, 5, have both tested positive for coronavirus antibodies 'This ugly little b*****d of a disease has been flying around longer than we have been told.' Catherine said earlier this year Tom had to be hospitalised after complaining 'I can't breathe', while paramedics were later called out to look at Alfie after his temperature went up to 40 during the family holiday. She said on Good Morning Britain: 'We travelled to Dubai in November, and when were on the flight there was a young chap who collapsed several times. Worrying: The former Coronation Street star, 36, previously voiced her concerns her family had fallen ill with the virus back in November 'He was receiving oxygen from the amazing staff on board. We made it to Dubai and he got whisked away. 'The following morning Tom was in the spare room and he said, "I can't breathe". He was wheezing, and he's never poorly. So I knew something was really wrong. 'He got taken to hospital. They thought initially it was some kind of pneumonia. By day four Alfie's temperature went up to 40 so we had the paramedics out once again. Virus: Catherine wrote on Instagram this week: 'We have just got our test results back. I thought Tom and Alfie had it in November and nobody quite believed it. It turns out I was right' 'I revealed this on Instagram once the holiday was over, and at least eight people DM'd me and said, "I was on that flight, and I got it, or my wife got it, or my child go it." 'So, for me, I think this has been knocking around probably since September or October, and it's gradually been building. 'I've never seen Tom that poorly and he had every symptom of the coronavirus. Alfie wasn't as bad, but as we now know it doesn't tend to affect children as badly, in most cases. 'It's too much of a coincidence.' Earlier this month, Catherine revealed her grandfather tragically passed away after contracting coronavirus. The former Coronation Street star revealed the sad news on Good Morning Britain just weeks after her mum also spent six days in intensive care after contracting COVID-19. Married At First Sight star Mishel Karen has been discharged from hospital following a medical emergency that resulted in 'acute kidney injury'. Sharing the news with her Instagram account, Mishel, 49, revealed she was rushed to ER after paying a visit to her local doctor. 'I got so unwell and didn't want to admit this until my GP called the ambulance yesterday,' she explained. Recovery! Married At First Sight star Mishel Karen (pictured) has returned home after she was rushed to hospital for 'acute kidney injury' Mishel continued: 'Luckily she did! My prolonged illness and medications caused AKI (acute kidney injury) and that's not a good thing.' The reality star went on to say although she has tested negative for COVID-19, she has been instructed to self-isolate. 'I was unwell, and that is enough of a reason to social distance myself from the rest of the community,' she said in the post. Update: Sharing the news with her Instagram account, Mishel, 49, revealed that she was rushed to hospital after paying a visit to her local GP 'Don't take it for granted, as each day there are so many people wishing that they could jump out of bed and run downstairs! Run late for work... have good health,' she said. Mishel, who failed to find love with her television 'husband' Steve Burley on this year's season of MAFS, went on to encourage her followers to stay safe and take care of their health. It comes after the Brisbane-based mum-of-two revealed she was 'devastated' to discover the controversial experiment is set to go ahead for another season. 'I got so unwell and didn't want to admit this until my GP called the ambulance yesterday,' she explained. Mishel continued: 'Luckily she did! My prolonged illness and medications caused AKI (acute kidney injury) and that's not a good thing' Last month Mishel urged participants of the upcoming season to reach out to her, before they are blocked by production from communicating with former stars. 'If you're going to be on there or you know someone who is going on, if they need to speak to any of us who have previous experience,' she explained. Mishel said her experience on the show felt like 'torture' and many former participants are now seeking psychological help for mental health issues following their appearance on the show. She often leaves viewers in stitches with her appearances on The Mummy Diaries. And little Nelly Shepherd stole the show once again as she hilariously dressed up as mum Billie Faiers, 30, in a sweet Instagram snap shared on Tuesday. The youngster, five, sported a blue fluffy coat, huge rounded sunglasses and a pearl headband as she grinned for the funny photo. Seeing double! Little Nelly Shepherd stole the show once again as she hilariously dressed up as mum Billie Faiers, 30, (right) in a sweet Instagram snap shared on Tuesday Little Nelly's hair was swept up into a topknot for the snap and she completed her look with round gold and pearl stud earrings. Captioning the picture, proud mum Billie commented that people always say that Nelly looked like dad Greg Shepherd, but the tot wanted to dress like her mum in the snap. She wrote: 'This picture sums you up my beautiful, funny, kind, crazy little lady ... How are you 6 next week (Everyone always says she looks like her daddy and she does but actually in this pic I think shes mumma ... I would so Wear this outfit too ... styled by madam herself.' Meanwhile, plenty of Billie's showbiz pals were quick to comment on the snap, with Lydia Bright commenting: 'Funniest kid' while Gemma Collins said: 'Shes an ANGEL I love you nelly.' Fabulous: The youngster, five, sported a blue fluffy coat, huge rounded sunglasses and a pearl headband as she grinned for the funny photo Nelly's aunt Sam Faiers wrote: 'Absolutely fabulous my darling' while her dad Greg Shepherd penned: 'Yeah im glad you think she looks like you in this pic faux fur is not my thing @billiefaiersofficial sweets.' Last month, Nelly donned the same outfit to pull off a hilarious impression of Gemma Collins. With Gemma Collins impressions having become one of TikTok's biggest trends, Billie and Nelly got in on the action as the Mummy Diaries stars filmed a hilarious video for fans. Mummy's girl: Captioning the picture, proud mum Billie commented that people always say that Nelly looked like dad Greg Shepherd, but the tot wanted to dress like her mum in the snap The Diva Forever star, 39, gave the video, which featured a row from her 2016 CBB stint, her seal of approval and branded the schoolgirl, five, a 'superstar'. A host of TikTok users have taken to filming voiceovers of Gemma, while dressed up in her trademark OTT style and pulling off expressive motions. On Celebrity Big Brother, Gemma was locked in a feud with EastEnders star John Partridge, during which she declared: You should really try and forget about me honey, to which he responded: 'and you, me...' Big fans: Meanwhile, plenty of Billie's showbiz pals were quick to comment on the snap, with Lydia Bright commenting: 'Funniest kid' while Gemma Collins said: 'Shes an ANGEL I love you nelly' The reality star, who shot to fame on TOWIE's second season, then hit back: I dont think about you at all. Youre obsessed with me and I love it. Adding a caption on the video of her daughter, Billie penned: 'This girl... @gemmacollins1 ... I think we may have a new diva in town'.' Gemma commented underneath the hilarious video: 'You are A SENSATION nelly what I would give to have you as my own child. shes a superstar'. Meanwhile, Billie and her husband Greg recently gave an insight into their life in lockdown and described the experience as 'testing' however, said they are enjoying more time spent as a family. Ha! Last month, Nelly donned the same outfit to pull off a hilarious impression of Gemma Collins Teehee: The Diva Forever star, 39, gave the video, which featured a row from her 2016 CBB stint, her seal of approval and branded the schoolgirl, five, a 'superstar' The mum-of-two, who also shares son Arthur, three, with Greg, told OK: 'Naturally, weve had our moments. Theres definitely highs and lows being all together with no space but were actually handling it really well.' Billie shared that her younger son does not know what is going on however, Nelly was well prepared from teachers at school who explained the pandemic to her. She told the publication that she has new questions her parents every every day. Greg also shared: 'It is lovely. I am grateful for more time with them, but it has been testing. Its well out of routine for us. Were just constantly trying to find things for them to do.' Honest: Last month, Billie and Greg Shepherd discussed how their family are finding life in lockdown 'Testing': The former TOWIE star and Greg described the experience as 'testing' however, said they are enjoying more time spent as a family The couple, who married last year in the Maldives, have spent their evenings watching Netflix and binging on hit show Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness. In the day they split their childcare duties with Billie taking on the role of teacher to homeschool Nelly. She said: 'Its actually really nice teaching your child and really seeing what theyre like while theyre learning. Obviously we do homework together, but this is totally different. Its really rewarding, and Im so proud of Nelly.' The state constitution requires in-person voting, but grants four exceptions, for voters who are away from home at the time of an election, unable to vote because of illness or physical disability or who are forbidden by their religion from secular activity on election day. The legislature created two additional exceptions for voters on active military duty and for poll workers required to be working in districts other than their own while polls are open. She proudly professed that they are mistaken for sisters. And Michelle Mone was once again feeling proud on Wednesday, as she paid tribute to her lookalike daughter Beth on her 21st birthday with a stunning snap. The Ultimo boss, 48, who also has Rebecca and Declan with her ex-husband Michael Mone, posted a snap of Beth and wrote the caption: 'Happy 21st to my gorgeous girl @bethmone', having teased the milestone day shortly before. Her girl: Michelle Mone was once again feeling proud on Wednesday, as she paid tribute to her lookalike daughter Beth on her 21st birthday with a stunning snap Michelle was clearly glowing with pride for her daughter as she took to social to share the post with her 96,400 Instagram followers. Last month, Michelle claimed that she gets mistaken for her daughter's sister after losing eight stone and slimming from a size 22 to a size 10. She made the proud profession during an appearance on Loose Women as she discussed her youthful looks, her well-documented weight loss and her postponed wedding to fiance Doug Barrowman. The businesswoman revealed: 'I get mistaken for my daughter's sister which was amazing when I went out in London before lockdown.' Sweet: The Ultimo boss, 48, who also has Rebecca and Declan with her ex-husband Michael Mone, posted a snap of Beth and wrote the caption: 'Happy 21st to my gorgeous girl @bethmone', having teased the milestone day shortly before Michelle has lost an eye-popping eight stone and she revealed the exciting mistake that made her day before lockdown. She said: 'I get mistaken for my daughter's sister. It was amazing when I went out in London before lockdown. I could so easily go back to the old Michelle but I will never ever do that because it's a dark, lonely horrible space.' On her weight battle, she went on: 'It's been 8st and one pound now. I was a size 22 and now I'm a size 10. We were getting married on May 2nd, that's now postponed, and I was determined to fit in my dress... Shock comparison: Michelle revealed she would eat two McDonald's a day at the height of her battle with weight and food addiction 'When I was overweight, I was in a very uncomfortable horrible marriage and my way of coping with that was to eat, eat, eat. I was a bit like an alcoholic... 'It's about getting your mind sorted. It's easy for me to say but it was very difficult. The rest is easy, it's baby steps. When I was on the beach with Rachel Hunter, she said, why don't you treat your body like a business?.. 'I've taken on a full time nutritionist, a full time trainer. The reason I've done this is to help others. I was interested in the body and wellness and mental health.' Kendall Jenner has shown off her modelling credentials in new official shots from Burberry's TB Summer Monogram campaign. The model, 24, slipped into an array of outfits from the collection to take photos using her computer at home, due to coronavirus restrictions. Kendall showcased her model figure and toned abs in a khaki bikini which was adorned with bold interlocking initials of the famed designer Thomas Burberry. Strike a pose: Kendall Jenner has shown off her modelling credentials in new official shots from Burberry's TB Summer Monogram campaign Kendall gazed into the camera as she struck a pose on the floor with a black velvet clutch bag in hand. For another look, the Keeping Up With The Kardashians star wore a cobalt blue bodysuit with orange accents of TB's initials. The model appeared in her element as she worked a number of angles for the camera, with the shots later being used for a CGI video of Kendall showcasing the collection. Muse: The model, 24, slipped into an array of outfits from the collection to take photos at home using her computer due to coronavirus restrictions Striking: Kendall showcased her model figure a blue and orange bodysuit adorned with bold interlocking initials of the famed designer Thomas Burberry Versatile: The campaign video showed Kendall in a capsule of both womenswear and menswear staples from the new TB Summer Monogram collection The campaign video showed Kendall in a capsule of both womenswear and menswear staples from the new TB Summer Monogram collection as she cruised around skate parks and the city as four different characters. The summer collection launched on Wednesday for the British luxury fashion house established in 1856 by Thomas Burberry. Jenner has been a muse for Burberry Chief Creative Officer Riccardo Tisci ever since she walked in his SS/20 London Fashion Week presentation on February 17. Riccardo played a pivotal role when Kim wanted to enter the world of high fashion in 2016, after being introduced to the designer by her husband Kanye West. Wow: The model appeared in her element as she worked a number of angles for the camera, with the shots later being used for a CGI video of Kendall showcasing the collection And Kendall has also celebrated success with her sister Kylie, after their make-up collaboration sold out after launching on Friday. That same day, Kendall announced that they are 'donating a portion of the sales' to black trans people organisation, the Marsha P. Johnson Institute. 'It's an amazing organisation that protects and defends the human rights of black transgender people,' Kendall wrote. '@mpjinstitute was created in response to the murders of black trans women and women of color, to elevate, support, and nourish the voices of black trans people. 'We are so proud to be supporting their mission, and thank the team for their work! Find out more at MarshaP.org.' Pierce Brosnan has insisted he has 'no regrets' about how he left the James Bond franchise, when he was told he was being replaced over the phone. The actor, 67, had his last outing as 007 in Die Another Day in 2002 and although he was eager to do a fifth film, producers decided they wanted to reboot the role to stay relevant in a post-9/11, post-Jason Bourne world. Speaking to The Guardian, Pierce said: 'There's no regret. I do not let regret come into my world It just leads to more misery and more regrets. Bond is the gift that keeps giving and has allowed me to have a wonderful career. Past: Pierce Brosnan, 67, has insisted he has 'no regrets' about how he left the James Bond franchise, when he was told he was being replaced over the phone (pictured in January 2020) 'Once you're branded as a Bond, it's with you for ever, so you better make peace with it and you'd better understand that when you walk through those doors and pick up the mantle of playing James Bond.' Pierce previously admitted he felt like he had been 'kicked to the curb' when he was cut from the franchise and said the phone call from the producers came completely out of the blue. The film star was called by producers Barbara Broccolli and Michael Wilson who informed him they had decided to recast the role, which went to Daniel Craig. Recounting the call in the book Some Kind of Hero: The Remarkable Story of the James Bond Films, he said: 'She was crying, Michael was stoic and he said, "You were a great James Bond. Thank you very much," and I said, "Thank you very much. Goodbye." Axed: The actor had his last outing as 007 in Die Another Day in 2002 and although he was eager to do a fifth film, producers decided they wanted to reboot the role (pictured in 2002) 'That was it. I was utterly shocked and just kicked to the curb with the way it went down.' According to the authors of the book, Pierce wanted too much money for a fifth film while bosses had already decided to take the franchise in a grittier direction. Pierce has had a successful career since leaving the Bond franchise behind, appearing in films like Mamma Mia! and The Ghost Writer. The actor insisted he will not be hanging up his boots anytime in the near future, saying he doesn't know what else he would do. Pierce said: 'There's no regret. I do not let regret come into my world It just leads to more misery and more regrets. Bond is the gift that keeps on giving' He said: 'I have no desire to retire. I am a man of 67 years now and the parts that will come to me will be the parts of the elder, the parts of the comedic turn. At this point in life, I dont know what else to do but act and paint.' Pierce also discussed the Me Too movement, describing the abuse of power by people such as Harvey Weinstein 'appalling'. The Irish actor told how he hopes the younger generation will eradicate the 'disease of racism' and believes they will have the courage to go and vote for politicians who will protect people's rights. He made his TV debut in British teen drama Skins, before landing a breakthrough role in Danny Boyles' Slumdog Millionaire in 2008. And on Wednesday, Dev Patel detailed how his success is all down to his mother, Anita. Appearing on The Project via video link, Dev, 30, revealed his mum encouraged him to pursue acting after she found a casting call in the local paper. 'I thought she had lost her mind': On Wednesday, English actor Dev Patel revealed to The Project how his mother Anita kickstarted his acting career 'There is a paper in the UK called Metro, she tore out this ad and I thought she had lost her mind,' he said. The award-winning actor said he was studying at the time, but now looking back at it he is thankful that his mother pushed him to follow his dreams. 'I was doing exams, I was 16, but thank God she did, because you know, it has changed my life,' he told host Gorgi Coghlan. The beginning: Appearing on The Project via video link, Dev, 30, told Gorgi Coghlan (right) that his mum encouraged him to pursue acting after she found a casting call ad in the local paper on a train The actor was on the show promoting his latest film, The Personal History Of David Copperfield, which will be released in Australian cinemas on July 16. The film chronicles Copperfield's life from youth into adulthood, examining his writing career and many friendships and relationships over the years. Previously speaking about his role in the film, Dev said: 'It's a story of identity and owning your adversities, [director] Armando is incredible and he really pushed us with the comedy.' Mum's the word: 'I was doing exams, I was 16, but thank God she did, because you know, it has changed my life,' he said during his appearance on the Australian television show 'I bring the awkwardness and the gangly very easily I've always felt like a bit of fish out of water,' he said. The film is based on the classic novel by Charles Dickens, which was serialised between 1849 and 1850. Alongside Dev, who takes on the titular role, Hugh Laurie, Tilda Swinton and Peter Capaldi also feature in the film. The Personal History Of David Copperfield is released in Australia on July 16. She has been enjoying some downtime away from her busy schedule as she spends the UK coronavirus lockdown with her boyfriend Tom Hughes. And Jenna Coleman was seen on a solo outing as she engaged in an animated phone call in London on Tuesday afternoon. The Victoria star, 34, looked effortlessly stylish as she wrapped up in a check-print maxi coat during her casual appearance. Chatting up a storm: Jenna Coleman was seen on a solo outing as she engaged in an animated phone call in London on Tuesday afternoon Mixing elegance with sporty chic, the Cry actress teamed her outerwear with a pair of navy, ankle-grazing trousers and white trainers. The Blackpool native rounded things off with circular framed shades, which she wore on the crown of her head. Lightly-wavy locks framed her stunning features, while minimal eyeliner was applied to bring out her naturally radiant complexion. Typically chic: The Victoria star, 34, looked effortlessly stylish as she wrapped up in a check-print maxi coat during her casual appearance Mixing elegance with sporty style: The Cry actress teamed her outerwear with a pair of navy, ankle-grazing trousers and white trainers Last year, Jenna revealed she and her beau Tom never take their characters from Victoria home with them when the cameras turn off. The actress stars in the ITV historical drama as Queen Victoria in the series while Tom plays her husband Prince Albert. Their romance was a case of life imitating art for the pair who began dating in 2016 after they met on set. Speaking to The Telegraph, the thespian said: 'No, I definitely do not go home and play Queen Victoria, I want to make that clear. 'But I really enjoy the company of her, if that makes sense. There's a lovely familiarity, and getting to know them as a couple has been a real joy.' Quizzed whether Tom keeps up his German accent around the house, Jenna looked horrified and exclaimed, 'No... No, no.' She recently joked she has been eating like a 'giant pig' during the coronavirus lockdown. And Claire Foy enjoyed the summer sunshine as she had an ice cream in a park during a recent outing in London. The actress, 36, was dressed for the warm weather as she donned a pink sleeveless jumpsuit with a pair of black strap sandals. Out and about: Claire Foy, 36, enjoyed the summer sunshine as she had an ice-cream in a park during a recent outing in London The TV star added to her look with a green, yellow and blue bag while she also sported a pair of sunglasses. Claire went for a stroll in the park before she had a socially distanced chat with a pal. The Crown actress completed her look for the day by letting her brunette locks fall loose down her shoulders. It comes after Claire recently revealed she's turned her hand to life drawing during the health crisis, and has also been over-indulging on food. Casual: The actress was dressed for the warm weather as she donned a pink sleeveless jumpsuit with a pair of black strap sandals Speaking to The Guardian, she said: 'I'm looking at stuff on a tiny iPad. It's just not the same. But there's also been lots of eating crisps and pizza and drinking beer and essentially becoming a giant pig.' The former Crown actress told how her five-year-old daughter, Ivy Rose, recently returned to school. Claire admitted to being concerned about the prospect of her child growing up 'in a world where everyone is wearing a face mask'. Outfit: The TV star added to her look with a green, yellow and blue bag while she also sported a pair of sunglasses Outing: Claire went for a stroll in the park before she had a socially distanced chat with a pal Looking good: The Crown actress completed her look for the day by letting her brunette locks fall loose down her shoulders She said: 'She's back at school. The most important thing for kids at this point is to have contact with other children. 'I find myself thinking, "Is my child going to grow up in a world where everyone is wearing a face mask?"' Claire added that she has tried to remain 'calm' about the prospect as she doesn't want her daughter to grow up thinking the world is 'scary'. The actress also told how she is concerned about what the theatre industry will look like in a post-lockdown world. Honest: Claire recently admitted she has been eating like a 'giant pig' during the coronavirus lockdown She said: 'I'm looking at stuff on a tiny iPad. It's just not the same. But there's also been lots of eating crisps and pizza and drinking beer and essentially becoming a giant pig' Motherhood: The former Crown actress told how her five-year-old daughter, Ivy Rose, recently returned to school Future: Claire admitted to being concerned about the prospect of her child growing up 'in a world where everyone is wearing a face mask' Claire said there is something 'special' about theatre and people learn about themselves and society by watching plays. It comes after Claire reunited with close friend and The Crown co-star Matt Smith in London on Thursday for a socially distanced rehearsal of theatre show, Lungs. Claire and Matt, 37, will stream their Old Vic theatre show, performing Duncan Macmillans comedic play about a couple wrestling with lifes dilemmas. She said: 'She's back at school. The most important thing for kids at this point is to have contact with other children' Dynamo stepped out with his dogs on Monday, weeks after telling fans he had gone to hospital due to a Crohn's disease flare-up. The magician, 37, real name Steven Frayne, was diagnosed with Crohn's aged 17 and has had a lot to deal with as he also contracted coronavirus two months ago. While out, Dynamo was pictured picking up some shopping, including some Dairylea lunchables and a Chomp bar. Getting better: Magician Dynamo walked his dogs on Monday just weeks after going to hospital following a Crohn's disease flare-up and after recovering from coronavirus He was also pictured filling his car up with petrol as he wore a Three of Hearts face mask, a C.P Company top and cargo trousers and Adidas trainers. At one point, he struggled to help get his two large dogs into his car. In mid-May, Dynamo shared a statement on Instagram, writing: 'Today is IBD (irritable bowl syndrome) awareness day. 'I was supposed to be doing some talks about it to let people know what its like and to help those suffering, but unfortunate I suffered a flare up yesterday and will be unable to fulfil my commitments today. Treat day: While out, Dynamo was pictured picking up some shopping, including some Dairylea lunchables and a Chomp bar 'Really sorry to let people downespecially today. But for us going through it, it's an IBD life, not just one day, and it can affect us when we least expect it. 'Hate to burden you with my woe's but feel bad to those who I have let down today. Heading to hospital to get checked out, my team will keep you posted and I will be back before you know it. Stay strong out there everyone. [sic]' The star contracted COVID-19 in March and had been self-isolating at his North West London home after suffering from 'a persistent cough' and 'lots of aches and pains'. Easy does it: At one point, he struggled to help get his two large dogs into his car Tough time: The magician, 37, real name Steven Frayne, was diagnosed with Crohn's aged 17 and has had a lot to deal with as he also contracted coronavirus two months ago He revealed he was in recovery after being stricken with 'severe' COVID-19 symptoms - commonly a persistent cough and feverish temperature - in an Instagram post shared with followers at the end of March. Speaking to The Chris Evans Virgin Radio Breakfast Show, Dynamo revealed he was working his way back to full health after self-isolating for two weeks, a recommendation given to all suspected carriers by the World Health Organisation. Reflecting on his experience with the virus, Dynamo admitted his symptoms were exacerbated because of Crohn's. He explained: 'I obviously was struck down by COVID. My case was, you know, it was possibly a mild case, but it got quite severe because of my existing condition. Announcement: In mid-May, Dynamo shared a statement on Instagram, writing: 'Today is IBD (irritable bowl syndrome) awareness day' as he admitted he was going to hospital 'Last couple of weeks, I spent a lot of time, you know, in bed. I've been self isolating and following all of the rules. Now I'm definitely feeling in much better spirits. Still a little bit croaky, so I apologize for my husky voice right now.' Reaching out to fans, the Bradford born star insisted the merciless, indiscriminate nature of the virus should encourage people to live life in the moment. He said: 'I think everybody right now is going through it. And I think, you know, if anything, it just in some ways, it shows us that we shouldn't take things for granted and we should make the most of the moments that we go through. 'And most of our family and I will hope everyone's taking this time as well as, you know, taking care of themselves, but trying to be positive and use this time wisely.' Facing up: The magician admits his underlying battle with Crohn's disease, helped him prepare for two weeks in self-isolation away from his loved ones (pictured in February) The magician admits his underlying battle with Crohn's disease, a condition he was diagnosed with at 17, helped him prepare for two weeks in self-isolation away from his loved ones. Dynamo - who lives with his family in north-west London - revealed his hospitalisation with the illness served to foreshadow his enforced quarantine with the coronavirus. 'I spend a lot of time, obviously, in hospital myself,' he added. 'And there was a point when I was going through my worst with my Crohn's disease and food poisoning, where the doctors thought I was contagious so they wouldn't allow people to come in or me to go out. 'So I was literally on my own with just my imagination for a couple of weeks. And this was a couple of years ago. So right now, you know, I'm kind of doing it again like everybody else in the country and around the world.' He's the MasterChef fan favourite tipped to be the one to beat on Channel Ten's ratings juggernaut. And it's clear business is booming for Reynold Poernomo, despite the talented chef being engulfed in a homophobic scandal on a bodybuilding forum. On Wednesday, the 26-year old revealed he was gearing up to open the second floor of his popular KOI Dessert Bar in Sydney on Thursday. 'So excited to finally open upstairs tomorrow': Masterchef contestant Reynold Poernomo gears up to open second level of KOI dessert bar 'So excited to finally open upstairs tomorrow,' Reynold said on Instagram Stories, panning the camera around the empty room. The second floor featured lush velvet green sofas and plenty of seating to keep up with the dessert bar's ever-growing popularity. It comes after Reynold told Daily Mail Australia he was doing 'very good' despite his recent scandals and COVID-19 setbacks. 'Business has been busy, I'm happy,' Reynold said last month, shrugging off questions about the backlash against his homophobic comments from 2014. Business is booming: 'So excited to finally open upstairs tomorrow,' Reynold said on Instagram Stories, panning the camera around the empty room Six years ago, Reynold, using the profile name 'reyreyy', posted a shocking comment in a thread titled, 'First gay couple featured on the Disney Channel. Do you agree with them?' The then 20-year-old wrote: 'I wish the world made a united decision where they will capture all gay people and put them on a remote island full of gays, that way straight [people] will be happy and the freaks can go on and f**k themselves.' That comment was followed by another on a thread titled: 'Is homosexuality a mental illness?' 'Yes end of thread,' Reynold responded. 'Business has been busy': It comes after Reynold told Daily Mail Australia he was doing 'very good' despite recent scandals and COVID-19 setbacks Reynold later apologised for the hateful comments, telling Daily Mail Australia on May 29 that he was 'deeply ashamed' of the person he used to be. 'I would like to offer my sincere and deepest apologies for the comments that I made in 2014. I am ashamed of these comments and I regret them immensely,' he said. 'At the time these comments were made, I was a very immature, close-minded and insular 20-year-old. I have grown and matured a lot in the last six years. I am not the person I was back then.' She found fame on Made In Chelsea back in 2012. And Kimberley Garner enjoyed a mini reunion with fleeting co-star Ollie Chambers as they headed for a lunch date on Sunday. The pair - who have been friends for 10 years - looked in good spirits as they enjoyed a catch up on Kings Road in Chelsea. Two's company: Kimberley Garner enjoyed a mini reunion with fleeting co-star Ollie Chambers as they headed for a lunch date on Sunday Kimberley, who has chosen to spend lockdown at her Kensington home, rather than her Miami apartment, seemed delighted as she spent the day with her pal. Putting her lithe figure on display, the swimwear designer donned a black vest top and cream joggers. Ollie, who has made a few guest appearances on the E4 reality series, also kept things casual in a plain white T-shirt and shorts. Chatting away: The pair - who have been friends for 10 years - looked in good spirits as they enjoyed a catch up on Kings Road in Chelsea Chilling: Kimberley, who has chosen to spend lockdown at her Kensington home, rather than her Miami apartment, seemed delighted as she spent the day with her pal Having spent the morning shopping and laden with Harrods bags, the pair stopped off for a slice of pizza and some juice before heading home. Although Kimberley recently revealed that she has been having a 'great' time dating, she confirmed to MailOnline that her relationship with Ollie is purely platonic. Kimberley's outing came after she revealed she cancelled a secret wedding and ended a long-term relationship last summer. Top of the crops: Putting her lithe figure on display, the swimwear designer donned a black vest top and cream joggers Casual: Ollie, who has made a few guest appearances on the E4 reality series, also kept things casual in a plain white T-shirt and shorts Addressing her 215,000 followers, the notoriously private star admitted she came close to exchanging vows almost a year ago, before pulling out. She wrote: 'I keep my love life a secret. But why not tell u a little. Almost got married last summer. I decided not to. Been single and dating since. Its great. 'Single over lockdown, Have grown so much, this past few months to myself has been amazing. Stronger and happier than ever. 'Want to reassure you whatever stage your in, enjoy it, make your decisions for YOU. 'Dont stay in a relationship you dont want to be in. whats to come, what you dont know around the corner, is very, very exciting.' Out and about: Having spent the morning shopping and laden with Harrods bags, the pair stopped off for a slice of pizza and some juice before heading home Just friends: Although Kimberley recently revealed that she has been having a 'great' time dating, she confirmed to MailOnline that her relationship with Ollie is purely platonic The post comes several months after Kimberley revealed she had split with her former boyfriend. Speaking to MailOnline in September, she confirmed: 'I ended the relationship recently. It was a really wonderful three years and we are still good friends today.' Kimberley splits her time between her homes in London and Miami after purchasing a dream pad in the coastal city in December 2018. Back home: Kimberley has been locked down in London instead of Miami during the pandemic Speaking to MailOnline about her home last year, she explained: 'I worked very hard last year and had even moved home for a few months to save money. 'I really had my head down working to concentrate on goals, but achieved it on New Year's Eve, praise God, and flew over here. Completed the sale on the plane over.' Reflecting on her property empire, the designer admitted it is a world away from the hustle and bustle of her busy life in London. 'It's right on the beach, and really is a dream come true,' she explained. 'I am over doing the interior design, going for a beachy chilled vibe for the place. 'I won't be moving there [permanently], as London is one hundred percent home, but really overjoyed and proud to have achieved it.' Good friends: Kimberley and Ollie have been pals for more than a decade Amy Willerton has started breastfeeding her baby daughter again 'months' after giving up in favour of a bottle. The TV personality, 27, opened up on the decision via her Instagram page on Wednesday, explaining she 'genuinely missed' sharing that special moment with Demelza, five months. The former beauty queen - who shares her daughter with fiance Daniel Day - further outlined her reasons for her re-lactation, adding that Demelza 'preferred the bottle' and she had felt 'selfish' for breastfeeding as her family wanted to help with feeding. Change: Amy Willerton has revealed she's began breastfeeding her five-old month daughter Demelza again after admitting she 'genuinely missed' sharing that special moment Alongside a sweet black and white snap of herself, Demelza and Daniel, Amy discussed why she felt compelled to return to breastfeeding. She wrote: 'Sooo many of are asking why I would want to #relactate after I mentioned it on my stories the other day.... 'The answer is because firstly I genuinely miss #breastfeeding and only stopped because Dem preferred a bottle and my family all wanted to feed her so I felt selfish.' She continued: 'Months have past (sic), and I still feel the same way - which is when I realised it meant too much to me just to keep saying 'oh well, next time' ... 'Firstly I think this uncertain time has showed us there isn't always a next time , and actually I have a young baby still! Candid: In a heartfelt Instagram post, the TV personality, 27, further outlined her reasons for her relactation, adding that Demelza 'preferred the bottle' and that she had previously felt 'selfish' for breastfeeding as her family wanted to help feed the tot 'So when I started researching #relactation and realised it WAS POSSIBLE !! Well I knew I had to try it ( terrible timing with lockdown now being nearly over I know) ... 'So my action plan .... I have sought counsel through @medela_uk who have provided incredible advice. I have bought a book ( relactation by @lucy.ruddle.ibclc ) increased my skin to skin, and started hand expressing.' Amy admitted that she ran into a few problems amid her re-lactation journey, but wowed not to give up after reading inspiring stories from others who have less of an 'advantage' than herself. She said: 'I am facing 2 problems, a low to near no supply and a baby that refuses to latch... however there are some INCREDIBLE stories of adopting families and same sex couples who have managed to establish breastfeeding despite not being the one that carried the baby so it's shows it's entirely possible and I have a massive advantage as I'm not starting from scratch like many others. 'I will try to document but as always as a #firsttimemum I'm always scared to dish out advice before I've really done it as everything is a first.' Reasons: Alongside a sweet black and white snap of herself, Demelza and Daniel, Amy opened up on why she felt compelled to switch up her baby's feeding, weeks after she announced plans to stop breastfeeding The model went on to encourage others to take the step if they want to return to breastfeeding too, urging them to research and 'stay positive'. She added: 'All I can say is if you feel the same as me, research, stay positive and know that it's possible - it's going to take hard work and determination and hey I might not suceed but I'm guna have a damn good try. '#strongwomen #dontletjudgementstopyou PS thank you to all of you that reached out and sent me advice , links and support!! Thank you xxx [sic]' Amy's passionate post was soon inundated with several comments from fans, several of whom praised the model for her openness, while others shared similar experiences. In May, Amy revealed that she planned to stop breastfeeding soon as she took to Instagram to share a snap of her breast pumps. First time mum: Back in May, Amy revealed that she planned to stop breastfeeding soon as she took to Instagram to share a snap of her breast pumps The television personality said she was slowly accepting that she will not be able to breastfeed anymore because Demelza has grown teeth. Amy told fans 'I'm slowly not able to pump anymore... and as Dem now has teeth I'm more accepting of that... 'But these pumps have been something I've been soooo damn proud of whilst breastfeeding. 'I show everyone how cool they are and I have challenged what I can do whilst 'pumping'. The next stage: The television personality said she was slowly accepting that she will not be able to breast feed anymore because Demelza has grown teeth Baby: Amy told fans 'I'm slowly not able to pump anymore... and as Dem now has teeth I'm more accepting of that...' 'My fav memory is being in Cheesecake Factory in Dubai eating red velvet cheesecake whilst pumping when Dem was 3 weeks old.. it's also the first time she ever smiled at me.' It comes after Amy admitted she felt guilty and worried after having a cesarean. The beauty queen had a traumatic birth when her daughter became 'wedged' on a nerve in her back. Amy shared a picture of her caesarean scar as well as an adorable snap of the moment she welcomed Demelza alongside a lengthy caption. Mum guilt: It comes after Amy admitted she felt guilty and worried after having a cesarean She penned: 'I don't think anyone can prepare you for the mental , physical , emotional journey motherhood through any form of birth takes you on... truth be told , despite being unplanned,I loved my cesarean... 'After 3 days of non progressive but aggressive labour that spinal block was my dear glorious friend and my baby girl arrived safely so I have nothing but praise for this procedure. [sic]'. Amy announced she was expecting her first child with fiance Daniel back in October, before welcoming Demelza in January. The family are currently isolating in the Spanish city of Valencia after the coronavirus pandemic made it 'unsafe' to travel back to the UK. Regarding the chances of reversing some reopenings, Lamont said, I think weve handled our reopening well. We didnt do it as early as some other states. We waited for the metrics to go down. Im sort of inclined to think about a pause before we do anything else because Im looking at the flare-ups. Theyre getting closer to Connecticut. Thank God weve got good neighbors with low infection rates as well.' David Foster, 70, showered praise on his fifth wife Katharine McPhee, 36, after the couple rang in their first anniversary Sunday. He shared how impressed he is by Katharine's ability to bond with his family, including his daughters Erin and Sara who are older than she. 'Shes really magical and able to float in and out of all the family dynamics,' the music mogul dished in a new interview with Us Weekly. Side by side: David Foster, 70, showered praise on his fifth wife Katharine McPhee, 36, after the couple rang in their first anniversary Sunday; pictured last September The father of five said of his new wife: 'Its amazing to watch because thats a huge talent - being able to navigate my life.' He said: 'Shes opinionated, super-talented, and along with that super-talent comes a big brain, and she's got a lot to say. It's challenging, but in the best way possible.' David told the magazine that his wife 'has to keep pushing to make me answer things that I dont want to answer, which is great.' The silver fox, whose ex-wives include Yolanda Hadid, said Katharine's 'navigation skills are better than anybodys Ive ever seen and shes super-evolved.' Sadie, Sadie: David and Katharine married in London last year where she had been playing in the West End production of the Sara Bareilles musical Waitress He declined to say whether he and Katharine were planning to have any children of their own, though she has said in the past she wants them. Meanwhile David said: 'I think maybe we should make a record together. I would love to and I think she would love to, and I think it would be really a cool thing to do. She has a great voice. We could make a great stream.' David and Katharine married in London last year where she had been playing in the West End production of the Sara Bareilles musical Waitress. Trio: He shared how impressed he is by Katharine's ability to bond with his family, including his daughters Erin (center) and Sara (right) who are older than she She is now featured in a new documentary about her husband called David Foster: Off The Record, out this Wednesday on Netflix. David, who is on his fifth marriage, himself admits in the documentary that 'when things get rough or bad, rather than working it out I run.' 'He runs but I come chasing for him, but I did tell him, I said: "There are gonna be times when I need you to come find me,"' says Katharine in the movie. Erin, who famously gets along well with Katharine, says in the documentary of her father: 'Women are his weakness.' Michelle Bridges has had a challenging year. But on Wednesday, the 49-year-old looked stronger than ever while spending time with her four-year-old son, Axel. Sharing a throwback photo of the pair to her Instagram account, Michelle looked every inch the doting mother as she held onto her little boy. 'Work hard, be kind!' On Wednesday, Michelle Bridges shared a sweet throwback photo with son Axel as she encouraged her followers to 'own their mistakes' Using the post to share a motivational message, the fitness guru encouraged her followers to 'own their mistakes' in a lengthy quote. 'Work hard, be kind and not look for handouts,' she said. Michelle went on to tell her fans not to ever feel entitled, that everyone is born equal. The Sydney based personal trainer continued: 'Do your best. Be gentle with yourself and others The Sydney based personal trainer continued: 'Do your best. Be gentle with yourself and others. 'Own your mistakes and say sorry when you should, there are no negotiation on that one.' The mother-and-son duo are seen sitting on the edge of a wooden fence while they appeared to observe farm horses. In happier times: Michelle and Commando began dating in 2015 after splitting from their respective partners, and welcomed their son Axel in December that year The post comes after what has certainly been a challenging year for Michelle since her shock split from Steve 'Commando' Willis back in January. Following their breakup, Michelle was charged with drink driving after she blew 0.086 when she was pulled over in her Range Rover at about 11.25am on Australia Day. Michelle later released a statement claiming she was going through a 'very difficult time' following her split from Steve. Difficult times: Following her split with Commando, Michelle was caught drink driving and later released a statement claiming she was going through a 'very difficult time' following her split from Steve The star was fined $750 and had her licence disqualified for three months after pleading guilty to mid-range drink driving. Outside court, a tearful Michelle said: 'I would like to take this opportunity to express my deep remorse, shame and humiliation [over] this incident and extreme lack of judgment. 'I would like to apologise to my family, friends and community for this gross error in judgment and the consequences of these actions will haunt me forever.' Millie Mackintosh has shared details of her birth experience and posted an image from her daughter Sienna's very first moments. The former Made In Chelsea star, 30, took to Instagram on Wednesday to post a sweet snap, in which she lay on the operating table while her husband Hugo Taylor gazed upon their daughter following her arrival on May 1. Alongside the image, Millie shared a lengthy caption in which she revealed that while she was 'nervous and terrified' about giving birth in the midst of a pandemic yet delighted in her 'smooth and positive' birthing experience. Her love: Millie Mackintosh has shared details of her birth experience and posted an image from her daughter Sienna's very first moments Millie explained that she had undergone a C-section due to Sienna being in a breech position and she lauded the staff at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital for helping make the experience 'hugely positive'. She detailed her fears at having a baby in the midst of a global pandemic and insisted to other mothers that their anxieties are natural. In the post, Millie wrote: 'My Birth Experience - Despite my final trimester landing smack bang in the middle of a global pandemic, I feel very lucky that Siennas arrival into the world was a hugely positive experience for me... 'The usual fears around the birth of my daughter were magnified by not knowing if Hugo could be there to hold my hand, I was terrified about potentially catching the virus and I had no idea what to expect in Hospital with the UK in the throes of this pandemic... Touching: The former Made In Chelsea star, 30, took to Instagram on Wednesday to post a sweet snap, in which she lay on the operating table while her husband Hugo Taylor gazed upon their daughter following her arrival on May 1 'Sienna was breech so there was no choice but to have a C-section. I was nervous about the surgery, so I did Hypnobirthing tailored around a Caesarean delivery... 'I listened to a track by @themindfulbirthgroup every night before bed to mentally prepare myself for what was to come, and I listened to the same track before I went into theatre which immediately got me into a good head space... 'Siennas arrival couldnt have gone more smoothly thanks to the amazing doctors, nurses and midwives at Chelsea and Westminster hospital... Thankful: She wrote: 'Siennas arrival couldnt have gone more smoothly thanks to the amazing doctors, nurses and midwives at Chelsea and Westminster hospital' 'Hugo was by my side, I had classical music playing, and before I knew it my daughter was being placed on my chest for skin to skin cuddles... 'I found pregnancy to be such a surreal experience, it was only in that moment in theatre that it hit me how real this all was. I was now a mother, Hugo a father and our daughter was safely here, breathing gently on my chest... 'Because I was lying flat on the operating table I couldnt quite see Siennas face, so I asked Hugo to hold her. That image of him holding her for the first time will stay etched in my memory forever... Happy news: When Millie and Hugo announced their baby news they released a statement to Hello ! reading: 'We are delighted to announce the arrival of our darling girl who arrived on Friday 1 May at 1:21pm, weighing a very healthy seven pounds' 'All ten fingers, all ten toes and curious little eyes blinking back at us. Any new mothers anxieties are valid, especially when the worlds in some form of lock down, but Ive really looked to the positives... 'As a result, Ive treasured the time Ive had with Sienna, for the three of us to navigate our new life together without interruptions and using it as an opportunity to enjoy every precious moment of this very special new chapter of our lives'. When Millie and Hugo announced their baby news they released a statement to Hello! reading: 'We are delighted to announce the arrival of our darling girl who arrived on Friday 1 May at 1:21pm, weighing a very healthy seven pounds. Changes: Millie previously admitted that her body was 'starting to feel the strain' of carrying her baby around as she entered the third trimester 'We are eternally grateful to the doctors, nurses and midwives for taking such good care of us. Mum and baby are both doing incredibly well and we are looking forward to bringing our daughter home and spending time together as a family.' Millie and Hugo tied the knot in June 2018 at his uncle's country estate, Whithurst Park in West Sussex, one year after he proposed during a holiday to the Greek island of Mykonos. The couple briefly dated during their Made In Chelsea days back in 2011 and reunited in May 2016 shortly after Millie's split from her first husband, rapper Professor Green, 36. Millie was married to the musician, real name Stephen Manderson, for two-and-a-half years before they announced their split in February 2016. Nineties supermodel Naomi Campbell and several other female celebrities helped make Viola Davis - who's only a Grammy away from elite EGOT status - go viral on Tuesday. They shared a clip of the South Carolina-born 54-year-old discussing pay inequity with Tina Brown at the 2018 Women in the World event in Neuehouse Hollywood. 'I got the Oscar, I got the Emmy, I got the two Tonys, I've done Broadway, I've done off-Broadway, I've done TV, I've done film, I've done all of it,' Viola stated. She's only a Grammy away from elite EGOT status! Nineties supermodel Naomi Campbell (R) and several other female celebrities helped make Viola Davis (L) go viral on Tuesday BLM: They shared a clip of the South Carolina-born 54-year-old discussing pay inequity with Tina Brown (L) at the 2018 Women in the World event in Neuehouse Hollywood 'I have more than a 30-year professional career. I have a career that's probably comparable to Meryl Streep, Julianne Moore, Sigourney Weaver. They all came out of Yale, they came out of Julliard, they came out of NYU. 'They had the same path as me, and yet I am nowhere near them, not as far as money, not as far as job opportunities, nowhere close to it.' Davis continued: 'And yet I have to constantly get on that phone and people say: "You're a Black Meryl Streep...There is no one like you." Okay, then if there's no one like me, you think I'm that, you pay me what I'm worth. You give me what I'm worth.' The Troop Zero star noted how inclusivity has to start with the studio heads who greenlight movies. Viola stated: 'I got the Oscar, I got the Emmy, I got the two Tonys, I've done Broadway, I've done off-Broadway, I've done TV, I've done film, I've done all of it. I have more than a 30-year professional career' Davis continued: 'I have a career that's probably comparable to Meryl Streep, Julianne Moore, Sigourney Weaver. They all came out of Yale, they came out of Julliard, they came out of NYU. They had the same path as me, and yet I am nowhere near them, not as far as money, not as far as job opportunities, nowhere close to it' The Troop Zero star added: 'And yet I have to constantly get on that phone and people say: "You're a Black Meryl Streep...There is no one like you." Okay, then if there's no one like me, you think I'm that, you pay me what I'm worth. You give me what I'm worth' 'They won't consider you for a role they wrote for Sandra Bullock or Reese Witherspoon,' Viola explained. 'You're afraid that the movie is not going to make money internationally...My whole thing is, if you're dedicated to change, let it cost you something.' Naomi shared a quote from the clip about the ethnicity wage gap, which she hashtagged '#blackexcellence' and '#equalpay.' Fired America's Got Talent host Gabrielle Union - who's suing NBC and Simon Cowell over 'racist actions' - wrote: 'This!!!!!! All day THIS!!!!' Commiseration: Naomi shared a quote from the clip about the ethnicity wage gap, which she hashtagged '#blackexcellence' and '#equalpay' Fired America's Got Talent host Gabrielle Union - who's suing NBC and Simon Cowell over 'racist actions' - wrote: 'This!!!!!! All day THIS!!!!' The View host Sunny Hostin shared the clip and wrote: 'Say it @violadavis. Say it!!' Oscar winner Octavia Spencer wrote: 'Nope!!! You are THE one and only @violadavis that is all! #knowYourWorth #noIsTheMostPowerfulWord #IUseItOften' Community actress Yvette Nicole Brown wrote: 'Dear @violaDavis, this is WHY we stan! #YoureWorthIt!' 'Standing with these beautiful souls in protest': Coincidentally, Viola (2-R) joined Octavia (L) and Yvette (R) at a cornerside Black Lives Matter protest in Los Angeles on June 5 The View host Sunny Hostin shared the clip and wrote: 'Say it @violadavis. Say it!!' Oscar winner Octavia Spencer wrote: 'Nope!!! You are THE one and only @violadavis that is all! #knowYourWorth #noIsTheMostPowerfulWord #IUseItOften.' Community actress Yvette Nicole Brown wrote: 'Dear @violaDavis, this is WHY we stan! #YoureWorthIt!' Coincidentally, Viola joined Octavia and Yvette at a 'tiny but mighty' cornerside Black Lives Matter protest in Los Angeles on June 5. Stocking up! On Monday, Viola wore a mask - as mandated by California Governor Gavin Newsom on June 18 - to shop for groceries at Whole Foods in Los Angeles The viral moment came three days after one of Davis' 'You're Worth It' commercials for cosmetic company L'Oreal was aired during the first virtual BET Awards. The Help alum also recently joined Idris Elba, Queen Latifah, Kerry Washington, and 300 others in signing the Hollywood4BlackLives initiative demanding fair treatment. On Monday, Viola wore a mask - as mandated by California Governor Gavin Newsom on June 18 - to shop for groceries at Whole Foods in Los Angeles. First on call sheet: On May 14, Davis concluded her role producing and starring as defense attorney professor Annalise Keating in ABC's How to Get Away with Murder after six seasons 'The best is yet to be': On June 23, The Help alum celebrated her 17th anniversary with husband Julius Tennon, with whom she has an eight-year-old daughter Genesis (pictured August 10) On May 14, Viola concluded her role producing and starring as defense attorney professor Annalise Keating in ABC's How to Get Away with Murder after six seasons. Among Davis' upcoming projects in the can are playing former FLOTUS Michelle Obama in Showtime's First Ladies and reprising her role as Amanda Waller in The Suicide Squad. On June 23, the Emanuel producer celebrated her 17th anniversary with husband Julius Tennon, with whom she has an eight-year-old daughter Genesis. With much of the UK hit by rainy weather in recent weeks, Georgia Steel was sure to send temperatures soaring with her latest Instagram snap. The Love Island star, 22, looked incredible as she put on a very seductive display in a pink Dior bikini as she posed up a storm at home. The beauty put her toned midriff and slender legs on full display in the skimpy two-piece as she sat on her floor while declaring: 'Summer 2020 isnt cancelled my loves.' Stunner: Georgia Steel sent temperatures soaring as she donned a tiny pink and white bikini as she posed up a storm on Instagram on Wednesday Georgia paired her swimwear with a crisp white shirt and added a pair of white and pink trainers and pink socks which perfectly matched her bikini. She swept her brunette tresses into a loose ponytail for the sultry snap while she upped the glam with a sleek palette of make-up. The TV personality wowed as she leant back on her arms while gazing at the camera. Meanwhile, Georgia further set pulses racing on Wednesday as she shared a snap of herself in a tiny nude mini skirt and knee high white leather boots. Looking good: Meanwhile, Georgia, 22, further set pulses racing on Wednesday as she shared a snap of herself in a tiny nude mini skirt and knee high white leather boots Positive outlook: Georgia assured her fans that there'll be better days to come The star added a pale blue vest top to her sexy look, accessorising with a tan handbag slung over her shoulder. Georgia coquettishly smiled for the snap while resting her arm against a wall as she posed for the stunning snap. Georgia's posts come 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.' All over: Georgia's display comes after she broke her silence on the breakdown of her relationship with Callum Izzard,as she said 'everything happens for a reason' 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. 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!' No hurry: In a recent interview on FUBAR Radio, she revealed she's in no rush to jump into a new relationship 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.' Kim Kardashian shared a heartwarming Instagram snap this Wednesday with her five-year-old nephew Reign. The 39-year-old reality star pouted as she lay in bed for 'Morning snuggles' after a 'sleepover w Reign,' who has had long hair lately. Her elder sister Kourtney Kardashian shares Reign and her other children Mason, 10, and Penelope, seven, with her ex Scott Disick. So sweet: Kim Kardashian shared a heartwarming Instagram snap this Wednesday with her five-year-old nephew Reign Reign is just one year older than Kim's son Saint West, who is one of the four children she shares with her husband Kanye West. Over Memorial Day weekend Kim delighted her more than 170 million Instagram followers with a sweet picture of Saint and Reign together. ''OMG I cant with these two,' gushed Kim in the caption to the photo, which showed the two cousins resting their heads on their hands and grinning. Reign has drawn attention on social media for his long hair which Kourtney defended from online critics this April. Family matters: Her elder sister Kourtney Kardashian shares Reign and her other children Mason, 10, and Penelope, seven, with her ex Scott Disick When an Instagram commenter urged her to have Reign's hair cut, another chimed in to complement the little tyke. 'He's aloud to have long hair if he wants and stop telling people what to do with there own kids x his hair is lovely,' wrote that Instagram user. Kourtney replied to that comment writing that her son has the 'Most gorgeous hair on earth anyone who says otherwise ABCDEFG.' She was reusing a phrase she coined on Keeping Up With The Kardashians during a disagreement with Scott. So sweet: Reign is just one year older than Kim's son Saint West; Kim posted this snapshot on Memorial Day showing the two cousins together The Poosh founder eventually ended the argument by saying: 'ABCDEFG...I have to go,' with the 'g' standing for 'goodbye.' Scott was nonplussed by her new tagline so Kourtney explained: 'It's just a phrase I like use...that means the conversation is over.' Last month Scott and Kourtney took the children to Nobu Malibu for lunch on the first day they reopened for dine-in after months of takeout and delivery. Scott broke up with his 21-year-old girlfriend Sofia Richie in May and an Us Weekly source explained shortly thereafter: 'Kourtney is not open to him in a romantic sense, but Scott is always flirting with her and thinks she looks better than ever.' His fiancee, Sarah Hyland, has confirmed all their wedding plans have been put on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic. But that hasn't stopped Wells Adams from keeping in tip top shape regardless when the big day will be. The 36-year-old former Bachelor star was seen shirtless while working up a sweat around Los Angeles on Tuesday. Keeping fit and active: Wells Adams was seen working up a sweat on a shirtless solo run around Los Angeles on Tuesday Wells' abs were out on full display and he teamed the look with a pair of dark running shorts. The podcast host sported an arm band, that held his phone, and was seen looking at his digital watch during the run. Wells has been seen on various occasions on solo runs during the pandemic. Accessories: The podcast host sported an arm band, that held his phone, and was seen looking at his digital watch during the run Running bug! Wells has been seen on various occasions on solo runs during the pandemic (pictured June 22) His outing comes after his 29-year-old fiancee revealed on Monday night's The Bachelor: The Greatest Seasons - Ever! that her wedding plans were on hold. While there was no set date for the wedding before pandemic hit, the Modern Family star confirmed that planning has been halted. 'We have no plans as of right now. We've put all planning on hold,' she told Bachelor Nation host Chris Harrison when asked about the impending nuptials. 'All of my family is mostly on the East Coast, so for them to fly out ... and just ages and of course with my health risks, we want to be as safe as possible.' On hold: Sarah Hyland made her Bachelor Nation debut on Monday night's The Bachelor: The Greatest Seasons - Ever! with fiance Wells Adams, where she confirmed wedding plans are on hold The actress is immunocompromised herself and suffers from kidney displasia, which puts her at a higher risk of contracting the virus. Back in May, Sarah even joked about having a courthouse ceremony while wishing Adams a happy birthday on Instagram. She shared a loving picture of the couple and added towards the end of her message, 'Maybe well get married at city hall and use this picture as our announcement.' Wells joked that her emoji usage might have meant she just 'got me drunk and took me to the courthouse.' Courthouse: Back in May, Hyland even joked about having a courthouse ceremony while wishing Adams a happy birthday on Instagram She also acknowledged that, '2020 has not gone the way we thought it would but my love for you is at least one thing that will never change.' 'Thank you for your laugh, your jokes, your sunshine. Im so grateful to have spent another year around the sun with you. Youre a dream come true and my true north,' she added. 'I love you more than words can say. To Pluto and Back Baby. Happy Birthday,' Hyland concluded. Sarah and Wells announced their engagement on social media in July 2019 during their trip to Fiji. The pair began dating in October 2017. Country star Granger Smith, 40, and his wife Amber, 30 reflected on the death of their three-year-old son a year after his tragic drowning in a new interview with People Magazine on Wednesday. On June 4, 2019, River Smith, drowned in family pool at home in Georgetown, Texas and couldn't be saved by doctors. He died two days later. The couple have been outspoken about their grief over the loss of the toddler and, in the interview, Amber admits that she doesn't know if they 'truly will be able to forgive' themselves. Looking back: Country star Granger Smith, 40, and his wife Amber, 30 reflected on the death of their three-year-old son a year after his tragic drowning in a new interview with People Magazine on Wednesday (L-R Granger, daughter London, Amber, son River and son Lincoln) In the year since the Smith's lost River, Granger has gone through a rebirth of sorts, explaining that he's 'truly shed layers' and the person he was then died along with his son. 'I feel like I've died,' Granger said. 'It's not a bad thing that that "me" died. In fact, I think it's all good. It's only good.' 'I feel wiser. I feel more in tune spiritually. I feel more aware of our present moment and the value in the present moment, the value in the current breath that we have.' Granger and his wife Amber have leaned into their spirituality and faith to get them and their two other children through the darkest year of their lives. Reflecting: In the year since the Smith's lost River, Granger has gone through a rebirth of sorts, explaining that he's 'truly shed layers' and the person he was then died along with his son 'My brain is not capable of calculating that magnitude of a loss, and then I have to realize that I don't have to,' the country crooner said. Adding: 'I can lean on a higher power for that and know that my little boy is in a better place.' Last year, Granger was outside with his three children while Amber was taking a shower. He had turned his attention to their daughter London, 8, while she did gymnastics and in that brief moment, River had fallen into the pool. Heartbreak: River Smith drowned in the pool at the family's home in Georgetown, Texas, in June 2019 while outside with his father and siblings - he was taken off life support two days later at Dell Children's Hospital and died Granger and his wife performed CPR on their son while paramedics were on the way, he was rushed to a hospital, but doctors were not able to save him. 'I know that there's going to be a time when I'm going to forgive myself, but I'm not there yet,' Grander revealed. 'I don't know if we ever truly will be able to forgive ourselves,' Amber added. 'I pray that we can. I hope we can.' Two days after the drowning, the couple made the impossible decision to take River off life support and he passed away. River's organs were donated. 'I know that there's going to be a time when I'm going to forgive myself, but I'm not there yet,' Grander revealed. Amber added: 'I don't know if we ever truly will be able to forgive ourselves. I pray that we can. I hope we can.' 'It's not like the movies,' Granger told People. 'To comprehend that you could lose someone to drowning 20 feet from you doesn't make any sense unless you know how that process works and that it's so silent.' 'There isn't splashing or gurgling or kicking.' he recounted. 'There wasn't even a splash going in.' After River passed, the couple made it their mission to raise awareness about the dangers of drownings. They also donated $218,791 to the Dell Children's Medical Center, in Austin, Texas less than a month after the facility tried in vain to save River. 'It's not like the movies,' Granger told People. 'To comprehend that you could lose someone to drowning 20 feet from you doesn't make any sense unless you know how that process works and that it's so silent. There isn't splashing or gurgling or kicking. There wasn't even a splash going in.' (The Smith family pictured without River) Granger got back on stage not long after the tragedy and admitted that the whole thing 'was terrible' and he felt like the audience was 'staring at me like, there's the failed father up there.' He channeled his pain into his new music but won't be singing about his son specifically in his upcoming September album. 'There is a lot of feeling from him in this album,' the country star said. 'I could be on the stage now and there could be a lot of people watching me and they don't know, but I've got my eyes closed and it's just me and Riv.' Back to music: Granger channeled his pain into his new music but won't be singing about his son specifically in his upcoming September album - however he said 'there is a lot of feeling from[River] in this album' Granger is about to go back on tour, despite heightening concerns over the coronavirus, and is scheduled to do a 90 minute set on July 4th in Round Rock, Texas. Texas is one of the states currently seeing an alarming rise in the number of COVID-19 cases. According to NPR, the Lone Star State's number of new cases per day jumped over 160% as compared to just two weeks ago. This week fellow country music star Chase Rice was harangued on social media for performing in front of a crowd of 4,000 people many of whom weren't wearing masks and none of whom appeared to be social distancing. She has been keeping safe throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. And Ariel Winter put safety first on Tuesday when she stepped out with a mask during a grocery run and a trip to the veterinarian in Los Angeles. The 22-year-old beauty kept casual and was joined by her actor boyfriend, Luke Benward, as she was seen buying a case of wine bottles, as well as a pack of alcoholic hard soda beverages. Keeping busy: Ariel Winter was spotted running errands in Los Angeles on Tuesday Ariel stunned in a cropped white Rolling Stones T-shirt that gave a hint of her toned stomach. She teamed the look with a pair of grey joggers and completed the casual get-up with white sneakers. The Modern Family actress accessorised with a black cross-body bag and sported a mask over her face. Stunner: Ariel stunned in a cropped white Rolling Stones T-shirt that gave a hint of her toned stomach while carrying a pack of alcoholic beverages Stocking up: Ariel has been spotted out and about of grocery runs over the past few days (pictured June 29) Ariel's auburn hair was styled back and she appeared to be wearing very little to no makeup. The 5ft1 star has been spending much of lockdown off social media, though she did share a black box on Instagram to mark Blackout Tuesday, and she posted an illustration of Breonna Taylor to celebrate what would have been her 27th birthday. Ariel advocated for the arrest of three police officers who shot Taylor after breaking down her door while she slept. Throwback: While Ariel has been keeping off social media, she shared a throwback video shoot last week Stylish: One shot had her rock a stellar blazer that had one off-the-shoulder sleeve The police were executing an illegal warrant to find a suspect who didn't not live with Taylor and was already in police custody at the time of the raid. More recently, Ariel mused about life before the coronavirus pandemic with a throwback video. The clip assembled behind-the-scenes footage of her at a photo shoot, back when she still had her natural raven tresses. Ariel has been spending much of lockdown with her boyfriend, Luke Benward. They've been dating since late 2019 following her split from long-term live-in beau, Levi Meaden. Seinfeld star Michael Richards - famous for playing the role of Cosmo Kramer from 1989 to 1998 - went for a hike in Los Angeles, California on Sunday, looking noticeably different. It was a rare appearance for the actor, and it seems that he has grown himself a full beard while most of the country has been on lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic. Richards, 70, appeared to be taking a break from a hiking and biking adventure as he sat with his feet up in the trunk of his car. Is that you, Kramer? Seinfeld star Michael Richards looks barely recognizable as he makes rare in appearance in LA sporting a full beard amid lockdown The comedian has kept somewhat of a low-profile over the years, particularly after his infamous racist rant in 2006 which he has since apologized for. In 2012, Richards opened up to his former co-star Jerry Seinfeld about the incident in his show Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee. During the candid interview with his former Seinfeld co-star, Richards admits he is still haunted by incident, saying: 'It broke me down.' Reclusive: It was a rare appearance for the actor, and it appears he has grown himself a full beard while most of the country has been on lockdown due to coronavirus Time out: The comedian has kept somewhat of a low-profile over the years, particularly after his infamous racist rant in 2006 which he has since apologized for. The actor said that he is still haunted by incident, saying: 'It broke me down.' In November 2006, Richards, who played Cosmo Kramer in the hit comedy, caused a media storm after video of him repeatedly calling a heckler an n*****" was leaked. The comic was doing a stand-up routine at the Laugh Factory in West Hollywood at the time. The way they were: Michael Richards as Cosmo Kramer, Wayne Knight as Newman in Seinfeld In footage filmed by another audience member he is shown hurling racist abuse saying: 'Throw his ass outHes a n*****! Look theres a n*****!' On the subject of being a 'selfless' performer, Richards told Seinfeld: 'Thats a lesson I learnedwhen I blew it in the comedy club. I lost my temper cause somebody interrupted my act and said some things that hurt me and I lashed out in anger. Star-making: Richards pictured in a scene from the sixth season of the show with Jerry Seinfeld 'I should have been working selflessly that evening. 'It was a selfish response. I took it too personally and I should have just said: Yeah, youre absolutely right. Im not funny. I think I'll go home and work on my material and Ill see you tomorrow night. 'But you know it was just one of those nights.' He added: 'I busted up after that event...It broke me down.' Richards went on to thank Seinfeld in the episode for publicly supporting, him, saying: 'And thanks for sticking by me. It meant a lot to me. 'But inside it still kicks me around.' In her heyday, as part of the arts-saturated landscape of New Haven in the 90s and 00s, Margaret Holloway was unmissable. This was not just because she was a sublime artist but because she could be incredibly loud. If she knew your name, she could bellow it for blocks. When she got excited reciting an Amiri Baraka poem or a Lesley Gore song lyric, her voice rose to a roar. An extraordinary tremor grew in her throat when she growled in a godly voice for a classical drama. Listening to Margaret project her voice, you could understand how the ancient Greek thespians could be heard in ampitheaters without microphones, or how Shakespeares troupe could be understood amid the din of the groundlings in the first few rows. On Tuesday, Grammy-winning grunge band Pearl Jam commemorated the 20th anniversary of Roskilde Festival tragedy, which resulted in the deaths of nine men, aged 17-26, in 2000. 'Nothing has been the same since,' guitarist Stone Gossard wrote in a somber statement. 'Our deepest condolences and apologies to the families who lost their boys that day. To the brothers and sisters, grandmas and grandpas and friends, all who lost their precious being. 'Nothing has been the same since': On Tuesday, Grammy-winning grunge band Pearl Jam commemorated the 20th anniversary of Roskilde Festival tragedy, which resulted in the deaths of nine men, aged 17-26, in 2000 (pictured in 2011) Guitarist Stone Gossard wrote in a somber statement: 'Our deepest condolences and apologies to the families who lost their boys that day' 'Everyone failed to live up to what was needed in those hours before and in those days following the tragedy. The festival, the media, us included.' The band was playing their 1993 hit Daughter when they were alerted to ask the crowd to step back so the nine victims and 28 others injured could be rescued from the Orange Stage mosh pit - according to Rolling Stone. '[We] never realized anything was going on at all until it was too late,' Gossard wrote to their 16.8M social media followers. 'We retreated and became angry after many reports implied PJ was responsible. Our words were nothing to help at that point. We hid and hoped that it wasn't our fault. We have been trying our best to unhide ever since. Gossard continued: 'Everyone failed to live up to what was needed in those hours before and in those days following the tragedy. The festival, the media, us included' 'Our worst nightmare': The band was playing their 1993 hit Daughter when they were alerted to ask the crowd to step back so the nine victims and 28 others injured could be rescued from the Orange Stage mosh pit (pictured in 2017) 'We've met some of the families over the years. With some, we have forged strong friendships - sharing and supporting each other. Some we do not know.' No charges were filed against Danish fest organizers and the third worst concert-related tragedy was ultimately ruled an accident - according to Billboard. '20 years later our band has 11 more kids, all of them precious, and another 20 years between us,' Stone continued. 'Our understanding of gravity and the loss felt by the parents of those boys has grown exponentially magnified as we imagine our own children dying in circumstances like Roskilde 2000... 'How fragile we are': No charges were filed against Danish fest organizers and the third worst concert-related tragedy was ultimately ruled an accident (memorial pictured in 2000) 'Lost nine friends we'll never know': Pearl Jam wrote their 2003 track Love Boat Captain in honor of the victims and every year frontman Eddie Vedder changes the lyric to reflect the passage of time 'It is unthinkable, yet there it is. Our worst nightmare. Every day our hearts continue to ache and our stomachs turn at the thoughts of those young men dying and of what might have been different, if only - but nothing changes.' Pearl Jam wrote their 2003 track Love Boat Captain in honor of the victims and every year frontman Eddie Vedder changes the lyric to reflect the passage of time. PJ remotely reunited on June 24 to perform their new song Dance of the Clairvoyants for the All In WA Benefit, which helped raise $48M for those impacted by the COVID-19 crisis. The coronavirus pandemic also forced the band - which formed in Seattle 1990 - to postpone all 31 dates of their Gigaton World Tour until June 2021. She previously said breaking up with her ex-fiance, Chris Zylka, was 'the best decision she ever made.' And things appear to be going from strength to strength for Paris Hilton, revealing she's been having an 'amazing time' in lockdown with new boyfriend, Carter Reum. The 39-year-old socialite spoke with Vogue Australia on Tuesday where she opened up about what her days look like at home with the entrepreneur. 'I'm so happy!' Paris Hilton said she had been having an 'amazing time' in lockdown with her boyfriend, Carter Reum, on Tuesday, while speaking in an interview with Vogue Australia 'I'm so happy. I feel so blessed. I'm spending a lot of time at home with my boyfriend and we're quarantining together,' she began. 'We both are business people, so we do our work during the day and then at night we cook together and watch movies and play with the puppy. It's just been an amazing time to be together and I'm really enjoying it.' Paris also spoke about how it's the first time in her life she's had this much time off. Work balance life: 'We both are business people, so we do our work during the day and then at night we cook together and watch movies and play with the puppy. It's just been an amazing time to be together and I'm really enjoying it' 'I'm used to being on a plane and travelling over 250 days of the year, so I've never in my life, since I was a kid, had this much time off,' she shared. 'I've really been making the most out of it.' Paris also shared that she was using her new-found time to develop a new app as well as host 'innovative projects.' 'I've been getting more involved in the tech space. I'm a huge undercover nerd and I'm obsessed with anything to do with technology, so it's really fun and interesting to find different companies to invest in. I'm working on a lot of really exciting, innovative projects,' she teased. Stepping out: Paris and Carter were seen on a sweet date night at Nobu restaurant in Malibu earlier in the week Nothing stopping her! Paris has been keeping up with her social media posts while in lockdown in Los Angeles The Hilton Hotel heiress was previously engaged to actor, Chris Zylka. They split in November 2018 after two years together. Back in February, Paris said calling off the engagement was not difficult but 'the best decision she'd ever made in her life.' 'It was the best decision I've ever made in my life,' she told Cosmopolitan UK. 'I just don't think [he] was the right person and I feel like I'm an incredible woman and I deserve someone so amazing. It just didn't feel right.' She continued: 'I've worked way too hard to just give my life to someone. They have to be perfect.' Paris has been dating Carter Reumer since the end of 2019 and the became Instagram official in April. She's been soaking up the sun in France with her loved ones during the pandemic. And Natasha Poly was showcasing her endless model pins in an chic shirt shirt as she headed to the famous Club 55 Beach in St. Tropez on Wednesday. The supermodel, 34, covered her famous bikini body in the top as she headed to the beach with husband Peter Bakker and their daughter Aleksandra Christina, seven. Lovely: Natasha Poly, 34, was showcasing her endless model pins in a pastel shirt as she headed to the famous Club 55 Beach in St. Tropez on Wednesday Natasha shared a glimpse of her jaw-dropping figure by donning the loose blue striped shirt over her bikini. The Russian fashion star swept her blonde tresses into a half-up half-down do as she arrived at the celebrity hotspot, with her essentials in a funky straw bag covered with black flowers. Natasha has been regularly spotted at Club 55 during the COVID-19 crisis and has been keeping busy by participating in Carine Roitfeld's virtual charity runway at her Amsterdam home. Family: The supermodel covered her famous bikini body in the shirt as she headed to the beach with husband Peter Bakker and their daughter Aleksandra Christina, seven. Casual: Natasha shared a glimpse of her jaw-dropping figure by donning the loose blue striped shirt over her bikini Beach beauty: The Russian fashion star swept her blonde tresses into a half-up half-down do as she arrived at the celebrity hotspot Well-dressed: She carried her essentials in a structured straw bag covered with black flowers Arriving: Natasha was spotted arriving on the beach with husband Peter and their daughter ready to enjoy a day in the sunshine Natasha raises Aleksandra Christina and their 15-month-old son Adrian Grey, with her husband Peter. The couple married during a lavish and romantic three-day wedding celebration in St Tropez, France, in 2011. In 2016, Natasha admitted she would support her daughter if she developed aspirations to be a model, as she already loves joining her on shoots. Family: Peter embraced his sweet daughter as they headed down to the beach together Relaxed:Natasha raises Aleksandra Christina and their 14-month-old son Adrian Grey, with her husband Peter. They married in 2011 in St Tropez France Doting: In 2016, Natasha admitted she would support her daughter if she developed aspirations to be a model, as she already loves joining her on shoots Legend: Natasha, born Natalya Sergeyevna Polevshchikova, made her debut on the catwalk for Emanuel Ungaro in 2004 She told Grazia Daily: 'She knows how to pose which is very funny. If she wanted to do it I would support and guide her through and offer her advice for whatever she'd like to do.' Natasha, born Natalya Sergeyevna Polevshchikova, made her debut on the catwalk for Emanuel Ungaro in 2004. Since then, she has done campaigns for designer labels including Fendi, Louis Vuitton, Alexander McQueen and Chanel, becoming one of the most in-demand models in the world. Kate Garraway has made an appearance on social media to congratulate Sky News anchor Sarah-Jane Mee on the safe arrival of her baby. Kate has not been active of late online, due to her husband Derek Draper's weeks-long battle against COVID-19, for which he is in intensive care. But the thoughtful Good Morning Britain star was sure to comment under Sarah-Jane's post announcing the news that she has given birth to a little girl - ' a cute sidekick for big brother Teddy'. Well-wishes: Kate Garraway has made an appearance on social media - having been noticeably absent while her husband Derek Draper battles COVID-19 Kate commented: 'Wonderful so pleased for you xxxx' Her GMB colleague Piers Morgan revealed that Kate, 52, is 'living in hope' for husband Derek's recovery after his 13-week coronavirus battle. He made the comments during a segment on Monday's show. He was speaking to a nurse who beat COVID-19 after 93 days in intensive care before praising her resilience. Warming news: Kate congratulated Sky News anchor Sarah-Jane Mee on the safe arrival of her baby Arrival: Kate was sure to comment under Sarah-Jane's post announcing the news that she has given birth to a little girl - ' a cute sidekick for big brother Teddy'. Kate commented: 'Wonderful so pleased for you xxxx' Candid: Piers Morgan has revealed that Kate is 'living in hope' for her husband's recovery after a 13-week coronavirus battle Piers told the guest: 'You are a fantastic inspiration to everybody who may have a loved one who is still in intensive care and who may be worried sick about whether they may come out. 'We have obviously one of our own, Kate Garraway, whose husband is in this terrible position. 'We wish them, as always, all the very best, but they're living in hope.' It comes after Kate broke her social media silence on Tuesday to respond to a fan who urged her to 'keep hanging on' as her husband remains in intensive care. Worrying time: Piers said that Kate has stepped back from all platforms in recent weeks, as her husband Derek, 52, remains critically ill after coronavirus caused 'extraordinary damage' (pictured together in 2008) The TV personality, 53, has stepped back from all platforms in recent weeks, as her husband Derek, 52, remains critically ill after coronavirus caused 'extraordinary damage'. Kate replied to a follower's Tweet who encouraged her to watch a YouTube video of Australian mountaineer Lincoln Hall who explains the stages of unconsciousness he came back from. Support: It comes after Kate broke her social media silence on Tuesday to respond to a fan who urged her to 'keep hanging on' as her husband remains in intensive care Miracles do happen: The fan had encouraged Kate to watch a video about Lincoln Hall, who survived a night at the summit of Mount Everest after his team had to abandon him The fan wrote: 'Keep going with the messages he is hanging on, for a reason, for you, the kids, he has to come back to you all and he will. 'Try to watch the YouTube clip about Lincoln Hall, he explains about the stages of unconsciousness that he came back from. Big hugs xxx'. Kate typed back: 'Thanks - will do xxx'. The fan had encouraged Kate to watch a video about Hall, who reached the summit of Mount Everest on his second attempt in 2006, miraculously surviving the night at 8,700m on descent, after his family was told he had died. Heartache: Earlier this month Kate broke down in tears as she revealed Derek thanked her for 'saving his life' before he slipped into a coma Kate's husband has been in a comatose state in intensive care for the past 12 weeks, after contracting coronavirus. Former lobbyist Derek is now free of COVID-19, but is suffering from serious residual complications. Earlier this month Kate broke down in tears as she revealed Derek thanked her for 'saving his life' before he slipped into a coma. Lovely surprise: The GMB host previously revealed the couple were set to renew their wedding vows after Derek popped the question again after she left the I'm A Celebrity jungle REVEALED: HOW THE CRUEL LEGACY OF COVID MAY LAST A LIFETIME Covid-19 could leave survivors with debilitating illnesses that last for years, doctors have warned since the outbreak spiralled out of control. One leading medic called it 'this generation's polio' - a disease that killed thousands and left a generation with life-long mobility issues. Patients who spend weeks fighting for life in intensive care can suffer from long-term complications caused by permanent damage to their lungs and liver. Physiotherapists also warn patients can suffer a loss of mobility, if they are stuck on hospital wards for weeks, or endure flashbacks and emotional distress. But even patients who endure symptoms so mild they don't get admitted to hospital are plagued by fatigue, headaches and breathlessness that can linger for weeks. Several recent studies have highlighted proof Covid-19 causes fibrosis - scarring of the lung tissue that makes it harder for the organs to work. A research paper published in a Chinese journal in March said 'pulmonary fibrosis may be one of the major [long-term] complications in Covid-19 patients'. Evidence is also emerging that the virus may affect the brain, causing seizures and stroke, as well as harming the liver, kidneys, heart and blood vessels. A paper in the journal JAMA Cardiology in March reported one in five of 416 Covid-19 patients hospitalised in Wuhan, China, had suffered heart damage. The heart problems are thought to occur as a result of the virus triggering a 'cytokine storm', where the immune system overreacts to the infection. Number 10's panel of leading scientists - SAGE - called for studies to investigate the lasting effects of the illness. Advertisement The presenter became overcome with emotion during a recent instalment of GMB as she admitted she 'doesn't know' if Derek can recover from the 'extraordinary damage' COVID-19 has inflicted on his body, and may be in a coma for a year. Kate said: 'Well there will be tears, I'll try to keep them down, he's still with us, he has fought the most extraordinary battle, the fact that he's still here and holding on. 'I am so grateful that he's still here, and I've got the option of praying while others have lost that. 'He's very, very sick and as time goes on, it's a virus, it's like a computer virus, the doctors manage one but there seems to be a flicker of hope and other things emerge and they're fighting that. 'It has affected him from the top of his head to the tip of his toes. She added: 'He is now COVID-free, he has tested negative, the fight with the virus is over but it's wreaked extraordinary damage on his body and we don't know if he can recover from that.' Brave: Kate spoke for the first time about Derek's initial admission to hospital in March, revealing the last thing he said to her before he was put in a medically-induced coma, was 'I love you, you saved my life' Kate spoke for the first time about Derek's initial admission to hospital in March, revealing the last thing he said to her before he was put in a medically-induced coma, was 'I love you, you saved my life'. She said: 'In that first week it looked like he was rallying. But then he was very bad, he couldn't really speak to me, he could shout things to me on speakerphone. 'He was begging me, he said "I can't take this, I feel like I'm suffocating", he said "please let them put me in a coma" and they didn't want to do that. On Sunday they said "we're going to put him in a coma as overnight we think we have to do that."' Struggling: The GMB presenter has talked about how her children - Darcey and Billy - are struggling while missing their father 'He said: "I love you, I'm sorry I have to leave you, you've saved my life". I think he thought I had asked the doctors to put in him in a coma. He said "being married to you, the children, you saved my life".' Derek has previously credited Kate for saving him from depression which started during his career as a political advisor and led to a nervous breakdown and a stint in The Priory in the late 1990s. Kate and Derek have been married for 14 years, with the former lobbyist cheering his wife on for the duration of her stint on I'm A Celebrity last year. They have two children - Darcey, 14, and Billy, 10. Bernie Ecclestone has become a father for the fourth time aged 89. The Formula One boss' wife Fabiana Flosi, 44, has given birth to a boy named Ace, after the couple announced they were expecting a baby in April. The father-of-four's latest arrival is 65 years younger than his first child Deborah, whom he had with his first wife Ivy Bamford. Happy news! Bernie Ecclestone has become a father for the fourth time aged 89, with his wife Fabiana Flosi giving birth to a son (pictured in May) Bernie has confirmed the birth to Swiss German news organisation Blick, saying: 'We have a son named Ace. I am so proud.' Revealing that she enjoyed an easy labour, Fabiana added: 'It was all so easy. The birth was over after 25 minutes. I thank god.' The new addition, who has been born not long before his 90th birthday in October, is his fourth child after his three daughters. Baby boy! The Formula One boss and his wife have named their son Ace, after the couple confirmed they were expecting a baby in April (pictured 2013) Family affair! The father-of-four's latest arrival is 65 years younger than his first child Deborah (pictured L-R Bernie, Fabiana, Tamara and Tamara's husband Jay Rutland in 2018) Bernie Ecclestone: Who are billionaire Formula One boss' children? DEBORAH ECCLESTONE: Age 65 Bernie's eldest daughter Deborah was born in 1955 after marrying his first wife Ivy Bamford aged 21 in 1952. The Formula 1 boss divorced Ivy in the 60s and Deborah is said to have lived with her mother. Deborah shuns the spotlight and is notoriously private. Bernie is a great-grandfather as Deborah's children have had children. TAMARA ECCLESTONE: Age 36 Daughter: Bernie welcomed Tamara in 1984 (pictured together), with his second wife Slavica Radic Ecclestone had a 17-year relationship with Tuana Tan, which ended in 1984 when Slavica Radic, later his second wife, became pregnant. Tamara was welcomed later that year. The heiress was educated at Francis Holland School in London and can speak English, Croatian and Italian. Tamara was the presenter of Sky Sports Italia's coverage of the 2009 Formula 1 season and went on to star in her own reality show. She married husband Jay Rutland in 2013, and later welcomed their daughter Sophia, now six. PETRA ECCLESTONE: Age 31 Heiress: Petra was born in London as the younger daughter of former Armani model Slavica and Formula One billionaire Bernie (pictured in 2018) Petra was born in London as the younger daughter of former Armani model Slavica and Formula One billionaire Bernie. She contracted viral meningitis at the age of 14, and said it 'changed her life forever' and is now 'a health freak and a hypochondriac'. At the age of 19, she created the menswear label FORM, which was sold into retailers including Harrods from October 2008. On 27 August 2011, Ecclestone married businessman James Stunt. She gave birth to their first child, daughter Lavinia Stunt, in February 2013. In April 2015 she gave birth to twin boys, James Robert Fredrick Stunt Jr and Andrew Kulbir Stunt. They divorced in 2017, and she reverted to her maiden name. She has since welcomed her forth child, a daughter, with fiance Sam Palmer. Bernie, meanwhile, divorced Slavica in 2009, where she was reportedly granted a $1 to 1.5 billion settlement. ACE ECCLESTONE: Welcomed June 2020 Bernie became a father for the fourth time aged 89. The Formula One boss' wife Fabiana Flosi, 44, has given birth to a boy named Ace. The couple announced they were expecting a baby in April. Advertisement His eldest, Deborah, 65, was born to his first wife Ivy before he welcomed socialites Tamara, 35, and Petra, 31, with his second wife Slavica Radic. 'Yes, it is due in the summer,' Bernie told Blick earlier this year. 'Hopefully he'll learn to play backgammon soon!' The former Formula 1 mogul married marketing director Fabiana in 2012 - three years after he divorced Croatian model Slavica. The expectant parents met through the World Motor Sport Council, where she regularly attended meetings. They knew each other professionally for a few years before a mutual friend invited Fabiana on a cruise around Croatia with Bernie and others in 2009. Fabian recently told the Daily Mail: 'Like all parents, we have only one wish: the child must be born healthy. 'Hopefully he will never express the intention to do something with Formula 1.' Bernie added: 'After my Formula 1 time, we've had plenty of time to practice!' He went on to speak about the current coronavirus pandemic, and said he 'just wants everything to be good with Fabiana' should the isolation go on longer. Family: Bernie is proud dad to daughters Tamara, 35, and Petra, 31 (pictured in 2010) as well as his eldest child Deborah 'Fortunately the farm never runs out of work,' he added. 'Fabiana also looks after her own coffee plantation.' 'I'm very happy for my wife. She's been looking forward to this happening for quite a few years, so I'm happy she'll have someone after I'm gone. It's fun, I've got grandchildren and I'm looking forward to having another baby.' When asked about his fears of Fabiana being pregnant in the midst of the pandemic, Bernie told MailOnline in April: 'You hope it's not going to happen but these things do happen so you just have to cope, what else can you do? 'You have to hope that the people who are looking after everything have not caught anything themselves. Bernie and his wife spent the beginning of lockdown at his farm near Sao Paul, Brazil, and then travelled to Switzerland. Bernie - dubbed 'F1 Supremo' - is a former chief executive of the Formula 1 Group, which manages Formula 1 and part-owns Delta Topco. He entered two Grand Prix races as a driver himself in 1958, but ultimately failed to qualify for either of them. Former flame: His eldest, Deborah, 65, was born to his first wife Ivy Bamford before he welcomed socialites Tamara, 35, and Petra, 31, with his second wife Slavica Radic (pictured) The former F1 boss later became the manager of drivers Stuart Lewis-Evans and Jochen Rindt before he purchased the Brabham team in 1972, which he went on to lead for 15 years. Bernie's daughter Petra announced last month that she had given birth to her first child with fiance Sam Palmer, 37. She is already mother to daughter Lavinia, seven, and five-year-old twin sons James and Andrew with ex-husband James Stunt, whom she divorced in 2017. Tamara who is married to art mogul Jay Rutland, 38, with whom she has a six-year-old daughter called Sophia said she was 'absolutely thrilled' for her father. After being told that her father was set to welcome another child, Tamara told the Mail On Sunday that she was 'surprised but not totally blindsided. Tamara, who revealed they were told over a family lunch, said: 'We had no idea what was going on. We just thought we were meeting Dad and Fabi for a meal. We were in the middle of eating when Fabiana told us. 'My husband missed it. he was like, "hold on a minute, what's going on? Have I missed something?" Always keen to treat his offspring equally, Bernie immediately called his youngest daughter, Petra, who was pregnant with her fourth child and living in Los Angeles. Tamara said: 'He wanted us all to know at the same time, It was all done very diplomatically.' One member of the family who had already guessed, though, was Tamara's own daughter Fifi, who predicted she would be getting a new aunt or uncle in the near future, 'because that's what married couples do'. 'Fifi had said to Fabiana: 'have you got a baby in your tummy?'. Fabiana replied, saying: 'Maybe one day, who knows what will happen.' But she was pregnant. 'It goes without saying that it's an unusual family situation.' Tamara added: 'Three of his five grandchildren are girls, too. My sister has two boys but this will be Dad's first so you can imagine how excited he is. 'It's going to be very different for him, you know. He is used to being surrounded by women so this will be a big change. I guess it starts to even things out a bit for him.' They're no romantic novices, with each having already been through a divorce. But Ben Affleck and Ana de Armas giggled like a couple of lovestruck teens on Wednesday, while the couple walked their dogs around the Venice neighborhood of Los Angeles. Knives Out star Ana, 32, at one point doubled over with laughter, presumably at something the Argo actor, 47, had said. Lovebirds: Ben Affleck and Ana de Armas giggled like a couple of lovestruck teens on Wednesday, while the couple walked their dogs Later on the walk, the pair packed on the PDA, still snickering while locked in an embrace. Newly-minted Bond girl de Armas made the most of her sublime legs in a pair of skinny jeans worn with black Chelsea boots. On her upper half, she wore a gray cardigan over a black tank top which boasted a plunging neckline. The Cuban actress wore her brunette tresses loose for the outing with her new man. Gorgeous gams: Newly-minted Bond girl de Armas made the most of her sublime legs in a pair of skinny jeans worn with black Chelsea boots Funny man: Knives Out star Ana, 32, at one point doubled over with laughter, presumably at something the Argo actor, 47, had said LOL: It seems she couldn't get enough of her new beau The look: On her upper half, she wore a gray cardigan over a black tank top which boasted a plunging neckline Ben, meanwhile kept things casual in a pair of Khaki pants worn with sneakers and a teal-colored T-shirt. Over the top he slipped a gray hooded sweatshirt. The Good Will Hunting screenwriter shielded his eyes with a pair of aviator shades, and carried an iced beverage in one hand and a poop bag in the other. Neither member of the pairing wore a facial covering for the walk, defying CDC recommendations. Ben appeared to be sporting a noticeably darker scruff on his face than in April this year. Something he said? Later on the walk, the pair packed on the PDA, still snickering while locked in an embrace Caution to the wind: Neither member of the pairing wore a facial covering for the walk, defying CDC recommendations Both Ben and Ana have been married once previously, with Affleck wedded to Jennifer Garner until 2018, and de Armas splitting from her ex Marc Clotet in 2013. The actors met and fell for each other last autumn on the set of the film, Deep Water which is slated for release on November 13. They were later spotted vacationing together in Costa Rica and her home country of Cuba, before returning to Los Angeles to quarantine together. The lovebirds have been quarantining at Affleck's Pacific Palisades home. Prior to the coronavirus shutdown this past March, Affleck was also about to start filming on The Last Duel, which reunites him with childhood friend Matt Damon. He played the role of former Fox News Chairman and CEO, Roger Ailes, in the highly acclaimed mini-series, The Loudest Voice. And Russell Crowe has now revealed that he got some on how to play the main role from non other than the Senior Advisor to the President of the United States, Jared Kushner. While speaking with Nicole Kidman in an hour long, Actor on Actor YouTube series for Variety, the 56-year-old star said they got talking at Hugh Jackman's 50th birthday party in 2018. Dishing all: Russell Crowe revealed in an interview with Nicole Kidman on Wednesday that he got insight from Jared Kushner on how to play Fox's Roger Ailes in The Loudest Voice 'Ivanka [Trump] came in so that gave me the opportunity to have a very long conversation with Ivanka's husband,' he began when asked by Nicole asked him how he did his research for the role. 'He had a very direct relationship with Roger over their presidential campaign. Phone calls every Sunday.' He continued: 'So it gave me that contemporary insight that the book could not give me.' Roger, is that you? Russell (left) transformed into the late Fox Chaiman and CEO (right) for the mini-series last year 'He [Jared] had a very direct relationship with Roger over their presidential campaign. Phone calls every Sunday. So it gave me that contemporary insight that the book could not give me' (pictured June 2020) And while Nicole was at the party herself she said she had no idea the pair had met during the birthday party - to which Russell laughed and replied: 'Well, nobody else was talking to him.' And while The Loudest Voice starred Russell, Sienna Miller and Naomi Watts among others, Nicole herself was in the film adaptation, Bombshell, with Charlize Theron and Margot Robbie. The pair also spoke about Nicole's work in Big Little Lies and what it was like working with Meryl Streep. Bombshells! And while The Loudest Voice starred Russell, Sienna Miller and Naomi Watts among others, Nicole herself was in the film adaptation, Bombshell, with Charlize Theron and Margot Robbie (pictured 2019) The pair also spoke about Nicole's work in Big Little Lies and what it was like working with Meryl Streep (L-R: Reese Witherspoon, Zoe Kravitz, Laura Dern, Shailene Woodley, Nicole Kidman and Meryl Streep in 2019) 'I've had maybe two conversations with her ever, but I think shes so special. Tell me about working with Meryl Streep,' the New Zealand born star said. 'Shes very similar to how we work, in the sense that she melts into it. Every take is different. Shes like quicksilver. You would love her. And having just worked with her back-to-back.' Nicole continued: 'I did Big Little Lies where shes in the cardigan, and shes my pious mother-in-law. And then weve just done a big musical together, which was the complete opposite of Big Little Lies, where we are singing and dancing and being absolutely ridiculous.' Great actress: 'Shes very similar to how we work, in the sense that she melts into it. Every take is different. Shes like quicksilver,' said Nicole of Meryl Roles: 'I did Big Little Lies where shes in the cardigan, and shes my pious mother-in-law' Nicole also dished on how she approached her character of Celeste Wright - a woman stuck in a very physically abusive relationship. 'Ultimately [the relationship between Celeste and Perry] is based in this love. And the sexuality between them, which is at times good, and loving, and tender. And then things go awry, and it starts to snowball out of control,' she explained. 'That was really important to me, because so much of the relationships in terms of domestic abuse, you dont see a lot of the good times. It was about focusing on, "What are the good times? Because thats whats keeping me here."' She ended with: 'To have the chance to play that with all its complication, I was amazed that they let me do it that way. Because a lot of times it gets glossed over.' You can watch The Loudest Voice only on Stan in Australia. Friends paid tribute to Jennifer Aniston's Greek heritage by placing an Easter egg in the episode The One with Chandler and Monica's Wedding. In the episode, the groom goes missing and Joey is late to officiate the wedding, leaving it up to Rachel Green (Jennifer) to find a new minister for the ceremony. As she searches the hotel for a minister, she comes across another wedding going on for the Anastassakis and Papasifakis families. Family ties: Friends paid tribute to Jennifer Aniston's Greek heritage by placing an Easter egg in the episode The One with Chandler and Monica's Wedding Turns out the name Anastassakis is her father's surname. Jennifer's father John Aniston, who hails from the island of Crete, Greece, was born Yiannis Antonios Anastasakis. The two-part episode aired nearly 20 years ago, but fans are still having fun discovering the Easter egg. Jennifer played Rachel Green in the hit series about a group of twenty-somethings living in New York City from 1994 to 2004. Classic: The two-part episode sees Chandler Bing (Matthew Perry) and Monica Gellar (Courteney Cox) tie the knot, with Joey Tribbiani (Matt LeBlanc) officiating The role catapulted Jennifer and her costars into super stardom, and the show remains a fan favorite even 16 years after it aired it's finale. Recently, however, Jennifer admitted she felt typecast after playing the bubbly character as she attempted to land edgier roles following Friends. In a roundtable interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Jennifer admitted that she had fought 'forever' for the industry to see her as something different than 'that girl in the New York apartment with the purple walls.' Family ties: Jennifer's father John Aniston, who hails from Crete, Greece, was born Yiannis Antonios Anastasakis She said: 'I could not get Rachel Green off of my back for the life of me. I could not escape "Rachel from Friends," and it's on all the time and you're like, "Stop playing that f***ing show!" (Laughter.)' The actress said that her turn in the 2002 independent movie The Good Girl was 'the first time I got to really shed whatever the Rachel character was, and to be able to disappear into someone who wasn't' adding that the edgy role was 'such a relief' to her. She continued: 'But I remember the panic that set over me, thinking, "Oh God, I don't know if I can do this. Maybe they're right. Maybe everybody else is seeing something I'm not seeing, which is you are only that girl in the New York apartment with the purple walls.' 'So, I was almost doing it for myself just to see if I could do something other than that. And it was terrifying because you're doing it in front of the world.' Meanwhile, a Friends reunion was set to begin filming back in March, but was postponed on account of the coronavirus crisis. The reunion may now begin filming in August, show co-creator Marta Kauffman told The Wrap. Advertisement Shia LaBeouf is ready to make people pay in director David Ayer's new film The Tax Collector. The actor/writer embraces his sinister side in the dark crime flick, which premiered its first trailer this Wednesday. In the film the former Disney Channel star, 34, plays a cold-blooded crime associate who collects 'taxes' from gangs throughout Los Angeles. At all costs: Shia LaBeouf plays a sinister collector for a crime syndicate in the new David Ayer film The Tax Collector 'I heard you're the devil,' one unlucky debtor tells Shia. 'I might be,' he replies with a devious smile. LaBeouf's character - called Creeper - isn't afraid to spill blood as he cruises around Southern California to take his boss Wizard's cut of shady money. But he's paired with family man David (played by Bobby Soto), who has much more to lose. Devilish: 'I heard you're the devil,' one debtor tells Shia as he stops by to collect Pay up: His cold character collects 'taxes' from gangs throughout Los Angeles Creep: LaBeouf's character - called Creeper - isn't afraid to spill blood as he cruises around Southern California to take his boss Wizard's cut of the money Precious: He's paired with family man David (played by Bobby Soto), who has much more to lose When their boss Wizard's rival returns from Mexico a power struggle ensues, leaving David to fight for his family's safety. And after his kids get kidnapped, he'll stop at nothing to get them home. Bullets fly, explosives boom and as the violence ramps up, the tagline reminds viewers: 'Payback comes with interest.' Family man: When Wizard's rival returns from Mexico a power struggle ensues, leaving David to fight for his family's safety All or nothing: After David's kids get kidnapped, he'll stop at nothing to get them home Payback: Bullets fly, explosives boom and as the violence ramps up, the tagline reminds viewers: 'Payback comes with interest' The Tax Collector is Shia's second project with Ayer. The pair previously worked on the writer/director's 2014 war drama Fury together. Along with LaBeouf and Soto, the film features Cinthya Carmona and George Lopez. The Tax Collector comes out August 7 2020. The little girl who became famous for saying 'porque no los dos?' in Old El Paso's adverts is all grown up. Mia Agraviador was just six years old when the nation fell in love with her catchphrase - which is Spanish for 'why not both?' - and she's still proud to call herself 'that taco girl'. Now 20 years old, Mia has grown out her short bob and fringe and works as a barista in Sydney. Scroll down for video All grown up! Mia Agraviador was just six years old when she uttered the famous catchphrase 'porque no los dos?' in the Old El Paso adverts (left). These days, she is a talented artist and dancer who occasionally does TV commercials. Pictured right: Mia, now 20, in an advert for Australian furniture company Koala 'Yes, I'm the "Porque No Los Dos?" taco girl,' Mia's Instagram bio states. The former child star appears to have a passion for dance, and regularly uploads videos of herself performing hip hop and urban routines. Mia is also quite the fashionista, and likes to wear edgy outfits and stylish swimwear in photos shared to social media. Transformed: Mia has grown out her short bob and fringe and works as a barista in Sydney Remember this? Mia is still proud to call herself 'that taco girl'. Pictured in the Old El Paso ad Showing off: She is also quite the fashionista, and likes to wear edgy outfits and stylish swimwear in photos shared to social media Mia's one-liner in the Old El Paso commercial is now a popular meme, and has become a common saying people use when they can't decide between two things. 'Porque no los dos?' is Spanish for 'why not both?' and the advert was about a taco kit that included both soft and hard shell tacos. In recent years, she has had minor roles in other commercials in which she revisits her signature catchphrase. In March, she made an appearance in an advert for Australian furniture brand Koala. Move it: The former child star appears to have a passion for dance, and regularly uploads videos of herself performing hip hop and urban routines Last month, Pedestrian did a YouTube episode with Mia for their '15 Minutes' series. She revealed that fame had come at a price, and she often felt uncomfortable with the attention she received from the commercial. As a result, she attended three separate high schools. These days, Mia is a successful artist and one of her pieces from 2015 was a finalist for the Young Archibald Prize. Real Art Ways is a place for new ideas and also a place for people to interact and connect with each other, so whenever there is something that is pressing and timely, we are interested in being a part of it, and providing a forum to talk about ideas and agree or disagree with each other, Wilkins said. Gigi Hadid shocked fans in April when she revealed she was expecting a child with beau Zayn Malik, 27, and happened to be a 'few months' along in her pregnancy. And in late June, following an Instagram Live with activist Sophia Roe, a fan in the same boat asked the 25-year-old supermodel how she was able to keep her bump under wraps. 'This angle and the really baggy jumpsuit make for an optical illusion. From the side it's a different story! haha wishing u the best,' explained Hadid in the comment section. How does she do it: In late June, following an Instagram Live with activist Sophia Roe, a fan in asked Gigi Hadid - who is currently pregnant - how she was able to keep her bump under wraps During the live stream, Gigi sat face forward in a brown wicker chair and hid her figure beneath an oversized beige jumpsuit. Her dirty blonde hair was tied back into a slick bun and she appeared to be wearing little to no makeup. For the duration of the live chat, Hadid and Roe discussed a variety of issues pertaining to the Black Lives Matter movement. The Vogue covergirl has been quarantining and reveling in the joys of pregnancy at her mother Yolanda Hadid's ranch in Pennsylvania amid COVID-19. Pro tips: 'This angle and the really baggy jumpsuit make for an optical illusion. From the side it's a different story! haha wishing u the best,' explained Hadid in the comment section Under wraps: Hadid first became aware of her pregnancy in late February/early March, while jetting around the world for various Fashion Weeks; Hadid pictured in March Hadid first became aware of her pregnancy in late February/early March, while jetting around the world for various Fashion Weeks. In January, Gigi publicly rekindled her on-and-off again romance with boyfriend and former One Direction member Zayn. The pair first began dating in 2015 and endured their very first split in March of 2018. Though they reunited later that year, they would split once more in January of 2019, followed by their rekindling in 2020. Online activism: For the duration of the live chat, Hadid and Roe discussed a variety of issues pertaining to the Black Lives Matter movement Gigi did not confirm the news of her pregnancy, herself, until her appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon in April. 'Obviously, we wish we could've announced it on our own terms, but we're very excited and happy and grateful for everyone's well wishes and support,' she gushed. Days after Hadid's confirmation, an insider revealed to Us Weekly that Zayn 'could not be more excited' to be by Gigi's side and enjoying the journey to parenthood together. 'Even when there were times that they weren't a couple, the love was still very much there,' added the source. Shocking: Gigi Hadid shocked fans in April when she revealed she was expecting a child with beau Zayn Malik, 27, and happened to be a 'few months' along in her pregnancy; Zayn and Gigi pictured in January Tranquil: The Vogue covergirl has been quarantining and reveling in the joys of pregnancy at her mother Yolanda Hadid's ranch in Pennsylvania amid COVID-19; Gigi pictured on Instagram in May As she continues to quarantine, Gigi has been providing her nearly 55million followers on Instagram with constant content pertaining to her family, fashion, and causes close to her heart. On Tuesday, the blonde beauty used her page to unveil her latest smoldering campaign for Chanel. In an evocative snapshot taken by Melodie McDaniel, she showed off her taut midriff in a flowing black crop top with colorful embroidery. 'Have been waiting since December to share this dream-come-true!!!' she gushed at the beginning of her caption. For the headline writers, he is the gift that keeps on giving. Jason Donovan, still etched in our hearts as Scott from Neighbours, has been proving himself to be the neighbour we'd all love to have in real life. Not once but twice in recent times he has dashed to the rescue of those who have needed help on his doorstep. In September last year, he woke in the wee small hours to notice smoke pouring from the house opposite. He darted in his underpants, mind, which we thought only happened in soaps across the road, putting out the blaze with his own home's fire extinguishers. His neighbours dubbed him 'the best neighbour in the history of the world'. The firefighters who attended gave him a very public thumbs-up too, tweeting about what happens when neighbours become good friends. You can imagine the headlines, too. 'No one had to think too far out of the box,' Jason laughs. Proud father Jason Donovan, 52, joined his daughter Jemma, 20, on the Ramsay Street set as she landed her first job in Neighbours Just a few weeks later an elderly woman collapsed in the street near his home while he was out for a jog. He immediately went to assist, sitting with the lady (in his shorts this time) until the emergency services arrived. She came round in time to see that it was Jason Donovan who had saved her. She was a fan. 'She did come to see me in a show afterwards, and came backstage, which was nice,' he admits. 'But none of it was a big deal. It just so happened that both these events occurred within a quarter of a mile of my home. I did what anyone would do. I hope someone would do the same for me.' More publicity crazed stars might have taken advantage of these episodes. Jason, by contrast, seems rather embarrassed at all the hoo-ha. In the current climate, he says, it's a bit much to suggest he's a hero when 'the real heroes are the nurses and the policemen and the key workers, all those people who keep us safe.' Still, with the pandemic we have all found ourselves living in an era when being a good neighbour has never been more important. He says he has been awed by the sense of community in his own street. 'We have an elderly lady next door, so I've been checking on her, talking to people when I've been out and about, and I think the Clapping for Carers thing was one of the real positives to come out of all this.' Jason celebrated his 52nd birthday in lockdown. He did it in a way which is very Jason Donovan-at-52. His family presented him with a Top Of The Pops cake, and a hedge-trimmer. I imagine he'd be delighted to lend it to any neighbour who doesn't have one. He's that sort of guy. He's very much the family man, too. He met his British wife Angela in 1998 and they have three children - Jemma, 20, Zach, 19, and Molly, nine. This is the 2020 Jason Donovan; good husband, dad, public citizen, neighbour, hedge-trimmer owner. It's a very different version to the 'good boy gone bad' of the mid-Nineties, when his drug binges were legendary; he reportedly suffered a drug-induced seizure and collapsed at Kate Moss's 21st birthday party at the notorious Viper Room in Los Angeles. There was an astonishing anecdote, too, about him collapsing on Jack Nicolson's shoulder. It's hard to reconcile this version of Jason with the one that went before. While his son Zach, a politics student at Edinburgh University, has been back home during lockdown, eldest daughter Jemma is in Australia. She landed her first job as an actress on you guessed it Neighbours. Some might forgive Jason for being a bit fearful about his daughter wanting to follow in his rather hazard-strewn footsteps, but he isn't at all. 'I know what a great start it will give her. You worry about your children finding a passion in life, but she knows what she wants to do, which is half the battle. And what better place to start. 'This show has been going for 30, 40 years. No show in the history of Australia has lasted that long, and I'm extremely proud of what it gave me. She's doing well so far. She's smashing it. We still have family out there too [his father is in Melbourne] and she has an Australian passport, so it's kind of a second home.' Yes, Jemma's character is related to the one he played. Even he isn't entirely sure how to untangle the convoluted soap family trees, but she might play Scott's grand-niece 'although I'm not entirely sure how they are related' who is attached to a British branch of the family. 'She has a British accent in it,' he confirms. In 1988, 20million British viewers tuned in to watch Jason Donovan marry Kylie Minogue on Neighbours (pictured) Jason's is an astonishing showbiz story. He came to fame ('I never wanted the fame. I only ever wanted to perform,' he says today) as a fresh-faced teenager in the iconic Aussie soap, which was fast developing cult status in the UK. His actor father had been in Neighbours, and he stepped into the industry with no lofty ambitions about where it would take him. He says: 'I'd watched my dad, and actors like him, struggle to get work. Only one per cent of actors make enough to support themselves.' Yet his was a rare success story. In 1988, 20 million British viewers watched him marry Kylie Minogue (Charlene Mitchell to his Scott Robinson). This week Twitter has been agog that Scott and Charlene have just celebrated their 32nd wedding anniversary. The fact the love-birds were dating in real life captured public attention. From Neighbours they landed in the UK, with pop moguls Stock, Aitken and Waterman determined to make them music stars, too. It worked until Kylie left Jason for the late rock star Michael Hutchence. Jason's life took a colourful turn, in all senses. Professionally, he was on a high. Andrew Lloyd Webber spotted his potential and cast him in Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat in 1991, which gave him his third solo UK No1 with Any Dream Will Do. But he wasn't wearing his success easily, and being so publicly dumped for an apparently cooler model was excruciating. By the mid-Nineties the golden boy was bingeing on cocaine. He credits Angela with helping him clean up his life. She was a stage manager and they met while he was performing in The Rocky Horror Show in 1998. 'There was this opportunity to change, and I took it. I fell in love with her, met my best friend really. She was strong. I put my old address book to one side and I tried to invent a new world, and thank God I did.' He and Kylie, however, remained good friends. He went to her 50th birthday party in 2018, a night described by David Walliams as 'the best party ever', something Jason agrees with. 'It was fantastic. She was on great form and it was fantastic seeing people I hadn't seen in years.' It must be odd if not annoying to be consistently asked about Kylie Minogue when she belonged in a very old chapter of his life. But he understands. 'I know people are fascinated. I absolutely get it, but that was a long time ago and so much has happened in my life. Of course we keep in touch, though. She's a wonderful person, an incredible artist and a friend. What we achieved together was incredible.' It seems ironic, however, that in the end Jason's personal life turned out to be the more conventional, settled one. How do you set children on the right path in life, though, when your path has meandered somewhat? He says his mantra to them has been 'work hard, find your passion, respect others'. But mostly 'work hard'. Even at his wildest, he says, he still pitched up for work, and it was his work ethic that lifted him up. This week, Twitter has been agog that Scott and Charlene (above), Kylie Minogue and Jason Donovan's Neighbours characters, have just celebrated their 32nd wedding anniversary He's sold more than 13 million albums, had success in musicals including Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and Sweeney Todd, and enjoyed profile-raising appearances on I'm A Celebrity in 2006 and 2011's Strictly Come Dancing. He would be on tour now if not for the lockdown. He can't wait to get back on stage. 'I've never lost the buzz. That's the thing you worry about your children not finding a buzz for something they love.' He says his best advice to his kids is that they shouldn't take themselves too seriously, and be prepared for life's curveballs. 'I've told them they can have a bit of fun along the way, but they've got to be prepared to make mistakes and learn from them.' What if their mistakes include, as his did, drugs? 'I've always been very open about all the things I've done. As a family we are very open. 'The best thing about that time is that I now know in my life what I don't want to do, and isn't it wonderful to be able to teach your kids that?' Not that he could hide his past exploits even if he wanted to. A quick Google reveals all. 'It's not an era where you can hide, but I don't mind. As long as I've come through it and have had a positive outcome.' He's not one of those parents who, on the issue of drugs, says a stern 'don't do it, kids'. 'You'd be stupid if you did,' he says. 'But I hope I've educated my kids to make the right choices, to respect their family and friends, and their bodies and health.' He jogs most mornings and says discovering exercise, and its role as a stress alleviator, has been one of his great savours. 'My dad is 85 now, and still out there swimming laps in the pool every day. That's my goal.' There was also a time when Jason Donovan was embarrassed about being Jason Donovan. He understands that drive ultimately self-destructive to turn yourself into something you are not. 'There were times where I wanted to reverse my image, change the perception. It happens to many artists, they want to rebel, and for better or worse, that's what I did.' Now he can say he is proud of every minute. Even the cheesy pop songs? Especially the cheesy pop songs! 'The cool music press never embraced them but how can you ignore 200 million people. It is frothy pop but it appeals to millions. The cool music press thought Abba were a waste of time because they weren't talking about politics. 'But how many people smile when they hear Dancing Queen? I'm very proud that my songs have stood the test of time, too. Pop is wonderful, but it should be light. We need lightness at the moment. More than ever, we need it.' Full details of Jason's UK tour 2021 are available on jasondonovan.com. It seems The Bachelorette's Carlin Sterritt was determined to look his best while delivering the sad news of his split with Angie Kent. Just days before confirming the break-up, the 30-year-old actor had paid a visit to a cosmetic clinic to get his lip fillers topped up. He debuted his plump new pout a day later, uploading several videos to Instagram of himself confirming his break-up from Angie, 30. Before and after: The Bachelorette's Carlin Sterritt debuted his heartbreak lip fillers while confirming his split from Angie Kent this week. Pictured left in January, right on Wednesday While Carlin poured his heart out in the selfie-style videos, fans would be forgiven for being distracted by his decidedly puffy pout. The reality star's penchant for cosmetic injections was revealed during The Bachelorette last year. Speaking to Angie and his fellow contestants during a 'Truth Box' challenge, Carlin admitted that he'd had lip fillers in 2017 after separating from his first wife. Splitsville: It seems Carlin was determined to look his best while delivering the sad news of his split with Angie (right). Pictured together in February What a difference! Carlin's exaggerated pout was on full display in his emotional break-up videos. Pictured left in December 2019, right on Wednesday 'So, after I got my separation, everything was at an all-time low... like, my confidence. And I got my lips done,' he said. His fellow suitors Timm Hanly, Jackson Garlick, Ryan Anderson, Alex Mckay and Matt Whyatt all burst into laughter. Timm mockingly said: 'You got your lips done? Shut the gate, you are kidding! Carlin walking around like a duck?' Throwback! Carlin has previously admitted to getting lip fillers in 2017 following his separation from his first wife, Taran Higgins (right), whom he married in 2016 Plumped to perfection: Just days before confirming his break-up with Angie, Carlin paid a visit to a cosmetic clinic to get his lip fillers topped up Meanwhile, Carlin documented himself getting lip injections on Tuesday by uploading a video of the procedure to Instagram Stories. The newly-single Instagram influencer beamed as his pout was pumped up with the dermal filler, which subtly increased his lip volume. Carlin explained in the caption: 'Quick, painless. Small enhancements.' Happy to be there! Carlin smiled as his pout was pumped up with dermal filler, which subtly increased his lip volume Rumours of Carlin's split from Angie emerged in early June, when fans noticed they were no longer following each other on Instagram. At the time, the pair quickly re-followed each other and denied reports they had broken up, instead blaming the activity on a 'glitch in the system'. Weeks later, they reignited speculation when fans noticed they'd unfollowed each other on Instagram for a second time. Angie is living in Queensland with her family, while Carlin is based in Sydney. Tamil Nadu, which is only behind Maharashtra in terms of the coronavirus count, counted the toll of a massive explosion at the Neyveli lignite plant to six dead and over 17 injured. The blast took place at a boiler of Neyveli Lignite Corporation in Cuddalore this afternoon. This tragedy, like most other tragedies in India, was waiting to happen. Several small accidents were raising an alarm for a big one about to happen but those (ir)responsible put the alarm on snooze only to be woken up today with a loud bang. The Neyveli lignite plant explosion left six dead and over 17 injured. (Photo: India Today) Units that should have been retired between 2011 and 2015, were still operational at the plant because new units were not commissioned. The safe operating life of a thermal power plant is estimated to be around 25 years. At Neyveli Lignite Thermal Power Station (NLTPS), a large number of units are 25-57 years old. Now, some customary compensation would be announced for the casualties. Accountability wont even be counted among the casualty. This was not even the last thing Tamil Nadu needed amid the pandemic which has forced several districts of the state into another 15 days of lockdown. Tamil Nadu has extended the lockdown, but the European Union is reopening its borders not just to members of European Union, but also those outside of it. Before you jump with joy, please sit down and know that India is not among the 14 countries whose people EU would allow to come in for summer travel. You can drop your shoulders now. We get your disappointment. If it is of any relief, we would like you to know that the US, Russia and Brazil too are not getting entry into European territory any time soon. What about China? If it allows Europeans in, Europeans would allow the Chinese in. The EU said China is subject to confirmation of reciprocity. The European Union is reopening its borders not just to members of European Union, but also to those outside of it. (Photo: Reuters) Now, this list that EU has released is not one etched in stone. This list of nations to which and from which travel is allowed will be updated every 14 days. New countries can be added and those already added can be dropped based on the rise and fall in the number of coronavirus cases. For now, citizens from Australia, New Zealand, Canada, South Korea, Georgia, Algeria, Japan, Montenegro, Thailand, Uruguay, Rwanda, Serbia, Tunisia, Morocco, are on the list - allowed entry into EUs 27 members and four other nations on EUs visa-free Schengen travel zone. The Schengen zone is an area where member countries have made borders irrelevant for humans. For panchhi, nadiya and pawan ke jhoke, the entire world is a Schengen zone (that film Refugee turned 20 yesterday, by the way). Schengen is now a zone, but till the signing of the Schengen Agreement on June 14, 1985, Schengen was just a town in Luxembourg. You guessed it right, Schengen, a winemaking town and commune, is where the agreement was signed. In 1990, the agreement was supplemented by the Schengen Convention. The convention proposed total abolition of internal border controls and a common visa policy. Schengen, our Word Of The Day, comprises 26 countries. A total of 22 belong to the European Union and the other four are part of the European Free Trade Association. Schengen is at the mid-point of the Moselle River, which winds its way through the heart of Europe. (Photo: Ananya Bhattacharya) Now, you may not even visit Schengen (the town) when you visit Europe, but what you have in your possession is a Schengen visa when you visit the zone. Schengen is at the mid-point of the Moselle River, which winds its way through the heart of Europe. Its the place where three countries - Luxembourg, Germany, France - meet. The place has European Museum Schengen which is where for history lovers, if you have no love for European history, Schengen can treat you to great views for day-time hikes. For now, you can treat yourself to photos and videos of Schengen and the Schengen zone. The reason India is not invited is the rise in cases. July has started but, lets go back to June to see how bad the month proved. Over 4,00,000 people were tested positive for the virus. At the end of May, India was the eighth worst-affected country in the world. At the end of June, we are the fourth worst. The country is now close to 6,00,000 cases with over 17,000 dead due to the virus. You now know India is not going to figure even on the invited-to-Europe list. A European country, UK, has meanwhile suggested that Britons need to lose a few kilograms to beat the virus. The suggestion has come from UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson himself after he rallied againt UK being a nanny state. Whats a nanny state? A state where the government starts to behave like a nanny, interfering unduly with personal choice. Tumhare bhale ke liye keh rahe hain! Sounds familiar? We bet it does. Johnson rallied against being a nanny state before the pandemic. Now, himself having suffered Covid-19, Johnson has a tip to offer lose weight to defeat the virus. Now, thats something doctors tell you all the time. Boris Johnson wants people to lose weight to fight Covid-19. (Photo: Reuters) Dr Johnson, who is no doctor, said to his countrymen: ... When you look at the numbers, when you look at the pressure on the NHS, compare, I'm afraid, this wonderful country of ours to other European countries, we are significantly fatter than most. People in Boris Johnsons UK may be fatter than most but they are not as fat as the people of the European nation Malta, which has an obesity rate of 28.9 per cent in comparison to UKs 27.8 per cent. But all of this pales when figures are compared with the Republic of Nauru. An estimated 94.5 per cent of its residents as overweight, while the obesity rate is 71.7 per cent. Nauru gained independence in 1968. Till then, the country had been dependent on marine fish, coconut, vegetables and fruits for food. Soon after that, the country profited from mining. The profits percolated through to the masses and so the average per capita income rose sharply. As money increased, people did not feel the need to work. So they went for a more sedentary lifestyle. That lifestyle may be desirable but it certainly is not healthy. So, Boris Johnson is smart to be forewarning his countrymen about keeping their weight in check. He even did a few push-ups to show them he was serious about it. You know not everything coming from the nanny is to be rejected. But you must feel comfortable under your skin - even if you are bored living inside the house no matter what people say. Now, people can get nasty when it comes to saying things. At time knowingly; at others, unknowingly. Actor Akshay Kumar's Saugandh (1991) and Ikke Pe Ikka (1994) co-star Shanthipriya says Akshays comment on her skin tone made her cry. In an interview to Hindi daily Navbharat Times, Shanthipriya said that she used to wear skin-coloured stockings and once while they were shooting, Akshay joked that her knees looked darker than usual. The Bollywood actor apparently did not stop at that, and went on to say that Shanthipriya had blood clots in her knees. This left everyone laughing. Shanthipriya said she later cried a lot. Post the interview, she tweeted saying making those comments were @akshaykumar's way of being playful with me. I want to make it clear, making those comments were @akshaykumar's way of being playful with me. Even though his comments stayed with me for a while, I believe he didn't mean to hurt me or cause me distress. I adore all of his work and wish him love & luck for his future! https://t.co/iISv0SVBno shanthipriya (@iamshanthipriya) June 30, 2020 Shanthipriya is the best judge in the matter since the incident happened with her. But do you know that Shanthipriya is related to legendary Marathi filmmaker V Shantaram? This one is complicated, so pay attention. Actor Shanthipriya was married to actor Siddharth Ray, who played inspector Karan in the 1993 superhit Baazigar. Rays mother Charushila Ray was the daughter of V Shantaram from his first wife V Shantaram - Vimla Shantaram, i.e. So, V Shantaram was Siddharth Rays grandfather, and that was Shantipriyas connection with Shantaram. Far-fetched? In life you do not know which of your connections will come to your rescue and how far. The film industry is anyway a web of connections both intricate and distant. We will leave you thinking about the web for today. Be back tomorrow. Also Read: DailyOh! Modi offers nation more ration, to why TikTok has no choice but share data with China Michael Reagan is the son of President Ronald Reagan, a political consultant, and the author of "Lessons My Father Taught Me: The Strength, Integrity, and Faith of Ronald Reagan." He is the founder of the email service reagan.com and president of The Reagan Legacy Foundation. Visit his websites at www.reagan.com and www.michaelereagan.com. Send comments to Reagan@caglecartoons.com. Follow @reaganworld on Twitter. Or consider a case with wider application the monuments to Christopher Columbus, like the one removed from a small park in my hometown, New Haven, Connecticut, last week. These statues acknowledge the general debt that the New Worlds colonists, settlers and immigrants owe to the man who connected Europe and the Americas, along with (in most cases) the specific desire of Italian American immigrants to acknowledge and lay claim to an Italian explorer. And just as Yales debt to Elihu exists so long as anyone believes that Yale is good and worth preserving, the American debt to Columbus audacity exists so long as we are grateful to have had ancestors who crossed the seas to settle here notwithstanding his cruelty in governing Hispaniola or any other crime. With a stroke of the governor's pen, Mississippi is retiring the last state flag in the U.S. with the Confederate battle emblem a symbol that's widely condemned as racist. Republican Gov. Tate Reeves on Tuesday signed the historic bill that takes the 126-year-old state flag out of law, immediately removing official status for the banner that has been a source of division for generations. "This is not a political moment to me but a solemn occasion to lead our Mississippi family to come together, to be reconciled, and to move on," Reeves said in a statement. "We are a resilient people defined by our hospitality. We are a people of great faith. Now, more than ever, we must lean on that faith, put our divisions behind us, and unite for a greater good." Mississippi has faced increasing pressure to change its flag since protests against racial injustice have focused attention on Confederate symbols. Critics have said for generations that it's wrong for a state where 38% of the people are Black to have a flag marked by the Confederacy, particularly since the Ku Klux Klan and other hate groups have used the symbol to promote racist agendas. More than 80 people signed up to participate in the virtual meeting and many said the city needs to do a larger study of the area. Others were concerned that the new configuration would direct traffic along Grady Avenue. Duncan said that vehicles that need to continue down Preston Avenue will take that route and arent likely to go straight into Grady Avenue. City officials also stressed that the proposal is only a concept and was necessary to determine cost for the application. They said that the design could change once funding is awarded. The city has a horrific history of ignoring the whims of the people. And that should be troubling and bothersome to everyone, especially to city staff, said resident Don Gathers. The project would also hurt access to businesses in the area by redirecting Preston Avenue, Gathers said. I think this is just another avenue to make access easier for [the University of Virginia], which drives so much of what goes on in the city of Charlottesville. Its bothersome, its sickening especially when they dont even consider themselves part of the city, he said. I really wish that at some point the city would consider the whims, wants and wishes of the community. Police have used tear gas, pepper spray, flash-bang grenades and other weapons to break up crowds and enforce unlawful assemblies they have declared. They have defended the tactics, saying protesters have provoked the use of force by hurling projectiles at officers and taken part in other law-breaking. Dozens have been arrested. The Richmond Police Department has not, to date, responded to a request from the Times-Dispatch for an accounting of how many times its officers have used the weapons or how much the department has spent on them. Smith comes to Richmond from a department that faced backlash for its use of the weapons on protesters. A North Carolina judge issued a temporary injunction suspending the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Departments use of tear gas earlier this month. He inherits a department protesters have demanded the City Council defund. Other initiatives are on the table, too, including a civilian review board and a ban on the use of chemical irritants and other weapons. Calling him a reform-minded leader, Stoney has charged Smith with working with residents to reimagine public safety in the city. Details have not yet been released on a taskforce Stoney said would aid that effort. "As a teacher, it means that I feel a lot better. I had to look my students in the eye and say, 'Im not sure why this is still here.' I was oblivious forever. Its never too late to keep learning, to better understand the purpose of these monuments and how they affect all of our friends and neighbors." He said he was glad that the statues came down due to government action and not forced removal by protesters. "We needed this to happen this way because it shows that the government is responsive to the people. Yes, there was a lot of anger there still is but we need to show that the folks in charge can do the right thing," Rider said. Zach Bazemore, who lives nearby, also was happy the statue was coming down. [The Stonewall Jackson monument] never should have been here in the first place and its about time they took it down. Its one step forward, small as it may be, but weve got to start somewhere." The folks at First Baptist Church were inside working when they were alerted the commotion by the statue. They have been moving through the crowd delivering cold water to anyone who needs it. Weve been trying to be good neighbors, says facilities manager Bonnie Wilmoth. The protest started on university property but was expected to move into the city, which it did. Protesters blocked a major intersection for some two hours, but the march did not escalate into violence. That might have been the end of it had not a city planning commissioner challenged City Council during its June 15 virtual meeting to explain why state troopers were driving city vehicles, staging their activities at Vinegar Hill, and [preparing] to disrupt the protest. Vinegar Hill is the site of a former Black community that was razed in the 1960s for urban renewal. The loss of homes and businesses has generated a legitimate sense of betrayal among many in the African American community. The City Yard, where city vehicles are stored and maintenance buildings are situated, is located on that hill. Using it as a police staging area could have exacerbated resentment of the police. However, there is no indication that state police were intending to disrupt the protest, as long as it remained peaceful. Nacogdoches, TX (75965) Today Partly cloudy skies this morning. Thunderstorms likely during the afternoon. Storms may contain strong gusty winds. High 88F. Winds S at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 80%.. Tonight Thunderstorms. Low 69F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 80%. Locally heavy rainfall possible. Our legislature is coming back into session ... and we are going to stand up there ... in terms of what we have to do in terms of justice, Lamont said. I am here to tell you something else: you can only do so much through legislation ... youve also got to change the heart. Youve got to change the heart and that takes each and every one of you standing up. We hope it's been a good Fourth of July weekend, considering everything from the heat wave to the racial unrest to the ongoing COVID-19 pandem South Africa: 10 700 COVID-19 patients hospitalised since March Health Minister, Dr Zweli Mkhize, has urged the elderly and those living with comorbidities to take extra precaution, avoid leaving home and ensure their chronic conditions are managed. Citing the National Institute for Communicable Diseases report released on 21 June, Mkhize said it confirmed that these population groups are most vulnerable. This report brings all these issues home and gives us a sense of the burden we have faced, how the system has coped and marries these lessons to the projections that have been modelled of the coming surge, he said. According to the NICD report, 10 700 COVID-19 patients have been admitted from 269 public and private facilities between 5 March and 21 June 2020. The study revealed that the median age of COVID-19 admissions was 50 years, 338 were patients who are 18 years and younger and 1 386 older than 70, while 5 778 were female. In addition, 8 245 patients had comorbid conditions, 2 810 had one and 3 126 had two or more underlying illnesses. Of the 5 836 patients who had a comorbid condition, the most commonly reported were hypertension 3 419 and diabetes 2 813 and there were 1 116 patients admitted with HIV, 240 with active tuberculosis and 579 patients with the previous history of tuberculosis. Clinicians also noted obesity as a risk factor in 297 patients. Of the 10 700 admissions, 3 260 patients were in the hospital at the time of the report, 5 925 patients were discharged alive or transferred out, and 1 515 patients had died, Mkhize added. Mkhize noted that some of the factors associated with in-hospital mortality were older age groups; male sex; and having comorbid hypertension, diabetes, chronic cardiac disease, chronic renal disease, malignancy, HIV and obesity. We wish to detail them for the public to demonstrate the connection between science and the recommendations that we make, Mkhize said. Facts about COVID-19 illness caused by SARS-CoV-2 Mkhize said he was pleased with how clinical and epidemiological knowledge around this disease has developed at an extraordinary rate. Meanwhile, a vaccine has already advanced to the human trial phase, he said in his statement on Tuesday. This is how determined we are, collectively, to beat this virus and minimise its impact on us as humanity. The Minister said they are constantly learning more about the behaviour of the virus when it enters the body. We have since learnt that the virus is shed through the airways and spreads by infected droplets passing from one individual to another. Mkhize added that the virus has also been detected in saliva, tear fluid, stool, and mens semen with acute infection and some male patients who have recovered. Having said that, sexual transmission of the virus has not been recorded, he explained. There have been intense studies into the duration expulsion and release of the virus as well as determining how long Coronavirus survives on surfaces. The duration varies from hours to days depending on the severity of disease or the nature of the study itself. He said COVID-19 ranges from asymptomatic or mild symptoms to severe illness and death. Symptoms may develop between two days and two weeks following exposure to the virus. Clinical characteristics of COVID-19 include fever and symptoms typical of a viral respiratory tract infection including coughing, sore throat, loss of taste and smell, nasal congestion, and even conjunctivitis. Further, gastrointestinal symptoms of nausea, vomiting, and diarrhoea are also common with COVID-19. He said the virus could progress to cause lower respiratory tract infection resulting in, pneumonia and its complications. Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) is a serious complication of COVID-19. The lungs may become stiff and difficult to ventilate, he said, adding that ARDS is associated with a high mortality rate. Mkhize said there have been two major advancements in the case management of severely ill patients who require ventilator support. First is the advent of dexamethasone which has shown that deaths can be reduced by a third for patients on ventilators and can also help patients who only need supplemental oxygen. He said they are now recommending early administration of this drug to critically ill patients who require oxygen support. Evidence increasingly supports the avoidance of invasive ventilation strategies as far as possible. The Minister said they are expecting the Ministerial Advisory Committee on COVID-19 to issue advisories on the use of high flow oxygen for patients who are very ill but can be managed without intubation and ventilation. Washing hands, cleaning surfaces and wearing a mask a must Mkhize has once again emphasised the importance of frequent hand washing, avoidance of touching the face and cleaning of surfaces. We have recommended social distancing based on the fact that droplets traverse a certain distance from person to person. Also, wearing of facemasks reduces the amount of exhaled Coronavirus, he said. We also now know that one can shed the virus days before showing symptoms and for days after they recover from their symptoms and so by wearing facemasks, one can literally save someone else from acquiring the virus. If that person is elderly or living with comorbidity, you can save that life. Mkhize emphasised the need to establish and keep new habits and turning them into traditions, customs and working lives forever. This is proving to be particularly difficult for South Africans to sustain and we appreciate that it is not easy to become accustomed to a new way of life, he admitted. The Minister said government was doing their best for the message to reach the people. These are the things that will prevent one from being admitted into hospital in the first place, he said. But for those unfortunate ones who do become ill and need hospitalisation, we should be assured our doctors and nurses in facilities are doing a terrific job. He has praised the medical practitioners for keeping the morbidity and mortality rates lower than the global average. No decision about another lockdown According to Mkhize, there has not been any decision taken to have another lockdown. And certainly the National Coronavirus Command Council does not take lightly a decision of that nature. There may be a need in some areas for restrictions; it may not be national but localised. But no such decision has been taken as yet. He has pleaded with the public to work together to fight COVID-19. We are riding into the storm, but, together, we will prevail. SAnews.gov.za This story has been published on: 2020-07-01. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Hong Kong citizens celebrate the passage of the Law of the People's Republic of China on Safeguarding National Security in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) in Causeway Bay of south China's Hong Kong, June 30, 2020. (Xinhua/Wang Shen) "We believe that every country has the right to safeguard its national security through legislation, and commend relevant steps taken for this purpose." GENEVA, June 30 (Xinhua) -- Speaking at the 44th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council on Tuesday, Cuba on behalf of 52 countries welcomed the adoption of the law on Safeguarding National Security in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region by China's top legislature. The number of countries, which signed the joint statement Cuba read at the session, is expected to rise. "Non-interference in internal affairs of sovereign states is an essential principle enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations and a basic norm of international relations," a representative of Cuba read the joint statement. "In any country, the legislative power on national security issues rests with State, which in essence is not a human rights issue and therefore not subject to discussion at the Human Rights Council," said the statement. "We believe that every country has the right to safeguard its national security through legislation, and commend relevant steps taken for this purpose." "In this context, we welcome the adoption of the decision by China's legislature to establish and improve a legal framework and enforcement mechanisms for the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) for the purpose of safeguarding national security, as well as China's reaffirmation of adherence to 'one country, two systems' guideline," the statement said. Photo taken on June 12, 2020 shows the night view of Victoria Harbour in Hong Kong, south China. (Xinhua/Wang Shen) "We are convinced that this move is conducive to ensure 'one country, two systems' is steady and enduring, and that Hong Kong enjoys long term prosperity and stability. The legitimate rights and freedoms of Hong Kong residents can also be better exercised in a safe environment," it continued. "We reiterate that Hong Kong is an inseparable part of China, that Hong Kong affairs are China's internal affairs that brook no interference by foreign forces. We urge relevant sides to stop interfering in China's internal affairs by using Hong Kong related issues," it concluded. Chinese lawmakers on Tuesday voted to adopt the law at the 20th session of the Standing Committee of the 13th National People's Congress (NPC), China's top legislature. It took effect at 11:00 p.m. local time on Tuesday in Hong Kong. The promulgation of the law was signed by HKSAR Chief Executive Carrie Lam and published in the Gazette, according to a statement of the HKSAR government. The law that has 66 articles in six chapters clearly defines the duties and government bodies of the HKSAR for safeguarding national security; the offenses and their corresponding penalties; jurisdiction, applicable law and procedure; office of the central people's government for safeguarding national security in the HKSAR; and other contents. 99 cent introductory offer Includes everything we offer online for 24-7 news. This option allows you to read unlimited stories at ctnewsonline.com, and access our e-Edition (digital replicate of the daily newspaper). $7.99 per month after the introductory offer. This service comes with a complimentary CT Select Card allowing for local discounts. Rates are subject to change. Glacier County Chief Financial Officer Chancy Kittson updates the Commissioners and public on the Countys financial issues on June 25. Also pictured is County Attorney Terryl Matt. The Darien, CT Police Department is a professional, accredited and highly trained organization made up of caring and engaged officers and support staff. The following is the long standing mission statement of our agency. These are not mere words and platitudes; the staff of this department strive diligently to always fulfill our mission statement. The mission of the Darien Police Department is to work cooperatively with the public and within the framework of the Constitution to enforce the laws, preserve the peace, reduce fear, and provide a safe environment in our neighborhoods. The Darien Police Department exists to serve the community by protecting life and property; by preventing crime; by enforcing the laws; and by maintaining order for all people. Central to our mission are the values which guide our work and decisions. These help us contribute to the high quality of life in Darien. The public trust and confidence given to those in the police service requires the adoption and compliance of stated values, which are the foundation upon which our policies, goals, and operations are built. a. We value human life and dignity, as guaranteed by the Constitution. b. We believe that integrity is the basis for community trust. c. We respect the principles which are embodied in the Constitution of the United States. d. We recognize the authority of federal, state, and local laws. e. We strive for personal and professional excellence. f. We are accountable to the people of the community and to each other. g. We believe that cooperation with the community and the members of our organization will enable us to combine our diverse backgrounds, skills, and styles to achieve common goals beneficial to the community and the Darien Police Department. h. We are most effective when we can identify and solve community problems. i. We are dedicated, caring, and capable people who are performing important and satisfying work for the people of the Town of Darien. The recognition and statement of values by a police department is important. Values are the foundation of everything for which we stand and believe. The leadership of the Darien Police Department has the expectation that members of the Department will adhere to the highest ethical standards. Recent events in our country have led to the creation of a Campaign Zero initiative which was designed to assist law enforcement agencies in reducing use of force incidents. I would like to clearly state where the Darien, CT Police Department stands on these Eight That Cant Wait. Read more: https://www.marthastewart.com/349740/stracciatella-soup 1. Banning Chokeholds and Strangleholds This is a specific area where the Darien Police Department, being an accredited police agency, was already in full compliance in this area. The longstanding general order of our department is, and has been for many years, very clear and succinct; Chokeholds are not permitted unless deadly force is warranted. 2. Require De-Escalation The Darien Police Department has fourteen officers who are specifically trained in Critical Incident Training (CIT) with additional officers scheduled for this vital training in the near future. Managing crisis incidents with de-escalation a prime goal is one of the principles of this training. All officers receive de-escalation training on a continuous and ongoing basis. In addition, based on minimum standards recently set forth in the POST-C Compliance to Law Enforcement Standards and Practices (CLESP) program, we have further codified the requirement that officers deploy de-escalation/calming strategies and/or verbal warnings prior to the use of force when feasible. De-escalation has been defined as taking action or communicating verbally or non-verbally during a potential force encounter in an attempt to stabilize the situation and reduce the immediacy of the threat so that more time, options, and resources can be called upon to resolve the situation without the use of force or with a reduction in the force necessary. De-escalation may include the use of such techniques as command presence, advisements, warnings, verbal persuasion and tactical repositioning. Whenever an officer believes that de-escalation is feasible, based on his or her training and judgement, such techniques shall be the first deployed by the officer to gain compliance. Where time is a resource, officers shall use it to their advantage. Force shall not be used solely because a situation is taking additional time to resolve. 3. Require Warning before Shooting This General Order has the value of human life ingrained in its message. Police officers have been delegated the responsibility to protect life and property and apprehend criminal offenders. The apprehension of criminal offenders and the protection of property must be subservient to the protection of life weighed against the narrowly defined exceptions in this general order. The officer's responsibility for protecting life must include the officer's own life. Officers should first attempt to gain a subjects cooperation through the use of verbal direction (if practicable) prior to using physical force. Compliance may be obtained through a variety of approaches (e.g., persuasion, warning, commands). When appropriate, verbal commands should initially be issued in a courteous manner (this is not to imply that officers must compromise personal safety or control of a scene for the sake of civility). Last Resort: In situations in which deadly force is permissible it should be used only when any other alternative would be impractical or ineffective. It shall be the policy of the Department that this General Order will be strictly enforced. Officers must understand that deadly physical force is a most extreme measure and should only be used as a LAST RESORT. It should be borne in mind that there is always a danger of injuring innocent persons when firing a weapon, and every officer is admonished to always use the utmost caution in such cases. It shall be the policy of the Darien Police Department that because of the danger to innocent bystanders, warning shots are never fired. Where feasible, the officer will give verbal warning of intent to use deadly physical force. 4. Exhaust All Other Means before Shooting The General Orders of the Darien Police Department are very clear and succinct on this topic; Last Resort: In situations in which deadly force is permissible it should be used only when any other alternative would be impractical or ineffective. It shall be the policy of the Department that this General Order will be strictly enforced. Officers must understand that deadly physical force is a most extreme measure and should only be used as a LAST RESORT. It should be borne in mind that there is always a danger of injuring innocent persons when firing a weapon, and every officer is admonished to always use the utmost caution in such cases. 5. Duty to Intervene The duty for an officer to intervene when observing misconduct or the use of excessive force has always been a part of the code of conduct under the law enforcement oath of office. In compliance with the Connecticut Police Officer Standards and Training Council ((POST-C) CLESP (Compliance to Law Enforcement Standards and Practices) program, we have expressly further codified that an officer must intervene and report unreasonable, excessive and/or illegal uses of force. Further, an officer who directly observes a use of force that is unreasonable, excessive or otherwise in violation of our Use of Force policy, and/or a violation of state or federal statutes, shall contact a supervisor as soon as practical and submit a written report to a supervisor in a timely fashion. Retaliation against any officer who intervenes against the excessive use of force, reports misconduct, or cooperates in an internal investigation will not be tolerated. 6. Ban Shooting at Moving Vehicle It has been the longstanding policy of the Darien Police Department that the operator of a police vehicle is not to fire at another moving vehicle. The policy, directly from the departments General Orders, is listed below. Shooting at Vehicles: Is permitted only when deadly force is necessary and allowable according to General Order 2.2, Use of Deadly Force, and the Connecticut General Statutes; The firing of warning shots or the firing of a weapon at a fleeing vehicles tires is prohibited; The officer operating a motor vehicle in pursuit is not to fire a weapon under any circumstances. No officer should intentionally position his or her body into the path of a fleeing motor vehicle. Whenever possible, the involved officer should make an effort to move to an area of safety if the vehicle becomes a threat, including retreating from the threat, if practical. 7. Require Use of Force Continuum It has been the longstanding position, backed by annual defensive tactics and use of force training, that only the minimal force required (if any) should be utilized. Officers should first attempt to gain a subjects cooperation through the use of verbal direction (if practicable) prior to using physical force. Compliance may be obtained through a variety of approaches (e.g., persuasion, warning, commands). When appropriate, verbal commands should initially be issued in a courteous manner (this is not to imply that officers must compromise personal safety or control of a scene for the sake of civility). The use of force continuum or matrix has constructively been in use in the Darien Police Department for decades. The least amount of force (if any) is what is required. In accordance with CLESP standards published June 12, 2020, our General Orders are being updated to specifically further codify the standard. 8. Require Comprehensive Reporting The Darien Police Department ensures that all uses of force are thoroughly and accurately documented per department policy and state statutes. All use of force incidents, including where force is displayed but not utilized, are reported. An example of this is where an officer might draw his/her Conducted Electrical Weapon (Taser) but not actually deploy it. This provides a very accurate analysis of those incidents that are successful de-escalated without force being employed. When physical contact/defensive tactics are used to subdue a subject, the officer will: Provide medical attention as detailed the General Order. b. Notify a supervisor. A written incident report and a State of Connecticut Use of Force incident report shall be generated. Please know that we strive to be an open and transparent and approachable police agency. Should you wish to speak further on these topics or other matters of concern, I can be reached at (203) 662-5310 or via email at danderson@darienct.gov. I will put you in contact with the person in our agency who is best equipped to assist you or answer your question. Images Sorry, there are no recent results for popular images. Did you do some spring cleaning and find some neat old stuff lying around? Or are you a collector of vintage toys? If so, there are two guys on a television show who might want to meet you. American Pickers is hoping to find homes in Connecticut to visit in September and is looking for local leads. The team intends to film throughout the New England coast. American Pickers is a documentary series that explores the fascinating world of antique picking on History. The show follows Mike Wolfe and Frank Fritz, two skilled pickers, as they hunt for Americas most valuable antiques. They are always excited to find sizeable, unique collections and learn the interesting stories behind them. As they hit the back roads from coast to coast, Mike and Frank are on a mission to recycle and rescue forgotten relics. Along the way, the Pickers want to meet characters with remarkable and exceptional items. The pair hopes to give historically significant objects a new lease on life, while learning a thing or two about Americas past along the way. The show was originally intending to film over the summer but COVID-19 pushed that back. The team also says they take the pandemic very seriously and will be following all guidelines and safety protocols for filming in each state. The plans will also change if things get worse. If you or someone you know has a large, private collection or accumulation of antiques that the Pickers can spend the better part of the day looking through, American Pickers as that you send your name, phone number, location and description of the collection with photos to: americanpickers@cineflix.com or call 855-OLD-RUST. Our school needs to do a better job with exposing people to diversity and teaching them that history in America isnt all rosy, said a high school student recently, in a Zoom call with his peers and Darien school teachers. The 30-minute call, which included teens and teachers from the Darien schools history and English departments, was initiated by Class of 2020 graduate Gray Roedel, 18, in an effort to expose young people in town to more diverse cultures and backgrounds. For more on Gray, read here: Getting heard: Young people share their feelings on race relations Teachers on the call were: Keith Keeler, social studies department coordinator for 6-12 grade; Francis Janosco, 6-12 English department coordinator; Mark Stepsis, history; and Jennifer Ladd, history teacher. Students were Charlotte Domittner; Darien High School graduate; Iyanna Green, rising senior; Karys Webb, rising junior; and Osaru Uwa-Omede, rising junior. On the call, a teacher said the American history curriculum at Darien High School is ripe for a re-examination. Black History Month Many topics were addressed on the call, one of which is Black History Month. One student said Black history shouldnt just be talked about in one month. This year, we talked about black history for only a week, the student said. Its upsetting. Infusing black history into the year-round curriculum is very important, and students should learn about the accomplishments and experiences of Black people all year. A teacher said every year Black History Month happens a little bit differently at the high school. This year, the entire school basically did one thing on one day and had one lesson, and that was pretty much it, the teacher said. A student suggested an effective way to celebrate Black History month is to acknowledge it throughout the year with reading books by Black authors and reading the works of black historical figures. Also, another student said to take Black History Month a step further and Do extra things, like events and special presentations. Modern day Many students on the call expressed a preference to cover modern day Black figures as opposed to ones from the past. There are a number of ways to address that, said a teacher, one of which is to move the curriculum a little bit so that youre not starting at the very beginning, the teacher said. When we are starting so far back in American history, it takes us that much longer to step forward, the teacher said. One suggestion was when teachers cover a topic in history, such as slavery, the civil rights movement or reconstruction, they should pause and spend a week talking about what racism looks like today. A teacher said eighth graders should already have learned American history. Why are we going over that same ground again? If you spend time on the history youre never going to get to the modern day stuff, the teacher said. However, another teacher pointed out that American history is still important to know and understand. There are many groups in American history that systemically have been put down and oppressed, the teacher said. Its a very difficult dilemma because youre trying to bring the past alive. Youre trying to show how the modern situation is derived from events in the past, so it would be a shame to push all of history aside so do contemporary events. The Black experience One student said the school doesnt assign a lot of books or articles that are written from Black peoples perspectives, telling their experience. Another student said within the high school curriculum, there is a lot of focus a lot on classics like Jane Eyre, Black Beauty or Lord of the Flies, but I think that we could incorporate more literature written by the black community. That would give us a different perspective on the world. We should read literary criticism from different lenses. Additionally, a student said while speaking about authors like Frederick Douglas is OK, its more important to talk about Malcolm X and the Black Panthers Party, and all these other civil rights activists. Uncomfortable conversations A teacher asked how often do teachers delve into uncomfortable, controversial topics as opposed to the safe stuff? If something happened 150 years ago, its probably pretty safe to talk about, but things that are in the news today are not going to have universal agreement, the teacher said. So do we avoid those things just to play it safe? If so, is that really good education? A teacher spoke about author Toni Morrison, and said all of her books include scenes that lead to very uncomfortable conversations. However, the teacher said while some of Morrisons work puts the black experience front and center, there is a great deal of focus on her language, which might get in the way of interpreting her themes. Sometimes the unit is so focused on the artistry of her language that maybe we dont get at some of the bigger issues that lie behind it, the teacher said. Additionally, according to a student, there should be more of a focus on those in the Black community doing positive things. I want to shy away from books that are really negative, said a student. I really just want more positivity in the Black community and about black history in general because its not always negative. The big picture When teaching racial diversity, a teacher said that teachers in general need to be looking at how theyre pulling different threads of experiences and understandings of what life is like at different times in American history and making it relevant. They thanked the students on the call for giving their feedback and sharing their thoughts. Your voices are certainly important in that, and I appreciate you doing this and raising these issues for us to wrestle with and to try to improve and make sure that we give students the best quality experience they can as they go through the school system, a teacher said. sfox@darientimes.com As our nations celebration of Independence Day approaches, it will be a new format for most of us. Many town fireworks celebrations have been canceled as a result of the pandemic. This has resulted in many more private purchases and use of fireworks, and it seems to have started well before Fourth of July. So this year, more than ever, a reminder to use caution with fireworks. To begin with, fireworks are not allowed by law in Connecticut for use by non-professional, non-licensed users according to CT.gov. Sparklers and fountains, which technically are not considered fireworks, may be sold, but may not legally be sold to, or used by persons younger than 16. That being said, laws aside, many private users seem able to obtain and use larger fireworks that make sudden loud noises in residential neighborhoods. Nothing is going to stop those who intend to do so. All we can do is attempt to use caution ourselves. If you manage to obtain larger fireworks, it goes without saying that you should use caution where and how you use them. Keep young children away from them and avoid using fireworks when under the influence of alcohol. Pet safety Pet owners and sitters especially should take heed. Many domesticated animals are terrified of the sound of fireworks. In previous summers, The Darien Times reported on several dogs that sprinted from either their owners or dog sitters outdoors when fireworks went off. At best it results in many tears and sleepless hours to find a malnourished, dehydrated and frightened family pet. At worst, it can easily end in tragedy as animals in fear often flee without thinking which could result in running into a busy street or into unknown areas where they get lost. Many residents are on vacation or out of town and leave their dogs with dog sitters. If you are a dog sitter or are hiring a dog sitter, make sure you use or ask them to use caution when taking your dogs out in the evenings. Fireworks could be set off without warning through the next several days. Make sure your dog is securely harnessed or leashed, or within an unbreakable boundary. If necessary, keep them inside as much as possible in the evenings. If you have cats that live partially outdoors, consider keeping them indoors the next few evenings. Cats are just as likely to sprint with a sudden explosion. We all love our pets. We want them to enjoy the outdoors and exercise. But what may seem like depriving them in the short run will keep them safe in the long-term. Have a happy Fourth of July celebration, Darien. Make it a safe one for you, your loved ones, and your pets. remaining of SUPPORT LOCAL JOURNALISM! 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. Thank you for reading! Please purchase a subscription to read our premium content. If you have a subscription and are still unable to access our content, please link your digital account to your print subscription If you have a subscription, please log in or sign up for an account on our website to continue. Back in March, after President Donald Trump declared the coronavirus a national emergency, doctors felt ill-equipped to diagnose their patients or counsel them on treatment and prevention. Three months later, testing numbers are up. But primary care physicians the doctors whom many turn to first when their health declines are not always equipped to check their patients for the pathogen. And community testing sites have not been evenly distributed, snubbing some populations most vulnerable to the ill effects of the virus. Many Americans hoping to get tested are not even sure where to start looking. Nellore: An administration officer working in the AP Tourism Corporation at Nellore ruthlessly beat a differently-abled woman employee working in the office for asking him to wear a mask. C. Bhaskar, the administration officer, was later arrested. The video of the incident has gone viral. The incident took place at the Tourism Office located in the premises of Hotel Harita in Nellore on June 27, but it came to light on Tuesday. The victim has been identified as Cherukuri Usharani, 43. According to Dargamitta circle inspector Nageswaramma, Bhaskar attacked Usharani after she advised him to wear a mask when she noticed he was talking to a senior accountant, Narasimha Rao, without wearing one. Bhaskar turned on her and abused her in filthy language, dragged her out of her chair and started assaulting her face and head with the broken hand-rest of a wooden chair. It is evident from the video footage that other staff members had a tough time controlling the officer who went berserk. The intervention of the staff some members saved Usharani. Speaking to mediapersons, Usharani blamed local officers of the tourism department for the incident. She said that some officers in Nellore had made nasty allegations about her character and used foul language in the past also. She said she was forced to approach the police since local officers failed to take any action against Bhaskar. AP Tourism Development Corporation managing director Pravin Kumar said that Bhaskar was suspended immediately after he received the complaint from the employee. Disciplinary proceedings are contemplated and the accused shall not leave the headquarters without obtaining prior permission. Chairman of the State Mahila Commission Vasireddy Padma rushed to Nellore and met Usharani at the Tourism office on Tuesday. The latter explained the incident in detail. Speaking to media persons afterwards, Ms Padma expressed her anguish at the merciless assault. I have instructed the police to submit the charge sheet to the court within one week and deal with the case under the Disha Act, Padma said, adding that no one will be spared if they commit atrocities against women. District collector M.V. Seshagiri Babu was also present. The Disha Act requires an investigation to be completed in seven days and a trial in 14 days and carries the death penalty in extreme cases such as rape. In this file, the French defence minister Parly is seen with erstwhile counterpart Nirmala Sitharaman in Delhi. (PTI) New Delhi: France has extended steadfast and friendly support to India amid stand-off with China. French defence minister Florence Parly on Monday wrote to Indian defence minister Rajnath Singh condoling the death of twenty Indian soldiers in Galwan Valley on June 15 during a clash with the Chinese soldiers. Expressing deep sorrow, she said that this was a hard blow against the soldiers, their families, and the nation. In these difficult circumstances, I wish to express my steadfast and friendly support, along with that of the French armed forces. I request you to kindly convey my heartfelt condolences to the entire Indian armed forces as well as to the grieving families," Parly wrote in the letter. Recalling that India is France's strategic partner in the region, she reiterated her country's deep solidarity. She also expressed her readiness to meet Singh in India, at his invitation, to follow up on their ongoing discussions. India and France have stepped up defence engagements in recent years. India has already asked France to speed-up the deliveries of the Rafale fighters. According to the original plan, 4 Rafale jets were to arrive in India by July end. But now France is working to see if 6 Rafale aircraft could be sent by July end after request by Indian government. While the health department is yet to acknowledge community outbreak, the fresh cases give a strong indication. Of the 947 cases, in nearly 600 cases the source of infection is not found. Bengaluru continues to be under the grip of Coronavirus with 503 fresh cases. Karnataka continues to steadily record more deaths and on Tuesday 20 deaths were reported. Bellary topped the list with 6 deaths followed by Bengaluru with 4 deaths. Department of Health and Family Welfare which had concealed the source of infection in its bulletin issued from the past 2 days, chose to divulge it on Tuesday. It reveals that there are 588 cases across the state, a majority from Bengaluru with the source of infection yet to be traced. All these weeks, the cases were on the rise due to influx of returnees from different states, especially Maharashtra. Karnataka too like many other states defended the spurt in covid cases by blaming returnees from corona hot spots. But the Tuesday's bulletin showed that out of 947 cases, there were only 51 cases of returnees and the total fresh cases continue to be high and the health department isn't accepting community spread. The state is yet to deal the situation with an iron fist. ILI and SARI cases turning positive for Corona continues to be a cause for worry with nearly 100 such cases getting recorded. While Bellari recorded 61 Corona positive cases, the remaining districts have less than 50 cases. There were 235 recoveries leaving the state to deal with 7,074 active cases. Pune: Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Wednesday performed the 'mahapooja' of Lord Vitthal at Pandharpur on Ashadhi Ekadashi and said he prayed for a miracle to overcome the coronavirus crisis. Ashadhi Ekadashi, an important day in the Hindu calendar, is the 11th lunar day of Ashadha month. "I prayed to Mauli. We want to see a miracle. Show us a miracle. Human beings have given up. We don't have medicine. There is nothing. How to go on with life by covering the mouth with a strip," Thackeray tweeted after the 'mahapooja' at 2 am along with wife Rashmi. Lakhs of warkaris (devotees of Lord Vitthal) from across Maharashtra and several other states throng the temple town in Solapur district each year on Ashadhi Ekadashi. There were only a handful on Wednesday after the state authorities cancelled the annual 'wari' pilgrimage - characterised by people walking to Pandharpur with palanquins - due to spiraling coronavirus cases. Maharashtra's coronavirus case tally rose to 1,74,761 on Tuesday with addition of 4,878 new patients while the death toll mounted by 245, including 57 fatalities in Mumbai, to 7,855, state health department said. Thackeray and his wife performed the 'mahapooja' wearing face masks. Speaking after the 'mahapooja', Thackeray said he prayed to Lord Vitthal to make the country coronavirus-free. His son and state minister Aaditya Thackeray was also present at the 'mahapooja'. During the ritual, Aaditya apparently felt uneasy and returned to his car parked outside the temple for some time. 'Warkari' couple Vitthal Badhe and Anusuya Badhe, from Chinchpur-Pangul village in Pathardi taluka of Ahmednagar district, performed the mahapooja along with the Thackerays. Curfew is in force in Pandharpur since Tuesday to prevent any gathering of people in the temple town, located around 350 km from Mumbai. As the 'wari' processions were cancelled, 'padukas' (holy footprints) of saint-poets Dnyaneshwar, Tukaram and were brought to Pandharpur from Pune and Nashik in state transport buses. The chief minister said he prayed for welfare of farmers and fulfillment of dreams and aspirations of people in the state. He also handed over a cheque of Rs 5 crore to the Pandharpur Municipal Council and thanked the warkaris for cooperating with the government. Thackeray said his government will take steps to develop Pandharpur. He said devotees should offer prayers at home on Ashadhi Ekadashi instead of thronging the town. Thackeray is an avid photographer. In 2011, his book 'Pahava Vitthal' containing aerial photography of the annual Pandharpur wari, earned him praise from various quarters. In March, when there were fewer cases of COVID-19 in Maharashtra, the chief minister had asked people to avoid going to crowded places and limiting Holi celebrations, adding, "I pray the coronavirus gets burnt in the Holi fire." Mumbai: A security alert was sounded by the Mumbai police after the iconic Taj group of hotels received a threat call. The caller, claiming to be located in Pakistan, threatened to repeat the 26/11, 2008 terror attacks. The call was received post-midnight following which the police were informed and the security apparatus sprung into action in the wee hours of Tuesday. The threat calls were received at the Taj Hotel at Apollo Bunder and the Taj Lands End at Bandra at around 12.30am on the hotels landline phones. The caller claimed to be calling from Karachi and stated that the two hotels will witness a 2008 styled terror attack that was executed by the 10 Pakistani terrorists of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). The caller hung up after issuing the threat. The city was on a security alert following the attack on the Karachi Stock Exchange. With the threat calls, the security has been beefed up at both the places. The probe is underway to identify the caller, said a police officer. The police have blocked arterial lanes around the Taj Hotel in south Mumbai for vehicular traffic and the passers-by have been put under surveillance. The police added that the traffic and pedestrian movement around the hotel is to a minimum citing the COVID-19 lockdown. The police have also asked the hotel to step up security inside their two properties. A statement, issued by the Taj Hotel stated, Our safety and security teams have ensured that all our protocols and guidelines are being followed towards safeguarding lives and assets. We would like to reassure our guests and associates that all adequate steps are being taken towards the safety of the premises. The police along with state cyber police and other probe agencies have begun investigation to identify the caller and his location. Hyderabad: The right canal of Kondapochamma Sagar project suffered a breach on Tuesday morning at Shivar Venkatapur village in Markook mandal of Siddipet district. According to villagers, the breach occurred at around 7 a.m. due to which their village got flooded with Godavari water. The water also submerged fields adjoining the village, where paddy, vegetable and other crops had been planted. The canal supplies water to irrigation tanks in Jagadevpur mandal of Siddipet as also Alair, Bommalaramaram and M. Turkapally mandals in Yadadri-Bhongir district. According to officials of the irrigation department, their staff reached the point of breach and filled it to arrest leakage of water. Engineers are looking into the cause for breach, which occurred when water was released during early hours of Tuesday to fill the tanks downstream in Siddipet and Yadadri-Bhongir districts. Villagers of Venkatapur said the breach occurred about three kilometres away from Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Raos farmhouse in Erravelli village of the district. Kondapochamma Sagar Reservoir is part of the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme, which was inaugurated by the CM on May 29. Earlier too on June 12, the left and right canals suffered breaches following which KCR made a surprise visit to the Kondapochamma Sagar reservoir. Presumably, the company hopes to reduce the fixation with colour by dropping the fair from its product descriptions Britains Black Lives Matter militants touched a sensitive spot in the Indian psyche just as Hindustan Lever, Unilevers local subsidiary, also drew attention to it by banishing the words fairness, whitening and lightening from its brand descriptions. Whether or not Mahatma Gandhi was racist, as the BLM claims, there is no doubt that Indians are prejudiced against dark skins. The word for caste being varna (colour), Hindus have been charged with nursing the worlds oldest system of what became notorious in South Africa as apartheid. Britains colour bar -- a term that is never heard nowadays -- was a relatively simple matter of preference in jobs or housing. Colour is far more complex in India for the concept of beauty, involving a light skin, also enshrines questions of caste, class and identity. So, Hindustan Levers Fair & Lovely cream proved immensely popular because the brand went beyond looks also to sell a dream. The description spread hope. It promised acceptance and advancement to all those who had been disadvantaged by the lottery of birth. Presumably, the company hopes to reduce the fixation with colour by dropping the fair from its product descriptions. Johnson & Johnsons decision to no longer manufacture skin whitening products may also be impelled by the same revolutionary hope. Nandita Das, a well-known young filmmaker and actress, says even a superficial name change is a step in the right direction. At the very least, it will lead to an even wider debate about colour bias. If nothing else, such commercial decisions may help to reduce personal anguish somewhat. A British journalist covering the first Afro-Asian conference at Bandung in 1954 described how her African roommate would get up surreptitiously in the dead of night and creep into the bathroom secretly to use a device to straighten her crinkly hair. That was before the defiance of Black is Beautiful took the world by storm. In those days, a leading Hollywood filmstar of mixed descent was suspected of being killed by mercury poisoning from the skin lightener she habitually used. Ms Das mentions a Chennai-based organisations Dark is Beautiful campaign but the notion has yet to catch on. Matrimonial advertisements still emphasise wheat-complexioned brides. Some trace colour consciousness to the tenacity with which many Indians cling to the theory of Aryan descent. It came to a head when Bhagat Singh Thind, a Sikh who entered the United States in 1913 and served with the American forces in the First World War, made history by petitioning for citizenship on the grounds that he was a descendant of the Aryans of India, belonging to the Caucasian race (and, therefore) white... The American courts held that Aryan he might be, but white he was not in the Western sense of the term. Nevertheless, it is a deeply held although not explicitly articulated belief that the Hindu upper castes -- the dwija, or twice-born -- are descended from Aryans and therefore white. The unstated corollary is that the Aryan influx pushed Indias earlier (darker?) inhabitants south. Little did Jawaharlal Nehru realise in the first flush of Independence when, inspired by the vision of Afro-Asian solidarity, he reached out to African students with academic invitations that not all his constituents shared his enlightened idealism. Given the power of folk traditions in a semi-literate society, it was hardly surprising that the experience of African students who accepted Nehrus well-meant invitation led to India being pilloried at the United Nations for racism. The complaint then was that Africans were jeered at in the streets of Mumbai as Hubshee, a derogatory term for blacks. It has become much worse since 2014, especially in Delhi, because Hinduisms political revivalism since then encourages people to redefine their concept of Indianness. Differences of colour, hair, features, food and religion are all pounced upon to spot and persecute the alleged outsiders. Tanzanian students, Kenyan businessmen, Muslim peasants and Khasi, Naga, Mizo and other ethnic Mongolian workers from the northeastern states are repeatedly subjected to physical violence in the streets of northern India. Circumstances make Indias more than 200 million dalits among the worst victims of the fixation with light-coloured skin. Gandhis well-meant term for them, Harijan, or children of god, has now been rejected as insulting. Being a child of his time, Gandhi was not always politically correct according to the yardstick of later generations of radicals. According to his biographer, Joseph Lelyveld, it took Mahatma Gandhi 15 years to realise that calling Africans kaffir was like calling Indians coolies. The vandal who daubed racist on the Gandhi statue in London during the George Floyd protests, the 5,000 signatories to the petition to remove his statue in Leicester and last years Manchester condemnation of his allegedly well-documented racism may have been influenced by selective readings of his comments. What matters more is that the Unilever and Johnson & Johnson decisions confirm that Indians remain acutely colour conscious. Those who believe this is a permanent state of mind cite Goras predicament in Rabindranath Tagores eponymous novel. Of Caucasian parentage without knowing it since he was brought up by Indian foster parents, Gora says at the end of the novel, when he has found peace: Today I have become an Indian Bharatvarshia. In me there is no hostility towards any community, Hindu, Muslim or Christian. Today, I belong to every community of this Bharatvarsha, I accept everybodys food as mine. That eloquent defence of his own as well as Indias universalism can, however, be faulted. Critics say that Tagores hero could afford to take a benign view of the Indian universe only because his own looks, derived from Irish parents, which gave him his nickname (Gora means white), also guaranteed him a privileged position in caste, class and colour conscious India. While the ban does damage growth prospects of a company like TikTok, though hardly fatally, losing a quarterly revenue of Rs 25 crore in India (approx. $3.31 million) hardly dents it much. PTI Photo In a headline grabbing decision, the Narendra Modi-led Central government banned 59 Chinese apps on Monday, including the hugely popular TikTok; ostensibly as a punitive response to the unprovoked and unethical Chinese intrusion and unilateral barbarism in Ladakh. Superficially, the decision hit its mark and had impact for optics. TikTok, owned by Bytedance, with an estimated 120 million users in India, in trying to protect its biggest international market, denied sharing Indian users data with the Chinese government. Officially, China, through its foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian, said it was concerned about Indias decision to ban Chinese mobile apps, arguing India has a responsibility to uphold the rights of Chinese businesses. Amongst a section of the citizens too, it caused euphoria because it reiterated both Mr Modis tough leader image who would brook no nonsense, and felt like an opening gambit of a well-planned sage to boycott China economically and hurt it financially. While the ban does damage growth prospects of a company like TikTok, though hardly fatally, losing a quarterly revenue of Rs 25 crore in India (approx. $3.31 million) hardly dents it much, given its American revenues of $86.5 million and a gross of $331 million from its domestic market in China, it is no more than a swat of a fly on the back of the worlds second largest economy. Most other apps banned including UC Browser (130 mn users), ShareIt (400mn) and Helo (50 mn/month) would live on. If this move was indeed a retaliation against China for its military transgression, it is woefully inadequate. It is no digital equivalent of a surgical strike aka Balakot or Uri. That is the crux of this challenge, the realisation that China is not a Pakistan. In fact, a total of trade with China as part of a policy boycott will hurt Indian economy too, perhaps more. A strong reprisal from the dragon on withdrawal of its foreign direct investments at around $26 billion currently, may not mean much to India either this accounts for a mere 0.51 per cent of total FDI into Indian companies, but in the technology sector, can cause a deep impact, because Chinese directly invested for strategic depth, and now have a major stake in 18 of top 30 Indian unicorns, despite the total investments being only $4 billion. These include Big Basket, Byjus, Delhivery, Dream 11, Flipkart, Hike, MakeMyTrip, Ola, Oyo, Paytm, Paytm Mall, PolicyBazzar, Quikr, Rivigo, Snapdeal, Swiggy, Uddan and Zomato several of these have huge employee and trade partner base. China holds disproportionate stake in Indias tech startup ecosystem and could use it against us. There are hidden investments, where China routes investments through third-party countries, such as Singapore, whose impact analysis will be more complex. Even more crucial is the need for Indian companies using Chinese manufactured items across domains and sectors pharma, power sector, automobile, telecom, electronics, infrastructure where an Indo-China trade war can have cascading and rippling effect of enormous negative impact on us more than them. If it has not hurt China, then the government move has sadly been inadequate and while it grabbed a long hanging fruit of playing to its core voter base, has let down the country which hoped the move of the government would be as strong, valiant and swift as our brave Army gave to the uninvited and hostile guests from the across the Himalayan border. When Grace Fusco got sick enough to need a ventilator, she asked for a pillow that had belonged to her husband, who died in 2017, her rosary beads and a scapular, a small cloth pendant worn during prayer. She reminded her daughter to bring a tray of chicken the next night to the program for homeless people that she cooked for each week. The path of the Sunoco Mariner East pipeline takes it near the Chester County Library. You are the owner of this article. Using Wrights blueprintswhich come with the housethey commissioned furnishings for the home. Several pieces will remain with the home, including the dining chairs and the framed photos in the 44-foot-long gallery. Also included in the home sale: the original clothes-drying rack and an adjacent 0.34-acre lot just north of the property. A council planning application has been submitted for a Memorial Cross to remember two republican hunger strikers in a County Derry town. The application comes after an online petition was launched in support of a monument to remember cousins Francis Hughes and Thomas McElwee in their native Bellaghy. The online petition said there was a duty to remember the two men. No monument currently exists. We seek to change that, it read. As we approach the 40th anniversary of the historic 1981 Hunger Strikes next year, it is only right that a monument be erected in Bellaghy to the memory of Volunteers Francis Hughes and Thomas McElwee. A spokesperson for Mid Ulster District Council confirmed that an application had been made to the council. An application has been received today (18 June) for the proposed erection of a Memorial Cross in Bellaghy and will now be processed, they said. Both Hughes and McElwee were members of the IRA and died on hunger strike in protest at the British governments withdrawal of prisoners political status in 1981. Francis Hughes was the second of the hunger strikers to die after 59 days, while Thomas McElwee was the ninth, after 62 days. A Limavady man was today charged with damaging nine cars during an incident in Derry yesterday morning. Padraig Brolly, 21, was also charged in connection with an attempted hijacking of a car in the Galliagh area of the city in the early hours of yesterday morning. A co-accused, 18-year-old Darryl Cassidy, was also charged in connection with the hijacking offence. Derry Magistrates Court was told that around 3.30am on Tuesday a nurse was driving home from work when a man jumped out in front of her car. She managed to avoid the man and drive on but then another man jumped out in front of the car and told her to 'get out of the f#####g car'. The nurse got out of the car and ran away from the scene. A police officer told the court that a short time earlier there had been incidents in the nearby Brookdale Park. The officer said that a witness had seen a man being attacked in the street and then the alleged attacker run off from the scene while kicking the wing mirrors of cars parked in the area. The witness said the man also threw a brick through a window of one of the cars. The officer was told that Brolly, whose address was given in court documents as Drumachose Park in Limavady, and Cassidy, whose address was listed as Rose Court in Derry, were arrested close to the scene when police arrived. The officer said that when taken to a police station, a bag containing 31 tablets was found in Brolly's 'rear end'. The officer said that during interview, Brolly, admitted that the drugs, which were found to be diazepam tablets, were his for personal use. Brolly told police that on the night in question he had taken around 'five or six' diazepam tablets as well as drinking half a bottle of vodka and two bottles of WKD. He denied damaging the cars. The officer told the court that Brolly had 53 previous convictions and said that police would be opposed to him being released on bail. Making an application for bail, a defence solictor said that Brolly's mother was prepared to provide a bail address for him. The solicitor said that Brolly's mother was a 'sensible' woman who had 'little time' for her son's behaviour. However, the judge refused the bail application on the grounds that there was a 'high risk' of Brolly reoffending. He was therefore remanded in custody to appear before the same court at a later date. A bail application on behalf of Cassidy was adjourned until later in the week. Richa Chadha Remembers The 1st Time She Said I Love You To Ali Fazal; Reveals He Took A Nap After Proposing The gorgeous Richa Chadha and the very handsome Ali Fazal were all set to tie the nuptial knot in the month of April this year. However, their plans were cancelled after a nationwide lockdown was initiated to help stop the spread of coronavirus. During the home-quarantine phase, the love birds stayed connected via video calls and we are sure absence made their heart grow fonder. Well, much before the pandemic took over our country, Richa and Ali shot their first-ever joint cover shoot for Brides Today magazines June-July edition. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Richa Chadha (@therichachadha) on Jun 30, 2020 at 5:23am PDT In their interview, Richa recalled the exact moment she knew she was in love with Ali. She revealed, We were at my house watching the 1992 biographical comedy, Chaplin. I was happy to see him enjoy the movie and grateful to have found someone with similar tastes. That is when I said, I love you. Well, Ali took almost three months after that to say the three magical words to Richa. He revealed that her clumsiness was one reason why he fell head over heels in love with her. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Richa Chadha (@therichachadha) on Jan 5, 2020 at 7:08am PST Remembering how the actor proposed to her for marriage, Richa shared, He had planned a romantic dinner on a secluded island in the Maldives. I thought it was for my birthday and didn't suspect a thing. We were sipping on champagne when Ali, being his spontaneous self, asked me to marry him. He didn't go down on his knee, nor did he have a ring, but that's alright. Isnt that adorable! Well, the actress also revealed what Ali did right after popping the question. She said, After that, he took a 10-minute nap on the sand. I guess he was stressed about the proposal! The couple met for the very first time on the sets of their 2013 comedy film Fukrey. What started off as a sweet friendship eventually blossomed into love. Well, fans couldnt be happier for the power couple. Sushant Singh Rajput's Family Miffed With Shekhar Suman, Feels He Is Using Late Actor's Name For Political Mileage Shekhar Suman had been quite vocal after Sushant Singh Rajput's tragic demise. Shekhar had even visited the late actor's Patna home and talked about how he was changing sim cards very frequently, suspecting that he was probably trying to run away from someone. He was also a part of a press conference in Patna. However, Sushant's family isn't very happy about this. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Sushant Singh Rajput (@sushantsinghrajput) on May 6, 2019 at 8:27am PDT Addressing the press con, Shekhar Suman had reiterated for the need for a CBI inquiry. But Sushant's family revealed that they were not even aware of this interaction with the press. They even suspected that Suman might be doing it for political gains. Talking to Zee, they said, "Everything is under investigation in Mumbai and giving media byte in Patna under the political banner is just for political mileage. Family is capable enough to demand all this and keep doing and waiting for police investigation report hence any kind of politics and political intervention not needed. There are already political people in the family who will take this up." Shekhar Suman had earlier contested election as a member of Congress from Bihar. However, he soon changed to RJD before this press con and the banner used made the family unhappy. After the publication on 15 June of the Judicial Reorganisation Plan that made clear Ois plans to sell its mobile assets via what it describes as a competitive process, the cash-strapped Brazilian fixed and mobile operator may be much closer to finding a buyer. Brazilian regional operator Algar Telecom and Singaporean sovereign wealth fund GIC, which has a stake in Algar, are rumoured to be working together on a possible bid for Oi, according to Brazilian press reports. Who will actually get Ois mobile business is still unclear. Telefonica Brasil and TIM Brasil have been engaged in formal discussions over sharing out the business since March this year. In fact as far back as October last year rumours were flying that Telefonica, America Movil and Telecom Italia had begun talks to jointly purchase Ois mobile division and then divide the assets between them. What may complicate matters if confirmed are reports that Algar and GIC are also interested in Ois fixed line business. This is not officially up for sale, though it may be attractive to Algar, which is said to own some 31,000 kilometres of optic fibre. In any case, the auction process Oi has chosen means bidders and commentators may have to wait a little longer for clarity. Oi wants interested parties to submit sealed bids for 100 per cent of its mobile unit. The minimum acceptable bid is about $2.9 billion. While this means the highest bidder should win, the second highest bid over the minimum may yet prevail if, as the terms indicate, it provides greater legal assurances and certainty for the closing of the sale. Founded in 1954, Algar Telecom is a Brazilian telecommunications company present in a number of major states with a customer base estimated at over 1.3 million. GIC acquired a 25 per cent stake in the company in March 2018, after which Algar undertook a pair of major acquisitions in energy and telecommunications. However, the Oi deal, if it goes through, would outstrip those by a large margin. Thomson may be a French brand, but the TVs that have launched are made in India. Today, Thomson has launched three screen sizes in their OATH Pro series Android Smart TV lineup - 43-inch, 55-inch and 65-inch priced at Rs 24,999, Rs 32,999 and Rs 52,999. All three TVs run on Android TV 9 with access to the Play Store for your streaming needs. In addition to supporting 4K, the TVs also support HDR 10 and Dolby Vision. Avneet Singh Marwah, CEO SPPL, Exclusive Brand Licensee of Thomson TVs in India exclaims, We are proud that all our premium Android TVs are made in India. In a short span of 2 years, we are delighted to have captured 5% of the smart TV market space, with our entry into the premium TV segment now. For almost a decade 4 brands had 80% market share, the foremost reason was premium technology products. This TV has world best features with the Android ecosystem and at a super affordable price. There will be a definite shift in the market share of the premium segment, in the next 3 years, we plan to achieve 15% in this segment. Thomson TV has taken a strategic decision to launch more premium technology TVs in future. Thomson OATH Pro 4K HDR Android TVs Specification As we mentioned above, Thomson TVs are available in three sizes - 43-inch, 55-inch and 65-inch screen sizes. All three TVs boast of 4K and support for HDR including Dolby Vision. The 43-inch TV has a peak brightness of 500 nits while the 55 and 65-inch TVs have a peak brightness of 550 nits. All the TVs come with 3 HDMI ports and 2 USB ports for your connectivity needs. They also support 2.4GHz Wi-Fi only and not the 5GHz band. For a wired connection, all three TVs support ethernet connectivity. The TVs dont have a headphones port but they do have an Optical port for audio. The TV has an IPS panel and a refresh rate of 60Hz. Under the hood, all three screen sizes have a quad-core processor coupled with the Mali-450 GPU and 1.75GB RAM. The TVs come with 8GB storage for you to download and store apps. Coming to audio, all three screen sizes support DTS TruSurround, Dolby digital plus and have two 15W speakers giving you a total sound output of 30W. The remote control that accompanies the TV comes with a Google Assistant button and voice controls. Thomson OATH Pro 4K HDR Android TVs Price The Thomson OATH Pro series 4K HDR Android Smart TV lineup is available in 43-inch, 55-inch and 65-inch priced at Rs 24,999, Rs 32,999 and Rs 52,999 respectively. The TVs will be available starting 5th July on Flipkart. A few months ago we saw Kodak launch Android TVs with support for Dolby Vision and you can read more about them here. Nokia also entered the 43-inch screen space with the launch of a new Dolby Vision-enabled TV and you can read more about it here. A Democratic-controlled House panel is holding a daylong bill drafting session Wednesday in which it is sure to address the topic. The panel on Wednesday adopted an amendment by Rep. Anthony Brown, D-Md., that would ban displays of the Confederate battle flag on any Department of Defense properties. That would codify a Marine Corps edict but other military branches have yet to follow suit as Trump has been more forceful of late in defending Confederate symbols and figures. Our Divisions Copyright 2021-22 DB Corp ltd., All Rights Reserved This website follows the DNPA Code of Ethics. Subscriber content preview By JOHN FLESHER AP Environmental Writer Traverse City, Mich. A Michigan regulatory panel on Tuesday refused to grant quick permission to run a new oil pipeline beneath a channel that connects two of the Great Lakes, deciding instead to conduct a full review. Enbridge filed an application in April with the Michigan Public Service Commission to relocate a segment of its Line 5 that extends beneath the Straits of Mackinac, which links Lakes Huron and Michigan. . . . We are in favor of keeping the statue, because Christopher Columbus is and was a very decent strong pro-Native American person, and he is indeed a hero. We have to be proud of that, Columbus resident John Waltz said. If we go ahead and in panic mode strike down everything like whats happening throughout country, we may be sorry for that later. I want to be a part of it: New York, New York! Americas biggest city and the worlds most important financial hub is a metropolis unlike any other on Earth. In many ways, NYC is a microcosm of the United States, and the world at large: misanthropic, endlessly diverse, complicated. Millionaires sip prosecco at Upper East Side hotspots while hustlers grind out a living on the mean streets of Downtown Brooklyn. Both Donald Trump and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez call New York City home Trump was born in Queens, AOC in the Bronx. From Wall Street to Greenwich Village, the Big Apple is a city of juxtapositions. Acclaimed photographer and New York native Sam Youkilis has made a career out of exploring the absurdity of the human condition through images. His latest work, a series of videos filmed in Manhattan posted on his Instagram, expose how bizarre our current state of events are. A particularly jarring film shows New Yorkers dining outdoors, enjoying summer and chatting away with their friends, while a huge Black Lives Matter protest march streams past down a perpendicular street. View this post on Instagram A post shared by [email protected] (@samyoukilis) on Jun 28, 2020 at 11:48am PDT Precipitated by the unlawful killing of George Floyd by police officers in Minneapolis, the United States and many other countries around the world including Australia have seen the global Black Lives Matter movement renewed. Protests across America and Australia decrying police brutality and the systematic oppression of people of colour have dominated the headlines almost drowning out the other incessant concern of 2020, The Bat Kiss. Both the protestors and the diners in Youkilis video seem unconcerned by the need to socially distance; theyve got bigger fish to fry. Some people just want things to go back to normal. Others, like the protestors, dont want a return to normal: the virus might be whats important right now but the hundreds of years of discrimination against people of colour needs to be properly addressed, they argue. Its a scene; a mood; a juxtaposition thats no doubt been replicated in countries all over the world. Take Sydney: a city whose state government doesnt want protests to go ahead on a Sunday because of COVID but will allow all sport to resume on a Wednesday, whilst Bondi baristas get fired because locals are a bit racist. The metaphor in the video is obvious, but the beauty of Youkilis art is that he leaves things up to the audiences interpretation. Many commenters were outraged by the seemingly unbothered attitude of the diners compared to the protestors, or were angry at both groups not observing social distancing or wearing PPE. Others observed how such a crazy scene could only happen in New York. Actually it looks like a healthy society. Everyone minds their own business and dont [sic] disturb each other, one commenter mused. In any case, the video reveals how crazy things are in America. While other countries are taking more proactive steps both to address COVID-19 as well their complicated legacies of racism, race relations and the coronavirus crisis continue to deteriorate in the United States. The climbing death toll in America both from the virus, and the metaphorical virus of prejudice should serve as ample warning for countries like Australia to clean up their act. View this post on Instagram A post shared by sa[email protected] (@samyoukilis) on Jun 30, 2020 at 11:43am PDT For another example of New York insanity captured by Youkilis, check out this collection of videos showing waiters at a fancy Manhattan restaurant serving bottles of hand sanitiser to customers with all the delicacy of a fine cocktail. Further images of New Yorks new normal can be seen in Youkilis latest collection on Vogue. Read Next In a perverse turn of events, the United States has become the epicentre of the COVID-19 pandemic, while China seems to be bouncing back. Whilst most countries seem to be flattening the curve, things dont seem to be getting any better in America hundreds are dying every day. Americans, particularly those on the conservative side of politics, have an almost self-defeating obsession with personal freedoms. Thousands of Americans have forgone social distancing measures and refuse to wear personal protective equipment (PPE) like face masks or rubber gloves because they dont like the inconvenience (or being told what to do). And Americas paying the price: there are over 2.5 million cases in continental USA alone. Australias not immune to this attitude either. Melbournes seen a huge spike in coronavirus cases recently due to social isolation breaches, i.e. people not observing social distancing or properly wearing PPE. International flights into the city have been cancelled for the next fortnight to help curb the states high infection rate, and a number of hotspot suburbs have been completely locked down, the Sydney Morning Herald reports. We get it no-one wants to wear a face mask. Thankfully, most people arent so selfish and just deal with whats really quite a minor inconvenience. For those of you still on the fence, an American scientist recently shared a basic experiment which proves how useful PPE is in preventing the proliferation of disease, and why its still so f*cking important to wear a mask. What does a mask do? Blocks respiratory droplets coming from your mouth and throat. Two simple demos: First, I sneezed, sang, talked & coughed toward an agar culture plate with or without a mask. Bacteria colonies show where droplets landed. A mask blocks virtually all of them. pic.twitter.com/ETUD9DFmgU Rich Davis, PhD, D(ABMM), MLS (@richdavisphd) June 26, 2020 Dr. Rich Davis, a microbiologist from Washington state, shared this simple demo in order to demonstrate how effective masks are at stopping respiratory droplets. When you cough, sneeze or even speak, youre basically aerosolising bacteria or viruses. Its why its so important to cover your mouth when you sneeze: if you dont, its like youre firing a shotgun round of germs into the air. Davis followed up his initial tweet with a disclaimer: Im aware that this simple (n=1) demo isnt how you culture viruses or model spread of SARS-CoV-2. But colonies of normal bacteria from my mouth/throat show the spread of large respiratory droplets, like the kind we think mostly spread COVID-19, and how a mask can block them! To be frank, this experiment disgusted us and thats kind of the point. Masks are an effective tool in containing the spread of disease, and youd be a fool to not wear one if you live in a coronavirus hotspot. But masks are only one piece of the puzzle. Social distancing; making sure youre regularly and properly washing your hands; working from home and avoiding unnecessary travel; supporting your immune system by eating well and exercising These are all important (and easy) steps we can all take to prevent the proliferation of this awful virus. Stay clean, gents. Read Next Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody has issued a consumer alert to warn Floridians about a new lottery scam targeting seniors. The Florida Attorney Generals Office says it is receiving reports that scammers are notifying seniors of fake lottery prize earnings with instructions to send a check in order to verify banking information and receive the prize. The possibility of winning the lottery is an exciting dream for millions of Americansincluding many Florida seniors, Attorney General Ashley Moody said. Scammers are trying to hijack that dream and turn it into a nightmare all in an effort to steal from Floridians. My office is receiving reports of new lottery scams, and we are working to ensure all Floridians are protected from and informed about these emerging disgraceful tactics to rip off seniors. The Attorney Generals Office Consumer Protection Division advises Florida lottery players to take caution when receiving calls from individuals claiming to be representatives with the Florida Lottery. Runaway ostrich startles motorists With a deft flip of a coiled rope, Dr. Richard Marlin Perkins Schulz yesterday lassoed his escaped ostrich, setting the stage for the old sock-over-the-head trick and a safe return to the animals pasture. Actually, it wasnt all that funny for the Schulz family or the ostrich, who was struck at least twice by hit-and-run drivers on US Highway 90. Schulz, a Marianna physician, keeps numerous varieties of animals on his farm, including camels, llamas and deer. Jackson County Floridan, July 9, 1974 Marianna man killed in Tallahassee shooting A 41-year-old Marianna man was shot and killed yesterday by a Tallahassee policeman after he reportedly assaulted the officer with a butcher knife as he was investigating a routine automobile accident. Dead in the mishap is Timothy Bell of Marianna. Bell, a former resident of Florida State Hospital in Chattahoochee, was involved in a traffic accident in Marianna at 1:30 a.m. Saturday, when he collided with a police car while driving the 1966 Pontiac that was destroyed in the Tallahassee wreck. Jackson County Floridan, July 9, 1974 Stone to open race in county But for those with substance dependency, rocky relationships, mental health issues and other challenges, the quarantine added another layer of stress that left unchecked, experts fear, could lead to worse outcomes. Schuyler Siefker is the CEO for St. Augustine Youth Services, which provides housing and therapy for children who are at risk or removed from their homes for reasons of abuse and neglect. Siefker said having the campus on lockdown for nearly three months was difficult for both staff and residents, all of whom are different ages, have different backgrounds and mental health challenges. It did spark some conflicts, Ouma said. Some children are in reunification with their biological families and during the shutdown those weekend visits were not permitted, adding to stress and loneliness. A lack of structure and a lot of free time also made the situation more difficult, Siefker said. But we got creative, and I am so proud of my staff, Siefker said. Patti Greenough is the CEO for EPIC Behavioral Healthcare which provides support for adults and families dealing with substance abuse, child welfare issues and mental health disorders. Trial dates have been set for the parents of a 2-year-old found dead in a parked car in July 2019. Robert Patrick King, 36, and Melinda King, 37, both of Dothan, are charged with manslaughter. Houston County Circuit Judge Larry Anderson has scheduled Melinda Kings jury trial for Sept. 28. Patrick King has a jury trial scheduled for Sept. 28 in Circuit Judge Butch Binfords courtroom. The Kings allegedly were under the influence of intoxicants when the boy slipped out of the familys home in east Dothan and into a parked car with temperatures approaching the mid-90s, according to police. Support Local Journalism Your subscription makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}} Castiel King was found dead in the familys Mazda vehicle parked on Lace Drive off Prevatt Road on July 2. According to Alabama law, a person commits manslaughter if he or she recklessly causes the death of another person. Possible punishment Manslaughter is a Class B felony punishable by a prison sentence of two to 20 years and a maximum fine of $30,000. Investigators believe the 2-year-old climbed into the vehicle about 3:15 p.m. that afternoon and stayed there until an older sibling found him about four hours later. Paramedics rushed the toddler to Southeast Health, where he was pronounced dead. Get Breaking News Alerts Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Wiregrass residents will need to prepare for a hot and stormy Independence Day weekend that will already be different than traditional celebrations due to the coronavirus. The National Weather Service forecasts possible thunderstorms for the next few days and continuing through the weekend, likely affecting holiday plans. In Dothan, showers and thunderstorms are likely during the afternoons on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday accompanied by winds that could extend overnight. The heat index is projected near 101 degrees on Wednesday. On Saturday, July Fourth, there is an 80% chance of thunderstorms with a high near 90 degrees and partly sunny skies. Overnight, there remains a 50% chance of showers and thunderstorms. On Sunday, storms are likely, with a 70% chance during the day and lower chances through the night. Pyrotechnic displays Support Local Journalism Your subscription makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}} The cities of Dothan, Slocomb and Headland, as well as Fort Rucker, are planning firework celebrations Saturday. Dothans Fireworks @ The Fairgrounds is scheduled to begin at 9 p.m. at the National Peanut Festival Fairgrounds for a drive-in fireworks display. Gates open for parking at 7 p.m., and everyone is asked to remain in their vehicles. The Salvation Army of Dothan is under new leadership. Captains Nathan and Deanne Jones, former corps officers of the Chattanooga Area Command, arrived last week in Dothan. Their arrival as the new leadership is part of routine appointment changes made throughout The Salvation Army every few years. The Joneses have served as officers with the Army for 12 years in Owensboro, Kentucky, as well as Knoxville, Tennessee, and Chattanooga, Tennessee. Nathan Jones has served on every major disaster in the Southern Territory, and both captains served during Hurricane Katrina. We are excited to become a part of Dothan and make it our home. We look forward to getting to know the community and continuing the mission of The Salvation Army, Nathan Jones said. Both strive to be good stewards of their time while investing in others. Deanne Jones is passionate about teaching, preaching and serving, while Nathan Jones enjoys devoting his time to the youth, young adults and music ministry. To support The Salvation Army of Dothan, visit SalvationArmy ALM.org/give. For information on how The Salvation Army is serving in Dothan, call Nathan Jones at 214-289-4479. 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. Two other bank officials were found guilty in the conspiracy, including Woodards son, Brandon. The younger Woodard got eight years and is set to be released in August from a halfway house in Baltimore, according to the Federal Bureau of Prisons website. Stephen Fields, the banks former vice president, got 17 and is due to be released in March 2028, the website said. It's not just increased testing Some politicians have attributed spikes in new cases to increased testing. But in many places, the number of new Covid-19 cases are disproportionately higher than the number of new tests being performed, researchers say. "In many states, the testing is increasing, but the percentage of those people who are positive is actually going much higher," Osterholm said. "This is not an artifact of just more testing at all." Even with the increased testing, the country is still "way behind the virus," a former US Health and Human Services secretary says. "We are still reacting. We're not ahead of it," Kathleen Sebelius said. "The only way to get ahead of the virus is to tamp way down the cases in any area, and then test like crazy when a case appears, contact trace, and make sure you quarantine. We can't do that yet because we are still finding all kinds of people who have the virus." 'Moving very fast in the wrong direction' John Bolton, the former national security adviser, writes in his new book that President Trump makes decisions based on only one calculation: his own political self-interest. Talking to George Stephanopoulos on ABC, Bolton warned about the serious dangers of a second Trump term: "The biggest fear I have is that his policymaking is so incoherent, so unfocused, so unstructured, so wrapped around his own personal political fortunes, that mistakes are being made that will have grave consequences for the national security of the United States." Trump's already making many mistakes with "grave consequences" for the national interest. One of the most debilitating is his severe crackdown on foreigners seeking to immigrate here, whether to find economic opportunity or to flee persecution. This is being done for only one purpose: to stir up Trump's base for the fall election by exploiting nativist fears and demonizing "the others." There's nothing new about this strategy. Trump announced his run for president by denouncing supposed hordes of Mexican "rapists" pouring across the border, and during the 2018 midterm elections, he tried -- and failed -- to scare voters with a nightmare "caravan" of criminals invading from the south. Hes wrong about that. Authorities do have the right, not to mention the responsibility, to require that Americans refrain from actions that endanger the lives of others. Some people may enjoy driving while drunk, and feel it is their God-given right to do so, but because so many drunk drivers have caused injury and death to others, it is not permitted. But more important, he is wrong about refusing to bow down to others. Thats a crude way to put it, but being an American is not an excuse. It is the reason he should observe the laws and help others. Thats just part of the deal of living in a modern, civil society. If the U.S. ever needed a reminder of the importance of the social contract that binds us to one other, it is now, as a new virus is raging through the land and civil discourse is so raw and ugly that there is open defiance of even the most simple protective measures. How hard is it to wear a face covering while ordering tacos, especially if it might save the life of a neighbor? Let me be clear, those are vital issues. The problem is, whether we can own up to it or not, there has not existed in conservative circles or in the Republican Party much real nuanced support for the in-between, for the dash that will one day sit on all of our headstones, signifying the life lived between birth and death. At best, we conservatives have taken a self-preserving approach to that part of life, which, like it or not, often looks a lot like nationalism and willful ignorance to social issues. Here lies an opportunity for the American conservative movement. There is no better day than today, when protests fill our streets to decry the murder of one more unarmed black man, to really take up the mantle of The Party of Life. Today is the day to first repent of our lack of care for many neglected groups in exchange for self-protection and to secondly declare, first to ourselves, that life matters. With our care for the elderly and the unborn, we have already realized as a group that believing life matters is especially vital when it comes to groups that have a muted voice or no voice at all. Now it is time to wake up and see that there are many more who need defending than just the elderly and the unborn. Duncan, OK (73533) Today Mostly cloudy and windy with showers developing this afternoon. High 77F. Winds NNE at 20 to 30 mph. Chance of rain 40%.. Tonight Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low near 55F. Winds NE at 10 to 20 mph. They want somebody at the front door taking your name for your reservation. (Someone) guiding you to your seat and then the person on the floor takes the order, goes to the bartender and the bartender is behind the counter on their own and serves the drinks and the floor staff brings (them) to the table. So theres four people straight away that you need. So youve four more people together in close proximity. Collette Nugent, the Louth President of the Vintners Federation of Ireland poses lots of similar such sticky situations and possible issues that will most likely arise with the reopening of pubs on Monday, during her conversation with the Democrat this week. She says its the realistic enforcement of the practicalities of the guidelines and the lack of tailoring for every individual premises that is causing a lot of head-scratching and stress among the publicans she has spoken to. The past number of weeks - similar to a lot of people in many industries trying to get working arrangement back to some form of normality - has involved countless Zoom calls and meetings which have aired concerns, fears and straight-up negativity about reopening. Its an uphill battle to figure this out in your brain, Colette admits. Theyre giving us the time restraints (90 minutes) - which are huge - however, like anything else, we just have to deal with it and police it the best we can. Its a shifting situation though. Colette calls the guidelines a live document constantly subject to change, depending on the R infection rate of Covid-19 at any given moment. I think its probably going to be relaxed a bit by the time the 20th of July opens. Were hoping we wont have too many rogue publicans, that are opening up on the 29th of June, because it could jeopardize their license and their livelihoods. She continues: The anecdotal information coming to us from members is, for the most part, its enough already - just let us get open. Well worry about everything else when we get the doors open. But theres big work to be done before we open the doors. As she is speaking to the Democrat by phone, Colette is busy in her own pub - The Market Bar in Drogheda. The work to be ready for reopening is constant. Its also, she says, because publicans do feel a keen responsibility for the safety of their patrons and staff. We have training to put in place, PPE and all the protocols - which we will do, because the message we want to get out is that we want to guarantee that anyone that is considering coming to a pub, we are going to guarantee your safety. Your health and safety is paramount to us. Without customers, theres no pub. If there's no pub, theres no staff, theres no music in the future and all the things that come with it. Its our responsibility to care for the public and for our staff and ourselves and naturally were not going to put our own health at risk. Bad feeling There is a lot of concern about it (the enforced restrictions) and there is a lot of bad feeling about it, explains Collette candidly. But, you know, we all are very aware that people have lost loved ones. People have lost lives in this, so we still are very aware that this pandemic is still out there. So we have got to adhere to the protocols and guidelines. But confusion continues to reign to an extent, Collette adds. Exact detail is needed. We are picking pieces out of the restaurant guidelines and the pubs that have a food aspect. Pubs that are serving food on June 29th.... to give us a preempt of what we may expect for the 20th of July opening. As Collette describes it, the last few weeks have been a rollercoaster of emotion for local publicans. I think the longer this is going on we have had publicans that have done a complete 360 - Im not opening for social distancing and then theyre ringing me now when are we opening? Were on the rollercoaster of emotion here, because, one, this is awful, this is terrible, this is frightening and then you get over it a little bit more and youre thinking what can we do to eliminate this? or get round it and deal with it. We all know we have to start the economic process in some form. Our biggest concern is that we have had no stimulus package coming from the government. Weve had no assistance with our insurance. Weve had a little bit of a moratorium with our business rates from Louth County Council, but they are looking for them to be reignited as soon as we open the doors. Theyre looking for anyone whos opening the doors on the 29th of June to begin, you can have a stay of execution for a couple of weeks, but you have to contact them. The fears and concerns are on both sides of the bar right now. Colette explains: From a publican's point of view, were at a Y in the road. Do we go left or right? If we go left, we commit ourselves to opening and all connotations that come with that as regards the PPE, the guidelines, adhering to the policies stc. If we go right, we decide not to open at all. And the longer we stay closed, the more problems that come. However, people that have long-established family-run places would be in a better position to do that, because they wouldnt need to open, if you follow me? So they would perhaps decide to stay closed for another, two months, three months, six months until social distancing is eased. I dont see social distancing being eased for the next six months and it may never ease until they find a vaccine. Keeping up to date with any changes as they happen brings with it a constant second-guessing, Collette feels. The reality is that theyre live guidelines, the protocols that come out. So that can change at any time and the reason it can change is because if the R rating is good then restrictions are eased and lifted, if the R rating is bad it of course brings problems. We actually dont know two weeks from the 29th of June on opening pubs, is the R rating going to spike. If the R rating spikes our concern is, will they delay our opening again? We have some members that are very concerned about that. When I say members that are concerned, they would be elderly members. So their concern is for their health and their staffs health going forward. We have also got members saying will somebody please give me just five pointers to let me get started to know what Im supposed to do? Colette continues: We have members that have bought perspex and put it on their counters and made perspex booths and done physical work out the back of their premises to make extra spaces. Theres no support, theres no money coming in to assist this. But theyve had to do it to stay open. But with the goalposts being shifted all the time, its an absolute myriad. Its a quagmire. You cant figure it out. But you can only do your best and you have to remember, its a live document and it can change at any time. They dont know. They dont have the magic wand with all the answers. So, week in and week out theres a different criteria thats after raising its head. Theres no dear doubt about it that theres going to be social distancing for the long term. But are they going to insist on staff wearing PPE, etc. Theres lots of guidelines, but some people might decide that they are completely economically unviable, they have to make that choice. But they would have been able to make a little bit better of a choice if we had a little bit of support from the government. Weve no stimulus package being offered to us. Not to be crude about it, but we need pounds, shillings and pence of an injection to go into your bank account right now to get their cash flow going so they can go right, lets get started. We can now afford staff, we can now afford to buy our stock and so on. The Democrat puts it to Collette that, by the sounds of it, publicans would probably welcome really tough, almost draconian, restrictions, if at least meant they were set in stone and something definite to work with. They might not have agreed with that a month ago, Collette responds, and theres probably a few even now that wouldnt agree, but I think thats what is needed now. We mightnt agree with it. We certainly wont like it, but at least we can work with it. Some people wont want to work with it, or wont be able to work with it. But the reality is that that is the way it is at the moment. We have no choice but to work with it. Dr Holohan and the rest dont want the pubs to reopen. Lets be clear about that. They would sooner the pubs stay closed. If anyone is bullying through the phases, the Revenue people are bullying us through the phases. But we got from phase five to four because our R rating stayed good and we did, for the most part, good citizens did what they were asked to do. But we got from phase five to four - and this would be my opinion - because the Revenue knew theyre losing a fortune from income from pubs, from our excise duties. I think were in the region of 60bn we pay in wages every year. Another point of contention and general shoulder-shrugging as regards the practical application of guidelines, concerns toilets in pubs. Colette nods. Theyre asking us to police the cleaning of the toilets. Now, how are we supposed to do that? So, what they are asking us to do, they are suggesting that we have a rota and that only one person is allowed in the toilet at a time - obviously, if youve small toilets. And when I say small, I mean two cubicles in the ladies and one in the mens. But if youve got bigger cubicles, obviously once you've got social distancing, then thats fine. In that situation you can have two people in the toilet at any given time. That being said, thats down to yourself to police that. Now, when one person goes into the bathroom they want us to sanitize it after each use - this is the advice from Bord Failte. But in the eyes of the law, a woman - who is very well placed - said to me that thats not the case. But you do have to clean the bathroom. So I said if someones gone in (to the toilet) am I supposed to go in a spray with a certain product to sanitize the air. Well have you got ventilation? Well of course I do, Ive an extractor fan and Ive two windows open, so there'll be no need for that so. Because the air will be clear So this brings us back to clear guidelines. Every place is different and if the HSE come on site, which they will, Im pretty sure theyre going to endeavour to visit every premises - 7100 pubs in the country. Theyve hired 500 staff for this. So, if theyre going to start visiting, its your job - and youll not know when theyre coming, and right so, itll make you do what youre supposed to be doing all day, every day. Theres a sense of wanting to get on with it and Collette feels there needs to be trust placed in the hands of publicans to do it correctly. As she has pointed out - a failure to comply can lead to the loss of a publicans livelihood and peoples jobs, not to say the potential health implications. Weve a thousand years of cleaning pubs. We know how to clean our pubs. Weve been doing it for years. Were doing the same thing that weve always done - keep your pub clean. All you have to do is sanitize it extra and keep people apart. Theyre (publicans) overthinking it. And Im trying to be glib about it and make little of what we have to do, but if we think about it too much, its like going to the dentist - lets get to the clinic, theres no point, in the days before, worrying, worrying, worrying. Lets get in, let's get open and let's get at it. A special agent with Homeland Security in America has said she did not offer anything to an Irish immigrant who had overstayed his visa in return for his testimony in the trial of a man accused of murdering Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe. In an often spiky encounter with defence counsel Michael O'Higgins SC, Special Agent Mary Ann Wade today repeatedly refused to answer questions about the immigration status of witness Daniel Cahill and insisted she did not promise or offer him anything. Mr Cahill has previously testified that the accused man Aaron Brady told him on three occasions that he murdered a garda in Ireland. Aaron Brady (28) from New Road, Crossmaglen, Co Armagh has pleaded not guilty to the capital murder of Det Gda Adrian Donohoe who was then a member of An Garda Siochana on active duty on January 25, 2013 at Lordship Credit Union, Bellurgan, Co Louth. Mr Brady has also pleaded not guilty to a charge of robbing approximately 7,000 in cash and assorted cheques on the same date and at the same location. Special Agent Wade, giving evidence via video link from New York, told prosecution counsel Brendan Grehan SC that she worked with gardai in New York who were investigating the murder of Det Gda Donohoe. On May 18 2017 she was present when Mr Brady was arrested for being in the US illegally and she seized his mobile phone. She also informed gardai that Mr Brady had entered the US using a British passport on a flight from Belfast to Newark, New Jersey on April 13, 2013 and had given an address in in the Bronx. Under cross examination she told Mr O'Higgins that Homeland Security regularly works with foreign law enforcement. She said the agency does not just deal with illegal immigration but has a "broad arm" and is sometimes asked to help with "fugitives" who are in the US. Mr O'Higgins asked if, regarding the Aaron Brady investigation, there were ever any discussions about telling people who had overstayed their visas that if they failed to cooperate with gardai they would be sent home. She replied: "I'm not going to testify to investigative methods or interview techniques." She explained that she is bound by a letter from her employer that prevents her from discussing the immigration status of individuals or the methods used by the agency. Mr O'Higgins asked if there were any discussions at briefings "along the lines of, if they cooperate they will get testimony status, if they don't they will be sent home." She said she cannot testify as to what is said in agency briefings and said she had never heard of the phrase "testimony status". Describing the detention of Mr Cahill she said that about eight officers arrived at his home and knocked on the door at about 8.30am on July 25, 2019. His wife answered and let the officers in and while they were there they found what they believed to be a cannabis plant under grow lights in a closet. Mr Cahill was found after about an hour, hiding in the attic. He told Special Agent Wade that he hid because he was scared. She didn't know why he was scared and couldn't recall him telling her that he was afraid of being attacked or that he believed someone was breaking into his home. Mr O'Higgins put it to her that Mr Cahill must have felt very vulnerable because he was aware that Irish people had already been asked to speak to gardai by Homeland Security and were later deported. The witness said she doesn't know how Mr Cahill felt. She said she asked Mr Cahill if he would speak to gardai and told him Homeland Security would protect his rights. She said Mr Cahill told her he wanted to speak to gardai because "he was interested in seeing justice. That is what he told us." Mr Cahill was detained, she said, because of the plant found in the closet which was believed to be drugs. He was brought to Yonkers police station and while there he spoke to gardai. She was later informed by police that the suspected marijuana plant contained no buds and was therefore not illegal and so there would be no prosecution for that. Mr O'Higgins asked her if Mr Cahill was told that if he gave a statement he might be permitted to stay in the US. After initially refusing to answer, saying she would not discuss interview techniques or tactics, she said: "I made no promises to him and made no statements like that to him. I did not promise him anything." When pressed again by Mr O'Higgins she said: "I did not promise him anything. I did not offer him anything. I asked him if he wanted to speak with the guards and that was it." Mr O'Higgins asked a series of questions about whether Mr Cahill's immigration status was discussed and Ms Wade refused to answer each time. She said the only reason she was there that day was because gardai wanted to speak to Mr Cahill. When again asked about Mr Cahill's status, she said: "I don't think I can be any more clear. I'm not going to answer any questions regarding immigration status. You can waste court time, the jury's time, I'm not going to answer that no matter how many times you ask me." Mr O'Higgins also asked why Mr Brady was deported but Mr Cahill was not, given that both had overstayed their visas but were married to American citizens. She again said she could not answer. The trial continues in front of Mr Justice Michael White and a jury of six men and seven women. Readers Survey As our valued readers, we want to hear from you. Please take a moment to fill out the survey below. - Thank you, Eastern Arizona Courier Click Here Theres an established process to conduct a recount fairly and transparently. State law says that a candidate can request a recount if the margin of victory separating him or her from the winning candidate does not exceed 0.5% of the total vote, and it sets forth all the parameters for how a recount should take place. Have any questions? Please give us a call at 928-428-2560 Claremont, NH (03743) Today Mostly sunny. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High near 90F. Winds S at 10 to 15 mph.. Tonight Scattered thunderstorms during the evening. Partly cloudy skies after midnight. Low 66F. Winds SSW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 40%. KEENE - Francis (Frank) Gitschier, age 49 of Lowell and Keene, NH, passed away June 4, 2021. He was born on July 29, 1971 in Lowell to the late Patricia Saunders and Francis Marcotte. Frank cared for everyone and everything with a huge heart and best intentions. He was an avid Bruins fan, lo China and Africa have reached wide consensus and great results at the Extraordinary China-Africa Summit on Solidarity Against COVID-19 held on June 17, demonstrating their determination to defeat COVID-19 with solidarity and cooperation at such a crucial moment. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, however, has recently issued a statement, staining Chinas commitment to Africa out of no reason and trying to impede China-Africa anti-epidemic cooperation. For the mainstream media in the U.S., this clumsy trick of Pompeo was not a surprise. In fact, such accusations, which distort the truth, wont change China-Africa cooperation no matter how they are repeated, and the farce will only make Pompeo and other U.S. politicians ridiculous trying to break the indestructible China-Africa relations. True friends can withstand the test of severe challenges. In the face of COVID-19, China and Africa, which share the same outlook and destiny, have offered mutual support, fought shoulder to shoulder with each other and strengthened friendship and mutual trust. China has always stood firmly with the African people. It has provided batches of medical assistance for Africa, sent over 10 medical teams to Africa, shared its experience in epidemic prevention, control, diagnosis and treatment, and announced a series of measures to support Africas response to COVID-19 and improve the public health capability of African countries. Leaders of African countries have acknowledged that China has set a good example of assisting Africa amid the epidemic, which demonstrated once again with concrete efforts that China is a true friend and reliable partner of African countries in times of difficulties and challenges. Although Pompeo has gone out of his way to spread a political virus against China, the African people have their own judgment. Peopeos lies and slanderous remarks about China couldnt possibly stand in front of the fact that China and Africa have treated each other under the principle of equality and sought cooperation for mutual benefits. Out of zero-sum thinking and the pursuit for political interest, Pompeo is doing everything to make up stories to stir things up. No wonder it is hard for an untrustworthy person like Pompeo to understand or accept the principles of sincerity, practical results, affinity and good faith that China has adhered to and the values of friendship, justice and shared interests that China has upheld toward Africa. It is evident to all that China-Africa investment and financing cooperation has played an active role in facilitating the development of Africa and improving the livelihood of the African people. As pointed out by some leaders participating in the summit, unlike those who only pay lip service, China genuinely thought for Africa and had offered sincere help to Africa. It is already recognized that China-Africa cooperation is for China to complement Africas development through its own growth. China has helped build a series of production projects and large-scale infrastructure projects at the request of African countries, which has greatly helped African nations get started with developing their economy and enhanced their capacity for independent development. To cushion the impact of COVID-19 on African countries, China will give greater support to those African countries that are hardest hit by the coronavirus and under heavy financial stress on the basis of implementing G20s Debt Service Suspension Initiative (DSSI). By politicizing the debt issue, Pompeo has used China-Africa cooperation as an excuse to assault China. As wicked as the attempt may be, it is doomed to fail. For Africa, the financing from China is an essential choice, said W. Gyude Moore, a senior policy fellow at the Center for Global Development, adding that the debt-trap diplomacy reflects Western anxieties, not African realities. In fact, African countries know perfectly who their true friend is. Dambisa Moyo, Zambian economist as well as author of Dead Aid, has conducted an in-depth analysis on the issues left by the traditional donors of Africa from the West and considered Chinas investment the best hope for Africa to develop economy. Pompeo has guided the U.S., for the first time since 1945, into utter irrelevance in dealing with a major global crisis. It is both sad and dangerous, to use Pompeos words, that he has so damaged the State Departments reputation. What Pompeo says and does always seem to be filled with negative energy, which completely disobeys his diplomatic responsibilities as well as the professional qualities and moral values of a U.S. chief diplomat as he is. International justice cannot be challenged in any way, and any attempt to undermine China-Africa relations is shameful and doomed to fail. No one could undermine the great unity between the Chinese and African peoples. No one could hold back the Chinese people or the African people as they march toward rejuvenation. No one could deny the remarkable achievements made in China-Africa cooperation, not with their assumption or imagination. No one could stand in the way or obstruct international efforts to support Africas development. (Zhong Sheng is a pen name often used by Peoples Daily to express its views on foreign policy.) Tom Cherry, president and CEO of C&F Financial Corporation said in the release, daily traffic at this branch has declined due to the convenience of drive thru lanes at our 14th Street branch, as well as our mobile banking services, we determined in discussions with town officials the building could benefit the town as a way to improve services to its citizens. By the Staff of The News PORTALES A Roosevelt County resident was selected as one of 10 delegates to represent New Mexico Republicans during the GOPs Quadrennial Convention held virtually over the weekend. Roosevelt County party chair Tina Dziuk will be one of 22 New Mexico delegates to attend the partys national convention in late August. The 10 statewide delegates will join three delegates from each of the states three congressional districts, state Party Chairman Steve Pearce, National Committeeman Harvey Yates and National Committeewoman Rosie Tripp. Dziuk was also elected to replace Tripp in the committeewoman position, and will begin her service following the convention. Delegates were chosen via votes from a May convention in each New Mexico county. Independence Day is a time for celebrating the birth of these United States. Here in the state of New Mexico, we have the history, heritage and diversity to do it up right. At first, Native American tribes shared this harsh and enchanting landscape, but they were overpowered and assimilated into the Spanish and Mexican ways that ruled the region into the mid-1800s. Then came U.S. troops to conquer and exploit the land and its peoples, and New Mexico became an untamed territory in an expansionist nation. But Americanization and statehood didnt come easy for New Mexico, as people held to their traditions and values. I guess it was a New Mexican brand of stubbornness that kept this territory free rather than slave during the Civil War era, and why Spanish remained a common language here, and why it took so long for New Mexico to become a state in the union. In 1898, New Mexico was trying to gain statehood, but many in the nations capital questioned whether this territory was truly loyal to the U.S. So, when Spanish-American tensions escalated toward war, New Mexicos Gov. Miguel Otero and other territorial leaders saw a chance to prove their dedication to the union and urged New Mexicans to enlist. New Mexicans responded, and many of them went to liberate Cuba with Theodore Roosevelt, and in doing so they set a precedent for the century to come. In every American war since, New Mexicans have stepped up in larger numbers than most to fight. From the Buffalo Soldiers and Rough Riders on, New Mexicans have willingly fought admirably and died tragically for their country. Especially noteworthy were the contributions New Mexicans made to winning the greatest war of the 20th century. According to Kate Nelsons Duty, Honor, Sacrifice: New Mexico Veterans Answered The Nations Call, in World War II alone: New Mexico lost more lives per capita than any other state. A sixth of all service members in the Bataan Death March were members of the New Mexican National Guard; two-thirds of them died over a three-year period. Some 420 Navajo Code Talkers, many of whom were from New Mexico, used Dine, their native language, to keep U.S. movements in the Pacific a secret from Japanese code breakers. Were it not for the Navajos, the Marines would never have taken Iwo Jima, 5th Marine Division signal officer Maj. Howard Conner once said. And of course, there was the creation of the bomb that ended World War II. The Manhattan Project, which developed the atomic bomb, was based in Los Alamos. This summer, July 16 marks the 75th year since the first atomic bomb was detonated at the Trinity Site in Socorro County, with the radioactive fallout leading to inordinately high cancer rates throughout the area for more than a generation since. The people of this state have held tight to their identity, thereby mixing cultures, traditions and values into, not a melting pot, but more like a tossed salad or a hot-and-spicy bowl of red and green chile. If thats not true American, I dont know what is. Tom McDonald is editor of the New Mexico Community News Exchange. Contact him at: [email protected] A group of students, who later became known as the West Point 29, marched through the streets to protest as the National Guard watched alongside. The students were ultimately denied entry into their white peers school, West Point High School, only 2 miles from their previous school. None of the West Point 29 graduated from West Point Public Schools, and it took years before West Point and other schools across the state were fully integrated. A Brand's Guide to Digital Shelf Analytics | eBook What can you do to improve your digital commerce game? The first rule of the digital shelf is to make sure your products can be found. Some might say its mission impossible. Unless, of course, you use digital shelf analytics (DSA). Get the eBook Today! United States government agencies and cloud technology providers are heading toward a reset in how they cooperate on cybersecurity challenges. The expected growth of cloud use will create a more complex federal security landscape, according to a recent report from Thales Group. Federal agencies actually have moved ahead of businesses in cloud adoption, with 54 percent of agency data already embedded in the cloud, the report notes. Furthermore, cloud technology is central to a broader "digital transformation" goal in the federal government, recently highlighted by ramping up remote workplace sites in response to the COVID-19 virus. "Data security requirements will only continue to be more stringent as more and more data and services are migrated to the cloud," said Brent Hansen, federal chief technology officer at Thales. "This year registers the first year where more federal data is stored in the cloud versus on premises. This is a huge turning point and the trajectory will only continue to favor cloud," he told the E-Commerce Times. Even without the impetus of COVID-19, agencies were on a path for expanded cloud utilization. In its most recent assessment, marketing consultant Deltek forecasted that federal demand for vendor-furnished cloud computing goods and services would grow from US$5.3 billion in fiscal 2019 to $9.1 billion in 2024, reflecting a compound annual growth rate of 9.6 percent. Security will become even more formidable as federal cloud deployments increasingly involve multi-layered functionality. Additionally, agencies still have a lot of catching up to do to secure existing cloud resources. Managing security for basic cloud configurations is complicated. Agencies and cloud service providers (CSPs) now split cloud security accountability across a range of eight operating factors -- but at differing levels, the Thales report notes. For example, for Software as a Service, agencies are responsible for securing two operational factors, while vendors cover the remaining six. For Platforms as a Service, the "shared responsibility" ratio was three factors for the agency and five for the CSP. For Information as a Service, security was split evenly with four factors each. In the future, the engagement of multiple vendors for "as a Service" components, combined with the broader use of cloud, will only increase security complexity. Agencies Show Concern but Implementation Is Uneven In general, federal agencies are properly concerned about cloud security. However, attitudes appear contradictory, and some efforts are misdirected regarding the nature of threats, current security confidence levels, and relations with cloud providers. For example, agencies reported that an estimated 51 percent of the data they store in the cloud is "sensitive." Only 63 percent of that data is protected by encryption, and just 52 percent is protected by tokenization. These protection levels rank low, according to Thales. The "2020 Thales Data Threat Report -- Federal Government Edition," released in April, focuses on survey data from more than 100 federal agency respondents. Thales sponsored the report, with survey and related analysis developed by IDC. Among the significant findings: Agencies are "seemingly most concerned about issues owned by their cloud providers, like security breaches at the provider and privacy service level agreements. Although valid, the real possibility of these issues happening are quite low." Federal IT managers appear "less worried about issues over which they have direct control, and which represent greater potential vulnerabilities," such as encryption key management. "This mismatch between threats that respondents perceive, and where they should actually focus their concern, implies that respondents have not fully considered data security in a cloud-first world." Each type of cloud environment requires a "shift in security responsibility," involving the factors related to as-a-service deployments. As a result, agencies, "should shift their cloud security focus and concern to the portion of the shared responsibility model where the organization can influence the security of its data." Cloud Providers and Agencies Must Adapt to Change This changing landscape will test relations between agencies and providers. As security becomes more challenging, agencies are likely to put tougher protection requirements into their service level agreements with vendors. FedRamp, the government's program for setting cloud security standards and compliance, will be upgraded as well. "Security expectations will only continue to get tighter," Hansen said. The task of getting FedRamp certification "is an extensive process and, once certified, opens up your platforms and products with federal security in mind." Tension between CSPs and their government and commercial customers is a common occurrence, observed Katie Lewin, federal director of the Cloud Security Alliance (CSA). Some of that friction "is rooted in an understanding of shared responsibility," she told the E-Commerce Times. "We have gone from a high degree of caution by federal agencies in using cloud technology to an attitude by some that they are only responsible for the SaaS and can forget about the other layers of the stack that are cloud-based." CSA, which represents a broad range of cloud stakeholders, participated in peer review of the report. Upgrading security standards for vendors doesn't mean that agencies can -- or should -- avoid their own role in shared responsibility. The demarcation between vendors and customers for cloud security will remain. "CSPs need to ensure that their customers are educated on how shared security responsibility works. They cannot assume that many of their federal customers understand how these fluid boundaries work," Lewin said. Microsoft last fall restated its position in a white paper, Shared Responsibility for Cloud Computing, by Frank Simorjay and Eric Tierling. "Many organizations that consider public cloud computing mistakenly assume that after moving to the cloud their role in securing their data shifts most security and compliance responsibilities to the CSP," the authors noted. Cloud vendors "may provide services to help protect data, but customers must also understand their role in protecting the security and privacy of their data." Neither agencies nor CSPs can afford to be rigid in relations with each other. Cloud security will require a more creative and flexible approach in the future. "As more and more cloud providers are offering their services, there must be a baseline of federal security acceptance and guidelines," Thales' Hansen said. Agencies not only can assess security issues themselves, but also can benefit from utilizing FedRamp, which "will continue to evolve," he pointed out. "More and more services and providers will find new, innovative ways to offer cloud services." Federal Cloud Growth Will Remain Strong Agencies have been working to include security service levels in their vendor agreements, CSA's Lewin noted. "Since there is a common definition of the controls included in the FedRAMP program, agencies have a better understanding of where they should spell out requirements for CSPs. Some enterprise-level cloud services may have standard SLA clauses for certain levels of security already baked into their contacts," she said. Increased security will "not necessarily" inhibit cloud adoption, Lewin suggested. "In general, cloud technology is inherently more secure than on premises -- but agencies need to get a handle on how they should address security." Federal cloud adoption will remain strong, Hansen said. "The cloud makes almost everything faster and easier to implement," he added, including security tools such as encryption. "I have yet to hear that costs of these native encryption offerings and services are a roadblock," said Hansen. "I believe that these efficiencies and ease of use will only continue to drive cloud adoption." One key for vendors and agencies to consider in the future is that cloud technology is evolving. Data protection "on premises" does not directly equate with protection in the cloud, Hansen noted, and thus security policies "must morph and adapt for cloud offerings to ensure mandates are met and mission-critical data is secured." John K. Higgins has been an ECT News Network reporter since 2009. His main areas of focus are U.S. government technology issues such as IT contracting, cybersecurity, privacy, cloud technology, big data and e-commerce regulation. As a freelance journalist and career business writer, he has written for numerous publications, including The Corps Report and Business Week. Email John. A Brand's Guide to Digital Shelf Analytics | eBook What can you do to improve your digital commerce game? The first rule of the digital shelf is to make sure your products can be found. Some might say its mission impossible. Unless, of course, you use digital shelf analytics (DSA). Get the eBook Today! Some years ago, Marc Benioff told me he was not interested in developing back office apps that would compete with SAP and Oracle in the ERP and finance market. Many people, myself included, looked askance at that idea and wondered out loud how the company would continue to grow because, hey, there's front office and back office and nothing else right? Nope. Salesforce decided to do the hard thing, to invent a new category of apps that support an organization's enhanced role in the community and the marketplace. So far, just to review, it has developed the Philanthropy Cloud, the Nonprofit Cloud, the Education Cloud, and a rash of custom CRM for vertical industries like healthcare and finance. It even just completed acquisition of Vlocity, a company that leverages Salesforce Lightning to build and deploy custom vertical apps. In all of this the company made the original CRM product both a demonstration project for what can be and, to one way of viewing it, continues to commoditize CRM. But if this is commoditization, it's happening without the price cutting and margin erosion you expect when too many people already have hoola-hoops. Salesforce continues to define the market for enterprise software, and more, with innovations that few others are stepping up to; the case in point is last week's TrailheaDX 2020 developers event held online. Like all Salesforce events so far this year, TDX was moved online; and it was compressed from two days to six hours. The event directors seemed to use the time well, interspersing live presentations with new video segments and some recorded interviews. Advancement Beyond CRM The big news coming out of TDX was the introduction of still more apps built on the platform, and training and support for administrators and developers who will further customize them to the needs of their unique businesses. Salesforce Anywhere is a CRM solution built on the assumption that we will all have to work and be productive in and out of the office for the foreseeable future. Work.com, previously announced, is a set of solutions designed to help companies do many of the hard things associated with reopening the economy. Both suites are built specifically for the times we live in. They tell me that Work.com and Salesforce Anywhere were put together in about eight weeks -- and while they contain much that's new, they also repurpose many of the components of CRM built on the platform. Either way you look at it, these solutions are a testament to the company's continuing evolution beyond CRM and into a dominant position in enterprise business applications. Work.com seems to be oriented toward the public sector with functionality for contact tracing, emergency response management, and a command center to keep it all on track. But any corporation will also appreciate these systems' utility as they try to schedule healthy people in the office while encouraging people with respiratory infections to stay home. There's even an app for reskilling the workforce to keep up with changing job descriptions. Salesforce Anywhere combines conventional CRM functions with greater mobility and technologies to help people work together even when they aren't close together. We might see this introduction as a major business inflection point a few years down the road, as workers and companies give up on the commute to better use everyone's time. A View of the Suite The suite includes "Sell, service and market from anywhere," which uses Salesforce 360 and supports selling, service, marketing from anywhere in the world supported by cloud, social, mobile and artificial intelligence to supply personalized experiences for any industry. "Collaborate from anywhere" grapples with the need for team cohesion while members are far apart and uses Salesforce collaboration technology to provide real-time team chat, notifications, comments, and video conferencing. Another part of remote working is providing help desk services to employees -- and that's met through a partnership with Tanium, which provides a help desk ticketing infrastructure and kind of looks like service and support for employees. "Data from anywhere" leverages Mule Soft and Tableau, two recent acquisitions, to enable access to data and to process it to provide insights that the other modules and workers can use to expand their "work from anywhere" efforts. Finally, "Skill up from anywhere" is an idea that needed to happen. It essentially gives companies a training facility in which they can build Trailhead trails to train and update worker skillsets as the work of work continues to change. As I noted above, a lot of this functionality comes from pre-existing apps repurposed for today's reality. But that shouldn't matter. It gives Salesforce a lot of new capabilities to supply to its customers, gives those customers ways to keep their businesses running in difficult times, and continues to demonstrate the value of the platform, which is rapidly turning into the company's secret sauce. The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of ECT News Network. Denis Pombriant is a well-known CRM industry analyst, strategist, writer and speaker. His new book, You Can't Buy Customer Loyalty, But You Can Earn It, is now available on Amazon. His 2015 book, Solve for the Customer, is also available there. Email Denis. A Brand's Guide to Digital Shelf Analytics | eBook What can you do to improve your digital commerce game? The first rule of the digital shelf is to make sure your products can be found. Some might say its mission impossible. Unless, of course, you use digital shelf analytics (DSA). Get the eBook Today! Google is facing a class-action lawsuit for tracking people who used the Chrome browser's Incognito mode. Law firm Boies Schiller Flexner earlier this week filed the complaint on behalf of people who used the privacy mode during the past four years. "Google tracks and collects consumers' history and other Web activity no matter what safeguards consumers undertake to protect their data privacy," it states. "Indeed, even when Google users launch a Web browser with 'private browsing mode' activated (as Google recommends to users wishing to browse the Web privately), Google nevertheless tracks the users' browsing data and other identifying information." Google conducts this "surreptitious tracking" through Google Analytics, Google Ad Manager, and "various application and website plug-ins, such as Google applications on mobile devices and the "Google Sign-In button" for websites," according to the complaint. "When an Internet user visits a Webpage or opens an app that uses such services (over 70 percent of all online publishers use such a service), Google receives detailed, personal information such as the user's IP address (which may provide geographic information), what the user is viewing, what the user last viewed, and details about the user's hardware," it states. Google "takes the data regardless of whether the user actually clicks on a Google-supported advertisement -- or even knows of its existence." Anticipating that consumers are concerned that it's tracking their personal information and browsing history, Google "promises consumers that they can 'browse the Web privately' and stay in 'control of what information [users] share with Google," it continues. Google recommends that its consumers need only launch a browser in private browsing mode to prevent information from being shared with it. "Both statements are untrue," the complaint alleges. "When users undertake either -- or both -- of the aforementioned steps, Google continues to track, collect, and identify their browsing data in real time, in contravention of federal and state laws on wiretapping and in violation of consumers' rights to privacy." Private, Not Private The complaint seeks at least US$5,000 in damages for each of millions of Google users who have been browsing the Internet in private mode since June 1, 2016. "We have nothing further to add, beyond what is in the complaint," Boies Schiller Flexner spokesperson Edward Evans told the E-Commerce Times. The lawsuit "looks solid," remarked Rob Enderle, principal analyst at the Enderle Group. "Large companies often find creative ways around laws and then convince themselves that they'll get away with questionable practices. That seems to be the case here," he told the E-Commerce Times. The intent of the Incognito feature, and what Google communicated, was to provide users with privacy, Enderle said, "but they then appear to have gone around the function to take the data anyway." Google's Defense "Google strongly disputes these claims and will defend ourselves vigorously against them," said company spokesperson Jose Castenada. "Incognito mode in Chrome gives you the choice to browse the Internet without your activity being saved to your browser or device," he told the E-Commerce Times. When consumers open a new Incognito tab, a notice tells them their activity might still be visible to websites they visit, their employer or school, and their ISP. "Google's brand mission statement is 'to organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful,'" noted Liz Miller, principal analyst at Constellation Research. "It never says, 'Our mission is to deliver the most safe, private and secure experience for any individual no matter where they are to access a democratized, even playing field while staying in control of all their data and privacy,'" she told the E-Commerce Times. On Data Collection Third-party websites can use Google Analytics to collect and analyze data when visitors are in Incognito mode. However, visitors can use the Google Analytics browser opt-out extension to disable this activity. Data collected through Google Analytics belongs to the website owner, who then can decide whether to share it with Google. Passing personally identifiable information through Google Analytics is prohibited by Google's terms of service. An open question is how important the privacy issue privacy is for consumers. "Sharing your information with these services is how they pay the bills," Enderle pointed out. "If users don't like that, they should instead buy and use the services from more traditionally funded vendors." The average consumer "doesn't want privacy," Miller maintained. "They want to be served up a more relevant and personalized engagement, especially when they need it most." Google's Troubled Data Collection History Google has been sued, and fined, for tracking consumers in the past. The Federal Trade Commission imposed a $190 million fine for tracking children, and $22.5 million for tracking users of the Safari browser. Both Google and Amazon are under fire for using smart speakers to monitor what users are saying, an allegation tech investor John Borthwick has leveled. Google tracks user activity on smart home devices, smart cars, and smartwatches. Tracking may occur through use of Google Voice and Google Fiber. Concerns have been raised over the tracking potential of APIs jointly developed with Apple for COVID-19 tracking. "The systemic problem at Google is that the culture rewards all innovative new methods of collection -- including synthesis -- of actionable data," observed Steve Wilson, principal analyst at Constellation Research. "They're instrumenting the world so as to aggregate as many signals they can to point to people's buying behaviors," he told the E-Commerce Times. Google then takes steps to de-identify or obfuscate identities, and "to be fair, they're pretty good at that," Wilson said. Still, "when your core mission is to find out everything you possibly can for commercial advantage about Internet users," he continued, "it's difficult, I think, to claim credibly that privacy is a top priority. Privacy is inherently a secondary consideration to the business." Following the filing of the Incognito lawsuit, more enforcement entities could move aggressively against Google, Enderle suggested. Fifty state attorneys general launched antitrust investigations against Google last year, and the United States government, together with several attorneys general, are expected file suit this summer alleging the company monopolized online ads. Richard Adhikari has been an ECT News Network reporter since 2008. His areas of focus include cybersecurity, mobile technologies, CRM, databases, software development, mainframe and mid-range computing, and application development. He has written and edited for numerous publications, including Information Week and Computerworld. He is the author of two books on client/server technology. Email Richard. By Steve Horn Former Chesapeake Energy CEO and Founder Aubrey McClendon is back in the fracking game in Ohio's Utica Shale in a big way, receiving a permit to frack five wells from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources on Nov. 26. Aubrey McClendon, the former CEO of fracking giant Chesapeake Energy has just received permits for fracking wells in Ohio's Utica shale. "The Ohio Department of Natural Resources awarded McClendon's new company, American Energy Utica LLC, five horizontal well permits Nov. 26 that allows oil and gas exploration on the Jones property in Nottingham Township, Harrison County," a Dec. 6 article appearing in The Business Journal explained. "In October, American Energy Utica announced it has raised $1.7 billion in capital to secure new leases in the Utica shale play." McClendon is the former CEO of fracking giant Chesapeake Energy and now the owner of American Energy Partners, whose office is located less than a mile away from Chesapeake's corporate headquarters. The $1.7 billion McClendon has received in capital investments for the purchase of 110,000 acres worth of Utica Shale land came from the Energy & Minerals Group, First Reserve Corporation, BlackRock Inc. and Magnetar Capital. McClendona central figure in Gregory Zuckerman's recent book The Frackersis currently under investigation by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. He left Chesapeake in Jan. 2013 following shareholder upset over controversial business practices. He was given a $35 million severance package, access to the company's private jets through 2016 and a 2.5 percent stake in every well Chesapeake fracks through June 2014 as part of the Founder's Well Participation Program. Little discussed beyond the business press, McClendon has teamed up with a prominent business partner for his new start-up: former ExxonMobil CEO Lee Raymond. Power Mapping McClendon's New Venture "[Lee] Raymond has emerged as a director alongside Mr. McClendon in American Energy Ohio Holdings LLC... according to [an SEC] regulatory filing," The Wall Street Journal reported in October. The former Exxon CEO's son John Raymond is the Managing Partner, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Executive Officer of Minerals & Energy Group, currently the largest capital investor in McClendon's start-up venture and is also a partner in McClendon's new venture. Ryan Turner, Chesapeake's Stock Plan Manager has also joined the team as a partner. "Jefferies Group LLC gave financial advice to American Energy" for the deal, according to Bloombergand is listed as such on American Energy Ohio Holdings LLC's SEC Form D. Ralph Eads IIIMcClendon's fraternity brother at Duke Universityserves as Global Head of Energy Investment Banking at Jefferies Group, Inc. "Mr. Eads...is a prince of this world," the New York Times reported in Oct. 2012. "His financial innovations helped feed the gas drilling boom, and he has participated in $159 billion worth of oil and gas deals since 2007." Eads maintained tight financial ties with McClendon when he was at the helm of Chesapeake Energy. The flow chart below depicts the financial and career ties binding Eads and McClendon. High Stakes Game In teaming up with Lee Raymond, the former CEO of ExxonMobilnotorious for its role in funding climate change denialand his brother John, McClendon has shown he is back in Ohio ready to play ball. But a recent Environmental Integrity Project report indicates the life-cycle climate change impacts of fracking are more severe than previously thought. With the U.S. Navy predicting an ice-free summer by 2016 due to climate change, it's a ball game with undeniably high stakes. Visit EcoWatchs FRACKING and CLIMATE CHANGE pages for more related news on this topic. The United Nations launched a new campaign to counter, by fostering personal behavior change, the growing threat of misinformation online, particularly with regard to COVID-19. The campaign, called Pause, asks digital users to take the time to think about what they are about to share before posting it online. "Misinformation is spreading faster than the virus itself, and is seriously disrupting public health efforts by dangerously distorting sound scientific guidance. It is designed to exploit our emotions and biases at a time of heightened fear," said UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in a press release on Tuesday, Xinhua news agency reported. "But there are ways users can learn to recognize bad information and slow the spread. We are aiming to have the phrase, 'Pause, take care before you share,' become a new public norm." A range of media companies around the world, including Al Jazeera, Deutsche Welle, Euronews, France Medias Monde, MultiChoice Africa and StarTimes, are distributing Pause content on TV channels, online and via SMS, said the press release. Major social media platforms, including Facebook, Twitter, Google (YouTube) and TikTok, have also committed to promoting Pause, while indicating a willingness to scale up their ongoing efforts to suppress the circulation of misinformation, it said. "It is encouraging to see steps already taken by social media platforms, such as swiftly removing misinformation surrounding COVID-19, flagging harmful content, questioning sharing intentions and also promoting sound health advice, including from the World Health Organization," said Melissa Fleming, UN undersecretary-general for global communications. "Just as social distancing slows the spread of the virus, behavior changes around sharing will go a long way to slow the spread of misinformation. But it can only be meaningfully halted if there is no place for misinformation on social media platforms." Pause draws on research from psychologists, neuroscientists and behavioral scientists whose studies indicate that pausing to reflect before sharing can significantly help reduce the spread of unverified and misleading information. The campaign will challenge people to break the habit of sharing shocking or emotive content impulsively and without questioning its accuracy. The campaign, launched on Tuesday to coincide with Social Media Day, is part of a larger UN initiative called Verified. Verified, launched in May, aims to increase the volume and reach of trusted and accurate information, with the help of information volunteers. Fleming said Monday that more than 10,000 people have signed up for the Verified initiative as volunteers -- a number growing about 10 percent a week. By mid-June, more than 130 UN member states had endorsed the initiative, showing their concern about the "infodemic" related to COVID-19. The Ayodhya Research Centre has started an online six-month certificate course that will educate people, mainly in foreign countries, on how Ram Lila is performed in India. The online classes began earlier this month and students from the US, Canada, South America, Caribbean countries and Mauritius have enrolled in the course. Professor Y. P. Singh, Director of the institute, said the project was conceptualised during lockdown when online learning took the centrestage. "Two classes have already been held. We conduct classes at night in India so that students in western countries may attend it as it is morning there. We have taken Ram Lila abroad and have a network of people who either perform or organise Ram Lila. When we discussed the idea with them, their response was positive." He further said that efforts would be made to bring at least five of these groups to India to perform at Deepotsav during Diwali. In the online classes, students are taught about makeup and voice modulation. They learn how Sita's dressing up is different from that of Surpanakha and how Ravan's laughter is different from that of Ram. These youngsters are also getting an insight into the hard work that goes into staging of Ram Lila in north India. Singh said that the classes are being conducted by theatre artist Manvendra Tripathi of Gorakhpur, who himself plays the role of Ram. Live sessions have modules on makeup, dialogue delivery, decor, costumes, stage decorations are also a part of the course and these will be conducted using video and audio guides, lectures and demonstrations. "The students can pose questions to experts which will help them get a better understanding of the art form. They will learn about various genres of Ram Lila in India, while experts will specifically focus on the Vyasa style of performance," Singh said. Those who take part in the Master Artist Certificate course will be given an opportunity to perform on various platforms. The online course, financially supported by the Ministry of Culture, will soon be extended to other countries, including Australia and New Zealand, in coming days. From California to Pennsylvania, school librarians are on edge as district and school leaders across the country seek ways to cut back expenses amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Each day, we kind of hold our breath, said Debra Kachel, a researcher and advocate for the Pennsylvania School Librarians Associationa librarians group in a state where at least 20 districts have already proposed library cuts. A lot of these districts are informing librarians that they will be furloughed. The cutbacks come even as school librarians have stepped up in unprecedented ways during the COVID-19 school closuresusing social media to provide students with emotional support; giving book recommendations; organizing poetry readings; brokering book access for students; guiding teachers through a complicated web of free online resources; providing tech-support; and helping students navigate a deluge of online news and misinformation. I have heard this rhetoric that, Well, youre not in a brick and mortar building, so youre not really needed, said K.C. Boyd, a middle school librarian in Washington, D.C, who has recorded read-alouds for her students and the younger siblings, cousins, and neighbors they supervise. No! Were needed more than ever before. Cherity Pennington is a prime example of how school librarians have gotten creative during the pandemic. By mid-April, the library services coordinator for Oklahomas 3,600-student Shawnee Public School district had already helped secure $1,000 in donated books, as well as many more from the homes and classroom libraries of colleagues and community members. Her initiative to send those books to students alongside free meals from the district on school buses proved very popularespecially with one student who was stuck at home with no television, computer, or internet access. I was thrilled to be able to connect this young student to such a special book, Pennington wrote in an email. Similar examples can be found all over the country. In New Mexico, school librarians have set up YouTube channels to read bedtime stories and have partnered with local PBS stations to bring children free lessons in reading and literacy. In New York City, librarians like Ciro Scardinawho works at the 4,000-student Edward R. Murrow High School in Brooklyn and took to recording Instagram videos for his students from his kitchen table at homeshared so many ideas that they temporarily crashed a citywide email listserv. And in Nebraska, school librarians have hosted online reading challenges and a virtual dress-as-your-favorite-character competition, won by a student who dressed as Puck, the whimsical fairy from A Midsummer Nights Dream. This was really a time for people to step up and say, Heres what Im capable of, heres what this profession is capable of, and heres what we can do, said Cynthia Stogdill, the president of the Nebraska School Librarians Association. Many librarians and their advocates hope federal stimulus dollars will help keep such efforts going into next school year. Most recently, the American Association of School Librarians wrote to U.S. Education Secretary Betsy Devos asking for both public and school libraries to be a priority for funding. Difficult to Be Optimistic Despite librarians new roles and creative efforts during the pandemic, their positions are again at risk, raising fresh equity concerns. In the decade since the last recession, one in five full-time school librarian jobs were lost, according to national data analyzed by Keith Lance, a library researcher and consultant from the RSL Research Group. Districts serving high numbers of poor and minority students were particularly hard hit. Other educational positions rebounded when the economy recovered, but the ranks of school librarians did not. Will things be any different under the current pandemic? Its difficult to be optimistic about how school libraries and librarians will fare in COVID-related budget cuts, Lance wrote in an email. Many librarians and their advocates have turned to Washington for help. So far, though, federal funds are short. The $500 billion CARES Act, enacted in March to provide financial relief in the wake of the pandemic, included $13.5 billion for K-12 schools, but that money might not go to librarian needs. The Act included $45 million for the Institute of Museum and Library Services, and $30 million of it has already been allocated to state library agencieswhich again, may or may not distribute that money to school librarians. School librarians scrambled to apply for the remaining $15 million by June 12th. In the meantime, cuts to school library budgets have already started to hit. In California, for example, the 6,400-student school district in Selma and the 39,000-student school district in Sweetwater have proposed eliminating all librarians for next school year. And the proposed library cuts in Pennsylvania communities like Greensburg-Salem, outside Pittsburgh, are a huge concern in a state where one-third of the 500 school districts already have just one librarian, at most. Superintendents like Greensburg-Salems Gary Peiffer said the choice is difficult, but when he studied the projected revenue for his district, he knew he was in a bind. I just couldnt have the expenditures we had before with things being this uncertain, said Peiffer, whose district has 3,000 students. The budget cut full-time school librarian positions but retained one professional to rotate through the schools. Students will still have library access, but not the guidance of a full-time professional. The end of this pandemic isnt anywhere in sight, Peiffer said, and the districts finances could be dire in the next few years. Widening Digital Divide Issues Such cuts will likely occur more frequently in rural and urban communities that serve poorer and more racially diverse student bodies, experts said, worsening pre-existing inequities. The nations poorest and most diverse schools already employ the fewest librarians in the country, according to a 2016 National Education Association report . Districts that did not lose a librarian from 2005 to 2015 were 75 percent white, and the districts that lost the most librarians had predominantly minority student populations, as Education Week previously reported . The stakes are high for the countrys neediest students, especially during a pandemic, said Lance, the school librarian consultant. Librarians may be uniquely qualified to help their schools assess and address digital divide issues, he saidespecially when those gaps are already being exacerbated by full-time at-home learning, which puts many low-income students at an even greater disadvantage. School librarians also teach their students to question, to find the answers, and to approach these answers with a healthy dose of skepticism. For students looking to advance to higher education and intellectually demanding professions, these skills help set them up for life. For now, the response of many librarians has been to try to prove theyre not expendable. I had many very frank conversations with librarians, said Mary Chappell, the chair of New Mexico School Librarians, saying, Hey, guys, if you value your job right now, you have got to step it up and prove that youre valuable. Stay up to date on COVID-19 Get Breaking News Sign up now to get our FREE breaking news coverage delivered right to your inbox. Sponsored By: St Anthony's Hospital Chinas Huawei Technologies said on Thursday it had received planning permission for a 1 billion pound ($1.2 billion) research and development facility in England. The new centre will employee around 400 people and focus on producing optical equipment used in fibre-optic communication systems, Huawei said in a statement. The development is likely to anger officials in the United States and some British lawmakers who say Huaweis equipment can be used by Beijing for spying and that Britain should reconsider a January decision to allow it a limited role in its 5G networks. The company denies the charges. British officials are in the process of reviewing how to best mitigate any security risks posed by Huawei in light of new U.S. sanctions announced in May, which aim to cut off the firms supply of the advanced microchips needed to make its equipment. A decision is expected in the coming weeks. Huawei Vice President Victor Zhang saying the technology developed at the new centre was separate from that targeted by the U.S. restrictions, and it was simply wrong to suggest its announcement was timed to influence Britains decision. Huawei began working on the project in 2017, he said, and acquired the 500-acre development site near Cambridge, around 70km (43 miles) north of London, in 2018. U.S. officials have said the development project is part of an effort by China to expand its influence in the West. They donate money, hire grads, and burnish their PR credentials. Then comes bullying, coercion, and expansion of the surveillance state, U.S. Under Secretary of State Keith Krach said in a tweet on Tuesday. Zhang said he could not comment on the British governments 5G review before it was finished, but that the research centre represented a significant investment in the country. The UK definitely will care about the British interests and to develop, recover and grow the economy here, he said. Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. Das konnte Sie auch interessieren Verwandte Artikel Huawei Technologies Deutschland GmbH The first image sensors in the world to be equipped with AI processing functionality. Sony sees software subscription as future for data-analyzing image sensors. Sony Corps image sensor business aims to replicate PlayStations success to address its reliance on a handful of manufacturers in the fickle smartphone market: It plans to sell software by subscription for data-analyzing sensors in situ. Transforming the light-converting chips into a platform for software - essentially akin to the PlayStation Plus video games service - amounts to a sea change for the $10 billion business, which built its dominance through hardware breakthroughs. The effort chimes with Sonys pursuit of recurring revenue after years of loss in the volatile consumer electronics sector. Success, analysts said, could serve as a rejoinder to activist investor Daniel Loebs calls for the business to be spun off. We have a solid position in the market for image sensors, which serve as a gateway for imaging data, said Sonys Hideki Somemiya, who heads a new team developing sensor applications, during an interview with Reuters. Analysis of such data with artificial intelligence (AI) would form a market larger than the growth potential of the sensor market itself in terms of value, Somemiya said in an interview, pointing to the recurring nature of software-dependent data processing versus a hardware-only business. Sony has developed what it calls the worlds first image sensor with integrated AI processor. The sensor can be installed in security cameras where it can single out factory workers not wearing helmets, for instance, or be mounted in vehicles to monitor driver drowsiness. Importantly, the software can be modified or replaced wirelessly without disturbing the camera. The Japanese conglomerate hopes customers will subscribe to its sensor software service through monthly fees or licensing, much like how gamers buy a PlayStation console and then pay for software or subscribe to online services. Sony has not disclosed a start date for the service, but at a news conference last month, Somemiya said there was demand from retailers, factories - mainly business-to-business. Mindset Change South Koreas Samsung Electronics Co Ltd and Chinese-owned OmniVision Technologies are also expanding the software capability of image sensors, but analysts said a 52 percent market share gives Sony a competitive edge in the emerging area. Still, said Somemiya, a software-centred approach will require a change of mindset at a division accustomed to abiding by specifications of smartphone makers - just five of whom account for the bulk of its revenue. The new direction comes as U.S. hedge fund Third Point LLC, a minority investor headed by Loeb, continues to push Sony to spin off the image sensor division, saying its value could be higher if it was not masked by the complexity of the company. Sony Chief Executive Kenichiro Yoshida counters that keeping the division in house gives it easier access to group resources and has said diversity is the companys strength. CEO Yoshidas message suggests Sony will focus on profit growth with diversified businesses, said analyst Junya Ayada at JPMorgan Securities. Sonys portfolio may be growing in complexity, but it still reported two consecutive years of record profit through March 2019, Ayada said. Having technology with diversified applications can also be advantageous in times of uncertainty, said Atsushi Osanai, professor at Waseda University Business School. The next big thing for sensors may be in self-driving technology, but its important to explore other applications, Osanai said. Still, others said it is hard to factor in the potential of the sensor software subscription service as it could take years for such a business to become a driver of Sonys overall growth. The number of sensors used at factories and retailers will probably be small compared to those for the over one-billion-unit smartphone market, said analyst Hideki Yasuda at Ace Securities. Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. Das konnte Sie auch interessieren Verwandte Artikel Sony Semiconductor Europe Ltd. Athens, AL (35611) Today Cloudy early followed by heavy thunderstorms this afternoon. Storms may contain strong gusty winds. High 83F. Winds SW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 80%.. Tonight Thunderstorms this evening, then cloudy with rain likely overnight. Low 62F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Rainfall possibly over one inch. NASA has started preparing for the possibility of launching six more Artemis missions on top of the three it has already confirmed. The space agency has revealed that it has agreed to provide initial funding and authorization to Northrop Grumman to order long-lead items for the construction of twin boosters for the next six Space Launch System (SLS) flights. The SLS is slated to become become NASAs most powerful rocket yet, designed to enable human exploration beyond the Lower Earth Orbit. The details of the contract arent finalized yet, but it has a potential value of $49.5 million and will extend through December 31st, 2030. Its expected to support booster production and operations for SLS flights 4-9. Bruce Tiller, manager of the SLS Boosters office at Marshall, said in a statement: Were ready to process and stack the boosters for the Artemis I mission, and we are making great progress producing boosters for the Artemis II and III missions. NASA is committed to establishing a sustainable presence at the Moon, and this action enables NASA to have boosters ready when needed for future missions. NASA hasnt revealed any details about potential missions 4 to 9, but Artemis I is scheduled to take place in November 2021 and is expected to be the first flight with both the Orion capsule and the SLS. Meanwhile, Artemis II will be the programs first crewed mission. Itll perform a lunar flyby before heading back to Earth when it launches in 2023. Finally, Artemis III is planned for 2024 and is expected to land the next man and first woman on the Moon. Peacock, NBCs new streaming service, wont just be the home of content from the wider NBC Universal family. Today, the company has announced its sealed a deal with ViacomCBS, one of its ostensible rivals, to play host to some of the Viacom library for its July 15th launch. That includes shows like Ray Donovan and The Affair from Showtime, CBS Undercover Boss and the CWs Charmed (albeit not until October). More exciting, perhaps, is the inclusion of premium films from the Paramount Pictures library, which will stream in limited exclusivity windows throughout 2021, 2022 and 2023. So, for little snatches of the next three years, Peacock users will be able to watch The Godfather, Catch me if you can and American Beauty. The deal is not exclusive, however, and much of this material may also be available on CBS All Access and elsewhere. One issue with the streaming wars is that the big media conglomerates have less reason to share their toys with others. CBS, for instance, promised to greatly expand the number of titles available on its CBS All Access streaming platform as well as its other outlets, Showtime and Pluto TV. But Viacom has also been receptive in sharing the love with other streaming outlets. For instance, South Park is streaming on HBO Max (WarnerMedia wrote a big check), while some Nickelodeon content has been bought by Netflix. One day after Google increased the cost of a base YouTube TV subscription to $65 per month, Sling TV says it will maintain the price of its streaming service for one year. As part of a new limited-time promotion, both new and existing customers won't see the price of the company's $30 per month Blue and Orange subscriptions increase before August 1st, 2021. The catch is you need to have an active account with Sling TV before August 1st, 2020. "We believe now is not the time to make our customers choose between staying informed and entertained and putting dinner on the table," said Michael Schwimmer, the president of Sling TV. "Our hope is this 1-Year Price Guarantee will bring a sense of much-needed stability in a time that feels uncertain to us all." Alongside the price guarantee, new customers can take advantage of two other promotions. Until July 6th, you can sign up for a 14-day trial. Additionally, If you agree to pay for three months of Sling Blue or Sling Orange in advance, the company will give you a complimentary AirTV 2 media box. The AirTV 2 lets you stream local TV channels to your other devices. Obviously, Sling is trying to paint itself as the good guy in this situation, but the fact of the matter is that streaming TV platforms don't have much control over how much their services cost. The cost of streaming TV services has steadily increased over the last couple of years because of how networks bundle their channels. When a company like Google signs a new deal, it often has to carry a network's entire lineup of channels. That's something that's become a significant issue for the industry. When Sony shut down PlayStation Vue last year, it said "expensive content and network deals" played a big part in its decision. The Supreme Court has ruled that website names are trademarkable even if they consist of a generic term followed by ".com." The ruling means that Booking.com is eligible for a trademark on the generic name that's associated with its domain. Booking.com had tried to register its name with the US Patent and Trademark Office, but the agency rejected the filing, claiming that generic names aren't eligible for trademark protection. It said the name was a generic word for travel reservations with a top-level domain bolted on. The USPTO, among others, suggested that allowing Booking.com to claim the trademark would harm other travel companies with the word "booking" in their domain names. Federal trademark law defines generic terms as those that don't make a service or product distinct from other ones. It prevents companies from staking an exclusive claim to commonly used words such as "tailor" or "laundromat" in store names. Booking.com claimed that people associate its brand with reservations and that denying its trademark application could lead to consumers becoming misled. In writing the Supreme Court's majority opinion, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg sided with the company, suggesting that public perception of a name is the core issue. [If] Booking.com were generic, we might expect consumers to understand Travelocity -- another such service -- to be a Booking.com, Ginsburg wrote. We might similarly expect that a consumer, searching for a trusted source of online hotel-reservation services, could ask a frequent traveler to name her favorite Booking.com provider. Because Booking.com is not a generic name to consumers, it is not generic, Ginsburg determined. The court ruled 8-1 in favor of Booking.com, with Justice Stephen Breyer dissenting. The decision paves the way for other companies with generic terms in their domain names to trademark them. The case was the first one for which the court used a teleconference system for oral arguments, with justices working remotely due to COVID-19 prevention measures. Those arguments were also the court's first to be livestreamed. This week hasnt been a very good one for pro-Trump and far-right groups. First, Reddit deactivated The_Donald subreddit, among many others, due to repeated incidents of harassment and hate speech. Next, Twitch said it was temporarily suspending the Presidents campaign account for violating its policies on hateful content. Then, YouTube announced that it would pull the accounts of white supremacists such as David Duke and Richard Spencer, many of whom are also pro-Trump, for similar reasons. On Tuesday, Facebook said it has banned pro-civil-war boogaloo groups on its platform too. It might seem that at long last, the day of reckoning has come for internet platforms that once were the breeding grounds for hate speech and harassment. But while these actions are commendable, its worth remembering that these platforms have tolerated such activity for years. It is only when public opinion -- and by extension, profits -- are on the line, that theyve chosen to do something about it. Hate and harassing speech still reigns on many social media sites, including the ones above. The problem is far from over, and these companies need to do a lot more to regain public trust. They need to make sure hate speech has no place on their platform, this week and beyond. To be clear, online hate groups have been around for far longer than Trumps presidency. There have always been fringe groups on the internet -- see 4chan and 8chan, for example, where forum users harassed women in the video game industry as part of Gamergate. They are often a radicalizing force, and connected to real-life violent acts like the shootings in El Paso and the mosque in Christchurch, New Zealand. What weve found is that hateful actors are early adopters of technology, Henry Fernandez, a Senior Fellow of the Center for American Progress Action Fund, told Engadget. Fernandez is also the co-founder of Change The Terms, a coalition of civil and human rights organizations that is focused on reducing hate online. He cited the recent Zoombombing efforts where harassers infiltrated private video chats with pornographic images and racial epithets. Zoom only became a popular tool a few months ago, and hate groups immediately learned how to use it, he said. Weve seen that on every platform. SOPA Images via Getty Images But during Trumps presidency, such fringe groups have been brought out into the limelight, and their views are now part of the mainstream conversation. Not only does the president have a large following in white supremacist circles, Trump often espouses views that are aligned with the far-right. He tweeted up a storm where he amplified Twitter accounts that promoted a QAnon conspiracy theory about Democrats in a pedophilia cult (which, incidentally, is a theory that is still being spread on TikTok). More recently, he retweeted a video where a Trump supporter was seen shouting white power (the retweet was later removed). Polls have also shown that many Americans believe that Trump is a legitimizing voice for online hate groups. Despite it all, social media and internet platforms like YouTube, Reddit, Twitter and Facebook have held strong to a neutral stance. Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey has said that the platform doesnt take sides and Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has said that he doesnt want the company to be the arbiter of truth, in an apparent attempt to persuade right-wing conservatives that they have no bias against them. Unfortunately, this has led to increased hate speech and harassing language posted on social media, which, in some cases, directly contradicts their own policies. Take, for example, Twitter letting the president off the hook for tweeting violent threats against world leaders or the targeted harassment of the Ukraine whistleblower. Its only recently that the tide seems to have turned. Even before Monday, Twitter had started fact-checking the president and hiding tweets that glorify violence. Facebook has also taken down a Trump ad for showing a Nazi symbol, and will start adding labels to at least some politicians posts that violate its policies (No word on whether this will apply to the President). Some of this is due to the recent rise of the Black Lives Matter movement. Organizations everywhere -- from corporate entities to sports institutions -- have called for an increase in racial justice awareness. Theres a racial justice reckoning across the United States, said Fernandez. People are protesting in the streets because they believe that progress towards racial justice has been too slow. Theres a real demand for change. - via Getty Images Fernandez added that part of this could also be due to an increased push for change from inside the companies, like Facebook employees staging virtual walkouts and speaking out against its CEO for not removing the presidents inflammatory remarks. On top of that, he said that advocacy groups like his and that of other human rights organizations have been pushing for change in an organized and unified fashion for years. Weve had an ongoing engagement with Facebook, Reddit, Twitter, TikTok etc. for a long time, he said. But a lot of this can also be attributed to prudent business sense. Recently, several large corporations such as Verizon, Unilever and Starbucks have pulled their advertising dollars from Facebook and other social media companies. As of last Friday, over 120 companies have participated in the Stop Hate For Profit boycott organized by civil rights groups. Of course, its possible that these corporations were looking to cut costs anyway due to the impact of coronavirus, but putting their names behind a boycott like this has the added benefit of making them look good, and it also ratchets up the pressure on Facebook. The problem is that we shouldnt forget the companies history of letting hate speech slide; none of this is nearly enough. After all, this isnt the first time internet platforms have taken a stance against hate only to revert to the norm later on. In 2018, for example, Alex Joness Infowars was banned from YouTube, Facebook, Spotify, Apple and even from Twitter, despite a short period where CEO Jack Dorsey had to defend Jones continuing presence on the site. That, however, didnt stop far-right leaders like Richard Spencer and David Duke from having a continuing presence on Twitter and tweeting racist and anti-Semitic remarks which, somehow did not run afoul of the companys policies (they were hate-filled rhetoric, rather than direct hate speech). Twitter did suspend their accounts in 2017, but then restored them soon after. Plus, Reddits removal of The_Donald was a little toothless. Not only had most of the denizens already migrated to their own website, it was part of a broader takedown of 2,000 subreddits across the political spectrum -- including leftist podcasting group Chapo Trap House. Benjamin Lee, Reddits general counsel, told the Times that Theres a home on Reddit for conservatives, theres a home on Reddit for liberals and Theres a home on Reddit for Donald Trump. picture alliance via Getty Images Not to mention that Twitter and Facebook are still really only doing the absolute bare minimum. Twitter has so far only fact-checked and hidden Trumps violating tweets, not removed them. Facebook also said that while it might label violating posts from politicians, it wouldnt delete them due to their newsworthiness. Fernandez has a few ideas on how tech companies can go beyond just lip service and the occasional act of good will to actually enact serious change. For one thing, he said that removing hate should be their number one priority. It requires elevating the responsibility and accountability into senior management, he said. There should be a single person in senior management where the buck stops on the issues of hate. They should have the authority inside the company to make changes necessary in staffing, training, design, and so forth so that hate doesnt grow on the platform. He added that its also vital for companies to have transparency over their decisions. There needs to be reporting with clarity and depth into how hate operates on the platform, and how theyre removing it from the platform, he said. Outside experts and researchers need to be able to look at this data and evaluate it themselves as well. In short, its not enough to just change a few words in the terms of service. The entire infrastructure needs to change too. Still, Fernandez is hopeful. I like to think that companies are looking at Zuckerbergs behavior and the Facebook ad boycott and thinking to themselves, Lets not make that mistake, he said. Plus, he said the current moment is ripe for change. We shouldnt underestimate how big change can be. For example, both NASCAR and the state of Mississippi have voted to get rid of the confederate flag. Thats huge! he said. Now its time for Facebook to get rid of its confederate flag. The advertiser boycott is quickly spiraling into an even bigger headache for Facebook. The boycott, organized by civil rights groups, has more than 300 participants, and isnt slowing down. The group has called for an international expansion, and brands like Starbucks, Clorox and Pfizer have joined the call to temporarily pull ads from Facebook. While not every company yanking ads has signed on to the official #StopHateForProfit boycott, the campaign appears to have prompted marketing behemoths like Coca-Cola and Target to reassess their ad budgets. There are likely many more still to come: One-third of the worlds largest advertisers are participating or say they are likely to participate, according to a survey from the World federation of Advertisers reported by the Financial Times. At this point, the question isnt how big the advertising boycott will get, but what will it actually accomplish. So far, its not exactly clear. While the boycott has already succeeded in wiping away $56 billion from Facebooks market value (and making Zuckerberg $7.2 billion poorer), we dont really know how much money Facebook will lose from the effort. And its even less clear what, if anything, will change inside the company as a result of the campaign. The official boycott has a long list of recommendations its put forward. The suggestions include a wide range of policy changes to address hate speech, disinformation and harassment, as well as more systemic changes to better equip the company to address extremism. For example, theyve asked Facebook to hire a C-suite level executive with civil rights expertise, as part of a permanent civil rights infrastructure at the company. Theyve also requested third-party audits around hate speech and misinformation and refunds for advertisers who have had ads appear near content that was later removed for terms of service violations. They also want Facebook to remove groups, including private ones, focused on white supremacy, militia, antisemitism, violent conspiracies, Holocaust denialism, vaccine misinformation, and climate denialism. And for the company to erase groups that spread conspiracy theories and misinformation from its recommendations. The social network should also have more employees dedicated to fighting hate speech and harassment, they say. Any Facebook user who has dealt with severe hate and harassment should be able to connect with a live Facebook employee in order to get help. So far, Facebooks response has been relatively muted. At the start of the boycott, a Facebook VP reportedly informed advertisers that the company does not make policy changes tied to revenue pressure. Yet Facebook has made some noteworthy changes since. On Friday, Zuckerberg announced that Facebook would add labels to some posts that break its rules but are otherwise considered newsworthy. He also said the company would expand its hate speech policy for advertising and ramp up its work to fight voter suppression. On Monday, Facebook told advertisers it would work with a third-party organization to audit its brand safety policies. This week, the company finally cracked down on a network of accounts linked with the violent boogaloo movement, which Facebook said it had been monitoring since last year. Unsurprisingly, these concessions havent done much to satisfy Facebooks critics, who have called them meager steps. Rashad Robinson, president of boycott organizer Color of Change, said Zuckerbergs live-streamed updates were 11 minutes of wasted opportunity to commit to change. Theres also the fact that while big-name advertisers make for good headlines, these companies still only account for a fraction of Facebooks total ad revenue (nearly $70 billion in 2019), which mainly comes from smaller businesses. Some have also questioned whether bigger companies are just using the boycott as an excuse for some good PR at a time when many companies are already scaling back ad budgets due to the coronavirus pandemic. In that sense, it seems the ad boycott is unlikely to significantly hurt Facebooks multibillion dollar cash pile significantly. At least, not unless it extends well beyond the planned month-long action, or gains a few thousand more participants. But that doesnt mean it all will have been for nothing, either. The boycott is bringing renewed pressure to Facebook to deal with extremism and hate speech, even if its only doing so incrementally. That pressure could also extend beyond Facebooks advertisers. Three Senate Democrats sent a letter to Mark Zuckerberg urging him to do more to prevent hate speech and to explain how it makes policy decisions about extremist content. And it seems unlikely Facebook wont get many more tough questions about these issues before the boycott is over. Whether those questions and the actions of a few hundred advertisers will amount to lasting change is another matter. But, revenue pressure or not, Facebook has consistently shown that it does react to massive public pressure. If the groups involved can keep it up, well likely see even more concessions from Facebook, though they might not be the ones civil rights groups want to see the most. Enid, OK (73701) Today A steady rain this morning. Showers continuing this afternoon. Cooler. High 76F. Winds NNE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Rainfall near a half an inch.. Tonight Mainly clear skies. Low 56F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph. Lubbock, TX (79409) Today A mix of clouds and sun with gusty winds. High 79F. Winds NE at 20 to 30 mph. Winds could occasionally gust over 40 mph.. Tonight Generally clear. Low 59F. Winds E at 15 to 25 mph. Winds could occasionally gust over 40 mph. A University of Florida research team is harnessing the power of genomic editing to illuminate druggable targets in human cells for the fight against COVID-19. By taking advantage of high-containment labs in UFs Emerging Pathogens Institutespecially designed for studying highly contagious and virulent pathogensthe team is using CRISPR genome editing techniques to screen human cell lines. Their goal is to discover genetic factors that either hasten or thwart infection by SARS-CoV-2, the virus which causes COVID-19. The interdisciplinary team includes Christopher Vulpe M.D., a professor in UFs College of Veterinary Medicine, in collaboration with Stephanie Karst, a professor in UFs College of Medicine, and Mike Norris, a professor in UFs College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Karst and Norris are EPI faculty. "While I know squat about viral pathogens, my group has used CRISPR a bit for toxicology, although not for studying viruses," Vulpe says. "Luckily, some colleagues with deeper experience in studying viruses were thinking along the same lines, that we should apply genome editing techniques to answer questions about what the virus needs from its host." Karst was already working on a National Institutes of Health-funded project to identify host factors for other viruses when she contacted EPI Director Glenn Morris, M.D., about working on COVID-19 research. The virulent SARS-CoV-2 virus must be studied within a special type of lab; and the EPI houses the highest concentration of these on UF's campus. Morris connected Karst and Vulpe, and also brought in Norris, who has an extensive background working in biosafety level III and high containment labs. The trio recently started their project with $89,000 in seed funding from UFs Clinical and Translational Science Institute. The funding is a portion of a National Institutes of Health grant, Creating the Healthiest Generation, which is repurposed to support projects internal to UF. Investigation goals The team has two main goals, the first of which is to learn what the virus needs from its host to make copies of itself, a process known as replication. "Viruses steal what they need," Vulpe says. "They cant make more of themselves without a host. If the proteins that the virus is trying to use are not there, then the virus doesnt replicate, and the host doesnt support infection. Using CRISPR is a way for us to identify what genes and proteins are important for a SARS virus to infect a human cell." The second goal is to understand better how the host cell responds to the viral infection to protect itself. Using CRISPR can also allow researchers to uncover specific host factors that block viral replication. Host factors that are required for viral infection, or block it, both represent candidate drug targets. Screening for survivors Prior research by others established that CRISPR techniques are useful for studying interactions between hosts and viruses. The UF team is using "libraries" of human cells, which have been modified by CRISPR gene editing techniques to either knock out specific genes or amplify the expression of their proteins. In the beginning, the team was not sure they would find a commercially available cell line that would work. But by overexpressing ACE2, the receptor to which the virus binds to unlock entry into the cell, the researchers made quick headway. "We were very excited to learn early on that when exposed to the virus, the cell line HEK293Twhich we manipulated to overexpress ACE2experienced full cytopathic effect," Karst says. The phrase cytopathic effect refers to cellular death. In other words, all the cells in their sample were killed, or lysed, by the virusa necessary outcome to identify genetic modifications that allow for survivors. In these images, the lighter-colored voids in the middle show where SARS-CoV-2 virus has killed a thin layer of live, red-hued African green monkey cells (left) and human kidney cells (right). The virus enters a cell, hijacks cellular machinery to make copies of itself, then causes the cell to rupture so that its viral progeny is released to infect neighboring cells. As the process repeats, plaques of killed cells form. (Images are courtesy of the study authors.) "We are looking for both host restriction factors, and host replication factors," Karst says, referring to genetic factors that either restrict the virus from replicating, or contribute to its growth. To do this, the team will use a library of single-guide RNAs which ride on a lentivirus, which acts sort of like an Uber driver, to their gene target. Once there, the guides point an enzyme called Cas9 to its target where it then knocks out specific genes or causes them to overexpress proteins. These modified test cellseach edited to manipulate one of 20,000 gene targets, are then pooled together and treated with the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Cells that survive this treatment will be evaluated to identify genes or proteins that promote cell survival against SARS-CoV-2. These factors will then become targets for the discovery of new drugs. Ideally, existing FDA-approved drugs could be screened for activity against these newly identified genetic targets. But if there is not an existing drug, researchers could begin work to develop a new one. Up next Karst also plans to identify and characterize virulence factors with a broad look at the coronavirus family. Before the world met SARS-CoV-2, there was a prior version that emerged in Chinas Guangdong province in 2002. Called SARS-CoV, it was more deadly but spread less easily than todays second version. Both SARS pathogens are in the same virus family that includes human coronavirus NL63, which is a strain that causes common colds. The connection is perplexing to researchers such as Karst. "Why is it that some less deadly coronaviruses, such as NL63, use the same ACE2 receptor but produce only mild illness?" Karst asks. "Whereas SARS-I and SARS-II produce severe disease despite using the same cellular front door to gain entry to a host?" Karst plans to use their data to leverage the pilot study into a new grant that will investigate coronavirus virulence factors. If researchers can gain a better understanding of virulence factors, it could help in the race to design therapeutic drugs. Acknowledgments The investigators would like to acknowledge the efforts of the researchers who make this work possible. They are: Andrew Bluhm, Michael Norris' lab; Marco Grodski, Stephanie Karst's lab; Mani Tagmount, Christopher Vulpe's lab; Max Russo, Bin Liu's lab; Roya Rafiee, Jatinder Lamba's lab; and Amin Sobh, Jonathan Licht's lab. Creator credits Written by DeLene Beeland; images courtesy of the authors. Read More Read Christopher Vulpe's College of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Physiological Science profile. Read Stephanie Karst's College of Medicine, Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology profile, and EPI profile. Read Mike Norris' College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, Department of Biology profile. 2020-07-01 Maeci The Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Luigi Di Maio, had a telephone conversation with the Prime Minister of Albania, Edi Rama. The talk focused on the excellent bilateral relations between Italy and Albania. Such synergy was confirmed by the arrival of Albanian doctors in Italy, during critical phases of the pandemic, as well as by the EU enlargement process towards Tirana. Minister Di Maio thanked Prime Minister Rama warmly for sending medical personnel to Italy in the most challenging months of the COVID-19 pandemic and relaunched the fight against the virus as a new field of collaboration between Rome and Tirana. The collaboration in the fight against the Coronavirus further strengthens the partnership between the two countries, also concerning the economic challenges triggered by the global health emergency. The Minister then expressed his appreciation for the recent progress made by Albania in the reforms needed to move the country closer to the European Union. The Minister confirmed Italy's continued support for Albania's European perspective and reiterated Italy's hope that the start of accession negotiations could materialize as soon as possible. 2020-07-01 Maeci Today, at the Foreign Ministry, Minister Luigi Di Maio opened the first meeting of the inter-institutional Operating Committee on Italy's contribution to the prevention of and global response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Minister thanked the Deputy Minister Emanuela Del Re, who promoted and chairs the Committee, which includes, among its members, representatives of the key Government departments and other public-sector players involved in the fight against the pandemic, as well as representatives of the civil society, including the for-profit sector, the pharmaceutical industry and research institutions. The Minister recalled that Italy was among the first G7 countries to be affected by the pandemic, pointing out that the country must be proud of how it has reacted, showing "great capacity in the most difficult of times". For Mr. Di Maio, today's event "will contribute to a concrete, unified and orderly response against Covid-19, which will be useful not only to Italy but to other countries as well". The Deputy Minister Del Re stressed that "responding to a global crisis such as Covid-19 also means serving the cause of fragile countries and the most vulnerable people, which is in their interest but also strongly in our own. Our country needs global stability in order to develop its relations across the board and from which it benefits directly. If these interconnections are impaired or even altogether lost Italy will be left a lot poorer as a result". The meeting featured two panels and a thematic focus. PANEL 1, on the subject of the "Global commitment against the pandemic: focus on ongoing initiatives", was introduced by Prof. Enrico Giovannini, Spokesperson of the Alliance for Sustainable Development. PANEL 2, on the subject of "Italian inventiveness against the pandemic, our model", was introduced by the President of the Istituto Superiore di Sanita (Higher Institute of Health) Silvio Brusaferro. Last but not least, the thematic focus "How to communicate the Italian model" was developed by Prof. Enrica Amaturo of Naples' Federico II University. New Curtin University-led research has uncovered how rocks sourced from the Earth's mantle are linked to the formation and breakup of supercontinents and super oceans over the past 700 million years, suggesting that the Earth is made up of two distinct 'faces'. The research, published in the leading Journal Nature Geoscience, examined the chemical and isotopic 'make-up' of rocks sourced from thousands of kilometres below the surface to better understand how the Earth's mantle responds to plate movements that occur near its surface. Lead author Dr Luc-Serge Doucet, from the Earth Dynamics Research Group in Curtin's School of Earth and Planetary Sciences, said the Earth's mantle is currently divided into two main domains, African and Pacific, but little is known about their formation and history and they are commonly assumed to be chemically the same. "Our team used trace metals such as lead, strontium, and neodymium, from hotspot volcanic islands including the Hawaiian islands in the Pacific Ocean and the La Reunion island in the Indian Ocean, to examine whether these two domains have the same chemical 'make-up'," Dr Doucet said. "We found that the African domain was 'enriched' by subducted continental materials, which was linked to the assembly and breakup of the supercontinent Pangaea, whereas no such feature was found in the Pacific domain." The team found that the contents of the two mantle domains are not exactly the same as previously thought. Instead, the Earth appears to have two chemically distinct hemispheric 'faces', with the Pacific ring of fire being the surface expression of the boundary between the two. Co-author John Curtin Distinguished Professor Zheng Xiang Li, head of the Earth Dynamics Research Group, said the two chemically distinct hemispheres discovered by the team can best be explained by the distinct evolutionary histories of the two mantle domains during the Rodinia to Pangaea supercontinent cycles. "We found that the African mantle domain contains continental materials, which were brought down by the subduction system for at least the past 600 million years. However, the Pacific mantle domain has been protected from the infiltration of such materials," Professor Li said. "Our research findings are significant as they showcase a dynamic relationship between plate tectonic processes that operate near the surface and the formation and evolution of Earth's deep mantle structures. "The work helps us to understand what drives plate tectonics and the formation and reservation of global geotectonic features such as the Pacific ring of fire. The dynamic and interactive nature of the entire Earth system has important implications on the formation of Earth resources, the evolution of Earth environment, and even the evolution of life." ### The research was co-authored by researchers from Curtin's School of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Tanta University in Egypt, St Francis Xavier University in Canada, Universite Libre de Bruxelles in Belgium, Queen's University in Canada, and the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing. The full paper titled, 'Distinct formation history for deep mantle domains reflected in geochemical differences ', and can be found online here. MINNEAPOLIS - There's good news for people with Parkinson's disease. A new study shows that deep brain stimulation may not increase the risk of developing dementia. The study is published in the July 1, 2020, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. For people with advanced Parkinson's disease, deep brain stimulation has been shown to be more effective than medication in controlling their movement problems. But research has been mixed on whether the treatment can increase the risk of developing dementia. For deep brain stimulation, electrodes are placed in certain areas of the brain to control abnormal movements. The electrodes are connected to a device placed under the skin in the upper chest. The device controls the electrical impulses. "These results are very encouraging for people with Parkinson's and their families that they can take advantage of the benefits of deep brain stimulation without worrying about it increasing the likelihood of developing dementia," said study author Elena Moro, MD, of Grenoble Alpes University in Grenoble, France, and a Fellow of the American Academy of Neurology. The study involved 175 people with Parkinson's disease with an average age of 56 who had deep brain stimulation. They had Parkinson's for an average of 12 years when they had the stimulator implanted. Researchers then checked the people after one year, five years and 10 years to see how many people had developed dementia. After one year, four people had developed dementia, or 2.3%. After five years, 142 people were available for testing and 12 people had dementia, or 8.5%. At 10 years, 104 people were still available for testing and 31 people had dementia, or 29.8%. The overall incidence rate was 35.6 per 1,000 person-years. "These rates are not higher than those reported in the general population of people with Parkinson's," said Moro. "The few studies that are available with similar disease duration have reported higher rates of dementia. Other studies of people with Parkinson's who are taking medication for their symptoms show an incidence rate for dementia that varies from 50 to 100 per 1,000 person-years." Moro said the younger average age in her study may help explain the lower rate of dementia. Also, people with moderate to severe memory or thinking problems are not eligible to have deep brain stimulation, so the group may have been less likely overall to develop dementia than a general group of people with Parkinson's disease. The study also looked at factors that were associated with a higher risk of dementia. Researchers found that men, older people, people who had hallucinations, people with a low score on thinking tests before surgery, and those who had a cerebral hemorrhage during the surgery to implant the deep brain stimulator were more likely to develop dementia. "Knowing these predictors may help us to select people who would respond best to deep brain stimulation and who might have a greater risk of having a poor cognitive outcome," Moro said. A limitation of the study was that a high percentage of people did not finish the study; researchers were not able to locate them or they did not respond to requests from the researchers. This could result in underestimating the overall incidence of dementia. ### Learn more about Parkinson's disease at BrainandLife.org, home of the American Academy of Neurology's free patient and caregiver magazine focused on the intersection of neurologic disease and brain health. Follow Brain & Life on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. When posting to social media channels about this research, we encourage you to use the hashtags #Neurology and #AANscience. The American Academy of Neurology is the world's largest association of neurologists and neuroscience professionals, with over 36,000 members. The AAN is dedicated to promoting the highest quality patient-centered neurologic care. A neurologist is a doctor with specialized training in diagnosing, treating and managing disorders of the brain and nervous system such as Alzheimer's disease, stroke, migraine, multiple sclerosis, concussion, Parkinson's disease and epilepsy. For more information about the American Academy of Neurology, visit AAN.com or find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube. ACM, the Association for Computing Machinery, today named Barbara Simons the recipient of the 2019 ACM Policy Award for long-standing, high-impact leadership as ACM President and founding Chair of ACM's US Public Policy Committee (USACM), while making influential contributions to improve the reliability of and public confidence in election technology. Over several decades, Simons has advanced technology policy by founding and leading organizations, authoring influential publications, and effecting change through lobbying and public education. Twenty-six years ago, Barbara Simons founded USACM to address emerging public policy issues around technology, and led the committee for nine years. She worked to build ACM's policy activities and pioneered bridging the technical expertise of computer scientists with the policymaking of the US government. Simons recruited an interdisciplinary team for USACM, the forerunner of today's US Technology Policy Committee (USTPC), ranging from computer scientists and industry leaders to lawyers and experts in public policy. Now part of ACM's Technology Policy Council (TPC), which serves global regions, the TPC groups have continued Simons' original vision for ACM: to provide cogent advice and analysis to legislators and policymakers about a wide range of issues including cryptography, computer security, privacy, and intellectual property. Simons is internationally known as an expert on voting technology, an advocate for auditable paper-based voting systems, and author of numerous papers on secure election technology. Through her publications, reports, testimony to the US Congress, and advocacy, Simons has been a key player in persuading election officials to shift to paper-based voting systems, and has contributed to proposals for reforms in election technologies, including post-election ballot audits. Broken Ballots: Will Your Vote Count?, the 2012 book Simons co-authored with Douglas Jones, is regarded as the best available analysis of the risks of using computing technology in voting. Simons served as ACM President from 1998 - 2000. In 2001, she served on President Clinton's Export Council's Subcommittee on Encryption and the National Workshop on Internet Voting, which conducted one of the first studies of internet voting. Since 2008, Simons has served as one of two US Senate appointees to the Board of Advisors of the US Election Assistance Commission (EAC), and she was named Chair of the Board of Advisors subcommittee on election security in 2019. She currently also chairs the Board of Directors of Verified Voting, a nonpartisan nonprofit organization that advocates for legislation and regulation that promotes accuracy, transparency and verifiability of elections. She remains active with ACM as a member of the global Technology Policy Council and as Co-chair of USTPC's Voting subcommittee. ### Biographical Background Simons is the only woman to have received the Distinguished Engineering Alumni Award from the College of Engineering of the University of California, Berkeley, where she earned her PhD in Computer Science. Taking a nontraditional path to her degree after returning to school as a single mother, she was a co-founder of the University of California Computer Science Department Reentry Program for Women and Minorities. She then worked as a computer scientist for IBM's Research Division for nearly two decades. She is a Fellow of ACM and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Simons received the Computing Research Association Distinguished Service Award, the Electronic Frontier Foundation Pioneer Award, the ACM Outstanding Contribution Award, and the Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility Norbert Wiener Award. About the ACM Policy Award The ACM Policy Award was established in 2014 to recognize an individual or small group that had a significant positive impact on the formation or execution of public policy affecting computing or the computing community. This can be for education, service, or leadership in a technology position; for establishing an innovative program in policy education or advice; for building the community or community resources in technology policy; or other notable policy activity. The award is accompanied by a $10,000 prize. About ACM ACM, the Association for Computing Machinery, is the world's largest educational and scientific computing society, uniting computing educators, researchers and professionals to inspire dialogue, share resources and address the field's challenges. ACM strengthens the computing profession's collective voice through strong leadership, promotion of the highest standards, and recognition of technical excellence. ACM supports the professional growth of its members by providing opportunities for life-long learning, career development, and professional networking. BINGHAMTON, NY -- M. Stanley Whittingham, a 2019 Nobel Laureate and distinguished professor at Binghamton University, State University of New York, has been named to the Carnegie Corporation of New York's 2020 list of "Great Immigrants, Great Americans." The Carnegie Corporation of New York released its annual list of Great Immigrants today, honoring 38 naturalized citizens who have enriched and strengthened our nation and our democracy through their contributions and actions. Each Fourth of July since 2006, the philanthropic foundation has invited Americans to celebrate these exemplary individuals by participating in its online tribute "Great Immigrants, Great Americans." Whittingham won the 2019 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for pioneering research leading to the development of the lithium-ion battery. "I came to America to pursue my research interests, and I'm happy that I found myself working at organizations and institutions that empowered me to conduct research that felt impactful," said Whittingham. "I am honored to be included in a group of such outstanding American immigrants." Overall, the 2020 Great Immigrants represent 35 countries of origin and a wide range of contributions to American life, from human rights and computer science to art, business, education, journalism, music, politics, religion, research and sports. "Professor Whittingham is a shining example of the great things that immigrants can contribute to our world -- his 2019 Nobel Prize win is evidence of that -- and we are beyond proud to have him at our University," said Binghamton University President Harvey Stenger. The Great Immigrants initiative is a tribute to the legacy of Andrew Carnegie, a Scottish immigrant who rose from poverty to become a leading industrialist. Carnegie founded more than 20 philanthropic organizations, including Carnegie Corporation of New York, a grantmaking foundation established in 1911 to advance the causes of democracy, education and international peace. As part of the public awareness campaign, the corporation has honored more than 600 outstanding immigrants whose stories can be viewed through its online database. The 2020 honorees, who mark the 15th class of Great Immigrants, will be recognized with a full-page public service announcement in The New York Times on July 4 and through a social media tribute. For more information, contact Celeste Ford, director of external relations at the Carnegie Corporation of New York, at cfc@carnegie.org or 646-772-2917. ### Discourse in and about Spanish was present on both sides of the political spectrum, more so leading up to the 2016 presidential election than in previous cycles, according to research conducted by faculty at Binghamton University, State University of New York. As the 2020 presidential election approaches, Kirschen said that Spanish will continue to be a very present part of our national politics. "This study helps shed light on the ways in which candidates speak of and to this very important part of the electorate," said Bryan Kirschen, assistant professor of Spanish linguistics at Binghamton University. "Especially should they want to secure their votes - and interests - in the future." According to Kirschen's research, the reaction to the candidates' uses of Spanish in 2016 depended on both their party affiliation and whether they were Latino or non-Latino. One example is the case of Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton's running mate, Tim Kaine. "Tim Kaine added to this discussion, as he often gave speeches in Spanish, a language he developed proficiency in as early as the 1980's, while on a mission in Honduras," Kirschen said. "While Latino candidates were apparently considered as well, their Spanish was often assumed, but never praised." Kirschen also said that Spanish played a prominent role in the Republican primary. "Before [Donald] Trump became the GOP candidate to represent his party, numerous hopefuls were proficient in Spanish. Jeb Bush often used Spanish...but Trump dismissed his use of the language, like when he said in an interview 'I like Jeb. He's a nice man, but he should really set the example of speaking English while in the United States.'" Kirschen concluded that in the Republican Party, Spanish has been framed as a language in competition with and of threat to English, while in the Democratic Party, it is often embraced. He also poses another question that crosses party lines. "Why do we, as a society, encourage bilingualism - especially among Anglo Americans - when others are discouraged and forced to give up their own heritage languages?" At the time of the research, there were more than 55 million Latinos in the United States, most of whom are speakers of Spanish. ### The paper, "Spanish in the 2016 U.S. presidential election," was published in Spanish in Context. Zinc (Zn) batteries have attracted more and more attention due to large volumetric capacity, abundance of Zn, and environmental friendliness. When the aqueous electrolytes are considered, Zn batteries provide a promising solution to safety hazards and economic challenges facing prevailing Li-ion batteries. However, the currently available aqueous Zn electrolytes are far from ideal. Aqueous Zn batteries have been struggling with the rapid performance degradation arising from the poor reversibility of Zn anodes and the dissolution of cathodes. A research team led by Prof. CUI Guanglei from the Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology (QIBEBT) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has proposed a new class of aqueous electrolytes, called hydrated eutectic electrolytes, to ensure better performance of aqueous Zn batteries. The study was published in Joule on July 1. The new aqueous electrolyte was fabricated by coupling a hydrated Zn salt (Zn(ClO 4 ) 2 6H 2 O) exclusively with a neutral ligand (succinonitrile, SN). "The aqua cationic Zn species and corresponding water molecules' coordination states are reorganized. SN enters the primary solvation shell of Zn2+, while all water molecules contribute to the formation of the eutectic structure and remain bound in the metal coordination sphere," said Dr. ZHAO Jingwen from QIBEBT, co-corresponding author of the study. That's why the electrochemical behaviors of the hydrated eutectic electrolytes were different from those of traditional aqueous electrolytes. Hydrated eutectic electrolytes were highly suitable for the Zn-organic batteries from both anode and cathode aspects. "It is known that the perchlorate anions are reactive and susceptible to decomposition in aqueous solutions," CUI said. "However, due to the suppressed Zn2+-H 2 O interplay, the commonly accepted nonideal perchlorate anion can be stabilized in the eutectic network." Owning to the rich intermolecular interactions in the hydrated eutectic electrolytes, stable low-temperature operation even at -20C was also obtained. The study offers a simple and promising way to tame the multivalent electrolyte structure toward creating long-life rechargeable aqueous batteries. ### Philadelphia, July 1, 2020 - The National Institutes of Health (NIH) announced today that researchers from Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) are among the recipients of a multi-million dollar grant that focuses on the use of genomics to improve risk assessment for diverse populations and integrate the findings into clinical care. The funding is provided as part of the Electronic Medical Records and Genomics (eMERGE) Genomic Risk Assessment and Management Network, which is supported by the National Human Genome Research Institute, part of the NIH. Over the next five years, eMERGE will provide $75 million in funding to support a coordinating center and clinical sites focused on better understanding disease risk and susceptibility by combining genomic and environmental factors and how future findings can help clinicans and patients manage disease risk. CHOP's Center for Applied Genomics (CAG) is one of the sites that will receive funds as part of the eMERGE Network. An eMERGE funding recipient for the past 8 years, CAG is the largest pediatric biorepository in the United States and has always focused on minority and underserved populations, with racial and ethnic minorities constituting the majority of its samples. African Americans represent about 90% of the whole genome sequence data CAG has contributed to eMERGE to date. As part of this round of eMERGE funding, CAG will focus on five areas of research: Generating and validating polygenic risk scores for multiple common diseases. These scores represent the risk of developing a specific disease that is carried by the individual's genes and will help patients and providers learn about their risk of developing specific diseases and generate recommendations to improve health outcomes. Examining legal, ethical and social implications of returning genomic risk assessments to children and their families in order to develop best practice guidelines. Recruiting and engaging at least 2,500 new participants who have not previously enrolled with CAG, with at least 75% of those participants being African American. Returning risk assessments to those same 2,500 participants and assessing healthcare outcomes across key disease areas informing both patients and healthcare providers. Integrating polygenic risk scores with electronic health records to help increase the uptake in risk reduction recommendations. "The Center for Applied Genomics and the National Institutes of Health have had an excellent partnership within the eMERGE Network, and we are thrilled to continue to build upon the valuable work that we have been able to achieve so far with particular emphasis on resolving diseases in diverse patient populations and minority groups," said Hakon Hakonarson, MD, PhD, Director of the CAG at CHOP and Principal Investigator of the program. "The primary goals of this program are to identify disease risks faced by patients and their families and to determine the most appropriate actions we can take to improve health outcomes. The program specifically focuses on African American children and their families, who will constitute 75% of participants." The eMERGE Network will develop ways to better incorporate computer-based programs, which analyze electronic health records and provide reminders and prompts to healthcare providers, into clinical practice. This process, called electronic clinical decision support, is meant to help physicians and other healthcare professionals make clinical decisions for their patients. The sites will use the newly developed protocols to estimate risk for common, complex diseases of public health importance, such as coronary heart disease, Alzheimer's disease, and diabetes. ### Washington, DC-- You've heard the expression form follows function? In materials science, function follows form. New research by Carnegie's Olivier Gagne and collaborator Frank Hawthorne of the University of Manitoba categorizes the causes of structural asymmetry, some surprising, which underpin useful properties of crystals, including ferroelectricity, photoluminescence, and photovoltaic ability. Their findings are published this week as a lead article in the International Union of Crystallography Journal. "Understanding how different bond arrangements convey various useful attributes is central to the materials sciences" explained Gagne. "For this project, we were particularly interested in what variations in bond lengths mean for a material's most-exciting characteristics, and in how to create a framework for their optimization." This was the fifth and final installment in a series of papers by Gagne and Hawthorne examining variability in bond lengths of crystalline structures. This time around they focused on compounds made up of oxygen and elements from the category called transition metals. Picture the periodic table. The transition metals make up its central block--forming a bridge linking the taller towers of elements on the left and right sides. Like all metals, they can conduct an electrical current. They also have a tremendous range of chemical and physical properties, including the emission of visible light, malleability, and magnetism. Many, like gold, platinum, and silver are prized for their value. Others, including iron, nickel, copper, and titanium are crucial for tools and technologies. The transition metals' ability to form a variety of useful compounds is owed in large part to the particular three-dimensional configuration of their electrons. As such, the bonds they form in compounds can be widely asymmetrical. But Gagne and Hawthorne wanted to understand whether other causes for bond-length variation were in play. "It's a century old problem" Gagne explained. "The likes of Linus Pauling and Victor Goldschmidt made this topic one of their prime research interests; however, the data simply weren't there at the time." Gagne and Hawthorne analyzed data on the bond lengths of 63 different transition metal ions bonded to oxygen in 147 configurations from 3,814 crystal structures and developed two new indices for contextualizing asymmetrical bonding. "These indices allow us to pinpoint the different reasons underlying asymmetrical bonding arrangements, which will hopefully allow us to harness the properties that they convey when predicting and synthesizing new materials," Hawthorne explained. To their surprise, they found that the internal structure of crystals often spontaneously distorts as a sole function of the connectivity of its bond network, an effect which they show occurs more frequently than distortion caused by electronic effects or any other factors. "We suspected some bond-length variation originated from crystal-structure controls, but we didn't expect it to be the primary factor underlying bond-length variation in inorganic solids," Gagne explained. "It's a mechanism that is entirely separate and unaccounted for by current notions of solid-state chemistry; it that has been overlooked since the early days of crystallography." ### This work was supported by a Banting postdoctoral fellowship and a PGS-D3 scholarship from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, and a Carnegie postdoctoral fellowship from the Carnegie Institution for Science to OCG. FCH was supported by a Discovery Grant and a Canada Research Chair in Crystallography and Mineralogy from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada. The Carnegie Institution for Science (carnegiescience.edu) is a private, nonprofit organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with six research departments throughout the U.S. Since its founding in 1902, the Carnegie Institution has been a pioneering force in basic scientific research. Carnegie scientists are leaders in plant biology, developmental biology, astronomy, materials science, global ecology, and Earth and planetary science. Researchers at the Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares (CNIC) have discovered a mechanism controlling the development of a type of liver cancer. This study, published today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), partly funded by the Spanish Association Against Cancer, has identified a protein that, when blocked, dramatically reduces the impact and progression of this type of cancer, called cholangiocarcinoma. This work has been possible because CNIC researchers have developed an animal model where alterations in the production of bile acids have been proved to cause this type of tumor. Liver cancer is the fifth most frequent cancer and the second main cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Cholangiocarcinoma, the second most common liver cancer, starts in the bile ducts and has a clinically symptomless progression. Because there are no early markers, most patients are diagnosed at an advanced stage and die due to the spread of cancer or metastasis. In this study, led by Guadalupe Sabio, Alfonso Mora, and Roger J. Davis, mice whose livers do not contain the JNK1 and JNK2 proteins have been bred. "These proteins are activated when we overeat and are partly responsible for excess fat being stored in the liver (i.e. - fatty liver or steatosis), and for the development of insulin resistance," explained Dr. Sabio. The proteins are, therefore, "very significant for obesity and diabetes studies," she added. Researchers also found that these two proteins control the production of bile acids in the liver, which are essential for proper fat digestion and the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E and K). "A lack of JNK1 and JNK2 in the liver leads to changes in the enzymes responsible for metabolizing cholesterol and bile acids," said Dr. Mora. In the analyzed mice, "we have observed excess blood levels of bile acids." Researcher Elisa Manieri explained that, over time, this accumulation of bile acids has a "toxic effect" on the liver. Bile ducts begin to proliferate excessively, triggering the formation of multiple cholangiocarcinomas with clinical markers, which are remarkably similar to those of patients with this type of cancer. In fact, "it is the first time that we have found the increase of a cholangiocarcinoma patient marker in mice models." This indicates that these mice could offer new clues to assess novel cholangiocarcinoma therapies. This model has allowed CNIC researchers, in collaboration with the laboratory of Roger J. Davis at the University of Massachusetts School of Medicine (USA), to find a protein playing a key role in this tumor process, PPAR. The protein regulates the metabolism of bile acids and liver lipids. According to Dr. Mora, the mice lacking PPAR "have significantly fewer tumors or none at all." Although it is still not known if these data can be extrapolated to human patients, the fact that this first animal model exists will allow the study of a type of tumor that can still only be diagnosed in its very late stages, when metastases have already happened. Earlier studies had shown that JNK blockading prevented the development of steatosis in the liver. This is why a variety of clinical trials with inhibitors of these proteins have been launched. The researchers believe that the new findings are a "wake-up call" for these drugs. However, Dr. Sabio said we need to be cautious since "a continuous inhibition of JNK can lead to undesirable side effects." Even though this work has only been trialed in mice, researchers point out that we have to be careful and stay alert as to the results in the livers of patients undergoing treatment with these new drugs. The study has partly been funded by the Spanish Association Against Cancer and the Leonardo Grant for Researchers and Cultural Creators 2017, awarded to Dr. Sabio by the BBVA Foundation. ### About CNIC The Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares [National Cardiovascular Research Center] (CNIC), directed by Dr. Valentin Fuster, has the mission of promoting cardiovascular research and transferring the results to patients. Thanks to its activities, it has been recognized as one of the 'Severo Ochoa Centers of Excellence'. The center is funded through a pioneer public-private collaboration scheme involving the Government of Spain, through the Instituto de Salud Carlos III [Carlos III Health Institute] and the Pro-CNIC Foundation, bringing together 12 of Spain's most important companies. The immune system protects our body from constant attack by viruses, bacteria, and other pathogens. Much of this protection is provided by hematopoietic immune cells, which are derived from the bone marrow and specialize in fighting pathogens. They include macrophages, which remove pathogens; T cells, which kill infected virus-producing cells; and B cells producing antibodies that neutralize pathogens. However, immune functions are not restricted to these "specialists", and many more cell types are able to sense when they are infected and contribute to the immune response against pathogens. Structural cells provide essential building blocks of the body and play an important role in shaping the structure of tissue and organs. Most notably, epithelial cells constitute the surface of the skin, while also separating tissues and organs from each other; endothelial cells coat the inside of all blood vessels; and fibroblast provide the connective tissue that keeps tissues and organs in shape. Structural cells are often regarded as simple and rather uninteresting components of the body, despite their well-established roles in autoimmune diseases (such as rheumatoid arthritis and inflammatory bowel disease) and in cancer. In their new study, Thomas Krausgruber, Nikolaus Fortelny and colleagues in Christoph Bock's laboratory at CeMM focused on elucidating the role of structural cells in immune regulation by pursuing a systematic, genome-wide analysis of epigenetic and transcriptional regulation of structural cells in the body. To that end, the CeMM researchers established a comprehensive catalog of immune gene activity in structural cells, applying high-throughput sequencing technology (RNA-seq, ATAC-seq, ChIPmentation) to three types of structural cells (epithelium, endothelium, fibroblasts) from twelve different organs of healthy mice. This dataset uncovered widespread expression of immune genes in structural cells as well as highly cell-type-specific and organ-specific patterns of gene regulation. Bioinformatic analysis detected genes that control a complex network of interactions between structural cells and hematopoietic immune cells, indicating potential mechanisms by which structural cells contribute to the response to pathogens. Interestingly, many immune genes showed epigenetic signatures that are normally associated with high gene expression, while the observed expression in structural cells obtained from healthy mice was lower than expected based on their epigenetic signatures. CeMM researchers therefore hypothesized that these genes are epigenetically pre-programmed for rapid upregulation when their activity is needed - for example in response to a pathogen. To test this hypothesis, they joined forces with Andreas Bergthaler's laboratory at CeMM, capitalizing on their expertise in viral immunology and infection biology. When the mice were infected with a virus (LCMV) that triggers a broad immune response, many of those genes that were epigenetically poised for activation became upregulated and contributed to the transcriptional changes that structural cells showed in response to viral infection. These results suggest that structural cells implement an "epigenetic potential" that pre-programs them to engage in rapid immune responses. As an additional validation, the researchers triggered an artificial immune response by injecting cytokines into mice, and they indeed found that many of the same genes were upregulated. The new study has uncovered a striking complexity of immune gene regulation in structural cells. These results highlight that structural cells are not only essential building blocks of the body, but also contribute extensively to its defense against pathogens. Moreover, the presented data constitute an important first step toward understanding what "structural immunity" might mean for the immune system, and it may help develop innovative therapies for some of the many diseases that involve the immune system. ### The study "Structural cells are key regulators of organ-specific immune responses" was published in Nature on 1 July 2020. DOI: 10.1038/s41586-020-2424-4 Authors: Thomas Krausgruber*, Nikolaus Fortelny*, Victoria Gernedl, Martin Senekowitsch, Linda C. Schuster, Alexander Lercher, Amelie Nemc, Christian Schmidl, Andre F. Rendeiro, Andreas Bergthaler and Christoph Bock | * shared first authorship Funding: The study was co-funded by a New Frontiers Group award of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, two Austrian Science Fund (FWF) Special Research Programme grants (FWF SFB F 6102-B21; FWF SFB F 7001-B30) and the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program (Grant Agreement No 679146 awarded to Christoph Bock; Grant Agreement No 677006 awarded to Andreas Bergthaler). Thomas Krausgruber was supported by a Lise-Meitner fellowship from the Austrian Science Fund (FWF M2403). Nikolaus Fortelny was supported by a fellowship from the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO ALTF 241-2017). Alexander Lercher was supported by a DOC Fellowship of the Austrian Academy of Sciences. Christoph Bock joined CeMM as Principal Investigator in 2012. He pursues interdisciplinary research aimed at understanding the epigenetic and gene-regulatory basis of cancer, and advancing precision medicine with genomics technology. His research group combines experimental biology (high-throughput sequencing, epigenetics, CRISPR screening, synthetic biology) with computer science (bioinformatics, machine learning, artificial intelligence). He is also a guest professor at the Medical University of Vienna, scientific coordinator of the Biomedical Sequencing Facility (BSF) at CeMM, and key researcher at the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Rare and Undiagnosed Diseases. He coordinates an EU Horizon 2020 project on the single-cell analysis of human organoids as a contribution to the Human Cell Atlas. Christoph Bock is an elected member of the Young Academy of the Austrian Academy of Sciences and has received major research awards, including the Max Planck Society's Otto Hahn Medal (2009), an ERC Starting Grant (2016-2021), and the Overton Prize of the International Society of Computational Biology (2017). Neel Bhatt, a UW assistant professor of otolaryngology, specializes in treating patients with voice problems. Through his work, he began to realize people did not like the sound of their own voices. With the transition to school over Zoom, many students can relate to the discomfort of hearin While scientists still don't fully understand the diverse nature of RNA molecules, it is believed that the proteins binding to them, called RNA-binding proteins, are associated with many disease formation. A research led by biomedical scientists from City University of Hong Kong (CityU) has developed a novel detection method, called CARPID, to identify binding proteins of specific RNAs in the living cells. It is expected the innovation can be applied in various cell researches, from identifying biomarkers of cancer diagnosis to detecting potential drug targets for treating viral diseases. The research was co-led by Dr Yan Jian, Dr Zhang Liang, and Dr Chan Kui-ming who are all from the Department of Biomedical Sciences (BMS) at CityU, in collaboration with scientists mainly from Northwest University in Xi'an. Their findings were published in the scientific journal Nature Methods, titled "CRISPR-assisted detection of RNA-protein interactions in living cells". Binding proteins determine RNA functions The central dogma of molecular biology suggests that DNA is transcribed to RNA and RNA is translated into protein. But actually, only about 2% of RNAs code for protein. The rest 98%, named as non-coding RNAs (ncRNA) has been regarded as "dark matter" for their yet mysterious functions. In recent years, scientists have put many efforts into unveiling their actual functions, especially the long non-coding RNAs (lncRNA, meaning ncRNA with more than 200 nucleotides in length). LncRNA has become widely accepted as important cellular components participating in the regulation of gene expression. "LncRNA is the most interesting RNA species", described Dr Yan. It is also the reason why the team has chosen lncRNA as the research subject. Although lncRNA will not produce protein, they will react with proteins, and the interaction will determine their functions. Therefore, the identification of the binding proteins is crucial in understanding the lncRNA functions. However, current methods demonstrate quite some limitations, for example generating false positive signals, and cannot be done in living cells. Two steps of CARPID: navigation and biotin-labelling To overcome the limitations of the existing method, the research team came up with a novel method that jointly leverages the existing state-of-the-art gene-editing technology CRISPR/dCasRx system for RNA targeting, and the proximity biotin-labelling technology to identify the protein-protein interactions in living cells. The team named the novel method CARPID, short for CRISPR-Assisted RNA-Protein Interaction Detection. "CARPID can sensitively detect binding proteins of RNAs in any lengths or concentrations whereas most other methods can only be applied to very long non-coding RNAs," said Dr Yan. The method is composed of two parts: navigation and proximity biotin-labelling. First, the team employed the CRISPR/CasRx system to navigate so that the CARPID components, including a "labelling tool" called BASU, can be near the targeted RNA. BASU is an engineered biotin ligase, a kind of enzyme that would add biotin (a kind of vitamin with strong binding) to proteins that bind with that targeted RNA. In this way, those proteins which are near the targeted RNA would be labelled. After the "labelling", the team then used a biotin-binding protein called streptavidin to identify those proteins labelled by BASU. In this way, the binding proteins were revealed easily. High specificity and applicability for lncRNAs of different lengths To test the specificity of CARPID, the team applied it on three different lncRNAs, namely DANCR, XIST, and MALAT1. Experiment results showed that there was not much overlapping of binding proteins. This demonstrated the high specificity and applicability of the CARPID method for lncRNAs of different lengths and expression levels. "This high level of specificity is achieved because the navigation by CRISPR is very precise. We can even obtain the information of exactly which section of the RNA that protein binding occurred," explained Dr Yan. Also, CARPID would not affect the physiological condition of the targeted cell, and the cell is still alive with normal gene expression landscape after the whole process. "With this new method, we can obtain dynamic results if we check the same RNA target at different times," added Dr Zhang. Powered by the proteomic (analysis of the protein) technique developed by Dr Zhang, the team was able to find and validate two previously uncharacterized binding proteins of a lncRNA in mammalian cells. Enables detection of the binding proteins of viral RNA The team believed CARPID has broad application, including the detection of the binding proteins of viral RNA. "For example, SARS-CoV-2 is an RNA virus that causes COVID-19. Once the virus infects cells, we could apply CARPID to detect what cellular proteins are recruited by this virus for the viral life cycle. If we depleted the binding proteins, we are likely to suppress the viral replication. This information may help us identify potential antiviral drug targets," Dr Yan elaborated. Moreover, many lncRNAs are used as diagnostic biomarkers for cancer as they become more abundant in cancer cells than normal cells. CARPID can be applied to detect the binding proteins of these lncRNAs in cancer cells which may help find tumorigenic mechanisms and potential protein targets for cancer diagnosis or treatment. It took the team about one year to develop CARPID and most of the experiments were done in CityU. Their next step would be trying to apply it to research on stem cell and DANCR, a lncRNA that generally works as a tumour promoter. ### Dr Yan, Dr Zhang, and Dr Chan Kui-ming (who contributed to validating CARPID) are the corresponding authors of the paper. The co-first authors of the paper are Li Jingyu and Zhu Xiaoxuan from the BMS department, together with Yi Wenkai and Dr Wang Xi, both from Northwest University in Xi'an. The study was supported by CityU, the National Natural Science Foundation of China, the Shenzhen Science and Technology Fund Program, Hong Kong Research Grants Council, Opening Foundation of Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology in Western China, the Chinese Ministry of Education and the EpiHK consortium. Rural hospitals are more likely than urban facilities to have access to telehealth, a once-underused service that now is playing a key role in treating coronavirus patients, according to research by two health administration professors in Florida Atlantic University's College of Business. Neeraj Puro, Ph.D., and Scott Feyereisen, Ph.D., say the research can help U.S. hospitals understand the extent to which they are prepared for another wave of the pandemic. The work has been published in The Journal of Rural Health, one of the leading peer-reviewed publications on rural health issues. Telehealth connects patients with doctors by computer or telephone when in-person appointments are not possible or safe from disease transmission. "It's a relatively easy way to expand access," Feyereisen said. "More health care access is good. It's one of the goals of the system." Having telehealth provides hospitals the ability to expand their service offerings in multiple ways, according to the report. For example, telehealth services have the potential to improve outcomes for high-risk obstetric patients in rural communities, while telehealth facilitated the use of anti-microbials in rural areas where infectious disease physicians were not available. Still, barriers such as insurance restrictions and technology limitations remain in place, preventing the widespread use of the service. Puro and Feyereisen concluded that talking with doctors remotely is an important part of improving rural health care. The odds of hospitals to provide telehealth services vary, with Minnesota, Iowa, South Dakota, North Dakota, Nebraska, Missouri and Kansas leading the way among the nine regions designated by the U.S. Census. What's more, coastal states, including New York, Florida, California and Washington, generally lacked the capability to provide e-services in rural areas, with telehealth specifically in short supply. In addition, telehealth capabilities are more common in hospitals that belong to a system and benefit from the economies of scale. "Not only are rural populations some of the most vulnerable to diseases such as COVID-19, they might be called upon to provide back-up service to overflowing urban hospitals in the event such systems are overwhelmed," the report stated. "Going forward, telehealth is likely to play a large role in diagnosing patients, particularly in coming months as long as social distancing is a preferred strategy for preventing the spread of COVID-19. This virus might also become seasonal, and until a vaccine is introduced, telehealth will likely be increasingly integral to diagnosis and treatment." The research also found that telehealth capabilities are predictably available in larger hospitals as well as teaching hospitals, and the professors say policymakers would be wise to provide support to smaller facilities. The study of 3,268 hospitals is based on 2017 data from the American Hospital Association survey, Area Health Resource Files and Medicare cost reports. ### About Florida Atlantic University: Florida Atlantic University, established in 1961, officially opened its doors in 1964 as the fifth public university in Florida. Today, the University, with an annual economic impact of $6.3 billion, serves more than 30,000 undergraduate and graduate students at sites throughout its six-county service region in southeast Florida. FAU's world-class teaching and research faculty serves students through 10 colleges: the Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, the College of Business, the College for Design and Social Inquiry, the College of Education, the College of Engineering and Computer Science, the Graduate College, the Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College, the Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine, the Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing and the Charles E. Schmidt College of Science. FAU is ranked as a High Research Activity institution by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. The University is placing special focus on the rapid development of critical areas that form the basis of its strategic plan: Healthy aging, biotech, coastal and marine issues, neuroscience, regenerative medicine, informatics, lifespan and the environment. These areas provide opportunities for faculty and students to build upon FAU's existing strengths in research and scholarship. For more information, visit fau.edu. Women exposed to successful and charismatic role models are more likely to follow them in choosing a university major. Women exposed to successful and charismatic role models are more likely to follow them in choosing a university major. An experiment with undergraduates studying introductory economics classes at Southern Methodist University (SMU) in the USA, published in the American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, revealed that female students were hugely more likely to study the subject further having encountered successful female graduates of the same course. Researchers from Texas A&M University and Lancaster University engaged two role models - chosen with the help of two current female economics majors - to speak with classes of undergraduates studying principles of economics classes about how their choice of major contributed to their success. They measured the uptake of future economics classes among that group when compared with those studying the same course who had no such interaction with the successful women. Female students' enrolment in further economics classes almost doubled following the role models encounter, going against general patterns in recent years showing little progress in attracting women to the field. "Our results show that role model intervention had a significant impact on all outcomes for female students," said report co-author Associate Professor Danila Serra, of Texas A&M University. "Being in a class that received the role model visits increased the likelihood that a female student would major in economics by almost 100 per cent. The probability of them taking intermediate or any other economics classes also increased by large margins. "There is strong evidence of the impact of female role models on female students moving into fields of study in which men are traditionally over-represented, and that the encounters served as an inspiration." Principles of economics classes at SMU are typically gender-balanced, with between 44 and 47 per cent of students female. In contrast, for the next step up, only 26 per cent of students are women, and the gender imbalance worsens by graduation, with less than a quarter of economics degrees awarded to women. "Due to historical gender imbalances in some subjects, such as economics, it is difficult for young women to come into direct contact with successful women who have majored in these fields and who can inspire them to do the same," said report co-author Dr Catherine Porter, of Lancaster University Management School. "Our study suggests that role model intervention could have a significant impact on the treated women's lifetime income streams. "Our research shows that the long-term goal of moving towards gender parity in the economics profession at all levels could be achieved simply and at a relatively low cost by exposing students enrolled in principles classes to successful and inspiring alumnae." The researchers' data shows the majority of those women impacted were previously planning to major in lower-earning humanities fields, and the effect did not decrease the number of them majoring in male-dominated, higher-paying fields such as STEM and finance. Those women who swayed towards economics also performed as well, if not better, in exams as the control students, showing the attraction towards the change affected seemingly qualified women who were not previously pursuing economics. Thus, there could be a positive impact on their potential future earnings. While the effect on female students in the role model classes was marked, there was no effect on the male students in the same groups. ### Telehealth interactions with substance use disorder specialists and support groups could open treatment and recovery to many, but key changes will be needed The opioid and addiction epidemic didn't go away when the coronavirus pandemic began. But rapid changes in regulations and guidance made during COVID-19 response could also help many more people get care for opioid use disorder and other addiction problems. That's according to experts from the University of Michigan Addiction Center and VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System, writing in this week's issue of JAMA Psychiatry. They document the recent policy changes that have made it possible for more addiction care to take place through telemedicine, specifically video chats and even telephone calls. They also note the requirements for in-person visits for key addiction treatments that have been waived - though only temporarily -- during COVID-19. Yet despite the recent rapid progress, they say, it will take more changes to truly lower barriers that stand in the way of delivering evidence-based addiction care to more people via telemedicine. If that happens, more people with substance use disorders could have access to care such as medications, psychotherapy and peer group support, they say -- even in rural areas and other places where addiction specialists are scarce. Some of the authors already used telehealth as part of their work at the VA even before the COVID-19 pandemic began. Based on that experience, and on the intense shifts to virtual care in the past three months, they give specific recommendations for how to make telehealth for addiction a sustainable option for more providers and patients. "Before COVID, treatment of substance use disorders was one of the least-used forms of telemedicine, because of a combination of regulatory issues, clinician comfort and patient comfort," says Allison Lewei Lin, M.D., M.Sc., the lead author and an addiction psychiatrist at the U-M and VA. "Now, many addiction providers haven't seen their patients in the office, or have substantially decreased in-person visits, by using telemedicine in the past three months," she says. "And where we once relied on referring patients to inpatient and residential programs, many of those have not been available during this time, so outpatient clinicians have been trying to take care of sicker patients as well." Policy shifts Relaxation of rules such as the Ryan Haight Act, which previously didn't allow prescribers to prescribe buprenorphine and other controlled addiction treatment medications to patients they had only seen virtually, have made a big difference, says Lin. So have changes in rules and guidance from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to make it easier for clinicians to communicate and care for patients with addiction via telemedicine. Plus, the same changes to Medicare and Medicaid telemedicine reimbursement rules that have helped move non-addiction care online this spring are helping addiction providers, too. More research needed As the coronavirus pandemic continues, she says, many in the addiction field have a lot of questions - ones that researchers are now scrambling to study. For instance, how are patients doing, and are they improving with telemedicine-delivered treatment? Also of intense interest: Can telemedicine potentially help patients start and stay engaged in treatment longer than they would have with traditional care? The rapid move to virtual care has been a big switch for a field that has focused for so long on building interpersonal rapport between patient and provider - and also on in-person checks such as urine tests to make sure patients are adhering to their treatment and spot relapses early. "Patients are now used to telemedicine and some really like it, so we shouldn't take it away even when coronavirus wanes," Lin says. "But we have to evaluate the impacts, including if the treatments are actually effective, as we go on." Last year, Lin led a team that published a review of the existing evidence surrounding telemedicine for substance use disorders. They concluded that much more research was needed - but that early evidence showed efficacy and high patient satisfaction. Key recommendations In the new piece, she and colleagues Anne Fernandez, Ph.D., M.A. and Erin Bonar, Ph.D. recommend three key changes going forward: Development of treatment guidelines that include both in-person and telemedicine-based care for substance use disorders, and that provide guidance on urine toxicology practices and use of new ways to monitor treatment progress including self-monitoring apps and other practices. More work to increase the availability of buprenorphine via telemedicine, including by increasing the number of physicians who are trained to prescribe it and monitor patients taking it. This could especially help rural areas hit hard by the opioid epidemic. Lin and her colleagues currently lead regular training sessions to get new providers started with such prescribing, and offer ongoing support for prescribers. More help for people with substance use disorders who are also coping with other mental health conditions, and with the psychological and financial stress brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. Online resources including group therapy online will be key, they say. "In this moment when clinical care has been transformed because of real-world necessity, rather than evidence produced by research, it makes research on the effects of that transformation all the more urgent," says Lin. "We need to understand to what extent we should be offering telemedicine even after COVID-19 has subsided." Another urgent issue: making sure that patients in rural areas without broadband Internet access aren't left behind. Lin has been seeing addiction patients for years using telehealth, but they had to travel to a clinic in a nearby city in order to connect with her. Now she is having visits with those patients in their homes instead. "These past few months have been a natural experiment for substance use disorder treatment, much of which has traditionally been largely outside the realm of other types of medicine," she says. "It will be important to see how things change, for better or worse. When we have the option for in-person care again, we will also need to determine which is better - telemedicine or the traditional approach - and for which patients to keep them engaged and make care more accessible, especially for vulnerable populations." ### Lin, Bonar and Fernandez are all faculty in the U-M Department of Psychiatry, part of Michigan Medicine, as well as members of the U-M Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation and the U-M Injury Prevention Center. What started out as a hunt for ice lurking in polar lunar craters turned into an unexpected finding that could help clear some muddy history about the Moon's formation. Team members of the Miniature Radio Frequency (Mini-RF) instrument on NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) spacecraft found new evidence that the Moon's subsurface might be richer in metals, like iron and titanium, than researchers thought. That finding, published July 1 in Earth and Planetary Science Letters, could aid in drawing a clearer connection between Earth and the Moon. "The LRO mission and its radar instrument continue to surprise us with new insights about the origins and complexity of our nearest neighbor," said Wes Patterson, Mini-RF principal investigator from the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) in Laurel, Maryland, and a study coauthor. Substantial evidence points to the Moon as the product of a collision between a Mars-sized protoplanet and young Earth, forming from the gravitational collapse of the remaining cloud of debris. Consequently, the Moon's bulk chemical composition closely resembles that of Earth. Look in detail at the Moon's chemical composition, however, and that story turns murky. For example, in the bright plains of the Moon's surface, called the lunar highlands, rocks contain smaller amounts of metal-bearing minerals relative to Earth. That finding might be explained if Earth had fully differentiated into a core, mantle and crust before the impact, leaving the Moon largely metal-poor. But turn to the Moon's maria -- the large, darker plains -- and the metal abundance becomes richer than that of many rocks on Earth. This discrepancy has puzzled scientists, leading to numerous questions and hypotheses regarding how much the impacting protoplanet may have contributed to the differences. The Mini-RF team found a curious pattern that could lead to an answer. Using Mini-RF, the researchers sought to measure an electrical property within lunar soil piled on crater floors in the Moon's northern hemisphere. This electrical property is known as the dielectric constant, a number that compares the relative abilities of a material and the vacuum of space to transmit electric fields, and could help locate ice lurking in the crater shadows. The team, however, noticed this property increasing with crater size. For craters approximately 1 to 3 miles (2 to 5 kilometers) wide, the dielectric constant of the material steadily increased as the craters grew larger, but for craters 3 to 12 miles (5 to 20 kilometers) wide, the property remained constant. "It was a surprising relationship that we had no reason to believe would exist," said Essam Heggy, coinvestigator of the Mini-RF experiments from the University of Southern California in Los Angeles and lead author of the published paper. Discovery of this pattern opened a door to a new possibility. Because meteors that form larger craters also dig deeper into the Moon's subsurface, the team reasoned that the increasing dielectric constant of the dust in larger craters could be the result of meteors excavating iron and titanium oxides that lie below the surface. Dielectric properties are directly linked to the concentration of these metal minerals. If their hypothesis were true, it would mean only the first few hundred meters of the Moon's surface is scant in iron and titanium oxides, but below the surface, there's a steady increase to a rich and unexpected bonanza. Comparing crater floor radar images from Mini-RF with metal oxide maps from the LRO Wide-Angle Camera, Japan's Kaguya mission and NASA's Lunar Prospector spacecraft, the team found exactly what it had suspected. The larger craters, with their increased dielectric material, were also richer in metals, suggesting that more iron and titanium oxides had been excavated from the depths of 0.3 to 1 mile (0.5 to 2 kilometers) than from the upper 0.1 to 0.3 miles (0.2 to 0.5 kilometers) of the lunar subsurface. "This exciting result from Mini-RF shows that even after 11 years in operation at the Moon, we are still making new discoveries about the ancient history of our nearest neighbor," said Noah Petro, the LRO project scientist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. "The MINI-RF data is incredibly valuable for telling us about the properties of the lunar surface, but we use that data to infer what was happening over 4.5 billion years ago!" These results follow recent evidence from NASA's Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory (GRAIL) mission that suggests a significant mass of dense material exists just a few tens to hundreds of kilometers beneath the Moon's enormous South Pole-Aitken basin, indicating that dense materials aren't uniformly distributed in the Moon's subsurface. The team emphasizes that the new study can't directly answer the outstanding questions about the Moon's formation, but it does reduce the uncertainty in the distribution of iron and titanium oxides in the lunar subsurface and provide critical evidence needed to better understand the Moon's formation and its connection to Earth. "It really raises the question of what this means for our previous formation hypotheses," Heggy said. Anxious to uncover more, the researchers have already started examining crater floors in the Moon's southern hemisphere to see if the same trends exist there. ### LRO is managed by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland for the Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington. Mini-RF was designed, built and tested by a team led by APL, Naval Air Warfare Center, Sandia National Laboratories, Raytheon and Northrop Grumman. For more information on LRO, visit: https:/ / www. nasa. gov/ lro Written by: Jeremy Rehm, jeremy.rehm@jhuapl.edu Media Contacts Jeremy Rehm The Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory Nancy Neal Jones NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center Stamp-sized device comprises a suite of clinical-grade sensors, including temperature and pulse oximetry Device sits at the base of the throat to pick up vibratory signatures of breathing, coughing, swallowing Since developing the device, researchers have tested it on more than 50 physicians, rehabilitation specialists and patients at Shirley Ryan AbilityLab and Northwestern Memorial Hospital Researcher: 'We are already seeing clear vital sign differences collected by the sensor between patients with COVID-19 and healthy-matched controls' Research group has partnered with BARDA to continue developing and deploying the device to help fight the pandemic EVANSTON, Ill. -- Although it might be tempting to rely on your fitness tracker to catch early signs of COVID-19, Northwestern University researchers caution that consumer wearables are not sophisticated enough to monitor the complicated illness. The Northwestern team, led by bioelectronics pioneer John A. Rogers, published a perspective today (July 1) in the journal Science Advances, in which they differentiate between popular consumer electronics and clinical-grade monitoring systems. Rogers co-authored the perspective with Dr. Shuai Xu, a Northwestern Medicine dermatologist, and Hyoyoung Jeong, a postdoctoral fellow in the Rogers lab. "According to the Journal of the American Medical Association, the three most important early symptoms for COVID-19 are fever, shortness of breath and coughing," Rogers said. "For a wearable technology, you want to track those key symptoms. A conventional wearable device, such as a fitness tracker, sits on the wrist or finger -- not the anatomical location that is most relevant to COVID-19." This past spring, the Rogers group and researchers at Shirley Ryan AbilityLab introduced a novel wearable device and set of data algorithms specifically tailored to catch early signs and symptoms associated with COVID-19 and to monitor patients as the illness progresses. About the size of a postage stamp, the soft, flexible, wireless device sits just below the suprasternal notch, the visible dip at the base of the throat -- an ideal location for monitoring respiratory health. More recently, Rogers' team added a wearable, flexible pulse oximeter to pair with the suprasternal-mounted device. This allows physicians to continuously monitor for silent hypoxia, an often asymptomatic feature marked by alarmingly low blood oxygen levels. Adding this feature will help the device, and accompanying algorithms, give a fuller picture of the disease's onset, progression and response to treatment. "The device measures very tiny vibrations on the skin and has an embedded temperature sensor for fever," Rogers said. "As you cough and breathe, it counts coughs, monitors the intensity of cough and senses labored breathing. The location on the throat also is close enough to the carotid artery that it can measure mechanical signatures of blood flow, monitoring heart rate." "This sensor system targets key symptoms for COVID-19, with the goal to identify the infection earlier in patients," Xu said. "It's a suite of clinical-grade sensors wrapped into one small device. And once it's placed on the throat, people don't even realize that it's there." Rogers is the Louis Simpson and Kimberly Querrey Professor of Materials Science and Biomedical Engineering in Northwestern's McCormick School of Engineering, professor of neurological surgery at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and director of the Querrey Simpson Institute for Bioelectronics (QSIB). Xu is an assistant professor of dermatology at Feinberg and of biomedical engineering at McCormick. He also is the medical director of QSIB. Differences between COVID-19 patients and healthy controls Since launching the device in April, the team has tested it on 52 COVID-19-positive physicians, nurses, rehabilitation specialists and patients at Shirley Ryan AbilityLab and Northwestern Memorial Hospital. The device was tested both in the hospital and in the home. From these tests, Rogers and his team have collected 3,000 hours of data, which will continue to strengthen the device's algorithms. Eventually, the machine-learning algorithms will become smart enough to distinguish between a COVID-like cough and more benign coughs from allergies, colds or dryness. The team expects to test 500 subjects by the end of the year. "We are already seeing clear vital sign differences collected by the sensor between patients with COVID-19 and healthy-matched controls," said Arun Jayaraman, a researcher assistant scientist at Shirley Ryan AbilityLab, who leads the algorithm development. "We're working together to develop predictive algorithms for detecting the disease earlier." Thoracic surgeon remotely monitors patients Dr. Ankit Bharat, chief of thoracic surgery at Northwestern Medicine who performed the first double-lung transplant on a COVID-19 patient in the United States, is actively testing the device on his pulmonary patients. The device wirelessly transmits data to a HIPAA-protected cloud, where automated algorithms produce graphical summaries tailored to facilitate rapid, remote monitoring. This allows Bharat to continue monitoring his patients well after they have been dismissed from the hospital. "It has provided valuable information about each patient's respiratory status," Bharat said. "We hope that as we gain experience with this device, it will greatly enhance our ability to monitor patients remotely. Under the circumstances of the pandemic, remote monitoring capabilities improve efficiency in medical care while increasing protection to health care workers against the virus." Continued research and deployment To accelerate manufacturing and deployment, Rogers and Xu launched technology startup Sonica Health, based on intellectual property (IP) jointly developed by Northwestern and the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab. The IP related to this project has been optioned through Northwestern's Innovation and New Ventures Office. The effort is supported by the Biomedical Advanced Research Deployment Authority (BARDA), part of the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Sonica Health previously partnered with BARDA for technology focused on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Now the partnership has expanded to focus on early detection of COVID-19 and other respiratory infections in high-risk clinical populations and, in collaboration with another spinout from QSIB, Sibel Health, to provide the pulse oximetry sensor. With BARDA's support, Sonica Health and Sibel Health will jointly submit the device and associated algorithms for Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval later this month. The overall goal is an FDA-cleared platform that gives an early warning of COVID-19 contraction, helping reduce the transmission of the virus. ### This work was supported by the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development's DRIVe Early Notification to Act, Control, and Treat Program (75A50119C00043). Editor's note: Rogers, Xu and Northwestern have financial interests in Sonica Health and Sibel Health. More news at Northwestern Now Find experts on our Faculty Experts Hub Follow @NUSources for expert perspectives Ancient submerged Aboriginal archaeological sites await underwater rediscovery off the coast of Australia, according to a study published July 1, 2020 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Jonathan Benjamin of Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia and colleagues. At the end of the Ice Age, sea level was much lower than today, and the Australian coastline was 160 kilometers farther offshore. When the ice receded and sea level rose to its current level, approximately two million square kilometers of Australian land became submerged where Aboriginal peoples had previously lived. Thus, it is likely that many ancient Aboriginal sites are currently underwater. In this study, Benjamin and colleagues report the results of several field campaigns between 2017-2019 during which they applied a series of techniques for locating and investigating submerged archaeological sites, including aerial and underwater remote sensing technologies as well as direct investigation by divers. They investigated two sites off the Murujuga coastline of northwest Australia. In Cape Bruguieres Channel, divers identified 269 artefacts dating to at least 7,000 years old, and a single artefact was identified in a freshwater spring in Flying Foam Passage, dated to at least 8,500 years old. These are the first confirmed underwater archaeological sites found on Australia's continental shelf. These findings demonstrate the utility of these exploratory techniques for locating submerged archaeological sites. The authors hope that these techniques can be expanded upon in the future for systematic recovery and investigation of ancient Aboriginal cultural artefacts. They further urge that future exploration will rely not only on careful and safe scientific procedures, but also on legislation to protect and manage Aboriginal cultural heritage along the Australian coastline. Benjamin says, "Managing, investigating and understanding the archaelogy of the Australian continental shelf in partnership with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander traditional owners and custodians is one of the last frontiers in Australian archaeology." He adds, "Our results represent the first step in a journey of discovery to explore the potential of archaeology on the continental shelves which can fill a major gap in the human history of the continent." ### Citation: Benjamin J, O'Leary M, McDonald J, Wiseman C, McCarthy J, Beckett E, et al. (2020) Aboriginal artefacts on the continental shelf reveal ancient drowned cultural landscapes in northwest Australia. PLoS ONE 15(7): e0233912. https:/ / doi. org/ 10. 1371/ journal. pone. 0233912 Funding: The Deep History of Sea Country project team (all authors) were supported by the Australian Research Council's Discovery Projects funding scheme (DP170100812), with supplementary support from the Murujuga: Dynamics of the Dreaming Project (LP140100393), Flinders University and the Hackett Foundation of Adelaide and ARC Centre of Excellence for Australian Biodiversity and Heritage (CE170100015). https:/ / www. arc. gov. au/ . The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist. A radar signature may help distinguish which severe storms are likely to produce dangerous tornadoes, potentially leading to more accurate warnings, according to scientists. "Identifying which storms are going to produce tornadoes and which are not has been a problem meteorologists have been trying to tackle for decades," said Scott Loeffler, a graduate student in the Department of Meteorology and Atmospheric Science at Penn State. "This new research may give forecasters another tool in their toolbox to do just that." Scientists analyzed radar data from more than a hundred supercell thunderstorms, the most prolific producers of violent tornadoes, and found a statistically significant difference in the structure of storms that produced a tornado and those that did not. Weather radar constantly monitors storms across the country, and data similar to that used in the study are readily available to operational forecasters who issue warnings, the scientists note. "These findings have potentially large implications for the accuracy and confidence of tornado warnings and public safety during severe storms," said Matthew Kumjian, associate professor of meteorology at Penn State and Loeffler's adviser. "We look forward to getting this information in the hands of operational meteorologists to assess the impact it has." Tornado warning times have improved over the last several decades, thanks in part to numerical modeling research and intensive field campaigns, but decision-makers often must rely on readily available information like radar data when issuing storm warnings, the scientists said. Previous efforts using conventional radar have struggled to distinguish between tornadic and nontornadic supercells. According to the researchers, in 2013, the U.S. upgraded its radar network to include polarimetric capabilities, which provide additional information about storms, including revealing the shape and size of raindrops. Using this information, the scientists compared areas with large, sparse raindrops and regions dense with smaller drops within supercell storms. The orientation of these two areas was significantly different in tornadic and nontornadic supercells, the researchers reported in the journal Geophysical Research Letters. "We found for nontornadic supercells, the orientation of the separation between these two areas tended to be more parallel to the direction of the storm's motion," Loeffler said. "And for tornadic supercells, the separation tended to be more perpendicular. So we saw this shift in the angles, and we saw this as a consistent trend." Loeffler said the algorithm from the study can easily be adapted so operational forecasters could use the program in real time with the latest radar data available. "Many factors go into issuing a tornado warning, but perhaps knowing the orientation in real time could help them make a decision to pull the trigger or to hold off," he said. The scientists said while the signatures are promising, further numerical modeling studies are needed to understand better the relationship between the orientations and tornado formation. Michael Jurewicz, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service and Michael French, assistant professor at Stony Brook University, contributed to the study. ### The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the National Science Foundation supported this research. hat can be processed at temperatures low enough to allow plastics to be coated. The team published their report in the journal Small, where it was featured as the cover story in the edition from 4 June 2020. The application of zinc oxide layers in industry is manifold and ranges from the protection of degradable goods to the detection of toxic nitrogen oxide gas. Such layers can be deposited by atomic layer deposition (ALD) which employs typically chemical compounds, or simply precursors, which ignite immediately upon contact with air, i.e. are highly pyrophoric. An interdisciplinary research team at Ruhr-Universitat Bochum (RUB) has now established a new fabrication process based on a non-pyrophoric zinc precursor that can be processed at temperatures low enough to allow plastics to be coated. The team published their report in the journal Small, where it was featured as the cover story in the edition from 4 June 2020. Depositing ultra-thin layers In order to produce a sensor for nitrogen dioxide (NO2), a thin layer of nanostructured zinc oxide (ZnO) must be applied to a sensor substrate and then integrated into an electrical component. Professor Anjana Devi's team used ALD to apply ultra-thin ZnO layers on such sensor substrates. In general, ALD processes are used in industry to miniaturise electrical components using ultra-thin layers, some of which are only a few atomic layers thick, while at the same time increasing their efficiency. For that, suitable precursors are required that react at surfaces to form such a thin film. "The chemistry behind ALD processes is therefore essential and has a huge impact on the resulting thin films," points out Anjana Devi. Safe handling and highest quality To date, industrial manufacturers have been producing ZnO thin films by deploying an extremely reactive, highly pyrophoric zinc precursor via ALD. "The key for the development of a safe alternative ALD process for ZnO at RUB was to develop a new, non-pyrophoric precursor that is safe to handle and is able to deposit ZnO thin films of the highest quality," explains Lukas Mai, lead author of the study. "The challenge was to find alternative chemistries to replace the pyrophoric compounds that are generally used in the industry for ZnO." The unique aspect of the new process is that it can be performed at very low process temperatures, thus facilitating deposition onto plastics. Consequently, the new process can be used not only for the manufacture of gas sensors, but also of gas barrier layers. In the packaging industry, such layers are applied on plastics to protect degradable goods such as food or pharmaceuticals from air. ### Cooperation partners The research could be carried out thanks to an interdisciplinary collaboration of natural scientists and engineers. The team included the research groups Inorganic Materials Chemistry headed by Professor Anjana Devi and Electrical Engineering and Plasma Technology headed by Professor Peter Awakowicz, researchers from Heinrich-Heine-Universitat Dusseldorf, and the company Paragon. Funding The research was funded by European Regional Development Fund (EFRE) in the Funald project and by the German Research Foundation as part of the Collaborative Research Centre/Transregio TR87. Lukas Mai was funded by Stiftung der Deutschen Wirtschaft for his doctoral studies. Original publication Lukas Mai et al.: Zinc oxide: from precursor chemistry to gas sensors: plasmaenhanced atomic layer deposition process engineering for zinc oxide layers from a nonpyrophoric zinc precursor for gas barrier and sensor applications, in: Small, 2020, DOI: 10.1002/smll.202070122 Press contact Prof. Dr. Anjana Devi Inorganic Materials Chemistry Chair of Inorganic Chemistry II Faculty of Chemistry and Biochemistry Ruhr-Universitat Bochum Germany Phone: +49 234 32 24167 Email: anjana.devi@rub.de A new study of wildlife consumption in northern Laos by San Diego Zoo Global researchers found widespread use of products made from sun bears, Asiatic bears and serows--goat-like mammals found throughout Asia--among other vulnerable species. The findings indicate that efforts are needed to reduce the unsustainable harvest of bears and serows, in particular, "before this demand becomes a significant conservation challenge," the authors wrote. "Our results indicate the importance of identifying emerging trends in wildlife consumption, which can inform efforts to halt population declines before they become full-blown crises," said Elizabeth Oneita Davis, Ph.D., a postdoctoral associate in Community Engagement at San Diego Zoo Global. She co-authored the study, published in April in the journal Animals, with Jenny Glikman, Ph.D., an associate director in Community Engagement at San Diego Zoo Global. "The research presented here represents a critical first step towards a conservation management solution in northern Laos that incorporates the emerging threat of consumption of serow, which may be excluded from management plans directed at conserving more 'charismatic' fauna," said Davis. Unsustainable wildlife consumption is widespread in Southeast Asia. Exports to neighboring China and Vietnam have led to the extirpation of tigers and Javan rhinos in Laos, the authors said. Less is known, though, about the demand for wildlife products within Laos. To learn more about use patterns, Davis and Glikman interviewed 100 adults in 18 villages, in the Luang Prabang region of the country. The most commonly used substances, consumed by about a quarter of those interviewed, were derived from the bile or gallbladder of sun bears and Asiatic bears. While use of bear products in the region had been documented, this study suggests consumption may be more common than previously thought. The second most-consumed items, used by 7% of respondents, were derived from serows. Products derived from serows and bears are similar in form and use, often being made into topicals or consumables to treat bruises or fight fatigue. However, serow products are less expensive than comparable bear products. Sun bears and Asiatic black bears are listed as Vulnerable on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species. The Chinese serow is listed as Near Threatened, but the IUCN is in the process of changing its status to the more-urgent Vulnerable, the study authors said. Overall, interviewees reported they had used or knew someone who had used a wide variety of products derived from animals ranging from elephants to tigers, snakes, porcupines, monkeys and bats. Approximately half of respondents said they viewed wildlife products as a form of traditional medicine. A majority of the species consumed were listed as Vulnerable or Least Threatened on the Red List of Threatened Species. "Our results of present and prevalent demand for wildlife in northern Laos indicate both that enforcement efforts are not working and that the Laos government's goals of reducing wildlife trade may be challenging to achieve," Davis said. It isn't known if the current harvest of serows in Laos is sustainable. But it is possible that demand could increase sharply if those who consume bear products turn to less-pricey serow products instead. If that happens, the ungulates "may suffer a sudden, serious and rapid decline in the next decade," the authors wrote. ### About San Diego Zoo Global Bringing species back from the brink of extinction is the goal of San Diego Zoo Global. As a leader in conservation, the work of San Diego Zoo Global includes on-site wildlife conservation efforts (representing both plants and animals) at the San Diego Zoo, San Diego Zoo Safari Park, and San Diego Zoo Institute for Conservation Research, as well as international field programs on six continents. The work of these entities is made accessible to over 1 billion people annually, reaching 150 countries via social media, our websites and the San Diego Zoo Kids network, in children's hospitals in 12 countries. The work of San Diego Zoo Global is made possible with support from our incredible donors committed to saving species from the brink of extinction. To learn more, visit SanDiegoZooGlobal.org or connect with us on Facebook. Why do we age? What exactly is happening in our bodies? And can we do anything about it? Mankind has sought answers to these questions since time immemorial. While the pharmaceutical scientists Alexandra K. Kiemer and Jessica Hoppstadter from Saarland University are not claiming to have solved this ancient problem, they have uncovered processes within our immune system that contribute to ageing. Kiemer and Hoppstadter have shown that low levels of the hormone cortisol and the protein known as GILZ can trigger chronic inflammatory responses in the body. The results have been published in the journal Aging Cell, doi: https:/ / doi. org/ 10. 1111/ acel. 13156 The phenomenon of human ageing is the result of a complex interaction between numerous factors, with our own immune system playing a critical role. As we get older, our body's own defence mechanisms age, too. The adaptive or specific immune system that each of us acquires over the course of our lives and that protects us from the pathogens that we came into contact with gradually deteriorates as we age. In contrast, however, our innate or non-specific immune system, which is the first line of defence towards a wide variety of pathogens, becomes overactive. The result is chronic inflammation. A persistent state of inflammation can cause serious damage to our bodies. One consequence is that chronic inflammatory diseases, such as atherosclerosis or arthritis, are far more prevalent in older patients. 'This has been well-known for a long time. In fact, the scientific community refers to this phenomenon as "inflamm-ageing" - a portmanteau word that combines the two inseparably linked processes of inflammation and ageing,' explains Alexandra K. Kiemer, Professor of Pharmaceutical Biology at Saarland University. What was uncertain up until now was what actually caused these inflammatory responses to flare up. Kiemer and her research group have now provided some important insight. According to research results from Jessica Hoppstadter, a lead researcher in Kiemer's team, the inflammatory process is linked to the fact that the amount of cortisol generated in the body decreases as we get older. Cortisol and its inactive form cortisone, commonly referred to as stress hormones, are released by the adrenal gland. The hormone cortisol acts as a biochemical signalling molecule and is involved in numerous metabolic processes in the body. Cortisol deficiency in the body leads to an inflammatory response. 'The serum level of cortisol in the body is lower in the elderly. Moreover, macrophages, an important type of immune cells, can convert inactive cortisone to active cortisol, but this ability declines with increasing age. What we observe is what we could call "macroph-ageing" - the age-induced disruption of macrophage functions,' says Dr. Hoppstadter. Macrophages are important cells within the immune system that use signalling molecules to control other immune cells. They play a critical role in determining the extent of our body's inflammatory response. However, macrophage function becomes impaired with increasing age. This can lead to an increase in the quantities of pro-inflammatory signalling molecules, which in turn drives the activity of other inflammatory cells of the body's immune system. The studies conducted by the pharmaceutical research team in Saarbrucken indicate that one particular protein is implicated in the malfunctioning of macrophages in the elderly. The protein is known as GILZ and its levels are regulated in part by cortisol. 'The acronym GILZ stands for glucocorticoid-induced leucine zipper,' explains Professor Kiemer. Kiemer's research group has been conducting experimental studies on the GILZ protein for many years and has discovered that it plays a critical role in many important processes in the human body. But GILZ can have a beneficial or a detrimental effect depending on the specific metabolic conditions. 'We know that GILZ plays a key role in our immune system, for example it's involved in switching off the macrophage inflammatory response. So we put forward the hypothesis that loss of GILZ contributes to macrophage-mediated inflammation in older individuals,' explains Jessica Hoppstadter. Her data shows that a lower cortisol level causes macrophages to produce less GILZ, which in turn means that the macrophages simply continue to release inflammatory signalling molecules. The team found that GILZ levels are indeed lower in older subjects. To find out whether that in itself was enough to cause an inflammatory response, Hoppstadter genetically deactivated the GILZ protein. The data confirmed Hoppstadter's conjecture: the macrophages were activated and there was a resulting increase in chronic inflammatory processes. Professor Kiemer's research group is involved in a number of studies examining the activity of the GILZ protein, including the search for new active compounds that are capable of boosting GILZ levels in the human body. However, a substance able to arrest the progress of age-related inflammatory processes or impede macrophage ageing is still a long way off. 'All of these projects are still very much in the realm of basic research. The GILZ protein operates within an extensive network of complex biochemical interrelationships and it can have both beneficial and deleterious effects. A huge amount of work still needs to be done before we have a medically effective drug,' says Alexandra K. Kiemer. The phenomenon of human ageing remains immensely complex, but the work of the Saarbrucken scientists has moved us one small step further to a better understanding of why and how we age. ### The study The study 'Altered glucocorticoid metabolism represents a feature of macroph-aging' provides insight into the roles of glucocorticoid metabolism and GILZ regulation during the ageing process. The publication was authored by researchers from the Department of Pharmaceutical Biology (Prof. Alexandra K. Kiemer) and the Department of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology (Prof. Markus R. Meyer) at Saarland University, the Pharmacology Section, Dept. of Medicine at the University of Perugia (Italy) and from the Institute of Cardiovascular Regeneration at the University of Frankfurt. Aging Cell, doi: https:/ / doi. org/ 10. 1111/ acel. 13156 Questions can be addressed to: Prof. Dr. Alexandra K. Kiemer Pharmaceutical Biology Tel.: +49 (0)681 302-57311 or -57322 Email: pharm.bio.kiemer@mx.uni-saarland.de Dr. Jessica Hoppstadter Pharmaceutical Biology Tel.: +49 (0)681 302-57304 Email: j.hoppstaedter@mx.uni-saarland.de Predicted by Einstein's general theory of relativity, gravitational waves are ripples in space-time generated by certain movements of massive objects. They are important to study because they allow us to detect events in the universe that would otherwise leave little or no observable light, like black hole collisions. In 2015, the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) and the Virgo collaborations made the first direct observation of gravitational waves. The waves were emitted from a 1.3 billion-year-old collision between two supermassive black holes and were detected using 4 km long optical interferometers as the event caused ripples in the Earth's space-time. Researchers from UCL, University of Groningen, and University of Warwick propose a detector based on quantum technology that is 4000 times smaller than the detectors currently in use and could detect mid-frequency gravitational waves. The study, published today in New Journal of Physics, details how state-of-the-art quantum technologies and experimental techniques can be used to build a detector capable of measuring and comparing the strength of gravity in two locations at the same time. It would work by using nano-scale diamond crystals weighing ?10?^(-17) kg. The crystals would be placed in a quantum spatial superposition using Stern-Gerlach interferometry. Spatial superposition is a quantum state where the crystals exist in two different places at the same time. Quantum mechanics allows for an object, however big, to be spatially delocalised in two different places at once. Despite being counter-intuitive and in direct conflict with our everyday experience, the superposition principle of quantum mechanics has been experimentally verified using neutrons, electrons, ions and molecules. Corresponding author Ryan Marshman (UCL Physics & Astronomy and UCLQ), said: "Quantum gravitational sensors already exist using the superposition principle. These sensors are used to measure Newtonian gravity and make for incredibly accurate measurement devices. The quantum masses used by current quantum gravitational sensors are much smaller such as atoms, but experimental work is progressing the new interferometry techniques needed to make our device work to study gravitational waves. "We found that our detector could explore a different range of frequencies of gravitational waves compared to LIGO. These frequencies might only be available if scientists build large detectors in space with baselines that are hundreds of thousands of kilometres in size." The team envision that their proposed smaller detector could be used to build a network of detectors that would be capable of picking out gravitational wave signals from background noise. This network would also be potentially useful giving precise information on the location of the objects that are creating the gravitational waves. Co-author, Professor Sougato Bose (UCL Physics & Astronomy and UCLQ), said: "While the sensor we have proposed is ambitious in its scope, there does not appear to be any fundamental or insurmountable obstacle to its creation using current and near future technologies. "All the technical elements to make this detector have been individually realised in different experiments around the world: the forces required, the quality of the vacuum required, the method to place the crystals in superposition. The difficulty will come in putting it all together and making sure the superposition stays intact." The next step is for the team to collaborate with experimentalists to start building prototypes of the device. Importantly, the same class of detectors can also contribute to detecting whether gravity is a quantum force, as shown in recent work at UCL and elsewhere. Ryan Marshman said: "Indeed our initial ambition was to develop the device to explore nonclassical gravity. But, since it would be a considerable effort to realise such a device, we thought it was really important to examine the efficacy of such a device also for measuring very weak classical gravity such as gravitational waves and found out that it is promising!" ### The work was funded by the, Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research, the Royal Society, and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research council. Leaving hospital can be a confusing and sometimes risky time for patients who take medication, with an estimated 44% experiencing medicine-related problems once they get home. New research from the University of Bath suggests the most helpful and timely medicine-related support is provided by hospital pharmacists, yet few patients are aware that they can turn to their NHS Trust to allay confusion and stay safe. The Bath study explored the experiences of 40 patients or their carers using various hospital-based telephone medicines information services. It found that patients who have called a service regard it as uniquely placed to answer medication queries arising after hospital discharge. After using the service, patients said the helpline service was quicker to access than their GP and often more helpful. But although 52% of NHS Trusts currently provide a medicines helpline, few discharged patients seem to know of their existence, resulting in extremely low usage. Matt Williams, the Bath PhD student who led the research said: "A typical hospital that discharges over 100 patients every day will have 30 to 40 patients with a potential need to call the helpline, yet they might get just one call a day. "If people don't know the service exists, they either do nothing when problems arise or they go to their GP, use the emergency services or turn to the people around them or Google for non-expert and potentially unreliable advice. Yet they could resolve their problem with a simple phone call, which is quicker and easier for both the person and the NHS." Dr Matthew Jones, lecturer in pharmacy practice at the university, explained that patients often experience big changes to their medicine regimen when they are discharged from hospitals, and it's common for them to find there are gaps in their knowledge. He said: "They might have questions about side effects, correct dosage or potential interactions between medications. Getting the right information can help them avoid harm. It can also draw attention to mistakes that have been made with their medicines." Helplines have been established to help meet the NHS's priority to improve patients' transitions of care, so people can better manage their own health. Study participants called for their local helpline to be extended to cover evenings and weekends. A second study from the Bath team finds that hospital pharmacists who provide a hospital medicines helpline service are aware that it is a valuable resource for patients but regard it as under-resourced. "There is concern among pharmacists that if they advertise the service more widely, they will not be able to cope with the influx of enquiries. This is completely understandable at a time when NHS staff are so stretched. To benefit as many patients as possible, pharmacists need guarantees they will be given time to help everyone who calls" said Dr Jones. According to the results of research commissioned in 2018 by the UK Department of Health and Social Care, 237 million medication errors occur in the NHS in England every year. Of these, 66 million are of potential clinical significance. Avoidable adverse drug reactions cause around 700 deaths per year and cost the NHS an estimated 98.5-million per year. A study in 2017 found that discharged patients were not reliably warned of possible problems that could arise from their medications. Of the people involved in the NHS Patient Survey Programme, 43% said a member of staff did not tell them about any side effects to look out for. Some discharged patients also experience medicines-related errors, such as prescribing mistakes and incorrect or missing information on discharge summary documents. As a result, 26% of discharged patients seek help relating to their medication, mainly from their GP. Dr Jones said: "It's important that all patients discharged from hospital can easily get timely and expert advice about their medicines. Different areas currently do this in different ways, which is one reason why the public doesn't know about the services that are there to help them. In addition, the government recently announced a new Discharge Medicines Service, which will allow people to seek help from their community pharmacy. The NHS should decide what is the best way to help discharged patients and then ensure that this is provided and advertised by every hospital." ### THE social strategy dubbed "multiculturalism", in which it is alleged that different cultures are encouraged to live separate lives, apart from mainstream society, has been severely criticised by politicians and analysts. But a new book by researchers at the University of Huddersfield takes a different view. Drawing on some 20 years of research in the "M62 corridor", they have published a book that challenges the widely-held assumption that in the North of England multiculturalism has been a failure. On the contrary, they claim, it has had many successes. Titled Race, Space and Multiculturalism in Northern England, the book is authored by Professor Paul Thomas, Dr Shamim Miah and Professor Pete Sanderson, of the University's School of Education and Professional Development. Although based on long-term projects by the three researchers, it is published just as societies on both sides of the Atlantic are taking a long, hard look at issues of race. This makes the book especially timely, said Professor Thomas, who has had a long-term interest in the issue of multiculturalism and how it is understood in the North of England. Dr Miah and Professor Sanderson have also been researching the subject for many years, and the three men pooled their findings when they collaborated on the new book. "The idea that multiculturalism is not only problematic but also that it is not working has been referred to a lot by politicians," said Professor Thomas. "Quite often they reach for examples from the North of England, specific controversies or they namecheck particular towns such as Bradford or Oldham that are seen as symbolic. Professor Thomas and his co-authors believe that arguments in relation to the North of England show no understanding of how migrant integration and assimilation happen, nor the longevity of the process. "That's why we refer back to previous experiences such as Irish migration to the North in the 19th century and later waves of Jewish and Eastern European settlers, as well as primarily looking at the experience of post-war migration. We are comparing these and saying that it takes a long time for migration and assimilation to settle down." The authors of the new book also believe that critics of multiculturalism in the North often have little sense of economic and social changes, particularly de-industrialisation and how it has led to less secure and less well-paid employment. "If there are racially-segregated communities, they are often portrayed as communities having chosen to live separately," continued Professor Thomas. "But our argument is that it is about damage to economic prospects and a real lack of choice about being able to move on in housing markets." He is critical of a widespread "lack of historical perspective" about the realities of integration and now awareness of how economic pressures have made processes of integration more difficult. Professor Thomas argues the need for much greater investment and regeneration. "In many ways racial tensions and segregations in many parts of the North and periodic flare-ups can be seen as symptomatic of economic problems," he said. "But there is also a real need for more community infrastructure and in work that helps communities come together and promotes dialogue and understanding. "There are misportrayals of multiculturalism and great exaggerations about its power and its potential to influence things. There are much greater forces that determine what can happen and what cannot happen." Link to the book: https:/ / www. palgrave. com/ gb/ book/ 9783030420314 ### University of Massachusetts Amherst biostatistician Nicholas Reich has been awarded grants from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to support innovation and expansion in his groundbreaking pandemic forecasting work. Reich received a $350,000 award from the CDC to advance the COVID-19 Forecast Hub, which he and his team developed in April. They use the same ensemble approach, unifying multiple models from top forecasters and institutions around the world, for COVID-19 projections as they do for the CDC-designated UMass Influenza Forecasting Center of Excellence. Each week, the COVID-19 hub is updated with four-week-out projections for COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. and by state. Its centralized, open-science data repository is relied on by the CDC, data journalists and the public for accurate and up-to-date forecasts of the current trajectory of the pandemic in the U.S. Reich notes that the new investments from the CDC will support a shift toward creating better pandemic forecasting in the U.S. and globally. COVID-19 "represents an unprecedented challenge for the infectious disease modeling community," Reich says. "This award enables us to track, evaluate and synthesize forecasts from dozens of research groups around the world. Our work continues to underscore the importance of looking at multiple different infectious disease models, just as weather forecasters do with hurricane projections, if we want to have a good sense of what is coming next with COVID-19." In addition to compiling the weekly COVID-19 forecasts from multiple models, Reich's team will work with partners to obtain new relevant data streams, develop new adaptive ensemble methodologies for synthesizing the hub's forecasts and create new forecasting methodologies. In the other award, Reich and UMass Amherst colleagues Dan Sheldon, an artificial intelligence (AI) researcher; Andrew Lover, an infectious disease epidemiologist; and biostatistics Ph.D. student Casey Gibson received a $300,000 grant from the NIH to develop new statistical methods for their individual mechanistic Bayesian forecasting model. It's one of the models featured on the COVID-19 Forecast Hub, the FiveThirtyEight COVID-19 Forecast tracker and the CDC website. Led by Sheldon, associate professor in the College of Information and Computer Sciences, who addresses large-scale data-scientific challenges using massive data sets, the team will explore machine-learning approaches for pandemic scenarios. "New methods are needed to leverage the wealth of surveillance data at fine spatial and temporal granularity, together with associated information about policy interventions and environmental conditions over space and time, to reason directly about the mechanisms to forecast and understand the transmission dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 transmission," the researchers say. "These methods must use sound statistical and epidemiological principles while being flexible and computationally efficient to provide real-time forecasts that can guide public health decision-making and response to the highly dynamic aspects of this global crisis." These new frameworks need to be developed quickly because of "the very real potential" for COVID-19 to become an endemic, and perhaps seasonal, pathogen in the U.S., causing recurrent waves of the disease. "Forecasting pandemics of emerging pathogens poses a set of new and important challenges," Reich says. ### MIAMI--A new study published in the Journal Environmental Pollution by researchers at the University of Miami (UM) Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science found that the Ultra Music Festival was likely stressful to toadfish. An interdisciplinary team of researchers findings show that the fish experienced a significant stress response on the first day of the Ultra Music Festival in March 2019 on Virginia Key, Florida when there was elevated noise. "The stress response was similar to what toadfish would experience when hearing bottlenose dolphins, a toadfish predator," said the study's co-investigator Danielle McDonald, professor of marine biology and ecology at the UM Rosenstiel School. The researchers' findings showed that the toadfish experienced a 4-5 fold increase in blood cortisol, their main stress hormone, during the first night of the Ultra Music Festival compared to two baseline samples taken before Ultra began. In addition to testing cortisol levels, the research team placed recording devices to measure sound intensity in the air and underwater. Hydrophones were placed in the toadfish tanks and in the waters directly next to the Ultra stages in Bear Cut Inlet in the Historic Virginia Key Beach Park and in Lamar Lake, a shallow mangrove lagoon further north. "Recordings revealed that the sound intensity increased by 7-9 decibels in the toadfish tanks and 2-3 decibels in the nearby waters of Bear Cut in the low frequency range where fish are the most sensitive to changes in sound pressure," said co-investigator Claire Paris, professor of ocean sciences at the UM Rosenstiel School. "Variations in the sonic activity of marine organisms and additional noise from boat traffic may have contributed to the signal detected in Bear Cut during Ultra. In situ measurements, including long term acoustic recording, are necessary to evaluate the effect of Ultra on wild fish populations." Prior studies have shown that "underwater noise pollution causes stress and various physiological and behavioral disruptions on communication, hearing, spawning behavior and reproduction in aquatic organisms," said Maria Cartolano, lead postdoctoral scientist on the study. Gulf toadfish (Opsanus beta) play an important ecological role in the local marine environment and rely heavily on sound and their hearing for reproduction, social interactions and avoiding prey. This study could not determine if the elevated cortisol levels will have any long-term effects on the fish. "We conducted the study on the effects of the multi-day music concert due to the close proximity of the festival to our experimental hatchery and aquaculture facility," said co-investigator Martin Grosell, professor of marine biology and ecology and Maytag Chair of Ichthyology at the UM Rosenstiel School. "It provided us an opportunity to investigate the potential impacts a large music festival of this kind can have on fish." The electronic music festival, held at the Miami Marine Stadium and Virginia Key Beach Park, on March 29-31, 2019 attracted over 170,000 attendees during the three-day event, one of the largest electronic music festivals in the world. ### The study, titled "Impacts of a local music festival on fish stress hormone levels and the adjacent underwater soundscape" was published online June 12, in the Journal Environmental Pollution The co-authors of the study include Maria C.Cartolano, Igal Berenshtein, Rachael M.Heuer, Christina Pasparakis, Mitchell Rider, Neil Hammerschlag, Claire B. Paris, Martin Grosell, and M. Danielle McDonald from the University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science. Funding for the study was provided by the Key Biscayne Community Foundation. About the University of Miami's Rosenstiel School: It is estimated that 15 million different species live on our planet, but only 2 million of them are currently known to science. Discovering new species is important as it helps to protect them. Furthermore, new species can also produce compounds that could lead to the development of new medicine. "Biodiversity is declining at an accelerating rate and, according to estimates, even a million organisms are in danger of becoming extinct in the next few decades. If we want to protect nature's biodiversity as efficiently as possible, we have to discover as many species as we can," says Professor of Biodiversity Research Ilari E. Saaksjarvi from the University of Turku, Finland. Discovering new species enables, for example, studying their habits and defining their geographical distribution. So far this year, the researchers of the Biodiversity Unit at the University of Turku have described 17 new spider species, 23 insects, one bristly millipede, and one monitor lizard. The new species have been discovered from the Amazon, Europe, India, the Middle East, and the Pacific islands. In addition to the species, the researchers have also described four new genera previously unknown to science. The Amazing Beauty of Spiders In one of the most recent studies from the Biodiversity Unit, Doctoral Candidate Alireza Zamani described a new spider species Loureedia phoenixi from Iran. "The discovery was amazing as the new species belongs to the genus of velvet spiders, of which only few species have been known so far. They are very shy in their habits so discovering a new species was a great and welcome surprise. The species in this genus are amazingly beautiful and colourful so I wish this new discovery can make people understand the beauty and importance of spiders. We discovered the species from an area that is about 1,500 kilometres outside the known geographical distribution of the Loureedia genus," describes Zamani. Zamani and Saaksjarvi say that the Loureedia phoenixi spider was named after actor Joaquin Phoenix. The colourful pattern on its back resembles the face paint of the movie character Joker. The researchers of the Biodiversity Unit have also described tropical parasitoid wasps belonging to the Acrotaphus and Hymenoepimecis genera. These wasps are parasitic on spiders and manipulate the host in complicated ways. The parasitoid wasp lays its egg on the spider and then manipulates it into spinning a special web instead of a normal web for catching prey. The wasp's pupa nests safely inside this special web while developing into adulthood. Species Discoveries Support Conservation Efforts New discoveries increase our information about the history of species and can therefore affect their conservation in the future. A good example is the Varanus bennetti monitor lizard described this year, as the importance of the species' conservation was concluded only after close field and laboratory studies. "The monitor lizard species that was first considered an invasive species to Micronesia turned out to be two separate species native to the islands. We described one of these as new to science," say researchers Valter Weijola and Varpu Vahtera who discovered the species. Discovering, classifying, and describing a new species is a long process. New discoveries often require challenging field studies in remote places. Before conducting the field study, the researcher has to make sure that the required permits for collecting specimens and taking them out of the country are in order. The studies are conducted together with local scientists as often as possible. After the field study, the other research work begins: the species is examined in a laboratory, described, named, and classified and then the research article is published in an international journal. In the last few years, the Biodiversity Unit of the University of Turku has profiled itself especially in describing the biodiversity of unknown ecosystems. Each year, the unit describes dozens of new species which is a great amount even by international standards. "Our goal is to discover new species and tell their story to the world. At the moment, we are in the process of describing even more new species and genera. Many of these animals live in areas that might transform or even disappear in the next few years. Describing new species to science is a race against the clock. We hope that our research draws people's attention to the life of these unique species and thus promotes the conservation of biodiversity," conclude Saaksjarvi and Zamani. ### Memphis, Tenn. (July 1, 2020) - The University of Memphis (UofM) and the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC) are teaming up in a venture to secure a portion of federal funding allocated for COVID-19 research. The two universities issued a call for collaborative research proposals, which has yielded 23 projects addressing the SARS-CoV-2 virus and its related disease, COVID-19. The awards at stake are part of UTHSC's Collaborative Research Network (CORNET) program, a seed funding initiative designed to encourage interdisciplinary collaboration on novel and innovative research that will lead to larger, national grants. The UofM/UTHSC SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 Research CORNET is a grant competition specifically geared to facilitate new collaborations between UTHSC and UofM faculty on projects designed to better understand the disease and find therapies to end the pandemic. Funding is available for up to five teams, each of which must have at least one principal investigator from each of the partner institutions. Each funded project will receive $50,000, with the UofM and UTHSC contributing equally to the award. "It is critical that the medical and scientific aspects of the COVID-19 pandemic be addressed first," said Jasbir Dhaliwal, PhD, executive vice president for research and innovation at the UofM. "The social and economic consequences can be mitigated if the scientific problem is resolved quickly." "UTHSC research faculty are working diligently to find efficacious treatments for COVID-19," said Steven Goodman, PhD, vice chancellor for research at UTHSC. "These studies range from basic and translational research being performed by Dr. Colleen Jonsson in the Regional Biocontainment Laboratory to clinical trials brought in through CTN2 and our UTHSC clinical trial offices. Dr. Jasbir Dhaliwal and I are now using the powerful CORNET Award platform to bring together researchers from UofM and UTHSC to collaborate on research projects that take advantage of the synergistic expertise at both institutions. The level of interest by faculty at both campuses, exemplified by 23 joint applications, is gratifying. Most importantly, the funded applications will address the health of all Tennesseans and people around the globe being impacted by this pandemic." The submitted proposals run the translational science spectrum from T0, or basic science research conducted in laboratories (such as the study of multi-organ tissue injury resulting from COVID-19 infection), to T4, or community-based research. Examples include a look at how the COVID-19 epidemic is affecting vulnerable populations in Shelby County; or examining how COVID-19 is impacting school services for children with disabilities and their families. The goal of these team-based projects is to generate data that will lead to larger, national grants. The CORNETs have a strong track record in generating subsequent federal funding. Since the creation of the awards in 2016, $1.8 million in CORNETs have been awarded; extramurally funded grants stemming from CORNET stimulated research totals over $19 million - an 11-fold return on investment. ### For more information, please contact Jasbir Dhaliwal at jdhaliwl@memphius.edu or Steve Goodman at sgoodma5@uthsc.edu. As Tennessee's only public, statewide, academic health system, the mission of the University of Tennessee Health Science Center is to bring the benefits of the health sciences to the achievement and maintenance of human health through education, research, clinical care, and public service, with a focus on the citizens of Tennessee and the region. The main campus in Memphis includes six colleges: Dentistry, Graduate Health Sciences, Health Professions, Medicine, Nursing and Pharmacy. UTHSC also educates and trains medicine, pharmacy, and/or health professions students, as well as medical residents and fellows, at major sites in Knoxville, Chattanooga and Nashville. For more information, visit uthsc.edu. Find us on Facebook: facebook.com/uthsc, on Twitter: twitter.com/uthsc and on Instagram: instagram.com/uthsc. Founded in 1912, the University of Memphis, which is ranked in the top tier for public universities by U.S. News & World Report, is nationally-recognized for its academic, research and athletic programs. The UofM educates more than 22,000 students and awards more than 4,000 degrees annually. Proud to offer the Helen Hardin Honors College, the largest honors college in the state, the UofM has also been ranked in the top 10 for Student Internships by U.S. News & World Report. The prestigious Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law, which has been named three times (2014, 2018, 2020) as having the "Best Law School Facilities" in the nation, had a seven percent federal judicial clerkship rate for the Class of 2017, placing it among the top law schools in the United States. The UofM is also pleased to offer Tennessee's only doctoral degree program in music through the Rudi E. Scheidt School of Music, which will be opening a new $40 million, 40,000-square-foot music center. The Loewenberg College of Nursing, in its 52nd year, was nationally-recognized for diversity. As the largest Graduate School in the Mid-South, the UofM had close to twenty graduate programs ranked among the best in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. With a variety of nationally ranked programs, the University stands out as a leader in the virtual delivery of advanced education through its online degree collective, UofM Global. More than 3,500 UofM students are taking courses solely online from 39 states and multiple countries. UofM Global, ranked No. 1 in the State of Tennessee and in the top five online programs in the Mid-South by U.S. News & World Report, has endless opportunities to assist with a career path without the boundaries set forth by traditional college structures. The University of Memphis has close academic and research relationships with a number of Fortune 500 companies, including FedEx, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, AutoZone and International Paper, all located in the City of Memphis. MADISON, Wis. -- Showing people how their peers feel about diversity in their community can make their actions more inclusive, make members of marginalized groups feel more like they belong, and even help close racial achievement gaps in education, according to a new study. Drawing on strategies that have worked in anti-smoking, safe-sex and energy-saving campaigns, University of Wisconsin-Madison researchers decided to try to change behavior by showing people that positive feelings about diversity are the norm. "In any other domain of public health -- saving for retirement, sustainability, eating healthy -- it's the key thing to communicate: It's the right thing to do, your peers do it, and your peers would actually approve of you doing it as well," says Markus Brauer, the UW-Madison psychology professor whose lab designed the pro-diversity intervention. It's an effect that's reflected in attitudes about ongoing protests over Black people killed by police officers. Exposed to larger crowds, more frequent news coverage and the opinions of friends and neighbors, more people have expressed support for Black Lives Matter groups and activities. "People are heavily influenced by finding out what their peers have done," Brauer says. "But in the diversity domain, we haven't been trying this." The researchers, who published their findings today in the journal Nature Human Behaviour, conducted extensive focus groups with UW-Madison students. "We asked them -- students of color and white students, students of the LGBT+ community: What actually is it that decreases your sense of belonging? What are the kinds of behaviors that hurt your feelings, that make you feel excluded?" Brauer says. "And then please tell us, what are the behaviors that would make you feel welcome?" The non-white students felt like they were kept at a distance from white students -- not included in class groups or projects, not included in activities, not invited to participate in simple interactions. "When we asked about what decreased their sense of belonging, they didn't complain so much about racial slurs or explicit forms of discrimination," says Brauer. "It was the distance, the lack of interest, the lack of caring that affected them." Brauer, graduate student Mitchell Campbell, and Sohad Murrar, a former graduate student of Brauer's who is now a psychology professor at Governors State University in Illinois, used what they learned to choose their messages. "We used a social marketing approach, where we identify a target audience, we decide what our target behavior is, and then we show people how their peers support that behavior," Brauer says. They designed a relatively simple poster, covered in students' faces and reporting actual survey results -- that 93 percent of students say they "embrace diversity and welcome people from all backgrounds into our UW-Madison community," and that 84 percent of them agreed to be pictured on the poster. They also produced a five-minute video, which described the pro-diversity opinions reported by large majorities in other campus surveys and showed real students answering questions about tolerance and inclusion. In a series of experiments over several years, hundreds of students were exposed passively to the posters in brief encounters in study waiting rooms or hung day after day on the walls of their classrooms. In other experiments, the video was shown to an entire class during their first meeting. Control groups came and went from waiting rooms and classroom with no posters, or watched videos about cranberry production, or other alternatives to the study materials. Then the researchers surveyed subjects to assess their attitudes about appreciation for diversity, attitudes toward people of color, intergroup anxiety, their peers' behaviors and other measures. "When we measured 10 or 12 weeks later, the students who were exposed to the interventions report more positive attitudes towards members of other groups and stronger endorsement of diversity," Brauer says. The differences for students from marginalized groups went further. "The students belonging to marginalized groups tell us that they have an enhanced sense of belonging. They are less anxious in interactions with students from other ethnic groups. They tell us that they're less and less the target of discrimination," Brauer says. "They evaluate the classroom climate more positively, and feel that they are treated more respectfully by their classmates." The researchers tested the effectiveness of their diversity intervention in a series of UW-Madison courses in which white students have historically received better grades than their non-white peers. In course sections that viewed the 5-minute video during their first meeting -- classes including more than 300 students -- the privileged and marginalized students' grades were equal in the end. "We know the marginalized students experience discrimination; we know their feelings are valid. But we know, too, from the campus climate surveys and our own extensive surveys, that their fellow students report real appreciation for diversity, and tell us that they want to be inclusive," Brauer says. "They stay socially distant, though, because they worry about putting themselves out there. Our experience is that this intervention is changing those perceptions and experiences, and possibly the behavior, of both groups." It may be the first result of its kind for such a long-running study with so many participants, and the researchers are hopeful that future work will help better reveal whether students actually change the way they treat each other. "Promoting inclusion and dismantling systemic racism is one of the most important issues of our times. And yet, it turns out that many pro-diversity initiatives are not being evaluated," says Brauer, whose work was supported in part by funding from the office of UW-Madison's vice provost and chief diversity officer. "We really need evidence-based practices, but for a long time we've had no idea whether the things we do in the diversity domain actually have a beneficial effect. We're hoping to change that." ### --Chris Barncard, barncard@wisc.edu READ ONLINE: https:/ / news. wisc. edu/ showing-pro-diversity-feelings-are-the-norm-makes-individuals-more-tolerant/ As telemedicine expands due to COVID-19, a new report suggests doctors can check the jugular vein in heart failure patients using cameras on smartphones DALLAS - July 1, 2020 - A new report from cardiologists at UT Southwestern raises the hope that doctors will be able to visually check the jugular venous pressure of heart failure patients remotely, using the camera on a smartphone. The finding is especially timely as telemedicine expands during the pandemic. The jugular venous pressure assessment, which provides insight into fluid retention and increased pressure inside a heart, usually requires a trip to the doctor's office for a visual check of the jugular vein in the neck. "It is one of the most important and common approaches to assess the fluid status of such patients," says Mark Drazner, M.D., clinical chief of cardiology at UT Southwestern and senior author of the research letter published today in JAMA Cardiology. The ability to perform this test using telemedicine could mean fewer trips to the physician for sometimes frail heart failure patients, Dr. Drazner says, and could allow doctors to perform more frequent checks. In addition, with some patients delaying in-person doctor visits because of COVID-19, the ability to perform the test via telemedicine could be a lifesaver, says Jennifer Thibodeau, M.D., interim section chief of Advanced Heart Failure, Transplant, and LVAD. "Patients who are not evaluated because of fears of COVID-19 may be putting themselves at risk. Being able to evaluate a patient with heart failure effectively and virtually allows us to seamlessly continue the care of patients with heart failure during this pandemic." "I think the heart failure community is going to be quite interested in this," adds Dr. Drazner. During a jugular venous pressure assessment, a physician or other health care provider checks the distention of the jugular veins in the neck to determine how high blood is rising within the veins. As pressure inside an unhealthy heart's right atrium increases, the height of the jugular venous distention will rise, Dr. Drazner explains. That level can be checked by looking at the patient's neck, "much like checking the oil dipstick in a car," he says. A reading at or above 10 millimeters Hg of jugular venous pressure is considered cause for concern, Dr. Drazner says, and may indicate too much fluid buildup in the body. For the study, advanced heart failure and transplant cardiologists performed jugular venous pressure assessments both in person and remotely via smartphone video apps on 28 heart failure patients, with an on-site assistant helping position the smartphones for patients. The study found that the in-person and remote assessments often agreed and that they also correlated to the right atrial pressure when measured invasively. Specifically, the remote and bedside estimates on whether the level was less than, at, or above 14 centimeters (considered to correspond to 10 millimeters Hg pressure within the heart) agreed 95 percent of the time, according to the report. The investigators also compared their assessments to the actual right atrial pressure as measured by invasive heart catheterization. The in-person assessments and catheter readings agreed 93 percent of the time when the results were at the concerning level, while the remote assessments and invasive measurements agreed a slightly lower 89 percent of the time, according to the report. The study was started before the emergence of COVID-19, Dr. Drazner says, but the results have become more timely given current concerns over the deadly virus and the rapid shift to telehealth. The next step will be to see if similar results are possible using computer screens, which doctors often use in telemedicine visits, and whether the remote tests can be performed successfully without an on-site assistant, Dr. Drazner says, adding that he hopes there will be additional testing of this method in a multi-institutional study. ### About UT Southwestern Medical Center UT Southwestern, one of the premier academic medical centers in the nation, integrates pioneering biomedical research with exceptional clinical care and education. The institution's faculty has received six Nobel Prizes, and includes 24 members of the National Academy of Sciences, 16 members of the National Academy of Medicine, and 13 Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigators. The full-time faculty of more than 2,500 is responsible for groundbreaking medical advances and is committed to translating science-driven research quickly to new clinical treatments. UT Southwestern physicians provide care in about 80 specialties to more than 105,000 hospitalized patients, nearly 370,000 emergency room cases, and oversee approximately 3 million outpatient visits a year. The UK India Business Council has announced that Jayant Krishna has accepted the invitation of the Board to become its new Group Chief Executive Officer, effective from 3rd August. "Jayant brings a wealth of senior-level corporate and governmental experience from India and the UK to UKIBC, having previously led key initiatives of the Prime Minister's Skill India mission as CEO, and Executive Director & Chief Operating Officer of the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC)," the council said in a statement. Prior to this, Jayant was with the Tata group for over two decades. A British Chevening Scholar, he held various leadership roles at Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), including Director, Life Sciences & Healthcare (UK & Europe), Regional Director (UK & Ireland), Regional Manager in London, Global Delivery Centre Head in India, and Global Relationship Manager for one of TCS's top five accounts worldwide, while based in London. Earlier, Krishna was a management consultant at a division of Tata Sons. More recently, he has been Senior Fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington, DC and Executive Director, Public Policy at the Wadhwani Foundation, focusing on Indian economic reforms and US-India bilateral business ties. He has chaired and served on multiple committees of the Government of India, chaired several taskforces of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), and is an Independent Director on the Boards of various companies. Krishna, who will be the first UKIBC Group CEO to be based in India, will be replacing the current Group CEO, Richard Heald, OBE after a term of 10 years. Richard will step up to the role of Chair from 1st September 2020, succeeding the current Chair, Lord Davies of Abersoch, CBE who will retain a close association with the UKIBC by assuming the position of President of a new UKIBC Senior Leadership Council. Over the past years, UKIBC has grown in size, scope, impact, and sustainability, expanding its presence in both the UK and India through the development of a range of advisory, support and consultancy services supporting both Indian and UK companies operating in the UK-India economic corridor. At the same time, UKIBCs role of supporting the UK and the Indian Governments by providing the business voice in G2G deliberations remains core to its mission to further the UK-India relationship. Chair, Lord Davies of Abersoch, CBE said: Im delighted to announce the appointment of Jayant Krishna as the new Group CEO of UKIBC. I have no doubt that with Jayant as CEO and Richard as Chair, supported by the UK and Indian teams, the UKIBC will rise to new heights in support of our members, clients and stakeholders. Group CEO & Chair (Designate), Richard Heald, OBE said: Im really excited that Jayant has agreed to join the UKIBC and I very much look forward to supporting and working with him into the future. The combination of his insights of India, his extensive networks within government in India as well as his knowledge of UK and Indian corporates are unique. The appointment of our Group CEO in India underscores our ambition to make the UKIBC more bilateral in nature. It is also, I believe, a sign of the growing maturity of UKIBC and can only help us enhance our existing advocacy, consultancy and support services in the UK and in India. New Group CEO, Jayant Krishna said: Im pleased to accept this extraordinary opportunity to work towards further strengthening UKIBCs support to UK and Indian industry, encouraging bilateral investment, and helping businesses succeed. This transition is taking place at a stage when both countries economies have grown to a comparable size in terms of nominal GDP, and we are at the threshold of a vibrant phase in our economic ties. UKIBC will continue to bolster two-way trade and investment flows between UK and Indian businesses. Read more news about (internet advertising India, internet advertising, advertising India, digital advertising India, media advertising India) The Pound Sterling Euro (GBP/EUR) exchange rate remained flat on Wednesday morning. This left the pairing trading at around 1.1037. Data released this morning revealed German retail sales rebounded sharply in May as the government lifted lockdown restrictions. Sales in the blocs largest economy jumped by 13.9% during May after a downwardly revised fall of -6.5% just a month before. Annually, sales rose by 3.8% in May, and due to the coronavirus keeping many consumers away from physical stores, there was a huge increase in online sales. Online sales skyrocketed by 28.7% while clothing and shoe sales plummeted by more than -22%. While a consumer confidence survey from earlier in the month shows German shoppers were more eager to spend and more upbeat about income prospects, retail sales are a volatile indicator which is often subject to revision. Added to this, todays German PMI data reached a three-month high but still remained in contraction. Germanys manufacturing PMI jumped from Mays 36.6 to 45.2 as there were slower declines in both production and new orders. Commenting on the data, Markits Principal Economist, Phil Smith noted: We can take away positives and negatives from June's manufacturing PMI survey. On the one hand, the data show more German manufacturers starting to ramp up production, and a regaining of confidence which has been severely lacking in recent months. But on the other, demand remains very much subdued and is holding back any recovery. Meanwhile, PMI data from Britain showed the countrys manufacturing sector returned to growth in June. After the sector suffered a severe downturn due to the coronavirus pandemic, todays data showed it stabilised in June. Activity picked up from 40.7 in May to 50.1 in June. The data showed that both output and business optimism improved. However, employment in the sector fell for the fifth consecutive month. Commenting on the data, Markit Director, Rob Dobson noted: June completed a marked turnaround in momentum in UK manufacturing, as the sector switched from April's record contraction back to stabilisation in the space of two months. Output edged higher and domestic demand firmed as lockdown restrictions loosened, factories restarted and staff returned to work. Business optimism also recovered to a 21-month high. The main focus is now shifting towards the labour market. Concerns are rising about the potential for marked job losses, especially once the phase out of government support schemes begins. The news on that footing is less positive, with June seeing a further reduction in staffing levels and, although easing sharply since April's record, the rate of job loss remains among the steepest in the 29-year survey history. Economic conditions will need to improve markedly across the UK, or some support retained, if the labour market downturn is to avoid becoming more entrenched through the remainder of the year. This data comes just a day after official data showed Britains economy shrank by the most since 1979 during the first quarter of this year. The latest GDP data showed the first few days of lockdown caused the countrys economy to shrink by -2.2%, below forecast. Added to this, the Bank of England (BoE) warned the economy could contract by -20% in the first six months of 2020. Pound Euro Outlook: Will a Dovish Bundesbank Weigh on EUR? Looking ahead, the Euro (EUR) could suffer some losses against the Pound (GBP) following a slew of speeches from Germanys Bundesbank policymakers. If speeches from policymakers reveal the German Bundesbank is overly dovish about the countrys outlook, the single currency will edge lower. Meanwhile, traders will also be focused on tomorrows release of Eurozone unemployment data. If unemployment in the bloc skyrockets due to the coronavirus pandemic in May, it will weigh on the single currency. This could cause the Pound Euro (GBP/EUR) exchange rate to edge higher. After being hit lower by strong Canadian data, the British Pound to Canadian Dollar (GBP/CAD) exchange rate is trending higher today. Investors are buying the Pound back slightly from its lowest levels ahead of the end of the quarter, but the outlook for the British currency remains filled with uncertainties. Whats more, the latest UK data hasnt done much to notably improve the UK outlook. Since opening this week at the level of 1.6892, GBP/CAD has been trending with a downside bias. Despite weak oil prices, GBP/CAD touched on a low of 1.6777 yesterday. This was close to the pairs lowest levels all quarter, since March. GBP/CAD is recovering slightly today, as investors buy the Pound from lows. Still, despite this GBP/CAD has only recovered to around 1.6845 - still around half a cent below the weeks opening levels. Sterling is climbing back from lows today. Investors are buying the British currency while its cheap, despite the currencys outlook being filled with uncertainties. Analysts perceived the Pounds gains, continued from yesterday, as being due to month-end trading. Investors are adjusting currency positions ahead of Q3. Speaking yesterday, Kenneth Broux, Analyst at Societe Generale, said: Random is the word. I dont think it has anything to do with the announcement of the government. We know that the announcement of infrastructure planning was going to come. I wouldnt try and find an excuse. Maybe its been oversold. It could be that liquidity is poor today, Todays UK data has ultimately had little impact on the Pound outlook. In fact, the stats may have made investors more hesitant to keep the Pounds recovery going. Britains final June manufacturing PMIs met projections, coming in at 50.1. According to Duncan Brock, Group Director at the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply: The sector may be springing back into action after lockdown easing, but worse results may be on their way for companies as government support falls away and businesses are left with decisions to make on whether they can weather any continuing storms Canadian Dollar (CAD) Jumps despite Oil Price Weakness Prices of oil, Canadas biggest export, have been fairly weak in recent weeks. The commodity has plunged, as fears of a possible second wave in coronavirus infections worsen. Normally, the Canadian Dollar is strongly correlated to oil prices. However, the Canadian Dollar has been strong this week even as oil prices worsen. This is due to hopes over Canadas handling of the coronavirus, as well as some stronger than expected Canadian data published in recent sessions. Tuesdays session saw the publication of Canadas April Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth rate results. While the data showed a record contraction of 11.6%, it was a smaller contraction than the expected plummet of 13%. Whats more, analysts speculate that the gradual reopening of Canadas economy could lead to a solid growth figure in May. According to Avery Shenfeld, Chief Economist at CIBC Capital Markets: April was a mense horribilis for the Canadian economy, and the only thing good about it was that in all likelihood it marked the bottom of this short but extremely deep recession, GBP/CAD Exchange Rate Forecast: Volatility Likely amid Pressure on Both Currencies The Pound is recovering today, but this movement may prove short-lived. Investors lack much reason to buy Sterling, as coronavirus and Brexit concerns still cloud over Britains outlook. With UK data mixed and concerns of a second wave potentially dampening recovery hopes, upcoming UK data may not bolster Sterling appetite much even if it beats forecasts. Friday will see the publication of Britains final June services and composite PMIs. The Canadian Dollar, on the other hand, could see fresh pressure if oil prices continue to tumble. If coronavirus fears and oil losses continue to intensify, the Canadian Dollar will struggle to hold its ground. This could limit GBP/CAD potential for further losses. Still, the Pound to Canadian Dollar exchange rate may be more likely to remain low if upcoming Canadian data impresses investors. Tomorrow will see the publication of Canadas latest trade and manufacturing results. Multiple storms brewing on post-Brexit trade in goods and services, lobbying pressures will intensify, Sterling markets watching nervously As well pressure for progress in the intense phase of EU/UK trade talks, the need to secure agreement on access to the EU for financial services and develop new customs procedures, will be increasingly urgent. Pound Sterling vulnerability will increase if no progress is made. Barnier rejects UK financial-sector proposals EU Chief Negotiator Barnier stated that British proposals to give the City of London access to the EU are unacceptable because they seek to maintain the benefits of the single market without the obligations. Barnier claimed that the UK would like to run operations from London with only minimal representation within the EU. He also claimed at the UK had only completed 4 of 28 questionnaires for assessing whether direct market access was allowable. According to Barnier, financial services companies will need to have a higher permanent representation within the EU and rejected the possibility of short-term trips by key officials. He commented; I will be blunt, its proposals are unacceptable. There is no way member states or the European Parliament would accept this. I know that many hope our equivalence decisions will provide continuity. Many believe that responsible politicians on both side of the Channel should make this happen -- but things have to change. The U.K. and the EU will be two separate markets, two jurisdictions. And the EU must ensure that important risks to our financial stability are managed within the framework of our single market. The UK Treasury insisted that it had completed its assessments on time and is ready to reach comprehensive findings of equivalence as soon as the EU is able to clarify its own position. If the two sides cant reach a new market access arrangement, banks will accelerate plans to shift businesses and staff away from London. Post-Brexit, UK exporters will need HMRC pre-clearance for EU entry According to a document circulated by Her Majestys Revenue and Customs (HMRC), lorries will only be able to transport goods into the EU if they have a valid reference from the so-called Goods Vehicle Movement Service (GVMS), a new IT platform that is still under development and untested at this stage. According to HMRC, We are regularly engaging with industry as plans develop, in particular with regard to a new IT system that will facilitate movement at the border. There are particular concerns surrounding goods moving through Dover given the lack of space which would prevent physical checks of documentation within the port area. We have designed a new alternative model that will achieve full customs control on EU goods from July 2021 whilst recognizing the practical realities of high-volume EU-facing locations with limited space to physically hold goods. The government announced in June that customs controls on goods coming into the UK from the EU would be delayed until July 2021. This will tend to put UK-based companies at a disadvantage from January. The Cabinet Office has said it will set out its plans for the border in mid-July. Naomi Smith, chief executive officer of Best for Britain, a pro-EU campaigning group, British exporters will be the biggest losers from this, additional bureaucracy threatens to clog up our trade arteries. Alex Veitch, head of International Policy at FTA, which represents freight transport companies, said: It takes two to tango, and we need both import and export systems to be ready, tested, and operational to keep Britain trading. If the systems are subject to delays, there will be pressure for controls to be delayed. Rhetoric surrounding all aspects of trade talks will continue to be monitored closely by currency markets. If deadlock persists, the overall Sterling risk profile will gradually increase as confidence in the economy deteriorates. OCBC Bank analyst Terence Wu remained sceptical over the outlook. We dont think the dynamics in the EU-UK trade talks have fundamentally changed, and we still stay negative on the cable. ING pointed to the potential for Sterling vulnerability; As UK-EU negotiations are unlikely to progress, more risk premium can be priced into GBP. We also note the structural change in GBP sensitivity to risk since the Brexit referendum, with GBP suffering proportionally more in falling markets than it benefits in rising markets. Wednesday, July 1, 2020 Digital asset investing company B21 (www.b21.io) today announced the launch of its B21 Invest app in India. B21 Invest makes it easy to purchase and manage a portfolio of cryptocurrencies including Bitcoin, Ethereum, and EOS straight from a mobile phone. B21 Invest supports investment for as little as INR 2,000 ($25) per transaction, which can be in a single asset like Bitcoin or across a customized investment portfolio. Users in India can invest using local fiat currency and local payment methods including Unified Payments Interface (UPI), debit cards and bank transfers. B21 Invest, available free of charge on the App Store and Google Play, simplifies the entire onboarding and investment process by allowing users to create their own secure, customized portfolio of cryptocurrencies without going through multiple Know Your Customer." (KYC) and wallet set-up hurdles. Users can instantly rebalance their portfolio, monitor profitability on their dashboard, or liquidate their positions at any time with a few clicks. Users can also withdraw money globally via bank transfer (ACH) and international wire. The Supreme Court of India recently reversed a circular issued by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) which prohibited banks from providing services to crypto traders, exchanges, and other businesses dealing in cryptocurrencies. The reversal has led to renewed interest in digital asset investing and a spike in exchange trading volumes. India is fast becoming a major market for digital asset investing as the use of mobile technology expands alongside interest in alternative asset classes,." said Nitin Agarwal, Founder and Director B21. B21 is proud to provide a method by which people can easily invest in digital assets directly from their mobile phones without having to learn how to navigate complex trading exchanges or managing their private keys. We are excited to launch our local Indian payment methods which will make investing even easier and more efficient.." B21 has also announced a collaboration with Minance, a wealth management firm offering an extensive range of investment products from derivatives and equities to private assets and international equities. B21 will offer Minance clients a gateway for purchasing cryptocurrency, with Minance providing investors with research-based insights on the market, along with a cryptocurrency tax calculator and additional features to be introduced in the coming year. ."Minance research has proven that it's wise to build a portfolio starting with the largest cryptocurrencies by market cap,." said Anurag Bhatia, CEO and Head of Investments at Minance. The team at B21 has cracked this. Instead of building a platform with an overwhelming array of cryptocurrencies to evaluate, they've curated the top digital assets, providing investors a simplified gateway to this investment class.." Banning cryptocurrency only serves to curb innovation,." added Agarwal. Crypto and decentralized systems are at the forefront of the next big technological advancement in human history and the cornerstone to Web 3.0. Cryptocurrency and blockchain systems have yet to reach their full potential and we are keen to help the mass market access to these attractive investment sectors.." B21 is available to customers across 65 countries including the U.S. The firm has maintained an office in Bangalore since 2019 and plans to grow its client base in India to two hundred thousand active users by the end of 2020. About B21 B21 has created the simplest way to invest in and manage crypto asset portfolios. The companys solution provides the next generation of investment tools designed to appeal to a global mass market. It allows users to easily buy, sell, trade and manage their crypto assets, all through a user-friendly and intuitive interface. The B21 Invest app is operated by Digital Software Solutions Inc. www.digitalss.co under exclusive license from B21C Limited. Asset custodial accounts are provided by Prime Trust. For more information and terms and conditions, please visit https://www.b21.io. MEDIA CONTACT: b21@transformgroup.com Tuesday, June 30, 2020 Krishen Iyer, Founder of MAIS Consulting Krishen Iyer, the founder of Managed Benefits Services, a marketing and consulting firm, recently founded a new company called MAIS Consulting Group. ENCINITAS, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES, June 30, 2020 /EINPresswire.com/ -- California based marketing expert and entrepreneur, Krishen Iyer recently launched MAIS Consulting Services, a comprehensive consulting group that offers marketing and contracting services. MAIS aims to help companies identify gaps and opportunities by creating a comprehensive project plan with timelines, objectives, and a schedule in place. The company's main focus is to assist with contracting, marketing, company policy, and strategy. Krishen Iyer is an entrepreneur based out of Encinitas and Southern California. He has had over 18 years of experience in insurance, marketing, consulting, and contracting. Over the years, Iyer has worked hands-on with small businesses, insurance professionals, and larger organizations to assist with their marketing efforts. MAIS Consulting was formed after the founder, Krishen Iyer sold Managed Benefits Services, a leading company that specialized in providing consulting and marketing services within the insurance industry. After Iyer sold his company, he created MAIS Consulting after recognizing the need for contracting services. MIAS is helping to spearhead growth, improve marketing campaign management, and improve the customer service experience. Although MAIS Consulting specializes in providing marketing and contracting services, the company can also provide clarity on company policies. They offer consulting services that will address any concerns business owners may have over TCPA policies, internal practices, or procedures. MAIS works to improve internal communications too. It offers an executive company-wide approach with an experienced team of professionals to empower their clients from all over the country. With a long track record of incredible growth, Krishen Iyer continues to change companies for the better. "Our ramp-up process is designed to empower your team and outfit them with the tools they need to succeed. Talk to us today about how we can support your growth, improve margins, add consumers to your pipeline, and put you on a solid track to success and profit, says Krishen Iyer, the Founder and CEO of MAIS Consulting. Wednesday, July 1, 2020 IMC USA Reappoints Constantinos Stavropoulos CMC as Lead ICMCI Delegate Fort Lauderdale, Florida July 1, 2020 The Board of IMC USA unanimously approved on June 26th, 2020, reappointment of Constantinos Stavropoulos CMC as Lead Delegate to ICMCI (International Council of Management Consulting Institutes) for an additional one-year term, following Chair/CEO Juan Negroni's proposal. Upon reappointment, Mr. Stavropoulos stated: "It bestows great honor and bequeaths heightened responsibility to serve our Institute. IMC USA, Founding Member of ICMCI, will continue strengthening its exclusive long-term relationship with ICMCI, both in the U.S. and globally. Also, our Institute will further solidify its reciprocal collaborations with the other 50 Institutes worldwide. Above all, IMC USA, in a diversely inclusive manner, will continue raising the bar of excellence in our profession to ethically deliver transformative value to our societies." Mr. Stavropoulos is the founder of InnoValue, a strategic innovation consulting firm located in Athens, Greece. He is IMC USA's Lead Delegate to ICMCI since 2015 and a recipient of the IMC USA Distinguished Service Award in 2017. The International Council of Management Consulting Institutes (ICMCI) vision is to be a leader in the development of management consulting as a global profession that drives social and economic success. Its mission is to build the profile, recognition and influence of the profession and its practitioners globally. Today, ICMCI is present in 51 countries with about 8,200 CMCs, 700 FCMCs, 42 ACPs, 56 Academic Fellows and around 64,200 individual consultants. Physician practice, Medicare, and Primary Care Leaders: RCM Program We have developed a full solution that helps you provide services under this program to your existing Medicare patients. 100 Medicare patient upside between $50,000 to $200,000. Inexpensive, monthly, no IT required healthcare service. all monitoring and communications equipment directly to your patients provided If you'd like to hear more about this solution and program, contact me for a free 15-minute discussion of your situation at 678-319-4739 or http://www.fiscaldoctor.com/contact-us/ . #health #Medicare #Medical #caregivers #Doctors #medicalbilling #nurses #Emergency #reimbursement #patientcare #codes #telehealth #remotecare #monitoring #healthcare #healthcareIT #primarycare #patients #CriticalCare #Physicians #revenue #CEO #CFO #CMO ### Welcome to the News Release Wire Selection Control Panel. Instant News Wire Pennsylvania seniors benefit from some of the lowest costs for Medicare insurance options. They could also pay among the highest according to a analysis by the American Association for Medicare Supplement Insurance (AAMSI). The report shares information for Philadelphia, Pittsburg and Allentown. "There are important variables and differences across Pennsylvania," shares Jesse Slome, director of the Association. "Are you turning 65 and eligible for guaranteed issue insurance coverage," he notes. "Or do you have some existing health conditions and are seeking to switch from one plan to another?" The findings reveal a difference between the lowest and highest rates available in major Pennsylvania metro areas. "Consumers are not aware of the importance of getting good comparisons," Slome notes. "You might be making a decision that you can't easily change down the road." The analysis of 2020 Medigap pricing for examined rates for a 65-year-old purchasing Plan G. According to the American Association for Medicare Supplement Insurance this is the most common Medigap choice for those turning 65 who opt for supplemental Medicare insurance coverage. "Prices are set by the individual insurance companies and there can be a significant difference between the lowest and the highest cost for every Zip Code," Slome notes. "The company that had the least costly plan in one city could have a more costly option across the state." Pennsylvania Medigap Plan G 2020 Price Index Findings Philadelphia, PA (Zip 19120) FEMALE age 65, Plan G Lowest monthly premium: $133.20 Highest monthly premium: $451.15 MALE age 65, Plan G Lowest monthly premium: $153.19 Highest monthly premium: $509.10 Pittsburgh, PA (Zip 15237) FEMALE age 65, Plan G Lowest monthly premium: $117.35 Highest monthly premium: $402.22 MALE age 65, Plan G Lowest monthly premium: $134.95 Highest monthly premium: $453.52 Allentown, PA (Zip 18102) FEMALE age 65, Plan G Lowest monthly premium: $102.31 Highest monthly premium: $322.90 MALE age 65, Plan G Lowest monthly premium: $115.73 Highest monthly premium: $364.70 The Association posts savings tips for consumers along with information on the 2020 Medicare Supplement Plan G Price Index findings on their website. The insurance advocate notes that household discounts may be available for Pennsylvania seniors buying Medigap insurance. "The percentage savings can vary from five percent to as much as 14 percent for Pennsylvania applicants," he explains. The Association offers an online directory to find Pennsylvania Medicare insurance agents located by Zip Code. "Access to use the directory is free and private," Slome adds. Based in Los Angeles, California, the American Association for Medicare Supplement Insurance (AAMSI) is an advocacy and informational organization. AAMSI supports insurance professionals who market Medicare Supplement insurance. Haridwar/New Delhi: Yoga guru Ramdev's Patanjali Ayurved on Wednesday said there are no AYUSH Ministry restrictions on selling Coronil, a drug the company recently launched as a medicine for COVID-19 but is now calling it a product to manage the disease. The Union ministry confirmed that Patanjali can sell the product but not as a cure for COVID-19. AYUSH Ministry has only given permission to sell this particular formulation as immunity booster and not as a medicinal cure for COVID-19, it said. At a press conference in Haridwar, Ramdev claimed the ministry has said that Patanjali did an an appropriate job for COVID-19 management. I want to tell people who want to try these medicines that there is no restriction on their sale now and they will be available in a kit everywhere in the country from today," he added, referring to Coronil and the two other products Patanjali is promoting together. Ramdev said the Union ministry had asked him to use the term Covid management in place of Covid treatment and he is following the instruction. Even while backtracking on the describing Coronil as treatment for COVID-19, the company stuck to its claim that the drug's trial on mild to moderately ill patients was successful. Its press note said the trial, conducted after the necessary approvals, showed 100 per cent recovery of patients within seven days. It said the AYUSH Ministry has categorically agreed that Patanjali had appropriately worked on COVID-19 management. Now there is no difference of opinion between AYUSH Ministry and Patanjali, it added. As per the ministry, Patanjali is allowed to manufacture and distribute its Diva Coronil tablet, Divya Swasari Vati and Divya Anu Talia across India, as per the manufacturing licences granted by State Licensing Authority, Ayurvedic and Unani Services, Govt of Uttarakhand, it said. The Uttarakhand department was among the agencies which had questioned Patanjali's claim to have developed a drug to cure COVID-19. It said the company had only been given a licence to manufacture an immunity booster. They're here. They serve beer. And they are hopping mad at Greg Abbott. As the Washington Post's Teo Amus reported Tuesday, a group of Texas bar owners from around the state has banded together to sue Governor Greg Abbott for what they believe is a prejudiced edict targeting bar-owning Americans. "You can't tell me that my tiny little bar is the problem," said Tee Allen Parker, a 45-year-old bar owner from Kilgore who recently banned wearing masks in her establishment. Frustrated by the initial shutdown, reopening and subsequent backpedaling in the face of surging coronavirus case numbers, Parker has singled out the governor as the one recurring feature in her misery. "[Abbott]'s the problem," Parker says. "He's targeting us, and it's discrimination." Parker and 21 other bar owners have joined with Houston attorney Jared Woodfill to sue the governor and state alcohol regulators for Friday's order, which shut down bars and restaurants with alcohol-dominant revenue streams. They claim the order is unconstitutional and unfairly discriminates against bar people and bar spaces. "It's just a horde of infringement on people's individual liberties and constitution," said Woodfill, a high profile right-leaning litigator who has already filed six lawsuits against state and local governments for COVID-related orders since the pandemic's beginning. "This is one individual making draconian decisions that have destroyed the Texas economy." While others prepare for the legal battle, Parker is mustering the culture war. On Sunday, Parker held an event called 'Bar Lives Matter' to raise money for bar owners struggling with bills after the reclosing. She then traveled to Austin on Monday to invite the governor for a one-on-one discussion. Parker's invitation has not received a response as of this writing, but it's unlikely Abbott is thrilled for this new section of terrain in the criticism of his pandemic leadership. Largely the governor has been praised in financial circles for his swift reopening plans and unwillingness to fine quarantine breakers. It's a strategy that's allowed Abbott to remain mostly in the good graces of his base. And with the second spike rising and hard choices on the doorstep, it may have run its course. As coronavirus cases surge, local doctors are urging those who have recovered from the virus to donate their plasma through the South Texas Blood & Tissue Center. Those who survived a bout of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, have antibodies in their plasma that can help treat patients severely ill with the disease. Bob Owen /San Antonio Express-News Earlier this year, according to the local nonprofit blood center, doctors were able to get convalescent plasma a few hours after ordering it. But rising numbers of COVID-19 patients hospitalized in intensive care units have depleted the supply, and the wait now lasts for days. The blood center has acquired convalescent plasma from other communities to fill the gap, but as cases spike throughout Texas and other states, those places might soon run out of plasma to spare. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration requires that convalescent plasma donors be eligible to donate blood, have a documented prior COVID-19 diagnosis and no symptoms for at least 14 days. On ExpressNews.com: Blood donors to receive free COVID-19 antibody testing from South Texas Blood & Tissue Center Paul Basaldua, 41, of San Antonio, had a mild case of COVID-19 in mid-March and has donated plasma five times since then. Each time, he donated four bags, enough for five patients. He said he never felt negative health effects from donating. Its very rewarding to help fellow citizens of our community, Basaldua said. He has been working with the South Texas Blood & Tissue Center to get out the message about plasma donation. Lately the blood bank has been importing more than half its requests for convalescent plasma from other areas, Basaldua said. Bexar County is running short of hospital beds, and if the convalescent plasma supply chain runs dry, the capacity problem will only worsen, Basaldua said. If we can get half of the people recovered from COVID to donate, we would have enough plasma for everyone in our local hospitals, he said. The goal should be to get all of the ICU patients treated first, then move on to hospital patients that have not gone to the ICU yet. Recovered COVID-19 patients can visit SouthTexasBlood.org to sign up to donate plasma. Alia Malik covers several school districts and the University of Texas at San Antonio. To read more from Alia, become a subscriber. amalik@express-news.net | Twitter: @AliaAtSAEN Texas public school students will be required to take the states annual standardized exam called STAAR next year, but it will be done over a period of several weeks to keep them from having to show up on the same day. There is going to be a much longer window to administer the STAAR test, Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath told the State Board of Education during a virtual meeting Tuesday. The testing period will begin sooner and end later than years past so students will have about 30 days in which to take the test. Texas school administrators are still waiting for the agencys guidance for opening their campuses this fall and still surveying parents to see how many plan to keep their kids learning at home online amid worries of a rampup in coronavirus cases. The pandemic closed campuses in March, and school districts had to teach students remotely for the rest of the semester. Required Reading: Get San Antonio education news sent directly to your inbox The agency had planned to release guidance last month before the state started seeing record numbers of new cases of the virus. Gov. Greg Abbott has urged Texans to stay home except for essential needs. Morath presented data to the board and to superintendents statewide in a phone call Tuesday afternoon showing what school administrators in Bexar County have worried about since the classrooms closed: Students suffered from a COVID slide. More than 600,000 public school students, or about 11.3 percent of the states enrollment, disengaged after schools moved to remote learning. They did not complete assignments and could not be reached by teachers, Morath said. The STAAR, or State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness, test was waived this year, and Morath said that without the test scores, educators cant fully grasp how significant the decline was. School boards are blind to that information, policymakers around the state are blind to that information, he said. Educators, unless they have some other robust assessment cant adjust our educational support of kids accordingly. The test does more than provide data. Fifth- and eighth-grade students must pass their reading and math tests to be promoted to the next grade. Those who dont pass can be re-tested, up to twice. Those high stakes are still being evaluated, and a decision on how theyll be adjusted has not been made, a Texas Education Agency spokesman said. Morath did not offer details during his presentation to the board. STAAR scores also play a large role in how the state grades schools and school districts under its accountability system. Clearly adjustments need to be made to how the test results translate into schools A-F ratings, Morath said. On ExpressNews.com: TEA spells out funding for distance learning but delays advice on how to open classrooms The state boards reaction to Moraths plan was a mixed bag, said one member, Marisa Perez-Diaz, a San Antonio Democrat. The TEA data shows students will be starting the new school year behind in their learning and I cant reconcile how it seems appropriate to STAAR test our students when theyre coming back to school with a deficit, she said. Perez-Diaz said Morath didnt specify how the accountability system might be changed. Shes also concerned about added stress on children, either from their parents losing jobs and other impacts the pandemic might be having on mental health, and the digital divide among students across the state that makes online learning not as easy for some. The Texas State Teachers Association has urged the agency to give schools another year without mandating the test. Standardized testing should be the last priority for students, educators and policymakers, Noel Candelaria, the associations president, said in a news release. There are other, much more crucial priorities for the state, beginning with a plan for safe schools, a plan for returning students, teachers and employees safely to classrooms, but only after the pandemic has begun to subside, not while COVID cases are still increasing. Brian Woods, president of the Texas Association of School Administrators and superintendent of San Antonios Northside Independent School District, said he was disappointed in the states focus on test-based accountability in this time of global pandemic. I cant say that I am surprised, he said early Wednesday in an emailed statement. However, right now, I remain focused on advocating for stable funding for our states school districts that collectively serve over 5 million Texas school children. Without stable and predictable funding, the massive lift of educating our students both in person and in distance learning will be very difficult to accomplish with the fidelity they deserve. Krista Torralva covers several school districts and public universities in the San Antonio and Bexar County area. To read more from Krista, become a subscriber. Krista.Torralva@express-news.net | Twitter: @KMTorralva In the wake of Fort Hood soldier Vanessa Guillens disappearance, her family looked to her Army superiors for answers. During one of the familys trips to the Killeen base to find the Houston native, Mayra Guillen said she spoke with her 20-year-old sisters supervisor, who was identified Wednesday as having a role in the disappearance. He laughed at her and gave her a bad feeling, she recalled. I met him not knowing that he had something to do with it, she said Wednesday. I felt something was telling me that he did something and I wasn't wrong apparently. Military officials said he shot and killed himself along a Killeen road as law enforcement confronted him, hours after the discovery Tuesday of human remains believed to be those of the missing 3rd Cavalry Regiment soldier. Texas authorities had issued a be-on-the-lookout notice for him and Army officials said he fled his base post as investigators eyed him as a suspect in Guillens disappearance. He still had the nerve that same day to laugh to my face and apparently now he kills himself, the sister said of her encounter. Why? I dont know. Whoever is responsible has to pay. The mans death raises more questions for the family whose grief and rage over Fort Hoods handling of Guillens April 22 disappearance has only intensified. The base has not been transparent in the investigation, the family contends. They also believe that her commanding officer sexually harassed Guillen, whose case sparked nationwide urgency from celebrities to find her and and outcry from other soldiers who say they, too, have been harassed and ignored. This shouldnt have happened The emotional two-month search for Guillen a Cesar E. Chavez High School graduate laid bare accusations of pervasive sexual harassment. Amid the allegations, the U.S. Army Forces Command has sent an Inspector General team to inspect Fort Hoods sexual harassment and assault response program for compliance. A statement does not reference Guillen but states Fort Hood requested the inspection, which is slated to last through Friday. A Tampa-based attorney for the Guillen family, Natalie Khawam, said Guillen told friends, family and fellow soldiers about the sexual harassment, identifying her abuser, but she feared retaliation. The man who killed himself was Guillens superior, she said, adding that she had given his name to investigators. She said he had been harassing the soldier since at least October, when he entered the locker room as she showered and watched her. He walked in and sat there and she was very creeped out, as one would be, Khawam said Wednesday. This shouldnt have happened and now shes not with us. Khawan shared that encounter at a news conference in Washington, D.C., where she and the family traveled to meet with lawmakers about opening a congressional inquiry about whether Fort Hood command staff covered up details of the investigation and other possible crimes . Guillens family was joined by U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, D-Hawaii, an Army National Guard Member and former Democratic presidential candidate, who said she will push the legislation. . We need to know why she didnt get the help she needed when she needed it, Gabbard said. Guillens mother, Gloria Guillen, who fell ill Monday at her Washington D.C. hotel, had previously said her daughter identified her harasser as an Army sergeant. Khawam said she wants legislation that would help soldiers report sexual harassment and assault through a system similar to how the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission independently investigates complaints. Sexual harassment and assaults go under reported among military members, according to Protect Our Defenders, a nonprofit that advocates for military assault and sexual assault victims. A 2018 Department of Defense report found that about 24 percent of female service members have reported having been harassed. The groups president, former Air Force judge Don Christensen, estimates that number is much higher. One in every five of those women have also said they were sexually assaulted, he said. Most do not lodge formal complaints with their commanders. "We know with sexual assault, somewhere around 75 to 80 percent of the victims arent going to come forward," Christensen said. Relatives of Guillen expressed a mixture of hope but also helplessness as investigators identified at least two suspects in her disappearance. The soldiers aunt, Alma Garcia, in Houston said she was not ready to accept the possibility that her niece was killed. In Zacatecas, Mexico, a cousin expressed helplessness. We couldnt say goodbye to her, Sandy Guillen said. If we have any consolation in her absence, its that she fought for her country and is becoming the voice of military people who have suffered the same abuses. Search is over Investigators linked the supervisor to Guillens disappearance soon after human remains in a shallow grave were found along the Leon River, near where unspecified evidence linked to her case was found, Texas Equusearch founder Tim Miller said. The remains have not been officially identified as that of Guillen but Miller has said that the search for Guillen was over. At some point after the find, the supervisor left the base and the Killeen Police Department was alerted that he was in their jurisdiction. A be-on-the-lookout notice was issued for him, Khawam said, who shared a copy of the notice. Police Chief Charles Kimble said his officers found him walking along a nearby road. When they confronted him, he pulled out a gun and took his own life, Kimble continued. The Army said his name would be withheld pending a death notification to his family. The Texas Rangers also apprehended a yet-to-be identified civilian in connection to Guillens case, military investigators said. The second suspect, the estranged wife of a former Fort Hood soldier, is being held at the Bell County jail on unspecified charges, officials said. My other half After serving in the military, Guillen had planned to pursue kinesiology, her best friend Jocelyn Sierra said. She was very cheerful and a very strong person, always the strongest among us, Sierra said. She was kind to everyone and very noble. Sierra, who is studying veterinary medicine, said Guillen frequently visited her at Texas A&M University in College Station. The soldier drove hours to bring her to Houston because she didnt have a car. Vanessa is my other half, and I cannot describe with words what I feel right now, she said. Sierra and Guillen became friends on the high school track team. She said Guillen was not only a good student but very persistent and disciplined. She was very tenacious and would not stop working on her goals until she got it, Sierra said. Staff writers Benjamin Wermund, Olivia P. Tallet, Sig Christenson and Jay R. Jordan contributed to this report. nicole.hensley@chron.com A more than two-month search for a missing soldier from Houston an effort that gained national attention as family members voiced outrage over the disappearance may have come to a tragic end Tuesday. Remains discovered near Fort Hood are believed to be those of 20-year-old Vanessa Guillen, said Tim Miller, director of the search-and-rescue group. Texas EquuSearch. Of course were going to have to wait for a positive identification, but were overly optimistic that yes, its going to be her, Miller told the Houston Chronicle. The remains were found in a shallow grave about 100 feet from the Leon River, a short distance from where searchers last week found evidence believed to be tied to her disappearance, Miller said, adding that they body was concealed to the point where nobody could see it. Miller said he could not elaborate on the evidence that links Guillen to the remains, citing the open criminal investigation. In a statement, the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command said the identification process can take time. Army CID agents are currently on scene with the Texas Rangers, the FBI and Bell County Sheriff's Department, the statement said. No confirmation as to the identity of the remains has been made at this point and we ask for the media and public's understanding that the identification process can take time. Due to the ongoing criminal investigation, no further information will be released at this time. Gloria Guillen, the soldiers mother, previously said her daughter told her that a sergeant had sexually harassed her at the base. She told me that she didnt feel safe there, the mother said. She believes the Army didnt do enough during their investigation into her disappearance. I begged them to go out to look for my daughter, and they didnt, they never did, Gloria Guillen told reporters last week. I begged them to close that base, to investigate room by room, barrack by barrack, building by building. They never did. Chris Grey, CIDs chief of public affairs, previously told the Chronicle that the Army has been aggressively investigating all leads since her disappearance. U.S. Rep. Sylvia Garcia, D-Houston, accompanied Guillens family last week during meeting at the base with Army officials. She said an Army investigator told the family they believe foul play was involved, but officials could not offer details at the time. Guillen grew up in southeast Houston, an area represented by Garcia, and graduated from Cesar Chavez High School. More Information Do you have a tip about Vanessa Guillen? Tell us. See More Collapse Natalie Khawam, the attorney of Guillens family, on Tuesday repeated the familys call for a third-party investigation into her death. The family does not want the Army to investigate, she said, because they believe there is a cover-up in Fort Hood around this case. The family is devastated, Khawam said. Now more than ever, definitely, the family demands a congressional investigation to uncover what happened to Vanessa. Khawam on Tuesday was visiting legislators in Washington D.C. with Gloria Guillen and the soldier's sister, Mayra Guillen. They are planning to hold a press a conference there 11 a.m. Wednesday at the Navy Memorial. Finding Guillens remains prove that the soldier did not run away from Fort Hood or deserted the military; this is clearly a crime, the attorney said. Guillen had been assigned to the 3rd Cavalry Regiment. Records show she joined the Army in June 2018. She was last seen around 1 p.m. April 22 in the parking lot of her regimental engineer squadron headquarters on the sprawling Army post outside Killeen, wearing a black T-shirt. Her car keys, barracks room key, ID card and wallet were found in an armory room where she had worked earlier in the day. Her disappearance sparked an extensive search around the Killeen base and surrounding areas that helped find the remains of another missing solider, Gregory Wedel-Morales. The U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command said they suspect foul play in both cases. Initial searches included more than 500 soldiers per day who combed parts of training areas, barracks and other sections of Fort Hood. Helicopters from the 1st Cavalry Division had flown 100 hours on and off post. Recent searches had focused on a 25-mile radius around the post, specifically in an area by the Leon River south of Temple. Searchers had used sonar to penetrate the depths of nearby Lake Belton but turned up nothing. The remains on Tuesday were found near the Little River Academy at 436 Leon River Bridge, according to KCEN-TV. Texas Department of Public Safety Sgt. Bryan Washko told the station that the remains were found inside a tree line close to the street. He said a civilian in the area smelled something and notified the Bell County Sheriff's Department. Efforts to find Guillen had became a national cause, attracting the attention of public figures such as Salma Hayek, who posted a photo of the GI in civilian clothing with the message, Bring Us Back Vanessa in English and Spanish. A reward of up to $50,000 was in place to find Guillen, half of which was coming from the League of United Latin American Citizens. The oldest Latino organization in the country launched the campaign #LaQuieroViva / #IWantHerAlive on Sunday to find Guillen. The campaign uses a phrase repeated by the soldiers mother, Gloria Guillen. Vanessa is our daughter, our sister, our wife, and LULAC will not stop crying out, La quiero Viva! until she is brought home to her family and to our community, said Elsie Valdes-Ramos, a national vice president of the organization. Alma Garcia, twin sister of Guillens mother, spoke of the soldiers huge heart after Tuesdays discovery. My niece is the best human being I have ever met; an incredible niece, Garcia told the Chronicle. She took the bread out of her mouth to give it to me or anyone in her family. A person with a huge heart. Garcia recalled that Guillen gave her $400 last year all she had to help her through financial struggles. The aunt refuses to believe the remains were those of Guillen before official confirmation, she said. My niece is a courageous girl because not everyone joins the Army, said Garcia. She signed up to serve this country and defend this nation. I am sure that, with the help of God, the truth is going to be known, and all those awful people who have harmed her are going to receive their punishment. olivia.tallet@chron.com julian.gill@chron.com Twitter.com/oliviaptallet Fourteen H-E-B employees in San Antonio have tested positive for COVID-19 since Monday, according to the grocery chain's website. In June, more than 120 H-E-B employees working at grocery stores in San Antonio have been infected with COVID-19, including the 24 cases this past weekend. Since March, the grocery store chain has regularly announced on its website when one of its employees test positive and has done so because it believes "transparency is important," according to an email response. H-E-B does not reveal the employee's identity and only lets the public know at what stores there was a positive case. Walmart and Target have both told mySA.com it will not release that information to the public. READ ALSO: H-E-B to require customers to wear masks at all stores If an employee is feeling ill or are is waiting on results, H-E-B requires them to stay home, according to its website. When an employee is confirmed to be positive for COVID-19, H-E-B notifies its staff members at the store via text, H-E-B said. Here are 14 H-E-B stores with COVID-19 cases that were announced since Monday: - West Ave. and Jackson Keller H-E-B: The employee who tested positive for COVID-19 last worked in the store on 6000 West Avenue on Saturday, June 27. - Marketplace H-E-B: The employee who tested positive for COVID-19 last worked in the store on 5601 Bandera Rd. on Friday, June 26. - New Braunfels and Houston H-E-B: The employee who tested positive for COVID-19 last worked in the store on 415 N. New Braunfels Ave. on Sunday, June 28. - Babcock H-E-B: The employee who tested positive for COVID-19 last worked in the store on 5910 Babcock Rd. on Wednesday, June 24. - McCreless Market H-E-B: The employee who tested positive for COVID-19 last worked in the store on 4100 South New Braunfels Ave. on Saturday, June 27. - Zarzamora and Military H-E-B plus!: The employee who tested positive for COVID-19 last worked in the store on 6818 South Zarzamora St. on Friday, June 26. - Loop 1604 and Blanco Rd H-E-B plus!: The employee who tested positive for COVID-19 last worked in the store on 1150 NW Loop 1604 on Saturday, June 27. - Bandera and 1604 H-E-B plus!: The employee who tested positive for COVID-19 last worked in the store on 9238 N Loop 1604 W. on Monday, June 29. - Olmos Park H-E-B: The employee who tested positive for COVID-19 last worked in the store on 300 Olmos Drive on Tuesday, June 30. - Las Palmas H-E-B: The employee who tested positive for COVID-19 last worked in the store on 721 Castroville Rd. on Friday, June 26. - Lincoln Heights Market H-E-B: The employee who tested positive for COVID-19 last worked in the store on 999 East Basse Rd. on Tuesday, June 23. - Potranco and 1604 H-E-B plus!: The employee who tested positive for COVID-19 last worked in the store on 10718 Potranco Rd. on Friday, June 26. - Nacogdoches and O'Connor H-E-B: The employee who tested positive for COVID-19 last worked in the store on 14087 O'Connor Rd. on Monday, June 22. - The Market at Stone Oak H-E-B: The employee who tested positive for COVID-19 last worked in the store on 23635 Wilderness Oak on Wednesday, June 24. Priscilla Aguirre is a general assignment reporter for MySA.com | priscilla.aguirre@express-news.net | @CillaAguirre Google Maps San Antonio police are searching for three men who tied up a clerk and robbed a South Side gas station early Wednesday morning. Witnesses said three men wearing hoodies and sweatpants entered the Murphy's Express on SE Military Drive just before 5 a.m. One of the men jumped the counter, forcing the store clerk to the ground and then tied him up while the other two men broke into the store's ATM machine and took the cash that was inside. One way or another, the statue of 15th-century explorer Christopher Columbus in downtown San Antonio is coming down. Crews are expected to transport it away from Columbus Park as early as Wednesday. All thats left to decide is whether the removal will be temporary or permanent. A key City Council panel chaired by Mayor Ron Nirenberg on Tuesday unanimously pushed forward a proposal by District 1 Councilman Roberto Trevino to remove the statue of the Italian-born explorer from Columbus Park and rename the park. If the full council approves the measure in August, the statue would be returned to the Christopher Columbus Italian Society, which originally donated it and backs the Trevino proposal. Kin Man Hui /Staff photographer No one on the five-member panel expressed any misgivings with the idea, especially given the Italian Societys support. This seems to be pretty cut and dry, Nirenberg said during the governance committee meeting, noting that he would like to return the statue to the Italian society as quickly as possible. On ExpressNews.com: San Antonio councilman wants Columbus Park renamed, statue of explorer removed Statues of Columbus long credited with discovering the New World in the service of Spain but viewed by many as a violent colonizer who slaughtered indigenous people have come under fire in the wake of protests over the killing of George Floyd in the custody of Minneapolis police last month. In light of that scrutiny, Trevino proposed removing the statue and renaming the park Piazza Italia Park. Robin Jerstad, San Antonio Express-News San Antonio is richly rooted in a diversity of cultures and their history, Trevino said, pointing to the regions early indigenous settlements as well as Italian immigrants who first came here in the early 1870s. But, Trevino said, symbols of pride for some should not be painful reminders for others. We are being asked to acknowledge symbols in our community that embody a history of oppression, slavery and genocide that have a painful representation for groups in our city, Trevino said. Already, the San Antonio statue has drawn heat. Last week, it was vandalized with red paint. On Saturday, dozens of protesters who want the monument torn down confronted armed counter-protesters who favor keeping Columbus on his pedestal. While everyone is in their right to do what they are doing, I am certainly concerned that something dangerous could break out when we have weapons and people who are very passionate about what they feel, District 7 Councilwoman Ana Sandoval said. On ExpressNews.com: Exactly what we were trying to avoid: Christopher Columbus statue in San Antonio vandalized Regardless of where the council lands on the idea of a permanent removal, the statue is coming down anyway. The city wants to remove the paint and restore the statue to a suitable shape before handing it back to the Italian Society. Renaming the park is a more intensive process involving a request to the city clerks office, the formation of a committee to consider a new name and a council vote to adopt the name. The council plans to vote on both measures in August. Joshua Fechter is a staff writer covering San Antonio government and politics. To read more from Joshua, become a subscriber. jfechter@express-news.net | Twitter: @JFreports Chinas rise is a story like none other, so it would make sense that we try to understand the success of China from the perspective of its political system. If we compare countries around the world, we shall find that they differ in terms of things like natural resources and population sizes. This is the hardware of a country, and regardless of the configuration, we need an operating system to make things run. An operating system is a vital component of a computer system. Without it, the parts that make up a computer do not know how to communicate with one another and the system cannot do the things we expect it to do. If we liken a country to a computer, then a political party is the software that powers it. Like the operating systems that run our devices, countries need a way to manage resources and provide services. In other words, they need an operating system. As we all know, each operating system has its own advantages and disadvantages, and different operating systems produce different results. A feature of the Western operating system is divisions. Everything is broken down into separate parts and they do not function well as a whole. This creates a never-ending struggle between different groups and institutions. In America, the two main political parties constantly battle it out for the interests of their group. This system of division and conflict has its advantages, but putting the fundamental interests of the whole people first is not one of them. What sets China apart is that the Communist Party of China represents the fundamental interests of the whole people, as well as strong emphasis on stability over instability and cooperation over division. China is a complex country with a long history. The political party system that has formed in China over the years aims to promote unity by bringing together the different interests under one roof. Chinese President Xi Jinping has said that the goal of the Party is to satisfy the Chinese peoples yearning for a better life. Its mission is to seek happiness for the Chinese people and to rejuvenate the Chinese nation. This has made it possible for China to set and carry out ambitious goals over a long period. For example, the Two Centenaries (two 100-year goals), which aim to build a moderately prosperous society in all respects by 2021 and a modern socialist country that is prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced, harmonious and beautiful by 2049, and the goal to eliminate poverty in a country with some 1.4 billion people by 2020. In the West, it is unlikely that such ambitious goals could be set, let alone carried out. Not only is the Western operating system unstable but it is also prone to crashes. Political parties rise or fall with each election cycle, but the cycle just continues all over again and nothing really moves forward. China is determined to develop its operating system. In November 2019, the Communist Party of China held a key meeting to map out a clearer top-level design for upholding and improving the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics and modernizing Chinas system and capacity for governance. This shows that China is constantly upgrading and optimizing its system and institutions in response to changes. While in the West, what we see is frequent dysfunction and regular resets of their operating systems, rather than upgrading. Top Kannada actor Kichcha Sudeepa, who has also acted in Telugu films like Eega and Baahubali, is all set to start shooting his upcoming Kannada film in Hyderabad. A big set has been erected in a private studio in Hyderabad, for the film directed by Anup Bhandari. The filmmakers started work on the set a few weeks back and now it is complete. They will start shooting in the first week of July, taking all precautions, says a source at the studio. Interestingly, Telugu filmmakers are waiting to see how the Kannada actors shooting schedule goes. If he continues to shoot for a week, then the Telugu producers will discuss whether they too can start shooting, added the source. A statue of Christopher Columbus heralded for more than 500 years as the explorer who discovered the Americas no longer is standing in a downtown park. Crews hauled the bronze statue from Columbus Park on Wednesday morning on a flatbed truck rented from Home Depot and escorted by police in a calm ceremony. Were moving forward, District 1 Councilman Roberto Trevino said. Were doing it together and were setting just a really great example for everybody. The beauty of all this is everybodys focused on healing and on moving forward. Columbus long was lionized as the European discoverer of the New World. But in the past two decades, he has been widely reassessed as a violent colonizer who slaughtered Native Americans. Jennifer Falcon of the Indigenous Environmental Network, a grassroots environmental justice organization, brought her two daughters to see the statue come down. She burned sage in prayer. For Falcon, bearing witness carried urgency in light of violent confrontations surrounding other statue removals around the country. She pointed to a shooting in Albuquerque last month when protesters gathered to call for the removal of a statue of Juan de Onate, a Spanish conquistador who established New Mexico. But officials shouldnt stop at removing these kinds of statues, Falcon said. Id like to also see us not just move down statues of white supremacy but also talk about the systems of white supremacy that oppress black and indigenous and people of color, Falcon said, naming the police as an example. The removal of the statue, originally donated by the Christopher Columbus Italian Society, was accelerated in the wake of protests over the killing of George Floyd while in the custody of Minneapolis police as similar statues as well as those depicting slaveholders and key figures in the Confederacy were vandalized or destroyed. In an attempt to prevent that outcome, Trevino and the Italian society struck a deal to be voted on by the City Council in August to remove the statue of the explorer from Columbus Park, return the statue to the society and rename the park Piazza Italia Park. We wanted to avoid something getting out of control, said Paolo Cristadoro, who serves on the societys board. The statue was vandalized last week with red paint resembling blood. And on Saturday, dozens of protesters who want the monument torn down confronted armed counterprotesters who favor keeping Columbus on a pedestal. The statue of Columbus, created by sculptor Armando Dattelli, had stood in the park since 1957. Datelli depicted Columbus dressed in a fur-lined cloak, belt and tights. A medallion with a cross hangs around Columbus neck. Columbus holds a scroll in his right hand and a globe in his left. The city plans to remove the paint and restore the statue before handing it back to the Italian Society the reason it was taken down Wednesday. But it was widely understood that the statue would not be erected again, even though council members wont vote on it until next month. The statues removal drew few onlookers other than city officials, construction workers and members of the Italian society. Cristadoro, who has been part of the society for 40 years, watched the statue come down with mixed emotions. He looked back fondly on attending Columbus Day celebrations in the park. But, Cristadoro said, I just understand whats going on with the times. The Italian Society has yet to decide what to do with the statue should the City Council vote to give it back to the society. As a forklift hoisted the sculpture from its perch, a stream of rust poured from the bottom and down the marble edifice. The bolts holding the figure to the base had rusted over the years and crumbled away, leaving it unattached to its foundation. The marble base of the statue remains. Etched into the rock is the phrase, Discoverer of the New World. Joshua Fechter is a staff writer covering San Antonio government and politics. To read more from Joshua, become a subscriber. jfechter@express-news.net | Twitter: @JFreports As the number of daily COVID-19 infections explodes in San Antonio, inadequate resources and outdated methods of data management and communication at the Metropolitan Health District have hampered critical efforts to investigate new cases of the disease. On Tuesday, Assistant City Manager and Interim Metro Health Director Colleen Bridger, who took the agencys reins after Dawn Emerick announced her resignation last week, acknowledged the problems and promised some fixes were on the way. Part of the problem is we didnt have an infrastructure in place to anticipate and respond to the surge that we are actually experiencing, Bridger said hours before Mayor Ron Nirenberg announced a record-shattering 1,268 new cases of COVID-19 in Bexar County. Nirenberg agreed. The case count rose so dramatically so quickly and overwhelmed the capacity and the contact tracers, he said. In a sign of just how much the coronavirus has overwhelmed Metro Health, Bridger urged anyone who tests positive for COVID-19 to do their own contact tracing: call anyone who they have recently come into contact with and ask them to self-quarantine for two weeks. I dont think we thought that we needed an infrastructure that would accommodate a surge that would be 10 times as big as the first one, Bridger said. Bob Owen /San Antonio Express-News Robert Huesca, 61, has experienced the shortcomings firsthand. In the past month, the Trinity University professor has spent about 10 days at a South Side location volunteering as a case investigator for Metro Health. His job has been to call COVID-19 patients and determine their close contacts so that others can reach out and encourage them to self-quarantine. Experts say the process is essential to breaking the chain of transmission of COVID-19. Huesca would have volunteered even more of his time, but officials sent him home on at least three occasions for lack of space. They didnt have a telephone, Huesca said. That happened about three or four times. The space is a huge problem, and it has been from the beginning. Honestly, it has taken our health department too long to address the space problem. Metro Health has space and resources at five locations for a total of 70 case investigators at a time, Bridger said. That falls well short of a critical mass urged months ago by a panel of public health experts assembled by Nirenberg and Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff. In April, the COVID-19 Health Transition Team called for at least 175 investigators to determine the contacts of those who test positive. Bridger said that within two weeks, the number of investigators will increase to 150 as Metro Health opens a space at the Alamodome dedicated to case investigations. Nirenberg said he was uncertain why Metro Health had not yet increased its number of investigators. I dont know, he said. And certainly thats something we need to do immediately. Thats a question for Metro Health. But certainly, I would say that with the acceleration of these cases, Im not sure that 175 is enough. Investigators also have been slowed by a requirement that they use pen and paper to fill out forms while interviewing patients, a cumbersome process that precedes a separate data entry step. Mario Bravo, 44, another volunteer, described pulling files from boxes for each case before making calls at desks that sometimes lacked headsets. Its pen and paper, Bravo said. And its extra slow because its not like you can take a spreadsheet with a bunch of peoples names and phone numbers. Everybody has their own individual file, and you have to keep everything separate. He added, Its a lot of time for an attempted call if somebody doesnt answer. Bridger said that starting Wednesday, volunteers will be able to fill out the forms electronically. Were converting them to a JotForm, she said, which allows people to enter the data into the form. They will still have to pull things out of boxes. But when they make the call based on the information they got from the box, they will be able to enter all of the information that patient gave them into the digitized form. The files used by case investigators often contain lab results. And some private labs are forced to send their results to Metro Health by fax, an antiquated process criticized last week by Councilwoman Rebecca Viagran. I know some clinics, they are personally taking, driving the paperwork to whichever site they need to to drop off the documentation because theyre not able to get the faxes through, Viagran said at a council meeting. Metro Health has increased its number of fax machines from two to four, Bridger said on Tuesday, but clearly that is not a viable solution. Metro Health uses Microsoft Excel to manage its data, and investigators cannot work from home without a secure connection to prevent data breaches. Cherise Rohr-Allegrini, an epidemiologist whos a member of the city-county health team, is troubled that volunteers cannot work remotely. It slows (investigations) down, she said, and it also requires that everybody be there in person, so you need a space, which is a huge problem in a respiratory outbreak. For months, public health experts have urged the agency to switch to a secure, cloud-based clinical software application called REDCap to manage its data, which would allow investigators to work remotely, Rohr-Allegrini said. I dont know what the resistance was, she said. I do know that Emerick was in support of that at the time, thats what she told us, ran it up the chain, and it didnt happen. The phrase was used, You cant build the airplane when youre flying it. But youre already in the air. Youve got to do something. Metro Health has contracted with the UT School of Public Health to hire up to 200 case investigators and 175 contact tracers, a process that would use REDCap and allow people to work remotely, Bridger said. Meanwhile, Metro Health is waiting for the state to roll out a data management system called Texas Health Trace that would allow for a coordinated approach to contact tracing, as well as remote case investigations. Its implementation is delayed. Weve been working with the state since the pandemic started, and theyre saying, You dont have any choice but to give us your data and put it into this newly developed system, Bridger said. The state isnt ready yet. Metro Health is very keen on using the states system, she added, because we dont have to teach people two different systems within two weeks, and we dont have to worry about converting the data from one system to another system. Nirenberg is awaiting its arrival. The state system is running behind in the roll-out, he said. Trace investigation is talking on the phone mostly, so if we were able to have that capacity (for remote investigations), the ability to trace would get a whole lot easier and we could probably drastically expand the operation. Like other case investigators, Huesca has struggled to get patients to answer his calls. He suspects the problem is that Metro Health does not use a universal caller ID that clearly identifies the call as COVID-related. The caller ID is a 207-prefix, he said. The problem today is that if people dont recognize a phone number on their cell phone, often time they wont answer it. Huesca has made a point of calling back at least three times if a patient doesnt pick up. Somebody suggested that we follow up with a text explaining who we are, he said, but the phones that we were using werent capable of sending text messages. Bridger said Metro Health is working to create a universal caller ID for investigators. IT said they were close to making that conversion, she said. The challenge is we apparently have a complicated telephone system. As cases surge exponentially, Metro Health must meet any challenges that are hampering case investigations, said Rohr-Allegrini, the epidemiologist. Its essential right now, she said. Its the tool we have to stop this pandemic. Or slow it down at least. Were not going to stop it. bchasnoff@express-news.net This article first appeared on The Texas Tribune Despite Texas surge of new COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said Tuesday evening that he doesnt need the advice of the nations top infectious disease doctor, Anthony Fauci. Fauci said today hes concerned about states like Texas that skipped over certain things. He doesnt know what hes talking about, Patrick told Fox News host Laura Ingraham in an interview. We havent skipped over anything. The only thing Im skipping over is listening to him. Patrick also said Fauci has been wrong every time on every issue, but did not elaborate on specifics. RELATED: Popular South Texas beach areas closing due to COVID-19 surge During a U.S. Senate hearing on Tuesday, Fauci said the nation is going in the wrong direction with coronavirus cases. It could get very bad, Fauci said, warning that new cases could go up to 100,000 a day if people continue to defy advice on social distancing and face masks. He said states like Arizona, California, Florida and Texas have each had to roll back reopening plans as cases in those states climb, noting that half of the new cases nationwide have been reported in those states. The sharp increase of new infections and hospitalizations rates, he said, have also jeopardized reopening plans throughout the country. Weve got to make sure that when states start to try and open again, they need to follow the guidelines that have been very carefully laid out, with regard to checkpoints, Fauci said. What weve seen in several states are different iterations of that, perhaps maybe in some, going too quickly and skipping over some of the checkpoints. Those checkpoints have been outlined by the White House; before proceeding with a phased economic comeback, states are encouraged to satisfy criteria related to case numbers, testing and hospital capacity. RELATED: Workers getting laid off again as virus closes businesses Fauci is not the only expert sounding the alarm on case numbers in Texas. Earlier this week, Dr. Deborah Birx, the coordinator of the White House Coronavirus Task Force, included Austin in a group of metro areas she categorized as concerning given the citys positivity rate over the past seven days. Last week, Gov. Greg Abbott shut down bars across the state for a second time as part of a series of moves to contain a coronavirus spike in Texas. He also scaled back restaurant capacity to 50%, shut down rafting and tubing businesses, and banned outdoor gatherings of over 100 people unless approved by local officials. On Thursday, Patrick said closing bars was the right decision. In my view, the worst thing we can do is to lock down Texas again. Thats not what Gov. Abbott wants. Thats not what I want, he said. But we need help from the young people out there to help bring these number of cases down and free up hospital beds. Patrick previously sparked a firestorm for saying in an earlier Fox News appearance he would rather perish from the new coronavirus than see the economy destroyed for his grandchildren by overreaction to the disease. No one reached out to me and said, As a senior citizen, are you willing to take a chance on your survival in exchange for keeping the America that all America loves for your children and grandchildren? And if that's the exchange, Im all in, he said at the time. Statewide, more than 6,500 patients in Texas were hospitalized with the coronavirus Tuesday, a record-breaking number and a figure that has gone up nearly every day since June 1. According to data from the Texas Department of State Health Services, there were 1,405 available staffed intensive care unit beds statewide and 13,711 available hospital beds, but with regional disparities. The increase in infections here came as the local leaders have pleaded with Abbott to allow them to issue stay-at-home orders or mandate face coverings. We are having an experiment, a gamble, in the hopes that we can be the first community that suddenly flattens the curve without a stay-at-home order, said Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo who represents parts of Houston, one of the countrys fastest growing coronavirus hot spots. In his interview, Patrick told Ingraham that the state will make further decisions based on the listening to a lot of science and a lot of doctors. Then, he said, Gov. Abbott, and myself and other state leaders will make the decision. No thank you, Dr. Fauci. On the night of May 27, 2017, about 80 LGBTQ activists gathered in front of then-Mayor Ivy Taylors East Side home. They were there, three days before early voting began in Taylors runoff race for reelection, to punish her for a 2013 vote against a local nondiscrimination ordinance that extended civil-rights protections to cover sexual orientation and gender identity (and her subsequent statement that the ordinance debate had been a waste of time). As demonstrations go, this was a pretty festive affair. Protesters blasted music from nearby Dignowity Park and danced to Diana Rosss Im Coming Out and Right Said Freds Im Too Sexy. But its stated purpose was to get under Taylors skin. I think Taylors vote against the NDO was the biggest mistake of her political career. Nonetheless, that protest in front of Taylors house didnt sit right with me. Demonstrate all you want in front of City Hall. Criticize a council member anytime you like at Council Chambers. Flood their office with phone calls and emails if you object to their actions. But leave them some private space. Let their home life be off limits. Although it turned out that Taylor was out of town when the protest happened, I couldnt help but think about the possibility that her young daughter would have been looking out the window of her home, watching protesters ridicule her mom. If youre a progressive and youre inclined to support the approach used against Taylor because you agree with the cause, consider how you would have felt if social conservatives, in 2013, would have lined up in front of then-Mayor Julian Castros house to protest against his support for the NDO. Thats why Ive had misgivings about a Black Lives Matter protest organized last Friday outside the North Side home of District 10 Councilman Clayton Perry, even though I view the Black Lives Matter cause as righteous and essential. Protesters congregated on the sidewalk in front of Perrys house and called on the councilman to resign his seat. Perry told me that he was trying to get some work done at his house during the protest. He described the gathering as loud, disruptive and laced with profanity. That description is emphatically denied by Pharaoh Clark, one of the protest organizers and a driving force at San Antonios recent demonstrations against police brutality. Clark is a wiry, charismatic figure who understands the fine line that protest movements must walk to be effective: projecting positivity, while recognizing that you dont get through to people without jarring them. We make sure that were respectful, although we are trying to be heard, which is the purpose of a protest, Clark said. It is to make people uncomfortable, because when youre comfortable with murder, when youre comfortable with innocent blood being shed, when youre comfortable with the cries of your people being ignored, then we believe that you should be uncomfortable. While Perry has stated that his neighbors were frightened by last Fridays protest, Clark insists that most of the neighborhood residents were warm and inviting and adds that some of them came and protested with us. Clark acknowledges that demonstrating outside someones private residence is an extreme move, but he argues that it was the result of repeated disdain and disrespect from Perry. The day before last Fridays protest, local activist Kimiya Denise addressed the council, using the first minute of her allotted time to call for a moment of recognition for young San Antonio black men who died as the result of police shootings: Charles Roundtree, Marquise Jones, Antronie Scott and Norman Cooper. Perry was the lone council member who neither kneeled nor lifted a fist in solidarity. After that awkward moment, Denise called out Perry. I see you chuckle, Perry, she said. Do you have something you want to say? Clark said Perry sat there with a smug look on his face and continued to kind of treat us with a sort of disdain. Clark and his fellow protesters decided there was no point in trying to communicate with Perry and they should instead focus on pushing him to resign (or spurring a viable contender to challenge him in next Mays municipal election). Perry insists that he showed no disrespect to activists at last weeks council meeting. I was not sleeping, I was not smirking. Not once, he said. I was sitting up there listening, and, yes, I was taking some notes, off and on. And at one point I was trying to answer a text from one of my staff members. I was not rolling my eyes or laughing at them. So it comes down to unresolvable debates about body language and facial expressions. For the activists, the crusade against Perry has provided additional fuel for their cause. As for Perry? He held a virtual fundraiser on Monday night and got a contribution boost out of it. Gilbert Garcia is a columnist covering the San Antonio and Bexar County area. To read more from Gilbert, become a subscriber. ggarcia@express-news.net | Twitter: @gilgamesh470 January was only five months ago, but it seems like a world away. By the end of that month, disruptions in supply chains had started to affect American businesses. Tech Sector Fears Supply Delays as Effects of Virus Ripple Through China, read the headline of a story from the Wall Street Journal on Jan. 31. But the tech sector was only the first to face delays. Before long, businesses large and small, from the automobile and pharmaceutical industries to retailers and manufacturers, began to face supply chain issues. Only two weeks before that headline appeared, the U.S. Senate ratified the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, the long-awaited successor to NAFTA. USMCA, which took effect Wednesday, will bring North American free trade into the 21st century. The updated agreement between the United States, Mexico and Canada solidifies the worlds largest trade bloc, with a combined population of 450 million people and total GDP of nearly $25 trillion. The COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically highlighted how U.S. dependence on far-flung supply chains can pose a threat to our public health, economic vitality and even national security. Limited access to critical medical supplies, manufactured goods and technology components has magnified the impact of the pandemic. At the same time, USMCA offers a solution for diversifying those supply chains and bringing more of them closer to home. We may not be able to immediately onshore our supply chains to North America. But the pandemic has brutally demonstrated the need for the United States and its closest neighbors to develop their capacity to, at the very least, supplement existing supply chains. It has also provided a resounding response to those who have said manufacturing and production will never return to the United States. The U.S. response to supply chain shortages once again demonstrated the ingenuity and entrepreneurship of American businesses. Automakers began making ventilators. Small businesses used 3D printers to create other needed medical supplies. Breweries and distilleries produced hand sanitizer. Add in what American businesses have been able to re-source from Canadian and Mexican suppliers, and we have a vision for what a new or parallel system of USMCA supply chains might look like. This system would give the U.S. economy the resiliency to minimize or avoid the kinds of shocks it has endured over the past few months. Its important that we return to the idea of thinking more North American. For new supply chains built on USMCA to be viable for American businesses, they must also be efficient. Creating such an efficient system will require a significant and long overdue investment in our nations trade infrastructure to enhance the supply chain. Modern industry relies on the careful coordination of lead times, inventories and deliveries to maximize efficiency. Delays or bottlenecks at any point in the logistics process can be disastrous for businesses and consumers, as the effects of COVID-19 have demonstrated. USMCA supply chains face two barriers on this count: our antiquated ports of entry and our aging transportation infrastructure. The Port of Laredo is now the nations largest port, overtaking the Port of Los Angeles, with $232 billion of trade in 2019. Yet the goods that enter the United States from Mexico in Laredo, as at other ports of entry on the southern and northern borders, are processed through decades-old customs facilities utilizing outdated technology. Years of underfunding our system of roadways and bridges creates additional delays, as well as issues of public safety. Again, using Laredo as an example, once these goods enter the United States, most travel north by truck on Interstate 35 to destinations across the United States and must continue to do so in the most safe and efficient manner. These issues must be addressed for USMCA supply chains to be a realistic option. As the White House and Congress consider an infrastructure program in response to COVID-19, there can be no wiser investments than those in our ports of entry and our transportation system. Such investments would not only enhance trade with Mexico and Canada, which reached nearly $1.4 trillion last year and supported 12 million American jobs, but will also solidify the national and trinational significance of our economies. They would also help create a supply chain system that makes the United States more resilient and prosperous, and less dependent on distant suppliers. Gerry Schwebel is executive vice president, corporate international division, at IBC Bank. Most recently, he served as senior adviser to the Global Trade & Supply Chain Committee of Lt. Gov. Dan Patricks Texas Back to Work Task Force. In 2017, Gov. Greg Abbott said Texas should eliminate child deaths in the states foster care system. A heartbreaking new report by court-appointed monitors is a stark reminder that Texas is falling far short of that goal. When the state removes children from their families and places them in foster care, their lives are supposed to get better. After the state chooses a foster home for the child, he should be safe from abuse or neglect. He should have the support and stability to heal from trauma, succeed in school and thrive. And he should be able to count on state regulators keeping a close eye on the foster home. Thats not what happened to 3-year-old Amari. According to media coverage, after his family experienced homelessness, the state removed him from his mother and placed him in another home to keep him safe. In March, the state received text messages with photographs from his child care provider and mother warning that Amari might not be safe in this home. But, according to the new court monitors report, the state regulators tasked with overseeing safety in foster homes bungled their response. On Easter, Amari died after he was found unconscious, bleeding from his ear. He was the brightest spirit you ever met, said his mother, Ariana. Amari isnt the only bright spirit Texas has failed. The court monitors report told of two other recent child deaths in foster care that may have been preventable and noted other fatalities about which less information is available. And before this report, the evidence provided during the foster care lawsuit, the states ombudsman report and other reports showed the state was placing children in foster homes where they were often abused, sexually assaulted, subjected to physical restraints, missed by the states oversight efforts and even killed. The worst abuses often took place at residential treatment centers or group homes. Children of all races and ethnicities are suffering. But all too often, they look like Amari. He was black, just like a disproportionate number of children at every stage of the Child Protective Services system. Yes, the foster care situation is grim, but there is hope. Four years ago, Texas leaders learned about failures in a different part of the child protection system. The CPS investigators who look into reports of abuse and neglect in biological families (not those who oversee foster homes) were stretched so thin that investigations were delayed and children died. Abbott, legislators and Texas Department of Family and Protective Services leaders took steps to shore up those investigations, and weve seen real improvements. The governor and Legislature should rise to the challenge again, this time focusing on the parts of the system that still need significant work. We believe the staff and new leadership at DFPS are up to the task if they get the support they need from the Legislature. Weve seen how hard theyre working, even as coronavirus makes their jobs harder and puts more kids at risk. Here are a few places to start: When it can be done safely, lets keep more kids like Amari with their biological families. One way to do that is maximizing the federal funds the state draws under the new Family First Act to prevent abuse and support families. To protect kids who enter foster care, lets improve oversight of foster care providers and steer more kids to foster families rather than group homes. For children who go to group homes, lets improve safety standards. Each step of the way, lets focus on undoing the overrepresentation of black children. Taking these steps, we can get closer to eliminating child deaths in Texas foster care. Kate Murphy is a senior child welfare policy associate with the nonprofit Texans Care for Children. Approximately 1 billion news cycles ago which is to say, on June 9 a businesswoman named Marjorie Taylor Greene won the Republican primary in Georgias deeply conservative 14th Congressional District, which means shes all but assured a seat in the House of Representatives next year. Unfortunately, she is a cheerful bigot and conspiracy-theory fluffernutter. She subscribes to QAnon, the far-right fever dream that says Donald Trump is under siege from a cabal of deep-state saboteurs, some of whom run a pedophile ring; she says African Americans are being held back primarily by gangs. The House Republican leadership is trying to distance itself from this woman, as if she belongs to some other party from a faraway galaxy. She doesnt. Her politics are Trumpism distilled. And Trumpism itself isnt a style and philosophy that began in 2016, with Trumps election, or even in 2010, with the tea party. It began 40-odd years ago, in Greenes state, with the election of a different politician just two districts over. Im talking about Newt. You really could argue that todays napalm politics began with Newt. The normalization of personal destruction. The contempt for custom. The media-baiting, the annihilation of bipartisan comity, the delegitimizing of institutions. Gingrich had planted; Trump had reaped, writes Princeton historian Julian Zelizer in the prologue to his forthcoming book, Burning Down the House: Newt Gingrich, the Fall of a Speaker, and the Rise of a New Republican Party. I recently read Zelizers book with morbid fascination. My first real job in journalism was as a reporter for the The Hill newspaper the year it launched, in 1994, the same year Republicans won control of the House, overturning four decades of Democratic rule. (I wrote nothing memorable that day, but I did come up with our banner headline: Its Reigning Republicans.) Gingrich became speaker the following January. It was a stunning development. Previous speakers, no matter how partisan, tended to work, lunch and even drink across the aisle. The only kind of cocktails Gingrich was partial to were Molotovs. He conceived of governing as war. Democrats were not merely to be defeated ideologically. They were to be immolated. Looking back, the parallels between then and now couldnt be clearer. Democrats were devastated that a man with so much malignity and anger in his heart could suddenly be at the helm; but in Republicans, Gingrich had a cult. Gingrich despised the mainstream press, breaking with tradition and giving valuable real estate in the Capitol to conservative, nativist-populist radio hosts who spoke loudly and carried a big shtick, just as Trump gives coveted space to the servile One America News Network. Gingrich was my introduction to Orwellian newspeak. He had this tic of starting every other paragraph with frankly and then telling a lie. Falsehoods and hyperbole came as naturally to him as smirking. He freely trafficked in conspiracy theories. Like Trump, Gingrich was a thrice-married womanizer whod somehow seduced the evangelicals. He, too, had a skyscraping ego, nursed grudges as if they were newborns and lacked impulse control. Gingrich turned the politics of white racial grievance into an art form. It may have started with Nixons Southern Strategy, but Gingrich actually came from the South. He intuited the backlash to globalization, to affirmation action; the culture teemed with stories about white men under siege. Most of Zelizers book is about Gingrichs Javert-like quest to bring down the House speaker, Jim Wright, for his shady ethics. Zelizer never mentions parallels to Trump once he starts telling Gingrichs story because theres no need. They hop off the page like frogs. But the one that stands out, the one that goosepimples me even as I type, is this: Gingrich was the first true reality TV politician. He understood that the C-SPAN cameras didnt have to be a passively recording set of eyes. You could perform for them. Early in his career, Gingrich staged a coordinated attack on House Democrats that drew so much fury from Speaker Tip ONeill it earned him time on the evening news. Im famous, he crowed. Conflict equals exposure equals power, became one of his favorite sayings. Assuming she wins in November, Marjorie Taylor Greene will likely be relegated to the margins of her caucus. But if Gingrich and Trump have taught us anything, its that theres no telling where the last exit is on the loonytown expressway to extremism; These are the depths to which weve descended, Zelizer told me. No one ever thinks that an outlier will one day be the partys future. @JenSeniorNY On Thursday, the United States recorded a single-day high of 40,184 new cases of COVID-19. That day, Texas also set a daily record with 5,996 new cases. Late, on that same day, the Trump administration filed a brief to the U.S. Supreme Court supporting the overthrow of the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare. Its reasonable to assume that during a historic, deadly and escalating pandemic, a federal government would assure its citizens that health care would be more, not less, accessible. But rather than securing or expanding health insurance, this administration has been laser-focused on taking it away. In what we would once call normal, or pre-COVID-19, times, the combination of millions of uninsured Americans and the exorbitant costs of health care was not only a national crisis but a national disgrace. But to deny and take away health insurance from people amid a public health emergency is an abdication of moral obligation and will lead to greater suffering, death and grief. Just what is the replacement plan for Obamacare? We are still waiting. This challenge to the ACA, this cruel invitation to what would be a nightmarish scenario, was brought by a coalition of Republican attorneys general. The lead plaintiff is Texas, which, compared to most of the states, does as little as possible to provide quality health care to its residents and, now, wants the federal government to do less. The Trump administration and the attorneys general argue the Affordable Care Act is unconstitutional since one of its key provisions, the individual mandate, was eliminated when Congress removed any penalties for not having health insurance. The ACA has been targeted by Republicans since its passage in 2010. But dozens of attempts to repeal it have failed and it now enjoys an approval rating of 55 percent in a Kaiser Family Foundation poll, thanks to provisions such as barring insurance companies from denying coverage for pre-existing conditions, eliminating the cap on lifetime and annual coverage, and allowing children to remain on their parents policy until age 26. COVID-19 has claimed nearly 130,000 lives in the United States, infected more than 2.6 million Americans, and has millions more worrying how to survive its economic devastation and afford food, housing and medical care. If anything, the Affordable Care Act is needed now more than ever as job losses mount and people lose their employer-based health insurance. A recent report from the Department of Health and Human Services revealed that in April and May, nearly 500,000 people sought ACA coverage through a special enrollment period, or SEP, for those who experienced life changes or lost coverage because of COVID-19. The report said: Millions of individuals have lost their jobs as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and the associated suspension of many routine business activities. Some number of these recently unemployed individuals have also lost their job-based health coverage and may want to transition to a new source of coverage. Based on current regulations, anyone who loses job-based minimum essential coverage (MEC) will qualify for a SEP, and would be eligible to enroll in individual market coverage through the Exchange serving their state, if they meet the applicable criteria for enrollment through an Exchange. The Supreme Court isnt expected to issue a ruling until 2021, but if the administration has its way, this coverage will no longer be available. The spikes of COVID-19 infections in states such as Texas, Florida and Arizona show how the virus will be with us for a while. Its repercussions on the physical and financial health of individuals and families will last much longer. COVID-19 has caused an unprecedented global disruption, changing life for every person in this nation. Imagine the disruption if, within a year, the ACA is overturned. Imagine the disruption if 20 million Americans suddenly lost their health insurance. Imagine the disruption if having pre-existing conditions was a barrier to being insured or if coverage was cut off because of caps on coverage. In a tweet on Saturday, President Donald Trump called the ACA a joke. Should it disappear, that will be a tragedy. It is imperative City Council presents a strong, united front and keeps the politics to a minimum as it heads into negotiations on the next police union contract. If recent reluctance to vote on a resolution outlining the citys priorities for changes to the disciplinary sections of the police contract is any indication how things are headed, then taxpayers are in big trouble. This should have been a no-brainer. Instead it was a council soap opera. Taking on the powerful police union to bring about some of the disciplinary reforms the public is demanding will be difficult. Any hesitation on the part of the council will be viewed as weakness. A body defined by fractured indecision and political posturing will be capitalized upon by the other side. Lets remember, for example, before he was an outspoken critic of this police contract in this George Floyd moment, District 1 City Councilman Roberto Trevino voted for it. The city needs the authority to discipline bad officers and keep them off the force permanently. That is going to require strong negotiating. As we outlined Sunday, the contract gives the San Antonio Police Officers Association an unfair advantage when it comes to disciplinary actions. State law and provisions in the contract protect problematic police officers by limiting a full review of an officers record and allowing outside arbitrators to override disciplinary action. Ten fired SAPD officers have been reinstated by arbitrators in the last decade. Another 20 were reinstated by the police chief under threat of arbitration. This problem is not unique to the Alamo City. An investigation in 2017 by the Washington Post found one-quarter of police officers fired for misconduct from some of the largest police departments in the country were reinstated under contract-mandated appeals. The resolution that went before City Council dealt solely with disciplinary measures. It proposed eliminating the 180-day limit on imposing discipline, allowing prior disciplinary history to be considered in new cases, appointing a citizen review board, and allowing the police chief and city manager a role in the final discipline. The resolution did not address state law governing civil service and collective bargaining for police and firefighters. Those issues are out of City Councils jurisdiction. Those rights were granted to the citys first responders through an election. To repeal those two measures, there must be a petition drive to get them back on the ballot. Some members of City Council have expressed interest in revisiting Chapters 143 and 174 of the Texas Government Code, but that action should not be confused with a resolution tackling disciplinary measures in the union contract. These are two separate issues. The city needs to establish priorities for the new contract. If the resolution on the disciplinary measures is adopted, there is nothing to keep council from adding to that list down the road. In other words, there is no excuse for last weeks vote. Police contract negotiations begin in January. The contract expires at the end of September 2021. Regrettably, an eight-year evergreen clause presents no urgency for the union to conclude the contract talks in a timely manner. Further complicating things will be the May mayoral and City Council elections. It will be interesting to see if politics undercuts negotiations. We also agree with Mayor Ron Nirenbergs assessment that council needs to work hard to ensure the bureaucracy is not allowed to get in the way before negotiations begin. Weve been getting input for decades on these issues; we dont need any more, he said last week as he agreed to table the matter to allow for more discussion. If we need more process for this issue, aint nothing going to change. We dont need any more process. Nirenberg said he does not expect the review of the resolution to be exhaustive but limited to the disciplinary clauses in the contract. We hope hes right. City Council needs to act swiftly on this to set the proper tone going into the negotiations. So far, its off to a shaky start. Airlines from the Gulf region have, as of today, started progressively reintroducing flights to cities in the former Yugoslavia following a three-month hiatus. All will maintain operations with a reduced schedule and face significantly decreased demand. Carriers from the Gulf region rely heavily on transfer passengers from Australia on their flights to cities in the former Yugoslavia, however, Australian residents and citizens are banned from leaving the country until at least September, other than for essential business, which requires special state approval. The measure is expected to be extended until the end of the year. Qatar Airways has today reintroduced operations from Doha to Belgrade and Zagreb. The carrier will maintain three weekly operations to each city with its Airbus A320 aircraft, with exception to flights to the Serbian capital during the first week which will see A321 equipment. Services to Belgrade will be increased to four weekly from July 27. Entry into to Doha is not permitted for foreign citizens and non-residents, with the measure expected to last until September, however, transferring through Doha Airport is permitted. Passengers will notice minimal changes to their on board experience with Qatar Airways, with menus, meals, beverages, blankets, pillows and amenity kits all still being provided. The greatest point of difference will be cabin crew attire, which includes a full hazmat suite, gloves, masks and protective eyewear. At this point, Qatar Airways does not plan to resume services to Sarajevo and Skopje until the start of the 2020/2021 winter season, however, changes remain possible. Furthermore, seasonal services to Dubrovnik, which were to launch this summer but were then rescheduled for next year, have been removed. Greatest difference to Qatar Airways' on board experience will be cabin crew attire Flydubai will restore services to Belgrade on July 4 and operate three times per week, each Thursday, Saturday and Sunday. Operations to Sarajevo will restart on July 8 and run three times per week, each Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. Its seasonal flights to Dubrovnik will be restored on July 16 with two weekly rotations, each Thursday and Sunday. At this point, seasonal services to Tivat have been cancelled, while flights to Skopje have been suspended until the start of the 2020/2021 winter season. The carrier is expected to gradually increase frequencies from August. Entry into Dubai for foreigners will be permitted from July 7 with a negative PCR test. Transfer through Dubai Airport is allowed without testing requirements. Emirates, which serves Zagreb, plans to resume seasonal flights to the Croatian capital on September 1 with four weekly operations from Dubai. Flydubai route map for July Etihad Airways will restore services between Abu Dhabi and Belgrade from July 18, initially with a two weekly rotation. Foreigners are still denied entry into the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, however, transfer is permitted through the airport. Sharjah-based Air Arabia intends on resuming seasonal services to Sarajevo from July 16, although its schedule has not been finalised yet. Saudi Arabias Flynas has suspended its operations from Riyadh to Sarajevo for the rest of the summer. It previously shelved plans to launch a new service from Qassim to Bosnia and Herzegovinas capital and cancelled operations between Jeddah and Sarajevo. Actress Priyamani, who has also essayed a mums role (in the acclaimed web series called Family Man), tells us how she strongly believes that typecasting is merely a myth There was a time when no young actress dared to accept the role of a mother. Not anymore if its a strong and well defined role. For instance, the young actress Keerthy Suresh, we learn, had not batted an eyelid before agreeing to play a young mother in her recent release Penguin. According to people close to Keerthy as well as her colleagues, the actress didnt want to pass the role given how it seemed to test her acting skills. Eashwar Karthic, who directed Penguin, remembers how Keerthy gave her nod to be a part of the film in no time. She was impressed with the storyline, he points out. Actress Priyamani, who has also essayed a mums role (in the acclaimed web series called Family Man), tells us how she strongly believes that typecasting is merely a myth. Earlier, actresses perhaps had some doubts about being labelled as onscreen mothers and so shied away from it. However, times have changed now, she says. Then, talking about her experiences while working on Family Man, she adds, It all boils down to a well-written role, and I had no apprehensions while portraying. It doesnt mean I am open to all kinds of mother roles; rather, I like a good mix of roles. Not everyone is game Playing an onscreen mother still comes with a pinch of salt for most actresses. Therefore, not all filmmakers have had it easy getting actresses to step in for the maternal roles. Producer S. Naga Vamsi, for instance, had to put in a lot of effort to convince Shraddha Srinath to play Nanis wife in the blockbuster Jersey. She didnt want to begin her T-town career playing the mother of a ten-year-old, reveals Naga. In fact, it took lot of time for us to bring her on board. We also approached two other young heroines, but they were even more reluctant. Sharddha finally relented. Of course, her performance received appreciation, and the rest is history. So also, while many new-age divas are in the new game, some of the 30-plus heroines today, such as Kajal, Tamannaah, Anushka and Trisha, still seem to prefer playing lover girls and dancing around trees with their heroes. I cant talk about others because it is an individuals choice to do a particular role. For an actor, age is just a number, and it is unfair to fix roles based on their date-of-birth certificates, argues 30-plus Priyamani. Summing up the trend of actresses essaying mum roles in addition to playing roles befitting their 25-plus age, producer Priyanka Dutt gives the example of Keerthy Suresh in Mahanati. She was fascinated about playing the role of legendary Savitri on screen. Unmindful of her age, she took up the challenge of portraying varied shades, which traverses from 15 to 45 years. Then talking about how she thinks image trap is just a misconception, Priyanka points out how after playing a mother in Mahanati, Keerthy also received praise as a young lover girl in Sarkar. Honestly, I believe new-age divas like to portray divergent roles along with their usual stuff to offer some variety to their fans and viewers as well, adds Priyanka. Thoothukudi SP Arun Balagopalan, ASP D Arun Kumar, DSP C Prathapan and police constable Maharajan arrive to appear before the Madurai Bench of Madras High Court for Sathankulam custodial deaths, in Madurai. PTI photo Tuticorin: Personnel at the Sathankulam police station here thrashed a deceased father-son duo the whole night there, with lathis used for allegedly assaulting them and a table carrying blood stains, a woman head constable attached to the station has told a judicial probe. Mentioning Head Contable Revathy's statement in a four-page report to the Madras High Court Madurai Bench, the Judicial Magistrate probing the deaths said she feared receiving threat if she revealed the facts. The Madras High Court, which has taken up the matter of the death of the duo-- P Jeyaraj and Bennix, alleged victims of police torture, had on Tuesday transferred the probe to the CB-CID under DSP Anil Kumar. It had also ordered protection for Revathy and her family. In her statement, Revathy told the JM that the two persons were "beaten up the entire night by police personnnel there (Sathankulam PS) using lathis." "..due to this there were blood stains on the lathis and a table and she said they (stains) should be collected immediately as they (policemen) could try to erase them," the report said. The JM alleged non-cooperation by the personnel at the police station, including when he sought handing over of the lathis and said the cops heeded to his demand only after being 'compelled'. One of them even fled the place by scaling a wall when sought for his lathi. He further submitted that Revathy did not sign on her statement immediately and did so after a long time upon being assured of her safety. Her statement was "recorded carefully", even as she was apprehensive of receiving threat if she revealed the truth. The JM said that throughout his stay at the station on June 28, the police did not cooperate and one of them displayed "macho and intimidating body language", even as a constable made disparaging remarks against him later. Incidentally, three personnel, ASP D Kumar, DSP C Prathapan and the constable Maharajan had on Tuesday appeared before the High Court on being summoned by it over the matter. The constable told the court he was "overstressed" and had made the remark against the Judicial Magistrate by mistake. The JM further stated that the settings of the CCTV hard disk in the police station, despite having sufficient space of one terrabyte, were configured in a way that the day's footage will be "automatically deleted." The High Court had earlier said that from the report filed by the Judicial Magistrate, it was able to discern that the Sathankulam police were taking advantage of the fact the investigation of the case was in limbo and were attempting to cause disappearance of evidence. They were emboldened enough to even intimidate the JM during the investigation in the station, Justices P N Prakash and B Pugalendhi had noted. The original statement of the Revathy should also be given to the the DSP Anil Kumar. Jayaraj and his son Bennix, arrested for 'violating' lockdown norms over business hours of their cellphone shop, died at a hospital in Kovilpatti on June 23, with the relatives alleging that they were severely thrashed at the Sathankulam police station by the personnel earlier. The incident had triggered a nation-wide furore, leading to the suspension of five policemen, including an inspector and two Sub-Inspectors. The Superintendent of Police had been shunted out of Tuticorin and put on compulsory wait. All the personnel posted at Sathankulam police station earlier have been transferred out. The probe into the case has been since transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) by the Tamil Nadu government, though the Court transferred the case to the CB-CID till CBI took over, fearin evidence may disappear. The NFU has submitted an 'extensive, evidence-based report' to the Shortage Occupation List consultation which showcases the value of overseas farm workers. The consultation, by the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC), wanted to hear organisations' views on UK job roles that are filled by migrant workers. The NFU has submitted its response, providing an outline of the farming industrys needs when it comes to a permanent workforce. It comes as freedom of movement is due to cease at the end of 2020, replaced with the governments plans for a post-Brexit points-based system. Taking into effect from 1 January 2021, the new system will end free movement and assign points for specific skills, qualifications, salaries or professions and visas . The government said it would treat EU and non-EU citizens equally, and give top priority to those with the 'highest skills and the greatest talents'. But the NFU's consultation response highlighted that it was 'absolutely crucial' that agricultural roles were recognised within the Shortage Occupation List (SOL). At the moment no farming roles are included within the list, even though overseas workers make up a large and crucial part of the industry's workforce. Speaking last year, NFU president Minette Batters said she was 'staggered' that farming had been 'ignored', and that the MAC had 'failed to recognise the needs of the industry'. Now the union's vice president Tom Bradshaw has said that the importance of migrant workers' in providing food for the nation 'cannot be understated'. "Most farm jobs fall below the governments salary threshold of 25,600, and with businesses struggling to increase wages due to pressures for cheap food, the SOL is likely to be the only way to achieve the points needed under the new immigration system. The SOL consultation operated on a tight turnaround of only six weeks, starting from 10 April and closing on 24 June, but in that time more than 650 farmers responded to the NFUs survey. Mr Bradshaw added: We have been able to submit an extensive, evidence-based report which showcases the value of overseas workers throughout the supply chain and the need to be able to access their skills through our immigration system. I look forward to seeing the MACs recommendations to government and hope they have taken on board the evidence put forward by the farming industry. Shortage of roles cited in NFU's survey All of the following farm roles were cited by at least 50% of respondents, ranking from the highest percentage of respondents citing shortage to the lowest: Medium to high skilled roles Live Bird Handlers/Catchers Mushroom Cutter/Picker Harvest Operatives Dairy Herdsperson Horticulture Operator/worker Potato operator/worker Horticulture Supervisor Potato Supervisor Hatchery Operative Assistant Flock Managers without high level managerial responsibility Dairy Herd Manager/Assistant Dairy Herd Manager without high level responsibility Flock Managers without high level managerial responsibility Day Old Chick Sexer/Vent Sexer Relief Milker Calf Rearer Livestock Assistant Herd Manager without high level responsibility Flock Managers with high level responsibility Assistant Flock Managers with high level responsibility Livestock Herd Manager without high level responsibility Agricultural Mechanics Dairy Herd Manager/Assistant Dairy Herd Manager with high level responsibility Feed Wagon Operator Livestock Assistant Herd Managers with higher level managerial responsibility Horticulture Manager with higher level managerial responsibility Potato Manager with higher level managerial responsibility Horticulture Technician/Technical Manager with higher level managerial responsibility Entry level roles Field Workers Roguers/Hand Weeders General Farm Worker Horticulture/Potato Grader Herdsperson or Stockperson/Assistant Herdsperson or Stockperson Horticultural Quality Control Operator Poultry Shed Cleaner Poultry Egg Grader Tractor Drivers/Agricultural Machinery Drivers A 21.4m fund has been unveiled to help the Northern Irish beef, dairy, sheep, potato and ornamental horticulture sectors impacted by the coronavirus. The Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) has outlined the agriculture sectors eligible for the financial aid. Northern Ireland is the only devolved region in the United Kingdom to get such a support package for its farming industry. The Ulster Farmers' Union (UFU) said the fund would be of 'huge benefit' to farming businesses across the region. Agriculture minister Edwin Poots confirmed farm businesses were able to avail of the funding to help offset losses incurred as a result of short term market disturbance. Covid-19 was a shock to the agri-food industry and caused a significant downturn in the trading ability of the sector," Mr Poots said. "I made the case that the industry should be supported by the NI Executive during this difficult period and on 19 May, the NI Executive agreed a support package to help alleviate the emerging threat to NI farm incomes." He added: Since other support measures are available to businesses, rates of compensation for losses incurred have been set at 100% or 80% - depending on the nature of the business and other support already available. However, Mr Poots said he wanted to be 'prudent' with the funding as the government cannot rule out the possibility of further market disturbance as a result of the pandemic. For that reason, I want to retain a budget of just over 7m based on the residual funding of 3.6m (from the 25m) and 3.6m that has been reprioritised internally within my department," he added. Breakdown of the 21.4m Covid-19 fund Support for the Beef Sector - 7m (100% losses covered) Support for the Dairy Sector - 11m (80% losses covered) Support for the Sheep Sector - 232k (100% losses covered) Support for the Potato Sector - 1.2 1.6m (80% losses covered) Support for the Ornamental Horticulture Sector 1.2m - 1.6m (80% losses covered) The use of Contract Farming Agreements (CFA) are increasing in popularity within the farming industry as joint ventures of this type offer more flexibility than a tenancy. This is according to H&H Land & Estates, which says it is starting to see businesses move away from more traditional farming structures. It comes amid looming changes to the farming landscape, such as the phasing out of the EU's BPS to the UK's Environmental Land Management (ELM) scheme. Tim Sedgewick, associate director of H&H Land and Estates, said CFAs were increasing in popularity, particularly within the arable sector. The overall aim of a CFA is to improve business efficiency through enhancing the performance of the enterprise," Mr Sedgewick said. "Even though the use of contractors in arable farming has long been established as an effective business model, by implementing a CFA both parties open themselves up to new opportunities and become fully invested in the enterprise whilst retaining their individual identity as a business in their own right. "This is the case even for new entrants wishing to expand current agricultural operations without having to finance the purchase or rent of land," he said. CFAs allow the landowner to retain full ownership and occupation of their property whilst maintaining a lifestyle close to agriculture. Meanwhile, contractors can benefit from economies of scale plus a guaranteed payment per acre. "Its success is achieved through the contractor providing the experience, expertise, skill, technology, and machinery, whilst the landowner provides the land and buildings, Mr Sedgewick explained. What are Contract Farming Agreements? The 'farmer' is the landowner who has engaged the services of another, referred to as the contractor who undertakes farming operations over a fixed period. It is an agreement which is flexible and determined by the needs of the respective parties, providing an ideal platform for a mutually beneficial joint venture. The main principals being that: the farmer receives a first charge for the provision of the land the contractor receives a guaranteed fixed charge for the work involved in the production of the crop any additional income is divided between them Importantly, a CFA agreement also means that the landowner remains actively involved in the management of the farming operations. In turn, this ensures they retain their farmer status and can continue to receive and apply for BPS and Environmental Stewardship schemes. Later this will change, with the newly devised agricultural bill highlighting that financial support for farmers likely to be determined by the ELM scheme. Mr Sedgewick explained that CFAs differed from more traditional agreements such as Farm Business Tenancies which many may be averse to because of the more contractual constraints involved. "We are seeing that this type of agreement is attractive to landowners who have additional enterprises such as livestock or diversification projects," he said. "The reduced working capital can be redirected into other areas of their business to potentially increase profitability, as well as mitigate risk. H&H Land & Estates says it is essential that CFAs are managed in the correct manner to ensure that the landowner is able to satisfy the requirements for both personal and capital taxation benefits. While Contract Farming Agreement provides many benefits, it is advised that professional advice is sought prior to the commencement of any agreement. A Welsh farmer has expressed his shock after finding six border collie puppies abandoned in his livestock trailer on his farm in Anglesey. Carwyn Thomas, who farms near Llannerchymedd, found the puppies in a 'poor state' at around 7:30am on Saturday (27 June). Posting on Facebook, he said: "Six puppies found on road between Llanerchymedd and Llynfaes this morning. Followed a quad bike to Plas Coedana yard." As of Wednesday (1 July) the post has been shared nearly 3,000 shares and has received more than 300 comments from concerned social media users. Mr Thomas has also been 'inundated with calls' from members of the public who were offering to help care for the puppies. Speaking to North Wales Live, he explained that because the dogs were not microchipped and no owner could be traced, his priority was to find 'loving homes' for the dogs. "There were so many people commenting, and whilst I have no doubt that their intentions are great, I cant possibly vet people for suitability etc," the farmer told the paper. "I tried calling the local dog warden but they don't work at the weekends and eventually I contacted the North Clwyd Animal Rescue centre and they came and collected them." The puppies were collected by the charity on Saturday (27 June). Parsons, KS (67357) Today A steady rain this morning. Showers continuing this afternoon. Cooler. High 77F. Winds NNE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall near a quarter of an inch.. Tonight Clear skies. Low near 55F. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph. 2020 was a year marked by hardships and challenges, but the Fauquier community has proven resilient. The Fauquier Times is honored to serve as your community companion. To say thank you for your continued support, wed like to offer all our subscribers -- new or returning -- 4 WEEKS FREE DIGITAL AND PRINT ACCESS. We understand the importance of working to keep our community strong and connected. As we move forward together into 2021, it will take commitment, communication, creativity, and a strong connection with those who are most affected by the stories we cover. We are dedicated to providing the reliable, local journalism you have come to expect. We are committed to serving you with renewed energy and growing resources. Let the Fauquier Times be your community companion throughout 2021, and for many years to come. 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. With close to 4,000 fresh cases in a day, Tamil Nadu has overtaken Delhi to become the second most coronavirus affected state in India after Maharashtra. While Tamil Nadu now has 90,167 cases, the Union Territory of Delhi has 87,360 confirmed positive cases. However, Delhi has some encouraging news as it has for the past seven days shown a decline in fresh cases. Delhis recovery rate is 66.03 per cent, which is much higher than the national average of 59.07 per cent. Economist Shamika Ravi, who is constantly tracking the Covid graph, said Delhi seems to have peaked with successive days of declining daily cases. She said another week will confirm this, but Delhi is showing a reversal of trend, with increased testing over the last few days.With some positive indicators, Delhi may soon be on road to normality. Meanwhile, India registered the highest single-day COVID-19 deaths at 507 on Wednesday with Maharashtra, Delhi and Tamil Nadu accounting for over 70 per cent of the fatalities, while 18,653 new infections were reported taking the total tally to 5,85,493. For the fifth consecutive day, coronavirus infections have increased by more than 18,000. The country has seen a surge of 3,94,958 infections from June 1 till date. The number of active cases stands at 2,20,114, while 3,47,978 people have recovered, which translates to around 59.43 per cent of patients having recovered so far. Of the 507 deaths reported in the last 24 hours, 245 are from Maharashtra, 62 from Delhi and 60 are from Tamil Nadu. Moreover, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal began emerging as new hotspots. Some parallel developments Indias first COVID-19 vaccine candidate Covaxin has got approval for human trials. It has been jointly developed by ICMR, NIV (Pune) and Bharat Biotech. The Tamil Nadu government has also issued a Standard Operating Procedure for places of worship in rural areas, outlining norms to prevent the spread of coronavirus. It includes prohibition for "physical offerings like prasad, distribution or sprinkling of holy water to be allowed inside the religious place." Offerings such as coconut, fruits and flowers shall not be allowed. During poojas and abishekam, the public must not be allowed to sit inside and witness the event, the SOP said. In view of the potential health issues, "devotees may be discouraged to do prostration /angapradhatchanam till normalcy returns." Oak Hill, WV (25901) Today Mixed clouds and sun this morning. Scattered thunderstorms developing this afternoon. Storms may contain strong gusty winds. High 82F. Winds WSW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 60%.. Tonight Thunderstorms early, overcast overnight with occasional rain. Low 58F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Abhishek Singh is the Deputy Commissioner in New Delhi. He then tried out his hand at acting as a vocation with a short film, Chaar Pandrah. This changed his life completed. Casting director Mukesh Chhabra called him up for a role in the second season of web series Delhi Crime. Singh, who had never once considered acting as a full-time job was intrigued and jumped on board. Delhi Crime with its rave reviews and gruesome yet the real depiction of what happened in the Nirbhaya case is one of the most-watched Indian web series. Abhishek thinks that the show throws perfect light on the issue and is a good way to go. With experience on the field, he is sure to add the touch of reality to the narrative. We spoke to him about this little switch and heres everything he had to say Did you always want to venture into an acting career? I had never imagined to be an actor or to act at any point of time in life. I grew up looking at my dad as a thorough IPS Officer. I always admired him and wanted to be like him. So my goal of becoming an IAS Officer was clear since I was a kid. Tell us about your first day on set The first day was special and unique too, with goosebumps and nervous red ears. Although I had prepared well but as I walked towards the sets, apprehensions swiftly made their way in while I looked at a dozen flashlights. I was so anxious that I thought I would need some 7-8 takes for each shot. To my surprise and delight, the first shot was okayed in the first take. I swiftly walked upto the director and asked: Was it really a good shot, or you sort of saved on efforts thinking some 10 attempts at the shot wont get a better delivery? He paused for a moment and looked me in the eye with a settling smile, Have faith, we handpicked you for the character, for you are good at what you do best. His reassuring words made things easier for me from thereon. Why did you choose Chaar Pandrah to kickstart your career? Char Pandrah is a short film that revolves around socially suppressed but the pertinent subject of mental health issues. I chose Char Pandrah predominantly to support and appreciate the effort of the makers, for bringing forth the subject for people to know and understand better. Coming from a family of decorated officers for two generations in a row, I could relate to my character of an Army Officer at a personal level. Char Pandrah will always hold a special place in my heart. What was the one thing you had the most difficulty getting used to when on the set? It wasnt just about something in specific but the entire gamut instead - from the flashlights, costume trials, makeup and finer nuances of the look took me time to absorb and adjust to. Shooting is a slow and meticulous process and moves at its own pace, where the smallest of detail is given a diligent eye. We the administrators, on the other hand, are used to working against faster timelines and constantly changing dynamics on the ground. We manage a multitude of things together mastering the act of multi-tasking. Having said all of this, it was a fulfilling and enriching experience for me. Delhi Crime has had rave reviews, what was your first impression of the show? Delhi Crime Season 1 portrayed true events very close to reality and that is why it resonated so well with the audience. It takes a lot of effort and dedication in research, the script, direction and acting atop all in order to produce such a fine piece of work. When I watched the show, I was in complete awe of the performances of the actors, each character - be it a policeman or the criminal all fitted in the skin so well. The way the cast of Season I adorned their characters it was phenomenal. Tell us a little about your childhood? I grew up in a middle-class joint family, and most of them served the forces. We were raised in a disciplined atmosphere quite similar to one in the academy, early risers and to bed in time was the basic fabric of our upbringing. We followed a fixed time table and slowly understood the importance of maintaining one. Company of books and constructive discussions were primal. Our access to television and cinema was restricted to minimal. Looking back now, I feel fortunate for all of it helped in shaping my personality and career and made me the person I am today. You said you want to do socially relevant films, what drives you to a cause? The administration today has evolved multifold, while we are tirelessly working towards building a robust system, that is an integral part of the society. I have always believed that development, more than a legislative or administrative context is a social concept and should be driven by the people through societal change. Since films have a huge impact on the minds of people, what better than driving change by means of cinema and storytelling. From the force to the sets, how has the transition been so far? Since childhood, my father has been my role model. As a kid, I was always so fascinated to watch him suit up in his uniform, the poise, the grace of the chip on his shoulders. His dedication and commitment towards his service and compassion to serve the society always inspired me a lot. I still remember late-night visits at home by people to seek help, and my father never turned down a single request or person no matter the time or reason. You know, being at a position with authority in any system calls for a lot of responsibility and compassion, this I have watched for years while growing up. For all those people my father helped, the amount of gratitude and the way they would look at him with respect and reverence; I think that promising bond of assurance and comfort worked as the driving force for me to join the service and I continue to embrace compassion over things otherwise. About venturing into acting, I think it was acting that got to me instead of me getting to act. The choice of choosing chose me would be apt to say. I happened to stumble upon this opportunity in the form of Delhi Crime Season II. I thought to myself it would be an additional medium to gain proximity with the masses. Incidentally, while I was prepping for Delhi Crime, Char Pandrah happened and I am glad it all fell into place. There was a time when among all the senior actors, it was only Neena Gupta who had voiced her concerns and openly said that there is not enough work for senior actresses. The netizens agreed with her and the filmmakers surely took notice of it. Today Neena Gupta has offers flooding in for her and whats more she is surely getting the best of work in her career. Neena Gupta spoke to a leading daily recently and said that amidst lockdown she has signed three films. The actress has been spending her lockdown time productively and has said that she almost read five to six scripts, out of which she has given her nod for three films. Though she cant reveal anything more, she has just said that one of the films is Shaad Alis next, the filmmaker whos known for his romcoms like Ok Jaanu and Saathiya. Neena Gupta whos quarantined with her husband Vivek Mehra in Mukteshwar, will return to Mumbai soon and resume work. . The actress has been spending her lockdown time productively and has said that she almost read five to six scripts, out of which she has given her nod for three films. Though she cant reveal anything more, she has just said that one of the films is Shaad Alis next, the filmmaker whos known for his romcoms likeand Saathiya. Neena Gupta whos quarantined with her husband Vivek Mehra in Mukteshwar, will return to Mumbai soon and resume work. Richa Chadha and Ali Fazal never hid their relationship, but at the same time never spoke a lot about their love story. The two met on the sets of Fukrey, have dated each other for a long time and were set to get married but due to the lockdown their big day plans had to be postponed. Recently the couple have graced a wedding-centric magazine cover and have spoken everything about their love story. Ali Fazal and Richa Chadhas joint interview for the magazine is one of the most candid interviews of the couple together. The couple reveals that they indeed met on the film set of Fukrey but Richa Chaddha found him quite odd initially. Later Ali Fazal reveals that once he called up Richa and told her that hes near her house and could he drop by for a coffee and Richa readily agreed, however Ali had lied to her about being near her house. As soon as the actress had said yes, he rushed in his car and drove to her house. Now thats insanely romantic and quite filmy, no? Further Richa Chadha says that their taste in films and other interests are quite similar and one day while they were watching a film together, Richa was the first one to say the three magical words I love you to Ali Fazal. However, it looks like the actor took those words as a friendly gesture and only said I love you back to her almost after three months. But the one story that really cracked us up and at the same time is really romantic is the moment of proposal. Just like any Hindi film, the proposal was supposed to be The Moment for their relationship and it was done in Maldives where they were celebrating Richas birthday. However after proposing to her, Ali Fazal took a nap for 10 minutes. Read what the actress has to say, He had planned a romantic dinner on a small, secluded island at the Maldives. I thought it was for my birthdayI didnt suspect a thing. We had finished eating and were sipping on champagne when Ali, being his spontaneous self, asked me to marry him. He didnt go down on his knee nor did he have a ring, but thats all right. After that he took a ten-minute long nap on the sandI think it was because he may have been stressed about the proposal! Washington: When it comes to Russia, the Trump administration just cant seem to make up its mind. For the past three years, the administration has careered between President Donald Trumps attempts to curry favour and friendship with Vladimir Putin and longstanding deep-seated concerns about Putins intentions. As Trump has repeatedly and openly cosied up to Putin, his administration has imposed harsh and meaningful sanctions and penalties on Russia. The dizzying, often contradictory, paths followed by Trump on the one hand and his hawkish but constantly changing cast of national security aides on the other have created confusion in Congress and among allies and enemies alike. To an observer, Russia is at once a mortal enemy and a misunderstood friend in U.S. eyes. Even before Trump took office questions about Russia abounded. Now, nearing the end of his first term with a difficult reelection ahead, those questions have resurfaced with a vengeance. Intelligence suggesting Russia was encouraging attacks on the U.S. and allied forces in Afghanistan by putting bounties on their heads has thrust the matter into the heart of the 2020 campaign. The White House says the intelligence wasnt confirmed or brought to Trumps attention, but his vast chorus of critics are sceptical and maintain the president should have been aware. The reports have alarmed even pro-Trump Republicans who see Russia as a hostile global foe meddling with nefarious intent in Afghanistan, the Middle East, Ukraine and Georgia, a waning former superpower trying to regain its Soviet-era influence by subverting democracy in Europe and the United States with disinformation and election interference. Trumps overtures to Putin have unsettled longstanding U.S. allies in Europe, including Britain, France and Germany, which have expressed concern about the U.S. commitment to the NATO alliance, which was forged to counter the Soviet threat and robust democracy on the continent. But Trump has defended his perspective on Russia, viewing it as a misunderstood potential friend, a valued World War II ally led by a wily, benevolent authoritarian who actually may share American values, like the importance of patriotism, family and religion. Trumps approach to Russia was at centre stage in the impeachment proceedings when U.S. officials testified that the president demanded political favours from Ukraine in return for military assistance it needed to combat Russian aggression. But the issue ended up as a largely partisan exercise, with House Democrats voting to impeach Trump and Senate Republicans voting to acquit. Within the Trump administration, the national security establishment appears torn between pursuing an arguably tough approach to Russia and pleasing the president. Insiders who have raised concern about Trumps approach to Russia including at least one of his national security advisers, defence secretaries and secretaries of state, but especially lower-level officials who spoke out during impeachment have nearly all been ousted from their positions. Suspicions about Trump and Russia go back to his 2016 campaign. His appeal to Moscow to dig up his opponents emails, his plaintive suggestions that Russia and the United States should be friends and a series of contacts between his advisers and Russians raised questions of impropriety that led to special counsel Robert Muellers investigation. The investigation ultimately did not allege that anyone associated with the campaign illegally conspired with Russia. Mueller, along with the U.S. intelligence community, did find that Russia interfered with the election, to sow chaos and also help Trumps campaign. But Trump has cast doubt on those findings, most memorably in a 2018 appearance on stage with Putin in Helsinki. Yet despite Trumps rhetoric, his administration has ploughed ahead with some of the most significant actions against Russia by any recent administration. Dozens of Russian diplomats have been expelled, diplomatic missions closed, arms control treaties the Russians sought to preserve have been abandoned, weapons have been sold to Ukraine despite the impeachment allegations and the administration is engaged in a furious battle to prevent Russia from constructing a new gas pipeline that U.S. lawmakers from both parties believe will increase Europes already unhealthy dependence on Russian energy. At the same time, Trump has compounded the uncertainty by calling for the withdrawal or redeployment of U.S. troops from Germany, angrily deriding NATO allies for not meeting alliance defence spending commitments, and now apparently ignoring dire intelligence warnings that Russia was paying or wanted to pay elements of the Taliban to kill American forces in Afghanistan. On top of that, even after the intelligence reports on the Afghanistan bounties circulated, hes expressed interest in inviting Putin back into the G-7 group of nations over the objections of the other members. White House officials and die-hard Trump supporters have shrugged off the obvious inconsistencies, but they have been unable to staunch the swell of criticism and pointed demands for explanations as Russia, which has vexed American leaders for decades, delights in its ability to create chaos. The early morning sun glistens off the overnight dew still clinging to grass as Republican Senate candidate Robert Short strolls into a coffee shop wearing a face mask. After greeting patrons, Short is approached by the shop owner, who fastens his own mask. After a few minutes of muffled discussion and jokes between the two masked men, Short exits and grabs a campaign sign from his truck. He leans over the damp grass on his toes, careful not to get his pants wet, and wiggles the sign into the ground. At least putting up signs hasnt been affected by COVID, he mumbles under his mask. Since the COVID-19 pandemic began here in February and March the same time many political campaigns were gearing up many candidates running for U.S. Senate have had to adjust their campaigns to adhere to public health restrictions. Not only have they had to restrict their public appearances, they have had less success raising the money necessary to compete on a statewide basis. Thus, the pandemic has caused a serious blow to many of their campaign plans and their ability to get their names in front of voters. With 10 Republican and six Democrat candidates running, name recognition will play a vital if not all important role, giving Republican candidate and former U.S. Rep. Cynthia Lummis a big head start in an election season severely shortened by the pandemic. Running against a career politician with good name recognition like Cynthia Lummis was an uphill battle to begin with, said Republican candidate Mark Armstrong of Centennial. But the COVID-19 has increased the difficulty. Short, while not naming Lummis specifically, said, People may just check a box based on a name rather than substance. Honestly, thats how we end up with career politicians. It certainly had a profoundly negative impact on our ability to engage with any kind of large numbers of people, Short admitted, adding hes found it difficult to spread his message when limited to one-on-one situations or virtually on social media. Its a bit like the telephone game we played in kindergarten, he joked, his trademark dry wit coming through. What starts out as the monkey loves gloves turns into the tire has cars. The message becomes so different. Democrat Nathan Wendt of Jackson, whose campaign was started during the most restrictive time in Wyoming, commented it has made in-person campaigning more uncertain and less frequent. Door-to-door campaigning isnt happening, he said. Its a balancing act of trying to be respectful to folks, Short said, and having the opportunity to converse with people and find out whats on their minds. Many of the candidates, like Wendt and Short, have had to switch to digital methods in an attempt to reach out. Having interactions with voters has largely gone digital via phone and via media outlets, Wendt said a common refrain heard from the candidates who responded to the Budgets request for an interview on this topic. (Eight of the 16 candidates or their campaign responded in some fashion, although some didnt provide on-the-record comments.) Yet, Democrat Yana Ludwig of Laramie commented that campaigning online has had its benefits. In some ways, it has been easier since so many people are online so much more, she said. Ludwig explained she has a robust collection of campaign videos on Facebook and Youtube, and theyve got more attention than they may have otherwise. Social media has been the currently employed method for trying to reach out to people, Short agreed, and of course utilizing print and air time to point people to social media. Short also explained that when he does travel, he takes along a digital sign displaying information about him and the community. Lummis, who lives in Cheyenne, is also switching up her communication methods, according to her campaign manager Kristin Walker. When possible, Cynthia has been connecting with folks through phone or video chats. Weve also rescheduled many events for later this summer, Walker noted. Like Lummis, social distancing has forced many of the candidates to cancel or postpone events. Typically, what will happen this time of year is rodeos, parades, dinners, Short said. Many have been canceled or postponed until after the primary election. This has certainly changed the dynamic. Despite that, Short recently attended rodeos in Greybull and Hulett, so he has some hope that more events will return before the August primary. But in-person appearances at events isnt the only problem plaguing some of the newcomers campaigns. On top of the name recognition advantage, Lummis, who is reportedly worth in the high tens of millions of dollars, has a net worth far eclipsing most, if not all, of her opponents. Fund raising for the expensive statewide political campaigns is difficult enough in a normal year, but the lack of one-on-one efforts and larger fund raising events has served to hamstring even the more ardent campaigns. Ludwig mentioned that her campaign has had to cancel fund raisers and other events that would have gotten her to the north and west side of the state. The uncertainty in the nation right now is palpable, Short said. For folks, the uncertainty is making people reluctant to let go of any cash. Its not that they dont support me, but the uncertainty. There are very few people supporting me (monetarily). People cant afford to spend money outside of necessity. Several candidates had different views on when traditional campaigning may be on the table. If I had to guess, Id say we wont likely return to normal campaigning in this cycle, Ludwig remarked. Id love to say its headed toward normal, Short said, (but) obviously there are some unknown unknowns. We know outdoors (COVID-19) is very difficult to transmit. Thats awesome. LONDON, July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- SecurityHQ, formerly known as Si Consult, the leading provider in managed security services, announced today the launch of their new brand identity, with a redesign of their logo and website. Over recent years SecurityHQ has evolved into the worlds most advanced Managed Security Service provider, with six Security Operation Centers spread across the United Kingdom, the Middle East, Americas, India, and Australia. The company has received global recognition for SecurityHQ, and became finalists for the IBM Beacon Awards for their security features. Known by their clients, partners, employees, and audience for their services as SecurityHQ they have, therefore, made the decision, and taken significant steps to represent who they are as a company, by adopting SecurityHQ as their brand name. "Security Intelligence Redefined. We are delighted with the re-brand, the new logo and website design. These changes represent who we are as an organisation, and our position in the managed security service industry. "It is important to note that our company values have not altered. We continue to pride ourselves on our transparency, integrity, and availability. There has been no change in staff ownership or shares. Our services will continue to run seamlessly. All existing contracts, NDA's, and legal elements with partners and clients will remain the same. "The only difference is what few people know us for as Si, now many will know us for as SecurityHQ." - Feras Tappuni, CEO View the Full Re-brand video here. About SecurityHQ SecurityHQ prides itself on its global reputation as an advanced Managed Security Service Provider, delivering superior engineering-led solutions to clients around the world. By combining dedicated security experts, cutting-edge technology and processes, clients receive an enterprise grade experience that ensures that all IT virtual assets, cloud, and traditional infrastructures, are protected. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Sechq Twitter: https://twitter.com/security_hq LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/si-securityhq/ Video: https://www.securityhq.com/videos/securityhq-rebranded/ URL - https://www.securityhq.com/ Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1197049/SecurityHQ.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1196748/SecurityHQ_Logo.jpg For media enquiries please contact: Eleanor Barlow, +44-(0)20-332-706-99, marketing@securityhq.com HONG KONG and SHANGHAI, July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Ping An Insurance (Group) Company of China, Ltd. ("Ping An" or the "Group", HKEx:2318; SSE:601318) has been ranked 38th in the 2020 BrandZ Top 100 Most Valuable Global Brands, up two places from last year. The rankings were jointly released by WPP, the world's largest communications services group, and Kantar Millward Brown, the world's leading evidence-based insights and consulting company. Ping An also maintained its top position among global insurance brands for the fifth consecutive year. With a 15% growth in brand value to US$33.81 billion, Ping An ranked sixth among all Chinese brands in the list. The BrandZ Top 100 Most Valuable Global Brands is one of the world's most influential brand valuation reports. The brand valuation ranking combines rigorous analysis of Bloomberg market data with extensive consumer insights from over 3.8 million consumers around the world, covering over 17,500+ different brands in 51 markets. Doreen Wang, Global Head of BrandZ at Kantar Millward Brown, said, "Chinese brands are the 'calling cards' of China. Ping An has topped its global insurance peers for five consecutive years. Capitalizing on innovation and technology, Ping An constantly redefines its boundaries and become a preferred brand that is relevant to customers' lives. I am proud to see a homegrown Chinese brand become the preferred choice of Chinese citizens." In 2020, 17 Chinese brands made the BrandZ Top 100 list, with China having the second largest number of brands on the list and the fastest brand value growth. The total brand value of Chinese brands in the ranking increased by 16%, close to three times of the global growth rate. The top 100 global brands have seen their total brand value increase by 5.9%, despite the economic, social and personal impacts of COVID-19. The total brand value of the top 100 global brands reached US$5 trillion, equivalent to the annual GDP of Japan. In 2019, Ping An clearly defined "finance + technology" as its core business strategy, ensuring steady growth in its main financial businesses while increasing its investment in technology. Ping An aims to "empowering financial services with technologies, empowering ecosystems with technologies, and empowering financial services with ecosystems". In 2019, the Group's revenue amounted to RMB1,168,867 million, up 19.7% year on year, while net profit grew 36.5% year on year to RMB164,365 million. As at the end of 2019, the number of retail customers exceeded 200 million for the first time, with the Group's internet users and app users up to 516 million and 470 million respectively. Empowering financial services with technologies Ping An applies innovative technologies in its financial business. For example, the Group's life and health insurance unit entirely uses artificial intelligence (AI) interview robots to recruit sales agents. The agents' exclusive smart personal assistant, AskBob, has served agents 340 million times since going live. Ping An Property & Casualty launched the "Ping An Credit-Based Auto Insurance Claim" service for auto owners with safe driving behaviors to provide 45 million auto owners with a line of credit and turnaround times from quotation to policy issue as short as 20 seconds. At Ping An Bank, 14.3 million credit cards issued and nearly 90% were automatically approved by AI. Empowering ecosystems with technologies Ping An has been actively developing five ecosystems in recent years: financial services, health care, auto services, real estate services, and smart city services. These ecosystems enable Ping An to maximize the brand's share of voice, enhance customer loyalty and expand its customer base. For example, in healthcare, Ping An's Health 360 program provides customers with comprehensive outpatient, inpatient, surgical and recuperation services. Ping An Good Doctor provides services including 24/7 online consultation, referral, registration, online drug purchase, and one-hour drug delivery. The platform provided more than 670 million online consultations and yearly active users reached 282 million. Empowering finance services with ecosystems Ping An exploits synergies between ecosystems to provide smart, online/offline and one-stop services. Many internet users in the five ecosystems have become the Group's financial services customers. In 2019, the Company acquired 36.57 million new customers, 40.7% of whom were sourced from internet users within the Group's five ecosystems. Retail customers growth overall was by 11.2%. Environmental, Social and Governance investment Ping An supports a green environment, a harmonious society and a sustainable economy. As of 31 December 2019, Ping An's responsible investment reached RMB954,449 million, the insured amount of sustainable insurance totaled RMB121.21 trillion and green credit lines granted reached RMB59,056 million. Ping An also continues to evolve its Ping An Rural Communities Support programs, including industry promotion, healthcare and education support and a new smart model of poverty alleviation. Ping An Rural Communities Support has been implemented in 21 provinces or autonomous regions across China, with the total poverty alleviation funds granted of RMB15.745 billion. Through the program, 949 village and township clinics were upgraded, 11,175 village doctors were trained, 1,054 village primary schools were upgraded, and 11,826 village teachers were trained. Besides Ping An, other Chinese brands in the Top 100 include Alibaba (6th), Tencent (7th), Moutai (18th), ICBC (31st), China Mobile (36th), Huawei (45th), JD (52nd), Meituan (54th), China Construction Bank (58th), Didi (64th), Haier (68th), China Agricultural Bank (69th), TikTok (79th), Xiaomi (81st), Baidu (91st) and Bank of China (97th). VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / June 30, 2020 / Majestic Gold Corp. ("Majestic" or the "Company") (TSXV:MJS)(FSE:A0BK1D) is providing this biweekly default status report in accordance with National Policy 12-203 (Management Cease Trade Orders). On June 11, 2020, the Company announced that it had made application to the British Columbia Securities Commission ("BCSC"), under NP 12-203, requesting that a temporary management cease trade order ("MCTO") be granted in respect of the anticipated late filing of the Company's annual audited financial statements, management's discussion and analysis, and officers' certificates for the year ended December 31, 2019 (the "Annual Filings"). The MCTO was granted June 16, 2020. There has been no material change to the information contained in the default announcement of June 11, 2020, that has not been generally disclosed and there has been no failure by the Company in fulfilling its stated intentions with respect to satisfying the provisions of the alternative information guidelines set out in National Policy 12-203 - Management Cease Trade Orders. The Company confirms that it will continue to satisfy the provisions of the alternative information guidelines for so long as it is delayed in filing the Annual Filings. The Company continues to work with its auditor to complete its Annual Filings, and anticipates filing them along with its unaudited interim financial statements and management's discussion and analysis and officer's certificates for the three months ended March 31, 2020, on or before July 15, 2020. While the MCTO remains in effect, Majestic's directors, officers and insiders cannot trade the Company's securities. About Majestic Gold Currently focused solely in China, Majestic Gold Corp. is a British Columbia based company engaged in commercial gold production at the Songjiagou Gold Mine in eastern Shandong Province, China. Additional information on the Company and its projects is available at www.sedar.com and on the Company's website at www.majesticgold.com. For further information, please contact: Stephen Kenwood, P.Geo., President and CEO Telephone: (604) 560-9060 Email: info@majesticgold.com Website: www.majesticgold.com FORWARD LOOKING INFORMATION Certain statements contained in this press release constitute forward-looking information. These statements relate to future events or future performance. The use of the word, "will" and similar expressions and statements relating to matters that are not historical facts are intended to identify forward-looking information and are based on the Company's current belief or assumptions as to the outcome and timing of such future events. Actual future results may differ materially. Various assumptions or factors are typically applied in drawing conclusions or making the forecasts or projections set out in forward-looking information. Those assumptions and factors are based on information currently available to the Company. The Company cautions the reader that the above list of risk factors is not exhaustive. Those assumptions and factors are based on information currently available to the Company. The forward-looking information contained in this release is made as of the date hereof and the Company is not obligated 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 laws, or as otherwise may be disclosed in this news release. Because of the risks, uncertainties and assumptions contained herein, investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. The foregoing statements expressly qualify any forward-looking information contained herein. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Not for distribution to U.S. Newswire Services or for dissemination in the United States. Any failure to comply with this restriction may constitute a violation of U.S. securities laws. SOURCE: Majestic Gold Corp. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/595881/Majestic-Provides-Status-Update-to-Management-Cease-Trade-Order Yangon and Tokyo, July 1, 2020 - (ACN Newswire) - Myanmar Citizens Bank (MCB Bank), a listed company on the Yangon Stock Exchange in the Republic of the Union of Myanmar (Myanmar), and JCB International Co. Ltd. (JCBI), the international operations subsidiary of JCB Co., Ltd., announced that MCB Bank will start to issue MPU-JCB Co-Branded Debit Cards as of June 2020.The MCB MPU-JCB Co-Branded Card combines the MPU brand and JCB brand with the MCB brand, a strong and trusted banking brand in Myanmar. Cardmembers can use MPU's nation-wide merchant network in Myanmar and JCB's international merchant network with over 34 million locations globally.The new MCB International Debit Card offers 2 different card types, Platinum debit card and Classic debit card. All the cardmembers can enjoy JCB privileges such as discounts at over 150 merchants in Yangon and also at an extensive merchant network around the world. JCB also provides lounge services in the city centers of several famous travel destinations such as Tokyo, Kyoto, Singapore, Hong Kong, Bangkok, Seoul, Taipei and Paris.In addition to the above, the Platinum cardmembers can enjoy exclusive JCB Platinum services such as JCB Platinum airport lounge service for free at 61 lounges worldwide.Takeshi Fujii, Chief Representative of JCB International (Thailand) Co., Ltd. (Yangon Branch) commented, "Myanmar is one of the most important countries for our global business expansion with the number of JCB cards in Myanmar now reaching 2 million. We would like to contribute significantly to the vision of a cashless society in Myanmar through this new tie-up venture with MCB".Mr Godfrey Swain, CEO of MCB Bank commented, "I am delighted to announce the launch of Myanmar Citizens Bank MPU JCB Co-branded Debit card to support the needs of our customers with convenience of cashless transactions domestically in Mynanmar and internationally. The card can be used for all face-to-face and ecommerce payments as well as for ATM transactions. Our customers will enjoy the extensive range of merchant discounts and benefits that come with the card, please visit Myanmar Citizen Bank website for more product information. The launch of this card is another step forward in realizing the transformational vision of MCB Bank, a project that commenced in 2019 and is designed to transform the Bank by the year 2023.About MCBEstablished in 1992, Myanmar Citizens Bank is one of the first private commercial banks in the country, the first bank to be listed on the Yangon Stock Exchange and enjoys one of the fastest growth rates in Myanmar within the banking sector. MCB, a Bank with a traditional focus on Commercial and SME segments, is now rapidly expanding its Corporate and Retail banking arms distributing innovative and competitive products and services through a network of nearly 50 branches covering 26 cities in Myanmar. In 2019 MCB signed a wide-ranging, long term consultancy and partnership agreement with the International Financial Corporation (IFC), an arm of the World Bank, embarking on a three-year transformation journey to modernize and build its banking operations, product and service offerings as a best in class model, meeting and exceeding international banking standards, efficiency levels and customer service. For more information, please visit: https://www.mcb.com.mmAbout JCBJCB is a global payment brand and a leading credit card issuer and acquirer in Japan. JCB launched its card business in Japan in 1961 and began expanding worldwide in 1981. Its acceptance network includes about 34 million merchants as well as cash advance locations around the world. JCB cards are now issued in 24 countries and territories, with more than 140 million cardmembers. As a comprehensive payment solution provider, JCB commits to providing responsive and high-quality service and products to all customers worldwide. For more information, please visit: www.global.jcb/en/JCB (Head Office in Japan)Contact: Kumiko Kida, Ayaka NakajimaEmail: jcb-pr@jcb.co.jpPhone: +81 3 5778 8353Source: JCBCopyright 2020 ACN Newswire . All rights reserved. Bioventix plc ("Bioventix" or the "Company") Appointment of CFO Bioventix plc (BVXP), a UK company specialising in the development and commercial supply of high-affinity monoclonal antibodies for applications in clinical diagnostics, announces that Bruce Hiscock will join the Board as Chief Financial Officer with immediate effect. Mr Hiscock was previously CEO and CFO of everyLIFE Technologies, a technology business delivering digital care planning solutions to social care providers. Prior to this he was the Managing Director of MITIE Security Systems, the CEO of Protec plc, an AIM listed security and technology services business, and held several CFO roles at both fast-growing listed and private companies over a 30-year career. Mr Hiscock is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland. The following information regarding the appointment of Bruce Edward Heath Hiscock (aged 61) is required to be disclosed under Schedule 2(g) of the AIM Rules for Companies: Current directorships and/or partnerships Former directorships and/or partnerships (within the last five years) n/a everyLIFE Technologies Limited Warnborough Associates Limited There are no further disclosures to be made under Schedule 2(g) of the AIM Rules for Companies. For further information please contact: Bioventix plc Peter Harrison Chief Executive Officer Tel: 01252 728 001 finnCap Ltd Geoff Nash/Simon Hicks Alice Lane Corporate Finance ECM Tel: 020 7220 0500 About Bioventix plc: Bioventix (www.bioventix.com) specialises in the development and commercial supply of high-affinity monoclonal antibodies with a primary focus on their application in clinical diagnostics, such as in automated immunoassays used in blood testing. The antibodies created at Bioventix are generated in sheep and are of particular benefit where the target is present at low concentration and where conventional monoclonal or polyclonal antibodies have failed to produce a suitable reagent. Bioventix currently offers a portfolio of antibodies to customers for both commercial use and R&D purposes, for the diagnosis or monitoring of a broad range of conditions, including heart disease, cancer, fertility, thyroid function and drug abuse. Bioventix currently supplies antibody products and services to the majority of multinational clinical diagnostics companies. Bioventix is based in Farnham, UK and its shares are traded on AIM under the symbol BVXP. 1 July 2020 LSE: PDL Petra Diamonds Limited ("Petra", "the Company" or "the Group") Directorate Change Petra Diamonds Limited announces the following changes to its Board of Directors and to the memberships of the Company's Board Committees: Board of Directors: as previously announced, Dr Pat Bartlett , Independent Non-Executive Director, retired from the Company's Board of Directors, effective 30 June 2020 . However, Dr Bartlett will continue to offer technical consultancy services to the Company for a period of one year following his retirement from the Board. Audit and Risk Committee: Dr Bartlett has retired from the committee and Ms Varda Shine , Independent Non-Executive Director, has been appointed as a new member. Remuneration Committee: Dr Bartlett has retired from the committee and Ms Octavia Matloa and Mr Bernie Pryor , both Independent Non-Executive Directors, have been appointed as new members. Nomination Committee: Dr Bartlett has retired from the committee and Mr Pryor, Ms Matloa and Ms Shine have been appointed as new members. HSE Committee: Although Dr Bartlett has retired as a member of the HSE Committee, he will be invited to attend all Committee meetings in FY 2021 (the year to 30 June 2021 ), for the duration of his consultancy period. Ms Shine has been appointed as a new member of the committee. As previously announced, Mr Tony Lowrie, Senior Independent Director, will retire from the Board at the conclusion of the 2020 Annual General Meeting. An announcement regarding the appointment of a new Senior Independent Director will be made in due course. For further information, please contact: Petra Diamonds, London Telephone: +44 20 7494 8203 Cathy Malins investorrelations@petradiamonds.com Marianna Bowes Des Kilalea Rothschild & Co Giles Douglas giles.douglas@rothschildandco.com Glen Cronin glen.cronin@rothschildandco.com Mahir Quraishi mahir.quraishi@rothschildandco.com About Petra Diamonds Limited Petra Diamonds is a leading independent diamond mining group and a consistent supplier of gem quality rough diamonds to the international market. The Company has a diversified portfolio incorporating interests in three underground producing mines in South Africa (Finsch, Cullinan and Koffiefontein) and one open pit producing mine in Tanzania (Williamson). Petra also conducts a limited exploration programme in Botswana and South Africa. Petra's strategy is to focus on value rather than volume production by optimising recoveries from its high-quality asset base in order to maximise their efficiency and profitability. The Group has a significant resource base of ca. 250 million carats, which supports the potential for long-life operations. Petra conducts all operations according to the highest ethical standards and will only operate in countries which are members of the Kimberley Process. The Company aims to generate tangible value for each of its stakeholders, thereby contributing to the socio-economic development of its host countries and supporting long-term sustainable operations to the benefit of its employees, partners and communities. NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / July 1, 2020 / The insurance industry has a long history. As early as around 2,500 BC, the kings of the ancient Babylonian kingdom ordered monks, judges and village chiefs to collect taxes as relief fund for fire disasters. Throughout the human history of thousands of years, the insurance industry has always been with us in our production and life. Since the beginning of the modern era, technology has permanently changed many industries. However, seen in many aspects, the trillion-dollar insurance industry is still at a standstill state. Under the category of financial industry, insurance is an industry with a low threshold of information technology. The information pathway between insurance companies and customers should have been very smooth, and the mutual trust should have been at a high level. However, for historical reasons, the insurance industry has become highly intermediary. It is mainly manifested that a large amount of insurance business is transacted through insurance salespeople or intermediate channels, which invariably raises the application cost of insurance companies and end users. In addition, problems such as insurance fraud, difficulty in risk control and inefficient claim settlement are also rife in the insurance industry. It seems that these problems involve many aspects, and appear to be complicated and difficult to solve. However, by seeing through the appearance, we will find out that the root causes are the low efficiency and the industrial opacity caused by the centralized structure. Under the centralized framework, for a lack of supervision from outside, the centralized organization will surely keep expanding to earn the maximum profit in spite of damaging the interest of users continuously. To solve these problems, we must smash down the centralized organization to make the industry more transparent. Therefore, we need to use the blockchain technology. The far-reaching development prospects of blockchain technology have been foreseen by many people, and therefore many industries are scrambling to join the research and development of blockchain. The industry characteristics of the insurance industry and blockchain fit well together, and blockchain technology serves as an impetus in the core competencies of all insurance companies. It is a trigger point for the entire insurance industry to change its business model, and such new model will bring added value to insurers, reinsurance companies, insurance brokers, agents, etc. Besides, it can effectively evaluate and price risks, and create smart products in the insurance market. Back in 2001, the use of digital currency by CyberCash Company enabled them to be insured by the U.S. Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC). This was the first combination of the insurance industry and the blockchain technology. Since then, there has been a steady stream of insurance industry projects seeking industry solutions in blockchain technology. The most famous case is KMI. In order to accelerate the development of blockchain technology in the insurance industry, speed up the pace of pilot projects, and explore the potential use cases of blockchain technology in the insurance industry, in 2019, King Mutual Insurance (hereinafter referred to as "KMI"), a global digital insurance platform built on blockchain technology, was officially established in the United States. The standard-setter for KMI is the Global Respiratory Network Research Foundation ("GRNRF"). Headquartered in the US, and as a part of the RTGS Committee on Payments and Market Infrastructures (CPMI), it was jointly established by several blockchain industry research institutions, international insurance and financial service institutions and venture capital institutions in the blockchain field. By monitoring and analyzing the development of payment, liquidation and settlement systems in each country, GRNRF will strengthen the communication and cooperation role of central banks/insurers in the field of payment system regulation, focus on the popularization of blockchain knowledge and the innovation in technology industry, academia and research, and accelerate the industrial development of blockchain technology in the world, so as to promote the safe and efficient operation of payment, liquidation and settlement system in each country, and support the stable development of finance and macro-economy. - KMI is a global insurance service platform that aims to solve a variety of problems in the insurance sector through blockchain technology. Its service orientation includes the following three parts: - Enhance the efficiency of insurance services and reduce the connection cost of both parties. - Improve the digital insurance ecosystem and realize more insurance service functions. - Provide more insurance application scenarios for users and achieve convenient and fast digital currency payment. KMI Service Direction With KMI, diverse service scenarios can be realized, including decentralized insurance mall, intelligent risk control, cross-border insurance services, diversified financial services, insurance industry ecological alliance, etc. Every main body in the insurance industry chain can enjoy the progress brought by technology, and on KMI, they can quickly and conveniently conduct transactions and enjoy the value of insurance with confidence. All users' activities such as information transmission, asset transaction and fund distribution will be protected and supported by blockchain technology. In this sense, KMI will become the "insurance" of the insurance industry, thus helping the insurance industry to develop in a more standardized and orderly manner. Insurance is the greatest human invention in the field of economy, while blockchain technology represents the future direction of development. What changes will be brought to the world insurance market and even the financial system from the combination of the two? Let's focus on KMI, which is perhaps the most important step in the digitization of human social service system. Media contact: Company: Global Respiratory Network Research Foundation Contact: Mark Philip E-mail: KmiGlobal@gmail.com Telephone: 323-5104668 SOURCE: Global Respiratory Network Research Foundation View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/595766/KMI-a-Global-Digital-Insurance-Platform-Brings-Disruptive-Innovation-to-Insurance-Industry LIDKOPING, Sweden, July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Handheld Group , a leading manufacturer of rugged mobile computers, today announced major upgrades to its Nautiz X2 enterprise rugged handheld. A new processor and more memory plus an upgraded operating system transform the all-in-one Nautiz X2 into a faster and more powerful device than ever before. Even with these upgraded features, pricing remains unchanged. To view the Multimedia News Release, please click: https://www.multivu.com/players/uk/8741551-handheld-upgrades-nautiz-x2-rugged-computer/ The Nautiz X2 gives enterprise users a slim and compact mobile computer that can handle all the tasks of a day's work, with built-in ruggedness against moisture, dust, extreme high or low temperatures and potential drops. "A brand-new processor and operating system give the updated Nautiz X2 even more impressive speed and performance to complement its high-end look and feel," says Johan Hed, Handheld Group director of product management. "The Nautiz X2 also has value-adding accessories that help workers stay mobile - such as docking the device in a vehicle or improving efficiency with a pistol grip." The Nautiz X2 features: A compact, lightweight and sleek design. A powerful 8-core processor with 4 GB RAM and 64 GB storage. High-quality, high-speed scanners with 1D or 2D capability. Efficiency-enhancing add-on accessories, including holsters, vehicle cradles, wrist mounts and pistol grips for UHF and long-range (LR) scanning. 4G/LTE Android phone functionality and high-speed data. Android 9.0 and Google GMS certification for full access to all Google apps, including Play Store and Google Maps. NFC, BT 5.0 LE and Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n/r/ac. Integrated 8-megapixel camera with autofocus and flash. Sunlight-readable 4.7-inch capacitive display with multi-touch sensitivity. True ruggedness, meeting IP65 and MIL- STD-810 -G standards. -G standards. Free MaxGo mobile device management software for secure, custom setups. "Designing with key factors such as technology, materials and usability while keeping costs down is a constant challenge we strive to meet," Hed says. "The Nautiz X2 is absolutely packed with features, and now it offers even faster performance. And since we are offering these upgrades at the same low price, the Nautiz X2 is an even better value." Pricing and Availability Pricing for the new Nautiz X2 starts at $999/999. Units are now in stock. Orders can be placed immediately. Helpful links NAUTIZ X2 new product specifications Press images Product video Product accessories Handheld rugged computers Explaining ruggedness About Handheld Group About Handheld Handheld Group is a manufacturer and global supplier of rugged mobile computers, handhelds and tablets. Handheld and partners worldwide deliver mobility solutions to businesses within geomatics, logistics, forestry, public transportation, utilities, construction, maintenance, mining, military and security. Handheld Group, headquartered in Sweden, has subsidiaries in Finland, the U.K., the Netherlands, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, Australia and the USA. Learn more at www.handheldgroup.com Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1196650/Handheld_NAUTIZ_X2.jpg Toyota City, Japan, July 1, 2020 - (JCN Newswire) - Toyota Motor Corporation (Toyota) announced today that it has developed a new Acceleration Suppression System, in addition to its existing system, to help further deter serious accidents and reduce damage caused by misapplication of the accelerator pedal. On July 1, Toyota launched this system as "Plus Support" for new cars and added the function in the "Pedal Misapplication Acceleration Control System II" retrofit device for use with existing cars.In 2012, Toyota introduced Intelligent Clearance Sonar (ICS) for new vehicles and since 2018, had launched a retrofit "Pedal Misapplication Acceleration Control System" for existing vehicles.These existing systems help prevent accidents caused by accelerator pedal misapplication when sensors detect obstacles such as a wall or glass. According to data confirmed by Toyota, ICS helps prevent roughly 70 percent of all potential accidents that could occur due to accelerator pedal misapplication. However, new technologies needed to be developed to reduce the remaining number of accidents, including accidents in situations where obstacles are absent.At the development phase this time, Toyota first looked at actual accidents where the cause was determined to be accelerator pedal misapplication, particularly analyzing situations where the accelerator pedal was pressed fully. The characteristics of these situations were then compared with big data collected from Toyota's connected vehicles. By eliminating instances where it was determined that drivers were genuinely required to rapidly accelerate intentionally, such as when turning right or accelerating from a temporary stop, Toyota was able to identify and compute instances of accelerator pedal misapplication. In turn, this allowed for a function setting to reduce the number of accidents caused by accelerator pedal misapplication by controlling acceleration even in the absence of obstacles.Further information regarding Plus Support and Pedal Misapplication Acceleration Control System II that offer the Acceleration Suppression Function is as follows.Plus SupportUsed in- New vehicles (vehicles with ICS)- The system is being included in Prius and Prius PHV models launched on July 1, and will gradually be rolled out to other models.Features- Plus Support starts automatically when the vehicle doors are unlocked using a Plus Support Smart Key (dealer option, starting from 13,200 yen, tax included) for customers with concerns about driving. Even if obstacles are absent from the vehicle's course, this system detects accelerator pedal misapplication and suppresses acceleration.- In addition to ICS, which detects obstacles, suppresses acceleration, and applies brakes, Plus Support aims to further deter serious accidents and help reduce damage caused by misapplication of the accelerator pedal.- When the vehicle's doors are unlocked using a conventional key, Plus Support is not activated, and driving can be performed as usual.Pedal Misapplication Acceleration Control System IIUsed in- Existing cars (retrofit device)- Installed in Prius models(1). Support will be offered for more models in the future(2) (38,500 yen(3), tax included, not including installation and other expenses).Features- This product adds acceleration suppression functionality to the existing "Pedal Misapplication Acceleration Control System," suppressing acceleration when pedal misapplication is detected, even if there are no obstacles in front of the vehicle.- In addition to the functions offered by existing systems that suppress acceleration when an obstacle is detected in front of the vehicle and suppress acceleration when reversing, this system aims to deter serious accidents and reduce damage caused by the misapplication of the accelerator, regardless of whether any obstacles are present when reversing.- Toyota has improved the function while revising the system configuration, resulting in a product that costs 17,600 yen less than the existing product.- This system conforms to the performance certification system developed by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport, and Tourism in April 2020 for retrofit pedal misapplication acceleration suppression systems. (The system received the first approval from the ministry.)By combining its existing ICS and retrofit device functions with the Acceleration Suppression function, Toyota believes it can further reduce the number of serious accidents caused by pedal misapplication in parking lots and other areas. This will enable customers, especially those worried about possible pedal misapplication accidents, to enjoy greater safety and security.Toyota is not developing and selling these functions for Toyota vehicles alone but has extensively shared the operational logic of the Acceleration Suppression function with other Japanese automakers.The declining trend in the number of road traffic fatalities in Japan notwithstanding, more than 3,000 precious lives are still lost every year. Led by the belief that "the first step in joyous mass production is safety," Toyota intends to contribute to the elimination of traffic fatalities and injuries--the ultimate goal of a mobility society--using a three-pillar approach: 1) through improvements to car safety; 2) through educational initiatives to help inform people, such as the Support Toyota programs that promote further understanding of safety functions; and 3) through activities that seek to improve road traffic environments. At the same time, Toyota Would like to contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)*4 specified by the United Nations, through the approach to safety.(1) Vehicles without ICS manufactured between December 2015 and June 2020.(2) Launch planned in November 2020 for Sai (for vehicles manufactured between October 2009 and February 2018)Launch planned in January 2021 for Crown (for vehicles manufactured between February 2008 and December 2012) and Mark X (for vehicles manufactured between October 2009 and November 2016).(3) Other costs and expenses such as installation costs are not included.(4) The International Goals to 2030, adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in September 2015. It is a comprehensive set of 17 goals (social issues) for achieving a sustainable society.About Toyota Motor CorporationToyota Motor Corporation (TMC) is the global mobility company that introduced the Prius hybrid-electric car in 1997 and the first mass-produced fuel cell sedan, Mirai, in 2014. Headquartered in Toyota City, Japan, Toyota has been making cars since 1937. Today, Toyota proudly employs 370,000 employees in communities around the world. Together, they build around 10 million vehicles per year in 29 countries, from mainstream cars and premium vehicles to mini-vehicles and commercial trucks, and sell them in more than 170 countries under the brands Toyota, Lexus, Daihatsu and Hino. For more information, please visit www.toyota-global.com.Source: Toyota Motor CorporationCopyright 2020 JCN Newswire . All rights reserved. ITC Secure forms new strategic partnership with Identity Experts to expand managed security services and cyber security offerings ITC Secure (ITC), the managed security services provider (MSSP) and specialist advisory firm, and Identity Experts, Microsoft Gold Partner for Security, have formed a strategic partnership to offer fully managed security services built on Microsoft's cutting-edge security stack. This announcement formalises the partnership between the two companies and addresses the growing need for cloud-based solutions and integrated technology to support organisations' IT estates based in the cloud and on-premise. This need is especially important today as perimeter-less security increasingly becomes the new normal. Through this partnership Identity Experts will expand its Microsoft SOC services, delivered from ITC's internationally accredited state-of-the-art Security Operations Centre, 24 hours a day. This cooperation enables close collaboration between ITC's security analysts and Identity Expert's deep Microsoft security expertise. The partnership is being launched with a joint Sentinel SOC-as-a-Service offering that is already live with several commercial customers. This multi-layered solution utilises Microsoft's cloud-native SIEM technology, Azure Sentinel, to deliver advanced threat hunting and managed detection and response. By combining machine learning and artificial intelligence with human expertise and insight, this solution enables businesses to confidently defend against the cyber threats of tomorrow. This partnership also brings a comprehensive approach to cyber security and risk management, providing round the clock, end-to-end solutions, supported by Microsoft-qualified experts. Customers deploying these services will benefit from substantial savings compared to traditional security offerings which will further enable their digital transformation. Arno Robbertse, Chief Executive of ITC Secure said "we are proud to partner with Identity Experts to expand our range of managed security services built on the Microsoft security stack. We are excited to offer customers market leading solutions in the face of ever-increasing cyber threats, securing the digital world to make it a safer place to do business." David Murrell, Chief Executive of Identity Experts said "we're thrilled to begin this journey with the team at ITC Secure. This partnership brings together two well-established Microsoft security partners and gives organisations the opportunity to benefit from a joined up and transformative offering." -ENDS- About ITC Secure ITC, backed by C5 Capital, is a full-service cyber security solutions provider founded in 1995 and headquartered in London. At the heart of ITC's cyber services is a 24-hour manned Security Operations Centre. From this centre of excellence, ITC's teams deliver high quality managed security services to help organisations manage the growing complexity of cyber threats and securely support their digital transformation. ITC's cyber advisors support customers from our London and Washington DC offices, driving cyber security change inside organisations and helping them make the right security investment choices. ITC has over two decades of experience delivering cyber security solutions to organisations in over 180 countries. ITC is making the digital world a safer place to do business. Website: itcsecure.com LinkedIn: ITC Secure Twitter: @ITC_secure About Identity Experts Identity Experts is a distinguished, UK-based Microsoft Gold Partner, focused on securing customer identities across on-premise, cloud, and hybrid environments. Since 2014, our passionate team of experts has worked alongside organisations to provide a holistic approach to their technological needs, backed by experience and ever-expanding knowledge, and our partner relationships. Together, we help to ensure our customers' security, create savings on resources like time and cost, and underpin further organisational transformation. We are the experts in what we do. Website: www.identityexperts.co.uk LinkedIn: Identity Experts Twitter: @IdentityExperts View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200701005116/en/ Contacts: Sophia Casimir sophia.casimir@itcsecure.com Top-line results expected Q4 2020 WURZBURG, Germany, July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- vasopharm GmbH, a privately held biopharmaceutical company focusing on novel therapeutics for the treatment of cerebrovascular diseases, is pleased to announce today that the Last Patient Last Visit (LPLV) in its phase 3 NOSTRA III clinical trial occurred on June 17, 2020. The NOSTRA trial (NOSynthase in TRAumatic Brain Injury) is a pivotal European trial assessing the efficacy and safety of Ronopterin (VAS203) for the treatment of moderately to severely injured closed head traumatic brain (TBI) injury patients. Current approaches to the treatment of acute TBI focus on short term patient mortality and have no significant impact on reducing long-term physical and cognitive deficits. The NOSTRA III trial is a placebo-controlled, randomised, double-blind, multi-centre study in five countries at 29 investigational sites in Austria, France, Germany, Spain and the UK. 223 patients have been enrolled on the trial. The company remains on schedule to deliver headline data in Q4 2020. Frank Tegtmeier, PhD, Chief Scientific Officer of vasopharm, commented; "We are very pleased to have reached another significant milestone for our lead drug candidate Ronopterin. It is the first drug which targets both blood vessels and tissue of the brain and represents a completely novel pharmacological approach. We are deeply grateful to the investigators and their teams who continued their trial related work in an outstanding manner, especially during these challenging times of COVID-19." Prof. Dr. Erich Schmutzhard, Medical University of Innsbruck, Austria and Chief Investigator for the trial said: "vasopharm's innovative and differentiated approach has the potential to offer new, advanced treatment options to acute TBI patients and we are looking forward to evaluating this promising and unique target. It is very exciting to see the completion of the NOSTRA III trial and we believe VAS203 will provide physicians with a real opportunity to reduce long-term sequelae of TBI, thereby improving long-term outcomes of TBI patients." NOSTRA III's primary endpoint is the extended Glasgow Outcome Scale (eGOS) at six months post-trauma; secondary endpoints include Quality of Life (QOLIBRI) at six months post-trauma, QOLIBRI overall scale (QOLIBRI-OS) at three and six months post trauma, eGOS at three months post-trauma, Therapy Intensity Level (TIL) over 14 days after start of treatment and the number of craniectomies. About vasopharm GmbH vasopharm is a drug development company focused on small molecule therapeutics for treatment of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). vasopharm's lead drug candidate VAS203 (INN Ronopterin) is currently in the Phase III NOSTRA trial assessing efficacy and safety of VAS203 for the treatment of moderately to severely injured closed head traumatic brain injury patients. Current approaches to the treatment of acute TBI focus on short term patient mortality and have no significant impact on reducing long-term physical and cognitive deficits. VAS203 avoids unwanted side effects, combined with unprecedented clinical efficacy. The European regulator, EMA has granted the drug orphan drug designation for moderate to severe brain injury. vasopharm was founded in July 1998 as a spin-off from the University of Wuerzburg Medical School by Harald Schmidt, MD, PhD, Professor of Pharmacology and Toxicology, and Ulrich Walter, MD, Professor of Clinical Biochemistry and Pathobiochemistry. To date, the company has raised about Euros 50 million through several financing rounds from various Family Investment Offices and Venture Investors. See https://www.vasopharm.com/ for further details. About Traumatic Brain Injury Traumatic brain injury (TBI) occurs when a sudden trauma, such as a road traffic accident, or a fall, causes damage to the brain. Every year, over 2,500,000 patients sustain a traumatic brain injury in Europe, of that 1,000,000 are admitted to hospital, and 75,000 of these will die, with a further 100,000 being left disabled. TBI is the leading cause of death and disability in young adults. Traumatic brain injury results in more lost working years than cancers, stroke and HIV/AIDS together. On a global scale, the number of life years lost due to traumatic brain injury is four times that of diabetes-related loss. Moderate and severe head injury (respectively) are associated with a 2.3 and 4.5 times increased risk of Alzheimer's disease. See https://www.center-tbi.eu/ for more information. About VAS203 (Ronopterin) VAS203 is an analogue of the natural co-factor tetrahydrobiopterin, which is involved in the generation of nitric oxide by the Nitric Oxide Synthase (NOS) family of enzymes. The mechanism of action of VAS203 is believed to confer selective down regulation of inducible NOS (iNOS) without significantly inhibiting the function of other NOS enzymes. It is believed that iNOS has a significant involvement in the cascade of damaging sequelae following a traumatic brain injury. VAS203 is (4-amino-(6R,S)-5,6,7,8-tetrahydro-L-biopterin dihydrochloride dihydrate) a structural analogue of (6R)-5,6,7,8-tetrahydro-L-biopterin, the endogenous cofactor of NOS and phenylalanine hydroxylase. About NOSTRA III NOSTRA III is a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. The study has enrolled 223 patients who have suffered a moderate to severe TBI resulting in hospitalisation and who have received an intra-cranial pressure probe. 29 European neuro-trauma centres in Germany, Austria, France, UK and Spain are participating. The primary endpoint is the eGOS evaluated at six months after the injury. Secondary efficacy assessments include Quality of Life (QOLIBRI) as well as Therapy Intensity Level (TIL) over 14 days after brain injury. NOSTRA III* is a registration trial which seeks to validate the data from the highly significant NOSTRA II trial. The study aims to confirm the data from a Phase II trial in which VAS203 has shown a (2 point) improvement in the extended Glasgow Outcomes Score. *Efficacy of Ronopterin (VAS203) in patients with moderate and severe traumatic brain injury (NOSTRA phase III trial): Study protocol of a confirmatory, placebo controlled, randomised, double-blind multi-centre study. https://trialsjournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13063-019-3965-4 GEORGETOWN, Cayman Islands, July 1, 2020 /CNW/ - CoinPayments , the world's leading cryptocurrency payments processor, today debuted its new branding as part of a significant push toward strategic growth in 2020. The changes are reflected in a redesigned logo and all forthcoming external communications. "A fresh, vibrant look and a sharp new logo are critical building blocks in our plans for 2020," said CoinPayments CEO Jason Butcher. "We're well on our way to a significant growth story this year and this new brand positioning will build on the foundation we've already created." The new brand is a continuation of the industry-leading customer support and merchant services provided by CoinPayments currently. "We're here to take on a leadership role in the crypto payments industry", explained CoinPayments Chief Marketing Officer Ray Torresan. "This new brand is a message: we are the only company to deliver the easiest solution to digital currency transactions for any merchant, anywhere." During and after the rebrand, all existing platform functionality will remain the same. About CoinPayments CoinPayments is the easiest, fastest and most secure way for merchants worldwide to transact in cryptocurrencies. It is the first and largest cryptocurrency payments processor with more than US $5 billion in total transactions to date, while supporting more than 1,900 coins, and is the preferred cryptocurrency payment solution for merchants and eCommerce platform providers worldwide. Founded in 2013, CoinPayments is dedicated to providing clients with fast, secure and user-friendly crypto payment APIs, shopping cart plugins, digital wallets, and a host of other solutions supporting cryptocurrency payment applications. Learn more at: https://www.coinpayments.net/ Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1198745/CoinPayments_CoinPayments_Announces_New_Branding_as_Part_of_2020.jpg Elanders will issue its Quarterly Report for the second quarter 2020 on Wednesday July 15 at 08:00 CET, followed by a conference call at 09:00 CET, hosted by President and CEO Magnus Nilsson and CFO Andreas Wikner. We invite fund managers, analysts and the media to participate in the conference call. Please see below details to join the conference. To join this event, please use the below Click to Join link 5-10 minutes prior to start time, where you will be asked to enter your phone number and registration details. Our Event Conferencing system will call you on the phone number you provide and place you into the event. Please note that the Click To Join link will be active 15 minutes prior to the event. CLICK TO JOIN Use the Click to Join option above for the easiest way to join your conference or use one of the access numbers below: Sweden: +46 (0)8 5033 6573 Germany: +49 (0)69 2222 13426 UK: +44 (0)330 336 9104 USA: +1 929-477-0630 Participant Passcode: 808583 Agenda 08:50 Conference number is opened 09:00 Presentation of quarterly results 09:20 Q&A 10:00 End of the conference During the conference call a presentation will be held. To access the presentation, please use this link: https://www.elanders.com/presentations For further questions, please contact Magnus Nilsson, President and CEO, telephone: +46 31 750 07 50 Andreas Wikner, CFO, telephone: +46 31 750 07 50 Attachment LONDON (dpa-AFX) - Aerospace and defence company Babcock International Group Plc. (BAB.L) announced Wednesday the appointment of David Lockwood as CEO, succeeding Archie Bethel, who announced earlier his intention to retire. Lockwood will join the company and the Board on August 17 as CEO designate and will become CEO on September 14. At that time, Bethel will step down from the Board after over 16 years with the company. Previously, Lockwood was CEO of defence company Cobham plc. Prior to that, he was CEO of Laird PLC, a FTSE 250 technology company, from 2012 to 2016. He had also worked with BT Global Services, BAE Systems and Thales Corp. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. Your Holiday Shopping Magazine to Emporia and area businesses. Also visit ShopEmporiaKansas.com to shop Emporia businesses who are online. Start your online shopping here. VIEW NOW WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Norpac Fisheries Export is recalling shrimp poke citing potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said in a statement. The recall involves all fresh shrimp poke distributed between May 11 and June 25 in the Hawaiian Island. The product was supplied on The Big Island, Maui, Oahu, and Kauai through its retail customers, specifically Safeway Stores. The product is distributed as pre-mixed in plastic pouches. The agency noted that any fresh shrimp poke purchased from their stores from May 11 through June 25 would be potentially contaminated. Listeria monocytogenes is an organism that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people. It can also cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women. The company identified the potential Listeria contamination in the product during the routine Food Safety monitoring procedures. However, the company has not reported any illnesses to date. Consumers are asked to return the Fresh Shrimp Poke to the place of purchase for a full refund. In similar recalls due to Listeria concerns, Ramar Foods in mid-May called back one flavor of Peekaboo ice cream sold through Target stores in four states. In May, Listeria-contaminated Enoki mushrooms, which are generally popular in East Asian cuisine, had led to the death of four people and hospitalization of around 30 people. Following this, H&C Food Inc., Sun Hong Foods, Inc. and Guan's Mushroom Co. recalled Enoki Mushroom, produced in Korea. Earlier, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service or FSIS had issued warning against consumption of hard boiled eggs recalled by egg supplier Almark Foods following Listeria illness outbreak in multiple states. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. LONDON, July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Algeco Group, the leading modular space leasing business in Europe and Asia Pacific, is pleased to announce the completion of the acquisition of Wexus Group AS ("Wexus"). This follows the announcement on 4 June 2020 that Algeco had agreed to acquire Wexus from Norvestor Equity AS and other shareholders. The transaction was subject to review by the Norwegian competition authority, which has now approved the acquisition. This transaction will further strengthen Algeco's position in the attractive Nordic modular space market that has grown at a CAGR of 12% from 2015 to 2018. Growth is expected to continue to be driven by long-term public sector contracts and infrastructure investment. Wexus is a leading provider of high-quality modular building solutions in the Nordic region. Headquartered in Norway, Wexus also has operations in Sweden and a modern wooden module production facility in Estonia that can support Algeco's enlarged business. Wexus operates a fleet of c. 1,600 units, has c. 110 employees and revenues of c. 35m in the twelve months to March 2020. Mark Higson, Algeco's Chief Executive Officer, said: "I am delighted to bring Wexus into the Algeco Group. This transaction further builds on Algeco's leading position in the highly attractive Nordic modular space market. We look forward to working closely with the highly experienced Wexus management team as they continue to lead this business and build Wexus' established track record of sustained revenue growth." Egil Messmer, Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Wexus Group, said: "We are excited to be embarking on the next stage in Wexus' journey, as we join Europe's leading modular space provider. The combination of our Nordic platform, together with Algeco's international expertise and scale will lead to even greater value creation as we move forward. " About Wexus Group AS Wexus Group focuses on the sale and rental of modular buildings for public projects, infrastructure, construction and oil & gas sectors in Norway and Sweden. It was established by a management team with over 75 years' experience in the sector. Wexus provides flexible solutions to its customers using its modern factory in Estonia that has its own Technical Approvals from Sintef. About Algeco Algeco is the world's leading business services company specialising in modular space. We create smart spaces for people to live, work and learn. Our business is designed to help customers find the right space solution, no matter what their requirements. Algeco has operations in 23 countries with approximately 250,000 modular space and portable storage units and 3,400 remote accommodations rooms. The company operates as Algeco in Europe, Elliott in the United Kingdom, BUKO Huisvesting and BUKO Bouw & Winkels in The Netherlands, Malthus Uniteam in Norway, Ausco in Australia, Portacom in New Zealand, and Algeco Chengdong in China. For further information: Investor relations: Phil Vellacott investor.relations@algeco.com 07841-563541 Media enquiries: Tulchan Communications algeco@tulchangroup.com 0207-353-4200 SAN FRANCISCO (dpa-AFX) - The California Department of Fair Employment and Housing or DFEH sued Cisco Systems, Inc. and two former managers for caste-based discrimination, harassment, and retaliation. In a statement, the agency said it filed a federal lawsuit alleging that managers at Cisco's San Jose headquarters campus, which employs a predominantly South Asian workforce, discriminated against an engineer because he is Dalit Indian, a population once known as the 'untouchables' under India's centuries-old caste system. According to a 2018 survey of South Asians in the U.S., 67% of Dalits were reported being treated unfairly at their American workplaces. In the lawsuit, the DFEH alleged that the engineer was expected to accept a caste hierarchy within the workplace where he held the lowest status within a team of higher-caste colleagues. The person was expected to receive less pay, fewer opportunities, and other inferior terms and conditions of employment because of his religion, ancestry, national origin/ethnicity, and race/color. DFEH Director Kevin Kish said, 'It is unacceptable for workplace conditions and opportunities to be determined by a hereditary social status determined by birth. Employers must be prepared to prevent, remedy, and deter unlawful conduct against workers because of caste.' California Assembly Bill No. 1820, which went into effect on January 1, 2020, authorizes DFEH to file lawsuits for violations of certain federal civil rights laws. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. Atlas, a global leader in autonomous unmanned aerial systems (UAS) operating in the U.S., U.K. and EU, announced it has been chosen as a UAS provider for the Norwegian People's Aid (NPAID) Search and Rescue (SAR) Mid-Troms unit, due to its unique capabilities in extreme conditions. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200701005376/en/ AtlasPRO operation in NPAID's Arctic SAR Training (Photo: Business Wire) The NPAID Mid-Troms unit is a volunteer SAR unit operating in northern Norway specializing in first response and lifesaving operations in extreme Arctic environments. The unit covers a region of Arctic Norway famous for its sparsely populated mountain ranges and Fjords. The NPAID team ensures the safety of tourists in the region, especially as adventure tourism continues to increase. As a highly sophisticated and professional task force, NPAID Mid-Troms is an early adopter of new technologies and its project team is constantly seeking tools aimed at optimizing SAR operations. The team selected Atlas as its UAS provider and uses the AtlasPRO in its missions. Due to its unsurpassed capabilities and reliability, the AtlasPRO is transforming SAR operations in extreme Arctic conditions. Atlas redefines "man-unmanned teaming" with its robust UAS solutions, designed to be a force multiplier for first responders on the ground. The solutions enable consistent lifesaving operations in extreme conditions, including Arctic weather scenarios. The AtlasPRO drone can operate autonomously, enabling the operator to focus solely on search and rescue, and is being used by different SAR forces in NATO countries. "Working on lifesaving operations in extreme environments means that every minute counts. Our volunteers require a unique set of skills, but also the best working tools that can deliver fast and accurate results through every mission and challenge, especially during cold temperatures and the winter darkness period, at remote sites and off-grid no-connectivity locations," said Kenneth Brattli Molund, unit leader and RPAS project SAR technology integration manager at NPAID in Mid-Troms. "We have chosen the AtlasPRO for its ability to withstand and deliver unique sensor setups and operate in harsh conditions, and also due to Atlas' capabilities as a technology design-house, that allow us to dream bigger and co-design better, faster and safer SAR solutions." Atlas' award-winning MESH communication capabilities allow users to operate several UAVs in tandem from one control station, enabling hours of consistent surveillance over a point of interest in a BVLOS scenario. This provides comprehensive situational awareness for team members on the ground using multi-stream capabilities to numerous smart devices. These capabilities result in greater cost-effectiveness for defense and SAR units across the globe. "We are proud that our technology is changing SAR paradigms and assisting NPAID Mid-Troms' professional volunteers in these lifesaving operations," said Ivan Tolchinsky, founder and CEO at Atlas. "By enabling a robust drone that provides consistent data in every terrain or weather condition, the AtlasPRO fulfills our company vision to save lives." Later this year, Atlas and NPAID Mid-Troms are scheduled to reveal a new product that will change the paradigm of avalanche SAR operations and will enable UAS capabilities that have never been used before. Atlas is a world-leading aerospace company that is redefining the unmanned industry with smart, connected and cost-effective unmanned aerial systems. Atlas robust drones can be operated autonomously enabling the operator to focus on mission objectives. Atlas' proprietary and award-winning multi-point communication technology, AtlasMESH, is enhanced with artificial intelligence, enabling operation of drone fleets that result in smart mission distribution, flight optimization and data understanding. The company designs and manufactures its product in the E.U. and provides its technology to leading NATO governments, first responders, and multibillion-dollar corporations in the fields of security and industry. https://www.atlasdynamics.eu/ NAS Norse Asset Solutions is the in-country Atlas system representative and project solution partner towards NPAID. NAS offers and supplies Atlas systems for Norway and Scandinavia. www.NorseAssetSolutions.com NPAID (Norsk Folkehjelp) division Mid-Troms is a local and geographical entity part of an international large organisation working on supporting and solving demanding missions that are in challenging environments. NPAID have the following main work scopes and tasks; Mine Action and Disarmament, Development Cooperation, First Aid and Rescue Service and Refugees and integration. NPAID Mid-Troms are consisting of Arctic SAR specialists performed by qualified volunteers with unique competency and highest level of commitment easily allowing them to be compared to units and capacity consisting of full-time and professional SAR (Search and Rescue) units. https://www.npaid.org/ https://folkehjelp.no/lokallag/midt-troms View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200701005376/en/ Contacts: John Pascarella, jpascarella@aboutsage.com (on behalf of Atlas) -- Acquisition brings together two pan-European organizations that have long championed competition, open access and clearing interoperability in Europe -- Cboe plans to introduce a modern, vibrant pan-European derivatives market, launching futures and options on six key European equity indices in first half of 2021 -- Investor call scheduled for July 2 at 8:30 am ET to discuss Cboe's pan-European derivatives strategy CHICAGO and LONDON, July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Cboe Global Markets, Inc. (Cboe: CBOE), one of the world's largest exchange holding companies, today announced it has completed its acquisition of EuroCCP, a leading pan-European equities clearing house. The acquisition paves the way for the planned launch of Cboe Europe Derivatives, a new Amsterdam-based futures and options market, in the first half of 2021, subject to regulatory approvals. The transaction brings together two companies that have long championed competition, open access and clearing interoperability in Europe. EuroCCP currently clears trades for 37 trading venues, which represent close to 95 percent of all equity trades executed on organised markets in Europe. Cboe sees an opportunity to further grow this business by capitalising on the strength of its pan-European network, and by pursuing the development of derivatives trading and clearing capabilities in the region. As part of the transaction, EuroCCP put in place a committed credit facility of up to 1.5 billion. This facility is an important part of a number of new tools and procedures designed to strengthen the firm's liquidity risk management framework and help ensure EuroCCP continues to meet relevant liquidity requirements under the European Market Infrastructure Regulation (EMIR). Ed Tilly, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Cboe Global Markets, said: "This acquisition is a significant milestone for our European business. Full ownership of a leading equities clearing house not only enhances our current European equities business, but also provides opportunities to diversify our business into trading and clearing derivatives in the region. We are delighted to welcome the EuroCCP team to Cboe Global Markets." David Howson, President of Cboe Europe, said: "This deal marks the beginning of the next chapter for Cboe Europe and, together with EuroCCP, we couldn't be more excited to further deliver on our pan-European mission by planning the launch of Cboe Europe Derivatives. We have listened to the needs of market participants and are designing this new market from a pan-European point-of-view, leveraging our global derivatives expertise, European equities footprint, and world-class technology to build a more efficient equity derivatives market." Cecile Nagel, Chief Executive Officer of EuroCCP, said: "We believe this transaction positions EuroCCP for continued success. In addition to building out our derivatives clearing services, we see many opportunities to collaborate with Cboe to expand our product offering across asset classes. With our shared values and focus on innovation and client service, together with Cboe we can do even more to advance capital markets in Europe." Unlocking the Potential of the European Derivatives Market Cboe plans to launch Cboe Europe Derivatives in the first half of 2021, subject to regulatory approvals. This Amsterdam-based market is expected to initially offer trading in equity futures and options based on six Cboe Europe Indices: the Cboe Eurozone 50, Cboe UK 100, Cboe Netherlands 25, Cboe Switzerland 20, Cboe Germany 30, and Cboe France 40 - all calculated using Cboe market data1. Cboe plans to add futures and options on additional European benchmarks at a later date, based on customer demand. EuroCCP will provide clearing services for the platform, subject to regulatory approval. Additional information about Cboe's launch plans is available on the Cboe website. Industry veteran Ade Cordell, who joined Cboe Europe earlier this year to oversee Cboe's expansion into European derivatives, has been appointed President of Cboe NL, subject to regulatory approval. This is Cboe's Netherlands-based exchange which launched in October 2019 and will be the future home to Cboe Europe Derivatives. Ade Cordell, President of Cboe NL, said: "There is an opportunity to improve the existing European derivatives market structure and unlock its true potential through the creation of a transparent, efficient, lit pan-European market. Our pan-European model will enable all market participants to access a modern derivatives market through a single access point, creating efficiencies in trading and clearing." Cboe has a long and successful history of innovation in the derivatives industry as founder of the listed options market in the U.S. and the creator of numerous groundbreaking products. The company plans to leverage this asset class expertise to bring the respected and transparent on-screen market structure utilized in the U.S. to Europe. EuroCCP continues to operate as an independent subsidiary, retaining its name and continued leadership by Cecile Nagel. EuroCCP is headquartered in Amsterdam and regulated by De Nederlandsche Bank and by Autoriteit Financiele Markten. Additionally, Cboe reaffirmed its previously disclosed earnings per share impact related to the acquisition of EuroCCP and its investment to build out pan-European derivatives trading and clearing, which are expected to reduce earnings per share by about $0.08 to $0.10 in 2020 and 2021. However, the company now expects the impact to be at the higher end of the range, primarily reflecting higher than originally projected facility fees associated with EuroCCP's new 1.5 billion backup line of credit. Investor Conference Call Information: Cboe Global Markets will host an investor conference call Thursday, July 2, 2020 at 8:30 AM (Eastern Time) to discuss its pan-European derivatives strategy and launch plans.Ed Tilly and David Howson will host the conference call. A live audio webcast for the conference call and the presentation that will be referenced during the call will be available on the Investor Relations section of Cboe's website at http://ir.cboe.com under Events & Presentations. The presentation will be archived on the company's website for replay. Participants also may listen to the live conference call via telephone by using the dial-in numbers listed below. Date: Thursday, July 2, 2020 Time: 7:30 a.m. CT (8:30 a.m. ET) Live Dial-In Information U.S.: 1-877-255-4313 Canada: 1-866-450-4696 International: 1-412-317-5466 (Participants should dial in 10 minutes prior to the start of the presentation and ask to join the Cboe Global Markets call.) Replay Dial-In Information U.S.: 1-877-344-7529 Canada: 1-855-669-9658 International: 1-412-317-0088 A replay of the recording is expected to be available one hour after the conference call ends. The replay access code will be 10145642, which will be good through July 9, 2020. PJT Partners acted as exclusive financial advisor to EuroCCP, Allen & Overy acted as exclusive legal counsel to EuroCCP and Greentarget acted as communications strategy advisor to EuroCCP on the transaction. Cboe's legal counsel on the transaction was Macfarlanes LLP and Norton Rose Fulbright LLP. About Cboe Global Markets, Inc. Cboe Global Markets (Cboe: CBOE) is one of the world's largest exchange holding companies, offering cutting-edge trading and investment solutions to investors around the world. The company is committed to defining markets to benefit its participants and drive the global marketplace forward through product innovation, leading edge technology and seamless trading solutions. The company offers trading across a diverse range of products in multiple asset classes and geographies, including options, futures, U.S. and European equities, exchange-traded products (ETPs), global foreign exchange (FX) and volatility products based on the Cboe Volatility Index (VIX Index), recognized as the world's premier gauge of U.S. equity market volatility. Cboe's subsidiaries include the largest options exchange and the third largest stock exchange operator in the U.S. In addition, the company operates one of the largest stock exchanges by value traded in Europe and is a leading market globally for ETP listings and trading. The company is headquartered in Chicago with a network of domestic and global offices across the Americas, Europe and Asia, including main hubs in New York, London, Kansas City and Amsterdam. For more information, visit www.cboe.com. Cboe Europe Limited is a Recognised Investment Exchange regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and is a company registered in England and Wales with Company Number 6547680 and registered office at The Monument Building, 11 Monument Street, London EC3R 8AF. Cboe Europe B.V. is a Regulated Market supervised by the Netherlands Authority for the Financial Markets, and is a company registered in the Netherlands with registered company number 72273968 and registered office is located at Gustav Mahlerlaan 1212, 1081 LA Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Cboe Europe Limited and Cboe Europe B.V. are wholly-owned subsidiaries of Cboe Global Markets, Inc.. This material has been established for information purposes only. None of the information concerning the services or products described in this document constitutes advice or a recommendation of any product or service. To the extent that the information provided in this document constitutes a financial promotion as defined by relevant legislation, it is only directed at persons who qualify as a Professional Client or Eligible Counterparty. Persons who do not qualify should not act on or rely upon it. Media Contacts Analyst Contact Europe: Tim Cave U.S.: Angela Tu Debbie Koopman +44 (0) 7593 506 719 +1-646-856-8734 +1-312-786-7136 tcave@cboe.com atu@cboe.com dkoopman@cboe.com CBOE-EE CBOE-C CBOE-OE Cboe, Cboe Volatility Index, VIX and Cboe Global Markets are registered trademarks of Cboe Exchange, Inc. All other trademarks and service marks are the property of their respective owners. Cautionary Statements Regarding Forward-Looking Information This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 that involve a number of risks and uncertainties. You can identify these statements by forward-looking words such as "may," "might," "should," "expect," "plan," "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "predict," "potential" or "continue," and the negative of these terms and other comparable terminology. All statements that reflect our expectations, assumptions or projections about the future other than statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements, which are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and assumptions about us, may include projections of our future financial performance based on our growth strategies and anticipated trends in our business. These statements are only predictions based on our current expectations and projections about future events. There are important factors that could cause our actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. We operate in a very competitive and rapidly changing environment. New risks and uncertainties emerge from time to time, and it is not possible to predict all risks and uncertainties, nor can we assess the impact of all factors on our business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements. Some factors that could cause actual results to differ include: the impact of the novel coronavirus ("COVID-19") pandemic, including changes to trading behavior broadly in the market as well as due to the temporary suspension of open outcry trading in response to COVID-19; the loss of our right to exclusively list and trade certain index options and futures products; economic, political and market conditions; compliance with legal and regulatory obligations; price competition and consolidation in our industry; decreases in trading volumes, market data fees or a shift in the mix of products traded on our exchanges; legislative or regulatory changes; our ability to protect our systems and communication networks from security risks, cybersecurity risks, insider threats and unauthorized disclosure of confidential information; increasing competition by foreign and domestic entities; our dependence on and exposure to risk from third parties; fluctuations to currency exchange rates; our index providers' ability to maintain the quality and integrity of their indexes and to perform under our agreements; our ability to operate our business without violating the intellectual property rights of others and the costs associated with protecting our intellectual property rights; our ability to attract and retain skilled management and other personnel; our ability to accommodate trading volume and transaction traffic, including significant increases, without failure or degradation of performance of our systems; misconduct by those who use our markets or our products; challenges to our use of open source software code; our ability to meet our compliance obligations, including managing potential conflicts between our regulatory responsibilities and our for-profit status; damage to our reputation; the ability of our compliance and risk management methods to effectively monitor and manage our risks; our ability to manage our growth and strategic acquisitions or alliances effectively; restrictions imposed by our debt obligations; our ability to maintain an investment grade credit rating; impairment of our goodwill, long-lived assets, investments or intangible assets; and the accuracy of our estimates and expectations. More detailed information about factors that may affect our actual results to differ may be found in our filings with the SEC, including in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019 and other filings made from time to time with the SEC. We do not undertake, and we expressly disclaim, any duty to update any forward-looking statement whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. We do not undertake, and we expressly disclaim, any duty to update any forward-looking statement whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. 1 With the exception of the Cboe Switzerland 20 Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/622233/Cboe_Logo.jpg BLACKROCK LATIN AMERICAN INVESTMENT TRUST PLC (the "Company") LEI: UK9OG5Q0CYUDFGRX4151 Voting Rights and Capital (Article 15 Transparency Directive, DTR 5.6) In conformity with the FCA's Disclosure Guidance and Transparency Rule 5.6.1R, the Company would like to notify the market of the following: As at 30 June 2020, BlackRock Latin American Investment Trust plc's capital consists of 39,259,620 Ordinary Shares of 10 cents each, carrying one vote each, excluding 2,181,662 ordinary shares held in treasury. As at 30 June 2020, the total number of voting rights for Ordinary shareholders in BlackRock Latin American Investment Trust plc is 39,259,620. Shareholders should use 39,259,620 as the denominator for the calculations by which they will determine if they are required to notify their interest in, or a change to their interest in, the Company. All enquiries: Sarah Beynsberger BlackRock Investment Management (UK) Limited, Company Secretary Tel: 0207 743 2639 1 July 2020 Adjustments to lockdowns and vaccine development will determine length of recession AMSTERDAM, July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Apart from the devastating affect COVID-19 is having on people and their families, its impact on economies around the world is expected to result in the worst recession since 1980. What makes this recession so much more impactful is that it is affecting the entire world with almost every country expected to experience negative growth in 2020. As the recession is reverberating through supply chains, Atradius expects global trade to shrink 15% this year, which historically is a sharp drop. A robust economic recovery is still in the cards for 2021, however, the pace of the recovery remains very uncertain and depends on the lifting of lockdown measures. The economic cost of this recession will be high, given its impact on labour markets, business failures and the fiscal position of countries. Governments around the world are implementing sizable fiscal packages and loose monetary policy to try and take the sharp edges off this recession. Advanced economies are expected to feel the brunt of the recession with a cumulative drop in GDP of 6.6%. The United Kingdom, already burdened by its exit from the European Union, is looking at a 10.8% decline, while the Eurozone is not expected to fair much better, showing a drop in GDP of 8.0%. The United States and Japan are forecast to experience slightly less steep declines of 6.1% and 6.0% respectively. Growth in emerging markets will also drop sharply, and the rapid increase in the spread of the coronavirus in a number of the larger emerging economies recently, means that forecasts could worsen in the coming months. China may be the only major economy able to avoid recession this year, however with only meagre growth expected, it could join the rest of the world in negative growth. Russia, which was hit by COVID-19 while in the middle of a price war with Saudi Arabia, is being severely impacted by the low oil price, its primary source of income, and lockdowns driving down demand for oil. The combination has lowered its GDP growth forecast to -6.2%. Brazil has reacted to COVID-19 very late and is now experiencing the fastest increase in infections of any country worldwide; economically it is not expected to do any better as GDP is forecast to decline 7.5%. Mexico, is experiencing a significant drop in demand from its main export partners in the US and Canada. The baseline forecast assumes that either a vaccine will be developed or that world economies will adapt to the new norm of social distancing in an economically viable way. Under these assumptions, a return to GDP growth in 2021 is anticipated, but with the growth coming at a slower pace than the decline did. However, if neither of these two assumptions take place, the outlook will become less positive. Andreas Tesch, Chief Market Officer of Atradius commented, "The lockdowns across the world, while necessary, have had a huge impact on the global economy. However, when effective and successful they will enable us to return to growth faster. During this unique period, detailed attention to credit management is essential to success." About Atradius Atradius is a global provider of credit insurance, surety and collections services, with a strategic presence in over 50 countries. The credit insurance, bond and collection products offered by Atradius protect companies around the world against the default risks associated with selling goods and services on credit. Atradius is a member of Grupo Catalana Occidente (GCO.MC), one of the largest insurers in Spain and one of the largest credit insurers in the world. You can find more information online at https://group.atradius.com. For further information: Atradius Corporate Communications Christine Gerryn Tel.: +31-20-553-2047 E-mail: christine.gerryn@atradius.com www.atradius.com Connect with Atradius on Social Media Twitter https://twitter.com/atradius LinkedIn https://linkedin.com/company/atradius YouTube https://www.youtube.com/user/atradiusgroup Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/712156/Atradius_Logo.jpg Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1198947/Atradius_Economic_Outlook_Advanced_Markets.jpg Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1198948/Atradius_Economic_Outlook_Major_Emerging_Markets.jpg CNH Industrial's global agriculture and construction equipment brands Case IH, CASE Construction Equipment and New Holland Agriculture are in the process of executing an important delivery during these exceptional times. London, July 1, 2020 From the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, CNH Industrial N.V. (NYSE: CNHI / MI: CNHI) and its brands have found innovative solutions to overcome unprecedented challenges in order to deliver mission critical equipment the world over. The latest in a series of shipments consists of agricultural machinery from Case IH and New Holland and construction equipment from CASE Construction Equipment to support Uzbekistan's agricultural sector, specifically cotton, the country's principal cash crop, with delivery to one of its largest producers. The Company has been working with the nation's key cotton harvesting players since 2018. Together, CNH Industrial's brands offer global leadership in cotton harvesting with a full-line mechanized product portfolio to serve this sector in every stage from plowing to planting, cultivating to harvesting and residue management. The order includes the following units: 120 Case IH Puma tractors made in Saint Valentin, Austria; 23 Case IH Axial-Flow 4088 combine harvesters with header attachments and 40 New Holland BC5070 balers, all produced in Harbin, China; 46 Case IH Cotton Express cotton pickers manufactured in Benson, USA; 120 plows from New Holland produced in Overum, Sweden; 10 backhoe loaders from the CASE brand, manufactured in Lecce, Italy; and CASE-branded pneumatic hammers. Financing for this order is provided by CNH Industrial Capital, the Company's global financial services business supporting customers and dealers. Given the international scope of the order and the context of the delivery in the midst of a global pandemic, the Company is working with a number of partners to realize transportation based on co-modality, incorporating a mix of transport modes for the most optimal and sustainable approach to getting the equipment to its final destination. All of this ensures timely delivery to the end customer to enable them to make full use of the equipment for the cotton harvesting season, and in some cases for the successive grain harvest. Throughout the pandemic, CNH Industrial has continued to support its global dealer network and to maintain aftermarket services. Today, the majority of CNH Industrial's 67 global plants have reopened. To ensure the health and safety of its employees, the Company has established a global COVID-19 Safety Protocol throughout its plants and logistics centers, which encompasses 48 different measures and is in compliance with local regulations in all countries in which it operates. CNH IndustrialN.V. Sign up for corporate news alerts from the CNH Industrial Newsroom: bit.ly/media-cnhindustrial-subscribe Media contacts: Laura Overall Corporate Communications Manager CNH Industrial Tel. +44 Alessia Domanico Corporate Communications - AMEA & ANZ CNH Industrial Tel. +39 331 694 6984 E-mail: media.amea@cnhind.com Attachments EP Global Opportunities Trust plc (the "Company") Total Voting Rights As a result of the purchase of 50,000 Ordinary 1p shares placed into Treasury on 30 June 2020 and in conformity with Disclosure Guidance and Transparency Rules 5.6.1 and 5.6.1A, the issued share capital and voting rights of the Company, as at 30 June 2020, were as follows: Class of share Total number of shares in circulation Number of voting rights attached to each share Total number of voting rights of shares in circulation Number of shares held in treasury (carrying no voting rights attached until issued) Total number of shares in issue Ordinary 1p Shares 39,937,725 1 39,937,725 24,571,917 64,509,642 The above total voting rights figure may be used by shareholders as the denominator for the calculations by which they will determine whether they are required to notify their interest in EP Global Opportunities Trust plc under the FCA's Disclosure Guidance and Transparency Rules. 1 July 2020 LEI: 2138005T5CT5ITZ7ZX58 Enquiries: Kenneth Greig Edinburgh Partners AIFM Limited Tel: 0131 270 3800 The Company's registered office address is: 27-31 Melville Street Edinburgh EH3 7JF BRUSSELS/FRANKFURT/PARIS (dpa-AFX) - French stocks edged lower on Wednesday as investors weighed rising U.S.-China tensions against encouraging data from China and Europe. After Chinese President Xi Jinping signed a controversial security law that gave Beijing new powers over Hong Kong, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said it's a 'sad day' for the people of the territory and warned Beijing of new countermeasures. U.S. President Donald Trump wrote on Twitter that he's 'more and more angry at China' over the new coronavirus pandemic. On the data front, the latest survey from Caixin showed the manufacturing sector in China continued to expand in June, and at a faster rate, with a manufacturing PMI score of 51.2, up from 50.7 in May. Factories across the euro area recorded a stronger performance than initially reported in June, a survey showed. The final PMI rose to a four-month high of 47.4 from 39.4 in May. The benchmark CAC 40 was down 7 points, or 0.15 percent, at 4,928 after closing down 0.2 percent the previous day. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. BRUSSELS (dpa-AFX) - U.K. stocks were modestly higher on Wednesday as investors digested positive data from China and the U.K. The latest survey from Caixin showed the manufacturing sector in China continued to expand in June, and at a faster rate, with a manufacturing PMI score of 51.2, up from 50.7 in May. The IHS Markit/CIPS U.K. manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) rose to 50.1 from 40.7 in May, unrevised from a preliminary reading. The benchmark FTSE 100 was up 10 points, or 0.2 percent, at 6,180 after declining 0.9 percent on Tuesday. John Laing Group shares plunged 10 percent. The environmental asset investment vehicle said it expects first half NAV, before deducting dividends, to show a single digit decline. Aerospace and defense company Babcock International Group jumped 4.5 percent. The company has announced the appointment of David Lockwood as CEO, succeeding Archie Bethel, who announced earlier his intention to retire. Smith & Nephew surged over 5 percent. The medical equipment manufacturing company said it expects a second quarter underlying revenue decline of around 29 percent. J Sainsbury was marginally higher after it reported first-quarter grocery sales growth of 10.5 percent, driven by very strong online growth. Aerospace, defense and energy company Meggitt rallied 2.7 percent. The company has sold its US subsidiary, Meggitt Training Systems, to a US private investment firm Pine Island Capital Partners LLC, for $146 million in cash. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. Survey reveals users take security training seriously, but may still engage in risky behaviour Trend Micro Incorporated (TYO: 4704; TSE: 4704), a global leader in cybersecurity solutions, today released survey results that show how remote workers address cybersecurity. Nearly three quarters (72%) of remote workers say they are more conscious of their organisation's cybersecurity policies since lockdown began, but many are breaking the rules anyway due to limited understanding or resource constraints. Trend Micro's Head in the Clouds study is distilled from interviews with 13,200 remote workers across 27 countries on their attitudes towards corporate cybersecurity and IT policies. It reveals that there has never been a better time for companies to take advantage of heightened employee cybersecurity awareness. The survey reveals that the approach businesses take to training is critical to ensure secure practices are being followed. The results indicate a high level of security awareness, with 85% of respondents claiming they take instructions from their IT team seriously, and 81% agree that cybersecurity within their organisation is partly their responsibility. Additionally, 64% acknowledge that using non-work applications on a corporate device is a security risk. However, just because most people understand the risks does not mean they stick to the rules. For example: 56% of employees admit to using a non-work application on a corporate device, and 66% of them have actually uploaded corporate data to that application. 80% of respondents confess to using their work laptop for personal browsing, and only 36% of them fully restrict the sites they visit. 39% of respondents say they often or always access corporate data from a personal device almost certainly breaking corporate security policy. 8% of respondents admit to watching accessing porn on their work laptop, and 7% access the dark web. Productivity still wins out over protection for many users. A third of respondents (34%) agree that they do not give much thought to whether the apps they use are sanctioned by IT or not, as they just want the job done. Additionally, 29% think they can get away with using a non-work application, as the solutions provided by their company are 'nonsense.' Dr Linda K. Kaye, Cyberpsychology Academic at Edge Hill University explains: "There are a great number of individual differences across the workforce. This can include individual employee's values, accountability within their organisation, as well as aspects of their personality, all of which are important factors which drive people's behaviours. To develop more effective cybersecurity training and practices, more attention should be paid to these factors. This, in turn, can help organisations adopt more tailored or bespoke cybersecurity training with their employees, which may be more effective." "In today's interconnected world, unashamedly ignoring cybersecurity guidance is no longer a viable option for employees," said Bharat Mistry, Principal Security Strategist, Trend Micro. "It's encouraging to see that so many take the advice from their corporate IT team seriously. Having said that, there are individuals who are either blissfully ignorant or worse still who think cybersecurity is not applicable them and will regularly flouter the rules. Hence having a one size fits all security awareness programme is a non-starter as diligent employees often end up being penalised. A tailored training programme designed to cater for employees may be more effective." The Head in the Clouds study looks into the psychology of people's behaviour in terms of cybersecurity, including their attitudes towards risk. It presents several common information security "personas" with the aim of helping organisations tailor their cybersecurity strategy in the right way for the right employee. About Trend Micro Trend Micro Incorporated, a global leader in cybersecurity solutions, helps to make the world safe for exchanging digital information. Our innovative solutions for consumers, businesses, and governments provide layered security for data centers, cloud environments, networks, and endpoints. All our products work together to seamlessly share threat intelligence and provide a connected threat defense with centralized visibility and control, enabling better, faster protection. With more than 6,000 employees in over 50 countries and the world's most advanced global threat intelligence, Trend Micro secures your connected world. For more information, visit www.trendmicro.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200701005158/en/ Contacts: Media Contact: Funda Cizgenakad media_relations@trendmicro.com Nearly CO 2 -free heating for 90 households The showcase for social, digital connected, green sustainable living has commenced in Central Europe Panasonic's global Smart Cities portfolio extended with this European Lighthouse project In place to continue surpassing competition regarding market growth in the "Residential Energy Saving Equipment" Panasonic is proud to announce the start of its innovative, CO2-saving energy solution for the smart city project, Future LivingBerlin. The urban beacon is an important project in the company's wider smart cities portfolio, which contribute to its focus on the decarbonization of society. The installation in Berlin combines both green sustainable and digital connected living. It is realised through the installation of smart energy solutions including Panasonic's highly efficient air to water heat pumps, photovoltaic (PV) panels and storage batteries integrated into an intelligent and efficient energy management system. Junichi Suzuki, Chairman and CEO of Panasonic Europe B.V comments, 'We bring to the project over 60 years of heating and cooling expertise alongside decades in PV and battery solutions, and a passion for innovations that will shape the future for generations to come. ' Panasonic has achieved strong sales growth in the relevant Energy business areas in Europe, e.g. double-digit sales growth in the air to water heat pump business for the last 10 years. The company has also committed in 2019 to grow the "Residential Energy Saving Equipment" business multiple times over by 2025. Efficient Energy Management For Panasonic, Future Living Berlin is a fundamentally important experiment in building cutting-edge energy solutions. The project marks a milestone in achieving the goals set in the strategy. Panasonic's energy experts and software engineers of its R&D Centre in Europe have developed an intelligent energy management solution to optimize the use of energy and couple electricity with the heating sector. The smart control combines heat pumps together with other efficient, green Panasonic technologies, such as PV panels. The technologies have been integrated into an efficient energy saving solution not only controlled, but also constantly optimised by Panasonic's intelligent energy management solution. Ralf Becker, Project Leader Energy Group, Panasonic R&D Centre Europe explains, 'The solution is a world first, developed with leading research institutions for decentralized energy management. In simulations together with university test labs we achieved an improvement of used energy by up to 15%.' A Beacon for Sustainable Living The core energy component of the Future Living Berlin green sustainable goal is the installed Panasonic's air to water heat pump product line-up, 'Aquarea'. A highly energy efficient technology, they run almost carbon-free when powered by the renewable energy provided by the 600 Panasonic HIT panels, which supply a capacity of 195kWp. On account of the patented silicone technology, the Panasonic photovoltaic system is 10% more efficient than conventional modules. Furthermore Panasonic's HIT technology achieves a significantly better performance in hot environments because of its superior temperature coefficient an essential advantage in coping with the climate change. Utilising the renewable energy, the air to water system is used for space heating and warm water generation. For increased performance, the heat pumps include a cloud-based connectivity feature for installers called Aquarea Service Cloud which makes them even more reliable. It saves further CO2 emissions as maintenance visits can be organized much more efficiently and partly even conducted remotely. These energy solutions are brought together under a Aquarea Smart Cloud, which allows end-users to monitor their power usage and manage temperature settings accordingly. This results in increased efficiency and comfort while enjoying transparency of their consumption. To achieve further sustainable and green objectives, residents are part of a wider ecological environment which offers green car sharing, shared washing machines, and Panasonic energy solutions Connected comfortability The digital connected goal of Future Living Berlin starts within the residential apartments. The equipment follows the idea of being smart and connected with Panasonic TVs and smart speakers being part of an overall IoT infrastructure, which includes an apartment manager as the central hub. Digital connected solutions are further extended to include wider security, safety, and smart building solutions that enhance the overall comfortability of residents. Suzuki continues, 'Future LivingBerlin is a future Way of Living of how we may live tomorrow with a focus on social, digital connected, and green sustainable living.' Panasonic is partnering in the smart city project with GSW Sigmaringen, the building-owner of Future Living Berlin. About Panasonic Panasonic Corporation is a global leader developing innovative technologies and solutions for wide-ranging applications in the consumer electronics, housing, automotive, and B2B sectors. The company, which celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2018, operates 528 subsidiaries and 72 associated companies worldwide and reported consolidated net sales of 61.9 billion Euro (7.49 trillion yen) for the year ended March 31, 2020. Committed to pursuing new value through collaborative innovation, the company uses its technologies to create a better life and a better world for customers. To learn more about Panasonic: https://www.panasonic.com/global IMAGES TO DOWNLOAD: https://www.flickr.com/photos/panasonic-europe/collections/72157714840244853/ View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200701005388/en/ Contacts: Tanya Houston Wildwood PR Ltd tanya.houston@wildwoodpr.com Tel: +44 (0)1293 851115 Niclosamide has been identified as a potent inhibitor of SARS-Cov-2 by Institut Pasteur Korea, with potency >40x higher than remdesivir UNION has leveraged existing deep knowledge of niclosamide, derivatives and formulation technologies to rapidly advance a treatment candidate for COVID-19 The Danish Medicines Agency has approved UNIONs Clinical Trial Application to initiate study with niclosamide in healthy volunteers The COVID-19 program has been awarded financial support from the Innovation Fund Denmark COPENHAGEN, Denmark, July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- UNION therapeutics A/S ("UNION"), a privately held clinical stage pharmaceutical company dedicated to the discovery and development of novel medicines for patients with unmet medical needs in inflammatory and infectious diseases, announced this morning that the Danish Medicines Agency has approved initiation of a clinical study with an optimized salt form of niclosamide as a new treatment candidate for COVID-19. Chief Medical Officer of UNION, Dr. Philippe Andres states: "The approval of our Clinical Trial Application is a major milestone, enabling us to further assess the safety and tolerability profile of UNI911 which has the potential to be a uniquely differentiated treatment candidate for COVID-19". Over a number of years, UNION has built a deep understanding of niclosamide and its mechanism of action. Professor Morten Sommer, Chief Scientific Officer and Co-founder of UNION, explains: "Niclosamide is a truly differentiated candidate for the treatment of COVID-19, with its method of action, effectively blocking replication of SARS-CoV-2 by targeting host cells to disrupt the viral life cycle. The extensive experience and data generated to date by UNION with niclosamide, and in particular optimized salt forms thereof, have enabled rapid progress leading to the successful approval of the Clinical Trial Application". CEO and Co-founder of UNION, Dr. Rasmus Toft-Kehler concludes: "UNION has been through an amazing period of process leading to approval of the Clinical Trial Application. The team, including all stakeholders, partners, physicians, Innovation Fund Denmark, The European Investment Bank, global organizations, investors and not least regulatory authorities, have acted with passion and in concert to advance UNI911 at an incredible pace. We are honored to be part of this venture and excited to be at the cusp of initiating clinical studies with the ultimate goal of making a differentiated product available for patients in need". UNION is conducting the first human study at the Zelo Phase I Unit at Bispebjerg and Frederiksberg Hopsital as well as Center for Physical Activity Research at Rigshospitalet, in collaboration with Trial Nation Denmark and the Technical University of Denmark, and with financial support from the Innovation Fund Denmark. About UNION: UNION therapeutics A/S is a privately held, clinical stage, pharmaceutical company dedicated to the development of novel treatments for inflammatory and infectious diseases. The company is working on a versatile new mode-of-action chemistry platform, including well-characterized compounds as well as new chemical entities. The leadership team of UNION has successfully developed multiple approved drugs. UNION is headquartered in Copenhagen (Denmark) and managed by an experienced team across Europe and the USA. UNION has received financial support from the European Investment Bank's InnovFin program under Horizon 2020. Visit the Company's website at https://uniontherapeutics.com About Niclosamide Niclosamide is approved as an oral anthelmintic. UNION has been working with niclosamide and the related chemical class for over six years and is currently conducting a Phase 2b study with niclosamide in atopic dermatitis patients. The Company has built extensive knowledge and intellectual property rights around the compound class, formulations and various methods of delivery as well as broadening the pipeline to cover additional diseases within inflammatory and infectious diseases. About Niclosamide in COVID-19 Recent studies undertaken by the Institut Pasteur Korea, an infectious disease-focused research institute, have identified niclosamide as one of the most potent inhibitors of SARS-Cov-2; the virus causing COVID-19 based on in vitro studies. Niclosamide has the potential to become a truly differentiated treatment of COVID-19, effectively blocking replication of SARS-CoV-2 by targeting host cells to disrupt the viral life cycle. Contact: Morten Boesen Chief Financial Officer Tel: +45-2381-5487 Email: info@uniontherapeutics.com This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com https://news.cision.com/union-therapeutics/r/union-receives-approval-from-danish-medicines-agency-to-initiate-clinical-study-with-niclosamide-for,c3145312 The following files are available for download: BRUSSELS (dpa-AFX) - The pound climbed against its major counterparts in the European session on Wednesday, as encouraging data from China and Europe allayed some of the fears over rising Covid-19 infections. The latest survey from Caixin showed the manufacturing sector in China continued to expand in June, and at a faster rate, with a manufacturing PMI score of 51.2, up from 50.7 in May. Factories across the euro area recorded a stronger performance than initially reported in June, a survey showed. The final PMI rose to a four-month high of 47.4 from 39.4 in May. The IHS Markit/CIPS U.K. manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) rose to 50.1 from 40.7 in May, unrevised from a preliminary reading. The pound strengthened to a 5-day high of 0.9050 against the euro, after falling to 0.9079 at 1:30 am ET. If the pound rises further, it may find resistance around the 0.88 level. Data from the Federal Employment Agency showed that German unemployment increased less than expected in June. The number of unemployed persons rose by 69,000 in June, compared to economists' forecast of 120,000. In May, the number of people out of work increased by 237,000. The pound appreciated to a 5-day high of 1.2414 against the greenback, from a low of 1.2359 set at 1:15 am ET. The pound is likely to challenge resistance around the 1.29 level. The pound reversed from an early low of 1.1705 against the franc, with the pair touching a 5-day high of 1.1750. On the upside, 1.24 is possibly seen as the next resistance level for the pound. In contrast, the pound held steady against the yen, after having retreated from an 8-day high of 133.95 set in the Asian session. At yesterday's close, the pair was worth 133.83. Looking ahead, U.S. ADP private payrolls data for June is scheduled for release at 8:15 am ET. In the New York session, U.S. ISM manufacturing index for June and construction spending for May are set for release. At 2:00 pm ET, the Fed releases minutes from June 9-10 meeting. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Kostenloser Wertpapierhandel auf Smartbroker.de Purchase reinforces company's wine and spirits transformation with acquisition of industry-leading direct-to-consumer and digital capabilities VICTOR, N.Y., July 01, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Constellation Brands, Inc. (NYSE: STZ and STZ.B), a leading beverage alcohol company, announced today its purchase of Empathy Wines, a high-performing, digitally-native wine brand and direct-to-consumer (DTC) platform co-founded by entrepreneur and media personality Gary Vaynerchuk with business partners Jon Troutman and Nate Scherotter. Empathy Wines focuses on producing high quality, sustainably made wines, sold direct-to-consumer through its eCommerce platform, powered by consumer insights and content-driven digital marketing. This move aligns with Constellation's wine and spirits vision to be a bold and innovative, high-end portfolio of distinctive brands and products that deliver exceptional consumer experiences. As part of the agreement, Constellation will work with the Empathy Wines team to further scale the brand's growth, while leveraging their rich consumer insights and analytics, proven brand building expertise, and high-performing digital technology to build DTC and digital capabilities that Constellation intends to scale across its wine and spirits brands to help deliver strong and sustainable growth for its portfolio. "We are committed to transforming our wine and spirits business into a high-performing brand portfolio that consistently delivers growth and shareholder value," said Bill Newlands, president and chief executive officer, Constellation Brands. "Key to our strategy is being consumer obsessed - building a direct relationship with our consumers, meeting them where they are shopping and engaging today, and pushing beyond to meet their evolving preferences well into the future. We believe Empathy Wines has the right team and approach to help us deliver exceptional brands and experiences to our consumers, and thereby industry-leading growth, by expediting our ability to more deeply connect with consumers and build the strongest direct-to-consumer and digital commerce business in the category." Vaynerchuk (founder of VaynerMedia and Creator and Host of Wine Library TV) and former VaynerMedia executives Troutman and Scherotter, set out to create quality wines made of grapes sourced from sustainable growers, and at a $20 per bottle price point that benefits both the consumer and the farmer. Empathy Wines has gained traction quickly with consumers, propelled by the founding partners' expertise in scaling consumer brands and building brand equity in a digitally-native way, while providing an elevated purchasing and delivery experience to the consumer. The brand has experienced impressive growth since its initial product launch in 2019, selling approximately 15,000 cases and acquiring more than 2,000 subscription customers to date. "Our ability to understand and 'empathize' with the modern-day wine consumer's behavior, wants, and needs has been proven through Empathy's incredible growth," said Vaynerchuk. "We are excited to replicate this modern-day, consumer-centric approach at a larger scale, and with more infrastructure, working with a portfolio of some of the most iconic brands in the world of wine, and with leadership that is making investments in a quickly evolving category." As part of the transaction, the Empathy Wines brand will be integrated into Constellation's wine and spirits brand portfolio. Empathy Wines employees, including co-founders Jon and Nate, will join the Constellation Brands family and work together with its wine and spirits organization. Vaynerchuk will continue to assist Constellation Brands and Empathy Wines in a consulting capacity. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS This news release contains forward-looking statements. All statements other than statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements. The words "expect," "intend" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain such identifying words. These statements may relate to business strategy, future operations, prospects, plans and objectives of management, as well as information concerning expected actions of third parties. All forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those set forth in, or implied by, such forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements are based on management's current expectations and should not be construed in any manner as a guarantee that such results will in fact occur or will occur on any contemplated timetable. All forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this news release and Constellation Brands undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. In addition to risks and uncertainties associated with ordinary business operations, the forward-looking statements contained in this news release are subject to other risks and uncertainties, including the accuracy of all projections and other factors and uncertainties disclosed from time-to-time in Constellation Brands' filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended February 29, 2020, which could cause actual future performance to differ from current expectations. ABOUT CONSTELLATION BRANDS At Constellation Brands (NYSE: STZ and STZ.B), our mission is to build brands that people love because we believe sharing a toast, unwinding after a day, celebrating milestones, and helping people connect, are Worth Reaching For. It's worth our dedication, hard work, and the bold calculated risks we take to deliver more for our consumers, trade partners, shareholders, and communities in which we live and work. It's what has made us one of the fastest-growing large CPG companies in the U.S. at retail, and it drives our pursuit to deliver what's next. Today, we are a leading international producer and marketer of beer, wine, and spirits with operations in the U.S., Mexico, New Zealand, and Italy. Every day, people reach for our high-end, iconic imported beer brands such as Corona Extra, Corona Light, Corona Premier, Modelo Especial, Modelo Negra, and Pacifico, and our high-quality premium wine and spirits brands, including the Robert Mondavi Brand Family, Kim Crawford, Meiomi, The Prisoner Brand Family, SVEDKA Vodka, Casa Noble Tequila, and High West Whiskey. But we won't stop here. Our visionary leadership team and passionate employees from barrel room to boardroom are reaching for the next level, to explore the boundaries of the beverage alcohol industry and beyond. Join us in discovering what's Worth Reaching For. To learn more, follow us on Twitter @cbrands and visit www.cbrands.com . MEDIA CONTACTS INVESTOR RELATIONS CONTACTS Mike McGrew 773-251-4934 / michael.mcgrew@cbrands.com (mailto:michael.mcgrew@cbrands.com) Alex Wagner 415-328-3172 / alex.wagner@cbrands.com (mailto:alex.wagner@cbrands.com) Patty Yahn-Urlaub 585-678-7483 / patty.yahn-urlaub@cbrands.com (mailto:patty.yahn-urlaub@cbrands.com) Bob Czudak 585-678-7170 / bob.czudak@cbrands.com (mailto:bob.czudak@cbrands.com) A downloadable PDF copy of this news release enhanced with multimedia links can be found here: http://ml.globenewswire.com/Resource/Download/7ff01b2a-3f49-4910-980b-59c9b598b51f Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. Technavio has been monitoring the laser marking equipment market and it is poised to grow by USD 795.04 million during 2020-2024, progressing at a CAGR of over 6% during the forecast period. The report offers an up-to-date analysis regarding the current market scenario, latest trends and drivers, and the overall market environment. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200701005101/en/ Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Global Laser Marking Equipment Market 2020-2024 (Graphic: Business Wire) Technavio suggests three forecast scenarios (optimistic, probable, and pessimistic) considering the impact of COVID-19. Please Request Free Sample Report on COVID-19 Impact The market is fragmented, and the degree of fragmentation will accelerate during the forecast period. ABB Ltd., Amonics Ltd., Coherent Inc., FANUC Corp., IPG Photonics Corp., Jenoptik AG, MKS Instruments Inc., NKT Photonics AS, OMRON Corp., and TRUMPF GmbH Co. KG. are some of the major market participants. The rise in automation will offer immense growth opportunities. To make the most of the opportunities, market vendors should focus more on the growth prospects in the fast-growing segments, while maintaining their positions in the slow-growing segments. Rise in automation has been instrumental in driving the growth of the market. Laser Marking Equipment Market 2020-2024: Segmentation Laser Marking Equipment Market is segmented as below: Product Fiber Laser Marking Equipment CO2 Laser Marking Equipment Others Geography APAC Europe North America South America To learn more about the global trends impacting the future of market research, download a free sample: https://www.technavio.com/talk-to-us?report=IRTNTR43054 Laser Marking Equipment Market 2020-2024: Scope Technavio presents a detailed picture of the market by the way of study, synthesis, and summation of data from multiple sources. Our laser marking equipment market report covers the following areas: Laser Marking Equipment Market Size Laser Marking Equipment Market Trends Laser Marking Equipment Market Industry Analysis This study identifies growing coding and marking applications in the packaging industry as one of the prime reasons driving the laser marking equipment market growth during the next few years. Laser Marking Equipment Market 2020-2024: Vendor Analysis We provide a detailed analysis of vendors operating in the laser marking equipment market, including some of the vendors such as ABB Ltd., Amonics Ltd., Coherent Inc., FANUC Corp., IPG Photonics Corp., Jenoptik AG, MKS Instruments Inc., NKT Photonics AS, OMRON Corp., and TRUMPF GmbH Co. KG. Backed with competitive intelligence and benchmarking, our research reports on the laser marking equipment market are designed to provide entry support, customer profile and M&As as well as go-to-market strategy support. Register for a free trial today and gain instant access to 17,000+ market research reports. Technavio's SUBSCRIPTION platform Laser Marking Equipment Market 2020-2024: Key Highlights CAGR of the market during the forecast period 2020-2024 Detailed information on factors that will assist laser marking equipment market growth during the next five years Estimation of the laser marking equipment market size and its contribution to the parent market Predictions on upcoming trends and changes in consumer behavior The growth of the laser marking equipment market Analysis of the market's competitive landscape and detailed information on vendors Comprehensive details of factors that will challenge the growth of laser marking equipment market vendors Table Of Contents: Executive Summary Market Landscape Market ecosystem Value chain analysis Market Sizing Market definition Market segment analysis Market size 2019 Market outlook: Forecast for 2019 2024 Five Forces Analysis Bargaining power of buyers Bargaining power of suppliers Threat of new entrants Threat of substitutes Threat of rivalry Market condition Market Segmentation by Product Market segments Comparison by Product Fiber laser marking equipment Market size and forecast 2019-2024 CO2 laser marking equipment Market size and forecast 2019-2024 Others Market size and forecast 2019-2024 Market opportunity by Product Customer Landscape Overview Geographic Landscape Geographic segmentation Geographic comparison APAC Market size and forecast 2019-2024 Europe Market size and forecast 2019-2024 North America Market size and forecast 2019-2024 MEA Market size and forecast 2019-2024 South America Market size and forecast 2019-2024 Key leading countries Market opportunity by geography Market Drivers Market Challenges Market Trends Vendor Landscape Overview Landscape disruption Vendor Analysis Vendors covered Market positioning of vendors ABB Ltd. Amonics Ltd. Coherent Inc. FANUC Corp. IPG Photonics Corp. Jenoptik AG MKS Instruments Inc. NKT Photonics AS OMRON Corp. TRUMPF GmbH Co. KG Appendix Scope of the report Currency conversion rates for US$ Research methodology List of abbreviations About Us Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focus on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200701005101/en/ Contacts: Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media Marketing Executive US: +1 844 364 1100 UK: +44 203 893 3200 Email: media@technavio.com Website: www.technavio.com/ Turbocharge Business with All-Flash Storage at Hybrid Price SHENZHEN, China, July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Huawei held its global IT Day online, with the theme of "Flash Only+ Accelerates All Industries." Huawei launched Flash Only+, a program designed to make all-flash storage benefit industries faster. "As an ICT infrastructure provider, Huawei is committed to developing AI simplified data infrastructure to help customers to accelerate digital transformation. The key technologies behind AI simplified data infrastructure are all intelligent, all IP, all cloud and all flash. Flash Only+ program is an all-flash accelerator that will bring the benefits of all-flash storage to a diverse range of industries to propel digital transformation," said by Huang Congliang, Vice President of Huawei's Data Storage and Intelligent Vision Solutions Dept. The "All-Flash" era is now. All-flash storage excels in terms of performance, reliability, space, and power consumption, but not every customer chose all-flash storage. Those who wanted to make the switch to all-flash storage are either put off by technical concerns or by its price. "Flash Only+" program eliminates the technical concerns about using all-flash storage for mission-critical services Huawei "Flash Only+" program enables customers to turbocharge mission-critical business by offering industry-best level of performance, reliability, and efficiency of OceanStor Dorado all-flash storage. Huawei OceanStor Dorado provides four-level reliability that reaches 99.99999% and tolerates 7 out of 8 controller failures without service interruption. Industry-leading performance will shoot all the way up to 20 million IOPS at a miniscule 0.1 ms latency. Customers will get the assurance of being able to replace and upgrade systems without any data migration within 10 years. "Flash Only+" program offers premium technical advantages to make all-flash storage more cost-effective "Flash Only+" program enables customers to enjoy the ultimate performance and efficiency of all-flash storage at the price of hybrid storage with the same effective capacity. Huawei OceanStor Dorado runs the effective capacity model based on the deduplication and compression capability 1 to guarantee up to 5x effective capacity to meet real-world demands. Once agreed, the effective capacity is guaranteed within the full lifecycle. The new all-flash system can lower the total cost of ownership (TCO) while delivering optimal service experience, helping improve customer attrition for their business. This program is applicable to Huawei's OceanStor Dorado 3000 V6. Customers who join the program before December 31, 2020, will turbocharge business with all-flash storage at hybrid storage prices. For more information, please contact local Huawei office or visit Flash Only+ Website. 1: The deduplication and compression ratio varies depending on the scenario. For more details, please contact local Huawei office. 2: Huawei reserves the rights to set terms and conditions for this program. Technavio has been monitoring the automotive level sensor market and it is poised to grow by USD 1497.04 million during 2020-2024, progressing at a CAGR of over 4% during the forecast period. The report offers an up-to-date analysis regarding the current market scenario, latest trends and drivers, and the overall market environment. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200701005106/en/ Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Global Automotive Level Sensor Market 2020-2024 (Graphic: Business Wire). Technavio suggests three forecast scenarios (optimistic, probable, and pessimistic) considering the impact of COVID-19. Please Request Free Sample Report on COVID-19 Impact The market is concentrated, and the degree of concentration will accelerate during the forecast period. Aptiv Plc, Continental AG, DENSO Corp., HELLA GmbH Co. KGaA, Infineon Technologies AG, Robert Bosch GmbH, TE Connectivity Ltd., Technoton, Veoneer Inc., and ZF Friedrichshafen AG are some of the major market participants. The increasing sales of passenger and commercial vehicles will offer immense growth opportunities. To make the most of the opportunities, market vendors should focus more on the growth prospects in the fast-growing segments, while maintaining their positions in the slow-growing segments. Increasing sales of passenger and commercial vehicles has been instrumental in driving the growth of the market. Automotive Level Sensor Market 2020-2024: Segmentation Automotive Level Sensor Market is segmented as below: Product Fuel Level Sensor Engine Oil Level Sensor Coolant Level Sensor Brake Fluid Level Sensor Power Steering Fluid Level Sensor Geography APAC North America Europe South America MEA To learn more about the global trends impacting the future of market research, download a free sample: https://www.technavio.com/talk-to-us?report=IRTNTR41290 Automotive Level Sensor Market 2020-2024: Scope Technavio presents a detailed picture of the market by the way of study, synthesis, and summation of data from multiple sources. Our automotive level sensor market report covers the following areas: Automotive Level Sensor Market Size Automotive Level Sensor Market Trends Automotive Level Sensor Market Industry Analysis This study identifies the growing popularity of NEMS and MEMS technologies as one of the prime reasons driving the automotive level sensor market growth during the next few years. Automotive Level Sensor Market 2020-2024: Vendor Analysis We provide a detailed analysis of vendors operating in the automotive level sensor market, including some of the vendors such as Aptiv Plc, Continental AG, DENSO Corp., HELLA GmbH Co. KGaA, Infineon Technologies AG, Robert Bosch GmbH, TE Connectivity Ltd., Technoton, Veoneer Inc., and ZF Friedrichshafen AG. Backed with competitive intelligence and benchmarking, our research reports on the automotive level sensor market are designed to provide entry support, customer profile and M&As as well as go-to-market strategy support. Register for a free trial today and gain instant access to 17,000+ market research reports. Technavio's SUBSCRIPTION platform Automotive Level Sensor Market 2020-2024: Key Highlights CAGR of the market during the forecast period 2020-2024 Detailed information on factors that will assist automotive level sensor market growth during the next five years Estimation of the automotive level sensor market size and its contribution to the parent market Predictions on upcoming trends and changes in consumer behavior The growth of the automotive level sensor market Analysis of the market's competitive landscape and detailed information on vendors Comprehensive details of factors that will challenge the growth of automotive level sensor market vendors Table Of Contents: Executive Summary Market Landscape Market ecosystem Value chain analysis Market Sizing Market definition Market segment analysis Market size 2019 Market outlook: Forecast for 2019 2024 Five Forces Analysis Five Forces Summary Bargaining power of buyers Bargaining power of suppliers Threat of new entrants Threat of substitutes Threat of rivalry Market condition Market Segmentation by Product Market segments Comparison by Product Fuel level sensor Market size and forecast 2019-2024 Engine oil level sensor Market size and forecast 2019-2024 Coolant level sensor Market size and forecast 2019-2024 Brake fluid level sensor Market size and forecast 2019-2024 Power steering fluid level sensor Market size and forecast 2019-2024 Market opportunity by Product Customer Landscape Geographic Landscape Geographic segmentation Geographic comparison APAC Market size and forecast 2019-2024 North America Market size and forecast 2019-2024 Europe Market size and forecast 2019-2024 South America Market size and forecast 2019-2024 MEA Market size and forecast 2019-2024 Key leading countries Market opportunity by geography Market Drivers Market Challenges Market Trends Vendor Landscape Landscape disruption Vendor Analysis Vendors covered Market positioning of vendors Aptiv Plc Continental AG DENSO Corp. HELLA GmbH Co. KGaA Infineon Technologies AG Robert Bosch GmbH TE Connectivity Ltd. Technoton Veoneer Inc. ZF Friedrichshafen AG Appendix Scope of the report Currency conversion rates for US$ Research methodology List of abbreviations About Us Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focus on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200701005106/en/ Contacts: Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media Marketing Executive US: +1 844 364 1100 UK: +44 203 893 3200 Email: media@technavio.com Website: www.technavio.com/ Prince Harry's reckless spending was said to be a factor in his rift with his older brother, Prince William. According to "Royals at War," a book written by investigative journalists Dylan Howard and Andy Tillett, they claim that the Duke of Sussex's "spending transformation" was one of the "fundamental factors" behind the deep crack that opened between him and Prince William. Per the authors, Prince Harry spent $7,300 months before their wedding for acupuncture as part of a "health drive." Aside from the "wellness splurge," which included massages and aromatherapy, Meghan Markle also spent around $490,000 on maternity clothes. With the Duchess of Sussex spending so much cash, it rang alarm bells with Queen Elizabeth II, who grew up conservative. "Growing up in the war left the monarch with a built-in sense of frugality and economy despite being one of the world's richest women," an insider told Tillett and Howard. Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have also said to have enjoyed a "babymoon" at Heckfield Place, a luxurious spa in Hampshire. The couple stayed there for three nights, and the damages were around $40,500. When moving into Frogmore Cottage, they spent almost $3 million of taxpayer's money on refurbishing their home, which they later vowed to pay under Megxit terms. Kate Middleton Worries for Prince Harry Everybody in the royal family was concerned when Prince Harry was in a rush to marry American actress, Meghan Markle. Everybody, especially his sister-in-law, Kate Middleton. The authors further claimed that the Duchess of Cambridge urged Prince Harry to take things slow with his girlfriend because it would take "time, care, and attention" for the actress to integrate with the family. "She gently reminded him that he was dating someone with a completely different life, past, and career, and it would take some time, care and attention for them to integrate," the authors wrote. But all concerns were thrown out of the way because in May 2018, Prince Harry married Meghan Markle. Since then, the Duke of Sussex's relationship with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge is broken, especially after Prince Harry and Meghan Markle moved to the US with their son, Archie. Prince William's Well-Intended Concern Aside from Kate Middleton's warning, Prince William also had concerns of his own that he told Prince Harry about it. According to royal insiders who told the authors, the Duke of Cambridge took his brother to the side and asked him, '" Is she the right one?'" just after meeting her. The book claims that, though Prince William's intention was good, Prince Harry didn't like how it looked and meant. The Duke was even convinced that the royal family and the palace aides were so against him and his then-girlfriend. But the feud would have been avoided, said Tillett and Howard, "if only Prince Harry were able to empathize and take his brother's concerns in the spirit that they were intended." Prince Harry Sees Princess Diana in Meghan Markle "Royals At War" also revealed that the only reason why Prince Harry is so drawn to Meghan Markle is because of her "confidence, commitment, drive and ambition," just some of the characteristics that his mom, Princess Diana, had. Tillett and Howard disclosed that subconsciously, the Duke of Sussex, was seeking a figure that would replace his mother. A source told the authors, "Harry feels he couldn't protect his mother, so he's going all out to protect his wife. He is so sensitive he often sees criticism or negativity where there isn't any." READ MORE: Meghan Markle Not Allowed to OUTSHINE Prince Harry in Royal Family See Now: Famous Actors Who Turned Down Iconic Movie Roles PARIS, July 01, 2020, outlining the company's progress against its sustainability goals. The company also announced its 2025 Greenhouse Gas Emissions target: reducing GHG emissions by 25% compared with a 2015 baseline. "I am delighted by our significant progress. Achieving our Ecovadis Platinum ranking for corporate social responsibility practices and our ASI certifications are true testaments to our commitment to sustainability", said Jean-Marc Germain, CEO of Constellium. "I am particularly proud of our achievements in improving our energy efficiency, which is at the heart of our efforts to limit our carbon footprint and reach our 2025 GHG target." Constellium also received a MSCI ESG rating of "AA" in 2020. MSCI ESG Research provides MSCI ESG Ratings on global public and a few private companies on a scale of AAA (leader) to CCC (laggard), according to exposure to industry-specific ESG risks and the ability to manage those risks relative to peers. The report highlights milestones Constellium achieved in 2019, including: Aluminium Stewardship Initiative (ASI) : As a founding member of the Aluminium Stewardship Initiative, Constellium has promoted the adoption of ASI Standards across the aluminium value chain, which require that the industry operates under a demanding set of governance, environmental and social criteria. We received ASI Certification (https://www.constellium.com/news/2019/12/11/constelliums-facility-singen-offer-asi-certified-aluminium-rolled-solutions) s for Singen's casting and rolling operations in 2019. Our Neuf-Brisach facility in France was certified against ASI's Performance Standard under provisional COVID conditions* in 2020. : As a founding member of the Aluminium Stewardship Initiative, Constellium has promoted the adoption of ASI Standards across the aluminium value chain, which require that the industry operates under a demanding set of governance, environmental and social criteria. We received (https://www.constellium.com/news/2019/12/11/constelliums-facility-singen-offer-asi-certified-aluminium-rolled-solutions) for Singen's casting and rolling operations in 2019. Our Neuf-Brisach facility in France was certified against ASI's Performance Standard under provisional COVID conditions* in 2020. Energy Efficiency: Thanks to dedicated energy efficiency programs at our plants, we achieved a 2% improvement in energy efficiency from 2018 to 2019, with a 6.4% improvement against our 2015 benchmark - the equivalent of 100,000 metric tons of CO2 savings. Thanks to dedicated energy efficiency programs at our plants, we achieved a 2% improvement in energy efficiency from 2018 to 2019, with a 6.4% improvement against our 2015 benchmark - the equivalent of 100,000 metric tons of CO2 savings. Reducing Landfilled Waste: The quantity of production waste sent to landfill decreased by 7% as compared with 2018, preventing nearly 2,000 metric tons from ending up in landfill. The quantity of production waste sent to landfill decreased by 7% as compared with 2018, preventing nearly 2,000 metric tons from ending up in landfill. Safety: Our recordable injuries rate decreased from 3.31 in 2016 to 2.40 in 2019. This was well below our target of 2.61 in 2019 and remains significantly lower than the industry average. However, we experienced one fatality, which led to the implementation of a new EHS initiative, focused on behavior. Our recordable injuries rate decreased from 3.31 in 2016 to 2.40 in 2019. This was well below our target of 2.61 in 2019 and remains significantly lower than the industry average. However, we experienced one fatality, which led to the implementation of a new EHS initiative, focused on behavior. Sustainable Purchasing: Constellium expects its suppliers to comply with all applicable laws and sustainability practices and conducts regular sustainability due diligence. As of 2019, nearly two third of our key suppliers have been assessed. Constellium's 2019 Business and Sustainability Reportdetails the company's initiatives and results and is organized and presented in accordance with the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Sustainability Reporting Standards. Most of the data in the report was verified by a third party auditor*. *The audit verified our compliance with the provisions of the French Commercial Code (article R. 225-105), along with the accuracy of the information provided, such as key performance indicators and measures taken to address risks (article R. 225-105 I, 3, and II)(1). About Constellium Constellium (NYSE: CSTM) is a global sector leader that develops innovative, value added aluminium products for a broad scope of markets and applications, including aerospace, automotive and packaging. Constellium generated 5.9 billion of revenue in 2019. www.constellium.com Forward-looking statements Certain statements contained in this press release may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. This press release may contain "forward-looking statements" with respect to our business, results of operations and financial condition, and our expectations or beliefs concerning future events and conditions. You can identify forward-looking statements because they contain words such as, but not limited to, "believes," "expects," "may," "should," "approximately," "anticipates," "estimates," "intends," "plans," "targets," "likely," "will," "would," "could" and similar expressions (or the negative of these terminologies or expressions). All forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties. Many risks and uncertainties are inherent in our industry and markets, while others are more specific to our business and operations. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: market competition; economic downturn; disruption to business operations, including the length and magnitude of disruption resulting from the global COVID-19 pandemic; the inability to meet customer demand and quality requirements; the loss of key customers, suppliers or other business relationships; the capacity and effectiveness of our hedging policy activities; the loss of key employees; levels of indebtedness which could limit our operating flexibility and opportunities; and other risk factors set forth under the heading "Risk Factors" in our Annual Report on Form 20-F, and as described from time to time in subsequent reports filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The occurrence of the events described and the achievement of the expected results depend on many events, some or all of which are not predictable or within our control. Consequently, actual results may differ materially from the forward-looking statements contained in this press release. We undertake no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. Technavio has been monitoring the industrial floor mats market and it is poised to grow by USD 806.15 million during 2020-2024, progressing at a CAGR of over 4% during the forecast period. The report offers an up-to-date analysis regarding the current market scenario, latest trends and drivers, and the overall market environment. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200701005531/en/ Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Global Industrial Floor Mats Market 2020-2024 (Graphic: Business Wire) Technavio suggests three forecast scenarios (optimistic, probable, and pessimistic) considering the impact of COVID-19. Please Request Free Sample Report on COVID-19 Impact The market is fragmented, and the degree of fragmentation will accelerate during the forecast period. 3M Co., Apache Mills, Bergo Flooring AB, ES ROBBINS Corp., Kleen-Tex Industries Inc., Ludlow Composites Corp., Mountville Mills Inc., NoTrax, Unimat Industries LLC, and Wearwell LLC are some of the major market participants. The incorporation of multiple safety features in mats will offer immense growth opportunities. To make the most of the opportunities, market vendors should focus more on the growth prospects in the fast-growing segments, while maintaining their positions in the slow-growing segments. The incorporation of multiple safety features in mats has been instrumental in driving the growth of the market. Industrial Floor Mats Market 2020-2024: Segmentation Industrial Floor Mats Market is segmented as below: Product Ergonomic Floor Mats Entrance Floor Mats Geography North America APAC Europe South America MEA To learn more about the global trends impacting the future of market research, download a free sample: https://www.technavio.com/talk-to-us?report=IRTNTR43140 Industrial Floor Mats Market 2020-2024: Scope Technavio presents a detailed picture of the market by the way of study, synthesis, and summation of data from multiple sources. Our industrial floor mats market report covers the following areas: Industrial Floor Mats Market Size Industrial Floor Mats Market Trends Industrial Floor Mats Market Industry Analysis This study identifies the introduction of new designs and technologies in materials as one of the prime reasons driving the industrial floor mats market growth during the next few years. Industrial Floor Mats Market 2020-2024: Vendor Analysis We provide a detailed analysis of vendors operating in the industrial floor mats market, including some of the vendors such as 3M Co., Apache Mills, Bergo Flooring AB, ES ROBBINS Corp., Kleen-Tex Industries Inc., Ludlow Composites Corp., Mountville Mills Inc., NoTrax, Unimat Industries LLC, and Wearwell LLC. Backed with competitive intelligence and benchmarking, our research reports on the industrial floor mats market are designed to provide entry support, customer profile and M&As as well as go-to-market strategy support. Register for a free trial today and gain instant access to 17,000+ market research reports. Technavio's SUBSCRIPTION platform Industrial Floor Mats Market 2020-2024: Key Highlights CAGR of the market during the forecast period 2020-2024 Detailed information on factors that will assist industrial floor mats market growth during the next five years Estimation of the industrial floor mats market size and its contribution to the parent market Predictions on upcoming trends and changes in consumer behavior The growth of the industrial floor mats market Analysis of the market's competitive landscape and detailed information on vendors Comprehensive details of factors that will challenge the growth of industrial floor mats market vendors Table Of Contents: Executive Summary Market Landscape Market ecosystem Value chain analysis Market Sizing Market definition Market segment analysis Market size 2019 Market outlook: Forecast for 2019 2024 Five Forces Analysis Five forces summary Bargaining power of buyers Bargaining power of suppliers Threat of new entrants Threat of substitutes Threat of rivalry Market condition Market Segmentation by Product Market segments Comparison by Product Ergonomic floor mats Market size and forecast 2019-2024 Entrance floor mats Market size and forecast 2019-2024 Market opportunity by Product Customer Landscape Geographic Landscape Geographic segmentation Geographic comparison North America Market size and forecast 2019-2024 APAC Market size and forecast 2019-2024 Europe Market size and forecast 2019-2024 South America Market size and forecast 2019-2024 MEA Market size and forecast 2019-2024 Key leading countries Market opportunity by geography Market Drivers Market Challenges Market Trends Vendor Landscape Overview Vendor landscape Landscape disruption Vendor Analysis Vendors covered Market positioning of vendors 3M Co. Apache Mills Bergo Flooring AB ES ROBBINS Corp. Kleen-Tex Industries Inc. Ludlow Composites Corp. Mountville Mills Inc. NoTrax Unimat Industries LLC Wearwell LLC Appendix Scope of the report Currency conversion rates for US$ Research methodology List of abbreviations About Us Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focus on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200701005531/en/ Contacts: Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media Marketing Executive US: +1 844 364 1100 UK: +44 203 893 3200 Email: media@technavio.com Website: www.technavio.com/ CYPRESS, CA / ACCESSWIRE / July 1, 2020 / KushCo Holdings, Inc. (OTCQX:KSHB) ('KushCo' or the 'Company'), the premier provider of ancillary products and services to the legal cannabis and CBD industries, is scheduled to host a conference call and webcast on Wednesday, July 8, 2020 at 4:30 p.m. Eastern time to discuss its financial and operational results for its fiscal third quarter ended May 31, 2020. The Company's financial results will be available on its investor relations website at ir.kushco.com and announced in a press release after the market close on the same day. KushCo management will host the conference call and presentation followed by a question and answer session. The call will be webcast with an accompanying slide deck, which can be accessed by visiting the Financial Results page of the Company's investor relations website. All interested parties are invited to listen to the live conference call and presentation by dialing the number below or by clicking the webcast link available on the Financial Results page of the Company's investor relations website. Date: Wednesday, July 8, 2020 Time: 4:30 p.m. Eastern time (1:30 p.m. Pacific time) Toll-Free Number: 1-877-407-9039 International Number: 1-201-689-8470 Conference ID: 13706146 Please visit the website at least 15 minutes prior to the call to register, download, and install any necessary audio software. An operator will register your name and organization. If you have any difficulty connecting with the conference call or webcast, please contact KushCo's investor relations at ir@kushco.com or 714-539-7653. A replay of the call will be available on the Financial Results page of the Company's investor relations website approximately two hours after the conference call has ended. About KushCo Holdings KushCo Holdings, Inc. (OTCQX:KSHB) (www.kushco.com) is the premier provider of ancillary products and services to the legal cannabis and CBD industries. KushCo Holdings' subsidiaries and brands provide product quality, exceptional customer service, compliance knowledge and a local presence in serving its diverse customer base. Founded in 2010, KushCo Holdings has now sold more than 1 billion units to growers, processors and producers across North America, South America, and Europe. The Company has been featured in media nationwide, including CNBC, Fox News, Yahoo Finance, Cheddar, Los Angeles Times, TheStreet.com, and Entrepreneur, Inc Magazine. For more information, visit www.kushco.com or call (888) 920-5874. KushCo Holdings Contact Investor Contact: Najim Mostamand, CFA Director of Investor Relations 714-539-7653 ir@kushco.com SOURCE: KushCo Holdings, Inc. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/595862/KushCo-Holdings-to-Report-Fiscal-Third-Quarter-2020-Financial-Results-on-Wednesday-July-8-2020 MUNICH (dpa-AFX) - Wirecard AG's (WRCDF.PK) headquarters were raided by Munich prosecutors as part of an investigation related to the 1.9 billion euros in missing funds from the company's accounts, according to reports. Searches at Wirecard's other properties were also reportedly carried out by prosecutors and police officers in connection with the payments company's activities. The raids were part of the investigation that led to the arrest of Wirecard's former Chief Executive Markus Braun on fraud charges last week. Last Thursday, Wirecard decided to file an application for the opening of insolvency proceedings. The company has said the 1.9 billion euros of missing cash probably does not exist. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. Technavio has been monitoring the cannabis-based alcoholic beverage market and it is poised to grow by USD 155.28 million during 2020-2024, progressing at a CAGR of almost 19% during the forecast period. The report offers an up-to-date analysis regarding the current market scenario, latest trends and drivers, and the overall market environment. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200701005419/en/ Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Global Cannabis-based Alcoholic Beverages Market 2020-2024 (Graphic: Business Wire) Technavio suggests three forecast scenarios (optimistic, probable, and pessimistic) considering the impact of COVID-19. Please Request Free Sample Report on COVID-19 Impact The market is concentrated, and the degree of concentration will accelerate during the forecast period. Anheuser-Busch InBev, CannaVines, Dutch Windmill Spirits BV, Heineken NV, Klosterbrauerei Weienohe GmbH Co.KG, MJ Wines LLC, NABC, Inc., Rebel Coast Winery, and Winabis, Wine Cannabis are some of the major market participants. The social acceptance of cannabis will offer immense growth opportunities. To make the most of the opportunities, market vendors should focus more on the growth prospects in the fast-growing segments, while maintaining their positions in the slow-growing segments. Social acceptance of cannabis has been instrumental in driving the growth of the market. Cannabis-based Alcoholic Beverage Market 2020-2024: Segmentation Cannabis-based Alcoholic Beverage Market is segmented as below: Product Cannabis-infused Beers Cannabis-infused Spirits Cannabis-infused Wines Geography North America Europe APAC South America MEA To learn more about the global trends impacting the future of market research, download a free sample: https://www.technavio.com/talk-to-us?report=IRTNTR40777 Cannabis-based Alcoholic Beverage Market 2020-2024: Scope Technavio presents a detailed picture of the market by the way of study, synthesis, and summation of data from multiple sources. Our cannabis-based alcoholic beverage market report covers the following areas: Cannabis-based Alcoholic Beverage Market Size Cannabis-based Alcoholic Beverage Market Trends Cannabis-based Alcoholic Beverage Market Industry Analysis This study identifies the growing prominence of online retailing as one of the prime reasons driving the cannabis-based alcoholic beverage market growth during the next few years. Cannabis-based Alcoholic Beverage Market 2020-2024: Vendor Analysis We provide a detailed analysis of vendors operating in the cannabis-based alcoholic beverage market, including some of the vendors such as Anheuser-Busch InBev, CannaVines, Dutch Windmill Spirits BV, Heineken NV, Klosterbrauerei Weienohe GmbH Co.KG, MJ Wines LLC, NABC, Inc., Rebel Coast Winery, and Winabis, Wine Cannabis. Backed with competitive intelligence and benchmarking, our research reports on the cannabis-based alcoholic beverage market are designed to provide entry support, customer profile and M&As as well as go-to-market strategy support. Register for a free trial today and gain instant access to 17,000+ market research reports. Technavio's SUBSCRIPTION platform Cannabis-based Alcoholic Beverage Market 2020-2024: Key Highlights CAGR of the market during the forecast period 2020-2024 Detailed information on factors that will assist cannabis-based alcoholic beverage market growth during the next five years Estimation of the cannabis-based alcoholic beverage market size and its contribution to the parent market Predictions on upcoming trends and changes in consumer behavior The growth of the cannabis-based alcoholic beverage market Analysis of the market's competitive landscape and detailed information on vendors Comprehensive details of factors that will challenge the growth of cannabis-based alcoholic beverage market vendors Table Of Contents: Executive Summary Market Landscape Market ecosystem Market Sizing Market definition Market segment analysis Market size 2019 Market outlook: Forecast for 2019 2024 Five Forces Analysis Five Forces Summary Bargaining power of buyers Bargaining power of suppliers Threat of new entrants Threat of substitutes Threat of rivalry Market condition Market Segmentation by Product Market segments Comparison by Product placement Cannabis-infused beers Market size and forecast 2019-2024 Cannabis-infused spirits Market size and forecast 2019-2024 Cannabis-infused wines Market size and forecast 2019-2024 Market opportunity by Product Market Segmentation by Application Market segments Comparison by Application placement Market opportunity by Application Customer Landscape Geographic Landscape Geographic segmentation Geographic comparison North America Market size and forecast 2019-2024 Europe Market size and forecast 2019-2024 APAC Market size and forecast 2019-2024 South America Market size and forecast 2019-2024 MEA Market size and forecast 2019-2024 Key leading countries Market opportunity by geography Market Drivers Market Challenges Market Trends Vendor Landscape Overview Vendor landscape Landscape disruption Vendor analysis Vendors covered Anheuser-Busch InBev California Dreamin' CannaVines Dutch Windmill Spirits BV Heineken NV Klosterbrauerei Weienohe GmbH Co.KG MJ Wines LLC Rebel Coast Winery Appendix Scope of the report Currency conversion rates for US$ Research methodology List of abbreviations About Us Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focus on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200701005419/en/ Contacts: Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media Marketing Executive US: +1 844 364 1100 UK: +44 203 893 3200 Email: media@technavio.com Website: www.technavio.com/ ABI Research's latest whitepaper highlights the value for Robotics in responding to COVID-19 OYSTER BAY, New York, July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Like many technologies, the future of robotics is being complicated by COVID-19. But more than any other technology, robotics developers have visibly demonstrated the value of more flexible automation to meet the enormous challenges being placed on businesses and governments. While shipments in autonomous last-mile delivery and commercial cleaning robot shipments will be bolstered by the pandemic, drones for civil use-cases will see the most immediate and long-term growth. Civil drone shipments will nearly double from 2020 pre-pandemic forecasts to reach 13,400; and nearly 80,000 shipments will take place in 2025, states global tech market advisory firm, ABI Research. In its new whitepaper, Robotics and Covid-19: Challenges and Opportunities, ABI Research reveals how COVID-19 has been the catalyst for change in the robotics industry and explores how the industry is well-placed to accelerate its deployments by enabling both corporations and governments to tackle this crisis. "Having over a quarter of the world under lockdown would have been a mad prediction the start of 2020," says Rian Whitton, Senior Analyst at ABI Research. "Now, with stay at home orders being relaxed, and gatherings limited, governments are turning to drones for emergency, health, and law enforcement." "Drones are essentially acting as a platform for various cameras for facial recognition and crowd control. Some are equipped with infrared cameras to measure temperature. In fact, we've seen some infrared camera manufacturers' orders skyrocket because businesses want to check employee's temperature before they come to work," says Whitton. Many drones are deployed with loudspeakers to enforce curfews and surveil areas for security purposes, which poses a big opportunity for aerospace and drone companies to increase sales to government agencies. Delivery drones have also become more prominent during the crisis. In China, delivery drones have made more than 3,000 trips carrying 11 tons of supplies to Wuhan. In early February, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) began creating safety standards for specific delivery drone models, accelerating testing and eventual commercialization in the United States. ABI Research expects the small drone delivery market will reach US$10.4 billion by 2030. Drone manufacturers received US$281 million in investment in 2019 and drone services received US$497 million. "While the industry has been wracked by the commodification of consumer drones and major incidents affecting the presumed safety of large-scale drone operations, the value of commercial services is not in doubt, and the industry will receive significant increases in orders from law enforcement agencies as a result of COVID-19," Whitton concludes. To learn more about challenges and opportunities for Robotics due to COVID-19, download the whitepaper, Robotics and Covid-19: Challenges and Opportunities. About ABI Research ABI Research provides strategic guidance to visionaries, delivering actionable intelligence on the transformative technologies that are dramatically reshaping industries, economies, and workforces across the world. ABI Research's global team of analysts publish groundbreaking studies often years ahead of other technology advisory firms, empowering our clients to stay ahead of their markets and their competitors. ABI Research?????????????,?????????????? ?1990???,????????????????,????,?????????????????????????? ???????????????? For more information about ABI Research's services, contact us at +1.516.624.2500 in the Americas, +44.203.326.0140 in Europe, +65.6592.0290 in Asia-Pacific or visit www.abiresearch.com. Contact Info: Global Deborah Petrara Tel: +1.516.624.2558 pr@abiresearch.com Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/276887/abi_research_logo.jpg June 30, 2020 CARNIVAL CORPORATION & PLC ANNOUNCES NOTICE OF CONVERSION RIGHT AND SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE Carnival Corporation & plc is disclosing Carnival Corporation has delivered today a notice of conversion right and supplemental indenture (the "Notice") to the holders of its convertible notes, on Form 8-K with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"). Schedule A contains Carnival Corporation & plc's announcement of the notice of conversion right and supplemental indenture. The Directors consider that within the Carnival Corporation and Carnival plc dual listed company arrangement, the most appropriate presentation of Carnival plc's results and financial position is by reference to the Carnival Corporation & plc U.S. GAAP consolidated financial statements. MEDIA CONTACTINVESTOR RELATIONS CONTACT Roger FrizzellBeth Roberts 001 305 406 7862 001 305 406 4832 The Form 8-K is available for viewing on the SEC website at www.sec.gov under Carnival Corporation or Carnival plc or the Carnival Corporation & plc website at www.carnivalcorp.com or www.carnivalplc.com . Carnival Corporation & plc is one of the world's largest leisure travel companies with a portfolio of nine of the world's leading cruise lines. With operations in North America, Australia, Europe and Asia, its portfolio features - Carnival Cruise Line, Princess Cruises, Holland America Line, P&O Cruises (Australia), Seabourn, Costa Cruises, AIDA Cruises, P&O Cruises (UK) and Cunard. Additional information can be found on www.carnivalcorp.com, www.carnivalsustainability.com, www.carnival.com, www.princess.com, www.hollandamerica.com, www.pocruises.com.au, www.seabourn.com, www.costacruise.com, www.aida.de, www.pocruises.com and www.cunard.com. SCHEDULE A As previously disclosed, on April 6, 2020, Carnival Corporation issued $2,012.5 million aggregate principal amount of its 5.75% Convertible Senior Notes due 2023 (the "convertible notes") pursuant to the Indenture, dated as of April 6, 2020, among Carnival Corporation, Carnival plc, the subsidiary guarantors party thereto and U.S. Bank National Association, as Trustee (the "Convertible Notes Indenture"). In accordance with the terms of the Convertible Notes Indenture, Carnival Corporation delivered today a notice of conversion right and supplemental indenture (the "Notice") to the holders of its convertible notes. In light of the ambiguity caused by the incorrect references to "calendar quarter" in Section 14.01(b)(iv) of the Indenture described below, the Company determined whether the sale price condition set forth in such section had been satisfied as of the calendar quarter end of June 30, 2020 and notified the holders that the Last Reported Sale Price (as defined in the Convertible Notes Indenture) of the common stock of Carnival Corporation for at least 20 Trading Days (as defined in the Convertible Notes Indenture) (whether or not consecutive) during the period of 30 consecutive Trading Days ending on the last Trading Day of the calendar quarter ended June 30, 2020 was greater than or equal to 130% of the Conversion Price (as defined in the Convertible Notes Indenture) on each applicable Trading Day. As a result, the holders are now entitled to convert all or any portion of their convertible notes at any time during the calendar quarter starting on July 1, 2020 and ending on September 30, 2020, at the conversion rate of 100.0000 shares of common stock of the Carnival Corporation per $1,000 principal amount of convertible notes. Additionally, in order to correct a mistake and inconsistency in the Convertible Notes Indenture, Carnival Corporation, Carnival plc, the subsidiary guarantors party thereto and U.S. Bank National Association, as Trustee entered into a First Supplemental Indenture to the Indenture, dated as of June 30, 2020 (the "First Supplemental Indenture"). The First Supplemental Indenture amends Section 14.01(b)(iv) of the Indenture to reference the fiscal quarters of Carnival Corporation instead of calendar quarters in determining the periods during which the convertible notes may be convertible. The intent of the parties to the Indenture was to refer to the "fiscal quarters" of the Company in Section 14.01(b)(iv), and the reference therein to May 31, 2020, which is the end of the Company's second fiscal quarter, is correct. Following the execution of the First Supplemental Indenture, Section 14.01(b)(iv) of the Convertible Notes Indenture provides that a holder may convert all or any portion of its convertible notes during any fiscal quarter of Carnival Corporation if the Last Reported Sale Price of the common stock of Carnival Corporation for at least 20 Trading Days (whether or not consecutive) during the period of 30 consecutive Trading Days ending on the last Trading Day of the immediately preceding fiscal quarter of the Carnival Corporation was greater than or equal to 130% of the Conversion Price on each applicable Trading Day. The first such fiscal quarter following the execution of this First Supplemental Indenture shall end on August 31, 2020. Notwithstanding this amendment, the First Supplemental Indenture provides that a Holder may surrender all or any portion of its Notes for conversion at any time during the calendar quarter commencing on July 1, 2020 and ending on September 30, 2020, as set forth above. The foregoing description of the Notice is not complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the Notice, which is filed as Exhibit 99.1, to this report and incorporated herein by reference. The foregoing description of the First Supplemental Indenture is not complete and is qualified in its entirety by the full text of the First Supplemental Indenture, which will be filed with the next joint periodic report of Carnival Corporation and Carnival plc. Cautionary Note Concerning Factors That May Affect Future Results Carnival Corporation and Carnival plc and their respective subsidiaries are referred to collectively in this this Current Report on Form 8-K, including the Exhibits hereto (collectively, this "document"), as "Carnival Corporation & plc," "our," "us" and "we." Some of the statements, estimates or projections contained in this document are "forward-looking statements" that involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions with respect to us, including some statements concerning the financing transactions described herein, future results, operations, outlooks, plans, goals, reputation, cash flows, liquidity and other events which have not yet occurred. These statements are intended to qualify for the safe harbors from liability provided by Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. All statements other than statements of historical facts are statements that could be deemed forward-looking. These statements are based on current expectations, estimates, forecasts and projections about our business and the industry in which we operate and the beliefs and assumptions of our management. We have tried, whenever possible, to identify these statements by using words like "will," "may," "could," "should," "would," "believe," "depends," "expect," "goal," "anticipate," "forecast," "project," "future," "intend," "plan," "estimate," "target," "indicate," "outlook," and similar expressions of future intent or the negative of such terms. Forward-looking statements include those statements that relate to our outlook and financial position including, but not limited to, statements regarding: Net revenue yields Net cruise costs, excluding fuel per available lower berth day Booking levels Estimates of ship depreciable lives and residual values Pricing and occupancy Goodwill, ship and trademark fair values Interest, tax and fuel expenses Liquidity Currency exchange rates Adjusted earnings per share Impact of the COVID-19 coronavirus global pandemic on our financial condition and results of operations Because forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, there are many factors that could cause our actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied by our forward-looking statements. This note contains important cautionary statements of the known factors that we consider could materially affect the accuracy of our forward-looking statements and adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial position. Additionally, many of these risks and uncertainties are currently amplified by and will continue to be amplified by, or in the future may be amplified by, the COVID-19 outbreak. It is not possible to predict or identify all such risks. There may be additional risks that we consider immaterial or which are unknown. These factors include, but are not limited to, the following: COVID-19 has had, and is expected to continue to have, a significant impact on our financial condition and operations, which impacts our ability to obtain acceptable financing to fund resulting reductions in cash from operations. The current, and uncertain future, impact of the COVID-19 outbreak, including its effect on the ability or desire of people to travel (including on cruises), is expected to continue to impact our results, operations, outlooks, plans, goals, growth, reputation, litigation, cash flows, liquidity, and stock price As a result of the COVID-19 outbreak, we have paused our guest cruise operations, and if we are unable to re-commence normal operations in the near-term, and further extend covenant waivers for certain agreements for which waivers do not currently cover periods after March 2021 (if needed), we may be out of compliance with a maintenance covenant in certain of our debt facilities (if needed), we may be out of compliance with a maintenance covenant in certain of our debt facilities World events impacting the ability or desire of people to travel may lead to a decline in demand for cruises Incidents concerning our ships, guests or the cruise vacation industry as well as adverse weather conditions and other natural disasters may impact the satisfaction of our guests and crew and lead to reputational damage Changes in and non-compliance with laws and regulations under which we operate, such as those relating to health, environment, safety and security, data privacy and protection, anti-corruption, economic sanctions, trade protection and tax may lead to litigation, enforcement actions, fines, penalties, and reputational damage Breaches in data security and lapses in data privacy as well as disruptions and other damages to our principal offices, information technology operations and system networks and failure to keep pace with developments in technology may adversely impact our business operations, the satisfaction of our guests and crew and lead to reputational damage Ability to recruit, develop and retain qualified shipboard personnel who live away from home for extended periods of time may adversely impact our business operations, guest services and satisfaction Increases in fuel prices, changes in the types of fuel consumed and availability of fuel supply may adversely impact our scheduled itineraries and costs Fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates may adversely impact our financial results Overcapacity and competition in the cruise and land-based vacation industry may lead to a decline in our cruise sales, pricing and destination options Geographic regions in which we try to expand our business may be slow to develop or ultimately not develop how we expect Inability to implement our shipbuilding programs and ship repairs, maintenance and refurbishments may adversely impact our business operations and the satisfaction of our guests The ordering of the risk factors set forth above is not intended to reflect our indication of priority or likelihood. Forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as a prediction of actual results. Subject to any continuing obligations under applicable law or any relevant stock exchange rules, we expressly disclaim any obligation to disseminate, after the date of this document, any updates or revisions to any such forward-looking statements to reflect any change in expectations or events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statements are based. STOCKHOLM, July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Tobii, the world leader in eye tracking technology, reveals that its Tobii Aware software will be integrated in the Lenovo ThinkCentre M90A and M70A All-In-One (AIO) PC models coming soon. Tobii Aware software is developed to visually sense the users' presence and attention and to anticipate their needs. It can be integrated in a wide range of personal computing products and is an important part of Tobii's mission to improve the world with technology that understands human attention and intent. "The Lenovo ThinkCentre M90A and M70A All-in-One desktops are designed to provide an exemplary user experience in the key areas of security, usability and productivity," said Tom Butler, executive director, Worldwide Commercial Portfolio and Product Management at Lenovo. "Integrating Tobii Aware software adds new levels of device intelligence to strengthen our products even further within security, intuitive user experiences and power performance." "This is a great opportunity to team up with Lenovo, one of the undisputed leaders in computing, to bring user-sensing capabilities to the PC market," said Anand Srivatsa, Division CEO of Tobii Tech. "Using Tobii Aware, the devices will be able to detect users' presence and anticipate their needs, which is key to deliver best-in-class security, usability and power performance." Using Tobii Aware-enhanced devices, provides several benefits: Privacy & Security: Increase security and the feeling of privacy through user identification and automatic presence detection to blur and lock screens. Productivity & Wellbeing: Improve productivity, convenience and digital health. Provide insights and data into screen time and computer usage. Power & Performance: Save power and CPU performance in a natural and unobtrusive way with screens that dim and react to user presence. For more information, please visit Tobii Aware's product pages about Lenovo ThinkCentre M70A and Lenovo ThinkCentre M90A Read more about the next generation of Tobii Aware technology: aware.tobii.com For more information about the Lenovo ThinkCentre M90A and M70A All-in-One: https://news.lenovo.com/pressroom/press-releases/lenovo-pc-devices-place-security-and-manageability-center-stage-featuring-latest-10th-gen-intel-core-vpro-processors/ CONTACT: Anders Lundin, Corporate Communications Manager, Tobii Group, phone: +46 (0)733-27-87-61, email: anders.lundin@tobii.com This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com https://news.cision.com/tobii-ab/r/tobii-aware-software-brings-enhanced-security-and-usability-to-lenovo-thinkcentre-all-in-one-pcs,c3146222 The following files are available for download: AMSTERDAM (dpa-AFX) - The Dutch manufacturing sector contracted at a softer rate in June, survey results from IHS Markit showed on Wednesday. The NEVI manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index, or PMI, rose to 45.2 in June from 40.5 in May. This was the softest rate of decline in the three months sequence of deterioration. Any reading below 50 indicates contraction in the sector. Output and new orders fell at a slower pace in June and manufacturing production declined sharply. New export orders decreased at a softer pace. The number of staffs decreased in June and the level of outstanding business continued to decline with the rate of backlogs of work depleting for the second-fastest over eight years. Pre-production inventories fell for the second month in a row in June, while stocks of finished goods remained unchanged. Cost burden declined in June and the rate of reduction was the quickest since March 2016. Average charges fell for the second straight month. Firms turn cautiously optimistic on production for the next 12 months in June and sentiment remained subdued. 'Thanks to the lifting of lockdowns in many European countries, entrepreneurs look at what is ahead in 2021 with more confidence,' Albert Jan Swart, Manufacturing Sector Economist at ABN AMRO, said. 'It is clear that many businesses are hoarding cash in order to survive this short but severe crisis.' Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Kostenloser Wertpapierhandel auf Smartbroker.de Blue Ocean Robotics' subsidiary GoBe Robots announces a new generation of its climate-friendly telepresence robots with significant demand driven by COVID-19 pandemic. headGet the experience of being there without actually going there with Blue Ocean Robotics' new GoBe Robots that replace travel with Remote Presence. Users remotely control the new telepresence robot and get a distinct feeling of being where the robot is as they receive live video streams of the location as the robot moves around it. This enables active collaboration and interaction between people, no matter how far they are from each other. As the Covid-19 pandemic spreads, GoBe Robots are also quickly emerging as an effective tool in breaking down chains of infection, preventing spread of coronavirus and other diseases and overcoming closed borders, while reducing travel budgets, working hours and transport time. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200701005119/en/ The new GoBe Robots telepresence robot is a remote-controlled mobile robot that allows communication through a 21.5-inch screen that reproduces the user's face in natural size. A zoomable 4K camera and a wide-angle front camera give the "robot pilot" a clear overview of the location the GoBe robot discovers. (Photo: Business Wire) The leader in telepresence robots, GoBe Robots is now launching the next generation of the world's most climate-enhancing robot. "During the global virus epidemic, we have seen significant growth in orders," says Peter Juhl Voldsgaard, CEO of GoBe Robots. "Telepresence robots have now become a standard technology that everyone can understand. The experience our technology gives of almost being there in person is unique. We're now taking that experience to the next level." The new GoBe Robots telepresence robot is a remote-controlled mobile robot that allows communication through a 21.5-inch screen that reproduces the user's face in natural size. A zoomable 4K camera and a wide-angle front camera give the "robot pilot" a clear overview of the location the GoBe robot discovers. The new generation of GoBe Robots also stands out with an open system that creates even more applications and allows users to maximize the potential of the technology. For example, trade show organizers can give remote attendees the ability to book themselves directly into the telepresence robot and experience booths and events while engaging with exhibitors. Telepresence Robots Enable New Levels of Accessibility While Reducing Emissions GoBe Robots has more than 150,000 existing users of its telepresence robots, which contribute to colossal CO2 reductions. As an example, a trip from Copenhagen to Singapore emits approx. 3.1 ton of CO2 per person. Using the GoBe Robots telepresence robot for a visit to Singapore emits a fraction of CO2, even when the power consumption of streaming and server hosting is taken into account. A company in Europe with 20 employees traveling to Asia four times a year saves 500,000 kilos of CO2 by replacing air travel with the telepresence robot. The new GoBe Robot also helps sick children with access to school and peers, and it can give people with disabilities access to more places and experiences in the community such as museums and conferences. The CO2 reductions are also realized in the manufacturing sector. "We have customers in the industry who have cut 90 percent of their security inspection costs because they have placed 30 telepresence robots at their factories around the world," says Claus Risager, CEO of Blue Ocean Robotics, the parent company of GoBe Robots. "Now, the security inspectors just log into the robots and move around, investigating the environment with their local colleagues. This also enables them to spend more time with their family at home." GoBe Robots is part of Blue Ocean Robotics' family of preventative service robots that help fight coronavirus and other diseases. Together with Blue Ocean Robotics' brand, UVD Robots, GoBe Robots helps reduce the spread of dangerous bacteria, viruses and other microorganisms. Where UVD Robots kill bacteria and viruses with UV-C light, the GoBe Robots telepresence robots can break contagion chains by keeping physical distance by allowing users to participate through GoBe Robots instead of physically showing up. About GoBe Robots: GoBe Robots is the leading manufacturer of professional telepresence service robots. The company is present in more than 50 countries through its global Solution Provider network, a number expected to more than double over the next 12 months. The company's telepresence robots significantly reduce CO2 footprint, helps with social inclusion and prevents the spread of diseases by breaking the chains of infection. About Blue Ocean Robotics Blue Ocean Robotics develops, produces and sells professional service robots in healthcare, hospitality, construction, agriculture, and other global markets. The portfolio of robots includes brands; UVD Robots, a mobile robot for disinfection; GoBe Robots, a mobile telepresence robot for communication, social inclusion, and CO2 climate improvements; and PTR Robots, a mobile robot for safe patient handling and rehabilitation. Blue Ocean Robotics develops the robots from problem and idea all the way to scale up. Each robot is placed in its own subsidiary-venture company, making Blue Ocean Robotics the world's first Robot Venture Factory. Download the press kit here View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200701005119/en/ Contacts: Company contact: Merima Cikotic Blue Ocean Robotics mc@blue-ocean-robotics.com +45 71-99-56-06 Media contact: Mette McCall McCall Media mette@mccallmedia.net +1 415-847-8649 This year marks the 10th anniversary of the 2010 Shanghai World Expo. Ten years ago, the world witnessed an open, prosperous and modern China during the six-month grand pageant. The glorious exhibitions provided the world with immeasurable enlightenment and enjoyment, at which China and countries from around the globe showcased their culture and prowess. Ten years later, the Shanghai Expo site has presently become a popular tourist attraction in the city. Some of the buildings created for the expo, such as the China Art Museum and River Mall, have become the main venues for hosting cultural events. There is an old saying that a picture is worth a thousand words. This sentiment especially rings true when it comes to describing the modernity, vitality and beauty of the 2010 Shanghai World Expo. Although the majority of the pavilions have been removed from the once magnificent Expo Park, this three part series will make an effort to construct, through both the lenses and texts, an "online World Expo," the curtain of which will never drop. The first part focuses on the legendary China Pavilion, the Chinese elements at the Expo, among other topics. China Pavilion: Reflecting Chinese wisdom and culture The China Pavilion under the evening sky. (File photo: Li Zhenyu) The China Pavilion was the most eye-catching and then "hottest" pavilion at the Expo Park. The charm of this giant red pavilion, based on my personal experience and on-the-ground interviews, originated from its contour design with several distinctive features inside. A specially-designed battery-powered car flashed by the China Pavilion at the World Expo Park. (File photo: Li Zhenyu) The facade of the China Pavilion was among the most impressive. There were some 200 national pavilions at the Expo Park and The Crown of the East stood out as both the largest and the highest one. Its exterior design reflected the spirit and disposition of Chinese culture well. Experiencing Chinese culture in the China Pavilion (File photo: Li Zhenyu) Entering into the pavilion, you may experience the original Chinese culture through the three themed exhibitions - Footprint of the East, Journey of Wisdom and Blossoming City, which respectively represented the development of China's urbanization, the country's traditional architecture, and its energy thrift and environmentally friendly future construction. The pavilion's core exhibition area was on the top story where an eight-minute film, The Journey, was shown. The themed film of the China Pavilion showed, in an imposing fashion, a flow of beautiful scenery, sentimental moments and historical occasions, profiling China's vast urbanization process, people's enthusiasm for building a better city at present and pursuing a better life in the future. Another stunning feature inside the China Pavilion was the 100-meter version of the panoramic painting - Riverside Scene at Qingming Festival. The painting, known as a national treasure in China, displayed a scene in the prosperous ancient city of Bianjing, presently known as Kaifeng in central China's Henan Province. Modern technologies allowed the panoramic "painting" to be alive, with more than 1,500 of its characters walking and moving. The China Pavilion enabled Expo-goers to see, experience and feel the essence of Chinese wisdom and culture. Aurora Pavilion: The pavilion of Chinese jade Aurora Pavilion: The pavilion of Chinese jade (File photo: Li Zhenyu) The Aurora Pavilion was the sole pavilion from Chinas Taiwan among all the 18 corporate pavilions. The Aurora Group's Expo 2010 Pavilion featured rare exhibits such as a 2.5-ton piece of jade and Beijing Olympic medals made of fine jade. Stepping out of the Aurora Pavilion, a tourist could experience the soul of Chinese jade's 8,000-year history through a short journey of 20 minutes. Chinese elements at the World Expo Ten years ago, the Shanghai World Expo attracted feverish attention from around the world. Although the Shanghai event set one record after another in terms of the number of participating countries and regions, the size of the Expo park, and the number of visitors, among others, is what made the six-month grand gala truly memorable outside of the statistics. The 9,500 sq.m giant LED screen, the world's largest, stood along the Huangpu River in Shanghai during the Opening Ceremony of the World Expo 2010. (Photo: Li Zhenyu) Beautiful night scene of the Shanghai World Expo Park (File photo: Li Zhenyu) The beautiful night scene in the Shanghai World Expo Park (File photo: Li Zhenyu) The theme of the 2010 World Expo, "Better City, Better Life, had distinctive features of the modern times. (File photo: Li Zhenyu) Entering the splendid Expo (File photo: Li Zhenyu) Japan Pavilion: The purple silkworm island Covered by a purple membrane material, the Japan Pavilion was known as the "purple silkworm island." (File photo: Li Zhenyu) Known as the "purple silkworm island," the Japan Pavilion was one of the hottest pavilions at the Shanghai Expo Park. Covering 6,000 square meters, it was among the largest foreign pavilions. Philippines Pavilion: The Performing Cities The Philippines Pavilion (File photo: Li Zhenyu) Themed "Performing Cities," the Philippines pavilion at World Expo 2010 was indeed visually-striking with its facade decorated with eye-catching collages. The Philippines Pavilion inside (File photo: Li Zhenyu) Strolling inside the pavilion, you may feel as if you were in the exotic land of the Southeast Asian country with original live performances and rich-flavored local customs. The next few months will be even harder for Meghan Markle and Prince Harry, as they have been warned that Queen Elizabeth II will be watching every step they take. It's been three months since the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have officially stepped down as senior members of the royal family. The couple has given up their HRH titles to carve a career path on their own as financially-independent individuals. Currently, Meghan Markle, Prince Harry, and their one-year-old son Archie live in an $18 million rented mansionin Malibu. They have already introduced their new charity, Archewell Global, but they were forced to postpone the plans for the launch because of the coronavirus pandemic. Royal expert Katie Nicholl said that the Palace is watching and waiting to see what else the Duke and Duchess of Sussex can do, and if there will be royal blunders. She suggested that bids from Meghan Markle and Prince Harry to use their royal connection in the future could trigger a sensitive response from the royal family. It is worth noting that the 38-year-old former "Suits" star and the 35-year-old red-headed prince had asked Her Majesty to continue using their Sussex Royal brand once their royal careers are put to a halt. They originally also planned to continue working as representatives of the crown while making their own money. Unfortunately, Queen Elizabeth II was not having any of it. She doesn't want the couple to make money out of their titles and the monarchy. "There is a sense of trepidation about the couple going at doing business alone," said the royal expert. She revealed that Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are trying to see if they could make some money using their royal connections or "over-commercialization." "Meghan and Harry are thinking very hard about what they want to do, how they are going to make money." Nicholl then suggested that the best thing Meghan Markle and Prince Harry could do to earn money is public speaking, which they have already done before. However, the royal expert said they need to be extra careful with what they will publicly discuss. Though many people will inevitably pay big bucks for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex to reveal palace secrets, Nicholl hopes they know that they shouldn't trade family information for all the public to know. It's not Prince Harry who has given up his royal career to become a normal citizen, as the first one was King Edward VII in 1936. Prince Andrew, Queen Elizabeth II's son, was also forced to step down from his senior royal duties following his connection to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein. According to Sunday Times Royal Correspondent Roya Nikkhah, the 60-year-old will never have a public role ever again for as long as he lives. Speaking to True Royalty, the correspondent said, "It's not only damaging for his as we've seen. He's gone from being a very senior member of the Royal Family to someone who is going to struggle ever to have a public role again." Prince Andrew, who is the father of Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice, is said to have hired a PR firm and is working with a team of lawyers, QC, and another PR who specializes in crisis management. READ MORE: Meghan Markle Regret: Queen Elizabeth II Was Her Greatest Ally Before Megxit See Now: Famous Actors Who Turned Down Iconic Movie Roles JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA / ACCESSWIRE / July 1, 2020 / The African Energy Chamber takes notes of recent initiatives taken by the International Energy Agency (IEA) to support Africa's energy transition and salutes the leadership of the IEA in this dialogue. Such conversations notably echo the Chamber's recent statement on African Lives Matter, questioning the OECD and IEA's recent call to phase out fossil fuels. While the conversation of Africa's energy transition continues, the Chamber reiterates its support to inclusive dialogues that take into account the realities of African economies and of energy poverty. Image Link: https://bit.ly/3glEdi1 Unfortunately, the Africa Ministerial Roundtable organized this week has sidelined key stakeholders and actors within Africa's energy sector, preventing its ability to be truly inclusive and impactful on the ground. Africa's energy transition will not be possible without the inclusion, and participation of, the continent's petroleum and gas ministries and companies. The Chamber strongly believes that key institutions like the African Petroleum Producers Organization (APPO), led by its Secretary General Dr. Farouk Ibrahim, need to be part of this dialogue, along with representatives of the petroleum ministries of producing countries such as Algeria, Nigeria, Angola, Equatorial, Libya, Congo or Gabon and key National Oil Companies such as Sonatrach, GEPetrol, Gabon Oil, NNPC or Sonangol. The African private sector was not invited while we note the invitation and participation an international oil company. Given the importance of the oil & gas sector for several African economies, the Chamber questions the relevance of an energy debate that would exclude them from the conversation. "Energy poverty is as real as climate change, and the global debate on Africa's energy transition tends to forget that hundreds of millions of African have no access to energy and still rely on firewood for cooking. Their needs must be at the center of the energy transition debate, which should not be made at the expense of any particular source of energy," stated Nj Ayuk, Executive Chairman at the African Energy Chamber. "This generation of Africans are not tickled by foreign aid and handouts that resulted in poor governance and mismanagement. Jobs, sustainable power and gas that drives development, along strong market-driven economies, are what Africans want. In order to accomplish a true African energy transition, petroleum producing countries, their National Oil Companies, civil society, African entrepreneurs and independent producing companies need to have a seat at the table," he added. The African Energy Chamber remains concerned that global conversations on Africa's energy transition would result in a new foreign aid narrative by which Western stakeholders and investors would blindly push a renewable energy agenda at the expense of proper private sector-led development supporting jobs and entrepreneurship. While the Chamber strongly supports diversified energy mixes and wishes to see cleaner energy developments across Africa, solar and wind projects are still relying on global value chains which restrain their ability to support local content development. As a result, most solar and wind projects in the continent continue to have local content participation of less than 50%. Such issues need to be at the core of the energy transition debate so Africa's cleaner future does not serve only the interests of big multinational corporations but also translates into private sector development and opportunities in Africa. It is time to put the voices of African businesses at the center of the debate. As Africa seeks new ways to develop and grow in a post Covid-19 world, let's remember the words of Nelson Mandela: "Overcoming poverty is not a gesture of charity. It is an act of justice. It is the protection of a fundamental human right, the right to dignity and a decent life. While poverty persists, there is no true freedom. Do not look the other way; do not hesitate. Recognise that the world is hungry for action, not words. Act with courage and vision." LUTON (dpa-AFX) - British budget airline EasyJet Plc (ESYJY.PK, EZJ.L) plans to cut jobs and reduce the number of aircraft stationed in the German capital, due to the Covid-9 crisis. It also plans to withdraw from domestic air traffic, German union Verdi said in a statement on Wednesday. The union stated that the airline will reduce the number of aircraft stationed in Berlin from 34 to 18 by the end of 2020. The airline is planning to halve the number of employees from about 1,540. easyJet said in May that it would launch an employee consultation process on proposals to reduce staff numbers by up to 30 percent. On Tuesday, Airbus (EADSF.PK, EADSY.PK) said it plans to cut 15,000 jobs worldwide, after a nearly 40 percent drop in commercial aircraft business activity in recent months due to the Covid-9 crisis. Airbus also said that it doesn't expect air traffic to return to pre-Covid-19 levels before 2023 and potentially as late as 2025. Airbus plans to cut 5,100 jobs in Germany, 5,000 in France, 1,700 in the U.K., 900 in Spain and 1,300 jobs at its other worldwide sites. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. MOUNTAIN VIEW (dpa-AFX) - The Competition and Markets Authority, the UK's primary competition and consumer authority, has recommended the government to establish a pro-competition regulatory regime to govern the behaviour of major platforms funded by digital advertising, like Google and Facebook. Also, the CMA, working with the ICO and Ofcom, formally launched a Digital Markets Taskforce which will advise government on how a new regulatory regime for digital markets should be designed. The Taskforce will deliver advice to government by the end of 2020. Through its market study, the CMA found that Google's prices are around 30% to 40% higher than Bing when comparing like-for-like search terms on desktop and mobile. The CMA has also found that newspapers are reliant on Google and Facebook for almost 40% of all visits to their sites. This dependency potentially squeezes their share of digital advertising revenues. CMA Chief Executive Andrea Coscelli said: 'Through our examination of this market, we have discovered how major online platforms like Google and Facebook operate and how they use digital advertising to fuel their business models. What we have found is concerning - if the market power of these firms goes unchecked, people and businesses will lose out.' The CMA has proposed to restrict Google's ability to secure its place as the default search engine on mobile devices and browsers. The Authority wants Google to open up its click and query data to rival search engines to allow them to improve their algorithms so they can properly compete. The CMA also recommended to order Facebook to give consumers a choice over whether to receive personalised advertising. The Authority wants Facebook to increase its interoperability with competing social media platforms. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. BEIJING (dpa-AFX) - Plant-based meat products maker Beyond Meat, Inc. struck a deal with Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group Holding to launch its plant-based burgers in supermarkets and grocery stores across mainland China. Initially, Alibaba will roll out the Beyond Meat burger patties at 50 of its Freshippo stores in Shanghai from Saturday and an additional 48 stores in Beijing and Hangzhou by September. Freshippo stores allow customers to use an app to order food and groceries. Beyond Meat's first entry into the Chinese market was facilitated through a partnership with Seattle-based coffee giant Starbucks Corp. in April to launch its plant-based platform in China, including a new food and beverage menu. Starbucks is working with Beyond Meat to create three new dishes - Beyond Beef Pesto Pasta, Beyond Beef Classic Lasagna, and Beyond Beef Spicy & Sour Wrap. Last month, Beyond Meat also entered into a new partnership with Yum China, the local owner of KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell, which together and some other brands have about restaurants across most cities in China. KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell have begun testing Beyond Meats products with Chinese customers, which could lead to a massive roll out of the products later on. This test marked its debut in mainland China. According to Beyond Meat, they have also signed a new deal with a local food distributor Sinodis, that will enable them to be a supplier to restaurants and caterers across China. Beyond Meat makes plant-based burgers, beef, sausage, crumbles, and more. The products offer greater or equal protein levels than their animal counterparts, no cholesterol, less saturated fat, and no antibiotics or hormones. Shifting from animal to plant-based meat can address four growing global issues: human health, climate change, constraints on natural resources, and animal welfare. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - On Tuesday, Texas and Arizona have hit a grim record of the highest number of new coronavirus cases in a day. With 6,975 new cases, the total number of infections in Texas reached 159,986, according to the state's department of health. Texas has become the new epicenter of the deadly virus in the United States after setting three straight single-day records last week. One of the most populous state in the U.S., Texas had 75,000 new cases in 3 weeks from June 8 to June 29. It took 3 months to reach its first 75000 cases. Since June 1, hospitalizations due to coronavirus infection more than tripled from 1,756 to 6,533, according to Texas Department of State Health Services. Arizona reported more than 4,600 new cases, which is a record surge in daily cases. A total of 4683 new infections took the state's total to 79,228 Tuesday, as per Johns Hopkins University's latest update. Governor Doug Ducey issued an order banning operations of bars, gyms, movie theaters and water parks for 30 days. He also restricted public gatherings of 50 or more people. Public school reopening has been postponed to August 17. Almost half of U.S. states are witnessing increases in new cases over the last two weeks. COVID infections are increasing precipitously across the southern and western parts of the country. Easing of lockdown measures has been attributed to the worsening situation in these regions. Hospitalizations due to the deadly disease are rising by at least 25 percent in the states of Texas, Arizona, Nevada, South Carolina, Montana, Georgia and California, The Washington Post reported. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Kostenloser Wertpapierhandel auf Smartbroker.de LONDON, July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The organisation behind The World's 50 Best Restaurants has released its first ever e-cookbook, entitled Home Comforts: simple lockdown recipes from the world's best chefs and bartenders, featuring recipes that the world's most revered chefs are cooking for their families at home. Available for a $10/8 minimum donation through the 50 Best Bid for Recovery donation site with immediate effect, the cookbook will raise funds to support the global hospitality community as part of the 50 Best for Recovery programme announced earlier this year in partnership with founding donor S.Pellegrino & Acqua Panna. The cookbook contains 50 unique recipes from an equal balance of female and male chefs who have featured on recent 50 Best lists, alongside 25 cocktail pairings from bartenders behind The World's 50 Best Bars. The result is a collection of simple and delicious comfort food creations, from Tokyo to San Francisco, split into vegetarian, fish and seafood, meat and dessert categories. This initiative offers a means for every gastronomy lover to help the hospitality sector's cause in return for an exceptional collection of recipes and insights. The release of Home Comforts coincides with the impending 'Bid for Recovery' Auction of out-of-this-world gastronomic experiences and items, previewed here. Bidding on the auction opens on 3rd July and closes on 12th July at www.50BestForRecovery.com. 50 Best is also launching the #50BestRateMyPlate Instagram challenge for food lovers to create, and post, dishes inspired by those in the Home Comforts recipe book. The winner will receive two VIP tickets to The World's 50 Best Restaurants awards event in 2021 in Antwerp, Flanders. Follow @TheWorlds50Best on Instagram to find out more. The funds raised will provide direct and tangible financial relief for restaurants worldwide as they emerge from the Covid-19 pandemic as part of the 50 Best for Recovery programme. Independent restaurants and bars across the world will be able to apply for a direct grant in late July. Additional donations will be made to non-profit-organisations. Check here for details on fund recipients. The Black community has been hit disproportionately hard by coronavirus; this fact will continue to help shape the distribution of funds in the 50 Best for Recovery campaign. For media centre registration and access, visit: https://www.theworlds50best.com/mediacentre/media-contacts Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1199054/Home_Comforts.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1180297/50_Best_for_Recovery_Logo.jpg Press Contacts Susie Dempsey (US) / Jamie Ley (UK) US: +1 212-257-1500 / UK: +44 (0)20-3868-8700 Worlds50best@relevanceinternational.com LONDON, July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The organisation behind The World's 50 Best Restaurants has released its first ever e-cookbook, entitled Home Comforts: simple lockdown recipes from the world's best chefs and bartenders, featuring the meals that the world's most revered chefs are cooking for their families at home. Available for a $10/8 minimum donation through the 50 Best Bid for Recovery donation site with immediate effect, the cookbook will raise funds to support the global hospitality community as part of the 50 Best for Recovery programme announced earlier this year in partnership with founding donor S.Pellegrino & Acqua Panna. The cookbook contains 50 unique recipes from an equal balance of female and male chefs who have featured on recent 50 Best lists, alongside 25 cocktail pairings from bartenders behind The World's 50 Best Bars. The result is a collection of simple and delicious comfort food creations, from Tokyo to San Francisco, split into categories of vegetarian, fish and seafood, meat and dessert. Whether it's Alain Passard's inspired veg-led cookery, Daniela Soto-Innes' versatile mole, Manu Buffara's Sunday family favourite or Vicky Lau's brilliant bao, Home Comfortsoffers something to suit any amateur cook and every palate. This initiative offers a means for every food-and-drink lover to help the cause of the hospitality sector in return for a very special collection of recipes and insights. The release of Home Comforts coincides with the impending 'Bid for Recovery' Auction of out-of-this-world gastronomic experiences and rare items. Bidding on the auction opens on 3rd July and closes on 12th July at www.50BestForRecovery.com. 50 Best is also launching the #50BestRateMyPlate Instagram challenge for food lovers to create, and post, dishes inspired by those in the Home Comforts recipe book. Every week for five weeks from 20th July, 50 Best will choose its favourite three #50BestRateMyPlate dishes and share these with its 1.1m followers, who will then vote on their preferred dish. The plate with the most votes during that week will become a finalist and win the chance to be judged by a panel of 50 Best chefs in late August. The winner will receive two VIP tickets to The World's 50 Best Restaurants awards event in Antwerp, Flanders in 2021. Home Comforts has been created to give an insight into what 50 Best chefs have been cooking during lockdown, giving readers special access to the simple suppers they make at home, away from the polished plating in their restaurants. Anyone, anywhere in the world can donate, download a copy, and start cooking like a 50 Best chef, with ingredients easily sourced from supermarkets and local stores. With a balance of female and male chefs and bartenders, those participating reflect the gender parity that 50 Best promotes with its '50/50 is the new 50' campaign. The funds raised will go towards providing direct and tangible financial relief for restaurants worldwide as they emerge from the Covid-19 pandemic as part of the 50 Best for Recovery programme. Independent restaurants and bars across the world will be able to apply for a direct grant in late July. Additional donations will be made to non-profit-organisations: Lee Initiative's Restaurant Reboot Relief Program and Black Urban Growers (US); Nosso Prato (Brazil); the Eat Out Restaurant Relief Fund (South Africa); Feed the Needy (India); Horeca Next (Belgium); Ambasciatori del Gusto (Italy); Chefs for Spain; Singapore Cocktail Bar Association; and the worldwide Social Gastronomy Movement. You can find out more about the fund distribution process and recipient non-profit organisations here. William Drew, Director of Content for The World's 50 Best Restaurants, says: "We are thrilled to have some of the world's leading chefs and bartenders come together and offer their favourite recipes for our first ever e-cookbook. Chefs who have featured on The World's 50 Best Restaurants lists are opening their kitchens and encouraging food lovers to recreate their best-loved dishes in the comfort of their own homes. We urge people to support us in raising as much money as possible for the global hospitality industry - and help give back to the restaurants and bars struggling around the world - with a minimum $10 or 8 donation.' The 50 Best team continues to offer its heartfelt support to all those businesses and individuals suffering from the global pandemic. The organisation is hugely grateful to all those in the hospitality world who are dedicating their time and skill to help others, as well as to its partners. 50 Best is committed to using its platform to help fight for equality. The Black community has been hit disproportionately hard by COVID-19. This fact will continue to help shape the distribution of funds in the 50 Best for Recovery campaign. A selection of Home Comforts recipe previews are available by request. All details of the e-cookbook and auction will be available on the 50 Best for Recovery webpage, as well as via Instagram @TheWorlds50Best and Facebook @50BestRestaurants. About The World's 50 Best Restaurants Since 2002, The World's 50 Best Restaurants has reflected the diversity of the world's culinary landscape. The annual list of the world's finest restaurants provides a snapshot of some of the best destinations for unique culinary experiences, in addition to being a barometer for global gastronomic trends. In 2020, The World's 50 Best Restaurants list will not be published; instead the organisation has pivoted to focus its energy and resources on supporting the hospitality community through its 50 Best for Recovery programme. The 50 Best family also includes Latin America's 50 Best Restaurants, Asia's 50 Best Restaurants, The World's 50 Best Bars, Asia's 50 Best Bars and the #50BestTalks and 50 Best Explores series, all of which are owned and run by William Reed Business Media. 50 Best aims to bring together communities across the hospitality sector to foster collaboration, inclusivity, diversity and discovery and help drive positive change. About the main sponsor and founding donor: S.Pellegrino & Acqua Panna S.Pellegrino and Acqua Panna is the main partner of The World's 50 Best Restaurants and 50 Best for Recovery, as well as founding donor of the 50 Best Recovery Fund. S.Pellegrino and Acqua Panna are the leading natural mineral waters in the fine dining world. Together they interpret Italian style worldwide as a synthesis of excellence, pleasure and well-being. Other partners American Express - Official Credit Card Partner Gin Mare - Official Gin Partner Flor de Cana - Official Rum Partner The Dalmore - Official Scotch Whisky Partner illycaffe - Official Coffee Partner Beronia - Official Wine Partner Huitres Amelie - Official Oyster Partner Estrella Damm - Official Beer Partner - Official Beer Partner Nude - Official Glassware Partner Cinco Jotas - Official Iberico Ham Partner Press Contacts Susie Dempsey (US) / Jamie Ley (UK) Worlds50best@relevanceinternational.com US: +1-212-257-1500, UK: +44-20-3868 8700 For media centre registration and access, please visit https://www.theworlds50best.com/mediacentre/media-contacts Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1180297/50_Best_for_Recovery_Logo.jpg Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1199054/Home_Comforts.jpg BRUSSELS (dpa-AFX) - The U.S. dollar showed muted trading against its major counterparts in the European trading session on Wednesday, following the release of ADP data showing private sector job growth for June. Investors await minutes from the recent Fed meeting due later today. Data from payroll processor ADP showed a significant increase in private sector employment in June as well as a substantial upward revision to the data for May. ADP said private sector employment jumped by 2.369 million jobs in June, which was below economist estimates for a spike of about 3.000 million jobs. The Institute for Supply Management's manufacturing index for June is due at 10:00 am ET. Economists expect the index to rise to 49.5 in June from 43.1 in May. The Federal Reserve releases the minutes from the June policy meeting at 2:00 pm ET. The minutes may shed light on policy makers' opinions related to implementation of curve control. All-important nonfarm payrolls data is due tomorrow. The U.S. economy is expected to have added 3 million jobs during the month, up from a gain of 2.5 million jobs in May. The currency rose against its major counterparts in the Asian session, excepting the franc. The greenback fell to a 5-day low of 1.2427 against the pound from Tuesday's closing value of 1.2399. The greenback is seen finding support around the 1.28 level. Final data from IHS Markit showed that the UK manufacturing sector showed signs of stabilizing in June, following the steep downturn caused by the coronavirus, or Covid-19, pandemic. The Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply/ IHS Markit manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index rose sharply to 50.1 in June from 40.7 in May. The reading came in line with the flash estimate. The greenback weakened to a 2-day low of 107.36 against the yen, after rising to 108.17 in the Asian session, which was its highest since June 9. The pair was worth 107.92 when it ended deals on Tuesday. The next possible support for the greenback is seen around the 104.00 level. Data from the Cabinet Office showed that Japan's consumer confidence improved for the second straight month in June. On a seasonally adjusted basis, the consumer confidence index increased to 28.4 in June from 24.0 in May. The greenback pulled back to 1.1239 against the euro, from a 9-day high of 1.1185 seen at 7:30 am ET. The pair had closed Tuesday's deals at 1.1233. If the greenback drops further, 1.14 is possibly seen as its next support level. Data from the Federal Employment Agency showed that German unemployment increased less than expected in June. The number of unemployed persons rose by 69,000 in June, compared to economists' forecast of 120,000. In May, the number of people out of work increased by 237,000. The greenback held steady against the franc, after having recovered from a 2-day low of 0.9458 set at 4:15 am ET. At Tuesday's close, the pair was valued at 0.9472. At 2:00 pm ET, the Fed releases minutes from June 9-10 meeting. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Kostenloser Wertpapierhandel auf Smartbroker.de Technavio has been monitoring the probe card market and it is poised to grow by USD 505.23 million during 2020-2024, progressing at a CAGR of over 5% during the forecast period. The report offers an up-to-date analysis regarding the current market scenario, latest trends and drivers, and the overall market environment. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200701005470/en/ Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Global Probe Card Market 2020-2024 (Graphic: Business Wire) Technavio suggests three forecast scenarios (optimistic, probable, and pessimistic) considering the impact of COVID-19. Please Request Free Sample Report on COVID-19 Impact The market is fragmented, and the degree of fragmentation will accelerate during the forecast period. FEINMETALL GmbH, FormFactor Inc., JAPAN ELECTRONIC MATERIALS Corp., Korea Instrument Co. Ltd., Microfriend Inc., MICRONICS JAPAN Co. Ltd., MPI Corp., Nidec SV Probe Pte. Ltd., Technoprobe Spa, and WILL-Technology Co. Ltd are some of the major market participants. The growing investment in fabs will offer immense growth opportunities. To make the most of the opportunities, market vendors should focus more on the growth prospects in the fast-growing segments, while maintaining their positions in the slow-growing segments. Growing investment in fabs has been instrumental in driving the growth of the market. Probe Card Market 2020-2024: Segmentation Probe Card Market is segmented as below: Product Advanced Probe Card Standard Probe Card End-user Foundry Logic Memory Device Geography APAC North America Europe South America MEA To learn more about the global trends impacting the future of market research, download a free sample: https://www.technavio.com/talk-to-us?report=IRTNTR40623 Probe Card Market 2020-2024: Scope Technavio presents a detailed picture of the market by the way of study, synthesis, and summation of data from multiple sources. Our probe card market report covers the following areas: Probe Card Market size Probe Card Market trends Probe Card Market industry analysis This study identifies increasing wafer size as one of the prime reasons driving the probe card market growth during the next few years. Probe Card Market 2020-2024: Vendor Analysis We provide a detailed analysis of vendors operating in the probe card market, including some of the vendors such as FEINMETALL GmbH, FormFactor Inc., JAPAN ELECTRONIC MATERIALS Corp., Korea Instrument Co. Ltd., Microfriend Inc., MICRONICS JAPAN Co. Ltd., MPI Corp., Nidec SV Probe Pte. Ltd., Technoprobe Spa, and WILL-Technology Co. Ltd. Backed with competitive intelligence and benchmarking, our research reports on the probe card market are designed to provide entry support, customer profile and M&As as well as go-to-market strategy support. Register for a free trial today and gain instant access to 17,000+ market research reports. Technavio's SUBSCRIPTION platform Probe Card Market 2020-2024: Key Highlights CAGR of the market during the forecast period 2020-2024 Detailed information on factors that will assist probe card market growth during the next five years Estimation of the probe card market size and its contribution to the parent market Predictions on upcoming trends and changes in consumer behavior The growth of the probe card market Analysis of the market's competitive landscape and detailed information on vendors Comprehensive details of factors that will challenge the growth of probe card market vendors Table Of Contents: Executive Summary Market Landscape Market ecosystem Market Sizing Market definition Market segment analysis Market size 2019 Market outlook: Forecast for 2019 2024 Five Forces Analysis Five Forces Summary Bargaining power of buyers Bargaining power of suppliers Threat of new entrants Threat of substitutes Threat of rivalry Market condition Market Segmentation by Product Market segments Comparison by Product placement Advanced probe card Market size and forecast 2019-2024 Standard probe card Market size and forecast 2019-2024 Market opportunity by Product Market Segmentation by End-user Market segments Comparison by End user placement Foundry and logic Market size and forecast 2019-2024 Memory device Market size and forecast 2019-2024 Market opportunity by End user Customer Landscape Geographic Landscape Geographic segmentation Geographic comparison APAC Market size and forecast 2019-2024 North America Market size and forecast 2019-2024 Europe Market size and forecast 2019-2024 South America Market size and forecast 2019-2024 MEA Market size and forecast 2019-2024 Key leading countries Market opportunity by geography Market Drivers Market Challenges Market Trends Vendor Landscape Vendor landscape Landscape disruption Vendor Analysis Vendors covered Market positioning of vendors FEINMETALL GmbH FormFactor Inc. JAPAN ELECTRONIC MATERIALS Corp. Korea Instrument Co. Ltd. Microfriend Inc. MICRONICS JAPAN Co. Ltd. MPI Corp. Nidec SV Probe Pte. Ltd. Technoprobe Spa WILL-Technology Co. Ltd Appendix Scope of the report Currency conversion rates for US$ Research methodology List of abbreviations About Us Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focus on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200701005470/en/ Contacts: Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media Marketing Executive US: +1 844 364 1100 UK: +44 203 893 3200 Email: media@technavio.com Website: www.technavio.com/ WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - The Federal Government has alerted the people of the United States about emerging threats to steal money and sensitive information through contact tracing scams in the pretext of doing it for COVID-19 data collection. Contact tracing process was initiated in the U.S. in the wake of COVID-19 to identify people who have come in contact with someone who has tested positive for the virus, and instruct them to quarantine, and monitor their symptoms. Contact tracers are usually hired by a state's department of public health. They work with an infected person to get the names and phone numbers for everyone that infected person came in close contact with while possibly infectious. The Justice Department, Department of Health and Human Services, and the Federal Trade Commission issued a joint statement warning that fraudsters, taking advantage of the pandemic, are attempting to exploit contact tracing to steal both money and personal information. Contact tracing scams often appear in the form of text messages or telephone calls seeking money, bank account, or credit card numbers, along with other sensitive information not required for authentic contact tracing. The government agencies said that depending on the state, a person who had contact with someone infected with COVID-19 will either get a telephone call or a text message from the health department indicating that the person will be receiving a telephone call from a specific number. They made it clear that state health departments will not text individuals asking them to call a telephone number or to click a link. 'You may receive a call, email, text or visit from a contact tracer, and you should not hesitate to talk with them,' said Andrew Smith, Director of the FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection. 'But, if they ask you for money, bank account information, your Social Security number, or to click on a link, those are sure signs of a scam,' according to him. Scammers may offer fake contact tracing jobs to collect both Social Security numbers and fees. They also may send text messages or emails with fake links, or call people pretending to be contact tracers. 'Clicking on a link in the text message or email will download malware onto your device, giving scammers access to your personal and financial information,' the statement said. Users have been advised to ignore and delete these scam messages. The government noted that real contact tracers will never ask for a Social Security number, bank account number, or credit card number, and will never ask for payment. The Justice Department, HHS and FTC urged anyone who has spotted a contact tracing scam or any fraud connected to COVID-19 to report it to the National Center for Disaster Fraud at 866-720-5721 or online at www.Justice.gov/DisasterComplaintForm or ftc.gov/complaint. COVID-19 fraud is rapidly evolving in the country as cities and states begin to reopen for business and implement contact tracing measures in their reopening plans. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Kostenloser Wertpapierhandel auf Smartbroker.de Amber Heard has been facing multiple cheating allegations since her legal battle with Johnny Depp began. However, Depp is not yet done dropping bombshell accusations against her ex-wife. Depp's lawyers dragged James Franco's name into his legal battle following the claims that Heard had an affair with Elon Musk. As reported by The Blast, the "Pirates of the Caribbean" star plans to send a subpoena to Franco since his legal team sees him as a "witness." This came after Depp's team obtained a clip where Franco can be seen talking to Heard a day after her blowout fight with Johnny. In the said surveillance video from Depp's apartment, the time stamp shows May 22, 2016 -- close to 11:00 p.m. Franco and Heard seemed to be aware of the camera as they obviously tried to keep their faces away from it. The two also continuously talked while keeping their heads down. "We are interested in James Franco and Elon Musk as fact witnesses because we have evidence they are men who saw Amber Heard's face in the days and nights between when she claimed Mr. Depp smashed her in the face on May 21 and when she went to court with painted on 'bruises' to obtain a Temporary Restraining Order on May 27," Adam Waldman told the news outlet. Meanwhile, Heard's lawyer, Eric George, debunked the claims and called it "pathetic" and a "bogus story." Per George, he believes that the accusation is just "another lame attempt" by Depp and his team to show misleading information in pursuit of attacking and abusing his ex-wife. "Amber Heard and James Franco once lived in the same apartment complex and were simply taking an elevator at the same time. Period," Heard's lawyer went on. Heard Also Cheated With Elon Musk? Prior to the recent revelation, it has been first reported that Space X founder Elon Musk was seen entering the building of Depp's penthouse in the weeks after Heard filed for a restraining order in Los Angeles. Previously, Musk got slammed after he called government scientist Neil Ferguson "a tool" and "utter moron" for allegedly ignoring the lockdown to meet his married lover. A netizen replied to his tweet with a news link about Depp claiming that Heard cheated on him with Musk. "This is false. JD's team put out 'video evidence,' but conveniently excluded the date stamp, as it was well after JD & AH had separated," the tech billionaire wrote in response. "There would be timestamped video if this were true." Previously, the "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" actor and his team also released footage wherein Heard and Musk can be seen hugging each other before stepping out of the private elevator at the actor's penthouse. The Tesla boss, in another shot, wrapped his arms around Heard, who was only wearing a swimsuit and a towel at that time. Meanwhile, he was also dragged again for allegedly having a threesome with Heard and Cara Delevingne. In the explosive documents obtained by DailyMail, it was revealed that Josh Drew -- the ex-husband of Heard's close friend Raquel "Rocky" Pennington -- appeared in a deposition recorded on November 19, 2019. Drew confirmed at that time that Heard indeed had a three-way affair with Musk and Delevingne. The trial will resume on July 7 at the Royal Courts of Justice in London, and netizens can expect more revelations from both Depp and Heard's parties on that day onwards. READ MORE: Johnny Depp Hiding DAMAGING Evidence To Win Defamation Case [REPORT] See Now: Famous Actors Who Turned Down Iconic Movie Roles Third Point Offshore Investors Limited (a closed-ended investmentincorporated in Guernsey with registration number47161) LEI Number: 549300WXTCG65AQ7V644 (The "Company") 1 JULY 2020 RESULT OF ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING At the Annual General Meeting of the Company held today, all Ordinary and Special Resolutions set out in the Annual General Meeting Notice sent to Shareholders dated 3 June 2020 were duly passed. Details of the proxy voting results which should be read along side the Notice are noted below: Ordinary Resolution For Discretion (voted in favour) Against Abstain 1 43,235,147 0 0 151 2 43,235,147 0 0 151 3 43,235,147 0 0 151 4 43,235,147 0 0 151 5 43,235,147 0 0 151 6 43,235,147 0 0 151 7 16,504,200 0 0 26,731,098 8 43,216,004 0 19,143 151 9 43,235,147 0 0 151 Special Resolution For Discretion (voted in favour) Against Abstain 10 43,235,147 0 0 151 11 43,235,147 0 0 151 12 43,235,147 0 0 151 Note -A vote withheld is not a vote in law and has not been counted in the votes for and against a resolution. Pursuant to Article 4(c) of the Articles of Incorporation of the Company, the Class B Shareholder (Third Point Offshore Independent Voting Company Limited) had abstained from voting their holding of 25,574,912 in respect of Resolution 7 (being the re-election of Joshua Targoff, the Chief Operating Officer, Partner and General Counsel of Third Point LLC), this being a Listing Rule Reserved Matter. The Special Resolutions were as follows: Special Resolution 10 That conditional upon the Ordinary Shares of the Company remaining traded on the main market of the London Stock Exchange, the Company be authorised in accordance with Section 315 of the Companies Law to make market acquisitions (within the meaning of section 316 of the Companies Law) of each class of its Shares (either for retention as treasury shares for future reissue and resale or transfer, or cancellation) provided that: i. the maximum number of Shares hereby authorised to be purchased shall be 14.99% of each class of Shares in issue at the date of this document; ii. the minimum price (exclusive of expenses) which may be paid for a Share shall be 50 per cent of the Net Asset Value (as defined in the Articles); iii. Unless a tender offer is made to all holders of the relevant class of Shares, the maximum price (exclusive of expenses) which may be paid for a Share shall not be more than the higher of (a) 105 per cent of the average of the middle mark quotations for a Share taken from the London Stock Exchange's main market for listed securities for the five business days before the purchase is made and (b) the higher of the price of the last independent trade and the highest current independent bid at the time of the purchase; and (c) any purchase by the Company of 15 per cent or more of any class of its Shares shall be effected by way of a tender offer to all Shareholders of that class, or such other price as may be permitted by the Listing Rules of the UK Listing Authority: iv. the authority hereby conferred shall expire at the conclusion of the next Annual General Meeting of the Company, or, if earlier, on the expiry of eighteen months from the passing of this resolution, unless such authority is renewed, varied or revoked prior to such time; and v. the Company may make a contract to purchase Shares under the authority hereby conferred prior to the expiry of such authority which will or may be executed wholly or partly after the expiration of such authority and may make a purchase of Shares pursuant to any such contract. Special Resolution 11 That the New Articles of Incorporation produced to the Annual General Meeting and signed by the Chairman of the Annual General Meeting for the purposes of identification be adopted as the articles of incorporation of the Company in substitution for the Existing Articles of Incorporation of the Company. Special Resolution 12 That the Company's name be changed from "Third Point Offshore Investors Limited" to ""Third Point Investors Limited". Enquiries: Northern Trust International Fund Administration Services (Guernsey) Limited The Company Secretary Trafalgar Court Les Banques St Peter Port Guernsey GY1 3QL Tel: 01481 745001 END Regulatory News: The University of Tours and THERADIAG (Paris:ALTER) (ISIN: FR0004197747, Ticker: ALTER, eligible for the French PEA-PME personal equity plan), a company specializing in in vitro diagnostics and theranostics, have just signed two agreements simultaneously. The first is an exclusive licensing agreement for the production and access to viral proteins initially synthesized by Prof. Antoine Touze's polyomavirus infections biology team (University of Tours MRU INRAE Infectiology and Public Health). These proteins were initially developed for use in diagnostic tests as part of a collaborative project financed by seed funds under the ANR's Flash call COVID-19 (coordinated by Dr Etienne Brochot, UPJV-CHU Amiens-Picardie). The new licensing agreement with the University of Tours will allow Theradiag to use these proteins to develop, manufacture and market a new serology test based on the ELISA technology. These serology tests detect the presence or absence of antibodies generated to fight the virus in patients' bloodstreams. The two parties concurrently signed a global collaboration agreement which will allow them to establish further research or service partnerships in the future. This will facilitate Theradiag's access to research laboratories in the Touraine region, including those specializing in the fields of medicine and pharmaceuticals. Bertrand de Castelnau, Chief Executive Officer of Theradiag, commented: "We are delighted to have signed these agreements with the University of Tours and we look forward very much to this collaboration. The expertise of the University's laboratories in the field of bio-drugs and more specifically monoclonal antibodies resonates with Theradiag's biotherapy monitoring activity. First of all, it will allow us to obtain premium quality raw materials manufactured in France for our ELISA COVID-19 tests. This will further enhance the efficiency of Theradiag's tests. This R&D partnership is in tune with our policy of bringing increasingly pertinent solutions to market within minimal lead times. Later on, we will focus on developing other partnerships together in areas other than the fight against COVID, to which Theradiag has now been contributing for several months." "I am also delighted about the agreements we have signed with Theradiag, for several reasons. First and foremost, they embody the commitment shown by our research teams during the COVID-19 pandemic and the intensity of our research efforts in the field of healthcare. As such, the University of Tours coordinates cutting-edge scientific production in the field of bio-drugs centered on the MAbImprove LabEx project, a program that unites over 200 researchers and 30 research teams based in Tours and Montpellier: our researchers work intensively on the treatment of numerous diseases using monoclonal antibodies. They are backed by a nationwide network of academic teams, biotechnology firms and pharmaceutical laboratories and are now firmly established on the international scene. These agreements also represent a strong determination we share with Theradiag to set up a long-term partnership between our two establishments in the region so we can rise to the scientific, medical and economic challenges we need to overcome in order to bring these solutions to the patient's bedside and confirm our leadership in these fields." added Philippe Vendrix, President of the University of Tours Theradiag's financial calendar: - H1 2020 revenue, Tuesday, July 21, 2020 - H1 2020 results, Monday, September 21, 2020 About the University of Tours The University of Tours is located right in the city centers of Tours and Blois. For 50 years, the institution has placed a strong emphasis on training, innovation, professional qualification and the success of its alumni. Thanks to its seven faculties, two institutes of technology and a polytechnic engineering school, the University offers its 28,000 undergraduates and postgraduates all the benefits of a multidisciplinary environment. The University encourages student mobility and takes in 2,900 international applicants every year. With 35 certified research units recognized in France and worldwide, the University of Tours is proud of its status as the top public research institute in the Centre-Val de Loire region. About Theradiag Theradiag is the market leader in biotherapy monitoring. Capitalizing on its expertise in the diagnostics market, the Company has been developing, manufacturing and marketing innovative in vitro diagnostic (IVD) tests for over 30 years. Theradiag pioneered "theranostics" testing (combining therapy with diagnosis), which measures the efficacy of biotherapy in the treatment of chronic inflammatory diseases. Going beyond mere diagnosis, theranostics aims to help clinicians set up "customized treatment" for each patient. This method favors the individualization of treatment, evaluation of its efficacy and the prevention of drug resistance. In response to this challenge, Theradiag develops and markets the CE-marked TRACKER range, a comprehensive solution of inestimable medical value. The Company is based in Marne-la-Vallee, near Paris, has operations in over 70 countries and employs over 60 people. In 2019, the Company posted revenue of 9.6 million. The Theradiag share is listed on Euronext Growth Paris (ISIN: FR0004197747) and is eligible for the French PEA-PME personal equity plan. For more information about Theradiag, please visit our website: www.theradiag.com View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200701005739/en/ Contacts: University of Tours Press relations contact: Communications Department University of Tours annesophie.laure@univ-tours.fr T: +33 (0)2 47 36 68 62 Theradiag Investor and media relations: Theradiag Bertrand de Castelnau CEO/Managing Director Tel.: +33 (0)1 64 62 10 12 contact@theradiag.com NewCap Financial Communications Investor Relations Sandrine Boussard-Gallien Tel.: +33 (0)1 44 71 94 94 theradiag@newcap.eu NewCap Media Relations Nicolas Merigeau Tel.: +33 (0)1 44 71 94 98 nmerigeau@newcap.fr Wild Sky Media is a portfolio of female-focused, content brands - including CafeMom, Mom.com and LittleThings. The properties have extensive, cross-generational reach and offer engaging article and video content. Boston, Massachusetts--(Newsfile Corp. - July 1, 2020) - Progress Partners, a Boston and New York-based M&A advisory firm, is pleased to announce that it has advised Wild Sky Media on its sale to Bright Mountain Media, Inc. (OTCQB: BMTM). The transaction was completed for $15 million in debt and 2.5 million shares of restricted common stock of Bright Mountain Media, Inc. Figure 1 To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/6522/58967_6c379ef0642503b73dc2237bc168.png "The Wild Sky Media team has done an excellent job developing its brand, telling unique stories to a diverse group of parents through a digital portfolio that has become a leading voice in the space," said Kip Speyer, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Bright Mountain Media. Bright Mountain Media expects the Wild Sky portfolio of sites to become a key component of its end-to-end digital media and advertising services platform. "We truly appreciate the team at Progress Partners. Their knowledge of the media industry and respect for our brands enabled them to provide great advice and support during this process," said Emily Smith, CEO, Wild Sky Media. The M&A advisory team from Progress Partners, which acted as financial advisor to Wild Sky Media in the transaction, was led by Senior Managing Director Chris Legg and Managing Director Gretchen Tibbits (formerly the President of LittleThings). Chris Legg reflected on the growth potential for Wild Sky Media from the transaction. "We are pleased for the entire Wild Sky Media team as they begin a new journey as part of the Bright Mountain Media collection of businesses. We are confident that adding the Wild Sky properties as key components of the Bright Mountain media platform will result in attention from and success in the advertising marketplace." About Wild Sky Media Wild Sky Media tells the unique stories of our most diverse generation, offering massive global reach through its hyper-engaging content and access to niche, multicultural audiences. Wild Sky Media brands include parenting and lifestyle brands such as CafeMom, Mom.com, LittleThings, Revelist, BabyNameWizard, and MamasLatinas, reaching over 30 million unique and diverse users per month. To learn more, please visit https://www.wildskymedia.com/. About Bright Mountain Media Bright Mountain Media, Inc. (OTCQB: BMTM) is an end-to-end digital media and advertising services platform, efficiently connecting brands with targeted consumer demographics. Through the removal of middlemen in the advertising services process, Bright Mountain Media efficiently connects brands with targeted consumer demographics while maximizing revenue to publishers. Bright Mountain Media's assets include the Bright Mountain, LLC ad network, MediaHouse (f/k/a NDN), Oceanside (f/k/a S&W Media) and 24 owned and/or managed websites. For more information, please visit www.brightmountainmedia.com. Forward-Looking Statements for Bright Mountain Media, Inc. This press release contains certain forward-looking statements that are based upon current expectations and involve certain risks and uncertainties. Such forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as "should," "may," "intends," "anticipates," "believes," "estimates," "projects," "forecasts," "expects," "plans," and "proposes," and similar words. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to risks, uncertainties, and other factors, some of which are beyond our control and difficult to predict and could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or forecasted in the forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, statements made with respect to expectations of our ability to close the proposed acquisition of Inform, Inc., and the realization of any expected benefits from such transaction if closed. You are urged to carefully review and consider any cautionary statements and other disclosures, including the statements made under the heading "Risk Factors" in Bright Mountain Media, Inc.'s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on May 14, 2020, and our other filings with the SEC. Bright Mountain Media, Inc. does not undertake any duty to update any forward-looking statements except as may be required by law. About Progress Partners Progress Partners is a Boston and New York-based M&A boutique investment bank that works with emerging technology companies, with specialized efforts in the media, marketing and advertising sectors. Progress Partners works with buyers and sellers of high-growth companies to complete M&A transactions, raise debt or equity capital, as well as, develop and implement strategic growth plans. The firm's high standards of excellence, deep industry experience, extensive network, and entrepreneurial background give Progress Partners the ability to build and realize superior value for its clients. Securities offered by Applied Capital, LLC, member of FINRA and SIPC. Visit www.progresspartners.com for more information. Contact: Progress Partners Gretchen Tibbits GTibbits@progresspartners.com To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/58967 Sandoz evaluating next steps, including potential appeal to US Supreme Court Ruling continues to prevent launch of important, affordable treatment option for US patients affected by chronic autoimmune and inflammatory diseases Sandoz remains deeply committed to making Erelzi available to US patients as soon as possible, contributing to a more sustainable healthcare system Holzkirchen, Germany, July 1, 2020 - Sandoz, a Novartis division and a global leader in biosimilars, today announced that the US Court of Appeals for the Federal District has ruled against Sandoz in patent litigation concerning the Sandoz biosimilar Erelzi (etanercept-szzs) for reference medicine Enbrel* (etanercept). Today's decision upholds a prior ruling from the New Jersey District Court, which declared the Amgen patents valid. Sandoz is evaluating its options, which may include an appeal to the US Supreme Court. "Sandoz will continue its efforts to make Erelzi available to US patients with autoimmune and inflammatory diseases," said Carol Lynch, President of Sandoz US and Head of North America. "Our company respects valid intellectual property, however Sandoz continues to believe the patents asserted by Amgen are not valid, and that it should not be able to use them to extend the drug's exclusivity." Sandoz is the first company to receive approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for a biosimilar etanercept. Erelzi has been approved in the US for more than three years, since August 2016, however Sandoz has been unable to launch this medicine in the US due to the ongoing patent litigation with Amgen. With the trend towards increased spending on specialty medicines only expected to grow,1 biosimilars play an important role in enabling more patients to access biologic medicines and may offer significant savings for patients, helping to alleviate the overburdened healthcare system.2,3 Estimates suggest that a biosimilar etanercept could save the US healthcare system around USD one billion a year.4 "Biosimilars can make tremendous contributions to the sustainability of US healthcare5 and enhance patient access to biologic medicines, which are often life-changing treatment options for patients with chronic illness," said Colin C. Edgerton, MD, a rheumatologist and Executive Chairman of the American Rheumatology Network. "Data and real-world experience affirm there are no changes in safety and efficacy when patients switch between a biosimilar and a reference medicine.6" Sandoz will continue to help millions of patients in oncology, immunology, endocrinology and other underserved therapy areas access biologic medicines sustainably and affordably. Sandoz was the first to launch a biosimilar in the US, and Erelzi is one of the company's four FDA-approved biosimilar medicines.7 About biosimilars Biosimilars are approved biologics with comparable quality, safety and efficacy to existing biologics, and go through an extensive regulatory evaluation and approval process. A 10-year-plus growing body of real-world evidence in highly-regulated markets shows biosimilar adoption greatly increases usage of biologic medicines while delivering matched safety, efficacy and quality profiles.8 About Erelzi Erelzi is the Sandoz biosimilar of the reference medicine Enbrel. Erelzi has been studied in a global development program, which included a comprehensive comparison of Erelzi and Enbrel at the analytical, preclinical, and clinical levels. The program included preclinical studies, pharmacokinetic (PK) studies, and the Phase III confirmatory safety and efficacy EGALITY study. Erelzi is approved by the FDA for the following indications: adult rheumatoid arthritis (RA), ankylosing spondylitis (AS), polyarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and moderate to severe plaque psoriasis (PsO). Erelzi is a registered trademark of Novartis AG. Important Safety Information Please see full Prescribing Information for Erelzi here: https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2019/761042s010lbl.pdf (https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2019/761042s010lbl.pdf) Disclaimer This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements can generally be identified by words such as "potential," "can," "will," "plan," "may," "could," "would," "expect," "anticipate," "seek," "look forward," "believe," "committed," "investigational," "pipeline," "launch," "reviewing," "evaluating," "ongoing," "continues," or similar terms, or by express or implied discussions regarding potential marketing approvals, launches, new indications or labelling for Erelzi and the other investigational or approved biosimilar products described in this press release, or regarding potential future revenues from such products. You should not place undue reliance on these statements. Such forward-looking statements are based on our current beliefs and expectations regarding future events and are subject to significant known and unknown risks and uncertainties. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements. There can be no guarantee that Erelzi or the other investigational or approved biosimilar products described in this press release will be submitted or approved for sale or for any additional indications or labelling in any market, or at any particular time. Neither can there be any guarantee that Erelzi will be launched in the US at any particular time, or at all. Nor can there be any guarantee that Erelzi or such other products will be commercially successful in the future. In particular, our expectations regarding Erelzi and such other products could be affected by, among other things, litigation outcomes or other legal action, decisions or delays, including intellectual property disputes or other legal efforts to prevent or limit Sandoz from selling its products; the uncertainties inherent in research and development, including clinical trial results and additional analysis of existing clinical data; regulatory actions or delays or government regulation generally; global trends toward health care cost containment, including government, payor and general public pricing and reimbursement pressures and requirements for increased pricing transparency; our ability to maintain proprietary intellectual property protection; the particular prescribing preferences of physicians and patients; competition in general, including potential approval of additional biosimilar versions of such products; general political and economic conditions; safety, quality, data integrity or manufacturing issues; potential or actual data security and data privacy breaches, or disruptions of our information technology systems, and other risks and factors referred to in Novartis AG's current Form 20-F on file with the US Securities and Exchange Commission. Novartis is providing the information in this press release as of this date and does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this press release as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. About Sandoz Sandoz, a Novartis division, is a global leader in generic pharmaceuticals and biosimilars. Our purpose is to pioneer access for patients by developing and commercializing novel, affordable approaches that address unmet medical needs. Our ambition is to be the world's leading and most valued generics company. Our broad portfolio of high-quality medicines, covering all major therapeutic areas, accounted for 2019 sales of USD 9.7 billion. Sandoz is headquartered in Holzkirchen, in Germany's Greater Munich area. Sandoz is on Twitter. Sign up to follow @Sandoz_global at http://twitter.com/Sandoz_Global (http://twitter.com/Sandoz_Global). *Enbrel is a registered trademark of Immunex Corporation in the US. # # # References IQVIA IMS Health and Quintiles. "Biosimilars: Who Saves?". White Paper. Available at: https://www.iqvia.com/locations/united-states/library/white-papers/biosimilars-who-saves (https://www.iqvia.com/locations/united-states/library/white-papers/biosimilars-who-saves). Accessed on February 14, 2020. IQVIA Institute for Human Data Science. Medicine use and spending in the US: a review of 2017 and outlook to 2022. https://www.iqvia.com/insights/the-iqvia-institute/reports/medicine-use-and-spending-in-the-us-review-of-2017-outlook-to-2022 (https://www.iqvia.com/insights/the-iqvia-institute/reports/medicine-use-and-spending-in-the-us-review-of-2017-outlook-to-2022). Accessed on February 14, 2020. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Remarks from FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, M.D., as prepared for delivery at the Brookings Institution on the release of the FDA's Biosimilar Action Plan [press release]. July 18, 2018. https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/remarks-fda-commissioner-scott-gottlieb-md-prepared-delivery-brookings-institution-release-fdas (https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/remarks-fda-commissioner-scott-gottlieb-md-prepared-delivery-brookings-institution-release-fdas). Accessed on February 14, 2020. Data on file. US Healthcare Impact Biosimilar. Sandoz Inc. February 2020. US Food and Drug Administration. Statement from FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, M.D., on new actions advancing the agency's biosimilars policy framework. Available at: https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/statement-fda-commissioner-scott-gottlieb-md-new-actions-advancing-agencys-biosimilars-policy (https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/statement-fda-commissioner-scott-gottlieb-md-new-actions-advancing-agencys-biosimilars-policy). Accessed on February 14, 2020. Cohen, Hillel, et al. Switching Reference Medicines to Biosimilars: A Systematic Literature Review of Clinical Outcomes. Drugs. March 2018, Volume 78, Issue 4, pp 463-478. Available at https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29500555 (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29500555). Accessed on February 14, 2020. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. "FDA approves Erelzi, a biosimilar to Enbrel". Available at: https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-approves-erelzi-biosimilar-enbrel (https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-approves-erelzi-biosimilar-enbrel). Accessed on February 14, 2020. The Biosimilars Council. The New Frontier for Improved Access to Medicines: Biosimilars & Interchangeable Biologic Products. Available at: https://biosimilarscouncil.org/resource/the-new-frontier-for-improved-access-to-medicines (https://biosimilarscouncil.org/resource/the-new-frontier-for-improved-access-to-medicines). Accessed on February 14, 2020 Novartis Media Relations E-mail: media.relations@novartis.com (mailto:media.relations@novartis.com) Eric Althoff Novartis US Communications +1 646 438 4335 eric.althoff@novartis.com (mailto:eric.althoff@novartis.com) Allison Schneider Sandoz US Communications +1 609 619 9089 (mobile) allison.schneider@sandoz.com (mailto:allison.schneider@sandoz.com) Chris Lewis Sandoz Global Communications +49 174 244 9501 (mobile) chris.lewis@sandoz.com (mailto:chris.lewis@sandoz.com) Michelle Bauman Sandoz Global Communications +1 973 714 8043 (mobile) michelle.bauman@sandoz.com (mailto:michelle.bauman@sandoz.com) Novartis Investor Relations Central investor relations line: +41 61 324 7944 E-mail: investor.relations@novartis.com (mailto:investor.relations@novartis.com) BERLIN (dpa-AFX) - Merck Wednesday said it received a Supplementary Statement of Objections from the European Commission in the ongoing proceedings concerning the Sigma-Aldrich acquisition, which was completed in 2015. In July 2017, Merck received a Statement of Objections from the European Commission. This relates to a packaging technology developed by Sigma-Aldrich prior to its acquisition by Merck. The SSO states that the allegations previously made against Merck will be dropped. The SSO retains allegations made against Sigma-Aldrich, which will be the object of the ongoing proceedings. Merck said it is confident that it will be possible to resolve the situation satisfactorily. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. O-RAN has recently published 23 new or updated specifications and the O-RAN Use Cases and Deployment Scenarios white paper The 2 nd release of O-RAN software "Bronze" adds support for new key elements of the O-RAN architecture and updates aligned with the latest O-RAN specifications release of O-RAN software "Bronze" adds support for new key elements of the O-RAN architecture and updates aligned with the latest O-RAN specifications O-RAN Virtual Exhibition adds more demonstrations of O-RAN based technologies The O-RAN ALLIANCE has continued its progress towards making the Radio Access Networks (RAN) truly open, intelligent, virtualized and fully interoperable. The O-RAN ALLIANCE welcomes TELUS Communications Inc. and U.S. Cellular as new operator members, bringing the total to 26 major carriers. O-RAN now has over 200 companies driving the definition and realization of O-RAN technology. Recently Released Specifications and White Paper Published in February 2020, the O-RAN Use Cases and Deployment Scenarios white paper introduces the initial set of O-RAN use cases and cloud native deployment support options. O-RAN use cases drive the O-RAN architecture and demonstrate its unique benefits, including utilization of AI/ML modules to empower network intelligence through open and standardized interfaces in a multi-vendor network. The white paper also introduces the O-Cloud cloud computing platform that can host relevant O-RAN functions to enable flexible deployment options in virtualized telco clouds. Recently published specifications bring new or updated features to all parts of the O-RAN architecture, allowing vendors to progress with improved O-RAN based implementations. For more details, please check this O-RAN Blog post. O-RAN Software Community Bronze Release On June 21, 2020, working with the Linux Foundation, the O-RAN SW Community published its second SW release dubbed "Bronze." The software adds support for new key elements of the O-RAN architecture and provides updates to align with the latest O-RAN specifications: The initial release of an A1 policy manager and an A1 controller that implements the Non-Real-Time Radio Intelligent Controller (Non-RT RIC) architecture. The Near-Real-Time RIC updated to current O-RAN E2 and A1 specifications with 5 sample xAPPs. Initial O-CU and O-DU Low/High code contributions that support a FAPI framework and integration between the O-DU and RIC with E2 functionality and subscription support. A Traffic Steering and Quality Prediction use case leveraging an E2 interface data ingest pipeline to demonstrate the functionality of RAN traffic steering with an E2 interface KPI monitoring capability. OAM use cases that exercise Health Check call flows including the Near-RT RIC and its O1 and A1 interfaces. "The new use cases, the Bronze software release, and the new O-RAN ALLIANCE members are indications that this global forum is working exactly as intended, reaching across borders to drive innovation and build consensus," said Andre Fuetsch, Chairman of the O-RAN ALLIANCE and Chief Technology Officer Network Services, at AT&T. "As this coalition evolves, we look forward to seeing how it continues to broaden access to 5G and other new access technologies." "Over the past 6 months, O-RAN working groups and the O-RAN Software Community have extensively engaged to achieve tight alignment between the specifications and the Bronze release open source code," said Chih-Lin I, the Co-Chair of O-RAN Technical Steering Committee. "Specific progress related to both the Non-RT-RIC and the Near-RT-RIC frameworks and associated key interfaces deserves special mention for its importance in enabling AI/ML capabilities in RAN. The O-RAN virtual showcase further demonstrates the growing momentum towards global adoption and deployment of O-RAN solutions." "Ericsson is actively engaged in shaping the future of the O-RAN initiative by enabling Non-RT RIC (Non-Real-Time RAN Intelligent Controller) and A1 interface to support fine-grained intelligent steering of the RAN," said Per Beming, Head of Standards and Industry Initiative in Ericsson. "During OSC Bronze release, Ericsson continued as the key contributor to Non-RT RIC project by improving support for intent based intelligent RAN optimization using A1 interface. This specific capability allows operators to leverage both RAN and non-RAN data to enrich end user experience." "The work within the O-RAN ALLIANCE is a great example of how strong industry collaboration can help accelerate technology innovation," said Udayan Mukherjee, Intel Fellow, Network Platforms Group and Chief Technologist, Wireless Infrastructure, at Intel. "As a major contributor to the FAPI library specifications, architectures and software in O-RAN, Intel is pleased to see how this work can enable an O-RAN Distributed Unit platform that is compliant with O-RAN standardized stack interfaces." "The O-RAN Software Community has reached an important achievement with its second software release. This milestone is the result of a tremendous effort from across the O-RAN community," said Gil Hellmann, vice president, Telecom Solutions Engineering, Wind River. "As the lead for the INF project delivering the edge cloud infrastructure portion for the O-RAN workgroup based on the Yocto and StarlingX open source projects, Wind River looks forward to continuing our contributions to the community to accelerate the commercialization of 5G vRAN." To learn more about the O-RAN Software Community "Bronze" release please read this O-RAN Blog post, and to access the code, check out the O-RAN Software Community website. The O-RAN Software Community has been open to any participants that want to get involved in the creation of software for future RAN for more details please visit https://www.o-ran.org/software. Expanded O-RAN Virtual Exhibition With the cancelation of MWC-Barcelona, on April 21, 2020 the O-RAN ALLIANCE created an online showcase. The O-RAN Virtual Exhibition includes demonstrations of real O-RAN based equipment in the form of videos, animations, charts and text. The Virtual Exhibition currently hosts 31 demos presented by 38 O-RAN companies. O-RAN plans to keep adding more content and features to make its virtual showcase a valuable tool for RAN industry players to present real-world solutions embodying O-RAN's architecture and specifications. In addition to previously announced demos, O-RAN member companies have recently created 12 new virtual demonstrations of real O-RAN technology: The first demo sponsored by SageRAN demonstrates end to end high throughput traffic running over through SageRAN's 5G Stand Alone Open RAN Stack. This demo includes both X86 and ARM based O-DU/O-CUs and an eCPRI based O-RU. The second demo sponsored by Keysight demonstrates Keysight's O-RAN Test Solution for O-RUs. This test suite enables NEM development/manufacturing, Operator, and OTIC Labs to accelerate O-RU conformance testing. The third demo sponsored by VIAVI demonstrates VIAVI's O-RAN validation Solution for O-CU subsystem test. This complete wraparound framework enables NEMs, Operators, OTIC Labs and integrators to ensure that the O-CU can be robustly tested and optimized for high-quality and performance. The fourth demo sponsored by Benetel demonstrates a 5G Non Standalone (NSA) platform comprised of Benetel's product family of 4G 5G Remote Radio Units, developed in compliance with the O-RAN specification, and a O-CU O-DU implementation that is based on the OAI software stack and supports O-RAN's 7.2x open fronthaul specification. The fifth demo sponsored by Parallel Wireless demonstrates a unified 2G through 5G cloud-native O-RAN solution. This makes Parallel Wireless's software-based Open RAN stack easy to manage and delivers cost-savings to MNOs using it to modernize or expand their networks. The sixth demo sponsored by ArrayComm showcases two O-RAN Whitebox demonstrations: The first demo is an end to end demo using an ARM Based Multi-vendor Whitebox 5G gNB. The second demo demonstrates Whitebox's FPGA real time downlink bit processing (CRC, FEC, RateMatching) and uplink bit (CRC, FEC, RateMatching, HARQ) processing throughput test. The seventh demo sponsored by Lenovo and NTS demonstrates an integrated small cell solution based on cloudification and virtualization. This demo showcases the decoupling of hardware and software based on O-RAN architectural principles. The eighth demo sponsored by NVIDIA demonstrates an O-RAN Open fronthaul-based hyper converged 5G CloudRAN, Core Network and MEC solution for the edge. This demo showcases the value of NVIDIA GPU and Mellanox SmartNIC-based, cloud-native, and scalable NVIDIA EGX platform, that enables software-defined, high performance and low latency solution on COTS servers. The ninth demo sponsored by Comba Telecom showcases macro open RAN high efficiency multi-RAT RRU solution fully compliant with the O-RAN architecture supporting Split 7-2x and Split 8 fronthaul interface to O-DU, as well as E2E 5G NR indoor Open RAN solution built upon Intel-based server platform and Intel FPGA. The tenth demo sponsored by Baicells, QCT and Keysight demonstrates the 5G SA indoor pico cell solution with multiple O-RUs via Fronthaul Gateway based on Indoor Pico Cell (IPC) Hardware Reference Design (HRD). To verify the performance of IPC HRD, the multi-UE emulator is used to test the cell merging as well as active UE numbers. The eleventh demo sponsored by Baicells, QCT, Wind River, Keysight and China Unicom demonstrates the E2E Indoor Pico Cell solution based on IPC HRD and Open Cloud platform. In addition, the co-platform for both O-CU/O-DU and 5GC are tested with multi-UE emulator to showcase the commercial readiness for practical deployment. The twelfth demo sponsored by Ericsson illustrates how the OSC (O-RAN Software Community) A1 controller function supports QoE refinement in RAN through the use of A1 policies. This specific capability allows operators to implement policy aware service assurance, application aware QoE prioritization and perform continuous evaluation of current vs. target QoE. O-RAN's Non-RT RIC function and A1 interface enable fine-grained and intelligent control of the RAN. About O-RAN ALLIANCE O-RAN ALLIANCE is a world-wide community of over 200 mobile operators, vendors, and research academic institutions operating in the Radio Access Network (RAN) industry. As the RAN is an essential part of any mobile network, O-RAN ALLIANCE's mission is to re-shape the industry towards more intelligent, open, virtualized and fully interoperable mobile networks. The new O-RAN standards will enable a more competitive and vibrant RAN supplier ecosystem with faster innovation to improve user experience. O-RAN-compliant mobile networks will at the same time improve the efficiency of RAN deployments as well as operations by the mobile operators. To achieve this, O-RAN ALLIANCE publishes new RAN specifications, releases open software for the RAN, and supports its members in integration and testing of their implementations. For a short video describing O-RAN's progress, see www.o-ran.org/videos For more information please visit www.o-ran.org View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200701005778/en/ Contacts: O-RAN ALLIANCE PR Contact Zbynek Dalecky pr@o-ran.org O-RAN ALLIANCE e.V. Buschkauler Weg 27 53347 Alfter/Germany FARMINGTON HILLS, Michigan, July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The ACI Foundation announces that applications are now being accepted from students for its Middle East & North Africa Fellowship for the 2021-2022 academic year. The newly expanded and renamed fellowship is now open to graduate students currently attending an institution in Algeria, Egypt, Iraq, Jordon, Lebanon, Morocco, Tunisia, in addition to previously eligible students studying in Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. The winning student will receive $10,000 USD in educational support, full funding to attend three upcoming ACI Conventions, and more. First offered in 2019, the ACI Middle East Fellowship was awarded in April 2019 to Nancy Kachouh, a PhD student and research assistant in the Civil Engineering Department at the United Arab Emirates University. The Fellowship was awarded in 2020 to Siham Al Shanti, a graduate student in the Civil Engineering Department at the United Arab Emirates University. The ACI Foundation also offers scholarships to graduate and undergraduate students pursuing a concrete-related degree or program. All international students meeting these requirements are eligible to apply for scholarships. Among other requirements, students must obtain two endorsements with one of the endorsements being from an ACI member. Each ACI Foundation scholarship includes: An educational stipend of $5000 USD ; and ; and Recognition in Concrete International and on the ACI Foundation's website and social media. The purpose of the ACI Foundation's student fellowship and scholarship program is to identify, attract, and develop outstanding professionals for future careers in the concrete industry. For the 2020-2021 academic year, the ACI Foundation distributed more than $200,000 to twenty deserving students through the support of ACI, ACI chapters, generous donors, and industry partners. The ACI Foundation believes attracting students to the concrete industry provides both excellent career opportunities for students and helps to secure a bright future for the concrete industry. These fellowships and scholarships showcase the ACI Foundation's goals of investing in people and the future of the industry. The deadline for applications is November 2, 2020 at 11:59 p.m. EST. Additional application details are available at acifoundation.org/scholarships. The ACI Foundation was established in 1989 to promote progress, innovation, and collaboration and is a wholly owned and operated non-profit subsidiary of the American Concrete Institute. Three councils make up the ACI Foundation; the Strategic Development Council, committed to resolving the issues of new technology acceptance within the concrete industry; the Concrete Research Council, which funds and assists in the research of new concrete technologies; and the Scholarship Council which facilitates student fellowships and scholarships. For more information, please contact: Julie Webb American Concrete Institute 248-848-3148 Julie.Webb@concrete.org Technavio has been monitoring the global automotive alternator market size and it is poised to grow by USD 1.04 billion during 2020-2024, progressing at a CAGR of over 2% during the forecast period. The report offers an up-to-date analysis regarding the current market scenario, latest trends and drivers, and the overall market environment. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200701005552/en/ Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Global Automotive Alternator Market 2020-2024 (Graphic: Business Wire) Technavio suggests three forecast scenarios (optimistic, probable, and pessimistic) considering the impact of COVID-19. Please Request Latest Free Sample Report on COVID-19 Impact The market is fragmented, and the degree of fragmentation will accelerate during the forecast period. BBB Industries LLC, BorgWarner Inc., DENSO Corp., Hella GmbH Co. KGaA, Hitachi Ltd., MAHLE GmbH, Marelli Holdings Co. Ltd., Mitsubishi Electric Corp., Robert Bosch GmbH, and Valeo SA are some of the major market participants. To make the most of the opportunities, market vendors should focus more on the growth prospects in the fast-growing segments, while maintaining their positions in the slow-growing segments. The rising use of electronic components in vehicles has been instrumental in driving the growth of the market. However, the increasing adoption of EVs might hamper market growth. Automotive Alternator Market 2020-2024: Segmentation Automotive Alternator Market is segmented as below: Geographic Landscape APAC Europe North America South America MEA To learn more about the global trends impacting the future of market research, download a free sample: https://www.technavio.com/talk-to-us?report=IRTNTR44078 Automotive Alternator Market 2020-2024: Scope Technavio presents a detailed picture of the market by the way of study, synthesis, and summation of data from multiple sources. Our automotive alternator market report covers the following areas: Automotive Alternator Market size Automotive Alternator Market trends Automotive Alternator Market industry analysis This study identifies the emergence of smart alternators as one of the prime reasons driving the automotive alternator market growth during the next few years. Automotive Alternator Market 2020-2024: Vendor Analysis We provide a detailed analysis of around 25 vendors operating in the automotive alternator market, including some of the vendors such as BBB Industries LLC, BorgWarner Inc., DENSO Corp., Hella GmbH Co. KGaA, Hitachi Ltd., MAHLE GmbH, Marelli Holdings Co. Ltd., Mitsubishi Electric Corp., Robert Bosch GmbH, and Valeo SA. Backed with competitive intelligence and benchmarking, our research reports on the automotive alternator market are designed to provide entry support, customer profile and M&As as well as go-to-market strategy support. Register for a free trial today and gain instant access to 17,000+ market research reports. Technavio's SUBSCRIPTION platform Automotive Alternator Market 2020-2024: Key Highlights CAGR of the market during the forecast period 2020-2024 Detailed information on factors that will assist automotive alternator market growth during the next five years Estimation of the automotive alternator market size and its contribution to the parent market Predictions on upcoming trends and changes in consumer behavior The growth of the automotive alternator market Analysis of the market's competitive landscape and detailed information on vendors Comprehensive details of factors that will challenge the growth of automotive alternator market vendors Table Of Contents: Executive Summary Market Landscape Market ecosystem Value chain analysis Market Sizing Market definition Market segment analysis Market size 2019 Market outlook: Forecast for 2019-2024 Five Forces Analysis Five forces summary Bargaining power of buyers Bargaining power of suppliers Threat of new entrants Threat of substitutes Threat of rivalry Market condition Market Segmentation by Application Market segments Comparison by Application Passenger cars Market size and forecast 2019-2024 LCVs Market size and forecast 2019-2024 M and HCVs Market size and forecast 2019-2024 Market opportunity by Application Customer Landscape Geographic Landscape Geographic segmentation Geographic comparison APAC Market size and forecast 2019-2024 Europe Market size and forecast 2019-2024 North America Market size and forecast 2019-2024 South America Market size and forecast 2019-2024 MEA Market size and forecast 2019-2024 Key leading countries Market opportunity by geography Market Drivers Market Challenges Market Trends Vendor Landscape Overview Vendor landscape Landscape disruption Vendor Analysis Vendors covered Market positioning of vendors BBB Industries LLC BorgWarner Inc. DENSO Corp. Hella GmbH Co. KGaA Hitachi Ltd. MAHLE GmbH Marelli Holdings Co. Ltd. Mitsubishi Electric Corp. Robert Bosch GmbH Valeo SA Appendix Scope of the report Currency conversion rates for US$ Research methodology List of abbreviations About Us Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focus on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200701005552/en/ Contacts: Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media Marketing Executive US: +1 844 364 1100 UK: +44 203 893 3200 Email: media@technavio.com Website: www.technavio.com/ Technavio has been monitoring the protein therapeutics market and it is poised to grow by USD 82.47 billion during 2020-2024, progressing at a CAGR of over 7% during the forecast period. The report offers an up-to-date analysis regarding the current market scenario, latest trends and drivers, and the overall market environment. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200701005532/en/ Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Global Protein Therapeutics Market 2020-2024 (Graphic: Business Wire) Technavio suggests three forecast scenarios (optimistic, probable, and pessimistic) considering the impact of COVID-19. Please Request Free Sample Report on COVID-19 Impact The market is fragmented, and the degree of fragmentation will accelerate during the forecast period. AbbVie Inc., Amgen Inc., AstraZeneca Plc, Eli Lilly and Co., F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., Johnson Johnson, Merck Co. Inc., Novo Nordisk AS, Pfizer Inc., and Sanofi are some of the major market participants. The increased demand for mAbs will offer immense growth opportunities. To make the most of the opportunities, market vendors should focus more on the growth prospects in the fast-growing segments, while maintaining their positions in the slow-growing segments. Increased demand for mAbs has been instrumental in driving the growth of the market. Protein Therapeutics Market 2020-2024: Segmentation Protein Therapeutics Market is segmented as below: Product MAbs Human Insulin Erythropoeitin Clotting Factors Others Geography North America Europe APAC South America MEA To learn more about the global trends impacting the future of market research, download a free sample: https://www.technavio.com/talk-to-us?report=IRTNTR43438 Protein Therapeutics Market 2020-2024: Scope Technavio presents a detailed picture of the market by the way of study, synthesis, and summation of data from multiple sources. Our protein therapeutics market report covers the following areas: Protein Therapeutics Market Size Protein Therapeutics Market Trends Protein Therapeutics Market Industry Analysis This study identifies the development of novel therapies using innovative technologies as one of the prime reasons driving the protein therapeutics market growth during the next few years. Protein Therapeutics Market 2020-2024: Vendor Analysis We provide a detailed analysis of vendors operating in the protein therapeutics market, including some of the vendors such as AbbVie Inc., Amgen Inc., AstraZeneca Plc, Eli Lilly and Co., F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., Johnson Johnson, Merck Co. Inc., Novo Nordisk AS, Pfizer Inc., and Sanofi. Backed with competitive intelligence and benchmarking, our research reports on the protein therapeutics market are designed to provide entry support, customer profile and M&As as well as go-to-market strategy support. Register for a free trial today and gain instant access to 17,000+ market research reports. Technavio's SUBSCRIPTION platform Protein Therapeutics Market 2020-2024: Key Highlights CAGR of the market during the forecast period 2020-2024 Detailed information on factors that will assist protein therapeutics market growth during the next five years Estimation of the protein therapeutics market size and its contribution to the parent market Predictions on upcoming trends and changes in consumer behavior The growth of the protein therapeutics market Analysis of the market's competitive landscape and detailed information on vendors Comprehensive details of factors that will challenge the growth of protein therapeutics market vendors Table Of Contents: Executive Summary Market Landscape Market ecosystem Market characteristics Value chain analysis Market Sizing Market definition Market segment analysis Market size 2019 Market outlook: Forecast for 2019 2024 Five Forces Analysis Five Forces Summary Bargaining power of buyers Bargaining power of suppliers Threat of new entrants Threat of substitutes Threat of rivalry Market condition Market Segmentation by Product Market segments Comparison by Product mAbs Market size and forecast 2019-2024 Human insulin Market size and forecast 2019-2024 Erythropoeitin Market size and forecast 2019-2024 Clotting factors Market size and forecast 2019-2024 Others Market size and forecast 2019-2024 Market opportunity by Product Market segmentation by Therapy Area Market segments Metabolic and endocrine disorders Hematopoiesis Fertility Cancer Autoimmune diseases Infectious diseases Protein vaccine Market segmentation by Protein Function Market segments Enzymatic and regulatory activity Special targeting activity Vaccines Protein diagnostics Customer Landscape Geographic Landscape Geographic segmentation Geographic comparison North America Market size and forecast 2019-2024 Europe Market size and forecast 2019-2024 APAC Market size and forecast 2019-2024 South America Market size and forecast 2019-2024 MEA Market size and forecast 2019-2024 Key leading countries Market opportunity by geography Market Drivers Market Challenges Market Trends Vendor Landscape Overview Landscape disruption Vendor Analysis Vendors covered Market positioning of vendors AbbVie Inc. Amgen Inc. AstraZeneca Plc Eli Lilly and Co. F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd. Johnson Johnson Merck Co. Inc. Novo Nordisk AS Pfizer Inc. Sanofi Appendix Scope of the report Currency conversion rates for US$ Research methodology List of abbreviations About Us Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focus on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200701005532/en/ Contacts: Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media Marketing Executive US: +1 844 364 1100 UK: +44 203 893 3200 Email: media@technavio.com Website: www.technavio.com/ Through its affiliate Pernod Ricard USA, company will create a crowdsourcing app, giving consumers and brands a proactive voice in the fight against hate speech on social media Regulatory News: Pernod Ricard (Paris:RI) announced its plan to create a crowdsourcing app that gives consumers and those affected by hate speech on social media the power to identify and report content they find objectionable directly to brands and companies. Brands can then leverage their influence with social media platforms to help ensure the content is reviewed and removed, if warranted. The app will be an additional resource for individuals, brands and social media platforms to use in the fight to stop hate speech online. "The world is waking up to the reality that we all have a role to play in stopping the spread of hate speech, racism and misinformation on social media platforms," said Pernod Ricard USA CEO Ann Mukherjee. "There is a long way to go. Movements like StopHateForProfit are demonstrating that brands and consumers want them to take more urgent action. This is important, and it is why we are joining the movement for the next 30 days across all paid social media platforms, not just Facebook. But this is not sufficient. The big question is: What happens August 1st? We need more action and more people within the industry to find more solutions. Companies like ours can and should play a bigger role in problem-solving than just withholding advertising dollars. We can create tools that make it easier for consumers' voices to be heard when they see hate speech spreading online. And that's what we are doing." The app will allow consumers and brands to collaborate with one another to drive real change. Individuals affected by hate speech will be able to flag content they find objectionable directly to brands and companies. Brands can then leverage their influence to help ensure social media platforms take appropriate action. The app creates a space for collaboration between consumers and brands. It also creates a space for collaboration between brands and social media platforms. This initiative is about giving consumers a voice, helping brands own their responsibility to hold social media platforms accountable given their influence, and ultimately creating a more transparent and positive world with an internet that is safe for all. Pernod Ricard USA's new CMO, Pam Forbus, recognized the opportunity when she arrived at the company less than two weeks ago. "I'm still learning, but one thing that has been clear to me is that Pernod Ricard cares passionately about bringing people together we call it conviviality. As a non-traditional CMO, I am bringing my deep experience in data, advanced analytics and social media manipulation to help leverage AI capability as we become part of the solution. We want to ensure that all people have access to safe, responsible social environments," Forbus said. "We know our consumers feel a sense of urgency about this issue, and so do we. Launching this initiative will allow us to work directly with our consumers, each playing a small role in solving a big problem." A critical element of the initiative will be creating a governance, transparency and accountability structure from the outset. As Pernod Ricard identifies the partners to develop the app, they will work collaboratively to establish strict guidelines related to data privacy and consumer engagement standards for the app. They will also establish an oversight and reporting protocol, executed by an expert third-party, to ensure the highest levels of accountability and transparency. "Stopping the spread of hate speech is a massive problem. There are many solutions to be tested and taken by a wide range of stakeholders," said Mukherjee. "This is our initial step. And we want it to be a collective one. As a member of many major US and Global industry organizations, which include other advertisers, as well as media and social platform companies, we want to work collaboratively with each towards this solution. At the same time, we invite all brands, big and small, to join us. Our hope is that all brands are inspired to take action on this issue in ways that make sense for them and align with their values." Pernod Ricard Chairman CEO Alexandre Ricard said, "We're confident this initiative will provide an additive resource for individuals affected by hate speech, consumers, brands and social media platforms themselves in the global fight to end these injustices. As creators of conviviality, our mission is all about sharing with respect and responsibility, bringing people together to celebrate the moments that make life worth living, not to divide, deride or tear people apart. Social media platforms share that mission, but there is still a collective work to make those platforms safe, responsible and convivial for everyone. Let's then join forces to focus on a positive solution together." About Pernod Ricard Pernod Ricard is the No. 2 worldwide producer of wines and spirits with consolidated sales of 9,182 million in FY19. Created in 1975 by the merger of Ricard and Pernod, the Group has developed through organic growth and acquisitions: Seagram (2001), Allied Domecq (2005) and Vin&Sprit (2008). Pernod Ricard, which owns 16 of the Top 100 Spirits Brands, holds one of the most prestigious and comprehensive brand portfolios in the industry, including: Absolut Vodka, Ricard pastis, Ballantine's, Chivas Regal, Royal Salute, and The Glenlivet Scotch whiskies, Jameson Irish whiskey, Martell cognac, Havana Club rum, Beefeater gin, Malibu liqueur, Mumm and Perrier-Jouet champagnes, as well Jacob's Creek, Brancott Estate, Campo Viejo, and Kenwood wines. Pernod Ricard's brands are distributed across 160+ markets and by its own salesforce in 73 markets. The Group's decentralised organisation empowers its 19,000 employees to be true on-the-ground ambassadors of its vision of "Createurs de Convivialite." As reaffirmed by the Group's three-year strategic plan, "Transform and Accelerate," deployed in 2018, Pernod Ricard's strategy focuses on investing in long-term, profitable growth for all stakeholders. The Group remains true to its three founding values: entrepreneurial spirit, mutual trust, and a strong sense of ethics. As illustrated by the 2030 Agenda supporting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), "We bring good times from a good place." In recognition of Pernod Ricard's strong commitment to sustainable development and responsible consumption, it has received a Gold rating from Ecovadis and is ranked No. 1 in the beverage sector in Vigeo Eiris. Pernod Ricard is also a United Nation's Global Compact LEAD company. Pernod Ricard is listed on Euronext (Ticker: RI; ISIN Code: FR0000120693) and is part of the CAC 40 index. For further information, please visit http://www.pernod-ricard.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200701005885/en/ Contacts: Pernod Ricard: Alison Donohoe /Press Relations Manager alison.donohoe@pernod-ricard.com +33 (0)1 41 00 44 63 Pernod Ricard USA: Pandora Lycouri /Vice President, External Communications, pandora.lycouri@pernod-ricard.com, +1 (203)-524-3387 It seems like it was only yesterday when Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck have decided that their marriage wasn't working out. Now, she's speaking from past experience of how she felt during her split from her husband of ten years. On June 29, the "Alias" actress posted a funny collage of her "lockdown fierce" looks as she self-isolates with her kids, Violet, 14, Seraphina, 11, and Sam, 8. Though Garner usually keeps her posts and comments on her social media light and funny, one follower used the moment to share a personal story in her comments. The fan first wrote how she wishes to have the kind of happiness and security Jennifer Garner is currently feeling. "It's that I have finally gotten the courage to tell my husband to leave after years of emotional abuse, and I feel like I will never find happiness or security," said the fan. The fan shared how her husband was "so vindictive and powerful, and I have nothing and no one." But despite having more than thousands of comments, the "13 Going on 30" star offered support to the fan. The 48-year-old actress opened up to a fan on how she healed after a heavy breakup. Garner apologized after hearing her heart sounded heavy, and hoped that she had "powerful" women to remind her of her "strength and worth." "Hopefully, you can calm your mind with prayer / meditation / exercise / art. Laughter will come and really - it is worth fighting for," Jennifer Garner shared. The actress had a public breakup of her own after her marriage to Ben Affleck crumbled in 2015. When their marriage ended, the former couple still had their ups and downs, including Affleck's battle with sobriety. The former couple continues to co-parent their three kids that they have settled into a good routine. A source told Us Weekly in May that both Garner and Affleck have worked hard to be in a good place with each other. Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner have also moved on from each other by dating other people. But it has been reported that Jennifer Garner is heartbroken to see that Affleck, the love of her life, is doing great without her. In Star Magazine's June 29, 2020 issue, Garner was said to be reluctant about her children meeting Ana de Armas, Affleck's girlfriend of a few months. According to their source, "She's always wanted him to be happy, but seeing Ben and Ana's love story play out so publicly is hard for her." The source further revealed, "Jen remembers when she and Ben first fell in love, and it stings." Though Garner is reportedly happy and welcoming to the Cuban actress, the tipster has revealed that they are cordial and respectful with one another but with a little awkward dash. Currently, Jennifer Garner is dating 41-year-old John Miller. They have been for two years now. Unfortunately, the lockdown didn't do great for their relationship. "The relationship's been practically put on hold during a lockdown, and now that the kids are spending more time with Ben and Ana, Jen's at home by herself watching TV at night with a glass of wine." READ MORE: Kim Kardashian New Baby: New Billionaire To ADOPT With or Without Kanye West See Now: Famous Actors Who Turned Down Iconic Movie Roles Regenerative Medicine Company Advances Development of Fibroblast-Based Product as an "Off the Shelf" Cell-Treatment for Coronavirus Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) HOUSTON, July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- FibroGenesis announced today identification of molecular mechanisms associated with the potent reduction of lung inflammation previously reported by the Company in an animal model of COVID-19 lung failure. The Company disclosed data demonstrating that administration of PneumoBlast resulted in dramatic alterations of immunological signaling molecules called "cytokines". The studies showed that PneumoBlast reduced concentrations of the inflammatory cytokines interleukin-1 beta, interleukin-6, interleukin-8, interleukin-17, interleukin-18, and Tumor Necrosis Factor alpha, TNFa. Supporting the inflammation-inhibiting properties of PneumoBlast, Company scientists observed an increase in anti-inflammatory cytokines interleukin-4, interleukin-10, interleukin-13 and interleukin-35, as well as regeneration-associated cytokines FGF-2 and HGF-1. The cytokines found to be manipulated by PneumoBlast are known to be associated with survival and recuperation from COVID-19. Interleukin-1 beta (IL-1): Mortality from acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), is associated with increased IL-1. Studies have shown that administration of Anakinra, a drug specifically designed to block IL-1, reduces mortality in patients with a COVID-19 associated cytokine storm, one of the other causes of death. Interleukin-6 (IL-6): In a review of 1,426 COVID-19 patients in nine separated studies, interleukin-6 levels were more than three times higher in patients with complicated COVID-19 compared with those with a non-complicated disease. Furthermore, it was shown that higher levels of interleukin-6 correlated with death. Supporting a causative role of interleukin-6 in pathology of COVID-19, studies have shown that administration of blocking antibodies to interleukin-6 reduces pathology of this disease. Interleukin-8 (IL-8): Patients with ARDS show that elevated levels of IL-8 are associated with higher mortality. IL-8 is known to recruit and activate neutrophils in the lung. Under normal circumstances, neutrophils serve to fight infections. In the case of COVID-19, excessive neutrophils in the lung are believed to be associated with lethality. Interleukin-17 (IL-17): Most of diseases associated with the immune system (Autoimmune diseases) have upregulated levels of both IL-17 and the cells which produce it, the Th17 cells. Patients with COVID-19 have dysfunctional blood vessels which predispose to excessive coagulation, believed to be caused by IL-17. Additionally, IL-17 stimulates neutrophil infiltration into lungs. Previously reported by the Company: In one set of experiments, control-untreated-mice possessed a lung wet weight to body weight ratio (LWW/BW) of 3.7 mg/g. Mice treated with lipopolysaccharide; an agent that induces COVID-19-like lung inflammation caused an increase of the LWW/BW ratio of 12.5 mg/g. Administration of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) to lipopolysaccharide-treated-mice only reduced the LWW/BW ratio to 9.9 mg/g. In strong contrast, PneumoBlast administration significantly reduced the LWW/BW ratio to 5.2 mg/g in lipopolysaccharide-treated-mice (p < .001). PneumoBlast showed a 37% improvement in outcome compared to BMSCs, which was statistically significant (p < .005). More importantly, after the introduction of PneumoBlast fibroblast cell therapy, average LWW/BW ratios returned to baseline control numbers of healthy lungs, which resulted in no statistical difference between recovered lungs and normal/healthy lungs using PneumoBlast. When the lung inflammation marker interleukin-6 was assessed, control mice possessed 532.3 pg/ml of the cytokine, whereas lipopolysaccharide administration caused an increase to 4400.1 pg/ml. Treatment with BMSCs resulted in a slight 26% decrease of IL-6 in the lipopolysaccharide-treated-mice to 3317.7 pg/ml, whereas PneumoBlast significantly reduced IL-6 by 80% to 896.2 pg/ml, which was highly significant (p < .001). The use of PneumoBlast resulted in a 54% improvement over BMSCs (p < .001). The introduction of PneumoBlast cell therapy resulted in a reduction of inflammation back to normal/healthy lung levels in just 24 hours. "Expanding our research continues to build a compelling scientific justification for use of fibroblasts in treatment of COVID-19 ARDS," said Tom Ichim, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer of FibroGenesis. PneumoBlast appears to offer new hope to patients suffering from COVID-19 associated lung disease." "We continue to be impressed with the potency of fibroblasts and their ability to effectively halt fluid accumulation in the lungs and repair the damage," said Pete O'Heeron, President and CEO of FibroGenesis. "Compared to stem cells, fibroblasts appear to be a more robust and potent cell source." About FibroGenesis Based in Houston, Texas, FibroGenesis, is a regenerative medicine company developing an innovative solution for chronic disease treatment using human dermal fibroblasts. Currently, FibroGenesis holds 220+ U.S. and international issued patents/patents pending across a variety of clinical pathways, including Disc Degeneration, Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson's, Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, Cancer, Diabetes, Liver Failure and Heart Failure. Funded entirely by angel investors, FibroGenesis represents the next generation of medical advancement in cell therapy. Visit www.Fibro-Genesis.com. Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1121989/FibroGenesis_Logo.jpg WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - After turning lower over the course of the previous session, treasuries saw some further downside during trading on Wednesday. Bond prices regained some ground after coming under pressure in morning trading but remained in the red. Subsequently, the yield on the benchmark ten-year note, which moves opposite of its price, rose by 2.9 basis points to 0.682 percent. The early weakness among treasuries came after drug giant Pfizer (PFE) and German biotech company BioNTech (BNTX) announced positive data from an early-stage human trial of a potential coronavirus vaccine. Pfizer and BioNTech said the most advanced of four investigational vaccine candidates was generally well tolerated and produced neutralizing antibodies. An Institute for Supply Management showing U.S. manufacturing activity unexpectedly expanded in the month of June also reduced the appeal of safe haven assets like bonds. The ISM said its purchasing managers index jumped to 52.6 in June from 43.1 in May, with a reading above 50 indicating an expansion in manufacturing activity. Economists had expected the index to climb to 49.5, which have still indicated a modest contraction in manufacturing activity. 'As predicted, the growth cycle has returned after three straight months of COVID-19 disruptions,' said Timothy R. Fiore, Chair of the ISM Manufacturing Business Survey Committee. He added, 'Demand, consumption and inputs are reaching parity and are positioned for a demand-driven expansion cycle as we enter the second half of the year.' A separate report released by payroll processor ADP showed a significant increase in private sector employment in the month of June as well as a substantial upward revision to the data for May. ADP said private sector employment jumped by 2.369 million jobs in June, which was below economist estimates for a spike of about 3.000 million jobs. However, revised data showed private sector employment soared by 3.065 million jobs in May compared to the previously reported loss of 2.760 million jobs. Treasuries drifted lower in the final hour of trading after the minutes of the Federal Reserve's June meeting provided details about reactions to a briefing on implementing yield curve control. The minutes said nearly all participants indicated they had 'many questions regarding the costs and benefits of such an approach.' Many participants expressed that, as long as the Fed's forward guidance remained credible, it was not necessary for the central bank to adopt a yield caps or targets policy. Andrew Hunter, Senior U.S. Economist at Capital Economics, said the minutes suggest 'the Fed is still a long way from rolling out explicit targets for longer-term Treasury yields.' Trading on Thursday is likely to be driven by reaction to the Labor Department's closely watched monthly employment report for June. The report, which is expected to show another spike in employment in June, is likely to overshadow data on weekly jobless claims, the trade deficit and factory orders. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Kostenloser Wertpapierhandel auf Smartbroker.de BOSTON, July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- IDTechEx reports that the robotic surgery market will reach over $12 billion by 2030. Within this industry, catheter navigation is an emerging, but lesser known application, that is rapidly gaining traction. IDTechEx's findings are detailed in the recently published report "Innovations in Robotic Surgery 2020-2030: Technologies, Players & Markets". Catheters are widely used to conduct an intervention within the blood vessels or airways. These procedures can be very long, sometimes several hours, and the guidewires require a high level of expertise to be successfully navigated through the vasculature's tortuous circuitry. Robotic systems for catheter navigation may eliminate the need to manually push the wire, which could greatly improve patient outcomes by increasing the speed and efficiency of the intervention. In time, the idea is to enable telerobotic surgery. Surgeons would be able to operate the wire remotely to rapidly treat patients in isolated areas, thus accelerating time to treatment and improving patient outcomes. While some guidewires are steered using robotic mechanisms, an approach is being explored to passively steer the catheter. This involves the use of magnetic forces to draw the tip of the catheter or endoscope in a particular direction. The catheter or endoscope has a miniature magnet at its tip which responds to the pull of the external magnet. Magnetic steering is generating a lot of interest from developers and investors alike as it provides the surgeon with a higher level of control of the instrument, offers a wider range of motion and allows rapid changes of direction. The robotic catheter navigation market has the fastest growth rate in the entire robotic surgery industry and is forecast to grow at 9.95% CAGR in the next decade. The growth is primarily due to the entry of large companies into this sector, which demonstrates the high level of interest in this sector of robotic surgery. IDTechEx predicts that robotic platforms for the navigation of catheters will continue to establish themselves in hospitals in the coming years. Unlike many surgical robots, the value of which is still under debate, they are proven to improve clinical outcomes by reducing the need for follow-up procedures and accelerating patient recovery. IDTechEx's findings are not restricted to robotic catheter navigation and cover the entire robotic surgery industry. The report breaks down the market landscape and emerging technologies. To obtain market forecasts and information on the latest trends and technologies in the field of robotic surgery, please refer to the IDTechEx report "Innovations in Robotic Surgery 2020-2030: Technologies, Players & Markets". For more information on this report, please visit www.IDTechEx.com/rosurgery or for the full portfolio of research available from IDTechEx please visit www.IDTechEx.com/Research. IDTechEx guides your strategic business decisions through its Research, Consultancy and Event products, helping you profit from emerging technologies. For more information on IDTechEx Research and Consultancy, contact research@IDTechEx.com or visit www.IDTechEx.com. Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/478371/IDTechEx_Logo.jpg Media Contact: Natalie Moreton Digital Marketing Manager press@IDTechEx.com +44(0)1223 812300 WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Crude oil futures ended notably higher on Wednesday, as official data showed a sharp fall in U.S. crude inventories last week. Data showing improvement in manufacturing activity in the U.S., China and Germany contributed as well to oil's surge. However, oil's upside was somewhat limited due to uncertainty about sustained increase in energy demand in the wake of reports showing sharp spikes in new coronavirus cases across the U.S. and in several other countries. West Texas Intermediate Crude oil futures ended up $0.55 or about 1.4% at $39.82 a barrel. Data released by U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) this morning showed crude inventories in the country fell by 7.2 million barrels in the week ended June 27, compared with an increase of 1.4 million barrels a week earlier. The amount of oil stored at Cushing, Oklahoma, to settle WTI delivery fell a larger than expected 263,000 barrels, but that was less than the draw of 991,000 barrels the previous week, the data said. Gasoline inventory rose 1.2 million barrels last week, compared to a draw of 1.7 million barrels a week ago, while distillate stockpiles dropped by 593,000 barrels, compared to a build of nearly 250,000 barrels previously. The American Petroleum Institute estimated on Tuesday a major draw in crude oil inventories of 8.156 million barrels for the week ending June 26, against analysts' forecasts for a draw of 710,000 barrels. The API also reported a draw of 2.459 million barrels of gasoline for the week, while distillate inventories rose by 2.638-million barrels. Meanwhile, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries' (OPEC) oil output hit the lowest in two decades in June as Saudi Arabia and other Gulf Arab members made larger cuts, a Reuters' survey found. It was reported that the 13-member OPEC pumped 22.62 million barrels per day (bpd) on average in June, down 1.92 million bpd from May's revised figure. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Kostenloser Wertpapierhandel auf Smartbroker.de Technavio has been monitoring the automotive digital key market and it is poised to grow by 1.45 million units during 2020-2024, progressing at a CAGR of over 6% during the forecast period. The report offers an up-to-date analysis regarding the current market scenario, latest trends and drivers, and the overall market environment. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200701005655/en/ Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Global Automotive Digital Key Market 2020-2024 (Graphic: Business Wire) Technavio suggests three forecast scenarios (optimistic, probable, and pessimistic) considering the impact of COVID-19. Please Request Free Sample Report on COVID-19 Impact The market is fragmented, and the degree of fragmentation will accelerate during the forecast period. BMW AG, Continental AG, Daimler AG, DENSO Corp., Hyundai Motor Co., Robert Bosch GmbH, Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., Tesla Inc., Valeo SA, and Volkswagen AG are some of the major market participants. The vulnerability in existing keyless entry systems will offer immense growth opportunities. To make the most of the opportunities, market vendors should focus more on the growth prospects in the fast-growing segments, while maintaining their positions in the slow-growing segments. Vulnerability in existing keyless entry systems has been instrumental in driving the growth of the market. Automotive Digital Key Market 2020-2024: Segmentation Automotive Digital Key Market is segmented as below: Application Personal Use Car Sharing and Car Rental Geography Europe North America APAC South America MEA To learn more about the global trends impacting the future of market research, download a free sample: https://www.technavio.com/talk-to-us?report=IRTNTR43684 Automotive Digital Key Market 2020-2024: Scope Technavio presents a detailed picture of the market by the way of study, synthesis, and summation of data from multiple sources. Our automotive digital key market report covers the following areas: Automotive Digital Key Market Size Automotive Digital Key Market Trends Automotive Digital Key Market Industry Analysis This study identifies demand for car-sharing and car rental services as one of the prime reasons driving the automotive digital key market growth during the next few years. Automotive Digital Key Market 2020-2024: Vendor Analysis We provide a detailed analysis of vendors operating in the automotive digital key market, including some of the vendors such as BMW AG, Continental AG, Daimler AG, DENSO Corp., Hyundai Motor Co., Robert Bosch GmbH, Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., Tesla Inc., Valeo SA, and Volkswagen AG. Backed with competitive intelligence and benchmarking, our research reports on the automotive digital key market are designed to provide entry support, customer profile and M&As as well as go-to-market strategy support. Register for a free trial today and gain instant access to 17,000+ market research reports. Technavio's SUBSCRIPTION platform Automotive Digital Key Market 2020-2024: Key Highlights CAGR of the market during the forecast period 2020-2024 Detailed information on factors that will assist automotive digital key market growth during the next five years Estimation of the automotive digital key market size and its contribution to the parent market Predictions on upcoming trends and changes in consumer behavior The growth of the automotive digital key market Analysis of the market's competitive landscape and detailed information on vendors Comprehensive details of factors that will challenge the growth of automotive digital key market vendors Table Of Contents: Executive Summary Market Landscape Market ecosystem Value chain analysis Industry innovations: Market Sizing Market definition Market segment analysis Market size 2019 Market outlook: Forecast for 2019 2024 Five Forces Analysis Five forces summary Bargaining power of buyers Bargaining power of suppliers Threat of new entrants Threat of substitutes Threat of rivalry Market condition Market Segmentation by Application Market segments Comparison by Application Personal use Market size and forecast 2019-2024 Car sharing and car rental Market size and forecast 2019-2024 Market opportunity by Application Customer landscape Geographic Landscape Geographic segmentation Geographic comparison Europe Market size and forecast 2019-2024 North America Market size and forecast 2019-2024 APAC Market size and forecast 2019-2024 South America Market size and forecast 2019-2024 MEA Market size and forecast 2019-2024 Key leading countries Market opportunity by geography Market Drivers Market Challenges Market Trends Vendor Landscape Overview Vendor landscape Landscape disruption Vendor Analysis Vendors covered Market positioning of vendors BMW AG Continental AG Daimler AG DENSO Corp. Hyundai Motor Co. Robert Bosch GmbH Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. Tesla Inc. Valeo SA Volkswagen AG Appendix Scope of the report Currency conversion rates for US$ Research methodology List of abbreviations About Us Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focus on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200701005655/en/ Contacts: Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media Marketing Executive US: +1 844 364 1100 UK: +44 203 893 3200 Email: media@technavio.com Website: www.technavio.com/ Technavio has been monitoring the chocolates containing alcohol market and it is poised to grow by USD 136.16 million during 2020-2024, progressing at a CAGR of almost 6% during the forecast period. The report offers an up-to-date analysis regarding the current market scenario, latest trends and drivers, and the overall market environment. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200701005619/en/ Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Global Chocolates Containing Alcohol Market 2020-2024 (Graphic: Business Wire) Technavio suggests three forecast scenarios (optimistic, probable, and pessimistic) considering the impact of COVID-19. Please Request Free Sample Report on COVID-19 Impact The market is fragmented, and the degree of fragmentation will accelerate during the forecast period. ABTEY Chocolaterie SAS, Brown Forman Corp., Charbonnel et Walker Ltd., Compagnie du Bois Sauvage SA, Confiserie Leonidas SA, Ferrero International SA, J.G. Niederegger GmbH and Co. KG, Oy Karl Fazer Ab, Purdys Chocolatier, and Toms Gruppen AS are some of the major market participants. The growing demand from millennials will offer immense growth opportunities. To make the most of the opportunities, market vendors should focus more on the growth prospects in the fast-growing segments, while maintaining their positions in the slow-growing segments. Growing demand from millennials has been instrumental in driving the growth of the market. Chocolates Containing Alcohol Market 2020-2024: Segmentation Chocolates Containing Alcohol Market is segmented as below: Distribution Channel Offline Online Geography Europe North America APAC South America MEA To learn more about the global trends impacting the future of market research, download a free sample: https://www.technavio.com/talk-to-us?report=IRTNTR43651 Chocolates Containing Alcohol Market 2020-2024: Scope Technavio presents a detailed picture of the market by the way of study, synthesis, and summation of data from multiple sources. Our chocolates containing alcohol market report covers the following areas: Chocolates Containing Alcohol Market Size Chocolates Containing Alcohol Market Trends Chocolates Containing Alcohol Market Industry Analysis This study identifies increasing demand and popularity of dark chocolates and organic chocolates containing alcohol as one of the prime reasons driving the growth of chocolates containing alcohol market during the next few years. Chocolates Containing Alcohol Market 2020-2024: Vendor Analysis We provide a detailed analysis of vendors operating in the chocolates containing alcohol market, including some of the vendors such as ABTEY Chocolaterie SAS, Brown Forman Corp., Charbonnel et Walker Ltd., Compagnie du Bois Sauvage SA, Confiserie Leonidas SA, Ferrero International SA, J.G. Niederegger GmbH and Co. KG, Oy Karl Fazer Ab, Purdys Chocolatier, and Toms Gruppen AS. Backed with competitive intelligence and benchmarking, our research reports on the chocolates containing alcohol market are designed to provide entry support, customer profile and M&As as well as go-to-market strategy support. Register for a free trial today and gain instant access to 17,000+ market research reports. Technavio's SUBSCRIPTION platform Chocolates Containing Alcohol Market 2020-2024: Key Highlights CAGR of the market during the forecast period 2020-2024 Detailed information on factors that will assist the growth of chocolates containing alcohol market during the next five years Estimation of the size of chocolates containing alcohol market and its contribution to the parent market Predictions on upcoming trends and changes in consumer behavior The growth of the chocolates containing alcohol market Analysis of the market's competitive landscape and detailed information on vendors Comprehensive details of factors that will challenge the growth of vendors in chocolates containing alcohol market Table Of Contents: Executive Summary Market Overview Market Landscape Market ecosystem Value chain analysis Market Sizing Market definition Market segment analysis Market size 2019 Market outlook: Forecast for 2019 2024 Five Forces Analysis Five forces summary Bargaining power of buyers Bargaining power of suppliers Threat of new entrants Threat of substitutes Threat of rivalry Market condition Market Segmentation by Distribution Channel Market segments Comparison by Distribution channel Offline Market size and forecast 2019-2024 Online Market size and forecast 2019-2024 Market opportunity by Distribution channel Customer landscape Overview Geographic Landscape Geographic segmentation Geographic comparison Europe Market size and forecast 2019-2024 North America Market size and forecast 2019-2024 APAC Market size and forecast 2019-2024 South America Market size and forecast 2019-2024 MEA Market size and forecast 2019-2024 Key leading countries Market opportunity by geography Market drivers Market challenges Market trends Vendor Landscape Overview Landscape disruption Vendor Analysis Vendors covered Market positioning of vendors ABTEY Chocolaterie SAS Brown Forman Corp. Charbonnel et Walker Ltd. Compagnie du Bois Sauvage SA Confiserie Leonidas SA Ferrero International SA J.G. Niederegger GmbH and Co. KG Oy Karl Fazer Ab Purdys Chocolatier Toms Gruppen AS Appendix Scope of the report Currency conversion rates for US$ Research methodology List of abbreviations About Us Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focus on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200701005619/en/ Contacts: Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media Marketing Executive US: +1 844 364 1100 UK: +44 203 893 3200 Email: media@technavio.com Website: www.technavio.com/ Technavio has been monitoring the sanitary napkins market and it is poised to grow by USD 5.43 billion during 2020-2024, progressing at a CAGR of almost 6% during the forecast period. The report offers an up-to-date analysis regarding the current market scenario, latest trends and drivers, and the overall market environment. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200701005621/en/ Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Global Sanitary Napkins Market 2020-2024 (Graphic: Business Wire) Technavio suggests three forecast scenarios (optimistic, probable, and pessimistic) considering the impact of COVID-19. Please Request Free Sample Report on COVID-19 Impact The market is fragmented, and the degree of fragmentation will accelerate during the forecast period. COTTON HIGH TECH SL, Edgewell Personal Care Co., First Quality Enterprises Inc., Hengan International Group Co. Ltd., Johnson Johnson, Kimberly-Clark Corp., Ontex Group NV, The Procter Gamble Co., Unicharm Corp., and Unilever Group are some of the major market participants. The surge in popularity of organic products will offer immense growth opportunities. To make the most of the opportunities, market vendors should focus more on the growth prospects in the fast-growing segments, while maintaining their positions in the slow-growing segments. Surge in popularity of organic products has been instrumental in driving the growth of the market. Sanitary Napkins Market 2020-2024: Segmentation Sanitary Napkins Market is segmented as below: Product Menstrual Pads Pantyliners Geography North America APAC Europe South America MEA To learn more about the global trends impacting the future of market research, download a free sample: https://www.technavio.com/talk-to-us?report=IRTNTR43693 Sanitary Napkins Market 2020-2024: Scope Technavio presents a detailed picture of the market by the way of study, synthesis, and summation of data from multiple sources. Our sanitary napkins market report covers the following areas: Sanitary Napkins Market Size Sanitary Napkins Market Trends Sanitary Napkins Market Industry Analysis This study identifies emergence of menstrual cups as one of the prime reasons driving the sanitary napkins market growth during the next few years. Sanitary Napkins Market 2020-2024: Vendor Analysis We provide a detailed analysis of vendors operating in the sanitary napkins market, including some of the vendors such as COTTON HIGH TECH SL, Edgewell Personal Care Co., First Quality Enterprises Inc., Hengan International Group Co. Ltd., Johnson Johnson, Kimberly-Clark Corp., Ontex Group NV, The Procter Gamble Co., Unicharm Corp., and Unilever Group. Backed with competitive intelligence and benchmarking, our research reports on the sanitary napkins market are designed to provide entry support, customer profile and M&As as well as go-to-market strategy support. Register for a free trial today and gain instant access to 17,000+ market research reports. Technavio's SUBSCRIPTION platform Sanitary Napkins Market 2020-2024: Key Highlights CAGR of the market during the forecast period 2020-2024 Detailed information on factors that will assist sanitary napkins market growth during the next five years Estimation of the sanitary napkins market size and its contribution to the parent market Predictions on upcoming trends and changes in consumer behavior The growth of the sanitary napkins market Analysis of the market's competitive landscape and detailed information on vendors Comprehensive details of factors that will challenge the growth of sanitary napkins market vendors Table Of Contents: Executive Summary Market Landscape Market ecosystem Value chain analysis Market Sizing Market definition Market segment analysis Market size 2019 Market outlook: Forecast for 2019 2024 Five Forces Analysis Five forces summary Bargaining power of buyers Bargaining power of suppliers Threat of new entrants Threat of substitutes Threat of rivalry Market condition Market Segmentation by Product Market segments Comparison by Product Menstrual pads Market size and forecast 2019-2024 Pantyliners Market size and forecast 2019-2024 Market opportunity by Product Market Segmentation by Distribution channel Market segments Comparison by Distribution channel Offline Market size and forecast 2019-2024 Online Market size and forecast 2019-2024 Market opportunity by Distribution channel Customer landscape Geographic Landscape Geographic segmentation Geographic comparison North America Market size and forecast 2019-2024 APAC Market size and forecast 2019-2024 Europe Market size and forecast 2019-2024 South America Market size and forecast 2019-2024 MEA Market size and forecast 2019-2024 Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the market Key leading countries Market opportunity by geography Market Drivers Market Challenges Market Trends Vendor Landscape Overview Vendor landscape Landscape disruption Vendor Analysis Vendors covered Market positioning of vendors COTTON HIGH TECH SL Edgewell Personal Care Co. First Quality Enterprises Inc. Hengan International Group Co. Ltd. Johnson Johnson Kimberly-Clark Corp. Ontex Group NV The Procter Gamble Co. Unicharm Corp. Unilever Group Appendix Scope of the report Currency conversion rates for US$ Research methodology List of abbreviations About Us Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focus on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200701005621/en/ Contacts: Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media Marketing Executive US: +1 844 364 1100 UK: +44 203 893 3200 Email: media@technavio.com Website: www.technavio.com/ Regulatory News: Pershing Square Holdings, Ltd. (LN:PSH) (LN:PSHD) (NA:PSH) ("PSH") today announced that it has purchased, through PSH's agent, Jefferies International Limited ("Jefferies"), the following number of PSH's Public Shares of no par value (ISIN Code: GG00BPFJTF46) (the "Shares"): Trading Venue: London Stock Exchange Ticker: PSH Date of Purchase: 1 July 2020 Number of Public Shares purchased: 41,195 Shares Highest Price Paid Per Share: 1,920 pence 23.93 USD Lowest Price Paid Per Share: 1,906 pence 23.75 USD Average Price Paid Per Share: 1,914 pence 23.86 USD Ticker: PSHD Date of Purchase: 1 July 2020 Number of Public Shares purchased: 13,209 Shares Highest Price Paid Per Share: 23.75 USD Lowest Price Paid Per Share: 23.75 USD Average Price Paid Per Share: 23.75 USD Trading Venue: Euronext Amsterdam Ticker: PSH Date of Purchase: 1 July 2020 Number of Public Shares purchased: 38,069 Shares Highest Price Paid Per Share: 23.85 USD Lowest Price Paid Per Share: 23.55 USD Average Price Paid Per Share: 23.75 USD PSH will hold these Public Shares in Treasury. The net asset value per Public Share related to this buyback is 34.52 USD 27.86 GBP which was calculated as of 30 June 2020 (the "Relevant NAV"). After giving effect to the above buyback, PSH has 195,562,723 Public Shares outstanding, or 201,495,009 Public Shares calculated on a fully diluted basis (assuming that all Management Shares had been converted into Public Shares at the Relevant NAV). Excluded from the shares outstanding are 15,394,027 Public Shares held in Treasury. The prices per Public Share were calculated by Jefferies. The number of PSH Management Shares and the one special voting share (held by PS Holdings Independent Voting Company Limited) have not been affected. PSH also announces that it has published to its website, in accordance with the EU Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2016/1052, details of transactions in its own shares for the past week. Information is available at https://pershingsquareholdings.com/company-reports/other-materials/. About Pershing Square Holdings, Ltd. Pershing Square Holdings, Ltd. (LN:PSH) (LN:PSHD) (NA:PSH) is an investment holding company structured as a closed-ended fund that makes concentrated investments principally in North American companies. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200701005964/en/ Contacts: Media Camarco Ed Gascoigne-Pees Hazel Stevenson +44 020 3757 4989, media-pershingsquareholdings@camarco.co.uk The handloom and handicrafts sectors will be drawing on their rich-but-checkered past, which previously saw them through prejudices and shortsighted policies, to work their way through the crisis posed by the coronavirus outbreak and lockdown as well. In these times of a pandemic, it is difficult to detail out the present and future of the breathing behemoth that is Indias handloom and handicraft sectors; it would seem the threads of its histories are too knotted. The coronavirus outbreak and consequent lockdown have exposed the strengths and stresses associated with these industries. How will they take on the new challenge posed by this crisis? The handloom and handicraft sector had already taken a hit with demonetisation, which irreparably disrupted the largely cash-based value chain of small producers that makes up these sectors. Another blow came in the form of the Goods and Services Tax, which was an attempt to subsume most indirect taxes and streamline the taxation system but instead caused chaos and catastrophe with its bureaucratic requirements that severely affected the bottom-lines of these producers. In effect, these moves choked and stifled a sector composed largely of small-scale producers. Manisha Kairaly, who has been working for over a decade at the intersection between food, craft design and ecology, points to the present situation faced by the weavers of Maheshwar as an example of the effects of callous policy changes by the present government. Kairaly is founder trustee of Adavi Trust, formerly of Timbaktu Weaves and presently engaged with the Hyderabad-based Handloom Futures Trust. Many of the weavers have been forced to find other means of employment because this way of earning a livelihood isnt feasible for them anymore, she says. Related report: Once a thriving weavers' village, Anakaputhur's mills are fast being abandoned Kairaly notes that after agriculture, handloom is the largest employer in rural India with more than four million weavers not to count their supporting systems that enable movement from raw material to finished cloth. She further highlights the inherent resilience of the sector: In spite of efforts from colonial times to the lack of support from government policies, it has still managed to survive. It is an example of mass-scale production thats still done in a democratic, decentralised fashion with minimal environmental impact. The handloom and handicrafts sectors will be drawing on their rich-but-checkered past, which previously saw them through prejudices and shortsighted policies, to work their way through this crisis as well. Survival and resilience are built into the systems of production and living among the handloom weavers, says Annapurna Mamidipudi, a trustee of the Hyderabad-based Handloom Futures Trust and presently a postdoctoral researcher on the ERC project PENELOPE in Munich that explores weaving as a technical mode of existence. Mamidipudi observes that the very rules that are seen as negative for the present-day market because change is slow to happen, have been the strength of these communities. She points to how weaving communities in coastal areas have adapted to natural disasters and subsequent changes in market dynamics by scrabbling together and innovating. Theyre able to link to something in the past to tackle the present, Mamidipudi says, stressing that she doesnt mean this romantically, of course: They are resilient communities because they dont forget easily. Theyre able to recall old habits, call upon all of their common, collective knowledge to deal with a situation. Another of these inherent qualities that will help them continue mass-scale production of goods is that their home and work spheres are the same, she adds. With regards to weavers, their social and economic units have always been in the same space, these two spaces are braided together. So their work can continue even with social distancing protocols. Systems like sending materials between units in the production line with minimum contact need to be figured out, as also uninterrupted access to raw materials, tax breaks and the enforcement of already-existing government policies that will help support the efforts of the weavers. For Uzramma of Dastkar Andhra and The Malkha Marketing Trust, handloom and the small-scale industries around it arent relics of the past but rather the sustainable way forward. According to the Ministry of Textiles weavers produce 22 percent of Indias cloth requirements without using fossil fuels and therefore, without adding to global warming. In this figure Dastkar Andhra and The Malkha Marketing Trusts Uzramma sees a counter to the general perception that artisan-led industries are aberrations in an industrialising economy. Instead, she says, they must be viewed as non-conformists to an imperative of productivity. This sector just needs the government to implement its own policies, such as the Handloom Reservation Act of 1985 by which some products are the exclusive prerogative of the handloom industry. The consequence of ignoring this law has been that cheaper, machine-made/fake handloom cloth made on power looms undercuts the real thing in the market, so the hand weaving wages decline and young weavers look for alternatives, Uzramma explains. While these are long-term asks from the industry for a more secure future, there has also been investment in short-term schemes to overcome their immediate troubles. Artisans have been leveraging already existing government schemes to access rations through the Public Distribution System to survive in this time but they do need work to live, says Karthik Vaidyanathan, social entrepreneur and founder of the Varnam Craft Collective , who primarily works with the toy-makers of Channapatna and block printers of Jaipur. Since we began as a livelihood initiative, were determined to ensure regular income to our artisans. As soon as the [artisans] units in Channapatna were allowed to open, we gave them work orders to keep them going. Vaidyanathan says the crisis is being viewed as an opportunity to create new and interesting designs. While theyve been forced to offer discounts on old stock, this too is being seen as a step towards restocking and selling, thus creating more work for artisans. Buy now-get later schemes and entering the online marketplace are other measures to boost sales. Read on Firstpost: Toy-making artisans of Karnataka's Channapatna struggle to stay afloat without government help in lockdown But who is going to help them with navigating these new spaces and who is going to give them time to learn the new dynamics? Vaidyanathan asks, then makes his point: The government is supposed to. So while the government might announce schemes like Make in India or [finance minister] Nirmala Sitharaman might declare that MSMEs can get Rs 1 crore loans in 59 minutes, the reality is that it doesnt work like that. As in the case of other institutional breakdowns, it seems the general public needs to step up on this occasion too. For this relationship to be sustainable and long-term, there needs to be a fundamental change in the mindset of consumers and the country as a whole. We need to shift from pro-industry to pro-crafts. We need to swap the sob stories and see the ways in which these small-scale craft industries are environmentally-friendly, sustainable practices that use resources from around their regions and invest in them, Vaidyanathan says. Annapurna Mamidipudi adds that the support doesnt need to come from a philanthropic motive, it should come from really thinking about what will help me and what I can do about it. Take the time to figure out what kind of cloth you like, see how you feel in it, use it often, find out more about it, and see if you can maintain its production by buying it. Maybe buy less and be more comfortable Make changes that make sense for you and by buying better quality cloth, know that you are providing maximum benefit to the whole system and yourself, of course. And as Manisha Kairaly concludes, Indias handloom and handicrafts sector doesnt need charity. What it needs is calculated support. Joshua Muyiwa is a Bengaluru-based poet and writer By Johanna Decorse and Christian Kraemer TOULOUSE/BERLIN (Reuters) - Europe's Airbus left the door open on Wednesday to scaling back its planned 15,000 job cuts in exchange for government-funded labour schemes and research, as its coronavirus restructuring stoked political and union alarm. Europe's largest aerospace group plans to cut 11% of its global workforce, after a 40% slump in its 55 billion euro ($61.8 billion) jet business, sparking anxiety about compulsory redundancies in France, Germany, Spain and Britain By Johanna Decorse and Christian Kraemer TOULOUSE/BERLIN (Reuters) - Europe's Airbus left the door open on Wednesday to scaling back its planned 15,000 job cuts in exchange for government-funded labour schemes and research, as its coronavirus restructuring stoked political and union alarm. Europe's largest aerospace group plans to cut 11% of its global workforce, after a 40% slump in its 55 billion euro ($61.8 billion) jet business, sparking anxiety about compulsory redundancies in France, Germany, Spain and Britain. France urged Airbus to make as few forced layoffs as possible, while French and German unions said compulsory cuts at the European planemaker were a "red line". "The state urges Airbus to ensure that there are as few forced redundancies as possible," French Junior Transport Minister Jean-Baptiste Djebbari told BFM TV. German Economy Minister Peter Altmaier urged Airbus to spread the burden in a fair way. "We of course assume this restructuring will take place in such a way that neither favours nor disadvantages any country," he said in a clear reference to maintaining balance with France. Chief Executive Guillaume Faury has warned staff against reverting to national or regional agendas that plagued the Franco-German-led firm in the past as workers battle for jobs. "We are successful because we have a European and global DNA and because of this partnership spirit which is very unique to Airbus," Faury told Reuters late on Tuesday. More than two thirds of the cuts are in France and Germany where Airbus sites are running 40% below pre-crisis levels. In a finely balanced presentation, Airbus announced plans to cut 5,000 posts in France, 5,100 in Germany, 900 in Spain, 1,700 in the UK, and 1,300 elsewhere by mid-2021. The total includes another 900 non-Covid cuts that Airbus says it already planned at its Premium AEROTEC unit, meaning a total of 6,000 posts are targeted in Germany by the scheme. CONCESSIONS Veteran human resources chief Thierry Baril told reporters on Wednesday that a fifth of the 5,000 job cuts targeted in France could be saved once the French government formalises a new reduced-work scheme, a move expected next week. Another 500 engineering posts could be saved with the help of promised state investment in next-generation green jets. Airbus has outlined the possibility of saving another 1,500 jobs in Germany through similar support. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said it is working with Airbus to find ways to keep jobs in the country. France and Germany own 11% each of Airbus and Spain 4%, though their power to intervene directly is limited. Aircraft industry sources said horse-trading over jobs and government aid is common and concessions are expected. But Airbus's stated target for cutting full-time jobs is three times bigger than its previous 2008 shake-up which included cutting 5,000 full-time posts, plus 5,000 temporary ones. In its 51 years, Airbus has so far avoided significant forced redundancies as it challenged Boeing for a space in the global aircraft market and then enjoyed years of record demand. France's Force Ouvriere union said preventing such cuts was a "red line". Germany's IG Metall union said Airbus must not hide behind the coronavirus crisis to implement earlier aims to downsize. Djebbari, the French minister, meanwhile confirmed Air France planned to shed nearly 7,600 jobs this week Djebbari urged Air France to minimise compulsory redundancies, after the government agreed state aid for the carrier worth 7 billion euros ($7.9 billion). "It's not 7 billion euros to pay for redundancy programmes. It's 7 billion for survival, to pay salaries at the end of the month," the minister said. (Additional reporting by Sudip Kar-Gupta, Richard Lough, Myriam Rivet, Sarah White, Alexander Huebner and Julie Rimbert; Writing by Richard Lough and Tim Hepher; Editing by Louise Heavens, Edmund Blair and Alexandra Hudson) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. Is there going to be another royal exit soon? One royal expert believes so. With Princess Beatrice and her Italian fiance, Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi's wedding has been delayed and postponed numerous times for so many reasons, and enduring the media scrutiny and public backlash surrounding her father Prince Andrew gave her all the extra time to think that making a surprise exit could be their next move. While this move will surely not make major waves similar to Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's stepping back from royal duties in January, it would still be a big deal. Though most of the royals are fans of traveling around the world, most of them have physically resided close to their home country. Journalist Phil Dampier told New Idea that it wouldn't surprise him if Princess Beatrice and Edoardo moved to Italy. "She has had to put up with a lot, having her wedding postponed, and the furor over her father Prince Andrew and the Epstein scandal. She is not a working royal, and she deserves to be happy," Dampier said. Princess Beatrice is Vice President of Partnerships & Strategy for a software company, Afiniti. The journalist also thinks that the 31-year-old princess may jump at a chance to "get away from it all" and start a new life away from the rest of the royal family. Princess Beatrice is also said to be spending lockdown with Edo and her future mother-in-law, Nikki Shale, in Chipping Norton. She isn't staying with her sister Princess Eugenie, her mom Fergie and Prince Andrew. In normal circumstances, Princess Beatrice lives with her family. Since their engagement announcement, Edo and Princess Beatrice split their time between London and New York. Who is Edo? Edo runs a property development and interior design company called Banda. He is the founder and chief executive. He hails from grand Italian stock and is said to have aristocratic links. Edo's dad is Count Alessandro Mapelli, and he is set to inherit the neo-classical palace, Villa Mapelli Mozzi, in Bergamo. Once they married, aside from being Princess Beatrice, she will also be known as an Italian Countess. What Could Have Been Princess Beatrice's Wedding Princess Beatrice was expected to walk down the aisle in the Chapel Royal of St. James's Palace in London last month. She was excited after her engagement on a weekend trip to Italy in September and expressed she couldn't wait to get married. But her wedding plans were overshadowed by the scandal that surrounded her dad, Prince Andrew, with the date changing twice just so Queen Elizabeth II could accommodate her second son. Queen Elizabeth II's granddaughter would have had 800 guests at her wedding, just like her sister. The ceremony would also be televised and would follow a carriage round around town. But with the controversy of Prince Andrew, she was forced to have a more intimate wedding, inviting only 150 guests and choosing Chapel Royal as the venue. Queen Elizabeth II would host the reception on the grounds of her London residence. READ MORE: Royal Shock: Prince Harry 'Reckless' Spending For Meghan Markle Triggered Prince William Feud See Now: Famous Actors Who Turned Down Iconic Movie Roles BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Commission said on Wednesday it was in negotiations with Gilead Sciences Inc to obtain doses of COVID-19 antiviral remdesivir for the 27 European Union countries. BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Commission said on Wednesday it was in negotiations with Gilead Sciences Inc to obtain doses of COVID-19 antiviral remdesivir for the 27 European Union countries. The Commission said it took note of the announcement that the United States had secured nearly all of Gilead's projected production capacity for the next three months. Remdevisir is set to be approved for use in Europe in the coming days. "Commissioner (Stella) Kyriakides has been in multiple discussions with the manufacturer, Gilead, including on their production capacity. The Commission is also currently in negotiations with Gilead to reserve doses of remdesivir for EU member states," a Commission spokesman said. (Reporting by Philip Blenkinsop, editing by Marine Strauss) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. By Asif Shahzad ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - The European Union Air Safety Agency (EASA) has suspended Pakistan International Airlines' (PIA) authorisation to fly to the bloc for six months, the airline said on Tuesday, in a major blow to the country's flag carrier. Separately, the safety agency said it took the action due to concerns about the country's ability to ensure compliance with international aviation standards at all times By Asif Shahzad ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - The European Union Air Safety Agency (EASA) has suspended Pakistan International Airlines' (PIA) authorisation to fly to the bloc for six months, the airline said on Tuesday, in a major blow to the country's flag carrier. Separately, the safety agency said it took the action due to concerns about the country's ability to ensure compliance with international aviation standards at all times. The suspension follows Pakistan's grounding of 262 of the country's 860 pilots -- including 141 of PIA's 434 -- whose licences the aviation minister termed "dubious". "EASA has temporarily suspended PIA's authorization to operate to the EU member states for a period of six months effective July 1, 2020 with the right to appeal," PIA said in a statement. It added it would temporarily discontinue all its flights to Europe. Confirming the move in an emailed statement, the EASA refererred to a recent investigation by Pakistan which it said showed a "large share" of pilot licences to be invalid. Pakistan's grounding of the pilots followed a preliminary report on a PIA crash in Karachi that killed 97 people last month. PIA said it is in contact with the EASA to take corrective measures and appeal against the decision, adding that it expected the "earliest possible" lifting of the suspension after action by the government and the airline. The EASA also suspended the authorisation of another Pakistani airline, Vision Air International. Vision Air International did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment. Following the EASA's decision, the UK Civil Aviation Authority said it, too, was withdrawing PIA's permit to operate from three of its airports, as required under law. "PIA flights from Birmingham, London Heathrow and Manchester airports are suspended with immediate effect," a spokesman for the UK authority told Reuters. The three were major flying destinations for the airline. Meanwhile, Pakistani pilots and their union, the Pakistan Airlines Pilots Association (PALPA), say there are discrepancies in the government's list of pilots with licences deemed dubious and are demanding a judicial investigation. [L8N2E73RU] PIA and private airline Air Blue have also queried the list with PIA saying 36 of its pilots mentioned had either retired or left the airline, while Air Blue said it no longer employed seven of nine pilots on the list. "It contains names of highly educated and qualified pilots who have passed all the tests," PALPA's president, Chaudhry Salman, told Reuters. "We want a fair and impartial resolution to this matter." An official at Pakistan's aviation ministry, Abdul Sattar Khokhar, said they did not have full details of the discrepancies. "The issue is being sorted out in consultation with airlines and civil aviation authorities." (Changes 'Air' to 'Aviation' in opening paragraph) (Reporting by Asif Shahzad; Additional reporting by Euan Rocha in Mumbai; Writing by Gibran Peshimam; editing by David Evans, Kirsten Donovan, William Maclean) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. Fauci said the daily increase in new coronavirus cases in the United States, currently around 40,000, could reach 100,000 unless a full nationwide effort was undertaken to tamp down the resurgent virus. Washington: New US coronavirus cases could more than double to 100,000 per day if the current surge spirals further out of control, the government's top infectious disease expert warned on Tuesday, although he was "cautiously optimistic" a vaccine would be available early next year. California, Texas and Arizona have emerged as new epicenters of the pandemic, each reporting record increases in COVID-19 cases, adding to pressure on scores of potential vaccines being rushed into trials. "Clearly we are not in total control right now," Dr Anthony Fauci, head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told a US Senate committee. "I am very concerned because it could get very bad." Fauci said the daily increase in new cases nationwide, currently around 40,000, could reach 100,000 unless a full nationwide effort was undertaken to tamp down the resurgent virus. "We can't just focus on those areas that are having the surge. It puts the entire country at risk," he said. Fauci said there was no guarantee of having vaccine to prevent infection soon, but that early data had left scientists "cautiously optimistic" for 2021. "Hopefully there will be doses available by the beginning of next year," he said. COVID-19 cases more than doubled in June in at least 10 states, including Texas and Florida, a Reuters tally showed. In parts of Texas and Arizona, hospital intensive care beds for COVID-19 patients are in short supply. More than 126,000 Americans have died from COVID-19 and millions have lost their jobs, as states and major cities ordered residents to stay home and businesses closed. The economy contracted sharply in the first quarter and is expected to crater in the second. EU bans travelers from US With the virus surging in many US states, the European Union has excluded Americans from its "safe list" of countries from which the bloc will allow non-essential travel beginning on Wednesday. The fresh rise in cases and hospitalizations has dimmed hopes that the worst of the human and economic pain had passed, leading to renewed criticism of US President Donald Trump's handling of the crisis as he seeks re-election on 3 November. His rival, Democrat Joe Biden, on Tuesday launched a fresh attack on what he called Trump's "historic mismanagement" of the pandemic, arguing that the president could have saved lives and spared damage to the economy. "It didn't have to be this way. Donald Trump failed us," the 77-year-old former vice president said in a speech in Delaware, where he unveiled an updated plan to tackle the pandemic. That plan includes more testing and the hiring of 100,000 contract tracers to locate anyone who may have been exposed to the virus. In the past few days California, Texas and Florida have all moved to close recently reopened bars, which public health officials believe are likely one of the larger contributors to the recent spikes. On Tuesday, New York, New Jersey and Connecticut added California and seven other states to a list of those from which visitors must self-quarantine for 14 days upon arrival. Texas and Florida were on the original list announced last week. South Carolina also has emerged as a hot spot, reporting a record single-day increase of 1,755 cases on Tuesday. In Texas, where the number of new cases jumped to a one-day record of 6,975 on Tuesday, Houston hospitals said beds were quickly filling up with COVID-19 patients. Dr Marc Boom, Houston Methodist Hospital System's chief executive, told CNN on Tuesday that his 2,400-bed system has seen a "very significant" increase in COVID-19 patients, although the death rate has lowered recently. Boom said he was worried about 4 July Independence Day celebrations, when Americans traditionally flock to beaches and campgrounds to watch fireworks displays. "Frankly it scares me," he said. WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A 'vast expansion' in U.S. WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A "vast expansion" in U.S. multinational business activity in China since 2000 may threaten American industrial competitiveness and long-term tech leadership, a new report by a congressional U.S.-China advisory commission found on Wednesday. The U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission warned that rapid moves by U.S. firms away from manufacturing in China and into higher-value activities such as research and development could be "unwittingly enabling China to achieve its industrial policy objectives." (Reporting by Andrea Shalal and David Lawder; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. Although the European Union wants to work on the basis of reciprocity, Britain, which is no longer an EU member, is an exception. It enforces 14 days of self-isolation on all non-essential travellers. Brussels: The European Union plans to open its borders to non-essential travellers such as tourists and most business people from a limited number of countries outside the bloc from 1 July. The 27 EU governments agreed on an initial "safe list" of 14 countries, which excludes the United States, Brazil, Russia and Turkey. Who is on the list and why? Algeria, Australia, Canada, Georgia, Japan, Montenegro, Morocco, New Zealand, Rwanda, Serbia, South Korea, Thailand, Tunisia, Uruguay are on the list. China will be included if it lets in EU visitors because reciprocity is a condition. The EU considers those countries to have similar or better control of the COVID-19 pandemic as the bloc itself, based on the number of cases in the previous two weeks. The EU average is around 16. The figures for the United States, Mexico, Brazil and much of Latin America, Russia, South Africa, Saudi Arabia and Turkey are too high, according to data from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. As well as having a stable or decreasing trend of new infections, countries must have sufficient testing, contact tracing, containment and treatment capabilities to deal with the pandemic and containment measures in place for all journeys. They also need to satisfy the European Union that their data is available and reliable. Simply having no reported cases, as is the case with Tanzania, Turkmenistan and Laos, is not enough. Where can they go? Travellers from the "safe list" countries will potentially be able to go to Europe and then travel freely throughout the Schengen area, which includes 22 EU countries, plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. The list will be reviewed every two weeks to add some countries and remove others. It is only a recommendation to EU members, who can still impose some travel restrictions. The idea at least is that they should not open up to other countries. What about Britain? Although the EU wants to work on the basis of reciprocity, Britain, which is no longer an EU member, is an exception. It enforces 14 days of self-isolation on all non-essential travellers, but its residents have been free since mid-June to travel to many, but not all, EU countries. Due to the lack of reciprocity, UK visitors are asked to carry out a 14-day voluntary quarantine in France. In Greece, flights from Britain are banned on health grounds. Who else can travel? Travel restrictions are not supposed to apply to travellers "with an essential function", including healthcare workers, seasonal agricultural labour, diplomats, students and people in need of humanitarian protection. Coronavirus LIVE Updates: Union health secretary Preeti Sudan and ICMR director general Balram Bhargava on Wednesday wrote to state governments and Union territories to increase testing. Auto refresh feeds Central Railway and Western Railway will run additional 150 and 148 local services, respectively, in Mumbai from 1 July, reports PTI. Only essential staff including those of Centre, IT, defense, Raj Bhavan will be allowed and no general passengers will be allowed yet, the news agency quotes Railways minister Piyush Goyal as saying. With over 26 lakh reported cases till date, the United States is the worst-affected country in the world. The US is followed by Brazil, Russia, India and the United Kingdom. Total confirmed cases of COVID-19 across the world stand at 1.03 crore, according to the Johns Hopkins University CSSE. This figure includes COVID-19 patients who have recovered and the overall global death toll which stands at 5.06 lakh. While schools and colleges will continue to remain closed, there have been further restrictions regarding hotels and restaurants. On 29 June, the Centre had announced guidelines for Unlock 2.0, the second phase of reopening of economic and other activities in the country. These will be applicable from today. Night curfew timings are being further relaxed and curfew shall be in force from 10.00 pm to 5.00 am. A revised draft resolution by France and China was submitted for a vote on Tuesday and the result is expected to be announced on Wednesday. The UN Security Council is trying again to reach agreement on its first resolution on COVID-19 since the coronavirus started circling the global in February, after a lengthy dispute between the US and China over mentioning the World Health Organization, reports AP. If the area of residence of maid or house-helps has been declared as containment zone or large outbreak region then their entry is not to be permitted by RWA: Municipal Corporation of Gurugram The Municipal Corporation of Gurugram on Wednesday has issued guidelines for resident welfare associations, to be followed till 31 July during Unlock 2.0. The entry of maids/house-helps be allowed with restrictions, including mandatory use of face-mask, thermal scanning and hand sanitisation at the gate. The West Bengal government has allowed 50 people at marriage functions and funerals during the next phase of the coronavirus lockdown from 1 to 31 July. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said morning walks will be allowed from 5.30 am till 8.30 am, provided social distancing and all other norms are strictly followed". Asked to forecast the outcome of recent surges in some states, Fauci said he cannot make an accurate prediction but believes it will be "very disturbing". Top United States infectious disease expert Dr Anthony Fauci has said COVID-19 cases could grow to one lakh per day in the country if Americans do not start following public health recommendations, reports AP. India on Wednesday reported 507 deaths and 18,653 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, taking the number of positive cases to 5,85,493 including 2,20,114 active cases, 3,47,979 cured/discharged/migrated and 17,400 deaths. With 1,74,761 confirmed cases of COVID-19 so far, Maharashtra remains the worst-affected state in the country, followed by Tamil Nadu (90,167) and Delhi (87,360). Last month, a former state health minister tested positive for coronavirus and has been undergoing treatment at the ESI Hospital. Till Tuesday, Goa reported 1,315 COVID-19 cases and three deaths due to the disease, as per official data A BJP MLA from Goa has tested positive for coronavirus, a senior state health official said on Wednesday. The legislator was admitted to Margao-based ESI Hospital, a specially designated facility for COVID-19 patients, after his test came out positive on Tuesday, the official said. The total number of samples tested up to 30 June is 86,26,585 of which 2,17,931 samples were tested yesterday, according to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). "India salutes our doctors exceptional caregivers who are at the forefront of a spirited fight against COVID-19," he wrote on Twitter to mark Doctors' Day. In a short video of his recent speech, he said while mother's give birth, doctors ensure our rebirth. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday hailed the role of doctors in their "spirited" fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, saying they are saving lives by putting themselves in danger. Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday interacts with nurses working on frontline to combat COVID-19 on the occasion of Doctor's Day. There was a feeling of fear in the starting while attending patients, says a nurse told the Congress leader. "There is a scarcity of human resources", said Gandhi. Mumbai's Lalbaugcha Raja Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Mandal has decided not to hold any of its famous Ganesh Chaturthi festivities this year in view of the COVID-19 pandemic, News18 reported. The organisers have decided to set-up a blood and plasma donation camp instead. But, since the Bihar elections are near, the prime minister has announced the free ration programme till Chatth puja, Salim says. It is old wine in a new bottle. CPI(M) leader Mohammad Salim alleges that Modis extension of the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana till November is a politically motivated decision aimed at boosting the BJP ahead of the Bihar Assembly elections, which are due to be held later in the year, reports PTI. More than 100 people have tested positive in Paliganj sub-division of Patna district, about 55 km from the state capital, in the last few days, out of over 350 who have been tested upon contact tracing, they said. Fifteen of his relatives who attended the wedding tested positive for the contagion and apparently infected others. A wedding ceremony in rural Patna a fortnight ago where the groom was running high fever, two days before he died and his body cremated without being tested for COVID 19, appears to have set off the biggest infection chain in Bihar so far, health department officials said on Tuesday, reports PTI. A case has been registered against 6 police constables for not reporting to duty since last 2 months despite being served notice, ANI quoted Mumbai Police as saying. A government order issued on Tuesday night said that partial lockdown with relaxed guidelines was inevitable to mitigate the economic hardship faced by the people without compromising the health and safety of the general public as the prolonged suspension of economic and livelihood activities has severely affected the vulnerable sections of society. The Mizoram government has allowed marriage ceremonies, funerals functions, anniversary celebrations, and social events with a maximum attendance of 50 people as part of new relaxations for the partial lockdown in the state from 1 to 31 July, officials said. 79 people have tested positive for COVID19 in Paliganj, reports ANI. Most of the cases are related to a wedding ceremony held on 15 June, said Paliganj govt hospital doctor, Ajit Kumar Bihar on Tuesday. The groom had died two days after his wedding. Indias recovery rate now stands at over 59%. Of the 585,493 coronavirus cases in the country, the number of patients who have recovered till date stands at 347,978. Out of the 60 victims, 38 were from the Mumbai Police force, he said. So far, nearly 4,900 police personnel have been infected with coronavirus in the state, including over 2,600 from the Mumbai Police force, he said. As many as 60 Maharashtra Police personnel, including three officers, have died of COVID-19 since the outbreak of the disease, an official said on Wednesday, reports PTI. In neighbouring Mira Bhayander, also part of Thane district, civic authorities re-imposed total lockdown, including closing of shops dealing in essential items, between July 1-10 to contain the novel coronavirus outbreak. Non-essential services will not operate during this period nor would movement of vehicles for proposes other than medical and essential travel be allowed, the order said. Movement of all essential goods as well as perishable items will be allowed during this period. Thane city will observe a total lockdown between 2 to 12 July to contain the coronavirus outbreak, municipal commissioner Vipin Sharma said on Tuesday. Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb in a Facebook post late Tuesday night said the lockdown, inspired by the 'Janata curfew' held on March 22, would begin from 5 am on Sunday and end at 5 am the next day. He, however, said that his government was not planning to extend the lockdown. The Tripura government has announced a 24-hour complete lockdown on Sunday to break the chain of transmission of COVID-19, reports PTI. Section-144 has been imposed in Mumbai by Deputy Commissioner of Police Pranaya Ashok, prohibiting any presence or movement of one or more persons in public places in areas marked as 'containment zones' or gathering of any sort anywhere, including religious places subject to certain conditions, in view of COVID-19, reports ANI. According to the order, all movements of one or more persons in areas designated as "Containment Zones" by the municipal authorities have been prohibited, except for essential activities, the supply of essential goods, and medical emergencies. Further, the movement has been prohibited between 9.00 pm and 5.00 am, except for medical emergencies, emergency services, government agencies and their officials on duty, and establishments providing essential services. In view of the COVID-19 pandemic, Mumbai's Deputy Police Commissioner Pranaya Ashok, on 1 July, issued prohibitory orders in the city under Section 144 till 15 July, unless it is withdrawn earlier, reports ANI. The order prohibits the presence or movement of one or more persons in public places or gathering of any sort anywhere, including religious places subject to certain conditions. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal once again reiterates that the situation is under control and claims that it is improving in the National Capital. It was predicted that by 30 June, Delhi would have 1 lakh cases out of which 60,000 would be active cases but today we only have 26,000 active cases, he says. This is the result of everyones hard work. We have been able to control the situation. Bangladesh has extended restrictions imposed on public activities and movement across the country till 3 August to rein in the coronavirus pandemic, reports PTI. The number of positive cases rose to 1,45,483 and the toll stands 1,847. Fifteen inmates of a prison in West Bengal's South 24 Parganas district have tested positive for COVID-19, officials said on Wednesday, reports PTI. The infected inmates of the Baruipur Central Correctional Home are asymptomatic and have been admitted to an isolation ward of the prison hospital, an official of the Correctional Services Department said. Considering the pattern of increase in cases, the civic administration in Thane, Mira Bhayandar and Kalyan-Dombivli have imposed a total lockdown for 10 days. COVID-19 cases in Maharashtra's Thane district have nearly doubled in the last 15 days and risen considerably since 1 May, a data released by the authorities revealed reports PTI. In the last 15 days alone, the cases in the district have nearly doubled from 17,008 to 33,324, it stated. The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has allowed candidates to change their centres for the civil services preliminary examination, scheduled on 4 October, reports PTI. The requests for change of centre will be granted on first-apply-first allot basis, a press release said. He added that the minimum charge will remain Rs 8, but the fare will be calculated for first 2.5 kilometres instead of 5 kilometres. The Kerala government on Wednesday announced a 25 percent hike in "fares of state-run and pvt buses as interim measure to help public transport system tide over COVID-19 crisis," The Times of India quoted state transport minister AK Saseendran as saying. Tamil Nadu health department officials said that 3,882 new coronavirus cases and 63 deaths were reported in the state on Wednesday, taking the total number of cases to 94,049 and 1,264 deaths. The tally includes 39,856 active cases and 52,926 discharged/cured, News18 reported. Schools to reopen from 27 July in Haryana after summer vacations end on 26 July, the Haryana directorate school education was quoted as saying by ANI. The letter stated,"It is strongly advised that you should take all possible steps to ensure full capacity utilization of all Covid19 testing laboratories in the State/UT" Union health secretary Preeti Sudan and ICMR director general Balram Bhargava on Wednesday wrote to state governments and Union territories to increase testing. The Karnataka health department said that 1,272 new COVID-19 cases were reported in the state on Wednesday, including 735 cases from Bengaluru Urban, taking the total number of cases to 16,514. The toll rose to 253 after 7 deaths were reported today. Delhi government officials on Wednesday directed all district magistrates to ramp up testing for COVID-19 and ensure 2,000 rapid-antigen tests are conducted every day in their respective areas. He added that the minimum charge will remain Rs 8, but the fare will be calculated for first 2.5 kilometres instead of 5 kilometres. The Kerala government on Wednesday announced a 25 percent hike in "fares of state-run and pvt buses as interim measure to help public transport system tide over COVID-19 crisis," The Times of India quoted state transport minister AK Saseendran as saying. Tamil Nadu health department officials said that 3,882 new coronavirus cases and 63 deaths were reported in the state on Wednesday, taking the total number of cases to 94,049 and 1,264 deaths. The tally includes 39,856 active cases and 52,926 discharged/cured, News18 reported. Presently, there are 2,20,114 active cases and all are under medical supervision," the press release said. "As a result of the coordinated steps taken by Government of India along with States/UTs for prevention, containment and management of COVID-19, there are 1,27,864 recovered cases more than the active COVID-19 cases, as on date. This has resulted in the recovery rate further increasing to 59.43%. During the last 24 hours, a total of 13,157 COVID-19 patients have been cured, taking the cumulative figure to 3,47,978. The COVID-19 recovery rate rose to 59.43 percent on Wednesday, the Centre said in a press release, adding that the number of recovered patients is nearly one lakh 30 thousand more than the active cases. Schools to reopen from 27 July in Haryana after summer vacations end on 26 July, the Haryana directorate school education was quoted as saying by ANI. Health Secretary Preeti Sudan&ICMR DG Dr. Balram Bhargava write to states&Union Territories to increase testing. Letter states,"It is strongly advised that you should take all possible steps to ensure full capacity utilization of all #COVID19 testing laboratories in the State/UT" pic.twitter.com/g6I3r6Cg9C The letter stated,"It is strongly advised that you should take all possible steps to ensure full capacity utilization of all Covid19 testing laboratories in the State/UT" Union health secretary Preeti Sudan and ICMR director general Balram Bhargava on Wednesday wrote to state governments and Union territories to increase testing. The Karnataka health department said that 1,272 new COVID-19 cases were reported in the state on Wednesday, including 735 cases from Bengaluru Urban, taking the total number of cases to 16,514. The toll rose to 253 after 7 deaths were reported today. The Union health ministry on Wednesday said that state governments and UTs "have been advised to facilitate testing at the earliest by enabling all qualified medical practitioners, including private practitioners, to prescribe COVID-19 test to any individual fulfilling the criteria for testing as per ICMR guidelines." "Some countries ... have taken a fragmented approach. These countries face a long, hard road ahead," WHO director general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus was quoted as saying at a virtual briefing from WHO headquarters in Geneva. Delhi government officials on Wednesday directed all district magistrates to ramp up testing for COVID-19 and ensure 2,000 rapid-antigen tests are conducted every day in their respective areas. Coronavirus LATEST Updates: Union health secretary Preeti Sudan and ICMR director general Balram Bhargava on Wednesday wrote to state governments and Union territories to increase testing. The letter stated,"It is strongly advised that you should take all possible steps to ensure full capacity utilization of all Covid19 testing laboratories in the State/UT" The COVID-19 recovery rate rose to 59.43 percent on Wednesday, the Centre said in a press release, adding that the number of recovered patients is nearly one lakh 30 thousand more than the active cases. "As a result of the coordinated steps taken by Government of India along with States/UTs for prevention, containment and management of COVID-19 , there are 1,27,864 recovered cases more than the active COVID-19 cases, as on date. This has resulted in the recovery rate further increasing to 59.43%. During the last 24 hours, a total of 13,157 COVID-19 patients have been cured, taking the cumulative figure to 3,47,978. Presently, there are 2,20,114 active cases and all are under medical supervision," the press release said. Section-144 has been imposed in Mumbai till 15 July by Deputy Commissioner of Police Pranaya Ashok, prohibiting any presence or movement of one or more persons in public places or gathering of any sort anywhere, including religious places subject to certain conditions, in view of COVID-19 , reports ANI. Mumbai's Lalbaugcha Raja Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Mandal has decided not to hold any of its famous Ganesh Chaturthi festivities this year in view of the COVID-19 pandemic. The organisers have decided to set-up a blood and plasma donation camp instead. India reports 507 deaths and 18,653 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours. India on Wednesday reported 507 deaths and 18,653 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, taking the number of positive cases to 5,85,493 including 2,20,114 active cases, 3,47,979 cured/discharged/migrated and 17,400 deaths. The Railways will expand its suburban services in Mumbai from today and run 350 trains each in the Central and Western Railway Zones, Union Minister Piyush Goyal said. The trains will, however, only carry essential services personnel identified by the Maharashtra government. Mumbai recorded 903 new cases, pushing the total number of cases to rise to 77,197 on Tuesday. As Unlock-2 begins from Wednesday, India's COVID-19 tally climbed to 5,66,840 with nearly 66 percent cases reported in June alone. The nationwide toll rose to 16,893 with 418 new fatalities being reported in 24 hours, according to the Union Health Ministry data. On Tuesday, Tamil Nadu again surpassed Delhi to regain the second spot among the list of worst-hit states by the COVID-19 pandemic. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced an extension of the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY), a government scheme, which aims to provide free ration for 80 crore people, by five more months till the end of November. In his televised address Tuesday, the prime minister also said it is a cause of worry that people are not adhering as strictly to rules and precautions during the 'unlock' phase as they did during the lockdown. Modi announces extension of free ration scheme Stating the cost to the exchequer in extending the PMGKAY scheme, the prime minister said that over Rs 90,000 crore will be spent on the scheme, and if the last three months' expenditure on account of the free ration scheme is added, then the total budget will be about Rs 1.5 lakh crore. The scheme was rolled out for three months from April soon after the nationwide lockdown was announced to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. Noting that July marks the beginning of the festive season when people's needs as well as expenditure increase, Modi said that the government has decided to extend the scheme till November end. The prime minister also said in his 16-minute address that the Central Government is working on the "one nation, one ration card" initiative which, he added, will benefit people living outside their home for employment and other needs the most. This was Modi's sixth address to the nation after the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic The prime minister said that each member of a family covered under the scheme will get five kilogrammes of wheat or rice, and every family will get one kilogramme whole gram per month as well. Modi, however, lamented that there is an increasing "negligence" in personal and social behaviour during the easing of restrictions and urged people to be more vigilant. "We have also seen that since 'Unlock-1', there is increasing negligence in personal and social behaviour. Earlier, we were very careful with respect to wearing of masks, social distancing and washing of hands for 20 seconds. But today, when we need to be more careful, increasing negligence is a cause of worry," he said and urged the people to follow all necessary precautions. He also emphasised on strict enforcement of rules, especially in containment zones. "Those not following the rules will need to be stopped and cautioned," he said, stressing "be it a village pradhan or the prime minister, no one is above the law in India". Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu record most cases Maharashtra remained the highest contributor to the single day rise in cases, registering over 5,200 coronavirus infections, according to the Union Health Ministry. Recording nearly 4,000 cases in the last 24 hours, Tamil Nadu has again surpassed Delhi to regain the second spot among the list of worst-hit states by the pandemic. Karnataka also recorded more than 1,100 cases overtaking Haryana and Andhra Pradesh. Delhi saw an increase of 2,084 cases in the past 24 hours. In June, the national capital added over 64,000 fresh cases to its tally, while over 47,357 patients recovered, were discharged or migrated. The total number of COVID-19 cases has gone up to 15,394 in Telangana, 14,295 in Karnataka, 14,210 in Haryana, 13,891 in Andhra Pradesh, and 13,370 in Madhya Pradesh. It has risen to 9,640 in Bihar, 7,752 in Assam, 7,237 in Jammu and Kashmir and 6,859 in Odisha. Punjab has reported 5,418 novel coronavirus infections so far, while Kerala has 4,189 cases. A total of 2,831 people have been infected by the virus in Uttarakhand, 2,761 in Chhattisgarh, 2,426 in Jharkhand, 1,380 in Tripura, 1,227 in Manipur, 1,198 in Goa, 964 in Ladakh and 942 in Himachal Pradesh. Puducherry has recorded 619 COVID-19 cases, Chandigarh 435, Nagaland 434 and Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu together have reported 203 COVID-19 cases. Arunachal Pradesh reported 187 cases, Mizoram has 148 cases, Andaman and Nicobar Islands has 90, Sikkim has registered 88 infections so far, while Meghalaya has recorded 47 cases. Delhi govt sets ball rolling for 'plasma bank' The Delhi government has set the ball rolling to establish the first-of-its-kind "plasma bank" for treatment of COVID-19 at a facility in the National Capital and its modalities are being worked out, sources told PTI. The bank is being set up at the Delhi government-run Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences (ILBS) and doctors or hospitals will have to approach it if a plasma is required for treatment of a COVID-19 patient. Addressing an online media briefing on Monday, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had said the bank will be operational in the next two days. The move comes as convalescent plasma therapy has shown "encouraging" results in city hospitals, he had said. Sources said the facility where the plasma will be drawn from one person to donate to a COVID-19 patient, is being set up on the serving floor of the ILBS. The plasma itself can be stored in the blood bank facility in a separate pack, a source said. According to experts, plasma needs cryogenic storage at minus 80 degrees Celsius or less. Bharat Biotech gets nod to conduct trials for vaccine The Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) has granted permission to Bharat Biotech International Limited (BBIL) to conduct Phase I and II Human clinical trials to develop an indigenous vaccine for COVID-19 in the name COVAXIN. For this, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and BBIL had partnered to develop a fully indigenous vaccine for COVID-19 using the virus strain isolated at ICMR's National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune. "The Central Drug Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) the office of DCGI has granted permission to initiate Phase I and II Human clinical trials after the company submitted results generated from preclinical studies, demonstrating safety and immune response. Human clinical trials are scheduled to start across India in July 2020," stated the spokesperson of Bharat Biotech. "The strain was successfully transferred from NIV to Bharat Biotech International Ltd. (BBIL). Work on vaccine development has been initiated between the two partners. ICMR-NIV are providing continuous support to BBIL for vaccine development. ICMR and BBIL will seek fast-track approvals to expedite vaccine development, subsequent animal studies and clinical evaluation of the candidate vaccine," said ICMR official. With inputs from agencies National Doctors Day 2020: Doctor's Day in India is organised by the Indian Medical Association (IMA). According to the organisation, Doctor's Day 2020 is dedicated to the innumerable medical practitioners who are serving in the frontline during the COVID-19 pandemic. National Doctors Day 2020: Effective healthcare system is one of the most important areas in any country. National Doctor's Day is celebrated on 1 July every year to show gratitude to doctors, physicians and other medical practitioners for their dedicated service. The event that was first started in 1991, also celebrates the birth and death anniversary of Dr Bidhan Chandra Roy, a renowned physician and the second Chief Minister of West Bengal. Doctor's Day in India is organised by the Indian Medical Association (IMA). According to the organisation, Doctor's Day 2020 is dedicated to the innumerable medical practitioners who are serving in the frontline during the COVID-19 pandemic. The theme for National Doctors Day this year is 'Lessen the mortality of COVID 19'. On the occasion of Doctor's Day a number of leaders have thanked physicians for their tireless service towards humanity. In a series of tweets, Vice President of India Venkaiah Naidu paid his tributes to Dr BC Roy for his "invaluable contribution" to the development of medical field in India and extended his greetings to doctors across the nation. On this Doctor's Day, I pay my tributes to Dr. B.C. Roy, former Chief Minister of West Bengal & legendary physician, who made invaluable contribution to the development of medical field in India. #doctorsday pic.twitter.com/zFlLaTCmFm Vice President of India (@VPSecretariat) July 1, 2020 The Vice President also pledged "unconditional support" to the members of the medical fraternity, expressing his gratitude and respect. Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended his greetings alongside a short video clip. Modi said, "India salutes our doctors- exceptional care givers who are at the forefront of a spirited fight against COVID-19 ." India salutes our doctors- exceptional care givers who are at the forefront of a spirited fight against COVID-19 . #doctorsday2020 pic.twitter.com/WsWroXjVpO Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 1, 2020 Union Home Minister Amit Shah saluted the "brave Doctors" for their "devotion and sacrifice" in "leading the battle against COVID-19 at the forefront." On Doctors Day, I salute our brave Doctors who have been leading the battle against COVID-19 at the forefront. Their uttermost commitment to keep the nation safe and healthy in these challenging times is truly exceptional. Nation salutes their devotion and sacrifice. Amit Shah (@AmitShah) July 1, 2020 West Bengal chief minister wished the former CM on his birth and death anniversary and said, "On Doctor's Day, I congratulate all doctors, health warriors, the administration and their families. As a token of appreciation, the state government has declared a holiday today in honour of the frontline COVID warriors." Remembering former Chief Minister of West Bengal, Dr Bidhan Chandra Roy on his birth and death anniversary. The day is celebrated as National #DoctorsDay in his honour 1/2 Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) July 1, 2020 Congress leader Rahul Gandhi also expressed gratitude to the professionals who "inspire hope in COVID-19 times." On #DoctorsDay, I am immensely grateful to the dedicated professionals who inspire hope in #Covid19 times. Today at 10 am, watch 4 dedicated nurses in conversation with me about the Covid crisis and how we should react to it. pic.twitter.com/PujxVQbdvE Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) July 1, 2020 Here's how others celebrated National Doctor's Day: #DoctorsDay reminds us of the immense contribution that doctors have made in our society. Their dedication, perseverance & scientific temper form the bedrock of our efforts for public health. Let's take a moment to acknowledge & celebrate their service. Thank you Doctors. Pinarayi Vijayan (@vijayanpinarayi) July 1, 2020 The app named COPAL-19 has details of patients who have already been discharged from AIIMS, those currently undergoing treatment and their blood groups so that patients who require plasma therapy can get it in time without any hassle. New Delhi: Resident doctors of AIIMS with the help of IIT-Delhi students have developed a mobile application to track real-time COVID-19 patients in the hospital, who can become potential plasma donors 28 days after recovery along with those who have been discharged. The app named COPAL-19 has details of patients who have already been discharged from AIIMS, those currently undergoing treatment and their blood groups so that patients who require plasma therapy can get it in time without any hassle, AIIMS RDA president, Dr Adarsh Pratap Singh, said. "Amidst shortage of donors for plasma therapy, team of AIIMS Resident Doctors along with IIT-Delhi team developed an app to correct the mismatch between COVID-19 discharged patients and patients requiring plasma donation. It was a great initiative by Dr Abhinav Singh Verma and IIT Delhi students," Dr Singh said. The app was launched at the premier hospital on the occasion of Doctors' Day. Dr Verma, a resident doctor of the neurosurgery department at AIIMS, the main person behind the COPAL-19 app, said its a simple user interface application with automated donor matching. Though it has been launched for AIIMS patients primarily for now, the app will be available on open platforms. It will be an open source code app which people from other institutions can copy and use in their hospitals, Dr Verma said. "This app will act as a bridge between patients seeking plasma therapy and are moderately and severely symptomatic and donors who have recovered from COVID-19 and have completed 28 days post recovery," Dr Verma explained. The app will also automatically track donors who will be eligible to donate plasma after a cycle of every 14 days. He also referred to the case of his senior who got infected with the virus and recalled the difficulties they had to face arranging plasma for him. "Finding plasma for him turned out to be a herculean task. We randomly contacted our friends and put it up on social media platforms, but even then arranging a plasma donor took more than 12 hours. "We were already working on developing such an app but it was after this incident that we really pushed for it and finally launched it today," he said. "Currently, 70 plasma donors are registered with the application," Dr Verma said. Once the app goes live, anybody who wants to register themselves as a plasma donor can simply download the app and fill in their details in a simple format. AIIMS blood bank is also linked by a back-end so they will also get the details and help the needy patients get it. Patients also can register themselves and get details of plasma donors matching their blood group. Mentioning Head Constable Revathy's statement in a four-page report to the Madras High Court Madurai Bench, the Judicial Magistrate probing the deaths said she feared to receive threats if she revealed the facts. In her statement, Revathy told the JM that the two persons were 'beaten up the entire night by police personnel there (Sathankulam PS) using lathis.' Tuticorin: Personnel at the Sathankulam police station in Tuticorin thrashed a deceased father-son duo the whole night there, with lathis used for allegedly assaulting them and a table carrying bloodstains, a woman head constable attached to the station has told a judicial probe. Mentioning Head Constable Revathy's statement in a four-page report to the Madras High Court Madurai Bench, the Judicial Magistrate probing the deaths said she feared to receive threats if she revealed the facts. The Madras High Court, which has taken up the matter of the death of P Jayaraj and Fenix, alleged victims of police torture, had on Tuesday transferred the probe to the CB-CID under DSP Anil Kumar. It had also ordered protection for Revathy and her family. In her statement, Revathy told the JM that the two persons were "beaten up the entire night by police personnel there (Sathankulam PS) using lathis." "..due to this there were bloodstains on the lathis and a table and she said they (stains) should be collected immediately as they (policemen) could try to erase them," the report said. The JM alleged non-cooperation by the personnel at the police station, including when he sought handing over of the lathis and said the cops heeded to his demand only after being 'compelled'. One of them even fled the place by scaling a wall when sought for his lathi. He further submitted that Revathy did not sign on her statement immediately and did so after a long time upon being assured of her safety. Her statement was "recorded carefully", even as she was apprehensive of receiving a threat if she revealed the truth. The JM said that throughout his stay at the station on 28 June, the police did not cooperate and one of them displayed "macho and intimidating body language", even as a constable made disparaging remarks against him later. Incidentally, three personnel, ASP D Kumar, DSP C Prathapan, and the constable Maharajan had on Tuesday appeared before the High Court on being summoned by it over the matter. The constable told the court he was "overstressed" and had made the remark against the Judicial Magistrate by mistake. The JM further stated that the settings of the CCTV hard disk in the police station, despite having sufficient space of one terabyte, were configured in a way that the day's footage will be "automatically deleted." The High Court had earlier said that from the report filed by the Judicial Magistrate, it was able to discern that the Sathankulam police were taking advantage of the fact the investigation of the case was in limbo and were attempting to cause the disappearance of evidence. They were emboldened enough to even intimidate the JM during the investigation in the station, Justices P N Prakash and B Pugalendhi had noted. The original statement of the Revathy should also be given to the DSP Anil Kumar. Jayaraj and his son Fenix, arrested for 'violating' lockdown norms over business hours of their cellphone shop, died at a hospital in Kovilpatti on 23 June, with the relatives alleging that they were severely thrashed at the Sathankulam police station by the personnel earlier. The incident had triggered a nationwide furor, leading to the suspension of five policemen, including an inspector and two Sub-Inspectors. The Superintendent of Police had been shunted out of Tuticorin and put on compulsory wait. All the personnel posted at Sathankulam police station earlier have been transferred out. The probe into the case has been since transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) by the Tamil Nadu government, though the Court transferred the case to the CB- CID till CBI took over, fearing evidence may disappear. Notwithstanding imminent losses to Chinese firms on account of India's decision, state-controlled media outlets in China continue to allege that it is India that stands to lose Since the build-up of tensions along the Line of Actual Control in Ladakh, Chinese propaganda outlets have been on an overdrive in terms of targeting India. Now, with the Centre's decision to ban 59 Chinese apps, these outlets have upped the ante once again. For instance, a recent article in Global Times, the Chinese Communist Party's mouthpiece, called on the Narendra Modi government to prevent an "economic conflict". The article noted, "It is undeniable that the app ban will hurt the commercial interests of relevant Chinese companies, but, when looking at the bigger picture, it is clear that India is in no position to cause harm to China's juggernaut economy." The article also sought to ridicule campaigns in India to boycott Chinese products, saying that there are "no available and affordable alternatives to Chinese-made products such as smartphones, chemicals, automotive components and many other items". Another article in the newspaper quoted Sha Jun, an executive partner at the India Investment Services Center of the Yingke Law Firm, as saying that the Indian government's action of banning the apps was "childish and emotional", and that it "marks a very bad signal for further Chinese investment in India". However, the newspaper also quoted a source as saying that the losses of Chinese internet company ByteDance mother company of Tik Tok due to the Indian government's decision could be as high as $6 billion. According to an article in The Times of India, Indians spent a massive 5.5 billion hours on TikTok in the year 2019. Notwithstanding imminent losses to Chinese firms on account of India's decision, state-controlled media outlets in China continue to allege that it is India that stands to lose. For example, an article on CGTN (China Global Television Network) argues that India will find it more difficult to address its "developmental challenges" if it takes measures such as the ban on Chinese apps. It mentions India's figures in terms of literacy and healthcare in this context. It is, however, unclear how a ban on apps like TikTok and UC Browser can have a negative effect on any of these indicators. "There is much to be gained by India if it works with China, especially in the area of technology," the article contends. In the recent past, Chinese media outlets have stepped up propaganda against India on a variety of points, including the country's armed forces and economic credentials. The media outlets have asked India not to "provoke" China and threatened that New Delhi will be "even more humiliated" than after the 1962 border conflict. The ties between India and China have come under strain due to their military standoff at the Line of Actual Control. The Indian government has banned the 59 apps in view of information available that they are "engaged in activities which are prejudicial to the sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India, security of state and public order". The move will "safeguard the interests of crores of Indian mobile and internet users. This decision is a targeted move to ensure safety and sovereignty of Indian cyberspace", the Union IT ministry said. With inputs from PTI The clinical trials of the experimental COVID-19 vaccine in humans are scheduled to end by 31 July 2020. India's first vaccine candidate against the novel coronavirus , COVAXIN, has received a nod from the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) for further clinical trials Phase I and 2 in infected people. The vaccine is under development by Hyderbad-based biotechnology firm Bharat Biotech in collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and the National Institute of Virology (NIV). The clinical trials of the experimental COVID-19 vaccine in humans are scheduled to begin in July 2020, Bharat Biotech said in a note. COVAXIN has been expedited through national regulatory protocols, and subjected to "comprehensive pre-clinical studies" according to the company, which reports that the results are "promising" and "show extensive safety and effective immune responses". Dr Krishna Ella, Chairman and Managing Director of Bharat Biotech, said, The collaboration with ICMR and NIV was instrumental in the development of this vaccine. The proactive support and guidance from CDSCO has enabled approvals to this project. We worked tirelessly to deploy our proprietary technologies towards this platform. "The SARS-CoV-2 strain was isolated in NIV, Pune and transferred to Bharat Biotech. The indigenous, inactivated vaccine was developed and manufactured in Bharat Biotech's BSL-3 (Bio-Safety Level 3) High Containment facility located in Genome Valley, Hyderabad," the company added. The company hasn't yet released details on how long the next steps are likely to take, when the vaccine might be launched in the market or its price. In May 2020, Bharat Biotech went into a partnership with Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, for an exclusive deal to develop a new vaccine candidate for COVID-19 that was invented at Jefferson. The vaccine was developed using an existing deactivated rabies vaccine as a vehicle for coronavirus proteins, according to a Business Line report. Dr Matthias Schnell, an infectious diseases expert, and his lab at Thomas Jefferson reportedly developed the vaccine in January, after which they completed preliminary tests in animal models that showed a "strong antibody response in mice receiving it," the report adds. In the past, vaccine maker Bharat Biotech has manufactured the H1N1 vaccine during the swine flu outbreak, and has over 140 global patents and 16 vaccines in its portfolio. The most significant of their developments is arguably the rotavirus vaccine Rotavac, a next-gen vaccine against a viral gastroenteritis that got pre-approval from the WHO after an Oxford laboratory found it safe and efficacious. Among the first companies in India to announce a vaccine candidate was Ahmedabad-based Cadila Healthcare. Their candidate is currently in pre-clinical studies. Pune biotech firm Serum Institute and Panacea Biotec in Delhi, are also among the leading candidates from India to develop a COVID-19 vaccine. The Gilead Sciences treatment candidate remdesivir was found to be effective in reducing the amount of time an infected COVID-19 patient spent in the hospital. Yet, a cure for COVID-19 has not been found. Meanwhile, India reported over 18,000 cases on 29 June alone. The number of COVID-19 cases in India now stands at 5,66,840 and counting. The Ministry of Home Affairs has released guidelines for Unlock 2.0, which is expected to come into force till 31 July. The programme in IIT Madras was launched by Union Human Resource Development (HRD) Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal and Minister of State for HRD Sanjay Dhotre. New Delhi: The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras on Tuesday said it has launched the "world's first" online BSc degree course in Programming and Data Science. The course will be open to anyone who has passed Class 12 with English and Maths at Class 10 level, and enrolled in any on-campus undergraduate course. Even the current batch of students who are completing their class 12 are eligible to apply. Graduates and working professionals can also take up this programme. The programme was launched by Union Human Resource Development (HRD) Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal ''Nishank'' and Minister of State for HRD Sanjay Dhotre. "IIT Madras has introduced world's first-ever online BSc degree programme in Data Science and Programming. Analysis reveals that every year 7 to 7.5 lakh Indian students go abroad in search of better education and our talent as well as our revenue goes outside the country," Nishank said at the launch. He said institutions such as IIT Madras have the "vision and mission" to help the nation move forward on its path to self-reliance by bringing such quality education and unique courses right here in India. "Even during this challenging time, when the nation is fighting the COVID-19 pandemic and everyone is forced to be at home, IITs have come together to innovate for the sake of the nation. Several innovations such as ventilators, masks and drones have come from the continuous research from IITs. I am confident that this educational initiative will help many students in India," the Union minister added. According to officials at IIT Madras, Data Science is one of the fastest growing sectors that is predicted to create 11.5 million jobs by 2026. The World Economic Forum (WEF) has predicted that by 2022, data analyst and scientist will be the number one emerging job role in the world. "We are delighted to offer a programme that will make quality education inclusive and address a pressing need in today's challenging higher education environment. This programme not only embraces the trend of moving education online but also provides a platform to create skilled and employable women and men in a data-driven world," said Bhaskar Ramamurthi, Director, IIT Madras. The programme will be delivered on a state-of-the-art online portal and will attract learners from even remote parts of India where outreach of digital literacy is minimal and will help them stay ahead in their career journeys, he said. Ramamurthi said the programme will have videos from faculty, weekly assignments and in-person invigilated exams just like any other regular course It will hone students' skills in managing data, visualising patterns to gain managerial insights, model uncertainties and build models that assist in producing forecasts to make effective business decisions, he said. The course will be offered in three different stages - Foundational Programme, Diploma Programme and Degree Programme. At each stage, students will have the freedom to exit from the programme and receive a certificate, diploma or a degree, respectively, from IIT Madras. These students will go through course lectures online, submit online assignments and write an in-person qualifier exam at the end of four weeks. In contrast to the typical admission processes of IITs, which are constrained due to the limited number of in-campus seats, in this programme all students who clear (with an overall score of 50 pc) the qualifier exam will be eligible to register for the foundational programme, he added. To combat locust swarms, the government has also placed an order for five new helicopter-mounted spray systems from Britain to install in Indian Air Force helicopters New Delhi: India on Tuesday deployed a helicopter and a dozen drones spraying insecticide to stop desert locusts that have spread to nine heartland states of the worlds second-biggest producer of rice and wheat. The move came after swarms invaded Gurugram, a satellite city of the capital New Delhi, during the weekend, prompting people to criticise authorities for not quickly containing the outbreak. The government has also placed an order for five new helicopter-mounted spray systems from Britain to install in Indian Air Force helicopters, Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said. India, battling its worst desert locust outbreak for decades, pressed into service 12 drones to track the movement of locusts and spray insecticides on the swarms. The Ministry of Civil Aviation has amended rules to allow state government officials to use drones at night, a step that experts have said may help neutralise the locusts. The government had already been using specialist vehicles and fire engines for spraying operations in at least nine densely populated states in the north, centre and west. The locust infestation has not caused significant damage so far because it has fallen in the lean season - the gap between the previous harvest and the next planting season. But some farmers have complained about crop losses in a few districts of the desert state of Rajasthan. The federal government said it had provided financial assistance to the Rajasthan government against the locusts. It said representatives from India, Iran, Pakistan and Afghanistan have had weekly talks to try to stem locust swarms across the wider region. The UN Food and Agriculture Organization has warned of a new wave of locusts coming across the Indian Ocean from Somalia just as farmers are planting an array of summer crops. In the containment zones in Karnataka, only essential activities shall be allowed. There shall be strict perimeter control to ensure that there is no movement of people in or out of these zones Bengaluru: Karnataka government on Tuesday announced a complete lockdown on Sundays till 2 August. "There shall be complete lockdown on Sundays from 5 July and followed by next four Sundays till 2 August," stated the government. "However, essential activities allowed during night curfew will be permitted during Sunday lockdown too. Marriages already fixed on Sundays will be permitted as per norms," also said. Regarding government of Karnataka and related Offices, the order read, "With effect from 10 July, 2020, all Government Offices/Boards and Corporations, except those operating and maintaining essential services, shall remain closed on all Saturdays till 2nd week of August, 2020, i.e., in addition to the existing holidays on 2nd and 4th Saturdays." Containment zones will be demarcated by the BBMP/District authorities after taking into consideration the guidelines of Department of Health & Family Welfare with the objective of effectively breaking the chain of transmission. Those regions will be notified on the websites by the Commissioner, BBMP/ respective Deputy commissioners/concerned Departments and information will be shared with MoHFW. In the containment zones, only essential activities shall be allowed. There shall be strict perimeter control to ensure that there is no movement of people in or out of these zones, except for medical emergencies and for facilitating supply of essential goods and services. In these areas, there shall be intensive contact tracing, house-to-house surveillance, and other clinical interventions, as required. Guidelines of MoHFW and Department of Health and Family Welfare shall be effectively implemented for the above purpose. Decriminalising Section 138 is only going to make creditors more insecure, which could cause unfathomable harm to the Indian economy. On 8 June, 2020, the Ministry of Finance proposed decriminalising various offences for improving business sentiment and unclogging court processes , including Section 138 of Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881 (Act), which makes dishonour of cheques a punishable offence. The press release mentions that criminal penalties are perceived as one of the major reasons impacting business sentiment and hindering investments both from domestic and foreign investors. The finance ministry has also highlighted the delay in disposal of cases involving such offences and stated that decriminalisation will form a part of the post- COVID-19 response strategy to revive the economy and improve the justice system in India. As per Section 138, if a cheque drawn on a beneficiary for the discharge of any debt or liability, is dishonoured by the bank upon presentation, the drawer can be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to two years, or with a fine which may extend to twice the amount of the cheque, or both. However, the drawer of the cheque is given a 15-day period within which he can settle accounts with the holder of the cheque. However, decriminalising Section 138 might not be the right means for achieving an otherwise laudable end. Need to criminalise bad cheques Just as the need to decriminalise Section 138 is felt to create a more favourable business climate, the need for a sense of security among holders of cheques cannot be ignored. The importance of credit in the Indian economy can hardly be overestimated. Traditionally, Post-Dated Cheques (PDCs) have been one of the popular ways of facilitating credit in India. PDCs are widely used for obtaining home finance and other products including personal, auto and consumer durable loans. Some loan agreements provide for handing over of PDCs as security for instalments. It is a common for landlords to take PDCs from tenants to secure property lease agreements. Also, many MSMEs deliver goods and services against PDCs. This system has developed only on account of the reassurance provided by Section 138. Also, decriminalising this provision is going to serve as a setback for those creditors who lend money to companies, and are later unable to recover their dues. The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016 does provide the option of filing an application before the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT). However, the government has recently raised the threshold for default under the Code to Rs 1 crore from Rs 1 lakh. Perhaps, Section 138 is now the only effective recourse which an aggrieved creditor has when the amount involved is under Rs 1 crore. Decriminalising Section 138 is only going to make creditors more insecure, which could cause unfathomable harm to the Indian economy. Moreover, considering the malaise of tax-evaded income in the form of cash, and its adverse impact on the economy, there is an imperative need for promoting the use of cheques. The deterrent provisions of Section 138 have been more than efficacious in this regard since people feel much safer using cheques. Decriminalising this provision will undeniably, serve as a major blow to transparency in financial transactions. What the Supreme Court has said Over the years the Supreme Court has made a conscious effort to create an effective safety mechanism to prevent the misuse of Section 138. In Damodar S. Prabhu Vs. Sayed Babalal H case, the court held with respect to Section 138, that it is the compensatory aspect of the remedy which should be given priority over the punitive aspect. The court took cognisance of the tendency of litigants to belatedly choose the method of compromise to resolve their dispute, instead of doing so at an earlier stage of litigation. The early settlement was incentivised by introducing a graded scheme for imposing costs and it was held that if the accused makes an application for compromise at the first or second hearing of the case, settlement may be allowed without imposing any costs on the accused. While observing that vexatious filing of multiple complaints relatable to the same offence causes undue harassment, the court directed that it should be mandatory for the complainant to disclose that no other complaint has been filed in any other court in respect of the same transaction and if he fails to do so, heavy costs must be imposed upon him. Among the primary causes for the colossal amount of Section 138 cases in Indian courts is the reprehensible act of filing complaints in various places for cheques dishonoured in the same transaction and at the same place, in order to extract money from the accused by dragging him from place to place. In Dashrath Rupsingh Rathod Vs. State of Maharashtra, the court held that territorial jurisdiction for filing Section 138 complaints is restricted to the court within whose jurisdiction the cheque is dishonoured (area within which drawers bank is located). However, soon Section 142 (2) was inserted via the Negotiable Instruments (Amendment) Act, 2015 which essentially limits jurisdiction to the place where the holder of the cheque ordinarily maintains his account or where that branch of the holders bank is located in which the drawer maintains his account. Even though the rule laid down by the apex court was found unsuitable by the Legislature, this judgment was instrumental in bringing to light the need to restrict jurisdiction within which complaints could be filed. Many a time when a company has issued cheques which are later dishonoured, the directors of the company are needlessly named in the complaint for the sole purpose of harassment. In the A.R. Radha Krishna Vs. Dasari Deepthi and Ors., it was held that a complaint under Section 138 must contain a specific averment that the director was in charge of and responsible for the conduct of the company's business when the offence was committed. Moreover, the court must check whether there is evidence which proves the directors innocence. These are just a few among an array of judgments in which the Supreme Court has laid down strict guidelines to ensure that Section 138 is not misemployed by exploitative litigants. International perspective Internationally as well, the need has been felt to make cheque dishonour a punishable offence. In the American state of Georgia, section 16-9-20 of the Official Code of Georgia sets out penalties that may be imposed on someone who writes a dishonoured cheque, including hefty fines and imprisonment which may extend to three years. In Ohio, section 2913.11 of the Ohio Revised Code provides for similar punishment. In UAE, article 401 of the UAE Federal Penal Code provides that the drawer of a bounced cheque should be fined or detained for a period which could extend to three years. In Thailand, as per section 4 of the Offences Arising from the Use of Cheque Act, B.E. 2534 ( 1991 ), offences involving dishonoured cheques are punishable with a fine or imprisonment which may extend to one year. The abovementioned countries find themselves placed amongst the top twenty-five countries on the World Bank Ease Of Doing Business Rankings, despite strict financial laws. Need for fast track courts in India Admittedly, Section 138 cases have congested courts across the country. However, decriminalising this provision is not the solution to the problem. The 213th Report of the Law Commission of India (November, 2008) had recommended that Fast Track Courts of Magistrates should be created to dispose of Section 138 cases in order to solve the perennial problem of pendency and ensure that litigants are guaranteed the right to a speedy trial. Moreover, on 6 February, 2020 the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) had addressed a letter to the finance minister suggesting setting up of fast track courts at the district level to dispose of cheque bounce cases. Unfortunately, there has been little progress in this regard. The fast track courts will be instrumental in reducing the pendency of cheque dishonour cases in India. However, these courts can only be set up if the government is willing to provide necessary funds to meet the expenditure involved in their creation and for subsequently staffing them. Final word The COVID-19 pandemic has caused economic hardship across the globe and a consequent rise in financial crime is indubitable. While regulatory forbearance, higher barriers to entry into formal insolvency proceedings and extension of procedural deadlines are all welcome moves, decriminalising Section 138 might be a step too far. Fraud is often at its most virulent during crises and now more than ever before, it is critical to be vigilant in preventing financial crime. The current crises have made people overly insecure about finances and economic revival can only be achieved by reinstating confidence among them. Not just Section 138, but many other provisions dealing with financial offences are bound to play a vital role in Indias economic revival. National Chartered Accountant Day 2020: Institute of Chartered Accountants of India is the sole licensing and regulatory body for the financial audit and accounting profession in India. National Chartered Accountant Day 2020: National Chartered Accountant Day or CA Day is celebrated annually on 1 July commemorating the establishment of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) on this day in 1949. This year is the 72nd celebration of National CA Day. According to a report in NDTV, ICAI is India's national professional accounting body and also the second biggest accounting organisation in the world. The report further mentioned that ICAI is the sole licensing and regulatory body for the financial audit and accounting profession in India. According to a report in Jagran Josh, the British government in India passed the Companies Act in 1913, that provided for the appointment of an auditor to audit the books each company registered under the act had to maintain. As per the report, in 1930, a decision to maintain a register of accountants was taken by the Centre. The title of Registered Accountant was given to those accountants whose name was entered into this roster. In 1948, an expert committee said that an autonomous body should be formed for enhanced regulation of accounts and subsequently the ICAI came into existence when the Chartered Accounts Act of 1949 was passed. The term Chartered Accountant became the preferred title instead of the previously used Registered Accountant. On the occasion of National CA Day 2020, a number of leaders extended their wishes to the CA community. Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended his wishes to the community on National CA Day 2020. "Our industrious CA community has a major role to play in ensuring a healthy and transparent economy. Their services to the nation are deeply valued," wrote the prime minister. Our industrious CA community has a major role to play in ensuring a healthy and transparent economy. Their services to the nation are deeply valued. Greetings on Chartered Accountants Day. pic.twitter.com/HnJLKTheIf Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 1, 2020 Union Home Minister Amit Shah also greeted all CA professionals and said that the country is proud of her "talented CA fraternity" which has been playing a pivotal role in the nation building. Greetings to all CA professionals on 'Chartered Accountants Day'. India is proud of our talented CA fraternity which has been playing a pivotal role in nation building. Their contribution in India's economic growth and development is exceptional. Amit Shah (@AmitShah) July 1, 2020 Union MSME Minister Nitin Gadkari extended his best wishes to CA community on CA day 2020. "The CA community has played an exemplary role in nation building through their financial and economic expertise," he tweeted. The CA community has played an exemplary role in nation building through their financial and economic expertise. My best wishes to them on #CharteredAccountantsDay. Nitin Gadkari (@nitin_gadkari) July 1, 2020 Union Minister of Railways and Commerce & Industry Piyush Goyal shared a video where he spoke about the challenges that CA's have to face. Extending his wishes to fellow CAs, the minister wrote, "Backbone of the financial system, CAs play a key role in furthering better corporate governance in our society. My best wishes to the CA fraternity. May they continue to advance India's economic growth." Extending warm wishes to my fellow Chartered Accountants on #CADay Backbone of the financial system, CAs play a key role in furthering better corporate governance in our society. My best wishes to the CA fraternity. May they continue to advance India's economic growth. pic.twitter.com/tBraedru21 Piyush Goyal (@PiyushGoyal) July 1, 2020 Heres how others wished the CA community: I extend my warm wishes to all #CharteredAccountants on #CAday2020 At a time when the economy is going through rapid transformation, CAs form the backbone of the financial system Lets salute them so that they can continue to add to Indias Growth Story !@theicai @FinMinIndia pic.twitter.com/hrG4n8R2Ea Dr Harsh Vardhan (@drharshvardhan) July 1, 2020 Wishing all my fellow #CharteredAccountants a very happy #CharteredAccountantsDay .We all must commit ourselves to to the most important task of nation building,besides our basic duty towards the society to excell in our profession to inspire confidence of all @theicai Suresh Prabhu (@sureshpprabhu) July 1, 2020 The Neyveli Lignite Corporation (NLC) fire-fighters have been engaged in the rescue operations and the district administration's rescue teams have also reached the spot. At least six people were killed and 17 left injured after a boiler exploded on Wednesday at Neyveli Thermal Power Station in Tamil Nadu's Cuddalore district. According to PTI, the accident was reported from the fifth unit of the thermal power station-II when workers were in the process of resuming operations in the morning. Tamil Nadu: Explosion at a boiler in stage -2 of the Neyveli lignite plant. 17 injured persons taken to NLC lignite hospital. Visuals from the spot. More details awaited. https://t.co/jtaOudE9P0 pic.twitter.com/FWKYNsePVO ANI (@ANI) July 1, 2020 The Neyveli Lignite Corporation (NLC) fire-fighters have been engaged in the rescue operations and the district administration's rescue teams have also reached the spot. Authorities are still investigating the exact cause of the accident. Meanwhile, PTI quoted an official as saying that many workers are feared trapped. The official said that the injured have been rushed to a hospital in the state capital of Chennai. The injured have been admitted to NLCIL General Hospital in Neyveli, reported The Indian Express. This is the second boiler explosion in two months that occurred in the state. In a similar incident, on 7 May, two workers were killed and eight were injured after a boiler blast at the state-run NLC plant. P Jayaraj and his son Fenix, arrested for 'violating' lockdown norms over the business hours of their cell phone shop, died at a hospital in Thoothukudi on 23 June, with relatives alleging that they were severely thrashed at the Sathankulam police station earlier. The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Wednesday said it has issued notices to the DGP of Tamil Nadu and SP of Thoothukudi district in the southern state over the deaths of a father-son duo allegedly due to torture by police. The NHRC, in a tweet, also said it has sought a report from the police officers, which has to "include inquest report, post-mortem examination report, medical treatment record, magisterial enquiry report and health screening report of both victims, within 6 weeks". The report has to include inquest report, postmortem examination report, medical treatment record, magisterial enquiry report and health screening report of both victims, within 6 weeks. NHRC India (@India_NHRC) July 1, 2020 P Jayaraj and his son Fenix, who were arrested for "violating" lockdown norms over the business hours of their cell phone shop, died at a hospital in Thoothukudi's Kovilpatti on 23 June, with the relatives alleging that they were severely thrashed at the Sathankulam police station by the personnel earlier. The incident has triggered a nationwide furore. "NHRC notice to DGP, Tamil Nadu and SP, Thoothukudi on allegations of the deaths of father-son due to police torture," the rights panel said in a tweet. 'We welcome India's ban on certain mobile apps that serve as an appendage of the CCP's (Chinese Communist Party) surveillance State,' Pompeo said. Washington: US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Wednesday welcomed New Delhi's decision to ban dozens of apps with Chinese links, saying it will "boost India's integrity and national security." "We welcome India's ban on certain mobile apps that serve as an appendage of the CCP's (Chinese Communist Party) surveillance State," Pompeo told reporters at a news conference held at the Foggy Bottom headquarters of the State Department. "India's clean app approach will boost India's sovereignty. It will also boost India's integrity and national security," he said. India on Monday banned 59 apps with Chinese links, including the hugely popular TikTok and UC Browser, for engaging in "activities which are prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India, security of state and public order". The ban also comes in the backdrop of the current stand-off along the Line of Actual control in eastern Ladakh with Chinese troops. The list of apps that have been banned by India also include Helo, Likee, Cam Scanner, Vigo Video, Mi Video Call - Xiaomi, Clash of Kings as well as e-commerce platforms Club Factory and Shein. In his speech on Tuesday, Modi had referred to 'Chhath Puja' twice, though the festival which is the biggest in Bihar, is close to five months away. Patna: Opposition parties in Bihar on Wednesday alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's address to the nation had an eye on the upcoming Bihar polls, with the RJD saying the BJP cannot win the elections on PR stunts. The state unit of the BJP, however, rubbished the allegations saying that the Opposition parties have a narrow mindset. In his speech on Tuesday, Modi had referred to 'Chhath Puja' twice, though the festival which is the biggest in Bihar, is close to five months away. The prime minister then followed up his speech with a flurry of tweets in languages spoken across the country, with two of them in Bhojpuri, which is commonly spoken in Bihar. In a tweet in Bhojpuri, Lalu Prasad's RJD responded to the prime minister's remarks, saying, "You have come to think of Bhojpuri now. A few months ago you had suddenly remembered Litti-Chokha. You think you can fight elections on the basis of such PR stunts?" The Bihar assembly election is due in October-November this year. The 'litti-chokha' barb was an apparent reference to Modi's savouring of the Bihari delicacy at a stall set up as part of the 'Hunar Haat' in Delhi earlier this year. "Remember, the elections in Bihar are going to be a mahasangram (epic battle). You may have won over the turncoat with a flawed DNA. You won't be able to win the trust of the people of the state who are seekers of justice, the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) said. The remark by the opposition party was aimed at Modi's DNA jibe at Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar during the 2015 assembly polls which the JD(U) chief had fought and won in a "grand alliance" with the RJD and the Congress. Kumar's abrupt exit from the alliance and return to the BJP-led NDA three years ago led to the RJD being ousted from power. This continues to rankle the RJD, which hopes to garner public sympathy over betrayal of mandate by the chief minister. RJD's estranged allies Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) and Rashtriya Lok Samata Party (RLSP) seemed to be in agreement that the gestures by Prime Minister Modi were essentially an electoral stunt. HAM spokesman Danish Rizwan and RLSP national general secretary Madhaw Anand came out with statements to the effect. The common allegation made by the HAM and the RLSP in their statements was that the speech was made with an eye on assembly elections in Bihar and the prime minister seemed more interested in ensuring his party BJP's victory than providing real benefits to the poor. However, at a press conference held here, BJP's Bihar president Sanjay Jaiswal rubbished the charge and asserted that opposition parties are demonstrating their "chhoti soch" (narrow mindset). These regional parties have such a narrow vision that they do not appear to know that 'Chhath' is now not just a festival of Bihar. People from the state are spread across the country and the festival is, therefore, celebrated everywhere, he said. Jaiswal also pointed out that the prime minister had tweeted in many other languages, including Sanskrit, and wondered why the opposition was making a big fuss over the issue. Sources in the NDA in Bihar, however, said that a masterstroke has been played by Modi, on whose charisma the JD(U)-BJP combine depends as much for its success in the assembly poll as the goodwill earned by Nitish Kumar during his 15 years as chief minister. Kumar's performance, numerous failures notwithstanding, is acknowledged by all as having been better than that of his predecessors. The JD(U) chief, who will seek his fourth consecutive term in the elections, came out with a nod of approval. "I thank the Prime Minister and express my gratitude towards him for extending the Garib Kalyan Ann Yojana under which the poor will now get free ration for another five months," Kumar tweeted. The initial 'mini' expansion of the Chouhan cabinet took place on 21 April with the induction of five ministers Bhopal: The Shivraj Singh Chouhan-led Madhya Pradesh cabinet will be expanded on Thursday with some of the former Congress MLAs who joined the BJP in March expected to get ministerial berths. While the names were yet to be announced, BJP sources claimed that about two dozen new ministers will be inducted. The oath of office will be administered by Governor Anandiben Patel at Raj Bhawan at 11 am, officials said. Patel, who is Uttar Pradesh governor, has been given additional charge as Madhya Pradesh governor in view of incumbent Lalji Tandon's hospitalisation. Patel took oath as MP governor earlier in the day. Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan confirmed that the cabinet expansion will take place on Thursday. Asked about the delay in cabinet expansion, Chouhan avoided a direct reply and turned to mythology. "Only ''amrit'' (elixir) comes out of ''manthan'' (churning), vish (poison) is consumed by (Lord) Shiva," the 61-year-old BJP leader said without elaborating but indicating the difficult task before him. BJP national vice president Vinay Sahastrabuddhe arrived here on Wednesday afternoon to discuss the expansion, BJP sources said. A BJP leader said that Sahastrabuddhe, Chouhan and state BJP chief V D Sharma were holding meetings on Wednesday night with party legislators at the CM''s house to give final touches to the list of new ministers. They were also trying to mollify some senior BJP legislators who would not get a cabinet berth, he said. Former Union minister and BJP leader Jyotiraditya Scindia will arrive on Thursday morning to participate in the oath-taking ceremony. Around two dozen new ministers including some former Congress MLAs (who joined the BJP in March alongwith their leader Scindia) are likely to be inducted into the cabinet, BJP sources said. The initial "mini" expansion of the Chouhan cabinet took place on 21 April with the induction of five ministers, including two former Congress MLAs close to Scindia -- Tulsi Silawat and Govind Singh Rajput. Chouhan took oath as chief minister for a record fourth term on March 23 this year, after Kamal Nath resigned from the post following rebellion by 22 MLAs of the Congress. Sources close to Scindia said that besides the remainingfour ministers who had quit the Kamal Nath government, six others from his camp are likely to be inducted into the cabinet. tech2 News Staff Update: Minutes after opening the pre-orders for OnePlus Nord, company has shared a "sold out" post on Instagram. The next pre-booking for the smartphone will take place on 8 July. OnePlus has been massively teasing its upcoming affordable smartphone in India. While there were many rumours of the device being called the OnePlus Z, and some also believed it to be the OnePlus 8 Lite, on Tuesday, OnePlus went ahead and confirmed that the device will, in fact, be called the OnePlus Nord. OnePlus created a dedicated website, an Instagram page, and a Twitter profile for the new smartphone series. The company has also confirmed so far that the smartphone will be launched in the month of July. A date? We don't have that yet. But some reports suggest that it could be launched on 10 July. Meanwhile, ahead of a solid date of launch, in a post on Tuesday, OnePlus teased a "pre-order drop" for the OnePlus Nord today (1 July). In another Instagram story, OnePlus has announced that it's "first limited pre-order will begin" at 2.30 pm IST today on Amazon India and the OnePlus Nord website. OnePlus Nord: What to expect From what we know so far, the OnePlus Nord is likely to feature a dual-camera setup on the front that houses a 32 MP primary sensor and an 8 MP wide-angle sensor. As per a previous report, the smartphone is expected to sport a 6.55-inch Super AMOLED display with a 90Hz refresh rate. It is expected to be powered by Snapdragon 765 SoC with 5G support. The smartphone is likely to offer 6 GB of RAM and 128 GB of internal storage. The report mentions that OnePlus Nord may have three cameras on the rear. A 64 MP primary camera, a 16 MP (supposedly ultra-wide) lens, and a 2 MP shooter, which can either be a depth sensor or dedicated macro unit. It is expected to house a 4,300 mAh battery with the company's 30W Wrap charge. tech2 News Staff Last month, Samsung announced the BTS edition for its new Galaxy S20+ smartphone and the Galaxy Buds+ earphones. The BTS edition essentially adds a purple colour option to these devices. Earlier this week, Samsung also teased the launch of the BTS edition devices in India. The company revealed that the Galaxy S20+ BTS edition and the Galaxy Buds+ BTS edition will be available to purchase in the market starting 10 July. Now, ahead of the launch in India, Samsung has opened the pre-booking for the devices in India. If you wish to pre-book the new variants of Buds+ or Galaxy S20+, you can head to the Samsung India website. The pre-orders for the both the devices will go on till 9 July. Galaxy Buds+, Galaxy S20+ BTS edition pricing The Galaxy Buds+ BTS edition can be pre-booked at Rs 14,990 as per the website, which is also the launch price for the earphone. Whereas, the Galaxy S20+ BTS edition, according to a press release shared by Samsung, is priced at Rs 87,999, whereas the Samsung India website shows a priced tag of Rs 77,999, however, the website lists it "Not for sale" currently. Galaxy Buds+, Galaxy S20+ BTS edition: What's different? While the Buds+ and Galaxy S20+ will pretty much be the same devices with similar specifications, the difference you will notice is of the colour option (duh!) the Samsung Galaxy Buds+ BTS Edition can be seen with purple accents, with its case also coloured purple. On top of the buds, you can also see a heart on the left one and the BTS logo on the right. Similarly, on the Galaxy S20+, the BTS edition will have the logo of the BTS group at the back. In addition to that, the smartphone will also have UI customisations, new live wallpaper, 7 collectible BTS photo cards, unique stickers, and an inspiring lock screen. (Also read: Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus review) tech2 News Staff A day after TikTok and 58 other Chinese apps were banned in India, TikTok released a statement saying that it is in the process of complying with the governments order of banning the app and asserted that it has not shared information of Indian users with any foreign government, including that of China. On Wednesday, TikTok CEO Kevin Mayer posted on the company website addressing the Indian employees. "TikTok continues to and places the highest importance on user privacy and integrity," says Mayer. (Also read: TikTok is a data collection service masquerading as a social network, claims researcher) The company CEO also wrote in the blog that till the interim order is in effect, the company will continue to support the TikTok creator community in India. The company's creator managers are also reaching out to "top creators" to reassure them of the company's efforts. TikTok had over 200 million users in India before it was banned and removed from App Store and Play Store this week. Mayer concludes saying that the company will do 'everything in power' for the workforce of 2,000 people to "restore the positive experiences and opportunities". On Tuesday, TikTok became the first app to be kicked out of Google Play Store and App Store after the ban of the 59 Chinese apps was announced. As of now, some users who already have the app installed on the phone are able to use the app just like usual. However, new users will not be able to download the app from the Android and iOS app stores. (Also read: Boycotting Chinese products: Brands like Xiaomi, Oppo unaffected but may severely hurt employment in India) FP Trending Scientists recently observed a star that seems to have disappeared. Using the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope (VLT), researchers have found that an unstable, massive star in a dwarf galaxy 75 million light-years away has vanished without a trace. Various team of astronomers between 2001 and 2011 studied the mysterious massive star, located in the Kinman Dwarf galaxy. They noticed that the star was in the late stages of its lifespan. They wanted to find out how very massive stars end their lives, and the object in the Kinman Dwarf seemed like the perfect target. However, things took an interesting turn when they pointed ESO's VLT to the distant galaxy in 2019. To their surprise, the astronomers discovered that the star had vanished. The study of the star was led by PhD student Andrew Allan of Trinity College Dublin, Ireland, and it was published in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. According to the researchers, the star might have disappeared after becoming less bright and being partially obscured by dust. They also said that it might have collapsed into a black hole without producing a supernova. If true, this would be the first direct detection of such a monster star ending its life in this manner," said Allan. The Kinman Dwarf galaxy is located some 75 million light-years away in the constellation of Aquarius, making it too far way for astronomers to see its individual stars, but they can detect the signatures of some of them, reported Science Daily. During their observations of the galaxy between 2001 to 2011, scientists observed the light coming from the galaxy that showed evidence that it hosted a 'luminous blue variable' star some 2.5 million times brighter than the Sun. The study reports that stars of this type are unstable, showing occasional dramatic shifts in their spectra and brightness. Even so, luminous blue variables leave specific traces scientists can identify. But, such traces were absent from the data they collected in 2019. "It would be highly unusual for such a massive star to disappear without producing a bright supernova explosion," says Allan. The researchers will get a closer look at the stars fate once the ESOs Extremely Large Telescope (ELT) comes into operation in 2025. The ELT can capture images at high resolution, including very distant stars such as those in Kinman Dwarf, located more than 75 million light-years away. tech2 News Staff By 2020, the American space agency NASA is planning to demonstrate its ability to deflect an asteroid a strategy to ensure that Earth has the technological capability to defend itself from a potentially deadly asteroid collision in the uncertain future. The target of the mission will be the moon orbiting the near-Earth asteroid Didymos, which was recently given the name 'Dimorphos'. The mission will be both, the first full-scale demonstration of a planetary defense technology, and a first of its kind mission for NASA. Dimorphos is a near-Earth object a class of asteroids and comets whose orbits place them within 30 million miles of Earth. This is an important classification of space rocks, and help the US government determine which asteroid threats to take seriously. Planetary defense is a priority In 1908, a powerful asteroid is thought to have struck the Tunguska river in a remote Siberian forest in Russia. Millions of trees were destroyed in the forest covering an area of roughly 2000 square kilometers. The impact is said to have thrown people to the ground in a town 65 km away, as per a CNN report. As recently as 2013, an asteroid managed to survive its fiery entry through the Earth's atmosphere over the town of Chelyabinsk, Russia. In a blinding mid-air explosion, the asteroid released 20 to 30 times more energy than the first atomic bombs, briefly generating more brightness than the sun along with an enormous amount of heat. The event reportedly damaged 7,000 buildings, injuring over 1,000 people, after which shock waves from the impact broke windows 95 km away. At the time, the US had the capacity to scan the visible sky and detect potentially dangerous asteroids heading the way of our planet. The Chelyabinsk asteroid went undetected because it came from the same direction and path as the sun. This blind spot continues to exist today, which leaves room for error in predicting potential asteroid collisions with Earth. NASA's DART will crash into Dimorphos In the second half of 2022, the near-Earth asteroid Didymos and its moon Dimorphos will be relatively close (within 1.1 crore km) of Earth. NASA has chosen this range to fire up its DART mission. DART will deliberately collide with Dimorphos to change the asteroid's motion in space, according to NASA. The advantage of hitting a target while it is still very, very far away is that even the slightest deflection from its original path will take the asteroid far enough away from Earth as it closes in distance. A companion CubeSat called LICIACube, provided by the Italian Space Agency, will accompany DART and record the collision. "Astronomers will be able to compare observations from Earth-based telescopes before and after DART's kinetic impact to determine how much the orbital period of Dimorphos changed," Tom Statler, program scientist of the DART mission at NASA, said in a statement. "That's the key measurement that will tell us how the asteroid responded to our deflection effort." ESA's Hera mission a follow-up A few years after DART's impact, the European Space Agency plans to launch Hera, a mission to investigate Didymos and Dimorphos to collect more data. While the DART mission was developed as part of NASA's Planetary Defense missions, the team of scientists and engineers will work with ESA's Hera mission team under a larger, international collaboration called the Asteroid Impact and Deflection Assessment, or AIDA. At the moment, this might be our best defense strategy against an asteroid on a collision course with Earth if scientists catch it early enough. Other efforts to deal with a potential collision include a biannual Planetary Defense exercise to evaluate our preparedness for a collision that is inevitable. This simulation exercise hasn't yet proven our readiness for an event. After wrecking the French Riviera in 2013, destroying Dhaka in 2015 and sparing Tokyo in 2017, an international team of scientists and disaster response experts took to New York in 2019 to gauge how well prepared the city is to deal with a killer asteroid heading their way. New York didn't survive the killer asteroid simulation. New infographic! A risky asteroid is detected what on Earth happens next?Download here: https://t.co/dx6uKAIS5B #PlanetaryDefense pic.twitter.com/e6N0RHrXpR ESA Operations (@esaoperations) April 30, 2019 Here's hoping better strategy, more preparation and a hope for survival could come from the next Planetary Defense simulation, scheduled to take place in Vienna in 2021. Reuters The European Union will plough more money into rocket launches, satellite communication and space exploration to preserve its often unsung successes in space and keep up with the US and Chinese ambitions, its space chief said on Sunday. Over the past decades, Europe has sought to build independent access to space from US and Russian pioneers to help its industry, with successes such as Ariane rockets or GPS-rival satnav Galileo. But the recent emergence of US competitor SpaceX and its reusable rockets as well as Chinas rapid advances, including the first-ever landing on the far side of the Moon last year, is giving new urgency to Europes ambitions. Space is one of Europes strong points, and were giving ourselves the means to speed up, European Commissioner Thierry Breton, whose brief includes the space sector, told Reuters in an interview. Breton, the former French head of IT company Atos, said that for the first time, the EU budget will be used to support new technology to launch rockets, including reusable ones. The EU will for the first time sign a 1 billion euro agreement with Arianespace with guaranteed orders to give it more visibility, in exchange for more innovation. SpaceX has redefined the standards for launchers, so Ariane 6 is a necessary step, but not the ultimate aim: we must start thinking now about Ariane 7, Breton said. Breton, who hopes the European Commission will provide 16 billion euros for space in its next budget, said he would propose a 1 billion euro European Space Fund to boost startups. He also wants to launch a competition to give free access to satellites and launchers to startups, to spur innovation. For the Galileo satnav system, Breton said he would bring forward to the end of 2024 instead of 2027 the rollout of a new generation of satellites, the most modern in the world, that can interact with each other and provide a more precise signal. He wants to launch a new satellite system that can give high-speed Internet access to all Europeans, and begin work on a Space Traffic Management system to avoid collisions, made more likely with the rapid increase in the number of satellites. EOS On land, its easy for us to see divisions between ecosystems: A rain forests fan palms and vines stand in stark relief to the cacti of a high desert. Without detailed data or scientific measurements, we can tell a distinct difference in the ecosystems flora and fauna. But how do scientists draw those divisions in the ocean? A new paper proposes a tool to redraw the lines that define an oceans ecosystems, lines originally penned by the seagoing oceanographer Alan Longhurst in the 1990s. The paper uses unsupervised learning, a machine learning method, to analyze the complex interplay between plankton species and nutrient fluxes. As a result, the tool could give researchers a more flexible definition of ecosystem regions. Using the tool on global modeling output suggests that the oceans surface has more than 100 different regions or as few as 12 if aggregated, simplifying the 56 Longhurst regions. The research could complement ongoing efforts to improve fisheries management and satellite detection of shifting plankton under climate change. It could also direct researchers to more precise locations for field sampling. Beyond the Human Eye Coccolithophores, diatoms, zooplankton, and other planktonic life-forms float on much of the oceans sunlit surface. Scientists monitor plankton with long-term sampling stations and peer at their colors by satellite from above, but they dont have detailed maps of where plankton lives worldwide. Models help fill the gaps in scientists knowledge, and the latest research relies on an ocean model to simulate where 51 types of plankton amass on the surface oceans worldwide. The latest research then applies the new classification tool, called the systematic aggregated ecoprovince (SAGE) method, to discern where neighborhoods of like-minded plankton and nutrients appear. SAGE relies, in part, on a type of machine learning algorithm called unsupervised learning. The algorithms strength is that it searches for patterns unprompted by researchers. To compare the tool to a simple example, if scientists told an algorithm to identify shapes in photographs like circles and squares, the researchers could supervise the process by telling the computer what a square and circle looked like before it began. But in unsupervised learning, the algorithm has no prior knowledge of shapes and will sift through many images to identify patterns of similar shapes itself. Using an unsupervised approach gives SAGE the freedom to let patterns emerge that the scientists might not otherwise see. While my human eyes cant see these different regions that stand out, the machine can, first author and physical oceanographer Maike Sonnewald at Princeton University said. And thats where the power of this method comes in. This method could be used more broadly by geoscientists in other fields to make sense of nonlinear data, said Sonnewald. Desert of the Ocean Applying SAGE to model data, the tool noted 115 distinct ecological provinces, which can then be boiled down into 12 overarching regions. One region appears in the center of nutrient-poor ocean gyres, whereas other regions show productive ecosystems along the coast and equator. You have regions that are kind of like the regions youd see on land, Sonnewald said. One area in the heart of a desert-like region of the ocean is characterized by very small cells. Theres just not a lot of plankton biomass. The region that includes Perus fertile coast, however, has a huge amount of stuff. If scientists want more distinctions between communities, they can adjust the tool to see the full 115 regions. But having only 12 regions can be powerful too, said Sonnewald, because it demonstrates the similarities between the different [ocean] basins. The tool was published in a recent paper in the journal Science Advances. Oceanographer Francois Ribalet at the University of Washington, who was not involved in the study, hopes to apply the tool to field data when he takes measurements on research cruises. He said identifying unique provinces gives scientists a hint of how ecosystems could react to changing ocean conditions. If we identify that an organism is very sensitive to temperature, so then we can start to actually make some predictions, Ribalet said. Using the tool will help him tease out an ecosystems key drivers and how it may react to future ocean warming. Jenessa Duncombe. Text 2020. AGU. This story has been republished from Eos under the Creative Commons 3.0 license. Read the original story. tech2 News Staff On 26 June, NASA astronauts Chris Cassidy and Bob Behnken conducted the first of four spacewalks. During their six hours and seven minutes outside, Cassidy lost a mirror from his spacesuit's left sleeve. He had no idea it had happened and went about completing his work - swapping out old batteries with new Lithium-ion batteries that are connected to the ISS' solar arrays. The American duo also managed to complete some extra tasks that were originally scheduled for today (1 July). Cassidy said he has no idea how the small mirror on his left sleeve came off as the band for the mirror "is on pretty tight". He thinks it might've got caught on a metal tether attachment as he exited the airlock. I just happened to glance down and I saw this reflecting thing disappearing into the darkness, and that was the last I saw of it, Cassidy said in an interview with The Associated Press. That was a real bummer for me. Astronauts cherish every opportunity to be part of a #spacewalk, and yesterday was no different. @AstroBehnken and I completed the first step in updating the external batteries which are connected to the outboard starboard solar arrays on @Space_Station. pic.twitter.com/hsE0bJld5t Chris Cassidy (@Astro_SEAL) June 27, 2020 Yesterday @Astro_SEAL snapped this shot from our worksite on @Space_Station @SpaceXs Crew Dragon and @JAXA_ens HTV in clear view. Not bad for a view while working pic.twitter.com/DsV5owA3P9 Bob Behnken (@AstroBehnken) June 27, 2020 One down, three to go Another spacewalk has been planned for today and will begin at 5:05 pm IST. He said he will use a spare one for today's walk. This will be the second walk that Behnken and he will undertake together. Spacewalking astronauts wear a mirror on each sleeve in order to see the displays on their chest control panel. During today's excursion, both NASA astronauts will complete the battery replacement to upgrade one of two power channels on the Internation Space Station. They will be removing six nickel-hydrogen batteries and replacing them with three new lithium-ion batteries along with the adapter plates that completes the power circuit to the new batteries. According to a NASA blog, their work will also include routing power and ethernet cables in preparation for the installation of a new external wireless communications system with an enhanced HD camera and to increase helmet camera coverage for future spacewalks. To support future power system upgrades, they also will remove a device called an H-Fixture that was installed before the solar arrays were launched to the space station This spacewalk is also supposed to last from anywhere around six to seven hours. NASA astronauts and SpaceX's Crew Dragon commander Doug Hurley along with Russian cosmonaut Ivan Vagner will help Cassidy and Behnken during today's walk. This will be the eighth spacewalk for each astronaut. Cassidy is already two-and-a-half months into a six-month mission, along with his two Russians counterparts - Anatoly Ivanishin and Vagner - who launched with him from Kazakhstan. Behnken and Doug Hurley arrived at the ISS via a SpaceX spacecraft a month ago and will be staying there till August. You can watch it LIVE here: FP Trending Climate change has led to a rise in Earths temperature. Now, a new study has found that the South Pole has been warming at more than three times the global average over the past 30 years. The study published in the journal Nature Climate Change suggested that warming was mainly driven by natural tropical climate variability and likely intensified by increases in greenhouse gas. It was led by Ohio University professor Ryan Fogt and OHIO alumnus Kyle Clem. Fogt is a professor of meteorology and director of the Scalia Laboratory for Atmospheric Analysis, while Clem is a current postdoctoral research fellow in climate science at Victoria University of Wellington in New Zealand. Clem revealed that Antarctica experiences some of the most extreme weather and variability on the planet. It has been known to scientists that the outer regions of Antarctica is warming, but they thought the South Pole, is located deep in its interior, was isolated from increasing global temperature, reported CNN. Most of West Antarctica and the Antarctic Peninsula faced warming and ice-sheet thinning during the late 20th century, the South Pole cooled until the 1980s and has since warmed substantially, according to Science Daily. The researchers said that these trends took place because of natural and anthropogenic climate change. However, they could not figure out the individual contribution of each factor. During the study, they analysed weather station data at the South Pole as well as climate models to examine the warming in the Antarctic interior. The study divulges that between 1989 and 2018, the South Pole had warmed by about 1.8 degrees Celsius over the past 30 years at a rate of +0.6 degrees Celcius per decade. This rate was three times the global average. The scientists attribute this to warm ocean temperatures in the western tropical Pacific Ocean that changed the winds in the South Atlantic near Antarctica and increased the transportation of warm air to the South Pole. A video posted on social media appeared to show multiple explosions at the north Tehran site and another showed firefighters using a ladder to reach the roof of the building Tehran: Nineteen people were killed and six injured on Tuesday in an explosion at a medical clinic in the north of the Iranian capital Tehran, the official IRIB news agency reported, quoting state officials. A gas leak caused the blast, Tehran Deputy Governor Hamid Reza Goudarzi told state television. A video posted on social media appeared to show multiple explosions at the north Tehran site and another showed firefighters using a ladder to reach the roof of the building. Reuters could not independently verify the authenticity of the videos. A fire touched off by the blast has been extinguished, Jalal Maleki, the Tehran Fire Department spokesman said on state TV. The clinic, which had 25 employees inside at the time of the blast, primarily carries out light surgeries and medical imaging, Harirchi said. Last week, an explosion occurred close to a sensitive military site near Tehran which the defence ministry said was caused by a leaking tank at a gas storage facility. No deaths or injuries were reported. LONDON (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Wednesday China's imposition of a security law on Hong Kong violated Hong Kong's high degree of autonomy and threatened the freedoms and rights protected by the 1984 Joint Declaration. LONDON (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Wednesday China's imposition of a security law on Hong Kong violated Hong Kong's high degree of autonomy and threatened the freedoms and rights protected by the 1984 Joint Declaration. "The enactment and imposition of this national security law constitute a clear and serious breach of the Sino-British Joint Declaration. It violates Hong Kong's high degree of autonomy and is in direct conflict with Hong Kong's basic law. The law also threatens the freedoms and rights protected by the joint declaration," Johnson told parliament. "We made clear ... that if China continued down this path we would introduce a new route for those with British National Overseas Status to enter the UK, granting them limited leave to remain, with the ability to live and work in the UK and thereafter to apply for citizenship and that is precisely what we will do now." (Reporting by Kate Holton, writing by Elizabeth Piper; editing by Guy Faulconbridge) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. By Ellen Wulfhorst NEW YORK (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - For the first time in decades, more Americans would like to see immigration rise than fall in a pre-election snub to President Donald Trump, a poll showed on Wednesday. By Ellen Wulfhorst NEW YORK (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - For the first time in decades, more Americans would like to see immigration rise than fall in a pre-election snub to President Donald Trump, a poll showed on Wednesday. Trump has taken a hard line against both legal and illegal immigration, and the contrary poll results can be traced to his Democratic opposition, said Gallup, a non-partisan company. Its poll found 34% would like to see immigration increase, and 28% would like to see it drop. It was the first time since 1965 - when it began asking a comparable question - that its poll found those wanting more immigration outnumbered those backing a drop, it said. "The relative high we're experiencing now is mostly driven by Democrats reacting to the president," said Mohamed Younis, Gallup's editor in chief. "The president is championing slowing down immigration, and obviously Democrats are responding to that," he told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. A decade ago, just 22% of Democrats said they wanted to see an increase, Younis said, while Republicans' view has stayed essentially steady at 13%. In Gallup's latest poll, half of Democrats said they welcomed more immigrants. Trump wants to end the so-called Dreamers program that protects immigrants who entered the country illegally as children, as well as build a wall along the Mexican border. He is seeking a second term in the Nov. 3 election. Gallup said its poll found the highest support for expanding immigration since 1965, and that those wanting a decrease had hit a new low. Another 36% think immigration should stay at current levels. In 1965, the nation passed the Immigration and Naturalization Act that abolished its quota system and ushered in modern-era immigration policies. The telephone poll was conducted May 28 to June 4, before the Trump administration suspended entry of foreign workers with certain visas on June 22. The random survey of about 1,000 adults had a margin of error of plus or minus four percentage points. (Reporting by Ellen Wulfhorst, Editing by Lyndsay Griffiths. Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, that covers the lives of people around the world who struggle to live freely or fairly. Visit http://news.trust.org) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. In a strongly-worded statement on Tuesday night, Pompeo said, 'The Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) decision to impose draconian national security legislation on Hong Kong destroys the territory's autonomy and one of China's greatest achievements.' Washington: The United States has slammed China for its move to impose a controversial national security law in Hong Kong, with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo saying it's a "sad day" for the people of the territory and warning Beijing of new countermeasures. Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday signed a controversial security law that gave Beijing new powers over Hong Kong that are tailor-made to crackdown against dissent, criminalising sedition and effectively curtailing protests, amidst global anger and outrage in the former British colony. In a strongly-worded statement on Tuesday night, Pompeo said, "The Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) decision to impose draconian national security legislation on Hong Kong destroys the territory's autonomy and one of China's greatest achievements." "Hong Kong demonstrated to the world what free Chinese people could achieve one of the most successful economies and vibrant societies in the world," he said. But Beijing's "paranoia and fear" of its own people's aspirations have led it to eviscerate the very foundation of the territory's success, turning 'One Country, Two Systems' into 'One Country, One System', the US Secretary of State said. "Today marks a sad day for Hong Kong, and for freedom-loving people across China." Civil liberties, including the right to protest, freedom of speech and the independence of the judiciary, were enshrined in Hong Kong's mini-constitution called 'Basic Law', which came into effect with the end of British control in 1997. The 50-year agreement, in effect, offers Hong Kong a "one country, two systems" principle, guaranteeing it the rights and freedoms that do not exist in mainland China. Pompeo said the United States will continue to stand with the freedom-loving people of Hong Kong and respond to Beijing's attacks on freedoms of speech, the press, and assembly, as well as the rule of law, all of which have, until now, allowed the territory to flourish. He rued that the CCP's action demonstrates once again that Beijing's commitments in this case the 1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration and the Basic Law were "empty words". The Chinese Communist Party promised 50 years of freedom to the Hong Kong people, and gave them only 23. Within the past few years, Beijing has also violated its agreements with the World Health Organization, the World Trade Organization, and the United Nations, Pompeo said. "This is a pattern the world cannot ignore," he said, adding that the United States will not stand idly by while China "swallows Hong Kong into its authoritarian maw". "Last week, we imposed visa restrictions on CCP officials responsible for undermining Hong Kong's autonomy. We are ending defense and dual-use technology exports to the territory. As per President (Donald) Trump's instruction, we will eliminate policy exemptions that give Hong Kong different and special treatment, with few exceptions," he said. In a related action, the United States on Tuesday suspended any License Exceptions for exports and re-exports to Hong Kong, and transfers within the territory of items subject to the Export Administration Regulations that provide differential treatment than those available to China. A day earlier, the Commerce Department regulations affording preferential treatment to Hong Kong over China, including the availability of export license exceptions, were suspended. "Further actions to eliminate differential treatment are also being evaluated. We urge Beijing to immediately reverse course and fulfil the promises it has made to the people of Hong Kong and the world," Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said. Congressman John Curtis, a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, led a bipartisan coalition to introduce the Hong Kong Safe Harbor Act, which would designate the people of Hong Kong as Priority 2 refugees, streamlining their admission process to the US and opening up an asylum route for frontline activists in immediate danger. The Senate companion bill is led by Senators Marco Rubio, Bob Menendez, Todd Young and Ben Cardin. The world witnessed the courage of Hong Kong's pro-democracy activists, who last year took to the streets to defend their autonomy from China's authoritarian grip, Rubio said. "Following last night's implementation of Beijing's National Security Law, the US must help the people of Hong Kong preserve their society at home and find refuge for those who face persecution for exercising the rights once guaranteed under the Joint Declaration. By Susan Cornwell (Reuters) - Former fighter pilot Amy McGrath said on Tuesday she was ready to take on Senate Republican Majority Leader Mitch McConnell after edging out a Black progressive to clinch the Democratic nomination for the seat. By Susan Cornwell (Reuters) - Former fighter pilot Amy McGrath said on Tuesday she was ready to take on Senate Republican Majority Leader Mitch McConnell after edging out a Black progressive to clinch the Democratic nomination for the seat. McGrath, 45, held off fellow Democrat Charles Booker, a state legislator, who had surged late in the campaign as protests spread across the United States over police violence against Black people. With all Kentucky's counties reporting, McGrath won 45.4% of the vote to 42.6% for Booker, Kentucky officials said. The primary took place on June 23, but mailed ballots were accepted through Saturday, delaying the final results. Booker conceded the race, but said he was concerned some Kentuckians could not check the status of their mailed ballots online. "Let's dedicate to the work of beating Mitch, so that we can get him out of the way," Booker said in a statement. McConnell, 78, the most powerful Republican in Congress and a staunch supporter of President Donald Trump, is seeking a seventh six-year term. "Last November, Kentuckians didn't hesitate to replace an incompetent and unpopular incumbent. This November, were going to do it again," McGrath wrote on Twitter, referring to Democratic Governor Andy Beshear's 2019 defeat of Republican Matt Bevin. McGrath won establishment Democrats' backing early in her campaign, and raised a massive $41 million. Emphasizing her military experience, she often stressed that she was the "only candidate who can win" against McConnell, who has represented Kentucky in the Senate for over three decades. McGrath follows in the mold of a handful of freshmen Democratic women with national security experience who helped flip Republican House of Representatives seats in 2018. She spent 20 years in the Marines, flying 89 combat missions. She faces an uphill battle against McConnell, said Nathan Gonzales, editor of Inside Elections, which provides nonpartisan analysis of campaigns. "McGrath was a long shot before the competitive primary and is a long shot now that it's over," Gonzalez said, noting that Beshear's victory came in a three-way race in which a Libertarian Party candidate, John Hicks, also won votes. Kentucky is a conservative state that voted for Trump by 30 percentage points in 2016. Republicans' majority of 53 to 47 seats in the U.S. Senate is looking increasingly vulnerable in the Nov. 3 election, according to political analysts. McConnell campaign spokeswoman Kate Cooksey said in a statement that "Extreme Amy McGrath is lucky to have gotten out of the primary with a victory," and called McGrath "just another tool of the Washington Democratic establishment who has no idea what matters most to Kentuckians." (Reporting by Susan Cornwell and Richard Cowan; Editing by Scott Malone, Sonya Hepinstall, Bernadette Baum, Jonathan Oatis and David Gregorio) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. His press advisor Surya Thapa tweeted on social media that the hospitalisation was a part of his regular health check-ups. Kathmandu: Nepal prime minister KP Sharma Oli was on Wednesday hospitalised in Sahid Gangalal National Heart Center in Kathmandu after he complained of chest pain. His press advisor Surya Thapa tweeted on social media that the hospitalisation was a part of his regular health check-ups. Of late, in Nepal, there has been an increasing demand for Oli to step down. Oli had earlier called for a Cabinet meeting after leaders of ruling Nepal Communist Party demanded his resignation on Tuesday. The senior leaders, including co-chair Pushpa Kamal Dahal, Madhav Nepal, Jhalanath Khanal and Bamdev Gautam, asked the prime minister to step down from the post citing his 'failure' over various issues. In late March, Oli was admitted to the Tribhuwan University Teaching Hospital (TUTH) following an increased heart rate. Oli's physician Dr Dibya Singh had then confirmed that the prime minister has been kept under observation at Manmohan Cardiothoracic Vascular and Transplant Center, a part of the TUTH. "There's an increased risk of COVID-19 infection so we brought him to the hospital just as a precaution. His health condition is normal, there's nothing to worry for," she added. Earlier in March this year, the prime minister underwent a re-transplant surgery of his renal which stopped functioning last year. Oli's niece, Samikshya Sangraula, 32, had donated her right kidney to the prime minister then. Oli also visited Singapore for plasmapheresis last year. Twenty US service members were killed in combat-related operations in Afghanistan last year, the most since 2014 US officials intercepted electronic data showing large financial transfers from a bank account controlled by Russias military intelligence agency to a Taliban-linked account, evidence that supported their conclusion that Russia covertly offered bounties for killing US and coalition troops in Afghanistan, according to three officials familiar with the intelligence. Although the United States has accused Russia of providing general support to the Taliban before, analysts concluded from other intelligence that the transfers were most likely part of a bounty programme that detainees described during interrogations. Investigators also identified by name numerous Afghans in a network linked to the suspected Russian operation, the officials said including, two of them added, a man believed to have served as an intermediary for distributing some of the funds and who is now thought to be in Russia. The intercepts bolstered the findings gleaned from the interrogations, helping reduce an earlier disagreement among intelligence analysts and agencies over the reliability of the detainees. The disclosures further undercut White House officials claim that the intelligence was too uncertain to brief President Donald Trump. In fact, the information was provided to him in his daily written brief in late February, two officials have said. Afghan officials this week described a sequence of events that dovetailed with the account of the intelligence. They said that several businessmen who transfer money through the informal hawala system were arrested in Afghanistan over the past six months and were suspected of being part of a ring of middlemen who operated between the Russian intelligence agency, known as the GRU, and Taliban-linked militants. The businessmen were arrested in what the officials described as sweeping raids in the north of Afghanistan, as well as in Kabul. A half-million dollars was seized from the home of one of the men, added a provincial official. The New York Times had previously reported that the recovery of an unusually large amount of cash in a raid was an early piece in the puzzle that investigators put together. The three US officials who described and confirmed details about the basis for the intelligence assessment spoke on condition of anonymity amid swelling turmoil over the Trump administrations failure to authorise any response to Russias suspected proxy targeting of US troops and downplaying of the issue after it came to light four days ago. White House and National Security Council officials declined to comment, as did the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, John Ratcliffe. They pointed to statements late Monday from Ratcliffe; the national security advisor, Robert C OBrien; and the Pentagons top spokesperson, Jonathan Hoffman. All of them said that recent news reports about Afghanistan remained unsubstantiated. The White House press secretary, Kayleigh McEnany, berated The Times on Tuesday after this article was published, saying that reports based on selective leaking disrupt intelligence gathering. She did not address or deny the facts about the intelligence assessment, saying she would not disclose classified information. On Monday, the administration invited several House Republicans to the White House to discuss the intelligence. The briefing was mostly carried out by three Trump administration officials: Ratcliffe, OBrien and Mark Meadows, the White House chief of staff. Until recently, both Meadows and Ratcliffe were Republican congressmen known for being outspoken supporters of Trump. That briefing focussed on intelligence information that supported the conclusion that Russia was running a covert bounty operation and other information that did not support it, according to two people familiar with the meeting. For example, the briefing focused in part on the interrogated detainees accounts and the earlier analysts disagreement over it. Both people said the intent of the briefing seemed to be to make the point that the intelligence on the suspected Russian bounty plot was not clear cut. For example, one of the people said, the White House also cited some interrogations by Afghan intelligence officials of other detainees, downplaying their credibility by describing them as low-level. The administration officials did not mention anything in the House Republican briefing about intercepted data tracking financial transfers, both of the people familiar with it said. Democrats and Senate Republicans were also separately briefed at the White House on Tuesday morning. Democrats emerged saying that the issue was clearly not, as Trump has suggested, a hoax. They demanded to hear directly from intelligence officials, rather than from Trumps political appointees, but conceded they had not secured a commitment for such a briefing. Based on the intelligence they saw, the lawmakers said they were deeply troubled by Trumps insistence that he did not know about the plot and his subsequent obfuscation when it became public. I find it inexplicable in light of these very public allegations that the president hasnt come before the country and assured the American people that he will get to the bottom of whether Russia is putting bounties on American troops and that he will do everything in his power to make sure that we protect American troops, said Representative Adam Schiff, D-California, the chair of the House Intelligence Committee. He added: I do not understand for a moment why the president is not saying this to the American people right now and is relying on I dont know, I havent heard, I havent been briefed. That is just not excusable. Ratcliffe was scheduled to go to Capitol Hill on Wednesday to meet privately with members of the Senate Intelligence Committee, an official familiar with the planning said. The Times reported last week that intelligence officials believed that a unit of the GRU had offered and paid bounties for killing US troops and other coalition forces and that the White House had not authorised a response after the National Security Council convened an interagency meeting about the problem in late March. Investigators are said to be focused on at least two deadly attacks on US soldiers in Afghanistan. One is an April 2019 bombing outside Bagram Airfield that killed three Marines: Staff Sergeant Christopher Slutman, 43, of Newark, Delaware; Corporal Robert A Hendriks, 25, of Locust Valley, New York; and Sergeant Benjamin S Hines, 31, of York, Pennsylvania. On Monday, Felicia Arculeo, the mother of Hendriks, told CNBC that she was upset to learn from news reports of the suspicions that her sons death arose from a Russian bounty operation. She said she wanted an investigation, adding that the parties who are responsible should be held accountable, if thats even possible. Officials did not say which other attack was under scrutiny. In claiming that the information was not provided to him, Trump has also dismissed the intelligence assessment as so-called and claimed he was told that it was not credible. The White House subsequently issued statements in the names of several subordinates denying that he had been briefed. McEnany reiterated that claim on Monday and said that the information had not been elevated to Trump because there was a dissenting view about it within the intelligence community. But she and other administration officials demurred when pressed to say whether their denials encompassed the presidents daily written briefing, a compendium of the most significant intelligence and analysis that the intelligence community writes for presidents to read. Trump is known to often neglect reading his written briefings. Intelligence about the suspected Russian plot was included in the Presidents Daily Brief in late February, according to two officials, contrasting Trumps claim on Sunday that he was never briefed or told about the matter. The information was also considered solid enough to be distributed to the broader intelligence community in a 4 May article in the CIAs World Intelligence Review, commonly called The Wire, according to several officials. A spokesperson for the Taliban has denied that it accepted Russian-paid bounties to carry out attacks on Americans and other coalition soldiers, saying the group needed no such encouragement for its operations. But one US official said the focus had been on criminals closely associated with the Taliban. In a raid in Kunduz City in the north about six months ago, 13 people were arrested in a joint operation by US forces and the Afghan intelligence agency, the National Directorate of Security, according to Safiullah Amiry, the deputy provincial council chief there. Two of the main targets of the raid had already fled one to Tajikistan and one to Russia, Amiry said but it was in the Kabul home of one of them where security forces found a half-million dollars. He said the Afghan intelligence agency had told him the raids were related to Russian money being dispersed to militants. Two former Afghan officials said Monday that members of local criminal networks had carried out attacks for the Taliban in the past not because they shared the Talibans ideology or goals, but in exchange for money. In Parwan province, where Bagram Airfield is, the Taliban is known to have hired local criminals as freelancers, said General Zaman Mamozai, the former police chief of the province. He said the Talibans commanders are based in two districts of the province, Seyagird and Shinwari, and that from there they coordinate a network that commissions criminals to carry out attacks. And Haseeba Efat, a former member of Parwans provincial council, also said the Taliban has hired freelancers in Bagram district including, in one case, one of his own distant relatives. They agree with these criminals that they wont have monthly salary, but they will get paid for the work they do when the Taliban needs them, Efat said. Twenty US service members were killed in combat-related operations in Afghanistan last year, the most since 2014. Charlie Savage, Mujib Mashal, Rukmini Callimachi, Eric Schmitt and Adam Goldman c.2020 The New York Times Company Unlimited website access 24/7 Unlimited e-Edition access 24/7 The best local, regional and national news in sports, politics, business and more! With a Digital Only subscription, you'll receive unlimited access to our website and e-edition. Our digital products are available 24/7 and are accessible anywhere, anytime. The last two years have seen a spate of high-profile CFO resignations following failures in their companies anti-money laundering (AML) regimes. This global cull has likely caused finance leaders around the world to reassess their AML and counter-terrorist financing (CTF) programmes urgently. But even without it, the recent issuance of new regulations and guidance on AML and CTF is making such reviews necessary. The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) brought in its latest Terrorist Financing Risk Assessment Guidance in July 2019. The EUs Fifth Money Laundering Directive came into force in January 2020. The sixth directive will follow swiftly on its heels in December. These changes will affect many CFOs directly. Elaine Smyth, CIMAs associate directorProfessional Standards, said all organisations that offer financial services, regardless of size, will need to comply with money laundering regulations. Each business has responsibility for ensuring senior oversight of AML/CTF processes. This oversight role does not necessarily fall to the CFO. But when it does, finance chiefs must ensure they are aware of the risks and have adequate procedures for mitigation. Even if they are not charged with carrying out the duties, they must build the infrastructure and provide the leadership to create the environment for the necessary work, said Roy Sroka, CPA, partner, CFO, and chief compliance officer at Wynnchurch Capital, a North American private-equity firm. Control framework should be robust, flexible The Fifth Money Laundering Directive (5MLD) extended existing customer due diligence obligations, increased reporting requirements for many businesses, and introduced new risk assessment duties. It also added a regulatory imperative that individual senior managers ensure compliance. 5MLD also extends its AML and CTF obligations to cryptocurrency exchanges and custodians, bringing the EU in line with cryptocurrency measures introduced in the US several years ago. Lack of regulation had led Europe to become a haven for laundering cryptocurrency gained illicitly. While many virtual currency and wallet providers already require customers to verify their identities, some crypto transactions allow anonymity, which criminals have exploited to transfer funds without detection. London-based Andrew Pimlott, senior managing director for advanced analytics in financial investigations at FTI Consulting, said the thrust of AML and CTF regulatory requirements are around customer identification. So if dealing with cryptocurrencies, or another party that does, CFOs must be confident they will meet these requirements and have sufficient knowledge of customer mechanisms. As with any new technology, implementation risks exposure to unintended breach of regulations, Pimlott said. However, cryptos are too evolved to be ignored, so must be looked at. This will result in big spending on automated monitoring functions. But if seen as an upfront cost, the benefits will be worth it. New York-based Guy Melamed, CPA, the CFO and COO at data security company Varonis, said adoption of cryptocurrency had progressed rapidly in the last five years. That will continue, especially as the volatility of the currencies reduces, he said. Businesses will use them much more; CFOs and finance teams will have much more to monitor; and there will be more to do in ensuring proper processing. Monitoring cryptocurrencies could also be a challenge as different jurisdictions have different regulations, Pimlott said. Those that handle cryptos illegally to hide money laundering activities will continue to find ways to do this. Another issue with cryptos is that some might make fewer details about a payee available, Melamed said. That means one less layer of protection, and it puts significantly more challenges around tracking and ensuring proper processes, he said. Different methods may be necessary to achieve that. Expanded scope The Sixth Money Laundering Directive (6MLD) will standardise the approach of EU states to money laundering offences and expand the range of sanctions and the scope of liability, including extension of criminal liability to individuals. This means that if a business has insufficient compliance and doesnt efficiently prevent money laundering, relevant employees will be subject to legal proceedings, said Pimlott. CFOs must therefore have a clear understanding of 5MLD and readiness for 6MLD. Denmark-based Richard Grint, financial crime expert at PA Consulting, said with the sixth directive following so quickly after the fifth, the key message for CFOs and other finance professionals is that the regulatory landscape is evolving at pace. Finance leaders should ensure their AML control framework is robust, flexible, and able to adjust to new threats and to incoming regulation, he said. The most successful firms and leaders do not treat it as a compliance exercise. They proactively manage their financial crime risks to respond to such changes. From a finance perspective, both directives highlight and enforce requirements around the need for high-quality source-of-funds checks, Grint said. This means companies must understand exactly the origin of inbound money flows. FATF guidance The FATFs 2019 Terrorist Financing Risk Assessment Guidance is directed mainly at countries, but it provides recommendations for financial and other companies. For example, it says that organisations such as banks need to play a much bigger role in tackling the growing threat of terrorist financing by collaborating with public bodies such as government and regulators, law enforcement bodies, and finance and trade centres. The guidance highlights a range of products and services with inherent risk. These include pre-paid cards, money or value transfer services, remittance services, person-to-person transfers, correspondent banking services, money service businesses, hawalas, not-for-profit organisations, and precious metals or stones. It gives examples of associated activities that should be monitored closely. The guidance also sets standards for the collection of quantitative and qualitative data and for considering all stages of terrorist financing in risk assessments. It recommends including factors such as domestic and foreign intelligence information, sources of funding, channels used, and geographic origin and destination of funds or other assets. Grint said the guidance is part of a wider trend towards organisations being obliged to mitigate broader financial crime risks. Leaders should make sure their financial crime control framework can handle all financial crime risks, he said. By focusing on money laundering alone, firms risk missing their equally weighty obligations around terrorist financing. CTF challenges KPMG has highlighted challenges in complying with the FATFs guidance, such as the low value of the funds or assets often used by terrorists, the cross-border nature of terrorist financing, and the fact that transactions can appear routine. The guidance aims to help countries overcome some of these challenges by providing practical examples and considerations, it said. Johannesburg-based Jaco Joubert, ACMA, CGMA, the CFO at Integrated Processing Solutions (IPS), said these challenges are particularly apparent in South Africa. The countrys 2017 Financial Intelligence Centre Amendment Act (FICAA) introduced a risk-based approach that is central to the effective implementation of FATF recommendations. But the application of the risk-based approach has been slow and challenging for companies like IPS because some of its offerings are low-value products aimed at the mass market and those without bank accounts, Joubert said. In South Africa, many of the population are unbanked, or underbanked, often living in informal settlements without the required proof-of-residence documents, which is necessary to perform a Know Your Client assessment, he said. Furthermore, remittances are a vital financial service for the lower-income and migrant populations. It can therefore be a challenge to balance financial inclusion targets with the integrity standards required by FICAA and the FATF. These requirements could negatively affect people living in rural areas or informal employees, including those paid in cash and undocumented migrants. The unbanked population also creates a challenge when applying AML rules, Joubert said. To ensure compliance with AML and CTF provisions, companies need to expand their understanding of risk-based approaches, particularly with respect to customer due diligence. Putting specific controls in place Even in countries where most people have a bank account, the regulations can prove tricky. Sroka said: The new FATF and EU guidelines unfortunately add more nuance to the ever more complicated regional and country-specific requirements that are pushed down to the CFO and AML officers. They must interpret and adapt them to their enterprises. They must seek the highest applicable standards for the countries where they operate, and build processes to meet each given standard. But the most important aspects for one organisation might be minor points for another. So, application of the guidelines is organisation-specific. Sroka said CFOs and AML officers should already be reviewing control weaknesses regularly. But they need to build systems, processes, and internal education tools that are tailored to their organisations risk, and strategy should be reviewed regularly to adapt to current threats. This will involve multiple financial and management team members. Static, off-the-shelf policies that gather dust and are owned by one designated employee will not be effective against nimble and ubiquitous adversaries, Sroka said. So, as new information becomes available from global task forces, financial officers should review the related updates, recommend changes to their firms policy, then educate teams as needed. Strong analytical skills Joubert said his organisation, like others in the payments processing space, faces a real threat of being used to facilitate money laundering or terrorist financing and has a major role in fighting these crimes. If found to be associated with these types of activities, even if unintentionally, we could lose our operating licences or face administrative sanctions or reputational damage, he said. The valuable skills Joubert said can help to beat money laundering and terrorist financing are: The ability to analyse data, including customer information and activity; The ability to create links and networks for reporting to authorities; and Local, national, and international collaboration skills. Our company provides compulsory and ongoing AML and CTF training to enable employees to comply with the provisions, Joubert said. The board, social and ethics committee members are also required to complete the necessary training. Joubert said IPSs AML and CTF risk management process is a continuous cycle that includes identification, assessment, mitigation, reporting, and monitoring of risks. Companies should test the adequacy of AML and CTF systems and controls regularly. Culture of scepticism Pimlott said many AML functions can be automated to ease the increased burden of new regulations on the compliance team. Advanced analytics can provide mechanisms to address red flags proactively, so teams can identify and focus on high-risk transactions, he said. Pimlott agreed that company-wide training and top-down compliance culture are essential to beat money laundering Melamed said financial criminals are becoming increasingly sophisticated in the way they take advantage of the complexities of global trade and financial systems. Teams need to be aware, he said. Combating this is not that easy. It is not just about the mechanical and technical aspects, its a combination of products, processes, and a culture of scepticism. CFOs need to promote a culture where teams are not afraid to ask questions when something doesnt seem right. They particularly need to generate that culture in their own team as people in purchasing or accounts payable, for example, are often targeted and will pick up things managers dont. Tim Cooper is a freelance writer based in the UK. To comment on this article or to suggest an idea for another article, contact Neil Amato, an FM magazine senior editor, at Neil.Amato@aicpa-cima.com. The FCC (Federal Communications Commission) has officially designated HUAWEI and ZTE as threats to national security barring both the companies from using government subsidy money through the $8.3 billion Universal Service Fund to purchase equipment from the companies for their networks. This move to block companies from accessing USF to purchase equipment could make it more difficult for smaller companies to offer more affordable service. To refresh your memories, Donald Trump, last year signed an executive order declaring Huawei and ZTE as a national threat and barred US companies from using telecommunications equipment due to security risk. Furthermore, Trump also added Huawei to its trade blacklist last year. However, HUAWEI and ZTE havent responded, but have criticised FCC for its action previously. FCC Chairman Ajit Pai said: With todays Orders, and based on the overwhelming weight of evidence, the Bureau has designated Huawei and ZTE as national security risks to Americas communications networks and to our 5G future. Both companies have close ties to the Chinese Communist Party and Chinas military apparatus, and both companies are broadly subject to Chinese law obligating them to cooperate with the countrys intelligence services. Source Yes, it's the right time No, the state should have waited a while longer The economy should have been reopened a long time ago Vote View Results 21 Jun 2021 --- Propelled by the COVID-19, consumers are taking a more proactive approach to their holistic well-being, which is impacted by what they are seeking in snacks.... Read More What happened A third Latin American airline has succumbed to bankruptcy, a sign of the toll the COVID-19 pandemic is taking on the industry. But for those that are still standing, the retrenchments are likely to offer opportunities, and some of the few remaining airlines in the region with stocks that trade in the U.S. are having a good day on Wednesday. Shares of Gol Linhas Aereas Inteligentes (NYSE:GOL) are up 5.6% as of 1 p.m. EST on Wednesday, and shares of Azul (NYSE:AZUL) are 4.8% higher on the day. So what Airlines around the globe have struggled due to the pandemic, with Grupo Aeromexico SAB de CV (OTC:GRPA.F) on Tuesday joining Latin American rivals Latam Airlines Group and Avianca Holdings in bankruptcy. Gol and Azul have struggled as well, with the stocks off 60% and 72% for the year, respectively, but so far they have held strong as others have been forced to reorganize. It's impossible to say when the pandemic will be behind us or how long the South American economy will struggle after it's over. But there are likely opportunities for these airlines as their competitors are reorganizing in bankruptcy. Latam has indicated it is scaling back its ambitions in the region, partnering with Azul in Brazil instead of competing there. Overall, analysts are worried the pandemic could cause competition to be scaled back dramatically. That would be bad news for price-conscious travelers, but great news for the likes of Gol and Azul. Now what Just a few weeks ago, investors were talking about potential opportunities for Aeromexico from the Latam bankruptcy. COVID-19 is hurting every airline, and while Gol and Azul still look better than most, these are dangerous times to be investing in the industry. Among Latin American carriers, Copa Holdings (NYSE:CPA) of Panama appears the safest bet, but its shares have not fallen as far as the Brazilian duo of Gol and Azul. Investors interested in buying in should tread carefully, and understand that even if the worst is behind us, the entire industry faces significant turbulence. International coordination led by Eurojust With fundamental and constant support from Eurojust, judicial authorities and police in Italy and Albania have arrested 37 members of an organised criminal group (OCG) responsible for international trafficking of large quantities of drugs. 3.5 tonnes of marijuana, cocaine and hashish have been seized, with an estimated street value of more than 40 million. A variety of goods and assets in Albania were also seized, with a value of over 4 million. The operation was carried out in Italy by the Anti-Mafia Investigative Direction of Bari, with the cooperation of Carabinieri, Polizia di Stato, Guardia di Finanza, under the direction of the Anti-Mafia Prosecutor's Office of Bari (DDA of Bari). In Albania, the Special Anti-Corruption and Organised Crime Prosecutor's Office of Tirana (SPAK) and the Albanian Police concluded the operation. The Italian Antimafia and Counterterrorism Directorate (DNA) and Eurojust, ensured proper coordination of investigations, at national level and international level respectively. The suspects, of Italian and Albanian origin, were part of a powerful criminal organisation trafficking drugs from Albania to Italy and had been very active on the drug market for a long period. They had been smuggling large quantities of drugs using leisure boats, subsequently transporting them overland mainly to the Bari, Puglia and Basilicata regions. Today's final action day, coordinated by Eurojust, resulted in the simultaneous arrest of 37 suspects in Italy and Albania, while other measures are being executed in France. The investigation allowed the seizure of 3.5 tonnes of drugs (marijuana, cocaine and hashish), the equivalent of about 7 million individual doses worth 40 million. Various assets were seized as well in Albania, including a coffee production and trading factory, a drinks and alcohol distribution company, a food business, a restaurant, 15 apartments, a building plot, as well as 7 large cars and a boat equipped with powerful outboard motors. This outstanding investigative result with simultaneous execution of this cross-border operation was made possible thanks to the Joint Investigation Team between the Albanian and Italian authorities, whose agreement represents a model for the cooperation between Albanian and EU judicial authorities. The JIT was established in 2017 and benefited from financial and analytical support from Eurojust. This facilitated a quick and direct exchange of information among the authorities involved, who set to work as one team. It enabled in-depth investigations into the criminal activity, mapping out its operations and network, both in Albania and in Italy. In addition to its financial and operational support to the JIT, Eurojust also assisted the national authorities with the organisation of four coordination meetings, where team members exchanged crucial information about the case and were efficiently supported by Eurojust in establishing a common investigative strategy where seizure of the criminal assets was one of the key elements of the strategy. Eurojust also facilitated the preparation and execution of a European Arrest Warrant in one EU member state (France) and of a European Investigation Order. Today's action is the culmination of long-lasting criminal proceedings in Albania and in Italy where several suspects - one part of the criminal group had already been convicted in the Court of First Instance in Italy in 2019. Photo Shutterstock The government of Gabon has passed new laws that will come into effect in 2021 and will affect the forestry and timber sectors. The tax structure has been reset with the aim of encouraging processing for export. While this has not been verified reports suggest the export tax changes are as follows: Products that have undergone first processing will be subject to an export duty of 9%. Products that have undergone secondary processing will be subject to an export duty of 3%. Products which have undergone third processing will be subject to export duty of 1.5%. For the purposes of this law, the following definitions are said to apply: First transformation: sawnwood, veneer, paper pulp, posts, products from stem forks and products from stumps Second transformation: plywood, particleboard, fibreboard, pallets and railway sleepers Third transformation: mouldings, friezes, parquet flooring, glued strips, frames, doors, windows and frame parts, furniture and furniture parts PARIS (AP) Battered by the coronavirus pandemic, European aircraft manufacturer Airbus said Tuesday that it must eliminate 15,000 jobs, mostly in Europe, to safeguard its future and warned of more thin years ahead. With air traffic not expected to recover to pre-COVID levels before 2023 and potentially as late as 2025, Airbus now needs to take additional measures, the company said in a statement. No later than the summer of 2021, Airbus wants to shed 5,000 workers in France, 5,100 in Germany, 1,700 in Britain, 900 in Spain and 1,300 others at facilities elsewhere. The total of 15,000 is more than 10% of its global workforce of 135,000 people. Airbus said it wants to start making the cuts within months, from this autumn. It will aim for voluntary departures and early retirements, but also said that compulsory job losses cant be ruled out. It said is already consulting with unions. The path to recovery will prove slow and fragile and a large amount of uncertainty still lies ahead, the companys CEO, Guillaume Faury, said in a videotaped statement. We must act now to safeguard Airbus and protect its future. Airbus said its commercial aircraft business activity has plummeted by close to 40% as the pandemic has shut borders, brought mass tourism to a screeching halt and put airlines on their knees, thumping the European manufacturer and its rival Boeing. Airlines around the world are forecast to lose $84 billion this year, with revenue halved. Some have filed for bankruptcy or sought bailouts to survive the near-shutdown in their activity, and officials predict the industry will take years to recover. Slashing the production of commercial aircraft and putting thousands of employees on furlough bought Airbus time in the early stages of the crisis. But those measures werent enough to keep Airbus viable long-term, Faury explained. Airbus reported 481 million euros ($515 million) in losses in the first quarter. We need to act now, by adapting our workforce, Faury said. Airbus is facing the gravest crisis this industry has ever experienced, he said. The measures we have taken so far have enabled us to absorb the initial shock of this global pandemic. Now, we must ensure that we can sustain our enterprise and emerge from the crisis as a healthy, global aerospace leader. The job eliminations come despite a 15-billion euro ($16.9 billion) rescue package announced by the government earlier this month for Frances aerospace industry, in hopes of saving jobs and keeping Airbus and national airline Air France competitive. The aid includes 7 billion euros in loans and loan guarantees that the government had already promised to Air France, whose planes were almost entirely grounded by the virus. ___ Follow AP coverage of the pandemic at https://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak There was a dip in Tuesday's numbers in the number of COVID-19 cases being reported in Mobile County after some record highs. In the past eight days, half of the days had case numbers in the low hundreds in Mobile. The other half, we've seen numbers in the thirties to sixties. The number reported by the Mobile County Health Department for Tuesday was 62. The department's report shows that has brought the seven day average down from above 80 to below 80. At their news conference Wednesday, county health officials also addressed a question from a person on Facebook that's on a lot of people's minds: what about plans for school systems in Mobile County? Mobile Fetal and Infant Mortality Review Coordinator Pebbles King said, "Our agency is in communication with all school municipalities to help them develop their plans. As mentioned by our Alabama Superintendent Dr. (Eric) Mackey, he has stated that each each school district will be responsible for it's own plan." Mobile County Public Schools told parents this week to be on the lookout for a survey they'll be getting via email. The school system has indicated it hopes to announce reopening plans in the next two weeks. Regarding COVID-19, the number of deaths stands at 136, or 3.7 percent who had the virus. The number of hospitalized is at 8 percent. As COVID-19 hospitalizations continue to rise in Alabama, medical experts said they're expecting an even bigger increase after the 4th of July weekend. "We have to prevent this from happening. We have to anticipate and plan rather than trying to react and resolve when the problem occurs, said Dr. William Admire with Infirmary Health. The numbers tell the story. As of now, in Alabama, there are 8000 general medical beds, according to the Alabama Hospital Association. President Dr. Donald Williamson told FOX 10 news, 2100 of those beds are currently empty. Williamson said 300 of those empty beds are ICU beds. According to the Alabama Department of Public Health, as of Tuesday, there were 715 COVID-19 patients hospitalized. Fortunately we still are okay in terms of systemwide capacity. Weve got plenty of beds. Weve got plenty of ventilators. We have a little less than 300 ICU beds available. Thats about 18% of our ICU bed capacity," Dr. Williamson said. So can Alabama handle a surge of hospitalizations? Dr. Williamson said it depends. If those hospitalizations are widespread, the state can. However, if those cases are confined to areas with high COVID-19 rates already, maybe not. Williamson said the Alabama Hospital Association is working with local hospitals around the state. He said each hospital has a surge plan and has the capacity to create more ICU beds. We are prepared. The four hospitals have made sure that we have enough PPE, our staffing is good," Admire added. Dr. Williamson said if people practice CDC guidelines, there is a chance that we can keep the numbers down and start to see a decline in cases and hospitalizations. Its in everybodys best interest that we keep our COVID hospitalizations down because there are still people who have heart attacks, strokes who need to get in and get those problems taken care of," he explained. Since there isn't any regulation for masks in Mobile just yet, Dr. Admire believes personal responsibility is the way to seeing a drop in numbers. We are in agreement that we should probably do universal mask being in public and this can help decrease the spread of coronavirus because you know its from droplets when you talk or yell or scream or sneeze or cough, Admire said. (CNN) -- Covid-19 has "brought this nation to its knees," Dr. Robert Redfield, director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said Tuesday. The country is probably going to spend about $7 trillion "because of one little virus," Redfield said during a House Energy and Commerce Committee hearing. "We've all done the best that we can do to tackle this virus." Redfield's comments were made as half of US states are seeing spikes in new coronavirus cases -- and it's not just due to increased testing, health officials say. As of Tuesday, 25 states have recorded higher rates of new cases compared to last week: Arizona, California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Kansas, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming. And no state has effectively transitioned from stay-at-home orders "to a public health model of testing, tracking, isolating and quarantining," said Dr. Richard Besser, former acting director of the US CDC. The CDC director and Dr. Fauci testify on Trump's coronavirus response "We have to figure out how to make that transition in a successful way, or every state that reopens -- even those that have done a really good job at tamping this down -- are going to see pretty dramatic rises," Besser told CNN Tuesday. "And we're going to end up back to where we were." If the U.S. doesn't get control of the coronavirus pandemic by fall, "you're essentially chasing after a forest fire," Dr. Anthony Fauci told the House committee Tuesday. The goal would be to get complete control of the virus instead of just mitigating it, which is happening now, said Fauci, who is director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. Redfield said the virus has highlighted decades of underinvesting in the "core capabilities of public health data." Now is the time to fix the broken system, he added. "This needs to be a partnership. It's not all the burden of the federal government to invest in public health at the local level," Redfield said. In reality, "if your funding of CDC was to go away tomorrow, public health infrastructure across this nation would just crash." "We're right now the backbone of it." Nationwide, more than 2.3 million people have been infected with coronavirus, and almost 121,000 have died, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. "The next couple of weeks are going to be critical in our ability to address those surgings that we're seeing in Florida, in Texas, in Arizona and in other states -- they're not the only ones having difficulty," Fauci said. During Fauci's testimony in Tuesday's hearing, the nation's top infectious disease expert made a plea to all Americans: "Plan A: Don't go in a crowd. Plan B: If you do, make sure you wear a mask." Why the timing of these surges makes sense Health experts say the spikes in new cases now coincide with states starting to reopen several weeks ago -- with many people refusing or abandoning safety measures such as wearing masks and social distancing. And while health officials are reporting jumps in cases among younger people, Redfield said Tuesday more than half the nursing homes in the country -- over 7,000 -- have a Covid-19 patient in them. "Two weeks ago, we had 17 states with increasing cases," said Michael Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research & Policy at the University of Minnesota. Now, that number has jumped to at least 25 states. "And we're likely to move more states into that category of increasing cases very shortly," Osterholm said Tuesday. "So, we are seeing what in a sense is the reaction in the virus to opening up and having much more contact with each other." After a new exposure to this virus, it can take up to two weeks for symptoms appear. After that, people might not get tested immediately. Then, it can take even longer for severe cases to require hospitalization. Deaths from new Covid-19 exposures often don't get reported until several weeks after the new cases have been reported. While health officials expected new cases as states reopened, many did not expect new cases and hospitalizations to rise so dramatically in some places. Arizona set a new record this week for the number of people hospitalized on a given day with Covid-19 -- about 2,000, according to data from the COVID Tracking Project. The state's seven-day moving average of hospitalizations is also going up. "People are being admitted to hospital beds and being admitted to ICU (intensive care unit) beds faster than they're being discharged," said Will Humble, executive director of the Arizona Public Health Association. With about 84% of the state's ICU beds already full, Humble said he's worried hospitals will go into "crisis standards of care," which basically means "lower care for everybody, not just people with Covid-19." California recorded more than 35% of its total infections from the entire pandemic in just the past two weeks. The state on Monday recorded 5,019 confirmed coronavirus cases, yet another daily high, according to data provided by California Department of Public Health. Hospitalizations are also at their highest level for Covid-19 patients. It's not just increased testing Some politicians have attributed spikes in new cases to increased testing. But in many places, the number of new Covid-19 cases are disproportionately higher than the number of new tests being performed, researchers say. "In many states, the testing is increasing, but the percentage of those people who are positive is actually going much higher," Osterholm said. "This is not an artifact of just more testing at all." Even with the increased testing, the country is still "way behind the virus," a former US Health and Human Services secretary says. "We are still reacting. We're not ahead of it," Kathleen Sebelius said. "The only way to get ahead of the virus is to tamp way down the cases in any area, and then test like crazy when a case appears, contact trace, and make sure you quarantine. We can't do that yet because we are still finding all kinds of people who have the virus." 'Moving very fast in the wrong direction' What's happening in Arizona and other states could erase much of the progress made during weeks of stay-at-home orders. "The number of new cases had been stabilizing in early May, and actually the positivity rate (in testing) had been improving," Humble said. "We came out of our stay-at-home order in the middle of May, and what we saw happening was that around May 26, that increase in cases that corresponded with the end of the stay-at-home order." Florida, a popular destination for beachgoers, is also grappling with a surge in new cases and hospitalizations. The Sunshine State now has "all the markings of the next large epicenter of coronavirus transmission," researchers say. And in Texas, where the rates of daily new cases and new hospitalizations are rising, Houston is "moving very fast in the wrong direction," Mayor Sylvester Turner told CNN affiliate KTRK. After Houston reported its highest daily count of new Covid-19 cases, Turner called on residents to take safety measures more seriously. "This is a health care crisis," he said. "Quite frankly, your failure, for example, to wear masks ... or to engage in social distancing directly impacts on somebody else." Where states are seeing steady or improving numbers In 12 states, the numbers of new daily cases have generally held steady in recent days: Alaska, Arkansas, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Pennsylvania and Virginia. And in 13 states, the numbers of new cases are generally declining: Alabama, Connecticut, Indiana, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, South Dakota and Vermont. "New York went from one of the highest infection rates in the country to one of the lowest because we made decisions based on science, not politics," Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Tuesday. "We're seeing in other states what happens when you just reopen with no regard for metrics or data -- it's bad for public health and for the economy, and states that reopened in a rush are now seeing a boomerang." Cuomo is consider forcing visitors from high-transmission states to quarantine upon arrival to New York state, he said. CNN's Gisela Crespo, Jenn Selva, Jen Christensen, Andrea Kane, Cheri Mossburg and Maggie Fox contributed to this report. Protaryx Medical, a Baltimore, Maryland-based company committed to improving access to the left atrium for transcatheter cardiac procedures, raised $8.3m in funding. The funding included non-dilutive grants and a seed round totaling $3.2m and the recently closed $5.1M Series A financing led by Ajax Health, with participation from University of Maryland (UM) Ventures, a returning investor. In addition to the investment, Ajax Health leaders Doug Koo, chief financial officer and managing director, and Aftab Kherani, chief medical officer and managing director, will join the Protaryx Board of Directors. The company intends to use the funds to develop a device for precision transseptal access to the left atrium during structural heart and catheter ablation procedures. Led by CEO Terri Burke, and co-founder James S. Gammie, M.D., professor and chief of Cardiac Surgery at the University of Maryland School of Medicine as well as the co-founder and inventor for Harpoon Medical, which was acquired by Edwards Lifesciences in 2017, Protaryx is a medical device company. Its device is designed for use in catheter-based procedures such as mitral valve repair and replacement, left atrial appendage closure and catheter ablation to treat cardiac arrhythmias. The company has engineering operations in Minneapolis, Minnesota. FinSMEs 30/06/2020 GREENVILLE, SC (FOX Carolina)- The Greenville City Police Department says they arrested a suspect after one person was killed during a fatal shooting on Saturday on Jenkins Street. Boutique Hotel Brand, Hotel Indigo, Opens First Hotel In Cyprus Opening of Hotel Indigo Larnaca marks IHG Hotels & Resorts' second hotel in Cyprus July 01, 2020 // Franchising.com // IHG Hotels & Resorts opens the first and only branded boutique hotel in Cyprus - Hotel Indigo Larnaca. Each of the hotels 40 bedrooms are all uniquely designed and inspired by Cypruss craft heritage with balconies overlooking the picturesque city of Larnaca. Just a five-minute drive from the airport, the hotel is centrally located in one of Larnacas most historic areas, near the church of St. Lazarus and close to Finikoudes and Mackenzie beaches. Within walking distance to the beach, the hotel combined two traditional Cypriot beach homes into a new hotel, marrying design elements from both old and new. The bedrooms have a modern yet contemporary feel by merging raw concrete with locally - made, brightly - coloured traditional textiles and light wooden furnishings. The en-suite bathrooms have spa-like rain showers, with brushed concrete flooring and original Cypriot tiling. All the balconies are fitted with traditional Mediterranean yellow shutters, reminiscent of old Cyprus, and mimicking the sunset amongst the surrounding mountains. Hotel Indigo Larnaca also offers a stunning rooftop pool and Kampana Pool Bar with breathtaking views of the sea. The regionally inspired onsite restaurant, Avli, and the Oinotelia wine bar, are conveniently situated on the ground floor and are a destination for locals, tourists, and guests. Mr Savvas Kakos, President and CEO of Quality Group, commented: At Quality Group we are extremely happy and proud to welcome one of the most renowned hotel groups to the city of Larnaca. Unique and intriguing by definition, and one of the worlds largest boutique brands, Hotel Indigo is now part of the wider area of Saint Lazarus and a perfect addition to the heart of the city. On behalf of Quality Group, I convey my strong faith and certainty that this brand-new and organic collaboration with IHG and Hotel Indigo will leave its mark on the hotel industry in Cyprus. Inspired by the neighbourhood around each property, just as no places are alike, no two Hotel Indigo properties are the same. Each Hotel Indigo property features thoughtful design touches and vibrant restaurants and bars connected to the spirit of the local neighbourhood. Hotel Indigo Larnaca takes in the rich history of the Agios Lazaros area and is ideal for romantic getaways and caters to the most seasoned traveller. Hotel Indigo Larnaca will operate under the international agreement between IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group), one of the largest hotel groups in the world, Sunnyseeker Hospitality which is the fastest growing hotel management company and Quality Group, one of the largest companies of land development and investment on the island. There are currently 119 Hotel Indigo properties open globally including the recently opened Hotel Indigo Verona Grand Hotel Des Arts, with another 104 in the pipeline to open in the next 3-5 years, About IHG IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) [LON:IHG, NYSE:IHG (ADRs)] is a global organisation with a broad portfolio of hotel brands, including Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas, Regent Hotels & Resorts, InterContinental Hotels & Resorts, Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants, Hotel Indigo, EVEN Hotels, HUALUXE Hotels and Resorts, Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts, voco, Holiday Inn Hotels & Resorts, Holiday Inn Express, Holiday Inn Club Vacations, avid hotels, Staybridge Suites, Atwell Suites and Candlewood Suites. IHG franchises, leases, manages or owns approximately 5,900 hotels and nearly 882,000 guest rooms in more than 100 countries, with over 2,000 hotels in its development pipeline. IHG also manages IHG Rewards Club, our global loyalty programme, which has more than 100 million enrolled members. InterContinental Hotels Group PLC is the Groups holding company and is incorporated in Great Britain and registered in England and Wales. More than 400,000 people work across IHG's hotels and corporate offices globally. SOURCE IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) ### Comments: Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. Disqus We enjoy services provided by delivery persons almost every day, but we know little about their life. Recently, Peoples Daily interviewed several of them across the country, inviting the workers to share their stories. (2) Liu Houxiang (People's Daily/Yao Xueqing)(3) Xu Longqing (People's Daily/Dai Linfeng)(4) Zhao Bin File photo Zhao Bin, a 29-year-old from central Chinas Henan province, is currently working in Wuhan, central Chinas Hubei province. He likes his job because it allows him a high level of freedom, so that he could flexibly shift between being a deliveryman and a photography enthusiast. In January, Wuhan was hit by the outbreak of COVID-19. At that time Zhao became stressed, as there were less than 30 delivery persons on duty in the district where Zhao works, compared with more than 300 normally. Other than delivering food, he also bought foodstuffs and medicine for customers, once even helping to take an elderly patient to the hospital. During that time, Zhaos delivery bag was always filled with goods; even his electric car carried a lot of bags. Zhao said he once drove 10 kilometers to deliver 60 steamed buns to a customer, and went to eight drug stores to find medicines badly needed by a patient suffering from chronic disease. There are more than three million registered delivery persons on Meituan and Eleme, two of Chinas biggest delivery platforms. Among them, about 7 percent are female. Wang Jing from Yinchuan, northwest Chinas Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, became a deliverywoman three years ago. As a single mother, she wants to offer the best she can to her daughter. Wang Jing People's Daily/Yu Limin) This is not an easy job, but it gives me a sense of security, said Wang Jing. As a service provider, she sometimes feels touched by the customers when they remind her to keep safe during delivery and wait patiently for her arrival. Xu Longqing, is a 31-year-old handicapped deliveryman in Nanchang, capital of east Chinas Jiangxi province. According to a customer, Xu could always send a cup of hot bubble tea to her hands more quickly than other deliverymen, and her colleagues all think him reliable. My son has become outgoing after being a deliveryman and realized his personal value, said Xus mother. Liu Houxiang, a 42-year-old deliveryman on Eleme, had made 6,465 trips in the late nights over a period of seven months in Nanjing, capital of east Chinas Jiangsu province. The figure was a record on the platform. Ive been doing this job for five years, and I always receive orders placed by customers who live not far away from each other, which improves my delivery efficiency, Liu disclosed. In February, China officially gave people who deliver food or other goods ordered online the name online-order deliveryman, a recognition of their fundamental role in daily life today. HCAP Partners, a San Diego, CA-based private equity firm and nationally recognized impact investor, promoted Bhairvee Shavdia to Principal. During her tenure at HCAP Partners, Shavdia has made contributions to the team as both an investment and impact professional. She has been instrumental in leading the construction and implementation of HCAP Partners impact investing methodology and framework around quality job creation, the Gainful Jobs Approach. In her new role she will continue leading growth efforts surrounding impact investing measurement and reporting in addition to continuing her investment team responsibilities of deal structuring, underwriting, and monitoring. Shavdia joined HCAP Partners in 2015 and has been a key contributor to the firms continued recognition as a thought leader in the impact investing field, including the firms selection as an ImpactAssets 50 fund for seven consecutive years. She has served as a Job Quality Fellow with Aspen Institutes Economic Opportunities Program and earlier this year joined the board of San Diego Impact Investors Network. Prior to joining HCAP Partners, Shavdia was with San Diego State Universitys Zahn Innovation Center where she created and led the Universitys incubator platform for social enterprise. Shavdia joined the Zahn Innovation Center from H.I.G. Capital, where she was a founding member of the firms London office and participated in the origination, investment analysis, and due diligence of private equity and distressed debt transactions. Shavdia holds a B.S. in Economics from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania with a dual concentration in Finance and Actuarial Science and an M.B.A. from Columbia Business School. Founded in 2000, HCAP Partners is a provider of mezzanine debt and private equity for underserved, lower-middle market companies throughout California and the Western United States. The firm seeks to invest $2 million to $15 million in established businesses generating between $10 million and $100 million in revenues in the healthcare, software, services, and manufacturing industries. HCAP Partners has invested in over 45 companies since its founding. FinSMEs 01/07/2020 Even before news came that reopening plans in Southern and Midwestern states have flooded hospitals with COVID-19 patients, I knew we were at a dangerous time with this pandemic. For months, my own fear of catching the virus had kept me extra careful and vigilant during the first few months of the outbreak. But in recent weeks, bouts of cabin fever and feeling stir-crazy have been working on my better judgement, nudging me toward finding safe ways to be out and about, if only for a change of scenery. In other words, I have been feeling what everyone has been feeling after this new reality of work and play at home: really, really tired of it. And that feeling can push us to be less careful at a critical time. Virginia is slowly reopening businesses and public spaces, and Im all for finding safe ways to get out when I can, taking outside options when available. But news of thousands of people per day testing positive for COVID-19 in states south and west18,000 last weekend in Florida alonemay well be the reminder we all need to stay smart. With hospitals in those states nearing capacity, its clear were nowhere close to being done with this disease that has killed so many. The 202021 academic year at the University of Mary Washington will look very different than previous years. Changes to the academic calendar were communicated to faculty in a June 26 email from Provost Nina Mikhalevsky. The new calendar is also posted on the universitys website. Classes will begin as scheduled on Aug. 24, but there will be no fall break and all in-person instruction will end on Nov. 20, prior to the Thanksgiving holiday. There will be an extended Thanksgiving break ending Nov. 30 and when Fall 2020 semester classes resume, they will be conducted 100 percent remotely. Winter break will begin Dec. 11 and Spring 2021 classes will begin Jan. 25, two weeks later than usual. The university is discussing a possible three-week J-term to be held in January between the fall and spring semesters. Because the spring semester is starting two weeks later, the J-term could be a good way through this longer-than-usual semester break to keep students connected, engaged, and on track to completing their programs of study, Mikhalevsky wrote in the email. A group of volunteers organized by Leaders for Peace, one of several groups that have been protesting police brutality in downtown Fredericksburg, spent a recent afternoon clearing dead vegetation and garbage from an alley in downtown Fredericksburg that has ties to the Underground Railroad. The alley, located where Canal and Caroline streets meet at the northern end of the citys Historic District, leads down to the Rappahannock River. At that spot during the 19th century, John DeBaptiste, a free Black man, owned French Johns Wharf and operated a ferry transporting people and goods across the river. His grandson, George DeBaptiste, who was born in Fredericksburg, later moved north when life became increasingly difficult for slaves and free Blacks in the South. He became leader in the Underground Railroad and is said to have helped nearly 200 escaping slaves between 1841 and 1846. Another DeBaptiste from Fredericksburg, Richard, served in the 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment, the Union Armys second African American regiment in the American Civil War, which is featured in the 1989 movie Glory. French Johns Wharf itself may have been a site where slaves crossed the river to their freedom at Union Army encampments in Stafford County. Carlson noted that Greenlaw had apologized to protesters for the use of tear gas. Greenlaw said the whole three-minute call to 911 call indicates that the dispatcher was advising the woman not to try to drive through the protest. When the woman said the protesters were on her car, the dispatcher said she would alert officers, but the woman said a short time later that shed made it through the intersection. Greenlaw said the officer wasnt far away, but the caller had gone by the time he got there. I thought we were in a really good place prior to that [broadcast]. The protesters were fewer every night. They had not been blocking the streets because we had been working with them and asking them not to, and things were going better, she said. Since then, I have literally received hundreds of emails that describe in graphic terms how I should die, Greenlaw said. Unbelievable. And theyre from all over the United States. City Council unanimously approved a three-phase plan at its June 23 meeting that includes a review of police actions during the protests, identification and recommendation of proposed criminal justice reforms, and community-wide discussions relating to racial disparities and why they persist. Gov. Ralph Northam is redirecting $30 million in state funds to pay for a 29% increase in Medicaid rates paid to primary care doctors, pediatricians and other health care providers who are struggling to survive the economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic. Northam is making the rate increase retroactive to March 1, using money that had been budgeted for Medicaid managed care organizations to pay for nonelective surgeries and other medical services that were canceled or curtailed because of the spread of COVID-19. By taking this action to support these frontline providers, we can ensure access to care for our Medicaid members and preserve the health care network that is so critical for the well-being of families, children, low-income older adults, persons with disabilities, and individuals who have lost their jobs, said Karen Kimsey, director of the state Medicaid office. Northam already has used a similar approach to pay for a $20 daily state rate increase for Medicaid patients in nursing homes. He recently increased it by $7 a day per member for a total of $810 per patient each month. The increase was part of a $226 million package of federal and state relief for nursing homes the governor announced on June 19. Virginia could lose less than half of the $1 billion in revenues it had expected to in the fiscal year that ended Tuesday, setting the stage for a potential restoration of spending that had been frozen in the new two-year budget that took effect Wednesday. The final number wont be known for more than a week as income tax payments continue to flow into the state treasury, but Secretary of Finance Aubrey Layne said Tuesday that the shortfall caused by the coronavirus pandemic could be less than $500 million in the fiscal year that ended Tuesday. The improved revenue outlook will relieve some of the pressure on the two-year, $135 billion budget that took effect Wednesday, he said. It also will allow the state to reassess its forecast for future tax collections in the face of continued uncertainty over the spread of the coronavirus and its effect on Virginias hobbled economy. The situation is bad, but not as bad as we feared, said Sen. Janet Howell, D-Fairfax, chairwoman of the Senate Finance & Appropriations Committee, on Tuesday. CRIMINAL justice in America is not administered by a monolithic national police department. There are roughly 12,000 local police departments across the country employing more than 800,000 sworn law enforcement officers, that are as different as the cities, towns and villages they protect. Most police officers are competent and dedicated professionals who serve their local communities with courage and honor. Unfortunately, as in any profession, the few rogue officers who stray over the line into criminality tend to get the bulk of the headlines. But unlike drug-peddling doctors or embezzling accountants, they are often protected from criminal prosecution by biased internal affairs investigations, police unions that circle the wagons, and qualified sovereign immunity policies. Communities should not expect police departments to police themselves. Real accountability needs to come from outside, especially in cases when race is involved. Public perceptions that all cops are racists are just not true. For one thing, about 13.3 percent of all police officers in the U.S. are African American, which is roughly the same as the percentage of African Americans in the general population. actually slightly higher than their percentage in the general population. Have any questions? Please give us a call at 907-352-2250 Gainesville, TX (76240) Today Scattered thunderstorms during the morning becoming more widespread this afternoon. Storms may contain strong gusty winds. High around 85F. SW winds shifting to N at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 60%.. Tonight Rain showers this evening with mostly clear conditions overnight. Low 57F. Winds NNE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 40%. Galveston, TX (77553) Today Windy and partly cloudy this morning. Scattered thunderstorms developing this afternoon. High 89F. Winds S at 20 to 30 mph. Chance of rain 40%.. Tonight Scattered thunderstorms early, then mainly cloudy overnight with thunderstorms likely. Low around 80F. Winds SSE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Nintendo will no longer allow European retailers to sell digital download codes for its own-published titles. In a statement sent to Nintendo Life, the company said the decision, which came into effect today, was made after carefully examining the "evolving European marketplace." The move is notable as it means consumers in Europe will no longer be able to shop around in search of a deal, with download codes often being one of the most affordable ways to grab Nintendo software. "After careful examination of the evolving European marketplace in recent years, Nintendo has decided to end the availability of download codes for its own-published software via retailers," said the company. "Customers will still be able to purchase Nintendo eShop funds, Nintendo Switch Online memberships, and add-on content such as the Pokemon Sword and Pokemon Shield Expansion Pass, at retailers across Europe. Download codes for Nintendo Switch software from other publishers will also still be available. "Were always investigating new avenues, and will continue to work on new methods to bring Nintendo eShop content to as many players as possible." Some retailers like ShopTo had already informed consumers of the change on social media, but given they only shared the news a couple of days ago, it seems like the decision came somewhat out of the blue. If you already subscribe to our print edition, sign up for FREE to view the newspaper online! Enter all nine digits of your zip code, without a hyphen. Last Name needs to be in all caps. gamigo is proud to announce that they are partnering with the Korean publisher Aprogen Games to release the cubic adventure Trove on PC in South Korea. Founded in 2014, Aprogen Games can look back on an impressive track record of publishing diverse games in the Asian markets. They have decades worth of experience in the gaming industry and are well-equipped to ensure the successful launch of the popular voxel based block building game. Some players may be inclined to put Trove in the same category as its beloved voxel based cousins, but Trove took the best parts of each and combined them in an always-online world filled to the brim with exciting content, new friends to meet, and quests to fulfil. Each of Troves 16 classes is as unique as its quirky. Players can switch on the fly to take the fight up close and personal or hang back a bit to bombard their enemies from afar with powerful attacks. Trove is unlike any other game on the market. Its unique. Its vast. Its constantly evolving. Its a game that easily fits any playstyle. Whether players just want to dip their toes in for an hour or dive deep into dark dungeons, go spelunking, craft, or just have a good time with their friends, Troves got something for everyone. gamigo and Aprogen Games will provide players with continuous updates on the publishing process of the Voxel-MMO. More information about Trove can be found on its official website. Editors: If we can assist in your coverage of this publishing agreement please dont hesitate to let us know! Social Media: Site / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram About gamigo: The gamigo group is one of the leading publishers of online and mobile games in Europe and North America. The companys diverse game portfolio includes free-to-play titles such as ArcheAge, RIFT, Trove, Defiance 2050, Ironsight and Aura Kingdom, as well as the recently launched buy-to-play game ArcheAge: Unchained. Counting more than 400 employees, gamigo is one of the largest german companies in the gaming industry. Besides its 5 german locations in Hamburg (HQ), Berlin, Cologne, Munster and Darmstadt, the gamigo group also has branches in Warsaw (Poland), Istanbul (Turkey), New York, Redwood City, Austin, Bellevue (US), and Seoul (South Korea). In addition to gamigo AG, the group includes the subsidiaries WildTangent, Aeria Games, adspree media, and Mediakraft Networks as well as the brands GameSpree, Infernum, Intenium, Looki, and Poged. The company strives to grow not only organically, but also through acquisitions. Since 2013, it has made more than 25 acquisitions, including titles, gaming and technology companies as well as individual game assets. PR Contact: Bill Murphy Team Critical Hit Gillette, WY (82718) Today Sunshine and a few clouds. High 78F. Winds WNW at 10 to 15 mph.. Tonight Clear to partly cloudy. Low around 50F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph. The World Health Organization (WHO) has included Sweden on its list of countries at risk of a surge in Covid-19 infections that could overwhelm medical systems. The Swedish authorities disagree. Sweden has approached the pandemic differently than most countries and has not followed the WHOs recommendations. The Swedish government did not embrace the policy of social distancing, on the assumption that acquiring herd immunity may prove a better strategy than trying to suppress contagion. The fatality rate appears to be higher the most at-risk group, care home residents, were not isolated but the countrys hospitals seem capable of coping with the public health crisis. Slanted coverage Overall, it is striking how much attitudes of gloom and doom are crowding out balanced, realistic analyses in the reporting and debate around the pandemic. Cases are presented as totals rather than per capita rates. No wonder that countries with large populations lead in the statistics. In news coverage from the United States, the emphasis has been on new and total cases and not on the declining fatality rate. Last week, there was a significant surge in fatalities reported in some states. However, it turned out that earlier deaths only potentially attributable to the coronavirus had been added to a particular days figures. We will only be able to assess Swedens strategy if and when another coronavirus wave comes. Then, a country with a higher acquired (herd) immunity rate may fare better than those that opted to limit the spread of the virus and flatten the curve of contagion. It is impossible to evaluate epidemiological policies and pick the best one for a given country at a pandemics onset. The WHO is rushing to judge nations in a bossy, arrogant fashion even though its experts now believe a second wave is possible. One must not underestimate the risks, but many news outlets and virologists would do us all a service by becoming less opinionated. US House intelligence panel chairman calls for Russia sanctions after bounty briefing Iran Press TV Tuesday, 30 June 2020 4:44 PM The United States should weigh new sanctions on Russia in response to unfounded reports that a Russian military intelligence unit had offered Taliban-linked militants bounties to kill American troops in Afghanistan. Senior Democratic lawmaker Adam Schiff said on Tuesday after a White House briefing on the reported Russian effort to pay the Taliban to kill US soldiers in Afghanistan that sanctions were necessary to deter Moscow's "malign" actions. Schiff, who is chairman of the House Intelligence committee, said forbade US President Donald Trump from courting Russia's leader Vladimir Putin by inviting him to a Group of Seven (G7) summit of leading industrial nations. "The president of the United States should not be inviting Russia into the G7 or G8. We should be considering what sanctions are appropriate to further deter Russia's malign activities," he told reporters after the White House briefing on the matter. The White House has sought to play down reports published in the New York Times and the Washington Post this week that it knew about accusations that Russia paid the Taliban bounties to kill US and other coalition troops but had not briefed Trump or moved on the information. The matter has raised serious concerns among both Trump's fellow Republicans and Democrats not only about the safety of US forces but also about the administration's handling of the matter. US Should Consider Imposing More Sanctions on Russia Over Bounty Allegations, Schiff Says Sputnik News 15:21 GMT 30.06.2020(updated 15:37 GMT 30.06.2020) WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - The United States should consider imposing additional sanctions against Russian in light of the allegations that it offered bounties to Taliban-linked militants to assassinate US soldiers, House of Representatives Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff said on Tuesday. "As we look at these allegations, the President of the United States should not be inviting Russia into the G7 or G8," Schiff said. "We should be considering what sanctions are appropriate to further deter Russia's malign activities." Schiff said he appreciated the White House decision to brief lawmakers on the matter, but noted that the "right people" were not in the room, referring to top CIA or NSA officials not being present at the briefing. "We need to hear from the heads of the intelligence agencies about how they assess the allegations," Shiff said. Meanwhile, three Democrats in the US Senate in a letter have requested US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Secretary of Defense Mark Esper to testify on the same allegations. "Given the grave nature of these allegations, we request that you appear before the Senate this week to address these questions," according to the letter sent to Pompeo and Esper by Senators Robert Menendez, Jack Reed and Richard Durbin. On Friday, the New York Times ran an article citing unnamed intelligence officials as saying that Trump had been presented with an intelligence report claiming Russia could have paid bounties to Taliban-linked militants to assassinate US and coalition troops in Afghanistan. Trump has said that neither he not Vice President Mike Pence received a briefing on the issue because the US intelligence community said the allegations were not verified or substantiated. Trump called the story another attempt at a Russia hoax to make Republicans look bad in an election year. White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany said on Monday that the US intelligence community has not reached a consensus of the credibility of the allegations. Russian officials have denied all allegations as false and characterized them as being part of the internal political infighting in the United States. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday that the Russian and US governments have not been in contact regarding the US corporate media allegations. A Sputnik Kremlin denies report on Russian bounties for killing U.S. troops in Afghanistan People's Daily Online (Xinhua) 10:00, June 30, 2020 MOSCOW, June 29 (Xinhua) -- The Kremlin on Monday denied a New York Times report alleging that Russia offered bounties for killing U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan. "Once again, we can only express regret that one of the largest, reputable and high-quality world media outlets have been increasingly publishing elaborate hoaxes in recent years," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told a daily briefing. On Friday, the New York Times published a report, saying that according to U.S. intelligence officials, "a Russian military intelligence unit secretly offered bounties to Taliban-linked militants for killing coalition forces in Afghanistan -- including targeting American troops." U.S. President Donald Trump tweeted on Sunday that "Intel just reported to me that they did not find this info credible, and therefore did not report it to me or @VP. Possibly another fabricated Russia Hoax." Republicans Urge 'Swift And Serious Action' If Reports About Russian Bounties Paid To Taliban True By RFE/RL June 30, 2020 Republican lawmakers who have been briefed about reports alleging that Russia paid the Taliban bounties to kill U.S. troops in Afghanistan are calling for consequences for Russia, if the reports are true. "It has been clear for some time that Russia does not wish us well in Afghanistan," Representatives Mac Thornberry (Texas) and Liz Cheney (Wyoming) said in a statement after attending a briefing on June 29. They said they believe it is important "to vigorously pursue" any information related to Russia or any country targeting U.S. forces. Representatives Michael McCaul (Texas) and Adam Kinzinger (Illinois) issued a statement saying they "strongly encourage the Administration to take swift and serious action to hold the Putin regime accountable," if the reports are true. McCaul and Kinzinger said they believe an ongoing review should take place before any retaliatory actions are taken. The Republican lawmakers were briefed by Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe, White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, and national-security adviser Robert O'Brien. "We are still investigating the alleged intelligence referenced in recent media reporting," Ratcliffe said in a statement. "Unfortunately, unauthorized disclosures now jeopardize our ability to ever find out the full story." The Pentagon also is continuing to evaluate the intelligence, its spokesman said in a statement. "To date, [the Defense Department] has no corroborating evidence to validate the recent allegations found in open-source reports," Jonathan Hoffman said. Members of Congress in both parties have called for a full congressional briefing from top intelligence officials, with some also suggesting consequences for Russia and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Democrats have asked whether President Donald Trump may have ignored a threat to U.S. troops as he seeks to improve relations with Russia. Several Democrats in the House of Representatives are to be briefed on the matter early on June 30. Trump has denied ever being briefed on the intelligence. White House spokeswoman Kayleigh McEnany insisted on June 29 the reason was there was "no consensus within the intelligence community" that the bounty claims were credible. O'Brien echoed her comment in a statement late on June 29, saying Trump had not been briefed because the allegation had not been verified or substantiated by the intelligence community. "Nevertheless the administration, including the National Security Council, have been preparing should the situation warrant action," O'Brien said. The New York Times, which first reported on the alleged payments on June 26, said on June 30 that Trump received a written briefing about alleged Russian bounties offered to Afghan militants to kill U.S. troops as early as February. The Times previously reported that the National Security Council held an interagency meeting in late March to discuss possible responses after U.S. intelligence officers and special forces in Afghanistan began raising the alarm as early as January -- but the White House didn't authorize any action. Other media outlets, including The Washington Post, have published their own stories, saying their sources also described the bounty scheme. Russia and the Taliban have denied the existence of any bounty to kill U.S. troops. The Washington Post reported on June 28 that the bounties are believed to have resulted in the death of several U.S. service members in Afghanistan. The New York Times separately reported that U.S. intelligence officials believe at least one U.S. military death was linked to the alleged payments. The U.S. intelligence was gathered from interrogations of captured militants in recent months, according to the reports. The United States is investigating whether any Americans died as a result of the Russian bounties, AP reported, quoting U.S. officials. The investigations are focused in particular on an April 2019 attack on a U.S. convoy in which three Marines were killed as they returned to Bagram Airfield, the largest U.S. military installation in Afghanistan. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (Democrat-California) wrote the two top intelligence officials on June 29 demanding an immediate briefing to members of Congress. "The questions that arise are: was the president briefed, and if not, why not, and why was Congress not briefed," Pelosi wrote in a letter on June 29 to Ratcliffe and CIA Director Gina Haspel. The allegations come as the United States seeks to advance a nascent peace process in Afghanistan after signing a deal with the Taliban in February that could see U.S. troops leave the country next year. With reporting by AP and Reuters Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-bounties- taliban-afghanistan/30697844.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. Trump Not Briefed on 'Unverified' Intel Allegations of Russian Collusion With Taliban - O'Brien Sputnik News 03:29 GMT 30.06.2020(updated 05:13 GMT 30.06.2020) Groundless allegations that Russia offered reward money to Taliban militants for killing American soldiers, published in a recent article in The New York Times, have been denied by Moscow, the White House and the Taliban itself. National Security Adviser Robert O'Brien refuted media reports that US President Donald Trump had been briefed on the allegations regarding the so-called "Russian bounties" allegedly offered to Taliban militants for killing US troops in Afghanistan in a statement on Tuesday, noting that they were not verified or substantiated by the intelligence community. "Because the allegations in recent press articles have not been verified or substantiated by the intelligence community, President Trump had not been briefed on the items. Nevertheless, the Administration, including the National Security Council staff, have been preparing, should the situation warrant action," the statement said. O'Brien went on to note that the actions of "those government officials who betray the trust of the people of the United States by leaking classified information" endanger national security. Earlier, Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe released a statement on the matter, saying that his Department is "still investigating the alleged intelligence referenced in recent media reporting". "The selective leaking of any classified information disrupts the vital interagency work to collect, assess and mitigate threats and places our forces at risk. It is also, simply put, a crime", he said, adding that "unauthorized disclosures now jeopardize our ability to ever find out the full story". In an article published on Friday, The New York Times claimed that Russia secretly offered "bounties" to Taliban-affiliated militants - an allegation "supported" by anonymous sources. The report also claimed, citing unnamed "officials", that Donald Trump was briefed on that information described in the report as "intelligence". The allegations made by The NYT were denounced by the Russian Foreign Ministry as "nonsense" and "false". The Taliban also refuted the reports, stressing that its activities are not related to any intelligence entity or foreign country. The White House, in its turn, argued that the President was not briefed on the reported allegations, noting that it was "irresponsible" of The New York Times to produce a "false" report. The President himself said that the claims may be "another fabricated Russia Hoax". Sputnik White House Updates More Lawmakers on Alleged Russian Bounties on US Troops in Afghanistan By Jeff Seldin June 30, 2020 Senior U.S. lawmakers walked out of a White House briefing early Tuesday, saying they are not satisfied with what the administration had to say about allegations Russia offered bounties to Taliban fighters to kill American and coalition troops in Afghanistan. The briefing, the second in as many days, was set up to share intelligence about the alleged Russian plot with senior Democratic lawmakers, following a similar briefing late Monday with members of President Donald Trump's party. "The most concerning part about it is that the White House didn't have very clear answers," House Armed Services Committee Chairman, Rep. Adam Smith, told reporters, following Tuesday's White House briefing. "Very concerning to me was that their initial response was that they just wanted to make sure we knew that the president didn't know anything," Smith added. "That's actually not normal." "Their basic position is that there was conflicting intelligence on this and, therefore, they took some actions but not as many as some of us think that they should," he said. Trump and various White House officials have maintained that the president was never briefed on intelligence regarding the reported plot. But some senior officials admit the evidence was shared across the U.S. intelligence community and with allies whose troops were potentially at risk. Media reports, by The New York Times, CNN and others, also indicate that some of the information was included in the Presidential Daily Brief, a daily summary of the top intelligence issues and concerns, in late February. Other reports suggest that Trump was given written information about the matter earlier this year. "Based on what we heard today, it was information that (a) the president should have known about and (b) based on what we were told today, he did," Smith said. "It seems to me like he did know about it." Other senior Democratic lawmakers also expressed concerns about the administration's handling of the intelligence and, specifically, its inclination to downplay the possible consequences. "Nothing in the briefing that we have just received led me to believe it is a hoax," House Democratic leader Steny Hoyer told reporters. Hoyer also said he agreed with former Trump national security adviser John Bolton, who said it was "inconceivable" that the president had not been briefed on a matter of such importance. Fellow Democrat and House Intelligence Committee chairman Adam Schiff told reporters, "We should be considering what sanctions are appropriate to further deter Russia's malign activities." Despite the concerns, many U.S. officials and Republican lawmakers have sounded a different tone over the allegations Russia was paying Taliban or Taliban-linked militants to kill U.S. and allied forces in Afghanistan. In a statement late Monday, Chief Pentagon spokesman Jonathan Hoffman said the Defense Department, "continues to evaluate intelligence" but that so far it has "no corroborating evidence to validate recent allegations found in open-source reports." Key lawmakers, including Michael McCaul, the ranking Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, urged caution, saying ore information is needed for what has been described as an "ongoing review." "We believe it is important to let this review take place before any retaliatory actions are taken," McCaul said in a statement with fellow Republican Rep. Adam Kinzinger. "If the intelligence review process verifies the reports, we strongly encourage the Administration to take swift and serious action to hold the Putin regime accountable." Trump critics have often accused the U.S. president of being unduly enamored of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Schiff said, "If there's a problem with briefing the president on intelligence he doesn't want to hear then that's a problem for the entire nation." House Foreign Affairs Committee chairman Eliot Engel said, "I don't understand what it is about the president's infatuation with Putin. Instead of the president telling Putin how upset we are, we get nothing." Major news outlets reported that Trump was briefed on the alleged plot earlier this year, with the New York Times reporting that the information was contained in the president's Daily Brief in late February, with one official specifically citing the Feb. 27 report. Officials say that Trump often does not read his daily briefing, and instead prefers oral briefings several times a week. U.S. officials have focused some of their attention on an April 2019 car bombing that killed three Marines. White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany repeatedly told reporters Monday that there was "no consensus" among U.S. intelligence agencies about the validity of the information and that it must be verified before it is presented to the president. White House Defends Trump Not Being Briefed on Russia 'Bounty' for US Soldiers Because intelligence was not verified, there was no need to tell president, Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany says "Intelligence is verified before it reaches the president of the United States," McEnany said. "And in this case, it was not verified." Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe said in a statement last weekend that "neither the president nor the vice president were ever briefed" on the intelligence. Top administration officials, including Ratcliffe, National Security Adviser Robert O'Brien and White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, conducted a classified briefing Monday for eight House Republicans about the matter ahead of the Tuesday briefing for Democratic lawmakers. Ratcliffe and CIA Director Gina Haspel both released statements late Monday, defending the handling of the intelligence and criticizing the leaks to the media. "The selective leaking of any classified information disrupts the vital interagency work to collect, assess and mitigate threats and places our forces at risk. It is also, simply put, a crime," Ratcliffe said in his statement. "We are still investigating the alleged intelligence referenced in recent media reporting and we will brief the president and congressional leaders at the appropriate time," he said. Haspel said that while initial intelligence reports "often require additional collection and validation," such information is "shared throughout the national security community - and with U.S. allies - as part of our ongoing efforts to ensure the safety of coalition forces overseas." "Leaks compromise and disrupt the critical interagency work to collect, assess and ascribe culpability," Haspel said. Writer Ken Bredemeier, Congressional correspondent Katherine Gypson and White House Bureau Chief Steve Herman contributed to this report. White House Defends Trump Not Being Briefed on Russia 'Bounty' for US Soldiers By Steve Herman June 30, 2020 The White House is on the defensive about President Donald Trump not being briefed on reports that a Russian military intelligence unit offered bounties to Taliban militants in Afghanistan to kill U.S. soldiers. "Intelligence is verified before it reaches the president of the United States. And in this case, it was not verified,'' White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said Monday when reporters asked why the president was not informed. The New York Times reported Monday night that according to two officials, the information was in the president's daily brief in late February, days after Trump ousted Joseph Maguire as his acting director of national intelligence. Chief Pentagon spokesman Jonathan Hoffman issued a statement late Monday saying the Defense Department "continues to evaluate intelligence" about Russian malign activity against the United States and coalition forces in Afghanistan, but that so far it has "no corroborating evidence to validate recent allegations found in open-source reports." Top administration officials, including Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe, National Security Adviser Robert O'Brien and White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, conducted a classified briefing Monday for eight House Republicans about the matter amid bipartisan calls by members of Congress for transparency. Ratcliffe and CIA Director Gina Haspel both released statements late Monday, defending the handling of the intelligence and criticizing the leaks to the media. "The selective leaking of any classified information disrupts the vital interagency work to collect, assess and mitigate threats and places our forces at risk. It is also, simply put, a crime," Ratcliffe said in his statement. "We are still investigating the alleged intelligence referenced in recent media reporting and we will brief the president and congressional leaders at the appropriate time," he said. Haspel said that while initial intelligence reports "often require additional collection and validation," such information is "shared throughout the national security community -- and with U.S. allies -- as part of our ongoing efforts to ensure the safety of coalition forces overseas." "Leaks compromise and disrupt the critical interagency work to collect, assess and ascribe culpability," Haspel said. Two of the lawmakers, Congressmen Michael McCaul of Texas and Adam Kinzinger of Illinois, who were briefed Monday, said in a statement they were informed of "an ongoing review to determine the accuracy of these reports, and we believe it is important to let this review take place before any retaliatory actions are taken." A group of Democratic Party lawmakers is scheduled to be given a similar briefing by the White House Tuesday morning. "Today, I spoke with DNI John Ratcliffe and CIA Director Gina Haspel about the disturbing press reports alleging that Russian military intelligence secretly offered Taliban-connected militants bounties for killing American and coalition troops in Afghanistan," her statement said. "My call to each of them was to follow up on my formal request for a full House briefing on the intelligence surrounding Russian bounties," Pelosi's statement said. "I reiterated that a primary purpose of the intelligence community is force protection. Similarly, as members of Congress, our priority is to keep our men and women in uniform safe. Many serious questions remain regarding what the White House is doing to address threats to American and allied troops and to hold Russia accountable," the statement said. "We were told that he (Trump) was not informed about the intelligence," Mac Thornberry, the ranking Republican on the House Armed Services Committee who attended the meeting, told "PBS NewsHour." He said that White House officials, however, did begin to work on response options in case further verifying information came forward. The Texas congressman said his "default position" is that the president should have been informed of any possible threats against U.S. military personnel because "that's got to the rise to the top." Trump tweeted Sunday that he was not briefed. "Intel just reported to me that they did not find this info credible, and therefore did not report it to me or @VP," the president said on Twitter, referencing Vice President Mike Pence. The CIA and Ratcliffe should immediately brief all 100 senators, said Minority Leader Chuck Schumer on the Senate floor Monday afternoon, saying that Trump doesn't seem as outraged "as you think he would be if in fact the intelligence community had this vital and important information and had not briefed him." Schumer, of New York, added, "Something doesn't smell right here, especially when we have a president and an administration that has a great deal of trouble telling the truth." Former CIA analyst Aki Peritz told VOA he finds "it hard to believe that this information was not generally disseminated" across the intelligence community. Peritz, now with the American University School of International Service, explained this would not be such a sensitive secret that members of the CIA, Defense Intelligence Agency, U.S. Central Command and the State Department would not have known about this intelligence in some capacity. The New York Times was the first to report that U.S. intelligence officials had concluded months ago that the Russian unit, which has been linked to assassination attempts and covert operations in Europe aimed at destabilizing the West, had carried out the mission in Afghanistan last year and that he had been briefed about it in late March. According to The Washington Post, U.S. forces suffered 28 deaths from 2018 to 2020. An additional number of service members also died in attacks by members of the Afghan security forces, which may have been infiltrated by the Taliban, the newspaper reported. The intelligence originated with U.S. Special Operations forces in Afghanistan and was verified by the CIA, the Post said. "Only infrequently would the president be briefed on raw, uncorroborated intelligence," but according to the reports, that is not the case with this information "gleaned from site exploration in Afghanistan, corroborated by detainee briefings and further corroborated by broader all-source collection and analysis," former National Security Council spokesman, Ned Price, told VOA. Price was among those who provided then-President Barack Obama with his daily intelligence briefing. Price also noted to VOA that various senior administration officials, including Zalmay Khalilzad, the U.S. envoy for Afghanistan reconciliation, "had staked out positions on how to respond to Russia. If this truly were raw, uncorroborated reporting, there wouldn't have been high-level policy discussions regarding a response." Both Russia and the Taliban deny the reports of the bounties, with the Kremlin calling them "baseless and anonymous accusations." Reaction from Taliban A spokesman for the Taliban, Zabihullah Mujahid, rejected the report that the insurgents have "any such relations with any intelligence agency" and called the newspaper report an attempt to defame them. "These kinds of deals with the Russian intelligence agency are baseless our target killings and assassinations were ongoing in years before, and we did it on our own resources," he said. "That changed after our deal with the Americans, and their lives are secure, and we don't attack them." Earlier this year, the United States and Taliban signed an "agreement for bringing peace" to Afghanistan after more than 18 years of conflict. The U.S. and NATO allies have agreed to withdraw all troops by next year if the militants uphold the deal. A former deputy assistant secretary of defense for the Middle East, Mick Mulroy, called the reports disturbing. He noted Russia is deemed an enemy of the United States in the U.S. national security strategy. "We do not want a war with Russia and we do not want to start killing each other's soldier, but there are some actions you can't accept," Mulroy, also a former CIA paramilitary officer, and currently an ABC News national security analyst, told VOA. "If we have solid evidence that this is being done and our forces are being killed, the gloves should be hitting the floor." VOA National Security Correspondent Jeff Seldin contributed to this report. Potential Belarusian Presidential Challenger Remanded In Custody By RFE/RL's Belarus Service June 30, 2020 MINSK -- A court in Minsk has remanded in custody a potential opponent of Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka as an August 9 presidential election nears. Lawyer Dzmitry Layeuski said on June 30 that the Minsk Central district court upheld the pretrial detention of his client Viktar Babaryka, who is charged with financial crimes. Babaryka and his son Eduard were arrested on June 18 after police questioned them on allegations of tax evasion and money laundering in connection with an investigation at Russian-owned Belgazprombank, where the elder Babaryka worked for 20 years. Belarusian authorities on June 15 took control of the bank and arrested more than a dozen top executives on charges of tax evasion and money laundering. Babaryka, 56, has said the actions taken against Belgazprombank were part of an intimidation campaign conducted on "political orders." Earlier in June, opposition rallies and gatherings in support of would-be candidates attracted thousands of people across Belarus as the authoritarian Lukashenka seeks a sixth term. Babaryka has risen in popularity as the vote nears, and his election campaign has said it collected nearly 435,000 signatures -- more than four times the required 100,000 minimum needed to get on the ballot. Several opposition activists, politicians, and bloggers were sentenced to up to 15 days in jail then for taking part in what authorities called "unsanctioned rallies." On June 29, Amnesty International said it recognized Babaryka and his son, who heads his father's presidential-election campaign, as prisoners of conscience. "The timing and the manner of the arrests, the involvement of the KDB, and the secrecy surrounding the case indicate that the prosecution of Viktar and Eduard Babaryka is politically motivated. Amnesty International believes that Viktar and Eduard Babaryka are prisoners of conscience, prosecuted solely for the peaceful expression of their political opinions. The authorities must immediately and unconditionally release them," an Amnesty statement said. The rights group also said that it recognizes another potential presidential candidate, a well-known blogger Syarhey Tsikhanouski and his eight supporters arrested on charges of obstructing elections, as prisoners of conscience. The statement also condemned the ill treatment of other activists and journalists arrested over their openly expressing opinions criticizing the Belarusian government and Lukashenka. Lukashenka, who has ruled the country of 9.5 million people since 1994, is currently serving his fifth presidential term and announced that he will run for office again. Belarus abolished presidential term limits in 2004. The country has been the target of U.S. and EU sanctions over its poor rights record and lack of fair elections, but Belarus and the West have recently sought to mend ties to reduce Russia's influence in the country. With reporting by BelaPAN Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/potential-lukashenka- challenger-remanded-in-custody-as-belarus -election-nears/30698959.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. Natl security law for HK takes effect soon, gives 'final say' to central govt agency Global Times By Chen Qingqing Source:Global Times Published: 2020/6/30 18:17:23 Last Updated: 2020/6/30 20:01:51 China's top lawmakers on Tuesday voted unanimously to enact a draft law to safeguard national security in Hong Kong at the 20th session of the 13th National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, which ended on Tuesday afternoon in Beijing. Chinese President Xi Jinping signed a presidential decree unveiling the law. The national security law for Hong Kong was reviewed during a three-day session of China's top legislature, and submitted for a vote on Monday. The legislature defining the specific criminal activities which threaten national security, is reasonable, necessary and in line with the Chinese Constitution, according to some Hong Kong deputies to the NPC. It is also justified as its political and legal legitimacy can stand the historical test, which won't change the way people live in Hong Kong, or deprive the legitimate rights they enjoy under "one country, two systems" and the Basic Law, observers said. The law will be included in the Annex III of the Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR). The law makes clear provisions on preventing, stopping and punishing four types of criminal acts in the HKSAR. These are secession, subversion of state power, terrorist activities and collusion with foreign forces which endanger national security. With six chapters and 66 articles, the law is comprehensive and consists of substantive law, procedural law and organizational law. It clearly stipulates four types of crimes secession, subversion of state power, terrorist activities, and collusion with foreign or external forces to endanger national security, as well as penalties, law application and procedures. Under the law, the Chinese central government would establish a commissioner's office for national security affairs in the HKSAR to safeguard national security, and sources close to the matter confirmed with the Global Times that the office has ultimate juridical power, as it would "have the final say" on national security-related cases. Also, the commissioner's office has law enforcement power in the HKSAR. The highly anticipated legislation will directly strike against the US-controlled proxies and political groups in Hong Kong that had previously incited trouble in the city with little concern for the consequences, some observers said. Central authorities would only exercise criminal jurisdiction within a limited scope, while the majority of cases relevant to the anti-extradition bill movement would be handled by the Hong Kong law enforcement system, Tam Yiu-chung, NPC Standing Committee member, told the Global Times on Tuesday. There won't be any clauses relevant to retroactivity, unless the criminal act is of a continuing nature, according to media reports. And those violating the law would face up to a 10-year jail term or longer, while the maximum penalty will be life imprisonment, according to the law. Other issues of concern include whether jury trials would be appropriate under the national security law. The new law is believed to have stricken a balance between Hong Kong's common law system and the Chinese mainland's civil law system, though stipulations would be different. But it can bring differences together while taking into account the characteristics of the common law, Tam noted. The law is a powerful deterrent, as some infamous secessionist leaders in Hong Kong such as Joshua Wong, Nathan Law and Agnes Chow announced their withdrawal from their anti-government groups on Tuesday, even before the legislation was officially unveiled. Meanwhile, Demosisto, an organization founded in 2016 and dedicated to secessionist work, also announced to disband its headquarters and members in Hong Kong. "The law shows that the central government relies, trusts and depends on HKSAR in law enforcement on national security affairs, as the latter bears most of the responsibility," Tam said. HK chief executive urges international community to respect need for national security law Global Times Source:Global Times Published: 2020/6/30 18:38:40 Last Updated: 2020/6/30 19:38:40 Hong Kong's Chief Executive Carrie Lam said at the United Nations Human Rights Council on Tuesday that the national security law for Hong Kong will not undermine the city's judiciary or autonomy, and urged the international community to respect the mainland's right to safeguard its national security. In a video message to the Human Rights Council in Geneva, Switzerland, Lam said Hong Kong had been "traumatised by escalating violence fanned by external forces." "No central government could turn a blind eye to such threats to its sovereignty and national security." For those foreign governments or politicians raising objections to the legislation, one could only lament the "double standards" they are adopting, said Lam. Lam's remark was made the same day that the National People's Congress, China's top legislature, voted unanimously to pass the National Security Law for Hong Kong. "The legislation aims to prevent, curb and punish acts of secession, subversion of state power, terrorist activities... These crimes will be clearly defined in the law. We will only target an extremely small minority of people who have (broken) the law," said Lam. She said that the law will not affect Hong Kong's renowned judicial independence. It will not affect the legitimate rights and freedoms of individuals, which are protected under the HKSAR Basic Law and the relevant provisions of international covenants as applied to Hong Kong. She cited the fact that organizations advocating "Hong Kong independence" and "self-determination" incited protesters and radicalized young people to desecrate and burn the national flag, vandalize the national emblem and storm the central government's office in the city. Furthermore, some local politicians proclaimed that they would paralyze the Hong Kong SAR Government while others campaigned for foreign governments to interfere in Hong Kong's affairs, or even to impose sanctions on the city. No central government could turn a blind eye to such threats to its sovereignty and national security, and risk subversion of state power, said Lam. National security invariably comes under the purview of the central authorities, be it in China or any other country. In all countries, the power to legislate on national security rests solely with the central government, according to Lam. Macao successfully completed this task in 2009. Hong Kong, after a failed attempt in 2003, has not been able to fulfill its constitutional duty. For the sake of not only the 7.5 million Hong Kong residents, but also the 1.4 billion people in the Chinese mainland, the question of how long we can tolerate such a gaping hole in national security has to be asked, and answered, she said. HKSAR prepared for shocks from suspension of preferential status Global Times By GT staff reporters Source:Global Times Published: 2020/6/30 20:28:40 Last Updated: 2020/6/30 23:11:32 HKSAR prepares for shocks from US suspension China will take "necessary countermeasures" to firmly protect its national interests after the wrongful move by the US to revoke the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR)'s special status in a bid to pressure China to drop its new National Security Law, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian told a routine press conference on Tuesday. US Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross has announced that the US would suspend preferential treatment to Hong Kong, including the availability of export license exceptions. In a separate announcement, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the US is ending "exports of US-origin defense equipment and will take steps toward imposing the same restrictions on US defense and dual-use technologies to Hong Kong." Military expert and TV commentator Song Zhongping told the Global Times on Tuesday that the US move is just a political gesture without meaningful effect, as the US does not export anything to Hong Kong that could help China's military development and did not do so even before Hong Kong's national security legislation. "Many technologies are used by both the civilian sector and the military, and the US strictly manages technological exports to other countries. It is impossible for US firms to export the most advanced technologies to China, and it is also impossible for the Chinese military to rely on technological imports, especially from the US," he said. China is expected to launch strong countermeasures against the US in response to its unreasonable sanctions on Hong Kong, Gao Lingyun, an expert at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences in Beijing, told the Global Times on Tuesday. "If the US imposes tariffs on imports from Hong Kong, Hong Kong must reply in kind. If there is evidence that US companies or individuals are involved in activities separating Hong Kong from the Chinese mainland, they would be punished according to relevant laws," Gao said. In the past decade, the US trade surplus with Hong Kong has been the biggest among all its trading partners, totaling $297 billion from 2009-18, official data showed. US exports of goods and services to Hong Kong, as well as Hong Kong's direct investment in the US, have supported some 210,000 jobs in the US. Ni Feng, director of the Institute of American Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times that the Trump administration would be "increasingly tough" on Hong Kong-related issues with the approach of the US presidential election in November. "If US voters like Trump's threatening rhetoric, I believe he would ramp up his crackdown on Hong Kong issues," Ni said. "We should not be too optimistic as the US Commerce Department may launch financial sanctions - which may be under evaluation - on Hong Kong, which would be a powerful weapon against the global financial hub," Song Guoyou, a deputy director of the Center for American Studies at Fudan University, told the Global Times. However, Liang Haiming, chairman of the China Silk Road iValley Research Institute, held a different view, from the perspective of the implementation of the phase one trade deal. "Given that President Trump has slipped behind his Democratic opponent in some recent polls, he would try hard to guarantee the smooth implementation of the agreement in order to gain an advantage in the election," he said, noting that this has become a life-and-death issue for Trump's political career. "If Trump insists on going against the interests of the US corporate sector and the Wall Street to impose sanctions on Hong Kong, tycoons may 'do anything' to stop Trump's re-election," he told the Global Times. On Tuesday, HKSAR Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor told a press conference that no sanctions can terrify Hong Kong, which would be minimally affected by the US pullback. "I believe the country will take countermeasures when needed and the HKSAR government will fully keep step with [the central government] if the countermeasures proposed by the central government in diplomatic terms require coordinated efforts from the HKSAR government," Lam said. Stating that Hong Kong is psychologically prepared for the shocks, Lam told reporters on Monday that the US runs a merchandise trade surplus of $30 billion annually with Hong Kong, and the current sanctions only necessitate the application of export licenses for defense and dual-use products. HK extremists, secessionists flee, disband groups after security law passed Global Times By GT staff reporters Source:Global Times Published: 2020/6/30 13:33:22 The deterrent effect of the National Security Law for Hong Kong has begun to show, as several secessionist leaders in Hong Kong have either left Hong Kong or disbanded their pro-secession groups on Tuesday, hours after China's top legislature voted to pass the law, analysts said. Secessionist leaders including Joshua Wong, Nathan Law and Agnes Chow announced their withdrawal from pro-secession group Demosisto Tuesday morning on Twitter. Shortly after their announcement, Demosisto, an organization founded in 2016 dedicated to secessionist work, said it would disband. Basa Leung, a political analyst based in Hong Kong, calls Wong a "politikus" who eats human blood. "He withdraws only because he knows he will be punished by law. Forces like him started chaos in Hong Kong, and have played a destructive role for the future of Hong Kong. Their withdrawal is pure political opportunism rather than their proclaimed ideals, such as democracy and freedom," Leung said. "Wong incited many young people to breach laws who are now facing the legal consequences, and brought in foreign interference. But now he wants to escape, which is selfish and despicable," Leung said, adding that the national security law comes just in time to deter Wong and his followers and protect other residents from being hijacked. Victor Chan Chi-ho, vice chairman of the Hong Kong Association of Young Commentators, told the Global Times Tuesday that the withdrawal of the three key figures from Demosisto means they want to avoid legal risks, which shows the deterrent effect of the law and the necessity for the central government to enact the law for Hong Kong. Other secessionist groups advocating "Hong Kong independence," including the Hong Kong National Front and Studentlocalism, also announced their disbandment on Tuesday. The deterrent effect of the national security law came into play even before the passage of the law. On Friday, one of the "Gang of Four" in Hong Kong - Anson Chan, Hong Kong's former chief secretary known for her secessionist stance - announced her retirement from political and civil engagements, which analysts believe the soon-to-be law has made forces like Chan realize their political opportunism has come to an end. Chan's retirement has led to a domino effect. Mark Simon, a right-hand man of Hong Kong secessionist Jimmy Lai Chee-ying said in a recent interview that he is in Taiwan. Responding to questions about whether he fled Hong Kong due to concerns that he could be arrested after the national security is enacted, he did not answer directly, but claimed that he has business in Taiwan. Lau Siu-kai, a vice-president of the Chinese Association of Hong Kong and Macao Studies, told the Global Times on Tuesday that these key figures' public announcements will very likely disappoint and even instill fear in their followers. "This may set off a chain reaction and cause divisions inside the opposition." Tam Yiu-chung, a member of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee from Hong Kong, told the Global Times on Tuesday that the national security law would specifically target four types of criminal acts - secession, subversion of state power, terrorist activities, and collusion with foreign or external forces to endanger national security - and some Hong Kong extremists such as Wong and Chou who have been colluding with external forces in an apparent manner. "I hope they would stop instigating Hong Kong secession, stop testing the law and challenging our bottom line," Tam said. Those Hong Kong secessionists have been colluding with foreign forces in fueling Anti-Extradition Bill protests in 2019, and they were arrested by Hong Kong police in 2019. Impact of legislation on 'yellow economy' demonstrates HK secessionists' political farce Global Times Source:Global Times Published: 2020/6/30 18:33:43 Legislation has clear impact on 'yellow economy' Cafes and retail shops that publicly supported secessionists in Hong Kong are now playing it safe by making a clear break from the separatist forces, after the national security law for the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) was passed on Tuesday morning. Lung Mun Cafe on Tuesday afternoon announced on Facebook that it was quitting the "yellow economy circle," which refers to businesses that support the protesters in Hong Kong. "The arrival of the 'national security law' made us rethink our path in the last year we decided to quit the 'yellow economy circle'," read the statement from the cafe, adding that it has been criticized not only by pro-government "blue ribbons" and "netizens," but also other shops in the "yellow economy." During the turmoil in 2019, the Lung Mun Cafe provided free food to protesters and cheered them on, media reports said. Glory Cafe, another "yellow restaurant" in Mongkok, was also clearing away the posters related to "Hong Kong independence" and protesting the national security law for Hong Kong on Tuesday afternoon, hk01.com reported. A branch of children's clothing chain Chickeeduck in Hong Kong's D Park shopping mall was told to move out within three weeks on Monday, after the mall rejected its application to renew its tenancy, the Stand News reported. The shop is known for a 2-meter-tall statue of a protester wearing a gas mask and holding a "revolution" flag, which was put up earlier this month. The mall had asked the owner of the shop to remove the statue before but did not success. Hong Kong residents that the Global Times interviewed said they saw "yellow shops" begin to clear away "yellow" banners, showing they were staying away from the secessionists. Photos posted by netizens showed cafes and shops in Hong Kong clearing away stickers or posters expressing "Hong Kong independence" and protests against the national security law. Netizens from the Hong Kong and the Chinese mainland mocked the "yellow economy circle's" rapid response. "You use the national security law to 'whitewash' yourself. Facing your misfortune, you only care about profits. Disgusting," said a Facebook user, expressing his outrage over Lung Mun Cafe under its statement. "They are all liars and actors to deceive Hong Kong people. Now they are almost busted," a Sina Weibo user said. "Such cowards. Retracting their heads faster than turtles," said another. Divisions appeared within Hong Kong secessionist groups right after the passing of the law on Tuesday. Leaders of the groups - including Joshua Wong, Nathan Law and Agnes Chow - announced their withdrawal from anti-government group Demosisto. "The leaders' public statement might disappoint many of their followers, which could trigger a chain reaction that splits the protester group," Lau Siu-kai, a vice-president of the Chinese Association of Hong Kong and Macao Studies, told the Global Times. Pompeo 'lying through his teeth' on Xinjiang affairs: Chinese FM Global Times Source:Global Times Published: 2020/6/30 16:56:51 US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who claimed that China is trying to reduce Uygur births using IUDs, abortion and sterilization, is "lying through his teeth," said a spokesperson from China's Foreign Ministry (FM) on Tuesday. Zhao Lijian, spokesperson of China's FM, further elaborated that China has always adopted preferential policies toward Uygur and other ethnic minority groups. The Uygur population in Xinjiang has increased from 5.55 million in 1978 to 11.68 million in 2018, accounting for 46.8 percent of the autonomous region's population and double the number of four decades ago. Zhao said that if what Pompeo said is true, why has the population in Xinjiang soared in recent years? He added that looking at the US, its ethnic minority groups were mistreated and sidelined in society, and have had to endure long and systemic discrimination in all areas of life. Pompeo made the comments after the Associated Press published an article claiming that China "is taking draconian measures to slash birth rates among Uygur and other minorities." The story was published in advance of its publication by German scholar Adrian Zenz. Pompeo on Monday labeled the claims as "shocking" and "disturbing," and asked China to end these horrific practices. Zhao rebuked the claims by citing the example of native Americans, who were slaughtered, isolated and faced genocide by the US government, who killed them in large numbers during its Westward Expansion. The population of native Americans has dropped from 5 million in 1492 to 250,000, and this group of people now accounts for merely two percent of its former population, according to Zhao. He further said that the number of African Americans who contracted the coronavirus in the US was five times that of white people, and the mortality rate also far exceeded that of their white peers, which revealed racial inequality in the US. The recent protests over George Floyd's death also exposed systemic discrimination in the US, and demands an urgent solution, said Zhao. Zhao stressed that this is not the first time the US has cited Zenz's fabricated information, citing the revelation by US independent organization Greyzone that Zenz belongs to a far right organization in the US, and played an important role in US intelligence organizations' fabrication of stories about Xinjiang. "We urge the US politicians such as Pompeo to take off their colored spectacles, and to abandon double standards, take their own racial discrimination problems seriously and stop smearing China's domestic affairs," said Zhao. China to impose visa restrictions on U.S. individuals acting maliciously on HK-related issues People's Daily Online (Xinhua) 08:50, June 30, 2020 BEIJING, June 29 (Xinhua) -- China has decided to impose visa restrictions on U.S. individuals who have acted maliciously on issues related to Hong Kong, a foreign ministry spokesperson said Monday. Spokesperson Zhao Lijian made the remarks at a press briefing in response to the U.S. imposition of visa restrictions on Chinese officials. Zhao said that Hong Kong affairs are purely China's internal affairs, and allow for no foreign interference. The Chinese government is determined in safeguarding national sovereignty, security and development interests, implementing the "one country, two systems" principle, and opposing external interference in Hong Kong affairs, he said. The U.S. attempt to obstruct China's national security legislation for the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region by adopting so-called sanctions will be to no avail, Zhao added. In response to the passing of the so-called Hong Kong Autonomy Act and other Hong Kong-related bills by the U.S. Senate, Zhao said separatist forces intending to disrupt Hong Kong can clamor as they like and anti-China external forces may try to exert pressure, but neither will stop China's resolute action to advance the legislation. "Their attempts are doomed to fail. This act will be nothing more than a piece of paper," Zhao said. "It is vicious denigration of the national security legislation for Hong Kong, grave interference in Hong Kong affairs and China's internal affairs, and violation of international law and basic norms of international relations," the spokesperson said, adding China rejects it and has lodged solemn representations with the United States. The national security legislation for Hong Kong aims to safeguard China's sovereignty, security and development interests, lasting peace, stability and prosperity in Hong Kong, and steady and sustained implementation of "one country, two systems," he said. "We urge the U.S. side to grasp the situation and immediately stop meddling in Hong Kong affairs and China's internal affairs in any way. It shall not push or implement the negative bill concerning Hong Kong, even less imposing sanctions on the Chinese side based on it. Otherwise China will react firmly with strong countermeasures and the United States shall bear all the consequences," Zhao said. China's Yun-20 large transport aircraft holds great potential PLA Daily Source: China Military Online Editor: Li Wei 2020-06-30 21:16:55 By Chen Yu BEIJING, June 30 -- Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 epidemic, China's domestically developed Yun-20 large transport aircraft has carried out missions abroad for many times, successively delivering anti-epidemic supplies to Pakistan, Thailand and other countries. Recently, it made its maiden flight to Russia to transport the PLA Guard of Honor to participate in the military parade staged in Moscow's Red Square. Military expert Chen Hong said that in the future, the Yun-20 transport aircraft is sure to significantly improve the combat capability of the PLA troops. A solid backing to the PLA Air Force In the modern warfare with wider war zones and faster war pace, countries all over the world are trying to strengthen the quick response and long-range delivery capabilities of their troops, to quickly transport their troops and weapons to areas in urgent need and save time for the reinforcement of follow-up troops. Under this situation, the armed forces of all countries are eager to equip large-scale heavy-duty transport aircraft. According to the information from Tang Changhong, chief designer of the Yun-20, the maximum take-off weight of the aircraft is 220 tons, and the maximum loading capacity is 66 tons. "To build up a modern PLA Air Force with strong combat capability, it is quite necessary to equip large transport aircraft like Yun-20, the speed of which is more than three times that of high-speed rail trains and more than 20 times that of marine transportation. It can get the whole combat units rallied in the shortest time, greatly contributing to the rapid deployment of troops and enhancing combat capability", said Chen Hong. It still holds great development potential "The Yun-20 transport aircraft is quite promising for future development." According to Chen Hong's introduction, the Yun-20 transport aircraft is currently powered by Russian D-30KP-2 engines, which is likely to be replaced by WS-20, the domestically developed new-generation large-scale jet engine, in the future. It can provide more than 15 tons of thrust. "In recent years, China's fighter engine R&D technology has achieved leapfrog development, breaking through the unimaginable bottlenecks. New engines like WS-20 will also be used to equip China's large military transport aircraft in the near future and play a more prominent role", added Chen Hong. In addition, the Yun-20 can also be adapted as an aerial tanker or an antisubmarine aircraft. With a payload of up to 66 tons, it can become an aerial gas station, which can cooperate with fighters skillfully in aerial refueling operations. As an antisubmarine aircraft, it can carry a variety of light and heavy antisubmarine equipment. With its advantages of heavy weight, long endurance and long range, its performance will be more powerful. At present, China's Air Force is in urgent need of Yun-20 transport aircraft. Chen Hong said that in view of China's current goal of building up a strategic air force, several hundred Yun-20s are needed at least. "It marks a magnificent progress in the history of China's Air Force. I believe there will be even more advanced aircraft to equip China's Air Force in the future", added Chen. China's President Xi signs Hong Kong national security bill into law Iran Press TV Tuesday, 30 June 2020 3:24 PM Chinese President Xi Jinping has signed a landmark national security bill for Hong Kong into law. China's official news agency Xinhua said the signing occurred on Tuesday, shortly after the country's top lawmaking body voted unanimously to adopt the law and decided that it would be included in Hong Kong's mini-constitution. The new law, which takes immediate effect, would criminalize sedition, secession, and subversion against mainland China, and paved the way for Chinese national security institutions to operate in the city for the first time since 1997, when Hong Kong returned from British to Chinese rule. Western countries have harshly criticized the law, claiming that it would undermine the city's autonomy and the "one country, two systems" principle. China has rejected the criticism as interference in its domestic affairs. Security law 'a sword hanging over heads of rioters' On Tuesday, Chinese and Hong Kong authorities insisted that the law would only target a minority of people, and vowed to restore business confidence after a year of unrest in the city. China's Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office in Beijing warned that for the few individuals trying to endanger the security of Hong Kong, the law would be a "sword hanging over their heads," and also a "protective talisman" for those who want peace and stability in the city. Moreover, Beijing's Hong Kong liaison office said in a statement that China's and Hong Kong's determination to strictly enforce the law should not be underestimated, and that no one should take the "steely constraints" of the law lightly. "The Central Government has carefully evaluated and is fully prepared for the situations that may be encountered during the implementation of Hong Kong's national security law," the liaison office said. Protests erupted in Hong Kong after the law was proposed on May 22. Critics view it as a blow to the region's autonomy and civil liberties, while China says the legislation would leave political freedoms intact and return stability. Hong Kong was rocked by violent protests over another bill that would have reformed its extradition law last year. Rioters vandalized the city, destroying public and private property and attacking individuals deemed to be pro-government. Hong Kong dropped that bill, but the acts of violence continued. US threats, intimidation will never work: China Meanwhile, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday that the country was determined to defend its national interests, stressing that US threats and intimidation would never work on Beijing. At a regular press conference in Beijing, Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said the US's interference in Hong Kong's affairs was not permitted by the Chinese government. "On the issue of Hong Kong's national security legislation, China has stated its stern position on many occasions that those affairs are purely China's internal affairs and no foreign country has the right to interfere," Zhao said. He said the Chinese government would safeguard its sovereignty and implement the principle of "one country, two systems." He said the US's threat of sanctions against China would not work and the country would take countermeasures if any are imposed. Last week, the US Senate approved a bill that would impose mandatory sanctions on people or companies that Washington claims back efforts to restrict Hong Kong's autonomy. It includes secondary sanctions on banks that do business with anyone backing any crackdown on the territory's autonomy. China ratifies Hong Kong security law; US suspends territory's preferential exports Iran Press TV Tuesday, 30 June 2020 7:57 AM The Chinese parliament's top decision-making body has approved a new national security law for Hong Kong, nearly 40 days after the semi-autonomous city's legislature passed the Beijing-proposed bill. The standing committee of China's National People's Congress approved the bill on Tuesday, the last day of a special session to fast-track the legislation. The full text of the bill has not been released yet, but according to previous reporting, the law criminalizes sedition, secession, terrorism, and collusion with foreign forces against the mainland. Beijing was also expected to set up a national security office in Hong Kong to "supervise, guide and support" the city government. The South China Morning Post (SCMP) quoted unidentified sources as saying that the official Xinhua news agency would publish the details of the law on Tuesday afternoon and Hong Kong officials would gather at Beijing's top representative office in the city later in the day for a meeting on the legislation. Protests erupted in Hong Kong after the law was proposed on May 22. Critics view it as a blow to the region's autonomy and civil liberties. China says the legislation will leave political freedoms intact and return stability. Hong Kong was rocked by violent protests over another bill that would have reformed its extradition law last year. Rioters vandalized the city, destroying public and private property and attacking individuals deemed to be pro-government. Hong Kong dropped that bill, but the acts of violence continued. Western governments, meanwhile, have jumped at the opportunity to attack China. Beijing has repeatedly warned against foreign meddling in its internal affairs. US reacts, cuts back exports Washington began abolishing Hong Kong's special status under US law on Monday, halting defense exports and limiting the city's access to high-technology products in anticipation of the law's enactment. US Commerce Department declared its suspension of "preferential treatment to Hong Kong over China, including the availability of export license exceptions," noting that further measures to eliminate the city's privileged status were under consideration. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo claimed that Washington was "forced to take this action to protect US national security." Pompeo also announced last week that Washington was imposing visa restrictions on current and former officials of China's Communist Party believed to be undermining Hong Kong's autonomy. Beijing then reacted on Monday by declaring that it would impose visa restrictions on American individuals with "egregious conduct" on Hong Kong-related issues. Hong Kong's leader slams threats of sanctions Meanwhile, Hong Kong's Chief Executive Carrie Lam blasted threats of sanctions against the city on Tuesday. "No sort of sanctioning action will ever scare us," she said. "Any sanctions will not intimidate us. Our country will have countermeasures." She did not, however, comment on the passage of the national security law, because a meeting in Beijing to discuss the law was still ongoing then. Meanwhile, police have banned this year's July 1 rally on the anniversary of the city's 1997 handover from Britain to China, citing coronavirus restrictions. The SCMP also reported that nearly 4,000 officers would be on standby on Wednesday to deal with any unrest if people defied the ban. China Passes Draconian Security Law For Hong Kong, Opposition Groups Disband 2020-06-30 -- China on Tuesday approved draconian new security legislation for Hong Kong banning activities deemed subversive or secessionist, paving the way for its feared state security police to operate in the city. The law's approval by the National People's Congress (NPC) standing committee after months of mass public protest was immediately condemned by Brussels as being in breach of China's treaty obligations to preserve Hong Kong's independent judicial status and traditional freedoms of speech and association. "We hope the law will serve as a deterrent to prevent people from stirring up trouble," Tam Yiu-chung, Hong Kong's sole representative on the committee, told reporters after the law was approved. "Don't let Hong Kong be used as a tool to split the country." "Stirring up trouble" is frequently used as an accusation against peaceful critics of the ruling Chinese Communist Party, which has sought to label last year's mass protests for democracy and the preservation of Hong Kong's freedoms as a secessionist movement instigated by foreign powers. Amid widespread fear that the law will be used to target opposition politicians and peaceful campaigners, two of Hong Kong's youth-led "localist" political parties announced they would dissolve shortly after the law was passed. Former 2014 pro-democracy movement leader Joshua Wong resigned as leader of Demosisto, the political group he founded in the wake of the Occupy Central movement. Soon afterwards, the group announced it would cease operations in Hong Kong. Demisisto said its current operations were "unsustainable" in the current political climate. "We hereby announced that Demosisto will disband and cease operations ... People of Hong Kong, see you on the streets!" Demosisto founder Agnes Wong, whose bid to run as a candidate for the city's Legislative Council (LegCo) was denied for political reasons, and former Demosisto lawmaker Nathan Law, who was stripped of his LegCo seat after an edict from Beijing, also announced their resignations at the same time. 'Heavy-hearted decision' Tony Chung, founder of the Studentlocalism activist group, announced his group would disband and that he would withdraw from political activism. "Today, I had no choice but to make a heavy-hearted decision to disband our Hong Kong members and operations," Chung said in a Facebook post after the law passed. "I have no choice based on [the new] political reality ... I will continue to walk with the people of Hong Kong after my occupation changes," he wrote. Meanwhile, democracy activists Figo Chan, Wu Chi Wai, Bull Tsang and Andy Tsui vowed to take to the streets in a protest march marking the 23rd anniversay of the 1997 handover in defiance of a police ban, and on the day the law -- which will bypass LegCo -- is expected to take effect in the city. China has yet to make public the full text of the law, which it claims has widespread support in Hong Kong. However, pro-Beijing politicians have warned that the maximum jail term for sedition, subversion, and colluding with "overseas forces" has been hiked from 10 years to life. State news agency Xinhua has reported that the law will target acts of "secession, subversion, terrorism, and collusion with foreign or external forces that endanger national security." The law requires the setting up of a national security office under the direct control of the ruling Chinese Communist Party in Beijing to oversee the implementation of the law and provides for mainland Chinese state security police to have a base in the city, in contravention of an article in the city's mini constitution, the Basic Law. Chief executive Carrie Lam will be given the power to appoint judges to hear cases brought under the law, a move that lawyers have warned will compromise judicial independence. Hong Kong's police force, already widely criticized for widespread violence against peaceful protesters and increasingly arbitrary arrests, has already set up a national security division to implement the law, according to Xinhua. Sweeping new powers Lam defended Beijing's right to impose the legislation in Hong Kong in a speech via video link to the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva. "All those countries which have pointed their fingers at China have their own national security legislation in place," she said. "We could think of no valid reason why China alone should be inhibited from enacting national security legislation to protect every corner of its territory and all of its nationals." More than a hundred protesters gathered at a luxury mall in Hong Kong's Central business district, chanting slogans including "Free Hong Kong, Revolution Now!" with several holding up a flag representing an independent Hong Kong as well as posters condemning the law. London-based rights group Amnesty International said the law would give China sweeping new powers to name anyone in Hong Kong a criminal suspect under the law. "The passing of the national security law is a painful moment for the people of Hong Kong and represents the greatest threat to human rights in the city's recent history," the group's China team leader Joshua Rosenzweig said in a statement. "From now on, China will have the power to impose its own laws on any criminal suspect it chooses." He said the fact that the law had been passed without anyone in Hong Kong seeing the full text suggested it would be used as a "weapon of repression" against peaceful opposition and criticism. "Their aim is to govern Hong Kong through fear from this point forward," Rosenzweig said. The EU Commission President said the EU is "seriously concerned" about the law, which "does not conform with Hong Kong's Basic Law or China's international commitments." Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Monday said the U.S. would stop exporting sensitive military items to Hong Kong, following his announcement Friday that Washington was imposing visa restrictions on current and former Chinese Communist Party members believed to be responsible for undermining Hong Kong's promised autonomy and traditional freedoms. The U.S. views the national security law as being in breach of China's international obligations under the 1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration governing the 1997 handover. Activists fear that leaders of pro-democracy protests since 2014 could be among the first targets of mainland-inspired arrests. Reported by RFA's Mandarin and Cantonese Services. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie. Copyright 1998-2020, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content June not be used in a manner which would give the appearance of any endorsement of any product or support of any issue or political position. Please read the full text of our Terms of Use. China Legislature Passes National Security Law For Hong Kong - Reports By Paul Eckert 2020-06-30 -- China's top legislative body approved a national security law on Tuesday for Hong Kong that will bring China's feared state security police to the city and criminalize secession, subversion, terrorism, and collusion with foreign forces, Hong Kong media reports said. The National People's Congress Standing Committee voted unanimously to approve the law on the former British colony when it wrapped up a three-day meeting Tuesday in Beijing, The South China Morning Post and other outlets in the city reported. The law was "approved unanimously by the standing committee's 162 members, within 15 minutes of the meeting starting," the English-language newspaper reported. China has yet to make public any detailed provision of the law, which it claims has widespread support in Hong Kong. China's official Xinhua News Agency will publish details of the law later on Tuesday, the Post said. Xinhua has reported that it will target acts of "secession, subversion, terrorism, and collusion with foreign or external forces that endanger national security." The law requires the setting up of a national security office under the direct control of the ruling Chinese Communist Party in Beijing to oversee the implementation of the law, while local officials including chief executive Carrie Lam will also ensure it is implemented. There are also provisions that will allow Lam to appoint judges to preside in trials under the national security law, which will see China's feared state security police given free rein to operate in Hong Kong. In addition, the city's police force has also set up a separate national security department to bring cases under the law, and its justice bureau will follow suit. Some "special cases" will be handled directly from Beijing, with no indication given of what might constitute a "special case." At a regular news briefing on Tuesday, Lam would not comment on reports it had passed. "It is not appropriate for me to comment on any questions related to the national security law," she said. The South China Morning Post reported that only a few Hong Kong delegates to the national legislature saw a draft of the law before its passage on Tuesday, the last day of a special session to fast-track the legislation. The national security legislation has been condemned internationally as a threat to Hong Kong's autonomy as promised under the "one country, two systems" terms of the former British colony's handover to Chinese control in 1997. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Monday said the U.S. would stop exporting sensitive military items to Hong Kong, following his announcement Friday that Washington was imposing visa restrictions on current and former Chinese Communist Party members believed to be responsible for undermining Hong Kong's promised autonomy and traditional freedoms. "As Beijing moves forward with passing the national security law, the United States will today end exports of U.S.-origin defense equipment and will take steps toward imposing the same restrictions on U.S. defense and dual-use technologies to Hong Kong as it does for China," Pompeo sad in a statement. "We can no longer distinguish between the export of controlled items to Hong Kong or to mainland China," he added. The U.S. views the national security law as being in breach of China's international obligations under the 1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration governing the 1997 handover. Rights groups and pro-democracy activists say it will bring mainland Chinese law enforcement to the city, in spite of promises that it would run its own law enforcement and judicial business. Activists warn that leaders of pro-democracy protests since 2014 could be among the first targets of mainland-inspired arrests. Hong Kong police arrested 53 people on Sunday at the scene of a rally against the national security legislation, charging them with illegal assembly under existing public order laws. Copyright 1998-2020, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content June not be used in a manner which would give the appearance of any endorsement of any product or support of any issue or political position. Please read the full text of our Terms of Use. Hong Kong's Security Law Takes Effect as China Unveils Sweeping Definitions 2020-06-30 -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday signed a presidential order to impose draconian security legislation on Hong Kong, with effect from 11.00 p.m. local time, an hour before the July 1 handover anniversary. The full text of the Law of the People's Republic of China on Safeguarding National Security in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, which bans a vaguely defined and all-encompassing slew of actions including many seen during last year's pro-democracy protests and anti-extradition movement, was published in Chinese only in the Hong Kong government gazette and signed by its chief executive Carrie Lam. Beijing's Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office (HKMAO) likened the national security law to a "sharp sword" hanging over the heads of anyone "endangering national security." However, the law also targets anyone in the world committing actions within its scope, regardless of whether they live in Hong Kong or are its permanent residents. Many of the actions and activities banned in the law could include those taken by protesters last year in the face of widespread police violence meted out even to peaceful mass marches. Trials under the law may be held in secret if "state secrets" are deemed to be involved. The mainland Chinese authorities have typically employed a highly elastic definition of what constitutes a state secret, and national security charges are frequently leveled at rights activists, authors and academics and human rights lawyers for something they posted online. Anyone suspected of "crimes" under the law can be issued with a travel ban, their passport confiscated and their assets frozen. Businesses, groups and other legal entities suspected of breaching the law may be shut down or have their licenses to operate revoked, echoing a process used by authorities in mainland China to revoke human rights lawyers' license to operate as a business. The law may also be used to require media or online service providers to remove copy deemed to harm national security, and to reveal details of its source. Anyone "causing residents of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region to have misgivings about the Central People's Government through various unlawful means," will also be pursued under the law, a provision that also could potentially be used to target the media and anyone commenting on social media. Judges in national security trials may be appointed by Lam. Cases will be heard by three judges. 'Foreign forces' Any activity that is deemed to have used "force or the threat of force" to advocate independence for Hong Kong would be covered by the law, as would any financial aid, help or other donations to such a cause. Anyone using or preparing explosive devices like the Molotov cocktails in widespread use by frontline protesters fighting back against riot police would fall within the law's remit. Potential targets could also include anyone advocating independence or self-sufficiency for Hong Kong, and anyone promoting, donating to, or helping such groups in any way. The law also targets those "seriously interfering with, obstructing or sabotaging the Central Authorities of the People's Republic of China or the performance of functions by the organs of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, which could mean obstructing almost any form of official business. A clause about "attacking, damaging or destroying [government] places and facilities" would encompass anyone vandalizing government property, which also occurred during last year's protests, as well as anyone funding or helping anyone to do these things. Anyone vandalizing the MTR or ticket machines, anyone using fire hydrants, or interfering with a CCTV camera, all of which became regular features of protests, could also fall into the law's net, as could anyone helping, funding or donating to people doing such things. People offering lifts to protesters or assisting them in other ways could also be targeted. The articles on "collusion with foreign forces" refer to anyone seen to be working with overseas organizations or individuals, not just to obtain state secrets, but also to "obstruct" Hong Kong government law or policy. Anyone colluding with foreign powers to impose sanctions on Hong Kong will also be targeted, which was a key plank of the pro-democracy movement's strategy, culminating in the passing of the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act in the U.S. in November 2019. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie. Copyright 1998-2020, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content June not be used in a manner which would give the appearance of any endorsement of any product or support of any issue or political position. Please read the full text of our Terms of Use. Joshua Wong's Hong Kong Opposition Group Disbands as Foreign Funding Dries Up Sputnik News Jason Dunn. Sputnik International 18:46 GMT 30.06.2020 A National Security Law introduced by Beijing in Hong Kong has been met with widespread condemnation by foreign governments including the United States and the United Kingdom. The opposition groups, who have made repeated overtures for funding external powers, have coincidentally collapsed as the legislation comes in. A political party in Hong Kong founded by former student activists announced its dissolution on Tuesday as Beijing introduces a national security law which curbs foreign funding for organisations in the special administrative region "After much internal deliberation, we have decided to disband and cease all operation as a group given the circumstances", Demosisto said on Twitter. The announcement follows announcements by four of the party's top members including Joshua Wong, Nathan Law, Jeffrey Ngo, and Agnes Chow, that they would be stepping down from their involvement with the group. Wong, who has previously been arrested for unlawful assembly, has said he plans to run for office in September of this year. He has previously demanded international sanctions be placed on China by the United States as well as met with key US-lawmakers such as Marco Rubio, Hillary Clinton, and Nancy Pelosi. Demosisto was set up amid a wave of student-led protests in 2014 in opposition to legislative reforms and later, against an extradition bill proposed to allow criminals in Hong Kong to be trialed in mainland China. The National Security Bill which was officially introduced on Tuesday is designed to reinforce the 1 country 2 systems arrangement which has been in place since the return of Hong Kong to China in 1997. Hong Kong anti-Beijing activists claim that the bill is being used to quash the opposition movement and undermine the autonomy of the business hub, while the Chinese authorities have claimed that it established legislation that has been accepted since the handover. Reaffirming the Basic Law of 1997, the bill explicitly outlaws secession, sedition, subversion of state power, terrorism, gives China's state security agencies the power to work in the Special Administrative Region, and prohibits political organizations or bodies of the Region from "establishing ties with foreign political organizations or bodies". United States-based National Endowment for Democracy (NED), a US state-funded organisation openly provides financial support to Hong Kong opposition organisations like the Washington-based Solidarity Center and the Hong Kong Justice Center. The NED has also explicitly given support to Demosisto in the past, organising an event in 2019 which included Nathan Law as a key speaker. A Sputnik Chinese Company Hails Breakthrough Oilfield Discovery Amid Hopes to Shake Off Reliance on Imports Sputnik News 13:53 GMT 30.06.2020 China has been hoping to lessen its dependence on oil and gas imports amid a global economy battered by the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, plummeting demand and nosediving crude prices. The China National Offshore Oil Corporation Limited (CNOOC) announced on 30 June in a press release that it had made a significant oilfield exploration breakthrough. The Huizhou 26-6 structure, located in the Huizhou Sag in the Zhu1 Depression of Pearl River Mouth Basin in the Eastern South China Sea was tested to produce around 2,020 barrels of oil and 15.36 million cubic feet of gas per day. A statement said that well HZ26-6-1 was drilled and completed at a depth of 4,276 meters, encountering oil and gas pay zones with a total thickness of approximately 422.2 meters. The find is anticipated as the first mid-to-large sized condensate oil and gas field in the shallow waters of Pearl River Mouth Basin. "The successful exploration of Huizhou 26-6 oil and gas structure is the first time that the company has achieved commercial and highly productive oil and gas flow in buried hill exploration in Eastern South China Sea, marking a significant exploration breakthrough in Paleogene and buried hill complex oil and gas reservoir in Pearl River Mouth Basin, and further proving the huge exploration potential in this new field," says CNOOC. CNOOC's new discovery has been hailed as potentially feeding into China's ambitions to boost its domestic oil and natural gas production. The Asian giant has been seeking a way to reduce its reliance on imports of oil and gas, tasking companies such as state-controlled CNOOC with bringing forward exploration work to replenish domestic reserves. As the global oil industry has been left reeling from the major impact of the coronavirus pandemic, that has driven world crude demand to plummet and prices hit record lows, Chinese state oil majors have been obliged to slash cut capital expenditures for 2020. The oil price collapse, state analysts, has hit national oil companies in Asia such as CNOOC, PetroChina and China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation (Sinopec) the hardest. However, in the longer term, this is also underscored as a potential boon, as the companies are prioritizing increase of domestic oil and gas production over overseas operations. According to Fitch Ratings, China's drive to boost energy security via hiked domestic production will unleash higher investments from the Chinese oil giants. As it affirmed its A+ rating on CNOOC Limited, with a "stable" outlook, Fitch said last week that the company "plays a strategic role in safeguarding the country's energy security via its offshore upstream activities, both domestically and overseas." While Fitch's oil and gas price deck forecasts CNOOC's revenue and Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization (EBITDA) as weak for 2020, due to the price collapse, a gradual recovery is anticipated from 2021. A Sputnik China's President Xi Jinping Signs Hong Kong National Security Law Sputnik News 10:09 GMT 30.06.2020(updated 10:48 GMT 30.06.2020) China's top legislative body, the standing committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), voted unanimously in support of the new national security law on Hong Kong on Tuesday, the official China Central Television (CCTV) reported. Chinese President Xi Jinping signed a decree to enact the Hong Kong national security law into effect after it was passed by the National People's Congress, accotding to the CCTV. In response to the passage of the new legislation, a number of key activists in Hong Kong, including Joshua Wong, have decided to quit the political parties they were involved in. A number of pro-democracy activists have deleted their accounts on Twitter over fears of retribution or possible criminal charges under the new legislation. In turn, Hong Kong chief executive Carrie Lam has said that the national security law will not undermine Hong Kong's autonomy. Earlier in the day, the US Commerce Department announced the suspension of preferential treatment of Hong Kong over China, including export license exceptions. In addition, the Department of State announced on Monday that the US was ending exports of defence equipment and sensitive dual-use technologies to Hong Kong, placing them under same restrictions that exist for China. The new legislation bans secessionist, subversive and terrorist activities, along with any form of foreign interference in Hong Kong. The move is supported by the Hong Kong leadership but has been met by a wave of protests in the city, as some residents fear their rights may be infringed, and abroad. According to Beijing, the new security law aims to punish illegal activities in the city without harming the existing democratic freedoms of locals. A Sputnik Carrie Lam Assures Newly-Passed National Security Law Won't Undermine Hong Kong's Autonomy Sputnik News 08:50 GMT 30.06.2020(updated 09:26 GMT 30.06.2020) Earlier in the day, Chinese legislators passed the law, which, according to Beijing, is designed for the purpose of safeguarding China's national security in Hong Kong. Hong Kong chief executive Carrie Lam has said that the national security law will not undermine Hong Kong's autonomy. Carrie Lam added that Hong Kong was not afraid of the possible sanctions that the United States is prepared to impose over the city's new security law. "No sanctions can scare us, we are psychologically prepared," Lam said at a briefing, adding that many of the city's industries using these dual-use products are likely to find an alternative, and the restrictions will have with little impact on Hong Kong. According to the chief executive, if necessary, in response to similar restrictive measures of other countries, Beijing may take countermeasures, and if the central government needs diplomatic assistance from Hong Kong, it will certainly receive it. The new legislation bans secessionist, subversive and terrorist activities, along with any form of foreign interference in Hong Kong. It has provoked a wave of criticism in Hong Kong and abroad with US President Donald Trump threatening to reconsider the US ties with the city. A Sputnik Hong Kong Party Demosisto Disbanded as Security Law Reportedly Passes Sputnik News 07:16 GMT 30.06.2020(updated 07:41 GMT 30.06.2020) The Demosisto political party, which advocated for self-determination in Hong Kong has announced that it was disbanding in light of the new national security law. Earlier in the day, leading Demosisto members Joshua Wong, Nathan Law, Jeffrey Ngo and Agnes Chow withdrew from the party. The new legislation bans secessionist, subversive and terrorist activities, along with any form of foreign interference in Hong Kong. It has provoked a wave of criticism in Hong Kong and abroad with US President Donald Trump threatening to reconsider the US ties with the city, including the preferential treatment it enjoys, as well as sanction both Chinese and Hong Kong officials for allegedly undermining the city's autonomy. A Sputnik China's Approval of Hong Kong Security Law Sparks Widespread Jitters By Verna Yu June 30, 2020 China's legislature has passed a controversial national security law for Hong Kong that is causing widespread jitters among activists and ordinary citizens. Passage of the law has prompted several activist groups to immediately close while individuals delete social media posts out of fear that the new measures could send them to jail. The official Xinhua news agency reported that China's top lawmaking body, the standing committee of the National People's Congress, adopted the measure on Tuesday and President Xi Jinping signed an order to endorse it. Xinhua said the new measure will be added to a list of national laws that apply to Hong Kong in an annex of its mini-constitution, the Basic Law. According to Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam, the law was to be enacted late Tuesday local time, the eve of the 23rd anniversary of Hong Kong's return to Chinese rule. Aimed at stopping the often-violent protests in the anti-government movement that roiled Hong Kong over the past year, the legislation will criminalize secession, subversion, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces. Xinhua quoted Li Zhanshu, chairman of the NPC Standing Committee, as saying the legislation has adopted the principle of "punishing a minority while protecting the majority." He said the move will safeguard the country's security and Hong Kong's "long-term stability." The full text of the law has not been revealed, but local media reports quote sources as saying that Hong Kong's top leader and the Beijing-led national security agency in Hong Kong could send "serious" national security cases to mainland Chinese courts to be tried under "special circumstances.'' Local reports also say the penalties for national security crimes will range from three- to 10 years in prison, with life imprisonment for "serious cases." While the law is not supposed to be applied retroactively, acts from the past two years that have "endangered the state" could be used as evidence in courts, they say. Henry Tang, a member of the standing committee of the advisory body Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, told reporters that China will only exercise jurisdiction on a minority of cases that the Hong Kong government has "no ability, no power or no authority" to handle. Just hours after passage of the bill, high-profile young political activists including Joshua Wong, Nathan Law and Agnes Chow announced they would quit their group Demosisto and the group itself also announced it would fold. Two pro-independence groups, Hong Kong National Front and Studentlocalism, also said they would close. Wong, 23, said on his Facebook page that for democracy activists, it is "no longer a joke to fear for one's life," adding that they also face jail terms, interrogations in special detention centers and being sent to China for trials. China's state media have repeatedly accused Wong as well as other prominent pro-democracy figures such as Jimmy Lai and Martin Lee of "collusion with foreign powers" for their engagements with U.S. and other foreign governments. Collusion will be one of the four national security crimes under the new law. "No one is sure about what will happen tomorrow," he said, vowing to continue fighting for his belief in his personal capacity. "[But] the will of Hong Kong won't be crushed by a national security law or any other bad laws." Ordinary Hong Kongers say they are also anxious about the loss of basic freedoms and the rule of law. "I'd be scared whatever way they use the law. You don't know when you'd step on the red line," said a university student who identified himself as Michael. "From now on, we have to learn how to survive under a dictatorship." Michael said he and many of his friends have been deleting social media posts in case they are implicated under the new law. The national security measure, according to an explanation of the draft law released earlier, is also supposed to override Hong Kong legislation "should conflicts arise," while the power of interpreting the new measure is vested in the National People's Congress Standing Committee. Lam said in a statement that the city's government will establish a commission for safeguarding national security and that it will be chaired by her as soon as possible. Dedicated units in the Hong Kong police force and the department of justice will be responsible for implementing the relevant legal provisions in the law, the statement added. China will also establish an agency to analyze the national security situation in Hong Kong and "monitor, supervise, coordinate and support" the local government's efforts, collect intelligence and handle relevant cases, according to state media earlier. "After the implementation of the National Security Law, the social unrest which has troubled Hong Kong people for nearly a year, will be eased and stability will be restored, thereby enabling Hong Kong to start anew," Lam said. But political scientists disagree. They say using a draconian law to coerce superficial stability would only fuel resentment among citizens and is not a long-term solution. "In the eyes of many Hong Kongers, this is the end of one country, two systems and Hong Kong will be just like any Chinese city and people have to behave likewise," said Joseph Cheng, retired political scientist at the City University of Hong Kong. "Beijing has achieved crushing the opposition in Hong Kong, but the price to pay is very high," he said. "The international community is now reassessing the nature of the Communist regime and is more reluctant to engage with it." The Trump administration took a series of steps after China announced its intention to approve the national security law back in May. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced earlier in June that the United States no longer considers Hong Kong autonomous from China, and on Monday ended exports of defense equipment and dual-use technologies that originate in the U.S. to Hong Kong, citing national security purposes. Spox: China opposes extension of arms embargo on Iran IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Beijing, June 30, IRNA -- Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian said China opposes the US act to extend arms embargo on Iran. "On your first question, China firmly upholds the authority of the UNSC resolution and the efficacy of the JCPOA," Lijian said addressing the Tuesday press conference. "We oppose the US move to push for an extension of the arms embargo against Iran in the UN Security Council," he added. "All provisions of Resolution 2231, including the content related to lifting the arms embargo against Iran, should be faithfully implemented," he noted. Speaking to IRNA on the annexation of the West Bank by the Zionist regime of Israel, he said, "The Security Council has long made it clear that the establishment of those settlements constitutes a violation under international law." "The question of occupied territories in the West Bank should be resolved as early as possible based on the relevant UN resolutions," Lijian noted. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo earlier claimed that the US is still a participant to the UNSC Resolution 2231 and can request an extension of Iran's arms embargo based on Article 11 of the Resolution. With its unilateral exit from Iran nuclear deal two years ago, the United States violated its commitments under the 2015 multilateral accord and a subsequent UNSC Resolution 2231 as well. Russia and China as two other signatories to Iran nuclear deal, as well as some European countries and Iran have made it clear that the US claim is a misconception of the Resolution. They reiterated that Washington is no longer a party to Iran nuclear deal as it has unilaterally withdrawn from the accord. 9376**2050 Iran identifies 40 American individuals involved in Gen. Soleimani's assassination ISNA - Iranian Students' News Agency Tue / 30 June 2020 / 11:53 Tehran (ISNA) - The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran has hosted a meeting on the US assassination of top Iranian commander Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani. In the gathering, hosted by Iran's deputy Foreign Minister for International and Legal Affairs, Mohsen Baharvand and attended by representatives of political, legal, security, military and judicial organizations, the latest developments surrounding the case of assassination of Lt. General Qassem Soleimani were discussed. Speaking about the topics raised in the meeting, Mohsen Baharvand said, "The coordination meeting was held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Thank God, the honorable Judiciary is working on the case day and night and is studying the evidence that has been gathered. Our intelligence and security forces have so far detected around forty American individuals who have somehow had a role in the assassination, including the ones that ordered, aided and abetted the crime. Some other individuals, including a number of operators of the American drones have not been identified yet, but this will happen soon." "We coordinated efforts to handle the work more rapidly, and after the remaining American and non-American individuals with a role in the assassination are detected, the judge will soon indict them on the basis of undeniable proof and evidence, and the entire (Iranian) Establishment will not desist in its efforts until those individuals are brought to justice," he added. "Apart from the individuals involved in the crime, and considering that the crime has been an action against our national sovereignty and security, the government of the US and a number of countries whose territory has been used for committing that crime have international responsibility and must be held accountable for their action in violation of the international law, as we will be pursuing the issue in the international circles and organizations," Baharvand noted. "Immediately after the US committed that crime, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has taken the international political measures and has conveyed the Iranian people and government's protest to the international organizations, including the United Nations, the Security Council, and the other relevant international organizations, calling on them to take action in this regard proportional to the area of their responsibilities respectively," the Iranian diplomat added. "We have also held meetings with many countries and have informed them about details of the crime, and we are weighing plans to further pursue (the case) at the international level in order to follow it up more by any means possible with new information and evidence," Baharvand concluded. End Item Iran says to sue U.S. president, officials for assassination of Soleimani People's Daily Online (Xinhua) 09:13, June 30, 2020 TEHRAN, June 29 (Xinhua) -- Iran has filed a case with the Interpol to arrest a number of U.S. political and military officials "who were involved in the assassination" of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani in January, Tehran Prosecutor General Ali Qasi Mehr said on Monday. Qasi Mehr said that the list of 36 U.S. individuals, including President Donald Trump, has been availed to the Interpol. These people have been accused of murder and terrorist acts against the Iranian senior commander, he was quoted as saying. A U.S. airstrike on January 3 killed Soleimani, former commander of the Quds Force of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps, along with an Iraqi militia commander, near Baghdad International Airport. Zarif at UNSC: US an 'outlaw bully' that UN shouldn't surrender to Iran Press TV Tuesday, 30 June 2020 6:19 PM Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif tells the UN Security Council (UNSC) that the United States is an "outlaw bully" that the world body should not surrender to, warning that giving in to Washington's pressure threatens to restore the "law of the jungle." Zarif was addressing a virtual UNSC meeting on Tuesday surrounding Washington's push to have the Council extend an arms embargo against Iran that will expire in October under a historic nuclear accord endorsed by the council's Resolution 2231. "The international community in general, and the United Nations Security Council, in particular, are facing an important decision," he said. "Do we maintain respect for the rule of law or do we return to the law of the jungle by surrendering to the whims of an outlaw bully?" the top diplomat asked. Officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the landmark nuclear deal was reached between Iran and the P5+1 group the US, Britain, France, Russia and China plus Germany in 2015. However, in May 2018, US President Donald Trump unilaterally pulled his country out of the JCPOA and later re-imposed the sanctions that had been lifted against Tehran on the back of the deal. Although it is no longer a party to the deal, Washington has recently launched a campaign to renew the embargo on the sales of conventional weapons to the Islamic Republic that will expire under the accord in October. To try and rationalize its bid, the US says it is still "named" as a JCPOA partner in the UN Security Council Resolution 2231. Tehran and other JCPOA partners say Washington, due to its unilateral withdrawal, has forfeited all rights to have a say in the agreement. Zarif warned, "If this council falters again, it will be a generational setback for the cause of multilateralism, and the rule of law." He reminded, "We have all, in past years, seen how malign US unilateralism has intensely assaulted international cooperation and international institution," adding, "Its (the US's) parallel endeavor to supplant international law with US domestic laws has directly undermined global peace and security." The foreign minister deplored the "complacency" that has allowed Washington to come this far. Zarif also noted how Iran continued to observe the JCPOA's provisions even despite the US withdrawal and its European allies' "over-compliance" with Washington's so-called "maximum pressure" campaign against Tehran. Note of warning Zarif said the European parties had to ensure Iran's legitimate benefits by fulfilling their JCPOA commitments. Otherwise "Iran will have no option but to restore a semblance of balance" to retaliate against their non-compliance to their contractual commitments, he added. He also called for convention of another ministerial meeting of the JCPOA's remaining partners to look at the status quo. Zarif, meanwhile, wondered how come the UN had come to pick on Iran while "not a single" Council session has been convened to address the US's egregious violations. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had addressed the session earlier, claiming that the removal of the embargo would place the Middle East region's security at risk. "Iran will hold a sword of Damocles over the economic stability of the Middle East, endangering nations like Russia and China that rely on stable energy prices," he claimed. Veto-wielders China and Russia have voiced opposition to any US attempt at prolonging the ban. Pompeo's apparent attempt at currying favor with the two states also came in sheer contrast with Washington's incessant smear campaign against them. Russia, China berate US The countries' envoys took the chance to berate Washington for its anti-Tehran push. Russia's Vasily Nebenzia warned about an "uncontrollable escalation" as the United States keeps up the push. He said Washington would not be allowed to try and have the Security Council legitimize its "maximum pressure" policy under which Trump ordered the withdrawal from the JCPOA and return of the sanctions against Iran. "We cannot accept an attempt to get a blessing for the US-desired maximum pressure policy through the Security Council, to legitimize it," he said. "What we get in the end is an uncontrollable escalation." In turn, Chinese envoy Zhang Jun underlined that "having quit the JCPOA, the US is no longer a participant and has no right to trigger a snapback at the Security Council," referring to another intention announced by Washington to try and restore all UN sanctions against the Islamic Republic. 'UN targets Iran, absolves child killers' The virtual UNSC meeting, meanwhile, heard a report by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres seen by Reuters on June 11 in which he had told the Council that cruise missiles used in several attacks on oil facilities and an international airport in Saudi Arabia in November 2019 and February 2020 had been of "Iranian origin." He had also said the "items may have been transferred in a manner inconsistent" with the Resolution. Zarif said the report has been adopted by the UN Secretariat under pressure from the US and some others, calling it "a perverse reading of Resolution 2231." "This one-sided interpretation by the Secretariat has been repeatedly rejected by three JCPOA participants, China, Russia and Iran, and let me take this opportunity now to thank Russia and China and other members of the Security Council, who have expressed their concern over this," he added. "Not surprisingly, the Secretariat simultaneously tried to absolve the Saudi coalition of its well-documented child-killing in Yemen," the Iranian top diplomat said. He also underlined how the US has been generously arming the 2015-present Saudi-led war on Yemen. US to witness another show of intl. support for Iran deal at UNSC: Tehran's UN envoy Iran Press TV Tuesday, 30 June 2020 9:31 AM Iran's UN envoy says the US attempts to extend a United Nations arms embargo against Tehran are a blatant violation of Resolution 2231, adding that during the upcoming Security Council meeting, Washington will once again witness global support for the 2015 multilateral nuclear deal and the resolution that endorsed it. Majid Takht-Ravanchi made the comments on Tuesday in an interview with IRNA when asked about Tuesday's Security Council session, which is to discuss the expiration in October of the arms ban against Iran. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif is also slated to address the session, which will be held via videolink. "Americans will once again hear the support of the UN Security Council and the international community for the JCPOA and Resolution 2231," Majid Takht-Ravanchi said, using the acronym for the Iran deal, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. Washington has said it is resolved to have the embargo on the sales of conventional weapons to Iran prolonged. But Washington is legally prohibited from seeking such an extension as it left the deal in May 2018 in violation of Resolution 2231. Takht-Ravanchi said the international community is, in general, willing to preserve the Iran deal and the related UNSC resolution, adding both UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and many world leaders have reiterated their support for both. This is indicative of the widespread global opposition to the hostile US stance, he added. Criticizing Washington for its decision to withdraw from the JCPOA, the Iranian official said it was "unprecedented" for a permanent member of the UNSC to act against a resolution spearheaded by itself. "What is worse is that the US is seeking to punish countries that are implementing that document. This signals [an attempt] to create chaos in international order, something long sought by the Americans." The Iranian official said the Americans only want to advance their own interests even if they run counter to international law. "Their (Americans) main objective behind seeking to extend the arms embargo on Iran is to destroy the JCPOA and they know that the UNSC is not buying it," said Takht-Ravanchi. He further censured a recent anti-Iran resolution passed by the International Atomic Energy Agency's Board of Governors, saying it had no legal basis Takht-Ravanchi said adopting such a resolution was a politically-motivated move in line with the US push to put more pressure on Iran. The Iranian official rejected the IAEA resolution as unacceptable, saying it was passed despite Tehran's full cooperation with the agency. US Working With Israel To Prevent Lifting Of Iran Arms Embargo, Hook Says Radio Farda June 30, 2020 In a joint press conference in Jerusalem on Tuesday with the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the U.S. Special Representative for Iran Brian Hook said the United States and Israel are working in tandem to prevent a United Nations arms embargo on Iran from expiring. The United States is set to extend the embargo which according to the 2015 nuclear agreement between Iran and the world powers is to expire in October. The agreement was sanctioned by the United Nations' Resolution 2231. The United States unilaterally withdrew from the nuclear agreement -- officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). Iran and the remaining sides of the agreement say the United States can no longer demand a role in the implementation of the agreement including decisions on the arms embargo as a result. Lifting the embargo will allow Iran to freely import fighter jets, attack helicopters, warships, submarines, large calibre artillery systems and missiles of certain range, Hook told reporters. "Iran will then be in a position to export these weapons and their technologies to their proxies such as Hezbollah, Islamic Jihad, Hamas, Shiite militia groups in Iraq and Shiite militant networks in Bahrain and to the Houthis in Yemen," Hook who is visiting Israel said and added: "The last thing that this region needs is more Iranian weapons". Iran, which is accusing the U.S. of breaking its international commitments, is vehemently opposing any move to extend the arms embargo and has appealed to Russia and China for diplomatic support. In the same press conference, Netanyahu accused Iran of continuing its nuclear weapons program and lying to the world about it. "Iran is doing all that and most of the international community is doing nothing in the face of it," he said and maintained that the international community "is doing nothing in the face of it" and even that "many countries collude in this aggression". Netanyahu also warned Syrian President Bashar al-Assad that he would be "risking the future" of his regime if he allowed Iran to continue its military presence in Syria. "We will not allow Iran to establish a military presence in Syria," the Israeli Prime Minister said. "I say to the ayatollahs in Tehran: 'Israel will continue to take the actions necessary to prevent you from creating another terror and military front against Israel'," Netanyahu warned. Source: https://en.radiofarda.com/a/us-working-with- israel-to-prevent-lifting-of-iran-arms-embargo -brian-hook-says/30698530.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. It Is Time For All Nations To Support Extension Of Iran Arms Embargo Richard Goldberg June 30, 2020 Radio Farda is publishing a series of expert analysis and commentaries on the United States move to extend the UN arms embargo on Iran beyond October 2020. In May 2018, when the world learned that Iran had concealed a secret nuclear weapons archive before, during and after negotiations over the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), supporters of the nuclear deal were quick to excuse Iran's nuclear prevarication. Two years later, with Iran in full breach of its JCPOA commitments, mounting evidence of undeclared nuclear material and sites inside the country, and the UN conventional arms embargo on Iran set to expire in October, it's time for the United States and Europe to join together in restoring all of the sanctions and restrictions it once put in place to prevent the world's leading state sponsor of terrorism from acquiring the world's most dangerous weapons. The Iran Deal was premised on Iran's full disclosure of past nuclear weapons-related activities to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), a pledge never to pursue such weapons in the future, and a temporary limit on certain nuclear activities. In exchange, Iran received several strategic benefits, including the end of key international restrictions and embargoes over time. Last week, the IAEA reported that Iran may be concealing undeclared nuclear material inside the country and is denying the agency's inspectors access to two undeclared sites possibly connected to Iran's work on nuclear weapons a potential breach of Iran's Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement and the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). In addition, the IAEA reported that Iran is violating nearly every other nuclear commitment it made in the JCPOA vastly expanding its stockpiles of low-enriched uranium and heavy water, restarting enrichment at an illicit underground facility and testing advanced centrifuges. If the discovery of Iran's nuclear archive was the smoke, last week's IAEA reports are the fire. No longer can responsible nations turn a blind eye to Iran's nuclear misconduct let alone enable this violent regime to acquire advanced conventional weapons from Russia and China once the UN arms embargo expires. Fortunately, the UN Security Council Resolution that endorsed the JCPOA includes a snapback mechanism to restore all pre-nuclear deal sanctions and restrictions in response to Iran's significant non-performance of its nuclear commitments. The Resolution explicitly provides the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Russia and China among the original "JCPOA participant States" with the right to exercise the snapback until 2025. Russia and China, looking to sell fighter jets, tanks, naval platforms and other arms to Iran starting in October, will almost certainly oppose a snapback. They will argue that since America withdrew from the JCPOA, it forfeited its right to snapback. Islamic Republic sympathizers in Europe may even concur. But unfortunately for Russia and China, they voted for a binding Security Council Resolution that explicitly grants the US a right to snapback independent of its participation in the JCPOA political agreement. Moreover, the snapback process cannot be blocked it is not subject to the veto of any permanent Security Council member. While America can and will do this alone, it shouldn't have to. Now is the time for all nations that support the NPT and oppose flooding Iran with Russian and Chinese arms to stand and be counted. The opinions expressed by the author are not necessarily the views of Radio Farda Source: https://en.radiofarda.com/a/it-is- time-for-all-nations-to-support-extension- of-iran-arms-embargo/30698741.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. A US Decision To Force 'Snapback' Sanctions On Iran May Backfire Richard Nephew June 30, 2020 Radio Farda is publishing a series of expert analysis and commentaries on the United States move to extend the UN arms embargo on Iran beyond October 2020. Much of the discussion around the pending, likely U.S. decision to snapback UN Security Council sanctions on Iran has centered on questions of "could we? Should we?" This is understandable, as these questions address the threshold problems of U.S. legal standing and practical options in this unexpected scenario. However, regardless of international opposition to this U.S. ploy, it seems likely that, before the October 2020 expiration of the UNSC arms embargo, the United States will make a fateful attempt at UNSC sanctions snapback. This decision will have three more distant but still serious effects on U.S. foreign policy beyond Iran and its likely negative reaction that merit attention. First, it should go without saying that the United States will find it difficult, if not impossible, to secure a similar UNSC snapback arrangement in the future. The United States sought a unilateral ability to trigger reimposition of sanctions on Iran to avoid future UNSC gridlock. Beyond the strategic imperative, there was a domestic political necessity and I believe the snapback arrangement's ultimate inclusion on the JCPOA process was an essential part of the agreement being permitted by the U.S. Congress to enter into force in 2016. As a former U.S. negotiator for the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), I can say unequivocally that the snapback provisions of the JCPOA were very contentious because it overrides to some extent the prerogatives over UNSC action that are accorded to its veto-holding permanent members. The capricious use of the snapback provision in this instance will confirm to those other UNSC members that they were right in their opposition. We will probably find it difficult, if not impossible, to secure a similar arrangement in future negotiations with any number of U.S. adversaries, whether under Donald Trump or his successor. Second, it is unclear what will happen in the UNSC if we prompt snapback but the Russians, Chinese and perhaps even U.S. allies in Europe argue that we lack standing to do so. Without an international arbiter, we could face a scenario in which one member the United States asserts the UNSC has acted and the original sanctions are back in place and other members disagree. What then? Unlike in national law, the UN process works by member states being informed of obligations voting on them in some cases and then undertaking them domestically. In a split, confused UNSC process, whose lead will they follow and what rules will they set at home, especially if Russia and China respond by selling arms to Iran and behaving as if the pre-snapback world pertains? Third and related, the United States will find its future ability to negotiate at the UNSC severely compromised, especially when it relates to coercive measures. Though some may argue UNSC sanctions are passe in a world of U.S. unilateral pressure, they are mistaken. U.S. sanctions authorities can have some effects absent international support, but even the "America First" Trump Administration clearly recognizes that international legal backstopping for its position is crucial; otherwise, why would they be doing this? Such support affects the domestic law of over 190 member states and countless international organizations and bodies. It grants U.S. diplomatic, military, intelligence, and law enforcement personnel additional credibility when they seek to interdict arms shipments, prevent financial transfers, and block the travel of our adversaries. UNSC sanctions are not perfect and international adherence is often lacking, but the international stamp of approval that they convey is crucial to such missions and thereby advantageous to U.S. national security. We play games with such valuable tools at our peril. The opinions expressed by the author are not necessarily the views of Radio Farda Source: https://en.radiofarda.com/a/a-us- decision-to-force-snapback-sanctions-on -iran-may-backfire/30698561.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. The UN 'Snapback' Option On Iran Is Full Of Pitfalls Kelsey Davenport June 30, 2020 Radio Farda is publishing a series of expert analysis and commentaries on the United States move to extend the UN arms embargo on Iran beyond October 2020. The Trump administration is intent on killing the 2015 nuclear deal and ensuring that a future U.S. administration cannot resurrect it, irrespective of the consequences. The next step toward that goal appears to be extending UN restrictions on Iranian arms transfers by abusing the snapback mechanism outlined in Resolution 2231 to reimpose sanctions lifted or modified by the nuclear agreement. The Trump administration's argument that it is still a "JCPOA participant" as defined by Resolution 2231 and therefore entitled to trigger snapback is a blatant attempt by to cherry pick elements of Resolution 2231 that serve U.S. goals while ignoring the obligations for JCPOA participants listed in that same resolution. Absent an egregious provocation by Iran or a significant nuclear escalation, it is unlikely that the Trump administration will have support for reimposing sanctions at the Security Council, so it may be possible to procedurally block the United States from putting snapback on the Security Council agenda or to argue that the Trump administration's own declaration that the United States is no longer a "JCPOA participant" precludes Washington from pursing snapback. However, since there is no precedent for the snapback procedure, it is unclear these arguments will successfully quell U.S. attempts. Given the Trump administration's single-mindedness when it comes to ratcheting up pressure on Iran, it seems unlikely that Washington will be swayed by arguments pointing out the long-term consequences of pursuing snapback. However, it still behooves the Europeans, China, and Russia to argue that U.S. attempts to reimpose UN sanctions could have serious implications for the future of Iran's nuclear program, the legitimacy of the Security Council, and nonproliferation efforts writ large. First, Iran views the arms embargo's expiration in October as one of the few tangible benefits of remaining in the deal. Iranian officials have threatened to abandon the JCPOA, and possibly the nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT), if the arms embargo is extended. An unrestrained Iranian nuclear program subject to less monitoring will escalate tensions and increase the risk of conflict in the region. This would likely complicate future nuclear negotiations with Iran. Second, at the Security Council level there is a very real possibility that member states refuse to recognize sanctions snapped back due to U.S. manipulation of Resolution 2231. That sets up a crisis of legitimacy that could have serious ramifications for implementation and enforcement of other binding resolutions, including future measures addressing Iran's nuclear program. Third, by pursing snapback, the Trump administration is risking sanctions as a tool of nonproliferation policy. The arms embargo was imposed to pressure Iran to negotiate over its nuclear programit is a nuclear-related sanction. Arguing for an extension of the arms embargo because the United States finds Iran's regional activities to be destabilizing changes the rationale behind the original restriction. It sends a message that the United States will move the goal post on sanctions relief if U.S. priorities change, further eroding international support for sanctions and the credibility of a sanction's relief in future negotiations. If the Trump administration pursues snapback the United States and the international community will pay the price for it for years to come. Allowing the arms embargo to expire may be politically unpalatable in the United States, but unlike the consequences of snapback, that risk can be managed. The opinions expressed by the author are not necessarily the views of Radio Farda Source: https://en.radiofarda.com/a/the -un-snapback-option-on-iran-is- full-of-pitfalls/30697973.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. Insurgent Group Claims Killing Guards Commander In Iran, Officials Deny Radio Farda June 30, 2020 The governor of Sistan and Baluchestan Province of Iran on Tuesday denied any fatalities in an attack on three Revolutionary Guard vehicles in the southeastern province of Sistan and Baluchestan by the Baloch Justice Army (Jaish al-Adl) in the early hours of Tuesday. The road-side bomb attack took place near a village called Galougah on the way to Korin, a district of province capital Zahedan. Sistan and Baluchestan is the largest but least developed of the 31 Iranian provinces and its population is predominantly Sunni. Supporters of Jaish al-Adl, a Baluchi separatist group on various social media platforms including Telegram, Instagram and Twitter and websites associated with the group claim the Revolutionary Guard Commander of Korin District of Zahedan and his driver were killed in the attack. These sources also claim that a number of the guards were taken prisoner by the group. "There are no losses in the ranks of the Baloch Army of Justice," a sympathizer with Jaish al-Adl wrote on Twitter shortly after the attack. Social media users have named the Revolutionary Guard commander as Colonel Mojtaba Mirshekar. Ali-Ahmad Mohebati, the governor of the province, denied any fatalities in the explosions which he said Jaish al-Adl had taken responsibility for. Fada-Hossein Maleki, one of the representatives of Zahedan in the newly-elected parliament, on Tuesday confirmed two road-side bombs had been set on the route of a three vehicle Revolutionary Guard patrol group. Maleki said one of the bombs was disarmed but the second one went off and injured one of the Revolutionary Guard commanders of the district. Jaish al-Adl (Jaish ul-Adl) is a Salafi jihadist militant organization that operates in Iran's Sistan and Baluchestan and has bases in neighboring Pakistan. The group which was designated as a terrorist group by the United States in July 2019 was founded in 2012 by members of Jundullah (Army of God) after Iran executed Abdolmalek Rigi, the leader of Juundullah in 2010 and has carried out several major attacks against Iranian forces since 2013. Iran alleges that the Sunni militant group is funded by "foreign enemies" such as the United States and Saudi Arabia. In 2019 Jaish al-Adl carried out four bombings in Sistan and Baluchestan Province as well as kidnappings and hostage-takings. The last, a suicide bombing which targeted a Revolutionary Guard transportation bus on February 13 killed 27 people and injured 13 others. Source: https://en.radiofarda.com/a/insurgent -group-claims-killing-guards-commander- in-iran-officials-deny/30698188.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. Pompeo To Address UN Security Council On Iran Arms Embargo By RFE/RL June 30, 2020 U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will address the United Nations Security Council on June 30 to argue in favor of an extension of a UN arms embargo on Iran that is due to expire in October. Pompeo will make remarks during a public briefing of the council at 11 a.m. (1500 GMT/UTC), the U.S. State Department said on June 29 in a statement. The United States is pushing the UN Security Council to indefinitely extend the embargo, a move that veto-holders Russia and China have signaled they oppose. Pompeo has said he is "hopeful" that the "whole world" will understand the need to extend the embargo. "I think all but a couple of nations understand that this should not expire and there is going to be a discussion about how it is that we extend it," Pompeo told reporters in Washington last week. The United States last week formally asked the council to extend the embargo, which is set to be progressively eased beginning in October under the 2015 nuclear deal between Tehran and world powers. Brian Hook, the U.S. special representative for Iran, said on June 24 that the Security Council should be united over its concern with Iranian arms transfers and noted that the UN has maintained arms restrictions on Iran since 2007. The five-year ban on selling conventional arms to Iran was established in conjunction with the nuclear agreement to curb Iran's nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief. If the ban is lifted, Russia and China are the two countries most likely to sign arms deals with the Islamic republic, experts say. Iran would likely seek to purchase fighter jets, tanks, naval assets, and other weapons from China and Russia to rebuild its aging military hardware. The United States pulled out of the nuclear agreement in May 2018 and reimposed sanctions that have battered the Iranian economy. Hook, who was in Saudi Arabia on June 29, said lifting the ban would "only embolden" Tehran to spread greater instability and trigger a regional arms race. "This is not an outcome that the UN Security Council can accept. The council's mandate is clear: to maintain international peace and security," Hook added amid a display of weapons, including drones and missiles, that Saudi Arabia and the United States say Iran provided to Yemen's Huthi rebels to carry out attacks on Saudi cities. Faced with the UN arms embargo, Iran has long sought to develop ballistic missiles as a deterrent and has employed a relatively inexpensive strategy of asymmetric warfare and use of proxy forces. Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir said that despite the embargo, Iran sought to provide weapons to terrorist groups. "So what will happen if the embargo is lifted? Iran will become more ferocious and aggressive," Jubeir said. "We urge the international community to extend the embargo on selling arms to Iran and on Iran's ability to sell arms to the world." With reporting by AP and Reuters Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/pompeo- address-un-security-council-on-iran- arms-embargo/30698081.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. Iran's Zarif Blasts US for 'Bullying' Remaining Nuclear Deal Signatories Sputnik News 12:35 GMT 30.06.2020(updated 12:58 GMT 30.06.2020) The Trump administration has ramped up its pressure against Iran along two tracks, accusing Tehran of violating the terms of the 2015 nuclear deal, and seeking to extend the Security Council arms embargo against the Islamic Republic past its October deadline. The US has not only violated the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action nuclear deal and "bullied" others into doing the same, but earned the "dishonour of being the first" nation "in UN history to punish law-abiding countries for NOT violating a Security Council resolution", Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has said in a Tweet. The foreign minister promised to "present Iran's case" to the Security Council later on Tuesday at about 12 p.m. Eastern Standard Time to discuss Resolution 2231, the UN measure which approved the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, which offered Tehran sanctions relief in exchange for a commitment not to pursue the production of nuclear weapons. Among Resolution 2231's commitments is a pledge to lift the Security Council arms embargo against Iran in October 2020. Zarif's comments followed renewed warnings by US special representative for Iran Brian Hook on Monday in which he alleged that lifting the Security Council's ban on the export of conventional weapons to Iran would "embolden the regime and create greater instability in the region". On Tuesday, Hook reiterated his concerns, telling Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that lifting the embargo would allow Tehran to "freely import fighter jets, attack helicopters, warships, submarines" and other weapons and ship them to Hezbollah, Hamas, the Houthis in Yemen, or any number of other militias which the US and Israel classify as terrorist groups. In addition to accusing Iran of violating its commitments under the JCPOA, the US is making the legal case that it effectively remains a party to the nuclear deal, notwithstanding President Trump's withdrawal from the agreement in 2018. Zarif has previously criticised the administration's convoluted logic on the issue, suggesting that it was "not unexpected of those advising people to drink or inject disinfectants to fight the coronavirus to come forward and say they are still a party to the agreement after officially leaving it". Russia and China have similarly indicated that they don't buy the US's rationale, and hinted that they would block any attempt to extend the embargo. A Sputnik Secretary Michael R. Pompeo at the UN Security Council on the Iran Arms Embargo Remarks Michael R. Pompeo, Secretary of State Washington, DC June 30, 2020 SECRETARY POMPEO: Thank you, Nicolas. Thanks for the couple words in English there. I appreciate that. Good morning, everyone. Good to see you, Secretary General. Rosemary, thank you for your comments this morning. I would like to say you made some comments about humanitarian assistance inside of Iran. The United States has tried to facilitate that, in light of the COVID issues inside of Iran. Indeed, we offered our own American assistance to the Iranians, which was rejected by them. So to suggest somehow that our sanctions have prevented humanitarian assistance to get into Iran I think is a misunderstanding of the situation on the ground. Because of the flawed nuclear deal negotiated by the previous American administration, the arms embargo on the world's most heinous terrorist regime is scheduled to expire on October 18th, a mere four months from now. Four months. This chamber has a choice: Stand for international peace and security, as the United Nations' founders intended, or let the arms embargo on the Islamic Republic of Iran expire, betraying the UN's mission and its finest ideals, which we have all pledged to uphold. If you fail to act, Iran will be free to purchase Russian-made fighter jets that can strike up to a 3,000 kilometer radius, putting cities like Riyadh, New Delhi, Rome, and Warsaw in Iranian crosshairs. Iran will be free to upgrade and expand its fleet of submarines to further threaten international shipping and freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, the Persian Gulf, and the Arabian Sea. Iran will be free to purchase new and advanced technologies for its proxies and partners throughout the Middle East, including Hamas, Hizballah, and the Houthis. Iran will hold a sword of Damocles over the economic stability of the Middle East, endangering nations like Russia and China that rely on stable energy prices. Iran will be free to become a rogue weapons dealer, supplying arms to fuel conflicts from Venezuela, to Syria, to the far reaches of Afghanistan. In November of last year, President Rouhani himself said, quote, "When the embargo . . . is lifted next year, we can easily buy and sell weapons," end of quote. We should take him at his word. Iran is not a responsible democracy like Australia or India. We already know that[1] Tehran will do, if given the ability to buy more weaponry. Just consider the secretary general's UNSCR 2231 report that we're discussing today. The report confirmed that weapons used to attack Saudi Arabia in September 2019 were of Iranian origin. The report has also confirmed the weapons interdicted off the coast of Yemen in November of 2019 and February 2020 were of Iranian origin. Iran is already violating the arms embargo, even before its expiration date. Imagine if Iranian activity were sanctioned, authorized by this group, if the restrictions were lifted. And we don't need the secretary general's report to see what else the regime is doing. In January, Iran launched an attack on the coalition forces in Iraq with its own advanced missiles. Iran, even as we sit here today, supplies Shia militia groups like Kata'ib Hizballah groups which have launched dozens of rocket attacks since the fall of last year against U.S. and coalition forces fighting the important continued important campaign against Daesh. Iran unleashes ship-mining attacks on commercial vessels in the Gulf of Oman, as it did in May and June of last year. Nearly all countries have arms. Mature nations use them for defensive purposes and to promote stability. But not the Islamic Republic of Iran. Don't just take it from me or from the United States; listen to countries in the region. From Israel to the Gulf, countries in the Middle East who are most exposed to Iran's predations are speaking with a single voice: Extend the arms embargo. This council has a responsibility to listen to them. The United States' overwhelming preference is to work with this council to extend the arms embargo to protect human life, to protect our national security, and to protect yours. We've imposed arms restrictions on Tehran in various forms for 13 years, and with good reason, and to substantial effect. When we unanimously adopted UN Security Council Resolution 1747 back in 2007 which, among other actions, prohibited arms transfers from Iran the United Kingdom's representative to the council said, quote, "The path of proliferation by Iran is not one that the international community can accept," end of quote. I welcome the statement from the United Kingdom, from France and Germany, recently recognizing that lifting the embargo would have major implications for regional security and stability. I also welcome the support of almost 400 members of the United States Congress. For those of you not tracking, there's only 435. Those almost 400 members supported my diplomacy to extend this arms embargo. Our concern is a matter of national security, not partisan politics. We saw from Iran's actions while implementing the JCPOA that the regime doesn't moderate when we lift sanctions or weaken accountability. In fact, it does just the opposite. While still claiming to remain in the deal, Iran, by its own admission, and as confirmed by the IAEA, is showing no signs of slowing its destabilizing nuclear escalation. Iran is also accumulating dangerous knowledge. For example, late last year Iran announced that its scientists were working on a new centrifuge the IR-9 that would allow Tehran to enrich uranium up to 50 times faster than the IR-1 centrifuges allowed under the JCPOA. Even as Iran pursues research that could threaten its breakout time to a nuclear weapon, it's also denied IAEA inspections access to locations Iran is obligated to provide. This council cannot simply hope that Iran acts in good faith, given its indisputable fact pattern. The council must hold Iran accountable. And we all have the chance to do so. I'll close with this. I'll close with an appeal to our greater purpose. Article I of the UN Charter says the purpose of the UN is to "take effective collective measures for the prevention and removal of threats to peace." Consider the overwhelming evidence that I've detailed today. It's a fraction of the evidence available. If Iran isn't a threat to peace that demands a collective measure, I do not know what is. The council must reject extortion diplomacy. President Rouhani recently declared, quote, "Iran will give a crushing response if the arms embargo on Tehran is extended." End of quote. Given the Iranian regime's history of resorting to terrorism and violence, perhaps we should take this threat seriously. Iran's foreign minister will speak today. I hope he'll tell us I hope he'll tell us whom he intends to crush and how he will crush them. Renewing the embargo will exert more pressure on Tehran to start behaving like a normal nation. The world needs this to happen. The long-suffering Iranian people need this to happen. Seventy-five years ago, the founders of the UN came together after the devastation of World War II to ensure that the world would never again have to face such horrors. Let's not shrink from the challenge before us simply because the path ahead seems hard. Let's uphold the mission of this body to address the threats to international peace and security that the Islamic Republic of Iran presents. And let's take real action in the name of this council by extending the arms embargo. Thank you all for allowing me to be here today. [1] what Pompeo Urges Accountability for Iran via Arms Embargo By Margaret Besheer June 30, 2020 U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo urged the U.N. Security Council on Tuesday to "hold Iran accountable" and extend an arms embargo due to expire in October. "Renewing the embargo will exert more pressure on Tehran to start to behave like a normal nation," Pompeo told a virtual meeting of the council that is held twice a year to review implementation of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal. "The world needs this to happen. The long-suffering Iranian people need it to happen." Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif was due to address the council later in the meeting. President Donald Trump withdrew from the nuclear deal in May 2018 and reimposed all U.S. sanctions that had been lifted or waived under the deal. In response, 14 months later, Iran began taking a series of steps to cease carrying out its nuclear commitments under the plan. Most recently, in January, Tehran said it had taken its final step back from the deal and would no longer abide by limits on the numbers of its uranium-enriched centrifuges. The Trump administration has threatened to trigger a "snapback" of all international sanctions if its effort to extend the arms embargo fails in the council. Pompeo detailed what he said was "overwhelming evidence" that Iran is a threat to international peace, including reminding council members of Iranian-made weapons used in an attack on Saudi Arabia in September, missile attacks on coalition troops in Iraq in January, and its supplying of rockets and other hardware to Shi'ite groups in the Middle East. "Iran is already violating the arms embargo before its expiration date," he said. "Imagine Iranian activity if restrictions are lifted." A June report by U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also supports conclusions that some components of the unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and cruise missiles used in the attack on Saudi Arabia were of Iranian origin. The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) was agreed by the five permanent members of the Security Council (Britain, China, France, Russia and the U.S.) plus Germany with Iran in July 2015, and endorsed by the U.N. Security Council in Resolution 2231. US seeks to prolong military presence in Iraq through raids on PMU bases: Lawmaker Iran Press TV Tuesday, 30 June 2020 2:23 PM An Iraqi legislator and leader of the State of Law Coalition has denounced the recent raid on a headquarters of the Popular Mobilization Units (PMU), better known by the Arabic word Hashd al-Sha'abi, in southern Baghdad, saying the United States is seeking to prolong its military presence in the country through such bids. "The US is looking for an excuse to extend the deployment of its military forces in Iraq by means of provocative acts against Hashd al-Sha'abi fighters and assaults on their headquarters," Mohammed al-Sahyoud said in an exclusive interview with Arabic-language al-Maalomah news agency on Tuesday. He added, "We must stand committed to the PMU and the resistance front as two main and matchless options in order to strengthen state bodies and counter the challenges being posed by the United States against the political process in Iraq." "Our commitment to the PMU and Islamic resistance groups will frustrate US schemes and those of its agents, who are trying to overthrow the political process in the country," Sahyoud pointed out. In the unprecedented raid on June 25 against the headquarters of Kata'ib Hezbollah, a PMU faction, Iraqi forces arrested a dozen of its members for allegedly planning a rocket attack on Baghdad's Green Zone, where the US and other embassies as well as state buildings are located. Baghdad later dropped all the charges against the detained PMU forces and released them on Monday. Washington claims Kata'ib Hezbollah is behind the rocket attacks against its bases and missions in Iraq over the past months, but the group has never claimed responsibility for such raids. PMU leaders have slammed the arrests as a move dictated by the US occupiers. Qais al-Khazali, leader of Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq, also part of the PMU, said in a statement on Friday that there are foreign attempts in Iraq to undermine the anti-terror group, advising Iraqi officials not to engage in a confrontation with Hashd al-Sha'abi as the group represents people from all strata of the Iraqi society. Separately, a senior official with Harakat Hezbollah al-Nujaba called upon Iraqi authorities not to play into the hands of US military forces and help implementation of their plots, warning against further raids on PMU fighters. Hashd al-Sha'abi an official Iraqi force with similar rights as those of the army is a thorn in the side of the United States which is widely believed to be managing an array of militant groups, including Daesh, to advance its Israel-centric agenda in the region. Hashd al-Sha'abi fighters have played a major role in the liberation of areas held by Daesh terrorists ever since the Takfiri group launched an offensive in the country, overrunning vast swathes in lightning attacks. On March 27, the New York Times newspaper had reported that the Pentagon had ordered a secret directive, which called on US military commanders to prepare a campaign against Kata'ib Hezbollah, which is part of Hashd al-Sha'abi. The report came a few months after Iraqi lawmakers unanimously approved a bill on January 5, demanding the withdrawal of all foreign troops following the US assassination of Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani, the commander of the Quds Force of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps, along with Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the deputy head of Iraq's PMU, and their companions. Baghdad and Washington are currently in talks over the withdrawal of American troops. Iraqi resistance groups have vowed to take up arms against US forces if Washington fails to comply with the parliamentary order. France supports a 'pirate' in Libya: Turkey Iran Press TV Tuesday, 30 June 2020 6:26 PM Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu says France is supporting a "pirate" in Libya, a reference to Libyan rebel commander Khalifa Haftar, who has been fighting the internationally-recognized government in the North African country. "France supports a pirate, a putschist," Cavusoglu said in a joint news conference with his Hungarian counterpart, Peter Szijjarto, in Ankara on Tuesday. Denouncing France's "destructive" approach to the conflict in Libya, the top Turkish diplomat said Paris was acting against the decisions of the United Nations (UN), which supports Libya's internationally-recognized government based in the Libyan capital, Tripoli. "France, which [President Emmanuel] Macron governs, or, rather, which he can't manage to govern at the moment, has been in Libya only for its own interests and ambitions with a destructive approach, just like it pushed Africa to instability in the past with a colonialist approach," Cavusoglu told reporters at the presser. The Turkish foreign minister said all bilateral relations between Turkey and Libya were "within the framework of transparent agreements," but warned that the presence of France posed a "risk" to the North African country. He accused France of seeking to increase Russian presence in Libya, saying, "On the one side, NATO sees Russia as a threat, but on the other side, NATO ally France is working to increase Russia's presence there." Macron had a day earlier accused Turkey of "criminal responsibility" over its involvement in the Libyan conflict. Under a military pact with Libya signed last November, Turkey sent military advisers to assist the Libyan government forces in their battle against Haftar's rebels. The UN and international rights groups have expressed concern over possible war crimes after the discovery of mass graves in areas left behind by retreating militias under Haftar's command. Libya has been in chaos since 2011, when a popular uprising and a NATO intervention led to the ouster of long-time dictator Muammar Gaddafi. Since 2014, two rival seats of power have emerged, namely the internationally-recognized Libyan government headed by Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj in Tripoli, and another group, based in the eastern city of Tobruk, supported militarily by rebels under the command of Haftar. Turkey has extended significant help to the Libyan government, helping it push the rebels as far back as Sirte, which lies in an oil-rich region on the Mediterranean coastline. Battle looms over Libya's strategic city of Sirte Iran Press TV Tuesday, 30 June 2020 9:46 AM Libyan government forces are preparing to retake the strategic city of Sirte, and the rebels occupying the city are also reinforcing their ranks by deploying thousands of foreign mercenaries ahead of the battle. Yasin Aktay, a senior official from Turkey, the Libyan government's main ally, said on Monday that government forces were making preparations to recapture Sirte. Qatar's Al Jazeera TV network also quoted local sources from Libya's southeastern city of Kufra as saying that numerous convoys carrying foreign militants, including Sudanese and Chadian nationals, were on their way to Sirte. The rebels released a video showing military reinforcements being deployed from Benghazi, their eastern stronghold, toward the Central Region in Sirte. Aktay said the leadership in Egypt, which supports the rebels, lacked "the power or guts" to attempt to stop the recapture of the city. Sirte fell into the rebel's hands in January. The Libyan government has vowed to retake control. Turkey has extended significant help to the government which was once threatened by a rebel offensive against the capital, Tripoli helping it push the rebels as far back as Sirte, which lies in an oil-rich region on the Mediterranean coastline. Russian private contractors deploying to Libya to support rebels: WSJ Meanwhile, The Wall Street Journal said on Monday that Russian reinforcements were being dispatched to Libya to help the rebels, who have been losing ground in the country. Citing European and Libyan officials, the Journal claimed that private military contractors from Russia helped forces loyal to rebel commander Khalifa Haftar seize Libya's largest oil field last week. It said Russia had also dispatched MiG-29 fighter jets and an advanced radar system. Moscow has said in the past that the military contractors do not represent the Russian government. Since 2014, two rival seats of power have emerged in Libya: the internationally-recognized government of Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj in Tripoli, and another group based in the eastern city of Tobruk, supported militarily by Haftar's rebels. The rebels are backed by the UAE and France, besides Russia and Egypt. 'Turkey pushing for Sirte battle, eyeing Libyan oil' Ahmida Homa, an official from the Tobruk-based camp, has accused Turkey of seeking to get its hands on Libya's oil resources. Speaking in an interview with Russia's Sputnik, Homa said Turkey was exerting massive pressure on the Libyan government to launch the offensive on Sirte with the aim of taking control of the oil crescent region and the city of al-Jufra, "the gateway to southern Libya and its oil fields." Macron denounces Turkey's intervention in Libya French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday accused Turkey of also deploying militants to Libya and said Turkish intervention in the North African country was "criminal." "I think it's a historic and criminal responsibility for a country which claims to be a NATO member," Macron said. Without providing any evidence, Macron said Turkey was "massively importing" militants from Syria. Commenting on a United Nations (UN) report that Russian private military contractor Wagner Group had up to 1,200 fighters in Libya, Macron said Putin had told him that private contractors did not represent Russia. "I told [Russian President Vladimir Putin] of my very clear condemnation of the actions which are carried out by the Wagner force... he plays on this ambivalence [over representation]," Macron said of his Friday talks with Putin. NOC announces international talks on resuming oil production Libya's National Oil Corporation (NOC) announced on Monday that there had been negotiations in recent weeks among the company, the Libyan government, and regional countries, overseen by the UN and the United States, on ending the oil blockade on the country and thus paving the way for a ceasefire. "We are hopeful that those regional countries will lift the blockade and allow us to resume our work," a spokesman for the NOC said. Libyan rebels shut down the country's oil production in January to cripple the government's main source of income. Reuters cited a person familiar with the issue as saying that a possible deal to allow production to resume would involve a new agreement on distributing oil revenue, as well as guarantees on field security. Libya has been in chaos since 2011, when a popular uprising and a NATO intervention led to the ouster of long-time dictator Muammar Gaddafi. Myanmar martial court finds mere 3 troopers guilty in Rohingya massacre Iran Press TV Tuesday, 30 June 2020 5:57 PM A court martial probing atrocities against persecuted Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar has found a mere three military officers guilty, even though the Southeast Asian country faces genocide charges at the United Nations (UN) court over a 2016-2017 crackdown. The Myanmarese army chief's office said on Tuesday that the court had confirmed the guilty verdict against three officers. It provided no details on the perpetrators, their crimes, or sentences. Reacting to the verdict, the UK-based rights group Amnesty International called the lack of transparency on the court martial "alarming." "Closed door trials shrouded in secrecy, and marred by a lack of independence in the military judiciary system, are not the way to end military impunity in Myanmar," Ming Yu Hah, with Amnesty's South East Asia & Pacific Regional Office, said. After initially denying the allegations, the military started court martial proceedings last year, admitting there had been "weakness in following instructions" in Gu Dar Pyin, where at least five shallow mass graves had been found. In 2018, the military sentenced a number of security forces to a decade in prison for massacring 10 Rohingya in Inn Din Village, but they were released after serving less than a year. Two journalists, who exposed the massacre, were arrested and held for over 16 months before they were "pardoned" following global outrage. International rights groups and organizations have accused the government forces of committing atrocities in various villages. UN investigators found evidence of extrajudicial killings in other villages in Rakhine, Maung Nu, and Chut Pyin. Myanmar's government faces accusations of involvement in genocide regarding the persecuted Rohingya Muslims in a lawsuit at the International Court of Justice (ICJ). More than 730,000 Rohingya Muslims fled Rakhine to neighboring Bangladesh following a military-led crackdown in 2016 that the United Nations (UN) concluded was perpetrated with "genocidal intent." Thousands of Rohingya people were killed, injured, arbitrarily arrested, or raped by Myanmarese soldiers and Buddhist mobs mainly between November 2016 and August 2017. The Rohingya have inhabited Rakhine for centuries, but the state denies them citizenship. Bangladesh refuses to grant them citizenship, too. US stance on nuclear-test ban treaty most destructive: Russia Iran Press TV Tuesday, 30 June 2020 5:16 PM Russia says the United States is taking a "destructive" stance over a decades-old multilateral treaty that bans all nuclear explosions by saying openly that it does not plan to ratify it. On Tuesday, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement that the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) faced serious challenges and called on Washington to reconsider its position on the pact. "Russia is calling on above all the United States to reconsider its position and 'give the green light' to transform this most important agreement from the point of view of global security into a fully functioning international legal instrument," read the statement, which was issued on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the treaty's ratification by Moscow. The CTBT was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in September 1996, banning all nuclear explosions in all environments, but it has not yet entered into force because it has been either not signed or not ratified by a number of countries. The US has signed the pact but has so far refused to ratify it. Russia signed the treaty in 1996 and ratified it four years later. Overall, 183 countries have signed the pact, and 166 have ratified it. The Russian statement also warned that Washington held the most destructive position by officially declaring that it had no plan to ratify the CTBT. It said that once the CTBT entered into force it could create a "shield against developing nuclear weapons, preventing their proliferation." Last year, the landmark Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF) collapsed when Washington pulled out of the 1987 bilateral deal with Moscow. The INF had banned all land-based missiles with the range of up to 5,500 kilometers. Another treaty between Russia and the US, the New START, is also in danger of collapse. The New START expires in February 2021 but can be extended for another five years by mutual agreement. Russia has warned that yet another arms race would be inevitable if the 2010 treaty is not renewed. Bad Neighbors: Chechnya's Kadyrov Tied To Moscow Apartment Where Head Of Nord-Ost Attackers Lived By RFE/RL's Russian Service June 30, 2020 Chechen strongman Ramzan Kadyrov and his family have been tied to an undeclared Moscow apartment in the same building where the head of a group of Chechen terrorists lived and planned the deadly "Nord-Ost" hostage-taking at a Moscow theater in October 2002, an opposition-backed media outlet has reported. Open Media, an online investigative resource funded by Kremlin foe and former oil tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky, reported on June 29 that Moscow property records show the Kadyrov family owns a 153-square-meter apartment on Veyernaya Street, in a leafy section of Moscow, with an estimated market value of about 50 million rubles ($713,000). Movsar Barayev, the leader of a Chechen militant group that seized some 850 hostages at Moscow's Dubrovka theater that was showing a production of the musical Nord-Ost in October 2002, lived in the same building in the days ahead of the attack, using a fake passport with the name Shamil Akhmatkhanov. All 40 of the attackers and around 200 of the hostages were killed when federal forces pumped a chemical anesthetic into the building and stormed it. In addition, Ruslan Geremeyev, who is a suspected organizer of the 2015 killing of opposition leader Boris Nemtsov, stayed in two other buildings that are part of the same complex. According to a statement by Nemtsov family lawyer Olga Mikhailova in 2016, when she asked a court to summon Geremeyev to testify in the trial of the five defendants who were ultimately convicted in his killing, "It was precisely in these apartments that the defendants regularly met, where they lived temporarily, contacted one another, planned, and carried out Nemtsov's murder." One of the apartments was purchased by Geremeyev's relative, Artur Geremeyev, just two months before Nemtsov's killing. Geremeyev was a unit commander in the Russian Interior Ministry's Chechnya-based Sever (North) battalion. He is a nephew of Suleiman Geremeyev, who represents the executive branch of Chechnya's government in the Federation Council, the upper chamber of the Russian legislature. He is also related to State Duma Deputy Adam Delimkhanov of the ruling United Russia party, who has been named by Kadyrov as his possible successor. During the investigation into Nemtsov's slaying, Zaur Dadayev, who was later convicted and sentenced to 20 years in prison, reportedly confessed that a man identified as "Ruslik" paid him 5 million rubles and provided a car and a gun. Investigators have said they believe "Ruslik" was Ruslan Geremeyev, who commanded the Sever unit in which Dadayev served. Geremeyev disappeared and is believed to be in hiding in the United Arab Emirates or in Turkey. Dadayev later retracted his confession and said it was made under duress. In an April 2015 report, the newspaper Kommersant cited unnamed investigators as saying Nemtsov's killers may have hid out in the apartment on Veyernaya Street immediately after the murder. All three of the Moscow apartment buildings that figure in the Open Media investigation are part of a complex that was controlled by the Russian presidential administration. In the early 2000s, the administration of President Vladimir Putin distributed apartments in the complex to politicians, officials, and military officers. In June 2000, one apartment was given to Kadyrov's father, Akhmed Kadyrov, a former Chechen rebel and mufti who was named by Putin to head the restive North Caucasus republic. Kadyrov and his family privatized the apartment in January 2002 and the entire family, including Ramzan, was officially registered there. Akhmed Kadyrov was assassinated in Chechnya's capital, Grozny, in 2004, but the Kadyrov family retained the apartment. Nonetheless, the property never appeared in Ramzan Kadyrov's property declarations even after he became head of Chechnya in 2007. In 2010, the apartment was reregistered as the property of Kadyrov's mother, Aimani. Kadyrov has long been accused of human rights abuses, including torture, disappearances, and extrajudicial killings. Many of his political rivals and critics, including investigative journalist Anna Politkovskaya and Nemtsov, have been killed and many believe that either Kadyrov himself or Russian security agencies were involved. Written by RFE/RL Senior Correspondent Robert Coalson based on reporting by RFE/RL's Russian Service Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/chechnya-kadyrov- tied-to-moscow-apartment-where-head-of-nord-ost -attackers-lived/30699049.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. Your Whole Family Already Voted: Incident At Polling Station Points Up Inconsistencies In Russian Constitutional Ballot By Michael Scollon June 30, 2020 When a Moscow couple turned up to cast their ballots in Russia's nationwide vote on constitutional amendments, they were surprised to learn from election officials that they had already voted. They hadn't. Yet an election official at Lefortovo voting precinct No. 1403 was showing them that their names, passport information, and signatures were clearly registered in the voting logs indicating they had cast ballots. The discussion revealed that the couple's daughter and son, who had not yet voted either, were also listed as having cast ballots that would help determine the outcome of a vote that would allow President Vladimir Putin to seek two more terms, potentially keeping him in the Kremlin until 2036. Whether it was a mistake or a deliberate falsification is unclear. The couple initially was given an apology from the official who showed them the book. But after refusing to accept the apology, and demanding an explanation from a higher-ranking election official who entered the discussion, they were met with defiance. Tightly holding the closed registration log, the superior asked if they had seen their names in the book. When answered in the affirmative, she said: "Prove it!" The episode was documented on film, as revealed on Twitter by supporters of anticorruption activist and opposition figure Aleksei Navalny. The incident has added to scrutiny of the weeklong vote, which has been marked by peculiarities, including it often being cast in the media as a national "referendum" when it is not. While the vote could be seen as a gauge of popular support for a package of proposed amendments to the Russian Constitution -- including one that would revert the number of terms Putin has served back to zero once his current term ends in 2024, allowing him to run for two more six-year terms -- its passage is not required for the amendments to be adopted. As it does not meet the requirements for a referendum under federal constitutional law, it has been structured as an "all-Russia vote," drawing criticism from democracy watchdogs at home and abroad. Analysts say Putin hopes the vote will lend legitimacy to the amendment giving him the option of seeking to remain president until 2036 -- a change that opponents say is a travesty. Putin had suggested in the past that he would not alter the constitution to allow for an extension of his rule. "It is clear, unchanging, and absolutely firm: the updated text of the constitution, all proposed amendments will come into force only with your approval, with your support," Putin said in a televised address to the nation on June 30, on the eve of the last day of voting. 'Open To Falsifications' Originally slated for April 22, the vote was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic and rescheduled for July 1 but with balloting allowed over a week in what officials said was an effort to avoid crowds at polling stations. To boost turnout, the government has held raffles and promoted the vote on state-controlled and Kremlin-friendly media. Images of ad hoc voting stations set up in places like a car trunk and park benches have deepened the impression of a bid to get out the vote. The ballot has also been criticized for only offering voters the option to accept or reject the entire package of amendments in their entirety. And remote, online voting is allowed in Moscow and the Nizhny Novgorod region, another aspect that critics say has laid the vote open to falsifications. The architects of the system "cannot be trusted to plug the computer into the socket, let alone conduct electronic voting." electoral statistics researcher Sergei Shpilkin, who earlier calculated that Putin may have received up to 10 million fraudulent votes in the 2018 presidential election, wrote in a Facebook post on June 24. Apparent irregularities and voter turnout figures raised eyebrows early on in the voting process that will finish on July 1. Kirill Trofimov, a member of the local election commission in Moscow's Ramenki district, wrote on Facebook on June 29 that there had not been vote falsifications the likes of those seen in this vote since Russia's legislative elections in 2011, which the European Court of Human Rights ruled in 2017 were "unfair" and "compromised." According to Trofimov, the data from polling stations in the district at one point showed that 393 people had voted remotely, whereas only 34 ballots for home voting had been issued. In another incident that marred the balloting, Russian news outlet Mediazona said that one of its reporters was attacked by a police officer and a vote observer at a polling station in St. Petersburg on June 30, and that his arm was broken by the officer. The incident was captured on video. That a state-funded opinion polling agency would publish an exit poll in the middle of the vote was also seen by some observers as unorthodox. On June 29, the All-Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VTsIOM) announced that 76 percent of voters who were surveyed and agreed to reveal which way they voted cast ballots in favor of the amendment package, a figure that was roughly in line with a previous prognosis from VTsIOM. The release of the exit poll drew criticism from election-monitoring watchdogs such as Golos. In comments to the AFP news agency, Golos member Vitaly Averin said that the data "can influence the will of voters," and should be seen as part of the government's campaign to promote the vote. VTsIOM, for its part, said it published the data due to "high demand," and Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov argued that there was nothing wrong with releasing the figures because the vote is not an election involving multiple candidates. Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-polling- station-incident-polling-station-inconsistencies-- constitutional-ballot/30699087.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. Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Chairs Cabinet's Virtual Session Saudi Press Agency Tuesday 1441/11/9 - 2020/06/30 Riyadh, June 30, 2020, SPA -- Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud chaired today a Cabinet's virtual session. At the outset of the session, the Cabinet reviewed reports on the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic locally and internationally, the continuous evaluation of the pandemic, the latest treatment protocols, and the latest statisctis about Coronavirus cases reported in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The Cabinet was reassured about the medical and health care being provided for the infected cases. The Cabinet expressed the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's appreciation of the Islamic and international support for the Kingdom's decision to hold this year's Hajj with a very limited number of pilgrims from various nationalities residing in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The decision emanates from the Islamic Sharia which stresses avoiding damage before it occurs in addition to maintaining global health security. This decision also embodies the keenness of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and HRH the Crown Prince on holding this year's Hajj in a safe and healthy environment following the Coronavirus pandemic that ravaged the countries of the world. Acting Minister of Media Dr. Majid bin Abdullah Al-Qasabi pointed out in a statement to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) that the Cabinet reviewed the preparations taken by all relevant bodies and sectors to provide best services for pilgrims. The Cabinet also reviewed the measures to be taken based on exceptional implementation plans as well as the controls to be implemented before and after this year's Hajj season. The Cabinet reviewed the developments in the region and the world, highlighting the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's participation in the UN Security Council session, during which the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia stressed maintaining the constants of the Palestinian cause, namely ending the occupation, establishing an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital, and ensuring the right of return for Palestinian refugees. Dr. Majid bin Abdullah Al-Qasabi stated that the Cabinet addressed the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's participation in the Donor Conference for Sudan, held in Berlin, in which the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia appreciated the efforts and economic reforms made by the Sudanese transitional government, stressing that supporting Sudan by the donners in this time is an important investment to achieve its security and stability and to maintain the safety of the region and the international community. The Cabinet addressed the resolutions issued by the Arab Foreign Ministers Council during its extraordinary session on Ethiopian Renaissance Dam. The Cabinet reviewed topics on its agenda, issuing the following decisions: First: The Cabinet authorized the Minister of Interior - or his deputy - to discuss and sign with the Burkinabe side a draft memorandum of understanding in the field of civil defense and civil protection between the Government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Government of the Republic of Burkina Faso. Second: The Cabinet approved a cooperation agreement in the field of sport between the Government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic. Third: The Cabinet authorized the Minister of Islamic Affairs, Call and Guidance - or his deputy - to discuss and sign with the Islamic Sheikhdom of the Republic of Montenegro a draft memorandum of understanding in the field of Islamic affairs between the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Call and Guidance of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Islamic Sheikhdom of the Republic of Montenegro. Forth: The Cabinet authorized the Minister of Finance, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the General Authority of Customs - or his deputy - to discuss and sign with the Pakistani side a draft agreement on cooperation and mutual assistance in customs matters between the Government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Government of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. Fifth: The Cabinet authorized the Minister of Communications and Information Technology - or his deputy - to discuss and sign with the Palestinian side a draft memorandum of understanding in the field of communications and information technology between the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Ministry of Telecom and Information Technology of the State of Palestine. Sixth: The Cabinet approved an air services agreement between the Government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Government of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania. Seventh: The Cabinet approved a memorandum of understanding for cooperation in the field of satellites and their applications between the Saudi Space Commission of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Ministry of Digital Governance of the Republic of Greece. Eighth: The Cabinet authorized the Acting Secretary General of King Abdulaziz Foundation for Research and Archives (Darah) - or his deputy - to sign with the Indian side a draft memorandum of cooperation between the King Abdulaziz Foundation for Research and Archives (Darah) of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the National Archives of the Republic of India. Ninth: The Cabinet approved a guiding model for a memorandum of understanding in the field of preventing and combating corruption between the Control and Anti-Corruption Authority of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and similar authorities in other countries, authorizing the President of Control and Anti-Corruption Authority - or his deputy - to discuss and sign with the concerned authorities in other countries the said draft memorandum of understanding. Tenth: The Cabinet appointed Eng. Abdulrahman bin Ibrahim Al-Ruwaite and Dr. Abdullah bin Khalid Al-Missfir as members of the Board of Directors of the General Commission for Audiovisual Media. Eleventh: The Cabinet approved the National Strategy for Agriculture and its executive summary (2030). Twelfth: The Cabinet approved transferring a number of capacities from the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs to the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture. --SPA 20:19 LOCAL TIME 17:19 GMT 0024 Millions of Syrians go to sleep hungry: aid organizations Global Times Source:Xinhua Published: 2020/6/30 11:06:26 A staggering 9.3 million Syrians are now going to sleep hungry and more another two million are at risk of a similar fate, international NGOs said in a joint statement Monday. Signed by the Norwegian Refugee Council, Oxfam, CARE, Mercy Corps, and others, the statement warned that "Syrians who have already endured almost a decade of war and displacement are now facing unprecedented levels of hunger leaving millions of people acutely vulnerable to COVID-19." "COVID-19 restrictions, the collapse of the Syrian pound, and the displacement of millions of people have led to an unprecedented number of families in Syria who are no longer able to put food on the table," it said. The statement said the number of Syrians facing food insecurities has risen by 42 percent since last year. It noted that "unless funding and humanitarian access are increased, many Syrians, including those living as refugees in the region, will be pushed to the brink of starvation." The statement further said that after nine years of war in Syria, the Syrians have been thrown into a spiral of despair and destruction that worsens every year. "International assistance is needed now more than ever," it said. Separately, the International Committee of the Red Cross said Monday that 80 percent of Syrians survive on less than 1.25 U.S. dollars a day, adding that the price of bread doubled in a few weeks. It further said that 50 percent of Syrians don't have enough food to eat every day. The Syrian war has been dragging on for over nine years, killing more than 380,000 people and displacing nearly half of the pre-war population of 23 million Syrians either internally or externally. Netanyahu Warns Assad Not to Ally With Iran's Ayatollahs, Hints Israeli Ops in Syria Will Continue Sputnik News 10:47 GMT 30.06.2020(updated 11:12 GMT 30.06.2020) The Israeli Air Force has carried out hundreds of strikes in Syria in recent years, justifying air and missile attacks by accusing Iran of trying to establish a proxy presence in the Arab Republic. Damascus has denied these claims, and accused Tel Aviv of blatant aggression. Israel will continue its military operations against Iran in Syria to prevent its entrenchment in that country, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has announced. "We are absolutely resolved to prevent Iran from entrenching itself militarily in our immediate vicinity," Netanyahu said, speaking to reporters at the start of a meeting with US Special Representative for Iran Brian Hook on Tuesday. "I say this to the ayatollahs in Tehran: Israel will continue to take the actions necessary to prevent you from creating another terror and military front against Israel. And I say to Bashar al-Assad: You're risking the future of your country and your regime," Netanyahu added. The Israeli prime minister also approved the ramping up of sanctions against Iran to stop its alleged nuclear weapons ambitions. "I believe it's time to implement snapback sanctions. I don't think we can afford to wait. We should not wait for Iran to start its breakout to a nuclear weapon, because then it will be too late for sanctions," he suggested. Hook, for his part, said Israel and the United States "see eye to eye" on trying to extend the UN arms embargo against Iran past its October expiry date, and warned that a failure to do so would allow Iran to "freely import fighter jets, attack helicopters, warships, submarines" and other weapons, and then re-export them to Hezbollah, Hamas, Iraqi militias, and the Houthi militia in Yemen, among other groups. Netanyahu also accused the international community of 'colluding' with Iran amid its attempts to "develop nuclear weapons" and wage "rampant aggression across the Middle East and beyond" through the arming, training, financing and dispatching of "terrorists." Israel's military leaders have previously admitted to carrying out 'hundreds' of air strikes against Syria over the past several years, but normally refrain from commenting on day-to-day operations. Syria has reported an uptick in Israeli aggression; its neighbour has carried out at least three major attacks this month in Hama and As-Suwayda. Tel Aviv has accused Iran of attempting to build up its military presence in Syria, as well as neighbouring Lebanon and the Palestinian territories. Damascus has denied accusations of an Iranian buildup, saying Tehran's presence is limited to advisors and arms assistance aimed at helping the country battle with jihadist extremists, and adding that it is Syria's sovereign right to station whatever foreign forces it wants to on its territory. In recent weeks, Israel has lobbied the Trump administration to step up its sanctions pressure against Iran, and asked the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to cut ties with the country over its alleged nuclear weapons programme. Iran maintains that it has no intention of pursuing nuclear weapons, or weapons of mass destruction of any kind, and has repeatedly stated that Israel remains the only nuclear weapons state in the Middle East. Earlier this month, the IAEA reported that Iran had increased its uranium enrichment activities beyond the 3.67 percent purity levels outlined by the nuclear deal to 4.5 percent. This is still well below the estimated 80-90 percent enrichment levels required to build a nuclear bomb. A Sputnik The United States Announces Additional Humanitarian Assistance for the Syrian People Press Statement Michael R. Pompeo, Secretary of State June 30, 2020 At today's fourth Brussels Conference on "Supporting the Future of Syria and the Region," hosted by the European Union, Special Representative for Syria Engagement Ambassador James Jeffrey announced more than $696 million in additional humanitarian assistance for the people of Syria in response to the ongoing crisis caused by the Assad regime, Russian, and Iranian forces. This brings the total U.S. humanitarian response to more than $11.3 billion since the start of the Syria crisis. The United States remains the largest single donor of humanitarian assistance both in Syria and around the world. This assistance is a component of our National Security Strategy, which directs us to continue to lead the world in humanitarian assistance, while ensuring increased global burden-sharing, and to support displaced people close to their homes to help meet their needs until they can safely and voluntarily return home. We appreciate the European Union's support in hosting the conference and laud all donors who made contributions today, while encouraging others to do more. The international community, both traditional and new donors, must remain committed to meeting the growing needs of the Syrian people, a responsibility the Assad regime has proven unwilling to uphold. Instead, it has prioritized funding its reckless and destructive military campaign, payouts to regime loyalists, and the ongoing arbitrary detention of as many as 130,000 Syrian civilians, including women and children. Today's announcement of additional assistance through the State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is part of ongoing U.S. efforts to provide life-saving food, nutrition, shelter, education, medical care, livelihoods, safe drinking water, hygiene supplies, and improved sanitation as well as mental health and psychosocial support to assist millions of Syrians in need, including those fleeing the devastating bombings by the Assad regime and its allies in northwest Syria. It also supports much-needed counseling and other protection programs for the most highly vulnerable groups, including children, women, persons with disabilities, and the elderly. This life-saving aid will be provided through the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), International Organization for Migration (IOM), World Food Program (WFP), non-governmental organizations, and others. The international community relies on cross-border and cross-line access to deliver humanitarian assistance, and Syrians rely on this aid to survive. In total, 6.5 million Syrians remain displaced within Syria and an additional 5.6 million have fled to neighboring countries. From December to March, in response to bombing by the Assad regime, Russian, and Iranian forces, nearly one million people in northwest Syria more than 80 percent of whom were women and children fled in fear for their lives. Following an early March ceasefire, over 270,000 people returned to areas of origin in northwest Syria, but approximately 700,000 remain forcibly displaced. The United States strongly supports UN Secretary General Guterres' recommendation to restore cross-border access between northeast Syria and Iraq to deliver aid and medicine. Russia and China cynically conspired to hamper the international community's ability to deliver humanitarian aid to vulnerable areas in Syria through UN Security Council Resolution 2504, which reduced humanitarian border crossings into Syria from four to two, decreased the authorization process for six months, and stopped 40 percent of the medical aid to northeast Syria, thereby increasing an already significant gap in meeting humanitarian needs at a time of a global pandemic. The United States supports freedom of movement for all, including forcibly displaced persons and conflict-affected Syrians, as well as the safe, voluntary, and dignified return or resettlement and reintegration of refugees and internally displaced persons in a process that is free from coercion. We reaffirm our commitment to a credible and inclusive Syrian-led, UN-facilitated political solution pursuant to UN Security Council Resolution 2254. Navy plans live-fire torpedo drill on Wednesday: source ROC Central News Agency 06/30/2020 10:49 PM Taipei, June 30 (CNA) The Taiwanese Navy's submarines plan to carry out a live-fire torpedo drill for the first time in 13 years off the coast of southeastern Taiwan on Wednesday, a military source said Tuesday. Rounds of the German-made SUT heavyweight torpedoes would be fired from the Chien Lung class diesel electric submarines as part of target training, a military official who asked not to be named told CNA. The SUT, which stands for Surface and Underwater Target, is a German 21-inch heavyweight torpedo produced by Atlas Elektronik which entered service in 1967. It is a dual-purpose weapon that can be launched from surface ships, submarines, and shore positions. Without further elaborating, the official said the submarine exercise would be held ahead of the annual Han Kuang military exercises, which are set to take place July 13-17 this year. Meanwhile, a notice by the Fisheries Agency has warned local fishing boats not to operate in waters off the coast of southeastern Taiwan between 4 a.m. and 8:10 a.m. on Wednesday due to the military's live-fire exercise. The last time Taiwan's Navy carried out a live-fire torpedo exercise was in 2007. In May of this year, the United States approved the sale of 18 advanced MK-48 Mod 6AT heavyweight torpedoes to the country. The MK-48, designed to destroy high-speed nuclear-powered submarines and high-performance surface ships, will replace Taiwan's ageing SUT torpedoes. (By Matt Yu and Ko Lin) Enditem/cs U.S. military aircraft flies near Taiwan for 10th day ROC Central News Agency 06/30/2020 04:23 PM Taipei, June 30 (CNA) A United States warplane flew over waters near Taiwan on Tuesday, the 10th consecutive day American military aircraft have been active in the area at a time when China forced through a highly controversial security law for Hong Kong. At 11:50 a.m., a P-8A maritime patrol aircraft took off from the Naval Air Facility Atsugi in Japan and flew over the Taiwan Strait on a mission to the South China Sea, according to a tweet by the South China Sea Probing Initiative (SCSPI) under the Peking University Institute of Ocean Research. Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense (MND) has repeatedly declined to comment on U.S. flights in the region, including Tuesday's mission. On Monday, a P-8A maritime patrol aircraft and a C-40A Clipper, as well as RC-135U, KC-135R and EP-3E reconnaissance aircraft were confirmed by the SCSPI to have flown over the strait on similar flight paths at different time intervals. Meanwhile, the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, China's top lawmaking body, unanimously approved a national security law for Hong Kong amid objections from people in Hong Kong and Western countries. The legislation is expected to escalate tensions between Beijing and the West, in particular the U.S., as the COVID-19 pandemic regains steam and the U.S. presidential election approaches. (By Flor Wang and Matt Yu) Enditem/ls 'Wishful Thinking': US May Be Unwilling to Fight China Over Taiwan, Strategists Fear Sputnik News 19:00 GMT 30.06.2020 While the US may be gearing up for a military confrontation with China, some Taiwanese strategists are worried Washington may not be willing to make it happen over a cross-strait invasion. As tensions simmer between the People's Republic of China and Taiwan, which Beijing regards as a rebellious province, one prominent defense analyst and former official is afraid the United States won't honor its informal commitments to guarding Taiwanese autonomy. 'The Situation is a lot Grimmer' "Given the military imbalance between Taiwan and the mainland, the absence of cross-strait dialogue and no [efficient communication] mechanism in place between the US and the mainland, I am worried about the situation because anything could happen," Su Chi, president of the Taipei Forum think tank and former secretary general of Taiwan's National Security Council, told the South China Morning Post on Tuesday. Su fretted to that outlet that a potential People's Liberation Army (PLA) offensive could be over so quickly, it may be little more than "wishful thinking" to hope the US would shoulder the cost of intervention by that point. "The situation today is a lot grimmer than the time when Chen Shui Bian and Ma Ying Jeou were presidents" Su said of the two administration before current Taiwanese President Tsai Ing Wen's, covering the period between 2000 and 2016. Strategic Ambiguity The US formally abrogated its defense treaty with Taiwan in 1979, when it switched recognition of the legitimate Chinese government from Taipei to Beijing, and the 1979 Taiwan Relations Act that laid down the framework for the continued US-Taiwan relationship made no legal requirement of defending Taiwanese sovereignty. Since then, while US presidents have vowed to defend Taiwan, they have also maintained the policy of One China, precluding any possible recognition of a prospective Taiwanese declaration of independence. That trend, however, has changed with the 2016 elections of Tsai and US President Donald Trump. Tsai has shown a clear proclivity for independence from Beijing, and one of Trump's first international incidents, which occurred in December 2016, before he'd even taken office, was his answering a congratulatory phone call from Tsai and having a 10-minute conversation with her. The Trump administration has further deepened that friendship with the $2.2 billion sale of advanced F-16V "Viper" fighter jets and $180 million of MK-48 Mod 6 Advanced Technology heavyweight torpedoes, used for hunting submarines. However, analysts in Washington are no less worried about Trump's potential wavering on Taiwan. "There is a tremendous amount of ambivalence in Taiwan and worry," Daniel Russel, former US assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs and former senior director for Asian affairs at the National Security Council, told Politico last month. "And there's reason to worry that Trump will lose interest in Taiwan. He'd trade away Taiwan in a heartbeat if he thought it would get him his trade deal with China." US Scours South China Sea for Subs Patrolling for China's new advanced submarines was floated as a possible explanation for the slew of US Navy aircraft patrols zigzagging across the South China Sea over the last two weeks. Sputnik reported on Friday that four US surveillance aircraft had been spotted patrolling the strategic waterway the day prior, and on Monday, Peking University's South China Sea Probing Initiative (SCSPI) reported six US patrol and surveillance aircraft in the region, some of which flew what SCSPI described as "a tortuous flight path." An anonymous "Taiwanese security source" told the South China Morning Post on Friday the patrols indicate the US "must have intelligence about PLA Navy [PLAN] submarine movements in the region. With the involvement of a number of different kinds of warplanes, it also shows that the USAF [US Air Force] is testing the readiness and reliability of its joint missions in this region," they said. Another official, Su Tzu Yun, a research fellow at the Institute for National Defence and Security Research, reached a similar conclusion. "The US warplanes may have intelligence about the PLAN submarines and that could be the reason why the US warplanes were tasked to look for any unusual activities of the PLAN submarines in the Bashi Channel," Su told the SCMP. In late April, the PLAN commissioned two more Type 094A nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines, also called the Jin-class. The "boomer" subs can carry up to 16 JL-2 nuclear-tipped ballistic missiles, which have a range of 4,350 miles. Probing Taiwan's Defenses In 16 separate incidents this year, PLA aircraft have entered the air defense identification zone (ADIZ) around Taiwan, a region outside the island's borders where aircraft can be seen on land-based radars. Taiwan's air force typically scrambles fighters to intercept and warn them off. On Sunday, two PLA Air Force H-6 bombers approached Taiwan from the east after traversing the Miyako Strait, an international waterway to the north of the island, China's Global Times reported. The outlet noted that military experts believed the drill showed China's ability to strike Taiwan from any side. The PLAN has also massively expanded its amphibious fleet in recent years, which Pentagon analysts believe can only be aimed at Taiwan. In April, the PLAN's second Type 075 amphibious assault ship was launched, a type of aircraft carrier that can deploy thousands of marines and their equipment as well. Sputnik has reported on the massive PLAN initiative to build three such vessels to complement its seven Type 071 landing platform docks and more than 60 smaller landing craft. Earlier this week, the US Navy announced it was performing drills east of Taiwan, in the Philippine Sea, involving two aircraft carriers and their battle groups. Similar drills occurred last week as well. A Sputnik Aerial photo taken on May 25, 2020 shows a view of Yulin City, northwest China's Shaanxi Province. (Xinhua/Tao Ming) BEIJING, June 30 (Xinhua) -- President Xi Jinping on Tuesday underlined the importance of relying on reforms to tackle changing situations and open up new prospects, while encouraging exploration with good outcomes in key spheres. Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, specified the requirements in a speech at the 14th meeting of the central committee for deepening overall reform. The breakthrough and leading role of reforms must be given full play for the country to achieve the goals and tasks outlined in the 13th five-year plan, win the battle against poverty, complete the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects, and embark on a new journey toward building a modern socialist country, said Xi, who heads the committee. Li Keqiang and Wang Huning, both members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and deputy heads of the central committee for deepening overall reform, also attended the meeting. The meeting reviewed and approved a series of reform plans and guidelines on state-owned enterprises (SOEs), the integrated development of new generation information technology and the manufacturing industry, the rural homestead system, the integrated development of media, the education evaluation system, and the state-owned art troupes. It also heard a report on reform progress of the medical and health care system since the third plenary session of the 18th CPC Central Committee. The next three years will be crucial for the country's SOE reforms, the meeting noted, stressing efforts to optimize the layout and structure of the state-owned economy to make it more competitive, innovative, controllable, influential, and more able to withstand risks. A woman works at a factory of a plastic products company in Ning'an City, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, May 21, 2020. (Xinhua/Wang Jianwei) In terms of the integrated development of new generation information technology and the manufacturing industry, the meeting said that efforts should be made to speed up the innovative development of the industrial internet with a focus on advancing smart manufacturing. The meeting urged efforts to deepen the integrated media development and mechanism reforms, and cultivate talent in the all-media sector to build a set of competitive, strongly influential new types of mainstream media. Educational evaluation is a matter concerning the direction of educational development, so it is necessary to set up an educational evaluation system that is scientific, and in line with the requirements of the times, the meeting said. Meanwhile, the meeting stressed the further development of state-owned art troupes to stimulate their vitality. Since the third plenary session of the 18th CPC Central Committee, the country has been improving medical services through establishing the world's largest basic medical security network, and reducing the medical treatment burden for patients, putting people's lives and health first, it noted. Staff members of China Mobile test the signals of the 5G base station built at an altitude of 5,300 meters near the base camp of Mount Qomolangma in southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region on April 15, 2020. (Xinhua/Sun Fei) The meeting called for attaching great importance to the application of the new generation of information technology in the field of medicine and healthcare, reshaping the management and service mode, optimizing the allocation of resources, and improving service efficiency. It stressed the need to make plans for the reforms in the 14th Five-Year Plan period, focus more on making institutional improvement, and optimizing governance system, and do more to address deep-seated institutional problems. Poroshenko Fails To Show For Questioning At Ukraine's State Bureau Of Investigations By RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service June 30, 2020 KYIV -- Former Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has failed to show at the State Bureau of Investigations (DBR) for questioning. The DBR planned to question Poroshenko on June 30 in a case about his alleged illegal appointment of Serhiy Semochko to the post of the deputy chief of the Foreign Intelligence Service. Poroshenko's lawyer, Ihor Holovan, told journalists that his client did not show up at the DBR because the summons for questioning had been made via the DBR's website, which is illegal since Poroshenko should have been served the subpoena personally. Holovan noted that on July 1, the Pechera district court in Kyiv will resume hearings into Poroshenko's possible pretrial restrictions in the case. Poroshenko has been questioned several times in recent months in cases looking into a number of investigations launched after he failed to win a second term as president last year. The authorities have said that the DBR is looking in some 20 possible cases in which Poroshenko or his associates were implicated. A billionaire confectioner, Poroshenko currently serves as a member of parliament. His party ran on a pro-European, anti-Russian ticket in July parliamentary elections, winning 25 seats. On June 18, when Pechera district court started the hearing into Poroshenko's possible pretrial restriction measures, the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv expressed concerns about Ukraine's justice system. Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/poroshenko-fails- to-show-for-questioning-at-ukraine-s-state- bureau-of-investigations/30698974.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. You asked. We listened. Your daily crossword, Sudoku and dozens of other puzzles are now available online. Play them or print them here. Play now Description GIS 01 July 2020: The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family Welfare embarked on a new initiative to promote gender equality and maintain the fight against gender-based violence, through the signing of the Direct Aid Programme with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Australian High Commission. The signing ceremony was held, this, morning at Port-Louis and the signatories were the Minister of Gender Equality and Family Welfare, Mrs Kalpana Devi Koonjoo-Shah, the Australian High Commissionner to Mauritius, Ms Jenny Dee, and the UNDP Resident Representative for Mauritius and Seychelles, Ms Amanda Serumaga. In her address, Minister Kalpana Devi Koonjoo-Shah highlighted the unflinching support of the UNDP and the Australian Government, which has enabled the Ministry to blaze new trails and embark on innovative programmes and projects for the promotion of gender equality and protection from gender-based violence. She dwelt on the longstanding partnership of Mauritius with both the UNDP and Australian High Commission and expressed gratitude to the institutions in their technical and financial assistance to help sustain the advancement of the gender equality agenda. The Minister indicated that the Programme is a flexible, small grants program funded by the Australian Government and managed through the Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade overseas posts and aims to support projects with a strong development focus. She pointed out that it benefits those in need within the local community, including vulnerable or disadvantaged groups, women, children, youths and people with disabilities. Moreover, she spoke about the series of measures elaborated by Government in B udget 2020/2021 to enable women to become both socially and economically independent. These are: financial assistance to women entrepreneurs by the Development Bank of Mauritius , wherein funds to the tune of Rs 200 will be made available for loans at a concessional rate of 0.5% per annum; entrepreneurial programmes organised by the National Women Entrepreneur Council ; implementation of the 50 Million African Women Speak Project and the implementation of the Atelier des Metiers, aimed at equipping unemployed/ poor/ vulnerable women with relevant skills/ tools and other related support to enable them to engage in income- generating activities. The Ministry is also looking forward to work in close collaboration with NGOs, religious organisations and community leaders for implementation of projects aimed at addressing gender-based violence. As for the Australian Ambassador , she underlined that the Australian Government champions the social and economic empowerment of women and tackling gender-based violence is at the cornerstone of its agenda. We aim at securing cooperation and collaboration across the international community to address gender equality issues and break down barriers to womens empowerment, she stated. According to her, the Covid-19 pandemic highlighted the challenges women faced across the economic, security health and safety spheres, while deploring that gender-based violence multiplied and intensified globally during the lockdown. She underpinned the crucial contribution of women to the post-Covid-19 social and economic recovery as we are all called upon to build back together. Furthermore, Ms.Serumaga highlighted that the UNDP engages itself to sustain its actions in Mauritius and Rodrigues to accelerate initiatives geared towards promoting gender equality and women empowerment. She emphasised that it is important to speed up actions and align resources towards targeted programs to achieve these objectives, in particular as women will bear the brunt of the Covid-19 pandemic in a more disproportionate manner within the overall socio-economic landscape. The Chairperson of the Rodrigues Regional Assembly ,Mrs Speville, who participated in the ceremony through videoconference, underlined that the funding being allocated to the Rodrigues Regional Assembly is timely as it will contribute to the launching of the work of the SDG Committee. She further added that Rodrigues aspires to build resilience, safeguard its natural resources and empower its social capital and hence will calibrate its Covid-19 Responses to achieve the SDGs. Having baseline data through the research to be conducted with the support of the UNDP and the Australian High Commission will be of utmost importance in this endeavour, she said. The Agreement The A greement between the UNDP, the Australian High Commission and the Ministry concerns the implementation of the Observatory on Gender Based Violence and Perpetrators Rehabilitation Programme and an Animated Cartoon on the gender concept. This Cartoon will enable the ministry to sensitise the public at large on gender-related issues. UNDP newsletter Also on the occasion, the fortnightly newsletter of the UNDP on Gendered Voices was launched. The newsletter, focusing on women experiences during the Covid-19 lockdown , is underpinned by the narratives of different groups of women in Mauritius. It will serve as the basis for existing and future policy-orientation of the government to bring forth appropriate programmes and services for the benefit of women. TOPEKA [mdash] Edna E. Yoder, 75, of Topeka, died at 1 a.m. Saturday, June 19, 2021, at her residence. She was born Oct. 3, 1945, in LaGrange, to Emmery and Mary (Chupp) Miller. On Oct. 15, 1964, in Topeka, she married Raymond M. Yoder. He survives. Survivors in addition to her husband are t Roger Schneider can be reached at rschneider@goshennews.com or at 574-533-2151, ext. 240309. Follow him on Twitter at @rschneider_TGN . Roger Schneider can be reached at rschneider@goshennews.com or at 574-533-2151, ext. 240309. Follow him on Twitter at @rschneider_TGN . Note: We've recently updated our online systems. If you can't login please try resetting your password. You must login with an email address. If you don't have an email associated with your account email circulation@skagitpublishing.com for help creating one. What's Included With a Digital Only subscription, you'll receive unlimited access to our website and e-edition. Our digital products are available 24/7 and are accessible anywhere, anytime. If you have any questions or need further assistance, please call our customer service team at 574-583-5121 or email cgrace@thehj.com. Inspector General Proposal Calls to Defund the Police (TNS) The Sacramento, Calif., City Council will consider whether to overhaul the citys 911 system and hire an inspector general for police oversight.The meeting will take place at 5 p.m. Wednesday, July 1, and will be livestreamed on the citys website.Mayor Darrell Steinberg proposed both changes earlier this month amid protests across the country and in Sacramento against police brutality following the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis.The 911 overhaul would shift the responsibility to respond to noncriminal calls away from police and instead to unarmed non-police trained professionals. Those calls would include those involving homeless people and people in a mental health crisis.The idea could be modeled after the Crisis Assistance Helping Out On The Streets (CAHOOTS) program in Eugene, Ore., or the Youth Justice Coalition in Los Angeles, though it will have differences, a report from Steinbergs office released Tuesday said. In recent weeks, San Francisco Mayor London Breed has also announced the city is adopting a similar program, while Oakland is considering it.To complete the overhaul, the city might create a new staffed city division and/or might start contracting specific referrals to qualified community-based organizations, the report said.The City of Sacramento currently dispatches only traditional emergency services including Police, Fire, and Emergency Medical Services to 911 calls, the report, which Steinberg plans to present Wednesday, reads. However, these responders often are not adequately equipped, authorized or trained to resolve certain emergencies or crisis situations such as behavioral health, addiction, and homelessness. Additionally, these traditional first responders do not have ready access to treatment options beyond jails and emergency rooms. The result is a cycle of futility as complex behavioral issues move through our streets, jails, and emergency rooms without resolution.In 2019, the Sacramento Police Department experienced a 14 percent rise in mental health 911 calls, the report said. Over the last 12 months the Fire Department experienced a 15 percent increase in mental health calls.Officer Timothy Davis, President of the Sacramento Police Officers Association, has raised concerns with the mayors 911 proposal, saying it clearly reflects a lack of understanding about the underlying issues.Those in crisis need more services, not less, Davis said in a statement. Taking the responsibility away from police officers and giving it to social workers will not solve anything. We need a partnership between law enforcement and social workers, as well as triage centers and long-term services to make a meaningful difference in peoples lives.To get the program started, Steinberg wants to direct the city to allocate $5 million in city funds. Steinberg also wants an initial assessment of noncriminal calls to be brought to the council for review within 45 days and again at regular intervals over the next two years to inform an effective transition.Also under the mayors proposal, the new Inspector General position would make public findings on whether department policies were violated and whether officers should be disciplined. Then, the existing Sacramento Community Police Review Commission could take the Inspector Generals findings and make its own public recommendation on officer discipline or termination.Davis said while the department is unafraid of review and transparency, the current police review commission is not structured to take on the responsibility of impartial oversightThe commissions members lack the knowledge and training to review police tactics, are not impartial, and are not representative of our community, Davis wrote. Fairness and due process demands a reviewing body to be impartial and to have a balanced viewpoint, free from conflicts of interest.Unlike the countys inspector general, the citys would be able to investigate personnel-related matters, thanks to a new state law, Steinberg said. The ultimate decision of whether to terminate an officer would remain with the city manager.Black community leaders and activists have been demanding city officials defund the police, by reducing its all-time-high $157 million budget and allocating some of the funds toward services for youth and equitable economic development.The call, echoed nationally, has caused Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti to propose removing up to $150 million from Los Angeless $1.8 billion police budget. The city of Minneapolis is dismantling and recreating its entire police department.In Sacramento, officials have not yet moved to remove police department funding, although Steinberg has said his 911 overhaul would result in at least $10 million being removed from the department over the course of about two years.Activists say the defund call is especially important in Sacramento, where Measure U sales tax revenue intended to uplift disadvantaged communities is now going to police, due to the coronavirus pandemics devastating impact on the citys overall budget.To make up for that, Steinberg has said he wants to use the roughly $89 million in federal coronavirus stimulus (CARES) money for projects to help disadvantaged communities that were also affected by the virus.Measure U Citizens Advisory Commission Chairwoman Flojaune Cofer, as well as high-profile Black community leaders in the Build.Black Coalition, are calling for the city to remove $45.7 in Measure U revenue set to go toward the police department in the fiscal year that starts Wednesday. That figure includes Measure U revenue from both the 2012 and 2018 ballot measures.The Build.Black Coalition, in a letter to the mayor, said they support the 911 overhaul but that the timeline needs to move faster.We believe the proposed 24-month time period for deeper reform is far too passive a response for a crisis that places the physical and economic lives of every Black resident in our city at risk, the coalition wrote in a June 17 letter to the mayor.Included in the $45.7 million in Measure U revenue going to the police department is $2.5 million to extend a ShotSpotter contract, which the council approved while Black Lives Matter protesters demonstrated at City Hall urging them not to. It also includes funds to expand the police departments Impact Team, which responds to calls related to homelessness.The police union contract, which gives officers 3.5 percent annual raises in December, is also contributing to the $157 million police budget.Bob Erlenbusch, executive director of the Sacramento Regional Coalition to End Homelessness, is demanding the council defund the Impact Team, and says a petition the organization has circulated online has gathered more than 600 signatures. They want the city to place at least $5 million in a civilian intervention team to respond to noncriminal calls.On Tuesday, the council approved a move to update the police departments use-of-force policy to align with a new state law, changing the threshold for deadly force from reasonable to necessary. The change, proposed by Councilman Larry Carr and Councilwoman Angelique Ashby, brings the city in line with the state law before the Jan. 1 deadline.Councilman Allen Warren has proposed several police overhauls of his own, such as requiring officers hand out hows my policing business cards; that the city make public the identities of officers who patrol each area; and that the department begin mandatory, unpaid suspension for officers who shoot unarmed and non-threatening persons, a news release from his office said.Those changes will be discussed at the meeting Wednesday, as well as potential changes to the police review commission, presentations from Police Chief Daniel Hahn on gang activity and whether the city is complying with the 8CantWait initiative, according to the agenda.This is not the end, Steinberg said Tuesday after the council approved the use-of-force change. Were going to talk about this at long, long length tomorrow, but this is good and important work. A Dynamic Situation Follow the Rules (TNS) Every day, Texas continues to break records in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations, rivaling hotspots such as Florida and Arizona as the new center of the U.S. pandemic.As the situation escalates spiking to a record 6,584 new cases Wednesday and adding more than 5,000 new infections almost every day last week Republican Gov. Greg Abbott has consistently touted the ways in which Texans can stay safe: Wear a mask, sanitize often, social distance. Last week, he encouraged Texans to just stay indoors, then said hed put a pause on reopening businesses. By the end of the week, he ordered bars to close and restaurants to cut their occupancy from 75 percent to 50 percent.Yet even as Abbott has warned that Texas will take further measures if the situation doesnt improve, he has refused to allow local officials to penalize people who decline to wear masks in public. However, earlier this month he began allowing local officials to penalize businesses that dont require employees and customers wear masks.And he has plenty of company: Across the country, local officials and governors continue to bicker publicly about who will establish safety measures. In many of the cases, Republican governors, like Abbott, deny local leaders the right to impose their own safety rules, arguing instead that advice makes more sense than mandates, even amid sharply rising caseloads. The arguments beg the question of how state and local officials plan to agree on safety precautions in a new normal for months to come.Consider the squabbles springing up: Several Texas mayors petitioned Abbott to let them issue mask mandates for their cities, to no avail.In Arizona, Republican Gov. Doug Ducey at first refused to issue a statewide mask requirement and told local officials they couldnt either. He relented on local control earlier this month, though Arizonas caseload remains among the fastest-growing in the nation.California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, said hed withhold federal CARES Act funding from any county that doesnt follow state safety measures. Taking an opposite approach, Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts, a Republican, has threatened to withhold federal coronavirus aid to localities that do impose mask mandates.I think what were going to wind up seeing is a series of these kinds of awkward compromises in which the governor and then local governments try to continue to assert their primacy, said James Henson, who directs the Texas Politics Project at the University of Texas at Austin.Beneath the power dynamics between Texas state and local officials are tensions related to the consolidation of power in recent years thats strengthened the authority of the states executive branch at the expense of the legislature and local governments, Henson said.I think youre bound to get pushback from one end to the other if you try to enforce uniform policies across the state, Henson said.States generally supersede local control, but fighting a pandemic requires local cooperation.Youve got to give flexibility to local government to respond to conditions on the ground, certainly within parameters and goals that are set by the state government, Henson said. Youve got to do that and play it in an even-handed way.Some in Texas support mandating masks to protect essential workers.It gives us the power as small businesses to control the people who come in here, said Hector Huerta, who works for Buda Juice, a juice bar in Dallas.Face coverings have become a contentious issue. President Donald Trump has refused to wear a face mask in public, mocked his likely Democratic opponent Joe Biden for wearing a mask and told the Wall Street Journal that some Americans wear face masks to signal disapproval of him.Still, most states including the latest coronavirus hotspots Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, Florida, North Carolina and Utah require face coverings at least in specific localities or certain types of businesses, such as among employees or customers of barbershops, salons, restaurants and retail establishments. Texas and at least eight other states make similar recommendations. Iowa, Montana and Oklahoma do neither, according to data compiled by the employment and labor law firm Littler. And only three states in the South require masks.We're just trying to rise above that debate and instead lay it out by following the regulators whose only goal is workplace safety, said Brian Calley, president of the Small Business Association of Michigan, where masks are mandated.Despite the clashes, Americans favor broad COVID-19 restrictions, even if they infringe on personal freedoms and privacy, according to a Fairleigh Dickinson University survey released June 23. The national phone survey randomly sampled 1,003 adults nationwide on landlines and cellphones May 20-25.Although 79 percent of Americans support mandatory face masks in enclosed public spaces, 63 percent of those who approve of Trumps leadership through the pandemic favor mandatory masks, as opposed to 95 percent who disapprove of his leadership. The survey found a similar breakdown between Republicans and Democrats. Wearing masks is supported by 74 percent of white respondents compared with 98 percent of Black respondents. Black Americans are disproportionately affected by the virus.States that mandated face masks in public saw a greater decline in COVID-19 growth rates than states that did not, according to a Health Affairs study released June 16. The study looked at 15 states and the District of Columbia that first required face masks in public between April 8 and May 15. By May 22, as many as 230,000 to 450,000 COVID-19 cases may have been averted based on when states passed mandates, the study found.Despite public health gains, the measures have prompted pushback. The U.S. attorney for the District of Wyoming is monitoring state and county coronavirus safety protocols for constitutional violations. The investigation was prompted by concerns that the orders violated certain individual rights, such as to peaceably assemble.As the coronavirus continues to spread, there may be other reasons for governors such as Abbott to reconsider. New York, New Jersey and Connecticut announced last week that they will require travelers from several coronavirus hotspot states, including Texas, Arizona and Florida, to quarantine for 14 days.Texas is geographically and demographically diverse, and Texans are experiencing the pandemic in vastly different ways depending on where they live and work. Metropolitan areas are seeing rising cases and hospitalizations. So are rural places with meatpacking plants, nursing homes and prisons.But at the local level, the governors orders have resulted in a patchwork of restrictions. Take the city of Dallas. As an employer, the city requires workers to wear face coverings. But its a moot point since most employees are teleworking and most city buildings have been closed since March, said Catherine Cuellar, the citys director of communications, outreach and marketing.Signs posted outside city buildings urge visitors to cover their faces. It doesnt say face coverings are required because we dont have any enforcement power as a public entity to require it, Cuellar said.Dallas Police Department employees are required to wear masks while on duty in public. Inside the office, theyre only encouraged.A draft document of Texas state public school safety measures obtained by the Texas Tribune shows officials are recommending staff and students wear masks when schools reopen, but that they expect to impose few mandatory safety precautions.Abbott has consistently declined to give local officials the authority to mandate residents wear masks in public.But a Bexar County, Texas, judge earlier this month directed businesses to require employees and customers to wear masks inside their establishments or risk a fine. Abbott didnt challenge the order. Instead, he responded as if local officials had finally figured out that they had the authority to regulate masks through businesses.It was a poor political play, but it brought in some relief, Henson said.Since then, Dallas and several other counties have instituted similar orders.Early in the pandemic, Texas seemed to avoid the worst of the outbreak. It was among the first states to lift business restrictions May 1 after a statewide lockdown. But Texas became a hotspot after the governor asserted the states authority to open up in a way that overrode local ordinances and policies, Henson said.Texans have already shown that we dont have to choose between jobs and health, Abbott said at a news conference last week. We can have both.But theres no balance between safeguarding the economy and public health when the two are intertwined, said Sherri Greenberg, a clinical professor and fellow at the LBJ School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin.You can have a mayor or county judge or governor say, Were open, but if people dont feel safe, weve seen many of them will not partake in the economy, said Greenberg, a former Democratic member of the Texas House of Representatives. Others, because theyre older or may have underlying health conditions may say, Were open, but I think I should stay home.The Dallas County mask ordinance illustrates the confusion, and critics say it could leave some small businesses vulnerable to competition from neighbors.Most of the city of Dallas is in Dallas County. But small parts of the city fall within neighboring counties. So, while people are required to wear masks in Dallas County, they could head next door to Collin County to shop without a mask and stay within city limits.There is no coordinated effort, said Dallas County Commissioner John Wiley Price, a Democrat who opposed the countys mask order penalizing businesses. Thats part of the concern. If this is going to happen, then the governor needs to do it and if hes only going to do it in urban counties and buttressing counties, then I understand that.In Michigan, Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has required business employees and customers to wear masks since April. But the requirement lacks a penalty or enforcement mechanism for consumers, leaving individuals to decide whether to comply.Navigating the rules has been complicated for small business owners who are financially in tremendous amount of distress, said Calley of the Small Business Association of Michigan. Some businesses require customers wear masks, while others are lax.No matter what they do, theyre going to lose customers, said Calley, a Republican and former Michigan lieutenant governor.But guidelines at the federal level are effective, according to Calley and several small business leaders.The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has layers of protections, Calley said. OSHA directs businesses to keep out sick people, sanitize frequently touched surfaces and enable social distancing by limiting occupancy. OSHA considers personal protective equipment, known as PPE, the last line of defense, Calley said.To workplace safety regulators, its definitely not the main thing, Calley said. In fact, you want to engineer your whole process so youre not asking so much of the mask.The latest order from several Texas counties that threatens businesses with fines hurts small businesses by putting them in the tough position of having to deny or kick out customers, said Annie Spilman, Texas state director of the National Federation of Independent Business.And that very person can say, Youve violated my individual liberty, Spilman said.If state and local governments are going to put the burden on small businesses to police people, they also should provide protections, such as immunity for companies that follow OSHA and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines or liability protections from frivolous lawsuits, Spilman said.If youre not complying with what OSHA asks for, youre going to wind up in trouble no matter what Austin says or Houston says, said Keith Ashmus, founder of mediation and arbitration firm Dispute-Away LLC and past chairman of the National Small Business Association, referring to customers, employees and OSHA.Most employees working the floor at a half-dozen businesses in the West Village area of Uptown, a popular neighborhood just north of downtown Dallas, didnt oppose the countys latest measure.We feel backed by the county, said Huerta, of Buda Juice.Many stores already require customers to wear masks before they enter. Several had hand sanitizers available. Some clothing stores had masks for bare-faced customers.But its unfair for businesses to have to police customers and not hold individuals accountable, said Khai Nguyen, a barista at Sip Stir Coffee House.If theyre not going to wear a mask in here, theyre not going to wear it outside, Nguyen said.On a recent Friday afternoon, hours after the Dallas County Commissioners Court approved the order that would go into effect at midnight, about a half-dozen solo customers sat scattered throughout the shop plucking away at laptops. None wore masks.Were considered essential workers, Nguyen said. Why should we put our own health on the line when others dont want to follow the rules? Governor Northam Prohibits Congregating in Bars, Stresses Caution As Virginia Moves to Phase Three With cases rising in other states, Virginia will maintain current restrictions on bar seating, congregating RICHMONDGovernor Ralph Northam today announced that bar seating will remain prohibited in restaurants as the Commonwealth moves into Phase Three at midnight tonight. While key health indicators in Virginia are improving, the Governor made clear that he is taking a cautious approach and is prepared to implement tighter restrictions if needed. To reduce the likelihood of patrons gathering in bar areas without observing social distancing guidelines, bar seating and congregating areas of restaurants will remain closed except for those passing through. Restaurants may use non-bar seating in the bar area, as long as a minimum of six feet between tables is provided. I am watching what is happening in other stateswe are taking a cautious approach as we enter Phase Three and maintaining the current restrictions on bar areas, said Governor Northam. In Virginia, our hospitalization rates have fallen, our percentage of positive tests continues to trend downward, and we are conducting more than 10,000 tests each day. We want these trends to continue, but if our public health metrics begin moving in the wrong direction, I will not hesitate to take action to protect the health and safety of our communities. Virginia is currently averaging more than 10,400 tests per dayexceeding Governor Northams goaland hospitals continue to report ample supplies of personal protective equipment. The percentage of positive tests has dropped to six percent from a high of 20 percent in mid-April. The number of Virginians hospitalized with a positive or pending COVID-19 test has declined significantly over the past several weeks, and more than 1,200 contact tracers are presently working throughout the Commonwealth. Despite these positive trends, Governor Northam is monitoring increases in several states, and taking proactive steps to limit the spread of COVID-19 in Virginia. Governor Northam also continues to remind Virginians that they are safer at home, especially if they are high-risk or vulnerable. All Virginians must continue to comply with the statewide face covering requirement in indoor public spaces, and Virginians are strongly encouraged to: continue teleworking if possible wash hands regularly maintain six feet of physical distance when outside of home get tested immediately if you have COVID-19 symptoms Executive Order Sixty-Seven and Order of Public Health Emergency Seven is available here. Read the order in Spanish here. Sector-specific guidelines for Phase Three can be found here. View this document in Spanish here. Visit virginia.gov/coronavirus/forwardvirginia for more information and answers to frequently asked questions. # # # For service to conservation and the environment, as a ranger in the Carnarvon National Park, and through assisting with the foundation of the Aboriginal Seasonal Ranger Program, utilising his knowledge and expertise as an Elder and custodian of the Bidgera People. SERGEANT MATTHEW JOHN OBRIEN AND SERGEANT AGNELLE AMELIA BAGETTI (TNS) California is the second-worst state in the country when it comes to providing students with adequate Internet access to learn from home.The number of students in the state without broadband access to enable them to continue their education is much larger than previously thought, as a return to in-class learning remains uncertain amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.The study carried out by Common Sense Media and the Boston Consulting Group reveals that 25% of California's K-12 students lack adequate connection (1,528,536 students) and 17% lack adequate devices at home (1,063,415 students), making it second only to Texas in states with the largest population of K-12 students without the means to learn from home.The study also showed that 8% of teachers in the state lack adequate connectivity at home.Across the country, approximately 15-16 million K-12 public school students, or 30% of all public K-12 students, live in households either without an Internet connection or device adequate for distance learning at home.In light of the findings, Common Sense is urging Congress to close the gap in funding as part of its next emergency stimulus bill in response to the pandemic. The non-profit organization that "provides education and advocacy to families to promote safe technology and media for children," estimates a price tag of at least $6 billion and as much as $11 billion to connect all kids at home nationwide, and an additional $1 billion to close the divide for teachers throughout the country.James P. Steyer, founder and CEO of Common Sense, said that the COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the digital divide for what it is: a nationwide crisis that leaves millions of children and hundreds of thousands of teachers without proper connectivity and tools to conduct distance learning at a time when school increasingly has come to depend on it"States like California and others are working hard to address this problem, but our new data and analysis which reveals a distance learning digital divide that is even worse in California then was previously reported further highlights the urgency for policymakers, educators, and private companies to do more to address this basic educational equity issue that affects kids, not just in this state, but in every state. Steyer added.The study also reported personal stories from teachers across the country, including one Oakland elementary teacher who told Common Sense that over 30% of our families currently do not have Internet at home, 35% of students are accessing online content via parents smartphones. That creates a whole other set of challenges: parents needing the phone for their own communication needs, parents being at work and students unable to access online work, limited data plans creating worries about paying bills or losing connectivity.The study concludes that the homework gap isnt just about homework anymore. The lack of access to the Internet and a distance-learning device during the COVID-19 pandemic school closures puts these students at risk of significant learning loss. Trick Questions Are Not New Three Tips for Answering Tough Questions Throughout the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, weve seen new leaders emerge at all levels of government. It is fascinating to watch the good, the bad and the ugly regarding public speaking with so much at stake. But while this pandemic is new, preparing to answer difficult questions in hard times is a skill we can learn.Technology and security leaders can be confronted with loaded questions that appear to offer no easy way out. Whether the query is coming from staff, management, customers or even the press, how can we prepare and offer workable answers for those inevitable gotcha traps that come our way?For example, consider questions like, Are you 100 percent sure that every staff member is healthy and frequently tested, and that no one will spread COVID-19 to your customers? Or, What mission-essential technology projects have been canceled due to new pandemic-related priorities? Or, Can you guarantee no data breaches occurred when staff transitioned from working in the office to home and back to the office?No doubt, there are often common traits to flag potential danger ahead regarding these verbal land mines. Watch out for: all-or-nothing caveats in questions (such as no data breaches, or that every person will always be tested); loaded words that, when combined, set you up for failure (like mission-essential and canceled); and someone asking for promises to be made about things that are outside of your control.More than a decade ago, I attended a leadership seminar in Michigan government that taught us how to be aware of, and how to respond to, hostile news media questions. This helpful class encouraged us to practice answering the question that the person should have asked, if they were being polite. That is, reword the question in your mind and answer the question positively. Word of warning: Never repeat the negative question in your verbal answer.For example, if a reporter asks, Why are you wasting taxpayer money? dont reply defensively by saying, Im not wasting taxpayer money! The message the audience will receive is that you probably are wasting taxpayer money, regardless of what you say next. Instead, answer a more positive version of the reporters question. I am responsibly spending every precious tax dollar that our government receives by implementing the project on time and under budget.So, what else can help?First, build confidence by preparing for these situations. Just as we prepare for security incidents and system outages with tabletop exercises, security and technology leaders need to take time to practice our communication skills with colleagues.While working with public information officers and other communications staff is essential in communicating effectively to your internal and external audiences, dont assume that help will always be available to address tough questions. Rather, build a culture where leaders are prepared to know the best-practice answers to all types of questions, and to deliver the message in the right tone and context. Work on delivering approved talking points with supportive stories if time permits.Second, use appropriate humor when possible. No one was better at this than President Ronald Reagan. When asked a challenging question about prayer in schools being illegal, he reportedly said, As long as there are final exams, there will always be prayer in the schools.Third, describe the process being followed. Even if you dont have an exact answer to a question, be prepared to walk through the steps your team is implementing using best practices from respected organizations like the National Institute of Standards and Technology. Include the team involved and describe how they are contributing to reaching agreed-upon goals with a unified playbook.Remember, in a job interview, the best-prepared candidate, and not always the most talented person, often gets selected for the position. Do your homework, and dont get caught in the trap of thinking that no one will ask tough questions once you get the job. 1. How has your experience in major cities translated to state work? 2. Do civic tech efforts like the STiR program work at the state level? 3. How will the COVID-19 response affect New York state long term? 4. What does that workforce development look like? Jeremy Goldberg describes himself as a student of civic tech and gov tech. His resume includes time with San Francisco, where he helped launch the Startup in Residence (STiR) program, as well as three years as New York Citys deputy CTO. Since November 2019, Goldberg has been interim CIO for New York state, a position thats both broader than and similar to his city-level work.San Francisco prides itself on being the center of the tech industry, and thats clearly played a role in both the access to and engagement with technology and technologists. Tech certainly has a strong presence in New York City, but you cant say that New York is defined by the tech industry the same way as San Francisco. Technology is a part of every industry in New York, from the arts and academia to finance and banking, and that has influenced the city governments approach to technology. The approach to gov tech over the last decade speaks to the importance of these regional differences.Still, the state level is different in some critical ways. New York has a 50-mile drone corridor that stretches from central New York to the Mohawk Valley. We have a thriving biotech industry in the capital region, and about 20 percent of the states land area is used for farming and has benefited tremendously from ag-tech solutions. The other important part from the state perspective is the ability to coordinate and direct the states resources and our technical knowledge at scale. Thats been a major boon for just about every area of the state, and thats something that cant quite be replicated at the city level.Over the past 10 years, a lot of cities really have been leaders in the gov tech or civic tech space. And weve begun to see that many of their lessons are making their way into state government at this time, including here in New York where we have the resources to scale that work and make it successful for the entire population. I see increasingly a growing leadership role for state government and governors in charting a course for the next 10 years of civic tech.We know the crisis is having a very severe economic impact, and that means that we need to use our resources even more efficiently and effectively. Its not just about policy, its about operational approaches and priorities. The old model of buying more stuff to solve our technology problems wont be financially viable any longer, but the crisis has also reinforced the lesson that it also wasnt going to be technologically viable. So we have to be smart, thoughtful and agile in the way we approach technology across the board, and if we are, we have an opportunity for positive and transformative change.The states response to the coronavirus has also reinforced the need for flexibility and stability across the states technology infrastructure and workforce. By flexibility I mean that we can shift our focus to respond to a crisis or a new priority at a moments notice. The stability piece is so our services remain reliable during normal operations so we can continue to be resilient as we face unprecedented events, and were really taking proactive steps to support our technical workforce with the technologies and training that they need.Were working closely with our human resources team, expanding access to professional development and training opportunities and promoting employee engagement. Were going to be doing this not only for the Information Technology Service workforce, but also offering them up to digital information officers and others across the state, helping to equip them with new tools to operate more effectively in a digital environment. Its putting the people and process in place before the technology. Federal Proposals California Other States As Americans spend more time hopping from Zoom meetings to retail websites to news sites especially during increased time at home due to the coronavirus some are increasingly concerned about protecting their digital privacy and data. Lawmakers throughout the nation are responding by working to pass online privacy legislation on the state and federal levels. But controversy over who should enforce the laws, the definition of consumer information, and whether citizens should be able to sue companies in the event of a data breach or other violation are among the top issues holding up legislative efforts. And with lawmakers focused on pressing coronavirus impacts, legislative efforts on digital privacy are largely paused, experts say.There are a lot of proposals in many state legislatures, said Hayley Tsukayama of the Electronic Frontier Foundation. But with the coronavirus, many have reassessed their priorities about whats moving and whats not and many [proposals] are not.Still, legislative movement is expected when the nation returns to some level of normalcy, and when it does, California will likely retain its reputation as a leader in the quest for online privacy with its California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), which went into effect on Jan. 1, 2020. Some states view it as a template for their own measures.California is definitely a standout in a lot of different ways it has set the standard and the bar that other states are following, said Ashley Johnson, of the Internet Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF). The Golden States efforts have spurred action or at least discussion of the issue at the federal level. But whether a bipartisan compromise can be achieved remains to be seen.Heres a look at what some digital privacy experts view as standouts in legislative online privacy efforts at the state level, and some of the sticking points in those and federal proposals.Two key bills are pending in the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation one from Committee Chairman Roger Wicker, R-Miss., and another from ranking member Maria Cantwell, D-Wash. The bills contain some similar provisions to Californias and some overlap, but differ in key areas. Wickers bill would override any state measure, and Cantwells would not. Cantwells also contains the controversial private right of action provision, which has been the sticking point in some state legislation. Wickers contains no such provision.Johnson believes it is important that a federal bill override state measures so every company in the U.S. knows what to expect, rather than have to adapt to 50 different sets of rules. Her organization also does not support private right of action provisions. She said the CCPAs provisions granting private right of action in limited circumstances has kept proponents of the provision from compromising on the federal level in that regard.They have gotten their way in California, she said, adding that her organization would rather see a federal law where the Federal Trade Commission has jurisdiction in enforcing privacy and could fine a company if they dont follow the law.Tsukayama says private right of action is a provision her organization, EFF, believes is foundational to any good data protection measure.The California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018 is multi-faceted, granting consumers the right to request a business to disclose the personal information it has collected about them as well as the source of the information and its business purpose. Consumers may request that the information be deleted by the business. The measure also allows consumers to opt out of a business sale of their information. The law went into effect Jan. 1, 2020, but the California Attorney Generals Office, as of early May, had not yet completed writing its implementing regulations and is expected to do so in July.Johnson, of ITIF, says one of the most controversial aspects of the law is its private right of action provision, which allows consumers to sue a company that has collected their data if a data breach occurs. Johnson also believes the act disincentivizes data collection needed for emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things (IoT).We think it might stymie innovation in AI and IoT, she said.Tsukayama, of EFF, said one of her organizations concerns about the CCPA is it only allows private right of action lawsuits in limited circumstances involving data breaches. Her organization has proposed follow-up legislation allowing people to sue companies for every privacy violation, not just data breaches. In addition, EFF is concerned that the CCPA does not have strong enough enforcement provisions. Under the act, the state attorney general would bring suit in cases of violation. Tsukayama said the AGs office has stated it can only handle two to three such cases per year.We run the risk of having these really grand-sounding pieces of legislation that sound like they do a lot, but when the rubber hits the road, theres not enough resources there to make sure consumers get the protections that are in the laws, said Tsukayama.Daniel Castro of ITIF (and a Government Technology columnist) said he supports the CCPAs provision of notice to cure, where a company, if given notice of a violation, would then be advised to amend the violation within a set period of time.In a way, that idea can potentially mitigate a lot of concerns about lawsuits, said Castro.Castro said other states are looking to implement similar notice to cure provisions in their legislation.California has recently enacted other privacy laws, including measures that require the AGs office to make information from data brokers available on its website and a law pertaining to smart televisions that prohibits the recording of voices through voice recognition software.Maine and Nevada have recently passed privacy laws that are fairly comprehensive, according to Johnson.These efforts arent just concentrated where you would expect the most technologically aware states like our Californias, New Yorks or your Washingtons, said Johnson. All states are looking at it.Online privacy legislation is also pending in Illinois, Wisconsin, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Pennsylvania and New Jersey.Measures in Washington and New York failed largely over private right of action provisions.Johnson said the New York measure introduced a controversial legal concept of information fiduciary, which introduced a legal standard of care regarding collected personal data.It was something a lot of people could not get behind, she said.Many states also are weighing proposals that address a specific area of digital privacy such as biometrics. Illinois passed a biometrics law that was part of the $500 million Facebook settlement. Vermont passed a bill requiring data brokers to register annually with the secretary of state and provide specific data collection information to consumers. Nevada passed a law requiring operators on the Internet to designate an address where consumers may submit a request not to sell their information. Other states have recently passed laws requiring employers to notify employees of potential Internet monitoring.Tsukayama said she believes the coronavirus crisis will change the tenor of the online privacy debate, drawing more people into the debate, since more people are online now, giving the passage of bills a greater sense of immediacy.We are spending so much time online now, and using all of these tools that have not been used this much before the crisis, she said, with people using Slack for book clubs, Zoom for family reunions or office conferences, and other online tools. I actually think that privacy protections are more important than ever. With the staff of many government agencies forced to work from home because of COVID-19, government CIOs have had to move quickly to adapt. While the initial focus has been on ensuring workers have the basic tools they need to do their jobs fast and secure Internet, laptops and mobile devices, and access to essential online systems as weeks turn into months, more government agencies must start exploring opportunities for better remote collaboration, communication and training. One opportunity on the horizon is expanding the use of immersive computing technologies, like augmented reality and virtual reality (AR/VR), that create new modes for users to experience digital content through computers, mobile devices and headsets.There are some immediate ways that government can use AR/VR, such as to improve training for workers. AR/VR lets agencies simulate real-world situations, giving workers the opportunity to gain experience in a controlled environment. This type of training is particularly useful for law enforcement and other first responders who encounter situations where there can be severe consequences from mistakes made during on-the-job training. Learning in an AR/VR environment has been found to not only increase recall , but also allow trainees to develop muscle memory for specific tasks. And perhaps most importantly, AR/VR may also be the most feasible option for remote training for workers at home or who cannot travel and would otherwise be unable to attend onsite training.AR/VR can also be useful for recruiting prospective employees. For example, the Indiana Department of Child Services reduced its 50 percent annual turnover in case workers to 17 percent by implementing a VR simulation that gives job applicants better insight into what their daily job duties would entail. At the federal level, the Marine Corps began exploring earlier this year how the use of head-mounted VR simulators might improve recruiting, particularly among college students, after its past successes using flight simulators.Immersive computing may also help government agencies better engage with the public. Cities like Boston and Seattle have already piloted using various forms of AR/VR to help city planners, elected officials, citizens and others better engage in community planning. Instead of just looking at basic 2-D design plans, AR/VR can enable individuals to interact with 3-D models or virtual video simulations, thereby allowing them to better understand what a new development might look like or the impact it would have on traffic patterns. As more communities invest in smart city technology and generate significantly more data, AR/VR applications may become one of the primary ways of visualizing this information.Finally, cities can also produce AR/VR content for the public, which may prove especially useful in a post-COVID-19 world. Museums have been early adopters of this technology as they let visitors experience virtual exhibits even when museum facilities are closed. And cities, such as New Orleans , have also created virtual tours, allowing would-be tourists to, for example, experience the French Quarter and learn more about the citys history and culture. And AR mobile apps not only provide enhanced navigation, such as showing pedestrians walking routes, but they can also layer on additional content such as information about points of interest. Such apps can not only deliver more information, but also create more touchless encounters, like replacing shared paper menus at restaurants with virtual ones.The eventual goal of many AR/VR developers is to allow for virtual meetings. While many more people are now using video conferencing, complaints are already stacking up about how it fails to sufficiently replicate the in-person experience. AR/VR technology is not yet ready or widely adopted enough for this type of collaboration to be mainstream, such as for VR town hall meetings, but the ability to have small teams collaborate in a virtual environment is starting to be deployed Some cities are seizing this opportunity. In 2018, New York City established RLab , the first publicly funded AR/VR facility to support economic development, academic research and entrepreneurship. Not every city can or should follow in its footsteps, but there are a number of potential applications of AR/VR in government, and the timeline to adopt these technologies has likely been accelerated by the pandemic. Agencies should use this opportunity to begin planning for, and piloting, this new technology. Drones light up Madrid sky to honor COVID-19 victims, frontline workers MADRID, Spain ,City Hall lit up the skies with drones on Friday as a tribute for COVID-19 victims and for those who have fought the virus in Spain.https://t.co/jORNyGKLM6 pic.twitter.com/Acm5T19gpt LightCivitas (@LIGHTING_CMNTY) June 30, 2020 UMILES Group, a Spanish company, decided to use technology to show its support for COVID-19 victims and the frontline workers who are risking their lives to combat the pandemic. Last Friday, June 26, the company sent 40 drones into the night sky over the countrys capital city of Madrid for a little light show.Each drone was equipped with a bright LED light that could change colors. They spent about 10 minutes in the air creating different shapes like hearts and spelling out words like hope and heroes. They also formed the shape of the flags of a number of countries including China, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the U.S. The company also kept the exact location of the performance a secret in order to prevent crowds from gathering since, you know, were not supposed to be doing that right now. (TNS) Sen. Angus King of Maine took to the floor of the Senate on Tuesday to urge his colleagues to develop a national cyberdefense program that could fend off a potential catastrophic cyberattack that could disrupt millions of lives and throw the country into chaos.King urged his colleagues to consider the inclusion of vital cybersecurity amendments in the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act.I want to describe a hypothetical threat: a threat that throws millions of people out of work almost overnight, causes a stock market collapse, cripples the airline industry, has people afraid to leave their homes, the state scrambling for materials to prepare and cope with the attack, King said during his speech before members of the Cyberspace Solarium Commission.The attack comes in waves. Just as it seems to be receding it comes back, King told commission members, according to a copy of his speech provided by his staff. Its difficult to know the sources of the attack. The country is divided; there are conspiracy theories and polarization and politicization of this awful situation. Madame President, Im not describing the pandemic. Thats what weve experienced. Im describing a potential catastrophic cyberattack on this country.King, who serves as co-chair of the Cyberspace Solarium Commission, a bipartisan commission, said such a cyberattack could disable the nations electrical grid, its transportation system and the Internet. King, an independent who caucuses with Democrats, is also a member of the Senate Intelligence and Armed Services committees.I think one of the overall lessons (weve learned) from the pandemic is: the unthinkable can happen, King told the commission. If you had told any of us a year ago we wouldnt be leaving our homes, wed be wearing our masks when we went out, our restaurants and social gatherings would be closed, nobody would believe that. Well, its happened. And a catastrophic cyberattack can happen.I believe the next Pearl Harbor will be cyber. Thats going to be the attack that attempts to bring this country to its knees, and as weve learned in the pandemic, we have vulnerability, and we have to prepare for it, he said.The Cyberspace Solarium Commission was established by statute in the 2019 National Defense Authorization Act and was launched in April 2019. The commissions final report was issued on March 11 and outlines more than 75 recommendations to improve the security of U.S. critical infrastructure.President Dwight D. Eisenhower created the original Project Solarium in 1953 to develop a strategy to counter Soviet Union threats to the United States and its allies during the early days of the Cold War. The latest iteration of the Solarium seeks to guide the United States through a new age of warfare.The Cyberspace Solarium Commission consists of 14 members, comprising members of Congress, federal officials and civilians. Ferrari will pay homage to Alex Zanardi in Austria. The former Formula 1 driver is in an artificial coma in the hospital after he came into contact with a truck with his handbike. Zanardi was active in Formula 1 for Jordan, Minardi, Lotus and Williams and also became a CART champion in the 1990s. After losing both lower legs in a crash in 2001, he showed tremendous resilience by winning four gold medals at the Paralympic Games by handbike. #ForzaAlex To support Zanardi the Ferrari will carry a message on the car this weekend with #ForzaAlex. This will be seen on both sides of the air intake above the drivers. Sebastian Vettel and Charles Leclerc will both drive this car during the Grand Prix weekend in Austria. This message from Ferrari came after a last update from the hospital about the condition of Zanardi. A brain surgery would have been successful, but Zanardi is still kept in an artificial coma. The situation is still serious according to the hospital. On July 4, 1975, America proudly celebrated its Bicentennial as the worlds greatest nation while Poland was a suppressed Soviet satellite state. Poles had no right to free speech, were hungry and impoverished. If you wanted a job, you played ball with Communist Party bosses. If you disagreed with their ideology, you likely were imprisoned. Poland was a rather bleak land which had not recovered from the German Blitzkrieg in 1939. Meanwhile, in Washington, the Business Week program started at Central Washington University as a way for high school students to experience our nations dynamic, market-based economic system. It was an idea germinated at the Association of Washington Business by Yelm grocer Hal Wolfe and Dr. Jim Brooks, CWU president. It migrated to Poland 20 years ago. When Business Week started, Lech Waesa, founder of the Solidarity Movement, was jailed by Communist Party leaders for violating the right to organize shipyard workers in Gdansk. Karol Jozef Wojtya was archbishop of Krakow, and Ronald Reagan was Californias governor. Walesa formed the Soviet blocs first independent trade union, won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1983, and served as Polands president from 199095. Walesa led peaceful protestsnot riots. In 1978, Wojtyla was elected Pope John Paul II. In 1979, he startled the Communists by returning to his native land. His 10 days in Poland drew millions peacefully. The embers of freedom lit by Walesa suddenly became a bonfire. Then President Ronald Reagan sealed the deal in 1987, appearing at the Brandenburg Gate dividing east and West Berlin, where he challenged Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev: Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this Wall! Twenty-nine months later, after intense East German protests, the famed gate opened and the wall started tumbling down. This July 4th we need to remember that peaceful protests are important to bring about change, but rioting, burning and looting are impediments to progress. People peacefully calling for reforms in policing, equality and changes to improve opportunities for everyone are needed. However, rioters taunting and threatening those attempting to maintain public safety, looting businesses, and ransacking and burning stores and offices, destroy peoples ability to carry out meaningful change. Complicating systemic changes is the COVID-19 pandemic. It continues to hit small businesses hard, particularly those owned by minorities. For example, in mid-June, the Wall Street Journal reported the number of active black business owners fell by 41 percent. WSJ published data from economist Robert Fairlie, University of California, Santa Cruz, who wrote the number of working business owners plummeted from 15 million in February 2020 to 11.7 million in April. That 3.3 million is a stunning 22 percent drop. Minority business owners were hit hardest. About 441,000 black, 658,000 Latino, 1.1 million immigrant-owned and 1.3 million women-owned businesses disappeared. For women, one in four businesses closed. But what seems lost is that the private sector, allowed to invent, can solve problems in new ways. Poland experienced the iron rule of government that controlled every aspect of its peoples lives. It stagnated. While America is not the Poland of 1975, it is drifting rapidly to a nation where the government becomes the employer and economic engine. As we celebrate our independence on July 4, we ought to remember that enterprising people ultimately create a better life for all of us. Too often, Americans forget we are fortunate to live in a governmental system that allows us to peacefully change. Occasionally, it needs a good tuning up, and that time is now. It is time to build upon our strengths rather than rip America apart. We need to push our political leaders to work together now and not await the outcome of the November elections. Don C. Brunell is a business analyst, writer and columnist. He retired as president of the Association of Washington Business, the states oldest and largest business organization, and now lives in Vancouver. He can be contacted at theBrunells@msn.com. Grand Haven, MI (49417) Today Cloudy skies early, then partly cloudy this afternoon. High near 65F. Winds NW at 15 to 25 mph. Higher wind gusts possible.. Tonight Mainly clear. Low 47F. Winds N at 10 to 20 mph, becoming SSE and decreasing to less than 5 mph. Team boss Andreas Seidl has denied that McLaren could have collapsed financially in 2020. Recent London High Court documents showed that the Woking based team required a huge cash injection to avoid insolvency within the month of July. This week, it emerged that a $185 million loan has been secured from the National Bank of Bahrain, which is partly owned by McLaren's Bahraini shareholders. It raises the question as to whether the team informed Daniel Ricciardo about its money problems before the Australian decided to sign up for 2021. "As always, I am direct and transparent, as is Zak (Brown)," Seidl told German-language reporters. "We had an open discussion and Daniel was informed about what was going on. But we never had any doubt about McLaren being on the grid next year. "Of course it has been a difficult period, but I was in constant contact with Zak and we always looked for the best investment options to put us in a good position." However, McLaren has had to shed staff, and it emerges that the scheduled wind tunnel and driver simulator investment projects were also scrapped. "Really, it does not affect anything for this year or next," Seidl insists. "At the beginning of this crisis, we had to stop all infrastructure work and even now, without knowing what our income will be this year, we must be cautious. "As you can imagine, I am insisting that everything gets going again as soon as possible, as we have a deficit compared to the big teams," he said. (GMM) Dr Helmut Marko thinks all of the current Formula 1 teams will survive the 'corona crisis'. It has been an unprecedentedly tumultuous period for the sport and many others, as the world ground to a halt for a global pandemic. McLaren has survived thanks only to a $185 bank loan, Haas' future is uncertain, Williams is for sale and even champions Mercedes' strategy may be changing. But Marko, a top official at Red Bull, doubts that teams will "completely disappear". "There will be compromises," he told APA news agency. "I see the only acute danger at Williams, but with a sale of shares that should also be resolvable," Marko said, adding that Red Bull will not be the buyer. As for Renault, the French works team's carmaker parent recently gave a green light to the continuation of the F1 project, and team boss Cyril Abiteboul has now told L'Equipe: "Our team is not for sale." However, the teams are heading to Austria this week amid great uncertainty about how many races there will be in 2020, and therefore how much revenue will be coming their way. Marko said he thinks Mugello and Portimao are about to be added to the 'corona calendar', and he also mentioned the former Turkish GP venue in Istanbul. "Hockenheim is on reserve," he told Servus TV, ruling out a third race at the Red Bull Ring later in the year. As for Red Bull, some believe the energy drink's strategy of having two teams on the grid could be a major boon once the budget cap comes into effect next year. The idea is that while each team is limited to $145 million from 2021, Red Bull can effectively spend double that amount by simply making Alpha Tauri a fully synergistic satellite outfit. Moreover, excess staff at Red Bull Racing can be transferred to Alpha Tauri's Faenza headquarters. "In theory that's a good plan, but unfortunately it's not feasible in practice," Marko insisted. "Despite all the synergy, Alpha Tauri will always be behind because Red Bull Racing is able to implement development steps much faster. That alone leaves Alpha Tauri behind. "There are certain advantages to having two teams, but they are nowhere near big enough for Alpha Tauri to become a winning team. In the medium term we will only have one wind tunnel, but of course Red Bull will have priority," he added. As for Red Bull team members potentially transferring to Italy, Marko smiled: "An Englishman does not leave his island so easily." (GMM) f Formula 1 teams are organising their respective reserve drivers as the sport prepares to get back to racing amid the corona pandemic. Max Verstappen's manager Raymond Vermeulen has told De Limburger newspaper that F1 is looking at the Austrian GP this weekend "almost as a military operation". "There is no role for Jos and myself there," he said. "Everything is so well protected, everyone will be in their own bubble and contact with people from other teams is impossible." Indeed, so nervous is everyone about the risk of infection that, according to Kronen Zeitung newspaper, local police are warning fans not to try to get close to the Red Bull Ring. "There will be nothing to see," a police source is quoted as saying. Renault boss Cyril Abiteboul admits that an outbreak of coronavirus could mean the team involved will not be able to qualify or race. "The test can take 24 hours for the result," he said. "If this happens on Saturday morning, you may not be able to do qualifying." Abiteboul is therefore expecting some flexibility in the detailed 'code of conduct' that will govern the way F1 handles the risk of an outbreak. "We have to find the right balance between risk minimisation, practicability and common sense," said the Frenchman. Indeed, FIA safety director Adam Baker is quoted by the broadcaster RTBF: "We want to avoid quarantining people for suspected positive cases when they are in fact negative. "Just as importantly, we want to avoid harm to the wider community." One of the actual teams' biggest concerns will be if one of their race drivers becomes caught up in a virus outbreak within their 'bubble'. Red Bull's Dr Helmut Marko told Speed Week: "If one of our drivers cannot start due to a positive result, we have Sergio Sette Camara who can replace him. "Almost every team will have a reserve, and we also have people who are ready to replace the mechanics," he added. Marko also told APA news agency that in "the worst of all cases", Red Bull can also summon Sebastien Buemi to the circuit, "but he also has a contract with Nissan in Formula E". "We obviously cannot replace all 80 people, but everything else has been thought out to the smallest detail," said the Austrian. Renault, meanwhile, has re-signed its 2019 reserve Sergey Sirotkin. "In the circumstances in which we all find ourselves, we need to have a plan for any situation that may occur. We will be glad to see Sergey this weekend in Austria," Abiteboul told the SMP Racing press service. (GMM) Lewis Hamilton was behind Mercedes' livery switch from silver to black ahead of the re-starting 2020 season, his boss has admitted. While some simply hailed the new paint job's visual appeal, it is actually a tip of the hat to the Black Lives Matter political movement. "Lewis is very active in Black Lives Matter," team boss Toto Wolff, who is yet to reach a new deal with Hamilton for 2021 and beyond, told Kurier newspaper. "We coordinated what we can do on the topic. He (Hamilton) called me about a month ago and said 'two Instagram posts is not enough'. Together, we gave birth to the idea of the black car," the Austrian added. Wolff also told Der Standard newspaper: "The board of directors of Daimler and the sponsors immediately gave their support." He denies that it is simply an empty symbolic gesture, insisting: "The right convictions are not enough if we remain silent. "We therefore want to use our voice and our platform to campaign for respect and equality." Wolff admitted that women and minorities are grossly under-represented at the title-winning team, and vowed to do something about it. "We will not set quotas, but we will set goals," he said. McLaren's Lando Norris, meanwhile, revealed that the drivers are considering 'taking a knee' to honour the Black Lives Matter movement in Austria. "It will be discussed in the Grand Prix Drivers' Association after the drivers' briefing on Friday," he said. "We will do whatever we can to show that we care and respect everyone." (GMM) Toyota Motor Corporation has developed a worlds stamping-type plating technology that uses a polymer membrane (solid electrolyte membrane), through which metal ions can pass, to apply plating, like a stamp, only to areas requiring plating. The technology is used in the plating process for forming copper, nickel, and other metal coatings on substrates in the process of manufacturing electronic parts. Toyota has also announced a collaboration with Mikado Technos Co., Ltd. and Kanematsu Corporation to manufacture and sell, and therefore expand the use of, new plating machines based on this new technology. The machines will be launched on 1 July. Characteristics of the stamping-type plating machine (head structure). The newly developed stamping-type plating machine has a head, with the upper part filled with solution, and a solid electrolyte membrane, through which metal ions pass, mounted to the tip of the head that is pressed against the area to be plated. This structure enables the solid electrolyte membrane, which is mounted to the tip of the head, to be pressed against only that part of the substrate that requires plating. When the electric current flows, a metal film (plating) is applied, like a stamp, only to the area in contact with the membrane. In the conventional plating process, substrates are completely immersed in solutions of copper, nickel or other plating metal and the metal film (plating) is created when the electric current flows. Multiple large baths for dipping the complete substrates are required for this and substrate washing processes before and after plating. Large amounts of plating solution must also be used because the complete substrates have to be immersed in the baths, which means that large amounts of plating solution must also be discarded (wasted) after use. The entire plating process, including the equipment for removing toxic substances released into the air and for treating large amounts of waste solution, can be extensive. This new stamping-type plating machine eliminates the need of a dipping process; as a result, waste solution can be reduced significantly to about one-thirtieth and CO 2 emissions to about one-third, which contributes to a significant reduction in environmental impact. The technology also reduces plating time and process footprint. Toyota decided to launch the stamping-type plating machine, which is expected to deliver these outcomes, and expand use to many companies in a range of industries, not just to its business partners in the production of Toyota automobiles, to help reduce the impact on the environment and provide other benefits. Specifically, Toyota is providing its patents and expertise to vacuum press manufacturer Mikado Technos, which has incorporated its own technologies to develop and manufacture a stamping-type plating machine for sale through Kanematsu. Over the next two to three years, Toyota hopes to sell the stamping-type plating machine for use by a number of companies as a test machine for verification and evaluation purposes. Then, from 2023 or 2024, with the aim of achieving widespread use, it will expand sales more broadly for use by general users as a full production machine. The tots are great by themselves, but they are even better with chocolate. Then again, pretty much everything is better with chocolate. To my surprise, the churros begin with a pte a choux dough it's the type of dough that bakes up with a big pocket of air in the middle; it's used for eclairs and cream puffs. When you fry it, though, it clearly turns into a churro. Pate a choux doughs take a couple of steps more to make than some other pastry doughs, but they are quite easy and forgiving. Once you've made the dough, you have to pipe it out with a pastry bag and fry it; then roll it in a cinnamon-sugar mixture and, of course, make a chocolate sauce. It takes a fair amount of energy to make them, but when you are done you have churro tots and a chocolate sauce. Trust me, it's worth it. I thought I'd next try something that at least sounded healthful, the Chinese Chicken Salad from the Cheesecake Factory. It starts innocently enough, with a mixture of lettuces and cabbage, plus bean sprouts, green onions and sliced poached chicken. But then you add crispy (fried) rice noodles, crispy (fried) wonton wrappers, a hill of toasted almonds and far too much sesame-plum dressing. Back in my Minneapolis kitchen, I used the veal to make the Roman dish saltimbocca, topping each cutlet with prosciutto and sage and pan-frying in butter. On the side, puntarelle salad without the puntarelle (an Italian green). I couldn't find Roman chicory, so I replaced it with escarole (radicchio or frisee are other options). The hearty greens get drizzled in an anchovy vinaigrette, and orange segments keep it bright. Day 5: Pizza tour Menu: Pizza Romana, pizza al taglio. Itinerary: Food tours are a little harder to re-create online than cooking classes. So, I plotted my own-pizza walking tour (without the walking), by attempting Rome's very different signature pies. There's a solo-sized round pie with a cracker-thin crust, and then there's pizza al taglio an inch-thick slab of focaccia-like dough that's so substantial that you need to cut it with scissors. Both of the recipes I used required an overnight rise, and were the most labor-intensive part of my week. But what is a staycation for, if not project-baking? Day 6: Return Menu: The last of the airline cheese trays. BENNETT A Randolph County deputy was cleared after shooting and killing a 20-year-old who rammed a tractor into the deputy's patrol car last year, a news release from Randolph County District Attorney Andy Gregson said. Gregson said the N.C. SBI was asked to investigate the fatal deputy-involved shooting after Cole Steele Jessup, 20, was killed by Deputy Adam Hicks. The SBI's investigation determined that Hicks tried to stop a tractor driving without lights in the middle of Joe Branson Road in Bennett about 12:43 a.m. on Aug. 13, 2019. The tractor, later determined to be stolen, didn't stop and left the road to drive through a yard and field before returning to the roadway, Gregson said. The tractor intentionally ran into Hick's patrol car multiple times. When Hicks saw a motorcycle traveling towards the tractor and his patrol car, Gregson said the tractor intentionally crashed into the patrol car again, causing Hicks to lose control. Gregson said Hicks fired his weapon multiple times from inside his vehicle. Jessup was struck five times and was killed. Jessup's autopsy said he died from gunshot wounds and also mentioned "methamphetamine intoxication." N.C. Secretary of Health Mandy Cohen said she is concerned about teacher safety but confident in studies showing the virus having minimal health consequences on younger children. Schools have not played a significant role in the spreading of COVID 19, Cohen said. Children, particularly younger children, are less likely than adults to be infected with COVID-19. And for children who do become infected with COVID-19, they seem to be less likely to transmit it to others. We will continue to have to evaluate the scientific research carefully on this, but the current science is encouraging. Though no statewide guidance has recently been issued for colleges, Cooper said Cohen has had recent conversations with UNC System President Bill Roper about how best to resume in-person instruction for college students. We are well aware that parents, teachers, students are so anxious to know about school in the fall, and that is from K-12 all the way through our community colleges and universities, Cooper said. Were continuing to get new science and new reports, and a lot of work has been going over the last few months among educators and public health officials. Those records had not been released as of Tuesday night. Stevens emailed Brennan about the records, citing her letter, and she responded saying, there have been developments since that correspondence which mean that a production will not occur today. Brennan cited a previous conversation where UNC indicated the need to resolve a handful of issues prior to production. Those hangups included the scope of the records to be produced, she wrote, which needs to be resolved by the court. Furthermore, the University believes the court must hear the motion filed by impacted students and any other similar objections, Brennan wrote. We agreed to cooperate with you to have that happen as soon as possible and we have taken appropriate steps to inform the court of our availability and the need for a status conference. In the email, she said they are willing to appear for a hearing at the courts convenience. Outrageous "If you take $10 and go to Food Lion or Walmart or Aldi or whatever store you shop at, it's going to be worth $10," said Shante Woody, the People's Market manager. "But if you take those same $10 on your card and come here, we are going to give you $20 to spend." GREENSBORO Mayor Nancy Vaughan told City Council this week that she wants to delay consideration of a resolution supporting a series of police reforms demanded by protesters until she can meet next week with one of the groups behind the demands. Vaughan had asked that the council consider a resolution at its special meeting on Thursday that endorses the #8CANTWAIT program of reducing the use of force by police departments. The program embraces eight changes proponents believe all police departments should make. In an email to council members and city officials on Tuesday, Vaughan said she would like to postpone that item after having community discussions and planning a meeting for next week with the Greensboro Rising protest group. I know that staff has put time into preparing the resolution, Vaughan wrote. I appreciate their hard work. Have yet to see the finished product and it has not been posted for review at this point. I would rather not rush something this important without time for broader input, she said. Vaughan said June 23 at a virtual City Council work session that she would like to see the Greensboro Police Department continue changes in its use-of-force policies outlined recently by Chief Brian James. RALEIGH The North Carolina Republican Party canceled its annual convention on Tuesday, citing a warning from state health officials that such a large gathering could put many delegates at risk of being infected with COVID-19. The convention was originally set for May in Greenville, but GOP officials delayed the event until next week hoping the coronavirus outbreak would on the decline. That hasnt happened. Now GOP officials will hold a virtual convention to choose delegates to the Republican National Convention, elect party leaders and complete other business. The cancellation marks the second blow to the state party during June. Earlier in the month, Republican National Committee leaders said most of the national convention would be moved out of Charlotte. President Donald Trump wanted assurances from state officials that he could have a full arena for his nomination acceptance speech without face coverings. Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper said those conditions likely would be impossible given the pandemics reach in the state. Trump is now accepting the nomination in Jacksonville, Florida. The reason I voted no was it was one bill when it left the House, and when it came back it was totally different, Dahle said. Midnight is no time to govern. I continue to ask why it has to happen this way. Two days before its passage, when the bill left committee, it was six pages. By the time it reached the floor in the early hours of Saturday morning, the page count more than doubled. Two Democratic lawmakers who voted for the bill, Rep. Deb Butler and Sen. Jeff Jackson, have since expressed opposition to the secrecy provision. Good governance is impossible at 3 a.m., said Butler, who represents portions of New Hanover and Brunswick counties. The speaker knows that and does it intentionally. New provisions back and forth all night long. Its a terrible way to do the peoples business. If this language slipped under the radar, I hope the governor vetoes it. We need more transparency, not less. State officials say lawmakers, who originally included the provision in a 2019 bill, did not mean to change access to public records, but to clarify existing language. The 2019 bill stalled in the Senate, and legislators moved the language to House Bill 1214 this year, which also stalled. They then moved the provision to SB 168. Nursing home residents often require help with things like using the toilet, getting in and out of bed, and getting dressed. These essential person-to-person interactions are still going to have to happen, meaning that residents and staff may be more likely than other people to spread the virus to one another. The new DHHS testing guidelines were announced three days after The Charlotte Observer reported Saturday that a 104-page DHHS investigation in The Citadel in Salisbury found numerous violations of federal quarantine guidelines. The nursing home has had the states most COVID-19 related cases of 114 residents and 54 staff, along with the 13th-highest death total for residents at 18. Meanwhile, The Citadel facility at 1900 W. First St. in Winston-Salem has the most cases in Forsyth County with 40 infected residents at 40, 14 infected staff, and three resident deaths. Among the violations cited by DHHS at the Salisbury facility were a failure to notify families of infections and deaths, as well as a systemic failure to control infection. The report said The Citadel helped create a widespread health crisis that put its elderly residents in immediate jeopardy, according to the Observer. The report says The Citadel has since addressed the failings or has plans to do so. 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. Tragedy struck as a 23-year-old woman was killed by a gunshot to her head. Police claimed that her death resulted from a heated argument over a car. The cops are now on a manhunt to catch the shooter. Her identified assailant is a 20-year-old Massachusetts man who pulled the trigger after losing his composure during their heated argument. According to a report in Oxygen, the root cause of their dispute is yet to be determined by the police. Police identified the suspect to be Xavier De Jesus, and the victim was identified as Deija Mendez. All of the evidence on the scene all pointed towards de Jesus, who allegedly killed the victim in cold-blood. Based on a statement from the Middlesex District Attorney's office, preliminary investigation claims that the victim was shot in the head while sitting in the driver's seat of a black Chevrolet Tahoe. Called to the scene of the crime On Tuesday, the Lowell police answered a call reporting a crime. They were summoned to the scene at around 3:30 pm. The call was about a shooting incident that involved both De Jesus and Mendez. When they arrived on the scene, the police went to check the black Tahoe. Mendez had been shot to the head, killing her instantly. The cops announced the 23-year old woman was dead by the time they got there. Initial inquiries into the untimely death of the woman has pointed out to the shooter De Jesus, who was familiar to the victim. One of the alleged reasons for the deathly shooting stemmed from their argument on who owns the SUV. These were the assessments made by the local district attorney's office. Also read: Badly Decomposed Corpse of Missing Mom Found in Garage, Cause of Death Still a Mystery According to Meghan Kelly, a representative of the DA's office, the deceased had the registration of the vehicle. De Jesus had no ownership in the SUV, at least none that were proven by legal papers. Those who were nearby the car during the altercation simply said they heard no shouting or disagreements from the SUV. When the gunshot rang, that was the loudest noise, then it was followed with silence. One of the neighbors told WHDH that he was playing video games when the loud gunshot rang. Charged with the murder of Deija Mendez After the investigation into the murder of Mendez, Xavier De Jesus was charged with her cold-blooded murder. Other charges that he is facing is firing a gun within 500 feet of a residence, another is the possession of an illegal firearm with no license. He will also be charged with owning ammunition with no FID car. All these charges were lined up the district attorney's office in the murder case to be filled against De Jesus. Lowell police are putting out a bulletin that advises all persons to avoid contact with the 20-yar-old victim. He is described as 5'7 in height, weighing 140 pounds. Finally, those who spot him should keep away and call 911, or Lowell PD at all costs, cited in Mass Live Last Monday the DA's office said that three more people connected to the murder was arrested for giving false information about Dejia Mendez's demise. These are Angel Garcia, 29, who intimidated a witness and Devine McKinney, 21, and Selena Simonphone, 22, both for intimidation and battery using a deadly weapon. McKinney and Simonphone are accused of helping De Jesus escape. Xavier De Jesus is still on the run for the murder of Dejia Mendez. The three will face trial. Related article: Woman Shot Dead, Man Injured Due to Altercation Over Dog Poop @ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Recent news from the Arctic tundra is a reminder that distant events may affect us here in unexpected and unpleasant ways. At the end of May, approximately 23,000 U.S. tons of diesel fuel spilled from a power-plant reservoir in Norilsk, the northernmost city in Siberia. Nearly 17,000 tons flowing into a river, then to nearby Lake Pyasino. Its impossible to live in this mix of water and fuel, so of course, fish there died, Vasily Yablokov, projects coordinator for the Russian branch of Greenpeace, said. Now we can call this a dead lake. The spill is expected to reach the Arctic Ocean, says Rob Huebert, an Arctic specialist at the University of Calgary, and from there its unclear where it will go. It could head toward Finland and Norway or the U.S. and Canada or just hug the coastline of Russia. The oil spill wont just kill sea life; itll have an adverse effect on land mammals and other wildlife and on the fragile Arctic biome as did the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill off the coast of Alaska about 39,000 tons of oil and the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico at least 200,000 tons. I really do not believe this letter will make it into print. However, I must point out to all those police haters: You should think about what your plan of action is when you are in dire need of the polices help. Just stop and ask yourself if you are willing to take on the responsibility required for the job. Police come in contact with people of all races. Is it ever pointed out when whites and others who resist arrest are dealt with harshly? In my opinion, police do not make an adequate salary for the job they are required to do daily. There is absolutely no way I would consider being a cop. America is at a crossroads. At this point we truly are headed in the wrong direction. Jacqueline Stockard Greensboro MARTINSVILLE Social gatherings are generating a spike in cases of COVID-19 that has West Piedmont Health Department officials concerned about a spread of the virus. Nancy Bell, spokesperson for the district, cited at least one trip to the beach and social gatherings as elements that led to 35 new cases on Monday, continuing a surge that has produced 73 new cases since Thursday. There had been 24 cases on Saturday and Sunday and 14 on Friday during a time when Virginia has seen statewide increases of a few hundred a day, a much slower trend than what is happening around the nation. This also emerges after a strong spike in cases in the district since May 1 had abated somewhat. Bell said in an email Monday that a significant number of these cases are associated with recent domestic travel to the beach in North Carolina and other social gatherings. In a follow-up email Bell said that the majority of recent cases throughout the WPHD are travel-acquired, although I do not currently have exact numbers per locality. BRIDGEPORT Police said Khyre Peterson apparently had enough of the complaints from his downstairs neighbors that he was overfilling the garbage cans outside their Dover Street apartment house so he allegedly shot one of them in the leg. Peterson, 30, surrendered to police Wednesday morning after learning there was a warrant for his arrest. On Monday, under the US Legislation, US has begun the cancellation of Hong Kong's special status and other vital defense products. This transpired due to the new security law made by Beijing to keep tabs on the former colony. According to the Commerce Department, the suspension of Hong Kong's special status over China includes the exemptions in key export will be withdrawn. This recent development is just one of the many fall outs as Hong Kong loses it autonomy from China, and further evaluation may make it worse, according to Reuters. A statement was made to remind the Communist party to cancel the imposition of the security law. A reminder was aired, discussing the pledge to keep Hong Kong to stay intact. And the world will see a revamp of China's intentions. China is intent in keeping its course to create a security law for Hong Kong. One fear is that it will systematically quell democracy in Hong Kong, and just like in China, it will soon succumb to the communist system. Plus, many pro-democracy activists will be bereft of human rights, which China does not care for. On Tuesday, the Chinese parliament standing committee will see the bill approved. Soon after, it will be ratified into a law when the caucus ends on Tuesday. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo stressed the intent of the Chinese Communist Party's oblivious desire to halt the freedom of Hong Kong, by any means. Needless to say, the Trump Administration will look over the policiesand do wh at is needed according to Japan Times. Also read: Trump Retweets, Then Deletes Video of Supporter Exclaiming "White Power," But Democrats Picks It Pompeo added that the exports of defensive hardware to Hong Kong will be stopped. Changes will be made to end the exports of dual use tech to the ex-colony. Beijing knows the tech as military applications too. Halting this will serve as a reminder to Beijing to look at other sources to purloin US technology. He defended his action on the export withdrawal to protect national security. Saying all items are considered vital and cannot land into Hong Kong, especially the communist party of China which may use it against US. According to Kurt Tong, former U.S. consul general to Hong Kong, it will be a big part of US-Hong Kong trade. Hong Kong is mostly for services and not a manufacturing hub, he reminded. Adding to his statement, the suspension is not similar to termination, and it depends on the condition implied. A month ago, US President Trump gave his answer to China forcing a security law on Hong Kong. Trump told China that Hong Kong's special status will be curtailed and the status as a global financial center since 1997 will be halted, as reported in CNBC. The Trump administration is vilifying China in his re-election campaign, and American voters are furious at the virus from Wuhan, calling it 'Kung Flu'. Related article: NYPD Cops Strike on July 4 to Let NYC Be 'Cop-Free' for Independence Day @ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. North Haven Police Department NORTH HAVEN A 47-year-old East Haven man was arrested Monday after an investigation of a burglary at the Formosa Asian Fusion restaurant. Edward Carlona is charged with third-degree burglary, sixth-degree larceny and third-degree criminal mischief. WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump continued to insist Wednesday that reports that Russia was offering bounties to Taliban-linked militants to kill U.S. military personnel in Afghanistan were "fake news" as his national security adviser disclosed that options had been drawn up to present to Trump on how to respond if the allegations were corroborated. National security adviser Robert O'Brien reiterated during a television interview on Wednesday that national security officials decided not to present Trump with unverified intelligence regarding Russia's purported plans but indicated that they took the situation seriously enough to prepare options for the president. "If this eventually becomes something that's proven, or something that we believe, we need to have options for the president to deal with the Russians," O'Brien said during an appearance on Fox News' "Fox & Friends." "I can tell you this, if this information turned out to be true, and now we may never know, but if it turned out to be true, we had options ready to go, and the president was ready to take strong action, as he always is." The Washington Post reported on Tuesday that White House officials were first informed in early 2019 of intelligence reports that Russia was offering the bounties to kill U.S. and coalition military personnel, but the information was deemed sketchy and in need of additional confirmation, according to people familiar with the matter. Several discussions were held with members of the National Security Council staff on the reports, which had been flagged as potentially significant and came at a time of growing tensions between Russia and the United States. In morning tweets, Trump continued to dismiss media reports on the episode, writing that "this is all a made up Fake News Media Hoax started to slander me & the Republican Party." "The Russia Bounty story is just another made up by Fake News tale," he said, taking issue in particular with reports that he had received briefings on intelligence about the alleged bounties. In an interview with Fox Business Network that aired Wednesday afternoon, Trump insisted that the bounties were a "hoax." "I'm sure I don't see many things that they don't think rose to the occasion," Trump said. "This didn't rise to the occasion. And from what I hear - and I hear it pretty good - the intelligence people didn't even - many of them didn't believe it happened at all. . . . I think it's a hoax by the newspapers and the Democrats." House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., slammed Trump in an MSNBC interview on Wednesday, accusing him of a "dereliction of duty." "The President is intellectually unprepared, personally unqualified and ethically unfit to serve as President of the United States," Pelosi said. "And now he has undermined any credibility he may have had as Commander-in-Chief, if he could call a possible assault on our troops, our men and women in uniform, by the Russians a hoax, without even wanting to read about it, learn more about it and make a really informed judgment about it." She also called for increased sanctions on Russia over the purported bounties. Asked about possible retaliation against Russia, White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany told reporters at a news briefing Wednesday, "I won't get ahead of the president on action. I also won't get ahead of the intelligence, which at this moment is unverified." During the Fox News interview, O'Brien insisted that Trump was not briefed on the matter, calling that "another false story." "The president was not briefed because at the time of these allegations, they were uncorroborated," he said. "As a result, the president's career CIA briefer decided not to brief him because it was unverified intelligence, and by the way, she's an outstanding officer, and knowing all the facts I know, I certainly support her decision." In fact, an agenda for the oral briefing is often worked out in advance with the national security adviser, with input from the director of national intelligence and the CIA director, said a former senior intelligence official familiar with the briefing process, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive matters. O'Brien said leaks to the media about the episode have hampered U.S. intelligence officials in determining what actually happened. "Sadly because of the leak, it may now become impossible ever to get to the bottom of this, to get to the truth of the matter, and that's one of the very sad things," he said. "We were working very hard on this matter. It might be impossible to get to the bottom of it because someone decided to leak to hurt the president rather than uphold their obligations to the American people." O'Brien also defended Trump against those who suggest that he is not eager to receive national security briefings, particularly those related to tensions with Russia. "The president's an avid consumer of intelligence, and we give to him everything he needs to know," O'Brien said. People familiar with the matter noted to The Post that information is sometimes withheld from Trump, who often reacts badly to reports that he thinks might undermine what he considers his good relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin. - - - The Washington Post's Felicia Sonmez, Colby Itkowitz, Karoun Demirjian, Karen DeYoung, Shane Harris and Ellen Nakashima contributed to this report. GREENWICH After months of banning visitors due to the dangers of spreading COVID-19, Greenwich Hospital is once again opening its doors to allow people to visit patients. From a preoperative perspective, allowing visitors is a game-changer. It was very difficult telling patients that their loved ones could not be with them. You could hear the disappointment, said Helene Kimmons, nurse manager in the Ambulatory Surgery and Post Acute Care Unit. Hospital leaders announced the change in policy Wednesday, with limitations and strict guidelines in place. We look forward to sharing the good news that we can offer a set time for visitation, Kimmons said. Greenwich Hospital has banned visitors since mid-March due to the coronavirus pandemic. Some people had complained that they could not be with family members who were hospitalized during that time. At the height of the pandemic in mid-April, Greenwich Hospital was treating over 100 patients. Those numbers have since declined into single digits. Tyler Sizemore / Hearst Connecticut Media We continue to see our numbers decline of coronavirus patients, said Diane Kelly, Greenwich Hospitals president. However, we do expect the number of COVID patients to fluctuate over time. Therefore, we have taken the time to put in processes that will allow us to expand our visitation policy while we keep our staff and patients safe. We will continue to monitor the number of patients and adjust accordingly. Under the newly announced policy, all visitors must be 18 or older and wearing a mask when they arrive. All visitors will be screened for symptoms at the hospitals main entrance before theyre allowed into the building. Visitors are required to keep a face mask on for the duration of their stay, and must receive a visitors pass at the information desk when entering. Theres one exception: No individuals are allowed to visit a COVID-19-positive patient due to continued concerns regarding the spread of the coronavirus. Here are the guidelines that were issued Wednesday by Greenwich Hospital: Inpatient visitation: Hospitalized patients may have one visitor from 2 to 6 p.m. daily. Visitors must go directly to the patients room and return the visitor pass upon leaving. Ambulatory surgery and perioperative procedure visitation: One visitor may accompany a patient coming for same-day surgery or a perioperative procedure. The visitor must remain with the patient or in the waiting area. If a patient requires an overnight stay, the visitor must leave the hospital when the patient goes in for surgery and may return during visiting hours from 2 to 6 p.m. Labor and delivery/maternity visitation: One visitor may stay for the duration of the mothers hospital stay. Pediatric visitation: One visitor may stay for the duration of the pediatric patients hospital stay. Visitor policy exceptions: Exceptions will be made for patients at imminent end of life and for patients with special needs who may need a support person with them to facilitate care. Greenwich Hospital said it continues to encourage families, friends and loved ones to use electronic devices and applications to keep in contact with patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. Fore more information, call Greenwich Hospital, at 203-863-3000. Google announced its AI-powered noise cancellation feature for the Meet teleconferencing app in early June. Its still not available to everyone, but it will expand to cover a few more countries. Heres what the support page says: Important: This feature will roll out to users in Australia, Brazil, India, Japan, and New Zealand in the coming weeks. This feature isn't currently available to users in South Africa, UAE, and the immediately surrounding areas. Once this feature reaches you, it will be on by default (you will find it in the Settings, Audio menu). You can turn it off in case non-speech sound is important for what youre doing (e.g. playing a musical instrument). If youre wondering about trying it, note that Google made the premium features free for everyone through September 30. This means your meetings can have up to 250 participants, they can be livestreamed and recorded. Normally, these features are available only to G Suite users. There are more new features too. You can blur your background or change it entirely (no need to set up a green screen either). Theres also closed captioning, which transcribes speech into subtitles (this only works in English for now though). Source | Via The mechanism that makes flying snakes fly has been a scientific mystery for a long time. However, a recent discovery by scientists has confirmed how the reptiles are able to "defy gravity." According to the findings, flying snakes undulate their bodies while gliding through the air in order to stay afloat. One of these flying reptiles is the paradise tree snake or Chrysopelea paradisi. The said species are usually found in the South and Southeast regions of Asia. Since they usually live in trees, these snakes move on tree branches, and sometimes in order to move from one branch to another they would launch themselves in the air and would glide down to the branch. A group of scientists from Virginia Tech studied these snakes and attached motion-capture tags on seven of the animals. They then proceeded to film the reptiles using high-speed cameras capturing the snakes take flight across a four-story theater. The research has been published in the online journal, Nature Physics. Read also: Perfectly Preserved Wolf Head from 40,000 Years Ago Discovered in Siberia Building a 3D Model In addition, after measuring and watching more than a hundred live snake glides, Virginia Tech professor from the department of biomedical engineering and mechanics, Jake Socha worked with the team and built a 3D model. The said 3D model took into account several factors of the glides such as the direction, the forces acting on the snake's body, mass distribution, and the undulating waves' frequency. The model was then used by the researchers in virtual experiments which aimed to investigate the mechanism of aerial undulation. According to Fox News, Socha expressed satisfaction on finally finding out the answer to a question that has been running through his mind since he was a graduate student. He also said that despite seeing the action done more than a thousand times the flight of the reptiles still continues to amaze him. Meanwhile, the group also tried another set of experiments, which aimed to explain or determine why undulation was part of every glide. The experiment was done by turning off the undulating waves in the 3D model. As a result, it proved that without undulation, the virtual snake's body fell. The said test was then paired with the simulated glides in which undulation was turned on proved the group's hypothesis that the flying snake's rotational stability is enhanced by aerial undulation. According to the paper's conclusions, the aerial undulation in snakes when compared to the already known uses of undulation in other animals served a different function. This also suggests a new control template for flying robots. On top of this, Socha and the team believes that their 3D model has the potential to further find out the mysteries in exploring the flight of flying snakes. The team is also considering moving their experiments outdoors in order to gather more information in longer glides. As of the moment, the 3D model of the snake-like the real animal only glides down. However, the researchers are also looking into the possibility of getting it to glide up. The researchers also stated that if these mechanisms can be built into algorithms, robotic snakes can be later on used in disaster monitoring and even search and rescue operations. Related article: A Swarm of 750 Million Genetically Modified Mosquitoes for Release in Florida @ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. The Realme X50 5G arrived in January as one of the first smartphones with the next-gen connectivity. It immediately started selling in China, but it sure took its sweet time come to Europe. The Spanish website of Realme has now revealed the wait is over and the X50 5G will come on July 8. It will be presented during an online event, scheduled to start at 10:30 AM local time. The poster also reveals the Realme Buds Q will join the party. They are TWS earphones that come in a pill-shaped box and are pretty cheap - they are selling for the equivalent of 18 in China or 23 in India. When the Realme X50 5G arrives in Europe, it will bring a quad-camera setup - 64MP main + 12MP telephoto + 8MP ultrawide-angle + 2MP macro snappers. However, some leaksters assume that Realme might want to bring the price down and actually introduce the X50m 5G smartphone under the X50 5G moniker, meaning we could be up to a less impressive 48MP main + 8MP ultrawide-angle + 2MP macro + 2MP depth combination. Were looking at a phone with a Snapdragon 765G chipset, 6.57 LCD with 120Hz refresh rate, dual selfie cameras and a 4,200mAh battery with VOOC 4.0 fast charging at 30W. Source JACKSON, Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves, who for years refused to take a stance on whether Mississippi should change its state flag, signed a bill that does just that on Tuesday in a private ceremony at the Governors Mansion. I know there are people of goodwill who are not happy to see this flag change, Reeves said shortly before signing the bill into law on Tuesday. They fear a chain reaction of events erasing our history a history that is no doubt complicated and imperfect. I understand those concerns and am determined to protect Mississippi from that dangerous outcome. Reeves continued: I also understand the need to commit the 1894 flag to history, and find a banner that is a better emblem for all Mississippi A flag is a symbol of our present, of our people, and of our future. For those reasons, we need a new symbol. The signing on Tuesday a historic moment as the last official step in removing the flag, which was adopted in 1894 and featured the Confederate battle emblem comes after Reeves isolated himself from both sides of the flag debate. In all his public statements, including the one he gave shortly before he signed the bill on Tuesday, he equivocated and worked to plant one foot on each side of the debate. Reeves, who has consistently campaigned on not changing the flag except by referendum, refused to answer questions from reporters several times the past month about his personal stance on the flag. In a June 10 press conference, Reeves dodged four separate questions about whether he felt the flag represented all Mississippians and should be changed. I believe that at some point people will want to change the flag, but it should be done by a vote of the people, not by a vote of politicians doing a backroom deal in Jackson, Reeves said at the time. I believe that if were going to have real change in our state, weve got to deal with the issue of the flag in such a way in which all Mississippians can come together at the end, rally around one another with whatever decision is made and work together to make a better Mississippi. After the Legislature passed the bill to change the state flag on Sunday, people close with Reeves have been privately telling some of the states top business leaders that the governor deserves credit for whipping the Senate votes necessary to remove the flag. Several Senate leaders scoffed at that notion, telling Mississippi Today the governor played no role in the effort. On Sunday, shortly after the bill was signed in both chambers, Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann said he had not talked to Reeves on the historic weekend when lawmakers voted to remove the flag. When a reporter asked House Speaker Philip Gunn if he had spoken with Reeves over the weekend, Gunn paused a beat and simply replied: No. During the debate, Reeves effectively earned the ire of both the hardcore supporters of the flag and the most outspoken critics of the banner. Tate Reeves is moved by money, not morality, said Lea Campbell of Ocean Springs, the president of the Mississippi Rising Coalition, a group that actively lobbied lawmakers to change the flag. So when this became an issue about economics, he caved. As long as hes been a Mississippi politician, Reeves has demonstrated his commitment to defending the symbols of white supremacy and the systems that enforce it because it has been financially beneficial for him and his allies. The flag issue is no different. Campbell continued: He knows that flag symbolizes the system of white supremacy and all the oppression, violence and terror used to enforce it, and hes OK with that. What he and his allies werent OK with is losing money. The only thing that moves white supremacy is power and money. If he didnt change the flag, he stood to lose both. On Saturday morning, as lawmakers arrived to the Capitol to vote on the procedural motion that paved the way for the Sunday flag vote, Reeves released a statement that said he would sign any bill lawmakers sent him. We should not be under any illusion that a vote in the Capitol is the end of what must be done the job before us is to bring the state together and I intend to work night and day to do it, Reeves posted on Saturday morning. No matter where you areI love you, Mississippi. But the governors promise to sign the bill was met with scorn from legislative leaders, as their proposal to remove the flag passed both the House and Senate by more than the two-thirds majority needed to override a veto, had the governor opted to try to block the bill from becoming law. Upon the release of that Saturday statement and as lawmakers began to vote, pro-flag Mississippians blasted Reeves on social media, saying they regretted voting for him in 2019 and swearing to ensure he would not be re-elected in 2023. Several popular Facebook groups like the Mississippians to Keep the Flag of 1894 have effectively turned into an anti-Tate Reeves pages, posting memes and statements like: We need to nail Governor Tate Reeves to the wall, we are being betrayed, he is telling us our vote does not count. WHO ELECTED TATE REEVES and WHY DID WE ELECT HIM? GIVE HIM HELL BEFORE BREAKFAST, BEFORE LUNCH and BEFORE SUPPER. I am disappointed in Gov. Reeves, said George Bond, the chairman of the Coalition to Save the State Flag. The people of the state of Mississippi voted for him due to the fact he campaigned on his beliefs that any change to the flag would be sent to the people. He may try to hide behind the fact that technically we do get to decide on the flag design in November, but that design is forced upon us by the Legislature. Bond continued: Its basically like saying, You can have whatever you want, as long as its this. That is a shame. As House and Senate leaders worked during recent days to garner the legislative votes to change the flag, Reeves seemed to flounder on how to deal with the volatile issue. He called a meeting with five of the other seven statewide elected officials to gauge their feelings on the issue. Hosemann and Attorney General Lynn Fitch were not at the meeting. By the time of the meeting, all of the statewide officials except Reeves and Secretary of State Michael Watson had endorsed removing the old flag, though most did not say whether it should be done by a vote of the people or by the Legislature. The bill Reeves signed on Tuesday now becomes law. The Mississippi Department of Archives and History has 15 days to officially retire the state flag. A nine-person commission will be appointed to develop a single new design by September, and Mississippi voters will approve or reject that design on the November 2020 ballot. In the meantime, Mississippi will have no official state flag. The new design will not include the Confederate battle flag but shall include the words In God We Trust, the law reads. Should voters reject that design in November, the commission would present a new option during the 2021 legislative session. Be the firs Rosie on the House: Keep eye on home even when you're away! We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Submit Chinese automaker SAIC Motor Corporation held the cloud opening ceremony for the first flagship store of its MG model in Paris recently, as part of Chinese auto companies' efforts to improve the competitiveness of their brands, and stabilize and expand overseas markets. 200 electric vehicles manufactured by Henan Suda Electric Vehicle Technology Co., Ltd. are ready to be exported to Dusseldorf, Germany. Photo/People's Daily) The store has met with more than 270 French media and consumers via online video. In just half a day after the "cloud opening ceremony," the social media account "MG Motor Paris" has attracted nearly 10,000 fans. In recent years, the Belt and Road initiative has provided Chinese auto brands with new opportunities to expand their markets abroad. Among them, SAIC Motor Corporation, the leading automobile export enterprise, has made its presence in more than 60 countries and regions around the world, forming the whole automobile industry chain covering research and development, manufacturing, marketing, logistics and finance. A representative of SAIC Motor Corporation said that SAIC has set up three overseas innovative R&D centers in the UK and other countries, three auto manufacturing bases in Thailand, Indonesia and India, and 95 parts manufacturing bases overseas. Meanwhile, it has set up 12 regional marketing service centers in Europe, South America, Africa, the Middle East, Australia and New Zealand, and more than 600 overseas marketing service outlets around the world. The first overseas financial service company was established in Indonesia. "For every three Chinese cars sold overseas, one is made by SAIC," according to the representative of SAIC, adding that SAIC exported 350,000 automobiles in 2019, an increase of 26.5 percent over the same period last year. SAIC only serves as a typical example. With the continuous promotion of the Belt and Road Initiative and the further recovery of the international market, China's automobile exports to countries along the Belt and Road will continue to expand. Chongqing, an important automobile production base in Southwest China, exported 23,000 vehicles to countries along the Belt and Road from January to May, valued at 1.7 billion yuan (about 240 million U.S. dollars), up 48.6 percent and 84.6 percent respectively over the same period last year, according to a news release from Chongqing Commerce Commission on June 23. As the pandemic in some foreign countries has gradually waned, commercial activities have gradually been resumed, and orders in overseas markets are recovering, said a relevant person from Chongqing Commerce Commission, adding that most auto companies are confident that they can stabilize overseas markets by investing in new products, innovating marketing models, and strengthening sales promotion. Public health officials, regulatory officials, the CDC, and the U.S Food and Drug Administration are all investigating the outbreak of Cyclospora in numerous states across the United States. The Cyclospora infections are connected to a bagged of salad mix that contained carrots, red cabbage and iceberg lettuce all produced by Fresh Express. Food contamination According to the Food and Drug Administration, the outbreak has also expanded to the iceberg lettuce that is sold at Walmart. The microscopic organism is usually found on fresh produce that is eaten raw, like herbs such as cilantro and lettuces. Health officials are also expressing concern that their consumers may have portions of the bagged salad greens still in their homes and may not have consumed it all, especially since the bagged salad greens are good until July. So far, four bagged salad mixes have been recalled by health officials on June 24 after 206 people were hospitalized due to Cyclospora. Walmart is now recalling Marketside Classic Iceberg Salad, which is sold in 12-ounce bags and 24-ounce bags in stores in Michigan, Minnesota, Iowa, North Dakota, Nebraska, Wisconsin, and South Dakota. The same salad mix can be bought at ALDI, Jewel-Osco, Hy-Vee and Walmart stores in the Midwest. According to the CDC, the public should check their home if they have any of the recalled salad mixes. They urge the public to throw away any remaining salad mixes even if no one has gotten sick because of it or if half of the salad mix has already been eaten. Also Read: NASA Will Pay $35,000 to Design Toilet That Works on the Moon The CDC added that if any consumer lives in Iowa, Arkansas, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Kansas, Missouri, Minnesota, North Dakota, Nebraska, Wisconsin or South Dakota, and do not know if the salad mix is the one that is being recalled, better be safe and just throw it away. What is Cyclospora? Cyclospora cayetanesis is a microscopic parasite that causes illness in the intestines. According to the CDC, the symptoms of Cyclospora include frequent or sometimes explosive bowel movements, watery diarrhea, weight loss, loss of appetite, bloating, stomach cramps or stomach pain, fatigue, nausea, and increased gas. People who become infected with Cyclospora are those who ingested sporulated oocysts, which are a form of the parasite. It happens when the food or water is contaminated with the parasite and is consumed by the patient. Person-to -person transmission of the Cyclospora is unlikely as it can also be transmitted through consuming contaminated food and water. As for the treatment, trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole, which is sold under the names Septra, Bactrim, and Cotrim, is the treatment for Cyclospora infection. There are not= alternative antibiotic regimen identified yet for those who do not respond to the medications above or if the patient is allergic to the medication. Most patients who have healthy immune systems will recover from Cyclospora infection without treatment. If the infection is not treated, the illness may last for a few days to a month, sometimes longer. Sometimes the symptoms will die down and go away, and then come back again after a few weeks. If experiencing diarrhea, check with your health care provider if the medication is safe before taking anything. Those who have a weak immune system may be at higher risk for severe illness. Related Article: COVID-19 Drug Remdesivir Would Cost the Government $3,120 For Every Patient @ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Haiti - FLASH : 5,975 cases, 931 healings and 105 deaths The Ministry of Public Health informs that 42 new cases of Covid-19 have been confirmed in Haiti (the day before : +86), for a total of 5,975 cases throughout the national territory (40.68% women and 59.32% 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 ). Death : +0 new deaths, national total unchanged 105. Healings :: 931 people (+92), the day before (+52). Active cases : (less death and recovery) 4,939 cases (-50), the day before (+21). Number of suspected cases investigated since March 19 : 12,188 cases (+89 in 24 hours), the day before (+106). All the details by department and commune, plus diaspora : USA, Quebec, Dominican Republic, France, Caribbean and Latin America, in our daily report of 11:00 a.m. See also : https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-31163-haiti-covid-19-daily-report-june-30-2020.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-31157-haiti-flashnearly-6-000-cases-up-since-3-days.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-30319-haiti-health-origin-of-the-first-2-cases-of-covid-19-in-haiti.html COVID-19, new definitions in Haiti : https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-31110-haiti-covid-19-daily-report-june-24-2020.html S/ HaitiLibre Haiti - FLASH : Confusion over the possession of a Covid-19 screening test for passengers Should we have a Covid-19 negative test certificate or not, when we want to go to Haiti ? A question asked by many Haitians who want to return home. For their part, the foreigners wonder if they are concerned or if it is only Haitians returning from the United States. An answer that is lost so far in the mists of confusion and government contradictions... Monday, on the eve of the reopening of the international airport of Port-au-Prince and that of Cap-Haitien, on the a radio of the capital, Prime Minister Joseph Jouthe said that this certificate would be mandatory to all passengers upon arrival at the airport in Haiti. Which suggested at first that all passengers were affected. Jouthe later admitted that the home quarantine strategy had not worked because of the bad faith of Haitian citizens who gave false addresses and false telephone numbers. Which suggests that this measure only concerns Haitians living in the United States and wanting to return to Haiti... adding that "if necessary, they will be forced to return to their countries of embarkation on the same plane..." Tuesday the Prime Minister returned to the requirements made to passengers from abroad who want to come to Haiti. According to him, "anyone who does not have a Covid-19 test will be returned to their country". Which this time suggests that the measure is aimed at all passengers coming to Haiti, Haitian or not... On the same day Marie Greta Roy Clement, the Minister of Public Health qualified this measure which will be imposed on passengers by specifying "Taking into account the delay that it can cause for a passenger to obtain a Covid-19 screening test before his departure, in the first flights, this will not be compulsory. However, the Ministry intends to reinforce epidemiological surveillance and home quarantine will be imposed on passengers." So now not compulsory but the Minister raises the question of home quarantine with her notion "home quarantine will be imposed on passengers" implied for Haitians returning from the United States, but not said explicitly... To follow let's home with a clearer and more precise communication from the Government. See also : https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-31073-haiti-flash-new-protocol-for-the-return-of-stranded-haitians-to-the-usa.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-31081-haiti-flash-return-of-haitians-to-the-country-new-changes.html SL/ HaitiLibre Romney, WV (26757) Today Sunny early then increasing clouds with some scattered thunderstorms this afternoon. A few storms may be severe. High 88F. Winds WSW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 40%.. Tonight Scattered thunderstorms this evening, then cloudy with rain likely late. Low near 60F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%. The staff of Queen Elizabeth's Scottish residence said that walkers are defecating on the grounds of the Balmoral Castle. The castle is frequently visited by the Queen during holidays. Outdoor toilet Employees have complained about finding wet wipes left by the walked on the estate and they urged the public to not use the spot as an outdoor toilet. Due to the coronavirus lockdown in the United Kingdom, most public facilities are closed. However, people are still allowed to go out, socialize and exercise, these activities may have lead a lot of people to seek quiet public places to relieve themselves. A staff at Balmoral Castle wrote that they are disappointed to see so many wet wipes discarded on the estate. The wet wipes were found next to monuments and paths. They reminded the public that there are no toilets available for miles around at the moment. The staff added that the part of the problem is that they are seeing a lot of non-biodegradable wipes that are being discarded in the countryside and that people are choosing to answer the call of nature right next to monuments or busy paths instead of moving a bit further away in order to avoid contamination. However, the castle also acknowledges the need of the people to relieve themselves while walking around the royal estate. Also Read: Fact Check: President Donald Trump Still Alive And Was Not "Pronounced Dead" The staff of the castle tweeted on June 28 that if people need to pee, it should be done at least 30 meters from streams or lochs. If people need to defecate, it should be done as far away as possible from paths, buildings, farm animals, and watercourses. They added that feces should be buried in a shallow hole and it should replace the turf. The warm weather in the United Kingdom has enticed the people to visit parks, beaches and the countryside for walks. On June 25, a major incident was declared in Bournemouth on England's south coast after thousands of people went to the beach despite the surging coronavirus cases in the country, according to CNN. The Queen and the members of the royal family spend weeks every year at Balmoral Castle. The castle is a 50,000-acre estate located in the Scottish Highlands. But the Queen has spent most of the coronavirus lockdown at Windsor Castle, another royal estate near London. Queen's message In April, the Queen aired her speech that was watched by 24 million TV viewers, according to BBC. She thanked the people for following the government rules to stay at home and she praised those who are coming together to help others. The speech was the fifth one that the Queen has given in her 68-year reign. Her most recent speech was on Christmas Day which drew a combined overnight audience of 7.85 million. In her speech, the Queen said that the United Kingdom will succeed in its fight against the pandemic. She also paid tribute to the essential workers for their efforts. She filmed the speech from Windsor Castle. The Queen said that the coronavirus pandemic was a different challenge compared to what the country had faced before. Her message ended with the words "we will meet again" which is a reference to Dame Vera Lynn's war anthem We'll Meet Again. Related Article: Iran Issues Arrest Warrant for Donald Trump for Terrorism, Asked Help from Interpol @ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Michigan City, IN (46360) Today Mostly cloudy. High near 65F. Winds NNW at 10 to 20 mph.. Tonight Clear to partly cloudy. Low 47F. N winds shifting to SE at 10 to 15 mph. Editor: I have to say something about the Diamondbacks. They cannot keep going lik Press release The Montana Forest Action Advisory Council will host its seventh meeting virtually Monday and Tuesday. In order to comply with Phase 2 of the Re-Opening the Big Sky Plan, the condensed virtual meeting will take place over two days through an online platform. The meeting is scheduled for Monday from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. and continue Tuesday from 9:30 a.m. to noon. All members of MFAAC will attend the meeting remotely, including Gov. Steve Bullock who will join the meeting at 11 a.m. to hear updates on the Montana Forest Action Plan process and give remarks to the council members. In order to complete the 2020 revision of the Montana Forest Action Plan, Bullock convened a group of collaborators whom he appointed to MFAAC. So far, the council completed a draft of the Statewide Assessment of Forest Conditions and approved the data informed methodology for determining Priority Areas for Focused Attention across the state as requested by the governor in Executive Order No. 7-2019. During the July meeting, the Council will continue to draft the final component of MFAP, the Strategies for Implementation. The final plan is slated to be delivered to Bullock in September 2020. To join the MFAAC meeting, people need to contact Paige Cohn at paige.cohn@mt.gov by Monday at 9 a.m. to request the secure meeting information. Connection information is different for both days. A virtual public comment period will be available during the July meeting. Members of the public who are unable to attend the meeting but wish to submit public comment can visit the Montana Forest Action Plan website at http://www.MontanaForestActionPlan.org, and submit comments using the Submit Public Comment icon on the homepage. MFAAC is a statewide collaborative group representing federal, state, local, and tribal governments; industry partners; conservation organizations; and collaborative and watershed groups convened with the purpose of updating the 2020 Montana Forest Action Plan and advising on measures needed to address forest health conditions and wildland fire risk issues across Montana. The agenda is: Montana Forest Action Advisory Council July meeting Day 1, Monday, 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Virtual Meeting Room 9:30 a.m. Greetings and Welcome 9:50 a.m. Business: May Meeting Record, Council Input and Timeline, and Committee Reports 10:15 a.m. Goals and Strategies 10:30 a.m. Agree on Process 10:45 a.m. Review Strategies and Goals 11 a.m. Gov. Steve Bullock Remarks and Update 2:40 p.m. Public Comment 2:55 p.m. Wrap Up 3 p.m. Adjourn Montana Forest Action Advisory Council July meeting Day 2, Tuesday, 9:30 a.m. to noon Virtual Meeting Room 9:30 a.m. Greetings and Welcome 9:45 a.m. Approve Assessment for Release to Public 10:15 a.m. Next Steps for Montana Forest Action Plan 10:30 a.m. Montana Forest Health Recovery Initiative Charter Review 11:30 a.m. Public Comment 11:45 a.m. Next Steps for the Council and Wrap Up Noon Adjourn Policy Committee Chairman Roy Blunt told reporters on June 29 that Senate Republicans are now planning to create another coronavirus stimulus package and it will be ready for distribution by the end of July. Second stimulus package According to Blunt, the bill is expected to include lifelines for small businesses and health care systems that have been greatly affected by the coronavirus pandemic and it could authorize another round of stimulus checks for the American taxpayers, among other provisions. CQ Roll Call reported that Blunt thinks the timing of the second stimulus package is going to be right for them to know what they need to know for a package that moves the American taxpayers into the coming months, at least until October. On June 29, Blunt told reporters that he has already asked his Senate Appropriations subcommittee panel that are in charge of the funding of the Departments of Health and Human Services, Labor, Education and other related agencies to create a legislative package that is focused on bolstering testing resources, treatment and vaccine development for COVID-19. President Donald Trump has hinted that he would like to give more stimulus checks for American taxpayers, which is similar to the $1,200 checks given out to most Americans earlier this year. Also Read: Fact Check: Did Donald Trump Confirm Second Stimulus Checks are Coming? Last year, the President was asked whether he was considering signing legislation that included new stimulus checks, he said yes. He added that they will be doing another stimulus package and that it will be very generous and it will be good. He did not specify the amount of the check. Explore America tax credit The Explore America tax credit is an idea that the tourism and food industry loves, and it is an idea that President Trump is excited for too, but will Congress approve it? According to Forbes, if the Congress does go with it, the said tax credit would give up to $4,000 to American taxpayers so that they can go on vacation domestically and spend it at theme parks, restaurants, hotels, and other tourism-related businesses through the end of 2021. The tax credit would cover up to 50% of a family's total vacation expenses. Last month, President Trump brought up the tax credit idea during a White House roundtable with restaurant industry leaders and he mentioned an Explore America tax credit that the people can use for domestic travel and for dining out at local restaurants. The approval of the Explore America tax credit can help boost the economy of the country, which has been greatly affected by the coronavirus pandemic. Before the crisis, the tourism industry contributed at least $2.6 trillion to the U.S economy and it supported around 15.8 million jobs. It also delivered up to $69 billion trade surplus in 2019, according to the U.S Travel Association. However, travel businesses, tourism, and the employees working in the industry were among the first ones to get hit during the start of the coronavirus outbreak. Around 40% of people in the industry lost their job. Kevin Hassett, a White House economic advisor, told the Wall Street Journal, that the odds of a new stimulus package before the recess of Congress this August are very high. Related Article: Second Stimulus Check: Is It Coming to Americans With an Increase to $2,000? @ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Free access for current print subscribers As a home delivery subscriber, you get free unlimited digital access to premium content on HenryHerald.com, including local news, local sports, obituaries, legal notices, local features, and the e-edition. All you need is your print subscription account number and your last name. Don't know your subscription number? Email access@henryherald.com with your delivery address. Activate your account now. Huntington, WV (25701) Today Partly cloudy early then heavy thunderstorms this afternoon. A few storms may be severe. High 86F. Winds WSW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 100%. 1 to 2 inches of rain expected.. Tonight Showers and thundershowers early, then overcast overnight with occasional rain. Low 58F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Iranian officials are angry at the U.S intelligence for the killing of Gen. Qassem Soleimani and now they want everyone included in the assassination to be arrested, including President Donald Trump. However, the U.S Government is calling the arrest warrant a "propaganda stunt". Trump's arrest warrant On June 29, Tehran prosecutor Ali Algasimehr announced that Trump and 35 other people are now facing murder and terrorism charges. Algasimehr told the IRNA that the charges are connected to the attack in Baghdad back on January 3 that killed the leader of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard's Quds Force. Algasimehr stated that Iran has asked Interpol to help them put out a notice for Trump and the 35 other people involved in the assassination. The notice, also known as the "red notice" is the highest-level arrest request that is issued by the international organization. In response to the request, Interpol issued a statement stating that they can't intervene in any activities of a political nature and that it would not consider Iran's request, as reported by Fox News. The U.S special representative for Iran, Brian Hook, dismissed the arrest warrant for President Trump and said during a news conference in Saudi Arabia on June 29 that the arrest warrant is just a propaganda stunt that no one takes seriously and that it only makes the Iranians look foolish. Back in January, the U.S killed Soleimani and his company by a drone strike near Baghdad International Airport. The assassination came after months of rising tensions between the United States and Iran. After the incident, Iran retaliated by using a missile strike and targeting American troops in Iraq. Also Read: Fake Death Hoax of President Donald Trump Circulating in TikTok Algasimehr did not identify the 35 other people that Iran issued an arrest warrant for but stressed that Iran would continue to pursue Trump's prosecution even after the end of his presidential term. Qassem Soleimani's death Qassem Soleimani was a 62-year-old general who spearheaded the military operations of Iran in the Middle East and he was also the head of Iran's elite Quds Force. The airstrike order that killed him and his men were ordered by U.S President Donald Trump. Trump said that the general was, directly and indirectly, responsible for the deaths of millions of people. The death of Soleimani escalated the already ongoing tensions between the United States and Iran. Under the leadership of Soleimani, Iran had bolstered Hezbollah in Lebanon and other pro-Iranian militant groups. He also expanded its military presence in Syria and Iraq and had created Syria's offensive against all rebel groups in Syria's long civil war. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran's Supreme Leader, said that severe revenge awaits those who were responsible behind the assassination. Iran went on three days of national mourning. Soleimani was the second most powerful figure in Iran, just behind Khamenei. The Quds Force reported to Khamenei and Soleimani was hailed as Iran's national figure. However, the US has called Soleimani and the Quds Force terrorists and holds them responsible for the deaths of US personnel in Iran and Iraq, according to BBC. President Trump was in Florida at the time of the assassination, and when the news broke, he tweeted an image of the American Flag. Related Article: Iran Issues Arrest Warrant for Donald Trump for Terrorism, Asked Help from Interpol @ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Huntington, WV (25705) Today Partly cloudy skies early with heavy thunderstorms developing this afternoon. A few storms may be severe. High near 85F. Winds WSW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 100%. 1 to 2 inches of rain expected.. Tonight Showers and thundershowers early, then overcast overnight with occasional rain. Low 58F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Members of the garda Emergency Response Unit apprehended a man leaving a house carrying 100,000 in shopping bags during raids targeting a major money laundering operation. Officers from the Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB) yesterday smashed a racket in which Chinese businessmen were laundering money on behalf of several Irish organised crime gangs. Six Chinese nationals and a Dublin man were last night in garda custody after a big search operation in Dublin and Co Wicklow. Stashed Five business premises and eight homes were searched by CAB officers, who seized 733,499 in cash, stuffed into plastic bags and stashed in one of the houses. They froze a further 301,594 in Irish bank accounts. Also recovered were four Audi cars and a quantity of high-value goods, including handbags. Expand Close Car seized by gardai / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Car seized by gardai Officers suspect that a number of Irish gangs were laundering the profits from their involvement in organised crime, including drug trafficking, through businesses being run by their Chinese associates. The searches were the culmination of an investigation that had been under way for several months and were intelligence-led. They were carried out in Dublin's south inner city and south county, as well as north Co Wicklow. The Dublin man being questioned last night is regarded as a significant figure, who is suspected of acting as a facilitator for money laundering. Expand Close Bundles of cash seized from the raids / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Bundles of cash seized from the raids The seven were held at garda stations across the capital for questioning about offences contrary to the Criminal Justice Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing Act 2010. During the search operation, members of the CAB were backed up by the Emergency Response Unit, regional Armed Support Units and officers from the garda National Immigration Bureau and the garda National Economic Crime Bureau. A garda spokesman said the operation marked a significant development in the Criminal Assets Bureau's ongoing investigation into a criminal network involved in the laundering of funds for a number of national and internationally organised crime groups. Inquiries are continuing to target properties and other assets suspected of being linked to those under investigation. A woman was nearly killed when she was shot in the head by a man who fired into her home amid an ongoing feud between two organised crime groups, a court has been told. The suspected gunman, Jason Freeman (26) is alleged to have first pointed the loaded firearm at an innocent bystander outside the house, tried and failed to shoot the man in the leg, then put the weapon to his head. Judge Dermot Dempsey refused to grant bail to Mr Freeman at Dublin District Court and remanded him in custody to Friday. The accused, from Woodhazel Terrace, Ballymun, is charged with possession of a firearm and unlawfully discharging it. The incident is alleged to have happened at Shangan Park, also in Ballymun on Sunday, June 28. Handgun Garda Harley Spackman said the accused made no reply when charged and cautioned at Ballymun Garda Station. Objecting to bail, he said it was alleged the accused approached the house at Shangan Park at 2.33pm, entered the driveway of a neighbouring house and approached a man standing there - an "innocent bystander". He took a handgun from his right pocket and pointed it at the man's leg. From CCTV footage, the accused appears to attempt to shoot the man in the leg but the gun does not appear to fire, Gda Spackman told the court. He "rechambers" the round, "re-cocks" the gun and attempts to fire it but again, no round is discharged. He appears to initially have difficulty operating the firearm, then approaches the man who is "visibly distressed" and pushes the gun to his head. He then points it in the direction of the doorway of the other house and fires two shots into it, Gda Spackman continued. The female occupant was shot in the head by one of the projectiles, which struck her "on the crown of her skull", causing her injury, the garda said. The accused then left the driveway, got onto the pushbike on which he had arrived and cycled in the direction of his family home a very short distance away. Gardai, responding to a call, intercepted him at the doorway a short time later. The garda said the evidence was "very strong", including footage from two working CCTV cameras and statements of witnesses to whom the accused was personally known. The cameras clearly captured the accused from the moment he cycled up to the property, Gda Spackman said. Clothing was seized and the garda said a jacket worn by the accused had firearm residue. This was compared to a shell casing that was recovered and there was a "commonality between the two". Gda Spackman said the man on the CCTV was seen wearing a "uniquely distinctive bobble hat" and jacket which was seized. He said gardai believed it was a "local gangland feud-related incident" and the feud had been going on for maybe a year. It flared up again quite recently and the motive was the intimidation of the people who were targeted, he alleged. The firearm alleged to have been used had not been recovered. Gda Spackman said gardai did not want the discarded gun in the community where a child could come across it. He said there were "two groupings within the area" and there was a flare up between "two organised crime gangs in relation to the drugs trade in the area". This had been "spiralling" since last Friday. Loaded He believed, if granted bail, the accused would interfere with witnesses and abscond. Questioned by defence solicitor Edward Bradbury, the garda did not accept that a motivation for Mr Freeman being named as the shooter was because of a "dislike" between those people and the accused. He said the accused was arrested when he came back out of his home "minus" the jacket and bobble hat. The garda would not agree to bail if the accused moved out of the area. He said the alleged discharge of the gun "nearly killed a woman by shooting her in the head" and "two people could have been killed" by the accused who "put a loaded gun to a man's head". Judge Dempsey remanded the accused in custody to appear in Cloverhill District Court on July 3. Victims ex-partner had said he was a garda informant A low-level drug dealer was stabbed 16 times in his Co Offaly home and set on fire after his ex-girlfriend spread a false rumour that he was a garda informant. The victim, Ciaran Murphy (29), was found in a dog cage in his home by a passer-by, who noticed his cottage was in flames. He was left with life-threatening injuries after he suffered 96pc burns from his neck down and multiple stab wounds, including into his heart cavity. Yesterday, David Keena (21) was remanded in custody pending sentence later this month after he admitted he was in the cottage when an acquaintance, Shaun Groome (31), is alleged to have stabbed Mr Murphy and poured petrol over him. Keena, of Carrig Mor, Ballynacargy, Mullingar, Co Westmeath, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to assault causing serious harm and criminal damage by way of arson at Mr Murphy's home on September 7, 2015. He had 63 previous convictions, mainly for road traffic offences but he was sentenced to six years in prison in April 2017 at Mullingar Circuit Criminal Court for a drug offence. Arrest Anne Rowland SC, defending, said her client was accepting responsibility on the basis that he aided and abetted Mr Groome (31), of Ballinderry, Mullingar, Co Westmeath, who has yet to be prosecuted for his role as there is an outstanding warrant for his arrest. Mr Groome had been charged with assault causing serious harm at a sitting in Tullamore District Court in November 2015. Detective Sergeant Caroline Lyng agreed with Garrett McCormack BL, prosecuting, that Mr Murphy's former girlfriend was high on drugs when she informed Mr Groome that the victim was a garda informant. Det Sgt Lyng confirmed that there was no truth at all to this but the woman was concerned that Mr Murphy was in danger of being attacked and believed that by spreading this rumour she was protecting him. She said that Mr Murphy was known to local gardai at the time as a low-level drug dealer. Det Sgt Lyng agreed with Ms Rowland that Mr Murphy was being supplied with drugs by a man named in court as "Mr C". "Mr C" died unexpectedly and a drug debt of 2,500 that Mr Murphy owed him was passed on to Mr Groome. Mr Groome then began supplying Mr Murphy with cannabis and tablets and Mr Murphy, unable to pay for the drugs or the earlier debt, gave the man one of his dogs as part-payment. Judge Karen O'Connor adjourned the case to July 28 for sentence. Astronomers have seen a "monster" star mysteriously disappear into darkness. More than 70 million light years away in the constellation of Aquarius, the star is part of the Kinman Dwarf galaxy. Scientists are not sure why it can no longer be seen but believe there may be two explanations. The star may have become less luminous, obscured by dust, or may have collapsed into a black hole without exploding as a supernova. Explosion Andrew Allan, a PhD student at Trinity College Dublin, who led the research, said if the star had collapsed and vanished "this would be the first direct detection of such a monster star ending its life in this manner". He added: "It would be highly unusual for such a massive star to disappear without producing a bright supernova explosion." Researchers used the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope in the Chilean Atacama Desert to observe the star. At 75 million light years from us, it is too far for astronomers to see but researchers were able to confirm the star's presence by examining data that revealed its unique chemical signature. They said that between 2001 and 2011 scientists found evidence of a "luminous blue variable" star 2.5 million times brighter than the sun. Luminous blue variables are unstable stars prone to giant outbursts. But by 2019 its telltale signatures could no longer be seen. Mr Allan said: "We were surprised to find the star had disappeared." Jose Groh, also of Trinity College and one of the study authors, said: "We may have detected one of the most massive stars of the local universe going gently into the night." The researchers said further studies were needed to understand what had happened to the star. A quiet Dublin Airport yesterday five people who previously returned from abroad have died from the coronavirus Covid-19 has killed five people who caught the virus abroad and became seriously ill after they returned here with the infection, new figures have revealed. The fatalities, which have happened since the pandemic began, have been revealed for the first time. It follows an appeal by chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan to people who have booked summer holidays to cancel their trips due to fears about the risk of catching Covid-19 and spreading it to families and the wider community on their return home. Spread As the summer holiday season gets under way there are growing numbers of people who are catching the virus abroad and bringing it back to Ireland. Since the pandemic began, 592 people contracted the virus abroad and tested positive after they returned to this country. Expand Close Dr Tony Holohan / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Dr Tony Holohan The most recent case involved a man who tested positive after returning home from Iraq to the north-west of the island. Up to 14 members of his extended family tested positive, with one person being hospitalised. It comes as another death from the virus was announced yesterday, bringing the death toll so far to 1,736 since the infection first struck here. There were 11 more confirmed cases of the virus following a rise in the numbers of people testing positive in recent days, leading to fears of a potential resurgence of the infection. A significant increase has been reported in the number of outbreaks of the virus in private homes since exiting from lockdown which has seen more people mixing. So far there have been 728 outbreaks in private homes. That figure is higher than in nursing homes or hospitals. Dr Holohan said that yesterday was six months since the World Health Organisation first received reports of what we now know to be Covid-19. "Since then, there have been 10million cases and 500,000 deaths reported worldwide," he said. "It is very important that we keep up the national effort to reduce the impact of this disease in our country." Deputy chief medical officer Dr Ronan Glynn said: "Each person should risk assess their own environment to inform their personal decisions and actions during this pandemic. "We know how this virus spreads, we know the public health behaviours required to protect ourselves and others, we must continue to be aware of the disease and limit its spread." As of midnight on Monday, some 429,698 tests had been carried out. Over the past week, 24,607 tests were carried out and 116 tests were positive, giving a positivity rate of 0.5pc. Meanwhile, Mental Health Reform, the national coalition on mental health, yesterday presented research that highlighted significant public demand for greater action from the new Government and its agencies to respond to the mental health impact of the pandemic. Dr Phillip Hyland, from the Department of Psychology at Maynooth University, who leads the Irish arm of the project, said: "Our survey has revealed that, at a minimum, one-third of people in the population are experiencing serious mental health difficulties during the Covid-19 pandemic. "Young adults and women, more generally, are exhibiting worryingly high levels of depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder. "The mental health response to this public health crisis must take account of the fact that it is the youngest adults in society who are suffering the most with their mental health at this time," he added. The majority of the 6,666 pregnancies terminated in Ireland last year involved women availing of medical abortion up to 12 weeks of pregnancy. It was the first full year of the legislation widening the grounds for abortion following the 2018 referendum. The new legislation allows for abortion on demand up to 12 weeks of pregnancy. Medical abortions up to 12 weeks accounted for 6,542 of the abortions here last year. Termination is also permitted in cases of fatal foetal abnormality and where there is a risk to the life or health of the woman. There were 100 abortions in cases of fatal foetal abnormality last year. Another 21 were performed where there was a risk to the life or health of the mother. A further three were carried out on these grounds as emergencies. The first annual report on the operation of the legislation, the Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act showed 6,666 pregnancies were terminated. This compared to 2,879 involving women who travelled to UK clinics for abortions in 2018. It is unclear if the liberalising of the legislation here led to a real increase in abortions or whether the UK figures were an under-representation. The 2018 UK figures would not have included women buying abortion pills online or travelling to other countries. Based on women's home addresses, abortions were carried out in all counties - with most being performed in Dublin where 2,493 terminations took place. In Cork, there were 606 abortions performed, while 67 women gave addresses in Northern Ireland. Landmark Commenting on the figures, Irish Family Planning Association (IFPA) chief executive Niall Behan said it was a "landmark" and that data was available for the first time on the level of need for abortion. "Reforms to sexuality education and contraception access are urgently needed," he said. "And we know from UK statistics, published earlier this month, that not all women and girls who need abortion care are able to access it in Ireland." The UK clinic figures for 2019 showed that 375 women travelled for abortions last year despite the availability here. Mr Behan said the new Government must prioritise reform to contraception access and sexuality education and ensure that the 2021 review of the abortion law focuses on enhancing access to abortion care so that no one is left behind. Abortion Rights Campaign co-convener Cathie Shiels said: "For people who can meet the strict, medically unnecessary 12-week time-limit, there is clearly a greater opportunity to access healthcare at home, and this is something we can be very proud of. "However, local abortion access is not a reality for all. "Only 24 individuals obtained abortions because of a medical emergency or risk to their life or health - roughly the same number as under the extremely restrictive Protection of Life During Pregnancy Act. "We know that the system still leaves too many behind. "Especially in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic, it is clear that exporting healthcare to the UK is unacceptable," Ms Shiels added. Amid growing international criticism, China will allegedly reveal a new fighter jet in 2021, which will most likely be a familiar event to Chinese military watchers. Mounting evidence suggests a revamped fighter jet that is ready for combat based on the FC-31 fighter plane. New stealth fighter According to Popular Mechanics, Alert 5 discovered one such proof of the aircraft's existence and future reveal, highlighting the Chinese Aeronautical Establishment's (CAE) post on social media. The post stated that the establishment's personnel traveled to Shenyang Aircraft Design Institute or known as 601 Institute and the China Electronics Technology Group Corporation's (CETC) 29th Research Institute amid the coronavirus pandemic to assist in the development of the aircraft. Allegedly, CAE used Chinese characters to define the fighter plane as the new generation. The blog also says that the new model would either be a variant of an existing type or a brand-new model altogether. Global Times site picked up the rumor of the new fighter jet and also referred to the post that CAE wrote. The website stated that the post was later deleted without warning. A Chinese aviation expert that it interviewed believes that the rumored fighter jet is set to operate for aircraft carriers in China's fleet. Also Read: China Allegedly Forces Birth Control and Sterilization in an Attempt to Suppress Their Population Chinese air defense expert, Fu Qianshao, noted the Chinese Air Force might one day have the necessity for a medium-sized stealth fighter jet that would assist its heavier J-20 stealth fighter jet. Fu revealed the Chinese Navy needs immediate addition to its stealth fighter jet fleet amid the United States development of the F-35B and F-35C, as reported by Global Times. However, the new fighter jet's active service potential would still take time as its initial flight next year would only be the beginning of around five years of testing to ensure its stability, safety, and useability. The expert noted that time could be shortened as the previous FC-31 model has been, for many years, tested as a technical demonstrator. The development of the aircraft Shenyang Institute released a statement that was said in December of last year; it began developing a new type of fighter jet with the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) Manufacturing Technology Institute from 2018. On the other hand, the United States is developing three brand-new stealth aircraft, two of which are fighters, and one is a bomber. However, Shenyang has not found a potential buyer for the new type of aircraft that looks similar to the US Air Force's F-22 but smaller. While China may have a new fighter jet in the works, it currently has only a limited number of aircraft it operates on. In contrast, the Pentagon has hundreds of radar-evading planes at their disposal placed all around the world. According to Forbes, the US Air Force, along with the Navy's help, is spending billions of dollars in developing new stealth fighters that would succeed the F-35 model. Related Article: China Unanimously Passes Restrictive Law Limiting Hong Kong's Political Freedom @ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Note: We've recently updated our online systems. If you can't login please try resetting your password. You must login with an email address. If you don't have an email associated with your account email customercare@heraldandnews.com for help creating one. Greenville, TX (75401) Today Mostly cloudy skies this morning followed by thunderstorms during the afternoon. Storms may contain strong gusty winds. High 86F. SSW winds shifting to WNW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 80%.. Tonight Scattered thunderstorms early, then variable clouds overnight with more showers at times. Low 63F. Winds NNE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 40%. On Tuesday, Dr Anthony Fauci, an infectious disease expert in the United States, announced his predictions that the US would record as many as 100,000 new coronavirus cases every day if the country does not take necessary steps to curb the spread of the disease. A massive surge of daily cases According to Daily Mail, the prediction of Fauci was made after the US recorded a surge of new coronavirus cases by 46% in the southern and western regions. Within the last week, reported cases nearly doubled as 31 states across the country recorded a massive rise in cases, with Arizona becoming the new coronavirus hot spot that worked to reverse its reopening by shutting down bars and gyms once again. The rise in the number of cases comes after more than a month from most states starting to reopen their economies. Andrew Cuomo, the New York governor, also expanded on Tuesday the number of American citizens who must self-quarantine for at least 14 days if they plan on visiting the state. The 16 states considered to be the worst-stricken by the coronavirus pandemic account for 48% of all the infections of US residents, as found in an analysis by USA Today, as reported by BBC. Also Read: Fauci Says Herd Immunity Against COVID-19 May Not be Achieved Even With Vaccine Due to Anti-Vaxxers When Fauci testified to a Senate committee on the plans to reopen schools and businesses, the expert openly criticized the apparent lack of preparedness and thoroughness that are required for reopening which he said would result in the rise of cases. Speaking to Senator Elizabeth Warren, Fauci said that while he cannot accurately predict the number of cases, he noted it would be devastating news. The expert's reasoning, he explains, is when an outbreak is plaguing some parts of a nation and other parts are doing well, it makes them more vulnerable to the spread. Free face masks for all Fauci previously called on the US government to manufacture face masks that could be distributed to all American citizens for free. He also shared his condemnation of the "all or none phenomenon" that is being practiced by some people who are entirely disregarding social distancing protocols and safety measures. The director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Dr Robert Redfield, criticized American Airlines that have begun to market flights to fill their capacity which would result in social distancing impossible to be followed by the passengers. The New York Times reported that Redfield was disappointed by the airlines when they announced the move, adding it does not convey the right message they would have hoped. Contrary to what US President Donald Trump believed that the coronavirus pandemic would slowly fade away, the global crisis continues to get worse. On Tuesday, the US announced it had recorded more than 46,000 new coronavirus cases across the nation, reaching a new peak for any day from the beginning of the pandemic. Several state officials also noted they reported single-day highs of new cases. Related Article: COVID-19 Drug Remdesivir Would Cost the Government $3,120 For Every Patient @ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Anderson, IN (46016) Today Cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High around 75F. Winds NW at 10 to 20 mph.. Tonight Cloudy skies early, followed by partial clearing. Low near 50F. Winds N at 10 to 15 mph. Suboxone film is a drug approved for use by recovering opioid addicts to avoid or reduce withdrawal symptoms while they undergo treatment. Suboxone and its active ingredient, buprenorphine, are powerful and addictive opioids, prosecutors said. Our nation is confronting the deadliest drug crisis in American history. Opioid withdrawal is dangerous, difficult, and painful, and the people struggling to overcome addiction face challenges that can often seem insurmountable, said Deputy Assistant Attorney General Michael D. Granston of the Department of Justices Civil Division. Opioid manufacturers, and the individuals charged with managing them, are obligated to ensure the opioid drugs they sell are marketed and distributed honestly, responsibly, and in compliance with the law. Daniel P. Bubar, the first assistant U.S. Attorney in western Virginia, said Thaxter violated the publics trust. In 2012, Thaxter oversaw and encouraged Indiviors efforts to secure formulary coverage for Suboxone film from the Massachusetts Medicaid agency called MassHealth, according to court records. Thaxter asked Indivior employees under his direction to devise a strategy to win preferred drug status for Suboxone film and counteract a nonopioid competitor MassHealth was considering for opioid-addiction treatment, records state. Prosecutors believe the mother of two missing children whose dead bodies were found in Idaho after months from their disappearance in a mysterious case that shook the world had worked with her new husband to conceal the children's bodies. Dubious mother According to AP News, officials charged Lori Daybell the additional felony crimes on Monday, signaling the latest update in the mysterious case of the couple's former partners and their strange beliefs. The judge who preceded the case put Daybell's bail at one million dollars in her first appearance in court over the new charges against her on Tuesday. The judge also asked the suspect if she understood the accusations and that she could be sentenced to jail for up to ten years if convicted. The suspect, Daybell, while wiping tears away from her face occasionally with a tissue, answered with a "yes." Daybell had previously been charged with abandoning or deserting Joshua "JJ" Vallow, seven years old, and Tylee Ryan, 17 years old. The allegations, however, are in question as police officers found the bodies of the children buried under her husband's yard. She was also charged with obstruction of a police investigation when she had a friend lie to police officers for her and when she failed to produce the kids when asked by officials. The suspect's attorney claimed that Daybell intends to defend herself against the charges but had not had an opportunity to enter a plea. Chad Daybell, Lori's husband, was previously charged with covering evidence by destroying or stashing away the children's bodies and has pleaded not guilty to the allegations. Also Read: Golden State Killer: Former Police Admit Crimes, Saying His Alter Ego Forced Him to Rape and Kill Dozens One of the victims, JJ, who would have been eight years old in May, and Tylee, were last seen by witnesses in September of last year. Police officers first informed the people of the kids' disappearance in December after JJ' grandmother reported she had not seen or heard from her grandchild for several months. Lost of two beautiful children In a statement that was attributed to Larry and Kay Woodcock, JJ's biological grandparents, they wrote they were filled with indescribable grief that the two young kids have lost their lives at such young ages, as reported by USA Today. The puzzling case spanned across several states across the United States with its focus on the mysterious couple and the deaths of their previous spouses along with their outrageous belief system. The Woodcocks considered JJ as a precious and beautiful child. Kay Woodcock was Charles Vallow's sister, who was Daybell's ex-husband before his mysterious death in 2019. Woodcock added JJ had a massive heart and the most dazzling smile which she wrote in a post on Facebook in December. Tylee was described by her aunt, Anne Cushing, as a girl with a strong sense of justice to differentiate right from wrong. Cushing added that Tylee never held herself back with what she did. When JJ was adopted in 2014, Tylee happily took up her role as a big sister to her new little brother. Related Article: Sleeping 4-Year-Old Boy Fatally Shot in the Face by Unknown Assailant @ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. ABINGDON, Va. Authorities are seeking two individuals facing charges in connection with human remains discovered Monday at a burned home near Bristol, Virginia. Terry Dwayne Linebaugh, 35, of Blountville, and Heather Lucille Jones, 32, of Piney Flats, are both wanted by the Washington County Virginia Sheriffs Office, according to a news release issued Wednesday. Police also identified the remains as those of Anthony Lynn Walker Hammonds, 39, of Bristol, Tennessee. The sheriffs office has charged Linebaugh first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit murder, use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and arson, the release states. Jones was charged with conspiracy to commit murder, according to the release. The charges come after the sheriffs office said it collected evidence from the scene, conducted interviews and worked with other law enforcement agencies. The Goodson Kinderhook Fire Department responded to a house fire on Marys Chapel Road over the weekend. The day after the fire, the family had a cookout at their home. James Brown was at his own home when he laughed about the fire, a witness told agents. During an interview, James Brown denied being involved in the fire, according to court records. As a result, he faces charges of lying to federal agents and criminal interference with fair housing based on Travon Browns race. Brown shook and nodded his head often during Tuesdays hearing. He also buried his mask-covered face in his hands as witnesses testified and counsel spoke. Potter informed the court that detectives found shirts, staples, a staple gun and tiki fuel during a search at James Browns home. The fuel is believed to have been used as an accelerant. The shirts were similar to shirts used to assemble the cross, Potter added. The burn barrel and cross were last known to be obtained by the Marion Police Department, which assisted with the investigation. Magistrate Judge Pamela Sargent granted James Brown bond Tuesday after determining that he is not a flight risk and is not a danger to the community. Sargent noted that although the man is originally from New York, his family now lives in Marion, where he will stay as the case proceeds. BRISTOL, Tenn. Current Vice Mayor Mahlon Luttrell seems poised to assume the role of mayor with current Councilman Vince Turner joining him as the new vice mayor when Bristol Tennessee City Council reorganizes at its meeting next Tuesday evening. At the 7 p.m. session on July 7, council is set to select who among them will serve as mayor and vice mayor for the next 12 months. Unanimous consensus appears to already exist. Four members of council, Mayor Margaret Feierabend, Councilman Chad Keen, Councilwoman Lea Powers and Turner all said they support Luttrell as mayor. Luttrell, 65, hesitated to say his selection is definite, but he said he will step into the role if asked. If it is the will of City Council, I would be very honored to serve in that position, he said. Additionally, Feierabend, Keen, Powers and Luttrell said they will support Turner as vice mayor. Last year, Turner, 50, said he wasnt interested in serving as mayor or vice mayor, but this year he took a different tone. I support Mahlon as mayor; if asked, I will serve [as vice mayor], he said. As an English professor, I write and teach about words for a living. But you dont need a Ph.D. to realize some of the language we use to talk about the COVID-19 pandemic invokes racism and sometimes subtly promotes violence. President Donald Trump has often called the coronavirus the Chinese virus, referring to it as the kung flu at his campaign rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Most people recognize this language as racist, even if they dont know about the harm its doing. Between mid-March and mid-April of this year, the Asian Pacific Policy and Planning Council recorded significant increases in attacks against Asian Americans and Asians. The group tracked more than 1,500 such incidents, from name-calling to physical assault, in that one-month time frame alone. Trump has implied that Asians and Asian Americans are not only responsible for spreading the virus, but may have created it, too, an assertion for which there is no evidence. His allegations are in keeping with hundreds of years of racist blaming immigrants, nonwhites and non-English speakers for carrying diseases from the plague to HIV and now the new coronavirus. Davidson County, Tennessee, Judge Ellen Hobbs Lyle ruled June 4 that the State of Tennessee must give all registered voters the choice to cast a ballot by mail. During the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, this was a welcome relief to all who are apprehensive about risking being sickened by congregating around voting machines. In response, the Tennessee Secretary of State and local election officials placed a qualifying statement: Pursuant to the June 4, 2020 Order of the Davidson Chancery Court, if you are a registered voter and do not wish to vote in person due to the COVID-19 situation, you are eligible to request an absentee ballot by mail ... . This is on their websites, but they have not altered the existing mail-in ballot applications. A registered voter must check a box with a variety of excuses for requesting a mail-in ballot including: I have determined it is impossible or unreasonable to vote in-person at a polling place due to the COVID-19 and therefore qualify as hospitalized, ill or disabled and unable to appear at your polling place. By checking this box I appear to be stating that I am hospitalized, ill or disabled, which is not true. I do not wish to become hospitalized, ill or disabled by showing up at a precinct to vote. With the controversial new law that China passed in Hong Kong, citizens could face life sentences for failure to comply with the legislation. Back to the mainland According to BBC, the law came into effect on Tuesday, and its full details were disclosed several hours later. The Chinese capital led the legislation amid the rising tensions and continuous protests calling for democracy. Critics, however, claim the new law will effectively restrict demonstrations and allegedly threatens Hong Kong's political freedom. The area of Hong Kong was previously given back to China in 1997 from British control but with a new agreement that allowed certain freedoms for the city's residents that mainland China citizens did not have. Carrie Lam, Hong Kong's political leader, supported the legislation and expressed her support by saying it answered a need the city has had in national security. The details of the law had been firmly guarded, and Lam, backed by Beijing, revealed she had not seen the draft of the legislation before her comments. An opposition legislator, Ted Hui, said that the rights of citizens in Hong Kong were threatened, and their freedom is taken away. Hui noted the law undermines their rule of law and removes their judicial independence. Multiple nations, including the UK, EU, and Nato, have openly expressed their criticism and disapproval of the legislation while democracy rights groups began dispersing in fear of immediate consequences. Washington, who also requested Beijing to reconsider the move, has started to cut special treatment of Hong Kong with trade and international travel with the United States, giving it the same as mainland China. Also Read: China Unanimously Passes Restrictive Law Limiting Hong Kong's Political Freedom Fighting the change Several protests have started within Hong Kong on the first day of the legislation's passing that Beijing introduced and came after China announced that it would be possible to be extradited to the mainland if found guilty, as reported by The Guardian. The demonstrations called for the revival of Hong Kong and to fight against the black police, referencing the corruption that led to the legislation. One Twitter user reported that police officers dragged Lee Cheuk Yan, a veteran pro-democracy lawmaker, down from a podium and also pepper-sprayed several dozens of journalists present at the scene. On Twitter, police officials reported their first arrest since the placement of the law of a man who was reportedly carrying a Hong Kong Independence flag within the protest, which according to the officials, is a violation of the new legislation. On Monday, on the other hand, local media reported that police officials confirmed the arrest of at least 53 people amid the mostly peaceful demonstrations calling out against the new law, as reported by Aljazeera. A Hong Kong delegate, Ip Kwok-him, does not believe the punishment for going against the law is not three or ten years in jail. The claim comes as Ip reviewed a draft of the law on Sunday. The official added that the punishment for failure to comply with national security laws include life sentences and noted it would also be possible for the Hong Kong legislation to impose the same. He also added that the bill's punishments could be applied retroactively. More than a year had passed since the beginning of protests in Hong Kong when Beijing attempted to pass a bill that would have sent the city's residents to mainland China for trial. The demonstrations have evolved to incorporate broader democratic views. They have become increasingly violent, indicating the most significant dispute to Beijing's authority since the return of the territory to China's rule in 1997. Related Article: China Warns US of Intervening With International Affairs, Says Trade Deal Could be in Jeopardy @ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Hagerstown, MD (21740) Today Sunny skies this morning. Scattered showers and thunderstorms developing during the afternoon. High 91F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 40%.. Tonight Cloudy with occasional light rain late. Low near 65F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%. Joyce F. Nowell jnowell@herald-mail.com A small fire at a Hagerstown licensed medical cannabis growing company was quickly extinguished Tuesday night. Hagerstown Fire Marshall Doug DeHaven said firefighters responded to Maryland Cultivation & Processing, 560 Western Maryland Parkway, at 9:13 p.m. Maryland Cultivation & Processing is listed in the Washington County Chamber of Commerce directory as a state licensed medical cannabis cultivation business. The company has been a member of the chamber since 2019. DeHaven said the occupant was notified by the fire alarm system and remotely saw fire and smoke in the building. As a 911 call was made, the alarm system also alerted 911, according to DeHaven. Units arrived with smoke in the building and they discovered a small fire still remaining in the complex, DeHaven said. It was easily extinguished. Damage seems to be minimal and involved the failure of a piece of mechanical equipment. Responding to the accidental blaze were units from Hagerstown and Halfway. Fire officials left the scene around 11 p.m. According to the Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation online database, the 36,000-square-foot building on 12 acres is owned by Beaver Creek Farming LLC, based in North Bethesda, Md. It was built in 1996. Global company Airbus had announced that it would be cutting 15,000 jobs across its entire commercial aircraft division, marking the company's most extensive restructuring in its history. The decision was made after expectations of massive repercussions from the coronavirus pandemic's economic impacts on the aviation sector, as reported by the Wall Street Journal. Massive job cuts Most of the job cuts amount to approximately 11% of the aviation company's entire workforce based mostly in France and Germany, which are Airbus's major manufacturing sites. The decision came several months after grounded air traffic due to lockdown restrictions and travel bans that led to multiple airline bankruptcies and restructuring around the globe, including plans to decrease the fleet size and break off deals for new aircraft. Air traffic is expected to recover its pre-pandemic economy slowly until at least 2023 and at the most, 2025, said Airbus. Guillaume Faury, AIrbus's Chief Executive, said the company is currently experiencing its most significant economic crisis the industry has ever had. Faury also noted they need to make sure that they can maintain their enterprise and come back from the global pandemic healthy and stronger than ever. Airbus's move comes after its rival company, Boeing Co., outlines its plans to reduce its workforce by at least 10%. Also Read: Two Staff Fired After Exposing Horrific Conditions Inside a US Nursing Home The rival company, Boeing, struggled with the yearlong grounding of its iconic 737 Max plane in February as Airbus encountered a backlog of orders of its A320 jet meant to rival the 737 Max. Coronavirus on aviation According to The New York Times, Airbus's financial condition stumbled along with the rest of the aviation industry amid the devastating impacts of the coronavirus pandemic. Airline companies are now setting their course for the future with plans to reduce passengers' demand, which results in less need for more aircraft. At the end of the week, more details regarding the job losses and how they will be broken down will be revealed by the company after talks with unions commence. However, the Unite union revealed it expects a total of 1,116 manufacturing jobs and at least 611 office-based jobs to be let go, cutting down the workforce of Airbus in the UK by 15%, as reported by BBC. The COVID-19 crisis led to the aviation industry's inevitable changes, with only the severity being questioned. Catastrophic effects were seen in April, where global air traffic dropped by at least 90% of its usual numbers. When aircraft are grounded, they earn no revenue but are still required to be maintained per regulations, as well as their lease or loans needed to be paid in full. This results in airlines losing money and earning none, causing them to decide to halt getting new planes as older ones are not utilized to their fullest. While Airbus made full use of the government's support and delayed the job cuts, the coronavirus's extended presence and its economic effects left the aviation company little choice in the matter. The company expects to begin letting jobs go starting in summer 2021 but hopes that most of the cuts will consist of voluntary separation or early retirement. Airbus previously announced it was "bleeding cash at an unprecedented speed" with the coronavirus's effects on the economy. Related Article: Coronavirus Cases All Over the Globe Reaches Over 10 Million Cases @ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Staff reports The Herald-Mail Maryland State Police troopers say they will be extra vigilant over the Independence Day weekend, looking for impaired, distracted and aggressive drivers. Beginning Thursday, troopers from each of the 23 Maryland State Police barracks will focus enforcement efforts on impaired driving, aggressive driving, speeding, distracted driving and other violations that often contribute to highway tragedies, according to a State Police news release. Additional troopers will be working overtime assignments funded by highway safety grants from the Maryland Department of Transportation Highway Safety Office. Troopers from the State Police Impaired Driving Reduction Effort will be working through the weekend. These specially trained troopers focus predominantly on locating and arresting impaired drivers, according to the release. Motorists can report dangerous drivers traveling on Maryland interstates by safely dialing #77 on a cell phone and providing a description of the vehicle, location and direction of travel. In addition to local police departments, troopers will work closely with the Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration. SHA helps arrange detours at crash sites and conducts courtesy patrols to assist motorists. Staff reports The Herald-Mail Washington County Transit will return to regular service Monday, according to a news release from the county government. Transit had been operating on a modified schedule because of COVID-19 restrictions. Returning to regular service means transit will operate from 6:15 a.m. to 9:45 p.m. Monday through Friday, and from from 7:45 a.m. to 9:45 p.m. Saturday. Masks are still required on public transportation. For more information, contact Washington County's Public Relations and Marketing Department at 240-313-2380 or pr@washco-md.net, or visitwww.washco-md.net/transit/. The U.S Labor Department stated that the $600 weekly unemployment benefits are given to many Americans may be cut off one week earlier than expected at the end of July due to technicality. Early cut-off The Labor Department's schedule for distributing the unemployment benefits as stated CARES or the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security is on July 31. For the 33 million Americans collecting some form of unemployment benefits, the final day to get the expiring extra $600 will be on July 25, which is a Saturday, or July 26, which is a Sunday, as reported by Newsweek. Based upon the state in which the recipient of the unemployment benefits lives, the Labor Department cautioned the public that the final payment maybe a week earlier than the original date of July 31. Following the July date finalized by the Department, the unemployment benefits will go back to the pre-coronavirus pandemic levels which depend on the state in which the funds are collected. There are wide divides that exist between the state lines in terms of how much is paid out, as those who live in New York receive around $400 more every week than those who live in California. The Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation or the FPUC is not payable for any week of unemployment ending after July 31, 2020. In some states where the week of unemployment ends on a Saturday, the last week that FPUC may be given out is the week ending July 25, 2020, according to the directive that was drafted by the Labor Department back in April. The federal agency adds that for states where the week of unemployment ends on a Sunday, the last week that FPUC is payable is the week ending July 26, 2020. Also Read: US Government Says Iran's Arrest Warrant for Trump is Propaganda Stunt The unemployment benefits are set to end earlier than July 31 in states including California and New York, where the respective labor departments end payment on July 25 or on July 26. The other states like Tennessee will cut off the unemployment benefits on July 25. Unemployment rate Last week, around 1.5 million workers filed new claims for state unemployment insurance, according to the Labor Department. This is the 14th week in which that number has exceeded 1 million filings for assistance. An additional 728,000 Americans filed for benefits from the PUA program or the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance which seeks to cover independent and self-employed contractors who may not otherwise be eligible for federal jobless benefits. However, the 1.5 million figure is still far lower than the 6.5 million Americans who filed one week in early April. On May, 25 million people filed for unemployment and collected unemployment insurance. Across the United States, 1 in 5 workers have either recently applied to receive or received their unemployment benefits as the coronavirus pandemic continued into late summer. The congressional lawmakers do not have any plans for additional unemployment benefits after July 31, with the Senate Republicans and President Donald Trump hinting that they would prefer to pay employers to restart their businesses instead of paying people who are unemployed. The other Trump administration officials have also suggested that if a new stimulus plan will be created, it will target businesses instead of individuals for direct deposits. Related Article: Stimulus Package: Next Coronavirus Relief Will Be Unveiled By the End of July @ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Joyce F. Nowell jnowell@herald-mail.com Tri-State unemployment rates eased a bit in May, but continue to show the dramatic impact of business closures from the COVID-19 pandemic. The jobless rate in Washington County that had jumped from 4% in March to 11.4% in April dropped back to 10.4% for May, according to statistics released Wednesday by the Maryland Department of Labor. The number is far off the 3.7% recorded a year ago. The state reported that 7,349 Washington County people were unemployed in May, compared to 8,142 in April. Hagerstown's jobless rate dropped from April's 14.1% to 13.2% for May. There were 2,453 people unemployed in the city during May, down from 2,610 in April. Other Western Maryland county unemployment numbers included Allegany, 9.7%; Frederick, 9.2% and Garrett, 10.4%. Statewide, the April to May jobless rate went just below double-digits, from 10.1% to 9.9%. Worcester County had the highest May rate at 18.7%; the lowest, 6.9%, was recorded in St. Mary's County. Jobs being added nationally The jobs picture nationwide brightened in June, but with total employment remaining at a large lag from pre-pandemic levels. According to a national survey by payroll company ADP, U.S. companies added nearly 2.4 million jobs in June. The Associated Press reported the study indicates small businesses showed the biggest increase, adding 937,000 jobs. Industries showed job growth in construction, restaurants and hotels and retailers. Yet according to ADP's data, the economy still has 14.3 million fewer jobs than it did in February, before states started shutting down in response to the new coronavirus. "We've obviously got into a big hole here because of the pandemic and are just trying to claw our way out," said Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody's Analytics. Moody's helps compile the ADP data for its monthly reports. On Thursday, the government will release the official jobs figures for June, which are projected to show that employers added 3 million jobs and the unemployment rate fell to 12.3%, down from 13.3% in May. Both those rates are among the highest the U.S. has seen since the Great Depression. ADP does not include government jobs in its report and often diverges from the Labor Department's data. Elsewhere in the Tri-State West Virginia saw its 15.2% rate in April go down to 12.9% for May, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The three Eastern Panhandle counties also trended downward from April. Morgan's change was the most dramatic, from 13.6% to 9.9%. Berkeley County went from 12.1% to 10.5%. Jefferson County, which had the lowest April jobless rate in the Tri-State at 11.4%, dropped to 10.0% in May. The Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry also reported a decrease in Franklin County's unemployment rate from April. It dropped 2.5 percentage points to 10.8% in May. April reports showed 10,200 unemployed in April; May reports show 8,600. The DLI reported total nonfarm jobs in Franklin County increased 5.8% in May, while the jobs are down 8.2% during 2020. Fulton County's unemployment rate backed off from April's 17.5% to 15.7% in May. The May jobless rate in Pennsylvania was 13.1%, down from 15.1%. The United States the rate also dropped from 14.7% to 13.2%. Christopher Rugaber, AP Economics Writer, contributed to this report Sherry Greenfield sgreenfield@herald-mail.com The United Way of Washington County and the Community Foundation of Washington County have raised $300,000 to help the community get through the COVID-19 crisis, according to a news release from the agencies. The money raised will help local individuals and families severely impacted during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Washington County COVID-19 Emergency Assistance Fund, a campaign organized by the Community Foundation and the United Way at the end of March, supports community-based organizations and partners who directly help those adversely affected. The fund provides economic assistance and access to vital food and basic need supplies to county residents who already have, and will be, impacted by the temporary loss of income because of restrictions. The fifth cycle of funding, totaling$65,459,went to the following 11 organizations. Community Free Clinic $10,000. Discovery Station $1,152. Girls Inc. $5,000. Potomac Case Management $4,500. Reach of Washington County $5,000. Rehoboth United Methodist Church $500. Robert W Johnson Memorial Center $5,000. San Mar Family and Community Services $10,700. The Salvation Army $10,207. Together With Families $8,400. Washington County Fellowships of Christian Athletes $5,000. To donate, go to https://tinyurl.com/ycy2oo4t, or text CovidWashCo to 313131. For more information, call 301-739-8200. Checks should be mailed to 83 W. Washington St., Suite 101, Hagerstown, Md. 21740 Jenni Vincent jvincent@herald-mail.com MARTINSBURG, W.Va. The Eastern West Virginia Community Foundation has awarded 56 grants totaling $198,897 to a variety of nonprofit organizations in response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Additional funding will be provided this month through the organization's EWVCF COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund to further alleviate problems nonprofits continue to face, said Michael Whalton, the foundation's executive director. "While the long-term impact of the pandemic remains unknown, many charities are struggling to survive while continuing to provide critically needed services," he said. "Other nonprofits that may not be working directly on the front lines are also being impacted." Grants have been given to organizations in the five-county region served by the foundation. Community support has made the new initiative possible, Whalton said. Individuals, corporations, donor advisers and private foundations have contributed more than $330,000 to the fund, and all of it will be used to support area organizations as they adjust to changing demands, he said. "The community support has been outstanding. Not only have we received more than $330,000 in contributions, we've also had a number of organizations and their volunteers reach out to let us know that these fairly small grants have been instrumental in helping them keep their doors open," he said. Now in its 25th year, the foundation has awarded more than $10.5 million in grants and scholarships from 245 endowed funds, Whalton said. "Although community foundations are best known for building permanent charitable endowments, they also play an active role in times like these," he said. The most recent grants were given to support a variety of programs and needs, including the arts, animal welfare, recreation, literacy, child care, senior meals, disabled veterans and housing, he said. They include: Animal Welfare Society of Jefferson County: $5,000 Berkeley Arts Council: $6,500 Berkeley County 4-H: $2,250 Berkeley County Humane Society: $2,500 Bethel Assembly of God: $2,000 Boys and Girls Club of the Eastern Panhandle: $2,500 Breast and Body Health: $5,000 Community Alternatives to Violence: $3,187.50 Community Networks: $5,000 For the Kids Children's Museum: $2,850 Habitat for Humanity of the Eastern Panhandle: $5,000 Hampshire County Public Library: $2,000 Hardy County 4-H Camp Association: $7,500 Hardy County Child Care Center: $2,500 Honor Alliance Corp: $1,000 Love Memorial Clinic: $2,000 Meals on Wheels of Jefferson County: $5,000 Many of the grantees requested funding to help cover operating expenses that normally would be supported by fundraising and contributions but that also was interrupted by the pandemic, Whalton said. The next round of funding will look at targeting priority populations, he said. "We hope to encourage groups that are working to benefit communities that are being disproportionately impacted by COVID-19," he said. Proposals for the next round of funding will be accepted until July 24, and a grant application can be downloaded from the foundation's website at ewvcf.org. Shawn Hardy Greencastle Echo-Pilot GREENCASTLE, Pa. Two months after the potential for deep cuts including staff and extracurricular activities was announced due to a projected budget deficit of nearly $2.5 million, the Greencastle-Antrim School Board approved a 2020-21 spending plan Monday evening that is just $665 in the red. The budget, with revenues of $41,348,848 and expenditures of $41,349,513, is supported with a 3.4% property tax hike, the maximum allowed. That means an increase for the average property owner of $83 as the mill rate goes from 112.84 to 116.68, according to Chief Financial Officer Caroline Royer. Board member Mike Still said he knows this is a bad time to raise taxes and there is a lot of uneasiness over the economic fallout of COVID-19, but this is one time 'to-the-max' makes the most sense. Carter Davidson said he and his fellow board members have done their best to pare the budget down, while focused on the best interests of students. On April 29, the board adopted a resolution of intent to reduce (furlough, suspend, terminate) professional staff and temporary professional employees, to furlough administrators, to terminate support employees and to cut extracurricular positions and programs for economic reasons. The resolution gave the required 60-day notice for any or all of those cuts to be made on June 29. Superintendent Kendra Trail termed April 29 as one of the most difficult board meetings ever and said it seemed like the district faced an impossible task. The economic impact of COVID-19 worsened the already tight budget situation due in large part to a state funding formula that means Greencastle-Antrim has less to spend per student than most districts in Pennsylvania. Several times during the meeting, the work of the administration, teachers union, staff and community including the Greencastle-Antrim School District Supporters Facebook Group was cited for finding ways to decrease expenditures to avoid most furloughs and keep extracurriculars. Some staff cuts still needed to be made, including nine noontime aide positions furloughed at the elementary and primary schools for a savings of $43,000. The Greencastle-Antrim Education Association, the union that represents the districts teachers, agreed to a salary freeze and retirement incentive package. Retirement resignations were accepted Monday from three veteran educators: Ellen Kirkner, high school social studies, 26 years with the district; Susan Englehart, first-grade, 33 years with the district; and LuAnn Skutch, fifth-grade, 25 years with the district. The board also accepted the retirement resignation of June Hann, middle school attendance secretary. The vacancy created by the retirement of Bob Crider, chief educational officer, announced last month, will not be filled. A range of other reductions included administrators agreeing to a salary freeze; a salary freeze for support staff; a one-time reduction in the districts self-funded health care program; lower technology spending; building level cuts to budgets that have not increased in 10 years; and a lower stormwater management fee since the Borough of Greencastle has received a waiver from the state. In addition to the tax increase, the revenue side of the budget got a boost of $270,577 in CARES stimulus money. Shortly after approving the next years budget, some board members said they are ready to get to work soon on the spending plan for the following year. I dont want to wait until April or May, Board President Tracy Baer said. There are fabulous ideas on the table ... We cant put it off. Matthew Umstead mumstead@herald-mail.com MARTINSBURG, W.Va. The Peking restaurant building in Martinsburg has been sold to the owners of the longtime downtown business. The property at 139 S. Queen St. was sold by owner Mary Lewis to brothers Daowen Lin and Daowu Lin for $292,500, according to a deed filed Wednesday with the Berkeley County Clerk's office. The sale comes about two years after the Lin family took over the Chinese restaurant business in 2018. Lewis and her husband, the late Martinsburg City Councilman Roger Lewis, purchased the property near the intersection of Queen and King streets in September 2001. The Lewises renovated street-level space in the building with the intent of keeping Peking downtown, where it has operated since the 1970s. Lewis said Wednesday that she and her late husband had always hoped that the restaurateurs would ultimately buy the property. "Roger and I always promoted owner-occupied properties as does our city and Main Street (Martinsburg)," Lewis said. "The Peking has a history of bringing family and friends together," she said. "I am thrilled and look forward to the Lin family serving downtown Martinsburg for another 48 years." Originally known as Gateway Peking Restaurant, the business was started by Mike Chan and a couple of friends at 100 W. Martin St., in what then was known as the Gateway Inn. The hotel building's original Shenandoah name has since been restored. The restaurant, now known as New Peking Restaurant, moved to its present location in 2002 and Kin Sang Wong took over the business from Chan. Wong retired in 2018 and turned the business over Daowen Lin and his brother.When the Peking first opened, the business was the only Chinese restaurant in the Martinsburg area, Wong said in 2018. The Peking's move to the South Queen Street property came about after the Shenandoah hotel building's sale to a new owner, according to Lewis. The former lodging rooms of the hotel now are being converted into apartments as part of a mixed-use redevelopment and renovation project. The sale of the Peking restaurant property comes about a week after The Peppermill restaurant property at 200 W. Burke St. in downtown was sold to the owners of a chain of Thai restaurants in Virginia for $315,000. The new owners of the West Burke Street property confirmed plans on Monday to open a Thai restaurant there in the coming months. GEORGE MICHAEL The Herald-Mail Every record has been destroyed or falsified, every book rewritten, every picture has been repainted, every statue and street building has been renamed, every date has been altered. And the process is continuing day by day and minute by minute. History has stopped. Nothing exists except an endless present in which the Party is always right. This excerpt from the classic book 1984 reflects what we see currently across our nation. Written by George Orwell and published 1949, the book is an accurate picture of the mindset of rioters bent on destroying our history. I was struck by the parts about every statue and street building has been renamed and History has stopped. Was Orwell a prophet? Or was he just an astute student of history reflecting the normal course of events in a society gone mad? We see the drift to totalitarian group-think described in Orwells book. We see it across America and around the world today. Statues toppled and destroyed, monuments defaced with graffiti, destruction of property ignored or excused along with demands to Defund the Police. Something that started as legitimate peaceful protests is descending into lawlessness. Apparently no historical statue, monument, plaque or painting is safe. Orwells chilling summary about the destruction of the records of history is currently all too real. And it is not just statues. Historical markers have been defaced or spray-painted by the new hate society. In Charlotte, N.C., a World War II monument was spray-painted with a hammer and sickle, symbols of communism. Victory in World War II in defeating Nazism and fascism was one of Americas greatest contributions to the preservation of freedom. But it means nothing to the anarchists among us. In fact, to them, such monuments represent Americas evil past. In San Francisco, the statue of Ulysses S. Grant was toppled. This is ironic given that President Grant was a leader in advocating for equal rights of former slaves and fought to ensure that emancipation meant something. Grant grew up in an abolitionist family and was convinced of the evils of slavery, but he did own one slave, a gift from his wifes father, who was a slave holder. Grant freed his slave without compensation at a time when he could have used the money. Black abolitionist, Frederick Douglass, who knew Grant personally, wrote of him, I see in him the vigilant, firm, impartial, and wise protector of my race from all the malign, reactionary, social, and political elements that would whelm them in destruction. Too bad modern-day rebels have failed to learn what Douglass thought about Grant. Another abolitionist and crusader for Black rights had his statue destroyed in the City of Brotherly Love in mid-June. Protesters from the cancel culture wrecked a statue of Matthias Baldwin. Baldwin had fought against slavery, fought for Black voting rights and built schools for Black children. The so-called protesters defaced Baldwins likeness and covered the statue with paint using the words colonizer and murderer. Is this simply a lack of knowledge of history, just plain stupidity or irrational outrage? Indiscriminate destruction of markers and monuments reflects a juvenile approach, an unproductive exercise with no redeeming value. What is really accomplished? We need to think clearly and objectively in dealing with the past events, whether good or evil. Monuments, paintings and plaques help us interpret the past. For the most part, we have done a poor job as a nation teaching history. Now that task will be harder. Perhaps move statues that cause offense to a museum or place where their history, the good, the bad and the ugly, could be told. Let some clear-thinking, responsible officials decide in a reasonable manner what and how to do this. But we need to believe that each artifact can serve a valuable lesson to educate the next generation. The current craze to eradicate the past is foolhardy at best, and in the final analysis, dangerous. I remember a teacher of mine saying, Any idiot can throw a brick through a window. But it takes ingenuity and craft to build a window that benefits others. Sadly, we are overrun with brick throwers today. As we approach our countrys 244th birthday with heavy hearts and uncertainty, I am reminded of some words from America the Beautiful. America! America! God mend thy every flaw. Confirm thy soul in self-control, thy liberty in law. George Michael, a lifelong resident of Washington County who lives in Williamsport, is a former principal of Grace Academy. His email address is gfmichael46@gmail.com. It was the members of the Communist Party of China (CPC) who acted as the vanguard in the battle against COVID-19, which made me even more determined to join the CPC, said Hu Ming, director of the ICU department of the Wuhan Pulmonary Hospital in central Chinas Hubei province. Members of the Communist Party of China (CPC) renew membership oath during an online ceremony held in the Wuchang, Hankou branches of the General Hospital of the Peoples Liberation Army Central Theater Command, the Wuhan Pulmonary Hospital and Wuhan No.7 Hospital, Feb. 17. Seven applicants joined the CPC at the ceremony. Photo by Wang Haoyu/Peoples Daily Online Since the outbreak of the epidemic, Hu had always fought the virus on the front line to treat the severe and critical cases. What he faced was the most dangerous situation. To protect young medical workers, he shouldered the most dangerous task - performing endotracheal intubation on severely ill patients. Due to the high work intensity, Hu could only sleep three to four hours a day. He was often soaked in sweats and his hands became pale and swollen when taking off his protective suit. On Feb. 23, Hu, who had withstood the test of the epidemic, took an oath to join the CPC. The earlier we complete the hospital, the earlier it can save lives, said Gan Quansheng, a young engineer with China Construction Second Bureau Installation Engineering Co., Ltd. who participated in the construction of the Leishenshan Hospital in Wuhan. Holding out on his parents, Gan spent 14 hours driving a van loaded construction materials from Beijing to Wuhan. He participated in the formation of reserve forces in the grand military parade on Chinas National Day last year, and was responsible for material logistics at the construction site of the Leishenshan Hospital, a job of extremely high intensity as there were over 100 constructing companies and 10,000 constructors working at site. Running on the site over 20 kilometers per day, Gan had blisters on his feet. We must race against time, and the construction site was my battlefield, he said. Gan worked like a top that never ceased spinning, and didnt even have much time for meals and sleep. During the 10 consecutive days of construction, Gan showcased the sense of responsibility of a young constructor. On Feb. 13, he gloriously joined the CPC. Dr. Zhao Xuesen from the Institute of Infectious Diseases at the Beijing Ditan Hospital is a high-caliber talent introduced by Beijing in 2015. Since this Spring Festival, he had been fighting on the front line to study the infection mechanism of COVID-19, contributing to limiting the infection of the virus, and providing data support for the R&D of antiviral drugs and infection control. On June 24, Zhao joined the CPC as he has always wanted to. The Partys leadership is the fundamental reason behind Chinas prompt containment of the outbreak, which demonstrates the victory of the country, the Chinese nation, and the people-centered philosophy, he said, adding that he is proud to be a CPC member. What I have achieved is not enough, compared with the frontline medical workers and the experts from my institute, Zhao said, noting that he will continue to perform his duties and contribute to the fight against the virus with greater achievements, so as to better contribute to the Party with concrete actions. In the battle against the epidemic, a group of heroes going in harms way were particularly notable. They rose to the challenge and fought on the front line. The greater the difficulties were, the further they advanced, showing loyalty to the Party. They also remained true to their original aspirations, kept a strong will, and withstood the test in the fight against the disease. Finally, they firmly raised their right fist to take an oath of admission in front of the Party flag and became CPC members. Ding Fei, Party member and deputy head of the epidemic prevention and control expert team of the Department of Infectious Diseases under the Peoples Hospital of Bishan District, southwest Chinas Chongqing municipality, wears a protective suit before visiting an isolation ward, Feb. 6. Photo by Hu Yuejian/Peoples Daily Online After the outbreak of COVID-19, Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee, said that outstanding applicants for Party membership on the front line of the COVID-19 battle could join the Party at an early date. Outstanding applicants who worked on the front line of epidemic prevention, treatment, supply logistics, and volunteer services were timely admitted to the CPC by Party organizations based on high standards and strict evaluation, no matter in the former epicenter Wuhan, the border ports in northeast Chinas Heilongjiang and Jilin provinces where strict containment measures were taken to prevent imported cases, or Beijing that recently reported new clusters of COVID-19 infections. Those with outstanding performance from hospitals, communities, rural areas and enterprises across the country were also admitted to the CPC. According to statistics, more than 25,000 people working on the COVID-19 front line newly joined the CPC. A law can be drawn from the nearly-centenarian history of the CPC that the more difficulties there are, the more active applicants are requesting to join the Party. This is because Party organizations have a strong ability to mobilize the people and take actions to serve the people. Based on what they see, hear, and experience, the Chinese people believe that the CPC, as a symbol of victory and hope, is dedicated to serving them and deserves their trust and support. They believe that following the Party is the best choice to overcome difficulties and realize their dreams. Rapper Kanye West has been accused of his former bodyguard of bullying and is now threatening to sue him damages. The bodyguard, Steve Stanulis, has spoken out against West numerous times and said that he was the moodiest and neediest client that he has ever had. Bullying accusations After the bodyguard spoke out on a podcast about his time looking after West, he was accused of breaking a confidentiality agreement, but the bodyguard is now the one who is threatening to sue the rapper. Steve shared numerous stories of the rapper's diva demands and behavior on the podcast. In June, he was sent a cease and desist letter by West's lawyers, threatening to sue him for $10 million if he continued to talk about West and his personal life. According to the letter, the bodyguard had made false and defamatory statements about the rapper during his interview on the Hollywood Raw podcast that is hosted by Adam Glyn and Dax Holt. The letter also claimed that Steve breached a confidentiality agreement that he had signed back in February 2016. Now Page Six reports that they have seen a response from the lawyers of Stanulis, who claim that he never signed any confidentiality agreement when he was hired. Dmitriy Shakhnevich, Steve's attorney, told Page Six that his client is being bullied by West and Kardashian and that they will "fight them." Steve spoke out about the issue and said that he won't let West and his wife, Kim Kardashian, push him around just because they are rich and famous. Also Read: Fact Check: Is Angelina Jolie Starving to Death? Doctor Allegedly Told Her to "Eat or Die" The signature of West and Kardashian are both on the cease and desist letter. Steve added that he won't be intimidated by the two "egotists." The former bodyguard added that he would never sign away his First Amendment rights and that he is developing a new movie that is based on his experience as a bodyguard to celebrities. He added that if Kanye and Kim would like to "go to war" then he is in on it because the power couple is not the only one with a strong legal team. Tipping paparazzi In May 2020, Steve made numerous claims about Kim and Kanye on the podcast. He said that he was convinced that Kim and Kanye would call the paparazzi and tell them about their whereabouts because he thinks that there is no way that photographers would know where the two are going all the time, as reported by Complex. Steve worked as a stripper, a police officer, and a celebrity bodyguard. He also shared stories about Kanye's alleged diva behavior. He says that Kanye would insist that he walked 10 paces behind him at all times in public, which made it difficult for him to do his job of protecting the rapper since he is too far away. He also said Kanye won't push an elevator button himself. Steve said that the first day that he met Kanye, it was fashion week and he was supposed to meet him at the studio. When the rapper gets to the studio, they got into the elevator and told Steve to push the button on the floor where they are going. Steve told Kanye that he has no idea where the studio is because it was his first day. This is just one of the numerous stories he told about Kanye and his bad attitude. Related Article:Fact Check: Is Simon Cowell Dead? #RIPSimonCowell Trends on Twitter @ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Waynesburg, PA (15370) Today Isolated thunderstorms during the morning becoming more widespread this afternoon. A few storms may be severe. High 83F. Winds SW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 90%.. Tonight Thunderstorms early, overcast overnight with occasional rain. Low 56F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%. Uniontown, PA (15401) Today Partly cloudy early then heavy thunderstorms this afternoon. A few storms may be severe. High 83F. Winds SW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 90%.. Tonight Thunderstorms this evening will give way to steady rain overnight. Low 58F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%. A fresh controversy erupted on Monday (22 June) after filmmakers in Kerala announced a new period film titled Vaariyamkunnan, based on the life of a Jihadi named Variyam Kunnathu Kunjahammed Haji who was responsible for carrying out genocide against thousands of Hindus in Kerala during the early 1920s. On Monday, it was revealed that director Aashiq Abu has cast Malayalam actor Prithviraj Sukumaran in his period film titled Vaariyamkunnan, slated to be released in 2021. The controversial movie is based on the story of Muslim leader of Moplah community, who massacred thousands of Hindus during the Malabar or Moplah communal riots in 1921. Actor Prithviraj Sukumaran, took to Facebook, to announce his new movie and also hailed the Jihadist in his post. The actor, sharing the posters of the movie, said Variyam Kunnathu stood up against an empire that ruled a quarter of the world. Etched out his own country with an army that waged a never before war against the British. Though history was burned and buried, the legend lived on! The legend of a leader, a soldier, a patriot. A film on the man who became the face of the 1921 Malabar revolution. Vaariyamkunnan. Filming begins in 2021. On the 100th anniversary, said his Facebook post. The new Malayalam movie on the life of Islamic terrorist Variyam Kunnathu, who had unleashed massive terror on Hindus on the Malabar region of Kerala, is yet another attempt to whitewash the crimes committed by the Islamists in the country under the garb of freedom of movement. The absolving of crimes by a section of filmmakers, especially in Kerala, by hailing a terrorist as someone who rebelled against the British, is nothing but an attempt to erase the history and also a dangerous act of rewriting the history of Malabar or Moplah Hindu massacres to suit their anti-Hindu narrative. Who really was Variyam Kunnathu Kunjahammed Haji? Variyam Kunnathu or Chakkiparamban Variyamkunnathu Kunjahammed Haji, who proclaimed himself to be the Sultan of Eranad the region of Kerala where the Moplah genocide occurred, was, in fact, the Father of the Moplah Hindu genocide, who along with Muslim forces looted and massacred Hindus of the region under the garb of rebelling against the British in the early 1920s. The Moplah Hindu Genocide, also often whitewashed as the Malabar Rebellion, or the Mappila Rebellion, are a series of incidents in the history of the country, where Hindus were not only butchered by the Muslims, but also the entire barbarity was erased from history in entirety, or altered to fit a suitable political narrative. The four-month period of horror in the Malabar region of Kerala when Muslim rioters carried out a mass genocide against Hindus, actually started as a freedom revolt against the British but ended up being as a reason for the Jihadists like Variyamkunnathu to wipe out the Hindu population of northern Kerala. Along with his friend and aid Ali Musliyar, Variyam Kunnathu led the Moplah riots in Kerala in 1921 and was an active supporter of the Khilafat movement, which eventually led to the partition of the country and the creation of Pakistan. The estimated Hindu deaths of the ethnic cleansing in Moplah massacre accounts to somewhere around 10,000 and it is believed that as many a 100,000 Hindus were forced to leave Kerala in the wake of the riots. The number of Hindu Temples that were destroyed in the genocide is speculated to be a hundred. Forcible conversion of Hindus were rampant and unspeakable atrocities were poured upon Hindus. It can be read about in more detail here. The atrocities against Hindus were so barbaric such that the leading national leaders of the day had to express their shock against the Moplah massacres. Babasaheb Ambedkar in his book, Pakistan or the Partition of India, wrote, The blood-curdling atrocities committed by the Moplas in Malabar against the Hindus were indescribable. All over Southern India, a wave of horrified feeling had spread among the Hindus of every shade of opinion, which was intensified when certain Khilafat leaders were so misguided as to pass resolutions of congratulations to the Moplas on the brave fight they were conducting for the sake of religion. Annie Besant described the events in her book The Future of Indian Politics as, They murdered and plundered abundantly, and killed or drove away all Hindus who would not apostatize. Somewhere about a lakh of people were driven from their homes with nothing but the clothes they had on, stripped of everything. Malabar has taught us what Islamic rule still means, and we do not want to see another specimen of the Khilafat Raj in India The Malayalam movie Vaariyamkunnan, produced by a team mostly of Malabar Muslims, may have just thought that they could ignore the massacres unleashed against Hindus by their forefathers and re-write the history to hail the genocide maniac through their films. The Chinese government banned Facebook in 2009. And even Mark Zuckerberg despite having a wife of Chinese origin; learning Mandarin; and doing public relations stunts such as jogging in the smog-filled streets of Beijing to say how much he loved China was not able to have it change its policy. Zuckerberg even went to the extent of creating new tools to censor and suppress content to please the communists. But the Chinese were smarter than he was. They saw no advantages in letting a foreign company dominate their technology industry. China also blocked Google, Twitter, and Netflix, and tripped up companies such as Uber. Chinese technology companies are now among the most valuable few in the world. Facebooks Chinese competitor, Tencent, eclipsed it in market capitalisation in November 2017, passing the $500-billion mark. Its social media platform, WeChat, enables bill payment, ordering taxis and booking hotels while chatting with friends. It is so far ahead in innovation that Facebook is desperately trying to copy its features in the payment system it added to WhatsApp. Other Chinese companies such as Alibaba, Baidu, and DJI, have also raced ahead. Huawei has become a global threat with its 5G technologies and deep government links. As I have mentioned before in these columns, the protectionism that economists have long decried which favours domestic supplies of physical goods and services supposedly limits competition, creates monopolies, raises costs, and stifles competitiveness and productivity. But that is not a problem in the technology world. Over the Internet, knowledge and ideas spread instantaneously. Entrepreneurs in one country can easily learn about the innovations and business models of another country and duplicate them. Technologies are advancing on exponential curves and becoming faster and cheaper, making them affordable to every country. Technology companies that dont innovate risk going out of business because local start-ups are constantly emerging to challenge them. Chinese technology protectionism created a fertile ground for local start-ups by eliminating the threat of foreign predators. The government selected what companies it could best control and gave them the advantage. China actually learned some its tactics from Silicon Valley, which doesnt believe in free markets either. The Valleys moguls openly tout the need to build monopolies and gain an unfair competitive advantage by dumping capital. They take pride in their position in a global economy in which money is the ultimate weapon and winners take all. If tech companies cannot copy a technology, they buy the competitor. And then there is data, the most valuable of all technical resources. Data analysis enables everything from micro-targeting of advertisements to voter suppression and population control. Mobile applications are the greatest spying devices ever invented, monitoring not only their users interests but also their locations, purchasing habits, connections, political opinions, and health. That is why the top technology companies from both East and West, the monopolists and predators, see India as the juiciest of all spoils. It has a massive market ripe for the picking, and data gold mines. India has also been naive in its data protection policies and support for domestic innovation; it bought the old propaganda about the need for open markets. There are some big differences, though, between the Chinese and American companies that are vying for the Indian markets. The Chinese government largely controls the actions of its companies, feeds them resources and technologies it has stolen from the West. It gives them every unfair advantage so that it can steal more and subvert democracies. Silicon Valley companies want more data so that they can sell more products. They may show bad judgment and cross ethical lines, but they arent playing geopolitics or endangering the sovereignty of free nations. This is why the Indian governments decision to ban TikTok and other Chinese companies makes sense. What was long holding Indian entrepreneurs back was the lack of Internet connectivity and mobile phones. When these became pervasive, the foreign companies stepped in. Eliminating some of that competition will give Indian entrepreneurs a chance to build world-changing technologies. These will benefit not only India, but also the rest of the world, which is desperately looking for an alternative to Chinese influence and domination. This is not to say that, without broad data and privacy protection policies, Indian technology companies wont abuse the data that they gather. Such policies are needed as well. But the day politicians talk of breaking up companies such as Inmobi or Jio because they have become global monopolies and gained too much power will be the day of recognition that India has taken strides forward. Right now, what the country has to worry about is the dire threat from the East. Vivek Wadhwa is a distinguished fellow at the Labor and Worklife Program of Harvard Law School and the author of The Driver in the Driverless Car: How Our Technology Choices Will Create the Future The views expressed are personal As Indias border stand-off with China continues, the latters aggressive manoeuvres raise difficult questions about Indias diplomatic options, foreign partnerships, and future defence requirements. But the latest crisis has also set off an unseemly round of finger-pointing between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its principal national rival, the Congress, with both sides accusing the other of cosying up to the communist regime. In response to Opposition barbs that the Narendra Modi governments China policy has been tantamount to appeasement, the BJP unearthed evidence that Beijing had previously funnelled money into the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation, a Congress-affiliated brain trust. Caught on the back foot, the Congress took the airwaves to argue that several politically-connected Chinese firms from Huawei to Xiaomi have donated millions of rupees to the Prime Ministers Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund (PM-CARES). The ugly mud-slinging between the ruling party and its primary Opposition centres on three claims: that foreign adversaries are meddling in domestic affairs; that wayward foreign donations are shrouded in a veil of secrecy; and that independent, third party audits are needed to clear the air. What is left unsaid is that both the BJP and the Congress have worked often hand-in-glove to ensure that they themselves are absolved of precisely the kind of scrutiny that they are now demanding. When it comes to transparency, credible auditing, and protections against foreign influence, both parties chant in unison: Do as I say, not as I do. In a landmark 2013 judgment, the Central Information Commission (CIC) ruled that Indias political parties operate as public entities, rendering them subject to the provisions of the Right to Information Act. In response, the six national parties thumbed their nose at the CIC, disregarding the apex bodys verdict. The CIC, lacking an enforcement mechanism to bring the parties to heel, referred the matter to the Supreme Court, where it languishes till today. According to an Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) analysis, two-thirds of national parties declared income in 2018-2019 emanated from unknown sources. Interestingly, the ruling partys unknown income was 1.5 times greater that of the other five national parties combined. Of course, these figures represent what parties determine acceptable to disclose. Despite the heated rhetoric about the need for the government or Opposition interests to submit to audits by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG), political parties face no third-party scrutiny. Yes, one can readily find parties income tax returns online. But nowhere in this raft of documents will you find either the signature of a credible, independent auditor or a tight correlation with the reality of party finances. But it is in the realm of foreign contributions where the hypocrisy of political elites is the most apparent. In 2014, the Delhi high court found both the BJP and the Congress guilty of accepting donations from several foreign corporations. In 2016, these two rivals set aside their bitter differences to bail one another out by amending the 2010 Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) to retroactively redefine what a foreign source was under the law. Rather than face the consequences, the two parties conspired to simply reclassify previously designated foreign companies as Indian with the stroke of a pen. The cynicism behind this measure was matched only by the legislative clumsiness on display; because several of the foreign donations pre-dated 2010, Parliament had to pass a second retrospective bill in 2018 this one amending the original 1976 FCRA law. Having tackled the FCRA issue, the present government ushered in a trifecta of legislative changes the introduction of anonymous electoral bonds, the elimination of the cap on corporate giving, and the scrapping of a provision that firms detail their political contributions on their annual profit and loss statements. Collectively, these alterations have not simply opened the door to possible foreign funding, they have flung it open and laid down a welcome mat. We now know from Nitin Sethis investigative reporting that the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and the Election Commission of India (ECI) both expressed grave concerns about electoral bonds. When first presented with details of the scheme, RBI told the finance ministry that the new funding instrument was vulnerable to money laundering, opacity, and potential abuse. ECI, too, lamented that the new bonds would open the door to foreign influence via dodgy money routed through shell companies. These concerns fell on deaf ears. But, perhaps, the most damning reality is that no politician in India is losing sleep over this sordid state of affairs. Politicians are counting on political tribalism to dominate common sense, sending citizens scurrying to their respective social media corners. They are counting on the populace to imbibe the headlines, glossing over the fine print. And, most importantly, they are counting on voters to ignore concerns about probity when they show up at the ballot box. And, in the end, who can blame them? As evident in voting patterns, when it comes to integrity in Indian politics, politicians have the last laugh. Milan Vaishnav is senior fellow and director of the South Asia Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington, DC The views expressed are personal Scholars in the work of surrealist Frida Kahlo have searched for more than six decades for The Wounded Table, a 1940 oil painting illuminating her pain over the breakup of her marriage to muralist Diego Rivera that hasnt been seen since an exhibition in Poland. And the historians strongly reject the idea that the mystery of its whereabouts has been solved, as claimed by a Spanish art dealer who says the painting is now sitting in a London warehouse awaiting a buyer willing to spend more than 40 million euros ($45 million). Experts consulted by The Associated Press have concluded that published images of the work now on sale show nothing more than a copy of Kahlos painting. Helga Prignitz-Poda, an art historian who has fruitlessly tried to track down the long-lost painting, said that there are clear differences between the work for sale and old photographs of the original and that there are similarities between the offered work with inaccurate replicas based on those old images. In addition, she said, Kahlo did the painting on wood and not on canvas. The work for sale is described as a canvas painting. Cristian Lopez, the Spanish art dealer who says he represents the anonymous owner of the painting, stands firm in defending its authenticity. Time will give us the truth, Lopez said during a phone conversation in which he offered few details on the painting. Lopez, who is little known in the art world, said specialists have endorsed the paintings authenticity, but he declined to identify them. Whoever proves genuine interest and the ability to pay the figure of 40 million euros, can spend as much time as wanted with their experts analyzing the work, Lopez said. The Wounded Table was unveiled at the International Surrealism Exhibition in 1940 in Mexico City. It includes a self-portrait of Kahlo at a long table, flanked by a Holy Week Judas and a monster that embraces her, while the two sons of her sister stand at one end and her pet fawn is at the other. Blood flows from knots of the wood table, which is considered to represent the artists anguish of the just concluded divorce from Rivera. Kahlo donated the painting to the Soviet Union in 1945 for a planned Mexico room at the Museum of Western Art in Moscow, but Soviet art officials disdained surrealism as decadent and the project was dropped. The Mexican works ended up in a cellar. A year after Kahlos death, a Mexican group organized a traveling art exhibition for shows in Soviet bloc nations and arranged for a loan of The Wounded Table. Prignitz-Poda said there is photographic evidence the 46-inch by 98-inch painting was shown in Warsaw, but nothing is known of it after that. There is no clue whether it was returned to Moscow, destroyed or perhaps acquired by someone. Susana Pliego, an art historian who has studied the work of both Kahlo and Rivera, is among the experts who dont think the painting for sale is the real thing. She said there is a big problem with faked Kahlo painting because the art market thirsts for more works by an artist who produced only about 200 paintings before her death in 1954. Fridamania has been a marketing invention, said Pliego, who directs cultural programming at the Casa de Mexico in Madrid and who worked for years on Kahlos archive. Because her paintings are sold so expensively, someone makes a proposal to see if anyone falls for it. Hans-Jergen Gehrke, an art collector who operates a museum dedicated to Kahlos works in southwestern Germany, considers it implausible, if not directly ridiculous, that an unknown 22-year-old businessman operating a website from a town in northwestern Spain is the guardian of the missing painting. There are thousands of Frida Kahlo fakes, Gehrke said. She is possibly the artist who has painted more dead than in life. (This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.) Follow more stories on Facebook and Twitter SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Actor Aamir Khan has expressed his sense of relief as his mother Zeenat tested negative for Covid-19. The actor took to Twitter to share the information, a day after he revealed a few of his staff members tested positive. He wrote: Hello everyone, I am most relieved to inform everyone that Ammi is Covid 19 negative. Thank you everyone for your prayers and good wishes Love. Hello everyone, I am most relieved to inform everyone that Ammi is Covid 19 negative. Thank you everyone for your prayers and good wishes Love. a. Aamir Khan (@aamir_khan) July 1, 2020 On Tuesday, Aamir had said that some members in his staff have tested positive for coronavirus.The 55-year-old actor said he and the other members of his family have tested negative for Covid-19 but he is awaiting the reports for his mothers test. This is to inform you that some of my staff have tested positive. They were immediately quarantined, and BMC officials were very prompt and efficient in taking them to a medical facility. I would like to thank the BMC for taking such good care of them, and for fumigating and sterilising the entire society, Aamir said in a statement. Also read: Priyanka Chopra signs multimillion dollar deal with Amazon Prime: I can do whatever language I want The rest of us have all been tested and found negative. Right now, I am taking my mother to get her tested. She is the last person in the loop. Please pray that she is negative, he added. The Dangal star also thanked the doctors and nurses at Kokilaben Hospital for taking care of his family and staff during the testing process. On the work front, Aamir will next be seen Laal Singh Chaddha, an official remake of Tom Hanks 1994 feature Forrest Gump. The film is being directed by Advait Chandan and Kareena Kapoor Khan is playing the female lead. (With PTI inputs) Follow @htshowbiz for more Actor Adhyayan Suman is concerned about his father, Shekhar Suman, venturing outdoors during the coronavirus pandemic, but understands Shekhars dedication to helping late actor Sushant Singh Rajputs family, because he, too, knows the pain of losing a son. Shekhar recently paid a visit to Sushants family in Patna, and has been calling for a CBI probe into the actors death. Sushant died by suicide on June 14, at the age of 34. In todays time I wouldnt have let my father travel since it is so scary out there but I do understand that it is coming from a space where he has lost a son, Adhyayan told The Times of India. When I was young I lost my brother Aayush and I think thats where it is coming from. My father knows the pain of losing a son; I think it is the most difficult thing for a parent to go through. Shekhars elder son Aayush died due to a heart disease at the age of 11. Adhyayan added, Somebody has to support somebody, you cant just say that life moves on. As much as we can do, we will make the efforts. My father just wants an enquiry, whats wrong in that? If that is sorted and everything comes clean then everything is clean. I am pretty sure about what he wants to do. He has taken an extra step today to go out there, which is very credible on his part. Hats off to my father! Also read: Shekhar Suman on Sushant Singh Rajputs suicide: My son Adhyayan too has gone through a similar phase Appreciating his fathers efforts and slamming those whove written social media posts about Sushant without taking concrete action, Adhyayan said, It is outstanding for my father to go and help some unknown. He never personally knew Sushant, neither there is any personal agenda here; it is all on humanitarian ground. Shekhar in a recent interview had spoken about Adhyayans depression, and how he can relate with Sushants father. Sushant was like a son to me. I can understand his fathers pain. This is because just like him, my son Adhyayan too has suffered depression and has gone through a similar phase. The film industry created several hurdles for him. Once, he even told me that he was having suicidal thoughts, hed told Mumbai Mirror. Follow @htshowbiz for more Actor Zoa Morani gave a shout-out to medical professionals on National Doctors Day and lauded their contribution to society. She said that she was forever grateful for their hard work and commitment to their profession. Sharing pictures with doctors and other staff at the Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital where she underwent treatment for Covid-19, Zoa wrote on Instagram, So many Doctors and Nurses and Hospital staff to thank today and every day ... to all those endless years of studying and then to experience the daily intensity of Operation theatres and ICUs .. truly made of steel .. forever grateful for all your hard work and dedication to your practice ..Thank you Doctors all over the world #happydoctorsday #forevergrateful. Zoa, who tested positive for Covid-19 in April, was one of the first Bollywood celebrities to be diagnosed with the coronavirus. Her father, producer Karim Morani, and sister Shaza Morani were also found positive. All three of them made a complete recovery after undergoing treatment. Since her recovery, Zoa has donated plasma twice at Mumbais Nair hospital. She revealed in one of her Instagram posts that her plasma helped get a patient out of the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Also read: Fan asks Ileana DCruz if she is single or in a relationship, heres her sassy reply In April, Zoa thanked the staff at Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital for taking such good care of her. Feeling So overwhelmed watching the Drs , nurses and hospital staff taking care of us fearlessly! No words can describe .. i can see their discomfort in their protective suits yet 24 /7 on their toes serving us ... the true heroes for sure ... my Dr is so sweet and full of life , he constantly makes jokes and makes me feel so light.. yesterday he was the one to bring the news to me about testing positive and he was so sensitive and funny at the same time ( dont know how he did that) so so grateful for Dr Saurabh Phadkare and his team ...Feeling so safe in his hands #coronavirus #covid19positivethoughts #indiafightscorona, she had written on Instagram. Zoa worked as an assistant director before making her big screen debut with Always Kabhi Kabhi. She has also acted in the film Bhaag Johnny. Follow @htshowbiz for more Gully Boy actor Siddhant Chaturvedi is using his lockdown period to good use. As if in prep for an upcoming role, he has undergone a physical transformation and shared his new look online. Sharing his new toned and tough physique, the young actor wrote: Tera Lockdown. Mera Countdown. Ye Jab Khulega Main Phatega. TeraBhaiBombHai (Your lockdown and my countdown. When this opens, I will explode). The young actor clearly impressed many with his change in look. Among them was actor Suniel Shetty, who wrote: Kya baaaat. Amrish Puris grandson and a newcomer himself, Vardhan Puri wrote: Aaicha gho in Marathi (an affectionate way of addressing ones father and literally means mothers husband). Siddhant made a spectacular debut in last years Gully Boy and played a supporting role to Ranveer Singhs lead role. Writing about his performance in the film, the Hindustan Times review said: The knockout punch comes from MC Sher. With a name that means both big cat and couplet, Sher is played by Siddhant Chaturvedi with natural, easy ferocity. Its the films top performance. When he battles, he seems to be shutting down rivals for real. Sher leans hard into the verses and the artfully effortless attitude, and warmly mentors Murad, dubbing him Gully Boy and schooling him in the all-important ways of metre. Also read: Aamir Khan crashes daughter Iras workout video, she promises to force him to join next time. Watch Siddhant will be seen next in Shakun Batras directorial, opposite Deepika Padukone and Ananya Panday, and the Bunty Aur Babli remake. Earlier this year, Siddhant found himself in a spotlight over a comment he made about Ananya. It was at film critic Rajeev Masands roundtable with young actors and the debate was on nepotism. Ananya, daughter of actor Chunky Pandey, who was introduced into films by Karan Johar with much fanfare last year, mentioned how, for her, her dad not getting invited to Karan Johars Koffee With Karan symbolised struggle. An off the cuff comment by Siddhant found them trending on Twitter when he said: Jahaan humare sapne poore hote hain, wahi inka struggle shuru hota hai (their struggle begins where our dreams are fulfilled). Follow @htshowbiz for more Actor Kangana Ranaut has extended her support to Vidyut Jammwal, whose upcoming film, Khuda Hafiz was snubbed by Disney+Hotstar in the streaming services Tuesday press conference. Vidyut had tweeted his dismay at neither being invited nor intimated about the event, in which the digital release of seven films was announced. He had written on Twitter, A BIG announcement for sure!! 7 films scheduled for release but only 5 are deemed worthy of representation. 2 films, receive no invitation or intimation. Its a long road ahead. THE CYCLE CONTINUES. Reacting to Vidyuts tweet, Kanganas team wrote, Such a shame that ill treatment of outsiders continues even in territories where everyone is new and an outsider. Such a shame that ill treatment of outsiders continues even in territories where everyone is new and an outsider. https://t.co/b5xlV6hZqx Team Kangana Ranaut (@KanganaTeam) June 29, 2020 The virtual press conference saw the likes of Abhishek Bachchan, Ajay Devgn, Alia Bhatt, Varun Dhawan and Akshay Kumar in attendance, but neither Vidyut nor Lootcase actor Kunal Kemmu were invited, leading to much online criticism. Actor Genelia DSouza had also tweeted in Vidyuts support, and had written, Every film is made with a lot of love, a lot of sweat & a lot people giving it their all. Its only fair to want a little respect, its only fair to expect an invitation, its only fair to have at least been intimated.But then, sometimes even life is not fair. keep walking my friend. Also read: Abhishek Bachchan praises Kunal Kemmus Lootcase trailer after Disney+Hotstar snub, says dad Amitabh loved it too Kunal wrote on Twitter, Izzat aur pyaar maanga nahi kamaya jaata hai. Koi na de toh usse hum chhote nahi hote. Bas maidaan khelne ke liye barabar de do chhalaang hum bhi oonchi laga sakte hai (Respect and love can never be asked for, only earned. If someone doesnt give it to you, it doesnt make you a smaller person. Just give us an equal playing field, well show you how high we can leap). The seven films being released directly onto the platform are Bhuj: The Pride of India, Sadak 2, The Big Bull, Dil Bechara, Khuda Hafiz, Lootcase and Laxmmi Bomb. Follow @htshowbiz for more Actor Kareena Kapoors debut film Refugee completed 20 years on Tuesday. The films cast - Kareena and Abhishek Bachchan - took to Instagram to recall their debut film. On the occasion, Kareenas entire girl gang - including Malaika Arora, sister Amrita, Sonam Kapoor and her producer sister Rhea - sent Kareena best wishes. The actor took to Instagram stories to share their wishes. In the process, she identified what each of them meant to her as she acknowledged their wishes. She addressed Malaika as her Hottest Friend Ever while she sent her love to Sonam. Thanking her Veere Di Wedding producer Rhea, she said To the Best Boss Lady I know while she called Amrita her BFF forever. Malaika Arora, her sister Amrita and siblings - Sonam and Rhea - wished Kareena Kapoor. Her sister Karisma had written: So proud of my sister.. to strength , determination , and of course talent love you #20yearsofkareena #sisterlove. Kareena had shared a screenshot of sister Karismas words and called her My Inspiration. On Tuesday, recalling Refugee, Kareena had written: My first shot was at 4 am... I woke up this morning at 4, looked in the mirror, and said to myself that this was the best decision I could have ever taken. 20 years of hard work, dedication, and self-confidence... I am extremely grateful to all my fans for all your love, support, and strength... Thank you #JPDutta for my life in the movies... @bachchan for being the sweetest co-star... and every single person involved in this film. Want to go back in time... #20YearsAndNotGivingUp. Also read: Priyanka Chopra signs multimillion dollar deal with Amazon Prime: I can do whatever language I want Directed by JP Dutta, Refugee starred Abhishek and Kareena as its lead pair. Remembering it, Abhishek had penned his thoughts and said: Today, 20 years ago JP Duttas Refugee released. Marking the introduction of yours truly and @kareenakapoorkhan into the world of films. Your first film is always most dear and special; Refugee was no different. An amazing experience! A newcomer could not have asked for anything else. JP sahab was the best teacher. Caring, nurturing and has since been an amazing guiding force for me. The entire cast and crew were so patient,supportive and encouraging. My love and respect for all of them is boundless. Thank you! Follow @htshowbiz for more Wikimedia Commons German authorities have claimed that Pakistan and North Korea are attempting to illegally obtain nuclear products and know-how from German hi-tech companies as part of efforts to develop their atomic weapons programmes. The annual report from the Office for the Protection of the Constitution in Baden-Wurttemberg, a state in southwest Germany, said the country is an important area of operation for clandestine efforts by Pakistan, North Korea, Iran and Syria to obtain nuclear technology as it is a leading industrial nation and home to numerous hi-tech firms," reports Hindustan Times. The report for the year 2019 was made public by authorities in Baden-Wurttemberg last month. The report, which is in German, was quoted as saying by Hindustan Times: Iran, Pakistan, North Korea and Syria are still pursuing such efforts. They aim to complete existing arsenals, perfect the range, deployability and effectiveness of their weapons, and develop new weapons systems. They are trying to obtain the necessary products and relevant know-how...through illegal procurement efforts in Germany." In a specific section on Pakistan, the report said the country has operated an extensive programme for nuclear weapons and delivery systems for many years. This is primarily directed against the arch enemy India, which also possesses nuclear weapons. For maintenance and further development, Pakistan is dependent, among other things, on the acquisition of Western technology and procedures, the report said. In addition to the acquisition of products (dual-use goods), the secondment of scientists to universities, institutes or research establishments is also important. This also applies to institutions in Baden-Wurttemberg. Manoj Bajpayee, the son of a farmer from Bihar, battled all odds to break into Bollywood. The recipient of two National Awards and a Padma Shri, he opened up about his journey and said that he once lost three roles in a single day. In an interaction with Humans of Bombay, Manoj said that he aspired to become an actor since the age of nine. Im a farmers son; I grew up in a village in Bihar with 5 siblingswe went to a hut school. We led a simple life, but whenever we went to the city, wed go to the theatre. I was a Bachchan fan & wanted to be like him. At 9, I knew acting was my destiny, he said. At the age of 17, Manoj left for Delhi University and started doing theatre, without telling his family. Finally, I wrote a letter to dadhe wasnt angry & even sent me Rs.200 to cover my fees! People back home called me good for nothing but I turned a blind eye, he said. Manoj learnt English and Hindi, and applied to the prestigious National School of Drama. When he was rejected three times in a row, he was suicidal but his friends got him through his low phase. I was an outsider, trying to fit in. So, I taught myself English & HindiBhojpuri was a big part of how I spoke. I then applied to NSD, but was rejected thrice. I was close to committing suicide, so my friends would sleep next to me & not leave me alone. They kept me going until I was accepted, he said. After moving to Mumbai, Manoj was faced with rejections and struggles. Initially, it was toughI rented a chawl with 5 friends & looked for work, but got no roles. Once, an AD tore my photo & Ive lost 3 projects in a day. I was even told to get out after my 1st shot. I didnt fit the ideal hero faceso they thought Id never make it to the big screen. All the while, I struggled to make rent & at times even a vada pav was costly, he said. Also read | Sushant Singh Rajputs last co-star Sanjana Sanghi hints at quitting Bollywood in cryptic post: Milte hain? Ya shayad, nahi Despite the rejections, Manoj did not give up. But the hunger in my stomach couldnt dissuade my hunger to succeed. After 4 years of struggle, I got a role in Mahesh Bhatts TV series. I got Rs.1500 per episodemy first steady income. My work was noticed & I was offered my first Bollywood film & soon, I got my big break with Satya, he said. Satya, a crime drama directed by Ram Gopal Varma, starred Manoj as a gangster named Bhiku Mhatre and won him a National Award for his performance. The films success came as a validation of his dreams. Thats when the awards rolled in. I bought my first house & knewI was here to stay. 67 films later, here I am. Thats the thing about dreamswhen it comes to turning them into reality, the hardships dont matter. What matters is the belief of that 9-year-old Bihari boy & nothing else, he said. Manoj has had two releases this year -- Mrs Serial Killer and Bhosle. Mrs Serial Killer, a Netflix original film directed by Shirish Kunder, featured him as a man framed for the serial murders of a number of women. In Bhosle, which released on Sony LIV last month, he played a terminally-ill retired police officer. Follow @htshowbiz for more SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Subhash Ghais reincarnation drama Karz has gained iconic status over the years, but at the time of its release, it was a colossal failure. In fact, its failure took a toll on leading man Rishi Kapoor, who was hospitalised for depression. In an interview with Mumbai Mirror, Subhash said that he went to a single-screen theatre in Mumbai with his assistant directors on the day that Karz released, to see the audience turnout. We opened with 20% collections, he said, adding that the previous weeks release, Feroz Khans Qurbani, was running to packed theatres. The urban feel and psychedelic lights put off the few people who bought tickets, with many walking out halfway through Karz. Rishi did not receive Subhashs calls on Friday and Saturday. On Sunday, I learnt that he had been admitted to the hospital for depression. He had worked hard on every scene and was so proud of the film, requesting several preview shows for his friends before its release. The no-show came as a shock and I had to get Raj saab (his father Raj Kapoor) to reassure him that wed made a good film irrespective of its commercial failure, the filmmaker said. Also read: Fan asks Ileana DCruz if she is single or in a relationship, heres her sassy reply Over the years, Karz went on to become one of Rishis most memorable films. Though the two did not work together again until Kaanchi in 2014, they remained close over the years. When the actor died in April after a two-year battle with leukemia, Subhash was devastated. Subhash said that in an industry full of fair-weather friends, Rishi stood by him for decades. Whenever I would be in depression, his message would come dont get depressed, you are the best. Here, after a film flops, actors desert you. But he was the only one who would call and talk after a film flopped. Aise insaan ke baare mein aap kya kahenge (What can you say about such a person)?, he told Hindustan Times, mourning his friends demise. Due to the lockdown restrictions, Subhash could not see Rishi for one last time. I wanted to see his face, this will be the biggest tragedy of my life, he rued. Follow @htshowbiz for more Actor Sonam Kapoor is furious at Instagram to refusing to remove death threats made on the app against her sister, film producer Rhea Kapoor. Sonam took to her Instagram Stories to share screenshots of the apps response to an abusive comment reported by Rhea. Instagram doesnt think death threats is a violation or their India team cant read Hindi, Sonam wrote with the screenshot. Instagram had responded to Rheas report saying that the abusive comment wishing death upon her, did not go against their community guideline. They suggested that she could unfollow, mute or block the person. Rhea wrote, Of course I will block this individual but are you doing your part to keep the community safe? She also shared a screenshot of the comment that read: Tu toh kutte ki maut maregi din (Youll die a dogs death someday). Rhea added, Just charming. Of course I am happy to block unnecessarily hateful people without giving it a thought but what pisses me off is that a death threat isnt against your community guideline Instagram? Also read: Aamir Khan crashes daughter Iras workout video, she promises to force him to join next time. Watch Earlier last month, Sonam had lashed out at trolls and shared the hateful messages she had been receiving online. Yes Ive switched off my comment section and my parents comment section because I dont want my 64 year old parents to go through this. They did nothing to deserve this. And Im not doing it out of fear you morons Im doing it out of common sense to preserve my mental health and my parents, she wrote in a post. Sonam is one of the many celebrities attacked by people after the death of Sushant Singh Rajput. The fans believed Sushant was ostracised by the Bollywood privilege club. She shared screenshots of her DMs on Instagram Stories, showing how people are saying that she should have died instead and also wishing death upon her future children. Follow @htshowbiz for more Suniel Shettys social media timeline is flooded with awareness posts and videos on animals, among other things. In fact, he and his family, especially daughter Athiya Shetty, has also been closely working for the welfare of animals. So, from posting adorable animal videos they are also adoption posts and posts highlighting cruelty against animals that you wont miss on his social media. Athiya helps me stay updated about all these. What irks me is when so many people are trying to help, there is a section thats in the mood of spoiling their efforts. How inhuman it is to drown a dog (refers to the incident in Ujjain where two teenagers threw a dog into a dirty pond) or hitting an elephant because it refused to take rides in the heat? or even the other incident where this pregnant elephant was killed (this happened in Kerala when this elephant died after she was fed a pineapple stuffed with crackers). These abusers deserve harsh punishments, the 58-year-old says. lessons to be learnt! https://t.co/xw1RMy6WCY Suniel Shetty (@SunielVShetty) June 10, 2020 The actor also takes the opportunity to praise his colleague Sonu Sood for what hes doing for migrant workers and adds that we all must learn from him. Sonu has put Hindi film heroes on a different pedestal. People know that the film industry has good-hearted people. He is stepping out every day, risking his and his familys health to help others, says Shetty, whos looking forward to finishing his upcoming projects, Marakkar, Fraudster and Mumbai saga. Meanwhile, a while back filmmaker Sanjay Gupta shared on social media how Suniel Shetty rescued 128 Nepali women from sex trafficking back in 1994, while also adding this act of help remained unrevealed till one of these women spoke about it. Probe the actor about it and he says he feels grateful to have been able to help. Ive celebrated many Christmases with sex workers and their children at Kamathipura (Mumbais red light area). Their love and blessing fills my heart. I know many of them are forced into this profession. It was a collective effort to send these women home to Nepal. There were honest cops, my mother-in-law, politicians, even the airlines that flew them home, among others, who helped. Naam sirf actor ka nahi hona chahiye, yeh sab bhi the, he says. Shetty also helped these women become self-sufficient. The actor, who has been associated with an NGO working towards the welfare of children worldwide for almost 30 years, shares that its very important to give back to the society within ones capacity. We dont just take care of the education of these children but also their basic needs. Once they start earning, we move on to others who need help, he says. Follow @htshowbiz for more Sushant Singh Rajputs US-based sister Shweta Singh Kirti has shared a picture of the late actor, with his niece sitting on his lap. Sushant died by suicide on June 14, at the age of 34. Sharing the picture on Instagram, Shweta wrote, Sweethearts, Freyju with her Mamu. The picture received love from Sushants fans. Much love, one person wrote, while scores of others left heart emojis in the comments section. Shweta had previously shared a picture from Sushants prayer meet, at their family home in Patna, Bihar. A Final love and positivity filled send-off to my little brother. Hope you always stay happy where ever you are.... we will always love you for eternity, she had written. Shweta has been sharing several posts about her brother on Facebook.Shweta, who flew down to Patna from the US after Sushants death, remembered him in an emotional Facebook post. Sharing a picture of a handwritten card given to her by him, she wrote, Mera baby, mera Babu mera Bachcha is not physically present with us anymore and it is ok... I know u were in a lot of pain and I know u were a fighter and u were bravely fighting it. Sorry mera Sona... sorry for all the pain u had to go through...if I could I would hav taken all ur pain and given all my happiness to u. The post has now been deleted. Also read: Sushant Singh Rajputs sister pens open letter to him, says I know you were in a lot of pain After Sushants death, Shweta revealed her five-year-old son Nirvanhs response to the news. When I told Nirvanh the news that Mamu is no more, he said But he is alive in your heart 3 times. When a 5 yr old can say something like that... think how strong we should all be, she wrote. 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 Kareena Kapoor Khan made her film debut 20 years ago, alongside Abhishek Bachchan in Refugee. But did you know that her first film was supposed to be Hrithik Roshan-starrer, Kaho Na Pyaar Hai? In a new interview, reflecting on her 20-year career in the film industry, Kareena spoke to journalist Rajeev Masand about what happened. Honestly, at that time nobody really calculated and nobody really knew -- whether it was my parents, my mother, or me -- I dont know if anybody weighed pros and cons. It was just what I thought was right. There was never really that kind of calculation. I also believe in destiny; whats meant to happen is going to happen. She continued, Of course, I went on to do so many films with Hrithik after that. We did like four or five films together, and I think that Refugee was just perfect. I got a chance to be slightly non-commercial. I somehow felt that it was more suited for me at that time. Ameesha Patel was roped in to play the lead opposite Hrithik. Also read: The real reason why Shah Rukh Khan turned down Oscar-winning Slumdog Millionaire, role went to Anil Kapoor In an interview to The Quint, however, director Rakesh Roshan had said that there were some differences between himself and Kareenas mother, actor Babita. Kareenas mother Babita, who I have a lot of respect for, said, Dont begin with a song, shes not ready. Start with dialogues, the filmmaker recalled earlier this year. He added, Babita was a little adamant about it. So I said, This way I cannot work because tomorrow you might say, dont do this, dont do that. I think its better we part ways because we are good friends. So we parted ways. Follow @htshowbiz for more The lockdown comes down with the suddenness, the brutality of a butchers knife. Little have I envisaged that three weeks spent waltzing through Marrakechs dens of decadence will entrain three months of confinement in Casablanca. Hotels shut, homelessness looms, Ali El Hajouji manifests. This philanthropic young Moroccan of mytravelkeys.com, is helping stranded tourists and lends us an apartment. We find ourselves in Casablancas chicest quarters, Anfa, where The Indian Association Morocco will graciously home-deliver home-cooked Indian meals. Whilst other stranded tourists wallow in ghastliness Fortune has favoured us. Us signifies mum and I. Mum, however, is 72, ill, distraught. She protests I forced this trip on her. Now she will perish abroad. She bears about her an air of desolation. And blatantly refuses to see Providence pampering us. So, I argue we are safer in Morocco: as stories emanate from India of VIPs scorning lockdowns, conducting birthday bashes/weddings whilst jamaats conglomerate with religious fervour, I contrast the rigorous discipline here. Moroccans respected the Kings orders to shut mosques, unprecedented in Moroccan history; theres 6pm curfew, and military vehicles patrol streets; food stores permit but three people at a time, making you queue outside on demarcations 1.5m apart; pharmacies dispatch drugs in baskets hung from a pole poked out into which you drop money which is sanitised with clinical meticulousness. Notwithstanding, mum bellows, I want to be in MY country, in MY home, with MY people and MY family! A year ago, in Kumbakonam, an astrologer predicted that during this period, mum would be severed from family, home, country. I had dismissed it as nonsense. Curious how Destiny unfurls. Stranger still, my horoscope for the same period forecasts distant travels with the excitement of an odyssey about it. Switching from the sybaritism of the past weeks back to asceticism, I soon relish confinement -- the sudden magical suspension from lifes mundanity. This is a moment of inviting introspection. I cannot fathom how someone as resilient as mum could cede to despondence. When flights are cancelled in perpetuity and lockdowns extend seemingly for all eternity mum unravels. One night, at some obscene hour she wakes shrieking with agony, I will never go home! These words are surprisingly repeated by a Chinese neighbour. As our flight into Morocco almost entirely comprised Chinese tourists (although China was then the epicentre of Covid-19) I enquire of my neighbour if he knows when flights will resume. He responds with unexpected vehemence, gesticulating madly, I live here now. I am NEVER going back to China! Well, well Mum is chronically homesick. Aeons of yoga, meditation and mantras (six unexceptional daily hours thereof) havent equipped me to handle my mothers unmitigated and inexorable misery. We disagree on everything. Life becomes a war of words. (The world too is likening the pandemic to a war, and this is rather a war against an insidious, invidious, invisible enemy. But true stories of war reveal that present conditions nowhere approach the horrors of war, although the economic collapse might well eventuate World War III). I escape every evening for long walks into emptiness. Im never stopped although locals get fined unless emerging for essentials: medication, food and liquor (ah yes, liquor sales catapult). An old man hails me in the street, his hands flapping wildly like the fans of a windmill in a tornado. Is he speaking to me? But yes, in these depressing times when one sees a pretty girl one must say, bonjour. It must take an exceptional eye to perceive beauty in a face two-thirds masked, the rest concealed behind shades He happens to be my neighbour and a doctor. When some of mums more esoteric medications prove elusive, he volunteers himself and his WhatsApp. He messages me with zeal until he has me in his swish apartment. The medications can wait, Monsieur has another agenda. He just visited India and must with urgency show me his India snaps. Ensues one picture of the Taj Mahal, followed by floods of porn and the declaration, I want to taste India in Morocco (sounds a tad less crude in French). I swig the remaining wine offered and decide to scoot, except he spares me the exertion, expelling me with little ceremony, no doubt berating himself for having wasted good wine on a fool oblivious to the terrific priapic appeal of the would-be septuagenarian seducer. Once the pandemic intensifies and masks become mandatory, flabbiness sets in. For administrative assistance I venture to unglamorous quarters. Here, ruffians roam maskless as police idle. The very poor and very rich transgress with impunity. Queuing on lines one metre apart outside the elite Carrefour Gourmet (requiring hand and feet sanitization before entry) I remark that a young chap has on everything -- Versace jeans ripped so high they expose sagging Calvin Klein boxers held up by an Hermes belt -- but a mask. His girlfriend is hailed by occupants of a car. Her Gucci stilettos puncture my foot, her Chanel bag smacking my face, as she bounds to the car. Kiss-kiss -- she smacks five people bunched inside the car and returns to embrace her boyfriend. Police bear down, smiting them for flouting guidelines. A billboard in Casablanca thanking health workers for their efforts. (Shutterstock) As the lockdown stretches and mums condition whittles away, it becomes imperative that we reach the Indian Embassy in Rabat. But securing authorisation to travel is another drama. Delays are exacerbated because regulations change overnight and at administrative departments one must combat gatherings of disgruntled locals attacking authorities with wild invectives, dashing their masks on the floor rebelliously, despatching missiles of spittle. Social distancing? Even the authorities disregard it as their fingers move from their mouths to papers they sign, standing close to you. Over four hours at The Commune dAnfa, having secured a chair (is it contaminated?) and WiFi, I watch the pantomime around me. For my travel authorisation an officer will tell The Pasha that the flat owner is evicting us and we need to reach our Embassy to seek urgent shelter. I interject: Ali isnt evicting us, he has angelically offered over two months of free accommodation! The officer instructs, Youll have to lie to reach Rabat. I get authorization to travel (near-impossible), a lift home and a ride worth $250 to Rabat. What luck! I intend getting through this pandemic, and in style. But style is a state of mind. I cannot but regard the pandemic with detached irony and introspection. Suddenly, I perceive life and regeneration amidst disease and death, life from death. The world has been periodically scourged. Vedanta (Bhagavad Gita XI.32) and Christianity will tell you this is the plan of Nature, for which Trump flatteringly credits China. And if everything is manufactured in China nowadays, including allegedly Covid-19, at least Springtime in Casablanca isnt! How surreptitiously Winter has slipped into Spring and with what vigour and vibrance. Spring has asserted itself on the glamorous purlieus of Anfa with its Parisian chic boutiques and luxury organic delicatessens. I stray on longer and longer walks, lured by the enchantment of Casablanca, and take to a daily pilgrimage through tree-embowered streets to the top of Anfa Hill, magnificent with villas, from where you behold the mighty Atlantic on one side and Casablanca prostrated on the other. Yonder gleam the cream and emerald minarets of the royal Hassan II Mosque, the largest mosque in North Africa. But my eye rarely strays beyond Anfa Hill which spring mantles with an opulence of verdure and colour. I tread streets softened by plump rugs of petals, shaded by floral canopies in mauve, golden yellow, magenta. Immaculate white whorls of flowers, seemingly gossamer-spun, and bushes flecked as if in delicate pink snow, exude their hypnotic fragrances. Springs bounty also expresses itself in a voluptuous profusion of peaches, apricots, nectarines, strawberries, cherries -- for which I effect another daily pilgrimage to the Carrefour Gourmet supermarket A lane in the city. (Shutterstock) Those diversions into the external world notwithstanding, I withdraw more jealously into my private universe of meditation, mantras, music, reading and speculation: my mother feels more keenly her solitude. Casablanca to me is an extraordinary, even elevating experience. But mums anguish sharpens into something so intense that I am impelled to write the PMO. After all, the PM was emphatic about special consideration for senior citizens. My mothers urgent repatriation plea is instantaneously heeded and with sheer elegance various ministries come together to arrange speedy repatriation -- this when Morocco with but a clutch of stranded Indians isnt a priority. Yet, a couple of weeks elapse owing, I suspect, to my mentally resisting returning home. Mum verges on mental collapse. Until I do what I knew I always must: obey the Vedantic injunction of yajna, which demands sacrificing ones ego and desires. By way of which I vow to sacrifice my hair to Tirupati (invariably works!) if mum is repatriated by 05 June, which would mark precisely 3 months in Morocco. Miraculously, immediately, the Indian Embassy announces a charter on 05 June, slapping $1910 per person. Home I am with a mother heaving with joy, a heart wistful for Casablanca and a head without hair After reading physics, French and philosophy at Oxford, Devanshi Mody gadded about the globe until her parents wearied of funding her errancy. And so, she stumbled quite fortuitously into travel writing. pp 183, Rs 500; Palimpsest Publishers The recent border standoff between India and China along what is the Indo-Tibetan border has captured international news headlines. In this standoff, China enjoys several advantages in terms of military strength, infrastructure, road and an expanding rail network which will link Nepal with Tibet, although India is fast catching up. China also has the advantage of sitting atop the worlds highest and largest plateau, the source of Asias six major rivers which China plans to dam and divert, regardless of downstream concerns. But these advantages are offset by Indias staying power and its ancient and deep-rooted cultural and spiritual bonds with the Buddhist Himalayan belt, which irreversibly identifies with India. The only exception to this is Nepal, which is willingly falling on the lap of the Chinese motherland. In a visit to Northeast India in 2012, the Dalai Lama once referred to the Buddhist Himalayan belt as Indias frontline, totally oriented towards Indias open, plural society and the freedoms that go with it. A part of the belt, Indias northeast, is explored by Nirmalya Banerjee in his leisurely and rich travelogue, The Buddha and the Borders. He has covered for himself and for India the whole of the eastern Himalayas, Kalimpong, Sikkim, the kingdom of Bhutan and Arunachal Pradesh. In all of them, Banerjee found a common cultural thread, the lama dances performed by monks whose lives revolve around the monasteries dotting the entire stretch of the eastern Himalayas from Bhutan, Sikkim, Kalimpong up to Tawang. One place Banerjee explores in fascinating detail is Kalimpong, which the writer considers a jewel in the Himalayan crown. Kalimpong once served as an entree-port for Tibet, Sikkim and Bhutan. Those were the days when the mule train operating between Tibet and the Indian hill station ferried wool from Tibet on its onward journey to Calcutta and shipped to Britain and America. Banerjee writes, Prior to the 1962 border war between India and China, Kalimpong was a major urban centre close to the meeting point of India, Tibet, Bhutan and Sikkim Because of its locational advantage, Kalimpong had emerged as a convergence centre of trade and commerce, governance and regional politics, a playground of international intrigues evocative of Kiplings Great Game. What was once a silk route to Tibet is now a blind alley running into a Chinese wall. Since the fall of Tibet in 1950 to 1959 when Tibetans rose up against Chinese rule, Kalimpong because of its close proximity to Tibet served as a listening post to interested parties eager to know what communist China was up to on the Roof of the World. Indias first Prime Minsiter Pandit Jawarhalal Nehru in his non-aligned exasperation called Kalimpong a nest of spies. A view of Kalimpong today. (Shutterstock) In his exploration of the cultures and sentiments of the people of the Northeastern Himalayas, Banerjee makes it abundantly clear that in the new Great Game played out between Asias two dominant powers, the Buddhist Himalayan Belt stands resolutely with India. The regions cultural cohesion and the spiritual depth and links with India are something China can only envy. It seems for the author, a dedicated and equally fascinated explorer of the eastern Himalayas, the Buddha guards the border for India. In fact, Banerjee is one of a few scholars to make a convincing case for the link between the immense stability of the Himalayan Belt and Buddhism. He credits the quiet region of eastern Himalayas hallowed by the benign presence of Buddhism in the footsteps of lamas down the centuries. Looming large behind Banerjees narrative of the eastern Himalayas is the question of Tibet. Independent Tibet shared the longest unguarded border in the world with India. Freely crossing the border down the centuries were pilgrims, traders, scholars and students from both sides. They were not hassled by checkpoints, border patrol or any visa requirements. It was one of the most open borders in the world between two countries with a shared culture and based on trust and mutual respect. In considering the situation in Tibet and this side of the Himalayas, a reader of The Buddha and the Border is left with a question. Why is Tibet racked by constant turmoil and the Buddhist Himalayan Belt not? Perhaps the answer lies in the nature of governance in Tibet and the Buddhist Himalayan Belt. In Tibet Beijings rule is enforced by brute force and down south by the rule of law. Thubten Samphel is an independent researcher and a former director of the Tibet Policy Institute. Indian shares inched higher on Wednesday as investor optimism was boosted by strong factory data out of China, offsetting fears of rising coronavirus cases, with Bharti Airtel Ltd leading small gains after a deal with Carlyle. The NSE Nifty 50 index rose 0.25% to 10,327.65 by 0350 GMT, while the benchmark S&P BSE Sensex was up 0.3% at 35,019.67. Broader Asian stocks struggled for traction as better than expected Chinese factory activity could not soothe persistent worries that a surge in coronavirus cases in the United States could hinder an economic recovery. Cases in India jumped by more than 18,000 to 585,493 as of Wednesday morning, including 17,400 deaths, according to federal health ministry data. Bharti Airtel topped gains in Mumbai, rising as much as 2.7% after Carlyle said it will buy a 25% stake in Bhartis data centre arm for $235 million The World Bank on Wednesday said it will give a $750 million-budget support to 15 crore MSMEs to increase liquidity access for viable small businesses impacted by Covid-19. During the 2020 fiscal (July 2019-June 2020), World Bank has extended $5.13 billion loans to India-- which is the highest in a decade. This includes $2.75 billion given in three months in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. World Bank Country Director in India Junaid Ahmad said this funding is under the multilateral lenders Development Policy Law, which is a direct budget support. The funding would support the governments initiative to protect the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) sector by unlocking liquidity, strengthening non-banking financial companies and small finance banks and enable inclusive access to financing. Ahmad said in the next stage of the World Banks assistance programme for MSMEs, the multilateral lender would engage with the MSME Ministry and the states to ensure capacity development at cluster level. World Banks board of executive directors has approved a $750 million MSME Emergency Response program to support increased flow of finance into the hands of MSMEs, severely impacted by the Covid-19 crisis, World Bank said in a statement. Earlier, the lender had approved a funding of $1 billion each for social and health sector for support during the pandemic. George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Dreasjon Reed the names differ, but for many, the circumstances appear to remain all too familiar. A ripple effect took place throughout the country as news of the killings spread in many communities. COVID-19 restrictions didnt deter protesters in Indianapolis from gathering throughout the city. Following Dreasjon Reeds death May 6, only a city-wide curfew could slow down the momentum. Frustrated Black college students make up a large portion of the protesters. Were living in a pandemic and people are outside in large crowds, which is highly recommended against, said Joyza Johnson, a junior at IUPUI. People are out here protesting regardless of the risks. It really goes to show that people are tired and ready for change. Reed, an Indianapolis native, was shot by an Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD) officer after he fled from his car. Contrasting opinions circled throughout the Black community as families and friends discussed the tragic event. Despite hearing different things from family and friends, Ball State University student Jaylen Moore described Reeds death in one word: wrong. Ive been hearing a lot of people say that he shouldnt have run away, and I dont agree with that, Moore said. His actions probably resulted from fear: fear of being incarcerated and fear of interacting with police. Although he could have acted differently, it still doesnt leave room for overkill. Moore added although recent events have made him more aware of his own behavior, people like Breonna Taylor didnt break the law. She was in her home sleeping, so its scary to think that you can still be killed for nothing, he said. In recent weeks, many of the protests in Indianapolis took place in the downtown area just a few minutes away from IUPUIs campus. Jenee Johnson, a senior at IUPUI, described life at the predominantly white institution (PWI) to be difficult during times like this. As someone who attends a PWI, I understand the pressures of being the only Black girl in science classes, and having somebody not want to be my lab partner because of it, Johnson said. Differences between the waking lives of white classmates are like night and day from Johnsons point of view. African American students arent the only ones who find it difficult to cope, however. Others, such as those of direct African and Caribbean descent, arent exempt from the discrimination. We can put all of this work in, go to school, get our degrees and try to succeed, but at the end of the day our lives still might be taken, said Karl Nkemzi, a mechanical engineering major at IUPUI. Nkemzi, a Cameroonian-American, highlighted the effectiveness of protesting. In his opinion, the constant media coverage of protesting forces many to take a deeper look at themselves. With protests becoming smaller and less frequent in Indianapolis, many are wondering whats next. Sha-Nel Henderson, an IUPUI senior and president of the Black Student Union, believes the answer is two-fold. The next steps for the Black community, from my perspective, should be strengthening our communication and maintaining hope, she said. Without hope, all of this is pointless. Contact newsroom intern Mikaili Azziz at 317-924-5143. Follow her on Twitter @mikailiazziz. Sha-Nel Henderson, president of the Black Student Union at IUPUI, leads a crowd mostly college students at a protest June 19. (Photo/Breanna Cooper) A day after two policemen on patrol duty were killed near Butana checkpost in Gohana, Sonepat superintendent of police (SP) Jashandeep Randhawa on Wednesday said the accused attacked the cops for not allowing them to consume liquor. Randhawa said constable Ravinder Kumar and special police officer Kaptan Singh were attacked with sharp-edged weapons by Amit Kumar, Sandeep Kumar and their four accomplices, who are at large. The criminals were roaming around in Sandeeps car on Monday night when they encountered the cops. Their blind murder was solved with the help of the car number constable Ravinder Kumar had noted down on his hand. Our team had raided Ramnagar area on Sonepat-Jind road, where in an encounter, Amit was killed while Sandeep was arrested. Our team members who sustained injuries in the shootout are stable and out of danger now, the SP added. On Wednesday, Sandeep was produced in a Gohana court, which sent him in seven-day police remand. A police official privy to the case claimed that the absconding accused included two women. The police said that Amit was accused in at least six cases, including two attempts to murder in Jind in 2014 and 2015. Similarly, Sandeep was also booked in a case of murder bid in Jind, the police added. In view of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Canadian government has decided to keep its borders sealed till at least the end of July and has extended its ban on travellers. As such students and NRIs, who were hoping to return to India, will remain stranded in Canada for longer. Conversely, all those who had come to India in January and February taking leave from work or their educational institutions are also stuck in India. Joga Singh of Tut Kalan village, Jalandhar, says, My wife and I were scheduled to fly to Canada on July 27 to attend the marriage of our only son, Mandeep Singh, on August 14. Earlier, we were unable to get a ticket because of the lockdown and now there are no options left. We will have to postpone the marriage. An NRI, Amanpreet Kaur, said she had returned to her village in the Doaba region in February to attend a family function and was scheduled to return on March 29 but she was still stuck in Punjab. I desperately want to return home to my children and grandchildren. I appeal both governments to ensure safe travel soon, she said. Joban Sandhu, a Mohali resident, who was planning to shift to Canada in March said, We have already cancelled our plan to go to Canada. We are now planning to travel in September or October if the situation allows us. Recently, a 89-year-old Canadian citizen had committed suicide in Jalandhar because he was not able to get a ticket to travel home. STUDENTS IN A FIX Immigration experts say over one lakh students from Punjab and Chandigarh opt for popular education destinations such as the US, UK, Canada and Australia each year. Director of an international education consultancy, Jatin Wadhwa, said, There are thousands of students from Chandigarh and Punjab who are waiting to fly to Canada. We are hopeful that from August the situation will improve otherwise their plans may get affected. Simranjeet Kaur of Phagwara says, I know almost 50 students from the region who had recently travelled to India to meet their families. However, they were stuck here due to the lockdown. Now, this new order has added to their woes and they will have to wait another month to return. Hopefully, the government will not extend the ban. She said the Canadian government should start special flights for students as they did for stranded citizens last month. Chandigarh-based Rohan Verma, 21, who had applied to a Canadian college to pursue a course in 3D animation, is waiting for his visa to be processed. He says, With every extension our hopes get diminished. I have already paid the colleges fee. Hopefully, travel restrictions will be removed by September or I will have to wait till December. EVACUATION FLIGHTS COST A PRETTY PENNY Rohit Kapoor, a resident of Chandigarhs Sector 46, said, My daughter had returned from Canada in March and now she is stuck here. The charges of the special evacuation flights are very high. My wife is in Canada and she has not been able to return till now. Anuj Kalra, a Chandigarh-based immigration expert, says, There are only limited exemptions for travelling to Canada right now. We are receiving many queries these days. A Canada Border Services Agency spokesperson had made the announcement.He said the agency had implemented travel restrictions across all ports of entry in all modes of transportation - land, sea, air and rail. All travel of an optional or discretionary nature, including tourism and recreation, is covered by these measures. The ban instituted in March had been announced by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and he had recently indicated it would remain in place. He had said during a media briefing that the federal government was going to be very, very careful about when and how we start reopening international borders. Schools in Haryana will reopen from July 27 for the teaching and non-teaching staff, the state government said on Wednesday. However, students will not attend schools, education minister Kanwar Pal said. His statement came after the directorate of school educations previous order caused confusion among the students and their parents. The schools will reopen on 27 July, 2020 i.e. Monday. This is for your kind information and further necessary action, read the order issued earlier by the assistant director (academic) on behalf of additional chief secretary (school education). Mahavir Singh, additional chief secretary, school education, said the educational institutions will be opened for students only after the approval from the Centre and issuance of the standard operating procedures (SoPs). SUMMER VACATIONS TILL JULY 26 Minister Kanwar Pal said the schools will remain closed from July 1, 2020, to July 26, 2020, for summer vacations. During the vacations, there is no need for teachers and non-academic staff to be present at the schools. The Union home ministry will issue necessary guidelines regarding the decision to permit students to attend schools as per the circumstances prevailing at that time, he added. He said during the summer vacations, the Chief Ministers Distance Education Programme will continue to function. Last month, the state government had asked the teaching staff of government and private schools to return to their offices to carry out urgent administrative works. As the teaching and non-teaching staff needed summer vacation, the fresh orders were issued on Wednesday. . The slashed staff members of the Indian and Pakistan high commissions returned home through the Attari-Wagah border in Amritsar district on Tuesday. As many as 143 Pakistanis, including diplomats and their family members, who had been working at the Pakistan embassy in New Delhi, were repatriated. Similarly, 38 Indians, including a first secretary, two second secretaries, returned from Pakistan. Before the repatriation, their customs and immigration clearances were done at the integrated check post (ICP) Attari. A senior official of the Land Port Authority of India (LPAI) posted at the ICP said, Social distancing norms were strictly followed during the return of Indians and Pakistanis to their countries. Thermal screening of all the passengers was also done before allowing their movements from India to Pakistan and vice-a-versa. A 22-year-old youth on Monday committed suicide at at Nangal Shanga village in Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar, alleging assault and harassment by some villagers at the behest of Congress MLA Angad Singh Saini, the village sarpanch and her nambardar husband. Before taking the extreme step, the youth made a video wherein he claimed that he was attacked by local residents Parkash Raj, Gursewak, Paramjit with the support of MLA Saini, sarpanch Neena Devi and her husband Sucha Ram. His father, who filed a police complaint, said Parkash Raj also took away his sons turban when he along with others carried out an attack at their house on June 11. An FIR was registered in this regard. Senior superintendent of police (SSP) Alka Meena formed a special investigation team headed by SP (detective) Wazir Singh Khaira to probe the case. She also shunted out the Rahon station house officer (SHO) and the Shekhan Mazara police post in-charge over alleged mishandling of the case. It is learnt that the victims family had taken panchayat land on lease for the last couple of years but Parkash Raj made a higher bid this time for the land, leading to a tussle started between two parties, it is learnt. Even cross FIRs were registered recently. MLA Saini said there was a dispute between two parties and he had intervened to stop illegal encroachment of panchayat land. I told them that the land should go to the higher bidder. I have nothing to do with it (youths suicide), he claimed. The victims family refused to cremate the body till a case was registered against all the accused. The body was kept at a mortuary of a Banga hospital. SAD, BSP protest, want legislator booked Youth Akali Dal president Parambans Singh Bunty Romana and general secretary Sarabjot Singh along with Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) general secretary Nachhtar Pal and others held a protest and threatened stir against the police if they fail to register a case against MLA Saini. Romana said they have given the police a days ultimatum for this. New Delhi: My oxygen level is 92. I am better. Ab aap log hospital mat aana (Dont come to the hospital anymore), these were inspector Sanjeev Yadavs last words to his family on June 18, the day he was put on ventilator support at a private hospital in the city. The 48-year-old Delhi Police inspector, posted with the anti-terrorist squad (special cell), died of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) early Wednesday the 10th policeperson to succumb in the city to succumb to the infection. As of Wednesday evening, around 2,000 police personnel in the Capital have tested positive for Covid-19. Just weeks ago, the decorated and well-regarded police officer, who had in January 2020 been conferred the Presidents police medal for gallantry, was instrumental in nabbing two key members of a gang in Punjabs Zikarpur his last major operation, his colleagues and friends said. Inspector Yadav had been posted in the special cells south-western range since March 2018, and was instrumental in arresting over 60 criminals in his time there, including those belonging to gangs led by jailed gangsters Jitender (known as Gogi) and his rival Sunil (known as Tillu), according to inspector Maan Singh, a close friend of Yadavs and a member a colleague in the special cell. Yadav was awarded the gallantry medal for his work in cracking down on members of gang that had shot dead two employees of a cashvan while robbing it in Narela in 2018. During his two-year tenure in the special cell, Yadav came face-to-face with armed criminals on 13 occasions, each of which involved an exchange of fire. The officer was also a recipient of 25 Commendation Rolls, 13 Commendation Certificates and 26 Commendation Cards issued by the Delhi Police. His last rites were performed at Lodhi Colony crematorium around 11.30am on Wednesday, with several officers of the special cell in attendance. Delhi Lieutenant Governor (L-G) Anil Baijal and chief minister Arvind Kejriwal offered their condolences on Twitter. Extremely saddened at the death of Insp Sanjeev Kumar Yadav in the line of duty fighting COVID-19. A great warrior, recipient of Police Medal for gallantry, he brought laurels for @DelhiPolice. His untimely demise is irreplaceable loss for the organization. My deepest condolences!, the L-G tweeted. Kejriwal tweeted, My deepest condolences at the death of Insp Sanjeev Kumar Yadav who died of Covid-19. A very brave policeman and recipient of Police medal. His death is a great loss to @Delhi Police. A life cut short Inspector Singh said he was the first one in the team to be tested positive for the virus on May 31. All 12-15 team members quarantined themselves and got themselves tested for the virus. However, their reports, including Yadavs came negative. But Yadav developed symptoms after June 10, he said. Yadav was admitted to Rajiv Gandhi Super Speciality hospital on June 16, after complaining of breathlessness, fever and a sore throat, Yadavs brother-in-law Devraj Yadav said. He was tested at the hospital the same day, the reports confirmed he was positive for the infection on June 17. When his oxygen levels dipped on June 17, he was shifted to Max Saket hospital, Devraj said. He was put on ventilator support a day later His oxygen level never improved. I had texted him, asking if he was in the intensive care unit (ICU) or a ward. But he did not respond to that question, and instead asked me not to visit the hospital, Devraj added. Police said the source of his infection was still unclear. Three days later, Yadavs wife Kalpana tested positive for the virus, while their 16-year-old a son and 13-year-old daughter, and six other relatives tested negative. Kalpana was, on June 22, admitted to the same hospital as her husband. She was discharged on June 26, but doctors advised her to quarantine at home for seven days home quarantine. Since Kalpana insisted, she was allowed to attend the funeral. She wore a PPE [personal protective equipment] kit and followed all protocols, said Devraj, adding that Yadavs mother and two siblings have reached Delhi after being informed about his death. Originally from Bulandshahr in Uttar Pradesh, Yadav had joined police in 1996 as a sub-inspector. He completed his schooling and higher education from Rajasthan. After being promoted to inspector rank in 2015, Yadav served in Tughlaq Road police station in New Delhi. Cases rising, preventive measures So far, 10 officers of the Delhi Police have succumbed to Covid-19. However, while 2,000 personnel have tested positive for the infection, more than 1,300 have recovered from the viral infection and resumed their duties so far, a Delhi Police spokesperson said. Head constable Dheer Singh, who was posted in the police control room (PCR) unit in north zone, died at Lady Hardinge Hospital on Tuesday afternoon, a day after he was tested positive and initially advised home quarantine. The head constables health condition suddenly deteriorated and was admitted to the hospital where he died around noon on Tuesday. He is survived by his wife and two children, who live in Wazirabad, said deputy commissioner of police (PCR) Sharat Sinha. The other dead personnel include two sub-inspectors, three assistant sub-inspectors and three head constables. From managing containment zones, ensuring social distancing, feeding the homeless and maintaining law and order, the citys police force has been at the forefront of the fight against Covid-19. Officials said Delhi Police administration has taken several measures to prevent the spread of Covid-19 outbreak among the personnel and their family members. Beds have been reserved for them in government and private hospitals and isolation centres have been set up for asymptomatic personnel, who are advised to home quarantine. A dedicated Covid-19 test centre for police personnel has also been set up at Shalimar Bagh, which can collect and test 50 samples a day. A circular has been issued on how to work amid the pandemic and avoid physical contact with colleagues and the public, senior officials said. For instance, most of the police teams meetings are being done via video-conference. PATNA Ahead of the Assembly polls, the Election Commission (EC) has directed the Bihar government to reshuffle the administrative set-up by transferring election related officials who have completed three years in a particular district or will be completing a three-year term on or before October 31. The directive relates to district election officers/returning officers/assistant returning officers, police officers at the level of IG/ DIGs/ SSPs/SPs and SDPOs and police inspectors/sub-inspectors. In the administrative side, ADMs , SDMs, deputy collectors and BDOs are covered. In a letter to Bihar chief secretary on Tuesday, the EC has said the no official engaged in election work would be posted in their home district. It has also underlined that officials against whom the poll panel has recommended disciplinary action in the past or those who have been charged for any lapse in election related work in the past should be kept away from work in conduct of the polls. Besides, the officers scheduled to retire in next six months have also been asked to be kept away from election duty. In light of the letter, sources said, the state government has already initiated the process of identifying such officials. Amir Subhani, additional chief secretary, general administration department, said, We have already initiated the process and more transfers will be done in the coming days. In the last few days, the government has carried out reshuffling in the education, revenue and transport departments by shifting out district education officers, district transport officers, deputy collector land reforms and district programme officers in various districts. The transfers have been done as a part of the ongoing preparedness of election as also part of routine transfers carried in June every year. Meanwhile, the poll panel has started training programme for the election staff. Bihars chief electoral officer H R Srinivasa has already held a few round of meetings with district magistrates who are also district election officers (DEOs) and issued directives regarding requisition of electronic voting machines, physical verification of booths and electoral rolls. Three people, including a woman, were arrested on Wednesday for extorting Rs 4 lakh from a doctor by threatening to file a false rape case against him. The accused are Sudesh, who is in her 40s, resident of Kaji Majra, Ambala; Ram Prakash, 35, of Shanti Nagar, Ambala; and Mahindra Pal, also in his 40s, of Jabbo Majra village, Sangrur, Punjab. The complainant, Dr Gurmel Singh, 63, a resident of Saunda village, had told the police that on June 23, Sudesh called him to her house. There, the two men appeared in police uniforms, claiming they will implicate him a false rape case if he didnt pay them Rs 10 lakh. The complainant paid them Rs 4 lakh, but decided to approach the police, said Ram Kumar, in-charge, Ambala City station. The trio was booked under Sections 388 (extortion by threat of accusation of an offence punishable with death or imprisonment for life, etc), 389 (putting person in fear of accusation of offence, in order to commit extortion), 120-B (criminal conspiracy), 506 (criminal intimidation), 170 (personating a public servant) and 342 (wrongful confinement) of the Indian Penal Code. They were sent to two-day police remand by a local court. The residents of Sirhindi Gate, one of three containment zones in Malerkotla, held a protest and sought relaxations at containment zones, on Wednesday. On June 18, the district administration had declared three areas of Malerkotla as containment zones and deployed 15 teams to conduct door-to-door survey in town. Araiyan Wala Mohalla, Sirhindi Gate and Uchi Masjid areas were covered under containment zone 1; Grewal Chowk, Uttam factory and defence colony in zone 2 and Bhumsi Mohalla and other areas in zone 3. The protesters said that some parts of Bhumsi Mohalla were opened but the habitants of Sirhindi Gate are facing a number of problems due to the containment zone. We are trying to convince protesters that the area will be opened as per directions of the health department, said Malerkotla police station city-2 SHO Deepinderpal Singh. LOCKDOWN EXTENDED After a two-day lockdown in Malerkotla, Sangrur deputy commissioner Ramvir extended the lockdown by two days. We got a huge response during the lockdown and cases of Covid-19 are decreasing in town. Now we will impose a two-day lockdown. However, days will be finalized after discussion, the DC said. Giving social distancing the go-by, over 100 persons, including several senior Congress leaders, participated in an event organised at the market committees office in Ludhiana on Wednesday. Congress Gill MLA Kuldeep Singh Vaid, partys Sahnewal halka in-charge Satwinder Bitti, Punjab State Industrial Development Corporation (PSIDC) chairman KK Bawa, Punjab Medium Industries Development Board chairman Amarjeet Singh Tikka were in attendance at the event, organised as committees new vice-chairman, Swaran Singh Grewal (Khwajke), took charge. Tent was installed on the office premises, where food was also being served, even as several attendees moved about without face masks. Grewal claimed, We took permission from the deputy commissioners office for a gathering of only 50 persons. We ensured that all government guidelines were followed. On the other hand, market committees secretary, Vinod Kumar said, The event was organised by the vice-chairman. The committee had no involvement in it. Police claimed they had no information about the event. We neither received a permission application nor any other information about the event, said Gopal Krishan, SHO, Salem Tabri police station. The Indianapolis Ministerium an organization of pastors working with children and widows and the AfricaLogical Institute have partnered to host a Power parade at the Urban League July 5. The parade, led by City County Council President Vop Osili, will begin at 2 p.m. and will make its way past the Statehouse and the City County building to protest the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, as well as other Black Americans who have been killed in recent years. With community partners, including Indianapolis Recorder, Faith in Indiana, The Childrens Policy and Law Initiative and the Indiana Coalition for Youth Justice, the organizers hope to give young Hoosiers the chance to express themselves in a safe and powerful way. Register for the event at listentoourfuture.com News In Brief Social media in Kashmir got all fired up with competing narratives over the killing of a 65-year-old civilian during a militant attack on security forces, which the family blamed on CRPF, and the subsequent sharing of pictures of the mans three-year-old grandsons rescue by the police. After a militant attack on a road opening party of CRPF at Sopore, during which a CRPF jawan and a civilian were killed, police shared the photo of a toddler in the lap of a policeman with the title JKP rescued a three-year-old boy from getting hit by bullets during terrorist attack in Sopore. Videos of the sobbing toddler being ferried in a police vehicle also appeared while he was being consoled. Some people termed the same as police propaganda while others hailed them for the rescue. Another series of three heartbreaking pictures of the toddler also surfaced online. Two of them show the little boy crying over his dead grandfathers body and in the third photo the child is seen walking towards a security personnel. Soon, these pictures and videos started trending online and many people expressed their outrage over the way Kashmiris were suffering. A child sitting on top of a blood-soaked dead body of his parent, needs to be born again, somewhere far away from gun smoke, just to forget the war, wrote a doctor, Mohsin Bin Mushtaq Shah. Some people questioned the logic of making a video of the child when he had just witnessed a horrific incident. Also, who clicked these pictures when the journalists were yet to reach the scene became a matter of debate. How insensitive is it to shoot the video of a three-year-old child, just after he witnessed something he might not have been even able to comprehend. How low does one have to stoop for some PR? Highly deplorable, a netizen, Sadia Kawoosa, wrote on Twitter. Meanwhile, videos of the slain civilians family members, who claimed that the CRPF got him out of his car and killed him, also appeared on social media. The family said the man had left home along with his grandson from Srinagar early morning to reach a work site in north Kashmir. However, the Sopore police issued a statement that calling the claims baseless. Sopore Police refutes and denies these claims and legal action shall be taken against those spreading false reports and rumours, it stated. Amid these competing claims, many people were befuddled. Two kinds of videos are being circulated: 1) Exhibiting and showcasing the rescue of three-year-old toddler whose grandfather was shot dead and 2) His son accusing CRPF of killing the father in broad daylight. Truth has become the casualty in Kashmir, said Iltija Mufti on the Twitter handle of her mother and former J&K chief minister Mehbooba Mufti. Former chief minister of J&K and National Conference vice-president Omar Abdullah also expressed anger over polices broadcast of the young boys misery. We would have expected no less from the men in uniform than to rescue the young boy and for that they have our gratitude, but we would expect better than for them to film and use a three-year-olds pain the way its being done today, he said. Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and former chief minister Shanta Kumar on Wednesday wrote a letter to AYUSH minister Shripad Naik expressing dissent over the action against Baba Ramdev over Covid-19 cure claim. In the letter, Shanta said it is wrong to criminalise the yoga guru for not completing the formalities and using incorrect words while publicising Coronil kit.Lakhs of people have been cured of Covid-19 just because of strong immunity. Patanjali had prepared a medicine to boost the economy, the veteran leader said. He said it was Baba Ramdev who spread yoga across the world. It was due to his and Prime Minister Narendra Modis efforts that the United Nations declared June 21 as International Yoga Day. Implicating Baba Ramdev is an insult not only to him but to crores of Indians, he added. Kumar has urged the AYUSH minister to withdraw all cases registered against Baba Ramdev. Attempting to catch a quick nap amid a hectic schedule, Ishtiyak Ali is perched atop a large seven-ton air-conditioner, about 25 feet above the ground, at the Radha Soami Satsang Beas in south Delhis Chhatarpur, which is being prepared to serve as a 10,000-bed temporary Covid-19 hospital. His break will not last long. Hired by a private firm to set up air-conditioners at this facility, 26-year-old Ali will be back to work in less than 30 minutes. Click here for full Covid-19 coverage I have been working my regular shift from 8am to 6pm as well as overtime until 1am. It will help complete the work quicker and Ill receive some extra overtime pay, Ali, a native of Mau district in Uttar Pradesh, says. Unlike many migrants who left for their hometowns during the lockdown, Ali and scores like him chose to stay back in the city. They see the work at the facility as an opportunity to earn after a prolonged period of unemployment as well as a chance to contribute to the country during a pandemic. MORE THAN 900 WORKERS BM Mishra, district magistrate of the south district, said about over 900 workers from different departments and organisations have been working in shifts since June 14 to prepare the facility wherein 2,000 beds have already been readied to take in Covid-19 patients. These include about 250 people fixing air-conditioners, 100 making the beds, 200 handling the electricity works, 100 from MTNL and another 125 from SDMC and NDMC, Mishra said, while overseeing the work on a hot and humid Monday afternoon. Several of these departments have outsourced the work to small firms who have hired either daily wage labourers or skilled workers. Apart from these, there are about 700 sewadars (volunteers) from the satsang. But these workers were difficult to find. Sandeep Panwar, whose firm is one among several installing 18,000 tons of air-conditioners here, says that the unavailability of labourers has forced him to task his employees to find them. Most of the workers you see around are new labourers. My employees are visiting labour chowks across the city to scout for them, Panwar said. And when these workers see the nature of the job, some of them leave, Panwar said. It is a tough task to load the heavy ACs on the iron frames. Not everyone is willing to do this task in this heat. EXTRA PAY IN TOUGH TIMES Vikas Kumar, a 40-year-old labourer who took up this job, acknowledged that it is a laborious task, but he needed the money. I was unemployed for a lengthy period during the lockdown. Now if I am getting paid 500 for a regular shift, Ill take up any work for my family, Kumar said immediately after loading an AC. An overtime allowance of 200-300 is also what has kept Kumar and his colleagues working hard over here. Nandini Maharaj, the assistant collector of the south district, says that work on the ground began on June 14, the same day that she and the other officers began conceptualising the task. We have been working here till 2am and so have many labourers. It wouldnt have been possible to finish such a task if not for the contribution of these workers. We have ensured that they have a decent place to stay and timely meals, Maharaj said. On Monday afternoon, some workers went about fixing cardboard beds, others loaded large and heavy air-conditioners on iron pole frames while some others flattened the mud floors even as a few took quick breaks. Nearby, a group of 50 workers used cardboard sheets to set up beds. Over the last seven days, they readied 5,000 beds, Rajesh Ranjan, the project head of Sleepwell, a private firm that has donated 10,000 bedding sets to this facility, said. CONTRIBUTING IN A PANDEMIC Rajan Bargujar, one of the workers here, said he and most of his colleagues had been unemployed for three months. We have being given minimum wage and promised a bonus, but it is the sense of working for the country that will keep us working here despite the threat of infection, Bargujar said. Vijay Kumar Yadav, an electrician who is visually challenged in one eye, chose not to go back to his village in Bihar hoping he would find work when the lockdown was lifted. He said that after being disappointed in the initial days when lockdown restrictions were lifted, he found work at this facility that is paying him a little more than what he earned earlier. I made about 600 a day earlier. For this work, I am getting paid 900. It is as if someone has lent me a helping hand, Yadav, who is done fixing charging points under each of the 2,000 ready beds, said. But more than the money, Yadav says he has been enjoying the satisfaction of serving the country. I have worked for over two decades, but work has never this voluminous and hectic. It feels like work is going on at a war footing and I am fighting a battle for my country, says 42-year-old Yadav. Yadav knows that soon patients infected with Covid-19 will begin occupying the 2,000 ready beds, but he and his colleagues say they arent concerned, even though they must continue readying other sections at the same facility. I am in no hurry to leave from here. What would happen if doctors began leaving this place if I got infected and hospitalised, says Yadavs colleague Sanjay Tiwari. But the fear of having to work near patients is also what is keeping some workers toiling harder than usual. One among them is Mohammad Ahmed, a labourer hired to level the mud floorwhich will eventually be covered with vinyl sheets. My colleagues and I are working harder to finish the work in the next couple of days. It wont be safe once patients start coming in, Ahmed, who belongs to Saharsa in Bihar, but didnt find an opportunity to return to his village, says. Earlier this week, the hardline Kashmiri secessionist leader, Syed Ali Shah Geelani, quit the All Party Hurriyat Conference, the umbrella formation of separatist organisations in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K). His resignation is being widely seen as a function of both his old age (he is 91) and internal factional differences he also attacked the Hurriyat leaders based on the other side of the border in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Many in New Delhi have viewed it as a setback for separatist politics in the Valley. It is true that Mr Geelani has been a staunch pro-Pakistan and Islamist figure; he has justified the violence and terror that has been wreaked on Kashmir for decades; and if he is forced to retreat from the political sphere for whatever reason this is good news. But it is important to recognise that Mr Geelani is not just an individual but a thought. He represents a mindset that sees India as an occupation force and there are many other emerging figures, belonging to the same strand, such as Masarat Alam Bhat, who will seek to lead this school of thought. Delhi has to adopt a two-pronged approach. There can be no dialogue with those who advocate secession and violence. The might of the intelligence-security machinery must be used to deal with all such elements and a clear message that there can be no compromise on Indias territorial integrity and constitutional values must be sent out. At the same time, this is also a ripe moment to re-examine the Kashmir policy. The constitutional changes of August 5, 2019 effective nullification of Article 370, re-organisation of the state, and its dilution into a Union Territory and measures such as a crackdown on political activity and detention of leaders has alienated a large segment of moderates and pro-India people. Given the external situation the stand-off at the India-China border, and the fragile situation on the Line of Control it is crucial for India to get its house in order. For this, New Delhi must release democratic leaders still under detention (including Mehbooba Mufti); begin a process of political engagement with mainstream leaders, and, while making it clear that Article 370 is history, offer eventual restoration of statehood to J&K as a mechanism for bringing all pro-India forces on board; and pave the way for elections. To take on external adversaries, India must cover its domestic bases. And given its strategic location, Kashmir must rank at the top of this domestic reset. The Maharashtra government will set up a Marathi medium college in Kolhapur for the Marathi- speaking people residing in the border areas of Karnataka, a minister said on Tuesday. Higher and technical education minister Uday Samant, in a statement here, said the decision has been taken with a view to cater to the educational needs of the Marathi-speaking population residing in the neighbouring state. He said the new state-run college will be a sub-centre of the Shivaji University at Kolhapur. The Kolhapur district collector will provide a five- acre plot for the proposed college following which all necessary official permissions will be given, Samant said. The college will start functioning from the next academic year, the release said. Acommittee headed by Shivaji University vice- chancellor Nitin Karmalkarwill work out the modalities for establishing the educational institute, it added. The border areas of Karnataka have a sizeable Marathi- speaking population. Berlin-based designer, Anja Gockel, who shows her collection every year at the Berlin Fashion Week, and particularly at the Hotel Adlon Kempinski Berlin, refused to back down in the face of the coronavirus pandemic and went ahead with her own fashion show, when Berlin Fashion Week was moved to Frankfurt. The designer hosts her show every year at the luxury hotel in Berlin, and decided that she did not want to change this tradition just because fashion week had moved. Gockel showcased her Asuka collection, which translates to the fragrance of tomorrow, along with five designs by Lana Muller. Anja was inspired by the Japanese martial art of Aikido for the motto of the show, Take the blow as a gift, which in an interview the designer said was very different from the Western way of thinking, but made sense in the current times of the coronavirus. Fashion designer Anja Gockel wears a face mask at the catwalk during a show to present creations of the 2021 summer collection at Adlon Hotel, following the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Berlin, Germany, June 30, 2020. (REUTERS) In an interview with the German publication Berliner Zeitung, Anja spoke of fashion week getting cancelled, I asked five of my fellow designers whether they would like to participate, Lana agreed. Like most designers, Anja too was facing a tough time keeping her business afloat, but she quickly began the production of masks and saved her company. Also see | Photos : Masked models and social distancing kick-off Anja Gockels fashion show in Berlin Models wear face masks as they present creations of the 2021 summer collection by designer Anja Gockel at Adlon Hotel, following the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Berlin, Germany, June 30, 2020. (REUTERS) Talking about how she refused to give in to pessimism and the site of the show in the same interview, she said, The people in the Adlon have been with me at my shows for years and are so wonderfully supportive, I said on the first day of the lockdown that they shouldnt send me emails saying it wont work. Because it will! And it did! A model wears a face mask as she presents creations of the 2021 summer collection by designer Anja Gockel at Adlon Hotel, following the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Berlin, Germany, June 30, 2020. (REUTERS) The show, which usually has an audience of over 600, took place in two parts, with only 200 people seated this time. All safety measures of social distancing and hygiene were followed by the organizers, and the seats of attendees were placed at 1.5 metre distances from each other. Follow more stories on Facebook and Twitter SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Haryana government has released a set of Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) as malls in Gurugram and Faridabad districts are all set to reopen on Wednesday after three months amid the coronavirus pandemic. The Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) has assigned 80 of its enforcement wing officials across its four zones to keep a lookout for possible violations. Follow latest updates on coronavirus here Municipalities have been directed to monitor compliance by undertaking regular visits to malls and to ensure that proper sanitisation of the premises is being carried out. Officials have also been given the power to issue challans of Rs 500 to visitors for failing to wear masks. They are also supposed to hand out five masks to violators. Heres what you need to know: * Malls can open between 9am and 8pm, but cinema halls, gaming arcades and play areas for children will continue to remain closed. * Visitors and all mall workers need to strictly follow social distancing norms and wear at all times. * Visitors also need to install the Aarogya Setu app. Visitors above the age of 65 and below the age of 10 will not be permitted to visit shopping malls. Click here for complete coronavirus coverage * Mall authorities will have to ensure that every visitor is scanned for temperature via thermal scanners as well as to ensure that hand-sanitizers are placed at all entry points. * The mall authorities have also been directed to prevent large gatherings or congregations and to ensure that all mall employees who are at high risk, such as senior citizens, pregnant women, and those who have underlying medical conditions, are preferably not placed in any front-line work requiring direct interaction with the public. * Temperature setting of all air-conditioners should be between 24-30 degrees Celsius. * Use of escalators can be permitted if visitors travel on alternate steps. * Valet parking can be operational provided the staff is wearing masks, and gloves, and steering wheels, door handles, car keys are properly disinfected. * If someone tests positive, the person must be taken to a room or area where they can remain isolated, they must be provided with a mask and the owners must immediately inform the closest hospital or clinic, or else call the state or district helpline. * The premises must be immediately disinfected if a person tests positive. * Shopkeepers and vendors must ensure staggering of visitors...to ensure no more than 50% seating capacity at any particular time. * The 50% seating capacity rule is also applicable for food courts where staff and waiters also have to wear masks and hand gloves. Seating arrangements must be made while ensuring social distancing, and contactless mode of ordering and digital modes of payment encouraged. * If any violation of the guidelines issued by the Union health ministry is noticed, challans shall be issued against each violation, which will be punishable under the provisions of Disaster Management Act, 2005 as well as under Section 188 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860. A study of coronavirus infections that covered almost everyone in the quarantined north Italian town of Vo found that 40% of cases showed no symptoms - suggesting that asymptomatic cases are important in the spread of the pandemic. The study, led by a scientist at Italys Padua University and Imperial College London, also produced evidence that mass testing combined with case isolation and community lockdowns can stop local outbreaks swiftly. Despite silent and widespread transmission, the disease can be controlled, said Andrea Crisanti, a professor at Padua and Imperial who co-led the work. Testing of all citizens, whether or not they have symptoms, provides a way to ... prevent outbreaks getting out of hand. Crisanti has become something of a celebrity in Italy for advocating widespread testing well before it became official World Health Organization guidance. Vo, which has a population of nearly 3,200, was immediately put into quarantine for 14 days after suffering Italys first COVID-19 death, on Feb. 21. During that fortnight, researchers tested most of the population for SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes COVID-19. A analysis of the results, published in the journal Nature on Monday, showed that at the start of quarantine, 2.6% of Vos population - or 73 people - were positive. After two weeks, only 29 people were positive. At both times, around 40% of positive cases showed no symptoms. But because all of the coronavirus cases found - whether symptomatic or not - were quarantined, the researchers said, this helped slow the spread of the disease, effectively suppressing it in a few weeks. Crisanti said the success of Vos mass testing also guided wider public health policy in the wider Veneto Region, where it had a tremendous impact on the course of the epidemic there compared to other regions. (This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.) Follow more stories on Facebook and Twitter SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON A Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) trooper and a civilian were killed on Wednesday after terrorists open fired at the paramilitarys road opening party in Sopore town of Jammu and Kashmirs Baramulla district, officials said. The terrorists had attacked CRPFs road opening party when they were placing a check post along with personnel of Jammu and Kashmir police on the Sopore by-pass highway in Model Town of Sopore. Three other CRPF troopers were also injured in the attack and are being treated at a hospital, according to officials. We #lost one CRPF personnel and one civilian in a #terrorist #attack at #Sopore. Three CRPF personnel also got injured in the attack. Area has been cordoned off and search is on to nab the #terrorists, Kashmir Zone Police tweeted. The man, a 64-year-old resident of Srinagar, was passing by in his vehicle when the attack happened and was killed in the firing, officials said. His grandson was also with him. JKP #rescued a three years old boy from getting hit by bullets during #terrorist #attack in #Sopore. @JmuKmrPolice (sic), Kashmir Zone Police tweeted. However, his family said he reached the spot after the attack and alleged that CRPF personnel asked him to get out of his vehicle and killed him on the road. A CRPF spokesperson said they have not received any input from the ground. After the attack, the area was cordoned off and a search operation launched to track down the assailants. Dilbag Singh, Jammu and Kashmirs director general of police, had said on Tuesday that anti-terror operations are on at full throttle in Kashmir and 128 terrorists have been eliminated by the security forces so far this year. In the Kashmir region, 48 terrorists have been eliminated this month. Till June the security forces have eliminated 128 terrorists, out of whom 70 belonged to Hizbul Mujahideen, 20 each from Jaish-e-Mohammad and Lashkar-e-Taiba and remaining from other groups, Singh said. Andhra Pradesh (AP) government on Wednesday acquired a fleet of 1,088 state-of-the-art ambulances, which will serve as mobile clinics in both rural and urban areas, at an estimated cost of Rs 201 crore. AP Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, who flagged off the ambulances in Vijayawada, asserted that his government was committed to revamping the medical infrastructure in the state. The new ambulances will operate with two separate toll-free numbers 104 and 108. While ambulances with toll-free number 104 will run as emergency services in rural areas, 108 will be for the urban parts of the state. Of these new ambulances, 412 and 676 have been divided for urban and rural areas, respectively. The ambulances will run as mobile clinics with advanced life support systems. The ambulances include 26 vehicles that will be used exclusively for neo-natal services equipped with incubators and other essential facilities for babies born with complications. The CM said 676 ambulances would serve as Mobile Medical Units (MMUs), which would provide 20 types of medical services, including all screening for communicable and non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Altogether, 744 doctors would be made available for these services and they would visit a village once a month to offer medical services, he added. Besides oxygen cylinders, these new ambulances would have ventillators, infusion pumps, syringe pumps, and comfortable stretchers besides provisions for delivery of babies. The vehicles are also enabled with surveillance cameras to ensure proper healthcare monitoring by doctors, he said. The CM also announced a hike in the monthly salaries of ambulance drivers from Rs 18,000 to Rs 28,000 and ambulance technicians from Rs 20,000 to Rs 30,000. Special chief secretary (medical and health) KS Jawahar Reddy said the ambulances would be attached to the primary healthcare centres in all the revenue blocks for the deployment of doctors on call. This would help people know doctors they should contact in emergencies and doctors, too, would have an understanding of the health profile of the villagers in general and families in particular. The government is in the process of preparing digital family health profiles, he said. The estimated time of arrival of these emergency vehicles to the spot from the time of receiving an emergency call is expected to be 15 minutes in urban areas, 20 minutes in rural areas, and 25 minutes in the remote tribal areas of the state. A new programme, Dr YSR Rahadari Bhadratha, is also being linked to the urban service, where any road accident patient will be treated free of cost in any hospital across the state for the first 48 hours and up to a maximum expenditure of Rs 50,000. Dr. YSR Aarogyasri Health Care Trust would reimburse the expenses for the road accident patients, the CM added. A three-year old video clip of Indiana Sen. Aaron Freeman is coming back to haunt him. State Sen. Eddie Melton is calling on Freeman to drop out of the senate race after a 2016 clip of Full Frontal with Samantha Bee featuring Freeman discussing the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement resurfaced. In the clip, in which GOP representatives are asked their thoughts on the BLM movement, Freeman said: You know, this Black Lives Matter movement, I just dont think its helpful to the country. I dont know what their purpose is. I was a prosecutor who brought cases before a grand jury for police action shootings. Your chances of being shot by police are nonexistent if you respect authority, if you dont pull a gun on em, if you dont run from em, if you cooperate with law enforcement. Put your hand on the steering wheel and play along with what they ask you to do. After a crew member asked Freeman if there is anything BLM could do to make him want to learn more about the movement, he said no. Melton, a Democrat who serves in District 3, called for Freeman to step down in a Facebook post, which included a link to the video. All Hoosiers, black, white, Republican, Democratic, Independent, should be offended and saddened by State Senator Aaron Freemans remarks and his refusal to engage in a meaningful conversation on the issue of racial injustice in this nation, Melton wrote in the post. Setting his callous dismissal of black lives aside for the moment, you have to ask why is someone like this in the state legislature to begin with, if he is not willing to listen, learn, and work in a bi-partisan [sic] manner so that all Hoosiers can succeed? I urge Senator Freeman to step down from his campaign and seek a meaningful understanding with those he purports to serve. Freeman, who is running for reelection in District 32 which serves Beech Grove did not respond to a request for comment. Contact staff writer Breanna Cooper at 317-762-7848. Follow her on Twitter @BreannaNCooper Screenshot of Indiana Sen. Aaron Freeman on Full Frontal with Samantha Bee. (Photo from Comedy Central) The Indian Army has moved three divisions, several squadrons of frontline tanks, additional artillery pieces and fully-ready mechanised infantry squads to the Ladakh sector, as part of its efforts to strengthen its deployments in response to fortified Chinese military presence in the region, four people familiar with developments said on Tuesday, speaking on the condition of anonymity. The three army divisions sent to build the necessary military strength to deter possible aggressive moves by the Chinese forces deployed across the contested Line of Actual Control (LAC) account for up to 30,000 well-trained soldiers, as high-altitude deployments are being bolstered with sharp focus on contingency planning, said the first person cited above. A large number of the troop reinforcements sent to Ladakh have been drawn from the armys reserve formations, based in a mountainous region in north India and another state in the Hindi-speaking belt. These reserve troops have operated in the sector as part of their regular training, said the person quoted above. Soldiers may also have been pulled out from peace stations for the Ladakh role, he added. Hindustan Times is not revealing the location of the bases from where troops, weapons and equipment have been deployed to Ladakh because of security considerations. While the reserve formations have moved with their own integral artillery elements, the tanks and the infantry combat vehicles have been marshalled from multiple bases across the western sector for force augmentation in Ladakh, a second person said. Additional forces have been sent to Ladakh by road and air, he said. The Indian Air Forces heavy-lift aircraft have also flown soldiers, tanks and other equipment from Chandigarh to Leh, as reported by HT on Tuesday. Military equipment, including tanks, has been moved to Ladakh from areas in the western sector where very favourable combat ratios already exist to deal with Pakistan, said the third person cited above. He added diverting this equipment from these areas would not make any elemental difference to the situation on the western front. Both India and China have significantly reinforced their deployments with thousands of soldiers, fighter jets, helicopters, tanks, heavy artillery, missiles and air defence systems in the region, as attempts to reduce tensions have not yielded a breakthrough. If the stalemate persists, Indian and Chinese forces are likely to hold positions in the area till at least September, with the onset of winter making it virtually impossible for the two sides to stay forward deployed, said the fourth person cited above. The deployment of additional forces became mandatory keeping in mind that the Chinese buildup is expected to last for the next three months, he said. Experts believe that deploying essential and additional elements of combat power to the Ladakh sector is necessary as the continuing Chinese buildup calls into question the Peoples Liberation Armys (PLA) intent to restore status quo ante (early April) in strategic areas. The Chinese military has flexed its muscle with its buildup at the point of impact, as also in depth areas on their side of the LAC. Due to Chinas belligerence, it is axiomatic that we should have desired combat ratios to offset possible evil designs, said Lieutenant General BS Jaswal (retd), a former Northern Army commander. He added that Indias military posture would enable it to talk to the Chinese from a position of strength. India has also deployed its air defence weapon systems to counter possible aerial threats from the PLA-Air Force in the Ladakh sector where tensions rose sharply after a brutal clash in Galwan Valley left 20 Indian and an unconfirmed number of Chinese troops dead on June 15. The IAF has raised its guard to deal with any military provocation by the Chinese forces and forward bases have been ordered to be on their highest state of alert, said the fourth person. Assams coronavirus disease (Covid-19) tally doubled from 4,000 cases within 15 days on Tuesday, as the overall count stands at 8,407. The state reported 613 fresh Covid-19 positive cases on Tuesday the biggest single-day spike. Of the new Covid-19 positive cases reported on Tuesday, 380 were from Guwahati, which along with rest of the Kamrup Metro district is under a 14-day complete lockdown since last Sunday (June 28) to rein the spike in the viral outbreak in the states and the north-east regions biggest city. Today, 380 cases were reported in Guwahati alone and the need for caution cant be overemphasised, state health minister Himanta Biswa Sarma tweeted around midnight on Tuesday. Assam had reported its first Covid-19 positive case on March 31 and it took nearly two months to reach 1,000 cases on May 29. The state topped 2,000 cases on June 4 and it took another 10 days for the figure to double. Assam has reported 12 Covid-19 related deaths till Tuesday and 5,647 patients have recovered from the viral infection at a recovery rate of 72%. So far, the north-easts most populous state has conducted over four lakh Covid-19 tests. Our aggressive and targeted testing is designed to flatten the curve by tracing all those who may be potentially infected. Continuing Herculean efforts, health department teams reached test figures of 412,214 today, Sarma tweeted on Tuesday. Though the viral outbreak was under check in Assam until April, the situation worsened from May 4 onwards amid the easing of lockdown restrictions and the resumption of domestic flights that led to the return of over 3.5 lakh stranded people to the state. The state government has imposed the 14-day lockdown in the Kamrup Metro district after around three dozen Covid-19 positive cases were detected last week among people, who didnt have any recent travel history. However, the surge is yet to be under control in Guwahati, despite the imposition of lockdown restrictions. Guwahati has reported 1,727 Covid-19 positive cases to date. Earlier, the minister had said that 890 hospital beds are available for Covid-19 patients in the Kamrup Metro district and justified the imposition of lockdown because of the spike in the viral outbreak. On Tuesday, the minister inaugurated a 250-bed facility for Covid-19 patients at Palashbari on the outskirts of Guwahati. Another 900-bed Covid-19 facility is expected to be opened soon at Khanapara in Guwahati on the Assam-Meghalaya border. Days after India banned 59 China-linked mobile apps, Indias online news publishers association has asked the government to extend the ban to online news platforms and applications funded by China or Chinese companies. In a statement released on Wednesday, Digital News Publishers Association (DNPA) said the Indian government should take a hard look at the online news sector and ban all news apps and platforms in India funded by investment by China or its investors. This is important to ensure that biased information shouldnt reach Indian users, the organisation of the digital arms of media companies said. Pawan Agarwal, DNPA chairman said this is the time that we should consider upholding Indias security, sovereignty as the utmost priority. On Monday, the government banned 59 mobile apps linked to China citing concerns that these are prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India, security of state and public order. DNPA underscored that Beijing had practically banned Indian media in China, preventing people in their country from accessing news and opinion from India. None of the Indian websites can be opened in China even via a VPN (virtual private network), the statement said. The DNPAs communication to the government comes days after Robert OBrien, National Security Adviser in the Trump administration, spoke about heavy investments by the Chinas communist party into overseas propaganda operations. OBrien said the communist party owned or worked closely with nearly every Chinese language news outlet in the US and was making inroads into English language media as well. Bengals ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) may be fighting for every inch of political ground in the poll-bound state but Mamata Banerjee is drawing appreciation from the opposition for taking a strong stand against China. The Bengal chief minister, while attending the June 19 all-party meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi convened to discuss the Ladakh crisis, said her government firmly stands by the Centre. While addressing an online rally from Delhi on June 28, Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman virtually lambasted the TMC government but lauded Banerjee on one issue. Over the past one year, the Bengal chief minister has vehemently opposed all development schemes of the Centre. But there is one thing I want to say in her support and appreciation. When the Prime Minister called the all-party meeting on the Ladakh issue, our Didi (Banerjee) at least spoke for our country and in support of the Central government, said Sitharaman. The video of Sitharamans speech is embedded in the BJP Bengal units Facebook page, the cover photo of which carries the slogan Aar noi Mamata in bold letters. On Tuesday afternoon, Banerjee went a step ahead and said, To ban some apps will not be enough. We have to give China a befitting reply. How we do it, that we have to decide. Interestingly, state forest minister Rajib Banerjee, who is known to be close to the chief minister, has sung in Hindi to pay homage to the 20 Indian soldiers killed in eastern Ladakhs Galwan Valley on the night of June 15. The song, Hindustan Meri Jaan, has been made into a music video which was released on June 23. The video features images and names of the soldiers and the colonel as well as clippings of army exercises and Republic Day parades. Two of the soldiers, Rajesh Orang and Bipul Roy were from Bengals Birbhum and Alipurduar districts respectively. The state government announced a compensation of Rs 5 lakh and a government job for each family. The Bengal BJP leadership too did not hesitate to appreciate the chief minister in public. We welcome the position Mamata Banerjee has taken on China. In a multi-party democracy all parties should be united on the issue of national security despite their differences on internal issues. It is a pity that the Left and Congress walk a different path. Though TMC MP Mahua Moitra tweeted against the BJP on the Ladakh issue, we appreciate that the TMC chief has taken a serious stand, said BJP Bengal unit vice-president Jay Prakash Majumdar. Political observers feel that Banerjee has made the right decision by not following the Congress. This is a national crisis. All political parties, including the Congress, should stand by the Centre in the fight against Chinese aggression. When Banerjee is saying that she fully supports Narendra Modi, she is doing the right thing. The BJP is appreciating her gesture. We welcome this because all parties should forget their differences in the interest of the nation, said Prof Amal Kumar Mukhopadhyay, noted political analyst and former principal of Presidency College. Incidentally, after the deadly terror attack on the CRPF convoy in Jammu and Kashmirs Pulwama on February 14 last year, the Bengal CM joined Congress and other opposition parties that questioned the extent of damage done by the Indian airstrike on Balakot in Pakistan. Two of the soldiers killed in Pulwama were from West Bengal. The Bengal CM used Pulwama and Balakot as issues in her campaigns prior to the 2019 Lok Sabha polls and targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Modi countered it at a rally in Kolkata. We hit there (Balakot) but it hurt people here. Kolkatas Didi was more pained than people in Islamabad and Rawalpindi, said Modi. In the elections, the BJP, which had only two Lok Sabha members from Bengal, bagged 18 of the states 42 seats, marking the partys highest growth in Bengal. Asked why he did not sing in Bengali, the states official language, forest minister Rajib Banerjee said, I chose Hindi to reach out to people of this country. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Dilip Ghosh, the president of the West Bengal unit of the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), was allegedly heckled by ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) supporters in New Town in the northern fringes of Kolkata on Wednesday morning.While TMC leaders refuted the allegations, opposition parties have closed ranks and condemned the attack. Ghosh had gone out for a morning walk, when some of his party supporters arranged a few chairs at a roadside tea stall near his newly-rented house, where he could sit and interact with local residents.Suddenly some local TMC supporters came and started abusing me. They also broke the chairs, tore the posters, and damaged a car. There was a scuffle with my security guards. I have informed the local police over the phone and a written complaint will be lodged soon. I could identify a few of the attackers. They are all TMC supporters, alleged Ghosh. The TMC has, however, rubbished the allegations.Sudip Banerjee, TMCs leader in the Lok Sabha said: I hear such allegations from the BJP almost every day. Our party is not associated with such attacks.Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, the leader of the Congress in the Lok Sabha, condemned the attack and said: There may be political differences. But for that, you cannot attack the head of a party. This proves how the TMC behaves with opposition parties in Bengal. Such attacks would ultimately help Ghosh in bringing him to the limelight. The TMC is helping the BJP. We condemn such attacks, said Sujan Chakraborty, a Communist Party of India (Marxist) lawmaker, who represents the Jadavpur assembly constituency and also the leader of the Left parties in the Bengal Assembly. The Bombay high court (HC) last Friday directed the income tax (I-T) department to refund Rs 833 crore to Vodafone Idea Limited within two weeks while upholding the telcos plea. Earlier, Vodafone Idea had filed a petition seeking a direction to the I-T department to refund Rs 1009.43 crore, including Rs 833 crore on an immediate basis as the undisputed amount, while citing the tax authorities rectification order issued on May 28. The plea stated that the telco had filed its I-T returns in September 2014 and subsequently revised it twice in March 2016 and February 2017. On October 31, 2019, an assistant commissioner of I-T had passed an assessment order, determining the refund of Rs 733.80 crore to the company. Vodafone Idea, however, sought rectification of the assessment, which led to litigation that was decided by the Supreme Court on April 29. The I-T department issued its rectification order on May 28 following the SC order. The I-T authorities accepted that the telco was entitled to a refund of Rs 1009.43 crore for the assessment year 2014-15. The assessing officer, however, deducted Rs 176.39 crore as pending dues and settled for the net refund of Rs 833 crore. On June 11, the company wrote to the principal commissioner of I-T and sought the refund of Rs 1009.43 crore, citing its May 28 order, followed it up with several reminders, and then moved the HC after it didnt get any response from the authorities concerned. The plea contended that the department was bound to release the refund amount, as there is no provision under the I-T Act, 1961, permitting withholding the said amount after orders were passed determining the refund. I-T department responded to the plea, arguing that withholding the refund was justified as massive outstanding dues are yet to be settled by the petitioner. It cited Section 241A of the I-T Act, 1961, which empowers the authorities concerned to withhold the refund. However, a two-member division bench, comprising Justice RD Dhanuka and Madhav Jamdar, refused to accept the I-T authorities argument. It stated that the departments May 28 order is binding and the only matter that remained to be adjudicated was whether the assessing officer is empowered to adjust Rs 176.39 crore from the agreed refund sum. The bench observed that I-T authorities have no power to withhold refunds against undetermined future demands. The BSNL 4G upgradation tender was cancelled on Wednesday by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT). The decision comes after the DoT decided to issue fresh specifications for the upgradation process. A fresh tender will be issued by the DoT, officials said, in the next two weeks after the six-member committee set up to review the upgradation requirement submits its report. The tender will focus on boosting the Indian manufacturing sector, as the DoT pushes the governments flagship initiative, Make in India. The Central government had instructed BSNL to not use Chinese equipment for the upgrade - days after 20 Indian soldiers were killed in a violent clash with Chinese troops along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) - which is likely to cost Rs 7,000-8,000 crore. In the fresh tender, DoT may ask government telcos, BSNL and MTNL, to not use equipment from Chinese companies, DoT officials told Hindustan Times. However, any decision will only be taken after the committees report is submitted, said the official on the condition of anonymity. HT had earlier reported that the six-committee is headed by a DoT Technology advisor K Ramchand and has representatives from BSNL and MTNL, two independent experts and another representative from the industry. The fresh tender will be on futuristic and realistic expectations, officials had earlier told HT. The move is part of the DoT push to reduce reliance of Indias telecom sector on foreign equipment and increase domestic manufacturing. According to experts, nearly 75% of the telecom equipment is sourced from China. Two major Chinese firms with a stake in the Indian market are ZTE and Huawei, both Chinese companies. Other major players include Nokia, Ericsson and Samsung. The DoT is also in the process of starting the 5G spectrum testing, in which Huawei was slated to take part. Separately, the DoT is also in consultation with private telecom service providers to encourage the use of equipment manufacture in India. Earlier this week, the electronics and information technology ministry had also banned 59 Chinese apps citing security concerns. According to former DoT technology advisor RK Bhatnagar, the DoT in February 2020 had issued a memorandum that said India is liable to take reciprocal action against any country that does not provide market access. Although it wasnt explicitly stated, the context was China, Bhatnagar told Hindustan Times. Whether DoT explicitly states it in the fresh tender or not, it is unlikely procurement from Chinese firms will be allowed. Bhatnagar added that the Federal Communications Commission, US, has designated Huawei and ZTE as a national security risk. He also said that during a national crisis the government also has the right to take over any network, even private ones. There is no mandatory testing of equipment that is procured, said Bhatnagar. Right now, the situation with China is tense but if it escalates they use the equipment and sabotage us. The US state of California on Tuesday filed a lawsuit against Cisco System Inc for alleged caste-based workplace discrimination against an Indian American employee, who was described as a Dalit in the filing. The victim had not been identified in the lawsuit. News agency Reuters, which first reported the case, had named the managers, who were named as the defendants along with Cisco. They both appeared to be Indian Americans, going by their names. They were no longer with the company. Caste-based discrimination does not appear to be rare in the United States. A 2018 survey cited by the lawsuit said 67% of Dalit employees had reported being treated unfairly at American workplaces, presumably by, though it was not mentioned, their Indian American colleagues. It could not be immediately ascertained if this was the first lawsuit about caste-based workplace discrimination in the United States. Also read: US Congressman applauds joint efforts of India, United States against terror The complainant and his managers had worked at Ciscos San Jose headquarters, which has a dominant South Asian workforce, said the Californias Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH), which filed the lawsuit. The managers at the facility harassed, discriminated, and retaliated against an engineer because he is Dalit Indian, the department said in a statement on the lawsuit. The complainant was expected to accept a caste hierarchy within the workplace where he held the lowest status within a team of higher-caste colleagues, receiving less pay, fewer opportunities, and other inferior terms and conditions of employment because of his religion, ancestry, national origin/ethnicity, and race/color, the statement added. The case has been filed under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits workplace discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex and national origin. It is unacceptable for workplace conditions and opportunities to be determined by a hereditary social status determined by birth, said Kevin Kish, DEFH director. Employers must be prepared to prevent, remedy, and deter unlawful conduct against workers because of caste. A Cisco spokesperson said in a statement to Hindustan Times, Cisco is committed to an inclusive workplace for all. We have robust processes to report and investigate concerns raised by employees which were followed in this case dating back to 2016, and have determined we were fully in compliance with all laws as well as our own policies. Cisco will vigorously defend itself against the allegations made in this complaint. The Central Bureau of Investigation has registered a case against Dr G V K Reddy, Chairman of GVK group, the company that runs the Mumbai airport MIAL (Mumbai International Airport Limited), and others for alleged irregularities worth 705 crore in the development of Mumbai airport. MIAL is a joint venture between AAI (Airports Authority of India), GVK and foreign entities. The AAI entered an agreement in 2006 for modernization and up gradation, operation and maintenance of Mumbai airport as part of joint venture called MIAL. The agreement stated that the revenue share has to be given first to AAI and then the balance earnings of MIAL shall be used for modernisation and upgradation, operation and maintenance and the essence of the agreement was to make it a world class facility. CBI FIR alleges that the GVK group connived with their family members, relatives and employees to give undue monetary advantage to them and to cause corresponding unlawful loss to AAI. As part of the conspiracy, they assigned the premium retail areas of Mumbai airport to their family members at exorbitantly low rates there- by reducing the revenue of MIAL. The GVK group even used funds of MIAL by entering into agreements with a company owned by family members, relatives, employees to book train, air travel tickets and hotel booking for personal as well as group employees of GVK who were not connected to MIAL. The agency has named total 13 persons and companies as accused as well as unknown public servants. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has filed a case in a deal worth Rs 6,744 crore by Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) in which the alleged bribe paid to the fugitive arms dealer Sanjay Bhandari is suspected to have been used to buy a London property linked to Congress chief Sonia Gandhis son-in-law Robert Vadra. To be sure, Vadra is not named as accused in the latest CBI FIR but Enforcement Directorate (ED) has repeatedly claimed in the court that this property at 12 Ellerton House, Brynston Square (London), bought for 1.9 million pounds, belongs to Vadra. The CBI claimed that the deal for this property was stipulated to be completed on or before end of August 2009, just after Rs 22 crore (USD 5 million approx.) were transferred on June 13, 2009 in the Dubai account of Bhandaris company Santech International FZC by Samsung Engineering Co Ltd (SECL). Vadra has repeatedly denied the allegations against him. They can keep saying whatever. It has no meaning, he told HT. The controversial deal was signed on February 10, 2009 for Rs 6,744.32 crore by ONGC with a consortium of M/s Linde AG, Germany and SECL, South Korea, for a Dual Feed Cracker Unit (DFCU) by ONGC Petrol Additions Limited or OPaL, for its mega petrochemical project at Dahej, Gujarat. In its FIR, registered on Tuesday, CBI named a former senior manager of SECL Hong Namkoong, UK based company FosterWheeler Energy Ltd and unknown officials of ONGC and OPaL along with Sanjay Bhandari. The ED, in first week of June, filed a charge sheet against Bhandari for laundering money. The CBI is investigating him another Rs 2,895 crore-deal for 75 Pilatus basic trainer aircraft for the Indian Air Force in 2009. Bhandari fled to the UK in December 2016 via Nepal and is said to be hiding in London. An Interpol red notice request is pending against him. CBI has alleged in its FIR, reviewed by HT, that Bhandari, was hired by Samsung Engineering for consultancy services for USD 10 million was to be paid to him. Email conversation between Bhandari and Namkoong allegedly revealed that the latter agreed to pay 50% advance within 30 days of ONGC making an advance payment to Samsung while the rest of 50% consultancy was to be paid within next six months. This was in violation of contract that stated that Linde and SECL will not involve any agent/consultant in India or abroad. However, SECL didnt disclose that they had hired Bhandaris company. Subsequently, there was no provision of making advance payment by OPaL/ONGC to the private company but the OPaL board decided to approve the provision of advance linking it to payment for progress of work. OPaL made an advance payment to SECL on February 24, 2009 after which SECL transferred USD 49,99,969 in the account of Bhandaris firm Santech in June 13, 2009. Enquiry further revealed that Bhandari is the beneficial owner of one Vertex Management Holdings Ltd from December 2009 to November 2012. Bhandari has acquired a property no 12 Ellerton House Brynston Square (London) by purchasing 100% shares of Vertex Management Holdings Ltd, UK in his own name for 1.9 million GBP. The deal was stipulated to be completed on or before end of August 2009 i.e. just after the transfer of USD 5 million (Rs 22 crore) on June 13, 2009 (by SECL in Santech). It is further revealed that the said property was sold by Bhandari to an entity Skylite Investments FZE, incorporated in UAE in 2011-12, the CBI FIR said. ED has claimed in court documents that Skylite, floated by an associate C C Thampi, was nothing but a front for buying property for Vadra. Thampi was arrested in January this year. ONGC, SECL didnt respond to email queries. FosterWheller company spokesperson could not be located by HT. By Moon Of Alabama June 30, 2020 " Information Clearing House " - There were allegations about emails that someone exfiltrated from the DNC and provided to Wikileaks. Russia must have done it. The FBI and other intelligence services were all over it. In the end no evidence was provided to support the claims. There were allegations that Trump did not really win the elections. Russia must have done it. The various U.S. intelligence service, together with their British friends, provided all kinds of sinister leaks about the alleged case. In the end no evidence was provided to support the claims. A British double agent, Sergej Skirpal, was allegedly injured in a Russian attack on him. The intelligence services told all kind of contradicting nonsense about the case. In the end no evidence was provided to support the claims. All three cases had two points in common. The were based on sources near to the U.S. and British intelligence community. They were designed to increase hostility against Russia. The last point was then used to sabotage Donald Trump's original plans for better relations with Russia. Now the intelligence services make another claim that fits right into the above scheme. Are You Tired Of The Lies And Non-Stop Propaganda? Get Your FREE Daily Newsletter Reporters from the New York Times and the Washington Post were called up by unnamed 'officials' and told to write that Russia pays some Afghans to kill U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan. There is zero evidence that the claim is true. The Taliban spokesman denies it. The numbers of U.S. soldiers killed in Afghanistan is minimal. The alleged sources of the claims are criminals the U.S. has taken as prisoners in Afghanistan. All that nonsense is again used to press against Trump's wish for better relations with Russia. Imagine - Trump was told about these nonsensical claims and he did nothing about it! The same intelligence services and 'officials' previously paid bounties to bring innocent prisoners to Guantanamo Bay, tortured them until they made false confessions and lied about it. The same intelligence services and 'officials' lied about WMD in Iraq. The same 'intelligence officials' paid and pay Jihadis disguised as 'Syrian rebels' to kill Russian and Syrian troops which defend their countries. The journalistic standards at the New York Times and Washington Post must be below zero to publish such nonsense without requesting real evidence. The press release like stories below from anti-Trump/anti-Russian sources have nothing to do with 'great reporting' but are pure stenography. The New York Times: Russia Secretly Offered Afghan Militants Bounties to Kill U.S. Troops, Intelligence Says American intelligence officials have concluded that a Russian military intelligence unit secretly offered bounties to Taliban-linked militants for killing coalition forces in Afghanistan including targeting American troops amid the peace talks to end the long-running war there, according to officials briefed on the matter. ... The officials familiar with the intelligence did not explain the White House delay in deciding how to respond to the intelligence about Russia. While some of his closest advisers, like Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, have counseled more hawkish policies toward Russia, Mr. Trump has adopted an accommodating stance toward Moscow. ... The intelligence assessment is said to be based at least in part on interrogations of captured Afghan militants and criminals. The Washington Post: Russian operation targeted coalition troops in Afghanistan, intelligence finds A Russian military spy unit offered bounties to Taliban-linked militants to attack coalition forces in Afghanistan, including U.S. and British troops, in a striking escalation of the Kremlins hostility toward the United States, American intelligence has found. The Russian operation, first reported by the New York Times, has generated an intense debate within the Trump administration about how best to respond to a troubling new tactic by a nation that most U.S. officials regard as a potential foe but that President Trump has frequently embraced as a friend, said the officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive intelligence matter. ... The unit that officials identified as responsible for allegedly offering the bounties has also been linked to the poisoning and attempted murder of former Russian military spy Sergei Skripal in Britain in 2018. - " Source " - The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Information Clearing House. Post your comment below After the death of six elephants in northern part of Chhattisgarh in last one month due to toxicity and electrocution, the state forest department decided to launch an awareness campaign in northern plains to encourage the usage of bio-insecticides and bio-fertilizers. The forest department issued orders to divisional forest officer (DFO) of Dharamjaigarh in Raigarh district, where maximum elephants were electrocuted in last 10 years, to take necessary steps to contain such incidents. This month, total six elephants died in Chhattisgarh in four districts of the state. Carcasses of two tuskers were recovered from the Pratappur forest range in Surajpur district and another elephant was found dead in neighbouring Balrampur district. Later, two elephants were electrocuted in Dharamjaigarh under Raigarh district and a calf died after getting stuck in a marshland in Dhamtari district. We are doing a research in Balrampur and Surajpur districts where three elephants died due to toxicity and we will start a campaign to encourage farmers of the that area for usage of bio-fertilizers and bio-insecticide, which is less harmful, if consumed by elephants. As per the crop pattern, most of farmers are engaged in sugarcane production hence the awareness could be easily done. Secondly, if farmers in some of these areas, are using chemical fertilizers/insecticides, we will ensure that it should be stored in such a way that whenever elephant raids the house, it should be beyond the reach of animal - storing it some higher place of the house or by digging the fertilizer in the ground, said Arun Kumar Pandey, additional principal chief conservator of forest, while talking to HT. It is worth mentioning that a team of Project Elephant visited the state after the death of six elephants and also made similar recommendations to check such fatalities, officials informed. Dr Selvan, a scientist of Ministry of Environment and Forest and Dr Prajana Panda , national coordination of Project Elephant , who came here after the deaths and enquired about each and every death, also believed that these deaths are accidental deaths not wilfully done. They have made similar recommendations to us, on which we are working, said PCCF adding the department is also talking to Agriculture department for availability of bio-fertilizers. The officer further said that all the three deaths which took place due to toxicity were due to consumption something which was toxic and the department is investigating about it. However, wildlife activists believe that it is not easy for the forest department to make the farmers switch from chemical to bio-fertilizers. Is there any market of bio-fertilizers from where the farmers of these areas can get it ? Is it easy for farmers to switch from chemical to bio-fertilizers? The forest department should made this clear since the awareness drive is going on in these areas for last few years, asked Meetu Gupta, member of the State Wildlife Board and wildlife activist. The forest department has also written to the divisional forest about cases of elephant electrocution in that area. About 40 per cent of the total electrocution deaths of the elephants took place in Dharmjaigarh forest division hence an order has been issued to the forest officers of the region to take measures in this regard, said a senior forest officer. The order states that the forest department should ensure that 11 KV electric line, which has caused deaths of the elephants should be above 7.5 metres above the ground-level and insulated electric wires should be used in these areas. The department has also directed the forest officers to coordinate with Chhattisgarh State Power Corporation and find out each and every illegal connection or live wire in these areas, said senior official said. As per the Chhattisgarh forest department in the last 10 years, the state has recorded an increase in the population of wildlife, including elephants whose number rose from 225 to 290 during the period. In view of this, chief minister Bhupesh Baghel recently issued necessary guidelines for the monitoring of wild animals in the state forests and improving measures for their conservation. Notably, North Chhattisgarh is home to around 240 wild elephants, which roam in plains of the state. Several reports of human-elephant conflicts surfaced in last few years in the region. The Gariaband police recovered a leopard skin and arrested a person, who poisoned a water body to kill the animal, from the border between Chhattisgarh and Odisha on Tuesday evening. This is the second seizure by the Gariaband police in the last 12 days. Police said that in both the cases the accused poachers were from Nowrangpur district of Odisha, and were active in the Maoist-hit part of the Gariaband district of Chhattisgarh. On Tuesday, Buduram Gond, 40, of Raidhar, Odisha, was arrested by a special team from Shuklabhata village in Baghnala police station limits, Superintendent of Police Bhojram Patel said. Speaking to Hindustan Times, Patel said police got an input that a man was trying to find a buyer for a leopard skin. A team of policemen was sent to Maoist-affected Shuklabhata and the accused was nabbed. When interrogated, Gond confessed to poisoning a water body to kill the big cat, said Patel, adding that the skin was 82 inches long from head to tail. Gond has been booked under various sections of the Wildlife Protection Act. On June 19, Gariaband police arrested a 55-year-old man for allegedly possessing a leopard skin. The accused Ramnath Netam lives at the border of Chhattisgarh and Odisha. Police said that since most of the part of Udanti Tiger Reserve, which borders Odisha, is Maoist affected, hence these poachers enter easily and hunt animals. Recently, police have also seized a pangolin which was smuggled from this area. In Gariaband, leopards have been found in nearly every part of the district and we are suspicious about the international gang active in this region. It seems that they know the people who purchase these skins since both came to sell them. We are working some leads and something positive will come out soon, said Patel. Wildlife activists of the state also believe that an international gang is working in Gariaband district, particularly near Udanti Tiger Reserve. Last November, seizures of pangolins were made in Nowrangpur district of Odisha. This is a fact that an inter-state gang has been active in Gariyaband since last year. We have found that wild animals skins and other parts are smuggled to countries through north-east states and Nepal, said Meetu Gupta, member of the state wildlife board and wildlife activist. Gupta has been demanding that a special task force (STF) be formed to nab the poachers. A convict who is coronavirus positive and is in a hospital cannot get any special treatment or favours, the Supreme Court observed on Wednesday while rejecting the interim bail plea of a convict in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots case. Mahender Singh Yadav, who has contracted Covid-19 and is currently in intensive care unit (ICU) of the Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Hospital in Delhi, argued that his relatives are not being allowed to visit him at the hospital and he should be granted interim bail so as to enable his family members to take suitable steps in view of his deteriorating health. If a person is in ICU, nobody can visit him. The petitioner cannot be given differential treatment because he is under detention, the bench headed by justice Indira Banerjee remarked. An ex-councillor, Yadav was sentenced to three years imprisonment by the trial court in 2013 for his role in the 1984 anti-sikh riots in Delhi in which more than 2,700 sikh persons were killed in the aftermath of the assassination of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi by her two Sikh bodyguards. He was convicted for the offence of rioting by the trial court and sentenced for three years. The conviction and sentence was upheld by the Delhi high court in December 2018. Yadav, who tested positive for Covid on June 26, pointed out that one of the 29 inmates with whom he was sharing barracks at the Mandoli jail in Delhi passed away due to coronavirus. Seventeen of the remaining inmates were found to be Covid-19 positive, he added. Citing his advancing age (he is 70), and other ailments like diabetes and kidney issues, he sought bail. The petitioner cannot even walk properly without support and the doctor has suggested replacement of both knees. He is also suffering from acute diabetes and other kidney problems, the plea said. Senior counsel R Basant, appearing for Yadav, submitted that even at the hospital two constables are posted outside his ward and relatives are not allowed to visit him. Additional solicitor general KM Nataraj, appearing for the CBI, submitted that all the patients are given equal treatment and there is no discrimination meted out to the petitioner or the members of his family on the ground that he is a convict. The bench, which also comprised justice BR Gavai, noted that there was no specific suggestion forthcoming from Yadav as to what steps his family intended to take if Yadav was released on bail. There is no offer from the family to shift the petitioner to any other hospital. There is not even a whisper in the petition that any differential treatment is meted out to the patient or to his relatives on the ground of incarceration of the petitioner, the court said while dismissing the plea. On May 13, the Supreme Court rejected the plea for interim bail filed by Sajjan Kumar, former Congress MP and convicted in the same case. Kumar had also sought interim bail on health grounds but the court turned down the plea stating that Kumar did not require immediate hospitalisation. A Delhi Police inspector, posted with its anti-terrorist squad (ATS) (Special Cell), died of coronavirus disease (Covid-19) on Wednesday at a south Delhi private hospital, where he was undergoing treatment since June 18. Inspector Sanjeev Kumar Yadav, who was conferred upon a gallantry award in January, was on a ventilator support for the past few days and received two plasma therapies since he was admitted to the hospital. Special Cell officers said Yadav could not be saved, despite the best possible treatment and efforts by the doctors at the hospital. Besides two plasma therapies, the doctors also administered him other life-saving treatments. But inspector Yadav didnt recover from the viral infection, said Neeraj Thakur, joint commissioner of police (CP) (special cell). Inspector Yadav was posted in the south-western range of the Special Cell. He was admitted to Rajiv Gandhi Super Speciality Hospital on June 16 after he complained of fever and other Covid-19-related symptoms. He tested Covid-19 positive the following day. On June 18, he was shifted to Max Hospital in Saket, said Joint CP Thakur. Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal offered his condolences to Yadav. He tweeted, My deepest condolences at the death of inspector Sanjeev Kumar Yadav, who died of Covid-19. A very brave policeman and recipient of Police medal. His death is a great loss to @Delhi Police. Anil Baijal, Lieutenant-Governor (L-G), Delhi, also mourned his death. Extremely saddened at the death of inspector Sanjeev Kumar Yadav in the line of duty fighting Covid-19. A great warrior, recipient of the Police Medal for Gallantry, he brought laurels for @Delhi Police. His untimely demise is an irreplaceable loss for the organisation. My deepest condolences!, the L-G tweeted. His department, Delhi Polices Special Cell, expressed solidarity with his family and friends as they mourned the loss of their brave colleague. Special Cell stands in solidarity with the family and friends of our brave colleague inspector Sanjeev Yadav, PMG (Police Medal for Gallantry), who has entered another world leaving behind a rich legacy. As we mourn the death of our brother-in-arms, we are inspired to reaffirm our oath to the Constitution and to the citizens of this great nation, the Special Cell tweeted from its official handle. The inspector is survived by his wife and two children a son (17) and a daughter (11) who live in east Delhi. So far, 10 personnel from the Delhi Police have succumbed to SARS-CoV-2, which causes Covid-19. Head constable Dheer Singh, who was posted in the police control room (PCR) unit, died at Lady Harding Hospital on Tuesday. Over 2,000 Delhi Police personnel have tested Covid-19 positive, but more than 1,300 have recovered from the viral infection and resumed their duties so far, officials said. Head constable Amit Kumar (31) of Bharat Nagar police station was the first Delhi Police personnel to die of Covid-19 on May 5. Officials said the Delhi Police has taken a raft of measures to prevent the spread of Covid-19 outbreak among the personnel and their family members. Beds have been reserved for them in government and private hospitals and isolation centres have been set up for asymptomatic personnel, who are advised to be quarantined at home. However, many such patients dont have enough space at their homes to self-quarantine themselves. A dedicated Covid-19 test centre for the police personnel is also operational at Shalimar Bagh, which can test 50 samples daily. Six police vehicles have been designated for ferrying personnel to quarantine centres or hospitals from their homes in strict compliance with all standard operating procedures (SOPs) such as wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) kits. A circular has been issued on how to work amid the pandemic and avoid coming in physical contact with colleagues and the public. The focus is on the use of technologies to avoid physical contacts. Most of the meetings are being done via video-conference links. Delhis Covid-10 tall neared 90,000 with 2,442 new cases on Wednesday even as chief minister Arvind Kejriwal said the situation in the national capital seemed to be improving. The new cases have taken Delhis tally to 89,802 including 27,007 active cases, the state health department said. A total of 59,992 patients have recovered/discharged/migrated cases while the death toll rose to 2,803 with 61 casualties on Wednesday. A total of 19,956 tests were conducted on Wednesday including 9,913 RT-PCR tests and 10,043 rapid antigen tests. Earlier in the day, chief minister Arvind Kejriwal warned against complacency while saying that the Covid-19 situation in Delhi seemed to be improving in the last few days. Kejriwal said that nearly one month ago when the lockdown was relaxed, it was assumed the cases would increase in the national capital. After much effort, we have come out of the situation that was a month ago. We will continue our team work. There is a proverb - Hope for the best, but prepare for the worst. We will continue our preparations to deal with any situation, he said. The chief minister also described the national capitals recovery rate as very good which now stands at 64%, up from 38% a month ago. He also said that the Covid-19 death rate in Delhi has also come down. Kejriwal and his deputy Manish Sisodia also reviewed the preparedness at the 500-bedded Covid Care Centre being set up by Delhi government at the Commonwealth Games Village. The facility is likely to accept patients from Monday, officials said. Assam and northeasts biggest city Guwahati is in focus following a sharp rise in Covid-19 cases and detection of over 500 positive patients in less than 24 hours. On Tuesday, the city recorded 382 Covid-19 positive cases and on Wednesday till 3 pm another 157 had been added to the tally. Between June 24 and June 30, the city recorded 1,212 positive cases. The Assam health minister termed the situation as extremely critical and urged residents to be very careful. Guwahati and the rest of Kamrup Metro district are already under total lockdown for 14 days beginning June 28 in a bid to arrest the sharp spike in Covid-19 cases. I had a phone conversation with union home minister Amit Shah on Tuesday and he informed that in the Centres view, the Covid-19 scenario in Guwahati is extremely worrying. He instructed us to change our testing pattern urging to conduct 10,000 tests for the city daily, said Sarma in a press conference. ICMR has suggested the use of rapid antigen-based tests which will enable us to deliver results within an hour. Tests will be done on nasal swab samples. Those found positive will be sent to isolation and those found negative but having symptoms will be subjected to a RT-PCR test, he added. Sarma said that training of personnel to carry out the new tests will happen from Thursday and the new testing regimen will be in place within the next few days. He added that initially around 3,000-4,000 tests would be done daily and it would be scaled up in future. Following detection of over three dozen positive cases without travel history, the Assam government had started a campaign from June 15 urging people to come forward for tests voluntarily and deposit samples at 31 centres across the city. Till June 30, over 19,000 tests had been conducted as part of that drive. At present we have 1,538 hospital beds in Kamrup Metro for Covid-19 patients and 987 of them are occupied. We need another 1,500 beds immediately to cater to the rising number of cases, Sarma said. We are also setting up a plasma bank in the next 4-5 days. A plasma separator has already been installed at the Guwahati Medical College Hospital. Training of personnel is on and we will soon be able to start plasma therapy for Covid-19 patients who need it, he added. The minister informed that a new website www.covidassam.in would be launched soon where people would be able to check their swab test results. The state government has also decided to allow home-cooked food for Covid-19 patients provided they are delivered to hospitals in disposal bags. Till Wednesday afternoon, Assam had recorded 8,547 Covid-19 positive cases. A total of 5,647 patients have recovered and 12 deaths have been reported. Indias overflowing granaries and a longer-than-anticipated recovery time to normalcy from the Covid-19 crisis are the two key factors behind Prime Minister Narendra Modis decision to extend the free foodgrain programme for 800 million poor people for another five months, people aware of the matter said. Two people involved in the discussions before Modi announced the extension of the Garib Kalyan Anna Yojna on Tuesday added that it was also felt that such action would also have a direct impact at Indias grassroot level on mitigating the impact of the crisis. While the discussions had been going on for the past couple of weeks, a detailed meeting chaired by the Prime Minister took place on Monday to prepare the final plan. Modis decision to continue the handout was well-received by experts and political circles. Sufficient availability of food grains provided the much-needed support for the scheme. But as the procurement has been quite good, there is also a need to distribute the produce to create space for fresh crops, said a functionary involved in the planning, requesting anonymity. Food Corporation of India (FCI), the centres main grain trading agency, undertook the largest procurement of food stocks ever this year. Procurement operations were delayed due to the first phase of the lockdown, starting 15 days late on April 15. The government was able to buy record wheat harvests of 38.2 million tonnes by June 16, food minister Ram Vilas Paswan told HT. He said he was constantly in touch with states where offtake, or drawing of grains and distribution, was less than 90% of the stocks received. We will hold states food ministers meetings shortly to push states to utilise the free foodgrains till the next five months so that apart from 810 million people with ration cards... 80 million undocumented migrants get their ration quota, he said. Since the government expects another bumper harvest from Kharif or summer-sown crops, the food ministry, based on its stock position, favoured extension of the offer of free foodgrains during discussion with the PMO, an official of the ministry said. In the first phase, the garib kalyan anna yojna was targeted for three months but as the battle against Covid drags on, the government had to extend its free foodgrain scheme. As we review the situation, it is clear that it normalcy will take longer-than-anticipated time. There is also a limited reverse movement of migrants in larger cities as many of them prefer to stay home in these uncertain times. So, the government planned something to give direct relief to the grassroots for a longer period, said another functionary involved in the planning. The final decision to cover all important festivals till Chhat puja and convey it much in advance was aimed at assuring people that they dont need to worry about food during celebrations and thereby send the right political message. Many people may point out that the government mentioned that the anna yojna will cover Chhat puja keeping in mind Bihar elections, but dont forget that Bihar has received three million migrant workersthe highest after UPs 3.7 million, said another functionary. The scheme to give 5kg free rice or wheat to each member of a family and 1kg of free pulses monthly to each family has seen lifting of 113 lakh metric tonnes of foodgrain by the states till June 20. More than 700 million people benefitted from the scheme in April and May. The government has paid about Rs 73,500 crore in liquid cash, or money in hand, to 4.2 million farmers till June 17 for the record procurement. Eleven chief ministers had made a demand for extension of the free food grain scheme, which was forwarded to the Prime Ministers Office. The FCI currently has 38.8 million tonnes of wheat and 74.5 million rice in federally held stocks, which is several times more than the four million tonne of buffer or emergency stocks the government must compulsorily set aside, according to official data. This excludes ongoing purchases that have not reached the FCIs silos. The government ordinarily needs 5.5 million tonnes of foodgrains to meet requirement of ration distribution to 810 million beneficiaries under the National Food Security Act 2013 and other welfare schemes. Under the Atma Nirbhar Bharat package, the government has set a distribution target of 0.8 million tonnes of foodgrains to an estimated 80 million migrants who are not covered under the National Food Security Act or any state scheme. They are being given 5 kg of foodgrain per person free of cost per month. Under the PMGKAY, a total of 10.1 million tonnes of rice and 1.5 million tonnes of wheat have been drawn by states and Union territories. In May, a total 3.6 million tonnes (91% of stocks taken) foodgrains were distributed to 720 million beneficiaries and in the month of June so far, 2.8 million tonnes (71% of stocks received) foodgrains have been distributed to 560 million beneficiaries Along with cereals, the government is bearing 100% of the cost of Rs 5,000 crore for distribution of pulses. So far, 0.570 million tonnes of lentils have been dispatched to states, while 0.440 million tonne has been distributed, according to official data. The ministry of housing and urban affairs on Wednesday cancelled the government accommodation provided to Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra at 56, Lodhi Estate, on the grounds that she is no longer protected by the Special Protection Group (SPG) and so was not eligible for living in the bungalow in the elite Lutyens Delhi . Consequent upon withdrawal of SPG protection and grant of Z+ security cover by Ministry of Home Affairs, which does not have provision for allotment/retention of Government accommodation on security grounds to you, the allotment of Type 68 house No. 35, Lodhi Estate, New Delhi is hereby cancelled w.e.f 01/07/2020. One month concessional period on the same rent up to 01.08.2020 is allowed as per rule, the letter sent by the ministry said. Any stay beyond 01.08.2020 will attract damage charges/penal rent as per rules, it added in the letter, a copy of which has been seen by HT. The ministry has also said that Priyanka Gandhi had accumulated dues of RS 3,46,677 towards the accommodation until June 30. She has been issued noticed to clear these dues and rent for the period (till) she vacates the accommodation, the ministry said. Hours after the order, Priyanka Gandhi paid what she owed for living in the house. Ms Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has made online payment of balance amount due on her. Hence, now dues as on 30.06.2020 is Nil against her, a spokesperson for the ministry of housing and urban affairs said. The notice to clear Priyankas house shows the uneasiness of Modi ji-Yogi ji. We are not afraid of the frustrated decisions of the authoritarian government, Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said, referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath. Priyanka Gandhi has been active on the ground in Uttar Pradesh and had a run-in with the local administration over organising buses to transport migrant workers stranded in other states back to Uttar Pradesh. She is a general secretary of the party in charge of the state. An aide said Priyanka Gandhi planned to move to Lucknow in February to handle her work. She has readied a home (late Congress leader Sheila Kauls house) there, and if it wasnt for the pandemic, she would have moved there already. Now, we dont know whether she will move there, but it was the plan before coronavirus struck, he said on the condition of anonymity. According to the current norms, there are no provisions for allotment or retention of government accommodation to those with Z+ security unless exceptions are made based on recommendations given by the home ministry. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has been assigned Z+ security with CRPF {Central Reserve Police Force} cover on all-India basis, which does not have any provision for allotment/ retention of Government accommodation on that ground. She is not a SPG protectee now. Persons with Z+ security cover are not entitled for Government accommodation. Exceptions can be made only by CCA (Cabinet Committee on Accommodation) based on security perception assessment by MHA on their recommendation, a housing and urban affairs ministry official said on condition of anonymity. In view of this, she is no longer entitled for Government accommodation and her allotment has been cancelled by the Directorate of Estates, the official added. The Centre decided to take away the elite SPG protection from Congress president Sonia Gandhi, her son Rahul Gandhi and daughter Priyanka Gandhi in November last year. The family was given Z+ security by the CRPF. Prior to that centre had also withdrawn SPG cover of former prime minister Manmohan Singh. The SPG is a federal law enforcement agency under the Cabinet Secretariat charged providing proximate security to the Prime Minister of India, former Prime Minister and their immediate family members. Priyanka Gandhi was allotted 35, Lodhi Estate on February 21, 1997 on security grounds as an SPG protectee. Cabinet Committee on Accommodation (CCA) in its meeting held on 07.12.2000 reviewed the guidelines on allotment of Government accommodation on security grounds and decided that in future no private person, other than those who are SPG protectees, shall be given government accommodation on security grounds. Such allotments were to be done at the market rate i.e. 50 times of normal rent, the official cited above said. A the decision to modify the rules was formally taken by the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government in 2015. Senior Congress leader and Punjab CM Captain Amarinder Singh, protested the move and urged the Centre to revoke the order, citing the perceived security threat to the Gandhi family. Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has decided to extend his support to Nepal PM KP Sharma Oli who is finding himself increasingly isolated within the ruling Nepal Communist Party after blaming India for a rebellion in his party, people familiar with the development told Hindustan Times. PM Oli had on Sunday accused his detractors of trying to push him out of power, accusing India and politicians in Nepal of being involved in a conspiracy to topple him for publishing the countrys new map that depicts Lipulekh, Kalapani, and Limpiyadhura as part of Nepalese territory. This accusation, however, appeared on Tuesday to have backfired on PM Oli after rival leaders such as Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda demanded that he quit his leadership role in the party and government. They had earlier given him an option to retain one of the two posts. Imran Khans outreach to PM Oli comes at a time when he is struggling to stay in power. Officials told HT that Islamabad had sent a formal communication to the Nepalese foreign ministry to fix a time for Imran Khans phone call to PM Oli. Imran Khan has proposed a 12 noon phone call on Thursday (12.45 pm Nepal Time, 12.30 pm IST). Also Read: How Nepals PM is harming ties Diplomatic sources said it is obvious that the flavour of the conversation is going to be India. Imran Khans Pakistan has accused India of engineering the terrorist attack at the Pakistan Stock Exchange in Karachi while PM Oli has been accusing India of destablising his government. The phone call comes at a time Xi Jinpings China is engaged in a standoff with India over Ladakh. The two prime ministers also owe a huge debt to China for projects that critics say, largely serve Beijings interests. China is their common link, a Kathmandu watcher said. On the domestic front, PM Olis move to come out with a redraw his countrys political map and whip up ultra-nationalistic sentiments was an attempt to consolidate his support within the party. PM Oli tried to use it to the hilt this weekend, imputing motives to his rivals who want to see his back. Prachanda and Oli are co-chairs of Nepals communist party. Oli is, however, seen to lean a little too heavily towards China and has managed to hold on to the PMs post due to Beijings intervention in the past. PM Olis hard push to redraw the Himalayan nations political map to create a dispute with New Delhi was also timed to serve Chinas interests. After the Indian Air Force (IAF)s Balakot strike to avenge Pulwama, the Congress had reached out to three domain experts to help it formulate its political responses. They included two former foreign secretaries and a general who once headed the northern command. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had built the February, 2019 attack on a terror hideout in Pakistan into a major plank for the April-May parliamentary polls. Broadly, the experts told the Congress leadership to hold fire and not rush into launching fusillades without getting a full sense of the complexities of the situation. The partys first responses in the military-diplomatic state of play were very much in order. Priyanka Gandhi cancelled a press conference scheduled in Lucknow on February 14, the day the Central Reserve Police Force convoy came under attack from a suicide bomber. She refused to talk politics, observing instead a two minute silence in memory of the jawans who died. Rahul Gandhi was, then, the president of the Congress. His first tweet on February 26 saluted the IAF pilots who staged the airstrike. In that watershed moment, the entire political class was on the same page, barring Mehbooba Mufti who sounded sceptical on the outcome of the pre-dawn swoop. Unravelled by the exigencies of poll-time politics, the consensus was short-lived. The Congress expended the good advice that had come its way. It forgot the lessons of the May-July Kargil war of 1999 Indias first televised armed conflict that ran parallel to the campaign for the September-October parliamentary polls the same year. The partys sniper shots at Atal Bihari Vajpayee especially on the import of sugar from Pakistan didnt cut ice with the people. The war had happened within weeks of the Congress having toppled him as prime minister (PM), but having failed to put together an alternative regime. The mountain battle was the result of a lax border vigil that helped Pakistani troops walk deep inside on our territory. The intelligence-security failure would have brought down the personal ratings of any prime minister. Yet, such was the principal Oppositions crisis of credibility that it let the incumbent win as a caretaker PM. The BJPs tally stayed static but the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) gained over a dozen seats. Its aggregate of 270 was tantalisingly close to the magic 272 that had eluded the Congress after it dislodged Vajpayee by one vote. The Congress hasnt evidently learned much from the political costs it paid for taking on a charismatic adversary without a formidable counter-narrative. The mistakes of 1999 that it repeated in 2019 are evident again in the face of the India-China military stand-off. The Congress-BJP duel after the June 20 all-party meeting on the Galwan valley clashes is a replay of the post-Balakot name-calling. Coincidentally, an electoral joust is also due this year to the Bihar assembly where the NDA is seeking to grab the first-mover advantage by eulogising the men of the Bihar regiment who died fighting the Chinese. While the BJP is reaching out to the people with its story of Ladakh, the Congress struggles to cull a cogent script out of a host of issues Chinas military challenge; the pandemic; the sliding economy: loss of jobs; and human suffering of hundreds of thousands of migrant workers. The Opposition had sound reasons to not be satisfied with the PMs statement at the all party meet. But legitimate questions get delegitimised when posed petulantly. Little wonder then that Rahuls Surender Modi taunt reminiscent of his 2019 chowkidardig at the PM found oblique disapprovals at the June 23 Congress Working Committee (CWC) parleys. A major United Progressive Alliance partner and former defence minister Sharad Pawar was more in-the-face when he referred to the territory India lost in the 1962 war with China. His call against politicisation of issues of national security came after the CWC meeting. There was a silence of acquiescence when a CWC member, who spoke before Rahul and Priyanka, underscored the pitfalls of personalising the political discourse. He reminded the gathering that the party defeated the NDA in 2004, not by besmirching Vajpayee but by taking down his India shining plank. The short-point he made was that policy and governance-failures, for which the ruling side must be criticised, can get clouded by individual mud fights. He wasnt contradicted till Rahul took the floor, forcefully stating that he wasnt, unlike others, scared of taking on Modi. The assertion fetched him polite support from others, including Priyanka. A frontline Congress parliamentarian was prompted nevertheless to correct the impression that other leaders were loathe to dare Modi. He drew attention to the speeches he had made to make the PM accountable to the House. Another party veteran had an interesting caveat to the imperative of questioning Modi: We must question him, but not in the manner of Mani Shankar Aiyar... The allusion was to Aiyars chaiwala taunt that cost the Congress dear in the 2014 polls. The hiatus on how to deal with the conundrum thats Modi came out starkly when a first-time CWC member complained that Rahuls tweets werent often re-tweeted by other colleagues. The irony inherent in the complaint was hard to ignore. For, many among those present believed that being led by Twitter isnt the best way to deal with a rival who is better received across media platforms. By Mairead McArdle June 30, 2020 " Information Clearing House " - A U.S. intelligence official claims that intelligence reports alleging Russia offered bounty payments to Taliban militants to target American forces in Afghanistan were uncorroborated and hence not presented to President Trump as part of his briefings on national security matters. The unidentified intelligence official told CBS News Catherine Herridge that the National Security Agency assessed that the intelligence collection report does not match well-established and verifiable Taliban and Haqqani practices and lacks sufficient reporting to corroborate any links. The report reached low levels of the National Security Council but did not travel further up the chain of command and was not included in briefings with the president or vice president because it was deemed uncorroborated and there was dissent in the intelligence community about the veracity of the allegations. Last week, reports broke that U.S. intelligence found that at least one American soldier, as well as a number of Afghan civilians, died as a result of secret bounty payments that Russia paid to Taliban militants in Afghanistan. Several American service-members died as a result of monetary rewards that a Russian military intelligence unit offered to terrorist militants to target U.S. and allied forces in Afghanistan, the Washington Post reported. A similar report in the New York Times said that President Trump was briefed on the bounty allegations a claim the White House denied. Trump said in a tweet Sunday night that intelligence officials did not brief him on the allegations because they did not find them credible, adding that the information was possibly another fabricated Russia Hoax. Nobodys been tougher on Russia than the Trump administration, he added in another tweet. White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany said Monday that neither the president nor the vice president were briefed on the matter and said the intelligence about the alleged Russian bounty payments has not been verified. There is no consensus within the intelligence community on these allegations, McEnany said. There are dissenting opinions from some in the intelligence community with regards to the veracity of whats being reported, and the veracity of the underlying allegations continue to be evaluated. Members of Congress on both sides of the aisle have demanded answers about the reports of alleged Russian bounty payments. Representative Liz Cheney, who ranks third in House GOP leadership, called on the White House to explain why the president and vice president were not briefed on the intelligence as well as what has been done to protect American forces and hold Russia accountable if the intelligence is true. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer have both called for briefings on the matter for all members of their respective chambers. The administrations disturbing silence and inaction endanger the lives of our troops and our coalition partners, Pelosi said. The U.S. has long accused Moscow of supporting the Taliban with weapons and other aid but has never accused Russia of soliciting Taliban members with bounties to kill U.S. forces and allies. The Kremlin has denied the reports that it solicited militants with bounties to target American forces. - " Source " - The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Information Clearing House. Post your comment below Wishing Bangladesh on Mujib Barsho, Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan on Monday said that India and Bangladesh should look now at the trade in the services instead of just trade in goods. As we celebrate Mujib Barsho this year and the 50th year of liberation of Bangladesh as well as the establishment of diplomatic relations next year, we must do all that it takes to ensure that values that we fought and stood for remain cherished, Muraleedharan said during a digital conference on Doing Business with Bangladesh. He said that India and Bangladesh have scripted a Shonali Adhyaya -- a golden chapter -- in their partnership, under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. As we are also looking at creating a new economic partnership for the future, there are opportunities to go beyond trade in goods and look at the trade in services, he said. He further said, As India and Bangladesh share the largest border, we need to focus on the socio-economic development of bordering districts on both sides. Sometimes for want of opportunities available, we have criminal elements committing crimes, attacking security forces and disturbing the peace and harmony that exists between our two countries. There is an urgent need to focus on the development of these areas and therefore haats spread along the border is a welcome development. In the same spirit, we should cooperate on developmental works that get undertaken on either side of the border. Speaking on Indias role in Bangladeshs Made in Bangladesh brand, he said, We see Bangladesh as a partner in the value chain. India will continue to be a reliable and efficient supplier of raw material to Bangladesh. I recommend that we explore more cooperation in this important sector like facilitating exchanges between our premier textile design institutes, capacity building, textile machinery etc. The Minister of State said that both India and Bangladesh have been able to maintain a low mortality rate amid the coronavirus pandemic despite having a dense population. India has conducted an online programme for medical professionals exclusively in Bangla language at the request of Bangladeshi participants and we stand prepared to further assist Bangladesh in mitigating the health and economic impact of the pandemic. Indian Navy is sending a dozen high-powered, bigger capacity and top-of-the-line surveillance equipped steel boats to Ladakh so that the Indian Army can patrol Pangong Tso and match the heavier Type 928 B vessels of the Chinese Army lake fleet. The Pangong Tso lake is at the centre of Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) aggression in East Ladakh with the Chinese bullying India into ceding territory on both the banks and deliberately pushing the Modi government into retaliatory mode. While the third senior military commander level talks stretched late into Tuesday night at Chushul, the word out is that they were held in cordial atmosphere with both the Leh Corps Commander and his Xinjiang Military district counterpart discussing the specifics of de-escalation and dis-engagement along the 3488 km Line of Actual Control (LAC). The decision to send steel hulled boats to Pangong Tso was taken by the tri-services this week with the Navy asked to transport the vessels through C-17 heavy lift transporters to Leh on a priority basis. Apart from signalling Indian intent to stand up strong to any Chinese provocation, the heavier vessels will not be pushed around in the water by PLA boat fleet. Even though there are some logistical issues in transporting the huge boats by plane, solutions are being worked out by both Indian Navy and Army. The Indian Navy is forwardly deployed on its eastern and western seaboards with its naval fleets monitoring the movement of ships from Andamans Sea to Persian Gulf to prevent any untoward activity. While ostensibly China is talking peace and disengagement in the East Ladakh, it is quite evident to Indian national security planners that the PLA is actually consolidating on the four stand-off points along the 1597 KM LAC in the western sector. The amassing of troops in the Galwan sector, the building of road at Gogra point, the upgradations of communications at Hot Springs and the massive infra push at the Pangong Tso all shows that the PLA has no intentions to restore status quo ante. Instead, the PLA is hell-bent on provoking Indian Army by trying to nibble more territory and force an escalation on the border. The Modi government has given Indian military a free hand to deal with the situation on the border as China has decided to turn the difference on the LAC into permanent dispute. The Indian troops and air force are all standing up to the PLA but will not initiate escalation on their own but only responds to the Chinese aggression. Just like 2001 Operation Parakram, Indian Forces are prepared to wait till such time status quo ante is restored in East Ladakh. Even as the world, particularly the US and Russia, are waking up to new Chinese aggression, the Middle kingdom has always been a civilizational concept with Beijing rulers in the past two centuries. In this concept the only refined society is China with the rest of world being barbarians or tributary states. By contesting sovereignty of Senkaku islands with Japan, contesting Taiwan security with US, contesting South China Sea with ASEAN and forcing India into a military stand-off in Ladakh, China is cocking a snook at the globe. The Indian and Chinese armies stressed the need for expeditious, phased and step-wise de-escalation along the contested Line of Actual Control (LAC) on priority during a 12-hour meeting between senior military commanders at Chushul in Ladakh on Tuesday as part of ongoing efforts to cool heightened border tensions, people familiar with the developments said on Wednesday, on the condition of anonymity. The discussions reflected the commitment of both sides to reduce tensions along the disputed border, said one of the persons cited above, adding that the disengagement process would be complex. More meetings are expected both at the military and at the diplomatic level to arrive at a mutually-agreeable solution and to ensure peace and tranquility along the LAC as per bilateral agreements and protocols, he said. This was the third meeting between delegations led by Lieutenant General Harinder Singh, commander of the Leh-based 14 Corps, and Major General Liu Lin, commander of the South Xinjiang military region; and the second after the brutal clash at Galwan Valley that left 20 Indian and an unconfirmed number of Chinese soldiers dead. The Galwan Valley clash, which took place on June 15, derailed an earlier disengagement plan. India and China have been engaged in discussions through established military and diplomatic channels to address the situation along the LAC in India-China border areas, said the second person cited above. He said the focus of the June 30 meeting was to discuss issues related to disengagement at the face-off sites along the LAC and de-escalation from the border areas. Both sides have emphasised the need for an expeditious, phased and step wise de-escalation as a priority. This is in keeping with the agreement between external affairs minister and his Chinese counterpart during their conversation on June 17 that the overall situation would be handled in a responsible manner, and that both sides would implement the disengagement understanding of June 6 sincerely, the second person added. The two delegations last met on June 22 when they hammered out a consensus on disengaging from friction points along the disputed border during an 11-hour meeting. The mutual consensus to disengage from all friction areas reached eight days ago has neither enabled any disengagement on the ground nor led to the thinning of military build-up by rival forces in the region, as reported by Hindustan Times on Wednesday. The June 30 meeting was held in a businesslike manner keeping in view the Covid-19 protocols. The discussions reflected the commitment of both sides to reduce the tensions along the LAC. The process of disengagement along the LAC is complex and in such a context, speculative and unsubstantiated reports need to be avoided, said the first person cited above. The two senior officers first met on June 6 to ease growing tensions along the LAC. The limited military disengagement that began in some friction areas after the first meeting was derailed after the bloodshed in Galwan Valley. The Indian side on Tuesday reiterated its demand for the pullback of Chinese troops from the friction points and sought the restoration of status quo ante (early April) in key areas including Pangong Tso, Galwan Valley and the strategic Depsang plains. The latest meeting took place at Chushul on the Indian side of the LAC, while the previous two meetings were held at Moldo on the Chinese side. China has not halted but instead ramped up its military activity in Finger Area near Pangong Tso, Galwan Valley and Depsang Plains after the senior officers last met on June 22. India is especially concerned about the Chinese Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) holding positions in the Finger Area where it has set up permanent bunkers, pillboxes, tented camps and observation posts in areas New Delhi considers its territory, as reported by HT on Tuesday.. The situation is equally critical from the Indian standpoint in the Depsang sector as the PLA has mobilised troops, weapons and other military equipment in sensitive areas, with its forward presence disrupting the armys patrolling patterns there. Both India and China have significantly reinforced their deployments with thousands of soldiers, fighter jets, helicopters, tanks, heavy artillery, missiles and air defence systems in the region. The Chinese buildup in other areas including Galwan Valley and the Gogra Post-Hot Springs sector hasnt thinned either. Satellite imagery dated June 22, released by US firm Maxar Technologies, shows not only is the PLA holding ground in Galwan Valley but has also shored up its military positions in the area, as reported by HT on June 25. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON June was the worst month for Maharashtra as far as the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) outbreak was concerned, as the state reported over 5,500 deaths due to the viral infection during the month. Though the state had reported 2,286 Covid-19 related deaths till May 31, 5,569 fatalities were reported in June alone. However, the figure also included deaths that were reconciled and added to the tally because of certain discrepancies over the data. Maharashtra has reported 7,855 Covid-19 related deaths to date, including 245 fresh fatalities on Tuesday the second single-highest on a day. So far, the state has also recorded 174,761 Covid-19 positive cases, including 4,878 fresh viral outbreaks on Tuesday. In June, Maharashtra reported 107,106 Covid-19 positive cases, which is 61.29% of the states total viral load. Also, 61,582 patients had recovered from the viral infection in June. The state had reported its first Covid-19 positive case on March 9 and the tally rose to 302 by March 31. In April and May, Maharashtra had reported 10,498 and 67,655 Covid-19 positive cases, respectively. Officials said the state is likely to cross the two-lakh mark by the first week of July, if the current trend holds. The civic authorities have announced a 10-day total lockdown in Thane, Kalyan-Dombivli, and Mira-Bhayander from July 2 to 12 because of a spike in Covid-19 positive cases in the densely-populated Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR). The state government is pulling out all stops to bring down the case fatality rate (CFR), which is at 4.49%. It is procuring life-saving antiviral drugs such as Remdesivir and Favipiravir and has also sought 5,000 ventilators from the Central government. The Kerala government on Wednesday announced the Dream Kerala Project to rehabilitate expatriates who returned amid the Covid-19 pandemic. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said at least 60 per cent of the returnees have lost their jobs and it is the duty of the government to rehabilitate them and make use of their expertise. Their contributions are immense. They played a key role in the development of the state. It is our duty to help them, he said. The CM said ideas will be invited from expatriates and public for new projects and after vetting them they will be implemented in a time-bound manner. We have formed three different committees and we are planning to start these projects in 100 days. We will engage them and make use of their expertise for the development of the state, the CM said adding these projects include IT, biotech, small-scale units, farming and food processing. But he did not spell out the exact plan allocation for the project. He said 870 flights arrived from six west Asian countries since the first week of May, out of which 446 were from the United Arab Emirates. Almost 1,50,000 expatriates have returned and the state is expecting at least 2.50 lakh more, he said. When the state government started a website for those who want to return in May first week at least 4.50 lakh registered. There are an estimated 18 lakh people from the state working in Gulf countries. Many of the expatriates were rendered jobless amid the pandemic and were forced to return. Meanwhile, as Covid-19 cases continue to rise, the government has also decided to include private hospitals in Covid-19 treatment. It has also asked teachers and government servants to be part of the ongoing fight against the pandemic. It is a joint fight. All should be part of it, he said. After 60 CISF personnel tested positive in Kannur airport the state government has deputed a senior officer to coordinate their treatment. Some of these personnel have joined duty after long leave infecting others also, health officials said. Kerala reported 151 new Covid-19 cases on Wednesday taking the tally to 4,592. Out of this figure, 2,435 have recovered while 2,130 are active cases. The state has reported 25 deaths so far. Its death rate is under one per cent and the recovery rate is the highest in the country. In a bid to help the state public transport system tide over Covid-19 crisis, Kerala government has announced a 25% hike in fares of state-run and private buses as an interim measure. State transport minister AK Saseendran said the minimum charge would remain Rs 8, however, the fare would be calculated for first 2.5 kilometres instead of 5 kilometres. The announcement comes after a judicial commission, appointed to look into the problems faced by the transport industry, made a recommendation in favour of a hike in the bus fare, news agency PTI reported. Also read: Section 144 imposed in Mumbai till July 15 amid spike in Covid-19 cases The fare revision commission headed by Justice M Ramachandran also recommended raising the concession rate for students but the state cabinet has decided not to increase it for now. We have also decided not to change the special fares for students as there are no educational institutions functioning. So that fare remains the same, Saseendran stated. We decided not to increase the minimum charge but reduced the minimum distance, the minister added. Kerala, the first state in India to have reported cases of coronavirus, has registered 4,442 Covid-19 patients till date of whom 2,306 have recovered and 24 have died. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad underscored on Wednesday that the ban on Chinese mobile apps is a great opportunity to help Indians come up with good apps of their own and end foreign dependence for such things. In the wake of the ban which we have imposed...I think it is a great opportunity. Can we come up with good apps made by Indians? Let the dependence on foreign apps, with their own agenda for a variety of reasons, stop, said the IT and telecom minister. Citing national security concerns, the central government on Monday decided to ban 59 mobile applications, including the wildly popular TikTok, linked to China. Government officials told Hindustan Times that the deliberations to ban the apps were fast-tracked after June 15 violent scrap between soldiers at Galwan valley in eastern Ladakh. A statement by Ravi Shankar Prasads information technology ministry said the decision was taken as these applications were engaged in activities prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India, security of state and public order. Beijing on Tuesday said it was strongly concerned about New Delhis decision to ban Chinese mobile applications. It stressed on cooperation between the two countries and underlined that the ban would go against Indias interests. TikTok, a video-sharing platform to create short videos, stopped working in India on Tuesday as the company appeared to comply with the ban. It also no longer came up in searches on the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store, while the company disabled the webpage. Some of the other prominent applications such as WeChat and CamScanner continued to work and were available on the application stores of both platforms till Tuesday night. TikTok, according to Bloomberg data, had nearly 200 million users in India as of January this year and had become one of the most prominent social media tools used by young Indians. In a statement issued by TikToK, the companys India head, Nikhil Gandhi, said they have been invited to meet with concerned government stakeholders for an opportunity to respond and submit clarifications. While the Indian government has often cited the lockdown as a vital factor that helped control the spread of Covid-19, Professor Sunetra Gupta, an epidemiologist at Oxford University, says lockdown is a drastic measure and may not be a long-term solution. I think lockdown is really a drastic strategy which is being implemented rather widely without any consideration as to what costs it imposes. I have been pushing for a while now to consider the costs of lockdown and to urge governments to reopen rather being in a state of lockdown or keep on re-imposing lockdowns in the hope of somehow eliminating or eradicating this virus, she told HT in an interview. Professor Gupta acknowledged that lockdown may have reduced transmission of Covid-19. Lockdown has some effects. It does reduce transmission. Lockdown played a role in the dissemination of the virus to out of some metropolitan areas both in the UK and Germany and various parts of Europe. But I dont know if thats a long-term solution. She also rubbished comparisons among countries about the impact of Covid-19. It is nonsensical to compare India to Germany or the UK or to the US or Brazil as if there is a sort of a beauty contest going on. Essentially the virus is spreading through a geographical kind of dimension. It starts in China and I am very surprised that it hadnt already arrived in India, in certain parts of India particularly metropolitan areas. I am very surprised that it may not have arrived and spread through significantly before lockdown, Professor Gupta said. Asked whether the use of BCG vaccine in India could be a reason for the comparatively lower mortality rate from Covid-19, she said it was unlikely. I very much doubt it could be the BCG vaccine which doesnt even do the job it is supposed to do which is to protect against TB so if it protects against coronavirus that would be something. The virus doesnt affect everyone equally so there is vulnerable sector of the population who are at risk of diseases and death. Some of those are very frail, elderly populations, she said. Maharashtra Chief minister Uddhav Thackeray performed special prayers at the Lord Vitthal temple in Pandharpur on early Wednesday morning on the auspicious occasion of Ashadi Ekadashi. He prayed for making Maharashtra and the world free from the raging coronavirus disease (Covid-19) outbreak and healthy life for one and all. I (Uddhav Thackeray) prayed to the Lord that now I want to see magic. Show me that magic because as humans our hands are clasped. We dont have medicine or anything else. How to live with a mask on our faces? Start destroying corona from today and give the entire world a happy and healthy life, tweeted Chief Ministers office (CMO). This was the first time that Thackeray offered prayers at the Pandharpur temple as Maharashtra CM. It is a long-standing tradition in Maharashtra for the CM and his spouse to attend the morning prayers at the Lord Vitthal temple in Pandharpur on the auspicious occasion of Ashadi Ekadashi. Also read: Section 144 imposed in Mumbai till July 15 amid spike in Covid-19 cases Thackeray was accompanied by his wife Rashmi and son Aaditya, who is also the states environment and tourism minister. Despite Shiv Sena being part of previous governments, the Thackerays never took part in this tradition, as no member had contested any election till recently. Aaditya was the first member of the family to contest and win the assembly elections last year. Thackeray, too, got elected this year as a member of the Legislative Council to retain his post as the CM. Traditionally, lakhs of warkaris (pilgrims) devotees of Lord Vitthal undertake the wari (pilgrimage) on foot from across Maharashtra and reach Pandharpur on Ashadi Ekadashi, which was observed on Wednesday. The authorities had decided to keep the celebrations low-key this year because of the Covid-19 outbreak. Also read: June turns out to be the worst month for Maharashtra with 5,569 Covid-19 deaths They had decided that this year, the wari, with the padukas (footprints) of Saint Dnyaneshwar, Saint Tukaram, and seven others would be taken to Pandharpur by bus with a limited number of people, not on foot as it is traditionally done. Pandharpur district collector has also decided to close the temple to devotees between July 1 and 15 in a bid to maintain social distancing norms because of the viral outbreak. China-backed UN Security Council (UNSC) statement on June 29 Karachi Stock Exchange terror attack has been delayed much to the chagrin of the proposer after fellow council members expressed unhappiness over Pakistan trying to blame India for the strike. As many as 19 people died in the attack, apart from four terrorists of the Balochistan Liberation Army. According to diplomats based in New York, China on Tuesday proposed a UNSC statement on the attack and put it under silence till 4 pm (US East Coast Time). While such statements are routinely issued by the UNSC after a terror attack, fellow UNSC members intervened at the last moment expressing reservations on uncalled statements by Pakistan. Politically beleaguered Prime Minister Imran Khan followed rising star foreign minister Makdoom Shah Mehmood Qureshi in blaming India for the attack without even a shred of evidence. India on its part has totally rejected the outlandish charge. It is understood that fellow UNSC members said the matter should not be dealt by the security council after Qureshis statement had vitiated the atmosphere by blaming an elect non-permanent member of the council. Also read: No doubt India behind attack on Karachi stock exchange, says Pak PM Imran Khan While the UNSC statement is expected to be issued later in the day today, the Chinese diplomats expressed their frustration on the issue to other members by saying that it is the obligation of the UNSC to lend its voice in time. One Chinese diplomat in UN said that taking action slowly will send a bad signal to others and the victims. It is another matter that China blocked designation of Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar as global terrorist under 1267 resolution at the behest of Pakistan. An internal communication from the Chinese diplomat recorded that they had to extend the silence process after a member asked for extension at the last minute. The procedure is now stands extended till 10 am (East Time) on July 1, 2020. Also read: 2 Taj hotels in Mumbai get threat calls from LeT operative in Pak, cops step up vigil While the Chinese UN diplomats have asked the Council members to act seriously and follow the rules, fact is that the Karachi Stock Exchange attack has been condemned by UN Secretary General, members of the Security Council and India, which is outside the council. Learning From the Past: History Provides Clues into Israels West Bank Annexation Since 1948, Israel has annexed, occupied, taken, destroyed, built, and renamed everything from individual homes and property to public spaces, to historic monuments. And it has no intention, or reason, to stop. By Miko Peled June 30, 2020 " Information Clearing House " - Palestine has been annexed, occupied, stolen, and Palestinians have been dispossessed, exiled, caged, detained, subjected to an apartheid regime, and killed by the state of Israel for over seven decades. Every few years the world wakes up to protest some aspect of Israeli apartheid, occupation, or a massacre, and then it returns safely to its deep slumber. Every so often, Israel manages to awaken the angst of the European Union and other international organizations with some announcement or another, a murderous attack on Palestinians, a declaration of annexation or sovereignty, and then, as if under the influence of a spell, the angst disappears just as fast as it arose. What usually follows is a long procession of world leaders coming to visit Israel or inviting the Israeli prime minister to their capital to bestow their love and respect for him and the so-called Jewish State. This time seems to be no different. The Israeli annexation of the Palestinian Jordan River Valley has brought about the worlds displeasure. A violation of human rights, says Michelle Bachelet, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. We hear that it is a violation of international law and the end of the prospect for peace, as though this is unprecedented and as though it was unexpected. It has long been clear that Israel would annex part of the West Bank, and it was obvious that the Jordan River Valley the eastern part of the West Bank was the most likely to be first. Annexing the entire eastern part of the West Bank means Palestinians will be cut off from the international border with Jordan and will be surrounded by Israel on all sides. Israel wants access to that land, which currently provides West Bank Palestinians some 50 percent of their agricultural products, and wants complete access to the Jordan River. What Will It Mean What exactly is the declaration of sovereignty and annexation? No one seems to know for sure. Israeli military experts admit they were not informed as to the details of the move. Israeli politicians are vague and Palestinians, well, no one talked to them, and in any case, people in positions of power dont care what they think. No Advertising - No Government Grants - This Is Independent Media Get Our Free Daily Newsletter Saeb Erikat, who still holds to the title of Palestinian Chief Negotiator, said in an interview with the Israeli television channel Ynet, that the situation is very severe. I have never seen it more severe than I see it now. Much of the Israeli press is focused on what the potential Palestinian response may be, and particularly if Israelis should expect violence. Considering the fact that for over seven decades now, Palestinians have been on the receiving end of Israeli violence, it is a cynical thing to ask. According to leaks from a meeting of Israels top security chiefs though, the answer to that question is unclear. While the army and Shabak (Israels secret police) chiefs claim there will be a violent reaction and that Israelis will see terrorism rise, the Mossad chief claims that scenario is unlikely. Either way, Israel never cared much for what Palestinians think and is not concerned with their reactions. Knowing all too well where his support lies in the United States, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gave a speech to Christians United for Israel (CUFI). CUFI is amongst the largest pro-Israel groups in the United States. Netanyahu spoke of the annexation of in biblical terms. He spoke of biblical lands and what he called Israeli sovereignty over Jewish communities. He also made the point that these areas are also a part of what he called, Christian identity, and part of Our common civilization. His speech, like previous comments hes made on the topic, did not clarify what the annexation will entail. Who Wants Annexation Israels most influential political block, known as the Right Block, wants all of the Palestinian West Bank to be annexed and for Israeli sovereignty to be declared on all of its Jewish settlements. Israels political right is made up largely, though not exclusively, of religious Zionists, and settling the West Bank is their number one priority. Annexation will not only give them a political boost, it will make the construction of new Jewish settlements much easier. Whereas today, construction of new Jewish settlements in the West Bank must be approved by the prime minister, Israels declaration of sovereignty would make it a matter for local councils. Learning from the Past In 1948, the Western part of Jerusalem was conquered by Israeli forces and Palestinian residents were forcibly exiled. Not a single Palestinian was permitted to remain or return and overnight, the city became the capital of Israel. The world stood still then, and it stood still when the eastern part of the city was taken in 1967. Then, in 1980, Israel announced its sovereignty over East Jerusalem, or in other words, annexed the eastern part of the city. The UN Security Council reacted by passing resolution 476, which among other things reaffirmed that acquisition of territory by force is inadmissible. The resolution stated that the Security Council was Gravely concerned over the legislative steps initiated in the Israeli Knesset with the aim of changing the character and status of the Holy City of Jerusalem. Furthermore, it stated that it Strongly deplores the continued refusal of Israel, the occupying Power, to comply with the relevant resolutions of the Security Council and the General Assembly. It also reiterated that all such measures which have altered the geographic, demographic and historical character and status of the Holy City of Jerusalem are null and void and must be rescinded in compliance with the relevant resolutions of the Security Council. A year later, in 1981, Israel declared its sovereignty over the Syrian Golan Heights. The UN security council passed resolution 497 which states, among other things, that it is once again Reaffirming that the acquisition of territory by force is inadmissible, in accordance with the United Nations Charter, the principles of international law, and relevant Security Council resolutions. The Security Council declared that it Decides that the Israeli decision to impose its laws, jurisdiction, and administration in the occupied Syrian Golan Heights is null and void and without international legal effect. It even Demands that Israel, the occupying power, should rescind forthwith its decision. Israel, of course, did not adhere to the UN resolutions, and no action was taken to sanction Israel. There is no Israel proper In 1948, the Zionist movement created the state of Israel in Palestine. By years end, 78 percent of Palestine had become Israel, and close to one million Palestinians were forcibly exiled. The rest of Palestine became Israel in 1967. Israel has annexed, occupied, taken, destroyed, built, and renamed everything from individual homes and property to public spaces, to historic monuments. And it has no intention, or reason, to stop. The issue at hand is not a proper Israel doing something that is illegal. It is an illegal entity that has planted itself in Palestine continuing its pursuit of illegal activity. The race to create the mythical Greater Israel in Palestine, with the new temple in place of the Al-Aqsa Mosque in its center has been going on in full force. It is a never-ending project that is well funded, well planned, and very well executed. Only isolation, boycotts sanctions, and divestment have the ability to stop it and to save Palestine. Feature photo | Two Israeli soldiers drag a Palestinian to the ground, Nov. 19, 1996 as he protests the bulldozing of his land near the Jewish settlement of Efrat in the West Bank. Jacqueline Arzt | AP Miko Peled is an author and human rights activist born in Jerusalem. He is the author of The Generals Son. Journey of an Israeli in Palestine, and Injustice, the Story of the Holy Land Foundation Five. - " Source " - The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Information Clearing House. Post your comment below US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Wednesday applauded Indias sweeping ban on Chinese apps including TikTok, saying New Delhi was ensuring its own security. We welcome Indias ban on certain mobile apps from China, Pompeo told reporters, saying the move would boost Indias integrity and national security. TikTok on Tuesday denied sharing users data with the Chinese government, after India banned the wildly popular app as ties with Beijing deteriorate sharply following a deadly border clash. Watch | Mike Pompeo backs Indias ban on Chinese apps, says move will boost integrity Blaming each other for the brutal hand-to-hand battle on June 15 as talks make little headway, the Asian giants have been bolstering their border forces as anti-China sentiment grows in India. Prime Minister Narendra Modis government on Monday banned 59 Chinese apps including TikTok, WeChat and Weibo. The ministry of information technology said the apps are engaged in activities... prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India, security of state and public order. The move mirrored growing unease about Chinese tech firms in other countries, in particular regarding telecom giant Huawei. TikTok, owned by Chinas ByteDance, allows users to upload and share short videos and is spectacularly popular in India -- its 120 million users have made it the apps top international market. On Tuesday, the head of TikTok India issued a statement saying the firm has not shared any information of our users in India with any foreign government, including the Chinese government. Further if we are requested to in the future we would not do so, Nikhil Gandhi said, adding that hundreds of millions of users, artists, story-tellers, educators and performers... (depend) on it for their livelihood. It remains unclear, however, how the bans would work, with Indians who have downloaded TikTok on their phones still able to use the app on Tuesday. At a time when India and China are locked in a standoff along the contested Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh, the military is also keeping a strict vigil on the western front to deter Pakistan from fishing in troubled waters and prevent what could turn out to be a two-front conflict, officials and China watchers said on Wednesday. Reports prepared by the parliamentary standing committee on defence over the last decade have delved into the threat China and Pakistan could pose together. Pakistan was likely to step up hostilities if China were to launch offensive operations against India, a senior Indian Air Force (IAF) officer told the committee in 2014. He, however, stressed that China might not pose a collusive threat if hostilities were to break out between India and Pakistan. Officials tracking recent military developments in the region discounted the likelihood of India being drawn into a war on two fronts, but asserted that the armed forces were ready to ward off all threats. The possibility of a two-front war is unlikely. But we have to stay militarily prepared to tackle a combined threat from China and Pakistan, said an official who spoke on the condition of anonymity. The Indian military describes a collusive threat from China and Pakistan as Contingency-III , a second official said, asking not to be identified. Contingency 1 and 2 refer to individual threats from the two countries. Three nuclear-armed countries may not go to war at the same time. But China and Pakistan have deep-rooted military links. No matter how remote the possibility of a two-front threat, the Indian armed forces must stay prepared for any eventuality, said Lieutenant General DS Hooda (retd), a former Northern Army commander. The army has moved around 30,000 soldiers, several squadrons of frontline tanks, additional artillery pieces and fully-ready mechanised infantry squads to the Ladakh sector as part of its expanding efforts to strengthen its deployments in response to fortified Chinese military presence in the region, as reported by HT on Wednesday. Some of the assets have been drawn from formations in the western sector where favourable combat ratios exist to deal with Pakistan. The armed forces have raised their guard and are prepared to respond to any provocation or threatening actions along Indias borders, a third official, who too did not want to be named, said. Recent encroachment by China in the Depsang plains and Galwan Valley have strengthened the possibility of the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) attempting to cut through northern Ladakh and link up with the Pakistani forces in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in a war scenario, strategic affairs expert Brahma Chellaney told HT. Tensions along LAC have flared up after an ugly India-China skirmish in Galwan Valley on June 15, which killed 20 Indian Army soldiers and an undisclosed number of PLA troops. According to Indias assessment, Chinas casualties were twice the number on the Indian side. In his deposition before the parliamentary standing committee two years ago, a senior army officer said the modernisation of both Chinese and Pakistani militaries was going on in full swing, and it was critical to stay prepared for a joint threat from the neighbours. China is competing to reach the levels of the United States. It is important that we remain deterrent as far as these are concerned. The possibility of a two-front war is a realityIt is important that we are conscious of the issue and pay attention to our modernisation and filling up our deficiencies, he told the panel that tabled its report in Parliament in March 2018. The panel said it was important to channelise sufficient budget to modernise the Indian military and fill capability caps to take on the two-front challenge, referring to the deficiencies and obsolescence of weapons, stores and ammunition in the Indian military arsenal. Some of these gaps have been addressed, the third official said. Several capabilities have been added. New fighter jets are about to be inducted, attack and heavy-lift helicopters have joined service, we have new air defence systems and the army has got new artillery guns and several other weapons, the third official said on Wednesday. The military has been conducting exercises to deal with a two-front threat. Prominent among those drills was the Gaganshakti-2018 exercise that tested the Indian Air Forces readiness and stamina for a two-front war. The largest-of-its-kind exercise saw IAF move its frontline assets from the western sector to the eastern front in less than 48 hours. Another report dealing with the challenges of a two-front war was tabled in Parliament as recently as January 2019. In order to meet the challenges of a two-front war, IAF has to be equipped with essential combat capabilities and modern ground facilities, the report stressed. IAF has increased its combat potential manifold during the last five to six years and it is capable for carrying out any task assigned to it in any sector, said a fourth official. Things, however, didnt look as good a few years ago when the IAF admitted that it would be difficult for it to tackle a combined threat from China and Pakistan. In March 2016, then IAF vice-chief Air Marshal BS Dhanoa (later air chief) said the IAF did not have sufficient number of warplanes to fight a two-front war. Our numbers are not adequate to fully execute an air campaign in a two-front scenario, Dhanoa then said. Business daily MINT has won the best Newspaper Front Page Design award at WAN-IFRAs 19th Asian Media Awards for a striking page design, which featured Prime Minister Narendra Modi accepting the peoples mandate after the results for the 2019 Lok Sabha polls were declared in May last year. HT Medias business newspaper Mint won the prestigious prize for the front page of its special edition dated May 24, 2019 following the announcement of the Lok Sabha election results last year, which gave the Narendra Modi-led government a second term in power at the Centre. Hundreds of newspapers and magazines from the Asia Pacific, South Asia and West Asia took part in the competition, which aims to promote the highest standards of publishing in the fields of newspaper and magazine design, infographics, editorial content, marketing, community service and photojournalism. In the case of Mints front page look, the central visual with its fine drawing and deep saffron was striking. The overall look was elegant because of the soft shade. More importantly, the front-page design was simple and easily navigable. On the occasion of Doctors Day on Wednesday, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday saluted doctors for their uttermost commitment to keep the nation safe and healthy. He applauded the doctors for their efforts and service amidst the ongoing pandemic. Taking to microblogging site Twitter, Shah said, On Doctors Day, I salute our brave doctors who have been leading the battle against Covid-19 at the forefront. Their uttermost commitment to keep the nation safe and healthy in these challenging times is truly exceptional. Nation salutes their devotion and sacrifice. Like every year, the country is observing Doctors Day on July 1 to honour the contributions of the doctors. The first Doctors day was celebrated in July 1991. Delhi police has launched a probe against Ratul Puri, the nephew of former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Kamal Nath for allegedly not paying dues, including gratuity, to over 1,800 employees of Moser Baer India Ltd and Moser Baer Solar Ltd, officials familiar with the development said on condition of anonymity. Puri is already being investigated by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in different cases, including the Rs 3,726 crore VVIP Chopper (Agusta Westland) case, and has already been charged with money laundering in the matter. Last week, CBI filed a case against him and his mother Nita Puri (Naths sister) for allegedly cheating a consortium of banks led by Punjab National Bank of Rs 787 crore. The Delhi police first information report (FIR), registered this February but not reported until now, names Ratul Puri, his father Deepak Puri, mother Nita Puri, and two others. The FIR, reviewed by HT, was registered on a complaint from Dori Singh, secretary of the Moser Baer Employees Union, who alleged that around Rs 90 crore dues, including gratuity of 1,883 workers of Moser Baer, were not paid after the company went into liquidation in September 2018. Singhs complaint, on the basis of which FIR was registered under Indian Penal Code sections pertaining to cheating (Section 420) and conspiracy (Section 120-B), said that at least 1,883 employees of Moser Baer are suffering day and night because they are not getting due payments, their inalienable right, because Devendra Singh (resolution professional) in connivance with Deepak Puri, Nita Puri, Sunita Mowdgal (former directors of Moser Baer India Limited), and Ratul Puri (Director of Hindustan Power Projects Private Limited) diverted funds from Gratuity Trust Account which amounts to an offence Under Section 120-B of the Indian Penal Code. O P Mishra, Joint Commissioner (EOW) Delhi Police told HT, We are investigating the case. When contacted, Ratul Puris lawyer Vijay Aggarwal contended that the FIR had no basis. Delhi police has already filed a report in the court that no offence has been committed, and subsequent to the date of FIR, the order of National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) clearly states that the gratuity dues of all employees have been paid. Moreover, my client Ratul Puri is neither named nor concerned with this FIR, and it is a matter between the liquidator and the workmen which got finally settled, he said. The records which were made a part of the application reveal that gratuity was processed to 112 employees preferentially. The e-mail dated February 7, 2019 by Devendra Singh to Anil Kohli, proves the fact. It is written that he had allowed gratuity preferentially. Those people were seriously ill/ bedridden/ expired, the FIR said. The FIR added that the examples cited by the liquidator in his application before the National Company Law Tribunal (Principal Bench), which was disposed of by an order dated February 19, 2019, reveals that employees were made to resign from Moser Baer India, and were either appointed or transferred to Moser Baer Electronics Limited (a subsidiary of Moser Baer India). This transfer was shown as a break in service... It is settled law that if there is a transfer of an employee/workman from the parent to the subsidiary company, then calculation of gratuity should be counted continuously, it said. A team of scientists from Maharashtra and Kerala has discovered a new species of freshwater fish found in the Western Ghats and named it after a well-known professor of the Manipur University. The new fish genus is called Waikhomia hira. Waikhomia is derived from the surname of Professor Waikhom Vishwanath, a well-known taxonomist with the department of life sciences of the Manipur University, while hira means diamond. The name Waikhomia for the new genus is a tribute to Professor Vishwanath Waikhom for his exemplary contributions to improving our knowledge on freshwater fish of north-east India, and for promoting fish taxonomy as a science in the country, said Dr. Rajeev Raghavan, an assistant professor of Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies (KUFOS). Professor Vishwanath has discovered and described the maximum number of freshwater fishes than any other living fish taxonomist in India, he added. So far, Professor Vishwanaths team has discovered around 100 freshwater fish species since the discovery of Puntius jayaremi locally known as Heikak Nga in 1986, and added over 200 fish species in Manipur alone. Dr. Raghavan, along with Unmesh Katwate of Bombay Natural History Society, Mumbai; Pradeep Kumar of Modern College of Arts, Science and Commerce, Pune; and Neelesh Dahanukar of Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Pune; described the new fish genus and results of their work was published in the leading international journal, Zootaxa, on Monday. Maharaja Barbs, a member of the freshwater family and endemic to the high-altitude streams of the northern Western Ghats are currently represented by a single species, Puntius sahyadriensis. It was described from the streams of the Yenna river basin close to Mahabaleshwar in the Western Ghats mountain range in 1953. But our studies have shown that this species does not belong to the genus Puntius. Hence, we assigned a new genus name, Waikhomia. While undertaking this study we found that there is an additional species to (Puntius) sahyadriensis and we described it as Waikhomia hira, Dr. Raghavan added. The journal reported that the population of Waikhomia was recorded from several tributaries of the east-flowing Krishna river system, including in the upstream regions of the Venna river -- the type locality of Waikhomia sahyadriensis -- and the Koyna river in Maharashtra; Tunga river near Kudremukh in Karnataka, and from the other independent west-flowing rivers such as Sharavati, Aghanashini and the Kali the type locality of Waikhomia hira. The Indian high commission in Wellington was among foreign missions targeted by New Zealands intelligence agency for illegal break-ins in the late 1980s and early 1990s, according to a media report on Wednesday. The report by Radio New Zealand (RNZ), an independent public service media organisation, said New Zealands Security Intelligence Service (SIS) broke into the Indian mission for Britains MI6 and the Iranian embassy for the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) to photograph code books, plant bugs and steal communications. There were at least two raids on the Indian high commission in Wellington in 1989 and 1991 to photograph thousands of pages from the commissions code books, which were used to encrypt communications. The covert attack on the Indian mission was a joint move by SIS and MI6 that was code-named Operation Dunnage. Thousands of photographs containing the codes were sent back to the UK so that Britains foreign intelligence service could decipher the communications of Indian government officials and diplomats, RNZ reported. There was no immediate reaction from Indian officials. In the early 1990s, SIS targeted the Iranian embassy in Wellington in a mission named Operation Horoscope, which was driven by CIA, which altered circuit boards on a telex machine used by the Iranian Embassy in Wellington, allowing the American intelligence agency to intercept Iranian communications, the report said. There was also a joint SIS-MI6 raid on the Czechoslovakian embassy in 1986 to steal Warsaw Pact codes. New Zealand is part of the secretive Five Eyes intelligence alliance that also includes the UK, the US, Australia and Canada. The five countries are party to a treaty for cooperation in signals intelligence and the alliance has faced criticism in recent years for its covert activities. RNZ cited one New Zealand source, who spent more than 20 years at the highest levels of the public sector, as saying he was concerned about the nature of the work SIS carried out for its Five Eyes partners. The source, who had close dealings with intelligence agencies, said New Zealand came under pressure from its Five Eyes partners, especially the US and Australia, to do their dirty work. The source also felt New Zealand sometimes risked its international reputation by doing things that largely benefited Five Eyes partners. Breaking into an embassy is a violation of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, which states that foreign missions are inviolable and the host country should not even open diplomatic mail bags. Geoffrey Palmer, New Zealands prime minister between August 1989 and September 1990, said he had not heard of the raids on the Indian and Iranian embassies but should have been alerted by SIS if they occurred when he was in charge of the agency. If it was at the time I was prime minister, I most certainly should have been, he told RNZ. Jim Bolger, prime minister during 1990-97, said he too couldnt recall signing any warrants to allow SIS to break into foreign embassies. He expressed surprise there had been a raid on the Indian mission and asked why New Zealand would want to carry out a covert attack on India. Bolger said: I have no recollection of that ever hitting my desk and if it did, I have to say, my memory is not gone yet, Id be very surprised if I was ever advised of any such event. I have no recollection and thats not just a brush-off. Former premier Helen Clark refused to confirm or deny whether raids happened during her term as prime minister between 1999 and 2008. SIS said in a statement it was unable to respond to questions about what may or not be specific operational matters. The statement added: The mission of the NZSIS has always been to keep New Zealanders safe, protect our key national institutions and promote New Zealands national advantage. RNZ learned about the raids after piecing together information gained over months of engaging with multiple sources in New Zealand, Britain and the US. The raids were brought to light by Wellington-based writer and documentary maker John Daniell, whose mother and stepfather worked for SIS, and RNZ journalists. In February, the Washington Post had reported that CIA and its West German counterpart, BND, had controlled Crypto AG, which made coding machines for dozens of countries, including India and Iran. Here are todays top news, analysis and opinion. Know all about the latest news and other news updates from Hindustan Times. Rahul Gandhi talks to Indian nurses from across globe, discusses Covid-19 situation On National Doctors Day, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday hosted a conversation with Indian nurses from around the world on the Covid-19 crisis. Read more Unlock 2: Uttarakhand govt taking steps to boost states economy, says CM Rawat Uttarakhand chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat said on Wednesday the government is taking several steps to lift the states economy as India entered into day one of Unlock 2. Read more Sopore encounter: Police save 3-year-old from getting hit by bullets The Jammu and Kashmir Police saved a three-year-old boy from getting hit by bullets during the encounter between the security forces and terrorists in Jammu and Kashmirs Sopore on Wednesday. Read more Pakistan Army appoints first female lieutenant general Pakistan Army has appointed a woman officer as lieutenant general for the first time, the militarys media wing said on Tuesday. Major General Nigar Johar, who got the coveted post of a three-star general, has also been appointed as the first female surgeon general of the Pakistan Army. Read more BookMyShow launches its own online streaming platform: Heres what it will show you If you are a movie buff and like to watch them at movie theatres, you must be knowing about BookMyShow, an application through which you can book tickets to theatres and other events. Read more Breathe 2 Into The Shadows trailer: Abhishek Bachchan would kill to find daughter, Amit Sadh returns in Amazon Prime show Actor Abhishek Bachchan has shared the first trailer for Breathe 2: Into The Shadows. The show marks his television debut and will arrive on Amazon Prime Video on July 10. Read more National Doctors Day 2020: Will teleconsultation be the next big thing in healthcare? Extended working hours, no sleep, hospitals teeming with patients, the risk of getting infected and barely any me time these are just a few things doctors face every day. Read more National Doctors Day 2020: Mumbai Polices special tribute to doctors whore no less than superheroes National Doctors Day is being celebrated today and people all over social media are writing words of praise and sharing posts of gratitude towards our heroes. Among those posts is a special tribute from Mumbai Police. Read more New pandemic virus in China raises alarm, St Stephens may drop written test Hindustan Times National Political Editor, Sunetra Choudhury brings you the top stories you need to know. Sunetra talks about the number of covid-19 cases in India, new variant called G4 of swine flu virus that killed thousands in 2009 raises alarm in China, transfusion guideline tweaked for pandemic, St Stephens may drop test and conduct online interviews. Watch here The rate of liquified petroleum gas or LPG cylinder was increased in the range of Re 1 to Rs 4.50 across metropolitan cities from Wednesday, in the second marginal hike in cooking gas prices. The hike in prices came after three consecutive months of reduction. The rate of a 14.2 kilogram non-subsidised LPG cylinder was increased by Re 1 to Rs 594 with effect from July 1 in Delhi, according to data from Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL). The price of non-subsidised LPG cylinder in Kolkata was raised by Rs 4.50 per cylinder, Rs 4 per cylinder in Chennai and Rs 3.50 per cylinder in Mumbai. Indian Oil consumers, which supplies LPG under brand Indane, in Mumbai have to pay Rs 594 for each refill of non-subsidised LPG. They paid Rs 590.50 per cylinder in June. In Kolkata, they will have to pay Rs 620.50 and in Chennai Rs 610.50 after the hike in prices of non-subsidised LPG cylinder. The government subsidises 12 cylinders of 14.2 kilograms each per household in a year. The subsidy amount, which is given by the government on the yearly 12 refills, differs from month to month. The price is determined mostly by factors such as crude oil rates and foreign exchange. Odisha police on Wednesday dismissed and arrested a police inspector for raping a 13-year-old tribal girl repeatedly in the police station and getting her pregnancy terminated. Director general of police Abhay dismissed inspector Anand Kumar Majhi of Biramitrapur police station in Sundargarh district from service after initial investigations revealed that he had raped the minor in a room of police station in March this year. After successive sexual assaults, the girl got pregnant and the inspector then forced her to terminate the pregnancy at a clinic. The 55-year-old inspector, who had been in hiding for over a week, was arrested from a forest in Angul district by a special CID team. Additional director general of police (CID) Soumendra Priyadarshi said Majhi had kept his mobile phones switched off so tracking him had been difficult. DGP Abhay later tendered a public apology for Majhis act calling it shameful. Six persons, including the inspector, doctor and the girls stepfather, have been named as accused in the FIR. The survivor had gone to visit a fair at Maoist-affected area of Biramitrapur in Sundargarh district on March 25 but the event was cancelled due to the lockdown. A police patrol team found her roaming near a bus stand and took her to the police station. There, Majhi allegedly raped her and let her go the next morning. After that, she was often called to the police station and raped by some policemen, including the inspector. The matter came to light after the child, who was seen crying outside the police station last week, was rescued by a local NGO and handed over to the district child protection officer who lodged a complaint with Raiboga police station. CID officials said the charge sheet would be filed within 60 days for trial before a fast track court. Meanwhile, the girl has been medically examined and is being kept at a child shelter home in Bisra area of Sundargarh district. The Indian Army on Wednesday foiled an intrusion bid and killed a Pakistani terrorist along the Line of Control (LoC) in Rajouri district in the Jammu division of the Union Territory (UT) of Jammu & Kashmir (J&K). We acted on the basis of specific intelligence inputs from J&K Police and a joint operation was launched close to the LoC in Keri area of Bhimber Gali sector in Jammu divisions Rajouri district, said Lieutenant Colonel, Devender Anand, spokesperson, Indian Army. Terrorists were seen crossing the LoC. Our alert troops foiled the infiltration bid. One terrorist was killed and an AK-47 rifle and two magazines were recovered. The search operation is still on, he added. The infiltration bid was foiled around 5.55am and the terrorists had entered 400 metres inside the Indian territory in the Keri sector, said an Army source, requesting anonymity. On Tuesday, Dilbag Singh, director-general of police (DGP), J&K Police, had said the UTs anti-infiltration grid is intact, despite active terror launch pads across the LoC constantly trying to infiltrate terrorists. Our anti-infiltration grid is intact on the border and in the hinterland. But, at the same time, the launch pads of Pakistan are active and they keep trying to push terrorists to our side. Our security forces have foiled their sinister designs and will keep doing so, he had told media persons after reviewing the security scenario along the LoC and in the hinterland in Jammus divisions Poonch district. Singh had said that the anti-terror operations are on at full throttle in Kashmir and 128 terrorists have been eliminated by the security forces to date this year. In the Kashmir Valley, 48 terrorists have been eliminated in June alone. So far, 128 terrorists, of which 70 belonged to Hizbul Mujahideen (HM), 20 each from Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) and Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) and remaining from other groups, have been killed in anti-terror operations, he had said. The DGP said that two terrorists were killed during an operation in Bijbehara in south Kashmirs Anantnag district on Tuesday. The slain terrorists were involved in the killing of an infant (5) and a CRPF (Central Reserve Police Force) jawan on Sunday. There has been a spurt in ceasefire violation and infiltration attempts by Pakistan along the International Border (IB) and the LoC since March 15 amid the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) outbreak. But there has been a concerted bid to mount anti-terror operations to stymie the home-grown jihadi groups terror attacks. The J&K administration is making all necessary arrangements for the annual Amarnath Yatra in the south Kashmir Himalayas, which is likely to be held from July 23 to August 3 from the shorter Baltal track in the Ganderbal district. In 2017, a bus, carrying Amarnath pilgrims from Gujarat, was attacked by terrorists in Anantnag district that left seven of them dead. The Indian Army on Wednesday foiled an intrusion bid and said it killed a Pakistani terrorist along the Line of Control (LoC) in Rajouri district in the Jammu division of Jammu and Kashmir. We acted on the basis of specific intelligence inputs from J-K Police and a joint operation was launched close to the LoC in Keri area of Bhimber Gali sector in Jammu divisions Rajouri district, said army spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Devender Anand. Terrorists were seen crossing the LoC. Our alert troops foiled the infiltration bid. One terrorist was killed and an AK-47 rifle and two magazines were recovered. The search operation is still on, he added. The infiltration bid was foiled around 5.55 am . On Tuesday, Dilbag Singh, director-general of police (DGP), J&K Police, had said Jammu and Kashmirs anti-infiltration grid is intact, despite active terror launch pads across the LoC constantly trying to infiltrate terrorists. Singh had said that the anti-terror operations are on at full throttle in Kashmir and 128 terrorists have been eliminated by the security forces to date this year. There has been a spurt in ceasefire violation and infiltration attempts by Pakistan along the International Border (IB) and the LoC since March 15 amid the Covid-19 outbreak. The government has been making a concerted bid to mount anti-terror operations to stymie homegrown terror groups attacks. Meanwhile, the J-K administration is making all necessary arrangements for the annual Amarnath Yatra which is likely to be held from July 23 to August 3 along the shorter Baltal track in Ganderbal district. In 2017, a bus carrying Amarnath pilgrims from Gujarat, was attacked by terrorists in Anantnag district that left seven of them dead. Beijing: Prime Minister Narendra Modi exited his Weibo account on Wednesday, a day after India banned 59 Chinese apps, and with the armies of the two countries facing off along the de factor border after a skirmish in Eastern Ladakh on June 15 left 20 Indian soldiers and an undisclosed number of Chinese soldiers dead. The message is loud and clear. If red lines are crossed, there will be consequences, the BJPs IT cell chief Amit Malviya said on Twitter, a micro-blooging platform after which Weibo is modelled. All 115 posts on Modis Weibo profile have been taken down, as has been his profile photograph. The removal of all information from Modis Weibo account comes 10 days after at least three official Indian statements including the PMs were deleted from the Indian embassys official account on the popular Chinese social media app, WeChat. We are taking action to unsubscribe the account, an Indian embassy official told HT. Modis Weibo account was set up in 2015 amid much fanfare and publicity before his first visit to China as prime minister. Since then the account has built 244,000 followers, many of them Chinese. Since 2015, but barring this year, Modi has wished President Xi Jinping ahead of his birthday on June 15. He also published messages on Sino-India ties especially after meetings with Xi. Modis posts on Weibo were in Chinese. The Hindustan Times has reached out to the Chinese foreign ministry for a comment on this development. Modis abrupt departure from Weibo account and removal of the Indian governments posts on Chinese social media come in the backdrop of the violent face-off, and ongoing tension, between Indian and Chinese troops. The Chinese government has so far not revealed the casualties suffered by the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) although China has admitted to international diplomats that it did suffer casualties. . On June 20, an Indias external affairs ministry (MEA) statement about the Indian position on the ongoing border tension with China was mysteriously deleted from the embassys official Weibo account a day before the WeChat posts were deleted. Tencent, a leading Chinese tech company that owns WeChat, didnt respond to HTs questions on the taking down of Indian governments official statements. The message that popped up on WeChat when clicking the MEAs statement on the Galwan Valley clash said: This content was reported and confirmed by the platform of the following: before it says in Mandarin: Suspected of violating relevant laws, regulations and policies. The long list of regulations include: endangers national security, divulges state secrets, subverts state power, or undermines national unity, inciting hatred, disseminating false information, inciting illegal assembly, demonstration or gathering of people to disturb public order. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has deleted his posts on Weibo, Chinas Twitter-like account after India decided to ban 59 mobile applications linked to China. New Delhi had initially tried to delete PM Modis account but it turned out that the Chinese social media platform had a complex procedure for VIP accounts, people familiar with the development said. The government has initiated the process for deletion of the account. For reasons best known to the Chinese, there was great delay in granting this basic permission, a government functionary said. As an interim measure, the Prime Ministers Office decided to remove its posts from the platform. PM Modi made his debut on the Chinese social media in 2015. PM Modi had 115 posts on Weibo. It was decided to manually delete them and after much effort, 113 posts were removed, news agency ANI added, quoting sources. The government had on Monday ordered the ban on the 59 mobile apps after an assessment that they are engaged in activities which is prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India, the security of the state and public order. The move, which many analysts say, could become the template for other countries to act against Chinese companies, have angered Beijing. In a statement last evening, China claimed that the ban selectively and discriminatorily targets Chinese apps on ambiguous and far-fetched grounds and abuses national security exceptions. Back home, China has for years banned internet websites that it felt could hurt its national security. Beijing does not allow its nationals to access sites such as Twitter, Facebook and YouTube. Prime Minister Narendra Modis Twitter-like Weibo account in China went blank on Wednesday after his photo, posts and comments were removed from the handle. The removal of all information from Modis Weibo comes 10 days after at least three official Indian statements including the PMs were deleted from the Indian embassys official account on the popular social media app, WeChat. It could not be immediately ascertained when Modis Weibo handle was taken down but on Wednesday, the page was blank. It also comes in the backdrop of India banning 59 Chinese apps on Monday because of security and data breach concerns. Also read: PM Modi debuts on Weibo, told Arunachal belongs to China On Wednesday, all information from Modis account including his profile photo were taken down. Modis Weibo account was set up in 2015 amid much fanfare and publicity before his first visit to China as prime minister. Since then the account had 244000 followers, many of them Chinese. Since 2015, but barring this year, Modi had wished President Xi Jinping ahead of his birthday on June 15. He also published messages on Sino-India ties especially after meetings with Xi. Modis posts on Weibo were in Chinese. An Indian embassy source said, We are taking action to unsubscribe the account. The Hindustan Times has reached out to the Chinese foreign ministry for a comment on this development. Also read: Why everyone -- from Narendra Modi to Tim Cook -- is joining Weibo The sudden taking down of Modis Weibo account and removal of the Indian governments posts on Chinese social media come in the backdrop of the violent face-off, and ongoing tension, between Indian and Chinese troops in eastern Ladakhs Galwan Valley region. While 20 Indian Army soldiers died, the Chinese government has so far not revealed the casualties suffered by the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) though China has admitted to international diplomats about casualties on its side. On June 20, an Indias external affairs ministry (MEA) statement about the Indian position on the ongoing border tension with China was mysteriously deleted from the embassy official Weibo account a day before the WeChat posts were deleted. Tencent, a leading Chinese tech company that owns WeChat didnt respond to HTs questions on the taking down of Indian governments official statements. However, the message that popped up on WeChat when clicking the MEAs statement on the Galwan Valley clash said: This content was reported and confirmed by the platform of the following: before it says in Mandarin: Suspected of violating relevant laws, regulations and policies. As it then turns out, according to WeChat, the spokespersons statement was removed because it carried contents prohibited by laws and regulations of the state. The long list of regulations include: endangers national security, divulges state secrets, subverts state power, or undermines national unity, inciting hatred, disseminating false information, inciting illegal assembly, demonstration or gathering of people to disturb public order. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday hailed the role of doctors in their spirited fight against the Covid-19 pandemic, saying they are saving lives by putting themselves in danger. India salutes our doctors -- exceptional care givers who are at the forefront of a spirited fight against Covid-19, he wrote on Twitter to mark Doctors Day. In a short video of his recent speech, he said while mothers give birth, doctors ensure our rebirth. They are saving lives by putting themselves in danger, he said. Dr BC Roys birth anniversary is celebrated as Doctors Day. July 1 is also observed as Charted Accountants Day. In his message, the prime minister said our industrious CA community has a major role to play in ensuring a healthy and transparent economy. Their services to the nation are deeply valued. Greetings on Chartered Accountants Day. In a short video clip, he said the responsibility on the societys economic health lies with CAs. The government on Wednesday cancelled allotment of Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadras house in the heart of national capital Delhi and told her to vacate the bungalow within a month. The decision was taken by the Cabinet Committee on Accommodation after the government stripped the Gandhi family of protection by the Special Protection Group. She was allotted the Lodhi Estate bungalow in 1997 on the recommendation of the SPG. Priyanka Gandhi still has the Z+ security cover but this category does not entitle protectees to government accommodation unless the cabinet committee approves the exception on the recommendation of the home ministry. The home ministry didnt see any reason to make an exception for her, people familiar with the development said. An official said she has accumulated dues of Rs 3.46 lakh and has also been asked to clear the dues. Officials said the cabinet committee had decided way back in December 2000 that no private person, other than those protected by SPG, should be given government accommodation on security grounds. If such an exception had to be made, the cabinet committee had recommended charging at the market rate. In July 2003, it was decided to charge a special rate of licence fee, that is 20 times the normal rent from such allottees. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON On National Doctors Day, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday hosted a conversation with Indian nurses from around the world on the Covid-19 crisis. The conversation revolved around the Covid-19 situation around the world and how the nurses experience can help in tackling the disease. When this Covid-19 started, we initially thought this is a simple flu. We thought this flu is killing more people than Covid. We didnt take it seriously. When it started rolling over, and we saw news in Italy that the death toll is rising higher and higher, then we thought that this is not a flu, that this is serious, said Narendra Singh, who works in Australias New South Wales. He belongs to Sikar in Rajasthan. Another Indian-orign nurse, Anu Ragnat, who works in New Zealand said that the tough policies adopted by prime minister Jacinda Arden helped flattened the curve. Going hard and going early was the motto by Prime Minister Jacinda Arden. That really flattened the curve in New Zealand, said Ragnat. Vipin Krishnan, who works in Delhis All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), said that there are differences in the pay given to nurses in private and government hospitals. Private hospitals are deducting salaries if these nurses. How are they going to look after their families in such a scenario? he asked. Krishna belongs to Kerala and has contracted Covid-19. Me and my wife have been infected. We are right now in quarantine, he said but added that he is ready to again work on the frontline once he is cured. Krishnan also talked about the statement made by Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia where he had estimated that Delhi will have 5.5 lakh Covid-19 patients by July end. The AIIMS staffer said that a shortage of beds at hospitals could pose a problem if that happens. However, Sisodia has now said that the going was tough in the first two weeks of June, but the national capital is now in a comfortable situation as far as management of the Covid-19 crisis is concerned. Union home minister Amit Shah, who has been coordinating with the Delhi government to check the spread of the disease, had earlier said that he doesnt agree with Sisodias comments and that the 5.5 lakh estimate created fear. The nurses today also talked about their learnings from the Covid-19 crisis. Almost all of them emphasised on the hand hygiene and wearing proper PPE kits. Gandhi had earlier said that he was immensely grateful to the doctors who are on the frontlines fighting against the coronavirus pandemic. On Doctors Day, I am immensely grateful to the dedicated professionals who inspire hope in (the) Covid-19 times, the Congress leader had tweeted on Wednesday morning. The first National Doctors day was celebrated in July 1991. The railways has scrapped a tender for thermal cameras meant for Covid surveillance after Indian firms alleged that the tender specifications favoured a Chinese company. In June, Railtel, the railways telecom arm, had issued a tender for thermal temperature screening AI-based surveillance cameras for assistance in Covid-19 surveillance. The government company has decided to issue a fresh tender after the controversy. EOI for selection of partner for thermal temperature screening solution to RCILs customers stands cancelled with immediate effect. Fresh EOI will be published soon, a notice by the PSU said. This comes at a time when the Indian government has banned 59 apps, mostly having Chinese links, saying they were engaged in activities prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity of India. India and China are involved in a tense border stand-off along the Line of Actual Control in Ladakh. A brutal brawl in Galwan Valley on June 15 led to 20 Indian and an unspecified number of Chinese soldiers dead. In a letter written to Railtel, one of the vendors said the pre-qualification criteria laid down for the OEM & bidder has some anomalies and ambiguities. Hindustan Times has seen a copy. Even after the release of the latest corrigendum (on June 23) the department has some ambiguities too in technical specifications. Specifications issued are biased to Chinese OEM i.e. Hikvision, Specs clearly mentioned DeepinMind technology which is a proprietary feature of Hikvision NVRs, the letter said. Indian firms have alleged that artificial intelligence technology - DeepInMind - which is specified in the tender is a proprietary feature of Chinese firm Hikvision, a company partly owned by the Chinese government. According to Hikvisions technology, Network Video Recorder (NVR) has a mind of its own and can analyse and classify human and vehicle targets from video streams. Under the specifications mentioned in the tender for temperature screening with facial recognition and mask detection, Railtel mentioned Special interface in DeepinMind NVR. The specifications for the cameras include temperature screening with facial recognition and mask detection, simultaneous temperature screening for multiple persons, detecting whether people wear masks and giving timely alarms on people without masks. While the initial tender for these cameras issued on June 9 excluded a crucial specification called black body temperature - the ability of the cameras to accurately measure temperatures emitted by a person to say whether a person has fever or not - and the DeepinMind technology specification, they were included in the revised tender issued on June 23. Railtel had floated the tender to purchase around 800 such camera systems. Hindustan Times had on November 10 last year reported the national carrier is planning a complete overhaul of security at railway stations through the use of facial recognition technology backed by artificial intelligence. It also planned to link the facial recognition system (FRS) with existing databases such as the Crime and Criminal Tracking Network & Systems (CCTNS) to identify criminals prowling railway stations. Actor Rajinikanth has issued a strong statement on the custodial deaths in Tamil Nadu, and demanded strict punishment for those involved in it. The case is about the death of father-son duo in custody in Tuticorin district. Expressing shock at the incident, Rajinikanth condemned the behaviour of cops. Everyone related to the incident who deserves punishment should get it, he said in the statement posted in Tamil on Twitter. P Jayaraj (59) and his son J Bennicks (31) were arrested on June 19 and lodged in Kovilpatti sub-jail for keeping their mobile phone shop in the main market of Sathankulam town open during a curfew imposed during coronavirus lockdown. Jayaraju and Benicks were allegedly tortured during the police custody after which they were admitted to the Kovilpatti government hospital on June 22. While the son died on the same night, the father breathed his last on the morning of June 23. Judicial magistrate M S Barathidasan, who investigated the incident, submitted a four-page inquiry report which includes the testimony of a policewoman, the only eyewitness on record. The policewoman has said in the testimony that both Jayaraj and Bennicks were beaten through the night on June 19. There were blood stains on the lathis and a table, she said and asked the magistrate to obtain them immediately. The report also claimed that camera footage from that night was unavailable because the CCTV camera inside the police station was set on auto-delete. Barathidasan said in the report that the police staff at the station did not cooperate in the investigation. In fact, it further mentioned, that Additional Deputy Superintendent of Police D Kumar flexed his body to show his physical strength before the magistrate. Kumar, Deputy superintendent of police C Prathapan and constable Maharajan are facing contempt case based on Barathidasans complaint. Three other policemen of the station - one inspector and two sub inspectors - were suspended from duty last week. The incident has led to political battle in Tamil Nadu with Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) chief MK Stalin accusing chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami of concealing the brutal murders at the police station. At 8:30 a.m., Feb. 10, 900,000 people visited an online education platform of Wuhan, central China's Hubei province, where gigantic amount of bit streams input from teachers and students' cameras and microphones are flocking into online classrooms. The platform responded to every access request methodically, handling data demand in a speedy but calm manner. No lag was felt by the students, many of whom believed that the seamless experience was just like having a class in real classrooms. Such performance was a great relief for Nie Xiaokai, an education product manager of Chinese tech giant Tencent, who had worked around the clock with his colleagues since Jan. 27 to build the platform. He and his colleagues gave each other high-fives to celebrate the success. Similar scenes happened across China on the same day. Over 2 million views were recorded in the livestreamed classes for students of all 12 grades in Kaifeng, central China's Henan province, and 600,000 teachers in over 300 cities gave lectures to 50 million students through a livestream platform of DingTalk, e-commerce giant Alibaba's communication app. Such massive online education practices in China was unprecedented for both the internet and the education industry. A journalist from Tokyo was astonished after observing an online class livestreamed on Zuoyebang, a leading online education startup in China. On the class, all the students, who were located across the country, could respond to the teacher swiftly when the teacher called the roll. "There are over a million classes being livestreamed at the peak time every day," said Ross Liang, Vice President of Tencent and top executive of the tech firm's instant messenger app QQ. According to Tencent, a total of 20 to 30 million students are having classes on QQ. "To open an online space for tens of millions of students and teachers was beyond our budget for technical framework and server capability," Liang disclosed, explaining that huge data flow was generated when classes were on and disappeared when they were over. Such gigantic peak flow and capacity expansion were never seen by the world before. To ensure the smooth operation of online classes, internet bandwidth resources were put into use at all cost, Liang noted. The capacity expansion was not as easy as turning on a faucet, but a process of high technical standards. To ensure the operation of the online classes in the daytime, the technicians always had to race against time to complete server expansion and other tasks in hours before dawn. DingTalk expanded the capacity of over 100,000 servers on Alibaba's cloud platform, and made a new record by newly adding 10,000 cloud servers in just 2 hours. All the efforts were made to cope with the unprecedented data flow and ensure class schedules. The peak flow on DingTalk was hundreds of times more than that in previous time, and five to ten times more than all Chinese video and livestreaming services combine. "The current solution, which is proved to be the most appropriate, was far beyond our plan back then, " said An Bu, an education product manager of DingTalk, adding that they must prepare many alternative plans to cope with the sudden and unknown situation. Thanks to their rich technological experiences, An and his team completed their tasks, and are still responding swiftly to users' demands A teacher told An that he would like to make annotations to students' homework submitted online, and the feature was perfectly realized by An and his team the second day, after at least 50 times of optimization. China conducted the largest, widest and the most extensive online education in the world during the COVID-19 epidemic. As of early April, 1,454 universities across the country had started the new semester online. A total of 942,000 courses were offered online by 950,000 teachers and attended over 7 million times. Besides, online education resources had been visited by 1.18 billion person-times. The figures could be attributed to online education and technological platforms that offered strong supports. Multiple Chinese apps such as DingTalk and Tencent Meeting have been recommended by UN organizations to global students. In the recent times, regulatory authorities are increasingly scrutinizing big tech companies. Apple has been part of anti-competitive investigations in the past and paid billions of dollars in fines. Now U.K Competition and Markets Authority have put Apples deal with Google for the default search engine under the scanner. Google has an arrangement with Apple wherein it pays billions of dollars to remain a default search engine on iOS devices. The antitrust investigators say the deal creates a significant barrier to entry and expansion when it comes to competition. Given the impact of preinstallations and defaults on mobile devices and Apples significant market share, it is our view that Apples existing arrangements with Google create a significant barrier to entry and expansion for rivals affecting competition between search engines on mobiles, the regulators wrote in the report. The U.K regulators also detailed a number of steps that could help address the Apple-Google arrangement. As per the regulators, Apple can offer choice screens that allow customers to choose the default search engine on their device. In other words, this will ensure that Apple is in no position to monetize default position. Apple has informed the regulators that monetization restrictions would cost dearly. Apple and Google are yet to comment on the report. Our Take It is estimated that Apple earns nearly $9 billion per year with licensing deals. Interestingly about 80% if the total revenue comes from Google. Typically Apple earns high gross margins on licensing deals like these. On the contrary, other search engines will find it extremely difficult to compete as they often lack the resources. What is your position on the Apple-Google search deal? Share your thoughts in the comments below. [via Reuters The Jammu and Kashmir Police saved a three-year-old boy from getting hit by bullets during the encounter between the security forces and terrorists in Jammu and Kashmirs Sopore on Wednesday. A photo posted on the Twitter handle of Kashmir Police showed the boy being carried away by a policeman on the North Kashmir town. One personnel of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and a civilian were killed while two other security force personnel received injuries in the gunbattle. Three other CRPF jawans have been injured. We lost one CRPF personnel and one civilian in a terrorist attack at Sopore. Three CRPF personnel also got injured in the attack, the Kashmir Police said on Twitter. We #lost one CRPF personnel and one civilian in a #terrorist #attack at #Sopore. Three CRPF personnel also got injured in the attack. Area has been cordoned off and search is on to nab the #terrorists. @JmuKmrPolice Kashmir Zone Police (@KashmirPolice) July 1, 2020 The encounter started after terrorists attacked a CRPFs road opening party when they were placing a check post along with personnel of Jammu and Kashmir police on the Sopore by-pass highway in Model Town of Sopore. The area has been sealed and a search operation has been launched. Officials of the Indian Army and police are also on the spot. This is the second attack on the CRPF in Sopore in the last three months. On April 18, terrorists fired at a CRPF party, killing three personnel. Tamil Nadu chief minister M Edappadi K Palaniswami announced an ex-gratia of Rs 3 lakhs each to the families of those who lost their lives in a boiler explosion at Neyveli Lignite Plant on Wednesday. Rs 1 lakh has been announced as compensation for those who have sustained severe injuries while those with minor injuries will be provided with Rs 50,000. At least six people were killed and 17 other got injured in the boiler explosion that took place in Tamil Nadu earlier in the day. The six men were aged between 25 and 42 years, according to an official cited by news agency PTI. The injured include employees who have sustained at least 40% burn injuries according to an initial assessment, the official said. CM Edappadi K Palaniswami announces an ex-gratia of Rs 3 lakhs each to families of those who lost their lives in a boiler explosion at Neyveli Lignite Plant. Rs 1 lakh&Rs 50,000 have been announced for those who have sustained severe & minor injuries, respectively: Tamil Nadu CMO ANI (@ANI) July 1, 2020 The incident occurred in stage 2 of Tamil Nadus Neyveli Lignite Power Plant. The injured were taken to the NLC Lignite Hospital. Union home minister Amit Shah expressed grief on the incident and assured all possible help to control the situation. Shah said that the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) is already on the spot to assist the relief work. Anguished to learn about the loss of lives due to a blast at Neyveli power plant boiler in Tamil Nadu. Have spoken to Chief Minister Office of TamilNadu (CMO) and assured all possible help. CISF is already on the spot to assist the relief work. Praying for the earliest recovery of those injured, Shah said in a tweet. The Centre on Wednesday declared nine Khalistani terrorists, including US-based Gurpatwant Singh Pannun of Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) who has been spearheading a campign under the banner of Referendum 2020 for a separate Khalistani state, as individual terrorists under recently amended fourth schedule of UAPA (Unlawful Activities Prevention Amendment Act), an official statement by ministry of home affairs said. Others designated as individual terrorists under UAPA are Babbar Khalsa Internationals UK chief Paramijit Singh, Canada-based head of Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF) Hardeep Singh Nijjar, Germany-based members of Khalistan Zindabad Force (KZF) Gurmeet Singh Bagga and Bhupinder Singh Bhinda, and Pakistan-based terrorists head of BKI Wadhawa Singh, Lakhbir Singh (International Sikh Youth Federation), Ranjeet Singh (Khalistan Zindabad Force) and Paramjit Singh (Khalistan Commando Force). Earlier, Pakistan-based terror group chiefs Jaish-e-Mohammad chief Maulana Masood Azhar, Lashkar-e-Taiba founder Hafiz Muhammed Saeed, 26/11 Mumbai attacks co-mastermind Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi and fugitive underworld don Dawood Ibrahim - were declared individual terrorists in September 2019 under the new law. The new law, which came into effect in August 2019, gives additional powers to the investigation agencies, particularly National Investigation Agency (NIA), as it allows investigators to put an embargo on arms and seize assets. A statement by MHA said on Wednesday, Reinforcing the commitment to strengthening national security and its policy of zero tolerance to terrorism, the MHA under the leadership of the home minister Amit Shah, today declared the nine individuals as designated terrorists under the provisions of the UAPA Act 1967 (as amended in 2019) and included their names in the Fourth Schedule of the said Act. These individuals are involved in various acts of terrorism from across the border and from foreign soil. They have been relentless in their nefarious efforts of destabilizing the country, by trying to revive militancy in Punjab through their anti national activities and through their support to and involvement in the Khalistan movement, it added. SFJ has been banned by the government. Its leader-cum-legal advisor Gurpatwant Singh Pannun has been leading a campaign Punjab Referendum 2020 for Khalistan, launched in a rally in June, 2014 in New York. While testifying before a UAPA tribunal last year, NIA DIG Sonia Narang said, SFJ is presently propagating Referendum 2020 in a very big way on the social media as well as on ground by holding meetings across USA and other countries where Sikhs are in large numbers. Further, a website was also launched by name www.referendum2020.org which is full of pro-Khalistani posts and anti-India insinuations. The Khalistanis get support from Pakistan and its spy agency ISI, according to Indian government. A Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) trooper and a civilian were killed in a terrorist attack on security forces in north Kashmirs Sopore town on Wednesday, officials said. The three-year-old grandson of the deceased civilian was rescued by security forces, according to officials. A photograph of him sitting on the lifeless body of his grandfather was widely shared on social media. The Jammu and Kashmir Police later shared on its official Twitter handle a picture of the child being carried by a security official. Terrorists hiding in the attic of a mosque fired at CRPF personnel when they were getting off a bus around 7:30am, a spokesperson of the paramilitary force said. CRPF personnel retaliated, but the terrorists managed to escape. It was not immediately clear how many terrorists were holed up inside the mosque. CRPF head constable Deep Chand suffered bullet injuries and died in the attack. Three others were wounded and admitted to a hospital. The civilian, a 65-year-old resident of Srinagar, was passing by in his car with his three-year-old grandson when the attack began. Sopore, known for its apple orchards, is 50km from Srinagar. His family accused CRPF of killing him, a charge dismissed by security forces as false news spread by miscreants. In a video, the mans son said his father left home for some work early in the morning, and alleged that he was brought down from his vehicle and fired upon. Vijay Kumar, inspector general of police, Kashmir Range, said the terrorists fired indiscriminately at CRPF personnel when they were de-boarding a bus. Panicked, the civilian rushed out of his vehicle with the child and tried to escape, but he was killed by a bullet. Later, miscreants spread false news. Even his son, due to the fear of militants and the miscreants, released a video, which is completely baseless, Kumar said. He added that securitymen rescued the child without caring for their lives. The Jammu and Kashmir Apni Party, led by Altaf Bukhari, demanded an impartial probe into the killing. The National Conference and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), too, demanded a time-bound probe. Every incident becomes a propaganda tool in the bloody violence in Kashmir, former chief minister Omar Abdullah said. A three year old toddler has to have his misery broadcast to the whole world to drive home the we good they bad message. We would have got the point without his misery being filmed and shared so please dont, he said on Twitter. We would have expected no less from the men in uniform than to rescue the young boy and for that they have our gratitude but we would expect better than for them to film & use a three year olds pain the way its being done today, he added. Meanwhile, in the Jammu division, the Indian Army foiled an intrusion bid and killed a suspected Pakistani terrorist along the Line of Control (LoC). We acted on the basis of specific intelligence inputs from J&K Police, and a joint operation was launched close to the LoC in Keri area of Bhimber Gali sector in Jammu divisions Rajouri district, said Lieutenant Colonel Devender Anand, spokesperson, Indian Army. Terrorists were seen crossing the LoC. Our alert troops foiled the infiltration bid. One terrorist was killed and an AK-47 rifle and two magazines were recovered..., he added. . A coronavirus disease (Covid-19) patient, who works as a healthcare worker at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Delhi, during an interaction on Wednesday with the former Congress president, Rahul Gandhi, lamented that the testing has drastically reduced in the national capital despite a significant increase in viral infection and fatality rates. This is, indeed, a sad state of affairs. I want to inform you about some statistics. On May 27, the infection rate in Delhi was 13.7%. We were doing 7,000 tests per day. By June 12-13, our infection rate had crossed 30% and we are doing under 5,000 tests per day, said Vipin Krishnan, who has been working at AIIMS for the past two years. This is surprising given that our deaths and infection rates are increasing, but we have reduced testing. I dont understand what is happening? he asked Gandhi. Krishnan was joined by three other nurses -- Anu Ragnat from New Zealand, Narendra Singh from Australia and Sherlylmol Puravady from the United Kingdom (UK) who shared their experiences with Gandhi via a video-conference link about fighting the Covid-19 pandemic as frontline healthcare workers. The conversation covered a range of subjects, including the reason behind Indian nurses are sought after across the world and working in a Covid-19 environment that has had an impact on their family lives. Krishnan, who belongs to Kerala and along with his wife is in quarantine after both tested Covid-19 positive, shared statistics about the skewed ratio between doctors and nurses to patients in the country. We have 1.2 million registered allopathic doctors in India. We have around 3.7 million registered nurses in India. The ratio is 1:1,500 for doctors to patients and 1.7:1,000 nurses to patients in the country, he said. However, the WHO (World Health Organisation) had recommended that the ratio should be 1:1,000 doctors to patients and 3:1,000 nurses to patients. Though we are way short of human resources, we are still fighting hard, Krishnan added. Gandhi said the doctors are a frustrated lot and do not know how to move forward in terms of conducting Covid-19 tests and are facing enormous challenges such as putting a patient, who has contracted SARS-CoV-2, which causes the disease, next to a non-Covid-19 patient. I think the government is trying to manage the perception and trying to give a sense that the problem is not as bad as it is. But I believe that we have to face the problem. We should accept and define the problem accurately and then fight it. I dont know how you react to that, the former Congress chief said. You are absolutely correct, Krishnan replied. We have a pandemic situation and the AIIMS director has said that we will peak in June and mid-July. So, even the Delhi chief minister has stated that they are expecting 5.5 lakh cases. We are having 10,000 beds in Delhi. Can you imagine the gravity of the situation, if 5.5 lakh people were to be admitted? Of course, they wont come at the same time, but on average we will have lakh patients a day. I cant imagine the gravity of the situation. What will we do? he asked. Krishnan claimed that outpatient departments (OPDs) in many government hospitals have ceased to function. We have no way out. We have to think about how to help non-Covid-19 patients. I have also received many calls from cancer patients and others asking for help but we are unable to help. Most of the beds are being allocated for Covid-19 patients, not just in AIIMS but in most government hospitals. Krishnan also talked about the difference between government and private hospitals in the country. There is a sea of difference between government hospitals and private hospitals in India When we look into the private sector, there are a lot of discriminations. Private nurses are saying that their salaries are being cut. How will they care for their families during this pandemic? In such a situation, I think the government must help them and pay their entire salaries. In this condition, it is difficult for them to survive, he said. Asked by Gandhi if he was scared, Krishnan replied: I dont think we are scared of the Covid-19 pandemic. To save the country, we have to fight at the frontlines. My own experience showed that. I was not scared but now that I have been infected, I am still not scared. I want to tell you and the government that once I recover, I want to go back to the Covid-19 ward. He also demanded that doctors and nurses should be included under the risk allowance category of the central government, as they are losing their lives while fighting against Covid-19 as frontline workers like the army personnel, who are busy guarding the countrys borders. We can compare this (Covid-19) to a bio-war. It is not a bio-war, but a virus, a small microscopic organism is challenging the world and the country at large. So, we are fighting like the army or the air force. Im not comparing this with our force. But at least I think you will agree with that we are fighting as an army, Krishnan said. Yes, you are a non-violent army, agreed Gandhi. We are exhausted but we are fighting in the frontline without any fear or favour. We will win. You and the government are with us. I have complete faith that we will fight this war against Covid-19 and win, added Krishnan. He also claimed that the voice of healthcare workers is not being heard while making policies. When a policy is being made related to nurses and the medical profession at large, the experts should be asked for their inputs. Then, only the policies should be made. Unfortunately, that has not been happening in our country. Many organisations leaders are not being called when it comes to policymaking decisions. While Ragnat shared her experiences in New Zealand, Singh gave an account of how the Covid-19 battle is fought in Australia and Puravady talked about the challenges faced by the UK. In Australia, Singh, who is from Rajasthan, said initially Covid-19 was thought to be a simple flu and not taken seriously. But once the viral outbreak became widespread, we saw it on news every day. And then Italys mortality rate started climbing. That was time we started thinking that it was not the simple flu. This is really serious. I think we have to take this viral outbreak seriously, he said. Talking about her experience in the UK, Puravady, who also belongs to Kerala, told Gandhi that they were quick to use the personal protective equipment (PPE) units such as surgical masks, aprons, and gloves even before the lockdown restrictions were announced. In the UK, she said people are respectful of healthcare workers. We have dedicated shopping time for the National Health Service (NHS) staff or the care workers. Every Thursday the government is putting it as the clapping for the care workers and things like that. So it is so supportive, all supermarket authorities are very supportive. Ragnat, who is also from Kerala, said the figures could have gone up easily into five digits if New Zealanders were careless. So, I think going hard and going early was the motto of Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. Shes done absolutely well. I think going hard and early was really the right thing and that really flattened the curve in New Zealand, she added. Ragnat said the New Zealand government had the beginning itself announced a $10-million package, including accommodation for healthcare workers. If you dont want to go back home to an immune-compromised family member, you can stay either in a hospital or in nearby motels and the government would pay for that. Listening to the rest of the team, I feel like we are in a blessed position actually, she said. Asked by Gandhi why Indian nurses are valued so much abroad, Puravady said they are very hardworking and dedicate their lives to the profession. They dont care about themselves. They see the patients in front of them as either their parents or children, their mother, their brother or sister, she said. I think we are go-getters. We are always on the frontline. I think we are ready to cope in any country in any situation, in any scenario, and easily adapt being in few other roles, she added. The dialogue was a part of Gandhis series of video conversations with global and Indian thought leaders to discuss the Covid-19 crisis and its consequences on the countrys economy. In the past, the Congress chief had interacted with former Reserve Bank of India (RBI) governor Raghuram Rajan; Nobel Laureate Professor Abhijit Banerjee; Harvard Professor Ashish Jha; Swedish epidemiologist Johan Giesecke; Bajaj Auto managing director Rajiv Bajaj and the former US under-secretary of state Nicholas Burns. Hyderabad: Thousands of people from the neighbouring Andhra Pradesh, who live in Hyderabad, have left the city for their homes since the Telangana government indicated it could re-enforce a complete lockdown amid growing Covid-19 cases. This has prompted the Andhra government to make entry into the state conditional and forced many without travel passes to return to Hyderabad. Telangana chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on Sunday announced the state cabinet would meet in three or four days to discuss a suggestion from the health department and medical experts to reimpose lockdown in the limits of Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation for at least 15 days. Hyderabad has reported 11,080 cases since June 1 that has taken the citys tally to 12,696 til June 30. It is XX worst-hit city in the country after XXXX. Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu on Monday extended the Covid-19 lockdown until the end of this month even as the Centre issued guidelines for the second of a three-phase plan--Unlock 2.0--to lift restrictions imposed to stop the spread of Covid-19 in March. Traffic jams were reported from Hyderabad-Vijayawada national highway and near inter-state borders as people began rushing back to Andhra Pradesh. Many migrant workers, who had returned to Hyderabad after the national lockdown restrictions were eased this month, were also rushing back to their native villages. Akella Gnani (27), a sanitisation contractor, could not go to his native place Bhimavaram in West Godavari on Tuesday, as he was stopped at the check post on Hyderabad-Vijayawada national highway. I have not registered my name in Spandana as I decided on my travel in the last moment, after coming to know that the Telangana government might impose lockdown again. But at the check post, after being caught in the traffic for two hours, I was not allowed to enter AP as I had no travel pass. So, I had to return. I will apply for the travel pass tonight, he said. Many travellers were stopped at check posts and the Andhra police allowed only those to cross the inter-state border who had registered themselves on a state government portal and obtained travel permits. It was a shock for us, as the Union government guidelines for unlock 2.0 clearly said there shall be absolutely no hindrance on inter-state or intra-state movements of individuals or goods and that no separate permits or passes will be required, said S Narasimha Rao, who was stopped at Garikapadu check post with his family. Andhra Pradesh police chief Gautam Sawang said the state has powers to decide on the inter-state transport. Since people are coming from Hyderabad, which has reported growing Covid-19 cases, we are taking precautions in allowing them into the state. Sawang said those with travel permits would be allowed into the state. We shall allow them only after conducting the mandatory thermal screening. These restrictions will continue till further notice and people should cooperate with us in their own interest, Sawang said. Pass-holders were also being stopped at the check posts after 7 pm. The travel permits are valid only between 7 am and 7 pm. The borders will be sealed after 7 pm, except for essential services, Sawang said. An official release from the chief minsters office said if the lockdown is imposed in Hyderabad and surroundings, it would be implemented strictly. Even flights and train services have to be stopped. A decision will be taken at the cabinet meeting, the official release said. With the Telangana government mulling the possibility of re-enforcing complete lockdown in Hyderabad and nearby districts in the next couple of days, there has been a mad rush of Andhra people going back to their native places in the last 24 hours. On Sunday, Telangana chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao announced that the state cabinet would meet in three or four days to discuss the suggestion of health department and medical experts to reimpose lockdown in the limits of Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation for at least 15 days in the wake of sharp spike in the number of positive cases for Covid-19. Beginning Tuesday evening, there has been large-scale migration of people from Hyderabad to their native places in Andhra Pradesh. Thousands of vehicles got stranded at toll gates on the Hyderabad-Vijayawada national highway and at inter-state borders at Garikapadu. Many migrant labourers from Andhra, who returned to Hyderabad after lifting of lockdown restrictions, were also rushing back to their native villages. Similar incidents of a large number of vehicles getting stranded were reported from Pondugala and Vadapalli inter-state check posts. Most of these travellers going back to Andhra were, however, stopped at the check-posts, as the Andhra police did not allow them into the state unless they had registered their names in the state government portal, Spandana, and obtained a travel permit. It was a shock for us, as the Union government guidelines for unlock 2 clearly said there shall be absolutely no hindrance in the inter-state or intra-state movement of individuals or goods and that no separate permits or passes will be required for the same, S Narasimha Rao, a private employee who was held up at the Garikapadu check post along with the family, said. However, Andhra Pradesh Director General of Police Gautam Sawang said the state had powers to decide on the inter-state transport. Since people are coming from Hyderabad which has been witnessing a high number of Covid-19 cases, we are taking precautions in allowing them into the state, he said. The officer made it clear that only those who had obtained travel permits after registering their details on the official portal would be allowed into the state. We shall allow them only after conducting the mandatory thermal screening. These restrictions will continue till further notice and people should cooperate with us in their own interest, Sawang said. Even the passholders are being stopped at the check-posts if they are coming after 7 pm. The travel permits are valid only between 7 am and 7 pm. The borders will be sealed after 7 pm, The Crime Branch-CID of the Tamil Nadu police on Wednesday began its investigation into the death of a father-son duo in Tuticorin last month after they were allegedly thrashed by the police in custody. We have started an investigation in the case. We will further update on the matter, said CB-CID Inspector General of Police Shankar according to ANI. On Tuesday, the Madras High Court directed the CB-CIDs Tirunelveli Deputy Superintendent of Police Anil Kumar to probe the death of the two traders, who died in a hospital. The probe team conducted enquiries with the family members of the deceased and also in the market where the two men ran their mobile phone shop. Investigators also visited the Sathankulam police station which has since been brought under the Revenue department under the High Courts direction. P Jayaraj and his son Bennicks, arrested for allegedly violating lockdown norms, died at a hospital in Kovilpatti on June 23. Relatives alleged that they were brutally beaten at the Sathankulam police station. The death of the two men sparked outrage forcing the government to suspend five policemen, including an inspector and two Sub-Inspectors. The Madras High Court had directed a CB-CID probe into the matter although the state government had transferred the case to the CBI saying it feared that evidence could disappear by the time CBI took over the probe. On Monday, the state government had transferred the probe to the CBI. The body of a tribal woman was thrown into a river by her family in Madhya Pradeshs Sidhi district as they did not have the money to cremate her, her relatives said on Tuesday after the video of the clip of the incident went viral. The video clip of the family carrying the body in a cart and then throwing the body into the Son River in the district, 672 kilometres northeast of state capital of Bhopal, was repeatedly shared on social media on Monday. The brother of the woman, who was in her late 30s, said his sister had been sick for the past several days. As her condition deteriorated on Sunday, their neighbours called on 108 for an ambulance but there was no response from the other side. It was when we decided to take her to the district hospital on a handcart. At the district hospital, the doctors declared her brought dead. When we couldnt get ambulance we approached the municipal corporation office again for help but an employee said since it was Sunday no ambulance or other assistance could be provided to us, Ramavtar Kol of Kotaha locality in Sidhi city said. We didnt have money for cremation. Hence, we took the body on the same handcart and floated it in the Son River, he added. We didnt shoot any video of our act. It was done by some passers-by. However, on Monday, some officers came to my residence and gave financial assistance of Rs 5,000, Mahesh Col, the womans husband, said. DP Barman, Sidhis additional district magistrate, said the unfortunate incident was true. The family members didnt have money to cremate the body and they were not aware of any government scheme too. Now, we have provided financial aid to the family. We are looking into the incident to see if there was any fault on the part of any official or employee, Burman said. Chief municipal officer Amar Singh said they were not at fault. Though it was Sunday, the municipal corporation officers and employees were taking rounds of the city. No one approached any municipal officer or employee. There is a possibility that they might have talked to some outsider outside the office and returned, Singh said. Kamal Nath, the president of Congress Madhya Pradesh unit, launched an attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in general and chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan in particular. Shivraj ji, when you were in Opposition you talked a lot about your governments financial assistance to the poor for cremation but the reality is there for all to see. Where is your last rites scheme? A tribal family in Sidhi district had to float the dead body of its member in a river as it was neither given any financial assistance nor an ambulance, Kamal Nath tweeted in Hindi. On its part, the BJP said the Congress was speaking without verifying the facts. Its unfortunate that the state Congress president indulged in politics even on such a sensitive issue without trying to know the facts. The fact is the district administration has made it clear that no one approached it for any help and when the administration came to know about the incident financial assistance was immediately provided to the family, Dr Hitesh Bajpai, a state BJP leader, said. A police officer in Uttar Pradeshs Deoria district has gone missing after he was caught on camera masturbating while interacting with a mother-daughter duo, who had come to file a complaint in a land dispute case. Shri Pati Mishra, Superintendent of Police (SP), Deoria, on Wednesday announced a reward of Rs 25,000 to help find the absconding officer while police teams also carried out raids to nab him. Police officials said the inspector was accused of touching his private parts intentionally to sexually harass the two women while talking to them in his office chamber. Mishra said an FIR under sections 166 (public servant disobeying law), 354-A (sexual harassment) and 509 (act with intent to insult the modesty of woman) of the IPC has been registered against inspector Bhisma Pal Singh. He said the inspector was told to surrender but has been missing since then. Another police official of Deoria said the initial investigation had revealed that the video was recorded on June 22 when the inspector was posted as in-charge of Bhatni police station. Narrating the sequence of events, the official said the inspector was seen masturbating on his chair while the two women, seated opposite him, were talking about a land dispute with their relatives. The complainant said she, along with her mother, visited Bhatni police station at least thrice but their complaint was never heard. She said the inspector in-charge Bhisma Pal Singh was touching himself in front of the two when they visited him. I ignored him at least twice before deciding to record his act on camera and expose him in front of his seniors and public, she emphasised. She said she secretly shot the video when the inspector repeated the act on June 22 and later shared it with some senior officials. The inspector was suspended on June 26 and finally the FIR was lodged on June 30 when local journalists started questioning the SP after the video went viral. Apple has been the center of a controversy regarding in-app purchase commissions and its App Store policies. While the company says that its policies take care of developers as well as users, the US and EU have started looking into the companys policies. Now, an app developer has alleged that Apple turned down their apps update for not enforcing auto-billing on users. According to Down Dog, a yoga iOS app, Apple has rejected an app update because the apps free trial version doesnt automatically turn into a paid subscription after the free trial period is over. The app uses Apples App Connect Service but doesnt enforce automatic billing on users. The app developers say that they dont intend to cross a line and steal from users who forget to cancel the paid subscription within the free trial period, even if Apple wants to do so. The tweet also has an image that references a part of the terms and conditions that developers making iOS apps must abide by. While the rule states that apps may offer free trials, which may turn into paid subscriptions, but it doesnt appear to mandate it. The developers say that theyve tried auto-charging in the past, but it leads to fewer users, a massive number of refund requests, and complete disbelief from users when they try to explain that Apple doesnt allow in-app purchase refunds. The Down Dog app is still available on the iOS app store, and the developer doesnt say what they were trying to introduce with the new update. However, the companys website says that buying directly from the website avoids the commission that the company has to pay to Apple and Google. It also mentions that buying directly leads to better prices for users. The app was removed from the Google Play Store in the past for allowing users to purchase subscriptions directly through the developers website. Apple recently allowed developers to challenge specific rules and decisions. The Cupertino-based tech giant has been in a struggle with various developers and brands for charging 15% to 30% commission from their paid subscriptions. Fortnite, Netflix, Spotify, Tile, and Tinder have been vocal against Apples App Store policies. Recently, Apple blocked an app update to the email app Hey, because the company didnt integrate in-app purchases inside its iOS app. However, the company later allowed Hey developers to release the app update. Wow! Apple is rejecting our latest update because we refuse to auto-charge at the end of our free trial. They can choose to steal from their customers who forget to cancel, but we won't do the same to ours. THIS IS A LINE THAT WE WILL NOT CROSS. pic.twitter.com/s9HwD4ay4h Down Dog (@downdogapp) June 30, 2020 Our Take While Apple claims that App Store policies help developers and users and create a level playing field, the decision to enforce auto-billing for subscription seems like a disadvantage for users who forget to cancel their trial periods, and thats a bad experience. Its time Apple brought reforms to its App Store policies and rules and make it fairer to both users and developers. The United States on Wednesday stepped in to stall a United Nations Security Council statement pushed hard by Xi Jinpings China on this weeks Karachi terror attack in light of New Delhis reservations over the Imran Khan governments efforts to politicise the attack at Pakistan Stock Exchange. The UNSC routinely condemns such acts of terror. But the statement on the Karachi terror strike got complicated after Islamabad attempted to pin the blame on New Delhi. Pakistan foreign minister Makdoom Shah Mehmood Qureshi had blamed the attacks on India on Tuesday. His boss Imran Khan echoed him in the National Assembly on Wednesday, claiming Islamabad had no doubt that India was involved. The Balochistan Liberation Army is reported to have claimed responsibility for the attack in Pakistans southern port city on June 29. In informal consultations, several UNSC members took a dim view of Pakistans effort to queer the pitch and use the UNSC to achieve their political objectives in cooperation with mentor, China. Germany was the first to speak up on the China-sponsored statement. The UNSC follows the silence procedure that considers a resolution to have the support of all members concerned if no one raises an objection to it within a specified time. Germanys intervention pushed the timeline, forcing China to extend the silence process to 10 am (Eastern Time) on July 1. As this deadline was to expire, the United States also made an intervention. The procedure now stands extended till 1 pm (Eastern Time) on July 1. Officials said that there was a good chance that the statement on the terrorist strike in Pakistan would be approved by the UNSC sooner or later. The delay, however, is the message to the China-Pakistan team that it could not expect a smooth ride at international fora. Indian and Chinese soldiers have been locked in a stand-off in eastern Ladakh for weeks after Peoples Liberation Army soldiers attempted to expand their territory on the Indian side. On July 15, the stand-off escalated into a violent scrap that led to loss of lives on both sides. One Chinese diplomat posted at the UN who tried to push the Pakistan statement tried to nudge others to move quickly, arguing that taking action slowly will send a bad signal to others and the victims. That statement, however, did not have the desired impact, particularly since China doesnt have a track record of coming down strongly on terror. At the UNSC, China - one of the five permanent members - had blocked a resolution designating Jaish-e-Mohammad chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist under 1267 resolution for years. Beijing eventually had to take a step back last year under intense international pressure. Pakistan has, however, not acted against Masood Azhar despite the UNSC resolution. The Maharashtra government has directed all its departments, local authorities, officers and employees to mandatorily use Marathi language in official business. In a circular issued on Monday, the state government also asked all the department heads to take actions such as warning, mentioning it in the confidential reports, issuing strictures and withholding annual increment as a punishment against the staff found deliberately not using Marathi language in official business. The circular was issued by the Marathi language department. Many departments are still issuing circular, government resolutions etc in English language. Websites of many departments are also only in English language. Similarly, many municipal corporations are issuing notices, letters, applications and samples only in English. Complaints in this regard have been raised by the public representatives time and again, states the circular. Instructions to all the department heads on using Marathi in all the official business have been issued in the past. They are again directed to strictly implement the instructions and take necessary action against those who are found not following the instructions. In the budget session of the state assembly in February, the government had passed a law making Marathi language a mandatory subject in schools. Marathi Language Minister Subhash Desai and Education Minister Varshan Gaikwad reviewed the progress in this regard in a meeting in May. They said that Marathi language will become a compulsory subject from the academic year 2020-21 for classes 1 to 6 in schools of different mediums and education boards in Maharashtra. Maharashtra has studied laws enacted by southern states of Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Karnataka and Kerala that made their languages mandatory in schools. A controversy erupted after Uttarakhand Congress vice-president Suryakant Dhasmana said the coronavirus pandemic has been sent by Lord Krishna, drawing a sharp response from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the state. Dhasmana reportedly made the comment while participating in a debate on a local Hindi news channel on Monday evening. The statement was soon shared by several users on social media and many accused him of insulting the Sanatan Dharma. Both Corona and Krishna starts with the sound of K. Hence its obvious that the coronavirus has been sent by him in this world, he reportedly said. Dhasmana, however, stated he had said nothing against Sanatan Dharma or Lord Krishna. My statement was completely misconstrued. I had clearly quoted the Gita while making the statement. In Gita, Lord Krishna himself has said that he is only the creator, preserver and destroyer of the world. Nothing in the world happens without his will. Referring to that I said, corona has been sent by Lord Krishna and its vaccine will also be developed by his will, said Dhasmana. The BJP demanded an apology from the Congress over Dhasmanas statement. The statement shows how mentally bankrupt Congress has become. Lord Krishna came into this world to destroy the demons but by saying both corona and Krishna starts with K, Congress has compared him with the demon of corona in todays world which is highly condemnable, Devendra Bhasin, the BJPs state unit vice-president, said. It should have been better if he would have said K for Corona and Congress. It would have been more apt with the kind of hindrances Congress is putting in the fight against corona. Its an insult of Hindu dharma for which Congress should apologise, Bhasin added. Dhasamana, however, refuted the allegations of the BJP. I am a staunch devotee of Lord Krishna and have been organising Bhagwad Gita Katha in Dehradun for the last 25 years. I dont want a certificate from the BJP on religion as I know how to honour and follow it, he said. Uttarakhand has reported 2,831 cases of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) and 39 patients have succumbed so far in the state. The Uttarakhand government has cleared diversion of about 70 hectares of forest land in the Gangotri National Park for construction of three strategically important roads to China border. The decision was taken in the 15th State Wildlife Advisory Board meeting on Monday, officials said. The road proposals cleared include preserving the Gartang Gali road in the Uttarkashi district, an ancient road between India and Tibet. Uttarakhand forest minister Harak Singh Rawat said that these roads are important from the national security point of view as they connect the base camps of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) set up near China border in Uttarkashi district. In a big move for national security, wildlife clearance proposal was given for three roads passing through Gangotri National Park which includes a 11.85 km long road from Sumla to Thangla for which transfer of 30.39 hectares of forest land was approved. The second road is a 6.21 km long road from Tripani to Rangmachagar for which transfer of 11.218 hectares of forest land was approved. The third road is a 17.60 km long road from Mandi to Sangchokla for which transfer of 31.76 hectares of forest land was approved, said Rawat. These proposals will now be sent to National Board for Wildlife for final approval. When asked about the impact on forests and the environment due to the construction of the roads, the minister said, If a road is constructed then there will be a slight impact on the environment, but this region is important from national security point of view. The impact would not be much as the common man would not be using these road and it would only be for the security personnel. The construction of the roads will improve the supply of food, ration, weapons for our soldiers. He added the estimation will be done to find out the number of trees that might have to be cut for construction of these roads. During the 1962 war we did not have roads constructed till the border area and China was in an advanced position. The stand-off at the border is happening because India has started constructing roads and strengthening border areas. With the current condition of roads, it is difficult to take weapons to the border points, but once the road is constructed, that process will become smooth, added Rawat. NB Sharma, deputy director of Gangotri National Park, said these three roads are in the interior part of the park near the China border. From areas of Sumla, Tripani and Mandi, our troops including army and ITBP personnel have to reach the border area on foot. The State Wildlife Advisory Board at present has given wildlife clearance and the proposal will now be sent to National Board for Wildlife for further clearance after which the land transfer process will start. The area where the roads will be constructed is at a height of 15,000 feet from sea level and have complete barren lands with no trees. Only some grasses grow in that area and as there are almost no trees, they would not have to be cut, said Sharma. However, experts say that environmental impact should also be considered along with the strategical importance of the project. Ajay Singh Rawat, an environmentalist, said, For the construction of roads, agencies might have to opt for blasting, which will disturb the mountains and can trigger tremendous landslides. If motorable roads are made at such places without giving importance to the ecological effect and a landslide occurs, then the road will be blocked. These areas are part of the catchment area for the Indo-Gangetic plains, which is home to 40% of Indias population. If the ecology of such an area is disturbed, then the impact percolates down to other states also. West Bengal has recorded five new coronavirus disease (Covid-19) highs in the past week, including three new ones coming to light over the last three consecutive days. On Tuesday, Bengal recorded 652 Covid-19 positive cases, the highest single-day spike in the state to date. On two previous days, the corresponding figure was 572 and 624, respectively. While on June 26, 542 Covid-19 positive cases surpassed the previous days record of 475. Bengal has reported 18,559 Covid-19 positive cases, of which 5,761 are still active and the rest have recovered from the viral infection. The state reported 15 fresh Covid-19 related deaths on Tuesday, as the overall toll climbed to 668. Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who has been hands-on in tackling the pandemic in one of the most populous states in the country, appealed to the public from the state secretariat, Nabanna, on Tuesday. I would once again like to request the police to stringently enforce the prevailing lockdown restrictions. We have to ensure that livelihoods of people are not affected, but at the same time the contagions spread must be checked at all costs, she said. The state authorities have further relaxed lockdown restrictions from Wednesday. The new lockdown rule stipulates that 50 instead of the earlier 25 people can attend wedding receptions and funerals. Morning walk is being allowed between 5.30am and 8.30am daily. Kolkata and the three neighbouring districts of Howrah, North 24 Parganas and South 24 Parganas have reported 12,702 Covid-19 positive cases, which work out to around 70% of the total count of 18,559. Kolkata has recorded around 6,000 Covid-19 positive cases so far. Earlier, HT had reported that a recent seroprevalence survey, conducted by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), showed that 14% of Kolkatans have developed Covid-19 antibodies. The survey indicated that the transmission is high in the metropolis, which is far from developing herd immunity or antibodies to combat Covid-19, according to senior doctors. The CM had said that Kolkatas count is higher because Covid-19 patients from adjoining districts have been undergoing treatment in city-based hospitals. National Doctors Day is being celebrated today and people all over social media are writing words of praise and sharing posts of gratitude towards our heroes. Among those posts is a special tribute from Mumbai Police. You may have heard the phrase not all superheroes wear capes. Well, the post shared by Mumbai Police will remind you of that line as it sits perfectly with the image shared by the police handle. The picture shows Superman and Batmans capes along with Captain Americas shield and Ironmans helmet hanging next to a doctors lap coat and stethoscope. The doctors apron is no less than a superheros cape. We thank all the doctors for their selfless service to this city, says the post shared by Mumbai Police on Instagram and Twitter. They have also used the hashtag #NationalDoctorsDay in their post. Shared over an hour ago, the post has collected over 5,800 likes on the photo sharing app and over 1,800 likes and more than 300 retweets on Twitter. Many have posted comments praising the post and expressing their gratitude for the real superheroes. This is the most honest representation! Doctors are superheroes, shared an individual. Movies show us imaginary superheroes, but you guys are real superheroes, wrote another. Every person who is helping us needs to be celebrated... u all are our superheroes, commented a third. July 1st is celebrated as National Doctors Day as it marks the birth and death anniversary of former chief minister of West Bengal Dr Bidhan Chandra Roy who was a renowned physician. The most daunting task for a mother is to convince her child to eat healthy food. Kids are usually fascinated by colourful and attractive looking food, and if it comes in their favourite flavour, they can eat their meal happily. Moms on Instagram are making healthy meals look more appealing to their kids by turning them into work of art. These mothers are trying to inspire other parents to make healthy food more fun for their kids so that they enjoy their meal without making any fuss about it and get all the right nutrition required for their growth. From Laleh Mohmedis Jacobs Food Diaries, where she arranges food to look like Disney Characters for her son to food artist Samantha Lee, who makes amazing food art for her two daughters, are winning everyones heart on social media and people are getting inspired from their food art. The fact that kids are attracted towards colourful and food in shape of their favourite cartoon characters, makes it perfect for mothers to come up with these interesting ideas and it does work. says chef Nishant Choubey. Diksha Sharma, a 32-year-old homemaker gets inspired from these food art pages on Instagram and tries to replicate it at home to allure her kids to eat healthy. I have been trying some simple food art and thinking of more interesting ways to serve healthy food to my kids by looking at these pages so that they start eating healthy, she says. Here are some food artists who are turning food into amazing piece of art. Samantha Lee Malaysian food artist Samantha Lee, makes quirky and healthy lunch boxes for her two daughters and her Instagram page has every possible fruit and vegetable that has been used in making these colourful artwork. She started creating cartoon-inspired dishes in 2008 so that her daughters can start eating healthy and shot to fame in 2011 after her work was noticed on Instagram. Her passion turned into a full time career and her page has a food art for every occasion. From using bread to make Spongebob Squarepants to creating Katy Perry with rice, you just cant unsee her beautiful ideas. Laleh Mohmedi (Jacobs Food Diaries) Laleh Mohmedi started turning food into art to encourage her son to eat healthy and slowly her fan garnered a lot of attention on social media. Her page can be turned into a comic book with almost all cartoon characters adorning on it. She doesnt use any preservative or colour in decorating her food and she uses vegetable colours and activated charcoal to let the magic happen. Etoni Mama Japanese mom and food art blogger Etoni Mama masters in the art of styling food to look like cartoon characters and animals. Her Instagram account will make you want to gorge on everything she creates. So if your kid doesnt like to eat egg, take cues from Etoni Mama and create art work using fried eggs. She places these eggs on top of salads, rice and even fruits to make it more visually striking. Follow more stories on Facebook and Twitter After a video purportedly showed health workers tossing bodies of Covid-19 victims in a large pit in Karnataka, BSP chief Mayawati on Wednesday said the incident is the height of cruelty and insult to humanity. She demanded that the guilty be punished. The tragedy that the bodies of Covid-19 victims being thrown into trenches in Ballari, Karnataka is height of cruelty and an insult to humanity. Though incidents related to inhuman cruelty with corona patients are rampant but guilty of Ballari must be punished by the state government, Mayawati said in a tweet. After the video surfaced online, Karnataka Health Minister B Sriramulu on Tuesday said the workers concerned have been suspended. Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa expressed shock over the incident. The behaviour of the health workers with the dead bodies of the Covid-19 victims is inhuman and painful. I appeal to the health workers to be kind to the Covid victims and perform the last rites of the deceased with honour. There is no religion bigger than humanity, he had said in a series of tweets. In a separate tweet, Mayawati asked the Centre to extend the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana till the end of the Covid-19 pandemic. In order to check ignominy of starvation on account of long unprecedented hardship & unemployment due to coronavirus and the subsequent nationwide lockdown, the PM Garib Kalyan Anna Yojna must continue not till November but till the end of the pandemic, this is the demand of BSP, Mayawati said. Now that we are all agreed that Tik Tok is A Bad Thing, where do we go next? Do we extend the bans/boycotts on services and products from the Peoples Republic of China (PMC)? And if yes, how do we go about it? The first thing to remember is that global boycotts can and do work. South Africa would never have agreed to dismantle apartheid if the world had not boycotted its products and made apartheid-supporting South Africans feel like a global pariahs. Whats less clear is whether country-to-country boycotts change the attitudes of regimes. Few of us use anything made in Pakistan. And from time to time we have boycotted sporting events with Pakistan. It is not clear whether these boycotts have made any difference to the attitude of the Islamabad regime. So, I am not sure that an Indian boycott of Chinese goods will change Beijings mindset. At present, around two to three per cent of Chinas exports come to India (the figure for Chinas exports to the US ranges between 15 to 21 per cent, depending on how you calculate it). Presumably President Xi had already thought of the trade implications when he escalated the conflict with India. Another way of controlling Chinas exports to India would be a simple import ban imposed by the government but that, as we shall see poses dangers including retaliation and damage to Indian industry. The key question about boycotting Chinese imports is: where does the boycott end? It is okay to boycott Chinese smart phones. But do we boycott any product that has Chinese components? This is almost impossible to do because there is no way of knowing where every single component in say, a machine, was manufactured. And besides, we use Chinese components just as much as the rest of the world. Already, there are complaints that Chinese components and ingredients that are needed for the manufacture of drugs and medical equipment are being arbitrarily held up by Indian customs authorities.The Indian auto industry is also dependent on Chinese components and would be damaged by import bans on Chinese goods. So yes, it is tempting to call for a boycott on Chinese products. But lets be clear: we can only boycott the products that are not essential for Indian industry. Otherwise, its we who lose out. We can, quite easily, boycott Chinese consumer goods like TVs and smart phones. It wont necessarily do much harm to the Chinese economy or make any difference to President XI. But it will make us feel better about ourselves. And it will make a symbolic point. Once you get past phones and computers, however, things get more complicated. If you are banning or boycotting the products that Chinese business manufactures, do you extend the same principle to companies that Chinese business owns in India? This is what some economists call the PayTM problem. While PayTM is hailed as a great Indian achievement (which it is) it is also true that it is majority-owned by Chinese interests. In fact it is owned by the same Chinese conglomerate that owns the UC Browser. So why act against the browser and not PayTM? If you are to look at companies where Chinese investors hold significant stakes, the list includes nearly every celebrated start-up of the last decade or so: Big Basket, Byjus, Flipkart, MakeMyTrip, Ola, Oyo, Swiggy, Zomato, Snapdeal and many others. There is nothing immoral or underhand about what these companies are doing. They accepted Chinese investment openly and transparently, within the rules made by the Indian government. But the truth is that as they prosper and their valuations go up, the Chinese make more and more money. And they get rich from Indian consumers. So why is it okay to take an Ola cab and help enrich some Chinese entity but wrong to buy a Chinese TV? Its a difficult question and I havent heard many convincing answers from boycott-advocates. While the arguments in favour of an economic boycott of China often raise more questions than they answer, there are two good reasons for getting rid of some Chinese entities from India. The first is security. There are now innumerable cases from all over the world of Chinese products (hardware and software) turning out to have backdoors that allow Chinese interests to access private information. If you load a Chinese app, it might well start drawing out your personal data. If you use a Chinese chat service, there is a possibility that your private chats might be recorded on a server somewhere in China. If you use a Chinese made mobile phone, the manufacturers could have unlimited access to everything stored on that phone. If you install a Chinese-made smart TV, the makers know how to turn on the camera and microphone remotely without you even knowing. The risk from Chinese software and hardware is well known and globally recognised. The Chinese themselves insist that their people only use their own apps. In China, locals cant access Instagram or WhatsApp. They have to use local equivalents so that the state can keep a watch on them. Chinese citizens have no choice but to use these apps. But we do. So youd have to be nuts to voluntarily use Chinese apps to communicate. And each time you use a Chinese made smart device, you are probably entrusting your privacy to President Xi and his minions. This is true of Tik Tok, one of the subjects of the recent ban on Apps. In just three years or so (Tik Tok came to India only in 2018), the app has around 125 million users in India. In smaller towns and among younger people, its use has become so widespread in such a short space of time that its rate of growth dwarfs anything that Instagram or Twitter have managed in India. The security issues with TikTok are well known. Neither the US army nor the Indian military will allow their personnel to use TikTok. Earlier this year, an Israeli cyber security firm found that a flaw allowed its researchers to retrieve personal information from TikTok user accounts. This was one of several weaknesses reported by various security researchers. TikTok said, after each complaint, that it had fixed the flaw. But it left open the big questions: if it is so easy for hackers to get personal information from the site, what about the people who actually run the site? How super-easy must it be for them? My view on Chinese software and hardware ---- and this is long before the Galwan valley conflict --- is that you use them at your own peril. There is also a second reason for Indians to be wary of Chinese apps. As the world has learned over the last century, soft power often has more influence than hard power. The United States is possibly the most powerful country in the history of civilisation. But you and I are not frightened of Americans military might because we dont need to be. We are already in thrall to America because of the various elements of its soft power from jeans to pizzas to Hollywood to rock music. As Rupert Murdoch famously said, modernization has come to mean Americanisation. (And globalisation is often another euphemism for Americanisation.) Over the last two decades, the US has used technology to leverage its soft power. Apples iPhone changed all phones forever. The great social networking and photo-sharing sites like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, WhatsApp and others have remade the world in Americas image. That kind of power means much more than the USs six thousand plus nuclear weapons. Over the last decade, especially in Asia but also elsewhere in the world, China has tried to mimic America in the soft power game. Cheap Chinese smart phones, messaging apps, conference apps and video-sharing apps (like TikTok) are now ubiquitous. In India, they are carefully aimed at a mid-level segment that hasnt necessarily grown up on American popular culture. So whats the difference? If America can have a hold on one socio-economic demographic than why cant China have the same kind of hold on another? Its a good question but there is a difference. First of all, the US has no territorial ambitions in India, no history of conflict with us and obviously, no desire to keep us down so that it can be the only power in Asia. Its all right for India to be friendly with China (thats what foreign policy is about) but it is crazy to believe that we can ever be friends. Moreover, for all its fault and the problems with its companies (Facebook, for instance, is either immoral or downright evil) the United States has systemic checks and balances. At present, Facebook faces a damaging boycott from many of its advertisers and if Joe Biden gets elected in November, it is possible Facebook may even get broken up. No such thing will ever happen in China. Many of the largest companies are controlled by elements of the state and face no ethical scrutiny. They are, at the end of the day, instruments to advance the interests of the PRC. So yes, it is right to be suspicious of the Chinese state and its companies. Hell, it was wrong to ever be trusting of their intentions --- even before tensions flared up along the border. But it is childish to believe that Xi and his cohorts at the top of the Chinese government will be terrified of a boycott of Chinese electronic goods. Besides, there is a double-standard implicit in the boycott: why brag that you wont use a Chinese phone while continuing to enrich China by giving your money to the Indian companies that Chinese interests own either mostly or in part? Dont buy Chinese TVs if you dont want to.(I dont use Chinese electronic products myself.) But the concerns run much deeper than swearing off Chinese phones. And the issues are more complex than a Twitter trend may suggest. To read more on The Taste With Vir, click here Follow more stories on Facebook and Twitter Despite the state government clarifying its stand to the Centre that Maharashtra is in no position to conduct exams for professional courses due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, respective central examination councils which have to take a call on the issue, are still contemplating a final decision. Weve already held a meeting with vice-chancellors and senior officials of various technical institutes and universities across the country, and soon another meeting will be held to discuss the fate of examinations. We will share our views with the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) at the earliest, said Anil Sahasrabuddhe, chairman, All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE). A decision taken by AICTE will apply to engineering, pharmacy, architecture, and management institutes across India. Last week, the chief minister Uddhav Thackeray-led government reached out to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, requesting him to direct governing bodies of all professional courses to cancel final-year exams. On June 19, state higher education minister Uday Samant announced that final-year exams for all non-professional courses will be optional, and students will have to submit a written undertaking to clarify their decision. However, a decision on ATKT (allowed to keep term) backlog of final-year students as well as the fate of professional courses were left pending. We have clearly stated in the letter that we are not in a position to conduct examinations. Now, the decision has to come from the Centre, said a senior official from the state higher and technical education department. Students, meanwhile, are worried, with many groups having approached the state government and Governors office, seeking clarity on the status of examinations. Many have also taken to social media to address the central government as well as the University Grants Commission (UGC). Constant changes and lack of clarity are leaving students in a fix, especially those who are pursuing degrees from different cities or plan to pursue higher education or a take up a job in the future. Any more delay will have severe effects on the future of final-year students, said Siddharth Ingle, president of Maharashtra Students Union (MASU). The Shiv Sena took on the Centre and said that instead of giving a befitting reply to China for infiltration the Indian border and martyring soldiers, the Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi-led government is focusing on responding to Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. An editorial in the Sena mouthpiece Saamana on Tuesday said that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Congresss war of words is on at a time when China is building its army at the border. It added that like the coronavirus caller tune, somebody should run a tune that we have to fight China and not opposition parties. The Sena also took potshots at Union home minister Amit Shah and said that he should focus on combating Covid-19 and not pay attention to what the opposition parties are saying about China. The Chinese troops infiltrated in Galwan valley and they are carrying out unauthorised construction. Instead of giving China a befitting reply, the government is giving a strong response to Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, and the Congress party. Rajiv Gandhi Foundation got funds from China. On this, the Congress shot back saying PM Cares got funds worth crores from Chinese companies. The Chinese are building bunkers and tents at the border and here BJP-Congress is on. It seems we have forgotten that we have to fight the Chinese, the editorial said. The Shiv Sena backed Rahul for questioning the government on the violent face-off between Indian and Chinese troops that martyred 20 Indian soldiers earlier this month. In a barb aimed at the BJP-led Central government, the Sena said, Who is indulging in politics [over the Chinese infiltration]? Rahul Gandhis questions are not just bubbles in the water. Perhaps, Sharad Pawar also has the same queries. If China hasnt intruded on our land, why were the 20 soldiers martyred? Referring to Shahs comments that the country will win battles against Covid-19 and against China under PM Modis leadership, the Sena said, We wish Mr Shah the best. He should focus on the two battles. The government should not [focus] on the opposition party. There is no need to be rattled by questions raised by the opposition party. The editorial added that there is no need to debate what happened in 1962, and said that we should forget the past and tackle the fresh crisis. Whether it was Nehru or Modi, China will never change, it added. In a first, the Maharashtra government has tied up with global online retail portal Amazon to sell products made by self-help groups (SHG) of the state. So far, 33 products made by these self-help groups are available on the portal. State rural development minister Hasan Mushrif made the announcement on Wednesday. In addition, 50 products are also available on Government-e-Marketplace (GeM), an initiative of the Central government where common user goods and services can be procured by government departments. The initiative is part the rural development departments Umed Maharashtra State Rural Livelihood Mission, which was started to provide market for the products made by self-help groups. The products have been listed on Amazon under the brand name Wardhini, as these are made by self-help groups from Wardha district. Like other sectors, self-help groups also suffered huge economic losses due to lockdown imposed to contain spread of the pandemic. Now, they have been made available on an international platform which will enable them to restart their business, Mushrif said. This process was started on a pilot basis in May with two products paper bags and terracotta jewelry listed on Amazon. The products received good response, leading to a business of more than 2 lakh for the self-help groups. Considering the response, we have now registered 33 products on Amazon, such as eight varieties of papad, four varieties of paper bags, four types of terracotta jewellery, four types of cooking masala, nutri biscuits, masks etc, the minister said. The 50 products available on GeM are made by self-help groups from different districts. ,Soon products made by self-help groups from various districts will also be made available on Amazon. They have been asked to provide their best products, and some selected ones will be registered on the online retail platform, said a senior official from the rural development department. Actor Rajinikanth on Wednesday expressed deep shock over Sathankulam custodial deaths and said that all the officials connected with the incident should be severely punished. Jeyaraj and his son Fennix died due to alleged custodial torture in Sathankulam town in Thoothukudi. The father and son were allegedly beaten to death by the police. The police picked up the father-son duo after they kept their mobile shop open during lockdown. While Fennix died at the Kovilpatti General Hospital on June 22, his father died on June 23. In a strongly-worded statement in Tamil, Rajinikanth wrote: The manner in which a few police officials behaved with the magistrate has been very shocking. All the officials connected with the incident should be severely punished. They should not be spared. Last week, Rajinikanth called Jeyarajs wife and conveyed his condolences. Since the news of the custodial death of the father-son duo broke out, several Tamil film celebrities took to twitter demanding justice for Jayarajs family. Actor Suriya, who played a cop in the Singam franchise, described the entire incident as a result of an organised crime. In a strongly-worded statement, Suriya pointed out that the cops alone are not at fault in this case. The magistrate and the doctors are equally responsible for the custodial death. He further added that it cant be termed as a negligent act because the custodial deaths have put the credibility of the police department at stake. Filmmaker Hari, in a statement, said he regretted making five films glorifying the police force. Actor-politician Khushbu Sundar tweeted, Will we and can we see law taking its course and punishing the guilty without any further delay in #Jeyaraj and #Fenix case? The culprits cannot and should not get away. A family has lost their most loved ones. Justice delayed is justice denied. #JusticeForJeyarajAndFenix (sic). Composer D Imman tweeted: Terrified to hear the brutality inflicted upon Jeyaraj & Fenix. Totally inhuman and couldnt digest the torture they mustve gone through. Lets raise our voices for this ruthless act India! Jeyaraj and Fenix is the George Floyd of India (sic). Follow @htshowbiz for more ott:10:ht-entertainment_listing-desktop The European Union plans to open its borders to non-essential travellers such as tourists and most business people from a limited number of countries outside the bloc from July 1. The 27 EU governments agreed on an initial safe list of 14 countries, which excludes the United States, Brazil, Russia and Turkey. WHO IS ON THE LIST, AND WHY? Algeria, Australia, Canada, Georgia, Japan, Montenegro, Morocco, New Zealand, Rwanda, Serbia, South Korea, Thailand, Tunisia, Uruguay are on the list. China will be included if it lets in EU visitors because reciprocity is a condition. The EU considers those countries to have similar or better control of the COVID-19 pandemic as the bloc itself, based on the number of cases per 100,000 people in the previous two weeks. The EU average is around 16. The figures for the United States, Mexico, Brazil and much of Latin America, Russia, South Africa, Saudi Arabia and Turkey are too high, according to data from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. As well having a stable or decreasing trend of new infections, countries must have sufficient testing, contact tracing, containment and treatment capabilities to deal with the pandemic and containment measures in place for all journeys. They also need to satisfy the European Union that their data is available and reliable. Simply having no reported cases, as is the case with Tanzania, Turkmenistan and Laos, is not enough. WHERE CAN THEY GO? Travellers from the safe list countries will potentially be able to go to Europe and then travel freely throughout the Schengen area, which includes 22 EU countries, plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. The list will be reviewed every two weeks to add some countries and remove others. It is only a recommendation to EU members, who can still impose some travel restrictions. The idea at least is that they should not open up to other countries. WHAT ABOUT BRITAIN? Although the EU wants to work on the basis of reciprocity, Britain, which is no longer an EU member, is an exception. It enforces 14 days of self-isolation on all non-essential travellers, but its residents have been free since mid-June to travel to many, but not all, EU countries. Due to the lack of reciprocity, UK visitors are asked to carry out a 14-day voluntary quarantine in France. In Greece, flights from Britain are banned on health grounds. WHO ELSE CAN TRAVEL? Travel restrictions are not supposed to apply to travellers with an essential function, including healthcare workers, seasonal agricultural labour, diplomats, students and people in need of humanitarian protection. (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 Thailand is expected to see at most 8 million foreign tourists this year, down 80% from a year earlier, as the coronavirus pandemic curbs global travel, a tourism body said on Tuesday. The sector is expected to recover in 2021, Chairat Triratanajaraspon, president of the Tourism Council of Thailand, an industry group, told reporters. Last year, Thailand attracted a record 39.8 million foreign tourists, whose spending accounted for about 11% of Thai GDP. Earlier this week, Bangkok lifted the ban on international flights, but only for passengers that meet certain requirements. FILE PHOTO: Empty chairs are seen on a beach which is usually full of tourists, amid fear of coronavirus in Phuket, Thailand March 11, 2020. (REUTERS) The tourism council urged the government to sign travel agreements with other countries that have contained coronavirus outbreaks, like China, Taiwan, Japan and South Korea. Thailand on Tuesday marked 36 days without a case of local transmission. The opening only accounts for 5% of inbound travel and the rest are tourists. In the third quarter, if there are no new measures, it will be zero, said the tourism councils vice president, Wichit Prakobkosol. A DJ is seen behind a plastic barrier at the Sherbet club ahead of bars and night clubs reopening nationwide after the Thai government extended an emergency decree until the end of July in a bid to avoid the risk of a second wave of the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Bangkok, Thailand, June 30, 2020. (REUTERS) He added that 1.6 trillion baht ($51.78 billion) of revenues could be wiped out this year. The government is looking to boost the industry with domestic tourism, targeting 80 to 100 million trips, Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) governor Yuthasak Supasorn told a separate briefing. There were 166.84 million domestic trips last year, government data shows. Thailand previously approved a $722 million stimulus to boost domestic travel to cushion the industry. A view of Bangkok city amid the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Bangkok, Thailand, June 21, 2020. Picture taken June 21, 2020. (REUTERS) The support for domestic travel will be rolled out in mid-July, he said. The first group of foreign arrivals from travel bubble arrangements could arrive in one to two months, TAT deputy governor Chutchant Kunchorn Na Ayutthaya said, without naming any countries. The TAT is targeting 10 to 12 million foreign arrivals this year. (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 Television actor Abhinav Kohli has accused his estranged wife, television actor Shweta Tiwari, of not allowing him to meet their three-year-old son. Abhinav claimed that between September 2019 to May this year, he ran errands for Shweta and took care of their child, whenever she needed him to. In the last few weeks, Shweta and Abhinav have been involved in a bitter war of words on social media. Abhinav shared screenshots of Shwetas daughters Instagram profile. Shweta then commented on one of his Instagram posts, STOP POSTING ABOUT MY DAUGHTER!!! ITS HARASSMENT. AND YOU KNOW WHAT YOU DID!!! Sharing screenshots of Shwetas comment, Abhinav questioned why she had not filed for divorce, despite her accusations. He also posted more screenshots of her (now deleted) comments on his posts and claimed that she was sending those messages to her publicist but accidentally posted them online. Now, in an interview with The Times of India, Abhinav has said Shweta is keeping him away from their son. I am only talking now because I feel cheated. From September last year to May 2020, Shweta has been in touch with me and I have been taking care of her and my babys requirements. Car mein petrol bharane se lekar, Reyansh ke liye kuch kharidna hai (From filling petrol in the car to buying things for Reyansh), I was always there. Whenever she needed me be it 2 am or 4 am I was there because I wanted to stay with my baby, but now she is not letting me meet him. She has treated me like a servant, he alleged. Abhinav appealed to human rights organisations to help him meet Reyansh and claimed that Shweta was brainwashing him. Abhinav also claimed that Shweta has not allowed him to meet their son since May 15 and has refused to let him into the house. On May 14th, Shweta made a video call as Reyansh was crying and wanted to speak to me. Suddenly, when Shweta left the room and shut the door, he yelled very loudly and threw away the iPad, I got scared for him and immediately rushed to meet him. Shweta called the cops and dragged me out of the house. I mean what was my fault, I got worried for my child, he said. And when I went to meet him on May 14th, she called the police. I was pleading with the cops to let me meet my baby. I cried for three hours that day at the police station as I just wanted to meet my baby and was feeling helpless, he added. Also read: Fan asks Ileana DCruz if she is single or in a relationship, heres her sassy reply Abhinav claimed that while Shweta was shooting for Mere Dad Ki Dulhan, he was the one taking care of Reyansh. From morning to night, I have taken care of Reyaansh as she would go for her shoot. She would be in touch with me through phone and texts. The baby would be with me from 11 am in the morning till late night as she came late at night or would go for a party after shoot. Throughout Mere Dad Ki Dulhan and even during the shoot of her web series, I have taken care of the baby. There is a separate room made for Reyansh on the set, but he hardly stays there. Everyone on the sets knows that I would come on the sets and be with our son or sometimes even bring him home, he said. Last year, in August, Shweta filed a domestic violence complaint against Abhinav. This is Shwetas second marriage; she was earlier married to small-time actor Raja Chaudhary, with whom she has daughter Palak. Shweta and Raja got divorced after nine years of marriage. Follow @htshowbiz for more Television host, producer and actor Raghu Ram took off to Canada with his wife Natalie Di Luccio and their five-month-old son Rhythm, amid the Covid-19 pandemic. After a tough journey, the three of them are now quarantining at Natalies family home in Toronto for two weeks, as a precautionary measure. Natalie, who turned a year older on Tuesday, celebrated her birthday on the flight. Sharing a selfie with Rhythm on Instagram, she wrote, Thank you so much for all the birthday wishes today! @instaraghu, Rhythm and I celebrated it up in the air:). You cant tell by my mask but Im smiling. Hello Canada!!!!!! Sharing a picture with Raghu and Rhythm taken at her family home, Natalie wrote, We reached!! What a tough journey but man, we made it. So relieved. Quarantine now for 14 days. Poor mom has to look at rhythm from the driveway for now. Soon youll be able to hold your grandson mommy:). Rhythm is so eager to play with Nika (our dog). I have a feeling they are going to become best of friends. #quarantinelife. Also read | Sushant Singh Rajputs last co-star Sanjana Sanghi hints at quitting Bollywood in cryptic post: Milte hain? Ya shayad, nahi Last month, Raghu gave Natalie a haircut at home. He shared a picture and joked that she has created a monster. My war on hair has begun! VENGEANCE WILL BE MIIIIIINE!!!, he quipped in his caption. Raghu and Natalie have been spending quality time with their son, Rhythm, who was born in January this year. In an earlier interview with Hindustan Times, he had said that he was super-excited about welcoming their little one. Bringing life into this world is such a beautiful and awe-inspiring thing. It is exhausting as well as electrifying, an experience I never thought Ill have and that brought us much closer, he had said. Raghu was last seen as the host of the Amazon Prime Video reality show Skulls and Roses, alongside his twin brother Rajiv Lakshman. The two were also the creators of the show. Follow @htshowbiz for more Terming Chinas new security law for Hong Kong a clear and serious breach of the agreement that preceded the 1997 handover, the Boris Johnson government on Wednesday hit back at Beijing and offered a new citizenship path to residents of the former British colony. In strongly-worded statements, Prime Minister Boris Johnson and foreign secretary Dominic Raab told parliament that the law violates the 1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration under which Hong Kongs autonomy was guaranteed under the one country, two systems principle for a period of 50 years. It also violates Chinas and Hong Kong laws, they claimed. Raab said the UK will work with partners across the world to ensure that China lives up to its obligations to uphold the rule of international law. The European Union on Wednesday also termed the law as a violation of the pre-handover agreement. Raab told the House of Commons that there will be no limit to the number of people who could use the new pathway and enter the UK, but official estimates put the figure of BNO holders and their dependants at nearly 3 million. The bespoke immigration route will allow BNOs to come to the UK without the current six- month limit, granting them five years limited leave to remain, with the ability to live and work. After these five years, they will be able to apply for settled status and, after a further 12 months with that status, apply for citizenship. Raab, said: We will not look the other way on Hong Kong, and we will not duck our historic responsibilities to its people. We will honour our commitment to change the arrangements for those holding BNO status and continue to stand up for the people of Hong Kong. Home Secretary Priti Patel added: Chinas decision to impose national security legislation on Hong Kong is deeply regrettable. Now China have imposed this law we will launch a new immigration route for British Nationals Overseas and their families. The UK has a historic and moral obligation to British Nationals Overseas in Hong Kong and we will honour our commitment to them. The BNO status was created by Article 4(1) of the Hong Kong (British Nationality) Order 1986 which came into effect on 1 July 1987. As of February 2020, there are 349,881 holders of BNO passports; the government estimates there are around 2.9 million BNOs currently in Hong Kong. Astronauts performed their second spacewalk in under a week Wednesday to replace old batteries outside the International Space Station.Commander Chris Cassidy and Bob Behnken quickly tackled the big, boxy batteries. For every two outdated batteries coming out, a new and improved one goes in to supply power to the station on the night side of Earth. Within a couple hours, the astronauts had installed another new battery, the third one in this latest series of spacewalks. NASA plans to send the pair out twice more in July to complete the battery swap-outs that began in 2017. The new lithium-ion batteries should last the rest of the space stations life, according to officials. With their main chore completed, Cassidy and Behnken jumped ahead to loosen the bolts on the remaining outdated batteries. Some of the bolts required extra muscle.Boy, it put up a good fight, Cassidy radioed. These batteries, they like their home. Before floating out, Cassidy attached a spare mirror to his sleeve to replace one that came off and floated away during Fridays spacewalk. Astronauts use the wrist mirrors to see the displays on their chest control panel. NASA wants the battery work completed before Behnken returns to Earth in August aboard a SpaceX capsule. Hes one of two test pilots who launched on SpaceXs first astronaut flight in May.Cassidy and Behnken now have eight spacewalks apiece on their resumes.A space tourist might get a chance to join the prestigious spacewalking ranks for the right price. Virginia-based Space Adventures Inc. is seeking a paying customer to not only fly to the space station, but do a spacewalk with an experienced Russian cosmonaut. Before launching from Kazakhstan, the space tourist would need to undergo extra training in Star City, Russia. Space Adventures is not divulging the cost of the two-week mission. The flight would take up two tourists in 2023, one of whom would step outside. The Russian rocket company Energia has teamed up with Space Adventures for the expedition.Plenty of specialized training would be needed before someone ventures out on a spacewalk, Behnken told The Associated Press earlier this week. NASA considers spacewalks one of the riskiest parts of any mission, and astronauts spend hours practicing underwater the closest simulation to spacewalking on Earth.I think it could be really challenging for a tourist to go on a spacewalk, Behnken said. Any tourist would want multiple practice sessions in order to be prepared for the space environment. Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaros latest education minister reportedly offered his resignation Tuesday just days after his appointment, creating a new headache for the embattled leader as he struggles to start a new chapter at the ministry and shore up flagging support. Economist Carlos Alberto Decotelli, facing a slew of allegations that he embellished his academic credentials, tendered his resignation in the afternoon, Brazilian media reported. The press offices of Brazils presidency and education ministry didnt respond to The Associated Press requests to comment on whether Bolsonaro accepted. But late Monday, Bolsonaro said in a Facebook posting: Due to curricular inadequacies the professor (Decotelli) is facing all kinds of delegitimization. The president announced on social media Thursday that Decotelli would take over the education ministry, and Bolsonaro highlighted degrees the professor had from universities in Brazil and abroad. Soon enough, three of those institutions began disavowing the achievements of Decotelli, who was yet to be sworn in. In the most recent case, the Getulio Vargas Foundation said Tuesday the would-be minister was neither a researcher nor a professor at the Brazilian university as had been reflected in Decotellis resume shared by the government. Rather, he had acted as a collaborating professor in post-graduate courses, the school said in a statement. The professor acted only in courses of continued education, in programs for executive development and not as a professor in any of the FGVs schools, the statement said. Decotelli also had included on his resume a doctorate from the University of Rosario in Argentina, but the rector of that institution said on Twitter last week that he hadnt finished his studies. The nominee also claimed a post-doctoral degree from the University of Wuppertal in Germany. Local television network Globo cited a statement from the university saying Decotelli obtained no such degree. Decotellis claimed credentials and abrupt resignation create discomfort for Bolsonaro as he seeks to ease tensions with other government branches and reverse rising disapproval numbers prompted by the spiraling Covid-19 pandemic. The president took office in 2019 with promises to appoint ministers with technical expertise rather than dole out positions to curry political favour. Opponents have railed on the education ministry for shortcomings in that regard, with the first minister fired after four months and the second minister frequently criticized for focusing more on waging culture wars than coordinating educational policy. Decotelli had been slated to become Bolsonaros first Black minister, replacing Abraham Weintraub, who is one of the targets of an investigation into a network of people that allegedly spreads defamatory and threatening social media posts about Supreme Court justices. Weintraub in a Cabinet meeting on April 22 called the members of the top court bums and said he supported jailing them, according to video of the meeting released last month. The Supreme Court voted June 17 to keep Weintraub under investigation and days later he resigned his Cabinet post and traveled to the US, where the Brazilian government intends for him to assume a position at the World Bank. Bolsonaro last week met with potential candidates to helm the education ministry, which commands one of the largest ministerial budgets. China on Wednesday said it welcomes the latest military commander-level talks between India and China, which had made progress to disengage border troops and deescalate the ongoing tension along the Line of Actual Control (LAC). Beijing welcomes the progress made in the third round of talks, the Chinese foreign ministry said in a late- night comment. Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson, Zhao Lijian said the India and China were continuing to implement the consensus reached in earlier talks. Zhao was referring to two meetings between the third meeting between delegations led by Lieutenant General Harinder Singh, commander of the Leh-based 14 Corps, and Major General Liu Lin, commander of the South Xinjiang military region held earlier in June. The two sides continue working towards implementing the consensus reached at the two earlier rounds of commander-level talks and made progress in effective measures by frontline troops to disengage and deescalate the situation, Zhao said in a comment published by the Chinese foreign ministry on its website. China welcomes that. We hope the Indian side will work with the Chinese side towards the same goal, keep up close communication through military and diplomatic channels, and ease the situation and reduce the temperature along the border, the spokesperson said. Separately, quoting anonymous sources, nationalistic tabloid Global Times reported that the two sides had a frank and in-depth exchange of views, discussed effective ways to resolve current differences in border control, and studied concrete measures to enhance mutual trust and maintain stability. Quoting the source, the GT report said the military commander-levels meeting showed the two sides willingness to ease tensions on the border, and avoid further escalating the situation. The latest meeting took place at Chushul on the Indian side of the LAC, while the previous two meetings were held at Moldo on the Chinese side. Canada will keep its borders sealed till at least the end of July as the government extended its ban on travellers due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The prohibition was originally announced on March 16 and the only exemption is for those coming from the United States for essential reasons. The announcement came from a spokesperson for the Canada Border Services Agency, who stated that the agency has implemented travel restrictions across all ports of entry in all modes of transportation - land, sea, air and rail. All travel of an optional or discretionary nature, including tourism and recreation, is covered by these measures. Exceptions have also been made during this period - some repatriation flights took stranded Indians back home - but those are facilitated at a government-to-government level. The ban instituted in March had been announced by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and he had recently indicated it would remain in place, as he said during a media briefing that the federal government was going to be very, very careful about when and how we start reopening international borders. Non-essential travel between Canada and the United States remains paused till later in the month, while stringent quarantine measures applied to the few which allowed entry into the country have also been extended till the end of July. Travellers like Canadians of Indian origin, permanent residents or immediate family members will have to confirm they have a suitable place to self-isolate for a mandatory 14-day period, otherwise they may be placed in a government-approved facility. This announcement came even as the European Union announced that similar travel restrictions were being lifted for citizens of 14 nations, including Canada. However, it does not appear that Canada will immediately reciprocate by opening up travel to the country for EU residents. President Donald Trump on Tuesday came under growing pressure to respond to allegations that Russia offered bounties for killing American troops in Afghanistan, with Democrats demanding answers and accusing Trump of bowing to Russian President Vladimir Putin at the risk of US soldiers lives. Frustrated House Democrats returning from a briefing at the White House said they learned nothing new about American intelligence assessments that suggested Russia was making overtures to militants as the US and the Taliban held talks to end the conflict in Afghanistan. Senate Republicans who attended a separate briefing largely defended the president, arguing along with the White House that the intelligence was unverified. The intelligence assessments were first reported by The New York Times, then confirmed to The Associated Press by American intelligence officials and others with knowledge of the matter. White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said Tuesday that Trump had been briefed on the intelligence, a day after saying he hadnt because it had not been verified. McEnany added that there were still reservations within the intelligence community on the veracity of the allegations. Make no mistake. This president will always protect American troops, she said. Majority Leader Steny Hoyer and a small group of other House Democrats met with White House officials as Trump downplayed the allegations. The Democrats questioned why Trump wouldnt have been briefed sooner and pushed White House officials to have the president make a strong statement about the matter. House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff, one of the Democrats who attended the briefing, said it was inexplicable why Trump wont say publicly that he is working to get to the bottom of the issue and why he wont call out Putin. He said Trumps defense that he hadnt been briefed was inexcusable. Many of us do not understand his affinity for that autocratic ruler who means our nation ill, Schiff said. Rep. Mikie Sherrill, D-N.J., a freshman and former Navy helicopter pilot and Russia policy officer, said White House chief of staff Mark Meadows briefed the group. She said the Democrats told the White House briefers that the president should make a statement. These are very concerning allegations and if theyre true, Russia is going to face repercussions, Sherrill said. We really pushed that strongly in the meeting. She wouldnt say how the White House officials reacted or say if the briefers told the Democrats that in fact Trump had been briefed. Trump and his aides set a high bar for briefing a president since it is rare for intelligence to be confirmed without a shadow of doubt before it is presented to senior government decision-makers. McEnany declined to say why a different standard of confidence in the intelligence might apply to briefing lawmakers than for bringing information to the president. Some House Republicans who were briefed by the White House on Monday also said they left with questions. Texas Rep. Mac Thornberry, the top Republican on the Armed Services Committee, said the panel would leave no stone unturned in seeking further information. Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming insisted there would be ramifications for any targeting of Americans. But Senate Republicans seemed less concerned and questioned the media reports. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said he didnt think Trump should be subjected to every rumour. Conclusions, apparently, were not reached, McConnell said. The White House was working to schedule a briefing for Wednesday with McConnell, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the top Republicans and Democrats on the two intelligence committees according to a person familiar with the talks. The person declined to be identified because the so-called Gang of 8 briefing will be classified. That group receives the most sensitive information in regular meetings with administration officials. A separate group of Senate Republicans briefed in the White House Situation Room on Tuesday appeared mostly satisfied with the answers they received. Senate Armed Services Chairman Jim Inhofe of Oklahoma said he was convinced Trump hadnt known about the intelligence. Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson, chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, said Trump cant be made aware of every piece of unverified intelligence. Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Marco Rubio said he believed the US was prepared to do everything possible to protect our men or women stationed abroad, from a variety of threats. Some Republican senators did express frustration. Nebraska Republican Ben Sasse, a member of the intelligence panel, said Monday evening that Congress should focus on finding out who knew what, and when, and did the commander in chief know? And if not, how the hell not? While Russian meddling in Afghanistan isnt new, officials said Russian operatives became more aggressive in their desire to contract with the Taliban and members of the Haqqani Network, a militant group aligned with the Taliban in Afghanistan and designated a foreign terrorist organization in 2012. The intelligence community has been investigating an April 2019 attack on an American convoy that killed three US Marines after a car rigged with explosives detonated near their armored vehicles as they traveled back to Bagram Airfield, the largest US military installation in Afghanistan, officials told the AP. President Donald Trump has threatened to veto the US defense budget legislation for 2021 now being considered by congress if it included provisions renaming army bases and assets honouring confederate figures. The present bill contains a provision, backed by Democratic senator Elizabeth Warren, to remove the rename bases and all military assets named after confederates within three years. The legislation was approved by the senate armed services committee of the Republican-ruled Senate earlier this months and its now being debated in the senate. I will Veto the Defense Authorization Bill if the Elizabeth Pocahontas Warren (of all people!) Amendment, which will lead to the renaming (plus other bad things!) of Fort Bragg, Fort Robert E. Lee, and many other Military Bases from which we won Two World Wars, is in the Bill! Trump wrote in a tweet on Tuesday. There are at least 10 army bases named after generals of the army of the Confederate States of America 11 states in the south that had seceded from the United States to fight for and protect slavery in 1860. They returned to the union after a crushing defeat in a civl war that ended in 1865. The demand for replacing their names, and taking down monuments and statutes named after them generally, received fresh impetus in the anti-racism protests and demonstrations following the death of George Floyd, an African American man, under the knee of a white police officer in Minneapolis. US military leaders were open to a debate renaming them, but they were shut down by Trump, who has opposed it arguing they figures are a part of American heritage. In reality, critics have said, its his way to further polarize the country as he seeks to consolidate his support among conservative white voters. Trump tied the renaming bid to Warren, a progressive Democrat, as part of the same effort to rally supporters, in this instance by stoking their fears about the radical left as he and his allies have sought to blame for the protests and demonstrations. The two of them also have a history. American military bases that carry the names of Confederate generals are not named for heroes, Senator Warren said in a floor speech in the senate Tuesday. They are not named for men who risked their lives defending the United States and its soldiers. They are named for men who took up arms against the United States of America and killed American soldiers in the defense of slavery. She added, in a possible swipe at the president, Those who complain that removing the names of traitors from these bases ignores history ought to learn some history themselves. But monuments, statutes and insignia going back to the confederacy are tumbling all around the United States, irrespective of Trump. Mississippi state one of the 11 that had seceded removed a confederacy emblem from its flag, and Boston in Massachusetts decided Tuesday night to remove a statue depicting a freed slave kneeling at Abraham Lincolns feet. And continuing scrutiny of police in the wake of Floyds killing, New York city has decided to take away a $1 billion from the polices budget and reallocate it towards education an social services. An explosion from a gas leak in a medical clinic in northern Tehran killed 19 people, Iranian state TV reported on Tuesday. Authorities initially said 13 people were dead, but Jalal Maleki, spokesperson for the Tehran Fire Department, later told state TV that the toll had risen to 19. State-run IRNA news agency also quoted Maleki as saying the dead included 15 women and four men. Maleki added that firefighters had rescued 20 people. Video posted online appeared to show more than one explosion and thick black smoke rising from the flames. Hamidreza Goudarzi, deputy Tehran governor, told state TV that a leak from medical gas tanks in the building was the cause of the explosion and fire. People in nearby Tajrish Bazaar rushed to the scene, impeding a rescue operation, authorities said. Videos on social media showed people gathered outside of the building. State TV said there could be more explosions because there were a number of oxygen tanks remaining in the medical centre. Witness Marjan Haghighi told The Associated Press that police blocked roads to the neighbourhood. Iranian authorities detained one person and were seeking at least four others over a deadly blast at a clinic in Tehran, the second major explosion to rattle the capital in less than a week. The citys attorney general, Ali Alghasi Mehr, said the people were wanted for their potential involvement in the blast late on Tuesday, and that a judicial investigation had been launched, according to the semi-official Iranian Students News Agency. In the immediate aftermath of the explosion, which killed least 19 people in the busy Tajrish neighbourhood, Tehrans fire department blamed a leak in gas tanks on the buildings basement floor. But on Wednesday the spokesman for the National Iranian Gas Co., Mohammad Asgari, ruled that out, while Tehrans deputy police chief Hamid Hadavand said a fault in the electricity network may have been responsible. Mobile-phone video showed a large plume of smoke rising from the clinic as onlookers gathered. Twenty people escaped via windows and balconies. There was no indication that the incident was linked to a blast at a military installation near Tehran last week, in which a gas leak was also blamed. Iran said that explosion took place at Parchin, which is thought to have played a role in the countrys nuclear program. But The New York Times reported Tuesday that satellite imagery showed the incident actually struck a nearby missile-production facility. Together the explosions jolted a nation being ravaged by the regions worst coronavirus outbreak while locked in a tense standoff with the US As the first reports of Tuesdays explosion surfaced, the latest chapter of their standoff was unfolding. US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo urged the United Nations Security Council to extend an expiring arms embargo on Iran as world powers from China to Europe pushed back against US threats to reimpose UN sanctions on Tehran if the weapons ban lapses. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that discussions with the US on his plan to annex occupied West Bank territory would continue in the coming days, indicating he would miss a July 1 target date for beginning the controversial process. Netanyahu made the comments on Tuesday shortly after wrapping up talks with White House envoy Avi Berkowitz and the US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman. The sides have been holding talks for several months on finalizing a map spelling out which areas of the West Bank will be annexed by Israel. I spoke about the question of sovereignty, which we are working on these days and we will continue to work on in the coming days, Netanyahu said. Netanyahu has been eager to begin annexing West Bank territory in line with President Donald Trumps Mideast plan. The plan, unveiled in January, envisions turning over some 30 per cent of the territory under permanent Israeli control, while giving the Palestinians autonomy in the remaining land. But the plan to redraw the Mideast map has come under fierce international criticism. The UN secretary-general, the European Union and key Arab countries have all said Israeli annexation would violate international law and undermine the goal of establishing a viable independent Palestinian state alongside Israel. The Palestinians, who seek all of the West Bank as part of a future state, have rejected the Trump plan. Israel captured the West Bank from Jordan in the 1967 Mideast war. The international community considers the territory to be occupied, and for Israels more than 120 settlements to be illegal. But Trump has taken a far more conciliatory line than his Republican and Democratic predecessors. Netanyahu, a close ally of Trump, has said Israel must take advantage of what he calls a historic opportunity, and is eager to move forward before the November presidential election. In an unsourced report, Israels public broadcaster Kan published a graphic on Tuesday showing what it said was proposed Israeli modifications to the initial annexation map proposed by Trump. The map calls for turning over additional West Bank territory allocated to the Palestinians, specifically land surrounding settlements and highways that is marked in green. In return, it proposes compensating the Palestinians with territory, marked in yellow, the Trump proposal had allocated to Israel. Israels Channel 12 TV reported that the American negotiators are asking Israel to make a significant step as a gesture to the Palestinians, such as handing over West Bank territory to Palestinian control comparable to that annexed. Israel currently has full control over 60 per cent of the West Bank. That report also was unsourced. Netanyahu says his goal of annexing all the settlements, as well as the strategic Jordan Valley, is necessary to protect Israeli security. He also has defended it in religious terms, saying the territories are part of the biblical Land of Israel. Besides international opposition, Netanyahu has encountered some resistance from his governing partner, Defense Minister Benny Gantz. The coalition agreement for their new government, which took office in May, gives Netanyahu the authority to present an annexation proposal after Wednesday. But US officials have said they do not want to move forward with a plan unless the two leaders are in agreement. Gantz, who also holds the title of alternate prime minister, said on Monday that the July 1 target date was not sacred. He also said that annexation will wait while the government grapples with Israels health and economic crisis caused by the coronavirus. Italian police said Wednesday they have seized a world record 14-tonne haul of amphetamines made by the Islamic State group in Syria. The drug, in the form of 84 million Captagon tablets, was worth about one billion euros, police said in a statement, describing the operation as the biggest seizure of amphetamines in the world. We know that the Islamic State finances its terrorist activities mainly by trafficking drugs made in Syria which in the past few years has become the worlds largest producer of amphetamines, the statement added. The shipment was hidden in three containers found in the port of Salerno, just south of Naples. Captagon, a brand name, was originally for medical use but illegal versions have been dubbed the Jihad Drug -- after being widely used by IS fighters in combat -- the police said. President Donald Trump and his challenger, Joe Biden, have found something they agree on: The November election could be rife with corruption because of how officials handle the voting process. Of course, the Republican incumbent and his Democratic rival place the prospective blame in different places. Each points at the others party. I really, really, really believe were on the cusp of what could be the most corrupt process that weve seen in a general election if we dont monitor this every single second, Biden told donors Tuesday evening as he discussed Trumps and many Republicans opposition to expanding early voting and mail-in voting amid the Covid-19 pandemic. Thats similar language to what Trump has tweeted to his millions of social media followers in recent weeks. Mail-in voting will lead to the most corrupt election in USA history, Trump declared Sunday. The president previously argued that mail-balloting allows voters to cheat. One such tweet drew a rare, special tag from Twitter that directed readers to mail-voting facts that rebutted the presidents unsupported claims about voter fraud. There are instances of voter fraud in the US, most often found in local or smaller jurisdictional elections, but there is no evidence of widespread fraud that would tilt statewide or national results. Biden noted Tuesday that Trump himself has voted using mail ballots, most recently using Floridas absentee process to cast his Republican primary ballot in March. Similar word choice aside, Bidens and Trumps disparate framing of voting by mail tracks the long-running, largely partisan fight over ballot access and election security. Republicans nationally have pushed aggressive culling of voter rolls, identification requirements that are arduous for some voters, and strict signature and witness rules for absentee ballots. GOP officials cast such rules as necessary fraud prevention; Democrats call them systemic voter suppression. We have got to keep ringing the bell about this all the way to the election, Biden said, adding that his campaign and the Democratic Party have put together a team of hundreds of lawyers and volunteers to focus on voter protection and education. Its the greatest concern I have, Biden said, not just for my race, but for races up and down the ballot. Biden singled out Trumps opposition to injecting federal aid into the US Postal Service. Hes talking about defunding the post office so they cant deliver mail-in ballots, Biden said. The postal agency doesnt actually get direct taxpayer support for normal operations, as Bidens dig suggested. But Covid-19 has devastated its already precarious finances, and Congress has considered an aid package. Trumps White House blocked one bailout effort earlier this year and wants to attach strings to any taxpayer assistance. At the time, Biden said that he believed Trump was pushing a narrative to cloud the results in November should the president lose. Biden went so far in that April 23 event as to suggest Trump might attempt to postpone the election. Biden offered no evidence of that claim. Besides Trumps opposition to mail ballots, Biden declared Tuesday that dozens of proposals from state lawmakers around the country amount to Jim Crow-type efforts to restrict access to voting. He did not elaborate. But he promised to restore the Voting Rights Act, the 1965 civil rights law that, until a 2013 Supreme Court ruling, required many Southern states and some counties outside the South to get federal approval for all changes to election rules and procedures. Suspects arrested by the mainlands new security office to be set up in Hong Kong under the controversial new law will be tried in the mainland, Zhang Xiaoming from the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office said on Wednesday. The citys legal system cannot be expected to implement the laws of the mainland, Zhang told a press conference on the national security law in Beijing. Hong Kong, a special administrative region of China, had erupted in violent protests in June last year over an extradition bill that, if implemented, could have brought suspects to the mainland for trial. That bill was subsequently withdrawn but with the new law, which came into effect Tuesday, Beijing has pushed it through anyway. Theres unlikely to be similar protests against the new law, which was signed into a legislation by President Xi Jinping on Tuesday, as it could attract stringent punishment. Crimes committed in Hong Kong related to secession, subversion, terrorism and working with foreign forces will be punishable up to life in prison, as Beijing on Wednesday revealed details of the controversial new security law that came into effect in the financial hub Tuesday night. What is likely to increase criticism of the law is that the activities of a new national security agency to be set up in Hong Kong will be beyond the jurisdiction of the local government. Activities of both permanent and non-permanent residents will come under the jurisdiction of the law. The new law will give Beijing the seat of the Communist Party of China-ruled government overarching responsibility for Hong Kongs national security affairs. Damaging certain transportation vehicles, equipment will be considered an act of terrorism, the new law says, adding that authorities can monitor and wire-tap persons suspected of endangering national security. The full text of the legislation Safeguarding National Security in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) was put out hours after Xi signed the bill into law. Convicted criminals will be disqualified from running for public office, and people in public office who are found guilty of the crimes will be removed from their posts, a text of the law published by official news agency, Xinhua, early on Wednesday said. The law shall apply to acts committed after its entry into force for the purpose of conviction and imposition of punishment, according to its provision. The territory of Hong Kong was handed back to China from British control in 1997. Under a unique Sino-British agreement supposed to protect certain freedoms that people in mainland China do not enjoy - including freedom of speech and the freedom to gather. Critics say the new law could curb and crush exactly those freedoms and jail people for showing dissent. Described by Beijing as a sword hanging over the heads of those endangering national security, the law has taken effect just six weeks since it was first unveiled. Hong Kongs leader, the pro-Beijing chief executive Carrie Lam, defended the law, saying it filled a gaping hole in national security. Lam said the law will only target a small minority of illegal, criminal acts and activities. Rights and freedoms including freedom of speech, of the press, of publication, of assembly and demonstration, will be protected in accordance with the law, the new legislation says. The law gives Beijing jurisdiction over very serious national security crimes. With 66 articles in six chapters, the law lays down the duties and government bodies of the HKSAR for safeguarding national security and four categories of offences -- secession, subversion, terrorist activities, and collusion with a foreign country or external elements to endanger national security -- and their corresponding penalties. Prominent Hong Kong activist Joshua Wong announced hes stepping down as leader of his anti-Beijing group Demosisto, soon after China passed the controversial law. After much internal deliberation, we have decided to disband and cease all operations as a group, given the circumstances, Demosisto said on Twitter. Chinese foreign ministry said it will take necessary countermeasures to firmly safeguard its national interests in response to a decision by the US to end special treatment for Hong Kong over the new law. Jacksepticeye has been a professional YouTuber for many years, but it looks like he is thinking of taking an extended break. A professional YouTuber doesn't get enough credit for all the work they do to keep their channel up and running. The process seems like it's finding a game, playing it, recording your gameplay, upload it to YouTube, and watch as views and comments roll in. That's putting it simply, but it's true. However, there's still a high amount of stress that comes from having to do this constantly. What Are The Reasons Why Jacksepticeye Might Take An Extended Break? A professional YouTuber has to put themselves out onto the Internet for the entire world to complain and criticize, but they will also be pressured to keep themselves relevant and popular. Recently, we have seen numerous famous YouTubers lose their audiences due to their bad decisions. However, it looks like the stress might cause the popular YouTuber Jacksepticeye to consider another break. He tweeted out that he was considering taking an extended break. Two years ago, Jacksepticeye took a break for a few months, which was a result of burnout due to having to constantly create and upload videos. Another reason he took a break two years ago was due to some mental health issues, which weren't specified. Read More: [Success Story] Canva CEO Melanie Perkins Shares How Kitesurfing Help Her Reach Her Goals The Response From Jacksepticeye's Fans It's unclear why he's thinking of taking a break this time, but his fans care about his wellbeing and are accepting of his thoughts of having some time off of YouTube. Here are some examples of what his fans are saying: Ayyye bud sending you love. Do what you need to do. I always like this Sublime lyric: hard work good, and hard work fine, but first take care of head pic.twitter.com/eaavTsa8bD Mari Takahashi (@AtomicMari) June 29, 2020 Do what you need to do. Weve got the community and tons of other videos from numerous series to keep us company until youre ready to return. Take whatever time you need for yourself Lauren (@NoDuhLauren) June 29, 2020 Definitely support this idea, especially if itll give you more time to focus on other projects or just chill/relax! More time to game with friends too on their new super-fast and stable internet Girbeagly (@Girbeagly) June 29, 2020 Absolutely take time for yourself my dude! Im amazed at the amount of content youve continued to make during these uncertain times so I think a well deserved break is definitely in order! Hope youre feeling okay, well all be here for you Holly ~// BLM \\~ (@Pandastarkid) June 29, 2020 I really hope you're doing okay, Sean. Please please take care of yourself, and take all the time you need to feel better. We all love and support you! LiliVic Creations #BLM (@LiliVicCreation) June 29, 2020 It seems that no matter what Jacksepticeye does, his fans will always care about him and support his decisions. Read More: Could Tencent's Trovo Be Twitch's New Rival Now That Mixer Is Gone? The Nepals opposition Janata Samajbadi Party (JSP) on Tuesday staged nationwide protests against the new Citizenship Bill claiming it to have targeted the minority groups of the nation. The Opposition claimed that the new Citizenship Bill has been targeting LGBTQ+, foreign women married onto Nepalese men, and the ex-Gurkhas who want to get a Nepal Citizenship. The central government has shifted its focus from controlling the coronavirus situation to the Citizenship Amendment Bill. According to Clause 5.1 of the current Citizenship Act, foreign women are immediately eligible for citizenship upon marriage to a Nepalese man while there are no provisions for a foreign man who gets married to Nepalese women, Hishila Yami Bhattarai, one of the leaders of JSP told ANI. A meeting of Parliamentary Committee on June 21 had endorsed a new bill proposing a 7 year probation period for women marrying Nepalese men. The Nepal Congress and JSP had opposed provision calling it unconstitutional as it goes against the provision of interim constitution 2006. Provisions which had continued from a long time and endorsed on by themselves, today they are attempting to change it with 7-year probation. Are they trying on to show themselves as nationalists? Bhattarai questioned. Speaking on the LGBTQ+, she said, If the sexual minorities are required to undergo medical tests (to acquire citizenship) then it also should be applicable for men and women too. What are they trying to show the world by making them undergo such tests? She said that the government has become hostile to the Gorkha Forces who have already acquired citizenship by serving the country. We want that they and their family members be given citizenship. Nepal politics have remained undecided over the Citizenship Act for two years despite holding as many as 140 meetings over it by the same committee. A community advocate and businessperson Salma Lakhani made history on Wednesday upon her appointment as the Lieutenant Governor of the province of Alberta, the first-ever Muslim with roots in the Indian subcontinent to occupy the post in Canada. Her appointment was announced by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Ms. Lakhani is devoted to supporting people in her community, from new immigrants and young people, to women and families. As Lieutenant Governor of Alberta, I know she will serve the people of her province and our country well, and continue to be a source of inspiration for all Canadians, the Prime Minister said in a statement. Lakhani, a follower of the Ismaili sect, was born in Uganda but her family was forced to leave after the Indian-origin community in the African country was expelled by dictator Idi Amin. She has a degree in Clinical Biochemistry from the University of Manchester. She later moved to Edmonton in 1977, along with her husband. They have two daughters. A Lt Governor in Canada is the equivalent of a Governor in India and is nominated by the federal government. While the role is largely ceremonial, the appointment is symbolic of diversity in how leadership in the country looks. Among those who welcomed her appointment was the Premier of Alberta Jason Kenney, who tweeted, Ms. Lakhani has a remarkable background in business and volunteerism, reflecting the Alberta culture of enterprise and community. The PMO noted she was a long-time community advocate and successful business owner who has dedicated herself to helping people in need and those who face obstacles to success in our society. Through her work to advance education, health care, womens empowerment, human rights, and support for new immigrants, she continues to be a champion of diversity, pluralism, and inclusion. She was a founding member of NorQuest Colleges 1000 Women: A Million Possibilities movement and has been on its advisory committee and board for the past decade. Lakhani is also associated with the Aga Khan Foundation. The United Arab Emirates is seeking to verify the credentials of the Pakistani pilots and engineers employed in its airlines after the South Asian government grounded 262 pilots for holding dubious qualifications. Pakistan grounded the pilots on June 26 on suspicion that they allegedly falsified their examinations to qualify for flying aircraft, leading to them having licenses the countrys aviation minister termed dubious. A total of 262 of the countrys 860 pilots were affected, including 141 of national carrier Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) pilots. The Director General of the UAEs General Civil Aviation Authority Saif Mohammed Al Suwaidi requested the verification of the credentials of Pakistani pilots, aircraft maintenance engineers, and flight operations officers working in the Middle Eastern country in a June 29 letter reviewed by Reuters to the Director General of the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority Hassan Nasir Jamy. Also read| PIA failed to develop software for safety data management within stipulated time: Report We would like to request your good offices to verify the licensing credentials of the attached pilots list who are currently holding UAEs pilots licences based on licences and qualifications issued by Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority, the letter said. Pakistans aviation ministry did not respond to a request for comment. The European Union Air Safety Agency (EASA) on Tuesday suspended PIAs authorisation to fly to the bloc for six months because of the licensing concerns. In a statement on Wednesday, the Pakistan Airlines Pilots Association (PALPA), the union for PIAs pilots, alleges the announcement of the dubious license holders was a planned government move against the pilots to cut their headcount. The malicious efforts of some at the helm of affairs with a mindset to cut the pilots down to size has resulted in PIA being reduced to an airline on paper, the union said. Also read: Pakistani pilots question government list of 262 pilots, call it dubious The PALPA rejected the governments list of pilots with licences deemed dubious, and pointed out that it was full of discrepancies, demanding a judicial investigation. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Extending the post-study work visa offer from two to three years for those completing PhD from 2021 and setting up a dedicated Office for Talent in No 10, Downing Street, are among a range of initiatives announced by the Boris Johnson government on Wednesday. Keen to attract global talent after the Brexit transition period ends on December 31, the cross-department Office for Talent will help cut unnecessary red-tape in the UKs visa system for scientists, students, researchers and entrepreneurs. EU and non-EU citizens will be treated at par for visa purposes from January 1. Under the revived post-study work arrangement, Indian and other international students will be able to stay in the UK for two years after completing studies in 2021, but those at PhD level will be able to stay on for three years, officials said. The Office for Talent, they added, begins work immediately to review the effectiveness of the current rules and ensure excellent customer service across the immigration system, so that it is simple, easy, and quick. It will also help those coming to the UK better understand the opportunities on offer and break down any barriers they might face. The government also plans to improve the new points-based immigration system when it is implemented later this year, including extending the window in which prospective students can make visa applications, removing study time limits at postgraduate level and allowing all students to switch any other type of visa from within the UK. The initiatives, outlined in the governments Research and Development Roadmap by business secretary Alok Sharma, is aimed at creating the conditions for ground-breaking research, attracting global talent, and cutting unnecessary red tape. Sharma said: The UK has a strong history of turning new ideas into revolutionary technologies from penicillin to graphene and the world wide web. Our vision builds on these incredible successes to cement Britains reputation as a global science superpower. The R&D Roadmap sets out our plan to attract global talent, cut unnecessary red tape and ensure our best minds get the support they need to solve the biggest challenges of our time. The initiatives include funding, international collaboration and an innovation fellowship programme sponsored by the prime ministers office. Science minister Amanda Solloway said: Coronavirus has shown us the agility, creativity and innovative thinking of our world-leading institutions, scientists and researchers to tackle this disease and save peoples lives. We want to harness this expertise to rejuvenate science and research across the UK, building a future that is greener, safer and healthier. The United Kingdom updated its travel advice for Hong Kong on Wednesday, saying there was an increased risk of detention and deportation due to Chinas imposition of a new security law. Mainland authorities could under certain circumstances detain individuals under the terms of this law, with maximum penalty of life imprisonment, the Foreign Office said. There is therefore an increased risk of detention and deportation for a non-permanent resident who commits an offence under the law. Due to recent heightened political sensitivity, there could be an increase in protests and violence. The UN mission in Afghanistan said its findings indicate the Afghan military had mistakenly fired the mortars this week at a busy market in southern Helmand province that inflicted heavy civilian casualties. A car bombing and mortar shells struck the market in Sangin district on Monday, killing 23 people, including children, according to a statement from a provincial governors office. Both the Taliban and the Afghan military blamed each other for the attack. A series of tweets late Tuesday from the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, or UNAMA, said that multiple credible sources have asserted that the Afghan army fired the mortars in response to Taliban fire, missing (the) intended target. That suggests there was a battle between the Taliban and Afghan forces at the time of the attack. The UN did not elaborate how its mission reached those findings. The tweets said both parties in the war in Afghanistan must stop fighting in civilian-populated areas as such fighting has caused thousands of civilian casualties. UNAMA also urged the Afghan government to set up independent investigation team for Mondays incident and offered its assistance. The Afghan government has insisted there was no military activity in the Taliban-controlled area at the time of the attack. The Defense Ministry responded on Wednesday to the UN tweets by repeating that statement, adding that Afghan mortars cannot reach the Sangin market from their checkpoints. Civilians are often caught in the crossfire of the fighting even as Afghan forces say they are targeting the insurgents, not civilians, in anti-militant operations. A UN report in May blamed the Taliban for killing or wounding a total of 208 civilians in April and also said that operations carried out by Afghan forces had killed or wounded 172 civilians. The attack in Helmand came as Washingtons special peace envoy, Zalmay Khalilzad, is again touring the region to try and push the peace process forward. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in a Monday video conference with the Taliban pressed the insurgents to reduce violence in Afghanistan. There have been expectations that talks between Afghan government representatives and the Taliban could possibly start this month in Doha, Qatar, where the Taliban maintain a political office. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON A US lawmaker on Tuesday applauded the joint efforts of India and the United States against terrorism and thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for being a friend of his country. Speaking on the floor of the US House of Representatives on Tuesday night, Congressman John Carter recognised the strong diplomatic partnership between the US and India, and that the relationship shares important values rooted in democracy. India and the US are both working on combating terrorism in all forms. I applaud the joint efforts of India and the US in eradicating terrorism. Thank you, Prime Minister Modi, for being a friend to the United States, he said. Referring to his recent meeting with the Indian Consul General in Houston, the Republican Congressman said that the two countries are helping each other. In February, President (Donald) Trump spoke at the stadium in India filled with 1,10,000 spectators and was given a warm welcome to the country. At the successful event, President trump discussed ways in which hes been working with Prime Minister Modi, Carter said. Some of these topics include security and defense cooperation, energy, trade and promoting women entrepreneurs, the Republican lawmaker from Texas said. Please be aware that Cache Valley Publishing does not endorse, and is not responsible for alleged employment offers in the comments. Recommended for you Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Please be aware that Cache Valley Publishing does not endorse, and is not responsible for alleged employment offers in the comments. Donate Now As a public service during this pandemic, the Jewish News is providing free, unlimited access to all articles. Jewish News is a nonprofit publication that is owned by the community and relies on community support. The University of Kansas Honors Program is taking steps to offer equal opportunities to new and returning students at the university, according to an email sent to students last month. N ew Zealand, which boasts one of the worlds most effective responses to the Covid-19 pandemic to date, has attracted super-rich survivalists in recent years, with Silicon Valley billionaires buying up remote acres and applying for citizenship. Now an entire New Zealand town, modelled on the American Old West, is up for sale. And the fact that its purchase would bring with it the right to apply for a sought-after Investor 1 Residency visa has grabbed attention around the world. Mellonsfolly Ranch is a replica US frontier town set on more than 900 acres of the Central Plateau on the North Island, surrounded by national park land. It was built for fun in 2006 by a New Zealand businessman and Wild West enthusiast who modelled it on an 1860s town in Wyoming and called it his folly hence the name. Surrounded by national park: the 'ranch' also has a Manuka honey farm The town has 10 Western-style buildings including two saloons, a courthouse and a bank. Authentic touches range from the sign hanging outside Miss Nancy Anns Hotel, reading Single rooms for single girls. No men allowed, to the Wyoming flag hanging outside the courthouse. Most of the buildings boast front porches, perfect for perching in a rocking chair and gazing out at the spectacular surrounding volcanic landscape. Mellonsfolly was sold in 2012 to an entrepreneur who has used it as a luxurious destination for weddings, family get-togethers and corporate events, as well as a boutique hotel. There is also a profitable 450-hive Manuka honey business currently running on the native bush that surrounds the town. There are 20 bedrooms and 10 bathrooms on the site providing overnight accommodation for 22 guests, who can enjoy the licensed saloon, billiards and a cinema in the courthouse building. Fully licensed: the saloon at Mellonsfolly Ranch, New Zealand Hunting, fishing and river swimming are all on hand in summer, while for winter sport, the ski town of Okahune and the Mount Ruapehu ski fields are nearby. The property is on the market for 6.11 million (NZ $11.7 million), which would enable the purchaser to apply for an Investor 1 visa, granting residency to those with NZ $10 million to invest in the country over a three-year period. Because the ranch is run as a business, foreign buyers could also circumvent rules introduced by prime minister Jacinda Ardern in 2018 banning them from purchasing existing property in New Zealand, in a bid to ease the countrys housing bubble. Strict quarantine rules mean overseas buyers will be unable to view Mellonsfolly Ranch in person. However, New Zealand Sothebys International Realty, which is marketing the property, reports significant foreign interest, in particular from Hong Kong and the United States. Unlike the US, where the pandemic is experiencing a second wave in several states, New Zealand successfully stamped out coronavirus following a swift and decisive lockdown though a 24-day run with no new cases ended in mid-June when two women arrived from the UK to visit a dying relative and tested positive for the disease. New Zealand has held a longer-term attraction for foreign investors drawn to its remote location in the Pacific, with PayPal founder Peter Thiel the most famous tech billionaire to be granted residency. H ouse prices fell sharply for the second month running in June as the impact of the economic slump triggered by the lockdown starts to feed through to the property market. Lender Nationwide said the outlook for prices remains highly uncertain as it revealed that the average value of a home dipped 1.4 per cent in June. This follows a 1.7 per cent drop in May. They are the biggest monthly declines since the financial crisis in 2009. The consecutive falls means that prices are 0.1 per cent lower than a year ago across the country as a whole, the first annual fall since 2012. However, property analysts said that while the figures were bad, perhaps very bad there were few signs yet of a full scale collapse on the scale seen during the banking crisis or the early Nineties recession. UK house prices: how does your region compare? (June 2020) 1 /11 UK house prices: how does your region compare? (June 2020) Asking prices for London homes have risen slightly compared to last June but they are still 1.7 per cent lower than they were before coronavirus lockdown hit the UK in March. Source: Rightmove Daniel Lynch England Average price: 337,884 Annual change: 2.9% Shutterstock London Average price: 628,284 Annual change: 1.5% Shutterstock East of England Average price: 363,0667 Annual change: 2.5% Shutterstock South East Average price: 419,595 Annual change: 2.3% Shutterstock South West Average price: 321,996 Annual change: 3.4% Shutterstock West Midlands Average price: 238,123 Annual change: 3.0% Shutterstock East Midlands Average price: 236,110 Annual change: 2.5% Shutterstock North East Average price: 157,291 Annual change: 2.3% Shutterstock North West Average price: 206,909 Annual change: 31% Shutterstock Yorkshire and The Humber Average price: 202,502 Annual change: 4.1% Shutterstock Nationwides chief economist Robert Gardner, said: It is unsurprising that annual house price growth has stalled, given the magnitude of the shock to the economy as a result of the pandemic. Economic output fell by an unprecedented 25 per cent over the course of March and April almost four times more than during the entire financial crisis. Housing market activity also slowed sharply as a result of lockdown measures implemented to control the spread of the virus. He added: With lockdown measures due to be eased in the weeks ahead, housing market activity is likely to edge higher in the near term, albeit remaining below pre-pandemic levels. Nevertheless, the medium-term outlook for the housing market remains highly uncertain. Much will depend on the performance of the wider economy, which will in turn be determined by how the pandemic and restrictions on activity evolve. Andrew Montlake, managing director at the UK-wide mortgage broker, Coreco, said: The June house price data is bad, perhaps very bad, but it was always on the cards. The property market was never going to get through such a profound economic shock without taking a material hit. The hope is that the buoyant economic support package put in place by the Government will help the market to resurface quickly. The second half of 2020 is going to be the real test for the property market, as Government support for workers is slowly removed and we see a rise in unemployment. What will happen to house prices this year? Jonathan Hopper, chef executive of home buyer agency Garrington Property Finders, said: So far this is a hard reset for the market rather than a collapse. The gains of the Boris bounce seen at the start of the year have been swept away, and the market is transitioning to the new normal. With estate agents across the UK at last able to conduct viewings, both buyers and sellers are feeling their way on price. While the full financial impact of the pandemic has yet to feed through into the wider economy, in the property market the mood among buyers is best summed up by the two Cs caution and curiosity. Three months of being cooped up in the same four walls have led many people to consider a move, and to reflect on what they want from their home. Lucy Pendleton, co-founder of London estate agents James Pendleton, said: Prices are down by a whisker annually but what is remarkable is how soft a landing the market has had given the scale of the disaster that has unfolded in the past few months. Nationwides reading of the situation is totally in line with recent indications that the prices being achieved on the doorstep have slipped to two per cent or three per cent below asking prices on average. June was the first full month of trading since the property market came back to life post-lockdown and these sellers will be those highly motivated to move through necessity. That pool of vendors will shrink rapidly and that could put a floor under prices. The public are repeatedly hearing that GDP has collapsed and we face a worse recession than the global financial crisis but that soundtrack isnt translating into a house price correction at the moment. That kind of resilience would normally be seen as a sign of strength and confidence but were going to have to wait for the furlough scheme to end to find out what this market is really made of. Guy Harrington, chief executive of lender Glenhawk said: The Covid-19 pandemic has well and truly brought the UK housing market to its knees. We are in the midst of an unprecedented economic crisis, with consumer confidence at rock bottom. The raft of government measures designed to keep us afloat, coupled with undoubted pent up demand and longer term sectoral tailwinds, may support a V-shaped recovery, but the near-term outlook is highly uncertain. Opinion After the murder of George Floyd, University of Kansas sororities released statements proclaiming their alliance with the Black Lives Matter movement and the Black community. While their aesthetically pleasing posts on Instagram with heartfelt messages demonstrate their support, I can only think about the institutional racism that sororities abide by during fall formal recruitment each year. Formal recruitment is a week-long process run by the Panhellenic Association. Students have the opportunity to visit each sorority house in hopes of being selected into one of their top choices. Beforehand, prospective members are encouraged to get letters of recommendation that must be completed by alumni members of each respective house. These letters are advantageous to those going through this process. If exceptionally lucky, a student could qualify as a legacy. This legacy status indicates that she has family ties to a specific house, which increases her chances of getting accepted. Want peace? Then the United States government needs to reform the police Opinion columnist John Harris argues that the time has come to break the cycle of inaction regarding police violence and reform. The entire process of rewarding both legacy status and letters of recommendation promotes a cycle of whiteness within Panhellenic sororities. In this current system, students are rewarded for having prior connections to sororities. By only rewarding those with prior connections, those without a connection are at a complete disadvantage, thus constituting institutionalized racism. Defined as the systematic distribution of resources, power and opportunity in our society to the benefit of people who are white and the exclusion of people of color, institutionalized racism within sororities at KU has been ignored for too long. When I went through sorority recruitment as a freshman, the bathrooms were filled with curling irons and makeup brushes as everyone prepared to look their very best. As the week progressed, cuts were made and tears were definitely shed. Even though I had my worries about going through recruitment, I was well prepared. I was a legacy in one of the chapters, and had countless friends and neighbors with sorority connections who wrote letters on my behalf. As a white woman, this part of the process was incredibly easy. Historically, racist policies and practices known as white clauses made it difficult for people of color to be accepted into sororities. Consequently, it would be unlikely that women of color going through recruitment today would be of legacy status. Additionally, they are far less likely to have close contacts with sorority affiliates eligible to write them letters of recommendation. The entire process of rewarding both legacy status and letters of recommendation promotes a cycle of whiteness within Panhellenic sororities. The entire process of rewarding both legacy status and letters of recommendation promotes a cycle of whiteness within Panhellenic sororities. The increased prevalence of white sorority alumni makes it more feasible for potential white new members to have ties with sorority chapters. Unfortunately, women of color are excluded from benefiting from this systematic act because of their lack of connections. This biased tradition occurs in universities all over the United States. Even though letters of recommendation and a legacy status may seem insignificant at first, they contribute to the institutional racism that sororities condone. Going forward, Panhellenic must take steps to create a more inclusive environment. For starters, the use of legacy status during recruitment must be completely eliminated. Additionally, the criteria for letters of recommendation should be expanded to anyone, regardless of previous Greek affiliations. Although simple, these changes will help create a more diverse and welcoming Greek community. As nice as it is to see sororities condemning racism on their social media platforms, actions will always speak louder than words. Olivia Glaser is a sophomore from Overland Park studying English and psychology. The Lima Rotary Club officially has a name and logo for their downtown amphitheater project. It's announced that it will be known as the Greater Lima Region Park and Amphitheater." Greater Lima Region made one of the largest donations of $250,000 to the project, back in Cctober. Several area businesses and individuals have contributed as well. The property is between Spring Street and Elm Street, bounded by Union Street and Main Street. Construction on the project began in September with the demolition of buildings. When the project is finished, the amphitheater will be standing in the northeast corner of the lot with a large green space in front. The rotary club started campaigning efforts trying to raise $2.2 million for the project. Lima, OH (45805) Today Mostly cloudy. An isolated shower is possible this morning. High around 78F. Winds W to NW at 15 to 25 mph.. Tonight Cloudy skies this evening will become mostly clear late. Low 49F. Winds NW at 5 to 15 mph. This year our dine and drink business locations throughout the Gorge have suffered with closures. You can help support your favorites by purchasing take out and gift cards. Many of these business will offer curb-side delivery and some will deliver to your home. Lets keep the Gorge going strong! Pacers guard Victor Oladipo remains undecided whether hell play in Orlando, but hell be included on the teams travel party list, according to ESPNs Eric Woodyard. Oladipo, who spoke with the media via Zoom on Wednesday morning, has some concerns about suffering an injury setback. Oladipo endured a long-term rehab for his surgically repaired quad tendon and returned to action in late January. He appeared in 13 games before play was halted, averaging 13.8 PPG in 25.9 MPG. He scored a season-high 27 points in 29 minutes against Boston in Indianas last game on March 10. At the end of the day, it takes time for your body to heal, he said. Theyre sure I feel better, but at the same time weve had an extensive period of time off and to go back and ramp things up again, Im susceptible to injury more so than anyone else, seeing as how I was already injured beforehand and I wasnt 100 percent when I came back to begin with. Oladipo went on to elaborate about his injury risk. Hell be playing on an expiring contract next season, when he makes $21MM. Indiana enters the Orlando bubble with the Eastern Conferences fifth-best record at 39-26. A part of rehab is working your way back and getting yourself to 100 percent, so at the end of the day going back and turning things up as quickly as were about to do, and pretty much going to playoff formation and playoff games after eight (seeding) games, Im more susceptible to injury than anyone else is, he said. So, its not about now, its about longevity. The Pacers have resumed mandatory individual workouts at the St. Vincent Center in Indianapolis, Woodyard notes, but are giving Oladipo space and time to make up his mind. I dont have a deadline, he said. Opinion The influence of social media during the Black Lives Matter movement is an essential element of modern activism. While the entire nation has been monitoring the evolution of surging protests and demands for social justice, younger generations are receiving their daily dose of current events via social media platforms. As of April 2020, two-thirds of Instagram users are below the age of 34. Even if social media growth ceased, it has already become an integral part of youth culture. Additionally, an average user spends about two and a half hours a day on social media. The combination of a young online population and high level of use is also similar in apps like YouTube and Snapchat. Social media has become the ideal method for keeping young people up to date with the world. Since the murder of George Floyd, a tragedy which propelled the crusade for racial equality into the limelight, #GeorgeFloyd has garnered over two million posts on Instagram from users seeking justice for a man wrongfully killed by police. Posts have supplied users with signable petitions, videos from protests and even artwork in Floyd's honor. Although the murder of Floyd was a catalyst for the recent spike in outrage, the Black Lives Matter movement has remained within the sight line of American news crews for years. The hashtag #BlackLivesMatter, created in 2013 in response to the shooting of unarmed black teenager Trayvon Martin, has been used in approximately 47.8 million tweets. When browsing the hashtag, one can expect to find resources detailing what it means to be anti-racist, how and why policing should change, and ways to help the cause. Its easy to turn a blind eye to protests which never interrupt your life, but when they confront you each time you turn on your phone, youre forced to pay attention. Its easy to turn a blind eye to protests which never interrupt your life, but when they confront you each time you turn on your phone, youre forced to pay attention. With social medias expansive role in our daily lives, it has become effortless to spread awareness and support for political reform. It remains important to verify any news or statistics before considering them accurate and credible. Just like at Fox News or CNN, bias exists here, too. Toeing the line between staying aware and overwhelming yourself with the conglomerate of online opinions is a slippery slope. Its important to be involved, but more important not to sacrifice your mental health while scrolling. The vast majority of historical movements took place without the help of social media. But, since its origins roughly 20 years ago, social media has played a key role in the advancement of social causes. One notable example with similar popularity to #BlackLivesMatter occurred in 2017. The phrase Me too, originally coined in 2007 by activist Tarana Burke, was turned into a hashtag for women to share their stories about sexual assault and abuse they've experienced. Strange fruit: A note on Black self-care and wellness Opinion columnist Lennox Marshall discusses the importance of Black mental health and suggests more music for the moment. Now, the hashtag has over 2.5 million Instagram posts. Even then, hashtag activism was criticized for being hollow and useless. However, its prevalence is a testament to the power of the viral hashtag when it comes to spreading awareness. The accessibility of Instagram and Twitter has made it simple to educate oneself on world events. When I think of activism, I think of the pictures in textbooks of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.s Selma march or womens suffrage signs. While these physical protests are still necessary, the fight for justice has extended into cyberspace. Even if you dont live in a major city and have yet to witness the movement in person, the constant stream of related posts are impossible to avoid on social media. Despite its criticism, the most irrefutable benefit of hashtag activism is that it cannot be ignored. Its easy to turn a blind eye to protests which never interrupt your life, but when they confront you each time you turn on your phone, youre forced to pay attention. At 18 years old, I am still fine-tuning my moral compass and learning to be independent from the ideals I adopted as a child. Young people like myself, who have never experienced such extreme and publicized civil unrest during their lifetime, are eager for an explanation. Luckily, staying informed and supporting the fight for change can be as simple as logging on. Hattie Friesen is a freshman from Olathe studying English and linguistics. Pipeline 1 July 2020 With stunning views on the Bodrum Peninsula, the 175-room La Quinta by Wyndham Bodrum is a seaside hotel featuring stylish guest rooms, two on-site restaurants and a rooftop bar. The property, slated to open later this month, will include an outdoor pool, sauna and a fitness centre to help guests keep active while travelling. Other facilities will include a business centre as well as a versatile event space. Rebranding 1 July 2020 Located at 276 Victorian Village Dr. in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, this recently renovated hotel provides guests with convenient access to charming attractions surrounding the shore and boasts 600 feet of private beach. Guests can lounge lakefront or try out a number of entertaining watersports, such as paddle boarding, kayaking, water skiing, wakeboarding or tubing. The Cottonwood Social and world-famous Tiki Bar are also on-site for guests seeking a drink or bite to eat. Appointment 1 July 2020 Louisville, Ky.-based hospitality management company 21c Museum Hotels has appointed founding partner and COO Sarah Robbins to lead the 21c brand effective July 15. The move follows Craig Greenberg's decision to step down as president and CEO of the brand. A member of the founding team that opened the brand's flagship property in Louisville in 2006, Greenberg has led the company through its growth to 11 hotels currently open or under development around the country, and oversaw the brand's 2018 acquisition by Accor. Robbins will retain her COO title as the leader of the 21c brand, which will now forego a CEO under its relationship with Accor. Robbins is joined on 21c's senior leadership team by founding partners Molly Swyers as chief brand officer and Alice Gray Sites as chief curator and museum director, with oversight by Heather McCrory, CEO, Accor North & Central America.Greenberg has been working closely with Robbins, McCrory and the leadership team to ensure a smooth transition, according to the company. As leader for the 21c brand, Robbins will have strategic oversight for 21c's corporate headquarters, nine properties and new development projects under the 21c brand. Her expanded responsibilities include sales and marketing, brand management and accounting, while she will also continue to lead the group's operations, food-and-beverage and human resources. Robbins previously held roles with the group as chief hospitality officer and SVP operations. Before joining 21c, she served as project director for Myriad Restaurant Group, providing F&B management and operational consulting for clients such as Starwood Hotels, Interstate Hotels and Sage Hospitality. Robbins will work alongside Swyers, Stites and the other members of the 21c team to forward the brand's vision combining multivenue contemporary art museum, boutique hotels and restaurants. The brand opened the 21c Museum Hotel Chicago earlier this year, with additional properties slated to open in St. Louis in 2021 and Des Moines, Iowa, in 2022. Appointment 1 July 2020 Founder & CEO of Maverick Hotels & Restaurants Robert Habeeb announces the appointment of industry powerhouse Laurent Boisdron to serve as General Manager of the leading firm's flagship property and future staple in the city of Chicago: Sable Hotel at Navy Pier, a Curio Collection by Hilton in Chicago. Wit h more than 25 years serving as an innovator in the hospitality space, Laurent has acquired extensive experience leading teams at upscale and luxury hotels worldwide, coming most recently from leading the staff at Conrad Hilton Manila. Boisdron credits his out-of-the-box thinking, passion for creating a positive and nurturing culture for hotel staff, and his resistance to taking cookie-cutter approaches to leadership in hospitality toward his successes providing incomparable experiences for guests. He fosters team culture on property by aligning both business, bra nd and staff behavior to ensure a seamless flow of forward progression and innovation. Boisdron prides himself on leading with encouragement, fostering creativity and empowering his team to drive brand loyalty. Press Release 1 July 2020 London -- Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, the world's largest hotel franchising company with 9,300 hotels across approximately 90 countries, today announced plans to further expand its La Quinta by Wyndham brand with the addition of two new hotels in Turkey: the 86-room La Quinta by Wyndham Giresun and the 175-room, La Quinta by Wyndham Bodrum. Advertisements La Quinta by Wyndham is a collection of over 900 hotels around the world offering contemporary design, thoughtful amenities and friendly service. The new hotels join the previously announced 404-room La Quinta by Wyndham Istanbul Guneslithe first La Quinta hotel to open outside of the Americasand are the latest in a string of international signings and openings since Wyndham acquired the brand in May of 2018. Earlier this year, Wyndham announced plans to open two new La Quinta hotels in New Zealand, marking the arrival of the brand in Asia Pacific; and just last year, announced plans to open eight new La Quinta hotels in the Dominican Republic, four of which are under development. They build on the brand's existing portfolio of 14 hotels throughout Latin America. Globally, the brand has opened 55 new hotels since its acquisition. "When La Quinta joined the Wyndham Hotels & Resorts family, we saw strong potential to expand the brand internationally and we are delighted to see its continued growth in Europe and around the world," said Dimitris Manikis, president, Europe, Middle East, Eurasia and Africa (EMEA), Wyndham Hotels & Resorts." These exciting properties on Turkey's charming coastline support our growth ambition and perfectly complement our offering in the market." The new additions in Turkeywhere Wyndham is the largest international hotel company with over 80 hotels include two contemporary properties with central locations in the Black Sea coastal town of Giresun, as well as in Bodrum, one of Turkey's most popular and trendy seaside gateways. Details on the new hotels include: La Quinta by Wyndham Giresun The 86-room La Quinta by Wyndham Giresun is a stylish waterfront hotel with stunning views of the Black Sea and a wide range of amenities making it an ideal destination for business and leisure trips. The hotel boasts an outdoor pool, a fitness centre with Turkish bath and sauna, four on-site restaurants and even a library. The hotel, which opened in June 2020, is located only 3km from the city centre, with convenient access to the Ordu-Giresun Airport. The 86-room La Quinta by Wyndham Giresun is a stylish waterfront hotel with stunning views of the Black Sea and a wide range of amenities making it an ideal destination for business and leisure trips. The hotel boasts an outdoor pool, a fitness centre with Turkish bath and sauna, four on-site restaurants and even a library. The hotel, which opened in June 2020, is located only 3km from the city centre, with convenient access to the Ordu-Giresun Airport. La Quinta by Wyndham Bodrum With stunning views on the Bodrum Peninsula, the 175-room La Quinta by Wyndham Bodrum is a seaside hotel featuring stylish guest rooms, two on-site restaurants and a rooftop bar. The property, slated to open later this month, will include an outdoor pool, sauna and a fitness centre to help guests keep active while travelling. Other facilities will include a business centre as well as a versatile event space. La Quinta by Wyndham hotels participate in Wyndham Rewards, the world's most generous rewards programme with thousands of hotels, vacation club resorts and vacation rentals worldwide. Designed for the everyday traveller, members earn a guaranteed 1,000 points with every qualified stay and may redeem points for a wide range of rewards, including free nights, gift cards, merchandise and more. About La Quinta by Wyndham With over 925 destinations globally, the La Quinta by Wyndham brand is a bright spot in every traveller's journey. The brand offers thoughtful amenities, friendly service and consistently delivers an exceptional guest experience that keeps travellers waking up on the bright side. For more information, visit www.lq.com. Like and follow LQ on Facebook and YouTube. If you are interested in developing a hotel, please visit https://whrdevelopmentemea.com/. About Wyndham Hotels & Resorts Wyndham Hotels & Resorts (NYSE: WH) is the world's largest hotel franchising company by the number of properties, with 9,300 hotels across approximately 90 countries on six continents. Through its network of over 828,000 rooms appealing to the everyday traveller, Wyndham commands a leading presence in the economy and midscale segments of the lodging industry. The Company operates a portfolio of 20 hotel brands, including Super 8, Days Inn, Ramada, Microtel Inn & Suites, La Quinta, Baymont, Wingate, AmericInn, Hawthorn Suites, The Trademark Collection and Wyndham. Wyndham Hotels & Resorts is also a leading provider of hotel management services. The Company's award-winning Wyndham Rewards loyalty programme offers 83 million enrolled members the opportunity to redeem points at thousands of hotels, vacation club resorts and vacation rentals globally. For more information, visit www.wyndhamhotels.com. Press Release 1 July 2020 Greece saw 35.3 million international arrivals in 2019 and was forecast to welcome 37.1 million arrivals in 2020 pre-COVID-19. However, the impact of COVID-19 has seen that projection fall to 24.3 million, according to the latest figures from GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company. Advertisements Nevertheless, TUI announced that the German market has been showing a significant rise in demand for holidays to Greece. This comes following the lifting of travel restrictions by the German Government. This will allow Greece to attract tourists in time for the usually busy summer period. Amber Barnes, Travel and Tourism Analyst at GlobalData, comments: "It is critical for Greece to attract tourists as it is a key pillar of the country's economy. Germany is crucial for Greek tourism, not only because it sent 4 million tourists last year, but also because other major markets for Greece still have travel restrictions in place. Greece opening up for tourism will help the country to reboot a vital part of its economy." In GlobalData's recent COVID-19 Germany consumer survey, 59% of German respondents highlighted they are extremely or quite concerned about the pandemic. Despite lockdowns being eased and the tourism industry showing signs of recovery, people's doubts about traveling are still apparent. Barnes continues: "Greece must now promote to German tourists what the country has to offer. The survey highlighted that 73% of respondents stated that the quality of a product/service impacts their health and wellbeing. This provides an opportunity for Greek tourism companies to promote health and wellbeing activities such as spas, thus further aiding in the country's recovery and boosting its destination image." Press Release 1 July 2020 First session features Philip Wolf, founder of PhoCusWright, and Prof. Roland Conrady science head of the ITB Berlin Convention Daily news section launches on itb.com Advertisements The range of digital services offered by the World's Leading Travel Trade Show continues to expand. Starting in early March, the new English-language website www.itb.com was able to offer the tourism community a new and wide-ranging programme of live sessions on the pressing issues of our times. Now, the virtual presence of the global brand that is ITB is about to move into its next phase. In addition to the first session on 2 July at 4 p.m. CET as well as other scheduled events, the industry can look forward to the free platform featuring daily news. Kick-off session on 'The past is becoming an increasingly poor predictor of the future' Under the heading 'Planning for what will come, not for what was', Prof. Dr. Roland Conrady, the science head of the ITB Berlin Convention, and Philip Wolf, the founder of PhoCusWright, will take a look at the future and examine what the far-reaching changes brought about by the coronavirus pandemic mean for the 'new normal' of travel. "The past is becoming an increasingly poor predictor of the future", said Wolf. The session is the first in a series of various lectures and interviews in English over the weeks to come. As with all other content, after being streamed live the session can be accessed online as a video on demand: www.itb.com/VirtualConvention/ In the interview the two experts will discuss ways in which consumer behaviour is likely to change - in relation to sustainable tourism too. They will examine regional differences and the impact on operators such as airlines, hotels, the cruise industry and other parts of the tourism sector, and take a look at the business travel market and digitalisation. "Not least because of the cancellation of ITB Berlin 2020, in March itb.com quickly established itself as an in-demand virtual platform for the global travel industry", said David Ruetz, head of ITB Berlin. "Tomorrow signals the start of the second round, and at the sessions that we have scheduled we are looking optimistically towards the future of travel. We are confident that we can provide a valuable boost and make a constructive contribution to tomorrow's world of tourism. The industry will receive a constant flow of information offering valuable pointers." Latest industry news in challenging times In addition to the scheduled lectures taking place online, visitors to ITB.com can immediately look forward to a new category. Under the 'News' heading, visitors can find a daily selection of topical industry stories - including news about products from both large and small market players, sustainability projects and an interactive coronavirus travel map. Stories can be sorted by topic and region to obtain a better overview. Every news item is archived and can be accessed later at any time. There is also a separate category for podcasts. The 'News' section at ITB.com rounds off the services currently offered by the virtual platform. In addition to news from the industry and the Virtual Convention, there is another new category available in the shape of a networking platform. Under 'Brand Events', the global ITB group has information on upcoming formats at the Berlin, Shanghai, Singapore and Mumbai editions of the show - including the recently announced pop-up event in Berlin: http://welovetravel.berlintravelfestival.com/ ITB.com - a 365-day virtual platform for a global industry With its launch of ITB.com this March, ITB underlined its role as the World's Leading Travel Trade Show and created a comprehensive virtual platform. The aim is to ensure the industry can access a permanent information forum and constant supply of news and to give users the opportunity to network with each other regardless of their location 365 days a year. External Article 1 July 2020 New York (CNN Business) - The dreaded middle seat is coming back. Advertisements US airlines had stopped selling them for months, both to ensure social distancing and because of a lack of passengers. But with a modest rebound in flying, that is changing. American Airlines (AAL), the world's largest carrier disclosed Friday that "customers may notice that flights are booked to capacity starting July 1." This change comes even as the number of Covid-19 cases rises in many states. United (UAL) has been willing to sell every possible seat throughout the pandemic. Both said they would notify passengers when a flight has more than 70% of its seats booked, and allow them to change to a less crowded flight. But that won't necessarily allow passengers with limited flexibility to avoid crowded flights. The empty seats had been a result of low demand for air travel combined with airline policy meant to encourage people to feel safe about flying. But on Sunday there were 634,000 people passing through TSA checkpoints at US airports, which was 24% of the traffic on the same day last summer. That's the highest total since late March and is seven times as many people as were screened the low point in mid-April. Opinion Article 1 July 2020 RISE is an exciting and relevant weekly conversation between industry professionals and students, graduates & job seekers in the Travel, Tourism & Hospitality sector. Reconnecting, reflecting and re-examining where in the world we are, and above all, separating the news from the noise. Advertisements With 400 registrations from 55 different countries and 80 educational bodies, the first RISE live webinar discussion took place on 20th April and continues to be streamed live every Monday (see link below). Created and co-hosted by Demian Hodari (Professor of Strategic Management at Ecole hoteliere de Lausanne) and Anita Mendiratta (Special Advisor to Secretary General UNWTO), the aim has been to make sense of these changing times and how to prepare insightfully for the shifting world of work ahead. Anita Mendiratta, Founder & President of ANITA MENDIRATTA & Associates, co-host of RISE. Photo: EHL Demian Hodari, Hospitality Strategy Professor, speaker and advisor, & co-host of RISE. https://www.linkedin.com/in/demianhodari/ The word "uncertainty" looms large in every episode, highlighting the fact that the current crisis is still unfolding globally in its severity and longevity. The implications for the industry are still in the making, reflected in the frank and engaging weekly titles: "Work in Progress", "The Next Normal", "The surreal state of real estate", "Ch-Ch-Changes" and "Resorts, their final destination". What's refreshing about each RISE episode is the level of professional honesty. Admitting what is known and what isn't, looking at the human aspect of the crisis and how to best harness the "huggability" factor in order to keep hospitality's unique selling point intact in the face of increasing digitalization and strict hygiene measures. The pandemic is proving to be the biggest economic disrupter since the Great Depression, so encouraging everyone in the industry to make the best of these 100 lockdown days is what is ultimately paving the way ahead. Great hardship is often fertile terrain for new ideas and new ways. If there was ever a time for re-writing the TTH handbook, it is now. Here is a collection of the main themes discussed in the first 5 episodes of RISE: Staying positive in a crisis "We are at the end of the beginning", Sir Winston Churchill. Be prepared for the long haul. Bear in mind the 'Adversity Advantage'. More than just managing the crisis, harness it and find ways of using it as a launch pad to creating solutions and original outcomes. This is an evolving situation, we need to respond in an evolving way. Survive and adapt. Use the core values of hospitality and, at least in the short term, direct them towards helping the local community. Be proactive in cultivating the positive, caring, human aspect of our industry. Use virtual reality to keep "the dream to travel" alive in the mind of future tourists, because ultimately the innate desire to explore and move will return. The impact and value of traveling is to reconnect with family and friends. The human factor will always prevail. Travel is essentially a human need, not just a leisure activity! The TTH industry will be key in helping to drive the global economy. As with past crises, COVID-19 has revealed the critical role of the industry in activating direct and indirect supply chains in both products and services. Global entities (WHO, UNWTO, ICAO) are coming together to talk, exchange ideas and find collaborative solutions to assist governments in what coordinated action to take. This ability to engage will ultimately be the main catalyst to recovery. The impact of COVID-19 on the TTH industry We are entering into a 2 meter economy. Protection of the customer will become the no.1 priority in all areas. Hygiene and safety will become "the new luxury". With an 80% increase in shopping online, as well as in working from home and online learning/socializing, we are heading towards a 'contactless' society. Staff will have to be trained in new areas: rebuilding confidence with the customer, integrating new hygiene and technological systems into daily operations. More hotels will be moving to the less personnel 'citizenM' style, where technology is used to elevate efficiency thereby reducing contact points. Because of the concerns regarding flying and traveling in general, domestic tourism is likely to pick up first as traveler confidence takes time to grow. Governments will encourage citizens to holiday in their country to help build back the tourism economy. Spending on TTH will be slow at first and will mainly center on activities that bring appreciation, value and that feel 'safe'. Adapting to the necessary changes and reinventing the TTH industry successfully lies in a coordinated response. The industry is part of a highly connected supply chain: airline companies, airports, cruise companies, hotels, resorts, restaurants - will all have to work together to find common solutions as links in the total traveler experience chain. Airlines Airlines are confronting the challenge regarding new hygiene and safety measures that will make flying feel safe again - this is a deal-breaker for future industry recovery. Warren Buffett recently sold his airlines shares demonstrating a lack of confidence in the current state of aviation. To manage aviation's image, some airlines are making a concerted effort to promote positive aspects of flying. e.g. British Airways are publicizing their cat and dog rescue mission from Cyprus to the UK. Emirates have produced a heart-warming video campaign,"Do you remember?", playing on the emotional ties that aviation strengthens. Emirates and Etihad airlines are introducing blood tests before boarding with results within 10 minutes on selected flights from the UAE. Airlines will not be in competition with each other when it comes to health and safety certification, preferring to work, as they always have, within a code of honor system applicable across all companies. There is NO competition when it comes to safety. Hotels Hotels are showing a promising recovery, currently concentrating on attracting local tourism trade while awaiting airlines to unblock international travel. Hoteliers must now determine how to best implement new hygiene measures to reassure guests and establish trust with regards to health and safety. Airbnb has recently introduced new cleaning protocols that include a learning and certification program to empower their host community. Implementation involves a choice: either commit to the new measures or opt for a booking buffer period of 72hrs between each booking. Buffet meals will become a thing of the past - for the time being at least. Real estate issues Commercial retail spaces like shopping malls will be hard hit with customers preferring to buy local or online. Office space may also be affected negatively with a lot of people giving precedence to working from home. Open-plan work spaces will be deemed incompatible with social distancing rules and will decrease dramatically. Co-working spaces, however, can be more adaptable to social distancing rules, as can co-living set ups. Both concepts have potential since they are considered ideas aimed at the young and flexible. Co-working companies that succeed can expand into managing offices for traditional landlords who may struggle to achieve the balance of density and conviviality required. Homes for the elderly will suffer a significant challenge, and like spas and wellness centers, are in need of totally reconfiguring their hygiene and safety measures. Changes in general TTH behaviors More online retail therapy, more local shopping. Less visits to shopping malls, less attraction towards social retail environments. More local holidays, car drives, staying closer to home. Decrease in budgets for business and MICE travel. Increase in the hybrid model based on a mix of virtual and real-life work encounters, especially valid now that we have proven success of remote working, which is also cheaper and more ecological. Face-to-face meetings will be reserved more for essential contexts, i.e. the signing of documents or specific negotiations. In a RISE poll survey, three quarters of attendees believe that learning and working will be happening online at least 50% of the time as of January 2021. Major hotels will fight to handle more direct bookings, by-passing the OTAs go-betweens. Innovation: seizing that'Kodak moment' This is critical time for understanding how to innovate; the equivalent of a 'Kodak moment' for TTH and all industry, (a reference to when Kodak had developed pioneering digital camera technology in the early 80s but chose not to use it). Understanding, anticipating and leading the changes in consumer trends is key to survival. Chain implementation is equally important: once the innovative ideas are agreed, how easy is it to put them in place? Generally speaking, smaller establishments react and adapt more quickly, resulting in a better impact on brand promise and delivery. Rolling out the changes chain-wide is what will ensure your competitive advantage. Smart innovation need not always be expensive. It can sometimes be simply based on finding new ways of presenting your offer and interacting with your customers. Ask the question: how can I present a better service? It's important to establish the pre-existing conditions of a business: was it already struggling to survive? If yes, the COVID-19 virus could prove as deadly as with any human patient. Start with your end goal in mind and work towards it. Analyze your target audience and ask what are the wants, needs and changes impacting that audience. Be malleable in order to be able to 'pivot' towards those changes. Understand your core business relevance in current times and innovate accordingly. Harness the technology which the pandemic has highlighted as a major tool for innovation. Tap into the analytics and algorithms to your advantage. Research the tools and apps that can enhance your operations. Reflections and projections Recovery all depends on the time it takes to re-establish confidence levels. It's also important to consider when a country went into lockdown, e.g. China was the first to close operations and is now showing signs of emerging out of the crisis. Hotels showed a 60%-100% occupancy rate on Chinese Labor Day. Much hangs on differing government policies on aviation and visas. Governments AND the private sector must come together to develop workable policies. TTH is an inter-linked supply chain where one area of the industry directly affects another, e.g. international travel and certain hotels won't pick up until the aviation industry finds its feet again. Because travel will never be the same again, it's important to re-evaluate what one means by the word 'recovery'. Parameters need to be adjusted and re-thought to meet the shifting reasons for why we will travel in the future. Advice to students, graduates and job seekers in the TTH sector Be forward-thinking, in this time of huge disruption, the future of the industry will not be found in past models. Be prepared to question what you have up till recently been taught at school, i.e. some of the new strategies required by a post-COVID-19 industry will fly in the face of what was once considered standard procedure. Ask questions: How can I differentiate myself? How have I made the most of these 100 days of lockdown? What's my COVID-19 story? What community-led activities can I take part in? Take advantage of the free online courses being offered, develop new skills. All extra qualifications will help you stand out, (when companies start re-hiring, they will be looking for As & Bs, not Cs & Ds). Young talents need to be flexible and expect to find jobs in other industries with a view to returning to hospitality in 2021. Do not fear getting out of the comfort zone in order to strengthen your professional profile. Develop an entrepreneurial spirit, bearing in mind that the traditionally 'safe jobs' may no longer be safe. Above all, develop the highly sought-after hospitality soft skills, (empathy, communication, flexibility) and think about applying to other areas where these skills can be transferable. Hospitality graduates have always been considered very 'poachable. Final word Throughout all episodes of RISE, the message has been a positive one to those seeking a career in the industry. Despite doom and gloom statistics regarding job losses, cut backs and closures in all things F&B & hotel-related, here's the good news: A well-trained, proactive student of hospitality management is an asset to any company at all times. The weekly RISE webinar happens live every Monday. You can register here. Photo: EHL Sources JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. You should upgrade or use an You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.You should upgrade or use an alternative browser BEIJING, June 30 (Xinhua) -- Chinese firms are making great strides in brand value on the global playing field, a market report showed Tuesday. A record high of 17 Chinese companies have made it into the 2020 BrandZ Top 100 Most Valuable Global Brands Ranking, compared with 15 last year, according to BrandZ, a global brand equity platform. Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba led Chinese firms in the ranking, rising to the sixth place this year, up one spot from last year with a value of 152.53 billion U.S. dollars. Tech giant Tencent ranked second among Chinese companies, with its brand value surging 15 percent to 150.98 billion U.S. dollars. China's leading liquor maker Kweichow Moutai was the fastest growing brand in 2020 with a staggering growth of 58 percent, while internet giant Meituan and e-commerce giant JD.com also registered robust performance in brand value expansion. Bolstered by innovation and creativity, Chinese popular video-sharing app TikTok, known as Douyin in China, entered the list for the first time and was placed at 79th, the highest-rank among other newcomers. The ranking is commissioned by global communication services provider WPP and conducted by brand equity research consultancy Kantar. It examines market data from Bloomberg with consumer insights from over 3.8 million consumers, covering more than 17,500 brands across 51 markets. Veteran star Lee Jung Jae, who plays the role of Ray in the movie "Deliver Us From Evil," is about to release a new pictorial taken with fashion magazine GQ Korea. In the photo session, Lee Jung Jae radiated an intense aura where softness and charisma coexist, from simple shirts that are naturally unraveled to colorful patterns and color point suit fashion. In an interview conducted, the actor, about the meaning of acting for him, said, "I've lived by acting more than half of my life, so it is like my life to me. I always check whether I did really well or not. I feel that if there is a part, something insufficient." He added, "I am still trying to do better and harder in the next work. It may not be the correct answer, though. I believe if working consistently with my effort one by one, I will be an actor a little longer." Through the hardcore action film "Deliver Us From Evil," Lee Jung Jae will show his newly-transformed character through his unprecedented visuals and realistic acting. Meanwhile, Lee Jung Jae's complete pictorial and interview can be seen in the July issue of GQ Korea. WASHINGTON Five days after Gov. Greg Abbott announced he was putting a hold on the states reopening due to a surge in coronavirus cases, Texas Republicans in Congress are coming under increasing pressure to support another large stimulus bill. Just a few weeks ago Texas Republicans were arguing for reopening the economy and against new spending pointing to their own states success in reopening businesses and schools. But now Texas is facing weeks if not months of shutdowns and increased unemployment for which the state is likely to require federal assistance. During a press event to mark the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement going into effect, Rep. Kevin Brady, R-The Woodlands, said that while he disagreed with Democrats proposal for another $3 trillion stimulus package, something would have to be done. There needs to be a continued focus on making sure small- and medium-sized business ride this out, he said. This is an unprecedented crisis and its required an unprecedented response. On HoustonChronicle.com: The great Texas oil shutdown has begun Not all Texas Republicans are on board. With the federal deficit projected to reach $3.7 trillion this year almost a four-fold increase over last year the partys conservative wing is increasingly concerned about the national debt, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, continues to push for a stop to federal spending, arguing that the economy is better helped through through lower taxes and less regulation. Americans are worried about the future and are looking for a light at the end of the tunnel, a spokesman for Cruz said in an email Tuesday. Sen. Cruz believes we need to push pause on spending and not allow Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer to hijack discussions. But with Texas and other states putting the reopening of their economies on hold to prevent the pandemic from spiraling out of control, tightening federal support to those suffering under a government-imposed lock down poses a political risk to Republicans. Holding their ground on spending is becoming increasingly difficult for conservative lawmakers facing reelection in November, said Mark Jones, a political science professor at Rice University. Theyve lost their best argument which is (a stimulus) is not necessary any more because people are going back to work, he said. Republicans have a half dozen vulnerable Senate seats up for election, and the party can ill afford to be perceived as insensitive to the millions of Americans really struggling. More: Read the latest oil and gas news from HoustonChronicle.com What Republicans like Brady and Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, are looking for is a more targeted approach than that proposed by Democrats, which would extend expanded unemployment benefits through the end of the year. Republicans are calling that plan non-starter. But with enhanced benefits set to expire at the end of July, Republican leaders in the Senate are preparing to pass another stimulus package when they return from break at the end of the July. Republicans are considering everything from a payroll tax holiday for businesses to a bonus for workers coming off unemployment to return to their jobs. The Republican approach would be to extend benefits but not have a disincentive to work, said Matt Mackowiak, a Republican consultant in Austin. I think its going to get extended, but at what level? That would likely draw criticism from Texas conservatives, some of whom have already criticized Abbott for his decision to delay the reopening the states economy. Morning Report: Get the top stories on HoustonChronicle.com sent directly to your inbox But as the states infection rate continues to grow and hospitals become overwhelmed, most Republicans are sticking by the governor, even if his actions to shut down bars and reduce capacity in restaurants have made federal spending all the more necessary. We cant shut the economy down all together. It will do far greater damage long term, said Rep. Jodey Arrington, R-Lubbock. But if there are resources that are necessary and there are gaps in funding, Im always open to do that. james.osborne@chron.com twitter.com/osborneja Houston hospitals, already losing money by the tens of millions of dollars, are bracing for more losses and a tougher financial future following the latest order from Gov. Greg Abbott barring some elective procedures in eight counties, including Harris County. While health care systems are hesitant to project revenues, they said their hospitals have been shaken by restrictions on which surgeries and scheduled procedures can proceed, the expenses of caring for those afflicted with COVID-19 and ongoing loss of patients who have delayed check-ups and other care out of fear of contracting the virus. Like most health systems across the country, said Vanessa Astros, a CHI St. Lukes spokesperson, we have experienced financial strain during this crisis with overall declines in volumes and revenue driven by decreases in elective procedures and outpatient visits. In Houston, home to the worlds largest medical complex and a massive health care sector that employs more than 366,000 workers, sustained patient volume drops and reduction in revenues could lead to large-scale layoffs, analysts said. University of Texas researchers estimated in May that hospitals in Houston were collectively losing an average of $25 million per day. Moody's Investor Services, the debt rating agency, said Monday the order to suspend elective surgeries will likely disrupt what had been the beginning of a healthy recovery in hospital volumes. Bigger financial hits are coming. Hospital systems nationwide would lose a combined $323 billion in revenues this year because of COVID-19, according to a report released Tuesday by the American Hospital Association, and most dont expect to return to pre-pandemic revenue levels by the end of 2020. SURGE CAPACITY: Claiming confusion, Texas Medical Center changes how it reports ICU capacity amid COVID-19 The report estimated that patient volumes are declining rapidly. Hospital admissions, are down 19.5 percent, while outpatient visits are down 34.5 percent on average nationwide. About one-third of hospitals many situated in rural communities, or serving uninsured and low-income populations were already losing money before the pandemic, according to the American Hospital Association. These losses now put unprecedented financial pressure on hospitals, said Aaron Wesolowski, the associations vice president for policy research, analytics and strategy. Worried doctors Elective procedures such as knee and hernia operations account for up to 75 percent of revenues at some U.S. hospitals. In Texas, not all elective procedures are banned by Abbotts new restrictions, only ones that require intensive care beds and doctors and nurses with ICU training who could be deployed to help with COVID-19 patient care. That still leaves hospitals scrambling to figure out which procedures can continue as planned, said Roberta Schwartz, Houston Methodists executive vice president. Hospital officials are trying to divert nurses, doctors and hospital beds to ICUs while keeping medically necessary procedures on the calendar. Surgeries at its Houston Methodists Texas Medical Center campus fell 72 percent from early March to April when the first round of elective procedures were canceled or delayed, hospital officials said. Some cancellations resulted from having to make beds available to accommodate the surge in COVID-19 patients, but its unclear how many were canceled or postponed by patients afraid of catching COVID-19 or worried they would take resources from coronavirus patients, Schwartz said. Were not back to pre-COVID levels, Schwartz said. Its going to take a while. Texas Inc.: Get the best of business news sent directly to your inbox Previously, CHI St. Lukes, MD Anderson Cancer Center, HCA Houston Healthcare and Texas Children's Hospital reported decreases in revenue and patient volumes. Memorial Hermann Hospital System spokesperson Alex Loessin said its too soon for hospital administrators to make financial projections Meanwhile health care costs could rise dramatically as a result of patients skipping necessary visits and ignoring health problems, requiring more extensive and expensive care later, hospital officials said. For the long-term health of Houstonians, Loessin said, we must maintain a thoughtful balance between caring for those impacted by COVID-19 and addressing all other health care needs of our patients. gwendolyn.wu@chron.com twitter.com/gwendolynawu Thousands of Texans are falling ill, hundreds will suffer disabilities, and dozens will die because of a small group of people who were too selfish, vain or greedy to slow the COVID-19 pandemic. The irony, of course, is these super-spreaders of disease and disinformation also set back the economic recovery they promised to kickstart. Anti-government libertarians and anti-science conservatives made the most political noise in April and late May. They convinced our cowardly leaders in Austin to ignore the experts, overrule local authorities and reopen Texas businesses before the public health system was ready. Sure, Gov. Greg Abbott initially promised to follow White House guidelines but threw them out. He didnt wait until we had enough contract tracers or testing. When the infection rate doubled, he broke his promise and kept reopening more and more businesses. TOMLINSONS TAKE: COVID-19 is killing cheap airfare by emptying seats in vicious cycle On May 29, I warned that June could be the most consequential month in our lifetimes, and sadly, I was right. The answer to whether Americans can be trusted to act responsibly in the face of a debilitating disease is, unfortunately, a bold case no. Remember when Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick called on senior Texans to risk their lives for the good of the economy? He wasnt asking; apparently, he was telling. His push to reopen has put us all at higher risk after the state ordered hospitals to stop elective surgeries. The percentage of positive cases compared to the total number tested, known as the positivity rate, is skyrocketing, proving undoubtedly that the pandemic is worsening. Abbott said he would have to roll back the reopening of businesses if the rate exceeded 10 percent. He did not act until it was nearly 14 percent. The disease is closing in on us. HEB grocery stores are watching staff fall ill. Small-town Texas is seeing the coronavirus take hold. Oil and gas operations centers report infected staffers. Essential workers deserve hazard pay because they are getting sick. Pity the epidemiologists and the infectious disease doctors. They have spent their careers preparing for this moment, doing the research, running the models, understanding human behavior. When their time to shine came, our craven politicians shut them down, and now they can only watch in horror. Texans should be angry. We saw what happened in China, South Korea, Italy, Spain, Germany, Washington, New York and Michigan. We could have prepared, but our leaders put slogans and ideology ahead of facts and science. Abbott and Patrick caved for their whack-job supporters and the money, of course. They did it for folks like Steven Hotze, a Patrick supporter who sued Abbott to reopen the state and stop contact tracing. Patrick, meanwhile, booked time on Fox News to kowtow to President Donald Trump, who still thinks the problem will go away if we just stop testing so much. Thanks to our elected leaders, Americans are banned from Europe, and Texas has become the nations COVID-19 basket case. Hospitals are filling up, businesses are re-shuttering, workers are remaining at home, and the jobless claims keep piling up. Every time someone celebrates the positive economic growth rates month-over-month, they need to look again at how we are doing compared to last year. Where are our leaders now? Patrick is missing in action, and Abbott does his best to avoid tough decisions for fear the fringes of his party might get upset. Meanwhile, the majority of Texans have to deal with idiots who refuse to wear masks and have to contribute to the health care and economic costs of those who refuse to act responsibly. TOMLINSONS TAKE: After failing with COVID-19, U.S. health care system needs a new focus Leadership matters. When I was a sergeant, my evaluation report included a section on moral courage. The Army defined that as doing the right thing when it was hard and unpopular. Texas needs moral courage by the barrel right now. Community spread is out of control. We need to shut down non-essential activities that gather more than 10 people in the same room and then test like mad. No more 100-person choirs singing at political rallies. Weve got to isolate the ill until we get to a 5 percent infection rate. Epidemiologists say we need at least 30 contact tracers per 100,000 people. Texas has 10.8 thanks to the state putting a Republican crony in charge. No reopening until we get staffed up. Lastly, and this has always been Center for Disease Control protocol, a non-partisan public health professional should take charge with daily briefings. No more politicians speechifying. Texans need a daily science class until we stop infecting one another. To save the economy and Texas businesses, our leaders must start respecting science now. Our lives and livelihoods depend on it. Tomlinson writes commentary about business, economics and policy. twitter.com/cltomlinson chris.tomlinson@chron.com Jennifer A. Dlouhy BP has sold its upstream business in Alaska to Houston-based Hilcorp, putting the British oil major one step closer to exiting the northernmost U.S. state after six decades. The sale, which closed Wednesday, includes all of the companys upstream oil and gas interests in Alaskas Prudhoe Bay oil field. BP is still working with regulators to complete the sale of its interest in the Trans Alaska Pipeline System to Hilcorp, but the upstream asset sale makes up the vast majority of the $5.6 billion deal, first announced in August. CenterPoint Energy, the regulated utility that supplies power to most of the Houston area, on Tuesday named the former head of Halliburton, David J. Lesar, as president and CEO. Lesar, 67, whose appointment is effective Wednesday, succeeds John W. Somerhalder II, who stepped in as interim president and CEO in February, after the sudden departure of Scott M. Prochazka. Prochazkas exit came days after the Public Utility Commission handed CenterPoint a defeat, approving a rate increase and profit that were much smaller than the company had sought. "Throughout my career, I have worked to maximize sustainable shareholder value and build strong relationships with the constituencies that are central to the success and sustainability of the companies I have led," said Lesar. " I am honored by the trust the Board has placed in me, and excited to immediately start in this new role, working alongside our dedicated and talented team members who make a tremendous difference for customers every day. Over the past three decades, Dave has built an enviable track record of vision, strategy implementation, execution capability, financial sophistication and operational experience, CenterPoint Executive Chairman Milton Carroll said. During his 17 years leading Halliburton, he was the architect of how that company ultimately led the industry in growth, margins and returns. CENTERPOINT SHAKEUP: CEO out after rate-hike defeat Lesar was chairman and CEO of Halliburton, one of the top three oil-field services, from 2000 to 2017 and retired in 2018 after spending a year as executive chairman. He replaced then-chairman and CEO Dick Cheney, who left Halliburton to be George W. Bushs choice for vice president. Under Lesar, Halliburton became one of the leaders in the North American hydraulic fracturing market. Lesar led the company through controversies during the Iraq war, including claims that it made excessive profits working for the U.S. military, and he navigated the company through the oil bust of 2014-16. He also was the architect of Halliburtons ill-fated merger with Baker Hughes six years ago, a $35 billion deal that fell apart two years later after oil prices plunged and regulators said the merger would would reduce competition. Lesar, who estimated that the combined companies could reduce costs by $2 billion a year, had to pay a $3.5 billion break-up fee to Baker Hughes. General Electric later bought Baker Hughes in 2017. LESAR'S LEGACY: Halliburton refocuses after failed merger with Baker Hughes CenterPoint has been looking for several months for a new CEO as it struggles to trim its debt, strengthen its balance sheet and get back to its core utility business. The company made a deal in February to sell its natural gas retail business to New Jersey private equity investor firm Energy Capital Partners for $400 million but ended up receiving only $286 million, reflecting changes in commodity prices. CenterPoint also shut down its True Cost electricity brokerage service that it started when it was angling for a toe-hold in the deregulated part of the Texas electricity market. CenterPoint reported a $1.2 billion loss during the first three months, a sharp reversal from the $140 million profit during the same period in 2019. The company pointed to a mild winter and the oil crash which forced CenterPoint to write down the value of some assets. Lesar is a certified public accountant who was once a partner of Arthur Andersen. He initially joined Halliburton in 1993. Lesar joined the CenterPoint board in May. lm.sixel@chron.com twitter.com/lmsixel Americas biggest oil companies are coming under increasing pressure from climate-conscious investors to disclose their long-term forecasts for crude prices as the Covid-19 pandemic injects fresh uncertainty into the demand outlook for fossil fuels. Exxon Mobil Corp. and Chevron Corp. dont publish such estimates, meaning that shareholders are less able to scrutinize how the companies investment plans square with expectations for a global transition to clean energy. That needs to change, according to the New York State Common Retirement Fund, California State Teachers Retirement System, and Ceres, a Boston-based coalition of investors with $30 trillion of assets. In Europe, major oil companies are sharing their long-term forecasts, with dramatic results. Two weeks ago, BP Plc said it had radically reduced its long-term price assumption for Brent crude, causing a writedown of as much as $17.5 billion. Royal Dutch Shell Plc warned Tuesday that it would write down as much as $22 billion in the second quarter as the pandemic hammers demand for everything from oil to liquefied natural gas. FRACKING: Permian Basin reclaims status as top destination for frac crews Long-term price assumptions are critical because theyre used by Big Oil to determine whether or not a resource will be economically viable and at what value its held on a companys books. Activists and some investors say companies are at risk of being overly optimistic in their assessment of future crude prices. That could lead to them to build expensive projects that effectively become worthless so-called stranded assets in a world transitioning toward low-carbon fuel sources. Exxon and Chevron should be more transparent and disclose long-term price forecasts and other information that investors need to assess their companies low-carbon transition plans, said Mark Johnson, a spokesman for the Office of the New York State Comptroller, which oversees the New York State Common Retirement Fund. Without this information, investors cannot assess whether Exxon and Chevron are serious, or just paying lip service to the threat of climate change. Chevron compiles multiple forecast scenarios informed by third-party information and its own analysis, spokesman Sean Comey said in an emailed statement. We continue to view this data as proprietary since it contains sensitive business information that would be of interest to our competitors. Exxon evaluates annual plans and major investments across a range of price scenarios, and it discloses guidance on the impact of price fluctuations in annual regulatory filings, spokesman Casey Norton said in an emailed response to questions. The company supports the goals of the Paris Agreement on climate change, Norton said. SYMBOLIC: Tesla overtakes Exxons market value in symbolic energy shift The world will continue to require significant investment in liquids and natural gas, he said. Covid-19 has brought the issue of future pricing into sharp relief. Before the pandemic, peak crude demand was thought to be at least a decade away. But the virus has caused such a savage drop-off in oil consumption that some, including BP CEO Bernard Looney, are questioning if global usage of fossil fuels will ever return to pre-pandemic levels. At the heart of investor concern is that theyre planning for a future thats not likely to come to pass -- a future of high demand and high prices, said Andrew Logan, senior director of oil and gas at Ceres. Speaking to investors in March, Exxon and Chevron both gave their long-term cash flow projections at $60 a barrel, roughly the average of the past five years. But the projections arent a long-term price forecast and dont provide insights into climate planning or potential writedowns. Meanwhile, crude is currently trading around $40 a barrel, with lingering uncertainty over the recovery in global demand or whether OPEC can maintain supply cuts. Both companies regularly tout their new projects as having low break-even costs that make them more competitive than those of their rivals. For example, Exxon has said its projects in Guyana and the Permian Basin on West Texas and New Mexico will make double-digit returns at $40 a barrel. But it may be a different story for other parts of its portfolio. If oil was at $30, Exxon would own 60% of the oil majors 30 lowest-margin assets by production, according to researcher Wood Mackenzie Ltd. FUEL FIX: Now more than ever, you need our energy news in your inbox Theres a bit of opaqueness to the disclosure from American oil companies without the long-term price assumptions, said Brian Rice, a fund manager at California State Teachers Retirement System, also known as Calstrs. From an engagement perspective, it can be frustrating, he said, adding that it could be a data point that more investors push for in the future. Calstrs and the New York State Common Retirement Fund manage about $453 billion between them including shares of Exxon and Chevron. While theres no specific regulation than prevents U.S. companies from publishing long-term price forecasts, many are reluctant to do so for fear of exposing themselves to lawsuits accusing the companies of trying to influence oil prices, according to Ed Hirs, an energy fellow at the University of Houston. For investors, the risk they face is that price assumptions are too rosy. But its also a critical issue for the environment. Much of Canadas oil sands, among the most carbon-intensive parts of the industry, were developed with the expectation of prices above $80 a barrel, according to Kathy Mulvey, a campaign director at the Union of Concerned Scientists. We need more scrutiny at the front end of these projects, she said in an interview. They pose systemic risks to the environment if they get it wrong. 2020 Bloomberg L.P. Gasoline prices over the long Fourth of July weekend are expected to be the lowest in 16 years, but many Americans arent taking advantage of cheap gas, choosing to stay home as coronavirus cases continue to surge. Gas prices nationally this weekend are projected to average $2.17 per gallon, the lowest since an average of $1.87 in 2004, according to GasBuddy, a fuel price-tracking website. A gallon of gas in Houston is expected to average $1.84 this weekend, down from $2.42 a year ago. Without a doubt, demand is being impacted from COVID-19, said Patrick DeHaan, GasBuddys head of petroleum analysis. Theres still a lot of anxiety fueling more motorists to stay at home this year versus recent years. Americans are beginning to travel again after most states lifted restrictions aimed at slowing the spread of the coronavirus. But demand for petroleum products such as gasoline and jet fuel is still considerably less than before the pandemic as many Americans avoid traveling this summer, analysts said. Travelers this year are more likely to book long-weekend getaways than extended vacations, and theyre more likely to drive than fly. In Texas and surrounding states, automobile travel is expected to fall by 3.6 percent this year, while air, rail and cruise travel is expected to fall by more than 75 percent this year, according to the American Automobile Association.. Everyones hesitant to get into a sardine can in the air, DeHaan said. That reluctance to fly may help bolster gasoline demand as opposed to jet fuel. Road trips allow for increased social distancing while these COVID-19 concerns remain, said Joshua Zuber, a spokesman with AAA Texas. Gasoline demand, which plunged by about 50 percent in March and April, is down about 15 percent from a year ago. Demand for jet fuel, which plummeted 70 percent, is still down about 64 percent, and could take years to recover, according to the Energy Information Administration. Petroleum demand could remain depressed as coronavirus cases rise in several states, including Texas, striking another blow to consumer confidence and raising the specter of more lockdowns. This season, Americans are expected to take 707 million road trips, AAA said, down by nearly 15 percent from last year and the first decline in summer travel since 2009, during the financial crisis. If not for the pandemic, Americans would have made 857 million trips this summer, a 3.6 percent increase over last year, AAA said. Travelers from Texas and the surrounding states will take 79 million trips this summer, down by 13 percent from last summer, AAA predicted. Rey Alton, a manager at Houston-based travel agency Almeda Travel, typically books flights, cruises and resort vacations in Mexico and the Caribbean for 2,000 travelers every summer. This summer, Alton, a travel agent for 25 years, said hes booked only one trip: a honeymoon to Bali. People are really staying in theyre not even taking road trips, Alton said. Were just telling people to stay put for peoples safety so we can travel next year. If we dont stay put, its going to linger on. Zenwick Ward has taken a big trip overseas every summer after he and his wife became empty nesters several years ago. The Cypress resident, who went to Australia and New Zealand last year, was planning to visit Japan, Thailand and Vietnam this summer until the coronavirus upended his plans. Now, the 55-year-old software developer and his wife plan to go only as far as Florida in July by car. We love to travel to get away from it all, Ward said. But because of whats going on, we decided to cut our trip to Asia and go to Florida. Were not scared, but we want to be careful. paul.takahashi@chron.com twitter.com/paultakahashi NASCAR may be racing again, but competition-lovin Texans now have another race to bet on, thanks to our hard-working legislators in Austin. Were now racing to fill up our states hospital beds. As MSNBCs Rachael Maddow points out, Gov. Greg Abbott has surveyed the surge in new COVID cases here in Texas, and declared its not a problem. Folks in the Lone Star State need not worry about COVID cases spiking according to the governor, our state is open! and we have plenty of hospital beds. Yessir dont you worry. There are at least a dozen or so ICU beds left somewhere in our state, and when those fill, we can always usher you into ER armchairs, push you into hallways or find empty floorspace (ah those inventive Italians). This message of cheer follows comments by Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who suggested on Fox News that we should nobly sacrifice ourselves in the name of the economy, because we can always create more people, but we cannot easily create new jobs. Not surprisingly, our top-notch national Commander-In-Chief and Republican Hero Donald Trump has been leading the way he emceed a Republican re-election rally this past weekend in Oklahoma another state where COVID is surging and straining current hospital capacities. (Remember Oklahoma? Where the wind comes sweepin down the plain, and the virus keeps on comin even in the rain.) Our tough Trumpy Bear committed to filling the Tulsa BOK Center bringing virus-soaked citizens within inches of each other to hoot, holler and fill the humid Sooner summer air with virus-laden aerosols. Indeed, 45 claimed he had never failed to fill every seat in every auditorium, that one million people requested tickets and that he expected up to 300,000 rally guests which surely wouldve been a feat given the BOK Center holds only 19,000. Tulsa fire marshals say only 6,200 Trumpers attended. And yet, even with a mere handful of Trumps finest on hand, 45s first mass rally in months brought to mind a fiery old Daytona 500 (although without cars, and with COVID-19 death waivers). Everyones still atwitter! But back to our race. Abbott and Patricks calls for everyone to ignore COVID in Texas are pure genius. Oil has slumped, Texas tax receipts are way down, unemployment is way up and we have no annual state income tax upon which to rely. All we have left is making money on the backs of consumers, or should we say, consumers on their backs? Its no secret that the USA has long had one of the highest costs of health care in the world. And health care costs have actually increased over time: According to the Peterson Foundation (a health care think tank), Americas health care costs have increased from 5% of gross domestic product (GDP) in 1960 to 18% in 2018. Who knew you could bank on the sick and infirm? Imagine how COVID cases will fuel the economy in Texas: According to Debt.org, the average U.S. hospital cost $3,949 per day in 2017; each stay averaged $15,734. Throw in all those extra tests (a few thousand dollars?), maybe a ventilator and vent staff (one study estimates the incremental vent cost at between $600 to $1,500 per day), medicines (45s fav hydroxychloroquine will run you $171 retail for 60 tabs) and ancillary expenses (think ambulances, specialists and the like), and you could be talking some real money (to paraphrase clever and long-deceased Illinois Republican Sen. Everett Dirksen). Its a win-win! We head on out to crowded stores, bars, restaurants and rallies, spend some money, get sick by neglecting to social distance or wear one of those stupid masks (We dont need no stinking masks! said 45 or Bogey I forget which), and then, once we begin gasping for breath and cant stand up (typical symptoms of COVID), we head on over to a hospital where we spend more money. And since no one knows if we benefit from any acquired immunity, we could do it all over again in six months well, that is, IF we make it home. By the by, did you think your medical costs in our state escaped taxation? Think again. As of April 1, the Texas comptrollers most recent policy change causes nontaxable medical billing services to be taxed as insurance services. But thats OK! Obviously, say the governor and his pal, our lives and our health (or our parents and grandparents health) are a small sacrifice for our economy you should be thinking about how you can spend more now, not conserve for an unknown future (which may never arrive). Six months after the first case of COVID in the USA, we still dont know who in Southeast Texas has it, where they are or when it will spike next, since no one in our state at any level has even thought about making sure we test everyone, now. No matter. If you listen to 45 and the experts at Fox News, you already know that this COVID hoax will all be over soon. Race you to the finish line? P.T. Hemenway is a professor and free-lance writer, as well as a PR and management consultant. [Trigger Warning/Content Warning: Mentions of Metal Issues, Depression, and Suicide] Looking for a drama series with unique plots and storytelling techniques? K-dramas have it all. Even psychological issues in Korean dramas are not something new. Mental health issues are prevalent in South Korea and is a sensitive case. The country has a high of cases concerning depression and suicide. Nowadays, Korean series are giving more emphasis on this concern to help the community get an avenue to understand mental health and be aware of the solutions to recovery. The benefit of the shows tackling mental health is that it raises awareness and reality that exists. It provides a view on certain mental issues, showing what it's like to live a life you were either grew up with or given due to circumstances. We give you the list for you to check out but be ready for heart-wrenching stories. "Good Doctor" - about Autism and Savant Syndrome Starring: Joo Won, Moon Chae Won, Joo Sang Wook, Kim Min Seo High functional Autism can do anything that they are good at, this is Park Shi On, a doctor who has savant syndrome and autism. His disabilities do not hinder him to perform proper first aid without any medical training. The story unfolds when he started to work in a big hospital and he experiences discrimination from patients and colleagues. But Park Shi On works hard to prove he is worthy of being a good doctor. "It's Okay, That's Love" - about Genophobia, Tourette Syndrome, Schizophrenia Starring: Jo In Sung, Gong Hyo Jin, Lee Kwang Soo, Do Kyung Soo, Lee Sung Kyung A psychiatrist Ji Hae Soo who suffers from genophobia which greatly affects her relationship with Jang Jae Yeol. The complicated part of Jang also struggles with schizophrenia. As Jang Jae Yeol deals with his battle, he finds Park Soo Kwang, a trusted friend who has Tourette syndrome. "Kill Me, Heal Me" - about Dissociative Identity Disorder Starring: Ji Sung, Hwang Jung Eum, Park Seo Joon, Kim Yoo Ri Cha Do Hyun is the heir of a successful company, but he has dissociative identity disorder. As his defense mechanism towards stress to the outside world, he created seven personalities. His childhood trauma and anxiety created a different personas as he becomes an adult. In his quest to heal, he gets professional help from psychiatrist Oh Ri Jin. "Sky Castle" - about Depression, Anxiety, Burnout Starring: Kim Seo Hyung, Yum Jung Ah, Yoon Se Ah, Kim Hye Yoon, Kim Byung Chul, Kang Chan Hee, Kim Dong Hee, Jo Byung Gy The story does not directly talk about mental illnesses, though it shows the characters' struggle with immense stress, burnout, and anxiety. It depicts the educational system in South Korea as the students and parents follow the norms of society. "My Shy Boss" - about Reclusiveness due to trauma Starring: Yeon Woo Jin, Park Hye Soo, Yoon Park, Gong Seung Yeon Working in a Public Relations company should give the advantage to be an extrovert but it's different in the case of Eun Hwan Ki. With his high position as a CEO, it is the other way around - he has a social phobia. But thanks to Chae Ro Woon, her energetic personality gives an interesting twist to the CEO's quiet life. "Chocolate" - about Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Starring: Ha Ji Won, Yoon Kye Sang, Jang Seung Jo, Yoo Teo, Min Jin Woong Several studies show that to ward off depression, eat sweets, and more on chocolates. Moon Cha Young and Lee Kang show their skills in creating chocolates and together give a subtle approach towards depression. "My Mister" - about Depression Starring: IU, Lee Sun Kyun Living in hardship is never an easy path. Ji An and Dong Hun are on that journey. But as they find ways to live, their friendship helps them to heal and survive through life together. "Cheese In The Trap" - about Antisocial Personality Disorder Starring: Park Hae Joon, Kim Go Eun, Seo Kang Joon, Lee Sung Kyung There are many defense mechanisms to combat mental illness, though Yoo Jung is a model student. Deep within, he suffers Antisocial Personality Disorder. "Hyde Jekyll, Me " - about Multiple Personality Disorder Starring: Hyun Bin, Han Ji Min, Sung Joon, Hye Ri Koo Seo Jin can face you with his cold and distant personalities or at times he can be sweet and kind that will make you wonder why. Jang Ha Na is the master and actress of a circus - their exciting journey unfolds if both can play along or if not leave the other behind. "Fix You " - about: Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Borderline Personality Starring: Shin Ha Kyun, Jung So Min Psychiatrist Shi Joon suffers traumatic stress when one of his patients committed suicide while they went out together. His new patient Woo Joo gives trust and believes in his unique therapy. They find ways to help each other heal and recover their differences. Workers are spread out across several floors to encourage social distancing as work continues in the redesign of the Four Seasons Hotel Houstons more than 400 guest rooms. Already, 150 rooms across five floors have been completed, installing the sophisticated style of Houston-based Lauren Rottet and Rottet Studio. The remainder are expected to be done in January 2021. 2 1 of 2 Jason Fochtman, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer Show More Show Less 2 of 2 Courtesy Image / Courtesy Image Show More Show Less With July Fourth set for Saturday, officials in The Woodlands are repeating an annual message: the use and sale of all fireworks is totally banned in the townships limits. And, those who violate the covenants prohibiting fireworks may be subject to investigation and possibly penalties. Nick Wolda, the communications director for the township, said the covenants specifically ban all use of any type of fireworks as well as the sale of the incendiary devices. A New York judge on Tuesday temporarily blocked the publication of Mary Trump's scathing book about her uncle, President Donald Trump, which describes him as the "world's most dangerous man," saying no copies can be distributed until he hears arguments in the case. The order leaves it uncertain whether the book will be published as scheduled on July 28. Judge Hal Greenwald ordered a hearing next month on a request for an injunction by Trump's brother Robert, who has argued that Mary Trump is not allowed to publish anything about her family as part of a settlement in an inheritance case. His attorney, Charles Harder, said in a statement Tuesday that he would seek the "maximum remedies available" for the "truly reprehensible" actions of Mary Trump and her publisher, which he said have caused "enormous damages" to his client. "Short of corrective action to immediately cease their egregious conduct, we will pursue this case to the very end," Harder said. Mary Trump's attorney, Theodore Boutrous Jr., said in a statement that while the judge's order is temporary, "it still is a prior restraint on core political speech that flatly violates the First Amendment. We will immediately appeal. This book, which addresses matters of great public concern and importance about a sitting president in an election year, should not be suppressed even for one day." Simon & Schuster said it also plans to appeal, adding in a statement that it looks forward "to prevailing in this case based on well-established precedents regarding prior restraint." The book, titled "Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World's Most Dangerous Man," has already ascended to the top of bestseller lists based on presales, underscoring the intense interest in a rare insider account by a Trump family member. In promotional material for the book, the publisher said Mary Trump "shines a bright light on the dark history of their family in order to explain how her uncle became the man who now threatens the world's health, economic security, and social fabric." Simon & Schuster said in a filing late Tuesday night that it had already printed 75,000 copies and argued that it would be unconstitutional to stop it from distributing the book. At the same time, the publisher for the first time said that it did not know until recently that Mary Trump had signed a nondisclosure agreement as part of the inheritance settlement. "We did not learn anything about Ms. Trump signing any agreement concerning her ability to speak about her litigation with her family until shortly after press broke concerning Ms. Trump's Book about two weeks ago, well after the Book had been accepted, put into production, and printing had begun," Simon & Schuster CEO Jonathan Karp said in an affidavit filed Tuesday night. "And we never saw any purported agreement until this action was filed against Ms. Trump and Simon & Schuster." While it has long been known that the inheritance case was settled confidentially, the terms of that agreement were not made public until Robert Trump filed his petition last week to stop publication the book. Karp in his affidavit also confirmed that Mary Trump was the "primary source" for an investigation by the New York Times into the Trump family finances, which won the 2018 Pulitzer Prize, as the Daily Beast first reported. Karp said that "knowing that no litigation resulted from the Times article, we were entirely confident in Ms. Trump's ability to tell her story regarding her own family." Karp said that even though the publication date is set for July 28, it may be too late to stop revelations in the book from being reported. He said that "thousands" of the printed copies "have already been shipped." Boutrous, asked to respond to Karp's statement that he didn't know about the confidentiality agreement, said in an email to The Washington Post that "we will be filing our brief Wednesday for Ms. Trump and will explain why this 20-year-old agreement is invalid, inapplicable and unenforceable." Mary Trump spent years pursuing an education that led her to become a clinical psychologist, as The Post recently reported. Using that background, she explores the "nightmare of traumas" within the Trump family, according to the publisher. "She explains how specific events and general family patterns created the damaged man who currently occupies the Oval Office, including the strange and harmful relationship between Fred Trump and his two oldest sons, Fred Jr. and Donald," according to the book's description. Mary Trump's father, Fred Jr. - the older brother of President Trump - died of an alcohol-related disease when she was 16 years old in 1981, an event that had a deep impact on the family. President Trump said in an interview with The Post last year that he made mistakes in dealing with his brother and regretted pushing him to join the family business. Mary Trump was involved in a bitter dispute in the family over an expected inheritance when her grandfather Fred Sr. died in 1999. She and her brother, Fred III, said in court papers that someone in or connected to the Trump family got Fred Sr. to change his will and give them less than they expected. This is the page on a Change.org petition site that calls for the firing and criminal prosecution of a Kelowna police officer for her conduct when called to check on the safety of Mona Wang, shown at left, and at bottom right. WASHINGTON - The White House is trying to capitalize on conservative anger at Chief Justice John Roberts Jr. over his latest decisions by telling evangelical leaders and other activists that they need to turn out voters for President Donald Trump so he can use a second term to continue nominating conservative judges to the nation's highest court. Some recent polls have shown a weakening in support for Trump among evangelicals, who have long been among the president's strongest supporters. But Roberts's role in cases advancing both gay and abortion rights is now seen in the White House as an opening to shore up that part of Trump's political base. Ralph Reed, the founder of the Faith and Freedom Coalition, said there is frustration and disappointment in evangelical ranks about Roberts's rulings, but he said he and others are not going to walk away from Trump. "Voters of faith know that that project to shift the court in a more conservative direction is on the 5-yard line and it's a strategic imperative to get President Trump reelected," Reed said. "The Louisiana decision has brought the life issue into fuller relief and reminded us why we have to give the president the chance to nominate more justices." In a remarkable stretch of decisions over the past two weeks, Roberts has infuriated conservatives and the Trump administration by finding that federal anti-discrimination law protects gay, bisexual and transgender workers and stopping the president from ending the federal program that protects undocumented immigrants brought into the country as children. In Monday's decision striking down a restrictive Louisiana abortion law, Roberts said the court's allegiance to honoring its past decisions meant striking down a law almost identical to one in Texas that the court said in 2016 was unconstitutional. Still, even as the White House works to reassure conservatives, it faces challenges in containing the rage over the George W. Bush appointee's alignment with liberal colleagues and ensuring that his rulings do not depress the president's core voters. "John G. Roberts Jr. has stabbed the American people in the back more than Norman Bates and 'swings' more than Hugh Hefner in his heyday," former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee, an evangelical leader, tweeted on Tuesday, adding that Roberts should "Resign Now." Roberts is not alone in facing conservatives' wrath. Justice Neil Gorsuch, a Trump appointee, and Roberts joined the court's liberals in the 6-to-3 ruling that a landmark federal civil rights law from the 1960s protects gay and transgender workers. The decision by Gorsuch to chart his own course is particularly painful for some conservatives, given that he was vetted for Trump by a small network of conservative legal scholars, including leaders of the Federalist Society, who offered public assurances of his credentials. Inside the White House, officials are working to hold conservatives together and to remind them of Trump's track record on the federal judiciary, arguing that the scope of the president's efforts should outweigh any anger with Roberts and others on the court. Vice President Mike Pence, a conservative who has spent his career building bonds with evangelicals, is at the center of that outreach, according to two conservative activists in frequent contact with the White House. On Monday, Pence did not swipe Roberts directly, but he did tweet that "after today's disappointing decision by SCOTUS, one thing is clear: We need more Conservative justices on the U.S. Supreme Court." Pence also spoke Monday with the Susan B. Anthony List, an antiabortion group whose leader has criticized Roberts as caving to "social pressures" that cause "intellectual and moral collapse." One of Pence's aides, veteran conservative organizer Paul Teller, is communicating daily with right-wing groups and "bucking them up, staying positive, and sending us talking points," one of the conservative activists said. There are also ongoing discussions between Trump advisers and conservative leaders about the possibility of a Supreme Court vacancy in the coming months - a tantalizing prospect for Republicans who value the court above all other issues and are eager to have Trump have one more opportunity to nominate a justice before the election. Justice Clarence Thomas, a conservative appointed by George H.W. Bush, is privately seen by Trump's aides as the most likely to retire this year. While Thomas has not given any indication of doing so, the White House and Senate Republicans are quietly preparing for a possible opening, according to a White House official and two outside Trump political advisers who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the private conversations. "If Thomas goes, you've got a lot of people around this process ready to support Thapar - and McConnell ready to move his favorite through," said one of the outside Trump political advisers, referring to Judge Amul Thapar of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit. Thapar, 51, is the son of Indian immigrants and has been touted by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., as a prime candidate. He previously served as a U.S. attorney and federal district court judge in Kentucky - and was on Trump's shortlist in 2018 when Justice Anthony Kennedy retired from the bench. Other conservatives remain hopeful that Judge Amy Coney Barrett, 48, of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit, will be nominated by Trump if there is a vacancy. But Barrett's past membership in groups that have promoted antiabortion views could make her harder to confirm in campaign season, the outside advisers said. Several Trump advisers and the White House official said Coney Barrett is more likely to be nominated in the event that Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a Bill Clinton appointee, steps down. One of the Trump advisers said, encouragingly, that Coney Barrett would cause a "culture war." McConnell has publicly stated that he would push to confirm another Trump nominee. "Oh, we'd fill it," McConnell said in May when asked at a Kentucky event about whether he would fill a vacancy this year. That remark sparked outrage and cries of hypocrisy among Democrats since McConnell blocked Judge Merrick Garland, President Obama's nominee to the Supreme Court in 2016, insisting that the nomination should wait until after that year's presidential election. The White House official said Trump is likely to update and extend his public shortlist for the Supreme Court before the election as a way of reminding conservatives of his commitment to their cause. For Trump, keeping conservatives who focus on the court engaged and upbeat about him is of paramount importance as he faces off against former vice president Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic nominee. Biden has pledged to nominate a black woman for the Supreme Court, should he win the White House. Top Democrats are urging their own activists to remain vigilant and keep pace with conservatives. "The ruling on the Louisiana law is no cause for complacency," Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., said. "There will be more efforts by state legislatures to chip away at reproductive rights, and this week's majority could be lost if Trump is reelected." Whether Roberts's rulings end up driving up GOP turnout or not, it is clear that anger over the chief justice is unlikely to abate soon. "If it were up to me, I'd start impeachment proceedings against John G. Roberts Jr.," American Conservative Union chairman Matt Schlapp, a Trump ally, told Fox News on Tuesday. "What he's done on Obamacare twice and what he has done here on abortion is act like a left-wing politician. If he's not going to be impeached, he ought to resign and run for Congress." On the campaign trail in Tulsa on June 20, Trump told his rally crowd, "Justice Gorsuch, Justice Kavanaugh, they're great. They're great. We have two and we could get a few more. Yeah. We could get a few." When asked last week, in an interview with the Christian Broadcasting Network, whether Roberts is "worse" than past GOP-nominated justices that have distressed conservatives, such as Kennedy, Trump said, 'So far, we're not doing so well. It says, look, you've had a lot of losses with a court that was supposed to be in our favor." But, Trump added, the rulings show that it is necessary for Republicans to win this year to avoid having a "radical left group of judges" on the court. Trump's campaign advisers said the campaign will continue to make that point to Trump's supporters this summer. "President Trump has an unsurpassed record of appointing 200 solid, conservative judges and he will continue to do so," Tim Murtaugh, a spokesman for the Trump campaign, said in a statement. "Joe Biden cannot stand up to the radical left and would appoint liberal judges who would legislate from the bench. It would be a disaster for conservatives." The Senate last week confirmed Trump's 200th judicial nominee, a milestone that Trump and McConnell have made a keystone of their political legacies. Working to contain conservative anger over the court is hardly unusual for a Republican president. Harriet Miers, who was put forward by George W. Bush, withdrew from consideration in 2005 when Republicans objected to her nomination, saying she was insufficiently conservative. Retired justice David Souter was appointed by George H.W. Bush but became a target of conservative ire after he reliably voted with the liberal bloc on the court in the 1990s and early 2000s. "Conservative activists and Trump supporters don't blame Trump for it. It just seems to be a pattern of bad luck for conservatives. We had it with Souter, and I guess we're getting it with Roberts, if these last few decisions are an indication," said former senator Bob Smith, R-N.H. --- The Washington Post's Robert Barnes and Michael Scherer contributed to this report. Days before what would typically be one of the biggest tourism weekends of the year, local officials in Galveston announced Wednesday they will close their beaches to the public for the July 4th holiday weekend amid an alarming rise in new coronavirus cases in the Houston area and Texas. Galveston Mayor Jim Yarbrough said he would also consider closing certain access points for the rest of the summer. By and large, I think local people will be supportive, Yarbrough said in a phone interview. Of course, our interest is the public health of our citizens. But I think were doing the right thing for the people who were gonna visit here who might not now. I think its in their best interest as well. The moves to close beaches in the city of Galveston and Galveston County, issued late Wednesday, represent the most significant restrictions on outdoor activity in the Houston area since state and local governments implemented stay-home orders shutting down much of the region in the early spring. The beach closures in the popular getaway for Houston-area residents comes as the number of statewide cases climbed to 172,753, a nearly 5 percent increase, and the death toll rose to 2,509 statewide, a 2.1 percent increase, according to a Houston Chronicle analysis. Wednesday was the second straight day with a record for a single-day increase in cases to date, and the first with more than 8,000 cases. Under Yarbroughs order, which takes effect at 5 a.m. Friday, the city will close all of the islands beach access points and beach parks and restrict parking on the north and south sides of Seawall Boulevard. Pedestrians will not be allowed on the beach, though Seawall Boulevard will remain open to pedestrians and exercise activity. Tailgating, picnicking and sitting stationery on the seawall will be prohibited. The beach closure will end at 12:01 a.m. Monday. While Galveston County beaches will be closed for the holiday weekend, neighboring Brazoria County had no plans as of Wednesday to prohibit beach access, a county spokeswoman said. The city of Surfside, which governs Surfside Beach, a popular coastal destination about an hours drive from Galveston, will be closing its beach to vehicle access overnight, but the beach will remain open during the day. Galvestons beach closure comes after two months of large crowds swarming the island following Gov. Greg Abbotts May 1 executive order reopening parts of the states economy, which included encouraging outdoor activities and removing the authority of local governments to close beaches due to the coronavirus outbreak. At the time of Abbotts executive order, coronavirus infections in Galveston County had begun to trend downward. On May 16, the county health district reported its lowest weekly coronavirus case total since the pandemic began, with 22 cases. The return of crowds, with mask use spotty at best, was punctuated by a packed Memorial Day weekend that saw thousands of visitors. Infections soared in June, even as testing for the virus in the county has decreased. On Wednesday, the county health district reported 272 positive cases, its largest single-day case total. The move by Yarbrough, a former county judge, prompted Galveston County officials to re-evaluate its plans for Bolivar Peninsula, an unincorporated part of the county with 27 miles of beaches. Shortly after the city of Galveston released its official order closing beaches, the county released a statement declaring all beaches in unincorporated areas would be closed from 5 a.m. Friday to just after midnight on Monday, based on the recommendation of the countys local health authority. In a shift, the county said Thursday that it will allow foot traffic on peninsula beaches from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. daily during the holiday weekend. The county adjusted the scheduled closures to accommodate those who have already booked vacation rentals on Bolivar Peninsula for the weekend. Yarbroughs actions forced everyones hand due to concerns that people planning to go to Galvestons beaches over the weekend would instead flood beaches on the nearby Bolivar Peninsula, said Darrell Apffel, a Galveston County commissioner whose precinct includes the peninsula. Beaches on Bolivar would be overcrowded and the public health authority strongly advised to shut it down because of the unsafe environment that will be created, Apffel said. Yarbrough, who is stepping down as mayor on July 15 in part due to health concerns from the coronavirus outbreak, added that while his order restricts beach access just for the July 4th weekend, he planned to issue a separate order next week that would limit high-traffic access points on the island, such as at San Luis Pass and Diamond Beach, through Sept. 30, when the citys disaster declaration expires. The mayor said he was initially unsure whether he had the power to close beaches, but was influenced to do so in part by an order issued Tuesday by Nueces County which includes Corpus Christi, a coastal tourism hot spot to prohibit vehicular access to beaches over the holiday weekend. The city of Galveston, which initially closed its beaches to the public on March 29, had begun a partial reopening nearly a month later open from 6 to 9 a.m. for people engaging in exercise. Abbotts executive order reopening the state superseded the citys plans for a gradual reopening. The Texas General Land Office, which governs beach access across the state, informed coastal cities like Galveston that the governors executive order stripped them of the ability to close beaches due to the coronavirus outbreak. A spokeswoman for the General Land Office said the agency has told local governments that they may now close beach access points for emergencies related to public safety. This was news to Yarbrough until he was informed that Nueces Countys beach closure went into effect on Tuesday. We got in touch with GLO and theyre supportive of whatever decisions we make, which has always been a concern, certainly over the last month, Yarbrough said. hed here All beach access points and beach parks on Galveston Island and Bolivar Peninsula, including Crystal Beach,will be closed through the July 4 weekend. The beach closures begin on July 3 at 5 a.m., and will reopen on July 6 at 12:01 a.m. See More Collapse Matt Dempsey contributed to this report nick.powell@chron.com The city on Wednesday revoked the City Hall credentials of Councilmember Letitia Plummers brother for taking pictures of council members cars and sending them to an activist, who showed them on Facebook in a tirade against those members for failing to support Plummers police reform plan last month. Mayor Pro Tem David Martin said he informed Councilmember Plummer at 4 p.m. Wednesday, shortly after the Chronicle published a story about the episode. Several council members had called for the Farouk Plummers credentials to be revoked. Farouk Plummer, who served as an unpaid adviser in his sisters council office, confirmed that he sent the photos to the activist in an emotional decision after the June 10 budget vote, and he said he does not regret doing so. He sent them, he said, to prove that Mayor Sylvester Turner and the councils other five black members had met privately at City Hall on the weekend before the budget vote. Councilmember Plummer was invited to the meeting but did not attend. Yes, theres no denying that I did it, Farouk Plummer said. As a protective brother, I felt some type of way about this, I got to be honest with you. I felt like they were either trying to, A, sabotage her, or B, steal her amendments from her. Gerry Monroe, the activist who received and displayed the photos online, since has disparaged council members political positions and personal lives, often using sexist and threatening language. On Monday, he organized and video-recorded a 3 a.m. protest outside the house of Councilmember Carolyn Evans-Shabazz, in which Monroe and a few other people stood outside her house, yelling for her to wake up. Councilmember Tiffany Thomas was perturbed enough by Monroes video to file a June 11 police report about it and the photos sent to him. Thomas said she does not think the act necessarily was criminal, but she wanted the episode documented in writing in case the situation escalated. The cover sheet of the Houston police report characterizes the complaint as a possible breach of security. I feel completely betrayed. She was complicit in it and allowed it to happen, Thomas said of Councilmember Plummer. I think its gone too far, its played out, and it needs to stop. You have to turn the page and rebuild trust, but the trust is definitely broken. Letitia Plummer said she first learned about the photos and video which has been up for three weeks when a Chronicle reporter called Tuesday to ask about it. After consulting with her brother and asking him to call the reporter, she did not return requests for further comment Tuesday or Wednesday. Evans-Shabazz first aired the allegations about Farouk Plummer though she did not identify him by name on Monday, after the early-morning protest at her home. Thats just wrong, Evans-Shabazz said. I have tried explaining this to people without really going to this degree, but when you have somebody showing up on your house and on his little Facebook thing, going hard about you and saying these negative things, and nobody speaks the real truth? Then its the time to speak up. Monroe said he did nothing wrong. Ive never told anyone where I get my info, Monroe said. Theres nothing illegal about anybody sending anybody some photos. The episode has created a schism between Plummer and her colleagues after the councils tense budget vote, which emerged as the most highly publicized and controversial decision for a new council that features seven freshman members Plummer, Thomas and Evans-Shabazz among them. It has also renewed consternation from the councils other five black members Evans-Shabazz, Thomas, Davis, Martha Castex-Tatum and Edward Pollard that Plummers pursuit for reform within the budget, which has made her a champion among some activists, left the impression that the other members are against reform efforts because they opposed her plan. In fact, they said, they are pushing many of the same policies Plummer advocated, and their opposition to her plan was focused on her funding sources and figures, which they said were not properly prepared and arbitrary. Plummers strategy relied on the premise that reform efforts and programs would be fruitless without money dedicated to them, and she sought to capitalize on the $5.1 billion budget vote to commit that funding. Her plan would have cut 199 vacant HPD positions to fund several initiatives, including additional mental health units, re-entry programs, and other services. It was the only proposal at City Hall to divert funds from police, and it gained immediate traction online and amid grass-roots organizers calling for City Hall to defund HPD. Evans-Shabazz and Thomas said Plummer did not consult with them or seek their input before submitting her budget amendment to the mayors office. Why would you not engage with like-minded people who have the same concerns, Evans-Shabazz said. Council Member Jerry Davis said he called the June 6 with Mayor Sylvester Turner and the six black council members at City Hall. The meeting was convened to discuss calls for change following George Floyds death. Farouk Plummer said he took pictures of the council members cars that Saturday as evidence that the meeting had taken place, and added that he did not notify his sister he was doing so. Councilmember Plummer raised concerns that the meeting could violate the Texas Open Meetings Act. It is illegal for a quorum, or a majority of the 17-person council, to gather outside of its publicly listed meetings and discuss city business. Only six members, including the mayor, were present. There is, however, potential for what is called a rolling quorum, if any of the members that were present called or corresponded with three more members about what was discussed, according to David Feldman, Houstons city attorney from 2010 to 2015. The problem is the larger the number, the greater the possibility that theyre going to wind up going over that quorum amount, Feldman said. Thats why its dangerous. Current City Attorney Ronald Lewis and Turner declined comment through a spokeswoman. On June 8 two days before the budget vote five black council members released a letter outlining the reforms they would like to see adopted in Houston. It called for a range of measures, many of which were contained in Plummers plan, but removed the police spending cuts. It suggested vetting the reforms through councils Public Safety Committee. On June 10, the council met to vote on the budget and council members amendments. Plummer withdrew some of her plans, and the rest failed without the support of any other council member. That night, Monroe published his video on Facebook, a 1.5-hour talk show in which he showed the texts he received from Farouk Plummer as proof that it was an illegal meeting that stacked the deck against Councilmember Plummer. The five council members released another letter June 13, outlining in more detail why they did not support Plummers amendments. It said they agree with many of her ideas, but they argued the plan was rife with incorrect details and arbitrary dollar estimates. It is incredibly disingenuous to everyone involved to portray oneself as the lone voice for reform based on amendments that lack accurate and complete information, the letter stated. Knowing the process to change the system we were elected to is a critical component of advancing change. dylan.mcguinnes@chron.com Mayor Sylvester Turner and the Texas Republican Party began facing calls on Tuesday from elected officials and the countrys largest medical society to cancel the July state Republican convention, which would be one of the citys first major indoor gatherings during the coronavirus pandemic. Turner swiftly rejected the idea, telling council members that he would leave it up to the political personalities of the political convention, and the people who are going to be attending, to make wise decisions. Yet, a review of the mayors recent updates to his COVID-19 executive order shows that he removed his own authority to cancel the convention on Monday. The order Turner originally issued in March imposing restrictions to stem the spread of COVID-19 was updated June 23 to force cancellation of all events of more than 50 people in city-owned buildings unless the mayor authorized an exception. Under an amended order issued Monday, however, Turner had removed that language. Only events permitted through the mayors office of special events were to be canceled. The 50-person cap in the previous version had included events organized, sponsored or produced by parties under contracts between third parties and the City of Houston or entities managing City of Houston property. That language appeared to include the convention, as the George R. Brown Convention Center is owned by the city and operated by Houston First Corp., a public nonprofit that serves as the citys convention arm. Turner thus would have had the authority to cancel the GOP convention, but he stripped that language. The cries to call off the convention began when the Texas Medical Association, a nonprofit group that represents about 53,000 physicians and medical student members, wrote in a letter to party officials including Chairman James Dickey that the in-person convention should be canceled for the safety of your delegates, officers, staff, vendors, the convention workers, and the people of Houston. Shortly after, state Rep. Sarah Davis, R-West University Place, made the same request to the state GOP on Twitter. And during a virtual city council meeting Tuesday afternoon, Councilmembers Robert Gallegos and Abbie Kamin urged Turner to call off the event. Gallegos took exception to the partys decision not to impose a mask requirement at the convention, which he said could pose problems for hospitality workers at the convention whose health insurance is set to expire at the end of July. The convention is scheduled for July 16 to 18 at the George R. Brown Convention Center. We as a city should take the lead and demand that they wear masks, and if they dont wear masks, then theyre not welcome, Gallegos said. Whatever we can do, mayor, let me know, because this is just a recipe for catastrophe. Turner signaled that he does not plan to cancel the convention and views it as the partys responsibility to implement safety precautions for those who attend. His comments came a day after he asked Gov. Greg Abbott for the ability to order the same COVID-19 restrictions imposed in March and April, when Houston and Harris County were under a stay-at-home order that would have banned the convention from occurring. A spokeswoman for Turner did not respond to questions about the mayors amended order. Turner later responded on Twitter, criticizing the Chronicles story. Easier for the reporter to criticize me than the Governor who is the political head of the Republican Party in not canceling a state Republican Convention, Turner tweeted. Something is wrong with that picture. Mike Morris contributed to this report. jasper.scherer@chron.com President Donald Trump continued his tirade on Twitter Wednesday morning about the fake news that he had for months sat on intelligence reports that Russia had secretly offered bounties to the Taliban for killing American troops in Afghanistan. He insisted again that he had never been briefed about these reports, never mind that they were apparently included in a February daily presidential briefing, which aides have previously said he rarely reads. Do people still not understand that this is all a made up Fake News Media Hoax started to slander me & the Republican Party, he retweeted early Wednesday. I was never briefed because any info that they may have had did not rise to that level. Fortunately for the country, if not for the president, his typically solid wall of support in Congress is buckling. Leading Republicans have demanded answers and called the reports extraordinarily serious. Anything with any hint of credibility that would endanger our service members, much less put a bounty on their lives, to me should have been briefed immediately to the commander in chief and a plan to deal with that situation, Texas Rep. Mac Thornberry, the top Republican on the House Armed Services Committee, told reporters on Monday. Eight senior GOP congressional leaders, including Thornberry and U.S. Rep. Michael McCaul of Austin, were briefed Monday by the White House chief of staff and others. They were told Trump had not been told of the reports because the intelligence from March was still being vetted. McCaul, the ranking member of the House foreign affairs committee, told NPR that at least one intelligence agency had raised serious concerns about the validity of the reports. Its true that there is much we dont know yet about the chilling reports. But we do know for certain that the president never took any steps to safeguard our soldiers in combat or to confront an untrustworthy foreign power who claimed to be our partner for peace in the region. That is an inexcusable failure. It is one thing for the president and his top advisers to decide after careful review and consideration that no action is needed. It is another thing for nothing to be done because the president wasnt informed or refused to read warnings of a potentially lethal threat to troops in the field. McCaul said the White House insisted Monday that intelligence agencies continue to investigate the claims. Thats as it should be. But the reports surfaced months ago and they have not yet been refuted. All along, the president has continued to push Russia and its president into a more favorable light at every turn. We have gone from What did the president know and when did he know it? to Does the president have a clue and why didnt he know? Has the president become so averse to hearing bad news about touchy topics that his aides simply refuse to call it to his attention? There have been numerous accounts of the president lashing out at aides who raise subjects he finds uncomfortable, such as reports of Russian meddling in the 2016 elections. Allowing important intelligence on viable threats to Americans to fall through the cracks because Trump doesnt like to read or because his aides were intimidated by his tantrums, is unconscionable. Lives are at stake. That is why Texas Sen. John Cornyns attempt to downplay the seriousness of the situation is so disturbing. I dont think it should be a surprise to anybody that the Talibans been trying to kill Americans and that the Russians have been encouraging that, if not providing means to make that happen, said Cornyn, who sits on the Senates intelligence committee. He also said its easy to understand why Trump might not remember all of whats in his briefings. Cornyn should join other GOP members of Congress in demanding answers, not providing excuses. Thornberry had it right when he said if the president wasnt told about these reports, someone should be fired. If Trump did know and has waited months without taking action, then the American people have a right to know exactly how that happened. Heading into the Fourth of July weekend, there is nothing more patriotic than protecting those who are serving overseas from unnecessary threats and harm. We need leaders who take that seriously. In the wake of the horrific death of former Third Ward resident George Floyd, Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo shared some blunt and bold words with Houston. So Im going to tell you, we will march as a department with everybody in this community, I will march until I cant stand no more but I will not allow anyone to tear down this city because this is our city. Its great to see the police chief angered, passionate and on fire when it comes to his opinions about what happened to Floyd in another city, but where are the same emotions and convictions when it comes to his very own department? Acevedo for some time now has clamored for police to be more transparent and for meaningful reform to policing across the country. But Houstonians are demanding the same things from his department. In response weve received from him only words. Why cant the people of Houston, whom Acevedo and his officers are to protect and serve, get transparency from his office? Houstonians have asked for him to publicly release the audit done on his narcotics division; he has yet to do so. Houstonians have asked the chief to release body camera footage from the recent killings of individuals at the hands of officers in his department; he has yet to do so. Some of the victims families have asked Acevedo not to release the body camera footage of their loved ones being killed. This is understandable. Its hard to imagine the pain caused by visualizing over and over again how your loved one was killed. These families deserve to have their wishes granted. While in the same breath, Acevedo must release the other videos, show full transparency and give answers to these grieving families as to how and why it ended like this, and to the community as whole. Mayor Sylvester Turner recently made the audit available to state legislators only. This is simply not good enough. This is a public audit that Houstonions paid for. There is a responsibility to let the public know what is going on with a department that is supposed to protect and serve them. The 45-person advisory committee the mayor created last week to look at policing reform does not speak to the need for immediate action, said longtime community activist and criminal justice reform advocate Johnny Mata he declined the invitation to join the task force. Commissions and roundtables are quickly becoming the new substitute for thoughts and prayers, and that is simply unacceptable. The time to act is now. Theres no need to create more avenues that delay the actions needed today. Acevedo has even downplayed calls to enhance the powers of the citys Independent Police Oversight Board, a board that many like Harris County Commissioner Rodney Ellis and State Rep. Garnet Coleman have called to strengthen with additional power, including the authority to subpoena witnesses. Houstonians should not accept Acevedo marching with Black Lives Matter, talking about meaningful reform and transparency while his actions are in direct conflict with his own words. Words arent sufficient enough. Acevedo should not only advocate but act on the police reforms that need to be addressed. He needs to release the narcotics division audit and be more transparent about his departments body camera footage. He should be a part of the solution and not the lingering questions plaguing his department. There is a disease needing eradication in institutions designed to work against the marginalized, disenfranchised and voiceless, but this cant take place if we do not identify what the symptoms are and where it is located. Give Houstonians transparency so together, we can tackle this systemic plague. Evbagharu is Chief of Staff for State Representative Jon Rosenthal, Vice President of the Harris County Young Democrats and is a board member of the Texas Freedom Network. WASHINGTON U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz on Wednesday blocked an attempt by Senate Democrats to pass legislation creating a pathway to citizenship for some 109,000 immigrants living in Texas who were brought to the U.S. as children. Cruz called it an attempt at offering amnesty to those who entered the country illegally. He said Democrats already had a chance to write into law protections for so-called Dreamers when President Donald Trump offered to work with them on a deal. That offer came after Trump moved to end the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program in 2017 an effort the Supreme Court blocked earlier this month. IM STILL IN AWE: Supreme Court blocks Trumps move to end DACA Cruzs opposition puts him at odds with U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, another Texas Republican, who said the Supreme Court ruling offers a unique moment and an opportunity and called for Congress to take action and pass legislation that will unequivocally allow these men and women to stay in the only home, the only country theyve known. The estimated 643,000 Dreamers many of whom have only known the U.S. as home are seen as sympathetic by Democrats and Republicans alike. But Congress so far has failed to pass legislation to protect them. Senate Democrats tried again Wednesday as U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, the Democratic whip, asked for unanimous consent to pass a bill the House passed last year creating a pathway to citizenship for Dreamers. With Republicans in control in the Senate, it was Democrats only real route to pushing the legislation through. Its a process that takes just one objection to stop, and Cruz made it. The block drew a rebuke from U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro, a San Antonio Democrat who chairs the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and who has called in recent weeks for the Senate to pass the House legislation. Ted Cruz should be ashamed where is the junior Texas Senators empathy for over 100,000 Dreamers working in Texas, the only place they have ever called home? Castro said. Todays obstruction is yet another example of unfounded animosity towards DACA recipients who are hardworking, outstanding members of our American family. In his speech on the Senate floor, Cruz blasted the Supreme Court decision as a particularly disgraceful opinion. He said passing a DACA bill is the wrong priority as the coronavirus outbreak pushes unemployment to record levels. Todays Democratic Party their priority is on people here illegally and not on American workers. Not on keeping American workers safe, Cruz said. DACA offers work permits to some immigrants brought to the country as children and 200,000 of them work in essential jobs across the country. In Texas, as many as 14,000 worked in fields such as health care, food service, farming and transportation in 2017, according to data from the Migration Policy Institute. TEXAS TAKE: Get political headlines from across the state sent directly to your inbox Cruz also said DACA led to a wave of unaccompanied children arriving at the border and has encouraged human trafficking claims that have been debunked. Cruz in return called for unanimous consent to pass a bill named after Kate Steinle, a California woman who was killed by an immigrant who was in the country illegally and had been deported five times. The bill would boost penalties for those in the country illegally. There was an effort two years ago to strike a deal on immigration, but Republicans also were pushing for wider reforms and funding for the border wall and Democrats objected. ben.wermund@chron.com Now, more than ever, the world needs trustworthy reportingbut good journalism isnt free. Please support us by subscribing or contributing today. Houston, MO (65483) Today Rain likely. Cooler. High 69F. Winds NNW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall near a quarter of an inch.. Tonight Partly cloudy skies. Low around 50F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph. Columbia-Greene Media has recently teamed up with the US Postal Service to provide same-day delivery of your local newspaper with your mail. Our expanded daily delivery of your local news reaches into the following areas: Hudson, NY (12534) Today A mix of clouds and sun. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 88F. Winds S at 10 to 20 mph.. Tonight Scattered thunderstorms during the evening, with mostly cloudy skies after midnight. Low 63F. S winds shifting to WNW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50%. HuffPost Canada To my immigrant parents, When you arrived in Canada in the early 80s, little did you know you had already given me and my brothers one of the greatest gifts a parent could give. You chose Canada. Advertisement Like many immigrants headed west, you were driven by your own set of dreams and circumstances. Dad, for you it was the opportunity to leave communist Poland. You knew that barring a run through minefields or rowing a boat to Sweden, heading abroad to pursue an education would be your best shot at escaping and moving forward in life, It was a way to avoid winding up like your parents generation bitterly stuck in a country with few opportunities. Mom, you left the only home you knew in Warsaw (flanked by both my grandmothers) to join a man you fell in love with during an excursion among the lakes of Masuria. You didnt know what the future would hold for the two of you, but you similarly aimed to gain an education in the west and forge the future you wanted for your family. I know it couldnt have been easy leaving for a country whose culture at the time was as different from Polands as it gets. As the Solidarnosc movement struck its first blows against communism, it must have felt an awful lot like trading one uncertain future in for another. But let me tell you, it was worth it. When my brothers and I were born in Toronto, you welcomed us into a world of opportunity made possible by your courage and determination. I had the choice to be who I wanted to be in this world, however I chose to define that. Thanks to the risks you took, I had the promise of an affordable education. I had the right to hold employment in a viable economy. I had the privilege of living in one of the worlds most progressive and socially inclusive countries, and eventually move to one of the worlds most diverse cities. I had the choice to be who I wanted to be in this world, however I chose to define that. I had a shot at the life I know you always wanted for me. Losing your roots in the great melting pot And I know that things could have been different if I were born elsewhere. We got a taste of what could have been when we moved to the suburban United States for my formative years. As I would come to understand, being an immigrant in some places around the world is about assimilating losing your roots in the great melting pot. I shrugged it off at the time, being a kid and all, not entirely comprehending the societal forces urging me to forget my first language and crave the acceptance of my peers. Only now do I realize that for you, as adults, it must have been so much harder than I would ever know to hold on to your ways of life (and from what you have told me, I am in awe of your resilience) while fighting for jobs, for education, for your family. I can imagine it was very lonely being an immigrant (then twice over) in a country that prides itself on people falling in line. The thing that makes this country great is that your otherness didn't make you (or me) less than in fact, it just made you more Canadian. Things arent perfect for immigrants in Canada, either. Far from it, as evidenced by recent Islamophobic election campaigns and reactions to the refugee crisis. But for all the sacrifices you made to create the opportunities I have now, the one thing you never had to sacrifice was your culture. And thats amazing. Like many immigrants that came to Canada, you had a community or neighbourhood waiting for you, no matter your background. A place you could speak your language and keep your traditions without worrying about being singled out. A place you felt welcomed. The thing that makes this country great is that your otherness didnt make you (or me) less than in fact, it just made you more Canadian. You never had to hide your Polishness and I will never have to, either. On this uniquely Canadian day of thanks we are reminded that our country is a nation of immigrants, many of whom took risks similar to yours to create a better life for themselves and their children. And, like you, they came to the right place. I am proud to be Canadian. I am proud to be Polish. And I am proud to live in a country where those two things are actually one and the same. Mom, Dad thank you for taking a chance on Canada. Born And Raised is an ongoing series by HuffPost Canada that shares the experiences of second-generation Canadians. Part reflection, part storytelling, this series on the children of immigrants explores what it means to be born and raised in Canada. We want to hear your stories join the conversation on Twitter at #BornandRaised or send us an email at bornandraised@huffpost.com. More on HuffPost: An Artists Perspective: Lets Take A Breath For A Better World In this op-ed plea for solidarity, German independent artist Leslie Mandoki calls on the music industry to come together during this time of global crisis to aid and support each other. Guest post by Leslie Mandoki of ManDoki Soulmates Morning has broken with challenges that were predicted by many, but for which few were prepared. These challenges are in the process of defining who we are. My plea for solidarity amounts to an exhortation that we must become the group that stands together, making new and necessary connections in spite of any and all rifts and divisions. The fight against the pandemic and against divisions of all kinds etches in sharp relief where we stand. We are learning day by day, again and again. Here in Germany, we have a history that teaches us what happens when racism horrifically poisons a society, killing a once vibrant and diverse culture by breaking the most fundamental rules of civilization. Of course, we have not learned this lesson perfectly. But even as I contemplate the bleakest aspects of todays headlines, my heart is pushing me back toward an optimism rooted in one of our worlds great unifiers: music. But more on this later In the coronavirus isolation of my deserted recording studio, prior to the outbreak of protests across the world in response to the killing of George Floydbefore this I was thinking, hoping, that the enforced hiatus due to the virus could give us the space for new thinking and new policies to grow. Now I think we all realize: we dont have time for that. Right now, we must come together, making sure everyone feels they are being heard. We must bring the discourse of differing views no matter how extreme into the fold of the center of society, both to learn from them and to hold them to account. Here in Germany, we are asking ourselves why so many people are expressing their fears in the form of conspiracy theories. We need to listen attentively to them in order to present a cogent and robust opposing point of view, based on respect and knowledge rather than anger and fear. The resilience of our pluralistic, democratic society will grow if we can endure a diversity of dissent in a way that escapes the filter bubbles and echo chambers of our current chaotic public discourse. The massive threat to life as we know it from the coronavirus crisis, combined with all the other concurrent crisesworld finance, refugee, globalization, fake news, conspiracy theories, as well as the sustained protests in the US and abroadis what existential philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre would have called de trop, or too much. The only way out of this storm is through visionary leadershippolitical, cultural, and artistic. I call on my friends in prominent positions to lead from the front, not from behind political calculations based on polling, and to use these crises, together, as an opportunity to fight for unity and against division in society. Young, innovative artists at the beginning of their careers have been particularly hard-hit I am also making a special call to my peers in the music business to help our artist colleagues who are struggling for their existence. Young, innovative artists at the beginning of their careers have been particularly hard-hit. The paradigm shift in the recording industry has made breaking into the business harder than ever for artists who do not fit neatly into a mainstream commercial category. Culture needs diversity, and it would be a disaster if this diversity were thinned out by the corona crisis and only we established artists would be able to survive this time. Thus, colleagues of my generation and I need to hold the megaphone calling for support for these promising artists who are the future of the artistic soul of our society. We cannot forget that the coronavirus crisis has provided a painfully hard-won opportunity to re-evaluate who and what is really, systemically important in our society, and to create new criteria for evaluating who creates added value, cohesion, and solidarity. At the same time, we must take a hard look at those who profit when our society is in crisis. After the 2008 financial crisis, we failed to root out its causes. Because of this, uninhibited speculators have been able to shamelessly profit from the schadenfreude of short selling in this coronavirus crisis. Perhaps we can turn the corner from allowing financial markets to determine the course of events to having a community held together by humanity. Especially in these times of rapid upheavals on many fronts, let us make sure that mindfulness triumphs over greed, and humanity over indifference. It is only with a unified effort that we can overcome these challenges, which are further exacerbated by the uncertainties of the current climate. Together, we must not only imagine, but create a new world of equality. So, lets take a breath for a better world! The Philosophy of Music We need to bring our music back to socio-political relevance. We must once again sing and play together, against division and for cohesion. That is, and must be, the philosophy of our music. We musicians often think with our hearts. Our songs are created with an unwavering belief in the connecting power of music. Lets change the world with our music! We are walking in the footsteps of the Woodstock generationlet us mount a new challenge to the world of similar proportions. My most devout hope is that we will overcome these crises and live out our passion for life again with our audience. However, as I wrote years ago on our album Aquarelle, I am not young enough to know everything. About Leslie Mandoki Leslie Mandoki founded the concept group ManDoki Soulmates in 1992 with such acclaimed musicians as Ian Anderson (Jethro Tull), Bobby Kimball (Toto), Jack Bruce (Cream) and jazz-rock star Al Di Meola. In addition to these luminaries, for more than two decades the ManDoki Soulmates band has united legendary icons of Anglo-American rock and jazz-rock in a remarkable lineup including Ian Anderson, Jack Bruce, David Clayton-Thomas, Chaka Khan, Chris Thompson, Bobby Kimball and Steve Lukather, Nick van Eede, Eric Burdon, Nik Kershaw, Greg Lake, Al di Meola, Randy and Michael Brecker, Cory Henry, Bill Evans, John Helliwell, Till Bronner, Klaus Doldinger, Mike Stern, Richard Bona, Anthony Jackson, Victor Bailey, Pino Palladino, Tony Carey, Mark Hart, Paul Carrack, Peter Frampton, and Jon Lord. The Soulmates concerts are marked by the musical synergy of all these musical icons united in one supergroup of Grammy award winning legends, where everyones egos come second. Original Soulmates compositions and collective improvisations on highest levels are just as much part of the concerts as world-renowned hits of the individual Soulmates members. One stage one band! With his Soulmates Leslie Mandoki raises Jazz-Rock back to socio-political relevance, to quote him in his own words: Even in times of Twitter, social media and short news on the smartphone, when mental laziness often blocks the perception, music for us is still like a love letter to our audience handwritten with ink on paper. Mandoki recently released the new song We Say, Thank You to recognize those impacted by and on the frontlines of coronavirus. Share on: Williamstown Fire District Clerk Sarah Currie and Prudential Committee members, from left, David Moresi, Richard Reynolds and Edward Briggs participate in Tuesday's district meeting. Williamstown Fire District Voters OK Purchase of Tanker Truck WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. Voters on Tuesday unanimously approved the Williamstown Fire District's budget in a brief annual meeting at Williamstown Elementary School. The Prudential Committee, which governs the district, had asked voters to OK a spending plan that calls for slightly less revenue to be raised from taxes in fiscal year 2021 than the district sought for the current year. The largest of nine articles on the warrant, Article 5, covers the district's operating expenses for the year ahead. It was up by $7,714, or 1.6 percent, to $495,865. The second largest appropriation came from the district's stabilization fund, which will pay the $380,000 approved on Tuesday to acquire a 2,600-gallon tanker truck. As noted in a memo to voters accompanying the warrant for Tuesday's meeting, the tanker will fill a long-standing need for the call-volunteer fire department. The memo noted that more than 89 percent of the town's 47 square miles is not covered by the town's water district and, therefore, does not have fire hydrants. Although neighboring town's departments have tankers and do provide mutual aid to the Williamstown firefighters, a truck at the Williamstown fire station will potentially get to the scene of fires faster, the Prudential Committee argued. "The fire district cannot stress enough the importance of getting as much water to the fire scene as quickly as possible, especially to those residents currently living and building homes in that 89.4 percent unprotected by the water district," the memo read. Prior to Tuesday's 15-minute meeting, the district conducted its annual election. Current Prudential Committee Chair John Notsley, the only member of the five-member panel up for re-election, was returned to his seat with all 30 of the votes cast. Moderator Paul Harsch, the only other official up for election, received 25 of 30 votes. About a dozen voters participated in the meeting, and just one took advantage of the opportunity to ask for more information about the articles. Jeffrey Thomas asked whether the Prudential Committee felt the $20,000 sought in Article 6 for the district's "Design Fund" for a new fire station was sufficient. Notsley and Treasurer Corydon Thurston confirmed that the district is carrying about $25,000 in the fund from previous years' appropriations, and the committee feels that $45,000 is sufficient to continue the work of planning for a new station at 562 Main St. In his opening remarks on Tuesday, Notsley said the station project remains a priority for his committee. "The district is moving forward at a slow and steady pace to be able to present to the town the district's plan for a new station," Notsley said. "Our current station, built in 1949, has served the town well but is totally inadequate. We will propose a facility that will last for many years into the future. "Since there may be opportunity to obtain federal funding for a new building, the district must pursue a plan for the project. We will be soliciting proposals for the new station, and a building committee will be selected to provide input before a proposal is presented to the town." North Adams School Committee Votes to Keep Adjustment Counselor The School Committee reviews a level-funded budget to send to City Council on Tuesday. NORTH ADAMS, Mass. The School Committee voted to take an extra $55,000 out of school choice funds to ensure that a school adjustment counselor would be available to the E3 and North Berkshire academies. The additional funds were approved Tuesday evening during which the committee OK'd a level-funded budget of $17,769,075 on a vote of 5-2 with members Tara Jacobs and Ian Bergeron voting against because of concerns that the budget did not address what they felt were deficiencies in the arts and special education. The vote to use more school choice funds was unanimous. "I think I need to reiterate this point, because we do not have cherry sheet numbers from our state, this is a placeholder for budget, that's the best way to think about it," said Superintendent of Schools Barbara Malkas. "This is not in any way shape or form considered finalized because we don't have the numbers that we need in terms of state aid." The level-funded budget was put forth as the fourth scenario last week once the city was apprised that state Chapter 70 education aid would be provided at the same level as last year for at least the first two months of the new fiscal year that begins on Wednesday. Previous scenarios ranging from 10 percent to 15 percent in cuts had been offered up in the preceding weeks in anticipation of state cuts caused by the novel coronavirus pandemic. But most of the proposed initial cuts at 10 percent were rolled into the level-funded budget with the assumption that the School Committee would be facing further reductions once a state spending plan for fiscal 2021 was formulated in Boston. Committee member Tara Jacobs again expressed her concerns over the cutbacks in music instruction that included a half-time chorus teacher and a half-time instrumental teacher, noting that she had received a number of letters and emails from parents, including home schooling parents whose children participate in band. "They were very similar in how they express the importance of that program to their lives, both in terms of the importance of music and instrumental, and many things relating to the arts, but actually the interesting component was the connection to the community," she said. "I remain having my own concerns about the priorities expressed in the positions that are on the block right now." Jacobs said she was frustrated that a compromise could not be worked out to find cuts elsewhere and to save the positions. "We haven't been faced with the situation we're faced with this year," she said. "We've done a public hearing and moved into a vote and it hasn't really troubled me because there hasn't been public comment at all or letters coming in at all, and there hasn't been pushback. ... this is a different year and it actually strikes me, I'm uncomfortable with following a public hearing with a vote when we're not going to back to the drawing board in anyway." Bergeron was more worried about the loss of staffing in the academies both the E3 Academy, an alternative program for at-risk high school students, and the North Berkshire Academy that had been developed as a regional special education center that could also provide education to for students in area school systems. The administration is proposing to reduce staff at the two academies hosted at the Armory and reorganize the programs. This was also the focus of the only two commenters during the public hearing focused on education issues. Malkas said the music positions affected was three: one was being left vacant through a retirement and will be filled internally and the other two were half-time and shared between schools. The cost of those three positions is $221,000. "We need to get to a level-funded budget, that is not a level service budget, there's inherently going to be cuts," she said. However, she said, the school department is getting some state aid associated with COVID-19 costs, the guidelines for which are not yet known. If those funds can be used for positions, "these are the kinds of positions we can prioritize and bring back to School Committee later in the summer." "The problem we have right now is that tomorrow [Wednesday] starts a new fiscal year, and in the absence of a budget, we need to think about what the repercussions for that are," Malkas said. Parents Michael Kozik and Matthew Baya called into the Zoom meeting to express their apprehension about the loss of staff at the academies, particularly that of a school adjustment counselor and the sharing of a counselor with Drury High School. "I do not believe that this is sufficient. First off, under this area where students are returning to the school in the fall, surely Drury will have extra need of a school adjustment counselor full time to assist students after being away from school for the past six months," said Baya. "Our students have already weathered a huge change in routine and are bracing for more changes. If there was ever a time for the need for a full-time school adjustment counselor, it's this coming fall. ... "These needs will be even more huge at North Berkshire Academy, which has some students, including my son, who have severe anxiety challenges that are triggered by changes and breaks and COVID-19 is a traumatic event that will have lasting effects." Baya estimated that a shared Drury counselor would have at least 12 hours a week just for the North Berkshire Academy, since a number of students require one-on-one sessions, and that won't take into account unscheduled mental health needs of students. "We are setting these students up for failure by removing our support," he said. "It's unfair to assume already underpaid and overburdened teachers and paraprofessionals will have the skills and training necessary to handle the mental health challenges load. Our students and our staff deserve better." Kozik said he echoed Baya's sentiments. "The school does need a full-time school adjustment counselor. My son has been in the program since day one. It's an excellent program," he said. "There are a number of social/emotional needs that will not be met if we do away with a full-time adjustment counselor." Thomas Simon, director of student support services, said he has been in discussion with the school adjustment counselor at Drury High School who began at the North Berkshire Academy and who is familiar with how it works. "We're working with him to try to develop a plan for how exactly we will be able to provide services," he said. "It is not ideal." He also noted that not only are the cherry sheet numbers (state aid) not in but grant figures that could provide support for these services are also lagging. The academy also has lower numbers at the moment and the district is trying to take advantage of that while also keeping in my mind the need to prioritize these services should funding be available. Bergeron said the academy was supposed to be able sustain itself and didn't how it could if the numbers were low and services weren't being properly provided. "I am very uncomfortable with that position not being filled," he said. "Are we keeping, though, our obligation for therapeutic programs by not having an adjustment counselor? ... "I think we do need to consider the long-term health of this program maintaining itself and by maintaining positions that support it, especially this one." The administration put forward the possibility of funding the position through school choice funds, although Malkas cautioned this would not be recommended past this coming fiscal year. "I'm very concerned about what happens in FY22 when federal, state aid is no longer available," she said. One issue is that federal funds normally can't be used to pay for services or personnel that are already part of the general education. COVID-19 funds might be used but they are targeted for preparing schools specifically to deal with the pandemic. Malkas said the district is still awaiting guidelines for the state aid it received relative to the pandemic needs. In response to questions, Business Administrator Carrie Burnett said the use of school choice funds that had been set at $265,000 are now estimated at $233,544 for fiscal 2021; adding in the $55,000 to keep the school adjustment counselor post would mean the school choice use would only rise $23,544 above the initial amount, to $288,544. The administration has been generally reluctant to dip too far into school choice funds, preferring to save the money for dire situations over several years. "We make this choice at a potential risk ... not knowing what the future will hold and not knowing what we may need from school choice in the future," the mayor said. Jacobs said she had yet to hear numbers on a suggestion to close Greylock School and retain the teachers. Malkas said closing Greylock would mean reconfiguring the grades to fewer sections, which would increase class sizes at Brayton. "That would be contradictory to our expectations. We're decreasing class size, especially with the guidance we've received from the state, about capacity in the classroom," Malkas said, referring to state guidelines for the pandemic. "So that's why we we didn't go with that." Burnett estimated the savings about about $415,000. "I'm unpersuaded that's the best way to prioritize how we're making our cuts and disappointed that compromises haven't been found to find a different way to allocate those positions and trim elsewhere," said Jacobs who, with Bergeron, signaled she would not vote for the level-funded budget. The meeting lasted about an hour but was disrupted by several people early on during public comment for the hearing. The first individual simply repeated a racial slur and a few others who gave addresses of streets such as "Blackberry" and "San Bernadino" that do not exist in North Adams made nonsensical comments including references to the "Tiger King" documentary. Bernard apologized for the "Zoom bombing," saying it is a risk with this form of virtual meeting. "I am furious right now. This type of behavior is unacceptable. It is outside of the realm of appropriate behavior, and in a discussion related to schools and some fairly vital, fairly important issues related to the budget, future planning ... this is contemptible," he said. Pittsfield to Explore Forming Office Of Diversity PITTSFIELD, Mass. The city will explore creating an office of diversity, equity, and inclusion to address issues in both the city government and the schools. The School Committee accepted an anti-racism resolution last week but some members wanted to do more and committee member Alison McGee asked that a subcommittee be formed to make sure the school district follows through on the resolution. This began a larger discussion on addressing racism in the schools and School Committee member Dennis Powell said just accepting a resolution wasn't enough and more accountability was needed. "This is really something that I am very concerned about and it is throughout Massachusetts but I live in Berkshire County," said Powell, who is also president of the Berkshire chapter of the NAACP. "I am really concerned about the district because we have some serious problems." Powell said racism certainly exists in the Pittsfield Public Schools at a student, faculty, and administrative level. He said students are often racially abused by other students but when reported to faculty, it often falls on deaf ears. "The kid has enough of it. They turn around like I was taught when I was going to school, the only way to get the bully off your back, you turn around and give him one," Powell said. "Today they can't do that because they end up being penalized or suspended." He said the use of racial slurs is bullying and there must be consequences. "The n-word is the same as bullying ... and we haven't really done anything about this as far as I am concerned," he said. "There has to be consequences ... I think we need to show students that we are serious about a no-tolerance policy." He said these consequences need to extend to staff who ignore abuse. Powell suggested effective diversity, equity, and inclusion, or DEI, training. "This is a tough conversation to have and ... trainers were brought in that made people feel more comfortable or good about themselves," he said. "If that is the training that is happening it is a total waste of money ... it has to be a trainer that understands DEI work and is willing to make people feel uncomfortable to get people to the steps we have to get to change the narrative in our schools, city, government, and our communities." School Committee member William Cameron agreed that the committee needed to do more than just pass a resolution. He thought, once school was physically back in session, that it would be beneficial to see a presentation on how the new student conduct code is working in relation to racism and inclusion. Cameron added that racism is a countywide problem and he thought it would be worth bringing it to the Superintendents Roundtable to get a countywide program in order. Mayor Linda Tyer suggested exploring the possibility of creating a joint city and school Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion "To help us accomplish some of the things outlined in this resolution but also to be working closely with both sides of government," she said. "I have been thinking preliminarily about this and how we might accomplish this. I don't have a plan but it is something that I have been wanting to discuss in more detail." She said she was hesitant to even bring the idea up in a public forum because it was so preliminary and would need much more consideration but thought it would only be effective if the right person leading the office. "We've got to have the right person, with the right credentials, and the right background guiding us through this," she said. "It is an investment that we have to make so I just want to put that on the list of things for us to think about over the next few months." Your support is needed now more than ever Help support your local news Local news sources need your help. Stay in the know on Coronavirus, local updates, and more. We've recently updated our online systems. If you can't login please try resetting your password. You must login with an email address. If you don't have an email associated with your account email circulation@idahopress.com for help creating one. Choi Sung-jae, known for her eloquent interpretation for director Bong Joon-ho of the Oscar-winning film "Parasite," was set to receive an annual diplomacy award in Seoul on Wednesday for her role in enhancing South Korea's national image, foreign ministry officials said. Choi, better known as Sharon Choi, has been selected as a winner of this year's YoungSan Diplomat Award that the nonprofit Seoul Forum for International Affairs gives to a public official and a civilian each year for their contribution to improving Korea's image and diplomatic interests. Before Bong's black comedy "Parasite" won four Oscar awards, including the best picture, in February, Choi played a pivotal role in translating the director's messages for the world audience and media, which were replete with pithy punchlines. Among Bong's sound bites that Choi translated to resonate with many moviegoers was "Once you overcome the one-inch tall barrier of subtitles, you will be introduced to so many more amazing films." Known as a young filmmaker without professional interpretation training, Choi had accompanied Bong in media interviews and award ceremonies to translate his oft-nuanced remarks about a class struggle in a capitalist society, a key theme of "Parasite," and what the movie's success meant for Korea's film industry. Kang Hyung-sik, head of the foreign ministry's international safety management bureau, was also selected as the recipient of the award. He has played a key role in helping South Korean citizens return home safely from coronavirus-hit countries. (Yonhap) Community Information If you would like to submit an upcoming event or community announcement, please contact our staff at 208-232-4161 or send an email to cjohnson@journalnet.com. We will also accept news from local clubs and engagement, wedding and anniversary announcements. You can post your community or club events on our calendar. Obituaries Submit an obituary/notice All obituaries must be placed by your mortuary or onlineDeadline is 3 p.m. for publication the next day. The ISJ is not responsible for spelling, grammar, or basic mistakes. The Idaho State Journal is offering free online access to all of our local coronavirus stories. Our ongoing coverage of our community relies on the generous support from our readers. To strengthen local journalism, please consider subscribing at apgidoffers.com. For daily updates in your inbox, sign up for our daily news headlines. Note: We've recently updated our online systems. If you can't login please try resetting your password. You must login with an email address. If you don't have an email associated with your account email circulation2@journalnet.com for help creating one. The National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) on June 30 ordered the independent ABS-CBN broadcaster to stop its digital broadcast on TVPlus in Metro Manila and satellite TV service SKY. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) backs its affiliate the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) in regretting the deliberate efforts to silence the media and urges authorities to allow ABS-CBN back on air. Employees of ABS-CBN work in the editing booth at the station headquarters in Manila on May 6, 2020. Credit: Ted Aljibe/AFP NTC issued the cease and desist order for ABS-CBN to stop operating TVPlus in Metro Manila which aired using Channel 43. The order also affected the companys pay-per-view channel KBO. ABS-CBNs franchise of ABS-CBN expired on May 4 and the the broadcaster was forced off air on May 5 after NTC issued a cease and desist order against the company. ABS-CBN then resumed a selection of popular shows on TVPlus via Amcara Broadcasting Corp's Channel 43.In a separate cease-and-desist order, NTC also ordered ABS-CBN to stop the SkyDirect, the nationwide satellite TV service, which has 1.5 million subscribers, including the viewers in remote areas without television signals. The two cease and desist orders came after the Office of Solicitor General gave advice to the NTC to stop ABS-CBN TV Plus and Channel 43 since the operations were related to the franchise of ABS-CBN. Solicitor General Jose Calida has expressed his discontent with resourcefulness of ABS-CBN as they continued to broadcast on different platforms. Calida filed a petition to the Supreme Court to revoke the ABS-CBN license and also warned (NTC) against allowing the ABS-CBN television network to operate while the companys franchise is pending approval in Congress. Not only that, congressmen also threatened to file a graft and corruption case against NTC Commissioner Gamaliel Cordoba for allowing ABS-CBN to continue broadcasting through digital box TV Plus. NUJP said:It is clear that the end goal of this administration is not only to shut down ABS-CBN but to send a message throughout the media industry that other news organizations may face the same fate unless they surrender their watchdog role, the critical and independent reportage that is an essential part of the media's mission. IFJ said:Various efforts to silence independent broadcaster ABS-CBN orchestrated by the government must be challenged. IFJ urges authorities to immediately allow ABS-CBN to broadcast programs to serve the publics rights for access to information. Horror actor Danny Hicks, who regularly appeared in the films of Sam Raimi, has died, aged 68. Hicks most famously starred in Evil Dead II (1987) and Darkman (1990) opposite Bruce Campbell and Liam Neeson, respectively. He also had small roles in Spider-Man 2 (2004) and, most recently, he appeared in Raimis Oz: The Great and Powerful (2013) as a citizen of the Emerald City. The actors management announced that Hicks died at his home in California. Last month, Hicks revealed he had been given between one and three years to live after being diagnosed with stage four cancer. He wrote on Facebook: I gotta tell ya, I sure as hell packed a whole bunch of living into my 68 years. I got no change coming back thats for sure. And not too many regrets. In reference to Raimis Evil Dead franchise, he added: Ok, gotta go. Im gunna find out just what in the hell is going on down in that fruit cellar. Campbell paid tribute to Hicks, writing: Oh, Danny boy... Great actor, friend, raconteur, rascal. He cheated death so many times, I doubt this is real. Safe travels, sir. Hicks also appeared in horror films including Maniac Cop (1988), Intruder (1999) and 1997s Wishmaster. A forthcoming film starring Paris Jackson as Jesus has been met with an online petition to prevent its release. Denouncing the film, entitled Habit, as Christianophobic garbage, the petition has already attracted more than 266,000 signatures. It was announced in April that Jackson, the actor and model who is the daughter of late pop star Michael Jackson, had been cast as the Christian holy figure. The plot synopsis reads: A street smart party girl with a Jesus fetish gets mixed up in a violent drug deal and finds a possible way out by masquerading as a nun. Bella Thorne has been cast as the Jesus fetishist. E! Online reports that Jackons gender-bending take on the religious figure will include a nose ring, tousled waves and a traditional robe. The petition names studios Warner Brothers and Lionsgate as its targets, and claims that Jacksons Jesus will be a lesbian, a detail which is not confirmed in any of the publicly available reports on the film. Furthermore, the petition alleges that the film is blasphemous, describing it as Christianophobic garbage that is spread nowadays, but is somehow accepted and praised by society. Earlier this year, a Brazilian judge ordered Netflix to remove satirical comedy The First Temptation of Christ from its streaming catalogue, because of its depiction of Jesus as a gay weed-smoker. Habit is currently looking for distributors. Korea Investment Corporation (KIC) CEO Choi Hee-nam delivers an opening speech during the KIC's 15th Anniversary Seminar at the Westin Chosun Hotel in Seoul, Wednesday. / Courtesy of KIC Sovereign wealth fund urged to cooperate with Korean firms By Park Jae-hyuk The Korea Investment Corporation (KIC) seeks to increase the size of assets under its management to $400 billion by 2035 from the current $150 billion, according to the head of the nation's sovereign wealth fund, Wednesday. "We've achieved significant growth as the size of assets under our management rose to over $150 billion last year from $100 billion in 2016," KIC CEO Choi Hee-nam said at a seminar to celebrate the company's 15th anniversary. "I think our return on assets which marked 15.39 percent last year resulted from our investment capability and knowhow." As of the end of 2019, the KIC posted $157.3 billion in assets under management (AUM) and $49.2 billion in accumulated profit. Choi emphasized that his company will make more socially responsible investments and will strategically allocate its assets, in order to nearly triple its AUM within the next 15 years. In addition, he vowed to improve the KIC's risk management system to prevent accidents similar to the fiascos involving private equity funds that Lime Asset Management and Optimus Asset Management had managed. He also came up with the "Sustainable Growth Vision 2035," promising to make the KIC the world's leading institutional investor that can increase national wealth, based on TRUST, an acronym of talent, renovation, unity, standards and tomorrow. Guest speakers welcomed the KIC's new vision, but at the same time, they urged the sovereign wealth fund to enhance its partnership with local financial firms. "Because Korean financial firms are still considered to lag behind in capability of managing assets, I hope the KIC increases the size of assets it entrusts to local financial firms and enter foreign markets jointly with domestic institutions," Deputy Finance Minister for International Affairs Heo Jang said on behalf of Finance Minister Hong Nam-ki. "Introducing Korea's successful containment of the COVID-19, I want the KIC to use its global networks to attract foreign investment to Korea." KIC Steering Committee Chairman Kim Seok-chin advised the corporation to make more efforts to secure independent governance and global experts. Rep. Yoon Hu-duk of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea asked the finance ministry and the central bank to entrust more foreign currencies to the KIC, so as to use its handsome profits in increasing the national budget without issuing government bonds nor raising taxes. During the event, Oaktree Capital Management Co-Chairman Howard Marks and Queensland Investment Corporation CEO Damien Frawley also delivered special lectures via live broadcast. Fires in Brazils Amazon rainforest increased by 20 per cent in June, reaching a 13-year-high for the month according to government data, as researchers fear the region is on track for a repeat of last years devastating blazes. Health experts also fear smoke from fires during the dry season could cause respiratory problems and complicate tackling vast numbers of coronavirus cases. More than 58,000 people have died of Covid-19 in Brazil and the country has seen more than 1.3million cases overall, according to the World Health Organisation. In June, Brazils government space research agency, INPE, detected 2,248 fires in the Amazon rainforest, up from 1,880 in June 2019. Last August, Brazil saw a surge in fires, sparking global condemnation that the country was not doing enough to protect the worlds largest rainforest. June 2020 averaged roughly 75 fires per day in the Amazon, compared with an average of nearly 1,000 blazes a day when fires peaked in August 2019. Its a bad sign, but what really is going to count is what happens from now on, Philip Fearnside, an ecologist at Brazils National Institute of Amazonian Research, told Reuters. A more worrying indicator is rising deforestation, he said, because fires are usually set to clear the land after trees have been cut down. Deforestation is up 34 per cent in the first five months of the year, from a year ago, preliminary INPE data shows. Brazil's right-wing president Jair Bolsonaro has been criticised for dismantling forest protections that had helped a record reduction in deforestation between 2004 and 2012. Deforestation in the Amazon has soared in recent years, reaching an 11-year high in 2019. Mr Bolsonaro has called for more farming and mining in protected areas of the Amazon, while defending the country for still preserving the majority of the rainforest. Mr Bolsonaro deployed the armed forces to protect the Amazon in May, as he did in August last year. Despite that initiative, deforestation rose 12 per cent in May from a year earlier and increased in June. The Amazon Environmental Research Institute (IPAM), a non-governmental organisation, predicts that at the current pace of deforestation, by the end of the month some 3,475 square miles of Amazon will have been cut down but not burned since Bolsonaro came to power in 2019. The areas at risk of being set ablaze compare with around 2,138 square miles deforested and burned from January 2019 to April 2020, according to IPAM analysis last month. When the dry season arrives in the Amazon, these felled trees will become fuel for burning. This was the main ingredient of the 2019 fire season, a story that can repeat itself in 2020 if nothing is done to prevent it, researcher Ane Alencar, director of Science at IPAM, said in an April statement. Communities in the Amazon are bracing for the smoke that blankets the region during the fire season, typically at a peak from August to November. Guilherme Pivoto, an infectologist in Amazonas state, told Reuters that worsening air quality could impact coronavirus patients. The state, in the northern region of the Amazon rainforest, has been one of Brazil's hardest-hit by the pandemic. Those that contract Covid have a higher chance of an interaction between the pollution and Covid-19, causing drawn-out cases with more symptoms, Mr Pivoto said. The number of coronavirus cases in Brazil are second only to the US. However, health experts believe the actual number of cases in Brazil could be up to seven times higher than the official statistic. Johns Hopkins University said the country is performing an average of 14 tests per 100,000 people per day, as much as 20 times less than what is needed to track the virus. Additional reporting by Reuters The CEO of Parler, an alternative Twitter app that has gained popularity with right-wing politicians and users, has given some strange instructions to the users on its site. In a post, John Matze said that users had been banned for violating Parlers rules. These include a number of bizarre requests such as asking users not to post pictures of fecal [sic] matter in the comments of someone they disagree with, and requesting users do not to use obscene names. Matze also asks that people do not post pornography which is banned on the social media site or to constantly spam F*** you in Parlers comments section, which the CEO describes as unrelated comments. Its stupid. Its pointless, Grow up, Matze said, adding that users also cannot threaten to kill anyone in the comment section. Sorry, never ever going to be okay. If ever in doubt, ask yourself if you would say it on the streets of New York or national television. Recommended Facebook bans US extremist groups after profiting from their adverts Parlers guidance for content that would or would not be allowed on its platform advises users to not use language/visuals which is sexual in nature. This is because pornography is considered indecent according to clauses defined by the FCC, which Parler uses to define its terms of service. These are far more lenient than other social media sites, such as Facebook and Twitter, however these platforms do make exceptions in certain cases. Twitter's rules state that it allows adult content in tweets that are marked as containing sensitive media. However, users may not use pornographic content in live video, profile, or header images. Facebook, meanwhile, infamously u-turned over its decision to censor an iconic image of a child victim of the Vietnam War, which was removed over the companys nudity guidelines. Parler also has a rule that states the company can bill users for lawsuits that arise from posts on their platform, which has been described as a reverse 230 clause. Section 230 is a piece of American legislation that protects the free speech of companies by defending them from responsibility over what their users post. This applies to all companies, from Facebook to personal websites. Donald Trump is attempting to change the legislation due to his feud with Twitter. Parler recently gained notoriety in the UK and US as prominent politicians joined it, following Mr Trumps statements against Twitter and far-right British commentator Katie Hopkins being permanently suspended from Twitter. Conservative MPs including the MP for Mansfield Ben Bradley, MP for Guildford Angela Richardson, and MP for Wycombe Steve Baker. Upon signing up to the website, Parler recommended trends that were popular right now included #trumptweetsmatter, #kukluxklan, #georgesoros and #covidiots. Spotify has announced a new subscription tier for couples, allowing them to split the cost of a Premium membership. The new membership, called Spotify Duo, gives each user access to Spotify Premium for 12.99 per month, which is slightly more expensive than its $12.99 US equivalent. Subscribers also get access to Duo Mix, a regularly updated playlist similar to the platforms Discover Weekly feature made just for the two of them to discover audio they both love, the companys blog post reads. Couples will be able to switch between a chill or upbeat playlist. Users who have not yet signed up for Premium can receive a one month Duo trial for free, but both listeners must reside at the same address, similar to Spotifys Family plan. Recommended Musicians call on Spotify to triple royalty rates amid coronavirus Premium Duo includes our extensive music and podcast catalogue and everything users love about Spotify Premium. With two individual Premium accounts, you can both listen independently, uninterrupted, and get all of your personalised playlists and features tailored just for you said Alex Norstrom, Spotifys chief freemium business officer. "We are thrilled to bring this unique Spotify Premium plan to even more markets around the world. Spotify Duo is launching in 55 markets, including the UK and the USA. Recently, Spotify has been trying to make its platform more attractive via exclusive deals with celebrities. Kim Kardashian West has signed a deal with Spotify to produce and host an exclusive podcast series The podcast will focus on topics including criminal justice reform, most likely drawing on Kardashian Wests experience with the Innocence Project, a nonprofit organisation that aims to exonerate wrongly convicted individuals. Similarly, Joe Rogan has signed a deal with the music streaming company for $100m (88m) to make The Joe Rogan Experience a Spotify exclusive over a series of years. Rogans YouTube channel will reportedly remain active, but will not host full episodes of the podcast. While Spotify will become the exclusive distributor of JRE, Rogan will maintain full creative control over the show, Spotify said. Lili Reinhart has apologised after using a photo of herself where she is topless to raise awareness about Breonna Taylor. On Monday, the actress posted a photo of herself posing at Salton Sea, a lake in California, with the caption: Now that my side-boob has gotten your attention, Breonna Taylors murderers have not been arrested. Demand justice. Taylor, a 26-year-old EMT living in Louisville, Kentucky, was killed by police on 13 March after the officers entered her apartment with a no-knock search warrant. The post, which has since been deleted, prompted criticism from Reinharts followers, who accused her of trivialising Taylors death and turning the nation-wide demand for justice into a meme. Lili Reinhart jumped on the let's make a meme out of Breonna Taylor bandwagon honestly not surprised, one person tweeted. Another said: Thats it Im done - justice for Breonna Taylor is not something to be memed and Lili Reinhart needs a better PR team. One of these is obviously more important than the other but all of this has gone too far. Reinhart has since addressed the backlash on Twitter, where she apologised for the mistake and to anyone who she offended. Ive always tried to use my platform for good. And speak up about things that are important to me. I also can admit when I make a mistake and I made a mistake with my caption, the 23-year-old tweeted. It was never my intent to insult anyone and Im truly sorry to those that were offended. The Riverdale actress, who has been hosting conversations with black creators and activists on her Instagram amid global protests against racism and police brutality, added: Ive tried very hard to be honest on my IGTV lives that Im still learning and trying to be better. Recommended Jennifer Lawrence joins Twitter to demand justice for Breonna Taylor Reinhart concluded her apology acknowledging that her caption came across as tone-deaf despite having good intentions. I truly had good intentions and did not think it through that it could come off as insensitive, she wrote. In recent weeks, numerous other celebrities, including John Legend, Lizzo, Cardi B and Ariana Grande, have used their platforms to demand justice for Taylor. As of now, just one of the three Louisville police officers involved in the raid that killed Taylor has been fired. Paris Jackson has opened up about her sexuality and revealed that she never thought shed end up with a man. Speaking alongside her boyfriend on the first installment of her new Facebook Watch series, Unfiltered: Paris Jackson and Gabriel Glenn, the 22-year-old daughter of Michael Jackson explained that she has dated more women than men in the past. Never thought Id end up with a dude, Jackson said on the show. Thought Id end up marrying a chick or Ive dated more women than men, she continued before repeating that she has been with more chicks. Recommended How lockdown has accelerated the way we date Jackson went on to say that she has kept many of her relationships out of the public eye. The public only knows about three long term relationships Ive been with and theyve been with men, she said. The public doesnt know about like most of the relationships Ive been in. Jackson continued by expanding on her sexuality and how she defines it. I say Im gay because I guess I am, but I wouldnt consider myself bisexual because Ive dated more than just men and women, Ive dated a man that had a vagina, she said. It has nothing to do with whats in your pants, its literally like, what are you like as a person? Paris Jackson at the VMAs: 'We have zero tolerance for Nazi jerks' The model added that her father felt the energy with regards to her sexuality. I think he felt the energy and he would tease me the same way hed tease my brothers, like, You got yourself a girlfriend! if I were staring at a magazine of a woman too hard. Jackon said she was very lucky" to have an accepting family. The first time I came out to a family member, they didnt believe me, she recalled of telling her brother Prince. [Prince] said he just wants to learn more about it, have a better understanding of it. Im lucky to have that as well. More than 40 MPs and peers are calling for a review of over 18,000 fines given to people for breaking coronavirus lockdown rules in England and Wales. A letter sent to the National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC) said the penalties had been handed out in an inconsistent and discriminatory way, amid racial and regional disproportionality. Police leaders have commissioned analysis looking at why black and Asian people have been fined at a much higher rate than white people for breaking lockdown rules, but the letter said that explanations given so far have been unconvincing and unevidenced. Signed by MPs including former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and acting Liberal Democrats leader Ed Davey, it said the case for a review was extremely compelling. There is evidence of racism, discrimination and bias in the issuing of lockdown fixed penalty notices (FPNs), the letter said. It is imperative that these powers are exercised, and seen to be exercised, cautiously as well as proportionately and fairly. The evidence that the opposite has occurred, and that these draconian powers have repeatedly been used unlawfully, undermines public trust and confidence in authorities and the rule of law. A total of 18,439 fines 15,856 in England and 2,583 in Wales were recorded by police between 27 March and 22 June, according to provisional NPCC data. The ethnicity of recipients was not stated for almost a quarter of fines, but for those that were 80 per cent were white, 11 per cent Asian, 4 per cent black, 2 per cent mixed-race and 1 per cent other. But 86 per cent of the population of England and Wales are white, 7.5 per cent Asian and 3.3 per cent black, meaning that black and Asian people are being fined more frequently than white people. There are also warnings of a postcode lottery between different areas. While some regional forces have handed out more than 1,000 penalties, the figure in others is below 100. The NPCC has admitted that some fines have been handed out wrongly under the Health Protection Regulations, including dozens given to children. Coronavirus: London on lockdown Show all 29 1 /29 Coronavirus: London on lockdown Coronavirus: London on lockdown A man walks down a deserted Camden High Street Photos Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Goodge Street Station is one of the many stations closed to help reduce the spread Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown An empty street in the heart of Chinatown Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown People in masks in Chinatown a day after the lockdown Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown A near-empty Piccadilly Circus during the first week of lockdown Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Sonja, my neighbour, who I photographed while taking a short walk. It was nice to briefly chat even from a distance Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown A couple sit on the empty steps of the statue Eros in Piccadilly Circus Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Making sure I stay two-meters apart DArblay Street, Soho Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown A mannequin behind a shop window. UK stores have closed until further notice Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown A notice displayed on a shop window in Camden Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown As part of the lockdown, all non-essential shops have been ordered to close.Image from Camden High Street Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown A skateboarder wearing a mask utilises his exercise allowance in the Camden area Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Communities have been coming together in a time of need Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown A woman stands alone in a deserted Oxford Street. Up until a few weeks ago, on average, half a million people visited the street per day Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown A couple walk hand in hand down a street in Soho, a day before the stricter lockdown was announced Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown During the first week of March, shoppers focused on stockpiling necessities ahead of a countrywide lockdown Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Many supermarkers are operating a queuing system to make sure only a limited amount of customers are allowed in at anyone time Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Stay Safe Curzon cinemas are temporarily closed under the new measures Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Pubs, restaurants and bars were ordered to shut as part of the lockdown Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Camden High Street There are fears that coronavirus could lead to permanent closure of struggling shops Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Camden Town is eerily silent on a normal working day Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Shops and supermarkets ran out of hand sanitisers in the first week of the lockdown. As we approach the end of the second week most shops now have started to stock up Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Empty streets around Soho Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown A noticeboard on Camden High Street urges the public to stay at home Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Camden High Street, one of Londons busiest tourist streets turns quiet Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Thriller Live confirmed its West End run ended in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Empty and eerie Soho streets after stricter rules on social distancing announced Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown A woman pauses for a cigarette on Hanway Street, behind Tottenham Court Road Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown A man steps outside onto Hanway Street, that sits behind what is usually a bustling retail hub Angela Christofilou In April, parliaments Joint Committee on Human Rights warned that people were being punished without any legal basis because of confusion over differences between the law and government guidance, which was stricter at the time. Weeks later, the Home Affairs Committee raised concerns that police were overstepping their powers and enforcing government advice rather than the letter of the law. It also warned that significant differences between the number of fines handed out in different areas even those adjacent to each other raised questions about how consistently the law was being applied. There is no route to appeal coronavirus fines other than refusing to pay and risking prosecution, prompting concerns that people would be too afraid to challenge them. Kirsty Brimelow QC, a human rights lawyer who signed the new letter, said: It is likely that thousands of members of the public have paid fines pursuant to fixed penalty notices issued by police that ought not to have issued. The police must play their part to remedy the havoc caused by their overzealous enforcement of the emergency laws. The Crown Prosecution Service is currently reviewing all charges under the Health Protection Regulations and separate Coronavirus Act, but not the fines themselves. There were concerns that errors by police would increase as amendments to the regulations made restrictions on travel and gathering more complex, and diverged in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. When restrictions were first relaxed in England on 13 May, the default fine was increased from 60 to 100, but the number issued has fallen dramatically since the rules were eased. Coronavirus: Matt Hancock 'That's a good question.. I'll answer it later' on reviewing fines for travel for childcare Ms Brimelow questioned why the government has continued to use emergency legislation to update the law rather than going through normal parliamentary scrutiny. She called the current regulations increasingly illogical and vague, telling The Independent they have become so complex and arbitrary that they no longer are taken seriously. The government and the NPCC previously rebuffed calls for a review of fines following the scandal over Dominic Cummingss travel to Durham in May. Amid questions over why he was not fined for breaching the Health Protection Regulations, the government said it was for the police to decide whether to impose fines under the law. Recommended Public must risk prosecution to challenge lockdown fines Reverend Martin Poole, the Brighton vicar who asked the health secretary to instigate a review during a Downing Street press conference, is among the signatories of the new letter sent on Tuesday. He said his fears over potential inequalities appear to have been borne out in the statistics. Campaign group Big Brother Watch, a lead signatory of the letter, said policing of the coronavirus pandemic had been inconsistent, heavy-handed and sometimes incompetent. Director Silkie Carlo added: These draconian powers have been used unlawfully time and time again and theres no justice for the thousands of people we estimate have been wrongly penalised with fines. Former Conservative minister Andrew Mitchell, Baroness Shami Chakrabarti and Baroness Jenny Jones are among those to put their name to the letter, alongside groups including Amnesty International UK, Liberty and Inquest. A spokesperson for the NPCC said: The letter has been received and is being properly considered. There will be a publication of our ethnicity analysis in July. A small child has interrupted a live BBC interview in scenes which have resonated with parents working at home during the pandemic. Dr Clare Wenham, a global health policy expert from the London School of Economics, had been speaking to the broadcaster about local coronavirus lockdowns. But her young daughter soon interrupted the interview, appearing in the background as she decided where a piece of art depicting a unicorn should be displayed on a shelf. When asked by BBC News presenter Christian Fraser what her childs name is, Dr Wenham replied: Shes called Scarlett. Fraser then addressed Scarlett directly, telling her: I think it looks better on the lower shelf. And its a lovely unicorn. After the newsreaders input, Scarlett then begins to ask Dr Wenham: Whats his name? Whats his name mummy? The mother gently shushes her daughter as Fraser says do stop me if you need to crack on, before telling the girl: My name is Christian. Christian, Scarlett repeats, before adding: Im just deciding where it can go. Where mummy wants it to go. Mummy where do you want it to go? Dr Wenham agrees the artwork would look great on the shelf and apologises to the interviewer as they both share a laugh. The footage was reminiscent of a similar BBC interview in 2017, in which an interview about South Korean politics was crashed by two youngsters. A live interview with an MSNBC correspondent was similarly interrupted by her daughter in 2019. Close Starmer says PM flippant on lockdown easing The UK will offer some Hong Kong residents a new route to British citizenship after Beijing imposed a draconian new national security law, Boris Johnson has confirmed. He and, earlier, Dominic Raab, said the new law violated the citys autonomy which had been agreed when the UK handed control to China in 1997. Mr Johnson faced a grilling at PMQs as Keir Starmer said he was blind to the risks of easing lockdown. Sir Keir blamed the prime minister for scenes of crowded beaches last week and suggested the impending reopening of pubs on a Saturday was cause for concern. Earlier, the PM issued a plea for Israel to abandon plans to annex more Palestinian territory in the West Bank, warning it will risk the countrys security in the long run and that the UK will regard expansion as against international law. The European Union must prepare for the possible failure of Brexit trade talks with the UK, Angela Merkel has said. Speaking in the German parliament the chancellor said negotiations were being accelerated to try and reach a deal in the autumn that could be ratified by the end of the year. But she told the Bundestag that the EU "must and should prepare for a situation in which an agreement does not happen". She added: "The progress made during the negotiations have been, to put it mildly, minimal. With Great Britain, we have agreed to speed up these negotiations to be able to agree on a deal in autumn, which would then also need to be ratified until the end of the year." Her warning comes as the deadline for extending talks passes, with negotiations now surely set to end on 31 December with or without a deal. Both side met face-to-face for the first time in months on Monday as UK negotiators travelled to Brussels. Previously rounds of talks have been held via videolink because of the pressures of the cornavirus pandemic. Both sides this month agreed to intensify the schedule of discussions, but issues like fishing rights, EU regulations, governance, and police cooperation and proving to be major sticking points. The latest spat between the two negotiating parties this week came over the issue of financial services. On Tuesday EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier said that the UK has not met the necessary deadline to apply to give UK financial institutions access to EU markets through "equivalence" with EU rules. He suggested the British government had only answered four out of 28 questionnaires sent by the European Commission on the subject, meaning City firms are currently in the dark about what will happen on 1 January when the transition period ends. Boris Johson's spokesperson told reporters in Westminster that the UK had "completed our own proportionate and thorough assessment" on time. These are straightforward assessments, as we start from having similar rules and a history of co-operation. We are ready to reach comprehensive findings of equivalence once the EU has clarified its position. Weve completed our assessment of the EU, so we have done our aspect of it on time, and we are now returning the 1,000 pages they sent to us late. Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square Show all 37 1 /37 Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square Pro-Brexit supporters celebrating in Parliament Square, after the UK left the European Union on 31 January. Ending 47 years of membership PA Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square Big Ben, shows the hands at eleven o'clock at night AFP via Getty Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square Pro Brexit supporters attend the Brexit Day Celebration Party hosted by Leave Means Leave Getty Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage smiles on stage AFP/Getty Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square People celebrate in Parliament Square Reuters Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square A Brexit supporter celebrates during a rally in Parliament square AP Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square Police form a line at Parliament Square to prevent a small group of anti-Brexit protestors from going through to the main Brexit rally PA Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square Nigel Farage speaks to pro-Brexit supporters PA Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square PA Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square JD Wetherspoon Chairman Tim Martin speaks as people wave flags Reuters Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square Getty Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square Brexit supporters wave Union flags as they watch the big screen AFP via Getty Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square Brexit Party leader, Nigel Farage arrives Reuters Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square Brexit supporters gather AP Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square Ann Widdecombe speaks to pro-Brexit supporters PA Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square Brexit supporters wave Union flags as they watch the big screen AFP via Getty Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square AFP via Getty Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square People wave British Union Jack flags as they celebrate Reuters Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square Pro-Brexit demonstrators celebrate on Parliament Square on Brexit day Reuters Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square A pro-Brexit supporter jumps on an EU flag PA Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square Getty Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square AFP via Getty Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square PA Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square Getty Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square AP Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square Getty Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square A man waves Union flags from a small car as he drives past Brexit supporters gathering AFP via Getty Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square A pro-Brexit supporter pours beer onto an EU flag PA Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square Getty Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square An EU flag lies trampled in the mud Getty Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square Getty Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square PA Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square PA Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square Getty Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square Getty Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square PA Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square AFP via Getty We continue to believe that comprehensive mutual findings of equivalence between the UK and EU are in the best interests of both parties. We remain committed to continuing dialogue with the EU about their intentions on this. Asked about the passing of the transition period extension deadline, the spokesperson said: It was never our intention to extend the transition period. We want to continue to work constructively with the EU and we believe that there is a free trade agreement to be reached but we have also been very clear that we will be prepared for either eventuality at the end of the year, whether that be an FTA or a trading relationship based on the same terms Australia currently has. Bereaved families who lost loved ones to coronavirus have criticised Boris Johnson and Matt Hancock for failing to meet them or respond to calls for a public inquiry into the crisis. The group, Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice UK, wrote to senior ministers in June to demand an immediate inquiry into the government's handling of the pandemic to prevent further deaths. More than 73,000 people have signed their petition calling for the government to learn lessons to prevent more families "needlessly going through the loss and trauma we are experiencing". The group said their appeal had been met with silence except for a two-line response from Downing Street on Monday, saying their correspondence was "receiving attention". Co-founder Jo Goodman, whose father Stuart died of the virus in April, said: "We are deeply disappointed that the government has not accepted our invitation to meet. It has not even had the courtesy to respond to our petition. "Once again, grieving families feel forgotten, with the government refusing to accept any degree of responsibility for mistakes that have been made in its response to the pandemic. "The government offers condolences to those who have been bereaved, but while it is unwilling to engage with us, it is very difficult to accept its sympathy." Particular concerns centre around delays to implementing the lockdown, inadequate supplies of PPE and early decisions to discharge elderly patients from hospitals into care homes. The group accepts that a full inquiry will take time but insist that a public review must take place ahead of a possible second wave of cases in the autumn. It comes as the health ombudsman wrote to ministers to say there must be a public inquiry into the handling of the pandemic. Loading.... The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO), which deals with unresolved NHS complaints in England, said it was vital that lessons are learned from any mistakes made in the handling of the crisis. Both the prime minister and the health secretary have not committed to establishing an immediate public inquiry but accept that lessons must be learned. Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Kim Hyun-mee speaks during a questioning session at the National Assembly, Tuesday. / Yonhap By Anna J. Park Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Kim Hyun-mee's reckless comments during Tuesday's National Assembly inquiry session have led her to face criticism for her complacent and irresponsible stance on the nation's unbalanced runaway housing prices. During Tuesday's government inquiry session at the National Assembly, Minister Kim refused to acknowledge the incumbent administration's evident failure to rein in housing prices, after independent lawmaker Lee Yong-ho asked her whether the government's real estate policies have failed. "No, rather the government's real estate policies announced so far are comprehensively working together," Minister Kim refuted. "Since some of the policies haven't yet taken effect in the market, we need to comprehensively assess their results later, when every policy begins working together." The minister explained that as various measures included in the so-called June 17 real estate package measure referring to a set of policies, such as strengthening housing loan constraints have different dates to be implemented in the market, the measures' effects couldn't be seen before mid-July. Despite the minister's evasive answers regarding responsibility for the housing market disasters, it doesn't seem too early to assess the incumbent administration's housing policies. According to the Citizens' Coalition for Economic Justice, apartment prices in Seoul rose by 52 percent during the past three years since President Moon took office in May 2017. The civic group pointed out that the biggest cause of the soaring housing prices lays with the government's failed policies. Another civic group, the People's Solidarity for Participatory Democracy, also harshly criticized the Moon administration's real estate policies. It held a press conference earlier this week in front of Cheong Wa Dae, urging the government to shift its real estate policies. "The Moon administration's real estate policies are a de facto failure. People's anger and anxiety are rising due to soaring housing prices," the civic group stated during the press conference. The progressive-leaning Justice Party also criticized the government's real estate policies. Sim Sang-jung, the party's leader, said at the end of last month during the party's committee meeting that the party urged the government to carry out a fundamental review of its policies. Nevertheless, Minister Kim is expected to set a record for being the longest-serving land minister, if she remains at her post until September this year. She has maintained the position for more than three years now. There have been various online petitions on the Cheong Wa Dae website demanding the minister be replaced due to her lack of expertise in housing policy, yet the government hasn't yet budged. According to local media outlets, about 23 percent of key presidential aides working at Cheong Wa Dae own more than two properties, despite Chief of Staff Noh Young-min's strong recommendation to them to dispose of non-primary residences at the end of last year. The governments new Fire Safety Bill would fund just 12 new officials to help cover safety inspections in two million homes, firefighters have claimed. The Fire Brigades Union accused the government of risking another Grenfell-style catastrophe and said the 951 inspectors currently in the field needed to be doubled. The new legislation would require inspections on cladding, balconies, windows and firedogs in blocks of flats, with as many as 2.2 million flats covered by the legislation, according to ministers estimates. But a Home Office impact assessment says as little as 700,000 a year would be needed to carry out the new inspections, which the FBU says would pay for just 12 extra fully qualified fire inspectors. The FBUs analysis says that the top end of the governments cost estimate, 2.1m, would pay for just 35 extra inspectors still fewer than one per brigade in England. The government disputes the figures and says the 43 brigades can in fact potentially recruit at least one additional inspector each. Matt Wrack, general secretary at the FBU, said: Three years after Grenfell, Britains fire safety regime remains a national disgrace and politicians are responsible. This legislation is long overdue but insufficient. The bill in its current form is a gross underestimate of the realities of the crisis. Without funding a significant increase in fire inspector numbers, this change in the law will not ramp up enforcement on rogue landlords ministers need a serious reality check. At best, the government is planning to fund less than one extra fire inspector in each fire service for a massively expanded workload. We should be talking about immediately doubling inspector numbers to make a dent in this crisis. Oversights like this are symptomatic of a system that excludes those most affected from the policymaking process. With better engagement with tenants and firefighters, the chances of another disaster like Grenfell could be significantly reduced. The Fire Safety Bill was introduced to parliament in March and is currently in its committee stage. There is no time frame included in the bill for inspecting the two million flats covered by the laws, and the government rejected a Labour amendment that would have required regular inspections of lifts and doors. Londoners commemorate the third anniversary of the Grenfell disaster (PA) The fire sector has warned that significant safety problems persist with the UKs housing stock three years on from the Grenfell Tower fire. Some 56,000 people are still living in buildings with flammable cladding responsible for the fire, while industry estimates suggest that over three quarters of doors in residential buildings are not fit for purpose. The FBU says the government should also reinstate a statutory fire sector body that draws on the views of firefighters, arguing that it is the only way to end the dangerously short-termist thinking that prospers in Whitehall. Last year ministers were accused by the FBU of utter complacency to prepare fire services in light of the Grenfell tragedy, in which 72 people died. Grenfell Tower fire: Third anniversary Show all 20 1 /20 Grenfell Tower fire: Third anniversary Grenfell Tower fire: Third anniversary People attend a commemoration to mark the third anniversary of the Grenfell Tower fire in London. The fire claimed 72 lives on 14 June 2017 PA Grenfell Tower fire: Third anniversary Reuters Grenfell Tower fire: Third anniversary AFP via Getty Grenfell Tower fire: Third anniversary AFP via Getty Grenfell Tower fire: Third anniversary PA Grenfell Tower fire: Third anniversary AFP via Getty Grenfell Tower fire: Third anniversary Tributes tied to the railings outside Notting Hill Methodist Church near Grenfell Tower AP Grenfell Tower fire: Third anniversary PA Grenfell Tower fire: Third anniversary PA Grenfell Tower fire: Third anniversary AFP via Getty Grenfell Tower fire: Third anniversary Reuters Grenfell Tower fire: Third anniversary David Badillo, a firefighter with the London Fire Brigade, speaks during the commemorative tribute JUSTICE4GRENFELL/Reuters Grenfell Tower fire: Third anniversary AFP via Getty Grenfell Tower fire: Third anniversary AFP via Getty Grenfell Tower fire: Third anniversary Grenfell Humanity Choir with Damel Carayol sing during the commemorative tribute JUSTICE4GRENFELL/Reuters Grenfell Tower fire: Third anniversary AFP via Getty Grenfell Tower fire: Third anniversary AP Grenfell Tower fire: Third anniversary Reuters Grenfell Tower fire: Third anniversary Reuters Grenfell Tower fire: Third anniversary PA A government spokesperson said: Three years on from the Grenfell Tower tragedy, those who lost their lives or loved ones remain at the forefront of our thoughts. We are committed to learning the lessons needed to ensure that such a horrendous event can never happen again and we are taking steps to ensure implementation of the recommendations of the Grenfell Inquiry. It is inaccurate to suggest that the government is only funding 12 new fire inspectors. We have made 30m of funding available to the sector, including at least 60,000 for the 43 fire and rescue services in England, so they can potentially recruit at least one additional inspector each. Boris Johnson has issued a last-gasp plea to Israel to pull back from illegally annexing much of the West Bank, warning it will fail to deliver justice for Palestinians. In an opinion piece for an Israeli newspaper, the prime minister calls himself a passionate defender of Israel but sharply criticises Benjamin Netanyahu plans, which have provoked an international outcry. I want to see an outcome that delivers justice for both Israelis and Palestinians, Mr Johnson has written. Annexation would represent a violation of international law. It would also be a gift to those who want to perpetuate the old stories about Israel. I profoundly hope that annexation does not go ahead. If it does, the UK will not recognize any changes to the 1967 lines, except those agreed between both parties. There is another way. Mr Netanyahu has vowed to annex nearly a third of the occupied West Bank, having been given the green light by Donald Trumps so-called peace plan released in January. It would leave a fragmented Palestinian state pockmarked by Israeli settlements, critics say, rejecting their fundamental demands, such as a capital in East Jerusalem. Some have drawn comparisons with apartheid-era South Africa, warning Israel will be denying Palestinians their basic rights. In the article, for Yedioth Ahronoth, Mr Johnson speaks of his sadness as a life-long friend, admirer and supporter of Israel. I am fearful that these proposals will fail in their objective of securing Israels borders and will be contrary to Israels own long-term interests, the prime minister says. Annexation would put in jeopardy the progress that Israel has made in improving relationships with the Arab and Muslim world. I have never been more convinced that Israels interests overlap with those of our closest partners in the Arab world, including potential security cooperation against shared threats. Despite the strong words, the UK is not thought to be threatening any action against Israel if it defies international pressure and goes ahead. Mr Netanyahu had vowed to begin the annexation of Israeli settlements and the Jordan Valley from 1 July, but has now said talks would continue in the coming days with American officials His rival to be prime minister, Benny Gantz, said annexation must wait while the country tackles the coronavirus pandemic, pointing to deep divisions arising from the plan. The West Bank and East Jerusalem have been occupied by Israel since the 1967 war and are now home to around 650,000 settlers. Palestinians hope the territories will become their future state, but this is already seen as increasingly difficult as the settlements expand. In the article, Mr Johnson said: I welcome the commitment that President Trump has made to find a way forward. The only way it can be achieved is for both sides to return to the negotiating table. That must be our goal. Annexation would only take us further away from it. British citizens living in the EU are increasingly being refused job interviews because of their impending Brexit loss of free movement rights, MPs have been told. Representatives of British in Europe, an umbrella organisation representing the 1.2 million British people living on the continent, said the loss of rights was already real for many people living abroad. UK nationals have free movement in the EU until the end of the transition period in December this year, giving them the right to live work and study abroad. But EU employers are anticipating the end of those right, which will make it harder for Britons to do some jobs that involve cross-border travel. We are seeing people refused interviews for jobs because those jobs require the freedom to travel across the EU, Kalba Meadows, a steering group member of British in Europe who lives in France, told the EU Future Relationship Select Committee. Were not even at the end of transition yet and there are already real live instances of peoples lives and livelihoods being affected and that will only increase. So many jobs rely on free movement because of the single market. Ms Meadows added: We have a very large number of people whose livelihood is based on working in different countries people with small businesses, people who are employed, and an awful lot of them face losing our livelihoods. Its not just about losing your rights on paper, its something that affects real lives. While the Brexit withdrawal agreement protects some of the rights of British citizens abroad and EU citizens in the UK, there are holes in it, notably with regard to jobs not based in a single member state. The integrated nature of EU economies means that occasional travel to other countries is common, particularly in professional-level occupations. There are also gaps in the extent to which Britons qualifications will be mutually recognised in the EU after Brexit. Michael Harris, a steering group member of British in Europe who lives in Spain, told MPs: Theres a stereotype of a Briton who lives in Spain there are a lot of retired people in Spain who wont be affected by the need to go and work or provide cross-border services, but around 60 per cent of Britons in Spain are working-age or below. Young Britons in the EU are the people who are going to be most affected by this to go and study and work. Jane Golding, the chair of of the organisation, told the same committee on Tuesday that the suggestion that rights for EU nationals after Brexit were the same as before was misleading. She said the rights were in fact broadly the same only in the host country where we are living now. Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square Show all 37 1 /37 Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square Pro-Brexit supporters celebrating in Parliament Square, after the UK left the European Union on 31 January. Ending 47 years of membership PA Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square Big Ben, shows the hands at eleven o'clock at night AFP via Getty Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square Pro Brexit supporters attend the Brexit Day Celebration Party hosted by Leave Means Leave Getty Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage smiles on stage AFP/Getty Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square People celebrate in Parliament Square Reuters Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square A Brexit supporter celebrates during a rally in Parliament square AP Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square Police form a line at Parliament Square to prevent a small group of anti-Brexit protestors from going through to the main Brexit rally PA Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square Nigel Farage speaks to pro-Brexit supporters PA Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square PA Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square JD Wetherspoon Chairman Tim Martin speaks as people wave flags Reuters Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square Getty Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square Brexit supporters wave Union flags as they watch the big screen AFP via Getty Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square Brexit Party leader, Nigel Farage arrives Reuters Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square Brexit supporters gather AP Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square Ann Widdecombe speaks to pro-Brexit supporters PA Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square Brexit supporters wave Union flags as they watch the big screen AFP via Getty Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square AFP via Getty Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square People wave British Union Jack flags as they celebrate Reuters Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square Pro-Brexit demonstrators celebrate on Parliament Square on Brexit day Reuters Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square A pro-Brexit supporter jumps on an EU flag PA Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square Getty Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square AFP via Getty Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square PA Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square Getty Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square AP Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square Getty Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square A man waves Union flags from a small car as he drives past Brexit supporters gathering AFP via Getty Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square A pro-Brexit supporter pours beer onto an EU flag PA Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square Getty Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square An EU flag lies trampled in the mud Getty Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square Getty Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square PA Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square PA Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square Getty Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square Getty Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square PA Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square AFP via Getty So that means that we will keep most of our rights that we currently have in the country where we live now but we will not have any EU-wide rights of free movement, for example, or EU-wide recognition of our qualifications. There are no rights in the withdrawal agreement on cross-border working, she said. Britain and the EU are currently negotiating a future relationship, which both sides have always said will cover immigration issues. But political pressure in the UK has led to the government ruling out a continuation of free movement. Neither sides draft agreement includes provisions for free movement rights and the UKs draft immigration bill contains no provisions for such policies. Ms Golding told the committee: We havent had any indication from either side that this is a topic thats being discussed in any detail in the future negotiations. Nearly three million Hong Kong residents have been offered the chance to settle in the UK and ultimately become citizens after Boris Johnson accused China of breaching its obligations to Britains former colony. There were clashes on the streets of Hong Kong after China introduced sweeping new laws ahead of an annual pro-democracy protest. The prime minister denounced the legislation, saying it threatened the freedoms and rights of the people of Hong Kong. Chinas actions were also a breach of the Sino-British Joint Declaration agreed in advance of the handover of Hong Kong in 1997, he said. In response, the government announced that it had opened with immediate effect a new path to UK citizenship for those with British National (Overseas) status, a total of about 2.9 million people. Downing Street later said Britain would continue to have a constructive relationship with Chinese companies, but warned Beijing its relationship with the UK does not come at any price. Recommended Hong Kong paying millions to London PR firm to improve image Under the new route, those with BNO status will be given five years limited leave to remain in the UK, with a right to work or study. After five years they will be able to apply for settled status and after a further 12 months to apply for citizenship. Announcing the move in the Commons, the foreign secretary Dominic Raab warned China was not living up to its promises on the freedom to peacefully protest in Hong Kong. He added: We fought very hard and we negotiated with the Chinese back in the 1980s to have the freedom for peaceful protest and freedom of expression to be respected. China through this national security legislation is not living up to its promises to the people of Hong Kong. We will live up to our promises to them. But the government also came under pressure from senior Tories over its controversial decision to allow Chinese company Huawei to supply technology to the UKs 5G network. Sir Iain Duncan Smith, former Tory leader, said it was time to hit China in the place China worries about, its economy. In Hong Kong, hundreds of people were arrested as police fired water, tear gas and rubber bullets at demonstrators who decided to protest despite being denied permission for an annual march marking the anniversary of the citys handover to China. The last British governor of Hong Kong, Lord Patten, described the legislation as Orwellian stuff, saying it went wider and further than anybody had feared. Lisa Nandy, shadow foreign secretary, described the new laws as deeply shocking. But she also accused ministers of appearing confused on China and expressed fears the government saw the country as key to the UKs economic recovery. Asked what the implications will be for Huaweis involvement in the 5G network, Mr Raab pointed to a review already under way by the National Centre for Cyber Security. We will await an outcome of that review, he said. The home secretary is expected to set out further details of the new BNO scheme to MPs at a later date. The UK must "prepare for the worst" this winter rather than relying on the development of a coronavirus vaccine, a senior scientist has warned. Sir John Bell, regius professor of medicine at Oxford University, told MPs that planning for the pandemic had relied "too heavily on assumptions" and it was better to prepare to face the colder months without banking on a breakthrough by scientists hunting for a vaccination. At a hearing of the science and technology committee, Tory chairman Greg Clark asked if the country should be preparing for the winter without a coronavirus vaccine, or if one might be ready in time. Sir John said: "This whole epidemic has relied too heavily on assumptions that have turned out not to be true. "So, my strong advice is be prepared for the worst." He also said medics were concerned there will be "pandemonium in A&E departments" if the UK experiences a serious flu season alongside coronavirus this winter. Sir John called for greater investment into infrastructure around manufacturing vaccines as it was "pretty lamentable" at the beginning of the pandemic. He also urged ministers not to rely on vaccines imported from the US because "you will not get it until a long way down the line". Kate Bingham, chair of government vaccine taskforce, said she was "optimistic" a vaccine would be found but warned that "in the near term we may have to satisfy ourselves with a vaccine that reduces the severity of the disease" - rather than preventing people from being infected with Covid-19. She also said a vaccine was likely to come "early next year", depending on the success of trials at Oxford University which have started testing on humans. Sarah Gilbert, professor of vaccinology at Oxford, said she hoped their vaccine might be ready sooner but she would not set a timeframe on when it could be available. Loading.... Prof Gilbert said the scientists were testing 4,000 people in Brazil and 2,000 in South Africa, both areas of high transmission compared to the UK where social distancing has reduced the infection rates. MPs were told it may need to be administered in multiple doses, such as with the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine or hepatitis B jab. Sir John also told the committee that mass testing was vital to halt the spread of coronavirus, saying ONS figures suggesting 70 per cent of people were asymptomatic were "robust". He said he had seen new test technologies in recent days which produce results in minutes, allowing people to test themselves and "even kids before they go off to a rave". The senior scientist also said that saturation testing in hospitals should be an absolute requirement. Asked why other countries had been more successful in combating the virus, Sir John said some countries had been "lucky" and there was no strong scientific evidence as to why some countries had fared better. A young bear was saved from drowning in a lake when a family spotted it getting into difficulties. Tricia Hurt and her husband Brian Hurt had been boating with their son, Brady, on Marsh Miller Lake in Wisconsin on Saturday when they spotted the young bear in the water. The bear, who was seen with a plastic tub stuck on its head, had been struggling to swim as water filled the container. Ms Hurt directed her 26-year-old son to steer their boat nearer to the animal, so that her 52-year-old husband could reach-out and pull the plastic tub from the bears head as they passed. Hes getting scared, she could be heard saying in a video shared online. [Were] trying to figure out how were going to get this tub off his head. The couple and their son then circled the bear, who was panicked, but they could not pull the tub from its head on their first attempt. I had the damn thing, said Mr Hurt in the video, as his son circled the boat once more around the bear. He was then able to pull the tub from the bears head on the second attempt, as the boat passed close to the bear in the water. Ms Hurt could be heard celebrating that We saved our little bear, as the animal swam out into the lake moments later. We couldnt believe it when we saw the cheese puffs container wedged on the poor bears head, Ms Hurt told Kennedy News and Media. You cant tell how a wild animal will react, even if you are trying to save its life, but we had to get over that fear and help him out. We were just so happy when we finally got him loose and he made it back to the shore. she continued. When it was on dry land, it just collapsed from pure exhaustion. The bear was reported to have been stuck with the tub on its head for almost four days, before the Hurts rescued the animal. Nobody could get near to him so were just so fortunate we could help him, added Ms Hurt. She posted the video online on Facebook on Sunday, where it has now had more than 1.2m views. A vehicle carrying the governor of Iowa struck a Black Lives Matter protester in Des Moines as the demonstrator attempted to block the car's path. The group of protesters had gathered on a driveway leading from a public event in Steamboat Rock and Ackley on Tuesday to prevent the car carrying governor Kim Reynolds from driving away when one of the organisers was hit by the vehicle, The Des Moines Register reported. Jaylen Cavil, an organiser with Des Moines Black Lives Matter told The Register: I was standing right in front of the car and I just stood there. I was like, 'Im going to stand here. Surely the driver of the governor is not going to hit me with her car. This is the governor, my governor, whos supposed to be representing me. Im sure that her car is not going to intentionally hit me.' I was wrong." The activist was not injured during the incident but has alleged that the driver of the vehicle hit him intentionally. The protesters were waiting outside Gov Reynolds' public events to urge her to immediately sign an executive order restoring voting rights to people with felony convictions who have completed their sentences. The governor has confirmed that she will sign the order sometime before the November election but not immediately. Iowa is the last state where felons are barred from voting even after serving their sentences unless they successfully apply to the governor for restoration, Reuters reported. Mr Cavil told The Register that he had hoped the governor would roll down the vehicle's window and engage with protesters. A spokesperson for the Iowa State Patrol confirmed the incident took place to The Register, but suggested that Mr Cavil "intentionally stepped in front of the moving vehicle". Recommended Biden slams Trump over latest coronavirus failures in scathing speech The Iowa State Patrol is aware of an incident that occurred near Ackley, Iowa, involving a demonstrator and a vehicle transporting the governor," Sergeant Alex Dinkla, a spokesperson for the Iowa State Patrol, said in a statement. Preliminary reports from law enforcement at the scene suggest the demonstrator intentionally stepped in front of the moving vehicle. The demonstrator appeared to suffer no injuries, did not request medical treatment, and continued with his activities. The Iowa State Patrol is investigating the circumstances. Gov Reynolds' spokesperson, Pat Garrett, declined to comment when contacted by the newspaper. Sgt Dinkla did not respond to questions from the outlet about who was driving the governor's vehicle. Two other activists, Matthew Bruce and Grace Merritt, backed up Mr Cavil's account of events to the outlet. We just want answers. Thats why were following her around. We want her to know that we are not going to stay silent, Mr Cavil said. When Chico Bell eventually stopped the Chevrolet truck he was driving as police officers pursued him in January, he and another man in the vehicle raised their hands in what a district attorney in Louisiana said in a statement was an apparent attempt to surrender without resistance. What happened next, according to law enforcement officials, was a violent assault by eight police officers that left Mr Bell with a broken eye socket and the other man who was in the vehicle, Damon Robinson, with his nose broken in several places. On Monday, each of those eight officers, all from the Shreveport Police Department, was indicted on a charge that he had used excessive force. According to James E Stewart Sr, the district attorney in Caddo Parish, Louisiana, the episode began on 24 January, on Central Street in Shreveport, when officers tried to stop Mr Bells truck because of seatbelt violations. But, according to Mr Stewart, Bell drove away from the officers, who then pursued him. Citing video from police vehicles, Mr Stewart said that Mr Bell threw several objects from the truck before it eventually stopped. The officers later said that they had recovered small amounts of ecstasy and cocaine and a stolen gun along the route of the chase, the district attorney said. The chase, which took place in the early morning hours, ended about a mile and a half away, according to a lawmaker who represents the area. According to Mr Stewart, when Mr Bell stopped the Chevrolet on Linwood Avenue, he and his passenger appeared to raise their hands through the vehicles side windows, apparently to surrender to the officers. Mr Stewart said that officers and one deputy from the Caddo Parish Sheriffs office approached the vehicle. Then, Mr Stewart said, the officers violently assaulted both men. Mr Bell was pulled out of the vehicle through the drivers side window before he was hit, kicked and shocked with a taser by police officers, the prosecutor said. Mr Robinson, who initially remained in the vehicle, was punched several times by one officer while others held his hands, Mr Stewart said. Officers then took Mr Robinson out of the vehicle and put him on the ground, the prosecutor said, and one officer hit Mr Robinson in the face with a flashlight while his hands were behind his back. The sheriffs office notified the district attorneys office about the deputys concerns with what had happened after the pursuit. The eight officers were identified by the district attorneys office as Aaron Jaudon, DAndre Jackson, Mark Ordoyne, William Isenhour, Christopher McConnell, Brandon Walker, Treveion Brooks and David Francis. A spokesman for the Shreveport Police Officers Union did not immediately return a phone message seeking comment on Tuesday night. A lawyer for Mr Jackson said in a statement on Tuesday night that these officers were put in a dangerous situation created by those who chose to engage in criminal activity in a high-speed chase. He added: We look forward to our day in court. Mr Ordoyne referred an inquiry to his lawyer, who did not immediately return a phone message seeking comment. Efforts to reach the other officers on Tuesday night were unsuccessful. Mr Stewart said the initial charges against Mr Bell and Mr Robinson after the 24 January stop were dismissed due to unnecessary excessive force being used by SPD officers to make the arrest. Mr Bell had been charged with fleeing police officers, possession of controlled substances, obstruction of justice and cyberstalking. Mr Robinson had been charged with resisting an officer. Efforts to reach Mr Bell and Mr Robinson on Tuesday night were not successful. Ben Raymond, the Shreveport police chief, said in a statement that an investigation into the episode had begun on the day it happened. All parties are innocent until proven guilty, he said, and in order to preserve the officers rights to due process I will not make any further comments at this time. Angie Willhite, a spokeswoman for the police department, said that Mr McConnell had been fired on 8 May, that Mr Ordoyne had resigned on 17 June, and that the six other officers were on administrative leave. LeVette Fuller, a city council member who represents the area where the episode took place, said in an interview on Tuesday: There is a tenuous relationship with the police, and it has been that way for a long time. Im wondering how often things are happening, she said. I think citizens are telling us things are happening more often than we are willing to believe. New York Times Bar owners in Texas are suing governor Greg Abbott and the Texas Alcohol and Beverage Commission after they were ordered to close amid rising coronavirus cases in the state. The businesses have argued in court documents that Mr Abbotts recent executive order, which paused the further reopening of the state and forced them to close, has singled them out unfairly, according to CBS News. In mid May, Texas reopened bars with a 25 per cent capacity limit, which was increased to 50 per cent in June, as part of its reopening of the state, but has seen a dramatic rise in coronavirus cases in the last couple of weeks. On 25 June, a day before Mr Abbott halted any further reopening of the state, Texas recorded its highest single day total of positive coronavirus tests, with 5,996 new Covid-19 cases. The following day, the governor announced that bars and other outside businesses were to close and blamed the rise in cases on certain types of activities, including Texans congregating in bars. Lawyers representing the bar owners said in court documents that Mr Abbotts order meant their clients had been relegated to Abbotts loser category and sentenced to bankruptcy. Recommended Texas puts reopening on hold as cases surge to record numbers They added that it does not make sense that other businesses, such as nail salons and barber shops, which require closer proximity between staff and customers, have still been allowed to stay open. The lawyers argue in the lawsuit that the decision to only keep some businesses open goes against the states constitution, and they asked for an undefined amount of compensatory damages, and for a judge to ban Mr Abbotts order temporarily. Governor Abbott can claim all day that the legislature gave him broad powers, the documents read. However, those powers that Abbott claims to have, whatever they may be, cannot supersede the Texas Constitution. Bar owners and employees marched in Austin on Tuesday against the order, with some chanting bar lives matter. Any bar owner caught violating the governors order will have their alcohol licence suspended, as has happened to seven so far, according to the alcohol commission. On 26 June, Mr Abbott said that he was only temporarily pausing the states easing of lockdown measures, as he felt it was important to get the virus under control and continue to move forward. The last thing we want to do as a state is go backwards and close down businesses, he said. This temporary pause will help our state corral the spread until we can safely enter the next phase of opening our state for business. According to a tracking project hosted by Johns Hopkins University, there are now more than 2.6 million people who have tested positive for coronavirus in the US. The death toll has reached at least 129,544. Donald Trump has complained about a decision by New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio to paint a sprawling Black Lives Matter mural across Fifth Avenue, saying in a tweet the art would "antagonise" law enforcement. The president began his tweet by claiming New York City officials were cutting the New York City Police Department (NYPD) budget by ONE BILLION DOLLARS seemingly referring to the states nearly $90 billion budget that was approved late Tuesday night. New York Citys budget included a reported $484 million in cuts to the NYPD, along with another $163 million in associated costs that was slashed from the 2021 budget. According to the city council, an additional $354 million in funds to the NYPD would instead be reallocated to agencies best positioned to carry out the duties that were previously assigned to the citys police department. Still, the president attacked Mr de Blasio over reports he approved a mural to be painted on Fifth Avenue just in front of the Trump Tower and wrote on Wednesday: NYC is cutting Police $s by ONE BILLION DOLLARS, and yet the @NYCMayor is going to paint a big, expensive, yellow Black Lives Matter sign on Fifth Avenue, denigrating this luxury Avenue. Maybe our GREAT Police, who have been neutralized and scorned by a mayor who hates & disrespects them, wont let this symbol of hate be affixed to New Yorks greatest street, he continued. Spend this money fighting crime instead! Mr de Blasio approved the plan for the mural after he reportedly saw Washington DC Mayor Muriel Bowser approve a similar Black Lives Matter art piece that sprawled across the blocks leading up to the White House. The Washington mural has been met with both approval and criticism from some activists, who have said they would rather see major policing reforms nationwide than performative acts of solidarity. But the New York City mayor defended his decision to move forward with the forthcoming mural in a tweet of his own, writing: Heres what you dont understand: Black people BUILT 5th Ave and so much of this nation. Your luxury came from THEIR labour, Mr de Blasio continued, for which they have never been justly compensated. He added: We are honoring them. The fact that you see it as denigrating your street is the definition of racism. A man rides a bicycle on a trail that surrounds Lake Uiam in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province. / Courtesy of Korea Tourism Organization By Jun Ji-hye The Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) has selected 100 less-crowded domestic tourist spots where citizens can get away from bustling city life amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The organization cooperated with seven regional offices, including the Gyeonggi Tourism Organization and Busan Tourism Organization, to draw up a list of 100 tourist spots that allow for social distancing. Requirements for locations to be included in the list were that they should be little-known to the public and that they are outdoor sites, so tourists can comply with the government's social distancing guidelines aimed at containing the transmission of the coronavirus, according to the organization. The KTO said the list, announced ahead of the summer peak season, is expected to contribute to decentralizing travel demand for popular tourist destinations, so citizens can enjoy their trip in a safer and more relaxed environment. The 100 tourist spots on the list included Imjingak Pyeonghwa Nuri Park in Paju, and Konjiam Resort that operates the "Healing Campus" in Gwangju, Gyeonggi Province. Imjingak Pyeonghwa Nuri Park, located in the South Korean border city, gives a chance to visitors to take a rest in a large, grass-covered park, while looking around at various sculptures created with the theme of unification. Konjiam Resort operates a variety of wellness programs to help visitors take care of their physical and mental state to improve their quality of life. Metasequoia Forest in Yeongdeok, North Gyeongsang Province / Courtesy of Korea Tourism Organization More than a hundred officials who worked for former Republican president George W Bush are going to endorse presumptive Democratic candidate Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential election. A group of former staffers to Mr Bush have set up a political action committee, named 43 Alumni for Biden, in reference to him being the 43rd US president. The super PAC will launch on Wednesday, and will publish testimonial videos, that aim to convince other Republicans to vote for Mr Biden, instead of president Donald Trump, according to Reuters. Their efforts are similar to The Lincoln Project, an organisation co-founded by George Conway, the husband of counselor to the president, Kellyanne Conway. The group is comprised of prominent former and current Republicans, who are campaigning to stop Mr Trump winning reelection, and has regularly released videos over the past couple of months, attacking his leadership. Jennifer Millikin, who is one of the organisers of 43 Alumni, as well as a former staffer on Mr Bushs 2004 reelection campaign, said that although many members disagree with Mr Bidens policies, they believe they must oppose the president. We know what is normal and what is abnormal, and what we are seeing is highly abnormal. The president is a danger, Ms Millikin said. Reuters also spoke to two other former officials who are members of the group, Karen Kirksey and Kristopher Purcell, who worked as a communication official and on the former presidents 2000 election campaign respectively. This November, we are choosing country over party, Mr Purcell said. We believe that a Biden administration will adhere to the rule of law...and restore dignity and integrity to the White House, he added. We really have had overwhelming support for our efforts, Ms Kirksey told the agency. The campaign group is not ready to release the names of all its donors, but will have to submit them to the Federal Election Commission by October. Recommended Republican group that infuriated Trump takes aim at Mitch McConnell Mr Bush has been vocal in the last couple of months, and called the death of unarmed black man George Floyd a shocking failure and released a video calling for unity during the coronavirus pandemic. However, Freddy Ford, who is Mr Bushs spokesman, told Reuters that he has retired and and wont be wading into this election. Erin Perrine, director of press communications for the Trump campaign told the Independent: This is the swamp yet again trying to take down the duly elected President of the United States. President Trump is the leader of a united Republican Party where he has earned 94% of Republican votes during the primaries something any former president of any party could only dream of. Democrats have flipped a state Senate seat previously held by Republicans for the last 25 years. Dr Karen Berg won the special election for Kentuckys 26th Senate District after Republican Senator Ernie Harris announced he was retiring following 25 years in office. She beat Republican candidate Bill Ferko by 14 points. During the 2018 general election, Dr Berg narrowly lost to Mr Harris when attempting to unseat him for the state Senate. But her win, announced on Tuesday after officials counted all absentee ballots from the 23 June special election, could signal the blue wave seen across the country during the 2018 general election might be continuing into 2020. She will remain in her Senate seat until 2022. The Kentucky Democratic Party Chair Ben Self congratulated Dr Berg, saying her win was a clear sign that Kentucky voters are tired of the divisiveness of the @KYGOP. Republicans still hold a super majority within Kentuckys state Senate, so Dr Bergs win is unlikely to make a dent in power for the Democratic Party. But it could still signal what might come for Democrats in November. Suburban swings to Democratic candidates versus Republicans has helped alter the deep-red state in recent election cycles. Democrat Governor Andy Beshears win last year against incumbent Matt Bevin, a Republican, was partly due to that gain in momentum from suburban voters, specifically white women who have turned away from the GOP. Kentucky Democrats have now turned their sights on a larger and more high-profiled election: the race between US Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and challenger Amy McGrath. Ms McGrath, a moderate Democrat, was announced as the winner against Charles Booker, an African-American state lawmaker who gained momentum amid the Black Lives Matter protests and support from Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Following her win, Ms McGrath is now aiming to do potentially the impossible by unseating the top Republican in the US Senate. If the alleged blue wave is actually happening across the country, with Democrats gaining support in suburban districts and among white women and minority voters, Ms McGrath could have a chance against Mr McConnell. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has split with Donald Trump over the president's threat to veto the annual defence spending bill if it includes a provision to rename military bases named for Confederate figureheads. Well, I would hope the president really wouldn't veto the bill over this issue. ... I hope the president will reconsider vetoing the entire defence bill, which includes pay raises for our troops, over a provision in there that could lead to changing the names, Mr McConnell said in an interview on Fox News on Wednesday. The president had indicated in a tweet earlier in the day that he would veto the $740bn bill if it includes an amendment from Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren to rename some US military bases. I will Veto the Defence Authorization Bill if the Elizabeth 'Pocahontas' Warren (of all people!) Amendment, which will lead to the renaming (plus other bad things!) of Fort Bragg, Fort Robert E. Lee, and many other Military Bases from which we won Two World Wars, is in the Bill! Mr Trump tweeted. The Senate Armed Services Committee unanimously agreed this week to add a provision to the bill to "remove all names, symbols, displays, monuments, and paraphernalia that honour or commemorate the Confederate States of America ... or any person who served voluntarily with the Confederate States of America from all assets of the Department of Defence" within three years of enactment. Several GOP senators have filed an amendment to remove the language forcing the Defence Department to purge itself of Confederate paraphernalia and nomenclature, but the measure is unlikely to make its way to the Senate floor for a vote. Negotiators on the annual National Defence Authorisation Act (NDAA) have struck mostly bipartisan chords so far, with Senate leaders expressing confidence they can strike a deal with House Democrats at a conference between the two chambers. The Senate is also ironing out the wrinkles on a bill to make Juneteenth a federal holiday on a par with Martin Luther King Jr Day, Memorial Day, and other days of US historical and cultural significance. Juneteenth, celebrated annually on 19 June, is a holiday for the emancipation of enslaved people in the US. Senate Republicans are hung up on whether to move forward with a bipartisan bill from Senators John Cornyn of Texas and Ed Markey of Massachusetts or whether they should strike another federal holiday namely, Columbus Day to balance out the calendar, The Hill has reported. Im just saying, lets replace it with something. I chose Columbus Day just because its probably the most lightly celebrated and less disruptive to anybodys schedule Senator Ron Johnson of Wisconsin said, according to The Hill. Johnson is happy to celebrate the emancipation with a national holiday", he said. "But I just dont think we should be, when were already blowing a hole in the budget right now, offering another paid day off for federal employees, he said. Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has condemned budget cuts to New York Citys Police Department (NYPD) saying it does not meet protesters demands over defunding. These proposed cuts to the NYPD budget are a disingenuous illusion, said Ms Ocasio-Cortez in a statement. This is not a victory. The Democrats comments on Tuesday came as New York Citys Council voted to pass the 2021 police department budget, which included an almost $484 million cut. Critics complain that more than $350 million from those savings will be relocated to other city departments, including New Yorks Department for Education. That will see continued payments to police stationed outside schools, when activists have advocated for their removal. Defunding police means defunding police, said Ms Ocasio-Cortez. It does not mean budget tricks or funny math. It does not mean moving school police officers from the NYPD budget to the Department of Educations budget so the exact same police remain in schools. The 2021 plans, which Mayor Bill de Blasio proposed after tense negotiations with the City Council, also failed to meet demands for more extensive measures. Two hundred community groups said on Tuesday that their demands were still not being met after they called on Mr de Blasio to slash $1 billion (808m) from the NYPD budget. Mayor de Blasio and Speaker Johnson are using funny math and budget tricks to try to mislead New Yorkers, said Anthonine Pierre, a spokesperson for Communities United for Police Reform, in a statement. Moving police from the NYPD to other agencies does nothing to reduce police violence, he added. Ms Ocasio-Cortex added on Tuesday that the fight to defund policing continues because communities had demanded less police on the streets not reallocated police budgets. The debate over the NYPD budget comes as New York City authorities manage a $9 billion (7.3b) shortfall in revenue caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. Authorities across the US have also been under pressure to defund or abolish police departments after Minneapolis police killed George Floyd, an unarmed black man, on 25 May. The US has effectively secured the worlds supply of one of only two drugs proven to help treat coronavirus. Remdesivir, which has previously been used to fight Ebola but has now been found to reduce recovery times among Covid-19 patients, is exclusively manufactured by pharmaceutical giant Gilead Sciences. The US Department of Health and Human Services (HSS) has announced it has bought up more than 500,000 doses of the drug. The figure equates to Gileads entire production for July, as well as 90 per cent of its production in both August and September. The USs decision to stockpile the drug means there will likely be little supply in the rest of the world for several months. HSS secretary Alex Azar, hailed the move, saying president Donald Trump had struck an amazing deal. To the extent possible, we want to ensure that any American patient who needs remdesivir can get it, Mr Azar added. The Trump Administration is doing everything in our power to learn more about life-saving therapeutics for Covid-19 and secure access to these options for the American people. Gilead has been criticised in recent days for its decision to charge $2,340 (1,990) for a typical remdesivir treatment course for people covered by government health programmes in the US and other developed countries. In 127 poor or middle-income countries, the company is allowing generic makers to supply the drug; two countries are doing that for around $600 per treatment course. Despite its ability to shorten the recovery times of some coronavirus patients, remdesivir has not been found to significantly improve an individuals chances of surviving the disease. Were in uncharted territory with pricing a new medicine, a novel medicine, in a pandemic, Gileads chief executive, Dan ODay, said. He added the company believed it had to really deviate from the normal circumstances and price the drug to ensure wide access rather than based solely on value to patients. Rankin unveils portraits of NHS workers on the coronavirus frontline Show all 12 1 /12 Rankin unveils portraits of NHS workers on the coronavirus frontline Rankin unveils portraits of NHS workers on the coronavirus frontline Marc Lyons ICU Consultant, East Cheshire NHS Trust PA Rankin unveils portraits of NHS workers on the coronavirus frontline Emma Kelly Critical Care Nurse, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust PA Rankin unveils portraits of NHS workers on the coronavirus frontline Laura Arrowsmith COVID-19 Ward Cleaner, Leighton Hospital, Crewe PA Rankin unveils portraits of NHS workers on the coronavirus frontline Stuart Brookfield Paramedic, South Central Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust PA Rankin unveils portraits of NHS workers on the coronavirus frontline Claudia Anghel Midwife, University Hospital Coventry and Warwickshire PA Rankin unveils portraits of NHS workers on the coronavirus frontline Sarah Jensen Chief Information Officer, Barts Health NHS Trust PA Rankin unveils portraits of NHS workers on the coronavirus frontline Anne Roberts District Nurse, Midlands Partnership NHS Foundation Trust PA Rankin unveils portraits of NHS workers on the coronavirus frontline Ali Abdi Porter, University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust PA Rankin unveils portraits of NHS workers on the coronavirus frontline Jack Hannay Manikum 111 call handler, West Midlands Ambulance Service PA Rankin unveils portraits of NHS workers on the coronavirus frontline Ade Williams Superintendent Pharmacist, Bedminster Pharmacy in Bristol PA Rankin unveils portraits of NHS workers on the coronavirus frontline Farzana Hussain GP, Project Surgery, Newham PA Rankin unveils portraits of NHS workers on the coronavirus frontline Roopak Khara General Adult Psychiatrist, West London NHS Trust PA But Peter Maybarduk, a lawyer at the consumer group Public Citizen, called the pricing an outrage. Remdesivir should be in the public domain because the drug received at least $70m in public funding towards its development, he added. The price puts to rest any notion that drug companies will do the right thing because it is a pandemic, Dr Peter Bach, a health policy expert at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York said. The price might have been fine if the company had demonstrated that the treatment saved lives. It didnt. Earlier this month, researchers at the University of Oxford announced the cheap steroid dexamethasone had been found in studies to reduce the risk of death in coronavirus patients with severe respiratory complications by up to one-third. Scientists working on the drug trial found it could benefit patients on ventilators or oxygen, but had no effect on those who did not need help breathing. Additional reporting by AP The Pentagon released a report on Wednesday claiming that the Russians have been working alongside the Taliban to drive US troops out of Afghanistan. The report comes just days after the New York Times reported that Russian intelligence agents were paying bounties to Taliban-connected fighters for killing US troops. The Pentagon report covers the time period between December 2019 and May 2020. As of February, the Russian government was working with the central government, regional countries and the Taliban to gain increased influence in Afghanistan, expedite a US military withdrawal, and address security challenges that might arise from a withdrawal, the report stated. Russian officials have denied any involvement in the activities covered in the report. The Pentagon believes Russia is interested in seeing peace between the US and the Taliban in hopes that a good relationship will keep the US from returning to Afghanistan. The report notes that the Taliban has become more violent since a February deal was struck with the US. Under the terms of the deal, the US would reduce the number of troops it has in the country and, in return, the Taliban would sever its links with al Qaeda, which actively works to sabotage the Afghan government. According to the Pentagon, the US has fulfilled its side of the bargain but the Taliban has allegedly continued its involvement with elements of al Qaeda. The US is planning to further reduce its troop numbers in Afghanistan regardless. The US still has 8,000 troops in Afghanistan as of February 2020. Intelligence sources told the New York Times that President Trump had been warned of the Russian bounties months ago. The president has been excoriated over claims that he does not read his daily intelligence briefings and has not retaliated against Russia. On Wednesday, Mr Trump called the story a hoax created by the fake news to hurt him and the Republican Party while simultaneously claiming hed never been briefed on the situation because the information wasnt credible enough to reach his desk. Anonymous intelligence officials told CNN that the Russian bounty story was included in at least one of the presidents daily briefs. Members of Congress were briefed in separate sessions on Tuesday concerning Russias alleged bounty offers. Following the briefing, Republican legislators claimed the information was never brought to Mr Trump because US intelligence agencies couldnt agree on the credibility of the reports. Our intelligence agencies didnt agree with each other, which is pretty well established now. Intel was continuing to be assessed before [Mr Trump] was brought into it, Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Jim Inhofe, a Republican, told Politico. Republican Senator Ron Johnson told the publication that the initial reports were completely false and were unverified and completely not actionable. Mr Inhofe said Democrats would seize on the story as a way of hurting the president heading into the 2020 US election. This is going to continue to be a Washington, D.C. story one where they try to make the president look bad, he said. Because here is what we also know, and we dont need any special intelligence to tell us: Putin is a murderer and a thug. He hates America and our interests. Democrats briefed on the matter were less forgiving of Mr Trump. Following the briefing, Rep. Adam Schiff, the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, told reporters that the president needed to acknowledge the Russian story and report to the American people. I find it inexplicable in light of these very public allegations that the president hasnt come before the country and assured the American people that he will get to the bottom of whether Russians are putting a bounty on the heads of American troops, Mr Schiff said. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo defended the Trump administrations response to the reports. We responded in precisely the correct way with respect to making sure that our forces were postured appropriately, that they were aware of the level of the threat, the credibility of the threat, and that we were there, Mr Pompeo said. A top House Democrat on Wednesday accused the Trump administration of having "squandered" the situation in Hong Kong to "sell soybeans" to China. But Congressman Brad Sherman possibly the next chairman of the influential House Foreign Affairs Committee says there's a catch: "We haven't even sold the soybeans." During a hearing on the Hong Kong's diminishing autonomy from Beijing, Mr Sherman accused the White House of putting its partial trade deal with China above human rights. China on Wednesday implemented a new law that critics say removes the autonomy that Hong Kong has had for decades. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced on 27 May that the Trump administration no longer views Hong Kong as autonomous from China, a move that could cause it to lose special trading status with Washington as Donald Trump threatens to punish Beijing over coronavirus. White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany told reporters she had talked to Donald Trump about the matter at that time, with the president telling her: "It's hard to see how Hong Kong can remain a financial hub if China takes over." The new law spawned sometimes-violent protests in Hong Kong. Several witnesses told the Foreign Affairs Committee that the so-called "one country, two systems" arrangement has been scrapped due to the new Chinese law. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi made a rare appearance inside a hearing room, saying she did so with "great sadness." "We continue urging President Trump to hold Chinese officials accountable," she said, adding: "For years, the world has watched in horror" as Beijing has eroded Hong Kong's autonomy. "They want the most horrible form of horror," Ms Pelosi said, describing Chinese officials' as telling imprisoned Hong Kong protesters that "nobody cares" about their plight. "It's an all-out effort to negate the rights of the people of Hong Kong," the speaker said. "The law is a brutal, sweeping crackdown ... intended to destroy the freedoms they were promised." More follows President Trump has called reports that Russia was paying bounties to Taliban fighters to kill US troops "fake news" and "just another hoax". Mr Trump has come under fire in recent days after reports alleged that he had been warned about the bounty system but did nothing in response. The New York Times reported earlier this week that US spies and military members had warned the US government that Russians were allegedly paying bounties to fighters who killed US troops. In addition to reporting on the bounty offering, the story also claimed that the White House did nothing to respond to the threat. "The Russia Bounty story is just another made up by Fake News tale that is told only to damage me and the Republican Party. The secret source probably does not even exist, just like the story itself. If the discredited @nytimes has a source, reveal it. Just another HOAX!" Mr Trump tweeted. The New York Times attributed the reports to anonymous intelligence officials. Mr Trump claimed that he was never briefed on the information. "Do people still not understand that this is all a made up Fake News Media Hoax started to slander me & the Republican Party. I was never briefed because any info that they may have had did not rise to that level," Mr Trump said in another tweet. The president's press secretary, Kayleigh McEnany, attempted to fend off claims that Mr Trump wasn't aware of the alleged threat to US troops because he chooses not to read his daily intelligence briefings. "The president does read and he also consumes intelligence verbally," Ms McEnany said, when asked why Mr Trump wasn't reading his daily briefings. "The president, I will tell you, is the most informed person on planet earth when it comes to the threats we face." Secretary of Defense Mark Esper said that the Pentagon had no evidence to corroborate the allegations made in the New York Times story. Legislators briefed on the threat since the story broke have divided along party lines as to its credibility. House Majority Leader, Democrat Steny Hoyer, told reporters that "nothing in the briefing that we have just received led me to believe it is a hoax". Texas Republican Mac Thornberry, ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee, did not call the reports a hoax but urged caution and further investigation, adding that US troops need to be protected. "Every level of government needs to gather more information to understand this situation better," he said. "Measures have to be taken to be sure our troops are protected." Mr Trump's political opponents have seized on the revelations to attack him ahead of the 2020 US election. The Lincoln Project, a "Never Trump" conservative PAC that has endorsed Joe Biden for president, released a video ad in which a retired US Navy SEAL calls the president either a "coward" or "complicit" in the alleged Russia bounties. "Any commander-in-chief with a spine would be stomping the living s*** out of some Russians right now, diplomatically, economically, or if necessary, with the sort of asymmetric warfare they're using to send our kids home in body bags," former Navy SEAL, Dan Barkhuff, said in the ad. Mr Biden took his own shots at Mr Trump during a campaign stop in Wilmington, Delaware. He called the president's lack of response "an absolute dereliction of duty if any of this is even remotely true". "I think the president has a lot to answer for, and we should get the answers quickly," Mr Biden said. "This president talks about cognitive capability. He doesn't seem to be cognitively aware of what's going on. He either reads and-or gets briefed on important issues, and he forgets it, or he doesn't think it's necessary that he needs to know it." The former vice president suggested Mr Trump should have "at a minimum picked up the phone and said 'Vladimir, old buddy, if any is true ... you've got a big problem, a big problem'." The Trump administrations decision to withdraw from the World Health Organisation (WHO) will harm the health of people around the world, according to the Harvard Global Health Institute director, Dr Ashish K Jha. On 29 May, President Donald Trump announced that the US would be terminating its relationship with the WHO and would redirect those funds to other worldwide and deserving urgent global public health needs. Throughout the first months of the coronavirus pandemic, Mr Trump repeatedly criticised the WHOs response to the crisis, and said they failed to adequately deal with the virus when it first emerged. Dr Jha told the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations on Tuesday that the withdrawal will harm not only the health of people around the world, but also US leadership and scientific prowess, according to New Kerela. He added that it will ultimately harm the health of the people at a time when Americans are getting sick and dying at an unprecedented rate. There has been a rise in coronavirus cases and deaths across the US in the past month, since most states reopened non-essential businesses. This followed a couple of months of steady decline, as lockdowns were enforced across the country, and on Friday, the US recorded its highest daily total of coronavirus cases. This has forced some states, including California, Texas and Nevada, to halt any further easing of measures and to enforce extra requirements to get the virus under control. Speaking at the Senate Committee on Tuesday, Dr Jha said that leaving WHO also separates the US from much of the leading research and development around Covid-19. Scientists from countries around the world turn to WHO to share samples and collaborate on quickly building an evidence base, he added. WHO director general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has called for global solidarity to tackle the pandemic, and Dr Jha added that the US leaving the organisation undermines this, as they are a big contributor of funding. The US provides about 15 per cent of WHOs funding. It is clear that cutting US ties with WHO significantly hampers WHOs ability to execute on its mission, he said. Recommended UN warns against pulling WHO funding as Trump halts US contributions Mr Ghebreyesus responded to the Trump administrations withdrawal on 1 June, and said: The US government and peoples contribution and generosity towards global health over many decades has been immense. It has made a great difference in public health all around the world. It is WHOs wish for this collaboration to continue. According to a tracking project hosted by Johns Hopkins University, there are now more than 2.6 million people who have tested positive for coronavirus in the US. The death toll has reached at least 127,457. The Hong Kong government has agreed to pay a British PR company more than 5m in an effort to combat negative coverage in the international media. Announcing the one-year contract with London-based firm Consulum, the administration said a new communications strategy would rebuild confidence in Hong Kong as a place to invest, do business, work and live. It follows a search for a PR agency willing to help restore Carrie Lams administrations image following criticism over its handling of pro-democracy protests. The Relaunch Hong Kong tender document first reported by industry website Provoke admitted the government did not effectively present its case to defend its actions or effectively mobilise the community to support law enforcement actions and condemn intimidation, doxxing, vandalism and the criminal and violent behaviour of rioters. It added: This had a negative impact on global perceptions about Hong Kong. The announcement came as Hong Kong police fired water cannon and pepper spray at protesters on Wednesday, after a controversial new national security law came into effect. Critics claimed new rules on protest signed into law by Chinese president Xi Jinping will undermine the right to demonstrate and end the citys judicial autonomy. At least two arrests have been made under the new legislation. Consulums 5.6m contract follows bids from seven PR firms around the world. The Mayfair-based company, set up by former employees of Bell Pottinger, had attracted criticism for representing the Saudi Arabian government. A Hong Kong police officer raises his pepper spray handgun as a man is detained during a march against the national security law (Reuters) Hong Kong Public Relations and Communication Professional Union, a group made up of PR professionals, objected to the aims of the newly-awarded contract. The best crisis management strategy builds upon facts and the ability to accept responsibility, it said. Brett Free, Hong Kongs deputy director of information, defended the communications campaign on Wednesday, claiming it would allow the semi-autonomous territory to reconnect with global audiences. He said: This programme will help us to inform global audiences about Hong Kongs economic recovery and responses to issues of international interest, including the facts surrounding Hong Kongs efforts to address the Covid-19 crisis, and that Hong Kong remains always welcoming and open for business. The Independent has approached Consulum for comment. Publishers launch a protest against the book retailer Interpark in front of its headquarters in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, Monday. Yonhap By Park Ji-won Publishers and bookstore owners were outraged after Interpark Song-in Books began the procedure for court-approved corporate rehabilitation last month, less than three years after the retailer took over the bankrupt Song-in Books in 2017. The retailer sold books it purchased from publishers to 2,000 bookstores nationwide. Publishers received money from the retailer sometime after their books were sold. With the retailer initiating corporate rehabilitation last month, publishers have been unable to receive money from the retailer. They are also unable to get their unsold books returned. "Small publishing houses and one-person businesses will be the hardest hit," an executive of a mid-sized publishing house in Seoul told The Korea Times asking for anonymity. "Small publishers don't have money for marketing, so they rely heavily on the retailer for the distribution and sales of their books." She said her publishing house lost money as it didn't get what it was owed when rehabilitation procedure began. "We lost money back in 2017 when Interpark took over the then bankrupt Song-in Books. Now we suffer again because the retailer filed for corporate rehabilitation," she said. Feeling the pinch, about 150 creditors took to the street to protest Interpark's action. In a demonstration in front of Interpark Song-in Books, Monday, they urged the firm to be a socially responsible business. "When Song-in Books went bankrupt in 2017, the publishing industry offered an 80 percent debt reduction as it believed in Interpark The company is irresponsible as they took rehabilitation steps only two-and-a-half years after the takeover," Yoon Chul-ho, chairman of the Korean Publishers Association, claimed during the protest. The remarks came after the Seoul Bankruptcy Court approved Interpark Song-in Books's steps for the rehabilitation procedure, June 26, as it was suffered from growing debt. It reportedly has 13.7 billion won ($11.4 million) in debts to repay which includes 5.5 billion won owed to book publishers, as fewer people are buying physical books in the aftermath of the COVID-19 impact on the industry. "The company decided to file for the rescue procedures as its operation may further damage the industry when larger bookstores continue to take a bigger share of the market and more people buy fewer paper books, in addition to the financial difficulties of small- and medium-sized bookstores following the spread of COVID-19," an official at Interpark said. If there is no buyer for the troubled wholesaler, the debts could be reduced in the company's favor, which means creditors may not get a full repayment from the wholesaler. The conflict may linger unless the two sides come to an agreement. The situation also arises about three years after the wholesaler filed for bankruptcy at the beginning of 2017 after failing to honor 10 billion won in matured debt owed to smaller publishing companies and other creditors. Some 2,000 publishers and 500 bookstores were affected back then. Interpark, one of the country's largest online-based shopping malls, purchased Song-in Books in December 2017, taking a 56.2 percent stake worth 4 billion won and renaming it Interpark Song-in Books. Since then, it has tried to revive the book company by creating synergy with its other business sectors, enjoying minor successes such as cutting operating losses. But in the first quarter, Interpark Song-in Books saw an operating loss of about 900 million won and ended up filing for rehabilitation to avoid bankruptcy. Insiders point out that the financial difficulties could have been largely anticipated as the current industry's supply chain is hard to sustain and similar to a "revolving credit card payment" payments in the industry are made based on unwritten "promises" or hypothetical accounting books without having a collective system to show clear sales data. Large bookstores such as Kyobo Book Store have not been hit hard by the situation as they can buy books on their own without using wholesalers. But many small bookstores in the city and provincial regions are expected to suffer as they have been dependent on wholesalers such as Interpark Song-in Books. Monique Bitu Bingi was only 4 years old when she was taken from her family in Belgian Congo and locked up in a religious mission run by Catholic nuns. Her friend Lea Tavares Mujinga was even younger the day her mother was forced to give her up: just a 2-year-old toddler. Born from a white settler father and a black mother and despised because of their biracial heritage both girls were seized from their mothers and separated from their African roots by Belgian authorities that ruled over the area from 1908-60. During colonial times, they, like thousands of other biracial children known as metis, were taken away and raised in Belgian institutions as the colonial power promoted a strict separation of white and black people and systematically tried to prevent interracial unions. At the St Vincent de Paul sisters mission, they went through years of deprivation and abuse that have left indelible scars. We have been destroyed, both morally and psychologically, Ms Bitu Bingi told the AP on Monday, the eve of the 60th anniversary of Congos independence on 30 June 30 1960. We have lost our identities. Excuses are not enough. (Clockwise from top left) Simone Ngalula, Monique Bitu Bingi, Lea Tavares Mujinga, Noelle Verbeeken and Marie-Jose Loshi were among thousands of biracial children seized from their mothers and separated from their African roots by Belgian authorities ruling over the area from 1908-60 (AP/Francisco Seco) Now in their 70s, Ms Bitu Bingi and Tavares Mujinga want reparations. Along with three other biracial women born between 1945 and 1950 in the African country, they have filed a lawsuit in Brussels targeting the Belgian state for crimes against humanity. Their complaint comes amid growing demands that Belgium reassesses its colonial past. In the wake of protests against racial inequality in the United States, several statues of King Leopold II, who is blamed for the deaths of millions of Africans during Belgiums colonial rule, have been vandalised and a petition has demanded that Belgium remove all of his statues. Last year, the Belgian government apologised for the states role in taking thousands of babies from their African mothers. And for the first time in the countrys history, a reigning king expressed regret on Tuesday for the violence carried out by the former colonial power. In a letter to Congolese president Felix Tshisekedi, Belgiums King Philippe conveyed his deepest regrets for the acts of violence and cruelty and suffering and humiliation inflicted on Belgian Congo. Ms Bitu Bingi, Tavares Mujinga and the three other women now live in Belgium and France after emigrating from Congo and have requested compensation of 50,000 euros (45,000) each but are also seeking broad reparations for all children seized from their mothers and placed in institutions during the colonial era. A statue of Belgiums King Leopold II is smeared with red paint and graffiti in Brussels (AP/Virginia Mayo) There were official documents from the administration, its a state crime that was organised by the Belgian colonial administration, said Christophe Marchand, a lawyer representing the women. Tavares Mujinga said she was taken away from her family while her father, a Portuguese man who worked in the cotton industry, had left the country for a holiday. Ms Bitu Bingis father worked for the Belgian administration. According to legal documents, in all five cases the fathers did not exercise parental authority and the Belgian administration threatened the childrens Congolese families with reprisals if they refused to let them go. Time has passed since the five women were forced to cut ties with their relatives, but the trauma they went through has never been fully addressed, and their pain remains immense. None of them have ever received psychological assistance. Tavares Mujinga, right, speaks with her friend Ngalula, center, as they look over papers with Bitu Bingi (AP/Francisco Seco) When we talk about it, we cry, Noelle Verbeeken, one of the five plaintiffs, told the AP on the outskirts of Brussels. We have no identity. We dont know where we come from ... We are nothing. Just the children of sin, Ms Verbeeken said, quoting the expression used to describe the children when they arrived at the religious mission in the Congolese town of Katende. There, Tavares Mujinga was reunited with her older brother, who had been seized a few years earlier. The women lived in the mission with 20 other biracial children and black orphans in very harsh conditions. Ms Bitu Bingi recalls that food was scarce, and rare were the days when she could properly wash. We did not know how chicken tasted. And one of the doors of our dormitory was overlooking the morgue, she said. The girls did receive an education. Tavares Mujinga, who went on to marry a Belgian airplane pilot, became a primary teacher while Ms Verbeeken studied Greek humanities and became a nurse. The five women speak with each other as they as they look over their papers during the interview (AP/Francisco Seco) They wanted to make nuns out of us. We had other plans, Ms Bitu Bingi said. The womens traumatic journey took a turn for the worse several months after independence when they and the other children were abandoned by both the Belgian authorities and the Catholic Church. The nuns and other mission personnel were evacuated amid political upheaval and the children were left on their own. There was no room for us, Ms Bitu Bingi said, recalling mutilated bodies around the mission during the post-independence unrest. She doesnt dwell on the sexual abuse and rape by Congolose militia fighters after the nuns left that is described in the lawsuit, which says the militiamen sent to the abandoned mission to look after the young girls molested them instead. Ms Bitu Bingi was only 11. To this day, she says she cant help but think of the militia trucks whenever she hears the sound of a truck engine. She found solace during a trip to South America decades later after finding out that her father had emigrated to Argentina to start a new life. She travelled there and finally met that branch of her family, a trip she said eased her suffering. My father was already dead, but I received a warm welcome, she said. Ms Bitu Bingi and the women she calls sisters now hope their lawsuit will lead Belgium to finally recognise its responsibility in their suffering and in the pain of the thousands of other children who were snatched away. What we expect, and what they expect, is a reparation law, a strong decision, said Jehosheba Bennett, another lawyer for the women. Telling the stories of what happened during the colonization is really important because now there is not much awareness about this. Associated Press European leaders have condemned Chinas decision to bring in a sweeping new security law in Hong Kong aimed at stamping out protests in the semi-autonomous territory. The European Council said the legislation enacted by Beijing on Tuesday was deplorable, while the European Commission said it would seriously damage Chinas reputation around the world. This law risks seriously undermining the high degree of autonomy of Hong Kong and having a detrimental effect on the independence of the judiciary and rule of law, and we deplore this decision, said European Council President Charles Michel. Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, said: We have indeed consistently said that China would risk very negative consequences if it went ahead with this law, including for business confidence, Chinas reputation, public perception in Hong Kong and internationally. She added: We remain in touch with our international partners on this matter and will pay careful attention to how to respond. While German chancellor Angela Merkel has yet to comment on the new security law, Germanys foreign minister Heiko Maas said the new security would damage relations between the EU and China. What is happening there is extremely worrying because we believe that Hong Kongs autonomy is gradually being eroded, Mr Maas told German public broadcaster ZDF Ultimately, the relationship between China and the European Union will be affected. Boris Johnson said on Wednesday that he would offer a new path to UK citizenship for around three million Hong Kongers with British National (Overseas) status in response to the new security law. Foreign secretary Dominic Raab said Chinas move constituted a clear violation of the autonomy of Hong Kong and a direct threat to the freedoms of its people. Police officers detain protesters during rally against new national security law (EPA) The law makes secessionist, subversive or terrorist activities illegal, as well as foreign intervention in the territorys affairs. It will also see security agencies from mainland China in Hong Kong for the first time, and allow for extradition to the mainland for trial. Critics fear it is aimed at crushing the freedom to protest and ending the pro-democracy opposition. Hong Kong police fired water cannon and tear gas and arrested nearly 200 people on Wednesday, as protesters took to the streets in defiance. Recommended UK to offer new route to citizenship for Hong Kongers Police cited the law for the first time in confronting protesters. You are displaying flags or banners/chanting slogans/or conducting yourselves with an intent such as secession or subversion, which may constitute offences under the ... national security law, police said in a message displayed on a purple banner. Steve Tsang, who directs the China Institute at Londons School of Oriental and African Studies, said that if the EU were to join forces on the issue with the so-called Five Eyes alliance the US, UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand they would be able to exert more pressure on China. However, Mr Tsang said it was far-fetched for either Mr Johnson or Donald Trump to work with the EU on the issue. It is reasonable for Beijing to calculate that both the UK and US are paper tigers. Boris is focused on Brexit. He is happy to cooperate with anyone except for the EU. Oiled by the Kremlins election machine, the result of Vladimir Putins vote on constitutional reform one that would allow him to rule until 2036 was never in doubt. But the decision by Russias election commission to publish preliminary live results five hours before polling closed was a novelty that shocked even the most cynical of observers. The initial projection of 73 per cent in favour of amendments was broadly in line with exit polls published by state pollsters FOM and VTsIOM. They projected 70 per cent and 76 per cent respectively, also before the end of polling. Opposition groups painted an altogether different picture. At 5.30pm local time (3.30pm GMT), their own exit polls projected a near tie in Moscow (47.76 per cent for, 52.24 against) and a heavy defeat for the president in his home city of St Petersburg (38.2 percent for, 61.8 per cent against). The constitutional plebiscite was an unusual electoral exercise for Russia, with polling stretched over seven days and in the middle of a coronavirus pandemic. Authorities said the unprecedented measure was necessary to ensure safe voting. For critics, it was a trick to boost turnout from a population tired of their longtime leader. The vote is taking place in a tricky period for Mr Putin, who has lost much of his glow after a torrid few months of largely absent Covid-19 crisis management. According to Levada Centre, Russias most independent pollster, Mr Putin is still trusted by 59 per cent of Russians, but that figure is down 30 per cent from a post-Crimea high of three years ago. In open polling, ie when Russians are asked to name the politicians they most trust themselves, support drops to 29 per cent. The figure is lowest among young voters, with less than one in 10 expressing affiliation. This weeks ballot asked for a yes or no answer to 206 amendments in entirety, with the proposal to reset term limits buried deep amongst them. It was technically impossible to ask voters to go through the changes one by one, authorities claimed. Invariably, official campaign literature focused on the other 205 amendments, targeting populist pressure points from marriage as a heterosexual union, to indexation guarantees for pensions and other social benefits. In his address to the nation on Tuesday, Mr Putin made no mention of the all-important clause on term limits. The poll has also been marred by allegations of vote-rigging, but given the prevalence of home and electronic voting, this is difficult to verify. A member of the election commission checks the temperature of a voter (AP) On their part, officials claimed the vote to be Russias cleanest yet. Deputy elections chief Nikolai Bulayev talked about a breakthrough in the low number of complaints received. Mr Putin said that election manipulation methods such as forced voting, rounding errors in counting and inflating turnout were inadmissible. But there was evidence of all methods being rolled out and more. On Thursday, the first day of voting, Pavel Lobkov, a journalist for the independent Dozhd television channel, reported he had managed to vote twice. He was later questioned by police for his efforts, with prosecutors now threatening criminal charges for election fraud. A week earlier, a colleague from the same channel was taken in for questioning after he uncovered a corrupt scheme to register elderly voters for electronic voting. Some of the most egregious manipulations during the week were recorded in the northern capital of St Petersburg. There, election officials were recorded by local journalists stuffing papers into the ballot box. At another polling station, an election observer claimed officials refused to give him access to voting numbers. When journalist David Frenkel followed up on these claims a day later, he was seriously assaulted by a police officer and another unidentified man. He ended up in hospital with a broken shoulder bone. The election monitoring group Golos reported a total of 1,500 separate infringements during the seven-day vote. Ella Pamfilova, Mr Bulayevs boss at the election commission, dismissed the claims, and Golos as a toxic and degraded organisation. Ilya Azar, the journalist who has become an unexpected alternative protest figurehead, has announced a protest for 6pm local time (4pm BST) in Pushkin Square. He was responding to a coup detat, he said in a Facebook post. But in an open admission of the impossibility of protesting in Russia, he said he would not be openly encouraging others to join him. Let every man decide for himself, he said. They should know 20,000 rouble [230] fines and 30-day jail terms are very likely. Benjamin Netanyahu has missed the self-imposed 1 July deadline to start the controversial process of annexing the West Bank, a close aide and confidant confirmed on Wednesday, with fraught talks with the United States having yet to yield results. The Israeli prime minister was permitted to formally present the annexation plan to the cabinet or parliament from 1 July, according to a power-sharing deal he struck with his coalition partner Benny Gantz. The decision to declare sovereignty over the occupied Palestinian territory has been met with fierce backlash from the international community. Boris Johnson on Wednesday cautioned that it violates international law and would jeopardise Israels own security. Despite Mr Netanyahus fiery speeches vowing to press ahead, in line with Donald Trumps January peace deal, cabinet minister Ofir Akunis admitted officials were still working out the final details with their American counterparts. He added that he expected the annexation to take place later in July, casting further doubt on whether Israel would go through with the divisive plan at all. Coordination with the American administration is not something that can be dismissed, Mr Akunis told Israels Army Radio. The prime ministers office issued a statement saying Mr Netanyahu held discussions on Wednesday with American diplomats and Israeli defence officials on the issue of annexation, and that additional discussions will be be held in the coming days. Several other countries, the United Nations, the European Union, and most Arab states, including Israels key neighbours like Jordan, have all warned it will only spark a tidal wave of violence and kill a two-state solution to the decades-old conflict. The Palestinians, who seek all of the West Bank as part of a future nation, have said it would end their hopes of statehood. Israel needs the backing of the Trump administration, which released a peace plan in January handing nearly a third of the West Bank to Israel along with most of Jerusalem as its capital. But amid the mounting chorus of condemnation, the US appears to have toned down its enthusiasm for the imminent annexation. Israel and the US have been holding talks for several months supposedly finalising a map of which areas of the West Bank will be annexed. A view of the Israeli settlement of Givat Zeev, near the Palestinian city of Ramallah in the occupied West Bank (AFP/Getty) (AFP via Getty) After wrapping up meetings with White House envoy Avi Berkowitz and the US ambassador to Israel David Friedman on Tuesday, Mr Netanyahu admitted nothing had been decided. I spoke about the question of sovereignty, which we are working on these days and we will continue to work on in the coming days, the prime minister said. Similar doubt was cast by Israels foreign minister, Gabi Ashkenazi, on Wednesday. I dont know what will be. I am not a prophet, he told Israels Army Radio. The West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza have been occupied by Israel since the 1967 Middle East war and are territories that the Palestinians hope will become their future state. However, Israelis see these lands as theirs, and so over the past few decades built hundreds of settlements and outposts. There are now nearly 430,000 Israeli settlers living in the occupied West Bank, which is home to 2.7 million Palestinians, according to Israeli watchdog Peace Now. Peace Now also estimates there are a further 220,000 Israeli settlers living in occupied East Jerusalem. During the campaign trail of the past three elections in Israel, Mr Netanyahu has put annexation at the centre of his platform. He is under time pressure. Mr Trump is considered one of the most amenable US presidents to the idea of annexation and so Mr Netanyahus supporters fear it must be pushed through ahead of the US election this year. Leaders of Israels settlements in the West Bank, which are key allies of the Netanyahu administration, have voiced concern that any delay will end up in annexation being cancelled. They have even spoken about a 15 July expiration date for the plan, according to Israeli daily Haaretz. Yisrael Gantz, head of the Mateh Binyamin regional council, which encompasses 46 Israeli settlements and outposts in the occupied West Bank, told the Israeli newspaper they were concerned that in the run up to the presidential elections in the US, the Trump administration would be too distracted to support annexation. In the three months prior to the election, the United States will not do anything dramatic, he posited. Many of the more ideologically radical settlers, who believe Israel should encompass all of the West Bank, Jerusalem and Gaza, have also expressed anger at Mr Trumps peace plan for handing too much territory to the Palestinians. It is another pressure that Mr Netanyahu has to grapple with alongside backlash abroad and pushback from his own ruling coalition. Benny Gantz, the countrys alternate prime minister, has expressed serious reservations. This week he said annexation should only be advanced with strategic partners in the region and with the Palestinians, and to reach an arrangement that benefits all sides. There have been different reports in Israel media about a watered-down version of annexation in light of these obstacles, with Israels broadcaster Channel 12 reporting that Mr Netanyahu may only annex three of the larger and old settlement blocs first. Channel 12 also reported that the American negotiators are asking Israel to make a significant step as a gesture to the Palestinians, such as handing over West Bank territory to Palestinian control comparable to that annexed. Israel currently has full control over 60 per cent of the West Bank. A new poll shows that President Donald Trumps support among white evangelicals has slipped since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, and that national satisfaction amongst Republicans has plummeted. While the vast majority of evangelicals still support the president, data from Pew Research Centres latest survey show a drop of six percentage points since April. The previous survey showed the highest level of support for Mr Trump since his inauguration. At present, 72 per cent of white evangelicals say they approve of the way that Mr Trump is handling his job. Very strong approval of the president amongst the group has dropped eight percentage points to 59 per cent. Though were the election to be held today, 82 per cent would either vote for him or would lean towards voting for him. The survey reports that 17 per cent would vote for Democratic candidate Joe Biden. At the time of the 2016 election 77 per cent backed Mr Trump, while 16 per cent voted for Hillary Clinton. The survey, conducted between 16-22 June, came after both the assault on peaceful protesters in Lafayette Square in Washington, DC, to allow the president to stand in front of St Johns Episcopal Church for a photo-op; and the landmark Supreme Court ruling on LGBT+ rights. Mr Trump has strong support from all Christian groups with the exception of black protestants, 88 per cent of whom would vote for Mr Biden. Some 52 per cent of overall Catholics would also vote for Mr Biden, but Mr Trump wins the support of 57 per cent of white Catholics. Those with no religious affiliation are heavily in favour of the Democrat by 72 per cent to 25 per cent for the Republican. Of all US adults, the survey reports 54 per cent supporting Mr Biden and 44 per cent supporting Mr Trump if the election were held today. Perhaps more worrying for the Trump campaign is the precipitous drop in Republican satisfaction with the way things are going in the country. Earlier in the year, 55 per cent said they were satisfied. That has now plummeted to 19 per cent. Only 7 per cent of Democrats were are satisfied. The poll showed 71 per cent of people are angry about the state of the nation, and 66 per cent are fearful. The popularity and performance of opposition parties four and a half years out from a general election would not normally be of great interest. Nonetheless, there are serious reasons to pay attention to the revival of the British Labour Party under new leadership, and the less publicised competition for leadership of the Liberal Democrats. The Johnson government may have a large working majority in parliament 87 over all opposition parties but failures in the handling of Covid-19 have led to a collapse in its credibility and trust among the electorate. There is already a growing appetite for plausible alternatives. Until a few weeks ago, the assumption had been that the Conservatives had broken the back of the opposition and could expect to rule for a decade or more, but after Keir Starmers decisive victory in the Labour leadership contest, that pessimism is lifting. Recommended My lockdown in Leicester is about to get a lot worse The public has begun to appreciate the qualities in him which have long been apparent in parliament: he is a thoroughly professional, clever, well-organised and articulate performer who, as Labours Brexit spokesman, managed to navigate the treacherous rapids of his own divided party while building trust with Remain campaigners in other parties. Surveys suggest that Starmers personal approval rating (over 30 per cent net) runs far ahead both of that of his own party, and of the prime minister, Boris Johnson. He has already made a few good calls, taking a statesmanlike approach on Covid-19 and, latterly, sacking his hard-left frontbencher Rebecca Long-Bailey over her retweeting of an interview with an actor, published by The Independent, which contained her repetition of an antisemitic conspiracy theory. But Starmer is still climbing in the foothills, far from the summit. His partys biggest and long-standing problem is not being trusted on the economy. Labour activists regard austerity as a scourge to be fought and a term of abuse. The public does not appear to share this passion and sees the anti-austerity message as a sign of extravagance, a warning of higher taxes to come. The problem isnt new; Tony Blair and Gordon Brown faced it also and had to fight the 1997 election on a firm commitment not to exceed the Conservatives frugal spending plans. For more than a decade, one of Labours proudest boasts was that it was top of the international class in economic management: prudence with a purpose. Strange as it may seem to todays Labour activists, the departing Labour government in 2010 had planned years of austerity to cut the massive budget deficit a sin for which the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition was then demonised. Today the priority is a deficit-led recovery, but in four years time with, hopefully, an improving economy but lots of accumulated public debt Starmers main challenge as a prime ministerial candidate will be to explain why Labour is no longer anti-austerity but has rediscovered prudence. He must also quietly bury a host of ideologically inspired commitments from the Corbyn era. Blair established his reputation for seriousness by ditching Labours traditional socialist belief in nationalisation. Starmer has, so far, gone along with the partys instincts. The public appears to support pragmatic public ownership, as on the railways. But it will baulk at paying for doctrinaire takeovers. Another good example of baggage is the Labour commitment to abolish or slash student tuition fees under the fee/loan system. This is a cause that has already inflicted grievous political damage on the Liberal Democrats, as a consequence of making promises that couldnt be delivered in office. It is a policy that would starve universities of income and divert scarce public funds to highly paid graduates. It wouldnt be progressive or sensible, but Starmer will require some political heroism to ditch it in preparation for government. Starmer also faces the challenge from the other opposition parties. The problem in Scotland is especially dire. The dominant party until five years ago, Labour now has only one Scottish MP as against 48 members of the Scottish National Party (SNP). Its working-class base in central Scotland has been virtually wiped out. Although the SNP government is showing signs of wear and tear in Holyrood, it will require an electoral miracle for Labour to get back to levels of support in Scotland that it commanded only a decade ago. Moreover, any attempt to team up with the SNP against the Conservatives would do enormous political damage in England. The best hope is to make some inroads into the central belt and hope that the Lib Dems can recapture Scottish seats from the Conservatives and Nationalists in the northeast and the Borders. Recommended The people will decide how quick this economic recovery will be That complementarity of interests between Labour and the Lib Dems has much wider promise. A year ago, the Lib Dems were flying high with record wins in local government elections and big gains in European elections. Defections from Labour and the Conservatives were beginning, led by Chuka Umunna, the first of a clutch of brave and talented Remain rebels. I handed over to my successor confident that the party was on its way back. That didnt happen. A creditably honest internal party report on the election recently described what went wrong. There were mistakes made, but the main problem was that widespread tactical voting by Remain voters simply didnt materialise. Conservative Remain voters decided that Brexit was a lesser evil than a Corbyn-led government. Instead of the realistically expected 30 to 35 seats, the Lib Dems slipped backwards to just 11. By contrast, the new political situation offers a more benign environment, and with it the chance of evicting the Tories from office. With a moderate, credible leader of the Labour Party, whom few could fear as a far-left radical, it will be possible for both centre-left forces in England to recover ground. My party has to remember it will do so not by outflanking Labour on the left, but by maintaining its acceptability to moderate Conservatives who want to see this government out. The new leader will have to resist the illusory opportunity presented by recruiting a wave of disaffected Corbynites leaving Labour. Venomous, sectarian, far-left activists will (thankfully) never view the Lib Dems as a rallying point and the party should not try to paint itself as one. Wherever the Lib Dems should be, it isnt left of Labour. A particular test of political maturity will be demonstrating pride rather than shame in the coalition government. If ever there was an advert for the five years of coalition, it is the five hopeless, shambolic years that have followed. There is a lot of overlap in the social liberal and social democratic values and traditions. Smart leaders understand as Tony Blair and Paddy Ashdown did that it is possible to compete locally or in some parts of the country and collaborate tacitly in others. Ideally, the voting system would be different but we and Labour have to recognise reality. Building on a strong local government base, the Lib Dems can win seats where Labour has no chance, just as Labour can win seats where the Lib Dems are out of the picture. If both parties put tribalism aside, to concentrate their respective energies on where they can win, it could make all the difference in a tight election. With the Conservative government having snatched a premature decline from the jaws of its triumph last December, Sir Keir could do worse than to befriend the new Lib Dem leader when he or she is elected. A joint approach, turning their guns on a common enemy, could yet bring the Boris era to a welcome end. Vince Cable is the former leader of the Liberal Democrats If you had to write down the fundamental tenets of conservatism on the back of a cigarette packet, national sovereignty would surely make the scribble. "Let's not allow foreign powers to meddle in our elections" is about as basic as it gets especially for a political party whose bread and butter is flag-waving and freedom-crowing. But with the latest back room deal from GOP senators just exposed, it is fair to say for far too many, love of country is a grift. Yesterday, Senate Republicans killed a part of the Intelligence Authorization Act mandating that presidential campaigns report any endeavors by foreign entities to interfere in American elections. Proponent of the legislation Senator Mark Warner (D-VA) said the behind-closed-doors cull was a condition of passing the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which is being debated in the Senate this week. It is not the first time this legislation has been thwarted by GOP senators, despite it having bipartisan support among the Senate Intelligence Committee, on which Warner is the ranking Democrat. In a frustrated speech on the Senate floor, Warner stressed that Russia plans to meddle in future elections, and accused senior Republicans of being more concerned with receiving applause from Trump on Twitter than protecting the United States. He rebuffed claims that rejection of the bill was due to committee jurisdiction squabbles, vowing to add the legislation as an amendment so that GOP lawmakers that wanted to reject it would have to go on record: Are you for election security, or are you for allowing foreign entities to interfere and offer assistance, with no requirement to report? I think we already know the answer to this. Let us not forget that in 2019 the Democrats rallied around a pledge not to use hacked information on their opponents in 2020s election but the Trump campaign and the RNC refused. In 2016, Never-Trump conservatives warned that the man was "not conservative and not qualified. The former issue probably gets the least attention in the mainstream, but its important. If a conservative leader is not conservative in the most fundamental way, then what is he for, except to be a gravy train for career politicians who, having thrown their lot in with him, can wear his treachery too? Whether or not one agrees with an America First policy thrust to begin with is largely irrelevant here, because within the GOP leadership, the notion has failed on its own terms; none are putting country before party. We hear a lot of talk about left-wing virtue signalling obsessions with symbols and cheap words. But the right has had its own version sham patriotism for time out of mind. Of all the easy aesthetics a Republican could opt for, flag-waving is number one. Now, this latest failure to protect the homeland exposes this symbolism as a grift. Just as anyone (except perhaps Mike Pence) can say black lives matter without any meaningful action, God bless America is an easy right-wing virtue signal. Given that patriotism is a core tenet of conservatism, this latest act disqualifies much of the Republican Senate on its own terms, never mind any ideological arguments with Democrats. For anyone born in the shadow of the Cold War, it is hard to imagine a time in which the United States would be so demeaned as to fail to preclude election meddling from Russia, of all places. If nothing else, it should offend the GOPs vanity. In his speech on the floor of the Senate, Warner lamented that: In a different time, with a different president, this bill wouldnt be controversial at all. But the problem is that too many career Republicans have had their principles tested and been found wanting. Trump goes after dissenters within his own party with fire and fury, calling them human scum ironically, just as his pal Kim Jong-uns propaganda apparatus describes North Korean defectors. Having mostly capitulated, Republicans in Congress can wear his failures. In moving to protect Trump, they are continuing to hedge their bets, even though many privately disapprove of his actions. His polling numbers are currently dismal, and they are banking on a bounce. To that end, in the coming months, well see the sham patriotism ramped up. In the run-up to Novembers election, the GOP leadership will, as Republicans often do, run on a Dems hate America platform, illustrating Trumps pronouncements with burning buildings and looted store footage. They will play this card, despite having failed to play Patriotism 101: The United States is a sovereign nation and must decide its own elections. For too many, this card will land. Millions still love this president. For many more, the right name on a badge carries the day, and a flag on sinking sands is still a flag. Gardai did not arrest anyone for breaching Covid-19 restrictions in the last week of June. Gardai have arrested or taken the details of people suspected of breaching the regulations on 320 occasions since laws were introduced in response to the pandemic in April, an increase of seven since last weeks update. However, none of the incidents took place over the last week, with seven other new records relating to previous weeks. Three weeks ago, gardai lost the power to enforce coronavirus movement restrictions, meaning that even though people are meant to travel only within their county or 20km from their home, they cannot be arrested for breaching these limits. Since Monday, the travel restriction lifted and people are free to travel beyond the 20km limit. The Garda must seek permission from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) to bring charges in relation to the emergency legislation, introduced back in April at the height of the pandemic. The DPP has to date directed charges in relation to 110 incidents. Most incidents involve a single individual but some have resulted in charges against multiple people. No charge was directed in relation to 29 incidents. Expand Close Vehicles stop at a Garda checkpoint in Dublins city centre as Gardai have been deployed at checkpoints nationwide to prevent people from travelling across the country for the May bank holiday weekend. / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Vehicles stop at a Garda checkpoint in Dublins city centre as Gardai have been deployed at checkpoints nationwide to prevent people from travelling across the country for the May bank holiday weekend. Gardai reported 21 incidents of spitting or coughing against officers. Deputy Garda Commissioner John Twomey condemned the incidents. He said: Gardai continue to be subject of disgusting and despicable spitting and coughing attacks. This remains a serious concern for the organisation. These are a significant health and safety risk to our members in the current environment. We must protect them from such attacks. This includes having the option of using anti-spit guards in very limited circumstances. We have made it clear these anti-spit guards are only to be used as last resort and in line with the Garda Decision Making Model, which includes at its centre human rights and our Code of Ethics. Mr Twomey said anti-spit guards provide an additional tactical option to be considered by gardai, as a last resort in a continuum of graduated response, in circumstances where there is clear evidence of spitting now or where a member believes there is a clear and tangible threat of spitting posed by the subject. Mr Twomey said the number of incidents involving other suspected crimes continues to far exceed the number of cases involving only breaches of Government restrictions. There has been very good compliance with the public health guidelines to date. As we enter phase three it still remains important for people to continue to heed public health advice to help reduce the spread of Covid-19. He said gardai will continue to operate as a community-based policing service with a focus on protecting the vulnerable. This approach will not change during this phase, he added. AN Taisce, Senator Ivana Bacik and local residents have raised concerns over 475m plans to construct a large-scale mixed-use scheme for the redevelopment of DIT's former Kevin Street campus in Dublin. In May, Shane Whelan's Westridge Real Estate lodged plans for the development of 571,671 square feet of office accommodation in two 11-storey blocks alongside 299 apartments across three buildings of up to 14 storeys in height. Westridge acquired the 3.57-acre site for 140m in August 2019. A report lodged with the plans by EY estimates that the redevelopment will generate 7.67bn in total output over 10 years. The designer of the scheme, Henry J Lyons, has told Dublin City Council that the proposal will become a place associated with high-quality design, a benchmark for inner-city living, and offer first-in-class office and residential space. However in her submission, Senator Bacik told the council she is concerned that the proposal "will have a deleterious effect on the quality of life for residents in the locality". "At 14 storeys with little transition down from the uppermost storeys to ground level, the development will be extremely jarring, both from street level and as it appears on the skyline," she said. "I do not and would not object to high-density developments in principle, but the mass and bulk of this proposal's design lowers residential amenity and I know that the proposed height is of particular concern to many residents." One local resident to object is 91-year-old retired architect Brian Nolan. The Portobello resident says the proposal needs to be reconsidered and reduced in scale. In his submission on behalf of An Taisce's Dublin City Association, Kevin Duff has contended that the demolition of the buildings on site to make way for the new development "is not justifiable". He said the proposed development "appears over-scaled and over-massed for the location". "The applicant is simply seeking to squeeze an excessive quantum of new development onto the site when the existing buildings should be maintained and re-used," Mr Duff said. Local resident Jane Ohlmeyer, a professor of modern history at Trinity College Dublin, claims that the proposal "will have an over-powering detrimental effect visually on our street". The residents of blocks 1 and 2 of Bishop Street flats also have lodged objections against the proposal. They claim that the height of the 14-storey towers will have an impact on the privacy of every resident in the flats. A decision is expected to be made on the plan later this month. For anyone counting, it only took 138 days for our new Minister and 'super-junior' at the Department of Agriculture to be appointed. Both are from Offaly, but represent what could be considered the established and new politics wings of the Government. How the marriage of the Fianna Fail minister and Green junior minister works out will be interesting and significant. Pippa Hackett told this newspaper in January that Ireland should undertake no further lobbying to attain "any manner of exemptions" for agriculture on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Hackett, herself a farmer, said the sector needed to diversify away from its focus on beef and dairy. She said farmers should embrace nature, and focus on quality rather than quantity. In contrast, new Minister Barry Cowen has described the setting of binding targets on methane and ammonia emissions as "self-defeating". This position is very much at odds with what the Green Party is seeking - and what the three-party coalition has committed to in its Programme for Government - so watch out for some difficult conversations between the two in the months ahead. Sceptics will characterise Hackett's appointment as a 'super-junior' minister, with the added privilege of attending cabinet, as just a nod to the Green agenda. However, Green activists maintain that it confirms their determination to push for change in agriculture, which along with transport is the sector responsible for the vast majority of Irish GHG emissions. Hackett's responsibilities for land use and biodiversity mean that she will have a central role to play in framing Ireland's policies post the next CAP negotiations. Given the shift from action-based to results-based agri-environment schemes, Hackett's input in the proposed new REPS package will be telling. Protecting the Nitrates Derogation will be a key consideration for the IFA and ICMSA in their interactions with the new Government. Submissions on the derogation were sought by the Department this week, with the application for its rollover for 2022 to be lodged with Brussels by the autumn. The content of that application will illustrate to a large degree whether the farm sector or the environmental lobby has this Government's ear. South Africa: PRASA resumes limited operations The Passenger Rail Agency of SA (PRASA) today resumes limited operations after a COVID-19 enforced lockdown saw its operations ground to a halt in March. In a statement, the agency uurged commuters to arrive at stations earlier than usual to accommodate time for screening and hand sanitisation on the premises. During this period, PRASA says informal traders will not be allowed to operate outside the station gate, inside the station, on the platforms and inside the trains. Furthermore, no eating or drinking will be allowed inside the stations and trains, said PRASA. Passengers, who are exhibiting symptoms associated with COVID-19 will not be allowed inside the stations. They will be placed in a holding facility, where health authorities will attend to them. Commuters are urged not to travel if they are feeling unwell, but instead they should stay at home and seek medical advice, said the agency. The deep cleaning of operational trains, as well as high-volume areas at the stations, will be conducted on a continuous basis. PRASA encouraged passengers to observe the one seat social distance markers inside the train, as well as the social distance markings next to the ticket office and at the platforms at all times. PRASA will strictly adhere to the COVID-19 hygiene protocols, which include social distancing on platforms and inside trains. The wearing of face masks covering the mouth and nose will also be strictly enforced, said the agency. Operationally, PRASA will gradually introduce a limited service nationally. As a start, only four lines in total will be operating, namely: Gauteng - operating between Piennarspoort and Pretoria Stations. - Morning peak service will be between 05:00 09:00. - Afternoon peak service will be between 15:00 19:00. Western Cape - operating between Cape Town and Retreat Stations. - Morning peak service will be between 05:00 09:00. - Afternoon peak period will be between 15:00 19:00. Eastern Cape - operating the East London and Port Elizabeth lines, respectively. - Morning peak will be between 05:15 08am. - Afternoon peak will be between 15:30 till 18:40pm. - SAnews.gov.za This story has been published on: 2020-07-01. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. BEIJING, June 30 (Xinhua) -- The Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council issued a statement on Tuesday, voicing firm support for the newly adopted Law of the People's Republic of China on Safeguarding National Security in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR). The office pledged full support for and cooperation in the work related to the implementation of the law to ensure its effective enforcement in the HKSAR. The law was passed at the 20th session of the Standing Committee of the 13th National People's Congress (NPC), China's top legislature. The law's adoption by the NPC Standing Committee, its inclusion in Annex III to the Basic Law of the HKSAR and its promulgation in the HKSAR, constitute a milestone event for the practice of "one country, two systems," said the statement. It will offer a strong institutional guarantee for fully and faithfully implementing the "one country, two systems" principle, effectively safeguarding national sovereignty, security and development interests, maintaining long-term prosperity and stability of Hong Kong, and ensuring the steady and sustained implementation of "one country, two systems," said the statement. Hong Kong will therefore embrace a turning point for ending chaos and bringing back order, it added. The law has clearly defined four categories of crimes that severely endanger national security and their corresponding penalties, and established and improved the enforcement mechanisms for safeguarding national security at the levels of both the central government and the HKSAR, said the statement. The law fully conforms with the "one country, two systems" principle, China's Constitution and the Basic Law of the HKSAR, and is a major move to improve the institutional framework of "one country, two systems," the statement noted. The law will improve Hong Kong's legal system and bring more stability, stronger rule of law and a better business environment to Hong Kong, said the statement. Related law-enforcement and judicial organs of the central authorities and the HKSAR will perform their duties and functions in accordance with the law, exerting joint efforts to ensure the effective enforcement of the law on safeguarding national security in the HKSAR and related existing laws in the HKSAR, it said. Noting that the Chinese government is firmly committed to safeguarding national sovereignty, security and development interests, implementing the "one country, two systems" principle and opposing interference in Hong Kong affairs by external forces, the statement said no intimidations or sanctions will change Hong Kong's global economic status, nor will they deter the Chinese people. Another American service member newly assigned to South Korea has tested positive for the new coronavirus, the U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) said Wednesday. The latest COVID-19 case brought the total number of infections among the USFK population to 40. The confirmed patient arrived at Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul, on a commercial flight Sunday and was transported to Camp Humphreys' quarantine barracks, according to the military. He was moved to isolation barracks after being confirmed with COVID-19. "USFK health professionals determined there was limited contact tracing due to the service members and all others on the flight being tested and immediately quarantined; thorough cleaning of the bus and quarantine room has been completed," it said in a release. All USFK-affiliated individuals arriving in South Korea from overseas are tested for COVID-19 and then quarantined for 14 days. Medical personnel administer another test prior to their release from isolation, according to the U.S. military. (Yonhap) A FATHER-of-three has been accused of money laundering after gardai found nearly 900,000 in alleged crime proceeds at a farmyard in Co Cavan. Jonathan OConnor (38) is alleged to have had 88,000 in cash in a vehicle, with the rest of the cash found in 19 packages concealed behind brickwork in outhouses. Judge Bryan Smyth remanded him in custody with consent to bail totalling 26,000 when he appeared in Dublin District Court today. Mr OConnor, a truck driver of Elm Road, Donnycarney, is charged with possession of 870,620 and STG14,890 in criminal proceeds. The offence is alleged to have happened at Dromore, Baileboro, Co Cavan on June 28 last. Detective Garda Enda Gormley said he arrested the accused at Navan Garda Station yesterday and he was charged at 8.07pm.He made no reply after caution. Objecting to bail, Det Gda Gormley said it was alleged the accused was found with 88,100 in a vehicle, and a further search resulted in the seizure of 19 packages containing another 782,520. He said the seizures resulted from an intelligence-led operation by the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau, targeting the distribution, sale and supply of drugs in the state. The property at Dromore, Baileboro was put under surveillance and gardai observed a vehicle pull into the farmyard at 12.30pm. The accused was seen alighting from it, and two children were with him. Gardai saw Mr OConnor and the children ride on quad bikes around a field adjacent to the farmyard and when they returned the bikes were put back in a shed, Det Gda Gormley continued. The gardai then entered the property with a warrant, which they showed the accused. Mr OConnor told them there was a bag containing 88,100 in cash on the back seat of his vehicle and gardai located this. A full search of the premises then commenced and further bags were located in outhouses, concealed behind brickwork. The accused pointed out two of the four separate locations where the bags were found, Det Gda Gormley said. A comprehensive file was being prepared for the DPP and further charges were possible, he said. The accused was caught red handed with the cash, Det Gda Gormley said. Gardai believed Mr OConnor was involved in large scale money laundering and if granted bail, he would commit offences to recoup his losses. Det Gda Gormley also believed if released, the accused would dispose of any illegally acquired cash in his possession. Applying for bail, defence solicitor Daniel Hanahoe said the accused, who was presumed innocent, was a truck driver and had three children. His parents and brother were in court to stand bail but were not of significant means, he said. Judge Smyth granted bail in the accuseds own bond of 1,000 with no cash lodgement. However, he said there must also be an independent surety of 25,000, half of which is to be in cash. Under conditions, he is to sign on daily at his local garda station, reside at his home address, notify gardai of any change of address and observe a curfew. He is not to apply for a duplicate of his passport, which was surrendered to the gardai, and is to be contactable at all times by mobile phone. Mr O'Connor was remanded in custody with consent to bail, to appear in Cloverhill District Court on July 2. Frightening: Thousands of tonnes of peat flowed for several kilometres in Co Leitrim Frightened residents had to flee their homes after a landslide sent thousands of tonnes of sodden peat cascading down a hillside. The flood of earth travelled for several kilometres near Drumkeerin village, Co Leitrim, burying farmland in layers metres deep in places. Several roads were also blocked, woodland was engulfed and local rivers and streams have been deluged. Farmers gathered yesterday to try to assess the scale of the destruction and locate missing livestock. Councillor Padraig Fallon, who joined them, said they were all shocked by what they saw. "It's impossible to describe it unless you were here. We were trying to find where it started but it's further than I can see. We'll need a drone or aircraft to see the full extent of it." The land started moving on Sunday evening after days of heavy rain followed months of unusually dry weather. "People said it was like they could hear very loud continuous thunder, but with thunder you'd look up. This was coming at them at ground level and it was very frightening," Mr Fallon said. Damage "There are a few houses cut off but luckily there's no one in them. The occupants left on Sunday. You couldn't stay there in the dark not knowing how close the slide was going to get or if it was going to come down on top of you." A landslide caused extensive damage on the opposite side of the valley in 2008 but that incident was attributed to the construction of a wind farm. No works were being carried out at the location of Sunday's slide which locals said was largely left undisturbed apart from grazing livestock. Around a dozen farmers are affected and the Irish Farmers Association said it would ask the Department of Agriculture to declare force majeure so that farmers would not have their land declared unproductive and ineligible for farm payments. Inland Fisheries Ireland said extensive damage was caused. "It may take some time before it is safe to carry out proper assessments," it said. Leitrim County Council engineering staff have been on site since Sunday. "The council continues to assess the situation and monitor the direct impacts," it said. Mr Fallon said there were fears of further slides as more rain was forecast. Five men are being questioned by gardai following a major investigation into the use of horsemeat, not fit for human consumption, in the food industry. The investigation, which began in 2017, uncovered evidence indicating at least 2,000 bogus horse passport documents were drawn up to help sell horses for slaughter and the meat then sent for export onto markets in Europe. After initial inquiries by the special investigation unit in the Department of Agriculture, gardai began investigating the activities of an organised gang involved in deception and fraud, including the tampering of identification passports and microchips of horses sent for slaughter in this country. In an operation, codenamed Lanyard, officers from the National Bureau of Criminal Investigation (NBCI) were backed up by officials from the Department of Agriculture and Food and the Food Safety Authority of Ireland. It culminated in the arrests yesterday of five men in the north midlands and particularly around the Athlone area of Co Westmeath. Aged between 35 and 55 years, they were detained on suspicion of participating in a criminal organisation. They were being detained last night at Carrick-on-Shannon, Longford and Roscommon garda stations under section 50 of the Criminal Justice Act, so can be held without charge for up to seven days. The arrests followed seven searches a year ago at farms, houses and commercial premises in counties Roscommon, Leitrim, Sligo, Westmeath and Kilkenny as part of an evidence gathering operation. The investigation stemmed from the customs seizure in 2017 of a batch of microchips which arrived from China. The codes were subsequently matched to horse passport numbers for animals that had been slaughtered in eastern Europe and elsewhere up to 10 years before. Members of the Agriculture special investigation unit checked back through international records to trace the horses. Gardai established that an organised crime gang had been implanting microchips into worthless horses and then producing them for slaughter, with fake passport documentation. EMBATTLED Cuisine de France owner Aryzta said it has seen "steady improvement" in revenue trends at the business as more countries emerge from lockdown, but warned that it expects a "bumpy recovery" in the coming months. Activist investors continue to circle Aryzta, with an extraordinary general meeting planned for next month where they'll try to oust chairman Gary McGann. In an update from Aryzta yesterday, the baked-goods group said organic revenue was heading for a 23pc decline for the month to date in June, compared to a 36pc fall in May and 49pc in April. It said it had 370m of liquidity as of June 25, compared to 385m at the end of March. Aryzta said the figure is stable compared to three months ago. The group, whose CEO is Kevin Toland, said measures it initiated in March as the Covid-19 pandemic swept the globe are being kept under review. Those actions included reducing production capacity, suspending capital expenditure, furloughing staff and slashing discretionary spending. It said 22pc of its staff are currently furloughed, compared to 30pc at the end of April. Aryzta said its weekly revenue in Europe is trending at a 27pc decline. It added that its quick service restaurant (QSR) and in-store bakery segments are "gradually improving", with food service and convenience retail channels still being negatively hit. The Swiss-Irish group's clients include McDonald's and Subway. In North America, revenue is trending 18pc lower. "The signs of recovery are concentrated in the QSR and retail channels in the region, while food service remains negatively impacted by Covid-19-related restrictions," it said. In Europe, operations at just one of Aryzta's bakeries remains fully suspended, compared to three at the end of April. It said 80pc of its lines in Europe are currently operational. In North America, one bakery remains suspended, compared to five at the end of April, and 90pc of lines are operational. Shares in Aryzta rose 0.66pc to 0.425 Swiss francs (0.40) yesterday. Last week, it emerged that an activist shareholder group unhappy with Aryzta's strategic direction and performance over the past few years could be willing to let Mr Toland remain on the board. The shareholder group comprising Switzerland's Veraison and Spain's Cobas, which between them control 17.8pc of the food company, previously said that it wants to remove Mr Toland from the Aryzta board so he can concentrate on his CEO role. However, while it's believed that the investors might allow Mr Toland, a former senior Glanbia executive and ex-DAA chief executive, to remain on the board, it's also understood that the group will not compromise on Mr McGann's removal or the appointment of three nominees, including a new chairman. Cobas and Veraison intend to propose the removal from the board of five current members at an Aryzta EGM in August. They are Mr Toland, Mr McGann, Dan Flinter, Rolf Walter and Annette Flynn. The activists have proposed that Urs Jordi should be appointed chairman. He's the former boss of Swiss baker Hiestand International - the company that was originally acquired by Irish group IAWS to create Aryzta. A FORMER senior executive at Independent News & Media (INM) has initiated a lawsuit against the group's former chairman Leslie Buckley. The action being taken by Joe Webb, former CEO of the news group's Ireland division, relates to an alleged data breach in 2014. Proceedings were initiated on Monday and come nine months after Mr Webb filed a similar lawsuit against INM. Among the claims made against Mr Buckley is one for alleged "breach of contract". The lawsuits stem from concerns that privacy and data protection rights were breached during the alleged "interrogation" of INM data back-up tapes by an external company. This was done at the direction of Mr Buckley and paid for by a company owned by Denis O'Brien, INM's largest shareholder at the time. Mr Webb's name appeared on a list of 19 people against whom it is feared searches of the data were made. Almost 40,000 of Mr Webb's emails may have been sourced. Mr Buckley has claimed that the data interrogation was done as part of a cost-cutting exercise where he was seeking information about a contract. In a ruling to appoint inspectors to INM in 2018, then-High Court president Peter Kelly said that, on the evidence before him, the circumstances suggested Mr Buckley "has been guilty of misconduct and misfeasance". Mr Buckley is seeking to have the appointment of inspectors Sean Gillane SC and Richard Fleck revoked on grounds of "objective bias", claiming key evidence in his favour was omitted or misrepresented in an interim report. Inspectors oppose the application. In an affidavit filed as part of the application, Mr Buckley said: "I deny each and every allegation of wrongdoing made against me in relation to the affairs of INM." Mr Buckley said Mr O'Brien had given "detailed evidence rejecting the suggestion" that the list of 19 people could represent an "anti-Denis O'Brien list". He claimed the list came about as a result of "an algorithmic process" and not any "manual input" emanating from himself. Mr Buckley, who stood down in 2018, also rejected allegations he improperly favoured Mr O'Brien over other shareholders. Mr O'Brien sold his shares to the Mediahuis group last year. Revisions: Former Anglo chairman Sean FitzPatrick has had to change the plans for his new home. Photo: Frank McGrath Former Anglo Irish Bank chairman Sean FitzPatrick has lodged revised plans for his new home near Greystones in a bid to address Wicklow County Council's privacy concerns over the plan. Last January, the Council told Mr FitzPatrick he was unlikely to receive planning permission for his new home if he could not address the council's privacy concerns. The council had asked Mr FitzPatrick and his wife, Catriona to demonstrate that their development would not have a significant impact on the residential amenities and privacy of adjoining properties. The planning authority placed the plan on hold in January after one neighbour, Fintan Graham, lodged an objection claiming that the proposal will negatively impact the residential amenity of nearby existing dwellings. The planning consultant for Mr FitzPatrick, Kevin Hughes of Hughes Planning and Development Consultants, has told council planners that "the appropriately scaled development will not give rise to any undue impacts on the amenity of any adjacent properties". Mr Hughes said the proposal "is in accordance with the proper planning and sustainable development of the area". According to the planning documents, some of the 'key revisions' to the planned home and boundary proposed to address the privacy concerns include the introduction of 1.8 metre-high hedging and the planting of six yew trees along the boundary separating the home from neighbours' properties. The key revisions to the home include the reduction of first floor glazing on two sides through the introduction of solid walls and opaque panels. The western terrace of the home at first-floor level is to be significantly reduced in depth and the staircase to the lower level is to be relocated. The planning report points out that even without making the revisions, the house as planned would have limited visibility of neighbours' properties to the east and west. The report lodged by Mr Hughes said the revisions to the proposal - along with the photographic survey showing the limited visibility to the neighbours' properties - "are considered to dispel any overlooking impacts arising from the proposed development on properties to the west and east". The FitzPatricks' plan consists of four bedrooms, including two en-suite rooms, at ground level. Each bedroom would have access to an external terrace. At first-floor level, the dwelling will comprise an entrance hall, family room, living room and a kitchen/dining room. Ryanair is planning around 3,000 job losses if it cannot agree pay cuts with its staff, the airline's boss Michael O'Leary said on Wednesday. Europe's biggest budget airline had previously said that it had cut more than 250 staff from its office around Europe and was looking at up 3,000 cuts among pilot and cabin crew. "We've already announced about 3,000 job losses but we're engaged in extensive negotiations with our pilots, our cabin crew and we're asking them to all take pay cuts as an alternative to job losses," Mr O'Leary told BBC. "We're looking from 20pc from the best paid captains, 5pc from the lowest paid flight attendants and we think if we can negotiate those pay cuts by agreement, we can avoid most but not all job losses," he added. BUSINESSES that are reopening after months in lockdown have been warned about raising their prices. The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) said firms must act individually when setting their prices and not collude all rise prices at the same time. It comes after a number service providers that have reopened this week said they may have to raise prices to meet social distancing requirements. CCPC, which is the state competition enforcer, said it had been in contact with a number of trade bodies after they made public statements about new potential charges and price increases, which their members may apply. Service providers were told they must act independently in their commercial decisions, particularly when setting prices and charges. Businesses were told they have responsibilities under consumer protection law when setting new or additional fees, or making changes to business practices. Last week service providers say they will have to charge more to meet social-distancing requirements. They will be serving fewer customers and have more staff to police pandemic-containment measures. The speeding up of the roadmap for reopening Ireland means pubs, hairdressers, beauticians, cinemas and gyms were back in business this week. But many businesses said they expect to struggle to keep prices down. The CCPC said firms were free to introduce higher charges to meet public health requirements. But they must make such decisions independently and advise consumers of these costs before they make a purchase. The competition authority said trade associations are free to advise their members on how to address the challenges they are facing. However, the practice of trade associations suggesting future prices, or coordinating ways of passing on costs to consumers, could constitute an infringement of competition law, the CCPC said. Chair of the CCPC Isolde Goggin said her organisation is acutely aware of the new challenges that businesses across the country are facing. But she said businesses must be mindful that the rules set out by competition law remain unchanged. Whilst the CCPC recognises the importance of businesses and representative bodies working collaboratively in such unprecedented circumstances, its important for them to know that competition law still applies, even during a global pandemic. Ms Goggin said any attempt to co-ordinate the pricing decisions of their members could be detrimental to consumers and in breach of competition law. If businesses are making changes to their business practices, whether through changing their payment methods, adding additional charges or changing their prices, they are required to adhere to consumer protection law. This includes the requirement that businesses provide adequate and accurate information so that consumers can make informed decisions and exercise their consumer rights when necessary, Ms Goggin said. Motor insurers have been called on to pay larger refunds to drivers after it emerged there has been a huge collapse in claims in the UK, saving insurers millions of euro. The number of claims fell by 70pc in the UK, saving insurers 1.4bn between March 23 and May 31 compared to the average level for this period, new figures show. Motor insurers in the UK have saved the estimated 1.3bn (1.4bn) on payouts because people drove less during lockdown. The number of claims fell 69pc between March 23 and May 31 compared to the average level for this period, according to Safe, a comparison website. Experts said Irish insurers are likely to have made similar savings from the fact that people used their vehicles less during the lockdown and there were fewer car accidents. The Alliance for Insurance Reform, reacting to the UK figures, accused motor insurers here of being engaged in profit maximisation. "The insurance industry's approach to motor insurance rebates, as well as other areas such as business insurance, is one of profit maximisation. "While most of the population and small businesses have been focused on the common good, insurers have been looking after themselves." Chairman of the Consumers' Association Michael Kilcoyne accused the industry of giving back too little, and called for larger refunds. Some insurers here have given motorists refunds, but the amounts have been as low as 10. The refunds came about after pressure from Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe. Analysts said offering the refunds will cost the insurers nothing due to the massive savings they are making on claims. But some insurers, such as Aviva and AIG, are not giving their customers refunds. Insurance Ireland, the lobby group for the industry, said it was too early for a clear picture to emerge in relation to the full claims environment for 2020. It said that six major Irish insurers have committed to returning in excess of 54m to Irish motor policyholders. It added that the UK and Irish insurance markets are different in terms of the claims environment and the quantum of injury awards. It noted that only one UK insurer offered rebates to customers there. Irish technology company VR Education has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Virtual College, which will see it expand in the UK and Middle East. The Waterford-based company develops virtual reality (VR) training and education products that make it easier to collaborate on tasks remotely, create content and learn. The demand for such remote working and remote learning tools has exploded this year, as a result of the global lockdowns. Virtual College, with whom it has signed the MOU with, has to-date supported over four million online learners across both public and private sectors. Its team are experts in designing and developing vocational learning solutions - including ready-to-go courses on topics such as health and safety, business compliance, leadership and management. The MOU will enable both companies to collaborate on digital training projects and programmes that require a multi-media blended approach using some of the latest virtual reality and digital learning technologies and tools. The technology-enhanced learning solutions created under the MOU will be available to customers across the UK, the United Arab Emirates,Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Qatar. The agreement presents significant commercial opportunities for Virtual College and VR Education, according to a statement from the Irish business. David Whelan, CEO of VR Education, said: "Virtual College shares our passion for giving businesses and individuals effective learning solutions. We are delighted to have formed this exciting partnership to enable customers to benefit from a combination of our immersive Engage platform alongside the award-winning content provided by Virtual College and I look forward to updating shareholders on our progress in due course." President Moon Jae-in and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe / Korea Times file By Kang Seung-woo Japan has stepped up its efforts to prevent Korea from joining the G7 with Tokyo lobbying the United States to drop Seoul from its expansion scenario for the group of advanced economies. Diplomatic experts say its opposition was an expected response, while advising the Korean government to stay unresponsive to the neighboring country's "politically calculated" move. According to Japan's Kyodo News, Sunday, a high-ranking Japanese government official told the U.S. that it would oppose the participation of Korea in the plan to expand the summit of the seven advanced economies, proposed by U.S. President Trump in May to form an anti-China coalition. While announcing the decision to postpone the G7 summit scheduled in June to September, Trump said, May 30, that he would like to invite Korea, Australia, India and Russia. During a phone conversation with President Moon Jae-in two days later, the American president invited Korea to the summit, an offer "willingly" accepted by Moon. Trump made it clear that his plan was not a one-time invitation of those countries but he hoped to expand the G7 to G11 or G12. Moon to reshuffle diplomacy, security teams Yonsei Uni. professor slammed over writing for Japan's rightist media Japanese carmakers suffer extended setback in Korea from trade row But the Japanese officials called for maintaining the current framework, saying Korea's diplomatic attitude toward China and North Korea is different from that of G7, the report noted. In response, the U.S. side said that Trump will make a final decision, according to the report. Since the expansion idea came to light late last month, the Japanese government has refrained from publicly opposing the participation of Korea, which is at odds with Japan over historical and other issues unlike its opposition to Russia, with which it has a territorial dispute over the Kuril Islands. "Japan's objection has been an easy guess amid ongoing historical issue-caused diplomatic disputes. Korea's participation could weaken Japan's presence as the lone Asian member within the organization," said Park Won-gon, a professor of international politics at Handong Global University. Along with Japan, the G7 is comprised of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom and the U.S. "The Korean government may also have expected such a response from Japan to an extent," he added. The Kyodo News report also analyzed that Prime Minister Shinzo Abe may want to maintain diplomatic superiority over Korea as the only Asian member of the G7. According to a controversial memoir written by former U.S. National Security Adviser John Bolton, Abe persuaded Trump not to formally declare an end to the Korean War, ahead of the North Korea-U.S. summit in Singapore in June 2018, raising speculation that he may once again lobby against Korea's G7 participation. However, Park said it would not be easy for Abe to do so. "Trump is seeking to expand the G7 in order to use the summit as a platform to promote his anti-China agenda. In that respect, Abe knows Trump's intention and he may feel uncomfortable with standing against the U.S. president's plan to invite Korea," he said. The professor also said the timing of the report may have political purposes domestically given that public support for the Abe administration is slumping due to a series of political scandals and his slow handling of the coronavirus pandemic. Last month, the approval rating for Abe's Cabinet slipped to its lowest in two years. NORWEGIAN Air Shuttle has notified Boeing that the carrier is terminating purchases for all 97 of its remaining jets on order, underscoring the financial strains caused by a 15-month grounding of the 737 Max after two fatal accidents. In more bad news for Boeing, Singapore-based lessor BOC Aviation said in a filing yesterday that it was scrubbing an order for 30 Max jets and deferring other deliveries. As cash-strapped carriers seek to halt or postpone jetliner deals, the grounded Max makes the US planemaker more vulnerable than Airbus to single-aisle cancellations. Buyers often have the right to walk away from deliveries that have been delayed more than a year without risk of penalties, and for some 737 customers that's potential leverage to gain a cash settlement from Boeing rather than discounts on future orders. Kuwaiti lessor Alafco Aviation Lease and Finance sued Boeing earlier this year, seeking to scrap an order for 40 Max and reclaim the $336m (299m) it said it had paid in advance for the aircraft. "Boeing is walking a fine line," Douglas Harned, an analyst at Sanford C. Bernstein, said of Norwegian's move. "Our understanding is that others are looking to sue as well. While Boeing could pursue a technical legal argument that these are excusable delays, we doubt it would want that debate out in public," he said. "But, we also do not expect Boeing to roll over and set a precedent that it would return progress payments to any airline that wants them in an environment where no one wants deliveries." Boeing dropped 5.2pc to $184.35 in New York. Shares of the US planemaker had surged 14pc on Monday on the first test flight toward recertification of the Max. The single-aisle workhorse has been grounded since March 2019. Norwegian's decision covers 92 of Boeing's Max narrow-body planes, five of the long-distance 787 Dreamliners and a related maintenance pact, the carrier said in a statement. The airline, which last month reached a rescue deal with its lenders after the coronavirus decimated air travel, also threatened to turn to the courts to gain pre- delivery payments for the jets plus compensation tied to the Max's 15-month idling. The termination roils Boeing's relations with one of its largest customers in Europe, even if Norwegian's own troubles had cast doubt on its ability to take all the planes. It has converted about $1.5bn (1.35bn) of debt into equity and accessed government loan guarantees to avoid collapse. As part of the rescue, Norwegian plans to shrink its current 160-aircraft fleet. It's also halted most of its long-haul flights until April. This month, the carrier said it would restart 76 routes in Europe as travel restrictions were eased, allowing it to tap into the usually lucrative summer season. The cancelled aircraft are worth at least $10.6bn based on list prices, before customary discounts. Norwegian is still seeking to work out an agreement with Boeing on compensation, a source said. The carrier hasn't decided whether to continue using the 737 Max aircraft - of which it has 18 in its fleet - once the plane is re-certified. Norwegian is flying only 13 domestic flights, operated by eight aircraft. The airline will increase capacity to 20 planes, adding routes to European cities including London, Paris and Barcelona. It's also bringing back about 600 pilots and cabin crew from furlough. Bloomberg Spain risks long-term sluggish growth like Italy if lawmakers don't respond to the coronavirus crisis with major reforms to address long-standing weaknesses, the country's central bank has warned. Medium-term growth potential - only around 1pc before the pandemic - is at risk of falling further with businesses near collapse and some sectors facing weak demand for years to come. "In this context, it's absolutely imperative to put in place measures that compensate for the damage triggered by the crisis, to increase growth potential," Bank of Spain chief economist Oscar Arce said. Spain's economy has outperformed Italy's in recent years, thanks in part to labour market reforms and other measures implemented after Europe's sovereign debt crisis a decade ago. Investors also favour Spanish bonds, with yields well below Italian counterparts. Spain's debt ratio is lower, though it's still been close to 100pc of GDP in recent years. "I think one of the lessons of the last economic expansion is that the capital markets tolerate relatively high levels of debt better if the country in question demonstrates a relatively high potential for growth," Mr Arce said. In its annual report, the Bank of Spain called for measures to reduce companies' over-reliance on short-term precarious labour contracts, as well as education reforms. It also wants tax and regulatory changes to encourage small firms to boost their size and help lift overall productivity. Nearly 80pc of Spanish companies have fewer than five employees, compared with around 70pc in the broader European Union. "We must urgently design and implement this strategy, because of the gravity of the situation and the magnitude of the challenges that lie ahead," Bank of Spain Governor Pablo Hernandez de Cos said. Bloomberg Is there a better example of nominative determinism than Karin Slaughter? The tongue-in-cheek theory, which states that your name at birth decides your future career, fits perfectly with a writer whose crime novels are often violent, harrowing and packed with mayhem and murder of all stripes. "People always ask me if it's my real name," the American author says. "When I was a little girl, I hated the name. I remember telling my dad that I'd be dropping the 's' and calling myself 'law-ter' - he pointed out that that just spelled laughter'." It was, the genial 49-year-old jokes, a good job she didn't end up writing romances. But she "always wanted to write, absolutely, right back to kindergarten. What I didn't know was that it was possible to make a living being a writer. It is rare, so I feel very fortunate now. I tried all sorts of jobs along the way to support my writing habit, until eventually I was lucky enough to get a three-book deal". Her debut, 2001's Blindsighted, was first in the six-part Grant County series of thrillers, set in rural Georgia. Since then, she has published another 19 novels, won sundry awards, been translated into 37 languages, founded a non-profit organisation to protect public libraries - and sold some 35 million books along the way. Her latest, The Silent Wife, is the 10th of her Will Trent novels. Played out in Atlanta and across the broader state, this instalment follows the titular Trent, a Georgia Bureau of Investigation agent, his partner (professional) Faith and his partner (romantic) Sara as they attempt to solve a series of horrific rape-murders. Slaughter grew up in Jonesboro, a town of roughly 5,000 people in Georgia. "Small-town, idyllic life, very homogeneous, very religious," she recalls. "Not exactly my passions, so I did what most kids do who don't belong in small towns, and moved to the big city when I turned 18. "That said, growing up in a small town gives you experience of both urban and rural life. And while I'm not particularly religious, it gave me an understanding for it - plus when someone quotes a Bible verse at me now, I can shock them by quoting something back. When I started out, I wrote about a small town. I felt you should write what you know about." Apart from a gripping mystery storyline - actually, two mystery storylines, taking place today and eight years ago - what sets The Silent Wife apart from a lot of crime fiction is how intensely it focuses on victims and bereaved. Sometimes they're essentially pieces of a puzzle; cops try to solve it, baddies try to evade detection. The Silent Wife, though, is an angry cri de cur on behalf of the victims - something Slaughter has always tried to bring to her writing. "From the start, I wanted to know about how crime changes communities," she says. "To focus on victims in a way I didn't feel was being done in crime fiction. And to bring a woman's point-of-view to these crimes: violence that predominantly happens to women. "I felt that what I was reading was a sort-of male idea of how a woman would behave if something bad happened to her, and I knew that not to be true. I wanted to bring my perspective to it, what I'd seen happen with friends and in my community." Victims of crime are often seen less as individual humans than some abstract concept. In America, she says, "if a woman is murdered, for her to make it to the news she has to be white, middle class and preferably pregnant. So I decided to give a voice to victims, very early in my career. "And, as a writer, it's harder to write about someone who survives a crime and has to deal with the emotional fallout - but that aftermath is more interesting. It's a way to show that these women have lives and agency, they're not just victims. They're mothers and sisters and have an impact in their community." I take an unflinching look at crime, and you always want to balance that with something funny or relatable. Slaughter has a process of sorts when writing, though she reckons she likes it more than needs it: she'll drive two hours to a cabin in north Georgia, spending two or three weeks there, immersed in the work, creating these fictional universes and characters which can feel realer than real. "I'm pretty introverted - I just discovered that the life I prefer is actually called 'quarantine!' - and when I'm at the cabin, I can go two or three days without even talking, and I'm perfectly fine with that. I can't write in a coffee shop or listen to music; I like silence and staying in the story as much as I can, and it's a real reset for me to drive to the mountains. "I just calm myself down and think about the part of the book I'll be writing for the next few weeks. I think only of the book: not readers, marketers, sales or anything else. It's just me and the story I want to tell." Twenty years and 20 books: it sounds like a heavy work schedule but Slaughter insists that she is still passionate about it all. "I know authors can get tired," she says, "especially in the thriller genre, doing a book a year. But I've never had a moment where I wanted to be doing something else, or considered updating a book from years ago because that would be easier. I always feel like I'm doing something new and different with each book, and I love that excitement." Mystery is a key ingredient for her, that sense of an author knowing more than they're telling us readers; knowing how to layer the story, when and where to drop revelations like jewels in the mud (and blood). Humour is also an important element of Slaughter novels, especially motormouth, no-brakes Faith - "my inner extrovert", she laughs. Most important of all, perhaps, is humanising the characters: "That gives emotional balance to the dark things I'm exploring. I take an unflinching look at crime, and you always want to balance that with something funny or relatable. Unrelenting darkness would be too horrible to deal with." 'The Silent Wife' by Karin Slaughter, published by HarperCollins, is out now Actor Terry Crews has been criticised for saying the Black Lives Matter movement must not morph into Black Lives Better (Ian West/PA) Actor Terry Crews has been criticised for saying the Black Lives Matter movement must not morph into Black Lives Better. The Brooklyn Nine-Nine star and Americas Got Talent host, who is black, tweeted: If you are a child of God, you are my brother and sister. I have family of every race, creed and ideology. We must ensure #blacklivesmatter doesnt morph into #blacklivesbetter. If you are a child of God, you are my brother and sister. I have family of every race, creed and ideology. We must ensure #blacklivesmatter doesnat morph into #blacklivesbetter terry crews (@terrycrews) June 30, 2020 The tweet drew strong criticism on social media. Comedian Amanda Seales, who hosted Sundays BET Awards, accused Crews of becoming an enemy of the people. She said: This is unintellectual and irresponsible. You are developing into an enemy of the people. Ignorance will be your downfall. YouTube personality Franchesca Ramsey was another critic. She said: Terry. what in the actual hell? this is the very definition of a strawman argument. why would you suggest a movement created to advocate for the prosecution of cops/citizens responsible for racially motivated killings could some how morph into were better.' Actress Holly Robinson Peete wrote: Terry we trying to matter and get to equal and you are worried about better?? Activist April Reign, who launched the #OscarsSoWhite campaign, also criticised Crews. She said: Im a bit mad at myself for being even more disappointed at Terry Crews today. I thought that we had hit rock bottom. I didnt realise I had any energy left for him, and that makes me mad. Brother, I recommend we pitch in, using every sphere of influence weare in, to help eradicate racism and white supremacy, thereby helping ensure equity and justice for Black people. Letas do that, without imagining a terrorized people trying to atake over.a Eradicate racism. Be A King (@BerniceKing) June 30, 2020 Bernice King, the daughter of civil rights leader Martin Luther King, said the Black Lives Matter movement is a rallying cry and that justice is not a competition. Crews responded to her tweet, writing: You are right, @BerniceKing. I just want to make sure it stays that way. No competition, just creativity. This is not the first time Crews has caused controversy with his comments on the Black Lives Matter movement. On June 8, amid the worldwide protests against racial inequality, he tweeted: Defeating White supremacy without White people creates Black supremacy. Equality is the truth. Like it or not, we are all in this together. Following a furore, he expanded on his comments, saying I believe it is important we not suffer from groupthink. A crowd listens to former Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams speak during the funeral of senior Irish Republican and former leading IRA figure Bobby Storey at Milltown Cemetery in west Belfast. PA Photo. The 1,800 people who attended the funeral of former leading IRA member Bobby Storey were socially distanced, Sinn Fein TD Pearse Doherty has claimed. The PSNI said it would review footage of the funeral and consider any suspected breaches of the Health Protection (Coronavirus Restrictions) Regulations NI 2020. Currently, guidelines in Northern Ireland state that up to 30 people can attend funerals. Photographs from the funeral in west Belfast yesterday show hundreds lining streets and Sinn Fein President Mary Lou McDonald, her predecessor Gerry Adams, Sinn Fein Vice-President Michelle O'Neill, tha party's finance spokesman Pearse Doherty, and MLAs Conor Murphy and Gerry Kelly, were among the mourners. Speaking on Today with Sarah McInerney on RTE Radio One this morning, Mr Doherty insisted that those who attended the funeral did adhere to social distancing guidelines. Of course, those who were behind those who were lining the street, there wasnt social distancing there so that was a concern. Read More The funeral was carried out in accordance with restrictions that are there, the cortege is limited to 30 individuals and that is what had happened. There was engagement with the PSNI. There was also restrictions that had to be placed in relation to the chapel, I was one of the few that was in the chapel, we were wearing face coverings, hand sanitisers and many of Bobbys friends and close family, like so many others who have been buried during the pandemic, werent able to be part of the cortege or church for the ceremony. We have done everything that possibly could be done and advertised this on social media to discourage people from attending, he explained. He said that he was invited to attend the funeral by Mr Storeys family. Media reports yesterday claimed that 1,800 people lined the streets leading up to St Agnes' Church in Belfast. Expand Close Bobby Storey (left) and former Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Bobby Storey (left) and former Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams Those lining the streets were socially distanced. In terms of the 1,800 people, youre talking about the people who were socially distanced. You are talking about people who lined the street, which was about two miles long, on both sides of the road, at a two metre distance, said Mr Doherty. It is right and proper that people stand at the top of their road in their lanes, socially distance and pay respect to a hearse that is passing by, he added. Footage has emerged of around 60 young people being removed from a house party in Waterford on Saturday. The area, Templers Hall in Waterford City, is usually mostly occupied by students attending Waterford Institute of Technology but the majority of students have left their accommodation for the duration of the Covid-19 pandemic, and it is thought that the house had been temporarily rented by the hosts of the party. As of Monday, under Phase Three of the Roadmap for reopening society and business, indoor gatherings of up to 50 people and outdoor gatherings of up to 100 have been permitted, but the house party took place during Phase Two, when the number of people permitted to gather indoor was only six. Local Councillor Donal Barry said that he counted at least 62 people being removed from the house just in the duration of the footage which emerged. None of those asked to leave were wearing face coverings. "It's an absolute disgrace," he said. "I thought it was absolutely disgraceful that I think I counted 62 people coming out of the house when they were told to leave by the gardai, so I think they've really let all of the health workers down that have done so much work over the past few months. "First time you have a bit of leeway and you have a house party - it has a huge potential to spread in that group. They seem to be very young." "Templers Hall is nearly a student accommodation area, but an awful lot of them would have been gone home or left the house so I don't know what has happened. Generally there's a lot of trouble in that area when the students come back but I have a feeling they were local Waterford youths," he continued. "During this pandemic, just stop, don't have a party. Think of your health and your family's health and the wider community." Gardai confirmed that they attended the scene of the house party and removed a number of people. "Following reports of a disturbance at residence, Gardai in Waterford responded to call at a location in Briot Drive at around 8.35pm on Saturday," a spokesperson told Independent.ie. "A number of people were asked to leave the area. All complied." This comes as gardai report invoking coronavirus regulations just 320 times out of over a million interactions with the public. None of those incidents took place, they said in the week between June 20 and June 27. Gardai caught people breaking pre-existing regulations on 2,177 occasions while enforcing Covid-19 operations. These range from incidents like drink driving or disqualified drivers detected at checkpoints, to drugs and weapons seizures, to public order offences. Between April 8 and June 27, gardai were coughed or spat at 121 times by members of the public. In a galaxy far, far away: An artists impression of what the luminous blue variable star in the Kinman Dwarf galaxy could have looked like before it vanished. Photo: L Calcada/ESO/PA Irish astronomers have observed a "monster star" mysteriously disappearing into darkness in a nearby galaxy. Located more than 70 million light-years away in the constellation of Aquarius, this star is part of the Kinman Dwarf galaxy. Scientists are not sure why the star can no longer be seen, but there are at least two possible explanations. The first is that it may have become less luminous and is being partially obscured by dust. The second, more intriguing, suggestion is that the star collapsed into a black hole without exploding as a bright supernova. Andrew Allan, the PhD student at Trinity College Dublin who led the research, said if the star collapsed and mysteriously vanished, "this would be the first direct detection of such a monster star ending its life in this manner". He added: "It would be highly unusual for such a massive star to disappear without producing a bright supernova explosion." The researchers used the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope (VLT), located in the Chilean Atacama Desert, to observe the star. Unique At 75 million light-years away, it is too far away for astronomers to see but the researchers were able to confirm the star's presence by examining the data that revealed its unique chemical signature. They said between 2001 and 2011, scientists found evidence of a "luminous blue variable" star which is 2.5 million times brighter than the Sun. Luminous blue variables are unstable stars prone to giant outbursts over the course of their life. However, in 2019, the astronomers could no longer find the tell-tale signatures of the star. Mr Allan said: "We were surprised to find out that the star had disappeared." Jose Groh, also of Trinity College and one of the study authors, said: "We may have detected one of the most massive stars of the local universe going gently into the night." The researchers said further studies are needed to understand what happened. If the star collapsed into a black hole without producing a supernova explosion, it would be "a rare event", as "our current understanding of how massive stars die points to most of them ending their lives in a supernova". It was a busy evening during rush-hour traffic and 'Aisling' was on her way home from Temple Street Children's Hospital in Dublin with her son, who suffers from spina bifida. While driving through the city, she briefly took her eyes off the road and rolled into the back of the vehicle in front. The damage was "minimal", she said, and an assessor said it would cost 70 to fix the damage to her front bumper grille. However, at the end of last year she was notified that an injury claim was settled for more than 62,000, with legal costs amounting to just over 30,000. "The damage was so insignificant that I didn't even bother getting it fixed," she said. "The traffic was mental so we moved off the main part of the road and then I assumed the guards would need to be called, but the woman said she was in a rush and had to be down the country and left. "She took a picture of my insurance disc and I had a bad feeling about what was coming. I waited for the guards to come, made a note of the incident and then I was later informed that a claim was being made against me." Aisling's renewal quote the following year was for more than 3,000. She admitted liability, but told her insurer it was a minor collision. The woman she rear-ended claimed she had to receive hospital treatment for a back and neck injury and her car was significantly damaged. "My son was only a year and a half at the time so any accident could really damage his back or hurt him and if I hit somebody at high speed, I would have had to bring him to hospital," she said. "I didn't have much money - I had enough to be worrying about. I felt sick when I realised how much had been paid out." High Court proceedings were issued but the case never made it to court. Ms Justice Mary Irvine, President of the High Court, noted in a statement last week that 97pc of claims relating to personal injury litigation are settled. She urged parties to try to settle cases to help reduce the backlog in the courts caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. However, she stressed that she was not asking any defendant to settle a claim in respect of which they consider the claim to be exaggerated. Motorists, in response, are calling for increased transparency around insurance settlements and have shared their "frustrating" experiences of large pay-outs for minor incidents. Insurers have cited inconsistent court decisions and high legal costs as the main reason for settling cases. 'Barry' this week received a letter from his underwriter notifying him that a claim against him had been settled for just over 42,000 following a minor collision two years ago. "It was a very minor collision. I was absolutely dumbfounded when I got that letter. My premium is up for renewal next month so God knows how that's going to affect it." Jane was involved in an accident where she was found to be partly in the wrong as she was in a yellow box. A car drove into her from the side and she had to have 1,500 worth of repairs done to her vehicle. The man who crashed into her brought a whiplash claim. He refused to accept the insurers initial offer of 23,000, and the claim was eventually settled for more than 40,000. I didnt claim as there was nothing wrong with me, but the thing that struck me is how many people were encouraging me to claim. They said all I needed was a doctors note. The names have been changed for legal reasons. Insurance Ireland, the representative body for the insurance sector here, said: "Insurers vigorously contest misleading claims. We make no apologies for this and will continue to do so." A TAXI driver has been charged with murdering his wife in a samurai sword attack at their Dublin home. William Eagers (60) appeared in Dublin District Court charged with producing the sword and murdering his wife Jean (57), who died following an alleged assault ten days ago. Judge Michael Walsh remanded him in custody after hearing Mr Eagers made no reply when the charge was put to him. Jean Eagers, a mother-of-two, suffered fatal injuries inside her home at Willow Wood Grove, Hartstown on June 21 and died at the scene. Expand Close Jean and Billy Eagers / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Jean and Billy Eagers Mr Eagers was arrested at the house on the day of the alleged murder. However, he suffered injuries and was treated in hospital before he was discharged yesterday and detained by gardai for questioning. The weapons charge alleges that, while committing the offence of murder, in the course of a dispute, Mr Eagers produced an article capable of inflicting serious injury - a samurai sword - in a manner likely to intimidate another. Today, Detective Sergeant Shane McCartan said he arrested the accused at 3.21pm at Blanchardstown Garda Station on foot of the directions of the DPP in respect of the murder of Jean Eagers. The accused was charged in his presence, made no reply after caution and was handed a copy of the charge sheets. No bail application was made on his behalf as bail can only be granted in the High Court on a murder charge. Defence solicitor Fiona Brennan sought an adjournment to Cloverhill District Court on July 7 and said there was consent to this. Judge Walsh asked if this was to be by video link, but Ms Brennan asked for her client to be produced on the day. Applying for free legal aid, she said the accused was in receipt of the Covid-19 payment but when he was working, he was a part-time taxi driver. The judge granted legal aid after there was no garda objection. Ms Brennan also asked the judge to direct all appropriate medical attention and supervision for Mr Eagers. There was no garda objection and the judge made a recommendation that the accused is medically assessed and provided with such medical treatment as deemed appropriate by a medical officer and the prison governor. The accused, dressed in a dark grey jumper and blue jeans and wearing a blue surgical mask looked around as he sat in court but remained silent throughout the brief proceedings. He has not yet indicated how he intends to plead to the charges. A number of family members sat in the public gallery and one man approached the accused at the end of the proceedings. Judge Walsh remanded Mr Eagers in custody for the preparation of a book of evidence. According to gardai, a member of the accused's family raised the alarm on the day of the alleged murder and neighbours called emergency services. Gardai called to the scene and forced their way into house before the accused was arrested. Since Ms Eagers' death, gardai have been carrying out forensic tests on items recovered from the house and made a detailed examination of the scene. They have also interviewed possible witnesses. The couple are understood to have lived at Willow Wood Grove for around 20 years and Ms Eagers had worked at Marks & Spencer in Blanchardstown Shopping Centre. In this March 6, 2020, file photo, undocumented immigrants stand in line to fill out departure cards at the Korea Immigration Service's office in western Seoul. Yonhap By Jung Min-ho A Homeland Security agent has told the Adrian Donohoe murder trial that she did not make any promises to a key witness in the case whose US visa had expired, the court has heard. Special Agent Mary Ann Wade, of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), has been giving evidence via-video link in the trial of Aaron Brady, who denies the capital murder of detective garda Adrian Donohoe. The court heard that Special Agent Wade assisted the garda investigation and that some witnesses in the US were arrested. Asked if she had told prosecution witness Daniel Cahill that he could stay in the USA if he made a statement, the agent replied: "I made no promises to him and I made no statements like that to him." Expand Close Aaron Brady denies murder / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Aaron Brady denies murder The agent also refused to answer a number of questions relating to witnesses citing a letter from her employer limiting the evidence she could give in a foreign court. Aaron Brady (29) has pleaded not guilty to the capital murder of Adrian Donohoe (41), who was then a member of An Garda Siochana acting in the course of his duty, at Lordship Credit Union in Bellurgan, Dundalk, Co Louth, on January 25, 2013. The accused, of New Road in Crossmaglen, Co Armagh, also denies robbery of approximately 7,000 in cash and assorted cheques from Pat Bellew at the same location on the same date. Special Agent Mary Ann Wade agreed with lead prosecution counsel Brendan Grehan SC that she worked with gardai in relation to their investigation into the murder of Det Gda Donohoe. The court heard she was present on May 18, 2017, when Aaron Brady was arrested in Yonkers, New York, for being in the USA illegally. She said she seized the accused's iPhone and secured it before later mailing it to Aaron Brady at a location on the North Circular Road in Dublin in September 2017. The jury was told that Special Agent Wade had also received a letter of scope from her employer in which limitations were set out as to the evidence Homeland Security agents can give in a foreign court. This, the court heard, outlined a number of matters agents are not authorised to give evidence on including the immigration status of any witnesses and operational matters that could harm the agency. The letter of scope also states that agents cannot give evidence on law enforcement techniques, investigative techniques or procedures, as well as confidential information related to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Special Agent Wade agreed with Mr Grehan that these were conditions set out by her employer and not her own choice. Under cross-examination from defence counsel Michael O'Higgins SC, Special Agent Wade said that they knocked on the door of every person they spoke to as a witness and that "some were arrested, some were not." Asked what the criteria was for people being arrested, Special Agent Wade said that background checks were carried out beforehand. The court heard that on July 25, 2019, the agent and a number of other law enforcement personnel called to the home of Daniel Cahill and that he was detained before later giving a statement to gardai in a local precinct. Mr Cahill previously told the jury that he heard Aaron Brady say on three occasions that he had shot a cop in Ireland. He also previously said that his visa had expired when HSI spoke with him last year. Special Agent Wade said they were permitted entry into the property by Mr Cahill's wife and that he was found in the attic some time later. Asked by Mr O'Higgins if they were there on the basis that Daniel Cahill was suspected of overstaying his 90 day visa, Special Agent Wade said: "I was there because the guards wanted to speak with Mr Cahill, that's how I wound up at this house that day. " She added that she was "not going to speak to the immigration status of any witnesses in this case." Mr O'Higgins put it to the agent if he was right or wrong in being of the view that the agents were at Mr Cahill's home because he had allegedly overstayed his visa. Special Agent Wade replied: "I don't think I can make it any more clear, I'm not going to answer regarding anybody's immigration status. "I'm not answering it, you can keep asking it wasting the juries or the courts time, or you can stop, I'm not going to answer that question no matter how many times you ask me." Special Agent Wade was asked by counsel if Mr Cahill was told he would be permitted to stay in the US if he gave a statement, replying: "I made no promises to him and I made no statements like that to him". She added that she "did not offer him anything." She was asked if there were people approached by HSI to speak to gardai, who had overstayed their visas but were not arrested. Special Agent Wade said that she "can't testify to anybody's immigration status or techniques that have been used." Mr O'Higgins then asked if discussions took place in briefings prior to speaking to witnesses "along the lines of 'if a person cooperates they will be permitted to stay in the US and if they don't cooperate they're going to be sent home'." Special Agent Wade said: "Like I said I'm not going to testify about what is said in operational briefings. That would include anything about investigative techniques of interview techniques." She added: "The only people that need to know what is said in an operational briefing are the people there going out on the briefing." The agent also said that she had never heard of "testimony status" when it was put to her by the defence counsel and that this would not be a word used by them. The trial continues before a jury of six men and seven women tomorrow morning. Most of the 6,666 women who terminated pregnancies here last year under the new legislation availed of medical abortions up to 12 weeks into their pregnancies. It was the first full year of the laws widening the grounds for abortion following the 2018 referendum. For the first time abortion on demand was legalised up to 12 weeks of pregnancy. Termination is permitted in cases of fatal foetal abnormality and also where there is a risk to the life or health of the woman. The first annual report on the operation of the legislation, the Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act, showed 6,666 pregnancies were terminated. This compared to 2,879 involving women travelling to UK clinics the year before, in 2018. It is unclear if liberalising the legislation here led to a real increase in abortions or whether the UK figures were an under-representation. The 2018 UK figures would not have included women buying abortion pills online or travelling to other countries. Medical abortions up to 12 weeks accounted for 6,542 of the abortions here last year. There were 100 abortions in cases of fatal foetal abnormality. Another 21 were performed where there was a risk to the life or health of the mother. A further three were carried out on these grounds as emergencies. Based on women's home addresses, abortions were carried out in all counties, with most being performed in Dublin where 2,493 terminations took place, while 606 abortions were performed in Cork and 67 women gave addresses in Northern Ireland. Niall Behan, chief executive of the Irish Family Planning Association (IFPA), said it was a "landmark" and was the first time data was available on the level of need for abortion. "Reforms to sexuality education and contraception access are urgently needed. And we know from UK statistics, published earlier this month, that not all women and girls who need abortion care are able to access it in Ireland." The UK clinic figures for 2019 showed 375 women travelled for abortions last year, despite its availability here. He added the new government must prioritise reforms to contraception access and sexuality education and ensure that the 2021 review of the abortion law focuses on enhancing access to abortion care so that "no one is left behind". Cathie Shiels, co-convener of the Abortion Rights Campaign, said: "For people who can meet the strict, medically unnecessary 12-week time limit, there is clearly a greater opportunity to access healthcare at home, and this is something we can be very proud of. "However, local abortion access is not a reality for all. "Only 24 individuals obtained abortions because of a medical emergency or risk to their life or health - roughly the same number as under the extremely restrictive Protection of Life During Pregnancy Act. "We know that the system still leaves too many behind. Hundreds of people from the Republic are still forced overseas to access the healthcare they need and deserve at home. "Many of them have received the devastating news that their pregnancy has been diagnosed with a severe foetal anomaly. "Especially in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic, it is clear that exporting healthcare to the UK is unacceptable." Holidaymakers face losing thousands of euro on flights and accommodation if they follow medical advice and cancel their trips. Families who have booked foreign holidays for this summer are stuck in limbo amid mixed messages from government and health officials. Those who follow chief medical officer Tony Holohans call to cancel foreign holidays will not be entitled to a full refund, as foreign travel is not banned under the Governments Covid-19 measures. Foreign flights from Ireland significantly ramp up from today, with Ryanair aiming to fly up to 40pc of its network in July. But Mr Holohan has warned against trips abroad. The Irish Travel Agents Association and passengers have pleaded with the Government to provide clarity. But the new coalition looks to be on a collision course as Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney washed his hands of confusion over foreign travel, referring questions to Taoiseach Micheal Martins office. Meanwhile, chair of the Covid-19 committee Michael McNamara told the Irish Independent: I dont think you could lawfully stop people leaving Ireland. We are not North Korea. While some airlines and operators are offering vouchers or the opportunity to change flight dates, those who booked full holidays in advance face being left out of pocket. Read More The Irish Travel Agents Association said the Government was being unfair by giving people permission to fly, and then telling them not to. "The biggest problem is that the Government is saying on one hand to go, they're allowing flights to go, and on the other hand saying you're not to go and you have a quarantine," Pat Dawson, the chair of the ITAA, said. "Our suggestion to the Government is that they cancel all those flights and they refund the customers all their money because they are saying you are not to go." He added that there were up to 50 flights expected to leave Ireland today. Chief medical officer Dr Holohan said on Monday that "it would make much more sense not to go ahead" with holiday plans. He said that quarantining people on their return from abroad would "pose huge logistical challenges" and that it would be impossible to stop people leaving the State. But yesterday Covid-19 committee chair Mr McNamara said: "We must differentiate between advice and law. From a legal perspective, it would be almost impossible to legislate to prevent people leaving the State. "Whether or not they are legally required to self-isolate on return is the issue. It would seem to me to be of questionable benefit to have a different regime in that regard for people returning across the land border in a bus from those returning on an aircraft." The Clare TD also warned of "farcical" situations in the pubs. There was evidence of people buying small meals and drinking large quantities. Mr McNamara said he could not understand how "a substantial meal, whatever that is, acts as a barrier from contracting Covid-19", referring to restrictions which stop people from drinking in pubs unless they purchase a meal that costs at least 9. "At this stage, it's becoming a bit farcical," he said. Amid growing public concern and confusion over foreign travel, the Taoiseach's spokesperson would only say last night that no decision had been made ahead of a government meeting later this week. A spokesman for Micheal Martin said: "The Cabinet sub-committee is going to meet on Friday and they'll review all the latest information. The Cabinet is going to meet and make a decision." There is no reliable data available on the number of people who are booked to go on foreign holidays in the coming weeks. Neither Ryanair nor Aer Lingus responded to requests for specific figures on the number of people booked to fly with them from July onwards. Ryanair yesterday confirmed it is running 1,000 daily flights across Europe, which it said was 90pc of its pre-Covid network but with lower frequency. The Dublin Airport Authority said that it would be "impossible" for it to predict traveller numbers for July. "On Monday, we had about 4,000 passengers going through Dublin Airport - that's arriving and departing passengers. On the equivalent Monday last year we had almost 116,000 passengers," a spokesman said. The findings come as the Consumers Association of Ireland warned that people who follow the advice of chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan to cancel foreign holidays will lose money. Picture: Stock THE vast majority of adults believe that holidays to countries with high rates of Covid-19 should not be allowed, a survey found. The findings come as the Consumers Association of Ireland warned that people who follow the advice of chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan to cancel foreign holidays will lose money. Read More Dermott Jewell of the Consumers Association said the Government needs to offer guidance to airlines and provide a fund so that holidaymakers who choose not to travel can get their money back. He said that the Dr Holohans plea to consumers not to travel has been heard and has put individuals who have paid in advance out of pocket. Mr Jewell, speaking on RTEs Today with Sarah McInerney programme, said there is a dilemma that people who cancel based on the medical advice will lose their money. His comments came as a survey found most people say they will not travel this year to countries that have established air-bridges with Ireland. Air-bridges mean there is a travel agreement between countries that have low or similar transmission rates of Covid-19. Market research carried out by iReach found that nine out of 10 adults believe that holidays to countries with high rates of Covid-19 should not be permitted. The US has seen a huge number of virus cases and deaths. Those aged 55-plus feel even stronger on this with 96pc of this age group believing holidays to these countries should not be permitted. The research was carried out between June 25 and 30. On Monday, chief medical officer Tony Holohan advised people with foreign holidays booked to cancel them to avoid more cases of the coronavirus. However, the research shows many are wary of going abroad. Some 60pc of all adults would still not travel abroad in 2020 to countries that have established air-bridges. Those aged between 18 and 24 are most likely to travel abroad to a country with an air-bridge, with 59pc of adults within this age group stating they would do so in 2020. A panel of 40,000 people in this country are on a panel and used by iReach to find out the publics view. With the re-opening of hotels in this country this week some half of all adults expect to take breaks and holidays in such venues in the coming weeks and months. This number is slightly higher among the younger generation. Over half of adults who wish to take these staycation holidays hope to do so before the end of August of this year. Those aged between 25 and 43 are most determined to take a staycation before the end of August, with 77pc of this age group stating so. The Government sought approximately 2.5bn in extra funding to help the health service and businesses tackle the fallout from the coronavirus crisis. The sum includes spending of up to 1bn on personal protective equipment (PPE) for the health service and almost 500m for supporting businesses hit by the Covid-19 emergency. Read More Health Minister Stephen Donnelly and Tanaiste and Enterprise Minister Leo Varadkar laid out the huge sums required as the Dail met for the first time since the Government was formed. Mr Donnelly sought Dail approval for almost 2bn in extra funding. He warned that unless the funding was signed off on, the health service would run out of funds by August. Mr Donnelly said the extra money sought would bring the department's budget to almost 20bn - but also that is unlikely to be the full sum required this year. Earlier Tanaiste Leo Varadkar sought almost 500m in extra funding to help businesses reopen and recover from the economic hit of the crisis. Mr Varadkar said his new enterprise department was seeking 483m in additional funding over what it had been estimated to need in 2020. He said the events of the past four months have been "without precedent" with lives lost and businesses closed. Mr Varadkar said it was his responsibility to help restore confidence and prosperity and he said the planned July stimulus package will have to be "radical and far-reaching". He said he was seeking revised estimates for his department's budget to help enterprises to survive the emergency. The 483m includes 180m for the Sustaining Enterprise Fund, enabling Enterprise Ireland to allocate grants. The 'Restart Grant' scheme needs 250m for small businesses and micro-enterprises who have suffered a massive loss of turnover and need help to reopen. It is believed that 100,000 businesses will apply for the grants of between 2,000 and 10,000. Mr Varadkar said some of the extra funding is also needed to help businesses respond to Brexit. Sinn Fein TD Imelda Munster said her party would support the revised estimates, but she also criticised the scale of the 250m restart grant scheme, adding that other countries have offered more support to their businesses. Mr Varadkar said there was still 180m in funding out of 250m for the restart grants. He said a revised estimate will be needed for the July stimulus package. Jack Chambers (FF) was among the list announced by the Taosieach this evening. Picture: Tom Burke THE new coalition government's line-up of junior ministers has been completed and Taoiseach Micheal Martin announced his full team tonight. It has been a day of drama as politicians like Fianna Fail's Jim O'Callaghan and Fine Gael's Joe McHugh refused to take a junior minister roles. But Mr Martin has announced those who did take jobs saying they "bring a range of talent and ability to their Ministries and will act with determination and passion." Here's who made the cut for the team assembled by Mr Martin, Tanaiste Leo Varadkar and Minister Eamon Ryan: Thomas Byrne (Fianna Fail) - Minister of State for European Affairs Expand Close Fianna Fails Thomas Byrne. Photo: Arthur Carron / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Fianna Fails Thomas Byrne. Photo: Arthur Carron Thomas Byrne (43), was widely expected to land a senior Cabinet post and is one of the most high-profile Fianna Fail TDs to have lost out. A solicitor by profession, he's not shy about defending his party on the airwaves. He was first elected to the Dail in 2007 but did a five year stint in the Seanad after Fianna Fails 2011 meltdown. Read More Patrick O'Donovan (Fine Gael) - Minister of State for the Office of Public Works (OPW) Expand Close Junior Minister Patrick ODonovan. Photo: Tom Burke / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Junior Minister Patrick ODonovan. Photo: Tom Burke Patrick ODonovan (43), has been a Fine Gael TD for Limerick County since 2011. He was appointed a junior minister since 2016 moving to the Finance Department in June 2017. He has been given a prominent media role by Fine Gael. His appointment to the junior ranks is an attempt to address the failure to appoint a full minister for the Mid-West. Ossian Smyth (Green Party) - Minister of State for Public Procurement and eGovernment Expand Close The Green Partys Ossian Smyth / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The Green Partys Ossian Smyth Dun Laoghaire TD Ossian Smyth (49) is an experienced Green Party public representative having been first elected as a councillor in 2014. Before becoming a TD he worked as a data analyst at St Vincents Hospital and has volunteered teaching computer coding to young people. He previously worked at Citigroup. Mr Smyth has been the Green Partys spokesperson on Health. Jack Chambers (Fianna Fail) - Minister of State for Financial Services, Credit Unions and Insurance Expand Close Jack Chambers (Niall Carson/PA) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Jack Chambers (Niall Carson/PA) Dublin West TD Jack Chambers (29) was the youngest TD in the Dail when he was first elected in 2016 and he's now the youngest minister in Taoiseach Micheal Martin's team. A strong performer on the last Dail's justice committee, Mr Chambers won respect from politicians in Fine Gael and the Greens for his contribution to government formation talks. Josepha Madigan (Fine Gael) - Minister of State for Special Education and Inclusion Expand Close Josepha Madigan is one of five female junior ministers of the total 20 / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Josepha Madigan is one of five female junior ministers of the total 20 Josepha Madigan (50), has been a Fine Gael TD for Dublin Rathdown since 2016, and was unusually for a first-time TD appointed Culture Minister in November 2018. Ms Madigan is a solicitor by training with expertise in mediation and family law. She was first elected as a councillor in 2014. Martin Heydon (Fine Gael) - Minister of State for Agriculture Research & Development, Farm Safety and New Market Development Expand Close Martin Heydon Photo: Tom Burke / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Martin Heydon Photo: Tom Burke Martin Heydon (41), has been a Fine Gael TD for Kildare South since 2011. Deemed unlucky not to have made the junior ministerial ranks before this, he is a big vote-getter in Kildare. Since June 2016 he has been an effective chairman of the Fine Gael party managing many difficult internal debates. Anne Rabbitte (Fianna Fail) - Minister of State for Disability Expand Close Anne Rabbitte / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Anne Rabbitte Galway East TD Anne Rabbitte (46), believes fire in the belly is required to succeed in politics. The widowed mother-of-three has displayed no shortage of that since first winning election to the Dail in 2016. She was disappointed not to get the Cabinet nod but a junior ministry is a consolation prize. Colm Brophy (Fine Gael) Minister of State for Overseas Development Aid and Diaspora Expand Close Fine Gael TD Colm Brophy / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Fine Gael TD Colm Brophy Dublin South-West TD Colm Brophy (54), is frequently sent out to bat for Fine Gael on the airwaves where he is seen as a capable and combative performer. First elected as a TD in 2016, Mr Brophy previously served on South Dublin County Council. He chaired the increasingly important Budgetary Oversight Committee in the last Dail. Charlie McConalogue (Fianna Fail) - Minister of State for Law Reform Expand Close Charlie McConalogue / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Charlie McConalogue Donegal TD Charlie McConalogue (42) has been Fianna Fails long-time agriculture spokesman, bringing his experience of working on his own familys farm. He was first elected in 2011. Mr McConalogue was heavily involved in building Fianna Fails partnership with the SDLP in the North which was announced last year. Joe O'Brien (Green Party) Minister of State for Community Development and Charities Expand Close Joe OBrien (Brian Lawless/PA) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Joe OBrien (Brian Lawless/PA) The Dublin Fingal TD (43), was first elected to the role in last Novembers by-election but he had to do it all again in February. Prior to his election as a TD he was most recently employed by the Immigrant Council of Ireland. He previously worked for Catholic charitable organisation Crosscare. Since becoming a TD he has been outspoken on racism as well as highlighting the need for public transport links in North Dublin. Peter Burke (Fine Gael) - Minister of State for Local Government and Planning Expand Close Fine Gael TD Peter Burke / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Fine Gael TD Peter Burke A former Westmeath councillor, Peter Burke has been a TD since 2016. A chartered accountant and horse racing enthusiast, Mr Burke served on the last Dails powerful Public Accounts Committee (PAC). He was one of the chief critics of spending promises made by Fianna Fail before a coalition deal was struck with the rival party. Read More Malcolm Noonan (Green Party) - Minister of State for Electoral Reform Expand Close Green Cllr Malcolm Noonan / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Green Cllr Malcolm Noonan Malcolm Noonan, 54 was first elected to the Dail for Carlow-Kilkenny in February having served 16 years on Kilkenny County Council. He unsuccessfully contested the 2015 by-election and the 2016 general election. A former mayor, he ran for the Green Party leadership against Eamon Ryan in 2011. Before politics, he was an activist with Friends of the Earth and he has an academic background in rural development. Robert Troy (Fianna Fail) - Minister of State for Trade Promotion Expand Close Fianna Fails Robert Troy / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Fianna Fails Robert Troy Longford-Westmeath TD Robert Troy (38), has served as his partys spokesman on transport and business in recent years. He was first elected as a TD in 2011 and has held his seat since. Last year his support of a Yes vote in the referendum on repealing the Eighth Amendment on abortion saw him refused communion at mass. Damien English (Fine Gael) - Minister of State for Employment Affairs and Retail Businesses Expand Close Minister of State Damien English TD speaking to reporters at the sod turning of new social housing in Dublin 8. Photo: Leah Farrell/RollingNews.ie / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Minister of State Damien English TD speaking to reporters at the sod turning of new social housing in Dublin 8. Photo: Leah Farrell/RollingNews.ie Damien English (42), was the youngest TD when first elected for Meath in 2002 against a trend of defeats for Fine Gael. He has represented Meath West since 2007. He has been a junior housing minister since May 2016. He has often been left defending the response to the housing crisis. Mary Butler (Fianna Fail) - Minister of State for Mental Health and Older People Expand Close Fianna Fail TD Mary Butler. Picture: Collins / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Fianna Fail TD Mary Butler. Picture: Collins Mary Butler (53), a Waterford TD, has served as her partys spokesperson for older people. First elected in 2016 her background is in retail. She ran a family grocery business in Portlaw for 17 years. She chaired the Business Committee during the last Dail and was prominent in raising issues surrounding nursing home care even before the Covid-19 crisis. Frank Feighan (Fine Gael) Minister of State for Public Health, Well Being and National Drugs Strategy Expand Close Deputy Frank Feighan / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Deputy Frank Feighan Sligo-Leitrim TD Frank Feighan (57), was first elected to the Dail in 2011 but lost his seat in Roscommon in 2016 amid the fallout from the Fine Gael government's decisions relating to the local hospital. Now in a new constituency, Mr Feighan was re-elected in February. He has often argued that Ireland should consider rejoining Britain's Commonwealth. Niall Collins (Fianna Fail) - Minister of State for Skills and Further Education Expand Close Niall Collins. Photo: Tom Burke / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Niall Collins. Photo: Tom Burke Niall Collins (47) was caught up in last years votegate scandal after it was revealed he voted six times on behalf of party colleague Timmy Dooley. It led to him losing his job as Fianna Fails foreign affairs spokesman. Limerick County TD Mr Collins is an honorary treasurer for the party and helped turn around its finances ahead of the last general election. Previously appointed: Dara Calleary was previously appointed as Government Chief Whip. He has been assigned additional responsibilities to also be a Minister of State with responsibility for sport and the Gaeltacht. Green Party Senator Pippa Hackett is a 'super junior' minister at the Department of Agriculture while Fine Gael's Hildegarde Naughton is a 'super junior' minister at the Department of Transport. Mr Calleary, Ms Hackett and Ms Naughton all have seats at Cabinet. Chief Whip Dara Calleary arrives for the first Cabinet meeting at Dublin Castle. Photo: Sam Boal/Rollingnews.ie Fianna Fail deputy Dara Calleary has been given a ministerial boost by being handed responsibility for Sport and the Gaeltacht. Mr Calleary said he was left disappointed after he was given the junior Cabinet position of Government Chief Whip by Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin. However, he will also oversee the sport and Gaeltacht elements of Green Party deputy leader Catherine Martins department. Expand Close Jim O'Callaghan. Pic Tom Burke / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Jim O'Callaghan. Pic Tom Burke Read More Ms Martin was appointed as Minister for Media, Tourism, Arts, Culture, Sport and the Gaeltacht. The decision to give the extra responsibilities to Mr Calleary follows backlash over his appointment as Chief Whip. The previous chief whip Sean Kyne was also minister for the Gaeltacht. Mr Calleary who is a gaeilgeoir, will have the added bonus being involved in allocating the Governments sport budget. Earlier today, John Paul Phelan turned down an offer from Mr Varadkar to serve as deputy Chief Whip. Mr Phelan served as minister of state in the last government and was close personal ally of Mr Varadkar during the leadership campaign. It comes as Fianna Fail TD Jim O'Callaghan turned down a role as a junior minister. Mr O'Callaghan was offered a role as a minister of state with responsibility for law reform in the Department of Justice by the Taoiseach Micheal Martin - but declined the position. Expand Close Jim O'Callaghan. Pic Tom Burke / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Jim O'Callaghan. Pic Tom Burke He said today he believes his energy and abilities will be better used as a backbench TD rather than as a junior member of the government. In a statement to Independent.ie, the Dublin Bay South TD said: "I was asked this afternoon by an Taoiseach, Micheal Martin TD, to accept an appointment as minister of state in the government. Having thought carefully about this offer I have decided not to accept. "The reason I am not accepting is because I believe my energy and abilities will be better used as a backbench Fianna Fail TD rather than as a junior member of government. "At a time when many of our partys senior members will be preoccupied with their ministerial duties, I want to devote more time to strengthening our great party by making it a more attractive option for young voters. "I also believe Fianna Fail needs strong voices outside government who can ensure that our partys identity can be protected during the term of this coalition government. Read More "I wish Micheal and his government every success in the years ahead." Micheal Martins appointments sparked fury in Fianna Fail on Wednesday night with one of his close allies Michael Moynihan heavily criticising the decision to exclude him. Mr Moynihan, who has served as Fianna Fail party whip for the last decade, told the Irish Independent: We got two seats in the constituency of Cork North-West in the last election and I did everything humanly possible for the party over the last nine years. Of course I am disappointed. Not alone has he insulted me, he has insulted the entire community of northwest Cork. Expand Close Michael Moynihan expressed that he was 'disappointed' and 'insulted' / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Michael Moynihan expressed that he was 'disappointed' and 'insulted' Meanwhile, former Education Minister Joe McHugh turned down a junior ministry after was told he could not have the European Affairs or Tourism role. Mr McHugh, who served in Cabinet for three years, was offered his choice of ministries by Tanaiste Leo Varadkar. The Donegal TD asked for the European Affairs role so he could be involved in addressing the impact of Brexit on his constituency. However, he was told this portfolio was going to Fianna Fail because Fine Gael has been allocated the senior Foreign Affairs role through Simon Coveney. Mr McHugh also sought to be appointed as the Minister of State for Sport and Tourism which has been a ministry since 2011. But he was told these functions will not be delegated to a junior minister. Expand Close Joe McHugh (PA) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Joe McHugh (PA) Green Party deputy leader Catherine Martin is the Minister for Media, Tourism, Arts, Culture, Sport and the Gaeltacht. Mr McHugh decided not to take any of the other roles and will be remain a backbench TD. Mr Varadkar appointed him as Chief Whip when he was elected Taoiseach before being promoted to the Education Department following a Cabinet reshuffle. Mr McHugh was told he will be appointed as chair of the Oireachtas Committee on European Affairs In a surprise development Tourism and Sport Minister Brendan Griffin is to be dropped from the ministerial ranks altogether. The Kerry Fine Gael TD was told of his fate by the Tanaiste on Wednesday. Mr Griffin tweeted: "It has been an honour to serve as Minister of State for Tourism & Sport. I always did my best for everyone & enjoyed working with so many great people. I wish my successor the very best in the difficult times ahead for both sectors & for our country as a whole. Thank you all." Junior foreign affairs minister Ciaran Cannon has also been told he will not be retained. On Twitter, the Galway East TD said has been a truly life affirming experience" to work in the Department of Foreign Affairs over the last three years. "Together we made a difference. I wish my former colleagues and now lifelong friends every success in the valuable work that they do," he wrote. Green Party leader Eamon Ryan's choice of his three junior ministers created new anger among some sections of the Green Party. Two people who played a leading role in the coalition negotiations, Brian Leddin of Limerick and Marc O Cathasaigh of Waterford, had been tipped for junior ministries and were overlooked in favour of appointees who have more elected political experience. "The problem is that both Leddin and O Cathasaigh were led to believe they were 'in' - when they were not. That is not good," one source said. Speaking this evening An Taoiseach Micheal Martin said, I want to take this opportunity to wish the newly appointed Ministers of State well in their various portfolios. They bring a range of talent and ability to their Ministries and will act with determination and passion. Ireland faces great challenges as we emerge from the Covid-19 crisis. A difficult path lies ahead but the government will work collectively to engineer an economic and social recovery. This government reflects the shared future that each party has signed up for. We are ambitious in our plans and the appointment of the Ministers of State reflects our priorities for the five years. The Ministers of State will play a key role in the delivery of the Programme for Government, and will ensure that no sector is left behind. I look forward to working with my colleagues to progress our common goal of a fairer, more equal Ireland. Full list of appointments made: Fine Gael Ministers of State Colm Brophy - Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (Overseas Development Aid and Diaspora) Josepha Madigan - Department of Education and Skills (Special Education and Inclusion) Peter Burke - Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government (Local Government and Planning) Frank Feighan - Department of Health (Public Health, Well Being and National Drugs Strategy) Martin Heydon - Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Research & Development/ Farm Safety/ New Market Development) Damien English - Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection (Employment Affairs); and the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation (Retail Businesses). Following the formal reconfiguration of Departments, Minister of State English will be assigned to the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment. Patrick ODonovan - Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (OPW) Fianna Fail Ministers of State Anne Rabbitte - Department of Health and the Department of Justice and Equality (Disability). Following the formal reconfiguration of Departments, Minister of State Rabbitte will be assigned to the Department of Children, Disability, Equality and Integration. Niall Collins - Department of Education and Skills (Skills and Further Education). Following the formal reconfiguration of Departments, Minister of State Collins will be assigned to the Department of Higher Education, Innovation and Science. Robert Troy - Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (Trade Promotion). Following the formal reconfiguration of Departments, Minister of State Troy will be assigned to the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment. Mary Butler - Department of Health (Mental Health and Older People) Jack Chambers - Department of Finance (Financial Services, Credit Unions and Insurance) Charlie McConalogue - Department of Justice and Equality (Law Reform) Thomas Byrne - Department of the Taoiseach and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (EU Affairs) Green Party Ministers of State Malcolm Noonan - Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht (Heritage); and the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government (Electoral Reform). Following the formal reconfiguration of Departments, Minister of State Noonan will be assigned to the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage. Ossian Smyth - Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (Public Procurement and eGovernment) Joe O'Brien - Department of Rural and Community Development (Community Development and Charities) The Government previously appointed Senator Pippa Hackett to be Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and Hildegarde Naughton, TD to be Minister of State at the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport. By Kang Seung-woo Lt. Col. A. G. Rangaraj, who led the 60th Parachute Field Ambulance of the Indian Army, a Mobile Army Surgical Hospital, during the Korean War, has been honored as the 1950-53 Korean War hero of July for his more than two years of service on the front line, the veterans affairs ministry said, Tuesday. A. G. Rangaraj / Courtesy of the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs Residency: Leo Varadkar stayed in the State lodge on the Farmleigh Estate during the pandemic. Picture Colin Keegan, Collins Dublin Leo Varadkar spent almost 3,000 staying in the State lodge in the Farmleigh Estate during the Covid-19 pandemic. Mr Varadkar, who was then Taoiseach, moved to Steward's Lodge on the rolling State-owned estate during the emergency health scare. Read More The Taoiseach and his partner, consultant doctor Matthew Barrett, moved into the upmarket property during the pandemic. It was previously revealed Mr Varadkar was staying in the grounds of the Farmleigh estate during the lockdown. According to information released under the Freedom of Information Act, Mr Varadkar paid 2,950 for staying 59 nights in the residence for Taoisigh. The cost of staying in the Stately manor owned by the taxpayer is 50 per night. The current Tanaiste said he would move out of the State residence once his apartment in his Dublin West constituency had been repainted. Mr Varadkar's spokesperson previously revealed he was staying in the residency, which is available to sitting Taoisigh, after photographs emerged of the Taoiseach and his partner meeting friends in the Phoenix Park. Online photographs showed Mr Varadkar and Mr Barrett and friends at the Wellington Monument on the Parkgate Street side of the park on a sunny Sunday afternoon in May. The area of the park is almost 8km from his apartment on Carpenterstown Road in the Dublin West constituency. Under the government's Covid-19 restrictions at that time, people were prohibited from any non-essential travel more than 5km from their homes. However, following queries from the Irish Independent, the Taoiseach's spokesperson said at the time: "The Taoiseach was in the Phoenix Park with his partner Matt and two friends on Sunday afternoon, in line with public health guidance." There are currently no restrictions on how far people can travel within the country since the latest phase of the Government's plan for the reopening of society took place on Monday. Broadcaster Ivan Yates will step back from his weekday show on Newstalk and The Tonight Show, it has emerged. In a statement earlier today, Communicorp have confirmed that the veteran journalist will step down from presenting The Hard Shoulder on Newstalk and. It was later confirmed that Mr Yates will also be retiring from his current affairs programme The Tonight Show on Virgin Media One. "Newstalk confirmed today that Ivan Yates will step down from his role as presenter of The Hard Shoulder, on Friday 24th July," read the statement. "Ivan has decided to step back from full time broadcasting and he and his wife are moving home to live in Enniscorthy, Co. Wexford." Communicorp thanked Mr Yates for his "enormous" contribution. "We would like to take this opportunity to thank Ivan for the enormous contribution he has made to the success of the show and to Newstalk. "We wish him the very best for the future and we look forward to continuing to work with him in various guises across the station." It is not clear who will replace Mr Yate's presenting role, however the statement adds: "Ivans replacement on The Hard Shoulder will announced in due course." The broadcaster will also be retiring from his current affairs programme The Tonight Show on Virgin Media One which he co-presents with Matt Cooper. His last show will also be at the end of July, just days before he is due to finish up with Newstalk. In a statement, Virgin Media said: Ivan Yates has announced his retirement and will present his last show on Virgin Media One with Matt Cooper on Thursday 23rd July at 10pm. Mr Yates was elected as a TD for Wexford in the 1981 general election and at each election until he retired from politics in 2002. He also served as Minister for agriculture, food and forestry from 1994 to 1997. Foreign travel was back on the cards today after restrictions on flights were eased and airlines began to offer more services. Ryanair had organised 1,000 flights, and at Dublin Airport there were more people traveling than have been for months despite calls from Chief Medical Officer Tony Holohan to avoid foreign travel unless necessary. Read More Among those jetting off was Luke Parnell (26) from Ballyfermot. Luke was traveling to Amsterdam with some friends, and said he was looking forward to getting a break. We booked around four months ago, before all this lockdown happened, so we said we might as well go, then it (the travel ban) got lifted, he said. I feel Im young, fit and healthy, and I wont be going near any elderly people and keeping myself quarantined. I just need to get out of here, he added. Im only going for three days. I need to relax. I was worried I might not be able to go, but you have to take the good with the bad. Ill keep the mask on, keep the safe distance, said Luke If I was being told dont fly, youll get your money back then Id take the money back, he added. Michael and Eileen Clair, from Co Clare, were traveling to their holiday home in France, and they said they felt safe getting on a plane. Expand Close Michael and Eileen Clair from Co Clare who wer travelling to the South of France at Dublin Airport. Photo by Steve Humphreys / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Michael and Eileen Clair from Co Clare who wer travelling to the South of France at Dublin Airport. Photo by Steve Humphreys They said they would have travelled before now if they could. The travel (situation) is Tony Holohans opinion. The Government are saying they are going to open up routes and gateways to other countries, and people are still flying into the country. Flights came in from the UK all throughout the whole thing, so if they are allowing people to come into the country surely we should be able to leave the country as well, said Michael. Were traveling to our own house in France, so we're basically in a safe zone. Were traveling to an area in France that has a very low instance of it (Covid) so I dont see why we should have any major concerns, said Eileen. You need to leave to get rid of the fear All the precautions are in place and if you follow those guidelines its the same thing as getting on a bus or a tram, said Michael. I do think we need to start trusting that the precautions are there. The reality is we have a certain ability to leave. You need to leave to get rid of the fear, said Eileen. We were due to travel in May but we had to cancel that, so this is the first opportunity to go over, said Michael. I wouldnt be comfortable going to a crowded beach or parties, but this is a completely different situation. We have the potential to isolate if necessary when we come back, Eileen explained. Ingrid Dessert flew into Dublin this morning with her two sons Theo (8) and Louis (4). She is visiting her parents in Tipperary and will spend a week here before she flies back to Paris and the two boys spend the month with their grandparents. Expand Close Ingrid Dessert and her children Theo (8) and Louis (4) who were travelling from Paris at Dublin Airport. Photo by Steve Humphreys / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Ingrid Dessert and her children Theo (8) and Louis (4) who were travelling from Paris at Dublin Airport. Photo by Steve Humphreys I came today because the flights opened up in this direction. My mother was supposed to be coming over to me but as she is over 70 she is cocooning at home so basically I didnt want her taking the plane so we took it instead, she explained. It was good. Everything was in place that could have been done. There was a lot of hand sanitiser and distance, and everyone was wearing masks in the airport in Paris and its the same here, and there were only 20 people on the plane, so it was fine, she added. Speaking about the health advice recommending people do not fly versus the possibility of losing money if a person cancels their flights, Ingrid said its a sticky decision. Obviously you dont want to be taking unnecessary risks. I can understand how Mr Holohan was talking about people not going abroad in case they pick it up while theyre there. I dont think the travel itself is a big problem, she said. I think the plane journey and the plane and airport experience is up to safety measures. After that its a case of if youre going to be careful when youre there at your destination because if youre on your holidays youre maybe going to be a bit more lackadaisical about safety measures, and it depends where youre going to be and if where you are is going to be very strict or not. Its a sticky situation, Ingrid added. The lack of clear direction from the Government on foreign travel has been criticised by the Consumer Association, who said Irish holidaymakers have been left in a no-mans land and had their rights trampled on because they would have to forfeit thousands of euro if they cancelled flights while at the same time risking their health and the health of others by traveling. And while that debate continued, Dublin Airport saw a lift in numbers early this morning. There has been an increase in flights today. Ryanair have significantly increased their number of flights and we have seen an increase in passenger numbers on that basis, but the numbers traveling are still very very low, said Paul OKane, chief communications officer with DAA, the company who operate the airport. Expand Close Paul OKane Chief Communications Officer from DAA at Dublin Airport. Photo by Steve Humphreys 1st July 2020 / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Paul OKane Chief Communications Officer from DAA at Dublin Airport. Photo by Steve Humphreys 1st July 2020 If you look at this year as a whole we are expecting about nine million passengers between Dublin and Cork airports. Last year we would have had 35.5m passengers, he explained. Decisions in relation to travel policies are a matter for Government. The Government sets the policy and indicated last week that it was looking at the notion of air bridges and air corridors and we await the Government decision on that, he added. For our part what we have done is moved to make the journey as safe as possible for all of our customers, so you will see around our campus we have more than 960 hand sanitising units, we have about 10,000 pieces of signage for social distance, and we have more than 620 plexiglass screens at close-contact points. So we have worked to transform the passenger journey to protect our customers, Mr OKane said. He added that the DAA is losing around 1m a day at Dublin and Cork airports and in its overseas business because of the Covid lockdown. Its had a huge impact. Aviation supports about 140,000 jobs in the Irish economy. It supports tourism right across the economy, he said. When it comes to the deaths of those associated with Sinn Fein and the IRA, I don't adhere to the convention that one should postpone speaking ill of them. Sinn Fein has a mighty and ruthless propaganda machine, so it behoves anyone who can to challenge whatever fictional image of the deceased they will be disseminating shamelessly throughout mainstream and social media. So, here's my contribution on Bobby Storey, whom we're told was gentle, kind and funny. As Kenny Donaldson of the South East Fermanagh Foundation, which helps innocent victims of terrorism, put it last week, the media should not be airbrushing away Storey's responsibility for "significant pain and misery within many families". Instead, he should be "accepted across the board as being a mafia henchman". Read More I've taken an interest in Storey since the 1990s after I read Malachi O'Doherty's account of an occasion in the Felons Club when Storey, who was 6ft 4ins, had pushed 5ft 2ins Malachi into a corner to chide him about something he had written for Radio Ulster's Talkback. "The hand he pressed against my chest was nearly as big as my chest itself," said Malachi. He wouldn't hit him, said Storey, but among other things he wished to tell him was that he was a slug close to the security forces who should shut his "f*****g mouth". Apart from doing 20 years in jail at various times, Storey was very busy. There was his role in the 1983 Maze escape (during which 20 prison officers were injured and one died), his activities as the IRA's director of intelligence, the 2002 Stormont spy ring, the 2004 26.5m Northern Bank robbery, his bullying of and spinning against anyone criticising the leadership, his threatening of dissident republicans and plenty more. He was also a key member of the group of IRA veterans who control Sinn Fein. No mention of any of this from Mary Lou McDonald, who expressed her "deep sadness" at the loss of this "lifelong and deeply committed Irish republican", a victim of sectarian harassment and brutality, who was a "champion of the peace process" and was "extremely committed to the pursuit of a united island with equality and social justice for all". And there was I thinking Bobby was just an IRA dinosaur, fixated on unity. She ended with: "Ni bheidh a leitheid aris ann." ("We shall not see his like again") I retweeted this with the comment: "His victims must certainly hope so." Michelle O'Neill was distraught. "Words cannot express the sadness I feel on the passing of one of the most amazing people I have ever had the pleasure to call my friend and comrade. To know him was to love him. Rest in peace Bobby x." In her official party statement she described him as "a committed, selfless comrade, whose contribution to the struggle for national liberation earned him the full respect of his generation". It ended with: "I measc laochra na nGael go raibh a anam dilis." ("A faithful soul among the heroes of Ireland."). And then there was John Finucane, who retired last year from being Belfast Lord Mayor to become an MP. He tweeted that "it was an honour to call Bobby a friend and someone I could always rely on" and: "Ar dheis De go raibh a anam." ("May his soul be on the right side of God."). I think God would regard that as a pretty preposterous request. My favourite was the Shinnerbot tweet: "A hero of the revolution, S Africa had Mandela, we had Bobby Storey." That was swiftly withdrawn. Maybe the comparison is reserved for Gerry Adams. Will the media ask its leaders why they think it appropriate to hold up as a role model a man who, quite apart from being a notoriously violent thug, was - as Mairia Cahill has tweeted - either the reason for Stormont collapsing on three occasions or involved in some way? Micheal Martin and Leo Varadkar will be watching with interest. Bertie Ahern was driving his boss Charlie Haughey around his Dublin Central constituency in his battered red Ford Escort. It was just after the February 1982 general election campaign which delivered a hung Dail, and for the 30-year-old Ahern it was an unpleasant errand as his boss was making offers to benefit a certain local rival, Tony Gregory. The crocked car had also been a mobile election campaign office and was still filled with posters, leaflets and general rubbish. It was not the standard of motor Charlie aspired to. "God, we'll have to do something about a car for you," Haughey said at one stage, in a clear effort to reassure his young protege. And sure enough on March 9, 1982, when Haughey announced his minority government, Ahern made his first entry to the cabinet room as government chief whip. Expand Close Bertie Ahern, then Finance Minister, in the Dail flanked by Mr Haughey in 1992 / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Bertie Ahern, then Finance Minister, in the Dail flanked by Mr Haughey in 1992 It was a crazy time and that government - juggling cutbacks and dependence on Gregory and three Workers' Party TDs - only lasted eight months. But Ahern got a political masterclass in the raw. He found out that as chief whip you get to know all your party colleagues well, along with the others who are supporting your government. These interpersonal links are invaluable on the longer road of politics. You soon know, at a glance, the state of play of every phase of every piece of pending legislation. You also get to forge personal links with the whips in all of the other parties as you make day-to-day practical arrangements about Dail business. It is undoubtedly small consolation to the enraged supporters of the new chief whip, Dara Calleary, who quite justifiably believe he merited a full senior ministry. Read More But a glance back at the list of previous chief whips reveals some big names from our recent history. Expand Close The late Liam Cosgrave pictured in 1977 / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The late Liam Cosgrave pictured in 1977 These names also include another man who went on to become Taoiseach, Liam Cosgrave. He steered Ireland's first-ever coalition, comprising five parties and six Independent TDs, from February 1948 until June 1951. Many of the TDs he was keeping in line on government votes had never previously been elected to as much as a town council and knew zilch about procedures. Other household names from our recent political past include Des O'Malley, John Kelly, Sean Barrett, Jim Higgins and Noel Dempsey. Another name which shines out from that list is the late great Seamus Brennan, as he broke new ground in steering Ahern's three-legged stool coalition of Fianna Fail, Progressive Democrats and Independents through the full five-year term of 1997-2002. It would not be a good time to patronise Calleary, who at age 47 is far from a political neophyte but rather a long-serving TD, former junior minister and deputy leader of the Fianna Fail party. But history teaches us that big things are very likely to be in store for him in his political career. There is, however, a word of caution. It is that he must be good at his new job - but perhaps not too good. Brennan was so good at keeping Ahern's three-legged stool upright that he was never promoted. When Fianna Fail won the subsequent 2002 election he had to be very insistent to avoid another stint. The honeymoon period for the new Government lasted barely two hours on Saturday, before Dara Calleary was inexplicably shafted by Micheal Martin and all hell broke loose. The controversy surrounding the imbalanced geographic composition of the Cabinet that has raged since then has overshadowed a much more predictable disparity - gender. Of those appointed to a senior Cabinet position, just four were women. Since the foundation of the State, just 22 women have held a full cabinet portfolio, a risibly low number. There has never been a female Taoiseach or finance minister. At the weekend, Helen McEntee became just the fourth woman to ever become Minister for Justice. In 2015, then Taoiseach Enda Kenny committed to appointing an equal number of men and women to cabinet if Fine Gael were returned to office. Not wishing to be outflanked in the equality stakes, Micheal Martin made a similar pledge during the 2016 election campaign. In the event, Mr Kenny failed to increase the number of female cabinet ministers - despite the number of women elected to the Dail soaring by 40pc that year to a record number, 35. After February's election, there are now 36 female TDs in the Dail. Fast forward four years and neither Mr Martin or Mr Varadkar were willing to make a commitment to appoint a fully gender-balanced cabinet. Mr Kenny's pledge is now viewed as outlandish and over-ambitious. The number of women in cabinet has been stuck at four since 2011, meaning a critical mass of women's voices have been locked out of decision-making at the highest level during that time. Women's participation in cabinet was even worse previously. Does this matter? Research suggests it does. One recent study in Germany found that municipalities with a higher proportion of female councillors expanded public childcare more quickly. The presence of women in decision-making roles had a substantive influence on policy - driving change in line with women's needs and preferences. Researchers found that when an additional woman was elected, it led to all of the female councillors speaking up more often and discussing childcare more frequently. Gender makes a difference. Given the hierarchical nature of the Irish political system, where policy decisions are made at cabinet level, the argument for having a critical mass of women sitting at the table and driving change is overwhelming. There is broad agreement that women's representation is a virtuous circle - as the proportion of women elected to office increases, their political role becomes more accepted and their presence prompts other women to consider a career in politics while ensuring more female candidates find support among voters. Surely, then, it should not be difficult to understand why having a gender-balanced cabinet would send such a powerful message. It would tell people that not only can women aspire to a career in politics, they can aspire to join the top tier and implement policy that will have a meaningful influence on people's lives. The notion that attaining gender parity around the cabinet table is some kind of pie-in-the-sky fantasy is also something that needs to be addressed. When Enda Kenny made his pledge, he promised to appoint a cabinet that would be "50:50 on merit, of men and women". Appointing women does not mean your star players get left on the bench. There are many smart, capable and ambitious women among the ranks of all three parties in the coalition - Fine Gael, Fianna Fail and the Green Party - who could excel if given an opportunity. All they need is a shot. More women in politics, with higher profiles and wielding more power, would act as a clarion call to other women to consider a career in politics. It would tell them there is room at the top table. That politics is not just jobs for the boys. With the party leaders failing miserably on gender parity in their Cabinet appointments, they have a chance with their junior ministerial appointments to try to make amends. Given a record 20 junior ministers are going to be appointed, there is no excuse for any failure to promote a significant number of women. Mr Varadkar does not have a good record in this regard. In his cabinet reshuffle in 2017, just three out of 19 ministers of state were women. It will send an ominous signal - that this Government doesn't care about gender equality - if that number is not hugely improved on. Ultimately, to increase the numbers of women in politics and the proportion with powerful jobs, more women will have to run for election and win seats - something large political parties should be working much harder on. Currently, 30pc of a party's general election candidates must be women, a figure both Fine Gael and Fianna Fail barely scraped this year. Alarmingly for those parties, the number of female election candidates must be 40pc from 2023. In order to encourage women to consider a life in politics, structural hurdles in the manner in which Dail business is conducted must be removed while, at local level, parties will have to do much more to select strong female candidates with a good chance of success - not simply also-rans added to the ticket at the last minute to massage the numbers. In February's election, the Social Democrats' ticket was nearly 60pc female candidates. Clearly, there are politically engaged women out there who are willing to fight an election. The older parties are just not interested in finding them. At Cabinet and in the Dail, it is no longer acceptable that women comprise such a small proportion. In order to address this, parties need to pay more than mere lip service to gender equality. There are now 16,400 people receiving the emergency Pandemic Unemployment Payment in Kerry. Stock Image Almost 6,000 Kerry workers who were laid off during the Coronavirus lock-down have now returned to work. That's according to the latest Pandemic Unemployment Payment figures, which were released by the department of Social Protection on Monday. The figures show that this week 16,400 people in Kerry will receive the 350 payment, including 700 people who have already cancelled their claims but who are still due to receive their final weekly payments. The Department's figures specifically relate to workers who have cancelled their pandemic payment claims as they are returning to work. As of Monday, there were 15,700 furloughed workers claiming the payment in the county. The number remains high but it is down by 5,800 since early May, when there were 22,200 people availing of the emergency payment across Kerry. At that point, on May 5, almost half of Kerry's roughly 55,000-strong workforce was out of work due to the lock-down and the COVID-19 crisis. The vast majority of these workers were employed in the retail, hospitality and services sectors, which account for a quarter of all jobs in the county. At that point the bill for the Pandemic Payment in Kerry alone stood at 7.7million a week. According to the Department a further 1,100 people in Kerry - the same number as in the previous week - will receive the 350 Covid Illness Benefit this week. This payment - which is different to the Pandemic Payment - is provided to people who have or had the virus or who were instructed to self-isolate as they were in contact with a known case. Monday's figures do not include workers supported through Revenue's COVID-19 Wage Subsidy for employers - of whom there are several thousand in the county. United States Forces Korea commander Gen. Robert Abrams, right, Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo, fifth from left, and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Park Han-ki, left, salute the flags of the Republic of Korea and the United States before a forum on the ROK-U.S. military alliance held at the Ministry of National Defense Convention in Seoul, Wednesday. In a lecture at the event, Abrams stressed the need for the allies to resume theater-level combined-post command drills, which were postponed this year due to the coronavirus pandemic, saying such exercises were essential to maintaining military readiness. Yonhap What a difference six months makes. Just last December Norma Foley was balancing her work as a County Councillor for Tralee and a teacher at Presentation Secondary School. This week the first-time TD finds herself elevated to the most senior ranks of the Cabinet, with responsibility for running Ireland's education system at the height of an unprecedented health crisis. From teaching a few hundred Tralee students , Minister Foley is now in charge of a Department that oversees 923,000 students and pupils and 63,000 teachers in 3,929 national and secondary schools across the country. The pressure of an already taxing job is added to, almost immeasurably, by the impact and the ongoing fallout of the COVID-19 crisis. While every Government Department faces major challenges, Minister Foley will be one of the busiest cabinet members in the weeks and months ahead. Not only must she manage the day-to-day running of a department with an 11.1 billion budget - one with an often-fractious relationship with the trade unions - there is the immediate issue of getting those 3,929 schools after the Coronavirus lock-down. Minister Foley - whose elevation to Cabinet as a first-time TD surprised many - has no doubts about the scale of the challenge ahead, but she said is ready to meet it head on. "It is an absolutely huge challenge, especially getting schools open," she said. "I'm very keen that [schools reopening] would happen. But I'm very keen that would happen as a consequence of engagement with all stakeholders and also acting on the very best public-health advice available to us", she said. Ms Foley said that her goal as Minister will be to make decisions that have the best possible outcome for the children and young adults that she serves. "We're working to recognise and engage with all stakeholders: pupils and students, teachers, parents, secretaries, support staff and everyone in the wider spectrum," said Minister Foley. "The key is ensuring the education, welfare, security and safety of all, and we are working collectively towards that." As a teacher herself, Minister Foley said she "values the expertise and talent" of teachers, SNAs, principals and deputy principals, but also wants to ensure parents' voices are heard. "I see them [teachers and school staff] as very valuable but equally so I see the parents as valuable and important stakeholders. They too must be engaged with," she said. "I bring my own experience coming from a teaching background, and I will make the most of that." As to criticism of the lack of Ministers from west of the country, Minister Foley said it is "impossible to place a minister from every county or every region" adding that the announcement of junior Ministries on Wednesday would enhance the geographical spread. When it comes to her own Ministry, the veteran Tralee politician said she was as surprised as anyone to get the call. While she was honoured to nominate her party leader Micheal Martin for Taoiseach - the second time she had done so - she did not expect any further twists to her day. "I was utterly surprised, I had no inclination it was coming," said Minister Foley. "At half one I was on Henry Street after doing a little shopping. I was heading back to the Convention Centre with something for dinner when I got the call that the Taoiseach wanted to see me," she said. With scores of Department and Cabinet meetings and briefings to attend, Minister Foley said the last few days have been "hectic" and "intense" as she gets to grips with her brief; meets her department Secretaries and staff and gets better acquainted with her new cabinet colleagues from among her own party, Fine Gael and the Green Party. While her focus will and must be on her Ministerial duties, the Tralee TD said she will not forget the people and the communities she was elected to represent. "Well I'm a Minister from Kerry, and I was elected by the people of Kerry. I will always work to make sure the interests of Kerry and Tralee are heard at cabinet," she said. The former Mayor of Kerry said she had been inundated with messages from well wishers since Saturday's announcement. "The support has been wonderful and I've been inundated with congratulations and best wishes. I think I must have about 999 messages on my phone that I still haven't got around to replying to," she said. Minister Foley's political mentor was her beloved late father, Denis, and she feels the former Kerry TD will have been looking down proudly when her political career reached a new peak on Saturday afternoon. "I think he'd be very proud and he'd have been very emotional. He's on my shoulder, looking on and holding his breath for me." Normas path to Government A 26-year political veteran, Norma Foley was first elected to Tralee Town Council in 1994. A decade later, she won a seat a seat on Kerry County Council at the 2004 Local Elections. Her lengthy career has seen the former Presentation Secondary School teacher serve as Mayor of Kerry in 2018/2019 in addition to three separate stints as Mayor of Tralee. The daughter of the late Kerry TD Denis Foley, prior to her Dail election Minister Foley's political highpoint came at the 2019 Local Elections when she topped the poll in Tralee. In February's General Election - her second Dail bid following an unsuccessful attempt in 2007 - she took the fifth seat at the expense of running mate Deputy John Brassil. Since entering the Dail, Minister Foley has clearly been a popular figure in party headquarters and with her leader, Micheal Martin. On her first day in the Dail, Deputy Foley was chosen to nominate Mr Martin for the post of Taoiseach, an honour she was afforded again on Saturday. In May, she was also selected as one of four Fianna Fail deputies to sit on the new Dail committee formed to examine Ireland's COVID-19 response. The ruin of the former west Kerry cliff-side holiday home of writer Maire Mhac an tSaoi has been attracting international attention since it was recently placed on the market. Built on a spectacular quarter-acre site on the edge of the Atlantic near Dun Chaoin in the early 1920s by her uncle, Monsignor Padraig de Brun, 'Tigh na Cille' will go to online auction on July 9 with a starting bidding price of 120,000. The small wooden-framed structure, with three brick chimneys, boasts spectacular views of An Bhlascaod Mhor and Dun Mor Head, and is just a 10-minute walk from the famous Kruger's Bar. Ms Mhac an tSaoi, who celebrated her 98th birthday in April, is the widow of the late Conor Cruise O'Brien and daughter of former Tanaiste Sean MacEntee. Her mother, Margaret Browne, was a sister of Fr de Brun, and he had the house built for the MacEntee children so they could spend summers growing up in an Irish-speaking community. Selling agent Mr Anthony Fitzgerald of Fitzgerland Estate Agent in Dingle said that, due both to its history and location on the edge of one the most westerly points of Europe, the property has been attracting interest from as far away as North America and the UK. He understands a member of the MacEntee family sold on the property in recent years and he has been asked to handle the sale on behalf of the current owner. "The property is famous for its spectacular views, its popularity among the literati and is conveniently located to many amenities in the area, including The Great Blasket Interpretive Centre, Kruger's Pub and Dunquin Pier and Ferry," he said. Admitting the house is in a dilapidated state, Mr Fitzgerald added that, historically, planners favour granting permission for developments on sites which have an existing structure. "That (state of the house) has not put off potential buyers. Indeed, there has been very strong interest since it was placed on the market from people in America, the UK and from all over Ireland. This is a unique, historical property, the likes of which rarely come on the market." Fr de Brun - a priest, scholar and well-known academic administrator - was taught maths by, and later became a close friend of, Eamon de Valera. He is said to have cycled to Dun Chaoin to find solace following the execution of his friend, Sean MacDiarmada, and fellow revolutionaries in 1916. It was in the early 1920s that he built Tigh na Cille (The House on the Old Church Site), which he used during college holidays as the base for his studies and compositions in Irish. In her 2003 memoirs 'The Same Age As The State', Ms Mhac an tSaoi described the house, built within an old religious settlement, as a modest, red-roofed bungalow 'clinker-built of creosoted timbers to a Scandinavian plan'. "It was, and remains, the most westerly dwelling on the mainland of Ireland, 'the nearest house in Ireland to America', as we would proudly assert as children. "The house was built for us, his sister's children, so that we would grow up speaking Irish naturally, in completely Irish-speaking surroundings," she wrote. The house was designed by the family's close friend, the architect Tom Cullen. "Our bungalow was crested black on the outside with a green front door and white framed windows; it had a brilliant red, felt, pyramid roof and was anchored to its foundations by two massive brick chimneys; it looked like a child's drawing of a very pretty house," she added. For further information on the property, log on to www.westkerryproperties.ie or contact Fitzgerald Estate Agent on (066) 915 2684 or (087) 657 7369. Joint selling partners, The Munster Property Auction, can be contacted via www.munsterpropertyauctions.ie or 021 234 9696. Andraya Tighe describes her Instagram page as, Light-hearted with a serious edge every now and then. On her popular blog and social media channels she covers a wealth of topics from sustainable fashion to food but her main focus over the last few years has been mental health. This is something that Andraya has been passionate about for a long time and her honest account has endeared her to her fans. To find out more, we caught up with Andraya as part of our Creators Spotlight series. What made you start your page? I started my blog, OnlyTiggy.com, in 2017 after finishing my undergraduate degree. I have always had a love for writing, so this was a starting point for me. I started my page to share travel stories and to explore food-related topics. I remember my first published post was a travel story about my time in Amsterdam. Three years on and my page is so much more than a travel and food blog. I never imagined it would expand as much as it has. I have found a love for sustainability over time which is something I share with my audience, along with mental health related advice and fashion inspired posts. Do you think its important to talk about mental health online? Yes, absolutely. A decade ago, speaking out about mental health was unheard of. It was considered ataboo topic. When I first started my Instagram page, very few people had opened up about anxiety and depression. I believe it was Bressie who initiated this topic in Ireland at the time, and it was him who inspired me to open up about my own personal struggles. Opening up about living with anxiety has been the biggest blessing in disguise. You really dont realise how many people are in the same position as you until you speak out. I vocalised my struggles about two years ago, and as a result, I received dozens of messages from people who related entirely. We shouldnt treat anxiety or depression as if its an illness. At the end of the day, it is human nature to worry and no two people are infinitely happy. We all go through rough spells. If speaking out about my personal day-to-day issues can help one person get through their day, I know Ive done a good job. I like to promote mental health through positive content, sharing peaceful video content and involving my followers in meditative exercises. Why are you passionate about these issues? Well, as I was saying earlier, I have anxiety; its something Ive suffered from for years. I have an unspoken fear called emetophobia, which is the fear of getting sick. A couple of months ago, I used my platform to speak out about this fear. For a long time, I convinced myself that living with emetophobia would get better over time, but if anything it has worsened with age. Ive always been a massive advocate for it because I believe it is heavily linked with anxiety, and if anything, Id like to give those suffering in silence some hope. Earlier this year, I spoke out about emetophobia on my platform. Plenty of my followers replied back saying they had never heard of it, which was to be expected, but to my surprise, I also received lots of messages from people saying that they also suffer badly from emetophobia. I would like to think Ive built a community from these shared struggles. I love helping others, so this journey has been a walk in the park. I am passionate about helping others to overcome their fear, but Im even more passionate about creating awareness wherever I can. Can Instagram be good for your mental health? It can be, if youre following the right accounts for YOU. I used to follow hundreds of pages that made me feel a little insecure. Ive adopted a mantra where I now tell myself, This is your body for life, love it, because it is so easy to compare ourselves to others, especially on platforms such as Instagram. Instagram is what you make it at the end of the day. It can be one of the best places to find quotes, positive mantras and stories, but it can also be a toxic platform, reminding you of the things you do not have. I try to be as mindful as possible if I am travelling abroad or if I am showing my followers new clothes. Im very fortunate to have these things and to have a well travelled lifestyle, but this may not suit someone whos saving for a house or for someone struggling to get by. I like to think my platform is a positive space for those looking to be uplifted on a bad day. My best advice for anyone struggling to find peace with Instagram is to switch off every now and then. If an account makes you unhappy, click unfollow. Scrolling aimlessly is detrimental on our mental health, so spending little time on Instagram or any social media platform is really important. Overall, Ive always been a very positive person. I have made the effort to surround myself around positive people and to follow positive accounts online. That alone has changed my perspective of social media. Are there any downsides to sharing your life online? Yes, sometimes. Theres a lot of pressure to keep up appearances on social media. I certainly have days where I think I havent posted anything today, and I am overcome with panic. Having said that, Im quite the over sharer and have been very frank about late night panic attacks and low days. I dont mind sharing the nitty gritty. If it means I am helping someone who may be feeling similarly, thats all that matters. Im a firm believer in taking a break from social media every now and then. Its so important to take time to switch off. So much of my life is online, so I feel its necessary to take time away to live, to take in the world around me and to appreciate the little things. Ive learned to keep many aspects of my life relatively private, such as friends, relationships and family. Have you ever worked with brands in the past? I have! Im a current bBold Tan ambassador and I am loving every second of it! Theyre both vegan and cruelty free, so to say it is right up my street is an understatement! Its given me the opportunity to get creative with makeup and beauty products. I have also worked with many food brands in the past which has been an exciting experience to say the least. I love trying and testing new restaurants and dishes. What sort of brands would you like to work with? As I said earlier, my Instagram is extremely diverse. Ill work with any brand thats up my alley. I have always had a fond love for all things food and fashion related. The dream would be to work with a food brand as I love getting creative in the kitchen. Id also love to work with a sustainable clothing brand to help educate people on all things fast fashion, and to promote vintage stores and labels! There are so many brands I can imagine myself working with as I have so many ideas! To find our more about Creators.ie simply visit the website online or check out the Instagram page here. Sponsored by Whether youre a small sole trader delivering fruit and veg or a huge multinational tech company with a large board of directors, theres one thing that youll have in common, the need for transportation. No matter what your core business is, we all need to get from A to B and how you decide to transport your staff or goods can have a huge effect on your balance sheet. If youre thinking about how you can streamline your processes and make managing a fleet of vehicles a lot easier, you really should consider leasing. To find out more we decided to catch up with Steve Rayner, MD at Joe Duffy Leasing. Joe Duffy Leasing is a standalone contract hire and fleet management company offering expert advice and mobility solutions to Irish businesses. Here are just some of the reasons why they recommend leasing over buying, especially in the Irish market. New efficient vehicles Leasing is a simple and effective way to make sure that your company is only using the best vehicles. Of course, this is good for your reputation, but it also improves your staffs safety as they avail of all the new safety technology. Theres no better maintained car than a leased car because we cover all aspects of it, Steve explains. Its a much safer way to operate as well and make sure that all the work is done by a reputable dealer. And its not just cars. Steve explains that you can lease all types of vehicles to suit your needs. We have leased everything from motorbikes to Porsches, he explains. We cover lots of small commercial vehicles and large commercial vehicles up to 3.5 tonnes. We also do a lot of high value directors cars. Its a real mix between commercial vehicles, passenger cars and premium cars. Simple budgeting We all know that in the world of business, the bottom line is what really matters. Leasing your vehicle fleet is a great way to control costs as you know exactly what you will be paying each month. When companies work with us they choose the vehicle that suits their business needs and they let us know how long they want to keep it for, Steve explains. We also factor in the mileage they will be covering every year which allows us to calculate how much that vehicle is going to cost them over the period of use. They are only paying for what they use and the vehicles full value isnt sat on their balance sheet. Its then very easy for them to budget how much that vehicle is going to cost them over that period of time because its a fixed cost. No nasty surprises On top of that, vehicle leasing eliminates nasty financial surprises by discussing total cost of ownership from the outset. If one of your vehicles gets a replacement tyre for example, the cost of repair is already covered by your lease. When using capex to purchase vehicles people dont take into account the total cost of ownership, Steve explains. Quite often they dont consider how long they are going to keep it for. If you dont know how long youre going to keep a vehicle then theres no way of knowing how much it will cost you because you dont know what it is going to be worth in the future. People also dont think to ask, how much will this vehicle cost to maintain or how much do replacement tyres cost. Instead, they just buy a vehicle often lured by upfront discounts and try to deal with the costs as and when they arise which in some cases can be quite significant. Less stress When running a business you need to focus on your mission, not your vehicle fleet. Countless entrepreneurs and CEOs spend too much time worrying about vehicle maintenance when they could simply lease instead. It takes the hassle away from the company so they can focus on their core business, Steve enthuses. If youre dealing with multiple vehicles, the administration can be a headache especially with commercial vehicles as they need to be tested every year. Even just things like road tax and raising POs for services can be very labour intensive. Leasing frees companies up and lets them focus on their core business instead of spending time managing their fleet. Its a good piece of mind for people as it deals with the buying, the selling and the maintaining of the vehicles all in one go. A growing business Leasing is becoming increasingly popular in Ireland as more and more people start to recognise the benefits. Over the last few years we have noticed a lot more inbound enquiries, Steve admits. People are being advised by their accountants and their other contacts who are currently leasing. More and more people are seeing it as a viable solution. From a company point of view, its great because there are no large deposits. One month advance rental is what we normally take. They dont have to part with a lot of capital to get people into vehicles. If you would like to get free advice on your businesss mobility needs check out the brand new Joe Duffy Leasing website. With an unrivalled customer experience, the new site has been designed with the customer at the centre. You can also contact Joe Duffy Leasing on 018647711 or email info@joeduffyleasing.ie. Sponsored by IT Cosmetics Your Skin But Better CC+ Cream With SPF 50+ If you ask Mini, my five-year-old daughter, what she wants to be when she's older, she always says, "A teenager"! She's obsessed with make-up and crop tops and TikTok, so I always say she's the world's youngest teenager. Alfaparf Milano Semi Di Lino My Minis, below, 19.95, are the cutest miniature versions of the brand's favourite must-have hair products. They come in a stylish pouch, with illustrations by Dublin illustrator Emma Kenny. Choose from My Minis Moisture for dry hair; My Minis Diamond for normal hair; or My Minis Reconstruction for damaged hair. Expand Close Alfaparf Milano Semi Di Lino My Minis / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Alfaparf Milano Semi Di Lino My Minis Have you seen the film Bombshell, an empowering story of resilience and retribution, featuring Charlize Theron? Well, lookalike Suzie O'Neill's tutorials on her Instagram - @suzie.ayu - became a big hit with loads of my friends during lockdown. The blonde bombshell, a renowned make-up artist, mum and owner of the award-winning, cruelty-free cosmetics brand Ayu, is dedicated to empowering women with the tools and knowledge to bring out the best version of themselves. I love how Suzie shows us how to enhance what we have, rather than mask it. Check her out - she's the bomb! Writer Roy T Bennett said it's important what thoughts you are feeding into your mind because your thoughts create your beliefs and experiences. You have positive thoughts and you have negative ones, too. Nurture your mind with positive thoughts: kindness, empathy, compassion, peace, love, joy, humility, generosity, etc. The more you feed your mind with positive thoughts, the easier you'll attract great things into your life. Expand Close Antipodes Joyful Hand & Body Cream / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Antipodes Joyful Hand & Body Cream So with that in mind, Antipodes Joyful Hand & Body Cream, 24.95, literally brings me joy as it smells glorious, it nourishes and hydrates my hands beautifully, and, best of all, a little goes a long way. As I rub it into my hands, I try to picture some of the delightful Art Deco rings from Weldon's on Clarendon Street, hoping to manifest them into my life! #priorities I love a quickie at night, so I brush my lips as the last step of my night-time toothbrushing routine! Yes, my lips, with my toothbrush. It's the perfect quick exfoliator before you apply lip balm before bed. Expand Close Chanel Les Beiges Healthy Glow Bronzing Cream / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Chanel Les Beiges Healthy Glow Bronzing Cream The newly reformulated cult favourite, Soleil Tan de Chanel Bronzer, is now called Chanel Les Beiges Healthy Glow Bronzing Cream, 43, not that I could ever pronounce it properly anyway! This is the bronzer of dreams. No patchy, muddy finish here, my friends. The colour isn't orangey at all, and the cream-like consistency is matte, which means men love it as well. It's lightweight and blends beautifully, plus it's buildable. Apply it with a brush and buff it all over the face, neck and decolletage. It's so worth the money, I only buy it once a year, even though I use it a LOT. Somebody sent me a WhatsApp that said, "If you haven't put on at least a stone, got a serious drinking problem and have hair like you've just been shagged in the pub car park, then you did not take the lockdown seriously enough! Ha, ha!" Let's face it (pun intended), the make-up look this year is the kind of pared-down real beauty that I am so into. I want my face done in five minutes flat in the morning, with only five clever products. Here's my edit. 1. IT Cosmetics Your Skin But Better CC+ Cream With SPF 50+, 39, is everything! A hybrid of make-up, skincare, and protection, it also conceals dark spots and minimises the appearance of pores. Expand Close IT Cosmetics Your Skin But Better CC+ Cream With SPF 50+ / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp IT Cosmetics Your Skin But Better CC+ Cream With SPF 50+ 2. Next, I use Urban Decay Stay Naked Threesome, 30, which is the perfect palette for a pared-back beauty edit as it's a bronzer, highlighter and blush - all in one cute compact. The three complementary shades blend seamlessly and, if I have time, I use it on my eyes as well. 3. I sweep a tinted gel like Glossier Boy Brow, 15, through my brows - this all-in-one brow fluffer, filler, and shaper instantly transforms my brows. 4. The new Wonder Perfect Mascara 4D Waterproof from Clarins, 26, is not only waterproof, it delivers just the right amount in one quick sweep. Expand Close Wonder Perfect Mascara 4D Waterproof from Clarins / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Wonder Perfect Mascara 4D Waterproof from Clarins 5. Finally, a quick swipe of Nars Afterglow Lip Balm in Fast Lane, 28, not only has a gorgeous hint of colour, it's packed full of fabulous ingredients to make lips even more 'kissable' - eye-roll! Kim Kardashians latest loved-up Instagram picture may look like, as one Twitter wryly noted, like she was staying in a caravan park in Enniscrone. Yet its probably far from a caravan park that Kim Kardashian will be celebrating her latest career milestone. Yesterday, it was revealed that Kim Kardashian became an official member of the billionaire club. Coty, the US cosmetics giant, has bought a 20pc stake in KKW Beauty, valuing the reality TV stars three-year-old business at $1bn (890m). Alongside a picture of a pepper, a tomato and some flowers, her husband Kanye West tweeted: I am so proud of my beautiful wife Kim Kardashian West for officially becoming a billionaire. Youve weathered the craziest storms and now God is shining on you and our family. I am so proud of my beautiful wife Kim Kardashian West for officially becoming a billionaire Youave weathered the craziest storms and now God is shining on you and our family So blessed this is still life So I made you this still life We love you so much pic.twitter.com/Vvtgzodnah ye (@kanyewest) June 30, 2020 Hes not wrong: another family member, Kims sister Kylie Jenner, reportedly became Forbes magazines youngest ever self-made billionaire at 21. The magazine pegged the value of her own beauty company, Kylie Cosmetics, at more than $900m (800m), while her personal earnings took her net worth to $1bn (the magazine since claimed that while she is no longer officially a billionaire, the now 22-year-old isnt far off it). In his book Kardashian Kulture, sociologist Ellis Cashmore has attempted to pinpoint the origins of the familys extraordinary rise to the top. Theyve put social media and monetising themselves together in a way that made business leaders, CEOs and professors of management scratch their heads and wonder, how did they do that? he says. All told, its not bad going for a family who first rose to prominence under a cloud of notoriety. As a daughter of OJ Simpsons defence lawyer Robert Kardashian, Kim and her sisters were more than used to life in LAs fast lane. As youngsters, they amassed a gang of celebuspawns and socialites. Kim, best known in her teens as Paris Hiltons sidekick, soon surpassed her pal in the infamy stakes with a sex tape of her own. Rather than slink away in shame after the scandal, Kardashian parlayed the moment into a reality show on E! She was ridiculed for being talentless but canny enough to realise that she could monetise that reputation, Cashmore observes. Before her, Madonna, in the 1980s showed how the kind of scandals that Hollywood stars and other entertainers tried to avoid, could be a valuable resource. Mindful of the adage that theres no such thing as bad publicity, Kims canny mother, Kris Jenner, soon built a family dynasty. Filming from their abodes in Calabasas, Keeping Up With The Kardashians was a glossy shot of grade-A escapism. Of course, several people have made the move into reality TV: not all of them became billionaires afterwards. Yet under Kris steerage, each Kardashian member has found their scheme: in Kims case, social media endorsements, brand ambassadorships and mobile gaming have been a large art of her earning power. Beauty clearly is central to the Kardashian womens personal fortunes. As tastemakers and influencers, they certainly have the attentions of a wide swathe of young women, but their fortunes derive from a specific place. Kylie, in particular, is a regular user of Instagram and Snapchat, where she posts selfies tagged with the Kylie Cosmetics products that she is wearing. With 184 million followers on Instagram alone, she is mainlining into a massive targeted audience that the giant corporations can only dream of. Kris reportedly brought in e-commerce platform Shopify to reel in the Gen-Z client base. In June 2017, Kims line, KKW Beauty was born and reportedly reeled in around $100m (90m) in revenue in its first year. These days, influencers and role models are the biggest movers and shakers in the business. Figures like the Kardashians are now the main drivers in a business worth an estimated $535bn (476bn). Social media is an amazing platform, Jenner acknowledges. I have such easy access to my fans and my customers. In a celebrity culture where youngsters are trying to bridge the distance between themselves and their favourite celebrity, the Kardashians products couldnt come at a better time. This is something that advertising theory hasnt quite got to grips with yet: consumers dont buy because they think Kim, Kylie, Kendall or any of the others seriously like a product; they know they are being paid for it. But they buy it to reduce the social and emotional distance between them and the Kardashians, says Cashmore. One of the most fascinating things about the Kardashians is their enduring appeal, despite the natural law of celebrity hinting that the public should have tired of them by now. Lets face it, the Kardashians should be past their sell-by date, agrees Cashmore. Theyre not. In fact, they still seem box-fresh. Love or hate them, you have to appreciate that they have their fingers on the pulse of todays culture and will probably continue to dominate. We will get sick of them; theres no doubt about it. But as we speak, I see no signs of the Kardashians sinking from view. Jennifer Aniston has urged fans to wear a mask to halt the spread of coronavirus (Ian West/PA) Jennifer Aniston has urged fans to wear a mask to halt the spread of coronavirus, saying the issue has been politicised at the expense of peoples lives. Covid-19 is surging in parts of the US, including in Anistons home of California, where bars have been forced to close only weeks after reopening. The famously sunshine-filled state where wearing a mask is mandatory in many public places has also closed its beaches ahead of Fourth of July celebrations on Saturday. Aniston, best known for playing Rachel Green on beloved comedy Friends, shared a selfie in a mask alongside a message urging fans to cover up outdoors. I understand masks are inconvenient and uncomfortable, the actress wrote. But dont you feel that its worse that businesses are shutting down jobs are being lost health care workers are hitting absolute exhaustion. And so many lives have been taken by this virus because we arent doing enough. While California governor Gavin Newsom made wearing a mask in many public places mandatory, the practice remains controversial for some, who refuse on the grounds of personal choice. Aniston, 51, said the issue has been politicised. She wrote: I really do believe in the basic goodness of people so I know we can all do this BUT still, there are many people in our country refusing to take the necessary steps to flatten the curve, and keep each other safe. People seem worried about their rights being taken away by being asked to wear a mask. This simple and effective recommendation is being politicised at the expense of peoples lives. And it really shouldnt be a debate. Aniston added: If you care about human life, please just #wearadamnmask and encourage those around you to do the same. Tense: Police officers ask people to leave during a protest in Hong Kong after Chinas parliament passed the national security law. Photo: Tyrone Siu/Reuters Hong Kong's freedoms were torn to shreds yesterday as China imposed a sweeping national security law that threatens activists with life in prison. Residents of the city were only informed of the full extent of the law as it came into force at 11pm, with pro-democracy protesters saying it marked the "death" of their struggle. Anyone found guilty of a wide range of hazily defined crimes - including terrorism, secession, subversion and collusion with foreign forces - faces spending the rest of their life behind bars. The timing of the law's imposition was seen as a symbolic strike at Britain, coming just an hour before the 23rd anniversary of the former colony's handover in 1997. Nancy Pelosi, the speaker of the US House of Representatives, demanded sanctions the day after Washington began to eliminate Hong Kong's special status in US law, halting defence exports and restricting technology cooperation. Dismay broke out in activist ranks with pro-democracy groups saying they would dissolve. "It marks the end of Hong Kong that the world knew before," said protest leader Joshua Wong on Twitter, announcing the end of his Demosisto organisation. Acts that qualify as "terrorism" under the new law include causing damage to public transport, an apparent reference to attacks on the metro system at the height of last year's protests. The law specifically deems the use of Molotov cocktails - a feature of the sometimes violent demonstrations - terrorism, but extends the term to include anything that "seriously endangers public health and safety". Sentences of up to 10 years in prison are also established for the promotion of terrorism. Even providing a bus service to protesters could fall under that category, analysts said. The law, which will supersede existing Hong Kong legislation where there is conflict, paves the way for some trials to be held behind closed doors and some charges could even apply to non-Hong Kong citizens living outside the city. Judges for security cases will be appointed by the city's chief executive, ending the system that sees senior judges rotate through Hong Kong's independent judicial system. A new national security agency in the city will not fall under the jurisdiction of the local government. Authorities can carry out surveillance of and wiretap people suspected of endangering national security, the law stipulates. A first test of the new legislation was expected today as pro-democracy protesters had pledged to take to the streets on the anniversary of the territory's handover to demand their freedoms. "This is going to be one last big push," one young man said. "It's a dark day for anyone who is involved in the democracy movement," said a prominent Hong Kong barrister who asked to remain anonymous. "People are afraid of a harsh crackdown with activists being arrested and made subject to the mercies of this draconian law." The expectation, he said, was that arrests would be immediate. Carrie Lam, Hong Kong's chief executive, in a video message to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, urged the international community to "respect our country's right to safeguard national security". She said the law would not undermine the city's autonomy or independent judiciary. Authorities in Beijing and Hong Kong have repeatedly said the legislation is aimed at a few "troublemakers". As the law was passed in Beijing, the Chinese People's Liberation Army garrison in Hong Kong held a drill which included exercises to stop suspicious vessels and arrest fugitives. Jimmy Lai, one of the city's most outspoken pro-democracy tycoons, declared "the death of Hong Kong". Mr Lai (72), owner of Next Digital, an anti-Beijing media group, has been warned he could be one of the first targets of the new law. "They send cars to follow me, to intimidate me. They have people telling me it's not just prison for life, you can be shot also. If they come [and] arrest me, what can I do? I'm not going to leave and disgrace myself. I will stay in Hong Kong until the last day," he said. Some pro-Beijing officials have described the national security law as Hong Kong's "second return" after authorities failed to tame the city politically following its handover from Britain on July 1, 1997. Hong Kong's plight should set off alarm bells for everyone, said Mr Lai. "If we allow China, which is definitely going to become the biggest economy in the world, to impose its values and belligerent behaviour, the world will not have peace," he said. Global problem: Greek health authority workers test German frontline workers on their arrival into the holiday island of Kos. Photo: REUTERS/Alkis Konstantinidis Covid-19 has killed five people who caught the virus abroad and became seriously ill after returning with the infection, new figures revealed. The fatalities have been revealed for the first time. It follows an appeal by chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan to people who have booked summer holidays, to cancel the trips due to the risk of catching Covid-19, and spreading it to families and the wider community. As the summer holiday season gets busier there are growing numbers of people catching the virus in another country, with figures climbing again to 592. The most recent case involved a man who tested positive after returning home from Iraq to the north-west of Ireland, where up to 14 members of his extended family tested positive, leading to one hospitalisation. It comes as another death from the virus was announced yesterday, bringing the toll so far to 1,736 since the infection first struck here. Read More There were 11 more confirmed cases of the virus following a rise in the number of people testing positive in recent days, leading to fears of a potential resurgence of the infection. A significant increase has been reported in the number of outbreaks of the virus in private homes since exiting lockdown, which has seen more people mixing as well as socialising. So far there have been 728 outbreaks in private homes, higher than in nursing homes or hospitals. Dr Holohan said yesterday was six months since the World Health Organisation first received reports of what we now know to be Covid-19. "Since then, there have been 10 million cases and 500,000 deaths reported worldwide. "We know more about this virus and how to limit its spread than we did six months ago. It is very important that we keep up the national effort to reduce the impact of this disease in our country." Dr Ronan Glynn, the deputy chief medical officer, said: "Each person should risk assess their own environment to inform their personal decisions and actions during this pandemic. "We know how this virus spreads, we know the public health behaviours required to protect ourselves and others, we must continue to be aware of the disease and limit its spread." As of midnight on Monday, 429,698 tests had been carried out. Over the past week, 24,607 tests were done and 116 were positive, giving a positivity rate of 0.5pc. Meanwhile, Mental Health Reform, the national coalition on mental health, yesterday presented research that highlighted significant public demand for greater action from the new government and its agencies to respond to the mental health impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. Dr Phillip Hyland, from the Department of Psychology at Maynooth University, who leads the Irish arm of the project, said: "Our survey has revealed that, at minimum, one-third of people in the population are experiencing serious mental health difficulties during the Covid-19 pandemic. "Young adults and women more generally are exhibiting worryingly high levels of depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder. "The mental health response to this public health crisis must take account of the fact that it is the youngest adults in society who are suffering the most with their mental health at this time." "These findings align with international data that is now emerging and it demands significant attention from public health officials." Members of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) and Cabinet members participate in a meeting of the National Assembly's Special Committee on Budget and Accounts, Tuesday, to review the third extra budget bill. The empty seats belong to members of the main opposition United Future Party, who boycotted the meeting in protest of the DPK and Assembly Speaker Park Byeong-seug's unilateral selection of chiefs of standing committees. Yonhap By Jung Da-min Concerns are rising over the ruling Democratic Party of Korea's (DPK) monopoly on decision-making and operation of the 21st National Assembly, as the main opposition United Future Party (UFP) is withholding cooperation amid a bipartisan conflict over standing committees. Political watchers say the DPK is ignoring one of the basic principles of democracy and Assembly custom of mutual respect and tolerance, while acting as if it is "one team" with the government, rubber-stamping the bills it submits when the Assembly's job is in fact to hold the administration in check. The rival parties' negotiations on the heads of the Assembly's 18 standing committees broke down Monday morning, after the DPK refused to give chairpersonship of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee to the UFP, a position that has customarily been held by the main opposition party. After the ruptured talks, the DPK held a plenary session later in the day and unilaterally appointed its own people as heads of the standing committees. It now controls 17 out of the 18, with plans to take over the remaining one after the necessary procedures have been followed. Assembly Speaker Park Byeong-seug also unilaterally assigned 103 UFP members to the committees, saying it was within his authority as speaker to do so. While the UFP is boycotting all committee meetings to protest the DPK's "autocracy," ruling party members and lawmakers of other minor opposition parties held committee meetings, Tuesday, to discuss issues related to the government's third extra budget bill. The DPK is aiming to complete the legislative procedure for the passage of the bill, designed to cope with the economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic, within the week. The meetings took only a couple of hours at most, unusually short compared to previous ones, as DPK members did not raise objections to the budget bills. Some lawmakers of the minor opposition Justice Party who took part in the meetings walked out in protest of the "cursory" discussions. "I can't agree with a meeting where lawmakers only focus on passing a bill without reviewing it for at least one day to decide whether the budget has been properly drawn up," Rep. Jang Hye-young of the Justice Party said. Besides the extra budget, the Assembly has many more urgent issues to handle, such as the recommendation of chief candidates for a new investigative body that will deal with corruption allegations against high-profile public officials. Although the new organization is set to be launched July 15 according to the relevant law, the deadline is unlikely to be met, as the dispute between the DPK and the UFP is likely to continue for the time being. Political analysts said the DPK's unilateral operation of the Assembly, taking advantage of its super majority 176 out of the total 300 is against the principles of democracy and mutual respect. Park Sung-min, a veteran political consultant, said the DPK was destroying the principles of a democratic Assembly mutual respect, tolerance and self-control. "In politics, an agreed custom is sometimes more important than the law," he said. "For a democracy to work, political parties need to abide by two things acknowledging the other as a rival, meaning mutual respect, and self-control, meaning using power and authority carefully. These constitute democracy, but the DPK ignored them." The consultant said the parties needed to respect the custom that the main opposition party takes the legislation committee head position. "If the DPK wanted the custom to be broken, it should have had a full discussion with the opposition party over it. Breaking the custom by using its power as a super majority party is not right," he said. "Passing the extra budget bill is important, but the democratic system is more important." A camel guide wears a surgical mask while pulling his camel at the Giza Pyramids in Giza (Hamada Elrasam/AP) Egypt has reopened its airports, the Egyptian museum and the famed Giza Pyramids in Cairo, for the first time in more than three months since the Covid-19 closure. The national carrier, EgyptAir, said around 2,000 passengers left Cairos international airport on 14 international flights on Wednesday. Two flights carrying over 350 Ukrainian tourists landed in the Red Sea resort of Hurghada and the major resort and beach destination of Sharm el Sheikh in the southern part of Sinai Peninsula. Expand Close A Japanese tourist visits the golden mask of King Tut on display at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo (Hamada Elrasam/AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp A Japanese tourist visits the golden mask of King Tut on display at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo (Hamada Elrasam/AP) Mostafa Waziri, secretary general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, said around two dozen museums and tourist sites also received visitors with preventive measures in place against coronavirus. They include the Egyptian museum, the Giza Pyramids and the Citadel of Saladin in Cairo, along with the ancient temple of Karnak and the famous Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut in the southern city of Luxor. The government wants to revive the tourism sector, which had showed sings of recovery before the pandemic after years of instability. Cruelty: A bust of Belgiums King Leopold II is hoisted off of its plinth and removed from a park in Ghent, Belgium, yesterday The King of Belgium has expressed his "deepest regrets" for the violence and suffering inflicted during Belgian rule over what is now the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), as the African country marks 60 years since it gained independence. In a letter written to Felix Tshisekedi, the president of the DRC, King Philippe became the first reigning Belgian monarch to acknowledge that "acts of violence and cruelty" had been committed and "suffering and humiliation" caused under the country's colonial rule. "To further strengthen our ties and develop an even more fruitful friendship, we must be able to talk to each other about our long common history in all truth and serenity," he wrote. The letter came as Belgium faced growing calls to reassess its colonial history after a wave of global protests against racial inequality, sparked by the death of George Floyd in the US last month. Several statues of King Leopold II, under whose rule as many as 10 million Congolese people are thought to have died, have been vandalised in recent weeks, while a petition calling for the removal of all statues of the former king has received 80,000 signatures. As part of the country's reckoning with its past, local authorities in Ghent removed a bust of Leopold yesterday. Referring to Leopold's brutal private rule over Congo from 1885 to 1908, King Philippe wrote that "acts of violence and cruelty were committed that still weigh on our collective memory". "The colonial period that followed also caused suffering and humiliation," he added. When Leopold's personal ownership ended in 1908, he gave Congo over to the Belgian state, which ruled it until its independence in 1960. The current Belgian king said: "I want to express my most deepest regrets for these wounds of the past, the pain of which is today revived by discrimination that is all too present in our societies." He also congratulated Mr Tshisekedi on the 60th anniversary, adding he could not attend the celebrations because of the pandemic. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has admitted that parts of his government's response to the coronavirus crisis were "sluggish". In a speech ahead of the country's 100th day in lockdown, Mr Johnson described his frustration at failing to quickly confront elements of the pandemic as being "like a recurring bad dream". He did not mention Public Health England (PHE) but Whitehall sources indicated last night that they believed Mr Johnson was referring to the agency, after he had privately criticised its response in meetings with Tory MPs. The quango is responsible for testing, and the decision to abandon widespread tracking of the virus as it began to spread is regarded by most scientists as the key mistake in Britain's handling of the pandemic which has led to the country recording the highest number of deaths in Europe. Yesterday, the agency was once again at the forefront of a public row after ministers ordered the lockdown of Leicester following a new outbreak. Council leaders expressed frustration at the lack of data and detailed information on cases in the city after infections started to rise over the past fortnight. In yesterday's speech, Mr Johnson said: "I know that there are plenty of things that people say and will say that we got wrong, and we owe that discussion and that honesty to the tens of thousands who have died before their time, to the families who have lost loved ones, and of course there must be time to learn the lessons, and we will." He said that while waiting for "the full economic reverberations" to become clear: "We must use this moment to plan our response and fix the problems that were most brutally illuminated in that Covid lightning flash. "The problems in our social care system, the parts of government that seemed to respond so sluggishly that sometimes it seemed like that recurring bad dream when you are telling your feet to run and your feet won't move." Whitehall sources said PHE had been "too slow" in its responses and forced the government to take over some of its functions and set up new bodies. Sources said the test and trace service had to be taken out of PHE's hands, while the Joint Biosecurity Centre, which determines the Covid alert level, had been set up specifically to do a job PHE should have been doing. Meanwhile, the infectious disease chief at the US National Institutes of Health, Dr Anthony Fauci, yesterday warned that coronavirus cases could grow to 100,000 a day in the US if Americans do not start following public health recommendations. He made the remark at a Senate hearing on reopening schools and workplaces. Asked to forecast the outcome of recent surges in some states, Dr Fauci said he cannot make an accurate prediction, but believes it will be "very disturbing". "We are now having forty-plus-thousand new cases a day. I would not be surprised if we go up to 100,000 a day if this does not turn around, and so I am very concerned," said Dr Fauci. Dr Fauci said areas seeing outbreaks are putting the entire nation at risk, including areas that have made progress in reducing Covid-19 cases. Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam, left, and her husband Lam Siu-por attend the flag raising ceremony at the Golden Bauhinia Square to mark the anniversary of the Hong Kong handover to China (Kin Cheung/AP) Hong Kongs leader has strongly endorsed the new security law Chinas central government is imposing on the semi-autonomous territory in her speech marking the anniversary of its handover from colonial Britain. This decision was necessary and timely to maintain Hong Kongs stability, Carrie Lam said. A pro-democracy political party, The League of Social Democrats, organised a protest march during the flag-raising ceremony preceding Ms Lams speech. Participants chanted slogans echoing demands from protesters last year for political reform and an investigation into alleged police abuses. The law directly targets some of the actions of anti-government protesters last year, which included attacks on government offices and police stations, damage to subway stations, and the shutdown of the citys international airport. Expand Close A flag raising ceremony is held at the Golden Bauhinia Square to mark the anniversary of the Hong Kong handover to China (Kin Cheung/AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp A flag raising ceremony is held at the Golden Bauhinia Square to mark the anniversary of the Hong Kong handover to China (Kin Cheung/AP) Acts of vandalism against government facilities or public transport can be prosecuted as subversion or terrorism, while anyone taking part in activities deemed as secessionist would also be in violation of the new law. The new national security law further blurs the distinction between the legal systems of semi-autonomous Hong Kong, which maintained aspects of British law after the 1997 handover, and the mainlands authoritarian Communist Party system. Its passage comes after Hong Kongs legislature in early June made it illegal to insult the Chinese national anthem. President Xi Jinping signed a presidential order making the law take effect after its approval by the Standing Committee of the National Peoples Congress, Chinas rubber-stamp legislature, and it has been added to the Basic Law, Hong Kongs constitution. Under the law, those found guilty of inciting secessionist, subversive, terrorist activities and colluding with foreign forces could face life imprisonment if they are deemed masterminds of such activities. Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, has signalled he will delay annexing parts of the West Bank as the country grapples with rising coronavirus infections and reports of hesitation in Washington about the plan. Mr Netanyahu had previously named July 1 as the date when Israel would begin placing settlements in the West Bank. But according to Israeli state broadcaster Kan, the prime minister hinted to his fellow Likud MPs that annexation would be delayed. "I have a positive and topical line of communication with the Americans and when I have something to report, I'll report [it]," Mr Netanyahu told Israeli legislators, according to Kan. He is said to have added: "This is a complicated process with lots of diplomatic and security considerations that I can't get into. We said that [annexation] would be after July 1." Annexation is a key element of US President Donald Trump's peace plan for the Middle East, which would see up to 30pc of the West Bank annexed by Israel in return for negotiations on a future Palestinian state. Palestinian leaders have strongly rejected annexation, warning it would be the death knell for a two-state solution and the 1993 Oslo accords, as well as a violation of international law. The Israeli prime minister is facing pressure from the international community to abandon unilateral annexation, while his own defence minister this week called for the process to be delayed so the government could focus on the coronavirus pandemic. Benny Gantz, Israel's defence minister, said on Monday that "whatever isn't connected to the fight against the coronavirus can wait". Israel's health ministry recorded 714 coronavirus infections yesterday, which is part of a sharp daily increase in the number of new cases since lockdown was lifted in the Jewish state. Last week, three days of meetings between Mr Trump and his aides on whether to give Israel permission to begin annexation ended without an agreement, according to US media. Under pressure: US president Donald Trump was reportedly not briefed on the findings, claims the White House President Donald Trump yesterday came under growing pressure to respond to allegations that Russia offered bounties for killing American troops in Afghanistan, with Democrats demanding answers and accusing Mr Trump of bowing to Russian president Vladimir Putin at the risk of US soldiers' lives. House Democrats returning from a briefing at the White House said they learned nothing new about American intelligence assessments that suggested Russia was making overtures to militants as the US and the Taliban meanwhile held talks to end the conflict in Afghanistan. Senate Republicans who attended a separate briefing largely defended the president, arguing along with the White House that the intelligence was unverified. The intelligence assessments were reported by 'The New York Times', then confirmed to The Associated Press news agency by American intelligence officials and others with knowledge of the matter. Majority leader Steny Hoyer and a small group of other House Democrats met with White House officials as Mr Trump downplayed the allegations and aides said he had not been briefed on them. The Democrats questioned why Mr Trump wouldn't have been briefed and pushed White House officials to have the president make a strong statement about the matter. House Intelligence Committee chairman Adam Schiff, one of the Democrats who attended the briefing, said it was "inexplicable" why Mr Trump won't say publicly that he is working to get to the bottom of the issue and why he won't call out Mr Putin. He said Mr Trump's defense that he hasn't been briefed is inexcusable. White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany has repeatedly insisted Mr Trump wasn't briefed on the findings because they hadn't been verified. That's an unusually high bar, since it is rare for intelligence to be confirmed without a shadow of doubt before it is presented to senior government decision-makers. Some House Republicans who were briefed by the White House on Monday also said they left with questions. But Senate Republicans seemed less concerned and questioned the media reports, and Republicans briefed in the White House Situation Room yesterday appeared mostly satisfied with the answers they received. Senators reviewed documents related to the allegations on Monday evening and yesterday, including information not previously known, according to one aide who was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity. Nebraska Republican Ben Sasse, a member of the intelligence panel, said Monday evening that Congress should focus on finding out who knew what, and when, "and did the commander in chief know? And if not, how the hell not?" The intelligence community has been investigating an April 2019 attack on an American convoy that killed three US Marines as they travelled back to the US military's Bagram Airfield in Afghanistan, officials told the AP. Donald Trump regularly "bullied and humiliated" Theresa May on phone calls, calling her a "fool" and "spineless" on Brexit, according to officials privy to their conversations. The US president reportedly attacked the then prime minister for her stance on the EU, Nato, immigration and other issues the pair disagreed on. The details of the conversations have been published by Carl Bernstein, one of two reporters who broke the Watergate Scandal, quoting White House and intelligence officials who are aware of the contents of Mr Trump's calls with world leaders. "He'd get agitated about something with Theresa May, then he'd get nasty with her on the phone call," Mr Bernstein wrote for CNN, quoting an official who described the verbal assaults as "near-sadistic". "It's the same interaction in every setting with just no filter applied," said one source. Mr Trump's relationship with Mrs May was notoriously fraught, with both taking vastly different approaches to issues which once bonded the two countries. Observers described the "special relationship" during Mrs May's tenure at No 10 from 2016 to 2019, as arguably at its lowest point since the Suez Crisis of 1956. Mr Bernstein's sources say Mr Trump reserved his most vicious attacks for female leaders. He reportedly denigrated Mrs May and Angela Merkel, the German chancellor, but was cordial - even reverential - to strongman leaders such as Russian president Vladimir Putin and Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan. "Some of the things he said to Angela Merkel are just unbelievable: he called her 'stupid', and accused her of being in the pocket of the Russians," an unnamed official said. "He's toughest [on the phone] with those he looks at as weaklings and weakest with the ones he ought to be tough with." While the insults were "water off a duck's back" for Mrs Merkel, Mrs May became "flustered and nervous" on the calls. "He clearly intimidated her and meant to," they said. The claims made to Mr Bernstein, a former Washington Post reporter who together with Bob Woodward revealed scandals that led to the resignation of Richard Nixon as president, were similar to some made in former national security adviser John Bolton's new book. However, the phone calls described to CNN cover a far longer period than Mr Bolton's White House stint and are much more comprehensive, according to Mr Bernstein. Mr Bolton also noticed his former boss was much harsher with female leaders. Sky News asked him recently if he thought the president was sexist. "I don't know what the issue is but time and again we ran into that difficulty," he answered. Asked to comment on Mr Trump's behaviour in calls with Mrs May, Downing Street referred reporters to its website, which lists brief descriptions of some of the calls. Mr Bolton, conversely, claimed Boris Johnson, whom Mr Trump sees as a natural ally, played the president "like a fiddle". Mr Trump reportedly "almost never" read the briefing materials prepared for him in advance of the calls. The news came as a judge in New York issued a temporary restraining order against a book written by Mr Trump's niece, Mary. Her book, which is due to be published next month, presents an unflattering account of life in the Trump family. The order prevents Simon & Schuster, the publisher, from circulating the book in any form until a permanent decision is made. WHEN coronavirus started spreading from China to other countries in late January, it seemed that the neighboring countries would especially be hit hard. One of those countries, Thailand, seemed especially vulnerable - a popular destination for Chinese tourists, along with thousands of people who traveled from Wuhan that month, the very source of the epidemic in China. Despite that, with a population of 68 million people, Thailand has only had 3,158 confirmed cases so far, with 3,038 people recovered, and only 58 deaths. COVID-19 death toll per million Thailand residents is 0.8. Just to compare, in the USA, that number is 376, in Sweden 516, in the UK 635, and Belgium as many as 839. Why did Thailand do well, just as other East Asian countries? Japan, a country with a population of 126 million people, has less than a thousand confirmed deaths, i.e., only eight deaths per million. South Korea, with 51 million residents, has only 282 deaths, i.e., 6 per million. With 36 million residents, Taiwan has only seven deaths, i.e., 0.3 per million. China also had a relatively low official number of infected people and deaths, but many were calling into question these numbers because of the nature of the Chinese regime. East Asia, where people wear masks, fought off coronavirus in the beginning Several factors are responsible for the success of the East Asia countries - partial lockdown, contact tracing of the infected, and public health care volunteers who helped track the spread of the infection throughout the country, according to the American magazine Fast Company. However, one factor is put forward as the key factor - wearing masks. In Thailand and other countries mentioned above, that was normal at the beginning of the pandemic, when the WHO insisted that masks should be worn only by hospital staff, people infected with COVID-19, and people who are taking care of them at home. Of course, wearing masks was widespread in China and other countries of East Asia even before the novel coronavirus appeared, because of the deadly SARS epidemic in 2003, or similar infectious diseases in the last 20 years, or because of widespread air pollution. When asked in a poll if they wear masks in public even now when there are only a couple of new coronavirus cases per day in the entire country, 95% of Thailand residents answered positively. Let's compare it with the situation in Croatia, where masks, after the first two or three weeks of a lockdown, practically disappeared from the streets, parks, public transport, and the majority of indoor spaces. New study: Countries where people wear masks have up to 100 times lower mortality rate A new study that analyzed data about the coronavirus death rate concluded that the countries where wearing masks was mandatory in the start-up phase of the epidemic, or where citizens adopted this practice self-initially, had up to 100 times lower death rate than the countries where that wasn't the case. "We looked at the data from 198 countries around the world, and we looked at mortality from coronavirus. We found that the countries that introduced masks quicklythat is, before the outbreak had much of a chance to spread within their countryhad much lower mortality," explained the lead author of the study, Christopher Leffler physician and professor at Virginia Commonwealth University. "You also got (except for Japan and South Korea) Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau - there are many countries where people started wearing masks in early phases. Vietnam and Thailand are good examples because the mortality rate per capita remained low," said Leffler for the Canadian Global News. The difference between the countries where people were wearing masks and the countries where they weren't, was huge - the mortality rate went up by 8% per week in some countries, on average, and as much as 54% per week in others. The study still hasn't been peer-reviewed, and it has only been published on a specialized server medRxiv.org for now. Some studies have shown earlier that masks are effective in stopping the coronavirus transmission - for example, the study published in a prestigious medical journal Nature Medicine, in which 246 people infected with coronavirus or the flu were tested in two groups. The study: Surgical masks as effective as the ones with filters The flu virus was found in respiratory droplets only in 4% of the participants wearing surgical masks, and in 26% of participants not wearing masks. Coronavirus was found in 30% of participants not wearing masks, and not found in participants wearing masks. Advertisement How much do masks prevent the spread of the virus is still not definitively determined. According to another study in the respected British Medical Journal, virus transmission is 97% when wearing fabric face masks, and 44% when wearing surgical masks during four week-period, in a hospital surrounding where the quantity of the virus is much larger than elsewhere. However, the new study conducted by the scientists from the universities of Cambridge and Greenwich, published in a scientific journal Proceedings of the Royal Society A, found that wearing masks in public by at least 50% of the population keeps the so-called "reproduction number" (R0) below 1, even when wearing less effective fabric masks. It means that the new waves of the epidemic will be much less severe, and a complete lockdown won't be necessary. "Our analyses support the public's immediate and universal adoption of facemasks," said Dr. Richard Stutt, a part of a research team. Despite that, at the end of March, the WHO said that there had been no proof that massive adoption of face masks benefited fighting off the virus. On the contrary, they can be quite harmful if they give people a false sense of security, which leads to not complying with the rest of the safety measures. The WHO has been insisting for months that masks shouldn't be worn if we aren't sick However, the WHO drastically changed its guidelines at the beginning of June, and now the governments are recommended to encourage its citizens to wear masks in public places where there is a widespread transmission. "We recommend that the governments encourage their public to wear fabric masks," said Maria Van Kerkhove in an interview with Reuters. The Croatian Coronavirus Task Force also made a bizarre switch. Its member Maja Grba-Bujevic, the Croatian Institute of Emergency Medicine Director, said in February: "The mask won't protect us from the virus." A month ago, with the rest of the Task Force, she changed her opinion and said: "Masks should absolutely be worn indoors." A similar volte-face was made by the American Center for Disease Prevention and Control, which finally issued recommendations to wear fabric masks in April. Its member and the leading American epidemiologist Anthony Fauci admitted what the WHO critics were saying from the beginning - experts and authorities in the USA and other countries have been talking people out of wearing masks because they were afraid that there are simply not enough masks available and that the mass adoption of face mask would lead to the mask shortage for hospital staff, who need it the most. "Seriously, people - stop buying masks!" Fauci warned Americans on Twitter at the end of February. The prognosis for Croatia: 600 deaths without masks, 270 with masks Let's recall, the WHO has posted this on Twitter on January 14:" Preliminary investigations conducted by the Chinese authorities have found no clear evidence of human-to-human transmission of the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) identified in Wuhan, China." It subsequently turned out that the conclusion, taken from the Chinese regime, was wrong. In the end, the model made by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington bears witness to the effectiveness of wearing masks, and introduced an alarming prognosis for Croatia, in accordance with the rise in coronavirus cases. According to this prognosis, the COVID-19 death toll could reach more than 600 by August, six times more than today. It could go over 1,400 by October. But in case of mass adoption of face masks, the anticipated number is far lower - around 270 deaths by the end of September. Which raises the question again - how many lives could have been saved if the masks had been provided in sufficient amounts and if the public had been encouraged to wear them? Index-Journal Careers PART-TIME POSITION available in our packaging area. Job responsibilities include putting inserts into the newspaper. Must have a positive attitude and be a team player. Applicants must be able to: lift up to 20-lbs; stand for long periods of time; be available to work Sunday thru Friday, late evening to early morning hours; pass drug screen. A large screen displaying Hashima Island, also known as "Battleship Island" here, is seen at the Industrial Heritage Information Center in Tokyo, June 14. The center opened to the public June 15 to introduce 23 Meji Era industrial sites designated as UNESCO World Heritages. / Courtesy of Industrial Heritage Information Center Netizens split over S. Korea seeking removal of 23 Meiji-era industrial sites By Kwak Yeon-soo Amid South Korea and Japan being stuck in the past over unsettled wartime forced labor reparations, netizens remain split over Seoul's diplomatic endeavors to remove controversial Japanese industrial sites, including the so-called "Battleship Island," from the UNESCO World Heritage list. In a survey of social media users run by The Korea Times via Facebook, some said the two countries should not let the past stand in the way of cooperation for a better future, while others claimed righting the wrongs of history was essential for the two nations to move forward. The government wants UNESCO to remove 23 Meiji Era industrial sites from its World Heritage list, as Japan has failed to live up to its commitment to tell the world that those sites had a dark past, including the use of wartime forced Korean laborers during the 1910-45 colonial occupation of the peninsula by Japan. Upon the heritage designation in 2015, Japan pledged to the international community that it would establish a center to commemorate "Koreans and others who were taken there against their will and forced to work under inhumane working conditions." Seven of 23 industrial sites employed forced labor from Korea, China and other countries during the World War II. Among them is the notorious Hashima Island, better known as the Battleship Island here, where hundreds of Koreans were forced to work tirelessly in an undersea coal mine. However, the Industrial Heritage Information Center in Tokyo, which opened to the public June 15, angered Korean government and civic groups with its "distortion of history." The newly opened center includes content about Hashima Island that contradict Japan's earlier pledge. Although the exhibit includes references to conscripted workers, it also quotes testimony from a second-generation Korean named Fumio Suzuki who lives in Japan and claims there was no discriminatory treatment of Korean workers. "That is only an exceptional case. It is like ignoring stories of 999 out of 1,000," said Yuji Hosaka, a professor at Sejong University, during a special talk hosted by the Korean Culture and Information Service. "Suzuki claims that there wasn't any discrimination, but it is likely that his father was working in a managerial position, not as a miner, or his family adopted Japanese names." On June 22, Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha sent a letter to UNESCO Director General Audrey Azoulay asking for the case to be reviewed as Tokyo had failed to deliver on its promise to acknowledge its dark history and honor wartime forced laborers. On June 28, Culture Minister Park Yang-woo condemned Japan for trying to "distort historical facts." "Japan has undermined the existence value of the World Heritage and trust of the international community by failing to keep its promise," he wrote on Facebook. "History must be based on the truth. The Japanese government must be honest and respect history." Internet users, whose comments were collected by The Korea Times to learn more on their opinions about the touchy diplomatic issue, were divided over Seoul's diplomatic effort to hold Japan accountable for listing the controversial sites on the world heritage list. One wrote: "Harping on the past only reinforces hostility and instills hatred in the younger generation." "The whole world knows about the evil horror Japan inflicted against humanity during the first half of the 20th century," another wrote. "The continued whitewashing of history is one of the reasons why Japan will fail in the 21st century." Another user commented, "Imperialist Japan was most inhumane in its treatment of Korea and it should own up it. Those victims shouldn't be forgotten in history. There's no point trying to pretend this stuff didn't happen because it happened. If Japan refuses to honor these victims then it is only fair that the site should not be regarded as a world heritage site." On the other hand, some asserted that it was more important for both countries to form alliances than to be in constant petty conflicts. "What is there to gain if you Korea continues to hold onto this horrible past? As a citizen of this world, I would rather go for strategic alliances that would boost economic lives, social justice and equality. There is so much more to do than sticking with and lingering on a painful past," one Facebook user said. "Let them keep it as a world heritage site, but humanity must force them to tell the whole horrible story," another noted. 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. The UN mission in Afghanistan says it has found evidence that the Afghan military had mistakenly fired the mortars at a busy market in southern Helmand province resulting in heavy civilian casualties, according to a report in AP. A car bombing and mortar shells struck the market in Sangin, killing 23 people, including children, as per a statement from a provincial governors office. Both the Taliban and the Afghan military put the blame on each other. AP Civilians caught in crossfire A series of tweets late on Tuesday from the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, or UNAMA, said that multiple credible sources have asserted that the Afghan army fired the mortars in response to Taliban fire, missing (the) intended target. That suggests there was a battle between the Taliban and Afghan forces at the time of the attack. The UN did not elaborate how its mission reached those findings. The tweets said both parties in the war in Afghanistan must stop fighting in civilian-populated areas as such fighting has caused thousands of civilian casualties. UNAMA also urged the Afghan government to set up independent investigation team for Mondays incident and offered its assistance. AP Afghanistan denies it The Afghan government has insisted there was no military activity in the Taliban-controlled area at the time of the attack. The Defense Ministry responded on Wednesday to the UN tweets by repeating that statement, adding that Afghan mortars cannot reach the Sangin market from their checkpoints. Civilians are often caught in the crossfire of the fighting even as Afghan forces say they are targeting the insurgents, not civilians, in anti-militant operations. A UN report in May blamed the Taliban for killing or wounding a total of 208 civilians in April and also said that operations carried out by Afghan forces had killed or wounded 172 civilians. AP The attack in Helmand came as Washingtons special peace envoy, Zalmay Khalilzad, is again touring the region to try and push the peace process forward. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in a Monday video conference with the Taliban pressed the insurgents to reduce violence in Afghanistan. There have been expectations that talks between Afghan government representatives and the Taliban could possibly start this month in Doha, Qatar, where the Taliban maintain a political office. Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan said he had no doubt India was behind the terror attack on the stock exchange building in Karachi, according to a Reuters report. Four gunmen armed stormed the Pakistan Stock Exchange, taking the lives of two guards and one policeman before security forces gunned them down. There is no doubt that India is behind the attack, said Khan while addressing the parliament. The Indian Government has already denied the charge. AFP Khan offered no evidence for his allegation, but he said there had been intelligence reports warning of attacks in Pakistan and he had informed his cabinet about the threat. The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), a separatist insurgent group from the southwestern province of Balochistan, claimed responsibility for the attack in a message on Twitter. Khan said Pakistans intelligence agencies had successfully preempted at least four major attacks in the country, two of which targeted Islamabad - but he said it was not possible to stop all such attacks. AFP The gunmen carried a heavy supply of arms and equipment and security officials believe they planned to storm the stock exchange building and take hostages. Khan termed their failure to do so and the rapid response by security forces, as a big victory. Separatists have been fighting for years in Balochistan, complaining its mineral wealth is unfairly exploited by Pakistans richer, more powerful provinces. AFP Pakistan has regularly blamed India for supporting Baloch separatists - a charge Delhi has repeatedly continuously denied. The BLA also took responsibility for an attack on the Chinese consulate in Karachi in 2018. Several projects linked to Chinas Belt and Road initiative are in Balochistan. In a bone-chilling incident, a woman was stabbed to death by her former boyfriend in Gujarat's Junagadh district. The incident happened in a busy market in the Daulatpura GIDC area of the district, on Monday evening. The victim has been identified as 30-year-old Bhavna Sonu Goswani. She died on the spot. According to a report in Times of India, the accused identified as Sanjay Pravin stabbed the woman at least 10 times which led to her death on the spot. Also read: Woman Crashes Ex Boyfriend's Wedding In Bridal Dress, Asks Him To Take Her Back Pixabay The report says that Sanjay, a resident of Lathi town in Amreli, was furious after the woman allegedly left him for another man. After murdering the woman, the accused sat next to her body. Later, the police reached the spot and arrested the accused, who works as a casual labourer. The victim's brother, Bharat Sheikh, has filed a complaint with Junagadh police. In his complaint, Sheikh wrote that his sister came into contact with Sanjay after her marriage with another man ended. Bhavna had shifted to Lathi from her hometown in Amreli's Bagasra, after her divorce. Also read: Man Stabbed, Seen Casually Walking Towards An Ambulance With A Knife Sticking Out Of His Head Unsplash "The accused continuously harassed my sister to resume their relationship to which the Bhavna refused," Sheikh's complaint stated. Later, Bhavna met one Sonu Goswami on social media and entered a live-in relationship with him around nine months ago. Later, she moved to Junagadh with Sonu. Sanjay started bothering Bhavna after he found out about her new relationship. Also read: Man Allegedly Stabbed To Death Because He Was Spitting On The Road Sanjay reached Junagadh on Monday and started stalking Bhavna. As she was on her way to the vegetable market, Sanjay stopped Bhavna and asked her to go with him. As she refused to accompany him, Sanjay stabbed her multiple times leading to her death on the spot. Outdoor shoots are tough these days because of the coronavirus; even if such shoots are taking place there are strict guidelines to be followed. Extra care has to be taken while the shooting of adult films. However shooting of a porn film came under Colombian polices radar after it was found that a party involved broke a social distancing rule - of not putting on the face mask. Reportedly, the film was recorded on a bus in the city of Cali, in the western Colombian department of Valle del Cauca. CEN According to LadBible the adult star begins the scene wearing gloves and a face mask. She is approached by a man as shes buying a ticket for the bus. However, what landed the the adult star in trouble with the authorities is that she, at a point in the video, removes her face mask to express herself better. THAT is a direct violation of health regulations there, that specify that anyone using public transport - whether to travel or film pornography - has to wear a mask to adhere with social distancing rules. The video was reportedly shared on Pornhub but taken down soon. However, plenty of people had seen it already and taken screenshots. Also Read: What Social Distancing? Hundreds Gather In Karnataka Village For Religious Fair CEN According to Ladbible, in the scene, the exhibitionist pair agree for the actress to use a Lovense vibrator, which can be controlled by an app on the man's phone, and he records her using it. Apparently, the man was even gifted her underwear at the end of the video. Authorities are on a look out for both of these people and the two can face fines for defying the Colombia's coronavirus safety measures. The bus company, unsurprisingly, isnt very happy. "The porn video on the bus will be sent to the authorities in order to identify the actors, the report quoted Oscar Ortiz, the President of Metrocali - the company in charge of buses in the city - as saying. Also Read: Social Distancing Be Damned, Hundreds Came Together For Funeral Of A Bull In Tamil Nadu CEN The company also said that the video shot in the bus showed a lack of respect for other bus users. As of yet, no fines have been reported; the police investigation is ongoing. Of all the social distancing rules that could have been violated during the shooting of a porn movie in the outdoors, who knew it would be the removal of the mask that would land the makers into trouble. Microsoft India will set up its campus in Uttar Pradesh. Seen above: This photo taken on April 16, 2020 shows the Indian office of Microsoft in Bangalore. (Manjunath Kiran/AFP via Getty Images) By Bae Eun-joo Many people found an oasis in the desert when the Korean government started paying out coronavirus emergency funding in May. Ranging from 400,000 won to 1 million won, depending on the number of household members, all Korean citizens were eligible to receive the relief money. Totaling 14.3 trillion won, the emergency disaster fund was just what the doctor ordered since many people were struggling to cope with the economic impact of the COVID-19 outbreak, considering last month's unemployment benefits paid by the Ministry of Employment and Labor reached 1 trillion won for the first time. The applications for relief cash were processed on a five-day rotation system based on the last digit of the applicant's birth year, the same plan that was used to purchase government-issued face masks at drug stores, to avoid overloading the online application system. Thinking that the idea was a smart move, I rushed to take out my accredited certificate to access my credit card online, reminding myself that the given money should be spent by Aug. 31. Otherwise it would be deemed as a donation and automatically be sent to state coffers. Once I logged into my account, a pop-up window directed me to follow instructions. The application process started with a series of agreements on policy terms and lastly I was asked to indicate the amount of money I was willing to donate from the total. After simply completing the application, I decided to try out my registered credit card at a nearby grocery store in my neighborhood. As soon as I swiped my plastic at the cashier, a text message appeared on my cellphone that indicated the amount of money spent and how much was still left from the aggregate. Looking around the store, I noticed unusually long queues of visitors lined up in front of the counters quite a different scene from a couple of weeks before when the same place was almost empty as the COVID-19 crisis reached its peak since its outbreak last December. A recent government report shows that a large sum of the coronavirus emergency fund was spent on grocery shopping (24.2 percent), which landed on the second spot of the relief money expenditure listing released last month. Eating out at restaurants topped the list with 24.8 percent. In third place came hospitals and drugstores with 10.4 percent, followed by gas stations with 5.4 percent. Clothing shops (5.3 percent), convenience stores (4.6 percent), private education (3.6 percent), gyms or beauty parlors (3.2 percent) and leisure (2.9 percent) were among the sectors people decided to spend their free money on. The Ministry of the Interior and Safety announced last month that 64 percent of the credit/debit card-charged disaster fund, which adds up to over 6.1 trillion won, was consumed within the first three weeks of disbursement. How fast people were spending their direct payments indicated that people were using their relief checks to keep a roof over their head or food on the table, experts said. In fact, it only took me less than four weeks to use up all of my emergency money. The situation seems not much different in the U.S. as research showed that people spent most of their $1,200 relief checks from the federal government on rent, credit card payments, mortgages and food. The $1,200 payments were largely gone in a week or two as people were really anxious to get the money and started spending it as soon as it got into their bank account. One major dissimilarity from Korea, however, is that beneficiaries can choose where they were willing to donate their disaster money, not compulsorily send it back to the government. The government payout of the coronavirus relief fund apparently succeeded in propping up the economy immediately. The Credit Finance Association of Korea reported that credit/debit card spending in May recorded 78.1 trillion won, a 6.8 percent jump from the same month of last year. A whopping 17.5 percent increase in credit card spending was noticeable in large marketplaces, department stores and small grocery stores. Experts warn this form of economic stimulus generating government debt is extremely likely to do more harm than good to the economy in the long term. Consumers are highly likely to save their relief checks instead of paying additional money out of their own pockets, which will not help boost the economy, they say. The International Monetary Fund projected last week that Korea's economy will shrink 2.1 percent this year a bigger contraction from its minus 1.2 percent forecast in April as it also slashed its global growth forecast for 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As the South Korean government used up its relief check wildcard, it needs to come up with further solutions to cope with the apparently undying virus crisis. The complaint against Cisco filed by the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing sought to give a sociological snapshot of the Indian American community saying, "Most Indian immigrants in the United States are from upper castes. (Twitter photo/@Cisco) People walk near the New York Stock Exchange on Wall Street on June 29, 2020 in New York City. Thirty percent of the Indian Americans surveyed have had financial impact on their jobs and internships, the FIIDS findings revealed. (Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images) There are so many different ways that you can hug a person. Obviously, each type of hug is going to have a little different meaning to it,... Sheltering in place doesn't mean you can't go visiting. You can drop in on fictional characters trapped in isolated houses in out-of-the-way places. No social distancing is required, and you'll sympathize when they feel the walls closing in. Lucy Foleys crime novels are compared to Agatha Christies locked-room mysteries in which murder suspects are trapped at the scene of the crime. The atmospheric The Guest List (William Morrow, $27.99, out now) is set on a craggy island off the west coast of Ireland where family and friends gather for the Instagram-ready wedding of Julia Keegan and Will Slater. The island can only be accessed by boat, so when a member of the wedding party turns up dead, the guests cant retreat to the mainland. Foley ramps up the tension by dappling the island with peat-sucking bogs, a foreboding mansion called Folly, and a claustrophobic cave. The grooms school friends add a Lord of the Flies vibe to the story. No one may have come to the island intending to murder, but this destination wedding spirals into mayhem when its slowly revealed that most everyone in attendance is capable of becoming a lusting-for-revenge killer. Inspired by author Anna Downes experience as a live-in housekeeper on a remote French estate, The Safe Place (Minotaur, $26.99, July 14) becomes anything but for Emily Proudman. The aspiring London actress loses her job and her apartment but is saved from ruin when her wealthy ex-boss offers her a position as a companion for his wife, Nina, and daughter, Aurelia, who are living on a gated property in rural France. At first, Emily is enamored of Nina and the luxurious villa, but she soon realizes what we already know: Life in lockdown is a long way from paradise. Downes keeps the sense of foreboding building as Emily realizes a deadly secret that Nina is hiding. Emily is a compelling character who arrives in France scatterbrained and immature but finds the inner strength to save herself and solve a missing-person case that has snowballed into a global obsession. The Vacation (St. Martins, $28.99, July 21), T.M. Logans latest nail-biter, is reminiscent of Suspicion, Alfred Hitchcocks atmospheric film about a wife who suspects her husband of wrongdoing. Set on a ritzy estate in the south of France, the book involves a gathering of four college friends and their families that is supposed to be a joyous reunion. Good times devolve into misery after Kate, a crime analyst for the Metropolitan Police, finds suspicious texts on her husband's cellphone. To Kate they indicate her husband is having an affair with either Rowan, Izzy, or Jennifer, the three friends with whom they are vacationing. When one of them is found dead, Kate is determined to ferret out the truth about her husband and the victim. The Vacation is a virtual holiday, but it comes with a warning. Quarantine is bad enough without entertaining assumptions about the people in your isolation bubble. The Girls Weekend (Crooked Lane, $26.99, Aug. 11) by Jody Gehrman is a brooding meditation on how friendships buckle when we resent other peoples success, what Gehrman refers to as the Comparison Olympics. Rich celebrity author Sadie MacTavish invites her closest college friends to a reunion of the Fearless Five on her estate in the San Juan Islands north of Puget Sound. After a night of drugs and drinking, June, Kimiko, Em, and Amy wake with amnesia and killer hangovers. Sadie is missing, and the women suspect they were dosed with a date rape drug to wipe out their memories. As in any locked-room mystery, the four women and Sadies husband all have reasons to wish her dead. Great dialogue and strong, relatable characters give this novel extra bounce that keeps the pages turning. We are haunted by uncertainty as we isolate, so imagine what it might be like to live in a house filled with the ghosts of murder victims. Maggie Holt sets out to discover whether the rural Vermont mansion she and her parents fled 25 years before is actually haunted in Riley Sagers propulsive thriller Home Before Dark (Dutton, $27, June 30). Maggies father, Ewan, wrote House of Horrors, a nonfiction blockbuster about the three weeks his family spent in the house when Maggie was 5. Its premise is that the house is cursed, but Maggie doesnt believe in ghosts. Two narratives run through this compelling tale: chapters from Ewan's book and Maggie's search for the truth. There are truly horrifying scenes (beware if you're afraid of snakes) and plenty of unexplained happenings. Maggie soon learns what we already know: Real life is scarier than ghost stories. From the Washington Post. The Franklin Institute will reopen July 8, the first of Philadelphias major cultural institutions to accept visitors since the coronavirus-driven shutdown was put into place across Philadelphia in mid-March. In a joint announcement Wednesday by institutions that have been in consultation since the pandemic began, three other museums also announced their reopening dates: The Barnes Foundation will open to the public July 25, the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University will return July 31, and the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts will reopen Sept. 12. The Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Rodin Museum (managed by the PMA), and Eastern State Penitentiary will announce their reopening dates sometime in the next few weeks, according to the statement. Institutional officials said they would follow recommendations of the CDC governing behavior of visitors and staff upon reopening to the public. That means masks or face-coverings for visitors and staff will be required, and all visitors will be expected to practice social distancing. In addition, timed reservations will either be encouraged or required in advance to control the number of visitors. READ MORE: The $4.1 billion question: Whats to become of Philadelphias world-class arts and culture, post-coronavirus? The museums will clean and disinfect public spaces and surfaces throughout the day, hand-sanitizer stations will be in place, and plastic partitions will be installed at admissions and in other areas. Visitors can go to each institutions website for comprehensive health and safety protocols. READ MORE: Face masks, traffic flow, and Giant Heart restrictions: What went into the planning for area museums' return Separately, the Brandywine River Art Museum, closed since March 14, reopened July 1, a spokesperson said. The Brandywine is implementing a variety of safety protocols, including face-mask requirements, timed ticketing, and capacity limits. Frances Galindez took her three children to the Philadelphia Museum of Art for a family outing six years ago. As evening settled in, the children sat together at the top of the steps and peered over the citys skyline. Standing behind them, Galindez took out her phone and snapped a photo. It was such a beautiful night, she said. Now her cherished family photo is one of more than 500 others submitted via the Mural Arts website that are coming together digitally in a virtual mosaic mural that exists entirely online. A software program inserts the photo submissions into muralist Nile Livingstons digital artwork, Philly Rising coincidentally, its also a skyline view based on their dominant colors. Viewers can watch Philly Rising take form this week on the Mural Arts website as part of the 2020 virtual Wawa Welcome America celebration, and theres still time to submit your own photos, via muralarts.org/artworks/phillyrising. The deadline is 11:59 pm. July 4. Mural Arts has asked for submissions that embody the spirit of Philadelphia, and executive director Jane Golden says the virtual mural serves as a snapshot of what people are thinking during this time period thats been so complex and traumatic. We instinctively wanted to work with [Livingston] because she is a multitasker in her talents, Golden said. She is an artist, a designer, and a muralist. Livingston, 32 of West Philadelphia, studied studio art at Kutztown University. Shes painted over 20 murals in Philadelphia and has exhibited at Phillys African American Museum, the Philadelphia International Airport, and has work in the permanent collection of the Pennsylvania Convention Center. When the coronavirus pandemic first began, Livingston said she knew that more people would be relying on the internet. In partnership with Mural Arts, she wanted to find ways to make public art accessible and create something that was potentially uplifting and gave everyone the opportunity to insert their voice into the artwork. Before settling on the murals skyline design, Livingston said she sketched through several ideas. Paintings and drawings of rainbows taped to windows by children caught her eye on trips to the grocery store. Initially, one of my first drawings was a kid just holding their artwork up to the window, she said. But I wanted to remove the human element and allow other people to step in and contribute photos. READ MORE: Mural Arts Philadelphia ceases all involvement with the Frank Rizzo mural in the Italian Market Livingston kept to her usual aesthetic by using bright and vibrant colors in her rendering of the skyline, which took weeks to realize. But instead of hand painting, as she usually does, she decided to work only with digital software and her iPad. The Mural Arts team went through multiple rounds of brainstorming sessions to find a name that fit the projects intention. According to Golden, they wanted something that reflected the pandemic and the protests against police brutality that have taken place around the nation and world. The name had to embody how we are honest, responsive, and open to course-correct and listen with empathy and respect, Golden said. Because thats what this mural is asking us to do. After submitting the photo of her children, Galindez uploaded five more photos, including a portrait with her husband at the Academy of Music after seeing Wicked in 2017. She said uploading the photos helps her stay positive during stressful times. Galindezs family moved to Philadelphia from Ponce, Puerto Rico, in 1980 and shes lived in Tacony ever since. I love this city, no matter what happens, she said. Philly is home. Beijing should not try to directly control Hong Kong With a new national security law in effect on the 23rd anniversary of Hong Kong's handover to China, we have to ask whether the semiautonomous city will remain the same as the world knows it. By pushing through with the law that many critics are deploring as the end of "one country, two systems," China has reaffirmed its assertiveness to the consternation of its neighbors and rival powers. The heightening sense of confrontation between the United States and China from trade to regional leadership is not desirable for any country, especially South Korea. The White House's National Security Council issued a statement Tuesday that read, "As Beijing now treats Hong Kong as one country, one system, so must the United States." The U.S. also began eliminating Hong Kong's special status under its laws Monday, and has warned of further measures. South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a more cautious statement Tuesday saying that it was important for Hong Kong to enjoy "a high degree of autonomy." The guarded statement embodies the dilemma for South Korea, with China as a partner in working with North Korea and its top export destination, and with United States a solid security ally. One of the worst-case scenarios for Korea, for any nation, would be for either country to ask them to choose sides in the new Cold War world order. The government must come up with a detailed plan so as not to face that situation. The new law had been expected to take months to go fully into effect. But its stridency and how its details were disclosed at the last minute is alarming. Contrary to previous forecasts of lighter sentences, the law made the crimes of secession, subversion of state power, terrorism and colluding with foreign countries and external elements subject to life imprisonment. The police also made their first arrest Wednesday. The law bans violators from running for office, as well as spelling out larger oversight of nongovernmental organizations and media groups. Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam has endorsed the law as "necessary and timely to maintain Hong Kong's stability," but whether people would agree with her point of view is doubtful. Stability is ensured when there is trust. That trust has eroded as concern greatly grows that the new law will limit various freedoms promised to Hong Kong for 50 years when it was returned to Beijing. It should also be asked whether China is willing to forsake the successful model of "one country, two systems" that brought prosperity to both the city and the mainland government, in order to assert its national sovereignty. China has defended the law saying that it focuses on a "handful of criminals," and the law shows tolerance for the city of Hong Kong. It should adhere to these words. Bringing children back to school in the fall in shifts on alternate days was the most favored option in a survey of 34,000 people by the Philadelphia School District about learning options during the pandemic though parents and teachers both said the model would create serious child-care issues on days when students dont get face-to-face learning. The results of the survey, released Wednesday, come as the district plans how to safely reopen in the fall despite the continued presence of COVID-19. Superintendent William R. Hite Jr. has said that he will announce details on those plans this month. The survey respondents had concerns about safety precautions, what transportation will look like, provisions for special education students, and whether children will be required to wear masks all day when in school. READ MORE: Most Philly teachers say they want students physically back in class every other week Students attending on alternate days and in staggered shifts was the preferred model of parents, teachers, students, community members, and central office workers, but not overwhelmingly: 27% of respondents favor that option, while 22% favor everyday attendance but with staggered arrivals and departures. Eighteen percent of school-based staff said they favored students returning to school on alternating weeks. Survey respondents also wanted the district to consider the effects on families with children in different schools. And they want to know how theyre going to manage schedules. If the students are being rotated when attending school, what are the parents supposed to do on the days the student doesnt have school? one respondent wrote. Not everyone can work from home. READ MORE: Coronavirus and Philly School District shutdown means thousands of kids have no camp to attend this summer School staff were also concerned about what the fall will bring for them. Teachers with children cannot teach online and help their students at the same time, and a lot of jobs that are reopening do not accommodate half-time schedules or biweekly schedules, one wrote. Whether schools can be adequately cleaned is also an open question for many. Before the pandemic, many schools already struggled with having enough soap, running water and sanitizer. READ MORE: A dying wish for schools My childs school was barely clean before COVID, and I dont trust that the school will be properly cleaned and sanitized thoroughly, one parent wrote. Even sanitizing at the end of the day will not be sufficient because children are germ carriers, and throughout the day touch everything repeatedly. The Philadelphia Federation of Teachers and a group of elected officials has called for the district to agree to cleaning protocols during the pandemic. The union estimates the school system should hire up to 500 additional cleaners and upgrade its cleaning equipment and practices, but the district has said it believes it employs enough cleaners now. VENTNOR, N.J. Perhaps we clutched our masks too tightly, at the ready to put them on out of courtesy if a server came to our table. Perhaps our gazes of alarm were too obvious as a manager and chef emerged from the storefront at Pulia in Ventnor one recent evening without masks to greet a sidewalk table of familiar customers, fist-bumping, close-talking, and essentially vaporizing any illusion of caution the restaurants disinfectant-spray-wielding servers had done their diligent best to maintain. That effort, at least, was more than I could say for the place next door, Aroma Restaurant, where a roving guitarist strolled (without a mask) down a sidewalk packed closely with so many outdoor diners you might have thought it was a flashback to last year, not this Summer of COVID-19. We had managed to snag a relatively isolated table at the far end of the scrum. But it wasnt far enough to escape the ire of a mask-hating customer nearby that we had unknowingly offended. On her way out, she veered along the sidewalk directly toward our table and leaned in as she passed, a pale trace of ice cream still glazing her lips, and told us with a menacing hiss: Stay home! Her tone was so frosty, it turned my hot tagliolini to icicles in the bowl. We had cautiously embraced the idea of outdoor dining as a relatively safe first step back for restaurants. But the pure nastiness of this encounter reflected a sad fact about this world I usually rejoice in: The gradual reboot of restaurants this summer has become about so much more than just a chef-cooked meal or jump-starting an industry desperately in need. Restaurants have become center stage for the broader cultural conflict and politics of wearing masks. Sidewalks and patio tables represent the first public spaces we all get to share since the pandemic shutdowns lifted from cautious yellow to open green. And some of the drama playing out has been ugly instigated at times by both operators and customers not taking public health concerns seriously enough. Somehow, resisting the proven preventative measure of wearing a mask has become a deluded partisan stand in the name of personal freedom at the expense of genuine concerns for public health. STOP WEARING MASKS YOU SHEEP and Cry about it snowflake were just two of the replies to a mask-related tweet Id written a few days earlier. I had arrived at the Jersey Shore just as outdoor dining began in mid-June and complained that in the first few days, two other Ventnor restaurants Ive enjoyed in previous years (the Red Room and Santuccis) were too lax in their early mask-wearing practices hanging below the nose, dangling around the neck, none at all and that wed decided not to stay at either for dinner. There has definitely been a learning curve, says Santuccis owner, Alicia Santucci, who says mask policies are now being strictly enforced and that employees are given temperature checks each morning. Getting customers to cooperate can be an even taller challenge, says Red Room owner Jack Gatta. A lot of them just dont care about masks when they get up and walk around ... and I cant physically grab them and put a mask on em. People get ornery, he says. As a business owner you dont know what the hell to do. You want to fight with this guy? I just wish it would go back to normal. Perhaps youre thinking, Whats up with Ventnor? Certainly, videos and memes of mask-resistor tantrums across the country have been firing up social media over the last several weeks. But I was wondering the same thing about Ventnor when we got back to our rental after that Pulia meal only to discover another firestorm emerging from Ventnors Sack O Subs. A customer had complained about the sub shops careless mask practices and reported in a now-deleted Facebook post that she had been yelled at and called a Nazi by the staff after voicing concerns. The customer is Jewish. The owner of this Sack Os location, Fred Spitalnick, who also happens to be Jewish, has since apologized privately and publicly to the customer, saying his emotions got the best of me. Spitalnick declined to comment further on the record when contacted. But the mask-sparked damage to the reputation of this long-standing sub shop might be lasting. You cant un-ring that bell, says Ventnor Mayor Beth Holtzman, who says she immediately flagged the Sack Os incident and alerted the governors office. I dont play with that kind of stuff. Because that was beyond. Holtzman was also mortified by my own encounter with the heckler at Pulia, calling it disgusting. ... People have taken their right of freedom of speech beyond the limits of human decency. At the same time, she defended the residents of her city as largely on board with the efforts to contain COVID-19, saying theyd thanked her for the various restrictions her administration enacted at the outset of the pandemic: To be honest with you, what youre seeing are people who are not Ventnor residents, the people who raise their kids here and go to school here. The city can send code officials and police to issue warnings to businesses that arent compliant, Holtzman said, but the rules are virtually impossible to enforce because theyre handled on a county level. As with Philadelphia, where masks are now required in all indoor and outdoor public spaces where people gather, self-enforcement is the expectation. But a week after my own dinner at Pulia, another picture was posted on social media showing the same 5200 block of Atlantic Avenue even more jammed with mask-less crowds. If the Jersey Shore is any measure of how this summer of dining is going to unfold, its going to be a major challenge. No thanks to some instances of knucklehead behavior at outdoor restaurants, and a concerning spike in new COVID-19 cases nationwide, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy announced Monday the state has indefinitely postponed the start of indoor dining, which had originally been planned to resume Thursday. (After an uptick in cases last week, Philadelphia officials Tuesday similarly delayed the relaunch of indoor dining previously planned for this week until Aug. 1.) But my experiences at the Shore were not entirely hopeless. Yes, large open public spaces like the Ocean City boardwalk and beaches are congested with mask-free tourists and we did our best to stay away from those crowds. But several individual restaurants I visited in a number of Shore towns took their task seriously and were impressively able to enforce the safety guidelines themselves. I saw customers without masks politely turned away from the new Black Eyed Susans in Harvey Cedars and also the Red Store in Cape May. Employees who were too careless with their mask-wearing at Water Dog Smoke House in Ventnor were sent home from work. At Josie Kellys Public House in Somers Point, the crisply masked staff carefully managed the line of guests waiting for one of the well-spaced seats now set up in its breezy parking lot, where a socially distanced guitarist entertained the crowd. Ample spacing in a parking lot-turned-dining space was also the case at Margates Steve & Cookies, where our server managed to reassure us that all the menus and pens had been carefully sanitized without crimping the warm and professional service the restaurant is known for. These establishments set the proper tone at their entrances, and their grateful guests largely followed suit. We removed our masks when seated because no, youre not expected to eat and drink with a mask on. But then customers put them back on when leaving the table to cross the dining space and we could finally relax at our table, at least a little bit. Its going to take both restaurant staffs and customers working together to make these inevitably awkward dining experiences successful. But its worth it if all goes well, and I know it can, because Ive seen it myself. Indoor dining wont resume and gyms wont open in Philadelphia this week, after city officials on Tuesday halted certain reopening plans for at least another month. They joined officials in New Jersey and Delaware who have also slowed the return to normal activities amid new spreading of the coronavirus nationwide. Indoor shopping malls, casinos, museums, and libraries in the city will still be allowed to open Friday, with strict mask-wearing requirements and other health precautions in place, Health Commissioner Thomas Farley announced Tuesday. No eating or drinking will be permitted inside. We want to get our economy going as much as we can, but we dont want the virus to resurge, Farley said. So its always a tough balancing act, and we feel that this is the right decision at this point. Delaware on Tuesday ordered bars in all beach towns to close indefinitely by Friday due to a resurgence of cases in the area, and New Jersey has postponed indoor dining, citing the same concerns about other states that have had to reinstate restrictions after reopening. The number of new U.S. infections has increased by 80% over the last two weeks, according to data collected by the New York Times, including sharp increases in the South and West. In Florida and Texas, officials imposed new restrictions on bars. Farley said he remained concerned about the impact that a national surge in cases could have on Philadelphia. I want the businesses to reopen as much as anybody, he said, but at the same time I think officials in Florida and Texas are regretting it right now, and I dont want us to be there in the future. READ MORE: Phillys coronavirus budget could leave city with just $51 million in savings by next summer Case counts in Philadelphia and Pennsylvania have begun slowly rising, rather than falling, over the last week. In interviews with the city, many newly infected people said they had recently shared houses at the Shore or socialized at bars or restaurants, Farley said. Earlier in June, the city had reached a steady average of 100 new cases per day; 142 were reported Tuesday. A number of them were teens who reported traveling to the Jersey Shore and socializing, Farley said. Based on contact tracing, the recent uptick in cases appeared to be tied to social gatherings. Farley said he believed that if the protests following the death of George Floyd had caused an increase in cases, it would have occurred earlier. Unlike its surrounding counties, which are following state guidance for what activities and businesses can resume under the governors green phase of reopening, Philadelphia has taken a more restrictive approach, imposing its own rules. Further reopening will be on hold until Aug. 1, and the city will assess its progress weekly, officials said. Rob Wasserman, owner of Rittenhouse Square eatery Rouge and other high-end restaurants, said he was certainly disappointed by the delay but understood the need to operate for the greater good: Obviously, were all in this together, he said Tuesday. Still, Wasserman, who owns Twenty Manning Grill and Audrey Claire and is a partner in Snap Custom Pizza, had been in the process of hiring more employees and has put that on hold. Its a real struggle, he said. Teddy Sourias, owner of several Center City fixtures including Bru Craft & Wurst, Tradesmans, and Finn McCools Ale House, said he had heard rumors over the weekend that the indoor reopening might be postponed. Though hed bought acrylic glass partitions and food in preparation, Sourias said hed rather have the delay now, during the normally slower summer months, than in the fall, when he hopes business will pick up. The blow was softened because we expected it, but it hurts, he said. Also on Tuesday, New Jersey, New York, and Connecticut expanded their quarantine for out-of-state travelers to include 16 states with a high level of community spread, and Philadelphia also asked anyone returning from the same states to quarantine for 14 days. The advisories apply to residents returning from Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Idaho, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Nevada, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas or Utah. In Delaware, Gov. John Carney said the state needed to stop an outbreak in its beach communities before it reaches more people. Testing in Rehoboth Beach and Dewey Beach revealed a spike in cases among largely asymptomatic young people, pushing the percentage of positive tests in Sussex County over 10%, said Karyl Rattay, director of the Delaware Division of Public Health. Three lifeguards in Rehoboth Beach tested positive, the city said, but officials believed they had had very little contact with the public. In the states two other counties New Castle and Kent the percentage of positive cases remained flat. READ MORE: Commercial strips in North Philly open to a setback: When the door opens, we have no idea whats gonna happen.' New Jersey has reduced its number of COVID-19 cases by 95% since hitting its peak in April, Murphy said at his daily news briefing, but he warned that the overall rate of transmission has continued to fluctuate in recent days. We must keep that number in check if we are to continue on our road back, Murphy said. According to numbers collected by the COVID Tracking Project, which was launched in partnership with the Atlantic, New Jersey and New York have reduced their numbers of new cases by more than almost any other state. After postponing indoor dining Monday, Murphy banned smoking, eating, and drinking in the states casinos. As of Tuesday, Borgata said it would not open, but all other casinos in Atlantic City said they would open on Thursday or Friday. I know the administration is trying to protect people, said Bob McDevitt, president of Unite Here Local 54, the casino workers union in Atlantic City. But whoever came up with the idea of opening up 2,000-room casino hotels without any indoor dining, without any smoking, without any beverage service on the casino floor only a person who knows nothing about the industry would suggest its a good idea. Murphy defended his decision Tuesday, saying on Today that he understood the pain of restaurant owners but feared reopening could ignite a public health crisis. We want to give ourselves a couple more weeks to make sure we can drive this thing close to the ground, Murphy said. Weve gone through hell. The last thing we want to do is go through hell again. Staff writers Rob Tornoe, Amy S. Rosenberg, and Robert Moran contributed to this article. Philadelphia announced this week it is halting reopening plans for indoor dining and gyms for at least another month as the number of COVID-19 cases continued to rise, particularly among young Philadelphians. City data showed that 99 people between ages 16 and 19 tested positive the week of June 14 more than double what was reported in the previous two weeks. Health Commissioner Thomas Farley said the surge is partly due to teens traveling to the Jersey Shore and socializing. The increase locally mirrors the case surges among young people in the South and the West, particularly in California, Florida, and Texas. And while the elderly usually suffer most from COVID-19s effects, data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed that coronavirus hospitalizations for people 18 to 49 have increased from 27% in the week of March 7 to 35% the week of June 20. Were seeing cases here in people, all of which are young people, who are going to the beach and staying in a beach house, Farley said. Theyre going to restaurants and bars when they travel. All this is contributing to the fact that the case count is no longer decreasing. In New Jersey, positive cases among young people have declined less than in other age groups, said Ed Lifshitz, medical director of the New Jersey Department of Health Communicable Disease Service. While the Shores reopening hasnt directly led to an increase in cases, Lifshitz said that officials are aware of instances in bars and restaurants when social distancing hasnt happened. Its absolutely a cause for concern, Lifshitz said. But getting young people, teenagers in particular, to stop meeting their friends because of the risk of spreading coronavirus can be challenging, psychologists said. This is an age group where individuals tend to be focused on immediate rewards and not thinking as much about long-term consequences and costs, said Laurence Steinberg, a psychology professor at Temple University who studies adolescence. At this age, individuals are especially responsive to social rewards, and their ability to control their impulses is not as good as it will be when theyre older. Steinberg said that even though most teenagers understand the importance of social distancing, the potential of social rewards is more powerful. He described the situation as an accelerator pressed to the floor without a good brake in place. Valerie Braunstein, a psychologist in private practice in Center City who works with adolescents, said that social distancing requirements affect teens differently than adults because it is developmentally appropriate for them to prioritize friendships. She said socially distancing from friends takes a much more negative emotional toll on teens than adults. Their task of development is to create social relationships and work on their own sense of identity and autonomy, so when there are barriers in the way of that healthy developmental goal, that can create negative emotional consequences like anxiety, depression, stress, or anger, Braunstein said. I think its important for everyone to have empathy for that. Theres also a heightened sense of loss and grief for teens because of their expectations of how things were going to go think proms, graduations, summer jobs, and travel before the pandemic, Braunstein stressed. Its normal for them to be me-centered or self-centered right now, she said. It can take more time for them to take others perspectives into account because its a skill thats being learned. Parents should allow space for that and ask questions like, How would you feel if you were an adult with a lower immune system and a teen without a mask on came near you? to help them learn others perspectives. Steinberg pointed out that a lot of media coverage has focused on the number of hospitalizations and deaths, reinforcing the message that only older people are severely affected by the virus. He said that this has contributed to teenagers false sense of invulnerability. By driving home this message of, If youre younger, youre not going to die from it, its making people forget that there are other consequences, Steinberg said. Even if young people are unlikely to die from this, theyre still placing themselves at great risk for damaging their lungs and contracting illnesses that are going to be very troublesome, if not fatal. Braunstein recommended parents work with teens to establish healthy alternatives to hanging out with their friends, like making sure they have privacy away from family and giving them space. Its also important to validate how theyre feeling, she said. If they have signs of withdrawal, like not enjoying things that would typically be enjoyable, or big shifts in their mood, it might be helpful to reach out virtually to a therapist, Braunstein said. Modeling good behavior is also a big part of helping teens understand the importance of social distancing, Steinberg said. When parents arent doing what theyre asking their teens to do, its going to be hard to persuade them, he said. Plus, there are compromises that can be made, like allowing a teen to identify a few friends who they know have been quarantined for a socially distanced hangout instead of letting them go to a party with people theyve never met before. This is extremely hard on teens because of how social they are, Steinberg said. My guess is that most young people know whats going on and what theyve been told to do. In some sense, they just cant help themselves, and its an important message to say that in this crisis, the only person who matters is not just you. When Bryant Riveras clients tell him theyre ready to start addiction treatment, he knows to act fast. He helps them fight through the pain of withdrawal as they navigate a system where rehab beds are limited, and medicines to ease their misery remain heavily restricted by the federal government. But when those clients tell Rivera, a certified peer recovery specialist at Penn Presbyterian Hospital, they want a treatment center where they can speak Spanish, he knows that his options are even more limited, and that the slim window of time to get clients help will close even faster. Its hard, when theyre contemplating [recovery], and youre there to assist them, and give them resources, but we have no resources to provide, he said. Its discouraging to have to say, Oh, we have no places right now. Maybe in a few days.' Were dealing with a crisis, and a crisis cant wait until next week. In recent years, the opioid overdose crisis ravaging Philadelphia has often been painted as affecting mostly white people. But even as overdose deaths slowly decrease among white Philadelphians, residents of color, and particularly Hispanic people, have been increasingly hard-hit by a rising death toll. The death rate among whites declined by 22% in 2018 and by 3% in 2019. But the Black overdose death rate dropped just 14% in 2018, and had bounced back up to its 2017 rate by 2019. Overdose death rates among Hispanics dropped by 9% in 2018, and spiked by 24% in 2019 bringing overdose death rates about even with those of whites. Its unclear whats driving increases in the overdose death rate in Black and Hispanic communities. Part of the problem may be shifting patterns of drug use in Philadelphia, city Health Commissioner Thomas Farley said last month, with more stimulants such as cocaine and methamphetamine involved in fatal overdoses. Fentanyl, the powerful synthetic opioid that has replaced most of the citys heroin supply, is again behind most of the overdose deaths. But deaths involving opioids alone dropped in 2019. The largest portion of drug deaths last year, nearly 48%, was due to a combination of opioids, which are depressants, and stimulants such as cocaine and methamphetamine. Cocaine-related deaths historically were more common among Black and Hispanic Philadelphians than whites, Farley said. Now, fentanyl is causing deaths among those groups, as well, but its unclear whether people are deliberately mixing the two drugs or unknowingly buying cocaine laced with fentanyl. Regardless of whats behind the rise in overdose deaths, the problem is only compounded, outreach workers like Rivera say, by a lack of resources. Rivera, who was born in Puerto Rico but grew up in Allentown, knows firsthand how difficult the road to recovery can be and how many additional barriers addicted people in the Latino community face. Riveras entire family has battled addiction for decades. His father died of an overdose 20 years ago, and his youngest brother fatally overdosed in 2017. Rivera has been in recovery for an opioid addiction for 12 years, and his oldest brother, Angel Rivera, an outreach worker on the needle-exchange van run by the advocacy group Angels in Motion, is years into his own recovery. So is their mother. As a peer specialist at Penn, Bryant Rivera spends much of his days driving around the city, checking in with clients and helping them take the first small steps toward recovery. Always, he is working to build trust. [In the Latino community], were big on respect. Were big on religion and on our family involvement. We stay within our nuclear family and we dont go outside of that for any advice, he said. While isolation, shame, and stigma run deep for anyone in addiction, recovery becomes even more difficult for people who feel as if the treatment system isnt built for them, he said. Speaking in a persons native tongue is the best way to engage, he said. You really have to find that comfort zone in a person, and I feel we can only do that using our native tongue. It lowers the guards. Part of Riveras job is simply translating for clients as they begin treatment just so they know what theyre getting into. Everything gets lost in translation, he said. People will just go along with treatment, and then leave, because its not what they expected. A lot of Spanish-speaking people want to be inside a Spanish-speaking facility, and I cant even count five in Philadelphia. Theres several Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous meetings. Theres a couple recovery houses in North Philadelphia, with six, seven beds in a house. Its not enough. Nicole ODonnell, Riveras outreach partner at Penn Presbyterian, says shes lucky to have Rivera on her team: I cant do the same [advocacy] for someone for whom English isnt their first language, she said. Rising rates of overdose among Latino people are a national concern, said Elinore F. McCance-Katz, assistant secretary for mental health and substance use at the federal Department of Health and Human Services. The administration has launched several free training programs designed to help non-Hispanic health-care providers reach out to the community. If we dont understand the culture that someone comes from and the belief system that they have, then it becomes more difficult for us as providers to communicate with them effectively, she said. Its a problem that illustrates the even larger crisis of racial disparities in health-care access, said Samantha Baker-Evens, a nurse-practitioner at Esperanza Health Center. At the Kensington-based program, she treats many patients from the majority-Black and Hispanic neighborhood with opioid-use disorder. For example, a study last year found that Black patients are less likely to receive the popular addiction-treatment medication Suboxone. A recent study out of the University of Pennsylvania found that Black and Latino overdose victims are less likely to be offered recovery services from the emergency room, even if they have private insurance. And if youre Black or Latinx and youre on Medicaid or Medicare, which you were more likely to be, they limit your inpatient recovery options, Baker-Evens said. Both Latinos and Black people are more likely to be at risk of not getting quality health services, much less addiction services. The more surprising statistic is that [the overdose rate] hasnt been higher before. Rivera said hes been encouraged that more people have paid attention to addiction in general over the last few years, as the overdose crisis worsened. But, he said, communities of color have been struggling with addiction for years. Why wasnt it noticed when my brother passed away, my father? Its always been a problem for me, he said. We need the spotlight on the minority population on this. We have to shine that light on them. Meet Herbert Hawkins, a Vietnam veteran, master plumber, and former Black Panther. Sowing seeds: I think the Panthers had their rise and fall but I think we had an impact on society and planted some seeds. On his 1970 arrest: One thing you figure, when they strip you naked theyre not going to kill you. When Frank Rizzo was elected mayor of Philadelphia in 1971, Herbert Hawkins a former Black Panther who was arrested and publicly stripped at Rizzos command during Rizzos prior tenure as police commissioner was ready to pack his bags and get out of town. But he couldnt. Im Philadelphia to the bone, Hawkins, now 71, said. And so is his story. Born and raised in West Philly, Hawkins joined the Army at 17, right after graduating from West Philadelphia High School. He served three years in the Vietnam War, where he was introduced to progressive ideas by some of his fellow soldiers. I was pretty naive and ignorant of politics, and Id say life, he said. Hawkins credits his discipline to the military, but he cant forget the institutional racism he was subjected to during his service either. I think the Army can be a leg up for a young man, but its just the same system theyre talking about now is used in the Army in negative ways, he said. The Army puts a hell of an indoctrination on you to get you to go and fight for, a lot of times, causes you dont know the meaning of. So when he was honorably discharged at 20 and came back to Philly, Hawkins wanted to be a part of something he could believe in. He found it in the Black Panther Party. The Black Panthers wasnt a cause to fight for, it was more of a tool to educate people to a system that exploits people and uses racism to disguise its real meaning, he said. In those days in Philly, Hawkins said, police harassment was a normal thing. If you think, Heres a man on video shooting somebody down in cold blood and he can still be acquitted,' what do you think it was like when all you had was the polices word? he said. You could forget it. Rizzo used white peoples fear and ignorance of Black people to promote his platform, Hawkins said, something he sees President Trump doing today. They get white people to blame Blacks for their problems when its really the system, he said. It really is geared to keep the money going the way its been going. On Aug. 31, 1970, at then-Police Commissioner Rizzos direction, police raided three Black Panther offices across the city. Hawkins, who was stationed at the Panthers Mantua site, said they knew the raids were coming. But the Panthers didnt leave. Our purpose was to carry on our daily work, and if police came, to hold off long enough until the news media got there so we wasnt killed in our sleep, he said. It was so that we could live to carry on our duties. Hawkins remembers police banging on the office and then throwing tear gas inside. When the members came out, they were forced to strip completely naked with guns to their heads as media cameras filmed the degrading scene. They were more concerned with embarrassing us than killing us at the time because the news media was there, Hawkins said. But when officers brought Hawkins up the ramp into police headquarters, Thats where they beat me, he said. They didnt say nothing, he recalled. I could look in their faces and I think it was just something they thought they was supposed to do. Hawkins was in custody for two weeks before being released; the charges against him were eventually thrown out. In 1971, he and others split from the Black Panthers and formed the Black United Liberation Front, a Philly grassroots organization. Five years later, he left that group to focus on raising his six kids. Hawkins became a master plumber and worked for the Philadelphia Housing Authority for 22 years. One of his children is now a teacher and has invited him to speak at her school about his experiences as a Black Panther. Sometimes I feel that I failed and sometimes it makes me feel that we had some kind of success, he said of his activism. Fifty years and several generations later, Hawkins whose Brewerytown home is decorated with photos of his 11 grandchildren, a fish tank, and a framed poster of Malcolm X said he can see some of the seeds the Black Panthers planted in this years Black Lives Matter protests. It gives me some hope, but theres so many ills that plague the Black community that police brutality is only one aspect, he said, adding that guns, drugs, education, and socio-economic disparities must be addressed by people of all races, too. As for the removal of the Rizzo statue from Center City last month, Hawkins said he forgot it was even down there. I feel like taking down the Rizzo statue is such a small step, he said. I see Trump as the new national Rizzo. They both bring the racism out but hes here now. Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner has joined prosecutors in Boston and San Francisco in developing what they call truth, justice, and reconciliation commissions panels designed to examine flaws in each citys criminal justice system, explain how those flaws have hurt residents, and provide potential remedies. During a Zoom news conference Wednesday afternoon, Krasner said the justice system currently has too few tools to address years of problematic or illegal conduct by police and prosecutors, much of which has disproportionately impacted communities of color. Speaking alongside San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin and Rachael Rollins, the district attorney for Suffolk County, Mass., which includes Boston, Krasner said: The bottom line is that something has to be rebuilt when it comes to justice for Black and brown people. He said he hopes the commissions in his city and others can help guide the way. The news conference also featured remarks from author and activist Shaun King and civil rights attorney Lee Merritt, who helped develop the idea for the commissions. Details about the panels were scarce Wednesday. Krasner said two to four people in his office would likely be part of the planning. It was not immediately clear what additional funding, if any, the commissions might receive. Krasner said in an interview that he had not yet carved money out of his offices budget specifically to support this initiative. He also said some work by his office already has been focused on accountability for police and his prosecutorial predecessors, including charging officers with crimes including a fatal shooting and helping to exonerate 14 men of flawed convictions. Krasner was emphatic that the commission would be led mostly by community members, whom he said he would reach out and listen to over the next few months. He said his office had begun researching similar panels conducted around the world, including in South Africa, where the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in the 1990s examined human rights violations under apartheid, including by holding public hearings. Krasner did not say how, or if, his effort might involve other city officials, or if it would intersect at all with a reconciliation steering committee announced last month by Mayor Jim Kenney, except to say the efforts were separate. The district attorney, who faces reelection next year, estimated his commission could be formed and begin working in earnest by January. Krasner was hesitant to predict what it might accomplish or when, saying community input would be key in determining outcomes whether it be policy recommendations, analysis of harmful practices, or an examination of specific cases. This is not, The elected guy tells everyone what to do, he said. Rollins and Boudin each agreed the process would need to be inclusive and wide-reaching to be legitimate and have impact. While recent protests across the country were sparked by the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Rollins said, the commissions could address broad and long-standing issues. This is about honoring a deeply felt pain, she said. Chester County prosecutors are facing a setback in their criminal case surrounding the embattled Mariner East pipeline, after a local judge last week dismissed the charges against one of the suspects. Now the prosecution into how Energy Transfer Partners relied on state constables to provide private security for the pipeline has shined a spotlight on gaps in the way Pennsylvania oversees its constables elected officials whose only explicit duty is to protect polling places on election days. After a five-hour preliminary hearing Thursday, District Judge John Bailey dropped all 54 conspiracy charges against Frank Recknagel, 59, head of security for Energy Transfer Partners. Bailey said that while he had reservations about the alleged conduct of Recknagels co-defendants and the constables hired by the company, he had doubts about the charges the Havertown resident faced. The law is the law, and if I need to look at Mr. Recknagel and Mr. Recknagel alone, Bailey said, I dont believe the commonwealth has established the basis for criminal charges. Chester County District Attorney Deb Ryan said her office disagrees with Baileys decision and is weighing its options. She declined further comment, since charges against Recknagels co-defendants are pending. In late 2019, then-District Attorney Thomas P. Hogan said Energy Transfer Partners engaged in an illegal buy-a-badge scheme, recruiting constables to act as private guards at local construction sites while armed and in uniform, and taking steps to obscure payments to them from public scrutiny by funneling them through other contractors working on the project. The constables in turn failed to disclose those payments on state financial-disclosure forms, prosecutors said. Hogans indictment named Recknagel and four security contractors hired by the firm: Nikolas McKinnon, 40; Michael Boffo, 60; James Murphy, 62; and Richard Lester, 72. All were charged with bribery, conspiracy, and related offenses. None of the four other suspects has appeared before Bailey. They are tentatively scheduled to do so in August. Sunoco Pipeline, a subsidiary of Energy Transfer Partners, is building three adjacent pipelines to transport natural gas liquids such as propane across the state from the Marcellus Shale region through Chester County to a terminal in Marcus Hook. The project has come under almost constant scrutiny since its inception from homeowners living adjacent to it, who say they are fearful of its effects on their health. In the courtroom Thursday, Recknagels attorney, Justin Danilewitz, called the case an enormous mistake by the district attorney, fueled by political pressure over the pipeline project. He said Recknagel was transparent about his intention to hire the constables with local law enforcement and his own company, and had done so in other parts of Pennsylvania without being told it was illegal or improper. Assistant District Attorney Myles Matteson pushed back, saying Recknagel knew it was illegal to hire the constables in that manner, and had control of the conspiracy and directed others how to continue it. Security is not illegal. Were not alleging that, Matteson said. Its when you associate your badge and your gun with that security thats illegal. Experts familiar with the regulations governing constables say there is no clear guidance over whats proper, and bemoan the lack of clarity from the legislature. John Pfau, the manager of the bureau of training service for the state Commission on Crime and Delinquency, has helped steer how constables are trained for 25 years. He said statutes concerning constables are vague and often contradictory. Its this schizophrenic set of case law and statutes that in some cases dates back 70, 80 years, he said Tuesday. A constable is an independent contractor for the minor judiciary, but the problem is, its never been addressed. Theres no clear list of what constables can and cant do. State law gives constables the ability to work private jobs when not performing their duties on election days. Those often include being hired by the courts to serve warrants or transport prisoners. But some constables routinely advertise their services for private security, often doing so while armed and wearing a uniform, according to Pfau. However, they do not have the same authority as police officers. Theyre presenting to the average person that they have police functions, Pfau said. I always say, OK, you arrested somebody, what do you do now?' You cant file a criminal complaint, you eventually have to turn this over to a police department or sheriff. Danilewitz, Recknagels attorney, said Monday that his chief concern was the criminal case against his client, not the question of constables roles. In terms of constables themselves, I think that everybody could benefit from clarification about their legal status and the scope of their authority, he said. But clarification doesnt come from prosecution. That clarification comes from writing clear statutes. LONDON From Tokyo to Brussels, political leaders have swiftly decried Beijings move to impose a tough national security law on Hong Kong that cracks down on subversive activity and protest in the semi-autonomous territory. But the rhetoric has more bark than bite. For people in Hong Kong, the question is: Will international anger and statements of concern make any difference? Individual countries have little leverage over Beijing on human rights, experts say. A joint effort could make a difference, but coordinated action seems unlikely given strained ties between the Trump administration and many of Washingtons traditional European allies. The U.S.A. and EU are moving in different directions in many areas. It is perhaps to Chinas advantage that that should be so, said Rod Wye, an Asia-Pacific associate fellow at the Chatham House think tank in London. In particular, Europeans do not want to be drawn into the U.S.-China trade war, he said. Expressions of concern are certainly not going to change the Chinese intention one little bit, he added. A joint U.S.-European report released this week on relations with China described a deep sense of frustration, fatigue, and futility. The stronger China gets, the less willing it has become to even engage perfunctorily with the West on the issue. The report from the Asia Society, the Bertelsmann Stiftung and George Washington University said that concern about human rights abuses in China remains deep, from the new security law in Hong Kong, which went into effect Tuesday night, to the repression of Muslim minorities in the Xinjiang region in western China. China routinely dismisses all such criticism as interference in its domestic affairs. One of the crimes in the Hong Kong security law explicitly outlaws receiving funding or support from overseas to disrupt lawmaking in Hong Kong or impose sanctions on the city. This issue is purely Chinas internal affairs, and no foreign country has the right to interfere, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said. Many fear the law will be used to curb opposition voices and see it as Beijings boldest move yet to erase the legal firewall between the mainlands Communist Party system and Hong Kong, which was promised a high degree of autonomy and civil liberties under a one country, two systems principle. Britain called the law deeply troubling and said it lies in direct conflict with Chinas international obligations. The U.S. warned that Chinas repeated violations of its international commitments is a pattern the world cannot ignore. And the European Union warned that China risked very negative consequences to its reputation and to business confidence in the global financial hub. Steve Tsang, who directs the China Institute at Londons School of Oriental and African Studies, said that if the EU were to join forces on the issue with the Five Eyes alliance the U.S., Britain, Canada, Australia and New Zealand the group would have real economic clout. The EU is Chinas largest trading partner. But he said it was far-fetched for either British Prime Minister Boris Johnson or U.S. President Donald Trump to work with the EU on the issue. It is reasonable for Beijing to calculate that both the U.K. and U.S. are paper tigers, Tsang said. Boris is focused on Brexit. He is happy to cooperate with anyone except for the EU. Chinese experts said the West isn't able to sway China because of fundamental differences in their views. The West stresses political rights, while China emphasizes economic rights, said Yu Wanli, an international relations professor at Beijing Language and Culture University. It is not that China is trying to withstand pressure from the West, but it is that Chinas own policies have achieved results, Yu said. China doesnt need to care about pressure from the West. Stressing a legal and moral duty to its former colony, Britain on Wednesday announced it is extending residency rights for up to 3 million Hong Kongers eligible for British National Overseas passports, allowing them to live and work in the U.K. for five years. In Brussels, the European Parliament last month passed a resolution calling on the EU to consider taking Beijing to the International Court of Justice. Reinhard Butikofer, chair of the European Parliaments delegation for China relations, said lawmakers are considering other measures, such as a ban on exports of technology utilized to oppress Hong Kong citizens. Other options include a lifeboat offer for Hong Kong democracy activists, and pushing for the United Nations to appoint a special envoy to the city. The major burden is on the incoming German presidency to rally member states in following through in what they have indicated in the past, that this would not remain without consequences, Butikofer said. In the U.S., the Trump administration has said it will bar defense exports to Hong Kong, cancel policy exemptions that give Hong Kong special treatment, and impose visa restrictions on Chinese Communist Party officials responsible for undermining Hong Kongs autonomy. Zhao, the foreign ministry spokesperson, said the U.S. will never succeed in blocking Hong Kong's national security legislation through sanctions. Wye, the Chatham House associate fellow, said the impact of such measures on China is likely to be marginal. I dont think Beijing has anything particular to fear because the sanctions theyre talking about are mainly withdrawing special status in particular areas of Hong Kong and treating it more like the rest of China, he said. So the people likely to be hurt are Hong Kong businesses and Hong Kong people rather than Chinese businesses and the Chinese government. President Moon Jae-in, left, takes a tour of Samsung Electronics' semiconductor production plant in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, April 30, 2019, while accompanying the group's leader Lee Jae-yong, right, and Yoon Boo-keun, center, the-then vice chairman of the company. / Korea Times file By Baek Byung-yeul Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong is leading Korea's moves to reduce its heavy reliance on high-tech parts and equipment made by Japanese firms, following Tokyo's prolonged export controls on these. Since Japan placed export controls on high-tech materials bound for Korea in July 2019, Seoul has strengthened its efforts to support local high-tech materials, parts and equipment companies. In line with the government's efforts, Lee visited Semes, a key contractor of Samsung Electronics that produces semiconductor- and display-making equipment, in Cheonan, South Chungcheong Province, Tuesday, to inspect the subsidiary's production line. During the visit, Lee emphasized the affiliate's role amid growing uncertainties due to the U.S.-China and Japan-Korea trade disputes and the economic slump caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. "We can't predict the end of these uncertainties," Lee said during his visit. "We have a long way to go. If we stop here, we have no future." The vice chairman's visit came four days after a panel of outside experts recommended prosecutors stop their investigation and moves to indict Lee. The de facto leader of Samsung Group was alleged by prosecutors to have conspired with other executives to lower the value of Samsung C&T and inflate that of Cheil Industries before their merger in 2015. This cemented the transfer of control of the Samsung Group to Lee from his ailing father Chairman Lee Kun-hee. It remains to be seen whether the prosecution will accept the recommendation of the independent committee as it don't necessarily have to accept the conclusion. But the panel's decision is a clear win for Samsung because the recommendation gives Samsung's lawyers an opening to challenge any justification for the investigation to continue. For Lee, who's been at the front lines in the trade spat with Japan since last year, the panel's conclusion gave him interim relief over lingering uncertainties surrounding Samsung and will help him concentrate on his role as a decision-maker for the nation's largest conglomerate. After Japan started to implement export restrictions on the key high-tech materials, Lee made a business trip to Tokyo in July 2019 and ordered his executives to prepare contingency plans to foster the local materials, parts and equipment industry and diversify Samsung's supply chain and reduce its reliance on Japanese firms. One year after the export controls were initiated, Samsung Electronics has begun moves to improve competitiveness and self-sufficiency in the local semiconductor industry by strengthening its collaboration with domestic chip-related companies and research institutions. The company said this shows Samsung's drive to achieve mutual growth with its subcontractors and academic and research institutions, as China scrambles to foster its own semiconductor industry and avoid any difficulties in procuring chip-making materials, components and equipment. Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong, right, inspects the production line of Semes, Samsung's key semiconductor equipment supplier, in Cheonan, South Chungcheong Province, Tuesday. Samsung said he inspected the production lines of chip- and display-making equipment as part of a new on-site management policy. / Courtesy of Samsung Electronics WEST CHESTER, Pa. This community was designed to be a respite. Like many suburbs, it grew rapidly in the 1960s and '70s as people fled nearby Philadelphia, with its poverty, racial strife and inequity. But after the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody, and as protests continue throughout the country, that comfortable distance is dissipating. Places such as West Chester, and the surrounding Chester County, have been pushed to confront the racism that permeates nearly every aspect of American life. With suburbs such as this one potentially deciding this year's presidential election, political strategists are carefully watching them to see whether President Donald Trump's promise of "law and order" wins him support or whether voters are more aligned with presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden's condemnations of white supremacy, police brutality and violence against peaceful protesters. In West Chester, one of the early efforts to move forward came recently at a rally dubbed the "March for Peace, Justice and Humanity." At least 5,000 people gathered. For more than eight minutes, the mostly white crowd knelt in silence marking the amount of time that a Minneapolis police officer jammed his knee into Floyd's neck. As time passed, tears rolled down several cheeks. Michelle Roberson, 57, felt anger building in her chest as she prepared to speak. "Where was this crowd June 28, 2017?" she said, uttering words she hadn't planned to say until just then. "I will ask it again: Where was this crowd on June 28, 2017?" That was the day her black 18-year-old daughter, Bianca Nikol Roberson, was shot dead while driving by a 28-year-old white man in another vehicle. READ MORE: Delco man pleads guilty in fatal 2017 road-rage shooting Bianca had been driving home from shopping for school supplies ahead of freshman orientation at Jacksonville University in Florida. She was on Route 100 near West Chester when David Desper fired a Smith & Wesson out the window of his pickup truck. The bullet hit her head. Her car crashed, and she was declared dead at the scene. Desper fled but was later arrested. He was originally charged with first-degree murder but pleaded guilty to third-degree murder, eligible for parole in 17 years. In the awful aftermath, white friends would privately tell Roberson that Bianca's death was a hate crime, but investigators told her they could find no evidence that Desper was racist, and she believed them. Yet everything that happened after Bianca's death convinced her the county suffers from systemic racism. It seemed that everyone with a position of power the police, the media, the prosecutors, the judge gave the young man every benefit of the doubt while casting stereotypes upon her daughter and her family, she said. She didn't know what to do. She was a suburban mom and a nurse at a retirement community, not an activist. "A white man kills your child," she said, "but yet you have me around all white attorneys, all white cops, all white sheriffs, white judge, white reporter. I mean who do I trust?" Chester County is home to more than half a million people, 85% of whom are white while 6% are black. The county backed Democrat Barack Obama for president in 2008, Republican Mitt Romney in 2012 and Democrat Hillary Clinton in 2016, making it a closely watched swing county in 2020. READ MORE: This road rage verdict delivers justice for Bianca Roberson, but it leaves us baffled | Maria Panaritis County residents often boast of their community's long-ago role in the anti-slavery movement and the Underground Railroad. Frederick Douglass gave one of his last speeches, which focused on "the race problem," in West Chester in 1895. Bayard Rustin, a civil rights activist credited as the architect of the 1963 March on Washington, grew up here and has been quoted frequently lately. But the county also once enforced Jim Crow policies, and it segregated its schools until 1956. In 1991, members of the Pennsylvania Ku Klux Klan marched through West Chester, though they were far outnumbered by counterprotesters. In 2002, the school board named a new high school after Rustin then debated changing it when they learned the civil rights leader, who died in 1987, was gay and had belonged to the Young Communist League. Just before her death, Bianca had graduated from Bayard Rustin High, now one of the top public schools in the state, with a largely white student body. Roberson is upset more of her neighbors didn't speak up after her daughter was killed including local black leaders. "There's a slave mentality," she said. "You're living in West Chester, you're driving this great car, you've got this wonderful business, you've got this beautiful church and it's because they allowed you to have this stuff. So you don't want to say anything to defy what is allowing you to have this stuff. So either you either stay mute or you tiptoe around it or you only speak about it behind closed doors." Since Bianca's death, everywhere Roberson looks, she sees racism. She wonders how things might have been different if her daughter had been white and was killed by a black man or if the massive crowd that gathered at the early-June march had showed up in 2017. READ MORE: At funeral services for apparent road-rage victim, 'tears of joy and pain' Roberson was livid when she saw an invitation for the march, which she felt already had adopted a suburban tone of being "very nice, very pleasant." Originally, a group of local activists had planned to hold a march on a Friday night. That worried local business owners, who were supposed to reopen that day after being closed for months because of the coronavirus. There were worries that the looting, violence and fires that had consumed parts of Philadelphia could spill into their community. West Chester Mayor Dianne Herrin, a white Democrat, said she knew that she couldn't stop people from gathering, nor should she. To put her constituents at ease, she took control. Local activists agreed to cancel their march and instead attend a Thursday march hosted by her, the police department, the county sheriff and the local NAACP. When some black constituents objected to Herrin being in charge, she delegated the selection of speakers to Lillian DeBaptiste, an African American community leader. Roberson reached out to the organizers and asked to speak, making clear that her tone would be different but necessary. Standing before the crowd, Roberson let loose with everything she had been keeping inside for years. "Here in West Chester, we tippy-toe around," she said to agreeing cheers. "We don't like to make people feel uncomfortable." She told the crowd how most days it is difficult to get out of bed, how she had to take a medical leave this year to address her depression and had since lost her job. Her voice was booming and strong, filled with heartbreak. For so long she had felt alone in her grief, and now she was overwhelmed by the supportive crowd. Maybe this moment would be different, she thought. Maybe the policies and the laws would change. Maybe she would finally feel something when she marked her ballot. "There's a difference between moment and movement," she said in closing. "I don't want a moment. I need a movement." The crowd chanted: "Bianca Roberson! Bianca Roberson!" In the days that followed, people reached out to tell her how sorry they were that her daughter died. She told some that she didn't need anyone to feel sorry for her or stand by her she needed them to talk with their friends who need their eyes opened. "Don't be sorry," she said. "Fix it." She has tried to fix things herself. She has voted faithfully. She has started a memorial foundation in her daughter's name and advocated at the statehouse for gun-control legislation that went nowhere. She has thought about running for a statehouse seat. While there is a new eagerness to have more diverse leadership, she wonders whether white voters actually want the legislative changes that she would push for. Or do they simply want to feel good? "All I keep hearing is people saying, 'Oh my God, you would be the first black female to hold the seat.' But that's not what's important to me," she said. "I do not want to be that token." The march itself spoke of the need for change, but it was cultural more than political. There was little mention of Trump or Biden or the presidential race, despite the teams of volunteers with voter registration information roaming the crowd and a black woman standing on the courthouse steps with a sign that read, "Vote + Protest = Your voice." Many of the signs in the crowd were self-reflective. "I will never understand but I stand," one said. Since the march, the mayor has found herself pondering why Floyd's death has "broken through the apathy" in a way that previous tragedies did not. Maybe it's because young people including her two sons, ages 18 and 22 are demanding change, she said. Or maybe it was because those previous incidents had a tinge of gray to them such as a pellet gun mistaken for a real one that allowed just enough room for white people to not come to terms with what had happened, to look away. The march showed her that many are no longer looking away. "Seeing the citizens of our community come out in such a powerful and yet peaceful way and with such a strong message was incredibly fulfilling to me," said Herrin, 58. "I haven't had a moment exactly like that before in my life." Herrin was campaigning for mayor in 2017 when Bianca Roberson was killed, and she said she immediately thought, "If she weren't a person of color, would this have happened?" But it was not a question widely discussed, and most of the activism that resulted focused on gun violence, not race. "I do believe if it happened now," she said, "the response would be very different." Roberson doesn't share the optimism. "Racism happens everywhere," she said, "but we have some of these communities that are influential communities like West Chester that want to believe that it does not happen here." She doesn't know exactly what needs to happen, but it needs to be more than just a few new policies or laws, charges filed or people fired. Already, she believes she has seen the vigor displayed at the West Chester march slowly dissipate. Will there be change? I dont think so, she said. And I want to be positive about it, I do, but I dont believe so. Mikailah DeCoteau, 7, has the summer off from school, but her mom, AJ, needs to work. The plan was for Mikailah to attend a summer camp run in South Philadelphia by the nonprofit Sunrise of Philadelphia. But Mikailah is one of thousands of children who wont get that chance because of COVID-19 and because the Philadelphia School District decided not to reopen its buildings for such summer programs, as it had for years. The DeCoteaus have a workaround, because AJ DeCoteaus mother visited Philadelphia this winter from their native Trinidad and Tobago, then got stuck in the city when the Caribbean nation shut its borders because of the coronavirus. Mikailahs grandmother can watch her for now, supervising the little girl while she logs on for a virtual camp run by Sunrise beginning Monday. But without my mother, I dont know what wed do, said DeCoteau, who is here working on her doctorate in education. I dont know how people make it work. READ MORE: Philly parents, staffs most favored option is a return to schools this fall on alternate days The citys Office of Children and Families, which funds Sunrise and other Out of School Time providers, as they are known, said that 67 elementary and middle school camps typically operate out of district buildings each summer, but wont this year, affecting 3,486 children. Many have shifted to online operations, an option the providers acknowledge does not work for many families. Our constantly changing environment due to COVID-19 has meant that our OST network had to be innovative and creative about how programming happens this summer! OCF spokesperson Heather Keafer said in a statement. Providers were offered alternate, in-person locations for summer camps, Keafer said, but many declined them. (The providers said the costs associated with many substitute locations were prohibitive.) Philadelphia Department of Recreation programs, which are run separately, also have diminished summer camp capacity. Usually, up to 10,000 children are enrolled across the city; this year, the programs are capped at 4,000 children to accommodate coronavirus concerns. OCF pays camp providers per student; it offered a lower per-child payment for virtual options, but providers have been told they will only be funded for in-person programming in the fall. Monica Lewis, district spokesperson, noted that Gov. Tom Wolf ordered all school buildings closed in March. (Subsequent state guidance allowed for in-person activities in buildings beginning Wednesday, but the district has limited its summer school activities, offering them online only.) The shutdown impacts not only camps, but sports, plays, concerts, and even fundraisers, Lewis said. We understand that this may not provide the opportunity for summer programming that most are accustomed to, but we must adhere to guidelines that will help keep all Philadelphians as safe as possible as the COVID-19 public health matter evolves, Lewis said in a statement. READ MORE: We wouldnt shut down: How the Class of 2020 is grappling with what was lost due to coronavirus Advocates say the district should have made provisions to open a limited number of buildings for city kids to have safe and structured summers. They say talks were underway at points about what such a reopening for camps would have looked like, but that there wasnt enough pressure or urgency from high-level leadership. This is about will, not resources, said Donna Cooper, executive director for Public Citizens for Children and Youth. The fact that were going to have fewer options, not more, for kids this summer is unacceptable. Miles Wilson, executive director of Education Works, a nonprofit that typically serves 800 children a summer in West, North, and South Philadelphia, said the organization has pivoted to a virtual camp focusing on science, technology, engineering and math concepts. But even a robust online program is a loss for families, Wilson said. Before the district gave its final no, he had hoped he could offer families a hybrid model, with children attending face-to-face camp some days and logging on remotely other days, to allow for social distancing. He and other providers tried to get creative, proposing using a few school super sites, with perhaps just outdoor access and limited indoor space for emergencies. The conversation was a nonstarter, he said. This is the population that doesnt have the flexibility of calling out, nor do they have the flexibility of working remotely, said Wilson. And its important that kids get these in-person, educational experiences. Ben Cooper, director of program quality with Sunrise of Philadelphia, which last summer enrolled about 500 children in camps run inside city schools, said the uncertainty around whether in-person camp would open hampered the organizations planning. It has been able to regroup around a virtual-only experience, he said, but some families said it wouldnt work for them. We know and the sector knows that families do need to get back to work, and quality child care is a part of that, Cooper said. A virtual camp is not going to cut it for a second grader. Sunrise, Education Works, and five other providers now worry about the fall, when child-care needs will likely grow, as hybrid in-person and online models could mean more parents than ever are scrambling for care. The School District is expected to release its plans for the fall later this month. Calling themselves the Philadelphia Out of School Time Coalition, they said in an open letter that it understands the School District is now considering a plan that would shut them out entirely come fall, when they typically provide after-school services. Without the use of district schools, costs would soar and fewer kids could be served. The coalition asked for more city coordination and, from the district, a seat at the table as decisions for the fall are made to ensure that there are sufficient spaces for youth, support for working families, and to preserve a dedicated workforce. After 21 years in prison for a murder he did not commit, and another year of fighting for compensation, Terrance Lewis won a $6.25 million settlement from the City of Philadelphia on Tuesday one that came with a long-awaited apology. Im liberated now, Lewis, 41, said Tuesday evening. First, I became physically liberated, with the exoneration. Now, economically, financially speaking, Im free. Im not chained. Next is my education. Im going to liberate myself mentally. In a lawsuit filed last year, Lewis alleged rampant police misconduct, coercion of witnesses, and concealment of evidence in his case. Both Lewis and Mayor Jim Kenney said the settlement is a step toward addressing historic inequities in Philadelphias criminal justice system. I know that money alone cannot compensate Mr. Lewis and his family for the 21 years he spent incarcerated, Kenney said in a statement. And I know that much more must be done to reform our criminal justice system and to help the families and communities that have been torn apart by instances in which the system didnt work. This work is difficult and takes significant effort and time, but I remain fully committed to it so we can create a more equitable and just city for all Philadelphians. READ MORE: Wrongly convicted, Terrance Lewis dreamed of getting out of prison for 21 years. The reality was nothing like he expected. Lewis was convicted of the murder of Hulon Bernard Howard inside his West Philadelphia home on Aug. 6, 1996. Lewis lawsuit maintained that the murder investigation was deeply flawed, with detectives suppressing evidence that pointed to his innocence. Lewis, who received support from friends and strangers through GoFundMe after his release, had struggled financially, and recently took a job in a homeless shelter to pay his bills. But his goal, he said, is to help other innocent people access justice. He recently launched a nonprofit, the Terrance Lewis Liberation Foundation, that will investigate claims of wrongful convictions. Lewis is one of 14 people to be exonerated since District Attorney Larry Krasner took office and created an expanded Conviction Integrity Unit in 2018. His is the second-largest payment to an exoneree, after a nearly $10 million settlement paid to Anthony Wright in 2018. With the funding, Lewis said, he will have time to take stock and make plans. The first item on his agenda, he said, was re-enrolling his son, Zahaire, who had dropped out of college a few years ago because he ran out of money. Next, Lewis plans to pursue his own bachelors degree, and perhaps a law degree. Coming home, post-wrongful incarceration, my world was in shambles, he said. I came home to COVID and rioting and looting. The racial inequality we still suffer as a nation. I definitely appreciate the administration as it is today in Philadelphia taking a step forward, acknowledging right from wrong, as pertains to past injustices. Ernest McKenney, 94, formerly of Northern Liberties, a retired defense contract negotiator, died Thursday, June 25, of complications from dementia at Brandywine Living at Haverford Estates, a senior community. Known as Ernie, Mr. McKenney was the youngest of 10 children born in Johnston, S.C., to Rachel Daniel and Henry McKenney. In the 1930s, Mr. McKenney and his mother headed north. They intended to live with his sister, Sadie, in New York, but stopped in Bryn Mawr to visit his brother, Booker T. McKenney, and before they knew it, they had put down roots. We never made it to New York, and boy, was I grateful for the life I was afforded, growing up in Bryn Mawr, Mr. McKenney liked to tell friends. Mr. McKenney joined Saints Memorial Baptist Church in Bryn Mawr. He attended Lower Merion High School, where he ran track and was active in the chorus and glee club. He was known as a skilled pianist with a beautiful voice. Mr. McKenney wanted to attend college at Hampton Institute in Virginia, but his plans were derailed when he was drafted into the Army. (On arriving at the high school, he was put back two grades because the schools in the South were considered lacking, so he was old enough to be drafted while still a high school student.) He saw combat in World War II and was honorably discharged with the rank of private first class in 1946. After leaving the Army, he went to Radnor High School to complete his studies, graduating in 1947. Mr. McKenney joined the Defense Contract Administration Services, a procurement arm of the U.S. Department of Defense. He was a contract negotiator working from offices in Philadelphia. To bolster his skills in the business world, he took night courses at Temple University. In 1975, at 50, Mr. McKenney took advantage of an early retirement offer. He then taught English at Community College of Philadelphia. Married and divorced in the 1960s, he spent most of his life as a bachelor. He traveled widely, and enjoyed music, caring for his plants, and furnishing his apartment with rugs and art he had bought on his trips abroad. In the mid-1950s, Mr. McKenney moved into the Friends Housing Cooperative near Eighth Street and Fairmount Avenue in Northern Liberties. The block-long co-op was a housing experiment sponsored by two Quaker organizations, the Philadelphia Planning Commission and the Redevelopment Authority. Insured by the Federal Housing Administration, it was the first cooperative, diverse community to be organized under the tenants-as-landlords principle, The Inquirer reported in 1978. Mr. McKenney loved living there and was just as enthusiastic about the place in 1978 as he had been when he moved in. There really is nothing like it around, he said. Because of the balance of tenants, between whites, Asians, and Blacks, life here contains a true cultural exchange. And it really is community living. Everybody knows everybody else. We have courtyard suppers, introductory parties for new tenants. And all of the owners have community tasks. His were to clean the hallway on his floor and to make sure that light bulbs were replaced. Mr. McKenney took great pride in the years he lived in Philadelphia. He loved to share the citys rich history with anyone who would listen. He lived in West Mount Airy and then in an apartment in East Falls. As his health began to decline, he moved into Brandywine Living Estates of Haverford and stayed there until his death. Mr. McKenney was predeceased by all nine siblings and a nephew. He is survived by another nephew, three nieces, and a great-niece, Roslyn Stitt, to whom he was especially close. Funeral services were Wednesday, July 1. Memorial donations may be made to the Dementia Society of America via https://www.dementiasociety.org/. As a son of two Italian immigrants, I am unabashedly proud to be an Italian American. My parents have instilled deeply in me the Italian values of family bonds, hard work, and frugality. My mother came to America in her teens and my father moved in his 20s; they both worked hard to support their families and owned and operated successful restaurants in the Philadelphia area from 1970 through the 1990s. I love my culture and in recent years have rekindled a passion for all things Italian. Im the moderator of the Italian American club at the local high school where I teach. My wife and two children celebrate the Feast of St. Joseph every March 19 with a meal of homemade pasta e fagioli and zeppole from Termini Brothers. We try to visit Italy every few years and stay in the Abruzzo region, where my extended family still lives, so I can be reminded of my ancestry and my children can be connected to their heritage. Thus, it often comes as a surprise to people when I tell them how I feel about Christopher Columbus as an icon of Italian American culture. After graduating from St. Josephs University, I moved to the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, home to the Oglala Lakota Nation, in South Dakota, where I taught for three years. Shannon County, on which the reservation stands, is among the poorest counties in the United States. The poverty rate is three times greater than the state average, and life expectancy is on par with many underdeveloped nations. While I lived there I had the privilege of making many lasting relationships and getting to know a group of people who still feel the effects of U.S. policies that extracted land and wealth from Native peoples. For people on the Pine Ridge and other indigenous groups, the landing of the Nina, Pinta, and Santa Maria in the Caribbean opened the floodgates to destruction and despair. While Columbus himself never set foot on North American land, he symbolizes the land pillaging and genocide that came with European colonization. In Indian Country, the year 1492 does not represent discovery and new possibilities, but rather 500 years of oppression and death at the hands of European settlers. To embrace Columbus would be a betrayal to the families I grew to love and care for on the Great Plains of South Dakota. Dino Pinto Prior to my time on the reservation, I could be seen proudly waving an Italian flag at a local Columbus Day celebration without considering its implications. However, after living among the Lakota people and building such meaningful relationships, I had no choice but to abandon Columbus as a symbol of my Italian American pride. To embrace Columbus would be a betrayal to the families I grew to love and care for on the Great Plains of South Dakota. As the country reels from nearly a month of civic unrest after the murder of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police, this issue of Columbus legacy has again taken center stage. In Philadelphia, this played out in South Philadelphias Marconi Plaza, where standoffs between protesters and Italian-American Columbus supporters turned violent. As Italian Americans, we can do better. We should certainly carve out opportunities to celebrate who we are and the great contributions Italian immigrants made to the United States. However, we can be creative and compassionate and replace our symbols of pride with images that celebrate a community who overcame, fought for the American Dream, put familial relationships front and center, and who looked to build something better and brighter for future generations. In 2017 the Los Angeles City Council voted to replace Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples Day. Michael Bonin, a city councilman and great-grandson of Italian immigrants, responded to an email from an Italian American who urged him not to change the holiday. Bonin stated: Ive thought about my ancestors and their history. And to me, celebrating Columbus Day does not honor their story and their struggle and their history; it insults it, and it besmirches it. They came here to build something, not to destroy something. They came here to earn something and not to steal something. They came here to make life better for their children, and not to take away something for someone elses children. As it stands, Mayor Jim Kenney and the City of Philadelphia are making moves to remove the statue of Columbus at Marconi Plaza, and for what it is worth, I am in support of it. I implore those who are determined to keep Columbus as a symbol to understand the injustice this monument represents. I urge the City of Philadelphia to work with the Italian American community so that we can replace Columbus with a symbol that better represents our culture and honors our ancestors who gave so much to their families and this country and city. Dino Pinto is a teacher at St. Josephs Preparatory School, where he teaches a course on Native American studies. Two years ago, Clean Slate legislation passed in Pennsylvania with overwhelming bipartisan support, enabling automated sealing of certain criminal records. Automated sealing started last June. In only a year, nearly 35 million cases and 47.3 million offenses have been sealed from public view opening the door to employment, educational, and professional opportunities for more than 1.15 million Pennsylvanians. This relief comes at a critical time as Pennsylvania looks toward recovering from COVID-19 in the coming months and years. Yet, it is important to note those who have not been able to benefit from a clean slate: an estimated 50% of those with otherwise eligible misdemeanor convictions statewide, and 75% of those eligible in Philadelphia alone were eliminated from automated sealing due to outstanding court debts. The requirement to pay court fines and fees before having a conviction record sealed has hindered thousands of Pennsylvanians from finding meaningful employment and housing and limited countless other opportunities. The requirement also seems to have disproportionately disqualified Black Pennsylvanians from having their misdemeanors sealed. Thats why we need House Bill 440. Passed by the House unanimously in December 2019, the bill fine-tunes the Clean Slate law to eliminate the requirement that court debt be paid. Only those owing restitution compensation to crime victims are disqualified from a sealed record. An individuals financial status should not be an impediment to a brighter, criminal record-free future. Yet the 70% of Philadelphians who owe court debt are unemployed and cannot afford to pay the median balance owed of $275 to Philadelphias Municipal Court and $551 for Common Pleas have been unable to access record sealing. Take Carole, a 57-year-old Philadelphia resident and client of Community Legal Services of Philadelphia. Carole has convictions for drug possession and retail theft from over two decades ago a time when she was dealing with the loss of parents and a bad divorce. Although she has since completed rehab, and is sober and law-abiding, her $225 in unpaid fines are holding her back from having her record sealed. She is now a homeowner, the adoptive mother of her niece and two nephews, and a productive member of society, yet her record has caused her to be turned down for employment and causes embarrassment when she needs clearances for church and school volunteer positions. Two decades later, her record, which is eligible for expungement under Clean Slate, is still hanging over her head simply due to her financial inability to pay the courts. Caroles story isnt unique. This is the case for many thousands of individuals who have remained crime-free and would otherwise be eligible for record sealing under Pennsylvanias Clean Slate law, yet owe nominal sums that stand in the way of a more productive future for them and their family. While we should certainly celebrate that over a million people have had Clean Slate applied to their record, theres still work to be done. Final passage of the fines and fees bill in the Senate would be a game changer for struggling Pennsylvanians, and its enactment is essential for the full promise of Clean Slate to be realized. Clean Slate means a second chance for Pennsylvanians and removing barriers to success. We must ensure that is available to not only those with financial means but to all who need a fair chance at moving forward. Sharon Dietrich is the managing attorney for Community Legal Services of Philadelphia. Elected officials are finally acknowledging the demands for justice by Black Americans seeking an end to centuries of systemic oppression and violence from our nations police. After years of inaction, Gov. Tom Wolf promised to take action on the issue, and Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney announced 13 proposed reforms to the citys Police Department. These are steps in the right direction, but we cannot ignore the injustice happening inside jails and prisons. Corrections officers have greater authority than police, but the public cannot see what is happening inside their facilities. This includes the use of prolonged solitary confinement, a practice that the United Nations has said can amount to torture, and which remains pervasive throughout Pennsylvania. Until an American Civil Liberties Union victory finalized earlier this year, every person on Pennsylvanias death row was held in permanent solitary confinement placed in small, filthy cells, with very little sunlight, and no opportunity for meaningful physical or mental activity for 22 hours a day. This is both inhumane and at odds with running a safe, well-functioning prison. The pain and suffering caused by solitary confinement including hallucinations, post-traumatic stress disorder, panic attacks, heart disease, and other debilitating conditions can be shattering, which is why half of all suicides occurring in U.S. jails and prisons take place in solitary units. People of color are disproportionately placed in solitary confinement, which is often assigned as punishment for small violations, or for arbitrary or unfair reasons. Sandra Bland, who died in solitary confinement following a routine traffic stop, is a prime example. Pennsylvania is no exception. According to the Vera Institute of Justice, 85% of Pennsylvanians held in solitary confinement in 2015 were there for failing to obey an order. One such instance occurred in February, when corrections officers in the Lebanon County Correctional Facility placed Eric McGill, a Black American and practicing Rastafarian, in solitary confinement for failing to cut his dreadlocks an act that would violate his religious beliefs. In 2018, The Inquirer found that more than 11% of Philadelphias jail population was in solitary confinement. Infractions like creating a disturbance, smoking, or possessing contraband were among the most common reasons for this punishment. The American public is catching on to how police officers can use small offenses to justify disproportionate or deadly responses against people of color, and what happens behind bars is no different. The racial disparities in our jails and prisons only worsen this problem. Despite making up just 11% of Pennsylvanias population, Black people account for 37% of its jail population, and 47% of its prison population. Black people also represent just 44% of Philadelphia County residents, but 73% of its jail population. Brutal, racial injustice pervades our correctional institutions but we have an opportunity to change that. States like Colorado and New Jersey have either ended or significantly restricted solitary confinement, which is as ineffective as it is inhumane. Nevertheless, solitary reform is opposed by most corrections unions, and elected officials like Gov. Wolf and Mayor Kenney appear unwilling to upset them. Instead, the state is accelerating the use of this practice. Beginning on March 13, every incarcerated person in the states prison system has been held in lockdown a form of solitary confinement in response to COVID-19. The same is true for the Philadelphia Department of Prisons system. This is part of an estimated 500% increase in the nationwide use of solitary in recent months, according to a new report from Unlock the Box, a coalition of organizations and movement leaders that includes the ACLU. Unfortunately, the widespread use of solitary confinement in response to COVID-19 is not only ineffective in slowing the viruss spread, it also causes fear, mistrust, and trauma for incarcerated people. It is a hallmark of a system that dehumanizes and degrades the people it is supposed to rehabilitate and protect. For justice to prevail, this practice must end. David C. Fathi is the director and Amy Fettig is the deputy director of the American Civil Liberties Union National Prison Project. WASHINGTON President Donald Trump is vowing to veto a massive defense bill to keep military bases such as Fort Bragg named after Confederate officers, swimming against sentiment in his own party and imperiling a 3% pay raise for the troops. Trump took to Twitter late Tuesday to threaten a veto of a $741 billion annual Pentagon authorization bill because it would require a host of military bases named after Confederate figures to be renamed within three years. Trump rival Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., won a bipartisan vote in a GOP-controlled panel to force the bases to be renamed, and it's clear that opponents of the idea don't have the votes to remove it during floor debate. "I will Veto the Defense Authorization Bill if the Elizabeth 'Pocahontas' Warren (of all people!) Amendment, which will lead to the renaming (plus other bad things!) of Fort Bragg, Fort Robert E. Lee, and many other Military Bases from which we won Two World Wars, is in the Bill!" Trump wrote on Twitter. Trump's threat comes as he is increasingly appealing to his core supporters as his troubled reelection campaign has fallen behind former Vice President Joe Biden in opinion polls. The response by top Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer? Make my day. "I dare President Trump to veto the bill over Confederate base naming. It's in the bill. It has bipartisan support. It will stay in the bill," Schumer said Tuesday. The annual measure has passed every year for almost six decades and typically enjoys veto-proof support, though various controversies often mean that it does not pass until late in the year. Trump's salvo probably ensures that the issue won't come to a head until after the November election. A Democratic-controlled House panel is holding a daylong bill drafting session Wednesday in which it is sure to address the topic. The panel on Wednesday adopted an amendment by Rep. Anthony Brown, D-Md., that would ban displays of the Confederate battle flag on any Department of Defense properties. That would codify a Marine Corps edict but other military branches have yet to follow suit as Trump has been more forceful of late in defending Confederate symbols and figures. The Senate Armed Services Committee approved Warren's measure to force the bases to be renamed within three years by a voice vote last month. A commission would be set up to oversee the process. Since the Senate's 45 Democrats and two Democratic-aligned Independents are behind the provision, GOP opponents of the idea would have to at a minimum summon 50 of the chamber's 53 Republicans to replace it if everyone votes and Vice President Mike Pence is available to break a tie. As a practical matter it would take 60 votes under filibuster rules. That means that opponents of Warren's provision like Sens. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., a top Trump acolyte, and Thom Tillis, R-N.C., face impossible odds during floor debate. The chamber is debating the bill now but won't finish it until later this month. "Instead of mandating the renaming of military bases, including Fort Bragg, we need a thoughtful and constructive process that includes the input of our military communities," Tillis said. Top Senate Republican Mitch McConnell of Kentucky says that he won't fight the Warren amendments and that he is "OK" with whatever negotiators on the measure ultimately decide on the issue. That's a view generally shared by top House Republican Kevin McCarthy of California. In an appearance on Fox News on Wednesday, McConnell said, "I would hope the president really wouldn't veto the bill over this issue." On Wednesday morning, Schumer eagerly returned to the topic. Let me predict, President Trump will not veto a bill that contains pay raises for our troops and crucial support for our military, Schumer said on the Senate floor. This is typical bluster from President Trump. The (defense bill) will pass, and we will scrub from our military bases the names of men who fought for the Confederacy and took up arms against our country. The Democratic candidates in South Jersey each had their Jeff Van Drew moment. For Brigid Callahan Harrison, 55, of Longport, it came in December, while she was at the Army-Navy Game with her daughter. The political science professors cell phone blew up with the news that Van Drew, a Democratic congressman, was switching parties to become a Republican. For Amy Kennedy, 41, who is married to former U.S. Rep. Patrick Kennedy and lives in Brigantine, it was the rally President Donald Trump held in January as a thank-you to Van Drew for defecting. She evoked the past of two storied families, marching in protest with Martin Luther King III in a chilly parking lot off the Wildwood boardwalk. And for Will Cunningham, 34, it dates back to 2018, when the Vineland native first ran against Van Drew, then a Democrat. The progressive Cunningham repeatedly warned that Van Drews voting record looks more like a Donald Trump wish list. The party went with Van Drew. Van Drew went on to capture the 2nd Congressional District seat long held by Republican Frank LoBiondo. But for Democrats the victory was short-lived. Now, the reelection bid of a Democrat-turned-Republican who has pledged his undying support to Trump in a swing district is one of the most closely watched House races in the country with the added allure of a Kennedy vying to knock him off. For Cunningham, who got 16% of the primary vote in 2018, when the political machines insisted Van Drew was the Democrat who could win the district, it feels like once again, not enough people are listening. A lot of folks potentially following the headlines think this is a race between two wealthy white millionaires, said Cunningham, a Black lawyer who grew up homeless and went to Brown University and the University of Texas law school before working for the House Oversight Committee. That is definitely not the case. I have half a dozen endorsements, some on a national level. Van Drew is a plum target for the victor of Tuesdays Democratic primary: a longtime conservative former Democrat who voted against impeachment, switched parties, and embraced Trump in the Oval Office and in Wildwood. Also on the Democratic ballot are West Cape May Commissioner John Francis, founder of Planetwalk, and retired Robert Turkavage, a retired FBI agent. Van Drew is expected to prevail in his own primary after Trump and his allies largely cleared the field for him. New Jerseys July 7 primary is being conducted mostly by mail voting, and also includes a Republican primary to take on first-term Democratic Rep. Andy Kim. By the time Van Drew defected, Harrison, a political analyst at Montclair State University, had already decided to challenge him in the Democratic primary, and had been urging county party chairs to support her. Harrison takes credit for putting enough pressure on Van Drew that he switched parties, and she quickly received the endorsement of six of the eight county chairs, plus State Senate President Stephen Sweeney a valuable feat in a state where crucial ballot position is determined by the political parties. But she also took grief for it, and became known to some as the candidate of South Jersey power broker George E. Norcross III who had also backed Van Drew. A Norcross-affiliated political action committee began running pro-Harrison TV ads last week. Harrison said calling her the Norcross candidate is an unfair knock. To have the hard work Ive done, as a woman who never had anything handed to me, to have my opponents characterize the success Ive earned as being delivered to me by a man is incredibly offensive, she said. Maybe thats how it works in her world, Harrison added of Kennedy. Patrick delivers everything. Her Patrick Kennedy swipe, even as she bristles at sexism in linking her to Norcross, highlights how negative the campaign has become. But the idea that a Kennedy might be the key to diluting Norcross influence in South Jersey has proved attractive to many progressives and Norcross foes who have thrown their support behind Amy Kennedy, including Gov. Phil Murphy. Harrison, who wrote a textbook about democracy, doesnt spare the Kennedy family from her criticism. Theyre ruthless, Harrison said. Thats what the Kennedys are known for. They take no prisoners. Its great training for going up against the Trump machine. Harrison has called out the Kennedys for their ties to Wellpath, a health-care company criticized for its work in ICE detention centers, and for Patrick Kennedys $500,000 funding of a PAC (since sidelined) to help his wifes campaign. Harrison has also criticized Amy Kennedy for ties to Atlantic Citys controversial vote-by-mail ballot wrangler, Craig Callaway. His support paved the way for Kennedy to get the nod from the Atlantic City and Atlantic County Democratic Committees, and the coveted party ballot line in Atlantic County, where 40% of the districts registered Democrats live. The district, which voted for Barack Obama twice and then for Trump, includes all of Atlantic, Cape May, Cumberland, and Salem Counties, and parts of Camden, Gloucester, Burlington, and Ocean Counties. Harrison said Kennedy paid Callaway close to $100,000, which Callaway denied and countered that Harrison doesnt say how she blew my phone up, begging me to support her. The Kennedy campaign has declined to discuss grassroots strategy. Her campaign manager, Josh Roesch, accused Harrison of using racist, dog-whistle tactics straight out of the Donald Trump playbook by focusing on Callaway and calling into question voting by mail. Callaway himself is not named on campaign finance reports. Kennedy, a former middle school teacher, said the attacks are seeking to undermine my connection with Atlantic County. She has five children, four with Patrick Kennedy births that were each heralded, in a nod to the Kennedy place in the countrys imagination, with short photo opportunities upon leaving the hospital on Jimmie Leeds Road. Four generations of my family have lived here, said Kennedy, who served as education director for the Kennedy Forum, focusing on mental health. Im raising my family here. Ive always worked here. Her father, Jerry Savell, was an Atlantic County freeholder who, Kennedy said, door-knocked with all of these candidates. Harrison, in turn, has been criticized for what the Kennedy campaign calls a political romance with former Gov. Chris Christie whom she encouraged in a 2011 newspaper opinion piece to run for president and not wait until 2016 and for her ties to New York City, where her husband worked as a police detective and maintains an apartment, and where two of her children attended private high schools. Harrison and Kennedy both espouse mostly mainstream Democratic positions. Kennedy is not in favor of outright legalization of marijuana, unlike her opponents. Harrison returns to improving infrastructure and public transit as a focus. Kennedy prioritizes mental health, the fragile South Jersey economy, and climate change. At Black Lives Matter protests, Cunningham has vividly described being thrown to the ground by police as a 13-year-old, and has spoken about issues of equality and justice. A former staffer for U.S. Sen. Cory Booker (who has endorsed Harrison), Cunningham says his experience is far more relevant than that of his opponents. His life story and views could place him in the ranks of other insurgent candidates who have won primaries against incumbents in New York and elsewhere. But while he participated in a recent debate, he has more often found his candidacy dismissed, a Jersey freeze out he finds infuriating. On Tuesday, he accused both Kennedy and Harrison of using their wealth, privilege, and connections to buy a seat in Congress. In this nation, Black men shouldnt have to die on camera in front of the nation to have their voices and stories heard or their substance recognized, he said. Cunningham has raised $165,000, including $73,000 in the most recent quarter. Kennedy has raised $1.4 million, including a $500,000 personal loan. Harrison has raised $415,600, including a $160,000 loan. To say that this is a two-person race between Amy Kennedy and Brigid Callahan Harrison is a lie, Cunningham said, plain and simple. Spotlight PA is an independent, nonpartisan newsroom powered by The Philadelphia Inquirer in partnership with the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and PennLive/Patriot-News. Sign up for our free weekly newsletter. HARRISBURG The Republican-controlled state legislature cannot force Gov. Tom Wolf to end his coronavirus disaster declaration, a divided state Supreme Court ruled Wednesday, handing the Democratic governor a victory that could be vital should COVID-19 cases surge again. In the ruling, the high court rejected the argument that the legislature can unilaterally terminate the governors emergency powers by resolution. Writing for the majority, Justice David Wecht emphasized that the court was not offering an opinion on Wolfs response to the pandemic, but rather whether lawmakers could act without facing the governors veto. The resolution required presentment, Wecht wrote, a key component of our Constitutions balance of powers among the several branches of government, a balance that prevents one branch from dominating the others. The justices also ruled the governors actions to suspend laws are consistent with the powers the legislature granted him. Current members of the General Assembly may regret that decision, but they cannot use an unconstitutional means to give that regret legal effect, Wecht wrote, adding, The powers delegated to the governor are admittedly far-reaching, but nonetheless are specific. In March, Wolf issued the emergency order as Pennsylvania began reporting its first COVID-19 infections. The declaration greatly expanded Wolfs powers, allowing him to suspend regulations and control travel to and from certain areas. At the same time, Wolf and Health Secretary Rachel Levine ordered the closure of all businesses except those deemed life-sustaining to slow the spread of the virus and keep hospitals from becoming overwhelmed. Republican leaders in the legislature decried the closures as unfair to small businesses, and pushed to reopen sectors of the economy through legislation, which Wolf vetoed. In early June, Republicans and a handful of Democrats gave final approval to a resolution that leadership said would compel Wolf to terminate the disaster declaration. GOP lawmakers argued state law provides the option as a check on the executive branch, while Wolf said hes empowered by the state constitution to approve or reject the resolution, as he can with legislation. The high court sided with Wolf and nullified the legislatures resolution. The administration is pleased with the Supreme Courts decision keeping in place the disaster proclamation to assist in the states response to the pandemic and to provide protections for businesses, workers, and residents, a Wolf spokesperson, Lyndsay Kensinger, said. Top Senate Republican Joe Scarnati of Jefferson County said in a statement the ruling fails to uphold the constitutional balance of power between the three co-equal branches of government. The court has essentially granted the governor king status, Senate Majority Leader Jake Corman (R., Centre) said. The case largely centered around a portion of the states emergency code, which says in part, The General Assembly by concurrent resolution may terminate a state of disaster emergency at any time. Thereupon, the governor shall issue an executive order or proclamation ending the state of disaster emergency. The legislature argued that shall issue meant the governor had to comply should the resolution be passed. Wolf argued that he still had the power to accept or reject the resolution, a necessary check and balance to prevent the legislature from interfering during an emergency. Republicans decried that position, claiming it allowed Wolf to declare an indefinite emergency and assume far greater power unless and until two-thirds of the House and Senate voted to override his veto of the resolution a tough bar to meet in Pennsylvania. Wolf contended that ending the disaster declaration would not allow businesses to fully reopen which was the impetus for the GOPs action because much of his administrations power to impose restrictions stems from a law governing disease prevention. Instead, Wolf argued, ending the declaration would rescind protections that were enacted in response to the pandemic and the subsequent economic downturn, such as the suspension of licensing requirements for health-care workers or a temporary moratorium on evictions and foreclosures. Ending the disaster declaration would not reopen anything. It just wouldnt, Wolf said in June. And anybody who says differently is wrong. The ruling was the first of two constitutional showdowns between Wolf and the legislature. Still pending is a Republican suit to force the Wolf administration to comply with a subpoena for documents related to the states coronavirus business waiver program that allowed some nonessential businesses to reopen, while others had to remain shuttered. 100% ESSENTIAL: Spotlight PA relies on funding from foundations and readers like you who are committed to accountability journalism that gets results. If you value this reporting, please give a gift today at spotlightpa.org/donate. BEIJING, June 30 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese mainland spokesperson on Tuesday warned the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authority in Taiwan not to undermine the prosperity and stability of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR). Any person or force that attempts to undermine China's national sovereignty, security, development interests, and the prosperity and stability of the HKSAR will end in vain and suffer the consequences, said Zhu Fenglian, spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council. She made the comments in response to a media question about the DPP authority's smearing of the top legislature adopting a national security law in the HKSAR. The DPP authority's undisguised distortion of facts fully revealed its vicious intentions to meddle in Hong Kong affairs, mess Hong Kong up, and seek "Taiwan independence," Zhu said. The law on safeguarding national security in the HKSAR explicitly stipulates the four categories of offences endangering national security, and their corresponding penalties, which will surely cut off the DPP authority's meddling in Hong Kong affairs, said Zhu. "We firmly uphold and support the implementation of the law on safeguarding national security in the HKSAR," Zhu added. By Baek Byung-yeul Samsung SDS has launched a digital transformation trial service, enabling its customer companies to try various features such as blockchain, cloud computing, data analytics and security technologies at no cost, the IT affiliate of Samsung Group said Wednesday. The company said the 90-day free service is called "My Trial" and its digital transformation engine consists of four platforms. Customer companies can experience artificial intelligence (AI) and internet of things (IoT) technology-based big data analytics services Brightics AI and Brightics IoT; the blockchain-based Nexledger service that lets customers effectively take control of business transactions; and a robotics process automation (RPA) tool called Brity RPA. "With the Brightics AI and the Brightics IoT platforms, customers can quickly collect, analyze and interpret enormous amounts of data," a Samsung SDS official said. "Also using the Brity RPA platform, customers can improve the overall performance of their employees by automating repetitive and routine tasks." With the Nexledger blockchain platform, customers can swiftly process various work such as identification of customers, payment transactions and goods distribution management. "During the maximum 90-day free trial period, customers can experience these services running in a cloud computing environment," the official said. Samsung SDS said it will keep adding free services so more companies can accelerate their digital transformation. As disruptive technologies have emerged, changing the way organizations operate their businesses, companies have been urged to move toward digital transformation. "With the digital transformation engine that integrated our core technologies, Samsung SDS is dedicated to give full support to our customers who want to make a digital transformation," Samsung SDS CEO Hong Won-pyo said. Those who wish to try the services can find more information at www.samsungsds.com. No one can say that Darby and Josh Sullivan moved too impulsively before buying their Northern Liberties townhouse. Darby, a lawyer, had been living in Bryn Mawr, and Josh, sales director of a cloud technology company, had been living in San Francisco when they moved to the city in 2006. For the next three years, they rented in three different neighborhoods and looked at about 15 houses before walking into the just-built corner house that Josh calls an outdoor oasis in the city. Because it was a corner townhouse, it had so much light, Darby says. We had gotten sense of the different neighborhoods, and we had found ourselves going out to Northern Liberties a lot, she says. We loved the neighborhood feel of it, the restaurants, bars, parks, shops. Working with the builder, they added a roof deck and finished the basement of the three-bedroom, 2-bath house. Now, though, they plan to move to Bucks County with their two young daughters to be closer to their families. The house has five levels of living/entertaining space and 850 square feet of outdoor space, with two decks in addition to the roof space. And the roof deck has an outdoor kitchen and pergola, built-in grill and sink, and fire pit. The main level has an open floor plan with a spacious living room and gourmet kitchen with Italian granite countertops, stainless steel appliances, and a butler bar. Also on the main level are a powder room, mudroom with a large storage closet, and rear access to a parking space below a deck. The second level has two large bedrooms, a full bath, a laundry room, and a 170-square-foot deck that can be used for grilling and entertaining. The third level has a bedroom suite, with a walk-in closet and a covered outdoor breezeway/balcony with unobstructed cityscape views. The roof deck also has unobstructed views of the city and the Ben Franklin Bridge. The full finished basement has a custom wood bar, wet bar with Brazilian granite, wine cellar, custom-built bookshelves, and an electric fireplace. There are bamboo hardwood flooring and recessed lighting throughout the house and dual-zone HVAC. The house is listed by Andrew Frank of Long & Foster Real Estate for $685,000. New Jersey is warming faster than other Northeastern states, with average temperatures rising 3.5 degrees Fahrenheit since the fossil fuel era began in the 1880s, and heatwaves will get more numerous and frequent, according to the states first assessment of climate change. Other key findings from the report compiled by the Department of Environmental Protection: Historically unprecedented warming is projected with average annual temperatures increasing between 4.1 and 5.7 degrees by 2050. Heatwaves are expected to affect larger areas, with more frequency and longer duration by mid-century. Climate change could result in a 55% increase in summer heat-related deaths. Annual precipitation is expected to increase between 4% and 11% by 2050. Sea levels are rising at a greater rate in New Jersey than other parts of the world. Atlantic City could experience nearly year-round sunny day flooding during high tides by 2100. As New Jerseyans know too well, the impacts of climate change threaten our property, public health, safety, and can wreak long-lasting damage to our economy, Gov. Phil Murphy said in a statement. DEP Commissioner Catherine McCabe said that while most people know the changes are underway, it is urgent that New Jerseyans understand what future impacts are likely to occur, and when, so they can adapt and plan. The 2020 New Jersey Scientific Report on Climate Change says that as carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gases increase in the atmosphere, the state will also experience both direct and secondary changes, including frequency and intensity of storms, ocean acidification, and other impacts to the states ecology. For example, CO2 dissolves in seawater, causing chain reactions that lead to more acidic conditions. Since the industrial age began in the late 1800s, the ocean is 30% more acidic. If CO2 emissions continue at current rates, the ocean could become more acidic than it has been in 20 million years. Continued acidification could harm many marine organisms. Some species will build weaker shells, making them more vulnerable to predators and water conditions. South Jersey counties rank second in the United States in economic dependence on shelled mollusks, an industry that could suffer from the changes. The report pulls from a lot of previous research, already made public, including some by Robert Kopp, director of the Rutgers Institute of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences. Kopp was also involved in another alarming report issued this week, the First Street Foundations first National Flood Risk Assessment, which said New Jersey faces some of the highest risks in the nation for flooded properties over the next 30 years. READ MORE: New Jersey among states to be hit hardest by future flooding, with thousands more properties at risk than expected, group warns Additionally, sea levels in New Jersey are rising faster than the global average due to changes in the Gulf Stream, and land that is gradually shrinking because of geologic influences stemming from the last ice age. The reports authors note that greenhouse gases, such as methane and CO2, are natural and essential to supporting life. But, current greenhouse gas concentrations from human emissions are so far above natural levels that they have become the chief driver of accelerated climate change. Scientists have reconstructed a record of atmospheric CO2 reaching back 800,000 years using ice cores drilled in Antarctica. For thousands of years CO2 did not exceed 300 parts per million. At the start of the Industrial Revolution more than two centuries ago, CO2 levels were about 280 ppm. Average annual CO2 levels exceeded 400 ppm for the first time in 2016 and continued to rise through 2019 when levels reached 411 ppm. The result: Global CO2 emissions are the main driver of human-caused climate change. From 1950 to 2007, the U.S. was the worlds largest producer of CO2 emissions, with motor vehicles accounting for the biggest amount. But the report found that the transition from coal-fired power plants to natural gas has led to a reduction in greenhouse gases in the U.S. Plus, the nation has increased forested areas that act as carbon sinks by storing CO2. Jeff Tittel, director of the New Jersey Sierra Club, said the report suggests that climate change is happening faster and is more devastating to New Jersey than first realized, and should prompt immediate action including creation of a cabinet-level committee to coordinate action to reduce greenhouse gases. He said the Murphy administration needs new rules and regulations to mitigate the impacts of climate change. New Jersey has a plan to transition to 100% clean energy by 2050, has joined the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative of 10 states committed to cutting carbon emissions, has launched an incentive for residents to buy electric vehicles, and has a plan for offshore windpower and a 200-acre seaport to support the offshore wind industry. Officials plan to follow with a report in the fall for an overall plan for climate change. The Latest from Barchart Sign up to receive your Watchlist or Portfolio sent to you by email up to 4 times a day; available at market open, mid-day, market close or end-of-day. Premier Members can also receive the results of custom Screeners - alerting to price or trend changes during and after each trading day. Sign up for a risk-free 30-day Barchart Premier trial. As Northern Virginia and the rest of the state entered Phase Three of reopening on Wednesday, the state health department reported a continued decline in new coronavirus cases in the region. The Northern Virginia region reported only 124 new cases Wednesday, with 93 of those coming from Loudoun and Prince William counties combined, according to the Virginia Department of Health's daily report. The region's average of new cases over the past seven days dropped to 157.1, the lowest it has been since April 10, when it stood at 153.1. Statewide, 416 new cases were reported Wednesday. In a separate report, the Virginia Hospital and Healthcare Association said the number of patients being treated statewide for COVID-19 in intensive care units fell to 205 and the number on ventilators fell to 95. Both numbers are the lowest since the association began reporting the data on April 6. Northern Virginia now accounts for 50.7% of the state's total of 63,203 cases, the health department reported. Northern Virginia's share of the total cases, once nearly 60%, has been slowly declining in recent weeks. The health department reported 23 new deaths statewide linked to COVID-19, but only two of those were in Northern Virginia. Of the state's 1,786 deaths linked to the coronavirus, more than half, 947, have been in Northern Virginia. Fairfax County alone has had more than a quarter of the deaths, with 488. The health department's COVID-19 data is updated each morning by 10 a.m. and includes reports by local health agencies before 5 p.m. the previous day. LATEST COVID-19 DATA New Cases/Deaths Northern Virginia: 124 new cases, 2 new deaths Statewide: 416 new cases, 23 new deaths Statewide Testing: 13,587 diagnostic tests Overall Total Northern Virginia: 32,017 cases, 947 deaths Statewide: 63,203 cases, 1,786 deaths Statewide Testing: 655,958 diagnostic tests (726,152 when including antibody tests) Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C) cases: 5 *Provided by Virginia Department of Health Statewide Hospital and Nursing Home Data Hospitalizations: 892 (down from 902) Peak Hospitalizations: 1,625 reached May 8 Patients in ICU: 205 (down from 230 and the lowest since at least April 6) Patients Discharged: 8,131 total Nursing Home Patients: 637 confirmed positive cases (down from 644 the previous day) *Provided by Virginia Hospital and Healthcare Association U.S. | World Data U.S.: 127,425 deaths, 2.64 million cases, 720,631 recovered World: 511,909 deaths, 10.5 million cases, 5.38 million recovered *Provided by Johns Hopkins University Woodbridge, VA (22192) Today Some clouds and possibly an isolated thunderstorm this afternoon. Hot. High 97F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 30%.. Tonight Mostly cloudy skies early then periods of showers late. Low around 70F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 50%. Woodbridge, VA (22192) Today Some sunshine with a thunderstorm or two possible this afternoon. Hot. High 96F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 30%.. Tonight Partly cloudy skies this evening will give way to occasional showers overnight. Low 69F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%. Minister of SMEs and Startups Park Young-sun speaks during her meeting with CEOs and executives of European companies in Korea at the Grand Hyatt Seoul hotel, Wednesday. Courtesy of Ministry of SMEs and Startups By Nam Hyun-woo Philips and L'Oreal will join efforts with the Ministry of SMEs and Startups to help Korean startups' growth and entry into overseas market, the ministry said Wednesday. The ministry announced this during a meeting between SME Minister Park Young-sun and CEOs and executives of 20 European companies in Korea at the Grand Hyatt Seoul hotel. Attending companies include L'Oreal, Chanel, H&M, Philips, Dassault Systemes, Apple, Safran, IKEA, Oerlikon Balzers, Brita, Mercedes-Benz, Continental, Audi, Volkswagen, ABB, Deutsche Bank, DB Schenker, AXA, SEB, EF and ETS. Apple and ETS are U.S. companies but they attended the meeting as members of the European Chamber of Commerce in Korea (ECCK). "In the wake of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, innovation comes through connection, thus the importance of connecting small things is ever increasing," Park said during the meeting. "The ministry will spare no effort in supporting the connection between Korean and European firms and their transition efforts toward a digital economy." During the meeting, Philips and L'Oreal each agreed to join the ministry's cooperation project with European companies on supporting Korean startups. Philips will assist promising startups in digital healthcare, and L'Oreal will support firms with eco-friendly packaging materials for cosmetics. Philips already has a track record of supporting a Korean startup. In 2018, an artificial intelligence (AI) healthcare tech startup, Lunit, participated in Philips' global startup platform Healthworks and enjoyed the healthcare giant's support in entering overseas markets. Currently, Lunit and Philips are in talks over applying the former's AI technology to the latter's medical devices. Mercedes-Benz pledged it will host its Startup Autobahn program for the first time in Korea in the second half of this year. The program is aimed at exploring and nurturing promising future mobility startups by building a network of startups with leading companies, investors and academia and providing opportunities for continued support and investment. Dassault Systemes also suggested an idea for supporting startups here by setting up a virtual makerspace based on its 3D design technologies, as well as providing software education for vocational high schools in Korea. The meeting came after the ECCK on Tuesday appointed Schenker Korea CEO Dirk Lukat as its new chairman. "In order for the Korean economy to smoothly recover from this period of uncertainties at home and abroad and continue to grow, a fair and vibrant market ecosystem must be the basis, and the power to overcome the crisis comes from the value of fairness and win-win cooperation," Lukat said during the meeting. "I would like to stress that the European business community is fully behind and supportive of any initiative to further strengthen the SME environment and innovative business opportunities in Korea." Robert Smith's nonprofit Student Freedom Initiative will address the disproportionate loan burden on Black students and create more choices for those whose career options or further educational opportunities might be limited by heavy student debt. Local Twin Cities artists Enzyrose, Eyenga Bokamba, Noah Lawrence-Holder, LeShon Lee, and Meadow Gillispie, talk about their reaction to the murder of George Floyd, the trial of Derek Chauvin, and life as a black artist during this time. [2019] has been transformational for Sedgwick internationally, said Ian V. Muress, Sedgwick CEO of international operations. Our growth strategy has always been focused on expanding our global presence and enhancing our core capabilities in markets of strategic importance. Maphilindo International is a natural fit for Sedgwick; by bringing them into our business, we are now able to offer clients in Malaysia and across Asia additional speed to all services. We also gain renowned expertise in loss adjusting and claims management in the market. Sedgwick also announced several management changes Aldrin Wong, who managed Sedgwicks Malaysia operations prior to the acquisition, will serve as in-country CEO for Sedgwick Malaysia, alongside Soo Kwong Weng and Reuben Francis as deputy CEOs. Founder Richard Lee will serve as non-executive chairman. MI Call Centre (MICC) Sdn Bhd, Maphilindos dedicated call centre, will continue to operate under the MICC branding while working closely with the Sedgwick group of companies. Maphilindo International is among the largest loss adjusters and claims management firms in Malaysia. The company was founded in 1967 by Lee, who served as executive chairman for the past 52 years. Headquartered in Kuala Lumpur, the company has over 200 employees across 14 offices. Steve White, CEO of BIBA What role does the broker play in the modern insurance market and how can they overcome the challenges they face? We talk to BIBA CEO Steve White, and even challenge his music knowledge with a pop quiz. To have the opportunity to join with a firm of the reputation and calibre of LBC is yet another critical step in enhancing the legal expertise we provide to our clients in the Hunter region and nationally. Among the trio of partners is Julien Castaldi, who described Sparke Helmore and LBC as both proudly Australian firms. According to Castaldi, their clients are excited by the opportunities presented by the merger. We immediately saw the synergies with our strategies, our culture, and values as well as our commitment to exceptional client service, he noted. The two firms joining forces demonstrates Sparke Helmores recognition of the importance of the Hunter region to its business. Castaldi is joined by fellow partners Seamus Burke and Andrew Knight. One of the new roles is that of chief executive officer insurance product & portfolio, which will be assumed by 15-year Suncorp stalwart and current chief customer & digital officer Lisa Harrison. The remit spans underwriting, distribution, brands, marketing, product design, and innovation. The other position will involve all aspects of Insurance (Australia)s claims management and operations as well as some group functions such as real estate management and procurement. Appointed to the role is Paul Smeaton, who has been onboard for 26 years the past five of which have been spent in leading the Suncorp New Zealand business. Jimmy Higgins, Suncorp New Zealand chief financial officer, will be in charge of the New Zealand business in an acting capacity until a permanent replacement is named. As a result of the changes, incumbent CEO Insurance (Australia), Gary Dransfield, will leave Suncorp, stated the group, which noted that the chief executive will remain with the insurer until July 17. Commenting on the development, Suncorp Group CEO Steve Johnston said: Gary has made an incredible contribution to Suncorp as well as the insurance industry in both Australia and New Zealand. I know he will be missed by his executive colleagues as well as the many people he has worked with at Suncorp and I wish him all the best for the future. In a separate but related development, the Insurance Council of Australia announced that Dransfield has stepped down as president and board chair of the trade body. Back at Suncorp, Clive van Horen has been appointed as banking & wealth CEO; current chief people experience officer Amanda Revis will be leaving, as changes will be made to the function; group CFO Jeremy Robson will take on additional responsibilities including reinsurance and actuarial; and chief information officer Adam Bennett joins Suncorp today. Anti-mining activists and the so-called charities that fund and employ them have thrown everything but the kitchen sink at us to try and stop us building the Carmichael mine and rail project and they have failed, an Adani spokesperson told Insurance Business Australia. What the activists blatantly ignore is the $1 billion in contracts we have now awarded and the many individuals, small businesses and large organisations who are proud to partner with us and be part of the Australian coal industry, our countrys second-biggest exporter. Read more: Why are major insurers pulling the plug on Adani? After more than eight years of working on the Carmichael project, Adani says it has repeatedly demonstrated that we will not be intimidated or deterred from delivering on its promises to Queenslanders and will continue to get on with construction. We appreciate that everyone is entitled to their own opinions, but we request that debate is centred on the facts, the spokesperson said. Adanis reaction comes after HDI, AXA XL, Liberty Mutual and Aspen Insurance revealed this month they would not have any further business involvement with the controversial coal mine outside of current contractual duties, citing climate change concerns. Read next: Industry bodies join forces to deal with climate risks Adani did not respond to questions put forward surrounding which insurers are currently providing it policies and if the project was given notice from its former insurers on their withdrawal. The coalmine is located 300km west of the Queensland coast and is one of the most controversial projects in Australias history with various politicians, activists and public figures decrying its work to export coal through Adanis Abbott Point terminal to power plants. The prediction comes as an increasing number of businesses across the country impacted by the coronavirus shutdowns sue their insurers to force them to cover billions in business interruption losses. But most insurance companies have refused to pay claims under this coverage, citing physical damage as a standard requirement. The situation has set the stage for perhaps one of the biggest legal battles in the history of insurance. The arguments The majority of property policies currently in force in the US do not include viruses. To get around the physical-damage requirement, lawyers argue that the coronavirus adheres to surfaces, making workplaces unsafe. Several past rulings indicate that events that make a property unusable may constitute property damage. A manufacturer in New Jersey got a favorable ruling when an ammonia leak made its property unsafe for use. Another company in Oregon prevailed when wildfire smoke resulted in the cancelation of outdoor theater performances. But insurers stance that business-interruption coverage is not meant for pandemics has some conceptual backing. In a statement last March, the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC), a standards-setting group for state regulators, said pandemics violate a cardinal principle of insurance. Business interruption policies were generally not designed or priced to provide coverage against communicable diseases, such as COVID-19, and therefore, include exclusions for that risk, the statement said. Insurance works well and remains affordable when a relatively small number of claims are spread across a broader group, and, therefore, it is not typically well suited for a global pandemic where virtually every policyholder suffers significant losses at the same time for an extended period. Still, some state regulators have warned insurers to investigate all business-interruption claims after reports of insurance representatives attempting to dissuade policyholders from making claims and refusing to investigate the claims began to surface. I want to be absolutely clear that insurance companies need to fairly investigate all business interruption claims as they would during any disaster, said Ricardo Lara, California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara, in a statement last April. Policyholders deserve all the services, coverage, and benefits they are due under their policy. Members of the pilot union of Eastar Jet stage a protest in front of the budget carrier's head office in Seoul, June 26, calling on Rep. Lee Sang-jik of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, who is the firm's founder, to take responsibility for financial difficulties facing the company and unpaid wages for its workers. / Yonhap By Jun Ji-hye Eastar Jet founder Lee Sang-jik, who is also a lawmaker of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, is facing mounting criticism from company employees, even after a decision made by the founding family members to contribute all their shares to "save" the debt-ridden budget carrier. The pilot union of the low-cost carrier claimed Rep. Lee was pretending to sacrifice himself and the owner family for the benefit of the company, but in fact, he was evading responsibility for financial difficulties and unpaid wages for workers amid growing uncertainty over a plan by Jeju Air to take over Eastar Jet. On Monday, Rep. Lee announced that his family will "donate" their entire 38.6 percent stake, worth around 41 billion won ($34 million), to the troubled company. "It was a difficult decision for us, but we thought we should save the company even if it demanded our sacrifice," Lee said in a statement that was read in his absence by senior Eastar Jet official Kim Yoo-sang during a news conference in Seoul. Lee's son and daughter collectively own the 38.6 percent stake in Eastar Jet through the firm's holding company, Eastar Holdings. The daughter who is the CEO of Eastar Holdings holds a 33.3 percent stake in the company, while the son holds 66.7 percent. Lee's announcement came amid a growing controversy over Eastar Jet's unpaid wages for its workers totaling about 24 billion won, following the outbreak of COVID-19. In March, Jeju Air signed a deal with Eastar Holdings to acquire a controlling 51.17 percent stake in Eastar Jet for 54.5 billion won, but the procedures to complete the acquisition have since made slow progress as the two companies have been at odds over who should shoulder the responsibility for the unpaid wages during their negotiation. "We respect the decision made by the owner family. The only way to save the company now is Jeju Air's takeover," said Eastar Jet CEO Choi Jong-gu, who was present at the news conference, urging the nation's largest budget carrier to hurry the acquisition process with sincerity. But the news conference was not welcomed by the Eastar Jet union as well as Jeju Air. The union said Lee had fallen short of explaining the detailed plan regarding the contribution of the shares held by family members, aggravating the confusion. It added Lee also failed to unveil his plan to resolve the wage issues. "Lee did not even make an apology. He just threw the stakes into Eastar Jet to avoid the responsibility," said Park Ea-sam, head of the union. "The government should launch its investigation into Lee and his family." Besides the wage issues, the founding family members of Eastar Jet have been facing a controversy over a suspicion that Eastar Holdings acquired its stocks in the budget carrier through non-legitimate measures. The pilot union is planning to file a complaint with the prosecution against Lee and his daughter for alleged embezzlement and breach of trust. Meanwhile, Jeju Air said Eastar Jet held a press conference abruptly without prior consultation and announced the decision that would change the party in the contract from Eastar Holdings to Eastar Jet. "Eastar Jet has never made an official request. We will review the issue when it does," a Jeju Air official said. A New Hampshire woman has been sentenced to 18 months in federal prison for participating in a mail fraud scheme targeting restaurants and insurance companies. According to court documents and statements made in court, for nearly four years, Jacqueline Masse of Hampton, N.H., defrauded or attempted to defraud restaurants and insurance companies of nearly $400,000. Masse mailed letters to restaurants and food companies in which she falsely claimed that she, or another member of her family, became seriously ill after eating food served by the restaurants or packaged by the food companies. In some letters, Masse impersonated her children, claiming to have become seriously ill after eating food served by the restaurants or packaged by the food companies. In each of the letters, Masse falsely stated that the purported letter-writer paid or borrowed money to pay their medical expenses because they did not have health insurance. The defendant demanded that the restaurant or food company reimburse the supposed letter-writer for their medical expenses and compensate them for their pain and suffering. None of this was true. According to the court documents and statements made in court, to support each demand letter, Masse provided to the affected business and their insurance companies fraudulent medical records allegedly obtained from hospitals in New Hampshire and Massachusetts as false evidence of the fictitious illnesses. Masse stole, and later altered, some of the medical records from the client files of a law firm, where she worked as an office manager and paralegal. Masse also stole checks from the law firm, which she altered to support her fraudulent insurance claims. In correspondence with the insurance carriers, Masse demanded payments totaling more than $399,000. Some of the insurance companies responded by mailing insurance settlement checks totaling more than $206,000 to either Masses home in Hampton or the homes of her children, who were unwitting participants in the scheme. To conceal her involvement in the fraud, Masse had her children deposit checks mailed to them into their personal bank accounts and then write Masse a check for the full amount of the payout. Masse pleaded guilty on November 14, 2019. In addition to her prison sentence, she was ordered to pay $206,609.19 in restitution. White collar criminals cause real harm to businesses, as well as the general public,' said U.S. Attorney Scott W. Murray in a press release issued by the U.S. Attorneys Office, District of New Hampshire. They steal money through lies and deceit, driving up costs for everyone. This matter was investigated by the New Hampshire Insurance Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Source: U.S. Attorneys Office, District of New Hampshire Topics Carriers USA Fraud Restaurant Firefighters were trying to determine what caused an asphalt tank fire early Tuesday that shook a neighborhood of homes and businesses and forced the evacuation of at least 30 families. Neighbors of Blueknight Energy Partners said they were awakened by a bang and their homes shook around 2:45 a.m. Emergency officials soon ordered their evacuation. Its very flammable. It could have exposed the other tanks, which are also filled. And there was plenty of wood frame dwellings nearby that are filled with residents, fire battalion chief Desmond Chiodi told WPVI-TV. Firefighters used foam to control the flames and residents were allowed to return about four hours later. No injuries were reported. Firefighters would remain on the scene throughout the day to extinguish the blaze and to search for clues to determine what started the fire. Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics New Jersey Some residents of a western Wisconsin village hit hard by hours of torrential rain were evacuated from their homes as floodwater lapped at their doors and motorists had to be rescued from the roofs of their partially submerged vehicles. The storms swept through the southern Minneapolis and St. Paul metro area before deluging western Wisconsin late Sunday and Monday, where eight families in the St. Croix County village of Baldwin were evacuated from houses near a creek to a community center, sheriffs Capt. Jeff Klatt told the Star Tribune. At least five motorists were rescued from the roofs of their flooded vehicles on Highway 63 in the Baldwin area, Klatt said. Stretches of that highway and many other roads and bridges were made impassable, the St. Croix County Sheriffs Office said. We urge everyone to use extreme caution if you have to travel, the sheriffs office said. Be very cautious of submerged roadways in low lying areas and blind corners. In the nearby Pierce County village of Ellsworth, officials said the rain overwhelmed many culverts and caused localized flooding, including along parts of Highway 10. Highway 29 near Spring Valley was also closed, according to the Wisconsin Department of Transportation. Rain totals included 9 inches (22.8 centimeters) in Glenwood City, which is near Baldwin, and 8.2 inches (20.8 centimeters) in Hammond. The storms also flooded roads in the Twin Cities area. Water covered streets and intersections in Lakeville, Minnesota, police said. These roads are impassable for the time being, police tweeted. The water began to recede by mid-morning Monday and there were no reports of serious injuries. In Minnesota, heavy rain caused mudslides on Highway 169 south of St. Peter and on Highway 68 near Courtland, just east of New Ulm, the Minnesota Department of Transportation said. Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Flood Wisconsin Minnesota The Hartford has appointed Amy Stepnowski to the positions of chief investment officer of The Hartford and president of Hartford Investment Management Co. (HIMCO), effective Aug. 1. She will succeed Brion Johnson who will remain with the company in an advisory capacity through the end of the year. Stepnowski is currently managing director and head of Public Credit Research at HIMCO, where she has worked since 2008 in roles of increasing scope and responsibility. She joined the company as a vice president and senior research analyst for emerging markets, and then moved to the high yield team where she covered a wide range of industries including media, energy and power. Prior to joining the company, Stepnowski worked for 12 years specializing in Latin American corporate and project finance at J.P. Morgan Chase & Co., where she worked most recently as a managing director. Stepnowski holds a bachelors degree in political science and Spanish from Yale. She has completed executive education programming at Dartmouths Tuck School of Business. Johnson joined the company in October 2011 as chief financial officer and head of strategy for planning and development at HIMCO. He held roles of increasing responsibility, including his position as head of Talcott Resolution. About HIMCO Hartford Investment Management Co. (HIMCO) has been providing investment advice for over 35 years. With more than 130 investment professionals and approximately $95 billion in assets under management across the fixed income, equity and alternatives markets, it delivers tailored strategies to insurance, sub-advisory and other institutional clients. An insurer is not liable for injuries caused by a policyholder who shot a 15-year-old boy in the head because the policy excluded coverage for criminal acts, a split Georgia Court of Appeals panel decided. The 2-1 ruling by the appellate courts Third Division held that Country Mutual Insurance Co. is not liable for a brain injury suffered by 15-year-old Vernon Marcus after Elisabeth Cannon fired shots at him and a friend from her driveway. Cannon pleaded guilty on the morning her trial was set to begin. She was sentenced to 15 years in prison. In similar cases, in which an insured pleaded guilty to a criminal act, our courts have viewed the guilty plea as prima facie evidence of the facts supporting the guilty plea, the majority said in an opinion written by Presiding Judge Sara L. Doyle. The decision upheld a ruling by the district court. Chief Judge Christopher J. McFadden dissented. He noted that Cannon had entered an Alford plea, so named because of a Supreme Court opinion that found it is possible to plead guilty without admitting guilt. He said a jury might find McFadden was not guilty of a crime but had entered the plea only because it was prudent to do so. Marcus shooting on Martin Luther King Jr. Day in January 2017 stoked racial tensions in Macon and intense news coverage. Cannon, who is White, had made numerous complaints about suspicious activity, loitering and vandalism by young people on the sidewalk in front of her house, according to the opinion. She used racial epithets to describe the boys, the opinion says. On the day of the shooting, Cannon called police to complain about boys outside her house, which is located on a busy street near an elementary school, according to press reports. Her father told a sheriffs deputy who responded that he was concerned because Cannon owned a gun. Cannon asked the deputy if she could point the weapon at the boys and threaten to shoot them, or fire the weapon in the air. The deputy warned her not to take the law in her own hands, saying it would be a crime to threaten someone with a gun or discharge a firearm. The deputy later told the boys on the sidewalk to stay on the other side of the street. About five hours later, Cannon called 911 to report that she had shot someone. She told police that she fired her .38 revolver because three boys had thrown rocks at her and her daughter. Investigators, however, found no evidence that any rocks had been thrown. Prosecutors said Marcus had never before had any altercation with Cannon. He was simply passing by her house while returning from an errand, walking with a friend, according to a report by The Telegraph newspaper in Macon. The newspaper said audiotapes of 911 calls by Cannon revealed that she ranted about Blacks and people on Section 8. Marcus family filed a lawsuit in May 2017 seeking a declaratory judgment that Country Mutual, which insured Cannons home, was obligated to provide coverage for the damages caused by the shooting. During a sentencing hearing in April 2018, Marcus mother, Bridgete, testified that her son had not been able to speak since the shooting, had trouble with his balance and had constant buzzing in his ears, according to The Telegraph. Cannon testified that she didnt intend to shoot the boys and had aimed at the ground. She said she fired the pistol only because three boys were threatening her. Marus family pointed to the possibility that the shooting could be construed to be in self defense in the lawsuit against Country Mutual. The appellate panel, however, decided that Cannons self-serving testimony does not overcome the evidence that she had committed a crime, revealed by her guilty plea. Our courts have held that when a person in Cannons position gives contradictory testimony as to her culpability, absent a reasonable explanation, such as incapacity at the guilty plea, the law will construe this contradiction against [her],' the court said. This article first was published in Insurance Journals sister publication, Claims Journal. Topics Fraud Gov. Bill Lee on Monday extended the state of emergency for another two months as Tennessee continues to see large jumps in people testing positive for COVID-19. Lee, a Republican, initially imposed the state of emergency on March 12 in order to free up funding and relax rules regarding the treatment and containment of COVID-19. It was set to expire June 30 after he first extended the declaration in May. The state of emergency urges but does not require limited activity, maintain social distancing and staying home whenever possible. It also limits social and recreational gatherings of 50 or more people though places of worship are exempt, as well as weddings, funerals and related events. It also includes many other sweeping provisions, such as expanding access to telehealth services, continuing delivery of alcohol services and allowing prescriptions to be available in 90-day supplies. Meanwhile, driver licenses and photo ID renewal deadlines will be extended until Nov. 15. Payments to reinstate driver licenses are also being extended. Many health care licenses, certifications and registrations are now pushed back until Aug. 31. Additionally, Lee extended provisions allowing officials to meet electronically, rather than in person, as long as they provide some sort of electronic access to the public. The governors office said decisions about the best way to return to in-person governmental meetings remain ongoing. A separate executive order also extended Monday allows remote notarization and witnessing of documents. Mask wearing is encouraged in the declaration, but not required statewide. Currently, only Nashville and Memphis require people to wear face masks in many public settings. Knoxville Mayor Indya Kincannon signed an order Monday mandating that masks be worn in city-owned buildings. Wearing a mask is one thing we know will help mitigate the spread of this virus, Kincannon said in a statement. Everyone should be wearing a mask inside all public buildings and in places where physical distancing is difficult. It is just common courtesy. The state Health Department said in its daily report Monday that more than 2,100 people have newly tested positive. The department noted that the new case count reflected two days of data after not being able to release case information on Sunday. Last week, the state reported its biggest one-day jump in people testing positive for COVID-19 after more than 1,400 people newly tested positive on Friday. In other virus related news, Tennessee labor officials said Monday that the state will stop distributing a $600 per-week payout made available to unemployed people under the federal coronavirus assistance package in the week ending July 25. The CARES Act required states to distribute the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation through the week ending July 31, a Friday. But Tennessee ends its benefit week on Saturdays, and federal law does not allow the state to pay the $600 benefit through Aug.1 a Saturday. Unemployed people who are eligible for other benefits will still receive payments until the end of the year, the Tennessee Department of Labor & Workforce Development said in a news release. For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. But for others, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, the highly contagious virus can cause severe symptoms and be fatal. ___ Adrian Sainz contributed to this report from Memphis, Tennessee. Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics COVID-19 Tennessee Two Washington state Native tribes sued a group of insurance providers they said have not covered claims for business losses resulting from the coronavirus. The Suquamish and Port Gamble SKlallam tribes and their business arms filed separate lawsuits against Tribal First Alliant Underwriting Solutions, The Kitsap Sun reported. The civil claims filed earlier this month say the tribes bought $50 million of coverage in policies that should cover losses caused by the pandemic outbreak. The policies provide broad coverage for losses resulting from any cause unless expressly excluded in the policy. The policies do not exclude losses from communicable diseases or viruses, the lawsuits say. Messages seeking comment were not returned by Tribal First and Boston-based Lexington Insurance Company, identified in court documents as the groups lead insurer. For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. But for some especially older adults and people with existing health problems it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia and death. Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics COVID-19 Lawsuits Washington Opinion Policies Editorials are longer opinion pieces that are written by a group of community members recruited across campus who address relevant issues on a local, national and international level. Editorials are research-based. The purpose of the Editorial Board is to promote discussion concerning relevant issues in the community while advising on possible solutions. Topics are chosen via relevancy and interests of the members, which are then discussed by the Editorial Board in order to reach a general consensus concerning the topic or issue. Feedback policy If you have a grievance concerning the content or argument of the Editorial Board, please contact either Opinion Editor Peyton Hamel (peyton.hamel@iowastatedaily.com) or the Editorial Board as a whole (editorialboard@iowastatedaily.com). Those wanting to respond to editorials can also submit a letter to the editor through the Iowa State Daily website or by emailing the letter to Opinion Editor Peyton Hamel (peyton.hamel@iowastatedaily.com) or Editor-in-Chief Sage Smith (sage.smith@iowastatedaily.com). Column Policy Columns are hyper-specific to opinion and are written by only columnists employed by the Iowa State Daily. Columnists are unique because they have a specific writing day and only publish on those writing days. Each column undergoes a thorough editing process ensuring the integrity of the writer, and their claim is maintained while remaining research-based and respectful. Columns may be submitted from community members. These are labelled as Guest Columns. These contain similar research-based content and need to be at least 400 words in length. The following requirements should be met: first and last name, email and relation or position to Iowa State. Emails must be tied to the submitted guest column or it will not be accepted or published. Pseudonyms are prohibited and the writer will be banned from submissions. Read our full Opinion Policies here. Updated on 10/7/2020 In this Feb. 24, 2020, file photo, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian gestures as he speaks during a daily briefing at his ministry in Beijing. China has demanded staff and business information from four U.S. media companies including the Associated Press in what it called a necessary response to similar demands by Washington on Chinese state-controlled news outlets. Lijian announced Wednesday, July 1, 2020, that AP, United Press International, CBS and National Public Radio had seven days to file declarations regarding their staff, financial operations, real estate ownership and other matters. AP-Yonhap China has required four US media outlets to provide detailed information about their operations in China in the latest tit-for-tat move in a media feud with the Trump administration. The Associated Press, United Press International, CBS News and National Public Radio are required to disclose information about their staff, finances, operations and real estate in China in the next seven days, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said during a press briefing Wednesday. Zhao said the requirement was a "completely necessary counter-action against the US' unreasonable suppression of Chinese media agencies" in the United States. Washington last month ordered that four Chinese state media outlets China Central Television, the China News Service, the People's Daily and The Global Times register as "foreign missions," facing requirements similar to embassies and consulates in the US. The two countries have sparred for months over media operations against the background of heightened tensions in areas such as trade, the coronavirus outbreak and Hong Kong's autonomy. In March, the US imposed a personnel cap on four Chinese media outlets, forcing them to reduce the number of employees on US territory from 160 to 100. Beijing retaliated by expelling all US journalists working for the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal and the Washington Post. It is unclear whether the four media organizations that are required to disclose information will need to take further action. (dpa) U.S. Rep. Abigail Spanberger looks on from behind Rep. Elissa Slotkin as House Democrats respond to a White House briefing on reports Russia paid the Taliban bounties to kill U.S. troops during a news conference following the briefing at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, U.S., June 30. / REUTERS-Yonhap They didn't like it when then-candidate Donald Trump criticized John McCain for being captured in combat. They were angrier when Trump, as commander in chief, abandoned Kurdish allies in the Middle East. And they were upset again last month when he threatened to deploy troops against American protesters. Trump's relationship with the nation's military community has been frequently strained. But just four months before the November election, reports that he either ignored, or was unaware of, a Russian plot to kill U.S. troops could intensify the tension and create new political risks. ''I don't think he cares about troops at all,'' said Shawn LeMond, a Navy veteran who served his country in the Middle East and then his state of North Carolina as a Republican legislator. ''If he didn't know about Russia, it's because he didn't do his damn homework. And that's despicable.'' After sitting out the 2016 election, LeMond has withdrawn from the Republican Party and plans to vote for Trump's Democratic opponent, Joe Biden, this fall. It's difficult to gauge how widespread LeMond's sentiment is among veterans, but there was a significant outcry this week from a collection of retired servicemen, elected officials in both parties and families of fallen soldiers who have lost confidence in the president's commitment to the troops. That's just four weeks after Trump's former defense secretary James Mattis, a Marine general, described the president as a threat to the Constitution. Any erosion in Trump's support from the national security community, long a pillar of the GOP base, could damage his reelection prospects, particularly in swing states with large concentrations of veterans, including Florida, Virginia, Texas and North Carolina. Rep. Richard Hudson, R-N.C., whose district includes Fort Bragg, acknowledged the troubling nature of the revelations, but like many other Republicans on Capitol Hill, he sidestepped Trump's role. ''There is no consensus on the intelligence yet, but as Fort Bragg's congressman, I'm deeply troubled by the reports,'' he said. ''And if they are verified to be true, I believe there needs to be swift and severe consequences on Russia.'' American intelligence has assessed that Russia offered militants bounties to kill American troops in Afghanistan. Initial intelligence was shared with the White House and included in one of Trump's daily briefings in early 2019. In spite of that, Trump has maintained a warm relationship with Russian leader Vladimir Putin throughout his presidency. Trump on Wednesday dismissed the allegations as ''Fake News.'' The White House initially said Trump wasn't briefed on the intelligence. But on Tuesday, press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said Trump was indeed briefed, though there were reservations about the veracity of the allegations. ''Make no mistake. This president will always protect American troops,'' she declared. Those words rang hollow to some who serve the military community, like Rep. Paul Cook, R-Calif., a Marine veteran who represents several military installations and is retiring at year's end. ''I'm not really sure he absorbs a lot of this stuff,'' Cook told The Associated Press of reports that Trump was briefed on the bounties. ''He's probably thinking about the polls.'' Cook added: ''I'm not going to be an apologist for Trump. Trump is Trump.'' Biden leaned into the debate Tuesday, calling the Trump administration's handling of the Russian intelligence ''an absolute dereliction of duty.'' As he often does, Biden reflected on his own son's military service in Iraq. The developments were even more personal for potential Biden running mate Sen. Tammy Duckworth, a former Army lieutenant colonel who lost her legs in a helicopter crash in Iraq. ''It's deeply personal, it's nauseating, and it's obscene,'' Duckworth, D-Ill., said of Trump's muted response to the Russian bounties, which she cast as evidence that the commander in chief doesn't value the well-being of American troops. ''I think the only thing President Trump cares about is his own reelection and his own well-being.'' The most poignant reactions, however, didn't come from politicians. Erik Hendriks lost his 25-year-old son in an April 2019 attack that intelligence officials believe may be tied to the Russian bounties. The New York man said the pain of his son's death would be even worse if there were bounties on American soldiers that the Trump administration didn't address. ''When they sign up and they go _ any soldier, a Marine, Navy, Air Force, Army _ I'm sure they want to believe that the government is 100% in their corner,'' Hendriks told the AP. ''And if any of this is true, how could a soldier actually believe that anymore? How could this government let one soldier go on patrol out there knowing this is true?'' Those questions resonated with Matthew Whitney, a retired Army intelligence officer who worked in the Pentagon and now lives in Florida, a must-win state for the president. The 55-year-old Orlando man said the Trump administration clearly didn't prioritize vital intelligence on Russia, which speaks either to the president's leadership or to the people he surrounds himself with. He said he voted for Trump four years ago and wouldn't do it again. ''I feel like when this president stands in front of the troops -- there's probably a part of his heart that cares for them -- but I wonder to what extent they're basically just props for him to talk about himself,'' Whitney said. He admitted, however, that many of his close friends from the military community continue to support Trump. That's the case in the Bush household near Fort Bragg, where Robyne Bush, the mother of a soldier in basic training and the wife of a retired Green Beret, shrugged off the latest revelations as old news. ''We knew this. It's not a secret,'' said Bush, an Army veteran herself, who has helped comfort nearly 20 families of fallen soldiers. She voted for Trump in 2016 and vowed to do so again, praising his support for service members and the Veterans Administration. ''I don't like him as a person. I don't like that personality,'' Bush said. ''But I think that he knows more than he ever lets on.'' (AP) As Domestic Tourism Reopens in Myanmar, Businesses Struggle to Get Back on Their Feet Burma Girl Pulled from Crocodiles Jaws in Myanmar Ya Min Thu survived the crocodile attack. / Kyaw Lin / Bogale Pathein, Ayeyarwady Region A nine-year-old girl survived a crocodile attack after her relatives snatched her from the reptiles jaws in Bogale Township, Ayeyarwady Region, on Monday. Ya Min Thu was bathing in the river near her house in Ywa Thit village when the crocodile tried to pull her into the water. Her father and grandparents managed to repel the creature. Daw Than Win, the grandmother of Ma Ya Min Thu, told The Irrawaddy: I was scared and shouted for help while I held her. Her father and grandfather came and beat the crocodile. Only then did it let go and went back into the water. The girls left arm was broken and her flesh was cut. She was treated at Bogale Township Hospital. It was the first reported crocodile attack in the township this year. The girl suffered from serious wounds. Her arm was broken and the cuts are bad. We rushed her to the hospital, said the administrator of Gramm village tract, U Thein Win. According to a 2015 government survey, there are more than 110 crocodiles in Meinmahla Kyun Wildlife Sanctuary in Bogale Township. Crocodiles have been suffering from food shortages due to deforestation and overfishing and have been forced to prey on humans and domestic animals, according to the Forest Department. It has erected warning signs about the dangers of crocodiles and imposed a curfew in Meinmahla Kyun. While crocodiles are constructing nests during the early monsoon season, they are usually aggressive to people. Their habitats have been shrinking due to farming and they are forced to go closer to humans to search for food. Humans are not aware and are being attacked when they bathe and fish in the river, said Ayeyarwady regional parliamentarian U San Min Aung of Bogale Township. Crocodile attacks have been reported in Bogale since 2013 with only one attack per year. Meinmahla Kyun was established as a wildlife sanctuary in 1994. It covers around 14,000 hectares and hosts Myanmars largest crocodile population, mangroves, mudflats and turtle-nesting beaches. It was added to the list of Wetlands of International Importance under the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands in 2017, becoming the third Ramsar site in Myanmar. Moeyungyi Wildlife Sanctuary in Bago was added to the list in 2004, followed by Indawgyi Lake in Kachin States Mohnyin Township in 2016. Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko You may also like these stories: Humanitarians Join UN, Ambassadors in Calling for Ceasefire in Myanmars Rakhine State As Domestic Tourism Reopens in Myanmar, Businesses Struggle to Get Back on Their Feet Myanmar Military Chief Hints at Political Role in Interview With Russian Media Burma Humanitarians Join UN, Ambassadors in Calling for Ceasefire in Myanmar's Rakhine State Villagers in Rathedaung, Rakhine State flee from their homes following fighting in late June. / Supplied Twenty-one international humanitarian organizations working in Myanmar issued a statement Tuesday urging the military and the Arakan Army to stop further escalation of the conflict in Rakhine State, to protect civilians and to adhere to international humanitarian law. As international humanitarian organizations working with communities throughout Rakhine State, we express deep concern for all those affected by the upsurge in fighting between the Arakan Army (AA) and the Myanmar Military in northern Rakhine State, their statement on Tuesday read. The statement was released by international NGOs working closely with communities throughout Rakhine and Chin states on humanitarian relief and development assistance, including Save the Children, World Vision, CARE International, Action Aid Myanmar, the Danish Refugee Council, the Norwegian Refugee Council, International Rescue Committee, Lutheran World Federation, Oxfam, Mercy Corps and Plan International. The INGOs echoed concerns voiced by the United Nations on Sunday and by four diplomatic missions in Myanmar on Saturday over the humanitarian impact of conflict in Rakhine and adjacent southern Chin State. The groups and diplomats have all called for the AA and the Myanmar military to respect international humanitarian law and allow humanitarian access to the conflict area. Thousands of civilians in Kyauktan village-tract in Rakhines Rathedaung Township have fled their homes following continuous fighting and an evacuation orderwhich was later revokedtelling them to leave due to upcoming military clearance operations. Citing local sources in Kyauktan, the INGOs wrote, We are deeply concerned by reports of burning villages, indiscriminate fire and the arbitrary detention of civilians. These latest operations will likely cause greater hunger, displacement and human suffering at a time when populations are dealing with COVID-19 and heavy rains from the monsoon season, it said. The INGOs said that because many local farmers have been displaced during the planting season, the recent escalation of fighting is likely to hurt the long-term food security and livelihoods of impacted communities. As of Tuesday, more than 77,200 people are displaced in Rakhine and Chin states, including 14,575 civilians in Rathedaung, according to reports from the state government and humanitarian groups cited by the UN. Since November 2018, intensified fighting between the military and the AA has affected more than 156,000 people in Rakhine States ten townships, according to figures from local relief group the Rakhine Ethnic Congress on June 8. The violence has forced many civilians to move to camps for internally displaced people (IDPs) and temporary shelters. In early April, many of the INGOs that spoke out this week, as well as 18 ambassadors to Myanmar, also called for an end to armed conflicts in the country during the COVID-19 pandemic and urged all armed groups to protect civilians. The INGOs and the UN cited the UN secretary generals call on March 23 for armed groups across the world to implement a global ceasefire while the world is fighting against the coronavirus disease. On the same day, the government designated the AA as a terrorist group and an unlawful association. Peace talks between the government and the AA have stalled. This week, the UN, INGOs and the diplomatic missions all urged Myanmar to heed the call by the UN Secretary-General for a global ceasefire by implementing a countrywide ceasfire, without exceptions. The INGOs said this would enable the protection of civilians and allow support efforts to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, which continues to evolve in Myanmar. They also urged the government to uphold the human rights of all civilians and to grant relief workers, journalists and human rights observers free access to all areas of Rakhine and Chin states in order to assess the needs of local communities. The humanitarian organizations highlighted that a ceasefire is necessary to get assistance to affected communities in areas where humanitarian access is already extremely limited and assistance is simply not able to reach many of the most impacted communities. You may also like these stories: Rakhine Govt Backtracks After Warning of Myanmar Military Clearance Operations Prompts Thousands to Flee Myanmar Military Chief: Intl Cooperation Vital Against Terrorists Backed by Strong Forces Police Sergeant Stabbed to Death in Myanmars Rakhine Burma Myanmar Military Makes Major Reshuffle Lt-Gen Thet Pon (left) and Maj-Gen Nyunt Win Swe (right). / Htet Naing Zaw / The Irrawaddy Naypyitaw Yangon Commands chief, Major General Thet Pon, has been promoted to lieutenant general and will head the Bureau of Special Operations for Yangon Region. Lt-Gen Thet Pon graduated from the Defense Services Academy and was appointed the Northwestern commander before becoming the Yangon commander in May 2017. Previously, there were only four bureaus of special operations but a fifth was created and Lieutenant General Myint Swe, who is now vice-president, was appointed as its first chief. The outgoing chief, Lt-Gen Min Naung, will remain in the militarys auxiliary forces and engage in the peace process, according to military sources. The Southwestern Command chief Major General Nyunt Win Swe was appointed as head of the Yangon Command. He served as commandant of the Defense Services Medical Academy before taking the Southwestern Command earlier this year. Major General Aung Aung, the outgoing commandant of the Officer Training School, has been appointed as the new Southwestern commander. He commanded Division 33, which was involved in operations in the ethnic conflicts in Rakhine State in 2017. In July 2019, the United States banned Myanmars generals from visiting the US for what it called gross violations of human rights in Rakhine State. The measures targeted military chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, his deputy Vice Senior General Soe Win and two brigadier generals, Than Oo and Aung Aung. It is unclear if Brigadier General Than Oo is still in the military. Brigadier General Naing Naing Oo, the outgoing commandant of the Defense Services Technological Academy, was appointed commandant of the Officer Training School. The commander of Division 11, Brigadier General Zaw Hein, will succeed Brig-Gen Naing Naing Oo as the commandant of the Defence Services Technological Academy. He is the son of the previous Ayeyarwady Region chief minister, U Thein Aung, who retired from the military and contested the 2010 general election with the militarys proxy Union Solidarity Development Party (USDP). According to sources, the appointment of a divisional commander as the commandant of any of the three military academies means a promotion is expected. The commander of Division 11 Brig-Gen Zaw Hein is the son of U Thein Aung, who was also a brigadier general. From this we can guess relations between the USDP and the military are still strong, said a retired officer, who asked for anonymity. The promotions appear normal and personnel who are under pressure in conflict zones like Rakhine and Shan states should also get promoted, he said. Political analyst Dr. Yan Myo Thein said: I think there will be more reshuffles before the [November] election. I think the Tatmadaw [military] is making these moves to strengthen its institution. It is systematically building its institution for the next generation. In line with the Tatmadaws slogan, the people are its parents, it is important that checks and balances are carried out at the lower levels, he added. There have been frequent reshuffles under Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing. Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko You may also like these stories: Humanitarians Join UN, Ambassadors in Calling for Ceasefire in Myanmars Rakhine State Police Sergeant Stabbed to Death in Myanmars Rakhine Myanmar Military Chief: Intl Cooperation Vital Against Terrorists Backed by Strong Forces Myanmar & COVID-19 Myanmar Military Chief, Delegation Test Negative for COVID-19 After Return From Russia Trip Senior General Min Aung Hlaing (front left) arrives back from Russia. / Tatmadaw NAYPYITAWA Myanmar military delegation led by commander-in-chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing that attended a military parade in Russia underwent tests for the coronavirus and all members tested negative, according to military spokesman Brigadier-General Zaw Min Tun. The military delegation arrived back in Myanmar on June 25 after attending the 75th annual Victory Day parade in Moscow, which commemorates the surrender of Nazi Germany at the end of World War II in 1945. Nasal swabs from the commander-in-chief and the 15 members of the delegation, as well as from 22 military personnel who returned from training in Russia with the delegation, were tested for the coronavirus. All of them tested negative, the military spokesperson said. Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaings visit to Russia is expected to foster ties between the two armed forces, according to political observers. Ten presidents, defense ministers and military chiefs from countries around the world attended the event in Russia. Serbian Defense Minister Aleksandar Vulin, who also attended the event in Moscow, tested positive for the coronavirus, prompting calls on social media for the Myanmar military delegation to be tested. The Myanmar military said earlier that COVID-19 health screenings would be applied to the Myanmar delegation before their departure and after their return from Russia. During his visit to Russia the senior general met high-ranking officials of the Russian Defense Ministry, received an honorary medal for strengthening military cooperation conferred by the ministry, and also held private talks with the Indian defense minister. Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko You may also like these stories: Myanmar Military Chief Hints at Political Role in Interview With Russian Media Myanmar Military Chief: Intl Cooperation Vital Against Terrorists Backed by Strong Forces You may also like these stories: The bank was established with authorized capital of 40 million kyats and a paid-up capital of 10 million kyats by the government. The kyat then became an internationally traded currency with an exchange rate of 5 kyats per US dollar. The 1952 act annulled the Burma Currency Board, granting the bank authority to issue banknotes, banking licenses, regulate loans, manage foreign currency exchange and provide the government with input in designing monetary and financial policies. The Union Bank was established in April 1948 under the 1947 Act of Union Bank of Burma. However, it could not regulate other banks until the Union Bank of Burma Act was enacted on July 1, 1952. The bank issued its first kyats on July 1, 1952. Before that, the Burma Currency Board which was formed under the Burma Financial Act 1946, and included monetary advisers from Britain and Myanmar took charge of issuing banknotes, printing the notes in Britain. Yangon On this day in 1952, the Union Bank of Burma (now the Central Bank of the Union of Myanmar) gained full monetary autonomy from Britain, four years after gaining independence. The former Central Bank building in downtown Yangon. / The Irrawaddy The former Central Bank building in downtown Yangon. / The Irrawaddy On This Day The Day Myanmar Gained Control over the Kyat Myanmar Seeks to Fly Illegal Migrants Home From Malaysia As More Suicides Reported Amid COVID-19 Myanmar Military Says It Wont Control How Personnel Vote in Upcoming Election Construction on China's BRI Deep Sea Port to Start Soon in Myanmar's Rakhine State: Govt US Moves to Protect Lobster Industry by Threatening Tariffs on China World Bank: Myanmar Economy to See Growth Drop by 6.3% This Fiscal Year Due to COVID-19 Will Myanmars Next Govt Be an Ethnic-NLD Coalition? The Day When Myanmars First Christian Convert was Baptized As Domestic Tourism Reopens in Myanmar, Businesses Struggle to Get Back on Their Feet We do not encourage viewing this site in this width. Please increase the size of your window. Wednesday, July 1st, 2020 (12:16 pm) - Score 4,766 Broadband ISP Virgin Media and Cisco have joined forces to setup the first European commercial deployment of OpenRoaming technology for residents on the Canary Wharf estate, which makes it easier for mobile users to stay connected to the internet by allowing them to seamlessly and securely roam between different WiFi hotspots. Last year saw Cisco conduct one of the first live trials of their OpenRoaming technology on Orkney (Scotland) via the wider 5G RuralFirst project (here). At present roaming between different WiFi hotspots is difficult because most will require you to sign-up for a new account, but the new approach builds on existing solutions and simplifies them. OpenRoaming thus allows devices (Smartphones, Laptops etc.) to connect securely and automatically to Wi-Fi networks and roam seamlessly from one hotspot to another without the need for the user to log in. The first commercial deployment is now due to take place for residents of the Canary Wharf Groups (CWF) first build to rent building from Vertus at 10 George Street and homeowners at 10 Park Drive. The joint initiative with Virgin Media will also harness Ciscos Meraki Wi-Fi 6 access points, along with sophisticated location-based analytics to allow its clients to build unique services for their customers. NOTE: Wood Wharf, Canary Wharfs new district, is a 5 million sq. ft mixed-use development of over 3,000 new homes, including 2 million sq. ft of commercial space. The announcement claims that local residents will be able to take their secure and trusted Wi-Fi connection with them when they walk out of their front door, through the apartment buildings, across the Canary Wharf estate and even into the nearby Tube station. Virgin Media has recently expanded their gigabit-capable fixed line broadband network to connect over 1,000 homes in the CWG area (due to reach 4,000 homes in the future). New residents can also benefit from a pre-installation service which allows them to be connected the same day they move into their apartments on the Canary Wharf estate. Jeanie York, Virgin Medias CTO and CIO, said: Now more than ever people are relying on our services to help stay connected to loved ones, for work, to keep informed and stay entertained. By providing a seamless and highly secure Wi-Fi platform, users can take their Wi-Fi connection with them on the go, bringing them closer to the things and people that matter most. Network innovations like this give us a taste of the future of connectivity and are delivering real benefits for consumers. Shobi Khan, CEO of the CWF, added: In todays environment connectivity is akin to a critical utility. Our commercial, retail and residential customers are demanding access to world-class digital infrastructure and next-generation connectivity. Canary Wharf Group is committed to creating an estate-wide environment in which businesses can thrive. The rollout of Wi-Fi 6 and OpenRoaming is a vital part of our continuously evolving user experience for residents and visitors. Were delighted to work with Cisco and Virgin Media to deliver this. CWG will also help landlords and tenants to understand how their real estate is being used, with data analytics to drive efficiency in workspace design using Cisco DNA Spaces. This solution enables over-the-top use cases such as location-based services, end user engagement and wayfinding to enable individuals to find the meeting room or retail store they are looking for. OpenRoaming is now backed by a global Wi-Fi federation of Wireless Broadband Alliance (WBA) members, including: Airmesh, Airties, Aprecomm, American Tower, Aptilo, AT&T, Boingo Wireless, Broadcom Inc, Cisco, Cityroam, Comcast, Commscope, Deutsche Telekom, Eduroam, Eleven Software, GlobalReachTechnology, Google, Hub One, Hughes Systique Corp, Intel Corporation, IT&E, m3connect, Nomosphere, Orange, Purple Wifi, Samsung, Single Digits, Sun Global, Veniam, Virgin Media, WiFiCoin and Zephyrtel. Wednesday, July 1st, 2020 (12:01 am) - Score 23,404 Mobile operator Vodafones recent decision to stop selling their femtocell based Sure Signal 3G router on 30th April 2020, while instead encouraging use of Wi-Fi Calling, has one significant flaw. The latter still doesnt support the ability to send and receive text (SMS) messages (its been listed as coming soon since 2018). Just to recap. Sure Signal (v3) is a small device that plugs into a fixed line broadband ISP network (minimum connection speed required is 1Mbps), which enables it to harness your home internet connection in order to boost an indoor 3G mobile signal using the 2100MHz band. Such devices have been useful for people who live in locations with either a weak indoor mobile signal or no signal at all. Unfortunately Vodafone decided to stop selling Sure Signal on 30th April 2020 and instead promoted use of a similar service called Wi-Fi Calling (VoWiFi), which has been available for several years and enables consumers to harness their home WiFi connection in order to make calls. The catch with their WiFi based calling service is that it is dependent upon support existing via your Smartphone, although many modern mobiles now have this. But thats not the only issue. The Wi-Fi Calling feature can also work for SMS messages and indeed it does on some other operators (e.g. Three UK and EE), although Vodafone still hasnt added this feature and thats despite saying in 2018 it would be coming soon (they repeated this again last year too). Until now this wasnt such a concern, since Vodafones customers could just take a Sure Signal device, but the withdrawal of that before Wi-Fi Calling can do SMS is causing concern. Many services use SMS as part of two-factor authentication (e.g. banks, Vodafones own account system etc.) and a lot of those dont work with alternatives like WhatsApp or Apples iMessage (many people still dont use those platforms in general). A Vodafone Spokesperson told ISPreview.co.uk: Were aiming to have SMS over WiFi available for both Android and iOS devices by the end of the year. In fairness we know that adding SMS to WiFi Calling is very complex to implement and requires a lot of testing, which might help to explain why Vodafone have been slow to implement it. We should point out that O2 UK are in a similar boat to Vodafone and the last update we had from them was toward the end on 2019, in which the operator said via Twitter that we hope to see it available in 2020. Were still waiting. In the meantime Vodafones existing Sure Signal devices will continue to be supported, but the decision to withdraw them from sale will do little to help new customers who might need one. Not to mention that existing customers who suffer a hardware failure could also run into problems (arguably Sure Signal devices dont have the best reputation for reliability). By Andrew Taylor, Assistant Director of Marketing | July 1, 2020 Plants absorb more carbon, use less water but nitrogen levels decrease POCATELLO Increased carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is causing a greening in northern latitudes and more carbon dioxide is being absorbed by plants there, according to a new study co-authored by Idaho State University researcher Bruce Finney, that includes the Northern Great Plains of the United States. Greening in this sense means higher plant productivity on the large swaths of grasslands studied, including the plains of Montana. Increased amounts of carbon in the atmosphere due to the burning of fossil fuels allowed higher plant photosynthesis while using water more efficiently. This is because the stomata of the plants, a pore on them that opens up to absorb carbon, can be open for a shorter period of time to absorb needed carbon and lose less water to the atmosphere. The greening was dependent on climate change, and was more pronounced in the warmest and driest areas. Carbon Dioxide, plus water equals plant material and oxygen. That is the equation of photosynthesis, said Finney, who is a professor of biological sciences and geosciences at ISU who worked with researchers at Montana State University and the University of Wisconsin. So with more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere the plant is able to get the carbon it needs without leaving its stomata open quite as much to reduce water loss. Water-use efficiency has gone up as carbon dioxide levels have gone up. This has some large implications in a time of climate change. Since plants are absorbing more carbon, that means less of it is in the atmosphere to further increase global warming. Finney noted that only about half of the carbon that has been released into the atmosphere through carbon emissions has stayed in the atmosphere. Of the half released that is not in the atmosphere, about a half of it (a quarter total) is absorbed by the ocean. Most of the remaining carbon, about another quarter of the total, has been absorbed by the plants. There would be more carbon in the atmosphere and the climate would be even warmer than it is now if plants werent absorbing some of the extra carbon, Finney said. This has essentially made the climate-change problem less severe because the plants and the ocean have helped us, so to speak, absorb extra carbon. Although vegetation greenness has increased across much of the global land surface over recent decades and that trend is projected to continue, particularly in northern latitudes, plants are also showing less nitrogen, a crucial element for them. The areas studied were natural grasslands and not irrigated. We looked at nitrogen in leaves and found it was going down relative to carbon, Finney said. There is still enough nitrogen for plants to grow, but the physiology of the plants has changed so they produce more tissues that are lower in nitrogen. This means plants would be less nutritious to animals that eat them because nitrogen is important in building proteins, muscle and other important things. Also, because nitrogen is not increasing at the same rate as carbon in plants, scientists dont know how long the greening trend will continue. Plants might eventually run out of nitrogen to continue the increasing greening trend, Finney said. Future greening may be constrained by nutrient availability needed by plants. To complete the study, Finney and co-authors Jack Brookshire and Bryce Currey from Montana State University and Paul Stoy from MSU and the UW, looked at satellite imagery data to measure light reflected by plants across the Northern Great Plains natural grasslands from 2000 to 2018. Some of the satellites taking measurements were equipped with NDVI (normalized difference vegetation index) sensors, which can measure the chlorophyll pigment. Though there was variability, the net trend was that the region was getting greener. The title of their study is The Greening of the Northern Great Plains and its biogeochemical precursors published in March in the journal Global Change Biology, a prominent journal in biological processes and environmental change research. For the second part of their study, the researchers looked at plant samples of sagebrush and three species of grass from the region that were part of the Montana State University Herbarium collections. Some of the samples date back to 1881. The researchers measured the carbon and nitrogen percentage and the carbon and nitrogen isotope values of the samples. The greening and the trends in the chemistry of the plants was most strongly related to the changes in carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere, Finney said. We could see that the water-use efficiency of the plant had gone up as the carbon dioxide level went up. Finney said he is starting a similar study that will focus on lands in Idaho. That study is part of the National Science Foundations five-year, $20 million, statewide Idaho EPSCoR GEM3 (Genes by Environment, Modeling, Mechanisms Mapping) study taking place. He will be working with another ISU Biological Sciences faculty member, Kathryn Turner. They will be working with plant samples for the Idaho Museum of Natural History Herbarium. Finney will be doing carbon and nitrogen analysis of Huntsville, TX (77320) Today Mostly cloudy skies this morning followed by thunderstorms during the afternoon. Storms may contain strong gusty winds. High around 90F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%.. Tonight Thunderstorms likely. Low 73F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%. Aside from their music, K-pop enthusiasts look up to K-pop idols as their role model due to their unique and incredible fashion outfits, may it be onstage or offstage. K-pop idols' sense of fashion is truly admirable, thanks to their coordi or outfit managers, helping them decide whether what image and concept will suit the group's best. However, there is also a time wherein the coordination of the group's outfit gone wrong, ruining the image of the idol group as one. In this regard, here are some of the worst outfits coordination worn by K-pop idols, according to fans. 1. NCT On an online Korean community site, fans and netizens started a discussion regarding the worst K-pop idols' coordi. The uploader then commented, "Honestly, no one can defeat this," attaching the photo of Haechan during the 2017 MBC Music Festival wherein they performed "Cherry Bomb." In addition to this, fans also react to their 2016's Asia Artist Award outfits wherein their clothes' color combinations seem off. Not to mention the unusual skirts worn by Taeil, Yuta and Jaehyun. Though, on top of this, other K-pop enthusiasts praise them for breaking the stereotypes that females are the only ones who can wear skirts. 2. Red Velvet Despite being a girl group who is often praised for their stunning visuals, Red Velvet can also look bad at times due to their outfits. Red Velvet is known for their unique and experimental concepts; that's why their outfits should also fit their concepts. But due to this, Red Velvet receives backlash, as their coordi doesn't match the netizens' taste. During their concert, "Red Mare," some Knetz described their dress as "acrylic sponges." Also, netizens threw hate comments on their "Zimzalabim" outfits, calling it hideous and worst. 3. Super Junior Super Junior, known as the "Hallyu Kings," is legendary for their songs, visuals, and milestones, but you can also say that Super Junior is one of the most iconic groups for slaying weird fashion outfits way back then. But seeing it again now, you'll suddenly question yourself how did it turn you on as their coordination concept is really cringy; yet, seeing how dashing they are, just confirmed that they are the "Hallyu Kings," who can make everything trendy even the weirdest one. 4. BTOB Admit it or not, but when it comes to fashion, BTOB, won't even care and do the things according to their own. Ever since, the male idol group is known for their savage outfits, may it be on music shows, photoshoots, or even in the airport! 5. ITZY Even though ITZY mostly wears gorgeous outfits, netizens think that the different colors worn by the members are not pleasing to the eyes. 6. 2NE1 2NE1 always tries something new, may it be music genre, hairstyle, and even clothes. A fan commented that it is really funny though the whole concept is iconic because its 2NE1, as she can't help but think that Park Bom is wearing a diaper. 7. B1A4 Jinyoung Jinyoung is indeed handsome; however, the wig-like hair strands on his shoulders is making his outfit worst-looking. 8. SHINee Taemin SHINee is always called K-pop's trendsetter; however, fans question his coordi if they would always let him wear rag-like clothes. Nevertheless, Taemin's smile and visual make up to it. 9. EXO D.O EXO Kyungsoo, or also known as D.O, has an ethereal beauty; however, his outfit is always ruining it. Once, he was seen wearing a 'snow-white like an outfit, not to mention his shirt with feathers. Jacksonville, TX (75766) Today Cloudy skies this morning followed by thunderstorms during the afternoon. Storms may contain strong gusty winds. High 87F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%.. Tonight Thunderstorms likely this evening. Then a chance of scattered thunderstorms overnight. Low 67F. Winds NNE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%. Locally heavy rainfall possible. Mark Huffman edits copy and occasionally writes some, too. He's been a journalist since newspapers had typewriters and darkrooms. There are female K-pop idols who are long-legged and can also pass as beauty queens. Small and petite idols are normally adored by many, yet when they stand beside a tall female celebrity, it's not surprising if the attention shifts to the taller one. A female idol's height is not really much of a concern when it comes to the "standard," but it's just that the taller ones simply catch the attention. Below is a list of the tallest female K-pop idols! (H.U.B) Rui - 171 cm (VIOLET) Dada - 172 cm (Cherry Bullet) May - 172 cm (Gugudan) Soyee - 172 cm (PPL) Gakyung - 172 cm (AQUA) Haesol - 172 cm (HINAPIA) Minkyeung - 172 cm (Hashtag) Subin - 172 cm (NATURE) Sunshine - 172 cm (TWICE) Tzuyu - 172 cm (GFRIEND) Sowon - 173 cm (Weki Meki) Doyeon - 173 cm (PPL) Azi -174 cm (A.DE) Rachel - 174 cm (PPL) Sola - 174 cm (SONAMOO) New Sun - 174 cm (NATURE) Uchae - 174 cm (EVERGLOW) Aisha - 174 cm (Prism) Dakyung - 175 cm (Dal Shabet) Subin - 175 cm Being tall is an asset, especially for these K-pop celebrities, who also carry a huge part of their success through their visuals. Being quite astounding compared to others in terms of height is something that these girls should be thankful for. However, their size and height will not solely matter when it comes to achieving a fruitful career in the South Korean music industry. Still, prepare to be stunned if you happen to bump into them one day. Emily Mieure covers criminal justice and emergency news. She also leads the News&Guides investigative efforts. She has reported for WDRB TV in Louisville, Ky., WFIE TV in Evansville, Ind., and WEIU TV in Charleston, Ill. Mike has reported on the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem's wildlife, wildlands and the agencies that manage them since 2012. A native Minnesotan, he arrived in the West to study environmental journalism at the University of Colorado. Tom Hallberg covers a little bit of everything, from skiing to long-form feature stories. A Teton Valley, Idaho, transplant by way of Portland and Bend, Oregon, he spends his time outside work writing fiction, splitboarding and climbing. Teton County Reporter Previously the Scene editor, Billy Arnold made the switch to the county beat where he's interested in exploring Teton County as a model for the rest of the West. When he can, he still writes about art, music and whatever else suits his fancy. Jonesboro, AR (72401) Today Showers and thunderstorms likely - heavy rainfall is possible, especially during the morning. Storms may contain strong gusty winds. High near 85F. Winds NNW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 70%.. Tonight Rain ending this evening. Partial clearing overnight. Low 57F. Winds N at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 80%. David Abel, 72, died June 18th, 2021, at his home in El Dorado, AR, surrounded by his family after a short battle with cancer. David was born November 26, 1948, in Sacramento, CA, to Earnest "Bood" Abel and Peggy Downing Abel. David attended school in Miami, OK, and graduated in 1967. He joi Lakeview, OR (97630) Today Sunshine to start, then a few afternoon clouds. Hot. High 94F. Winds SSW at 10 to 15 mph.. Tonight Partly cloudy with late night showers or thunderstorms. Low 58F. Winds NW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50%. The buying spree of The Cook & Boardman Group LLC over the past 21 months has been extended with its purchase of companies in Alabama and Delaware. The Winston-Salem company, a specialty distributor of commercial door-entry solutions, said Wednesday that it has bought Building Specialties of Birmingham, Ala., and Advantech Inc. of Dover, Del. Terms for both deals were not disclosed, as has been the case in Cook & Boardmans other seven deals since October 2018. Building Specialties, founded in 1954, focuses on the commercial door and hardware business as a third-generation business. They fit perfectly into our acquisition strategy of buying market leaders with strong management teams and best-in-class associates, said Darrin Anderson, the chief executive of Cook & Boardman. The company will continue to operate under the Building Specialties name and Paul Caddell will continue to manage the business. Advantech, founded in 1990, is a full-service security integration company serving educational, governmental, commercial and health-care customers in southeast Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland and the Washington metro area. Everhart said that the shop carries N.C. seafood when available, including shrimp, flounder and oysters. It also carries such other seafood as scallops, snapper, lobster and king crab. Meats include primarily beef, pork and chicken. Everhart said he is working with Joyce Farms, based in Winston-Salem, to carry some of its chicken products. Everhart said that the shop is known for the quality of its Certified Angus Beef steaks, and that it also sells choice and prime cuts. He said he also sells imported Japanese Wagyu beef, known for its fat marbling and tender taste as well as its high cost. The Wagyu beef typically is offered only occasionally, such as for holidays, because of its cost. In Winston, well probably start off offering it once a month and see how that goes, Everhart said. Everhart said that the Butchers Block cuts its own meat. Nothing is pre-packed and, though we have a few frozen products, probably 90% is fresh. The Butchers Block location in Innovation Quarter will be almost 3,900 square feet, larger than the original location in Lexington. Everhart said that though the design of the new shop will be a little different, the offerings will be the same, with one major difference. He plans to sell beer and wine at the Winston-Salem shop. Everhart said he would like to open in September if possible but October is more likely. Stay up-to-date on what's happening Receive the latest in local entertainment news in your inbox weekly! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Quander said that Moody was taken to the Forsyth County Magistrate's Office and later released on a written promise to appear in court. After he was released, Moody went to Forsyth Medical Center for treatment for injuries he said he got from his encounter with Curry. "Prior to being physically assaulted by the deputy and the civilian who assisted the deputy, Charles was respectful in his mannerisms and communication to all people he encountered during his short time in Cook's Flea Market," Quander said in the statement. In a Monday news conference, Forsyth County Sheriff Bobby Kimbrough Jr. said Curry did not use excessive force. Four Black leaders said during the news conference that they saw Curry's body camera footage of the incident and agreed with Kimbrough that the incident did not constitute excessive force. Those leaders were the Rev. Alvin Carlisle, president of the Winston-Salem chapter of the NAACP; James Perry, the president of the Winston-Salem Urban League; Bishop Todd Fulton, the social-justice chairman of the Ministers Conference of Winston-Salem and Vicinity; and Al Jabbar, a community activist and Winston-Salem native. Kimbrough said he was irritated that a video that lasts 1 minute and 18 seconds only captures part of the incident and has unnecessarily inflamed people during a time of social unrest. It is 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday and a few dozen people are gathered outside of the Forsyth County Government Center to protest what they believe is a broken housing system with illegal evictions during a health-emergency. Volunteers with Winston-Salem Housing Justice Now make speeches about how housing is a human right, how low income tenants are treated as low class humans. There is talk about the squalor of public housing leaky roofs, rodent infestations, broken toilets and cracked ceilings. In her own speech, Celeste Holcomb, a volunteer with Housing Justice Now, said the protesters were gathered to highlight a perceived lack of care for human lives, evidenced by resuming evictions while the number of coronavirus cases rises nationwide and in North Carolina. I dont think we should allow anyone to become without housing during a pandemic, Holcomb said. Inside, 56 tenants, many of them with their families, are waiting for their eviction hearings to begin. Standing in line, the people are masked, clutching their yellow eviction notices and wholly unsure of what will come next. Weve always been ICU nurses, hearing the sound of a ventilator is normal, Walls said. It seems like a more calming environment than being in the regular ICU." Matthews and Walls said because of strict visitor restrictions, they're both making efforts to develop bonds with coronavirus patients who are awake or able to talk. "We always have to be more mindful that patients are more stressed than they already would be in an ICU," Matthews said. "Its not the same as having your family there, so we have to be mindful of that for both the patients and the family, and making sure were doing a better job of keeping them up to date." Walls and Matthews, who were made available for an interview by Novant Health, said the hospital is not overwhelmed and will remain that way provided people wear masks and comply with public health directives. While it's impossible to make predictions, both nurses said any surge in cases could lead to a surge in hospitalizations. Its been eyeopening how everything can change so quickly," Walls said. "Obviously, in February, we never expected to be here, and I never expected to be a nurse during a pandemic. But here we are." A demonstrator then said to Fogler, "We will not shop here anymore." Todd Jones, the chief executive officer at Publix, issued a statement amid the recent protests against police violence and racial injustice. "Like you, Im saddened and unsettled by any racial injustice or events that divide our country," Jones said in part. "There are many emotions we are feeling fear, anger, anxiety and impatience. Now, more than ever, is the time for us to listen with open hearts and to lead with empathy toward each other, toward our customers and toward our communities. "At Publix, we reject racism and discrimination of any kind," Jones said. After the protesters demonstrated for nearly 50 minutes inside the store, they left the supermarket. The demonstrators then walked about three miles on Miller Street, Stratford Road, Oakwood Drive and Cloverdale Avenue. Police officers blocked other streets and parking lots driveways to protect the protesters from the traffic. About 40 protesters then drove to the city's western section and arrived about 9 p.m. in front of Joines' home BEIJING, June 30 (Xinhua) -- A Foreign Ministry spokesperson on Tuesday made remarks after the Law of the People's Republic of China on Safeguarding National Security in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) was adopted at the 20th session of the 13th National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee. "The NPC Standing Committee formulated this law and listed it in Annex III to the HKSAR Basic Law to be gazetted and enacted in Hong Kong by the SAR government, and this is a fundamental solution for Hong Kong to restore order, end chaos and resume stability," said the spokesperson. Calling the law a landmark in the practice of "one country, two systems," the spokesperson said it is a strong institutional guarantee for upholding national sovereignty, security and development interests, safeguarding lasting security, prosperity and stability in Hong Kong, and ensuring the steady implementation of "one country, two systems." It reflects the shared will of all Chinese people including Hong Kong compatriots, said the spokesperson. Taking into full consideration the realistic needs of safeguarding national security and the specific conditions of the HKSAR, the legislation sets out systemic and comprehensive provisions regarding a legal system and enforcement mechanisms at both national and SAR levels, said the spokesperson. "This upholds the constitutional order in the HKSAR established by the Constitution and the Basic Law and demonstrates the inherent requirements of 'one country, two systems,'" the spokesperson said. The law applies to four categories of criminal behaviors that gravely undermine national security. It will only target very few criminals but protect the vast majority of Hong Kong people. Its implementation will strengthen Hong Kong's legal framework, ensure social order, improve business environment, and benefit Hong Kong citizens and international investors, said the spokesperson, adding that "we have every confidence in the bright prospects of Hong Kong." Hong Kong is one of China's special administrative regions and its affairs are China's internal affairs. The Chinese government is firmly determined to implement "one country, two systems" and oppose foreign interference in Hong Kong affairs, the spokesperson said. Nobody and nothing could shake the Chinese government and people's resolution and will to safeguard national sovereignty and security and uphold Hong Kong's prosperity and stability, said the spokesperson, stressing that any attempt seeking to undermine China's sovereignty, security and development interests is doomed to fail. The Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council and the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the HKSAR have both issued statements after the law on safeguarding national security in the special administrative region was adopted. In the latest of many cynical and highly political moves, the House of Representatives last week passed a measure that would transform the District of Columbia and make it the 51st state. DC, as it is often abbreviated by locals, is already a state. It is a state of corruption, crime and dysfunction. The only reason Democrats favor the nations capital becoming a state is that it would gain two senators, who would almost certainly be Democrats and its delegate, Eleanor Holmes Norton, could then vote in the House. Currently she can only participate in committee hearings with the permission of the chairperson. The Founders specifically prohibited the District from becoming a state, but who listens to them anymore as rioters deface and pull down some of their statues and liberal judges rewrite the Constitution to conform to the spirit of the age? As Time magazine has noted: the lack of statehood for the capital is enshrined in the Constitution. Article 1, Section 8, Clause 17 of the document reads, The Congress shall have Power To exercise exclusive Legislation in all Cases whatsoever, over such District (not exceeding ten Miles square) as may, by Cession of particular States, and the Acceptance of Congress, become the Seat of the Government of the United States. And even the Florida-based manufacturer of BubbaRope (there actually is such a thing) disavowed any connection to the promotion, noting that Fulp had never bought the product from them and that the product is much costlier than the $9.99 Fulp advertised. The ad post appeared one day after an FBI investigation ruled that the noose at Talladega Superspeedway in Alabama had not targeted Wallace, who led the successful banning of Confederate flags at NASCAR races. Now Fulp says he is sorry for it all and that he has only himself to blame. I am not a racist, he said. The episode breaks my heart, man, Fulp said. Because I see a lot of hate. I dont want nobody to hate me. Im not a bad dude. Fulp says he has ended all of his activity on social media. He recounted as well a tender moment he said he had with young Black protester Saturday night. The girl, about the age of his granddaughter, grabbed his hand, Fulp said. She said, I dont hate you, he told The News & Observer of Raleigh. I looked at her, and said I dont hate you either. Classes in the Wilkes County Schools will start on Aug. 23 and end on May 25 in 2021-22 as a result of a calendar approved by the Wilkes Board of Education on Feb. 1. Today A mix of clouds and sun. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 91F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. Tonight Variably cloudy with scattered thunderstorms. Low 68F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%. Tomorrow Cloudy. Periods of rain early. Thunder possible. High 76F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%. KANSAS CITY, MO (KCTV) -- Social workers with the Kansas City Police Department are a unique resource working out in the community to reduce crime and help support families of victims. There have been 92 homicides in Kansas City this year. Last year, there were 148. The last homicide was a 4-year-old shot and killed in his sleep. For families of victims, its unspeakable tragedy. 'This is a nightmare': Kansas City boy dies after shot in face while sleeping A young boy was shot and killed while he slept in an apartment off 63rd Street and The Paseo. Police say the bullets came from outside the home. The KCPD is one of the only police departments in the country with social workers on staff. This team goes out to crime scenes to comfort families and provide them with resources to help them get through the tough time. Often times, they have unexpected needs, funeral expenses or theyre going to have time off work so when you look down the road, bills that could go unmet, so we just support families take some of the burden off the family during that time, said social worker Trena Miller at the KCPD East Division. KC community activist speaks after 4-year-old shot, killed while sleeping Monday morning Kansas City police are asking for tips in the murder of a 4-year-old boy that happened around 2:30 Monday morning. The child was asleep in his bed when he was shot in the face. Last year, the KCPD solved less than 50% of homicides. The social workers are only one piece of the puzzle to help increase that number. KANSAS CITY, MO (KCTV) -- Police are still looking for answers in what led to the shooting death of a 4-year-old boy, and they're hoping to get help from the community. A group of over 25 people fanned out in teams of three to knock on doors. Legend Taliferro was shot and killed Monday morning after gun fire erupted outside of the Citadel Apartment complex in Kansas City. Latisha Seatons 14-year-old son, Damian Norfleet, was killed when someone fired into her home in Grandview, Mo., a year ago. Before my son got killed, I cant tell you one time I got out and did this," Seaton said. Its a hard feeling. Its a hard pill to swallow man. But we out here for Legend today. We out here for Legend. Police on Tuesday released surveillance video of a car they believed was connected with the murder. On Monday, no tips were provided to police and only a few were reported as of Tuesday morning. Investigators do believe the shooting was a targeted one. Even during the gangs, even during the street selling of drugs, the rule has always been kids are off limits," said Bishop Tony Caldwell of the Justice and Dignity Center. "And that rule is being broken. Kansas City police officer Alex Saragusa said it was the first time he canvassed with the community he serves. Theyre part of the community," he said. "And were out in the community, but we dont live here 24/7. Kansas City police are asking for tips in the murder of a 4-year-old boy that happened around 2:30 Monday morning. The child was asleep in his bed when he was shot in the face. A Southern California man who tested positive for coronavirus after attending a party expressed his fear and regret a day before he died. Thomas Macias, 51, went to a barbecue last month near his community in Lake Elsinore, about 70 miles from Los Angeles. Shortly after the party, he started feeling sick. On June 20, he posted a poignant message on Facebook to warn his loved ones about the risks of the virus, his family said. "I went out a couple of weeks ago ... because of my stupidity I put my mom and sisters and my family's health in jeopardy," he wrote. "This has been a very painful experience. This is no joke. If you have to go out, wear a mask, and practice social distancing. ... Hopefully with God's help, I'll be able to survive this." He never made it. He died a day after that post. A friend attended the party while sick Macias worked as a truck driver and suffered from diabetes, making him especially vulnerable to the virus. Doctors have said people with underlying conditions such as diabetes, chronic lung disease and asthma are at a higher risk. Before the barbecue, he had barely gone out, his brother-in-law Gustavo Lopez told CNN. But he was incredibly social and was feeling isolated, and decided to visit his friends when the state lifted some restrictions, he added. "Everywhere he went he made friends instantly," Lopez said. "He was missing his friends and missing his family. So as soon as they lifted some of the restrictions he felt free and he unfortunately went to this get-together to be with his friends and then this was the result." A friend who was at the party reached out to Macias to say he had coronavirus, and he was aware of the diagnosis when he attended the gathering but didn't think he could infect anyone because he had no symptoms, Lopez said. "Our understanding is that a gentleman had called him and said 'hey I was at the party, I knew I was positive. I didn't tell anybody,'" Lopez said. "I think the gentleman was regretting not telling everybody, and he was calling people who were at the party to recommend they get tested." Macias was upset but blamed himself for the error in judgment, even using his Facebook post to warn friends about the dangers of the virus. About a dozen people who attended the party tested positive, Lopez said. Macias got tested on June 15, got his positive result June 18 and died June 21. The Riverside County Office of Vital Records confirmed that he died of coronavirus. Riverside County has over 18,000 confirmed coronavirus cases and about 460 deaths. It has the second-highest number of cases in the state after Los Angeles County. Facebook on Tuesday banned hundreds of accounts, groups and pages that it said were linked to the Boogaloo movement, a loosely organized extremist collective whose members have occasionally shown up armed to racial justice and anti-quarantine protests around the country. The banned content includes a core set of 220 Facebook accounts, 95 accounts on Facebook-owned Instagram and dozens of pages and groups that Facebook, in a blog post, said posed a 'credible threat' to public safety. Facebook said the accounts were 'actively promoting violence against civilians, law enforcement, and government officials and institutions.' That network of Facebook users, the company said, was engaged in recruiting followers from the wider Boogaloo movement for clearly violent purposes. In a separate move, Facebook issued another batch of bans Tuesday targeting more than 400 groups and 100 pages that hosted 'similar content' praising or supporting the movement but that Facebook said were not primarily operated by members of the first network and did not appear to promote as much violence. The crackdowns mark Facebook's latest attempt to confront hate speech and extremism on its platforms amid weeks of criticism over its content moderation policies. The backlash has led to a growing advertiser boycott involving some of the world's largest companies, including Coca-Cola, Starbucks and Ford. It comes a day after Reddit, Twitch and YouTube took actions of their own against a variety of content on their platforms that they said was hateful. It also highlights the rise of an amorphous movement that law enforcement officials, including Attorney General William Barr, have identified as wanting 'to bring about a civil war.' The movement is difficult to categorize due to the diverse nature of its members' social and political beliefs, which range from self-identified left-wing members of the LGBT community to, in some cases, supporters of white supremacy. Facebook said its investigation into the problematic content began after apparent Boogaloo supporters appeared at a gun rights rally in Richmond, Va., in January, indicating a link between some of the movement's online organizing and real-world, offline actions. It also comes after violent attacks allegedly tied to the Boogaloo movement and the indictment of three men who allegedly conspired to disrupt protests in Las Vegas by targeting police and government buildings. 'Officials have identified violent adherents to the movement as those responsible for several attacks over the past few months,' Facebook said in the blog post. 'These acts of real-world violence and our investigations into them are what led us to identify and designate this distinct network.' The crackdown was announced hours after Sen. Mark Warner, a top critic of the tech industry in Washington, wrote a letter to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg expressing concerns about the spread of extremist content on the platform, saying he feared Facebook may be 'unable (or unwilling) to enforce its own Community Standards.' 'The prevalence of white supremacist and other extremist content on Facebook and the ways in which these groups have been able to use the platform as organizing infrastructure is unacceptable,' Warner wrote in the letter, citing reports on the Boogaloo movement as a source of his concern. In the announcement, Facebook drew careful distinctions between the Boogaloo movement more generally and the specific accounts and pages it said were advocating violence. The banned accounts shared many similarities with the overall movement, Facebook said, drawing on similar language and iconography. But, Facebook officials told reporters on a conference call, the platform's enforcement on Tuesday is directed at users who sought to co-opt the movement's symbols such as igloos and Hawaiian shirts to promote violence, and that non-violent Boogaloo content may still be referenced on Facebook. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity, citing possible concerns for their safety if they were to be publicly named in connection with the content crackdown. The Anti-Defamation League, which has been tracking the Boogaloo movement, has said the name of the collective is a reference to the 1984 film 'Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo.' Some of the movement's adherents have suggested, perhaps jokingly, of a second US civil war, according to the ADL. Various adaptations of the name have also become part of the fabric of the movement. The ADL has highlighted the word 'igloo,' for example, as a term now associated with the movement. Facebook told reporters on the call that it expects further adaptations and evolutions of the movement as members seek to evade the company's enforcement efforts. This is not the first time Facebook has removed Boogaloo-related content. Earlier this month, the company told CNN that it had banned the term 'Boogaloo' and over 50 other variations of the phrase when they appear together with images or statements depicting armed violence. Facebook said Tuesday it has already removed more than 800 posts related to Boogaloo under its policy against violence and incitement in the past two months. KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. Klamath County Public Health officials reported the first coronavirus-related death in the area on Wednesday, only the second such fatality in southern Oregon. This is a sad day for our community. We must all remember that this individual has a family and friends who need privacy to mourn. With international attention often focused on the number of deaths worldwide, it would be easy to see this milestone as a mere statistic, said KCPH Director Jennifer Little. Officials said that the death happened on Tuesday, June 30. Klamath County Public Health asked that the community respect the family's need for privacy, and their need to grieve and process the loss. While the agency did not identify the individual, it did provide some basic demographic details. The person was a woman in her 70s. She was hospitalized at the time that she died. Klamath County Public Health information officer Valeree Lane said that woman is believed to have contracted the virus from a close connection, and this was not a case of community spread. County officials expect to receive more information on the case from the Oregon Health Authority on Thursday. This person was a member of our community. Public Health and all Klamath County government would like to express sincere condolences to the family and other loved ones grieving at this time, Little continued. Josephine County marked the first death attributed to the virus in southern Oregon on April 11, an 81-year-old man. Klamath County reported a total of 123 coronavirus cases on Wednesday, out of 5,143 processed tests. Ten people have been hospitalized for the virus since the outbreak began. Many of the recent COVID-19 cases in southern Oregon have been among younger people particularly in Klamath County accompanied by a comparatively lower hospitalization rate. Earlier this week, Jackson County health officer Dr. Jim Shames expressed concern that this trend would eventually cause a spread of infection to more vulnerable groups. WASHINGTON, D.C. Members of Oregon's Congressional delegation on Wednesday announced that the U.S. Senate has passed a "critically needed fix" to existing law intended to provide drought relief for farmers and ranchers in the Klamath Basin. U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden and Representative Greg Walden said in a joint statement that the new legislation alters the 2018 Water Resources Development Act (WRDA). The law's language allowed irrigators in the Klamath Basin to access $10 million in drought relief funds, but limited how they could be used. According to the lawmakers, the new technical correction provides "clear flexibility" in allowing farmers and ranchers to use that funding when there is a severe water shortage, which is the case this year. RELATED: Farmers organize convoy to call attention to water issues in Klamath Basin Through drought, wildfires, and now the coronavirus pandemic, Klamath Basin irrigators have shown theyre committed to working collaboratively with the many water stakeholders in the region, and it is imperative that the federal government step up and do all it can to assist, Merkley said. As the Basin grapples with a particularly difficult season, this correction will allow farmers to access much-needed resources as they continue long-term work to address water supply challenges in the region. Merkley had tried to get the language include in the WRDA reauthorization, but changed tactics when the bill stalled in the Senate. Both Merkley and Wyden introduced a stand-alone bill for the fix, while Walden introduced a companion version of the bill in the House. We cannot adequately express our appreciation for Senator Merkleys leadership and efforts to make this happen in the U.S. Senate, said Paul Simmons, Executive Director of Klamath Water Users Association (KWUA). And the bill could not have passed the Senate without Senator Wydens hard work or Representative Waldens key role in explaining to the Senate majority that this is a good thing. Our Congressional delegations bipartisan approach to Klamath Basin issues is refreshing and welcome. RELATED: Supreme Court declines to take up Klamath water users' case Though the bill has passed the Senate, it still needs to be passed in the House. This technical fix is long overdue, and with the Klamath Basin facing a drought, this couldnt come at a better time, said Congressman Greg Walden (R-OR-2). Our farmers in the basin need all the help they can get. The lawmakers said that the WRDA's original language authorized up to $10 million per year for the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation to work with irrigators to align water demand and supply. The new bill allows irrigators to directly access those funds for land idling or groundwater pumping in times of drought. Southern Oregon knows this will be a tough water year, and this bill would provide timely and vital clarity to free up money for farmers and ranchers in the Klamath Basin facing these challenges in real time, Wyden said. PORTLAND, Ore. The Oregon Health Authority reported the highest single-day increase in coronavirus cases on Wednesday, overtaking the last high reported on June 16. Health officials said that there were 281 new confirmed and presumptive cases as of midnight on Wednesday, bringing the state total to 8,931. OHA also reported one more fatality attributed to the virus, bringing the state's death toll to 208. The new cases reported were in the following counties: Baker (3), Benton (2), Clackamas (20), Clatsop (1), Columbia (1), Deschutes (4), Douglas (2), Jackson (3), Jefferson (7), Klamath (4), Lake (2), Lane (12), Lincoln (12), Linn (7), Malheur (16), Marion (27), Morrow (2), Multnomah (38), Polk (8), Tillamook (2), Umatilla (42), Union (5), Wallowa (2), Wasco (4), Washington (48), and Yamhill (7). OHA said that the latest death was a 91-year-old woman in Marion County who tested positive on June 18 and died on June 29. The place where she died is still being confirmed, but the agency said that she had underlying medical conditions. OHA to report outbreaks in child care facilities The Oregon Health Authority has previously shared outbreaks at long-term care facilities and large workplaces, but the agency says that it will now start reporting outbreaks for child care facilities that enroll 30 or more children and have five or more cases. The weekly report will also include the total number of facilities statewide no matter how many children they enroll that have five or more cases. "Todays Weekly Report covers data from June 22-28," OHA said. "In the report, most indicators point to a resurgence in COVID-19 transmission. OHA recorded 1,402 new cases of COVID-19 infection, an 11 percent increase from the previous week (1,263 new cases). In addition, 12 Oregonians were reported to have died, the same number as the preceding week." About 75 percent of recent cases have been among people under the age of 50. OHA said that the statewide hospital capacity remains sufficient for the time being, since hospitalization is less common among young people. JOHNSON LAKE An early morning house fire today (Wednesday) engulfed a house at Johnson Lake. The Lexington and Elwood volunteer fire departments were called to the house fire shortly after 5:45 a.m. today in the North Point area of Johnson Lake. The fire is believed to have started in the garage and spread to the house, said Lexington Fire Chief Dallas Holbein. The fire caused some damage to the siding and windows of a home next door, Holbein said. There also were two vehicles outside of the neighboring house that sustained damage. No one was home at the time of the fire. Around 20 firefighters from Lexington and 10-12 firefighters from Elwood responded to the blaze. The fire had been contained but a fire truck remained on the scene this morning to put out hot spots, Holbein said. The cause of the fire and damage estimates have not been determined. The Nebraska Fire Marshals office is investigating. GOTHENBURG A Gothenburg man was injured after a pickup-train collision occurred on Saturday, June 27. Around 8:43 a.m. the Dawson County Sheriffs Office was dispatched to a railroad crossing west of Gothenburg. An eastbound Union Pacific coal train carrying 147 cars struck a 2017 Toyota Tacoma at a private crossing two miles west of Gothenburg, said Union Pacific National Media and Nebraska director Raquel Espinoza. Espinoza said the crossing does feature stop signs and this will play into Union Pacifics investigation. Horns and whistles were used several times by the Union Pacific crew. The Toyota was southbound on the tracks when it was struck in the front passenger side by the coal train. The driver, 67-year-old Robert Buddenberg of Gothenburg was transported from the scene by the Gothenburg Volunteer Fire Department to Gothenburg Memorial Hospital, according to Dawson County Sheriffs Office Chief Deputy Greg Gilg. Buddenberg was then transported by life flight helicopter to CHI Health Good Samaritan Hospital in Kearney. He suffered broken bones and internal injuries, Gilg said. "Dimorphos, which means 'two forms,' reflects the status of this object as the first celestial body to have the 'form' of its orbit significantly changed by humanity in this case, by the DART impact," said Tsiganis. "As such, it will be the first object to be known to humans by two, very different forms, the one seen by DART before impact and the other seen by the European Space Agency's Hera, a few years later." In late 2022, Didymos and Dimorphos will be relatively close to Earth and within 6,835,083 miles of our planet the perfect time for the DART mission to occur. DART will deliberately crash into Dimorphos to change the asteroid's motion in space, according to NASA. This collision will be recorded by LICIACube, a companion CubeSat or cube satellite provided by the Italian Space Agency. The CubeSat will travel on DART and then be deployed from it prior to impact so it can record what happens. "Astronomers will be able to compare observations from Earth-based telescopes before and after DART's kinetic impact to determine how much the orbital period of Dimorphos changed," said Tom Statler, DART program scientist at NASA Headquarters, in a statement. "That's the key measurement that will tell us how the asteroid responded to our deflection effort." Imagine being able to cruise around Lake Geneva in a classic car with the top down and a cool breeze in the air. A new Lake Geneva business is looking to offer residents and tourists just such an experience. Scoot Jockeys, located at 529 W. Main St. in Lake Geneva, is scheduled to open July 1 offering classic car rentals, including a 1969 Rolls Royce and a 1965 Ford Mustang. The business, which also offers scooter sales, is partnering with American Classic Rides in Fox River Grove, Illinois, to provide the classic cars. Patrick Hurst, owner of American Classic Rides, said he initially plans to make six to eight classic cars available for rent, but may add more if the service receives a positive response. Several of the cars also may be stationed at area hotels and resorts. Tammie Carstensen, general manager for the Harbor Shores hotel in Lake Geneva, said Hurst approached her about the classic car rental concept last fall, and she felt it would be a unique service. I thought to myself, Oh my gosh, what a cool concept, Carstensen said. I think its going to be a good amenity for the city. Hopkinsville, KY (42240) Today Scattered thunderstorms this morning, then mainly cloudy during the afternoon with thunderstorms likely. Storms may contain strong gusty winds. High 84F. Winds WNW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 80%.. Tonight Rain early. Decreasing clouds overnight. Low 56F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%. 34 Shares Share An excerpt from Doctors Orders: The Making of Status Hierarchies in an Elite Profession. Copyright (c) 2020 Tania M. Jenkins. Used by arrangement with the publisher. All rights reserved. I met Trevor on his very first day of residency, at the start of three years of practical, on-the-ground training in internal medicine following medical school. He was of medium height with a closely shaven head and a strong build. Trevor was especially fond of white button-down shirts with sleeves rolled up to his elbows, revealing olive-toned forearms. He wore his stethoscope slung over one shoulderlike a purseand even as a first-year resident (intern), he possessed a quiet calm that was appealing in a doctor. Trevor had known he wanted to go into medicine from a young age. After going to private elementary and high school in Michigan and graduating from the University of Michigan, he applied to only three medical schoolsall in Southeast Asia. It made sense to him financially: I thought about going to the Caribbean but cost-wise, you know, I was going to be paying U.S. prices. My four years in [Southeast Asia], including housing, tuition, a car, all the miscellaneous costs, it probably cost me in the ballpark of maybe 80K for four years. Tuition and living expenses for medical school in the United States or the Caribbean averaged about three to four times that amount, so Trevor reasoned he had made a sound financial choice. He was picky, however, about which medical schools he applied to in Southeast Asia. He applied only to programs that would allow him to do clinical rotations in the United States, knowing that he eventually wanted to come back to the United States for residency. I wanted to have more exposure to the U.S. system, whether it be rotations or just [learning] how medicine is practiced [here], he explained, adding, I think a lot of [residency] programsespecially for us foreignersthey like it when we have U.S. clinical experience. I remember being startled by his expression: us foreigners. Trevor was born and raised in Ann Arbor. When I pointed this out to him, he shrugged and said, Actually, in terms of residency, everyone is kind of split up by either U.S. grad or foreign grad, so whether I was born here or not, they would still classify me as a foreign grad. . . . [Were American] in every aspect except for how the medical field views us basically. Every year the United States relies on thousands of medical graduates like Trevor to fill postgraduate residency positions because it does not produce enough doctors to meet its own needs. In 2019, nearly 19,000 American allopathic medical school seniors (USMDs) vied for over 32,000 first-year residency positions. Nearly 94 percent of them were successful, but even if 100 percent had matched to a residency, there would still have been more than 13,000 positions left over. That means the United States does not graduate enough M.D.s by about a third every year. In fact, since the advent of modern residency training in the 1950s, the United States has produced 20 to 45 percent fewer M.D.s than are needed to staff residency positions nationwide. To fill the gap, the United States depends on doctors trained in other countries and traditions. In 2019, nearly 10 percent of first-year residency positions were filled by U.S. citizens who were international medical graduates (USIMGs). These are Americans, like Trevor, who take a nontraditional route into medicine by studying overseas (most often in the Caribbean) and coming back to the United States to complete their required residency training. Most USIMGs complete roughly two years of classroom instruction abroad and then finish the last two years of their clinical education in the United States, preparing them for residency positions in the U.S. health care system. Around 55 percent of USIMG applicants successfully matched to residency positions in the United States in 2019. Another 13 percent of first-year residency positions were filled by international medical graduates who are not U.S. citizens (IMGs). These individuals complete at least undergraduate medical training abroad before deciding to pursue graduate medical education in the United States. Some come to the United States as fully trained, experienced physicians, but all must still complete residency training in the United States before becoming eligible to practice independently. A little more than half (53.4 percent) of all IMG applicants were able to match to a residency program in 2019. Residency, therefore, is hardly a given for non-USMDs while it is all but guaranteed for USMDs. For these reasons, I refer to all international and osteopathic medical graduates (USIMGs, IMGs, and DOs) jointly as non-USMDs in order to contrast them with USMDs. The non-USMDs in each category have distinct histories, trajectories, and perspectives, but what all three groups have in common is this: they are systematically relied upon to fill gaps in the U.S. health care system, yet the medical profession views and treats them differently than USMDs. Despite representing a sizable chunk of new resident physicians each year, non-USMDs often do not end up in the same specialties as USMDs. Highly prestigious and sought-after fields, such as otolaryngology (also known as ear, nose, and throat) and orthopedic surgery are almost exclusively staffed by USMDs while less prestigious areas like pathology, family medicine, and internal medicine are dominated by non-USMDs. Even within the specialties that they dominate, non-USMDs oft do not match to the same kinds of programs as USMDs, although mean licensing exam scoresone of the biggest predictors of residency placementare virtually identical between matched USMDs and at least matched international graduates. In fact, on one particularly critical testStep 1 of the United States Medical Licensing Exam (USMLE) non-U.S. citizen international medical graduates (IMGs) actually outperform U.S.-citizen MDs (i.e., USMDs and USIMGs) and D.O.s. Furthermore, for the same exact test scores, non-USMDs generally have a much lower probability of matching to their preferred specialty than USMDs do. Still, USMDs tend to congregate in higher-status hospitals while non-USMDs fill positions in lower-status ones, often in less desirable geographic areas. In some cases, this has resulted in heavily segregated training environments. On the one hand, there are highly prestigious programs staffed mostly by USMDs in university hospitals, which tend to have lower patient-to-nurse ratios, higher procedure volumes, and state-of-the-art equipment and care processes. On the other, there are D.O.- or IMG-friendly programs, as they are known in the blogosphere, which tend to be in smaller community hospitals with lower patient volumes, older technology, and fewer resources than university hospitals. This segregation is so widespread that nationwide, USMDs make up 90 percent or more of the housestaff at over 37 percent of all internal medicine university programs and less than 10 percent of the housestaff at over 51 percent of all internal medicine community programs. Indeed, the exceptions are the integrated programs, which comprise only about 16 percent of internal medicine residency programs across the country. IMG-friendly programs also have lower American Board of Internal Medicine exam pass rates after graduation compared to USMD-dominated programs, even though international medical graduates have virtually the same average Step 1 scores prior to residencyone of the biggest predictors of Board passageas USMDs. Thus, not only are USMDs and non- USMDs segregated during residency training; their training may not be equal, at least as measured by Board pass rates. The distribution of USMDs and non-USMDs need not look this way, however. In fields like computer science, engineering, and physics, where highly skilled foreign workers make up significant proportions of the U.S. workforce, individuals are distributed across specialties and institutions more or less equally, with little concern for citizenship or origin of degree. Tania M. Jenkins is a sociologist and author of Doctors Orders: The Making of Status Hierarchies in an Elite Profession. Image credit: Shutterstock.com 152 Shares Share There are now 16 states (as of the end of June) that require people to wear face coverings when out in public. But we need to acknowledge it: many Americans really dont want to. Our president and vice-president dont wear masks, even though members of their staff have tested positive for COVD-19. When protestors gathered in state capitols to rally against stay-at-home orders, most did so without masks. And, as tens of thousands of Black Lives Matter activists took to the streets, many are maskless. Mandatory masking was implemented in my state, California, two weeks ago. But as I lately strolled through several Bay Area cities, I was shocked to see how few people had face coverings. Epidemiologists are disappointed but not surprised when, just last week, California continued setting and breaking records for the highest number of daily new COVID-19 cases. However, these new mask mandates are the right move and should be adopted nationwide. The only way we can keep COVID-19 at bay is for each of us to assume we are already infected with coronaviruseven though we feel fineand act accordingly: Wear a mask consistently, wash hands frequently, and maintain social distance outside the house. I grew up in Taiwan, where masks are common. When I came to the U.S., I was startledand sometimes alarmedto see people not wearing masks even during flu season. But remembering how I was treated when I prudently wore my surgical mask helps me understand why so many Americans hesitate to wear them now: Wearing a mask isnt much fun. If I left the house in a mask, Id get puzzledeven suspiciouslooks on the street. Pre-COVID-19, Ive been asked to leave grocery stores, buses, and even a museum because I was wearing a mask. If I held off, only donning the mask once someone nearby coughed or sneezed, it was no better: the sneezer was often offended and bystanders frightened. Once, at a concert, I put on a mask after someone in front of me started coughing. Security approached and asked me about my intentions. As a researcher of COVID-19 epidemiology at Stanford Medicine, I work with data scientists to monitor and predict how measures such as mask-wearing and social distancing can reduce COVID-19 transmission. Its heartbreaking and frustrating to see states now scrambling to figure out how to deal with the new surges of coronavirus cases that have followed recent reopenings. COVID-19 spreads easily. In addition to coughing and sneezing, talking, singing, or even breathing, can spread infectious respiratory droplets well beyond six feet. And COVID-19 is stealthy: almost half of the people who test positive got it from someone who showed no obvious symptoms (not even a mild fever). According to the most current research, between 50 and 80 percent of the people spreading coronavirus feel fine. The only way to really know if someone is infected is by testingand as a nation, were not doing nearly enough. But we dont need to know who has COVID-19 to prevent its spread. By capturing droplets before they become airborne, we can stop a respiratory virus in its tracks. Models on similar respiratory viruses suggest that even the simplest masks (like DIY cloth scarves that capture only 20 percent of exhaled droplets) can cut total infections in half. If just 25 percent of Americans used masks that were at least 50 percent effective, like a disposable surgical mask, the epidemic could be nearly eliminated in weeks. The importance of masks cannot be overstated; in fact, a new study on COVID-19 transmission patterns around the world found that widespread mask-wearing is the most important intervention contributing to successful control of the virus. In East Asia, were raised to value a commitment to the community and family. Yes, this can become stiflingand perhaps a challenge to long-cherished American values of individualism and self-expression. Masking is hardly a new issue; there were anti-mask protests even during the Spanish flu pandemic of 1918-19. But in a health crisis, placing a premium on communal healtheven at the expense of individual expressionis a must. Recent research suggests that clear plastic face shields, which are more comfortable and allow us to see each others faces, might be as effective as masks. Perhaps thats what well need to adopt over the next several years. But for the time being, covering half our faces is our only real option if we want to be out and about without putting our friends and neighbors at risk. Henry Bair is a medical student. Image credit: Shutterstock.com 161 Shares Share I used to shoot people like you, the patient said to me. He was one scary Vietnam vet, and I was one scared second-year resident. Though not Vietnamese, I figured correcting him wouldnt matter. As an Asian American (Chinese on my dads side, Japanese on my moms), Id experienced racism and bigotry before, and from different races, not just white. Even as a doctor, I understood I d still encounter it. In this particular incident, I didnt get angry or refuse to see him, but instead, after a bit of give and take, I found common ground, dealing with bigotry through an empathic approach, so to speak. This was quite effective, transforming a potentially volatile situation to advantage, and changing an enemy into an ally. So when I see the response to racism in our current timestearing down statues of historical figures, vandalizing monuments reflecting our past, fear of retribution for expressing a counter-opinionI want to cry. When will it end? People destroying things offensive to them is little different than book-burning by tyrannical governments. Its as if they want to erase certain parts of history. Yet the importance of history is to learn something from it, not eradicate it, no matter how disagreeable some parts may be. The farther back you look, the farther forward you will see, Churchill once said. And if we dont keep a knowledge of the past, we are bound to repeat it, particularly the bad parts of it. Some people fail to see this. History reveals that while atrocities have occurred, oftentimes something profoundly beneficial arises. But all of this requires a retrospective look in a calm manner. To erase the bad elements of the past is to virtually erase most of any history of ANY culture and of ANY race. A retrospective look, of course, requires a quieting of emotions, not to curse those long-gone in the past nor place the blame on those of us in the present. This requires a sense of forgiveness. As I write about this, I am reminded of our founding fathers. Yes, some were slave owners, but they were also a product of their times, where slave-holding wasnt universally considered immoral. It was a different era, but times changed, for the better, and we learn and move on. What some folks dont understand, that these forefathersdespite many having wealth and property and privilegewillingly sacrificed those comforts to create this country, all at the risk of being hanged for treason. They willingly laid their lives on the line in the pursuit of a better nation. Were there certain negative aspects of their lives we dont condone two centuries later? Certainly, but this shouldnt erase all the good they created for all of us. Nobody is perfect. We are ALL guilty of some immorality. Will future generations cast us with the same, myopic lens, pass judgment, and attempt to erase the history we create? Would that be just as fair? Let he who is without sin cast the first stone, Jesus said in a very Zen-style koan, knowing full-well that no such person exists. World history is replete with atrocities. No one culture or race is immune to, nor has a monopoly on cruelty. People have been slaveswhites and nonwhitesto other conquering people on every continent. The Jews were enslaved by the ancient Egyptians. The list goes on: the ancient Greeks, the Roman Empire, several imperial dynasties of China, the Ottoman Empire, the Aztecs, and Mayans (to name but a few) all had a system of slavery. It seems that the mere essence of being human is to be cruel, especially when a faction of a population climbs to great power over the others. I am reminded about the plight of my mother when she was a little child in the 1940s. She and her family were forced to leave California for the Midwest after the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, leaving most of their property and possessions behind. Though all were U.S. citizens, born and raised in California, they were nonetheless of Japanese descent and considered a threat to the U.S. They eventually returned to California many years later, but I never heard one negative word from any of them about the experience. Not one word about unfairness, not of reparations nor a hatred towards the U.S. government. In fact, my mother, uncle, and grandmother would, at times, mention the kindness of those nice people in Wisconsin. They moved on and were models of a positive attitude. With this attitude, I was taught that with hard work, I could rise above any adversity and achieve anything in America, despite her past flaws. Forgiveness. America was created with the concept that individual liberty is paramount, that our freedom is not a gift granted by government, but endowed to us by our Creator, an entity greater than humankind. Our founding fathers believed individual freedom is a birthright. We all have the right to live our lives and express our chosen views, but not at the expense of anothers. If we disagree with a point of view, we dont tear down anothers form of expression, we dont threaten or censure them with a force of negativism. Destroying historic monuments, trying to erase aspects of the past will not unite us. It will divide us further and deepen hatred. We counter with our own form of creativenot destructivemeans. Creativity is beauty, and more influential since it allows the observer to see a different point, not by force, but by choice. It is a testament to this great country that gives us the opportunity to do this. Randall S. Fong is an otolaryngologist and can be reached at his self-titled site, Randall S. Fong, as well as his blog. Image credit: Shutterstock.com EUGENE, Ore. The Knight Library on the University of Oregon campus was vandalized overnight, officials said Tuesday. Kay Jarvis with UO said there was paint on the sidewalk and in the doorway involving the original portion of the building which was constructed in 1937. The building is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. According to university officials, the vandalism seemed to be directed at phrase in a mission statement that is part of a mural. The phrase says "our racial heritage." This is not the first time the mural has been at the center of controversy. In 2018, someone tried to cross out the phrase with red paint. Freshman Lauren Anderson said she doesn't support the vandalism but she understands why it happened. "I think there is a lot of frustration of people wanting their voices heard that campus is not doing a good job at the moment," Anderson said. Officials from the university said all artwork with racist content will be covered by Oct. 1. The university will also review all of its collections so marginalized groups can have their voices heard. Cleanup was underway on Tuesday. In a statement, Jarvis said they support the right to free expression and protest in this moment of national reckoning, but we cannot condone acts of destruction. Police are investigating. ROSEBURG, Ore. -- The response to Gov. Kate Brown's new statewide mask requirement has been mixed in Douglas County. The new requirement takes effect July 1. It applies to businesses and residents in indoor public spaces. Initially, face masks were only required in eight Oregon counties. Since the announcement Monday, dozens of Douglas County residents have spoken out against the new requirements. One resident told KEZI 9 News that he believes masks do more harm than good. Once you use a mask, you have to throw it away, said Paul Eckel. People are not doing that. Theyre pulling up, down, throwing them in their car, theyre literally becoming a mini petri dish. Others said the mask requirement is the only way people are going to protect themselves and others. I try to wear it everywhere I go, said David Ragan. You know, just to be on the safe side of everything. A small business owner in Roseburg also told KEZI 9 News that shes not tolerating customers who dont wear a mask in her store. Its my job to also protect all the people who come into our shop, said Darcel Campbell. Campbell owns Everything Under the Rainbow on SE Main Street. She said she really struggled during the statewide closure earlier this year, so shes doing everything she can to make sure they dont close down again. Were doing this step so small businesses can stay open, said Campbell. The next step is they shut us down. ROSEBURG, Ore. -- Lisa Roberts, 17, went missing in 1977 from Roseburg. Nearly 43 years later, detectives have identified her as Precious Jane Doe from a murder case in Washington. Now, her older sister is speaking out. Officials from Snohomish County said Lisa was first reported as a runaway to the Roseburg Police Department. Lynn Monger, two years older than her adopted sister, said shes not sure why Lisa ran away. Shes also not sure why she ended up in Everett or if she was travelling with anyone. Im thinking that she felt like she was grown up and she should be able to live her own life," said Monger. "Not being told what she could and couldnt do by someone else. Lisa called home asking for money and her family begged her to come back, and Lisa said shed think about it, the Snohomish County Sheriffs Office said. The family transferred money to a bank in Everett for her to pick up. But she never did. I was going to talk to her and try to talk her into coming back home," said Monger. "It would only be for a few months until she was 18, then I wouldve helped her. Authorities said Lisa was hitchhiking near Silver Lake when she was picked up by David Roth, who killed her when she refused to have sex with him. She was murdered on Aug. 9, 1977, just 15 days after she left home. Roth confessed to the murder and was sentenced to 26 years in prison, but the victim remained unidentified for decades. He probably didnt even know her for half an hour before killing her," said lead detective Jim Scharf. "She didnt have any identification on her. Lisa was finally identified using a new technique that allows forensics to use DNA from more difficult sources such as rootless hair. Genealogy was also used to trace the Jane Does biological family, and adoption records were obtained through Oregon Health Authority. Scharf told KEZI 9 News that he named Lisa "Precious Jane Doe" because he was determined to get her body back to her loved ones. Monger said she was touched when she found out. To know that they cared so much and that she meant so much to them that they called her that," said Monger. "It made me cry. Monger reflected on the sister she grew up with, saying Lisa was shy and they loved exploring Roseburg together. Lisa attended Roseburg High School prior to her disappearance. All these years later, Monger said she's glad she finally knows what happened to her sister. I have hoped all of these years, I have prayed to know what happened to her," said Monger. The family will be burying Lisas body in Hood River, alongside her adopted and biological family. SPRINGFIELD, Ore. Springfield police say it appears that a bicyclist hit by a vehicle early Wednesday morning had failed to stop at a stop sign at Centennial Blvd., just before he was hit. The bicyclist was riding northbound on 6th Street when he entered the intersection and was hit by an eastbound vehicle. Police said the bicyclist failed to obey the stop sign, entered the vehicular lane of travel on Centennial Blvd., and was hit. There was no evidence that the bicyclist was within the bicycle lane at the intersection when he was hit. Police said the driver of the vehicle that hit the man stopped immediately and is cooperating with the investigation. Police arriving at the crash found the bicyclist unconscious and not breathing. He was taken by ambulance to RiverBend Hospital in Springfield. He is currently in the intensive care unit with multiple rib fractures and head trauma. Police said he is expected to recover. Neither speed nor alcohol are considered to be factors in the collision. The thread that binds Tulia Nyota and her 17-year-old daughter Bija is strong. The two love to sew together. Its a family passion and a trade that Tulia learned long ago in her home country of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Thank you for reading! Please log in, or sign up for a new account to continue reading. To subscribe, click here. Already a subscriber? Click here. Over 130,000 people across Ireland received support through the Covid-19 Community Outreach (CCO) programme over the last three months. Today, Wednesday, marks the end of the joint initiative by The Wheel, the national association of charities, and Irish Rural Link, the national network representing the interest of rural communities and funded by the Department of Rural and Community Development, Since the Government announced the programme on March 27, 34 Local Community Champions across the country have worked tirelessly to link and support the work of community and voluntary organisations responding to meet the needs of those who were cocooning. The aim of the programme was to ensure no person would be left behind during the pandemic. The Community Champions have provided ongoing support to 134,811 people, 14,877 community and voluntary organisations and mobilised 36,821 volunteers and made the programme the success it was. Speaking of the work done both Deirdre Garvey, CEO of the Wheel and Seamus Boland, CEO Irish Rural Link said, We would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to all the Champions for their tremendous work and commitment over the last few months in providing ongoing support to the people, community & voluntary organisations and volunteers in their communities and made the programme the success it was. They showed great leadership in their communities and by working together with their local authority, agencies and with community and voluntary organisations they ensured that the needs of every person were met. Over the last three months, the Community Champions helped to join the dots and link thousands of people who were cocooning into local services so their needs were fully met, linked volunteers to hundreds of community and voluntary organisations and vice versa and identified gaps in services and reported these back to their local authority forum meeting. They also dealt with a lot of social issues, such as loneliness among those cocooning, delivery of school meals and food parcels to families in need as well as helping people celebrate their birthdays when family were unable to celebrate with them. Speaking about the ending of the CCO Programme, the Department of Rural and Community Development said, The Department was delighted to provide funding towards the COVID-19 Community Outreach Project. The Community Champions appointed across the country really sprang into action, helping to coordinate the local community response to the crisis. The DRCD works closely with the Community and Voluntary Sector and this project served to embed that relationship further. We look forward to continuing to work with the sector into the future to help our communities face the challenges of recovery. The impact of Covid-19 pandemic on peoples mental health and wellbeing will be felt for some time and people affected by Covid-19 will continue to receive support through the governments Community Call initiative. More information on your local Community Call Helpline is available here and the helpline is available from 8am to 8pm, Monday to Sunday. FLOYD COUNTY, Iowa - Its been 15 years since Evelyn Miller, then 5, disappeared before she was found dead days later. The Floyd County Sheriffs Office is vowing not to forget. Today is an anniversary that is nothing to celebrate. 15 years ago, 5 year old Evelyn Miller went missing, and after hours, days and hundreds of volunteers searching, we were met with the most dreadful outcome, the sheriffs office said on Facebook. Casey Fredericksen was found guilty of first-degree murder and first-degree sexual abuse in the case. Frederiksons girlfriend at the time was Noel Miller, the mother of Evelyn. The Floyd County Sheriffs Office posted a picture of Evelyn on Wednesday as they remembered her. This picture is displayed in our office as a constant reminder that we have to remain vigilant in our duties in order for justice to prevail. ROCHESTER, Minn. - Fall semester is just about two months away. It's still not certain what the start of the school year will look like due to the Coronavirus. Minnesota schools are preparing three plans, as directed by the Minnesota Department of Education: in-person learning, distance learning, and a hybrid of the two. No matter what happens in the upcoming school year, First Student school bus drivers will have a role to play. Before the start of the 2020-2021 school year, First Student is looking for new drivers to add to its staff. First Student often looks for new drivers over the summer, and this year is no exception. Some people retire, and some move on to different employment. I have a lot of drivers that love doing it for something to do every day. They see the kids, they get to know the kids, they build relationships," explains First Student contract manager, Jon Goetz. If schools have in-person learning, drivers will be needed on their routes. If schools continue with distance learning, bus drivers will continue delivering school lunches like Rochester Public Schools began in the spring. If hybrid learning is used, First Student will work with the schools to plan for how that will work with bus routes. "Whatever it is, we're willing to partner with the school district, work with them as we always do and make positive influence on kids and their education," says Goetz. If you're interested in driving, but are intimidated by the huge bus, First Studwent provides training to make sure new drivers are comfortable behind the wheel. CHARLES CITY, Iowa - During a midday meeting on Tuesday, Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds and Lt. Governor Adam Gregg met with Floyd County health officials to congratulate and discuss the work they've done during the pandemic. Officials from various agenices, including Public Health, met with the Governor at Floyd Co. Public Health and discussed their work done via people pulling together, something that Public Health Director Gail Arjes emphasizes. "We really focused on partnerships and how we worked together through this whole pandemic. We worked together for a very long time prior to the pandemic, so those partnerships continue and will continue until...even past the pandemic phase, we'll continue to work together." In addition, the team talked about how responsive the Governor has been regarding their needs and questions, as well as the work on securing enough PPE, but also sharing some concerns as we eventually transition into a new school year, and into the Fall. One process the Governor commends: testing in the county. "They've done a really good job of providing surveillance testing, they did the long term care facilities, and some businesses. They did both PCR and the serology, and they've been able to maintain and manage the virus activity in the county." MASON CITY, Iowa Theft, arson, and burglary convictions add up to 10 years in prison for a North Iowa man. Nathaniel Elmer Pope, 37 of Mason City, was first accused of setting a Mason City garage on fire in September 2018. He was then arrested for burglarizing Newman Catholic school in March 2020. Pope pleaded guilty to 3rd degree arson, 3rd degree burglary, and 1st degree theft. Pope has been sentenced to two years in prison for the arson, five years for the burglary, and 10 years for the theft. Hell serve those sentence all at the same time. Eric Scott Francis, 50 of Mason City, was accused along with Pope of stealing $17,000 worth of equipment from Newman Catholic school. He has pleaded not guilty to 1st degree theft, 3rd degree burglary, and conspiracy to commit a non-forcible felony. Francis trial is scheduled to begin on September 22. CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa A Mason City woman is going to federal prison for dealing meth. Amanda Adams, 30, pleaded guilty in February to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. The U.S. Attorneys Office for the Northern District of Iowa says Adams conspired to distribute at least 35 grams of meth in northwest Iowa between May and October 2019. Investigators say Adams and a co-conspirator sold fake meth to an individual cooperating with law enforcement in June 2019, then agreed to real meth to the same individual in October 2019. Law enforcement says Adams was arrested after a high-speed car chase where two ounces of meth, a sawed-off shotgun, and an axe were found in Adams vehicle. Shes been sentenced to five years and four months in federal prison, to be followed for four years of supervised release. MASON CITY, Iowa - A MercyOne North Iowa nurse is back in Mason City after being on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic. Jenni O'Donnell and nearly a dozen other nurses and doctors spent five weeks at the MercyOne hospital in Sioux City during the height of the surge. Much of her time was spent in the COVID unit, working with patients who were gravely ill. She says may of those patients were on ventilators and required one-on-one nursing care. O'Donnell does have an underlying health condition, but says her work in helping out those in need was more important than her safety. "Nurses are the front line and we support our doctors and without good nursing care patient ratio and patient survival rate is not as good," said O'Donnell. She also said if she was asked to head to another coronavirus hot spot to help out, she would do it again. ACKLEY, Iowa (AP) An SUV carrying Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds hit a Black Lives Matter protester who was trying to block the vehicle Tuesday as she was leaving an event in northern Iowa. The Iowa State Patrol confirmed the SUV hit the protester, who was among about two dozen Black Lives Matter activists who had traveled 90 miles from Des Moines to Ackley. Members of the group weren't allowed into the event at Family Traditions Meat, a small processor, so they gathered at the end of a driveway and tried to block the governor's SUV. Jaylen Cavil, a Black Lives Matters organizer, told the Des Moines Register that he stood in the driveway in the hopes that Reynolds would roll down a window and talk with protesters. I was standing right in front of the car and I just stood there. I was like, Im going to stand here. Surely the driver of the governor is not going to hit me with her car. This is the governor, my governor, whos supposed to be representing me. Im sure that her car is not going to intentionally hit me. I was wrong, he said. Cavil said the impact spun him around and lifted him onto the SUV's hood but he wasn't hurt. I 100% think they intentionally hit me, he said. Theres no way that this driver could not see me right in front of his car. Afterward, Cavil said an Iowa State Patrol trooper began yelling at him and called him an idiot. It wasn't clear who was driving the SUV. Troopers in the patrols executive protection unit typically drive the governor to and from events, but patrol spokesman Sgt. Alex Dinkla didnt immediately confirm that a trooper was driving the SUV. Preliminary reports from law enforcement at the scene suggest the demonstrator intentionally stepped in front of the moving vehicle," Dinkla said in a statement. The demonstrator appeared to suffer no injuries, denied all medical treatment, and continued with his activities. The Iowa State Patrol is investigating the circumstances." Black Lives Matter activists have been protesting outside Reynolds' office and attending events in hopes of pressuring her to quickly sign an executive order ending Iowa's status as the only state that automatically revokes felons' voting rights. They must individually petition the governor to restore their rights. Reynolds, a Republican, had proposed changing the Iowa Constitution to automatically restore voting rights to felons, but she agreed to instead sign an executive order after Senate Republicans blocked legislative action for two years. Reynolds hasn't given a specific timeline for when she will sign an order or give details about whether felons will need to take additional steps before gaining their voting rights. Pat Garrett, the governor's spokesman, didn't immediately respond to a text from The Associated Press seeking comment on the incident. ST. PAUL, Minn. Two more men are facing federal arson charges for the fires that erupted in the Twin Cities following the death of George Floyd. The U.S. Attorneys Office for Minnesota announced Tuesday the arrests of Mohamed Hussein Abdi, 19 of Maplewood, and Matthew Scott White, 31 of Minneapolis. Abdi is accused of setting a fire on May 28 with another individual in the cafeteria at Gordon Parks High School in St. Paul. The criminal complaint states that Abdi is seen on security video reaching through a broken glass door and pouring a clear liquid on the floor. Authorities say Abdi entered the cafeteria, poured more clear liquid on the floor and into a trash can, then ignited a fire in the trash can. Video allegedly shows Abdi running from the building a flames and black smoke poured from the trash can. White is charged for helping set the fire that totally destroyed an Enterprise Rent-A-Car stores in St. Paul. Federal investigators say they identified Matthew White, his sister Jessica White, and another individual inside the store on May 28 and then exiting it as it starts to burn. Matthew White is reportedly seen carrying a box and a garbage can into the back area of the business. The ATF and FBI urge the public to report suspected arson, use of explosive devices, or violent, destructive acts associated with the recent unrest. Anyone with information specifically related to business fires in the Twin Cities can call 1-888-ATF-TIPS (1-888-283-8477), email ATFTips@atf.gov or submit information anonymously via ReportIt.com. In addition to fires, the FBI is looking for people who may have incited or promoted violence of any kind. Anyone with digital material or tips can call 1-800-CALLFBI (800-225-5324) or submit images or videos at Tips.FBI.gov. ZUMBROTA, Minn. A roundabout accident in Goodhue County injures two people. It happened around 2 pm at the Highway 52/Highway 58 interchange at the south edge of Zumbrota. The Minnesota State Patrol says Brenda Marie Petru, 48 of Spring Valley, was southbound on Highway 52 and lost control trying to exit to Highway 58, going over the roundabout. Petru and a passenger, Tonja Sue Odegaard, 55 of Stewartville, both suffered non-life threatening injuries and were taken to St. Marys Hospital in Rochester for treatment. Zumbrota Police and Ambulance and the Minnesota Department of Transportation assisted with this crash. Kingstree, SC (29556) Today Sun and clouds mixed. High 91F. Winds WSW at 10 to 15 mph.. Tonight Partly cloudy skies this evening will become overcast overnight. Low 74F. Winds WSW at 10 to 15 mph. WASHINGTON/MEXICO CITY/OTTAWA (Reuters) - The revamped trade pact between the United States, Canada and Mexico taking effect on Wednesday was meant to create a kind of fortress North America, boosting the regions competitiveness - but cracks are already starting to show in the foundation. As the deal kicks in, the Trump administration is threatening Canada with new aluminum tariffs, and a prominent Mexican labor activist has been jailed, underscoring concerns about crucial labor reforms in the replacement for the 26-year-old North American Free Trade Agreement. The risk of disputes among the three trading partners is growing, analysts say. The U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement includes tighter North American content rules for autos, new protections for intellectual property, prohibitions against currency manipulation and new rules on digital commerce that did not exist when NAFTA launched in 1994, an agreement U.S. President Donald Trump has lambasted as the worst trade deal ever made. The coronavirus has all three countries mired in a deep recession, cutting their April goods trade flows - normally about $1.2 trillion annually - to the lowest monthly level in a decade. The champagne isnt quite as fizzy as we might have expected - even under the best of circumstances - and theres trouble coming from all sides, said Mary Lovely, a Syracuse University economics professor and senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics in Washington. This could be a trade agreement that quickly ends up in dispute and higher trade barriers. Issues dogging USMCA include hundreds of legal challenges to Mexicos new labor law championed by President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador to ensure that workers can freely organize and unions are granted full collective bargaining rights. A ruling against it would harm Mexicos ability to deliver on provisions aimed at ending labor contracts agreed without worker consent that are stacked in favor of companies and have kept wages chronically low in Mexico.Democrats in the U.S. Congress had insisted on the stronger labor provisions last year before granting approval, prompting a substantial renegotiation of terms first agreed in October 2018. The arrest of Mexican labor lawyer Susana Prieto in early June has fueled U.S. unions arguments that Mexican workers rights are not being sufficiently protected. I remain very concerned that Mexico is falling short of its commitments to implement the legislative reforms that are the foundation in Mexico for effectively protecting labor rights, U.S. Representative Richard Neal, chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, said on Tuesday, adding that USMCAs success truly hinges on its new labor enforcement mechanism. U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer has said he will file dispute cases early and often to enforce USMCA provisions, citing Mexicos failure to approve U.S. biotech products.. That could lead to increased tariffs on offending goods, such as products from individual factories where labor violations are found. Carlos Vejar, a former Mexican trade negotiator, said it was in the countrys interest to uphold pledges made to strengthen unions and end child labor. If Mexico isnt mindful of this, there will be cases against Mexico, and Mexico will lose them, Vejar said. Graphic: A new trade deal launches in a pandemic here ALUMINUM TARIFFS REDUX, AUTOMOTIVE BURDENS U.S. national security tariffs on imported steel and aluminum - including from Canada and Mexico - were a major irritant during USMCA negotiations until a deal for exemptions was reached last year. But now, USTR is considering domestic producers' request here to restore the 10% duty on Canadian aluminum to combat a "surge" of imports across the northern border. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Monday told reporters that these would hurt both countries and raise materials costs for U.S. manufacturers. Another source of disputes could be the energy sector, where the main U.S. oil and gas lobby has already complained that recent actions by Mexico favoring state oil company Pemex violate protections for private investors carried over from NAFTA. Canada has also complained about new Mexican rules formally threatening investment in renewable energy. USMCA will put new compliance burdens on the regions automotive manufacturers as the coronavirus craters consumer spending and auto production. Within three to five years, vehicles minimum North American content rises to 75% from 62.5%. Automakers must also produce 40% of their vehicles content in high wage areas - effectively the United States and Canada. A U.S. International Trade Commission study here found this would draw more auto parts production to the United States, but may curb U.S. vehicle assembly and raise prices, limiting consumer choice in cars. The same panel found that after 15 years, the deal would add $68.5 billion annually to U.S. economic output and create 176,000 jobs compared with a NAFTA baseline. Garrett Rolfe, the former Atlanta police officer who shot and killed Rayshard Brooks at a Wendy's parking lot, has been charged with felony murder and other charges. ST. LOUIS (KMOV.com) -- Missouri reported 508 new COVID-19 cases Tuesday, the second most ever in one day. In St. Louis County, 136 new cases were reported which is the most in more than two months. The St. Louis Metropolitan Pandemic Task Force reported 28 new hospitalizations, which is the most in six weeks. The surge in cases is leading to discussions about implementing a mask mandate in the St. Louis area. The number of confirmed cases has quickly increased since the state reopened for business on June 16, swelling by 10.9% in just the last seven days, health officials said. [RELATED: Tracking COVID-19 cases in Missouri and Illinois] The state's COVID-19 death toll rose by 17 on Tuesday, surpassing the 1,000 mark amid a resurgence of the disease that has seen cases skyrocket in recent weeks. Mandatory face mask rule now in effect for St. Louis City and County Masks will be required in the St. Louis area beginning this week, as officials look for ways to contain the spread of COVID-19 in public spaces. We crossed the milestone of 1,000 deaths and i think its important for all of us to remember that. Thats 1,000 people that lost their lives to COVID-19 and I think we all need to remember that. This virus is not going to go away. We have to do everything we can to make sure one another is safe, Governor Mike Parson said. And ahead of another holiday weekend, theres concern people could once again gather in large groups without proper social distancing and restrictions similar to Memorial Day Weekend in the Lake of the Ozarks. There is a trend where more people in their 20s and 30s are testing positive for the coronavirus. Health Director Dr. Randall Williams said it will be vital for young people to follow the advice of hand washing, social distancing and if social distancing isnt possible to wear a mask. I spoke with the Missouri State Medical Association, they would all highly encourage you to wear a mask if you cant social distance, and to use good hand washing, Williams said. Locally, Dr. Alex Garza believes our area might soon follow Kansas City in requiring masks in public buildings. Dr. Garza emphasized that evidence is clear that wearing masks decreases the transmission of COVID-19. "There are active discussion going on about that and very fair to say a lot of uptick going on both across the country, locally and within the state. So unless we want to go back to shelter in place, which I don't think anyone wants to do that again, there are simple, not expensive things we can do to decrease transmission of virus and one of those is wearing masks," Dr. Garza said. Mandatory face mask rule now in effect for St. Louis City and County Masks will be required in the St. Louis area beginning this week, as officials look for ways to contain the spread of COVID-19 in public spaces. St. Louis County Executive Sam Page agreed Tuesday, saying they are in discussions of what a mask requirement "would look like." [RELATED: How to properly wear a mask] However, Parson said the state does not have plans to mandate masks. He'll continue to leave that up to local governments. "You know, you have to make a decision as individuals to decided whether you're going to do that or not," Parson said. "You know the facts whether to wear one or not." The St. Louis Metro Pandemic Task Force recently changed the way it presents local numbers of COVID-19 cases. Until now, the group combined presumed cases and positive cases into one number. They said that strategy helped hospitals make sure they had enough equipment on hand during the peak of the pandemic. Also early on, they were only testing people who had high suspicion of having the virus. Now with fewer cases and most testing, the task force is highlighting just the positive cases of the coronavirus. "As we got to thinking about this a lot of those presumed COVID patients don't actually convert to COVID positive patients, in fact the majority don't, Dr. Garza said. So we felt it was a little bit inaccurate to be reporting the true COVID cases plus presumed because it makes the number look bigger than the COVID disease actually is." Saint Louis University joins the University of Missouri and University of Illinois systems in requiring students wear masks while attending in-person classes this fall. Twitter on Tuesday put a warning label on a tweet from President Donald Trump. Twitter users, including Trump's supporters, will be unable to retweet the offending tweet due to the measure. MOUNT VERNON While Knox Countys coronavirus caseload has remained relatively low through the first four months of the pandemic, so has its unemployment rate. Knox County had the seventh-lowest unemployment rate in the state in May, according to data published Thursday by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services. At 9.3 percent, it trailed only Wayne (9.2), Mercer (9.0), Athens (9.0), Union (8.8), Delaware (8.4) and Holmes (5.1) counties. It registered several points lower than the state (13.4) and national (13.3) averages. The county had the fifth-lowest unemployment rate in April, even though it skyrocketed to 12.4 percent due to coronavirus-related business shutdowns (it was 5.1 percent in March). Carol Grubaugh, executive director of the Knox County Chamber of Commerce, said this marked the countys highest monthly unemployment rate since 2008. Still, it remained well ahead of the state (17.4) and national (14.4) averages. Local officials believe Knox Countys economic diversity has led to this stability early on. According to the Area Development Foundation, Knox Countys five largest employers encompass four different economic sectors, including manufacturing, healthcare, education and government. Even the two manufacturing leaders, Ariel Corporation and Jeld-Wen, serve different industries (energy and construction). While manufacturing took a hit [in March and April], those other three [industries] didnt, and thats why weve been able to stave off some of the larger drops in employment, ADF President Jeff Gottke said. So basically... our economy is diverse enough to withstand a hit in manufacturing. That was not the case for some of Ohios hardest-hit counties. Logan County, for example, had the states highest unemployment rate in April at 30.1 percent. Its biggest employer (by a wide margin) is Honda, which had to suspend operations and furlough workers from March 23-May 1. Erie County, which had the states highest unemployment rate in May (19.9 percent) and third-highest in April (25.5 percent), has suffered similarly. The areas economy is largely centered around automotive manufacturing and tourism, and both of those industries were disrupted by the pandemic, Erie County Economic Development Corporation Executive Director Abbey Bemis told the Sandusky Register. Knox Countys economy was also trending in a positive direction before the pandemic hit, Grubaugh noted. Knox Countys annual unemployment rate dropped below 4 percent in 2019 for the first time since the Great Recession. It was one of just 33 counties to clear the mark last year. I think part of the reason we continue to have low unemployment rates compared to other counties is due to the great industry, retail, services, etc. here in Knox County, Grubaugh said in a statement. Its an attractive place to live and work and that certainly keeps our numbers low. Quality of life does impact the economic climate of any county. Our QOL is excellent so I believe good things trickle down this positive stream. MOVING FORWARD: After declining from 12.4 to 9.3 percent in May, Gottke expects Knox Countys unemployment rate to have dropped again in June. He tracks weekly unemployment figures the number of new and existing claims filed by local residents and he said the countys unemployment rate had dipped to 5.1 percent by June 26 (monthly averages will be finalized later this month). The number of new claims has declined consistently in recent weeks, he added, which is a welcome sign following the turbulent spring. Just 99 new claims were filed by Knox County residents last week, compared to a high of 1,092 during the final week of March. Were getting back to normal, Gottke said. Well, maybe not normal, but were getting back to where it was before. A decline in unemployment rates could mean one of two things, Gottke noted. Either unemployment benefits have ended for a certain number of county residents, and theyre no longer being counted, or theyre going back to work. Gottke feels confident in the latter. Its more likely that they went back to work, he said. Ohio has slowly begun to reopen its economy in the last two months, following several weeks of government-mandated shutdowns. The state ordered the closure of all non-essential businesses in mid-March to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus, which has killed 2,704 Ohioans to-date. The reopening process began May 1 and continues today, with certain businesses and operations still closed by government order. Knox Countys workforce is made up of 31,600 people, according to the ODJFS. This means that roughly 2,938 residents were receiving unemployment benefits in May down from 3,918 in April. Still, Knox Countys May unemployment rate of 9.3 percent was three times higher than it was in May 2019 (3.1 percent). Gottke said some local industries, such as dining and lodging, remain particularly hard-hit by the pandemic. Other industries have experienced job losses as well, as companies have had to cut costs during the states economic freeze. What I do see happening is maybe with some individual businesses, where they maybe didnt bring everybody back he said. Im thinking of an example where I was talking to somebody who worked at an attorneys office, and they temporarily laid most people off and then only brought back about half of them full-time. Thats an example of where you anticipate something would be a temporary layoff, but it turned into permanent. Gottke added that unemployment rates only include new or existing claims not people who have stopped receiving benefits or who were ineligible for benefits in the first place, such as sole proprietors. Moving forward, Gottke said the biggest threat to Knox Countys economy remains the pandemic. He seemed concerned by the fact that, like many other states, Ohio has seen a sharp increase in cases over the last two weeks. This could lead to further economic restrictions, which would drive unemployment rates up once again. What happens throughout the state is the biggest threat to us, Gottke said. You know, our cases are pretty low. I think life, for the most part, has returned its as back to normal as it can be but if cases continue to surge across Ohio like weve seen, and the governor and the health director take any measures that may affect the economy, then thatll affect us here. Knox Countys economy is intrinsically tied to the national and global economies as well, Gottke said. Some of the countys major manufacturers, for example, have ties to specific companies or industries. If those are impacted by pandemic-related shutdowns elsewhere, the ripple effect will be felt here. What happens with them is gonna affect us as well, he said. Tyler Juranovich can be reached at 765-454-8577, by email at tyler.juranovich@kokomotribune.com or on Twitter at @tylerjuranovich Tyler Juranovich can be reached at 765-454-8577, by email at tyler.juranovich@kokomotribune.com or on Twitter at @tylerjuranovich Michael Leppert is a public and governmental affairs consultant in Indianapolis and writes his thoughts about politics, government and anything else that strikes him at MichaelLeppert.com. By Jung Min-ho The European Union (EU) has reopened its borders to travelers from 14 "safe countries," including Korea, amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The 27-member bloc decided to allow leisure trips from Wednesday (local time) as it struggles to revive economic activity while fending off new waves of the disease. The 13 others are Algeria, Australia, Canada, Japan, Georgia, Montenegro, Morocco, New Zealand, Rwanda, Serbia, Thailand, Tunisia and Uruguay. Visitors from China, where the new coronavirus first emerged late last year, will be allowed on the condition that Beijing allows in EU visitors. The United States, where more than 2.7 million people were reported to have been infected, was excluded from the list. But with the virus still raging in much of the world, it is unclear whether the EU decision will excite many Koreans. Government rules here require overseas travelers to quarantine themselves for 14 days on arrival, unless their travel is "essential." National Medical Center in Seoul / Korea Times file By Kim Se-jeong The Seoul Metropolitan Government is moving to relocate the National Medical Center (NMC) to make room for a new infectious disease treatment center, in an effort to cope with any new outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic here. Mayor Park Won-soon and Welfare Minister Park Neung-hoo signed a document Wednesday vowing to cooperate in the NMC relocation project. "I hope today's move will pave the way for the opening of the new medical center specialized in infectious diseases," Mayor Park said. "Also, I hope this will also put an end to the 17-year-long debate over the relocation of the NMC." "I hope this move will make the NMC the main pillar of public healthcare facilities in Korea and that the new infectious disease center will enhance Korea's response to infectious diseases in the future," Minister Park said. The NMC will move to the former site of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Far East District which is close to the current location. The 42,096 square meters of land is currently owned by the defense ministry. A city official said negotiations are currently underway about the land purchase. Since the outbreak of the COVID-19, Mayor Park argued Korea needs a new medical center specialized in infectious diseases and the NMC can be a good candidate site for it. Park's idea is in line with his vision to create a new international organization to assist the world's cities in responding to infectious disease. He proposed his idea at the Cities Against COVID-19 Global Summit which Seoul hosted. Amid the pandemic, many cities around the world reached out to Seoul to learn from its experience. The need for medical centers specialized in infectious diseases has been around since the MERS outbreak in 2014 but it hasn't been realized yet due to lack of resources and conflicts of interest. The government's response has been, so far, selecting existing medical institutions and offering additional support so that they can offer specialized treatment to patients. The NMC opened in 1958 with the assistance of Norway, Denmark and Sweden. Its relocation to Seocho District in southern Seoul has been pushed since 2007 but the plan went nowhere because of opposition from Seocho residents and criticism of the location's poor accessibility. South Korean President Moon Jae-in hopes that U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un will meet each other again ahead of the Nov. 3 U.S. presidential election in order to reactivate the Korea peace process, a senior Cheong Wa Dae official said Wednesday. Cheong Wa Dae has already conveyed Moon's idea to the White House in their "close communication" especially following the North's demolition of an inter-Korean liaison office in its border city of Kaesong in mid-June, according to the official. "The U.S. side understands (Moon's position), and it's currently making efforts (for that), as far as I know," he told reporters on the condition of anonymity. He refused to elaborate, saying it's not appropriate to make public details of such diplomatic consultations. In a virtual summit with EU Council President Charles Michel and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen the previous day, Moon reaffirmed his resolve to strive "with patience" to maintain the momentum of dialogue involving the U.S. and the two Koreas, the official added. Moon stressed that the two Koreas should not revert from hard-won "progress and accomplishments" in their relations. It remains unclear whether Trump and Kim will be able to hold another round of summit talks within the coming months. Earlier this week, Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun, Washington's point man on Pyongyang, expressed doubt about the possibility. "I think it's probably unlikely between now and the U.S. election," Biegun told a forum, adding that the COVID-19 pandemic would make such an in-person summit more unlikely. Asked about Biegun's view, the Cheong Wa Dae official just said he's "aware that there was such a news report." Moon's offer, delivered to the White House, came as Seoul-Pyongyang ties have turned markedly chilly in recent months, with the communist nation's denuclearization talks with Washington in a protracted deadlock. Moon, a self-styled driver or facilitator of the Korea peace process, started this year with a pledge to push for inter-Korean cooperation in a shift from his 2019 stance to wait for results from the U.S.-North Korea talks. The Cheong Wa Dae official said, "I don't think that the big picture of resolving the nuclear problem through dialogue between North Korea and the U.S. and getting peace established on the Korean Peninsula works separately from South-North dialogue." He added North Korea-U.S. negotiations would be a "major first stepping stone" to move forward the peace process. (Yonhap) Rep. Lee In-young of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea / Korea Times file By Kang Seung-woo President Moon Jae-in is expected to reshuffle his security and diplomacy teams replacing their members with his close, pro-unification aides, according to political analysts, Wednesday. This is seen as a move to find a breakthrough in stalled relations with North Korea and push harder for inter-Korean projects. Rep. Lee In-young, a former floor leader of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), is highly likely to be named the new unification minister, while Im Jong-seok, a former presidential chief of staff, is rumored to either take over as head of the spy agency or become the presidential national security adviser. Given that Lee and Im, both of whom were former leaders of the now-defunct association of university student representatives, a pro-democracy and pro-unification student organization in the 1980s, their possible appointments are raising speculation that the Moon administration may adopt a harder drive for independent inter-Korean exchanges and cooperation with North Korea, separate from Pyongyang's halted denuclearization talks with Washington. Cheong Wa Dae is said to have begun its personnel verification system to check if there is anything that could disqualify Lee. The four-term lawmaker, 56, served on the 20th National Assembly Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee and also headed the DPK's committee dealing with inter-Korean relations and unification. He gained recognition for his expertise in inter-Korean affairs, which makes him the right fit to fill the vacancy created by the sudden resignation of former Unification Minister Kim Yeon-chul over the worsened inter-Korean ties. Lee has also been assigned to the same committee for the current 21st Assembly. Moon hopes another Trump-Kim summit leader before November election: Cheong Wa Dae Korea-Japan conflict has no way out Japan opposes Korea's G7 participation Along with a new unification minister, President Moon is expected to reshuffle his diplomatic and national security team, including the national security adviser and the National Intelligence Service (NIS) director. The team has been under fire for the current deadlock in inter-Korean relations, highlighted by the North's demolition of the South-North joint liaison office in Gaeseong last month. Given that National Security Office Director Chung Eui-yong has offered to resign, some speculate the spy agency chief Suh Hoon may replace him, paving the way for the former presidential chief of staff to land the NIS job. Or it is also anticipated that Im may replace Chung with Suh remaining in his current post. Im, 54, is regarded as one of a few figures within the ruling side who has gained the North's confidence thanks to his track record. He led the government's preparation for three inter-Korean summits between Moon and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, during which he had opportunities to meet the North's leader and his sister Kim Yo-jong, who is currently burnishing her credentials as the No. 2 in the regime. Im heads the Foundation for Inter-Korea Cooperation, a private nonprofit organization, focusing on the unification of the two Koreas. Im Jong-seok / Korea Times file The speculated appointments are seen as President Moon's determination to improve bilateral relations between South and North Korea in the second half of his term. "Their appointments will serve as a clear message that the government will seek to focus on inter-Korean exchanges and cooperation no matter how this clashes with the U.S. and its policy," said Park Won-gon, a professor of international politics at Handong Global University. In a recent interview, Im urged the unification ministry to act aggressively to improve stalled inter-Korean relations without being cautious about the U.S. government's response. Washington has established the position that inter-Korean economic cooperation should proceed in step with significant progress in denuclearizing the North. "Both Lee and Im are self-assertive and ideological politicians, so if they assume the positions, their priority will be inter-Korean ties over the South Korea-U.S. alliance. I guess they will first attempt to dismantle the South Korea-U.S. working group," Park added. By Trudy Rubin Samsung Electronics' QLED 8K booth at last year's IFA in Berlin. / Courtesy of Samsung Electronics By Kim Hyun-bin Samsung Electronics will not take part in this year's Internationale Funkausstellung Berlin (IFA) due to COVID-19 concerns. The IFA is one of the oldest annual industrial exhibitions held in Germany. Samsung said the widely anticipated decision was made as the size of this year's IFA tech fair was radically reduced. "We've decided to cancel our participation in the IFA exhibition due to COVID-19," a Samsung Electronics official said. "However, our regional branches will promote our products through online events as well as other small-scale events." The company also said it will hold an online press conference at the show for its newly released European market products. While the IFA usually attracts 100,000 industry officials, general participants and the public, the organizer decided to drastically cut the size of this year's exhibition because of COVID-19 concerns. It has placed a daily limit of 1,000 attendees. The organizer also said most events will be held in the form of conference calls. Parts of the event will be closed to the public and only accessible to industry officials and media representatives who have registered. Since February, Samsung Electronics has canceled all major international events due to the virus. It has been considering whether to take part in the IFA since April. In previous years, Samsung has used the IFA to showcase its products for the European market. Samsung's decision is likely to have a big effect on the event's success and could hinder relations with IFA organizers. But Samsung's bitter cross-town rival LG Electronics said it will take part in the IFA, as scheduled, to promote its latest products. "We are positively looking into taking part in the exhibition, although we probably won't open a booth," an LG Electronics official said. "CES and IFA are the two main exhibitions in the home appliance sector where companies reveal their newly released products and showcase their technical competitiveness while opening up opportunities to hold meetings with buyers." The Noble Circuit Court courtroom is pictured in this file photo from June. Noble County courts are again shifting heavily toward video hearings as a way to reduce the number of people in the courthouse as COVID-19 cases have hit high marks again recently. Kendallville, IN (46755) Today Cloudy. High 71F. Winds NW at 10 to 20 mph.. Tonight Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low 44F. Winds NNW at 10 to 15 mph. Auburn, IN (46706) Today Some early morning breaks in the overcast, otherwise cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 73F. Winds NW at 10 to 20 mph.. Tonight Partly cloudy skies. Low near 45F. Winds NNW at 10 to 15 mph. Secretary Shi, I got my nucleic acid test result. Its negative. Thank you, a female citizen surnamed Chai told Shi Lijun, secretary of a Beijing community committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), over the phone on June 15. (File photo) A few days earlier, Chai, who had been to the Xinfadi market where the latest COVID-19 cases in Beijing have been found to be connected to, was in fact reluctant to take the test when Shi first found her and encouraged her to do so on the evening of June 13. Shi patiently explained to her why she needed to be tested while giving her disposable medical masks, and finally took her to a designated site for testing at 8:30 p.m. that night. Shi and five other members of the CPC committee of Anhuidongli community in Beijings Chaoyang district worked through the night on June 13, collecting data and reporting the information to authorities, and going door to door to persuade residents to take the test. This is just one example of the active efforts being made by CPC members at various levels across the country to fight COVID-19. CPC members and organizations at all levels have served as a fortress, and been the main force as well as the vanguard in Chinas war against the COVID-19 pandemic and its epidemic prevention and control efforts since the outbreak began. They have always been found battling the virus and contributing to prevention and control work in the most dangerous places, on the most arduous missions, and where help is most urgently needed. Official statistics show that more than 29.77 million CPC members have fought the COVID-19 pandemic on the front line, accounting for 76.1 percent of the countrys CPC members, civil servants, and officials from public institutions who have played important roles in combating the disease on the front line. China has seen nearly 23.7 million volunteers help with its epidemic prevention and control efforts, of whom 56 percent were CPC members. Furthermore, 56.1 percent of the 43,000 medical workers who aided the virus-hit Hubei province in central China in its COVID-19 fight were CPC members. A total of 677,000 grassroots CPC organizations of administrative villages and 302,000 Party organizations of urban communities across the country have joined in Chinas epidemic prevention and control efforts, covering 542,000 villages and 64,000 communities in the country. 883,000 first secretaries helping rural areas and members of poverty alleviation working teams in villages have played active roles in prevention and control of the epidemic locally. More than 8.46 million CPC members registered at communities to help with epidemic prevention and control efforts and provide volunteer services. Temporary Party organizations established during the COVID-19 fight around the country have also played important parts in containing the epidemic. The country has witnessed the establishment of 244,000 Party organizations on the front line of the COVID-19 fight. The 346 medical teams dispatched from various parts of China to Hubei have set up 1,661 Party organizations. Inspired by the fighting spirit and heroic efforts of CPC members in combating the epidemic, a great number of people have expressed a desire to join the Party since the outbreak began. 440,000 people have submitted applications for Party membership, and 25,000 people who fought the epidemic on the front line became CPC members during the fight, of whom 32.8 percent were young people born after the 1990s. Using the epidemic prevention and control struggle and the fight against COVID-19 as an opportunity to train, test, and identify CPC cadres, the country has recognized Party organizations, members, and leaders who have made outstanding contributions to the battle, promoting 5,520 CPC officials for their extraordinary efforts in the epidemic prevention and control drive. UPDATE - 10:30 BILLINGS - The Missing Endangered Person Advisory for Valerie Grubb, 63, is canceled. The Montana Department of Justice says she was found safe. BILLINGS - The Montana Department of Justice sent out a Missing Endangered Person Advisory for a 63-year-old Billings woman. According to the MEPA from the DOJ, Valerie Grub was last seen at her residence in Billings around 9 p.m. Tuesday, June 30. DOJ says Grubb suffers from diabetes and a sleeping disorder. Her husband worries she might have fallen asleep while driving. Grubb is described as a white female with blue eyes, red hair, weighing 200-pounds and standing 5-feet 6-inches tall. Her vehicle is described as possibly a 2018 Kia Sportage with Montana license plate 3-42406D. It is unknown what she was wearing when she was last seen. Anyone with information is asked to call the Billings Police Department at 406-657-8461 or 911. BILLINGS, Mt. - The Montana and Sheridan VA Health Care System Teams hold a press conference today to announce their new partnership with St. Vincent Healthcare and Billings Clinic Hospitals to better serve veterans. Both hospitals have created permanent offices for a VA nurse. Every veteran enrolled in the Montana or Sheridan VA Health System who is admitted to either hospital will be connected with the on-site nurse. Each phase of care like admission, discharge and continuing care will be streamlined for veterans as the VA nurse coordinates their care. The nurse will work closely with the community providers to create a care plan for each veteran. Billings Clinic Nurse Nowell Hoff is looking forward to help relieve some stress from veterans when it comes to their healthcare. "When we're trying to navigate through healthcare and you're already dealing with an illness that it's difficult and having to go between two systems and trying to navigate both of those systems for your care is very difficult so I actually think that they'll be excited and embrace just having somebody to help them when they're not at their best how to overcome those barriers," says Hoff. The Executive Director for the Montana VA Healthcare Systems, Doctor Judy Hayman encourages any veteran that isn't enrolled yet to contact their offices because the eligibility requirements are constantly changing. You can visit their website by clicking here. BILLINGS, Mont. -- A divided U.S. Supreme Court rules that religious schools in Montana can be eligible for a state scholarship program funded by tax credits. The court's 5-4 decision ruled in favor of three Montana mothers in Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue. The three mothers, the plaintiffs in this case, applied for the state-funded scholarships to keep their children enrolled at Stillwater Christian School in Kalispell. Today's U.S. Supreme Court ruling strikes down the Montana Constitution's ban on state aid to religious schools. The ruling is a victory for parents, like Kendra Espinoza, who want to use these scholarships to send their children to a religious school. "This is truly a historic moment and a big victory for our family and for so many other families," she says, "Our first amendment rights have been upheld, which is incredible for us and that ability for us to exercise our religion as we see fit and make the choices that we need to for our families, for our education. For our family that means being able to receive scholarships without discrimination and that is a very big win for all of America. We're excited." U.S. Senators Jon Tester and Steve Daines have both weighed in on the matter. Senator Tester says, "This troubling decision out of Washington, D.C. undermines our public schools and will hurt future generations. A strong public education system is the foundation of our democracy and I will continue to fight aggressively against any attempt to divert resources away from our schools. Senator Daines has a different stance. He says, "Im very glad the U.S. Supreme Court ruled to overturn the State of Montanas discriminatory action and support three Montana mothers who were trying to do whats best for their childrens education. Today is a major victory across Montana and the country for religious liberty. Religious discrimination has no place in our country. Amanda Curtis, President of the Montana Federation of Public Employees disapproves of the Supreme Court's decision saying, "public dollars should support public institutions that benefit all of us." The U.S. Supreme Court first agreed to hear the case almost exactly one year ago, on June 28th. Farm Share held its second free, food distribution at Lehigh Senior High School last Thursday. Lehigh Acres residents lined up around the block to receive fresh fruits, vegetables and other food necessities via the mobile, drive-thru only event. The free food distribution was hosted by state Sen.Lizbeth Benacquisto, Rep. Spencer Roach and Municipal Services Improvement District Commissioner Mike Welch. The East Lee County Chamber of Commerce (formerly the Greater Lehigh Acres Chamber of Commerce), with other local agencies assisting in the food distribution. Benacquisto, who heads up the organization of Farm Share food distribution events in her district, worked with other local representatives to create a second free, food drive following the high resident turnout during Mays distribution event. Sen. Benacquisto has really led the way in the Farm Share events and the ability to host these two food distributions back-to-back was made possible due to her strong relationship with Farm Share. I would like to thank her on behalf of myself and my district. I cant say enough good things about her. If I can do half the things she has done in her tenure to help the community, I will be happy, Roach said. On Facebook, Benacquisto shared that this Farm Share event provided free food to more than 400 families. She went on to thank Rep. Ray Rodrigues, the School District of Lee County, the Lehigh Acres Fire District, Lehigh Senior High and Roach for their involvement and work towards a positive volunteer event that helped feed families in SWFL. According to Roach, the second food distribution was extremely busy, which means additional support is needed. My call volume has decreased somewhat as the DEO has begun to get things back on track in regards to the unemployment system, but there is still a great need in the community. We served a total of 394 cars, and definitely even more families, during the morning. We ran out of food again, Roach said. Im all about trying to do these as frequently as we can to support the community. I wish we could do them every day but there are resource limitations. As far as Roach is concerned, North Fort Myers and Lehigh Acres remain two of the communities most in need and he will continue to focus on those areas. Lehigh Senior High School is located at 901 Gunnery Road N., Lehigh Acres In a visit to Gulf Coast Medical Center in Fort Myers on Friday, Gov. Ron DeSantis said cases amongst young people were rising fast as the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) ordered an emergency shutdown of all on-premises consumption of alcohol at bars (though not ones that are part of restaurants) throughout the state. DeSantis called on younger people to exercise more caution, to wear masks and social distance. In the last two to three weeks, the median age of those testing positive for COVID-19 have been in their early 30s, he said. That represents a major shift from early in the pandemic, when the median age for positive results were people in their 60s. Since the beginning of June, the number of COVID-19 cases have almost tripled among those ages 25-34, DeSantis said. Thats a really big group of folks. Most tend to be asymptomatic and dont need medical attention but can still spread the virus to more vulnerable groups, he said. DeSantis said he rejected the idea of mandating masks. Weve advised thats something that can make an impact at the same time to do police and put criminal penalties on that is something that probably would backfire. You have seen some localities require it and they are going to figure out how they are going to kind of use the long arm of the law to enforce it or not. A lot of businesses will require it when you are going in and thats fine as well. A lot of what were seeing I think with like the younger people if they are partying at somebodys house or something they are probably not wearing a mask. Lets just be honest with that, DeSantis said. Were going to trust people to make good decisions. DeSantis said businesses were doing a good job by using masks and creating a safe environment and I think a lot of customers are going to want to see that and so they have every incentive to do it. Lee Health CEO Larry Antonucci said in the last week the percentage of positive COVID-19 tests at the hospital has risen to more than 20%. The demographic is definitely shifting to a younger demographic with our average age at 40. Of those COVID-19 patients being treated at the hospital, between 20-25% are requiring intensive care. As of Thursday, there were 172 COVID-19 patients at the hospital. I think were getting complacent, Antonucci said. As I go around in the community, I see a lot of people not wearing masks and although you may be 25 and feel that youre bulletproof. You have parents and grandparents and I bet you know someone who is overweight or diabetic has heart disease or has lung diseases and they are at risk. The fact of the matter is you are going to put them at risk. Bar service limited In announcing the decision to curtail alcohol consumption at bars DBPR Secretary Halsey Beshears said, Based on recent increases in COVID-19 cases and non-compliance with previous orders, DBPR has taken action to suspend on-premises alcohol sales at bars. DBPR believes this is a necessary step to take to protect public health as we continue working in partnership with industry and health officials to combat COVID-19. According to the agency, the suspension of on-premises consumption alcohol relates to establishments which derive more than 50% of their revenue from the sale of alcohol for on-premises consumption. Bars may still sell alcohol in sealed containers for consumption off-premises. According to the emergency order, part of the basis for the new restrictions is a significant increase in younger people testing positive for COVID-19, with a number of the cases originating in bars and nightclubs. At the Lani Kai Island Resort, marketing director Melissa Schneider said the resort was closing its ground-level bars and Club Ohana. The Sun Deck at Lani Kai and Sabal Palm Patio Bar & Grill will remain open with alcoholic beverage service but without any seating at the bar. The hotel will continue to fulfill to-go orders through its beachside service for those in the sand and at the beachside tables. As of Friday morning, more than 120,000 people statewide have tested positive for COVID-19 and 3,366 have died from causes attributed to COVID-19. Now that things have loosened up with regard to the pandemic, are there precautions you are still practicing? Which have you relaxed? Magnolia, AR (71754) Today Scattered thunderstorms during the morning becoming more widespread this afternoon. Storms may contain strong gusty winds. High 83F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%.. Tonight Thunderstorms this evening followed by occasional showers overnight. Low 64F. Winds NNE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%. Locally heavy rainfall possible. In 2015, Phoenix Investors partnered with the City of Milwaukee to demolish the abandoned and sprawling Interstate Forging Industries on Milwaukees near north side. It became immediately clear that the old plant had become an oasis for criminal activity given caches of stolen goods and vehicles, used needles, and spent bullets. The blighted complex became a haven for criminal activity that could easily be conducted out of public view. Once a source of jobs for the community, the plant shutdown had instead accelerated the neighborhoods economic downturn. The beer is ready to start flowing at a former downtown Lake Geneva church that has been transformed into a brewery. Officials at Topsy-Turvy Brewing Co. announced today that they will start serving cold beer Wednesday at their new facility at 727 Geneva St. Lake Geneva's newest microbrewery operates in the former First Baptist Church, which most recently was home to a bookstore and other small retail shops. Although the brewery is not fully operational yet, Topsy-Turvy will be serving eight of its beers, still being brewed off-site for now. The company's beers, given names with Lake Geneva connections, include Lake Path Golden Ale and Stellar Nova Hazy IPA the latter being a tribute to Yerkes Observatory. The new business is open from noon to 7 p.m. Wednesday. A large outdoor brick patio has been completed, and customers can either sit and enjoy a cold one or purchase beer to go. Remodeling of the former church's interior is still underway, eventually to include a tap room and other amenities. Support Local Journalism Your membership makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}} Brewery owner Daniel Schuld said the "soft opening" Wednesday is exciting, after more than a year of planning and preparing. California and six other states were added to New York's quarantine list on Tuesday morning, making a total of 16 states or 48 percent of the U.S. population in the quarantine list. Apart from California getting added, Tennessee, Georgia, Iowa, Idaho, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Nevada also became part of the quarantine list. This is on top of the original list of eight states in the joint travel advisory issues last week. According to New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, the eight additional states now meet New York's metrics for the travel advisory. Quarantine applies to states with high COVID-19 infection All three states observe the same metrics: If someone comes from a state with at least 10 positive COVID-19 cases per 100,000 residents or a state with 10 percent testing rate for the virus on a seven-day rolling period, they must observe the quarantine order, reported USA Today. States can be added to or removed from the list if these numbers change. Out-of-state travelers could lead to an increase in COVID-19 hospitalizations, fatalities, and cases, Cuomo warned. New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy added that people in the three states had gone "through hell and back" and did want more virus infections. New York is requiring travelers from states with high COVID-19 infection rates to self-quarantine for 14 days as it awaits a decision on the reopening of indoor dining establishments in New York City. New Jersey and Connecticut are also requiring the quarantine. Travelers don't need to quarantine themselves if they are only passing through for a short time, like flight layovers. Essential workers are also exempt from this, as New York offers different precautions they should observe instead of a full quarantine. Recent estimates in New York City alone show about 2.5 million, or 29% of the city population, are Latinos, said American Sociological Association. Complying to health protocol In a report from Associate Press, Cuomo said he is worried about the lack of compliance to wear masks and observe social distancing in New York. He noted reports that said dining in air-conditioned indoor areas could lead to an increase in COVID-19. Cuomo said New York is going to send police, health monitors, and State Liquor Authority monitors to look all throughout the city and find out if New Yorkers are complying. "I've said to the local governments in New York, also on Long Island, [that] we have an issue. They have to enforce the compliance," Cuomo said, "I don't want to be a hard-edge, but it's the law." California Governor Gavin Newsom said Friday he respected the decision of the other governors. It was clear that California met the criteria set for the quarantine list. A fine amounting to $1,000 comes with breaking the quarantine, and it could go up to $5,000 for repeated violation, reported BBC last week. The original list included the states of Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, Florida, North and South Carolina, Texas, and Utah. According to the New York Department of Health, about 900 people were hospitalized with COVID-19 and 13 individuals who tested for the virus died Monday in hospitals and nursing homes. Want to read more? Check these! As the number of COVID-19 cases rises to more than 10.5 million worldwide, people are beginning to wonder whether a coronavirus vaccine could be available by the end of the year. The timeline for how long it will take for researchers to release a viable vaccine varies between experts. According to the U.S.A. Today vaccine panel, the world is only at one-third of the way towards developing an effective vaccine. Paul Offit, a director at the Children's Hospital in Philadelphia, said he believes the vials will be ready mid-2021. Pamela Bjorkman, a structural biologist at Caltech University, echoed Offit's statement. She also noted that companies would likely face a challenge in producing, manufacturing, and distributing hundreds of millions of doses across the globe. Other health experts also posed questions on more significant issues, including: Are the vaccines safe to use in humans? Are the vaccines effective against COVID-19? Will the vaccines provide lasting protection? Can it be mass-produced quickly and reliably? Who is the vaccine frontrunner? In a vaccine tracker created by the Regulatory Affairs Professionals Society (RAPS), there are at least 36 vaccines currently under clinical trials and pre-clinical stages, as of June 25. According to WHO chief scientist Soumya Swaminathan, a COVID-19 vaccine being developed by AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford is currently the frontrunner. The AZD1222 vaccine is currently in phase 3 clinical trials-the first amongst all candidates to advance to late-stage testing. The WHO official also noted the company's plans to conduct vaccine trials in a global scope. Late-stage testing is expected to occur in several countries, with several trials in progress in the U.K., Brazil, and South Africa. AstraZeneca's vaccine is one of only a handful selected by the Trump administration to receive funding as part of its initiative, Operation Warp Speed. However, the drugmaker's C.E.O. revealed the vaccine is only expected to protect from the novel coronavirus for one year, Fierce Pharma reported. It isn't clear whether recipients should get another dose or rely on other vaccines or treatments. A close second Moderna's mRNA COVID-19 vaccine is a close second in the race to develop a safe and effective dose, says Swaminathan. The mRNA-1273 is currently in phase 2 clinical trials. The biotech company plans to launch the third and final phase of its study in July, The Motley Fool reports. On June 12, Moderna finished finalizing its protocols for the Phase III clinical trial of its vaccine after receiving suggestions from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The research team is set to collaborate with the National Institutes of Health (N.I.H.) and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) to enroll over 30,000 participants in the U.S. Moderna's C.E.O., Stephane Bancel, said he believes their vaccine has an 80 percent approval rate from the F.D.A. She also claims the biotech company expects to deliver 500 million vaccine doses each year starting 2021. Want to read more? White House's top infectious disease expert, Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, said the United States may reach 100,000 new daily coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases if current outbreaks across the South and West remain uncontrolled. The director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) presented the grim prediction during a Tuesday testimony on Capitol Hill. According to a New York Times database, the number of new daily cases surged by 80 percent in the past 14 days as new hot spots emerge in the Southern and Western states. Fauci also claimed the country is "going in the wrong direction" as many Americans continue with their normal routines while flouting social distancing and mask guidelines. Hospitalizations and Infections During the meeting with Congress, Robert Redfield, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), revealed hospitalization rates rose in 12 states. Over 130 counties are now being considered as "coronavirus hot spots." On Tuesday, Texas health officials reported over 6,975 new cases and 6,533 hospitalizations. In Houston, the ICUs hit a 97 percent capacity. The recent surges forced Governor Greg Abbot to suspend all elective surgeries. The move aims to ensure bed availability for COVID-19 patients, CNBC reports. In Arizona, state officials recorded 4,682 new cases, bringing the state's total tally to 79,215. The increase covers for a two-day period after a reporting issue led some cases from Monday to be uncounted. The state reported 625 new cases on Monday. The numbers were about half less than the actual cases, according to the health department. Governor Doug Ducey announced Monday that bars, gyms, theaters, parks, and tubing rentals are subjected to a month-long closure. California health officials reported 6,367 cases on Tuesday, marking its second-biggest daily jump. The new numbers bring the state's total tally to 222,917. Hospitalizations also jumped to a record 5,077 patients, with 1,528 currently in the ICU. Florida's Miami-Dade County reported the highest numbers of COVID-19 hospitalizations since early May. On Tuesday, county officials said it has 1,202 coronavirus patients in hospitals. Over 236 patients are confined in the intensive-care unit, while 103 are on ventilators. Economic Recovery The recent trend of the virus weighed down talk of resuming a normal life and improving the U.S. economy. Jerome H. Powell, chairman of the Federal Reserve, said a full recovery of the American economy is highly unlikely until the safety of the people is assured. Powell also warned a second outbreak could force the government to impose sweeping lockdowns again-a move, he warns, would greatly impact the economy. New research from Goldman Sachs suggested a national mask mandate could help save the U.S. economy over $1 trillion, as reported by Forbes. A federal mandate could increase mask usage across the country by 15 percent, effectively cutting the daily growth of new cases by 0.6 percent. Want to read more? Very few countries offer visitors a medley of experiences like Brazil. The countries people have mastered the art of living in color as well as creating gastronomic delights. Brazil is famous for its meat-based dishes, but the country's cuisine ranges far beyond just savory meals. Brazilians are known for preparing spectacular desserts that will end your meals with a high note. The locals took inspiration from the cultures of Natives, Europeans, and Asians to create the nation's cuisine and its unique identity. Brazilian food center on fruit-based dishes as well as complicated pastries using condensed milk and coconut. Their desserts feature variants of Portuguese sweets, but made with local ingredients. Below are some of the best sweet treats you'll need to try whenever you plan a trip to Brazil. This candy is one of the best-selling candies in Brazil. It contains gluten that allows it to blend with the special creamy coating. Bonbon Sonho De Valsa is made of a layer of crispy wafer topped with perfect Lacta milk chocolate. It is also packed with cashew cream to make a unique and extraordinary combination. This absolutely delicious gum-candy is overflowing with sweetness. With a wide range of flavors, the treat can easily attract kids of all ages. Zaza Brand candy is famous for its moist and fruity flavors. A single bite of one of these delicacies would most likely have you thinking about finishing the whole pack. The Zaza Filled Chewy Chocolate Taffy Peccin Candy is kosher-approved and under rabbinical regulation. Brazilian Coffee Candy is a strong treat produced with authentic coffee blends. Its flavor and aroma serve as a perfect match with coffee drinkers' taste. This sweet is made from real caffeine and, on average, is equal to a cup of coffee with every 6 or 7 servings. Every piece of candy has a caffeine content of about 20 - 25 mg. Each piece of candy contains about 14.25 calories and 2.25 grams of sugar, making it absolutely savory and fulfilling. Popular in Brazil, this sweet is a white and milk chocolate wafer ball. The product bag is 1 kg, while the item's chocolate is 21.5 g each. A bag contains more than 40 irresistible pieces. This sweet comes in white gold made from a fine combination of milk and white chocolate blended to produce one delectable bite. Amafil Massa Para Tapioca is one of the most admired tapioca brands in Brazil. It originates from the cassava plant root and is also used for gluten-free baked goods, particularly for desserts such as cookies and pastries. A quick tip: To fully appreciate this Brazillian treat, it is recommended to spill a little bit of the product onto a hot skillet, letting it turn and swirl before pouring in sweet condensed milk and delicious berries. Looking for more products? Check these out: UPDATE (7/2): 832 new COVID-19 cases, most in a day since May, push Pa. to 88K Coronavirus cases in Pennsylvania have topped 87,000 and COVID-19 deaths nearly number 6,700 as we enter the second half of 2020. Cases increased by 636 the most in one day in almost three weeks with 38 more deaths in Wednesdays daily report from the Pennsylvania Department of Health. The case count now stands at 87,242 with a death toll of 6,687. (Cant see the map? Click here.) Meanwhile, as Pennsylvania reopens, Gov. Tom Wolf has issued a reminder to restaurants and bars about rules and restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic. The health department has launched an early warning data system to see how your county is trending. In the Lehigh Valley, Lehigh County has officially reached a grim milestone in its COVID-19 death toll. Here are your Pa. coronavirus updates for July 1, 2020. Coronavirus in Pennsylvania Coronavirus testing has increased in Pennsylvania, and so has the rate of new cases. Six hundred or more new cases have been reported statewide four days in the last week. The health department estimates 78% of Pennsylvanians have so far recovered from the coronavirus. To date, 689,562 tests have come back negative and the state is currently conducting about 12,000 tests a day, about double the test rate when daily case counts peaked in April. (Cant see this chart? Click here) In Pennsylvania, the majority of hospitalizations and deaths have been in residents 65 and older, according to state data. Residents of long-term care facilities account for 17,805 cases of COVID-19, about 20% of the states total, and 4,583 deaths, about 69% of Pennsylvanias death toll. However, rising case rates can have repercussions. As U.S. coronavirus cases rise to record levels, some states are walking back reopening plans. Pittsburghs Allegheny County is halting on-site consumption of alcohol in bars due to a spike in cases. And even in the Lehigh Valley, where case rates have remained largely flat for weeks, Eastons mayor warned that some bars could be closed if they cant control patrons after a raucous and violent first weekend in the green phase. (Cant see the chart? Click here.) On Wednesday, Gov. Wolf reissued guidance for bars and restaurants to prevent the spread of the pandemic virus. Among them: They are limited to 50% capacity. Masks are required of all customers, except while seated. There must be at least six feet between tables or barriers between booths. The Pennsylvania State Police Bureau of Liquor Control Enforcement will be conducting compliance checks, the governors office said. Failure to comply could result in a fine up to $1,000 or possible suspension or revocation of a sites liquor license. (Cant see the chart? Click here.) Coronavirus in the Lehigh Valley Lehigh County officially reached a grim pandemic milestone: 300 residents have now died from COVID-19, according to the states Wednesday report. The county itself reported the sad figure on Friday. Northampton County this week reported that 267 of its residents have died. Both counties say the average age of those who have died was over 80 years old. Combined, the Lehigh Valley now totals 7,683 coronavirus cases and 568 deaths 35 more cases and five more deaths from the previous day, according to the states figures. (Cant see the map? Click here.) More deaths were also reported in nearby counties: Over the pandemics duration, the Lehigh Valley and surrounding counties have seen some of Pennsylvanias highest densities of coronavirus cases. The pandemic and resulting safety regulations have caused a number of events to be cancelled. Among the biggest and most recent: The Lehigh Valley IronPigs entire 2020 season. (Cant see the table? Click here.) Did protests spread COVID-19? Experts say its unlikely. There is little evidence that the protests that erupted after George Floyds death caused a significant increase in U.S. coronavirus infections, according to an Associated Press report citing health experts and early studies. If the protests had driven an explosion in cases, experts say, the jumps would have started to become apparent within two weeks and perhaps as early as five days. But that didnt happen in many cities with the largest protests, including New York, Chicago, Minneapolis, and Washington, D.C. In many cities, the protests actually seemed to lead to a net increase in social distancing, as more people who did not protest decided to stay off the streets, said one studys lead author, Dhaval Dave of Bentley University. Drawing from data compiled by Johns Hopkins University, The Associated Press reviewed trends in daily reported cases in 22 U.S. cities with protests. It found post-protest increases in several cities including Houston and Madison, Wisconsin where experts say other factors were more likely the main drivers. Health officials are still investigating case surges in different states, and more data may come in. But experts believe that if the protests did have a big impact on cases, stronger signs would be apparent now. SEE MORE: Little evidence that protests spread coronavirus in US (AP) Health department launches early warning system The Pennsylvania Department of Health this week debuted an early warning monitoring system, an online dashboard that shows how Pennsylvania and each of its 67 counties are trending. The data will be updated each week, comparing metrics from the previous seven days including the differences in confirmed cases, the case rate per 100,000 people, test positivity rates, and the average number of hospitalizations and patients on ventilators a week. This helps provide an idea if your county is improving or getting worse. The early warning monitoring system dashboard can be found at health.pa.gov. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to lehighvalleylive.com. Steve Novak may be reached at snovak@lehighvalleylive.com. US Stock Markets Enter Parabolic Price Move In the first part of this research article, we briefly discussed the recent price and global economic events related to the 2018 to 2020 US stock market volatility and the COVID-19 virus event. The premise of this research post was to highlight the current upside parabolic price trend that initiated shortly after the 2015~16 US election cycle event. It is almost impossible to look at the NAS100 chart, below, and not see the dramatic upside price advance that took place after the November 2016 US elections. It is almost as if the US stock markets had been primed by Federal Reserve intervention over the previous 5+ years and someone let the monster out of the cage. The deregulation, changes to tax structures and general perception of market opportunity changed almost immediately after the November 2016 elections and really never looked back. BUBBLE PSYCHOLOGY & PROCESS A close friend of mine suggested the current tax structures provide a very clear advantage for corporations which allows them to retain a minimum of 14% more revenue annually. This is a huge advantage for any profitable US corporation when one considers all aspects of tax laws. Additionally, President Trump changed the system from a global to a territorial structure. (Source:https://en.wikipedia.org) This provided additional tax reductions for multi-national corporations and prompted US companies to stay within the US. These new tax laws had a major impact on the bottom line after-tax revenues for thousands of US companies over the past 3+ years. Yet, one has to earn a profit to be able to take advantage of these tax law changes and the COVID-19 virus event has put a serious dent in the earning capabilities of thousands of the US and foreign companies. The Redbook YoY data, representing Retail and Consumer Merchandise activity, has continued to post negative levels that appear to be far greater than at any time over the past 20+ years. How can one rationalize the upward parabolic price trend continuing while the consumer sector, the largest segment of US GDP, has collapsed to levels that are more than double those of the 2008-09 credit crisis? The only answer in our minds is that a euphoric bubble has set up in the minds of speculative and foreign traders. This bubble psychology takes place when certain factors have been put into place. Typically, these factors include _Displacement: when new technology, process, innovation or product/production capabilities disrupt and displace existing technologies. This creates an opportunity for traders and investors to shift focus and creates a new, untested, valuation process for the company or asset. _Credit Creation: when central banks act in a manner to support the credit market, capital investment, and corporate enterprise. This creates the opportunity for new enterprises, businesses, and corporations to startup and creates a facility for capital investment from speculators, traders, VCs, and investors. _Euphoria: the feeling that nothing can go wrong. You can invest in almost anything and make money. You could stand on the corner and sell empty cardboard boxes for $400 all day long because something thought they could flip them for $800 to the next person that walked by. This euphoria phase is a self-feeding frenzy that improperly validates very destructive behavior. In this phase, everyone feels utterly fantastic until Now, you have to start asking yourself a few questions at this point in time.. Have we seen any of these phases over the past 10+ years? If so, how far along are we into these phases? Bitcoin was a displacement component that didnt really start to take off until 2011~2013. After that initial rally, it launched into a euphoric phase with the historic rally to $13,880. WeWork was another displacement component promising a high-level remote work environment for the Gig/Millennial workers of the world. It built a foundation, found Softbank to back it, rallied to extreme valuations then what? Hundreds of other displacement companies exist that have yet to deliver any proven profits. Their valuations are incredible and their believers continue to pour more and more capital into them with the expectation that nothing can go wrong. All of this reminds me of the Beanie-Baby craze years ago. What next? Financial Distress: when traders and investors begin to pull away from the euphoria and begin to revalue their belief in the ability of the displacement company to really engage in huge revenue creation. When more and more traders and investors begin to move in this direction, suddenly we see a change in how people really value assets and future expectations. The displacement company that everyone loved 5 months ago becomes the distressed company that everyone questions. Before you continue, be sure to opt-in to our free-market trend signals before closing this page, so you dont miss our next special report! And this leads to _Revulsion: when trust in the markets and valuation levels is completely lost to almost everyone. This is what I like to call the shock-wave of the bubble. And this revaluation process leads everyone to run for the exits before the last bobblehead on TV suggests this is only temporary, buy everything and youll be really happy in 20+ years dont worry. (Source: https://medium.com/datadriveninvestor/the-psychology-of-financial-bubbles-924f7323b591 ) THE SETUP Our research team believes we are very near to the financial distress phase of bubble psychology as a result of the COVID-19 virus event and the disruptions to the financial markets in 2018 and 2019. A number of critical blips took place over this time that very few people really paid attention to. _ The revised corporate tax laws created a revenue source for all existing corporations that prompted a massive push for capital to be deployed in the US stock market. That 14%+ extra revenue suggested that everyone would see increased bottom line profits if they could make a profit. _ The Case-Schiller US National Home Price Index has risen almost 70 points since 2013 (just over 7 years ago). The only other time in history the Case-Schiller US National Home Price Index has risen that fast was between 2001 and 2007. Consider that for a moment. _ The US Fed burped up an error in August 2018. This error prompted a change in future guidance from the US Fed from a hawkish Fed to a very dovish Fed. Basically, the markets collapsed on Fed comments and the Fed became more accommodating almost immediately. _ Speculative investments (both foreign and domestic) pushed to higher and higher levels. Homes flipped. Cars flipped. Everything flipped and traders/investors pour billions into the US technology markets and other sectors because nothing could go wrong. Even as we knew the world was upended by geopolitical trade issues, foreign credit collapse events, BREXIT and dozens of other issues near the end of 2019, the US stock market rallied to new highs well into February 2020 even though we knew the Corona Virus was making its way around the world and could be a complete disaster. Then, the first phase of the financial distress hit February 24, 2020. That big bad day when the markets suddenly realized uh oh this could be bad and traders/investors throughout the world watched as almost the entire globe shut down because of the COVID-19 virus. What does that to the earning capabilities of almost all of the global corporations and businesses? How are they going to be able to sustain revenues to take advantage of those tax breaks when their businesses have collapsed by 40%, 60%, 80%, or more? Is everything going to go back to the euphoric party mode or not? Right now, the Fed has again come to the rescue with more credit and the markets ate it up like cotton-candy covered in gum-drops. Everyone wanted to get back to that euphoric feeling so badly, they jumped into the markets almost as soon as they heard that the US Fed would intervene off we go into parabolic trending. If you are starting to understand what we are attempting to illustrate for you, then you already know how this article ends. The parabolic price trends were seeing right now are likely the end stage of a hyper-inflated, credit-fueled price trend. Yes, they could continue to rally much higher from current levels. Or, it could all suddenly come to a stop as Q2 comes to a close and everyone starts to suddenly realize uh oh thats not good. Weve been warning our client and followers for almost 10+ months that our super-cycle research suggested the end of 2019 and all of 2020 and 2021 were going to be incredibly volatile periods in the markets. We warned that traders needed to start investing in Gold and Silver back in 2017 and 2018 to hedge against risks. We issued a Black Swan warning on February 21, 2020 just days before the markets collapsed as a result of the COVID-19 virus. Now, were warning that this current parabolic upside price trend near the end of Q2:2020 could be a massive setup for one of the biggest revaluation events weve seen since 1999~2000 (the last big bubble). Our researchers believe a shift away from the global financial speculation that has driven a total global asset bubble over the past 8+ years will suddenly shift away from wild speculative euphoria and quickly transition into the realization phase of uh oh, what have we done. It is this point that we suddenly enter a financial distress phase where investors flee over-inflated assets to move into risk hedging strategies. Why do you think Gold has rallied to levels near $1800 over the past 4+ years? A certain segment of global investors has already had their uh oh moment. The US stock market has gone parabolic because a very unique set of circumstances have come together at this particular time in history. Now, we have to deal with the current and future phases of this cycle and prepare for whats next. Protect your open long trades and/or take some profits out now. If our research is correct, we have already entered the Financial Distress phase. Q2: 2020 may be the catalyst event and that is only a few days away. Get our Active ETF Swing Trade Signals or if you have any type of retirement account and are looking for signals when to own equities, bonds, or cash, be sure to become a member of my Passive Long-Term ETF Investing Signals which we are about to issue a new signal for subscribers. Chris Vermeulen www.TheTechnicalTraders.com Chris Vermeulen has been involved in the markets since 1997 and is the founder of Technical Traders Ltd. He is an internationally recognized technical analyst, trader, and is the author of the book: 7 Steps to Win With Logic Through years of research, trading and helping individual traders around the world. He learned that many traders have great trading ideas, but they lack one thing, they struggle to execute trades in a systematic way for consistent results. Chris helps educate traders with a three-hour video course that can change your trading results for the better. His mission is to help his clients boost their trading performance while reducing market exposure and portfolio volatility. He is a regular speaker on HoweStreet.com, and the FinancialSurvivorNetwork radio shows. Chris was also featured on the cover of AmalgaTrader Magazine, and contributes articles to several leading financial hubs like MarketOracle.co.uk Disclaimer: Nothing in this report should be construed as a solicitation to buy or sell any securities mentioned. Technical Traders Ltd., its owners and the author of this report are not registered broker-dealers or financial advisors. Before investing in any securities, you should consult with your financial advisor and a registered broker-dealer. Never make an investment based solely on what you read in an online or printed report, including this report, especially if the investment involves a small, thinly-traded company that isnt well known. Technical Traders Ltd. and the author of this report has been paid by Cardiff Energy Corp. In addition, the author owns shares of Cardiff Energy Corp. and would also benefit from volume and price appreciation of its stock. The information provided here within should not be construed as a financial analysis but rather as an advertisement. The authors views and opinions regarding the companies featured in reports are his own views and are based on information that he has researched independently and has received, which the author assumes to be reliable. Technical Traders Ltd. and the author of this report do not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any content of this report, nor its fitness for any particular purpose. Lastly, the author does not guarantee that any of the companies mentioned in the reports will perform as expected, and any comparisons made to other companies may not be valid or come into effect. Chris Vermeulen Archive 2005-2019 http://www.MarketOracle.co.uk - The Market Oracle is a FREE Daily Financial Markets Analysis & Forecasting online publication. An organization that seeks to provide homes for hundreds of abused and neglected children across New Jersey has found a new home for itself. Court Appointed Special Advocates of Somerset, Hunterdon and Warren Counties (CASA SHaW), established in 2005, has moved its central office from Washington Township in Warren County to Lebanon Borough in Hunterdon County, a spot more centered in its tri-county service area. CASA ShaW is part of a statewide network of community-based, non-profit programs through which volunteers serve as advocates or mentors for foster care children and youth as they navigate their way through the New Jersey Family Court system. Tracey Heisler, executive director of CASA SHaW, described the offices new location at 148 Main St., Building D1, as an improvement upon its predecessor largely because of its increased convenience for the organizations staff members and volunteers. Our Warren office up in Washington was hard to get to, frankly particularly for some of our southern Somerset County volunteers. When we would have trainings they would forego coming because it was a 45-minute drive for them, Heisler explained. This puts everybody within 30 minutes of the office ... and it puts everybody within 20 minutes of all the court houses and the DCP&P offices, so its just a much more central location. The offices are also larger than those at the organizations previous location, enjoying five rooms for staff offices as opposed to the two in Washington Township and 800 more square feet of space. Stating that initial planning for the move began in January of this year, Heisler acknowledged that its timing could not have not more fortuitous in light of the onset of the coronavirus pandemic. We were kind of jam-packed before, and now with social distancing its much safer for our staff because I could put two people in a room instead of four or five, Heisler said. So from a health and safety perspective, it was an excellent move as well. Court Appointed Special Advocates of Somerset, Hunterdon and Warren Counties' new offices in Lebanon Township.Courtesy CASA SHaW Despite the obstacles presented by the coronavirus pandemic, CASA SHaW has remained fully operational throughout the past several months by supplying foster care children with technology to enable them to virtually connect with their mentors, of which there are approximately 120 in the organization. We reached out to our donors, who provided resources for us to get Chromebooks, and laptops, and phones for kids who didnt have access to that digital platform so that the advocates can continue to ensure that everybody was OK, Heisler said. Theyve been helping with homework, playing games, reading stories, all through this platform. Its been scary for these kids; theyre generally not with their biological families ... and resource parents do a fantastic job, but one of the hallmarks of CASA is they have the same advocate from the time they come into care until they either go home or are adopted or age out. So theres a long-term relationship there that can be very comforting in times of stress, like COVID-19, she added. The organizations successful shift to virtual services is further illustrated by its donors continuous support of CASA SHaW both financially and supply-wise which Heisler said has not wavered as a result of the global crisis. Our donors have been just fantastic, and have really stepped up their game in the last year or two, Heisler said. All of them have jumped in with both feet to say, Yes, thats something we can do, and something we can provide. Gift cards to purchase food, countless numbers of school supplies, and tote bags full of toiletries, games, books, blankets, and pillows are amongst the numerous supplies that have been provided to foster care children and their families throughout pandemic. While expressing her eagerness to have all staff and volunteers reunited within the new and improved offices, Heisler acknowledged that the continuance of the pandemic across the state requires the majority of those involved with the organization to continue working remotely for the foreseeable future. With the new office opening, we are also acutely aware of the concerns about the virus spreading, Heisler explained. So most people are continuing to work off-site, and if they want to come into the office they are emailing their peers and coordinating to make sure that theres not more than two or three of them there at the same time. Nonetheless, even if the extent to which the new offices can be used currently remains limited, the organizations commitment to improving the lives of New Jersey children removed from homes of abuse or neglect will remain anything but. Court Appointed Special Advocates of Somerset, Hunterdon and Warren Counties' new offices in Lebanon Township.Courtesy CASA SHaW Coming from a middle class lens of we expect to kids to end up with an Ozzie and Harriet kind of family life thats not realistic. But what is realistic is to see that you helped a kid graduate high school. You helped a kid get a drivers license, or get therapy to deal with the trauma, Heisler said. Its all really just basic things that most of us take for granted, but many of our kids desperately need." And the advocates, because they stay with them from when they first come into care until they go home, intimately know the history and the needs of these children. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Caroline Fassett may be reached at cfassett@njadvancemedia.com. Tell us your coronavirus story or send a tip here. North Third Street in Downtown Easton was once home to the citys wealthiest families. In the middle of Millionaires Row once stood the Seville Theater, and later the Boyd. Now all thats left is a parking lot. But after a groundbreaking Wednesday, a new apartment building will attempt to bring back the grandeur lost when the former theater was razed. Called, The Seville, it will have 68 apartments, according to Peron Director of Development John Callahan. The $16 million project at 56 N. Third St. will stand five stories high, although youll only be able to see four stories from the front. There will be retail on the first floor, hopefully a restaurant, Callahan said. Its facade will hearken back to the days when millionaires lived on Third Street in brownstone and brick mansions. My goal has been to return Easton to the grandeur before urban renewal, said Easton Mayor Sal Panto Jr. Hes referring to the development style in the 1970s and 80s of tearing down historic buildings and replacing them with ones youd find in the suburbs. We destroyed thousands of buildings. We displaced thousands of people. We need to bring them back, Panto said. To that end, the city demolished the Days Inn at 185 S. Third St. A committee of stakeholders recommended The Confluence, a mixed-use project also being handled by Peron Development of Bethlehem. Callahan hopes to get started soon on The Confluence. Work will start next week on the Seville and hopefully wrap up in 14 months. Peron President Michael Perrucci said he is investing in Easton because residents from New York and New Jersey are heading west on Interstate 78 looking to stretch their dollars by moving to Pennsylvania. This is going to be a great place to live, to work, to play, to eat. We want to be a part of that, Perrucci said. The Lopatcong Township native once saw movies at the Boyd Theater that stood at the site of the Seville. Panto said hed also been to the theater. The Boyd Theatre, North Third Street seen on May 14, 1972, which was the last day of its existence. It was previously the Seville Theatre.File photo The Seville apartments will have Spanish tile and Spanish flair akin to the former theater, Callahan said. Callahan considered canceling the groundbreaking due to the COVID-19 outbreak. The shovels were placed six feet apart. Attendees were checked for fevers and had to sign off on COVID-19 forms. We thought a bit about whether it was appropriate to have a groundbreaking given the circumstances, but the reality is life moves on. This project moves on, Callahan said. I think having a groundbreaking is a good sign and a good message to send that Peron is moving forward. SEVILLE FACTS The structure will be 17,000 square feet. It will have 43 one-bedroom and 25 two-bedroom apartments. It will feature a community kitchen and wellness center for residents. Apartments will have open-concept kitchens, large walk-in closets and 9-foot ceilings. The Seville theater opened in 1929, was converted to the Boyd movie theater and was torn down in 1972. 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. The Lehigh Valleys business community has weathered many challenging crossroads, from a series of major Delaware River floods to the horrors of 9/11 to the 2008 financial crisis. But business in our community has never faced a crisis quite like this. Offers of loans and grants arent enough, and businesses are facing an uncertain future in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. Businesses knew, even before the governors in Pennsylvania and New Jersey ordered non-essential retailers to close in the spring, there would be a rough road ahead. Now that were reopening, lehighvalleylive.com and The Express-Times wants to help you rebuild, regain your footing and find economic opportunity. NJ Advance Media, the local news organizations parent company, is committing up to $10 million to partner with you to kickstart your reopening through a matching program to help you reach new customers and bring back the old. The program will double your marketing impact by matching advertising dollars spent with lehighvalleylive.com, The Express-Times and our affiliates in New Jersey. So lets say you decide to buy $2,000 of advertising. Well match it so youll get $4,000 worth of ads to use through July, August and September. The grants start at $950 and will be matched up to $50,000. So many businesses are hurting in the Lehigh Valley and in need of a boost to get restarted, said Steve Alessi, President of NJ Advance Media. He shared the origin of the matching plan, crediting NJ Advance Medias sister properties in Michigan, Oregon and Ohio that launched a similar program earlier this month. Businesses responded immediately and thousands of dollars of matching grants are being approved every day, Alessi said. We are ready to do the same for the Lehigh Valley, serving our marketing partners just as we served our readers during the pandemic. Our advertisers and our communities are tough, but were that much tougher when we support one another. Why lehighvalleylive.com? The data shows our readers count on us in good times and in bad. Even without high school sports, lehighvalleylive.com has seen its overall audience grow nearly double since the pandemic began, according to Google Analytics. We want to see your business grow as our readership has. We want to help. You can apply here, and within two business days, a member of our team will connect with you by email or phone to go over your application and talk about the future. Applications will be accepted through July 31, 2020. UPDATE: Police are asking anyone with surveillance cameras along Route 191 between Route 248 and Brodhead Road to call Investigator Edward Fox at 610-419-9646 or email him at efox@bethlehemtwp.com. INITIAL POST: A man fired a shot at a 24-year-old woman during a road rage incident Tuesday evening that stretched from Lower Nazareth Township into Bethlehem Township, authorities report. The woman, who was driving a white Subaru Impreza, told police she was almost in a collision with the mans vehicle in Lower Nazareth, Bethlehem Township Capt. Gregory Gottschall said. As she then headed south on Nazareth Pike into Bethlehem Township, the man, driving erratically, followed close behind, Gottschall said. The woman turned onto Brodhead Road in Bethlehem Township and between Nazareth Pike and Fritch Drive, the other car pulled up along side the Subaru and the man, who appeared to be in his 20s, pointed a small handgun at her and fired once, Gottschall said. The man then pulled a U-turn and fled, police said. The woman was not wounded and the Subaru wasnt damaged in the incident that was reported about 6:50 p.m., Gottschall said. The mans car was a black Audi or BMW, Gottschall said. No other witnesses to the gunfire have come forward, he added. The incident remains under investigation and police are going to check with businesses to see if there is surveillance video of the shooting, Gottschall said. 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. Olympus has been making cameras since 1936, but its only in recent years that the Japanese corporation has been a part of any serious conversation about the Lehigh Valleys high-end job market. The headquarters for Olympus Corp. of the Americas, its subsidiary, opened in Upper Saucon Townships Stabler Corporate Center to much fanfare in 2006 and quickly cemented its place as one of the regions largest employers with more than 800 local employees. But its unclear at this point whether any of the employees who still work there will be affected by a major development that came out last week in Japan: Olympus is quitting the camera business after more than 80 years. A June 24 corporate disclosure of a memorandum of understanding details a plan to turn over camera-making operations to another company later this year. The name of that company is Japan Industrial Partners Inc. After the due diligence and further discussions and negotiations, the parties are aiming to sign a legally binding definitive agreement for the transaction by Sept. 30, 2020, the memorandum says. The market for digital cameras, it says, has rapidly shrunk as smartphones have evolved into sophisticated cameras. Olympus tried to respond to the shift with technological developments of its own. Despite all such efforts, Olympuss Imaging business recorded operating losses for three consecutive fiscal years up to the term ended in March 2020, the memorandum says. Carving out the imaging business will allow it to become more compact, efficient and agile and is the most appropriate way to realize its self-sustainable and continuous growth and to bring values to the users of our products as well as our employees working in the imaging business, it says. There will be no immediate change in operations locally or internationally, a spokeswoman based out of the Upper Saucon Township headquarters told lehighvalleylive.com. During the ongoing discussions, imaging will continue business as usual, says Stephanie Sherry, Olympus Corp. of the Americas vice president of corporate communications. Sales, service and marketing departments will continue to work hard to support customers with great products and services. Product launches already planned for 2020 and those announced as under development will still go to the market as planned, she said. Even after the deal goes through, there are no immediate plans to shed the Olympus brand name from cameras, but she did acknowledge that the name of the new company is still under consideration. Many photography enthusiasts are endeared to the Olympus brand. Its popularity reached a high point in the 1970s with celebrity photographers such as David Bailey and Lord Lichfield, according to a BBC report last week. Theres a huge amount of affection for Olympus, going right back, Nigel Atherton, editor of Amateur Photographer magazine, told the BBC. Those cameras were revolutionary -- they were very small, very light, they were beautifully designed, had really nice quality lenses. Olympus, however, has steadily branched out over the years and now produces an array of equipment for the medical, life sciences and industrial solutions markets. The Olympus Corp. of the Americas employs 5,500 across several locations in North and South America. Sherry did not provide a breakdown of how many employees currently work out of the Upper Saucon Township headquarters. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to lehighvalleylive.com. Nick Falsone can be reached at nfalsone@lehighvalleylive.com. By Stephen R. Shalom Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has pledged to annex some 30% of the occupied West Bank including the strategic Jordan Valley and dozens of Jewish settlements starting in July. As this date approaches, it is critical for all those who care about social justice and peace to strongly condemn Israels planned immoral, illegal annexation. It is important as well to denounce the U.S. governments role in facilitating Israels appalling action and to demand a cut-off of U.S. military aid For more than 50 years, Israel has been slowly but inexorably working to incorporate territory it seized in the June 1967 Middle East war. Each year more and more Israeli settlers have been moved in in clear violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention and more and more Palestinians have been displaced, their lands confiscated, and their homes demolished. Each year the prospect for Palestinians being able to live in freedom and dignity has become more remote. U.S. policy toward this ongoing land grab has been mixed. Sometimes Washington has offered mild expressions of discouragement and calls for peace. However, these words have always been accompanied by massive amounts of military aid to Israel, which has enabled its occupation and by a guaranteed Security Council veto to protect Israel from facing any consequences for its violations of international law. At other times, Washington has enthusiastically endorsed Israels expansionism, while showering it with military and diplomatic support. Either way, the blank check has continued. Not surprisingly, Israeli leaders have learned that the words dont matter, but actions do. Under the Trump administration, U.S. enthusiasm for Israeli territorial expansion has grown. President Trump declared Israels capital to be a united Jerusalem, which includes occupied East Jerusalem. He recognized Israels annexation of Syrias Golan Heights. He proclaimed that the illegal Israeli West Bank settlements were not illegal. And he put forward a Peace Plan that would add even more territory to greater Israel. Encouraged by his U.S. champion, Netanyahu ran in the recent Israeli election on a campaign plank of annexing key parts of the West Bank. After Netanyahus moderate opponents collapsed, the path to annexation seemed clear. Then, at the last minute, Washington demurred, concerned that perhaps they would destabilize the whole region, but the aid keeps flowing and Israel keeps growing. Trumps 11th-hour second thoughts, and even stronger words from previous administrations, could not stop Israel. As supporters of justice have long been saying, words must be backed up by actions actions that actually deny Israel military supplies or even hurt the Israeli economy. The Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement, a Palestinian-led campaign promoting various nonviolent forms of actions against Israel, follows a time-honored history as in the Montgomery bus boycott and the divestment from South Africas apartheid regime of peacefully opposing injustice. U.S. sanctions against Israel are the only way to stop the Israeli annexation juggernaut, and that means ending U.S. military aid now. Until these annexations are stopped and reversed, the prospect for justice in the Middle East are grim indeed. Stephen R. Shalom is a member of Jewish Voice for Peace of Northern New Jersey. Road workers in Laois were surprised to find a massive boulder in the ground during recent works in Mountmellick. They were digging to improve drainage on the Acragar road past the GAA grounds. "We expected to only find gravel," an engineer told the Leinster Express. Instead their digger found a boulder measuring about a metre wide. The area is near the Ridge road, which travels on top of an esker, an ice age ridge formed as a glacier slowly moved across the land, scraping the land flat and pushing rocks aside. The rock would have lain in the ground for over 10,000 years since the last ice age ended. Michele Castiaux is President of the Irish Geological Association and lives in Portlaoise. "It looks like a glacial boulder which would have been left behind when the local glacier melted. If the rock type is found out not to be the same as the local bedrock, it could then be called an "erratic", which is a boulder brought from a distance by the glacier. "On close inspection, you may be able to observe glacial striations which are long parallel grooves scratched on the boulder surface by other rock fragments as the glacier was moving on the landscape. Not to be confused with damage from the excavator!," she said. Ms Castieux who regular gives school workshops and field trips on Geology and Environmental, said that if the rock is not local it is "brilliant". "I can't really see the rock type from the photo, but it's likely to be limestone, which is the local bedrock type. It would be brilliant if it was a different rock type, then we would definitely have an erratic," she said. The council is undecided what to do with the rock, rolled up to the grounds of the GAA pitch for now. See her Facebook page here. The death has occurred of Padraig (Paudie) Price Annesborough, Robertstown, Kildare Price, Padraig (Paudie), Annesborough, Roberstown, Co. Kildare, June 29th 2020, peacefully at his residence. Pre-deceased by his father Richard (Dick). Sadly missed by his loving mother Josie, brother Noel, sister-in-law Karen, nephew Richard, niece Megan, relatives, neighbours and many good friends. Rest In Peace In accordance with government directives and in the interest of public health, a private family funeral will take place for Paudie. Those would like to attend the funeral, but cannot due to the current restrictions on public gatherings are invited to leave a personal message for the family below. Paudie's Funeral Mass will take place in the Church of the Holy Trinity, Allen on Friday morning at 11am, followed by burial in the adjoining cemetery. Paudie's family would like to thank the emergency services and the Gardai for all their help. Family flowers only please, donations can be made to the Allen Cemetery Committee. The death has occurred of Dominic (Dom) Cotter Celbridge, Kildare / Leixlip, Kildare Arrangements have changed. Cotter (Celbridge, Co. Kildare and formerly of Leixlip) June 30th 2020, (peacefully) at home, Dominic (Dom), best dad of Jacqueline, Anna-Marie and Shane, Grandad of Sheila, Adam, Christina, Sarah and Alison, father-in-law to Gerry, Alec, Marion and the late Roger, brother of Eamonn, Len, Sr. Anne (Chile) and the late Sean, Paddy, Kit, Tim, Dick and Mary. Dom was predeceased by his devoted partner Josephine (Joan) Moran. Deeply regretted by his loving family, nieces, nephews, relatives and friends. Your stories, humour, wit and personality were so unique, they will be treasured and missed by everyone including family, extended family and many, many friends. A private funeral will take place due to government advice regarding public gatherings. When the current circumstances have passed we look forward to celebrating Dom's life with friends and extended family at a later date. Please follow the link below to view Dominic's funeral mass which will be streamed live from St. Patrick's Church, Celbridge on Thursday at 12:00noon https://www.celstra.ie/live-feed/ Those who would have liked to attend the funeral; but due to current restrictions cannot, please leave your personal message by selecting Condolences below or alternatively leaving a message at www.cunninghamsfunerals.com. Family flowers only please. Donations, if desired, to Kildare/West Wicklow Community Palliative Care Services. The death has occurred of Surya David GALLA Lucan, Dublin / Celbridge, Kildare GALLA, Lucan, Co. Dublin and formerly of Celbridge, Co. Kildare and Pesaralanka, Guntur, Andhra Pradesh, India June 20th 2020 peacefully at St. James Hospital. Surya David Galla, beloved husband of Madhuri Galla and dear father of Sujith and Susmitha; Sadly missed by his loving wife, son, daughter, brothers, sisters, mother-in-law, brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, nieces, nephews, relatives and friends. Rest In Peace Due to Government advice and restrictions regarding public gatherings and to protect our most vulnerable family members and our friends, a private family funeral will take place. Those who would have liked to attend the funeral; but due to current restrictions cannot, please leave your personal message by selecting Condolences below or alternatively leaving a message at www.cunninghamsfunerals.com. Surya will Repose in Cunninghams Funeral Home, Ardclough Road, Celbridge on Thursday 2nd July from 2.00 pm to 6.00 pm. We would ask that everyone attending strictly adhere to current HSE guidelines and restrictions at all times. Suryas funeral Service can be viewed remotely by webcam by following the link HERE on Friday 3rd. July from 11.00 am (GMT). 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 subscribing to our ePaper and/or free daily Newsletter . Support our mission and join our community now. A 60-year-old man is due to be brought before a sitting of Dublin District Court today to be charged in connection to the investigation following the death of a 57 year old woman in Blancharstown. Gardai in Blanchardstown are investigating all of the circumstances surrounding the death of a 57-year-old woman following an incident in a house in Hartstown on Sunday, June 21 , last. At approximately 11.30am, on Sunday, June 21, Gardai attended the scene of an incident at a house on Willow Wood Grove, Hartstown where a 57-year-old woman was discovered with serious injuries. The injured woman was treated at the scene by emergency services personnel but was pronounced dead a short time later. A 60-year-old man was arrested at the scene and detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984 at Blanchardstown Garda Station. The scene was preserved and an examination led by members of the Garda Technical Bureau is continuing. The body of the deceased has since been removed to the City Morgue where a post-mortem examination will be carried out on Monday morning by the Deputy State Pathologist Dr Kathleen Han. An incident room has been established at Blanchardstown Garda station, a Senior Investigating Officer (SIO) has been appointed to the case and a Garda family liaison officer has been assigned. Investigating Gardai are appealing for witnesses to contact them at Blanchardstown Garda Station 01 666 7000 or the Garda Confidential Line 1800 666 111. High Premiums in Physical Gold Market: Scam or Supply Crisis? During the coronavirus crisis many people couldnt find physical gold, as there was a bullion shortage at dealerships. And these lucky individuals who managed to obtain bullion had to pay high premiums. We invite you to read our todays article about the high premiums in physical gold market during the pandemic and find out whether they were indicated scam or supply crisis. Gold is expected to serve as a safe-haven asset. But during the coronavirus crisis many people couldnt find physical gold, as there was a bullion shortage at dealerships. And these lucky individuals who managed to obtain bullion had to pay high premiums. What a safe haven that people cant find? And does not the price divergence between physical and paper gold show the price manipulation in the latter market? Lets analyze what really happened in the bullion market during the coronavirus crisis. First of all, gold was perceived as a safe haven and this is why it was in such high demand. Since the dawn of civilization, people turn to gold to protect their savings when they are worried about the future. The yellow metal was demonetized in 1971 when President Nixon closed the gold window, ending the gold standard, but gold never lost its position as a store of value. It should not be surprising, as gold was used as money for thousands of years and it has no counterparty risk. However, that high demand did not meet with sufficiently increased supply. You see, the coronavirus crisis is both the negative demand and supply shock. Many supply chains were broken. The quarantine, labor absenteeism, travel limitations and other measures undertaken to prevent the spread of the coronavirus disrupted the normal, smooth functioning of the economic engine. And it applies to the mints and refiners which simply could not work at full capacity. The bullion coin you see in the retail store is a highly sophisticated product which had to be earlier minted, refined and transported, which can be logistically challenging even in normal times, but it became really difficult during the Great Lockdown. This is the reason behind the supply shortage and high premiums. They do not necessarily prove manipulation in the paper gold market. Rather, refineries and mints stopped operating or capped production because of the collapse in global travel and shutdowns of local economies. Remember that three important gold retailers Valcambi, Pamp and Argor-Heraeus are all based in the Swiss region of Ticino, near the border with Italy, that was quickly shut down at the beginning of the current pandemic. Investors should remember two things here. First, there is always a certain premium on retail gold, as bullion dealers live on these premiums. One cannot have spot gold, so if somebody wants to own physical gold, he or she has to pay premium. After all, small and beautiful bullion coins or bars add some value and there are costs involved in producing them. Yes, during the coronavirus crisis these premiums soared, sometimes to 10-15 percent or even more over spot prices. But the havoc was unique: exploding demand and disrupted production and distribution chain at the same time. Second, the markets are not homogenous, but heterogeneous they are many segments on each market. Just as there is no single labor markets, but many labor markets (one for IT specialists, another for waiters, etc.), there is no single gold market. So, prices in these markets may differ, which is pretty normal (you dont expect that the salary of IT specialists will be equal to waiters pay, do you?). After all, the LBMA Gold Price is a snapshot of gold prices quoted by traders in the London OTC spot market for wholesale transactions (and spot price might be even something else, as it is derived from the futures prices quoted in Comex), while the price offered by bullion dealers is the market price of physical bullion in retail trade. Hence, there might be plenty of gold in a big trading hub like London, as there might be more sellers in the institutional market during the asset selloffs. And big fish typically use large bars of 400 ounces. The big ETFs and central banks do not buy gold at local bullion shops they buy large gold bars by the truckload. This is why the size of different products is an important reason for the price discrepancy. Such large gold bars are beyond the reach of regular people, who prefer kilobars, one ounce bars and coins, or even smaller products. So they have to pay premium for the possibility to get gold products suitable for their shallow pockets. Summing up, the bullion shortage and high premiums in the retail market do not prove manipulation in the gold market. They result from the market segmentation and supply disruption together with the explosion in demand for retail gold. But these shortages and high premiums do not have to impact the gold spot price, which is shaped in different segment of the gold market and by different factors. This is why London gold prices could go down during the stock market selloff, as the chart below shows, simultaneously with gold shortages in the retail market. Chart 1: Gold prices (London P.M. Fix) from January 2 to June 1, 2020 To be clear, it doesnt mean that the price of gold will not go up. We actually consider golds fundamentals to be bullish. But if gold prices appreciate, they will not do it because of the bullion boom in the retail market, which is a small fraction of the whole gold market, but because of stronger fundamentals and better sentiment among bigger players. If you enjoyed the above analysis, we invite you to check out our other services. We provide detailed fundamental analyses of the gold market in our monthly Gold Market Overview reports and we provide daily Gold & Silver Trading Alerts with clear buy and sell signals. If youre not ready to subscribe yet and are not on our gold mailing list yet, we urge you to sign up. Its free and if you dont like it, you can easily unsubscribe. Sign up today! Arkadiusz Sieron Sunshine Profits Market Overview Editor Disclaimer All essays, research and information found above represent analyses and opinions of Przemyslaw Radomski, CFA and Sunshine Profits' associates only. As such, it may prove wrong and be a subject to change without notice. Opinions and analyses were based on data available to authors of respective essays at the time of writing. Although the information provided above is based on careful research and sources that are believed to be accurate, Przemyslaw Radomski, CFA and his associates do not guarantee the accuracy or thoroughness of the data or information reported. The opinions published above are neither an offer nor a recommendation to purchase or sell any securities. Mr. Radomski is not a Registered Securities Advisor. By reading Przemyslaw Radomski's, CFA reports you fully agree that he will not be held responsible or liable for any decisions you make regarding any information provided in these reports. Investing, trading and speculation in any financial markets may involve high risk of loss. Przemyslaw Radomski, CFA, Sunshine Profits' employees and affiliates as well as members of their families may have a short or long position in any securities, including those mentioned in any of the reports or essays, and may make additional purchases and/or sales of those securities without notice. Arkadiusz Sieron Archive 2005-2019 http://www.MarketOracle.co.uk - The Market Oracle is a FREE Daily Financial Markets Analysis & Forecasting online publication. A man being prosecuted for the alleged anal rape of a child appeared at Naas District Court today (July 1). The man faces allegations of one count of rape and five counts of sexual assault. Read more County Kildare news It was alleged in court that the two male victims are related to the defendant by marriage. Det Gda Enda Coleman said that when charged the defendant replied I did not do them to the six charges. The allegations are said to have taken place on dates in 1996, 2001 and 2002 - between June 1, 1996 and June 13, 2002. The case was adjourned until October 14. The defendants bail conditions include residing at the address on the court documents, signing on weekly at a named garda station and that he make no contact with the alleged victims or other State witnesses. If the defendant accidentally comes into contact with the alleged victims, he must leave the vicinity. Judge Desmond Zaidan was told that the Director of Public Prosecutions has indicated that the issue will be tried before the Central Criminal Court. A Supreme Court decision was issued today in relation to the unauthorised quarry at Ballysax in Kildare. An Taisce queried the legality of the provision by which a quarry operator, or other party, could seek leave to lodge a substitute consent application via internal communication with An Bord Pleanala. Currently prospective applicants can engage with An Bord Pleanala through this internal process that is not subject to public consultation or the provisions of the UN Aarhus Convention, which have been incorporated into the Environmental Impact Assessment Directive. An Taisce, alongside another litigant, Peter Sweetman, raised this issue with regard to the pre-application communication between Sharon Brown and An Bord Pleanala in relation to approving substitute consent for an unauthorised quarry at Ballysax, on the Curragh, Co. Kildare. Following the failure of An Bord Pleanala to have regard to An Taisces submission, High Court proceedings were initiated and that judgment appealed to the Supreme Court. In the judgment handed down this morning, it was unanimously held that: the failure to make provision for public participation at the leave application stage for substitute consent is inconsistent with the public participation rights conferred by and outlined in the EIA Directives According to An Taisce, the effect of this finding is that the Supreme Court has struck down thisprovision of Irish Planning law as contravening the EIA Directive. It also says that this finding has major implications for other applications in the process of seeking leave to apply for substitute consent, including implications for future peat extraction activities on selected individual bog units situated across counties Offaly, Westmeath, Laois, Meath, Kildare and Longford. "The judgment delivered by the Supreme Court this morning clearly vindicates An Taisces public interest watchdog role in environmental protection in Ireland and further advances the prominence and protection of European environmental law," said An Taisce in a statement. "As a result of this mornings Supreme Court Judgment, An Taisce will be seeking urgent intervention by the newly appointed Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Darragh OBrien, to ensure that Irish legislation is brought into line with the requirements of the EIA Directive and the public participation rights of the Aarhus Convention." TWO Limerick TDs have been appointed as Ministers of State in the newly-formed Government, it has been confirmed this Wednesday evening. Deputy Patrick ODonovan has been appointed as Minister of State at the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform where he will have responsibility for the Office of Public Works. Honoured to be appointed by Tanaiste @LeoVaradkar to be Minister for the Office of Public Works. Im looking forward to taking on this new role and want to thank all those who have sent so many messages of support. @opwireland @merrionstreet Patrick O'Donovan (@podonovan) July 1, 2020 His constituency colleague, Fianna Fail TD Niall Collins, has been appointed as Minister of State at the Department of Education and Skills. He will have responsibility for skills and further education and will be assigned to the Department of Higher Education, Innovation and Science following the formal reconfiguration of Government departments in the coming weeks. However, there is disappointment for Deputy Brian Leddin of the Green Party who had been tipped, by some, to be offered a position in the newly-formed Government. Limerick native and Dublin Central TD Neasa Hourigan who, like Deputy Leddin, was a member of the Green Party team which negotiated the Programme for Government has also missed out on a promotion. A MAN who was travelling in the company of two active criminals has been convicted of failing to give his details to gardai, writes David Hurley. Alan Foley, 44, who has an address at Ballysimon denied the charge which related to an incident at Monaleen Road at a round 8.30pm on November 16, 2018. Detective Garda Donnacha Coakley said the defendant was a rear-seat passenger in a car which turned away from a garda checkpoint in the Castletroy area. The car was pursued and after it pulled into a nearby house, gardai spoke to the occupants. Det Garda Coakley told Judge Marian OLeary the driver and front-seat passenger were active criminals of interest to gardai and that the vehicle was searched under the Misuse of Drugs Act. He said he was then informed by a colleague Garda Jonathan Finn that there was uncertainty regarding the identity of the rear-seat passenger and that he made further inquiries. Judge Marian OLeary was told Garda Finn had noted Mr Foleys details in his garda notebook but that a bank card found in his possession had a different name. I suspected a false name had been provided, said the detective who added that he then invoked the provisions of the Public Order Act and demanded the details of the passenger. I asked once and I demanded three times. He failed to comply, he said adding that he then arrested Mr Foley and brought him to Henry Street garda station. In his evidence, Mr Foley insisted he had given his details to gardai when asked and that he had complied with all directions. He said the names on the two bank cards were his and that of his fiance and that the details noted by Garda Finn were incorrect. The defendant denied knowing that the other people in the car were criminals and he said he had asked for a lift so he could collect his car from a pub. He insisted he was never asked for his name by Detective Garda Coakley and that he didnt do anything wrong. Having convicted Mr Foley of the single charge, Judge OLeary imposed a 300 fine. An appeal has been lodged by Mr Foley. If you are in the Mungret Park region of Limerick city today, keep an eye out for Bernard Quinn. The Limerick dad of three is walking 100,000 steps today, to raise much needed funds for St Gabriel's Respite House. (Donate here) Inspired by the stories of Lorraine Tierney and here son Dylan (see here) and other users of the facility, Bernard decided he needed to do something. So he decided to set himself a goal of walking 100,000 steps to raise 10,000 for much needed funds, starting at 4.30am this morning. Speaking to the Limerick Leader, live on his walk, Bernard added - "I was heartbroken listening to the stories of parents who use the facility. They need money now more than ever. Yes, my quads and hip flexors are sore (he chuckled) but this is all for a good cause" The Limerick native is expecting to reach his goal at around 8pm this evening, so if you are in the area, head along to support him, or if not, click above to donate. Make sure to follow Bernard on Instagram, where he is recording sections of his amazing feat. "I'm a dad. @daddybernie on Instagram - It breaks my heart, hearing the struggles of families that could be availing of the Respite services provided by St. Gabriel's. Please help me to keep the Respite house open. St. Gabriel's are a local charity to the Mid West and do amazing work. I want to do something to help. Please give what you can. Join me on Wednesday July 1st in Mungret Park from 9am. Follow my Instagram account (@daddybernie) for updates! Share, follow, please get involved in some way. Thank you! " Make sure to click on the links above to donate and read more about St Gabriels. The European Union (EU) opened up its borders to 15 non-EU countries on Wednesday, but visitors from the US, Russia, Brazil and India, countries where the novel coronavirus is still spreading fast, will not be allowed to enter. The list will be updated every two weeks, with countries being added or removed depending on how they are able to control the virus spread. The contamination rate has stabilized across most of Europe though WHO has warned of a surge in cases following easing of restrictions. For a quick update on the rest of the national and world news, heres Mint Lite. Gold prices touch a new high View Full Image Gold prices in India hit an all-time high on Wednesday Gold prices in India hit an all-time high on Wednesday, tracking a global rally, as surging coronavirus cases in many countries raised the metals safe-haven appeal, Reuters reports. Local gold futures hit an all-time high of 48,871 ($646.66) per 10g in early trade, taking their gains to 25% in 2020 so far. It had gained nearly 25% in 2019. However, this dampened retail demand for gold in India, the worlds second largest consumer of the metal. Retail demand has remained low as stores have been shut due to covid-19 restrictions, and buyers wait for prices to turn favourable. Gold imports in May plunged 99% from a year earlier as international air travel was banned and jewellery shops were closed amid a nationwide lockdown to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus. In the overseas market, spot gold firmed near an eight-year peak on Wednesday as a spike in coronavirus cases drove inflows into safe-haven assets. Thai schools reopen View Full Image Thailands schools reopened for the first time since mid-March with cardboard ballot boxes used in elections being repurposed as partitions to ensure physical distancing between desks Thailands schools reopened for the first time since mid-March with cardboard ballot boxes used in elections being repurposed as partitions to ensure physical distancing between desks. Teachers handed out face masks, and a facial recognition scanner automatically checked students temperature and sent a message to parents. In India, the home ministry has instructed schools and colleges to stay closed till 31 July, as coronavirus cases rise rapidly. Online classes have been continuing, and schools in Delhi reopened virtually from Wednesday after the summer break. The HRD ministry is yet to come out with a framework for online education for schools. In the US, the American Academy of Pediatrics is pushing for 56 million students to physically return to classrooms, saying the mental and physical benefits of in-person learning outweigh the risks from covid-19. Time away from school often results in social isolation, it said. Cigarettes may vanish View Full Image Global trends in tobacco use Multinational tobacco company Philip Morris has said cigarettes may disappear from some markets within a decade as smokers switch to alternative products for nicotine. It is promoting a heated-tobacco device instead, but health groups say these expose consumers to other toxins. The long-term health effects are not yet known. Across the world, tobacco use has been falling since 2000 (see chart), but the number of vapers has increased from seven million in 2011 to 41 million in 2018. WHO has said these products are harmful to health", though research shows they are less harmful than tobacco. In September last year, India banned electronic cigarettes, along with Mexico, Uruguay, Brazil, Singapore and about 15 other countries. The US banned flavoured e-cigarettes as students were using them. Online betting rises in Japan View Full Image Japanese gamblers wary of covid-19 may be staying away from tracks but theyve gone online Japanese gamblers wary of covid-19 may be staying away from tracks but theyve gone online. Electronic wagers on local horse races rose 67% in April-May, Japan Racing Association (JRA) said. JRA, which ended its first half of the 2020 season on 28 June, said sales proceeds were $13.8 billion, a 1.5% year-on-year rise. Due to covid-19, horseracing has been held without live spectators since 29 February. Punters have shifted from pachinko, a pinball-style game played in packed halls, to online betting for horse and boat racing, Inside Asian Gaming reports. The SG 30th Grand Championship, a popular Japanese boat race, drew bets worth $136.7 million, well over its $93.3 million target despite having no live audience. While online betting has risen, consumers have reined in spending, causing retail sales to drop 12% in May from a year earlier. Japan has eased restrictions; on Wednesday, Tokyo Disneyland reopened after months (pic). Czechs host covid-19 party View Full Image Residents of Prague in the Czech Republic gave the novel coronavirus a symbolic farewell with a massive street party Go, corona, go" isnt something only Indians have been chanting. Residents of Prague in the Czech Republic gave the novel coronavirus a symbolic farewell" with a massive street party. Thousands sat at a 500m long table on Charles Bridge, a landmark on the banks of the Vltava river in Prague, sharing food and drinks they had brought from home, BBC reports. Photos show little physical distancing and live shows by musicians and acrobats. The Czech Republic, a country with a population of about 10 million, imposed strict restrictions on its citizens from mid-March even though case numbers were low. It has recorded fewer than 12,000 infections, and about 350 people have died, and restrictions have now been eased. Last week, the government permitted public gatherings of up to 1,000 people. Swimming pools, museums, zoos and castles are now open without limits on the number of visitors. Curated by Shalini Umachandran. Have something to share with us? Write to us at businessoflife@livemint.com or tweet to @shalinimb Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Kin Man Hui /Staff photographer H-E-B will require customers to wear masks at all of its locations, including stores in areas that do not mandate wearing them. The new policy, which has exceptions for children and individuals with health-related issues, will go into effect Wednesday. Carl Reiner, the ingenious and versatile writer, actor and director who broke through as a "second banana" to Sid Caesar and rose to comedy's front ranks as creator of "The Dick Van Dyke Show" and straight man to Mel Brooks' "2000 Year Old Man," has died. He was 98. Reiner's assistant Judy Nagy said he died Monday night of natural causes at his home in Beverly Hills, California. He was one of show business' best-liked men. The tall, bald Reiner was a welcome face on the small and silver screens: In Caesar's 1950s troupe, as the snarling, toupee-wearing Alan Brady of "The Dick Van Dyke Show" and in such films as "The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming" and "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World." In recent years, he was part of the roguish gang in the "Ocean's Eleven" movies starring George Clooney and appeared in documentaries, including "Broadway: Beyond the Golden Age" and "If You're Not in the Obit, Eat Breakfast." Tributes poured in, with Van Dyke calling Reiner "kind, gentle, compassionate, empathetic and wise," and Clooney saying he made "every room he walked into funnier, smarter, kinder." Betty White described herself as privileged to work with Reiner and "heartbroken." Steve Martin said goodbye to "my greatest mentor in movies and in life. Thank you, dear Carl." Billy Crystal said "all of us in comedy have lost a giant," and Sarah Silverman said "his humanity was beyond compare." Reiner directed such films as "Oh, God!" starring George Burns and John Denver; "All of Me," with Martin and Lily Tomlin; and the 1970 comedy "Where's Poppa?" His books include "Enter Laughing," an autobiographical novel later adapted into a film and Broadway show; and "My Anecdotal Life," a memoir published in 2003. But many remember Reiner for "The Dick Van Dyke Show," one of the most popular TV series of all time and a model of ensemble playing, physical comedy and timeless, good-natured wit. It starred Van Dyke as a television comedy writer working for a demanding, eccentric boss (Reiner) and living with his wife (Mary Tyler Moore in her first major TV role) and son. The pilot, written by Reiner, starred himself as Rob Petrie, and aired in July 1960. When the show was reworked (CBS executives worried Reiner would make the lead character seem too Jewish), Van Dyke was cast and the program ran from 1961 to 1966. One famous fan, Orson Welles, was known for rushing to his bedroom in the afternoon so he could be near a TV when the show was on. Associated Press Ex-wife of 'Da Vinci Code' author sues The ex-wife of "The Da Vinci Code" author Dan Brown has filed a lawsuit alleging the man known for writing about conspiracies and secret societies led a double life during their marriage that included a tryst with a Dutch horse trainer and other affairs. In her lawsuit filed Monday in New Hampshire, Blythe Brown also claimed credit for inspiring much of his work and coming up with the premise for "The Da Vinci Code." She also alleged that Brown hid scores of future projects worth "millions" from her, including a television series as well as a children's book due out in September. The most explosive allegations, however, are the extramarital affairs. Describing Brown's behavior as "unlawful and egregious," Brown said she only learned about it after the pair divorced in 2019 after 21 years of marriage. She accuses the best-selling author of secretly diverting funds to pay for gifts to an unnamed horse trainer, including several Friesian horses and financing for his lover's horse training business. She alleges the "illegal behavior" took place in New Hampshire, Europe and the Caribbean. Dan Brown, in a statement, said he was "stunned" by the allegations and called the complaint "written without regard for the truth." He said he never misled his ex-wife on their finances during their divorce and that she ended up with half their holdings. Associated Press Sir Patrick Stewart is writing memoir Nearing his 80th birthday, Sir Patrick Stewart is finally ready for the project he once feared taking on his memoir. The award-winning actor best known as Capt. Jean-Luc Picard of "Star Trek: The Next Generation" has a deal with Gallery Books for a "revealing and heartwarming look" into his life and times, the publisher announced Tuesday. A title and release date will be determined later. "The idea of writing a memoir based on my life and career has been in my mind for several years, but always the demands of work have pushed it into the background. Today there are no demands, nor is there a prediction when there might be," Stewart, who turns 80 on July 13, said in a statement. "I am caught in the middle of shooting a new series, 'Star Trek: Picard,' and I passionately want to see it through, but in the meantime ... what? Well, I have a beautiful study in our house in Los Angeles, sunny and peaceful. I am 80 in a little over two weeks' time. I have just treated myself to a gorgeous office chair. But most important, I am loving what I am doing, even though I never thought I would or could." Associated Press A Houston restaurant is stepping up to help the citys bar community. Lucilles, 5512 La Branch St., announced on Wednesday that it is launching a patio pop-up series that will allow bar teams from across the city to take over the Museum District restaurants patio for a full evening of service. On PREVIEW.COM: Houston restaurants, bars suffer new setback as coronavirus surges Executive chef/owner Chris Williams emphasized the importanance of supporting locally owned establishments. When restaurants and bars were initially forced to shut down during the pandemic I would feed my entire staff, every single day, with food from Houston restaurants, said Williams. Now we want to do the same thing for bars. The truth is that everyone is suffering right now and we all need each other. Staff from a rotating Houston bar will take over the outdoor area at Lucille's for one evening, collecting 100 percent of sales and tips from the event. Each bar team will be encouraged to present a curated cocktail list that embodies who they are as a brand and community. The pop-ups first featured guest is The Alley Kat. The Midtown bar will be set up on the patio beginning at 6 p.m. Thursday. DJ Big Reeks + The Waxaholics will spin tunes, and safety measures -- including social distancing and a no mask, no service policy -- will be in enforced. Attendance to the pop-ups is available by reservation-only, with a maximum time cap on each reservation to help further manage crowding. The patio pop-up series will continue for as long as support is needed, according to the release. The full line-up will be announced next week via Lucilles social media platforms. Houston hospitality owners were dealt a major setback Friday when Gov. Greg Abbott ordered restaurants to decrease dining capacity and shut down all bars in Texas. For the bar industry, which had been operating at 50 percent capacity as of June 3, the news was especially devastating. While president and CEO of the Texas Restaurant Association Emily Williams Knight said Friday that Gov. Greg Abbotts order was the right decision to help slow the spread of the novel coronavirus, she also recognized its crippling economic impact. Theres no doubt that for many of them this will be the end, she said. Since March, nearly 700,000 restaurant jobs have been lost in Texas and $4.2 billion has been lost in sales. BENZIE COUNTY -- Benzie County Central Schools Board of Education Secretary Stephanie Johnston recently earned recognized by the Michigan Association of School Boards for completing training in the Board Certification Program. Johnston, who has served on the board since 2015 when she was appointed to finish out a term prior to being elected for a six-year term in 2016, achieved the designation of "CBA Certified" meaning that she has completed a slate of educational programs designed to increase her skills and knowledge as a school board member in the State of Michigan. She called efforts to complete this training program her obligation to the community, especially considering that she serves on the District Impact Team working on the Blueprint program within the district. "If the public entrusts me to make good decisions for the school district, I feel like I should be as educated as possible," Johnston said. "It is interesting to learn some of the intricacies of school law, finances, building budgets. I feel like I am better able to serve the school board with the knowledge that I learned. It's professional development, so it's just adding knowledge to what you've already learned from our regular jobs or as parents. It's just understanding the intricacies." Over the past several years, Johnston has devoted several weekends and vacation days to completing the necessary courses to become CBA Certified. She called budgeting one of her favorite topics of study. "I think that was one of the most interesting things," Johnston said. "Learning about numbers can be kind of boring, but understanding how money is distributed and how best to apply it for your district is really helpful." Johnston also said she enjoyed a study of the Open Meetings Act and the importance of board transparency. While she is the only current board member to date to become CBA Certified, Johnston said that many of her compatriots on the board have also taken advantage of professional development opportunities. Board vice president Nicki Brown has even taken a role on the Traverse Bay Area Intermediate School District Board of Education. Johnston called it a privileged to serve on such a board. "We are so lucky to serve with the people that we do," Johnston said. "We all can respect one another. We may have differences of opinion, but we all enjoy each other's company and can still respect each other at the end of the day. "It really is important to have a good balance of personalities on our board, and we are very fortunate with Benzie Schools to have that good balance," Johnston continued. "We have people who are business owners. We have people who really understand how to read contracts. We really have a great group of people on there ... I think the public has done a good job of electing a good group of people." Houston hospitals are now feeling the impact of the recent surge in COVID-19 patients. According to Houston Chronicle's data team, Tuesday marked the highest single-day increase in COVID-19 cases for the state to date with more than 7,000 new cases reported. Harris Health Systems, the public health system which operates Ben Taub and LBJ hospitals is now transferring COVID-19 patients to other healthcare facilities in outlying areas like Kingwood and the Woodlands. According to Harris Health Systems officials, 49 percent of the patients in Ben Taub's ICU are COVID-19 positive. Combined ICUs at Ben Taub and LBJ Hospitals are now at 85 percent capacity. "We are now transferring out COVID-19 patients on a daily basis, because we don't have the internal capacity to manage them," said Charlie McMurray-Horton, the associated administrator of Clinical Integration and Transformation of Harris Health. The significant uptick in cases has resulted in a search to find more hospital beds for Ben Taub patients. "We at Harris Health Systems have to transfer our patients," McMurray-Horton said. "The intensity and level of the surge has definitely increased." McMurray-Horton added that all Houston hospital ERs are facing the same flow of patients and challenges together, collaborating to help everyone in the community. "We have a great collaboration with Houston Methodist, Memorial Hermann, so they've taken several patients," McMurray-Horton said. "Not only in the TMC, but also in their outlying hospitals, like Kingwood, the Woodlands. Texas Children's is also making some adjustment to take adult patients. Everyone has risen to the challenge to meet the community's need." McMurray-Horton compared the COVID-19 crisis situation to a hurricane that never ends. "Houstonians know how to prepare and galvanize in a hurricane," McMurray-Horton said. "We prepare for it and we do the recovery. Houston Strong. We are doing that now. It's just that a hurricane lasts 5 days. This has been continuous." From first responders to long-term care facilities, the impact of the uptick in Houston's COVID-19 cases is now being felt across the board, McMurray-Horton said. "The higher the numbers, the bigger the burden is on the entire healthcare system in Houston," McMurray-Horton said. McMurray-Horton is not shocked by the rising numbers, but she is concerned about the COVID-19 surge in Houston. "I'm not surprised because the size of our area," McMurray-Horton said. "We're the third largest county behind NY, LA, and Chicago. It's concerning because we had the opportunity to impact it early on. We need to get back to the basics to control the increase. People got comfortable when we initially didn't get that surge. I have all the faith that we'll start impacting those numbers and bringing them down." alison.medley@chron.com Nuevo Laredo announced one death and 35 more cases of the novel coronavirus on Tuesday night. The city was coming off its worst day from the virus on Monday when the city suffered four deaths and 53 cases both single-day highs. On Tuesday, Nuevo Laredo announced that an 81-year-old man had died. He is the ninth death in just four days and the 14th in the past 11 days. Across the border, the City of Laredo has had only eight deaths since May 5 and 14 deaths since April 17. Unfortunately this afternoon, Nuevo Laredo records 726 positives and 49 deaths, this with the latest update from the Ministry of Health of Tamaulipas where 35 cases of COVID-19 were confirmed and the death of a man 81 years old. Nuevo Laredo Mayor Enrique Rivas Cuellar said. Following prevention and hygiene measures, we can all help stop this virus that damages and in some cases ends the lives of people. Let's not wait for a tragedy to happen in our family to start protecting our health. Tuesdays 35 new positives were the fourth most the city has announced in one day. It was also just the sixth time the city has had 30 or more cases, with five of those having occurred over the past nine days. One silver lining in the recent report was a group of 42 persons that have been declared recovered by the city there were only 17 recoveries reported over the past eight days combined. Despite another day of high positives, the recovered total actually chipped away at the active cases in the city trimming it down to 355. Still, Nuevo Laredo still is in the middle of a concerning time as it is currently witnessing by far its highest total of new cases being announced. The citys current seven-day average for positives is 28.1 it had never over 20 prior to Sunday. And the past three days, the city has averaged 43.7. Nuevo Laredo has had 1,944 total tests with 1,218 returning negative. An additional 163 are still under investigation. Overall, the citys test positivity rate has skyrocketed this month up to 37.3%. A little more than two weeks ago on June 15, that number sat at 30.3%. And at nearly this time last month on May 29, the citys test positivity rate was 26.9%. Tamaulipas test positivity rate is up to 39.4%. Tamaulipas Secretary of Health Gloria Molina Gamboa warned that the state needs to continue following CDC restrictions, as it is important to slow the spread and keep as few people from contracting the disease simultaneously as possible. "The disease is a reality, transmission is very fast and we are all at risk of contagion and we should not all be infected at the same time," Gamboa said. "The pandemic is controllable as long as the population abides by all measures. Mariachi bands were once considered a male-dominated profession, but over the years, all-female mariachi groups have broken down those stereotypes to prove women can thrive in this business. Texas is home to a few talented and popular all-female groups that have gained notoriety for their award-winning mariachi music and unique style, enchanting fans, and empowering future generations of women in the mariachi genre. Courtesy photo /U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement A convicted human smuggler who is wanted for homicide in Mexico has been removed from the country via the Juarez-Lincoln International Bridge, authorities said. Officers with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Enforcement and Removal Operations in Houston deported Israel Calderon-Morales, 22, on Friday. 3 1 of 3 Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Steve Gonzales, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer Show More Show Less 3 of 3 Lakeshore Elementary in Humble was one of five schools selected as the host location for a new SPARK Park by Harris County Precinct 1. Harris County Commissioners Court signed off on Precinct 1 Commissioner Rodney Elliss plan to invest $50,000 into five new SPARK Park projects across the area, providing $10,000 for each project. The parks will be at Anderson Elementary and the Arabic Immersion Magnet School in Houston ISD, Horn Elementary in Alief ISD, Lakeshore Elementary in Humble ISD and Royalwood Elementary in Sheldon ISD, according to a press release. The State Council Information Office holds a news conference about the law of safeguarding national security in Hong Kong, July 1, 2020. [Photo/Xinhua] The State Council Information Office holds a press conference about the law of safeguarding national security in Hong Kong on Wednesday morning. Here are highlights: Shen Chunyao, director of the Legislative Affairs Commission of the NPC Standing Committee [Photo/scio.gov.cn] Views from Shen Chunyao, director of the Legislative Affairs Commission of the NPC Standing Committee - Law will safeguard national security, plug loopholes in Hong Kong legal system - Imperative to establish, improve legal system and enforcement mechanism for safeguarding national security - 5 major principles identified in proceeding with work on the law - Collected multiple views and opinions during drafting and review processes - Adjusted normal procedure of work to speed up legislation - Law reflects broad consensus, views and aspirations of entire Chinese nation - Hong Kong SAR still has duty to enact legislation to safeguard national security - Jurisdiction will be exercised on a small number of offences that seriously jeopardize national security - National security law for Hong Kong makes clear provisions to protect and safeguard human rights Zhang Xiaoming, deputy director of the State Council's Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office [Photo/scio.gov.cn] Views from Zhang Xiaoming, deputy director of the State Council's Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office - Law marks milestone in advancing "one country, two systems" - Law is a step to improving China's governance system - Legislation will serve as a guardian of prosperity and stability in Hong Kong - Goal is to uphold, advance "one country, two systems" instead of changing the practice - Some Western politicians make unwarranted accusations with misrepresentation of "one country, two systems" - Central government will set up office for safeguarding national security in Hong Kong - Acts of the central office will not be subject to jurisdiction of Hong Kong SAR - Central office will only exercise its jurisdiction on 3 specific occasions - People with different political views and positions will continue to exist in Hong Kong Greater Midland Races' 12th annual Tri-Kids-Try youth triathlon is continuing this year with a couple of twists to lend flexibility amid the coronavirus. This year's triathlon, open to ages 5-15, is called "Create My Tri," and can be completed any time and any place between Saturday, July 18 and Saturday, Aug. 15. Along with the biking and running legs of the triathlon, kids can choose any activity for the third leg, which is normally swimming but can be any other physical endeavor if a child does not have access to a swimming area. "The sky is the limit..trampoline, skateboarding, kayaking, cartwheels, scootering, rollerblading, hopscotching, or even swimming," the Tri-Kids-Try webpage suggests for the third leg of the triathlon. "The goal is to do something that's not cookie-cutter and provide the opportunity for kids to use their imagination and create their own race experience," said Jennifer Adamcik, Greater Midland race management and promotions manager. "We see so many virtual things out there, and in order to have people want to do your race, you have to make it different than everybody else." The Tri-Kids-Try had been held at Plymouth Pool and the Plymouth Park area the past two years, but this year, it can take place wherever, and whenever, each participant and their family decide to do it. Registration, available online at http://www.greatermidland.org/events/tri-kids-try, costs $25 and includes a race bib, T-shirt, finisher's medal and possibly some sponsor swag. Registration is open from now through July 31, or until Greater Midland runs out of race packets. If you live locally and register by July 15, the first packet pick-up will take place Thursday, July 16. If you live locally and register after July 15, packets will be available for pick-up at the Welcome Desk at Greater Midland Community Center two days after registration. Recommended distances for the biking leg of the event are 1.75 miles for ages 5-11 and 3.5 miles for ages 12-15. Recommended distance for the running leg of the event is at least a half mile. For those who choose swimming for the other leg, recommended distances are 25 meters for ages 5-11 and 50 meters for ages 12-15. The annual triathlon camp will still be held in person this year, from July 13-17 at Greater Midland Community Center: ages 6-8 from 9 to 11:30 a.m. and ages 8-13 from 1:30 to 4 p.m. Adamcik noted that since each kid will be choosing her or his own activity for the third leg of the triathlon, finishing times will not be compared to determine first place, second place, etc. The individualized nature of this year's triathlon lends itself to participation across a greater geographic area, Adamcik noted. "That opens it up to not just this geographic region. That is the beauty of being virtual," she aid. "It opens it up a whole different community of people to do our (event)." The Mini-Tri-Kids-Try for ages 3-5, which debuted last year, will not take place this year. But the age range for the main triathlon was extended one year younger, so it includes ages 5-15 instead of ages 6-15. Registration opened on June 24 and Facebook ads for the triathlon will begin this week. "We're really hoping that helps bolster registration. We think if people hear about it, they'll jump on board and register," Adamcik said. "We see so many virtual things out there for adults it's fun to have something directed towards kids to provide them with a fun, active opportunity." Greater Midland is taking part in another virtual fitness activity throughout the summer, called MI Great Journey, which features seven virtual treks around Michigan ranging in distance from 124 miles to 461 miles. "About 250 individuals and 150 families are participating (in MI Great Journey)," Adamcik said. "What a cool way to keep us motivated." Registration for that event is also $25 and is also open through July 31, at http://www.greatermidland.org/mi-great-journey. For each registration, $2 will go to the Midland Area Community Foundation for flood relief. New York New York City officials on Tuesday agreed to a grim coronavirus-era budget that will sharply curtail municipal services, impose a hiring freeze and, in a move meant to placate calls to defund the police, shift $1 billion from the Police Department. The $88.1 billion budget reflected the economic shutdown that followed the outbreak, causing a $9 billion revenue shortfall that forced the city to make drastic across-the-board spending cuts. But the virus was not the only external factor that affected the budget. The protests that followed the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis led to calls to defund the police around the nation, including in New York City, where protesters have gathered at City Hall since last Tuesday and have organized demonstrations outside the homes of City Council members. Mayor Bill de Blasio and the council speaker, Corey Johnson, agreed in principle to cut $1 billion from the Police Department's $6 billion operating budget, but to do so successfully especially when crime and shootings are rising would be a tricky "balancing act," the mayor said on Tuesday. Sure enough, the details pleased no one. The city decided to cancel its planned July class of police cadets, which de Blasio said would reduce police head count by roughly 1,160 officers after attrition, and to shift monitoring of illegal vending, homeless people on the streets and school safety away from the police. Advocates of overhauling the Police Department argued that the cuts did not go far enough. City Council members were divided; some agreed, while others contended that police funding should not be reduced when crime is rising. "Black folks want to be safe like everyone else, we just want to be respected," said Councilman I. Daneek Miller, co-chairman of the council's Black, Latino and Asian Caucus, who opposed reducing the size of the Police Department. "We can't allow folks from outside our community to lecture us about Black lives and what we need in our communities." Johnson said during a virtual news conference that he felt like he was caught between the demands of conflicting groups, constricted from doing what he had set out to do. "To everyone who is disappointed that we did not go further, I want to be very honest and candid: I am disappointed as well," Johnson said. As it now stands, de Blasio may have agreed to eliminate the incoming July class of officers, but another officer class is still poised to start training in October. The rest of the city's workforce, except for those in health and safety roles such as firefighters and paramedics, will remain in a hiring freeze for the next year. "If we have a hiring freeze for every single city agency, that should include the NYPD," Jumaane Williams, the city's public advocate, said during an appearance Tuesday morning. Williams vowed to use what power he has to obstruct the fiscal plan, unless City Hall imposed a true hiring freeze on the Police Department. Others described the $1 billion police cuts as nothing more than smoke and mirrors. The critics ranged from prominent Black activists, elected officials of color like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and longtime mayoral allies, like the actress and former candidate for governor, Cynthia Nixon. "Defunding police means defunding police," Ocasio-Cortez said. "It does not mean budget tricks or funny math." The congresswoman and others pointed, for example, to City Hall's assertion that the transfer of school safety agents to the Department of Education from the Police Department amounted to a $400 million shift of police resources. The Department of Education already funds the school safety program, sending some $300 million a year to the Police Department. The mayor and Johnson are also projecting the Police Department will be able to reduce its overtime costs by $350 million. Federal judges in Laredo have an unconstitutional blanket policy of jailing witnesses in smuggling cases, according to a lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union of Texas. Federal law allows the government to detain witnesses of crimes to ensure they appear in court to testify. But the ACLU alleges in its lawsuit, filed in a Laredo federal court, that judges in the border city have ordered hundreds of witnesses detained this year on excessive bonds without their attorneys present. The witnesses, who are almost all undocumented immigrants expected to testify against human smugglers, are sometimes held for months until their cases are resolved. The law says that detaining witnesses should be a last resort, but there are currently more than 130 material witnesses held in the Laredo area. None have been charged with a crime. Deprivation of liberty is one of the most severe things you can do to a person, said David Donatti, an attorney with the ACLU of Texas. It should only happen very, very rarely. Judges are required to make individual determinations about whether its necessary to detain witnesses. Thats not happening in Laredo, the ACLU says in its lawsuit, filed on behalf of six detained witnesses. Instead, court documents filed this month describe a system in which anytime someone is arrested smuggling immigrants, federal agents randomly select some of them as witnesses. Judges then order witnesses detained on $25,000 bonds in, according to the lawsuit, a mechanical scheme that ignores their individual circumstances. Border Patrol agents working at the immigration checkpoint on Interstate 35 found plaintiff Victor Zepeta Jasso and another man from Mexico stuffed into a pickup truck toolbox in March. Zepeta Jasso said he was told by a judge he had no hope of release until the criminal case against the man who smuggled him was resolved. I asked why we had to be detained and the judge said it was required for people like me who had been chosen, like a lottery, Zepeta Jasso wrote in a declaration filed in court. U.S. magistrate judges did appoint attorneys for the six plaintiffs, court records show. But the lawsuit alleges their lawyers were rarely present when they were ordered detained. The judges signed boilerplate detention orders without examining whether it was necessary to incarcerate the witnesses, the lawsuit alleges. Some witnesses said they never heard from their court-appointed attorneys and have languished in the La Salle County Regional Detention Center in Encinal for months while the people accused of smuggling them have been released on bond, according to the lawsuit. Two have been in detention since January. Along with violating the law that allows the government to detain witnesses, the process violates the plaintiffs constitutional rights to due process, the ACLU alleges. The civil liberties group is asking a judge to release the six plaintiffs and prevent the future detention of material witnesses in the absence of a lawfully issued detention order. Its also seeking class-action status to represent all other witnesses in the Encinal facility. The defendant named in the lawsuit, La Salle County Regional Detention Center Warden Omar Juarez, didnt respond to a request for comment. In a response filed in court, the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Southern District of Texas, which includes Laredo, argued that rather than filing a lawsuit, the witnesses should have their court-appointed attorneys ask for new hearings. Releasing them now could jeopardize ongoing criminal prosecutions, lawyers for the government wrote. Detention of material witnesses is particularly harmful during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the ACLU. The witnesses sleep in close quarters in dormitories of 48 people and arent given masks. The number of witnesses in the Encinal detention center had exceeded 200 until early June, Caitlin Halpern, a Houston lawyer working with the ACLU on the case, wrote in a declaration filed in court. On June 8, after dozens of smugglers entered pleas that had been delayed for months by the COVID-19 outbreak, 75 material witnesses were released in one day, Halpern wrote. One reason Laredo was chosen as the lawsuits venue is because material witnesses there often face longer detention times than other border jurisdictions, said Donatti, the ACLU of Texas lawyer. Unlike many border jurisdictions, judges in Laredo rarely schedule videotaped testimony for detained witnesses, which allows them to be released before the criminal case theyre to testify in is resolved. Former federal prosecutors said the government needs some way to ensure witnesses of smuggling crimes, which can involve criminals putting immigrants lives at risk, are available to testify. Detained material witnesses are often called upon to identify the people who smuggled them. They can also provide testimony that proves the elements of a crime or impacts sentencing decisions, such as how much money changed hands and whether they were smuggled in dangerous conditions. Securing that testimony can be difficult when the witnesses are in the U.S. without authorization and could face deportation if theyre released, former prosecutors said. The federal governments response to the lawsuit notes that keeping witnesses detained can pressure defendants to plead guilty. And lawyers in Laredo said that prosecutors incentivize quick guilty pleas, which result in the release of detained witnesses, by offering reduced sentences. Mike McCrum, a San Antonio defense attorney, said that when he was a supervisor at the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Western District of Texas in the 1990s, he worked with other federal agencies to allow witnesses to be released if they had a family member in the U.S. who would take responsibility for them. A similar system once existed in Laredo, but has been abandoned, lawyers there said. McCrum also helped set up a system that still exists today along much of the border allowing witnesses to give videotaped testimony under questioning by prosecutors and defense attorneys before being released. If the case drags on for months before going to trial, that testimony can be used without the witnesses presence. In her declaration, however, Halpern said she could find only four witnesses of the more than 200 detained at the start of June who had been ordered to give videotaped testimony and released. That testimony, ordered in March by U.S. District Judge Marina Garcia Marmolejo, still hasnt taken place. Derly Uribe, a Laredo attorney whos often appointed to represent material witnesses, said the last time he asked a judge to allow his client to give video testimony, the request was denied. That was in 2013. Since then, Uribe said, hes brought up the issue informally and was told widespread video testimony for detained witnesses would be costly and potentially run afoul of defendants constitutional rights. The answer Ive generally got is, this is the way weve always done it, Uribe said. And yet I've learned other jurisdictions do this with no problems. McCrum, who was appointed to represent material witnesses against a truck driver who was arrested in 2017 in San Antonio after 10 immigrants were found dead in his tractor trailer, said not holding depositions to speed releases shocks the conscience. Its up to court-appointed attorneys to seek their clients release, but the responsibility ultimately rests with the judges hearing the cases, McCrum said. The magistrate judges in Laredo are beholden to their district judges, and the district judges in Laredo should be ashamed of themselves, he said. Their own divisions in their own district are doing it, the Western District is doing it, and people are sitting in jail by the hundreds every year. As the Eiffel Tower gradually reopens from an extended shutdown, an essential segment of the summer tourist trade will be missing: Americans touching down in Paris on lucrative trans-Atlantic flights. Voyagers from New York, Houston or Los Angeles will have to hold off on their overseas vacations after European Union governments extended a travel ban from Wednesday, deeming the U.S. response to Covid-19 insufficient to allow its citizens to enter the bloc for non-essential reasons. The decree, which will be reassessed every two weeks, signals the restrictions holding down business and leisure travel across the Atlantic will remain in place until the spread of the deadly virus is curtailed in the U.S. In contrast, the EU loosened rules for residents of countries including Australia, Canada, Japan and New Zealand, partly easing the paralysis that seized up travel when the pandemic first took hold. But the ruling on the U.S. highlights the challenges facing airlines and hotels as they try to plan for a rebound. "Now we know that this will be a prolonged crisis without any return to normal for a very long time," Alain Battisti, president of France's aviation group Federation National de l'Aviation Marchande, said in an interview. "The European decision certainly won't translate into a strong turnaround. Instead, it'll be timid and very gradual." France was the world's most-visited international tourist destination in 2018, one of four current European Union countries among the top 10, based on data from the United Nations World Tourism Organization. The U.S. was third, helping to explain why routes over the North Atlantic are the most profitable segment of the airline industry. That trade was hit hard after governments across the globe imposed lockdowns on public life and limited travel in an effort to tame the health crisis. Yet as the spread of the virus slows in Europe, including in former outbreak hotspots like Italy, France and Spain, cases continue to climb in parts of the U.S. "We were obviously disappointed in the EU's decision not to include the United States," said Nicholas Calio, chief executive of Airlines for America, the trade group for U.S. carriers. "I'd refer to it as a work in progress and we're hopeful that decision will be reviewed soon, and at least on a limited basis international travel between the U.S. and EU will resume." Meanwhile, as the Eiffel Tower reopens its elevators to tourists on Wednesday, demand from Europeans to travel to the U.S. has completely dried up, according to Battisti. He cites health fears as well as a wave of recent protests over police violence. While the European decision could lead to a boost on some long-haul routes to other countries, demand is expected to remain largely within the region, and mostly around the Mediterranean this summer, he said. The French regional carrier Chalair Aviation, which Battisti heads, has seen rising sales to destinations like Corsica. Business travel is also being hurt. Almost 40% more business- and first-class seats were sold on North Atlantic flights than the nearest contender last year, according to figures from OAG Aviation Worldwide. "It's a nightmare from an airline point of view," said John Strickland, director of JLS Consulting in London, who has held senior positions at BA and KLM. "It's a mammoth task for airlines to plan their routes based on what they think demand will be." Even with demand at normal levels, summer revenues are what decide whether or not a carrier survives through the winter, Strickland said. For airlines with large cash reserves, a bad summer will mean they have to cut jobs and retire planes, while for weaker carriers "it'll push them over the edge." The EU judgment, which is non-binding on member states, recommends that visitors only be allowed into the bloc from countries where the average number of infections per 100,000 inhabitants over the past two weeks is similar to or below the level of the EU, and that the trend of new cases is declining. While border controls are a national competence of individual governments, the document commits member states to coordinate their approach and not lift the ban for countries outside the list. A harmonized border policy is crucial for the EU since once a traveler enters the so-called Schengen area, they can theoretically move between member countries without passport checks. And if nations start to think that their neighbors aren't adhering to the EU guidelines, then they could reimpose internal borders, effectively bringing the free movement of people to a standstill. Still, there are loopholes: Denmark and Ireland have opted out of the common border policy, meaning they aren't bound by the decision. Hungary will exempt U.S. film crews from the ban so they can continue shooting in the eastern European country. The U.K., which left the EU earlier this year, is expected to announced a relaxation of its quarantine policies for travelers entering from a list of partner countries as soon as Wednesday. Moreover, U.S. citizens with residence permits in EU countries, as well as students, medical professionals and diplomats, are still allowed in. Europeans already in the U.S. can return home at any time, and vice versa. In a bid to navigate the complicated regulatory environment, airlines have put the onus on customers to ensure they have proper travel documents and are eligible to enter their destinations. Uncertainty about the changing nature of the rules is likely to dissuade people from booking holidays, according to Battisti. "There is huge confusion in the minds of travelers and that's not helping," he said, pointing to slight variations even on travel to France's overseas islands and territories. "We could be entering a long period of subdued demand for air travel of any kind." Lors de la seance parlementaire du 30 juin 2020, Mahen Seeruttun a presente son priojet de loi, Anti-Money Laundering and Combatting the Financing of Terrorism (AML-CFT) (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2020 et fait un discours sur le comment du pourquoi de divers chngementa apportes a plus de 15 lois a Maurice. Mr Speaker Sir, I move that the Anti-Money Laundering and Combatting the Financing of Terrorism (AML-CFT) (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2020 be read a second time. Mr Speaker Sir, I would wish at the very outset of my intervention on this Bill to clarify one important issue. The Honourable Members may be asking questions on the reason for Government to introduce two similar Bills, that is the Anti-Money Laundering and Combatting the Financing of Terrorism (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bills within a period of around one year. Mr Speaker Sir, I am referring here to the Anti-Money Laundering and Combatting the Financing of Terrorism and Proliferation (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act of May 2019 and the Bill before the House today. It will surely be recalled that the Financial Intelligence and Anti-Money Laundering Act, that is, the FIAMLA was enacted in 2002 with a view to creating the appropriate legal environment in the context of Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML-CFT) regimes. Mr Speaker Sir, Money laundering is not a new phenomenon. It became an area of particular interest in the late 1980s in response to the growing concern of the global drug problem. The FATF was set up in July 1989 by the Group of Seven summit in Paris to examine and develop measures to combat Money Laundering. The first set of international AML standards were issued in 1990: the 40 Recommendations on Money Laundering. In 2001, the 8 Special Recommendations to deal with Terrorist Financing matters were issued following the 9/11 attacks on the US. The FATF Recommendations were revised in 1996, 2001, 2003 and most recently in 2012. Subsequently, the AML/CFT Frameworks of countries are being regularly assessed through a Mutual Evaluation Exercise which is conducted by an authorised international body. Mauritius underwent a first mutual evaluation in December 2000. A Financial Sector Assessment mission of the IMF/WB conducted a detailed assessment of the anti-money laundering (AML) and combating the financing of terrorism (CFT) regime of Mauritius. The mission reviewed the relevant AML/CFT laws and regulations and supervisory and regulatory systems in place to deter money laundering and financing of terrorism with a view to identifying the strengths, vulnerabilities, and development needs in the financial sector and assisting the Mauritian authorities in designing appropriate responses. Accordingly, the FIAMLA was introduced in 2002 to ensure that the appropriate legal framework is available to meet international standards with respect to AML/CFT. Mr Speaker Sir, This House will agree with me that AML/CFT is an issue, which is not static. It evolves with innovation, widespread accessibility and use of new technologies as delivery channels for financial goods, products and services and modernisation in general. Just to cite an example, crypto currencies such as Bitcoins did not exist some ten to twelve years ago but are now extensively available on the market. These new developments, Mr Speaker Sir, require the setting up of an appropriate legal infrastructure to ensure that there are no loopholes in an AML/CFT regime. Accordingly, there is a requirement for countries to constantly review their legal and other frameworks, to protect their jurisdictions from being used for illicit activities. Mr Speaker Sir, The drafting of a legislation on AML/CFT is indeed a complex exercise. My Ministry had the full support of the ESAAMLG when the Anti-Money Laundering and Combatting the Financing of Terrorism Act of May 2019 was being drafted. The ESAAMLG even commended Mauritius for that piece of legislation and stated that it could serve as a model for the region. Yet, at that time, the requirements for additional legal provisions, some of which are being proposed in this Bill, could not be addressed for lack of local expertise. Mr Speaker Sir, Let me conclude this first part of my intervention by stating that with new developments in the Financial Services Sector, there may be need in the near future, to introduce further legislation to comply with upcoming standards, the more so that we know that the bar is being set higher and higher up each time to keep apace with market evolution. Mr Speaker Sir, I will now briefly mention the FATF Action Plan, which is directly linked to the Bill. As the House is aware, at its February 2020 Plenary meeting, the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) decided that Mauritius should be monitored under the formal FATF International Cooperation Review Group (ICRG) process and accordingly placed Mauritius on its public document of Jurisdictions under Increased Monitoring. At the same meeting, Mauritius made a high-level political commitment to work with the FATF and the Eastern and Southern Africa Anti-Money Laundering Group (ESAAMLG) to strengthen the effectiveness of its AML/CFT regime. In its public statement of 21 February 2020, the FATF acknowledged that since the completion of its Mutual Evaluation Report (MER) in 2018, Mauritius has made progress on a number of its MER recommended actions to improve technical compliance and effectiveness, including amending the legal framework to require legal persons and legal arrangements to disclose of beneficial ownership information and improving the process of identifying and confiscating proceeds of crimes. Regrettably, the FATF listing has had far reaching consequences for Mauritius. In fact, as a result of that listing, Mauritius has been listed on the EU list of High Risk Third countries in May 2020. It is therefore imperative for Mauritius to expeditiously implement the FATF Action Plan to enable us to exit both lists at the earliest. Mr Speaker Sir, Mauritius is currently fully engaged in the implementation of the FATF Action Plan and has enlisted the support of technical assistance partners, namely the EU funded AML/CFT Global Facility, the German Development Agency (GIZ), the UK government, the UNODC and the IMF. As at date, ten consultants have been engaged under the technical assistance programme and are working closely with the institutions involved in the implementation of the FATF Action Plan. Immediately after receiving the FATF Action Plan, a detailed work plan was developed with the assistance of our consultants to identify all the measures that each and every institution will have to put in place to demonstrate an increase in the level of effectiveness of our AML/CFT systems and procedures. The consultants have also advised on some legal obligations, which have taken on board in the Bill before the House today. Mr Speaker Sir I would like to bring to the attention of the House that, effectiveness on which the FATF Action Plan is based, cannot be demonstrated without a framework for national coordination at policy level and cooperation at operational level. In this respect, Recommendation 2 of the FATF provides that: I quote: Countries should ensure that policy-makers, the financial intelligence unit (FIU), law enforcement authorities, supervisors and other relevant competent authorities, at the policy-making and operational levels, have effective mechanisms in place which enable them to cooperate, and, where appropriate, coordinate and exchange information domestically with each other concerning the development and implementation of policies and activities to combat money laundering, terrorist financing and the financing of proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. End of quote. To ensure the national coordination and cooperation, the National AML/CFT Committee has established a Core Group as well as a number of sub-committees to monitor the implementation of all the MER Recommendations and the FATF Action Plan. At the highest level a Ministerial Committee chaired by the Prime Minster has been set up for monitoring the implementation of the FATF Action Plan. Mr Speaker Sir, With your permission, I would like to take some time to explain to the House the length and breadth of what the FATF is expecting from Mauritius in terms of effectiveness. I will use one of the Action Plan items as an example. Mr. Speaker Sir, One of the major areas where Mauritius has to demonstrate effectiveness is with respect to the AML/CFT risk based supervision of the designated non-financial businesses and professions, commonly referred to as DNFBPs. The lack of supervision of the DNFBP sector was flagged to Mauritius in the 2008 Mutual Evaluation Report. In the 2018 MER, the DNFBP sector was still an issue of concern for the assessors. The DNFBP sector comprises the following sub-sectors: the legal profession comprising attorneys, barristers, notaries and law firms, the accounting professionals, gambling, dealers in precious metals and stones and real estate agents. Mr Speaker Sir, In July 2018, the Finance (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2018 amended the FIAMLA to realign the AML/CFT obligations of banks, financial institutions and the DNFBPs. Moreover, comprehensive regulations were issued under the FIAMLA in October 2018 to set out the mandatory FATF requirements under the FIAMLA. It is important to note that the regulations issued under the FIAMLA in 2003 did not apply to the DNFBP sector. Thereafter, as I mentioned earlier in my intervention, in May 2019, Government enacted the Anti-Money Laundering and Combatting the Financing of Terrorism and Proliferation (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act to lay down the legal foundation to enable the designated AML/CFT regulatory bodies, namely the Attorney Generals Office, the Financial Intelligence Unit, the Mauritius Institute of Professional Accountants, the Gambling Regulatory Authority and the Registrar of Companies to implement a risk based supervision framework for the DNFBPs. In addition to the legal framework, the completion of the Money Laundering and Terrorism Financing National Risk Assessment was crucial. The National Risk Assessment was successfully completed and the report was published in August 2019. Mr. Speaker Sir, The development of a risk based supervision framework is not a simple task but requires a progressive approach to supervision with activities progressing from education, to inspection and corrective actions. The DNFBP regulatory bodies have come a long way in the development and implementation of the risk based supervision framework. Despite the unprecedented challenges in the context of the COVID 19 pandemic, additional resources have been deployed to all the DNFBP regulatory bodies. With the help of the consultants, outreach materials to support the education aspect have been developed, consultations with the industry have been undertaken, and outreach on the AML/CFT obligations is currently ongoing. All the regulatory bodies are also gathering data on their respective sectors to develop a risk matrix, which will inform the level of intrusiveness of their supervisory actions. Mr. Speaker Sir, Assessing effectiveness of an AML/CFT system is based on a fundamentally different approach to technical compliance with the FATF Recommendations. It requires judgement as to whether the key objectives of an AML/CFT system, in line with the FATF standards, are being effectively met in practice. All relevant institutions involved in the implementation of the FATF Action Plan are working relentlessly to complete their respective action plan items at the earliest. Mr Speaker Sir, Government has demonstrated a strong political will and determination to comply with the international standards to combat money laundering and the financing of terrorism and proliferation by bringing fundamental changes to the AML/CFT legislative framework. This is so since we took cognizance of the outcome of the 2018 MER [Mutual Evaluation Report] and 2019 FURs [Follow Up Reports]. Indeed, I would like to highlight that under the FATF Action Plan, Mauritius does not have any technical deficiencies that must be addressed. We have since focused on the strengthening of the effectiveness of our AML/CFT Regime. In fact, a follow-up progress report was submitted in March 2020 to FATF for review as at the next plenary session, which had to be cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Mr Speaker Sir, Turning now to the Anti-Money Laundering and Combatting the Financing of Terrorism (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2020, I must state that its purpose is twofold. First, it will assist Mauritius to support the third application for technical compliance re-rating of the remaining five FATF Recommendations and second it will support the implementation of the FATF Action Plan. While there are no technical deficiencies that must be addressed under the FATF Action Plan, as I mentioned, yet, we have to consider that the level of technical compliance contributes to the assessment of effectiveness. Mr Speaker Sir, The Bill provides for amending 19 pieces of legislations. With your permission, I would wish to comment on the rationale of the major amendments proposed: Clause 2 of the Bill Banking Act amended The Banking Act is being amended in section 64B by increasing the penalty for a breach of AML/CFT obligations from one million rupees to 10 million rupees with a view to aligning the penalty that may be imposed under the Banking Act with the penalty provided under Section 19 of the Financial Intelligence and Anti-Money Laundering Act. Section 64C of the Banking Act currently provides that the Central Bank may from time to time, conduct an examination of the operations and affairs of every financial institution or licensee. The proposed amendment to section 64C shall allow the Central Bank to undertake the examination of its licensees on a risk sensitive basis in line with the FATF standards. The proposed amendment will support the application for the re-rating of one of the remaining 5 FATF Recommendations. Clause 3 of the Bill Civil Status Act amended Sections 8C and 17B of the Civil Status Act are being amended to enable the Bank of Mauritius, for the establishment of the Central KYC Registry under Section 52A of the Bank of Mauritius Act, to have access to the Central Population Database (CPD) maintained by the Civil Status Office for the validation of the KYC information submitted to the Central KYC Registry. I shall move for an amendment at Committee Stage to clause 3 to facilitate the verification of the identity of a customer through any other system maintained and operated by the Bank of Mauritius. Clause 4 Companies Act amended It is proposed to amend the Companies Act in order to enhance the transparency obligations of global business and authorised companies. Presently, not all information relating to global business companies and authorized companies as required under the FATF Standards are publicly available. It must be recalled that the information will be available upon a request made to the Registrar of Companies and payment of the prescribed fees. It is therefore proposed to amend section 14(8) of the Companies Act to allow the following information to be made available upon request: (i) list of directors; (ii) basic regulating powers (e.g. memorandum and articles of association/constitution); and (iii) legal form and status. The Registrar of Companies will provide additional guidance on the type of information that will be made available upon request. Mr Speaker Sir, Mauritius has submitted a technical compliance re-rating application for FATF Recommendation 24 to the ESAAMLG. The proposed amendment will support the application for the re-rating of Recommendation 24. It has to be pointed out that this Recommendation is currently rated partially compliant. Amendments are also being proposed to relevant sections of the Companies Act for the disclosure of beneficial information at the time of incorporation. In addition to the sanctions for non-disclosure of beneficial ownership information applicable under the Companies Act, the Court will be able to order the company to provide such information to the Registrar. The non-disclosure of beneficial ownership information will be a ground for the removal of a company from the register of the registrar of companies. Clause 6 -The Financial Intelligence and Anti Money Laundering Act (FIAMLA) amended Various amendments are being proposed to the FIAMLA including: the definition of financial institution is being revised to include credit unions as well as an institution or person approved under the Trusts Act. The reporting and supervisory regime for credit unions are being clarified to align the domestic AML/CFT framework with the requirements of the FATF. In this respect, amendments are being made to the FIAMLA and to the Cooperatives Act under clause 5 to this effect. As required by the FATF, credit unions have now been defined as financial institutions. They are now no longer defined as DNFBPs. At the same time, the Registrar of Cooperatives is being maintained as the designated AML/CFT supervisory body for this sector and a clear communication regime between the FIU and the Registrar has been established. Importantly, the obligation to file STRs is being assigned to the internal controller of credit unions, as it is mandatory for all credit unions to appoint such an officer. These amendments shall have the merit of eliminating the duplication in reporting which existed previously and of improving the exchange of information between the FIU and the Registrar of Cooperatives. The FATF definition of Designated Non-Financial Businesses and Professions (DNFBPs) does not capture auditors. Accordingly, amendments are being brought to remove auditors from the ambit of the FIAMLA. However, auditors will still be required to file suspicious transactions with the FIU and comply with corresponding obligations. For this purpose, section 10 to 16 and 19 of the FIAMLA are being amended. a provision for the FIU to disseminate information and results of analyses carried out by it to the Counter Terrorism Unit (CTU) established under the Prevention of Terrorism Act, in addition to relevant investigating authorities, overseas Financial Intelligence Units and regulatory bodies. Amendments are being made to the time frame within which STRs should be filed. An STR must now be filed within 5 working days after the suspicion arose. Internationally the trend is to have a short timeframe for the filing of STRs, and with technological advances, reporting persons are able to flag and report suspicious transactions more swiftly. This will enable the detection of crime in a more efficient manner. This change is particularly important in cases relating to suspicion of terrorism financing where swift action by the authorities is warranted. Under the current legislation, reporting entities have 15 working days (i.e. three weeks) to report. This delay is unacceptable in cases where national security is at stake. Additionally, a new offence has been provided in relation to reporting persons who ought to have reasonably become aware of a suspicious transaction but fail to do so. The failure to file a suspicious transaction report (STR) was already an offence under the FIAMLA. However, a further step has been taken to capture those reporting persons who fail to put in place adequate systems which would have enabled them to become aware of a suspicious transaction and to file an STR. This highlights the central role played by internal controls and procedures in strengthening our AML/CFT framework and in fighting ML and TF. To further support the supervision of DNFBPs, a provision is being included to assist regulators in the scoping of the population that they need to oversee. This will enable regulators to better focus their training and outreach activities and to enhance knowledge of AML/CFT obligations within their respective identified segments. This will provide a solid basis for risk based supervision of DNFBPs in line with the expectations of the FATF. Dealers in precious metals and stones (DPMS) have been identified by the FATF as one of the designated non-financial businesses and professions (DNFBPs) which should be subject to AML/CFT supervision. To strengthen the supervision of DPMS in Mauritius, definitions of dealer, precious metals and stones are clearly being set out under section 2 of the FIAMLA and are in line with international best practices. This will ensure that the relevant operators are properly identified, and that the AML/CFT framework can be applied for this sector in line with FATF recommendations. The definition of jewellery has also been broadened to include objects which are not for personal adornment. Money laundering is not perpetrated only through jewellery which can be worn. As such, it is important for the AML/CFT framework to capture other objects which might be used to launder proceeds of crime. Clause 8 The Financial Reporting Act amended The Mauritius Institute of Professional Accountants has issued its first Guidelines on Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism in May 2020. This shows the regulatory bodys commitment to combat Money Laundering and Terrorism Financing within the Accounting Sector. Section 55A of the Financial Reporting Act is being amended to impose an obligation on professional accountants, public accountants and relevant member firms to comply with Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism Guidelines issued by the Mauritius Institute of Professional Accountants and the Financial Intelligence Unit. Clause 10 Foundations Act amended Several sections of the Foundations Act are being amended, including:- Section 2 to provide for the definitions in respect of beneficial owner, ultimate beneficial owner and nominee which will have the same meaning under the Companies Act. For the purpose of transparency, section 23 is also being amended to provide for disclosure of the full name and address of the beneficial owner or ultimate beneficial owner in the case where the beneficiary is a nominee. Section 36 subsection (6) is being repealed to provide for a new subsection relating to the provision of any information regarding the beneficial owner or ultimate beneficial owner of a Foundation to be lodged with the Registrar at the time of registration of the Foundation or foreign Foundation, as the case may be. Also, at the time of registration by way of continuation of the Foundation. Two additional subsections are being added under section 36 to create an obligation on the Foundation as well as the Council Member to comply with subsection (1)(d) or (e) failing which they shall commit an offence and shall, on conviction, be liable to a fine not exceeding 300,000 rupees. I will further move for an amendment at Committee Stage at clause 10 of the Bill to provide for a new sub-section to section 39 of the Foundations Act to allow Registrar of Foundations to remove foundation from the register where it has failed to comply with section 36(1)(d) or (e) or (5). Clause 11 Gambling Regulatory Authority Act amended Clause 11 amends the Gambling Regulatory Authority Act to provide among other things for the following: Specifying in the definition of horse racing organiser the requirement to be incorporated as a public limited company to adhere with the good governance standards in view of the exigencies and guidelines from ESAAMLG for greater transparency in the gambling sector; Introduction of the definition of beneficial owner for disclosure purposes at the time an application is submitted for the issue or renewal of a licence and authorising the Gambling Regulatory Authority to conduct due diligence on beneficial owners, directors, managers and other senior officers of an applicant for business; Empowering the Gambling Regulatory Authority to issue guidelines and codes for gambling sector in line with the AML/CFT standards to combat money laundering and terrorism financing in that sector; requiring all casino, gaming house and hotel casino to conduct transactions through player card or debit card at a main desk and only chips transactions on a live table game; requiring the horse racing organiser to ensure that all payments to jockey by the stables, stable manager or owners are paid through a specific bank account managed by the horse racing organiser. requiring the horse racing organiser to ensure that all registered owners pay their respective shares of keep money through a specific bank account managed by the Club; requiring the payment for purchase of horses be made solely by cheque or electronic transfer through a specific bank account managed by the horse racing organiser and closely monitor the source of funds for such purchases; notifying the Authority at the time of disposal of an interest in a licensee and obtain relevant information on the person acquiring significant interest to ensure whether the person is fit and proper; requiring any person to produce identity card for cumulative financial transactions equal to or above 20, 000 rupees; requiring a person to operate or issue a player card as may be authorised by relevant body; requiring licensees to register their money laundering reporting officer and deputy money laundering reporting officer with the Authority; introducing a fine not exceeding one million rupees on the horse racing organiser for non-compliance with any provisions under the Gambling Regulatory Authority Act and any conditions, Rules, Directions or any other guidelines issued by the Authority; In addition, I will move for an amendment at Committee Stage of clause 11 in the proposed new section 26B by replacing the words hotel and hotel casino by the words gaming house. Clause 12- Good Governance and Integrity Reporting Act amended The Good Governance and Integrity Reporting Act currently has a financial threshold at which unexplained wealth can be confiscated of 10 million rupees. However, lower-level criminals rarely own assets exceeding 10 million rupees and their unexplained wealth cannot be confiscated under the current scope of the Act. Therefore, it is proposed that the confiscation threshold should be lowered to 2.5 million rupees in those cases where the unexplained wealth in question consists of cash seized by an enforcement authority during the course of a criminal enquiry. Confiscating cash interdicted at the airport or seized during property searches disrupts criminal networks, denying them the proceeds of crime and the means to finance their activities. The amendment will put the onus of proof on the respondent to show wealth has been honestly acquired and bypasses the need to first obtain a criminal conviction, which can be a very lengthy and uncertain process. Clause 14-The Jewellery Act amended I shall move for an amendment to clause 14 at Committee Stage to delete and replace clause 14. This clause replaces the existing definition of dealer and exclude the Bank of Mauritius and other banks licensed by the Bank of Mauritius authorised to deal with precious metals from registration with the Controller. Clauses 15 and 16 The Limited Liability Partnerships Act and Limited Partnerships Act amended I shall move for an amendment to clauses 15 and 16 at Committee Stage to make a distinction between limited partner and general partner. Clause 17- The Mauritius Revenue Authority Act amended Presently, the time limit within which the MRA may issue an assessment for under-reporting is three years. In cases where there are reasonable suspicions that a tax evasion offence has been committed or where a tax evasion offence is also a predicate offence for Money Laundering, the MRA and ICAC will carry out investigations and initiate prosecution procedures, where applicable. During the prosecution process by the MRA or ICAC, the issue of assessments, by the MRA, will be stayed. The MRA Act is amended accordingly to provide, in these cases, for stay of issue of assessments coupled with an extension of two years for the issue of those assessments. Clause 18- The Notaries Act amended Section 16(a) of the Notaries Act is being amended such that any consideration/purchase price will have to be paid before the notary in order to be considered as part of the purchase price and that any price paid hors de la vue du notaire will not be considered as forming part of the purchase price. A clause shall be inserted in the deed, stating that the notary has made this clause known to the parties. I will move for an amendment to Clause 18 at Committee Stage to provide for the disbursement by Notaries in respect of payments made by their clients to be made 5 days after the deed has been signed and executed by all the parties instead of 5 working days after payment is made to the Notaries. Clause 19- The Prevention of Corruption Act (PoCA) amended There is presently a deficiency in the Prevention of Corruption Act regarding the absence of enforceable penalty for a legal person which has committed a corruption offence. In a decided case, the Intermediate court found that due to the lacuna in our law, no appropriate sentence could be passed in respect of the corruption offences committed by companies as it was not possible to apply custodial sentences to corporate bodies. The Court did not find it proper to substitute a non-punitive sentence which is wholly inappropriate and against the spirit of the POCA. The proposed amendment addresses this lacuna and will ensure that dissuasive sanctions are provided against legal persons who commit corruption offences. Mr. Speaker Sir, I shall move for an amendment to the Bill at Committee Stage by adding a new clause 21 to provide for the coming into operation of new section 11(c), (d) and (e) on a date to be fixed by Proclamation. Mr Speaker Sir, This Government has given a high level political commitment to the FATF to strengthen the effectiveness of its AML/CFT regime. As a responsible Government, it is of utmost importance that we deliver on this commitment. The future generations to come must be secured. Investors and the international community must be reassured that the Government is serious in its fight against money laundering and terrorism and proliferation financing. This Bill is another step to reinforce our legal framework and thus consolidate our robust foundation to strengthen the effectiveness of our AML/CFT regime. I therefore, Mr Speaker Sir, commend the Anti-Money Laundering and Combatting the Financing of Terrorism (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2020 to the House. The United States's move to label Huawei as a national security threat and block it from billions of dollars in subsidies is its toughest move yet against the Chinese telecom. And with more allies poised to follow suit, Washington's uphill diplomatic campaign to isolate the company is at a turning point - and it's a sign of deepening fissure between the West and China. U.S. officials have long accused Beijing of using Huawei and other companies to spy on Americans and steal U.S. companies' data. But their arguments are gaining traction now amid Western anger over China's dissimulation about the initial spread of the coronavirus and more recently by its crackdown on Hong Kong. Huawei's reputation in the United Kingdom is souring as Prime Minister Boris Johnson is increasingly signaling he'll step away from a plan to allow Huawei to build parts of the nation's next-generation 5G wireless networks. And other Western nations such as Germany, Australia and Canada are expressing more concerns about Chinese influence over their computer networks. "People look at the Chinese government concealing what it knew about covid and they look at Hong Kong and what you hear from Europe is, 'We don't think we can trust them,' " said Jim Lewis, a former U.S. government cybersecurity official who is now senior vice president at the Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank. "They're saying that irrespective of the message coming from the U.S. and Trump." The Federal Communications Commission's action against Huawei came hours before President Donald Trump again took aim at China for the pandemic's spread: "As I watch the Pandemic spread its ugly face all across the world, including the tremendous damage it has done to the USA, I become more and more angry at China. People can see it, and I can feel it!," Trump tweeted. Germany, which has refused so far to ban Huawei from its 5G networks, is nevertheless launching a major program to reduce reliance on foreign components in its telecommunications systems and other vital networks. Canada also resisted U.S. pressure to outright ban Huawei, but its telecoms have mostly picked European suppliers as they build 5G systems. Australia, which banned Huawei from 5G networks even before the United States did, is launching a roughly $1 billion program to boost national cybersecurity defenses after uncovering a massive data breach that affected all levels of government and that was reportedly launched from China. Officials say the dangers of an adversary hacking 5G networks is far greater than earlier generations of networks because they will carry exponentially more data and power a new generation of Internet-connected devices such as smart cars and factories. By labeling the Chinese telecom a national security threat, the commission effectively stops the flow of $8.3 billion in federal money to providers in rural and low-income areas unless they rid their systems of Huawei parts. It also applies to the Chinese telecom ZTE, which the FCC also labeled a national security risk. FCC Chairman Ajit Pai recounted a litany of standard U.S. charges against the companies as he announced the move. Those include that they're too closely tied to the Chinese communist government and are either already using their access to U.S. networks to spy on Americans or could easily be compelled to do so. The companies have consistently denied those charges. Huawei didn't respond to a request for comment. The move came just days after the Pentagon included Huawei on a list of firms backed by the Chinese military, easing the path for the Trump administration to impose additional penalties on the company. It also comes after a year of increasingly harsh restrictions by the White House and Commerce Department including banning Huawei from building U.S. 5G networks and blocking U.S. companies from selling components to the company. Most recently, the Commerce Department restricted foreign companies that sell computer chip parts within the United States from doing business with Huawei - a move that made it increasingly difficult for the company to compete globally. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, called Huawei "a direct threat to our national security." Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., called the move vital to securing U.S. critical infrastructure. Republicans on the House Energy and Commerce Committee said the move would "keep American networks secure from bad actors." The Rural Wireless Association said in a statement that it was "stunned" by the decision. The trade association fretted it would put carriers in a "precarious situation," especially as they struggle to provide services amid a surge in internet and phone use during the coronavirus pandemic. The order allows carriers to request waivers if they can't remove their Huawei and ZTE gear right away. The group asked the FCC to give carriers extra time to submit those waivers before they lose the subsidies. Businesses are opening up and people are getting out more after state officials moved the state into phase 4. But, while cases in many areas of the state are on a decline, health officials are cautioning people to continue following healthy practices and social distancing to prevent a second wave of the virus from hitting the state. Scott Boston, CEO of Passavant Area Hospital, said it is difficult to say what numbers will do as things open up and people begin to move around more and gather with friends and family. We have found predictive modeling to be very challenging, Boston said. Its been very hard from the beginning to make predictions on what the numbers are going to do. Phase 4 allows most businesses to reopen, gatherings of up to 50 people, indoor seating at restaurants and more events and activities. As people gather, there is the potential for increased contact and potential spread of the virus. Reports from some other states that have already opened have shown an increase in the number of COVID cases. Florida reported more than 9,500 new cases Saturday, followed by 8,500 cases on Sunday, with many hospitals nearing capacity for care. COVID is going to be with us for a very long time, Boston said. Boston said it is congregate spaces long-term care facilities, schools and churches that face some of the highest risks. One facility could change an entire local environment, Boston said. The risk of being exposed to COVID depends on how close, how long, safety precautions. Teresa Armstrong, the public health administrator for the Cass County Health Department, said Illinois has taken its time opening up, which she said she hopes will limit the number of increased cases. I think Illinois did a good job by slowly reopening, taking precautions, Armstrong said. I think some of the other states rushed things a little bit. They waited until our numbers were lower. Armstrong said while Cass has seen an increase in cases, they have mostly been related to long term care facilities and large work settings. Both Boston and Armstrong recommend that people continue to follow adequate health precautions as they begin to leave their homes more. Businesses need to have precautions in place for their employees and customers, Armstrong said. Wearing a mask, especially in-doors, using hand sanitizer, limiting gatherings to smaller groups and social distancing are all things that need to continue to take place, Boston said. While health officials cant predict what will happen with the numbers, Boston said organizations are hoping for the best and prepared for the worst. Boston said the hospital has to keep track of available bed space, ventilators and Intensive Care Unit availability. We do have the capacity and we are ready to take care of patients both COVID and non-COVID because we have the capacity to do that, Boston said. We will be prepared for whatever happens. Armstrong said the county will be watching things closely. I cant speak long-term for what the reopening will do, but I know everyone is anxious and watching, Armstrong said. Washington Amy McGrath, a former Marine fighter pilot who built a formidable campaign war chest, emerged Tuesday as the Democratic nominee to take on Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, fending off a challenge from the left that highlighted the party's ideological divisions. One week after the primary was conducted, The Associated Press declared McGrath the winner after a campaign that was shaped by the coronavirus pandemic and protests against racial injustice. She narrowly defeated Charles Booker, an African-American state lawmaker who harnessed anger over a pair of fatal shootings by authorities in Louisville to roar into contention in the final weeks of the campaign. McGrath, though, had raised over $40 million by the start of June and built up a sizable advantage even before primary day because many voters cast absentee ballots to avoid the polls and the risk of contracting the coronavirus. She was also helped by the presence of other Democrats on the ballot, including another progressive who garnered about 5 percent of the vote. But Booker's late surge in what had been a relatively tranquil nominating contest was another illustration of progressive momentum in the Democratic Party, as outrage over racial injustice amplifies the calls for transformative change. An unabashed progressive, Booker ran on "Medicare for All" and the Green New Deal. It was not clear until Tuesday that McGrath had won because a number of Kentucky counties waited to ensure they had counted their many mailed-in ballots before releasing results. In a statement after the AP called the race, McGrath said that Booker had "tapped into and amplified the energy and anger of so many who are fed up with the status quo" and urged her party to come together to win in November. Booker conceded the race Tuesday evening. RICHMOND, Va. - Richmond's grand statue of Gen. Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson came down Wednesday in a sudden thunderstorm and a burst of mayoral muscle, becoming the latest Confederate monument toppled amid a national reckoning on racism and injustice. Hundreds gathered to watch crews dismantle the statue, one of five honoring Confederate icons on Monument Avenue in Richmond, the former capital of the Confederacy. Onlookers cheered, and bells rang out from the nearby First Baptist Church. One supporter of the monuments cried. Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney, D, bucking advice from the city attorney and relying on emergency powers, dispatched a crew to take down the statue after the City Council delayed a vote on removing it along with three others owned by the city along the avenue. The fifth Confederate statue is owned by the state Once the equestrian statue was lifted from its base and lowered to the ground, just after 4:30 p.m., Stoney compared the moment to the end of the Cold War. "The Berlin Wall fell, but also the system fell with it," the 39-year-old mayor said. "Now for us, as elected leaders, alongside our community, it's our job to rip out the systemic racism that is found in everything we do - from government, to health care, to the criminal justice system." Since the outbreak of national protests after the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody in late May, crowds have gathered nightly in Richmond, denouncing the statues and demanding their removal. 5 1 of 5 Washington Post photo by Gregory S. Schneider Show More Show Less 2 of 5 Gregory S. Schneider/The Washington Post Show More Show Less 3 of 5 4 of 5 Washington Post photo by John McDonnell Show More Show Less 5 of 5 In early June, Richmond protesters toppled a figure of Jefferson Davis, president of the Confederacy, though the bulk of his enormous, columned monument remains. Demonstrators across the country have seized on Confederate monuments - some erected during the Jim Crow era to intimidate black people - as instruments of the same racial oppression they see in the death of Floyd under a white officer's knee. They have not stopped at icons of the so-called Lost Cause, turning their sledgehammers and spray paint to tributes to historic figures of all sorts. A statue of Christopher Columbus, the explorer reviled by some for mistreatment of native peoples, was ripped off its base and thrown into a pond in a Richmond park. Protesters in Washington, D.C., have vowed to bring down the Emancipation Memorial, which shows President Abraham Lincoln holding a copy of the Emancipation Proclamation as an African American man in a loincloth kneels at his feet. Critics say the portrayal of African Americans is demeaning. President Donald Trump has seized on the defacing and fanned a culture war, objecting most strenuously to vandalism of a statue of Andrew Jackson, his favorite president, who is criticized today for his treatment of Native Americans. "This is a battle to save the Heritage, History, and Greatness of our Country!" the president tweeted Tuesday. A white man offended by the vandalism of Richmond's Confederate monuments took revenge recently by painting "White Lives Matter" on a statue of African American tennis legend Arthur Ashe, who grew up playing on the city's segregated courts. Stoney had tried earlier Wednesday to get the Richmond City Council to vote on immediately removing all four city-owned Confederate statues, but the city attorney said procedural hurdles stood in the way. A state law that took effect Wednesday allows cities and counties to act on their own to remove Confederate memorials. But it does not empower them to do so immediately. The law requires cities and counties to jump through numerous hoops, including public comment periods, before taking anything down. Stoney relied on an emergency declaration for the city - which Gov. Ralph Northam, D, extended this week at the mayor's request - to assert that those steps could be skipped in the interest of public safety. He said leaving the statues up presented a danger because protesters could be hurt or killed if they tried to topple them on their own. He also said that as a magnet for continued protests, the monuments could contribute to the spread of the novel coronavirus. "I am the emergency management director," Stoney said. "In that role, I'm responsible to protect life and property. We've had 33 consecutive days of protest and civil unrest, and public safety has to be the top priority." Del. Lamont Bagby, D, chairman of the Virginia Legislative Black Caucus, called the removal "long overdue." "The tearing down of statues by activists puts their health and safety at great risk, and I support his decision to mitigate those risks," Bagby said in a statement. In addition to Jackson and Davis, the other two city-owned statues on the avenue honor Confederate figures J.E.B. Stuart and Matthew Fontaine Maury. The mayor's spokesman, Jim Nolan, said those statues, and the rest of the Davis memorial, will come down next. "We're going to remove as many monuments as we can, as soon as we can," Nolan said. The Republican Party of Virginia called "Stoney's stunt" illegal and said it would fuel "the flames of the violent and chaotic protests." "Richmond is no longer run by the rule of law - it has devolved into anarchy," GOP Chairman Jack Wilson said in a statement. "Caving to mob rule tells the mob that their violence and looting is the way to make change and that law and order is irrelevant." City Council member Michael Jones, who joined the crowd at the Jackson site, told Stoney he'd "stand with" him if he acted despite the city attorney's advice. "I believe the moral thing to do is to act," Jones said as workers used power tools to loosen the statue from its base. "So I stand with him. We'll fix everything else on the other side." Monument Avenue is also home to the state-owned statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E Lee that Northam has ordered removed. That decision is being challenged in court. Northam spokeswoman Alena Yarmosky said the governor's office would not address questions about when and how localities could act to take down Confederate tributes. "But make no mistake - Robert E. Lee is next," Yarmosky said in a statement. Northam tweeted that the removal of the Jackson statue "begins the important process of removing these painful symbols of our past." Stoney, who is African American, commissioned a city study in 2018 that recommended removing the Davis statue but leaving the others and including more signage for context. Since the protests began, he has pledged to take all the statues down. Stoney made no announcement Tuesday, but word spread on social media, and an enormous crowd gathered around the Jackson statue, at the intersection of Monument Avenue and Arthur Ashe Boulevard. The roads were blocked by Richmond sheriff's deputies and city public utility work trucks. No police officers were in sight. The crane trucks were from a Connecticut company. One man helping to supervise the work crews, who declined to give his name, said a local firm served as general contractor but was unable to find a crane company in Virginia, Maryland, North Carolina or the District willing to handle the job. As the crew got to work, a white man ran up to the base with a large flag that urged people to "respect and protect" Confederate monuments. Protesters soon swarmed him - some protecting him from the crowd, others stripping the flag from its pole and setting it on fire. "Burn that s---!" a woman called out. Sheriff's deputies hustled the man into a car moments later. He was crying and saying, "I'm just so sad about the whole thing.' " With the crowd cheering and chanting below, workers rode a cherry picker onto the statue and used power tools to grind away at the bolts holding the bronze figure onto its base but seemed to struggle to cut them loose. The effort dragged on for several hours, and dark clouds rolled in, along with thunder and flashes of lightning. As workers made final checks on straps and chains securing the statue, Melvin Shelton, 27, led a chant of "Black Lives Matter!" "I feel inspired," Shelton said, just as rain began to fall. "I feel like what we're doing is making a change. This is not the end - far from it. But I'm hopeful." Moments later, the skies opened up with torrential rain. "Black lives matter in inclement weather!" one person yelled. "This is history! This is history!" another said. The work crews waited for the thunder and lightning to ease, then rode the cherry picker up for one final check of the straps securing the statue. With rain pelting down, one worker wound his arm in circles to signal the crane operator to begin. The crowd cheered. The statue rose off its base and swung to the side, just as a huge clap of thunder hit. The crowd's roar grew deafening. Latorria Mason, 42, of Richmond said the sight of the statue coming down was a relief. "I feel good that people of color - our voices have been heard by other people who recognize what we meant when we said that these statues were painful," she said. "This is really healing. I wish my grandfather was here to see this." WASHINGTON - Republican senators on Wednesday urged a floor vote on District of Columbia statehood, saying they wanted their Democratic colleagues on record for their stance on a cause that has polled unfavorably. Statehood legislation has virtually no chance of advancing out of a Republican-controlled Senate after it passed the House for the first time in history. But Sens. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and Tom Cotton, R-Ark., held a news conference to denounce statehood as a power grab by Democrats to reshape the Senate and to call on Democratic incumbents and candidates to go on record with their position on the issue. "This is not about enfranchising people," Graham said of Democrats' goal. "This is about expanding the Senate map to accommodate the most radical agenda that I have ever seen." Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., previously has said he will not bring the legislation to a vote. His spokesman declined to comment on the calls from Republican senators to hold a vote. Several Democratic senators have scheduled a virtual hearing on D.C. statehood Wednesday afternoon. All but six senators in the Democratic caucus have co-sponsored statehood legislation: Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island; Doug Jones of Alabama; Angus King, I-Maine; Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona; and Joe Manchin of West Virginia. President Donald Trump also opposes D.C. statehood, citing the likelihood of the deep-blue city electing two Democratic senators. At the Wednesday news conference, the Republican senators painted a caricature of the District as a monolithic bubble of reporters, bureaucrats and lobbyists - 70% of the workforce is in the private sector. "You get outside the Beltway and the craziness here of Washington, D.C., the American people agree with us," said Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., citing a Gallup poll that showed nearly two-thirds of Americans oppose D.C. statehood. "Sometimes I think it's important for senators and congressmen, in fact, most of the time, get out of this city and go out to where the real people are at across the country and ask them what they think." His comments drew rebukes from Democrats and D.C. residents who objected to the implication that the city's 700,000 residents, 46% of whom are black, are not "real people." At a Wednesday afternoon Senate Democratic hearing on statehood, Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., denounced Daines's comments as "dehumanizing" and said it was "disgraceful" to suggest that D.C. residents are not real people. Graham invoked his fellow senator from South Carolina, Tim Scott, the only black Republican in the chamber, to push back on criticism that Republicans did not want a plurality black city to pick new senators. "It has nothing to do with race; it's all to do about power," said Graham. Cotton doubled down Wednesday on his criticism of D.C. "The main thing it contributes to our national economy is influence peddling, regulations and - no offense - tweeting by reporters," Cotton said at the news conference. Opponents of statehood say it goes against the vision of the Founding Fathers to have a seat of federal government free of state influence. They have suggested retrocession of the residential part of the city to Maryland to address the issue of congressional representation for D.C. residents, who pay more in federal taxes than nearly half of states. The strategy for D.C. statehood involves the support of Congress and the president, modeled on Tennessee's entry into the union in 1796. It would preserve a limited area including the White House, U.S. Capitol and the National Mall as the nation's capital while the rest of the city would become a state. D.C. officials acknowledged that Joe Biden would need to defeat Trump and that Democrats would need to take control of the Senate for statehood to become politically feasible. An advocacy group, 51 for 51, has been pushing for Democrats to commit to changing Senate rules to allow statehood legislation to pass on a simple majority vote without the threat of the filibuster, which effectively requires 60 votes to pass significant bills. As Texas grapples with soaring coronavirus cases and hospitalizations, local elected officials in some of the states most populous counties are asking Gov. Greg Abbott to roll back business reopenings and allow them to reinstate stay-at-home orders for their communities in an effort to curb the spread of the virus. Officials in Harris, Bexar, Dallas and Travis counties have either called on or reached out to the governor in recent days, expressing a desire to implement local restrictions for their regions and, in some cases, stressing concerns about hospital capacity. Local governments across the state implemented stay-at-home orders, which generally direct businesses deemed nonessential to shut down, to varying degrees in March before the governor issued a statewide directive at the beginning of April. Abbotts stay-at-home order expired at the end of April, when he began announcing phased reopenings in the state and forcing local governments to follow his lead. Since then, a number of local officials, many of whom have been critical of Abbotts reopening timeline, have argued that the jurisdiction to reinstate such directives is no longer in their hands. If you are not willing to take these actions on behalf of the state, please roll back your restriction on local leaders being able to take these swift actions to safeguard the health of our communities, Sam Biscoe, interim Travis County judge, wrote in a letter to Abbott on Monday. Biscoe asked Abbott to roll all the way back to Stay Home orders based on worsening circumstances, further cap business occupancy, mandate masks, and ban gatherings of 10 or more people. On Monday afternoon, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner issued an impassioned plea for Abbott to let cities and counties make decisions for themselves. We need more tools. If I had my ultimate ask to him, I would say restore to local governments, to mayors and County judges, all the tools that we had in March and April. Give us back our tools, he said. Because the situation is more critical now than then, and we had more tools at our disposal then than now. And I will tell you it is frustrating, because when people are reporting locally and nationally, they are talking about the city of Houston, as well as other cities. I would like to have the ability to do what is in the best interest to the city of Houston to get on top of this virus. Officials in Bexar County also wrote a similar letter to the governor Monday, saying that the ability to tailor a response and recovery that fits the San Antonio regions need is vital as we look forward to a healthier future. Our regions hospital capacity issues and economic circumstances require stronger protocols to contain the spread of this disease, Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff and San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg wrote. The two asked Abbott to restore the ability for the City of San Antonio to take additional local preventative measures, including potential Stay Home/Work Safe restrictions. They also asked the governor to mandate face coverings for people who are outside a household and issue clearer language that strictly limits social gatherings, among other things. Abbott, whose office did not immediately respond to a request for comment, took his most drastic move yet Friday to respond to the surge in cases this month, ordering bars to close again and lowering restaurant occupancy to 50%. Before that order, bars were allowed to operate at 50% capacity and restaurants at 75% capacity under a phased reopening Abbott has led since late April a process that at times has drawn criticism from public health experts and local officials who argued the state was reopening too quickly. Later Friday, Abbott publicly expressed regret for the first time over his decision to let bars reopen, saying in an evening interview with KVIA-TV in El Paso that the bar setting, in reality, just doesnt work with a pandemic. Meanwhile, counties and cities across the state have implemented face mask requirements for businesses after Wolff, the Bexar County judge, moved to do so without facing opposition from Abbott. The governor had previously issued an executive order banning local governments from imposing fines or penalties on people who chose not to wear a face mask in public. Local leaders have also voiced concerns about the testing capacity of large cities. In Travis County, Biscoe explained that because of the rapidly increasing demand, officials are rationing testing only for people with symptoms. The stress on the system is also making contact tracing efforts more difficult. In summary, the rapid increase in cases has outstripped our ability to track, measure, and mitigate the spread of the disease, Biscoe wrote. Biscoe said the regional hospital system has hit about 70% of its capacity, which has prompted Austin Public Health to begin working on an alternative care site. A spokesperson for Austin Mayor Steve Adler did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Officials in Harris County have also considered plans for a temporary facility. Over the weekend, Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo, who oversees the states largest county, suggested in an interview with ABC-13 that she was pushing for the authority to issue another stay-at-home order. And in North Texas, Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins sent a letter to Abbott over the weekend, requesting that the governor consider a list of recommendations from a citywide public health committee, such as instituting a 30-day stay-at-home order and mandating masks. I recommend that you enact these requirements statewide, or at the very least, regionally. If not, please rescind your prior order restricting local control and allow Dallas County to implement the above recommendations in an effort to slow the spread of the rampant and devastating COVID-19 virus, Jenkins wrote in a letter Saturday. Lives depend on swift action. Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson has not publicly weighed in on whether he supports the governor reauthorizing local officials to implement stay-at-home directives. The mayor has asked Abbott to consider implementing a statewide mask policy and adopting a statewide or regional approach to curbing the spread of the virus in an attempt to minimize confusion and increase compliance, according to a spokesperson in Johnsons office. WILTON Capt. Jim Blanchfield was elevated to deputy fire chief of the Wilton Fire Department on July 1, beginning his journey toward becoming chief when interim Chief Geoff Herald steps down on Nov. 1. Blanchfield was named to the position, which has been empty for 17 months, on June 19. A small crowd of fire service and police personnel assembled at the firehouse Wednesday morning for the pinning ceremony as Herald offered a few words. This is a momentous occasion, both for Jim personally and for the department, he said. Its a rare thing historically for somebody to start off as a volunteer, come into a career department and work his way up through the ranks and come in to a command assignment, which is what Captain, now Deputy Chief Blanchfield has done. Its a momentous occasion for the department, too, to be able to recognize and honor that progression. We are a department steeped in history both locally here in Wilton as well as the fire service in general. And its very critical that we honor that, he said. In honoring that and recognizing the responsibilities that have increased to the fire service, especially in this time and age of COVID-19 and terrorism, biochemical hazards, EMS, oh, and yes, fire, we are definitely an all-hazard department. We do it all bells and smells when they dont know who to call they call us. And we go to things sometimes not knowing what were going to find, not knowing whats going to present to us when we get there. Having that command ability and understanding what has to happen, that training and the decision-making potential for a deputy chief is something that is different and changing, sometimes daily, he said. So as we move forward with the Wilton Fire Department and accepting a new chief into the service, and taking his knowledge, his training, and his history and combining it with the history of the fire service in general and the men of the fire department here represented is something that we all look forward to and acknowledge as being the natural progression. Click here to sign up for The Bulletins free electronic newsletter, Online Today. With that, Herald welcomed Blanchfield as deputy chief and said he looked forward to working with him and learning from him as I have learned from you for the last year. He added that under Blanchfield, he was confident the good relationship between the fire department and the community would continue in the coming years. First Selectwoman Lynne Vanderslice congratulated Blanchfield, saying its always wonderful when somebody can be promoted from within. we know youre going to do a great job. She also thanked the members of the fire and police departments for their work during the past months of the lockdown and then reopening. After taking the oath of office from Town Clerk Lori Kaback, Blanchfield received the pin and badge of his office. Im not here today if not for the team we have, not just the Wilton Fire Department , but PD, EMS, everything. It is a real collaborative team that we have in Wilton. Were not the biggest town but I think we operate in a fashion where we are lean, we are mean and we work very hard, Blanchfield said. Im lucky to be here today. Im honored to be here today and I hope that with respect to working here for as long as I have Id like to think Ive learned a lot, not just here but also from the community. I think if I take those thoughts and what Ive learned and bring it to the front office I think were going to be in good shape. I look forward to working with you all. Its just a different hat, but the same people. Its just fantastic and Im very appreciative. The fire service is actually Blanchfields second career. He graduated from the Quinnipiac College School of Law and worked as a real estate attorney for many years. At the same time, he served as a volunteer in Trumbull, working his way up to captain. He joined Wiltons paid service 14 years ago as a firefighter and worked his way up to captain by 2015. We express no opinion as to whether the governors response to the COVID-19 pandemic constitutes wise or sound policy, wrote Justice David Wecht, joined by three others. Similarly, we do not opine as to whether the General Assembly, in seeking to limit or terminate the governors exercise of emergency authority, presents a superior approach for advancing the welfare of our commonwealths residents. Austin Public Health officials said in its weekly news conference Wednesday that Austin-Travis County is expected to surpass 10,000 cases on Wednesday. Austin and Travis County is currently in Stage 4 of its COVID-19 risk-based levels. Stage 5 would trigger the closing of non-essential businesses. The risk-based levels are measured on the new cases hospitalized in a seven-day moving average. On Tuesday, there were 67 new hospitalizations. If the new hospitalizations surpass 70, Dr. Mark Escott, interim health authority for Austin Public Health, said he will advise Mayor Steve Adler and Travis County Judge Sam Biscoe to re-enter a stay-at-home order. READ ALSO: Austin City Limits cancels 2020 festival amid pandemic "Right now, it does not indicate that officials need to do so at this moment," Escott said. "... but the next several weeks are critical for us to make real changes to protect ourselves, protect our families and protect our community." Escott said he is also "concerned" about Austin's neighbors in San Antonio after Bexar County reported 1,268 new infections on Tuesday, which is the county's largest one-day increase. If cases continue to increase in Bexar County, Escott said it could result in new patients heading to Travis County due to an overflow in San Antonio's hospitals. With the Fourth of July weekend coming up, Austin-Travis County will use the Warn Central Texas system to send an emergency alert to residents, urging them to stay home during the holiday, according to a news release issued on Wednesday. The Austin area has seen a 400 percent increase in hospitalizations and a 370 percent increase in cases of COVID-19 since June 1, according to the news release. As of Tuesday, the county has 9,527 cases and 369 hospitalizations. I know we want to celebrate; I know we want to get together with our families; I know we want to have firework shows and barbecue and do the things we normally do, but now is not the time for that, Escott said in the release on Wednesday. Now is the time we have to be strong together by staying home, by doing things within our own household, by watching the fireworks on TV. Priscilla Aguirre is a general assignment reporter for MySA.com | priscilla.aguirre@express-news.net | @CillaAguirre MORE CORONAVIRUS COVERAGE: The following list includes recent reports from the Midland County Sheriffs Office and the Midland Police Department. Compiled by reporter Mitchell Kukulka. Friday, June 26 9:32 p.m. A 39-year-old Geneva Township woman called 9-1-1 and asked for assistance with her 7-year-old daughter, who was having "mental problems." A deputy assisted the 39-year-old and provided a ride to her and her daughter to MidMichigan Medical Center for a mental evaluation. 8:36 p.m. A deputy was close to a report of a car fire in Edenville Township. The caller did not give much information to Midland County Central Dispatch, and the deputy stopped by to get further information for the fire department. 8:09 p.m. A deputy responded to a Homer Township business for a report of three off-road vehicles operating in the yard. The deputy located three motorcycles. The drivers, a 30-year-old Midland man, a 41-year-old Warren Township man and a 25-year-old Bay City man, were educated on suitable locations for new motorcycle familiarization. There was no damage to the yard. 5:40 p.m. A 41-year-old Jerome Township woman called regarding numerous driving violations in her neighborhood. The woman said vehicles are constantly speeding excessively and even appeared to be racing one night. The woman did not have description of the vehicles and said there are "numerous" violators. A briefing sheet was completed requesting extra patrol. 4:45 p.m. Officers responded to a hit-and-run crash in the 4900 block of West Wackerly Street. 4:41 p.m. Deputies responded to an Edenville Township location for a report of kids in the roadway. It was later reported the kids were chasing after their loose dog. The kids and dog were out of the roadway upon deputies arrival. 4:35 p.m. A deputy responded to a Mills Township roadway for a report of bicyclists swerving in the road. The deputy made contact with a 15-year-old boy, who stated they were biking and trying to stay out of traffic. The boy was given additional bike safety tips. 2:14 p.m. Officers responded to a vehicle crash in the James Savage Road in Waldo Avenue. 2 p.m. Officers performed a warrant arrest in the 2700 block of Rodd Street. 12:31 p.m. Officers responded to a report of child neglect in the 1900 block of South Saginaw Road. 10:56 a.m. Officers responded to a vehicle crash in the area of Jerome Street and Buttles Street. 10:14 a.m. EMS, Midland Township Fire Department and the sheriff's office responded to an Ingersoll Township home in reference to the death of a 47-year-old male occupant. The investigation did not raise any suspicion of foul play. The medical examiner released the body to the funeral home. 9:44 a.m. A deputy was dispatched to an adult foster care home in Porter Township regarding an alleged assault between a 39-year old-resident and a 49-year-old resident. There were no injuries and a report will be sent to the Midland County Prosecuting Attorney's Office for review. 7:43 a.m. Deputies responded to a car-deer crash in Ingersoll Township. 1:03 a.m. Officers responded to a intoxicated driver causing a vehicle crash in the area of Rodd Street and Ann Street. Auckland Council has announced it is scrapping resource consent fees for the installation of rainwater tanks at residential properties. The fee waiver comes in response to the severe water shortages the region is currently experiencing. Other measures to incentivise residential rainwater collection are also being considered by Council, including removing the current consenting requirements for rain tanks in residential zones through a change to the Auckland Unitary Plan, and making water tanks a requirement for new developments. Mayor Phil Goff says household rainwater tanks can play an important role in Aucklands overall water conservation, and the change is long overdue. As we face the worst drought in our history, using rainwater eases the demand on our water supplies. Our lakes are currently only 44 percent full when they would normally be at 78 percent. With continued drier than usual weather predicted for winter and spring, we need to look at every option for supplementing our water supply to offset a critical shortage of water this summer. The initiative is supported by a new Do I need a Consent? tool for rainwater tanks, launched on the Council website. Lockport, NY (14094) Today Gusty winds with scattered afternoon thunderstorms. A few storms may be severe. High 78F. Winds SW at 20 to 30 mph. Chance of rain 40%.. Tonight Partly cloudy early followed by cloudy skies overnight. Low 52F. Winds WNW at 10 to 20 mph. The beginning of the school year when you got to show off your new duds, new cars, new looks! Sports! Playing, cheering, watching high school athletics. The arts: Dramatic arts, musical groups and shows, graphic arts groups, debate, etc. The prom! No dancing the night away or punch bowl antics. The daily interactions. Just being with the group, hanging with friends and classmates. Access to college recruiters and advisors its harder to line up higher education. Walking onstage to get a diploma while all the family is watching with everyone elses family. Vote View Results Logan, WV (25601) Today Isolated thunderstorms during the morning becoming more widespread this afternoon. A few storms may be severe. High 86F. Winds WSW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 90%.. Tonight Thunderstorms early, overcast overnight with occasional rain. Low 59F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends providing assistance for people to use air conditioning at home, such as a temporary ban on utility shut-offs during heat waves. To reduce coronavirus spread, cooling centers should allow staff and volunteers to stay at home if theyre sick or caring for family members; separate people with mild illnesses from others; maintain distance between people and use air exchange systems. Today, with Ireland now in Phase 3, the second last step out of lockdown, new app VillagePod announces the short listing of Longford for its #shoplocal payment solution. Hot on the heels of its successful pilot in the Wicklow towns of Bray and Greystones, the platform is emerging as a key tool for small businesses to signal to consumers that they intend to make shopping local a safe and rewarding experience. Small Firms Association Director, Sven Spollen-Behrens estimates that if we all spent 20 a week in small businesses over the next three months it could boost the local economy by up to 875 million. The VillagePod app is designed to do just that and more, helping both the local community and economy to thrive. Crucially, the digital payments, gifting and rewards solution will help retail businesses to attract shoppers back in-store and keep them coming back. When launched in late 2019 the Wicklow-based team behind the app never imagined a pandemic would result in such demand for VillagePod into towns and communities across Ireland so soon. The simple app, which allows small businesses to take contactless payment from consumers without expensive set-up costs, also features attractive customer reward tools to engage customers. Appealing to the lucrative gifting market, the app also supports retailer and local area gift cards to be delivered contactlessly and keep this money circulating in the local economy. The company has made a proposal to Longford County Council to secure funding for a rollout of the shop local platform in Longford towns under the Governments recently announced Town and Village Renewal Scheme for COVID-19 response measures. Commenting on the submission, VillagePod Partnership Manager Louise ONeill said: Weve been greatly encouraged by the interest in the platform coming from local businesses and towns around Ireland and would love to be in position to rollout in the towns of Longford. The availability of grants and local council supports for small businesses who need to improve their digital strategy for customers after COVID-19, represents ideal timing for businesses to adopt the VillagePod platform. Not only will businesses improve the safety of customers through contactless payment, but they can also boost the local economy through #shoplocal initiatives, offering rewards and enabling local area gift cards. Business owners, local town committees and business community groups are encouraged to contact the VillagePod team to ensure that Longford towns are prioritised for full rollout and marketing support as part of the nationwide expansion. Email: hello@villagepod.app or visit villagepod.app/. Commenting on the success of the VillagePod app so far, Cormac McKenna, Founder of VillagePod said: "The COVID-19 pandemic has made it virtually impossible for many local businesses to trade. As many of the lifestyle restrictions are lifted, small businesses and towns require a much-needed boost to encourage consumers back into town centres and to #shoplocal. Thankfully the VillagePod platform enables business owners to do just that, helping local businesses engage customers and allowing them to gift locally with ease. Thankfully, many supports are available from government at the present time and we can help towns and businesses that move quickly navigate these aids to get VillagePod launched in their area. Longford town's Tally-Ho bar is celebrating this afternoon after being crowned the county's best bar to visit. A survey carried out by Irish travel and culture website irelandbeforeyoudie.com highlighted the New Street premises as the stand out watering hole to visit across the county. In making its determination, it said few, if any come close to the level of comfort and agreeable surroundings which the popular Longford town bar can offer patrons. "An institution in Longford, Duignans Tallyho offers excellent pints in cosy and relaxing surroundings," it stated on its website. The announcement came in for noteworthy acceptance from the bar itself, who took to social media to share the good news. "We have been chosen as the best pub in Co Longford to visit after lockdown by an international website," read a post on its Facebook page. "We are thrilled to be named among some very famous pubs from around the country. Out of 7,000 pubs we made the list of 32." To read more and to find the country's other top 31 bars to visit nationwide, simply log on to irelandbeforeyoudie.com Ensure you get a print copy of the Loudoun Times-Mirror delivered weekly to your home or business! Complete online access is included with all print subscriptions purchased online. Plus, up to four other members of your household can share online access through this subscription with their own, individual linked accounts at no additional charge. (Are you a current advertiser? Ask your sales rep for our special advertiser rate code!) (Alliance News) - British Foreign Secretary Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab on Wednesday accused China's ruling Communist Party of the "strangulation" of Hong Kong's freedoms through its imposition of a new security law. "This is a grave and deeply disturbing step," Raab told parliament before his office summoned Chinese ambassador Liu Xiaoming to raise Britain's objections to the law. "These measures represent a flagrant assault on freedom of speech and freedom of peaceful protest for the people of Hong Kong," Raab said. He and Prime Minister Boris Johnson both said the security law was a "clear and serious breach" of Beijing's 1984 joint commitment with Britain to uphold basic freedoms in Hong Kong. Britain handed control of the territory to China in 1997 after more than 150 years of colonial rule. Liu accused Britain on Twitter on Wednesday of interference in China's "internal affairs." "The UK has no sovereignty, jurisdiction or right of 'supervision' over Hong Kong whatsoever," Liu wrote. "Gone are the days when Hong Kong [was] under British colonial rule." Raab said the security law contains "a slew of measures that directly threaten the freedoms and rights protected by the [Sino-British] joint declaration." He cited the "potentially wide-ranging ability" of Beijing to transfer some legal cases from Hong Kong courts to mainland Chinese courts. This "violates [Hong Kong's] autonomy and threatens the strangulation of its freedoms," Raab said. He confirmed that Britain will proceed with a plan to expand residency rights for hundreds of thousands of Hong Kong British passport holders, despite objections from Beijing. Hong Kong citizens with such status can be granted five years to work or study before they are eligible to apply for settled status in Britain, Raab said. "What happens in Hong Kong matters to the whole world," foreign policy specialist Tom Tugendhat, a lawmaker from Johnson's ruling Conservatives, told parliament. Tugendhat raised concerns over China's growing international influence, saying it had "direct implications on our own university sector and on freedom of speech within our own academic institutions, as Chinese students have already been influenced to silence debate and change outcomes here in the UK." Britain presented a joint statement by 27 nations to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva on Tuesday, criticizing China's policies in Hong Kong and in its far western Xinjiang region. Rights groups have documented China's use of internment camps to forcibly "re-educate" hundreds of thousands of members of the mainly Muslim Uighur minority in Xinjiang. By Bill Smith, dpa source: dpa Copyright 2020 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved. These masks and all these mitigation efforts are not guaranteed, he said They are certainly going to improve the situation. But for me to think that my server is wearing a mask, youre protected if they have COVID, I dont think thats true. * Choppy session for European bourses * German stock trading platform Xetra down in earlier trade * UK blue chips, STOXX 600 turn positive, again Welcome to the home for real-time coverage of European equity markets brought to you by Reuters stocks reporters. You can share your thoughts Joice Alves (joice.alves@thomsonreuters.com) and Julien Ponthus (julien.ponthus@thomsonreuters.com) in London and Stefano Rebaudo (stefano.rebaudo@thomsonreuters.com) in Milan. SWEDEN NOT IMMUNE TO COVID-19, QE SHOWS (1338 GMT) Lockdown restrictions in Sweden have been much less strict compared to the rest of Europe, but the country's central bank mirrors some of the ECB's recent moves. The Riksbank is holding rates (at zero) and expanding its quantitative easing (QE) plan to 500 billion crowns ($53.63 billion) from 300 billion crowns to fight the pandemic downturn. The move serves "as a reminder that the Swedish economy is not immune to the COVID-19 impact, despite the country's more relaxed lockdown measures," ING analysts wrote in note to clients. The country is encountering many of the same issues others are facing as the world moves to the next phase of the crisis, including rising unemployment, ING says. "And while Sweden is less affected by the difficulties facing tourism-reliant economies, it is heavily exposed to the ongoing issues in global supply chains," the Dutch bank adds. (Joice Alves) ***** TREND IS SETTLING, BUT FOR THE WORSE (1128 GMT) The market finally found its path now that the DAX is switched on again and that we have reached midday: it's clearly leading European bourses lower. So the first trading day of Q3 2020 isn't that promising with Paris, Milan, Frankfurt, Madrid and London all down between 1% and 1.5%. The STOXX 600 is doing a tad better, down 0.7%, showing that small and mid caps are doing better than blue chips. As noted by Stephane Ekolo at TFS Derivatives, reports that EU members are having a hard time to agree on the Commission's proposed 750 billion recovery fund is probably not helping. Another news flash with Merkel saying the bloc must be prepared for a brexit no-deal adds on to political risk. Sector wise, the session has also quickly morphed into a classic risk-off day with autos, banks and travel and leisure at the bottom and healthcare at the top. Oil and gas is also doing well but that's linked to oil prices rising on manufacturing data, particularly in China and U.S. inventories. (Julien Ponthus) ***** BRITAIN'S DIFFICULT AND LONGER ROAD TO RECOVERY (1000 GMT) Rating agency S&P revised downward its forecast for the UK and now expects GDP to contract by 8.1% in 2020. "We are also more pessimistic about the time it will take the economy to recover," it says. The departure from the bloc will be heavier on growth than-previously forecast with S&P now seeing the economy smaller than it had previously expected in 2023. "We no longer assume the post-Brexit transition period will be extended, but expect the U.K. and EU will strike a core free trade deal starting 2021," it says. "The switch to this regime would dampen the rebound in 2021 and slow growth in the following years." Here is S&P forecast: (Joice Alves) ***** OPENING SNAPSHOT: WELCOME TO H2 2020 (0805 GMT) European shares have started H2 with slight gains after quite a lot economic data was released, notably better than expected employment figures in Germany. The pan-European STOXX 600 index rose 0.2%, after closing out its best quarter in five years yesterday. In the UK, blue chips rose 0.1% while midcaps were up 0.4% with gains in the auto, energy and retail sectors. Meantime, Frankfurt-based electronic trading system Xetra experienced a technical issue, affecting all securities traded on the platform. In terms of single stocks, Swiss speciality chemicals maker Clariant gained 7% as it completed the $1.6 billion sale of its masterbatches unit to PolyOne Corp, allowing the payment of a special dividend amounting to $3 per share. Sainsbury's shares are up 2.3% after its trading update, while B&M European Value Retail's shares jumped 4.7% after it reported quarterly revenue was up 27.7%. (Joice Alves) ***** ON THE RADAR: AIRBUS, RYANAIR AND SAINSBURY'S (0635) European futures are on the backfoot ahead of a data-heavy morning. In corporate news, job cut announcements continue: Airbus is cutting 15,000 jobs within a year, including 900 already earmarked in Germany, to survive the coronavirus crisis, while Ryanair CEO says company is planning up to 3,500 job losses and that he is taking a 50% pay cut. In M&A, Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena is exploring merger options, including with Banco BPM, while Italy's Treasury Ministry has drafted a decree to sell its controlling stake in the bailed-out bank, two sources told Reuters. Wirecard's administrator said he has received inbound interest and will shortly mandate banks for the sale of individual parts of the company. In latest trade updates, Sainsbury's said its underlying retail sales rose 8.2% year-on-year in its first quarter to June 27, while B&M European Value Retail's quarterly revenue is up 27.7%. L'Oreal's Chairman and CEO Jean-Paul Agon plans to leave and expects the cosmetic group's nominations committee to propose a candidate to succeed him by the autumn. Other corporate headlines: Lloyd's calls for state-backed 'Black Swan' reinsurance schemes after the coronavirus pandemic. SocGen's Australian securities arm pleads guilty to client money offences. (Joice Alves) ***** MORNING CALL: IMPROVING DATA AND RISING FEARS (0535 GMT) In a data-heavy morning, European bourses are seen opening a tad higher after stocks underwent a rather mixed end to the quarter yesterday as economic data improved but fears of a second wave of infections keep investors on their toes. "Investors appear to be caught in two minds for the moment, with optimism about a continued improvement in economic data on the one hand, being offset by some caution on the other over the prospect that any second wave could push out any recovery well into next year," says Michael Hewson, chief market analyst at CMC Markets UK. Meantime, there will be a slew of data to digest this morning including Germany unemployment, euro zone and UK PMIs. Financial spreadbetters at IG expect London's FTSE to open 18 points higher at 6,188, Frankfurt's DAX to open 56 points higher at 12,367 and Paris' CAC to open 23 points higher at 4,959. (Joice Alves) ***** (Alliance News) - Spire Healthcare Group PLC on Wednesday said it will settle the GBP1.2 million fine levied by the UK Competition & Markets Authority as it admitted its part in illegal price fixing at one of its hospitals. The private hospital operator said that in August 2017, seven ophthalmology consultants at Regency Hospital in Macclesfield agreed to align their fees for initial ophthalmology consultations provided to self-pay patients, resulting in a GBP20 increase in the fees of four consultants to GBP200. In its findings, the UK regulator said the illegal arrangement - which went on for nearly two years - was first initiated following a dinner organised by the hospital's management during which the topic of fees was raised. After the dinner, a Spire employee at the hospital sent an email to all 7 consultants to suggest that the agreed price for initial consultations for self-pay patients be set at GBP200 going forward. The ophthalmologists agreed and four of them increased their prices from GBP180, with the remaining three already charging GBP200. Spire then liaised with its customer service team to facilitate the arrangement, the CMA added. Spire Healthcare apologised for its conduct, adding that it believes 150 self-pay patients had relevant consultation appointments during the two-year period. It stated that the individual consultants also agreed to settle with fines in the range of between GBP642 to GBP3,859 each. "It is important to note that this investigation related to conduct in 2017 regarding the charging of a small number of ophthalmology consultations at Spire Regency and did not in any way relate to the quality of patient care. Spire Healthcare has a strong compliance culture and is disappointed with the failure to meet its standards in this isolated case," it said. The stock was trading 0.6% higher at 85.60 pence each on Wednesday morning in London, but 40% lower from the start of the year. By Ife Taiwo; ifetaiwo@alliancenews.com. Copyright 2020 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved. (Alliance News) - The UK Competition & Market Authority on Wednesday called on the UK government to bring forward a new pro-competition regulatory regime to combat the market power of Alphabet Inc's Google and Facebook Inc. Following a year-long examination of the markets, the regulator found that the UK's expenditure on digital advertising was around GBP14 billion in 2019, equal to GBP500 per household, of which 80% is earned by Google and Facebook. Google enjoys a 90% share of the GBP7.3 billion search advertising market in the UK, while Facebook has a share of 50% of the GBP5.5 billion display advertising market. The CMA has come to the conclusion that both companies have developed such unassailable market positions that rivals can no longer compete on equal terms, as their large user base remains a source of market power, while unmatchable access to user data allows them to target advertisements to individual consumers. "These issues matter to consumers. Weak competition in search and social media leads to reduced innovation and choice, as well as to consumers giving up more data than they would like. Further, if the GBP14 billion spend in the UK last year on digital advertising is higher than it would be in a more competitive market, this will be felt in the prices for hotels, flights, consumer electronics, books, insurance and many other products that make heavy use of digital advertising," the CMA said Wednesday. As a result, the competition regulator said that, within this proposed regime, there should be a Digital Markets Unit that has the ability to enforce a code of conduct to ensure that larger platforms do not engage in exploitative practices. The CMA also proposed that the unit be able to force Google to open up its click and query data to rival search engines to allow them to properly compete in the UK, as well as order Facebook to increase its interoperability with competing social media platforms. The regulator also proposed to restrict Google's ability to secure its place as the default search engine on mobile devices and browsers in order to give users more of a choice. As part of this, the CMA will work with UK telecommunications industry regulator Ofcom and the Information Commissioner's Office to formally launch a Digital Markets Taskforce. This will advise the UK government on how a new regulatory regime for digital markets should be designed. The taskforce will deliver advice by the end of 2020. "Through our examination of this market, we have discovered how major online platforms like Google and Facebook operate and how they use digital advertising to fuel their business models. What we have found is concerning. If the market power of these firms goes unchecked, people and businesses will lose out," said Chief Executive Andrea Coscelli. Shares in Alphabet Inc closed 1.5% higher at USD1,418.05 on Tuesday in New York but were down 0.2% in premarket trade Wednesday. Facebook shares ended up 2.9% at USD227.07 but were down 0.9% in premarket trade. By Dayo Laniyan; dayolaniyan@alliancenews.com Copyright 2020 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved. Today Thunderstorms - a few could contain very heavy rain, especially this afternoon. High 87F. Winds S at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall may reach one inch. Locally heavy rainfall possible. Tonight Scattered thunderstorms early, then mainly cloudy overnight with thunderstorms likely. Low 73F. Winds S at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 80%. Locally heavy rainfall possible. Tomorrow Thunderstorms likely. High 84F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%. Locally heavy rainfall possible. April 23, 5:01 p.m. The University is reporting 708 coronavirus cases 549 of which are students and 159 are for employees for the LSU Community. The Louisiana Department of Health is reporting 544 new coronavirus cases for the state, bringing the total case count to 455,541. There are 12 additional COVID-19 related deaths, reaching a total death count of 10,336. There are 330 COVID-19 patients in hospitals, and 47 of them are on ventilators. April 21, 5:00 p.m. The University is reporting 703 coronavirus cases 548 of which are students and 155 are for employees for the LSU Community. The Louisiana Department of Health is reporting 661 new coronavirus cases for the state, bringing the total case count to 454,377. There are 10 additional COVID-19 related deaths, reaching a total death count of 10,316. There are 336 COVID-19 patients in hospitals, and 42 of them are on ventilators. April 20, 2:22 p.m. The Louisiana Department of Health is reporting 359 new coronavirus cases for the state, bringing the total case count to 453,711. There are 13 additional COVID-19 related deaths, reaching a total death count of 10,306. There are 344 COVID-19 patients in hospitals, and 41 of them are on ventilators. April 19, 4:18 p.m. The University is reporting 693 coronavirus cases 541 of which are students and 152 are for employees for the LSU Community. The Louisiana Department of Health is reporting 1,413 new coronavirus cases for the state, bringing the total case count to 453,351. There are 11 additional COVID-19 related deaths, reaching a total death count of 10,293. There are 337 COVID-19 patients in hospitals, and 39 of them are on ventilators. April 18, 3:00 p.m. The University is reporting 686 coronavirus cases 535 of which are students and 151 are for employees for the LSU Community. The Louisiana Department of Health is reporting 523 new coronavirus cases for the state, bringing the total case count to 451,955. There are 9 additional COVID-19 related deaths, reaching a total death count of 10,282. There are 317 COVID-19 patients in hospitals, and 42 of them are on ventilators. April 15, 5:00 p.m. The Louisiana Department of Health is reporting 791 new coronavirus cases for the state, bringing the total case count to 451,476. There are 9 additional COVID-19 related deaths, reaching a total death count of 10,273. There are 338 COVID-19 patients in hospitals, and 45 of them are on ventilators. April 14, 5:00 p.m. The University is reporting 677 coronavirus cases 526 of which are students and 151 are for employees for the LSU Community. The Louisiana Department of Health is reporting 386 new coronavirus cases for the state, bringing the total case count to 450,673. There are 9 additional COVID-19 related deaths, reaching a total death count of 10,264. There are 325 COVID-19 patients in hospitals, and 49 of them are on ventilators. April 13, 3:07 p.m. The University is reporting 673 coronavirus cases 522 of which are students and 151 are for employees for the LSU Community. The Louisiana Department of Health is reporting 442 new coronavirus cases for the state, bringing the total case count to 450,279. There are 14 additional COVID-19 related deaths, reaching a total death count of 10,255. There are 330 COVID-19 patients in hospitals, and 49 of them are on ventilators. April 10, 9:00 p.m. The University is reporting 661 coronavirus cases 511 of which are students and 150 are for employees for the LSU Community. The Louisiana Department of Health is reporting 739 new coronavirus cases for the state, bringing the total case count to 448,838. There are 16 additional COVID-19 related deaths, reaching a total death count of 10,216. There are 297 COVID-19 patients in hospitals, and 43 of them are on ventilators. April 8, 7:08 p.m. The Louisiana Department of Health is reporting 442 new coronavirus cases for the state, bringing the total case count to 448,104. There are 15 additional COVID-19 related deaths, reaching a total death count of 10,200. There are 301 COVID-19 patients in hospitals, and 44 of them are on ventilators. April 7, 5:56 p.m. The University is reporting 649 coronavirus cases 500 of which are students and 149 are for employees for the LSU Community. The Louisiana Department of Health is reporting 719 new coronavirus cases for the state, bringing the total case count to 447,655. There are 11 additional COVID-19 related deaths, reaching a total death count of 10,185. There are 301 COVID-19 patients in hospitals, and 46 of them are on ventilators. April 6, 4:14 p.m. The Louisiana Department of Health is reporting 198 new coronavirus cases for the state, bringing the total case count to 446,955. There are 9 additional COVID-19 related deaths, reaching a total death count of 10,174. There are 299 COVID-19 patients in hospitals, and 47 of them are on ventilators. April 5, 6:58 p.m. The Louisiana Department of Health is reporting 1,259 new coronavirus cases for the state, bringing the total case count to 446,737. There are 4 additional COVID-19 related deaths, reaching a total death count of 10,165. There are 262 COVID-19 patients in hospitals, and 49 of them are on ventilators. April 4, 4:15 p.m. The Louisiana Department of Health is reporting 549 new coronavirus cases for the state, bringing the total case count to 445,469. There are 20 additional COVID-19 related deaths, reaching a total death count of 10,161. There are 347 COVID-19 patients in hospitals, and 56 of them are on ventilators. March 31, 4:05 p.m. The University is reporting 632 coronavirus cases 485 of which are students and 147 are for employees for the LSU Community. The Louisiana Department of Health is reporting 508 new coronavirus cases for the state, bringing the total case count to 444,933. There are 9 additional COVID-19 related deaths, reaching a total death count of 10,141. There are 354 COVID-19 patients in hospitals, and 60 of them are on ventilators. March 24, 3:15 p.m. The University is reporting 619 coronavirus cases 474 of which are students and 145 are for employees for the LSU Community. The Louisiana Department of Health is reporting 524 new coronavirus cases for the state, bringing the total case count to 442,221. There are 19 additional COVID-19 related deaths, reaching a total death count of 10,056. There are 413 COVID-19 patients in hospitals, and 75 of them are on ventilators. March 23, 4:16 p.m. The Louisiana Department of Health is reporting 709 new coronavirus cases for the state, bringing the total case count to 441,771. There are 7 additional COVID-19 related deaths, reaching a total death count of 10,037. There are 404 COVID-19 patients in hospitals, and 74 of them are on ventilators. March 22, 6:13 p.m. The University is reporting 611 coronavirus cases 468 of which are students and 143 are for employees for the LSU Community. The Louisiana Department of Health is reporting 1,334 new coronavirus cases for the state, bringing the total case count to 441,066. There are 42 additional COVID-19 related deaths, reaching a total death count of 10,030. There are 403 COVID-19 patients in hospitals, and 71 of them are on ventilators. March 21, 1:42 p.m. The Louisiana Department of Health is reporting 203 new coronavirus cases for the state, bringing the total case count to 439,737. There are 14 additional COVID-19 related deaths, reaching a total death count of 9,988. There are 399 COVID-19 patients in hospitals, and 68 of them are on ventilators. March 19, 6:10 p.m. The University is reporting 607 coronavirus cases 465 of which are students and 142 are for employees for the LSU Community. The Louisiana Department of Health is reporting 203 new coronavirus cases for the state, bringing the total case count to 439,737. There are 14 additional COVID-19 related deaths, reaching a total death count of 9,988. There are 399 COVID-19 patients in hospitals, and 68 of them are on ventilators. March 17, 4:06 p.m. The University is reporting 600 coronavirus cases 460 of which are students and 140 are for employees for the LSU Community. The Louisiana Department of Health is reporting 447 new coronavirus cases for the state, bringing the total case count to 439,002. There are 30 additional COVID-19 related deaths, reaching a total death count of 9,955. There are 446 COVID-19 patients in hospitals, and 66 of them are on ventilators. March 16, 4:20 p.m. The University is reporting 600 coronavirus cases 460 of which are students and 140 are for employees for the LSU Community. The Louisiana Department of Health is reporting 974 new coronavirus cases for the state, bringing the total case count to 438,557. There are 22 additional COVID-19 related deaths, reaching a total death count of 9,925. There are 453 COVID-19 patients in hospitals, and 62 of them are on ventilators. March 14, 3:43 p.m. The Louisiana Department of Health is reporting 945 new coronavirus cases for the state, bringing the total case count to 437,393. There are 23 additional COVID-19 related deaths, reaching a total death count of 9,884. There are 457 COVID-19 patients in hospitals, and 68 of them are on ventilators. March 13, 5:05 p.m. The University is reporting 591 coronavirus cases 453 of which are students and 138 are for employees for the LSU Community. The Louisiana Department of Health is reporting 528 new coronavirus cases for the state, bringing the total case count to 436,482. There are 33 additional COVID-19 related deaths, reaching a total death count of 9,861. There are 478 COVID-19 patients in hospitals, and 63 of them are on ventilators. March 11, 12:43 p.m. The University is reporting 585 coronavirus cases 447 of which are students and 138 are for employees for the LSU Community. The Louisiana Department of Health is reporting 441 new coronavirus cases for the state, bringing the total case count to 435,935. There are 16 additional COVID-19 related deaths, reaching a total death count of 9,828. There are 514 COVID-19 patients in hospitals, and 64 of them are on ventilators. March 10, 4:56 p.m. The Louisiana Department of Health is reporting 577 new coronavirus cases for the state, bringing the total case count to 435,514. There are 43 additional COVID-19 related deaths, reaching a total death count of 9,812. There are 530 COVID-19 patients in hospitals, and 69 of them are on ventilators. March 9, 6:08 p.m. The Louisiana Department of Health is reporting 631 new coronavirus cases for the state, bringing the total case count to 434,926. There are 11 additional COVID-19 related deaths, reaching a total death count of 9,769. There are 543 COVID-19 patients in hospitals, and 75 of them are on ventilators. March 8, 5:04 p.m. The University is reporting 579 coronavirus cases 444 of which are students and 135 are for employees for the LSU Community. The Louisiana Department of Health is reporting 515 new coronavirus cases for the state, bringing the total case count to 434,289. There are 10 additional COVID-19 related deaths, reaching a total death count of 9,758. There are 534 COVID-19 patients in hospitals, and 78 of them are on ventilators. March 5, 6:59 p.m. The University is reporting 579 coronavirus cases 444 of which are students and 135 are for employees for the LSU Community. The Louisiana Department of Health is reporting 504 new coronavirus cases for the state, bringing the total case count to 433,045. There are 30 additional COVID-19 related deaths, reaching a total death count of 9,716. There are 538 COVID-19 patients in hospitals, and 77 of them are on ventilators. March 3, 6:32 p.m. The University is reporting 569 coronavirus cases 435 of which are students and 134 are for employees for the LSU Community. The Louisiana Department of Health is reporting 582 new coronavirus cases for the state, bringing the total case count to 431,771. There are 21 additional COVID-19 related deaths, reaching a total death count of 9,668. There are 588 COVID-19 patients in hospitals, and 78 of them are on ventilators. March 2, 7:16 p.m. The Louisiana Department of Health is reporting 770 new coronavirus cases for the state, bringing the total case count to 431,271. There are 19 additional COVID-19 related deaths, reaching a total death count of 9,647. There are 629 COVID-19 patients in hospitals, and 89 of them are on ventilators. March 1, 6:10 p.m. The University is reporting 564 coronavirus cases 431 of which are students and 133 are for employees for the LSU Community. The Louisiana Department of Health is reporting 408 new coronavirus cases for the state, bringing the total case count to 430,504. There are 20 additional COVID-19 related deaths, reaching a total death count of 9,628. There are 629 COVID-19 patients in hospitals, and 91 of them are on ventilators. February 28, 6:31 p.m. The University is reporting 556 coronavirus cases 424 of which are students and 132 are for employees for the LSU Community. The Louisiana Department of Health is reporting 1,502 new coronavirus cases for the state, bringing the total case count to 430,100. There are 21 additional COVID-19 related deaths, reaching a total death count of 9,608. There are 630 COVID-19 patients in hospitals, and 91 of them are on ventilators. February 25, 8:16 p.m. The Louisiana Department of Health is reporting 779 new coronavirus cases for the state, bringing the total case count to 427,689. There are 33 additional COVID-19 related deaths, reaching a total death count of 9,561. There are 679 COVID-19 patients in hospitals, and 100 of them are on ventilators. February 24, 4:00 p.m. The University is reporting 547 coronavirus cases 416 of which are students and 131 are for employees for the LSU Community. The Louisiana Department of Health is reporting 879 new coronavirus cases for the state, bringing the total case count to 426,925. There are 25 additional COVID-19 related deaths, reaching a total death count of 9,528. There are 687 COVID-19 patients in hospitals, and 102 of them are on ventilators. February 23, 5:36 p.m. The University is reporting 543 coronavirus cases 413 of which are students and 130 are for employees for the LSU Community. The Louisiana Department of Health is reporting 1,393 new coronavirus cases for the state, bringing the total case count to 426,048. There are 26 additional COVID-19 related deaths, reaching a total death count of 9,503. There are 715 COVID-19 patients in hospitals, and 111 of them are on ventilators. February 21, 3:00 p.m. The Louisiana Department of Health is reporting 1,909 new coronavirus cases for the state, bringing the total case count to 424,176. There are 26 additional COVID-19 related deaths, reaching a total death count of 9,466. There are 756 COVID-19 patients in hospitals, and 120 of them are on ventilators. February 20, 6:22 p.m. The University is reporting 540 coronavirus cases 410 of which are students and 130 are for employees for the LSU Community. The Louisiana Department of Health is reporting 430 new coronavirus cases for the state, bringing the total case count to 422,287. There are 34 additional COVID-19 related deaths, reaching a total death count of 9,440. There are 806 COVID-19 patients in hospitals, and 129 of them are on ventilators. February 13, 11:21 p.m. The University is reporting 518 coronavirus cases 391 of which are students and 127 are for employees for the LSU Community. The Louisiana Department of Health is reporting 1,156 new coronavirus cases for the state, bringing the total case count to 418,585. There are 37 additional COVID-19 related deaths, reaching a total death count of 9,276. There are 1,001 COVID-19 patients in hospitals, and 151 of them are on ventilators. February 11, 4:21 p.m. The Louisiana Department of Health is reporting 2,739 new coronavirus cases for the state, bringing the total case count to 417,415. There are 27 additional COVID-19 related deaths, reaching a total death count of 9,239. There are 1,052 COVID-19 patients in hospitals, and 151 of them are on ventilators. February 10, 5:13 p.m. The University is reporting 514 coronavirus cases 387 of which are students and 127 are for employees for the LSU Community. The Louisiana Department of Health is reporting 337 new coronavirus cases for the state, bringing the total case count to 414,687. There are 50 additional COVID-19 related deaths, reaching a total death count of 9,212. There are 1,076 COVID-19 patients in hospitals, and 151 of them are on ventilators. February 9, 1:32 p.m. The University is reporting 509 coronavirus cases 382 of which are students and 127 are for employees for the LSU Community. The Louisiana Department of Health is reporting 1,321 new coronavirus cases for the state, bringing the total case count to 414,354. There are 20 additional COVID-19 related deaths, reaching a total death count of 9,162. There are 1,122 COVID-19 patients in hospitals, and 151 of them are on ventilators. February 7, 3:19 p.m. The Louisiana Department of Health is reporting 2,003 new coronavirus cases for the state, bringing the total case count to 411,812. There are 43 additional COVID-19 related deaths, reaching a total death count of 9,119. There are 1,166 COVID-19 patients in hospitals, and 143 of them are on ventilators. February 5, 4:34 p.m. The University is reporting 494 coronavirus cases 367 of which are students and 127 are for employees for the LSU Community. The Louisiana Department of Health is reporting 863 new coronavirus cases for the state, bringing the total case count to 409,861. There are 32 additional COVID-19 related deaths, reaching a total death count of 9,076. There are 1,275 COVID-19 patients in hospitals, and 167 of them are on ventilators. February 4, 5:00 p.m. The Louisiana Department of Health is reporting 2,758 new coronavirus cases for the state, bringing the total case count to 408,995. There are 38 additional COVID-19 related deaths, reaching a total death count of 9,044. There are 1,295 COVID-19 patients in hospitals, and 162 of them are on ventilators. February 3, 3:30 p.m. The University is reporting 474 coronavirus cases 347 of which are students and 127 are for employees for the LSU Community. The Louisiana Department of Health is reporting 2,046 new coronavirus cases for the state, bringing the total case count to 406,235. There are 53 additional COVID-19 related deaths, reaching a total death count of 9,006. There are 1,386 COVID-19 patients in hospitals, and 180 of them are on ventilators. February 2, 4:00 p.m. The Louisiana Department of Health is reporting 2,580 new coronavirus cases for the state, bringing the total case count to 404,194. There are 41 additional COVID-19 related deaths, reaching a total death count of 8,953. There are 1,440 COVID-19 patients in hospitals, and 189 of them are on ventilators. February 1, 4:13 p.m. The University is reporting 458 coronavirus cases 335 of which are students and 123 are for employees for the LSU Community. The Louisiana Department of Health is reporting 899 new coronavirus cases for the state, bringing the total case count to 401,591. There are 53 additional COVID-19 related deaths, reaching a total death count of 8,912. There are 1,403 COVID-19 patients in hospitals, and 187 of them are on ventilators. January 31, 3:37 p.m. The Louisiana Department of Health is reporting 3,355 new coronavirus cases for the state, bringing the total case count to 400,626. There are 58 additional COVID-19 related deaths, reaching a total death count of 8,859. There are 1,416 COVID-19 patients in hospitals, and 199 of them are on ventilators. January 30, 8:05 p.m. The University is reporting 423 coronavirus cases 304 of which are students and 119 are for employees for the LSU Community. The Louisiana Department of Health is reporting 2,369 new coronavirus cases for the state, bringing the total case count to 397,276. There are 58 additional COVID-19 related deaths, reaching a total death count of 8,801. There are 1,546 COVID-19 patients in hospitals, and 198 of them are on ventilators. January 28, 4:41 p.m. The University is reporting 384 coronavirus cases 271 of which are students and 113 are for employees for the LSU Community. The Louisiana Department of Health is reporting 2,517 new coronavirus cases for the state, bringing the total case count to 394,909. There are 55 additional COVID-19 related deaths, reaching a total death count of 8,743. There are no updates on the current number of patients in hospitals due to COVID-19, and 206 of them are on ventilators. January 27, 2:05 p.m. The Louisiana Department of Health is reporting 3,868 new coronavirus cases for the state, bringing the total case count to 392,416. There are 67 additional COVID-19 related deaths, reaching a total death count of 8,688. There are 1,625 COVID-19 patients in hospitals, and 203 of them are on ventilators. January 26, 8:20 p.m. The University is reporting 353 coronavirus cases 250 of which are students and 103 are for employees for the LSU Community. The Louisiana Department of Health is reporting 2,654 new coronavirus cases for the state, bringing the total case count to 388,562. There are 31 additional COVID-19 related deaths, reaching a total death count of 8,621. There are 1,646 COVID-19 patients in hospitals, and 217 of them are on ventilators. January 25, 12:04 p.m. The Louisiana Department of Health is reporting 2,075 new coronavirus cases for the state, bringing the total case count to 385,942. There are 25 additional COVID-19 related deaths, reaching a total death count of 8,590. There are 1,638 COVID-19 patients in hospitals, and 219 of them are on ventilators. January 24, 2:06 p.m. The University is reporting 316 coronavirus cases 219 of which are students and 97 are for employees for the LSU Community. The Louisiana Department of Health is reporting 3,604 new coronavirus cases for the state, bringing the total case count to 383,862. There are 82 additional COVID-19 related deaths, reaching a total death count of 8,565. There are 1,641 COVID-19 patients in hospitals, and 215 of them are on ventilators. January 22, 2:31 p.m. The Louisiana Department of Health is reporting 1,937 new coronavirus cases for the state, bringing the total case count to 380,255. There are 41 additional COVID-19 related deaths, reaching a total death count of 8,483. There are 1,747 COVID-19 patients in hospitals, and 216 of them are on ventilators. January 21, 6:33 p.m. The University is reporting 277 coronavirus cases 186 of which are students and 91 are for employees for the LSU Community. The Louisiana Department of Health is reporting 3,856 new coronavirus cases for the state, bringing the total case count to 378,318. There are 59 additional COVID-19 related deaths, reaching a total death count of 8,442. There are 1,800 COVID-19 patients in hospitals, and 233 of them are on ventilators. January 20, 1:20 p.m. The Louisiana Department of Health is reporting 2,536 new coronavirus cases for the state, bringing the total case count to 374,582. There are 59 additional COVID-19 related deaths, reaching a total death count of 8,383. There are 1,858 COVID-19 patients in hospitals, and 243 of them are on ventilators. January 19, 12:05 p.m. The University is reporting 240 coronavirus cases 156 of which are students and 84 are for employees for the LSU Community. The Louisiana Department of Health is reporting 2,126 new coronavirus cases for the state, bringing the total case count to 372,089. There are 71 additional COVID-19 related deaths, reaching a total death count of 8,324. There are 1,905 COVID-19 patients in hospitals, and 249 of them are on ventilators. January 18, 4:08 p.m. The University is reporting 215 coronavirus cases 138 of which are students and 77 are for employees for the LSU Community. The Louisiana Department of Health is reporting 961 new coronavirus cases for the state, bringing the total case count to 369,951. There are 50 additional COVID-19 related deaths, reaching a total death count of 8,253. There are 1,894 COVID-19 patients in hospitals, and 239 of them are on ventilators. January 15, 12:55 p.m. The Louisiana Department of Health is reporting 3,712 new coronavirus cases for the state, bringing the total case count to 364,853. COVID-19 related deaths were not recorded for Jan. 15. There are 2,001 COVID-19 patients in hospitals, and 242 of them are on ventilators. January 14, 12:40 p.m. The University is reporting 159 coronavirus cases 105 of which are students and 54 are for employees for the LSU Community. The Louisiana Department of Health is reporting 5,318 new coronavirus cases for the state, bringing the total case count to 361,148. There are 58 additional COVID-19 related deaths, reaching a total death count of 8,080. There are 1,975 COVID-19 patients in hospitals, and 245 of them are on ventilators. January 13, 12:12 p.m. The Louisiana Department of Health is reporting 2,902 new coronavirus cases for the state, bringing the total case count to 355,835. There are 51 additional COVID-19 related deaths, reaching a total death count of 8,022. There are 2,029 COVID-19 patients in hospitals, and 235 of them are on ventilators. January 12, 12:12 p.m. The University is reporting 143 coronavirus cases 84 of which are students and 59 are for employees for the LSU Community. The Louisiana Department of Health is reporting 4,673 new coronavirus cases for the state, bringing the total case count to 352,939. There are 53 additional COVID-19 related deaths, reaching a total death count of 7,971. There are 2,035 COVID-19 patients in hospitals, and 244 of them are on ventilators. January 11, 12:00 p.m. The Louisiana Department of Health is reporting 1,402 new coronavirus cases for the state, bringing the total case count to 348,234. There are 45 additional COVID-19 related deaths, reaching a total death count of 7,918. There are 1,982 COVID-19 patients in hospitals, and 232 of them are on ventilators. December 9, 8:04 p.m. The University is reporting 1,562 coronavirus cases 1,403 of which are students and 159 are for employees for the LSU Community. The Louisiana Department of Health is reporting 4,339 new coronavirus cases for the state, bringing the total case count to 258,914. There are 32 additional COVID-19 related deaths, reaching a total death count of 6,684. There are 1,537 COVID-19 patients in hospitals, and 177 of them are on ventilators. December 8, 9:00 p.m. The Louisiana Department of Health is reporting 2,439 new coronavirus cases for the state, bringing the total case count to 254,575. There are 45 additional COVID-19 related deaths, reaching a total death count of 6,652. December 7, 4:55 p.m. The University is reporting 1,545 coronavirus cases 1,394 of which are students and 151 are for employees for the LSU Community. The Louisiana Department of Health is reporting 1,016 new coronavirus cases for the state, bringing the total case count to 252,136. There are 23 additional COVID-19 related deaths, reaching a total death count of 6,607. There are 1,423 COVID-19 patients in hospitals, and 161 of them are on ventilators. December 4, 8:45 p.m. The University is reporting 1,530 coronavirus cases 1,382 of which are students and 148 are for employees for the LSU Community. The Louisiana Department of Health is reporting 3,102 new coronavirus cases for the state, bringing the total case count to 247,177. There are 24 additional COVID-19 related deaths, reaching a total death count of 6,548. There are 1,357 COVID-19 patients in hospitals, and 154 of them are on ventilators. December 2, 10:22 p.m. The University is reporting 1,509 coronavirus cases 1,369 of which are students and 140 are for employees for the LSU Community. The Louisiana Department of Health is reporting 3,604 new coronavirus cases for the state, bringing the total case count to 241,335. There are 46 additional COVID-19 related deaths, reaching a total death count of 6,501. There are 1,288 COVID-19 patients in hospitals, and 134 of them are on ventilators. December 1, 11:57 a.m. The Louisiana Department of Health is reporting 5,326 new coronavirus cases for the state, bringing the total case count to 237,740. There are 35 additional COVID-19 related deaths, reaching a total death count of 6,455. There are 1,280 COVID-19 patients in hospitals, and 128 of them are on ventilators. November 30, 9:02 p.m. The University is reporting 1,439 coronavirus cases 1,321 of which are students and 118 are for employees for the LSU Community. The Louisiana Department of Health is reporting 112 new coronavirus cases for the state, bringing the total case count to 232,414. There are 11 additional COVID-19 related deaths, reaching a total death count of 6,420. There are 1,241 COVID-19 patients in hospitals, and 125 of them are on ventilators. November 26, 8:26 p.m. The Louisiana Department of Health is reporting 1,234 new coronavirus cases for the state, bringing the total case count to 225,638. There are 27 additional COVID-19 related deaths, reaching a total death count of 6,350. There are 1,077 COVID-19 patients in hospitals, and 116 of them are on ventilators. November 24, 4:31 p.m. The Louisiana Department of Health is reporting 3,266 new coronavirus cases for the state, bringing the total case count to 224,403. There are 39 additional COVID-19 related deaths, reaching a total death count of 6,323. There are 1,052 COVID-19 patients in hospitals, and 113 of them are on ventilators. November 23, 8:27 p.m. The University is reporting 1,411 coronavirus cases 1,300 of which are students and 111 are for employees for the LSU Community. The Louisiana Department of Health is reporting 971 new coronavirus cases for the state, bringing the total case count to 221,160. There are 24 additional COVID-19 related deaths, reaching a total death count of 6,284. There are 1,012 COVID-19 patients in hospitals, and 114 of them are on ventilators. November 19, 8:06 p.m. The Louisiana Department of Health is reporting 2,073 new coronavirus cases for the state, bringing the total case count to 211,966. There are 15 additional COVID-19 related deaths, reaching a total death count of 6,199. There are 929 COVID-19 patients in hospitals, and 88 of them are on ventilators. November 18, 3:50 p.m. The University is reporting 1,367 coronavirus cases 1,267 of which are students and 100 are for employees for the LSU Community. The Louisiana Department of Health is reporting 2,239 new coronavirus cases for the state, bringing the total case count to 209,914. There are 28 additional COVID-19 related deaths, reaching a total death count of 6,184. There are 886 COVID-19 patients in hospitals, and 93 of them are on ventilators. November 17, 8:00 p.m. The Louisiana Department of Health is reporting 2,592 new coronavirus cases for the state, bringing the total case count to 207,685. There are 17 additional COVID-19 related deaths, reaching a total death count of 6,156. There are 874 COVID-19 patients in hospitals, and 92 of them are on ventilators. November 16, 5:18 p.m. The University is reporting 1,354 coronavirus cases 1,259 of which are students and 95 are for employees for the LSU Community. The Louisiana Department of Health is reporting 547 new coronavirus cases for the state, bringing the total case count to 205,059. There are 7 additional COVID-19 related deaths, reaching a total death count of 6,139. There are 818 COVID-19 patients in hospitals, and 81 of them are on ventilators. November 13, 8:27 p.m. The University is reporting 1,329 coronavirus cases 1,239 of which are students and 90 are for employees for the LSU Community. The Louisiana Department of Health is reporting 3,492 new coronavirus cases for the state, bringing the total case count to 201,981. There are 24 additional COVID-19 related deaths, reaching a total death count of 6,121. There are 692 COVID-19 patients in hospitals, and 62 of them are on ventilators. November 10, 8:34 p.m. The Louisiana Department of Health is reporting 1,307 new coronavirus cases for the state, bringing the total case count to 189,682. There are 10 additional COVID-19 related deaths, reaching a total death count of 5,829. There are 684 COVID-19 patients in hospitals, and 66 of them are on ventilators. November 9, 7:01 p.m. The University is reporting 1,291 coronavirus cases 1,210 of which are students and 81 are for employees for the LSU Community. The Louisiana Department of Health is reporting 380 new coronavirus cases for the state, bringing the total case count to 188,352. There are 12 additional COVID-19 related deaths, reaching a total death count of 5,819. There are 652 COVID-19 patients in hospitals, and 71 of them are on ventilators. November 6, 4:29 p.m. The University is reporting 1,271 coronavirus cases 1,196 of which are students and 75 are for employees for the LSU Community. The Louisiana Department of Health is reporting 855 new coronavirus cases for the state, bringing the total case count to 186,695. There are 21 additional COVID-19 related deaths, reaching a total death count of 5,787. There are 644 COVID-19 patients in hospitals, and 81 of them are on ventilators. November 5, 4:27 p.m. The Louisiana Department of Health is reporting 740 new coronavirus cases for the state, bringing the total case count to 185,825. There are 20 additional COVID-19 related deaths, reaching a total death count of 5,766. There are 636 COVID-19 patients in hospitals, and 82 of them are on ventilators. November 4, 12:38 p.m. The University is reporting 1,254 coronavirus cases 1,184 of which are students and 70 are for employees for the LSU Community. The Louisiana Department of Health is reporting 371 new coronavirus cases for the state, bringing the total case count to 185,144. There are 9 additional COVID-19 related deaths, reaching a total death count of 5,746. There are 623 COVID-19 patients in hospitals, and 77 of them are on ventilators. November 3, 5:00 p.m. The Louisiana Department of Health is reporting 1,157 new coronavirus cases for the state, bringing the total case count to 184,773. There are 17 additional COVID-19 related deaths, reaching a total death count of 5,737. November 2, 7:21 p.m. The University is reporting 1,248 coronavirus cases 1,179 of which are students and 69 are for employees for the LSU Community. The Louisiana Department of Health is reporting 270 new coronavirus cases for the state, bringing the total case count to 183,616. There are 8 additional COVID-19 related deaths, reaching a total death count of 5,720. There are 596 COVID-19 patients in hospitals, and 70 of them are on ventilators. October 30, 5:10 p.m. The University is reporting 1,223 coronavirus cases 1,157 of which are students and 66 are for employees for the LSU Community. The Louisiana Department of Health is reporting 434 new coronavirus cases for the state, bringing the total case count to 182,270. There are 11 additional COVID-19 related deaths, reaching a total death count of 5,705. October 29, 6:03 p.m. The Louisiana Department of Health is reporting 392 new coronavirus cases for the state, bringing the total case count to 181,837. There are 18 additional COVID-19 related deaths, reaching a total death count of 5,694. There are 612 COVID-19 patients in hospitals, and 79 of them are on ventilators. October 28, 4:14 p.m. The University is reporting 1,211 coronavirus cases 1,145 of which are students and 66 are for employees for the LSU Community. The Louisiana Department of Health is reporting 503 new coronavirus cases for the state, bringing the total case count to 181,443. There are 10 additional COVID-19 related deaths, reaching a total death count of 5,676. There are 613 COVID-19 patients in hospitals, and 80 of them are on ventilators. October 27, 3:30 p.m. The Louisiana Department of Health is reporting 885 new coronavirus cases for the state, bringing the total case count to 180,991. There are 18 additional COVID-19 related deaths, reaching a total death count of 5,666. There are 600 COVID-19 patients in hospitals, and 91 of them are on ventilators. October 26, 7:28 p.m. The University is reporting 1,179 coronavirus cases 1,118 of which are students and 61 are for employees for the LSU Community. The Louisiana Department of Health is reporting 222 new coronavirus cases for the state, bringing the total case count to 180,069. There are 17 additional COVID-19 related deaths, reaching a total death count of 5,648. There are 609 COVID-19 patients in hospitals, and 71 of them are on ventilators. October 23, 6:19 p.m. Louisiana State University did not update their COVID-19 cases as scheduled today. The Louisiana Department of Health is reporting 696 new coronavirus cases for the state, bringing the total case count to 178,870. There are 21 additional COVID-19 related deaths, reaching a total death count of 5,614. There are 620 COVID-19 patients in hospitals, and 65 of them are on ventilators. October 22, 8:24 p.m. The Louisiana Department of Health is reporting 775 new coronavirus cases for the state, bringing the total case count to 178,171. There are 9 additional COVID-19 related deaths, reaching a total death count of 5,593. There are 598 COVID-19 patients in hospitals, and 64 of them are on ventilators. October 21, 3:46 p.m. The University is reporting 1,164 coronavirus cases 1,103 of which are students and 61 are for employees for the LSU Community. The Louisiana Department of Health is reporting 744 new coronavirus cases for the state, bringing the total case count to 177,399. There are 12 additional COVID-19 related deaths, reaching a total death count of 5,584. There are 608 COVID-19 patients in hospitals, and 68 of them are on ventilators. October 20, 8:32 p.m. The Louisiana Department of Health is reporting 685 new coronavirus cases for the state, bringing the total case count to 176,681. There are 6 additional COVID-19 related deaths, reaching a total death count of 5,572. There are 586 COVID-19 patients in hospitals, and 62 of them are on ventilators. October 19, 5:26 p.m. The University is reporting 1,146 coronavirus cases 1,088 of which are students and 58 are for employees for the LSU Community. The Louisiana Department of Health is reporting 202 new coronavirus cases for the state, bringing the total case count to 175,982. There are 16 additional COVID-19 related deaths, reaching a total death count of 5,566. There are 553 COVID-19 patients in hospitals, and 64 of them are on ventilators. October 18, 4:22 p.m. The Louisiana Department of Health is reporting 1,125 new coronavirus cases for the state, bringing the total case count to 175,781. There are 23 additional COVID-19 related deaths, reaching a total death count of 5,550. There are 550 COVID-19 patients in hospitals, and 60 of them are on ventilators. October 16, 5:57 p.m. The University is reporting 1,129 coronavirus cases 1,074 of which are students and 54 are for employees for the LSU Community. The Louisiana Department of Health is reporting 863 new coronavirus cases for the state, bringing the total case count to 174,638. There are 20 additional COVID-19 related deaths, reaching a total death count of 5,527. There are 557 COVID-19 patients in hospitals, and 60 of them are on ventilators. October 15, 4:28 p.m. The University is reporting 1,125 coronavirus cases 1,071 of which are students and 54 are for employees for the LSU Community. The Louisiana Department of Health is reporting 823 new coronavirus cases for the state, bringing the total case count to 173,864. There are 12 additional COVID-19 related deaths, reaching a total death count of 5,507. There are 566 COVID-19 patients in hospitals, and 61 of them are on ventilators. October 14, 4:52 p.m. The Louisiana Department of Health is reporting 331 new coronavirus cases for the state, bringing the total case count to 173,121. There are 9 additional COVID-19 related deaths, reaching a total death count of 5,495. There are 574 COVID-19 patients in hospitals, and 64 of them are on ventilators. October 13, 4:52 p.m. The Louisiana Department of Health is reporting 653 new coronavirus cases for the state, bringing the total case count to 172,801. There are 10 additional COVID-19 related deaths, reaching a total death count of 5,486. There are 573 COVID-19 patients in hospitals, and 68 of them are on ventilators. The University is reporting 1,124 coronavirus cases 1,071 of which are students and 53 are for employees for the LSU Community. October 12, 5:39 p.m. The Louisiana Department of Health is reporting 63 new coronavirus cases for the state, bringing the total case count to 172,119. There are 14 additional COVID-19 related deaths, reaching a total death count of 5,476. There are 577 COVID-19 patients in hospitals, and 70 of them are on ventilators. The University is reporting 1,124 coronavirus cases 1,071 of which are students and 53 are for employees for the LSU Community. October 9, 3:02 p.m. The Louisiana Department of Health is reporting 265 new coronavirus cases for the state, bringing the total case count to 170,878. There are 26 additional COVID-19 related deaths, reaching a total death count of 5,442. There are 582 COVID-19 patients in hospitals, and 78 of them are on ventilators. The University is reporting 1,113 coronavirus cases 1,060 of which are students and 53 are for employees for the LSU Community. October 8, 8:15 p.m. The Louisiana Department of Health is reporting 526 new coronavirus cases for the state, bringing the total case count to 170,621. There are 5 additional COVID-19 related deaths, reaching a total death count of 5,416. There are 564 COVID-19 patients in hospitals, and 79 of them are on ventilators. The University is reporting 1,082 coronavirus cases 1,032 of which are students and 50 are for employees for the LSU Community. October 7, 4:08 p.m. The Louisiana Department of Health is reporting 1,052 new coronavirus cases for the state following a backlog of tests, bringing the total case count to 170,097. There are 9 additional COVID-19 related deaths, reaching a total death count of 5,411. There are 552 COVID-19 patients in hospitals, and 78 of them are on ventilators. The University is reporting 1,082 coronavirus cases 1,032 of which are students and 50 are for employees for the LSU Community. October 6, 2:06 p.m. The Louisiana Department of Health is reporting 506 new coronavirus cases for the state, bringing the total case count to 169,044. There are 6 additional COVID-19 related deaths, reaching a total death count of 5,402. There are 567 COVID-19 patients in hospitals, and 71 of them are on ventilators. The University is reporting 1,058 coronavirus cases 1,012 of which are students and 46 are for employees for the LSU Community. October 5, 8:45 p.m. The Louisiana Department of Health is reporting 230 new coronavirus cases for the state, bringing the total case count to 168,512. There are 9 additional COVID-19 related deaths, reaching a total death count of 5,396. There are 547 COVID-19 patients in hospitals, and 71 of them are on ventilators. The University is reporting 1,058 coronavirus cases 1,012 of which are students and 46 are for employees for the LSU Community. October 2, 5:23 p.m. The Louisiana Department of Health is reporting 889 new coronavirus cases for the state, bringing the total case count to 167,401. There are 26 additional COVID-19 related deaths, reaching a total death count of 5,355. There are 536 COVID-19 patients in hospitals, and 74 of them are on ventilators. The University is reporting 1,032 coronavirus cases 987 of which are students and 45 are for employees for the LSU Community. October 1, 4:31 p.m. The Louisiana Department of Health is reporting 608 new coronavirus cases for the state, bringing the total case count to 166,584. There are 8 additional COVID-19 related deaths, reaching a total death count of 5,329. There are 534 COVID-19 patients in hospitals, and 75 of them are on ventilators. The University is reporting 1,015 coronavirus cases 970 of which are students and 45 are for employees for the LSU Community. 4:50 p.m. The University has 1,015 total coronavirus cases 970 students and 45 employees for the campus community. September 30, 2:05 p.m. The Louisiana Department of Health is reporting 452 new coronavirus cases for the state, bringing the total case count to 166,033. There are 13 additional COVID-19 related deaths, reaching a total death count of 5,321. There are 553 COVID-19 patients in hospitals, and 79 of them are on ventilators. LSU spokesperson Ernie Ballard said Wednesday that the previously reported total number of COVID-19 cases, 1,033, was made in error. The correct number of COVID-19 cases in the LSU community is 990. Of those cases, 947 of them are students and 43 are employees. Twenty-five students are currently self-isolating, while 38 are in quarantine. September 29, 12:28 p.m. The Louisiana Department of Health is reporting 553 new, overnight coronavirus cases for the state, bringing the total case count to 165,624. There are 10 additional COVID-19 related deaths, reaching a total death count of 5,308. There are 578 COVID-19 patients in hospitals, and 80 of them are on ventilators. The University is reporting 1,033 coronavirus cases--990 of which are students and 43 are for employees--for the LSU Community. September 28, 8:03 p.m. The Louisiana Department of Health is reporting 236 new, overnight coronavirus cases for the state, bringing the total case count to 165,091. There are 15 additional COVID-19 related deaths, reaching a total death count of 5,298. There are 563 COVID-19 patients in hospitals, and 83 of them are on ventilators. The University is reporting 1,033 coronavirus cases--990 of which are students and 43 are for employees--for the LSU Community. September 25, 4:11 p.m. The Louisiana Department of Health is reporting 698 new coronavirus cases, bringing the total case count to 163,928. There are 21 additional deaths, reaching a total death count of 5,262. There are 117 new COVID-19 cases reported at LSU, totaling 970 cases for the LSU community. There are 570 coronavirus patients in hospitals, and 86 of them are on ventilators. September 24, 1:46 p.m. The Louisiana Department of Health is reporting 581 new coronavirus cases, bringing the total case count to 163,222. There are 16 additional deaths, reaching a total death count of 5,241. There are 853 total coronavirus cases for the LSU community. There are 575 coronavirus patients in hospitals, and 92 of them are on ventilators. September 23, 12:50 p.m. The Louisiana Department of Health is reporting 440 new coronavirus cases, bringing the total case count to 162,645. There are 7 additional deaths, reaching a total death count of 5,225. The University is reporting 24 new coronavirus cases on campus between Sept.18-20. There are 853 total coronavirus cases for the campus community. There are 592 coronavirus patients in hospitals, and 94 of them are on ventilators. September 21, 4:36 p.m. The Louisiana Department of Health is reporting 249 new Coronavirus cases for Louisiana, bringing the total case count to 161,462. There are 9 additional COVID-19 related deaths, reaching a total death count of 5,207. The University is reporting 41 new coronavirus cases on campus between Sept.18-20. There are 829 total coronavirus cases for the campus community. Hospitalizations decrease to 587, and 93 of those patients are on ventilators. September 20, 2020 12:23 p.m. There are 928 new coronavirus cases for Louisiana, according to the Louisiana Department of Health, bringing the total case count to 161, 219. There are an additional 26 deaths for the state, reaching a total death count of 5,198. Hospitalizations decrease to 596, and there are one hundred patients on ventilators. September 18, 12:41 p.m. The Louisiana Department of Health is reporting 976 new Coronavirus cases for Louisiana, bringing the total case count to 160,283. There are 29 additional COVID-19 related deaths, reaching a total death count of 5,172. The University is reporting 20 new coronavirus cases on campus between Sept.16-17. There are 788 total coronavirus cases for the campus community. Hospitalizations decrease to 647, and 104 of those patients are on ventilators. September 17, 6:00 p.m. The Louisiana Department of Health is reporting 500 new Coronavirus cases for Louisiana, bringing the total case count to 159,304. There are 17 additional COVID-19 related deaths, reaching a total death count of 5,143. There are 768 total coronavirus cases for the LSU community. Hospitalizations decrease to 663, and 106 of patients are on ventilators. September 16, 5:18 p.m. The Louisiana Department of Health is reporting 508 new coronavirus cases for Louisiana, bringing the total case count to 158,826. There are 18 additional, COVID-19 related deaths, reaching a total death count of 5,126. The University is reporting 14 new coronavirus cases on campus between Sept.14-15. There are 768 total coronavirus cases for the campus community. Hospitalizations increase to 678, and 107 of patients are on ventilators. September 14, 4:10 p.m. There are 497 new coronavirus cases for Louisiana, bringing the total case count to 157,947. There are 17 additional, overnight deaths, reaching a total death count of 5,082. The University has 50 additional coronavirus cases between Sept.11-13. There are now 754 coronavirus cases for the campus community. Hospitalizations decrease 664, and 105 of the patients are on ventilators. September 13, 4:30 p.m. The Louisiana Department of Health is reporting 1,353 new coronavirus cases for Louisiana, bringing the total case count to 157,455. There are 33 additional COVID-19 related deaths, reaching a total death count of 5,065. Hospitalizations decrease to 680, and 107 of patients are on ventilators. September 11, 4:24 p.m. There are 844 more coronavirus cases for Louisiana, bringing the total case count to 156,174. There are 41 additional COVID-19 related deaths, reaching a total case count of 5,032. The University has 31 additional coronavirus cases on campus between Sept. 9-10. There are now a total of 704 coronavirus cases for the LSU community. Hospitalizations decrease 723, and 117 of the patients are on ventilators. September 10, 12:10 p.m. The Louisiana Department of Health is reporting 499 new coronavirus cases, bringing the total case count to 155,419. There are 21 additional COVID-19 related deaths, reaching a total death count of 4,991. Hospitalizations decrease to 762, and there are 125 patients on ventilators. September 9, 4:05 p.m. Louisiana has 1,511 new coronavirus cases, with 690 of them being backlog. There is now a total of 154,955 coronavirus cases for the state. There are 15 additional deaths for the state, bringing the total death count to 4,970. The University is reporting 82 more coronavirus cases in the LSU Community over the past two days. There are now 673 total cases. COVID-19 patients in hospitals decrease to 782, and 123 of them are on ventilators. September 8, 11:00 p.m. The Louisiana Department of Health is reporting 250 new coronavirus cases for Louisiana, bringing the total case count to 153,433. There are 13 additional COVID-19 related deaths, reaching a total death count of 4,955. Hospitalizations increase to 799, and 131 of the patients are on ventilators. September 7, 6:40 p.m. The Louisiana Department of Health is reporting 305 new coronavirus cases for Louisiana, bringing the total case count to 153,177. There are 12 additional COVID-19 related deaths for the state, reaching a total death count of 4,942. The University has 102 new coronavirus cases between Sept. 4 and Sept. 9. The total coronavirus case count has reached 591. Hospitalizations decrease to 787, and 124 of the patients are on ventilators. September 6, 12:15 p.m. There are 1,387 new coronavirus cases for Louisiana, bringing the total case count to 152,868. There are an additional 58 COVID-19 related deaths, reaching a total death of 4,930. Hospitalizations decrease to 790, and 119 of them are on ventilators. September 4, 4:34 p.m. The Louisiana Department of Health is reporting 828 new coronavirus cases, reaching a total case count of 151,473. There are an additional 14 COVID-19 related deaths, bringing the total death count to 4,872. The total number of coronavirus cases at the University have reached 489. Hospitalizations decrease to 808, and 96 of the patients are on ventilators. September 3, 2:16 p.m. There are 884 new coronavirus cases, bringing the total case count to 150,651. There are also 17 additional, overnight deaths for the state, reaching a total death count to 4,858. COVID-19 patients in hospitals have decreased to 851, and 128 of them are on ventilators. September 2, 3:15 p.m. The Louisiana Department of Health reported 972 new coronavirus cases for the state, bringing the total case count to 149,838. There are an additional 20 overnight deaths, reaching a total death count of 4,841. The number of COVID-19 patients in hospitals decreased to 873, 132 of them being on ventilators. At the University, the total number of cases has increased to 366. September 1, 2:17 p.m. The Louisiana Department of Health is reporting 667 new coronavirus cases for the state, bringing the total case count to 148,882. There are an additional 34 overnight deaths, reaching a total death count of 4,821. COVID-19 patients in hospitals increase to 910, and 128 of them are on ventilators. August 31, 4:57 p.m. There are 324 new coronavirus cases for Louisiana, reaching a total case count of 148,193. There are 19 additional deaths, bringing the total death count to 4,787. The University is reporting 182 positive cases of coronavirus within the past five days. There are now 229 total coronavirus cases on campus. Hospitalizations decrease to 881, with 132 of them on ventilators. August 30, 12:15 p.m. The Louisiana Department of Health is reporting 1,645 new cases, including a backlog of 532 cases which are from as far back as July. There are 147,867 total cases for the state. Deaths increase by 27, reaching a total death count of 4,768. University numbers have not changed, still remaining at 47 total aggregated cases. Hospitalizations increase by two to 902, with 143 of them on ventilators. August 28, 12:00 p.m. There are 627 new coronavirus cases for Louisiana, reaching a total of 146,243 cases for the state. There are 30 additional, overnight COVID-19 related deaths, bringing the total death count to 4,741. Coronavirus cases for the University have not changed, with numbers remaining at 47 total aggregated cases. Hospitalizations increase to 900, and ventilator usage has decreased to 141. August 27, 1:17 p.m. The Louisiana Department of Health is reporting 723 new coronavirus cases, bringing Louisiana's total case count to 145, 637. There are 23 additional deaths for the state, reaching a total of 4,711 COVID-19 related deaths. Coronavirus cases for the University has not changed, with numbers remaining at 47 total aggregated cases. Hospitalizations continue to decrease to 876, with 145 of patients on ventilators. August 26, 12:41 p.m. There are 844 new coronavirus cases for Louisiana, reaching a total of 144,960 reported cases for the state. There are 32 overnight COVID-19 related deaths, bringing the total death count to 4,688. Coronavirus cases for the University has not changed, with numbers remaining at 47 total aggregated cases. Hospitalizations continue to decrease to 914, with 148 of them on ventilators. Gov. John Bel Edwards announced Wednesday afternoon, Louisiana will remain in Phase 2 for two more weeks, with restrictions in place until Sept. 11. August 25, 12:22 p.m. There are 47 total aggregated coronavirus cases reported to the University since August 15. Louisiana has 550 new coronavirus cases, bringing the total case count to 144,116. There are 33 additional COVID-19 related deaths for the state to 4,656. Hospitalizations continue to decrease to 930, and 141 of them are on ventilators. August 24, 12:09 p.m. LSU has 33 reported positive coronavirus cases within the last 6 days. Louisiana has 623 new coronavirus cases, bringing the total case count to 143,566. There are 18 additional COVID-19 related deaths, bringing the total death count to 4,623. Hospitalizations remain at 941, with ventilator usage remaining at 152. August 23, 12:06 p.m. There are 1,223 new coronavirus cases for Louisiana, bringing the total case count to 142,943. There are 59 additional COVID-19 related deaths, reaching a total death count of 4,605. Hospitalizations decrease to 941, and 152 of them are on ventilators. August 21, 12:04 p.m. Louisiana has 899 new coronavirus cases, reaching a total case count of 141,720. There are 50 additional, overnight deaths, bringing the total death count to 4,546. COVID-19 hospitalizations decrease to 1,051, and 172 of them are on ventilators. August 20, 2:13 p.m. There are 918 new coronavirus cases for Louisiana, bringing the total case count to 140,821. The state also sees 28 new COVID-19 deaths, reaching a total death count of 4,496. Hospitalizations decrease to 1,087, and 178 of them are on ventilators. August 19, 12:19 p.m. Louisiana has 778 new coronavirus cases, reaching a total case count of 139,903. The state also has 37 more COVID-19 related deaths, bringing the total death count to 4,468. Hospitalizations decrease to 1,160, and 175 of them are on ventilators. August 18, 12:05 p.m. There are 640 new coronavirus cases for Louisiana, bringing the total case count to 139,125. There are 28 more reported deaths for the state, reaching a total death count of 4,431. Hospitalizations decrease to 1,204, and 187 of them are on ventilators. August 17, 12:11 p.m. The Louisiana Department of Heath reports 735 new coronavirus cases, bringing the total case count for Louisiana to 138,485. There are 19 additional, overnight deaths, reaching a total death count of 4,403. Hospitalizations increase to 1,226, and 184 of them are on ventilators. August 16, 12:30 p.m. Louisiana has 1,181 new coronavirus cases, bringing the total case count to 137,918. Deaths increase by 77, reaching a total death count of 4,384. Hospitalizations decrease to 1,196, with 189 of them on ventilators. August 14, 12:04 p.m. There are 1,298 new coronavirus cases, reaching a total case count of 136,737 for Louisiana. Deaths increase by 28, bringing the total death count to 4,307. Hospitalizations decrease to 1,243, and 197 of them are on ventilators. August 13, 4:46 p.m. Louisiana has 1,135 new coronavirus cases, bringing the total case count to 135,439. Deaths increase by 41, reaching a total of 4,279 deaths. Hospitalizations continue to decrease to 1,281, and 196 of them on ventilators. August 12, 1:37 p.m. There are 1,179 new coronavirus cases for Louisiana, reaching a total case count of 134,304. Deaths increase by 43, bringing the total death count to 4,238. Hospitalizations decrease to 1,320, with 211 of them on ventilators. August 11, 1:15 p.m. Louisiana has 1,726 new coronavirus cases, bringing the total case count to 133,125. The state has 26 additional, overnight deaths reaching a total death count of 4,195. Hospitalizations decrease to 1,335, with 214 of them on ventilators. August 10, 12:34 p.m. There are 562 new coronavirus cases for Louisiana, reaching a total of 131,961 coronavirus cases, according to the Louisiana Department of Health. However, the updated numbers seem "incomplete." LDH is investigating. LDH reports 24 additional deaths for the state, bringing the total death count to 4,169. There are 1,382 COVID-19 patients in hospitals throughout Louisiana, one less than yesterday. 215 of them are on ventilators. August 9, 12:40 p.m. Louisiana has 2,653 new coronavirus cases, bringing the total case count to 131,399. There are 56 additional deaths for the state, bringing the total death count to 4,145. Hospitalizations continue to decrease to 1,383, and 210 of them are on ventilators. August 6, 12:10 p.m. There are 1,303 new coronavirus cases today in Louisiana, bringing the total case count to 127,246. There are 50 additional coronavirus related deaths, bringing the total to 4,028. Hospitalizations have decreased to 1,457 and ventilator usage has decreased to 215. August 5, 12:35 p.m. The Louisiana Department of Health reported 1,490 new coronavirus cases today, bringing the total case count to 125,943. There are 41 additional coronavirus related deaths for the state, bringing the total to 3,978. Hospitalizations have decreased to 1,471 and ventilator usage has decreased to 223. August 4, 12:38 p.m. There are 3,615 new coronavirus cases for Louisiana, bringing the total case count to 124,461. The case count increase includes a backlog of 1,741 cases. Deaths have increased by 27 for the state, reaching a total of 3,937 deaths. Hospitalizations decrease to 1,487, with ventilator usage increasing to 240. August 3, 12:01 p.m. Louisiana has 1,099 new, overnight coronavirus cases, reaching a total of 120,846 total cases. There are 17 additional deaths for the state, bringing the total death count to 3,910. Hospitalizations decrease to 1,496, with 230 of them on ventilators. August 2, 12:01 p.m. There are 3,467 new coronavirus cases for Louisiana, bringing the total case count to 119,747. There are an additional 58 deaths for the state, reaching a total of 3,893 deaths. COVID-19 patients in hospitals decrease to 1, 534, with 221 of them on ventilators. July 31, 12:08 p.m. Louisiana sees 1,799 new coronavirus cases, bringing the total case count to 116,280. There are 24 additional coronavirus related deaths for the state, bringing the total to 3,835. COVID-19 patients in hospitals increase to 1,546, with 222 of them on ventilators. July 30, 12:00 p.m. There are 1,708 new coronavirus cases for Louisiana, reaching a total of 114,481 cases. There are 42 additional deaths, bringing the total death count to 3,811. Hospitalizations decrease to 1,524, with 205 of them on ventilators. July 29, 1:52 p.m. Louisiana has 1,735 coronavirus cases, bringing the total case count to 112,773. There are 69 additional deaths, reaching a total of 3,769 for the state. COVID-19 patients in hospitals decrease to 1,544, with 221 of them on ventilators. July 28, 12:00 p.m. There are 1,121 new coronavirus cases for Louisiana, reaching a total of 111,038 for the state. The COVID-19 death count increased by 26, bringing the total deaths count to 3,700. Hospitalizations decrease to 1,583, with 214 of them on ventilators. July 27, 12:14 p.m. Louisiana has 2,343 new coronavirus cases, reaching a total of 109,917. There are 23 additional deaths for the state, bringing the total death count to 3,674. COVID-19 patients in hospitals continue to increase to 1,600, with 208 of them on ventilators. July 26, 12:00 p.m. There are 3,840 new coronavirus cases for Louisiana, reaching a total of 107,574 reported cases. There are 48 more deaths for the state, bringing the total deaths to 3,651. Hospitalizations decrease to 1,557, with 184 of them on ventilators. July 24, 12:35 p.m. Louisiana has 2,084 new coronavirus cases. Total case count for the state is at 103,754. Deaths have increased by 29 overnight, bringing the total deaths to 3,603. There are 15 more COVID-19 patients in hospitals, reaching a total of 1,600, and 197 of them are on ventilators. July 23, 1:15 p.m. There are 101,650 reported coronavirus cases for Louisiana, with 3,574 deaths. There are 1,585 COVID-19 patients in hospitals throughout the state, with 197 of them on ventilators. July 21, 1:00 p.m. Louisiana has 1,691 new coronavirus cases, reaching a total of 96,583. The state has 36 additional deaths, bringing the total deaths to 3,498. There are 1,527 reported COVID-19 patients in hospitals, with 186 of them on ventilators. July 20, 1:00 p.m. Louisiana has 6,302 new coronavirus cases, reaching a total of 94,892. The state has 63 additional deaths, bringing the total deaths to 3,462. There are 1,508 reported COVID-19 patients in hospitals, with 192 of them on ventilators. July 17, 5:00 p.m. Louisiana has 2,179 new coronavirus cases, reaching a total of 88,590. The state has 24 additional deaths, bringing the total deaths to 3,399. There are 1,413 reported COVID-19 patients in hospitals, with 161 of them on ventilators. July 16, 1:00 p.m. Louisiana has 2,280 new coronavirus cases, reaching a total of 86,411. The state has 24 additional deaths, bringing the total deaths to 3,375. There are 1,401 reported COVID-19 patients in hospitals, with 162 of them on ventilators. July 15, 3:00 p.m. Louisiana has 2,089 new coronavirus cases, reaching a total of 84,131. The state has 14 additional deaths, bringing the total deaths to 3,351. There are 1,369 reported COVID-19 patients in hospitals, with 147 of them on ventilators. July 14, 1:00 p.m. Louisiana has 2,215 new coronavirus cases, reaching a total of 82,042. The state has 22 additional deaths, bringing the total deaths to 3,337. There are 1,308 reported COVID-19 patients in hospitals, with 142 of them on ventilators. East Baton Rouge Parish sees 121 new coronavirus cases, bringing the total case count to 7,421. Orleans Parish's case count increases by 101, reaching a total of 8,846. July 13, 5:00 p.m. Louisiana has 1,705 new coronavirus cases, reaching a total of 79,827. The state has seven additional deaths, bringing the total deaths to 3,315. There are 1,308 reported COVID-19 patients in hospitals, with 142 of them on ventilators. East Baton Rouge Parish sees 200 new coronavirus cases, bringing the total case count to 7,300. Orleans Parish's case count increases by 80, reaching a total of 8,745. July 12, 12:00 p.m. Louisiana has 1,319 new coronavirus cases, reaching a total of 78,122. The state has 13 additional deaths, bringing the total deaths to 3,308. There are 1,243 reported COVID-19 patients in hospitals, with 134 of them on ventilators. East Baton Rouge Parish sees 111 new coronavirus cases, bringing the total case count to 7,100. Orleans Parish's case count increases by 67, reaching a total of 8,665. July 11, 12:17 p.m. Louisiana has 2,167 new coronavirus cases, reaching a total of 76,803. The state has 23 additional deaths, bringing the total deaths to 3,295. There are 65 more COVID-19 patients in hospitals, with 121 of them on ventilators. East Baton Rouge Parish sees 242 new coronavirus cases, bringing the total case count to 6,989. Orleans Parish's case count increases by 122, reaching a total of 8,598. More News: LSU releases updated Roadmap to Fall 2020 semester The University released an updated roadmap for the upcoming fall 2020 semester on July 10. July 10, 12:39 p.m. Louisiana has 2,642 new overnight coronavirus cases, bringing the total case count to 74,636. There are 25 additional deaths for the state, reaching a total of 3,272. COVID-19 patients continue to increase to 1,117, with 122 of them on ventilators. East Baton Rouge Parish's coronavirus case count increase by 279, reaching a total of 6,747. Orleans Parish sees 132 new cases, bringing the total case count to 8,476. July 9, 12:39 p.m. There are 1,843 new overnight coronavirus cases for Louisiana. The total case count is at 71,994, and there are 16 additional deaths, bringing the total to 3,247. There are 20 more coronavirus patients in hospitals throughout Louisiana, reaching a total of 1,042, with 110 of them on ventilators. East Baton Rouge Parish cases grow by 132, bringing the total count to 6,468. Orleans Parish sees 57 new cases, reaching a total of 8,344 cases. July 8, 12:07 p.m. As of July 7, there are 46,334 presumed recovered from the coronavirus. Louisiana coronavirus cases climb by 1,888, reaching a total of 70,151. There are 20 additional deaths, bringing the total to 3,231. There are three less COVID-19 patients in hospitals. There are 1,022 COVID-19 patients, with 105 of them on ventilators. East Baton Rouge Parish sees 105 more coronavirus cases, bringing the total case count to 6,336. Orleans Parish has 81 more coronavirus cases, reaching a total case count of 8,287. More News: July 7, 1:20 p.m. Coronavirus cases in Louisiana are up by 1,936, bringing the total case count to 68,263. There are 23 additional, overnight deaths, reaching a total of 3,211. There are 61 more COVID-19 patients in hospitals, bringing the total to 1,025, with 109 of them on ventilators. East Baton Rouge Parish has 253 new coronavirus cases, bringing the total case count to 6,231. Orleans Parish sees 63 more coronavirus cases, reaching a total of 8,206. July 6, 12:04 p.m. Louisiana has 66,327 reported cases, up 1,101 since yesterday. There are eight additional deaths for the state, bringing the total to 3,188. There are 38 additional COVID-19 patients in hospitals, reaching a total of 964, with 109 of them on ventilators. East Baton Rouge Parish sees 5,978 cumulative cases, up 104 since yesterday. Orleans Parish has 36 additional cases, bringing the total to 8,143. July 5, 12:17 p.m. Louisiana has 1,937 new coronavirus cases, bringing the total to 65,226, and there are ten additional deaths. Total deaths are at 3,180 reported deaths. COVID-19 hospitalizations continue to rise to 926. 105 of them are on ventilators. East Baton Rouge Parish has 190 new coronavirus cases, reaching a total of 5,874. Orleans Parish sees 76 additional coronavirus cases, bringing the total to 8,107. More News: July 4 Louisiana Department of Health has not updated their coronavirus numbers because of Fourth of July holiday. July 3, 12:05 p.m. There are 1,728 new coronavirus cases for Louisiana, bringing the total to 63,289. There are 23 additional deaths, reaching a total of 3,170 deaths. COVID-19 hospitalizations increase by 12. There are now 852 patients, with 93 of them on ventilators. East Baton Rouge Parish sees 153 more cases, bringing a total of 5,684. Orleans Parish has 71 additional cases, reaching a total of 8,031. More News: July 2, 12:05 p.m. Louisiana sees 1,383 new, overnight coronavirus cases, reaching a total of 61,561 cases. There are 17 more deaths for the state, bringing the total to 3,147. There are 41 more COVID-19 patients in hospitals. There are a total of 840 patients, with 91 of them on ventilators. East Baton Rouge Parish has 181 additional cases, bringing the total to 5,531. Orleans Parish sees 41 additional cases, reaching a total of 7,960 cases. More News: July 1, 12:39 p.m. There are 2,083 new coronavirus cases in Louisiana, bringing the total case count to 60,178. The state now has 17 additional deaths, reaching a total of 3,130. COVID-19 patients in hospitals continue to increase to 799, with 84 of them on ventilators. East Baton Rouge Parish has 227 additional cases, bringing the total case count to 5,350. Orleans Parish sees 68 additional cases, reaching a total of 7,919 coronavirus cases. More News: June 30, 12:52 p.m. Louisiana has 1,014 new cases, bringing the total case count to 58,095. There are 22 additional deaths, having a total of 3,113 deaths. COVID-19 patients for the state increase to 781, with 83 of them on ventilators. East Baton Rouge Parish sees 89 new cases, reaching a total of 5,123. Orleans Parish sees 55 new cases, having 7,851 total cases. June 29, 12:10 p.m. As of June 28, there are 42,225 presumed recovered COVID-19 patients in Louisiana. There are 844 new coronavirus cases for Louisiana, bringing the total to 57,081. There are 3,091 deaths, up five since yesterday. There are 22 additional COVID-19 patients in hospitals, 737, with 79 of them on ventilators. East Baton Rouge Parish sees 71 new cases, bringing the total case count to 5,034. Orleans Parish has 36 new cases, bringing the total cases to 7,796. More News: LSU administration, epidemiologists at odds over fan attendance in Tiger Stadium In late May, LSU Interim President Tom Galligan said he desperately hopes to see fans in T June 28 Louisiana had 1,467 new coronavirus cases, bringing the total to 56,237. There are 3,086 reported deaths. There are 715 COVID-19 patients in hospitals, which is 15 more than on June 26. East Baton Rouge Parish has 4,963 cumulative cases, and Orleans Parish has 7,760 cumulative cases. June 27, 12:23 p.m. The Louisiana Department of Health will not update its dashboard due to a planned power outage. Reports will resume tomorrow, June 28. More News: June 26, 12:11 p.m. There are 1,354 new coronavirus cases in Louisiana, bringing the total cases to 54,769. There are 26 additional deaths, reaching a total of 3,077. COVID-19 patients in hospitals throughout the state continue to rise by 47. There are now 700 patients, with 73 of them on ventilators. East Baton Rouge Parish has 109 new coronavirus cases, bringing the total to 4,833. Orleans Parish has 43 new cases, bringing the total to 7,681. More News: June 25, 1:00 p.m. Louisiana has 938 new overnight cases, bringing the total cases to 53,415. There have been 12 additional deaths reaching a total of 3,051. There are 22 new COVID-19 patients in hospitals. The total is now 653, and 77 of them are on ventilators. East Baton Rouge Parish is up by 87 with 4,724 cases. Orleans Parish cases have increased by 28 with 7,638 cases. More News: June 24, 12:09 p.m. With 882 new coronavirus cases statewide, Louisiana has 52,477 reported cases. The state also saw 18 additional deaths, bringing the total deaths to 3,039. There are 15 less COVID-19 patients in hospitals since yesterday, June 23, bringing the total to 631. 77 of the patients are on ventilators. East Baton Rouge Parish has 123 additional coronavirus cases, with the total now 4,637. Orleans Parish has 39 additional coronavirus cases, bringing the total to 7,610. More News: June 23 Louisiana has 51, 595 reported cases of coronavirus with 3,021 deaths. There are 646 COVID-19 patients in hospitals, with 83 of them on ventilators. East Baton Rouge Parish has 4,514 cumulative cases, and Orleans Parish has 7,571 cumulative cases. June 21, 12:44 p.m. Louisiana has 49,778 reported cases of coronavirus with 2,993 deaths. There are 589 COVID-19 patients in hospitals, with 69 of them on ventilators. East Baton Rouge Parish has 4,374 cumulative cases, and Orleans Parish has 7,518 cumulative cases. More News: June 17, 11:45 a.m. Louisiana has 48,634 reported cases of coronavirus, with 2,950 deaths. COVID-19 patients in hospitals decrease to 585, with 83 of them on ventilators. East Baton Rouge Parish has 4,357 cumulative cases, and Orleans Parish has 7,459 cumulative cases. June 16, 1:57 p.m. Louisiana has 47,706 reported cases of coronavirus, with 2,930 deaths. COVID-19 patients in hospitals increase to 588, with 77 of them on ventilators. East Baton Rouge Parish has 4,301 cumulative cases, and Orleans Parish has 7,428 cumulative cases. More News: June 15, 12:31 p.m. There are 37,017 presumed recoveries throughout the state. Louisiana has 47,172 reported cases of coronavirus and 2,906 deaths. There are 12 more COVID-19 patients in hospitals, bringing the total to 568, with 76 of them on ventilators. East Baton Rouge Parish has 4,284 cumulative cases, and Orleans Parish has 7,411 cumulative cases. More News: June 14, 11:48 a.m. The Louisiana Department of Health is reporting 336 new cases bringing the total to 46,619 reported cases with 2,901 deaths. There are 12 more COVID-19 patients in hospitals, bringing the total to 556, with 76 of them on ventilators. East Baton Rouge Parish has 4,226 cumulative cases, and Orleans Parish has 7,393 cumulative cases. June 13, 1:55 p.m. The Louisiana Department of Health is reporting 1,288 new cases due to a backlog from labs. There are 46,283 reported cases with 2,891 deaths. COVID-19 patients continue to decrease to 542, with 76 of them on ventilators. East Baton Rouge Parish has 4,197 cumulative cases, and Orleans Parish has 7,343 cumulative cases. More News: June 12, 2:28 p.m. With over 500 new coronavirus cases, Louisiana has 44,995 total cases with 2,883 deaths. There are five less COVID-19 patients in hospitals, bringing the total to 549, with 74 of them on ventilators. East Baton Rouge Parish has 4,150 cumulative cases of coronavirus, and Orleans Parish has 7,319 cumulative cases. June 11, 1:38 p.m. With over 400 new coronavirus cases, Louisiana has 44,472 total cases with 2,874 deaths. There are four new COVID-19 patients, bringing the total to 553, with 77 of them on ventilators. East Baton Rouge Parish has 4,088 cumulative cases of coronavirus, and Orleans Parish has 7,294 cumulative cases. More News: June 10, 2:05 p.m. Louisiana has 418 new coronavirus cases, bringing total cases to 44,030 reported cases and 2,855 deaths. COVID-19 patients in hospitals continue to drop to 549 with 72 of them on ventilators. East Baton Rouge Parish has 4,054 cumulative cases, and Orleans Parish has 7,279 cumulative cases. More News: June 9, 11:04 a.m. Louisiana has 43,612 reported coronavirus cases with 2,844 deaths. The number of COVID-19 patients in hospitals has dropped from 582 to 568 with 67 of those on ventilators. East Baton Rouge Parish has 60 new coronavirus cases, bringing the total to 4,023, and Orleans Parish has 10 new cases, bringing the total to 7,247. June 8, 11:55 a.m. Louisiana has 43,050 reported coronavirus cases with 2,831 deaths. 582 COVID-19 patients are in hospitals, with 71 of them on ventilators. East Baton Rouge Parish has 14 new coronavirus cases, bringing the total to 3,963, and Orleans Parish has seven new cases, bringing the total to 7,237. June 7, 11:55 a.m. Louisiana has 42,816 reported coronavirus cases with 2,825 deaths. COVID-19 patients in Louisiana continue to decrease to 575, with 74 of them on ventilators. East Baton Rouge Parish has 38 new coronavirus cases, bringing the total to 3,949, and Orleans Parish has eight new cases, bringing the total to 7,230. June 6, 12:14 p.m. Coronavirus cases in Louisiana increase by 497, bringing total cases to 42,486 with 2,814 deaths. COVID-19 patients in hospitals continue to decrease to 582, with 77 of them on ventilators. East Baton Rouge Parish has 3,911 cumulative cases, and Orleans Parish has 7,222 cumulative cases. June 5, 11:58 a.m. Louisiana coronavirus cases increase by 427, reaching a total of 41,989 reported cases with 2,801 deaths. 604 COVID-19 patients are in hospitals, with 75 of them on ventilators. East Baton Rouge Parish has 3,874 cumulative cases, and Orleans Parish has 7,026 cumulative cases. June 4, 11:58 a.m. Coronavirus cases in Louisiana continue to climb by over 400, with 41,562 reported cases and 2,772 deaths. Four less COVID-19 patients are in hospitals, having 613 patients with 82 of them on ventilators. East Baton Rouge Parish has 3,820 cumulative cases, and Orleans Parish has 7,192 cumulative cases. June 3, 12:05 p.m. With 387 new cases, Louisiana has 41,133 reported cases of coronavirus with 2,759 deaths. There are 617 COVID-19 patients in hospitals with 86 of them on ventilators. East Baton Rouge Parish has 3,773 cumulative cases, and Orleans Parish has 7,174 cumulative cases. June 2, 12:00 p.m. With an overnight increase of over 400, Louisiana has 40,746 reported cases of coronavirus with 2,724 deaths. The number of COVID-19 patients in hospitals continue to decrease to 639, with only 83 of them on ventilators. East Baton Rouge Parish has 3,730 cumulative cases, and Orleans Parish has 7,156 cumulative cases. June 1, 12:09 p.m. Louisiana has a total of 40,341 reported cases of coronavirus with 2,690 deaths. There are 661 COVID-19 patients in hospitals, with 86 of them on ventilators. East Baton Rouge Parish has 3,666 cumulative cases, and Orleans Parish has 7,141 cumulative cases. May 30, 11:59 a.m. With 775 new cases of coronavirus in Louisiana, reported numbers come to 39,577 and 2,680 deaths. Patients in hospitals throughout the state continue to decrease to 674 with only 84 of them on ventilators. East Baton Rouge Parish has 3,591 cumulative cases, and Orleans Parish has 7,108 cases. May 28, 11:58 a.m. Louisiana has 305 new coronavirus cases, bringing the total to 38,802 reported cases and 2,635 deaths. COVID-19 patients continue to decrease to 761, with only 100 of them on ventilators. East Baton Rouge Parish has 3,526 cumulative cases, and Orleans Parish has 7,067 cases. May 27, 11:57 a.m. With over 400 new cases overnight, Louisiana has 38,497 reported cases, and 2,617 deaths. COVID-19 patients in hospitals continue to decrease to 798, and 100 of them are on ventilators. East Baton Rouge Parish has 3,491 cumulative cases, and Orleans Parish has 7,045 cumulative cases. May 26. 12:00 p.m. With 245 new coronavirus cases, Louisiana has 38,054 total cases with 2,596 deaths. COVID-19 patients in hospitals decrease to 831, and 103 of them are on ventilators. East Baton Rouge Parish has 3,462 cumulative cases, and Orleans Parish has 7,021 cumulative cases. May 25, 12:05 p.m. Louisiana has 28,700 presumed recovered coronavirus patients, with 37,890 positive cases and 2,585 deaths. There are 847 COVID-19 patients in hospitals, with 102 of them on ventilators. East Baton Rouge Parish has 3,438 cases, and Orleans Parish has 7,005 cases. May 24, 11:49 a.m. With an increase of 129, Louisiana's coronavirus cases have reached 37,169 with 2,567 deaths. COVID-19 patients in hospitals continue to decrease to 813, and 102 of them are on ventilators. East Baton Rouge Parish has 3,386 cases, and Orleans Parish has 6,953 cumulative cases. May 23, 11:50 a.m. Louisiana coronavirus cases have increased by 115, bringing the total to 37,040. There are 2,560 reported deaths. The number of coronavirus patients in hospitals continue to decrease to 836, with only 112 of them on ventilators. East Baton Rouge Parish cases have increased to 3,382, and Orleans Parish cases have increased to 6,949. May 22, 12:00 p.m. Coronavirus cases have increased by more than 400, bringing the total to 36,925, and there are 2,545 related deaths. COVID-19 patients in hospitals continue to decrease to 867, and 104 of them are on ventilators. East Baton Rouge Parish has 3,370 cumulative cases, and Orleans Parish has 6,944 cumulative cases. May 21, 12:02 p.m. Although there are 1188 new reported coronavirus cases in Louisiana, 682 of the cases are from labs reporting numbers for the first time, bringing the total to 36,504. There are 2,506 COVID-19 related deaths. The number of patients in hospitals continue to decrease to 884, with 107 of them on ventilators. East Baton Rouge Parish has 3,319 cases with 225 deaths, and Orleans Parish has 6,904 cases with no overnight deaths, remaining at 500. May 20, 12:01 p.m. Coronavirus cases in Louisiana have increased by 300 overnight, bringing the total to 35,316. There are 2,485 COVID-19 related deaths. Of the 931 patients in hospitals, 110 of them are on ventilators. East Baton Rouge Parish has 3,213 cases with 221 deaths, and Orleans Parish has 6,884 cases with 500 deaths. May 19, 12:39 p.m. Louisiana's coronavirus cases have increased by over 300 overnight, bringing the total to 35,038. There are 2,458 reported COVID-19 related deaths. Of the 1,004 COVID-19 patients in hospitals, 112 of them are on ventilators. East Baton Rouge Parish has 3,145 cases with 219, and Orleans Parish has 6,869 cases with 494 deaths. May 18, 11:49 a.m. There are 34,709 reported cases of coronavirus with 2,440 deaths in Louisiana. With 1,031 COVID-19 patients in hospitals, 118 of them are on ventilators. East Baton Rouge Parish has 3,056 cases with 216 deaths, and Orleans Parish has 6,822 cases with 495 deaths. May 17, 12:05 p.m. Louisiana has 34,432 reported cases of coronavirus with 2,425 deaths. There are 1,019 COVID-19 patients in hospitals, with 111 of them on ventilators. East Baton Rouge Parish has 3,034 cases with 212 deaths, and Orleans Parish has 6,809 cases with 495 deaths. May 16, 1:16 p.m. With Louisiana's stay-at-home order lifted, there are 34,117 reported cases of coronavirus with 2,413 deaths. Of the 1,028 COVID-19 patients in hospitals, 123 of them are on ventilators. East Baton Rouge Parish has 3,009 cases with 208 deaths, and Orleans Parish has 6,781 cases with 495 deaths. May 15, 11:57 a.m. Louisiana has 33,837 reported cases of coronavirus with 2,382 deaths. 1,091 COVID-19 patients are in hospitals throughout the state, and 132 of them are on ventilators. East Baton Rouge Parish has 2,953 cases with 205 deaths, and Orleans Parish has 6,787 cases with 489 deaths. May 14, 12:05 p.m. There are 33,489 reported cases of coronavirus with 2,351 deaths in Louisiana. 1,193 COVID-19 patients are in hospitals throughout the state, and 140 of them are on ventilators. East Baton Rouge Parish has 2,898 cases with 201 deaths, and Orleans Parish has 6,768 cases with 482 deaths. May 13, 12:34 p.m. Louisiana has 32,662 reported cases of coronavirus with 2,315 deaths. Of the 1,194 COVID-19 patients in hospitals throughout the state, 147 of them are on ventilators. East Baton Rouge Parish has 2,487 cases with 199 deaths, and Orleans Parish 6,753 cases with 481 deaths. May 12, 11:58 a.m. There are 32,050 reported cases of coronavirus with 2,281 deaths in Louisiana. With 1,320 COVID-19 patients in hospitals, 146 of them are on ventilators. East Baton Rouge Parish has 2,445 cases with 190 deaths, and Orleans Parish has 6,718 cases with 477 deaths. May 11, 11:53 a.m. Louisiana has 31,815 reported cases of coronavirus with 2,242 deaths. Of the 1,310 COVID-19 patients in hospitals, 157 of them are on ventilators. East Baton Rouge Parish has 2,398 cases with 188 deaths, and Orleans Parish has 6,693 cases with 470 deaths. May 10, 12:00 p.m. There are 31,600 reported cases of coronavirus with 2,213 deaths in Louisiana. With 1,324 COVID-19 patients in hospitals, 161 of them are on ventilators. East Baton Rouge Parish has 2,374 cases with 182 deaths, and Orleans Parish has 6,682 cases with 468 deaths. May 9, 12:18 p.m. Louisiana has 31,417 reported cases of coronavirus with 2,194 deaths. With 1,359 COVID-19 patients in hospitals throughout the state, 185 of them are on ventilators. East Baton Rouge Parish has 2,348 cases with 179 deaths, and Orleans Parish has 6,674 cases with 468 deaths. May 8, 12:10 p.m. There are 30,855 reported cases of coronavirus with 2,154 deaths in Louisiana. Of the 1,359 COVID-19 patients in hospitals, 185 are on ventilators. East Baton Rouge has 2,284 cases with 171 deaths. May 7, 12:03 p.m. There are 30,652 reported cases of coronavirus with 2,135 deaths in Louisiana. Of the 1,432 COVID-19 patients in hospitals throughout the state, 189 of them are on ventilators. East Baton Rouge Parish has 2,256 cases with 170 deaths, and Orleans Parish has 6,626 cases with 463 deaths. May 6, 4:04 p.m. Louisiana has 30,399 reported cases of coronavirus with 2,094 deaths. 1,465 COVID-19 patients are in hospitals throughout the state, with 187 of them on ventilators. East Baton Rouge Parish has 2,224 cases with 165 deaths, and Orleans Parish has 6,608 cases with 464 deaths. May 5, 12:00 p.m. There are 29,996 reported cases of coronavirus with 2,042 deaths in Louisiana. Of the 1,512 COVID-19 patients in hospitals, 194 of them are on ventilators. East Baton Rouge Parish has 2,175 cases with 163 deaths, and Orleans Parish has 6,575 cases with 453 deaths. May 4, 12:11 p.m. Louisiana has 29,673 reported cases of coronavirus with 1,991 deaths. With 1,502 COVID-19 patients in hospitals, 220 of them are on ventilators. East Baton Rouge Parish has 2,131 cases with 156 deaths, and Orleans Parish has 6,557 cases with 447 deaths. May 3, 11:46 a.m. There are 29,340 reported cases of coronavirus in Louisiana with 1,969 deaths. Of the 1,530 COVID-19 patients in hospitals throughout the state, 213 of them are on ventilators. East Baton Rouge Parish has 2,086 cases with 153 deaths, and Orleans Parish has 6,538 cases with 441 deaths. May 2, 11:44 a.m. Louisiana has 29,140 reported cases of coronavirus with 1,950 deaths. With 1,545 COVID-19 patients in hospitals throughout the state, 208 of them are on ventilators. East Baton Rouge Parish has 2,054 cases with 148 deaths, and Orleans Parish has 6,524 cases with 439 deaths. May 1, 11:59 a.m. There are 28,711 reported cases of coronavirus with 1,927 deaths in Louisiana. Of the 1,607 COVID-19 patients throughout the state, 230 of them are on ventilators. East Baton Rouge Parish has 1,989 cases with 146 deaths, and Orleans Parish has 6,495 deaths. Apr. 30, 12:00 p.m. Louisiana has 28,001 reported cases of coronavirus with 1,862 deaths. With 1,601 COVID-19 patients in hospitals throughout the state, 231 of them are on ventilators. East Baton Rouge Parish has 1,874 cases with 137 deaths, and Orleans Parish has 6,452 cases with 434 deaths. Apr. 29, 12:08 p.m. There are 27,660 reported cases of coronavirus with 1,802 deaths in Louisiana. Of the 1,629 COVID-19 patients throughout the state, 244 of them are on ventilators. East Baton Rouge Parish has 1,830 cases with 129 deaths, and Orleans Parish has 6,420 with 416 deaths. Apr. 28, 12:04 p.m. Louisiana has 27,286 reported cases of coronavirus with 1,758 deaths. With 1,666 COVID-19 patients in hospitals throughout the state, 244 of them are on ventilators. East Bat Rouge Parish has 1,787 cases with 125 deaths, and Orleans Parish has 6,380 cases with 410 deaths. Apr. 27, 11:53 a.m. There are 27,068 reported cases of coronavirus with 1,697 deaths and 17,303 presumed recovered in Louisiana. Of the 1,683 COVID-19 patients in hospitals throughout the state, 262 of them are on ventilators. East Baton Rouge Parish has 1,771 cases with 124 deaths, and Orleans Parish has 6,365 cases with 406 deaths. Apr. 26, 12:24 p.m. Louisiana has 26,773 reported cases of coronavirus with 1,670 deaths. With 1,701 COVID-19 patients in hospitals throughout the state, 265 of them are on ventilators. East Baton Rouge Parish has 1,739 cases with 120 deaths, and Orleans Parish has 6,342 cases with 406 deaths. Apr. 25, 12:20 p.m. There are 26,512 reported cases of coronavirus with 1,644 deaths in Louisiana. 1,700 COVID-19 patients are in hospitals with 268 of them on ventilators. East Baton Rouge Parish has 1,720 cases with 114 deaths, and Orleans Parish has 6,297 cases with 399 deaths. Apr. 24, 12:06 p.m. Louisiana has 26,140 reported cases of coronavirus with 1,601 deaths. 14, 927 people have recovered from the virus as of Apr. 22. With 1,697 COVID-19 patients in hospitals, 286 of them are on ventilators. There are 1,697 cases in East Baton Rouge Parish with 109 deaths, and Orleans Parish has 6,286 cases with 392 deaths. Apr. 23, 12:00 p.m. There are 25,739 reported cases of coronavirus with 1,540 deaths in Louisiana. Of the 1,727 COVID-19 patients in hospitals throughout the state, 274 of them are on ventilator. East Baton Rouge Parish has 1,636 cases with 100 deaths, and Orleans Parish has 6,263 cases with 387 deaths. Apr. 22, 12:02 p.m. Louisiana has 25, 258 reported cases of coronavirus with 1,473 deaths. With 1,747 COVID-19 patients in hospitals throughout the state, 287 of them are on ventilators. East Baton Rouge Parish has 1,603 cases with 95 deaths, and Orleans Parish has 6,209 cases with 367 deaths. Apr. 21, 12:01 p.m. There are 24,854 reported cases of coronavirus with 1,405 deaths in Louisiana. Of the 1,798 COVID-19 patients in hospitals throughout the state, 297 of them are on ventilators. East Baton Rouge Parish has 1,560 cases with 90 deaths, and Orleans Parish has 6,169 cases with 344 deaths. Apr. 20, 11:53 a.m. Louisiana has 24,523 reported cases of coronavirus with 1,328 deaths. 1,794 COVID-19 patients are in hospitals throughout the state, with 332 of them on ventilators. East Baton Rouge Parish has 1,534 cases with 74 deaths, and Orleans Parish has 6,148 cases with 339 deaths. Apr. 19, 12:00 p.m. There are 23,928 reported cases of coronavirus with 1,296 deaths in Louisiana. With 1,748 COVID-19 patients in hospitals, 349 of them are on ventilators. East Baton Rouge Parish has 1,512 cases with 72 deaths, and Orleans Parish has 6,000 cases with 329 deaths. Apr. 18, 12:00 p.m. Louisiana has 23,580 reported cases of coronavirus with 1,267 deaths. Throughout the state, there are 1,761 COVID-19 patients in hospitals with 347 of them on ventilators. East Baton Rouge Parish has 1,476 cases with 72 deaths, and Orleans Parish has 5,953 cases with 324 deaths. Apr. 17, 12:14 p.m. There are 23,118 reported cases of coronavirus with 1,213 deaths in Louisiana. There are 1,868 COVID-19 patients in hospitals, with 363 of them on ventilators. East Baton Rouge Parish has 1,424 cases with 66 deaths, and Orleans Parish has 5,906 cases with 317 deaths. Apr. 16, 12:03 p.m. Louisiana has 22,532 reported cases of coronavirus with 1,156 deaths. With 1,914 COVID-19 patients in hospitals throughout Louisiana, 396 of them are on ventilators. East Baton Rouge Parish has 1,389 cases with 66 deaths, and Orleans Parish has 5,847 cases with 302 deaths. Apr. 15, 12:00 p.m. There are 21, 951 reported cases of coronavirus in Louisiana, with 1,103 deaths. 1,943 COVID-19 patients are in hospitals throughout the state with 425 of them on ventilators. East Baton Rouge Parish has 1,325 cases with 62 deaths, and Orleans Parish has 5,769 cases with 287 deaths. Apr. 14, 11:56 a.m. Louisiana has 21,518 reported cases of coronavirus with 1,013 deaths. There are 1,977 COVID-19 patients throughout the state with 436 of them on ventilators. East Baton Rouge Parish has 1,295 cases with 58 deaths, and Orleans Parish has 5,718 cases with 276 deaths. Apr. 13, 11:56 a.m. There are 21,016 reported cases of coronavirus with 884 deaths in Louisiana. With 2,134 COVID-19 patients in hospitals throughout Louisiana, 461 of them are on ventilators. East Baton Rouge Parish has 1,273 reported cases with 52 deaths, and Orleans Parish has 5,651 cases with 244 deaths. Apr. 12, 11:58 a.m. Louisiana has 20,595 reported cases of coronavirus with 840 deaths. 2,084 COVID-19 patients are in hospitals with 458 of them on ventilators. East Baton Rouge Parish has 1,223 cases with 49 deaths, and Orleans Parish has 5,600 cases with 235 deaths. Apr. 11, 12:05 p.m. There are 20,014 reported cases of coronavirus with 806 deaths in Louisiana. Throughout the state, 2,067 COVID-19 patients are in hospitals with 470 of them on ventilators. East Baton Rouge Parish has 1,158 cases with 45 deaths, and Orleans Parish has 5,535 cases with 232 deaths. Apr. 10, 12:06 p.m. Louisiana has 19,253 reported cases of the coronavirus with 755 deaths. Throughout the state, there are 2,054 COVID-19 patients in hospitals with 479 of them on ventilators. East Baton Rouge Parish has 1,088 cases with 39 deaths, and Orleans Parish has 5,416 cases with 225 deaths. Apr. 9, 12:01 p.m. There are 18,283 reported cases of the coronavirus with 702 deaths in Louisiana. 2,014 COVID-19 patients are in hospitals with 473 of them on ventilators. East Baton Rouge Parish has 1,000 cases with 36 deaths, and Orleans Parish has 5,242 cases with 224 deaths. Apr. 8, 11:58 a.m. Louisiana has 17,030 reported cases of coronavirus with 652 deaths. Throughout the state, there are 1,983 COVID-19 patients in hospitals with 490 of them on ventilators. There are 935 cases in East Baton Rouge Parish with 33 deaths, and Orleans Parish has 5,070 cases with 208 deaths. Apr. 7, 12:10 p.m. There are 16,284 reported cases of coronavirus in Louisiana with 582 deaths. East Baton Rouge Parish has 892 cases with 31 deaths, and Orleans Parish has 4,942 cases with 185 deaths. Apr. 6, 12:01 p.m. Louisiana has 14,867 reported cases of coronavirus with 512 deaths. There are 1,809 COVID-19 patients in hospitals, with 563 of them on ventilators. East Baton Rouge Parish has 816 cases with 25 deaths, and Orleans Parish has 4,565 cases with 171 deaths. Apr. 5, 11:59 a.m. There are 13,010 reported cases of coronavirus in Louisiana with 477 deaths. Of the 1,803 coronavirus patients in hospitals, 561 are on ventilators. 61 of Louisiana's 64 parishes have a reported case. Apr. 4, 12:07 p.m. There are 12,496 reported cases of coronavirus with 409 deaths in Louisiana. With 1,707 COVID-19 patients in hospitals, 535 of them are on ventilators. East Baton Rouge Parish has 621 cases, and Orleans Parish has 3,966 cases of coronavirus. Apr. 3, 12:06 p.m. Louisiana has 10,297 reported cases of coronavirus with 370 total deaths. There are 1,707 COVID-19 patients in hospitals throughout the state with 535 of them on ventilators. East Baton Rouge Parish has 389 cases. 20 Baton Rouge residents have died from the virus. Orleans Parish has 3,476 cases with 148 deaths. Apr. 2, 12:05 p.m. Louisiana has 9,150 reported cases of coronavirus with 310 total deaths. 1,639 COVID-19 patients are in hospitals with 507 of them on ventilators. East Baton Rouge Parish has 325 cases with 11 deaths, according to the Louisiana Department of Health, and Orleans Parish has 3,148 cases with 125 deaths. Apr. 1, 12:20 p.m. There are 6,424 known cases of the coronavirus in Louisiana with 273 deaths. As of Wednesday afternoon, 1,498 people are in hospitals throughout the state with 490 of them on ventilators. East Baton Rouge Parish has 244 cases of coronavirus with 10 deaths. Orleans Parish has 2,270 cases of coronavirus with 115 deaths. Mar. 31, 12:07 p.m. Louisiana has 5,237 known cases of coronavirus, an increase of over a thousand in 24 hours. There are 239 COVID-19 related deaths. East Baton Rouge Parish has 228 cases with nine deaths. Orleans Parish has 1,834 cases with 101 deaths. Mar. 30, 12:02 p.m. There are 4,025 reported cases of coronavirus in Louisiana with 185 total deaths reported. There are 1,158 COVID-19 patients in hospitals with 385 of them on ventilators. East Baton Rouge Parish has 188 cases with nine total deaths. Orleans Parish has 1,480 cases with 86 total deaths. Mar. 29, 12:20 p.m. Louisiana has 3,540 reported cases of coronavirus with 151 total deaths. East Baton Rouge Parish has 164 cases of coronavirus with seven total deaths. Orleans Parish has 1,350 cases of coronavirus with 73 total deaths. Mar. 28, 1:07 p.m. There are now 3,315 reported cases of coronavirus in Louisiana with 137 reported deaths. The jump from Friday's confirmed cases to Saturday's is the largest yet. East Baton Rouge Parish has 153 cases, up from 124 on Friday. Mar. 27, 12:09 p.m. There are 2,746 reported cases and 119 reported deaths of the coronavirus in Louisiana. 124 cases are in East Baton Rouge Parish with six deaths of parish residents, with a seventh from a man from Mississippi who received treatment from a hospital in Baton Rouge. Orleans Parish has 1,170 cases with 57 deaths. Mar. 26, 12:05 p.m. Louisiana has 2,305 reported cases of coronavirus with 83 deaths. 676 COVID-19 patients are in the hospital with 239 of them on ventilators. There are 105 cases in the East Baton Rouge Parish with four deaths. 997 cases are in Orleans Parish with 46 deaths. Mar. 25, 12:07 p.m. Here are some of the local news and sports stories you may have missed this past week. featured STERLING HEIGHTS Sterling Heights wants to be next home of the U.S. Space Command Sterling Heights wants to be next home of the U.S. Space Command During Monday's press conference, Murphy reversed course on indoor dining because of overcrowding at outdoor establishments over the weekend and the continuing outbreaks in parts of the country, even though New Jersey has seen a significant reduction in the number of its virus cases. Jefferson, GA (30549) Today Cloudy this morning. Scattered thunderstorms developing this afternoon. High 86F. Winds WSW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 40%.. Tonight Scattered thunderstorms this evening becoming more widespread overnight. Low near 70F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%. Manchester, TN (37355) Today Cloudy this morning with thunderstorms developing this afternoon. Storms may contain strong gusty winds. High 83F. Winds SW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 90%.. Tonight Thunderstorms this evening will give way to steady rain overnight. Low 59F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%. LANSING Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed Senate Bill 690 on Wednesday, which appropriates nearly $880 million in federal funding to support various COVID-19 response actions across the state. The supplemental budget includes a number of provisions that allow assist Michigan in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, help small business weather the difficult economic conditions created by COVID-19, and ensure that workers who put themselves at risk on the frontlines are fairly compensated. That includes: A $2/hour increase for direct care workers. $125 million in grant funding to reduce the cost of child care for families. $100 million for hazard pay for local first responders and $200 million for local units of government. $100 million in small business restart grants. $60 million in rental assistance and eviction diversion. $25 million for wireless hotspots and enhanced connectivity. $18 million for health and safety grants for schools. $10 million in MIOSHA grants for protections to keep workers safe on the job. $14 million for food banks and domestic violence shelters. Between the signing of this bill today and the recent agreement on the 2020 budget announced earlier this week, we have now put the full amount of the federal Coronavirus Relief Fund to use so that Michiganders can reap the full benefit of our federal funding," Whitmer said. "Now, we need Congress to act later this month and provide additional aid to the states so that we can begin to address the budget shortfall in 2021. The budget funds a $60 million eviction diversion program developed jointly by Whitmer and the Supreme Court Administrative Office. That program keeps renters in their homes by ensuring that landlords receive quick lump sum payments for back rent, while renters get a fresh start, and will be implemented in collaboration with local stakeholders and aid organizations. "We applaud our governor and legislators for working together to secure funding and create programming for what we believe is crucial to the health and safety of our state keeping vulnerable Michiganders in their homes, said Eric Hufnagel, executive director of Michigan Coalition Against Homelessness. With this support, our communities will keep thousands of families that have been hit the hardest by COVID-19 from the painful experience of eviction and homelessness. SB 690 was sponsored by Sen. Jim Stamas, a Republican from Midland. MANISTEE In the Aug. 4 primary election, voters will decide which Democratic and which Republican candidate will represent the party in the general election on Nov. 3 for Michigan's 1st Congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives. On the Democratic ticket, Dana Ferguson, of Negaunee, and Linda O'Dell, of Petoskey, and incumbent Republican Jack Bergman will vie for the spot. The Manistee News Advocate sent questionnaires to all the candidates in the contested races. Repeated attempts reach O'Dell went unanswered. Responses are only edited if they exceed the word limits. MANISTEE NEWS ADVOCATE: Please introduce yourself and describe your background, professionally, politically or personally. FERGUSON: I am a family man, a third generation Yooper and someone wanting the 1st District to get its voice back. I entered the political arena to make a positive impact in the district, the country and for future generations. I come from a blue-collar background, working as a union laborer and carpenter. My education consists of a bachelors in Economics and a masters in Public Administration from Northern Michigan University. Politically, I consider myself a pragmatic progressive, meaning I believe we can be better as a country and a people, and with proper leadership we can achieve great things. MNA: What are your top three legislative priorities and how would you address them? FERGUSON: Climate Change sits atop my list of legislative priorities. This is an issue that has been put off for far too long. Our leaders in Congress must act with future generations in mind. Infusing a mindset that includes combating climate change into our actions will put us on the right track as we move forward. Our leadership status among the global community can be restored. We can once again be an example for others to follow. The economy is another focal area. Our infrastructure is outdated, and our economic model is out of touch with the flaws in the system. We must work to modernize our infrastructure and economy. Doing this involves us embracing economic and societal sustainability. Green energy and green jobs are a large part of this. A livable wage, union growth and modernization of infrastructure, especially in rural areas, is critical for us as a nation to be competitive and sustainable. We must address the flaws in our healthcare system right now as well. An individuals ability to get the health care they need should not depend on their wealth or the job they hold. We should be treating all citizens of the US as important. MNA: Fixing Michigans roads has become a priority for constituents. Do you see a way the federal government could help out in this area to rebuild much needed infrastructure? FERGUSON: Yes. Inadequate and outdated infrastructure can lead to declining investment, underfunded and struggling schools, understaffed healthcare facilities, increased struggles for small businesses and outright failure for some communities. Modernization and proper funding for our infrastructure, including roads, is critical for our future success.Investment in our infrastructure is investment in our people, communities, and future. It is not wasteful spending because we get a return on this investment. There are costs, financial and human, to not investing and improving our infrastructure, and benefits when we choose to invest.The federal government should be assisting those areas of the country that lack and lag in infrastructure investment get the updates they need to become or remain competitive. Investment in one area is a benefit to many across the country. The cost will be net zero at worst and create value and growth at best. Our communities across the country, including many in the First District, will gain the much-needed investment they require to compete in a global economy. Our communities will thrive, schools will flourish, healthcare facilities will attract the talent they need, and small businesses will grow when we provide them with updated and modernized infrastructure. MNA: The COVID-19 pandemic and efforts to avoid the spread of the virus shut down many Michigan businesses and put people out of work. How would you help at the federal level for businesses stay open, and recover, and workers deal with the loss of earning and jobs? FERGUSON: The bill packages from Congress, the HEROES Act specifically, was a good example of how government should take care of its people in a time of crisis. Small businesses need relief. They employ over 80% of the US workforce. We are witness to regular corporate welfare and bailouts over the last decade, and only miniscule steps to aid the main street entrepreneurs. They need access to capital, and low interest loans. New startups need to be encouraged with networking resources, branding and marketing assistance and legal startup initiatives. Initiatives like Michigan Works, Invent@NMU, Northern Initiatives and strong Chambers of Commerce across the district need consistent dialog and Federal resources to live in a new normal and meet work demand. MNA: Over the course of the past two weeks the country and the world has reacted very strongly to the death of George Floyd. What do you feel needs to be done to heal the hurt and correct this situation in America? FERGUSON:We need to start recognizing that each individual lost life is tragic, but it's not just about George Floyd. It's about thousands of him and 400 years of oppression. This issue doesn't exist in a vacuum and it won't have solutions with any kind of longevity without addressing the root problem. This is about justice for George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Amaud Arbery. It's also about the countless other Americans who have faced oppression, historic and contemporary. The first step is recognizing it, teaching American history accurately, and fighting for systemic police reform. I support the House Bill as submitted by the Black Caucus, but I look forward to both chambers ironing something out for a bipartisan solution. We need to be bold, and act now. Stay up to date on COVID-19 Get Breaking News Sign up now to get our FREE breaking news coverage delivered right to your inbox. In fiscal 2018, that new tax generated $408,612 and in fiscal 2019, the figure was $7.8 million. In fiscal 2020 through May, the fireworks tax generated about $7.4 million. In addition, those same sales over the multi-year period generated another $7 million-plus through the states traditional 6% sales tax. Marysville, KS (66508) Today Sunshine and a few afternoon clouds. Cooler. High 79F. Winds NNW at 10 to 15 mph.. Tonight Mainly clear skies. Low 59F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph. A daytime shooting in Boston on Tuesday left one person dead and three others injured, police said. Officers responded shortly before 7:30 p.m. to a radio call about several people shot near 14 Circuit St. in Roxbury, according to a statement from the Boston Police Department. On arrival, officers observed four adult male victims suffering from apparent gunshot wounds, the statement said. One of the victims was taken to a nearby hospital with life-threatening injuries. He was later pronounced dead, according to police. The three other men were taken to area hospitals with injuries that were not considered life-threatening, authorities said. The Boston Police Department has urged anyone with information related to the shooting to call homicide detectives at (617) 343-4470. Community members who wish to assist the investigation anonymously can call the CrimeStoppers Tip Line at 1 (800) 494-TIPS or text the word TIP to CRIME (27463). Residents in South Boston are speaking out over the issue of public urination by beachgoers in their yards. Its very rude, not sanitary, its not your property and its illegal, said resident Caroline OBrien in an interview with Boston 25. The L Street Bathhouse has been closed for renovations making restrooms few and far between. Boston Mayor Marty Walsh has addressed those responsible for the issue saying, [To] the people using the beach, somebodys front yard is not a bathroom. The City of Boston website has an interactive map showing what bathrooms are open to the public. The closest restroom to L and M Street Beaches is on Carson Beach near Moakley Park roughly 1,200 meters away. The City of Boston interactive map of bathroom. (City of Boston) Walsh has been talking to the Department of Conservation and Recreation about possibly installing some portable toilets along the waterfront until the day the city re-opens the Curley Community Center. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advises administrators of public spaces to inform the public if a bathroom is closed so theyre able to prepare appropriately. If possible, restrooms should be open if a park is open for public visitation, states the CDC website. [The area should be] cleaned and disinfected regularly, particularly high-touch surfaces such as faucets, toilets, doorknobs, and light switches. Got a news tip or want to contact MassLive about this story? Email newstips@masslive.com or message us on Facebook orTwitter. You can also call our news tips line at 413-776-1364. To safely celebrate Independence Day during the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic, USS Constitution is scheduled to host a series of virtual presentations on July 4. July 4th is one of our biggest events of the year, and were pulling out all the stops for this virtual celebration, said Cmdr. John Benda, USS Constitutions 76th commanding officer. The series of live events will run for approximately three hours and will include a 21-gun salute, tours of the ship, climbing demonstrations, boarding pike drills, 19th-century gun drills and a public trivia contest, giving viewers a chance to win one of 21 saluting battery rounds fired from the ship. With 80 active-duty sailors, the USS Constitution is the worlds oldest commissioned warship that is still afloat. It was launched on Oct. 21, 1797, and has a record of 33 victories. USS Constitution was closed to the public on March 14 due to the coronavirus pandemic but continued to conduct more than 60 virtual tours on Facebook Live. The posts have received more than 1.2 million views. At this time, no Sailors assigned to USS Constitution have tested positive for COVID-19, and USS Constitution is following all preventative guidance from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), Department of the Defense and Navy leadership. Our virtual tours have received an incredible response and opened our ship to new guests from around the country, even around the world, said Benda. So were thrilled to be celebrating Americas birthday with all of these amazing supporters. The USS Constitution started construction in 1794 at Edmund Hartt's Shipyard in the North End of Boston and took three years to complete. Less than a month after the United States declared war on Great Britain on June 1812, Captain Isaac Hull and his crew found themselves in the midst of five British ships; the HMS Africa, HMS Belvidera, HMS Aeolus, HMS Shannon and HMS Guerriere. A chase ensued and using a mixture of Hulls seamanship and cunning, he was able to outrun his pursuers. Having narrowly escaped the British, Hull turned toward Boston and arrived there with his ship and crew unharmed on July 27, 1812. Logistics Specialist 3rd Class Jason Petitfrere and Seaman Emma Hoernlein, assigned to USS Constitution, give a Facebook Live tour of the ship. (U.S. Navy Photo by Chief Mass Communication Specialist Elliott Fabrizzo/Released) The ship earned the nickname, Old Ironsides during the war of 1812 when British cannonballs were seen bouncing off the ships wooden hull. This has been recorded in British history as The Great Chase and U.S. history as The Great Escape. The schedule for the Facebook Live presentations are: 10:00 a.m. - Opening remarks from USS Constitution Commanding Officer Cmdr. John Benda 10:05 a.m. - Historic gun demonstration by Constitutions Master Gun Team 10:30 a.m. - Climbing demonstration and Sailing presentation. 11:00 a.m. - Boarding Pike Drills. 11:20 a.m. - Remarks from USS Constitution Executive Officer Lt. Cmdr. Andrew Broyles. 11:30 a.m. - Ship Tours with a USS Constitution Museum Historian. 11:50 a.m. - Remarks from USS Constitution Command Senior Chief Jans Valdespou. 12:00 p.m. - 21-Gun salute in honor of Americas 244th birthday. 12:05 p.m. - Public Trivia Contest to win a demilitarized saluting battery shell. 12:30 p.m. - 1812 Marines Presentation and Musket Volleys. The event will be hosted on the U.S. Navys Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/USNavy/. Got a news tip or want to contact MassLive about this story? Email newstips@masslive.com or message us on Facebook orTwitter. You can also call our news tips line at 413-776-1364. A recent study from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology found that the actual number of coronavirus cases and deaths linked to the disease may be widely underreported. The 57-page paper, authored by researchers at the Sloan School of Management and released publicly last week, claimed that confirmed patients with COVID-19 and fatalities resulting from the viral respiratory infection through June 18 were 11.8 and 1.48 times higher, respectively, than official reports. Effective response to the COVID-19 pandemic requires an understanding of its global magnitude and risks, the study said. Yet more than 15 weeks after WHO declared a global pandemic, we do not know the true number of cases nor the infection fatality rate. The researchers used data about cases, deaths, testing and other factors associated with the pandemic from 84 countries, spanning 4.75 billion people, to conduct their calculations. They created an epidemiological model that estimated 88.5 million people throughout the world may have had the virus two weeks ago and 586,000 to 622,000 coronavirus patients had died from the illness. The estimates are a far cry from the World Health Organizations numbers on June 18, which had the total number of confirmed COVID-19 patients and fatalities attributed to the disease at roughly 8.2 million and 445,000, respectively. As of Wednesday morning even, global coronavirus numbers were still significantly lower than the MIT researchers estimates. Johns Hopkins University, which has been tracking the scope of the pandemic for months, has reported 10.49 million cases worldwide and 511,851 COVID-19-linked deaths to date. The magnitude of [the] epidemic is widely under-reported with much variation globally, the researchers claimed. The paper has yet to be peer-reviewed and submitted to a journal for publication, so potential problems with the study could be identified. But this is not the first time that researchers have claimed officials reporting on some key metrics associated with the ongoing public health crisis were off. In late April, news outlets reported that data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggested that the number of fatalities due to the coronavirus in seven states, including Massachusetts, may have been much higher than what officials detailed. Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker later told reporters that he would look into whether the states COVID-19 death toll was undercounted and that officials would reexamine fatalities that were not linked to the disease. Factors that may lead to an undercounted number of coronavirus cases and deaths include, according to the MIT researchers, dramatic variation in testing rates across countries, differences in attribution of fatalities due to COVID-19 and significant false negative rates. Differences in population density, lifestyle, perception of the risk of a disease and public policy responses also create variations in how quickly a disease spreads, according to the Cambridge schools study. Even in the United States, public officials responses to the disease and their caseloads have differed greatly state by state. Several states, mainly those in the South and the West, have now seen surges in coronavirus cases and hospitalizations after many coastal population hubs, namely New York City, saw their COVID-19 peaks in April. Sixteen states have had to either pause or rollback their reopening plans after reporting major coronavirus spikes, CNN reported. Hospital capacity, age, socioeconomic status, pre-existing medical conditions and even the weather may have a role in transmission and the mortality rate of a virus as well, the researchers said. Limited and inconsistent testing and differences in age distribution, health care resources, social distancing, and policies have caused large variations in the extent and dynamics of the COVID-19 pandemic across nations, complicating the estimation of prevalence, the infection fatality rate, and other factors important to care providers and policymakers, the study said. Infectious disease experts have said most epidemiological surveillance systems are impacted by a degree of underestimation, so uncertainty surrounding the actual number of cases and deaths exists during any viral outbreak. Prior research has addressed different parts of this puzzle, the MIT study said. Yet we lack a global view of the pandemic that is both consistent with these more focused findings and simultaneously explains the large variance in official cases and fatality across different countries. The colleges research paper also found that the infection fatality rate varied substantially among countries. The IFR value is used to calculate how deadly a disease is and is based on the proportion of infected patients who will die from the illness. The United Statess IFR was 0.99%, according to the study, while the United Kingdoms was 1.59%, and New Zealands was 0.64%. Some countries, like Iceland, saw IFR values as low as 0.56%. However, all nations, the MIT researchers noted, are far away from achieving herd immunity, a form of indirect protection from an infectious disease that occurs when a large percentage of a population has become immune to that infection. Had world leaders notified their citizens earlier on in the outbreak of the dangers of the virus and conducted more widespread testing, several million cases and tens of thousands of deaths could have been avoided, the researchers claimed. By alerting the public earlier and reducing contacts, extensive testing when the pandemic was declared could have averted 32.7-42.7 million cases and 171,000-232,000, the researchers said. However, future outcomes are less dependent on testing and more contingent on the willingness of communities and governments to reduce transmission. Related Content: This hasnt been a typical summer but many people are still looking for ways to relax and unwind. Maine offers stunning views that can help you get out of the house and relieve some stress. Although, there are some restrictions for out of state travelers due to the coronavirus pandemic, Maine has continued to allow more businesses to reopen. If youre in need of a vacation, check out some of the available waterfront Airbnbs Maine has to offer below. Waterfront Guest House on the Maine Coast Waterfront Guest House on the Maine Coast Bright open four-season guest house with fantastic view of Jones Cove and the open ocean in beautiful South Bristol, Maine. The guest house offers privacy and independence. Wells Oceanfront 2 Bedroom with Panoramic Views Wells Oceanfront 2 Bedroom with Panoramic Views Unobstructed panoramic views of the Ocean and Marsh. A comfortable spot for 2 couples. Located directly on the oceanfront. Secluded Shore Cottage Secluded Shore Cottage This modern, four-season cottage looks out over the Benjamin River, towards the Eggemoggin Reach. There is water access at high tide. Large glass windows flood the space with sun and provide gorgeous views. A waterfront home on the rugged Maine coast. A waterfront home on the rugged Maine coast A private waterfront home with two bedrooms, two bathrooms, full kitchen, two fireplaces (one in the master bedroom!), loft space. Get away and enjoy the unspoiled beauty of Downeast Maine. Cabin on Mount Desert Island Cabin on Mount Desert Island Our cozy and serene cabin is tucked into the shoreline of Long Pond on Mount Desert Island off the coast of Maine, hugged by cedar, pine, maple, spruce and fir trees on all sides. Simple Boothbay Log Cabin on Water Simple Boothbay Log Cabin on Water Relax, reflect, & let time stand still when you visit this tiny, off-the-grid (no electricity) log cabin. Lobster bakes, swim, paddle the cove, swing the hammock, enjoy an hypnotic fire and unplug. Looking for pure Maine experience in the Mid-Coast? The Chandler House The Chandler House with private waterfront The Chandler House boasts all brand-new everything. We took this lovely 1940s Craftsman Style home down to the studs, completely overhauling it, inside and out. Brand new kitchen with with granite counters and all new LG appliances. New GE washer and dryer. High speed wifi with a 55 smart TV. There is a large back deck with a hot shower. Beyond the apple trees is the waterfront with a firepit. Southwest Harbor Cottage Southwest Harbor Cottage Enjoy unparalleled views of bustling SW Harbor and the beauty of Acadia National Park from the comfort of a newly renovated cottage. Perched on a granite cliff, this thoughtfully designed little home provides for your every need. For anything else, take the ten minute stroll to the village where youll find plenty of shops and restaurants. Private Cozy Coastal Cottage Private Cozy Coastal Cottage Come unplug in a cozy cottage on a hundred acres of conservation land (Maine Coast Heritage Trust) in a very private cove on the rocky coast of a Down-East Maine island, 6 miles across the bay from Mt Desert Island and Acadia National Park. A short ferry ride from Bass Harbor brings you to Swans Island. Watch the tides ebb and flow, the Bald Eagles soar and the sun set over coastal Maine from your private deck. Piper Cottage at Bay Meadow Cottages Piper Cottage at Bay Meadow Cottages Bay Meadow Cottages, in the village of Salisbury Cove, offer a tranquil setting along the coast of Maine. Early 20th century visionaries donated the land that became Acadia National Park. Picnic tables and fire pits grace the lawn to provide a setting to enjoy your morning coffee or roast marshmallows while you reflect on your days adventures. Related Content: SPRINGFIELD Family and friends of Francena Brown were holding a memorial for her son Tyrell Narcisse when shots rang out and she saw a young man, who was like a son to her, drop to the ground. First I thought it was a firecracker, and then I heard another, and then I saw the young man just fall back, she said. It is so sad. I know the pain of that mother. Earl Howard, 26, was killed on Oswego Street on June 13 during the gathering to remember Narcisse, who was 21 when he was killed in 2006 in a homicide that remains unsolved. On Tuesday about 25 people, some of them family members of homicide victims, gathered to hold a Plea for Peace at the gates of Oak Grove Cemetery. The location was selected to show young people where they may end up if the gang violence doesnt stop. The event was organized by Alive with Awareness Knowledge and Empowerment, better known as AWAKE, a long-running nonprofit organization aimed at reducing youth and gang violence, with the help of multiple other groups including Vanguard, Real Recognize Fake and Families Against Violence. Families wanted to do something since there is a gang war going on, said Chelan Brown, an organizer for AWAKE. A total of 10 people have been killed in Springfield in 2020. Five of the homicides occurred in June, and three took place over five days between June 13-17. Tamara Clark, 37, was the most recent victim. She was killed and another man was wounded in a double shooting on Oakland Street on Saturday. Brown said that death especially hit home because Clark was a family friend. She was sitting in a car and the bullet was not aimed at her. It shows how gang wars and shootings can claim the lives of people not involved, including children, Brown said. She was a beautiful spirit. She was the life of the party, she said. A half-hour before people marched for peace, another person was injured in a shooting on Ranney Street, about three blocks away from the place where Michael Paolercio was shot to death on June 16. Police said the victim in Tuesdays shooting was taken to Baystate Medical Center with non-life-threatening injuries. It is a heavy, heavy feeling when you are doing something like this and there is another shooting, Brown said. She and her husband have three boys ranging in age from 14 to 21. She said her oldest, a student at Worcester State University, barely leaves the house because he knows many of the people involved in the shootings and is frightened of getting involved. When is enough truly enough? We are being forced to deal with rampant police brutality and the murder of people of color by those sworn to protect and serve, a historic pandemic that is claiming the lives of people of color at alarming rates, and are still dealing with the senseless murder of our young men and women by guns too easily available in our communities. Enough is Enough, she said. While police did not confirm there was a gang war, spokesman Ryan Walsh said the spate of violence began April 17, when Chandler Stevenson, 22, was killed on College Street during a backyard party. That shooting sparked what city detectives characterized as a rolling gunfight that left four others wounded. Nearly everything in June was gang-related starting back to the College Street homicide, Walsh said. Since March 17, police have made at least 48 gun arrests and confiscated at least 42 unlawful firearms. One person was shot at least twice since April, and one person was arrested a second time on firearms charges after being released on bail on gun-related offenses, Walsh said. Multiple people who attended Tuesdays vigil said there are many reasons for the violence. Some encouraged residents to look in their own homes and call out their sons, cousins and neighbors who they know are armed and continuing the violence. We are scared of people who are doing the shooting. It is people who I was raised with, said Tiffany Allecia, of Real Recognize Fake. Others blamed it on the many unlawful guns on the streets. A number also said they agreed with Mayor Donenic J. Sarnos complaints about judges setting low bails for repeat offenders, especially those found with firearms. The root cause is finding out where these guns are coming from, said Syreetha Frazer, whose son Tavis Frazer was shot to death while he sat in a car during a gunfight on Sept. 21, 2014. We are angry, we are tired of losing our kids to the streets. Sarno and Police Chief Cheryl Clapprood have repeatedly complained that several people arrested in relation to gun violence are released on low or no bail and are returning to the same neighborhood to resume gun violence. State Rep. Bud L. Williams, of Springfield, talks about fighting gun violence saying he will continue to fight for a bill that will make it more difficult for judges to release people arrested on gun charges on low bails during a "Plea for Peace" vigil on Tuesday. (Jeanette DeForge/Republican staff) State Rep. Bud L. Williams said he was working to get a bill passed to prevent some of what multiple people called the revolving door of justice and called on the people at the vigil to work with him and others to advocate for laws that will reduce the violence. He also called for multiple agencies including the FBI and federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to work with police and residents to get the guns off the streets, he said. There are far too many guns in the hands of these young people, Williams said. Someone is making a lot of money off these guns. He also called on Hampden District Attorney Anthony Gulluni to better fund the witness protection program so neighbors who do come forward to help law enforcement can be assisted. Those who attended the vigil called for the groups to work together with church groups and neighborhood organizations to end the gang wars and gun violence in the city and discussed holding the first unity meeting soon. SPRINGFIELD The City Council on Tuesday approved a $727.6 million budget for the new fiscal year, cutting $200,000 from police overtime. The fiscal 2021 budget takes effect Wednesday. In an 8-5 vote, the council cut the proposed $1.8 million police overtime budget by $200,000. The move was strongly opposed by Mayor Domenic J. Sarno, who repeatedly called for a smaller cut of $125,000. Police Commissioner Cheryl Clapprood supported the mayors proposal. Sarno and Clapprood said the total proposed police budget of $50.5 million, including overtime, was needed for public safety. Several councilors, including Finance Chairwoman Tracye Whitfield, called themselves pro-police, but said there must be more funds diverted for improved officer training, including in sensitivity, diversity and deescalating potentially violent situations. The cut is not to penalize the police, Whitfield said. I am not anti-police, she said. I love the police. All I want to do is reallocate. Councilors on Monday cut $800,000 from the Facilities Department budget, which was intended for a new police firing range. Sarno opposed that cut, and said alternate funds will be used to lease the former Smith & Wesson firing range at 299 Page Blvd. in East Springfield. On Tuesday, councilors and Sarno agreed on increasing funds for police training, and for the new Office of Racial Equity. However, they sharply disagreed on how the funding should be cut within the budget to accomplish goals. The discussions on improved police training and deescalation follow the death of George Floyd, killed in May when a Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes during a misdemeanor arrest. The death spurred demonstrations nationwide, including in Springfield and area communities, opposing police brutality and racism. Under the city charter, the council has the power to cut the budget but cannot add to it. The mayor did allocate additional funds for training to the Health Department budget toward the racial equity office and outreach. Sarno spoke of the need for police funding to address violence on the streets, and spoke of violent offenders being released by judges. Whitfield, in response, said the city is paying out large settlements for police brutality and violations of civil rights. Councilor Malo Brown said he opposed any cut to the police budget, noting his father was as an officer and saying police are important for public safety and day-to-day life. Clapprood said there is a strong focus in police training on issues such as deescalation and cultural sensitivity, and she and Sarno said they support more efforts. Councilors voting for the $200,000 cut in police overtime were Adam Gomez, Victor Davila, Orlando Ramos, Marcus Williams, Jesse Lederman, Melvin Edwards, Justin Hurst and Whitfield. Councilors opposed to that cut were Michael Fenton, Sean Curran, Kateri Walsh, Timothy Allen and Brown. SPRINGFIELD For decades the Springfield Regional Chamber has brought together local leaders to help them develop their skills when it comes to management, problem-solving and other tools to advance their careers. This year the coronavirus pandemic made it impossible for participants to meet in person, but a recent group still graduated from the course. The 16 business professionals who embarked on our Leadership Institute program in late February had no idea that the world would soon shift drastically due to COVID-19, said Nancy Creed, president of the Springfield Regional Chamber. Despite challenges presented by the pandemic, this years class proved their leadership skills in real time by showcasing their adaptability and flexibility as the program, their goals, and their interaction with classmates shifted to a new virtual platform. The original plan was to hold a series of six workshops, facilitated by Western New England University faculty, on Thursdays at the TD Bank Conference Center in Springfield.The Leadership Institution is directed by Interim Dean of the College of Business Sharianne Walker and associate professor Melissa J. Knott. Scott Greene, an account manager for Reminder Publishing, said the class was able to adapt to the virtual classroom. This was actually not what we all signed up for, but as weve all done during the last few months, bent a little and went with a virtual model for the class. Our full sessions that began downtown at the Springfield Chamber were moved to Zoom, as were our smaller peer group meetings, he said. " In the end we couldnt go on our trip to the State House in Boston or a have a graduation dinner as planned, but we successfully completed the Institute with the needed modifications to keep us all safe." Participant Tiera Wright, a national sales account executive for The Republican, said the course helped her develop leadership skills, but also made her self reflect. Honestly, I learned a lot about myself, and how I communicate and interact with people, she said. It was very enlightening. One of my favorite takeaways from the class was, listen with the intent to understand, not with the intent to reply I dont think I have a problem with this, but its something a lot of people need to hear. What makes the course unique is that there are participants from a variety of professional backgrounds who come from private and corporate companies to an non-profit organizations. Some participants come with years of experience and others have been newly promoted. Ive been in leadership roles for the better part of the last 20+ years. This institute gave me some new strategies that I can use to work better with my colleagues and customers, he said. Even more importantly to me, I built some new, close peer relationships with some other participants and we plan on keeping in touch to share ideas and bounce challenges off each other. The sessions focused on managerial leadership, emotional intelligence and self-awareness, powerful communication, building high performance teams, and leveraging conflict. Participants also had the opportunity to apply and extend their learning through a practice-based team project. Emotional intelligence was a major theme of instruction during the Leadership Institute. My peer group, 3 other Western Mass. business leaders and I, presented to the class and all of our company sponsors how emotional intelligence and self awareness has played a role in our job over the last few months during the COVID-19 pandemic, Greene said. Wright said a session that focused on conversational skills and communication impacted her. I found the 10 Ways to Have a Better Conversation, to be the most helpful-- and honestly something I would love to share with my team at work as I think it would help us all communicate and understand each other better, she said. " Since I have yet to be in a leadership position, I think I was able to view what we learned from a different perspective. A lot of the lessons were geared toward making us better leaders, but they are also useful to implement within a group of peers. Now that they have graduated the program participants are eligible to enroll in a free graduate course offered through the College of Business at Western New England University. Related content: In another allegation, the lawsuit provides a transcript of an interview with a former girlfriend of Browns father, a woman who said at least twice that she was absolutely not afraid of Jordan Brown. The summary of that interview provided by troopers is changed to claim the woman didnt want her interview used against the boy because she was scared of him. It was one of a half dozen incorrect characterizations in the summary that were not in the transcript, Wright said. SPRINGFIELD Florissa Fuentes went through an admittedly rocky adolescence growing up in the citys North End, finding herself in loads of trouble before a high school-based city police officer persuaded her to move to North Carolina for a new perspective. Hailing from a heavily military family, Fuentes returned to the city in 2007, a teen hoping for a fresh start. She aimed to join the U.S. Navy, but her brother, Daniel Newsome, was killed in combat in Baghdad, discounting her from enlisting just as she prepared for basic training. Fuentes eventually set her eyes on a corrections career, graduating from the Western Massachusetts County Correctional Officers Training Academy as class president in 2018. Last year she was among 18 new recruits for the Springfield Police Department. Fuentes was pinned by Commissioner Cheryl Clapprood at a ceremony at Springfield College on July 18, 2019. However, her career was cut short in under a year. A newly promoted detective in the Special Victims Unit, Fuentes, now 30, was fired on June 19 about a month after posting a pro-Black Lives Matter image to her personal Instagram account while off duty. 5/25/2018 -Ludlow- The 41st Western Mass County Correctional Officer's Class Academy graduation was held at the Hampden County Correctional Center in Ludlow, where 20 recruits became correctional officers after nine weeks of academy training. This is class president Florissa Fuentes getting her badge pinned on by academy commendant, Sgt. Joseph Celetti. (Don Treeger / The Republican)Staff-Shot The image showed her niece protesting in Atlanta. Flames leap up in the background and her niece holds a sign that reads: Shoot the F--- Back. A friends sign reads: Who do we call when the murderer wears the badge? The photo was taken May 29, Fuentes said. She posted it the next day, and it wasnt long before the storm came. The Atlanta demonstration was one of hundreds across the country and the globe following the death of George Floyd, an unarmed Black man who died at the hands of Minneapolis police on May 15 during a misdemeanor arrest. Despite her passion for police work, Fuentes said she wanted to support her niece and the cause. Later she realized how the post inflamed some of her co-workers. Unlike other local police and fire officials who have been fired or forced to resign over racially charged social media posts, Fuentes, a Latina woman, finds herself on the side of protesters. Civil rights activists and others say this sets her apart. After I posted it, I started getting calls and texts from co-workers, Fuentes said during an interview. I was initially confused, but then I realized they thought I was being anti-cop. I wasnt. I was just supporting my nieces activism. I had no malicious intent, and I wouldnt put a target on my own back. Im out there on the streets every day like everyone else. Realizing the consternation it had caused, she took the Instagram post down. But soon after, on June 1, she got a call from Capt. Trent Duda, head of the Detective Bureau. I said, Cap, I already know why youre calling. Im sorry. I meant no malicious intent and I already took it down, Fuentes recounted. Capt. Duda said Commissioner Clapprood was mad and wanted to see me the next day, but hoped if said exactly what I said to him, I should be fine. Duda wrote her up, citing a possible social media violation. The next afternoon, Fuentes met with Clapprood and a wall of brass, as well as the longtime Springfield Police Patrolmens Association president, Officer Joseph Gentile. Clapprood had recently promoted Fuentes, a single mother of three, and granted her a hardship concession so she could home school her children during the pandemic. But on this day, Clapprood told Fuentes she was upset, disappointed and embarrassed. The commissioner said: You have to find a way to fix this. Im getting pressure from the mayors office, Fuentes said. I said, Ok, Im sorry. How do I fix it? Officer Gentile suggested I post an apology on the police union Facebook page. So I went home later and I did. Gentile declined to comment for this story. Clapprood denied telling Fuentes to fix it. I never told her to just fix it. Thats the issue with social media -- once you post something its out there and you cant retract it. That post was hurtful to many of her co-workers, Clapprood said, adding that the move to detective was not necessarily a promotion but an effort to accommodate Fuentes struggles as a single mother. It was the second issue she had, and being on probation, it was my decision to terminate her employment, the commissioner said. The Facebook apology drew further abuse and criticism. It read, in part: To my fellow officers, I recently shared a post that a family member had posted of themselves protesting the recent death of George Floyd. I did not share this photo with any malicious intent and I should have thought of how others might perceive it. I apologize to all of those who I have offended. I am not anti-cop. I wear my badge proudly and have committed my life and career to being a police officer. It was enough for a few, who responded: Im good, bro, no worries, and No, we are all blue and need to support each other. But for others, the apology prompted more vitriol than the original post. Keep your apology! ... Youre too dangerous or too stupid to safely associate with, one fellow officer wrote. The apology post was eventually taken down. Fuentes said she was told to keep her head down by supervisors and ride out the negativity in the office, when she typically preferred to be on the streets. Deputy Chief Rupert Daniel later sent an email to all sworn, urging officers to participate in a group photo at Riverfront Park to show that we are unified, diverse and we still get along. The photo shoot was scheduled for June 19 at 8 a.m. Some officers groused that it was an inappropriate mandate, and inconvenient given their shifts. Springfield police gathering at Riverfront Park on June 19 to show unity amid national protests on police brutality and racism. A police spokesman defended the absence of masks, which state and local officials recommend people wear in public to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Fuentes showed up, despite ongoing tensions with her colleagues, feeling she owed it to her supervisors and colleagues. It wasnt my shift, but I knew I pissed a lot of people off, so I felt like I owed it to the commissioner and everyone. I was trying to make things right, she said. Fuentes endured some harassment from at least one officer and smiled for the camera. Two hours later, she received the call from Gentile saying she must resign or be fired. She chose to be fired. I felt used. The commissioner waved at me from her car while I was there. They all knew what was happening, she said. Duda declined comment. New police officers remain on probation and have few protections if they are disciplined, including the right to appeal to an arbitrator or the state Civil Service Commission. So-called tenured officers have those rights, which have historically protected them from a myriad of indiscretions. Fuentes was roughly a month away from tenure. She is not the only casualty of social media missteps among public employees. Conrad Lariviere, a tenured Springfield police officer, mocked the death of a woman killed by a man who drove his car into a crowd of anti-racism protesters in Charlottesville, Virginia, in 2018. Hahahaha love this, maybe people shouldnt block road ways, Lariviere wrote in a Facebook comment on a news article about the crash. He was fired, and the firing was upheld by an arbitrator. Recently, Springfield firefighter Joelle Martinez resigned over remarks on his Facebook page threatening to slam people left and right as a National Guardsman disgruntled over getting called up to manage protests in Boston in early June. He was cut from the guard and resigned from the Springfield Fire Department over the matter, according to a spokesman who declined further comment. Chicopee Police Officer Michael Wilk was demoted from public information officer after controversial posts in early June. Civil rights activists including Bishop Talbert Swan II say Fuentes firing does not compare with the ousters of other local cops who ran afoul on social media. This is apples and oranges. I doubt the outcome of this would have been the same if she was white. There is a difference in expressing an opinion that might not be popular, and an overtly racist opinion, said Swan, who has been actively critical of the Springfield Police Department. A fellow officer of Fuentes', who asked to remain anonymous for fear of retribution, said he believes favoritism is rampant at the department, and Clapprood had the option of extending Fuentes probationary period as opposed to firing her. Theres a lot of officers who are afraid to speak up about this issue and dont want to be targeted as well. Although we agree punishment should have happened she owned up to it immediately, and said sorry and she was sincere, the officer said. There are officers who lied on police reports and have done worse things, yet they remain employed. Harris Freeman, a professor at Western New England School of Law who specializes in labor relations and worked on the pertinent state board for years, says balancing First Amendment rights and state labor law can be tricky. The balance lies between heightened protected free speech rights for public employees and whether the speech in question could reasonably be interpreted as disrupting the workplace under state and federal laws. Fuentes scenario may be open to interpretation, Freeman said. The fact the she is a police officer and that fact that the Instagram post was saying shoot back at the police makes this a very challenging case, he said, while not rendering an opinion on her particular set of circumstances. The Eastern States Exposition, the 17- day fair representing six New England States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont made a wise decision to cancel this years fair due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The fair was originally scheduled to begin on Sept. 18. President and CEO Gene Cassidy said: We know our faithful fairgoers will be disappointed. This decision was difficult and complex but we all know in our hearts that its the right thing to do for the health and safety of the 1.6 million people who support us each year. In 2019, the event generated an economic impact of around $750 million for the region. The only time the fair was suspended during World War I and for five years during World War II. Canceling the event was in the best interest of our communities, as Massachusetts and our neighboring states have continued to see positive trends in the coronavirus fight. After other states such as California, Florida and Texas lifted some restrictions early, they have been experiencing spikes in cases. Talks between West Springfield officials and Big E managers on how to hold the event and maintain the safety of fairgoers have been going on for the past few weeks. A scaled-down version of the fair was considered but too many questions remained. Several weeks ago West Springfield Mayor Will Reichelt said, Im trying to be as hopeful as possible. But the reality is there is a big lift and there is a lot of responsibility to the town. We want to help business. We want to help everyone succeed. But were at a point where we have to look at alternatives. Whats the reality of this going off? Whats the plan? How is this going to work? We are saddened by the canceling of one of our regions premiere events, but appreciate how Big E management working with West Springfield officials, decided the risk to hold an event hosting thousands of folks in the midst of a pandemic, was too great. A passionate and dedicated cheerleader of the Big E, Cassidy had held out hope for as long as he could and deserves praise for this crushing decision, which disappointed vendors and patrons alike. At the end of his announcement, Cassidy promised that on Sept. 17, 2021 everyone will be able to celebrate again. We are hopeful next years fair will be bigger and better than ever. The economic impacts of COVID-19 have ripped through the country, and here in western and central Massachusetts we have seen it first-hand. But we are resilient. While it may take time for us to recover fully, we have a unique opportunity to improve our communities, create new jobs, make critical infrastructure investments, and come out stronger than ever. During my time in Congress, Ive made it a priority to create and support federal programs designed to bolster state and local government infrastructure investments. As Chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, I have worked with my colleagues to develop several programs in the Moving Forward Act, an infrastructure and economic stimulus package. Improving internet access in western Massachusetts has long been a priority of mine. Connectivity across the district, and in particular for residents of Berkshire and Franklin Counties, is far behind the rest of the state. Ive heard far too many stories of people driving to their local libraries and sitting in the parking lot to access the public WiFi, just so they can get their work done, or so their kids can finish their homework. At a time when so much of our lives has moved online, it is more important than ever for everyone to have access to high-quality internet. To address this issue we created a new bond program that will enable localities to finance expansions of high-speed broadband with a significant subsidy from the Federal government and a generous tax credit available to state and local governments to help them operate and maintain their own high-speed broadband systems. While these programs will keep us digitally connected, we must also make sure our communities can be physically connected through high-quality public transportation. Access to quality public transportation allows individuals to access jobs and services across the state and we must build upon the progress we have made, notably with the renovation of Springfield Union Station, to connect western Massachusetts with the eastern part of the state. West-East rail starting in Pittsfield is a of top priority. Im proud to say that the upcoming House stimulus bill will include a $19 billion grant program for passenger rail improvement and expansion projects. While these investments are crucial, equally important is investing in, and rebuilding, our communities. Thats why Ill be working hard ensure that we make the remarkably successful New Markets Tax Credit program a permanent part of the Internal Revenue Code, and to provide a significant increase in the federal dollars allocated to it. In the 20 years since its inception, the program has brought over $600M in project investment to our communities, and those projects have created nearly 4,000 jobs across the district. Right now in Springfield, money from this program is being used to build the Educare Center to provide high-quality early childhood education and to expand Way Finders to provide housing assistance, financial literacy education, job search help, vocational education and first-time home buyer programs to more than 30,000 residents every year. The COVID crisis has presented new challenges to localities looking to finance infrastructure investments, while increasing the need to build and renovate hospitals, schools, bridges, and roads. With the Moving Forward Act, were providing the aid they need. I led an effort to bring back and make permanent the successful Build America Bonds program, which lowers borrowing costs for state and local governments, enabling them to invest in important infrastructure projects. Under its previous iteration, Massachusetts issued close to $5 billion in Build America Bonds to communities to invest in local infrastructure. Build America Bonds funded projects at several campuses of the University of Massachusetts. Build America Bond funded the rehabilitation of the South End Bridge in Springfield and the Broad Brook Bridge in Easthampton. And Build America Bonds enabled the Massachusetts School Building Authority to renovate many schools, including Minnechaug Regional High School in Wilbraham; Holyoke High School; Putnam Vocational Technical High School in Springfield; and Burgess Elementary School in Sturbridge. These are meaningful investments that positively impact the lives of thousands of students. These financing tools dont just help with costs, they create quality, high-paying jobs. The Bridge Program, for example, has created 12,000 construction jobs. At a time when so many Americans are out of work, the importance of projects like these cannot be overstated. Now, in the face of this pandemic, more than ever, we must seize the opportunity we have to reinvest in our communities and support the people who need our help. I will continue to work hard and do everything in my power to make sure we come out of this pandemic strong and ready to grow. Congressman Richard Neal represents the First Congressional District of Massachusetts in the US House of Representatives and chairman of the Ways and Means Committee. Jorge Rodriguez, who federal prosecutors say was second in command of the Massachusetts chapter of the Latin Kings, pleaded guilty Tuesday to racketeering and drug conspiracy charges in a case that implicated dozens of alleged gang members. Rodriguez, also known as King G, pleaded guilty to RICO conspiracy and conspiracy to distribute cocaine and cocaine base, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office of Massachusetts. He is scheduled to be sentenced Oct. 16. The 32-year-old man, who was also a leader of the New Bedford chapter, was among more than 60 people arrested in December under a federal investigation into racketeering and drug distribution tied to the Latin Kings. Forty-seven suspects arrested that day were in Massachusetts. Authorities seized dozens of firearms that day, including a submachine gun, a sawed-off shotgun and an AR-15 rifle, U.S. Attorney Andrew Lelling told reporters at the time. Officers also seized $38,000 in cash, six cars, six motorcycles, three jet skis, an ATV and various drugs. Rodriguez and several others were tied to trap houses in New Bedford where Latin Kings members hid nation guns and drugs, according to the indictment. Authorities say they were cooking cocaine and planning murders within 1,000 feet of the Global Learning Charter Public School. Secret video recordings shared in the indictment offer a glimpse into the operation inside the trap houses. Rodriguez and other gang members were seen stirring a pot on the stove inside 358 North Front St. In one screenshot, a scale, cocaine and baking soda are visible on the counter as Rodriguez stirs. Authorities say Rodriguez ran the distribution networks that involved the trap houses. Federal prosecutors say the gang uses drug distribution to make money, furthering its influence and protecting its turf from rivals. Under the plea agreement, Rodriguez could face anywhere from 15 to 25 years in prison and three years of supervision, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office. 11 Operation Throne Down sting Related Content: Julia Santos was driving home after picking up a bag of free dog food less than a mile from her own house when the Groveland resident noticed she was being tailed by another car. A resident, presumably Santos, reported to officers that the driver turned around multiple times in an obvious effort to follow her, Groveland Police Chief Jeffrey T. Gillen said. Rather than park in her own driveway, Santos pulled onto a side street. Santos, who is Black, was then confronted by the driver, a white man in a gray, BMW convertible who accused her of suspicious behavior. Even after Santos told him that she was picking up a bag of dog food from a residence on Juniper Terrace and pointed to the large dog food bag beside her, the man said he did not believe her. I dont believe you, he said, I didnt believe you that you were in Juniper Terrace. You didnt stop. Santos then refuted the mans claims. I stopped. I grabbed the dog food that is right there, and then I left, and I saw you following me all the way here, she told him, and I turned up here, because, quite frankly, I dont feel safe right now. At one point, the man told Santos he did not feel safe with her driving around in his neighborhood. When Santos asked the man why he felt that way, he answered, Why? Because theres just too many people. Too many people? Or is it because Im Black? Is that why? Santos asked him. The Groveland woman posted a video of the encounter Monday afternoon on Facebook, and as of Wednesday, it had roughly 49,000 views, with social media users calling the mans actions racist and disgusting. It is the latest in a long line of highly publicized incidents of Black individuals in the United States going about normal, everyday tasks - birdwatching, selling lemonade, barbecuing and many more - only to be confronted by white people who falsely accuse them of illegal activity or unjustly call the cops. Later on in the video that Santos took, another person can be heard telling the man that she does not like the fact that Santos is being harassed. I dont like the fact that shes in my neighborhood, the man answers. Police noted that a resident told the man to leave, to which he did. The man was later identified and interviewed by officers, though authorities did not publicly release his name. Criminal charges may be filed, according to Gillen. The police chief expressed outrage about the encounter, which caused a resident to feel unsafe in her own community. He said officers would aggressively investigate the incident, doing whatever they can to ensure it is not repeated. On a personal note, I have lived in this area for my entire life and have been a police officer here for more than 30 years. I have met many of the families in Groveland, including the victims family, and watched families grow here. I am deeply disturbed by this situation, he said. The fact that a resident of our town could face accusation and be followed around like a criminal should make everyone stop in their tracks and consider how we treat one another. The Baker administration on Tuesday announced an emergency housing program that would offer to $20 million in rental and mortgage assistance during the coronavirus pandemic. When asked about the looming expiration date of the eviction moratorium, however, Gov. Charlie Baker said he hasnt decided whether to extend it or let the restrictions lift after Aug. 18. We continue to talk to folks in the housing community about what some of the key issues are, but I dont think were in a position to make a decision on that today, Baker said during a news briefing Tuesday afternoon at the Massachusetts State House. Thousands of evictions have been filed even with the moratorium in place. Baker signed the moratorium into law after the Legislature sent it to his desk, following calls from advocates to stop landlords from kicking out renters who are struggling to pay their rents during the pandemic. The Emergency Rental and Mortgage Assistance program, or ERMA, would give money to eligible households that have suffered financial hardships during the state of emergency declared over COVID-19. ERMA will provide up to $4,000 for eligible households to pay rent or mortgages going back to April 1. ERMA includes households within 50 to 80 percent of the area medium income, which is higher than the threshold under the states Residential Assistance for Families and Transition or RAFT program. Half of the money came from federal funding, including the CDBG Coronavirus fund under the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security or CARES Act. Applications open on Wednesday. Residents can apply through one of 11 agencies that give out RAFT for the state, including the nine Housing Consumer Education Centers, LHAND and the Central Massachusetts Housing Alliance. When asked about the eviction moratorium, Baker said there are several other resources at work. He said the state Department of Housing and Community Development has received more than $160 million through the CARES Act. Baker also gave another $5 million to RAFT in March as the pandemic started to hit Massachusetts. Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito said Bakers Housing Choice legislation, which would generate 135,000 new housing units in Massachusetts. The funding we are making available is important in the short term, but we know there was a housing crisis in Massachusetts before COVID-19 hit, she said. We cannot address the housing issues of 2020 without the restrictive housing laws changed that are in our books today. Meanwhile, housing advocates and lawmakers have called on Baker to extend the eviction moratorium. The moratorium law, which Baker signed in April, allows the moratorium to lift 120 days after the law takes effect or 45 days after the emergency declaration has been lifted, whichever is sooner. But it also allows the governor to postpone the moratoriums expiration in 90-day intervals as long as the moratorium doesnt last later than 45 days after the emergency declaration ends. Reps. Mike Connolly and Kevin Honan filed a bill on Tuesday that would expand the eviction moratorium for up to a year after the emergency declaration lifts. The bill would also establish a COVID-19 Housing Stability and Recovery Fund to help eligible property owners who lost rental income or missed mortgage payments due to COVID-19, as long as they extend protections to tenants. The bill proposes other protections for homeowners and owner-occupant landlords, including canceling foreclosures based on missed payments up to a year after the state of emergency, expanding mortgage deferment protections to landlords who own up to 15 rental units and expanding the current mortgage deferment option for a year after the state of emergency, Connolly wrote on his website. Citing Housing Court staff, Connolly says an estimated 20,000 eviction cases will be filed as soon as the moratorium ends. The commonwealth was already in the midst of a historic housing crisis before COVID-19. If we fail to act now we will face a massive wave of evictions and foreclosures, Connolly wrote. The consequences will likely be new surges of infection, increased displacement, further destruction of neighborhoods and increased numbers of people experiencing homelessness. Related Content: A group of lawmakers, including one of the leaders of the Housing Committee, will push for lasting housing relief in the coming weeks that would keep a mandatory pause on evictions and foreclosures in place for more than a year. The bill filed Tuesday (HD 5166) by Rep. Mike Connolly and Rep. Kevin Honan aims to prevent what they say could be tens of thousands of housing removals if an existing moratorium expires on Aug. 18 and to make more support available for tenants and homeowners most impacted by the economic downturn. Their legislation would impose a moratorium on evictions and moratoriums for failure to pay until one year after Gov. Charlie Baker lifts the public health emergency he declared amid the pandemic and freeze rents for the same duration at their pre-outbreak levels. To help property owners and landlords with 15 or fewer units, the bill would also create a state fund that would offer aid to those who were unable to pay housing costs due to the pandemic. The proposal does not define the size of the fund, and it allows it to be funded from multiple sources. In a blog post explaining the bill, Connolly said the state Housing Court estimates 20,000 eviction cases will be filed as soon as the existing moratorium ends, which could prompt new infections and higher rates of homelessness. While we dont yet know the full scale of the economic devastation caused by the coronavirus pandemic, we know it will be immense, Connolly wrote. This crisis has already taken a disproportionate toll on the most vulnerable among us including low-income tenants, elders, immigrants, front line workers, and Black and Latinx renters and homeowners. Connolly and Honan, who co-chairs the Legislatures Housing Committee, plan to discuss their bill on Thursday alongside Senate author Patricia Jehlen, co-sponsor Rep. Nika Elugardo, and community and housing justice advocates Related Content: Two campaigns made a final push to get their proposed questions up on the Nov. 3 ballot in Massachusetts, submitting signatures to the state by Wednesdays deadline. If approved, voters will face ballot questions addressing ranked-choice voting and access to a vehicles telematics data. The ranked-choice voting campaign and the latest right to repair campaign filed their signatures to Secretary of State William Galvins office by the 5 p.m. deadline on Wednesday, with each campaign saying it surpassed the minimum of 13,374 signatures. A third campaign to raise nursing home reimbursement rates fell short of the required signatures even with 130,000 people signing on to the cause in the fall. In a statement, the Massachusetts Senior Coalition attributed the results to the coronavirus pandemic that has overwhelmed nursing homes and other long-term care facilities. Our thoughts over the past month have been focused on our loved ones and the thousands of dedicated individuals that provide care to them around the clock while at risk to their own personal safety, the coalition wrote. There is no doubt that this outcome was affected by the unique and difficult circumstances under which we were forced to collect signatures. The Voter Choice for Massachusetts 2020 campaign, which proposes having voters rank their preferred candidates instead of choosing only one on a ballot, announced Wednesday it submitted more than 25,000 new signatures signatures to Galvins office. The Massachusetts Right to Repair Coalition, which seeks to expand access a vehicles telematics data, said it submitted 24,000 new signatures to Galvins office. Under ranked-choice voting, a winner is determined when a candidate gets more than 50% of first-choice votes. If no one gets a majority, the first-choice votes that went to the candidate who came in last are distributed to those voters second-choice candidates. We worked tirelessly to engage voters across the commonwealth over the past year to make this happen. Its clear to us, as more reformers join our ranks, that Massachusetts voters want more choice, more voice, and more freedom when they vote, said Brian Bass, organizing director for the campaigns signature drives in 2019 and 2020. But ranked-choice voting, or instant runoff voting, faces opposition from a coalition led by the fiscally conservative Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance. The proponents assume voting under a IRV scenario is as simple as like picking ice-cream flavors while in reality, voting for a candidate when there are several to choose from can be complicated, said Paul Craney, MassFiscal spokesman. The right to repair question is even more divisive with critics and supporters who were involved in a similar right to repair campaign in 2013. The Legislature passed a law that would provide independent repair shops with the same access to diagnostic information that manufacturers give their dealerships. Mechanics can access that information by buying the software from manufacturers and plugging a power port to a customers car. The current law did not include telematics systems, which can wirelessly transfer information about a vehicles speed, idling time, fuel consumption and other data. Tommy Hickey, the coalitions director, said in a statement that independent car repair shops need latest ballot measure to pass so they can have access to telematics data, which sheds light on speed, idling time, fuel consumption and other trends. Our independent shops are increasingly facing the prospect of having limited or no access to diagnostic and repair information now that automakers are restricting access through rapidly expanding wireless technologies in vehicles not covered under current law, he said. Opponents of the ballot measure said the move puts consumer privacy and safety at risk. Whether this question passes or fails, consumers will still be able to get their cars fixed wherever they want, and repair shops will still be able to fix any car, said Conor Yunits, spokesperson for the Coalition for Safe and Secure Data a group that formed to fight the ballot question, but if this question passes, your personal vehicle and driving information will be open to more people, more companies, and more danger. The campaigns were allowed to submit e-signatures for the first time ever under a Supreme Judicial Court decision in April. The campaigns had to submit their signatures to local clerks by June 17 to get them certified before sending them to Galvins office. The campaigns faced the unprecedented challenge of collecting signatures as the global pandemic hit Massachusetts. The coronavirus pandemic closed government agencies, schools and businesses, bringing grassroots campaigning of any kind to a halt. The nursing home reimbursement rates campaign wasnt the only effort that failed to overcome the challenges brought on by the coronavirus pandemic. Cumberland Farms, the convenience store chain, told the State House News Service in late June it was dropping its proposed ballot question to let more stores obtain licenses to sell beer and wine. Related Content: When immigration attorney Talia Barrales started looking into launching a public affairs firm, she didnt recruit the former legislators or veteran lobbyists who have spent decades on Beacon Hill. She built an eclectic executive team with backgrounds and perspectives that she says is sorely needed at the State House and city halls across Massachusetts. An emergency medicine doctor practicing in the Greater Boston area. A senior care advocate and policy consultant. A political communications consultant. A senior retail analyst for Sean P. Diddy Combs turned Patrick administration official. Together, Barrales and the four executives form a team that has 20 combined years of political organizing and community engagement, as well as experience serving communities of color, a distinction they hope to leverage as they seek to lobby on Beacon Hill. As the COVID-19 pandemic hit our state and affected my law firms immigration practice, immediately the area in most need turned to labor rights law, with many clients seeking legal representation on employment issues, said Barrales, who launched Barrales Law in 2013. This crisis also served as the catalyst for me and my team to expand my service outside the courthouse and into the halls of government, creating a unique public affairs agency ready to represent many of the top public and private industries in the state, with an added focus of helping clients reach the growing communities and influencers of color. The firm plans to focus on government relations, grassroots advocacy, strategic and crisis communications and ethnic marketing, among other areas. The executives also seek to conduct lobbying on Beacon Hill, though none of them has registered yet with the state. Neither the Barrales agency nor the executives have official clients lined up yet. Theres another distinction between the executive team and firms that for years have lobbied on Beacon Hill: theyre all people of color. In Massachusetts, the top 10 lobbying firms in the state earned $26.8 million in 2019 alone, Commonwealth Magazine reported, citing Secretary of State William Galvins lobbying website. The leadership teams on those lobbying firms are almost entirely white, as is most of the industry. The public affairs agency has already garnered the support of Tito Jackson, a former Boston City Councilor and CEO of the medical marijuana company Verdant Medical Inc. Jackson, who has advised the group, calls its formation as one of the most exciting business developments Ive seen in a long time in the public affairs space. Barrales and her executive team say their work outside of government relations and their racial and linguistic diversity can bring fresh perspectives into the Massachusetts lobbying industry. Theres Dr. Ellana Stinson, a Black, board-certified, emergency medicine physician and chief medical officer of Evolvd Healths telemedicine platform. A former medical director of the East Boston Neighborhood Health Centers Emergency Department, Stinson is a member of the Massachusetts Medical Society and president of the New England Medical Association. Stinson said working in an emergency room has given her a glimpse into health trends, as well as disparities in her community, long before those trends grab the attention of lawmakers or the media. Given my medical background, my work with organized medicine and just being an African American woman in this space, I have an inside and outside perspective on how systems impact communities, she said. Eldin Villafane, a Latino Boston native, has worked in Boston and New York City politics over the past three decades, including New York City government and SEIU Local 888 in Massachusetts. Most recently, he was the campaign and communications strategist for Julia Mejias bid for Boston City Council. Sadaf Ahmad, a health care advocate born in India, worked in Washington, D.C., as the senior advocacy manager at the Alzheimers Association. She also consulted the Caregiver Action Network and worked on outreach for the Hemophilia Federation of America. Doug Chavez, who is Latino, has the most experience in state government. He worked on Deval Patricks gubernatorial campaign as constituency director and deputy finance director, later serving on the administration as the deputy director of State Office of Minority and Women Business Assistance. He also worked on Patricks unsuccessful presidential campaign in 2020. Chavez was born in The Bronx, New York, where he would eventually work as a senior retail analyst for Combs clothing line, Sean John, before moving to Boston in 2005. Barrales, the founder, is an immigration attorney who in 2018 successfully challenged the Trump administration in an asylum case. Her all-Latina firm took on the case of a Rosales Justo, Mexican man who was held in Plymouth County Correctional Center. Barrales traces her interest in law back to her childhood. Born in Mexico, Barrales crossed the border at age 3 to join her parents in California. She grew up there as a divisive legal battle played out over proposition 187. The ballot measure approved in 1994 required local officials to out undocumented immigrants to state officials and federal immigration authorities. It also barred them from public benefits, including education. Proposition 187 was found unconstitutional by a federal judge three years after the referendum, but Barrales recalled feeling like an outsider living in a neighborhood that mostly supported the measure. She sees a silver lining in the situation: A 9-year-old Barrales started to see Latinx attorneys on television challenging the proposal. I finally saw lawyers that looked like me, had similar stories that I did, had last names like mine, she said. When she learned about Justos case, Barrales said no other private attorney or nonprofit would take it. Justo had fled the U.S. with his partner and two daughters after his son was murdered and his family was targeted. They believe they were the targets of organized crime because his family did not pay rent for a store they ran. But asylum cases out of Mexico, especially those involving gangs, are increasingly difficult to get approved. When an immigration judge sided with Justo, the Trump administration overturned the decision. Barrales firm took the case to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit and won. We just cant be part of the deportation machine. We have to give them a chance. We have to give our clients a fighting chance, even in cases that can be dismissed right off the bat, she said. Barrales said she wants to take a similar approach with her firm, helping clients meet the needs of communities of color and sharing their messages with those communities. Jackson, the former city councilor, believes organizations with racially and ethnically diverse leadership perform better. A 2018 McKinsey report notes that companies in the top-quartile for ethnic and cultural diversity on executive teams were 33% more likely to be leading their industry in profit. Jackson, the former city councilor, says he hears a common refrain among business leaders and politicians: they struggle to find a racially diverse pool of talent. If people want different outcomes and want to ensure theyre building inclusivity into their teams, if they want different outcomes relative to more inclusive legislation and actual equity, I think its critical that you have different people in the room, he said. I believe that Barrales PA really does bring that together. Its an amazing group of not only talented, but also accomplished individuals. Over the past month, corporations, nonprofits and politicians across the nation have vowed their commitment to racial justice and diversity in their organizations in the wake of the officer-involved shootings that killed Breonna Taylor in Louisville and George Floyd Minneapolis. Jackson said working with this minority-led firm the first he has seen in Massachusetts is the perfect opportunity for companies and agencies to prove it. If we miss this moment, we will fail to transition this moment into the movement that we need for real change, he said. Related Content: After massive flooding, downpours and lightning strikes battered Massachusetts over the weekend, showers and thunderstorms are forecast again Wednesday. Slow-moving, severe storms are expected to move into the state in the afternoon. There is a risk of torrential rainfall and street flooding, according to the National Weather Service. Heavy precipitation and thunderstorms will last into the early evening. A few showers are possible through mid-evening, but most areas are expected to be dry by midnight. Although the storms should mainly impact the eastern interior of the state, the National Weather Service said, a hazardous weather outlook has been issued for Western Massachusetts, where flooding, small hail and gusty winds are possible. Warmer, drier conditions will arrive Thursday, though a few thunderstorm are still possible in the afternoon. A cold front sweeping through the state Friday is expected to again bring scattered showers and thunderstorms to Berkshire County and the Pioneer Valley. Dry weather follows for Saturday and Sunday, the National Weather Service said. One or more weather disturbances will bring a chance of showers and thunderstorms Monday and Tuesday. The forecast is subject to change more than 72 hours out. Related Content: More storms expected this week after hail, flooding over weekend in Massachusetts Gov. Tom Wolf said Wednesday that he does not envision another broad shutdown order to contain the coronavirus in Pennsylvania and, rather, hopes to let local governments make decisions based on conditions they are seeing in their area. (JOE HERMITT/AP) The law firm hired by Clark University released its findings on Tuesday regarding its investigation into the protests in Worcester on June 1 that led to police using pepper spray canisters and arresting 19 people, including four students. In the five-page report, Bowditch & Dewey, LLP offered four conclusions, including that none of the four Clark students who were arrested acted neither violently nor destructively and that actions taken by the Worcester Police Department did not meet the standard that should be afforded to the public. The findings came after an extensive examination of videos, photographs and interviews. The report doesnt entirely condemn the Worcester Police Department, though. The report said that after 10 p.m., the situation created by 50 to 70 protesters worsened and the decision to use tactical forces and non-lethal means to disperse the crowd was reasonably made. The unpredictability of what would occur, the developing hostility and the lateness of the hour, [implementing the tactical unit] was reasonably made and was consistent with law-enforcement protocols, the report said. Police in riot gear and large group of people clashed in the Main South section of Worcester Monday night into Tuesday morning. Still, the second half of the report painted a picture of a Worcester Police officer allegedly pinning his knee into the back of Sarah Drapeau, a Clark student, who told them she had lung issues and the maneuver was very painful. Drapeau also said police called her a fat b**** saying welcome to the real world. The arresting officer acknowledged Dreapeus pleas, the report said, but didnt move. Another officer, the report said, told Drapeau she could lie on her side. When handcuffs were too tight around her wrist, she said police responded, she "should have thought of that before getting arrested." The report said, Drapeau, Olivia Crum and Lyndsay deManbey, Clark students who were arrested, were not a part of the protest but left their homes to obverse the situation outside. In the report, Crum said she saw police arrest and punch deManbey in his back. A video cited in the report said Crum can be heard describing the incident. The video also shows, the report said, a Worcester police officer break the screen of the phone by repeatedly stepping on it. According to the report, deManbey suffered abrasions on his left cheek and bruising on his body as a result of the arrest. The abrasion was noticeable on June 17, more than two weeks after the protest on June 1. Based on contemporaneous recordings, their injuries, the consistency of their testimony and on our interviews, found the claims of the Clark students regarding their arrests were credible, the report said. The report also found that despite being close to home and not a part of the protests, the students should have been aware of the potentially dangerous situation. Video recordings and other information reflect that at least two of the Clark students were or should have been aware of the seriousness of what was underway and the risk of arrest, the report said. Jay Verchin, who began live-streaming the event just prior to midnight, was the fourth Clark student arrested. During the live stream, Verchin can be seen hiding in the bushes near where they lived. Editors note: The video embedded in this story contains graphic language. When police arrested Verchin, Drapeau began yelling at the officers. Drapeau was told to lay down on the ground and complied. The report says thats when an officer put his knee on Drapeaus back. What took place the night of June 1 occurred in the context of extensive and pre-existing calls to address systemic racism, end police violence against Black people, and, specifically for Clark, re-examine approaches to campus safety and the inclusive environment we have always sought to foster, especially as all these matters relate to the experience of African American/Black members of our community, the university said in a statement. Our focus on the wider context and the changes that are necessary will not waiver. The first half of the report echoed what police and Worcester officials said about the event. A protest in Boston the night before heightened precautions within the city after that event turned violent and resulted in more than 50 arrests. Worcester Police Chief Steven Sargent said the city received calls from the Massachusetts Secretary of Public Safety and his Deputy and from the Massachusetts Attorney Generals Office indicating that they had received information that similar violence should be expected in Worcester. Sargent said with that knowledge, state police, the citys tactical team and the national guard were prepared if needed. Massachusetts State Police cruisers were in the Greendale Mall parking lot Monday night. Following the protest at 6 p.m., the state police and national guard were released, the report said. In interviews with protesters, city officials and the Worcester Police Department, they all confirmed to MassLive that a group of 50 to 70 individuals remained at City Hall after a much larger group of more than a thousand marched to protest the death of George Floyd. They also told MassLive that the second protest that moved up Main Street remained peaceful for about 90 minutes. While marching, protesters told MassLive police followed the small group to Hammond Street without any issues. They then surrounded a police car and took a knee. The report confirms this. Worcester officials, the police department and the report said the officer in the cruiser grew concerned for his safety. In response, the department activated the tactical unit. If he was that nervous, I feel like he wouldnt have gotten out of the car, Sheliah Morgan, who was at the protest, told MassLive. Why would you get out of the car within the crowd and walk with us? He started walking and pretending like he was going to join our march. Literally not even a minute later all of these police in riot gear show up. Worcester protesters have reached Hammond St. Posted by MassLive Worcester on Monday, June 1, 2020 It wasnt until the group arrived at a Dunkin Donuts where the night evolved into violence, according to the report, police, protesters and city officials. Protesters told MassLive that uniformed police officers retreated behind the citys tactical unit. Video from the night recorded by MassLive confirmed this. The tactical unit or riot police stood arm-to-arm blocking a street. Video from the night, shows neither protesters nor police engaging physically at first. Worcester police gather in Main South to push back a group of people who continued to march after the peaceful protest ended. Protesters said the riot police moved toward the crowd and ordered them to disperse. Video from the night shows officers forcefully pushing some protesters to the ground. The report confirmed what police initially said about the late-night protest, which was that some people began firing flares, fireworks, rocks, comete, bottles, and other debris at police. Vincent Eovacious, an 18-year-old from Worcester, was arrested and charged after making Molotov cocktails and bringing them out during the late-night protest. The report found for about two hours, police periodically deployed pepper spray canisters, stinger grenades and sponge rounds. A stinger grenade is a rubber bodied device that delivers rubber pellets, light flashes and loud sounds. A sponge round is a projectile with a foam tip used to deter non-compliant subjects. The report said no tear gas was released. Sargent and city officials said the department doesnt use tear gas. Still, the report said about 30 people remained and some continued to damage windows and other property. After the Clark University Police Department arrived, the report said the remaining crowd gathered around another police cruiser and damaged it. Police in riot gear and large group of people clashed in the Main South section of Worcester Monday night into Tuesday morning. A large group surrounded the cruisers and began throwing rocks and bottles at them, with the officers seated inside, the report read. Objects were thrown directly at the windshields, doors and windows of both cruisers. The side panels of one of the cruisers were repeatedly kicked and each of the cruisers was extensively damaged. Side, back and front windows were shattered, and the body of each vehicle was dented and scraped. Soon after police arrested the four Clark University students. Arrests are not polite events, but they should involve only those actions which are required to accomplish them, the report said. Even in the situation described in this report, that standard applies. Actions taken during the arrests of the Clark students did not meet that standard. Related Content: The North Brookfield Board of Selectmen postponed the towns plans for a Fourth of July celebration late Tuesday evening, announcing the decision in a press release that calls the municipalitys Board of Health members hypocritical, political and alleges they acted unconstitutionally in trying to sabotage the event. The Board of Selectmen blamed the Board of Health for condemning the event and contacting media in Worcester and Boston, which could have potentially increased the gathering to thousands of people, the release said. For overtly hypocritical and purely political reasons, the BOH opposed this small event as a serious public health threat, the release from the Board of Selectmen said. When the Board of Healths complaints and pleas to every level of state government failed to stop the event, because the event is permissible under the Governors current orders and guidelines and falls squarely within the Governors political expression exemption, the BOH enlisted political operatives to contact the news media. The North Brookfield Board of Health did not contact MassLive about the scheduled parade on Saturday, but posted a press release to its Facebook page. MassLive published a story about the planned Fourth of July festivities on Tuesday, citing the Board of Healths publicly available statement and citing discussion during a public meeting available to watch on YouTube, where the fissure between the two towns boards began regarding the event. The position of the board on this issue is, if Black Lives Matter can protest down the center of Main Street, on a sidewalk, all on top of each other, and congregate on a church common all on top of each other then the people of North Brookfield can march separated, down Main Street, onto the town Common, Dale Kiley, selectmen chairman, said at a June 23 meeting where the parade plans were discussed. North Brookfield planned for a parade down Main Street at 11 a.m. on Saturday along with activities for children in the common, such as a campfire and smores, and a laser show later that night. The release from the Board of Selectmen said organizers expected less than 250 people specifically from North Brookfield to attend the even on a 4.2 acre parcel of land. During the meeting on June 23, Kiley said North Brookfield had 16 positive cases for coronavirus since the start of the pandemic. He said only two of those cases occurred within the last 21 days. Ethan Melad, a member of the North Brookfield Board of Health, also spoke during the June 23 meeting, recommending the events be canceled. While Kiley said those who felt uncomfortable shouldnt attend, Melad asked about individuals who will have to work the event or work with the people who attended the event. Getting the virus is not a death sentence, Kiley said. Following the meeting, the North Brookfield Board of Health again publicly condemned the parade and the events planned for July 4. When the Board of Selectmen collectively and unanimously call the current Health Crisis COVID hysteria in open defiance of the health and well-being of the citizens of North Brookfield, the Board of Health cannot condone or encourage such a gathering as it is counter to the health and safety of the residents, the Board of Health said in a statement. North Brookfield on Tuesday postponed the events with a post on its website at 7:39 p.m. The announcement came hours after Gov. Charlie Baker addressed the state for precautions heading into the July 4 weekend, which focused on traveling between states. Bakers four-phased reopening strategy prohibits parades until the fourth phase. On July 4, the state will remain in phase two. The Board of Selectmen are cognizant of the incendiary times in which we are living and unlike the members of the Board of Health who seem arbitrarily concerned with public health only when it fits their political ideology, we will not expose our residents to the public health and public safety risks artificially created by the BOHs unconstitutional silencing of the free expression of their neighbors, the release said. The Board of Selectmens statement said the event will take place at a later date that is yet to be determined. Much larger municipalities such as Boston and Worcester canceled their July 4 celebrations. Worcester plans to host a virtual event that will air Wednesday and continue through July 4. Boston canceled its annual celebration that gains national exposure in May. Got a news tip or want to contact MassLive about this story? Email newstips@masslive.com or message us on Facebook or Twitter. You can also call our news tips line at 413-776-1364. Related Content: McAlester, OK (74501) Today Thunderstorms this morning, then variable clouds during the afternoon with still a chance of showers. Storms may contain strong gusty winds. High near 75F. Winds N at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 100%.. Tonight Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low near 55F. Winds NNE at 10 to 15 mph. McAlester, OK (74501) Today Thunderstorms during the morning followed by occasional showers this afternoon. Storms may contain strong gusty winds. High 81F. Winds N at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 90%.. Tonight Partly cloudy skies. Low around 55F. Winds NNE at 10 to 15 mph. My Favorite Quotes Recent Quotes Portfolio Summary Your most recently viewed tickers will automatically show up here if you type a ticker in the Get Quotes box on the top of the page. One issue I regret not confronting more aggressively is that of how we enforce the criminal codes: how we treat people when they are arrested; how we assist them while theyre in the system so that they can reenter society with a reasonable chance of making it work. The number of people we incarcerate has exploded, the number of people we allow to rot in jail because they cant find a place to live is shameful, as is the amount of money we waste because we incarcerate but do not rehabilitate. The Battle of Gettysburg, fought over three days in July of 1863, is often considered the turning point of a war fought over the fate of slavery in America. Black people ultimately were the reason why over 165,000 soldiers came to this Pennsylvania town in the first place. But on the battlefield, as far as the physical memorials, they disappear, he wrote. How are our young people going to learn about the history of our great country and how far we have come? The only way people who destroy will learn is to arrest them and throw them in jail. Atlanta, GA (30303) Today Partly to mostly cloudy with scattered showers and thunderstorms developing this afternoon. High 84F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50%.. Tonight Scattered thunderstorms early, then mainly cloudy overnight with thunderstorms likely. Low 69F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 80%. Atlanta, GA (30342) Today Partly to mostly cloudy with scattered showers and thunderstorms this afternoon. High 84F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 60%.. Tonight Scattered thunderstorms early, then mainly cloudy overnight with thunderstorms likely. Low 68F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 80%. Marietta, GA (30060) Today Partly to mostly cloudy with scattered showers and thunderstorms this afternoon. High 83F. Winds WSW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 60%.. Tonight Scattered thunderstorms early, then mainly cloudy overnight with thunderstorms likely. Low 69F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 80%. Meadville, PA (16335) Today Scattered thunderstorms during the morning becoming more widespread this afternoon. Heavy downpours are possible. A few storms may be severe. High 76F. Winds WSW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 80%. Rainfall may reach one inch.. Tonight Cloudy skies. Low 52F. Winds NW at 10 to 15 mph. The Netherlands July 1, 2020 EINDHOVEN,/PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Back to the new normal With the COVID-19 virus spreading across the world, companies are in need of a solution to create a safer environment for their employees, customers, and visitors. Every country set their own rules and regulations, and companies need to keep those in mind. Only when everyone works together, the world is able to get back to the new normal. A new normal where everyone looks out for each other, with a newfound alertness against contagion. Terms such as social distancing and crowd management are used more than ever and will be leading in the new normal.Informing all people involved and preventing them from getting sick is an important first step to get to the new normal. Companies need to share information about measures they're taking to all their employees, visitors, and customers. With digital signage, they can share that information on screens across their premises to make sure that everyone everywhere is always up to date. With IP cameras and sensors in and around buildings, they can protect their people even further.Social Safety Signage for a safer environment To help create an environment that is as safe as possible, Hikvision and NDS, developer of PADS4 collaborated on Social Safety Signage. Social Safety Signage gives companies the digital means to create a safe and trusted environment, where employers do everything in their power to prevent exposing their employees, visitors and customers to unnecessary risks. The security products and solutions of Hikvision, combined with the powerful PADS4 digital signage platform developed by NDS make for a perfect fit.PADS4 digital signage platform allows for the cameras relevant data to be translated into smart signage on screens across company premises. Companies can display their rules and regulations to inform their people, or they can send warning messages when a Hikvision camera registered a security breach. With PADS4, rules and regulations are understandable for everyone and requirements for the new normal are met, simply by integrating all the available data.In the post-pandemic era, Hikvision's products protect people to ensure a safer environment. Thermal cameras are used to screen skin temperature, detect non-mask usage and measure distances between people as well. Countries also set different rules regarding distance between people. Besides temperatures, the products allow for distance measuring. Whether the distance has to be 1.5 meters, 2 meters, or 6 feet, install the cameras to react to one distance and know exactly when rules are not followed.Social Safety Signage empowers businesses everywhere to stay safe in line with the rules their country laid out. It gives companies the opportunity to contribute to a safer environment.About Hikvision Hikvision is a world leading manufacturer and supplier of security products and solutions. Featuring an extensive and highly skilled R&D workforce, Hikvision manufactures a full suite of comprehensive products and solutions for a broad range of vertical markets. In addition to the security industry, Hikvision extends its reach to smart home tech, industrial automation, and automotive electronics industries to achieve its long-term vision. Hikvision products also provide powerful business intelligence for end users, which can enable more efficient operations and greater commercial success. Committed to the utmost quality and safety of its products, Hikvision encourages partners to take advantage of the many cybersecurity resources Hikvision offers. For more information, please visit us at http://www.hikvision.com.About NDS NDS developed their first digital signage solution in 1994, at the cusp of the digital revolution. Their focus on dynamic display communication enabled them to stand out, even as one of the first data-driven digital signage software providers. They have stayed true to that from day one, and they can truly say that data integration is in their DNA.Today, NDS has continued to ride the wave of modern technology to provide next-level solutions in their high-end digital signage software. PADS4 is one of the leading digital signage software platforms, with flexible and scalable solutions for every industry, varying from transportation, corporate and government to hospitality, retail and healthcare. With Social Safety Signage, PADS4 transforms relevant data sources into smart and versatile signage to inform employees, customers, or visitors about the measurements you are taking to guarantee a safe and trusted environment. More information can be found on the following website: https://pads4.com/.Contact us NDS, developer of PADS4 marketing@nds.globalSOURCE NDS - developer of PADS4 digital signage software CARLSBAD, Calif. June 30, 2020 Stephen Holt Carlsbad, CA /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- As part of its application for consideration to the National Institute of Allergies and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and to the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), Luminec Pharmaceuticals is submitting new case studies showing strong evidence of the efficacy of our combined therapy of CRO-50 (ribonuclease) and X-2 (stable thiamine formulation) in COVID-19 patients, as well as in other Coronavirus patients.These case studies were compiled by Luminec Executive Board Member Susana Alcazar-Leyva, MD, PhD, based on her first-hand experience with patients around the world. According to Dr. Alcazar-Leyva, "Based on these new studies, we believe that X-2 and CRO-50 can make a significant contribution in the treatment of the novel Coronavirus."In addition to her role with Luminec Pharmaceuticals, Dr. Alcazar-Leyva is a founding director of the prestigious Hans Selye Scientific Research Institute, and cofounder and director of the Heberto Alcazar-Montenegro Gerontology School (cofounded by, and named for, her father), and of the Albert Szent-Gyorgyi Gerontology Center., MD, DSc, PhD, Luminec chief science officer, commented, "We are presenting Dr. Alcazar-Leyva's findings to BARDA and NIAID to support our application in the hopes that our protocols will be cleared for a regulatory pathway to FDA approval." Dr. Holt noted that Luminec Pharmaceuticals is also making a similar submission to the Israel National Institute for Health Policy Research (NIHP) for consideration in their battle with the Coronavirus.About Luminec PharmaceuticalsHeadquartered in, Luminec Pharmaceuticals currently offers a unique array of all-natural OTC products and clinical services for both human and animal use. Luminec's products include natural proprietary formulations based on the Schutt Paradigm of Free Amino Ion Alignment & Molecular Stability, in combination with proprietary partner technologies with a cutting edge delivery technology, oral and topically, composed of charged delivery spheres that encapsulate and transport active compounds into the system, naturally.Luminec Pharmaceuticals is a wholly owned subsidiary of Luminec Holding Corporation, a private company.SOURCE Luminec Pharmaceuticals SAN DIEGO Caroline Heinz HempMeds, The Brazilian who commands the first company authorized to sell medical marijuana in Brazil HempMeds Brasil Brazil Brazil Stuart Titus Brazil www.hempmedspx.com We are a company of firsts MJNA Kannaway HempMeds AXIM Biotechnologies, Inc. Kannalife, Inc CNBC Real Scientific Hemp Oil California OTCMarkets.com www.medicalmarijuanainc.com click here buy CBD oil and other products at Medical Marijuana, Inc.'s shop. Andrew Hard andrew.hard@cmwmedia.com www.cmwmedia.com Investors@medicalmarijuanainc.com , June 30, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Medical Marijuana, Inc. (OTC: MJNA) (the "Company"), the first-ever publicly traded cannabis company in the United States that launched the world's first-ever cannabis-derived nutraceutical products, brands and supply chain, announced today that, co-CEO of its subsidiarywas featured in the major business publication Yahoo! Finance.The article in Yahoo! Finance entitled "" highlights Heinz's immense success at HempMeds as her dedication and hard work led her from a communications position to Co-CEO of the Company in just a few years. Throughout the article, Heinz explains her experience as a woman in an executive leadership position and how her personal connection to the Company's mission fuels her passion for her career."As a woman in an executive position, I plan on using my diverse experiences to continue to push for safe access to cannabidiol (CBD) for families in need and also the success of the Company as I already have for the past several years," Heinz said. "At HempMeds, hard work and passion are what make our leaders and, ultimately, what lead to the quality of our hemp-based CBD products."Until recently, Heinz served as Vice President of. Heinz joined the Company in 2014 and with the help of numerous families using CBD, she helped pass legislation to get the Brazilian government to subsidize CBD for several indications. She was also able to grow the Company's sales in, successfully establish two HempMeds Brasil offices, create a network of Brazilian doctors and medical professionals. In addition, she has partnered with several research organizations into study the Company's CBD oil for safety and efficacy."Caroline has proven her ability to build valuable connections around the world and build successful sales operations from the ground up," said Medical Marijuana, Inc. CEO Dr.. "We are excited to see her featured in this prominent publication because she has created the CBD market inas it is known today from scratch and it's nice to be able to see her flourish in her new role."Founded in 2012, HempMeds was the first company to bring hemp-based cannabidiol (CBD) oil products to market in the U.S. As a subsidiary of Medical Marijuana, Inc., HempMeds is the exclusive distributor for premium brands including Real Scientific Hemp Oil and Dixie Botanicals, and operates in all 50 states and 40 countries. HempMeds is the only company to have its CBD products listed in the Prescribers' Digital Reference (PDR), the only company invited to speak to the World Health Organization and FDA on the benefits of CBD, and one of the first to be certified by the U.S. Hemp Authority. To learn more, please visit. Medical Marijuana, Inc. () is a cannabis company with three distinct business units in the non-psychoactive cannabinoid space: a global portfolio of cannabinoid-based nutraceutical brands led byand; a pioneer in sourcing the highest-quality legal non-psychoactive cannabis products derived from industrial hemp; and a cannabinoid-based clinical research and botanical drug development sector led by its pharmaceutical investment companies and partners includingand. Medical Marijuana, Inc. was named a top CBD producer by. Medical Marijuana, Inc. was also the first company to receive historic import permits for CBD products from the governments of Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, and Paraguay and is a leader in the development of international markets. The company's flagship producthas been used in several successful clinical studies throughout Mexico and Brazil to understand its safety and efficacy.Medical Marijuana, Inc.'s headquarters is in San Diego,, and additional information is available ator by visiting. To see Medical Marijuana, Inc.'s corporate video,Shareholders and consumers are also encouraged toThis press release may contain certain forward-looking statements and information, as defined within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and is subject to the Safe Harbor created by those sections. This material contains statements about expected future events and/or financial results that are forward-looking in nature and subject to risks and uncertainties. Such forward-looking statements by definition involve risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of Medical Marijuana, Inc. to be materially different from the statements made herein.These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.Medical Marijuana, Inc. does not sell or distribute any products that are in violation of the United States Controlled Substances Act.Public Relations Contact:Chief Executive OfficerCMW MediaP. 858-264-6600Investor Relations Contact:P. (858) 283-4016 View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/medical-marijuana-inc-subsidiary-hempmeds-co-ceo-caroline-heinz-featured-in-yahoo-finance-301085722.html SOURCE Medical Marijuana, Inc. PHOENIX June 30, 2020 Travis L. Williams American Legion Post Maricopa County's Arizona South Mountain Community College Phoenix Thursday, July 2 Friday, July 3 Thursday, July 9 Friday, July 10 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. South Phoenix Arizona Glenn Hamer Arizona South Florida South Phoenix Marsha Wood Rob Taylor Maricopa County Steve Gallardo Phoenix Arizona November 2020 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- With Arizona seeing one of the highest COVID-19 surges in the country at 74,000 confirmed cases, continued testing remains critical. In an effort to help slow the spread of the disease, the HeroZona Foundation has partnered with SRP, the65,District 5 and theChamber of Commerce and Industry to offer free drive-thru COVID-19 testing at(7050 S. 24th St.) inonandfrom"This effort is critically important to help provide testing for Arizonans in thecommunities," said President & CEO of theChamber of Commerce and Industry,. "There has been a spike in cases and this additional testing is needed now. I have a deep appreciation for Alan "AP" Powell, Founder of the HeroZona Foundation, for brining the additional testing sites to our state where it's needed the most. TheChamber of Commerce and Industry strongly support this effort."The testing will be conducted by Lab24, a family owned business located inthat operates nationally with a focus in molecular testing. There is no pre-registration or appointment necessary to get tested at the community event and tests will be available until supplies run out. Those who wish to get tested must have a valid ID."Additional testing is needed immediately into keep our communities safe," said HeroZona Foundation Founder and U.S. Army Desert Storm Veteran, Alan "AP" Powell. "We created this event to help bring additional testing sites to areas that need it the most."Those attending do not need to have symptoms present to be tested and the test will only check for viral symptoms, not antibodies."We are happy to have the opportunity to help support all of our communities in an effort to contain the Coronavirus through much needed testing," said Territory Manager for Lab24,. "Our goal with Covid-19 testing is to partner with community organizations, religious organizations, and clinics that support the undeserved population."The event is supported by SRP, Roosevelt Elementary School District 66, Phoenix Union High School District, Arizona State Conference NAACP, Greater Phoenix Urban League, 100 Black Men Phoenix, African American Christian Clergy Coalition, Mega 104.3 and 101.1 The Beat."SRP appreciates the opportunity to support this important effort," said SRP Chief Public Affairs Executive. "We are at a juncture where testing for COVID-19 across all populations is critical and we are hopeful this event will help slow the spread of the virus and further protect the communities we serve.""I'm proud to be part of this partnership between government, public, private and non-profit groups to serve our community in getting more testing for our residents," saidSupervisor for District 5,. "Along with testing, we must continue to be vigilant in wearing masks in public, practicing social distancing and frequent hand washing."For more information about the HeroZona Foundation and all of its programs, visit herozona.org.About HeroZona Foundation The mission of HeroZona Foundation is to create and empower Heroes incommunities. The HeroZona Foundation's annual HeroZona National Veteran Summit created a multi-day networking experience to improve America's support of veteran companies through workshops, networking, entrepreneurial connections, and seminars. The summit will return tofor a fourth year in. Other programs include the Bridge Forum, Phoenix Tools 4 School, Play it Forward, Honor Walk, Veterans Reach to Teach, Voting for Veterans and Play It Forward. For more information, visit herozona.orgSOURCE HeroZona Foundation We're currently living through that period where people cannot stop talking about nepotism and it has sparked a huge debate online about how 'outsiders' in Bollywood are treated unfairly. The entire thing started with the tragic passing of Sushant Singh Rajput and people have been calling out and questioning actors from star families. Another thing happening right now is the special appreciation self-made stars are getting and it's great to see them getting recognition for their talent and hard work. One such incredible actor and 'outsider' is none other than Manoj Bajpayee who recently talked about his struggles and making it into the film industry. Twitter In an interview with Official Humans of Bombay, he recounted the struggles and hardships he went through while trying to make it in this cut-throat industry, but also talked about how nothing else matters when it comes to making your dreams come true. Starting off, he said, "m a farmers son I grew up in a small village in Bihar with 5 siblings, and we went to a hut school there. We led a simple life, but whenever we went to the city, wed go to the theatre. I was a big Amitabh Bachchan fan I wanted to be just like him. I was 9, but I knew that acting was my destiny." He went on, "But I couldnt even afford to dream, so I continued my schooling. But my mind refused to focus on anything but acting, so at 17, I left my village to go to Delhi University. There, I delved into theatre but my family had no idea. Finally, I wrote a letter to dad and told him that I wanted to be an actor. He wasnt angry instead, he sent me 200 Rupees to cover my fees! People back home called me bhaand and good for nothing but I turned a blind eye." We love to see supportive parents! Trigger warning - mention of suicide in the next paragraph. He even opened up about the lowest point where he thought of taking his own life, but thankfully he had a support system and now we still have him. He said, "I was an outsider, trying to fit in. So, I began to teach myself English and Hindi Bhojpuri was a big part of the Hindi I spoke. I then applied to NSD, but was rejected thrice Ive never come as close to committing suicide as I did then. My friends were scared they would sleep next to me and not leave me alone. They encouraged me to keep going, until finally, I was accepted." Resilience, it's extremely important and he's basically teaching us the value of never giving up. Twitter Now, comes the struggling actor part, where more or less, every self-made star is trying to find their place. He said, "That year, I was at a nukkad chai shop when I saw my friend Tigmanshu coming on his khatara scooter, looking for me Shekhar Kapur wanted to cast me in Bandit Queen! Thinking that I was finally ready, I moved to Mumbai. The first 4 years were the hardest I rented a chawl with 5 friends and ran from one studio to the next for work. No roles came my way. Once, an AD ripped my photo up and threw it. Another time, I lost 3 projects in a day." This is all horrible, of course, but I'm glad he never gave up. He went on, "I was even told to take my costume off and get out after my first shot. I didnt fit the ideal hero face they were looking for and they were convinced I didnt belong on the big screen. All the while, I barely had money I struggled to make rent and there were so many days where I went hungry; even a vada pav was expensive. But the hunger in my stomach couldnt remove the hunger to succeed from my heart. After 4 years of struggling, I got a small role in one of Mahesh Bhatts TV series. I was paid Rs.1500 per episode it was my first steady income. My work was noticed and I was offered my first Bollywood film, and soon, I got my big break with Satya." The big break moment, very wholesome. Twitter Lastly, he talked about how every struggle, every hardship has led him to this and it's all worth it. He said, "Thats when the awards rolled in. I bought my first house and knew I was here to stay. 67 films later, here I am. Thats the thing about dreams when it comes to turning them into reality, the struggle and hardships dont matter. What matters is the belief of that 9-year-old Bihari boy, and nothing else." A truly motivating story and a ray of hope for every single person struggling. Here's your sign, you can make it, never give up! The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences have finally revealed their new list of invitees and Bollywood actors Hrithik Roshan and Alia Bhatt are amongst the 819 new invitees. This also means that if they accept the membership they also become privileged to have voted for the 93rd Academy Awards. Say hello to our brand new class of Academy members. #WeAreTheAcademy https://t.co/jRJWPQYH1Y The Academy (@TheAcademy) June 30, 2020 Other names among the list are Nandini Shrikent and Tess Joseph, costume designer Neeta Lulla, documentary filmmakers Nishtha Jain and Amit Madheshiya, visual effects supervisors Vishal Anand and Sandeep Kamal and film score composer Nainita Desai. Usually, these awards take place in February every year but this year due to the pandemic the awards ceremony has been shifted to 25th April 2021. Now, this is great news for Bollywood Celebrities and all other fraternity members to be on the list. In a statement, the Academy said that the new invitees include around 36% of people of colour and around 45% women. Artists from over 68 countries are invited as members. The Academy has been working on adding more diversity in its voting to avoid any controversies. In 2016, Oscars were criticized for failing to recognize talents of colour. Say hello to the newest member of our creator community - @aliaa08! https://t.co/kSqN4KUdHE pic.twitter.com/YpFpdlbrfN YouTube India (@YouTubeIndia) June 26, 2019 Academy President David Rubin said, "The Academy is delighted to welcome these distinguished fellow travelers in the motion picture arts and sciences. We have always embraced extraordinary talent that reflects the rich variety of our global film community, and never more so than now. In the year 2019, the Academy had invited 842 new members and included Indian artist names like filmmakers Zoya Akhtar, Anurag Kashyap, and veteran actor Anupam Kher. Shah Rukh Khan, Naseeruddin Shah, Tabu, and Madhuri Dixit were invited in 2018 to the Academy Awards. McConnelsville Village Administrator reminds council of upcoming photo op on Main Street Village Administrator Jennifer Ponchak reminded everyone that Thursday evening, June 3, the council would be walking down Main Street, starting at the Inns at 8th and Main and continuing to the old bridge, viewing the preparation of the various businesses. A group will be coming in to take photographs on... Schaffer announces operating budget amendments to restore property tax losses in Morgan, Muskingum, and Noble Counties State Senator Tim Schaffer (RLancaster) joined his colleagues in the Ohio Senate Wednesday, June 9, for the passage of Substitute House Bill 110, which is the Senates proposal for Ohios FY 2022-2023 operating budget. Schaffer secured language in the Senate version of the bill that will restore property tax losses... Morgan County Sheriffs Office Daily Call Reports Editors Note: The following are initial incident reports from callers to a Morgan County Sheriffs Office Dispatcher. Any details, charges or situations may have been distorted by the caller, or perhaps may have been found to be different after the officer further investigated the incident. Sunday, January 24, 2021 ... Malta Village Council hears from several residents concerning Crownwood Circle Malta Village Council met in chambers June 3. Acting Mayor Terry McGrath chaired the meeting. Council members present were Tom McCoy, Leslie Robbins, and Joe Williams. Fiscal Officer Kelly Wells and Village Administrator Damon Drake were also present. Councilman Griffin had been excused from this meeting as he was attending... United Way of MPM invests $447,881 to improve health, education, and financial stability of the community United Way of Muskingum, Perry, and Morgan Counties (UWMPM) has committed $427,000 in community funding for 2021. The agency will invest $202,454 in 12 local programs in its first round of funding with an emphasis on providing safety net solutions. Over 2,000 community members will be impacted by this investment... Morgan County Sheriffs Office Daily Call Reports Editors Note: The following are initial incident reports from callers to a Morgan County Sheriffs Office Dispatcher. Any details, charges or situations may have been distorted by the caller, or perhaps may have been found to be different after the officer further investigated the incident. Monday, January 25, 2021 ... Most stoners are scared of their family finding their stash somewhere in their cupboard. Now, in this case, youd need a brilliant cover-up story and if you dont have one, weed looks more or less like methi leaves. But why did you keep methi leaves in your closet is altogether another complicated story that you need to decode. Recently, a man in Kannauj, Uttar Pradesh named Naval Kishore gave a packet of ganja as a prank to his fellow villager's son in name of methi. Yes, you read that right! Youtube/Vege Cravings Later, the fellow villagers son passed on the packet of weed to his sister-in-law and asked her to make methi ki sabzi. Just imagine! According to Navbharat Times, the sister-in-law made an aloo methi sabzi which was in reality aloo ganja sabzi and fed it to all six members of the family. And then their health started deteriorating. Now, thats like smoking too many blunt weed joints in one go! BCCL They later asked their neighbors to call the doctor and meanwhile, the whole family fainted and were taken to the hospital. After the police investigated the whole scene it was found that the pan in which the dish was cooked had weed and the packet with remaining weed was also found. And then Naval Kishore, the man behind the senseless prank was detained by the police. Later on interrogating Naval Kishore, he said, Maine mazak mazak mein ganje ke pattiya de di thi. Now, the family is suffering from light headaches and is under medical care. This might sound very funny but such pranks can have fatal consequences and its in everyones best interest to not ever try doing this. The COVID-19 global health crisis has turned lives upside down for all of us as we are continuing to fight the pandemic. With over five lakh cases in the country and new cases every 24 hours, the situation is only becoming grim on a daily basis. However, even at a time when the entire nation was in a complete lockdown, the frontline COVID-19 warriors worked selflessly to serve people and fight against this deadly virus. On this doctors day today, people from across the globe are paying their tributes to these real-life heroes. In one such noble initiative, Ministry of Culture and President of ICCR (Indian Council for Cultural Relations) have extended their support to Urvashi Dance Music Art and Culture Society and Aamad Dance Centre, who have made a video titled, Ek Umeed, in which eminent artists from around the country have paid tribute to the doctors - the real-life warriors! Check out the video here: Watch the clip Ek Umeed- featuring eminent Artists from around the world paying tribute to the #coronawarriors and trying to light candles of hope and positivity in these difficult times . pic.twitter.com/L6pPn3af7Q Ministry of Culture (@MinOfCultureGoI) June 29, 2020 The one-of-a-kind video is conceptualized by Dr Rekha Mehra (President of Urvashi Dance Music Art and Culture Society) and Guru Rani Khanam, a celebrated Kathak dancer and written by Ashok Jamnani, Voice over by Pallavi Bharati and music is by Shiv Shankar Ray. It is solely aimed at honouring and appreciating the stellar contribution of the frontline warriors of COVID-19 such as healthcare workers, the armed forces, police, drivers, delivery personnel, essential service personnel, and many others who have made tremendous sacrifices to serve the nation during this on-going pandemic. In fact, many senior classical dance gurus and eminent artists from a different genre of cultural dance like Bharatnatyam, Kathak, Mohiniattam to name a few, have come together to show their love and support for the warriors. The line-up of artists includes Padma Vibhushan Pt. Birju Maharaj, Padma Bhushan Dr. Guru Saroja Vaidyanathan, Padma Bhushan Dr Uma Sharma, SNA Awardee Geetanjali Lal, SNA Awardee Vidushi Saswati Sen, Padamshree Ranjana Gauhar, Vidushi Vaswati Misra, Guru Rani Khanam, Dr. Rekha Mehra, Nalini and Kamalini Asthana, and Padma Shri Bharati Shivaji among others. Speaking on this, Dr Vinay Sahasrabuddhe, President ICCR, Member of Parliament, said, The video where worshipper of classical dance Padma Vibhushan Pt. Birju Maharaj Ji is there along with various renowned senior dance gurus and artists, I would like to congratulate the team for coming together for this great initiative. I would also like to wish Dr Rekha Mehra Ji and Guru Rani Khanam Ji for conceptualizing this video. Also, ShyamJaju, National Vice President, BJP, said, The entire nation is going through this pandemic, it is the need of the hour to provide strength and hope to the society. I would recommend everyone to watch this video. Meanwhile, Satish Upadhyay, Ex-President, BJP, Delhi said, The entire world and India is going through an infectious time where everyone is fighting with the pandemic in the wake of COVID-19. In such a time a video like Ek Umeed where all the Padma Vibhushan artists like Pt. Birju Maharaj, Dr Saroja Vaidyanathan, Vidushi Uma Sharma, Padmashree Ranjana Gauhar and other senior and eminent dance gurus have tried to create hope for all the frontline Covid-19 warriors through their expressions and dance moves. I wish the entire team of Ek Umeed for such a great initiative. The video garnered positive reactions of people on social media where many of them appreciated such initiative honouring the real-life heroes. The video has been shared by the Ministry of Culture on its Facebook page too. Twitter Even though at least 70 doctors have already died at the line of duty in the country and there is lack of proper PPE kits, the doctors continue to perform their duties. They continue to serve the people day in and day out without a second thought. We salute them all for their undying efforts and unflinching courage to fight out the invisible enemy. Our heartfelt thank you! Earlier this week, the government decided to ban 59 Chinese apps in India including the ever so popular video-sharing app, TikTok. While some people are extremely happy about the fact that it's no longer available, some are still trying to find ways to continue using it. Until yesterday, TikTok was still usable with VPNs, which means people were able to access the platform with VPN services. However, that no longer seems to be the case, because it seems to be tracking device ID too. Reuters In simple terms, the app will not work on your phone if your device ID has been registered with TikTok previously. One way to bypass this is to install TikTok using a VPN on a brand new device or rooting your existing one. You could either do that or simply check out some of these alternatives that are quickly gaining popularity in India: 1. Roposo This one is an Indian short video sharing platform with over 5 million downloads on the Google Play Store. It's available in multiple languages and allows users to create and share short videos, just like TikTok. 2. Mitron MensXP This one is, obviously, one of the newer alternatives, but it seems to be super popular now with over 5 million downloads too. Mitron has had its fair share of controversies, but they were recently addressed by the creators and seems completely safe to be used. 3. ShareChat ShareChat is an Indian multilingual social networking app that offers content in 15 Indian languages. Just like the other alternatives, it allows users to create short videos. The highlight of the app is that it has a chatroom feature that allows users to make a chatroom and meet new people. 4. Triller This one is a little different from the others on the list because it uses AI to automatically edit your videos. Very convenient, isn't it? It comes with over 100 video filters, editing features, and more. This app will also help you to share videos on other platforms because, why restrict your content to just one platform, right? Reuters Anyway, those are some of the alternatives that we think are worth taking a look at. We're not sure if TikTok will ever be usable in India again but we'll keep an eye on the updates and revert with more info. China made a statement a day after India banned 59 Chinese Mobile applications stating the country "firmly opposed the ban and called it a violation of World Trade Organisation rules. "Indias measure, selectively and discriminatory aims at certain Chinese apps on ambiguous and far-fetched grounds, runs against fair and transparent procedure requirements, abuses national security exceptions,& suspects of violating WTO rules," said Ji Rong, spokesperson of the Chinese Embassy in India. kon-karampelas-unsplash India banned TikTok and 50 other applications from China citing national security risks, The apps were found to be violating the privacy of users and data which came after recent border tensions with the country. As of now, the apps can no longer be downloaded from the Play Store or App Store. Also, these apps cannot be used if you had it installed previously as of last evening. China-Briefing While the ban cites concerning reasons, it was quite hypocritical of the spokesperson of the Chinese Embassy in India to say the country might be violating WTO rules. It is worthy to note that China does not allow Google apps and other social media apps like Facebook and Twitter to operate in the country. The country has its alternatives such as Weibo, Baidu amongst others. China banned the use of Google and other social media apps citing the same reason as India quite a few years ago. China is known to have very stringent censorship laws and enforce the Great Wall of Firewall which regulates the internet domestically. The country has banned the use of most western social media applications and blocks access to websites like Google, Facebook, Wikipedia, Twitter and anything else that cannot be controlled by the Peoples Republic of China. China also implements the Golden Shield Project that allows the government to implement a massive censoring system and massive surveillance. Unsplash_Kon Karampelas The Chinese government likes to control everything on its internet and these rules are even extended to apps that come from the country. Last year we found PUBG Mobile censoring the 'Free Hong Kong' Movement as it did not comply with the local Chinese laws. We could not even type the slogan in chat showing how China enforces its control on apps that operates out of the country. Similarly, there are many cases of TikTok users who had content removed simply because the content was deemed anti-china. Meridian, MS (39302) Today Partly to mostly cloudy with scattered showers and thunderstorms this afternoon. High 87F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50%. Locally heavy rainfall possible.. Tonight Scattered thunderstorms early, then mainly cloudy overnight with thunderstorms likely. Low 69F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Locally heavy rainfall possible. Today I had the pleasure, here in Libya, of visiting the President of the country's only elected institution, the Libyan House of Representatives, Aguila Saleh, who has already visited us in Greece. We both agreed on how the Libya crisis can be handled, that is via the Berlin Process and also the very interesting initiative from Egyptian President Al-Sisi. Aguila Saleh and I agreed that Libyas future requires the withdrawal of all foreign forces. This is a necessary condition for peace and stability. Greece is helping in this direction through its participation in operation Irini, at sea, and is prepared to help even more. I must also make clear that we agreed that Turkey has historical responsibilities for what is happening today in Libya, as President Macron rightly stated yesterday. The import of mercenaries from Syria and the violation of the arms embargo are elements that weigh on the Turkish stance. As I just said, they create historical responsibilities. Beyond that, we talked about the future of Greek-Libyan relations. We came to an understanding as regards the possibility for a Greek Consulate to operate in Benghazi, which would facilitate trade transactions. Libya wants to replace Turkish products with other products that come from Europe and especially Greece. We also talked about the delimitation of maritime zones between Greece and Libya, not in the framework of illegality as is the case with the so-called Sarraj-Turkey memorandum, but in the framework of International Law and in follow-up to the relevant talks held between Greece and Libya in 2010. And of course I had the pleasure of conveying to the President of the Libyan House of Representatives the decision made by the President of the Hellenic Parliament, Kostas Tassoulas, to reactivate the Hellenic Parliaments Greek-Libyan Friendship Committee. MDOT lifts traffic restrictions to ease Fourth of July travel MDOT lifts traffic restrictions to ease Fourth of July travel Transportation CONTACTS: Dan Weingarten, MDOT Superior Region, 906-250-4809, WeingartenD@Michigan.gov James Lake, MDOT North Region, 906-250-0993, LakeJ@Michigan.gov John Richard, MDOT Grand Region, 616-262-1565, RichardJ2@Michigan.gov Jocelyn Hall, MDOT Bay Region, 989-245-7117, HallJ20@Michigan.gov Nick Schirripa, MDOT Southwest Region, 269-208-7829, SchirripaN@Michigan.gov Aaron Jenkins, MDOT University Region, 517-243-9075, JenkinsA10@Michigan.gov Diane Cross, MDOT Metro Region, 248-752-0336, CrossD2@Michigan.gov Safety benefits: MDOT is suspending work and lifting traffic restrictions wherever possible this Fourth of July holiday weekend to ease congestion and increase safety. Although some equipment and traffic configurations will remain over the weekend, suspending construction operations improves safety for workers and motorists. Remember to buckle up, stay alert and avoid distractions at all times when driving. July 1, 2020 -- This Fourth of July holiday, the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) is removing lane restrictions on more than three-quarters of its road and bridge projects statewide to ease traffic delays for holiday travelers. While AAA recently forecast summer travel being down 15 percent this year, vehicles are expected to make up 97 percent of the favored mode of transportation. AAA also predicts car trips this summer will have the smallest drop in year-to-year traffic volumes, at only 3 percent. Beginning at 3 p.m. Thursday, July 2, and continuing until 6 a.m. Monday, July 6, 169 out of 222 projects statewide will have lane restrictions removed. While motorists will see suspended operations in most MDOT construction zones for the weekend, drivers are advised that equipment and certain traffic configurations may remain in place, like temporary shifts or shoulder closures. "With more regions of the state being reopened under Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's MI Safe Start Plan, more folks will be taking trips for the first time in months," said State Transportation Director Paul C. Ajegba. "However, during that time, road and bridge construction has continued with road workers following proper safety procedures to ensure their health and safety. Drivers still have their part to play in the health and safety of everyone in work zones, including themselves. Slow down, stay alert and avoid distractions in all construction zones. Yes, most work zones are being suspended for the holiday weekend but there are still areas where we cannot pull back all the barrels due to the work in progress. Let's make sure everyone makes it home each and every night." MDOT oversees I, M, and US routes and is responsible for nearly 10,000 miles of state highways, which carry more than 50 percent of all traffic and approximately 70 percent of commercial traffic in Michigan. For up-to-date information on MDOT projects, go to the Mi Drive website at www.Michigan.gov/Drive. The following is a list of work zones that will remain active or have lane restrictions during the Fourth of July holiday weekend. If necessary, detour routes will be posted at the project location. Upper Peninsula M-28 in Munising, Alger County, will have a directional detour in place. Westbound M-28 traffic will stay on M-28 through the roundabout under construction. Eastbound M-28 will follow the posted detour from M-28 to Chestnut Street, then Superior Street back to M-28. M-28, Ontonagon County, will have one lane open in alternating directions over the Baltimore River west of Bruce Crossing via temporary traffic signals. M-35, Marquette County, is closed from north of Marquette County Road 480 to south of Marquette County Road 492. A detour is posted. M-117 in Engadine, Mackinac County, will have one lane of alternating traffic at a railroad crossing via temporary traffic signals and a temporary runaround. US-2, Delta County, has one lane open in each direction between Gladstone and Rapid River. Traffic is maintained on the existing westbound roadway. US-2 in Marenisco, Gogebic County, will have one lane open in alternating directions over the Big Presque Isle River via temporary traffic signals. US-41, Baraga County, will have one lane open in alternating directions via temporary traffic signals near Three Lakes. US-41 in Hancock, Houghton County, will have at least one lane open in each direction at Quincy Hill. For more information, contact MDOT Superior Region Communications Representative Dan Weingarten at 906-250-4809. Follow the Superior Region on Twitter at www.twitter.com/MDOT_UP. Northern Lower Peninsula M-55, Ogemaw County, will have one lane open on the bridge over the Rifle River with a temporary traffic signal. M-72, Crawford County, will have lane width restrictions with one lane open in each direction from M-93 to North Campground Road. M-204 in Lake Leelanau, Leelanau County, will have one lane open on the bridge over Lake Leelanau with a temporary traffic signal. US-31 in Benzonia, Benzie County, will have one lane open with a temporary traffic signal. US-127, Roscommon County, will have lane width restrictions with two lanes open in each direction from M-55 to Mile Marker 200. For more information, contact MDOT North Region Communications Representative James Lake at 906-250-0993. Follow the North Region on Twitter at www.twitter.com/MDOT_Traverse. West Michigan I-96/I-196 in Grand Rapids has lane closures and traffic shifts between M-21 (Fulton Street) and Fuller Avenue. The eastbound I-96 and eastbound I-196 ramps to M-44/M-37 (E. Beltline Avenue) remain closed. I-196 in Grand Rapids will have one eastbound lane open between Market Avenue and US-131. The eastbound M-45 (Lake Michigan Drive) on ramp to eastbound I-196 is closed. I-196, Ottawa and Kent counties, is closed to eastbound traffic between M-6 and 44th Street. Eastbound I-196 is detoured to eastbound M-6. Westbound I-196 remains open. The westbound M-6 ramp to eastbound I-196 is also closed. I-196 Business Loop in Zeeland, Ottawa County, has one lane open in each direction between 112th and 104th avenues. M-91, Montcalm County, is closed to northbound traffic between Peck and Colby roads. Southbound M-91 remains open. US-31 in Muskegon has the southbound US-31 off ramp to Laketon Avenue closed, as well as the Laketon Avenue on ramp to northbound US-31. US-31, Mason County, is closed between US-10 and Main Street in Scottville. A posted detour is in effect on local streets. US-131, Kent County, has traffic shifts at the 100th Street interchange. 100th Street remains closed over US-131. For more information, contact MDOT Grand Region Communications Representative John Richard at 616-262-1565. Follow the Grand Region on Twitter at www.twitter.com/MDOT_West. Southwest Michigan I-69, Branch County, has one lane closed in each direction at Fenn Road and State Road. Fenn Road and State Road traffic is detoured. I-94, Berrien County, has two lanes open in each direction. Eastbound I-94 traffic is shifted over to the westbound lanes while westbound traffic is shifted over to the New Buffalo weigh station ramp. I-196, Van Buren County, has one lane open in each direction from County Road 380 to M-140 for bridge work at Mile Marker 17. US-31, Berrien County, has one lane open in each direction for bridge work at US-12. US-12 has one lane open in each direction at US-31. The US-12 loops ramps to US-31 are closed and detoured. US-131 in Three Rivers, St. Joseph County, has traffic shifted with one lane open in each direction. Arnold Street is closed. Broadway Street has a directional detour allowing eastbound traffic only. For more information, contact MDOT Southwest Region Communications Representative Nick Schirripa at 269-208-7829. Follow the Southwest Region on Twitter at www.twitter.com/MDOT_Southwest. Central Michigan and Thumb I-69, Shiawassee County, will have one lane open in each direction from the Clinton/Shiawassee county line to Colby Lake Road. M-19, Huron County, is closed from Atwater Road to Wadsworth Road and detoured. M-46, Saginaw County, has lane closures and traffic shifts at the I-75 interchange. The following ramps will be closed: The southbound I-75 ramp to eastbound M-46. The eastbound M-46 ramp to southbound I-75. The eastbound M-46 ramp to northbound I-75. The northbound I-75 ramp to eastbound M-46. US-127, Isabella County, will have an 11-foot width restriction. The northbound US-127 exit ramp to US-127 Business Route will be closed. Note: the following closures remain in effect due to recent flooding. M-30, Gladwin County, is closed over the Tobacco River. M-30, Midland County, is closed over the Tittabawassee River. M-65, Arenac County, is closed from Jose Road to Ostrander Road. Traffic is detoured via US-23 and M-55. For more information, contact MDOT Bay Region Communications Representative Jocelyn Hall at 989-245-7117. Follow the Bay Region on Twitter at www.twitter.com/MDOT_Bay. Southern Michigan 8 Mile Road, Livingston County, will have the entrance ramp to northbound US-23 closed and detoured. Homer Street in Lansing is reduced to one lane from M-143 (Michigan Avenue) to M-43 (Grand River Avenue). Otter Creek Road, Monroe County, is closed and detoured at US-24. I-75, Monroe County, has southbound traffic shifted to the northbound lanes on the bridge over the River Raisin, with the left lanes and left shoulders closed in each direction. I-496, Eaton and Ingham counties, has the eastbound lanes and various ramps closed from I-96 to Lansing Road. The southbound Creyts Road bridge is also closed. For more information, contact MDOT University Region Communications Representative Aaron Jenkins at 517-243-9075. Follow the University Region on Twitter at www.twitter.com/MDOT_LanJxn and www.twitter.com/MDOT_A2. Metro Detroit Macomb County I-94 has a lane shift at Harper Avenue. M-19 will have one northbound lane closed at I-94. The eastbound I-94 exit to M-19 is closed. Oakland County I-75 has two lanes open in each direction between M-102 (8 Mile Road) and Adams Road. M-24 has one lane open in each direction between Harriet and Goldengate streets. Wayne County For more information, contact MDOT Metro Region Communications Representative Diane Cross at 248-752-0336. Follow the Metro Region on Twitter at www.twitter.com/MDOT_MetroDet. MDHHS continues Flint mobile food pantries during July Department and Food Bank to take extra precautions due to COVID-19 MDHHS continues Flint mobile food pantries during July Department and Food Bank to take extra precautions due to COVID-19 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 30, 2020 CONTACT: Bob Wheaton, 517-241-2112, wheatonb@michigan.gov LANSING, Mich. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) will continue to provide nutritious food by the truckload to Flint residents throughout July. MDHHS has provided the Flint mobile food pantries since February 2016 in partnership with the Food Bank of Eastern Michigan in Flint. Since the outbreak of COVID-19 in Michigan, food pantry distributors are taking extra precautions to keep customers and volunteers protected. Each site is requiring volunteers to wear gloves and masks, clean their hands with hand sanitizer often, and take steps to sanitize distribution buildings throughout the day. Customers do not have to step out of their vehicle to receive food volunteers are asking the customer to simply open their trunk and they will load up the vehicle with food to reduce contact. This months mobile food pantry distribution will have plenty of delicious, vitamin-rich produce and dairy that are boxed, including apples, onions, potatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers, zucchini, tomatoes, lettuce, asparagus, cabbage or celery, sour cream, French onion dip, white milk, chocolate milks, strawberry milk, cottage cheese and cream cheese. Ground turkey also is available. July dates for distributions are: Lukes NEW Life Center, 3115 Lawndale Ave. Wednesday, July 1, at 10 a.m. Friday, July 10, at 10 a.m. Friday, July 17, at 10 a.m. Friday, July 24, at 10 a.m. Friday, July 31, at 10 a.m. Greater Holy Temple, 6702 N. Dort Hwy. Thursday, July 2, at 10 am. Thursday, July 9, at 10 a.m. Thursday, July 16, at 10 a.m. Thursday, July 23, at 10 a.m. Thursday, July 30, at 10 a.m. Bethel United Methodist Church, 1309 Ballenger Hwy. Monday, July 6, at 10 a.m. Monday, July 13, at 10 a.m. Monday, July 20, at 10 a.m. Monday, July 27, at 10 a.m. Asbury United Methodist Church, 1653 Davison Road. Tuesday, July 7, at 10 a.m. Tuesday, July 14, at 10 a.m. Tuesday, July 21, at 10 a.m. Tuesday, July 28, at 10 a.m. Flint residents can also pick up free nutritional food at the three Flint Help Center locations: Bethel United Methodist Church, 1309 N. Ballenger Highway, open from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Mondays; Asbury United Methodist Church, 1653 Davison Road, open Tuesdays from 10 a.m.-2 p.m.; and Greater Holy Temple, 6702 N. Dort Highway, open Thursdays from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Information about additional food distributions will be announced as they are scheduled. To check food distribution schedules, visit the Food Bank of Eastern Michigan website at FBEM.org and find the updated schedule on the Mobile Pantry Distribution page, or call 810-239-4441. # # # Schools prepare for incoming kindergarten students Schools are preparing to welcome an incoming class of kindergarten students for this upcoming... Young: I love my dog, but he's a jerk I love my dog. I love my dog. These are words I often find myself muttering during the day. I've... Savvy Senior: Golf gadgets that can help older golfers Dear Savvy Senior, Do you know of any golfing equipment that can help older golfers? My dad,... MICHIGAN The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy and the Environmental Protection Agency announced plans to manage the cleanup of the Electro-Plating Services facility in Madison Heights. EGLE and EPA will treat the site with chemicals that degrade the contaminants that will be injected into the soil between the main building and service drive, along with the top of a nearby I-696 embankment. As groundwater naturally migrates through the soil, the goal will be for the chemicals, called reagents, to flow through the injection areas to treat the contaminants. Jill Greenburg, a spokesperson for EGLE, said that this process values environmental safety and preserving natural resources. Injecting these chemicals to neutralize allows the water to continue moving without harmful effects, Greenburg said. They will stay there for three to five years before replacing. Treatment is planned to start sometime in July, with the EPA conducting sampling to ensure the treatment is effective before decommissioning the current groundwater collection system and transferring the site to EGLE in December 2020 for continuing treatment. In December 2019, green toxic chemicals spilled onto Interstate 696 in Madison Heights by the former EPS building. Since then, the EPA has collected 260,450 gallons of contaminated groundwater and hauled it offsite for treatment and disposal. Among the contaminants at the site, there are hexavalent chromium, trichloroethylene, cyanide, and per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances. Greenburg said that this method of disposal would not be sustainable for the long-term, as they use sump pumps and hoses to gather the contaminated water and hoses would likely freeze during the winter. The chemicals will be in place before EGLE and EPA get to the source of the contamination, an earthen hole dug underneath the Electro-Plating Services building where the toxic chemicals were stored. Since these underground chemicals would be neutralized, if another spill were to take place onto Interstate 696, it would not be a concern. Legal proceedings to authorize the demolition of the EPS building is underway. The owner of the former EPS building, Gary Sayers, also owned a plot of land in Marion Township in Sanilac County that was the site of an abandoned home, construction vehicles, and other materials. Greenburg said that they did testing at the site about a month ago and found that whatever chemicals were there are within regulatory limits. Some had slightly elevated levels, Greenburg said. We will continue testing to see if its a concern. Greenburg also said that monitoring wells will be installed to confirm the condition of groundwater in the area. They are also waiting to get the construction equipment at the site removed. CROMWELL George Hajati, 41, of Cromwell, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Alvin W. Thompson to 21 months of imprisonment for violating the conditions of his supervised release from a prior federal conviction. Thompson ordered the sentence to run consecutively with a 27-month federal sentence imposed on Hajati last week, for a total of 48 months of imprisonment, according to John H. Durham, U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut. The sentencing occurred via videoconference, according to a press release. Court documents and statements made in court reveal Hajati was previously convicted of federal conspiracy and fraud offenses related to a Hartford-area mortgage fraud scheme that defrauded various lenders of more than $1 million. In August 2015, Thompson sentenced Hajati to 12 months and one day of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, the news release said. He was released from federal prison in August 2016. After that, and while he was on supervised release, Hajati owned and operated a used car dealership at 1075 Newfield St., Middletown, known as Car Nation, LLC, Car Nation CT, LLC, and Middletown Motorcars. In connection with automobile loan applications for multiple borrowers, Hajati, and employees at his direction, submitted documents and statements to victim lenders that falsely represented the borrowers employment, salary, sources of income, and the fact and amount of a down payment, Durham said. The false documents included fictitious or altered borrower pay stubs and income verification letters purportedly from the Social Security Administration, the release said. Hajati falsely indicated that borrowers made salaries they did not make, worked at jobs they did not work, received income from the Social Security Administration they did not receive, and made down payments they did not make, according to court documents. In some instances, the borrower was not aware of, and did not consent to, Hajati using his or her personal identifying information to obtain automobile loans in these ways, Durham said. Between approximately April 2016 and July 2019, Hajati defrauded victim lenders of $654,952.56 through this scheme, and is required to pay full restitution, court documents show. Hajati was arrested on a federal criminal complaint July 2, 2019. On Dec. 20, he pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud. On June 25, Hajati was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Robert N. Chatigny to 27 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release, for operating the auto loan fraud scheme, the release said. Chatigny also ordered Hajati to serve the first six months of his supervised release in home confinement, and to perform 120 hours of community service. Hajati, who is released on a $560,000 bond, is required to report to prison Sept. 25, 2020. This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys David T. Huang and Conor M. Reardon. MIDDLETOWN Local social workers recently reunited an out-of-state mother with her infant who was under the care of the state Department of Children and Families, despite myriad roadblocks attributed to the pandemic. After several months of hard work on both ends, the mother, who lives in New York, now has custody of her baby, according to the state agency. It was a team effort, complicated by interstate travel and other restrictions imposed during the COVID-19 outbreak. Staff at the Middletown office, at 2081 S. Main St., helped facilitate the babys return home after the child was born in Middlesex County. Marie Levesque photo To maintain social distancing, there was heavy reliance on virtual platforms as DCF workers helped guide the mother through the process in Connecticut as well in the New York court system. The mother, who was not identified to protect the babys privacy, had an advocate who worked alongside her, according to social worker Lisa Miller. That was accomplished in a timely manner, Miller said, despite having to supply proof of adequate housing with a lease agreement, virtual tours of her home inside and out to be certain the mother had enough supplies to care for the baby, and other requirements. There was also a language barrier. Between the two of us, and the advocate, we were able to communicate fairly well, Miller said. The work also was accomplished despite that courts, DCF offices and states were closing down. It really did really take a team approach with this mom, said Marie Levesque, DCF social worker supervisor. She really looked out, not just for herself, but the staff and baby. As much as she wanted to see that infant, she was coming from a state where we thought the border could shut down. This was (starting) in the very early stages of the pandemic, when everything was shutting down and there was such a crisis. It still is, Levesque said. The mother had to meet each goal in a state hard hit by the virus. Photo contributed by Lisa Miller Parents with children in state care are tasked with completing a series of steps through the court as the reunification process moves along, Miller said. We are part of the solution. Connecticut has been successful in mitigating the pandemic, and that requires everybodys participation, including the departments. Weve been able to maintain our functioning despite those constraints, and this is an example, said Gary Kleeblatt, communication director for DCF. A plethora of circumstances send children into DCF care after the agency obtains custody of the child, he said. In most instances, these cases do not involve child abuse. Its not nearly as common as neglect cases, where families are struggling to meet the needs of the child and to care for the child, Kleeblatt said. Some involve unstable housing situations, an inability to provide for health care, health issues, include mental health and substance abuse; and domestic violence, he said. Reunification is a top priority. If a child has to be taken into care, the first thing we do is reunification as soon as it is safely possible, Kleeblatt said. The foster care support team is routinely very involved and supportive during the process, Levesque said. These foster parents give their hearts and love to these little ones, especially these infants. How can you not fall in love? The infants are bonding with you, even if you know theyre leaving, Levesque said. Our foster parents go so far above and beyond when they open their homes, even when they have biological or other children in the home. The surrogate parents understand that in most cases, the child will be returned to the family, Kleeblatt said. In the instance of the New York mom, the fosters are hoping to adopt one day, but were very supportive of sending the baby home. The foster parents also were more than willing to keep the mother in contact with her baby through photographs and other means. That made our job so much easier to navigate through this, Levesque said. The mom was very understanding of keeping everyone involved in the long-distance process safe, Miller said. She was not pressuring in-person visits, because she didnt want to put the baby in jeopardy. She put the babys needs first. The agency expects some measure of the videoconferencing, Facetime interviews, virtual tours, and electronic exchange of paperwork to continue long after the pandemic ends. If parents can safely care for their children, thats where they belong. Also, were having increasing amounts of success placing children with kin if they have to be placed into foster care, Kleeblatt said. That includes relatives as well as trusted family friends. Parents being able to take custody of their children is a point of pride for everyone involved. Our responsibility is to serve these families as best we can, so if we have an unfortunate circumstance where a child has to be in our care, were really pleased when we can reunify the family, Kleeblatt said. Children belong with their family, he said. Theres probably little else thats as difficult for a parent and child being separated like that. Thats why we do it with extreme care, only when its absolutely necessary, and for a short period of time as possible, Kleeblatt said. Whenever we can return the child safely to the parent, we do that, he said. For information, visit portal.ct.gov/dcf. To learn more about foster care and adoption, see the link to CTFosterAdopt/Home on the home page. MIDDLETOWN Superintendent of Schools Michael Conner has announced a pilot partnership with InnovateK12, an educational technology and crowd-sourcing firm. The platform is designed to engage community voice in the creation of new strategies to meet the needs of educating students in an ever-changing world, according to a press release. The districts upcoming Summer Literacy Academy Ideas Challenge will be a valuable tool to garner family and staff feedback. In these unprecedented times school districts need to apply principles of innovative design, and ensure stakeholder feedback channels that drive better solutions for students and families, Conner said in a prepared statement. We are excited to be joining Middletown and assisting with the districts efforts, especially in this time of uncertainty and parental concern, Kristin Daniels, executive director of InnovateK12, said in the release. I think our tool and approach will be well-received, and provide valuable insights into what Middletown SLA parents are thinking, feeling, and the great ideas they have. We have found in our work around the country, time and again, that the ideas that flow from our idea challenges, have been remarkably positive and productive, Daniels said. The Middletown SLA Ideas Challenge runs through July 10. The Summer Literacy Academy Challenge Question is How might we help your child feel welcome, comfortable and safe at the Summer Literacy Academy? SLA is a four-week summer program for rising first- through fourth-graders who will benefit from reading and literacy immersion, according to the release. The academy, now its second year, is scheduled to launch July 13 and run through Aug. 7. It will serve nearly 150 Middletown students at two sites. A hybrid e-learning and in-person, half-day model will be used in conjunction with state guidelines for health and safety. Middletown Public Schools serves over 4,500 students under the guidance of nearly 1,200 teachers, paraprofessionals, staff and administrators. MIDDLETOWN Connecticut Radio Fellowship has appointed Steve Tuzeneu as its new general manager / chief engineer of WIHS 104.9-FM Christian radio beginning July 15. Tuzeneu brings over 45 years of diverse radio station experience, from announcing to engineering to management, according to a press release. His career is coming full circle, as he worked for WIHS from 1985 to 1991 when the station was located downtown. Tuzeneu grew up in central New Jersey. Over the decades, he has held staff positions at faith-based radio stations in Colorado, Connecticut, Kansas, Massachusetts, New Jersey, North Carolina, Virginia and Wisconsin, the station said. He holds a bachelor of science degree in broadcasting / business administration from John Brown University. He is a certified broadcast technologist with the Society of Broadcast Engineers, holds an FCC General Class Radio Engineering License and an Extra Class Amateur Radio License, the release said. Located at 1933 S. Main St., Connecticut Radio Fellowship is a nonprofit organization that operates a live and local Christian radio station that broadcasts a mix of music, programs, news and local features. To learn more, listen at 104.9 on the FM dial, visit WIHSradio.org, check out the station Facebook page and YouTube Channel, or call the station office at 860-346-1049. Metter, GA (30439) Today Partly cloudy. High 89F. Winds WSW at 10 to 20 mph.. Tonight Cloudy this evening. Scattered thunderstorms developing after midnight. Low 73F. Winds WSW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 50%. OLD SAYBROOK The town has launched an ad-hoc town committee, Old Saybrook Cares, founded to assist residents affected by COVID-19. Residents can apply for a grant up to $1,500 to be used for food, housing, utilities, child care or transportation costs related to job layoffs and/or unemployment due to the coronavirus, according to a press release. We are thrilled to be launching Old Saybrook Cares for the benefit of our residents, First Selectman Carl Fortuna said in a prepared statement. I am proud to say that 100 percent of the funds raised through the Old Saybrook Cares program will benefit town residents affected by COVID-19. We are a generous town and the time is now to help our fellow citizens. I am also thankful to the Old Saybrook Cares committee for their volunteer efforts in making Old Saybrooks response to this health crisis a model for other communities to follow, Fortuna said. Those who meet eligibility requirements are encouraged to apply by visiting middlesexunitedway.org. Applications will be reviewed and rewarded on a first come-first-served basis. The first round of grants will be distributed by the end of August. Only one grant will be awarded per household. The program was born from the towns Long Term Recovery Committee, which brings together local government, voluntary agencies, community and faith-based organizations, philanthropy and private sector partners to assist with the pandemic response and recovery effort, according to the news release. The LTRC will pull together local resources to meet the needs of town residents, identify gaps and communicate, if necessary, with the state of Connecticut for a response. Committee members include Mark Ricciardelli, Ashley Smelser, Leigh Morant and Kristen Roberts. The committees goal is to raise $100,000 in order to address the ongoing needs of as many as possible. The committee received a matching grant of $30,000 from From You Flowers in Old Saybrook. We hope that this matching grant motivates others to donate to this important program to help even more Old Saybrook residents in their time of need, Mike Chapin, president and CEO of From You Flowers, said in the statement. Donations are being accepted at middlesexunitedway.org or can be mailed to Old Saybrook Cares Committee, c/o Town Hall, 302 Main St., Old Saybrook, CT 06475. SOUTHBURY A pickup truck driver who crashed into a light pole and guide rail on Interstate 84 early Tuesday morning told state police it happened because he fell asleep. Brian Johnson, 24, of Southbury, was ticketed for failing to maintain lane after crashing a 2008 Ford F350 Super Duty pickup truck near Exit 15 shortly after midnight. Gov. Ned Lamont, speaking in Manchester Wednesday following an encounter in which three Black teens on bikes were harassed and chased by two white men, made his strongest statement yet about the racist signaling and enabling of President Donald Trump. We need a president of the United States who also is willing to stand up, an emotional Lamont said during a news conference with local officials. We need a president of the United States, my God, sometimes I think hes willing to stand up for those Confederate statues, but he wouldnt lose any sleep if the Statue of Liberty was knocked off her pedestal. State and local officials spoke Wednesday, many of them with strong emotion, about the need for community unity on racial issues. Some talked about reforms in an upcoming special session of the state General Assembly, in which Senate Democrats will propose sweeping legislation aimed at civil, criminal and economic justice. Lamont, however, worked to lower expectations of that session, which could happen this month. Its going to be a short session in the middle of the COVID crisis. Im not sure how much we can get done, he said. Two men were arrested last week in connection with the incident in Manchester on June 21, in which the men were alleged to have yelled racial slurs and nearly hit one of the youths with a vehicle. NBC Connecticut quoted a woman who said she was the fiancee of one of the men, and that they believe in the principles of Black Lives Matter . Lt. Gov Susan Bysiewicz cited seven racial incidents reported in Connecticut since June 1. She also apparently criticized Trump, though not by name. The governor and I are sickened and saddened by these acts of hatred and violence, Bysiewicz said. We call upon every person in our beautiful state to treat every other person with respect and dignity and kindness. She added, We believe it is important to be role models especially since leaders at the highest levels of our government encourage racism and intolerance. Trump, in a tweet just before midnight Tuesday night, threatened to veto the U.S. military budget authorization bill if it comes to his desk with a requirement that miltary bases named for Confederate figures be renamed. Some leading Republicans have broken with the president on that issue. Lamont urged a no-tolerance policy on racial intolerance or racially charged humor. When you see something say something, Lamont said. If its the littlest thing, if its that small joke that has racial overtones, dont just let it go. Dont let somebody say Oh, youre just being politically correct. Say, No, this is so contrary to everything that makes America special. Were a country that respects our diversity, that respects each and every individual. Were a country that stands up for decency. kdixon@ctpost.com Twitter: @KenDixonCT Venice, FL (34285) Today Partly cloudy with afternoon showers or thunderstorms. High 88F. Winds SSW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 60%.. Tonight Overcast. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 76F. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph. As a current print subscriber, you receive 24/7 access to our website and online e-edition at no additional charge. All you have to do is activate your access. To activate digital access, you will need your account number. You can find your account number on any recent subscription notice or bill. NEW MILFORD The superintendent of schools announced Tuesday evening that she is resigning. Kerry Parker, who has held the position for only a year, sent an email to families saying she was leaving to take a position with a school district in Colorado. I will always cherish my time here, as I have truly enjoyed getting to know the community and the supportive families, she wrote. Parker could not be reached for comment Tuesday night. She doesnt say what the new position is in the email, only that the opportunity was presented this past week. I will miss the students, parents, and staff members I have had the pleasure of working with this past year, she wrote. I cannot thank you enough for the support you have provided me during my time in New Milford. The New Milford Board of Education named her as the superintendent in May 2019 before she was formally approved the following month. She was selected from a national pool of 26 applicants. She came to the district from New Mexico, where she was assistant superintendent of human resources for the Clovis Municipal School District. She started her more than 35-year career in Texas and New Mexico as an English and theater teacher, which she continued in Colorado before becoming an administrator. She worked at two technical high schools in Connecticut from 2005 to 2011. Parker has a bachelors degree in communications and theater, and earned a masters degree in education and a doctorate in educational leadership. I appreciate your understanding and I wish you all the very best, Parker wrote. kkoerting@newstimes.com SHELTON Two familiar faces are in new places as the school district continues filling major vacancies. Only days after appointing new directors of special education and technology, the Board of Education Tuesday unanimously approved the appointment of Jamie Weber as principal at Elizabeth Shelton School and Kristen Santilli as director of curriculum, instruction and data. Not only do they possess the education, certification, knowledge of skills and core studies and wealth of experiences, they both have the leadership and confidence to competently lead Shelton public schools on the path to excellence, said board Chair Kathy Yolish about the appointments. Yolish said both Santilli and Weber are empathetic and compassionate in dealing with their colleagues and will listen to suggestions and maintain honest and open dialogue with everyone with whom they work. I am excited for both Kristen Santilli and Jamie Weber and look forward to witnessing their successes in this next step of their careers, added Yolish. Santilli moves from her post as principal at Mohegan School to the newly created position of director of curriculum, instruction and data. Kristens background includes both building level and central office experience, said interim Superintendent Beth Smith. Working as the supervisor of literacy, assessment and professional learning preK-12 provides her with familiarity of some of the work she will be doing in curriculum, instruction and data management, added Smith. The new position combines the responsibilities of the two supervisor positions in the Office of Teaching and Learning which were cut as part of the Board of Educations recent $3 million reductions needed to meet the citys approved school budget. Santilli served as the principal of Long Hill Elementary School for three years and Mohegan Elementary School for the past three years. Prior to her principal posts, she served for four years as the districts supervisor of literacy, assessment and professional learning preK-12. She began her career as a special education teacher in New York, served as a second grade classroom teacher and reading consultant in Easton, a language arts consultant in Fairfield, part-time assistant principal in Wilton and assistant principal in Norwalk. Weber returns to Elizabeth Shelton School, where she had been an assistant principal in the past, replacing longtime Principal Bev Belden who retired at the end of this past school year. Overall, Weber has worked for the Shelton public schools for the past 27 years. She served as the assistant principal of Elizabeth Shelton and Long Hill Elementary schools from 2017-19 until the position was eliminated because of budget cuts. She also served as an interim assistant principal at Shelton High School. Weber was an instructional interventionist at Perry Hill School, implementing Tiers 2 and 3 intervention and served as a classroom teacher at Elizabeth Shelton, Lafayette, Sunnyside, Booth Hill and Mohegan schools. Jamies background serving in multiple roles in the district over the years have prepared her well for the principal position, said Smith. Having served as assistant principal at Elizabeth Shelton School and her familiarity with the staff and many of the students and parents are an advantage. brian.gioiele@hearstmediact.com AUSTIN, Texas -- Agents for the Army Criminal Investigation Command have returned to a location along a river about 30 miles from Fort Hood, Texas, where partial human remains were found and could be related to the search for a soldier who has been missing from the base for more than two months. CID Investigators are now working alongside Texas Rangers, the FBI and Bell County Sheriff's Department deputies at the "area of interest" near the Leon River as part of their search for Pfc. Vanessa Guillen, said Chris Grey, spokesman for CID. Guillen, a 20-year-old small arms repairer with the 3rd Cavalry Regiment, has been missing since April 22. She was last seen at work in the armory room of the regiment's engineer squadron. Last week, the base commanders told the family, who are from Houston, they believed "foul play" was involved in her disappearance, according to Rep. Sylvia Garcia, D-Texas, who has been assisting the family. The remains along the river were found after CID received "additional information," Grey said. The remains were sent to a forensic anthropologist for analysis and confirmed to be human. "No confirmation as to the identity of the remains has been made at this point and we ask for the media and public's understanding that the identification process can take time," Grey said. "Due to the ongoing criminal investigation, no further information will be released at this time." Fort Hood is partially located within Bell County, along its western edge. The Leon River is on the opposite side of the county and continues east of Belton. Since Guillen went missing, her family has called for the Army to do more to locate her. Her attorney has a news conference scheduled for Thursday in Washington, D.C., to discuss efforts to start a congressional inquiry into the Army's handling of the case. Guillen's family also said the soldier told them that she had faced sexual harassment from a sergeant in her unit. This allegation led Col. Ralph Overland, 3rd Cavalry Regiment commander, to open his own investigation into the claims earlier this month. No information from that investigation has been released. The lawyer representing the family of a missing 20-year-old soldier said they believe the human remains found this week are that of Pfc. Vanessa Guillen, and that one of her superiors killed himself on Tuesday when approached by authorities. A second civilian suspect -- the estranged wife of a former soldier from Fort Hood, Texas -- is currently in custody in the Bell County Jail awaiting charges by civilian authorities, Army officials announced on Wednesday. Guillen's family is calling for a congressional inquiry into the Army's handling of the investigation into Guillen's disappearance. The 20-year-old small arms repairer with the 3rd Cavalry Regiment was last seen on April 22 in the parking lot of her regiment's engineer squadron headquarters at Fort Hood. Read Next: Unidentified Remains Found Near Fort Hood Amid Search for Pfc. Vanessa Guillen The Army Criminal Investigation Command said on Wednesday that a "junior soldier from Fort Hood" who fled the post late Tuesday killed himself in Killeen, Texas. When law enforcement agents trying to locate the man approached the suspect, he "displayed a weapon and took his own life," an Army news release states. Service officials said on Tuesday that they found partial human remains near the Leon River about 30 miles outside Fort Hood. The remains have been sent to a forensic anthropologist for analysis, though no official confirmation on the identity of the remains has been completed. Guillen's family members made emotional pleas for justice during Wednesday's press conference in Washington, D.C. "How could this happen while she was on duty?" Lupe Guillen, the soldier's sister, asked. "... I want justice and I want answers because my sister did not do this to herself." "If this could happen to my sister, it could happen to other service women and men." Natalie Khawam with the Whistleblower Law Firm, who is representing Guillen's family, said the soldier reported to her family and friends that she was being sexually harassed by a superior. Guillen didn't report it with her command out of fear of reprisal, Khawam said. That's why they're pushing lawmakers to create a system for military victims of sexual assault and harassment to have a channel outside their chain of command where they can report allegations of wrongdoing. "This has to be fixed," she said. "The system is broken." She also said Army officials haven't done enough to keep Guillen's family informed of the investigation. They've instead learned new information from media reports, Khawam said. They want a congressional investigation to review what is happening at Fort Hood, she said. Chris Grey, an Army CID spokesman, said the agency has "made significant progress in this tragic situation." "[We] are doing everything possible to get to the truth and bring answers to the family of Pfc. Vanessa Guillen," Grey said in a statement. The Army has launched an investigation into the claims that Guillen was sexually harassed before she disappeared. The service publicized the offer of a $25,000 reward for credible information on the soldier's disappearance. -- Gina Harkins can be reached at gina.harkins@military.com. Follow her on Twitter @ginaaharkins. Related: Salma Hayek Eager to Help Bring Missing Texas Soldier Vanessa Guillen Home The Air Force Knew It Had an Ejection Seat Problem, But Didn't Speed Up a Fix. Then a Pilot Died And his widow fears that another pilot may suffer the same fate. As the military wrestles with racial inequities in the ranks, the general in charge of Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) acknowledged Tuesday that the senior officer corps is not as diverse as it should be. Speaking at an Association of the United States Army virtual event, Gen. Paul Funk II agreed that the general officer ranks do not represent the demographics of the country when compared to the enlisted force. Read Next: Major Space Force Units to Be Called Deltas, Officials Announce "First of all, we've got to recognize the diverse talent that we have, and put them in the proper positions, so that they can succeed," Funk said. Out of the 13 active Army four-star generals, one is Black: Gen. Michael Garrett, commander of Army Forces Command. Of the 296 general officers in the active Army, 43 are Black, 21 are female and six are Hispanic as of April 30, Army spokesman Lt. Col. Emanuel Ortiz told Military.com. "It's not about handing something out; it's about taking and seizing an opportunity and driving toward a solution," Funk said. Funk's comments came on the first day of the Army's National Hiring Days, a massive, three-day recruiting event with a target of contracting 10,000 new recruits into the service. But in the larger picture, it's a time of civil strife in the country, punctuated by nationwide protests over the death of George Floyd, a Black man who died May 25 after being taken into custody by Minneapolis police. In response to the situation, Army senior leaders last week launched Project Inclusion, an effort to reduce opportunities for unconscious bias, such as the requirement of official photos in the officer promotion process. In the near-term, Funk said the Army has already begun taking steps trying to improve diversity throughout the officer ranks. Maj. Gen. John Evans, commander of Army Cadet Command, has created an urban recruiting office to bring diverse officer candidates in the Army from Huston and Los Angeles, Funk said. "What he is trying to do is find great young talent that wants to come and be part of the officer corps," Funk said. The Army is also in the process of changing its officer promotion system and the officer assignment system, Funk said. "We are doing that now; the Talent Management Task Force has done remarkable work in looking at diversity and how we are going to start changing assignment preferences to look for more opportunity ... for everyone really," Funk said. Another element of Project Inclusion is a new dialogue with soldiers across the Army to discuss issues like race and discrimination. "What we are going to do is have this very serious conversation about our profession, about what it means to serve in the Army and about what it means to be a person of color in our Army, what it means gender-wise etc. and it's got to be at the individual level," Funk said. "And what we should see from our leadership is talking to the young troopers and them responding 'Ok, I now understand what it is we are trying to get done.'" Matthew Cox can be reached at matthew.cox@military.com. Related: Inside the Army's Decision to Eliminate Photos from Officer Promotion Boards Members of the House Armed Services unanimously passed an amendment Wednesday to the 2021 defense policy bill that would ban the display of the Confederate battle flag on all Defense Department properties. The move comes after the Marine Corps announced in June it would no longer allow display of the symbol on its installations, including depictions on privately owned vehicles, T-shirts, coffee mugs, lockers, office cubicles and elsewhere. Read Next: VA Should Severely Restrict Use of Dogs for Medical Research, Scientific Panel Concludes The amendment to the House version of the National Defense Authorization Act was offered by Rep. Anthony Brown, D-Maryland., a retired Army Reserve colonel who served in the Iraq War. It would prohibit display of the flag on all installations, workplaces and common and public areas, including the front yards and porches of government and privately managed military housing. Exceptions would include museums on bases that showcase Civil War history; historical displays of Civil War battles in which the flag is not a main focus of the display; and state flags that incorporate the Confederate battle flag. Brown said the flag and related symbols "have no place in our military." "Recent, tragic events have underscored how much farther we have to go to heal the racial divisions that have plagued this country since our founding. Prohibiting the display of the Confederate flag - a symbol that for so many represents white supremacy, oppression and terror - on Department of Defense installations is an important step in that reckoning," Brown said in a release. Army officials said last month they were reviewing the Marine Corps' and Navy's policies restricting the Confederate flag, but have not made a decision. The service also is weighing whether to change the names of 10 posts named for Confederate leaders. U.S. Forces Korea already has banned display of the flag, originally the battle flag of the Army of Northern Virginia. "The Confederate Battle Flag does not represent the values of U.S. forces assigned to serve in the Republic of Korea," Army Gen. Robert B. "Abe" Abrams tweeted on June 15. "While I acknowledge some might view it as a symbol of regional pride, many others in our force see it as a painful reminder of hate, bigotry, treason and a devaluation of humanity." Another of Brown's amendments that garnered more debate during the markup of the proposed fiscal 2021 National Defense Authorization Act was a measure that would require DoD to rename military installations and real property named for Confederate military personnel. Under Brown's amendment, DoD would have to change the names within one year of the law being signed. Rep. Mac Thornberry of Texas, the ranking Republican on the committee, proposed an alternative amendment, requiring DoD to conduct an assessment of installations within a year to determine whether they should be renamed. Thornberry said that while he personally thinks the bases should be renamed, Americans should be able to weigh in. "Rather than just decide ourselves and dictate to the country, if we can prod discussion, encourage that self-examination, it's going to have deeper, longer-lasting effects," Thornberry said. Brown said he agrees that a year is long enough to decide the names and change them. "These are officers that led a confederacy in rebellion to our country that represent the defense of slavery and that institution," said Brown, adding that he was assigned to Fort Rucker, Ala.; Fort Bragg, North Carolina; Fort Benning, Georgia; and other posts named for Confederates. "I know today and Americans know today that these installations are named for officers that upheld that peculiar institution that inflicted so much pain and suffering on black people in America. You don't need a year of consultation for that." The committee took a roll call vote to decide whether to include the base renaming amendment in its final version. The amendment was approved 33-23, with two Republicans voting for it, Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska, who cosponsored the measure, and Rep. Paul Mitchell of Michigan. The House bill currently under debate contains several other provisions designed to improve diversity and promote equality in the ranks. They include funding for five Historically Black Colleges and Universities to increase the size of their Reserve Officer Training Corps programs, scholarship money for minority institutions to encourage students to enter math, science and engineering fields, studies on the racial makeup of the services' officer ranks and a measure to strip identifying information from records going before promotion boards. President Donald Trump has threatened to veto the bill if it contained any provision to rename military bases that honor Confederate commanders. Making his opinions known on Twitter Tuesday, Trump wrote he "will Veto the Defense Authorization Bill if the Elizabeth 'Pocahontas' Warren (of all people!) Amendment, which will lead to the renaming (plus other bad things!) of Fort Bragg, Fort Robert E. Lee, and many other Military Bases from which we won Two World Wars, is in the Bill!" Debate continues Wednesday in the House. The bill will have to be approved by the entire House and be reconciled with the Senate's version of the bill before it can go to the president's desk for signature. The Senate's bill contains a slightly more moderate provision: it would require the Department of Defense to form a commission to develop a plan for identifying, modifying or removing names, symbols, displays and monuments that commemorate the Confederacy or any person who served for the Confederate States of America. -- Patricia Kime can be reached at Patricia.Kime@Monster.com. Follow her on Twitter @patriciakime. Related: Army's Senior Officer Ranks Are Not Diverse Enough, General Says A scientific advisory panel has found that the use of dogs for medical research at the Department of Veterans Affairs is necessary in only a few areas of biomedical study, and is recommending that VA do more to improve the lives of animals under its care. In a study on the necessity, use and care of dogs in VA research, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine said Wednesday that using dogs for research for cardiovascular and spinal cord conditions remains "scientifically necessary." But dogs are no longer the "preferred model for studies" for other conditions that the VA studies, including narcolepsy, imaging studies and pharmacological research. Read Next: 1 Suspect Dead, 1 in Custody in Connection with Pfc. Vanessa Guillen's Disappearance The department should work harder to find alternatives, the panel of 15 scientists, veterinarians and doctors said, and they admonished VA researchers for justifying their use of dogs by citing previous use. "Principal investigators frequently cited previous experience with and historical data in dog models as primary justifications for using laboratory dogs. These justifications are insufficient alone and constitute a form of circular reasoning that perpetuations the use of laboratory dogs without adequate examination," they wrote. "The committee is concerned that the current culture of justifying biomedical research in laboratory dogs favors the continued use of dogs," they added. The use of dogs at VA for medical research came under scrutiny in 2017 following internal investigations at VA as well as inquiries from Congress and animal rights advocates into the department's treatment of animals under its care. Congress further restricted animal testing in a fiscal 2020 federal funding bill, pulling money from any research that uses primates, cats and dogs unless it's explicitly approved by the VA secretary. The law stipulates that research can take place only if other animals won't work, and the research is directly related to combat-related illnesses and injuries. For years, VA officials have maintained that using dogs for research is essential. "VA will continue conducting canine research, as it is absolutely necessary to better treat life-threatening health conditions in our veterans," a VA official told Military.com last year. More than 30 studies using dogs have contributed to lifesaving treatments for veterans, including the development of devices that help veterans with spinal cord injuries breath and cough. Following the release of the National Academies report Wednesday, Wilkie cited that study and gave other examples of animal research-aided health breakthroughs -- the development of the pacemaker, liver transplantation, the ablation procedure for arrhythmia and hip replacement improvements -- in reaffirming VA's commitment to animal research. "This study confirms what we've said all along: at this point canine research is the only viable option for developing and testing certain treatments to improve the quality of life of some seriously disabled veterans," Wilkie said. Panel members said VA should adopt a set of criteria to determine when using dogs for research is necessary. They added that VA should work to improve its biomedical research protocols and explore alternatives such as using rodents or pigs and harnessing new technologies. They suggested as well that pet dogs could be used for research on naturally occurring canine diseases that have a human equivalent, benefitting both species. "The VA should prioritize the development and continuation of external multidisciplinary collaborations to develop, validate, and apply alternatives to the laboratory dog in biomedical research," the group wrote. Members also recommended that VA take better care of the animals in their custody, providing them with opportunities to socialize with other dogs and humans, access to areas outside their primary enclosures and time outdoors. "This would provide additional opportunity for exercise as well as olfactory, sensory and visual stimulation," they wrote. Last year, Reps. Brian Mast, R-Florida, and Dina Titus, D-Nevada, wrote a scathing op-ed in USA Today calling for an end to the VA's use of dogs for testing. According to the lawmakers, at the Hunter Holmes McGuire VA Medical Center in Richmond, Virginia, heart attacks were induced in puppies by injecting latex into their arteries and then placing them on treadmills to stress them out until they died. Dobermans were injected with methamphetamines and beagles were subjected to invasive procedures. "These and other cruel practices must end," they wrote. VA officials said the department has reduced its use of canines "to the absolute minimum required at this time to fulfill its commitment to finding treatments for veterans with life-threatening health conditions." But they added that the VA has "supported this type of research for decades and continues to do so because it is absolutely necessary to better treat life-threatening health conditions in our veterans." Animal rights activists praised the conclusions of the National Academies report Wednesday, saying it confirmed what they have been saying for years -- that VA's use of dogs for medical testing is cruel and wasteful. Justin Goodman, vice president of advocacy and public policy for the White Coat Waste Project, an animal rights group that focuses on animals in medical testing and has pushed for legislation to limit their use, said veterans and taxpayers should not pay for testing that uses dogs and is outside the VA's mission to study veteran specific ailments. "With this report's recommendation to further restrict VA dog experimentation and bipartisan legislation enacted last year directing the VA to phase-out dog, cat and primate testing by 2025, this shameful taxpayer-funded program will soon be relegated to the trash heap of history," Goodman said. Shalin Gala, vice president of international laboratory methods with People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, said VA's use of dogs in testing "does nothing to address military veterans' real health needs." "The VA should address veterans' needs by using the most advanced technology available, such as synthetically engineered human cardiac tissue and advanced computer models, not shamelessly wasting taxpayer dollars on abusing and killing dogs and other animals in misguided, flawed, and deadly experiments that don't apply to humans because of significant physiological differences between species," Gala said. She added that VA should examine PETA publications on research modernization that excludes harm to animals. -- Patricia Kime can be reached at Patricia.Kime@Monster.com. Follow her on Twitter @patriciakime. Read More: Woman Who Faked Death After Cheating VA out of $300,000 Now Headed to Prison A woman who staged an "elaborate hoax" including a faked fatal fall into a gorge to avoid the consequences of VA health care fraud was caught anyway -- and will serve 3 and-a-half years in federal prison, the Department of Justice announced Wednesday. Julie M. Wheeler, 43, of Beckley, West Virginia, has been sentenced by Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver Jr. to 42 months in prison and restitution of $289,055.07, DOJ officials said in a release. Read Next: Major Space Force Units to Be Called Deltas, Officials Announce Wheeler had previously pleaded guilty on Feb. 11 to defrauding the Department of Veterans Affairs Spina Bifida Health Care Benefits Program. According to the release, she had long overbilled as a caregiver for a family member, identified as K.L. Wheeler, who owned a company called JRW Homecare Support Services, charged the VA-approved rate of $736 per day to provide full-time care to K.L., including bathing, grooming, feeding and other support. "Wheeler did not provide K.L. the care for and during the time period described," DOJ officials said in the release. "Wheeler submitted claims to the VA stating that she provided care for K.L. eight hours a day, seven days a week, from October 2016 to April 2018 at the full daily rate of $736 a day. Wheeler gave a statement to the VA and the FBI admitting that she greatly inflated the rate and quality of the care that she provided to K.L. This was corroborated by other witnesses who provided statements that Wheeler did not provide eight hours of daily care." Wheeler acknowledged as well that her conduct had deprived her family member of services, according to the release. Sadly, K.L, who really did have spina bifida, has since died, officials said. But after pleading guilty, Wheeler sought to avoid paying for her actions in federal sentencing, officials said. On May 31, according to the release, "Wheeler and other family members staged her fall from the Grandview State Park overlook," a popular state park in Raleigh County, West Virginia. "This report led to an extensive search effort in the New River Gorge by state, federal and local authorities, assisted by numerous volunteers," officials said. According to local news reports from the time, the search-and-rescue mission for Wheeler continued for three days and law enforcement resources used to find her exceeded $1,000. Wheeler was ultimately located in her own home, where state police found her hiding in a closet. Wheeler's husband, Rodney was charged with felony and misdemeanor charges including conspiracy to commit a misdemeanor, false emergency report and willful disruption of a governmental process, WWVA.com reported. Some of those charges are still pending; Wheeler herself was slapped with sentence enhancements for obstruction of justice. "Absolutely despicable. Wheeler's egregious fraud scheme denied much needed spina bifida care for her own sister while she fleeced the Veteran's Administration of almost $300,000," U.S. Attorney Mike Stuart said in a statement. "Then she faked her own disappearance to evade sentencing, risking the lives and resources of first responders and emergency personnel. Outrageous. Terribly tragic case all around." Many agencies were involved in investigating Wheeler's case, including the VA Inspector General's office, the FBI and the Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, according to the release. The fraud investigation was undertaken by the United States Attorney's Healthcare Fraud Abuse, Recovery and Response Team, or ARREST, which was created in Feb. 2019 and handles health care related investigations in the Southern District of West Virginia. Assistant U.S. Erik S. Goes was the prosecutor. In addition to her sentence and restitution, Wheeler will be under supervised release for three years, officials said. -- Hope Hodge Seck can be reached at hope.seck@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at @HopeSeck. Related: VA and DOJ Join Forces to Crack Down on Health Care Fraud Joseph V. Micallef is a best-selling military history and world affairs author, and keynote speaker. Follow him on Twitter @JosephVMicallef. On Friday, the New York Times published a story claiming that a unit of Russian Military Intelligence (GRU) was paying a bounty to Taliban fighters to target and kill American troops stationed in Afghanistan. NYT claimed that the policy had been approved by Russian President Vladimir Putin, and that at least one American service member had been killed as a result. According to the Times, President Donald Trump was briefed on the practice in March and was subsequently presented with a number of possible policy responses, but has yet to take any action. The story was quickly picked up by the Washington Post and CNN, as well as other media outlets. Not surprisingly, the news brought a predictable avalanche of criticisms that the Trump administration was soft on Russia and was ignoring the intelligence. Nancy Pelosi, the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives and a long-time foe of President Trump, declared: "This is totally outrageous. You would think that the minute the President heard of it, he would want to know more instead of denying that he knew anything." While shying away from directly criticizing the president, prominent Republicans were quick to weigh in with demands for action. Representative Adam Kinzinger, a five-term Republican Congressman from Illinois' 16th district and an Air Force veteran who served in both Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom, tweeted that Trump, "needs to immediately expose and handle this, and stop Russia's shadow war." Other Republican members of Congress and senators echoed similar comments. For its part, the Trump administration denied that either the president, Vice President Mike Pence or Chief of Staff Mark Meadows had ever been "briefed on the matter." The denial brought further claims by the NYT that, "One American official had told The Times that the report was briefed to the highest levels of the White House. Another said it was included in the President's Daily Brief, a compendium of foreign policy and national security intelligence compiled for Mr. Trump to read." Late Sunday night, in a tweet to his supporters, President Trump noted that: "Intel just reported to me that they did not find this info credible, and therefore did not report it to me or @VP." Subsequent news reports identified the GRU operatives as members of a secret group called Unit 29155. The unit is believed to be tasked with foreign assassinations and other covert activities aimed at destabilizing European countries. Members of the group have been implicated in the assassination of former GRU Colonel Sergei Skripal in March 2018. The unit has also been linked to the Catalan independence movement, a destabilization campaign in Moldova and a failed coup in Montenegro in 2016. Spokespeople for both the Kremlin and the Taliban have categorically denied the report. Responding to a question from NBC News correspondent Keir Simmons about the existence of the program, according to a report in The Guardian, Dmitry Peskov, Russian President Vladimir Putin's spokesperson replied, "you know, maybe I can say it's a little bit rude but this is 100% bull----." On Monday evening, the Pentagon issued a statement, declaring, "The Department of Defense continues to evaluate intelligence that Russian GRU operatives were engaged in malign activity against United States and coalition forces in Afghanistan. To date, DOD has no corroborating evidence to validate the recent allegations found in open-source reports." Sifting through the Evidence What are we to make of this report? It's entirely possible that the report is accurate; that the GRU paid a bounty to Taliban jihadists for every American service member they killed. Whether the White House was aware of this report is an entirely different matter. It's a serious issue, so it's likely that it would at least have gotten as far as staffers on the National Security Council. Whether the President was ever specifically briefed on the matter is a question that only the White House can answer definitively. So far, they have denied it. A scrutiny of the evidence, what little there is, however, raises some serious doubts. First, according to the NYT report, "The crucial information that led the spies and commandos to focus on the bounties included the recovery of a large amount of American cash from a raid on a Taliban outpost that prompted suspicions." Frankly, that's a nonsensical conclusion. Having spent time in Afghanistan, I can attest from experience that the U.S. dollar is the currency of choice among Afghans. The country has been flooded with dollars since the U.S. intervention in 2001, when CIA operatives famously used million plus dollar cash bribes to flip Afghan warlords against the Taliban and to support the U.S. invasion. Moreover, the Taliban has evolved a far-ranging web of criminal activities that are believed to bring in upwards of $2 billion dollars a year. Most of that activity, as is true for most international crime, is conducted in U.S. dollars. No self-respecting Afghan warlord, Taliban or other, would be without his stash of American dollars. In Afghanistan that's not the exception, it's the rule. Moreover, the term "spies and commandos" is awkward. Neither are terms that would be customarily used by the intelligence community, the supposed source of the information. The NYT article went on to state: "Interrogations of captured militants and criminals played a central role in making the intelligence community confident in its assessment that the Russians had offered and paid bounties in 2019." What information these interrogations yielded, however, is not disclosed, nor how it supported the contention that the Russians were paying a bounty. According to the NYT, the bounties were paid to "Islamist militants, or armed criminal elements closely associated with them." The NYT report added: "Two officials said the information about the bounty hunting was "well known" among the intelligence community in Afghanistan, including the C.I.A.'s chief of station and other top officials there, like the military commandos hunting the Taliban." According to subsequent reports, the bounties were targeted on both American and NATO troops, especially British troops, as well as Afghan personnel. It's hard to imagine that if this knowledge was so widely dispersed within the intelligence and military community in Afghanistan, it is only now that we are hearing about it. When it comes to Western journalists, Kabul is a pretty small place. Make no mistake, Russia is actively supporting the Taliban with cash, arms, supplies and intelligence. They have been doing so for several years. These facts are well known to the U.S. intelligence community and the Pentagon and have been extensively documented. For that matter, there is also evidence that Iran has provided assistance to the Taliban, even though they are religiously and ideologically opposed to them and were bitter enemies in the past. In this sense, Russia is doing to the U.S. exactly what we did to the Soviets when they were bogged down in Afghanistan. Starting with the Carter administration and continuing through the Reagan and Bush administrations, the U.S. supplied financial assistance, arms, supplies, and in some cases, even training, to Afghan militants, including jihadists, fighting the Soviets. U.S. President Ronald Reagan even invited the leaders of the Afghan resistance to a meeting in the Oval Office. In those days, we called them freedom fighters. The payment of bounties to soldiers or irregular militias for killing enemy combatants is nothing new. It has a long, despicable, history in the annals of warfare. The distinction between paying bounties for killing American military personnel and supporting the Taliban, knowing that support would be used to carry out attacks on American and allied forces, may seem like a subtle difference, but it is an important one. The U.S. had 17 service members killed in action in Afghanistan in 2019, and another four Americans have been killed so far in 2020 in hostile encounters. In February 2020, the U.S. reached an agreement with the Taliban to end the fighting in return for an eventual pullout of U.S. and allied forces from Afghanistan. The Taliban has refrained from attacking U.S. military personnel since then. It stands to reason that those Taliban commanders who were particularly successful in attacking U.S. troops would receive more assistance from Russia. We used similar criteria when we were supporting the anti-Soviet resistance in Afghanistan. You can certainly make the argument that the more Americans the Taliban killed, the more cash and arms they received from the Kremlin. Whether this constitutes a de facto bounty is open to debate. The larger question we should pose, however, is who benefits from the release of this information? The obvious answer is Russia. The Kremlin doesn't want the U.S. to disengage from Afghanistan. They're perfectly happy to see the U.S.-Taliban agreement fall apart and for the U.S. to continue to be bogged down there. In the short term, Moscow is content to cause problems for the U.S. even if that means supporting an organization that, long-term, is inimical to Russian interests in the region. In fact, this whole incident feels like a classic example of a Soviet style misinformation campaign. It has just enough truth in it to be credible but packaged, i.e., spun, in such a way as to cause maximum disruption in the U.S. Disclosing that Russia is aiding the Taliban is old news that has been ignored for several years. Repackaging that news as "Russia is paying bounties to Taliban militants to kill American servicemen." given how politicized U.S. foreign and defense policy has become, is like a grenade, or in this case a Molotov Cocktail, thrown into the fabric of American politics. The consequences are predictable. Moscow may well be paying bounties to Taliban militants to kill Americans and doing so with the full knowledge and consent of Vladimir Putin. Then again, this may simply be a case of the old news of Russian aid repackaged and spun to advance Russian interests. Even if the Taliban has elected not to take such bounties, that doesn't mean that the Kremlin cannot find other elements, both criminal and other, in Afghanistan to whom it can offer support or even bounties in order to torpedo the U.S.-Taliban agreement. As usual the shadow war between Washington and Moscow is always more nuanced and complex than what meets the eye. What's unfortunate is how readily the U.S. media allows itself to be manipulated by the Kremlin. -- The opinions expressed in this op-ed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Military.com. If you would like to submit your own commentary, please send your article to opinions@military.com for consideration. Thousands of National Guard troops and military Reservists in the United States and United Kingdom have been mobilized in support of COVID-19 relief efforts. Mobilization any time requires preparation to ensure things run smoothly at home while youre away. But during a pandemic, additional planning and support might be especially necessary to protect the health of you and your loved ones. Whether youve mobilized in the past or this is your first time, advice from those who have been there can be critical in helping you shift into full-time military service, especially in these unprecedented times. To help you anticipate some common challenges and make a successful plan to navigate them, here are some tips from recently mobilized personnel who are also full-time employees at Citi in the U.S. and U.K. TIPS FROM RECENTLY MOBILIZED PERSONNEL AT CITI Balancing work and personal responsibilities in and of itself is a challenge, and time management is really the way to tackle it. Despite the demands of the job you are tasked to do, setting aside time can really help to create the necessary balance. Time to decompress, time to focus on yourself and personal developments, time for family and loved ones and time to complete any lingering tasks. It may not be as easy as it sounds, but proper time management can be very beneficial. Damon Gayle, Personal Banker at Citi and Navy Reservist mobilized to Long Island, New York Family members can help service members that are mobilized by simply providing moral support and ensuring they keep in contact as best and often as possible. Employers can play their part by simply acknowledging the service member through some means of recognition/encouragement so that the mobilized individual knows theyre not just being supported by family at home, but also by their family at work. Creditors can offer incentives to service members that are mobilized like discounted rates on loans, a grace period on existing payments, and flexible and convenient payment plans. Any other means of helping to alleviate any stress associated with having to manage bill payments is a sign of support. Damon Gayle I have not seen my wife or children since February. Fortunately, modern communication means Im able to have regular video chats with my children and am able to speak with my wife every nightbut I feel that I have not been able to support her in co-parenting, chores like walking the dog, or in little bits of DIY that result from boisterous children. Nevertheless, Id like to make the point that this has not been a usual deployment. For probably the first time since WWII, civilians and the military have been in the same level of danger and experiencing the same conditions. And, in many ways, it has been rewarding to not only contribute to addressing the problem but also to gain the camaraderie and sense of belonging that comes with working alongside a group of professionals from the military and the Civil Service. This has been a contrast to the isolation that I know many colleagues have felt. Chris Chapman, Credit Strategist at Citi and reservist with the Fifth Battalion, The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers, mobilized in the UK Citi has been excellent and I couldnt reasonably ask for more support, either on the policy level or from my colleagues and managers. This was particularly evident at the start of my mobilization when there was a lot of confusion and contradictory information about the dates of my mobilization. In general, Id say that the stress of mobilization is significant, and reassurance and encouragement from managers helps alleviate at least some concerns. Chris Chapman PREPARING FOR MOBILIZATION DURING A PANDEMIC Here are four things you can do ahead of your mobilization to help successfully navigate some of the unique challenges that come with being mobilized during a pandemic. 1. Notify your employer and work together to make a plan. Let your employer know about your mobilization as soon as possible and discuss a strategy for managing your workload before, during and after. Know your rights and responsibilities under the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA) and utilize resources available from Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) to help guide your conversation and work plan and ensure you are eligible for reemployment once your mobilization is over. 2. Create or update your family care plan. With increased unemployment, remote work and learning and the threat of coronavirus, it may be more important than ever to build a solid family care plan for while youre away. Work with your significant other, family members and close friends to build a support network and plan that addresses childcare, healthcare, important documents, finances, household chores and other crucial day-to-day tasks. 3. Review and adjust your personal budget. Mobilization can create unique financial challenges, perhaps in addition to an already tightened family budget due to the current pandemic. If you havent already done so, now is the time to contact your creditors and review your monthly budget to reduce expenses, prioritize spending, utilize available resources and maximize your savings if youll receive additional income as a result of being mobilized. 4. Take steps to maintain your overall health. Its critical to take steps to ensure the overall health of you and your loved ones while youre away that means emotional, physical and financial health. Maintaining open lines of communication professionally and personally, building solid family care and financial plans, taking precautions to maintain your physical health and avoid coronavirus exposure can help ensure a successful transition into and out of mobilization. The National Military Family Association has compiled a comprehensive site to provide updated information on benefits, testing resources and tips to keep you healthy during mobilization. Money Management International (MMI) is also providing financial updates and assistance during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. The gig economy is an area where military spouses can thrive. For all of the reasons that the rest of the world shy away from Independent Contractor jobs, military spouses rush towards them. Flexible hours? Yes, please. Work from anywhere? Sounds great. No benefits? Don't really need those. For the past few years, the military spouse employment issue has been offset just a bit by the gig economy. Companies like Instant Teams and Wise Advise + Assist have made it their mission to connect military spouses with jobs in the gig economy. And it's working. While a gig economy job may not be the long term career solution you ultimately want, its great if youre looking to make some cash while staying flexible. Interested in a gig economy job? Here are six of them that military spouses should consider. Millie Scout If you're a military spouse with some experience moving and a desire to help other spouses iron out the details of their next move, you may enjoy becoming a Millie Scout. With an average pay of $50 to $75 per job you can put your social media and tech skills to work performing tasks like reviewing houses and neighborhoods, checking in on rental properties and walking through properties for your fellow military spouse. This gig economy job can move with you and you'll be connected with over 130 other Scouts to help you grow your professional network. Virtual Assistant Many military spouses have discovered the potential for jobs as a virtual assistant (VA). What does a virtual assistant do? Almost anything, but typically the time-consuming and sometimes tedious tasks that business owners and other people are too busy to do well. These tasks range from data entry to answering emails to transcription. If you're interested in becoming a virtual assistant, there's a free online class designed by military spouse Esther Inman. Inman's website also has tips to land VA jobs, and she adds resources via social media almost every day. Online English Teacher The option of teaching English online has made its way through all of the military spouse groups, but it is still a good option. From VIPKid to Cambly to Boxfish, there are many options. If you don't have a degree or experience, Cambly is the one for you. They pay $0.17 a minute and you can work as much as you want. (Hourly that comes out to about $10.) VIPKid, where you can teach one-on-one or group lessons, pays from $14 to $22 an hour, based on your availability and experience within the company. Of course, you're teaching children in another time zone, so this may not work for everyone. Boxfish is another option for teaching English to Chinese students. You can teach on-demand or scheduled classes with up to four students and each $10 per 25-minute session. Both VIPKid and Boxfish require a degree and some teaching experience. Freelance Writer There are varying degrees of freelance writers, some who freelance full time and some who write just a few pieces a month. Either way, if you're interested in writing within the military spouse community, check out newly revamped NextGen MilSpouse. NextGen focuses on the challenges of today's milspouse entrepreneur. They are looking for the best of the best within the writing community as they are a trusted resource. They pay $50 per guest post, which is pretty standard within the milspouse community. Check out what they're looking for specifically on their website. Delivery Driver One new(ish) gig economy job is driving for Shipt or Instacart. Just like the other jobs, you can set your own hours, choose when and where you want to take orders. Veteran spouse Shauna Hill says it's a great way for her to get out of the house when her husband is home and still make some money. Hill drives for Shipt. "The pay is pretty decent too, the more work you put in the better you get paid. You will start to gain "regular" customers based on how they rate you as a shopper. The better your rating the more orders you are offered. It's hard to put an average rate on it, but I typically get about $15-20 an order and it takes about an hour to complete most shops and deliveries." PCS Mentor If you are looking for a way to help military spouses during their PCS, another option is to become a PCS Mentor with MilHousing Network. By connecting with spouses throughout the PCS process, you'll be able to help them with things besides buying or selling a home. This position is great for the military spouse who likes to connect with others, makes friends easily and has personal experience with finding a rental home or buying/selling a home. Gig economy jobs come in all forms. Some of them may lead to longer, more permanent jobs and some may be good just for a season. Just like some houses and some duty stations. Keep Up with the Ins and Outs of Military Life For the latest military news and tips on military family benefits and more, subscribe to Military.com and have the information you need delivered directly to your inbox. --Rebecca Alwine can be reached at rebecca.alwine@monster.com. Follow her on Twitter @rebecca_alwine. GRAYLING, MI The body of a man who had been missing in since Saturday afternoon was found by divers on Tuesday, June 30. Shivam Patel, 28, of Grayling is believed to have fallen overboard and drowned during choppy conditions on Lake Margrethe near Grayling on Saturday, June 27, Crawford County Sheriff Shawn Kraycs said in a statement. His empty boat washed ashore around 3 p.m. Saturday prompting an onlooking to call 911. When it washed ashore, the boat was in neutral, Patels cell phone was plugged in and a radio was playing. The boat hadnt sustained damage. Patels body was located by divers early Tuesday morning after a four-day search that involved dive teams, search boats, sonar and a canine unit. Crawford County Sheriffs Office were assisted in the search effort by Roscommon County Sheriffs Office, Michigan State Police, the Department of Natural Resources, Camp Grayling staff, and community members. READ MORE: Man who allegedly killed ex-girlfriend arraigned on premeditated murder charge 3 coronavirus exposure sites identified in Northern Michigan Michigan city wants to be home of U.S. Space Command headquarters STERLING HEIGHTS, MI Sterling Heights officials have nominated the city as the future home of U.S. Space Command headquarters. Mayor Michael Taylor submitted the nomination letter on June 30. It was co-signed by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Macomb County Executive Mark Hackel, according to a news release from the city. There is a rich heritage in this region for defense assets and this is a strong foundation for this new undertaking, Taylor said of the citys qualifications. Macomb County is a defense industry innovation hub with a history of contributing to the Arsenal of Democracy, the release said. The city is also close to Selfridge Air National Guard Base. The areas industrial base, academic institutions, skilled workforce and geographic location all combine to make Sterling Heights the best choice, the release said. Space Command is the newest of eleven unified commands in the U.S. Department of Defense. It is temporarily headquartered at Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado. Space Command will oversee space operations using U.S. Space Force personnel and assets to project power and influence in space, reduce decision timelines for space operations and bring focus to the defense of U.S. space interests. President Donald Trump established Space Command in a memorandum to the Secretary of Defense in December 2018. The U.S. Space Force was established in National Defense Authorization Act on Dec. 20, 2019. The U.S. Space Force headquarters will be in the Pentagon like the other military services. Space Force is the sixth military branch and is meant to organize, train and equip personnel to use and defend military space assets. It is part of the United States Air Force similar to the Marine Corps falling under the Navy Department. The Air Force revised its approach to determining the location of Space Command in May after taking the establishment of Space Force into account. The new approach increased the number of locations eligible to nominate themselves. READ MORE: Michigan one of 3 states U.S. military is restricting travel to due to coronavirus Fireworks allowed in Michigan for Fourth of July through holiday amid hot, dry conditions Coronavirus risk phase heightened for Grand Rapids, Lansing regions after increase in cases Wednesday July 1: Latest developments on coronavirus in Michigan ANN ARBOR, MI Its only been a handful of days since local municipal clerks began issuing absentee ballots for the Aug. 4 primary, but already a new record has been set. As of Tuesday morning, June 30, city and township clerks in Washtenaw County had processed more absent ballot applications than for any other election before, said Ed Golembiewski, the countys elections director. At least 47,741 absentee ballots were issued already for the Aug. 4 primary, topping the previous high of 47,723 issued during the November 2018 election, he said. Absentee ballots were available from local clerks offices beginning June 25 and clerks are seeing increased interest in voting by mail amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The Aug. 4 primary in Washtenaw County features contested races for city, township, county, state and federal offices, as well as local tax proposals, including a renewal of a countywide millage for roads and non-motorized transportation. Related: Police reform, racial equity measures debated by Washtenaw County prosecutor candidates Voters who have requested an absentee ballot should expect it to arrive soon and they can track the status of their application and ballot at Michigan.gov/vote, Golembiewski said. Every registered voter in the state received an absent ballot application, allowing for a ballot to be issued for the Aug. 4 primary or Nov. 3 general election, or both. The Ann Arbor clerks office had issued 18,393 absentee ballots as of its first mass mailing on Monday, June 29, City Clerk Jackie Beaudry said. Most of those were in-town ballots, but that number also includes about 500 overseas ballots that went out June 20 and several hundred that went separately out of town, she said. We have also had ballots available over the counter since June 25, Beaudry added. We are continuing to receive nearly 1,000 applications per day and will be sending another mailing before the holiday weekend, which is projected to bring our total ballots issued to approximately 21,000. The current number of absentee ballots issued in Ann Arbor exceeds the total for any other election in the city, including presidential November elections, which peaked at around 15,000 absentee ballots previously, Beaudry said. Since early June, the clerks office has had three to five clerical workers per day from other city departments helping out and it has hired six additional temporary staff in addition to seven full-time workers in the office. The additional staff have worked evenings and weekends the entire month of June to prepare for this increase in vote-by mail-ballot requests, Beaudry said. Related: Voters wont fill remainder of former Ypsilanti mayors term until 2022 The county clerks office is encouraging voters to request an absent ballot from their local clerk or via Michigan.gov/vote for both upcoming elections this year. Voting by absentee ballot is safe, secure and convenient, Golembiewski said, noting voters dont need to provide a reason for requesting an absentee ballot. Before an absentee ballot is issued, the local clerk compares the signature on the voters application to the voter registration record, and the voter is then assigned a specific ballot/number and provided with it by mail or in person, Golembiewski said. Submitted absentee ballots are not tabulated until Election Day and take additional time to process, he said. Clerks are making preparations to process the large volume of absentee ballots that will be submitted and we ask the publics patience in advance as election results may arrive to the county clerks office later than normal as a result of the high volume, Golembiewski said. The process of tabulating an absentee ballot is labor-intensive by design to ensure the integrity of the ballot, maintain security, and protect the secrecy of the votes on the ballot, he said. The process begins with the local clerk receiving the signed and sealed outer envelope containing the ballot, and the clerk verifies that the voters signature on the envelope matches the registration record, Golembiewski said. Related: Washtenaw sheriff seeking 4th term talks mental health, police budgets, limiting incarceration Related: Rebuilding public trust in police key to Washtenaw sheriff candidates campaign On Election Day, the ballot is delivered to a bipartisan board of poll workers who ensure the voters name and ballot number appear on the absentee voter list, carefully open the envelope to preserve the secrecy of the voted ballot inside, ensure that the unique ballot number issued to the voter matches the ballot stub, remove the stub, randomize the ballot order before tabulation, remove the secrecy sleeve from the ballot, and scan the ballot using voting equipment, Golembiewski said. Polls will be open on Election Day and voters still can vote at their polling location if theyd like, he noted. Precautions will be taken to ensure the safety of voters and poll workers, including the provision of protective equipment from the state, county and each individual city and township, including masks, gloves, sneeze guards, face shields, hand sanitizer, disinfectant spray for equipment and more, Golembiewski said. Poll workers also will be trained to ensure proper social distancing at polls, to use the provided protective equipment and to follow sanitization protocols, he said, noting poll worker trainings provided by the county will be conducted remotely for the Aug. 4 primary to ensure trainee safety. Poll workers are needed across Washtenaw County to process absentee ballots and to work in polling locations, Golembiewski said, encouraging those interested to visit Washtenaw.org/PollWorker to learn more about those paid opportunities. MORE FROM THE ANN ARBOR NEWS: Ann Arbor Ward 1 candidates discuss political divisions, growth and change Caricatures, social media posts criticized as Ann Arbor Ward 4 council race heats up Ann Arbor launches search for new city administrator with ability to be apolitical Why was Ann Arbor City Administrator Howard Lazarus fired? Emails shed some light Ann Arbor unveils plan for citys first solar-powered, climate resilience hub CHELSEA, MI A Chelsea police officer has been placed on paid administrative leave pending an internal investigation into a claim that he inadequately investigated an assault that occurred during a police brutality protest in a park Thursday. The Chelsea Police Department is currently investigating several incidents which took place on the evening of Thursday, June 25, at a demonstration in or around Pierce Park in the City of Chelsea, the Chelsea Police Department said in a statement. Specifically, (police) are investigating several assaults which occurred during or shortly after the demonstration in the park. An internal investigation was initiated regarding the officers response to the incident and, on June 29, the officer was placed on paid administrative leave pending the result of the ongoing internal investigation. The incident stems from a protest organized by Anti-Racist Chelsea Youth, or ARCY, who assembled in Pierce Park to peacefully protest police brutality, according to the groups Facebook page. A representative of ARCY could not immediately be reached for comment. The group alleges that, while at the park, a middle-age white woman engaged with demonstrators, peaceful at first, discussing why protesters specifically talk about Black lives, rather than all lives, according to a written statement on the groups page. Things quickly soured and it became clear to the organizers she was intoxicated and not interested in having an actual discussion, the group said. The woman is accused of becoming hostile toward several Black people at the gathering and later charged at the group, punching a 16-year-old girl, the group stated. Police were called to the scene and flagged down by protesters who told the responding officer about the 16-year-old who was assaulted, but the officer appeared to be more interested in another woman at the protest who was not involved in the assault, the statement says. While many of the protesters had dispersed at that point, those who remained said they saw the officer interviewing the woman accused of attacking the teen across the street, then allowed her to drive away. The girl, after later going with family members to the police station to file a report of the incident, claims she was told she has no case and that the woman is claiming the teen attacked her. The response of the police to this incident has confirmed what many of us have been saying since the beginning. They are not there to protect us and they would rather we leave the streets than confront the ugly reality of white supremacy in this town, the group posted on its Facebook page. Police are encouraging anyone with video footage of the incident to come forward. While it is inappropriate for elected officials to intervene in or influence an active investigation, it is important to public trust for the community to know that all complaints will be reviewed, investigated, and addressed, Chelsea Mayor Melissa Johnson said in a written statement. I encourage people to continue to engage with each other and with public officials in civil discourse and to treat each other with respect. Anyone with information about the June 25 incident is asked to contact Sgt. Rich Kinsey at 734-475-9122, extension 3, or by email at rkinsey@chelseapd.org. Additionally, written statements may be mailed to the Chelsea Police Department at 311 S. Main Street, Chelsea MI 48118, or dropped off in the silver Taxes and Utility Payment Box outside the Chelsea City offices at 305 S. Main Street. Anonymous tips may be used in the investigation, but will not be included in the police report, police said. More from The Ann Arbor News: Ann Arbor launches search for new city administrator with ability to be apolitical Motorcyclist killed in crash with road sign along Lenawee County highway Robots to deliver groceries for free in Ann Arbor ANN ARBOR, MI A participant involved in a protest outside University of Michigan President Mark Schlissels house has tested positive for coronavirus, UMs Graduate Employees Organization said Sunday. According to a Facebook post from the GEO, the person developed mild symptoms of COVID-19 Thursday night following the protest. They were tested for the virus Friday and received positive results Sunday, the post said. The protest was organized to demand safety for graduate students and other workers during the pandemic, a press release said, and was concurrent with the UM Board of Regents meeting. We appreciate that everyone wore masks and attempted to stay physically distanced at the protest at Schlissels, but this means that everyone who attended that part of the protest was exposed to COVID, the post said. [URGENT]: Participant at Schlissel protest tested positive for COVID Thank you to all who participated in Thursday's... Posted by Graduate Employees' Organization 3550 on Sunday, June 28, 2020 The organization is recommending that anyone at the protest reaches out to their medical care provider to determine next steps and to monitor their health for the next 14 days. Many of the protesters at Schlissels also went to another protest for the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, the group said, and those people were indirectly exposed. GEO said they dont know of anyone who went from Schlissels house to a car and bike caravan rally. UM spokesperson Kim Broekhuizen said the university continues to develop protocols to keep all members of the university community safe in the workplace and classroom. More information can be found at UMs guiding principles website. GEO said it will reach out to the Washtenaw County Health Department to see if they have further recommendations. READ MORE: University of Michigan employees can form bargaining units without formal elections, regents decide University of Michigan students pan attempt at tuition hike, COVID-19 fee University of Michigan doesnt owe students refunds for semester affected by coronavirus, lawyers argue RIGA TWP., MI A 78-year-old Blissfield woman died Tuesday when her SUV veered into oncoming traffic and crashed into a semitruck, police said. Police and rescue crews were called at 10:12 a.m. Tuesday, June 30 to US-223 west of Rodesiler Highway in Riga Township, Lenawee County, for a reported two-vehicle crash with injuries, according to Michigan State Police. Crash investigators determined the woman, who was the sole occupant of her vehicle, was traveling east on US-233 when she crossed the centerline and entered oncoming traffic. An oncoming semitruck attempted to swerve out of the way, driving onto the shoulder of US-223, but was unable to avoid crashing head-on with womans SUV, police said. The woman was taken to Promedica Hospital in Toledo, where she was later pronounced dead, police said. The driver of the semitruck, a 52-year-old Monroe man, was also taken the Promedica Hospital in Toledo, where he was treated for minor injuries, police said. The Lenawee County Sheriffs Office, the Riga Township Fire Department, the Blissfield Township Fire Department, the Michigan State Police First District Traffic Crash Reconstruction Unit and the Michigan Department of Natural Resources assisted at the scene. More from The Ann Arbor News: When you can light fireworks in Ann Arbor and Washtenaw County Former UM football player opens Drip House cafe near the Big House Lincoln Schools fund balance drained of more than $4 million to balance budget Ambassador Le Thi Tuyet Mai, head of the Permanent Mission of Viet Nam to the UN, WTO and other international organisations in Geneva, has reaffirmed Viet Nam's consistent policy to promote human rights and highlighted the countrys effective measures against the COVID-19 pandemic. The diplomat delivered speeches in both capacities as representative of Viet Nam and ASEAN at dialogues on the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Global update on human rights and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the human rights situation in the Philippines, held on Tuesday, the first day of the 44th session of the United Nations (UN) Human Right Council in Geneva, Switzerland. Mai underlined the priority given to ensuring the safety of and right to health care services for the people, especially vulnerable groups. She highlighted the success of the Vietnamese Government and people in preventing and controlling COVID-19, stabilising the socio-economic situation, maintaining public order as well as normal life, along with the countrys policies to support post-pandemic recovery, thus protecting human rights. Viet Nam has entered the 76th day without any new community coronavirus transmission, keeping the caseload low at 355 confirmed patients with no deaths so far. Delivering the report regarding the impacts of COVID-19 pandemic, Michelle Bachelet, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, underscored the concern about the harmful influence of the pandemic on peace and development, stressing that it could extinguish hope to fulfil sustainable development goals of the UN 2030 Agenda if countries fail to work together. Stressing the need to ensure civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights, especially of vulnerable groups, Bachelet called on all countries to continue co-operating to make sure no one is left behind in the fight against the pandemic. The 44th session, scheduled to last until July 17, will see more than 30 dialogues, including those with the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights on the human rights situations in countries including the Philippines, Myanmar, Eritrea, Belarus, Syria, Burundi, Venezuela, Nicaragua, Ukraine and Sudan. To ensure safety, participants can deliver their speech directly at the hall or through videos. VNS Temperatures are expected to be above 90 degrees in much of Michigan this Fourth of July weekend and the Michigan State Police, Emergency Management and Homeland Security Division is urging residents to take steps to stay safe during the extreme heat. Extreme heat can be life-threatening, said Capt. Kevin Sweeney, deputy state director of Emergency Management and Homeland Security and commander of the MSP/EMHSD. By taking some precautionary steps, you can minimize your risk of heat-related injury and help those who are most affected by severe heat. MSP reports that to prevent heat-related injury: Find places with air conditioning to take a break from the heat. If you are outside, find shade. Wear a hat wide enough to protect your face. Wear loose, lightweight, light-colored clothing. Drink plenty of fluids to stay hydrated. Do not use electric fans when the temperature outside is more than 95 degrees, as it could increase the risk of heat-related illness. Fans create airflow and a false sense of comfort, but do not reduce body temperature. Avoid high-energy activities. Check yourself, family members and neighbors for signs of heat-related illness. Learn the signs at www.michigan.gov/miready. For more information on how to prepare before, during and after an emergency or disaster, visit www.michigan.gov/miready or follow the MSP/EMHSD on Twitter at @MichEMHS. WASHTENAW COUNTY, MI -- Washtenaw Countys Board of Health has declared racism a public health crisis, joining governing bodies across Michigan in the symbolic statement and effort to create health equity. The board passed the resolution Tuesday, June 30, and called for the county health department to work with other departments and community partners to address the social determinants of health, such as housing, employment, public safety, food access, air and water quality and health care. The resolution also calls for an annual review of the progress toward the goals and practices for their impact on racial equity, according to the resolution. Racism is a public health crisis, Ypsilanti leaders declare in resolution that must be more than symbolic Officials noted that Washtenaw County ranks 80th out of the 83 Michigan counties for income inequality in a 2020 ranking and there is a 10-year difference in life expectancy between Black and white residents and a 17-year difference between Latino and white residents. The COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately affected Black residents in Washtenaw County. As of July 1, 33% of Washtenaws total cases and 41% of hospitalizations have been in Black residents, though they make up 12% of Washtenaws population, according to the health department. Michigan lawmakers want to declare racism a public health crisis The declaration is the beginning of addressing how racism affects health, said Felicia Brabec, who sits on the countys Board of Commissioners and the 10-member county Board of Health. This declaration and commitment to health equity as well as the expected action from the Board of Commissioners are critical to our ability to move forward together, Brabec, D-Pittsfield Township, said in a statement. Naming racism and truly working together are vital steps, but we must commit to doing more. We must show our commitment at every level, put resources behind our intentions and work collectively to see meaningful and lasting change. Other communities have declared racism as a public health crisis, including Ypsilanti, Kalamazoo and Jackson. Is racism a public health crisis? Jackson prepared to say yes, county unsure The Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners is expected to discuss a similar declaration at its meeting on Wednesday, July 1. MORE FROM THE ANN ARBOR NEWS: No concerts during the pandemic? These driveway bands are here to fill the gap in Ann Arbor When you can light fireworks in Ann Arbor and Washtenaw County Emoni Bates new prep school and how it could impact Michigans basketball talent Projected enrollment increase, attrition cover budget shortfall in Ypsilanti schools budget The annual Eastern Michigan State Fair will be replaced by a Show and Go Showcase this year for youth exhibitors only, set to take place during the originally scheduled fair dates of July 28 to Aug. 1. The Eastern Michigan State Fair Board voted unanimously on this decision in response to the guidelines outlined in phase two of Gov. Gretchen Whitmers MI Safe Start Plan. The carnival, grandstand events and livestock auction have all been canceled. Barns will not be open for visitors to walk through and fair food will not be available this year. Youth exhibitors will have the opportunity to bring their animals before a judge, with each species assigned to a one-day show once the schedule is revised. Exhibitors must keep their animals in their trailers until its their turn and must depart immediately afterwards. The number of in-person supporters and spectators at the Show and Go Showcase will be limited, and specific information about their shows will be sent to participants by email later this month. Our goal was to have a live and in-person fair with a carnival, grandstand events and all the delicious fair food but with an interview Governor Whitmer did earlier this week we did not see any way of making that happen, fair manager Ian Kempf said in a statement. With the state mandate numbers a live fair simply is not possible. The fair boards decision came after many conversations and meetings with the Lapeer County Health Department, the Imlay City Police Department, the Lapeer County Sheriffs Department and Lapeer County Emergency Management. Updates on the livestock exhibits can be found at the Eastern Michigan State Fairs website. Families of youth exhibitors participating are encouraged to check their emails often for updated information as well. Read more on MLive: Genesee County Fair pressing on despite health officials planning to cancel event Back to the Bricks cancels events in downtown Flint, pushes forward with modified plan LANSING, MI -- Two regions of Michigan now are in a higher risk phase for coronavirus after both had recent upticks in coronavirus cases. The two regions are Lansing and Grand Rapids. The risk phases are simply an indication of where regions stand in battling COVID-19 but have no direct effect on their status under Gov. Gretchen Whitmers economic reopening plan. Both regions, like other regions in Michigans southern portion, remain in stage four of Whitmers reopening plan. For the risk phase gauge, the Lansing region was moved to a risk phase of high, in part due to a recent outbreak of COVID-19 cases related to exposures at an East Lansing bar. As of Tuesday, June 30, cases connected to the bar are at 107 and the Ingham County Health Department issued an emergency order to reduce restaurant capacity to 50% or no more than 75 people, whichever is fewer. The Grand Rapids region was moved to a risk phase of medium-high after a modest rise in new cases last week. For two days, daily case counts climbed into the low 50s, up from the low 30s. Also in the Grand Rapids region, the percentage of positive tests increased to 3.4 percent of the total tests conducted in the region. State health leaders want to keep the positive test ratio below 3 percent. Both regions previously had been in a medium level until June 29. The Grand Rapids region consists of Kent, Ottawa, Muskegon, Montcalm, Ionia, Isabella, Mecosta, Newaygo, Oceana, Clare, Osceloa, Lake and Mason counties. The Lansing region consists of Ingham, Eaton, Clinton, Gratiot and Shiawassee counties. Related: Michigan reports 373 new coronavirus cases, 32 new deaths During a press conference Tuesday, Whitmer and the states chief medical executive, Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, discussed the rising COVID-19 cases across the state. Khaldun said every region in the state is seeing an increase in daily cases, although regions such as Detroit, Kalamazoo, Jackson and Saginaw all have daily case counts below 20 cases per million people. The Grand Rapids and Lansing regions are above that level, with Lansing exceeding 40. Our numbers are not as strong today as they were a couple of weeks ago, Whitmer said. So we must keep up our guard. Kent County Health Director Adam London said the public should consider the change in risk phase for Kent County as a reminder to remain vigilant. Coronavirus is not going away, he said. Were in a precarious position right now. If we dont adhere to social distancing and mask use, were going to back slide. London said hes seen some examples in the Grand Rapids area of people not wearing masks in situations where they should. Were at a point where I think people have gotten fatigued with COVID-19. But were going to have to deal with this for another six months to a year before we have a vaccine available, he said. London said that, for Kent County, there has been some variability in daily case counts. The counts for the last few days have dropped back into the upper 20s and low 30s. Khaldun said the evidence shows that a higher level of new COVID-19 cases involve young people than when the pandemic started. In June, the age group of 20-29 comprised 23 percent of all cases. In the last two weeks, that same age group had the highest level of new cases. Its time for everyone, please take this seriously. Take responsibility for your own health and the health of your community. This is not a joke, she said. PREVENTION TIPS In addition to washing hands regularly and not touching your face, officials recommend practicing social distancing, assuming anyone may be carrying the virus. Health officials say you should be staying at least 6 feet away from others and working from home, if possible. Use disinfecting wipes or disinfecting spray cleaners on frequently-touched surfaces in your home (door handles, faucets, countertops) and carry hand sanitizer with you when you go into places like stores. Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has also issued an executive order requiring people to wear face coverings over their mouth and nose while inside enclosed, public spaces. Additional information is available at Michigan.gov/Coronavirus and CDC.gov/Coronavirus. READ MORE: Free coronavirus testing available More than 100 cases linked to East Lansing bar Tuesday, June 30: Latest developments on coronavirus in Michigan 26th annual Woodward Dream Cruise canceled Meijer suspends cash payments at self-checkout lanes GRAND RAPIDS, MI Jamarion Lawhorn, Kent Countys youngest killer who fatally stabbed a 9-year-old boy, is making strong progress in a residential-treatment facility, a judge said. Lawhorn, 18, killed Connor Verkerke nearly six years ago on a Kentwood playground. He has excelled in programs at Evart Youth Academy - formerly Muskegon River Youth Home and was granted extended hours outside of the facility during a hearing Tuesday, June 30, in Kent County Circuit Court. You are an extraordinary young man, I have to tell you that, Judge Paul Denenfeld told Lawhorn. Every time I see you, Im more impressed and youve matured, youve continued to grow. And I think youve got a terrific life ahead of you. Jamarion Lawhorn, who was 12 when he fatally stabbed Connor Verkerke at a Kentwood playground, speaks after a hearing Thursday, Nov. 7, in Kent County Circuit Court. (John Agar|MLive) Lawhorn was 12 when he killed Connor. He had been abused and killed Connor in the hope he would be executed or locked up. He had a lot of anger, trial testimony showed. Earlier, he said he wanted to give back for the life he took. I regret what I did. I had no right to kill Connor. Counselors say he has excelled while in the residential-treatment center. He mentors others entering the facility. He earlier earned short-term, off-campus leave. He was befriended by Connors grandmother, Toni Nunemaker, along with Frank Briones, a former detention worker who admitted Lawhorn into the Kent County juvenile facility, and Paula Creswell, who became an advocate after she saw hurt in his eyes. Creswell told the judge that Lawhorn could live with her and her husband. They have three adult children. She and her husband would set rules and boundaries. The couple love him, she said. We just really see a lot of change in him, a lot of growth and a lot of opportunity for the future, she said. Lawhorn could stay with her family overnight while on extended leave from the facility. Lawhorn said that Nunemakers forgiveness compelled him to forgive others who abused him as he was growing up. He is in weekly contact with his mother and wants to see his sisters. Me and my mother have not been an issue, recently, he told the judge in a remote hearing aired on YouTube. She opened up to me, I opened up to her. I talk to her every week. I can actually talk to her now. My mother has changed a lot. Im proud of her. He said he was looking forward to a return to society. The judge will decide by Lawhorns 19th birthday if he should remain a ward of the court until he turns 21. Im ready for it, Lawhorn said. If I dont do right, just send me back to a secure setting. If hes rehabilitated, he could be released at some point before he turns 21. If not, could be sentenced to prison as part of his blended sentence. Assistant Kent County Prosecutor Vicki Seidl said Lawhorn acknowledged that Lawhorn has taken significant steps. But she expects to ask that Lawhorn remain a ward of the court until hes 21. He would not have to be held in a secure facility until then but authorities could make sure he is truly adjusted to outside life, she said. Read more: Grandma of slain boy, 9, forgives young killer, helps win day trips from youth home Kent Countys youngest murderer could avoid prison if he can be rehabilitated Kent Countys youngest convicted killer, 15, loses appeal HOLLAND, MI -- Police are looking for a 31-year-old man in connection with a stabbing. Ottawa County sheriffs deputies are looking for Maurice Alan Butler. Police responded about 1:20 p.m. Tuesday, June 30 to an address on North Traditions Way in Holland Township on a report of two people fighting with knives. They arrived to find a 31-year-old man with a knife wound. He was taken to Holland Hospital for treatment of an injury not considered life-threatening. Police believed Butler may have gone to his residence a short distance away. A tactical team eventually entered the residence but did not locate Butler. Butler was last seen wearing a white tank top and blue jean shorts. He is 60, 170 pounds with black hair and brown eyes. Anyone with information about his whereabouts can call police at 1-800-249-0911 or Silent Observer 877-88-SILENT. NEWAYGO COUNTY, MI A Craigslist ad offers paid Antifa training on the Fourth of July. Police doubt anyone is going to show up Saturday. The posting is similar to others that have been debunked. The latest ad says Antifa is recruiting members for its ALL COUNTRYS (sic) MATTER gathering at state land headquarters in Newaygo County. We have had several inquiries about this gathering, Newaygo County Undersheriff Chad Palmiter said. Our analyst and FBI task force are advising that they do not find this to be a legitimate post. Fact-checking website Snopes.com said that a similar craigslist advertisement for Lincoln, Nebraska, was a hoax. On June 1, 2020, the white nationalist group Identity Evropa was revealed to have been behind a hoax tweet suggesting that members of antifa a diffuse movement that sometimes advocates radical methods to oppose what they view as fascism were gearing up to cause trouble for America, Snopes said. Amid unrest and demonstrations following the death of George Floyd, an unarmed Black man, while in the custody of Minneapolis police, antifa according to this white nationalist hoax were coming to sow chaos and violence across small towns in America. Snopes said that Antifa has had at most a negligible influence at anti-police demonstrations but has been blamed for unrest across the country. As a result, panic about marauding bands of antifa infiltrating small towns across America to cause terror became an ubiquitous feature of social media rumors and forwarded emails in June 2020. Many small towns have been targeted by rumors of Antifa coming, Buzzfeednews reported. Read more: Michigan drivers licenses, vehicle registrations wont expire until Sept. 15 under new laws Michigan home comes with panoramic views of Saginaw Bay listed for $519,900 Rolling gunfight in Kalamazoo neighborhood leads to injury, arrests Controversial Civil War statue will remain at township park in West Michigan A Michigan regulatory panel refused to grant quick permission to run a new oil pipeline beneath a channel that connects two of the Great Lakes, deciding instead to conduct a full review. Enbridge filed an application in April with the Public Service Commission to relocate the underwater section of Line 5 into the proposed tunnel. The company asked the commission to approve the plan immediately, arguing that the agency in effect had already given permission by allowing the original Line 5 in 1953. But during an online meeting, the panel disagreed on a 3-0 vote. The state Public Service Commission's decision on Tuesday, June 30, involved a proposed replacement for a segment of Enbridge's Line 5 that extends beneath the Straits of Mackinac, which links Lakes Huron and Michigan, the Associated Press reports. The Canadian energy transport company wants to replace dual pipelines that rest on the lake floor with a new pipe that would be placed in a 4-mile-long tunnel to be drilled in bedrock beneath the waterway. A state judge also heard arguments on whether to extend an order he issued June 25 to shut down the existing underwater segment after damage was discovered on a support piece at the lake bottom. Circuit Judge James Jamo promised to move quickly but made no immediate ruling. The 645-mile-long pipeline supplies refineries in Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania, as well as the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. Enbridge said halting its flow even temporarily threatens fuel supplies in those areas, while the state of Michigan and environmental groups contend a major spill would do considerably worse economic damage. RELATED: Enbridge Line 5 remains shut down pending Michigan judges ruling KALAMAZOO, MI -- The HopCat restaurant in Kalamazoo is closing temporarily so employees can be tested for coronavirus after it was discovered two workers had visited an East Lansing bar linked to COVID-19 cases. HopCat in Kalamazoo posted about the decision on its Facebook page late Tuesday, June 30. According to the post, two employees visited Harpers Restaurant & Brew Pub before it recently closed. Harpers has now been linked to 107 COVID-19 cases for people that visited there between June 12-20. Weve decided our staff should probably get tested to be on the safe side. Well be closed until we are confident that all employees are safe to serve our guests, according to the HopCat post. We will reopen when its safe to do so, with all our existing safety protocols in place, the post continued. PREVENTION TIPS In addition to washing hands regularly and not touching your face, officials recommend practicing social distancing, assuming anyone may be carrying the virus. Health officials say you should be staying at least 6 feet away from others and working from home, if possible. Use disinfecting wipes or disinfecting spray cleaners on frequently-touched surfaces in your home (door handles, faucets, countertops) and carry hand sanitizer with you when you go into places like stores. Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has also issued an executive order requiring people to wear face coverings over their mouth and nose while inside enclosed, public spaces. Additional information is available at Michigan.gov/Coronavirus and CDC.gov/Coronavirus. READ MORE: Free coronavirus testing available More than 100 cases linked to East Lansing bar Tuesday, June 30: Latest developments on coronavirus in Michigan 26th annual Woodward Dream Cruise canceled Meijer suspends cash payments at self-checkout lanes KALAMAZOO, MI The first of three former Lakeside Academy staff members wanted for involuntary manslaughter in the May 1 death of 16-year-old Cornelius Fredricks turned himself into the Kalamazoo County Jail Tuesday morning. Zachary Raul Solis, 28, of Lansing, was later arraigned in Kalamazoo County District Court Tuesday, June 30 on a charge of involuntary manslaughter, as well as two counts of second-degree child abuse for his alleged role in Fredricks death. Fredricks died of cardiac arrest two days after being restrained for 12 minutes by seven staff members at the facility, according to an investigative report conducted by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. The teen, who was being restrained April 29 for throwing a sandwich, was rendered unresponsive and was foaming from the mouth, witnesses told the MDHHS. The state claims video footage shows staff waited 12 minutes before nurses and staff members began CPR and called 911. Solis, Kalamazoo County Prosecutor Jeff Getting said, was one of two staff members said to have knowingly caused the teen harm by laying across his abdomen. Kalamazoo County District Judge Christopher Haenicke set a $500,000 personal recognizance bond for Solis. According to Gettings office, Solis was released on bond Tuesday afternoon. He is scheduled to be back in court for a probable cause conference on July 21. Solis attorney Donald Sappanos told MLive after the arraignment he felt his client was overcharged and was only doing what he was instructed to do on the day Fredricks died. There were seven superiors standing around watching my guy, Sappanos said. Not only was he told to (restrain Fredricks), he was being supervised by them while he did it. Sappanos said the type of restraint used was legal at the time and pointed to a recent statement from MDHHS Director Robert Gordon in which the director stated, we will cease to allow physical restraints like the ones that cost this young man his life to emphasize his point. Related: 3 face criminal charges in death of 16-year-old housed at Kalamazoo youth facility The other two defendants in the case, 47-year-old Michael Mosley and 48-year-old Heather McLogan are yet to turn themselves in. Both, like Solis, had a charge of involuntary manslaughter authorized against them last week by Getting. In addition, Mosley had two counts of second-degree child abuse authorized, and McLogan one count. Involuntary manslaughter is a felony offense that can result in up to 15 years in prison. Second-degree child abuse is a felony offense punishable by 10 years in prison. McLogans attorney, Anastase Markou, told MLive on Friday, June 26 that he and his client were working with the prosecutors office to arrange a time for his client to voluntarily surrender. Markou stated that his client, a former nurse at the facility, was not involved in the restraint of Fredricks and as such, did nothing wrong. The warrant issued for her arrest was due to her gross negligence and failure to perform her legal duty to obtain medical care, Getting said. This is a terrible tragedy, Markou said in a statement. Our hearts go out to his loved ones and the Kalamazoo community. However, justice cannot be served by an injustice. My client, Heather McLogan, has done nothing criminal and when the evidence is in, she will be vindicated. Kiana Garrity, who is representing Mosley in the matter, told MLive Tuesday that she is also arranging for her client to turn himself in this week. When that occurs will depend on Garritys schedule, as well as the jails, she said. Garrity, who declined to comment further on the matter, emailed a prepared statement, in which she stated multiple times her client was following Lakeside protocol at all times in the incident. Lakeside officials have released a version of events, multiple times to the media, that deflects responsibility from their own employee policies and procedures, Garrity said in her statement. They have attempted to control the narrative but we intend to show the entire truth surrounding the instruction and training of their youth counselors. Garrity said Mosley was a youth counselor and a subordinate, while others present when Fredricks died were superiors. To my knowledge, these superior personnel have neither been terminated nor reprimanded by Lakeside/their parent company, Garrity said. According to the MDHHS, Lakesides parent company Sequel Youth and Family Service fired the facilitys chief administrator, one supervisor, the director of nursing and parted ways with eight other employees. The MDHHS investigation listed 18 employees at the facility and multiple supervisors and directors, who lacked the ability to perform the job duties. The family of Fredricks is also suing Lakeside Academy for $100 million, claiming negligence leading to wrongful death. The civil lawsuit was filed Monday, June 22, in Kalamazoo County Circuit Court. Also on MLive: Nurse did nothing criminal in death of Lakeside Academy teen, defense attorney says Teens death comes after pattern of improper restraints at now-closed facility, investigation shows Lakeside Academy students death ruled homicide Family of Lakeside Academy student seek answers about his death Nothing like this has happened before, Lakeside Academy board chair says of student death Keokuk, IA (52632) Today Cloudy skies this morning will become partly cloudy this afternoon. Cooler. High 71F. Winds NNW at 10 to 20 mph.. Tonight Clear skies. Low near 50F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph. KALAMAZOO, MI -- The Michigan Supreme Court will not hear an appeal of Charles Pickett Jr.s convictions and prison sentence for crashing his pickup truck into a group of bicyclists, killing five and injuring four others. Pickett, 53, is serving 40 to 75 years in prison after being convicted by a Kalamazoo County jury of five counts of murder, among other charges, for the June 7, 2016 crash. The court rejected Picketts appeal of an earlier Sept. 19, 2019, judgement from the Michigan Court of Appeals because we are not persuaded that the questions presented should be reviewed by this court, according to the court order issued June 30. The state appellate panel said in September that Kalamazoo County Circuit Court Judge Paul J. Bridenstine was justified in sentencing Pickett above advisory sentencing guidelines in the 2016 crash on North Westnedge Avenue in Cooper Township. Killed in the crash were Debra Ann Bradley, 53, Suzanne Joan Sippel, 56, both of Augusta, Melissa Ann Fevig Hughes, 42, Fred Anton "Tony" Nelson, 73, and Lorenz John "Larry" Paulik, 74, all of Kalamazoo. Related: Convictions, long sentence upheld in deaths of 5 Kalamazoo bicyclists The record shows that before crashing into a group of nine bicyclists while traveling at approximately 58 miles per hour, Pickett had seven separate instances of erratic and extremely dangerous driving, the state Court of Appeals panel wrote. The trial court did not err by finding that each one of those instances provided Pickett ample opportunity to cease driving. Contrary to Picketts suggestion, this case is not akin to a standard driving while intoxicated case. In sum, we conclude that the trial court adequately justified the sentence imposed. After a 2018 trial in Kalamazoo County Circuit Court, a jury found Pickett guilty of five counts of second-degree murder and five counts of operating under the influence causing death. He was also convicted of four counts of operating while intoxicated causing serious injury to Jennifer Johnson of Kalamazoo, Sheila Jeske, Paul Runnels, and Paul Gobble, all of Richland. Pickett was later sentenced to 35 to 55 years in prison, to be served concurrently, for the second-degree murder convictions. He was sentenced to eight to 15 years for each count of operating under the influence causing death. Those five terms run concurrently with the murder convictions but consecutive to each other. Pickett had methamphetamine, pain medication and muscle relaxers in his system after the crash. A witness saw Pickett take a pool of pills before speeding off his in pickup truck. Many witnesses reported that he was driving erratically and dangerously but he could not be stopped before hitting the bicyclists. Blood tests showed Pickett had methamphetamine, hydrocodone, tramadol, ketamine and cyclobenzaprine in his system after the crash. A friend testified he took a handful of pills before he got behind the wheel. In his appeal, Pickett also argued his constitutional rights were violated because his confession was not suppressed during trial. After being given Miranda warnings against self-incrimination, he told police he wanted an attorney. During an exchange with police, Pickett made incriminating statements about drug use. In its September 2019 ruling denying Picketts appeal, the panel judges Brock Swartzle, Elizabeth Gleicher and Michael Kelly said the statement about drug use should not have been allowed at trial but the error was harmless because the prosecution presented untainted evidence establishing the same facts that Pickett told the police about during his confession. The appeals court also rejected a claim from Picket that the sentencing judge did not consider that his apparent lack of remorse could have been trial strategy. Pickett is currently being held at Lakeland Correctional Facility in Coldwater, according to Michigan Department of Corrections records. He was previously held at the Chippewa Correctional Facility in Kincheloe, in Michigans Upper Peninsula. Also on MLive: Bicycle crash survivors go on evening ride after Pickett verdict Memorial to be unveiled on 2nd anniversary of Kalamazoo bicycle crash July 4th in age of COVID: Expert tips for safe holiday travels and celebrations Michigan Supreme Court will take up federal questions about Whitmers emergency authority Controversial Civil War statue will remain at township park in West Michigan KALAMAZOO, MI Police arrested two suspects after a rolling gunfight involving multiple vehicles in a residential neighborhood. One of those allegedly involved, an 18-year-old Kalamazoo resident, was treated at a hospital for a gunshot injury before being arrested. Police also arrested a 15-year-old after a short chase. The shootings were reported around 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 30, in the 1500 block of Cameron Street, near East Stockbridge Avenue and Fulford Street. Several witnesses reported hearing and seeing gunfire. Witnesses described a rolling gunfight involving multiple vehicles and multiple firearms, police Sgt. Ryan Preston said in a statement. Police also found shell casings in the road. While investigating at the scene, police were told that a shooting victim showed up at a hospital. Once discharged, the 18-year-old was arrested for firing from a moving vehicle, carrying a concealed weapon and felony firearms, police said. Police later spotted a vehicle that matched a description provided by witnesses. After a short pursuit, the 15-year-old driver fled on foot before being quickly captured. Police found a gun in the vehicle. It matched the caliber of spent shell casings that were found at the shooting scene. The driver was arrested for fleeing and eluding, resisting and obstructing a police officer and carrying a concealed firearm, police said. This shooting occurred in a residential neighborhood and endangered the lives of innocent bystanders who were nearby, Preston said in the statement. Police asked anyone with information to call Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety at 337-8139 or Silent Observer at 343-2100. Read more: HopCat in Kalamazoo closes, 2 workers visited coronavirus-linked East Lansing bar Kent Countys youngest killer now an extraordinary young man, judge says WMU football team to begin voluntary on-campus workouts in July KALAMAZOO, MI All three former Lakeside Academy staff members charged with involuntary manslaughter in the May 1 death of 16-year-old Cornelius Fredricks have now surrendered to authorities and been arraigned in Kalamazoo County District Court. Michael Joshua Mosley, 47, of Battle Creek, and Heather Newton McLogan, 48, of Kalamazoo, both turned themselves in at the Kalamazoo County Jail Wednesday, July 1, and were later arraigned by Kalamazoo County District Court Judge Richard Santoni. Mosley was charged with one count of involuntary manslaughter and two counts of second-degree child abuse, whereas McLogan was charged with one count of involuntary manslaughter and one count of second-degree child abuse. Involuntary manslaughter is a felony offense that, upon conviction, can result in a sentence of up to 15 years in prison. Second-degree child abuse is also a felony offense, punishable by 10 years in prison. Related: Suspect in Lakeside Academy students death turns self in, charged with manslaughter Mosley and McLogans arraignments come the day after Zachary Solis, 28, of Lansing, turned himself in and was arraigned on a single count of involuntary manslaughter and two counts of second-degree child abuse. Solis was released from jail Tuesday afternoon on a $500,000 personal recognizance bond. He is due back in court for a probable cause conference on July 21. Mosley and McLogan were also both issued $500,000 personal recognizance bonds. McLogans probable cause conferences is scheduled for July 21 and Mosleys is set for July 22. Fredricks died May 1 of cardiac arrest, two days after being restrained by multiple staff members at the now-closed Lakeside Academy. Fredricks was restrained for the act of throwing a sandwich, reports have shown. His manner and cause of death were ruled by the Kalamazoo County Medical Examiners Office to be homicide as a result of sequelae of restraint asphyxia, meaning the teen was receiving a lack of oxygen and blood flow. In my opinion, the complications of him being restrained, on the ground in a supine position by multiple people, is ultimately what led to his death, Dr. Ted Brown, who performed the autopsy, told MLive. Related: 3 face criminal charges in death of 16-year-old housed at Kalamazoo youth facility Solis and Mosley, Kalamazoo County Prosecutor Jeff Getting said, stand accused of knowingly caused the teen harm by laying across his abdomen. McLogan, a former nurse at the facility, failed to perform her legal duty by obtaining medical care in a timely fashion for Fredricks, Getting said. Fredricks, according to an investigation conducted by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, was restrained by seven different staff members at the time he was rendered unresponsive. Nurses and staff waited 12 minutes to begin CPR and call 911, the report states. Solis defense attorney, Donald Sappanos, told MLive after Tuesdays arraignment he felt his client was overcharged and was only doing what he was instructed to do by his superiors on the day Fredricks died. Kiana Garrity, who is representing Mosley in the matter, echoed Sappanos sentiment when reached by MLive Tuesday. In a statement provided by Garrity, the attorney said her her client was following Lakeside protocol at all times in the incident. Garrity said Mosley was a youth counselor and a subordinate, while others present when Fredricks died, were superiors. To my knowledge, these superior personnel have neither been terminated nor reprimanded by Lakeside/their parent company, Garrity said. According to the MDHHS, Lakesides parent company Sequel Youth and Family Service fired the facilitys chief administrator, one supervisor, the director of nursing and parted ways with eight other employees. The MDHHS investigation listed 18 employees at the facility and multiple supervisors and directors, who lacked the ability to perform the job duties. McLogans attorney, Anastase Markou, said during her arraignment hearing Wednesday that his client has been a nurse for 12 years and is a lifelong resident of Kalamazoo. She has no prior criminal history whatsoever, Markou said, calling the charges against his client unusual. Markou previously told MLive, on Friday, June 26, that his client was not involved in the restraint of Fredricks and, as such, did nothing wrong. This is a terrible tragedy, Markou said in a statement. Our hearts go out to his loved ones and the Kalamazoo community. However, justice cannot be served by an injustice. Getting announced he had authorized charges against McLogan, Solis and Mosley during a press conference on June 24. At the time, he said, more charges were likely to be filed against other individuals. These three, he said, were facing the most serious crimes, however. The family of Fredricks is also suing Lakeside Academy for $100 million, claiming negligence leading to wrongful death. The civil lawsuit was filed Monday, June 22, in Kalamazoo County Circuit Court. Also on MLive: Nurse did nothing criminal in death of Lakeside Academy teen, defense attorney says Teens death comes after pattern of improper restraints at now-closed facility, investigation shows Lakeside Academy students death ruled homicide Family of Lakeside Academy student seek answers about his death Nothing like this has happened before, Lakeside Academy board chair says of student death MUSKEGON TOWNSHIP, MI A suspect in one of two unrelated shootings at a Muskegon Township apartment complex that occurred just 15 hours apart has been arrested. Anthony Lynn Edwards, 39, has been arraigned for assault with intent to do great bodily harm less than murder. Hes also charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm. Hes accused of shooting another man once in the abdomen around 3:45 a.m. Sunday, June 28, at the Quail Meadows apartment complex, said Matt Roberts, chief trial attorney for the Muskegon County Prosecutors Office. That shooting occurred outside 751 Quail Court, Building C, Roberts said. Thats near the intersection of Quail Court and Partridge Court. No one has been charged in connection to an earlier shooting at Quail Meadows that occurred around 1 p.m. Saturday, June 27, said Muskegon Township Police Chief Tim Thielbar. That male victim was shot inside an apartment at 772 Quail Court, Thielbar said. He told police he was shot once in the abdomen with a long gun, but provided little other information, he said. The victim reported that the suspect appeared at his bedroom door and shot, Thielbar said. Police had been at the same address earlier on a domestic dispute involving roommates, he said. It doesnt appear anyones being cooperative at this time, Thielbar said. Later that night, there was a party elsewhere in the apartment complex that the victim of the Sunday shooting attended and where the dispute leading to the shooting may have started, Thielbar said. The victim named the suspect who shot him, Thielbar said. Police obtained and executed a search warrant at a residence and arrested the sleeping suspect, he said. They also recovered a handgun, he said. The victim and suspect were known to each other, Thielbar said. They had a female companion in common, he said. The shootings are not related and remain under investigation, Thielbar. Both victims remain hospitalized but are expected to recover, he said. Also on MLive: Teen charged with murder in Muskegon Heights hotel shooting Motorcyclist found dead from crash that could have occurred 7 hours earlier Light fireworks not wildfires on Fourth of July, DNR gives tips MUSKEGON, MI An announcement by city officials that the city of Muskegon has shut down the Bike Time motorcycle rally came as a surprise to the events spokesperson, who told MLive that the events organizers had not yet made a decision on whether to cancel due to COVID-19. Muskegon City Clerk Ann Meisch issued a news release Wednesday, July 1, announcing that two major motorcycle rallies in Muskegon Bike Time and Rebel Road were canceled because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Rebel Road, scheduled for July 15-19, was already canceled last month by its organizers. Bike Time was scheduled for July 16-19 at the Hot Rod Harley Davidson dealership. The two coinciding events annually transform downtown Muskegons West Western Avenue into a bikers alley, attracting over 120,000 people each year. Bike Time organizers had yet to announce the events cancellation when the city sent its press release. MLive contacted the events spokesperson, Tim Lipan, who was caught off guard when told about the announcement. Lipan said the events board of directors hadnt decided yet whether to cancel the event. He said the board planned to make a decision on Thursday, July 2. But a short time later, Bike Time issued its own press release announcing the events cancellation. When contacted by MLive, Meisch clarified that the news release meant city officials would not authorize a liquor license for the Bike Time rally. However, the release did not mention a liquor license and indicated the event was canceled. The city is not authorizing an event, Meisch said. (City officials) have to sign off on a liquor license and so the city is not going to sign off on a liquor license. Bike Time typically features a beer tent and games like beer pong and cornhole. The news release issued Wednesday by the events organizers said it would not be prudent to continue planning the event. It is with a heavy heart that the Board of Directors of Muskegon Bike Time is announcing that this years event is cancelled, the news release reads. Bike Time had continued planning the event in hopes that Michigan would move to Stage 5 of the Governors Reopening Plan. Although we were working to implement safety precautions, recent COVID-19 events in Michigan and throughout the country have forced us to err on the side of safety. City Manager Frank Peterson said in a prepared statement that he encourages Muskegon County motorcyclists to visit downtown Muskegon that weekend, but asks visitors from other counties to stay away to prevent the spread of COVID-19. There will be no downtown events the week of July 12th and the city will not have the amenities to handle large surges of crowds downtown, the release said. The citys release came after a modest rise in new cases last week in the Grand Rapids region which represents 13 West Michigan counties including Muskegon heightening the regions risk phase to medium-high. It also was issued around the same time Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced that she was banning indoor bar service throughout most of Michigan due to the COVID-19 risk. RELATED: Coronavirus risk phase heightened for Grand Rapids, Lansing regions after increase in cases We did not make the decision to cancel lightly, Peterson said. At the end of the day, the well-being of our community comes above all else. We need to protect the safety of our citizens, volunteers, and vendors. Bike Time was one of the last remaining summer events in Muskegon to be canceled because of the pandemic. The list of cancellations includes the Lakeshore Art Festival, the Burning Foot Beer Festival (which has announced plans for a virtual event), the Miss Michigan Scholarship Pageant, the Michigan Irish Music Festival , Unity Christian Music Festival, and even weekly Parties in the Park. PREVENTION TIPS In addition to washing hands regularly and not touching your face, officials recommend practicing social distancing, assuming anyone may be carrying the virus. Health officials say you should be staying at least 6 feet away from others and working from home, if possible. Use disinfecting wipes or disinfecting spray cleaners on frequently-touched surfaces in your home (door handles, faucets, countertops) and carry hand sanitizer with you when you go into places like stores. Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has also issued an executive order requiring people to wear face coverings over their mouth and nose while inside enclosed, public spaces. Additional information is available at Michigan.gov/Coronavirus and CDC.gov/Coronavirus. More on MLive: Michigan one of 3 states U.S. military is restricting travel to due to coronavirus Masks, class sizes and busing: 10 ways Michigan schools could look different this fall July 4th in age of COVID: Expert tips for safe holiday travels and celebrations Wednesday July 1: Latest developments on coronavirus in Michigan MUSKEGON COUNTY, MI A judge has upheld her decision to disqualify the Muskegon County Prosecutors Office from trying a murder case. Muskegon County Circuit Judge Annette Smedley affirmed her decision in the case involving the shooting death of a young man at Balcoms Cove condominiums on Muskegon Lake. Her decision to uphold her earlier ruling from October 2019 followed a Court of Appeals-ordered evidentiary hearing in Smedleys court. The prosecutors office filed an appeal of its disqualification with the Michigan Court of Appeals last November. Paul Gabriel, a resident of Balcoms Cove, is accused of open murder in the death of AJ Federighe, 22, on an elevated walkway at the lakefront condos in September 2018. Gabriel had an ongoing feud with Federighes father, also a resident of Balcoms Cove, and had contacted the prosecutors office about perceived threats. The defenses primary concern was the anticipated testimony of staff from the prosecutors office who had spoken with Gabriel prior to the shooting, Gabriels attorney, Frank Stanley, told MLive earlier. The gist of the conversations was that Gabriel had the right to defend himself if he was threatened as well as background the prosecutors office had about Federighe and his family, Stanley said. The bottom line is that the prosecutors staff members would be in an awkward position when being cross-examined at trial by a prosecutor who is their superior, Stanley said. The situation could create the appearance that staff were saying things to keep their jobs, he said. Related: Text messages show condominium killers obsession with victims dad: prosecution Matt Roberts, chief trial attorney for the Muskegon County Prosecutors Office, said theres no question that Gabriel had contact with employees of the office. However, he said hes confident that would not influence any testimony they provided under oath. I think the witnesses are pressured to respond a certain way and thats truthfully, because they are under oath to tell the truth, Roberts told MLive. He added that disbarring a prosecutor from handling any case when an employee had previous contact with a defendant could lead to some pretty absurd results. Roberts noted that the prosecutors office did recuse itself from a criminal case involving the victims father, Tony Federighe, which is being tried by the Ottawa County Prosecutor. Muskegon County Assistant Prosecutor Brian Hosticka and Elizabeth DeYoung, a legal secretary in the prosecutors office, were ordered by the Court of Appeals to testify at the evidentiary hearing held in May. The court ordered the hearing and Smedley to make a decision following it before it would consider taking up Prosecutor DJ Hilsons appeal of the disqualification order. The day of the shooting, Gabriel had sent a text message to an acquaintance that said The prosecutor gave permission to shot (sic) Tony (Federighe). He seemed violent and dangerous, according to a court brief filed by Stanley. Related: Disturbing video shows aftermath of fatal condo shooting The prior day, Gabriel had had two phone conversations, one lasting more than 13 minutes, with a Muskegon County assistant prosecutor, Stanley wrote in the brief. The length of the calls gives some credence to the idea that the assistant prosecutor, later identified as Hosticka, was giving Gabriel advice on how to deal with Federighe, the defense brief states. Gabriel had called the prosecutors office for advice after a Muskegon County judge denied a personal protection order he had sought against Federighes father, an attorney for Gabriel said in court earlier. Roberts told MLive Gabriel had called Hosticka to complain that Tony Federighe was violating bond conditions and Hosticka told him to come to the office with evidence of that. During the conversation, Gabriel indicated he had a concealed pistol license, and Hosticka told him he had the same rights as anyone to defend himself, Roberts said. In addition, Stanley wrote that at a social gathering, Gabriel spoke with a prosecutors office staff member, later identified as DeYoung, who told him that Tony and AJ Federighe were well known in the prosecutors office and that the office had numerous problems with Tony and that AJ also had issues. That essentially gave Gabriel the right to be afraid of the Federighes, the brief states. Roberts told MLive that DeYoung had spoken with Gabriel at the social gathering about personal interactions she had had with Tony Federighe years earlier. The staff members would be in an uncomfortable position of being cross-examined by a prosecutor who works in the same office when called as defense witnesses, which could have a chilling effect on their testimony, Stanley wrote in his brief. The prosecution, in its brief against Stanleys motion to disqualify it, argued that it was unconstitutional for Smedley to disqualify the prosecutors office unless it had done something unconstitutional, illegal or acted outside its powers. In this case it did not, the prosecution claimed. Otherwise, the court has no role in the disqualification process that is in the hands of the prosecuting attorney or attorney general, the prosecution brief states. In addition, the assistant prosecutors brief conversation with Gabriel during which he certainly did not authorize (him) to shoot anybody does not rise to the level of disqualifying the entire prosecutors office, the brief filed by Muskegon County Senior Assistant Prosecutor Charles Justian states. Court records indicate that Gabriel and Tony Federighe had been feuding for about a year prior to the fatal shooting, and both unsuccessfully sought personal protection orders against each other. Two residents of the Balcoms Cove condos a couple testified at an earlier court hearing about breaking up a fight between Gabriel and AJ Federighe in the garage of the condo building prior to the shooting. They testified that following the fight, they walked onto the catwalk leading from the garage to the main building with AJ Federighe, and that Gabriel followed, brandishing a handgun pointed in their direction. They left as Gabriel and Federighe continued arguing. The prosecution claims that during the fight, Federighe had gotten the best of Gabriel, who drew his gun while still in the garage. Motion-activated surveillance video caught the aftermath of the altercation on the catwalk after the other residents had left. The video shows Federighe drop to his knees clutching his mid-section and then struggle to get up as Gabriel, holding the gun, walks past him and into the condos foyer. The video shows the victim struggling through the door from the catwalk and crumpling in a corner of the foyer, having been shot once in the chest. The camera was not recording for several minutes prior, so its not known exactly what occurred prior to the shooting. The defense says that Federighe had attacked Gabriel in the garage and was going to attack him again, and grabbed for the gun, when Gabriel shot him in self-defense. Also on MLive: Teen charged with murder in Muskegon Heights hotel shooting Suspect charged in one of 2 weekend shootings at Muskegon area apartments Motorcyclist found dead from crash that could have occurred 7 hours earlier MUSKEGON, MI - The newest public sculpture in the city of Muskegon was unveiled to the public on Tuesday evening. A City Built on Timber is a 20-foot-tall tribute to Muskegons natural resources, especially its water and woods. The glass-and-steel monument was installed at the entrance to Heritage Landing park this week, with a public dedication on June 30. It is the second of what will be 10 large public artworks that will be placed throughout the city through the MuskegonCity Public Art Initiative, according to that groups program manager, Judy Hayner. The artwork was funded through private donations, administered through the Community Foundation for Muskegon County. The art initiative seeds each project with $25,000 and fundraises for the remaining amount. The Heritage Landing sculpture cost $125,000, and $116,169 was raised for the project from 54 private donors, three corporations, two civic organizations, the Community Foundation, and the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs, according to Hayner. The County of Muskegon, and the City of Muskegon also provided in-kind donations, according to a press release. Heritage Landing is owned by Muskegon County, which will be responsible for caring for the new sculpture. The sculptures artists, Detroit-based brothers Erik and Israel Nordin, were present for Tuesdays ceremony. The lumber industry really helped the city transcend (to) the future, said Erik Nordin in brief remarks. The artwork is composed of interlaced steel beams, made to look like timber, holding a steel and glass cube at the top. The cube is inspired by a map or a topographical view of a city...and that cube is being raised by the timber in the air, sort of showing the future of the city, said Erik Nordin. The Nordin brothers were chosen after a call for artists that went out last May, according to a press release describing the project. Local, regional, statewide and national artists were invited to submit proposals, and 21 artists submitted 27 concepts. The Nordin brothers design was selected last October. The sculpture is the second commission by the MuskegonCity Public Art Initiative, following Moxie the Mastadon, which was installed outside the Lakeshore Museum Center, 430 W Clay Ave., last summer. The initiative plans to eventually place 10 large-scale artworks around the city, including murals on railway bridges over Seaway Drive, and a steel-and-glass sculpture for the entrance to Pere Marquette Park. The initiative is also looking to install art at the upcoming convention center, on Fourth Street between West Western Avenue and Shoreline Drive, in partnership with the Womens Division of the Chamber of Commerce, to celebrate that organizations 70th anniversary. Read more on MLive: Construction delayed again on 6-story, mixed-use building in downtown Muskegon Lack of interest prompts extension of call for Muskegon railroad bridge murals A fish, two owls and other street sculptures unveiled in downtown Muskegon Police spending increases by nearly $600K in new Muskegon budget MUSKEGON, MI - At a time when communities across the country are discussing how much funding policing operations receive, the city of Muskegon has adopted a budget that increases police funding, following an emotional several weeks of public feedback. At the same time, city commissioners have pledged to begin a series of public conversations and listening tours around the issue of policing, police reform, and demands for boosted community and social services. The budget, which goes into effect on Wednesday, July 1, includes a $28.8 million general fund, of which $10.76 million is allocated to the police department. Thats an increase of about $570,000, which City Manager Frank Peterson said is primarily attributable to retiree pensions and healthcare benefits. Those pension funds will receive almost $1.3 million in contributions this year, an increase of almost $390,000, Peterson told commissioners before their final vote. The majority of the remaining funds, about $9.1 million, will go to police officers salaries and benefits. Muskegon Police Chief Jeffrey Lewis said at an earlier meeting that the department has 10 vacant positions. Commissioners engaged in robust discussions of the budget at earlier work sessions prior to their final vote on June 23, with some community members calling for significant transformation to how the city conducts and pays for policing. Before casting the lone dissenting vote on the budget, City Commissioner Willie German expressed dismay that changes had not been made to the police budget to reflect community concerns. This is a chance for the commission to move in the right direction, where we could actually make some change and listen to the voices of the community, he said. By law, the city had to pass a budget by the start of a new fiscal year, which is July 1. Several commissioners said they would continue to engage in conversations around city funding, with Michael Ramsey and Ken Johnson both saying they hoped the body would find ways of moving money towards social and community programs. No specific dates have yet been set for public meetings on the topic, although some commissioners have begun holding Zoom calls with constituents. City budgets can be amended, and Peterson previously told MLive that, because of financial uncertainty caused by COVID-19, it is likely that the Fiscal Year 2020 budget will be amended. After the budget was approved, following about an hour of debate, four Muskegon residents called in to the virtual meeting to express their desire for some level of defunding the police. That has become a rallying cry among activists across the country in ongoing protests against police brutality that sprung up more than a month ago following high-profile deaths of unarmed Black Americans at the hands of law enforcement officers. RELATED: Hundreds gather in Muskegon to march for racial justice The idea, advocates say, is to move money away from police departments and into community services. Elijah Nichols enumerated some of those desired resources during the public comment period, including free mental health services, unarmed crisis interventionists, increased minimum wage and public housing. Nichols also said that he did not believe that reform measures, such as implementing body cameras, go far enough. The ends of body cameras are less murders, but it does not stop them, he said. Our goal should be to end police violence, not mitigate it. The Muskegon County Sheriffs office recently announced that it will purchase body-mounted and dashboard cameras, and officers in Muskegon Heights, Norton Shores, and Muskegon Township wear body cameras. In Muskegon, seven of 69 officers wear body cameras, according to Lewis. Muskegons police department came under scrutiny when one of its officers, Charles Anderson, was found last year to have KKK memorabilia in his home. He was suspended from the force, and later signed a separation agreement with the city. That discovery led to calls that Andersons record be reviewed, and his use of lethal force against a city resident be reinvestigated. In 2009, Anderson fatally shot 23-year-old Julius Allen-Ray Johnson, a Black man. That shooting was found at the time to be justified, following an investigation by the Michigan State Police. Johnson is alleged to have beaten Anderson about the head. RELATED: Change is already here: Juneteenth protest in Muskegon draws calls for action Johnsons name has been evoked locally when activists have decried other Black Americans killed by police, such as George Floyd, a Minnesota man who died when a police officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes, and Breonna Taylor, a Grand Rapids native who was killed in her Lousville, Kentucky, home. Activists have also condemned Anderson being allowed to retire from the police force, rather than being fired, which grants him access to a pension and retiree health insurance. Earlier in the evening, Mayor Stephen Gawron defended Muskegons police department, saying that a community policing program was introduced in the 1990s in order to address a burgeoning violent crime rate. We do community policing so we dont kill people, he said, adding that community relations have improved since that style of policing was introduced. We havent been sitting on our laurels and resting, and not funding and engaging in other social justice areas and social development areas. Gawron pointed to bias training that 150 out of 238 city employees have received, community programs like a fishing derby pairing local youth with cops, and the countys Social Justice Commission, which the city supports, he said. He also said that Muskegon substantially matches the policies outlined by the 8 Cant Wait campaign, a harm-reduction intervention in policing. These include banning chokeholds, requiring de-escalation, warning before shooting, and outlawing shooting at moving vehicles, all of which Gawron said is current Muskegon city policy. Another caller, Kwame James, suggested that system-level change may take a long time. This is a problem that is generations in the making - centuries in the making - and were not going to fix it this year. Were not going to fix it next year, he said. But if we earnestly commit to re-evaluating what were doing here, and developing some systemic changes, then we will position ourselves maybe to fix it over the course of, perhaps, this generation. The budget planning process was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Peterson. He previously told MLive that the city expects an ongoing downturn in its revenue because, as city residents lost their jobs during the pandemic, they would stop paying local income taxes. Unemployment soared in the Muskegon-Norton Shores metro area during the height of the outbreak, according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, from 3.9 percent to 29.3 percent. Local income taxes typically comprise some $9.6 million, representing about a third of the citys annual $27 million in revenue, according to Peterson. Because tax filing deadlines have been postponed, it is not yet clear exactly how much money the city lost in income tax revenue this spring, but the budget was drafted estimating that these revenues would amount to $7.75 million this year - about a quarter of the citys revenue. As the city continues to figure out what additional state and federal resources are available, there may be more flexibility within city coffers, Peterson said. In the meantime, Commissioner Ramsey said he would begin a series of Zoom meetings with constituents, so that we can just begin to have conversations about what a reimagination of a public system looks like. Read more on MLive: Emotional stories shared by black residents at Muskegon forum on policing Whitmer seeks federal help for flooded West Michigan homeowners New sculpture honoring Muskegons lumber past arrives at Heritage Landing Construction delayed again on 6-story, mixed-use building in downtown Muskegon ROSCOMMON, MI A fallen tree is to blame for the death of a Boyne City motorcyclist and the injuring of another. About 2:50 p.m. on Tuesday, June 30, Michigan State Police troopers from the Houghton Lake Post and Gerrish Township police responded to a motorcycle crash on County Road 104 near Leafy Lane in Roscommon County. As they investigated the crash, they learned of a second motorcycle in a ditch within 200 yards of the initial incident. Roscommon County Sheriffs deputies assisted troopers in investigating the second crash, finding the bikes lone rider, 56-year-old David L. Frye, to be deceased. A dead tree had fallen into the road, covering the westbound lane and most of the eastbound lane, troopers report. Troopers believe both motorcyclists were traveling in opposite directions and were unable to avoid crashing into the tree. After their collisions, both riders wound up in a ditch on the south side of the road. Frye, of Boyne City, had been heading eastbound when his crash occurred, troopers report. The other motorcyclist was taken to an area hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries. Neither speed nor alcohol are believed to be factors in either collision, troopers said. EDENVILLE, MI - Two bridges on highway M-30 were damaged or destroyed after a power dam burst during flooding in mid-Michigan. Now, the state is taking the first steps to repair them. The Michigan Department of Transportation has granted an emergency contract to remove debris at the M-30 bridge over the Tittabawassee River in Midland County, a span damaged by scores of tree trunks that flowed downstream when the dam failed in mid-May. The trunks remain in piles against the bridge. MDOT also awarded contracts for debris removal at the site of a second bridge on M-30 above the Edenville Dam, in Gladwin County. That bridge was washed away by the flooding. The removal of the debris is expected to be completed by July 22, according to MDOT. Fisher Contracting based out of Midland was given the $1.2 million bid to complete the project. Once the debris is removed from the bridge over the Tittbawassee River in Midland County, MDOT says an inspection will determine condition of the piers to move forward with a required maintenance plan. At the site of the bridge that washed away in Gladwin County, contractors will remove debris and MDOT says an inspection of the channel and soil boring tests are the next steps. According to MDOT, there are plans to build a temporary bridge over the Tobacco River, north of the Edenville Dam site, that will remain in place for several years while plans for a permanent bridge are determined. The work at the bridges began Monday, June 29. Read more: Rural store tries to hang on after flood washes out bridges and flow of customers to Edenville Midland construction company awarded contract to repair US-10 Sanford Lake bridges Flooding causes $27 million in damage to Midland County roads and bridges M-30 bridge destroyed after nearby dam failure LINWOOD, MI A waterfront home with high-end finishes, scenic views and access to a world-class walleye fishery could be yours in northern Bay County for $519,900. The 2,655-square-foot home, located at 470 N. Linwood Beach Road, that offers panoramic views of the Bay is MLives House of the Week. Every week homes ranging in price and style are featured from around Michigan. This three bedroom, 2.5 bath waterfront home is located about 14 miles north of Bay City in a private setting. It is a beautiful Saginaw Bay waterfront home. Its immaculate, said Jim Diedrich, associate broker, Ayre/Rhinehart Bay Realtors. The views are just fantastic. A view of the living area inside a home located at 470 North Linwood Beach Road in Linwood on Wednesday, June 17, 2020. This home is listed for sale at $519,900. (Kaytie Boomer | MLive.com)Kaytie Boomer | MLive.com This move-in-ready home, built in 1991, features three bedrooms and two full bathrooms. A view in the master bedroom inside a home located at 470 North Linwood Beach Road in Linwood on Wednesday, June 17, 2020. This home is listed for sale at $519,900. (Kaytie Boomer | MLive.com)Kaytie Boomer | MLive.com This home has a large master suite with an updated custom bath and four season sun room, large Anderson windows and new furnace and air conditioner. A view of a home located at 470 North Linwood Beach Road in Linwood on Wednesday, June 17, 2020. This home is listed for sale at $519,900. (Kaytie Boomer | MLive.com)Kaytie Boomer | MLive.com On this 1.3-acre waterfront property, there is also a log guest cabin with knotty pine interior and a finished, heated and insulated pole barn. A view of the viewing area in the master bedroom inside a home located at 470 North Linwood Beach Road in Linwood on Wednesday, June 17, 2020. This home is listed for sale at $519,900. (Kaytie Boomer | MLive.com)Kaytie Boomer | MLive.com The home has about 168 feet of frontage, privacy and is nearby Linwood Beach Marina, a full-service marina. A view of the master bathroom inside a home located at 470 North Linwood Beach Road in Linwood on Wednesday, June 17, 2020. This home is listed for sale at $519,900. (Kaytie Boomer | MLive.com)Kaytie Boomer | MLive.com A view of the living area inside a home located at 470 North Linwood Beach Road in Linwood on Wednesday, June 17, 2020. This home is listed for sale at $519,900. (Kaytie Boomer | MLive.com)Kaytie Boomer | MLive.com View the listing here. Jim Diedrich is an associate broker with Ayre/Rhinehart Bay Realtors. A view of the kitchen area inside a home located at 470 North Linwood Beach Road in Linwood on Wednesday, June 17, 2020. This home is listed for sale at $519,900. (Kaytie Boomer | MLive.com)Kaytie Boomer | MLive.com The custom kitchen has high-end stainless steel appliances and Loyds Cabinets. A view of a home located at 470 North Linwood Beach Road in Linwood on Wednesday, June 17, 2020. This home is listed for sale at $519,900. (Kaytie Boomer | MLive.com)Kaytie Boomer | MLive.com Described as a true recreational property, the home features one of the top Walleye fisheries in the country. A view of the deck on a home located at 470 North Linwood Beach Road in Linwood on Wednesday, June 17, 2020. This home is listed for sale at $519,900. (Kaytie Boomer | MLive.com)Kaytie Boomer | MLive.com This home has all the modern comforts and amenities. A view of a guest bedroom or office inside a home located at 470 North Linwood Beach Road in Linwood on Wednesday, June 17, 2020. This home is listed for sale at $519,900. (Kaytie Boomer | MLive.com)Kaytie Boomer | MLive.com See all 56 photos of this waterfront home here. Also on MLive: Smart home on Spring Lake called Modern Wave listed for $2.2M History and character highlight Jackson condominium home listed for $369K High ceilings, a hot tub and tranquility at West Michigan home listed for $788K Touring Matthew Staffords $6.5M home: Largest infinity pool, Silverdome Pistons court, man cave SAGINAW, MI Police are asking for the publics help in resolving a missing persons case. They are trying to locate a Saginaw-area man missing for nearly a year. Gregory G. Green, now 61, was last seen in August 2019. He was last spoken with the following month, according to Michigan State Police. Green was last known to reside in the Saginaw area, according to police. He possibly had two trucks, one white and the other gray. Green also goes by the names Billy Green and Billy King, police say. Green stands 5 feet 9 inches tall and has brown eyes. The photo above was taken in June 2018. Anyone with knowledge of Greens whereabouts is urged to call the MSP Tri-City Post at 989-495-5555. Enbridges controversial Line 5 that transports nearly 23 million gallons of oil per day through the Straits of Mackinac is at the center of a court dispute after the company reported damage to a pipeline support on June 18. Something dragging along the bottom of the water that separates Michigans Upper and Lower peninsulas struck the pipeline support, but what it was remains unknown. Thats one of the mysteries Michigan officials want to solve before huge amounts oil resume traveling beneath Lake Huron and Lake Michigan. Michigan officials dispute the Canadian companys authority to restart operations without providing further information or allowing Michigan to conduct its own safety analysis. In a June 19 letter, (Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer) asked Enbridge to provide the state with all of the information in its possession about the damage, including pictures, video, and engineering reports, Attorney General Dana Nessels office said in a June 22 press release. The governor requested that all digital information be provided within 24 hours of her request. Enbridge not only failed to provide the requested information but on June 20, 2020, the company unilaterally reactivated the west leg of the pipeline without even providing the state with an opportunity to first discuss it. 4 Enbridge reported damage to its Line 5 in the Straits of Mackinac on June 18 Photos provided by Enbridge show pipeline supports, referred to as anchors, bent and shifted beneath the water. Enbridge officials contend the authority to operate lies with the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, a federal agency that regulates and monitors oil pipeline operators, not Michigan. The east leg of the pipeline remains closed while the company performs further safety analysis requested by federal overseers. Attorneys for Enbridge in court filings said the federal agency issued no objection when they proposed resuming flow of the west leg. AG Nessel filed a motion in Ingham County Circuit Court asking for an injunction to halt operation of the pipeline, which Ingham County Circuit Court Judge James Jamo granted on June 25. Jamo ordered the pipeline be shut down entirely until he could conduct a hearing on the arguments. That hearing, which included nearly four and a half hours of arguments, occurred Tuesday, June 30. Attorneys for Enbridge referred to the damage as minor and a scrape that didnt impact the integrity of the pipeline. Closure of the pipelines is causing the company to lose nearly $1.8 million a day, the company said in briefs filed since the injunction. Enbridge attorney William T. Hassler of the Steptoe law firm based in Washington D.C said he took issue with Michigans argument that the line hasnt been proven safe when it hasnt put forth any evidence supporting the contrary. If the state had proved the line was not safe, thats one thing, Hassler said, but skepticism on Michigans part is not evidence. Jamo said he was taking the arguments under advisement and plans to issue a written ruling, taking into account the urgency of the situation. Enbridge also operates a separate section of Michigan pipeline that failed 2010 spilling 800,000 gallons of oil into the Talmadge Creek and Kalamazoo River. An already wary relationship with the corporation and state officials heightened in June of 2019 when AG Nessel filed a lawsuit against Enbridge in Ingham County attempting to shut down the pipeline altogether. Enbridge, meanwhile, is attempting to build a $500 million tunnel beneath the Great Lakes that it says would protect the waterways. More on MLive: Michigan requests Line 5 shutdown Enbridge finds protective coating on Line 5 pipeline worn away, leaving metal exposed Michigan seeks more information about Line 5 tunnel alternatives Michigan requests Enbridge Line 5 documents going back to 1953 LANSING, MI -- Some oil may resume flowing beneath the Straits of Mackinac that separate Michigans Upper and Lower peninsulas, an Ingham County judge ruled Wednesday, July 1. The ruling overturns a June 25 restraining order issued by Ingham County Circuit Court Judge James Jamo that ordered Canadian-based Enbridge to halt use of its Line 5 pipeline, which suffered damage to a support on June 18. The pipeline, which traverses the bottomlands of the Great Lakes before cutting through the Lower Peninsula to Canada near Port Huron, is made up of an east and west leg. . Jamos ruling allows the flow to resume through the west leg while it conducts what is called an in-line investigation. An in-line investigation involves sending a device into the pipe to determine if there is any evidence of internal damage. Jamo ordered Enbridge to provide Michigan attorneys all obtained data and all conclusions within seven days after the west leg is reopened. The data and conclusions as to the remainder of the line must be obtained and provided to (Michigan attorneys and officials) as soon as practical after completion of the test, the judge said. A restraining order on reopening of the east leg of the pipeline remains in place until the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, a federal agency that regulates and monitors oil pipeline operators, grants reopening. After Enbridge notified Michigan officials it had discovered damage to its pipeline on June 18, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer requested various reports and photos related to the damage and cause. Enbridge not only failed to provide the requested information but on June 20, 2020, the company unilaterally reactivated the west leg of the pipeline without even providing the state with an opportunity to first discuss it, Attorney General Dana Nessels office said in a June 22 press release. The cause of the damage remain under investigation. Jamo heard nearly five hours of arguments on Tuesday, June 30, regarding the role of Michigan in granting the reopening of the pipeline and the obligation of Enbridge to provide the state with information and findings. Both sides disputed what information and documents were provided or requested. Jamo ordered attorneys for the parties to discuss what documents Michigan is seeking and to set a deadline for providing them. Any objection Enbridge has to releasing documents requested by Michigan officials must be formally filed with the court prior to a hearing set bot 1 p.m. on July 7. Enbridge will now begin safely restarting the west segment and anticipates operations will soon return to normal, company spokesman Ryan Duffy said in a statement following the ruling. " ... The east segment of Line 5 will remain shut down as we work with our safety regulator, the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, to ensure all of the safety assessments are complete and data provided prior to restarting the east segment. Enbridge is committed to sharing this information with the state of Michigan to keep them informed regarding our inspections of the east segment. Enbridges controversial Line 5, when fully operations, is capable of transporting nearly 23 million gallons of oil per day. Enbridge also operates a separate section of Michigan pipeline that failed in 2010 spilling 800,000 gallons of oil into the Talmadge Creek and Kalamazoo River. An already wary relationship with the corporation and state officials heightened in June of 2019 when AG Nessel filed a lawsuit against Enbridge in Ingham County attempting to shut down the pipeline altogether. Enbridge, meanwhile, is attempting to build a $500 million tunnel beneath the Great Lakes that it says would protect the waterways. Enbridges Line 5 is a 645-mile, 30-inch diameter pipeline that travels through Michigans Upper and Lower Peninsulasoriginating in Superior, Wisconsin, and terminating in Sarnia, Ontario, Canada, the Enbridge website says. Line 5 supplies 65% of propane demand in Michigans Upper Peninsula, and 55% of Michigans statewide propane needs. The pipeline opened in 1953. More on MLive: Judge reviewing Enbridge request to reopen Michigan requests Line 5 shutdown Enbridge finds protective coating on Line 5 pipeline worn away, leaving metal exposed Michigan seeks more information about Line 5 tunnel alternatives Michigan requests Enbridge Line 5 documents going back to 1953 July Fourth is the first holiday weekend since Michigan lifted its stay-at-home order, which means state residents can travel, hold parties and otherwise celebrate in ways banned throughout the spring. But surging coronavirus numbers in the nations South and West, as well as more localized outbreaks in Michigan, serve as a caution about the lurking health risks. Below are tips from experts about having a safe and healthy holiday weekend. Prioritize these three strategies Whenever youre around people outside of those in your household, wash your hands, stay six feet away and wear a mask. If we simply do three things: practice social distancing, wear facial coverings when we cant social distance and practice proper personal hygiene, U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said Tuesday. If we do those three things, we can turn around the tide of these new cases. Socialize outdoors as much as possible Whether its travel or holiday parties, put the focus on being outside. If youre going to be around other people, I would encourage you to be outdoors as much as possible, said Dr. Liam Sullivan, a Grand Rapid infectious disease specialist. You can still get the infection outdoors, but being outdoors certainly helps because its easier to socially distance and you have much better airflow, which would lessen exposure to the virus. If traveling, plan ahead. People with health issues that increase their risk of COVID complications should probably not travel, said Dr. Dennis Cunningham, a Flint infectious disease specialist. But if youre pretty healthy, I think you can travel. You just have to be realistic about the risks, he said. That means also being smart, starting with the fact now is not the time to visit areas with coronavirus outbreaks. You want to investigate. Obviously, going to Texas or Florida is probably a bad idea, Sullivan said. You want to see the status of the situation: If theres a big outbreak there, and if the things you want to do are open. Northern Michigan is a viable choice, although do NOT travel there if any member of your party is feeling ill -- you dont want to be that person who introduces coronavirus into a community relatively free of it now. Traveling is a concern, said Adam London, Kent County public health officer. I dont think were at a point where we would say people cant travel or they shouldnt travel. But people need to continue to be smart: Social distance. Avoid crowds. Wear your mask whenever you are in proximity to other people. And then follow through with the hand washing and the sanitation lessons. If you travel, bring lots of sanitizer and use it before and after any social interactions, Cunningham said. Safest trip: Remote area where youll have minimal contact with others The safest trip is driving to a remote campsite or rental place, spending a lot of time outside and having minimal contact with the surrounding community. Rural areas are going to be less likely to have coronavirus outbreaks, and will be easier places to visit in terms of avoiding crowds. Id go to areas that not crowded, where its easy to distance from people and where you can stay in an area where you dont have to worry about being around people all the time, Sullivan said. Hotels should be fine as long as you minimize contact with other guests and staff. The safest strategy for meals is cooking at your campground or lodging, or restaurant takeout. Make it a vacation big on picnics. I think people really need to think hard whether or not they want to go to a bar or restaurant while traveling, Cunningham said. It certainly sounds a lot safer to me if you order takeout. Having a party? Make it outdoors and limit the guest list Do things in small groups with people you know and trust, Sullivan said. I would not encourage people to have big parties. Cunningham agreed. If its your neighbors or your family and they havent been going out, thats probably low risk, he said. I would not want to have 40 people over at my house. Keep the party outside if possible, London said. One thing weve learned is the indoor environment is much riskier than the outdoor environment. If the party is indoors, at the very least, open windows and have fans on so that you can create some circulation, London said. Also, spread out seating so people can stay six feet apart; make sure to have sanitizer is near anything thats a common touch point, such as a buffet table; think about how to avoid crowding around the grill, and make sure the bathroom guests will be using is thoroughly disinfected. Think twice before going to a bar If you asked my colleagues and me what place we would probably avoid the most right now, a bar would probably be No. 1 on the list, Sullivan said. He pointed to the outbreak at Harpers Bar in East Lansing, which has been linked to more than 100 cases of coronavirus, saying that shows how bars can be perfect incubators for spreading COVID-19. Coronavirus outbreak linked to East Lansing bar tops 100, officials take emergency action I am not at all surprised that theres outbreaks in bars,he said. People are inside. Bars get crowded. People are drinking, and as theyre drinking, theyre getting closer together and tend to talk loud, which generates more respiratory droplets. The air circulation in bars is not the greatest in the world. And so now you have all these people in close proximity for extended periods of time, creating a very high-risk situation. And if ever there was a setup for a super-spreading event. Harpers in East Lansing is a glaring example, he said. While not as bad as bars, eating in an indoor restaurant also has some risk, experts say. If traveling or otherwise going out, the safest way to eat in public is outdoors. Because if you sit outside and youre at a place for your distance apart from other people, that is going to mitigate the risk significantly, Sullivan said. Its being indoors where the potential for spreading is much much higher. Patronize businesses where people wear masks Whether youre traveling or not, avoid public indoor spaces where people arent wearing masks. One of the biggest challenges right now -- and were hearing it quite a bit -- is people are seeing that businesses like bars, restaurants and retail stores are not requiring people wear masks and their employees arent making right, said Jeannine Taylor, public information officer for the District 10 Health Department, which covers a 10-county region that includes Ludington, Cadillac, Big Rapids, Manistee, Grayling and Kalkaska. But if theres an establishment thats not requiring masking and the employees are not masking, its your choice not to enter that establishment, she said. You can choose not to do business with them. We hate to have that happen, but its really up to each individual. We all have to make the choice to do our part. PREVENTION TIPS In addition to washing hands regularly and not touching your face, officials recommend practicing social distancing, assuming anyone may be carrying the virus. Health officials say you should be staying at least 6 feet away from others and working from home, if possible. Use disinfecting wipes or disinfecting spray cleaners on frequently-touched surfaces in your home (door handles, faucets, countertops) and carry hand sanitizer with you when you go into places like stores. Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has also issued an executive order requiring people to wear face coverings over their mouth and nose while inside enclosed, public spaces. Additional information is available at Michigan.gov/Coronavirus and CDC.gov/Coronavirus. Read more on MLive: Coronavirus outbreak linked to East Lansing bar tops 100, officials take emergency action Stacked floor to ceiling, bottle return donations help family plan future funeral No-cost coronavirus testing heads to Cadillac with help from Michigan National Guard Enbridge must go through hearing process for Line 5 tunnel plan, state panel rules Michigan is one of three states in which U.S. servicemen and women are barred from traveling to and from at this time due to increases in COVID-19 cases and/or positive tests. The Midwest state joins California and Florida as the only other states that havent been given green status for personnel travel, according to a June 29 memo from the U.S. Department of Defense. In order for a state to be cleared of DoD travel restrictions, it must remove its shelter-in-place orders or other travel restrictions, report a 14-day downward trajectory of flu-like and COVID-19-like symptoms, and report a 14-day downward trajectory of new COVID-19 cases or positive tests. A spokesperson for the department said the three states not included on the list had not met the three-part criteria, as of Monday. The list is updated weekly. But according to data from Johns Hopkins, several states have recently reported larger increases in new cases per 100,000 people per day than Michigan, including Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nevada, South Carolina and Texas. Those states are considered green locations, meaning service personnel can travel freely there. Michigan has seen a recent uptick in the number of new cases per day, with the seven-day moving average reaching 320 this week -- two weeks after the state was seeing 155 new cases per day. Since the start of the pandemic, Michigan has reported 63,870 known cases of COVID-19 and 5,947 deaths linked to the infectious respiratory illness. The Department of Defenses conditions-based phased travel restrictions apply to all service members, civilian personnel, and their dependents whose travel is government-funded. Travel is allowed to the other 47 U.S. states, as well as Washington D.C. and host nations Bahrain, Belgium, Germany, Guam, Japan, Puerto Rico, South Korea and United Kingdom. Travel included in the restrictions includes temporary duty travel, government-funded leave travel, permanent duty travel including permanent change of station travel, and travel related to authorized and ordered departures issued by the Department of State. It also includes personal leave outside the local area and non-official travel outside the local area. Department components may continue to onboard civilian employees within the local commuting area and civilian employees whose travel to the local commuting area is not government-funded. Waivers for the travel restrictions can be granted if travel is determined to be mission-essential, necessary for humanitarian reasons, or warranted due to extreme hardship. There are also various exemptions, including for travel associated with uniformed personnel recruiting, for medical treatment, for deployments, and for pending retirement or separation. PREVENTION TIPS In addition to washing hands regularly and not touching your face, officials recommend practicing social distancing, assuming anyone may be carrying the virus. Health officials say you should be staying at least 6 feet away from others and working from home, if possible. Use disinfecting wipes or disinfecting spray cleaners on frequently-touched surfaces in your home (door handles, faucets, countertops) and carry hand sanitizer with you when you go into places like stores. Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has also issued an executive order requiring people to wear face coverings over their mouth and nose while inside enclosed, public spaces. Additional information is available at Michigan.gov/Coronavirus and CDC.gov/Coronavirus. Read more on MLive: Masks, class sizes and busing: 10 ways Michigan schools could look different this fall July 4th in age of COVID: Expert tips for safe holiday travels and celebrations Coronavirus risk phase heightened for Grand Rapids, Lansing regions after increase in cases Wednesday July 1: Latest developments on coronavirus in Michigan Michigan health officials announced 262 new confirmed cases of coronavirus on Wednesday, July 1, which is fewer than the recent seven-day moving average of about 311 cases per day. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services also reported four more deaths -- fewer than the seven-day average of 12 per day. Since mid-March, Michigan has recorded 64,132 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 5,951 known deaths linked to the infectious respiratory illness. Sorry, but your browser does not support frames. The new cases per day average had dropped below 300 on June 2 and dipped as low as 150 cases per day on June 10 before trending back up over the last two weeks. Michigans case fatality rate remains at 9.3 percent, based on known cases and known deaths. Testing has increased over time and the states positive test rate has risen to 2.56 percent after hitting 2.0 in mid-June. The states seven-day average of daily tests reached a new height earlier this week -- 14,470 tests per day. Previously, state health officials said they hoped to be testing 30,000 people per day by mid-June. Browser does not support frames. Heres a look at the five Michigan counties with the most confirmed cases. 1. Wayne County: 21,931 cases (2,602 deaths) 2. Oakland County: 8,922 cases (1049 deaths) 3. Macomb County: 7,194 cases (879 deaths) 4. Kent County: 4,533 cases (131 deaths) 5. Genesee County: 2,196 cases (263 deaths) To find a testing site near you, check out the states online test finder, here, send an email to COVID19@michigan.gov, or call 888-535-6136 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. on weekdays. For more statewide data, visit MLives coronavirus data page, here. PREVENTION TIPS In addition to washing hands regularly and not touching your face, officials recommend practicing social distancing, assuming anyone may be carrying the virus. Health officials say you should be staying at least 6 feet away from others and working from home, if possible. Use disinfecting wipes or disinfecting spray cleaners on frequently-touched surfaces in your home (door handles, faucets, countertops) and carry hand sanitizer with you when you go into places like stores. Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has also issued an executive order requiring people to wear face coverings over their mouth and nose while inside enclosed, public spaces. Additional information is available at Michigan.gov/Coronavirus and CDC.gov/Coronavirus. Read more on MLive: Michigan one of 3 states U.S. military is restricting travel to due to coronavirus Masks, class sizes and busing: 10 ways Michigan schools could look different this fall These Washtenaw County businesses have closed in 2020, so far Coronavirus outbreak linked to East Lansing bar tops 100, officials take emergency action An adapted testing method could eliminate the need for uncomfortable nasal passage swabs, reduce costs and increase mobility of testing used to detect the coronavirus, says Metro Detroits Beaumont Health, whose researchers developed the testing methods. Beaumont Health researchers Dr. Laura Lamb and Dr. Michael Chancellor developed a testing technique to detect COVID-19 in under 45 minutes using urine, blood, saliva or mouth-swab samples, Royal Oaks Beaumont Health said in a statement issued Wednesday, July 1. The doctors developed technology for rapid testing of the Zika virus nearly three years ago and applied the methods for use in COVID-19 testing. Compared to existing technology, study results using the methods have been highly accurate and are relatively inexpensive to develop and operate, Beaumont Health said in a statement. We need more testing options if were going to stage a successful public health response to COVID-19, Lamb said. This is a rapid test that does not require expensive machinery to run and the materials for it are relatively inexpensive. The more options we have for testing, the better. Currently, most COVID-19 test samples are collected in the field -- a doctors office or one of Michigans 300-plus designated testing sites -- and sent to a lab for analysis by usually expensive machines. Collection involves the patient tipping their head back and receiving the nearly six-inch-long collection lance, which looks like an unfortunately long Q-tip, up a nostril. Related: Website allows residents to find free COVID-19 test sites Once up into the nostril, the collector tilts the swab forward and pushes it about three inches toward brain stem, stopping when the tip hits the pharynx, the part of the airway that connects the nose to the throat. The test swab is then packaged and sent to a lab for analysis. Helix Diagnostics in Waterford, a lab MLive toured in April, said analysis requires two machines and usually takes at least five hours. Realistically, the turnaround from receipt of the sample to communicating results could take two to three days. The Beaumont Health testing method can be mobile and uses less expensive lab analysis equipment, Beaumont Health spokeswoman Maryann Macleod said. It could be used for screening at the point of risk such as nursing homes, long-term care facilities, cruise ships, naval ships, within the school and prison systems, and by large employers, for example, at an Amazon warehouse or meatpacking plant. Lamb said. Because this is an existing test, we are optimistic with the right resources, it could be ready for widespread use within a month or so. Chancellor said the next step in expanding use of the method involves securing corporate funding. A study and explanation of the testing methods was published for peer review on June 12. Since the coronavirus pandemic arrived in Michigan, more than 1 million diagnostic tests have been administered, according to state data. Based on previous Centers for Disease Control recommendations, Michigan has set a goal of performing 30,000 coronavirus tests per day. Browser does not support frames. COVID-19 PREVENTION TIPS In addition to washing hands regularly and not touching your face, officials recommend practicing social distancing, assuming anyone may be carrying the virus. Health officials say you should be staying at least 6 feet away from others and working from home, if possible. Use disinfecting wipes or disinfecting spray cleaners on frequently-touched surfaces in your home (door handles, faucets, countertops) and carry hand sanitizer with you when you go into places like stores. Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has also issued an executive order requiring people to wear face coverings over their mouth and nose while inside enclosed, public spaces. Additional information is available at Michigan.gov/Coronavirus and CDC.gov/Coronavirus. Read more on MLive: Website allows residents to find free COVID-19 test sites Journey of a coronavirus lab specimen Detroit begins using 15-minute tests Masks, class sizes and busing: 10 ways Michigan schools could look different this fall July 4th in age of COVID: Expert tips for safe holiday travels and celebrations Michigan enacts travel restrictions Michigan residents might not be able to sit inside their favorite bar for a while, but they can order their favorite cocktails to-go. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Wednesday signed a trio of bills that will let Michigan bars and restaurants sell sealed cocktails and mixed drinks as a carryout or delivery option. She announced the news at the same time as a new executive order prohibiting indoor bar service for establishments that make more than 70 percent of their money on alcohol sales. Bars in the Upper Peninsula and the Northwestern Lower Peninsula are not impacted. Related: Whitmer shuts down indoor bar service in most of Michigan Bars will not have to close down completely, but may still offer outdoor seating and use creative methods like cocktails-to-go in hopes that we can bring our numbers down, Whitmer said in a statement. I am hopeful providing options for cocktails-to-go and expanded social districts will ensure these businesses can remain open and Michiganders can safely and responsibly enjoy their summer outdoors. Senate Bill 942 and House Bills 5781 and 5811 collectively allow liquor licensees to sell packaged and sealed containers of mixed drinks with delivery or takeout orders, similar to a bottle of wine or a growler of beer. Local governments will also be allowed to create designated social districts where people of legal drinking age could purchase to-go drinks from adjacent bars and drink them off-premises as long as they remain in the designated area. Senate Bill 942 temporarily lowers the cost of liquor prices from the states Liquor Control Commission. Through 2021, liquor licensees would get a 30 percent discount from the state. Related: Michigan lawmakers say cheers to carry-out cocktails, outdoor drinking districts House Bill 5811 includes a sunset on the legislation, meaning bars and restaurants would be able to sell cocktails to-go through Dec. 31, 2025. Industry groups have pushed for the move, calling it a needed boost to the hospitality industry as they recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. But by not allowing customers to drink inside as well, the Michigan Licensed Beverage Association warned that many bars might have to close up shop for good. Selling carry-out food and drinks is not a viable business model, the group said in a statement. The governor has effectively hurt every local small-town bar in the state establishments that arent the bad actors, Executive Director Scott Ellis said in the statement. Bar and restaurant owners were initially allowed to reopen for in-person dining on June 8 - but at 50 percent capacity and with strict guidelines for cleanliness, worker safety and social distancing. PREVENTION TIPS In addition to washing hands regularly and not touching your face, officials recommend practicing social distancing, assuming anyone may be carrying the virus. Health officials say you should be staying at least 6 feet away from others and working from home, if possible. Use disinfecting wipes or disinfecting spray cleaners on frequently-touched surfaces in your home (door handles, faucets, countertops) and carry hand sanitizer with you when you go into places like stores. Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has also issued an executive order requiring people to wear face coverings over their mouth and nose while inside enclosed, public spaces. Additional information is available at Michigan.gov/Coronavirus and CDC.gov/Coronavirus. Related coverage: Cocktails to go? Bar, restaurant owners push Michigan to allow it during coronavirus Cocktails to go, outdoor drinking districts earn support from Michigan House panel Outdoor drinking districts proposed in state House to help Michigan bars and restaurants Alcohol home delivery possible in proposed legislation to help Michigan bars and restaurants hurt by coronavirus Michigan bars in most of the Lower Peninsula are once again prohibited from serving alcohol indoors under a new executive order from Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. After months of closure under the COVID-19 stay-at-home order, Michigan bars and restaurants were allowed to reopen with limited capacity and additional safety measures on June 8. Under the new order issued Wednesday, bars can serve patrons outdoors, but not inside their establishment. The order applies to establishments that earn more than 70 percent of their gross receipts from alcohol sales. Bars in Northern Michigan, including the Upper Peninsula and the Traverse City area, will be allowed to continue indoor service. In a statement, Whitmer attributed the decision to recent high-profile outbreaks at bars, including the East Lansing bar Harpers, where more than 100 people so far have tested positive for the disease due to visiting the bar or interacting with someone who did. Following recent outbreaks tied to bars, I am taking this action today to slow the spread of the virus and keep people safe, she said. If we want to be in a strong position to reopen schools for in-person classroom instruction this fall, then we need to take aggressive action right now to ensure we dont wipe out all the progress we have made. The Michigan Licensed Beverage Association, a statewide trade group representing bars, restaurants and other liquor licensees, slammed the new order, arguing that it would further hurt businesses already strained by the coronavirus shutdowns and likely result in more businesses shuttering completely. The governor has effectively hurt every local small-town bar in the state establishments that arent the bad actors, MLBA Executive Director Scott Ellis said in a statement. Instead of focusing on problem bars or problem areas, shes going to kill businesses that are abiding by all of the rules and still struggling to survive. Ellis said bars that invested in remodeling and safe reopening strategies to make it safe for patrons have been altogether cheated by the governor. He also criticized the 70 percent cutoff, noting, it seems like 70 was chosen as an arbitrary percentage that holds no validity in terms of safety. Experts say going inside a bar is one of the riskiest activities for coronavirus exposure due to increased alcohol consumption, the lack of mask-wearing while drinking and the high likelihood of people mingling or packing in tightly in enclosed spaces. Related: From hair salons to gyms, experts rank 36 activities by coronavirus risk level Michigan restaurants can reopen June 8 but many wont be ready Coronavirus outbreak linked to East Lansing bar tops 100, officials take emergency action COVID-19 PREVENTION TIPS In addition to washing hands regularly and not touching your face, officials recommend practicing social distancing, assuming anyone may be carrying the virus. Health officials say you should be staying at least 6 feet away from others and working from home, if possible. Use disinfecting wipes or disinfecting spray cleaners on frequently-touched surfaces in your home (door handles, faucets, countertops) and carry hand sanitizer with you when you go into places like stores. Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has also issued an executive order requiring people to wear face coverings over their mouth and nose while inside enclosed, public spaces. Additional information is available at Michigan.gov/Coronavirus and CDC.gov/Coronavirus. In an interview with Okyeme Kofi on Angel FM Drive Time Show, Fameye confessed that he bonked his ex-girlfriend in a VIP busa popular Ghanaian public transport. According to him, they were traveling from Kumasi to Accra by the VIP bus when the incident happened. The Nothing I Get Hitmaker emphasized that he made the lady sit on him whilst she shoved smoothly on top of him. Fameye, who labeled the act as very appalling, and a sin, begged God for his forgiveness. Kindly listen to Fameye in the Video below During the pandemic, Ethiopian Airlines, Africas largest airline, was the go-to airline for essential travel, repatriation flights and airlift of medical and personal protective equipment (PPE). With the easing of travel restrictions across the globe, Ethiopian is welcoming back business and leisure travellers with programs aimed at safeguarding their health and safety. The program reinforces Ethiopian pledge to protect the health and safety of its customers and staff. It includes the steps the airline is taking to maintain customer and staff wellbeing through-out the service chain beginning from the first interaction with customers during ticketing/reservation and up to arrival at destination. Tewolde Gebremariam, Group CEO of Ethiopian, noted that Ethiopian is proud to be there when the world needed it most--repatriating citizens, re-uniting families, facilitating essential travel and transporting much needed medical and personal protective equipment (PPE) for health professionals and the general public under very difficult and challenging circumstances. We are proud to be an integral part of the fight against COVID-19. Now we want to play a leading role in the new-normal. To a very large extent, its about getting back the confidence of business and leisure travelers. With the protective measures we are taking in line with CDC, IATA, ICAO and WHO guidelines, customers and staff can rest assured that their safety and health are well looked after when flying with us. Customers are, however, advised to check travel restrictions of destination countries prior to arriving at the airport for a flight. Facemasks will be mandatory for travel. Except children under the age 2, all customers must keep their masks on throughout their journey. All ET customer-facing staff will wear Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs). This includes ticket offices, airport and lounge staff, as well as cabin crew. On-board service is redesigned to minimize contact while maintaining our African flavoured Ethiopian hospitality. Items, such as magazines, menus and other reading materials that were traditionally shared will no longer be available. Before Departure According to the airline, customers holding tickets purchased before August 31, 2020 and valid for travel until September 30, 2020 can rest assured that their tickets will be valid until 31 December 2021. Customers who have exchanged their tickets for vouchers can utilize the vouchers within one year. It is essential that customers satisfy destination entry requirements such as health certificates and fill health declaration forms if required. Up-to-date destination entry requirements can be found on: https://www.ethiopianairlines.com/aa/travel-updates Customers feeling unwell are strongly encouraged not to travel and travel only when feeling well. The airline has indicated that unwell customers will not be allowed to enter the airport and will be denied boarding a flight. All Ethiopian aircraft are thoroughly cleaned and disinfected prior to departing from the hub, and at turnaround stations. At the airport, enhanced health screenings, including temperature checks, are expected be conducted. To ensure adequate social distancing, markings are placed through-out the Addis Ababa Bole International Airport terminal building and hand sanitisers will be available for use. Passengers must check in their cabin baggage. Theyre allowed to bring on board only essential items such as laptops, handbags, briefcases, and baby items. All checked-in bags will be sanitised before being loaded onto the aircraft. To reduce contact between customers, boarding will be done in an orderly manner by seat-rows starting from the back of the aircraft towards the front. Onboard: In business class complimentary hygiene kits that include masks, antibacterial wipes, and hand sanitizer will be provided. In economy masks, hand sanitizers and antibacterial wipes will be available on demand. Comfort items such as pillows, blankets, headphones, and toys are hygienically sealed. On-board lavatories will also be sanitized frequently during flight. Menus, Magazines and newspapers will, however, not be available onboard. Crew are trained to handle flight operations in a COVID-19 travel world. As countries continue to open their borders and relax travel restrictions, Ethiopian is ready to increase frequencies to accommodate the demand by focusing on the wellbeing of customers and staff. Ethiopian is happy to welcome back business and leisure travellers. Ethiopian Airlines ranked as Africas largest airline In a related development, The Africa Logistics has ranked Ethiopia Airlines as Africas largest airline in terms of passengers carried, destinations served, fleet size, and revenue by Ethiopian is also the worlds 4th largest airline by the number of countries served. Ethiopian Airlines carried more than 13.3 million passengers in the 12 months to the end of May 2019, a rise of 11.6 percent compared with the same period a year earlier. The carrier is wholly owned by the countrys government. EAL was founded on December 21, 1945 and commenced operations on 8 April 1946, expanding to international flights in 1951. The firm became a share company in 1965 and changed its name from Ethiopian Air Lines to Ethiopian Airlines. Social cohesion is built over years and is the result of policies that allow everybody in society to share in its sustainable prosperity, Ms. Ahunna Eziakonwa, Director - UNDP Africa As COVID-19 cases continue to rise in Africa, countries are simultaneously dealing with the health and socio-economic impacts of the pandemic, and how and when to ease lockdowns and curfews imposed to stop the disease spreading and get onto the path of recovery. However, some government actions taken to restrict peoples movements during this crisis, including enforcement measures and emergency laws and policies, could have long-term impacts and the potential to undermine social cohesion the trust between governments and their citizens and the solidarity between citizens themselves. With the health and wellness of millions of Africans at stake, governance measures taken to address COVID-19 must be appropriate, effective and sustainable. In some instances, responses to the pandemic so far have led to rising tensions and human rights violations. Lessons from this pandemic should inform how governments, citizens and other partners can collaborate to strengthen governance and social cohesion during the response, and even beyond. But the question is, what are the optimal measures and enabling environment required for response measures to succeed while protecting freedoms and minimising disruption to livelihoods? Africas governance context is complex. Although there has been significant progress in democracy, the majority of countries are in the lower half of the 2019 Human Freedom Index produced by the US-based Cato Institute. Yet another study, the Fragile States Index by the Washington-based Fund for Peace, finds that in some of these countries, political fragility and low trust in government institutions still remain a challenge. As COVID-19 spread in Africa, there were also concerns that planned elections this year in at least 22 countries, in the midst of a pandemic, could heighten tensions and fears of suppression. It is in this context that governments should guard against measures that fan mistrust between them and their citizens and could lead to undermining democratic processes or intensifying fragility. Emergency laws limit rights and disrupt services, supply chains and livelihoods. At the start of the pandemic in Africa, at least 17 countries declared states of emergency, 9 declared states of public health emergency and 3 declared states of national disaster. These measures are important in safeguarding public health and wellness, but their impact varies according to how they are communicated and understood, how oversight mechanisms function and whether there is trust between the government and its citizens. A state of emergency empowers governments to perform actions or impose policies that it would normally not be permitted to. These include making regulations without an act of parliament or taking actions without complying with statutory duties. These emergency powers, although temporary in nature, could be used to introduce measures that may affect fundamental rights such as freedom of speech, freedom of movement or assembly, freedom of the media or freedom to work, among others. On the other hand, a state of public emergency may help the government to take necessary measures to protect the publics health. These include closing of schools, restricting travel, isolating people exposed to the virus and prosecuting those who do not comply with quarantine orders. In the case of a national state of disaster, limitations of rights should not extend beyond what is necessary and must be in line with the constitutional values of the society. The application of these measures to deal with the pandemic has not been without challenges. Firstly, these executive declarations were made in a hurry and with less consultation and oversight. Secondly, citizens were caught unprepared and were not fully informed about the extent of limitations of their rights. There were media reports of altercations between civilians and police or military enforcing COVID-19 measures in some countries. In others, citizens are increasingly voicing their discontent with the lack of food, services, water and sanitation, and concerns about the abuse of authority by security forces. This may risk the effectiveness of COVID-19 response and recovery measures in the long run. As countries move towards easing lockdowns and opening up economies, there is still need for a supplementary mechanism to help identify, isolate and trace COVID-19 cases. However, this raises new concerns over the use of surveillance technology to track the spread of the virus, infringement of data protection, and the right to privacy and non-discrimination. Lessons from those early experiences can help guide governments on appropriate mechanisms to ensure that new measures to respond to COVID-19 do not threaten the fabric of society. An effective and sustainable response must build on capable institutions that deliver essential services, community ownership and engagement, rights-based oversight control mechanisms and concrete partnership with other stakeholders, including the private sector. Capable institutions at local and national level ensure the effective delivery of essential services including health, water and sanitation, that are at the heart of the response to COVID-19. For instance, South Africa and Zimbabwe are now delivering water to many undeserved areas and communities. Community and youth engagement also make a difference in the uptake of public health provisions and in reaching those most impacted by economic and social lockdowns. Several countries such as Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa and Uganda have made provisions for cash and food to vulnerable populations. Communities are best positioned to identify those most in need, thereby improving the likelihood of actually reaching them. They are also able to disseminate accurate information. In South Sudan, a digital community of youth #DefyHateNow - has helped to fight misinformation and raise awareness. In Benin, a young medical doctor has launched a mass media literacy programme in Francophone Africa called Arya, on Twitter. Their hashtag #AgirContreCOVID19 has reached more than 90,000 people. They are now developing an application than can disseminate COVID-19 information in local languages. The provision of information as a right to citizens and as a mechanism to build trust, promote adherence to measures and build social cohesion has become more important now than ever before. Control and oversight mechanisms help to improve transparency and accountability. The examples of the national assembly in the Gambia and the high court in Malawi that challenged proposals to extend the states of public emergency in their countries illustrate the importance of capable oversight mechanisms. Finally, for many cash-strapped countries, the governments COVID-19 response will benefit from close collaboration with the private sector, which in Africa is a hub of innovation. From Cameroon to Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Morocco and others businesses are transforming to produce necessary medical supplies and equipment and improve access to services through digital and mobile platforms. As governments navigate these policy options it is clear that the most effective and sustainable responses to COVID-19 in Africa place people at the centre to preserve and strengthen social cohesion. The Unites States is one of a number of countries excluded from the European Union's coronavirus safe list of countries from which the bloc will allow non-essential travel from Wednesday. The EU edict goes into effect on Wednesday. Business and vacation travel to the EU is approved for 14 by the Council of EU, which represents governments in the regional bloc. It has deemed these countries as having managed to contain the contagious Covid-19. Algeria, Australia, Canada, Georgia, Japan, Montenegro, Morocco, New Zealand, Rwanda, Serbia, South Korea, Thailand, Tunisia and Uruguay are allowed to enter the EU for non-essential travel. China is also on the list, but is awaiting confirmation if China is receiving EU members as tourists or business travellers. This list was drawn up to ensure that the EU travel industry would be supported, especially countries in southern Europe who depend on tourism. Those countries that have not contained the virus on par with the EU average, including the US, Russia, Brazil and Turkey, will need to wait at least two weeks before being considered on the safe list. The EU will review the countries and the contagion rates every two weeks. At least 15 EU countries, or 65 percent of the population, had to vote for a country to be placed on the safe list. While this is not set in stone and is only a set of recommendations, EU members are likely to ban access from countries not on the list to protect their citizens. The EU has tried to reopen internal borders, as a number of countries have restricted access for some visitors, such as the Czech Republic, who will not allow tourists from Portugal or Sweden. Greece opened its borders to international travel on June 15 to the mainland, with island airports slated to open on 2 July, and will test visitors for Covid-19 coming from France, Italy, the Netherlands and Spain. While British residents are allowed to travel to a number of EU countries, visitors to Britain must self-isolate for 14 days. Listen to article The National Organizer of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Joshua Hamidu Akamba said the people of the Volta Region are being intimidated and beaten by the military in the night. Akamba who toured the northern and southern part of region over the last weekend indicated that the Akufo-Addo government is using the military to suppress votes in the region and deny many the right to exercise their franchise. After meeting the chiefs and elders of various communities, he emphasized that people are being haunted by the presence of the military and police in a manner that will discourage them from stepping out massively to register for the new Voter ID card. I met the youth leaders and then some chiefs and to ascertain the situation on the grounds as to the intimidation by the Military and in some of the communities, some of them are complaining that in the night some Soldiers beat them or the Police. The people are strong but obviously they are intimidated because this is the first time something of that nature is happening to them. So I started my meetings from Ho and then I went to the Northern part and the Southern part, Akamba stated. There has been the deployment of military and other security personnel to the stronghold of the NDC i.e. Volta Region, Oti Region, Northern Region, Upper East Region and Upper West Region. In a press statement from the NDC on Monday, the military presence in the Volta Region is a deliberate attempt to intimidate the residents from taking part in the ongoing voter registration exercise organised by the Electoral Commission. Government has explained that the security presence in the aforementioned Regions was to protect the border towns, but the Minority has proved otherwise as they continue to stress that the military siege in those border town at the time of the voter registration exercise is part of a wider plan by the ruling party to instill fear into the residents and torment them in a manner that would stop them from stepping out to register and vote in December 7. Leaders from five West African countries and their ally France Tuesday took stock of a new strategy to fight jihadist insurgents in the Sahel and pledged to build on the successes achieved. Meeting in the Mauritanian capital Nouakchott, the presidents reviewed a campaign that they rebooted in January after a string of reversals. Since then, the jihadists have continued to carry out almost daily attacks, but they are also under pressure, losing a key leader to a French raid and fighting internally, say security sources. Wearing a mask as he arrived for his first trip outside Europe since the start of the coronavirus epidemic, French President Emmanuel Macron said the summit sought to "consolidate the gains". The allies have notched up "real successes over the past six months, neutralising feared leaders," he said, praising the "upscaling of intervention" by Sahel armies. Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani said there had been "significant progress" in the fight against jihadists but added they were "insufficient in the face of the mounting challanges that we have to meet. "Violent extremisim in all its forms continues to hit several zones... and is expanding in a worrying manner," he said. Troops in the Sahel are fighting an elusive foe whose specialities are road mines and hit-and-run raids aboard motorbikes. By MICHELE CATTANI (AFP/File) Macron hosted a summit in January to help secure a stronger public commitment from Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania and Niger at a time of deepening concern in France after it lost 13 troops in a helicopter crash. The insurgency kicked off in northern Mali in 2012, during a rebellion by Tuareg separatists that was later overtaken by the jihadists. Despite thousands of UN and French troops, the conflict spread to central Mali, neighbouring Burkina Faso and Niger, stirring feuds between ethnic groups and triggering fears for states farther south. Thousands of soldiers and civilians have been killed, hundreds of thousands of people have fled their homes and the economies of the three countries, already among the poorest in the world, have been grievously damaged. 'Three-border' region Macron arrived for a one-day round trip from Europe for the summit, with representatives from the UN, African Union and European Union in attendance. The leaders of Germany, Spain and Italy were then to join the talks by video link. The meeting marked the first time that Sahel allies have gathered physically since the start of the coronavirus crisis. UN, African and French forces in the G5 Sahel region, as of June 2020. By (AFP) One priority was to assess affairs in the "three-border region," a hotspot of jihadism where the frontiers of Burkina, Niger and Mali converge. France, which added 500 troops to its Sahel mission after the summit in the French town of Pau, is co-leading the campaign in this region, targeting an Islamic State-affiliated group led by Abou Walid al-Sahraoui. Earlier this month, French forces in northern Mali, helped by a US drone, killed Abdelmalek Droukdel, the head of al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM). And in a new development, jihadists respectively linked to al-Qaeda and Islamic State have clashed several times since the start of the year in Mali and Burkina Faso, after long steering clear of one another, according to security experts. Troubled region Despite this, problems in the Sahel run deep. Local armies are poorly equipped and under-funded, rights groups say troops are to blame for hundreds of killings and other abuses of civilians, and in some areas the presence of government has evaporated. General Oumarou Namata Gazama, head of the G5 Sahel force. The five-nation scheme has encountered many problems, from funding and equipment to training and coordination. By MICHELE CATTANI (AFP/File) Staunch French ally Chad has yet to fulfil a promise to send troops to the three-border region, and a much-trumpeted initiative to create a joint 5,000-man G5 Sahel force is making poor progress. In Mali, anger at insecurity has fuelled discontent over coronavirus restrictions and the outcome of elections, creating a political crisis for President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita. Both Burkina and Niger are due to hold presidential elections by year's end, fuelling concerns about the outcome. Macron stressed the need "to do more in terms of the return of the state," particularly "in Mali, in Burkina, in a context that we know is very complex." In response to lobbying from France, a group of European special forces called Takuba, numbering 310 men, is mustering to help Malian troops. And on Monday, the UN Security Council voted unanimously to extend the mandate of the 13,000-troop MINUSMA peacekeeping force in Mali for another year, to June 30 2021. A nonpolitical group calling itself The Sons and Daughters of Mamprugu simply known as Zaabuni on behalf of the Overlord of Mamprugu, Nayiri Na Bohagu Mahami Abdulai Sheriga express their gratitude to President Akufo-Addo for selecting Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia as his running mate for the 2020 elections. The group which comprises people of different political and religious affiliation work collaboratively for the Development of Mamprugu. The group in a statement expressed their profound gratitude for the confidence placed in their son and brother by selecting him for the 4th consecutive time into an election. Your nomination of one of our kin for the fourth consecutive time running is an attestation to the trust and faith you natured and reposed on one of our intelligent sons. The statement added, In your landmark announcement of this nomination, we noted with pride the level of confidence reposed on your all-time nominee and the emphasis you placed on the core values and qualities for which he has been singled out for the fourth time. We give you the assurances of the highest order that the training and upbringing of our fore-bearers engender both personal and collective values of clarity of purpose, competence, integrity and a true sense of identity as a Ghanaian. We see this singular honor as an opportunity to crystalize our dreams of seeing the North East region grow to become one of the greatest development hub of this country. Read full statement below: PRESS STATEMENT BY ZAABUNI FOR DEVELOPMENT ON THE NOMINATION OF H.E. ALHAJI DR. MAHAMUDU BAWUMIA AS RUNNING MATE BY H.E. THE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF GHANA AND PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE FOR THE NEW PATRIOTIC PARTY Fellow Ghanaians, ladies and gentlemen of the press. We the sons and daughters of Mamprugu known simply as Zaabuni greet you in the name of Almighty God, Allah (The Most Gracious, Most Merciful)! We come to you with a simple and short message which we wish to convey to H.E the President of the Republic of Ghana and Commander-in-chief of the Ghana armed forces, on behalf of His Royal Majesty and king of the Mamprugu Kingdom, Na Bohagu Mahami Abdulai Sheriga (Nayiri). Permit me to state emphatically on the onset that Zaabuni as an Association, does not represent any political unit or pressure grouping but an amalgamation of all sons and daughters of the diverse ethnic groups within the Mamprugu state . The group comprises people of different political and religious affiliation seeking to work collaboratively for the accelerated Development of Mamprugu. First of all we wish to send our sincere congratulations to the President of the Republic, His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo -Addo for his acclamation as the New Patriotic Presidential Candidate for this years general election last week. May Allah guide you through Now to the main reason for this press statement which is our message to H.E the President of the Republic of Ghana, Nana Addo-Danquah Akufu Addo. Your excellency, the President; greetings to you in the name of the Almighty God, Allah (The Most Gracious, Most Merciful) from all the sons and daughters of Mamprugu. We come to you with a simple and short message to Mr. President. on behalf of His Royal Majesty and King of the Mamprugu kingdom, Na Bohagu Mahami Abdulai Sheriga and all the People of Mamprugu to thank you once again for doing our kingdom a great honor, in your recent nomination of our son, brother, nephew, uncle and father, H.E Alhaji Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia as your running mate for the 2020 presidential election. Your nomination of one of our kin for the fourth consecutive time running is attestation to the trust and faith you natured and reposed on one of our intelligent sons. In your landmark announcement of this nomination, we noted with pride the level of confidence reposed on your all-time nominee and the emphasis you placed on the core values and qualities for which he has been singled out for the fourth time. We give you the assurances of the highest order that the training and upbringing of our fore-bearers engender both personal and collective values of clarity of purpose, competence, integrity and a true sense of identity as a Ghanaian. We see this singular honor as an opportunity to crystalize our dreams of seeing the North East region grow to become one of the greatest development hub of this country. We the sons and daughters of Mamprugu hereby resolve to work within the parameters of your strategic guidance and leadership of our country. Mr. President, permit us to note that we come to you with this simple thank you message unusually through the press not because we seek some political capital out of it, but to bring to the notice of fellow Ghanaians that we acknowledge your unflinching commitment to the development and progress of Mamprugu and the new region which you created in fulfillment of your campaign promises. Mr. President, apart from your laudable and enviable nationwide policies, you have ensured Mamprugu has had its fair share of the national cake and prosecuted a development trajectory that is transformational and impactful. Nevertheless, like oliver twist, we will not turn away after thanking you but will be asking fervently that we expect more in your quest to see our young and teething region grow to meet the expectations of our people. Our people have an adage that the fowl does not thank the mortar only once. In so far as people use it to pound maize it will always come back to get some food and the thank you will continue. We trust that Mr. President; you will fulfill the rest of your promises to Mamprugu and the North East region as you have done before. May the almighty Allah continue to grant you the wisdom and strength to make Ghana great again! We will like to seize this opportunity to congratulate our dear brother, uncle, nephew and father, H.E Alhaji Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, Vice President of the Republic of Ghana on his nomination as running mate for the New Patriotic Party for the fourth time, this time for the 2020 presidential elections due to take place in December this year. We wish you H.E Mr. President and Vice President a successful electoral contest! We are proud of you not only as a Ghanaian but also as a true son of Mamprugu. We have no doubt you will continue to uphold and demonstrate the values of Honesty, Integrity, Accountability and Humility, some of your enviable qualities which make you stand tall in Ghanaian politics. We pray to God for a peaceful election. Thank you Signed on behalf of the President Arimeyaw Salley Ibn Saeed 30th June 2020. A 19-year-old baker has been arraigned before an Accra Circuit Court for allegedly defiling a 15-year old girl at Chorkor and later transporting her to Koforidua in the Eastern Region. Gideon Tetteh charged with defilement pleaded not guilty. The court presided over by Mrs. Christiana Cann admitted Tetteh to bail in the sum of GH60,000.00 with two sureties to be justified. Tetteh is expected to reappear on July 13 for Case Management Conference. Prosecuting, Chief Inspector Kofi Atimbire said the complainant is a trader residing at Chorkor and mother of the victim. Chief Inspector Atimbire said both parties live on the same compound at Chorkor. According to the prosecution, the accused who has been perching with his friend in the house saw the victim and proposed to her. He said the victim and the accused became lovebirds on the blind side of the complainant. Prosecution said three weeks ago, the victim informed the complainant that, Tetteh was an orphan and has been sacked from where he use to live so she should accept Tetteh as his son so that he could live with them. The prosecution said the complainant agreed to accept the accused and hence allowed him to sleep in her porch. Chief Inspector Atimbire said any time the complainant leaves home the accused sneaks into the complainant's room and have sexual intercourse with the victim. According to the prosecution when the complainant suspected these acts and quizzed the victim and accused over the amorous relationship, they both denied. He said on June 18, this year the complainant returned from town and met the absence of the victim and the accused. Mr Atimbire said the complainant searched for them at Chorkor but to no avail. He said the complainant therefore reported the matter to the Police at Chorkor. On June 22, this year only for the victim to call the complainant to informed her that she was with the accused in Koforidua. Prosecution said the complainant proceeded to Koforidua but she did not meet them. He said the following day, the complainant through the help of a Good Samaritan fished out the victim and the accused and transported them to the Mamprobi Police station in Accra where a medical report form was issued to the complainant to seek medical attention for the victim. He said the accused in his cautioned statement admitted the offence. ---GNA K.T. Hammond Listen to article Member of Parliament (MP) for Adansi-Asokwa, K.T. Hammond, has denied media reports that he described Voltarians as non-Ghanaians. He says the reports are false and should be ignored. He made the denial in a statement. Mr Hammond faced strong criticisms for the alleged comments that were considered tribalistic. But in a statement, he says his comments were taken out of context by the media and the NDC. According to Mr Hammond, This is a deliberate, malicious, shameless twist of my responses with the sole purpose of causing me extraordinary political and social disaffection with Ghanaians from the Volta region. It is clear beyond argument that in my responses in the interview, at no point in the four minutes' segment did I suggest let alone state that Ghanaians from the Volta Region were not Ghanaians, his statement noted. He explained that the interview he granted to some media personnel who report from Parliament spanned about 20 minutes, relating to matters concerning the recent Supreme Court judgement on the new voters register and the deployment of the military to certain parts of the country, including the Volta Region. According to him, during the interview, he commented on the presence of the military in the Volta and hazarded a guess and said, their presence may be due to the pending electoral registration exercise and to ensure the sanctity of its outcome by preventing non Ghanaians and those not constitutionally qualified to register and vote from infiltrating through the porous border. He observed that he pointed out the historical fact that the people of the Volta Region and Togo have the same ethnic background and were related. I also stated that for this historical reason, the two intermingle across the eastern border. I then stated that even though they have the common background which I have stated for which reason the Togolese cross the border into Ghana and back regularly, they were not Ghanaians and accordingly could not register to vote in Ghanaian elections, he said. This segment of the interview was only about four minutes in which I took pains to explain, after a series of questions from the media present, that all my references to non-Ghanaians referred to people from Togo. He has therefore indicated that he is going to report all the media houses associated with what he describes as mischief to the National Media Commission for redress. I call on the general public to disregard the twists to my responses and also to disregard the suggestions that my responses amount to the facts behind the state's action. citinewsroom US Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden said Tuesday he will not hold campaign rallies because of the coronavirus pandemic as the European Union reopened its borders to visitors from 15 countries -- but not the virus-stricken US, Brazil or Russia. Anthony Fauci, the top US infectious diseases expert, warned that the United States could see 100,000 new COVID-19 cases a day and several US states imposed 14-day quarantines on travelers from other states. Biden, 77, delivered a blistering critique of his November opponent Donald Trump's handling of the pandemic, saying the Republican president had "failed" the country. The former vice president said he will not hold rallies during the outbreak, a move that is in stark contrast with Trump, who has already held large campaign gatherings. Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, warned that the US could see 100,000 new coronavirus cases a day. By POOL (GETTY IMAGES/AFP) "This is the most unusual campaign I think in modern history," Biden said. "I'm going to follow the doc's orders -- not just for me but for the country -- and that means that I am not going to be holding rallies." In Brussels, the EU finalized the list of countries whose health situation was deemed safe enough to allow residents to enter the bloc starting on July 1. The United States was notably excluded, along with Russia and Brazil. Those on the list are Algeria, Australia, Canada, Japan, Georgia, Montenegro, Morocco, New Zealand, Rwanda, Serbia, South Korea, Thailand, Tunisia and Uruguay. Travelers from China, where the virus first emerged late last year, will be allowed on the condition that Beijing reciprocates and opens the door to EU residents. EU opens borders to safe list of countries. By Gillian HANDYSIDE (AFP) The border relaxation, to be reviewed in two weeks and left to member states to implement, is a bid to help rescue the continent's battered tourism sector, which has been choked by a ban on non-essential travel in place since mid-March. But with some 10.3 million known infections worldwide, the pandemic is "not even close to being over," the World Health Organization has warned. 'Very disturbing' A woman is tested at a walk-in testing centre opened by German biotech company Centogene, at the airport in Frankfurt am Main. By Daniel ROLAND (AFP) In Washington, Fauci, a member of Trump's coronavirus task force, warned Congress that new cases could more than double to 100,000 per day if steps are not taken to suppress the pandemic. "Clearly we are not in total control right now," he said. "I would not be surprised if it goes up to 100,000 a day if this does not turn around." Alarming spikes in cases in Texas and Florida are driving the daily national total of new cases to over 40,000 per day, and they need to be tamped down quickly to avoid dangerous surges elsewhere in the country, Fauci stressed. Europe wants to reopen to help revive the tourist industry. By MEHDI FEDOUACH (AFP/File) Asked about a final death toll, Fauci declined to speculate but said it would be a "very disturbing" number. The pandemic has claimed some 126,000 American lives so far and more than 506,000 around the globe. Senator Lamar Alexander, a Republican who chairs the Senate panel, urged Trump to end the politicization of mask-wearing by putting on one himself. "The president has plenty of admirers, they would follow his lead," Alexander said. "It would help end this political debate." New York, New Jersey and Connecticut on Tuesday doubled to 16 the number of US states whose residents must go into quarantine for 14 days if they visit any of the northeastern states. The Pan American Health Organization warned meanwhile that the coronavirus death toll in Latin America and the Caribbean could top 400,000 by October without stricter public health measures. A health official conducts tests in New Delhi. By XAVIER GALIANA (AFP) That would represent a quadrupling of the fatal cases of COVID-19 in the region. The number of infections has stabilized in many European nations but the lifting of lockdown measures is still touch-and-go as governments try to reboot economies facing historic recessions. 'Infrastructure revolution' Pubs in England are set to open this weekend. By Adrian DENNIS (AFP) European aircraft maker Airbus said it is planning to cut around 15,000 jobs worldwide, 11 percent of its total workforce. Britain, home to Europe's deadliest outbreak, has already seen its sharpest quarterly contraction in 40 years, shrinking 2.2 percent from January-March. The worst is yet to come, with economists predicting a double-digit slump in output during the second quarter, tipping Britain into a technical recession. COVID-19: World toll. By (AFP) Prime Minister Boris Johnson vowed Tuesday to deliver a "infrastructure revolution" to help the country out of the economic downturn. In the meantime, his government is employing a "whack-a-mole" strategy of targeted lockdowns. While the government plans to reopen pubs, restaurants and hairdressers on July 4, schools and non-essential shops in Leicester, central England, have been ordered to close after a localized outbreak. Germany, which has been praised for its handling of COVID-19, also saw its North Rhine-Westphalia state extend a lockdown on a district hit hard by a slaughterhouse outbreak. And in Australia, a new spike in cases in parts of Melbourne spurred new stay-at-home measures affecting some 300,000 people. Around the world, sporting events continued to fall off the calendar, including the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations and the remainder of this year's World Rugby Sevens Series. Bangalore, 30th June 2020: To celebrate and salute the selfless efforts put by the doctors; on the occasion of National Doctors day, Columbia Asia Hospitals, Bangalore launches #WarriorsinWhite initiative. The initiative which is launched in all the five branches across the city, is inviting public to wear white, the colour associated with the doctors and to post their story with #WarriorsinWhite on social media along with a selfie to honour the tremendous, selfless efforts of the doctors community. Healthcare has been the prime focus of the world this year, and doctors have taken the centre-stage. With this initiative, the hospitals aim to thank all doctors for their never-ending dedication, commitment, and enthusiasm; and celebrate the undying will of each doctor to save life. On this occasion, Columbia Asia Hospitals is inviting people to convey their gratitude to the doctors who have supported them through their recovery during the COVID times by sending videos and messages on Columbia Asia hospitals Facebook page www.facebook.com/ColumbiaAsiaIndia In these tense situations, where Covid-19 has disrupted our entire lives, doctors and healthcare staff are one of those people who have never given up the fight against the pandemic. And the hospitals main focus is to encourage the public to thank and salute all the heroes in white who have sacrificed themselves for the betterment of the public. About Columbia Asia India Columbia Asia is an international private healthcare company founded by an American entrepreneur, Mr. Daniel Baty in 1996. From the outset, Columbia Asia envisioned to provide quality, affordable healthcare services easily accessible to the community - driven by our vision statement, a passion for making people better. Today, Columbia Asia operates 11 hospitals in India located in the cities of Bangalore, Mysore, Kolkata, Delhi NCR (Ghaziabad and Gurgaon), Pune and Patiala. With 100 to 200 beds per hospital, it leverages modern technology to provide efficient specialist care and to reduce length of hospital stays which results in more cost-effective care. The hospitals of Columbia Asia provide a wide array of specialist services such as General Surgery, Paediatrics, Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Orthopaedics, Internal Medicine, Oncology, Cardiology, Neurosurgery, Bariatric surgery; and super-specialist services in Transplantations (Liver, Kidney and Heart), Oncology, Cardiac surgeries, Robotic Surgeries (Urology, Gastroenterology, Gynaecology), etc. Some of the hospitals also provide specialized services like paediatric neurodevelopment and DBS (Deep Brain Stimulation). These are appropriately supported by ancillary services that include an Intensive Care Unit, Neonatal Care Unit, Physiotherapy, Laboratory, Pharmacy and Imaging. At Columbia Asia, strict clinical governance, ethics and clinical excellence is TOP PRIORITY. Team-Lead of the No Pad Tax campaign, Lilipearl Baaba Otoo, has commented that in order to eradicate period poverty, t is prudent for the government to invest efforts into local manufacturing of sanitary pads. Speaking on TV Africas morning show, she explained that the most effective means of increasing affordability and access to sanitary products for women is for the country to empower businesses in that respect. This, she believes will not only increase affordability but also create jobs for the economy. According to the Gender Activist, the distribution of sanitary pads to schools has not proven to be sustainable, requiring a more robust approach to period poverty. She said There are two major things that we have identified as a better and more sustainable solution to end period poverty. These are for the government to scrap the 20% tax on sanitary products and the second is to enable local production. Enabling local production will go a long way to create jobs and fit into the Made-In-Ghana agenda for the country. Sanitary pads are expensive to come by even by the average income earning Ghanaian women so you can imagine the revealing stories weve heard during our outreach to rural communities. Many of them are unable to afford pads and they sometimes resort to the use of alternatives such as rags, paper, and leaves. Lilipearl added that menstruation is a natural phenomenon, and its unfair to tag its sanitary products as luxury items. Placing a tax on pads is akin to placing a tax on womanhood, she said. The No Pad Tax campaign is an initiative of Bridge For Equity Ghana, a gender advocacy NGO that exists to protect children through formal education, promote gender education, and provide skills development training for employment. The campaign which started at the beginning of the year dominated media spaces and started a conversation for the government to scrap taxes on sanitary products and enable local production. Adding to the progress of the campaign, Lilipearl noted that the NGO submitted a petition to the Minister for Gender, Children, and Social Protection, Madam Cynthia Mamle Morrison to demand from the government repeal of the said tax, and entreated that priority is given to the call-for-action. Lilipearl also revealed that the petition has so far been signed by over 15,000 people. The Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Foundation (STBHF) has learnt, with great pleasure and honour, the news of the election to the high office of the President and Vice-president of the Republic of Malawi, following peaceful presidential re-run election in the East African nation. Masha Allah the battle is over and Dr. Lazarus Chakwera has been elected and inaugurated the legitimate, constitutional and democratically-elected President and Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Malawi. As painful as it may be, the spread of the deadly and devastating Coronavirus pandemic has denied the Malawian people the opportunity to celebrate the dawn of a new era in their countrys strangulating political history. The Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Foundation (STBHF) therefore wishes to convey its warmest congratulations to the People of Malawi for the epoch-making event of electing Dr. Lazarus Chakwera over former President Peter Mutharika in a re-run election, called and held on 23rd June 2020. Dr. Chakwera won 58.57% of the vote to make a dramatic reversal of the result of the first election in May 2019, which was later overturned by a competent Malawian court. What happened in Malawi a week ago was a clear victory for democracy and dignity of Malawians; it is also regarded by foreign observers as a test of the ability of African courts to tackle ballot fraud and restrain the executive from tampering with the democratic process. The victory of Dr. Lazarus Chakwera came after a hard fought and won a battle that may bring liberation to the peaceful and freedom-loving people of Malawi. Hello Malawians, congratulations! We congratulate you for the maturity and tolerance exhibited during the just concluded presidential re-run election, which was conducted in an atmosphere devoid of violence and acrimony. We believe God Almighty Allah has been holding the foundation, pillar, wall and roof of President Dr. Lazarus Chakwera and Vice-president Salus Chilima, otherwise Covid-19 would have derailed and eventually aborted their victory. The election of President Dr. Lazarus Chakwera and Vice-president Salus Chilima was predicated on clear and objective display of professionalism in the dispensation of justice in Malawi. It is an assurance that with this development advances stage in democratic experience and experiment, that Malawi has written it name in gold, as a beacon of hope for Africa in its continued attempts at strengthening democratic institutions and good governance. To the Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Foundation (STBHF), the election victory of President Dr. Lazarus Chakwera and Vice-president Salus Chilima should not be judged only as a victory for the people of Malawi but as a victory for Africa and blacks everywhere on the planet. In this regard, we want to assure President Dr. Lazarus Chakwera our commitment to work in Malawi, to provide humanitarian assistance to the Malawian people. We also look forward to garner Malawian peoples solidarity with Qatar and support for ending the illegal, unjust and ungodly blockade against Qatar. We conclude by thanking God Almighty Allah for bringing smile on the face of President Chakwera; for he who laughs last, laughs best. May God Almighty Allah richly bless the new President, guide and protect him, and provide him with enough wisdom to uplift the living standards of the Malawian people. Sender: Fatmata B. Bangura Acting Programme Coordinator Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Foundation (STBHF) Yesterday, I spent my time reflecting on and writing about the existential reality of ethnocentrism in Ghana that has plagued the country since late colonialism. I must begin by saying that ethnocentrism as a socio-political challenge is not a challenge of a minority ethnic group in any case, a minority could be socio-politically more powerful than a majority. And minority could be a majority in a certain geographical space. With this, I still maintain that ethnocentrism is so pervasive in Ghana and it finds expression in schools, workplaces, and churches and mosques. It finds expression in the three arms of life politics, sports, and religion. It is a systemic challenge that affects virtually everyone in one way or the other (either overtly or covertly). It has become the major obstacle in rooting out corruption in the country. As a social challenge, ethnocentrism is not just about a particular group suffering from social injustice. It is also about the experiences of individuals who are constituents of a group. In dealing with ethnocentrism, therefore, we need to take it from the perspective of individuals, as well as of groups. I am sure that almost all of us will have some experiences to share on the subject. I know people from some ethnic groups who have changed (or added to) their names because of the tempo of ethnocentrism in our country. I have a friend who changed his name to gain favours from a certain political party. I also know friends who name their children strategically to achieve a political end. I have listened to the interview K.T. Hammond granted and I sense that there was bad journalism in practice. I guess journalists, in addition to their training, are to apply common sense to their profession. The Akan say that "in delivering a message, we send the wise not the long-legged person." Sadly, some of our journalists write and report on issues that are likely to set the nation on the false precipice of collapse. It is about time journalists applied Plato's Allegory of the Chariot. They should exercise some degree of reasonability and rationality in their report. If a politician says something explosive, must a journalist at all cost report it? What benefit would a bad comment from a politician do to the benefit of Ghana? Assuming K.T. Hammond said what the journalist reported him to have said, was the journalist under any obligation to have published the story? Couldn't the journalist have exercised common sense in what he reported? In any case, what did the journalist stand to gain by reporting what K.T. Hammond is purported to have said if not to imperil Ghana's fragile peace? As I said yesterday, we cannot pretend that it is only a minority that suffers from this social cancer. Ethnocentrism is a challenge that we all face in one way or the other. Let us not assume that Akan are in the position of privilege and others are on the margins of life. Ethnocentric cuts across ethnic groups. We all must, therefore, take a collective approach to deal with this challenge. Much as ethnocentrism is trans-ethnic challenge, it is a form of social injustice. It is straitjacketing people who are different from us. In Ghana virtually all the ethnic groups are stereotyped. And since we are in the mood to root out ethnocentrism, I will not go into mentioning some of the needless profiles against ethnic groups. The result of ethnocentrism as a form of social injustice is that some people have failed to progress in their academic pursuit; some have lost their jobs or been denied employment; others have failed to marry their conjugal boyfriends and girlfriends; some children have been neglected and so on. As opportunistic as human beings are, some individuals tend to harvest ethnocentrism to achieve their own parochial interest. It is either they pretend some ethnic groups are more privileged than others or they deploy ethnicity to advance their own careers. In Ghana, things are so bad that ethnic groups fare differently, depending on which political party is in office. Given that no one particular group lives with ethnocentrism alone, we cannot pretend that the battle against this social malaise must be fought by only a certain group. We all have to be immersed in the fight. And to fight it well, I propose Moses's approach in dealing with social injustice. Moses was born to Hebrew parents but brought up in the palace of Pharaoh. He grew up as a privileged person. He had everything he needed. Potentially, he was tipped to become the next Pharaoh. And like anyone who may have the illusions of being privileged, he did not need to worry about the plight of those who faced social injustice. He could have been indifferent to social injustice. But Moses became a different person. While he was in the position of influence, he decided to empathise equally with anyone who suffered from social injustice. His fight against social injustice was without political colouration. He fought injustice regardless of who was involved. Moses first fight against injustice was directed as an Egyptian who was maltreating a Hebrew person (Exodus 2:11-12). He went straight in defence of the Hebrew because the Hebrew was experiencing injustice. What we can learn from Moses is that we have to defend our own when one of our own is suffering from any form of injustice. Here we must look within to protect ourselves. We can extrapolate this to include the fact that we must cherish who we are. We must love our culture and our identity. In the fight against ethnocentrism, we must not lose a sense of our identity. This is because there is dignity in our differences. It is also because self-hate is dangerous. The next time, it was a Hebrew against Hebrew, Moses went in defence of the Hebrew who was being maltreated (Exodus 2:13-14). He spoke against the injustice. Here, what we can learn is that social injustice should be condemned even if it is perpetrated by one of our own. In fighting against social injustice, we should not shield members of our group who promote it. Impliedly, we should condemn ethnocentrism even if it is engineered and instigated by one of our own. This also means that we should not condemn ethnocentrism only to become proponents of it. If ethnocentrism against us is bad, it is also bad for us to direct it at others. Finally, Moses defended social justice among non-Hebrew people (Exodus 2:15-17). In this incident, Moses did not have any personal interest. It was just about groups that were unrelated to him. He had no business poking his nose into the affairs of non-Hebrew people locked in acrimonious contest. But he went ahead and contested injustice. This means we must speak against ethnocentrism even if it does not happen to us directly. Moses action resonates with Martin Luther King Jr.s sagacious observation that: Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly. We can glean from this that it is simply humane to fight against injustice because we share a common humanity. Stringing the Mosaic approach together, we must speak against ethnocentrism everywhere at all time without discrimination. We should be determined to stand for social justice regardless of the cost. Fighting against ethnocentrism can make us look as the fifth columnist to our ethnic members, especially when we critique them. Moses experienced it when his fellow Hebrew questioned Mosess legitimacy to fight social injustice. Ethnic political actors can threaten us if we fight ethnocentric feelings in our own ethnic group. Moses experienced that when he became a target of Pharaohs fury. Also, those we fight for may see us as seeking to patronize them. But in all of this, we should not be discouraged. We should fight ethnocentrism, since it blights the peaceful interactions in Ghanas pluro-ethnic space, especially in the regional capitals. Satyagraha Charles Prempeh ([email protected]), African University College of Communications, Accra On the verge of independence, Ghana then Gold Coast was faced with a crucial question: whether the British Togoland will be willing to join modern Ghana or not. A plebiscite was held to decide on the matter and after the referendum, the majority of the Ewes decided to join independent Ghana. Well, this history had remained with us for ages and it is about time we assess the progress of development in that part of the country after independence. The Volta Region can boast of the Volta River and a Lake and some rough mountainous terrain making the region a good tourist destination. Since the beginning of the 4th Republic, the region had remained the stronghold *(World Bank)* of the National Democratic Party (NDC) voting massively for the party without any slight consideration. First, it was the former President Jerry John Rawlings, who people think hailed from the region so it was usual for the voltarians to give him their support. But soon, everything appears that the region had become an NDC region and votes from the region in the general elections continue to point in one direction. The ruling party, the New Patriotic Party (NPP), stagger in votes in the region in every general election. Barely are they able to get a Member of Parliament slot from the Volta let alone increasing their vote numbers in the presidential race. *It is very conclusive that NDC had harnessed the region for their political gain*. The voltarians (as we affectionately called them) are not great business people or commercial oriented but have deep representation in the civil and public service of Ghana. Many of them had obtained some significant level of higher education and contributed their quota to Ghanas development in the public and civil sectors of Ghanas political, economic and social environment. In short, we can easily refer to the region as a region of intellectuals. The current Auditor General of Ghana (who had been asked to proceed on accumulated leave by the president) Daniel Domelevo, hails from the region. Interestingly, many of these well-meaning intellectuals do not reside in the region but live outside and visit occasionally. *This has left the region with core indigenous people who might lack the needed capacity to crave for their share of the national cake*. Well, it will interest you to know that the region is one of the poorest in the country with a significant level of poverty ravaging the population. The area is saddled with serious underdevelopment with poor road, health and educational infrastructure. Poor housing and lack of commercial activities make the region unattractive to investors and other business opportunities. Despite the mountainous terrain, more opportunities exist for the development of the hospitality industry and other core businesses. But this is in the negative as Hohoe and Aflao had remained the only commercial centers. Fortunately for the region, their love for NDC had span throughout the 4th Republic. The region had remained loyal to the NDC since 1992 and continues to show their unwavering support. Well, the NDC had had the opportunity to serve Ghana for sixteen (16) years and peoples expectations were that the NDC will have transformed the region in such way to show their immense gratitude. It is rather the opposite that the NDC had not done much to show their profound appreciation since their election fortunes are tied to the apron of the region. The level of underdevelopment and poverty in the region betrays the bond between the region and the NDC party and every independent-minded person will conclude without mincing words that the party had taken the Volta Region for granted and for cheap merchandise. The party had also taken the advantage of the history of NDC with Jerry John Rawlings to draw votes from a region they do not hold any form of proper allegiance. At least the voting pattern in the region should correspond with the level of development. No one will grudge them for their pattern of the vote, but we can caution them about the trend and how their alliance to one party had not yielded any form of development. It is very alarming and the future development of the region might forever remain in the shadows should it continue the same way for decades. If history is guiding them negatively, then it is about time they say goodbye to any form of past antecedent and embrace the reality of globalization where development is the hallmark of every society. They must start rethinking their bond with one party and start looking into the future where underdevelopment and poverty will become a thing of the past. A word to the wise is enough. I will be back. COVID-19 is defined as an ailment caused by a novel virus called severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) which was earlier known as 2019-nCoV. The acronym COVID-19 was derived from Coronavirus Disease 2019. COVID-19 was first identified amid an outbreak of respiratory illness cases in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China. Though the first case of the ailment was reported to the World Health Organisation (WHO) on December 31, 2019, scientists have determined the virus could have started spreading from person to person as early as late November 2019. On January 30, 2020, WHO declared COVID-19 outbreak a global health emergency, and on March 11, 2020, WHO declared COVID-19 a global pandemic. The first case of COVID-19 outside China was reported in Thailand in 13 January 2020, and its first case in Africa was recorded in Egypt on 14 February 2020. Ghana received her first share of the ailment on 12 March 2020. Ever since the virus sprang up, Ghana has been very apt with the implementation and the strict adherence to policies that would help curtail the spread of the virus in the country. Such safety protocols and measures have ranged from travel restrictions, the partial lockdown of specific sectors, aggressive enhanced contact tracing, testing, quarantine/isolation and treatment, social and physical distancing, washing of hands, use of masks and sanitizers, employment of innovations like digitalization and drones, and others. This has as a result produced splendid results as against the extend of damage scientists had scientifically predicted for the country. Such good practices and fruitfulness is what eventually got United Kingdom (UK) praising Ghana for her use of innovative methods in the fight against the pandemic during a presentation of the plans by the Ghanaian government in dealing with the pandemic during a WHO virtual meeting. Moreover, as a result of this splendid achievement so far, which has been borne out of the way Ghana has managed the virus in the country, has gotten many countries across the world such as United States of America (USA), UK and others also adopting some of these result-oriented measures that is being employed by Ghana. Furthermore, to corroborate the above COVID-19 success mentions of Ghana government, below are some facts, figures and analysis explicitly showcasing the extent of the impact of the measures and protocols employed by Ghana. Rate of Percentage Change of Ghanas Coronavirus Confirmed Cases (Year: 2020) Date Confirmed Cases 12 Mar- 2 22 Mar- 21 (950.00% Increase) 02 Apr- 204 (871.43% Increase) 12 Apr- 566 (177.45% Increase) 22 Apr- 1,154 (103.89% Increase) 30 Apr- 2,074 (79.72% Increase) 10 May - 4,700 (126.62% Increase) 20 May- 6,096 (29.70% Increase) 30 May- 7,768 (27.43% Increase) 09 Jun- 9,910 (27.57% Increase) 19 Jun- 13,717 (38.42% increase) Between 26 Apr (1,550) and 27 Jun (15,834), the rate of percentage change with respect to confirmed cases is 921.55% increase. With a ten (10) days interval from the date Ghana recorded her first case till now, it can be observed from the data above that, there has been a sharp diminishing rate of increase, and as a result, it proves a positive impact of the employed measures. Note, Ghana started off with a rate of change of 950.00% increase as at 22 March but has sharply declined to 38.42% as at 19 June. Despite the diminishing rate of the rate of increase has reduced per comparison of the figures between 20 May and 19 June with the figures between 12 March and 10 May, the general diminishing rate of the rate of increase between the respective periods is still very significant. Rate of Percentage Change of Ghanas COVID-19 Recoveries (Year : 2020) Date Recoveries 26 Apr- 155 7 May- 303 (95.48% Increase) 15 May- 1,460 (381.85% Increase) 25 May- 1,998 (36.85% Increase) 6 Jun- 3,547 (77.53% Increase) 16 Jun- 4,326 (21.96% Increase) 27 Jun- 11,755 (171.73% increase) Between 26 April and 27 Jun, the rate of percentage change with respect to recoveries is 7,483.87% increase From the data above, the rate of increase of recoveries has a curve-like (up and down) look, but a general observation of the entire data shows the rise between the respective periods to be very significant. Rate of Percentage Change of Ghanas COVID-19 Deaths (Year : 2020) Date Deaths 26 Apr- 11 7 May- 18 (63.64% Increase) 15 May- 28 (55.56% Increase) 25 May- 32 (14.29% Increase) 6 Jun- 44 (37.50% Increase) 16 Jun- 58 (31.82% Increase) 27 Jun- 103 (77.59% increase) Between 26 April and 27 Jun, the rate of percentage change with respect to deaths is 836.36% increase From the data above, the rate of increase of deaths has a curve-like (up and down) look, but a general observation of the entire data shows a general rise which needs an urgent work on to aid a slow of its rate of increase. Further more, with a comparison of the rate of increases of confirmed cases, recoveries and deaths between 26 April and 27 June, of which that of confirmed cases is 921.55%, recoveries is 7,483.87% and that of death is 836.36%. It can be realised that that of recoveries far exceed those of deaths and confirmed cases respectively by about eight (8) times, which is a very significant development, and a very huge achievement. Coronavirus Cases in Ghana According to Dates (Year: 2020) 19 April: 68,591 tests; 1,042 confirmed cases Cases per Tests: 1.52% 26 April: 100,622 tests; 1,550 confirmed cases; 155 recoveries; 11 deaths Cases per Tests: 1.54% Recoveries per Cases: 10.00% Deaths per Cases: 0.71% 7 May: 137,924 tests; 3,091 confirmed cases; 303 recoveries; 18 deaths Cases per Tests: 2.24% Recoveries per Cases: 9.80% Deaths per Cases: 0.58% 10 May: 160,501 tests; 4,700 confirmed cases; 494 recoveries; 22 deaths Cases per Tests: 2.93% Recoveries per Cases: 10.51% Deaths per Cases: 0.47% 15 May: 161,00 tests; 5,638 confirmed cases; 1,460 recoveries; 28 deaths Cases per Tests: 3.50% Recoveries per Cases: 26.04% Deaths per Cases: 0.50% 20 May: 6,096 confirmed cases; 1773 recoveries; 31 deaths Recoveries per Cases: 29.08% Deaths per Cases: 0.51% 25 May: 194,763 tests; 6,683 confirmed cases; 1,998 recoveries; 32 deaths Cases per Tests: 3.43% Recoveries per Cases: 29.90% Deaths per Cases: 0.48% 1 June: 218,425 tests; 8,070 confirmed cases; 494 recoveries; 36 deaths Cases per Tests: 3.69% Recoveries per Cases: 36.52% Deaths per Cases: 0.45% 6 June: 9,462 confirmed cases; 3,547 recoveries; 44 deaths Recoveries per Cases: 37.49% Deaths per Cases: 0.47% 12 June: 242,218 tests; 10,856 confirmed cases; 3,921 recoveries; 48 deaths Cases per Tests: 4.48% Recoveries per Cases: 36.12% Deaths per Cases: 0.44% 17 June: 12,590 confirmed cases; 4,410 recoveries; 66 deaths Recoveries per Cases: 35.03% Deaths per Cases: 0.52% 22 June: 14,154 confirmed cases; 10,473 recoveries; 85 deaths Recoveries per Cases: 73.99% Deaths per Cases: 0.60% 27 June: 288,465 tests; 15,834 confirmed cases; 11,755 recoveries; 103 deaths Cases per Tests: 5.49% Recoveries per Cases: 74.24% Deaths per Cases: 0.65% Between April 19 and June 27, there has been some mixed results with a major being positive. Note, despite the Cases per Tests have increased from 1.52% to 5.49%, it is also worthy to note that Recoveries per Cases have increased from 10.00% to 74.24% and also Deaths per Cases have reduced from 0.71% to 0.62%, and as a result signifies very positive strides by the nation. African Countries and their Respective percentage of Coronavirus Tests Per Population as of 29 June, 2020 1.South Africa - 1,567,084 (Popn: 59,301,892) Test per Population : 2.64% 2.Ghana - 288,465 (Popn: 31,062,453) Test per Population : 0.93% 3.Egypt - 135,000 (Popn: 102,305,264) Test per Population : 0.13% 4.Mauritius - 171,792 (Popn: 1,271,755) Test per Population : 13.51% 5.Morocco - 650,719 (Popn: 36,905,559) Test per Population : 1.76% 6.Uganda - 170,789 (Popn: 45,705,216) Test per Population : 0.37% 7.Rwanda - 137,751 (Popn: 12,946,351) Test per Population : 1.06% 8.Ethiopia - 246,911 (Popn: 114,911,577) 0.21% 9.Tunisia - 69,137 (Popn: 11,817,294) Test per Population : 0.59% 10.Kenya - 165,196 (Popn: 53,751,415) Test per Population : 0.31% 11.Nigeria - 130,164 (Popn: 206,060,232) Test per Population : 0.06% From the data above, it puts Ghana among countries in Africa which have engaged in a high number of massive testing per population. An attestation to a satisfaction of one of the urgencies in the COVID-19 fight, and one of the reasons to why Ghana is achieving desired results. List of some African Countries with their respective Coronavirus Confirmed Cases, Recoveries and Deaths as at 28 June, 2020 South Africa: 138,134 Cases; 68,925 Recoveries; 2,456 Deaths % of Recoveries per Cases: 49.90% % of Death per Cases: 1.78% Ghana: 16,742 Cases; 12,720 Recoveries; 112 Deaths % of Recoveries per Cases: 75.98% % of Death per Cases: 0.67% Egypt: 65,188 Cases; 17,539 Recoveries; 2,789 Deaths % of Recoveries per Cases: 26.91% % of Death per Cases: 4.28% Mauritius: 341 Cases; 326 Recoveries; 10 Deaths % of Recoveries per Cases: 95.60% % of Death per Cases: 2.93% Morocco: 12,052 Cases; 8,740 Recoveries; 221 Deaths % of Recoveries per Cases: 72.52% % of Death per Cases: 1.83% Uganda: 859 Cases; 794 Recoveries; 0 Deaths % of Recoveries per Cases: 92.43% % of Death per Cases: 0.00% Rwanda: 900 Cases; 443 Recoveries; 2 Deaths % of Recoveries per Cases: 49.22% % of Death per Cases: 0.22% Ethiopia: 5,689 Cases; 2,132 Recoveries; 98 Deaths % of Recoveries per Cases: 37.48% % of Death per Cases: 1.72% Tunisia: 1,169 Cases; 1,029 Recoveries; 50 Deaths % of Recoveries per Cases: 88.02% % of Death per Cases: 4.28% Kenya: 6,070 Cases; 1,971 Recoveries; 143 Deaths % of Recoveries per Cases: 32.47% % of Death per Cases: 2.36% Algeria: 13,273 Cases; 9,371 Recoveries; 897 Deaths % of Recoveries per Cases: 70.60% % of Death per Cases: 6.76% Nigeria: 24,077 Cases; 8,625 Recoveries; 558 Deaths % of Recoveries per Cases: 35.82% % of Death per Cases: 2.32% From the data above, with a comparison of figures of Ghana to that of listed African countries, it can be observed that Ghana is among the countries with the most Recoveries per Confirmed Cases and the least Deaths per Confirmed Cases, an achievement which is highly remarkable. In furtherance, from the entire analysis above, it can be established that the Ghana government has managed the containment of the COVID-19 pandemic in the country very meticulously and splendidly, which has eventually led to the reduction of the supposed would have been danger and damage of the virus on the countrys citizens. More over, the Year 2020 Cerebrospinal Meningitis (CSM) outbreak in Ghana which is an annual occurrence has so far claimed forty-eight (48) lives representing 10.69% out of the four hundred and forty-nine (449) recorded cases in the Upper East, Upper West, Northern and Savanna regions. Transmission of CSM is very similar to that COVID-19, it is from person-to-person, and may be through droplets of respiratory or throat secretions of infected persons or those who carry the pathogen. Again, during the cholera outbreak in Ghana between April and October, 2014, out of twenty four thousand, six hundred and forty-eight (24,648) recorded cases, two hundred and three (203) representing 0.82% died. Despite the Death per Cases of COVID-19 is lower than that of the two cited above, yet their higher Death per Cases could not necessitate a lock or partial lock down of the entire or specific parts of country for the periods they occurred, it would therefore be in order for the Government of Ghana to further open up the country through a loosen of some of the existing restrictions such as closure of pubs and drinking spots, restrictions on the number of attendants for religious activities, occasions, funerals and weddings, and others to aid an enhancement of a further growth and promotion of the countrys economic activities. Citizens of the nation would also be encouraged to continue to strictly adhere to the directives of the government to avoid an escalation of the virus in the country. Hhhmm, May God be praised always Nana Kwadwo Akwaa ([email protected]) Member, Critical Thinkers International (CTI) Listen to article According to the vociferous Kwabena Frimpong, some Members of Parliament lost their seats at the just ended parliamentary Primaries of the ruling New Patriotic Party because the majority of delegates woefully succumbed to the money and goodies from the Parliamentary Candidates giving no recognition to competence in their selection of the Party Parliamentary representative. The National Secretary of Holy Gents, National President for Federation of NPP youth and Founder for NPP youth for Ntim, Mr. Frimpong made this known on Boss FM morning show hosted by Ananse when he was there as a panelist. Party activist, Kwabena Frimpong said " Nobody would be able to convince me that for instance, MPs like Hon Collins Owusu Amankwa and Dr. S K Nuamah lost their seat due to their performance as MPs in Parliament and at the Constituency. The major problem the good people of Manhyia North and Kwadaso constituency were facing was Roads but today roads in these Constituencies have received a major facelift which is unprecedented." He further stated "Apart from the above these MPs had undertaken other major projects within their respective constituencies on health, security, education, employment et al but were voted out because their opponent's paid more monies and gave goodies to delegates than they gave so they lost their seats" He pleaded with delegates to always choose competence over money and goodies. In conclusion, he appealed to NEC to aid in the expansion of the electoral college during these Primaries to reduce the moneycracy taking over our Primaries and internal elections. A Principal Operations Officer of the Public Procurement Agency (PPA), Mr. Francis Ayittey, is urging government to consider the proposed Public Procurement Policy on Timber and Timber Products (PPP) on Legal wood, to save Ghanas forests from extinction. Mr. Ayittey, who was speaking at a Stakeholders Discussion on the proposed PPP, organized by the Nature and Development Foundation (NDF), argued that, fears of contract cost going up as a result of the policy, are allayed by the numerous benefits the nation can derive as a result of conservation and sustainability of wood supply. Though prices may go higher as a result of the policy, it may end up being beneficial in the long term, Mr. Ayittey reiterated, adding that, all relevant sectors in the wood and timber industry must be roped in to understand the Procurement Policy. The long-term advantages far outweigh the short-term disadvantages in rise in price. Environmental benefits to the country and the sustenance of the forest for future generation make the policy worth it. He was of the view that, the policy would guarantee wood on the market for a long time, sustaining the businesses of those who depend on the commodity. The policy seeks primarily to get government to implement a system of procurement that only accepts legal wood for public works, as a first step towards making legal wood the only acceptable wood on the market. Industry players are of the view that, if government adopts this policy, it would then be feasible to impose it on the private sector, thus ensuring that Ghanas forests are sustained for the future generations. The proposal had been presented to Cabinet but some concerns were raised on issues that needed to be clarified. According to Mr. Musa Abu Juam of the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, Cabinet raised issues with the possibility of raising the cost of contracts, since legal wood is often more expensive than the illegal one. He noted that it was one of the concerns that led to government delaying in the acceptance of the policy. This concern, though legitimate, is addressed by the fact that, cumulatively, the advantages far outweigh the disadvantages. Nature and Development Foundation (NDF), with support from the European Union (EU) on the Strengthening the Capacity of Non State Actors (NSA) to improve FLEGT and REDD+ Processes in West Africa project and UKaid on the Building Capacities of Small-Medium Forest Enterprises (SMFEs) in Ghana and Liberia to Supply and Trade in Legal Timber project, is spearheading the campaign to get Cabinet to accept the Public Procurement Policy on Timber and Timber Products for onward enactment by Parliament. The document is the outcome of consultation with various stakeholders in the wood and timber industry such as the Forestry Commission (FC), the Forest Services Division (FSD), domestic wood traders associations, among others. The European Union reopened its borders Wednesday to visitors from 15 countries -- but not the virus-stricken United States, where a top health official warned the country is headed in the "wrong direction" as cases spike in multiple states. US infectious diseases expert Anthony Fauci said that the United States could see 100,000 new COVID-19 cases a day, and several US states imposed 14-day quarantines on travelers from other states. Also in the US, Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden announced he will not hold rallies during the outbreak, a move that is in stark contrast with President Donald Trump, who has already held large campaign gatherings. The 77-year-old former vice president delivered a blistering critique of his November opponent's handling of the virus, saying the Republican president had "failed" the country. "This is the most unusual campaign I think in modern history," Biden said. "I'm going to follow the doc's orders -- not just for me but for the country -- and that means that I am not going to be holding rallies." Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden said he will not be holding campaign rallies because of the pandemic. By ALEX WONG (GETTY IMAGES/AFP) In Brussels, the EU finalized the list of countries whose health situation was deemed safe enough to allow residents to enter the bloc starting on Wednesday. Notably excluded were Russia and Brazil, as well as the United States, whose daily death toll passed 1,000 Tuesday for the first time since June 10. The countries that made it onto the EU's list are Algeria, Australia, Canada, Japan, Georgia, Montenegro, Morocco, New Zealand, Rwanda, Serbia, South Korea, Thailand, Tunisia and Uruguay. Travelers from China, where the virus first emerged late last year, will be allowed on the condition that Beijing reciprocates and opens the door to EU residents. EU opens borders to safe list of countries. By Gillian HANDYSIDE (AFP) The border relaxation, to be reviewed in two weeks and left to member states to implement, is a bid to help rescue the continent's battered tourism sector, which has been choked by a ban on non-essential travel in place since mid-March. But with some 10.4 million known infections worldwide, the pandemic is "not even close to being over," the World Health Organization has warned. 'Very disturbing' A woman is tested at a walk-in testing centre opened by German biotech company Centogene, at the airport in Frankfurt am Main. By Daniel ROLAND (AFP) In Washington, Fauci, a member of Trump's coronavirus task force, warned Congress that "clearly we are not in total control right now." "I would not be surprised if it goes up to 100,000 a day if this does not turn around." Alarming spikes in Texas and Florida are driving the national total of new cases to over 40,000 per day, and they need to be tamped down quickly to avoid dangerous surges elsewhere in the country, Fauci stressed. Texas alone reported 6,975 new cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday, its highest tally yet. "I'm very concerned and I'm not satisfied with what's going on, because we're going in the wrong direction," Fauci said. A health official conducts tests in New Delhi. By XAVIER GALIANA (AFP) The pandemic has claimed some 127,000 American lives so far and more than 508,000 around the globe. Senator Lamar Alexander, a Republican who chairs the Senate panel, urged Trump to end the politicization of mask-wearing by putting on one himself. "The president has plenty of admirers, they would follow his lead," Alexander said. "It would help end this political debate." New York, New Jersey and Connecticut on Tuesday doubled to 16 the number of US states whose residents must go into quarantine for 14 days if they visit any of the northeastern states. The Pan American Health Organization warned, meanwhile, that the coronavirus death toll in Latin America and the Caribbean could top 400,000 by October without stricter public health measures. Pubs in England are set to re-open. By Adrian DENNIS (AFP) That would represent a quadrupling of the fatal cases of COVID-19 in the region. Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, meanwhile, scored a victory Tuesday when a judge overturned a ruling that had forced him to wear a mask in public. The judge deemed the rule redundant since face masks are already mandatory in Brasilia. 'Infrastructure revolution' European aircraft maker Airbus said it is planning to cut around 15,000 jobs worldwide, 11 percent of its total workforce. COVID-19: World toll. By (AFP) Britain, home to Europe's deadliest outbreak, has already seen its sharpest quarterly contraction in 40 years, shrinking 2.2 percent from January-March. The worst is yet to come, with economists predicting a double-digit slump in output during the second quarter, tipping Britain into a technical recession. Prime Minister Boris Johnson vowed Tuesday to deliver an "infrastructure revolution" to help the country out of the economic downturn. Germany, which has been praised for its handling of COVID-19, saw its North Rhine-Westphalia state extend a lockdown on a district hit hard by a slaughterhouse outbreak. And in Australia, a spike in cases in parts of Melbourne spurred new stay-at-home measures affecting some 300,000 people. Around the world, sporting events continued to fall off the calendar, including the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations and the remainder of this year's World Rugby Sevens Series. Sorry, we can't find the content you're looking for at this URL. Only citizens from four African countries excluding Ghana are deemed safe enough to enter the European Union from July 1, when external borders are opened. Schengenvisainfo.com reports that only citizens from 15 countries instead of the 54 earlier reported would be allowed to enter Europe when travel restrictions into Europe are eased from Wednesday, this week. According to the website, this decision would be reviewed after two weeks. Ghana is not on the list of countries permitted to enter because it might not have met the EU's objective criteria which are informed by a country's epidemiology situation and coronavirus response, ability to apply containment measures during travel, and the country lifting travel restrictions towards the EU. But Ghana is not alone in this situation. Almost 50 other African countries are excluded from the list. "On Saturday, we reported that a draft list of 54 countries had been discussed by EU members. However, today the list has changed and now it includes only 15 countries." Countries included on Europes safe list, whose nationals will be allowed to enter Europe are: Algeria, Australia, Canada, China*, Georgia, Japan, Montenegro, Morocco, New Zealand, Rwanda, Serbia, South Korea, Thailand, Tunisia and Uruguay", Schengenvisa.com reports. Listen to article Glo Mobile at the weekend presented prizes to winners in its SIM Activation promo in Kumasi, Koforidua, Cape Coast and Ho. The presentation events, which held in these cities, had scores of winners receiving their winning items for the various categories of performances in the first month of the promo. The promo, which started in March, was scheduled to run for three months, but for the disruption occasioned by the lockdown due to the efforts by the government to control the spread of Covid19 in the country. The first batch of presentations to winners were done in Accra last week with hundreds of winners taking home items such as Gas Stoves, Blenders, Pressing Irons, and Mobile Phones. These items being presented are in the Assured category, which meant that the winners automatically won the items immediately they met the qualification threshold for any of the prizes. There is however a Grand prize category, which has bigger items available to be won by the agents, canvassers, and freelancers working for the company. These items include Microwave Ovens, Smartphones, Home Theatre Systems, 40-inch Smart TVs, and Motor Bikes. To have any of the Grand prizes, winners have to rank among the best performers in consistency of quality activation of Glo SIMs consistently for three months. Glo Mobile Head of Business, Mr. Hardeep Kheterpal, said the company had been more than ready to reward and motivate hard working agents and canvassers who develop a culture of excellence. He added that apart from the prizes for high performers, earnings are also going up for such performance. He encouraged them to achieve more to earn more. Some of the winners promised to do all they can to win more of the prizes and also expand their earning capabilities. Anthony Forson Listen to article President of the Ghana Bar Association (GBA) Anthony Forson, Tuesday said it is imperative for all national stakeholders to work towards addressing every source of tension as the country approaches the 2020 General Election. We call upon all the actors, especially those in the political space, to conduct their activities with the view of ensuring smooth and peaceful elections, he said. All actors must constantly remind themselves of their duty to be responsible citizens and be each other's keeper and ensure that the vulnerable in society are helped and covered. Mr. Forson made the call when he read the: Lest We Forget piece at the 38th Anniversary Remembrance Service, held at the Ridge Church in Accra in honour of the three murdered High Court Justices in 1982. The service was jointly held by the Ghana Bar Association (GBA) and the Judiciary. The three: Justices Fred Poku Sarkodee, Cecilia Korantang-Addow and Kwadwo Agyei Agyapong as well as Major Sam Acquah, a Retired Army officer, were abducted and murdered during the curfew hours of June 30, 1982 at the Bundase Military Range in the Accra Plains. The GBA President said public servants also ought to remember that they were supposed to serve the public whose taxes were used to remunerate them. Their actions must engender utmost confidence in the citizenry who reciprocally must act with responsibility and respect, he said. Mr. Forson said as their departed colleagues were being celebrated, it was imperative that lawyers devoted themselves to the promotion and sustenance of peace and tolerance in the country. Let us perform our duties without fear or favour, affection or ill-will, and pledge to uphold the tenets of the 1992 Constitution, especially tolerance towards divergent views and a rededication towards making out nation great and strong in oneness, he added. The GBA President said judges, magistrates, and lawyers would continue to draw inspiration from the bold and courageous manner, in which the murdered judges administered justice. The COVID-19 National Trust Fund has received an amount of GH525,000 (Five Hundred and Twenty-Five Thousand Ghana Cedis) from the trainees and staff of the Nation Builders Corps (NABCO). This donation was mobilized from 97,373 trainees who contributed GH10.00 each and 312 Staff who also contributed GH200.00 each through a short-code between April and June. The NABCO delegation that made the presentation was led by Dr Ibrahim Anyars- CEO, Alhaji Mohammed Baba Darison, Greater Accra Regional Coordinator of NABCO, Mr P. K. Emmanuel, Head of Accounts, Mr Dedmond Apeku, Head of IT, Miss Idora Ekuban, Coordinator, Greater Accra Metropolitan Area and Mr Ernest Boakye, a NABCO Trainee. The donation was received on behalf of the Trust Fund by Former Chief Justice, Sophia Akuffo Chairman of the Board of trustees and Dr William Collins Asare, Secretary to the Board. According to the Chief Executive Officer of NABCO, Dr. Ibrahim Anyars, who led his team to present the cheque, the funds were mobilized from personal contributions of staff and trainees who willingly donated to support government's COVID-19 pandemic relief efforts. It would be recalled that the President of the Republic, Nana Addo-Dankwa Akufo-Addo launched the COVID-19 National Trust Fund as part of efforts to help mitigate the ravaging effects of the global pandemic. Our institution in solidarity has mobilized financial resources for the less fortunate in our society. Our staff was encouraged to rise to this challenge and contributes generously to support such a worthy cause. This has resulted in over half a million cedis, as an outcome of the appeal. Well done for your immense effort and support. We appreciate your help, Dr. Anyars expressed his deepest gratitude to all NABCO trainees and staff during the presentation. He further revealed that through a transparent and accountable process, NABCO put out a registered short code to enable members of staff, NABCO Trainees and its MIPs to contribute to the COVID-19 Trust Fund. Auditor-General (Daniel Domelovo) Listen to article If my research is correct, then a worker in Ghana is entitled to fifteen working days fully paid annual leave, after completion of twelve months of continuous service according to the Ghana Labour Law on "Annual Leave and Holidays". How come that some workers in high positions in the civil service are able to accumulate their paid annual leave for years on end only to be heard often to be ordered to proceed on compulsory leave? This proceed on leave in Ghana is synonymous with getting a sack, many people claim. In the United Kingdom, no reputable company will permit its employee to accumulate the entirety of his/her two years annual paid holiday leave let alone, their three to four years' or more as it seldom happens in Ghana of which Auditor-General Daniel Yaw Domelevo's is a perfect example. Even some companies do not allow their workers to proceed on leave for their entire twenty or twenty-eight earned paid annual holiday leave at one go. Some of them allow for taking fourteen days at a time or whoever wants to take more than that or all at a go, must submit an application to their employer giving reasons for their action. From the above, there is no way that one will be allowed to accumulate their paid holidays for three or more consecutive years without even making any attempt to ever go on holiday. In the UK and other civilized countries, one will lose their holiday if one does not take them within the earned year, as it's either a calendar year (1 January to 31 December) or a fiscal year (1 April to 31 March). It is just in exceptional cases that a company, not many at all, will allow a worker to defer his/her accrued paid holiday into the next year's in what is accumulation. However, it could not be more than a year and a half or two. No, no and no! Why is paid annual holiday granted to employees by their employers in accordance with the nation's employment statutory regulations? Is it to recompense the employees for their hard work? Is it to give them some deserved comfortable rest after many months of continuous hard work? Is it to help employees get some rest based on health and safety requirements? There must be a reason behind the giving of paid annual holiday leave to workers. We need to find out that reason. Why is it that some people decide not to take their accrued annual paid holiday leave contrary to Sections 20 (1) and 31 of the Ghana Labour Act, 2003 (Act 651)? For the sake of the public readers, I am quoting the Sections below. Leave entitlement 20. (1) In any undertaking every worker is entitled to not less than fifteen working days leave with full pay in any calendar year of continuous service. (2) The expression full pay means the workers normal remuneration, without overtime payment, including the cash equivalent of any remuneration in kind. Agreement to forgo leave to be void 31. Any agreement to relinquish the entitlement to annual leave or to forgo such leave is void. I shall entreat all interested Ghanaians to read the cited Labour Law by referring to the underlying web link. https://www.ilo.org/legacy/english/inwork/cb-policy-guide/ghanalabouract2003section109.pdf Section 31 makes it obligatory for all workers to go on annual paid holiday. Therefore, the hullabaloo about the President Nana Akufo-Addo asking Mr Daniel Domelevo to proceed on his accumulated leave, does not make any sense at all. There are people, including PhD holders in various disciplines condemning the president's action. There are some people trying their hardest to give tribal colour to the president's action. There is no wonder that most black people, especially Ghanaians, are simply educated-illiterates. Do they mean well for Ghana? No! Where is the tribalism in this case? Why are some NDC people from the Volta region saying that the president is attacking the Voltarians? Why are some people so ignorant and dirty only to see any innovations through their opaque political lenses? Could the so-called legal luminaries explain Section 31 of the Ghana Labour Law as quoted above for me? Finally, do we understand the word precedent as applied in law? Precedent is "a legal decision or form of proceeding serving as an authoritative rule or pattern in future similar or analogous cases" or "an example or instance used to justify later similar occurrences" In His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo's letter directing the Auditor-General Daniel Domelevo to proceed on his accumulated annual paid holiday leave, he said, "It will be recalled that, on 9th April, 2009, the 3rd President of the 4th Republic, His Excellency the late Prof. John Evans Atta Mills, directed the then Auditor-General, Mr. Edward Dua Agyeman, to take his accumulated annual leave of approximately two hundred and sixty-four (264) working days" Did we see legal luminaries and tribal bigots reacting negatively to it as they are doing today to that of President Nana Akufo-Addo's in relation to Mr Domelevo? How I hope Ghanaians could be a bit more level-headed when it comes to such occasions where fairness is demanded. The president's order is grounded in law but not for any dubious reasons as it is the view of some educated-illiterates and tribalists seeking to score cheap political points or favours. As usual, I have printed a copy of the quoted Labour Law Act which comes to fifty-eight pages. I always love to arm myself to the teeth with proofs so that I cannot be easily faulted by the enemies. If it were not so, I could not be confidently writing copiously about the ongoing Kumawu chieftaincy dispute to the bewilderment of the Asanteman overlords. Rockson Adofo Wednesday, 01 July 2020 As Europe begins its cautious reopening after weathering the pandemic's first wave in lockdown, many developing and middle-income countries continue to be battered by skyrocketing numbers of COVID-19 cases. With infections still growing daily in India, Bangladesh, Indonesia and Nigeria among others, health experts warn that before the world can start buttressing for COVID-19's much-feared "second wave", it must help nations battling the virus now. The World Health Organization warned this week that the pandemic was "not even close to being over" even as European nations reopen their borders and millions head back to work. While the United States has had by far the highest caseload, there are growing fears over the fate of hugely populous nations whose COVID-19 curve is pointing inexorably upwards. India for example now has more than 566,000 confirmed cases and is registering nearly 20,000 new infections every day. Mexico has more than 220,000 confirmed cases, Pakistan nearly 210,000, and Bangladesh more than 150,000, with little sign of new infections slowing. 'Quite worrying' Trudie Lang, director of The Global Health Network at the University of Oxford's Nuffield Department of Medicine, described the trend as "really quite worrying". "Even though the numbers might not be completely accurate because we've not tested so many, the curve is still the same shape," Lang told AFP. When COVID-19 emerged in China late last year, the government in Beijing rapidly imposed stringent lockdown measures in a bid to contain the outbreak. World map showing official number of coronavirus deaths per country, as of June 30 at 1100 GMT. By Simon MALFATTO (AFP) When in February European nations such as Italy and Spain uncovered clusters of the virus, they too adopted unprecedented limits on individual movement that eventually flattened the curve of new infections. Anant Bhan, a researcher in bioethics and public health policy, said heavily populated and decentralised countries such as India are struggling to keep lockdown measures effectively. "That makes it a bit more challenging for the healthcare system," he told AFP. "We might not have one peak, we might have multiple peaks because the spread of infection is variable across the country." 'Far from peak' For Azra Ghani, professor of Infectious Disease Epidemiology at Imperial College London, the delayed rise in COVID-19 cases shows in part how successful countries have been until now in limiting the virus' spread. "If you go back a few months there was a large seeding into Europe and that caused widespread epidemics there," she told AFP. "All these countries saw what was happening in Europe and reacted. The lockdowns appeared at a relatively early stage of epidemics. Indonesia is still registering more than 1,000 new cases daily. By ADEK BERRY (AFP/File) "As they've been coming out of lockdowns we're seeing infections building up in the same way it had initially in Europe, starting to spread in South America, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh," Ghani explained. For example Indonesia, the fourth most populous country on Earth, is registering around 1,000 new cases daily even as it eases lockdown measures. Hermawan Saputra, a public health expert at the Indonesian Public Health Association, told AFP the country was "still far from the peak of the pandemic". Experts previously predicted the outbreak to peak in July. Nigeria is Africa's most populous nation but has only a few hundred intensive care beds. By Audu MARTE (AFP/File) "But since Jakarta has relaxed (lockdown) we think the peak will be reached in August or September," said Saputra. "This is honestly terrifying. Easing was premature and people misunderstood it as meaning they had complete freedom -- that's wrong." In Afghanistan, which has more than 30,000 confirmed cases, restrictions on movement are still in place. But the public doesn't appear to be getting the message, according to senior health official Ataullah Saeedzai. "The lockdown is still in place, but people are not taking it seriously," he told AFP. "People are not observing the lockdown, people are not observing social distancing." Health systems stretched More worrying perhaps is that COVID-19 is now inundating countries whose health systems were lacking even before needing to respond to a pandemic. Nigeria, Africa's most populous nation as home to more than 200 million, is registering 600-700 new cases a day. The government said in April its intensive care capacity stood at just 350 beds. Kema Onu, who works in Abuja for the AIDS Health Foundation, said Nigeria's health system was "not properly equipped" to deal with COVID-19. "How many ventilators do we have in the country to take care of people who are critically in need of it?" he told AFP. There are growing concerns of an oxygen shortage among Bangladesh's hospitals. By MUNIR UZ ZAMAN (AFP/File) "It would amaze you that even if you walk into major health care facilities here in Abuja, the prevention and control plan is not completely in place. The health system is a total shambles." In Pakistan, which has registered more than 200,000 cases, the central government has resisted nationwide lockdown measures, relying instead on local authorities to implement a patchwork of interventions. While the country has nearly 9,000 oxygenated ICU beds, Qaisar Sajjad, secretary general of the Pakistan Medical Association, told AFP the health system was on the brink of "collapse". "Even after months into this crisis our hospitals still lack some of the very basic facilities. We lack in both technical equipment as well as human resources," he said. And in Bangladesh, which an estimated additional 4,000 ICU beds to deal with COVID-19, hospitals are already facing oxygen shortages. "We are still at the climbing stage of the transmission," said Muzaherul Huq, a former head of the government institute of epidemiology and a former WHO senior official, adding many hospitals lack a centralised oxygen system. The virus has also begun to spread in the country's vast cramped refugee camps that house almost one million Rohingya refugees, most of whom fled neighbouring Myanmar following a 2017 military crackdown. 'Early days' And as it circulates in developing nations, the virus is targeting communities already hard hit by other diseases such as tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS. Ghani said a number of vaccination programmes effecting millions of children had been interrupted by the pandemic. There is also growing evidence that women in heavily affected countries are seeking to give birth at home rather than risk catching the virus in hospital. Pakistan has seen more than 200,000 COVID-19 infections during the first wave. By Aamir QURESHI (AFP/File) "Many countries are already seeing overwhelmed hospital capacities and if they are over capacity for one disease that inevitably means other diseases are not being treated," she said. As researchers scramble to find a COVID-19 vaccine, Lang said that poorer communities that traditionally lacked access to inoculations for other illnesses were at risk of missing out again. "Say we end up with a vaccine that's quite expensive and requires two or three doses," she said. "What chance really is there of that getting everywhere? "The ideal vaccine works perfectly with one dose and is cheap. Remove any of those elements and you increase the risk that it won't be distributed equitably around the globe." As much of Europe girds itself for a second COVID-19 spike, Ghani said the disease was likely to progress at different rates across the world, making its burden more like a continuum than a series of waves. "It's still early days -- most countries we won't have got more than 10-20 percent of the population infected and that's a long way off the level of spread that this virus could generate," she said. "We're going to see this virus circulate until at least the end of the year and that poses a constant risk of reinfection whenever interventions are relaxed." burs-pg/klm/txw Listen to article Ghana needs a special Bill that criminalise the practice of vote-buying during elections. This, according to the Minister for Defence, Dominic Nitiwul, is the only way that menace can be stopped completely. Answering a question on whether the delegates system being used for elections is the best to ensure democracy, on Face to Face, he noted that the practice of influencing delegates with bribes for votes was the bigger problem. Even though he acknowledged that the rule of not monetizing elections was already included in various parts of the electoral law, he insisted that it can only be fully uprooted if those smaller rules are combined into one separate Act which will totally forbid the practice. We need to grow a little bit in politics. Weve just done less than 30 years of democracy. I think we have to grow a little bit. Let us continue to have the delegate system for now. What we should do which we are not doing is to sponsor a Bill to make it a crime to use money to influence people. Already, the electoral laws have it, but we should have a specific law. South Africa has a law like that. You cannot give more than 10% of your salary to an individual and not have an explanation for why you gave that person that money during an election period, whether at the party primary or general election. Its not about the delegates choosing. Its about the practice that the politicians engage in. If I cannot explain why I gave someone GH1,000, I should be questioned. We need a specific Act that says this is forbidden, the Bimbilla MP said to Umaru Sanda, host of Face to Face on Citi TV. The practice of buying votes by candidates of political parties during elections is a big issue that many leaders have condemned over the years. The most recent occurrence happened at the governing New Patriotic Partys (NPP) parliamentary elections which took place on June 20, 2020. While the election process was reported to be largely smooth, there were reports of an incident where police at the Otaten polling station in the Ablekuma North constituency in the Greater Accra Region stopped some supporters of aspirants contesting in the election from giving out envelopes, believed to contain money, to delegates. Some delegates at Okaikoi South also mentioned in a Citi News interview that they had received monies and household items from some of the aspirants. Although the National Organiser of the NPP, Sammy Awuku in response to these reports said he did not see anything of that sort, he pledged that the party will investigate the allegations of vote-buying during its primaries. ---citinewsroom Former President John Dramani Mahama has received a copy of the partys yet-to-be-launched manifesto for the 2020 election. In a post to confirm receipt of the document, John Mahama said the manifesto, which was presented to him by the Manifesto Working Committee, is a Peoples Manifesto which represents the NDCs commitment to the people of Ghana. I have received a copy of our manifesto for the December 2020 elections from the Manifesto Working Committee. This document, The People's Manifesto, will represent the NDC and my social contract with the good people of Ghana. I thank you all for your contributions to the compilation, and as I have promised, I look forward to the Policy Dialogue Series through which I will be sharing details of the various sectors and themes of the Manifesto, he said. The Communication Officer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Sammy Gyamfi last week revealed that the manifesto will be launched in August 2020. Sammy Gyamfi at the partys recent press conference said the manifesto will include programmes that will ensure millions of permanent jobs are created for Ghana's teeming youth. This will include a major and comprehensive job creation policy he intends to undertake, to create millions of permanent and dignifying jobs for the teeming unemployed youth when he assumes the reins of power in 2021, he said. Ghana is six months away from holding its presidential and parliamentary polls. The NDC which is seeking to return to power with its flagbearer, John Mahama, is yet to outdoor its manifesto just as the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) and is also yet to announce who Mr. Mahama's running mate will be. ---citinewsroom Government has set an amount of Ghc8 million to pay frontline health workers their 50% special allowance in support of their effort in leading the fight against covid-19. A Deputy Minister of Finance, Charles Adu Boahen who disclosed this said the amount will be paid when the Ministry of Health presents data about the workers to the Ministry of Finance. According to the Deputy Minister, the government although the amount has been earmarked, they are yet to receive data of the designated workers. In March 2020, the President of the country, Nana Akufo-Addo announced an incentive package for the health sector as part of Ghanas COVID-19 pandemic preparedness, response package including the special allowance of basic salaries for frontline health workers. I wish to assure the House that adequate provisions have been made for this incentive package with the COVID-19 Alleviation Programme. Weve put aside approximately GHS8 million for this response. However, the Ministry of Health alongside the Ministry of Finance are together compiling the data and doing the necessary reconciliations especially to determine the particular workers who are qualified for this, he disclosed. The President, Nana Akufo-Addo has extended the incentive package for health workers for three more months as they continue to lead the country's fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. The President announced these during his 13th national address on Sunday, June 28, 2020. I am happy to announce that I have decided to extend the incentive package for health workers by another three months. This means that all health workers will pay no income taxes for the next three months, i.e. July, August and September. Again, all frontline health workers, as defined by the Ministry of Health, will continue to receive the additional allowance of 50% of their basic salary per month, i.e. for July, August and September. First incentive The President first announced the three-month tax holiday for the health workers at the beginning of April 2020. Although the free tax package has been implemented, that of the 50 percent allowance is yet to be carried out given the seeming controversy over the definition and qualification of a frontline health worker. However, President Akufo- Addo says issues with the packages as earlier announced for the past three months have been resolved with the rollout of the payment plan to begin soon. I know the implementation of this directive for the months of April, May and June has been fraught with some challenges, caused, mainly, by the protracted discussions over the definition of who qualifies as frontline health workers in this context. I have, however, been assured that they have now been resolved, and payments will be effected from the end of June. I should reiterate that the insurance package for health workers is still in place. Nana Akufo-Addo said the incentives form part of the government's commitment to ensuring that health workers are supported as they deliver essential services to the populace especially amidst the outbreak of Coronavirus. This is, in part, due to the immense dedication and hard work being exhibited by our healthcare workers, who continue to care for those affected by the virus, and for the sick in general. ---citinewsroom Minister for Defence, Dominic Nitiwul is assuring Ghanaians of the Ghana Armed Forces unalloyed allegiance and service. According to him, the military will not compromise the safety of Ghanaians for the interest of any individual, political party or tribe. In an interview on Citi TVs Face to Face program, the Minister who is also MP for Bimbilla said the military will go any length to protect Ghanaians by air, sea, land and by space. His comments come on the backdrop of accusations by the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) that the government is deliberately deploying the military to Ghanas border towns to especially the Volta Region to intimidate residents prior to the commencement of the voter registration exercise. Mr. Nitiwul who dismissed the NDCs allegations, also vouched for the Presidents adherence and insistence on the rule of law. He added that the Commander-in-Chief [of the Ghana Armed Forces] Nana Akufo-Addo will never try to use the military against any individual or any particular tribe and I can put my life on this. I want to assure the people of Ghana that the Military of Ghana is to ensure that people are safe, to protect them and that is exactly what we will do. We will do that by air, sea, land and by space. Nothing more, nothing less. The military is not loyal to an individual, neither is it loyal to a political party, the Minister said. The military is there to defend the people of Ghana. The Commander-in-Chief Nana Akufo-Addo will never try to use the military against any individual or any particular tribe and I can put my life on this. ---citinewsroom It has been widely said that the aftermath of the Coronavirus outbreak includes the new reality that we will never return to our familiar world of normal. Instead, we are now in a world of new normal that implies we embrace new ways of doing things. Interestingly, one of the positive game-changing new realities that the Coronavirus pandemic is impacting on the ecosystem is the increasing popularity of online shopping and importance of e-commerce platforms like Alibaba, Amazon and Jumia, to mention a few. According to experts, despite the multifarious adverse effects of COVID-19, one of the emerging new fundamentals arising from the pandemic is the better understanding that digital and e-commerce operators played pivotal role in ensuring cross-country and cross border movement and delivery of essentials such as groceries, pharmaceuticals and medicaments in the peak of the crisis. The International Trade Centre in partnership with the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa at a recent online event on the future of e-commerce in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, affirmed that e-commerce could help Africas businesses relaunch and return to profitability. During the pandemic, e-commerce solutions have played a critical role in ensuring business continuity for many companies. They have been a crucial channel for providing vital goods and services. For many micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in Africa, e-commerce has offered a lifeline and can continue to play a principal role in their economic recovery, it was reported. More cheering news is that the new normal is presenting more opportunities to push e-commerce further upscale. In fact, we might be entering the e-commerce era as the pandemic represents a big opportunity that can spur further growth of the evolving e-commerce sector in Nigeria and other African countries with Jumia leading other operators from the front. Nigeria currently ranks on the list of countries with high daily COVID-19 infection while the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 has warned of many unsuspected asymptomatic cases. This alert is a wise counsel to limit physical contact. Increasing safety awareness and consciousness among Nigerians means that as months go by, most people will be compelled to limit physical interactions by shopping and transacting businesses online more; work more remotely from home and do lots more digitally. The transition in consumer behaviour and business activities to the online space from the traditional brick-and-mortar settings is expected to significantly increase the number of online shoppers and ultimately double the growth of Jumia and other e-commerce players. With Jumia marketplace, Jumia Services (logistics), JumiaPay and Jumia Food amongst other innovative offerings, Nigerians can avoid coming in contact with unsuspected COVID-19 infected persons that they may unknowingly meet if they go shopping in the malls, supermarkets, open markets or banking halls that are usually overcrowded. More residents adopting social and physical distancing by making use of e-commerce platforms for their purchase and payments, have the propensity to impact the growth potential of Nigerias e-commerce ecosystem in the coming months. As the federal and state governments allow more sectors of the economy to reopen for business, more consumers and sellers will certainly migrate online to enjoy better shopping experiences including convenience and faster ordering, payment and delivery of orders, and cost efficiency for both buyers and sellers. The anticipated shift in the buying and selling habits can include the fact that many buyers will be less willing to go to crowded malls or shops to purchase things. They will also not likely try to buy items that other customers have already touched or test-fitted in case of ready-to-wear clothes in the boutiques. The fear of coronavirus being transmitted through exchange of cash also makes online shopping and online payments a new frontier for many shoppers. With an increasing number of employees working from home, and government limiting social events because of the need to curb large gatherings, online demand for and supply of casual and leisure wear have been predicted to rise. This trend in itself will boost MSMEs garment manufacturers. Experts also expect increased demand for virtual banking and cashless transactions to spike e-commerce growth in the country. With safety-consciousness as the new norm, more Nigerians will likely not be comfortable around crowded ATMs or spend time in crowded bank halls to make transactions. They will rather opt for online banking like JumiaPay, which they can do from the comfort of their home. Also, it is almost certain that many people now do not like to use ATMs used by people whose COVID-19 status they may be unsure of. Even at the malls, supermarkets or retail fuel stations, Nigerians are becoming more wary of handing over their credit cards to shop assistants and attendants whose compliance with the World Health Organisations (WHO) hygiene practices protocol they cannot verify. More time online will increase the efficacy of the website as a marketing channel. With eyes on economic diversification through non-oil commodities, promoting financial inclusion among the unbanked segment of the population, and tapping on the digital economy to increase GDP, the Nigerian government has so much to gain by encouraging more Nigerians and businesses especially MSMEs to take advantage of digitalisation with e-commerce being the catalyst. And as the economy reopens in full throttle in coming weeks and months, it should be noted the enforcement of social distancing and avoidance of crowded places would only be achieved when there is transitioning of consumer and business activities from the brick-and-mortar structures to the online marketplace. Listen to article The facts on the ground In the land of weak laws, the landlord is royalty. Treasure a landlord who accepts a 6-month advance rent payment for housing premises, because none of them do. Very few are kind enough to accept payment in installments for their demanded 1, 2, or 3 years rent advance. Some rent out literally uncompleted buildings; the rationale is to use these advance payments made by tenants to complete said buildings. Low-income earners would be the ones to opt for such apartments, no? Well, interestingly such landlords are the stubbornest about their advance rent demands. They are first to refuse 1 years advance. Why, didnt you hear him?he needs the money to complete the building! Landlords increase rents at whim; they evict tenants capriciously. Some landlords having taken these illegal, enormous advance rents, refuse to furnish tenants who decide to vacate the premises their balance. Some landlords, in cases of apartments with shared utilities, inflate prices of electricity and water bills and charge them to tenants. Most of these acts have, throughout the nations various rent control regimes, remained criminal offences, yet have bizarrely been and remain largely committed. There is also the okyeamesagents. The middlemen who have for years loomed so broad that the gap between prospective tenants and landlords grow larger by the day. These agents have their marks plastered on every renting apartment. A house-hunter has to pay a sum the agent term viewing feebecause your eyes will see Canaan, but your feet So this viewing fee is what strips these renting houses off their invisible cloaks, and makes them accessible to prospective tenants. Then, there is the commission to be paid these agentsthat is not the landlords problem, it is the tenants. 10% is the lowest commission an agent charges. And what was the number of years in advance the landlord requested of you the tenant? Is it 1, 2, or 3 years?whatever that be, you are paying 10% (or more) of the accumulated sum for those year(s) to the agent. There is an opportunity here for the agent to rake in larger sums per tenanthave you figured it out yet? First, 10% of 2 or 3 years rent advance is exponentially larger than a 1 years rent advance. So why not speak to landlords to refuse 1 years advance in favour of 2 or 3 years? This way both parties winboth parties on the supply end, that is (the agent and landlord); to the detriment of the tenant, of course. Secondly, if 1, 2, or 3 years rent advance on a 2, 3, 4 (and so on) bedroom apartment is undoubtedly larger than a single-room apartments, why not advise landlords to favour building such multiple-room apartments over single rooms? So this too is the prevailing situationin a market awashed with low-income-earning house-hunters. But you say to the house-hunter, Why not skip agents and find these renting apartments yourself? If you happen upon any apartment without the mark of an agent, kindly give me a call. The Ghanaian agent is indomitable. In fact, certain landlords are uninterested in speaking to house-hunters who do not come through agents. And there is thewhat I termad-hoc agent. That man standing by the road you asked for directions to a renting building, suddenly transforms himself into a professional agent, and will insist upon a viewing fee and, ultimately, commission. One of the tenants of that apartment you finally saw rentingwho is to give you the contact of the landlordis surprisingly also an ad hoc agent. The financial poking of the (prospective) tenant is quite a pitiful sight, especially in a largely striving to make ends meet economy. Different approaches; the same failures And this isnt even a lawless country; yet why this historic, persistent lawlessness in the rent regime? Why do the Rent Act, 1963 (Act 220) and its amending legislation, The Rent Control Act, 1986 (PNDCL 138) receive no respect? Why are the majority of the populace, the driving force of the nations economy denied constantly peace of mindtheir right to shelter? Our response to non-compliance of rent laws has since the 1940s, been to re-legislate; when, in fact, the main reason for ineffectiveness of the laws has been enforcement. I mentioned last week, the ridiculousness of approaches by legislations such as Act 220, which provides for the assessment of rent charges of individual premises by rent officers. But, the truth is, this may be one of those ideas that sound silly after the factthe fact that they did not work. For an effective rent control department system could have effectively, indiscriminately, un-corruptly ensured the realisation of such legal provisions. Look at the series of amendments that followed Act 220, all in varying and various degrees changing certain provisions of the Act. These amendments introduced a second approach which involved legally fixed, standardised rents for the differing classes and types of apartments. NRCD 158 (1973), AFRCD 5 (1979), PNDCL 5 (1982) all sought to employ, to varying extents, this mode of rent controlall failed. 1986 spawned PNDCL 138, intending it a perfect blend of both approaches. If both approaches, operating distinctly failed, why not combine themtheir good parts, that is? So PNDCL 138 provides for the rigidity of the first approach all the while allowing for the flexibility of the second approach by empowering the Rent Control Department to make assessments of premises with the fixed rates as guidance. We are, however, presently witnessing yet another failure. What major revolutionary cards is the law then left to play if this approach under PNDCL 138 is proving too ineffective?it, being an accumulation of legislative and national experiences, still fails to maintain a grasp of the system. The law is perhaps not our main problem, it is enforcement that has failed all these years to keep its end of the bargain. The Rent Control Department wears such crucial crown in the rent regime that its ineffectiveness is sure to cast a shadow on whatever legal reform we concoct. If they do badly; the law does badly. We must recognise too, the importance of other factors outside the law (rent control regimes), in our bid to fashion out a favourable rent environment. For one, public housing cannot be made to remain puny contributors to the nations housing sector. There is talk of yet another legal reform. And certain policy recommendations flying around are enough to make the renting populace antsy YAO AFRA YAO Ernesto Yeboah, leader of the Economic Freedom Fighters has said it is shameful the manner in which the Auditor General, Daniel Domelevo was asked to proceed on leave by President Akufo-Addo. According to Mr Yeboah, the Presidents action smacks of intimidation. In a statement, Mr Yeboah said: "We have noted with great concern the decision by the President of Ghana, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to ask the Auditor-General Mr. Daniel Domelevo to proceed on leave. This is against the background that previous public servants have been effectively removed from office under the pretext of asking them to proceed on leave. "The Auditor-General, Mr Daniel Yaw Domelevo is a Ghanaian who has proved his dedication to protect the public purse of Ghana for its citizens. Mr Domelevo has proven himself to be a protector of the Ghanaian purse which has suffered largely due to corrupt practices from the regime. "Since his appointment, he has surcharged hundreds of unscrupulous Ghanaians and recovered millions of stolen money for the State. Due to Mr. Domelevo's unrelenting pursuit of corrupt officials including those of the current government, there have been attempts to gag and intimidate him. We will not forget the undue interference by the Board of the Audit Service in the work of the Auditor-General, the frivolous investigation by the BNI, the public attacks by pro-government media and other groups. "Asking Mr. Domelevo to go on leave can only be interpreted as the latest act by government to prevent him from doing the job of protecting the purse of Ghanaians, since said government has proven to be ineffective, uninterested or both the above, in the fight against corruption. "We call on all well-meaning Ghanaians to speak up and defend the Auditor-General as the last bastion of dignity in public service. We will like to reiterate our support to him and encourage him to be steadfast and not be deterred by these shameless acts of intimidation calculated to derail his work or to hound him out of office altogether." Mr Domelevo has been forced to take his accumulated annual leave of 123 working days effective Wednesday, 1 July 2020. A statement released by the office of the President and signed by the Director of Communication, Mr Eugene Arhin, on Monday, 29 June 2020, said: The Presidents decision to direct Mr Domelevo to take his accumulated annual leave is based on Sections 20(1) and Labour Act, 2003 (Act 651), which apply to all workers including public officeholders such as the Auditor-General. Per the Act, a worker is entitled to annual leave with full pay, in a calendar year of continuous service which cannot be relinquished or forgone by the worker or the employer. However, since Mr Domelevos appointment as Auditor-General on 30 December 2016, Mr Domelevo has taken only nine working days of his accumulated annual leave of 132 working days. The statement made reference to 9 April 2009, when the third President of the 4th Republic, Prof John Evans Atta Mills, directed the then-Auditor-General, Mr Edward Duah Agyeman, to take his accumulated annual leave of approximately 264 working days. It further continued: President Akufo-Addo paid attention to the precedent in directing the Auditor-General to take his accumulated annual leave of 123 working days. Mr Domelevo has been further directed to hand over all matters relating to his office to Mr Johnson Akuamoah Asiedu, the Deputy Auditor-General to act as Auditor-General until his return. ---classfmonline The United States on Wednesday voiced optimism for Malawi whose new president, Lazarus Chakwera, has vowed to root out corruption after winning a re-run election. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo noted that it was the first time that a candidate from an opposing party has won in Africa after an earlier election was invalidated over fraud. "Truly a historic opportunity for the people of that country," Pompeo told reporters. Tibor Nagy, the top US diplomat for Africa, wrote on Twitter: "Congratulations to the people of Malawi! This election demonstrates the strength of your institutions and your commitment to democracy." Malawi went to the polls in May 2019, with incumbent Peter Mutharika declared the winner, but Chakwera, a former evangelical preacher, alleged irregularities. The country's top court agreed, ordering a fresh election last week in which Chakwera won almost 59 percent of the vote. In one of his first acts, Chakwera dissolved the boards of directors at 60 of the country's 100 state-run enterprises in effort to fight graft. Chakwera has also pledged a universal subsidy to all farmers in Malawi, where around half of its 18 million people live below the poverty line. The Millennium Challenge Corporation, the US aid agency that works with countries based on their records on good governance and human rights, had already told Malawi in December that it was eligible for a new deal. The group in 2018 completed a $350 million compact with Malawi that focused on developing electricity. The Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) and the Bloomberg Philanthropies Initiative for Global Road Safety today, Wednesday, July 1, held a kick-off meeting marking the official start of six years of support toward the prevention of road traffic crashes in Ghana's second-largest city and capital of the Ashanti Region; Kumasi. The initiative will pay particular attention to the prevention of crashes that lead to injuries and loss of life. The virtual kick-off meeting included the participation of the Mayor of Kumasi, Mayor Osei Assibey-Antwi, Metro Coordinating Director for KMA, Akuamoah Boateng together with six other Municipal Chief Executives from various municipalities within the city of Kumasi. Representatives from the Bloomberg Philanthropies health team, Kelly Larson and Becky Bavinger, and other partner organizations who are now officially supporting work in the City of Kumasi also participated in this virtual meeting. With support from the Bloomberg Philanthropies Initiative for Global Road Safety (BIGRS), the city of Kumasi now has a team of specialized technicians, in addition to an international network of organizations, which support the work of the municipal government in improving data management, infrastructure, inspection, enforcement and communication. The partners will offer technical and financial support to the city to implement strategies proven to be effective in preventing road traffic deaths and injuries, in line with the best international practices in the area. Among them are the World Health Organization, Vital Strategies, Global Road Safety Partnership (GRSP), World Resource Institute (WRI), Johns Hopkins University International Injury Research and Country Level Partners (GHAI/WB/WHO) We are delighted to welcome Kumasi as one of 30 cities that will participate in the Bloomberg Philanthropies Initiative for Global Road Safety, a network committed to reducing the deaths and injuries from road traffic crashes, said Kelly Larson of Bloomberg Philanthropies. Every year more than 1.35 million people are killed on the world's roads. By implementing proven evidence-based, data-driven interventions, these deaths are nearly entirely preventable. We applaud Mayor Osei Assibey-Antwi for taking the steps needed to save lives. In his remarks, Mayor Osei Assibey Antwi thanked the Bloomberg Philanthropies for extending a hand of help to the city of Kumasi in the area of road safety. The KMA is happy to partner with Bloomberg Philanthropies on this important mission of reducing crashes and saving lives. The statics show that crashes and its related deaths and injury are on the rise in the city. We need our city to be safe for all its citizens as we commute on our roads daily. We will work to the best of our ability on this partnership to ensure the reduction of road traffic injuries and deaths in Kumasi. This third phase of BIGRS, which begins in 2020 and lasts six years, includes the participation of cities in Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Ethiopia, India, Uganda, and Vietnam, among others. Altogether there will be up to 30 cities within the initiative; currently enrolled cities include Accra and Kumasi (Ghana), Addis Ababa (Ethiopia), Bogota (Colombia), Guadalajara (Mexico), Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam), Kampala (Uganda), Mumbai, Bengaluru and New Delhi (India), in addition to Sao Paulo, Salvador and Recife (Brazil). Based on the success of 12 years of investment in road safety, Bloomberg Philanthropies announced in February, during the 3rd Global Ministerial Conference on Road Safety, organized by the World Health Organization (WHO) and held in Stockholm, Sweden, a doubling of its support for global road safety, securing another USD $ 240 million between 2020 and 2025 to save another 600,000 lives and prevent up to 22 million injuries in low and middle-income countries around the world, such as Ghana. The six-year reinvestment in BIGRS is expected to double the impact of these life-saving measures. Since 2007, the initiative has saved nearly 312,000 lives and prevented up to 11.5 million injuries. Road traffic injuries are the 8th leading cause of death worldwide and the number one in deaths among people between the ages of 5 and 29 years old. More than 1.35 million people die and up to 50 million are seriously injured in traffic crashes each year. In addition, economic losses are devastating a report recently released by the World Bank found that halving traffic deaths and injuries could add 7-22% to GDP per capita in 5 selected low- and middle-income countries over the next 24 years. According to the Ashanti Regional Police Motor, Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD), a total of 334 persons lost their lives through road crashes in the Ashanti Region between January and November 2019. To prevent road crash injuries and fatalities, BIGRS is collaborating with local stakeholders to save lives through proven interventions that focus on four major risk factors (speeding, drink driving, helmet wear and seatbelt wear/ child restraint) with speeding as the focal risk factor to be tackled extensively across all BIGRS cities around the world. The Bloomberg Philanthropies Initiative for Global Road Safety (BIGRS) works with the world's leading road safety organizations to implement road safety activities and coordinate with in-country governmental and non-governmental stakeholders. BIGRS places an emphasis on achieving outcomes, and on using high-quality monitoring and evaluation mechanisms to continually assess progress. About Bloomberg Philanthropies The Bloomberg Foundation works in 480 cities in more than 120 countries around the world to ensure better and longer lives for as many people as possible. The organization focuses on five main areas for creating lasting change: Arts, Education, Environment, Government Innovation and Public Health. The Bloomberg Foundation covers all of Michael R. Bloombergs charitable activities, including his foundation and personal donations. In 2018, Bloomberg Philanthropies distributed $ 767 million. Mr. Eric Amofa (In green attire) handing over keys to Chairman Adaakwaa Yiadom Listen to article One of the aspirants in the recently held NPP parliamentary primaries in the Asante Akyem South Constituency, Mr Eric Amofa has donated two motorbikes and an undisclosed cash amount to the party in support of the ongoing Voters Registration exercise. The donation was received by the NPP Constituency Chairman, Mr. Gilbert Adaakwaah Yiadom on behalf of the party. Mr. Adaakwaah Yiadom commended Mr. Eric Amofa for setting the pace for reconciliation, peaceful coexistence and unity after the near controversial primaries. The Constituency Chairman also commended Mr Amofa for embarking on what he described as the "most decent campaign" to the admiration of all party loyalists and some traditional rulers. "From the feedbacks we have received from polling station executives at Ofoase and other areas about how you embarked on a decent campaign, I can only urged you to persevere in your ambition, and never give up". Mr. Adaakwaah Yiadom who played a key role in the campaign during the primaries said the conduct of the UK-based Qualified Social Worker and Banker before, during and after the primaries depicted his political maturity, humility and loyalty to the NPP. He was optimistic that the ruling party would be more united for the common purpose of winning the December 2020 general elections and charged all members to come on-board. Meanwhile, Mr Eric Amofa was the first aspirant out of the five to issue a statement to congratulate the incumbent MP and pledged his unwavering support to the party at the constituency, regional and national levels. He charged his supporters to also remain calm and offer the needed support to the incumbent MP and the party. He duly joined the NPP Executives on June 30th, 2020 to monitor the ongoing registration exercise in the constituency and pledged to continue till the end of the exercise. Mr. Amofa promised to stand solidly behind the MP, the executives and the party from now until the December general elections are over. He resigned from his lucrative work in the UK somewhere in October 2019 to work for the NPP in Ghana and in the Asante Akyem South Constituency in particular. Mr. Eric Amofa is also the Deputy Organiser of NPP in the UK. Some stranded Ghanaians in South Africa have expressed concern that their prolonged stay abroad may disenfranchise them in the upcoming election. They believe their inability to partake in the registration exercise due to the closure of the border is an infringement on their rights. The Ghanaians, who have been asking the government to evacuate them, say the ongoing process makes a compelling argument as to why the borders should be opened. In an interview with Citi News, a spokesperson for some of the stranded Ghanaians in South Africa, Kingsley Dunyo called on the government to come to their aid. We want to partake in this voter registration ongoing right now and, per the way things are happening, I don't know how soon we are going to get back to Ghana, he lamented. Mr. Dunyo further raised concerns about the costs associated with being evacuated and being quarantined upon return to Ghana. The government's pre-condition for evacuation was that the stranded citizens bear the full cost of their 14-day mandatory quarantine in some high-end hotels when they arrive in the country. But he feels the costs are keeping them from returning even if the opportunity arises. It means that they are trying to drive us from coming back to Ghana to come and register because if we don't have the means to be able to pay for those hotel bills now, it means that we cant come and register and get a voter ID card and vote. Petition to the EC A group called aRTICLE 42 has petitioned the Electoral Commission (EC) on the very concerns of the stranded Ghanaians in South Africa. It is asking the EC to extend the upcoming voter registration to eligible Ghanaians outside the country. The petition was filed on behalf of Ghanaian citizens abroad. The petitioners insist that the compilation of a new register without Ghanaians living or staying outside Ghana will amount to a violation of our constitutional right to vote and our legal entitlement to be registered as voters for public elections and referenda purposes under Article 42 of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana. ---citinewsroom The Finance ministry has blamed delays in payments of allowances for front-line health workers on the failure of the health ministry to submit data of the workers. Answering questions on the floor of Parliament, Deputy Minister for Finance, Charles Adu Boahen, disclosed health workers on the Covid-19 front line will be paid their 50% special allowance as soon as the data is made available. According to the Deputy Minister, government has set aside over 80 million Ghana cedis to pay the workers for the 6 months period announced by President Akufo-Addo. He said, in March 2020, his excellency President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo announced incentive packages for the health sector as part of Ghana Covid 19 pandemic preparedness, readiness and response action, including a special allowance of 50% salaries. I want to reassure the house that adequate provision has been made for this incentive package. we have put aside an amount of approximately 80 million cedis for this package. He added the ministry of health alongside the ministry of finance are together compiling the data and doing the necessary consideration especially to determine the particular health sector workers who are eligible or designated as front-line workers and hence eligible. This exercise is still ongoing and as soon as its completed the payments will start. However, Ho Central MP Benjamin Kpodo whose question brought the deputy minister to the house has however described the response as unsatisfactory. Speaking to Starr News Ibrahim Alhassan, Mr Kpodo accused government of deceiving the health workers. According to him, it should not take government more than 3 months to compile simple data for payment of the allowances to the health workers fighting Covid-19 on behalf of the country. He said thats very very unsatisfactory, this money is available from the Ghana stabilization fund which they have already drawn down. And it cannot be that since April we cannot identify front-line health workers, some of who as a result of their front line position in assisting to treat COVID-19 patients have themselves contracted the disease. They are very clearly defined. You go to Noguchi, there are testers there, you go to KCCR there are people who are working on suspected patients. If you go to the hospitals, if you go to the isolation enters doctors and nurses are there, so what is the difficulty,? he quizzed. He went on if they have started with a few, then they can later add on. But they have not paid even one person. Instead, they are tossing them. Mr Kpodo also accused government of diverting the funds, he insisted my suspicion is that they are not diligent. They may have applied the money for some other use, nothing is clear. That is why we had to bring the minister of finance to answer the questions. That caution they are exercising is ridiculous to me ---starrfmonline A former General Secretary of the Ghana Medical Association (GMA), Dr. Jehu Appiah, has advocated for the inclusion of private health facilities in the testing of the novel coronavirus samples in the country. He argued that the government facilities conducting the test are overwhelmed hence the need to include private institutions that have the capacity to test. Ghana has so far conducted over 290,000 tests with 17, 741 proving positive as of Tuesday, June 30, 2020. Explaining Ghana's testing regime to Citi News, Dr. Jehu Appiah also indicated that one of the solutions to the COVID-19 fight is by ramping up testing. Where we are now, we should have a public health approach instead of medical treatment. In our situation, we do not have a facility that can accommodate a situation that can manage everything. Lets find a way that we can do more of the community tests. A lot of private facilities have expressed interest in doing the tests but I think they all need clearance from the Ghana Health Service. The GHS can not solve all the problems. We have other stakeholders who are ready to perform that. We need to spend money on testing because the daily increase in the number of cases means that there is something going on in the community that we need to pay great attention to. Recently, executives of the Ghana Medical Association have warned that the country's coronavirus case management may hit a snag if steps are not immediately taken to ensure the release of test results within 24 hours. They argue that the delays in releasing samples taken have become a source of worry given the adverse impact the situation is having on their operations. A statement from the group said: There are still huge delays in getting test results for patients (sometimes up to 7-10 days after sample taking). This situation undoubtedly is not the best for case management, especially with its attendant high risk of viral exposure to health professionals and patients at various facilities. The GMA urges the government to do all it can to ensure that test results are available within 24 hours. The Association is also demanding the expansion of the current testing sites and their capacities, with all 16 regions equipped with testing sites. It, therefore, wants the Ministry of Health and Ghana Health Service to address the recurring issues of shortages of test kits. The group also raised concerns about the government's failure to honour its promise to re-engineer the then GeneXpert machines dotted around the country for COVID-19 testing. ---citinewsroom A Deputy Minister for Health, Dr. Bernard Okoe Boye has justified government's decision to comply with the World Health Organizations (WHO) recommendation to discharge persons with COVID-19. According to him, the World Health Organization made the declaration based on new prevailing scientific knowledge of the novel coronavirus which has not yet been contested by any credible scientific institution. Dr. Okoe Boye who was addressing the press after a working visit to the Volta Region said Ghanaians should be ready to adapt to new knowledge in the era of this pandemic. WHO which told us to use two negatives has come again to tell us that if you continue to use two negatives, you might be wasting a lot of time and resources on chasing something which doesnt exist. A study from Singapore and other countries in Europe show that a positive test after ten days doesnt mean contagiousness. And remember, we were keeping people at isolation centres for about six weeks. Then theyll be complaining about being strong, but being kept at the centre. We were keeping them because we were following earlier knowledge. But there is a modern one which tells us that after two weeks of being held for COVID-19, if you step out, you cannot infect anybody, he stressed. This comes as one of the numerous times the government or an official from the Ghana Health Service has risen to defend the countrys new discharge policy. The Ghana Health Service had earlier defended its decision to adjust the discharge guidelines. According to them, rising costs of testing, clogging of isolation and treatment centres and rising maintenance costs account for the new COVID-19 discharge policies. The Special Advisor on Health at the Presidency, Dr. Anthony Nsiah Asare has also noted that there is no cause for alarm post the new policy as it is a recommendation that has been tested and proven in other countries. The new guideline The policy, which is in line with the World Health Organization's revised recommendations allows for asymptomatic COVID-19 persons to be discharged after 14 days without a test. Prior to the new scientific evidence which informed the new discharge guidelines, infected persons on treatment were required to record two consecutive negative tests before they were discharged even if they showed mild or no symptoms after 10 to 14 days. Following the announcement on June 18, over 13,000 persons at various treatment centres have been discharged by the Ghana Health Service (GHS). The latest figure released by the GHS showed about 13,326 cases being subjected to the latest recovery guidelines as recovered, leaving Ghana with 4,361 active cases. The aftermath The development has raised concerns about a second wave of infections in the country. A former General Secretary of the Ghana Medical Association, Dr. Koma Jehu Appiah has questioned the basis for the reviewed COVID-19 discharge policy. Dr. Jehu Appiah, who is also a member of the NDC's COVID-19 team says the government's decision to adopt in wholesale the WHO's recently released standardized discharge policy is unscientific. A Biostatistician and a lecturer at the Department of Biostatistics at the University of Ghana, Dr. Duah Dwomoh, has also condemned the government for its new guidelines for discharging persons infected with COVID-19. He described the new protocols as terrible and could lead the country into a serious situation. Speaking to Citi News, he explained that due to the dynamics of COVID-19, persons infected might not show symptoms, but transmit the virus which makes it deadly, insisting that the perception of asymptomatic persons not transmitting the virus is wrong. ---citinewsroom The Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, on Wednesday, cautioned the public to stop posting the nude pictures of Ms Rosemond Brown, popularly called Akuapem Poloo, on social media platforms. The Gender Ministry said that posting of nude pictures on social media at all times was a serious offence and all must desist from the act. Please stop sharing the post as this too is an offence, a statement issued and signed by Ms Cynthia Maamle Morrison, the Gender Minister, stated. It said the Ministry's attention had been drawn to a nude image of Ms Brown in front of a male child circulating on social media. The Ministry highly condemns this act which is classified as indecent exposure of the child, an act of pornography, degrading and also against the Children's Act, 1998 (Act 560) and the Criminal and other Offences Act, (Act 30). The statement said it would liaise with the appropriate agencies to deal with the matter. Ms Brown, on Tuesday, June 30, shared her nude picture, which had her son standing in front of her. The said image was to mark her son's seventh birthday and same went viral on social media. Various institutions have condemned the act and Child Rights International has also petitioned the Ghana Police Service over the issue. ---GNA The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation, Dr Kofi Koduah Sarpong, has commended the Ghana Covid-19 Private Sector Fund for spearheading the construction of Ghanas first infectious diseases isolation and treatment facility. Dr. Sarpong is especially impressed with the facility, which is nearing completion, has been built within a period of just 10 weeks one of the fastest construction projects ever undertaken in Ghanas history. Even though its not fully done, you can see that the quality is very high standard and were all looking forward to when it will be fully completed, Dr. Sarpong said after touring the site of the project at the Ga East Hospital to assess the progress of work. GNPC is a major donor and supporter of the project. The corporation donated one million US dollars towards the construction of the facility and Dr. Sarpong is very delighted at how the money has been put to such good use. I think its a good piece of work, he said. I will once again congratulate people who are behind this: the work force, the PR people, the professionals, the architects, the surveyors, engineers and above all Covid-19 Private Sector Fund and particularly Mr. Senyo Hosi, who has been around since it started. I will say congratulations to them all for a wonderful piece of work done. The Ghana Covid-19 Private Sector Fund was set up shortly after the country confirmed its first few cases of the novel coronavirus (Covid-19). The business executives who established the fund donated 100,000 cedis each in support of its projects, the biggest of which is the infectious disease treatment facility. Several other corporate organisations and individuals have contributed funds towards the facility, which is likely to be completed and commissioned for use within the next few weeks. It will be used to treat seriously ill Covid-19 patients as well as others afflicted by infectious diseases such as cerebrospinal meningitis. In a final push to raise funds for the projects completion, the Ghana Covid-19 Private Sector Fund launched a campaign last week dubbed the #10GhanaChallenge. It is a crowdfunding drive under which Ghanaians are being urged to donate a minimum of 10 Ghana Cedis towards the completion of the infectious disease treatment facility. You can donate by dialing the short code *718*25*219# on all networks and even though this is for you to donate just 10 cedis you can feel free to donate as much as you want, Managing Trustee of the Ghana Covid-19 Private Sector Fund Senyo Hosi says. Then after youve made your donation, you can challenge some of your friends on social media to also donate and share in the pride you feel. Watch video here: business Big Story | Relief for pharma sector as customs start clearing import of APIs from China On June 22, customs officials in Chennai and Visakhapatnam were asked to put all shipments from China on hold until further orders The Indian government's ban on 59 Chinese mobile applications is unlikely to impact the 2,000 employees of ByteDance in India. Sources told Moneycontrol that the company is not laying off people even as it is meeting government authorities to present their clarifications. There were fears of job cuts in the India business of ByteDance soon after the ban on Chinese applications was announced on June 29. Employees work in the areas of technology, content strategy and communications in India. The Ministry of Information Technology, on June 29, banned 59 mobile apps, saying they are engaged in activities which are "prejudicial to the sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India, security of state and public order. This included short-video platform TikTok which is owned by ByteDance. In response to a query by Moneycontrol, Nikhil Gandhi, Head of TikTok, India had said the company has been invited to meet government stakeholders concerned for an opportunity to respond and submit clarifications. He added that TikTok continues to comply with all data privacy and security requirements under Indian law and has not shared any information of its users in India with any foreign government, including the Chinese government. However, the company did not respond to questions seeking information about the employees and their future after the ban. TikTok has about 200 million users and several Indian individuals depend on the platform for their livelihood. By uploading short videos, individuals are able to secure sponsorships and brand endorsements. Brands have used this platform and popular users to showcase their products. Gandhi explained that TikTok has democratised the internet by making it available in 14 Indian languages, with artists, story-tellers, educators and performers depending on it for their livelihood, many of whom are first-time internet users. Apart from TikTok, shopping applications like Club Factory and Shein have also been banned in India. Here, Club Factory employs about 85-90 people while Shein employs about 45-50 people. "It will be a knee-jerk reaction to sack the Indian employees. Since the government has called these platforms to seek clarification, it is likely that some mid-way could be reached. We see no impact on Indian employees as of now," said a Delhi-based hiring consultant who has helped app-based Chinese players recruit talent in India. These applications have been removed from the Google application store and are no longer working on user phones where they have been installed prior to the ban. Sources said that only after the meeting with the Indian government on the ban issue will the staff-related future decisions will be taken. This is not the first time that TikTok has been banned in India. In the first week of April 2019, TikTok was banned after the Madras High Court asked for a ban saying that the platform encouraged pornography. This ban was lifted by the end of April 2019 on the condition that the platform would not allow obscene videos. India's private companies could start developing coal mines with an annual capacity of 15 million tonnes by the end of March, the country's coal minister told Reuters, a move that would end the near-monopoly of state-run Coal India . Prime Minister Narendra Modi this month officially launched the auction of 41 coal mines to companies including those in the private sector, with an annual production capacity that is nearly one third of national total output. "This year by end of March, if everything goes well, 15 million tonnes we will start this year," India's Coal Minister Pralhad Joshi told Reuters in a telephone interview late on Tuesday. India's consumption of coal fell 3.3% to 958 million tonnes in the year ended March 2020, and is expected to fall further this fiscal year due to the coronavirus, Joshi said. Some analysts expect coal demand to be tepid, amid increased adoption of renewable energy in electricity generation. Ratings agency Moody's Indian unit ICRA said on Tuesday it expects domestic coal demand is estimated to grow at 2.9% between fiscal years 2021 and 2027, nearly half the rate seen in the preceding seven years. However, Joshi expects demand to bounce back. "We have to be prepared for a national coal consumption of 1,300-1,400 million tonnes of coal by 2023-24 including coking coal," he said, adding he expected Coal India to produce 1 billion tonnes and the private sector to account for the rest. India, the world's second largest consumer and producer of the fuel, and saw imports rise nearly 7% this year to 251 million tonnes, with production falling for the first time in over two decades. The Reserve Bank of India's (RBI) notification on July 1 providing details and eligibility criteria for non-banking finance companies (NBFCs) and housing finance companies (HFCs) to avail the Rs 30,000 crore special liquidity scheme confirms that the industrys demand for longer-term liquidity assistance has been rejected by the government. As per the notification, liquidity instruments under the scheme will have a maturity of only three months. Finance Industry Development Council (FIDC), an industry body of NBFCs, in a letter to Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on May 20, had sought a minimum three-year extension in the tenure of these instruments. This is because NBFCs lend for a longer tenure and hence short term borrowings could create asset-liability mismatches. It may not have the desired effect of encouraging NBFCs to lend to the MSME sector. Any NBFC availing of funds under this scheme may, in fact, end up disturbing its asset-liability matching, FIDC had said in the letter. The RBI notification still talks about a three month repayment period. Essentially, we were seeking long-term liquidity assistance with a repayment period of at least three years. It appears the government wants to keep this scheme specifically to meet the short-term refinance requirements of NBFCs, an industry official told Moneycontrol. Related stories Govt yet to put in place SPV structure for Rs 30,000-crore NBFC liquidity scheme According to the details released by RBI, net non-performing assets (NPAs) of NBFCs and HFCs and should not exceed 6 percent as on March 31, 2019. Also, capital to risk (weighted) assets ratio (CRAR)/capital adequacy ratio (CAR) of NBFCs/HFCs should not be lower than the minimum regulatory requirement, which is 15 percent and 12 percent, respectively, as on March 31, 2019. Other conditions include entities need to record a net profit in at least one of the last two fiscal years (FY18 and FY19), should be rated investment grade by a Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) registered rating agency and should not have been reported under the special mention accounts (SMA) 1 or SMA-2 category by any bank for their borrowings during the last one year prior to August 1, 2018. SBICAP, which is a subsidiary of State Bank of India, has set up a special purpose vehicle (SLS Trust) to manage this operation. The SPV will purchase the short-term papers from eligible NBFCs/HFCs, who shall utilise the proceeds under this scheme solely for the purpose of extinguishing existing liabilities. The facility will not be available for any paper issued after September 30 and the SPV would cease to make fresh purchases after that date and would recover all dues by December 31; or as may be modified subsequently under the scheme. The Cabinet on May 20 spelt out the details of the Rs 30,000 crore special liquidity scheme, which was first announced by Sitharaman in her Budget 2020 speech and later fast-tracked as part of the COVID-19 economic package. Representative image The government on Wednesday assured steel makers that it will take appropriate measures to reduce the logistics cost of products that currently reaches as high as 28 percent. Speaking at a FICCI-organised webinar on 'Supportive Logistics for Indian Iron and Steel Industry', Minister of State for Steel Faggan Singh Kulaste told the participants that high cost of logistics is also a matter of concern for the ministry. He sought suggestions from the stakeholders on how to reduce the logistics cost of raw materials and assured them that the ministry will take steps accordingly. Kulaste said India has a target to produce 255 million tonnes of steel by 2030. "In this context, from mines to the last-mile customer, about 800-850 million tonnes of raw material would require logistics. We will need huge infrastructure for this," he said. Anticipating the needs of the future, the government has already started working on mega projects in the area of logistics like Sagarmala, Bharatmala and Dedicated Freight Corridor, Kulaste said. The minister said that currently, for every 250 kilometer, transportation cost of iron ore, a key steel-making raw material, is Rs 800-Rs 1,000 tonne through rail. He added that it comes between Rs 2,000 and Rs 2,500 through road; while via waterways, it comes around Rs 450-550 and through slurry pipeline, it costs in the range of Rs 80-100. He said that once the said projects are completed, these would help reduce both transportation cost and time for materials. V R Sharma, co-chair of FICCI Steel Committee and managing director of Jindal Steel and Power Ltd (JSPL), requested the minister for his intervention to bring down the logistic cost for the industry. He said, "It costs another Rs 8,000 per tonne on transportation of steel in India which is a huge amount. It adds about 28 per cent to the factory cost and the last-mile customer has to bear it. Port-handling charges add another 10 per cent. I request the minister to take measures to bring it down to about Rs 4,000 per tonne." Alok Sahay, convener of FICCI Steel Logistics Sub-Committee and executive director (commercial) of Steel Authority of India Ltd, suggested for a long-term service agreement with the railways for providing suitable rakes within specified time. This will help customers plan his supply chain in a better way. He also suggested a uniform rate for transportation of materials up to 100 km by railways. Pankaj Satija, senior member of FICCI Steel Committee and chief regulatory affairs of Tata Steel Ltd, said logistics is an important part for the industry. He suggested dedicated road corridors for transportation of materials and doubling of railway lines besides setting up slurry pipeline facilities. Hyundai Motor India Ltd (HMIL) on Wednesday reported a 54.39 percent decline in total passenger vehicle sales at 26,820 units in June. The company had sold 58,807 units in June last year. Domestic sales in the last month stood at 21,320 units as against 42,007 units in June 2019, HMIL said in a statement. Exports were at 5,500 units as against 16,800 units in the same month last year. Commenting on the sales performance, HMIL Director (Sales, Marketing & Service) Tarun Garg said, "our newly launched products like all-new Creta, Spirited New Verna, all new AURA as well as traditionally strong brands like Elite i20, Venue, Santro and Grand i10 Nios have been receiving encouraging customer response." The company is committed to support country's objective of reviving the economy at the earliest, he added. Representative Image live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More The ongoing India-China border issue is a cause for concern for Indian IT service providers in China. With vendor consolidation afoot, a prolonged standoff, experts say, could put Indian service providers at a disadvantage as they might face difficulties in serving China. What is happening right now? Trade war between the two countries is escalating after the violent backlash in Galwan Valley in June. The Centre had, on Monday, imposed an interim ban on 59 Chinese apps, including TikTok. Though India's presence in China is small, Pareekh Jain, founder, Pareekh Consulting, a technology consulting firm, said that the impact could be both direct and indirect. According to a Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) report in 2019, China accounts for about 3 percent of revenue for Indian IT and BPO companies. Jain said that Indian IT firms workforce in China could be about 4,000-5,000. 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 During a recent virtual AGM, UB Pravin Rao, COO, Infosys, had said that while the standoff between the two countries is worrying, there has been no disruption in the business so far as the region is serviced by locals. But that scene is changing. Chinese subsidiaries of Indian companies primarily cater to global MNCs such as Intel and Microsoft that have a presence in China. These businesses would be directly hit. The indirect impact would be on upcoming deals. Global firms are now looking at single players to cater to its IT services, rather than partner with multiple firms, especially in the backdrop of COVID-19, as a cost-cutting measure. Some of the large deals could include servicing China as well. In such a scenario, the Indian IT industry could be at a disadvantage, if the stand-off continues. Some large deals might go to other players, Jain added. Indias IT presence in China and its importance Most major Indian IT firms have a presence in China, but it has never been significant as the Chinese market is challenging. Tech Mahindras revenue from China was about Rs 214 crore in FY19. The turnover of TCS and Infosys from its Chinese subsidiaries for FY20 stood at Rs 772 crore and Rs 1,183 crore, respectively. The CII report shows that if China accounted for about 3 percent of the global revenues in FY18, most Indian IT and BPO firms expect the revenue to increase by over 10 percent in 2019. Indian IT firms have been striving to break the Chinese market for over 20 years now. Policy issues in China apart, Indian companies are unable to scale up, owing to the lack of expertise in Mandarin and challenging price points, an analyst pointed out. Though revenue share is not significant, it is a growing market, given the huge opportunities in the software space in China. The Chinese software and information services industry is worth $493 billion, the second-largest in the world, after the US. For Indian IT companies, these were great opportunities to leverage, and some of them did take the plunge. For instance, last year, Tech Mahindra stepped up its offerings in China in the IoT (Internet of Things), 5G, data analytics, robotics process automation, AI (artificial Intelligence)/ML (Machine Learning) application development and Cloud Migration space. In addition, more IT and BPO firms raised their investments in China in 2019, compared to 2018, the CII report showed. Kris Gopalakrishnan, co-founder, Infosys, in an earlier interaction with Moneycontrol, had pointed out: China is an important market, especially when you look at the future. China, being the second-largest economy in the world, the global industry must derive revenues proportional to the size of the economy, he said. That means we have to increase our revenue from China, he noted. Indian IT costs have gone from zero to the growth they are seeing now. To improve this, the Chinese and Indian governments need to work together, Gopalakrishnan suggests. For now, that seems unlikely. Union Minister Nitin Gadkari (Image: Reuters) Union Minister for Road and Transport Nitin Gadkari on July 1 said India will not allow Chinese companies to participate in highway projects, including those through joint ventures, amid a standoff with China. Gadakri also said the government will ensure that Chinese investors are not entertained in various sectors like Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs). The senior minister's assertions assume significance against the backdrop of border standoff between India and China in Ladakh that also saw the death of 20 Indian Army personnel last month. Amid escalating tensions, the government on Monday banned 59 apps, mostly having Chinese links, citing threats to national security. "We will not give permission to joint ventures that have Chinese partners for road construction. We have taken a firm stand that if they (Chinese companies) come via joint venture in our country, we will not allow it," Gadkari told PTI in an interview. The Road Transport, Highways and MSME minister said a policy will be out soon banning Chinese firms and relaxing norms for Indian companies to expand their eligibility criteria for participation in highway projects. Also Read | DHL, FedEx temporarily suspend Chinese import shipments to India Currently only a few projects which were undertaken much earlier involve some Chinese partners. When asked about this, the Minister said that the new decision will be implemented in current and future tenders. With respect to existing tenders and future bids, Gadkari said rebidding would be done if there are any Chinese joint ventures. "We have taken a decision to relax norms for our companies to ensure that they qualify in bidding in large projects. I have directed the Highways Secretary (Giridhar Aramane) and NHAI Chairman (SS Sandhu) to hold a meeting for relaxing technical and financial norms so that our companies can qualify to work," he said. Also Read | Ban on Chinese apps alone will not address long-term information threats Elaborating on the decision, Gadkari said if a contractor can qualify for a small project, he can also qualify for a large project. "Construction norms are not good so I have asked to change it. We are changing it so that we can encourage Indian companies," he added. According to him, qualification norms for projects are being rationalised to ensure Indian companies do not require to enter into pacts with foreign partners to grab projects. "Even if we have to go for foreign joint venture in the areas of technology, consultancy or design, we will not allow Chinese," the Minister said. About the MSME sector, Gadkari said the effort is to enhance the capacity of local production but at the same time foreign investment is being promoted. However, he made it clear that despite decision to encourage foreign investment, Chinese investors would not be allowed. "For upgradation of technology, research, consultancy and other works, we will encourage foreign investment and joint ventures in MSMEs but in case of Chinese we will not entertain them," he said. Also Read |China inscribes large map, signage on disputed territory along Pangong lake On stopping of consignments from China at Indian ports, the minister said there is "no arbitrary stopping of goods" at Indian ports and the government is initiating path-breaking reforms to help MSMEs and businesses in a bid to make the country self-reliant. "It is a good step. The imports from China will be discouraged and the country will take large strides towards self-reliance," the Minister said and added that he is among the strongest proponents of 'Atmanirbhar Bharat'. Gadkari said that he had urged departments concerned to expedite clearance of consignments which were booked two to three months in advance before the situation took its present shape. After a representation from a farmers and traders' body that imported agriculture equipment consignments were delayed at ports, Gadkari in a letter to Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Commerce and Industries Minister Piyush Goyal had sought early clearance of the said consignments. There are reports that customs authorities at Chennai and Vishakhapatnam ports are conducting extra scrutiny of consignments from China. Gadkari, as per the information, did not mention the name of the country from where these equipment were imported. "Indian business has the strength and skills to grow further and power our journey towards self-reliance. Under strong leadership of PM Narendra Modi, the Government of India is proactive and initiating path-breaking reforms that will help businesses and MSMEs," he said. Most of these equipment, as per the information, pertain to spraying devices for pesticide control as the same had been diverted to urban areas during the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak. Amid heightened border tensions with China, Indian customs officials have started physical inspection of all consignments coming from the neighbouring country specially Chennai and Vishakhapatnam ports. Read our complete coverage on the India-China border tension here Long-term investors can have exposure of up to 20-25 percent in few promising quality mid & small cap stocks and balance 75-80 percent in leading quality frontline largecaps. We advise investors to focus on companies that would manage and navigate the COVID downturn and emerge stronger going forward," Prashanth Tapse, AVP Research at Mehta Equities said in an interview to Moneycontrol's Sunil Shankar Matkar. Edited excerpt: Q: The market picked up in last one month. Do you expect the rally to continue? Liquidity continued to drive Indian equities in tandem with global markets. The global rally was supported and fuelled by the anticipation of more stimulus measures such as that announced by ECB helping revival economy. Domestic Banking/NBFC stocks have been gaining momentum for the past two weeks as we see banks are currently more confident on the borrowers' cash flows as lockdown has been relaxed and white-collar job losses have been limited. Nevertheless, the immediate outlook is uncertain and volatile with economy opening up slowly and businesses seeing traction with people moving out but social distancing norms and a slower demand pickup is faced with difficult headwinds. After analysing at Q4 results and managements commentary confirms that the economy is moving slower than anticipated. But it seems like more businesses are dealing with the coronavirus and markets are learning to live with it. We expect volatility is coming ahead. The COVID-19 infections are seen rising dramatically. That's quite obvious as investors have to wrestle with rising daily rates of new US and India's coronavirus cases. Extension of lockdowns quite likely. Amidst this backdrop, fiscal deficit situation could skyrocket further on backdrop of pandemic. Digging deeper, revival of demand is going to be the biggest problem. Economic activities may not pick up in a scenario where consumer demand is low. Long story short, Dalal Street's recovery meets virus roadblock. Nifty will be out of woods only above 10,601. Now, let's take a look at other key catalysts for this week which will keep markets busy: >> S&P Global Rating in a report has said that "India's economy is in deep trouble. Difficulties in containing the virus, an anaemic policy response, and underlying vulnerabilities, especially across the financial sector, are leading us to expect growth to fall by 5 percent this fiscal year before rebounding in 2021.">> There could be volatility amidst India-China border stand-off.>> Focus will be also on United States-China trade talks.>> The street will also closely eye arrival of monsoon. Timely arrival of monsoon is critical for agricultural production.>> Commanding attention would be June Auto sales which will trickle in this week on 1st of July 2020. >> The data on fiscal deficit and infrastructure output for May will be released on June 30. Current account numbers for March quarter of FY20 will also be announced on same day. Technically, from a chartist standpoint, some serious consolidation on cards as the technical landscape remains quite positive after the benchmark gained from recent lows, indicating the worst is gone at least with intraweek perspective. So, technically, the most watched hurdles on Nifty at 10,601 mark. Intraweek supports for Nifty is at 9,845 and then major supports at 9,383 mark. Q: Where should investors put money right now? Does the rally in midcap and smallcap indicate that we are on recovery path now? Looking at the current economic re-opening scenario, we believe right asset allocation helped investors to stay calm during coronavirus meltdown and in uncertain times like the current one, where the volatility increases, and the swings would be big. So one should keep in mind that volatility is going to remain for some more time as we are not yet out of the corona woods. We are advising traders/investors to focus on phase-wise investing strategy, as it is very difficult to gauge when markets will stand at bottom or top levels but given the favourable risk-reward situation investors need to take a long-term vision and keep on accumulating high quality stocks at every such declines. The threat of earnings downgrades, lower GDP numbers, lower GST and IIP data will be a big hangover on the market in the coming few months which will keep the equity market under pressure and these pressures can open up opportunities to accumulate quality stocks in portfolio. We overall assume FY21 expected earnings will be impacted by the lockdown in first/second quarter and earnings recovery may be visible only from the second half of FY21. However, we believe that markets would focus on the long-term sustainable earnings of quality companies and not on the 1-2-quarter disruption due to COVID. Mid & smallcaps shined a lot in last 2 weeks mainly driven by liquidity, but we remain cautious on mid & smallcap space as fundamentals are weak and valuations seem expensive as on date. However, long term investors should not get carried away by such instant short term outperformance and can have exposure upto 20-25 percent in few promising quality mid & small cap stocks and balance 75-80 percent in leading quality frontline largecaps. We advise investors to focus on companies which would manage and navigate the COVID downturn and emerge stronger going forward. Q: Do you think the rally will continue in pharma stocks?Wwhat are your top bets? Medicine is the need of the hours to fight the world against COVID-19 and Pharma as a sector has done very well since lows of March - Nifty Pharma Index is up more than 55 percent from March 2020 lows versus Nifty returns of more than 35 percent from lows making the sector a white knight for investors. Current environment is more favourable for the Pharma sector which was ignored and undervalued sector with 4 years of underperformance since 2015. We have been bullish on pharma space since the virus kicked in to this world and we continue to remain optimistic on the Pharma space despite the recent run-up but the rally from here would be very selective, nevertheless any correction going forward shall be a good opportunity to go long on frontline counters like Aurobindo, Sun Pharma, Biocon, Lupin and Cipla. We also like Granules India and Sequent Scientific. Q: Technology sector traded almost in line with benchmark indices, rising 35 percent from March lows while declined only 2 percent in 1HCY20 against double digit fall in benchmark indices. So what is driving the rally in technology? Technology is a sector which turned well in the pandemic scenario as the whole world is running on technology platform. Industry data says spends on digital transformation will increase, offset by lesser spend on running operations and the cost saved, which will be invested back into digital transformation of business going forward. Reacting to the development, most IT stocks traded in the green. Point to note that majority of the company did not face significant cancellations or pricing pressure. Work from Home (WFH) transition was smooth and had very little revenue impact. Industry leader Accenture's stronger-than-expected results/commentary sets an encouraging tone for the impending earnings season for Indian IT. Hence, we continue to remain optimistic on Infosys & TCS with decent upside in line with index performance. Even globally high-flying technology companies outshined the market during the pandemic keeping index higher. While the risk comes in as US President Donald Trump had issued a proclamation to suspend issuing of H-1B visas and other foreign work visas for the rest of the year. The proclamation that comes into effect on June 24, is expected to impact a large number of Indian IT professionals and several American and Indian companies who were issued H-1B visas by the US government for the fiscal year 2021 beginning October 1. As a result, IT stocks remained under pressure. : The views and investment tips expressed by investment expert on Moneycontrol.com are his own and not that of the website or its management. Moneycontrol.com advises users to check with certified experts before taking any investment decisions. Representative image India Gold August Futures trade in a range on July 1 after hitting record high in the previous session tracking positive trend in the international spot prices as a spike in COVID-19 infections in the United States push investors towards the safety of bullion. Spot gold edged higher towards at $1,782.21 per ounce, after hitting its highest since early October 2012 at $1,785.46 in the previous session, said a Reuters report. Experts are of the view that the trend in global gold and silver is likely to remain on the upside amid rising fears of COVID-19 related cases, and global recession. The yellow metal could face some resistance around 49050-49,230 levels. On the Multi-Commodity Exchange (MCX), August gold contracts were trading higher by 0.04 percent at Rs 48,781 per 10 gram at 09:20 hours. July futures for silver were trading 0.35 percent higher at Rs 49,824 per kg. Gold and silver prices gained on Tuesday amid rising coronavirus cases and worries on global growth. Gold prices gained around 1 percent and crossed $1800 per troy ounce at Comex division first-time in the last 8 years. Silver prices also gained around 2.50 percent and settled at $18.64 per troy ounce. Gold & Silver Rates Yesterday Gold Rate in Mumbai Yesterday 10g of 24K gold in Mumbai 47,220 47,220 10g of 22K gold in Mumbai 46,220 46,220 View more Silver Rate in Mumbai Yesterday 10g silver in Mumbai 740 740 1kg silver in Mumbai 74,000 74,000 View more Show At MCX, gold prices reached to record highs of 48,825 and settled around 48,700 levels. Silver prices also crossed 50000 levels and settled around 50300 levels. U.S. Federal Reserve chairman is shows extraordinary uncertainty over economy due to pandemic. Viruses cases crossed 10 million in the world with death toll of 0.5 million. IMF already raised Red Flag on global growth with estimate of negative 4.9% growth in the year 2020, Manoj Jain, Director (Head - Commodity & Currency Research) at Prithvi Finmart Pvt Ltd told Moneycontrol. Rising coronavirus cases, grimed outlook on global growth and geo-political tensions will continue to support safe haven buying in both the precious metals. Long term trend of both the precious metals remain bullish and every decline in the prices will be opportunity to buy, he said. Jain further added that Gold is having support at $1784 per troy ounce /INR 48330 on a closing basis, prices sustain above $1800 / INR 48700 could extend the gains towards $1814-1822/INR 48900-49050 levels. Track live gold price here Trading Strategy Expert: Sriram Iyer, Senior Research Analyst at Reliance Securities International gold and silver rose with gold futures touching $1800/ounce on technical buying. Domestic precious metals ended higher with gold touching new all-time high on Tuesday tracking gains in the overseas markets. Technically, MCX Gold August contract gave a breakout above 48500 levels with more than 1 percent gains including good volume activity where prices has reached to uncharted territory indicating for bullish momentum to continue up to 48990-49230 levels. Support holds at 48400 levels. MCX Silver September traded in 48958-50494 levels range where it has bounced from 48958 levels and closed on positive note above 50000 levels which signifies momentum to continue up to 50900-51400 levels and support is at 49900-49300 levels. Expert: Ravindra Rao, VP- Head Commodity Research at Kotak Securities COMEX gold trades mixed near $1800/oz after a 1.1% gain yesterday when it tested the highest level since 2011. Gold is supported by rising virus cases, mixed economic data, weaker growth outlook and increased US-China tensions. Gains in the equity market and lack of fresh ETF buying has limited upside. Gold has breached the pivotal $1800/oz level paving way for more gains however rally may not sustain if equity markets continue to hold firm. Disclaimer: The views and investment tips expressed by experts on Moneycontrol.com are their own and not those of the website or its management. Moneycontrol.com advises users to check with certified experts before taking any investment decisions. Ravindra Rao COMEX gold trades mixed near $1,800/oz after a 1.1 percent gain yesterday when it hit a high of $1,804/oz, the highest level since 2011. Gold was consolidating in a narrow range for last few sessions but got a thrust to break past the key $1,800/oz level benefitting from month-end and quarter-end position squaring and increasing concerns about virus cases and heightened US-China tensions. Global virus cases have been on the rise but a sharp jump in cases in the US and other countries like China, Australia has unnerved market players that fresh restrictions may slow down the nascent economic recovery. Meanwhile, the World Health Organization cautioned that the worst of the coronavirus pandemic is yet to come. Also weighing on market sentiment is cautious outlook due to persisting virus risks. Fed Chairman Jerome Powell on Tuesday warned that the second wave of COVID-19 infections could undermine consumer confidence again, as per a MarketWatch report. Mixed economic data shows economic activity is picking up but challenges persist. US consumer confidence data released yesterday was better than expectations but Chicago PMI failed to meet estimates. Japans manufacturers' confidence sank in the second quarter to levels not seen since 2009 while South Korean exports fell for the fourth consecutive month. Challenges to the US and global economy also make a case for central banks and governments to continue with stimulus measures which is also supportive for gold. Gold rallied despite gains in the US equity market, lack of fresh investor inflows and weaker consumer demand which raised some red flags about the sustainability of the gains. US and global equity markets are still holding on to most of the gains noted in the last few weeks amid expectations that governments may avoid stringent measures to limit virus spread. Gold holdings with SPDR ETF were unchanged at 1178.89 tonnes. Weaker consumer demand is evident from a sharp drop in Chinese gold imports. Gold has breached past the USD 1800/oz level paving way for more gains however the up move has come without any fresh new triggers hence one needs to be cautious and wait for a lower level to create fresh long positions. Most Base metals on LME, barring Copper, trade in a narrow range in early trades today after noting mixed movement yesterday; Copper prices, however, are up more than 1 percent. The metals pack is witnessing choppy movement as support due to optimism over recovery in global economic health and stimulus measures is being offset by a surge in cases in the US and lingering US-China tensions. On the global growth front, the recent spate of mixed to positive data from major economies viz. US, China and the Euro Zone are fanning hopes that the worst may be over. Also supporting prices is choppiness in the US Dollar Index. However, on a weaker note, steady rise in coronavirus cases globally and worries of the second wave of infections in the US is capping the upside. Further capping the upside is lingering tensions between US-China. Meanwhile, on fundamental front, Copper prices may continue to seek support from falling stocks at exchange warehouses along with signs of robust demand in China and supply worries, especially from Chile. Copper on warrant stocks at LME warehouses further slid to 111,650 tonnes yesterday; the lowest level since January 17 while stocks at SHFE hit lowest in more than 17 months. Also, as per Reuters report, Freeport Indonesias production of copper concentrate and copper ore were both below its initial targets this year. In other metals, Aluminium and Zinc prices too may seek support from lower stocks at SHFE warehouse however higher stocks at LME and rise in output from China may cap the upside. Lead stocks too may seek support from recent slide in socks at LME however jump in inventory at SHFE and demand worries may cap the upside. Lastly, the upside in Nickel prices may be capped amid higher stocks at both LME and SHFE warehouses. The metals pack may witness choppy movement today amid mixed cues however overall bias for most metals may be positive tracking hopes of a revival in global health while Copper prices may also seek support from upbeat fundamentals. The author is VP- Head Commodity Research at Kotak Securities Disclaimer: The views and investment tips expressed by investment experts on moneycontrol.com are their own, and not that of the website or its management. Moneycontrol.com advises users to check with certified experts before taking any investment decisions. The brewing feud between the Hinduja brothers came to light on June 23 when a UK court ruled in favour of patriarch Srichand Hinduja and his daughter Vinoo (on the issue of control of Switzerland-based Hinduja Bank) against the other three Hindujas - Gopichand, Prakash and Ashok. The feud between the four brothers stems from a letter they signed in 2014 which penned the long-followed family ideology - Everything belongs to everyone and nothing belongs to anyone. The news is of particular significance as the strong bond shared between the brothers had long been one of the foundations of the multinational conglomerate. Also Read: The Hinduja dispute: Four brothers and a document that is key to their $15.6 billion fortune Nearly every time, each brother would be accompanied by at least one or two of his siblings. Perhaps, their joint appearances in courts over the Bofors case, where they were alleged to have taken commission, added to the persona, and the perception that the four siblings were in it together, through thick and thin. Should investors be worried about the love loss? In India, there are currently four listed companies under the Hinduja Group banner - Ashok Leyland, IndusInd Bank Hinduja Global Solutions and Gulf Oil. The 52 percent promoter stake in flagship firm Ashok Leyland is split into four entities - Hinduja Automotive (35.01 percent), CitiBank NA (11.31 percent), Hinduja Bank (Switzerland) (4.98 percent), and Hinduja Foundries Holding (0.24 percent). Whereas promoter stake in IndusInd bank is split into IndusInd International Holdings (10.57 percent) and IndusInd (3.78 percent). Despite a stake in Ashok Leyland, which directly comes under the ownership of SP Hinduja (via Hinduja Bank), experts feel the long-term outlook of the company remains fairly intact, though a "sentimental impact" cannot be ruled out in the short term, said, Atish Matlawala, Sr Analyst, SSJ Finance and Securities. "There could be a sentimental impact on the stock prices of these companies in short term. However, we do not believe that there will be any impact on the growth prospects of these two companies," Matlawala said. Long-term view Despite little to no impact that Matlawala expects in the stock in the short term, he advised investors to stay away from both counters. "Demand for Commercial Vehicles (CV) depends on GDP growth and looking at the current scenario we do not expect Indias GDP growth to recover in the near term. We believe FY21 will be a challenging year for Ashok Leyland and hence we recommend to avoid the stock in the near term," he said. According to Matlawala, IndusInd Bank faces multiple headwinds ranging from scaling its granular deposit base to the rising risk of asset quality due to exposure to risky sectors like Telecom, Microfinance and NBFC. Muted loan growth in the current environment also remains a concern for the bank, he added. "All these factors will lead to higher provisioning thus denting profitability and heightened systematic risk." : The views and investment tips expressed by investment expert on Moneycontrol.com are his own and not that of the website or its management. Moneycontrol.com advises users to check with certified experts before taking any investment decisions. live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More Workers of Tata Steel's at the IJmuiden plant in the Netherlands will continue to strike on Thursday as the meeting with the management remained inconclusive and has "disappointed" them, according to the labour union Federatie Nederlandse Vakbeweging (FNV). The Dutch operations of the India-headquartered Tata Steel have been facing continuous protests and demonstrations for about three week. In a statement, the Netherlands-based workers' union said the strike would continue after a disappointing meeting with management Tata Steel Netherlands. When contacted, Tata Steel did not provide any comment. Roel Berghuis, Director of FNV Metaal: It was a disappointing and difficult conversation. The European management says it will take even longer to respond to our demands. We will continue talking on Thursday, but the strike actions will continue.' At the end of May, FNV had submitted a set of requirements to the management. Among other things, the union wants to make agreements about job security, a robust strategic plan, ending the integration with Tata Steel UK, and about the non-transfer of profits to Tata Steel UK, the union said. "The fact that we did not receive a response... to these requirements is very disturbing and does not provide any basis for reaching a negotiation agreement. The action committee discusses when and which team or department will go on strike," said Berghuis. MG Motor India (Image: Moneycontrol) MG Motor India on Wednesday said it has retailed 2,012 units in June. The company has witnessed an increased traction in the markets that are normalising faster for both its product lines the updated BS-VI versions of Hector that recorded sales of 1,867 units, and ZS EV with sales of 145 units, MG Motor India said in a statement. "Even though our sales performance in June was better than May this year, we continue to face headwinds in supply chain and logistics due to multiple issues," MG Motor India Director Sales Rakesh Sidana said. The company is doing its best to overcome these challenges and looking forward to the launch of Hector Plus this month, he added. Non-banking financial companies' (NBFCs) asset quality is likely to worsen to 5-7 percent in the current financial year due to weak economic growth on account of disruptions caused by coronavirus-related lockdown, according to a report by rating agency ICRA. The lockdown has significantly impacted the cash flow position of NBFCs' borrowers, it said in the report. While the moratorium extended by the NBFCs to their borrowers is likely to give them the much-needed breathing space, their asset quality performance is likely to see sizeable dislocation from the recent trends, it said. "Assuming a slippage of 5-10 percent of the asset under management (AUM) under moratorium, non-bank NPAs could increase to 5-7 percent by March 2021 from about 3.3-3.4 percent in March 2020," the rating agency said. Asset quality of NBFCs is likely to be more impacted than housing finance companies (HFCs), with the segmental NPA touching around 7-9.5 percent by March 2021, the report said. Mortgage players, on the other hand, could witness NPAs of about 3.4-4.8 percent in the current financial year, it said. COVID-19 Vaccine Frequently Asked Questions View more How does a vaccine work? A vaccine works by mimicking a natural infection. A vaccine not only induces immune response to protect people from any future COVID-19 infection, but also helps quickly build herd immunity to put an end to the pandemic. Herd immunity occurs when a sufficient percentage of a population becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. The good news is that SARS-CoV-2 virus has been fairly stable, which increases the viability of a vaccine. How many types of vaccines are there? There are broadly four types of vaccine one, a vaccine based on the whole virus (this could be either inactivated, or an attenuated [weakened] virus vaccine); two, a non-replicating viral vector vaccine that uses a benign virus as vector that carries the antigen of SARS-CoV; three, nucleic-acid vaccines that have genetic material like DNA and RNA of antigens like spike protein given to a person, helping human cells decode genetic material and produce the vaccine; and four, protein subunit vaccine wherein the recombinant proteins of SARS-COV-2 along with an adjuvant (booster) is given as a vaccine. What does it take to develop a vaccine of this kind? Vaccine development is a long, complex process. Unlike drugs that are given to people with a diseased, vaccines are given to healthy people and also vulnerable sections such as children, pregnant women and the elderly. So rigorous tests are compulsory. History says that the fastest time it took to develop a vaccine is five years, but it usually takes double or sometimes triple that time. View more Show The rating agency's Vice-President and Sector Head (Financial Sector Ratings) A M Karthik said the portfolio under moratorium for some large NBFCs is as high as 70-80 percent, with the sectoral average of about 52 percent, while for housing finance companies (HFCs), the average is about 28 percent. The additional coronavirus-related provision carried by NBFCs is about 0.7 percent of the AUM, while for HFCs, it is about 0.2 percent. "The envisaged sharp increase in the stage-3 assets post moratorium window and weak economic indicators would warrant entities to further revise their expected credit loss models and increase provisions, thus impacting their earnings," Karthik said. The agency said the liquidity profile of non-banks has remained adequate to meet near-term requirements. While non-banks have extended moratoriums to its borrowers, not all lenders have extended a moratorium to the NBFCs, it said. The Reserve Bank of India's (RBI) moratorium is not applicable for market instruments such as non-convertible debentures (NCDs) and commercial papers (CPs), which account for about 35-40 percent of the outstanding borrowings. Capital market funding for NBFCs is expected to remain constrained in the near-to-medium term and is expected to find its way only to the large, better-rated and entities with strong parentage or group support, the report said. External commercial borrowings that supported the funding during 2019-20 are also expected to remain muted. At the current juncture, funding via the banking channel is the prime source, with the share of bank' direct lending increasing to about 31 percent in the overall non-bank borrowings in March 2020 from about 28 percent in March 2020, it said. The report said the extension of moratorium and expected pressures on asset quality would negatively impact loan sell-down volumes in the current fiscal. While the targeted funding initiatives of the RBI and the government are positive, sustained funding to these entities remain to be seen. The government's fully-guaranteed special liquidity scheme and a partial guarantee scheme for NBFCs are likely to see a subdued response as the tenor offered is quite short, the report said. On March 24, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had announced the waiver of charges for cash withdrawals from any other banks ATM and non-maintenance of minimum balance penalties in savings accounts till June 30. These measures were announced to ease the daily difficulties of people during the COVID-19 pandemic and the nationwide lockdown that followed. As India begins to gradually lift its lockdown, some of the relief measures announced earlier when the pandemic was taking root may now be slowly rolled back. These bank charges get restored from today, July 1. ATM transaction rules and charges Typically, banks allow a certain number of ATM transactions free and then start charging. Apart from withdrawing money at the ATM, you can also check your account balance, print a mini account statement, transfer money to another bank account, and so on. For instance, State Bank of India offers eight free ATM transactions in a month for savings account holders in metro cities. This includes five transactions from SBI ATMs and three transactions from any other banks ATM. Similarly, for non-metros, ten free ATM transactions are allowed for customers; this includes five from SBI ATMs and five transactions from any other bank ATMs. After exhausting the free ATM usage limit, a bank may charge Rs 20 plus goods and services tax (GST) for cash transactions. For non-cash transactions, Rs 8 plus GST will be charged. These charges will be in force, effective July 1. Charges for non-maintenance of minimum balance Penal charges for not maintaining a minimum balances in your savings bank account were waived off till June 30. In normal times, banks require their savings account customers to have a minimum balance in a month or a quarter. For non-maintenance of minimum balance in the account, banks levy fines from customers. The penalty charges vary from bank to bank, based on the degree of shortfall. For instance, in HDFC bank, the minimum balance you need to maintain in your account is Rs 10,000 in metro and urban branches; it is Rs 5,000 for semi-urban and rural branches. The penalty charges are calculated based on the extent of the shortfall. If the average minimum balance is between Rs 7500 and Rs 10000, the bank will charge Rs 150 plus taxes. Similarly, if the average minimum balance is between Rs 5000 and Rs 7500, the bank will levy a penalty of Rs 300 plus taxes; maintaining a balance of between Rs 2500 and Rs 4999, you will have to pay a penalty of Rs 450 plus taxes. If the balance is less than Rs 2500, Rs 600 plus taxes will be levied. How can you avoid penalties? Many salaried people hold multiple bank accounts as they change jobs or shift to new cities. In such cases, some banks convert these zero balance salary accounts into regular savings accounts after a couple of months, as there are no salary credits. So, you are expected to maintain a minimum average balance in those non-salary savings accounts. It is better to close any dormant accounts by approaching the bank through email or by calling the customer service. Make use of your internet banking facilities in these pandemic times. Visit the bank branch or ATM only if you must. Dev Ashish For a product that was launched for all citizens of India in 2009, the NPS All Citizens model has an AUM of just about Rs 14,000 crore (end-May 2020). This isnt a large figure compared to the size of many individual mutual fund schemes. And if you compare it with the overall NPS AUM of Rs 4.3 lakh crore (which is primarily made of government sector employees), its clear that NPS still isnt a popular choice among common people. NPS has a few features that make people avoid it. But some of those features are actually blessings in disguise. We will come these in a bit. But there is another reason for the low popularity of NPS. Low incentive for selling Given the low incentive structure for its sale, it is not a viable option for commission-driven product sellers and agents. And that is the reason NPS is still trying to find its feet among common citizens even after a decade. If it had a commission structure even remotely close to that of traditional insurance plans (or even mutual funds), agents would have been killing each other to sell NPS as the best thing that money can ever buy. And had it not been for the additional Rs 50,000 tax benefit offered under Section 80CCD (1B) exclusively for NPS subscribers, the product wouldnt have garnered even its current size. But lets come back to the product itself. If the low agent-push part is ignored, then a few features of NPS that many have problems with are: - Money locked in for a very long time (decades for someone starting early); - Large part of portfolio (minimum 40 per cent) to be mandatorily used for purchase annuity at maturity; and - The annuity pension income is taxable. And thats not all. NPS being a kind of hybrid equity + debt product, is unfairly compared to pure ones such as EPF (debt) and Equity funds (equity). Earlier, the NPS corpus at maturity wasnt fully tax-free. But now 60 per cent is available as a tax-free lump-sum payout. The remaining 40 per cent also isnt taxed but is used for annuity purchase that eventually gets taxed. So in a way, NPS is currently somewhere ahead of EET but not truly EEE. But to be fair, for most people, the taxable income during retirement is low. So, even if the annuity pension is taxed, chances are that the applicable tax rates will be very low or in many cases, nil. Most people dont realize this and use blanket arguments like annuity taxation is a showstopper. Annuity, not that taxing As an example, lets suppose a person accumulates Rs 1 crore in NPS. So, Rs 60 lakh is available tax-free. The remaining Rs 40 lakh is annuitized (say at 6-7 per cent). This would mean an annual income of about Rs 2.4-2.8 lakh. And if there are no other regular income streams, then this is tax-free given current taxation slabs. Its possible that person may have some money in PPF, FDs, etc. as well. But a well-structured withdrawal strategy from NPS and other products during retirement can reduce taxation to a bare minimum, if not to zero. Another reason people look away from NPS is that the compulsory annuitization takes away the flexibility as one is forced to put 40 per cent corpus in low-yielding annuity plans. And no doubt this is a pain point. But remember that NPS is the only product that gives importance to putting in place a predictable income stream in your retirement years. The rest of the products dont focus on this aspect. So, from a retirement corpus diversification perspective and the fact that annuity ensures a life-long pension for the investor, this is something that might be good for many who are not disciplined enough to generate a regular income from a large corpus. By the way, there are a few proposals in the works where the PFRDA is looking for better alternatives to the current 40 per cent annuity rule. As for the lack of liquidity, I think its a part of the deal and a good thing actually. NPS is a pure retirement product. Its not meant for anything else and hence, discourages premature withdrawal. You should never dip into your retirement savings for other goals. And ideally, if someone is doing goal-based investing, there wouldnt be a need to withdraw from NPS for other things. All said and done, NPS isnt that bad a product as it is made out to be at times. In fact, given its mandate of being a pure retirement product, it does a fairly decent job. Not everyone needs NPS if they are already contributing sufficiently in EPF, PPF, equity via mutual funds and other products suitable for retirement. But for many others, NPS can be used as part of overall retirement portfolio. NPS alone may not be enough for retirement. Before choosing it, its important to consider investors risk profile, requirements and other retirement saving products already being invested in. (The writer is the founder of StableInvestor.com) Priyanka Chopra has urged the global community to donate funds to help India, which she said is "bleeding" due to a brutal second wave of the coronavirus pandemic. Actor Priyanka Chopra Jonas has struck a two-year television deal with Amazon. The 37-year-old actor shared the news about her "multimillion-dollar" first look deal with the streamer in a post on Instagram. "So honoured and excited to finally share this news with you. Looking ahead, we already have so much on our slate! Big thank you to @jsalke and her team at Amazon for being such great partners, and for sharing in the belief that talent and good content knows no boundaries," Priyanka wrote. The actor, who launched her own production banner Purple Pebble Pictures in 2015, said she aims to create "great content" featuring "creative talent" from all over the world. "This has always been the DNA of my production house Purple Pebble Pictures, and is the foundation of this exciting new endeavour with Amazon. ?? "And as a storyteller, my quest is to constantly push myself to explore new ideas that not only entertain, but most importantly, open minds and perspectives," Priyanka said. She thanked her fans for being a "big part of my journey so far". "And for those who are just getting to know me, or maybe only recognise me as Alex Parrish from 'Quantico', I'm excited for you to get to know me better," Priyanka concluded. Priyanka, who started her Hollywood career with ABC series "Quantico", has featured in films such as "Baywatch" and "Isn't It Romantic". Amazon Studios head Jennifer Salke told Variety that she bonded with the actor over their "shared passion for diverse global storytelling". "Priyanka is drawn to exciting original content and characters that can resonate globally. She's a powerhouse producer, and we are thrilled to collaborate with her for years to come," she added. Prior to her deal with Amazon, the actor lined up two projects with the streamer. She will star opposite "Game of Thrones" actor Richard Madden in upcoming thriller series "Citadel", to be produced by Anthony and Joe Russo. The actor will also feature in "Sangeet", an unscripted series co-produced with her husband, Nick Jonas. Priyanka's another project with Amazon is a film about Ma Anand Sheela, the assistant to guru Bhagwan Rajneesh (also known as Osho). The actor will be producing the movie which is based on Netflix docu-series "Wild Wild Country". Besides her association with Amazon, the actor will next star in two Netflix projects -- superhero movie "We Can Be Heroes" and "The White Tiger", opposite Rajkummar Rao. She is currently shooting for Keanu Reeves-starrer "The Matrix 4", which recently resumed filming after production was halted by the pandemic. live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More State-owned SAIL on Wednesday said it has dispatched the first batch of special R 260 grade vanadium alloyed rails to meet the requirement of Indian Railways. The first consignment of R 260 has also been sent out through rake on June 30 from the company's Bhilai steel plant (BSP) in Chhattisgarh, Steel Authority of India Ltd (SAIL) said in a statement. "SAIL-BSP has successfully rolled Vanadium alloyed special grade rails, R 260 grade, for the Indian Railways and the first rake was flagged off on June 30, 2020 by Anirban Dasgupta, Director with additional charge of CEO, BSP." it said. The R 260 grade of rails is targeted to meet the requirements of Indian Railways for higher speed and higher axle load. Indian Railways is moving towards higher speed and axle load rails for which it required SAIL to produce R 260 grade and SAIL has started successfully producing the same. The high strength of more than 550 MPa (Mega Pascal) will enable the Railways to withstand more rigorous rail traffic and also achieve better life. The rails shall be supplied in the form of 260 meter long welded panels, it said. The new grade of rails rolled by SAIL-BSP is based on R 260 grade specifications issued by Indian Railways Research and Development wing (RDSO). R 260 grade specification issued by RDSO is more stringent than the European specifications on many parameters, including the hydrogen content of 1.6 ppm (max.) in steel as compared to 2.5 ppm (max.) specified in the European specification. SAIL/BSP has started producing the R 260 rails from its new and modern Universal Rail Mill in Chhattisgarh. SAIL Chairman Anil Kumar Chaudhary said, This Vanadium micro-alloyed steel would provide higher yield strength to rails. The new grade will not only ensure cleaner steel but will also provide better mechanical properties. Mitron, which competes with Chinese app TikTok, has finally been able to raise its first venture capital funding A CNBC-TV18 report said 3one4 Capital has invested in it. However, the amount of investment has not been disclosed. Representative Image live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More Luxury player The Oberoi Hotels and Resorts is working on an online food application that will be launched in the coming weeks. This is a first-ever such initiative by the Kolkata-headquartered EIH as it fights against closed properties awaiting orders of reopening from the government. Announcement of the plan comes just a few days after Tata Group-run rival Indian Hotels Company which runs the Taj chain of properties announced plans of launching of its own mobile application for food delivery. To be launched on July 25 the Qmin mobile app will offer food from eight restaurants including of Taj Golden Dragon and Souk from Taj Mahal Palace, Thai Pavilion from the President and Ming Yang from Taj Lands End. The launch will cover top ten markets in India including Delhi, Chennai, Bengaluru, over a period of five weeks. This comes on the back of room occupancies crippling to less than 20 percent and the average room rates declining during the lockdown period severely impacting revenues. Talking to analysts, Vikramjit Singh Oberoi, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, said, We started with home delivery of food at the Oberoi Bengaluru and we were surprised at the response we got. We extended that to most of our city hotels. We are in the process of creating an app that will allow us to do this on an on-going basis to generate revenue. The Oberoi Group runs 23 hotels in India across two brands Oberoi and Trident positioned in the luxury and premium categories. Baoshuan, the Oberoi New Delhi, Lapis, the Oberoi Bengaluru and Ziya, the Oberoi Mumbai are some of the popular restaurants that could go live on the mobile app platform. The Group is also looking to secure outdoor catering contracts for its flight kitchen business. If need be at a later date we need to partner with flight kitchen. For flight kitchen business we have been actively looking at outside catering such as institutional catering or catering for functions," Oberoi added. While Hyatt Hotels, ITC Hotels and Accor have partnered established online food delivery platforms like Swiggy and Zomato, Indias biggest hotel chain Marriott has started its own food delivery services called Marriott on Wheels. Marriott has also tied up with Swiggy and Zomato like its peers. A general manager from Westin Hyderabad said, Even before the lockdown hit us, Westin had already developed a strong clientele for its food. So at first we were serving customers with doorstep delivery of food ferried in cars belonging to the property. That model has worked very well and we are now aggressively pushing it ahead since the restaurant capacity has come down by half." Restaurants have been asked to follow social distancing norms ensuring a distance of six feet between two guests at a common table. This has forced hotel operators to rearrange the seating which has led to reduction in the holding capacity of the restaurant. Chinese companies may have made significant inroads into several sectors in India. Relatively unknown, however, has been their growing role in the Indian aviation industry. About 20 percent of the aircraft operated by Indian carriers have been leased from Chinese lessors, who have made their presence felt in less than a decade in a market that was otherwise dominated by leasing companies from Ireland and the US. Nearly all Indian airlines, including IndiGo, SpiceJet, GoAir, Vistara and AirAsia India have leased planes from Chinese players. Only national carrier Air India is not on the list. Moneycontrol collated the data, talking to industry executives who dipped into their databases. Of the 480 aircraft that are operated by Indian carriers, 96 are leased from Chinese lessors. In total, about 650 aircraft are currently operational in India. Apart from the commercial airlines, the rest of the planes belong to the 'general aviation' category, including charter service providers. "In the last few years some Chinese lessors have become quite competitive and as good as their older counterparts from Europe and the US," says Nitin Sarin, Managing Partner of Sarin & Co, which specialises in aviation law. "Chinese lessors have always been sought after, as their terms are cheaper and they are not so stickler for return conditions as compared to the well-established lessors," adds Sarin. Mark Martin, Founder of aviation advisory firm Martin Consulting, agrees. "Leasing companies from China have been accommodating. That is one reason why airlines from Africa, Eastern Europe and CIS countries now increasingly lease planes from these players. They are pocket-friendly," he says. With Indian low-cost carriers too looking to reduce their rental costs, it is not a surprise that they have also looked increasingly east, to expand their fleet. The Chinese lessors Who are these Chinese lessors? Not surprisingly, most of the Chinese leasing companies are either backed or owned by local banks, giving them easy access to capital. For instance, CDB Leasing Company, which has leased out 30 planes to Indian carriers, is majority-owned by China Development Bank. Similarly, Bank of China owns BOC Aviation, which has leased out 24 aircraft to Indian carriers. Other Chinese leasing companies active in India are - ICBC Leasing, China Aircraft Leasing Company Ltd, CMB Financial Leasing and Minsheng Financial Leasing. Overall, there are over 20 leasing companies from China. International reports point out that lessors from China have grown faster than their European and American counterparts, most noting the backing from Chinese banks. It has also helped that China has promoted Hong Kong as an alternative to Dublin, long seen as the leasing capital of the aviation world. Attractive tax incentives and a huge market in China, has now prompted even European and American lessors to set up base in Hong Kong. In India though, the absence of a home-grown lessor is glaring. In a 2018 report, advisory firm CAPA India notes that "there are no indigenous Indian lessors," despite 81 percent of aircraft operating in India being leased. "This compares with a leased aircraft share of 52 percent in Asia overall, and 53 percent globally," CAPA said in the report. The absence is particularly telling given Indian airlines have among the biggest order for aircraft, in the world. Indian carriers are expected to buy over 2,500 aircraft over 20 years. Taking inspiration from China Perhaps, it's time to bring the 'Aatmanirbhar' theme to the aircraft leasing industry in India. Interestingly, the Rupee Raftaar report released by the government in 2019, asks the local aviation industry to take inspiration from the Chinese counterpart! The report noted that nearly Rs 10,000 crore is spent yearly by Indian airlines in lease rentals. To ensure that business remains in India, the report suggests providing tax incentives to develop a domestic leasing industry. "At present," notes Sarin, "It's 48 percent more expensive to lease from India." Image: Twitter/@PypAyurved The AYUSH ministry on July 1 said Patanjali Ayurved will not be able to sell its medicine with claims of curing COVID-19. Patanjali had launched Coronil on June 24, and it was prepared under the guidance of yoga guru Baba Ramdev and Patanjali CEO Acharya Balkrishna. The company had unveiled the drug with claims that Coronil had cured COVID-19 patients, who participated in the trial, within a week. It said the trial was conducted at the privately-run National Institute of Medical Sciences in Jaipur. Meanwhile, Patanjali said in a statement on July 1 that it had shared its clinical trial documents on Coronil with the AYUSH ministry and 'now there is no difference of opinion between Ayush Ministry and Patanjali.' "As per the AYUSH ministry, Patanjali is allowed to manufacture and distribute its Divya Coronil Tablet, Divya Swasari Vati and Divya Anu Taila across India, as per the manufacturing licences granted by State Licencing Authority, Ayurvedic and Unani services, Govt of Uttarakhand," the release stated. While Uttarakhand's Ayurveda department said Patanjali was permitted to manufacture an immunity booster and not a cure for COVID-19, AYUSH Ministry in an email to the Uttarakhand Licencing Authority said the package must not mention 'cure of COVID-19', reported News18. COVID-19 Vaccine Frequently Asked Questions View more How does a vaccine work? A vaccine works by mimicking a natural infection. A vaccine not only induces immune response to protect people from any future COVID-19 infection, but also helps quickly build herd immunity to put an end to the pandemic. Herd immunity occurs when a sufficient percentage of a population becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. The good news is that SARS-CoV-2 virus has been fairly stable, which increases the viability of a vaccine. How many types of vaccines are there? There are broadly four types of vaccine one, a vaccine based on the whole virus (this could be either inactivated, or an attenuated [weakened] virus vaccine); two, a non-replicating viral vector vaccine that uses a benign virus as vector that carries the antigen of SARS-CoV; three, nucleic-acid vaccines that have genetic material like DNA and RNA of antigens like spike protein given to a person, helping human cells decode genetic material and produce the vaccine; and four, protein subunit vaccine wherein the recombinant proteins of SARS-COV-2 along with an adjuvant (booster) is given as a vaccine. What does it take to develop a vaccine of this kind? Vaccine development is a long, complex process. Unlike drugs that are given to people with a diseased, vaccines are given to healthy people and also vulnerable sections such as children, pregnant women and the elderly. So rigorous tests are compulsory. History says that the fastest time it took to develop a vaccine is five years, but it usually takes double or sometimes triple that time. View more Show It may be ensured that on the package and label displayed on the medicines (Divya Coronil Tablet and Divya Shwashari Vati), no claim for the cure of Covid-19 should be mentioned, said the drug policy section of the AYUSH ministry in an email to the Uttarakhand Licencing Authority. Track this blog for LIVE updates on the COVID-19 outbreak The email further said the advertisement and the publicity of the drugs should be ensured in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Drugs and Magic Remedies. Patanjali, in its reply, asserted that it had neither claimed to treat the COVID-19 nor had it printed any symbolic photograph of the virus on the label of the medicine. Upon inspection, our team found that Coronil label carries a symbolic photo of the virus. We have asked Patanjali to remove any graphic or such claim, said YS Rawat, state drug licence official. Balkrishna, too, on Tuesday said the company never claimed its medicine, Coronil, "can cure or control corona". "We never told the medicine (Coronil) can cure or control corona. We said we had made medicines and used them in a clinical trial which cured corona patients. There is no confusion in it," Balkrishna told news agency ANI. All the banned 59 apps with Chinese links, including short video sharing app TikTok, would be given a chance to submit their clarifications, reported The Hindu citing an official from the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology. On June 29, the central government banned 59 apps with Chinese links, including the hugely popular TikTok and UC Browser, for engaging in "activities which are prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India, security of state and public order". The ban also came in the backdrop of the current stand-off along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh with Chinese troops. However, the IT ministry would give the banned platforms a chance to submit their clarifications in line with provisions of the Information Technology (Procedure and Safeguards for Blocking of Access of Information by Public) Rules, 2009, said the report. Moneycontrol could not independently verify the report. Following the ban, TikTok has gone offline in the country. The app has also been removed from Google Play Store and Apple App Store. The app had 200 million users in India. In a statement, TikTok India Head Nikhil Gandhi said the company had not shared any information of its users in India with any foreign government, including the Chinese government, and that it placed the highest importance on user privacy and integrity. Meanwhile, China has voiced strong concern over the move. Reacting to India's ban of the Chinese apps at a Chinese Foreign Ministry briefing, spokesman Zhao Lijian said, "China has noted the press release issued by the Indian side with strong concern and is now verifying the situation." Also read | From Chingari to Roposo, here are five apps you can use as TikTok alternatives "I want to stress that the Chinese government always asks the Chinese businesses to abide by international rules, local laws and regulations in their business cooperation with foreign countries," he said. "The Indian government has the responsibility to uphold the legitimate and legal rights of the international investors including the Chinese ones, he added. File image: Indian Army soldiers guarding the border Pakistan has deployed 20,000 additional soldiers along the Line of Control (LoC) in occupied Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan, according to a report in The Economic Times. This Pakistani deployment of two divisions of troops matches Chinese deployments along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Ladakh. This deployment is also reportedly more than what Pakistan had after India conduct airstrikes in Balakot in February 2019. Gilgit-Baltistan adjoins Ladakh on the north. Pakistani radars are also believed to have been fully activated in the region, the report adds. The report also suggests that Chinese officials are holding talks with Pakistan-based terrorist outfit Al Badrs cadres to incite violence in Jammu and Kashmir. The moves suggest of collaboration between China and Pakistan at the border. Moneycontrol could not independently verify the report. Also read: Opinion | As India picks a side against China, geopolitics changes forever A build-up by Pakistan in Gilgit-Baltistan would mean additional responsibility for the Indian Army, besides having deployment of forces in eastern Ladakh to counter China. India has been monitoring movements at airbases in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) after a Chinese refueller aircraft reportedly landed in Skardu. This comes on the back of escalating tensions along the LAC between India and China. File image of Mumbai's Marine Drive In view of the COVID-19 pandemic, Mumbai's Deputy Police Commissioner Pranaya Ashok, on July 1, issued prohibitory orders in the city under Section 144. The order prohibits presence or movement of one or more persons in public places or gathering of any sort anywhere, including religious places subject to certain conditions. It will remain in place till July 15. According to the order, all movements of one or more persons in areas designated as "Containment Zones" by the municipal authorities has been prohibited, except for essential activities, supply of essential goods and medical emergencies. Follow our LIVE blog for the latest updates of the novel coronavirus pandemic Further, movement has been prohibited between 9.00 pm and 5.00 am, except for medical emergencies, emergency services, government agencies and their officials on duty, and establishments providing essential services. 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 However, movement of persons for non-essential activities such as shops, markets, barber shops, spas and outdoor physical activities, among others, shall be permitted within "nearby/neighbourhood areas" only, the order reads. Long distance travel for non-essential purpose will not be permitted. (This is a developing story. Please check back for more details) Administrative procedure reform is the key to unlocking the full potential of the Europe-Viet Nam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA), said participants at a conference on Tuesday. The European Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam (EuroCham) and the Prime Ministers Advisory Council for Administrative Procedure Reform held the conference in Ha Noi to discuss administrative reform ahead of the implementation of the EVFTA. The dialogue, themed 'Administrative Reform: A Key Role in EVFTA Implementation', gathered business leaders, Government officials and members of the diplomatic corps to discuss how administrative reform can help to unlock the full potential of the EVFTA, which is set to enter into force on August 1. The event also featured the launch of EuroChams 12th Whitebook publication. The Whitebook is EuroChams annual report, where the chambers 17 Sector Committees raise issues most important to their business operations and highlight actions the Government could take to improve the business environment and increase trade and investment with the EU. With the EU-Viet Nam Free Trade Agreement entering into force in August, it is essential that business and Government work together to ensure its smooth and successful implementation, said EuroCham Chairman Nicolas Audier. One of the most critical factors will be accelerating Viet Nams positive progress in administrative reform, streamlining business conditions, strengthening the business environment, and modernising the legal framework. That is why EuroCham publishes the Whitebook, now in its 12th edition. Our members share the goal of the Government to attract more foreign direct investment. In this time of COVID-19, with economies around the world struggling with the impact of the pandemic, Viet Nam now has a once-in-a-generation chance to capitalise on the EVFTA and attract more FDI from European enterprises looking for an open, competitive, and business-friendly market. "If the Government takes on board the recommendations in our Whitebook, I am confident that we will see even more European companies investing in Viet Nam in the future, said Audier. This is the third time that the Prime Ministers Advisory Council for Administrative Procedure Reform has held a dialogue with the European business community. The dialogue has become an annual activity of the Council and EuroCham in Viet Nam recently, said Mai Tien Dung, Minister and Chairman of the Government Office. Dung welcomed EuroCham's efforts in the publication of the 2020 Whitebook. With solid foundation after 30 years of diplomatic relations, the soon implementation of the EVFTA will create stable and long-term frameworks to maximise co-operation potential, creating a new impetus to strongly promote and deepen economic-trade-investment relations between Viet Nam and the EU. The COVID-19 pandemic has negatively affected all socio-economic aspects. However, Viet Nam has basically contained the disease, maintained the macroeconomy, resumed business activities and brought life to a 'new normal' state, determined to realise its dual goal, which is combating the pandemic and at the same time revitalising the economy, Dung said. Although the economic growth forecast for Viet Nam this year is only from 2.7-4.9 per cent, international organisations still highly value Viet Nams efforts in achieving positive growth and minimising the impacts of the pandemic. The Prime Minister has directed the implementation of solutions to remove difficulties for production and business, ensure food security, promote disbursement of public investment and ensure social security as well as boost administrative procedure reform. From the beginning of its tenure in 2016, the Government has reduced and simplified 3,893 out of 6,191 business conditions, cut 6,776 out of 9,926 categories of goods and products subject to specialised inspections and 30 out of 120 administrative procedures for specialised inspection. The total social saving was estimated at 18 million working days per year, equivalent to more than VN6.3 trillion per year (US$270 million). A portal called 'The National Public Service Portal' has been in operation for nearly six months with 725 online public services launched, up by 90 times compared to its inception and three times against three months ago, Dung said. Dung proposed European enterprises frankly share the difficulties they are facing and encouraged them to deliver recommendations for regulatory, policy, and administrative procedure reforms. At the conference, participants discussed a wide range of issues including the EVFTA, access to innovative pharmaceuticals and a predictable and consistent legal environment for investment, medical device machine installation in hospitals, goods labelling requirements, food safety inspection registration certificates, and tax tariffs applied to functional foods; E-Commerce, certificate of Free Sale, the registration process for anti-bacteria products and the management of e-commerce platforms. VNS SUPPORT THIS INDEPENDENT JOURNALISM The article youre about to read is from our reporters doing their important work investigating, researching, and writing their stories. We want to provide informative and inspirational stories that connect you to the people, issues and opportunities within our community. Journalism takes a lot of resources. Today, our business model has been interrupted by the pandemic; the vast majority of our advertisers businesses have been impacted. Thats why the Weekly is now turning to you for financial support. Learn more about our new Insiders program here. Thank you. JOIN NOW India has recorded 5,66,840 cases of the novel coronavirus and 16,893 deaths, according to the Union Health Ministry's latest update. Of these, 2,15,125 are active cases while 3,34,822 have recovered. Maharashtra continues to report the highest number of infections, followed by Tamil Nadu, Delhi and Gujarat. Globally, more than 1.02 crore infections and over 5.04 lakh deaths have been reported due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Here are all the latest updates: COVID-19 Vaccine Frequently Asked Questions View more How does a vaccine work? A vaccine works by mimicking a natural infection. A vaccine not only induces immune response to protect people from any future COVID-19 infection, but also helps quickly build herd immunity to put an end to the pandemic. Herd immunity occurs when a sufficient percentage of a population becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. The good news is that SARS-CoV-2 virus has been fairly stable, which increases the viability of a vaccine. How many types of vaccines are there? There are broadly four types of vaccine one, a vaccine based on the whole virus (this could be either inactivated, or an attenuated [weakened] virus vaccine); two, a non-replicating viral vector vaccine that uses a benign virus as vector that carries the antigen of SARS-CoV; three, nucleic-acid vaccines that have genetic material like DNA and RNA of antigens like spike protein given to a person, helping human cells decode genetic material and produce the vaccine; and four, protein subunit vaccine wherein the recombinant proteins of SARS-COV-2 along with an adjuvant (booster) is given as a vaccine. What does it take to develop a vaccine of this kind? Vaccine development is a long, complex process. Unlike drugs that are given to people with a diseased, vaccines are given to healthy people and also vulnerable sections such as children, pregnant women and the elderly. So rigorous tests are compulsory. History says that the fastest time it took to develop a vaccine is five years, but it usually takes double or sometimes triple that time. View more Show >> In his sixth address to the nation since the beginning of the coronavirus epidemic in India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi stressed on the importance of wearing a mask and said that carelessness on part of people after Unlock 1.0 is a cause of concern. He also announced extension of the Garib Kalyan Yojana. >> India's first indigenous COVID-19 vaccine COVAXIN got the nod for human clinical trials from the Drug Controller General of India (DGCI). The drug has been developed by Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech. >> The Health Ministry said that the recovery rate of COVID-19 patients is reaching 60 percent now. >> The International Monetary Fund (IMF) said that continued spread of the COVID-19 pandemic as the health crisis has not yet been contained and that it poses a risk to Indian economy. >> The output of eight core infrastructure industries shrank by 23.4 percent in May due to the lockdown, official data quoted by news agency PTI said. >> Johnson & Johnson said it is preparing the ground for the entry of a vaccine against COVID-19 and is expanding its manufacturing capacity to supply more than one billion doses through 2021. >> The historic Jama Masjid will reopen for congregational prayers (namaz) from July 4, Shahi Imam of the mosque Syed Ahmed Bukhari said. >> Some members of superstar Aamir Khan's staff tested positive for COVID-19. New orders issued by different arms of the Union Health Ministry on plasma therapy for treatment of COVID-19 patients are sending contradictory signals. According to a report in The Hindu BusinessLine, the latest guidelines issued by the National Blood Transfusion Council (NBTC) states that the use of convalescent plasma for routine treatment of COVID-19 patients is currently not recommended. This is in contradiction to the Union Health Ministrys clinical management protocol, issued on June 27, which says that off-label use of convalescent plasma may be considered in patients with moderate disease who are not improving despite use of steroids. Off-label refers to use of an unapproved drug or treatment of a disease or a medical condition. The protocol suggests that these patients be transfused with a single dose of 200 ml slowly over not less than two hours. COVID-19 Vaccine Frequently Asked Questions View more How does a vaccine work? A vaccine works by mimicking a natural infection. A vaccine not only induces immune response to protect people from any future COVID-19 infection, but also helps quickly build herd immunity to put an end to the pandemic. Herd immunity occurs when a sufficient percentage of a population becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. The good news is that SARS-CoV-2 virus has been fairly stable, which increases the viability of a vaccine. How many types of vaccines are there? There are broadly four types of vaccine one, a vaccine based on the whole virus (this could be either inactivated, or an attenuated [weakened] virus vaccine); two, a non-replicating viral vector vaccine that uses a benign virus as vector that carries the antigen of SARS-CoV; three, nucleic-acid vaccines that have genetic material like DNA and RNA of antigens like spike protein given to a person, helping human cells decode genetic material and produce the vaccine; and four, protein subunit vaccine wherein the recombinant proteins of SARS-COV-2 along with an adjuvant (booster) is given as a vaccine. What does it take to develop a vaccine of this kind? Vaccine development is a long, complex process. Unlike drugs that are given to people with a diseased, vaccines are given to healthy people and also vulnerable sections such as children, pregnant women and the elderly. So rigorous tests are compulsory. History says that the fastest time it took to develop a vaccine is five years, but it usually takes double or sometimes triple that time. View more Show Follow our LIVE blog for the latest updates of the novel coronavirus pandemic The therapy involves transfusing plasma from patients who have recovered from COVID-19 into active cases so that the latter may benefit from the possible antibodies generated in the blood of those who have already recovered. In theory, this should help patents recover after transfusion. The Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR)s study on plasma therapy is still going on. On June 29, Maharashtra government announced Project Platina, a plasma therapy trial on COVID-19 patients. The trial is being pegged as the world's largest. As many as 21 centres have been picked for the trial, including 17 medical colleges under the Medical Education & Drugs Department (MEDD), and four medical colleges in Mumbai under the municipal corporation. On the same day, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal announced setting up a 'plasma bank' in the national capital to help save seriously-ill COVID-19 patients. Kejriwal also urged those who had been cured of COVID-19 to donate their plasma. Representative Image Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Weibo account in China went blank on July 1, days after the Indian government's ban on 59 Chinese apps. The prime minister's photos, comments and posts were removed from the handle, according to a report by Hindustan Times. The development also comes 10 days after three official statements, including one from the prime minister, were deleted from the Indian embassy's official account on WeChat. Both WeChat and Weibo are Chinese social media enterprises. PM Modi's Weibo account was set up in 2015 before his first official visit to China as the prime minister. This move on India's part comes amid heightened tensions between India and China over the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and the violent face-off between the two countries in Ladakh's Galwan Valley region. India's Information and Technology Ministry had said that it had received many complaints from various sources including several reports about misuse of some mobile apps available on Android and iOS platforms for stealing and surreptitiously transmitting users data in an unauthorized manner to servers which have locations outside India. As a result, India banned 59 Chinese apps including popular ones such as TikTok, SHAREit, Weibo, among others. The Ministry of Information Technology issued a statement saying, these apps are engaged in activities which are "prejudicial to the sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India, security of state and public order. live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More Fabindia, a premium clothing brand known for its traditional wear today appointed Aditya Ghosh on the companys board of directors, Fab India said in a press release. He will be guiding the management teams with strategy and new initiatives In a press release Fabindia stated that post COVID period will bring about transformational change in consumer behaviour and brands with purpose, sustainability initiatives and earth-friendly commerce will become increasingly important and Ghoshs appointment will help in strategy and growth. Ghosh said, "I am looking forward to engaging with a sense of purpose where we continue to build on the tremendous trust that the Fabindia family of brands enjoy and create a socially conscious business that makes a deep positive impact towards a healthier and more equal planet." Ghosh has over 22 years of experience serving multiple roles. He was the CEO and Board of IndiGo, OYO Hotels & Homes. He also sits on the Board of Directors of Nani Palkhivala Arbitration Centre. Ghosh is also one of the Founders of The Ashoka University and Member Circle of Sponsors where he is actively involved in leading the service excellence aspect. He is also the Member of the Board of Advisors at Centre for Creative Leadership. Ghosh practised law at J. Sagar Associates and then as the General Counsel at InterGlobe Enterprises. With 327 stores across 118 cities in India and 14 international stores, Fabindia Overseas Private Limited is a retail platform for a wide range of products produced by artisans living largely in rural areas. The Karnataka government on Tuesday issued show-cause notices to 9 private hospitals for allegedly refusing to admit a patient with COVID-19 symptoms. The 52-year-old patient reportedly died later. "The patient succumbed due to denial of admission by 18 private hospitals. The patient's son and nephew took him to these hospitals after observing some symptoms. However, none of these hospitals admitted the patients under the pretext of unavailability of beds/ventilators," said the notice issued by the Commissioner of health and family welfare services. Track this blog for LIVE updates on the COVID-19 outbreak "By denying the admission to the deceased patient, you are liable for legal action. You are required to reply to the show cause (notice) within 24 hours as to why action should not be initiated against you under the provisions of KMPE and State Disaster Management Act," the notice, addressed to the heads of nine private hospitals in Bengaluru, read. The nine private hospitals are Fortis - Cunningham Road, Mahaveer Jain Hospital - Vasanth Nagar, Suguna Hospital - Rajajinagar, Manipal Hospital and Brindavan Hospital - Chamarajpet, Rangadorai Hospital - Chamarajpet, Vikram Hospital, Sakra Hospital and Bowring Hospital. 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 Denying treatment to a COVID patient amounts to the violation of Karnataka Private Medical Establishment Act, 2017 (KPME). Karnataka breached the 15,000-mark on June 30, with the state reporting 947 new cases and 20 related fatalities, taking the death toll to 246, the health department said. live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More Engineering and construction giant Larsen & Toubro on Tuesday said it has achieved a major milestone under 'Make in India' initiative by building a cryostat for $20 billion global fusion project. The final assembly or top lid sectors of the cryostat, a key part of the world's largest nuclear fusion reactor being built in France, were dispatched on Tuesday from the company's Hazira manufacturing complex in Surat district in Gujarat. Larsen & Toubro (L&T) in 2012 chosen by ITER-India to manufacture and install cryostat - a vacuum pressure vessel made of 3,850 tonnes of stainless steel. L&T Group Chairman A M Naik termed it a "moment of pride for India and Larsen & Toubro". "The heavy engineering arm of L&T, India's leading engineering, construction, technology, manufacturing and financial services conglomerate, has flagged-off the most complex and final assembly of cryostat, the largest stainless-steel, high-vacuum pressure chamber in the world. "This is an important milestone in the global nuclear fusion arena as well as a moment of pride for the Make in India initiative," the company said in a statement. The cryostat assembly weighing 650 tonne is to be installed with other cryostat segments for ITER (International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor) in a reactor pit in southern France. L&T has already delivered the base section, the lower cylinder and the upper cylinder for the cryostat. The cryostat's function is to provide cooling to the fusion reactor and to keep very high temperatures at its core under control. A virtual flag-off ceremony of the final assembly was held at the company's Hazira manufacturing complex. Dr Bernard Bigot, Director-General, ITER Global, KN Vyas, Chairman Atomic Energy Commission, India, UK Baruah, Project Director, ITER-India, V K Saraswat, Member, NITI Aayog, A M Naik, Group Chairman L&T and SN Subrahmanyan, CEO & MD, L&T, joined the ceremony virtually. Naik said: "It is a moment of pride for India and for L&T in particular -- as we have gathered to flag-off the last section of the Cryostat Vessel for the most ambitious clean energy project limitless carbon free energy that will power the future. L&T has always been proud of this global collaborative research to build a greener planet." Subrahmanyan the company has used innovative and digital manufacturing techniques to ensure uninterrupted supply of high-precision assemblies to ITER. "This will further pave a way for the installation of cryostat at the project site in France and eventually lead to the demonstration of largescale feasibility of fusion power. It has empowered India to tread towards Atma Nirbhar Bharat by acquiring knowledge in this highly specialised field of science and technology, Subrahmanyan added. Anil V Parab, Executive Vice President and Head, L&T Heavy Engineering told PTI that ITER is a $20 billion project and India is contributing 9 percent of the project component. "With the supply of the Top Lid sector, we have successfully completed our India scope of the project ahead of the schedule. The fabrication of these components has been an engineering marvel both in terms of its massive size and its stringent quality standards. The project scope for L&T Heavy Engineering is divided into three aspects, the company said. L&T's Heavy Engineering business won this prestigious contract from ITER India, a wing of Department of Atomic Energy, for the ambitious mega scientific project, conducted in collaboration of seven elite countries, including India, and with a project outlay of around $20 billion. India's ban on 59 Chinese apps, including the popular TikTok, has been widely noted in the US, including by some prominent lawmakers, who have urged the American government to follow suit as it is believed that the short video-sharing app is a major security risk to the country. India on Monday banned 59 apps with Chinese links, including TikTok and UC Browser, saying they were prejudicial to sovereignty, integrity and security of the country. The ban, which comes in the backdrop of India's current stand-off along the Line of Actual control in Ladakh with Chinese troops, is also applicable for WeChat and Bigo Live. India bans TikTok and dozens of other Chinese apps in the wake of deadly clash, powerful Republican Senator John Cornyn said in a tweet as he tagged a news report in The Washington Post. Republican Congressman Rick Crawford tweeted that TikTok must go and it should have been gone yesterday. Last week, US National Security Advisor, Robert O'Brien had alleged that the Chinese Government is using TikTok for its own purposes. On TikTok, a Chinese-owned social media platform with over 40 million American users, probably a lot of your kids, and younger colleagues, accounts criticising the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) and Beijing's policies are routinely removed or deleted, O'Brien said in his public remarks. At least two bills are pending in the US Congress to ban federal government officials from using TikTok on their cell phones, reflecting such a sentiment can gain momentum in the US after India's decision. Would that be the same Chinese TikTok that was used to tank attendance at the Tulsa Rally? tweeted Peter Navarro, Assistant to the US President for Trade and Manufacturing Policy, as he tagged a news report from The New York Times on India's decision to ban these Chinese social media apps. Fox News anchor Laura Ingraham urged the US to do the same. LEADING THE WAY, WHERE'S THE U.S.? India bans dozens of Chinese apps including TikTok she said in a tweet. Author Gordon Chang said that India just banned 59 Chinese apps, including TikTok. Why can't the US do the same? he asked. According to Forbes, with the release of the new clipboard warning in the beta version of iOS 14, now with developers, TikTok seems to have been caught abusing the clipboard in a quite extraordinary way. So it seems that TikTok didn't stop this invasive practice back in April as promised after all, it said. An amendment moved to the Moving Forward Act in the US House of Representatives being debated this week prohibits officers of Transportation Security Administration (TSA) using the TikTok cellphone app. Republican Senator Joshua David Hawley, introduced a legislation in April prohibiting federal employees from using the social media video application TikTok on government-issued devices. "This is a necessary step to protect the security of the US, he said. A similar legislation has been introduced in the House of Representatives by Congressman Ken Buck. It (TikTok) is owned by a Chinese company that includes Chinese Community Party members in leadership and it is required under Chinese law to share user data with Beijing, said Senator Hawley, Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Terrorism, during a recent Congressional hearing. TikTok has admitted that it has sent user data to China. To put it bluntly, this is a major security risk for the American people, Hawley said. What kind of data is TikTok collecting as it runs on our phones? A heck of a lot more than you would think. Images, of course, that users post. But TikTok also collects information about the messages that you send, about the apps that you use--the other apps on your phone, he said. It collects the sites that you visit. It collects your search history. It collects your keystrokes. It collects your location data. It stores all of this and maybe lots, lots more. And I can tell you, as the father of two small children who already have many of their friends on social media even though they're quite young, I find this absolutely horrifying. And we know that it's a national security risk, Howley said. According to Clyde Wallace, deputy assistant director of the Cyber Division at the FBI, where he oversees Cyber Division Operations and the National Cyber Investigative Joint Task Force, TikTok is one example of an application that the average citizen doesn't understand the implications of what's behind it and what data can flow from an application like that's basically controlled by a state sponsored actor. I think that lends into the bigger threat that China poses today in that it's a holistic society approach to the United States. It's not just the TikTok application. It's the data warehouses that store that data. Whether they be here in the United States, owned by the Chinese, or within the Chinese borders themselves where that information is stored, Wallace said. In a statement on Tuesday, TikTok India Head Nikhil Gandhi said the company, which has some 200 million subscribers in India, has not shared any information of its users in India with any foreign government, including the Chinese government, and that it places the highest importance on user privacy and integrity. The list of Chinese apps that have been banned by India also include Helo, Likee, CamScanner, Vigo Video, Mi Video Call - Xiaomi, Clash of Kings as well as e-commerce platforms Club Factory and Shein. - A recent study on two subspecies of the water monitor in the Andaman and Nicobar islands reveal theres so much more to learn about these large lizards in the country.- India is home to four Varanus species. Basic ecological and behavioural information on these large reptiles are lacking and very few scientists study varanids.- Varanids are routinely captured for meat and body parts often sold to quell superstitious beliefs. The animals could be allies for farmers and are an important part of an ecosystem. ------------------------------------------------- It was October 2013. Armed with special permission, researcher Dinal Samarasinghe was peering at preserved animal specimens at Kolkatas Zoological Survey of India. While the ZSI is a repository of thousands of specimens collected from across India, Samarasinghes interests lay in a single species of lizard which is a close relative of the well-known Komodo dragon: the Asian water monitor, Varanus salvator. This large semi-aquatic lizard is found across south and southeast Asia, including India and the Andaman and Nicobar islands. The latter are home to two sub-species of water monitor: the Andaman monitor, which dwells only in the Andaman islands, and the Southeast Asian water monitor (Varanus salvator macromaculatus, which you can spot in east and northeast India, the Nicobar islands and several southeastern countries including Myanmar and Indonesia). Samarasinghe wanted to learn more about the physical appearances of the Andaman water monitor to better understand its taxonomy, the physical features that made it a different sub-species. Thats when he came across an Andaman monitor specimen from Great Nicobar, a region where they had not yet been reported from. This prompted us to look closely at the present distribution of water monitor subspecies throughout the Andaman and Nicobar islands, wrote Samarasinghe who is with Sri Lankas Wildlife Research and Nature Conservation Foundation, in an email to Mongabay-India. Apart from examining ZSI specimens in detail, Samarasinghe and his colleagues also conducted field observations of water monitors in the archipelago. Their results, published this February in Zootaxa, show that the Andaman water monitor is found in not only in the Andaman islands, but also in the southern Nicobar islands. The central and northern Nicobar islands meanwhile, are home to only the southeast Asian water monitor. While the study piques interest in why the two sub-species partition themselves so distinctly in the archipelago, it also shows that there is still much we are yet to learn about Indias dragons, monitor lizards belonging to the family Varanidae. India is home to four species of Varanus lizards: the Bengal monitor lizard (Varanus benghalensis), desert monitor (Varanus griseus), yellow monitor (Varanus flavescens) and water monitor (Varanus salvator). Growing to lengths of about two metres, the water monitor is one of the largest reptiles in the world while its terrestrial cousin the Bengal monitor (which can easily clamber up trees too in search of birds nests) can also reach a length of around 1.75 metres. Several sub-species such as the Andaman and southeast Asian water monitors in the Andaman and Nicobar archipelago alone also exist. According to herpetologist Varad Giri, theres a lot to learn from exploring varanid taxonomy. The Bengal monitor, for instance, is seen in many parts of India from deserts to wet evergreen patches and it would be worth checking to see if they were all the same, he added. The focus would need to be on sampling across known localities, proper sample collection for DNA, addressing any known synonymies by visiting respective type localities, studies of museum specimens and sorting of varanid taxonomy, he commented. Biologists including famed herpetologist Walter Auffenberg studied some aspects of varanid behaviour (including feeding and combat behaviour in the Bengal monitor), but there still exist gaps in information on both varanid behaviour and ecology in India. All four lizards are listed under Schedule I of Indias Wildlife Protection Act (which makes capturing or poaching these species illegal), but this also complicates the process of studying them, opine some. Mega mammal myopia is also a problem that is making us miss studying important species such as monitor lizards, said scientist Jayaditya Purkayastha, Help Earth (Guwahati). The last time the IUCN Red List evaluated Bengal monitors was in 2009; research is the first component of conservation action and that is missing in the case of Indias varanids, he added. Monitor lizards are common but we have very little knowledge about their behaviour and natural history, wrote Giri, Director, NIDUS and Foundation for Biodiversity Conservation. They are among one of the few lizards that are good burrowers, amazing climbers and agile swimmers; coupled with their size these animals make efficient predators, he added. Juveniles are strikingly different from adults and we dont know why this ontogenetic colour change exists, he wrote. What we also dont have information on are ecological or population-level data on Indias varanids that reflect current landuse changes, said Abhijit Das, scientist at the Wildlife Institute of India (WII), whose team is currently studying varanids. But despite the lack of studies, some threats these reptiles face are glaringly obvious. Poaching is a huge worry in many countries where varanids are found. In India too, monitors are hunted for meat, fat and skin; many of these products are used in traditional medicine. The animals hemipenes, or male copulatory organs, are also being traded (even in online markets). Unfortunately for varanids, their sex organs resemble the root of a rare central Indian plant Martynia anna (hatha jodi in Hindi) used in tantric Hindu worship and believed to bring good luck. When scientists including Dr Sandeep Gupta of the WIIs Wildlife Forensic and Conservation Genetics Cell analysed the DNA of seven samples of hatha jodi procured online (all claimed to be sourced from plant root), they found that all except two samples (which turned out to be plastic) were Bengal monitor hemipenes. Over the last three years alone, at least 300 samples of hemipenes came to WII for identification, said Gupta. This poaching is also why Dass team is using genetic methods to identify confiscated varanid body parts at the WII and developing a key for state Forest Departments to identify them in field. Studying varanid population genetics too is on the cards. Though they have not been documented yet local extinctions are also a concern, said Gerard Martin, founder of the Gerry Martin Project that works on reptile research and awareness. Monitors were once common around many parts of Karnataka including Bengaluru, Mysore and Hunsur, and were used for meat, skin and oil, he said. They are now never seen. These landscapes have also changed in the last two to three decades, he wrote in an email to Mongabay-India. Either urbanisation or intensive farming, where rocky outcrops, wide hedges and other microhabitats that monitor lizards used to use, have now been removed to make more room for crops. Water monitors have taken a massive beating from hunting for meat in many places. The Andaman and Nicobar Islands should have these lizards hanging out everywhere, but, they are not often seen; when they are spotted, they make a hasty get away, symptomatic of hunting. Remove hunting, and monitor lizards can be very common in agricultural landscapes, said Martin. They are safe to humans, effective rodent and snake hunters and an integral part of a balanced ecosystem. Representative image The West Bengal government urged the Centre to not schedule any flight from high prevalence cities like Delhi, Mumbai and Pune to the state for two weeks amid rise in the number of COVID-19 cases. In a letter to Civil Aviation Secretary P S Kharola, West Bengal Chief Secretary Rajiva Sinha requested him to stop the movement of flights from eight cities to Kolkata or Bagdogra for two weeks starting July 6. "West Bengal is also witnessing a steep rise in cases. A large number of cases has been reported from people coming (to) the state from outside with infection. The government of West Bengal has decided to stop or curtail movement of incoming flights and trains into the state. "Accordingly, I approach you with a request kindly not to schedule any flight to West Bengal from high prevalence places like Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur, Chennai, Indore, Ahmedabad and Surat and stop movements of flights from these cities to Kolkata or Bagdogra for two weeks starting July 6," Sinha wrote in the letter. Sinha also requested the aviation secretary to limit the number of flights to Kolkata, Bagdogra and Andal from other cities to a frequency of once a week for each airline from July 6 to 31. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had on Monday said that her government would urge the Centre to limit domestic flights to the state to just one day a week, as the number of infections went up once people from outside started returning to West Bengal. The chief secretary made a request to the Union government to temporarily stop trains to West Bengal from places having high incidence of COVID-19 cases so that the spread of the virus can be arrested, she had said. West Bengal on Tuesday registered its highest single-day spike of 652 COVID-19 cases, which pushed the total tally in the state to 18,559, the health department said. TikTok CEO Kevin Mayer has written a letter addressing the Indian employees of the Chinese online video sharing platform TikTok, which was recently banned by the government over security concerns. In a post titled A message to our employees in India, he said on July 1: Our platform has encountered an unfortunate challenge in India. However, we stay resolved and committed to our mission, and are working with stakeholders to address their concerns. TikTok continues to comply with all data privacy and security requirements under Indian law and places the highest importance on user privacy and integrity. He added: Since 2018, we have worked hard to ensure that over 200 million users in India are able to express their joy and creativity. Our daily audience of millions of users in India have come to rely on the joy and inspiration that TikTok provides every day in a unique and democratized environment. Also Read | Chinese apps, including TikTok, banned: These are the most popular on Google Play Store To alleviate the job security concerns of TikTok India employees, Mayer, who is also the COO of ByteDance, TikTok's parent company, said: Our employees are our biggest strength, and their well-being is our topmost priority. We have also assured more than 2,000 strong workforce that we will do everything in our power to restore the positive experiences and opportunities that they can be proud of. TikTok was among the 59 Chinese apps which were banned by the Indian government on June 29, Monday. The long list of discontinued apps include popular titles such as Shareit, CamScanner, Club Factory, UVideo, Helo, UCBrowser, Xender, Shein, WeChat, among others. The move came as the IT Ministry said that it had "received many complaints from various sources, including several reports about misuse of some mobile apps for stealing and surreptitiously transmitting users data in an unauthorised manner to servers located outside India." The listed apps "are engaged in activities which is prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India, security of state and public order," MeitY said in a statement. Renita Dsouza Prime Minister Narendra Modis response to the economic adversities confronting the Indian economy due to the COVID-19 crisis has been the 'Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan'. Is the PMs call for a self-reliant India to be myopically interpreted as import substitution or does this call respect the profoundness of the very concept of a self-reliant economy? The monetary package underlying the Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan inclines one to, at least prima facie, believe that the latter is true. This article takes a deeper dive into whether this is indeed the case. First and foremost, making an economy self-reliant must at best refer to a medium-term horizon if not the longer term. It surely is not something that can be achieved in the short run. Farmers are one of the pillars of an economy. The economic health of a farmer matters significantly to whether an economy can be regarded as self-reliant. The greater ambition for a self-reliant economy is to transform the farmer into an agripreneur. Indias farmers are bound by the shackles of low productivity, low incomes, lack of access to institutional credit, indebtedness etc. They are reeling under the burden of a fragmented agricultural marketing ecosystem and climatic uncertainties and vagaries of nature. A self-reliant farmer is fundamental to the vision of a self-reliant India. Has the Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan spoken to these concerns? Agriculture For the longest time, the measures of financial inclusion and access to institutional credit were redundant for the farmer given low productivity and low incomes. From the perspective of low incomes, the three major agricultural market reforms announced by the government under the Abhiyan has ended a longstanding wait. The first of these reforms includes the provision of INR one trillion as Agri Infrastructure Fund to bridge the gaps along the agricultural value chains. The second reform pertains to the elimination of the Essential Commodities Act and the third being the introduction of a new legislation that will empower farmers to sell their produce at remunerative prices by eliminating inter-state barriers to trade and articulating a framework for e-trading of agricultural produce. The question of low productivity still glares into the face of the small and marginal landholders, which constitute the majority of the farming community in India. We need bold, out of the box reforms that can ensure access of farmers to technology that can reduce natural or climatic vagaries that will determine their crop producing capacity. Loans can then be aligned to the repayment capacity of the farmer based on the estimation of crop production. Such measures will reduce the probability of debt, making loan waivers irrelevant. In the view of this author, loan waivers cannot be accommodated in the vocabulary of self-reliance of farmers. They can be at best perceived as crutches, which the farmers need to eventually abandon. Employment A nation cannot aspire to be self-reliant with a large portion of the working-class population being unemployed. Informal employment cannot be the answer to the question of unemployment. The Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan does involve a conversation about fast-tracking investments and measures to promote investment in the country, schemes to boost manufacturing, upgrading and augmenting industrial infrastructure, initiatives for improving the quotient of Ease of Doing Business and so on. In envisioning an Atmanirbhar Bharat during his address at the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), PM Modi alluded to the concerns of high logistics cost and R&D expenditure as well. The moot question remains as to how does this translate into reality; and does this reality have space for not just employment, but formal gainful employment? There is no strategy outlined for the formalisation of the economy unless it is being tacitly assumed by these measures. Over 90 percent of the Indian workforce operates in the informal sector. It means irregular and uncertain earnings, lack of job and social security, and lack of appropriate working conditions. The reality of an Atmanirbhar Bharat cannot coincide with such a large informal sector. The recent Covid-19 crisis has exposed the vulnerabilities of the informal workers. The Covid-19 pandemic has left them in the lurch without food, income and in several cases, even shelter. The picture that is painted contradicts the tenet of self-reliance. Nevertheless, the Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan falls short of announcing a consolidated, comprehensive set of measures for social protection apart from some isolated initiatives like affordable social rental housing which appear to be too little too late. Social protection in Atmanirbharta has to be the last resort. When an unexpected shock hits an economic agent, (s)he falls back on social security. Such security is meant to ease and cushion against unexpected frictions created in the normal course of events. This is the stage at which a self-reliant economy should find itself and this should be the functional role assigned to social security. Manufacturing As far as transforming India into a global manufacturing hub is concerned, the measures should not be protectionist since they run the risk of breeding inefficiencies in the economy. That cannot be called self-reliance. Measures that enable the industry to emerge and remain efficient and resilient in the face of any form or level of competition is when self-reliance can be said to be truly achieved. Hence, there has to be careful thought in tweaking policies in order to favour domestic industries. Rather than import substitution, India needs to organically compete with imports in a globalised world than block imports from particular economies artificially. Through this approach, India can become a net exporter from being a net importer. Education One of the significant reasons of Indias unemployment problem is its unemployability. Indias unemployability calls into question the quality of education provided in our schools and higher education institutions. The Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan does focus on skill development and mapping employment opportunities to the skill sets of migrant workers. However, any such endeavour is incomplete without a complete overhaul of the educational system of the nation. Doing so would resolve the problem of the educated unemployed. Furthermore, the question of generating employment opportunities for the migrant workers according to their skill sets cannot be answered in isolation from the demand of the industry. Hence, endeavours to make the country a manufacturing hub and the generation of employment opportunities must go hand in hand. While all of the plans under the overarching theme of the Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan paint an ambitious picture of a self-reliant India, the catch lies in implementation. The implementational hurdles that confront the nation are well-known. Will corruption, red-tape, competitive federalism, failure of co-ordination between various authorities, overlapping jurisdictions and bureaucratic hurdles in general allow the dream of Atmanirbhar Bharat to become a reality? The largely undelivered promise of maximum governance minimum government made by the Modi 1.0 government is key to this ambition. If India succeeds in crossing this bridge, then a new ray of hope awaits on the other side. (This article first appeared in the ORF) Citing threats to its national security and sovereignty, India on June 29 ordered a ban on 59 Chinese apps including TikTok because they are stealing and surreptitiously transmitting users data to foreign locations, the Ministry of Information Technology said. The action comes amid deadly border clashes, and a variety of retaliatory actions by both countries. A similar crackdown any time in the past few years would have raised few eyebrows, because the suspicions are hardly new. Many Chinese apps are highly intrusive, and Beijings mega data collection practices are well known. Just one Chinese company Global Tone Communications Technology is believed to collect data that is the equivalent of 20 billion Facebook photos, or 2.5 photos for each person on the planet, in 65 languages. Still, Indias app ban is largely symbolic, and neither necessary nor sufficient to strategically address the long-term information threat from China. This is because app bans are hard to implement. Just this month, Russia reversed a two-year-long ban on the Telegram messaging app because it barely made a dent on its use in the country. IT infrastructure is incredibly complex but easily manipulated. Even if Google Play Store were to block the download of these 59 apps in India, they could be distributed through any number of unauthorised app stores. It is also hard to block usage of already downloaded apps because they can be used via virtual private networks (VPNs). Developers can also cleverly redesign the apps to skirt regulatory firewalls, change IP addresses and route traffic through different countries. Or they could so enmesh the banned apps with others that it is impossible to take down one without causing the collapse of other critical ones. Far more than the apps, cheap Chinese smartphones likely pose a greater threat. Last year, Indians bought over 150 million smartphones. Of them, up to 80 percent came from China. Just one Chinese company enjoyed a 42 percent share via its three brands Vivo, Realme and Oppo. India has virtually no oversight of these devices, the apps installed in them, or the functionalities of the apps. Given the geopolitical scenario, India needs a strategic telecom roadmap that addresses China-made devices such as phones, tablets and laptops; telecom equipment from Chinese companies such as Huawei and ZTE; and mobile apps originating in that country. Each has a different dimension and, in two of the three cases, significant additional cost. Today, only a third of Indians own a smartphone. It means about 800 million will buy smartphones in the years to come, likely at a rapid pace because it is seen as a critical professional and personal need. Increased smartphone penetration is also a key driver of economic growth. Even if cheap China-made devices are to be curbed, rather than banned, India needs to create affordable alternatives. This, contrary to recent policy, might require duty cuts on phones from other countries such as South Korea or the United States, or concessions to local makers. Another option would be to replicate the US telecom model in which a locked handset is given away at low cost in lieu of service contracts. That would make smartphones more affordable. For telecom infrastructure, India might have to bite the bullet and phase out cheaper China-made gear for its 4G and upcoming 5G networks. Until the recent border row, India had ignored US calls to ban Huawei gear on national security concerns. Prudence suggests a detailed review. Just this month, former Google chairman Eric Schmidt now the chairman of Pentagon's Defence Innovation Board confirmed the worst fears about the Chinese telecom company. "There's no question that information from Huawei routers has ultimately ended up in hands that would appear to be the State," Schmidt told a BBC Radio 4 documentary from his vantage position in the US defence establishment. However that happened, we're sure it happened, he added. Various estimates suggest that 5G equipment from suppliers such as Ericsson and Nokia could raise costs by up to a third. That is significant, running into hundreds of millions of dollars, and will necessitate sharply higher telecom tariffs in the worlds cheapest market. India could adopt a secure cut cheaper option pursued by many other countries eschewing Chinese technology in the sensitive core of 5G networks, but allowing it elsewhere in their infrastructure. In retrospect, oversight of the Chinese apps is actually the easiest part of the puzzle. It only requires incremental scrutiny over what is already done by Google Play Store and Apple Store, and then it is relatively easy to address data collection and transfers. In normal course, custodial deaths attract cursory attention in Tamil Nadu after all, the state enjoys a dubious second place in India for custodial deaths. However, it was the sheer brutality of the manner in which Jayaraj, a small mobile shop owner, and his son Bennix, both hailing from the town of Sathankulam in Thoothukudi district, were reportedly tortured that catapulted the incident to national prominence. On June 19, police arrested Jayaraj for apparently violating lockdown norms and not closing his shop before the night curfew. Different versions of the events that led to the arrest exist, however, the account of events that unfolded in the Sathankulam Police Station are horrifying. According to Jayarajs family, Jayaraj was brutally beaten and when his son Bennix rushed to the police station, and tried to prevent the police from beating his father, he too was thrashed. The policemen then refused to allow the family to see the duo and continued the brutal assault on the two men for most of the night. It is alleged that lathis were pushed into their private parts causing them to bleed profusely. The police then produced the two before a doctor who felt they were fit for remand, and then before a magistrate who cleared their remand. All the while the men were bleeding bleeding so much that their lungis/cloths had to be changed repeatedly. The men were then taken to the Kovilpatti Sub Jail where the family was denied a meeting with them citing COVID-19 restrictions. A day later Bennix developed breathlessness and died. The following morning Jayaraj too passed way. The policemen accused in this dastardly crime have a notorious track record of custodial violence, and the systemic failures across the board sparked outrage all over Tamil Nadu. Why were their excesses not noticed earlier? How did the doctor issue a fitness certificate? How did the magistrate issue a remand order for persons who were visibly bleeding? How did the jail authorities agree to take the injured men in? There are few answers. The tardy handling of the case by the state government led to more anger. Instead of slapping murder charges and arresting the accused policemen, the Edappadi K Palaniswami-led government tried to show it was acting on the case by suspending some of the accused and transferring a few others. A magisterial inquiry was ordered, and the magistrate has recorded that while conducting an inquiry witnesses were intimidated with policemen videographing the inquiry and a constable even used expletives to say that the inquiry could achieve little. Eventually, under immense pressure, the government has decided to hand over the case to the CBI but not before it was clearly seen to be dragging its feet on acting against the accused policemen. Incidentally, Thoothukudi is also where the killing of 13 people by police during the anti-Sterlite agitation took place. That case too, like so many others, meanders on. Thoothukudi has a strong presence of the powerful Nadar community, many of whom are traders and businessmen. While the incident received universal condemnation, it did not stop the Opposition from also trying to play the caste card. The Congress even put out posters and press releases with the caste names of the victims. The main Opposition party, the DMK, whose stronghold Thoothukudi is, sent its top leaders including Kanimozhi (the local MP) and Udhayanidhi Stalin, son of DMK Chief MK Stalin, to pay their condolences in person. The DMK gets the major share of the minority vote in Tamil Nadu and the victims in this case were Christians making it all the more necessary for the party to take a strong position on the issue. The Nadars in southern Tamil Nadu are either Hindus or Christians. They are relatively prosperous and are one of the dominant castes of the region. Traders in the area immediately organised protests and downed shop shutters for a day. While there appears to be no direct caste or community angle to the case, local media reported that one of the accused policemen belonged to a rival caste, and was severe in his dealing with members of caste groups other than his own. Like several police forces across India, the Tamil Nadu Police often acts with a sense of impunity. Emboldened by the fact that cases roll on for decades and hardly anyone gets punished for custodial deaths, the brutal beatings handed out at police stations, especially against the poor and those without connections, continue unabated for decades. A few months ago the photos of several youngsters with their arms in a sling, presumably due to a fracture, would be periodically posted on social media claiming that they were picked up for petty offenses and had slipped in the police station bathroom. This led to memes and caustic remarks, but little action was taken by the senior leadership of the Police or the government. In fact slipped in the bathroom became a code phrase for police beatings. The Madras High Court took suo motu cognizance of this case and flayed the AIADMK government for its lackadaisical response. The Sathankulam incident has presented an opportunity to demand and push through the Prevention of Torture Bill that has been pending for over a decade. Originally passed by the Lok Sabha in 2010, the Bill failed to clear the Rajya Sabha and then lapsed. Then in 2017, the Bill was resurrected as the Prevention of Torture Bill 2017, but as yet it has not been passed by either House. States are not keen to back any law that makes its police more accountable. If the death of Jayaraj and Bennix serves as an inflection point for the passage of this Bill, the two men would not have died in vain. Irrespective of the fate of the Bill, the policemen involved in the dastardly killing of Jayaraj and Bennix must be given the strictest punishment under law. Bharat Biotech has developed Covaxin in collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and National Institute of Virology (NIV). The Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) have granted Bharat Biotech the permission to hold Phase I and II of clinical human trials. Heres all you need to know about the drug and its clinical trial. (Image: News18 Creative) Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India (HMSI) on Wednesday said its two-wheeler sales shot up nearly four times to 2,10,879 units, including exports, in June as compared to 54,820 units in the previous month. As much as 95 percent of its dealerships recommenced operations by the first week of June following Unlock 1.0, HMSI said in a release. The second month of return of economic activity saw Honda's total two-wheeler dispatches shooting up nearly four times to 2,10,879 units in June, with 2,02,837 dispatches in the domestic market and remaining 8,042 units for exports compared to 54,820 units in May, HMSI said in the release. The company saw sustained uptick in two-wheeler demand during the month, it said. HMSI dealerships resumed operations from May 4 after the imposition of a pan-India lockdown on March 25 in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. "Around 95 percent of Honda dealers resumed their business, while our supply chain further stabilised to align with the re-booting of our production operations in all the four plants. With over 150 percent spike in our retails, June turned out to be the first confidence booster," said Yadvinder Singh Guleria, director (sales and marketing), Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India Pvt. Ltd. HMSI has manufacturing facilities at Manesar (Haryana), Narsapura (Karnataka), Tapukara (Rajasthan) and Vithalapur (Gujarat). The auto maker also said it accelerated its new model development activities and introduced four new BSVI two-wheelers --- CD 110 Dream, Grazia 125, 2020 Africa Twin & Livo -- in the market, taking its total portfolio to nine models. Honda two-wheelers created a new buzz in the market introducing maximum number of four BS-VI models in just one month. We are also witnessing a new demand getting unlocked with preference to personal mobility over public transport and two wheelers becoming first choice to this shift in the market," said Guleria. live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More Dispatches of cars and SUVs to dealers more than doubled during June compared to May but are still less than half compared to their usual monthly level. The industry recorded zero sales in April due to lockdown restrictions imposed to curb spread of the deadly coronavirus. Inventory levels with dealers have been at an all-time low since end of May leading to stock replenishment in June. Unserviced bookings, pent up demand and increase in production are believed to be the main reasons behind the surge in June sales. Carmakers have yet not seen full utilisation of their dealer strength as several showrooms which are in the containment zones, Mumbai for instance, remain shut. While footfalls in showrooms have been low, as per dealers, online enquiries and enquiries over the phone have surged compared to pre-lockdown months. Maruti Suzuki, India's largest carmaker, clocked wholesales (sales to dealers) of 51,274 units in June. While this was less than half compared to June of last year, it was more than three times compared to May. "Production across plants is being progressively increased consistent with maximum efforts to ensure safety and subject to the availability of employees," Maruti Suzuki said in a release. Also Read | Hero MotoCorp sales dip 27% year on year in June, posts 4 fold jump in dispatches over May Hyundai Motor India, which was one of the first to switch to online sales, reported deliveries of 21,320 units during June. While this was half compared to the same month last year it was three times more than May 2020. Just before lockdown Hyundai completed its product line-up revamp plans that now comprises the New Creta, Venue, Verna, Aura and Grand i10 Nios. Utility vehicle specialist Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M) also saw a surge in volumes in June to 8,075 units. While this was less than half compared to the same month last year it was still more than double compared to May 2020. The company had earlier noted that demand for Bolero and Scorpio in the rural pockets had picked up even as urban markets remained subdued. Also Read | TVS Motor June sales down 33% at 1,98,387 units Veejay Nakra, Chief Executive Officer, Automotive Division, M&M, said: "The automotive industry has started to see recovery both in the passenger and small commercial vehicle segments. This has been led primarily by rising rural demand and movement of essential goods across the country. Our key brands such as Bolero, Scorpio and Pik-Ups, are all seeing good traction. Managing the supply chain will be our key focus area as we ramp up production to meet this increased demand." Toyota Kirloskar (TKM) claimed that its retail sales (sales from dealers to customers) were nearly double of wholesales for the second month in a row. The company clocked 3866 in wholesales in June which was more than double compared to May but was less than three times the sales of June 2019. Naveen Soni, Senior Vice President, Sales and Service, TKM, said: "With demand gradually coming back in the market, support from our dealer partners and due to special financing and buy back offers we have brought customers back to our dealerships. We are also seeing a visible growth in online enquiries as well as bookings." MG Motor India, the manufacturers of Hector SUV, recorded sales of 2012 retail units for the month of June 2020. The carmaker said it witnessed an increased traction in the markets that are normalising faster for both its product lines MG HECTOR and ZS EV. Tata Motors had decided against sharing monthly sales numbers before the start of Q1FY21 but said that sales data will be shared at the end of every quarter. Its wholesale volumes for June quarter stood at 14,571 units, a drop of 61 percent compared to same quarter last year. January and February recorded declines in passenger vehicle volumes of 6 percent and 8 percent, respectively, but March saw 51 percent slump in volumes, according to data provided by the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM). The year change also saw the industry switch to BS-VI from BS-IV. This was followed by zero sales in April which was a first-ever. SIAM did not share sales data for May but as per street estimates the month reported around 37,000 units which was 15 percent the average monthly volumes in FY20. No carmaker or SIAM has provided any volume guidance for the rest of the year considering the continued impact of the disruption caused by COVID-19. However, given the need for private mobility in urban areas and a good monsoon proving well for rural pockets demand is expected to pick pace near the festive period. Follow our coverage of the coronavirus crisis live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More Though the company recorded its best-ever annual profits in FY20, Bajaj Auto chairman Rahul Bajaj has called for intensified efforts to tackle the COVID-19 slowdown and its impact on business operations. Addressing shareholders in the 13th annual report, Bajaj said, In any event, it would be almost foolhardy to believe that demand will not get affected for at least the first two, if not three, quarters of FY2021. We will have to deal with this grave situation in many innovative ways. Bajaj Auto reported a net profit of Rs 5,100 crore in FY20 an increase of 9.1 percent, compared to FY19. Its turnover, however, declined by 0.5 percent to Rs 31,652 crore during FY20 from FY19. Though the central government partially eased lockdown in the first week of June, many automotive dealers restarted sales in May itself. They were based in areas that were not part of the designated containment zones. While initial reports suggest that retail sales of two-wheelers have picked up with consumers preferring personal mobility over public transport, manufacturing facilities are operating at less than half their full strength. To my mind, the battle may have just begun. The national lockdown on account of COVID-19 has effectively wiped out 40 days, of which 32 have been in FY2021. With a partial easing of lockdown, our facilities at Chakan, Waluj and Pantnagar have opened, but are far from working at full pace, Bajaj added. Bajajs domestic sales of two and three-wheelers in May stood at little over 40,000, which were 83 percent less than the same month last year and less than half, compared to exports during in the same month. This is after the Pune-based company reported zero sales in April, along with the rest of the automotive industry. While no company has provided a clear outlook for demand for FY21, the most common expectation is that of a pick-up closer to the start of the December quarter, after the exhaustion of the pent-up demand. We will have to use every lesson learnt in marketing and selling to recreate markets for our bikes and three-wheelers. We will have to delight our customers with a slew of new products. We will have to increase operational efficiencies everywhere. We will have to eliminate all unnecessary costs, Bajaj added. Though many new projects are running behind schedule, companies like Bajaj Auto are trying to make up for lost time by expediting work on the research and development (R&D) front. Bajaj is working on projects under its own brands like Chetak, and that of international brands like KTM, Husqvarna and Triumph. The Government of India banned 59 Chinese apps stating that they engaged in activities that are "prejudicial to the sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India, security of state and public order. These banned apps have been given 48 hours to clarify on the data-sharing practices and to prove that the data was not being shared to servers in China. A top-level government panel will be probing the data practices of the banned Chinese apps on July 1, according to a report by The Economic Times. Moneycontrol could not independently verify the report. Representatives of top social media apps like TikTok, Bigo Live, etc., have already confirmed to cooperate with the government officials in the investigation. Officials from the Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Electronics & IT, Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, and Law & Justice will be part of the panel, along with Sanjay Bahl, director-general of CERT-In Indias nodal agency for internet security. Given the threat to national security and public order, the ban was necessary at a time of increasing tensions with China, as per a senior government official quoted in the report. Emergency provisions under the law were invoked to ban the apps owing to concerns that some of these were being used for espionage on Indians, the official said as per the report. Government officials are confident that the interim ban order, which is provisional under the law, will stand legal scrutiny. We dont think any court will disagree with the government and ask us to conduct an inquiry before banning the apps, especially in such a tense situation, said a top official. A lawyer representing ByteDance indicated the company may not approach courts directly and will first try to engage with the government. Soon after the ban was ordered, TikTok went completely offline and stopped working on both iOS and Android devices. The app showed a message which read, Dear users, we are in the process of complying with the Government of Indias directive to block 59 apps. Ensuring the privacy and security of all our users in India remains our utmost priority. Residents and workers in London's Canary Wharf will be able to experience superfast Wi-Fi broadband across the site without the hassle of logging into different networks thanks to the first European commercial roll-out of OpenRoaming technology. A joint initiative by Canary Wharf Group, broadband provider Virgin Media and technology company Cisco will allow devices to connect securely and automatically to next generation Wi-Fi 6 networks and roam seamlessly from one hotspot to another without the need log in, the companies said. Cisco UK and Ireland chief executive David Meads said the technology could help businesses adapt after the COVID-19 pandemic, with workers unlikely to go back to being tethered to their enterprise network for eight hours a day, five days a week. "Having the flexibility to access applications, wherever those applications sit in the cloud, without compromising security whilst on the move is a new dynamic that hadn't really been appreciated to the degree we do now," he said. Deploying Wi-Fi 6 across Canary Wharf, London's second financial centre that is home to many major banks, would take the strain off mobile networks, he said. "Where you have a dense population of people, whether it's residential or from the workplace, with Wi-Fi 6 you have greater capacity than traditional mobile radio networks, greater range, higher reliability and reduced latency," he said. He said Wi-Fi 6 complemented rather than competed with 5G radio technology, with use cases for both. OpenRoaming allows users to join any network that is part of a Wireless Broadband Alliance federation, including Samsung, Google, Virgin Media and many others. It enables the network to securely authenticate user's devices by using credentials such as those provided by service providers or device manufacturers. US-based technology behemoth Microsoft has agreed to set up its third campus in India. The new campus in Noida will be the second-largest among the three in terms of employee capacity, two of which are in Hyderabad and Bengaluru. Microsoft MD Rajiv Kumar confirmed the news during a virtual meeting with Uttar Pradeshs MSME & Export Promotion Minister Sidharth Nath Singh. The state will roll out the "red carpet" facility to Microsoft to make it easier for the company to do business, Singh said. The company has said that they want to move their North India campus to Greater Noida. The next step will be a site inspection by the team both in Greater Noida and along the Yamuna Expressway followed by their proposal which the state government will examine," Singh told The Economic Times. As mentioned, Microsoft currently has two campuses in India located in Hyderabad and Bengaluru. Both these campuses have a capacity of 5,000 and 2,000 employees, respectively. The third campus is likely to be set up near the Jewar International Airport along the Yamuna Expressway that connects Greater Noida with Agra. Other companies like Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), Wipro, and Haier are also in various levels of discussions with the state government of bringing in investment in the Noida/Greater Noida regions. Sayre, PA (18840) Today Partly cloudy early. Thunderstorms developing this afternoon. A few storms may be severe. High 87F. Winds SSW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 60%.. Tonight Scattered thunderstorms this evening followed by occasional showers overnight. Low 58F. Winds WNW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 60%. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Wednesday welcomed New Delhi's decision to ban dozens of apps with Chinese links, saying it will "boost India's integrity and national security." "We welcome India's ban on certain mobile apps that serves as an appendage of the CCP's (Chinese Communist Party) surveillance State," Pompeo told reporters at a news conference held at the Foggy Bottom headquarters of the State Department. "India's clean app approach will boost India's sovereignty. It will also boost India's integrity and national security," he said. India on Monday banned 59 apps with Chinese links, including the hugely popular TikTok and UC Browser, for engaging in "activities which are prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India, security of state and public order". The ban also comes in the backdrop of the current stand-off along the Line of Actual control in eastern Ladakh with Chinese troops. The list of apps that have been banned by India also include Helo, Likee, Cam Scanner, Vigo Video, Mi Video Call - Xiaomi, Clash of Kings as well as e-commerce platforms Club Factory and Shein. Mumbai Police has invoked Section 144 owing to the increasing number of coronavirus cases across the city. The order was shared via a press release scanned using the banned Chinese app CamScanner. CamScanner is one of the 59 Chinese apps that were banned by the Government of India on June 28, citing them prejudicial to the sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India, security of state and public order. The press release shared with the media includes the CamScanner watermark, as you can see at the bottom right corner of the image. The Karnataka government, too, was found to be using the banned Chinese app in one of its shared press releases. Also Read: Chinese apps banned | Here's what experts have to say Soon after the ban was announced the Press Information Bureau (PIB) has deleted its official account from TikTok, another Chinese app which has received an interim ban in India. MyGov and IRCTC have also deleted their accounts from the platform. The Karnataka Government, the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai, Maharashtra Public Health Department, the Data Security Council of India, and several other government agencies have been using TikTok to put out information on the platform about data security and COVID-19. These banned apps have been given 48 hours to clarify on the data-sharing practices and to prove that the data was not being shared to servers in China. Hong Kong police made the first arrests Wednesday under a new national security law imposed by Chinas central government, as thousands of people defied tear gas and pepper pellets to protest against the contentious move on the anniversary of the former British colony's handover to Chinese rule. Police said 10 people were arrested under the law, including a man with a Hong Kong independence flag and a woman holding a sign displaying the British flag and calling for Hong Kong's independence all violations of the law that took effect Tuesday night. Others were detained for possessing items advocating independence. Hong Kong police said on Facebook that they arrested some 370 people on various charges, including unlawful assembly, possession of weapons and violating the new law, which was imposed in a move seen as Beijings boldest step yet to erase the legal firewall between the semi-autonomous territory and the mainlands authoritarian Communist Party system. The law, imposed following anti-government protests in Hong Kong last year, makes secessionist, subversive, or terrorist activities illegal, as well as foreign intervention in the citys internal affairs. Any person taking part in activities such as shouting slogans or holding up banners and flags calling for the citys independence is violating the law regardless of whether violence is used. its definition of those crimes could be interpreted broadly to include various forms of speech or organizing. The most serious offenders, such as those deemed to be masterminds behind these activities, could receive a maximum punishment of life imprisonment. Lesser offenders could receive jail terms of up to three years, short-term detention or restriction. Wednesday's arrests came as thousands took to the streets on the 23rd anniversary of Britain's handover of Hong Kong to China in 1997. For the first time, police banned this year's annual march. Protesters shouted slogans, lambasted police and held up signs condemning the Chinese government and the new security law. Some protesters set fires in Hong Kong's trendy shopping district, Causeway Bay, while others pulled bricks from sidewalks and scattered obstacles across roads in an attempt to obstruct traffic. To disperse protesters, police shot pepper spray and pepper balls, as well as deployed water cannons and tear gas throughout the day. Hong Kongs leader strongly endorsed the new law in a speech marking the anniversary of the handover of the territory officially called the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. The enactment of the national law is regarded as the most significant development in the relationship between the central authorities and the HKSAR since Hong Kongs return to the motherland, chief executive Carrie Lam said in a speech, following a flag-raising ceremony and the playing of Chinas national anthem. It is also an essential and timely decision for restoring stability in Hong Kong, she said. A pro-democracy political party, The League of Social Democrats, organized a protest march during the flag-raising ceremony. About a dozen participants chanted slogans echoing demands from protesters last year for political reform and an investigation into accusations of police abuse. The laws passage Tuesday further blurs the distinction between the legal systems of Hong Kong, which maintained aspects of British law after the 1997 handover, and the mainlands authoritarian Communist Party system. Critics say the law effectively ends the one country, two systems framework under which Hong Kong was promised a high degree of autonomy. Britains foreign secretary, Dominic Raab, told reporters Wednesday the law is a clear and serious violation of the Sino-British Joint Declaration, the agreement that paved the way for the former British colonys handover to Chinese rule. The law directly targets some of the actions of anti-government protesters last year, which included attacks on government offices and police stations, damage to subway stations and the shutdown of the citys international airport. Acts of vandalism against government facilities or public transit can be prosecuted as subversion or terrorism. Pro-democracy lawmaker Claudia Mo said in a news conference that the security legislation does not follow the rule of law and is a dire warning to the free press. This would tell you that they want not just to get us, but to intimidate us into inaction, into a catatonic state, Mo said. Hong Kong's police force said they would consider any flag or banner raised by protesters calling for Hong Kong's separation from China to be illegal as well as an expressions of support for independence for Tibet, Xinjiang or the self-governing island democracy of Taiwan that China claims as its own. Police will use a new purple flag to warn protesters if they display banners or shout slogans that may constitute a crime under the law. Concerns have also been raised over the fate of key opposition figures, some of whom have already been charged for taking part in protests, as well as the disqualification of candidates for Legislative Council elections scheduled for September. In Beijing, the executive deputy director of the Cabinets Hong Kong affairs office, Zhang Xiaoming, said Hong Kong people are allowed to criticize the ruling Communist Party but cannot turn those complaints into actions. What happened recently in Hong Kong has shown a deviation from the right track of the one country, two systems (framework), Zhang told reporters Wednesday. To some extent, we made this law in order to correct the deviation ... to pull it closer to one-country. Schools, social groups, media outlets, websites and others will be monitored and their national security awareness will be raised, according to the law, while the central government will have authority over the activities of foreign non-governmental organizations and media outlets in Hong Kong. The law says central government bodies in Hong Kong will take over in complicated cases and when there is a serious threat to national security. Local authorities are barred from interfering with central government bodies operating in Hong Kong while they are carrying out their duties. Security legislation was mandated under Hong Kongs local constitution, but an earlier attempt to pass it in the citys legislative body in 2003 was shelved because of massive public opposition. Beijing finally decided to circumvent the Hong Kong legislature and have the law passed Tuesday by the Standing Committee of the National Peoples Congress, Chinas rubber-stamp parliament. President Xi Jinping signed a presidential order putting the law into effect, and it has been added to the Basic Law, Hong Kongs constitution. The laws passage comes after Hong Kongs legislature in early June approved a contentious bill making it illegal to insult the Chinese national anthem. On Wednesday, Raab, the British foreign secretary, announced the UK would extend residency rights for up to 3 million Hong Kong residents eligible for British National Overseas passports to five years from the current six-month limit. After five years, they could apply for settled status and then apply for citizenship 12 months later. The U.S. is moving to end special trade terms given to the territory. The Trump administration has also said it will bar defense exports to Hong Kong and will soon require licenses for the sale of items that have both civilian and military uses. The U.S. Congress has also moved to impose sanctions on people deemed connected to political repression in Hong Kong, including police officials. China has said it will impose visa restrictions on Americans it sees as interfering over Hong Kong. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo denounced the threat of a visa ban as a sign of how Beijing refuses to take responsibility for its own choices" and said the law's adoption destroys the territorys autonomy and one of Chinas greatest achievements." Beijings paranoia and fear of its own peoples aspirations have led it to eviscerate the very foundation of the territorys success," Pompeo said in a statement. Taiwan on Wednesday opened an office to facilitate migration from Hong Kong. Representative image Chinese military seems to have inscribed a massive Mandarin signage and Chinas map onto the ground they have occupied in the contested Fingers areas of Ladakh's Pangong Tso. The Mandarin signage appears to say "China". The ground inscriptions located between 'Finger 4' and 'Finger 5' along the lake, reportedly measure approximately 25 metres in breadth and 81 metres in length. These can also be spotted in satellite imagery. Currently, both sides are in locked in a stand-off at Finger 4 of Pangong Tso along the Line of Actual Control (LAC). The Finger area of Pangong Tso is made up of spurs that rise along the bank of the lake. According to India, the LAC is situated at Finger 8. The large swath of land between Finger 4 and 8 used to be patrolled by both sides before tensions escalated in May. Moneycontrol could not independently verify the satellite imagery. It was earlier reported that, in a bid to de-escalate matters in the Finger areas, China has reportedly proposed that Indian forces move back to Finger 2 as a pre-condition to Chinese troops withdrawing to Finger 6. The proposal is being seen as untenable by India. The Indian position has been that status quo ante should be restored as the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) has been the aggressor. Reports suggest that the situation in Ladakh in Hot Springs, the Galwan Valley and Pangong Tso has remained largely unchanged for several weeks even as thousands of troops on both sides of the LAC are locked in a stand-off. Tensions along the LAC had been rising since early May amid a stand-off between Indian and Chinese soldiers. However, the tensions escalated to another level after 20 Indian Army soldiers, including an officer, were killed in a violent face-off in Ladakhs Galwan Valley on June 15-16. There were casualties on the Chinese side too. However, that number is not clear. Top oil exporter Saudi Arabia may raise its August official selling price (OSP) for crude sold in Asia, hiking for a third straight month due to rising Middle East benchmarks and a rebound in Asian refining margins, industry sources said. Three sources from Asian refineries expect the August OSP for flagship Arab Light crude to rise, although forecasts range from $1 a barrel to as much as $3 a barrel, a Reuters survey showed. A fourth source expects prices to remain flat or rise just 10-20 cents a barrel, while another called on Aramco to roll over its July prices to August or cut by some 50-60 cents a barrel. "Looking at market structure and margins, OSPs should go up, but actually refiners are not making much money now ... Prompt refining margins improved but forward margins still look lackluster. If OSPs rise by $1-$2, refiners will have a hard time," the source said. The front-month Dubai cash futures spread rose by $3.60 in June, thanks partly to tighter supply, while Asia's margins for gasoline, naphtha, gasoil and jet fuel improved on demand recovery. LSFO margins were pressured by weak demand and excess supplies, while HSFO margins held relatively firm. Saudi OSPs for lighter grades such as Arab Extra Light and Arab Light could rise less than for heavier grades, with August-loading peer light sour grades from Abu Dhabi - Murban and Das - traded at discounts to their OSPs in the spot market. From August, the supply of Middle East crude could increase as OPEC and Russia will likely ease record oil production cuts. Four OPEC+ sources told Reuters no discussions have taken place so far about extending record 9.7 million barrels per day (bpd) in cuts into August, meaning they were most likely to be eased to 7.7 million bpd until December. Saudi crude OSPs are usually released around the fifth of each month, and set the trend for Iranian, Kuwaiti and Iraqi prices, affecting more than 12 million bpd of crude bound for Asia. State oil giant Saudi Aramco sets its crude prices based on recommendations from customers and after calculating the change in the value of its oil over the past month, based on yields and product prices. Saudi Aramco officials as a matter of policy do not comment on the kingdom's monthly OSPs. Mike Pompeo The Taliban must live up to its commitments made in the peace deal with the US and not attack American soldiers, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has emphasised during a video conference with the insurgent leader, Mullah Baradar, on the Afghan reconciliation process. An agreement signed between the US and the Taliban in February in Doha drew up plans for withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan in exchange for security guarantees from the insurgent group. "The Secretary (Pompeo) made clear the expectation for the Taliban to live up to their commitments, which include not attacking Americans," State Department spokesperson Morgan Ortagus said on Tuesday. The video conference was held on Monday to discuss the implementation of the US-Taliban agreement, she said. As part of the Doha deal, the US committed to withdraw its 12,000 troops within 14 months. Troops have since been reduced by over a quarter, according to a recent report on Afghanistan published by the Congressional Research Service. The Taliban committed to prevent other groups, including Al Qaeda, from using Afghan soil to recruit, train or fund raise toward activities that threaten the US or its allies. "The agreement is accompanied by secret annexes, raising concerns among some members of Congress. US officials describe the prospective US withdrawal as 'conditions-based', but have not specified exactly what conditions would halt, reverse, or otherwise alter the withdrawal timeline laid out in the agreement," the Congressional Research Service report said. The call comes as the Special US Representative for Reconciliation in Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad is currently touring the region to advance the deal. Khalilzad departed on June 28 for travel to Qatar, Pakistan and Uzbekistan. He will not be going to the Afghan capital, Kabul, due to the dangers presented by the coronavirus and instead will video conference with Afghan leaders. The Taliban has kept up violence against Afghan government forces, delaying talks between the two sides on a peace settlement. The rare video conference between America's top diplomat and the Taliban leader took place amidst reports that Russia offered Taliban bounties for killing US soldiers. The New York Times first reported last weekend that Russian intelligence officers offered bounties to the Taliban to kill coalition soldiers in Afghanistan. Representative image After nearly three months of differences and negotiations, the UN Security Council on Wednesday unanimously adopted the first COVID-19-related resolution, demanding a general and immediate cessation of hostilities around the world. The France and Tunisia drafted resolution "demands a general and immediate cessation of hostilities in all situations on its agenda and supports the efforts undertaken by the Secretary-General and his Special Representatives and Special Envoys in that respect." It calls upon all parties to armed conflicts to engage immediately in a durable humanitarian pause for at least 90 consecutive days, in order to enable the safe, unhindered and sustained delivery of humanitarian assistance, provisions of related services by impartial humanitarian actors, in accordance with the humanitarian principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality and independence, and medical evacuations. The Council has been strongly criticised for its inaction and lack of leadership in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic and its failure to adopt even a single resolution on the global health and humanitarian crisis caused by the outbreak that has wrecked havoc across the world since early 2020. The resolution came after months of negotiations as divisions among Council's two permanent veto-wielding members - the US and China - hindered attempts to adopt a resolution. A key sticking point between the US and China over the resolution was reference related to the World Health Organisation. Washington has strongly criticised the WHO for its handing of the pandemic, with President Donald Trump halting funding to the health body. COVID-19 Vaccine Frequently Asked Questions View more How does a vaccine work? A vaccine works by mimicking a natural infection. A vaccine not only induces immune response to protect people from any future COVID-19 infection, but also helps quickly build herd immunity to put an end to the pandemic. Herd immunity occurs when a sufficient percentage of a population becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. The good news is that SARS-CoV-2 virus has been fairly stable, which increases the viability of a vaccine. How many types of vaccines are there? There are broadly four types of vaccine one, a vaccine based on the whole virus (this could be either inactivated, or an attenuated [weakened] virus vaccine); two, a non-replicating viral vector vaccine that uses a benign virus as vector that carries the antigen of SARS-CoV; three, nucleic-acid vaccines that have genetic material like DNA and RNA of antigens like spike protein given to a person, helping human cells decode genetic material and produce the vaccine; and four, protein subunit vaccine wherein the recombinant proteins of SARS-COV-2 along with an adjuvant (booster) is given as a vaccine. What does it take to develop a vaccine of this kind? Vaccine development is a long, complex process. Unlike drugs that are given to people with a diseased, vaccines are given to healthy people and also vulnerable sections such as children, pregnant women and the elderly. So rigorous tests are compulsory. History says that the fastest time it took to develop a vaccine is five years, but it usually takes double or sometimes triple that time. View more Show The resolution affirms that this general and immediate cessation of hostilities and humanitarian pause do not apply to military operations against the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as Da'esh), Al Qaeda and Al Nusra Front (ANF), and all other individuals, groups, undertakings and entities associated with Al Qaeda or ISIL, and other terrorist groups, which have been designated by the Security Council. German Ambassador to the UN Christoph Heusgen, President of the Council for the month of July, welcomed the adoption of the resolution, saying Germany begins its Presidency with a signal for hope. "The Security Council has today endorsed the Secretary General's call for a global ceasefire in the face of COVID-19 with a resolution. This is a sign for hope for all people currently living in conflict zones around the world. It is now the obligation of the Council and all parties to armed conflicts to implement this resolution in our work this month and beyond, he said. "The negotiations were not easy, but this resolution shows that differences can indeed be overcome especially in the face of this pandemic. The will to come to common solutions for global crises through teamwork and multilateralism must be the prevailing goal of this Council. Even in difficult times especially in difficult times the Security Council must act." The Secretary General's appeal for a global ceasefire has been endorsed by nearly 180 countries, more than 20 armed groups, as well as religious leaders and millions of members of civil society. The resolution requests the Secretary-General to help ensure that all relevant parts of the United Nations system, including UN Country Teams, in accordance with their respective mandates, accelerate their response to the COVID-19 pandemic with a particular emphasis on countries in need, including those in situations of armed conflict or affected by humanitarian crises. Acknowledging the critical role that women are playing in COVID-19 response efforts, as well as the disproportionate negative impact of the pandemic notably the socio-economic impact on women and girls, children and refugees, the resolution calls for concrete actions to minimise this impact and ensure the full, equal and meaningful participation of women and youth in the development and implementation of an adequate and sustainable response to the pandemic. Follow our full coverage of the coronavirus pandemic here Donald Trump President Donald Trump on Wednesday dismissed as Fake News allegations that Russia offered bounties for killing American troops in Afghanistan. He said news stories about the allegations were made up to damage me and the Republican Party. Lawmakers have been demanding answers over the allegations, and Democrats have accused Trump of bowing to Russian President Vladimir Putin at the risk of US soldiers' lives. Trump tweeted Wednesday that he had not been briefed on intelligence assessments that Russia offered bounties because there wasn't corroborating evidence. Those intelligence assessments were first reported by The New York Times, then confirmed to The Associated Press by American intelligence officials and others with knowledge of the matter. The Russia Bounty story is just another made up by Fake News tale that is told only to damage me and the Republican Party. The secret source probably does not even exist, just like the story itself. If the discredited @nytimes has a source, reveal it. Just another HOAX! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 1, 2020 The Russia Bounty story is just another made up by Fake News tale that is told only to damage me and the Republican Party," Trump tweeted. "The secret source probably does not even exist, just like the story itself. The president's national security adviser, Robert O'Brien, said the intelligence wasn't brought to the president's attention initially because it was unverified and there was no consensus among the intelligence community. But that's a high bar it's rare for intelligence to be confirmed without a shadow of doubt before it is presented to senior government decision-makers. O'Brien insisted that the CIA and Pentagon did pursue the lead and briefed international allies. But he echoed the recent White House talking point faulting not Russia but government leakers and the media for making the matter public. He told Fox & Friends that he had prepared a list of retaliatory options for Trump if the intelligence was corroborated. We had options ready to go, said O'Brien. It may be impossible to get to the bottom of it. Trump has been under pressure from lawmakers on Capitol Hill to address the reports. A group of House Democrats who were briefed at the White House on Tuesday questioned why Trump wouldn't have been briefed sooner and pushed White House officials to have the president make a strong statement. House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff, one of the Democrats who attended the briefing, said it was inexplicable why Trump won't say publicly that he is working to get to the bottom of the issue and why he won't call out Putin. He said Trump's defense that he hadn't been briefed was inexcusable. Many of us do not understand his affinity for that autocratic ruler who means our nation ill, Schiff said of Trump and Putin. Rep. Mikie Sherrill, D-N.J., a freshman and former Navy helicopter pilot and Russia policy officer, said the Democrats told the White House briefers that the president should make a statement. These are very concerning allegations and if they're true, Russia is going to face repercussions, Sherrill said. "We really pushed that strongly in the meeting. Some House Republicans who were briefed by the White House on Monday also said they left with questions. Texas Rep. Mac Thornberry, the top Republican on the Armed Services Committee, said the panel would "leave no stone unturned in seeking further information. Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming insisted there would be ramifications for any targeting of Americans. But a group of Senate Republicans who received their own briefing largely defended the president, arguing along with the White House that the intelligence was unverified. Senate Armed Services Chairman Jim Inhofe of Oklahoma said he was convinced Trump hadn't known about the intelligence. Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson, chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, said Trump can't be made aware of every piece of unverified intelligence. The White House was working to schedule a briefing with the so-called Gang of 8 in Congress Senate Majority Leader McConnell, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the top Republicans and Democrats on the two intelligence committees. The meeting could happen as soon as Thursday, according to people familiar with the scheduling who spoke on condition of anonymity because the information hasn't been released publicly. While Russian meddling in Afghanistan isn't new, officials said Russian operatives became more aggressive in their desire to contract with the Taliban and members of the Haqqani Network, a militant group aligned with the Taliban in Afghanistan and designated a foreign terrorist organization in 2012. The intelligence community has been investigating an April 2019 attack on an American convoy that killed three US Marines after a car rigged with explosives detonated near their armored vehicles as they traveled back to Bagram Airfield, the largest US military installation in Afghanistan, officials told the AP. Three other US service members were wounded in the attack, along with an Afghan contractor. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack. The officials the AP spoke to also said they were looking closely at insider attacks sometimes called green-on-blue attacks from 2019 to determine if they are also linked to Russian bounties. One official said the administration discussed several potential responses, but the White House has yet to authorize any. Read: IRMA Cannot Take New Admission for 1 Year Due to Unqualified Director? ) Gujarat-based Institute of Rural Management, Anand (IRMA), a premier, national level institute for education, training, research and consultancy in rural management, is looking to replace its incumbent director who was appointed even though he did not fulfil the mandatory requirement of having a doctorate degree (as declared by All India Council for Technical Education -AICTE and Standing Complaints Scrutiny Committee -SCSC). Moneylife had written about this in September 2019. ( In an advertisement published on its website , IRMA says the Institute has sought applications from qualified candidates for the post of director on or before 31 July 2020. This time the advertisement is very categorical. It says, 1. Ph.D. degree and First Class or equivalent at the preceding degree in business and management (all fields)/ humanities/ social sciences; 2. At least two successful Ph.D. guided as Supervisor/ Co-Supervisor and minimum 8 research publication in SCI journals / UGC / AICTE approved list of journals; 3. Minimum 15 years of experience in teaching / research / industry, out of which at least 5 years shall be at the post equivalent to that of Professor. Prof Hitesh Bhat was appointed as director of IRMA by a search committee headed by NDDB chairman Dilip Rath, IRMAs professor emeritus Dr Tushar Shah and RS Sodhi, managing director of Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation Ltd (Amul). Sources had told us that he was considered, despite the committee being fully aware of his inadequate qualifications because Prof Bhat was a very popular teacher with vast industry experience. Read: IRMA Reported for Deficiency in Director Qualifications by AICTE, Twice ) Unfortunately, this only triggered a controversy. The Application Deficiency Report (ADR) of AICTE for 2018-19 generated on 7 February 2018 mentions Prof Bhatts lack of appropriate degree ( Read: IRMA Director Prof Hitesh Bhatt Does Not Fulfil Eligibility Criteria, Reiterates Committee Headed by Retired HC Judge ) In its proceedings for the meeting held on 25 September 2019, the SCSC states "...on re-examination, the appointment of the principal or director Prof HV Bhatt, the Committee is of the view that on the date of his appointment, he was not qualified as principal or director as he was not having Ph D or equivalence of Ph D, which was relaxed by the Institute without having any authority." ( In October 2019, responding to our email on AICTE deficiency reports, Prof Bhatt had replied, The matter in question is under the purview of AICTE and we will be able to provide more information post their decision on the same. Commenting on the ADR for 2018-19, Prof Bhatt had said, there was no overall deficiency of IRMA. We also received extension of approval EoA along with this ADR to run our three programmes, namely, the 'Post Graduate Diploma in Management (Rural Management)', 'Fellowship Programme in Management', and 'Post Graduate Diploma in Management (Executive)'. Within this ADR, there are deficiencies at a few places and some of them are on account of the questionnaire itself. IRMA was founded in 1979 at the initiative of NDDB and the support of government of India, government of Gujarat and Swiss Development Co-operation. Talking about IRMA in his biography, "I Too Had a Dream", Dr Kurien had said, My reasoning was even if only a handful of students each year from such an institute (IRMA) could grow, evolve, stride out into the world and, perhaps build some more Amuls, what a boon it would be for our rural people and for the nation. Several changes have kicked in from 1 July 2020 for financial transactions that will directly impact consumers at all levels. This includes limiting number of free transactions at automated teller machines (ATMs) and paying stamp duty on purchases of mutual fund units. Other changes include provident fund (PF) rules, Atal Pension Yojana, registration in Kisan Samman Nidhi and penalty for not maintaining minimum balance for savings account in banks, among others. In March, finance minister (FM) Nirmala Sitharaman had announced a waiver on charges for three months till 30th June on ATM transactions, no penalty for minimum balance in savings account while halting auto debit for pension scheme. In addition, the government had allowed withdrawal from PF account and extended the Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas tax benefit scheme till 30th June. Investors will also have to pay stamp duty on purchasing mutual funds from 1st July. Even if you are investing in mutual funds through systematic investment plan (SIP) and systematic transfer plan (STP), you still have to pay stamp duty. However, investors will not have to pay stamp duty on the withdrawal of mutual funds. This stamp duty will be levied on all types of mutual funds. The effect of stamp duty will be seen most on debt funds. Purchase of mutual funds will attract stamp duty at 0.005%. Apart from this, transfer of units of mutual funds from demat account will attract stamp duty of 0.015%. The imposition of stamp duty will affect the holding of 90 days and less. In view of the scarcity of cash with the people, the finance ministry had provided emergency withdrawal facility from the EPF and the last day of application is on 30th June. Shareholders could withdraw an amount which was less than thrice the basic salary and dearness allowance or 75% of the total deposit amount. In addition, the bank ATM cash withdrawal rules are changed from 1st July and all transaction except first few or limited by the banks, would be charged. During lock-down, norms for cash withdrawals from a bank ATM were relaxed but are now going to be tightened. The relaxation was announced for three monthsApril, May, Juneand the deadline ended on 30th June. If there is no extension announced, then the old ATM withdrawal rules will get reinstated. From 1st July, ATM transactions would become expensive for all SBI customers. Also, from July, the rule of no minimum balance in the savings account will end. If the minimum balance is not maintained by the account-holder in the accounts, the bank will charge a penalty on it. At present, the limit for keeping a minimum balance in a savings account varies for metro city, semi-urban and rural areas and is different for different banks. A minimum balance of Rs3,000 is required in metro cities, Rs2,000 in semi-urban areas and Rs1,000 in rural areas on the accounts of State Bank of India (SBI). At the same time, this amount in HDFC Bank is Rs10,000, Rs5,000 and Rs2,500 respectively. The Central government has relaxed rules to withdraw money from the Employees' Pension Fund (EPF) during the lock-down imposed for the prevention of coronavirus. From 1st July, auto debit of monthly contribution will start from Atal Pension Yojana accounts. The Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) had, in April, directed banks to stop the auto debit of Atal Pension Yojana till 30th June. Now from today, auto debit facility will be started once again. Most of the subscribers under this scheme are from the lower strata of the society and have been facing severe crunch due to the lockdown. A recent PFRDA notification stated that the penalty interest will not be levied if the subscriber's pension scheme account is regularised before 30th September. The last date for payment of the Sabka Biswas Yojana, introduced for resolution of old pending disputed matters related to service tax and central excise, was 30th June and this scheme cannot be availed from Wednesday. The government has made it clear that it will not extend this scheme beyond 30 June 2020. In this context, the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) had given information, in a tweet, that 0.19 million declarations of Rs90,000 crore have been filed under this scheme. If this is not paid by 30 June 2020, they will not get benefits. Under the Prime Minister Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana, Rs6,000 is given to the farmers in three installments of Rs2,000 every year. So far five installments have been sent to the farmers. Registration for the scheme has now ended on 30th June. A method to help minimize the environmental impact of wastewater pollutants such as conventional pharmaceuticals and chemicals like aspirin, paracetamol, ibuprofen as they make their way to wastewater. This new method detects these wastewater pollutants in order to remove them swiftly. (Photo : Pixabay) An all-female team of researchers from The Medical School at Swansea University in partnership with the international company Biotage has developed a method to help minimize the environmental impact of wastewater pollutants. These pollutants include conventional pharmaceuticals and chemicals like aspirin, paracetamol, ibuprofen. This new method detects these wastewater pollutants and swiftly removes them. Their research, which was published in Analytical Science Advances, outlines how they have developed a single process to quantify and separate a broad spectrum of different chemicals successfully. These are from personal care and bathroom products and other pharmaceuticals that can end up in blood plasma and wastewater sludge. The team believes that the new method can help reduce or minimize the negative impact of these products and pharmaceuticals on the environment by hastening people's understanding of which pollutants may be released. According to one of the authors, Dr. Rachel Townsend, once a drug has been ingested, the body excretes it, and many people do not think or know what happens to these drugs after taking them. Just like any food, upon excretion, this goes to a wastewater treatment plant. Townsend said that it was initially thought that pharmaceuticals are degraded once it enters the water treatment process. However, the study has determined that it is otherwise. This poses a new problem because wastewater is released in streams or rivers after it passes through the treatment process. This problem may also affect food crops as 80 percent of treated sludge is recycled and goes back as fertilizers in agricultural lands. There have been concerns that the sludge from wastewater treatment facilities used in the agricultural sector could impact human health. Apart from this, the adverse effects of these pharmaceutical seeping through wastewater have been noted on different animals. Multiple vultures in Asia, for example, are critically endangered due to Diclofenac. This non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medication has not just affected the population of vultures in Asia. Still, it has decreased the number of Indian long-billed vultures and the red-headed vultures by almost 99 percent. The feminization of male fish has been determined as a leading cause of the significant decline in the population of fish over the last two years. This feminization has been attributed to the use of the female contraceptive pill. The team has pioneered a process using the sample preparation approach QuEChERS to detect a range of products, either pharmaceutical or for personal care, from a variety of sources such as the wastewater sludge. Previously, extraction involved multiple methods. With this novel process using mass spectrometric detection, determining the presence of these compounds as well as extracting and quantifying them is now more time and resource-efficient than before. This new study can also shed more light on the development of antimicrobial resistance and how it spreads in society. This knowledge can also equip the scientific community in safeguarding water quality and overall health by making changes in the wastewater treatment processes. This can help ensure the degradation and removal of pollutants and aid in global environmental management. We had mentioned in Tuesdays closing report that Nifty, Sensex were trendless. On Wednesday, the major indices rallied and ended with major gains. On the NSE, there were 1,032 advances, 860 declines and 59 unchanged. The trends of the major indices in the course of Wednesdays trading are given in the table below: Glenmark Pharmac USA was charged for conspiring with pharmaceutical maker Apotex Corp and other generic drug companies to increase the prices of cholesterol medication, pravastatin, and other generic drugs to fix prices for generic drugs, the US Justice Department said in a statement. Gayatri Projects reported net loss of Rs 80.99 crore in the quarter ended March 2020 as against net profit of Rs 83.99 crore during March 2019 quarter. Revenues declined 20.93% to Rs 910.16 crore in the quarter ended March 2020 as against Rs 1151.13 crore YoY. Chambal Fertilizers & Chemicals stock price was up after CRISIL re-affirmed the rating of A1+ to its commercial paper programme on the enhanced amount of Rs 4,500 crore. Suzlon Energy completed debt restructuring with unanimous approval of secured lenders. Term debt has reduced substantially with interest of 9% p.a. repayable over 10 years starting July 1, 2020. Oil & Natural Gas Corporation posted a net loss of Rs 3,098 crore for the March quarter, due to slump in oil and gas prices. The company had reported a profit of Rs 4,239.50 crore in the previous year. Revenue declined 19.8% year-on-year to Rs 21,456.2 crore. Vodafone Idea reported a staggering Rs 73,878 crore of net loss in fiscal ended March 2020 , after it provisioned for Supreme Court mandated statutory dues. The consolidated loss in the quarter ended March 2020 was of Rs 11,643.5 crore. Jindal Steel & Power subsidiary JSPL (Mauritius) plans to sell its stake in Oman subsidiary, Jindal Shadeed, to Templar Investments. The enterprise value of the deal is over USD 1 billion. UFLEX net profit rose 43.5% YoY to Rs 100.6 crore during the March 2020 quarter. Its consolidated EBITDA was up by 6.3% to Rs 276.4 crore YoY and EBITDA margin improved to 15.6% from 12.6% last year. Cupid reported net profit at Rs 10.43 crore for March 2020 quarter as compared to Rs 4.36 crore in the corresponding period of the previous year, an increase of 139.5%. The top gainers and top losers of the major indices are given in the table below: The closing values of the major Asian indices are given in the table below: The World Bank's Board of Executive Directors has approved a $750 million MSME Emergency Response program to support increased flow of finance into the hands of India's micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), severely impacted by the COVID-19 crisis. The MSME Emergency Response program will address the immediate liquidity and credit needs of some 15 lakh viable MSMEs to help them withstand the impact of the current shock and protect millions of jobs, a World Bank statement said. "This is the first step among a broader set of reforms that are needed to propel the MSME sector over time," it said. The $750 million loan from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), has a maturity of 19 years including a 5-year grace period. The statement said that the World Bank Group, including its private sector arm - the International Finance Corporation (IFC), will support the government's initiatives to protect the MSME sector by unlocking liquidity and strengthening NBFCs and small finance banks and enabling financial innovations. This program will support the government's efforts to channel liquidity to the MSME sector by de-risking lending from banks and Non-Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs) to MSMEs through a range of instruments, including credit guarantees. The initiative will also support the government's refinance facility for NBFCs. In parallel, the IFC is also providing direct support to SFBs through loans and equity, it added. "The MSME sector is central to India's growth and job creation and will be key to the pace of India's economic recovery, post COVID-19. The immediate need is to ensure that the liquidity infused into the system by the government is accessed by MSMEs," said Junaid Ahmad, World Bank Country Director in India. He added that the overall financing ecosystem for MSMEs also needs to be strengthened. "This operation seeks to achieve both these objectives by furthering the role of NBFCs and SCBs as effective financial intermediaries and leveraging fintech to broaden the reach of finance into the MSME sector," Ahmad said. The World Bank has so far committed $2.75 billion to support India's emergency COVID-19 response, including the new MSME project. Disclaimer: Information, facts or opinions expressed in this news article are presented as sourced from IANS and do not reflect views of Moneylife and hence Moneylife is not responsible or liable for the same. As a source and news provider, IANS is responsible for accuracy, completeness, suitability and validity of any information in this article. GREAT FALLS- Jail overcrowding in the Cascade County Detention Center has been an issue for years, and now things are getting worse due to COVID-19. The jail is meant to house 212 inmates, and right now they're sitting at 312. Some inmates are even forced to sleep on the floor because there simply is not enough room for them. While this has been an issue for years, Cascade County Sheriff Jesse Slaughter says now its even worse because inmates waiting to go to various prisons across the state arent being moved. The lack of movement was previously done in the name of COVID-19. For some time now, the DOC has been moving inmates ever so slowly, Slaughter says. Right now, 38 Department of Corrections inmates remain in jail because of a directive put out by Governor Bullock in April. This directive temporarily suspended all transfers into the DOC's custody with some exceptions. Sheriff Slaughter says hes reached out to the department, and even went to the governor about the latest overcrowding, but hes not getting anywhere with it. We are now locked in a legal battle with the Montana supreme court, Slaughter says. In fact, the DOC even stated they have the power to leave DOC inmates in jail for whatever period of time they so choose. This is unacceptable when we are housing and caring for their inmates. We had a chance to ask the governor about this during a press conference in Yellowstone County earlier Tuesday morning. It is on where we are certainly asking...and I talked to the sheriff here as well about making sure that were protective of the inmates as well as we deal with this global pandemic, Bullock said. Just because COVID-19 is happening, government function cannot seize, Slaughter said. The public demands that we do the right thing, protect people's constitutional rights, and protect the public, we have to do that. We can't turn our back on public safety because of COVID. Overcrowding in any jail presents major risks not just for the staff there, but for the inmates as well. So with no response directly to the sheriff, Slaughter is now asking the people of Cascade County to call the governors office to demand action. Demand that they move their inmates and make room in our jail, Slaughter says. I need to have the ability to house dangerous criminals and protect the public. Furthermore, I have a constitutional duty to protect the inmates inside my facility. This is very difficult to do when we are overcrowded. Sheriff Slaughter says they have every potential to be very busy this weekend and need the space in the detention center ASAP. The DOC director's office was unable to reach out for a comment. Lansdale, PA (19446) Today Cloudy early with peeks of sunshine expected late. High around 90F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Scattered thunderstorms during the evening. Partly cloudy skies after midnight. Low 67F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%. EAST ROCKHILL The announcement at the beginning of the June 16 Pennridge School Board meeting that the district planned to make mask wearing optional when classes start again in the fall brought applause from some in the audience who had come to argue against mask requirements. Once again, the Russian Nornickel mining company has caused another environmental disaster from a nickel plant that it operates at the Arctic Tundra and has admitted to it. Nornickel is among the largest producers of nickel in the world. It has been involved in a past incident of environmental pollution in the Arctic region. Nornickel reported that it had pumped an adjacent territory with industrial water so that it can supposedly prevent potential contingencies in a pond for tailings, violating rules. The mining company has since said that the water has been "cleared," meaning there was no more threat of leaking waste. However, Novaya Gazeta, an independent newspaper, has made a contrary report. According to it, the water was found to be laden with heavy metals that came from the disposed tailings of Nornickel's Talnakh nickel processing plant located nearby. For its part, Nornickel announced that it has already "suspended" those employees who were responsible for the gross violation. Its statement said that these employees allowed the flagrant breach of Nornickel's operational rules regarding its tailings reservoir. This disaster comes on the heels of an earlier fuel spill, also committed by Nornickel more than a month ago. Last May, a reservoir from one of Nornickel's power plants collapsed and leaked diesel fuel. Approximately 21,000 tons spilled, and some of it flowed into a nearby lake, which drains into one of Arctic Sea's tributaries. Both of the facilities involved in these incidents are owned and operated by the company and are located near the city of Norilsk north from the Arctic Circle, 2,900 kilometers away from Moscow. Now, Russian officials are currently investigating the latest incident. The foamy water that was being pumped from the Talnakh enrichment plant's reservoir to the Arctic Tundra was filmed by Novaya Gazeta's reporters and an ecologist from the area. Security guards, apparently employed by the mining company, attempted to prevent the filming. According to the reporters, the wastewater is thought to be loaded with heavy metals such as copper, nickel, and cobalt, as well as sulfuric acid. The mining company denied the allegation. According to the paper, the mining company has initiated an investigation on the incident and is currently working with the emergencies ministry and the natural resources ministry. Meanwhile, the SK or Russia's Investigative Committee, also known as Sledkom, also launched an independent investigation. The Committee is in charge of probing serious crimes. The city of Norilsk is notorious for its pollution. According to satellite data and a study from NASA, it is considered the world's top SO2 polluter, which released sulfur dioxide at a volume of 1.9 million tons from its chimneys in 2018 and blown them to the Arctic tundra at the Taymyr Peninsula. Nornickel also operates a copper smelter in Norilsk and also produces palladium and platinum. Despite reducing emissions by 200,000 tons in 2017, the pollution in Norilsk is still almost thrice the volume compared to the second biggest SO2 (sulfur dioxide) pollution hotspot in the world, which is the city of Kriel, located in South Africa. A large coal-fired power plant in Kriel spewed 714,000 tons of emissions last 2018. July 01, 2020 New Law Liberates Hong Kong From U.S. Interference After the U.S. instigated riots in Hong Kong last year the central government of China saw a necessity to intervene. In sight of other anti-China measures the U.S. has taken the reputational costs of doing so had become less important. Yesterday the Chinese parliament, the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, added a national security law to the Basic Law that governs Hong Kong's special status. The law is designed to end foreign interference in Hong Kong. The Basic Law already had an article which stated that Hong Kong's independent parliament, the Legislative Council or Legco, must create such a national security law on its own. But 23 years after Hong Kong again became ruled by China, Hong Kong's parliament had still not done so. The foreign instigated violent riots last year, which had paralyzed Hong Kong's economy, demonstrated that such a law is necessary. The central government finally acted and did what the Legco was supposed to do. The new law, which was put into effect today, is banning secession, subversion, terrorism, and collusion with a foreign country or external elements to endanger national security. Its 66 articles also ban support in any form for such acts. The offenses are punishable in several degrees up to life in prison. The law includes guarantees for human rights and due legal process. A mainland 'Office for Safeguarding National Security' will be set up in Hong Kong to take care that the law is followed. While regular cases against the law will be handled by a new national security department within the Hong Kong police, significant cases, like those including foreigners, can be taken over by the mainland office and can be prosecuted by mainland courts. The law has some extraterritorial power. It does not matter where the crimes are committed: Article 38 This Law shall apply to offences under this Law committed against the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region from outside the Region by a person who is not a permanent resident of the Region. People who break the new law while in some other country can be arrested and charged as soon as they step onto Chinese grounds which evidently includes Hong Kong. Members of Congress should consider that when they enact laws in support of the rabble rouser in Hong Kong. A later casino vacation in Macao could otherwise end in a lengthy unplanned stay. The full text of the law in English is available here. Its promulgation in Hong Kong and the original Chinese text are here. The new law has already shown results. Several of the U.S. supported student organizations which led the 'pro democracy' clashes last year have shut down days before the law was put into force. 'Pro-democracy' lawmakers have moderated their tone: The national security law is already having its desired effect, even before its enactment. So far as Beijing is concerned, it has achieved far more with much less than rolling in the tanks. Consider the recent statements of some leaders of the anti-government protest movement. They are either quitting or making U-turns. ... Claudia Mo Man-ching (opposition legislator): If we win more than 35 seats [a majority in the Legislative Council elections in September], we can all sit down and negotiate at a moderate pace. Mos statement may be the least sensational but most significant, assuming she represents the views of other moderates. Early this year, the big plan was to force Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor to quit. To do so, they would have to win a majority, veto all government bills, including the annual budget, and force Lam to dissolve the Legco session and call for new elections. If Lam still couldnt get the budget approved in the new Legco, she would have to resign under the Basic Law. No one talks about the plan any more. Mo is ready to negotiate if she wins again in September. Suddenly, everyone sounds so reasonable and moderate. I wonder why. Not everyone will submit peacefully to the new rules. The rabble rouser Joshua Wong, Senator Marco Rubio's and Andrew Duncan's special friend, has set himself up as a martyr. He has called for demonstrations today which were not sanctioned by the police: Joshua Wong @joshuawongcf - 7:52 UTC Jul 1, 2020 We are on street to against national security law. We shall never surrender. Now is not the time to give up. About a thousand students protested today against the law and the police arrested 370 of them. Some will be prosecuted under the new law. One policeman was stabbed when some demonstrators tried to free an arrested person. The U.S. had financed some of the protester groups through the CIA aligned National Endowment for Democracy and the Open Technology Fund. If the U.S. wants to continue instigating unrest in Hong Kong it must now move those programs to the CIA and distribute the money secretly. The OTF funds for Hong Kong have already been frozen. The British government has promised to give British passports to the 3 million Hong Kongers who were born while the city was still under British rule. One wonder what Brexiters think about such a potentially huge new inflow of people from abroad. The U.S. Congress will do some huffing and puffing over the new law and Trump will issue some more sanctions but that will be likely it. The CIA's infrastructure to create another 'color revolution' in Hong Kong will not be easy to replace. The U.S. has lost its supremacy and its meddling in Hong Kong will no longer have any effect. Hong Kong will continue to have its special administrative status and economic freedom. But British and U.S. influence in the city will now be severely diminished. Posted by b on July 1, 2020 at 18:17 UTC | Permalink Comments next page My shopping basket holds the ingredients for Maggies Taco Salad, which Ill make for my July Fourth holiday dinner. The city of Lorain will put a Leavitt Road traffic light into operation in anticipation of the new Meijer store opening at 5350 Leavitt Road. Elyria Councilman Marcus Madison has been part of council since 2010. Madison is resigning from city council effective July 10 to begin working for The Community West Foundation. @MJ_JournalRick on Twitter Richard Payerchin covers Lorain City Hall, business news and other interesting stories for The Morning Journal. Reach the author at rpayerchin@MorningJournal.com or follow Richard on Twitter: @MJ_JournalRick. MOULTRIE [mdash] Gary Ray Riggins, age 67 of Colquitt County died Monday June 14, 2021 at his home surrounded by family Celebrations of Life Services are being planned and will be announced later Gary was born September 17, 1953 in Moultrie Ga. to the late Curtis R. and Martha Latrail Holmes America's biggest oil companies are coming under increasing pressure from climate-conscious investors to disclose their long-term forecasts for crude prices as the Covid-19 pandemic injects fresh uncertainty into the demand outlook for fossil fuels. Exxon Mobil Corp. and Chevron Corp. don't publish such estimates, meaning that shareholders are less able to scrutinize how the companies' investment plans square with expectations for a global transition to clean energy. That needs to change, according to the New York State Common Retirement Fund, California State Teachers' Retirement System, and Ceres, a Boston-based coalition of investors with $30 trillion of assets. In Europe, major oil companies are sharing their long-term forecasts, with dramatic results. Two weeks ago, BP said it had radically reduced its long-term price assumption for Brent crude, causing a writedown of as much as $17.5 billion. Royal Dutch Shell warned Tuesday that it would write down as much as $22 billion in the second quarter as the pandemic hammers demand for everything from oil to liquefied natural gas. Long-term price assumptions are critical because they're used by Big Oil to determine whether or not a resource will be economically viable and at what value it's held on a company's books. Activists and some investors say companies are at risk of being overly optimistic in their assessment of future crude prices. That could lead to them to build expensive projects that effectively become worthless - so-called stranded assets - in a world transitioning toward low-carbon fuel sources. "Exxon and Chevron should be more transparent and disclose long-term price forecasts and other information that investors need to assess their companies' low-carbon transition plans," said Mark Johnson, a spokesman for the Office of the New York State Comptroller, which oversees the New York State Common Retirement Fund. "Without this information, investors cannot assess whether Exxon and Chevron are serious, or just paying lip service to the threat of climate change." Chevron compiles "multiple forecast scenarios" informed by third-party information and its own analysis, spokesman Sean Comey said in an emailed statement. "We continue to view this data as proprietary since it contains sensitive business information that would be of interest to our competitors." Exxon evaluates annual plans and major investments across a range of price scenarios, and it discloses guidance on the impact of price fluctuations in annual regulatory filings, spokesman Casey Norton said in an emailed response to questions. The company supports the goals of the Paris Agreement on climate change, Norton said. "The world will continue to require significant investment in liquids and natural gas," he said. Covid-19 has brought the issue of future pricing into sharp relief. Before the pandemic, peak crude demand was thought to be at least a decade away. But the virus has caused such a savage drop-off in oil consumption that some, including BP CEO Bernard Looney, are questioning if global usage of fossil fuels will ever return to pre-pandemic levels. "At the heart of investor concern is that they're planning for a future that's not likely to come to pass -- a future of high demand and high prices," said Andrew Logan, senior director of oil and gas at Ceres. Speaking to investors in March, Exxon and Chevron both gave their long-term cash flow projections at $60 a barrel, roughly the average of the past five years. But the projections aren't a long-term price forecast and don't provide insights into climate planning or potential writedowns. Meanwhile, crude is currently trading around $40 a barrel, with lingering uncertainty over the recovery in global demand or whether OPEC can maintain supply cuts. Both companies regularly tout their new projects as having low break-even costs that make them more competitive than those of their rivals. For example, Exxon has said its projects in Guyana and the Permian Basin on West Texas and New Mexico will make "double-digit returns" at $40 a barrel. But it may be a different story for other parts of its portfolio. If oil was at $30, Exxon would own 60% of the oil majors' 30 lowest-margin assets by production, according to researcher Wood Mackenzie Ltd. "There's a bit of opaqueness to the disclosure" from American oil companies without the long-term price assumptions, said Brian Rice, a fund manager at California State Teachers' Retirement System, also known as Calstrs. "From an engagement perspective, it can be frustrating," he said, adding that it could be a data point that more investors push for in the future. Calstrs and the New York State Common Retirement Fund manage about $453 billion between them including shares of Exxon and Chevron. While there's no specific regulation than prevents U.S. companies from publishing long-term price forecasts, many are reluctant to do so for fear of exposing themselves to lawsuits accusing the companies of trying to influence oil prices, according to Ed Hirs, an energy fellow at the University of Houston. For investors, the risk they face is that price assumptions are too rosy. But it's also a critical issue for the environment. Much of Canada's oil sands, among the most carbon-intensive parts of the industry, were developed with the expectation of prices above $80 a barrel, according to Kathy Mulvey, a campaign director at the Union of Concerned Scientists. "We need more scrutiny at the front end of these projects," she said in an interview. "They pose systemic risks to the environment if they get it wrong." ODESSA -- The owner of Big Daddy Zanes in West Odessa and about 20 other bar owners sued Gov. Greg Abbott on Monday, arguing his executive order to shut down their businesses is unconstitutional. Gabrielle Ellison made national headlines nearly two months ago, after Abbotts first order to close bars, when she was arrested for violating the mandate and six men were also arrested for carrying rifles outside her bar during a protest. Establishments were allowed to open earlier this month, but then Abbott announced Friday that bars would be required to close their doors once again in response to a statewide spike in coronavirus cases. Restaurants also were required to take a step backward, returning to 50 percent capacity. Ellison said in an interview she had not closed Big Daddy Zanes and would not be closing the bar. Im not shut down, she said. I did not close, and I wont close. The main objective of the lawsuit for Ellison is to be able to keep her bar open without fear that she, her employees or her patrons could face charges, she said. Am I worried about it? Sure, she said, when asked if she fears being arrested again. But my freedom is worth it. If I go back to jail, I go back to jail. This is the second lawsuit against Abbotts executive order that Ellison has been a part of. Another suit was filed in March, then with the Texas Supreme Court on May 13, arguing Ellisons arrest as well as requirements for masks, gloves and social distancing are unconstitutional, she said. Big Daddy Zanes will be holding an event on July 4 to protest Abbotts order and to celebrate Independence Day, Ellison said. She said it will begin at 4 p.m. and will be kid-friendly. Ellison said other bar owners and members of Open Texas and Open Carry Texas will be coming to the event though this time, theyll leave the guns at home. Midland Mayor Patrick Payton said during a press conference on Wednesday that not only will he not seek a mask mandate in Midland, but that peoples civil liberties have been violated during the coronavirus pandemic. Payton blasted the mask mandates hes seen out there ones he believes are filled with exceptions. He also spoke out against the governors closing of bars as being selective in nature. He stated bars should have every right that restaurants have to operate within proper safety measures. When we start picking and choosing what we think is healthy and essential, we destroy livelihoods, and we even destroy lives, Payton said. Payton took offense with the mandates and ongoing pressure to further mandate the actions of people. In the midst of this panic associated with the unknown, we have demonstrated how easily we will succumb to the king when we cannot control something or do not feel like we are safe, Payton said. In less than one week, the kings and queens of Washington D.C., and even Austin, shut the entire country down uniformly and in some cases unnecessarily. Are we still dealing with a virus? For sure. Are there easy solutions? Not at all. But free Americans must not so easily allow a fractious, divided and politically motivated body-of-values light-weights to dictate day-to-day living to a degree it kills people economically, socially and even physically. Payton spoke for around 10 minutes and then took questions. He said he is comfortable in his convictions and quite comfortable with whatever this conviction might cost me politically. He was critical of closing down businesses because of some arbitrary designation of essential versus nonessential, all while essential businesses sell the same products the nonessential businesses used to sell. He spoke out against the right of people to worship and the mandates that families cannot properly mourn the loss of their loved ones. When we are jumping through hoops with exceptions and explanations, we are not serving the people -- we are controlling and manipulating the people, Payton said. Until I am overruled by a vote of the city council, I will not mandate the wearing of masks, for I will not become party to a city that is policing and citing the general public for not wearing a mask. A mandate by the governor is unenforceable, as is any mandate here in Midland -- not to mention we have already come too close to trampling civil liberties in the ways we have treated businesses and the way we have treated a free people. The mayor said that while he will not support a mask mandate, he is deeply committed to a community call to action regarding our safety with masks in public. Free people know the right things to do and are prepared to live with the consequences of their actions, Payton said. A people living in tyranny freely give their rights away to an empty promise of provision and protection. Out here in West Texas, we still believe in the power of a free people; even when we cant see the enemy. The first time Texas officials ordered Tee Allen Parker to close up her brand-new bar during the coronavirus pandemic, she begrudgingly waited it out. Parker scrounged up money to pay her employees, manufactured her own hand sanitizer and started selling masks, she said, even though she doesn't wear them herself - and has since banned the face coverings from her very own watering hole in the east Texas town of Kilgore. But when coronavirus infections began soaring again throughout the state and Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican, ordered drinking establishments statewide to shut down again Friday, the 45-year-old owner of the Machine Shed Bar & Grill decided to put up a fight. "You can't tell me that my tiny little bar is the problem. He's the problem," she said of Abbott in an interview with The Washington Post. "He's targeting us, and it's discrimination." Together with 21 other Texas bar owners, Parker on Monday sued Abbott and the state's alcohol regulators to halt the shutdown order, arguing it unconstitutionally bypasses the state legislature and comes at the particular detriment of bar owners, their families and employees. While barber shops, hair salons and other types of businesses can continue to operate at full capacity, the lawsuit filed in Travis County District Court says, an order specifically directed at Texas establishments that make most of their sales off alcohol unfairly singles them out. "This one individual is picking and choosing winners and losers," Jared Woodfill, a Houston lawyer representing the owners, said in an interview. "Governor Abbott has chosen to sentence bar owners to bankruptcy." Neither the governor's office nor the Texas Alcohol Beverage Commission immediately responded to The Post's requests for comment. But as new infections have shot up in Texas this month, reaching more than 153,000 residents, Abbott admitted he should have been stricter on drinking establishments earlier in the pandemic. "If I could go back and redo anything, it probably would have been to slow down the opening of bars," he told ABC affiliate KVIA, "now seeing in the aftermath of how quickly the coronavirus spread in the bar setting." The rolling, seven-day average of new infections in Texas has hit a record high for the past 20 days straight, according to data tracked by The Post. Hospitalizations have soared, too, increasing to nearly 6,000 as of Monday. Earlier in June, a number of bars and restaurants across the state had already shut down again voluntarily upon learning their employees had tested positive. Abbott said the shutdown was "essential to our mission to swiftly contain this virus and enhance public health." But Parker, the lawsuit's lead plaintiff, said she was unfairly being scapegoated. Her tin-walled bar was down to less than 100 seats, and most of its tables had been brought outside to give customers enough space to practice social distancing, she said. Meanwhile, she said, a local county judge had organized a prayer rally, churches were holding services for dozens of worshipers, and a few hours away in Houston, thousands had gathered in proximity to mourn the death of George Floyd. Though Parker said she once supported Abbott, he moved too quickly and inconsistently to reopen, a move that means he is now being inconsistent in his enforcement. The lawsuit, also ties into a larger legal campaign by Woodfill, the former chair of the Harris County GOP. He has sued Abbott and top county officials six times for their virus-related restrictions on everything from church services to masks in public. Abbott's emergency orders have repeatedly cited a 1975 state law that gives his office special powers during disasters - which, until this year, have mostly consisted of hurricanes and tornadoes. But according to the state constitution, only the Texas legislature has the ability to suspend laws in the middle of the pandemic, he said. The governor can also call state legislators to Austin and ask them to draft up Texas's response to the virus, Woodfill said, but Abbott has also refused to do so. "It's just been a horde of infringement on people's individual liberties and constitutional rights in the form of executive orders," he added. "This is one individual making draconian decisions that have destroyed the Texas economy." Woodfill said he is hoping the Texas Supreme Court will take up all the pandemic-related lawsuits collectively, setting a legal precedent for what the governor might do in the case of another viral outbreak. Parker, meanwhile, has her eyes set on something different. In Kilgore, she organized a "Bar Lives Matter" concert outside her bar on Sunday to raise money for other Texas taprooms that need to pay the bills. Earlier on Monday, she drove to Austin, where she plans to stage a rally outside the Texas Capitol with other bar owners Tuesday, and invited the governor to speak with her one-on-one. After suing him, though, she's not so sure that will happen. Jonathon McGuire (left), the owner of 10 McDonalds restaurants in the Murfreesboro area, and Amy Howell (right), assistant manager at the Old Fort Parkway McDonalds, practice social distancing to pose for a recent photo. Howell is earning her high school diploma through an online McDonalds program at no charge to her. SUBMITTED We'll keep you connected to all the updated local news and information about what's happening in Murfreesboro and Rutherford County! Click Here to Subscribe! WITH Zimbabwes political situation remaining tense, the government is planning to introduce a new law which criminalises the spreading of falsehoods against key State institutions such as the military, the Daily News reports. At the same time, authorities said yesterday that they had now identified the people who recently claimed that President Emmerson Mnangagwa was on the verge of being toppled from power by the military. All this comes as Zimbabwe is in the vice grip of a huge economic crisis which has stirred anxiety and restlessness among ordinary Zimbabweans. Appearing in Parliament on Monday, Defence minister Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri said the government would soon be bringing a new Bill to clamp down on purveyors of falsehoods which were harmful to the security of the country. I will not tell you what we are doing. I think on that one (coup rumours), I will reserve it for security reasons. We dismiss it (coup claim) with the contempt it deserves. We dont go by social media reports, she told the portfolio committee on Defence, Home Affairs and Security Services. We are dealing with it. We cannot share (whats happening) in case some might want to post some items. But we have to deal with it. We already have a Bill on how to deal with these people who peddle lies, particularly on the security situation in the country. Those are people bent on bringing the country into disrepute The net is closing in on them because we now know them, Muchinguri-Kashiri added. This comes as security chiefs recently dismissed talk of a pending military coup against Mnangagwa and his government warning that they would descend heavily on purveyors of such information. In addition, they also warned former senior Zanu PF officials and leading opposition figures that authorities would catch up with them for continuing to make the reckless utterances. All this also comes after the military staged a popular coup which ended the ruinous reign of the late former president Robert Mugabe in November 2017 as the countrys current economic crisis began to deteriorate precipitously, amid escalating Zanu PF factional and succession wars. However, two years after holding historic polls in which Mnangagwa beat Nelson Chamisa by a wafer-thin margin, Zimbabwe continues to experience economic pains a situation that has been exacerbated by the deadly effects of the global coronavirus pandemic and the regional drought that has left millions of people in the country facing starvation. Despite showing early signs of efforts to turn around the economy, which had suffered from years of corruption and mismanagement under Mugabe, Mnangagwa and his lieutenants are now finding the going tough. So deep are the countrys economic problems that the hapless Zimbabwe dollar which was prematurely and ill-advisedly re-introduced by under-fire Finance minister Mthuli Ncube last year is collapsing spectacularly, which in turn, has triggered steep price increases of basic consumer goods. On Monday, Muchinguri-Kashiri also lifted the lid on the immense challenges that the military is facing, including struggling to clothe the soldiers and providing them with a full complement of rations. In addition, she bemoaned the debilitating effects of the lethal coronavirus, which she said had significantly reduced the Zimbabwe Defence Forces budgets. Muchinguri-Kashiri also told the lawmakers that soldiers had turned down the idea of resuscitating garrison shops to cater for their basics at reasonable prices. Instead, she said, they had demanded hampers. This was a welcome development (having garrison shops) within our forces, but the strategy was adjusted because they preferred hampers as opposed to garrison shops. The purpose of the two still serves the same objective. There are hampers which are reasonably priced We continue to review this. We hope in the near future we will introduce garrison shops, Muchinguri-Kashiri told the committee. Mondays committee meeting was also held at a time that the country was said to have been involved in quelling insurgencies in neighbouring Mozambique. However, Muchinguri-Kashiri dismissed the claims as dangerous social media lies. Those are social media dangerous rumours and lies. Dismiss them with the contempt they deserve. Regarding Mozambique, there was a (Sadc) Troika meeting that took place here in Zimbabwe, but there is no harm when a chairman of an organ is invited by a neighbour to say I have a problem in Mozambique, can you assist me? Equally, any country can raise a flag to say I am in trouble. That is what happened. Because of the location of Mozambique, you cannot go as one country to settle a problem that will overflow to a number of countries, Muchinguri-Kashiri added. So, we take that regional posture No country will dare to go into a situation, whether it was in DRC or everywhere that we have gone to, we do have treaties and conventions. We respect those. We abide by certain rules and regulations, principles of Sadc that another country cannot go into another territory without a general understanding and agreement. Zimbabwe is very mindful that these issues are of a regional thrust, Muchinguri-Kashiri said further. We are privileged that Zimbabwe is still chairing the (Sadc) organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation, and you know that when a neighbour in the region is under attack, we take a regional approach. Thats what we do with any country under attack. Decisions are made at a regional level, she added. Mnangagwa is the current chairperson of the SADC Troika Organ on Defence, Politics and Security Cooperation. Muskogee, OK (74401) Today Cloudy skies with periods of light rain this afternoon. Cooler. High around 70F. Winds NNE at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of rain 80%.. Tonight Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low around 55F. Winds NNE at 5 to 10 mph. Fairbanks, AK (99707) Today Showers early, then cloudy in the afternoon. High 71F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 30%.. Tonight Cloudy skies early, then partly cloudy after midnight. Low near 55F. Winds light and variable. Community Partner Program Now more than ever it is important to help local businesses thrive and keep our community informed. Herald/Review Media is offering a Community Partner Program to assist local businesses by getting their message in front of the largest audience in Cochise County! Click here to fill out form This page contains all of The Herald/Reviews' coverage of the novel coronavirus outbreak, and the illness it causes, called COVID-19. Because this outbreak impacts public health, our coverage of the coronavirus is available to all readers. Our journalists are working hard to bring you the verified information below. Please consider supporting important local journalism with a subscription. (Click Here) Are you a Sierra Vista resident whos been affected by the illness? Send us an email: andrew.paxton@myheraldreview.com. Discuss this article with your neighbors or join the community conversation. Click here to get access COUNTY Just when local districts thought they had what they needed to proceed for schools to open on time, Governor Doug Ducey announced an During a speech to U.S. Air Force personnel station in the United Kingdom recently, President Joe Biden warned that global warming is the greatest physical theat to the nations security. Biden has suggested that climate change poses a threat to U.S. military security on multiple occasions. In February, he noted that he had directed the Pentagon to reimagine the countrys strategy for dealing with the impact of climate change. Do you agree with the President that climate change is the great physical threat to the United States? Choices are: You voted: Egypt on Wednesday reopened its airports for international flights for the first time in more than three months since suspension over the coronavirus. Two flights carrying more than 350 Ukrainian tourists arrived in the Red Sea resort cities of Hurghada and Sharm El Sheikh, the aviation ministry said. Hurghada International Airport received a 172-passenger Azur Air Ukraine flight from Kiev in the early morning, while Sharm El-Sheikh received a 182-passenger SkyUp Airlines flight from the same destination, the ministry added in a statement. The arrival of the two Ukrainian flights marks the end of the suspension of regular international flights in place since 19 March to stem the spread of the coronavirus. Over that period, Egypt's air traffic had been limited to domestic and repatriation flights. Airport staff received tourists with flowers, balloons and chocolates. Separately, national carrier EgyptAir said it was due to operate 14 international flights carrying around 2,000 passengers from Cairo International Airport on Wednesday, with the first flight taking off at 8:30am local time, bound for Tunisia. The company said previously it would resume flights to 29 destinations from the first week of July and would add more in the following weeks. These include flights to Europe, Africa, the Middle East, North America and China. Civil Aviation Minister Mohamed Manar inspected precautionary measures at Cairo International Airport earlier on Wednesday, including medical checkup points and sanitation procedures aimed to protect the travelers and workers against the coronavirus. Also on Wednesday, Egyptian Tourism Minister Kahled El-Anany reopened the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. The facility is one of over a dozen museums and tourist sites due to receive visitors in the first phase of the reopening, with precautionary measures in place against the coronavirus. These include the Giza Pyramids and the Saladin Citadel in Cairo, the ancient temple of Karnak in Luxor, and the pharaonic temples of Abu Simbel and Philae in Aswan. The government hopes to revive the country's vital tourism industry, a major source of foreign currency that has been hard hit by the pandemic shutdown. Foreign tourists are now allowed to visit three coastal tourist hotspots: South Sinai, where the popular seaside resort of Sharm El-Sheikh is located, the Red Sea governorate, home to the city of Hurghada, and Marsa Matrouh on the Mediterranean. In an attempt to lure foreign tourists, the country has exempted tourists visiting these areas from visa fees until the end of October. The national carrier is also offering a 20 percent discount on flights to several European destinations, and on tickets to New York and Washington bought by15 July for flights until end-August. Egypt has allowed around 400 hotels nationwide to reopen at a reduced occupancy rate of 50 percent after they met hygiene and safety protocols, according to the tourism ministry. Short link: Road Lottery winners kick up dust while driving the Denali National Park Road during the Road Lottery Sunday, September 16, 2018. Each September the park hosts a four-day event called the "Road Lottery." During these four days, winners of a lottery drawing are given a chance to purchase a single, day-long permit, allowing them to drive as much of the Denali Park Road as weather allows. In years with early snow, the Park Road might open no farther than Savage River (Mile 15); in milder years, lottery winners are able to enjoy a trip out to the end of the park road (Mile 92). Each year about 11,000 applicants are received, with 1,600 permits are awarded. Congressman Darin LaHood said the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement taking effect today will be positive for Illinois farmers and manufacturers. The 18th District representative said 40% of products grown and produced in Illinois is shipped to Mexico or Canada, and the trade pact will strengthen the relationship between the North American countries. Morgan County Sheriff ARRESTS, CITATIONS Taylor C.M. Rosenberger, 21, of 1042 E. Morton Ave. was booked into the Morgan County jail at 12:20 a.m. Tuesday on three counts of delivery of methamphetamine. Ronald K. Wilcox, 50, of Albany, Indiana, was booked into the Morgan County jail at 11:49 p.m. Monday on charges of possession of methamphetamine, possession of drug paraphernalia and driving while license is revoked or suspended and on warrants accusing him of domestic battery, contempt of court and failure to appear in court. Jacksonville Police ARRESTS, CITATIONS John R. Jobe, 24, of 419 W. Greenwood St. was booked into the Morgan County jail at 8:22 a.m. Tuesday on a charge of aggravated battery. George M. Stice, 30, of 817 S. Clay Ave. was booked into the Morgan County jail at 4:19 a.m. Tuesday on a disorderly conduct charge. Eric L. Peters, 35, of 695 N. Clay Ave. was booked into the Morgan County jail at 12:59 p.m. Monday on charges of theft, assault, criminal trespassing and criminal damage to property. Stephanie C. Sorrells, 44, of 1241 Merrit Road was booked into the Morgan County jail at 4:54 p.m. Monday on charges of disorderly conduct and resisting a peace officer. Korbin A. Smith, 28, of 925 N. East St. was booked into the Morgan County jail at 5:34 p.m. Monday on charges of possession of methamphetamine and violation of an order of protection. Todd M. Linear, 30, of 347 Caldwell St. was booked into the Morgan County jail at 7:06 p.m. Monday on a charge of criminal trespassing on land. ACCIDENTS Makayla A. Lawlor, 19, of Jacksonville was cited on a charge of following too closely after the car she was driving collided with one being driven by Jennifer Spires, 58, of Jacksonville at 1:43 p.m. Tuesday in the 800 block of South Diamond Street as she was slowing to turn into a parking lot. THEFTS, BURGLARIES License plates were stolen from a car in the 600 block of Brandywine Lane, according to a report filed at 8:09 p.m. Monday. VANDALISM The rear window and tail light were damaged on a vehicle parked overnight in the 700 block of East Douglas Avenue, according to a report filed at 8:46 a.m. Monday. Calhoun County Sheriff ARRESTS, CITATIONS David B. Foster, 48, of Kampsville was booked into the Greene County Jail at 2:38 a.m. Saturday on charges of possession of drug paraphernalia and criminal trespassing on land. Greene County Carrollton Police ARRESTS, CITATIONS Justin G. Counts, 35, of East Alton was booked into the Greene County Jail at 11:12 p.m. Monday on a domestic battery charge. Roodhouse Police ARRESTS, CITATIONS Jacob D. Edwards, 25, of Roodhouse was booked into the Greene County Jail at 1:47 a.m. Sunday on a charge of possession of methamphetamine, a Greene County warrant accusing him of domestic battery and an Illinois Department of Corrections warrant accusing him of violating parole. Compiled by David C.L. Bauer A new report from an Illinois think tank says the state was ill-prepared for the COVID-19 pandemic, primarily because of a pre-existing shortage of nurses, and that the pandemic has left the state even more vulnerable in the event of another public health crisis. The report by the Illinois Economic Policy Institute, a nonprofit organization with strong ties to organized labor, also argues the state would be in a better position if nurses at more hospitals were unionized and if the state adopted a law requiring mandatory minimum nurse staffing levels, an idea that was proposed in the 2019 legislative session but not adopted. But while the Illinois Health and Hospital Association agrees there is a nursing shortage, it argues the lack of preparedness was more of a federal problem, and that the nursing shortage did not diminish the quality of care patients received. It strongly opposes legislation requiring minimum nurse staffing levels at hospitals, and disputes any correlation between the quality of patient care and the presence of a nurses union in a hospital. The report notes that even before the pandemic, Illinois had a shortage of about 20,000 nurses statewide and that the shortage likely will be exacerbated in coming years because about half of the nurses practicing are older than 55. Even prior to the pandemic, more than 75% of registered nurses reported that insufficient staffing levels adversely affects their job satisfaction, the report states, citing a 2019 national survey of nurses. COVID-19 has the potential to exacerbate the nursing shortage if registered nurses feel even more overworked and stressed. The report examines patient care data from all 169 hospitals in Illinois, 14 of which are unionized and 155 of which are not. All but four of the unionized hospitals are in Cook County and include some of the largest health care facilities in the state. Across all levels of care, it noted, nurses in unionized hospitals were able to spend more hours a day treating their patients. They also had lower turnover rates and lower vacancy rates for registered nurses. The report does not draw specific connections to staffing levels, or union presence, and patient outcomes during the pandemic. Frank Manzo, the institutes policy director, said its difficult to say with certainty the extent to which the nursing shortage contributed to the severity of the pandemic in Illinois. What we can say is that we could have had more infection prevention and control staff, he said. We could have had better turnover rates and retention rates for nurses and lower vacancy rates and that would have made us better prepared for the pandemic. Last year, Rep. Fred Crespo, D-Hoffman Estates, introduced House Bill 2604, which would have required hospitals to have at least one nurse for every four patients in medical-surgical units; one for every three patients in intermediate care; and one for every two patients in intensive care. The bill passed out of a House committee but was never voted on by the full House. If the legislation had been fully implemented, Illinois would have had between 17,500 and 19,100 more registered nurses which would have eliminated the shortage of registered nurses, the report states. But Danny Chun, spokesman for the Illinois Health and Hospital Association, strongly disagreed that hospitals werent prepared for the pandemic. First of all, weve been drilling and doing exercises on pandemics before the pandemic hit, Chun said during an interview. Every hospital in the state, as you know, has an emergency preparedness plan for disasters of all kinds mass shootings, traffic accidents, biochemical, biohazard, flu epidemics or pandemics. In the city of Chicago last year in the summer of 2019, Chicago hospitals did an exercise, a drill with the Chicago Department of Public Health on this exact issue pandemics. And we were directly involved in a lot of the planning and discussions back in January, February, March where hospitals got ready for the pandemic. Chun said hospitals were directly involved in discussions with Gov. JB Pritzkers administration in the early stages of the pandemic to plan mitigation efforts, including the decision to cancel or postpone nonemergency surgeries and procedures to free up hospital resources for COVID-19 patients. Look at the numbers. We flattened the curve, Chun said, referring to hospitalization data from the Illinois Department of Public Health, which have shown a consistent downward trend since May in hospitalizations, intensive care admissions and ventilator usage by COVID-19 patients. If there was any weakness in preparation, Chun said, it was with the federal government and its failure to maintain a national stockpile of personal protective equipment and open supply chains with China, where most PPE is manufactured. Enacting a law requiring minimum staffing levels, Chun argued, would not solve the states nursing shortage and would likely harm many smaller hospitals and safety-net hospitals in urban areas that wouldnt be able to meet the requirements. You have an existing shortage of at least 21,000 nurses in Illinois, he said. Simply requiring hospitals to have a certain number of nurses does not create new nurses. In and of itself, ratios dont do anything. Chun argued that to address the nursing shortage, the state needs a multi-pronged strategy that includes more scholarships for nursing students, incentives to keep nurse educators in the workforce, and policies that would make it easier for nurses licensed in other states to practice in Illinois. Calaveras Public Health View Photo San Andreas, CA Warning of a serious potential outbreak with eight new coronavirus cases reported in Calaveras County, its health officer is sounding the alarm and urging the public to follow state restriction orders to slow the spread. This newest spike brings the total number of cases for the county to 40. Dr. Dean Kelaita says his department is seeing an alarming and accelerating trend of community spread in the county. The eight new confirmed positive cases reported today (Tuesday, June 30) is the single largest one-day case count in the county since the pandemic began. What we are seeing in Calaveras County is the beginning of a significant outbreak of COVID-19 in several regions of our community. Widespread community transmission is now taking place in the Valley Springs area, and other locations are also reporting increasing disease activity, said Dr. Kelaita. If things continue at this rate, we are in very serious risk of overwhelming our local hospital and limited ICU capacity. He cautions that the county is at an important crossroads and needs to take immediate action to slow the spread of COVID-19. He adds, As of now, I am not ordering any further closures, but additional community mitigation actions may be reintroduced if these disease trends continue. However, Dr. Kelaita is calling on businesses that have reopened to closely adhere to health directives. For the public, he says to always practice physical distancing and wear a cloth face-covering around others. Those at higher risk of complications from COVID-19 are encouraged to avoid going out unless absolutely necessary. The health department also targets travel as a problem with neighboring counties seeing spikes in coronavirus activity, noting that San Joaquin County reported 294 new cases on Monday (June 29th) alone, with 3,856 total cases and 133 currently hospitalized. This increased disease burden experienced in larger nearby counties is contributing to higher rates of infection among our populations traveling to these areas to work or shop, stressed Dr. Kelaita. Those infected in neighboring jurisdictions can bring the virus home and infect others around them. To prove his point, Dr. Kelaita, says look no farther than San Joaquin County which this weekend was placed on a state of California watch list and ordered to re-close all bars, and to better monitor mass gatherings, as its rise in cases are attributed to those decisions. Also, the state warns that more businesses and places could be shut down if the cases continue to spike. Calaveras will be in a similar position as our neighbors if we dont get a handle on this outbreak quickly, warns Dr. Kelaita. Regarding the latest cases, all are being investigated through contact tracing. Anyone found to have had close contact with any of the individuals will be quarantined. Health officials ask that anyone in the county that test positive for coronavirus, contact the department immediately at (209) 754-6460. Dr. Kelaita concluded that following the state guidelines can stop the spread of the virus, stressing, If our community can do these simple actions every day, we can beat this pandemic and protect the most vulnerable members of our community. Congressman Tom McClintock View Photo Congressman Tom McClintock spoke on the U.S. House Floor last week in opposition to the attempt To federalize local police departments. McClintock was Wednesdays KVML Newsmaker of the Day. Here are his words: Madam Speaker: Thirteen years ago, I partnered with California State Senate Democrats in advocating for an open records act for complaints against police officers. Five years ago, I co-sponsored Hank Johnson Stop Militarizing the Police Act. This year, I co-sponsored Justin Amashs bill to end qualified immunity for public officials. So if the majority was seeking bi-partisan support for police reform they would have had it. If they had sought consultation, compromise and cooperation, if they had reached across the aisle, they would have found many sincere allies among Republicans. My views on law enforcement were shaped when I had the honor to work for former Los Angeles Police Chief Ed Davis. His approach to law enforcement proved highly effective. While crime increased dramatically across the rest of the country during those years, it came down in Los Angeles under Chief Davis. He believed in the policing principles of Sir Robert Peel that the police are an extension of the community. Chief Davis believed that and practiced it. He introduced neighborhood watch enlisting citizens to work in partnership with the police. He introduced the Basic Car Plan that matched patrol officers with individual neighborhoods, so that they would become a familiar, recognized and trusted presence in their neighborhoods. I believe the closer we adhere to these principles, the more effective law enforcement will become and the fewer abuses we will see. Major parts of this bill move us closer to these principles, especially the reform of qualified immunity, the need to open police records of misconduct, the restriction of no-knock warrants, the restriction of transfers of military hardware to local police departments and the encouragement of police cameras. If these provisions were presented as stand-alone bills, I think there would be significant bi-partisan support for many of them. But by rolling them into a bill that imposes an ideological laundry list of operational restrictions and procedures upon every police department in the nation, the bill is rendered unwise, unworkable and unsupportable. Worse, it ignores the most serious problem we face: the protection of bad cops by collective bargaining agreements that make it all but impossible to fire them. Policing is a uniquely community-based function. New York, New York and Auburn, California are very different places with very different needs and challenges and standards. Running and micro-managing every local police department in the country is far beyond our competence or authority. So even though there are provisions of this bill I strongly support, I cannot support the attempt to federalize local police departments, which moves us further down a slippery slope I fear we are already on. As I look at the wreckage on our streets, it becomes clear that the ultimate target of the left is not isolated abuses by law enforcement officers, but rather law enforcement itself. And as we can now see, without law enforcement, there is no law; and without law, there is no civilization. Finally, I strongly condemn the sentiments I hear that America is systemically racist. There are racists of every color in every society. It is the baser side of human nature. But no nation has struggled harder to transcend that nature and isolate and ostracize its racists than have Americans. The American Founders placed principles in the Declaration of Independence that they believed would someday produce a nation of free men and women of all races and religions, together enjoying the blessings of liberty and the equal protection of our laws. Lincoln denounced any other claim as Having an evil tendency, if not an evil design. An evil tendency and an evil design are exactly what the radical left has re-introduced into our society and it is tearing our country apart. The Newsmaker of the Day is heard every weekday morning at 6:45, 7:45 and 8:45 on AM 1450 and FM 102.7 KVML. California Governor Gavin Newsom seal View Photo Sacramento, CA Governor Gavin Newsom is stepping up efforts to enforce rules regarding masks and physical distancing, and says counties that fail to help could risk losing state funding. He says the state is creating a multi-agency strike team to target non-compliant workplaces. It will include members of Alcohol Beverage Control, CALOSHA, Department of Business Oversight, Department of Consumer Affairs and the CHP. They plan to build partnerships, and work hand in hand, with local public health departments. He noted that is impossible to make sure all businesses comply with state directives, so they will go after businesses being most aggressive in thumbing their nose against directives. He added that officials will not be coming with a fist, and he still prefers education and awareness. Counties that decline to work with the strike team, or go against the state directives, risk losing a combined $2.5 billion pot of money that is earmarked for local jurisdictions. In addition, Newsom announced that over the next three weeks, 19 counties currently seeing a spike in COVID-19 cases must disallow indoor service for restaurants, wineries, movie theaters, zoos, cardrooms and museums. They include Contra Costa, Fresno, Glenn, Imperial, Kern, Kings, Los Angeles, Merced, Orange, Riverside, Sacramento, San Bernardino, San Joaquin, Santa Barbara, Santa Clara, Solano, Stanislaus, Tulare and Ventura. The businesses in those counties can still operate outdoors. Also, all parking facilities at state beaches in the Bay Area and Southern California will be closed this weekend. State parks will remain open with measures in place to reduce visitation and overcrowding. The Daily News-Miner encourages residents to make themselves heard through the Opinion pages. Readers' letters and columns also appear online at newsminer.com. Contact the editor with questions at letters@newsminer.com or call 459-7574. Community Perspective Send Community Perspective submissions by mail (P.O. Box 70710, Fairbanks AK 99707) or via email (letters@newsminer.com). Submissions must be 500 to 750 words. Columns are welcome on a wide range of issues and should be well-written and well-researched with attribution of sources. Include a full name, email address, daytime telephone number and headshot photograph suitable for publication (email jpg or tiff files at 150 dpi.) You may also schedule a photo to be taken at the News-Miner office. The News-Miner reserves the right to edit submissions or to reject those of poor quality or taste without consulting the writer. Letters to the editor Send letters to the editor by mail (P.O. Box 70710, Fairbanks AK 99707), by fax (907-452-7917) or via email (letters@newsminer.com). Writers are limited to one letter every two weeks (14 days.) All letters must contain no more than 350 words and include a full name (no abbreviation), daytime and evening phone numbers and physical address. (If no phone, then provide a mailing address or email address.) The Daily News-Miner reserves the right to edit or reject letters without consulting the writer. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Fifteen new cases of COVID-19 and one new recovery were reported to the Plainview/Hale County Health Department by 5 p.m. Monday afternoon. Fourteen of those new cases are reflected in Plainviews case counts and one is in Hale Centers. The recovery is also reported in Plainviews count. The new cases bring the total for the county up to 300 overall since March with 167 recoveries. Plainview counts show a total of 275 cases and 149 recoveries and three deaths have been reported for Plainview. Hale Center has had 12 total cases, eight recoveries and two deaths. Petersburg has had nine total cases, six recoveries and two deaths. Those three towns are the only ones within Hale County with active cases. As of Monday afternoon, Plainview had 126 active cases, Hale Center had two and Petersburg had one. The latest individuals to be diagnosed include: four women and one man between 21 and 60 years old; one female who is 20 or younger; one man and two women who are between 41 and 60 years old; and three women and three men who are 61 years old or older. All transmission types for these individuals are listed as local. Of those individuals, one man between 21 and 40 years old, two of the women and one man who are 61 or older, and one woman who is between 41 and 60 are all in a medical facility. The rest are listed as being at home. Also, one of the women between 21 and 40 is listed as recovered. A total of 2,530 COVID-19 tests have been conducted at facilities across the county with 1,783 of them yielding negative results as of 5 p.m. Monday. There are 520 test results still pending. The total number of tests conducted is a 429-test difference from the number in the report released Monday afternoon (which reflects the cases reported between Friday and Sunday). Following a mobile testing event that took place at Wayland Baptist University last week, a county official told The Herald that 309 tests had been administered. WBU sent out a news release on Tuesday noting that some of those results had already returned but several were still awaiting results. Those could account for the pending test results. The latest report from the City of Plainview also shows there are 213 people under monitoring. This number which has not changed since the report released last Thursday reflects individuals who have traveled to a known virus hot spot and/or who have been in close contact with someone who has tested positive. A majority of the positive COVID-19 tests in Plainview (266 cases) have been a result of local transmissions. Thirty-two have been results of out-of-county transmissions and two are listed as indeterminate. Many of the positive cases have been detected among the age group of those who are between 21 and 40 years old. According to the report, the age breakdown is as follows: 131 cases among those between 21 and 40 years old; 74 cases among those who are between 41 and 60; 53 among those who are 61 years old or older; and 42 among those who are 20 or younger. Of the positive cases, 172 have been diagnosed among females and 128 among males. The report shows 108 of the individuals with active cases are recovering at home and 18 are in a medical facility. As case counts continue to increase, the city continues to encourage citizens to wear face masks in public, practice social distancing and maintain good hand hygiene. Dr. Sergio Lara, county health authority, told The Herald last week that masks dont necessarily protect the wearer from contracting the virus. They decrease the chances of spreading the virus by protecting the wearer from unknowingly spreading it. He noted that the virus can be transferred on a drop of saliva through tasks as seemingly harmless as having a conversation without wearing masks. Local leaders have officially launched the Plainview Safe program and the Plainview CARES Small Business Relief Fund. The programs were created to utilize government-issued Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) funding in a way that will help businesses financially and with maintaining supplies of masks and sanitizing products. Both programs are provided through a partnership between the City of Plainview, Plainview/Hale County Economic Development Corporation and the Plainview Chamber of Commerce. The funding is made available to municipalities through the Coronavirus Relief Fund under the CARES act and distributed through the Texas Department of Emergency Management. City Manager Jeffrey Snyder told the Plainview City Council last week that the city could receive up to $1.4 million that must be used by the end of December. He noted that the Texas Department of Emergency Management set guidelines for how those funds must be used, which is how city leaders came up with both of the new programs. The Council approved a resolution to split the monies between the two programs. The Plainview CARES Small Business Relief Fund will provide financial relief to businesses affected by local COVID-19 activity. There are three different funding tiers based on annual gross revenue. Businesses that make $100,000 or less could be eligible for up to $2,500; businesses that make between $100,000 to $250,000 could be eligible for up to $5,000; businesses that make between $250,000 to $500,000 could be eligible for up to $10,000; and businesses that make $500,000 or more could receive up to $20,000. To determine eligibility, businesses must show proof of impact by submitted current personal and 2019 business property taxes with their application. Businesses must also have been in operation for at least one year and be located within the Plainview city limits. Available funding will be granted on a first come, first served basis. The funds must be used for overhead operations, payroll, rent, short-term uses of cash for business operations, utilities or inventory necessary to continue operations, according to the news release. Snyder mentioned last week that the South Plains Association of Government will assist in choosing eligible grant recipients. Information about the Plainview CARES Small Business Relief Fund can be found at www.plainviewtx.org. SPAG will host a webinar on Tuesday at 9 a.m. to assist businesses with the application. The link to sign up is available on the citys website. Those interested can also join city staff at the Fair Theater, 717 Broadway, to watch the webinar. It will also be available to watch later. The Plainview Safe program will focus specifically on providing sanitizing products and masks to small businesses and for local events, according to a news release from the City of Plainview. Eligible small businesses will be contacted by Plainview/Hale County Health Department and the Chamber regarding this program. Those interested in learning more can contact the Chamber or the EDC at (806)296-7431. This article will be updated throughout the week with coronavirus case counts and other need-to-know information about the pandemic in San Antonio. Highest single day death count since pandemic began: The coronavirus continued its unabated spread through the area Sunday as Bexar County reported 198 new cases and eight new deaths. July 4 High death count on Fourth of July: The coronavirus continued to exact a deadly toll in San Antonio on the Fourth of July as city official reported five new deaths and 341 new cases of COVID-19. Saturdays death count was the highest for a single day in Bexar County since mid-April. In all, 122 people have died of COVID-19 in Bexar County since the start of the pandemic in March. July 3 San Antonio reported another record-high number of new coronavirus cases Friday a 1,334-case increase after sending an emergency alert to area residents cellphones, urging them heed the state's new face covering mandate. It was a 4,000-case jump since Sunday, bringing the total number of cases in Bexar County to 14,212. July 2 Gov. Greg Abbott issues new order: On Thursday, the governor issued an executive order requiring Texans to wear a face mask in public spaces in counties with more 20 or more positive cases. The order also gives mayors and county judges the ability to impose restrictions on some outdoor gatherings of over 10 people. With certain exceptions, people cannot be in groups larger than 10 and must maintain 6 feet of social distancing from others. The face mask requirement comes during a statewide rise in COVID-19 cases. Big Bend closes: The Big Bend National Park was ordered closed again Thursday after a park resident turned up positive for COVID-19. After being largely spared during the early stages of the pandemic, the Big Bend area is now being hit with a wave of positive COVID-19 cases. July 1 Coronavirus cases: The novel coronavirus continued its unchecked spread through the San Antonio region as Bexar County reported 439 more cases of COVID-19 and 53 new hospitalized patients Wednesday. One more person has died of COVID-19, an Hispanic man in his 80s, bringing the toll to 111. The number of people are now hospitalized with the virus stands at 1,019. UTSA laying off more than 300 employees: The University of Texas at San Antonio is notifying 312 employees today that their positions are being eliminated to help close a $36 million shortfall caused by COVID-19. Laid-off employees will be released from their responsibilities immediately but will maintain their pay and benefits through August. JUNE 30 Coronavirus updates: San Antonio reported its largest one-day increase in coronavirus cases since the start of the pandemic, reporting 1,268 new infections. That represent a 60 percent increase from the previous one-day high of 795, which was set Saturday. CPS employees: As the coronavirus races through San Antonio, 32 CPS Energy employees have tested positive for COVID-19 and an additional 246 workers are quarantined at home, utility officials said Monday. In other words, 8 percent of CPS Energys 3,083 employees are under quarantine. JUNE 29 Coronavirus updates: San Antonio officials reported 650 new cases of COVID-19 on Monday as the virus rapid spread continued to put pressure on area hospitals. The confirmed new cases brought the countys total to 10,797. San Antonio-area hospitals were treating 881 COVID-19 patients, an increase of 79 since Sunday. Half of S.A.'s COVID-19 cases confirmed in June: "Good Morning America" pointed out that more than half of the city's cases were reported in June. Mayor Ron Nirenberg said the current situation is a "stark difference" from previous months, when he said the city had one of the lowest infection rates per capita. USAA delaying office reopening: The San Antonio insurance and financial services company informed employees last week that the bulk of its 35,000-person workforce will continue to work from home through Dec. 31, instead of Sept. 1 as originally planned. USAA employs 19,000 people in San Antonio. H-E-B employees positive: Twenty-four H-E-B employees in San Antonio tested positive for COVID-19 last weekend. In June alone, more than 100 S.A. grocery employees had been infected with COVID-19, including the 24 cases this past weekend. Cases surpass 10,000: San Antonio coronavirus cases continued to rise exponentially Sunday, topping 10,000 as local hospitals scramble to find enough hospital beds and nurses to care for the wave of new patients in the last two weeks. JUNE 28 Pence in Dallas: This is all hands on deck, Vice President Mike Pence said during a June 28 meeting with Abbott and White House coronavirus expert Dr. Deborah Birx at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. President Trump wanted us to be here today with the developments over the last two weeks with the rising positivity and the rising number of cases with a very simple message that is to you and the people of Texas: Were with you and were going to stay with you. TRACKING COVID-19: Maps and graphics show the spread of the virus through San Antonio and Texas. Jay Janner/Associated Press The Austin City Limits Music Festival will not take place in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic. Organizers announced Wednesday that the festival will return to Zilker Park in October 2021. When Texas bars were shut down a second time in four months, Houston's Capitol Bar Midtown co-owner, Shawn Outlaw was more than upset about it. "It's heartbreaking. It's really heartbreaking for us. The first quarantine was a struggle.," Outlaw said. "We had to pay our mortgage and our rent. It's not just me, it's the bar backs, it's the security. If you say, 'hey guys, it'll be a month and then we'll reopen,' it's hard to see if you can make it." The toughest part of the whole shutdown was the uncertainty and what to tell all of his employees. "We all have our own homes. I rent an apartment in Midtown," Outlaw said. "I didn't expect that. They'll let you pay half. But the bills keep coming in." It's even tougher when the bar follows all the specified COVID-19 guidelines. "We are a patio bar. When we were allowed to reopen, we closed off the dance floor," Outlaw said. "We closed off half of the bar inside. We told people to grab their drinks and go outside on the patio. We took the requirement and went above it." He emphasized that the staff also took measures right at the door. "We had sanitizer at stations on all bartops, we did temperature checks and had signs," Outlaw said. "We want to do that for the customers' safety and our staff's safety." When asked about other clubs that were packed like Cle and Spire, Outlaw said that businesses should have a COVID-19 certification to ensure safety for the customers and staff. "They're taking a broad scope when they shut down everybody. It's unfair to those who are trying to do the right things. Why can't we figure out a way to do a COVID-19 certification to make things safe for customers? Then, you don't punish people who are really trying." Outlaw had planned on attending a protest of bar owners against the shutdown in Houston. Outlaw's friend who attended the protest in Austin said that some bar owners said they didn't know how they were going to survive. "We are just trying to provide for our families and our employees families," Outlaw said. "We're all shut down or we should all have a right to be open." Outlaw said the one thing that's truly hurting his staff and other bar owners is simply not knowing what's ahead. "We can ride it out a little longer--or I close up shop," Outlaw said. "It's the unknown. I can handle a month. But I can't handle 6 months. It would be nice to know what I'm looking at. Unfortunately, I don't have that option because we have no idea." Outlaw shares this message with other Texas bar owners. "Hang in there. Hopefully we'll be back open soon," Outlaw said. The coronavirus has forced Japan's notoriously fussy food shoppers to abandon doubts about online grocery stores, sending retailers such as Aeon Co scrambling to meet a surge in delivery demand. Although Japanese shoppers aren't alone in going online during the outbreak, the shift is remarkable for a country that had been expected to take years to embrace online food shopping because of a zeal for fresh and perfectly presented produce. "I think that this pandemic has triggered an inflection point in the adoption of grocery e-commerce," said Luke Jensen, executive director of Ocado Group, hired to build a grocery e-commerce business for Japanese retail giant Aeon. Most companies won't disclose numbers, but retail executives and analysts estimate internet sales now account for about 5% or more of Japan's total grocery sales, compared with 2.5% before the pandemic. Although that is still lower than some pre-crisis estimates of 15% in China and even 7% in broadband laggard Britain, it challenges a long-held belief that Japanese shoppers will always on shopping daily and in person, checking the goods first-hand. Yuri Ohtaka, a graphic designer living in Tokyo's western suburbs, began ordering from multiple online supermarkets in March after seeing shoppers emptying shelves at a nearby store. Although fears of shortages have subsided, online deliveries have made it easier as she works from home, making three meals a day for her family, including her 3-year-old son. She's also happy to avoid stores amid fears of infections. "There's no need for face-to-face, dealing with registers, or standing in line," she said, adding that she's also persuaded her parents to go online. "They were shopping every day in the supermarket, and I really didn't want them to." As more households have two people working, analysts say, people want to spend less time shopping. But they still have exacting standards for service and produce quality, which have perplexed previous foreign entrants such as Carrefour and Tesco. Such changes are closely watched as Japan is one of the world's most valuable grocery markets, worth over 50 trillion yen ($466.42 billion) a year. Per capita, only countries such as Switzerland, Norway and Israel spend more on food. With covid-19 infections surging in the South and West of the United States, American travelers are likely to remain a rare sight around the world for months to come, at minimum, even as European flights and cross-border tourism resume quicker than anticipated. While the E.U. has seen a major decline in novel coronavirus infections and has reopened many of its internal and some external borders, U.S. travelers remain banned in many places, or face quarantine on arrival. The European Union on Tuesday recommended that its member states resume admittance for people traveling from at least 14 countries outside the bloc. Canada and Thailand were among the nations included, but not the United States, Russia and Brazil, where infection levels are spiking or remain high. In practice, this means a tourist from Canada could head to Berlin starting Thursday, but one from the United States could not. (Upon return, Canadians would still need to quarantine for 14 days). Restrictions may also snap back in some E.U. countries, depending on infection numbers. Italy said Tuesday it would continue to require travelers arriving from outside Europe's Schengen area to quarantine for two weeks. Some E.U. countries do not intend to follow the E.U. recommendations. In the United States, a State Department "Do Not Travel" advisory remains in place, advising "U.S. citizens to avoid all international travel due to the global impact of Covid-19." Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told reporters last week that the United States is considering a return to U.S.-E.U. travel. "We're working on finding the right way to do that, the right timing to do it, the right tactics to have in place," he said. "We certainly don't want to reopen a plan that jeopardizes the United States from people traveling here, and we certainly don't want to cause problems anyplace else. Travel during a pandemic presents health and ethics concerns, alongside logistical challenges - a reality his remarks appear to reflect. Who can go where under what conditions during the pandemic can be difficult to ascertain. Egypt, for instance, scheduled the resumption of international arrivals for July 1 and was set to require coronavirus testing for travelers from high-risk countries, but the National, a newspaper in Abu Dhabi, reported Wednesday that those plans had been abandoned. The website of Cairo Airport showed arrivals from cities including Paris, Milan and London on Wednesday, and several Egyptian resorts said they had reopened. Flight connections to cities including New York and Washington were set to resume Wednesday as well, EgyptAir, the state-owned flag carrier, said on its website. The first flight from New York is slated to arrive in Cairo on Thursday, according to the airport's online schedule. Holiday resorts in Egypt say they have taken all necessary precautions to keep tourists safe. But the number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the country has remained at a relatively high level, with over 1,500 new confirmed infections reported Tuesday. Whistleblower doctors have been arrested and silenced in Egypt, the Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday, raising concerns over the country's level of transparency as travel resumes. Some tourism has also begun to return in Mexico, where new cases are on the rise and testing continues to lag. Even though land border crossings remain restricted, U.S. travelers can still make their way to Cancun or other tourism hotspots by plane. Hotels in Cancun are gradually reopening. For some tourism-reliant destinations, keeping the door closed to Americans, however severe the U.S. outbreak, would pose steep economic challenges. Poor countries, however, are in many cases ill-prepared to handle an influx of infections, which travel from the United States could bring. The Maldives, for instance, has for the most part been able to contain the coronavirus so far, with eight confirmed deaths, and is set to move ahead with reopening plans by July 15. The government will not require travelers to quarantine themselves or provide a coronavirus test results, unless they show symptoms. Tourism fuels the island country's economy, and the "Covid-19 outbreak has had a debilitated effect," according to the World Bank. Tourism is also the main revenue source for the financially embattled Caribbean island of Aruba, where Americans make up around 4 of every 5 tourists. Tourism has reopened there, but visitors are required to undergo tests. Other countries with high rates of tourism have begun to reopen. Turkey is allowing in visitors from many countries. Before the pandemic, it had begun an ambitious plan to expand its tourism industry. As a travel hub in the Middle East, Dubai is planning to reopen to international travelers on July 7, but has taken more extensive precautions, including a mandatory coronavirus test either before departure or upon arrival. For the time being, Americans planning to travel abroad will face two determining questions: whether they can, given the high number of restrictions, and whether they should, given the risk of contracting or spreading the virus. The bodies have been arriving at Anahi Ortiz's office in frantic spurts - as many as nine overdose deaths in 36 hours. "We've literally run out of wheeled carts to put them on," said Ortiz, a coroner in Columbus, Ohio. In Roanoke County, Va., police have responded to twice as many fatal overdoses in recent months as in all of last year. In Kentucky, which just celebrated its first decline in overdose deaths after five years of crisis, many towns are experiencing an abrupt reversal in the numbers. Nationwide, federal and local officials are reporting alarming spikes in drug overdoses - a hidden epidemic within the coronavirus pandemic. Emerging evidence suggests that the continued isolation, economic devastation and disruptions to the drug trade in recent months are fueling the surge. Because of how slowly the government collects data, it could be five to six months before definitive numbers exist on the change in overdoses during the pandemic. But data obtained by The Washington Post from a real-time tracker of drug-related emergency calls and interviews with coroners suggest that overdoses have not just increased since the pandemic began but are accelerating as it persists. Suspected overdoses nationally - not all of them fatal - jumped 18% in March compared with last year, 29% in April and 42% in May, according to the Overdose Detection Mapping Application Program, a federal initiative that collects data from ambulance teams, hospitals and police. In some jurisdictions, such as Milwaukee County, dispatch calls for overdoses have increased more than 50%. When the pandemic hit, some authorities hoped it might lead to a decrease in overdoses by disrupting drug traffic as borders closed and cities shut down. The opposite seems to be happening. As traditional supply lines are disrupted, people who use drugs appear to be seeking out new suppliers and substances they are less familiar with, increasing the risk of overdose and death. Synthetic drugs and less common substances are increasingly showing up in autopsies and toxicology reports, medical examiners say. Social distancing has also sequestered people, leaving them to take drugs alone and making it less likely that someone else will be there to call 911 or to administer the lifesaving overdose antidote naloxone, also known as Narcan. Making matters worse, many treatment centers, drug courts and recovery programs have been forced to close or significantly scale back during shutdowns. With plunging revenue for services and little financial relief from the government, some now teeter on the brink of financial collapse. Even before the pandemic, experts note, the nation's infrastructure for helping people with substance use disorders was underfunded and inadequate. Without government intervention, local officials and drug policy experts warn, overdoses and deaths will continue to climb during the pandemic and the existing system will be inundated. What's needed, advocates say, is emergency funding to keep afloat treatment programs, recovery centers and needle-exchange programs. Medical associations have also urged federal officials to relax restrictive barriers to opioid treatments such as buprenorphine and called for wider distribution of naloxone. President Donald Trump and conservatives have repeatedly cited the possible rise of overdoses and suicides when calling for states and businesses to hurry their economic reopening. Yet, of the nearly $2.5 trillion approved for emergency relief, Congress and the Trump administration have designated only $425 million - barely more than a hundredth of 1% - for mental health and substance use treatment. "If it weren't for covid, these opioid deaths are all we'd be talking about right now," said Natalia Derevyanny, spokeswoman for the medical examiner's office in Cook County, Ill., which includes Chicago. Last year, the Cook County medical examiner recorded 473 overdose deaths from January to June. This year, the total through May reached 656, with more than 400 additional suspected overdoses pending investigation and toxicology reports. The county's forensic staff - already inundated by the flood of coronavirus deaths - has added shifts and longer hours to deal with the incoming corpses from both crises. "One epidemic began," Derevyanny said, "but the other one never stopped." --- Addiction is a disease of isolation. "It's when you feel alone, stigmatized and hopeless that you are most vulnerable and at risk," said Robert Ashford, who runs a recovery center in Philadelphia and has been in recovery for seven years. "So much of addiction has nothing to do with the substance itself. It has to do with pain or distress or needs that aren't being met." As the pandemic has pushed massive doses of fear, uncertainty, anxiety and depression into people's lives, it has cut off the human connections that help ease those burdens. Steven Manzo, 33, lost his job at an Irish pub in Mount Clemens, Mich., after it was forced to close just before St. Patrick's Day. From the apartment he rented above the bar, he described the disquiet welling up inside of him, with nothing to do but stand on the balcony and watch the empty street below. "Everything looks normal, but it doesn't feel normal. I live downtown with bars and restaurants and nobody is here," he said on March 20. "We have no idea how long it will be." Manzo spent much of his early 20s struggling with a heroin addiction. It took huge effort - and the help of family members, co-workers and two treatment programs - for him to turn his life around. He secured a job as a cook and bartender and discovered a gift for making customers laugh. The pandemic took it all away, he said. Two weeks after Manzo talked to a Washington Post reporter about his sudden unemployment, he was found dead in his apartment from an apparent overdose. His mother, JoAnne Manzo, fought back tears as she described the rainy night she drove to her son's apartment to recover his body. Talking to his friends, she tried to piece together his last moments. He and a younger friend - also in recovery - had been drinking that weekend and got bored. They bought $40 worth of cocaine and heroin, telling themselves they would use just that one time. Shortly after midnight, Manzo saw his friend out the door. Manzo's body was discovered two days later, sprawled out on the kitchen floor not far from his five guitars and drum set. "He was clean for eight years. He would always tell me, 'My trigger is depression. That is my trigger,' " his mother said. The virus, she believes, took away one of the strongest forces in Manzo's life - the presence of people who loved him. "If he had still been working, he would have been able to fight that urge, because he was busy. He loved that job. He loved people." --- Michigan - where Manzo died - now ranks third in the United States for the highest unemployment rate, with 1 in 5 workers out of a job. Nationwide, more than 20 million are unemployed as the nation faces its worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. Research has established strong links between stagnating economies and increases in suicides, drug use and overdoses. In recent years, economists Anne Case and Nobel Prize-winner Angus Deaton have dubbed such increasing fatalities in declining blue-collar communities "deaths of despair." For months, the Trump administration and several governors have seized on such research as their central argument for reopening states and businesses at any cost. "We have to reopen - for our health," Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar wrote recently in a Post op-ed. "The economic crisis brought on by the virus is a silent killer." As evidence, Azar cited a study suggesting that for every one percentage point increase in the unemployment rate in past recessions, the opioid death rate appears to increase by more than 3%. But in an interview, the lead researcher behind that study rejected Azar's premise as a misuse and an oversimplification of his data. Many factors - not just job loss - trigger opioid use, said Alex Hollingsworth, a health economist at Indiana University. "Don't use opioid deaths as a reason to reopen." Hollingsworth and other economists, including Case, who spearheaded much of the research on "deaths of despair," point out that their findings are based on previous recessions that were wildly different from this one. One big difference is how suddenly this downturn occurred - causing tens of millions of Americans to lose their jobs almost overnight. Deaths of despair normally occur after years of hardship. The pandemic has also introduced unprecedented disruptions into individual habits and society, making it difficult to foresee the exact effect. But the biggest objection to such arguments - that tie the declining economy to an inevitable increase in overdoses - is the implied assumption that nothing can be done to avert it. The focus, many economists and health experts agree, should be on finding safe and sustainable ways to reopen the economy, while increasing access and funding for mental health and substance use care. "We need to multitask as a society," said Nora Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, a federal research agency. The problem is a lack of political will, said Alex H. Kral, an epidemiologist at the nonprofit research institute RTI International. "We may not have a vaccine for covid, but we actually have very effective treatments for opioid use disorder," Kral said. "We have medication and proven interventions. It doesn't have to play out the way we fear it will." --- Before the pandemic hit, national efforts to stem the opioid crisis were just starting to show progress. In January, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released 2018 data showing a slight decline in fatal overdoses for the first time in 28 years. But decades into the opioid epidemic, federal and state agencies still lack a system to collect overdose data in real or near-real time. The closest thing that exists comes from the Overdose Detection Mapping Application Program, which receives county-level data from emergency agencies. Since it began in 2017, ODMAP has forged agreements with a patchwork of about 3,300 agencies in 49 states that voluntarily provide data. Of the counties participating, 62% have reported increased overdoses since March. And among counties that took part in the program last year and this year, data provided to The Post by ODMAP show a 42% increase in May. Ortiz, the coroner in Columbus and surrounding Franklin County, said that she and her staff just moved this year into a facility three times the size of its old office so they could handle exactly this kind of added volume. They're already out of space. "There's just so many. And the bodies absolutely can't go on the floor, out of respect for the decedents," she said. "We're trying to borrow carts that emergency management was saving for hospitals and the possible covid surge." Ortiz and more than half a dozen other coroners nationwide described a dangerous trend from recent years that has accelerated during the pandemic: dealers mixing long-standing narcotics such as heroin and cocaine with much more powerful synthetic drugs, including fentanyl and carfentanil. The American Medical Association recently issued a warning, citing reports from officials in 34 states about the increased spread of such synthetic drugs and rising overdoses. Sandy Rivera, an emergency medical technician in Union City, N.J., said she saw an abrupt change in May in the types of cases her ambulance was responding to. For weeks, it had been almost all respiratory illnesses and cardiac arrests related to the coronavirus. Then, suddenly, nearly half her cases became overdoses and suicide attempts, a ratio she has never encountered in 15 years working on ambulances. "One night, that's all I had," Rivera said. One patient took a bottle of Tylenol. Another took medication that belonged to her children. An elderly patient had been drinking and swallowed 10 pills of Benadryl. "They were cries for help," she said. --- At a time when they are needed most, some treatment centers and addiction clinics are struggling to stay solvent and have begun closing programs. In May, Austin Recovery Network, the oldest addiction treatment provider in Texas, shuttered its clinics. "It is only a matter of time until we run out of money," the board of the nonprofit organization told staff members. Lynn Sherman, chairman of the treatment provider's board, said the decision to close the clinics was "hard as hell." The organization is still holding online support groups and running a shelter for parents and children, Sherman said, but, she added, "I don't think our area will have enough capacity in the future to provide the help that's needed." Even as Austin Recovery Network shut down its residential treatment programs for adults, it has seen an increase in people walking into its offices, begging for detox treatment and a place to stay amid the pandemic. In normal times, most nonprofit behavioral health centers operate on extremely thin margins and rely on reimbursements from major government health programs such as Medicaid and Medicare and grants from local government. During the pandemic, they have struggled to treat patients, leading to severe drops in reimbursement, said Chuck Ingoglia, president of the National Council for Behavioral Health, which represents 3,326 treatment organizations. In a recent survey, 44% of the council's members said they will run out of money in the next six months. Many are bracing for deeper cuts in the coming year, as states grapple with budget crunches. "Mental health and substance use programs are often the first thing cut," said Tami Mark, a drug policy researcher at RTI International. "The last recession decimated behavioral health funding so badly it took them 10 years just to get back to previous levels." --- When the Democratic-controlled House passed a $3 trillion coronavirus relief bill in May, the legislation, dubbed the Heroes Act, designated $3 billion for mental health and substance use disorders programs - seven times more than the amount Congress approved in March. But the White House and Republicans have declared the bill dead on arrival, leaving it unclear whether any additional funding will go toward programs for mental health and substance use disorders. "We as a society often have a tendency to stigmatize and blame those who use drugs," said Ashford, the recovery center director in Philadelphia. "But if overdoses really increase during this pandemic, it will be because of failures of the system." Since her son's death, JoAnne Manzo has asked herself the same question over and over: What exactly happened? "I know in my heart he did not want to take his life," she said. On Friday, she finally received the official death certificate. Under cause of death, it said: "acute fentanyl and cocaine." The autopsy took nearly three months because county officials were overwhelmed with covid-19 cases. The pandemic also made it impossible to hold a funeral, so she had her son's body cremated. JoAnne Manzo took the ashes and put a small portion into a heart necklace she now wears every day. She knows how lonely her son felt during the last days of his life. Since his death, she has tried to keep him as close as possible. --- If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration can help you locate treatment at www.findtreatment.gov or at this free helpline: 1-800-662-HELP (4357). --- The Washington Post's Alyssa Fowers and Ariana Eunjung Cha contributed to this report. Surging cases of the coronavirus across the Sun Belt are sparking unprecedented demand for testing, with lines stretching miles in the summer heat, supplies running out and medical workers left exhausted. Supply-chain issues that hampered testing from the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic have improved but not ended, even as many states opened sites that require no appointment or referral. Reagents - substances used to carry out tests - and pipettes remain in short supply in many places, and the machines that run the tests are expensive and time-consuming to build. There are also limits on collection sites, exacerbated by rising summer temperatures. Staff at testing sites, standing outside in full-body protective gear, must rotate more often to avoid heat-related health problems. Some testing sites have been temporarily or permanently closed because of extreme heat. "The demand, in light of the surge - it's overwhelmed the system," said Marcia Katz, associate dean for clinical affairs at the University of Central Florida's medical school. "The lines are incredibly long. . . . There is availability for testing, there's just limitations in terms of how many people can be tested at one time." On a call with reporters Wednesday, Brett Giroir, the administration's testing czar, said the Department of Health and Human Services would help at least three states - Florida, Louisiana and Texas - with surge testing to identify people under the age of 35 who are spreading the virus and might not be having symptoms. It was "absolutely correct," he said, that some labs were near or reaching capacity. But he said some of the demand came from one-time mass testing events at prisons and nursing homes. Julie Khani, president of the American Clinical Laboratory Association, said in a recent statement that "the anticipated demand for COVID-19 testing over the coming weeks will likely exceed members' testing capacities." In Phoenix, Equality Health's first free coronavirus testing event in June was open invitation. The health-care system expected 500 or 600 people. Instead, more than 1,000 showed up in lines of cars that stretched for miles. The event, in a predominantly Hispanic and low-income neighborhood on the city's West Side, was supposed to end at 11 a.m. Medical workers and volunteers administered nose swabs until they ran out seven hours later. "We didn't have the heart to cut people off that waited for so long," spokesman Tomas Leon said. Still, about 100 people were turned away for lack of supplies. For its next testing event, Equality took only people with appointments; the health system ran out of slots nearly a week in advance, despite doubling capacity. Cara Christ, director of the Arizona Health Department, said that throughout May and early June, the state had more tests available than people who wanted them. Then came the "sudden increase in demand" that has outstripped supply and created a backlog and long lines. "We're working on several different fronts to try to increase access to testing and increase capacity," Christ said, including supplying more machines and reagents and partnering with private health-care organizations to open more testing sites. In Austin, a software glitch last week meant more people got appointments for tests than the public health department in the capital city of Texas could handle, exacerbating lines. Austin, which had expanded testing to anyone who wanted it, clamped down again and now will test only people with coronavirus-like symptoms or those at higher risk of complications from covid-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. "We frankly don't have enough testing capability, and the tests are not coming back quickly enough," Mayor Steve Adler, a Democrat, said in an interview on Facebook last week. He also asked people with health insurance to go to their doctors for tests rather than the city's overburdened free testing sites. In Houston, officials say holding appointment-only testing at stadiums has helped avoid long lines as demand has increased significantly. The city can test about 650 people a day under tents protected from the heat. But the federal funding for those test sites was supposed to expire at the end of the month; it was recently extended for two weeks. And by noon every day recently, they have exhausted their budget for supplies. Houston Health Department spokesman Porfirio Villarreal said he hopes the federal funding will "continue through August at least . . . because we see continued demand. More people are getting the message of getting tested." Ivey Foster, 32, thought she would be safe showing up at a free testing site in Piedmont, S.C., last weekend an hour and a half after it opened. Instead, she found blocks and blocks of cars. "That line did not move a single car except for two people who got out of line," she said. She ended up toward the front only because she came in from a side street. Still, after an hour in her car, Foster was just close enough to see the state highway patrol block off the line in front of her. They were out of tests. She works in an office with an older colleague and worries about his risk; she also wants to get tested to persuade her grandmother to move out of a nursing home and in with her. "That was the only free option over the weekend," she said. "Everyone is looking for the free test where you can get a reliable answer." Insurance plans are required to cover tests completely, but getting reimbursed is a process, and some people still end up being billed for other tests or care. "There's no 100% guarantee - people have been getting bills," Katz said. "So it's really pushing people whether it's necessary or not to go to free testing sites because of the fear of cost." The University of Central Florida offers testing through a lab that has capacity, but it requires a prescription from a doctor. Gayle Resetar, chief operating officer at Tidelands Health in coastal South Carolina, said demand has been high since mass testing started in late May. Tidelands now tests 2,500 people in a day. But Resetar said most people wait only about an hour because there are six drive-through testing lanes and a staff of 100 people that rotates because of the heat. "The challenge is many come before the event starts . . . because they want to make sure that they get a test," she said What has changed is the percentage of tests coming back positive - about 1% in May, but 10% last weekend. Most of those people, Resetar said, do not have symptoms. In Phoenix, Equality Health's Leon said that of the 700 tests already processed from their last event, a quarter came back positive. But many residents are waiting more than a week for results because of a backlog around the state. "That's ridiculous," said Tom Frieden, who was director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention under President Barack Obama. "It's not about the number of tests that get done; it's about what gets done with them. If it comes back five days later and people don't isolate in the interim, it's useless." Equality Health offers guidance, masks and other resources, and is trying to start it own contact tracing but does not have the capacity to isolate people, Leon said. "We should have had a more complete, coordinated strategy as a state," he said. He suggested that if something good came out of the 13-hour waits at the June 20 event, it was that the outrage sparked greater awareness of the surge in cases. "It was kind of the perfect storm," he said. "Now, we're focused - this is a public health crisis." - - - The Washington Post's Yasmeen Abutaleb contributed to this report. The Kogi state government says the attack at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC) on Wednesday was by relatives of patients abandoned by the... The Kogi state government says the attack at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC) on Wednesday was by relatives of patients abandoned by the staff of the hospital. Gunmen had attacked the medical centre in Lokoja, Kogi state capital, and disrupted a COVID-19 press conference. They also carted away laptops, valuable documents and destroyed some properties at the facility. But in a statement, Kingsley Fanwo, commissioner of information and communications, said the relatives of the patients only embarked on a protest at the hospital. Preliminary findings revealed that the violence ensued when relations of patients in the medical facility protested against the failure of the management of the hospital to attend to them, Fanwo said. Many people in the emergency ward were left unattended to and a mother delivered at the gate of the hospital. That generated a lot of public tension in the state. Tension started building since yesterday when patients and their relatives learnt of a plan by the medical staff to stage a protest today, seeking protection from COVID-19. We urge the people of the state to remain calm as government will ensure maintenance of law and order. We also sue for calm and urge medical authorities to remain committed to their medical profession and responsibilities as Government will protect them in order to give them the confidence to deliver. Healthcare management must never be politicized. Also, government will carry out further investigations to ascertain the remote causes of the breach of peace by the protesters and also address their fears. WASHINGTON - Virginia entered a more expansive phase of reopening Wednesday, while amusement park enthusiasts streamed into Six Flags America in Maryland for the first time since March - an early kickoff to the Fourth of July weekend amid frayed nerves over a recent resurgence of coronavirus infections in the country. Under Phase 3 of Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam's, D, plan for reviving the pandemic-stifled economy, groups of as many as 250 people are allowed to gather. Restaurants can offer inside dining and other nonessential businesses can operate at full capacity, while swimming pools and gyms can function at 75 percent capacity with physical distancing restrictions in place. Those looser restrictions had local business owners making last-minute alterations Wednesday in hopes of accommodating more customers. But with the state's seven-day averages for new coronavirus infections and covid-19 deaths higher than a week ago, some businesses were wary of opening too much, too soon. The tally of known coronavirus infections in the District, Maryland and Virginia reached 141,486 Wednesday, with a death toll of 5,544. The region's averages for new cases and fatalities has hit a plateau in recent days. Virginia's numbers have been going back up. On Wednesday, the state's daily average for new fatalities stood at 18 - twice the number as June 21. The seven-day average for new infections was 527, compared to 498 on June 21. "We may put a fifth table in here, but hesitantly," said Elizabeth Myllenbeck, walking gingerly around the four indoor tables in the downstairs portion of Sonoma Cellar, her restaurant in Old Town Alexandria. The restaurant already added another table inside its sunlit upstairs room, which Myllenbeck said "makes a real difference for us." But, she said, "it makes me nervous with the current spike. We don't want to close again." Myllenbeck then approached the HVAC specialist she had hired, asking him to inspect the attic air filter once more. The skyrocketing number of cases in other parts of the country heightened local anxieties about reopening, particularly in Northern Virginia, where Loudoun County has seen an outbreak of cases among at least 100 teenagers and young adults who returned from a "beach week" trip to Myrtle Beach, S.C. Those concerns, plus warnings from federal officials that bars have been a major source of new infections, prompted Northam to keep Phase 2 restrictions in place for bar areas in restaurants and taverns. Maryland and the District are both in their second phases of reopening, with officials closely monitoring Virginia's latest step. Public health experts say it's crucial to be flexible about reopening plans and for residents to continue wearing masks. "It's been difficult and painful but it's the new normal," said Amanda Castel, a professor at the Department of Epidemiology at George Washington University. "We're all doing our part." Castel said the virus might be more manageable in the summer, when warmer weather makes it easier for people to socialize outdoors. But, she said, "with each reopening, there's an increased level of exposure and risk of new cases." In Tysons Corner, Va., a strip of struggling beauty parlors met Phase 3 with a sense of dread. Now that they were permitted to expand their capacity, the absence of customers felt even more devastating. Hai Phan, who owns Natural Nails, reopened his salon last month, with business sputtering after the first week. July 1 did not mark a step toward a better normal - it was the day his $6,000 rent was due. "Why would we have more people in here when we don't have a lot of business?" he said. The scene inside Natural Nails was still hopeful. Addison Sobonya, 8, was on her first "girl date" of the pandemic. She sat, cat and rainbow mask on, a few tables over from her former kindergarten teacher Jillian Maenza, who has since become her best friend. "I feel so happy and excited and blown away to be here," Addison said, admiring her light pink nails through the plexiglass. It had been a hard few months for Addison, who has been out of school since March. First, she had to avoid seeing her friends. Then, her parents were worried her younger brother had covid-19. But finally, Wednesday morning, she got good news from her mom: She was able to see her favorite teacher and get her nails done. "She just started screaming," said Ashley Sobonya. The best friends exited the nail salon, fresh coat of paint drying, and discussed when they could go on a shopping trip together. "She wants to get matching outfits," said Maenza, who teaches in Sterling. "And now that stores are more open, maybe we will." In Maryland, officials reported 359 new coronavirus infections and 15 additional covid-19 deaths Wednesday. That news didn't stop families from venturing to outdoor pools, water parks and the Six Flags America amusement park in Prince George's County - all of which reopened Wednesday at reduced capacities. Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, R, urged residents to be "vigilant" about social distancing, citing a surge in confirmed coronavirus cases among people under 35. While the state's daily case count remains flat and Maryland has avoided spikes experienced elsewhere, Hogan said the current infection rate among Maryland residents under 35 is 52% higher than other groups. "This crisis is not behind us," Hogan said. "Younger people seem to be acting and feeling as if they're bulletproof, and many of them are unfortunately ignoring the public health guidelines." Prince George's, which has been hit harder by pandemic than any other Maryland locality, reported 73 new infections and four covid-19 fatalities Wednesday. Nonetheless, families from across the region journeyed to Six Flags for a taste of summer. After closing its doors in March, the amusement park reopened Wednesday for members and season pass holders, then will allow the general public to enter Friday. Those who arrived Wednesday were greeted by an array of safety precautions. Their temperatures were taken before they could enter, and those with temperatures above 100.4 degrees were asked to leave. Inside the park, patrons were required to wear a mask at all times, apart from eating and scattered break areas. Jennifer Martin, who came from Annapolis with her three children, brought gloves for the family. "We decided that as long as we take precautions it will be safe to enjoy," she said. During the heat of the day, some patrons removed their masks before being reminded by staff to put them back on. Candace Phillips, who drove with her husband and two kids for two hours from their home in Pennsylvania, reluctantly obeyed the mask requirement. "Masks make it not feel normal," she said. "But just being able to take the kids here is a huge relief." At Glenn Dale Splash Park in Prince George's, face masks and physical distancing were also required. Each group had to sign up in advance for two-hour slots. Laquinta Atley, a 41-year-old health-care provider from Bowie, brought five of her kids, nieces and nephews to the pool. "Coming here gives the children more to do," Atley said. "I try to get them to be as active as possible during the coronavirus, but it's hard to get them outside and enjoy their summer." But each step toward normalcy came with pandemic-related tension. At Woodland Wonderland's Playground in Capitol Heights, trash was littered around picnic tables where parents watched their kids play. After learning that all of Prince George's 230 playgrounds would reopen Wednesday, Monique Chiles brought her two kids to the playground. One child has asthma, so she brought hand sanitizer and warned them to stay distanced from other children. But the trash, coupled with the smell from closed and uncleaned restrooms, was a distraction. "If the playground is open, the bathroom should be open," Chiles said, adding that one of her children had an accident because there was no available restroom while they were playing. At Bowl America in Falls Church, Va., the thunder and crash of bowling balls striking pins again filled the air. Dolores Middle, 78, wore a glove on her bowling hand and doused her table with sanitizer - a welcomed ritual after spending most of the past three months inside her Arlington home. "I feel great," Middle said, packing up her cleaning kit. "I mean look, I bowled a 187!" Mike McKittrick, the bowling alley's assistant manager, stood far behind plexiglass as he checked in a growing line of customers. At 68, he was grateful to be working again, but nervous that his heart disease and diabetes put him at higher risk for infection. McKittrick glanced intently at a patron who approached his stand with his face exposed, grabbing his own mask and snapping it over his face as a reminder. "Look, if you're not on the lane, you've got to wear your mask," McKittrick said. Stone-faced, the man slowly pulled his mask over his nose. - - - The Washington Post's Erin Cox contributed to this story. Read more: As cases surge, lines for coronavirus tests sometimes stretch for miles in the summer heat Coronavirus autopsies: A story of 38 brains, 87 lungs and 42 hearts Drug overdoses are soaring during the coronavirus pandemic Local newsletters: Local headlines (8 a.m.) | Afternoon Buzz (4 p.m.) Like PostLocal on Facebook | Follow @postlocal on Twitter | Latest local news A man in his early 30s was shot dead inside an east Houston home early Wednesday morning. Houston police described the shooting as a family related homicide. Several people witnessed the incident, which happened around 12:45 a.m. inside a home in the 9000 block of Borden Street. FORT HOOD: Man linked to disappearance of Fort Hood soldier dies by suicide as cops close in Those witnesses spoke with Houston police detectives, who have a good idea of who might have killed the man, according to Houston Police Department Lt. Ronnie Wilkins. Detectives did not release any suspect information. Jay R. Jordan covers breaking news in the Houston area. Read him on our breaking news site, Chron.com, and our subscriber site, HoustonChronicle.com | Follow him on Twitter at @JayRJordan | Email him at jay.jordan@chron.com A statue of Christopher Columbus heralded for more than 500 years as the explorer who discovered the Americas is no longer standing in a downtown San Antonio park. Crews hauled the statue from Columbus Park Wednesday morning on a flatbed truck rented from Home Depot in a calm ceremony. The smells of hazelnut and coffee pierced the air, mingling with the sounds of Busta Rhymes Break Ya Neck as half a dozen men worked tirelessly in the small canning area of Weathered Souls Brewery on Monday, producing a beer with a socially conscious message. Marcus Baskerville, co-owner of the North Side brewery, looked on as hundreds of silver cans were filled with 16 ounces of the brewery's latest creation Black is Beautiful. Baskerville said the concept came about after watching protests against racial injustice in response to the death of George Floyd, a black man who died while in Minneapolis custody in May. Self-admittedly not a protest-kind of guy he is creating change the only way he knows how through beer. I wanted to highlight the injustice that is going around, so as a black business owner, as someone that has dealt with police abuse before and as a parent looking at the future of our children, I felt like it was something that I had to do, Baskerville said. ON EXPRESSNEWS.COM: San Antonios No. 1 Best Brewery: Weathered Souls Brewing Co. The beer is also in response to an industry that is run mostly by white males who market to all races, including African Americans, Baskerville said. His goal was to get at least 200 breweries to join him in creating their own versions of Black is Beautiful as a way to highlight the voices of people of color. To Baskervilles surprise, nearly 1,000 breweries in all 50 states and in 17 countries have joined his initiative. Baskerville said even major beer brands like Guinness have reached out. It has been amazing," he said. "It shows that there is no industry that is more supportive to causes than the brewing industry. It has been a very humbling experience. The breweries are allowed to create their own variations of the beer and are asked to donate 100 percent of their profits to programs designed to help people of color. Proceeds from Weathered Souls' Black is Beautiful sales will be matched by a local liquor company and donated to the Know Your Rights Camp as well as several other San Antonio organizations, Baskerville said. READ ALSO: 'Big Rojo,' a beer with Big Red syrup, will be released in San Antonio soon Weathered Souls is producing three versions of Black is Beautiful an imperial stout with notes of roasted coffee and chocolate fudge; an African-centric stout with notes of Rwandan coffee and hazelnut to celebrate the movements roots; and a stout in collaboration with Islla Street Brewing Co. that will celebrate San Antonio's diversity with notes of chocolate, caramel, sugar cookies and pecans. In Berthoud, Colorado, City Star Brewery is hoping its blackberry chocolate version will help its customers see a world outside of its small town, which is more then 90 percent white. "It's easy to get stuck in a so-called bubble and forget about the issues of the outside world, so we thought it was important to participate and hopefully open some eyes of people and remind them there is a full world of people and issues outside our small and mostly white town," said Kayla Miller, a bartender at City Star Brewery. Baskerville said he grew up in a predominantly white neighborhood in California and was often pulled over driving in his city. He also recalls being taken into custody in his early 20s after saving a man who was stabbed during a fight at a party. ON EXPRESSNEWS.COM: Lone Star Brewings first seasonal release, a Mexican-style lager, is the summertime beer were sipping right now Baskerville said he and and his cousin were not involved but were the only two to help the man and drive him to the hospital I was going like 95 trying to get to the emergency room as my cousin was in the backseat with him, trying to stop the bleeding, Baskerville said. When we got to the hospital the nurse told us that if we had been five minutes later, he would have died. We saved his life. But when police arrived, they were treated like suspects and taken into custody and questioned all night, Baskerville said. The two feared they would be accused of the crime just because of the color of their skin, he added. Those are the type of conversations around race that Baskerville hopes his initiative creates. The design of the can, which is illustrated with a range of skin-tone hues to represent the diversity within the black and brown communities, will include a photo of Floyd as a reminder of the social injustices in the country. I am so excited to get the message out and I am excited to see the support of the community behind the beer, so we can see how much San Antonio supports the local community for minorities and people of color, Baskerville said. While the pandemic put a halt on Baskervilles plans for a grand launch, customers can order the beer for curbside starting Friday. Prices range between $20 to $24 for a four-pack of 16-ounce cans. Taylor Pettaway is a breaking news and general assignment reporter for MySA.com | taylor.pettaway@express-news.net | @TaylorPettaway A 50-year-old man was charged with murder after shooting at two teenagers and killing one, according to an arrest affidavit said. San Antonio police were called to a West Side neighborhood around 9:30 p.m. on June 29. When they arrived, they found Gilberto Perez parked in his driveway while the two teens were located nearby. Witnesses told police the teenagers 17-year-old Moses Johnson and a 15-year-old were walking near the 100 block of Aztec Alley when Perez's 2005 Dodge Durango turned onto the street and then slowly drove up to the victims. Perez then raised a semi-automatic weapon and fired at both teens through his window and then got out of the vehicle and continued to fire, the affidavit said. FIND OUT FIRST: Get San Antonio breaking news directly to your inbox Johnson was also in possession of a weapon and returned fire, hitting Perez. After the shooting, the victims ran north onto Zarzamora Street and Perez returned to his residence on Aztec Alley. Johnson was taken to the hospital, where he later died. The 15-year-old wasn't hit in the shootout. Perez was also taken to the hospital. He denied shooting at the teenagers, police said. Perez then said Johnson started shooting at him for an unknown reason as he turned onto Aztec Alley, the affidavit said. He also denied owning a gun and said he did not know how shell casings ended up inside his vehicle, the affidavit continued. READ ALSO: Update: One dead, one hospitalized after shooting on West Side Police said video surveillance near the crime scene refuted Perez's account of the events. According to the affidavit, Perez changed his story and told police he was defending himself after he was ambushed by three males hiding behind a dumpster before they opened fire on him. Police said there was no evidence to corroborate Perez's account of the shooting. Perez was charged with murder, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and possession of a controlled substance. His bail was set at $240,000. Taylor Pettaway is a breaking news and general assignment reporter for MySA.com | taylor.pettaway@express-news.net | @TaylorPettaway San Antonio police are investigating after a possible road rage incident downtown turned deadly. Officers were called to Interstate 10, near Commerce and Houston just after 11 p.m. for two men who had been shot while driving down the highway. The 25-year-old driver had a gunshot wound to his back and was transported in stable condition, but his 22-year-old passenger was shot in the head and back. He died at the scene. FIND OUT FIRST: Get San Antonio breaking news directly to your inbox The driver told police that they were driving down IH-10 going westbound when the suspects began to fire into their vehicle. The driver exited the highway and pulled onto the access road where he called 911. He said he didn't know who would want to hurt either of them. Police believe the suspect vehicle is a maroon Chevrolet Impala. No suspects have been located. Taylor Pettaway is a breaking news and general assignment reporter for MySA.com | taylor.pettaway@express-news.net | @TaylorPettaway In May, Texas was reporting 1,000 new COVID-19 cases daily. One Tuesday, San Antonio alone announced 1,268 new positive results in a single day. The shocking count reverberated on social media as soon as it was released during a joint briefing with Mayor Ron Nirenberg and Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff. RELATED: Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick says Dr. Anthony Fauci 'doesn't know what he's talking about' On social media, people pleaded for people to stay home, wear a mask if they need to leave and begged for a "miracle." San Antonio, a city where the curve had seemed to be flattened in the weeks before Texas' reopening, is now being compared to New York City, which was ravaged by the virus during the onset of the pandemic. Of the current 8,610 patients, 966 are hospitalized. As the strain on San Antonio hospital systems increases, local officials said Freeman Coliseum is prepared to become a field hospital to treat an overflow of patients. "1268 new cases in San Antonio. Stay home, wear a mask! I'm scared for this city that I love," Twitter user @peterson4082 said. Read more of the conversation below. Delta Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, and his wife have tested positive for coronavirus. He made the announcement Wednesday on Twitter. ... Delta Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, and his wife have tested positive for coronavirus. He made the announcement Wednesday on Twitter. My wife and I have tested positive for COVID-19. We are well and continuing with our isolation/medication. We thank you all for your continued prayers for us and our daughter, he tweeted. My wife and I have tested positive for COVID-19. We are well and continuing with our isolation/medication. We thank you all for your continued prayers for us and our daughter. pic.twitter.com/NzBWB96Q91 July 1, 2020 The development is coming five days after one of their daughters tested positive for the disease. The governor and his wife went into isolation following the confirmation of their daughters case. Olisa Ifeajika, Okowas spokesman, asked residents to follow guidelines provided by the ministry of health and the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC). Citizens are advised to be disciplined and comply with the protocols of wearing Face Masks and maintaining physical-distancing while in public places as well as basic hygiene of hand-washing with soap in running water and use of alcohol-based sanitisers as NCDC regulation demands, Ifeajika said in statement last week. So far, 965 cases of COVID-19 have been recorded in Delta. The state has the seventh highest number of cases in the country. The country has recorded 25,694 cases of the disease according to figures provided by NCDC. On Tuesday, Ondo Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, announced that he tested positive. Yves here. This article by Ed Kane addresses a long-standing pet peeve in the context of the coronacrisis: how credit is an inefficient way to encourage economic activity. Look at how student loans served almost entirely to foster higher educational adminisphere bloat and facilities gold-plating, while doing squat to improve the caliber of teaching. And as we know all too well, it did harm by creating debt slaves and overallocating resources to an now-unproductive sector. By Edward J. Kane, Professor of Finance, Boston College. Originally published at the Institute for Economic Thinking website Evidence emerged last week of a drug that can help improve outcomes for some patients with severe Covid-19 infections. A stock market rally confirmed that this was good news. In similarly certified good news, the Federal Reserve System continued to operate about a dozen ad hoc credit facilities, most of which are newly authorized by the CARES Act of 2020. Figure 1 names and Figure 2 plots activity levels, week by week, in eight of the Feds operative programs as they have come on line. Who is eligible for these programs and on what terms remains a fluid issue. Still, the stock market seems pleased not only with the programs, but with how the Fed has broadened access to these programs on the fly. In the face of the unprecedented surge in unemployment shown in Figure 3, Federal Reserve officials have earned points for stepping forward as perhaps the governments premier and most agile economic firefighters. Using their limited policy toolkit, they have enhanced the flow of credit and liquidity to some of the markets and borrowers that figured to be greatly impacted by the unfolding economic catastrophe. And they did this at a time when Congress and the Executive branches of the federal government took a few weeks to figure out how to channel taxpayer subsidies to lucky firms through the Treasury and the Fed. But no matter how well-intended ad hoc credit programs may seem at their start, history tells us that efforts at government credit allocation tend to unravel as time goes on. Although one could cite example after example of this deterioration, it should be enough to point to the repeated hash that has been made of programs aimed at subsidizing homeownership. The successive failure of housing-finance programs is rooted in the incentive conflicts that develop on both sides of any subsidy scheme. On the supply side, it becomes more and more difficult to monitor and restrain the ways in which agency personnel respond to industry and Congressional pressure to expand subsidies. On the demand side, participants learn to exploit two ways to increase their access to subsidies. First, they learn how and how far they can influence individual regulators on different issues. Second, they learn ways to make sure that the benefits that captured regulators and legislators deliver far exceed the costs of building and exercising the necessary clout. The steady rollback of Dodd-Frank reforms over the last decade vividly illustrates the workings of this inch-by-inch process. https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3593916 At the moment, it is easy to ignore this and other subtle elements of what is bad news for the longer run. For example, no one wants to hear each day that the number of infections and deaths in the US continues to lead the world. States such as Florida and Arizona whose governors prematurely reopened their economies are setting records for new infections every day. Second, statistics on retail sales (shown in Figure 4) show us how citizens are responding to the social-distancing movement. They tell us that many citizens are drinking more, eating at home more, and doing more of their purchasing online. When the pandemic is over, our countrys industrial geography is going to look considerably different than it did a year ago. Workers and capital equipment will find themselves in new locations and exercising new functions. Firms that need to monitor worker input as well as worker output or that need to staff a production line will bring a good part of their labor force back on board. But it should be clear that, in many endeavors, firms and their employees have found definite advantages in allowing some categories of employees to work online from home on at least a part-time basis. Firm by firm, managers should be trying to identify the activities in which the benefits of keeping workers onsite cannot cover the cost of hardening the safety of the workspace where they operated before the pandemic. Wherever net benefits seem negative, the space should quickly be offered for sale, leasing or sublease. For example, suppose that one-third of work that had traditionally entailed face-to-face meetings turns out to be more efficiently performed online than in person. This would mean a massive reduction in the need for daily commuting, cross-country travel, and office space in center cities. Moving to a new equilibrium requires not only the exit and repurposing of resources currently used in the oil, travel, and hospitality industries, but a fall in the rents that can be earned on commercial and residential property of all sorts. We say this for two reasons. First, cheaper property distant from city centers will become more attractive to households and businesses that no longer need to be near city centers. Second, converting commercial real estate to new uses in the city center will reconfigure rents and house prices across what will be an expanding metropolitan area. Congress and the Federal Reserve have focused on preparing programs of relief for firms in the most deeply damaged industries, but forbearance is not forgiveness. Everybody cannot subsidize everybody at the same time. Nor can the intergenerational costs of the interventions officials decide upon now be shifted forward forever. What worries us particularly is the lack of planning for ways to exit and otherwise rationalize the Feds credit-allocation programs so as to speed the transition to a viable new equilibrium. It is clear that, the longer it takes to develop and distribute effective vaccines and cures, the larger the mountain of unpaid credit-card debt, rents, mortgage payments and other bills that will emerge. For example, the current partial moratorium on foreclosures and evictions is a policy whose long-run effect is a growing backlog of worried households, landlords, and mortgage investors whose unpaid claims will have to be settled eventually. What is missing from the federal governments rescue program is an effort to speed up the process of rent and occupancy adjustment. Everyone knows, for example, that processes of foreclosure, eviction, and re-leasing properties to new tenants will generate huge transition costs. To minimize these costs, we need policies that invest in keeping people and resources in place wherever and whenever this is efficient. It cant be efficient to close popular restaurants only to reopen them with more or less the same cuisine under a different name and with a new staff. Nor does it make sense to empty apartment buildings on a wholesale basis and refill them with displaced tenants from a few blocks away. We are reminded of the commonsense advice that no one can get blood from a turnip. If the concept of a justice system is to mean anything, efficient tools for breaking leases and distributing opportunity-cost losses between tenants and landlords and between lenders and borrowers must be expanded with the goal of resetting the terms of what has become an economy-wide network of unenforceable contracts. It seems clear that governments should be looking for ways to expand, redesign, and repurpose their bankruptcy, small claims and rent courts. We cant leave everything to the Federal Reserve. Programs should be underway in law schools and at every level of government to design and to staff a virus-driven system for identifying and realistically re-setting the terms of what have become unfulfillable contract obligations. Figure 1 Names of Crisis-Driven Programs Assigned to the Fed Primary Dealer Credit Facility PDCF Term Asset-Back Securities Loan Facility TALF Money Market Mutual Fund Liquidity Facility MMLF Paycheck Protection Program Liquidity Facility PPPLF Primary Money Market Facility PMCCF Secondary Market Commercial Credit Facility SMCCF Commercial Paper Funding Facility CPFF Main Street New Loan Facility MSNLF Main Street Priority Loan Facility MSPLF Main Street Expanded Loan Facility MSELF Municipal Liquidity Facility MLF Central Bank Liquidity Swaps CBLS Source: Compiled by Robert A. Eisenbeis from the Davis Polk website (Natural News) We have breaking news from sources in Seattle who tell us that Black Lives Matter terrorists have upgraded their Rules of Engagement (ROE) to actively shooting people in vehicles, and as a result of this new ROE, at least two shootings have now taken place over the last two days. In Utah earlier today, a Black Lives Matter protester pulled a gun and opened fire on a 60-year-old man who was slowly driving a white SUV through a public intersection. The gunfire, clearly caught on video (and audio), managed to injure the driver but not kill him. The shooter, dressed in typical Black Lives Matter garb and wearing a black-and-green shemagh, is caught in this screen grab from the video: Heres a video showing more details of the shooting: What many in the media are not reporting is that a second possible Black Lives Matter gunman was also captured in another still frame. This individual is wearing a short-sleeve shirt, a black backpack, and blue jeans. He appears to be aiming a pistol at the same vehicle as it speeds away: Heres a zoomed-in image of the second gunman, who appears to be holding a pistol, possibly a snub-nosed revolver. Note his fingers clearly gripping a dark object, which appears to be a pistol frame: CHAZ security goons open fire on a vehicle in Seattle, killing a black teen Also on Monday, CHAZ / CHOP security goons armed Black Lives Matter terrorists opened fire on a vehicle, killing a black teen inside and injuring another. A 16-year-old was fatally shot in Seattles CHOP early Monday morning, while a 14-year-old remains in critical condition at the Harborview Medical Center, reports Breitbart.com: According to callers, several unidentified people had fired shots into the Jeep. Marty Jackson, a volunteer medic in CHOP, said he heard the gunshots and saw a white SUV driving speedily. That was followed by additional gunshots. He arrived on the scene and witnessed others attempting to tend to the victims, one of whom was shot in the head. He said he recognized the victims, as they had appeared in the area before. He also said the CHOPs security are the ones who fired on the SUV after it crashed into a concrete barrier, KUOW reported. One of the volunteer medics provided additional details: And so when I arrived up there, I see the guy that got shot in the head and I started doing, you know, medical work on him. The guy that Im working on got shot in the face twice once in temple, once in the jaw. Probably four or five times in the arm and then once on the side. Remember, the left-wing media continues to describe Black Lives Matter as peaceful protesters, even as they are shooting up vehicles in actions that have turned BLM-occupied areas of America into active war zones, according to eyewitnesses. The Rules of Engagement have been escalated to kinetic engagement of vehicles Why have multiple Black Lives Matter gunmen engaged vehicles on the same day, in two different cities? Sources tell Natural News that the Rules of Engagement (RoE) have been escalated among Black Lives Matter terrorists, and they are now instructed to open fire on suspicious vehicles in an effort to spark a civil war. This is happening, we are told, because Black Lives Matter has experienced zero resistance or push back against its marxist agenda to overthrow the nation, so they believe they can succeed in a kinetic war to eliminate their political enemies. Because of this overconfidence, they are now actively upgrading the RoE for their front line militant troops, who have been heavily armed due to nearly $500 million in donations from virtue signaling corporations across America that are throwing money at Black Lives Matter, effectively funding an illegal insurrection and domestic terrorism on U.S. soil. Corporations that openly support Black Lives Matter terrorists include Google, Facebook, Netflix, McDonalds and all the usual suspects, all of which are now actively supporting violent terrorists who shoot innocent Americans. Heres a list of 269 corporations that actively support Black Lives Matter terrorists in America. This list includes Amazon, Bayer, Coca-Cola, Citigroup, Disney, Fedex, General Motors, Home Depot, Lyft, Merck, Target, Verizon, Mozilla and many more. Note that even when Black Lives Matter protesters are now actively shooting innocent people, there isnt a single one of these corporations that has denounced BLM terrorism. They apparently endorse gun violence now, as long as the gun violence is carried out by Black Lives Matter terrorists. Black Lives Matter terrorists are even operating with the full cooperation of Democrat-run cities, which have granted BLM terrorists blanket immunity to carry out any violent crimes they wish, with police ordered to stand down no matter how violent the crime. Listen to this horrifying 911 call for a recent example that will absolutely shock you when you realize Democrat-run cities are conspiring with Black Lives Matter terrorists to carry out waves of violent crime against innocent people. Why are Black Lives Matter terrorists granted total legal immunity to carry out crimes of extreme violence across America with zero accountability for their actions? How many Black Lives Matter shooting victims will it take before President Trump officially declares the group to be domestic terrorists engaged in an illegal insurrection? All this brings up the obvious question: How long can the lying left-wing media continue to call Black Lives Matter terrorists peaceful protesters while they are gunning down innocent people in cities across America? How many innocent, law-abiding Americans must die before President Trump and the DOJ officially declare Black Lives Matter to be a terrorist organization operating on U.S. soil? At what point does the raw violence of Black Lives Matter finally sink in with the American people and motivate individuals to invoke their own right to self-defense against armed militant terrorists who are hiding behind a social justice narrative? The McCloskeys in St. Louis found out that sooner or later, you have to pick up an AR-15 just to prevent the lunatic mob from burning down your private property and these two people are Democrats! With Black Lives Matter now being ordered to escalate kinetic engagements with innocent Americans, the next phase of this will see BLM terrorists gunning down people like the McCloskeys. And CNN will report that gunfire from BLM is peaceful gunfire, of course. And you are racist to not want to be shot. Suddenly, the entire mainstream media and corporate icons of America are all pro-gun, pro-terrorism and pro-violence against (White) women. Interesting how quickly they flipped the script on America, isnt it? Now, if you dont agree with Black Lives Matter terrorists raping, pillaging, looting, burning and murdering, you are espousing hate and will be fired from your job or de-platformed from Facebook and Twitter. Dont you get it? You must love the Black LIES and the terror. You are required to signal that you openly welcome being Burned, Looted and Murdered (BLM) by left-wing terrorists who are operating with an endless stream of corporate funding. And if youre driving a car that BLM decides to target with a new shooting, you must open your windows and scream, I love being shot by Black Lives Matter! or they will shoot you twice for being a racist. Oh wait, theyre already shooting you multiple times. The black teens in Seattle were shot half a dozen times each. And they were people of color. Imagine how many times they shoot you if youre White? Lock and load, America. Check your mags and red dot sights. What Dave Hodges calls the Black Lives Matter TET Offensive is about to be initiated, and if you dont own a rifle and know how to shoot terrorists in self-defense, you are going to be murdered in cold blood while CNN claims your murderers are peaceful, oppressed people who can do no wrong. America is now in a civil war. If you dont yet understand this simple truth, you are way behind the curve. (Natural News) Many members of the Black Lives Matter (BLM) cult seem to be painfully unaware of the groups communist origins, including the fact that at least one of its co-founders was trained by a domestic terrorist who embraces radical Marxist-Leninist ideologies. Patrisse Cullors, who helped start BLM, spent years learning under the tutelage of Eric Mann, a member of multiple radical-left extremist groups. These include Students for a Democratic Society and Weather Underground, the latter of which staged multiple bombings of government buildings and police stations back in the 1960s and 1970s. Video footage from 2015 that recently resurfaced shows Cullors praising Mann for the powerful influence he had in her life. She is heard explaining to Jared Ball of the Real News Network that BLM exists to overthrow the current system and replace it with totalitarianism. The first thing, I think, is that we actually do have an ideological frame, Cullors admitted during the interview. Myself and Alicia (another BLM co-founder) in particular are trained organizers, she added. Cullors admits that she and other BLM founders are trained Marxists In further delineating the purpose of BLM, Cullors went on to admit that she and her colleagues are trained Marxists who are super-versed on, sort of, ideological theories. And I think that what we really tried to do is build a movement that could be utilized by many, many black folk, she went on to explain. Cullors wrote a book entitled, When They Call You a Terrorist: A Black Lives Matter Memoir that reveals even more about origins of BLM and its Marxist ties. In it, she tells of how the Labor / Community Strategy Center (LCSC) became her first political home, and the place where she learned the ropes of communism directly from Mann, its director. Described as an urban experiment, the LCSC was a launching pad for Cullors to develop her community organizing skills. Its focus, by the way, is on Black and Latino communities with deep historical ties to the long history of anti-colonial, anti-imperialist, pro-communist resistance to the U.S. empire. In a nutshell, the LCSC is an organization centered around creating a revolution to overturn the American way of life as most people know it. Along with BLM and other domestic terrorist groups, it seeks to overthrow freedom and liberty and replace it with a communist dictatorship. Weather Underground has similar goals, with perhaps a more sordidly violent history. As far back as 1969, the group was classified by the FBI as a domestic terrorist group, and one of its key agitators was none other than Mann, who helped launch multiple violent offensives at various targets. One of these was the Harvard University Center for International Affairs, which was invaded by upwards of 30 Weather Underground activists who roughed up several staff members and employees as they fled for their lives. These Weather Underground terrorists proceeded to spray vulgarity-laden graffiti all over the walls of the building, as well as throw rocks through windows. The group also cut all the phone wires to prevent anyone inside from calling the police. If all of this sounds familiar from the recent riots propagated by BLM, Antifa, and other domestic terrorist groups, that is because these modern groups learned from groups of old, like Weather Underground, how to spread chaos, violence, and destruction in order to achieve their goals. These same modern groups are also pressuring Joe Biden, their 2020 presidential hopeful, to adopt sweeping radical platforms for change that would drive the final nail in Americas coffin. We ask that you revise your platform to ensure that the federal government permanently ends and ceases any further appropriation of funding to local law enforcement in any form and redirect those and additional resources towards much needed community-led and community-controlled public safety efforts, their letter to Biden, who is barely cognizant these days, reads. More breaking news about Black Lives Matter is available at CivilWar.news. Sources for this article include: Breitbart.com NaturalNews.com (Natural News) Republican Rep. Dan Crenshaw of Texas second congressional district said on June 29 on Fox & Friends that the Wuhan coronavirus spike in his state is coming from Black Lives Matter demonstrators, and not from the phased reopening plan as some liberal news outlets are suggesting. Texas is experiencing a spike in COVID-19 cases, which Gov. Greg Abbott called a swift and very dangerous turn for the state. Over the past few weeks, Abbott says the states average number of new cases has gone up from around 2,000 a day to more than 5,000. Many are saying that the rise in cases is connected to the economic reopening plans that many states, including Texas, pushed through with an assessment that Crenshaw disagrees with. Texas, after a coronavirus spike of 6,545 new cases on June 29, now has nearly 160,000 cases. The state also set a record for its one-day increase. Crenshaw pointed out that, if the average American were asked which place is doing a better job of keeping COVID-19 in check, either Germany or Texas, an overwhelming majority would say Germany because of the information it is being fed on mainstream news outlets. This is despite the fact that Texas has a lower death rate than Germany. The representative also pointed out that New Yorks death rate is 20 times higher than Texas, and California has twice the death rate. Furthermore, when host Brian Kilmeade asked Crenshaw about the demonstrations and how some media outlets are attempting to downplay their impact on COVID-19 despite the fact that over 300 cities across the United States had some sort of demonstration, the representative said it makes no sense for the rioting to not have any effect. (Related: Rep. Louie Gohmert: DOJ should go after Black Lives Matter as a group using RICO Act.) Dan Crenshaw and Brian Kilmeade blame Texas coronavirus spike on #BlackLivesMatter protesters, not the state reopening businesses pic.twitter.com/nJxwgcKrgH Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) June 29, 2020 Dont believe your lying eyes, said Crenshaw. Everybody wants to say it was a few people hanging out at bars that caused this. Thats not true. To make his argument, Crenshaw pointed out how cases were on the decline even after the state launched its phased reopening plan on May 1. Texas situation only began getting worse when the countrywide civil unrest began, and demonstrations started appearing in the state. The spikes happened after tens of thousands of people got together in close proximity. Again, theres nothing wrong with saying that. Thats just the truth, and were just dealing with it now. Its not about blaming anybody. Its just about being honest with causes and effects. Listen to this episode of the Health Ranger Report, a podcast by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, as he talks about how he and Natural News are very pro-mask while also being pro-freedom. Texas had a handle on the coronavirus until the rioting and demonstrations began Texas initially had a good response to the coronavirus pandemic. State officials announced back in early March, in no uncertain terms, that this new virus was a threat and that both Texans and their elected representatives need to take this matter very seriously. Travel restrictions were quickly imposed and mandatory quarantines were instituted for anybody coming to the state from high-risk areas, such as Louisiana, whose capital of New Orleans just had a serious outbreak at the time. Gov. Abbott also issued an executive ordered that encouraged people to remain at home and ordered nonessential businesses to cease operations. The shutdown proved to be effective. Texas healthcare systems werent overwhelmed with cases, and on May 1 the state began its phased reopening plan after Abbotts lockdown rules lapsed on April 30. Businesses restarted operations and stay-at-home orders ended. And then, as the protests began a month later, the number of new COVID-19 cases in the state began to increase dramatically. At the beginning of June, Dallas and Houston, two of Texas largest cities, started reporting large numbers of new cases. While previous infection clusters were centered around vulnerable populations confined in close settings, such as nursing homes and assisted living facilities, the vast majority of new cases are coming from younger people in some of Texas largest cities. As Texas number of new coronavirus cases continues to grow, the state is shutting down once more in response. On Thursday, June 25, Abbott ordered the states reopening program to pause. Bars were shut down, restaurants were told to reduce their maximum capacity and gatherings of over 100 people became limited. Along with this, elective surgeries across the state have been postponed in order to save healthcare resources and to make room for new COVID-19 patients. As Texas continues to see a rise in new COVID-19 cases, the states situation will only get worse if the rioting and the demonstrations continue. Sources include: Breitbart.com BBC.com Reuters.com HillReporter.com TheConversation.com ABCNews.go.com (Natural News) In a plan presented to the city council Monday, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio agreed to shift around $1 billion in funding from the New York City Police Department (NYPD) to social programs. The proposal is set to remove a major obstacle in the citys budget negotiations after City Council Speaker Corey Johnson insisted on cutting that amount from the NYPDs budget. According to de Blasio, the fiscal crisis spawned by the economic shutdown and the ongoing Black Lives Matter protests have presented New York City with an unprecedented opportunity to change some things. Under the proposal, the NYPDs budget will drop to about $5 billion down from $6 billion. Budget cuts needed after coronavirus devastated the citys economy During a press conference on Monday, de Blasio only provided a few details about the proposed reduction as he and the council were still in the middle of negotiations. However, people familiar with the matter said that part of the changes would involve shrinking the NYPDs headcount, as well as transferring control of school safety agents and crossing guards from the police to the New York City Department of Education. In addition, De Blasio proposed to shift another $500 million out of the police departments capital budget. That money, which is separate from the $1 billion shifted from the departments operating expenses, would go toward public housing and the improvement of youth centers. New York City faces a deficit of around $9 billion over the next two years because of a decline revenue after the Wuhan coronavirus devastated the economy. This has forced the mayor and city council to identify cost-saving measures and consider layoffs. (Related: New Yorks response to the coronavirus made the pandemic worse.) De Blasio first proposed a $95 billion municipal budget last January. This was later reduced to $89.3 billion in April following the economic shutdown to slow the spread of the coronavirus. The latest budget has been pared down to about $87 billion. Were in a whole different situation, in fact, than New York Citys ever faced in our history, a health-care crisis, an economic crisis, a disparity crisis, a budget crisis all wrapped into one and on a massive, massive scale, de Blasio told reporters during the press conference. NYPD budget cut is also a response to protests The proposed cuts to the NYPDs budget are a response to weeks of protests all over the country over the May 25 death of George Floyd while in Minneapolis police custody. Protesters, including those in New York City, have demanded changes to policing and to defund police departments. In response, some members of the city council have vowed not to vote for a budget that didnt cut the NYPDs funding by at least $1 billion. Meanwhile, activists have also decried the shifting of some of the departments responsibilities to other agencies, saying that further cuts to the NYPDs budget are needed. The proposed budget cuts were denounced by Patrick Lynch, president of the Police Benevolent Association of the City of New York, which represents rank and file officers. Lynch accused the mayor and city council of having surrendered to lawlessness. Meanwhile, the activist group Communities United for Police Reform also attacked the plan. The group said that the citys leaders were simply resorting to budget tricks that are protecting and giving special treatment to the NYPD. Cuts to other agencys budgets also forthcoming As the June 30 budget deadline approaches, de Blasio has warned about further cuts across all agencies, on top of layoffs and furloughs of up to 22,000 city employees by October 1 should New York City not get more help. In addition, the mayor is also looking to find savings within the citys labor unions. The citys Education Department told school principals earlier this month to plan for an estimated 3 percent reduction in their schools budgets for 2021. Department officials, however, stated that not all schools would see such a cut and that they were aiming to minimize the impact of these cuts on the most vulnerable communities. Even with the cuts, de Blasio is still hoping that the city would get federal assistance and that the New York state Legislature would grant the city the authority to borrow up to $5 billion. On Monday, the mayor said that the state Assembly supported the plan, but that its Senate did not. In a statement, a spokesman for the state Senate majority leader said that state senators were concerned about the annual increases in city spending under de Blasios administration. Visit LiberalMob.com for more updates on the economic crisis caused by the engineered riots and violent protests across the United States. Sources include: Bloomberg.com WSJ.com (Natural News) Mob rule is gaining power in the US, as peaceful (naive) black lives matter protestors bend in auspices to the very groups that threaten their own security, prosperity, and freedom. Restaurants from Atlanta, Georgia to New York City are now refusing to serve law enforcement officers, segregating the very people that protect these businesses from theft, etc. Law and order is being mocked as power is transferred to an angry, destructive mob that has already burned down an iconic church, assaulted dozens of secret service officers, and vandalized national monuments in the DC area. Now, virtue-signaling corporations are targeting police officers, refusing to sell the products that law enforcement officers need in order to do their job. A 120-year-old bicycle company just suspended all sales of bicycles to law enforcement departments nationwide. The angry, cop-hating mob claims that the officers are using the bikes as weapons. Officers in Miami, Florida were pictured holding the bikes up as a sort of barricade, as protestors stormed the streets. Bicycle distributor bans sales to police departments nationwide The North American distributor of Fuji Bicycles BikeCo issued the ban on bicycle sales to police officers. To hear that there are instances where bicycles have been used as a weapon against those who are vulnerable, those speaking out against the unjust treatment of people of color, and those standing alongside them advocating change, has deeply upset our community, our company and the heart of the Fuji brand. What other companies will bend to the violent mob to strip police officers of the tools they need to uphold the law? When challenged, law enforcement officers often have no choice but to use force to protect others and themselves. When a mob is breaking the law and destroying property, this only ensures that law enforcement will have to use greater force. Rioting leads to more forceful policing tactics, lest mob rule be permitted to hurt whomever they want in the name of racial justice. The black lives matter movement is currently seeking to make law enforcement comply with their power and submit to their rule. This includes a complete disbarment of law enforcement and de-funding of their operations. In the last week, we have seen our bicycles used in violent tactics that we did not intend or design them to be used for, said a Fuji spokesperson, promising to work towards real change, which includes suspending the sale of police bikes. According to the company, officers on bicycles have been blocking the passage of large groups, but the Fuji company has not released any evidence of officers intentionally using bicycles to commit harm to innocent people. With this ridiculous attack on the police, the Fuji Bicycle company is, essentially, supporting the very groups that instigate violence and mock the rule of law. What other companies will wage war against police? If the Leftists get their way, police officers will have their body armor stripped, their defenses taken. The mob wants these officers singled out in the street, defenseless, and tortured for being a racist white person who has victimized black people for far too long. When all the officers have been stripped of their authority, the mob can then take back all that was stolen from them, a process that is already in motion and being carried out, right now, at this moment in history. (Related: Black privilege reigns supreme in the USA, but its the progressive Left that demeans blacks more than anyone else.) Keep up with the latest as the mobs deploy the globalists agenda and dismantle our country at RaceWar.news. Sources include: Zerohedge.com NaturalNews.com (Natural News) The European Union is reopening its borders after its months-long battle with the coronavirus. But Americans wont be crossing over the pond anytime soon, as the EU is looking to bar entry following the perceived failure of the U.S. to control the Wuhan coronavirus. The U.S. was notably absent from the list released by the European Council on Tuesday. The list which identifies the countries set to have their restrictions lifted starting July 1 includes Algeria, Australia, Canada, Georgia, Japan, Montenegro, Morocco, New Zealand, Rwanda, Serbia, South Korea, Thailand, Tunisia, and Uruguay. The EU says that China will also be allowed entry if it allows reciprocates and allows arrivals from the bloc. List based on lowered infection rates The EU selected the countries in the list based on a combination of epidemiological criteria. The bloc has set its average number of infections over the past two weeks which is currently 16 per every 100,000 as the benchmark. Countries whose infection rates fall below that, and who are showing a general decline in infection rates, are included in the list. The U.S. falls short of that benchmark with 107 new cases per 100,000. The list, coupled with the blocs reopening, is aimed at boosting its battered tourism industry. The sector is one of the blocs biggest, typically accounting for around 10 percent of its economic output. The big question now is how uniformly the list will be adopted. The commission cannot force its member states to adopt it. Instead, these states were given the option of opening their country to fewer countries than the full list while strongly being discouraged from allowing travel from other countries. The European Commission has no direct control over border issues; it will ultimately be up to each member state to follow the list. Prior to this, there have already been exceptions to the rules. Spain has been allowing in flights from outside the bloc while Cyprus has allowed travel from Israel. In addition, the previous travel ban didnt apply in Ireland, which isnt in the EUs border-free Schengen zone as it has a common travel area with the United Kingdom. Meanwhile, residents from the latter are allowed into the E.U. under a post-Brexit transition agreement. Travel bans reflective of relations between EU and U.S. A ban on American travelers by the EU is an ironic echo of how things played out during the earlier phases of the pandemic. In March, when Europe was still the pandemics epicenter, President Donald Trump infuriated European leaders when he banned citizens from most EU countries from traveling to America. Trump justified the move as necessary to protect the U.S., which only had around 1,100 coronavirus cases at the time. Back then, the EU released a strongly worded statement saying that it disapproves of the fact that the U.S. decision to impose a travel ban was taken unilaterally and without consultation. Following this, in late May and early June, Trump stated that the region was making progress. He hinted that some restrictions would be lifted soon, though nothing has happened yet. Since then, the tables have been turned, with the EU having mostly curbed the outbreak while the U.S. continues to see new infection surges. As of reporting time, the U.S. is still the global epicenter of the pandemic with over 2.6 million cases and over 127,000 deaths, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. The ban on American travelers entering the EU will likely have significant economic ramifications. In previous summers, American tourists would flock to Europe in the millions. Also, business travel to the region is also common, given the huge economic ties between both. Despite the foreseen disruptions, EU officials involved have said that it was highly unlikely that an exception would be made for the United States. The list of acceptable countries was created using only scientific criteria, and the process was made as nonpolitical as possible. According to these officials, including the U.S. now would represent a complete flouting of the blocs reasoning. However, they conceded that the U.S. could be added later to the list, which is set to be revised every two weeks based on updated data on infection rates. Follow Pandemic.news for more on how the coronavirus has affected global travel. Sources include: TheEpochTimes.com NYTimes.com 1 WSJ.com NYTimes.com 2 Coronavirus.JHU.edu (Natural News) A vaccine for the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) has not even hit the market yet and Anthony Fauci is already admitting that it will not be effective because of anti-vaxxers, of course. During a recent interview with CNN, Fauci lamented the fact that millions of Americans distrust him, the pharmaceutical industry, Bill Gates, and others pushing for everyone to get vaccinated once a Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine is released. According to Fauci, a future vaccine for the novel virus probably will not work because nearly 30 percent of Americans have already indicated that they will not be taking it not now, not ever. Because of this, he claims, so-called herd immunity will not be possible, rendering the vaccine certifiably useless. Much like his face mask argument, the only way a vaccine for the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) will work is if everyone receives it. If even just a small percentage say no, then everybody else will not be protected, for some reason. There is a general anti-science, anti-authority, anti-vaccine feeling among some people in this country an alarmingly large percentage of people, relatively speaking, Fauci whined during his interview, further contending that the government has a lot of work to do to educate people about vaccines. Check out the following interview between Celeste Solum and Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, about how the final depopulation attack which will involve vaccines is set to be unleashed against humanity before the end of 2020: Fauci: The best vaccine ever created was for measles In explaining the potential effectiveness of a future Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine, Fauci admitted that it will not be anywhere close to the alleged effectiveness of other vaccines, regardless of how many people choose to take it. The best weve ever done is measles, which is 97 percent to 98 percent effective, Fauci stated, referring, of course, to the MMR vaccine for measles, mumps, and rubella that has been linked to causing autism in young children, especially African American boys. That would be wonderful if we get there, Fauci added. [But] I dont think we will. I would settle for [a] 70 percent, 75 percent effective vaccine. In the end, there will never be an effective vaccine for the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19), was basically Faucis conclusion. But instead of blaming the failure on the (rushed) vaccine itself, or even the mutating virus, he instead chose to go after the people who will refuse it, which is laughable. Fauci is also deeply upset about the fact that millions of Americans are not buying the notion that cloth masks provide protection against viral transmission. He says it is a recipe for disaster that not everyone is wearing one, and is also angry about some states supposedly reopening too quickly. There are some states in which the leadership and the decision [to open up] was a little too precipitous, Fauci said during the interview. There are others where the leadership did it right, but the citizenry didnt listen to them. At the end of the day, Faucis biggest gripe seems to be that the American public is refusing to obey every single guideline and directive coming from the government, no matter how preposterous or conflicting it is. In his view, everyone who is not in a position of authority should simply do whatever it is those in authority want them to do, no questions asked. It is both encouraging and humorous to see government hacks like Fauci squirm over mass public resistance to their nonsense. Perhaps they will finally get a clue and back off we can dream, right? For more related news about the dangers and ineffectiveness of vaccines, be sure to check out Vaccines.news. Sources for this article include: TheGuardian.com NaturalNews.com (Natural News) As I have noted in the past, in order to be a conservative one has to stick to certain principles. For example, you have to stand against big government and state intrusions into individual lives, you have to support our constitutional framework and defend civil liberties, and you also have to uphold the rights of private property. Websites are indeed private property, as much as a persons home is private property. There is no such thing as free speech rights in another persons home, and there is no such thing as free speech rights on a website. (Article by Brandon Smith republished from Alt-Market.com) That said, there are some exceptions. When a corporation or a collective of corporations holds a monopoly over a certain form of communication, then legal questions come into play when they try to censor the viewpoints of an entire group of people. Corporations exist due to government sponsored charters; they are creations of government and enjoy certain legal protections through government, such as limited liability and corporate personhood. Corporations are a product of socialism, not free market capitalism; and when they become monopolies, they are subject to regulation and possible demarcation. Many corporations have also received extensive government bailouts (taxpayer money) and corporate welfare. Google and Facebook, for example rake in billions in state and federal subsidies over the course of a few years. Google doesnt even pay for the massive bandwidth it uses. So, it is not outlandish to suggest that if a company receives the full protection of government from the legal realm to the financial realm then they fall under the category of a public service. If they are allowed to continue to monopolize communication while also being coddled by the government as too big to fail, then they become a public menace instead. This is not to say that I support the idea of nationalization. On the contrary, the disasters of socialism cannot be cured with even more socialism. However, monopolies are a poison to free markets and to free speech and must be deconstructed or abolished. Beyond corporate monopolies, there is also the danger of ideological monopolies. Consider this The vast majority of silicon valley companies that control the lions share of social media platforms are run by extreme political leftists and globalists that are openly hostile to conservative and moderate values. Case in point: Three of the largest platforms on the internet Reddit, Twitch, and YouTube just acted simultaneously in a single day to shut down tens of thousands of forums, streamers and video channels, the majority of which espouse conservative arguments which the media refers to as hate speech. To be sure, at least a few of the outlets shut down probably argue from a position of race superiority. However, I keep seeing the mainstream media making accusations that all the people being silenced right now deserve it due to racism and calls for violence, and I have yet to see them offer a single piece of evidence supporting any of these claims. A recent article from the hyper-leftist Salon is a perfect example of the hypocrisy and madness of the social justice left in action. Its titled Twitch, YouTube And Reddit Punished Trump And Other Racists And Thats A Great Thing For Freedom. Here are a few excerpts with my commentary: Salon: Freedom is impossible for everyone when viewpoints prevail that dehumanize anyone. And it appears that several big social media platforms agree, judging from recent bans or suspensions of racist accounts across YouTube, Twitch, and Reddit. My Response Freedom cannot be taken away by another persons viewpoint. Every individual has complete control over whether or not they feel marginalized and no amount of disapproval can silence a person unless they allow it to. If you are weak minded or weak willed, then grow a backbone instead of expecting the rest of the world to stay quiet and keep you comfortable. Remember when the political left was the bastion of the free speech debate against the censorship of the religious right? Well, now the leftists have a religion (or cult) of their own and they have changed their minds on the importance of open dialogue. Salon: For those who are dehumanized whether by racism, sexism, classism, ableism, anti-LGBTQ sentiment or any other prejudices their voices are diminished or outright silenced, and in the process they lose their ability to fully participate in our democracy. We all need to live in a society where hate is discouraged, discredited and whenever possible scrubbed out completely from our discourse. This doesnt mean we should label all ideas as hateful simply because we disagree with them; to do that runs afoul of President Dwight Eisenhowers famous statement, In a democracy debate is the breath of life. When actual hate enters the dialogue, however, it acts as a toxic smoke in the air of debate, suffocating some voices and weakening the rest. My Response Where do I begin with this steaming pile of woke nonsense? First, its impossible to be dehumanized by another persons opinion of you. If they are wrong, or an idiot, then their opinion carries no weight and should be ignored. Your value is not determined by their opinion. No one can be silenced by another persons viewpoint unless they allow themselves to be silenced. If they are right about you and are telling you something you dont want to hear, then that is your problem, not theirs. No one in this world is entitled to protection from other peoples opinions. Period. It should not surprise anyone though that leftists are actively attempting to silence all dissent while accusing conservatives of stifling free speech. This is what they do; they play the victim while they seek to victimize. They have no principles. They do not care about being right, they only care about winning. Under the 1st Amendment, ALL speech is protected, including what leftists arbitrarily label hate speech. Unless you are knowingly defaming a specific person or threatening specific violence against a specific person, your rights are protected. Interpreting broad speech as a threat because of how it might make certain people feel simply will not hold up in a court of law. Or at least, it should not hold up Political leftists have declared themselves the arbiters of what constitutes hate speech, the problem is they see EVERYTHING that is conservative as racist, sexist, misogynistic, etc. No human being or group of human beings is pure enough or objective enough to sit in judgment of what encompasses fair or acceptable speech. Therefore, all speech must be allowed in order to avoid tyranny. If an idea is unjust, then by all means, the political left has every right to counter it with their own ideas and arguments. Scrubbing all opposing ideas from the public discourse is unacceptable, and this is exactly what the social justice movement is attempting to do. If you want to erase these ideas from your own home, or your personal website, then you are perfectly within your rights to do so, but you DO NOT have the right to assert a monopoly on speech and the political narrative. Generally, when a group of zealots is trying to erase opposing ideals from the discussion, it usually means their own ideals dont hold up to scrutiny. If your ideology is so pure and correct in its form, there should be no need to trick the masses into accepting it by scrubbing the internet. Finally, America was not founded as a democracy, we are a republic, and with good reason. A democracy is tyranny by the majority; a collectivist hell where power is centralized into the hands of whoever can con 51% of the population to their side. Marxists and communists love the idea of democracy and speak about it often because they think they are keenly equipped to manipulate the masses and form a majority. But, in a republic, individual rights are protected REGARDLESS of what the majority happens to believe at any given time, and this includes the right to free speech. In the same breath, Solon pretends to value free discussion, then calls for the destruction of free speech and opposing ideas in the name of protecting peoples thin-skinned sensitivities. In other words, free speech is good, unless its a viewpoint they dont like, then it becomes hate speech and must be suppressed. Solon: Reddit referred Salon to a statement explaining,We committed to closing the gap between our values and our policies to explicitly address hate and that ultimately, its our responsibility to support our communities by taking stronger action against those who try to weaponize parts of Reddit against other people. My Response In other words, they dont like conservatives using their platforms against them, and since the political left is unable to present any valid arguments to defend their beliefs and they are losing the culture war, they are going for broke and seeking to erase all conservatives from their platforms instead. The hate speech excuse is merely a false rationale. Social justice warriors stand on top of a dung heap and pretend its the moral high ground. Solon: No one who understands Constitutional law can argue that these corporate decisions violate the First Amendment which only protects speech from government repression. Professor Rick Hasen at the University of California, Irvine Law School told Salon by email that private companies running websites are not subject to being sued for violating the First Amendment. The companies are private actors who can include whatever content they want unless there is a law preventing them from doing so. My Response Again, this is not entirely true. Corporations are constructs of government and receive special privileges from government. If corporations form a monopoly over a certain form of communication and they attempt to censor all opposing views from that platform then they can be broken up by government to prevent destruction of the marketplace. Also, government can rescind the limited liability and corporate personhood of these companies as punishment for violating the public trust. And finally, any company that relies on taxpayer dollars or special tax break incentives to survive can and should have those dollars taken away when attempting to assert a monopoly. Yes, there are alternative platforms for people to go to, but what is to stop leftist/globalist monopolies from buying up every other social media and standard media platform (as they have been doing for the past decade)? What is to stop leftist/globalist interests from using the hate speech argument to put pressure on ALL other web platforms including service and domain providers to cancel conservatives? Finally, just because something is technically legal does not necessarily make it right. Corporations exploit government protection, yet claim they are not subject to government regulation? The left hates corporate America, yet they happily defend corporations when they are censoring conservatives? This is insane. The Salon author then goes on a blathering diatribe about how he was once a victim of racism (all SJWs measure personal value according to how much more victimized someone is compared to others). His claims are irrelevant to the argument at hand, then he continues Salon: Trump threatening to use the government power to retaliate against those companies, on the other hand, is a threat to both the letter and the spirit of the First Amendment. He and his supporters are not being stopped from disseminating their views on other platforms My Response Here is the only area where I partially agree with Salon. All of my readers know I do not put any faith in Donald Trump to do the right thing, mostly because of the elitists he surrounds himself with in his cabinet. When it comes down to it, Trump will act in THIER best interests, not in the publics best interests. Giving him (or the FCC) the power to dictate speech rules on the internet is a bad idea. Also, for those that think the election process still matters, what if we gift such powers to the government today and then the political left enters the White House tomorrow? Yikes! Then well have no room to complain as they will most certainly flip-flop and use government power to silence their opposition. Of course, if the roles were reversed and corporations were deplatforming thousands of social justice forums and videos, the leftists would be screaming bloody murder about corporate censorship and discrimination. For now, in their minds, racial discrimination = bad. Politicial discrimination = good. The monopoly issue still stands, though, and an ideological monopoly coupled with a unified corporate monopoly is a monstrosity that cannot be tolerated. Government can and should break up such monopolies without going down the rabbit hole of nationalization. Yes, we can go to small startup platforms and leave Twitter, Facebook, Reddit, YouTube, etc. behind. I have been saying for years that conservatives with the capital should start their own alternative social media. In fact, that is exactly what is fianlly happening. There has been a mass exodus of users from mainstream websites lately. I say, let the SJWs have their echo chambers and maybe these companies will collapse. Get Woke Go Broke still applies. But, government can no longer protect these corporations, either. With the government raining down bailout cash and corporate welfare on media companies, voting with your feet and your wallet does not have the same effect or send the same message. The future of this situation is bleak. I have no doubt that leftists and globalists will attempt to purge ALL conservative discussion from the internet, to the point of attempting to shut down private conservative websites through service providers. The final outcome of the purge is predictable: Civil war; an issue I will be discussing in my next article. Leftists accuse conservatives of hate, but social justice adherents seem to hate almost everything. I dont think Ive ever witnessed a group of people more obsessed with visiting misery on others, and they will never be satisfied or satiated. That which is normal speech today will be labeled as hate speech tomorrow. The cult must continue to justify its own existence. I for one am not going to live my life walking on eggshells around a clique of narcissistic sociopaths. Cancel culture is mob rule, and mob rule is at its core the true evil here; far more evil than any mere words spoken by any white supremacist on any forum or video ever. Read more at: Alt-Market.com and Tyranny.news. Doctors at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Lokoja, Kogi state, have embarked on an indefinite strike. Rising from a meeting on Wed... Doctors at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Lokoja, Kogi state, have embarked on an indefinite strike. Rising from a meeting on Wednesday, the doctors said their lives were being threatened because of the states poor management of the COVID-19 pandemic. They said they are totally withdrawing services across board pending when their grievances are met. A communique announcing the strike was signed by seven health workers associations. The heads of the association met hours after gunmen broke into the hospital, attacking doctors and other health workers. Some of those who signed the communique are Nnana Agwu, chairman, Association of Resident Doctors (NARD); Samuel Obajemu, chairman, Joint Health Workers Union (JOHESU); Abdulmalik Idris, chairman, National Association of Nurses and Midwives (NANNM) and John Omoche, chairman, Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria (MHWUN). Armed men had stormed the hospital on Wednesday morning, vandalising properties and carting away valuables. The union leaders condemned the attack, saying some equipment such as infrared thermometers, laptops, ATM cards, car keys and two motorcycles, which are vital in providing care, were carted away. They said they may not resume duty until there is adequate security of lives and properties. Other conditions they gave before returning to work include: validation of COVID-19 status of some staff of the hospital that have been in isolation, provision of COVID-19 testing facilities (PCR machines) and maximum of 20 patients being attended to daily. Meanwhile, the state police command says it has launched a manhunt for the gunmen that attacked the hospital. Ede Ayuba, the state commissioner of police, who gave the order when he visited the facility, said the perpetrators will not go unpunished. He assured the health workers and staff of the hospital of the readiness of the police to guarantee the safety of their lives and property. (Natural News) No question about it: Most Americans find neo-Nazi, white supremacist speech offensive, disgusting, vitriolic, and nauseating. But our founding fathers did not write and ratify the First Amendment to empower government and industry to pick and choose what speech is and is not offensive, and yet thats precisely what government and industry have done in the nearly 250 years since our countrys birth. This week, as part of its white supremacist crackdown, YouTube deplatformed and banned renowned neo-Nazi Richard Spencer, along with David Duke and Stefan Molyneux (who doesnt even belong in the same category as neo-nazis). The Verge reported: Other channels banned include American Renaissance (with its associated channel AmRen Podcasts) and the channel for Spencers National Policy Institute. The channels repeatedly violated YouTubes policies, a YouTube spokesperson said, by alleging that members of protected groups were inferior. These come alongside other violations that led to YouTube taking action. We have strict policies prohibiting hate speech on YouTube, and terminate any channel that repeatedly or egregiously violates those policies, a YouTube spokesperson told the news site. After updating our guidelines to better address supremacist content, we saw a 5x spike in video removals and have terminated over 25,000 channels for violating our hate speech policies, the spokesperson added. (Related: Health Ranger joins Parler, Stefan Molyneux joins Brighteon, millions of users leave Twitter and Facebook over gross censorship.) The removals were part of an effort begun last year to purify the platform of any speech that offended the sensibilities of the YouTube censorship team. Like other platforms, YouTube updated community rules to prohibit videos alleging that a group is superior in order to justify discrimination, segregation or exclusion based on qualities like age, gender, race, caste, religion, sexual orientation or veteran status. The YouTube purges the modern-day electronic version of the Salem witch hunts do not, so far, include hate speech from Black Lives Matter and other Left-wing Neo-liberal groups and individuals because again, anything anti-white is fine with YouTube but anything remotely critical of a persons of color is instant hate speech. Granted, a lot of what certain individuals have said and advocated for is disgusting and completely not part of our founding principles like equality and justice for all. But speech is just that speech and our Constitution has never required that it fit a certain mold or pattern or be unoffensive. To be sure, King George of England and his colonial Loyalists were appalled by the cries for independence from some American colonists, many of whom were punished for speaking out against the Crown. But thats exactly why the First Amendment contains a freedom of speech clause: So that Americans would not and cannot be punished for political, cultural or social speech that others may find offensive, even if its a majority of Americans. Therefore, the hate speech rules that are on the books everywhere are blatantly unconstitutional. They were established mostly by authoritarian Leftists precisely to curb speech, not encourage it, to quash the spread of ideas, not enable them to be presented and debated. Who wants to hear Nazi speech, right? Who wants to hear that whites are superior to blacks and other races? Truth be told, very few Americans. But that doesnt mean these people should be silenced. Consider the other side of the coin. While YouTube is banning and censoring far-Right voices, the platform continues to allow black supremacists (which is really all the BLM movement is, deep down) to proliferate. BLM voices and others who regularly trash white people just because theyre white are not only emboldened to such speech, they are literally being protected by tech platforms whose founders agree with the Leftist ideology. All of which is why Brighteon.com was developed by Natural News founder Mike Adams, the Health Ranger: To be a haven where all voices can be heard. Even, or rather especially, those points of view you disagree with. Sources include: TheVerge.com NaturalNews.com Weather Alert ...HEAT ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM NOON TODAY TO 9 PM PDT THIS EVENING... * WHAT...High Temperatures of 97 to 101. * WHERE...In Washington, Lower Columbia Basin of Washington and Eastern Columbia River Gorge of Washington. In Oregon, Lower Columbia Basin of Oregon and Eastern Columbia River Gorge of Oregon. * WHEN...From noon today to 9 PM PDT this evening. * IMPACTS...Hot temperatures may cause heat illnesses to occur. * ADDITIONAL DETAILS...Temperatures will be slightly cooler Tuesday through Thursday before very hot temperatures return at the end of the week. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out of the sun, and check up on relatives and neighbors. Young children and pets should never be left unattended in vehicles under any circumstances. Take extra precautions if you work or spend time outside. When possible reschedule strenuous activities to early morning or evening. Know the signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Wear lightweight and loose fitting clothing when possible. To reduce risk during outdoor work, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration recommends scheduling frequent rest breaks in shaded or air conditioned environments. Anyone overcome by heat should be moved to a cool and shaded location. Heat stroke is an emergency! Call 9 1 1. && New Canaan Land Trust The New Canaan Land Trust announced the creation of two seasonal jobs, geared towards young adults whose summer plans were impacted by the current pandemic. Through these positions, the Land Trust hopes to help address youth unemployment while furthering the mission of the nonprofit. While the Land Trust might not be a front-line organization, we still want to do our part to respond to the pandemic, said Aaron Lefland, executive director of the New Canaan Land Trust. Many college students have had their summer plans turned upside down, so we are creating opportunities to work here, at the Land Trust, and have a rewarding summer experience. New Castle, PA (16103) Today Thunderstorms likely. Rainfall will be locally heavy at times. A few storms may be severe. High 77F. Winds WSW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 100%.. Tonight Cloudy skies early, then off and on rain showers overnight. Low 52F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%. Hadi Sirika, the minister for aviation, has announced that domestic flights would resume on July 8, 2020. In a tweet on Wednesday, S... Hadi Sirika, the minister for aviation, has announced that domestic flights would resume on July 8, 2020. In a tweet on Wednesday, Sirika said operations would resume at the Murtala Mohammed Airport in Lagos and Nnamdi Azikwe Airport in Abuja on July 8 with other airports to follow. I am glad to announce that Abuja & Lagos airports will resume domestic operations on the 8th of July, 2020. Kano, Port Harcourt, Owerri & Maiduguri to resume on the 11th. Other airports on the 15th. The date for international to be announced in due course. Bear with us, he wrote. I am glad to announce that Abuja & Lagos airports will resume domestic operations on the 8th of July, 2020. Kano, Port Harcourt, Owerri & Maiduguri to resume on the 11th. Other airports on the 15th. Date for international to be announced in due course. Bear with us, please Hadi Sirika (@hadisirika) July 1, 2020 Boss Mustapha, secretary to the government of the federation, announced at the daily briefing of the presidential task force on COVID-19 that held on Monday that the federal government had approved that domestic flights resume in the country on a safe date. Flights had been suspended in the country as part of movement restrictions put in place to curb the spread of the coronavirus. The PTF had initially set June 21 as a tentative date for flight resumption and had mandated aviation agencies and operators to work on resumption protocols in line with COVID-19 safety guidelines. On June 18, Musa Nuhu, director-general of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), announced that the June 21 date was no longer feasible as checks still had to be carried out on the adjustments made by stakeholders. N Norfolk Christians launch urgent Uganda appeal Reed People, a Sheringham-based charity which works in an area of Uganda called Lumpewe to promote education, health, and community, has launched an urgent appeal for funds to feed that community during the coronavirus crisis. Tony Rothe reports. Food is a big challenge to many people in Lumpewe, especially since the country has been in lockdown. Most people are not working, and everything is hard for many families. People are still in their homes because public transport is not yet allowed, and very few have private cars. Many people are finding it hard to get basic needs now. In big cities such as Kampala, the capital, instructing people to stay at home is to confine millions to cramped housing. In the slums where up to half the population may live, people could be crammed six or eight to a room, with no easy access to water. Although the Ugandan government is understood to have sponsored a parcel of maize flour and beans for some of the population in Kampala, it has not reached more remote areas like Lumpewe. Elaine Fisher from the Reed People charity says As political leaders around the world have pressed pause on their national economies well find that under-privileged people suffer the most. Weve recently heard news from the Headteacher of the school in Lumpewe, of much need in the area due to Covid 19. Due to the unprecedented situation in that area we have opened an appeal for food sponsorship for the poorer elements of the community. Weve made arrangements in the village for a reliable source to acquire and distribute food to those in need and well foot the bill. Reed People are inviting donations to this urgent appeal, with bank details below. Alternatively, you can send cheques to Reed People, c/o Lighthouse Community Church, 62 Cromer Road, Sheringham. Every penny we collect is used to help the people of Uganda said Elaine. Over the last few years, the Sheringham team at Reed People has made several visits to Lumpewe and they have provided considerable support for the community, including: Building and installing a water filtration system to provide clean water to eliminate water borne disease Improving school buildings, building school desks and bookshelves, implementing a teacher training programme, and decorating classrooms to make a stimulating learning environment Installing concrete flooring, which has eliminated the jiggers parasite which used to burrow into the childrens feet Providing dormitory accommodation for children who formerly had to sleep in the classrooms, including bunk beds and mosquito nets Supplying ladies and girls with reusable sanitary wear, pictured right, and teaching them to make their own, so that young girls can now continue their education full time, improving their life chances Elaine says Our next project will be to build a school kitchen to replace the existing outdoor kitchen facilities, pictured top. This project is particularly on my heart at the moment as that kitchen with open pots cooks meals for about 50 children every day and the boy in the picture is the cook! Bank details for the appeal are as follows: Account Name: Reed People Sort Code: 20 17 20 Account No: 7395 6032 Reference: Covid Appeal To find out more about Reed Peoples work in Lumpewe, visit: http://reedpeople.org/ or https://www.facebook.com/ReedPeople/ or e-mail Elaine at: Elaine@ReedPeople.org Do you have a news story or forthcoming event relating to Christians or a church in North Norfolk? With little warning, COVID-19 forced large numbers of employees to leave their offices and begin working at home, where they expected fast, reliable access to enterprise services. IT managers had to scramble as the pandemic revealed weaknesses in network infrastructure, planning and management. "The sudden surge of workers from known, planned and centralized locations to random far-flung corners of the Earth laid bare a litany of cut corners, deferred upgrades and short-sighted choices we had made in our respective networks over the years," says John Annand, a research director specializing in technology roadmapping at Info-Tech Research Group. As a result, flexible and adaptable network technologies, capable of improving network availability and agility during a pandemic, such as SD-WAN, secure access service edge (SASE), and intent-based networking (IBN), weren't available to many organizations. READ MORE: SASE could bolster security for remote workers Enterprises were able to accomplish the formidable feat of allowing teams of employees, spanning multiple business areas, to remain productive. Now, however, these same teams face a fresh challenge: handling the potential new security and privacy risks created by the rush to get remote workers connected. "The next few months will be critical as companies try to mitigate those risks without disrupting the remote working capabilities that employees are now accustomed to," says Mike Kavis, chief cloud architect at Deloitte Consulting. Rethinking network architectures One weakness the pandemic revealed is that most current network infrastructures are designed with the assumption that workers are based in a central locationthe office. "With many companies requiring workers to work remotely, they found that their networks had bottlenecks ... and their workers were not able to access the resources they needed to do their jobs," says Kowsik Guruswamy, CTO of cybersecurity technology provider Menlo Security. "In some cases, they weren't even able to get to the Internet reliably because all their traffic had to go through a centralized security stack that did not have enough capacity." Byfield - David Jackson, age 62, of Byfield, formerly of Amesbury, passed peacefully at Penacook Place Nursing Home in Haverhill on Monday evening June 14, 2021. Born in Winthrop, Decermber 20, 1958, he was one of seven children of the late Austin and Marie (Redman) Jackson. Among the variou The United Nations says at least 7.8 million Nigerians are in need of life-saving assistance. While addressing reporters on Tuesday,... The United Nations says at least 7.8 million Nigerians are in need of life-saving assistance. While addressing reporters on Tuesday, Eve Sabbagh, head of public information unit, UN office for coordination of humanitarian affairs in Nigeria, said the coronavirus pandemic has worsened the situation of hunger. She added that there is an urgent need to support farmers across the country. Sabbagh said the number of those in need of life-saving assistance rose above 7.1 million in the mid of 2020, when compared to the figure at the end of 2019. It is extremely important to have funding in time to provide support to farmers during the planting season, as there is a risk to see more people facing hunger this year, she said. Before the COVID-19 pandemic reached Nigeria, humanitarian needs were already worsening and increased from 7.1 million people in need of urgent life-saving assistance in 2019 to 7.8 million people in 2020. UN and NGOs as well as government institutions had planned to step up their assistance in 2020. UN and partner NGOs needed $834 million to provide urgent aid to 5.9 million people. We are half-way through the year and so far only 15% of the funding has been received. Now with the COVID-19 pandemic and its impacts on the economy and livelihoods, many more people need urgent assistance. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) had earlier warned that 50 millions people are at risk of food crisis in West Africa. The 2020 global report on food crises (GRFC) had also highlighted that about 5.1 million Nigerians are in immediate need of food assistance between March and May 2020. Among those in need of the assistance include 1.4 million people in Borno, one million in Yobe and 500,000 in Adamawa. By Online Desk The US' California state has filed a lawsuit against Cisco System Inc for alleged discrimination against a Dalit Indian-American employee. The lawsuit was filed by Californias Department of Fair Employment and Housing in a federal court in San Jose, for alleged caste-based discrimination. According to media reports, California authorities have accused Cisco of "discriminating against an Indian-American employee and allowing him to be harassed by two managers because he was from a lower caste." It is said that the victim has been working as a principal engineer at Ciscos San Jose headquarters since October 2015. According to the lawsuit, former Cisco engineering managers Sundar Iyer and Ramana Kompella harassed, discriminated, and retaliated against an engineer. The complainant was expected to accept a caste hierarchy within the workplace where he held the lowest status within a team of higher-caste colleagues, receiving less pay, fewer opportunities, and other inferior terms and conditions of employment because of his religion, ancestry, national origin/ethnicity, and race/colour. The lawsuit stated that this is not a new phenomenon and a 2018 survey of South Asians in the US found that 67% of Dalits reported being treated unfairly at their American workplaces. Cisco's reponse regarding the lawsuit filed against the company is awaited. Last month, tech major Infosys faced a fresh racial discrimination lawsuit by a former diversity head of the company in the US. Davina Linguist, the former employee of the company alleged that the company had retaliated against her for testifying in 2016 against the company in the earlier class action suit. By PTI NEW DELHI: The World Bank on Wednesday said it will provide USD 750 million budget support to 15 crore MSMEs in the country to increase liquidity access for viable small businesses impacted by COVID-19. Lauding the government's Rs 3.7 lakh crore MSME support package under 'Atmanirbhar Bharat', World Bank Country Director in India Junaid Ahmad said the RBI also has used different instruments to infuse liquidity in the market either through banks or SIDBI. The USD 750 million support is in addition to the USD 2 billion funding that the World Bank has already announced for the social and health sector. This takes the total lending to India due to COVID-19 to USD 2.75 billion within three months. The MSME funding is under the multilateral lender's Development Policy Loan, which is a direct budget support. "In development policy loans, we do not fund a specific expenditure... We give direct budget support when the government puts together policy framework that we believe deserves support," Ahmad said. He further said the government steps would help unlock liquidity for MSMEs, strengthen NBFCs and small finance banks and enable inclusive access to financing. "The government has piggybacked on guaranteed systems... to de-risk lending to MSMEs. By de-risking, the government is taking on a bit of risk themselves and in time of crisis, this is exactly what you want the government to do," Ahmad told reporters. During the 2020 fiscal (July 2019-June 2020), World Bank has extended USD 5.13 billion loans to India -- which is the highest in a decade. This includes USD 2.75 billion given in three months in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The government in May announced a support package of Rs 3.70 lakh crore for the MSME sector, which included Rs 3 lakh crore collateral-free loans for small businesses. Ahmad further said the government has infused 1.5 per cent of GDP into the MSME sector between monetary and fiscal policy and the World Bank funding would support the operation. "Our money is not a line of credit ... it is a budget injection to say that this storyline, this whole package is something that the World Bank is supporting, is signalling to the market that this is the one which really strengthens economic stabilisation ... "This is about supporting and signalling a framework of liquidity de-risked into the hands of MSMEs at a time when you need to ensure that viable MSMEs survive and do not fall victim to the downturn," he said. Ahmad said in the next stage of the World Bank's assistance programme for micro, small and medium businesses, the multilateral lender would engage with the MSME ministry and states to ensure capacity development at cluster level. "World Bank's Board of Executive Directors has approved a USD 750 million MSME Emergency Response program to support increased flow of finance into the hands of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), severely impacted by the COVID-19 crisis," the World Bank said in a statement. Earlier, the lender had approved a funding of USD 1 billion each for the social and health sector for support during the pandemic. Arshad Khan By Express News Service NEW DELHI: Even as airlines have resumed commercial operations on domestic routes, they continue to struggle to make payments to its workforce. As per a latest development, Indias leading carrier IndiGo has started laying off a certain sections of its employees, beside extending leave without pay for others Tata Group and Singapore Airlines-backed Vistara is going for a pay cut between 5 and 20 per cent till December this year for around 40 per cent of its employees. An employee at Indigo said that the company has already asked some of its cabin crew members and the ground staff to put in papers. As per an email communication to employees which was seen by TNIE, the company said, another 5.5 days of additional LWP to a total of 10 days LWP for a full-time leave program and this would be prorated for other leave programs based on available days... There will also be a salary revision for under training transition captains and transition first officers, said the mail. The airline issued a statement stating the layoff was a temporary measure and itll be reviewed basis the changes in our capacity. Vistara CEO Leslie Thng told employees in an email: For pilots, we will continue with the reduction of monthly base flying allowance to 20 hours for July to December 2020. By PTI MUMBAI: Mahindra & Mahindra on Wednesday reported 10 per cent growth in total tractor sales at 36,544 units in June. The company sold 33,094 tractors in the same month of 2019. Domestic tractor sales grew 12 per cent to 35,844 units last month as compared to 31,879 units in June 2019, Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M) said in a statement. Exports, however, were down 42 per cent to 700 units from 1,215 units in June last year, according to the company. "We have sold 35,844 tractors in the domestic market during June 2020, a growth of 12 per cent over last year. This is our second highest June sales ever," said Hemant Sikka, President, Farm Equipment Sector, M&M. Sikka said the timely arrival of the south west monsoon, combined benefits of a record Rabi crop, government support for agri initiatives and good progress in the sowing of the Kharif crop have led to positive sentiments among farmers. "These underlying factors along with better cash flows in rural markets have helped boost tractor demand during June. It is expected that this demand will continue to remain buoyant in the coming months," he said. Express News Service BENGALURU: If my husband and I stay at home to monitor my daughters online class, who will sell the wares? asks Shanthi, a street vendor in Jayanagar.Sales have not picked up even after the lockdown has been lifted there is a general fear of spread of the virus, she says. The Bengaluru Street Vendors Union has urged the government to either temporarily stop online education or provide laptops to their children. It has written to the governments expert committee for guidelines on online education. While some street hawkers have managed a smartphone for their childrens education, they have to still compromise on the education when there is more than one child at home needing to attend online classes simultaneously, according to the union. As pending rents accumulate, and buyers for their wares remain elusive, education of the next generation looks like a tradeoff for vendors. The online fees and recurrent data recharge is a huge financial burden on them. Yet, a major fear among the community is that immature children would divert from studies and resort to playing games or watching other programmes on the internet. Most hawkers, who are digitally illiterate, said they cannot resolve issues on Zoom app, a popular medium for online classroom now. Vendors found themselves at a loss when their children turn to them to get their doubts cleared. They fear their children would fall behind their classmates in studies. The union, representing around 1.5 lakh street vendors in Bengaluru, pointed out that some vendors have even alleged that a few schools had collected money for Android tablets for its students. However, there has been no response from those schools since then. Unions demands Referring to the Kerala model, members urged the govt to impart education via television as most households or their neighbours have a TV set Govt must take care of fees for the upcoming academic year Govt should provide laptops and data packs to children Online education be suspended at least up to Class VIII Constitute an expert committee to form a comprehensive policy on education which addresses concerns of parents and all stakeholders in the society By Express News Service CHENNAI: In a major shuffle, the Tamil Nadu government issued an order transferring 39 IPS officers late Tuesday night. As part of this, Mahesh Kumar Aggarwal will take charge as new police commissioner of Chennai city. According to the order from the State Home Department, current Chennai police commissioner AK Viswanathan, being transferred after three years, will now hold the post of Additional Director General of Police, Operations, in the place of Aggarwal. At least eight deputy inspectors-general (DIG) have been promoted as inspectors-general (IG) of police, and at least nine superintendents of police (SP) have been promoted as DIGs. R Dhinakaran has been posted as additional commissioner of police of south Chennai, A Arun as north Chennai additional commissioner of police, Dr N Kannan as the additional commissioner of traffic police in Chennai city and PC Thenmozhi has been promoted and posted as the additional commissioner of police of the coveted central crime branch in Chennai city. Apart from this, M Ravi, Addl DGP (Crime against Women and Children) has been transferred as Addl DGP, Special Task Force, Erode and Sunil Kumar DGP, TNUSRB has been transferred as DGP, State Human Rights Commissioner in the existing vacancies. Madurai police commissioner S Davidson Devasirvatham has been posted as Addl DGP, Technical Services, Chennai in the existing vacancy while Chennai's additional commissioner of police (Law & Order) Prem Anand Sinha will replace him in Madurai city. New Commissioners for Madurai, Tiruchy and Tirupur Madurai police commissioner S Davidson Devasirvatham has been posted as ADGP, Technical Services, Chennai in the existing vacancy while Chennai's additional commissioner of police (Law & Order) Prem Anand Sinha will replace him in Madurai city. Tiruchy's commissioner of police Dr A Amalraj has been transferred and posted additional commissioner of police in Chennai while Dr J Loganathan, DIG Thanjavur range, has been promoted and posted as commissioner of police for Tiruchy in his place. Tirupur city police commissioner Sanjay Kumar has been transferred and posted as IGP Technical Services, Chennai. G Karthikeyan, DIG Coimbatore range, will be the new Tirupur commissioner. By Express News Service NEW DELHI: The AAP government on Wednesday told the Delhi High Court that prior COVID-19 test was not mandatory for admitting pregnant women in hospitals for in-patient interventions, including surgery and deliveries, and in emergent situations, treatment would not be denied for want of test results. The test can be conducted simultaneously with the treatment and if the result come out to be positive, the pregnant woman would ideally be transferred to a dedicated COVID-19 hospital for further management, the government told the HC. It also told a bench of Chief Justice D N Patel and Justice Prateek Jalan that it has expanded the use of Rapid Antigen Testing at hospitals to ensure availability of test results in quick time and this will further take care of difficulties being faced by people/patients, including pregnant women. As regard to admission in hospitals for in-patient interventions including surgery, delivery etc., prior Covidtest is not mandatory and in emergent situations the treatment must not be denied for want of COVID-19 test results. The test may be conducted simultaneously as per ICMR testing strategy. However, the pregnant woman if found positive on testing is ideally to be transferred to dedicated COVID-19 hospitals for further management, the government said. The HC on June 22 had remarked that 5-7 days cannot be taken for getting results for pregnant women prior to admitting them in hospitals for child-birth. Somrita Ghosh And Gayathri mani By Express News Service NEW DELHI: MA Anwar, the owner of Al Hind Hospital in north-east Delhis Mustafabad area, against whom the Delhi Police has filed a charge sheet for his alleged role in the riots in February this year, has claimed that he has been made an accused because he moved the court in order to help those injured in the riots. "I remember the Delhi Police telling me that I should not approach the court in order to help those injured in the riots. But I ignored their statement. It (the charge sheet) is an outcome of this I guess," Anwar said. He has been made an accused in the murder of a 20-year-old waiter, Dilbar Negi. One night during the communal riots, Anwar, with the help of advocate Suroor Mander, moved the Delhi High Court when the injured patients admitted at the Al Hind Hospital were stopped by the police to be transported to the GTB Hospital as his hospital lacked critical care to treat the injured. The police took the plea that as the situation was volatile, it would be risky to take the patients out and refused to provide help. But the then Delhi high court judge, Justice S Muralidhar, had held a midnight hearing and ordered the police to make arrangements to shift patients from Al Hind. "It was no less than a threat when the police spoke to me at night. But I decided to ignore it because I was busy looking after the patients. The area was blocked with barricades and the police didnt allow the ambulance to even enter the area. At that moment saving some innocent lives was my priority," said Anwar, who as set up the hospital two-and-a-half years ago. When his name figured in the charge sheet, it came as a shock to him. "I still cant understand what exactly was my fault. Just because I helped some injured people in the riots? I did what a doctor is supposed to do, and that is taking care of the injured," he said. Anwar recalled that he was questioned for 10 hours by the special cell and the crime branch. He was made to wait outside the police station for hours together. "It was during Ramzan when I would stand under the sun with no shade and water. I started falling ill, yet whenever I was called, I went. But their behaviour wasnt good. After cooperating with the police, this is what I got in the name of humanity," he said. When contacted, DCP north-east Ved Prakash Surya said the case wasnt with under his jurisdiction and maybe other department was handling it. However, special CP (crime branch) Neeraj Thakur said: "The doctor was not called for any interrogation nor is he involved in any of our cases. He must have been called by the district police for the probe." By Express News Service HYDERABAD: The chances of a day-long lockdown being reimposed in Hyderabad appear remote. The Telangana government, on Wednesday, issued orders stating that the night curfew in the State will start at 10 pm and end at 5 am, starting July 1. Shops and other establishments can remain open till 9.30 pm. Issued by Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar, the orders are in accordance with the recent relaxations issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs. As earlier restrictions to combat COVID-19 cases lapsed on June 30, the Telangana government issued fresh orders extending the lockdown up to July 31. This means that there would be no reimposition of a day-long lockdown again. Given the rising COVID-19 cases, the government had mulled among other options, a day-long curfew in GHMC area, allowing a relaxation of one-two hours to buy essentials. But that seems unlikely now. It remains to be seen whether the State Cabinet meets to discuss the COVID-19 situation. Movement of people (other than for accessing emergency medical care) shall remain strictly prohibited from 10 pm to 5 am. However, movement of people for operation of industrial units in multiple shifts or on national and state highways, loading and unloading of cargo and travel of persons to their destinations after disembarking from buses, trains and flights will be permitted during this period. Shops to shut at 9.30 pm No shops/ establishments, except hospitals and pharmacies, will remain open after 9.30 pm. The other restrictions such as closure of cinema halls, prohibition on mass meetings, religious congregations and sports events will continue till July 31 across the State. By Express News Service KOCHI: The gang arrested for bid to blackmail Mollywood actor Shamna Kasim had planned to kidnap her and demand ransom, said Kochi City Police Commissioner Vijay Sakhare. They attempted to extort money from the actor and after it went futile, they planned to abduct her. They abandoned their plan after the family members of the actor lodged a complaint, he told reporters here on Tuesday. He also made it clear that no one associated with the cinema field are involved in the blackmailing. The gang approached Shaji Pattikara, a production controller, in the guise of producers. Besides, they procured numbers of the actor from a few others too. They approached the family members of Shamna Kasim with a marriage proposal, he added. According to the commissioner, the investigation into the bid to blackmail Shamna Kasim has almost entered its final stage. So far, eight persons have been arrested and four more are yet to be nabbed, he said. The gang had attempted to extort money from a few other actors too. The commissioner also said that one of the suspects tested Covid-19 positive and is undergoing treatment now. Meanwhile, the police collected the statement of the actor via video-conferencing on Tuesday. Shamna, who arrived in Kochi from Hyderabad, is under quarantine.According to the investigators, they have not received any proof of the involvement of the accused in gold smuggling. The first accused, Rafeeque, and P Harris, who have been arrested in the case, were the key conspirators. Short link: President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi issued Tuesday Presidential Decree No. 371/2020 stipulating a 14-percent increase in pensions to apply as of 1 July.The decree has been published in the official Gazette. The All Progressives Congress, APC, Governors Forum, has said it would fully mobilize support for the partys candidate in the upcomi... The All Progressives Congress, APC, Governors Forum, has said it would fully mobilize support for the partys candidate in the upcoming governorship election in Edo State. This was disclosed by the Governor of Kebbi State and Chairman of APC governors Forum, Abubakar Atiku Bagudu while speaking with newsmen. Bagudu expressed optimism that the APC candidate, Ize-Iyamu would emerge winner of the forthcoming election. According to Bagudu: We hope that the party would emerge victorious in the elections following the achievements of President Muhammadu Buhari administration. Ize-Iyamu emerged winner of the APC primary election after defeating his closest rival. He had garnered 27, 838 votes to defeat his closest contestant, Odubu, while Osaro Obazee withdrew from the race. By PTI KOLKATA: The body of a septuagenarian coronavirus patient was kept inside a freezer by his family members here for at least 48 hours as "no help" came from the authorities to cremate it. The 71-year-old man, who suffered from breathing issues, had died on Monday at his home on Raja Rammohan Roy Sarani in the central part of the city, health department sources said on Wednesday. The doctor he had visited on Monday had asked him to undergo coronavirus tests, which he did. However, his situation deteriorated after returning home and he died in the afternoon, a family member said. The doctor, after being informed, visited the man's apartment wearing a PPE. But he refused to issue a death certificate saying that it was a COVID-19 case and advised the family members to contact the Amherst Street police station, under which the area falls, he said. The police directed the family to contact the local councillor. "But there too we did not receive any help and we were asked to get in touch with the state health department," he said. "We even made several calls to the helpline given to us by a person when we called up the health department but nobody responded," another family member said. Unable to conduct the last rites, the desperate family members contacted a number of mortuaries but they too refused to keep the body after hearing of the circumstances of the man's death. The family members then managed to procure a freezer to preserve the body till the last rites. "We made several calls to the local councillor and the state health department but no one helped us. Calls were not answered. That's why decided to keep his body at home inside a freezer," the family member said. The test results on Tuesday night confirmed COVID-19. "In fact even after getting the test reports we kept on calling the state health department but there was no response. On Wednesday morning, we got calls from the health department and told them everything," he said. Within an hour, Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) employees reached the apartment and took away the body for cremation, the family member said. "His body will be cremated as per the ICMR guidelines for COVID-19 deaths," a senior KMC official said. Shainu Mohan By Express News Service THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: While government hospitals have 283 ICU beds and 149 ventilators, private institutions have 47 ICU beds, 39 ventilators and 172 beds. Officials are confident that they can handle a surge and also cater to patients from neighbouring districts The daily surge in Covid-19 cases and scare of community spread are raising concern on whether the existing emergency facilities will be adequate if the district witnesses a huge spike. In the next three months, thousands of Covid-19 cases are expected to be reported in the state and the demand for emergency care facilities will be crucial for bringing down the mortality rate.In Thiruvananthapuram, while there are 283 ICU beds and 149 ventilators in public sector healthcare institutions, the private sector has 47 ICU beds, 39 ventilators and 172 beds. Though the authorities are ruling out the possibility of a community spread, several cases were reported in the district with no known source of infection which raise serious concern on emergency preparedness in the public health sector. Also, the number of containment zones in the district has also increased. As of MOnday, there are around 79 active cases and 207 confirmed cases in the district. Four Covid-19 deaths were also reported. As per the current requirements, 10 per cent of every 100 cases will need emergency or critical care owing to the comorbidity factors and other health issues. Around eight lakh people in the district fall under the vulnerable categories, which include the elderly community.With the district expecting a huge influx of people from abroad and other states including migrants, according to health experts, preparedness to face any situation is the only way to tackle Covid-19 and efforts should be taken to increase the number of oxygen beds, ICU beds and ventilators. An official of the Medical College Hospital (MCH), Thiruvananthapuram the hospital treating highrisk Covid-19 patients said that if the situation escalates the hospital will have to skeletonise non-Covid-19 treatments. The official said that currently, MCH continues to give super speciality and ICU treatment for non-Covid-19 patients. Category-C Covid-19 patients coming to the MCH have comorbidities relating to kidney, cancer and diabetes. If Covid cases keep increasing in the district, we will be forced to stop providing care for non-Covid-19 cases. We will be able to deal with only emergency cases, said the official. Being an apex hospital in the district, thousands of people arrive at the hospital for various treatments daily. Even before Covid-19, the demand for ventilators and ICU beds had been high everyday. Now we have earmarked around 25 ICU beds for non-Covid-19 cases. We have arranged around 125 centralised oxygen beds for treating Covid-19 cases. As per the current treatment protocol, oxygen therapy is highly recommended and effective for many patients. A ventilator is only a last resort. Also, 75 per cent of the patients who were put on ventilators didnt make it, said the official. The official said that the emergency plan is to stop non-Covid-19 treatments and make available the facilities exclusively for Covid-19 patients. However, many feel that compared to other districts Thiruvananthapuram has a foolproof public health care system. If the situation escalates in the state, Thiruvananthapuram will be able to cater to patients from Kollam and Pathanamthitta districts. At present, we dont see the need for large-scale hospitalisation, said the official. An official with the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA) said that the district is well equipped to deal with any situation. We have identified schools, hotels, hostels, rest houses etc which will be converted into hospital facilities for the patients. We are updating this list and are adding more infrastructure everyday, said the official. By ANI NEW DELHI: As the COVID-19 pandemic necessitates the usage of mask to avoid the spread of deadly virus, actor Jennifer Aniston on Wednesday also urged people to adhere to the directive. With a hashtag saying "wear a damn mask," Aniston encouraged people to wear a mask if they "care about human life." The 'Friends' star shared a post on Instagram detailing the importance of wearing a mask in these trying times. "I understand masks are inconvenient and uncomfortable. But don't you feel that it's worse that businesses are shutting down... jobs are being lost... health care workers are hitting absolute exhaustion. And so many lives have been taken by this virus because we aren't doing enough," the 'We're the Millers' actor wrote in captions. The 51-year-old star noted that she believes in the "basic goodness" of people, hence, have a hope that people will take action and follow the precautionary measure of wearing a mask. "I really do believe in the basic goodness of people so I know we can all do this BUT still, there are many people in our country refusing to take the necessary steps to flatten the curve, and keep each other safe. People seem worried about their "rights being taken away" by being asked to wear a mask. This simple and effective recommendation is being politicized at the expense of peoples' lives. And it really shouldn't be a debate," she further wrote. By ANI MUMBAI: On the occasion of National Doctor's Day, megastar Salman Khan thanked the doctors who are relentlessly serving people amid the coronavirus pandemic. The 'Bharat' star on Wednesday posted a tweet wherein he extended his heartfelt gratitude to the doctors. Khan tweeted, "Aaj #DoctorsDay hai, meri taraf se saare doctors ko dil se shukriya. Aapke dedication, or aapke sacrifices k liye!" (Today is doctor's day, I extend a heartfelt thank to the doctors on the occasion of National Doctor's Day today, for your dedication and services) Aaj #DoctorsDay hai, meri taraf se saare doctors ko dil se shukriya. Aapke dedication, or aapke sacrifices k liye! Thank you for being the strongest pillars of our country in this pandemic! Salman Khan (@BeingSalmanKhan) July 1, 2020 Thanking the doctors for helping the country in its fight against COVID-19, he wrote, "Thank you for being the strongest pillars of our country in this pandemic!" Like every year, the country is observing the National Doctors Day on July 1 to honour the contributions of the doctors. The first National Doctor's day was celebrated in July 1991. A Sharadhaa By Express News Service Making a big buzz these days is Rakshit Shetty-starrer 777 Charlie. The adventure comedy-drama, directed by Kiranraj, has now gained an interesting element through the revelation of the citys very own Humble Politician Nograj aka Danish Sait playing a role in it. The TV presenter and comedian, who has become an online sensation with his latest conversation series, will be seen in an important role, confirms the director, who also revealed a still featuring him alongside Rakshit Shetty and Charlie on Danish Saits birthday. Danish plays Karshan Roy in our film. He will be part of Dharmas character (played by Rakshit Shetty), for which he has completed the shooting. "Details of his character will be revealed later, closer to when we start our films promotion. However, Danish plays a never-seen-before role, Kiranraj asserts. Meanwhile, Danish is equally glad to be part of 777 Charlie. I owe my career in films to Rakshit Shetty. If he hadnt produced my first film, Humble Politician Nograj wouldnt have happened. I had to do this for him. He is my brother and I can never say no to him. I am glad I got 777 Charlie, says Danish, who has already been presented a watch, which he calls a pre-birthday gift. The actor also spent a little time with Charlie while shooting his parts. Charlie is like a dictator -- hes got six lookalikes and I dont know which Charlie I met and had scenes with, he chuckles. The movie is presented by Pushkar Films and jointly produced by Rakshit Shetty and GS Gupta under the banner of Paramvah Studios. They aim to make a pan-India presence with the film releasing in five languages -- Kannada, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Hindi. The film also features Raj B Shetty and Sangeetha Sringeri. Music has been composed by Nobin Paul and cinematography is by Aravind Kashyap. Kirubhakar Purushothaman By Express News Service Friedrich Nietzches philosophy has become the playing ground for many creators. From True Detective to Russian Doll to The Fall, numerous series have employed his often misunderstood ideas. Dark, which has come to a wonderful end with the third and final season, is the latest series to use the philosophers concept of eternal recurrence. It is thoroughly understandable if a viewer gets annoyed by the repeated use of the dialogue: End is the beginning. Beginning is the end. Dark, set in a small German town Winden, is about a series of missing children and supernatural occurrences that change the lives of a few families. When an 11-year-old boy Mikkel (Daan Lennard Liebrenz) disappears near an ancient cave in 2019, residents of Winden fear that the events are similar to what happened 33 years ago. With every episode, the number of missing people increases and so do the timelines and the characters. After a point, watching Dark becomes a task, but a pleasurable one. The joy stems from figuring out the labyrinth that the writers have carefully constructed (sometimes contrived) and being in awe of it. WATCH TRAILER: The second season concluded with events that seemed irrevocable for Jonas (Louis Hofmann) and Martha (Lisa Vicari), but our protagonists get saved by a deus ex machina that brings a whole new reality to the Dark universe. Superficially, it might seem like the writers took a convenient way out of this self-made puzzle. However, a careful examination reveals that the series was inching towards such a new reality all along. There were clues. The interesting aspect of this Netflix Original is that despite having many recurring events, scenes, varying timelines, parallel worlds, and different realities, Dark is not redundant (it does come close at times). It is because of the clever writing. For example, a significant portion of the final season is a deja vu of the first, yet the writers have come up with creative ways to simultaneously portray the differences and similarities of the worlds of Adam and Eva. It is interesting to see how Hannah (Maja Schone) remains the same in the Jonas-less world even after acquiring what she covets. I also loved the creators intent to make this complex mess as lucid as possible with enough visual cues. In a way, you get habituated to the editing patterns and color tones of the different timelines to an extent that intertitles and datelines become unnecessary. But the sound design, composer Ben Frosts original background score, and the amazing soundtrack choices surpass every other aspect of the series. However, the show is not without its flaws. Dark turns out to be a tad bit predictable towards the end and the organic flow that was found in the first season is evidently missing in season 3. Also, with dead characters coming back alive more often than not, nothing is at stake in the Dark universe. Even the death of a major character doesnt invoke a sense of shock as we very much expect that he/she will come back. But if you can put up with such shortcomings and the series occasional self-indulgence, you will be rewarded with a consistently-engaging sci-fi thriller that is high on emotions. Series: Dark (Season 3) Creator: Baran bo Odar, Jantje Friese Cast: Louis Hofmann, Lisa Vicari , Andreas Pietschmann, Dietrich Hollinderbaumer Streaming on: Netflix Vishnuprasad K P By Express News Service MALAPPURAM: KT Haroon Kareem , a visually challenged student from Mankada near here, who created history by becoming the first student in the state to write the SSLC examination with assistive technology (using computer and latest software, and without the help of a scribe) passed with full A plus grades. During the announcement of the SSLC results on Tuesday, Education Minister C Raveendranath specifically mentioned the name of Haroon and congratulated him for his achievement. After the special announcement of the minister, Haroon was flooded with wishes and messages from various parts of the state. The special mention from the education minister made me extremely happy. After the results came out, Speaker P Sreeramakrishnan, education department officials, teachers, friends and relatives called me. The appreciation from the people makes me more responsible to achieve my goals, he said. The 15-year-old, a student of Government Higher Secondary School, Mankada, said he proved that it is possible for a visually challenged student to write examination without the help of a scribe. He used the software called In- Spy to write the examinations and take printouts of the answer sheets. By successfully using the technology, I proved that any visually challenged student can achieve high grades in exams without the help of scribes. I want to be an inspiration for the visually challenged students in the world to use assistive technology to take examinations, he added. Haroons dream is to become a software engineer and do his graduation from Stanford University, US. His parents Abdul Kareem T K and Sabeera said they will help their son to achieve his dream. Rajesh Kumar Thakur By Express News Service PATNA: As the election heat picks up in Bihar, a poll panel directive has come as a big blow to all political parties in the eastern state. The Election Commission recently sent a letter to 150 registered parties in Bihar mandating them to disclose the reasons for giving poll tickets to candidates with criminal records. While the directive came in the wake of a Supreme Court order, the letters have returned undelivered from the addresses of the headquarters of 20 parties. The EC is said to have taken serious note of the matter. The SC had ruled on February 13 that parties that field candidates who have criminal cases pending against them must inform why they have chosen such tainted candidates. The EC sent a directive to all 2,543 national political parties in the country, apart from the 150 parties of Bihar, in this regard. Parties will have to publish the details on the criminal records of the candidates in newspapers and social media platforms within 48 hours. They will have to state the reasons for nominating them. Bihar is the first state where this order will be implemented and every party will be forced to drop musclemen from its candidate list. This has made them jittery as these strongmen may contest as Independents and spoil the chances of their candidates. RJD spokesperson Mrityunjay Tiwari said, The EC should clarify what kind of cases should be pending against the candidates and then take a stand. BJPs Nikhil Anand said the party will abides by the directive. By Express News Service NEW DELHI: Attacking Prime Minister Narendra Modi for staying away from mentioning anything about ongoing tension at the India-China border in Ladakh, the Congress on Tuesday said that he is too afraid to even talk about it in his national address. Were glad to hear that PM Modi has heeded the advice of Congress President Sonia Gandhi to extend the provisions of providing free food to the poor. Forget condemning China, the PM is too afraid to even talk about it in his national address. Another national address that could have been a government notification, said the party. In a poetic response, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi questioned PMs leadership. Dont beat about the bush, tell us who snatched our land. We have no grudge against those who stole what is ours, but we have questions about your leadership, he said. Facts dont lie. BJP says: Make in India. BJP does: Buy from China, Rahul said in a tweet along with a graph showing comparative volumes of imports from China during the Congress-led UPAs tenure and the current BJP-led NDA government. The party has questioned the governments denial of Chinese transgression and demanded that the PM should speak the truth. The party further said that people had hoped that PM would look China in the eye and gather the courage for some tough talk. Fayaz Wani By Express News Service SRINAGAR: A CRPF jawan and a civilian were killed Jammu and Kashmirs Sopore town in Baramulla district on Wednesday after terrorists hiding inside a mosque opened fire at a CRPF patrol team. A heartbreaking picture of the grandson of the deceased civilian attempting to wake him up, while he lay dead on the road, went viral on social media. The three-year-old narrowly escaped the hail of bullets and was rescued by security forces, officials said. Two LeT militants fired on the CRPF party when they were deboarding at around 7.30 am for the routine Naka duty, said IGP Kashmir Vijay Kumar. The CRPF personnel returned fire but the terrorists managed to flee from the area, the officials said. As people scurried for cover, 60-year-old Bashir Khan who was travelling with his grandson in his car abandoned the vehicle and made an attempt to run for safety but was killed, officials said. CRPF Head Constable Deep Chand Verma was killed in the incident while three jawans were injured. While his body lay on the ground, his grandson was pictured is sitting on his side and trying to wake him up. When CRPF personnel saw the toddler crying next to his grandfathers body, they rescued him and later handed him to his family. Jammu and Kashmir Police later shared a picture of the child being carried by a security officer on Twitter. In a video shot in police vehicle, the boy was seen sobbing as biscuits and chocolates were offered to him. However, the family members of Khan alleged that he was dragged out of the vehicle and shot dead by the security forces. J&K police and CRPF rejected the charge. His family was not on the spot. So, how can they level such baseless allegations. He was hit by the bullets coming from the same side where from our CRPF jawans were also hit, the CRPF spokesman said. 118 militants killed this year so far At leaset 118 militants have been killed in encounters with security forces in Kashmir so far this year while 67 youth joined the militant ranks during the same period, police said on Wednesday. IGP Kashmir Vijay Kumar said that 107 were locals and 11 foreign militants were killed in encounters from January 1 to June 30. 121 weapons including 62 AK-47 rifles, nine SLRs were also recovered. From fluctuations in income flow to struggling with keeping demand stable, theres no gainsaying that small-to-medium scale ventures a... From fluctuations in income flow to struggling with keeping demand stable, theres no gainsaying that small-to-medium scale ventures and start-ups have had to grapple with the economic downside of the COVID-19 pandemic across the world as of recent. Part of the strategies that small businesses have had to deploy is e-commerce, which more-or-less, has gotten them acquainted with hunting for customers and clients beyond geographical enclaves. Yet, as cities and economies start to reopen, even more people are looking for ways to support their favorite small businesses. Well, heres five ways to do just that this time with Google Maps. Report a place as re-opened on Google Maps Business owners may not have the time or resources to keep the information on their online listing updated. If you know a business has reopened to the public, but its still marked as closed on Google Search or Maps, you can report it as re-opened. Click on the Temporarily Closed banner on the business and select Suggest an edit to let us know that the business has reopened. And for businesses that have reopened with different hours, you can also submit updated open hours information too. Spread the word with reviews, ratings, and photos Share your experience. Writing about a restaurants well-executed takeout window or adding photos of the menu or dish you ordered in your Maps review can help businesses you love to attract more customers. Answer questions and check the facts You can share useful insights about places that youve visited by answering easy questions that pop up on Google Maps. You can also verify information about places that other people submit before its published on Google Maps. Order delivery or takeout Many restaurants and cafes that are closed for dine-in service have pivoted to takeout and delivery. If youre not in the mood to cook, treat yourself while supporting one of your local restaurants. Use Google Maps to find restaurants around you that are offering takeout or delivery. By Express News Service SRINAGAR: The family members of a civilian, who along with a CRPF jawan was killed in an encounter in Sopore in north Kashmir on Wednesday morning, have alleged that he was dragged out of his vehicle by the jawans and shot dead. However, police and CRPF have rejected the allegations and said he was killed in militant firing. A CRPF spokesman claimed militants ambushed the 179 Bn CRPF party at Sopore at around 7.30 am by spraying bullets on them. While a CRPF jawan and a civilian were killed, three CRPF men were injured in the attack, the spokesman added. The civilian, identified as 60-year-old Bashir Ahmad from Srinagar, was travelling in an Alto car along with his three-year-old grandson. The death of the civilian left behind the searingly heartbreaking image of his three-year-old grandson sitting by the motionless body of his grandfather. The boy was later taken away from the spot by policemen. Three videos of his family members, including of his wife and daughter, where they allege that Bashir Ahmad was dragged out of his vehicle and shot dead by CRPF men have gone viral on social media. He was not a militant. Why he was shot dead, said his wife in one of the videos. He was taken from the vehicle and shot dead. (The Jawans) Did they not see that he was accompanying a three-year-old boy? They killed an innocent man, she said. However, police denied the allegations of the family members of the slain civilian, saying they were not true. SP Sopore Javaid Iqbal told The New Indian Express that the familys allegations were totally baseless. They were not on the spot. Then how come they allege that he was taken out from the vehicle and killed, he said adding, They should not tell lies. The police official said the man, along with his grandson, had left the vehicle during the exchange of fire and might have tried to hide somewhere to escape bullets. During this, he might have been killed. A CRPF spokesman also rejected the family's allegation. His family was not on the spot. How can they level such allegations, he said. He was killed in the militant firing. He was hit by the bullets coming from the same side from where our CRPF jawans were also hit, he said. By PTI NEW DELHI: Former Attorney General and senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi on Wednesday said that he will not be representing in courts the Chinese apps including video sharing application 'TikTok' which along with 58 others have been banned by the Centre on June 29. Citing threats to national security and sovereignty, the Centre on Monday banned Chinese applications such as TikTok, Shareit, Mi Video Call, Club Factory and Cam Scanner. Rohatgi said he will not be appearing for these apps in courts against the government of India. "It does not feel right to appear for a Chinese company in view of the current tension," Rohatgi said. The ban had been imposed on the Apps amid continuing tensions on line of actual control (LAC) between India and China. Rohatgi, who remained Attorney General for India for three years from June 19, 2014 to June 18, 2017 after being appointed to the post by the NDA government, has been one of the leading lawyer of the country. Fayaz Wani By Express News Service SRINAGAR: Former Jammu and Kashmir DGP S P Vaid alleged that previous governments had given preferential treatment to separatist leader Syed Ali Geelani, who resigned from the All-Party Hurriyat Conference on Monday. Talking to this newspaper, Vaid said when he was injured in a militant attack on March 23, 1999 when he was DIG Baramulla, he was shifted to army hospital in Srinagar and later his family took him to Delhi, where he underwent treatment. We were left to fend for ourselves for treatment in Delhi, he said. In contrast, when Geelani used to fall ill, the government used to airlift him to Mumbai in special planes. He said when Geelani was diagnosed with malignancy during his detention in Ranchi jail in 2003, he was flown to Mumai hospital on a state plane. Geelani, Vaid said, was again flown to a Mumbai hospital from Srinagar in 2007. See how our soldiers are treated. Is this fair? he asked. Vaid called Geelani the Akka of separatism, motivator of terrorists and the Pakistan ISIs pointman in the Kashmir Valley. The incumbent DGP Dilbag Singh said Geelanis resignation was an admission that he was wrong and had portrayed a negative mindset. He claimed that Geelani had admitted in a letter to all his constituents that the path chosen by him was wrong and people were using it for personal gains. He has admitted that they have miserably failed in their mission and the Kashmir issue was used by people for their personal gains. He has confessed that his path was wrong and they were propagating a negative thinking, added Singh. Mukesh Ranjan By Express News Service RANCHI: Jharkhand state School Education and Literacy Minister Jagarnath Mahto on Wednesday said the government jobs should be reserved for the students who went to government schools. Mahto said that the state government is mulling on taking some tough decisions to improve the educational system in the state. I believe that government jobs should be given to only those who studied in government schools, said the minister. He, however, said that any decision will be taken only after taking consent from the people. People studying in private schools are striving for government jobs, which is not fair. To get a government job, one must go to the government school, said Mahto. Some tough decisions need to be taken to improve the educational system in Jharkhand, he added. Talks are on and a decision in this regard is yet to come, he said. According to Mahto, steps are also being taken to free teachers from non-educational responsibilities so that they can fully concentrate on teaching. Teachers should try to provide quality education to the children. Better environment must be created so that more and more parents will send their children to government schools, said the minister. Though the State government is spending Rs 20,000-25,000 per month on each child in government schools, the parents are making a beeline before private schools, he added. Mahto has been vocal towards changing the existing domicile policy and batting for land records of 1932 a base for identifying a person as local to ensure government jobs. He said that the government is committed to the promises made in its manifesto and changes in the existing domicile policy will definitely be made in accordance with the sentiments of the people. By PTI NEW DELHI: India will not allow Chinese companies to participate in highway projects, including those through joint ventures, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said on Wednesday amid border standoff with China. Gadakri also said the government will ensure that Chinese investors are not entertained in various sectors like Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs). The senior minister's assertions assume significance against the backdrop of border standoff between India and China in Ladakh that also saw the death of 20 Indian Army personnel last month. Amid escalating tensions, the government on Monday banned 59 apps, mostly having Chinese links, citing threats to national security. "We will not give permission to joint ventures that have Chinese partners for road construction. We have taken a firm stand that if they (Chinese companies) come via joint venture in our country, we will not allow it," Gadkari told PTI in an interview. The Road Transport, Highways and MSME minister said a policy will be out soon banning Chinese firms and relaxing norms for Indian companies to expand their eligibility criteria for participation in highway projects. Currently only a few projects which were undertaken much earlier involve some Chinese partners. When asked about this, the Minister said that the new decision will be implemented in current and future tenders. With respect to existing tenders and future bids, Gadkari said rebidding would be done if there are any Chinese joint ventures. ALSO READ: DoT orders ISPs to block internet access to all 59 banned Chinese apps "We have taken a decision to relax norms for our companies to ensure that they qualify in bidding in large projects. "I have directed the Highways Secretary (Giridhar Aramane) and NHAI Chairman (SS Sandhu) to hold a meeting for relaxing technical and financial norms so that our companies can qualify to work," he said. Elaborating on the decision, Gadkari said if a contractor can qualify for a small project, he can also qualify for a large project. "Construction norms are not good so I have asked to change it. We are changing it so that we can encourage Indian companies," he added. According to him, qualification norms for projects are being rationalised to ensure Indian companies do not require to enter into pacts with foreign partners to grab projects. ALSO READ: Un-appy China calls Indian ban unfair, discriminatory "Even if we have to go for foreign joint venture in the areas of technology, consultancy or design, we will not allow Chinese," the Minister said. About the MSME sector, Gadkari said the effort is to enhance the capacity of local production but at the same time foreign investment is being promoted. However, he made it clear that despite decision to encourage foreign investment, Chinese investors would not be allowed. "For upgradation of technology, research, consultancy and other works, we will encourage foreign investment and joint ventures in MSMEs but in case of Chinese we will not entertain them," he said. On stopping of consignments from China at Indian ports, the minister said there is "no arbitrary stopping of goods" at Indian ports and the government is initiating path-breaking reforms to help MSMEs and businesses in a bid to make the country self-reliant. "It is a good step. The imports from China will be discouraged and the country will take large strides towards self-reliance," the Minister said and added that he is among the strongest proponents of 'Atmanirbhar Bharat'. Gadkari said that he had urged departments concerned to expedite clearance of consignments which were booked two to three months in advance before the situation took its present shape. After a representation from a farmers and traders' body that imported agriculture equipment consignments were delayed at ports, Gadkari in a letter to Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Commerce and Industries Minister Piyush Goyal had sought early clearance of the said consignments. There are reports that customs authorities at Chennai and Vishakhapatnam ports are conducting extra scrutiny of consignments from China. Gadkari, as per the information, did not mention the name of the country from where these equipment were imported. "Indian business has the strength and skills to grow further and power our journey towards self-reliance. Under strong leadership of PM Narendra Modi, the Government of India is proactive and initiating path-breaking reforms that will help businesses and MSMEs," he said. Most of these equipment, as per the information, pertain to spraying devices for pesticide control as the same had been diverted to urban areas during the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak. Amid heightened border tensions with China, Indian customs officials have started physical inspection of all consignments coming from the neighbouring country specially Chennai and Vishakhapatnam ports. By Express News Service PARADIP: An irate mob comprising members from a minority community allegedly ransacked a police outpost and torched the personal vehicle of a police officer after he warned village leaders of action for violating Covid-19 guidelines in a mosque in Jagatsinghpur district. It all started after Officer-in-Charge (OIC) of Krishnanandpur outpost imposed restriction on Azaan (Islamic call for prayer) in all mosques in its jurisdiction on Tuesday night. OIC Anirudha Nayak alerted all mosques in Krishnanandpur panchayat under Tirtol police station limits not to give Azaan and adhere to the Covid-19 protocols. The panchayat has 20 villages having at least one mosque each. Members of the community said mass congregation for prayers is prohibited in all mosques, but there is no restriction on Azaan. Though congregational prayers are suspended, Namaz can be offered at home. Wearing shoes the OIC forcibly entered the mosque when some members were discussing calling Azaan by maintaining social distancing norms. He beat up some of them and threatened to arrest if they do not adhere to the rules and regulations, said village leader Sk Alsar Alli. Aggrieved on the police excesses, irate members of the community demonstrated in front of the outpost demanding stern action against the errant cop. Later they ransacked the outpost and torched personal vehicle of the OIC. Alli alleged people got infuriated when police restricted the call of Azaan in mosques as the government has not banned it. Local police do not understand the difference between Azaan and Namaz. Due to social distancing norms, offering Namaz at mosques is prohibited but there is no restriction on Azaan, he added and demanded action against the police officer. Nayak refuted the allegation and said the members of the community had also kept their shoes in front of mosques. I entered the mosque without shoes and warned them of action for violating social distancing during Namaz, he added. Collector Sangram Keshari Mohapatra and SP Prakash R rushed to the spot and assured the villagers to withdraw the OIC from the outpost. They allowed to call Azaan following which the irate people called off their stir. In the latest development, SDPO Deepak Kumar Jena informed Nayak has been temporarily withdrawn from the outpost. Two platoon police forces have been deployed in the panchayat to avert any untoward incident further. Meanwhile, Nayak has lodged a complaint at Tirtol police station against around 300 people for ransacking Krishnanandpur outpost and torching his personal vehicle. Police are investigating the allegation. Namita Bajpai By Express News Service LUCKNOW: Lucknow district administration has started attaching the properties of those booked for vandalism during the anti-CAA protests in December last year. The district authorities sealed a garment store and a junk store in Hasanganj area on Tuesday. As per the sources, the process of attachment of properties of the persons named in the FIRs then lodged. Notices were served on 54 persons for recovery of damages to the public property as FIRs were lodged against them across four police stations, said Tehsildar, Sadar, Shambhu Sharan Singh said on Wednesday. He added that the process of attachment of the properties of accused persons would continue. The garment store, which was attached, is owned by Dharamveer Singh and junk shop by Maahenoor Choudhary. Both are accused of indulging in vandalism damaging properties during the anti-CAA protests. The action of property attachment is being done under the Uttar Pradesh Recovery of Damages to Public and Private property ordinance-2020 in compliance with the orders issued by additional district magistrate (Trans-Gomti) Vishwa Bhushan Mishra. The protests against the CAA and the National Register of Citizens (NRC) had witnessed a surge of violence in the city on December 19 and 20. During the protests, while half a dozen OB vans owned by various news channels were set afire, public property worth crores was destroyed in the arson and brick batting by the protestors. After the protests, the district administration had assessed the losses and had sent recovery notices worth about Rs 1.55 crore to over 50 people seeking the payment of damages allegedly done by them during the protests. In Khadra area of Lucknow, 13 trouble makers were identified and they were accused of damaging property worth Rs 21.76 lakh, while in Parivartan Chowk, 24 protestors were identified and the loss was estimated at Rs 69.65 lakh. Ten people were identified in old city areas and the loss was estimated around Rs 47.85 lakh. In Kaiserbagh the centre of the city six persons were identified and the loss of property was estimated at Rs 1.75 lakh. In an act of naming an shaming, the district administration had put up hoardings comprising photographs, names and addresses of protesters, including Congress leader Sadaf Jafar, retired IPS SR Darapuri and activist Mohammad Shoaib. The administration's action had drawn much attention including that from High Court in March. However, corona menace and directives from Allahabad High Court made the Lucknow administration stop all coercive actions on March 20. By Express News Service India has already lost over 300 frontline doctors in the fight against COVID-19. Apart from the risk of contracting the virus and exhaustion from non-stop 10-hour shifts, instances of doctors getting abused, assaulted, pelted by stones, attacked by mobs, ostracised by their housing societies in this pandemic, are plenty. On National Doctors' Day, The Morning Standard spoke to a few healthcare workers on what motivates them to fight these personal and professional battles: Dr Inder Kumar Kasturia: Consultant Physician & Wellness Expert - Family Medicine, Aakash Healthcare & Super Speciality Hospitals, Dwarka We are not only fighting with the virus, but the big fear in the minds of patients and their relatives. As doctors we have to serve people irrespective of the situation. Dr Gauri Aggarwal: Founder of Seeds of Innocence & Genestrings, New Friends Colony Conducting COVID-19 tests, growing cases, in terms of testing and treatment, has led to a risk of burnout for staff. We dont just have to work in PPE during summer, but also have to deal with the stigma of working in hospitals. The one motivation is were privileged to be at the forefront of this fight. This has led to never-before-seen levels of commitment, selflessness and teamwork. Dr Ravi Shekhar Jha: Senior Consultant and Head of the Department, Pulmonology, Fortis Escorts Faridabad Working in COVID ward, though exhausting, is rewarding. It draining to wear the PPE for prolonged hours, especially, when you look at the monitor and realise that your face shield vision has become blurred due to fogging; but when you see smiling faces of patients, especially those who are young and have plenty of life ahead, it makes it all worth it. Dr Manoj Goel: Director & Head, Pulmonology, Critical Care & Sleep Medicine, Fortis Memorial Research Institute, Gurugram I see my clothes drenched in sweat when I take off my PPE. At first, it was daunting to work in a COVID ward and the staff feared working in such conditions. As patients stay isolated from families we have to ensure they stay positive. Dr Dinesh Kumar Mittal: Director and Head, Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery, Fortis Hospital, Shalimar Bagh Three months ago, we did not know what we do now. Now, we have begun to understand how the virus spreads, what the telltale signs are. Doing 10-hour shifts in the PPE kits feels like we are fighting a battle. We do not have access to any food, water, or washrooms during this shift. To keep ourselves fit, we hydrate ourselves and eat properly. Dr Anurag Bansal: Technical Head for North and East India and Lab Operations Director for Gurgaon Clinical Reference Laboratory, SRL Ltd. Being at the forefront of this pandemic is an experience I will remember all my life. The sense of duty towards the society and nation is what has kept us all going. Dr Manisha Ranjan: Consultant Obstetrician & Gynaecologist, Motherhood Hospital, Noida While we work towards bringing a ray of hope in the lives of our patients, we forget our own mental condition. We have worked through the nights, without a wink of sleep. We live with a continuous baseline anxiety and fear about the unprecedented situation, the moment we enter our home. Regardless of the actual patient workload, we are anxious. The constant need to stay up to date with COVID medical updates, and counsel patient that nothing will happen to their newborns is causing burnout. Absence of socialising has also increased the level of anxiety. By PTI JAMMU: A Pakistani terrorist was killed on Wednesday as the Army foiled an infiltration bid by a group of militants along the Line of Control (LoC) in Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir, an Army officer said. Troops intercepted the group when it entered 400 metres into this side from across the LoC in Keri sector of Rajouri around 0555 hours, triggering a gunfight, the officer said. He said that one terrorist was killed and an AK 47 rifle along with two magazines was recovered from his possession. The search operation to track down other members of the group was on when last reports came in, the officer said, adding further details are awaited. Vineet Upadhyay By Express News Service DEHRADUN: The Union AYUSH Ministry on Wednesday said Patanjali can sell controversial Coronil a medicine the company launched last week but only as an immunity booster, even as its founder and yoga guru Ramdev now calls it a product to manage the Covid-19. Patanjali Ayurved Ltd. said there is no disagreement now between it and the Union ministry, which had last week asked it not to sell the ayurvedic drug till the issue is examined. At a press conference in Haridwar, Ramdev lashed out over the flak he received after the launch of the drug, saying some people are hurt by the rise of Indian culture. I want to tell people who want to try these medicines that there is no restriction on their sale now and they will be available in a kit everywhere in the country from today, Ramdev said, referring to Coronil and the two other products Patanjali is promoting together. Ramdev also claimed that some of the medicine-mafia may unsuccessfully try to malign the image of his company and his teams work. We are determined to use the stones hurled at us to sculpt the path of our success and reach our destinations. Some people are abusing and filing FIRs to misalign us, burning themselves in the prejudice, jealously and mistrust, said the yoga guru. Ramdev added that he and his team have a dream to make India a global power of knowledge and a self-reliant. Ramdev said Patanjali has shared all the clinical trial documents with the AYUSH Ministry and the government as requested. The ministry has also agreed that the Patanjali Research Foundation has appropriately worked on Covid-19 management. Now there is no difference of opinions between the AYUSH Ministry and Patanjali, said Ramdev. The ministry confirmed that Patanjali can sell the product but not as a cure for the disease. The AYUSH Ministry has only given permission to sell this particular formulation as an immunity booster and not as a medicinal cure for Covid-19, it said. Ramdev claimed that the ministry had asked him to use the term Covid management in place of Covid treatment and he is following the instruction. Even while backtracking on describing Coronil as a treatment for Covid-19, the company stuck to its claim that its trial on mild to moderately ill patients was successful. The firms statement said the trial, conducted after the necessary approvals, showed 100 per cent recovery of patients within seven days. He said the AYUSH Ministry has allowed Patanjali to manufacture and distribute its Divya Coronil Tablet, Divya SwasariVati and Divya AnuTaila across India, as per the manufacturing licences granted by State Licencing Authority, Ayurvedic and Unani services, the Uttarakhand government. Patanjalis Divya pharmacy has taken the licence approval for Divya Coronil Tablet and Divya SwasariVati on their traditional reported usages, and have now connected those with the modern research-based clinical findings said Ramdev. Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State has spoken about his alleged plans to defect to the All Progressives Congress (APC). Wike is ... Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State has spoken about his alleged plans to defect to the All Progressives Congress (APC). Wike is a leader of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), where he was elected into office as the governor of Rivers State. Wike is known as a critic of President Muhammadu Buhari and the APC. But that narrative changed lately when the governor sponsored an advertorial in national newspapers, wherein he appreciated President Buhari for approving the repayment of N78.9billion as funds spent by Rivers State on federal roads. In the open letter of appreciation, Wike also appealed to Buhari to visit the state so as to see the projects being executed by his administration. Following the publications, there were speculations that Wike was romancing the president as part of plans to join the APC. But, Wike has debunked all the rumours, describing them as lies being peddled by people who love to play bad politics. While featuring on an AIT live programme on Wednesday morning, Wike asked what purpose he would be joining the APC for when he was already on his second term as the governor of Rivers State. You know what I went through to win my second term. What else will I need to join APC for, is it to get a ticket for a third term or to get a presidential ticket? You know when people dont have anything to do, they go on social media to say all sorts of things, he said. Wike clarified that when other states received the fund for federal roads they constructed in 2018, Rivers was not included. He recalled how he complained to the President, the late Chief of Staff, Abba Kyari and the Minister of Works, Babatunde Raji Fashola. He said now that the fund had been approved, he and his state executive council decided to appreciate the President and other members of his cabinet, saying the main letter had been sent to Buhari three weeks ago before the advertorial. The governor said people should learn to appreciate, saying his letter to Buhari was a mere appreciation with no intention to romance him or to join the APC. By PTI NEW DELHI: A plea has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking a direction to the Centre to make public its trade policies with China amid the bitter standoff between the two armies at multiple locations in eastern Ladakh for the last seven weeks. The Indian and the Chinese armies are engaged in a standoff in various areas in eastern Ladakh and the tension escalated after 20 Indian soldiers were killed in a violent clash in Galwan Valley on June 15. The Chinese side also suffered casualties but it is yet to give out the details. Following the Galwan Valley incident, the government has given the armed forces "full freedom" to give a "befitting" response to any Chinese misadventure along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), the 3,500-km de-facto border. The petition filed in the apex court has referred to media reports and alleged that a state and a private firm had signed memorandum of understanding (MoU) for business with China-based firms. The plea filed by Jammu-based lawyer Supriya Pandita has said that after the June 15 incident at the LAC, the citizens and trade associations in India are calling for boycott of Chinese goods in the country. It said on June 29, the government banned 59 Chinese mobile app citing threat to India's security. "While the ban on these mobile apps may be a welcome step but on the other hand allowing few select business house or few select state government to enter in to MOU with Chinese business house or stakeholders from China sends a wrong message to the people of India," said the plea, filed through advocates Om Prakash Parihar and Dushyant Tiwari. The plea has also sought the apex court's direction to the Centre and others to "terminate" the MoUs signed with Chinese firms. It claimed that MoUs signed by the states or companies with Chinese government or firms for trade and business is against the Prime Minister's call for 'Atmanirbhar Bhara' (self-reliant India).= By Express News Service NEW DELHI: Two days after the government banned 59 Chinese apps, Prime Minister Narendra Modi exited social networking platform Weibo, the Chinese version of Twitter. Modi had joined it in 2015. All 115 messages Modi had posted thus far were manually removed over the last two days. BJP leaders saw in it a powerful personal message to China to stop messing around. Also, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo applauded the app ban, saying promoting clean apps will boost national security and integrity. Another similar emphatic message came from Union road transport and highways minister Nitin Gadkari, who said India will not allow Chinese companies to be part of highway projects, including through joint ventures. We will not give permission to joint ventures that have Chinese partners for road construction. We have taken a firm stand that if they (Chinese companies) come via joint venture, we will not allow it, he said and added that the Centre will ensure that Chinese investors are not included in sectors like MSME. Gadkari also holds the MSME portfolio. He said rebidding would happen in projects that have Chinese participation. We have taken a decision to relax norms for our companies to ensure that they qualify in bidding in large projects, he informed. On stopping of consignments from China at Indian ports, the minister said it is not arbitrary. The government is initiating path-breaking reforms to help MSMEs to make the country self-reliant, he added. By PTI CHANDIGARH: The Punjab government will challenge the High Court that allowed private schools to collect tuition fee "irrespective of offering online classes". State Education minister Vijay Inder Singla said the state government has decided to approach a two-judge bench of the Punjab and Haryana Court against the order. On Tuesday, Justice Nirmaljit Kaur had allowed private schools to collect tuition fee "irrespective of offering online classes" during the coronavirus lockdown period. The court had also allowed schools to collect admission fee. However, the schools have been restrained from increasing fee for 2020-21. Addressing mediapersons here on Wednesday, the education minister said parents of schoolchildren could not get relief on the issue, though the court restrained schools from increasing fee. He said the issue was discussed in the Punjab cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Tuesday. The decision to file an appeal against the order was taken after a meeting in which Singla, Chief Secretary Vini Mahajan, Advocate General Atul Nanda and Education Secretary Krishan Kumar were present. The state government had been maintaining that the private schools, which are not holding online classes, should not charge fee. The minister said the schools should take annual charges on pro rata basis after their reopening. The minister said the state government had always wanted to provide relief to parents of schoolchildren in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. He said when the lockdown was imposed in March, the education department had ordered schools not to charge fee until it was there. He said the department allowed private schools to charge tuition fee for providing online education to students. The department had also ordered that no annual, administrative and transportation charges will be collected from parents, said the minister. By PTI GANGTOK: Sikkim Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang on Wednesday announced a one-time incentive for doctors, nurses and other health workers in appreciation of their service in combating COVID-19 pandemic in the state. Speaking at a function at STNM hospital on the occasion of the National Doctors' Day, he said that the doctors will be given Rs 20,000, while the nursing staff and support staff will get Rs 10,000 and Rs 5,000 respectively. The incentive will be disbursed within 15 days, Tamang said. FOLLOW CORONAVIRUS LIVE UPDATES HERE The medical teams and support staff deserve kudos for working tirelessly at the screening centres, the quarantine centres, and for carrying out contact tracing, he said. "It is due to to efforts of the medical fraternity that we have been able to cure 50 out of the total of 88 cases in Sikkim so far," Tamang said. The chief minister said that the state government has given highest priority to improvement of healthcare system in Sikkim for which it has allocated an enhanced budget of Rs 40 crore for the health sector with a provision for an additional Rs 16 crore as buffer fund to meet exigencies. Tamang also announced the launch of 'Mobile Village Clinic' in all districts from the next financial year to provide quality health care facilities to the villagers at their door-step. He said that the clinics, to be manned by trained medical staff, will have state-of-the-art equipment. Rajesh Asnani By Express News Service JAIPUR: In a bizarre incident, the mortuary officials at Jaipur's Sawai Man Singh (SMS) hospital inter-changed two dead bodies while handing them over to their relatives. Grief-struck relatives took the first corpse without even checking. But when relatives of the second corpse claimed it was not the body of their dead relative, a huge chaos erupted in the hospital. The SMS administration has now formed a special committee to investigate the case. The mortuary authorities had by mistake exchanged the bodies in the hospital. The body of a resident from Phagi was given to a family of a deceased patient from Kouthoon. Once the confusion over the corpses was realized, the family, which had taken the first corpse, had to be called back and the corpses were handed over to their relatives. The issue came to light when Babulal, a resident of Phagi tehsil, died at the SMS hospital on Monday night. When his relatives were given the body on Tuesday afternoon, a ruckus erupted in the hospital as the corpse was not that of Babulal. Soon it was realized that the mortuary officials had handed the body of one Shambhudayal, a resident of Kouthoon. A few hours earlier the mortuary staff by mistake handed Babulal's body to Shambhudayal's relatives. The police was then informed about this confusing case. Eventually, the police telephoned the relatives who took the first corpse and told them about the incident. Since the corpse was not cremated, the family returned to the hospital with Babulals corpse and ultimately the bodies of Shambhudayal and Babulal were handed over to their respective families. Hospital authorities have accepted laxity that led to wrongful exchange of bodies by the mortuary officials in the hospital but have pointed out that the confusion happened as the post-mortems of both the bodies were conducted on Tuesday and relatives of Shambhudayal took a wrong corpse by mistake. Dr. Rajesh Sharma, Superintendent of SMS hospital, said, "We have formed a committee of three senior doctors to look into this matter. Once they give a report, we will take action those guilty." Mayank Singh By Express News Service NEW DELHI: Although Corps Commanders of India and China met on Tuesday to discuss ways to minimise tensions along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Eastern Ladakh, additional troop mobilization in the area continued. An officer aware of the matter said, They have deployed troops all along Ladakh and it is part of the agenda points between the two Corps Commanders. The Indian delegation led by 14 Corps Commander Lt Gen Harinder Singh and China represented by South Xinjiang Military Division Corps Commander Major General Lin Liu met for the third time to thrash out details for de-escalation on the ground. However, both sides continued to raise their troop strength. Concentration and mobilisation of troops hasnt shown any sign of abating, said another source and predicted the stand-off stretching well into the winter. Terming it precautionary deployment, Lt Gen (Retd) D S Hooda, former chief of the Northern Command, said it is not a preparation for war. There would be attempts to strengthen the defensive posture in other sectors, which would lead to corresponding deployment on both the sides, said Lt Gen Hooda. The defence of Ladakh is under the 14 Corps of the Army which is part of the Northern Command. The deployments are seen as preparations so as to not get surprised by Chinese manoeuvers. During the several rounds of talks, India and China had identified 23 sensitive points across the 3,488 km-long LAC. Ladakh has several sensitive areas from Trig heights, DBO and Depsang. The Galwan Valley, Spangur Gap, Pangong Tso and Demchok (Chushul and Chumar) are among the other sensitive areas. Marathon meeting The third Corps Commander-level meeting that began at 10.30 am on Tuesday went on way past 9.45 pm. Their previous meeting on June 22 lasted about 11 hours. It had started at 11.30 am Vineet Upadhyay By Express News Service DEHRADUN: Amid heightened tensions between India and China, the Uttarakhand government has approved transfer of 73.36 hectares of forest land in the protected Gangotri National Park for construction of strategically important roads near China border. The move is part of the governments efforts to ramp up infrastructure in border areas. The roads, to be constructed by the Central Public Works Department, will considerably reduce the distance to the border and facilitate the movement of Indo-Tibetan Border Police personnel and Army soldiers, who at present have to walk 15-25 km to reach their posts in remote border areas. The proposal was cleared at a meeting of the State Wildlife Advisory Board, chaired by Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat, on Monday evening. The total length of the road to be constructed will be 35.66 km. The three different stretches planned are: Sumla-Thangla (11.85 km), Mandi-Sangchokla (17.60 km) and Tripadi-Rangmachgaad (6.21 km). The proposal will now be sent to the National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) within a week for its approval, said Anand Bardhan, Uttarakhands principal secretary (forests). The hotel associations of Uttarakhand have decided not to allow Chinese citizens. We are a peaceful country but China has a history of aggression. We are not going to tolerate this anymore, said Sanjay Gupta, president of Doon Hotel Association. By PTI PITHORAGARH: Kunwar Singh Kutiyal complains there are no Indian mobile towers within several kilometres of Uttarakhand's Vyas Valley, near the Indo-Nepal border, where he lives, and he has to depend on Nepalese infrastructure to connect to the world outside. A resident of Kuti village of the Valley, he said that he noticed that the Nepalese government recently provided Wi-Fi facilities in Changru village on its side of the border to strengthen communication for their security personnel deputed at a post there. "We also need such facilities in our villages. We need to depend only on Indian communication facilities," he said. Kutiyal is not a lone voice pressing this demand. He represents thousands of villagers of three localities -- Vyas Valley, Chaundas valley and Dharchula sub-division -- in this district who have no connectivity due to the lack of Indian mobile towers. Some of them somehow manage to procure Nepalese SIM cards and use them to get Internet and phone connectivity by latching onto Nepalese network. "Around 40,000 villagers in about 40 villages in these localities have no connectivity. Around 3,000 of them rely on Nepalese Internet connection," Dharchula Sub-Divisional Magistrate AK Shukla said on Tuesday. He said that poor connectivity also hampers implementation of flagship government schemes in the border villages. "Due to the lack of proper network facilities in most parts of Dharchula sub-division, payments related to MGNREGA works cannot be made to the beneficiaries nor can online classes be held in sub-divisional schools," Shukla said. "We need a strong and dependable network for communication at Dharchula border with Nepal," the SDM said. The Vyas Valley is adjacent to Indian territory of Kalapani, which Nepal recently claimed as its own. Shukla said that villagers have approached the administration several times in the past with the demand to bolster mobile network infrastructure and submitted a number of memorandums. There is just one low-capacity BSNL mobile tower at Dharchula which barely meets even the town's requirements, he said. Shukla said that a section has tried to justify the poor connectivity, saying it is meant to deny Internet access to smugglers and criminals operating in the border, but it does not hold much ground as Nepalese network is widely available in the area. "In the light of these facts, the communication policy at the Indo-Nepal border needs to be reviewed as better communication facilities to border people is the need of the hour," the SDM said. The Congress MLA from Dharchula, Harish Dhami, said he has offered his MLA funds to create communication facility in the area. "I am ready to give whatever money is required for installing basic infrastructure of communication at the Indo-Nepal and India-China border," Dhami said. According to residents of the Vyas Valley, three Nepalese mobile companies cover around 186 km length (north-south), from Kalapani to Pancheshwar, with their mobile towers at different locations. According to Krishna Garbiyal, a resident of Garbiyang village in Vyas Valley, they get strong Nepalese network up to 15 km inside Indian territory. MS Waldia, a retired army colonel, said Indian citizens using Nepalese SIM cards and networks poses a threat to national security. "The government should pay more attention to the communication needs of border villages in view of Nepal's recent aggressiveness towards India," said Waldia. Almora MP Ajay Tamta said BSNL is conducting a survey in the area to assess communication needs of people. "As soon as the survey gets completed, work on installing towers will be started," Tamta said. India Nepal relations hit a rough patch recently after Nepal completed the process of redrawing the country's political map through a Constitutional amendment, incorporating three strategically important Indian areas -- Lipulekh, Kalapani and Limpiyadhura. India has termed as "untenable" the "artificial enlargement" of the territorial claims by Nepal. By Express News Service KOLKATA: On a day Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced extension in free foodgrains to PMGKAY beneficiaries till November 2020, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee also said her government would give free ration to people till June 2021. We will give free ration till June 2021. The quality of ration is better than that of the Centre, the CM said minutes after Modis address to the nation. She also claimed that only 60 per cent people in the state get central ration. Earlier, the Prime Minister said the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojanas free food grain (5 kg wheat/rice per person and 1 kg gram per family) benefited 80 crore Indians since March during the countrywide lockdown. The PMGKAY a Rs 1.7-lakh crore financial package was announced by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to minimise the impact of the nationawide lockdown on Indian economy and the poor. Banerjee on Tuesday claimed that banning 59 Chinese apps would not bear results. Only banning some apps will not give results. We want to give China a befitting reply. How we do it -- the central government now has to decide, Banerjee said. She said if it did not happen, the people of India might question the central governments stand on the whole issue. The West Bengal CM said: If the central government takes any stand against China, we want it to be implemented without any exceptions. We have to be very aggressive. Once again clarifying her partys stand on the issue, she said it was the Trinamool Congress policy to not interfere in matters involving Indias external relations and security issues. By PTI NEW DELHI: The COVID-19 tally in the city may not reach the estimated number of 5.5 lakh cases by July end but one needs to see how the virus behaves during the monsoon, Mahesh Verma, head of a Delhi government committee tasked with strengthening the preparedness of hospitals to battle coronavirus, said on Wednesday. Verma, however, said before making a new forecast, the number of cases should be monitored over the next couple of days. Verma is part of a five-member committee that was constituted by the Delhi government last month for healthcare infrastructure augmentation and strengthening of overall preparedness of hospitals to battle COVID-19. The committee had said that the national capital would see one lakh cases by June end and 5.5 lakh cases by July end. Verma said based on the current scenario, it looks unlikely that Delhi will see 5.5 lakh cases by the end of July. "But now monsoon is round the corner. We do not know how the virus will behave since it is a new virus. Earlier, we would say it would go away in summer but it never went away. "Monsoon is also a season for viral diseases. We do not know whether the viral load for those diseases will compound coronavirus. Let us wait for a few days to see whether it is a temporary decline or whether there will be any surge," he said. According to Delhi government's health bulletin figures, between June 13 to 27, there were seven days on which over 3,000 cases was reported. However, after June 27, there was a decline in the number of cases reported on a single day. On June 29, 2,084 cases were reported within 24 hours. The next day, the number was 2,199. "It is only three-four days since there has been a decline. We have to keep a watch over the numbers for another couple of days and then only we can forecast. We were expecting almost one lakh cases by the end of June but we have added about 65,000 cases. A new pattern is emerging," Verma said. Verma, who is also the vice-chancellor of Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University, said due to the surge, everyone became more proactive and there was increased testing, which contributed to the general management of cases. As the numbers witnessed a sharp ascend, Delhi has significantly ramped up testing, mostly after the Rapid Antigen methodology was permitted. He also said everyone, be it from the Ministry of Home Affairs to the Delhi government to the municipalities, chipped in, which was also responsible for the results. He added the serological survey, which started last Saturday, will show some results. Abubakar Malami, attorney general of the federation, says the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari has done enough to support th... Abubakar Malami, attorney general of the federation, says the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari has done enough to support the development of electoral process in Nigeria. Malami, who spoke as a panelist at a citizens town hall on electoral reforms organised by YIAGA Africa, said Buhari is committed to electoral reforms. Describing the electoral process as a system that is evolving positively, Malami said there is room for more improvement. He said the current administration is collectively trying, as much possible, to enhance the quality of the system by way of empowering INEC, building capacity and ensuring that sanity, accountability are brought to bear through legal framework, judicial intervention or executive intervention. He said the Buhari administration has allowed for the independence of INEC and also respected the decisions of the judiciary. Citing Zamfara as an example, he said INEC, as an umpire, reserves the exclusive right to determine the constitutional compliance of a political party in terms of fielding a candidate I think the major attribute of consideration is the sustenance and the independence of INEC as an electoral body in terms of effective discharge of its duties and responsibilities as an umpire within the contest of an election process, he said. We are all living witnesses to what happened in Zamfara for example. That in its own right, INEC as an umpire reserves exclusive right to determine constitution compliance of a political party in terms of fielding a candidate. For the first time as well, the judiciary is accorded the desired independence in terms of judicial determination of cases that are associated with political processes. In essence, within the process of establishing INEC as an electoral umpire and the independence of the judiciary in determining cases with judicial undertone, I think it is only fair or that the conclusion justified that the government; that we have indeed supported the evolution and development of electoral process and have done enough for the purpose of enhancing it. And again, it is not correct to conclude that this administration has not supported the evolution of the electoral process. So we have indeed supported a collaborative action that will see to the advancement of the judiciary. So the question is not the existence or otherwise of an executive bill but whether indeed the executive has done enough for the purpose of enhancing the evolution of electoral process within the context of assenting to laws that will now enhance the quality of delivery. Within the context of ensuring that the independence of INEC and the judiciary, with the purpose of ensuring that at the end of the day, there is due consideration and compliance associated with electoral laws. I think we have indeed, as an executive, supported the evolution and development of the electoral system and process. Sumi Sukanya Dutta By Express News Service NEW DELHI: Flagging the issue of many states restricting tests to identify COVID-19 cases, the Centre on Wednesday asked them to fully utilise the private laboratories and also to do away with the requirement of a test prescription by only government doctors. In a letter sent out to state chief secretaries, Union health secretary Preeti Sudan and Indian Council of Medical Research director general Dr Balram Bhargava said that testing is a key tool to contain the virus and save precious lives. The instructions come as the number of confirmed cases in the country reached 5,85,493 while the deaths recorded due to the infection stand at 17,400. The test positivity rate in most states are very high--indicating that they may not be testing enough. Stressing that "test-track-treat" is the key strategy to contain the pandemic, the government underlined that ICMR has so far approved 1,049 laboratories for Covid 19 testing of which 761 are government labs and 288 are private ones. In addition, rapid antigen-based testing kits which can check for the presence of the virus by testing blood samples from suspects by one company has also been validated and more such kits could get approved soon to give more testing options to people, the Centre said. However, it has been observed that in some states/UTs, the capacity utilisation of the testing labs particularly in the private sector is grossly sub-optimal, the letter said. It further said that some states had mandated the need of a prescription from a government doctor for making an individual eligible to undergo Covid 19 test. In view of the increased workload on government healthcare facilities, this mandatory requirement may at times pose an impediment for an individual to get tested and lead to unnecessary delays, the letter added. The Centre stressed that at this juncture, it is absolutely necessary to facilitate testing at the earliest by enabling all qualified doctors to prescribe Covid 19 test to individuals fulfilling ICMRs testing criteria. In its revised testing guideline about a week back, the ICMR had said that anyone with Covid 19 symptomsirrespective of the area they come from and their contact historyshould be tested for the infectious disease. In fact, the ICMR strongly recommends that laboratories should be free to test any individual in accordance with its guidelines and state authorities must not restrict an individual from getting tested as early testing will contain the virus and save lives, said the communique. The Centre also directed that efforts should be made in campaign mode by setting up camps or using mobile vans in high incidence areas to collect samples of all symptomatic individuals as well as their contacts, and get their samples tested with antigen tests. It added that positive individuals should be treated according to the treatment protocol and negative individuals should be tested using RTPCR tests, considered the gold standard for Covid 19 testing. The health ministry also said that the rate for RTPCR tests by private labs should be finalised. While some states have fixed the test rates, many others have left it for the private lab themselves to decidedleading to them charging upto Rs 4,500 per test as per ICMRs earliest rate guidelines. By ANI NEW DELHI: The Ministry of Home Affairs on Tuesday dismissed the tweet, circulating in the name of Home Minister Amit Shah mentioning fixed-line broadband and internet in Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh to be snapped, as fake. "A tweet is circulating in the name of Union Home Minister mentioning fixed-line broadband and internet in Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh to be snapped. This tweet is fake. No such tweet has been done from Union Home Minister's twitter handle," tweeted the spokesperson, Ministry of Home Affairs. A fake tweet was doing the rounds on social media in the name of Shah that read, "Fixed Line Broadband and Mobile Internet services to be snapped in the UT J&K and Ladakh from tonight." Earlier this year, on May 9, four people were detained in Gujarat for spreading a fake tweet regarding the health of Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Prosenjit Datta By Practically every Indian manufacturer who depended on China for inputs has started looking for alternatives. The lockdown of Hubei province in China because of the coronavirus followed by the national lockdown in India had already disrupted their supply chains. Even as the lockdown conditions were being eased in several states, Chinas unprovoked aggression at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) has again thrown things out of gear. Goods coming from China are being subjected to extra scrutiny at entry points, adding to delays, while the government is mulling punitive duties on some Chinese imports. Consumer sentiment about China-made goods is also running high with boycott calls becoming more frequent. Every manufacturer is now aware that while all imports from China cannot be stopped overnight, they will need to find alternative sources to de-risk their businesses. The question is: Should they look to nations such as Vietnam, Korea, Taiwan or Indonesia who also have formidable manufacturing prowess even if they cannot always match Chinas prices? Or should they try and develop an ecosystem of vendors within India given PM Narendra Modi's Atma Nirbhar call? While the latter option fits with the rising nationalist sentiment in the country currently, it is unlikely to become a reality unless the government puts the right policies in place. That, in turn, means posing the right questions. Consider why Indian manufacturing has remained uncompetitive by global standards bar in a couple of sectors such as refining and automobiles despite multiple PMs putting manufacturing at the top of their priorities. Indias first PM Jawaharlal Nehrus vision was of giant public sector units (PSUs) with only a minimal role for the private sector. His daughter continued with that philosophy. While this led to a large number of PSUs in everything from heavy electrical to electronics and from telecom to watch making, most were inefficient monopolies that started making losses at the first whiff of competition. This was because commercial viability in a market economy was never part of their brief. Rajiv Gandhi opened up the country to internal competition while largely protecting the nation against global manufacturers in many sectors. Again, the philosophy of making for Indian consumers in a closed market meant smaller scales and costlier, shoddy quality products. The opening up of the economy from 1991 saw large foreign investments, but automobile manufacturing is the sole success story. The National Manufacturing Policy of 2011 of the UPA 2 government that was renamed as Make in India by PM Modi in 2014 also failed because neither had been thought through properly. The issue is that there has never been any conceptual clarity about Indias manufacturing goals. Was Indian manufacturing only meant for the domestic market and to reduce dependence on foreign brands? Or was it to become a global hub for manufacturing with exports being as important as the domestic market? Was India aiming to be a contract manufacturer or a creator of home grown multinational brands? Was the aim to promote domestic entrepreneurs or was it to attract big global manufacturers to set up base in the country? Was a large number of small and medium scale industries the goal because of their labour intensive nature or giant, high tech factories that employed fewer people but captured higher value? The answer to each question changes the kind of policy response needed. For example, if the manufacturing goal is for domestic consumption only, the scale of operations will be different and so will capital requirements and tax treatment. On the other hand, if the goal is to be a globally competitive manufacturer, policies will need to be reworked keeping in mind that the best in global technology will need to be accessed, along with higher economies of scale and hence higher capital requirements. For creating many low skilled jobs, the sectors that will be incentivised will be very different from what would be required if the goal is to excel in high tech. If the goal is to nurture domestic entrepreneurs, it would also mean discouraging foreign direct investment. And if FDI in manufacturing is welcomed, the government can also not overtly support a boycott against a brand being manufactured within the country no matter what its country of origin is. Not every question involves an either/or choice. Many countriesincluding China and Taiwanstarted off building a reputation as low-cost contract manufacturers for better known Japanese, European or American brands before they built their own global brands. Policymakers should also realise that developing manufacturing competitiveness requires a lot of time, effort and capital. It will not happen overnight. Most importantly, they will need to realise that no countrynot even one with a 130 crore plus population and a lot of natural resourcescan excel in manufacturing everything. The government will need to pick and choose sectors where there are natural advantages, a big enough potential and back these with the right kind of incentives. The most important thing the government needs to remember, though, is to think of the consumer. Manufacturing will never succeed in India if the goal is to only create a lot of employment but not give the consumer a high quality product at globally competitive prices. This is a point that policymakers often forget. Prosenjit Datta Senior business journalist (prosaicview@gmail.com) KALEESWARAM RAJ By American jurist Jerome Frank warned long ago, It is a mistake to try to establish and maintain, through ignorance, public esteem for our courts. The court is a democratic institution and access to it is a social necessity. Peoples lives depend upon judicial institutions in varied ways. Ultimately, a fair judiciary is the citizens last resort. Justice is an imperative. Criticism of the court is a serious matter. It needs to be done in good faith, with a sense of objectivity and without accusing the judges personally, unless there are compelling circumstances to do so and if such an accusation has a legal justification. Individual aberrations as well as political affiliations can damage the institution. In a working democracy, like other branches of the state, the court too cannot escape public scrutiny. The recent controversies in India over criticism of the top court can take us to a better level of deliberation. A few retired judges along with some leaders of the Bar, including the President of the Supreme Court Bar Association, Dushyant Dave, think that on many occasions, the top court has failed to protect the peoples fundamental rights. On the other hand, a few others in the legal fraternity have come down heavily against the growing trend of attacks against the judiciary. Where do we draw the line? Public memories of the Emergency (1975-1977) must help us to solve this dilemma. Several brave lawyers and judges fought for the citizens during the testing times. Eminent lawyers were arrested and detained. Many judges of the High Courts were transferred indiscriminately. At a later point of time, Nani Palkivala, who was Mrs Indira Gandhis counsel, opposed her after the declaration of the Emergency. Fali S Nariman resigned from the post of Additional Solicitor General as a mark of protest against Mrs Gandhis authoritarianism. Lawyers ranging from Ram Jethmalani to Shanti Bhushan led a movement of radicals. It needed enormous sacrifice to restore democracy and the rule of law in the country. Once it was restored, the Supreme Court was back on its constitutional track. The post-Emergency judicial activism in India was complementary to the national and international reaction against a committed judiciary. The nation could, however, correct the judiciary by exposing the grave follies during the dark days. After the withdrawal of the Emergency, the court came to the rescue of the poor and the marginalised in the areas of human rights, labour laws and environmental protection. Of late, social action litigations have suffered a setback due to a variety of reasons. A few lawyers think that dilution of legal parameters and liberal approach in matters of locus and procedure had an adverse impact on the praxis of Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in India. The point, however, is the correlation between an assertive judiciary and an effective PIL ambience. The judiciary celebrated its independence with a sense of introspection. It revisited the spirit of the Constitution that was trivialised by Mrs Gandhi and company. Two illustrative instances where the top court protected the labours interest were the cases of Peoples Union for Democratic Rights (1982) and Bandhua Mukti Morcha (1983). In the former, the top court rescued the labourers engaged in the Asiad Projects and in the latter, child labourers in stone quarries were benefited. The court in the Asiad case held that inhuman exploitation of labour without adequate wages would amount to forced labour prohibited under Article 23 of the Constitution. In both cases, the court treated the letters addressed to it as writ petitions. On 17 June 2020, two PILs challenging the dilution of labour laws in several states came up before the Supreme Court. Constitutional grounds of prohibition of forced labour, right to dignity, etc., were raised. They were met with an abrupt dismissal by a Bench led by Justice Ashok Bhushan on the ground that the petitioners did not have locus. That is to say, according to the court, one petitioner was a journalist and the other was a law student and as such they could not have spoken for the labourers. This approach negates the very idea of the PIL that the Supreme Court evolved, which allowed a public-spirited person to move the court for the benefit of the helpless and hapless multitudes. There was no substantial criticism in the country about this judicial apathy. J A G Griffith in his classic yet controversial work, The politics of the judiciary (1977), demonstrated the ways by which institutional judgments get swayed by the interest of the political regime. There are visible and invisible factors that create a court that succumbs to a mighty political executive. Griffith, perhaps, told an old story. We have a post-truth judiciary. The situation across the globe has changed for the worse in modern times. It is embarrassing to see the court as an extension of the executive. In the Covid-19 days, one finds illiberal regimes hand in hand with equally illiberal or sometimes subservient judiciaries. This situation calls for a consolidated attempt from the lawyers and media to fight the excessiveness of the state. A lawyer, like a journalist, positions herself between the state and the citizen, performing an educative and liberative function. The emergency gives us the hardest, yet, cardinal constitutional lessons. It teaches us about the offence of silence. KALEESWARAM RAJ Lawyer, Supreme Court of India (kaleeswaramraj@gmail.com) N Sathiya Moorthy By If there is one thing that the recent India-China border violence has highlighted, it is the dangers of externalising the internal rage of young Indians into a national policy, going beyond the domestic needs of electoral politics. This is independent of the way all Indians feel for our 20 martyrs and the vow the nation has taken to stand by the government and the armed forces, to defend every inch of territory to the last man and woman. Indias inherent strength since Independence flowed from the nations ability to look and act inwardly after the dastardly Partition killings and the unanticipated assassination of Mahatma Gandhi. Much of it owed to his inspiration, and a lot more to the urgent need for the nation to modernise itself on all frontsfrom agriculture to industry, education to healthcare. Independent of the relative successes and failures through consequent decades, the early Nehruvian model of democratic socialism gave India and Indians an internal agenda to work with and work oneven fight and vote over. Even the political opponents of Nehru had enough in the model to criticise the issues and fight successive elections over them. Enemies, inside and outside: At present, there is a tendency among a section of Indias people to find enemies from within and without, to lend credence to their own nationalist credentials. The very phrase nationalism has acquired a new hue and meaning than was understood during the freedom movement and for decades later. It is one thing to use nationalist slogans and best practices to win freedom from a colonial power. It is another thing altogether to use the same term and sentiment to classify and de-classify fellow Indians as never before. As they rightly swear, India has remained united by geography and culture for centuries, but socio-political unity as understood now came about only with the Republican Constitution of 1950. Definitely, there is an internal, impotent rage in every Indian, that the nation has not reached the promised moon. Individual causes and contexts may vary, but this rage could be touched and felt. Beginning with the freedom movement and later on, too, people gave expression to the unmet aspirations of the nation and its citizenry by taking to the streets. Thus far, the 21st century generation is content with expressing dissent through the ballot, which is the most powerful weapon available to the masses in a democracy. Though Pakistan is for now a democracy on paper, as against the previous decades, India cannot take it for granted. Thoughts of China in this regard bring to mind memories of Tiananmen Square (1989) and the current realities of Hong Kong protests. That is so even if one puts Mao Zedongs regime and the Cultural Revolution (1966-76) in the back-burner of memory. Despite the intervening Emergency (1975-76), India has remained a democracy, in form, content and spirit. Visionary leadership: Pakistan has lost out in the race with India, on all fronts, not because it did not have the wherewithal, including human and natural resources, at Independence. In the Cold War era, it also had the West willingly underwriting its spending, especially on arms procurement. So much so, the US and the rest of the West looked the other way despite systemic Indian complaints that Pakistan was developing a nuclear bomb. Thus, one unmentioned/unintended result of Indias Pokhran-II nuclear weapons tests (1998) was that it forced Pakistan to acknowledge that it had a nuclear programme that had also reached the testing stage. The Chagai-I nuclear tests, just a fortnight after Pokhran-II, showed the world what the West had known, and India had suspected for a long time. In the absence of a domestic socio-economic agenda to uplift the masses, comparing and competing with India became Pakistans only occupation. Like the recalcitrant child wanting whatever the other had, the nation has destroyed itself. In his time, Zulfikhar Ali Bhutto infamously declared that we (Pakistanis) will eat grass, but will have the bomb, just because India, with its China threat still looming large, had them. Zia-ul-Haq wanted to bleed India through a thousand cuts, but his kind of cross-border terrorism too has not destroyed India. Both have destroyed Pakistan, from the inside. Compare and contrast: In the post-Cold War era, the tendency among many Indians is to compare and contrast India with China, likewise. There is a need to acknowledge that China, having begun its economic recovery earlier (1978) than India and given the system of governance, is still marching ahead. Indians need to hold the fire within, until we are really ready to take on China. The Chinese example has shown that they did not look outside the window until they became an economic superpower and there was space following the sudden exit of the Soviet Union. Rather than externalising the nations impotent rage of the times, it will serve Indias larger cause only when we do not confuse aspirations and ambitions with realities and results on the ground. N Sathiya Moorthy Distinguished Fellow and Head-Chennai Initiative, Observer Research Foundation (sathiyam54@nsathiyamoorthy.com) Ranjani Madhavan By Express News Service BENGALURU: Financial distress has been one of the biggest impacts of the COVID-induced lockdown. Coronavirus patients find it difficult to bear the burden at private hospitals as the costs are exorbitant and even if they have the insurance, they are not sure how much of the treatment cost is covered. For Raji (name changed), a pre-school owner, whose business has been drastically hit by the lockdown, the news of her husband, a cycle store owner, testing positive only increased her familys hardship. Currently being treated at a private hospital as they could not find space in a government hospital, they had to pay up Rs 38,000 upfront to even admit him. The bill is Rs 1,78,000 for 10 days which is too expensive, and I am still not sure how much of it will be covered by the insurance. Depending on the treatment and the patients condition, the bill varies. If the government cannot provide beds at their own hospitals, they should allow asymptomatic patients to be home quarantined as we cannot afford this bill, Raji said. While she has to pay her pre-school staff full salaries with PF and ESI benefits, the couple has a home loan to repay as well. Sushma (name changed), a COVID-19 patient being treated at a private hospital, is one of the luckier ones as her companys health insurance has agreed to bear the cost up to a certain amount. But it is still a costly affair, she said. As I have mild symptoms, I am staying in a twin-sharing room without oxygen or ventilator, which comes to Rs 12,000-Rs 14,000 per day. For 10 days, the total bill could go up to Rs 1.40 lakh. I am privileged enough to have an insurance cover, but what about others who do not, she asked. Dr Roohi, a member of NGO Mercy Mission, who was trying to help a COVID patient, said a private hospital quoted Rs 50,000 per day for general ward and Rs 90,000 per day for the ICU. Last week, the government capped rates at private hospitals for cash patients per day at Rs 10,000 for general ward, Rs 12,000 for high-dependency unit, Rs 15,000 for isolation ICU without ventilator and Rs 25,000 for an Isolation ICU with ventilator. A Satish By Express News Service PALAKKAD: A 53-year-old Covid-19 patient of Thalayanakad in Sreekrishnapuram has completed 50 days in the Kerala Medical College and Hospital at Mangode, which is a Covid Care Centre in Palakkad district, after arriving from Chennai. His swab samples have been tested 15 times and the test results of one set of samples are awaited. He is yet to recover.He was admitted to the hospital on May 10 and he tested positive the next day. This is the first time in the state that a patient has spent so many days in a hospital without getting cured of Covid-19. Earlier, a 62-year-old Vadasserikkara native woman had remained at the District Hospital at Kozhenchery in Pathanamthitta for 42 days and tested positive 19 times before recovering.Speaking to TNIE, the patient at the Mangode hospital said, Altogether, I had tested positive 13 times and negative once. The test results of the swab samples taken on June 25 and 27 are pending. He said the samples taken on June 13 had tested negative but the subsequent samples again tested positive. The test results are taking seven to eight days. Every time, I enquire about results, they reply that they are being awaited from NIV-Alappuzha. Authorities must do something to speed up test results of patients, he said.Ottappalam health nodal officer Dr P G Manoj said the delay in getting test results from Alappuzha has led to the situation. RT-PCR lab at Palakkad to speed up testing The RT-PCR lab, which started functioning in Palakkad last week, would speed up testing. The patients sample taken on June 27 was tested at the lab here today and it came negative. If the test result of the sample taken on June 25 is not received from Alappuzha by Wednesday afternoon, his sample will be tested in the lab here. If it is negative, he will be discharged. However, the lab in Palakkad can test only 80 samples per day and the district has 278 positive patients now, said Dr Manoj. The patient said the positive patients admitted in the Covid Care Centre earlier were given single rooms. Doctors used to visit twice daily and ECG and other tests were done. The room was also disinfected. Now, with the rise in the number of patients admitted, all have been moved to wards and doctors visit them only once, he added. I and my brother-in-law had been running a tea stall at Vyasarpadi in Chennai. The tea stall was open till March 24. Then, we got stuck in our room near the shop. I started out from Chennai on May 5 along with seven others in a van and reached Walayar on May 6. We reached the District Hospital in Palakkad but were directed to remain in institutional quarantine at the Mangode hospital, said the patient. I developed fever on May 10 and was shifted to the Taluk Hospital in Ottappalam in an ambulance and the swab samples were taken. I tested positive for the first time on May 11.I am the sole breadwinner of my family. My only son is yet to land a job. From March 24 to May 5, I had been confined to my room in Chennai and I am now stuck at the hospital here. I long to go home, said the patient. Anu Kuruvilla By Express News Service KOCHI: The word fishmonger brings to ones mind the image of a man dressed informally and seated on a two-wheeler calling out to customers with the help of a horn. However, residents and those frequenting the area near Kaloor stadium have a different opinion, since they are becoming used to seeing a set of formally dressed fish sellers. Before Covid-19 outbreak, Sreekanth Madhusoodanan and Arun Sajan were employed with the hospitality industry and had good positions in top hotels in the state. But the pandemic changed the equation and the once-prosperous industry got severely hit, said Sreekanth. With tourist arrivals drying up and the prospects of the industry not seeing any immediate letup, we thought about starting a venture of our own, he said. It had to be something simple that didnt require any huge investment and which we knew, he said. According to him, they thought of starting a business selling fruits, vegetables, grocery items or fish. We weighed in all aspects before zeroing in on fish since it is the one thing which is always in demand, he said. The one thing that worked in our favour is the non-judgemental attitude of our families. The duo took a six-month interest-free loan from the Kerala Tourism Employees Union (KTEU) and rented a goods autorickshaw to transport and sell the fish from. Our day begins very early. We go to the harbour for the fish auctioning and get our days take. We have been doing this for the past one month and are getting a decent profit, said Sreekanth. Since the rent and the fuel cost were eating into their profits, the duo bought a vehicle. There might be others who too have taken up such ventures, but dont want to advertise. However, we believe that there is nothing shameful in taking up any job to earn our livelihood and take care of our families. If Malayalis are ready to go to other countries and do the so-called blue-collar jobs, nothing should hinder them from doing the same in their own country, said Sreekanth. Arun and Sreekanth want to set an example for the others who have lost their jobs. By Express News Service THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Acknowledging the sacrifices made by healthcare personnel during the COVID-19 pandemic, Health Minister K K Shailaja on Wednesday said it was the duty of society to honour them for risking their lives to save others. The Minister was speaking after presenting a memento to Dr Sulphi M Noohu, vice president, Indian Medical Association (IMA) as part of an initiative by The New Indian Express (TNIE) to honour doctors across the state, in connection with Doctors Day. Shailaja said the state government was happy to see organisations such as TNIE coming forward to commend the efforts of the staff and doctors of the Health Department. "This year the government and Health Department are observing Doctors' Day in a unique way. Earlier, awards were given to selected doctors on the occasion, but this time we have decided to give the award to all doctors," she said. While appreciating the initiatives taken by TNIE and Lexus Kochi, Kerala Health Minister @shailajateacher said it was the duty of society to honour them for risking their lives to save others.#DoctorsDay @xpresskerala @MSKiranPrakash @CMOKerala READ: https://t.co/7nqaCUKwFL pic.twitter.com/LxTMrb9N9B The New Indian Express (@NewIndianXpress) July 1, 2020 Dr Sulphi, who received the memento, commended TNIE's efforts at honouring not only doctors but also all medical professionals including nurses and paramedical staff during the COVID crisis. Director of Health Services RL Saritha, P Vishnu Kumar, General Manager, TNIE Kerala and Vishnu H Nair, Relationship Manager, Lexus Kochi also attended the event. As part of the initiative, organised in association with Lexus Kochi, TNIE honoured 600 doctors across the state. TNIE had earlier hounoured nurses across the state on the occasion of Nurses Day. By PTI THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In a U-turn, the Opposition United Democratic Front (UDF) on Wednesday said the Kerala Congress (M) faction led by Jose K Mani had not been ousted, but had only been asked to keep away from the front meetings. "The UDF leadership has not ousted anyone from the front. The front had only decided not to allow the Jose faction to participate in the UDF meetings till it accepts the agreement reached by the coalition earlier on the Kottayam district panchayat president post," UDF chairman Ramesh Chennithala told reporters here after a meeting with the front partners. As per the agreement, the Jose faction was allowed to hold the post of Panchayat President for eight months and the faction led by party working chairman, P J Joseph for the remaining six months. However, after their term, the Jose faction refused to resign, prompting the UDF to take action. "We have not removed any faction from the front," Chennithal, a senior Congress leader, said and blamed the media for misreporting. Since there was no other option, it was decided not to allow the Jose faction to participate in any of the UDF meetings, he said. "The moment they agree to implement theUDF decision, thefaction will be allowed to take part in the meetings," Chennithalasaid, adding unfortunately the media thought that they were removed from the front. The volte-face hascome two days after UDF convener Benny Behanan announced that the fronthad decided to oustthe Jose faction following its refusal to honour the agreement with regard to sharing of the post. After the death of K M Mani, Kerala Congress (M) supremo and father of Jose K Mani, there were differences of opinion in that party. The UDF did try to bring the two factions together. But as they were not able to work together, it was decided to consider them as two separate parties, Chennithala said. As per a truce brokered by the UDF, the Jose faction was allowed to hold the post of Kottayam district panchayat president for eight months after which the remaining period would be held by the faction led by P J Joseph, working chairmanof the party. But when the Jose faction refused to ask its nominee to resign even after eight months, and openly declared that the pact was not valid, the UDF was forced to act,convenor Benny Behanan had stated. Describing the Jose faction as an "integral part" of the front, Chennithala said they shared a four decade long relationship. Since the past four months, UDF leaders have been holding talks with the faction but there was no fruitful outcome, he said. Jose K Mani has described the UDF's ouster as "political injustice" and made it clear that they were not prepared to hold talks with the UDF. After the latest development, Jose K Mani, a Rajya Sabha MP,told reporters in Kottayam that there was no change in their stand. "What wrong have we done?" he asked. The Jose faction has two MPs and two MLAs in its fold. The Nigerian Government has ordered the management of MultiChoice, to suspend the implementation of its new hiked tariffs on different... The Nigerian Government has ordered the management of MultiChoice, to suspend the implementation of its new hiked tariffs on different bouquets on its DSTV. The Acting Director General of the Nigerian Broadcasting Commission, NBC, Armstrong Idachaba, gave the order on Tuesday. Also, the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said there is governments plan to break the Sporting rights monopoly of DSTV. Idachaba and Lai Mohammed spoke at the National Assembly, while briefing members of an Ad Hoc Committee looking into the hike in tariffs. Idachaba said, I want to agree with the Committee and call on DSTV to suspend the hike in tariffs. Mohammed had earlier told the Committee that he had already signed a code to break the monopoly of MultiChoice in Nigeria. Our amendments to the Broadcasting Act, will affect the break in the monopoly of MultiChoice. Amendments to Section 628 of the Broadcasting Act, is in our broad national interest. The lawmakers who quizzed the government officials on the new payment template issued by the South African owned company on payment of DSTV subscription, lamented the high cost of tariffs. According to the lawmakers, the increase in the price of subscription of satellite television on the Pay As You Go system was an affront that must be suspended with immediate effect. By Express News Service THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: An Alappuzha native was found hanging near the nursing hostel of SAT Hospital here, where his nine-year-old daughter was undergoing treatment. The deceased has been identified as Chandrababu, a native of Nooranadu. The Medical College police said 'Chandrababu was found hanging from a tree behind the nursing students hostel on Wednesday morning.' Chandrababu's daughter, Devu Chandana, has been undergoing treatment for neurological disorder. The sources said treatment was very costly and Chandrababu was in desperate financial help. Employed as a painter, he was finding it difficult to pay for the treatment of his daughter. Devu Chandana's dance, to the tune of percussion, had recently gone viral on social media and had even received financial help from many of the viewers for the treatment of his daughter. The police said they suspect financial difficulties and daughter's health condition might have prompted Chandrababu to take the extreme step. (If you are having suicidal thoughts, or are worried about a friend or need emotional support, someone is always there to listen. Call Sneha Foundation - 04424640050 (available 24x7) or iCall, the Tata Institute of Social Sciences' helpline - 02225521111, which is available Monday to Saturday from 8 am to 10 pm.) Jegadeeswari Pandian By Express News Service MADURAI: There is prima facie evidence to frame murder charges against the Sathankulam policemen in the alleged custodial death of two traders - Jeyaraj and his son Beniks- of Sathankulam, said the Madurai Bench of Madras High Court. A bench, comprising Justices P N Prakash and B Pugalendhi, which was hearing the suo motu petition filed in connection with the incident, said the constables statement should be recorded by a separate magistrate. The judges further asked the Thoothukudi Collector to give protection to the constable and her family members and grant her leave from duty since she may face threats. While transferring the case to the CB-CID, the bench appointed DSP Anil Kumar as in-charge of the case. The DSP was directed to take over the investigation forthwith, and the judges reminded him that the court would be closely monitoring the probe. Further directions were issued to the DIG Tirunelveli and Kovilpatti Judicial Magistrate I among others, to pass on the relevant documents, including preliminary postmortem report to the DSP. Cop fled the spot In his report, the judicial magistrate had also complained about the hostility of the police personnel at the station, especially of ADSP D Kumar, DSP C Prathapan and constable Maharajan. The magistrate added that Maharajan was giving contradictory answers to the questions asked by him and he also refused to hand over the evidence his lathi. Another policeman, who was also asked to hand over his lathi, fled the spot, the magistrate said. Due to the continued disturbance, the magistrate had to leave the station, he added. This prompted the court to initiate suo-motu contempt proceedings against officials concerned. Additional Advocate General K Chellapandian, appearing on behalf of the State, submitted that the trio acted so owing to the immense stress on them due to the situation and that they regret the same. He informed the court that ADSP Kumar and DSP Prathapan were placed on the waiting list and constable Maharajan was transferred. He added that nearly 24 other police personnel of the Sathankulam station were transferred. The move was made in view of the apprehensions of the court in the contempt petition that a fair probe is not possible unless the officials are transferred. Recording the submissions and also granting opportunities to the three cops to file their response to the allegations, the judges adjourned the contempt petition for four weeks. By Express News Service CHENNAI: It's not doctors but lab technicians who are duty bound to collect swabs for COVID-19 tests, the state government informed the Madras high court on Wednesday. State government pleader V Jayaprakash Narayanan told this to a division bench of Justices R Subbiah and Krishnan Ramaswamy when it was hearing a public interest litigation from the Tamil Nadu Government Medical Laboratory Technicians Association. The association, representing government lab technicians, had submitted that it is not their duty to collect swabs for COVID-19 tests. Only ENT professional doctors and post-graduate trainees should be assigned for this job, the petition contended. However, the government pleader, on behalf of the state government, informed the court that it had always been part of the day-to-day duty of the lab technicians to collect swabs from patients. It was one of the very important competencies that medical laboratory technicians should possess as part and parcel of their basic professional qualification, the government pleader said. The case was adjourned by a day by the court. jagadeeswari pandian By Express News Service MADURAI: In a fresh twist to the Sathankulam case, the judicial magistrate has submitted in his report to the Madurai Bench of Madras High Court that CCTV visuals of the interrogation of the father-son duo, who later died in custody, were erased despite there being ample space in the hard disk. The case has now been transferred to the CB-CID till the CBI takes over to ensure there is no tampering of evidences. In his report, the Kovilpatti judicial magistrate said that though the hard disks of the cameras installed at the police station had 1TB storage capacity, the data was being erased automatically. Specifically, the footage after the day of the incident was missing, said the report. The judicial magistrates report said a woman constable, who was an eye witness to the incident, was initially terrified to reveal the truth but then confirmed that the victims were repeatedly thrashed by the policemen for the entire night. The report added that blood stains were visible on the lathis and table inside the station. Hearing the suo motu petition, the bench comprising justices PN Prakash and B Pugalendhi said the injuries found on the bodies of the deceased and the averments in the judicial magistrates report especially the statement of the woman constable were enough to alter the case to include Section 302 (for murder) against the Sathankulam policemen. The district collector has been ordered by the court to provide protection to the constable. New Superintendent of Police takes charge Chennai: Thoothukudi Superintendent of Police Arun Balagopalan was transferred without a new posting. Villupuram SP S Jeyakumar has replaced him Express News Service THOOOTUKUDI/MADURAI: The CB-CID has arrested four policemen in connection with the deaths of Sathankulam traders P Jeyaraj and his son J Beniks while in custody last week, officials involved in the investigation said. While suspended inspector Srithar and sub-inspector Balakrishnan were arrested early Thursday morning, SI Raghu Ganesh and head constable Murugan were arrested late Wednesday night. Meanwhile, constable Muthuraj has been detained for questioning. Srithar was in charge of the Sathankulam police station at the time of the incident. The CB-CID, which took over the investigation on Wednesday also altered the FIR registered in the case to Section 302 of the IPC (murder), CB-CID inspector general K Shankar said in a media briefing late Wednesday night. Ganesh was produced before Thoothukudi Chief Judicial Magistrate S Hema in the early hours of Thursday after doctors at the Thoothukudi Government Hospital certified him fit. The CJM remanded him to the Perurani district jail till July 16. Former Sub-Inspector of #Sathankulam police station Ragu Ganesh, the key accused in the custodial killing of father and son - P Jeyaraj and Beniks - taken to #Thoothukudi medical college hospital for medical check up. #JusticeforJeyarajandBeniks@xpresstn @VinodhArulappan pic.twitter.com/28JaNqpErl Godson Wisely Dass (@tnie_godson) July 1, 2020 Advocate Manimaran, Beniks' friend, who was witness to the alleged assault of the victims, reacted to news of the arrests stating that the victims would "rest in peace only after all the police officers and others involved in the deaths are arrested". The arrests come just a day after the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court directed the CB-CID to begin an investigation into the deaths. The State government had transferred the case to the CBI but the HC feared that evidence might be lost or tampered with by the time the central agency took on the probe. The CB-CID was, therefore, ordered to begin its probe in the interim. The case is scheduled to come up for hearing before the Madurai Bench on Thursday. Nedungulam villagers celebrate the arrest of custodial death accused Ragu Ganesh in #Thoothukudi.#SathankulamCase#justiceforjeyarajandbeniks pic.twitter.com/Txgk5aNCwv Godson Wisely Dass (@tnie_godson) July 1, 2020 ALSO READ: Spoke about Jeyaraj and Beniks' custodial torture as I wanted to be honest in my duty, says Sathankulam policewoman Shankar had arrived in Thoothukudi on Wednesday and, with his team, visited the mobile accessories shop owned by Beniks at Sathankulam. The sleuths also questioned a trader in the adjacent shop. Then the team visited the house of the victims and conducted a preliminary inquiry with Jeyarajs three daughters and their husbands, and Jeyarajs widow Selvarani. At that time, Shankar told reporters that the investigation had just begun and the decision to invoke murder charges would be taken based on the progress of the investigation. Twelve special teams had been formed to probe the case, and they had started their investigation, he had said. Shankar later conducted inquiries at the Sathankulam police station, where the victims were held and allegedly thrashed through the night of June 19. Friends and eyewitnesses who met the duo the next day when they were produced before a magistrate said they were both grievously injured and bleeding profusely. Father and son were remanded at Kovilpatti sub-jail on June 20. Beniks died shortly after being brought to Kovilpatti Government Hospital on the night of June 22 while Jeyaraj died at the hospital the next morning. (The story has been updated with the latest information) Nirupa Sampath By Express News Service CUDDALORE: Six workers died and 16 workers were injured in a boiler blast in unit five of the second thermal power station of Neyveli Lignite Corporation India Limited (NLCIL) on Wednesday morning. NLCIL management is however unable to recover the bodies of six workers from a 32 metre high boiler. As per the NLCIL management sources, the boiler remained non-operational on Tuesday night. However, about 12 contract workers and five permanent staff have tried to restart the boiler on Thursday morning at about 10.00 am. During which, a blast occurred and workers had to rush themselves from the top through the stairs as the lift was stuck. Of the 17 workers who were assigned for the job, one worker escaped without injuries, while 16 others sustained burn above 40 per cent. These workers have been sent to Apollo Hospital in Chennai, said NLCIL sources. The NLCIL #BoilerBlast occurred when workers tried to restart the boiler in the morning. Scenes from #Neyveli. Express video.@xpresstn @NirupaSampath pic.twitter.com/iS1u8wst6o The New Indian Express (@NewIndianXpress) July 1, 2020 Only when a count of the workers was made later, it was found that six of the workers are missing. These six were not originally assigned for this work on the particular boiler, said management sources. A spokesperson said all six were trapped inside the boiler and very less chance of survival. However, the bodies are yet to be taken. S Godson Wisely Dass By Express News Service THOOTHUKUDI: I wanted to be honest and sincere in my duty, that is why I spoke up, said the Sathankulam policewoman, whose statement to Kovilpatti judicial magistrate was seen as crucial in ensuring justice for P Jeyaraj and J Beniks who died in custody in Thoothukudi district last week. The policewomans name has been trending on social media over the past two days after her statement was mentioned in the magistrates report to Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court as well as in the HCs order on Tuesday. Extremely reluctant to speak to the media, she nonetheless agreed to answer a few questions from The New Indian Express over the phone on Wednesday. I told the magistrate what happened after the traders (Jeyaraj and his son Beniks) were brought to the Sathankulam police station that night (June 19), she said. The magistrates report had mentioned the policewoman by name as an eyewitness who was terrified. According to the report, only after much coaxing did she confirm that the two men were thrashed the whole night. She told the magistrate that the blood of the victims was found on the lathis and a table in the station. ALSO READ: Sathankulam doctor who issued medical fitness certificate for Jeyaraj-Beniks goes on leave? The report also mentioned that she first agreed to sign a printed copy of her statement but then refused, following threats from other police personnel. She eventually signed the statement after her protection was assured. The magistrate, in his report, noted that even while her statement was being recorded, the policemen were causing noisy disturbances which frightened the woman. Speaking to The New Indian Express, the policewoman admitted that she was at the police station when the duo were allegedly being assaulted by the police. The brutality continued till morning, she added but refused to divulge details of the assault. I was assured that my identity would be protected. I did not know my statement would be put in the public domain, the policewoman, who is in her mid-30s, told The New Indian Express. I told them what happened because I wanted to be honest, she said. Now that her identity has become widely known, she admitted that she was scared. I dont know what my seniors (in the police department) will do or how they will react, she said. The policewoman who has worked at the Sathankulam station for at least six months is one of three women cops posted there. District collector Sandeep Nanduri said that police constable had been posted as protection for her and another family member. "I have also sanctioned her one-month leave and have given her my phone number so she can contact me at any time if anyone troubles her", he said. He said that she had sought protection from the district administration even as the HC had already directed the district to ensure this. The FIR registered by the Sathankulam police on June 19 against the victims has been under scrutiny since the CCTV footage from that day which surfaced showed a sequence of events entirely different from what was claimed by the police. The policewomans statement to the magistrate was mentioned in the HC order directing CB-CIB to begin investigations into the incident. The HC had said that there was prima facie evidence to frame murder charges against the accused police. The court had ordered that her statement be recorded before a separate magistrate. By Express News Service CHENNAI: Expressing deep grief over the death of six workers due to a boiler blast in Unit V of the second thermal power station of Neyveli Lignite Corporation India Limited, Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami on Wednesday granted a solatium of Rs 3 lakh each to the bereaved families. He also announced Rs 1 lakh each to those who suffered serious injuries and Rs 50,000 each to those who suffered minor injuries. ALSO READ: Six dead, 16 injured in boiler blast at Tamil Nadu's NLC power plant in Neyveli The Chief Minister wished the 17 persons who suffered injuries a speedy recovery and directed the Cuddalore district administration to provide the best possible treatment to them. In a statement here, the Chief Minister said on knowing about the accident, he had directed the district administration to rescue the persons who were affected by the boiler blast. Industries Minister MC Sampath, District Collector CS Sakhamuri and senior police and revenue officials rushed to the spot to carry out rescue operations on a war footing. Ridhima Gupta By Express News Service HYDERABAD: The COVID-19 pandemic has triggered a menstrual health crisis in Telangana, where more than five lakh girl students are deprived of regular supply of sanitary napkins due to closure of schools. Until recently, adolescent girls across the State were being provided sanitary napkins under the Adolescence Education Programme (AEP), a State government initiative. Of the 5 lakh girls, 20,000 are students of 180 government schools in Hyderabad. Speaking to Express on the condition of anonymity, an official from the State Education Department said that to address the issue of menstrual hygiene, especially in rural areas and amongst low-income families, the State government had initiated the distribution of sanitary pads to girl students from Classes 6 to 10. The distribution was done quarterly, and every quarter, adolescent girls were given 30 sanitary napkins each, which generally last for three months. In addition to the pads, we also provided them with other grooming items like hairpins and handkerchiefs. The distribution was last done in December. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, all the schools were shut and we could not take up the distribution after that, the official added. Back to cloth Arti, the daughter of a domestic worker in the city, considers herself lucky that her mother is able to buy her sanitary pads every month. However, she is not sure if they can afford it for long. She claims that many of her friends will also not be able to buy pads as they are quite expensive. Speaking to The New Indian Express, Reene Grace, from the Grace Foundation, said, When we were distributing grocery kits to low income and migrant families, many women told us that they were not able to afford sanitary napkins. They were forced to re-use cloth strips during their period. In fact, I met a girl from a migrant family, who didnt even have old clothes to use. There were period stains on her. Soon, we added sanitary pads in each of our grocery kits, she said. Another activist said, The pandemic does not stop menstruation and concerns regarding menstrual health. The State and Central governments should understand this and distribute sanitary napkins as an essential item. Donita Jose By Express News Service HYDERABAD: Owing to utter confusion and lack of transparency on availability of beds in hospitals, many suspected COVID-19 patients, especially those who suffer from breathlessness, are left to die at the gates of hospitals or in ambulances when they are being shifted from one facility to another. Some are even breathing their last within hours of being admitted in the hospitals. Quite a number of cases have come to light of families taking their end-stage respiratory distressed kin from one private hospital to another for medical intervention only to be denied admission. The moment it is known that the case is of breathlessness, the patient is being informed of non-availability of beds as a result of which the patient is losing precious time. The New Indian Express has learnt of at least three to four such cases where people took patients to multiple hospitals only to see their loved ones die in transit. His death was so unfair, said grief-stricken Rohit Krishna, son of a patient who passed away at the entrance of a private hospital in Ameerpet. We went to four private hospitals hoping someone would admit him. But the moment they saw it was a case of breathlessness, they refused entry and asked us to go to another hospital as the condition is serious, Krishna, a resident of Banjara Hills, added. Their ordeal lasted from 10 pm on June 25 till 2 am the next day, when his father breathed his last. During that time, they changed three oxygen cylinders inside the ambulance without any expert support. When one hospital refuses, the fear kicks in and when all of them reject, you are left searching the internet which also is of no use, he said. In a similar case, a family from Attapur lost their father after six hospitals refused to admit him. The victim, who was a manager in a famous theatre in the city, first complained of breathlessness on June 26. He was admitted in a private hospital and was put on a ventilator, but he passed away the next day. On Monday, the family was informed that he was COVID positive. In another case, as many as eight hospitals refused to admit a 51-year-old blood cancer patient with COVID-19. The patient passed away after about 14 days of severe progression in cancer. Though the government has on multiple occasions maintained that there are beds in government hospitals, the patients and their attendants are not aware as to where they should go, when the need arises. There is also no mechanism in place like a bed tracking app or website update to show patients the availability of beds or the process to follow when an emergency occurs. President Muhammadu Buhari has issued a stern warning to public servants and political appointees who use their offices to bestow undue ... President Muhammadu Buhari has issued a stern warning to public servants and political appointees who use their offices to bestow undue advantage on anyone seeking government jobs and other favours. Buhari warned that the act is antithetical to the character of his administration. Buhari was quoted to have sounded the warning in a statement by the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, on Wednesday, following persistent reports of fraudsters using the business cards and purported referral letters from presidential aides and other government officials to solicit employment, contract and other favours. According to Mohammed, Buhari warned federal ministries, departments and agencies to disregard any purported request from officials of the government aiming to confer undue advantage on anyone seeking such favours. The Minister insisted that the President Buhari government has put in place a systematic and disciplined approach to ensure that the current administration benefits all Nigerians, whether in the area of employment or contract procurement. The Minister added that This system should be allowed to work for all Nigerians without interference. Aihik Sur By Express News Service HYDERABAD: Around 160 Telangana natives, who have been stuck in Iraqs Erbil for the last four months, recently gheraoed the Consul General of Indias office in Erbil, after repeated assurances of the CGI on their return to India fell through. The group stormed the office demanding answers and alleged that while several flights were being arranged for natives of other Indian states, the same facility was not being extended to Telangana residents. The CGI had to call the Iraqi police to remove the protesters from the office premises. It has been a harrowing few months for Telangana natives in Erbil due to the lockdown. With no job, they were having trouble sustaining themselves. The situation also took on a toll on their health. When the Vande Bharat scheme was announced, they saw a glimmer of hope of returning to India. However, their hopes were short-lived, as not a single flight for Telangana has been announced by Erbil till date. First, those from Bihar left. Gradually, residents of all the other Indian states began leaving. Why are there no flights for us? asked Dakshina Murthy, president Telugu Gulf Employees Welfare Association (TGEWA), Erbil. Murthy, said that they had waited long and hard for a Vande Bharat flight, but recently opted to pay for a chartered flight so that they can return home. We arranged a chartered flight for ourselves by paying around 650 dollars each. We got the money with great difficulty, Murthy said. For their return, the Consul General had to pardon the fines each resident had incurred for overstaying their visa. However, a day before they were supposed to depart, they were allegedly told by the Consul that their fines could not be pardoned. Enraged, they decided to gherao the office. By Associated Press HONG KONG: Hong Kong's leader strongly endorsed the new security law China's central government is imposing on the semi-autonomous territory in her speech marking 23 years since its handover from colonial Britain. "This decision was necessary and timely to maintain Hong Kong's stability," Carrie Lam said. A pro-democracy political party, The League of Social Democrats, organized a protest march during the flag-raising ceremony preceding Lam's speech. ALSO READ | Joshua Wong, other leaders of Hong Kong pro-democracy group step down China passes security law Participants chanted slogans echoing demands from protesters last year for political reform and an investigation into alleged police abuses. The law directly targets some of the actions of anti-government protesters last year, which included attacks on government offices and police stations, damage to subway stations, and the shutdown of the city's international airport. Acts of vandalism against government facilities or public transit can be prosecuted as subversion or terrorism, while anyone taking part in activities deemed as secessionist would also be in violation of the new law. ALSO READ: Hong Kong security law a 'sword' over lawbreakers' heads, says China The new national security law further blurs the distinction between the legal systems of semi-autonomous Hong Kong, which maintained aspects of British law after the 1997 handover, and the mainland's authoritarian Communist Party system. Its passage comes after Hong Kong's legislature in early June made it illegal to insult the Chinese national anthem. President Xi Jinping signed a presidential order making the law take effect after its approval by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, China's rubber-stamp legislature, and it has been added to the Basic Law, Hong Kong's constitution. Under the law, those found guilty of inciting secessionist, subversive, terrorist activities and colluding with foreign forces could face life imprisonment if they are deemed masterminds of such activities. By AFP FRANKFURT: Germany takes over the European Union's six-month presidency Wednesday, with outgoing Chancellor Angela Merkel staking her legacy on a massive economic recovery plan to help the bloc with the coronavirus fallout. Merkel's last major role on the international stage comes as the 27-member club faces its deepest recession since World War II, triggered by a pandemic that has killed more than 500,000 people globally. The crisis has galvanised Europe's most powerful leader who, with just over a year left in her final term, has ditched her usual wait-and-see approach to call for "extraordinary measures" to weather the storm. "Europe's future is our future," Merkel said Monday as she stood beside French President Emmanuel Macron to push for a 750-billion-euro ($843 billion) coronavirus recovery fund. The proposed fund would controversially be financed through shared EU borrowing, which marks a stunning U-turn for Germany after years of opposition to debt pooling. The EU's rotating presidency is Merkel's "last chance" to make her mark as one of Europe's great leaders, Der Spiegel weekly wrote. "For years the chancellor put off dealing with the chronic problems of the EU and the euro. Now, towards the end of her political career, she has the opportunity to make up for past mistakes," Spiegel wrote. There will be no shortage of challenges to tackle in the months ahead. Post-Brexit negotiations, a more assertive China, rocky transatlantic ties, climate change and the conflict in Libya will all be jostling for attention, even if the pandemic promises to dominate the agenda. 'Extraordinary solidarity' Germany kicked off its EU custodianship by projecting the words "Together for Europe's recovery" onto Berlin's iconic Brandenburg Gate late Tuesday. A first test will come at a July 17-18 EU summit, where Merkel hopes leaders will reach an agreement on the 750-billion-euro rescue fund put forward by European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen -- Merkel's former defence minister. The money is expected to come mainly in the form of grants for countries hit hardest by the pandemic, such as debt-laden Italy and Spain. But so-called frugal nations including Austria and the Netherlands want to rein in the spending and are insisting on loans rather than grants. Merkel has urged holdout nations to "engage in an extraordinary act of solidarity", warning that an uneven recovery could undermine the EU single market and end up harming stronger economies too. If accepted, the rescue fund would be a milestone for EU unity. It would also be a big win for Berlin, and could ease some of the lingering resentment from the eurozone debt crisis a decade ago when Merkel's government insisted on harsh austerity for struggling nations like Greece. Brexit warning Environmental demonstrators gathered outside the chancellery Wednesday with bags of fake euro banknotes to demand that any coronavirus stimulus be spent on "a green and just future". Economy Minister Peter Altmaier told reporters in Berlin that despite the coronavirus crisis, Germany supported the bloc's ambitious climate goals and the need to invest in green technologies. Germany also plans to use its EU presidency to strengthen cooperation on health issues, he said, after the pandemic left member states scrambling to secure protective gear mainly made in China. The EU "must reduce its one-sided dependency in supply chains", Altmaier said. He added that Berlin would fight to make progress on a long-stalled EU-China investment agreement aimed at levelling the playing field between firms on both sides. Another contentious issue looming large over Germany's time in the EU driving seat is Brexit. After weeks of standstill, Britain and the EU have resumed negotiations about the country's divorce deal with the bloc. Merkel has warned that the EU should prepare for the possibility of a no-deal Brexit at the end of the year. But she has also said that Britain would "have to live with the consequences" of weaker economic ties with the EU. By Associated Press LONDON: From Tokyo to Brussels, political leaders have swiftly decried Beijings move to impose a tough national security law on Hong Kong that cracks down on subversive activity and protest in the semi-autonomous territory. But the rhetoric has more bark than bite. For people in Hong Kong, the question is: Will international anger and statements of concern make any difference? Individual countries have little leverage over Beijing on human rights, experts say. A joint effort could make a difference, but coordinated action seems unlikely given strained ties between the Trump administration and many of Washingtons traditional European allies. ALSO READ | After controversial national security law's passage, Hong Kong marks 23 years since handover to China The U.S.A. and EU are moving in different directions in many areas. It is perhaps to Chinas advantage that that should be so, said Rod Wye, an Asia-Pacific associate fellow at the Chatham House think tank in London. In particular, Europeans do not want to be drawn into the U.S.-China trade war, he said. Expressions of concern are certainly not going to change the Chinese intention one little bit, he added. A joint U.S.-European report released this week on relations with China described a deep sense of frustration, fatigue, and futility. The stronger China gets, the less willing it has become to even engage perfunctorily with the West on the issue. The report from the Asia Society, the Bertelsmann Stiftung and George Washington University said that concern about human rights abuses in China remains deep, from the new security law in Hong Kong, which went into effect Tuesday night, to the repression of Muslim minorities in the Xinjiang region in western China. China routinely dismisses all such criticism as interference in its domestic affairs. One of the crimes in the Hong Kong security law explicitly outlaws receiving funding or support from overseas to disrupt lawmaking in Hong Kong or impose sanctions on the city. This issue is purely Chinas internal affairs, and no foreign country has the right to interfere, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said. Many fear the law will be used to curb opposition voices and see it as Beijings boldest move yet to erase the legal firewall between the mainlands Communist Party system and Hong Kong, which was promised a high degree of autonomy and civil liberties under a one country, two systems principle. ALSO READ | Hong Kong police make first arrest under new security law even as it marks 23 years under China rule Britain called the law deeply troubling and said it lies in direct conflict with Chinas international obligations. The U.S. warned that Chinas repeated violations of its international commitments is a pattern the world cannot ignore. And the European Union warned that China risked very negative consequences to its reputation and to business confidence in the global financial hub. Steve Tsang, who directs the China Institute at Londons School of Oriental and African Studies, said that if the EU were to join forces on the issue with the Five Eyes alliance the U.S., Britain, Canada, Australia and New Zealand the group would have real economic clout. The EU is Chinas largest trading partner. But he said it was far-fetched for either British Prime Minister Boris Johnson or U.S. President Donald Trump to work with the EU on the issue. It is reasonable for Beijing to calculate that both the U.K. and U.S. are paper tigers, Tsang said. Boris is focused on Brexit. He is happy to cooperate with anyone except for the EU. Chinese experts said the West isn't able to sway China because of fundamental differences in their views. The West stresses political rights, while China emphasizes economic rights, said Yu Wanli, an international relations professor at Beijing Language and Culture University. It is not that China is trying to withstand pressure from the West, but it is that Chinas own policies have achieved results, Yu said. China doesnt need to care about pressure from the West. Stressing a legal and moral duty to its former colony, Britain has pledged to open pathways to citizenship for up to 3 million Hong Kongers eligible for British National Overseas passports. In Brussels, the European Parliament last month passed a resolution calling on the EU to consider taking Beijing to the International Court of Justice. Reinhard Butikofer, chair of the European Parliaments delegation for China relations, said lawmakers are considering other measures, such as a ban on exports of technology utilized to oppress Hong Kong citizens. Other options include a lifeboat offer for Hong Kong democracy activists, and pushing for the United Nations to appoint a special envoy to the city. The major burden is on the incoming German presidency to rally member states in following through in what they have indicated in the past, that this would not remain without consequences, Butikofer said. In the U.S., the Trump administration has said it will bar defense exports to Hong Kong, cancel policy exemptions that give Hong Kong special treatment, and impose visa restrictions on Chinese Communist Party officials responsible for undermining Hong Kongs autonomy. Zhao, the foreign ministry spokesperson, said the U.S. will never succeed in blocking Hong Kong's national security legislation through sanctions. Wye, the Chatham House associate fellow, said the impact of such measures on China is likely to be marginal. I dont think Beijing has anything particular to fear because the sanctions theyre talking about are mainly withdrawing special status in particular areas of Hong Kong and treating it more like the rest of China, he said. So the people likely to be hurt are Hong Kong businesses and Hong Kong people rather than Chinese businesses and the Chinese government. Help support your local hometown newspaper/website. Independent local news reporting matters. Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription, for as little as $3, so we can continue to provide independent local reporting on our communities. Whippany, NJ (07981) Today Cloudy skies this morning will become partly cloudy this afternoon. High 91F. Winds SSW at 10 to 15 mph.. Tonight Scattered thunderstorms during the evening. Partly cloudy skies after midnight. Low 66F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%. Fatima Ganduje-Ajimobi, who is married to late Isiaka Ajimobis son, Idris has taken a swipe at Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde. Accor... I dont know how many people are glad to know that HE @seyiamakinde the Governor of Oyo State can not be guilt tripped into endorsing a heist wrapped in emotions at the expense of the beleaguered people of Oyo State? Im personally happy he saw through the shenanigans. pic.twitter.com/Q3fArqOBpi June 29, 2020 According to the daughter of Governor Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano State, Seyi Makinde can never surpass the achievements of the late ex-Governor Ajimobi.Fatima, who is SA to Speaker Gbajabiamila, said this in a tweet in response to a post by Nigerian activist Segun Awosanya aka Segalink on Monday.Awosanya had tweeted, I dont know how many people are glad to know that Seyi Makinde, the Governor of Oyo State cannot be guilt-tripped into endorsing a heist wrapped in emotions at the expense of the beleaguered people of Oyo State. Im personally happy he saw through the shenanigans.In her response, however, Fatima tweeted, Lol. Face with tears of joy half-truth is dangerous sha! SM can never ever ever come close to Ajimobi. Not your mate!!!Recall that the Ajimobi family has been engaged in a feud with the governor since the death of their patriarch last week.Ajimobis widow, Florence, had last week accused Makinde of abandoning the family, and being insensitive and refusing to condole with the family when Ajimobi died.The family had also accused the governor of refusing to give them the approval to bury their father on a parcel of land in Ibadan.Makinde had said the land in question was a subject of court litigation and thus could not allow Ajimobi to be buried there. Reporter Ben Zigterman is a reporter covering business at The News-Gazette. His email is bzigterman@news-gazette.com, and you can follow him on Twitter (@bzigterman). Reporter Mary Schenk is a reporter covering police, courts and breaking news at The News-Gazette. Her email is mschenk@news-gazette.com, and you can follow her on Twitter (@schenk). Abubakar Malami, attorney-general of the federation, has denied allegations that some soldiers are being shielded in the trial of Bala H... Abubakar Malami, attorney-general of the federation, has denied allegations that some soldiers are being shielded in the trial of Bala Hamisu, suspected kidnap kingpin better known as Wadume. On August 6, 2019, some soldiers attached to 93 battalion Ibbi-Takum road, led by Tijjani Balarabe, a captain with the Nigerian army, attacked some policemen who arrested Wadume. Three policemen and two civilians were killed during the incident, while Wadume was set free. After his rearrest, Wadume had confessed that some officers of the Nigerian Army assisted him to escape when he was initially arrested. The office of the attorney-general of the federation later took over the case from the police but the soldiers were not brought to the court for trial. This had triggered different reactions, with some persons accusing the attorney-general of the federation of shielding the soldiers involved in the release of Wadume. soldiers had not been taken to a civil court because they were still being court-martialled in line with the rules of the military. But speaking with state house correspondents on Wednesday, Malami said thesoldiers had not been taken to a civil court because they were still being court-martialled in line with the rules of the military. On Wadumes case, I will like you to note for the record that its the office of the attorney-general of the federation that is constitutionally established to consider an interest of justice, public interest and ensure the absence of abuse in the judicial process, he said. Within the context of public interest and the interest of justice, what we consider by way of fair hearing is that people that are charged to court are entitled to fair hearing, judicially determined within a reasonable time. Then where people are charged multiple times on account of one reason or the other, they cannot collectively be brought before the court for arraignment on account that others are at large. Those that are available are entitled to have their case determined within a reasonable time. Now, coming to the issue of the soldiers, it is important for you to note that within the context of the Nigerian law, there are certain provisions that are exclusive to the military within the context of law on court martial and then the internal discipline associated with the military. The soldiers can now be charged before court martial and then for the military to release their personnel for prosecution, ordinary there are in-house processes and procedures that are to be consummated. So those that are handy for the purpose of prosecution cannot be held in custody for unduly longer period of time on the account or the absence of the military. So that is how the idea of severing the charge to allow those that are handy to stand their trail arose. That does not mean that by any means that the military are shielded and cannot be prosecuted. But if they have to be prosecuted, they have to be prosecuted within the context of the law. What is the law here? They are military personnel, first they are to go through the in-house processes. There are two options, either to charge them before the court martial which is a special court established by law for the trial of soldiers or in the alternative for the military after consummation of the in-house processes should consider handing them over for trial. So, what has happened is perhaps a delay for a limited time to allow the processes recognised and realised by law to be consummated as it relates to the prosecution by the military as recognized by law and not in any way to intended to accord them protection in order to prevent them from being presented before the court. I hope that is clear. Champaign, IL (61820) Today Cloudy. Cooler. High 71F. Winds NW at 10 to 20 mph.. Tonight Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low near 50F. Winds N at 10 to 15 mph. Don Ehlers, who marked 60 years in active ministry in June 2020, talks about his life at St. John Lutheran in Champaign, the first local church he preached at, starting in 1968. While out on an early morning delivery route June 25 in Mentor, John Laws noticed an unusual sight a raccoon with its head stuck in a jar. In a visit to Gulf Coast Medical Center in Fort Myers on Friday, Gov. Ron DeSantis said cases among young people were rising fast as the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation ordered an emergency shutdown of all on-premises consumption of alcohol at bars throughout the state. DeSantis called on younger people to exercise more caution, to wear masks and social distance. In the last two to three weeks, the median age of those testing positive for COVID-19 have been in their early 30s, he said. That represents a major shift from early in the pandemic, when the median age for positive results were people in their 60s. Since the beginning of June, the number of COVID-19 cases have almost tripled among those ages 25-34, DeSantis said. Thats a really big group of folks. Most tend to be asymptomatic and dont need medical attention but can still spread the virus to more vulnerable groups, he said. DeSantis said he rejected the idea of mandating masks. Weve advised thats something that can make an impact at the same time to do police and put criminal penalties on that is something that probably would backfire. You have seen some localities require it and they are going to figure out how they are going to kind of use the long arm of the law to enforce it or not. A lot of businesses will require it when you are going in and thats fine as well. A lot of what were seeing I think with like the younger people if they are partying at somebodys house or something, they are probably not wearing a mask. Lets just be honest with that, DeSantis said. Were going to trust people to make good decisions. DeSantis said businesses were doing a good job by using masks and creating a safe environment and I think a lot of customers are going to want to see that and so they have every incentive to do it. Lee Health CEO Larry Antonucci said in the last week the percentage of positive COVID-19 tests at the hospital has risen to more than 20%. The demographic is definitely shifting to a younger demographic with our average age at 40. Of those COVID-19 patients being treated at the hospital, between 20-25% are requiring intensive care. As of Thursday, there were 172 COVID-19 patients at the hospital. I think were getting complacent, Antonucci said. As I go around in the community, I see a lot of people not wearing masks and although you may be 25 and feel that youre bulletproof, you have parents and grandparents and I bet you know someone who is overweight or diabetic, has heart disease or has lung diseases and they are at risk. The fact of the matter is you are going to put them at risk. Bar service limited In announcing the decision to curtail alcohol consumption at bars, DBPR Secretary Halsey Beshears said, Based on recent increases in COVID-19 cases and non-compliance with previous orders, DBPR has taken action to suspend on-premises alcohol sales at bars. DBPR believes this is a necessary step to take to protect public health as we continue working in partnership with industry and health officials to combat COVID-19. According to the agency, the suspension of on-premises consumption alcohol relates to establishments which derive more than 50% of their revenue from the sale of alcohol for on-premises consumption. Bars may still sell alcohol in sealed containers for consumption off-premises. As of Friday morning, more than 120,000 people statewide have tested positive for COVID-19 and 3,366 have died from causes attributed to COVID-19. Longview, TX (75601) Today Mostly cloudy early, then thunderstorms developing this afternoon. Storms may contain strong gusty winds. High around 85F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%.. Tonight Thunderstorms likely this evening. Then a chance of scattered thunderstorms overnight. Low 66F. Winds NNE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%. Locally heavy rainfall possible. The race to develop an effective vaccine against the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is on, with many vaccine candidates entering the human trial phase. When a vaccine is developed and introduced into the population at scale, it triggers herd immunity, with many people immune to the infectious disease. This then provides indirect protection to those who are not immune to the disease. However, to achieve this, at least 70 to 90 percent of the population should be immune to the virus. Image Credit: ext143 / Shuttertock Dr. Anthony Fauci Dr. Anthony Fauci, an American physician, and immunologist who has served as the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases in the United States since 1984 warned that it is unlikely that the country will achieve herd immunity to the novel coronavirus if a portion of the population refuses to vaccinate. He added that due to the number of people who refused to practice personal mitigation measures, such as social distancing and wearing of masks, the cases in the country has surged to a staggering 2.62 million. What has happened, I guess understandably, but nonetheless regrettably, is that people took the attitude in some places of either all or none. Either youre locked down, or you just let it fly, and you just ignore many of the guidelines of social distancing, mask-wearing, abstaining from shaking hands and avoiding large crowds, Fauci said in an interview. What happened is you see pictures on the T.V. of the fact that even in states that are telling their citizens to do it correctly, theyre doing that. There are crowds. They are not physical distancing, and theyre not wearing masks. Thats a recipe for disaster. Its something I spoke about time and again, he added. In another interview as part of the Aspen Ideas Festival, Fauci said he would settle for a vaccine against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) that is about 70 to 75 effective since it can already trigger a herd immunity as long as many people get it. However, Fauci warns that if a fraction of the population does not get the vaccine; for instance, 25 percent refuse to get vaccinated, the country will not achieve herd immunity. He said that any vaccine would not be 100 percent protective against the coronavirus. No vaccine in the world is 100 percent effective; the best one available is the measles vaccine, which is 97 percent effective. Vaccine efforts The race against the coronavirus is now on, with many companies working on developing the vaccine. One of Chinas candidate vaccine has now entered phase III of its human trials, while others have started testing their vaccines. In the United States, the administration launched Operation Warp Speed to hasten and speed up the development and distribution of a vaccine once it gets developed. The Department of Health and Human Services has announced that it is joining forces with AstraZeneca, a pharmaceutical drug company, for about 300 million doses of the vaccine against COVID-19 that is being developed by the University of Oxford. The U.S. is awaiting a safe and effective vaccine, with five trials underway. The country is eyeing to have a vaccine by the end of the year. Vaccine information dissemination Informing the people of the benefits of getting the vaccine against the SARS-CoV-2 is crucial in fighting the pandemic. In the U.S., the number of infections has topped a staggering 2.62 million and the death toll has surpassed 127,000. The government needs to identify cases through mass testing and intensive contact tracing effectively. People can harbor the virus without symptoms, making it more difficult to contain. When you have community spread, its insidious because there are so many people in the community who are infected but asymptomatic. It makes it extremely problematic to do efficient contact tracing because most of the people who are infected dont even know theyre infected. So how do you do contact tracing when someone doesnt have any symptoms? Fauci commented. Researchers have presented the results of a large-scale coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) testing program introduced across Oxford University Hospitals on 23rd April this year. Timothy Walker and colleagues report that by June 8th, 11% of hospital staff had tested positive for COVID-19 and that the risk of infection varied by working location, job role, and demographic factors. Staff who shared a household with an infected person were at the greatest risk of infection, and those working in COVID-19-facing areas were also at an increased risk. Other groups that were identified as a high risk included Black and Asian individuals, porters, and cleaners. The researchers say the findings suggest that the provision of level-2 personal protective equipment (PPE) should be more widely deployed in settings where staff are at an increased risk of infection. However, the transmission rate observed among workers who were at a less increased risk indicates that all staff need protecting, irrespective of their job role, adds the team. A pre-print version of the paper is available in the server medRxiv*, while the article undergoes peer review. Image Credit: BasPhoto / Shutterstock Hospital workers still at greater risk following lockdown On 23rd March 2020, the UK introduced lockdown measures to protect against the rapidly spreading severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) that causes COVID-19. Although this involved a stay-at-home policy for most UK households, hospital workers had an occupational risk of infection through exposure to patients and other staff members. Social distancing measures and the provision of PPE were introduced in hospitals to help mitigate occupational risk. However, the incidence of COVID-19 is still higher among healthcare workers than among the general population. Walker and colleagues say that crucial to designing a safe working environment and maintaining effective healthcare services is an understanding of the risks associated with specific roles and to individuals, and whether the risk is associated with social-mixing, direct exposure to Covid-19 patients or PPE type, Epidemiological curve hospital inpatients (panel A) and staff (panel B) diagnosed with Covid-19, by week. Each patient admitted to hospital with a diagnosis of Covid-19 within 7 days of any day during their admission is plotted based on the date of their positive PCR test. Testing for symptomatic staff was made available from 27th March 2020; staff were asked to attend on day 2-4 of symptoms and are plotted in the week of their positive test. Of 1083 staff positive by PCR or serology at the asymptomatic staff clinic, 183 had been previously diagnosed at the symptomatic staff clinic. Of the remaining 900 positive staff, 472 (52%) reported a date when they believed a Covid-19 illness had begun, these are plotted in yellow above, many with symptoms before the availability of staff testing. As 428 (48%) of staff did not provide a date of symptom onset the true values for the yellow bars on the y-axis are likely to be around 2 times higher. Comprehensive testing program introduced across Oxford University Hospitals Walker and colleagues conducted a large, comprehensive testing program across Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, which spans four teaching hospitals run by a workforce of 13,800 and serving a population of 680,000. A voluntary screening program was made available to all symptomatic and asymptomatic staff working at all sites across the hospitals. Staff were tested using real-time PCR (polymerase chain reaction) of nasopharyngeal swabs and serologic analysis checking for antibodies against the virus. Data regarding potential risk factors for COVID-19 were assessed using multivariable logistic regression. Which groups were at the highest and lowest risk? Among 9,809 (71%) of staff who agreed to be tested, 1,083 (11%) showed evidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection. The most significant risk was observed among staff living with an infected household member, although only 37% of these workers became infected. Higher rates of infection were also observed among staff working in COVID-19-facing areas than among staff working elsewhere, at 21.2% versus 8.2%. Univariate analysis showed that staff who had the most direct contact with patients were at an increased risk, including cleaners, porters, healthcare assistants, nurses, junior doctors, and therapists. However, once multivariate analysis controlled for working in a COVID-19-facing area, risks of infection varied across different working locations. People working in acute medicine were at a 50% greater likelihood of being infected, while staff working in COVID-19-facing ICU had a 54% lower likelihood of being infected. The researchers say that one key factor that could explain this difference is the type of PPE provision, and when exactly it was mandated, level-2 PPE was mandatory throughout, whereas policies across other wards changed over time. Furthermore, ICU staff received extensive training in donning and doffing and were provided with the space to do this, whereas other ward workers were not, adds the team. Black and Asian individuals were at a 20% increased likelihood of testing positive for SARS-CoV-2, irrespective of their job role and working location, while porters and cleaners had a 93% greater likelihood of being infected. That staff working as porters or cleaners had the greatest adjusted risk of infection is consistent with economics playing a part in risk, potentially reflecting conditions outside of the hospital, e.g., dense occupancy of living space due to lower incomes, explains Walker and colleagues. What do the researchers advise? The researchers say their findings suggest that earlier provision of universal level-1 PPE may have prevented some cases of infection and that the provision of level-2 PPE, training, and space for donning and doffing was protective among staff located in high-risk areas. Wider deployment of this bundle should be considered where staff are at increased risk, advises the team. The researchers say their findings could be used to inform staff risk assessments and ensure workers who are at the highest risk are managed accordingly. Given likely staff-to-staff transmission where COVID-19 patient pressure was low, there is a need to protect all staff regardless of role, says the team. *Important Notice medRxiv publishes preliminary scientific reports that are not peer-reviewed and, therefore, should not be regarded as conclusive, guide clinical practice/health-related behavior, or treated as established information. A multidisciplinary team from two Johns Hopkins University institutions, including neurotoxicologists and virologists from the Bloomberg School of Public Health and infectious disease specialists from the school of medicine, has found that organoids (tiny tissue cultures made from human cells that simulate whole organs) known as "mini-brains" can be infected by the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19. The results, which suggest that the virus can infect human brain cells, were published online June 26, 2020, in the journal ALTEX: Alternatives to Animal Experimentation. Early reports from Wuhan, China, the origin of the COVID-19 pandemic, have suggested that 36% of patients with the disease show neurological symptoms, but it has been unclear whether or not the virus infects human brain cells. In their study, the Johns Hopkins researchers demonstrated that certain human neurons express a receptor, ACE2, which is the same one that the SARS-CoV-2 virus uses to enter the lungs. Therefore, they surmised, ACE2 also might provide access to the brain. When the researchers introduced SARS-CoV-2 virus particles into a human mini-brain model, the team found -- for what is believed to be the first time -- evidence of infection by and replication of the pathogen. The human brain is well-shielded against many viruses, bacteria and chemical agents by the blood-brain barrier, which in turn, often prevents infections of the brain. "Whether or not the SARS-CoV-2 virus passes this barrier has yet to be shown," notes senior author Thomas Hartung, M.D., Ph.D., chair for evidence-based toxicology at the Bloomberg School of Public Health. "However, it is known that severe inflammations, such as those observed in COVID-19 patients, make the barrier disintegrate." The impermeability of the blood-brain barrier, he adds, also can present a problem for drug developers targeting the brain. The impact of SARS-CoV-2 on the developing brain is another concern raised by the study. Previous research from Paris-Saclay University has shown that the virus crosses the placenta, and embryos lack the blood-brain barrier during early development. "To be very clear," Hartung says, "we have no evidence that the virus produces developmental disorders." However, the mini-brains -- which model the growing human brain -- contain the ACE2 receptor from their earliest stages of development. Therefore, Hartung says, the findings suggest that extra caution should be taken during pregnancy. This study is another important step in our understanding of how infection leads to symptoms, and where we might tackle the COVID-19 disease with drug treatment." William Bishai, M.D., Ph.D., Professor of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and leader of the infectious disease team for the study The human stem cell-derived mini-brain models -- known as BrainSpheres -- were developed at the Bloomberg School of Public Health four years ago. They were the first mass-produced, highly standardized organoids of their kind, and have been used to model a number of diseases, including infections by viruses such as Zika, dengue and HIV. How effective are we at safeguarding disabled children? An important new study which seeks to understand how to better protect disabled children and young people from abuse starts this week. Research indicates disabled children are at heightened risk of violence and abuse including child sexual exploitation. Studies show that disabled children are three to four times more likely to experience violence and abuse than those without disabilities, yet they are relatively invisible within generic child protection research. These factors make effective safeguarding of disabled children and young people an urgent sector priority. To date, no systematic review of evidence covering the abuse and protection of disabled children and young people has been carried out. Researchers from the Universities of Portsmouth, East Anglia, Nottingham Trent and the Ann Craft Trust based at University of Nottingham, will work in partnership on this study, which is being funded by WWCSC - What Works for Children's Social Care. The aim of the review is to assess the nature and quality of existing evidence, which to date has not been collated to inform practice. Critically the study will support practitioners and decision-makers through identifying evidence on crucial areas such as identification of abuse, involving disabled children and their families in child protection procedures, and improving outcomes for this group. Lastly researchers will recommend how the care system can create a quality and tailored effective response. This review is the first of its kind and is long overdue. It is critical that we better understand the evidence concerning disabled children's increased risk of abuse and neglect. Until now evidence suggests that despite their increased risk of experiencing abuse disabled children's access to safeguarding is often problematic and support at all stages of the child protection system is at best inconsistent. By working in partnership with such a highly experienced team I am convinced we can make a difference to the outcomes of disabled children and young people who have a right to be protected. We want to support practitioners with an evidence base on which to build quality care". Anita Franklin, Lead researcher, Professor of Childhood Studies, University of Portsmouth Sarah Goff, Safeguarding Children and Young People Manager at the Ann Craft Trust says: "Practitioners, front line managers, and strategic senior managers who design and deliver services need an evidence base that straddles child protection and disability. We plan to explore this. We hope this study will open up this debate and contribute towards growing understanding of what we need to do both in mainstream and specialist services to bring together the skills of helping families, listening to children and getting it right in child protection. Listening to the voices of disabled children it is clear we need to do more". McLean Hospital's Brent P. Forester, MD, MSc, is heading a new study of a training model to help primary care nurses better care for patients with dementia. Funded by a $54 million grant from the National Institute on Aging (NIA), the research effort is one of two pilot studies by the NIA's IMPACT Collaboratory. IMPACT is an effort to improve the lives of dementia patients by conducting clinical trials within health care systems. Forester, chief of McLean's Center of Excellence in Geriatric Psychiatry, said the study will involve nurses in the Mass General Brigham (MGB) system who are part of care teams treating medically complicated individuals with dementia. The nurses will receive condition-specific training. We are going to modify existing training modules so that we can train nurses to be dementia care providers who can help with assessment, management, and coordination of care while providing support for family care partners." Brent P. Forester, Chief of McLean's Center of Excellence in Geriatric Psychiatry According to Forester, the idea for this study came about because the prevalence of Alzheimer's disease is rising. Only about half of the 5.8 million people in the U.S. with Alzheimer's disease have been diagnosed. "What's missing is an ability to intervene early to prevent some of the later-stage complications of dementia," Forester stated. "A number of models have been studied for identifying and coordinating care for people with dementia in primary care. Collaborative dementia care includes screening, assessment and disclosure of diagnosis, care planning, and supporting family members who are caring for patients at home." Forester said that he and his colleagues committed to creating a new model to better help patients with dementia and their families, as well as doctors and nurses. "We decided to take a model of care studied originally at UCSF (University of California, San Francisco)," he reported. He said that the UCSF model "reduced emergency room visits, health care costs, and improved quality of life for patients and caregivers because of improved efforts at diagnosis and treatment of dementia and support of care partners by the primary care team." With the new study, the researchers plan to test a similar model on dementia patients and staff across the MGB system. "We were interested in a model that is scalable in a large health care system like ours," Forester said. Central to the study is training for primary care nurse managers on telephone-based collaborative dementia care. Using a system called the Care Ecosystem model, remote care could lead to "reduced unnecessary emergency room visits, reduced behavioral symptoms for dementia patients, and improved quality of life," Forester said. Forester said that remote interactions "could revolutionize the way we care for people with dementia." He cited recent experience in using phone calls and virtual systems to tend to dementia patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. "From our own clinical experience since the pandemic began, we've seen that our ability to reach people with dementia in their home and in long-term care facilities may be greater than before," he said. "These interactions have helped us support caregivers who can't leave the house because they have to be there with their loved ones." Besides finding ways to ease the burdens on caregivers, the study could help health care professionals better coordinate care for dementia patients. "A lot of people with dementia are being seen by several doctors," Forester explained. "One deals with the patient's heart. One deals with the brain. One deals with the stomach. But they aren't always in touch with each other and may prescribe medications that worsen memory and daily functioning." Telephone-based care systems could make it easier for regular interactions between all doctors and nurses on a patient's care team. "Part of our training will help nurses be attuned to why coordination of care is especially important for people with dementia and how better coordination might reduce some of the complications," Forester said. The first pilot study will be launched this summer. It will produce findings that will hopefully lead to the design of a large-scale implementation of an embedded trial across the MGB system. "We're doing this one-year pilot to see if we can successfully implement this model here," Forested stated. "If it is feasible and shows positive outcomes, NIA will invite us to apply for a larger, five-year, randomized controlled study to see if we can train people in the intervention and learn more about the impact it has on dementia patients." As the world grapples with a novel coronavirus pandemic, a new strain of swine flu that can trigger a pandemic has been reported. A team of researchers in universities and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention in China has discovered the new strain of swine flu, called G4 EA H1N1, which is a descendant of the H1N1 strain that sparked a worldwide outbreak in 2009. The findings, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science (PNAS), showed that the new strain possesses all the essential hallmarks of being highly adapted to infect humans. Domestic Pig. Credit: NIAID What is swine flu? Swine flu is a respiratory disease of pigs caused by type A influenza viruses, which regularly cause outbreaks. Though people do not usually contract swine flu, it can still jump to humans and cause infection. For instance, the swine flu has sparked a worldwide pandemic in 1918 and, in 2009, when a strain of swine flu called H1N1 infected many people. In 1918, a deadly influenza pandemic, called the Spanish flu, has infected about 500 million people across the globe and killed an estimated 50 to 100 million people. It was one of the deadliest pandemics in human history. In 2009, a new strain of H1N1 swine flu spread across countries. However, the 2009 strain did not originate from animals as people contracted the virus from human to human. It has been tied to contact with inanimate objects that are infected with the virus. H1N1 Influenza Virus Particles Colorized transmission electron micrograph showing H1N1 influenza virus particles. Credit: NIAID The common signs and symptoms of swine flu include nasal discharge, fever, chills, decreased appetite, and a possibility of lower respiratory tract infection. New strain Between 2011 and 2018, the researchers took 30,000 nasal swabs from pigs in slaughterhouses in ten provinces in China and a veterinary hospital, isolating a total of 179 swine flu viruses. Most of the viruses were of a new kind that has stayed dominant in pigs since 2016. To arrive at their findings, the team conducted various experiments, even on ferrets, which are used in flu studies since they experience similar symptoms to humans, such as fever, sneezing, and coughing. The team has also identified the new strain, G4, which was observed to be highly infections and can replicate in humans. This new strain is concerning since its core is an avian influenza virus, to which humans have no immunity, with bits of mammalian strains mixed in. This means that the swine influenza virus is poised to emerge in humans. Hence, the situation needs to be monitored to prevent a potential pandemic in the future. Also, the researchers noted that since there are genes from the 2009 H1N1 pandemic in G4, these may promote gene adaptation that may lead to human-to-human transmission. Serological surveillance among swine workers and general population showed that G4 EA H1N1 viruses have acquired increased human infectivity. Thus, the emergent G4 EA H1N1 viruses pose a serious threat to human health, the researcher wrote in the paper. What makes the new strain a threat? The G4 virus has the potential to grow and multiply in the cells lining the airways. The researchers also found evidence of recent infection in people who are working in abattoirs and the pig industry in China, based on the data collected between 2011 and 2018. The tests showed that any immunity people get from seasonal flu exposure does not protect G4. Also, the blood tests in pig industry workers showed that 10.4 percent of them had already been infected. Overall, as many as 4.4 percent of the general population have also been exposed. Since the virus is a new strain, it can spread to humans since the current influenza vaccine does not protect against it. Despite the fact that the new strain is not an immediate problem, the health sector and government officials should not ignore it. Pandemic threat A pandemic is a term used by the World Health Organization (WHO) to describe an epidemic occurring worldwide or in an extensive area, crossing international boundaries. A pandemic also affects a large number of people. There were several pandemics in the past, including the one occurring now across the globe. The Spanish flu and the H1N1 swine flu are just some of the pandemics that ravaged the world. The researchers warn that the new strain of swine flu has the potential to be a pandemic since it can jump from pigs to humans, and then from human to human. Monitoring the new strain should be performed to prevent another pandemic, which may lead to many infections and deaths. The current coronavirus pandemic has now spread to 188 countries and infected more than 10 million worldwide. Without an effective vaccine, the virus can vastly spread to more people. If some regions become hot spots and hospitals reach maximum capacity during the COVID-19 pandemic, hospitals have plans for how to decide who gets critical care resources, such as a bed in the intensive care unit or a respirator. Many hospitals recommend distributing resources to the healthiest patients who are most likely to survive. However, Johns Hopkins Medicine physicians and bioethicists say that using this kind of selection method preferentially chooses people who are white or affluent over patients who are Black, Latino or from the inner city. In a commentary published June 22 in The Lancet, the Johns Hopkins team provides recommendations for how hospitals can provide equitable care during pandemic resource allocation, such as by requiring regular bias training and creating periodic checkpoints to assess inequities in the system. Prejudice, institutional racism and redlining over generations has led to drastic health inequities in Baltimore and many other cities around the country, making these populations of people inherently sicker. We wanted to make sure that we developed a plan that ensures that resources are fairly distributed and that we weren't contributing to existing inequalities. And we want to be able to share these guidelines to other hospitals so they can also be prepared to make humane decisions for their patient communities." Panagis Galiatsatos, M.D., M.H.S., Assistant Professor of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine The American College of Chest Physicians and the Society of Critical Care Medicine recommend using the sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) to determine which patients are the healthiest and should get resources, based on factors such as whether the patient has health issues such as heart failure or diabetes. However, the aforementioned organization's physicians say this model hasn't been effectively evaluated for the COVID-19 pandemic. They also say that although the method works on entire populations, it hasn't been tested on individual disadvantaged groups. And, because the criteria disproportionally affect minority groups and the poor, the researchers say, the proposed system need adjusting. The first thing the team recommends is to have unconscious-bias training for the people in critical care medicine making the decisions about who gets resources. Next, the team says hospitals need to periodically assess their survival numbers by income, race and other socioeconomic factors. Then, they must have an outside committee that includes community members to assess where there are weaknesses in the system and develop strategies to address these deficiencies. For example, some populations might need more time with a specific resource than affluent, white patients because people in the group may otherwise be more likely to die. Galiatsatos is available to discuss how current resource allocation methods cast aside vulnerable populations. He can also talk about the methods his team suggests to address the inequities. Researchers from the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology and their colleagues have developed the first technique for personalizing stomach cancer therapy based on RNA sequencing of tumor cells. The study, supported by the Russian Science Foundation, was published in Cold Spring Harbor Molecular Case Studies. Stomach cancer is the fifth-deadliest oncological disease. It is seldom diagnosed in the early stages, which complicates treatment. There are several treatment options available that rely on chemotherapy and therapeutic antibodies. However, patient response is often unpredictable, so personalized therapies with drug prescriptions tailored to individual cases are required. Problematic recurrent tumors of the stomach are treated with therapeutic antibodies. They block the receptors on the surface of cells that are responsible for receiving growth-promoting signals. Without them, cell division stops and the tumor does not increase in size. Preventing the growth of blood vessels is particularly important, because they supply nutrients and oxygen to the tumor. Ramucirumab is a therapeutic antibody used to disrupt the growth of blood vessels in tumor tissue. The efficacy of this drug varies widely from patient to patient. MIPT bioinformaticians and their colleagues from medical research centers and the industry have proposed that a patient's data on the gene expression levels in cancer be used to evaluate ramucirumab efficacy in each individual case. This is virtually the first published case of successful [ramucirumab] prescription to patients with gastric cancer, which was not random but rather informed by the analysis of the molecular markers we track based on RNA sequencing." Maxim Sorokin, senior researcher at the MIPT Laboratory for Translational Genomic Bioinformatics and the head of the Bioinformatics Department at Oncobox Combined with information technology, modern molecular biology methods enable researchers to collect qualitative data on the expression of every gene in a cell. By analyzing these data, it is possible to find the key to diagnosing oncological diseases and predicting the efficacy of their treatment. Holy Trinity Presbyterian Church has found an outside-the-box idea to bring people back to the church if its flock cant come into the church, the church will bring the service to its flock. As the pandemic continues, the church has started to provide a drive-in service for its parishioners and the local community. Pastor Clint Cottrell said they cant meet in person because of the virus, since the majority of the congregation is in the 65-plus demographic, most susceptible to the disease. We looked at the options we had. We were doing the service online, but that isnt the same, Cottrell said. A colleague of mine mentioned you can get an FM transmitter legally and have a drive-in service. The service can be heard on 87.9 FM, though the range goes only to the end of the parking lot, giving the service the feel of a drive-in movie. It worked. It actually sounds really good. And it only works in the parking lot. If you go 50 feet off the property, you wont hear a thing, Cottrell said. People can come and stay in their cars, roll up the windows and turn on the air conditioner. The church typically did a contemporary service at 8:30 a.m. and a traditional service at 10:30. Now, they do a single 9:30 a.m. service (rain or shine) that is trimmed down to 40 to 45 minutes, to reduce the chance of someone needing to use a rest room. The service has gained popularity. After bringing in 50 people for the first service a few weeks ago, about 75 came to the one last week. Dress was casual. Even Cottrell wore a Florida shirt as the abbreviated band performed during the service. Whenever the pastor said something the congregation liked, they flashed their headlights, or honked if they felt Pentecostal as Cottrell said. Holy Trinity does not hold communion, though people are welcome to bring their own bread and wine (preferably grape juice). To tithe, collectors come around in fishing nets to keep up with social distancing. Cottrell said he expects to continue to do drive-in services throughout the month of July. The next indoor service is tentatively set for Aug. 9, virus permitting. The church still has an online presence, doing Bible Study over Zoom twice a week. Wednesday morning at 9:30 and Sundays at 11 a.m. Beverly Smith said she has noticed people who dont belong to the church coming to experience the service for themselves. People see the sign and come in. I love it. You dont have to get dressed up. The only thing is that you cant have a choir, Smith said. You cant see people as much. You get your service and it gets you outside. Lee Bobey said he also enjoys the outdoor service and does not want to miss it. We have everything. Were not missing anything and it gives me the chance to get out. Im 89 years old and Im supposed to stay inside, Bobey said, who has been a member of the church for a year. It feels like a drive-in movie and I like those, too. Holy Trinity Presbyterian Church is at 19251 N. Tamiami Trail. In a recent bioRxiv* paper, researchers from Norway and the US demonstrate the presence of a highly conserved, mobile genetic element (thus far with unknown function) in genomes of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and a large number of insects opening the door for hitherto unexplored treatment opportunities. Winter moth, Operophtera brumata. Image Credit: Henri Koskinen / Shutterstock Coronaviruses are a group of known human and animal pathogens. At the end of 2019, a novel coronavirus (now officially known as SARS-CoV-2) was initially identified in Wuhan, China, as the causative agent of a cluster of pneumonia cases. Due to its rapid spread and high interactivity, it resulted in the global pandemic of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) with rather high mortality rates. The molecular structure has been mapped in great detail for SARS-CoV, a causative agent of the 2002-2004 SARS outbreak. It was then discovered that the mobile genetic element s2m (found in several families of single-stranded RNA viruses) has the propensity to move between distantly related viruses. Albeit evolutionary and functional origin of s2m is still unknown, the high level of conservation detected in even distantly related viruses notwithstanding high overall mutation rates indicates that s2m is under strong selection. The presence of s2m in the SARS-CoV-2 genome and other members of this group is most likely due to a single horizontal transfer event, predating the separation of the SARS-related viruses. But without more in-depth insight into its sequence, it is quite cumbersome to reach steadfast conclusions. In this study, Dr. Torstein Tengs from the Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Professor Charles F. Delwiche from the University of Maryland in the US, and Dr. Christine Monceyron Jonassen from the stfold Hospital Trust in Norway, aimed to characterize the specific genotype of s2m found in SARS-CoV-2. Exploring nucleotide databases The Basic Local Alignment Search Tool, complemented with a nucleotide query (BLASTN), was employed to search through regions of local similarity and compare various biological sequences in the entire virus section of GenBank. More specifically, all s2m sequence genotypes that were reported in the literature were utilized as query sequences. Moreover, when s2m motifs were interrogated in insects, both the transcriptome shotgun assembly (TSA) and the whole genome shotgun contigs (WGS) databases were mined by utilizing the same approach. For the subsequent phylogenetic analyses, sequences were precisely aligned with the use of the Clustal W algorithm (which aligns any number of homologous nucleotide or protein sequences), while the maximum likelihood analysis was performed by using integrated MEGA X tool. s2m in insects, arachnid viruses and coronaviruses. A) A maximum likelihood analysis was performed on ORF1ab polyprotein sequences from selected coronavirus species. s2m-containing accessions have been highlighted and bootstrap values > 90 % indicated (100 psedoreplicates). B) Maximum likelihood analysis using data from the s2m-associated hypothetical protein (see main text for details). Sequences in boldface stem from reading frames with (multiple) internal stop codons. * - genomic data, ** - accessions without s2m. C) s2m sequences corresponding to operational taxonomic units in the phylogenetic trees. Lines above alignment show (non-canonical) base-pairing residues (Robertson, et al. 2005) and the position with the unique G > U mutation in SARS-CoV-2 has been indicated. The s2m sequence essential for viral function The s2m genotype found in SARS-CoV-2 contains a transversion mutation (i.e., the event when a single two-ring purine is substituted with one-ring pyrimidine, or vice-versa) in position 31. More specifically, there was a notable substitution of uracil with guanine, which was consistent in all available SARS-CoV-2 accessions. Furthermore, it was observed that this guanine is perfectly conserved outside of the SARS-CoV-2 sequences, as 100 percent of other s2m genotypes had guanine in the same position. More specifically, insects (such as long-jawed orb-weaver spiders and winter moths) were found to harbor the same genetic signature. The insect species that contained s2m in this study were distantly related indicating either a deep evolutionary origin with multiple losses or that the aforementioned genetic construct is also a mobile element, perhaps exploiting viruses as a vector. That is where coronaviruses come into the picture. "Although s2m is not universally present among coronaviruses and appears to undergo horizontal transfer, the high sequence conservation and universal presence of s2m among isolates of SARS-CoV-2 indicate that, when present, the element is essential for viral function", explain study authors. However, the exact evolutionary link between the xenologs (derived from lineage fusion or horizontal transfer) of s2m found in insects and viruses can not be ascertained based solely on the data from this study. Mobile genetic element as a potential treatment target "We believe that the most likely mode of transfer for s2m in viruses is through non-homologous recombination between RNA molecules", study authors summarize their findings in bioRxiv paper. Outside the astroviruses that cause diarrheal illness, SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2 are the only known examples of s2m-carrying viruses that infect humans; however, it seems likely that s2m is still evolutionary active and that it will persist in affecting the evolution of positive-sense single-stranded RNA viruses (such as SARS-CoV-2). And since the clade of s2m-containing coronaviruses (which includes both SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2) also includes viruses isolated from bats and pangolins, it is highly unlikely that s2m played a direct role when a zoonotic transfer is concerned. Nevertheless, its high degree of sequence conservation hints that it may be used as a valuable treatment target. At the same time, the existence of closely related systems in insect hosts enables the fundamental biological appraisal of this apparent mobile element in somewhat tractable experimental systems. *Important Notice bioRxiv publishes preliminary scientific reports that are not peer-reviewed and, therefore, should not be regarded as conclusive, guide clinical practice/health-related behavior, or treated as established information. July 1 is a big day in medical education. It's traditionally the day newly minted doctors start their first year of residency. But this year is different. Getting from here to there from medical school to residency training sites has been complicated by the coronavirus. "We were all really freaking out," said Dr. Christine Petrin, who just graduated from medical school at Tulane University in New Orleans and is starting a combined residency in internal medicine and pediatrics at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital in Washington, D.C. Students "matched" the term for finding out where they will spend their next several years training in March, just as everything was shutting down because of the pandemic. After getting the news of their placements, Petrin said, some of her friends were worried about being able to enter states that were closing their borders. They "just rapidly picked up and moved. Found an apartment, packed up the car, and went." Petrin said she was lucky. Although she shopped apartments online, her sister, who lives in Washington, could check them out in person. Dr. Erin Fredrickson was not as fortunate. She graduated in May from Campbell University School of Osteopathic Medicine near Raleigh, North Carolina, and matched in a family practice residency at the University of Washington in Seattle. She and her partner were already planning to drive across the country with their dog, but the trip turned out to be much different than the leisurely journey they had envisioned. "We were going to visit friends in different places along the way," she said. "We were going to camp, but a lot of places to camp were closed. We ended up staying in Airbnb guest houses" in an effort to minimize contact with anyone else. Meanwhile, she said, she was forced to pick out housing remotely. "I did a lot of FaceTime tours of apartments" in Seattle, she said. Dr. Janis Orlowski, chief health care officer for the Association of American Medical Colleges, agreed this has been a year like no other. "It's been really messy," she said. "But it looks like it's coming together." Among other things, graduates traveling from states that are or have been hot spots are being asked to quarantine for 14 days upon arrival. That has required more flexibility than usual from administrators used to starting programs at an exact time. "Everyone is pretty much going to start July 1 or a little after," she said. In some instances, the medical students graduating this year some of whom graduated early to help in the hospitals attached to their medical schools have it easier than students directly behind them. Almost from the start of the outbreak, third- and fourth-year students who would typically spend much or all of their time in the hospital were shut out to avoid being exposed to the coronavirus. Even the newly graduated doctors were generally kept away from COVID-19 patients. The restrictions were intended not only for their own safety, said Orlowski, but also to help protect patients. "If you have a COVID patient, you don't need 14 people marching into the room," she said. "We wanted to decrease the team size." And shortages of personal protective equipment made smaller care teams necessary. For most of the graduating seniors, required rotations were generally finished by the time the virus had upset their plans. Those that were not could be made up. But for third-year students, the time out of the hospital will be more difficult to recoup as the pandemic drags on and continues to spread. For the moment, most students are also barred from rotations at hospitals other than their own. (Students frequently work at hospitals that have programs their home hospital does not offer.) At the same time, those soon-to-be fourth-year students who normally would be traveling around the country to interview for residencies will be limited to online visits only. That's a real shame, said Petrin, because being on-site in some cases "changed my perception for better or worse." But right now it's about safety, Orlowski said. "We're trying to cut down on any travel," she said. "But we're also trying to make it fair. We don't want some students to have in-person interviews and others not." For those starting residency this week, one of the hardest things, said Fredrickson, is getting through all the errands she won't have time for later. "I moved to a new state and I need a new driver's license and license plates," she said. "And the DMV is still closed." BioStrata, the life science marketing specialist, has appointed two new recruits further advancing the agencys expert marketing team. Joanne Butler, a CIM qualified, creative and strategic senior marketer with 20 years of experience in B2B marketing agencies, takes on the newly created role of Client Services Director. In this role she will foster innovation and lead the team in delivering industry-leading strategic marketing campaigns for clients. April Taylor (left) and Joanne Butler (right) join BioStrata Meanwhile, April Taylor joins as Marketing Communications Executive leveraging a background in biomedical science and first-hand CRO laboratory experience to support clients with insightful PR and marketing that talks to the right scientific audiences. The appointments come at a time when BioStrata has been helping many life science companies adapt their marketing plans to overcome the challenges brought by the COVID-19 pandemic. The company has also recently launched new initiatives, Scientists on Standby and Marketing Masterminds. Were delighted to welcome Joanne and April to the BioStrata team. Together they bring a wide range of experiences and skills that will help to further elevate our expertise and team structure to benefit clients and help drive future growth. With the whole company working remotely due to the pandemic, having new people join the team really brings home the importance of leveraging technology and good communication, whatever your business." Clare Russell PhD, Co-founder and Managing Director of BioStrata While COVID-19 has brought many challenges for the industry, it has also created opportunities and were excited to have been in a position to take a lead with these actively supporting the industry at this difficult time. We are finding that marketing teams need strategic support more than ever as they reimagine their offerings and adapt to new ways of doing business without the face-to-face meetings and industry events they usually rely on. Our focus is on helping those teams navigate the challenges through innovative approaches ensuring they remain on track for reaching their business goals." Paul Avery PhD, Co-founder and Managing Director of BioStrata Recently, BioStrata launched Scientists on Standby, an online portal developed in anticipation of increased pressure on UK diagnostic testing laboratories and facilities throughout the COVID-19 crisis. The portal enables scientists with relevant skills and experience to volunteer their time, expertise and support for COVID-19 screening and testing. www.scientistsonstandby.com At the same time, in recognition of the unique challenges facing many life science marketing and communications professionals, BioStrata launched Life Science Marketing Masterminds. This program brings together industry peers from life science companies to share experiences, brainstorm solutions and leverage the power of peer thinking to overcome these challenges together. www.biostratamarketing.com/life-science-marketing-masterminds Rainfall after fire brings immediate relief but the environmental effects can sometimes be as significant as the fire itself. Edith Cowan University (ECU) environmental experts Professor Pierre Horwitz and Dr Dave Blake are investigating the long-term impacts of water supply contamination after fire has swept through a region. Over the next four years in collaboration with the Water Corporation, the ECU researchers will lead a comprehensive investigation of forested water catchments in the Perth Hills from Mundaring Weir to Collie. Dr Blake said that water quality is not at the forefront of peoples minds during the management of a fire, but this could result in problems with communitys water supply for years. After vegetation cover is burned, and the soil is scorched, whats left is the concentrated and chemically transformed ash, exposed and vulnerable to wind and water erosion. Heavy rainfall will wash this ash, topsoil and incompletely burned vegetation into streams and water reservoirs. All of this eroded matter is accompanied by dissolved organic compounds, carcinogens and heavy metals from the soil that are exposed and concentrated after a fire. Water treatment plants arent set up to deal with this sort of contamination and can suspend water supply if faced with this sort of contamination. Dr Dave Blake, Edith Cowan University Lessons from Yarloop The ECU team completed an initial study in the Yarloop region in South West WA after the devastating bushfire destroyed more than 69,000 hectares of land in 2016. Professor Horwitz said water was one of the big concerns of the Yarloop community after the megafire. After the danger had passed Yarloop residents were looking for immediate guidance on how to protect their water assets from the effects of the fire. So, having a better understanding of the long-term consequences for water would be a powerful tool to help to guide fire management protocol." Professor Pierre Horwitz, Edith Cowan University Investigations in Yarloop helped researchers map erosion hotspots and variable fire risk to determine potential contamination risks around water catchments. We found that in this region erosion was particularly harsh on steep terrain where the fire had been very severe, Dr Blake said. Now we want to expand our work to a wider region, and consider land after fires of different burn intensities, like prescribed burns and wildfires, and wherever possible, collect pre-fire and fire history information as well. Professor Horwitz said the research would lead to tools for environmental managers to apply in their areas to prevent post-fire erosion and subsequent water contamination. By factoring in the land topography, fire severity and rain intensity we can identify how long it takes burnt material to make its way into reservoirs used for water supply, then perhaps we can prevent the contamination altogether. Understanding why some areas are particularly vulnerable will tell us where to go, and when and how, to stop particular sources of contamination from soil erosion after a fire. Professor Pierre Horwitz Assessment of post-wildfire erosion risk and effects on water quality in south-western Australia and can be read here in the International Journal of Wildland Fire. Thought Leaders Dr. James Martin Professor Zemer Gitai Princeton University News-Medical speaks to Dr. James Martin and Dr. Zemer Gitai from Princeton University about their research which led to the discovery of a new antibiotic. What led you to carry out this research? When I (James) started graduate school, I had never worked in bacteria before. I originally worked with Drosophila, but when I joined Zemer's lab, we basically came to the table with the question, "How can we address the global need for new antibiotics in light of the escalating rates of antibiotic resistance?" This is a problem because as the rates of antibiotic resistance go up, we should be making new antibiotics that can treat those antibiotic-resistant infections. However, only six new classes of antibiotics have been approved in the past 20 years, and none of them can treat Gram-negative bacteria. There is this huge gap in the field that we wanted to address by, one, creating a new pipeline for discovering novel classes of antibiotics, and two, creating a way to quickly and efficiently characterize their mechanism of action. The aim was to find those mechanisms of action that are unique, such that bacteria would have never seen them before, and the hypothesis was that if a mechanism of action is new, bacteria will have a much harder time becoming resistant to it. Traditionally, antibiotic research and new leads have been done with a certain style that has sort of been dominated by these sorts of chemically-focused perspectives, and the big-picture idea was can we use some fresh approaches to get something new here. Image Credit: Rost9/Shutterstock.com What is the difference between Gram-positive and Gram-negative antibiotics, and why is this important in your work? So first it is important to make it clear that the bacteria are the ones that come in two flavors, the Gram-positives and the Gram-negatives, and the antibiotics are the compounds that then kill those bacteria. When we say Gram-positive antibiotics we mean an antibiotic that kills a Gram-positive, or a Gram-negative antibiotic that kills a Gram-negative. The distinction is that Gram-positive bacteria only have one membrane layer and then a cell wall outside of that membrane, whereas Gram-negative bacteria have a second membrane outside of the cell wall; they have an inner membrane, then the cell wall, and then the outer membrane. Gram is simply the name of the person who invented this Gram stain to test for the second membrane layer. Because of that second membrane, the Gram-negative antibiotics are not stained and in the same way that they exclude that stain, that second membrane is also a mechanism to exclude or prevent entry for many different small molecules. The reason that Gram-negative pathogens are so insidious and hard to kill is that they have this second barrier, this outer membrane, and so they are harder to actually penetrate. Please explain your new antibiotic and how it works? This small molecule, SCH-79797 (SCH) was originally used in mammalian experiments to treat thrombosis, as it is a thrombin R inhibitor. We found that it has potent activity in bacteria, and in short, it works by two different mechanisms that complement one another. One mechanism is that it is able to penetrate and disrupt the membranes of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, but then it is also able to, once it is inside of the cell, disrupt intracellular processes. In particular, it disrupts the ability of the cell to make folate, which is a necessary nutrient that the bacterial cells need to make essential parts of life, DNA, amino acids, proteins. Without these things, the bacteria cell will never grow. Image Credit: Victor Josan/Shutterstock.com Why has your technique been likened to a poisoned arrow? The idea is that for an antibiotic to work, it needs to get into the cell, and then it also has to kill. What we have found is that our antibiotic does two things simultaneously. First, it pokes holes in the bacterial membranes, and so that we liken that to an arrow. That alone is bad for the bacteria - obviously having a hole in your membrane is bad as stuff leaks out. However, it also then inhibits essential folate metabolism processes once it gets inside. We think of the membrane permeabilization, or the hole poking, as the arrow, and then the inhibition of the ability to then make the building blocks that are needed for the bacteria to grow and divide, the folate inhibition, as the poison. How did you develop your new antibiotic? Science is a collaborative effort, and we could not have done this work on our own. We had the help of our co-authors Joe Sheehan, Ben Bratton, and our other collaborators. Our compound is unique and has a mechanism of action that has not been characterized before. Something else that is interesting about this antibiotic is that we were not able to acquire resistance to it in our experiments. Resistance is one of the primary ways that scientists are able to ascertain the mechanism of action of an antibiotic. Without this, we had to employ various methods to come at the problem from different angles. We used metabolism; we used flow cytometry, where we looked at the membrane; we used quantitative high throughput imaging under the microscope; we used genetics; we used proteomics. Basically, to develop this new antibiotic, we employed all these different methods to get different pieces of the puzzle, and then we were able to piece them all together. At the end of the paper, we have this figure where we try to sum up the project. We did something known as bacterial cytological profiling, or BCP, where we can look at how bacteria are affected by a certain antibiotic. From this, we showed that no antibiotic that we tested looks similar to SCH. If you combine two antibiotics that have the two separate mechanisms of action of SCH, and co-treat bacteria with them at the same time, those bacteria now look similar to SCH when they die. We then made a derivative of this molecule which we call Irresistin-16. This was able to have even greater potency and have a greater therapeutic effect in our gonorrhea mouse model than SCH. How did you test the resistance of your antibiotic? In many ways, that was the hardest part, as scientifically it is impossible to prove a negative. We cannot prove that something cannot happen, and so we try to be careful and say that we were unable to detect resistance, or the resistance frequency was below the limit of our detection. This was a really important point that James worked on in a few different ways. The traditional way is to put bacteria on plates that have the antibiotic and the thought is that if one of the bacteria has a mutation that makes it resistant to the antibiotic, then it will grow even in its presence, and you will then be able to isolate the mutant. James tried that with no success, but then he tried a much more quantitative and careful approach, which convinced us that there was no detectable resistance. He took the drug in half the minimal concentration needed to kill the bacteria. In other words, he took a concentration of the drug where the bacteria can still grow, but not well. It was a multiple-month long experiment that he did, where every day or two he would come into the lab and he would grow up bacteria in this concentration that was right on the edge where the antibiotic is effective. The thought was that if there was even minimal mutation that conferred any advantage, those bacteria would grow faster, and because they would grow faster, they would then out-compete their neighbors and would become enriched in the population, and over time you would get this very gradual increase in the resistance. He tested this on many different antibiotics, including antibiotics that are notoriously hard to get resistance to, and he showed that this concept works. Gradually, he was able to evolve resistance to every other antibiotic that he tried, but to SCH there was zero increase in the resistance. It was a completely flat line. Why were you unable to use traditional methods to figure out the mechanisms of antibiotics in this research? The traditional way of figuring out how an antibiotic works is to find resistance mutants. Those usually map to the target of the drug, and then that tells you what the drug is. In this case, there is sort of a double-edged sword. Clinically, the fact that there is no resistance to these compounds is exactly what we want. That is the Holy Grail of antibiotics - an antibiotic that you cannot get resistance to, but at the same time, the reasons that we had to use all of these different approaches was the same reason that we could not eliminate resistance using the traditional way of figuring out the mechanism of action. Image Credit: Kateryna Kon/Shutterstock.com What was the problem with the original SCH 79797 and how did you solve it? The problem with the original SCH is that it was great at killing bacteria, but when we tested it, it was almost as good at killing many mammalian cells. That is a problem in the sense that for an antibiotic we want something that will kill the bacteria but not kill us. Bleach, for example, is good at killing bacteria but is not a good antibiotic because it kills our cells just as well. In its original configuration, SCH was not quite like that, but it was in that direction, and so what we then did was make derivatives of SCH. We were very excited that we found this derivative of SCH, which we named Irresistin-16. The great thing about Irresistin-16 is that it maintains the same level of toxicity towards mammalian cells as SCH, but it kills bacteria at 100 to 1000 times lower levels, so there is more potency towards killing the bacteria. Since we did not change the level at which we kill the mammalian cells, but we dramatically changed the level at which we kill bacteria. This means we have this 100 to 1000-fold window of concentrations that can be below the concentration of killing the mammalian cells, but above the concentration of killing the bacterial cells. What examples of bacteria have you shown your antibiotic to be effective against? One is MRSA, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus which is a huge problem, especially in hospital settings. Another is Acinetobacter baumannii, which is a Gram-negative bacterium that is notorious for its antibiotic resistance. This bacteria was actually a big problem here in America during, I believe, the war in Iraq, because this bacteria is very heat tolerant, and so in those conditions, the bacteria would live and subsist on medical equipment or beds. Soldiers who needed amputations or something of that nature, would get this infection and bring it back home. Neisseria gonorrhoeae was a big one, and that was very important because it is Gram-negative and we are running out of antibiotics to treat drug-resistant gonorrhea. I believe we recently found resistance to the last-resort antibiotic, and so it is imperative. Even the World Health Organization says that this is a problem that needs to be addressed. One very exciting thing is that the World Health Organization has a strain of Neisseria gonorrhoeae that is resistant to almost all known antibiotics, and yet our drugs were able to kill those strains. That was very exciting for us, and it suggests that this concept that we started with, a genuinely new class of antibiotics, could really work in combatting antibiotic resistance. Image Credit: Kateryna Kon/Shutterstock.com What stages are needed before your drug can hopefully be used to treat these infections in humans? First, we have to make it clear that there are a lot of steps between this and applying it to people. At the moment we have helped treat gonorrhea in mice. We are actively working on various things to improve the drug. There are three main things. First, we want to kill bacteria even more effectively, which we call potency. Second, we want to make it even less toxic to mammalian cells. Third, various drug-like properties need to be improved. For example, Irresistin-16 is very hydrophobic and so it does not dissolve very well in water. It would be impractical as a pill, so at the moment we have been injecting it. There are various things like that that need to be optimized. However, we are encouraged that in this very first example we were already able to get it to a place where it worked in an animal. The other thing that I really want to highlight is that as excited as we are about Irresistin-16 in particular, we also think that this is a general concept that can be used. We think that this idea of a poisoned arrow approach could be applied to many other drugs, and so we hope that either we or others in the field will take this idea that has not really been implemented before, and use it to try to develop more types of new drugs. Even if our shot-on goal with Irresistin-16 itself misses, our hope is that this will inspire new classes of drugs or research along similar lines to give us more shots at the goal. How could this antibiotic revolutionize bacterial infection treatment and instigate the development of new drugs? This is an interesting question for me (James) personally because I think that it is important to recognize that what goes into the paper is not everything that happened. You do not describe all the heartache or all the weird things that you did not quite understand. Antibiotics have been around for the past 100 years or so, and there are some records that it has been around even longer - people just used it as a natural home-remedy, for example taking moldy bread, making a poultice out of it, and putting it in their wound. People have been treating bacterial infections for a very long time, and so for me, when I think of this project I do not think about revolutionizing the way we treat the bacterial infections as much as revolutionizing the way we identify new antibiotics to treat those same infections. It is the second half of the question that I think is the most important, and I think that what I, Zemer, Joe, Ben, and our other coauthors have demonstrated is two main things. The first thing is that the membrane, which originally was a no-go target in antibiotic development, can be targeted in such a way that it predominantly hurts bacterial membranes more than it hurts human, and I think that opens up the possibility of a whole new class of molecules just by itself. But I think the other thing that we have come upon is the idea that two-in-one is better than just two. There is a figure in the paper where we demonstrate that combining two antibiotics that have the same separate mechanisms of killing bacteria as SCH is not as powerful or as potent as SCH, and I do not think this is something that has been explored before. The concept of combination treatment has been explored and all these complications have arisen, and so some people have pursued it and some people have not, but I think what we have demonstrated here is that maybe it is not as hard as we make it, maybe there is an easier way to get this molecule into the bacteria if we combine two separate mechanisms. I am really excited to see some of the work that comes out of our lab, and others potentially if they pick it up, on doing this dual-mechanism approach. It does not have to be two mechanisms there is no reason why it cannot be any number of targets. I think it could be really interesting to look at molecules with multiple modalities. Image Credit: Orawan Pattarawimonchai/Shutterstock.com What are the next steps for your research? There are two arms. The first arm is improving the current drugs that we have to make them more and more drug-like and suitable, inching them towards usability as an antibiotic. That means making a lot of derivatives and modifications of them, and so on. The second arm is: can we generalize these principles? Can we find new antibiotics that combine two mechanisms of action together? Can we make more poisoned arrows? Can we understand how exactly each of the two mechanisms is working? A big surprise here on the scientific side was that we were able to target bacterial membranes without targeting mammalian membranes, and this specificity was a huge surprise to us. We used to think a membrane was a membrane, who cares if it is bacterial or human? That is why historically we have avoided trying to target the membrane because we thought that we could not get specificity that way. However, this suggests that this is not the case. Perhaps we could even find ways of targeting viral membranes if that is true, so there are a lot of those sorts of questions that we are now trying to think about. Have you got anything else you would like to add? Actually, I do. I feel like in light of the last few weeks, we cannot just sit here and ignore the fact that historically, and in the US in particular, black scientists have been marginalized and underrepresented in every possible way. Being a black man, a black male in America, is difficult for many different reasons, and trying to be a black man in STEM is even harder. There is just not a lot of support. Often, there is this assumption that you are not as 'smart', as your peers, and so to be able to actually accomplish a piece of science like this and to be able to say "I discovered something," is really powerful. These past few weeks in America, we look and there are many different young men who look like me, and I am actually very familiar with many of them in Chicago. Even though I may have all of these scientific accomplishments, in the end, it may mean nothing because in the eyes of many people, I'm black first and that sums up my entire being, complete with negative stereotypes and perceptions. For me, with this paper being published and thankfully getting media attention, I want it to be known that I do stand with those who look like me and with those who are oppressed or marginalized. I do not want to send a message that I am different, or that I somehow have made it because of something I have accomplished, but instead that I am here, I hurt with you, and I want to use this platform that I have to help change people's perspective on what a black man should or could be. Where can readers find more information? Original Paper: https://www.cell.com/cell/pdf/S0092-8674(20)30567-5.pdf?_returnURL=https%3A%2F%2Flinkinghub.elsevier.com%2Fretrieve%2Fpii%2FS0092867420305675%3Fshowall%3Dtrue A free, open-access pre-print of the paper: https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.03.12.984229v1 CDC resource guide for antibiotic resistance: https://www.cdc.gov/drugresistance/index.html About Dr. James Martin My name is Dr. James Martin. I am a scientist and an educator and have a fierce passion for raising up the next generation of black scientists. With all the unrest in America right now due to racial injustice, I am proud to say that I am black, and I hope that I can be an inspiration to others to continue pushing forward and be resilient. About Professor Zemer Gitai Zemer Gitai is a Professor of Molecular Biology at Princeton University. He graduated with a bachelor's degree from MIT in 1996. After completing his graduate studies at UCSF in 2002 and postdoc at Stanford in 2005, Dr. Gitai joined the faculty of Princeton University as an Assistant Professor. He was promoted to Associate Professor with tenure in 2012 and a Full Professor in 2016. He is currently the Edwin Grant Conklin Professor of Biology in the Department of Molecular Biology at Princeton University. Dr. Gitai's research focuses on the cell biology of bacteria and how they interact with their hosts. His lab studies how cells self-organize across spatial scales, using quantitative, molecular, and engineering approaches. Dr. Gitai has published over 70 original articles in leading journals. His work discovered new components of the bacterial cytoskeleton and established the importance of protein assembly for unexpected processes like metabolism and pathogenesis. Most recently, Dr. Gitai has focused on understanding bacterial mechanosensing and combating the rise of antibiotic resistance by developing new antibiotics and anti-infectives. Dr. Gitai's achievements have been recognized by many prestigious awards, including the the NIH Directors Pioneer Award, the NIH New Innovator Award, the Beckman Young Investigator Award, and the HFSP Young Investigator Award. A startling new study adds to the growing body of evidence that severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which causes COVID-19, the pneumonic illness now sweeping the world, was circulating in Brazils Santa Catalina as far back as November 2019. The finding, published on the preprint server medRxiv* in June 2020, shows that it has been causing infection in Brazil long before the first case was reported in the Americas, North and South, in January 2020, and certainly before the first case in this Brazilian region. Novel Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 Creative rendition of SARS-COV-2 virus particles. Note: not to scale. Credit: NIAID The Beginning of the Pandemic The first cases of atypical pneumonia attributed to the virus causing COVID-19, the SARS-CoV-2, were in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China. Investigators with the China CDC described three adults who were admitted to a hospital in Wuhan on December 27, 2019, with pneumonia cases of an unknown cause. From there and spreading outwards across all international borders, the virus caused a brief but extremely harsh spell of disease and death in Europe and South Korea, before spreading to the Americas and Asia. At least, that was what most researchers thought. However, early evidence was mounting that the virus had already been spreading around the world a few months prior to the first occurrence on January 21, 2020, in the USA. The first Brazilian case was diagnosed on February 25, 2020. Respiratory and Fecal Positivity The virus is a respiratory pathogen, with transmission being chiefly through respiratory droplets and by touch with contaminated surfaces. The virus is also known to infect gastrointestinal tissues, and fecal samples have shown high and sustained levels of the virus at up to 108 copies of the viral RNA per g of stool. The use of sewage as a mode of monitoring the presence of SARS-CoV-2 has been applied in earlier research, demonstrating this to be a non-invasive tool to predict the imminence of an outbreak or an upsurge in an endemic infection. The Study: Seeking the Virus in Sewage The current study was based on the analysis of human sewage from Santa Catalina, Brazil, beginning from samples collected in late October and continuing until late March. The researchers collected samples of urban sewage in six separate sampling episodes. The sewage was untreated and came from a sewage system in central Florianopolis, which served about 5,000 people. This system receives only wastewater. The sample consisted of 200 mL and was cultured for the viral load, as well as tested for the viral RNA. Surprising Positivity of Sewage Before Earliest Known Case The first two samples were on October 30 and November 6, 2019, and turned out to be negative. Thereafter, all samples were reported to be positive from the virus, beginning from November 27, 2019, to March 4, 2020. The viral load, overall, was 5.83 log10 copies L-1, which is similar to the viral loads in sewage studies in France and Spain, as well as the USA, during active infection. The striking thing is that the first positive sample preceded the first diagnosed case in the American continent by 66 days and the first known case in Brazil by 91 days. In Santa Catalina, the first case was reported only after 97 days. In other words, the virus was being disseminated in the community months before the first case in North or South America was reported. Prediction of Future Infection or of Rising in Infection Rates These findings echo that of earlier Spanish and Italian sewage studies, where the presence of the virus in wastewater was retrospectively studied and found to be positive before the earliest reported cases. Another interesting feature is the relative stability of the viral load until the end of February 2020, at about 5.5 -5.8 log10 copies per liter. However, on March 4, 2020, the viral titer jumped upward by about one log, to 6.7 log10 copies per liter. This date is significant as that of the first reported case in this region. Ten days later, the Brazilian lockdown came into effect, preventing further sampling, which means the later trends remain unknown. Implications of the Findings The researchers say that they have demonstrated that the virus was circulating unnoticed in the community before the number of cases spiked to pandemic levels, or was noticed as such. Secondly, the viral load remained at a plateau until March 4, 2020, when it rose at the same time as the first case in Santa Catalina. The researchers sum up: This study demonstrates that monitoring of SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater or urban sewage is an excellent tool for anticipating potential epidemiological outbreaks, and would be highly valuable in helping Public Health authorities to define protection measures. *Important Notice medRxiv publishes preliminary scientific reports that are not peer-reviewed and, therefore, should not be regarded as conclusive, guide clinical practice/health-related behavior, or treated as established information. The tenders for upgradation of 4G network have been cancelled by state-run firms Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd's (BSNL) and the Mahanagar Telecom Nagam Limited (MTNL) after the Department of Telecom asked them not to use Chinese gear. A source privy to the development said that new tenders will be floated in the next two weeks will have emphasis on preference to Make in India, and are likely to exclude Chinese companies. Huawei Technologies Co. and ZTE Corp. are among the major Chinese-origin telecom equipment makers doing business in the Indian market. The source said that the government had told BSNL and MTNL not to use Chinese equipment in 4G upgrade, days after 20 Indian soldiers were killed in a violent clash with Chinese troops along the Line of Actual Control (LAC). The implementation of the direction meant that the companies will have to issue a new tender. The BSNL tender was worth around Rs 7,000-8,000 crore. Keeping in view the developing Indian capacity and in-house technology, new tenders will be floated, the source said adding this will have emphasis on preference to Make in India. The move is part of government's push to reduce reliance of Indias telecom sector on foreign equipment and increase domestic manufacturing. Nearly 75 per cent of the telecom equipment is sourced from and provided by two major players ZTE and Huawei. The United States had also designated Huawei and ZTE as national security threats on Tuesday, a step toward driving the Chinese manufacturers from the US market. Both Huawei and ZTE have close ties to the Chinese Communist Party and Chinas military apparatus," the US's Federal Communication Commission chairman said. According to sources, the government may also rethink its information and communication technology strategy for the rollout of 5G in which Huawei was slated to take part. The development comes in the backdrop of India banning 59 Chinese apps, including the likes of TikTok and UC Browser, on Monday because of security and data breach concerns. German logistics company DHL said on Wednesday it had temporarily suspended picking up import shipments from China to India, after border tensions between the countries led to clearance delays. Another prominent freight transporter FedEx Corp has also suspended shipments, according to a BloomberQuint report, adding that the company is facing backlogs beyond its control. FedEx was not immediately available for a comment. There have been growing calls from India for a boycott of Chinese products, after a border clash between the neighbours last month killed 20 Indian soldiers. Customs officials at the key port of Chennai, which handles various cargo including automobiles, fertilisers and petroleum products, have held shipments originating from China for extra checks. A DHL representative confirmed to Reuters that the recent delay in customs clearance of cargo into India caused the shipment company's DHL Express India unit to temporarily suspend pick ups from mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau. DHL did not elaborate on the nature of consignments that were delayed. Reuters reported last week that goods, including products from US companies Apple, Cisco and Dell were caught up in the border tensions, as Indian ports held up imports from China. Pharmaceutical consignments are also stuck at Chennai and other ports and at an airport, and drug companies have been told their shipments will be released after rigorous scrutiny of each container, down to every drum, a senior industry executive told Reuters last month. United Parcel Service and Amazon India did not immediately respond to requests for comment regarding possible shipment delays. South Africa: Sisulu warns against private property invasions Human Settlements, Water and Sanitation Minister, Lindiwe Sisulu, has issued a stern warning to those planning to or people who have already invaded properties - to desist from the unlawful acts. The department has noticed incidents in which people illegally occupy places of land, buildings and houses. Recent cases have been reported in Tshwane and Cape Town, Sisulu said. While acknowledging the challenges in the delivery of houses, Sisulu cautioned against the breaking of the law, as this leads to forced evictions, displacement of people and delay in the implementation of housing projects. Townlands Housing Project to deliver 1 200 units Meanwhile, Sisulu has recently visited three social housing projects in Tshwane, including one in Townlands which is expected to deliver 1 200 units on completion in 2021. The social housing projects in Tshwane are some of the many across the country aimed at responding to the housing needs of households earning between R1 500 and R15 000 per month. Good Practice Framework The Minister was also informed that the Social Housing Regulatory Authority (SHRA) - an agency of the Department of Human Settlements, together with the National Association of Social Housing Organisations (NASHO) - has worked on a Good Practice Framework which provides a number of guidelines on what precautionary measures to put in place to ensure safety of people living in the social housing units. The guidelines include education on Coronavirus, hygiene and regulations, disabling of biometric systems, clear communication of protocols during COVID-19 period, and provision of alternative vacant for isolation of infected tenants where possible. Sisulu said that the department understands that some of the beneficiaries are going through financial difficulties as a result of COVID-19. The department has advised on types of rental arrangements they can make with tenants who have lost part or all of their income due to COVID-19. We are also in discussions with funders to determine what loan reliefs they can offer to delivery partners who have depleted their reserves due to a decline in rental collections, Sisulu said. The Minister also called on beneficiaries to honour their obligations and pay rent. We can only build a nation and continue to deliver more of these social housing projects, if we work together, the Minister said. SAnews.gov.za This story has been published on: 2020-07-01. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. As we are at the midpoint of 2020, this year has not turned out to be what many of us could or would have expected or even imagined to this point. It has been a year full of trials, tribulations, and hardship amongst our country and our community. We have all endured these hardships collectively, in our own way, affecting each and everyone of us in how we conduct our own day to day lives. However, as a community, we stand strong and we will once again rise to overcome these temporary obstacles that are currently challenging us all. Today more than ever the word Civic defines the good in who we are as a community and as a country. The word civic is derived from the latin term civicus which means Townsman. People of all walks of life and of all origins, have been coming together for centuries in Civic Duty to stand up for the good of their community and of their country. Twenty years ago, a group of North Fort Myers civic minded individuals, created a Civic Association to stand up for the good of their community. On March 29, 2000, Articles of Incorporation where filed with the State of Florida, and the North Fort Myers Civic Association was officially born. The initial officers for the North Fort Myers Civic Association were Meyer Marty Tisherman (President), Arnold Martin (Vice-President) along with Board Members Julie Flake, Harry Keller, Karen Landis, Lisa Barker, Stan Kay, Bruce Beckman ,and Betty Blanchette. During the next 20 years, the North Fort Myers Civic Association would add new members, circulate new board of directors and officers, continue to advocate for the interests of North Fort Myers, host Town Hall meetings, Candidate Forums, Hurricane Preparedness Seminars, Fundraising Events, Community Luncheons, Community Forums, become instrumental in the planning and development of the North Fort Myers Recreation Center, and new North Fort Myers Library, and the list goes on. The North Fort Myers Civic Association would become the strong and respected community advocate it is today, thanks to the dedication and service to community from all members of the North Fort Myers Civic Association past and present. The North Fort Myers Civic Association would continue to grow and prosper under the leadership of past presidents Marty Tisherman, Cheryl Diamond, Greg Makepeace, and Mike Land. Cheryl Diamond would become the associations first female president. Cheryl created the Presidents Club during her tenure, in which she brought together the presidents of all other North Fort Myers service groups for dialogue and open communication in working together for the betterment of our community. Greg Makepeace was named Lee Countys Person of the Year in 2012 and was awarded Lee County Governments prestigious Paulette Burton award by the Lee County Commission for his outstanding community civic service. Mike Land would work endless hours in advocating for the Renaissance project for our community. These Civic Association Presidents would help form and mold a path for future boards and members to follow. A key civic member of note during the first 20 years would be Linda Yorde. Linda took the reins in advocating for the new North Fort Myers Library. Without Lindas tireless efforts, its easy to say we may not have a new library here today. Also, the late Tom Cronin, who gave selflessly for the overall good of our community thru his charitable work and givings. Pam Cronin continues the work of both her and Tom by still generously giving back to our community to this day. Former North Fort Myers Honorary Mayors John Gardner (current Chamber of Commerce President), and Al Giacalone, are also instrumental members in moving the North Fort Myers Civic Association forward to this date. These are just a few of the many that have dedicated their time and efforts for the betterment of our community. The North Fort Myers Civic Association is now stronger than it has ever been. Even through these times of uncertainty, the North Fort Myers Civic Association stands tall and proud in advocating for a better community. We, as a community, will come through these difficult times. The North Fort Myers Civic Association will continue to be here as a voice for our community for the next 20 years and beyond. To all of the original members who formed the North Fort Myers Civic Association, and to all of those that served and remain serving on the board of directors, to all of our members during our first 20 years, we say Thank You for caring about our community the way you have and the way you do. The North Fort Myers Civic Association was given a strong foundation from the start, and we today are proud to carry on the work that was started 20 years ago in civic duty to our community. Doug Dailey President North Fort Myers Civic Association The government on Wednesday launched a Rs 30,000-crore scheme under which non-bank lenders will be provided short-term liquidity through a special purpose vehicle (SPV) set up by SBICAP, a subsidiary of the State Bank of India. In March this year, Finance and Corporate Affairs Nirmala Sitharaman had announced the special scheme with a view to improve the liquidity position of non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) as well as housing finance companies (HFCs). In a notification on Wednesday, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) said the SPV will purchase the short-term papers from eligible NBFCs/HFCs, which shall utilise the proceeds under this scheme solely for the purpose of extinguishing existing liabilities. The central bank also laid down the conditions which the NBFCs and HFCs will have to meet to become eligible to avail the scheme. The RBI will provide funds for the special liquidity scheme by subscribing to government guaranteed special securities issued by the SLS Trust set up by SBI Capital Markets Limited (SBICAP), said a finance ministry release. "The total amount of such securities issued outstanding shall not exceed Rs 30,000 crore at any point of time," it said. The government will provide an unconditional and irrevocable guarantee to the special securities issued by the Trust. "The scheme is being launched on July 1, 2020 through a SPV in the form of SLS Trust set up by SBICAP," the ministry said. The instruments will be commercial papers (CPs) and non-convertible debentures (NCDs) with a residual maturity of not more than three months and rated as investment grade, the RBI said. "The facility, however, will not be available for any paper issued after September 30, 2020 and the SPV would cease to make fresh purchases after September 30, 2020 and would recover all dues by December 31, 2020," the RBI added. NBFCs -- including microfinance institutions, excluding those registered as core investment companies -- and housing finance companies that are registered under the National Housing Bank Act can avail the special liquidity scheme. However, their net non-performing assets should not be more than 6 per cent as on March 31, 2019 and they should have made net profit in at least one of the last two preceding financial years (2017-18 and 2018-19). There are other conditions, like the entities should be rated investment grade by a SEBI registered rating agency, it said. The scheme will remain open for three months for making subscriptions by the Trust. The period of lending (CPs/NCDs of NBFCs/HFCs for short duration) by the Trust would be for a period of up to 90 days. Further, those market participants who are looking to exit their standard investments with a residual maturity of 90 days may also approach the SLS Trust. In a separate notification, the RBI said it has been decided to permit the banks to reckon the funds infused by the promoters in their MSME units through loans availed under the 'Subordinate Debt for Stressed MSMEs' scheme as equity/quasi equity from the promoters for debt-equity computation. The credit facilities extended under the 'Subordinate Debt for Stressed MSMEs' scheme are backed by a guarantee from the Credit Guarantee Fund Trust for Micro and Small Enterprises (CGTMSE). As part of the Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative, a provision of Rs 20,000 crore subordinate debt for two lakh MSMEs which are NPA or are stressed was announced in May. Yes, it's great that Bollywood is making films about Queer characters. First, there was Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga which was based on the fantasies of a lesbian girl. Then there was Shubha Mangal Zyada Saavdhaan which focused on the relationship of a gay couple. And now there's Laxmi Bomb, Bollywood's first film featuring a transwoman as the protagonist. But what is the one thing that is common between all these films? None of them feature actual actors from the LGBTQIA community. While Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar has already started raking in applause (and moolah) for his upcoming role as a transwoman in the horror-comedy "Laxmi Bomb". Kumar recently told the media that this was a very challenging role for him to play. He also said in interviews that he made great efforts to not offend any "communities" while shooting for the film. While the queer community must have appreciated his candor and sensitivity, perhaps a better way to be conscious of the community's feelings would have been to let a queer or LGBTQI actor play the role. During a virtual press conference to announce the direct-to-digital release of 'Lakshmi Bomb', Akshay Kumar said during the interaction, "In my 30 years career, this is my most mentally tough role. Raghava introduced me to a version of me even I didnt know existed. This character is unlike anything I have portrayed before and I had to be sure that I did this role without offending any community. Despite doing 150 films, I was so excited to be on the sets every day. I have never given as many retakes as I have given in this film. Laxmmi Bomb has made me more sensitive about gender equality." The recent years have seen growing talk about the representation of minorities sin films, television, books and pop-culture across the world. Much has been said about the representation of people of colour, diverse and minority ethnicities such as Asians, and people from the LGBTQIA community. While Hollywood has managed to increase its on-screen diversity, even if by a tad, the same is not true for India. Here, actors are often seen donning brownface to play a character with darker skin. Here, straight actors almost always play queer roles where they end up using makeup, costumes, and extravagant (read stereotypical) gesturing and body language to portray LGBTQIA characters. Why not get queer actors to play the roles instead? Ironically, the film comes at a time when the topic of minority representation in films is hot off the press, with popular actors and directors across the world owning up to their lack of efforts in increasing diversity on screen. Take the case of actress Alison Brie, for instance, who came forth with an unforced and public apology for voicing the role of a popular Vietnamese-American character (Diane Ngyuyen) from the popular animated Netflix series Bojack Horseman. both the actor, as well as the director of the series owned up to their mistake and regretted not having chosen a Vietnamese actor to voice the role (or in Brie's case, not having walked away from the role). But perhaps it is too early to expect this level of maturity from actors and filmmakers in India, who until recently portrayed queer characters as jokes for comic relief in films, or murderous deviants and child-kidnappers who needed to be locked up and put in jail. While it is great that more and more filmmakers are turning to queer characters and basing entire films on queer themes instead of using them as formulaic tropes, it seems Bollywood is still a far way from achieving true diversity. Case in point? In August 2018, filmmaker Farz Arif Ansari wanted to make a feature film based on the life of a transwoman. But when he tried to look for trans actors to play the role, he found none. A report in 2019 by Vice claimed that the director had still not found his actress. Perhaps he should start hitting up Bollywood heroes for the same. The film will release directly on Disney+ Hotstar. Author Dan Brown might be embroiled in a legal battle as his ex-wife Blythe Brown has filed a suit against him in New Hampshire. Blythe has alleged that Brown was in extramarital affairs at the time of their divorce. She also alleged that Dan purchased gifts for the woman who is a horse trainer and also helped her financially with her business, the NewsWeek reported. The name of the woman has not been revealed. "Dan has lived a proverbial life of lies for at least the past six years, seeming to be the epitome of a world-famous novelist leading a simple life in his home state of New Hampshire, while in reality he was something quite different," the filing said. "For years, Dan has secretly removed substantial funds from his and Blythe's hard-earned marital assets to conduct sordid, extra-marital affairs with women one half his age and to pursue a clandestine life." The lawsuit alleges that Dan secretly wired money to his lover's business, without his wife's knowledge. Dan is also accused of filing false financial statements in the divorce process. Blythe has now asked the court to order Dan to provide a record of all of his assets from July 2018 onward. However, Dan, the author of books like Da Vinci Code and Inferno, deied the accusations by his ex-wife and dubbed the lawsuit as "fictional" and "vindictive." After the Indian government on Monday banned 59 apps with Chinese links, including hugely popular TikTok and UC Browser, saying they were prejudicial to sovereignty, integrity and security of the country, TV anchor and Republic chief Arnab Goswami called the move "sudden, unexpected, and unpredictable." "The sheer suddenness of the move, the unexpected nature of the move, the unpredictability of the move. They dont know what hit them. Now the Chinese will know," Goswami said on air. At this point it is difficult to tell whether something is parody or real pic.twitter.com/oTc0eyOoin dorku (@Dorkstar) June 29, 2020 Goswami's spirited approval on national television seemed to catch the eye of Indian comedian Jose Covaco, who has carved a niche for himself in the hilarious world of mashup videos. In his works, Covaco takes new and old footage, often from videos that are already viral on Twitter, and mashes them together to create hilarious video spoofs. And Goswami's viral video seemed too good for Covaco to pass up, who stepped in and decided to have a "phone call" with the animated anchor. But with a characteristic twist. Also Read: TikTok Among 59 Chinese Apps Banned. What is in Store for Your Existing Accounts? The comedian combined videos of two news pieces -- one of Goswami congratulating the Chinese apps ban and the other of Bollywood actor Taapsee Pannu and aam janta recently complaining about the exorbitant electricity bills in Maharashtra on Twitter. The end result? A masterclass in hilarity. Titled "Discussing High Electricity Bills with Arnab.." the slapstick mashup has raked in over 13K retweets and been viewed 600K times. Discussing High Electricity Bills with Arnab.. pic.twitter.com/JwG6v0Vos5 Jose Covaco (@HoeZaay) June 30, 2020 Also Read: YouTuber CarryMinati Had 'Prophesied' The Ban of TikTok and Indians are Freaking Out This, however, isn't the first time Covaco has had a "heart to heart" with a journalist. Earlier in March, as the country moved into the first lockdown phase, the comedian "interacted" with veteran journalist Shekhar Gupta over an unintentionally funny bit where Gupta explained, "what is tomorrow". This bit was from a video titled "Why 1.36 billion Indians wont simply wait to be infected or killed by coronavirus" uploaded by The Print on their YouTube channel. Covaco edited the 'tomorrow' clip and turned it into a spoof of what all Indians and sundry faced while placing online orders, especially for groceries, during the lockdown. Also Read: 'Inflated' Electricity Bills in Maharashtra Spark a Meme Fest after Taapsee Pannu's Tweet Goes Viral In the video, Covaco called a helpline and asked about the expected time of arrival for the groceries he ordered online, only to be met with Shekhar Gupta's vague 'tomorrow' replies. Gupta took the humour in his stride and went on to share the clip that garnered over a million views on Twitter. Israeli start-up Redefine Meat plans to launch 3D printers to produce plant-based steaks mimicking real beef next year in a bid to win a slice of the fast-growing alternative meat market. Plant-based meat products are becoming increasingly popular with consumers worried about animal welfare and the environment. Based in Rehovot south of Tel Aviv, Redefine Meat will first market test its "Alt-Steak" at high-end restaurants later this year before rolling out its industrial-scale 3D printers to meat distributors in 2021. "Our technology can create whole-muscle cuts just as a cow can produce that in a much more efficient way, with a lower cost and of course it's much better for the environment. So we are introducing a new category. We can do the entire cow, not only one part of the cow, that is actually a side stream. Stakes, roast, slow-cooking, grilling, everything that an animal can do we want to do the same or even better," Eshchar Ben-Shitrit, chief executive and co-founder of Redefine Meat, told Reuters. He says the 3D printer mimics the structure of the muscle of the animal. It can currently print 3-6 kg (6.6-13.2 pounds) of meat an hour but the machines it will launch will be able to print 20 kg (44 pounds) an hour next year and eventually hundreds, at a cheaper cost than real meat. Founded in 2018, the company raised $6 million last year in a round led by CPT Capital, an investor in Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods. It also received funds from Hanaco Venture Capital and German poultry group PHW. Israel has numerous alternative and cultured meat start-ups. Aleph Farms developed lab-grown steak and expects to have a biofarm operational in late 2022. Meat-Tech 3D is combining 3D printing with the lab meat process. Spanish competitor Novameat is also working on 3D-printed plant meat, including a whole-muscle pork cut developed during the coronavirus crisis that disrupted pork supply, in addition to steak. At a Tel Aviv steakehoue, diners welcomed the idea of replacing meat with plant-based solutions, "as soon as the taste will be as good as regular meat", said 31-year-old Doron Zemour. "We don't see a reason that this cannot be on the table of everybody in every country around the world. This is the biggest problem we face today as humanity and this is the best way to fight climate change, to deliver healthier solutions and food to the entire population of the planet.," said Ben Shitrit, before taking a bite out of the 3D printed steak. The recent clashes in Galwan between India and China are a stark reminder of how complicated the relationship between the Elephant and the Dragon is. Why does the relationship need to be so complex? A multitude of experts has weighed in on the issue. Some of them say that China is diverting attention from its own domestic troubles; others say that China wishes to clearly establish its Asian dominance and is thus prodding of India, Vietnam, Malaysia, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Australia in a multitude of ways; yet another group believes that India is equally responsible for the mess it finds itself in because of the lack of a consistent China policy over decades. The problem is that India sees the relationships history only through the prism of 1950 and thereafter. That was the year in which the Peoples Liberation Army took over Tibet (subsequently Aksai Chin too) and the relationship began deteriorating. The two countries then went to war in 1962 and India was hopelessly unprepared. The war lasted just a month but 1,383 Indian soldiers and 722 Chinese soldiers died. Thousands were wounded. Around 3,900 Indian soldiers were captured and taken prisoner by the Chinese. READ: China Agrees Parameters for Galwan Valley Pullback The 1962 war was followed by several other border skirmishes including the 1967 clash at Nathu La (which India decisively won), the 1987 face-off in Sumdorong Chu, the 2017 battle for Doklam and the most recent one this year in Galwan. Quite naturally, the mere mention of China gets Indias hackles up. But China sees its foreign relationships in the context of a much older and wider prism. Three thousand years ago, the Zhou monarchs believed their empire occupied the middle of the earth. Hence, China was called Zhongguo (or "Middle Kingdom"), a glorious empire surrounded by barbarians. The subjugation of the barbarians was a duty. Other kings would necessarily have to submit to Chinese hegemony for this construct to work. An alliance between China and India, by definition, would be one of master and vassal under the Middle Kingdom approach. Chinas foreign policy and military maneuvres are not only based on their Middle Kingdom approach but are also influenced by Sun Tzus Art of War. Sun Tzu says that all warfare is based on deception. When able, we should seem unable. When we are in action, we must seem inactive. When near, we should seem far. When far, the enemy should think we are near. While China has not forgotten its history and its ancient wisdom, alas, India has. READ: PLA Attacked Indian Troops in Galwan Valley Violating Border Agreements and Protocols If China can look to Sun Tzu, India has Kautilya, whose strategic and economic views are no less profound. Kautilya says if the ends can be achieved by non-military methods, even by methods of intrigue, duplicity and fraud, armed conflict is not advised. Any activity which harms the progress of the enemy engaged in similar undertakings is also to be considered progress. But most importantly, Kautilyas Arthashastra emphatically says that the prosperous one becomes the victorious one. Why did we pay no heed to this fundamental truth? Indias prism needs to change. Indias linkages with China go back centuries. It was a Pallava prince, Bodhidharma who took south Indian martial arts such as Kalaripayattu and Silambam to Shaolin, thus resulting in a new technique called Kung Fu. Similarly, Buddhism travelled from India to the White Horse Temple in Luoyang and then spread not only within China but also to the rest of the world. Chanakyas Arthashastra talks of Chinese silk that was imported into India and was highly valued. The traveller Xuanzang was not only enthralled by his stint at the world-famous Nalanda university but also ecstatic to taste sugar candies that he had never experienced before. Through the British, China gave us tea. While the Himalayas gave us natural protection, our economic strength also played a vital role. Why didnt we fight wars with China for most of history? In 1960, the Chinese GDP (at 2010 constant dollars) was $128.3 billion. Indias GDP in that year was $148.8 billion, significantly higher than that of China. But China overtook India in 1978 when its GDP was $293.6 billion in comparison to Indias $293.2. Effectively the two countries had almost equal GDP in 1978. But after that, the gap between India and China only kept worsening. By 2019, China's GDP was 4.78 times that of India. Successive governments in India thought that they could fight Chinese aggression through military or diplomatic means, completely ignoring the fact that economic imbalance would be our undoing. I have always believed that India is a land of thinkers but we slip up terribly on execution. This is fundamentally what separates us from our Asian neighbours such as Japan, South Korea, Singapore and Malaysia that pulled themselves out of destruction or poverty by simply following the Nike philosophy of "just do it". I truly thought that this recent Covid-19 pandemic was the perfect opportunity for the Elephant to face the Dragon. India has taken bold decisions when faced with a crisis. The pandemic was the perfect crisis to spur bold and transformative thinking that could allow us to leapfrog and set the balance right. But we are still plagued by incremental thinking. Unfortunately, its the equivalent of attempting to cure cancer with Paracetamol. Everything that India needs to do is already known to us. We do not need fancy consultants to tell us. We simply need people to get it done. Cut bureaucracy down to the bone; make tax compliance simple and easy; use out-of-the-box solutions for education and healthcare; cut the pendency of litigation; modernize police machinery; push harder on agriculture reform (announced recently); boost urban infrastructure; untangle the plethora of rules and regulations that hold back entrepreneurship; make ministers accountable for 2-3 key deliverables during their tenure. It is usually believed that elephants cannot run. But science has recently determined that elephants use a trick called Groucho to reach speeds of 25 kilometers per hour. Even though their four feet never leave the ground simultaneously (a key characteristic of running), elephants manage to bounce around their centre of mass much like the exaggerated walk of Groucho Marx. Its time for the Indian elephant to ditch Karl Marx for Groucho Marx. The truth is that the real dragons that we need to fight are not only beyond our borders but also very much within. Ashwin Sanghi ranks among Indias highest-selling English fiction authors. He has written several bestsellers including Chanakyas Chant and The Krishna Key. Most recently he has written The Vault of Vishnu that explores the ancient relationship between India and China. "On my first day, I was terrified. At the end of the first month, I knew I could do this," says Akshay Raundhal. Akshay Raundhal, a 25-year-old queer man, completed his MBBS in 2019. Less than six months later, he was at the frontlines of India's coronavirus capital, Mumbai, battling the biggest pandemic of our times. Before the pandemic hit, Raundhal worked at a small clinic for HIV positive patients in The Humsafar Trust. However, the work at the HIV clinic had slowed down during the lockdown as people couldn't get to the clinic, and instead of just waiting out the lockdown at home, he decided to be part of the battle. He volunteered as part of the doctors who responded to Maharasthra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray's call for 'Covid-Yudha' doctors. In the first week of April, Raundhal joined Jogeshwari Hospital in Jogeshwari West, Mumbai. The first thing that Raundhal realized on his first day, was the sheer numbers he was up against. The patients kept coming in, the doctors were not enough. According to NCBI data in India as of 2017, there are 1.34 doctors per 1,000 Indian citizens. Raundhal saw this statistic unfolding when on some days during his three-month-long tenure, he was the only doctor assigned to a ward of 80 Covid-19 patients. Added to his woes of being the only person in charge was the PPE. "Working in emergency wards isn't that hard," Raundhal tells News18 in an interview. "But working for 7 hours at a stretch in the same PPE, where not an inch of your skin is exposed, plus the Mumbai heat, the discomfort alone is a tough problem," he says. It wasn't just 7 hours in the suffocating heat of Bombay in a PPE suit that took a toll physically -- it was also the constantly changing shifts. "One day I'd be on the early morning shift, the next day I'd be on the mid-day, the third day, evening, the fourth day, at night. Every single day I had to wake up and go to sleep at a different time, my entire sleeping pattern, and whatever regularity came with it, was gone for a toss," says Raundhal. Other than the fact that the process was physically draining, there was the mental exhaustion that too came with working in a ward where the balance between life and death was hanging by a minute thread. "People think doctors only have to look after a patient's physical health. You also have to look after their mental health. They're alone in an isolation ward, away from their families, afraid, anxious, with nobody to talk to. You have to calm them down and tell them everything will be okay," he says. So far, the Covid-19 virus still doesn't have a cure, and with Mumbai's mortality rate of 5.66%, doctors are prepared to see many deaths. Raundhal was assigned to both the ward and in the ICU, and shared with News18 how the ICU part was the hardest. "In the ICU, people would die alone. They would beg us, 'Bachalo mujhe, please,' and we'd feel helpless, because there's no cure, there's no one correct procedure to follow - we're doing whatever we can to our utmost ability, and it's still not enough," says Raundhal. The entire process was mentally draining, something Raundhal says a lot of other young doctors are facing right now. "When you sign up for this profession, you know you will not be able to save all your patients, but the sheer scale of death is a lot more than in non-pandemic times. And for young doctors, who are just starting their jobs, to feel that feeling of helplessness is the most demotivating thing, ever," says Raundhal. In the wards, the risk of dying is significantly low. In the ICU, it's the exact opposite. Patients already come in gasping for air, and the only thing doctors have are some specific medications which may or may not work, and oxygen. And sometimes, even oxygen doesn't cut it. At present, India's hospitals are being run by young doctors, with older ones with higher risk factors assisting sometimes from a distance, or if in emergencies, directly. He adds that the scariest thing for him initially was seeing healthy people who walked in succumb to the disease. "I would understand if someone who had co-morbidities and was old fighting a losing battle, but I would see people very close to my age, at 23, 27, with no other ailments pass away. That really shook me to my core," he said. Raundhal has been with many patients who passed away from Covid-19 in their last moments. "There comes a time when there isn't enough oxygen supply in your brain, and patients go into delirium, where they would say violent things, lash out, make their last confessions, beg us to save them. I saw people in their final moments reaching out to hold someone's hand - and nobody was there. There were times when I held onto the outstretched hands, as someone who was there for them." Raundhal left the hospital a week ago. His three-month contract was up and since he was pursuing a Master's degree, he couldn't sign another three-month extension. He went for a Covid-19 swab test and tested negative for the disease, following which he returned home. While the physical exhaustion will slowly wear off, the mental pressure may take a while. "It's still bad. I still get anxiety attacks. For three months I stayed in isolation, not knowing if I had the disease, only trying to save others, but I couldn't save everyone." For Raundhal, who was often assigned to the wards alone, he got to take the call on who would be sent to the ICU. "I had to make the choice between three people who all looked like they desperately needed the single, available bed. Whoever I chose, it meant taking the risk that the other two may not survive." In the three-month-long period, he understood there was only so much he could do. "Resources are limited. The scale of the virus is overwhelming. I had to keep convincing myself that I did the best I could with the facilities available, that I didn't have scope for things to be different," he says. "Doctors are not meant to play God, but in a crisis with limited facilities, sometimes who lives and who dies does depend on you," he adds. In Raundhal's hospital, 5 doctors have so far tested positive for the virus. "On my first day, I was very scared. I was terrified, but by the first month, I knew I could do this. I couldn't back out because this was a profession I chose." he says. The battle at the forefront of the pandemic taught Raundhal a lot more in terms of medical experience than he would have ever learnt. "Every moment was like an emergency. But I learnt that I could manage an entire ward of 80 patients on my own, with just a nurse and a staff with me, something I never thought I'd ever be able to do before." Raundhal's experience at the pandemic wasn't all dark, there were moments that made him see hope. He recounts how there was a particular patient who would talk to him every day, and crack jokes and would generally try to keep the morale up. One day, he says, the patient crashed. He went into delirium and started attacking Raundhal, and then broke down and kept begging to see his kids. Raundhal's shift was over, and he was leaving, and he realized the state the patient was in, he may never see him again. Three days later when Raundhal came back, the patient was gone. Raundhal's first thought was that the patient was dead. Sometime later, he saw the patient walk back in from dialysis. The patient smiled when he saw Raundhal, and that was enough motivation for him to go about the day. "The entire day I went around with a smile plastered on my face thinking, 'He's still alive. He made it'," says Raundhal. The patient eventually recovered and was discharged. This was just many of the small instances which made Raundhal realize that there was hope even in the seemingly dark war against an invisible virus. Before the shadows of the Coronavirus pandemic crept in, Raundhal's job at the Humsafar Trust was that of a 'medical officer,' where he would screen and consult HIV-positive patients and help facilitate them for the next step of their treatment. Raundhal saw the job more than it was- as a way of helping the queer community with medical issues which often get side-lined. This, he says, was his way of giving back to the LGBTQ+ community. The trust works with advocating the rights and health of LGBTQ people in India since 1994. Fighting this pandemic, Raundhal says, isn't easy, but there's a mantra he's adapted to dealing with the circumstances. "Don't go thinking 'I can save everyone'. Just do your best, do your very best." There is no doubt to the fact that most of us owe our lives to the doctors. Even in the worst conditions, they take care of our health and body despite such busy and hectic schedules. Doctors have been prioritizing the lives of other humans over themselves, which is why Indians treat them as equal to live-saving angels. India celebrates National Doctors Day 2020 on July 1, to mark the birth and death anniversary of Dr. Bidhan Chandra Roy, a physician and also the second Chief Minister of West Bengal. In his memory, here are some other doctors and physicians we will be forever grateful to: Sushruta: One of noted physicians from India in the ancient times, Sushruta is also known as the Father of Surgery and Ophthalmology in India. Back in the 5th century B.C., the physician is known for using techniques and methods that were later adapted by the Western world as well. Anandibai Gopalrao Joshi: The first female physician in India, Anandibai graduated in western medicine from the United States. She took up medicine after losing a 10-day-old child at the age of 14. Upendranath Brahmachari: There are a number of western physicians who have contributed in finding cure to some of the most dangerous diseases in the world. Upendranath Brahmachari was an Indian doctor and scientist who helped in finding the treatment for Kala-azar. Rukhmabai: Mumbai-born Rukhmabai is one of the noted female doctors in India. Married to a doctor at a young age, Rukhmabai took up medicine in later years. A doctor from the London School of Medicine for Women, Rukhmabai is the second woman to receive a medical degree and practice medicine as well. She also established the Red Cross Society in Rajkot. Sundari Mohan Das: The founder principal of the Calcutta National Medical College, Sundari Mohan Das was not just a doctor but a freedom fighter as well. India celebrates the national doctors day every year to pay tribute to the contributions of doctors across the country. It is celebrated on July 1 to mark the birth as well as death anniversary of Dr Bidhan Chandra Roy, former chief minister of West Bengal and one of the most popular doctors of the nation. Other countries celebrate doctors day on different days. For example, in the United States, the national doctors day is observed on March 30 every year. In Brazil, the national doctors day 2020 will be celebrated on October 18 (Sunday). Doctors jump in to save the lives of people selflessly. Their profession is one of the most noble where the professionals do not see the economical strata, the caste or creed of the patients. The common folk must come forward to count in their dedication and thank them for their service to mankind. National doctors day 2020: History In 1991, the government of India recognized July 1 as the doctors day. Dr Bidhan Chandra Roy was felicitated with the Bharat Ratna award in 1961. The legendary physician was the second chief minister of West Bengal. National doctors day 2020: Theme Every year a theme is set for the celebration of doctors day. In 2019, the theme for the day was Zero tolerance to violence against doctors and clinical establishments. This years theme has not been announced yet but it is most likely to be associated with the plight of doctors, given the enhanced respect they have garnered with their fight against the novel coronavirus in 2020. In the current times of the coronavirus pandemic, the world has realized the importance of doctors more than ever. To celebrate this spirit, July 1 is celebrated as National Doctor's Day in India. As the name suggests, the day marks and honour doctors and physicians for their round the clock service. National Doctor's Day is different from the one celebrated in the US, marked on March 30. However, both days express gratitude towards the medical professionals who treat the health of the patients above theirs. National Doctor's Day Theme 2020 In India, Doctor's Day is celebrated by the Indian Medical Association, which announces a theme every year. Last year, the theme for National Doctor's Day was 'Zero tolerance to violence against doctors and clinical establishments'. For the year 2020, the theme is yet to be announced. Also Read: The Medical Heroes Who Won a Padma Award in 2020 National Doctor's Day 2020: History and Significance In India, the National Doctor's Day is celebrated on July 1 each year to honour the birth and death anniversary of Dr Bidhan Chandra Roy. He was a great physician and also the second Chief Minister of West Bengal. In his memory, the West Bengal government has announced a state holiday on July 1, urging the central government to announce it a national holiday. Also Read: 'Every Moment Was Emergency': Mumbai's 25-Year-Old Queer Doctor on Frontlines of Covid-19 Fight Roy was deeply interested in learning medicine and kept trying to submit his application at St Bartholomew's Hospital in England even after being rejected 30 times. To honour his commitments and the work done by all the doctors, India will mark the special celebration on July 1. To the editor: Gov. DeSantis was roundly critiqued as feckless and reckless for opening Florida to infection from COVID-19. Now we can add murderously callous as he dismissively shrugs off the skyrocketing infection rate in Florida. Instead of leadership the governor took an early victory lap. Now he conceals information by firing the staff who input the data, and allows the inflating of uninfected statistics by counting the multiple test taker as a multiple test subject (I took three tests but I am still only 1 negative subject; not 3 negative subjects). Even with these falsifying ruses, Florida is in the double digits for percentage of infected. What does that mean? If science here, as everywhere else, describes reality; Floridas number of infections will predictably continue to increase dramatically unless drastic steps are taken immediately. COVID-19, since last month, has been the No.1 killer of humans on the planet. More than malaria, malnutrition, more than war, drugs and homicides. Vulnerable people include people over 50 years of age demographically; easily half of Floridas voting population. Most at risk for exposure are those who work in the service industry and health care professionals. An underlying condition as banal as asthma, hypertension, obesity or diabetes can render a COVID-19 infection a life-threatening matter, even for a child or young adult. Young adults who carry the virus while asymptomatic spread it to others casually if they do not wear a mask. Unfortunately, being obstinate, bellicose or self important (I never get sick!) will not prevent one from catching the illness. Yet the Florida theme parks and bars will open for casual transmission. Masks are not required by law, and the Governor allowed H visa farm workers imported in April from hotspots in Mexico. Our rural areas are now showing a 30 percent surge in contagion. The 2020 number of H visa workers (those entering the country to take jobs without residency rights) doubled in the Trump administration. Unlike Obama, President Trump waived medical scrutiny of H guest workers in 2020, and ICE has agreed not to repatriate those COVID-19 infected. More people are getting tested is the gambit the Governor has trotted out for his cavalier attitude about public health. Hoping to delude his mathematically challenged constituency he celebrates, More younger people are testing positive. Of course young people can also die of COVID-19, or develop chronic health conditions as a result of the infection. But young selfish spreaders can also infect everyone they meet on the street, bar, grocery store, hairdressing salon. Do you who believe in media bias really think the New York news outlets have forgotten Gov. DeSantis taunting them? The national press is covering this surge as an apocalypse, but DeSantis seems blithely unconcerned that Florida become known as the epicenter of this plague. Please consider the math: The R value in epidemiology describes the contagiousness of a disease. Once the percentage of infection reaches beyond 9% of the random sample tested, a contagious disease has reached an exponential transmission rate; instead of a 1:2 ratio of infection per week for each sick person, the contagion can rapidly leap by 10 to 100, 100 to 1000, etc. Unless people start wearing masks we can expect few out of state tourists to plan their season for Florida in 2020 to be anything but a horror show. Even if you are a Floridian so lacking in empathy that you care not a wit for the nibble transmission of a 1:100 risk of death to your fellow Walmart shoppers, consider the economic consequences to the state, and your own personal bottom line. Most working Floridians require some trade with tourists in the fall. Will they come if in October Florida is stacking bodies like Brazil? Wear a mask. The Florida legislature should sign onto Obama CARE (the ACA) allowing the federal government to subsidize health insurance costs for those infected who will have years of chronic illness ahead of them without stable employment. The Florida legislature should also immediately set up a state disability system to provide income subsidy to those who test positive and need to stay away from work with the public for two weeks. The Governor should shut down the hairdressers, nail painters. Bars that abuse the 6-foot spacing should risk the loss of their liquor license. Restaurants that hope to earn a living in November should close in July, if they would save the tourist season this year. Some leadership is required for the financial and personal health of Florida. Ellen Starbird Cape Coral Ever wondered how astronauts have survived inside a closed, isolated space for months and successfully (maybe) turned a blind eye to their human desires? Yes, they are far away from the Earthly cravings and despite their extraterrestrial duties and principles, lets not forget, astronauts are humans with needs. And with science advancing itself so fast, how have we still not addressed the gamut of sex in the course of space exploration? While events of space explorations and Mars Mission have always hit headlines, international space agencies are yet to come up with any scientific advancement that allows astronauts to make their space journeys needs-friendly. According to reports, NASA and other space agencies have so long denied the occurrence of any sexual activity in the space. But why so? Well, there seems to be nth number of troubles when it comes to having sex in micro-gravity. As per a report by the New York Post, John Millis, a physicist and astronomer, compared having sex in space to having intercourse while skydiving. However, he added that it was not impossible. He further explains, The issues surrounding the act, all revolve around the freefall, micro-gravity, environment experienced by astronauts, adding, Imagine engaging in sexual activity while skydiving every push or thrust will propel you in opposite directions. Experts suggest that due to low gravity, the effect of blood flow and pressure in the body impacts ones sex drive. Micro-gravity makes the blood rise to the head instead of rushing to the genitals, making it difficult for humans to feel aroused. Adding to it is the constant low pressure felt below the waist level causing the penis tissue to shrivel. Hence a man might shy away when it comes to an erection. Among several other issues caused due to the low gravity, there's also a sudden drop in testosterone levels killing the sexual craving. Also to state the obvious, even if one manages to have sex in low gravity, it would be highly awkward to see all that sweat and fluid pooling and floating around the spaceship. A report by Slate.com highlights another issue the constraint of space and privacy in the big, isolated, spacious space! The report states that a regular shuttle is about the size of a Boeing 737, and lacks a closed room for astronauts to indulge in privacy. It has two main areas a crew cabin and a middeck, which are often described as small offices. This leaves them with a bathroom. However, the restroom, too, is just little more than a seat with a curtain. Besides, astronauts have little time left for some rumpy-pumpy after attending to their hectic schedule. However, it has been reported that the crew members do have their designated week-offs when they "generally have a good time." Then, does it mean people have never attempted to pleasure themselves during their long stint of floating? We dont know. Although speculations have been rampant, its yet to be addressed. In 2008, speaking to Space.com, Bill Jeffs, spokesperson for NASAs Johnson Space Center in Houston, had said, "We dont study sexuality in space, and we dont have any studies ongoing with that. If thats your specific topic, theres nothing to discuss." NASA has a policy to not let married couples travel together to space missions. However, an exception was made in 1991, when the agency allowed the first married couple to embark on a mission together. It was reported that Jan Davis and Mark Lee, the "training-camp sweethearts got secretly married very close to the launch date." But both had later refused to answer any question in this regard. In another chain of whispers, a Russian astronaut, Valery Polyakov was rumoured to have drawn close to fellow astronaut Elena Kondakova during their time together in the Mir Mission for 14 months. But, the Kremlin had strongly denied such claims and the New York Post reported that Polyvakov did admit to "being tortured by thoughts of randiness while on his long and arduous mission". So can nothing be done to douse these thoughts and desires? Experts have suggestions to make. Few of the firsts to consider are sex toys, virtual or augmented partners, erotic chatbots and erotic robots or erobots. According to Space.com, erobots can be a practical solution to tackle the inhuman conditions of space exploration and colonization. It adds, erobots could enable the crew to approach questions of intimacy and sexuality in space from scientific, relational and technological perspectives. Going by the NY Post report, sci-fi author and inventor Vanna Bonta even came up with an outfit for the application of human intimacy in space. The '2suit' was reported to facilitate movement and allow the wearers to engage in sexual intimacy because of its unique design. However, not much has been reported on its implementation. To end with, we must begin to discuss harnessing our tech-know-how that will make spaceships more human-compatible and make out of the world sex a true, reality. Forty-four persons, the majority of them police personnel, tested positive for coronavirus at the Nagpur Central Jail on Wednesday, taking the count of infection cases from the jail to 53, a senior officer said. Those who were found to have contracted the virus on Wednesday included two Senior Jailors, three Police Sub-Inspectors, 27 constables and 12 prisoners. On Tuesday, nine police personnel who were deployed at the jail had tested positive for the viral infection. "A total of 157 persons, including officers, police personnel and prisoners were tested on Tuesday," said Jail superintendent Anup Kumre. The jail currently houses 1,800 inmates and 265 police personnel. Meanwhile, the number of coronavirus patients in Nagpur district rose to 1,477 on Wednesday while death toll stood at 25. 1,193 patients have recovered so far, a district official said. A 49-year-old Delhi Police Inspector posted with the Special Cell has died due to COVID-19 at South Delhi's Max hospital, police said on Wednesday. Inspector Sanjeev Kumar Yadav was on ventilator support since his condition was critical and died on Wednesday morning, they said. He had complained of fever and breathlessness, following which he was tested for COVID-19. His result came positive after which he was admitted to the Max hospital around 15 days back, police said. He was also given the plasma therapy and was out on ventilator since he was in a critical state, a senior police officer said. Yadav was posted with the south-western range of the Special Cell and received the police medal for gallantry this year for arresting a dreaded criminal -- Bharat Bhushan -- on May 2, 2018 after a encounter. The accused was the kingpin of a gang which was involved in a cash van robbery in outer Delhi's Narela in which two bank employees were shot dead. The remaining four active members of the gang were also arrested later. "During his posting with the Special Cell, Yadav came face-to-face with armed criminals on no less than thirteen occasions, each of which involved an exchange of fire. "However, owing to his courage, intelligence and professionalism, the officer ensured that all his team members remained safe while the criminals were apprehended," the police said in a statement. Even during the COVID-19 pandemic, the officer arrested dreaded criminals like Bijender, a member of the notorious Karambir alias Kala gang, and a wanted sharp shooter -- Vikas alias PK of the Nandu Gang, they stated. Yadav was also the recipient of 25 Commendation Rolls, 13 Commendation Certificates and 26 Commendation Cards issued by the Delhi Police. He was earlier posted with the crime branch and the Railway and district units of the Delhi Police. He enlisted in the Delhi Police on September 3, 1996 as a sub-inspector. He was promoted to the rank of inspector on September 1, 2015 and assigned the charge of Inspector (ATO) at Tughlaq Road police station in New Delhi district. He was then posted with Special Cell on March 3, 2018, police said. The last rites of Yadav were held with state honours at around 11:30 am at the Sarai Kale Khan Crematorium in Delhi, officials said. Taking to twitter, the Special Cell of the Delhi Police said it stands in solidarity with Yadav's family and friends. "Special Cell stands in solidarity with the family and friends of our brave colleague Inspector Sanjeev Yadav, PMG, who has entered another world leaving behind a rich legacy... As we mourn the death of our brother-in-arms, we are inspired to reaffirm our oath to the Constitution and to the citizens of this great nation..," the Special Cell tweeted. Delhi Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal also expressed his condolences. "Extremely saddened at the death of Insp Sanjeev Kumar Yadav in the line of duty fighting COVID-19. A great warrior, recipient of Police Medal for gallantry, he brought laurels for @DelhiPolice. His untimely demise is irreplaceable loss for the organization My deepest condolences!," he tweeted. Yadav hailed from Jhunjhunu district in Rajasthan. He completed his graduation from Pilani in Rajasthan. He is survived by his wife and two children -- a 16-year-old son and a 13-year-old daughter, who live in east Delhi's Laxmi Nagar, police said. A 47-year-old head constable Bheer Singh, posted with PCR unit of Delhi Police, also died of COVID-19 on Tuesday. Singh had tested positive for the infection on June 29 and was advised home quarantine. On Tuesday morning, he had fever following which he was taken to Lady Hardinge Hospital where he died, police said. Ten Delhi Police personnel have died due to COVID-19 so far while around 2,000 have so far tested positive for the virus, out of which 1,300 personnel have recovered. Lieutenant General Harinder Singh, the commander of Indias Leh-based XIV corps, and his Peoples Liberation Army counterpart, South Xinjiang military region chief Major-General Liu Lin, have agreed on broad parameters to disengage troops in some contested zones along the Line of Actual Control in Ladakh, government sources familiar with the negotiations have told News18. The two commanders met on Tuesday at the frontier outpost of Chushul, for talks that ran twelve hours. This was the third in a series of meetings so far. Neither New Delhi nor Beijing have issued any official communique or comment on the negotiations. Parameters, the sources said, have now been agreed to disengage troops at Patrolling Point 14, 15 and 17, running from the Galwan Valley to the Hot Springs area, involving the PLA pulling back some hundreds of metres from territories claimed by India. Government sources, however, said there had been little progress on ending the confrontation along the Pangong lake, the site of the largest build-up on the LAC, the source of a violent clash on May 5 that left soldiers on both sides severely injured. PLA commanders have shown no flexibility on Pangong so far, an official said. I think the reality is well see piece-by-piece progress over a period of time not the kind of one-shot settlement some might be hoping for, the official added. In meetings held on June 22, highly-placed government sources said the PLA had shown in-principle willingness to step back from its positions at Point 14, in the Galwan Valley, the site where a large-scale hand-to-hand battle between troops had led to the loss of the lives of 20 Indian Army soldiers. PLA commanders, the sources said, had said they were also willing to move back from Point 15 and Point 17in the Hot Springs and Gogra areaswhere Chinese troops have intruded several hundred metres beyond what India asserts is the Line of Actual Control. Patrolling Pointsnumbered sequentially on a north-south axis, with 1 at the Karakoram Passmark routes along which Indian troops demonstrate their physical presence on the China-India frontier, though the LAC in some cases lies well to its east. Point 16, in between Galwan and the Hot Springs area, lies well inside Indian territory, and is not contested. The details and timing of the disengagement process, the sources said, were discussed in granular detail on Tuesday, along with measures to prevent tensions between troops from escalating into violence. Both militaries hope to avoid what some experts have described as a Siachen-isation of the LAC, a reference to the India-Pakistan conflict of the Siachen Glacier, where troops remain continuously deployed in extreme weather conditions, and fire-exchanges often claim lives. Negotiations, however, have remained deadlocked on the face-off along a series of eight ridge-lines radiating away from Pangong lake, known as Fingers, where the PLA has blocked Indian troops from patrolling up to their claimed LAC. Though Indian troops traditionally patrolled forward from posts at Finger 3 to Finger 8, the PLA has built up earthworks and trenches to block their route. PLA troops now control the ridge-line of Finger 4, with Indian troops facing them from the ridge-line at Finger 3, and both sides are reported to have significantly built up troop numbers. Government sources declined to comment on reports that the disengagement proposals involve the creation of informal demilitarised zones, where neither side would patrols beyond agreed held positions. Even though we should be cautious on the final outcome, a government official familiar with the negotiations said, theres some reason for guarded optimism, at least in the particular areas the PLA is showing some flexibility. The negotiations, a senior Indo-Tibetan Border Police official said, will also leave unresolved a host of less-stark, but tactically significant, confrontations along the LAC. Ever since 2013, China has brought increasing pressure to bear on the LAC, even as an Indian programme for military logistical infrastructure in the region has accelerated. For at least two years, intelligence sources say, Chinese troops have sought to block Indian patrols headed out from the key military outpost at Burtse, near the Depsang plains, to Points 10, 11, 11A, 12 and 13a patrol route that asserts Indias claim to hundreds of square kilometres of claimed territory east of the military outpost at Burtse. Bottleneckthe mountain defile through which patrol routes must pass to head east of Burtseis connected to PLA forward positions by road, while geography makes the construction of similar infrastructure on the Indian side difficult. Even though the PLA is not holding territory at Bottleneck, and is merely using patrols to block ours, the intent is clearly to undermine Indias claims to a large swathe of the LAC, an intelligence official who has served in the area said. To the south, PLA patrols have also been obstructing Indian patrols headed out of Demchok to the high-altitude Charding La passagain using their superior road network to deploy blocking patrols. Indian Army soldiers were forced, a military source said, to use an alternative route that involved several days hiking through the mountains. The territory involved in Charding-La is trivial, another official said, but there does seem to be a pattern to the PLAs behaviour. New reports have pointed to similar PLA intrusions in the eastern sector. Tapir Gao, the Bharatiya Janata Partys Member of Parliament for the Arunachal East constituency, told News18 earlier this month that the PLA has stretches of territory in the Longju and Asapali sectors. Gao had made similar claims in 2019, which were denied by the Indian Army. China on Wednesday welcomed the progress made in Sino-India senior military commander-level talks to "disengage and deescalate the situation" at the LAC and said the two sides are working towards implementing the consensus reached so far. Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said that Chinese and Indian military commanders held third round of talks on June 30. He said the "two sides continue working towards implementing the consensus reached at the two earlier rounds of commander-level talks and made progress in effective measures by frontline troops to disengage and deescalate the situation." "China welcomes that," Zhao said in a reply posted on the Foreign Ministry website to a query about the June 30 senior commander-level talks. "We hope the Indian side will work with the Chinese side towards the same goal, keep up close communication through military and diplomatic channels, and ease the situation and reduce the temperature along the border," he said. The Indian and Chinese armies are locked in a bitter standoff in multiple locations in eastern Ladakh for the last seven weeks, and the tension escalated manifold after 20 Indian soldiers were killed in a violent clash in Galwan Valley on June 15. The Chinese side also suffered casualties but it is yet to give out the details. In the talks on June 22, the two sides arrived at a "mutual consensus" to "disengage" from all the friction points in eastern Ladakh. The first round of the Lt General-level talks were held on June 6 during which both sides finalised an agreement to disengage gradually from all the standoff points beginning with Galwan Valley. However, the situation deteriorated following the Galwan Valley clashes as the two sides significantly bolstered their deployments in most areas along the Line of Actual Control. The COVID-19 tally in the city may not reach the estimated number of 5.5 lakh cases by July end but one needs to see how the virus behaves during the monsoon, Mahesh Verma, head of a Delhi government committee tasked with strengthening the preparedness of hospitals to battle coronavirus, said on Wednesday. Verma, however, said before making a new forecast, the number of cases should be monitored over the next couple of days. Verma is part of a five-member committee that was constituted by the Delhi government last month for healthcare infrastructure augmentation and strengthening of overall preparedness of hospitals to battle COVID-19. According to Delhi government's health bulletin figures, between June 13 to 27, there were seven days on which over 3,000 cases was reported. However, after June 27, there was a decline in the number of cases reported on a single day. On June 29, 2,084 cases were reported within 24 hours. The next day, the number was 2,199. "It''s only three-four days since there has been a decline. We have to keep a watch over the numbers for another couple of days and then only we can forecast. We were expecting almost one lakh cases by the end of June but we have added about 65,000 cases. A new pattern is emerging," Verma said. Verma, who is also the vice-chancellor of Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University, said due to the surge, everyone became more proactive and there was increased testing, which contributed to the general management of cases. As the numbers witnessed a sharp ascend, Delhi has significantly ramped up testing, mostly after the Rapid Antigen methodology was permitted. Verma said based on the current scenario, it looks unlikely that Delhi will see 5.5 lakh cases by the end of July. "But now monsoon is round the corner. We do not know how it will behave since it is a new virus. Earlier, we would say it would go away in summer but it never went away. "Monsoon is also a reason for viral diseases. We do not know whether the viral load for those diseases will compound coronavirus. Let's wait for a few days to see whether it is a temporary decline or whether there will be any surge," he said. Kolkata: Two days after West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced that National Doctors Day on July 1 will be a state holiday, the West Bengal Doctors Forum (WBDF) rejected the decision saying the state government should focus on the safety and security of healthcare workers than announcing a holiday in their honour. Speaking to News18, WBDFs Secretary, Dr Koushik Chaki, said, The state government has declared July 1 as a state holiday to honour the doctors and frontline COVID-19 warriors. However, in the middle of the pandemic, we reject such a rhetoric. If the state government really wants to pay tribute to the doctors, they must ensure the safety and security of every healthcare professional as that has been our long standing demand. Doctors will be in the battlefield on that day, like any other day in the effort to save lives. We have suggested to the state government that if they really want to pay tribute, they should do so by ensuring ongoing teaching and training in tertiary care medical colleges where both COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 people can be treated, if properly planned, he added. Chaki also wants Banerjee to meet the doctors body with an open mind to make sure all forms of social ostracisation are stopped and to ensure safety, well-being and livelihood of the doctors. Earlier, the WBDF had raised concerns over the working conditions of the healthcare workers during the pandemic. Over the last few weeks, more and more healthcare workers have been diagnosed with COVID-19, some of them even asymptomatic, while several others are in quarantine. We urge upon the health and administrative authorities to proactively look into the matter as it is a matter of grave concern. With limited resources at disposal, we cannot afford to have a situation where the shortage of healthcare providers poses a threat to delivery of care, a statement issued by the Forum reads. On June 29, Bengal Chief Minister had announced that National Doctors Day on July 1, will be a State holiday. As a mark of respect to the exemplary services rendered by the doctors and paramedical staff in fighting COVID-19, we have decided to observe doctors day as a state holiday, the chief minister had said. National Doctors Day is observed on July 1 in memory of legendary physician and former Chief Minister of West Bengal, Bidhan Chandra Roy. He was born on July 1, 1882 and died on July 1, 1962. Five people were killed and one injured after being struck by lightning in the state, a UP government statement said on Wednesday. According to it, one person each died Allahabad, Ayodhya, Mau, Ballia and Basti. The injured belonged to Basti district. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has expressed grief over the deaths and directed district magistrates to provide a financial assistance of Rs 4 lakh to the kin of each of the deceased, the statement said. He also directed to ensure medical treatment of the injured person. New Delhi: India will not allow Chinese companies to participate in highway projects, including those through joint ventures, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said on Wednesday amid border standoff with China. Gadakri also said the government will ensure that Chinese investors are not entertained in various sectors like Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs). The senior minister's assertions assume significance against the backdrop of border standoff between India and China in Ladakh that also saw the death of 20 Indian Army personnel last month. Amid escalating tensions, the government on Monday banned 59 apps, mostly having Chinese links, citing threats to national security. "We will not give permission to joint ventures that have Chinese partners for road construction. We have taken a firm stand that if they (Chinese companies) come via joint venture in our country, we will not allow it," Gadkari told PTI in an interview. The Road Transport, Highways and MSME minister said a policy will be out soon banning Chinese firms and relaxing norms for Indian companies to expand their eligibility criteria for participation in highway projects. Currently only a few projects which were undertaken much earlier involve some Chinese partners. When asked about this, the Minister said that the new decision will be implemented in current and future tenders. With respect to existing tenders and future bids, Gadkari said rebidding would be done if there are any Chinese joint ventures. "We have taken a decision to relax norms for our companies to ensure that they qualify in bidding in large projects. I have directed the Highways Secretary (Giridhar Aramane) and NHAI Chairman (SS Sandhu) to hold a meeting for relaxing technical and financial norms so that our companies can qualify to work," he said. Elaborating on the decision, Gadkari said if a contractor can qualify for a small project, he can also qualify for a large project. "Construction norms are not good so I have asked to change it. We are changing it so that we can encourage Indian companies," he added. According to him, qualification norms for projects are being rationalised to ensure Indian companies do not require to enter into pacts with foreign partners to grab projects. "Even if we have to go for foreign joint venture in the areas of technology, consultancy or design, we will not allow Chinese," the Minister said. About the MSME sector, Gadkari said the effort is to enhance the capacity of local production but at the same time foreign investment is being promoted. However, he made it clear that despite decision to encourage foreign investment, Chinese investors would not be allowed. "For upgradation of technology, research, consultancy and other works, we will encourage foreign investment and joint ventures in MSMEs but in case of Chinese we will not entertain them," he said. On stopping of consignments from China at Indian ports, the minister said there is "no arbitrary stopping of goods" at Indian ports and the government is initiating path-breaking reforms to help MSMEs and businesses in a bid to make the country self-reliant. "It is a good step. The imports from China will be discouraged and the country will take large strides towards self-reliance," the Minister said and added that he is among the strongest proponents of 'Atmanirbhar Bharat'. Gadkari said that he had urged departments concerned to expedite clearance of consignments which were booked two to three months in advance before the situation took its present shape. After a representation from a farmers and traders' body that imported agriculture equipment consignments were delayed at ports, Gadkari in a letter to Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Commerce and Industries Minister Piyush Goyal had sought early clearance of the said consignments. There are reports that customs authorities at Chennai and Vishakhapatnam ports are conducting extra scrutiny of consignments from China. Gadkari, as per the information, did not mention the name of the country from where these equipment were imported. "Indian business has the strength and skills to grow further and power our journey towards self-reliance. Under strong leadership of PM Narendra Modi, the Government of India is proactive and initiating path-breaking reforms that will help businesses and MSMEs," he said. Most of these equipment, as per the information, pertain to spraying devices for pesticide control as the same had been diverted to urban areas during the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak. Amid heightened border tensions with China, Indian customs officials have started physical inspection of all consignments coming from the neighbouring country specially Chennai and Vishakhapatnam ports. . Indian students are among the biggest group of international students set to benefit from an extended post-study work visa offer for PhD students as well as a more streamlined visa process, announced by the UK government on Wednesday. As part of a wider Research and Development Roadmap, the British government has pledged to make it easier for international graduates to secure skilled jobs in the UK and contribute to its economic growth. "As part of the new graduate route, international students who complete a PhD from Summer 2021 can stay in the UK for three years after study to live and work," notes a UK government statement. "As previously announced, students who have successfully completed undergraduate and master's degrees will be able to stay two years after study. This will make it easier for some of the best, young international graduates to secure skilled jobs in the UK and contribute to economic growth," it said. In addition, there are plans to ensure that when the Student Route opens in a few months as part of the UK's new points-based immigration system, there will be a number of improvements which will further "streamline the immigration process". "These include extending the window in which prospective students can make visa applications, removing study time limits at postgraduate level and allowing all students to switch to another type of visa from within the UK," the statement notes. British Council described the new announcements as 'exciting news', which would help strengthen the talent and research pipeline between India and the UK, leading to greater research innovation and stronger education systems. "Indian PhD students, who have chosen the UK education and work experience route to develop their careers will experience three years in an international context that will benefit these professionals immensely," said Barbara Wickham, Director India, British Council. "This also strengthens our existing programmes such as UKIERI [UK-India Education and Research Initiative] and Newton Bhabha that aim to drive academic links and research collaboration between our two countries," she said. While the details and fineprint of the changes will become clear over the course of the next few months, the announcement has been widely welcomed as a positive step in attracting talented international students to study and research in the UK. Indian students, seen as particularly sensitive to friendly visa policies, drive the UK's overseas student growth as the second-largest category after China and recently registering a 32.9 per cent rise in applications for 2020 over the previous year. "The post-study work visa will be of particular appeal to students from India, who are very sensitive to whether or not they have an ability to stay on in the country after they graduate to put to use the skills they have acquired in higher education and earn a bit of money to help them pay the pretty considerable fees that our universities charge them," says former UK Universities minister Jo Johnson, who had pushed for an extended post-study visa offer in a recent report. Universities UK International (UUKi), which represents all major UK universities and has been campaigning for a credible post-study work visa offer or Graduate Route, welcomed the latest government announcements. UUKi Director Vivienne Stern said: News that the Graduate Route, announced in September last year, is to be extended to allow PhD students to stay in the UK for three years rather than two is a fantastic development. "The UK is a great place to do a PhD and we will be fortunate to retain more Indian PhD graduates to contribute to our research system and our economy after they complete their studies." The changes form part of a wider British government strategy to enhance the UK's role as a science and research "superpower". It includes the creation of a new Office for Talent to be based at No. 10 Downing Street with delivery teams across government departments with the aim of making the immigration of scientists, researchers and innovators "simple, easy and quick" from countries around the world, including India. Sen. Bernie Sanders also criticized the new policy, and asked why the government hadnt issued any guidance for social distancing on planes. In addition to American Airlines, other companies like United Airlines, Spirit Airlines and Allegiant Air are also selling as many seats as they can fill on flights likely as an attempt to make as much money as possible while the air travel industry faces a truly catastrophic financial outlook for the next few years. Seated on a grand throne in South Mumbai market for the last 93 years, Lord Ganesha popularly known as Lalbaugcha Raja or King of Lalbaug will not be seen this year due to the coronavirus pandemic. Instead, a blood and plasma donation camp will be set up in the area to celebrate Ganeshotsav as health festival. The decision was taken by Mumbai's Lalbaugcha Raja Ganeshotsav Mandal in wake of the increasing Covid-19 cases, especially in Maharashtra where the tally has hit 1,74,761 with the financial capital being the biggest contributor. The board has decided to hold a health camp this year for 11 days. This year's Ganeshotsav idol installation and immersion ceremony will be celebrated as a health festival from Ganesh Chaturthi to Anant Chaturdashi, the mandal said. It will be replaced by a small idol of around 3-4 feet for the traditional 'puja' and other ceremonies. Every year, millions of devotees, including celebrities, visit the famed pandal of Lalbaughcha Raja where over a 15-feet-tall idol of Lord Ganesha is set up. The festival witnesses donations in crores, including gold and silver ornaments being offered to the 'King of Lalbaug'. During Ganeshotsav, the pandal sees 80,000 to 1 lakh people in a day. Last month, chief minister Uddhav Thackeray had called for low-key Ganpati celebrations this year in view of Covid-19, and urged mandals to undertake social welfare programmes. The 10-day festival begins on August 22. Thackeray, who held a review meeting, said the threat of coronavirus was not over, so it would not be possible to celebrate the festival with usual grandeur. He said there should be no crowding or processions. However, local reports said that the state government may grant special permission to mandals like Lalbaugcha Raja and GSB King's Circle to keep large idols, like every year, as they are also puja moortis. But they will have to sign an undertaking on regulating darshan, not permitting large crowds and following norms like social distancing. The Odisha police on Wednesday tendered an apology to a minor rape survivor who was allegedly sexually assaulted by police personnel including the inspector-in-charge (IIC) of a police station. The IIC of Birmitrapur police station was placed under suspension on June 26 for his alleged involvement in the rape and abortion of the 13-year-old girl, police said. He was dismissed from service by DGP Abhay on Wednesday, they said. "His conduct was shameful. Our apologies to the young girl," the DGP tweeted. The DGP had on Tuesday ordered a Crime Branch probe into the incident. A four-member team of the Crime Branch visited Birmitrapur and Raiboga police stations in Sundargarh district as part of the investigation. The inspector and some policemen are accused of raping the girl over a period of four months while a government doctor is accused of terminating her pregnancy at Birmitrapur Community Health Centre on June 15, the police said. According to a complaint lodged by the district child protection officer of Sundargarh district, the girl had gone to visit a fair at Biramitrapur on March 25 but the event was cancelled due to the lockdown. A police team on patrol duty found the girl roaming near a bus stand after she failed to return home from Biramitrapur. When she was brought to the police station, the inspector allegedly raped her and released her the next morning, the complaint said. After that she was often called to the police station and allegedly repeatedly raped by some policemen, including the inspector. The girl became pregnant after which her foetus was aborted, the complaint said. Six persons, including the inspector, doctor and the girl's stepfather, have been named as accused in the FIR. Kavita Jalan, the deputy inspector general of police (Western Range), is supervising the case.Odisha police apologises to minor girl, dismisses from service cop who allegedly raped her Five police officers, including main accused sub-inspector Raghu Ganesh, have been arrested for the custodial deaths of a father-son duo in Tamil Nadu. Twelve special teams formed under the Inspector General and Superintendent of Police of CB-CID are investigating all angles in the case. Search and arrest parties have fanned out to arrest the remaining accused. At least six have been booked in connection with the killings of the duo, with the section of two FIRs altered to include Section 302 (murder) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The specialised investigating agency has include charged with murder SIs Raghu Ganesh and Balakrishnan, and as many constables and members of Friends of Police (volunteers) of the Sathankulam police station, said sources in the CB-CID. The arrest came shortly after Tamil Nadu Law Minister Law Minister C Ve Shanmugam assured that the government would ensure the "highest punishment" to those responsible for the deaths of P Jeyaraj and his son J Bennix. The arrests led to celebrations in Thoothukudi, with locals bursting firecrackers. Jayaraj, 60, and Bennix, 31, were arrested by the Thoothukudi police on June 19 for keeping their mobile store open after permitted hours. Relatives claim that Jayaraj, who was in the store, was picked up by police and verbally abused and assaulted. His son, Bennix, had later gone to the police station to plead with the police to release his father. The duo was allegedly thrashed and a case was filed against them under IPC Sections 188, 383 and 506(II). They were later taken to the Kovilpatti sub-jail. Both died at a hospital in Kovilpatti on June 23 hours apart, with relatives alleging they were severely thrashed at Sathankulam police station. The Judicial Magistrate probing the custodial killings, in his four-page report, had said there is evidence of assault on the father-son duo. The magistrate had said that according to eyewitnesses, both the father and the son were assaulted by police officers through the night of June 19, resulting in blood marks on canes and the table on which the victims were laid and beaten. The Madras High Court on Tuesday said there is enough evidence of assault on the bodies of Jayaraj and Bennix, adding that prima facie evidence can lead to registration of murder case against the police officers. The incident has triggered a furore in the state, leading to the suspension of four policemen, including two sub-inspectors. The High Court had taken up the case and ordered a video recording of the post-mortem after the relatives of the two men moved the court. Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami had announced Rs 10 lakh each to the family of the deceased and a government job to one person from the family, based on their qualification. The murder charges on Wednesday capped dramatic developments both in the court and outside where a woman head constable witness to the happenings told a magisterial probe that the two traders were thrashed an entire night by the other police personnel at Sathankulam station where they were detained. The death of the duo, which saw an outpouring of anger with people from various walks of life condemning the "police brutality", also drew the attention of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) as it issued notices to the state police chief and Tuticorin Superintendent of Police seeking a detailed report. Top Tamil film star Rajinikanth described the deaths as "brutal killing" and slammed the alleged inappropriate behaviour of some policemen with a Judicial Magistrate at the Sathankulam police station when he conducted an inquiry. Incidentally, the Sathankulam police station is now under the Revenue Department control, seen as an "unprecedented" development so far in the country, after the high court issued an order after the conduct of the local police personnel came under intense scrutiny. (With inputs from PTI) Telangana on Tuesday crossed the 16,000-mark by reporting 945 new COVID-19 positive cases. The states total total number of cases now stands at 16,339 and the fatalities at 260, after an addition of seven deaths in the last 24 hours. Tuesdays alarming spike comes amid state governments decision to scale down testing after the results showed a high number of positive cases. The increase in testing had led to cases in the state tripling in a fortnight, said a report in The Indian Express. The government has now asked private labs not to entertain requests from people without any symptoms to get tested, the report added. On May 27, the Telangana High Court had questioned the state government on why tests were not being conducted in high-risk zones and directed it to test all the deceased in government hospitals for Covid-19. After courts directive, the authorities had declared that it would conduct 50,000 tests in 10 days. The rapid testing led to an alarming increase in coronavirus cases. Out of the 945 fresh cases reported on Tuesday, the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) accounted for 869, followed by 29 in Ranga Reddy district, a state government bulletin said. Health Minister Etela Rajender told The Indian Express tests are being conducted every day on frontline workers such as medical staff and health and sanitation workers. These groups are more exposed to the virus than anyone else so we are conducting tests among those groups. Hyderabad is a big, cosmopolitan city and like all other big cities, there is an increase in the number of cases, he said. A total of 1,712 people were discharged on Tuesday taking the total number of discharged to 7,294 so far, while 8,785 are under treatment, it said. The bulletin said 3,457 samples were tested on Tuesday. Cumulatively, 88,563samples have been tested. Rajender, who held a review meeting with senior officials, directed all medical colleges in the districts to make necessary arrangements to admit COVID-19 patients if needed so that pressure is eased on hospitals in Hyderabad. With a large number of cases being reported from the GHMC limits the minister instructed officials to increase surveillance and said 11 sample collection centres have been set up there. He said recruitment of medical and paramedical staff was going on for the state-run Gandhi Hospital and newly set up Telangana Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (TIMS). Kunwar Singh Kutiyal complains there are no Indian mobile towers within several kilometres of Uttarakhand's Vyas Valley, near the Indo-Nepal border, where he lives, and he has to depend on Nepalese infrastructure to connect to the world outside. A resident of Kuti village of the Valley, he said he noticed that the Nepalese government recently provided Wi-Fi facilities in Changru village on its side of the border to strengthen communication for their security personnel deputed at a post there. "We also need such facilities in our villages. We need to depend only on Indian communication facilities," he said. Kutiyal is not a lone voice pressing this demand. He represents thousands of villagers of three localities -- Vyas Valley, Chaundas valley and Dharchula sub-division -- in this district who have no connectivity due to the lack of Indian mobile towers. Some of them somehow manage to procure Nepalese SIM cards and use them to get Internet and phone connectivity by latching onto Nepalese network. "Around 40,000 villagers in about 40 villages in these localities have no connectivity. Around 3,000 of them rely on Nepalese Internet connection," Dharchula Sub-Divisional Magistrate AK Shukla said on Tuesday. He said that poor connectivity also hampers implementation of flagship government schemes in the border villages. "Due to the lack of proper network facilities in most parts of Dharchula sub-division, payments related to MGNREGA works cannot be made to the beneficiaries nor can online classes be held in sub-divisional schools," Shukla said. "We need a strong and dependable network for communication at Dharchula border with Nepal," the SDM said. The Vyas Valley is adjacent to Indian territory of Kalapani, which Nepal recently claimed as its own. Villagers have approached the administration several times in the past with the demand to bolster mobile network infrastructure and submitted a number of memorandums, Shukla said. There is just one low-capacity BSNL mobile tower at Dharchula which barely meets even the town's requirements, he said. A section has tried to justify the poor connectivity, saying it is meant to deny Internet access to smugglers and criminals operating in the border, but it does not hold much ground as Nepalese network is widely available in the area, Shukla said. "In the light of these facts, the communication policy at the Indo-Nepal border needs to be reviewed as better communication facilities to border people is the need of the hour," the SDM said. The Congress MLA from Dharchula, Harish Dhami, said he has offered his MLA funds to create communication facility in the area. "I am ready to give whatever money is required for installing basic infrastructure of communication at the Indo-Nepal and India-China border," Dhami said. According to residents of the Vyas Valley, three Nepalese mobile companies cover around 186 km length (north-south), from Kalapani to Pancheshwar, with their mobile towers at different locations. According to Krishna Garbiyal, a resident of Garbiyang village in Vyas Valley, they get strong Nepalese network up to 15 km inside Indian territory. MS Waldia, a retired army colonel, said Indian citizens using Nepalese SIM cards and networks poses a threat to national security. "The government should pay more attention to the communication needs of border villages in view of Nepal's recent aggressiveness towards India," said Waldia. Almora MP Ajay Tamta said BSNL is conducting a survey in the area to assess communication needs of people. "As soon as the survey gets completed, work on installing towers will be started," Tamta said. India Nepal relations hit a rough patch recently after Nepal completed the process of redrawing the country's political map through a Constitutional amendment, incorporating three strategically important Indian areas -- Lipulekh, Kalapani and Limpiyadhura. India has termed as "untenable" the "artificial enlargement" of the territorial claims by Nepal. The Uttarakhand High Court on Wednesday issued notices to yoga guru Ramdev's Patanjali, Union and state governments, seeking a reply within a week on the firm's Coronil drug. Hearing a PIL challenging Ramdev's claims regarding the medicine, a division bench of Chief Justice Ramesh Ranganathan and Justice R C Khulbe issued the notices. It asked the Union and state governments; Patanjali; the director of the AYUSh department in Uttarakhand; ICMR and Rajasthan's NIMS University, which is said to have collaborated with the company in manufacturing the medicine, to file their replies within a week. The PIL filed by advocate Mani Kumar has sought a ban on the drug, accusing the yoga guru of misleading people by launching Coronil as a medicine to cure coronavirus. The drug neither has the certification of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) nor did Patanjali Ayurved has the licence to manufacture it, the PIL has contended. While Patanjali claims that the drug has been tested by NIMS University, the Rajasthan institute denied it, the PIL said. Meanwhile, the Union AYUSH Ministry said Patanjali can sell Coronil but only as an immunity booster, days after yoga guru Ramdev's company launched it as a medicine for COVID-19 and is now calling it a product to "manage" the disease. Ramdev claimed that the ministry had asked him to use the term "Covid management" in place of "Covid treatment" and he is following the instruction. Bigg Boss 13s Asim Riaz recently took to his Instagram stories and dedicated a song for his girlfriend and Punjabi actress Himanshi Khurana. He also shared a post praising the actress. "See thats my GIRL, see thats SO my SOLDIER. She keeps that thang thang. If anyone goes there CALM and COLLECTED, she keeps her COMPOSURE and I M Gonna RIDE With HER until THIS THING is OVER, Asim took to Instagram and wrote the lyrics, which belong to G-Eazy and Hasley's Him & I. In another post, sharing a collage of Himanshis pictures the model-turned-actor wrote, Your expressions are always lit. Asim and Himanshi first met on the reality show Bigg Boss 13, where the former fell in love with the Punjabi actress. It took a while for Himanshi to realize that she too has feelings for him. Post the reality show, the duo featured together in two music videos Kalla Sohna Nai and Khyaal Rakhya Kar respectively. Also, Asim and Himanshi were seen spending quality time with each others family. Meanwhile, Asim's new music video titled Teri Gali also featuring Barbie Maan has been released. Watch here: Follow @News18Movies for more Bollywood actor Kartik Aaryan was trending on social media all throughout Tuesday evening. The reason for the same was unbeknown to him but Bigg Boss 13 contestant Shehnaaz Gill's fans later made it clear to him why he was receiving so much love on social media. Shehnaaz had posted a selfie on Instagram and had captioned it, "Respect everyone." Responding to her pic, Kartik questioned in the comments section, "Usko bhi jisne pehle bat khaya tha?" Kartik's response was a jibe at first coronavirus carriers who are believed to have got it from bats they consumed as food. Kartik's response to Shehnaaz's post went viral and the actress' fans were all hearts for the fact that he follows her on Instagram and responds to her posts. Take a look. View this post on Instagram Respect everyone A post shared by Shehnaaz Gill (@shehnaazgill) on Jun 30, 2020 at 3:18am PDT On the movies front, Kartik's Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 with Kiara Advani is to go on the floors in September. The makers will reportedly be shifting base to Lucknow where the movie set has been built. Kartik will also be shooting for Dostana 2, which features Janhvi Kapoor and debutante Lakshya in pivotal roles. However, Kartik's forthcoming 3D action film with Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior director Om Raut has been pushed because makers want to shoot abroad and coronavirus scare is still looming large. The team is now making changes in the script as they are still committed to make the action movie. Read: Kartik Aaryan's Action Film with Om Raut Put on Hold Because Makers want to Shoot Abroad Follow @News18Movies for more Sonam Kapoor recently took to her social media to stand up for her sister, Rhea. In the past, the producer-stylist has witnessed a great ordeal of abusive comments and death threats coming her way. Rhea couldnt be an ignorant party any longer and decided to report a malicious comment she received on her Instagram post. Instagram, however, refused to delete the reported comments saying it did not violate any community guidelines of the application. While reporting, Rhea called out the comment as a "death threat," to which Instagram replied saying, "We found that this comment likely doesn't go against our community guidelines. If you think we made a mistake, please report it again... If you don't want to see this user on Instagram, you can unfollow, mute or block them to hide their posts and comments from your feed." Now, both sisters have taken to their Instagram stories to slam the photo-sharing platform for not censoring a vile comment aimed at Rhea. Rhea shared the screen grabs on her story where one can see how the Instagram team addressed the users concern. Over an upload, she wrote a message saying, " Of course I will block this individual but are you doing your part to keep the community safe? Along with another screenshot including the negative comment, Rhea wrote, Just charming. Of course I am happy to block unnecessarily hateful people without giving it a thought but what pisses me off is that a death threat isnt against your community guideline Instagram? Sonam will be seen in the Bollywood remake of South Korean film Blind. The project will be directed by Shome Makhija. Follow @News18Movies for more Actress Anne Hathaway says Hollywood filmmaker Christopher Nolan does not allow chairs on his sets as he feels that "if they're sitting they're not working". Hathaway was seen as Batman's nemesis Catwoman in Nolan's 2012 movie "The Dark Knight Rises". In an interview for Varietys Actors on Actors issue, Hathaway talked with actor Hugh Jackman about the conversations she had with Nolan before starting her work as Catwoman. Jackman worked with Nolan in 2006's magician drama "The Prestige", reports variety.com. "You know how you have those jobs and you just go, I don't know how I'm going to work again because this was such fun'. I'm such a director nerd. I love just seeking out the best directors I can and then just watching them. Chris' whole approach to filmmaking is one of my favourite ones. He's broken it down to its most minimal, but also his movies are just so huge and ornate. That combination of really being intentional about what it was that we were doing -- and also, he's just so inspiring," she said. The actress also recalled a specific detail from Nolan's movie sets. "He doesn't allow chairs, and his reasoning is, if you have chairs, people will sit, and if they're sitting, they're not working. I mean, he has these incredible movies in terms of scope and ambition and technical prowess and emotion. It always arrives at the end under schedule and under budget. I think he's onto something with the chair thing," Hathaway said. Follow @News18Movies for more Lucas also shared two nearly identical images side by side on Twitter, both of which show him holding up a t-shirt. In the first, the tee is emblazoned with the name of a local radio station while the second has been edited to read, F--- the Police. Ira Khan recently joined fitness trainer David Poznic for a live workout session on Instagram. As they did "plenty of pushups, squat variations, and some fun with feet in the air," Bollywood actor Aamir Khan who has trained with Poznic for films like Dhoom 3 and PK popped in to say 'Hi'. The trainer asked the actor if he wanted to join in for some "push-ups, handstands and squats with Ira". Aamir responded by saying that he just wanted to say hi. However, Ira promised that next time, she'll force him. Sharing the video of the workout session, Poznic wrote: "Back when I was training Aamir for Dhoom 3 and PK, Ira used to hang out with us a lot, but would basically run away when I tried to get her to work out! Many years have passed, and now we're diving into weekly workouts with plenty of pushups, squat variations, and some fun with feet in the air. This session also included a fun surprise hello from Aamir but now the tables have turned - Ira was rocking the workout and Aamir just popped in to say hi!" Check out the video here: View this post on Instagram A post shared by Poznic Training (@poznictraining) on Jun 28, 2020 at 1:10am PDT Recently, Aamir Khans staff members have tested positive for COVID-19. The actor revealed the details on his social media platforms. The Laal Singh Chaddha actor wrote, This is to inform you that some of my staff have tested positive. They were immediately quarantined, and BMC officials were very prompt and efficient in taking them to a medical facility. Aamir also wrote that the Bombay Municipal Corporation has securedly fumigated and sterilised the entire society. The actor and his family have also been tested and the results came back negative. The note added that Aamirs mother is the last person in the loop of possible contacts who was left to be tested and at the time of writing she was about to be tested. The other staff members and his family were tested at Kokilaben Hospital in Mumbai. The actor extended his gratitude towards the doctors, nurses and staff there. Follow @News18Movies for more Actor Zoa Morani, who, along with her father Karim and sister Shaza Morani, had been diagnosed positive for coronavirus in April, took to Instagram to thank the doctors who took care of her while she was admitted in the Kokilaben Hospital in Mumbai. The family had later recovered after treatment. Zoa posted photos of the doctors and medical staff and wrote, "So many Doctors and Nurses and Hospital staff to thank today and every day ... to all those endless years of studying and then to experience the daily intensity of Operation theatres and ICUs .. truly made of steel .. forever grateful for all your hard work and dedication to your practice ..Thank you Doctors all over the world #happydoctorsday #forevergrateful #doctorsday." Zoa was recently lauded for donating her plasma twice after recovering for research and the recovery of Covid-19 patients. Zoa had also taken to Instagram to document it and to urge other recovered Covid-19 patients to do so. "Plasma donation round 2...Last time it helped get a patient out of ICU , Note from my Doctor hoping all recovered covid patients come out and donate their blood , u may be able to help someone #NairHospital #IndiaFightsCorona #plasmaTherapy," she had written. Follow News18 Lifestyle for more The BJP has appropriated P V Narasimha Rao, just as it did Sardar Patel and Netaji. Sixteen years after Rao's unsung death, the good that was interred with his bones is now being resurrected, to the chagrin of the Congress. It can only watch in guilty embarrassment as Prime Minister Narendra Modi valorizes Rao, for the same reasons that his own party discarded him. The Congress First Family appears in a poor light vis-a-vis Rao, who suffered multiple humiliations at its hands, even unto death. His body was not allowed inside the Congress headquarters; nor was he given a state funeral or memorial in Delhi. The BJP, on the other hand, had a soft spot for Rao, ever since he effectively dismantled Nehruvian socialism. At the historic Tirupati session in 1991, he sang Nehru's praises but over the next five years, steered the country in the opposite direction. By the time he demitted office, India had healthy forex reserves and was growing at 7.5 per cent. The sangh parivar's fondness for Rao took firm root with the demolition of the Babri Masjid. Rao refused to impose President's Rule in Uttar Pradesh until the structure had actually fallen and by the next morning, a brick wall protecting the idol of Ram Lalla had come up. Rao later made a presidential reference to the Supreme Court in which he raised the issue of a 'temple' below the demolished structure, a fact which would bolster Hindu claims on the disputed site. After Rao's death in 2004, the then RSS sarsanghchalak K S Sudershan would fondly recall amicable relations with him. A decade later, in 2015, the Modi government finally gave him a memorial at Ekta Sthal, Delhi's samadhi complex. Sonia Gandhi's aversion to Rao was founded on personal grounds. For one thing, he was extremely close to Chandraswami, the controversial godman believed to have been involved in the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi. She monitored the probe closely and was unhappy with its progress. Like the media, she sensed a high-level conspiracy to derail the investigation a fact of which the anti-Rao lobbies led by veterans like Arjun Singh and young Turks like Rajesh Pilot took full advantage. Rao had been selected as PM for his unquestioning loyalty to the First Family, all too evident during the 1984 anti-Sikh riots in Delhi, during which he was a singularly ineffective Home minister. He was a compromise candidate, unambitious and ailing, expected to hold the fort until Sharad Pawar or Arjun Singh manouevered their way into the PM's chair. But after he took oath, the man of inaction became a man of destiny. As PM, he introduced revolutionary reforms. As party president, he sought to change the Congress culture. He eliminated cliques, introduced checks and balances among the regional satraps and democratized organizational elections. His masterly manouevering kept the Opposition at bay. He doffed his hat to the First Family but didn't consult with Sonia or keep her informed. Her disquiet was fed by Rao's political rivals, who accused him of giving short shrift to Nehruvian economics and maintaining an unhealthy proximity to the RSS/BJP. The party's brahmin-dalit-minority vote-base had eroded as a result, they said. Sonia finally lashed out at Rao publicly in 1995. She appeared at a rally in Amethi with Priyanka at her side, vulnerable and dignified. As the bereaved widow, she expressed her pain that four years and three months (after) my husband's death, the pace of investigations into his assassination is still so slow." As a leader-in-the-making, she warned that divisive forces are gathering strength. From that moment on, Rao's days were numbered. After demitting office in May 1996, his legal troubles mounted. He was named as an accused in the St Kitt's forgery case and the Lakhubhai Pathak bribery case, along with Chandraswami. Eventually, he was acquitted in both, but his son was arrested in the Rs 133 crore urea scam. The entire credit for economic reforms was given to Manmohan Singh, who became PM in 2004. Rao was not even given a place in the Congress Working Committee (CWC), as a former PM ought to have been. His contribution, in terms of pulling the country back from the brink and shaping its rise during the critical post-Cold War era, was forgotten. Sadly, even Manmohan Singh failed to acknowledge it. To all intents and purposes, Rao was a ghost. For the BJP, Rao's status as the great reformer, the protector of Ram Lalla and victim of the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty is the perfect trifecta. The man whom the Congress regarded with contempt, the BJP accords the highest respect. The demand for a Bharat Ratna for Rao is being raised in several quarters. The award is within the PM's gift and nothing would irritate the Congress more. The standoff in Eastern Ladakh is now entering the third month and shows little signs of an early resolution. However, there has been a slight dampening of the noisy debates on television, and the crisis is going off the front pages of newspapers. Perhaps, this is the time to do a sober analysis of the situation and suggest a way forward. I must admit that I have no access to any additional information, and I am basing my analysis on what is available in open source. The only advantage I enjoy is a greater understanding of the geography and some historical knowledge of how the army has been managing the Line of Actual Control (LAC), particularly in Ladakh. Briefly, what we know is this: the People's Liberation Army (PLA), in a planned operation involving thousands of soldiers, has activated the LAC in Eastern Ladakh. In at least two areas, the North bank of Pangong Tso and the Depsang Plains, the PLA has crossed the Indian LAC and established a permanent presence. At Galwan Valley, the PLA is attempting to gain a tactical advantage that enables it to overlook the vital road leading up to Daulat Beg Oldi and the Karakoram Pass. The LAC is a de facto border that separates Indian-controlled areas from those that are Chinese-controlled. There are a few areas where the Indian perception of the LAC differs from the Chinese interpretation (Pangong Tso and Depsang are two such locations). In these areas, there was an understanding that both sides would patrol up to their own perception, and neither side would establish a permanent presence in these pockets. Thus, both sides could keep their claims alive. By physically intruding into the areas of Pangong Tso and Depsang, the Chinese have blocked the movement of India patrols up to their traditional patrol points. In effect, this has shifted the Chinese control westward and into what we consider Indian territory. The importance of patrolling up to the LAC was also highlighted by Indias ambassador to China, Vikram Misri. He said: The resolution of this issue is quite straight forward from our perspective. The Chinese side needs to stop creating obstruction and hindrances in the normal patrolling patterns of the Indian troops. To resolve this standoff, India has chosen to adopt the negotiation route, at least for the present. This is the correct approach as neither side wants the situation to escalate to a military conflict. It is also going to be a long and arduous path, as many experts within and outside the government have pointed out. In this period, our negotiating stance must show greater clarity than has been displayed until now. It is a little surprising to see some members of the strategic community, including military officers, invoking the term disputed area and grey zone for the north bank of Pangong Tso. This somehow conveys the impression that there is some justification for the PLA's actions as the area is disputed. The Chinese may have a differing perception, but Indias maps have a clearly marked LAC that passes through Finger 8, and any violation of this line should be unacceptable to us. There should be no arguments that weaken our military position on the LAC. We also see numerous comments that India has been regularly losing territory to China in Ladakh. These unsubstantiated allegations do grave injustice to the army and ITBP troops who have been resolute in protecting and defending the LAC in Ladakh, irrespective of which government is in power. They also deflect attention from current Chinese actions in Ladakh. Contrast our statements with those coming from Chinas Ministry of Foreign Affairs that blame Indian soldiers for crossing the LAC and committing acts that are of a vile nature and have serious consequences. Even as we hesitate to admit the PLAs presence in our territory, the Chinese lay unsubstantiated claims to the complete Galwan Valley. In international politics, deterring an adversary depends a lot on how we convey our intentions. Thomas C. Schelling writes in his classic work Arms and Influence, It is a tradition in military planning to attend to an enemys capabilities, not his intentions. Bur deterrence is about intentions - not just estimating enemy intentions but influencing them. The hardest part is communicating our own intentions. Tiptoeing around the problem will not make it go away. Let us communicate our firm national resolve to the Chinese government. The PLA has taken a tremendous risk by destroying the carefully constructed agreements and protocols that have ensured peace along the LAC. It is for them to step back, and for us to show them the dangers of not doing so. The banning of Chinese apps is just one step in this process. Deterrence and compellance are efforts to shape the perceptions of the adversary. We should not underplay the seriousness of the current situation as it could convey the impression of a defensive attitude and weaken our credibility. We must clearly proclaim that we are unwilling to step back from our demand for restoration of status quo ante. It is generally felt that retention of the initiative is a crucial factor for victory. Sometimes, when dealing with a strong adversary, it is a good strategy to show that you have burned the bridges behind you and the initiative to escalate, and its associated costs, have passed on to the adversary. This will require a strong commitment of intent from our side. It is also the time to show political solidarity. It is distressing to see personal attacks on political leaders, both ruling and in opposition, at a time when we should be focused on an external rival. If our politicians speak in one voice, this would be the loudest message to China. The fight has to move beyond television studios to the real world. West Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh alleged on Wednesday that supporters of the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) heckled him and vandalised his vehicle in the Rajarhat-New Town area in the northeastern fringes of Kolkata. Ghosh, also the Medinipur MP, said the incident took place in the afternoon while he was out for a "Cha-Chakra" (chat over a cup of tea) mass outreach programme of the saffron party. The TMC, however, dismissed Ghosh's allegations as "baseless". "Today afternoon, when I went outside to have tea with the locals as part of our Cha-Chakra programme, TMC supporters came out of nowhere and started abusing me. They heckled me and my security guards. Even though the local police was informed about the programme well in advance, they had not taken any step to ensure my security," Ghosh said. "Every year I shift to a new house but ever since I have moved to Rajarhat, TMC cadres are threatening the owner of the house," he added. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers took out a march towards the state secretariat in protest against the incident but were stopped by police personnel at the Vidyasagar Setu over the Hooghly river. The workers of the saffron party also took out a protest march in central Kolkata. Reacting to the development, TMC Lok Sabha party leader Sudip Bandopadhyay dismissed the state BJP chief's allegations as "baseless". "Since last year's Lok Sabha poll results, Dilip Ghosh has been regularly making such baseless allegations. The TMC does not believe in the path of violence. The BJP's allegations stem from its illusion that the party is going to win the 2021 state Assembly polls," he said. Leader of the Congress in the Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury criticised the TMC government in West Bengal for repeated attacks on opposition leaders in the state. Ghosh lodged a police complaint about the incident and the law enforcers said they are looking into it. The state BJP president has been heckled several times in the past. The BJP emerged as the main opposition party in the state in the 2019 Lok Sabha election, winning 18 of the 42 seats, while the TMC won 22. With less than two years to go for the electoral battle of Uttar Pradesh, the political landscape is witnessing an ever-increasing war of words between Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati and Congress general secretary in charge of the state Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. The latest episode was the attack and counterattack between the two over the India-China border conflict. So why is this the case? Why is Mayawati seemingly sharper in her attack on the Congress than the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which is in power both in the state as well as the Centre? Why do the two parties in opposition seem eager to settle scores, rather than joining in their criticism against the BJP? The answers lie in the political realities on the ground, shifting caste loyalties and desperation to protect the social electoral base or else recapture the lost one. THE MIRROR IMAGE PHENOMENON Historically in its evolution, the BSP might have been a phenomenon of Dalit political aspirations and social emancipation, but it gradually moved towards the larger rainbow coalition of Dalits, Muslims and upper-caste Brahmins. It was an experiment that became well-defined in its 2007 assembly election slogan of Hathi nahi Ganesh hai...Brahma-Vishnu-Mahesh hai. It was this formula that saw the BSP reach the zenith of its political power and go on to form a government with full majority of its own. This Muslim-Dalit-Brahmin (MDB) formula was a mirror image of what had been the Congresss electoral formula for long since Indias independence and right till late the 1980s when rising Dalit consciousness, backward caste resurgencethe Mandal politics and rising Hindutva that is the Kamandal wave, withered it away. Dalits shifted towards the BSP, Brahmins largely towards the BJP and Muslims tended to side mostly with the backward caste-based Samajwadi Party. However, they also often looked towards the BSP, in their search of a counter-BJP force. Dr Prashant Trivedi of Giri Institute of Development Studies says, In this mirror image phenomenon the only difference between the two parties was of the leadership. While in the Congress it was the elite Brahmin or upper caste who led this social combination, in the BSP it was the Dalit leadership that was at the top. So is the BSP now concerned that a seemingly more assertive Congress under Priyanka Gandhi Vadra can disturb its caste base in UP? Should the Congresss strong assertion in the case of the Sonbhadra massacre, where Dalit tribals were killed or most recently its major intervention on the issue of migrant labourers a majority of them being from marginalised Dalit background be seen as its effort to reclaim lost ground? In looking for an answer to this question, it should be kept in mind that barring UP, the Congress has been able to protect its Dalit base in most other states like Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab and Maharashtra, where the BSP had failed to make any serious impression in the more than 35 years of its existence. The BSP chief has strong reasons to be concerned. At the moment her priority is to protect her traditional Dalit vote bank. If the Congress is able to do its homework well and prepare a strong organisation in Uttar Pradesh, it can again be a force to look up to for the Dalits. The feeling of sharp repulsion to the Congress has been diluted to an extent over the period of the past 30 years, says Dr Trivedi. THE MINORITY QUESTION Ever since the late 1980s, as the Ram temple movement and aggressive Hindutva politics gained pace, Muslims in Uttar Pradesh have generally considered the SP as the party of their first preference. The Muslim-Yadav (MY) factor had been a strong base for the party. For Muslims, the BSP had always been a subject of doubt. This because the party had not been shy of sharing power with the BJP, three times, having formed a coalition government with it, between 1995 and 2000. Despite this, they had sometimes looked towards the BSP, for example in 2007, when its formula of social engineering looked promising against the BJP, or in different Lok Sabha polls wherever it seemed in a position to defeat the BJP. However, since 2017, the BSPs tryst with minority politics seems to have been a disaster. Despite fielding 98 Muslim candidates in the 2017 state polls, the party ended up with just 19 MLAs in the Vidhan Sabha. The allegation was that by fielding so many Muslim candidates, the BSP actually set the table for the BJP, by assisting the latter in communally polarising the elections. Political observer Professor Sudhir Pawar says, First the 2017 election strategy and then her decision to call off the Mahagathbandhan immediately after the 2019 general elections have not gone down well with the minorities. No doubt the alliance failed to deliver the electoral result as expected, but it was a promising, strong caste combination of Dalits, Backwards and Muslims that would have gained strong roots and become a formidable force against the BJP in the time to come. Mayawatis decision to call off the alliance and pin the blame of defeat on the Samajwadi Party and its leader Akhilesh Yadav has been largely perceived to be taken under the BJPs pressure, and this has alienated the Muslims from the BSP." Probably the BSP fully realises this changed political reality and, therefore, now has no strong reason to be shrill against the BJP. POLITICS OF COMPULSIONS AND FINDING NEW SPACE As experiments of social engineering continue to fail for the BSP since the past decade, its now probably resorted to politics of compulsions and fighting for survival amid existing realities. Senior journalist Brijesh Shukla points out two factors. He says, By attacking the Congress and being with the BJP on issues ranging from triple talaq to Kashmir and now the India-China border dispute, Mayawati seems to have earned relief on the personal front. The ED probe in the Rs 1,400 crore memorial scam and other matters dont see much heat. So when Priyanka Gandhi Vadra indirectly hit out at Mayawati by saying Some opposition leaders are behaving like spokespersons for the BJP, she was probably referring to this long saga of BSP-BJP bonhomie. The second factor is finding new political space. The 2017 and 2019 elections have seen the BJP cementing its caste combination of upper castes, most backwards and non-Jatav Dalits. With Muslims being alienated, a strong section of the Dalit vote bank being lost, Mayawati might like to say what will be appreciated by this segment of voter and will suit the BJP," says Shukla. "Hence more attack on the Congress. Caught amid these diverse aspects of the mirror image phenomenon, the Muslim angle, politics of compulsions and effort to find new space, the political war of words between the BSP and the Congress will only intensify in the run-up to the assembly polls in 2022 "They can take whatever action they want. I am Indira Gandhi's granddaughter, not an undeclared BJP spokesperson like some of the opposition leaders." This was Priyanka Gandhi Vadra a few days back after the Uttar Pradesh government sent her a notice regarding a Facebook post in which she criticised the Kanpur shelter home incident where 57 girls tested positive for coronavirus. It rings now as news came in on Wednesday of an eviction notice from her Delhi home where Gandhi has lived since her marriage. 35, Lodhi Estate -- a two-room bungalow -- has been the her residence where she shifted after her wedding in 1997. As a protectee under the Special Protection Group (SPG) security cover and due to the threat perception, Gandhi was given this sprawling bungalow. But questions have occasionally been raised by the BJP over her sense of entitlement to this bungalow in posh Lutyens' Delhi. The writing was on the wall that Gandhi would soon have to vacate the bungalow when her SPG protection, as well as that of her mother Sonia Gandhi and brother Rahul Gandhi, was removed late last year. The withdrawal also means she is no longer entitled to a 6B-type bungalow. And certainly not as a private citizen, unlike Sonia and Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi is not a MP. She merely holds a party post as in-charge of Uttar Pradesh. As per the government order, Gandhi will have to vacate the bungalow by August 1. In fact, there were some Congress functionaries who advised Gandhi to enter the Rajya Sabha in order to keep the government accommodation. But she was outright in her refusal. Most in the Congress have called it a witch hunt and a diversionary tactic. But so far, Gandhi has remained silent. Sources close to her say that "they have awakened a 'sherni' (tigress)", that she will use this to "fight back". And that is where the comparison with Indira Gandhi comes in. Indira Gandhi had seen a humiliating defeat in 1977. When most saw the near-death of the Congress and her political demise came the Belchi moment. In heavy rainfall, Indira Gandhi rode an elephant when she heard the news of the killing of Dalits in Bihar's Belchi village. That was her turnaround moment and Indira Gandhi soon romped back to power and her Emergency blues were soon forgotten. A lesson which was soon aped by Sonia Gandhi, who used the humiliation she faced within the party to make her political debut. She marched to Amethi and her daughter then accused Arun Nehru of betrayal and Sonia Gandhi used it to hit back at her opponents in the party. The rest is history. To Sonia Gandhi goes the credit of stitching the UPA and bring her party to power in 2004 for two successive terms. The Congress then was considered to be an end game, with no one to match the might of Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Priyanka Gandhi today stands at similar a crossroad. She has to prove her mettle as a politician and UP is no easy ground. The Congress barely has an organisational structure there. While Mayawati and Akhilesh Yadav have yet to come to grips, the sway of Yogi Adityanath and the BJP seems supreme. But efforts are being made by Priyanka Gandhi in a do-or-die battle. Which is why she fought over the migrants issue and made an issue of Congress state in-charge Ajay Kumar Lallu being denied bailed for over 20 days. Accusing Mayawati of being a BJP spokesperson, Priyanka Gandhi wants to make the battle in the state between the BJP and the Congress. But she plans to move beyond this. The party gave a hint that Priyanka Gandhi would vacate. But there are indications she would want to use this as her Belchi moment. She has been house-hunting in Lucknow and a home has been zeroed in on. It would be a huge political statement to make. An interesting fact is that Indira Gandhi had also shifted to Lucknow with husband Feroze near the Charbagh station. In all likelihood, Priyanka Gandhi may shift to Lucknow soon and use it to make her political base and ensure her party cadre is enthused. Priyanka Gandhi has come a cropper when she campaigned ahead of the last Assembly elections. The Congress fared badly even in the family bastions of Amethi and Raebareli. A common complaint against her has been that she would visit for a few days and then leave. Not staying put there disappointed her party cadre and voters who found no reason to vote for a " tourist neta". Priyanka Gandhi wants to change this impression because that is the only way she can build the organisation. But in politics, it is also important to make the first move. It was inevitable that after the withdrawal of the SPG cover, she would have to vacate the house. In fact, Priyanka Gandhi had begun home-scouting much earlier and was planning to shift closer to the polls. But it is quite possible she may now shift earlier that planned. But then the first advantage strike has gone to the BJP and Priyanka Gandhi has lost one chance she could have had she shifted earlier. But those who know her closely say she will still use this to make her point. "The Indira in her will ensure she finds her Belchi moment," says a source in the Congress. The question, however, is: Should she have seen the elephant in the room earlier? New Delhi: Governments are trying to "manage the perception" about coronavirus infections and give a sense that the problem is not as bad as it is, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said on Wednesday, asserting that it is important to accept the problem and fight it. Gandhi, on Doctor's Day, expressed solidarity with health workers and described them as "a nonviolent Army" risking their lives to save people from the coronavirus pandemic. He was in conversation with four Indian nurses working in New Zealand, Australia, the UK and India, where he heard their experiences and said people stood with them in these times of crisis. Gandhi, in his 30-minute conversation with the four Indian nurses Anu Ragnat (working in New Zealand), Narendra Singh (working in Australia), Sherlymol Puravady (working in the UK), and Vipin Krishnan (working in AIIMS, Delhi) discussed the impact of working in a COVID-19 environment on their family lives. This was part of the series of conversations that the former Congress president is having on coronavirus. He has earlier talked to experts in the field. Gandhi claimed that testing is not being allowed in many Delhi hospitals. He also gave an assurance that he will write a letter to authorities concerned to expedite grant of compensation to healthcare workers, as announced by the Delhi government to those who died due to COVID-19. "One of the doctors I was speaking to in a private hospital was telling me, that it becomes impossible for them to work if they cannot test COVID patients. If they don't know if the patient has COVID or not, they don't know where to put him," the former Congress president said. He said the doctors feel completely frustrated about how to move forward faced with the dilemma of putting two patients, one who has COVID and one who doesn't, next to each other. "The governments are trying to manage the perception, they are trying to give a sense that the problem is not as bad as it is. But I believe that we have to face the problem, so we should accept the problem, define the problem accurately and then fight the problem," Gandhi said. Krishnan, who had tested positive for COVID-19 and has now recovered, rued the sad state of affairs in Delhi and the low levels of testing in the face of rising cases. Krishnan also raised concerns over compensation to the families of COVID warriors who died fighting the pandemic. "Two nurses have died in Delhi, they were from South India. One X-ray technician. One retired doctor from AIIMS passed away and one serving person in the sanitation department, we lost him unfortunately. However, they are yet to receive the compensation of Rs 1 crore announced by the Delhi Government," Krishnan said. "It is not that we can give some amount of money and equalise the death. It is not that, but at least we should support the families. The government should do something for them," he said. Krishnan also urged Gandhi to take up the issue of risk allowance for nurses and doctors at this point of time as lives were being lost in fighting COVID-19. "We are exhausted and we are fighting in the front line without any fear. We will win. You and the Government are with us. I have complete faith that we will fight this war against the Coronavirus and win," the AIIMS nurse said. Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Wednesday affirmed that he will expand his Cabinet on Thursday, after several delays and days of speculation. The Governor will be sworn in today (Wednesday) and the cabinet expansion shall take place on Thursday, he told reporters after attending an event on Coronavirus prevention in Bhopal. Chouhan returned to Bhopal on Tuesday after staying in Delhi for two days, discussing the cabinet expansion. More than three months have passed since the BJP government was formed in the state. Cabinet expansion has been under discussion for a long time. Only five ministers were sworn in after the chief minister took oath. On the prolonged deliberations on the names of ministers to be inducted in his cabinet, Chouhan offered a cryptic response, alluding to the stiff internal tussle for ministerial berths as there were a large numbers of claimants from Jyotiraditya Scindia camp which led to discontent among senior BJP leaders. Manthan ke baad amrit hi nikalta hai, jo Vish nikalta hai Shiv usse pe jate hain (churning produces nectar but Lord Shiva drinks the poison), said Chouhan, hinting that he had to endure a lot of pressure while zeroing in on the names of his cabinet colleagues. Sources claimed that Scindia was adamant on including all his supporters while the BJP state unit wanted to bring this number down to accommodate their senior leaders. Several BJP senior leaders, too, were upset with plans to shift them to party organisation. Leaders like Gopal Bhargav had expressed their resentment openly, cautioning the party that ignoring senior leaders during cabinet expansion wont be a good idea. Chouhan on Tuesday had tweeted an Urdu couplet to hint that all wasnt being done as per his wish when it comes to cabinet expansion. Sources also claimed that the party high command, too, has added several names into the list of ministers to be inducted into the Shivraj cabinet whereas the state unit wanted them to be dropped from the list. After confirmation of the cabinet expansion, Scindias office announced that he would reach Bhopal on Thursday morning. His arrival plans were postponed twice in last two days. Sources claim that at least ten Scindia loyalists are slated to be inducted into the Shivraj cabinet out of the 25 that are likely to be sworn in. Sources also claimed that the party high command has cleared the names of ministers on Wednesday and party state in charge Vinay Sahastrabuddhe will reach Bhopal with the list by evening. No one is upset, all is well in the party, said Sahastrabuddhe. The government is exploring the possibility of holding the monsoon session of parliament starting from last week of August or first week of September with the physical presence of members during proceedings, sources said on Wednesday. However, sources said in the wake of rising cases of coronavirus nothing has been finalised yet and it is will be difficult to specify how the session will be held while adhering to social distancing norms. Sources in the government said the length of the session and how it to be held will depend upon the situation prevailing at the time of the beginning of the session, though the intention is to hold a full-fledged session. There are various ordinances which need to be introduced in parliament, therefore the session will be of normal length, sources said. The monsoon session of parliament will certainly start before September 22, as there cannot be a gap of more than six months between the two sessions, a senior government functionary said. The budget session of parliament was adjourned sine die prematurely on March 23 before its scheduled conclusion on April 3. The sources said several options are being considered including holding the meeting of Lok Sabha in the Central Hall, with the Rajya Sabha, which has less members than the lower house, shifting to the chamber of Lok Sabha. Meanwhile, presiding officers of both houses of parliament, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and Rajya Sabha Chairman Venkaiah Naidu, have been discussing holding the monsoon session of Parliament with coronavirus-induced norms like social distancing. Both Birla and Naidu have also explored 'virtual Parliament' as on option in the long run. Both the presiding officers have underscored the need to adopt technology to enable Parliament sessions to tide over situations when regular meetings are not possible. Within our majors, we not only learned to hone our skills, but we also developed friendships with classmates who have common interests. Through a variety of different classes, we learned to create and expand our talents. The skills we gained include creating, collaborating and communicating. Even if you are not pursuing a career in the arts, take these skills and use them to propel yourself to success in all your endeavors. If you only take away one thing from this speech, let it be to never stop creating. Every single one of us has a valuable individual talent to share with society. Whether it is singing, dancing, acting, drawing or playing an instrument, we have a duty to use our talents to inspire others. You never know how something you create could impact someone else. Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Wednesday urged the Centre to withdraw the orders directing Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra to vacate her government accommodation in Delhi. Taking exception to the Centre's order, Singh urged the government to withdraw the same in the interest of Gandhi's security and safety. The Centre on Wednesday asked the Congress leader to vacate her bungalow in Lutyens' Delhi within a month following withdrawal of her SPG protection. According to an order issued by the Union Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry, Gandhi was asked to vacate her bungalow on or before August 1 failing which "it will attract damage charges/penal rent as per rules". The Punjab chief minister said the central government should reinstate Priyanka Gandhi's SPG cover and restore her accommodation in view of the threat perception which she continues to have as a member of the Gandhi family. "Political considerations and differences cannot and should not be allowed to come in the way of ensuring foolproof security and safety of any person, especially when that person belongs to a family that had lost two members to terror attacks," he said in a statement here. "Given this background, the safety of Sonia Gandhi, Priyanka and Rahul Gandhi remains a matter of concern for the entire nation," he said. Singh said neither the withdrawal of Priyanka Gandhi's SPG cover nor the cancellation of her government accommodation was "justifiable" in the circumstances. Any compromise on Priyanka Gandhi's safety could be construed as a "political witch-hunt", especially when these orders have come at a time when she has been strongly and unrelentingly criticising the handling of the COVID-19 crisis in Uttar Pradesh, especially the prime minister's parliamentary constituency of Varanasi, he warned. All people, irrespective of their ideology, have the right to criticise and demand explanations from the government in a democracy, Singh said, adding it is even more applicable to politicians. The senior Congress leader also noted that despite the continued political attacks on his government by the opposition Akali leadership, he has personally ensured that the Badal family's safety is not put at stake at any cost. Not only had he offered SAD patron Parkash Singh Badal continued use of a government house in the state, his government had complimented the central security of the former chief minister with a huge posse of Punjab Police personnel, he observed. "Bullet proof land cruisers and vehicles for Badal's security had been arranged by the government and would continue to be provided, irrespective of the differences between the ruling Congress and the SAD in Punjab," the chief minister added. Celebrating the 47th birthday of Samajwadi Party Chief and former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, party workers on Wednesday marked the day by planting samplings and distributing face masks and sanitisers among people. The decision of a large scale celebration was called off due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Earlier on Tuesday evening, Akhilesh's wife and former Samajwadi Party MP Dimple Yadav also wished him on Twitter and asked party workers not to celebrate the day with much fervor. Instead, she requested them to help the needy on the occasion. "My best wishes to the Samajwadi Party Chief on his Birthday, I would like to request all well wishers and party workers not to celebrate his birthday with fervor during this pandemic. Rather they should help poor and destitute people on the occasion, she said. Samajwadi Party workers reached the party headquarters in Lucknow to congratulate the leader on the occasion. Hoardings were also put at many spots near the party office in the city. Meanwhile, a low key celebration was organised by party leader CL Verma at Kusht Mandir, where a cake was cut for the poor and orphan children. Speaking to News18, Verma said, "On the occasion of the 47th birthday of our National President, we have decided to plant 47 saplings each. We have also arranged for cake and food for kids dealing with leprosy. We are keeping the celebration low-key as per the wishes of our leader. All our workers are also practicing social distancing and wearing masks due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Party workers in Varanasi celebrated the day by distributing masks and sanitisers to people at Rajendra Prasad Ghat. 'Hawan' was also held at some places for the well being of SP chief. CamScanner, a highly popular app for scanning and storing documents, has been banned by the government of India as part of the 59 Chinese apps that were blacklisted for data and privacy concerns. Cashing in on this so-called app vacuum and riding on the prevalent anti-China sentiment, Indian startup Sorted AI has seemingly built a CamScanner alternative that aims to give users an Indian app to scan their documents. Named Kaagaz Scanner, the app has claimed over 1 lakh downloads within one day of CamScanner being banned, and is presently seeing considerable interest on the Google Play Store. What is Kaagaz Scanner? As the name suggests, Kaagaz Scanner aims to do exactly what CamScanner used to, only in an Indian guise. CamScanner was blacklisted in light of its ties to China. Since it was largely used to scan personal identification documents, storing of such documents on the cloud server of an app hosted in China was deemed as a security violation. It is this that Sorted AIs Kaagaz Scanner aims to cash in on, and fill the space left open by marketing an Indian alternative. Talking about the app via a LinkedIn post, Gaurav Shrishrimal, the founder of Sorted AI, the company behind Kaagaz Scanner, said, We built Kaagaz Scanner as a side project after the call of our Prime Minister for Vocal For Local and Atmanirbhar Bharat. As soon as we got the news of Chinese apps being banned, we started pushing the app in all of our WhatsApp groups and social media feeds. We were lucky to be picked by a few big influencers, which gave us the initial push. That, coupled with a simply, easy to use product, started increasing our install numbers. While this sounds like the perfect story of an Indian startup stepping up to innovate and fill up the gap from a better known Chinese app, it seems that Kaagaz Scanner still has some way to go. This is from a startup I know. They hastily built a CamScanner replacement "Kaagaz Scanner".... it has exploded overnight after the #ChineseApps ban - 100K installs in 24hrs!Hope this "Fill-up-Chinese-App-Vacuum" story ends up creating some incrementally innovative Indian pdts! pic.twitter.com/DBkXJ6pk63 Amit Ranjan (@amitranjan) July 1, 2020 Should I use it? As goes the statutory privacy disclaimer, do not download and use an app until its privacy policy has been verified by independent parties and deemed adequate. While Kaagaz Scanner has been built by an Indian startup, its privacy policy must also include safeguards against any potential data breaches or other privacy mishaps. Even beyond this, while most users have given Kaagaz Scanner a positive rating on the Google Play Store, reviews paint a different picture. Most recent reviews from yesterday appear to suggest that the app is full of bugs, and has an unintuitive user interface. It also appears to be slow at processing scans, which shows that the app has quite some way to go. As a result, it is prudent to suggest that you should wait until Kaagaz Scanners makers, Sorted AI, manages to sort out their app issues. Until then, you can choose from a list of our trusted document scanning apps and services to use while the homegrown, made in India alternative fixes the bugs. After being named in the list of 59 Chinese apps being banned in India, TikTok said yesterday that it will be hoping to resolve the issue, and will address any security and privacy concerns that officials of the Indian government would raise. Earlier today, Kevin Mayer, CEO of TikTok and COO of its parent group, ByteDance, has addressed the TikTok India ban and stated that the app remains compliant with all data privacy and security requirements under Indian law. We stay resolved and committed to our mission, and are working with stakeholders to address their concerns. TikTok continues to comply with all data privacy and security requirements under Indian law and places the highest importance on user privacy and integrity, Mayer added to his statement. Mayer further raised an assurance to over 2,000 employees who work with TikTok in India, stating that the company will attempt to restore the positive experiences and opportunities, which he underlines as an integral part of TikTok. The better part of Mayers note is addressed to TikToks original video creators, who seemingly hail from all corners of India. Many TikTok creators have spoken out on social media stating that the ban has hurt their creative freedom on a platform where they did not feel judged and scrutinised. Taking note of this, Mayer said, These are unprecedented times but we remain committed to supporting the welfare of our TikTok creator community till this interim order is in effect. Our creator managers are actively engaging with our top creators to reassure them of our efforts and updates about path forward. Mayers note also observes how TikToks India community largely came from smaller cities, which led to a paradigm shift in digital influencer campaigns run by companies in India. Today, it is a staple and reality for TikTok users even in remote cities, towns and villages across the country. Empowered individual creators have become the most sought-after for digital marketing campaigns. Small and medium enterprises and entrepreneurs have been able to realise their growth ambitions and dreams by reaching out to thousands of potential customers and consumers on a daily basis, through the platform, added Mayer. TikTok India is expected to meet with the Prime Ministers Office to discuss their ban further. The app has been pulled off the Google Play Store and Apples iOS App Store in India, and users are being served a pop-up notice stating that the service is no longer operational in India. Going forward, it remains to be seen if TikToks India ban becomes permanent, and which platform do established TikTok creators shift to, in a bid to find similar audiences and user engagement. Russian voters approved changes to the constitution that will allow President Vladimir Putin to hold power until 2036, but the weeklong plebiscite that concluded Wednesday was tarnished by widespread reports of pressure on voters and other irregularities. With most of the nation's polls closed and 20% of precincts counted, 72% voted for the constitutional amendments, according to election officials. For the first time in Russia, polls were kept open for a week to bolster turnout without increasing crowds casting ballots amid the coronavirus pandemic a provision that Kremlin critics denounced as an extra tool to manipulate the outcome. A massive propaganda campaign and the oppositions failure to mount a coordinated challenge helped Putin get the result he wanted, but the plebiscite could end up eroding his position because of the unconventional methods used to boost participation and the dubious legal basis for the balloting. By the time polls closed in Moscow and most other parts of Western Russia, the overall turnout was at 65%, according to election officials. In some regions, almost 90% of eligible voters cast ballots. On Russia's easternmost Chukchi Peninsula, nine hours ahead of Moscow, officials quickly announced full preliminary results showing 80% of voters supported the amendments, and in other parts of the Far East, they said over 70% of voters backed the changes. Kremlin critics and independent election observers questioned the turnout figures. We look at neighboring regions, and anomalies are obvious there are regions where the turnout is artificially (boosted), there are regions where it is more or less real, Grigory Melkonyants, co-chair of the independent election monitoring group Golos, told The Associated Press. Putin voted at a Moscow polling station, dutifully showing his passport to the election worker. His face was uncovered, unlike most of the other voters who were offered free masks at the entrance. The vote completes a convoluted saga that began in January, when Putin first proposed the constitutional changes. He offered to broaden the powers of parliament and redistribute authority among the branches of government, stoking speculation he might seek to become parliamentary speaker or chairman of the State Council when his presidential term ends in 2024. His intentions became clear only hours before a vote in parliament, when legislator Valentina Tereshkova, a Soviet-era cosmonaut who was the first woman in space in 1963, proposed letting him run two more times. The amendments, which also emphasize the primacy of Russian law over international norms, outlaw same-sex marriages and mention a belief in God as a core value, were quickly passed by the Kremlin-controlled legislature. Putin, who has been in power for more than two decades longer than any other Kremlin leader since Soviet dictator Josef Stalin said he would decide later whether to run again in 2024. He argued that resetting the term count was necessary to keep his lieutenants focused on their work instead of darting their eyes in search for possible successors. Analyst Gleb Pavlovsky, a former Kremlin political consultant, said Putins push to hold the vote despite the fact that Russia has thousands of new coronavirus infections each day reflected his potential vulnerabilities. Putin lacks confidence in his inner circle and hes worried about the future, Pavlovsky said. He wants an irrefutable proof of public support. Even though the parliament's approval was enough to make it law, the 67-year-old Russian president put his constitutional plan to voters to showcase his broad support and add a democratic veneer to the changes. But then the coronavirus pandemic engulfed Russia, forcing him to postpone the April 22 plebiscite. The delay made Putins campaign blitz lose momentum and left his constitutional reform plan hanging as the damage from the virus mounted and public discontent grew. Plummeting incomes and rising unemployment during the outbreak have dented his approval ratings, which sank to 59%, the lowest level since he came to power, according to the Levada Center, Russias top independent pollster. Moscow-based political analyst Ekaterina Schulmann said the Kremlin had faced a difficult dilemma: Holding the vote sooner would have brought accusations of jeopardizing public health for political ends, while delaying it raised the risks of defeat. Holding it in the autumn would have been too risky, she said. In Moscow, several activists briefly lay on Red Square, forming the number 2036 with their bodies in protest before police stopped them. Some others in Moscow and St. Petersburg staged one-person pickets and police didnt intervene. Several hundred opposition supporters rallied in central Moscow to protest the changes, defying a ban on public gatherings imposed for the coronavirus outbreak. Police didnt intervene and even handed masks to the participants. Authorities mounted a sweeping effort to persuade teachers, doctors, workers at public sector enterprises and others who are paid by the state to cast ballots. Reports surfaced from across the vast country of managers coercing people to vote. The Kremlin has used other tactics to boost turnout and support for the amendments. Prizes ranging from gift certificates to cars and apartments were offered as an encouragement, voters with Russian passports from eastern Ukraine were bused across the border to vote, and two regions with large number of voters Moscow and Nizhny Novgorod allowed electronic balloting. In Moscow, some journalists and activists said they were able to cast their ballots both online and in person in a bid to show the lack of safeguards against manipulations. Kremlin critics and independent monitors pointed out that the relentless pressure on voters coupled with new opportunities for manipulations from a week of early voting when ballot boxes stood unattended at night eroded the standards of voting to a striking new low. In addition to that, the early voting sanctioned by election officials but not reflected in law further eroded the ballots validity. Many criticized the Kremlin for lumping more than 200 proposed amendments together in one package without giving voters a chance to differentiate among them. I voted against the new amendments to the constitution because it all looks like a circus, said Yelena Zorkina, 45, after voting in St. Petersburg. How can people vote for the whole thing if they agree with some amendments but disagree with the others?" Putin supporters were not discouraged by being unable to vote separately on the proposed changes. Taisia Fyodorova, a 69-year-old retiree in St. Petersburg, said she voted yes because I trust our government and the president. In a frantic effort to get the vote, polling station workers set up ballot boxes in courtyards and playgrounds, on tree stumps and even in car trunks unlikely settings derided on social media that made it impossible to ensure a clean vote. In Moscow, there were reports of unusually high numbers of at-home voters, with hundreds visited by election workers in a matter of hours, along with multiple complaints from monitors that paperwork documenting the turnout was being concealed from them. At the same time, monitoring the vote became more challenging due to hygiene requirements and more arcane rules for election observers. The Golos monitoring group pointed out at unusual differences between neighboring regions: in the Siberian republic of Tyva over 73% voted in the first five days, while in the neighboring Irkutsk region, turnout was about 22% and in the neighboring republic of Altai, it was under 33%. These differences can be explained only by forcing people to vote in certain areas or by rigging, Golos said. Observers warned that the methods used to boost turnout, combined with bureaucratic hurdles that hindered independent monitoring, would undermine the vote's legitimacy. There is a big question about the results of this vote, Melkonyants said, adding that its outcome "cant really bear any legal standing. Australia will boost defence spending by 40% over the next 10 years, buying long-range military assets that will be focused on the Indo-Pacific region, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Wednesday. In a speech that threatens to inflame tensions with China, Morrison said Australia will spend A$270 billion ($186.5 billion) over the next 10 years to acquire longer-range strike capabilities across air, sea and land. Australia in 2016 promised to spend A$195 billion over the next 10 years. Morrison said Australia will also pivot its military focus to the Indo-Pacific region. "We want a Indo-Pacific free from coercion and hegemony. We want a region where all countries, large and small, can engage freely with each other and be guided by international rules and norms," Morrison said in a speech in Canberra. Although Morrison did not name China, Australia's muscular posturing towards the Pacific is seen as a signal that Canberra intends to be more assertive in its dealings with Beijing and less reliant on the United States. "China is the unspoken elephant in the room," said Sam Roggeveen, director of the Sydney-based Lowy Institute's International Security Program. "While it's absolutely right that we focus on our region, but buying long-range missiles - particularly ones for land targets - could invite a response from Beijing." Morrison said Australia would first buy 200 long-range anti-ship missiles from the US Navy for A$800 million, and would also consider developing hypersonic missiles that can travel at least at five times the speed of sound. The defence spend will please US President Donald Trump, who has accused allies of taking Washington's protection for granted. But Australia's defence spend will do little for relations with China - its largest trading partner. The two nations have butted heads as both compete for influence in the Pacific. Already dealt a blow by Australia's 2018 decision to ban China's Huawei from its nascent 5G broadband network, bilateral ties have in recent months been soured by Canberra's call for an independent inquiry into the origins of the coronavirus pandemic. Last month, Australia said a "sophisticated state-actor" has spent months trying to hack all levels of the government, political bodies, essential service providers and operators of critical infrastructure. Australia sees China as the chief suspect, three sources told Reuters. China denies it is behind the spate of cyber-attacks, and the souring of ties has spilled over to trade. China has suspended beef imports from four of Australias largest meat processors and imposed hefty tariffs on barley, although both sides say that is unrelated to the latest spat. Federal law enforcement authorities said on Tuesday a civil rights investigation is underway into the death in 2019 of an unarmed Black man in Colorado after police applied a chokehold to him and he was sedated by paramedics. The federal probe was launched last year into the death of Elijah McClain, 23, who went into cardiac arrest and died days after the encounter in the Denver suburb of Aurora, according to a joint statement from the Justice Department's civil rights division, the FBI and the US Attorney for Colorado. The agencies said releasing the existence of an ongoing investigation is done only when it is in "the best interest of the public and public safety. Recent attention on the death of Elijah McClain warrants such disclosure, the agencies said. Aurora police did immediately respond to requests for comment. McClain was approached by three officers from the Aurora, Colorado police department on Aug. 24, 2019 on a report of a suspicious man walking along a street in the suburb. Police subdued him, even though he was not suspected of committing a crime, and applied a carotid neck hold to him as McClain said repeatedly that he could not breathe, according to audio recordings released by police. Paramedics then injected him with ketamine. McClain lapsed into a coma and died days later. A local district attorney declined to file charges against police or the paramedics, citing an inconclusive autopsy. Governor Jared Polis last week appointed a special prosecutor to review the case, and an internal affairs investigation has been launched into three officers who took photographs of themselves at the scene. An attorney for the McClain family, Mari Newman, said a civil rights investigation was long overdue. Hong Kong police fired water cannon and tear gas and arrested more than 300 people on Wednesday as protesters took to the streets in defiance of sweeping security legislation introduced by China that critics say is aimed at snuffing out dissent. Beijing unveiled the details of the much-anticipated law late on Tuesday after weeks of uncertainty, pushing China's freest city and one of the world's most glittering financial hubs onto a more authoritarian path. As thousands of protesters gathered downtown for an annual rally marking the anniversary of the former British colony's handover to China in 1997, riot police used pepper spray and fired pellets as they made arrests after crowds spilled into the streets chanting "resist till the end" and "Hong Kong independence". "Im scared of going to jail but for justice I have to come out today, I have to stand up," said one 35-year-old man who gave his name as Seth. The new law will punish crimes of secession, subversion, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces with up to life in prison, will see mainland security agencies in Hong Kong for the first time and allow for extradition to the mainland for trial. China's parliament adopted it in response to protests last year triggered by fears that Beijing was stifling the city's freedoms, guaranteed by a "one country, two systems" formula agreed when it returned to Chinese rule. Earlier on Wednesday, police cited the law for the first time in confronting protesters. "You are displaying flags or banners/chanting slogans/or conducting yourselves with an intent such as secession or subversion, which may constitute offences under the ... national security law," police said in a message displayed on a purple banner. Authorities in Beijing and Hong Kong have repeatedly said the legislation is aimed at a few "troublemakers" and will not affect rights and freedoms, nor investor interests. But critics fear it is aimed ending the pro-democracy opposition and will crush the freedoms that are seen as key to Hong Kong's success as a financial centre. The United States and its Asian and Western allies have criticised the legislation. Police fired water cannon to try to disperse the protesters and said they had made more than 180 arrests for illegal assembly and other offences, with some involving violations of the new law. A game of cat-and-mouse reminiscent of last year's often violent demonstrations followed, with protesters blocking roads before running away from riot police charging with batons, only to re-emerge elsewhere. Police posted pictures on Twitter of an officer with a bleeding arm saying he was stabbed by "rioters holding sharp objects." The suspects fled while bystanders offered no help, police said. On July 1 last year, hundreds of protesters stormed and vandalised the city's legislature to protest against a bill that would have allowed extraditions to mainland China. Those protests evolved into calls for greater democracy, paralysing parts of the city and paving the way for Beijing's new law. 'BIRTHDAY GIFT' In Beijing, Zhang Xiaoming, executive deputy director of Beijing's Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office, told reporters suspects arrested by a new Beijing-run security office could be tried on the mainland. He said the new office abided by Chinese law and that Hong Kong's legal system could not be expected to implement the laws of the mainland. Article 55 of the law states that Beijing's security office in Hong Kong could exercise jurisdiction over "complex" or "serious" cases. "The law is a birthday gift to (Hong Kong) and will show its precious value in the future," Zhang said, adding the law would not be applied retroactively. Speaking at a flag-raising ceremony to mark the handover anniversary, the city's Beijing-backed leader, Carrie Lam, said the law was the most important development since the city's return to Chinese rule. "It is also an inevitable and prompt decision to restore stability," Lam said at the harbour-front venue where 23 years ago the last colonial governor, Chris Patten, a staunch critic of the security law, tearfully handed back Hong Kong to Chinese rule. Some pro-Beijing officials and political commentators say the law is aimed at sealing Hong Kong's "second return" to the motherland after the first failed to bring residents to heel. Luo Huining, the head of Beijing's top representative office in Hong Kong, said at the ceremony the law was a "common aspiration" of Hong Kong citizens. Some pro-democracy activists gave up membership of their groups just before the law came into force into force at 11 p.m. (1500 GMT) on Tuesday, though they called for the campaign to go on from abroad. "I saw this morning there are celebrations for Hong Kong's handover, but to me it is a funeral, a funeral for 'one country two systems'," said pro-democracy lawmaker Kwok Ka-ki. Washington: "Irresponsible" and "erroneous" media leaks not only undermine the position of the duly-elected US president but also damage the ability of the nation to collect intelligence, the White House has said, refuting reports of Russia allegedly giving bounties to Taliban-linked militants for killing American troops in Afghanistan. The intelligence assessment on the Russian bounties was first reported by The New York Times. Subsequently, other media outlets also published the report, triggering a controversy. "Which allies will want to share information with us if they know that some rogue intelligence officer can go splash that information on the front page of a major US newspaper?" White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany said in her opening statement at a press briefing on Tuesday. McEnany also refuted reports that President Donald Trump was briefed on the issue. "Since before President Trump assumed office, damaging and oftentimes erroneous leaks seeking to undermine or delegitimise the duly elected president have been published," she said. According to the Department of Justice, classified leaks surged in the Trump administration. There were just 39, on average, criminal leak referrals in the Barack Obama regime. "In this administration, we've seen 100 criminal leak referrals to the DOJ in 2017, 88 in 2018, and 104 on average per year," McEnany said. "Because of an irresponsible, anonymous leak to the New York Times, who's going to want to cooperate with the US intelligence community, who's going to want to be a source or an asset, if they know that their identity could be disclosed?" the press secretary asked. She said two bad scenarios have emerged from the report. "Number one, this report makes it more difficult to come to a consensus on this matter, to verify intelligence. And number two, this level of controversy and discord plays directly into the hands of Russia and unfortunately serves their interests," McEnany said. The press secretary said there have been targeted leaks of classified information against Trump. "And it is irresponsible: phone calls with foreign leaders, meetings with government officials, and now reports of alleged intelligence. Make no mistake: This damages our ability, as a nation, to collect intelligence," she said. "To the anonymous sources who leak classified information, you should know this: You may seek to undermine our President, but in fact, you undermine our country's safety and our country's security," McEnany said. The NYT reported last week that intelligence officials believed that a unit of the Russian intelligence agency GRU offered and paid bounties to Taliban-linked militants for killing American troops and other coalition forces and that the White House had not authorised a response after the National Security Council convened an interagency meeting about the problem in late March. Investigators are said to be focused on at least two deadly attacks on American soldiers in Afghanistan, including the April 2019 bombing outside Bagram Air Base that killed three US marines, the report said. Responding to a question, McEnany said Trump has always taken a tough and unadulterated action against Russia. "We saw that there's no diplomatic presence on the West Coast of our country, of Russia, because the President closed the consulates. We saw he expelled 60 Russian intelligence officers; sanctioned hundreds of targets; withdrew from the INF Treaty, the Open Skies Treaty; tried to halt Nord Stream -- still trying to do that; impose visa sanctions, and many other actions," she said. McEnany asserted that Trump will always protect American troops. "We saw in Syria, in the strikes in 2018, that dozens of Russian mercenaries were killed. He will always act, to protect American troops. That is indeed his track record," she said. A Turkish court will open the trial on Friday of 20 Saudi officials indicted over the 2018 killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, a step his fiancee hopes will shed more light on the death and reveal where his body was hidden. The indictment by Istanbul prosecutors accuses the former deputy head of Saudi Arabia's general intelligence, Ahmed al-Asiri, and former royal court adviser Saud al-Qahtani of instigating "premeditated murder with monstrous intent", the prosecutor's office said in March. It says 18 other defendants carried out the killing by suffocating Khashoggi, who had grown increasingly critical of Saudi Arabia's de facto ruler Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. All 20 defendants are expected to be tried in absentia. The October 2018 attack at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul prompted widespread revulsion, damaged relations between Ankara and Riyadh, and tarnished the prince's international image. Some Western governments, as well as the CIA, have said they believed he ordered the killing - an accusation Saudi officials denied. Khashoggi was last seen entering the consulate seeking documents for his impending wedding. Turkish officials said his body was dismembered and removed from the building. His remains have not been found. "I hope this criminal case in Turkey brings to light the whereabouts of Jamal's body (and) the evidence against the killers," his fiancee Hatice Cengiz, who was waiting for him outside the consulate on the day of his killing, told Reuters. It was not clear whether Saudi Arabia would cooperate with Friday's hearing. The Saudi government media office did not immediately reply to a request for comment. In December a Saudi court sentenced five people to death and three to jail for Khashoggi's killing after a largely secretive trial. Khashoggi's family later said they forgave his murderers, paving the way for their formal reprieve. Cengiz said neither the trial nor the pardon followed due process. "No one can take the 'trial' that took place in Saudi Arabia legitimately; it was done in secret and the individuals sentenced are unnamed," Cengiz said. Turkey has accused Saudi officials of obstructing investigations, while Riyadh repeatedly said the Istanbul prosecutor has not complied with requests to share information. Prince Mohammed has denied ordering the killing but said he bore ultimate responsibility as the kingdoms de facto leader. Saudi Arabia initially denied any involvement in or knowledge of Khashoggis death but later changed its position multiple times. Two weeks ago, on a nearly hour-long phone call, Trump told a large group of U.S. Governors that they would look like a bunch of jerks if they didnt dominate the people protesting against racism and police misconduct, and he promised to do something that people havent seen before in order to achieve total domination, Kaplan wrote. Washington: President Donald Trump said Tuesday he was growing "more and more angry at China" over the spread of the coronavirus, as American health officials warned they were not in "total" control of the pandemic. "As I watch the Pandemic spread its ugly face all across the world, including the tremendous damage it has done to the USA, I become more and more angry at China," Trump tweeted. The global pandemic, which Trump blames on Beijing, has intensified already strong tensions between the two countries over an ongoing trade war. Amid a surge in US cases, particularly in the south and west, infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci told Congress earlier Tuesday that things were "going in the wrong direction," and that "clearly we are not in total control right now." He also warned that cases could more than double to 100,000 per day if authorities and the public fail to take steps to suppress the pandemic. China has accused Trump's administration of politicizing the pandemic to deflect from its own handling of the illness, with the United States suffering by far the highest death toll of any country. US officials, meanwhile, have urged greater transparency from China. Pakistan on Wednesday summoned Indian Charge d'Affaires Gaurav Ahluwalia to register its protest over the alleged ceasefire violations by the Indian forces along the Line of Control (LoC). The Foreign Office said in a statement that "indiscriminate and unprovoked firing" in Kayani and Jura sectors of the LoC on June 29 and June 30 killed one person and injured five others. The Indian forces along "the LoC and the Working Boundary (WB) have continuously been targeting civilian populated areas with artillery fire, heavy-caliber mortars and automatic weapons," the statement alleged. The Indian side was called upon to respect the 2003 Ceasefire Understanding; investigate this and other such incidents of ceasefire violations and maintain peace along the LoC and the WB, it added. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Wednesday applauded India's sweeping ban on Chinese apps including TikTok, saying New Delhi was ensuring its own security. "We welcome India's ban on certain mobile apps" from China, Pompeo told reporters, saying the move would "boost India's integrity and national security." "India's clean app approach will boost India's sovereignty and will also boost India's integrity and national security, as the Indian government cell itself has stated," he said. India had been the top international market for TikTok, the blockbuster Chinese app popular with young people that lets users upload and share short videos. TikTok on Tuesday denied sharing users' data with the Chinese government after India banned the wildly popular app as ties with Beijing deteriorate sharply following a deadly border clash. As India reportedly considered hiking tariffs and with some Chinese imports held up at ports, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government on Monday banned 59 Chinese apps including TikTok, WeChat and Weibo. The ministry of information technology said the apps "are engaged in activities... prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India, security of state and public order". The move mirrored growing unease about Chinese tech firms in other countries, in particular regarding telecom giant Huawei. TikTok, owned by China's ByteDance, allows users to upload and share short videos and is spectacularly popular in India -- its 120 million users have made it the app's top international market. Pompeo has been on a campaign, with limited success, to dissuade other nations from embracing Chinese telecom giant Huawei, a leader in fifth-generation internet technology. President Donald Trump was not verbally briefed on a reported Russian effort to pay the Taliban to kill U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan because the allegations were not corroborated at the time, White House National Security Adviser Robert O'Brien said on Wednesday. O'Brien, however, declined to say whether the intelligence, which U.S. ally Britain also has said it was aware of, had been included in a written presidential briefing earlier this year. He also attributed the decision not to brief the president to a senior civil servant in the Central Intelligence Agency, and said he supported that call. "The person who decided early on whether the president should be briefed on this in the Oval, in the Oval intelligence briefing, was a senior career civil servant," O'Brien told reporters at the White House. "And she made that decision because she didn't have confidence in the intelligence that came out." The Republican president has faced a barrage of criticism after New York Times reports that a Russian military intelligence unit had offered bounties for U.S. and allied soldiers and that Trump received a written briefing on the matter in February. After Trump initially said he was not briefed on the matter, the White House earlier this week said Trump was not "personally" briefed but did not address whether he had received a written report or read it, and why he had not responded more aggressively if so. O'Brien told reporters on Wednesday that Trump has now been briefed on the Russian bounty reports. "The president's been fully briefed," O'Brien said outside the White House. "We don't get into written classified documents." Democrats on Tuesday called on Trump to consider imposing new economic sanctions on Russia if the information was confirmed. Trump has tried to deflect criticism by saying the intelligence was not conclusive enough to be brought to his attention, and by calling news reports "fake news." "I was never briefed because any info that they may have had did not rise to that level," he wrote on Twitter on Wednesday. Democratic lawmakers have asked for more in-depth briefings on the issue. O'Brien said the Gang of Eight - congressional leaders and intelligence committee lawmakers - would be briefed by intelligence officials. A congressional source said the briefing was expected on Thursday. Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Wednesday held China in "clear and serious breach" of the Sino-British Joint Declaration under which Hong Kong had been handed over to the Chinese authorities and confirmed that a citizenship route will now be offered to Hong Kong's British National (Overseas) passport holders. Addressing his weekly Prime Minister's Questions in the House of Commons, Johnson said China's new National Security Law is a threat to the rights and freedom of the region and in direct conflict with Hong Kong Basic Law. "We stand for rules and obligations and we think that is the soundest basis of our international relations. The enactment and the imposition of this National Security Law constitutes a clear and serious breach of the Sino-British Joint Declaration. It violates Hong Kong's high degree of autonomy and is in direct conflict with Hong Kong Basic Law," Johnson told MPs. "The law also threatens the freedoms and rights protected by the Joint Declaration. We made clear that if China continued down this path, we would introduce a new route for those with British National (Overseas) status to enter the UK, granting them limited leave to remain with the ability to live and work in the UK and thereafter to apply for citizenship. And, that is precisely what we will do now," he said. The UK has committed to make it easier for the estimated 350,000 Hong Kong residents who are British National Overseas (BNO) passport holders to come to the UK, as well as nearly 2.6 million others who are eligible to BNO status. Under current rules, they are entitled to visa-free access to the UK for six months but under a new "bespoke" system this will be further extended. UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab followed up Johnson's comments with a statement to the Commons in response to China's imposition of what has been branded an "anti-protest" law in Hong Kong and laid out the specific aspects of the new law which are a 'flagrant assault' on the rights guaranteed under the Sino-British agreement. "We want a positive relationship with China and recognise its status in the world... but China has broken its promise to the people of Hong Kong and its international obligations," he said. The minister said that because China failed to live up to its commitments, the UK will live up to its responsibilities. "We will change the arrangements for BNO holders with a bespoke route," he said, adding that after a five-year period BNO passport holders from Hong Kong will be able to access British citizenship. He said that further details of the new visa route will be laid out in Parliament by UK Home Secretary Priti Patel in due course. Opposition Labour Party shadow foreign secretary Lisa Nandy welcomed the government's move following the "deeply shocking" move by China and ensuing arrests in Hong Kong which she said have "stunned the world". But she stressed that the government must ensure the new citizenship route for Hong Kong's BNO passport holders is enforced in an equitable way and not limited to only rich Hong Kong residents who can afford a move to the UK. The new law, which targets secession, subversion and terrorism with punishments up to life in prison, came into effect on Tuesday. Critics say it effectively puts an end to the "one country, two systems" principle enshrined in the 1985 Joint Declaration, a legally binding agreement signed by the UK and China which protected certain freedoms in the territory for at least 50 years. China rejects criticism of its actions, on what it says are internal matters. The U.N. mission in Afghanistan said its findings indicate the Afghan military had mistakenly fired the mortars this week at a busy market in southern Helmand province that inflicted heavy civilian casualties. A car bombing and mortar shells struck the market in Sangin district on Monday, killing 23 people, including children, according to a statement from a provincial governors office. Both the Taliban and the Afghan military blamed each other for the attack. A series of tweets late Tuesday from the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, or UNAMA, said that multiple credible sources" have asserted that the Afghan army fired the mortars in response to Taliban fire, missing (the) intended target." That suggests there was a battle between the Taliban and Afghan forces at the time of the attack. The U.N. did not elaborate how its mission reached those findings. The tweets said both parties in the war in Afghanistan must stop fighting in civilian-populated areas" as such fighting has caused thousands of civilian casualties. UNAMA also urged the Afghan government to set up independent investigation team for Mondays incident" and offered its assistance. The Afghan government has insisted there was no military activity in the Taliban-controlled area at the time of the attack. The Defense Ministry responded on Wednesday to the U.N. tweets by repeating that statement, adding that Afghan mortars cannot reach the Sangin market from their checkpoints. Civilians are often caught in the crossfire of the fighting even as Afghan forces say they are targeting the insurgents, not civilians, in anti-militant operations. A U.N. report in May blamed the Taliban for killing or wounding a total of 208 civilians in April and also said that operations carried out by Afghan forces had killed or wounded 172 civilians. The attack in Helmand came as Washingtons special peace envoy, Zalmay Khalilzad, is again touring the region to try and push the peace process forward. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in a Monday video conference with the Taliban pressed the insurgents to reduce violence in Afghanistan. There have been expectations that talks between Afghan government representatives and the Taliban could possibly start this month in Doha, Qatar, where the Taliban maintain a political office. A judge in Brazil on Tuesday dismissed a court ruling requiring President Jair Bolsonaro to wear a face mask in public during the Covid-19 pandemic. Judge Daniele Maranhao Costa said the order was unnecessary since face masks are already mandatory in the capital Brasilia. The attorney general's office, which represents the government in legal matters, made precisely that argument in its appeal filed on Friday. Maranhao Costa, however, did not say whether the far-right president should or should not wear a mask, simply that the specific order concerning the president was redundant. In his appeal, Bolsonaro simply asked to be treated as any other resident of the country's federal capital, where mask use has been mandatory since April. Breaking the rule can result in a fine of 2,000 reales -- nearly $400 -- and so far, the president has not been fined for failing to wear a mask. Bolsonaro has regularly broken the social distancing measures in place in the capital, giving handshakes and hugs at rallies, hosting barbecues, hitting the shooting range and going out for hot dogs, generally without a mask. The president, who has famously compared the virus to a "little flu," has railed against the measures state and local authorities are taking to fight it, arguing that business closures and stay-at-home measures are needlessly wrecking the economy. However, since the first ruling on June 22, Bolsonaro has worn a mask at all public appearances. Brazil has the second-highest COVID-19 death toll in the world after the United States, with nearly 60,000 deaths and 1.4 million confirmed cases. After nearly three months of differences and negotiations, the UN Security Council on Wednesday unanimously adopted the first COVID-19-related resolution, demanding a general and immediate cessation of hostilities around the world. The France and Tunisia drafted resolution "demands a general and immediate cessation of hostilities in all situations on its agenda and supports the efforts undertaken by the Secretary-General and his Special Representatives and Special Envoys in that respect." It calls upon all parties to armed conflicts to engage immediately in a durable humanitarian pause for at least 90 consecutive days, in order to enable the safe, unhindered and sustained delivery of humanitarian assistance, provisions of related services by impartial humanitarian actors, in accordance with the humanitarian principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality and independence, and medical evacuations. The Council has been strongly criticised for its inaction and lack of leadership in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic and its failure to adopt even a single resolution on the global health and humanitarian crisis caused by the outbreak that has wrecked havoc across the world since early 2020. The resolution came after months of negotiations as divisions among Council's two permanent veto-wielding members - the US and China - hindered attempts to adopt a resolution. A key sticking point between the US and China over the resolution was reference related to the World Health Organisation. Washington has strongly criticised the WHO for its handing of the pandemic, with President Donald Trump halting funding to the health body. The resolution affirms that this "general and immediate" cessation of hostilities and humanitarian pause "do not apply to military operations against the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as Da'esh), Al Qaeda and Al Nusra Front (ANF), and all other individuals, groups, undertakings and entities associated with Al Qaeda or ISIL, and other terrorist groups, which have been designated by the Security Council." German Ambassador to the UN Christoph Heusgen, President of the Council for the month of July, welcomed the adoption of the resolution, saying Germany begins its Presidency with a signal for hope. "The Security Council has today endorsed the Secretary General's call for a global ceasefire in the face of COVID-19 with a resolution. This is a sign for hope for all people currently living in conflict zones around the world. It is now the obligation of the Council and all parties to armed conflicts to implement this resolution in our work this month and beyond," he said. "The negotiations were not easy, but this resolution shows that differences can indeed be overcome especially in the face of this pandemic. The will to come to common solutions for global crises through teamwork and multilateralism must be the prevailing goal of this Council. Even in difficult times, especially in difficult times, the Security Council must act." The Secretary General's appeal for a global ceasefire has been endorsed by nearly 180 countries, more than 20 armed groups, as well as religious leaders and millions of members of civil society. The resolution requests the Secretary-General to help ensure that all relevant parts of the United Nations system, including UN Country Teams, in accordance with their respective mandates, accelerate their response to the COVID-19 pandemic with a particular emphasis on countries in need, including those in situations of armed conflict or affected by humanitarian crises. Acknowledging the critical role that women are playing in COVID-19 response efforts, as well as the disproportionate negative impact of the pandemic notably the socio-economic impact on women and girls, children and refugees, the resolution calls for concrete actions to minimise this impact and ensure the full, equal and meaningful participation of women and youth in the development and implementation of an adequate and sustainable response to the pandemic. Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Inc, USA, was charged for conspiring to fix prices for generic drugs, the US Department of Justice said on Tuesday. The case, filed in the US District Court in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, involved allegation that Glenmark conspired with Apotex Corp and other generic drug companies to increase and maintain prices of pravastatin and other generic drugs beginning in or around May 2013 and continuing until at least in or around December 2015, the Department of Justice said in a statement. The charge alleges that the gain to the conspirators, and the loss to the victims, was at least USD 200 million, it added. When asked about the charges, a Glenmark spokesperson said, "We strongly disagree with the charges being advanced by the Federal government and do not believe the evidence supports the government's case". "These charges run contrary to the very essence of Glenmark - to drive down drug prices and improve patient access to medications. We will continue to vigorously defend against these charges, and we are confident the overwhelming evidence will make that clear," the spokesperson added. Glenmark is the fifth company to be charged over the last 13 months in connection with antitrust violations in the generic pharmaceutical industry. The previous corporate charges, including the charge against Glenmark's co conspirator Apotex, were resolved by deferred prosecution agreement, the statement by the US Department of Justice said. Protesters against the new national security law gesture with five fingers, signifying the Five demands - not one less" on the anniversary of Hong Kong's handover to China from Britain in Hong Kong. (Image: AP) Lawyers suing for the unredacted footage said they believe it will show that police should not be the ones to deal to people who are experiencing mental health crises, considering the ample documentation local authorities had that Muller was mentally ill. Jeffersonville, IN (47130) Today Partly cloudy skies this morning will become overcast during the afternoon. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High around 85F. Winds W at 10 to 15 mph.. Tonight Light rain early. Then remaining cloudy. Low 57F. Winds NNW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 70%. (Newser) Masks and other measures to stop the spread of the coronavirus will be completely optional at the July 3 Independence Day event at Mount Rushmore, and those who have concerns have the option of staying home, South Dakota's Republican governor says. "Those who want to come and join us, we'll be giving out free face masks, if they choose to wear one," Gov Kristi Noem told Fox News Monday night. "But we will not be social distancing." Noem told host Laura Ingraham that state officials want people to "focus on personal responsibility." She added: "Every one of them has the opportunity to make a decision that they're comfortable with." story continues below President Trump is expected to deliver remarks at the Friday night event, which will feature fireworks at the monument for the first time since 2009. NBC reports that attendance has been limited to around 7,500. Tickets were distributed after an online lottery earlier this month. Social distancing has been encouraged by South Dakota health officials and the National Park Service, which has jurisdiction over Mount Rushmore. "We ask the public to be our partner in adopting social distancing practices when visiting parks," the National Park Service says. (Noem has vowed not to let anybody blow up the monument.) (Newser) Joe Biden on Tuesday held his first press conference in 89 days, Fox News reports. The presumptive Democratic presidential nominee first gave a stump speech on how he would handle the coronavirus pandemic, the New York Post reports, but the 15 questions he then answered over a 30-minute period also touched on other recent controversies and headlines. While Biden has given a number of interviews over the past three months, this was the first time since the coronavirus pandemic changed the shape of the campaign that he has taken questions from reporters in such a setting, a fact that has been criticized by President Trump and his team. A small group of journalists attended, socially distanced, inside a high school gymnasium in Wilmington, Del., the Hill reports. Some quotes from Biden, including at least one that could prove controversial: On COVID-19: The former VP said the US is no better prepared now than we were in March. "Its almost July and it seems our wartime president has surrendered, waved the white flag, and abandoned the battlefield. We dont need a cheerleader, Mr. President. We need a president, Mr. President." story continues below On bounties Russia allegedly placed on US troops: "The idea that somehow [Trump] didnt know is a dereliction of duty if thats the case, he said, referring to Trump's assertion that he was not briefed on the plot before it was revealed publicly in recent days. "And if he was briefed and he didnt do anything about it that is a dereliction of duty." "The idea that somehow [Trump] didnt know is a dereliction of duty if thats the case, he said, referring to Trump's assertion that he was not briefed on the plot before it was revealed publicly in recent days. "And if he was briefed and he didnt do anything about it that is a dereliction of duty." On controversial monuments: Monuments to Confederate leaders should be removed by local officials, peacefully, and placed in museums rather than in public spaces, he said. However, other controversial past leaders should be dealt with differently: "I think with regard to those statues and monuments, like the Jefferson Memorial, theres an obligation that the government protect those monuments because theyre different, Biden said. Thats a remembrance. Its not dealing with revering somebody who had that view. They had much broader views. They may have had things in their past that were now and then distasteful, but thats a judgment." The Hill notes that stance may not sit well with activists in the Democratic party. Monuments to Confederate leaders should be removed by local officials, peacefully, and placed in museums rather than in public spaces, he said. However, other controversial past leaders should be dealt with differently: "I think with regard to those statues and monuments, like the Jefferson Memorial, theres an obligation that the government protect those monuments because theyre different, Biden said. Thats a remembrance. Its not dealing with revering somebody who had that view. They had much broader views. They may have had things in their past that were now and then distasteful, but thats a judgment." The Hill notes that stance may not sit well with activists in the Democratic party. On lists he's making: Biden said he's making a list of black female candidates he could nominate to the Supreme Court, and that his team is vetting black, Latino, and Asian women as VP options. He'll reveal his running mate several weeks before the Democratic convention in August, he said. Biden said he's making a list of black female candidates he could nominate to the Supreme Court, and that his team is vetting black, Latino, and Asian women as VP options. He'll reveal his running mate several weeks before the Democratic convention in August, he said. One take: "His answers were not always clear, and there were some awkward moments that drew attention to his age," the Hill notes. Biden actually addressed that in response to a question about his cognitive ability: "I can hardly wait to compare my cognitive ability to the cognitive ability of the man Im running against," he said, though he also called the reporter, who asked if Biden had been tested for cognitive decline, a "lying dog face." (Read more Joe Biden 2020 stories.) (Newser) Some 155 years after the last battle of the Civil War, the Confederate battle flag no longer features on any state flags. Mississippi's flag, the last in the nation to incorporate the Confederate emblem, became history Tuesday evening when Gov. Tate Reeves signed a bill to retire the flag the state adopted in 1894, the Washington Post reports. "This is not a political moment to me but a solemn occasion to lead our Mississippi family to come together and move on," the Republican governor said at the signing ceremony. "A flag is a symbol of our past, our present, and our future. For those reasons, we need a new symbol." story continues below Mississippi lawmakers passed a bill to abandon the controversial flag Sunday. It calls for a "prompt, dignified and respectful removal" of the flag within 15 days. The move, which follows weeks of protest against racial injustice, had bipartisan support. Reeves said Tuesday that while he rejects "mobs tearing down statues of our history," he understands "the need to commit the 1894 flag to history and find a banner that is a better emblem for all Mississippi," CNN reports. Mississippi is now without an official state flag. The bill calls for a commission to create a new design by September, to be approved or rejected by voters in November. The only requirements set out in the bill call for the flag to have the words "In God We Trust"and for the Confederate emblem to be excluded. (Read more Mississippi stories.) (Newser) An SUV carrying Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds hit a Black Lives Matter protester who was trying to block the vehicle Tuesday as she was leaving an event in northern Iowa, but the Iowa State Patrol blamed the protester and said there was little contact and the protester did not appear to be hurt. The state patrol confirmed the SUV hit the protester, who was among about two dozen BLM activists who had traveled 90 miles from Des Moines to Ackley. Members of the group weren't allowed into the event at Family Traditions Meat, a small processor, so they gathered at the end of a driveway and tried to block the governor's SUV, the AP reports. Jaylen Cavil, a BLM organizer, told the Des Moines Register that he stood in the driveway in the hopes that Reynolds would roll down a window and talk with protesters. story continues below I was standing right in front of the car and I just stood there. I was like, Im going to stand here. Surely the driver of the governor is not going to hit me with her car. This is the governor, my governor, whos supposed to be representing me. Im sure that her car is not going to intentionally hit me. I was wrong, he said. Cavil said the impact spun him around and lifted him onto the SUV's hood, but he wasn't hurt. I 100% think they intentionally hit me, he said. Theres no way that this driver could not see me right in front of his car. Afterward, Cavil said an Iowa State Patrol trooper began yelling at him and called him an idiot. Another state trooper was driving the SUV. A state patrol rep says it was Cavil's fault for "intentionally stepping in front of the slowly moving vehicle." BLM activists are trying to convince Reynolds, a Republican, to quickly end the state's controversial voting rules for felons. (Read more Iowa stories.) (Newser) An employee at a Hampton Inn in North Carolina has been fired after calling the cops on Black guests who were using the pool. Two police officers responded to a trespassing complaint at the Williamston location on Friday after the employee, an unidentified white woman, reported finding two children unattended in the pool. The children said their mother was watching from a car, reports ABC News. Anita Williams-Wright, who'd booked two rooms, began a livestream as she was met by the employee and officers, who demanded proof that she was a guest. Williams-Wright refused to identify herself, but she presented her key to access the pool. The 10-minute video, viewed more than 1 million times, continues with the police running Williams-Wright's license plate. Because "I'm the only Black person here, in this pool, they want to question me," she said. story continues below Williams-Wright said the employee didn't approach two white guests using the pool. "She said to me, 'Oh, because it's always people like you using the pool unauthorized.' Who [are] 'people like me?'" A rep for Hampton Inn owner Hilton said the company has a "zero tolerance for racism or discrimination" and that the "team member is no longer employed at the hotel," per USA Today. It's unclear if further disciplinary action was taken. The employee had told officers that "her manager wanted the people arrested," according to the police report. It describes the case as "unfounded." Police have since launched an internal investigation over the handling of the call. Williams-Wright noted officers should have left when she presented her key. "I didn't commit a crime," she said. "You are degrading me like this in front of my kids," who "are trying to enjoy themselves in the pool." (Read more North Carolina stories.) (Newser) Nine women who accused the Weinstein Company of a hostile work environment, in which they were forced to facilitate Harvey Weinstein's sexual conquests, have reached a settlement of $18.8 million. A victims' compensation fund is to be distributed among "women who experienced a hostile work environment, sexual harassment, and gender-based discrimination while working at the Weinstein Company, as well as sexual abuse by Harvey Weinstein," the New York Attorney General's office said Tuesday, per CNN. The initial lawsuit naming TWC, Weinstein, and his brother, Robert, described "one group of female employees whose primary job it was to accompany HW to events and to facilitate HW's sexual conquests." One employee was reportedly flown from London to New York "to teach HWs assistants how to dress and smell more attractive to HW." story continues below Attorney General Letitia James said the settlementwhich would permit accusers to claim $7,500 to $750,000 and release them from any confidentiality agreementswas "a win for every woman who has experienced sexual harassment, discrimination, intimidation, or retaliation by her employer," per CNN. But that's not how some of Weinstein's alleged victims see it. Lawyers representing several of those women said the settlementwhich still needs approval from the US District Court in New York City, per NBC Newsis "a complete sellout of the Weinstein survivors," as it doesn't require Weinstein to accept responsibility or provide any money himself, per CBS News. "We will be vigorously objecting in court," the lawyers said. (Read more Harvey Weinstein stories.) (Newser) A police chase this week in California led to a carjacking suspect plunging over the side of a cliff in the vehicle he was drivingand living to tell the tale. In a statement cited by NBC News, the Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office says a report came in around 3:30pm on Tuesday of a man shooting a handgun in the air outside the town of Davenport. That same person is believed to have carjacked a vehicle, and when police finally caught up with him, they say he wasn't exactly amenable to accommodating a traffic stop. "The suspect continued driving South towards the city of Santa Cruz ... refusing to pull over," the sheriff's office statement says, noting the driver reached speeds upward of 100mph. story continues below Once the suspect entered the city, cops stopped the chase so as not to endanger community members. They say they caught up with the suspect again, however, which is when the driver ended up "going over the cliff and into the water"with the driver subsequently clambering out of the submerged vehicle and back up the cliff, where police were waiting to arrest him. No injuries have yet been reported. An investigation is ongoing, and the unidentified suspect awaits charges, per ABC News. (Read more police chase stories.) The gentle 25-year-old father was killed when a madman behind the wheel of a stolen box truck plowed into his SUV the final and fatal wreck in a terrifying tear through Queens where the suspect bounced off dozens of cars, police and eyewitnesses said. Cruz-Gomez was headed to do some grocery shopping for his young family. (Newser) You're not supposed to stare at the sun, but a new NASA film lets you safely do so for an entire hour. Per the Guardian, the space agency has released a decade's worth of "mesmerizing" footage of our resident star, taken from February 2010 all the way up to last month by a trio of instruments on the Solar Dynamics Observatory. Per NASA, the SDO stitched together 425 million high-res images into a 61-minute video, set to a soothing score by German musician Lars Leonhard, that depicts a full solar cyclecomplete with developing sunspots, eruptions, and planets passing by. The SDO snapped a photo of the sun every 0.75 seconds, on average, with one of the instruments capturing a picture "every 12 seconds at 10 different wavelengths of light." story continues below As for some parts of the video that seem amiss: NASA explains that at points when the sun seems off-center, the SDO instruments were recalibrating, while occasional dark frames (such as that seen at 53:29 in the video) were from the Earth or moon obscuring the light as they passed between the spacecraft and the sun. A slightly longer blackout in early August 2016 took place when there was a problem with one of the instruments, which was taken care of after about a week. Newsweek notes that the video comes out right before the European Space Agency releases the closest pictures of the sun ever taken, shot from the NASA-ESA Solar Orbiter, which got as close as 48 million miles away from the sun's surface. Those images are due out in mid-July. The sun will remain under the SDO's gaze until 2030. (Read more NASA stories.) (Newser) President Trump on Wednesday made clear his take on the allegations that Russia put bounties on US troops in Afghanistan: "Fake News." That was part of the president's tweet on the subject, which reads in full, "The Russia Bounty story is just another made up by Fake News tale that is told only to damage me and the Republican Party. The secret source probably does not even exist, just like the story itself. If the discredited @nytimes has a source, reveal it. Just another HOAX!" He subsequently addressed whether he was briefed on the allegations, tweeting, "'No corroborating evidence to back reports.' Department of Defense. Do people still not understand that this is all a made up Fake News Media Hoax started to slander me & the Republican Party. I was never briefed because any info that they may have had did not rise to that level." More: The Hill reports the tweets are the first comments Trump has made on the subject since Monday, when he said the allegations weren't brought to him because they weren't "credible." story continues below The New York Times, which broke the story on Friday, on Tuesday ran a follow-up that suggested a money trail backs up the intelligence. It indicated sizable amounts of money were funneled from a bank account controlled by Russias military intelligence agency to an account tied to the Taliban. Other intelligence led analysts to believe these transfers were part of a bounty program and not some other form of Russian support. Its take: "The disclosures further undercut White House officials claim that the intelligence was too uncertain to brief President Trump." But in an appearance on Fox News on Wednesday morning, National Security Adviser Robert O'Brien emphasized that Trump was not briefed on the subject because the intelligence was "uncorroborated," referring to reports to the contrary as another false story. He noted that they did ready options for a response should that verification have come through, and that those options would have been presented to Trump. Republican senators said much the same on Tuesday after a White House briefing with O'Brien and National Intelligence Director John Ratcliffe. They noted the intelligence was "unverified"; called media reports "inaccurate"; and pointed out that the Senate Intelligence Committee had access to the intelligence that Trump did but didn't raise an alarm, "implying the recent controversy has a political motive with the election four months away," as the Hill puts it. (Read more President Trump stories.) (Newser) The head of global human resources at Adidas has stepped down after acknowledging she has lost the trust of employees pushing for a more diverse workforce. "While I would very much like to lead this critical transformation effort, after much reflection and listening to the feedback Ive received, I have come to accept that I am not the right person to lead that change," Karen Parkin said in a letter to employees seen by the New York Times. Her resignation follows protests from employees at the company's North American headquarters in Portland, Ore., over discrimination issues and remarks that Parkin, who is British, made during an all-employee meeting at Adidas subsidiary Reebok last year. story continues below In an open letter, Reebok exec Aaron Ture said he raised concerns about the Adidas Group's treatment of people of color at the meeting, and Parkin said something along the lines of: "This is noise we only hear in North America," and "I do not believe there is an issue, so I do not feel the need to answer this question." He said he was unable to quote her word-for-word because the company failed to share its recording of the meeting. "It has become clear to me that, to unify the organization, it would be better for me to retire and pave the way for change," Parkin said Tuesday, per CBS. (In mid-June, Adidas said it was time to "own up to its silence" and pledged to step up its hiring of people of color.) (Newser) An amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act regarding the renaming of US military bases paying tribute to Confederate leaders has already been approved in a voice vote by the Senate's Armed Services Committee. But President Trump has just made clear he doesn't intend to let it get very far as part of this year's proposed $740 billion annual defense bill. The amendment, proposed by Sen. Elizabeth Warren in early June, would mandate that the Defense Department nix any names honoring the Confederacy at 10 military bases within three years' time. The same would apply to any monuments or other Confederacy-tied items at all defense facilities, per the Washington Post. Last month, Trump posted, "Hopefully our great Republican Senators won't fall for this!" and he doubled down on his complaint on Wednesday morning, this time issuing a sterner declaration. story continues below "I will Veto the Defense Authorization Bill if the Elizabeth 'Pocahontas' Warren (of all people!) Amendment, which will lead to the renaming (plus other bad things!) of Fort Bragg, Fort Robert E. Lee, and many other Military Bases from which we won Two World Wars, is in the Bill!" he tweeted. The Post and Politico note that Trump is increasingly finding himself alone in this stance, with GOP senators and military bigwigs like Defense Secretary Mark Esper and Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy publicly noting they'd consider new names and a scrubbing of Confederate-tied paraphernalia. In a Tuesday presser, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer scoffed at the idea of a veto and dared to Trump to do so. "It has bipartisan support," he said of the amendment, per the Post. "It will stay in the bill." (Read more Confederate stories.) (Newser) A week after officials announced plans to retake an occupied protest zone in Seattle, police have moved in. The FBI assisted officers from Seattle and Bellevue in clearing out the area encompassing several blocks in the city's Capitol Hill section, widely known as the Capitol Hill Occupied Protest, early Wednesday, per the Seattle Times. The outlet describes at least 100 officers dressed in body armor and wielding batons and other weapons moving through the area, accompanied by "tactical vehicles." Mayor Jenny Durkan had issued an executive order declaring "an unlawful assembly requiring immediate action" just before 5am. Police started issuing dispersal orders, and KING 5 describes 23 arrests by 7:45am. story continues below Seattle Police Chief Carmen Best described weeks of violence, "including four shootings, resulting in multiple injuries and the deaths of two teenagers." Police said a 16-year-old boy was killed and a 14-year-old boy was injured when shots were fired on a vehicle in the zone early Monday, per the Times. Lorenzo Anderson, 19, died after being shot at the edge of the protest zone on June 20. Defenders argue the violence is unconnected with the protest. Police said some protesters overturned portable toilets as officers approached Wednesday. Others erected a barricade of trash cans, but at least one protester urged compliance. "Don't mess this up for Black Lives Matter!" Rick Hearns shouted through a megaphone, per the Times. "We'll get another place." (Read more Seattle stories.) Iconic Kiwi rockers Shihad are also set to join the fray, as well as local bands The Phoenix Foundation, Racing and DJ duo Chaos In The CBD. The South Island sister festival to Gisbourne's Rhythm and Vines usually includes a mix of international artists alongside the homegrown acts, including Rudimental, Disclosure and Grandmaster Flash in previous years. This time, New Zealand's border restrictions due to the coronavirus pandemic have seen the first fully Kiwi lineup, one that festival director Alex Turnbull says might be their "best yet". Weve carefully hand-picked these acts from around Aotearoa to highlight the diverse talent that New Zealand has to offer," Turnbull said in a statement. This is a one-off quintessential Kiwi all-star festival, with a second announcement still to come!" The first official line up announcement is as follows: Six60 Fat Freddy's Drop Shihad Benee The Phoenix Foundation Quix Chaos In The CBD. Wax Mustang Reb Fountain Racing Truth Trei Fairbrother Ferby K2K There's a Tuesday Rhythm and Alps runs from December 29 - 31 2020 at Cardrona Valley in Wanaka. Tickets go on sale to the general public on Wednesday July 8. He says a parent should not be returning to work until after those crucial first 1000 days of their child's life. "There's no benefits at all from the research for a child being in a childcare centre under the age of three," he told host Ryan Bridge. "It doesn't make them more intelligent, it doesn't improve their social skills... benefits don't start accruing until they're three. Being at home for the first three years is what literature tells us is the best outcome." But his advice was ill-received by early childhood teacher and mother-of-six Jo, who called in to fire back at Wallis' claims. "I totally dispute almost 80 percent of what [Wallis] said... I've had all of my children in early childhood, the latest I've had them in care is six months old... I have an amazing connection with my children," she argued to Bridge. "You can find literature for anything you want... that's very simplistic." Jo says she's had "no issues" with any of her children and as an early childcare worker, she's seen "hundreds" of examples of children who are better off being cared for at a centre. "There are so many other factors that are much more important - stability within the home... a family raising a child rather than one parent." She also argued early childhood workers do love the children they look after, following Wallis' claim that at home, children have "someone that loves them unconditionally", "understands them better than anyone else" and "would die for them" - a bond that can't be achieved at childcare centres. "A sense of connection that you don't get when a teacher has good relationships with [the number of] kids they're looking after. What really matters is the sense of connection, not education. No one's going to connect to you usually as well as your mother or father will," Wallis said. Infants thrive when a strong relationship is built with a "special person", whether it be mum, dad, a guardian or primary caregiver, and according to literature, fostering that "sense of connection" will have the most significant impacts on a child's development. If a parent can't afford to stay at home for three years, Wallis recommends "the next best thing" - whether it be grandparents, home-based care with one caregiver rather than rostered staff, or a primary care centre to ensure the child will be looked after mainly by one person. He argues that parents should be investing their money into sustaining a stay-at-home role for those first three years, rather than splashing cash on a private school later in life. "If you've got $50,000 and you want your kid earning as much money and as highly-qualified as possible when they're 32... spend it in the first 1000 days, spend it with having a parent staying at home with the child - that's going to do more to lift qualifications and income at 32 than going to the flashest, private secondary school." However, he acknowledged that children's outcomes are determined by multiple factors, adding he doesn't want "parents to freak out". He also noted that not all of his children were at home until the age of three. On Wednesday, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern celebrated the paid parental leave extension in Parliament, joking about influencing the women in her office to have babies. "Every time I look at all of the pregnant women in my office... I don't know what I've started, but it's just rife." Small businesses, many of which are already struggling after the COVID-19 lockdown, are crying out for banks to permanently reduce paywave fees. While consumers can't get enough of the technology, for many companies they are simply too expensive and are cutting into their already small margins. But it's not just businesses that are paying the price, in 2015 economic consultancy firm COVEC found a hidden cost passed on to consumers of $380 million a year and it's forecast to almost double by 2025. Doris Mousdale owns Arcadia Book Store in Auckland and her business is one of many that features a 'no paywave' sign. "We pay for electricity, rent, staff, paper bags, you name it, we pay for it and then we're paying an additional charge on our bank charges," Mousdale says. Joana Legat, the owner of fragrance store Isabel Harris says you only need to shop around Auckland "and you'll see any little sole trader pretty much all of them have no paywave". That's because every time you swipe your paywave card the business is charged a percentage of the customer's purchase as a fee. Auckland's water managers realised after a bad drought in the 90s that, when another one arrived, it needed another source of water to keep the taps on. It was granted consent to take some from the top of the Waikato River, just south of the city's boundaries, before the river flows out to sea. But as the city grew in 2013 to shore up resilience, it asked for 200 million litres a day more from the Waikato Regional Council, which would double its take. However it's a slow queue; there are still more than 100 applications in front of it. Waikato Regional Council chair Russ Rimmington said the Resource Management Act hamstrings them from speeding that up - it's first in, first served. "We've been to the Minister in 2013 with Watercare, took our CEOs down there, and said 'this is probably not in the best interests of New Zealand, particularly the Auckland application'," Rimmington said of the expected pace of hearing applications. "The Minister at the time - not David Parker - said 'this is not a beauty parade, that's the law, and you will abide by it'." As the water shortage has developed to a critical level, yesterday Environment Minister David Parker declared it an issue of national significance. "I think that your largest city having the prospect of running out of drinking water is a matter of national significance. It very easily meets that test. Everyone knows this needs to be resolved," Parker said. That declaration essentially pulls it out of the long queue, and sends it to another process, to be heard by a special Board of Inquiry. The Board, made up of three to five members, will independently make a decision about whether the application should be granted. It will be chaired by a current or former Environment Court Judge or a retired High Court judge. Once it gets underway a decision is due within nine months. Parker said that, while this speeds up the process, it doesn't mean the application has been decided on. "One of the things I've asked the Board of Enquiry to look at is the economics of alternatives; they clearly need drinking water - a proper question is are there affordable alternatives." One option includes treating wastewater and sending it back through the system as drinking water, which Watercare has floated before. Parker said matters under the Resource Management Act must consider the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi, and the Waikato River Authority - a joint Crown and Iwi organisation - can nominate a panel member. "We know Auckland is in dire straits. They came to us and said, 'Would you reallocate your water for a period of time?' and of course, that just made sense - especially post-COVID, when we need our big city up the road to be thriving." The offer follows Environment Minister David Parker's agreement to fast-track Auckland's application for an additional 200 million litres of water from the Waikato River - an application that has been languishing behind 105 other resource consent requests since it was filed in 2013. On Tuesday, Parker issued a statement confirming that Auckland's application had been called in under the Resource Management Act and transferred to a Board of Inquiry. Hamilton's helping hand comes in stark contrast to the responses from the Waikato River Authority and the Waikato Regional Council. Earlier this week, the River Authority's chief executive, Bob Penter, proposed that if Auckland wants 25 million additional litres from the river each day, it can pay 10-cents-per-litre for the privilege - with a daily receipt of a whopping $2.5 million. Responding to the Authority's proposal, Southgate reiterated that no one can own water in New Zealand - hence the free reallocation of Hamilton's water allowance. The Waikato Regional Council has also staunchly refused to help Auckland combat its ongoing water shortage, with chairman Russ Rimmington telling council subsidiary Watercare - the organisation that manages Auckland's municipal water - to "get a grip" in a fiery rant last week. Rimmington's tirade followed Auckland Mayor Phil Goff's plea to Parliament to fast-track the 2013 application, urging the Government to add the water crisis to the list of 11 urgent projects set to receive funding as part of the COVID-19 recovery plan. Rimmington argued that Watercare's lack of forward-thinking regarding the city's infrastructure and growing population was to blame, telling The AM Show: "Watercare have absolutely had closed ears... you've got 1.5 million people, you've got 300,000 [additional] people in the last 10 years - your infrastructure is bursting at the seams... you're not going to take this water." When asked by host Duncan Garner whether the regional council and the River Authority are simply "anti-Auckland", Southgate defended the organisations, noting that the decision whether to allow Auckland to draw additional water from the Waikato River is "more complex". "They're allocating the bigger, more permanent flow for Auckland - we're just involved in the temporary reallocation of part of our flow," she explained. The New York Times first reported that information on the alleged Russian bounty operation was included several months ago in Trumps presidential daily briefing, setting off a controversy over whether the president looked the other way and even floated the idea of inviting Russian president Vladimir Putin to rejoin the G7. Dr Bloomfield says New Zealand is "almost unique" in its success in keeping COVID-19 at bay, but says while things feel back to normal, "we do not want to give up our hard-won efforts". "[We don't want] the opportunities affored by being at alert level 1 and our ability to have our domestic economy and how we can live our daily lives compromised at all," he said. Bloomfield says the resurgence in case numbers Australia has seen in recent times is a reminder for New Zealanders "that we must continue to be on guard and vigilant, as individuals, as communities and as a country". "Its good news that all of our currently active cases have been caught at the border, and there is no evidence of community transmission. However we will continue widespread testing of people with symptoms across the community as part of our ongoing surveillance," he said. New Zealand has also passed another milestone, Dr Bloomfield revealed, with the number of completed tests in the country surpassing 400,000. Founder Ranjna Patel told The AM Show the programme aims to tackle issues around family harm head-on. "What we've done is, if police are called to a home for an incident of family violence, the men are given the opportunity to go into the [Gandhi Nivas] home where there'll be a bed and counselling. "They are given a space to talk and confront it." Domestic violence is a long-standing issue in New Zealand and spiked during the COVID-19 lockdown. Police said there was a 24 percent increase in family harm in the first few days of alert level 4 alone. Patel said instances of family harm needed to be confronted within 24 hours. "Having 60 percent of men not re-offend again has been a big, big outcome," she said on Wednesday, adding the offering of free counselling and place to stay has made a "big difference". "I think our 'no blame' listening of the counsellors is the biggest point of difference. "Our main purpose is not just working with the men - another set of counsellors go to the home to say, 'Is this the last straw'?" Police Commissioner Andrew Coster said in a statement the research shows family harm can be addressed. The study was conducted by psychology Professor Mandy Morgan and senior psychology lecturer Dr Leigh Coombes. Where to find help and support: OPINION: There's a reason you are paid national superannuation from the age of 65. It's a guaranteed weekly wage until you die. It's about dignity. It's about respect for what you have done for your country. It's an acknowledgement your working days are probably over - so here's a few hundy a week to cut loose. It's paid to every Kiwi the day you hit 65, no questions asked. It costs more than $15 billion a year, and is the single most expensive policy item on any Government's books. We have homeless Kiwis on the pension as well as multi-millionaires. In fact, 2500 Kiwis earning over $300,000 a year still opted in to receive the payment despite their huge income. It's their birthright - 40 years of hard slog. But for new New Zealanders or recent immigrants, you only have to spend 10 years here before getting the pension. That's simply not a level playing field. Nor is it fair. Our passage to the pension is a daily slog - but as an immigrant, you can come here at the age of 55 and not lift a finger for this country - other than pick the grandkids up from school once a week - and still be entitled to the full pension once you hit 65. No wonder immigrants have flocked here. These people could come here, go to sleep for ten years - and literally wake up and sign up. Now as much as I panned Winston for his interference in the cameras on fishing boats saga on Wednesday... today, I welcome his political radar on the pension. I know the word 'pension' in public makes Winston nervous, but relax Winston, you are the hero of this story - not the villain. Here's the guts: a New Zealand First private members bill passed its crucial first reading on Wednesday night, forcing all immigrants to have lived here for at least 20 years before they can waltz on up and pick up the pension. I reckon it should be 25, but 20 is better than 10. Most parties voted for it, and in these post COVID times, increasingly we will have to put the needs and demands of Kiwis first - look after our public finances and our future. We don't need to make it so easy for these immigrants - no way. Good on ya Winston. End the free lunch, dinner and breakfast. Duncan Garner is the host of The AM Show. The study, which surveyed pigs between 2011 and 2018, published in the scientific journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences also said people working with the pigs had been infected. While that showed the ability for the virus to pass from animals to humans, no evidence of human-to-human transmission has yet been found. "Controlling the prevailing G4 EA H1N1 viruses in pigs and close monitoring in human populations, especially the workers in swine industry, should be urgently implemented," it said. Kiwi Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield told The AM Show he had read reports about the virus, but said new viruses aren't uncommon. "They have found this strain of a flu virus that is a new one that they haven't seen before. They have found that some of the people working with the pigs have been infected by it over a period of years, remembering the study only went through to 2018," he said. "It is not uncommon for them to find these new viruses, and I think as the WHO said, [it is] a very timely, salutary reminder that these viruses are out there, they do change, and new ones do emerge. We have got to keep our eye out for them and be ready to respond if needs be." Dr Bloomfield said the fact human-to-human transmission had not yet been detected was critical. "The other comment that was made is that there's no flu vaccine against it at the moment, but that's not surprising, because they do, of course, change the strains in the flu vaccine each year, but they would use the same technology, I would imagine, to be able to develop a vaccine if a new strain did emerge. "That's one thing, there is existing, good knowledge and understanding of how to develop vaccines for influenza strains." A World Health Organization (WHO) spokesperson is quoted by the BBC as saying that the organisation would closely look at the study. "Twice a year during the influenza vaccine composition meetings, all information on the viruses is reviewed and the need for new candidate vaccine viruses is discussed. We will carefully read the paper to understand what is new. "It also highlights that we cannot let down our guard on influenza; we need to be vigilant and continue surveillance even during the COVID-19 pandemic." Dr Jemma Geoghegan, a virologist at the University of Otago, said any news that the next "viral pandemic" will be caused by a new virus found in pigs "might be a little premature". "The main finding of this paper is that a new type of H1N1 flu called G4 has emerged in pigs, which probably happened around 2016. "This G4 virus has only been found in pigs so far. They found that 10 percent of farmers already have the antibodies for this G4 strain. But there is no evidence that G4 is circulating in humans, despite the virus seemingly being around since 2016. "There is no evidence that G4 poses an immediate threat to humans but it is important to continue close monitoring and surveillance." The H1N1 influenza virus is what led to the 2009 Swine Flu pandemic. There were about 18,450 lab-confirmed deaths reported to the WHO relating to that pandemic, but the death toll is estimated to be much higher by the United States' Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Ferries have been cancelled and road snow warnings issued as a gale-force southerly storms through the Cook Strait, whipping up monster waves and forcing a cold blast on the North Island. Giant waves as much as six metres tall are swamping Wellington as the front moves through, causing the Interislander ferry to cancel several trips between Wellington and Picton on Wednesday and Thursday. Interislander executive general manager Walter Rushbrook told RNZ the company regretted the inconvenience however the top priority had to be safety. One of the projects receiving funding is the Christchurch Coastal Pathway, a post-earthquake project which is now 80 percent complete. There's nothing like a brisk walk along the Christchurch coast for local woman Lauren Sokolik, but her walks have been cut short by the unfinished walkway. Now, cash from the Government will get the job done. It's getting $15 million from the Government and will employ approximately 100 people over a 12 month period. "It's wonderful to be able to walk along this path," Sokolik told Newshub. "Having it connected will be great for the Sumner residents." Others agreed. "I've actually been looking for nice long walks to take my new dog for a walk so it's cool that it's now being extended," a local woman told Newshub. Another said, "This will be absolutely brilliant." Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern also celebrated on Wednesday paid parental leave being extended to 26 weeks. During a celebration in Parliament, she joked about influencing the women in her office to have babies. "Every time I look at all of the pregnant women in my office.. I don't know what I've started, but it's just rife." But Auckland's regional fuel tax kicked in on Wednesday, too - and the Opposition did not let the Government forget it. "Tax, tax, tax," National leader Todd Muller shouted during a speech in Parliament. The Government's infrastructure spend has been hailed by Business NZ as the "first step towards recovery", with the regions each getting a slice of the $3 billion infrastructure cake. But Alan McDonald from the Employers and Manufacturers Association (EMA) told Newshub it's a good start, but not enough. "It's great for the regions but we still need more." There are also concerns that the $500 million earmarked for Auckland is nowhere near enough. "Auckland could have done with a whole lot and probably not addressed any of the main issues that we have - I mean, $3 billion would be a drop in the bucket for Auckland's needs," McDonald added. Finance Minister Grant Robertson pointed out that all the projects are ready to go within a year. For some, like Christchurch's coastal walkway, work is already underway. "There are projects that could be underway in three months and then projects that will be closer to the end of the 12 month timeframe," Robertson said. "All of that adds to a pipeline of jobs that will carry on." There were just a handful of projects announced on Wednesday - one in each region. In Rotorua, a roading project that will mean 1100 more houses can be built, while Invercargill's city renovation gets a top up. The rest will be drip-fed. "I think it's only fair for the different regions to all have their day in the sun," Robertson said. He denied drip-feeding the projects ahead of the election is cynical politics. "Not at all." Robertson's speech in Parliament on Wednesday was political, however. He relentlessly took the mickey out of Muller and the resignation of former National Party deputy leader Paula Bennett who danced her way out in a kimono with comedian Tom Sainsbury. "When it comes to Todd Muller, the emperor has no kimono," Robertson said to laughter in the House. "The favourite word of Mr Muller is shambles - well there's only one shambles and it's over there," he added, pointing to the Opposition. Muller shot back in his follow-up speech, by pointing at the Government benches and saying: "The definition of shambles is that rambunctious group." But that so-called rambunctious group has $3 billion to hand out in the lead up to Decision 2020. The new law defines four crimes: separatist activity, state subversion, terrorist activity and collusion with foreign forces, which can be punishable by up to life in prison. "New Zealand has consistently emphasised its serious concern about the imposition of this legislation on Hong Kong without inclusive consultation or the proper involvement of all of Hong Kong's institutions," Peters said. "We share the international community's stake in preserving the high degree of autonomy and freedom available to Hong Kong and its people under the 'one country, two systems' framework. "It is this autonomy and freedom, together with open governance, judicial independence, and consensus on the rule of law that have been fundamental to Hong Kong's growth as a global financial and economic hub since 1997." Prime Minister Ardern, when asked on Tuesday to respond to reports that China had passed the new security law, said the Government had made its position clear. "We have taken a clear view that in our view this moves away from the one system but two operations kind of system of government so we've given a clear view on that and made statements to that effect, and of course we see the disruption that has been caused as a result. "Sometimes you'll see collective statements, sometimes you'll see singular you'll see the same messaging and very little difference between the Five Eyes partners and the positions we've all taken on this issue." Green Party justice spokesperson Golriz Ghahraman described the new law in a tweet as "a terrifying breach of democracy and human rights" in Hong Kong. The UK is New Zealand's sixth-largest trading partner, with two-way trade sitting at almost $6 billion annually. The first round of negotiations are set to take place virtually from mid-July. Speaking to The Telegraph's Chopper's Politics podcast earlier this week, Peters said New Zealand is "set to go", hoping to secure a "high-quality agreement" with "speed". He said our experience negotiating other FTAs would prove beneficial. "We are certainly game-ready because we've had to, as a trading nation, do so much of these deals with other countries in Asia and around the world. In a sense, we are match-fit. When I believe that, because of the tie with the European Union, it is something new for the UK in that context," he said. Peters said New Zealand had a lot to offer the UK, particularly in terms of food products, while the UK had a lot we wanted, such as in pharmaceuticals and vehicles. "I hope that the English primary production sector do not see us as competitors. The reality is that we can complement each other and do better internationally." He said he saw the potential for the UK and New Zealand even before Brexit had been voted on. "I came to the UK in preparation for the June 23, 2016 referendum and made an address to the House of Lords committee at the time to say it is going to happen and we need to look at the UK's business and commercial and trade relationships around the world," Peters told The Telegraph. "The UK, naturally, being in the Commonwealth of 2.2 billion people and over 50 countries, this was, I believe, then an opportunity to start working on the UK's reemergence in the world of going global so to speak. "Then there were countries like New Zealand and Australia which are seriously natural partners where we have got, across the divide, seasonal differences, so we are not competing with the UK in so many ways. We have got trade, education, science, cultural, people-to-people ties, and above all, democracy and the rule of law." He said it's the UK's chance to "reconnect" with emerging economies after being tied to the EU and an opportunity for the Commonwealth to take off as an economic bloc. "When countries like India get to understand, and this is a seriously emerging economy of 1.4 billion people, when they realise it is in their interests to be part of a wider association, and there are countless other countries like that as well - Canada, Australia, New Zealand, are all in the same boat here - it just gives us greater leverage to facilitate the opportunities and the strengths of different sectors in all of our countries. We will do better by all doing better trade together." Peters also spoke of how he picked that Brexit would happen, despite most in the UK thinking Brits would vote to stay in the EU. "I don't believe the polls and believe that I could read, from what I knew, that out there, particularly in the Labour electorates, there was a massive disconnect between the Labour constituency and the Labour Party, and it showed in the polls as well. "I had the benefit of the best pollsters that I know. I got into some London taxi cabs and I asked the driver what he thought." In launching the negotiations, Trade Minister David Parker said New Zealand was beginning a process with "one of our oldest friends". "As the global economy continues to be severely impacted by the effects of COVID-19, we are more committed than ever to concluding a bilateral FTA capable of delivering significant benefits to the people of both New Zealand and the UK," he said. UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson welcomed the talks by posting a video on Twitter. "There's so much we already do. I mean let's face it, we buy colossal quantities of New Zealand win - fantastic Oyster Bay - we watch the orcs and hobbits we think come from New Zealand," Johnson said. "We export gin, we export buses to New Zealand - but frankly there's so much more we could do together, from agriculture to services." However, documents from the UK's Department for International Trade (DIT) reveal that a deal with New Zealand could reduce the UK's GDP by 0.01 percent. A best-case scenario would see GDP boosted by 0.01 percent in the long term. New Zealand's GDP would see growth of up to 0.35 percent, according to the DIT. Gross Value Added (GVA) would likely increase. The UK is also pursuing a deal with Australia. DIT documents found that deal will boost UK GDP growth by between 0.01 percent and 0.03 percent. Members of fishing family Talleys organised two fundraising dinners at hotels for New Zealand First, Newshub can reveal - another link between the party and the fishing industry. It came on a day leader Winston Peters fronted to say he's had nothing to do with delaying fishing boat cameras, after Newshub obtained an explosive audio recording of Fisheries Minister Stuart Nash talking about him and Shane Jones. The recording was from February 2018, around the time the Government first delayed the rollout of cameras on nearly 1000 fishing boats - since then it's been delayed again until at least October next year. A lack of Maori representation in the party's upper echelons was highlighted early on in Muller's reign as leader, with no Maori MPs in the top 12. Muller has promised a small reshuffle in the coming days and eyes are on whether Dr Reti, the party's tertiary education and associate health spokesperson, moves up the ranks. The AM Show host Duncan Garner said on Wednesday that Muller was under pressure "to do something on the Maori front", but if the leader suddenly promotes Dr Reti to the frontbench, it may look like "you have kowtowed to the do-gooders who want you to move people around based on some sort of quota". "You are under a bit of pressure both ways here, I reckon," Garner said. Muller told The AM Show: "I don't feel under pressure". "The frontbench is a number by the way, created by the media around here, which is the first 12 of your team... There will be no change to the top 12," he said. "Clearly, with Paula, who was number 13, I have got to put somebody into that space. There might be a couple of changes, and you will hear from me shortly." Muller said he looks at his team in terms of who would be in Cabinet, which is usually composed of 20 MPs. "Who are the people who are going to sit around that table in the Beehive from September 20 with a plan to deliver jobs and growth for the country? That's your Cabinet. That's your top talent. The fact of where they sit in Parliament in terms of the first 12 seats and the next eight seats, that's a construct of others. It doesn't drive my thinking and it never has." He also mentioned that he had given the large Workplace Relations and Safety portfolio to 46th-ranked Maori MP Dan Bidois. Muller said there is diversity throughout the party. "Whenever this issue has come up over the last few weeks now, I have talked firstly to the diversity that already is in the National Party. We have got Maori MPs, Filipino, Pasifika, Indian, Chinese. We have a really diverse, talented party of 55." After revealing the party rankings in May, Muller said National made decisions based on "merit" rather than ethnicity. His Maori Development spokesperson, Jo Hayes, wasn't impressed, however, telling Radio Waatea at the time that she would be speaking to the leader about the lack of Maori voices. "This is not good. We need to remedy this or you need to front it and take it head-on and say why. You need to give a better explanation." Under questioning about the lack of Maori MPs, deputy leader Nikki Kaye told media that fifth-ranked MP Paul Goldsmith was "obviously Ngati Porou". Goldsmith later said he had connections to iwi, but wasn't Maori. Cranford, who recommended the parole board keep Mallory locked up in December, said in his letter that he doesnt think court supervision, an ankle bracelet and a mandate for Mallory to register as a sex offender will stop the convicted deviant from getting back to his old hobby. "The victim was left with spinal injuries, pelvic and rib fractures and his life has changed immeasurably as a result of the incident," WorkSafe said on Wednesday. Steve Kelly, WorkSafe's chief inspector, said the accident was caused in part by a failure of communication, as the migrant worker spoke English as a second language and was not aware of the danger of standing on the trailer's drawbar. He said at the time of the incident Sidogg Investments employed a number of migrant workers and therefore should have been taking extra precautions to communicate potential risks. "WorkSafe's investigation found it was common practice for calf collection workers to stand on the drawbar, but this absolutely should not have been allowed," said Kelly. "At any farm where workers are employed and for whom English might be a second language, employers need to take extra precautions to ensure health and safety responsibilities are being met and understood by workers. "As an employer it is your responsibility to make sure you find ways to clearly communicate risks. Employers should not allow any work to be carried out until they are completely satisfied workers understand safe practices." As well as the fine, the company was also ordered to pay reparations of $90,000. New Zealand activists have spoken out against the threats made against Butler and called for the companies involved to take action. "Violent threats are just another tactic used by oppressive regimes in order to suppress opposition and avoid accountability," says Sam Murphy, of Environmental Justice Otepoti. "Ravensdown and Ballance need to own the fact that they are enabling violence against Saharawi people in Western Sahara, and enabling violent threats against Kiwi human rights activists. "Ravensdown's repeated appeals to consider the other side of the story minimizes and excuses the violence of the Moroccan occupation. It needs to stop." Butler says she has reported the threats to the New Zealand Police and Netsafe. "These threats are nothing compared to what Saharawi experience on a daily basis," she says. "I cannot understand why Ravensdown and Ballance would want to do business with people who act like this. It's frightening." Ravensdown CEO Greg Campbell told Newshub it disagrees with Butler about the benefits of the phosphate trade to the Saharawi people. "I've met with Josie and several others to outline the industry's point of view on the topic of Western Sahara which the UN designates as 'sovereignty undecided'," he said. "It's always been our contention that the UN is the right place to reach a settlement as there are more than two sides to the story." Campbell adds Ravensdown "deplores any use of threats", and "the tone of our engagement has always been respectful". "Any individual trolls attacking anyone are not speaking for the industry and these comments have absolutely no connection to Ravensdown," he said. "The fact that anyone could resort to such personal comments on the web is sickening. It's vital that for such an important issue, the principles of civilised and informed debate are maintained. "Being unregulated, social media can contain lots of unhelpful misinformation, innuendo and inflammatory language. It's important that all sides of a disagreement try their best to deal with each other's perspectives with compassion and humanity, not coercion and hatred." Ballance says "any kind of threatening behaviour is not OK" and it supports "open and transparent debate" on any issue. "Fertiliser made with Western Saharan phosphate rock provides New Zealand's agricultural sector with the very best blend of nutrients so farm production can be optimised while managing the industry's environmental footprint for future generations. NZ soil has unique deficiencies which can be offset by fertiliser if we get the recipe right," a spokesperson said. "The phosphate rock that best suits NZ's requirements comes from a Western Sahara location called Boucraa. Mining company OCP, through a subsidiary called Phosboucraa, returns all profits to the Western Saharan people, the Saharawi, through investment in areas such as health, education and housing." If you have witnessed or experienced sexual harassment or assault and would like to speak to someone, you could call the HELP support service. PGG Wrightson's South Island wool manager, Dave Burridge, said there was little demand from the overseas mills that usually import New Zealand wool, reflecting the continued fallout from the virus. "We're certainly seeing some serious headwinds in our industry... to put it bluntly it's quite depressing, very, very in fact." Burridge said the challenges facing wool growers were not limited to New Zealand, other wool exporting nations were in similar strife. But what doesn't help is that the industry here is fragmented, with no governing body representing New Zealand wool growers, and no funding available to properly promote their product. "It's been 20 years now since the demise of the New Zealand Wool Board, and I think it would be fair to say that the track record would indicate there's probably grounds for another conversation to be had, for growers to re-group for their business, because at the end of the day they own their own wool." A Mackenzie District sheep and beef farmer near Fairlee, Greg Anderson, said the wool prices were frustrating, and he agreed better marketing would play a key part in improving returns. Anderson said New Zealand's crossbred wool was some of the best in the world and should be promoted as a sustainable product, compared to synthetic fibres. He said if things don't improve the industry could disintegrate, with some farmers already opting to convert to sheep breeds that grow very little or no wool. "A lot of farmers will find ways to get away from producing sheep that produce wool, because farmers are very quick adapters, you know the Wiltshire breed I know they're selling very well up in the North island at the moment... and then you lose a whole industry." A Government and industry-led wool working group was set up in July last year, to try to find a way to revive the struggling sector. As part of this, a report outlining a comprehensive plan for the whole sector was expected to be released months ago by Agriculture Minister Damien O'Connor. O'Connor said there have been delays due to COVID-19, but he hopes to release the report in the next 10 days. RNZ Dalton tells Newshub he thought the money was going to a contractor involved in television production. He also "completely categorically" says the team and the America's Cup event haven't misused public money. "If my word is not enough, then I have directors that can say that too," he says, adding he can "absolutely" prove that. "It's scandalous, there's no doubt about it." Dalton fired a Kiwi contracting company brought in to help run the event, claiming they leaked sensitive information and were also the ones who set up the Hungarian payment. "There was an incorrect bank detail - or a fraudulent bank detail - on an invoice and the invoice was approved by me." With such serious allegations swirling, the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) had threatened to withhold the next installment of public money. The Government and Auckland Council have poured $250 million into hosting the event, which is due to take place next year. The council has given $133 million and the Government has contributed $136.5 million. On top of that, a $40 million hosting fee was also given. Auckland Council has spent another $100 million on transforming the waterfront. When asked if he could trust Team NZ, MBIE Minister Phil Twyford wouldn't directly answer, instead saying a review was underway and different claims were being made. Other claims include a lack of record-keeping by the event company and an unwillingness to provide information. "We held some information back, because we were worried that we had moles in the organisation that leaked," says Dalton. "We do, we dealt with them, now we're answering the questions." Dalton hopes New Zealanders can trust him and the team, despite the claims, but admits "they'll have to make up their own mind about that". Team New Zealand and ACE have responded by denying any wrongdoing, stressing they had been open and transparent regarding the $3m sum, which they claim was paid for services. "It is a valid charge in relation to the management and delivery of the events for the significant time spent by ETNZ team members for event related matters," the team says. "In short, this loan discussion is unrelated to the ETNZ charges for the event work done by its staff on the creation of the concept and design for the new class of the yacht to be used in the events (a radical new foiling monohull concept) and the Class Rule itself." Team NZ also claims that the link to the Hungarian bank was as a result of an email scam, which resulted in a payment to a fraudulent account. It was later reported to police and the funds recovered, it adds. "The email scam which resulted in the payment to a fraudulent Hungarian bank account was immediately disclosed after its discovery and an assurance was given that ACE still had sufficient funds for the delivery of the events, and that it would not be seeking any further financial assistance from the hosts. "The fraud/theft was reported to the NZ Police who alerted the relevant international authorities with all appropriate steps being instigated through Kiwibank and Bell Gully, solicitors, to attempt to recover the funds." Newshub's America's Cup reporter Tom McRae, who has been following this story closely, told the AM Show TNZ deny the allegations. "They claim 'insiders' were leaking misinformation to MBIE and this is part of that," McRae said. "This confidential letter that was written by the council chief executive Stephen Town and the head of MBIE, went to Team New Zealand and it outlined some pretty serious allegations. "The team has been given hundreds of millions of dollars of council and taxpayer money to put this event on at a world class standard. "To be accused of taking NZ$3million of a loan and reclassifying it and paying it into a Hungarian bank account, which amounts to fraud, those are very serious allegations. "If MBIE and the Auckland Council can stack that up, I guess that would signpost some serious concerns for the way the event is being run." Team New Zealand boss Grant Dalton told Newshub on Tuesday that there is "nothing to this" when it comes to the fraud allegations. Air New Zealand is stopping flights between Aotearoa and Melbourne for two weeks as the city suffers a second wave of COVID-19. The suspension went into effect immediately on Wednesday, meaning multiple flights scheduled for the day were either cancelled or will operate as cargo flights only. "Due to Australian Government restrictions Air NZ will not operate passenger services from Auckland to Melbourne from July 1 to July 14," the airline said in a statement. "The airline was due to operate two return services to Melbourne today. NZ123 from Auckland to Melbourne is operating as a cargo only flight, with NZ124 operating with inbound passengers to Auckland. "NZ127 and NZ128 today will be cancelled." TDT | Manama An urgent call has gone out for the United Nations to extend an expiring weapons embargo on Iran to maintain peace and stability in the region. This appeal was made by U.S. Special Representative for Iran and Senior Policy Advisor to the Secretary of State, Brian Hook, who spoke at a Press conference last night alongside Foreign Affairs Minister Dr. Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani. I stand here today, shoulder to shoulder with Bahrain, to call on the UN Security Council to extend the UN embargo on Iran, said Hook. The U.S. Special Representative highlighted U.S. efforts in working with regional governments to maintain security and stability in the Middle East, while warning of drastic consequences with a failure to extend the arms embargo, which expires in October. From maritime security to economic prosperity to religious freedom, we will continue to work together; but if our restrictions on Iran are permitted to expire, this work will become much harder, he said. The world cannot allow this to happen. Hook stressed that the U.S. partnership with Bahrain is strong, and that it is based on trust and will continue to grow. We remain committed to Bahrains security and to our deep and effective partnerships to counter Iran-backed terror, he said. He blamed Iran on spending major revenues for funding terrorism, and noted that the country is in big financial trouble while not being bothered to spend on its citizens welfare Hook called on the brotherly countries in the region to support extending the arms embargo. They are unanimous in their view that the last thing this region needs is more Irani weapons, he said. They must extend the embargo and give stability in the region a chance so that future generations can flourish. Hook intends to visit countries who believe that the embargo is a must to maintain peace and stability. He has already been to the UAE and Saudi Arabia, and is planning to visit three more nations. Meanwhile, the Foreign Minister mentioned that Hook held a meeting with His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Prime Minister. He thanked the U.S. and Fifth Fleet for their continuous support to Bahrain. The Foreign Minister accused Iran for funding nearly 29,000 attacks, which has disrupted civilian life in Bahrain, and also blamed Iran for being behind the Saudi Aramco attack. On these circumstances, he demanded that the UN continue its arms embargo on Iran for peace and stability in this region. TDT | Manama His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa received a cable of thanks and respect yesterday from Bahrain Chamber chairman Sameer Abdulla Nass for his directives to unify the national efforts to tackle the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19). Nass also extended his gratitude to HRH the Prime Minister Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa for his and the governments fruitful efforts toward the economic growth of the Kingdom. He sent a third cable to HRH Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Prime Minister, to extend his sincerest thanks and appreciation for his national efforts towards development in Bahrain. The Bahrain Chamber chairman lauded the royal directives and initiatives to protect the health and safety of citizens and residents alongside the governments programmes to achieve sustainable development. He lauded the decisions made to help the private sector during the current situation and maintain sustainable growth. He pointed out that the commercial, industrial and services sectors will all benefit from the reassuring environment created by the royal directives, especially small businesses which can now overcome their hardships and ease their financial obligations. This, he noted, will result in the perpetual economic reinvigoration that will serve the private sector, stimulate investment and thus protect the national economy from any recession. The Bahrain Chamber chairman wished HM the King success in achieving citizens aspirations, praying to God Almighty to bless him with health and wellness. He also extended his sincerest applause and well wishes to HRH the Prime Minister and HRH the Crown Prince for further economic development and progress in Bahrain. Egypt's top appeals court upheld on Wednesday a death sentence against one monk and decided to commute a sentence against another to life imprisonment over the killing of a bishop at a monastery in 2018, a judicial source said. The two monks, Wael Saad Tawadros and Ramon Rasmy Mansour, were sentenced to death by a lower criminal court in April 2019 over the killing of 64-year-old Bishop Epiphanius at the desert Saint Macarius Monastery in Wadi El-Natroun, northwest of Cairo. The sentences followed a review by the countrys grand mufti for his non-binding opinion, as required by Egyptian law. On Wednesday, the Court of Cassation upheld the death sentence against Tawadros, whose monastic name is Isaiah El-Maqary, and reduced the sentence against Mansour, known as Faltaous El-Makary, to life in jail -- which is 25 years in Egypt. The two defrocked monks were convicted of premeditated murder. Investigations showed that the two men ambushed the bishop on his way from his residence to the monastery chapel, where Tawadros hit him on the head with a steel bar, while Mansour stood guard, prosecutors previously said. Wednesday's sentences are final and cannot be appealed. The murder of Bishop Epiphanius sparked outrage among the Coptic Christian community and led the introduction of strict measures by the Coptic Orthodox Church to regulate monastic life. These included a freeze on accepting new monks, a ban on monks use of social media, a ban on building non-sanctioned places of worship, and barring monks from leaving monasteries without official permission. Short link: Wilson added that shes looking into the three cops who allegedly reenacted the incident and even took photos, she said shell hold off on sharing those findings publicly until the officers in question are able to respond. TDT | Manama His Royal Highness the Prime Minister Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa has highlighted the importance of the historical strategic partnership between Bahrain and the U.S. in enhancing stability in the region and achieving the shared interests of the two friendly countries and peoples. HRH the Premier received U.S. Ambassador to Bahrain Justin Siberell, whose diplomatic term in the Kingdom has ended. HRH the Prime Minister praised Ambassador Siberells efforts and contributions in promoting friendship and cooperation between the two countries to advanced levels in various fields, and wished him success in his next missions in the service of his country. The U.S. Ambassador expressed his gratitude to HRH the Prime Minister for his steady support and interest in strengthening relations. He praised Bahrains consistent keenness to strengthen the bonds of cooperation, and the Kingdoms support throughout his term in Manama, which has had a great effect in achieving common goals in developing relations. TDT | Manama A renowned Bahraini doctor who was involved in a vast narcotics peddling case was handed a seven-year jail term yesterday by the First High Criminal Court. The doctor is the prime defendant in the case, which involved six other defendants who were convicted yesterday of drug abuse, possession and peddling, among other charges such as forging official documents. Two of them were sentenced to six years of imprisonment and fined BD2,000 each, while another defendant received a verdict of three years of imprisonment and deportation. The fifth defendant was sentenced to two years of imprisonment and fined BD1,000. The sixth man was handed a sentence of one year in jail for forging official documents, and the seventh defendant was acquitted. The details of the case show that the defendants were guilty of dispensing large quantities of addictive prescription pills known as Lyrica, using fake prescriptions issued by the doctor and illegally selling it to addicts for higher prices that are often more than four times their original cost. The ring was exposed when the Public Prosecution announced earlier this year that the Military Police of the Bahrain Defence Force (BDF), in cooperation with the Anti-Narcotics Department in the Interior Ministry, arrested a military staff member and two civilians as they were illegally selling the pills. As reported earlier, one of the defendants told interrogators that he was familiar with consuming the medicine, claiming that it was prescribed to him after he was involved in a traffic accident back in 2010. Explaining further, he stated that he had met some individuals who asked him to illegally sell them the medicine prescribed to him for prices ranging between BD10 to BD20. The suspect confessed that he continued doing so, taking advantage of the prescriptions issued in his name and illegally selling the drugs for a couple of years. He also said that throughout this process of selling Lyrica to addicts, he had met the prime defendant a few months before he was arrested. He revealed that the doctor prescribed large quantities to him in one go, as he, the doctor, worked in several hospitals and was cooperating with several pharmacies around the Kingdom, some of which he owned, to dispense the medicines to the defendant. In his statements, the man mentioned that a relationship had developed with the doctor, as the latter requested him to provide him with copies of identity cards so more prescriptions could be issued to sell larger quantities of Lyrica to addicts. He added that he once sold a box of Lyrica packets for BD3,000, using the same method. Investigations revealed that some of the prescriptions were issued in 2019 to individuals who had left Bahrain in 2018. The defendant also informed interrogators that he would averagely collect 60 packets from certain pharmacies that are advised by the doctor every two days, adding that he would sell one packet for prices ranging between BD50 to BD100, and that sometimes when the demand is high he would collect more than 100 packets at one go. For his part, the doctor, who is a consultant and had reportedly been practising medicine for over 30 years, denied the charges of peddling drugs or assisting in selling it. He justified his stance saying: My intention was to only help needy people and patients, especially that I have been practising medicine for more than 30 years. Reports provided by the National Health Regulatory Authority (NHRA) showed that the doctor had issued prescriptions of Lyrica and similar drugs from pharmacies that are affiliated with him. The reports showed that around 3,000 packets were collected in only four months. How they got busted? On January 20 this year, Muharraq Governorate Chief Prosecutor Ahmed Abdullah Al Ramadhan was quoted in a press statement released by the Public Prosecution confirming the arrest of the ring. The Chief Prosecutor said that large quantities of narcotics and amounts of money collected from selling the drugs were found in the arrestees possession. Back then, Al Ramadhan stated that the prosecution launched a probe into the incident, interrogated the arrestees, heard witnesses testimonies, and reviewed a report prepared by the technical committee, which inspected the computers in a number of public and private hospitals and analysed data. The Chief Prosecutor explained further in the statement saying that it was proven that the accused doctor issued fake prescriptions and reports that stated that the individuals mentioned on the prescriptions had undergone the necessary medical examination and are worthy of collecting the narcotics. Al Ramadhan also confirmed that other suspects who were involved in the case would purchase the narcotics from certain pharmacies, where the pharmacists are also affiliated in their plot, and later sell the pills to drug addicts for higher prices. He added that the prosecution issued arrest warrants against other suspects who are abroad. Seoul Japanese automakers are suffering an extended slump in South Korea amid a protracted trade row between the two Asian neighbors and the coronavirus pandemic, industry sources said Sunday. Honda Motor Co. suffered a sharp decline in its operating income to 1.98 billion won $1.64 million between April 2019 and March 2020, down from an operating income of 19.6 billion won a year earlier, according to its audit report. Its sales also plunged 23 percent to 363 billion won over the cited period. Its vehicle sales here also sank by 73 percent in the first five months of the year from a year earlier to 1,323, South Korean News Agency (Yonhap) reported. Nissan Motor Co. also decided to pull out from South Korea 16 years after its landing here amid an extended slump with weak sales caused by lingering anti-Japan sentiment and the new coronavirus outbreak. Nissan and its premium brand Infiniti logged 38 per cent and 71 percent drops in sales, respectively, to 1,041 and 222 vehicles in the January-May period. Toyota Motor Corp. and its luxury brand Lexus also were also stung by protracted slumps, with their vehicle sales dropping 57 per cent and 64 percent, respectively, in the first five months of the year compared to a year earlier, industry data showed. Last July, Japan tightened regulations on exports to South Korea of three high-tech materials critical for the production of semiconductors and displays. In August, Japan also removed South Korea from its list of countries given preferential treatment in trade procedures South Korea views the moves as retaliation against 2018 Supreme Court rulings here ordering Japanese firms to compensate South Korean victims of forced labor during Japan's 1910-45 colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula. Seoul Audi Korea on Wednesday unveiled its first all-electric sport utility vehicle model in South Korea as it strives to boost sales amid the new coronavirus outbreak. The Audi e-tron 55 quattro SUV went on sale in European markets in March last year and then in the United States and China during the summer and in November last year, respectively, a company spokeswoman said. The Audi's first fully electric vehicle comes with a higher-capacity 95-kWh battery pack and its two electric motors fitted to each axle on the front and rear side can generate a combined 360 horsepower, the company said in a statement, according to South Korea News Agency (Yonhap) "The current global situation reinforces the importance of sustainability economically, socially and environmentally. And emission-free drive systems have their part to play," Jeff Mannering, executive director of Audi Division of Audi Volkswagen Korea, said in a launching event. He said the company will provide a three-year warranty for the Audi e-tron, with the guarantee period for the battery reaching eight years. It can travel up to 307 kilometers on a single charge and accelerate from zero to 100 kilometers per hour in 6.6 seconds, it said. The scandalous case also includes a bitter divorce battle involving Lori and Charles Vallow. The woman once tried to lock him out of his own life insurance policy to stop him from removing her as his beneficiary. Court documents show that he accused her of becoming infatuated at times obsessive about near death experiences and spiritual visions. When the first coronavirus cases in Chicago appeared in January, they bore the same genetic signatures as a germ that emerged in China weeks before. But as Egon Ozer, an infectious-disease specialist at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, examined the genetic structure of virus samples from local patients, he noticed something different. A change in the virus was appearing again and again. This mutation, associated with outbreaks in Europe and New York, eventually took over the city. By May, it was found in 95% of all the genomes Ozer sequenced. At a glance, the mutation seemed trivial. About 1,300 amino acids serve as building blocks for a protein on the surface of the virus. In the mutant virus, the genetic instructions for just one of those amino acids - number 614 - switched in the new variant from a "D" (shorthand for aspartic acid) to a "G" (short for glycine). But the location was significant, because the switch occurred in the part of the genome that codes for the all-important "spike protein" - the protruding structure that gives the coronavirus its crownlike profile and allows it to enter human cells the way a burglar picks a lock. And its ubiquity is undeniable. Of the approximately 50,000 genomes of the new virus that researchers worldwide have uploaded to a shared database, about 70% carry the mutation, officially designated D614G but known more familiarly to scientists as "G." "G" hasn't just dominated the outbreak in Chicago - it has taken over the world. Now scientists are racing to figure out what it means. At least four laboratory experiments suggest that the mutation makes the virus more infectious, although none of that work has been peer-reviewed. Another unpublished study led by scientists at Los Alamos National Laboratory asserts that patients with the G variant actually have more virus in their bodies, making them more likely to spread it to others. The mutation doesn't appear to make people sicker, but a growing number of scientists worry that it has made the virus more contagious. "The epidemiological study and our data together really explain why the [G variant's] spread in Europe and the U.S. was really fast," said Hyeryun Choe, a virologist at Scripps Research and a lead author of an unpublished study on the G variant's enhanced infectiousness in laboratory cell cultures. "This is not just accidental." But there may be other explanations for the G variant's dominance: biases in where genetic data are being collected, quirks of timing that gave the mutated virus an early foothold in susceptible populations. "The bottom line is, we haven't seen anything definitive yet," said Jeremy Luban, a virologist at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. The scramble to unravel this mutation mystery embodies the challenges of science during the coronavirus pandemic. With millions of people infected and thousands dying every day around the world, researchers must strike a high-stakes balance between getting information out quickly and making sure that it's right. --- SARS-CoV-2, the novel coronavirus that causes the disease covid-19, can be thought of as an extremely destructive burglar. Unable to live or reproduce on its own, it breaks into human cells and co-opts their biological machinery to make thousands of copies of itself. That leaves a trail of damaged tissue and triggers an immune system response that for some people can be disastrous. This replication process is messy. Even though it has a "proofreading" mechanism for copying its genome, the coronavirus frequently makes mistakes, or mutations. The vast majority of mutations have no effect on the behavior of the virus. But since the virus's genome was first sequenced in January, scientists have been on the lookout for changes that are meaningful. And few genetic mutations could be more significant than ones that affect the spike protein - the virus's most powerful tool. This protein attaches to a receptor on respiratory cells called ACE2, which opens the cell and lets the virus slip inside. The more effective the spike protein, the more easily the virus can break into the bodies of its hosts. Even when the original variant of the virus emerged in Wuhan, China, it was obvious that the spike protein on SARS-CoV-2 was already quite effective. But it could have been even better, said Choe, who has studied spike proteins and the way they bind to the ACE2 receptor since the severe acute respiratory syndrome outbreak in 2003. The spike protein for SARS-CoV-2 has two parts that don't always hold together well. In the version of the virus that arose in China, Choe said, the outer part - which the virus needs to attach to a human receptor - frequently broke off. Equipped with this faulty lock pick, the virus had a harder time invading host cells. "I think this mutation happened to compensate," Choe said. Studying both versions of the gene using a proxy virus in a petri dish of human cells, Choe and her colleagues found that viruses with the G variant had more spike proteins, and the outer parts of those proteins were less likely to break off. This made the virus approximately 10 times more infectious in the lab experiment. The mutation does not seem to lead to worse outcomes in patients. Nor did it alter the virus's response to antibodies from patients who had the D variant, Choe said, suggesting that vaccines being developed based on the original version of the virus will be effective against the new strain. Choe has uploaded a manuscript describing this study to the website BioRxiv, where scientists can post "preprint" research that has not yet been peer reviewed. She has also submitted the paper to an academic journal, which has not yet published it. The distinctive infectiousness of the G strain is so strong that scientists have been drawn to the mutation even when they weren't looking for it. Neville Sanjana, a geneticist at the New York Genome Center and New York University, was trying to figure out which genes enable SARS-CoV-2 to infiltrate human cells. But in experiments based on a gene sequence taken from an early case of the virus in Wuhan, he struggled to get that form of the virus to infect cells. Then the team switched to a model virus based on the G variant. "We were shocked," Sanjana said. "Voila! It was just this huge increase in viral transduction." They repeated the experiment in many types of cells, and every time the variant was many times more infectious. Their findings, published as a preprint on BioRxiv, generally matched what Choe and other laboratory scientists were seeing. But the New York team offers a different explanation as to why the variant is so infectious. Whereas Choe's study proposes that the mutation made the spike protein more stable, Sanjana said experiments in the past two weeks, not yet made public, suggest that the improvement is actually in the infection process. He hypothesized that the G variant is more efficient at beginning the process of invading the human cell and taking over its reproductive machinery. Luban, who has also been experimenting with the D614G mutation, has been drawn to a third possibility: His experiments suggest that the mutation allows the spike protein to change shape as it attaches to the ACE2 receptor, improving its ability to fuse to the host cell. Different approaches to making their model virus might explain these discrepancies, Luban said. "But it's quite clear that something is going on." --- Although these experiments are compelling, they're not conclusive, said Kristian Andersen, a Scripps virologist not involved in any of the studies. The scientists need to figure out why they've identified different mechanisms for the same effect. All the studies still have to pass peer review, and they have to be reproduced using the real version of the virus. Even then, Andersen said, it will be too soon to say that the G variant transmits faster among people. Cell culture experiments have been wrong before, noted Anderson Brito, a computational biologist at Yale University. Early experiments with hydroxychloroquine, a malaria drug, hinted that it was effective at fighting the coronavirus in a petri dish. The drug was touted by President Trump, and the Food and Drug Administration authorized it for emergency use in hospitalized covid-19 patients. But that authorization was withdrawn this month after evidence showed that the drug was "unlikely to be effective" against the virus and posed potential safety risks. So far, the biggest study of transmission has come from Bette Korber, a computational biologist at Los Alamos National Laboratory who helped build one of the world's biggest viral genome databases for tracking HIV. In late April, she and colleagues at Duke University and the University of Sheffield in Britain released a draft of their work arguing that the mutation boosts transmission of the virus. Analyzing sequences from more than two dozen regions across the world, they found that most places where the original virus was dominant before March were eventually taken over by the mutated version. This switch was especially apparent in the United States: Ninety-six percent of early sequences here belonged to the D variant, but by the end of March, almost 70% of sequences carried the G amino acid instead. The British researchers also found evidence that people with the G variant had more viral particles in their bodies. Although this higher viral load didn't seem to make people sicker, it might explain the G variant's rapid spread, the scientists wrote. People with more virus to shed are more likely to infect others. The Los Alamos draft drew intense scrutiny when it was released in the spring, and many researchers remain skeptical of its conclusions. "There are so many biases in the data set here that you can't control for and you might not know exist," Andersen said. In a time when as many as 90% percent of U.S. infections are still undetected and countries with limited public health infrastructure are struggling to keep up with surging cases, a shortage of data means "we can't answer all the questions we want to answer." Pardis Sabeti, a computational biologist at Harvard University and the Broad Institute, noted that the vast majority of sequenced genomes come from Europe, where the G variant first emerged, and the United States, where infections thought to have been introduced by travelers from Europe spread undetected for weeks before the country shut down. This could at least partly explain why it appears so dominant. The mutation's success might also be a "founder effect," she said. Arriving in a place like Northern Italy - where the vast majority of sequenced infections are caused by the G variant - it found easy purchase in an older and largely unprepared population, which then unwittingly spread it far and wide. Scientists may be able to rule out these alternative explanations with more rigorous statistical analyses or a controlled experiment in an animal population. And as studies on the D614G mutation accumulate, researchers are starting to be convinced of its significance. "I think that slowly we're beginning to come to a consensus," said Judd Hultquist, a virologist at Northwestern University. Solving the mystery of the D614G mutation won't make much of a difference in the short term, Andersen said. "We were unable to deal with D," he said. "If G transmits even better, we're going to be unable to deal with that one." But it's still essential to understand how the genome influences the behavior of the virus, scientists say. Identifying emerging mutations allows researchers to track their spread. Knowing what genes affect how the virus transmits enables public health officials to tailor their efforts to contain it. Once therapeutics and vaccines are distributed on a large scale, having a baseline understanding of the genome will help pinpoint when drug resistance starts to evolve. "Understanding how transmissions are happening won't be a magic bullet, but it will help us respond better," Sabeti said. "This is a race against time." The names of the two suspects, a 15-year-old and 17-year-old, are being withheld because of their ages, cops said, who only identified them as a male and a female respectively. DANBURY The case of the retired physician assistant from Redding accused of killing his wife earlier this year has been continued to next month. Richard Commaille, 70, was charged with murder last month following a police investigation into the untimely death of his 64-year-old wife three months ago. Nanci Commaille was found dead from a gunshot wound at the couples Top Ledge Road home on April 6. Her husband called 911 that night reporting that she had just shot herself with a gun, according to the warrant for Richard Commailles arrest. Responding officers noted voluminous amounts of blood at the scene and obvious signs of a fatal gunshot wound to the head. According to authorities, Commaille claimed his wife killed herself and called several other people including his daughter, friends, neighbors and his wifes primary care physician before calling 911. He allegedly told police his wife had been drinking excessively for the past 10 years and that she would talk about fatally shooting herself when she was inebriated. His wifes primary care physician told police she had been drinking excessively, but said he did not believe she had suicidal ideation. Investigators noted inconsistencies between what Commaille told authorities and evidence found at the crime scene, according to police, and DNA test results showed a mixture of the victims blood and a male donor on the pistol, as well as gunshot residue particles on Commailles hands. Nanci Commailles death was ruled a homicide and Richard Commaille was arrested June 9. Commailles attorney, Edward Gavin, said his clients scheduled plea hearing on Tuesday was basically a check-in via video, as criminal trial activities have been suspended due to the governors public health mandate. Commailles case was transferred from state Superior Court in Waterbury to Danbury following the recent reopening of the Danbury courthouse. His next court date is scheduled for Aug.12. OTTAWA, ON, June 30, 2020 /CNW/ - The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, today announced the appointment of Salma Lakhani as the new Lieutenant Governor of Alberta. A long-time community advocate and successful business owner, Ms. Lakhani has dedicated her life to helping people in need and those who face obstacles to success in our society. Through her work to advance education, health care, women's empowerment, human rights, and support for new immigrants, she continues to be a champion of diversity, pluralism, and inclusion. An immigrant to Canada, she has mentored young students with English as a second language. She is a founding member of a movement that helps vulnerable women access education, and has served on its advisory committee for the past decade. Ms. Lakhani will be the first Muslim Lieutenant Governor in Canadian history. She will assume office upon her installation. The Prime Minister thanked the outgoing Lieutenant Governor, the Honourable Lois Mitchell, for her dedication and service to the people of Alberta. Quote "Ms. Lakhani is devoted to supporting people in her community, from new immigrants and young people, to women and families. As Lieutenant Governor of Alberta, I know she will serve the people of her province and our country well, and continue to be a source of inspiration for all Canadians." The Rt. Hon. Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada Quick Facts Lieutenant Governors are the personal representatives of Her Majesty The Queen of Canada in their respective provinces. They fulfill the roles and functions of The Queen, including granting Royal Assent to provincial laws. in their respective provinces. They fulfill the roles and functions of The Queen, including granting Royal Assent to provincial laws. Lieutenant Governors are appointed by Her Excellency the Right Honourable Julie Payette, Governor General of Canada , on the recommendation of the Prime Minister. They serve terms of at least five years. Biographical Note Associated Link This document is also available at https://pm.gc.ca/ SOURCE Prime Minister's Office For further information: PMO Media Relations: [email protected] Related Links http://pm.gc.ca/ The short-Form video app Mitron sees a jump in traffic on their site. This follows the ban on Chinese apps. A day after the Government banned several Chinese apps, popular short-form video app Mitron reported that its daily traffic jumped up by more than 11 times. Just 5 days after crossing the 10 million (1 crore) downloads milestone, Mitron has now announced that the app has been downloaded by 17 million (1.7 crore) users in India. Mitron app has been one of the most downloaded apps in India during the last two months. It is incredibly exciting to see the rapid adoption of Mitron by Indian users. 11-fold jump in traffic, immediately after the ban of Chinese apps, was beyond our expectations, said Shivank Agarwal, Fonder, and CEO, Mitron. Also Read: RBL Cares chatbox now enables banking transactions Also Read: Rattled by app ban, China says ban to affect local Indian employment Anish Khandelwal, Founder and CTO said, We have built a solid backend infrastructure and our platform is now completely scalable and autonomous and that is helping us to cater to the sharp rise in traffic on Mitron App. Mitron has been rapidly enhancing the product with several improvements for the users including an updated video upload process that is much easier, enhanced audio library with a wide choice of Indian content, and a feature that enables users to flag any inappropriate content easily. Users uploaded millions of videos in 10 different languages and the number of videos viewed on the platform increased sharply to cross 30 million video views per hour. Shivank added We are a young company and we are hiring some of the best product & engineering talent to scale up Mitron rapidly. We are confident that we can build Mitron into one of the best apps in the short-form video space. Our focus is on building features and content that uniquely resonates with Indian users, while being sensitive to community standards and local laws in India and we believe that will help us build Mitron into a very large business. Founded by two Computer Science engineers, Shivank Agarwal (alumnus of IIT Roorkee) and Anish Khandelwal (alumnus of Visvesvaraya National Institute of Technology), Mitron app is a short-form video app that allows users to create, upload and view entertaining short videos. Also Read: Strongly concerned: China on Indias decision to ban 59 Chinese apps For all the latest Business News, download NewsX App Many healthcare workers are facing discrimination and even harassment at the behest of their communities. Their daily exposure to the virus as they battle it, paints them as potential carriers. Hume bimaari se ladna hai, beemar se nahi, unse bhedbhaav na kare (We have to fight the disease, not the patients, so dont discriminate them), says a vital public service announcement from the government of India which aims to fight the stigma around coronavirus. The PSA which further urges people to cooperate with frontline workers is being continuously fed to the conscious human mind through mobile caller-tunes, radio messages, and other formats to ensure that people fight both the contagious virus and the stigma. Despite these repetitive attempts by the government, the country continues to report cases of doctors being harassed at public and private places including their own homes, neighborhoods because of a higher probability of them being a carrier of the infectious virus. Dr Nikhil who recently lost his physician father to Covid and later contracted the virus himself narrated how his neighbors who once indulged in symbolic practices of lauding his family went down to harassing them due to Covid. Also Read: Negligence increasing, need to be alert against Covid-19: PM Modi My father was like a saviour for the entire neighborhood. Ever since my childhood, our neighbors used to call him up even during the odd hours at night to seek help. He was always just one phone call away but this virus changed our dynamics with the neighborhood in the blink of an eye, says the 28-year-old dentist who runs a private clinic in New Delhi. His high sugar and kidney ailments couldnt keep him from serving his patients even during the coronavirus crisis when he knew that the threat to his own health was very high, he adds. He went on to describe the hardships that he faced after losing his father to Covid and then contracting it himself. When I came back after cremating my father, I saw that the neighbors had locked front gate of my house and they were not letting me inside because they felt that I might contaminate the whole building. It was disheartening because they were not letting me inside a place which was my private property, it was my house and I had to struggle a lot to finally enter it, Dr Nikhil said. They repeated locked the house from outside when I tested positive and was advised home quarantine. On being confronted over a phone call the neighbors said that the health workers who used to nurse me had locked the gate. The health officials of the other hand said that there is no policy of locking houses and they never do so, he added. Dr Nikhil then described how the virus scared away even the mightiest of them all the cops who only dealt with the problems faced by the family from the surface level and couldnt do much to make the situation any better. Sharing how none of his neighbors came out to help the family with essentials but continued circulating false messages on WhatsApp, he said, Our relatives used to bring essentials and leave them outside our house and we used to pick it up from there. The neighbors during those times used to circulate false messages on colony WhatsApp groups stating that people are still visiting our house despite us being in home quarantine. I recovered and tested negative for the virus more than two weeks back, but people are still not sparing our family from that look. They look at us like we are criminals, said the 28-year-old. Disheartened by the treatment that he received from the society, he says, It is very sad that a doctors risk their life by treating Covid but when the doctor contracts it, their ex-patients cant even inquire about their health or send condolence messages even after the demise of the said doctor. He ended the interview by stating that though he has had a bad journey with the virus he still wants to follow his fathers footsteps and help the patients in any way possible. He has contacted several hospitals to donate his plasma as he wishes to save as many lives as possible. Several other doctors and healthcare workers are also being ostracized from society. A number of incidents of ill-treatment and ostracism of doctors and healthcare workers have been reported over the past few months. It is very disconcerting. Healthcare workers treating Covid patients are like soldiers in this battle. Certainly, this is not how you will treat soldiers who are fighting for the country at the borders, said Dr. Maninder Shah Singh, Orthopaedics, Indian Spinal Injuries Center. Doctor Meinal Chaudhary, Head of Department of Radiodiagnosis at Aakash Healthcare Super Speciality Hospital, Dwarka said that instead of discriminating against the doctors, it is the time to support them and their families. The panic in society is coming out in various ways. People are ostracizing healthcare workers, even doctors as they feel that they are carriers of the disease. If you have a doctor or healthcare worker in your community its time to respect their commitment and show support, said Dr Meinal Chaudhary, Senior consultant and Head of Department of Radiodiagnosis at Aakash Healthcare Super Speciality Hospital. As the country is all set to observe the Doctors Day on Wednesday to honor the contributions of the doctors, it is essential that the stigma around the virus ends so that the corona warriors fight only the virus and not the discrimination that they face on a daily basis. Also Read: Aamir Khans staff members test positive for Covid-19 Terrorists open fire on a CRPF patrolling party in Sopore killing a jawan and a civilian, while injuring three others. A Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) jawan and a civilian lost their lives after terrorists fired upon a CRPF patrolling party in Sopore, in Jammu and Kashmirs Baramulla district. Three CRPF personnel were also injured in the attack. Two of the injured CRPF jawans are known to be in critical condition. as per CRPF. All of them have been evacuated to a hospital. The area has been cordoned off, the CRPF said. Also read: Corps commander talks between India-China lasts 12-hrs Also read: Strongly concerned: China on Indias decision to ban 59 Chinese apps We #lost one CRPF personnel and one civilian in a #terrorist #attack at #Sopore. Three CRPF personnel also got injured in the attack. Area has been cordoned off and search is on to nab the #terrorists. @JmuKmrPolice Kashmir Zone Police (@KashmirPolice) July 1, 2020 Police also rescued a three-year-old boy from getting hit by bullets during the terrorist attack. The terrorists had attacked CRPFs road opening party when they were placing a check post along with personnel of Jammu and Kashmir police on the Sopore by-pass highway in Model Town of Sopore. More details are awaited. Also read: Mumbais Taj Hotel to high alert after Paks threat call For all the latest National News, download NewsX App STik with this STok, WeChat over tea is a new doodle that Amul has dedicated to India's ban on Chinese apps. Giving a spin-off to TikTok, the cartoon read, 'STik With This STok.' As the Central government has banned 59 mobile apps including Tik Tok amid border tensions with China, dairy brand Amul on Tuesday dedicated its new doodle to appreciate the decision taken up by the government. In the new cartoon that Amul shared on Twitter, the Amul mascot is seen standing in front of an opened refrigerator with a brick of the butter in one of her hands while pointing towards it from another. Giving a spin-off to the name of the famous Chinese short-video making platform TikTok, the text on the cartoon read, STik With This STok. Using the name of another banned Chinese application WeChat- the cartoon read: WeChat Over Tea. Read Also: China passes controversial Hong Kong security law Read Also: Strongly concerned: China on Indias decision to ban 59 Chinese apps #Amul Topical: New Delhi bans 59 Chinese apps! Amul tweeted along with the new doodle. Almost all the apps banned have some preferential Chinese interest and the majority have parent Chinese companies. The Ministry of Information Technology had said in a release that it has decided to block 59 apps in view of the information available that they are engaged in activities which is prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India, the security of the state and public order. Law, Electronics and Information Technology Minister, Ravi Shankar Prasad said that the government has banned apps for safety, security, defence, sovereignty, and integrity of India. Read Also: PM chairs high-level meeting on Covid-19 vaccine preparedness For all the latest National News, download NewsX App In a press conference on Wednesday, Ramdev claimed that Patanjali has procured license to sell Coronil kit for "Covid management", trials have shown favourable results. Yog guru Ramdev on Wednesday claimed that there is no restriction on Patanjali Ayurveds Swasari Coronil kit for COVID management and now it will be available across the country. Addressing a press conference here, he said: AYUSH Ministry said that Patanjali has done appropriate work for COVID management. It said that Patanjali has started working in the right direction. We have procured a license for these medicines from the state department which is connected with AYUSH Ministry The AYUSH Ministry said that Patanjali worked for COVID management. The treatment word is not used. These medicines have no metallic items. We have no disagreement with AYUSH Ministry. Now, there is no restriction on Coronil, Swashhari, Giloy, Tulsi, Ashwagandha. From today, these medicines (Swasari Coronil Kit) will be available in the country without any legal restrictions. There is no restriction on it. I thank the AYUSH Ministry and the Narendra Modi government, he said. Also read: CRPF jawan, civilian killed in terrorist attack in Sopore Also read: First time in history: No Lalbaughcha Raja celebration due to Covid-19 Last week, Patanjali Ayurved launched Coronil and Swasari claiming it to be Ayurvedic cure for treating COVID-19 and said clinical trials have shown favourable results. Later, the AYUSH Ministry said that it has taken cognizance of news in the media about Ayurvedic medicines developed for the treatment of COVID-19 by Patanjali Ayurved Ltd, Haridwar and said the company has been asked to stop advertising/publicising such claims till the issue is duly examined. Ramdev said that Patanjali has conducted randomized, double-blinded, and placebo-controlled clinical trials. In 3 days, 69 per cent, 100 per cent patients tested negative in 7 days. We submitted data to the Ayush Ministry. We have submitted research of our clinical trials to Ayush Ministry. Our research is in line with all protocols, he said He informed that Patanjali has completed three-level research of more than 10 diseases. We have done clinical trials on coronavirus. We have completed three-level research of more than 10 diseases including hypertension, heart diseases, asthma, arthritis, dengue, chikungunya, swine flu. We are not doing research on virology for the first time, he said. An FIR was registered in Jaipur against Ramdev, Patanjali CEO Acharya Balkrishna and others for their claim to develop a cure for the coronavirus. Speaking on this, Ramdev said: It seems that work of Yog and Ayurved inside India is a crime. FIRs have been lodged at hundreds of places in the same way cases are registered a traitor and a terrorist. We have a team of 500 scientists who are working day and night. We have showcased data of our clinical trials on coronavirus, it has hit hard drug mafia, MNCs, forces which were working against swadeshi, he said. Also read: 80 crore people will get free ration till November end, announces PM For all the latest National News, download NewsX App The third round of the Corps-Commander level meeting ends at 11 pm on Tuesday, officials on both sides discuss modalities of disengagement along the Line of Actual Control. The third round of Corps Commander-level meeting between armies of India and China went on for 12 hours, said Army sources on Wednesday. The third round of Corps Commander-level meeting between India and China went on for 12 hours and got over at 11 PM last night, said Army Sources. Corps Commander-level meeting between armies of India and China was held in Chushul on Tuesday, to resolve the ongoing dispute over Chinese aggression along the Line of Actual Control in Eastern Ladakh area, said Indian Army Sources. The first two rounds had taken place in Moldo on the Chinese side of the LAC. Also read: Strongly concerned: China on Indias decision to ban 59 Chinese apps Also read: 80 crore people will get free ration till November end, announces PM In the second round of Corps Commander-level talks held on June 22, both sides reached a mutual consensus to disengage in the Eastern Ladakh sector, army sources said. The modalities for disengagement from all friction areas in Eastern Ladakh were discussed and these will be taken forward by both sides, sources added. The military commanders from both sides had met initially on June 6 and had agreed to disengage at multiple locations. India had asked the Chinese side to return to pre-May 4 military positions along the LAC. The Chinese side had not given any response to the specific Indian proposal and not even shown intent on the ground to withdraw troops from rear positions where they had amassed over 10,000 troops. India and China have been involved in talks to ease the ongoing border tensions since last month. Twenty Indian soldiers lost their lives in a violent face-off in Galwan valley on June 15-16 after an attempt by the Chinese troops to unilaterally change the status quo during the de-escalation. Indian intercepts revealed that the Chinese side suffered 43 casualties including dead and seriously injured in the face-off. Also read: Rahul Gandhis attack on BJP: Make in India but buys from China For all the latest National News, download NewsX App The Santa Cruz Police Department in a statement said the alleged gunman took off in a stolen vehicle upon spotting the officers. He continued to drive south at speeds topping 100 mph with authorities hot on his trail until safety concerns forced them to end the pursuit. Delhi CM assured people that Coronavirus spread is under check in Delhi, number of new cases is reducing while recovery rate is improving consistently. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday said that the national capital has been able to control the COVID-19 situation due to the hard work of everyone. It was predicted that by June 30, Delhi would have 1 lakh COVID-19 cases out of which 60,000 would be active cases but today we only have about 26,000 active cases. This is the result of everyones hard work that we have been able to control the situation, said the Delhi Chief Minister. It was a critical situation but we did not put our hands over our heads and give up. We asked for help from whoever we could ask from. We had already put it in front of the people that we would reach these many cases by June 30, he added. Also read: CRPF jawan, civilian killed in terrorist attack in Sopore Also read: Major Health Push: Andhra CM to flag-off 104,108 vehicles We have arranged for 15,000 beds for the treatment of COVID-19 which is inclusive of ICU beds, ventilator beds, and normal beds but there only 5,800 patients, said the Kejriwal. Instead of the number of patients constantly increasing in Delhi, the number is reducing. The number of patients recovering on a daily basis is constantly increasing. One month from now, 38 per cent patients were recovering, but now 64 percent of patients have recovered, the Chief Minister said. There are a total of 87,000 cases in Delhi, out of which 58,000 patients have already recovered. In the last one week, the number of daily cases is also being halved as well. The number of deaths also have come down, he said further. He said that the testing of samples has also increased. Weve increased the number of tests. There is a good indication, earlier around 31 out of 100 people whose samples were collected tested positive for Coronavirus. Today, 13 out of 100 people test positive, he said. He said that the situation in Delhi has come under control to quite an extent. But that does not mean we can be complacent. This virus is unpredictable. We must continue our efforts with more vigour, he added. According to the Union Health Ministry, Delhi has a total of 87,360 COVID-19 cases of which, 26,270 active cases while 58,348 patients have been cured/discharged while 2,742 patients have succumbed to the virus. Also read: 80 crore people will get free ration till November end, announces PM For all the latest National News, download NewsX App Interests of workers, creators and entrepreneurs to face the brunt if India continues to selectively target China against the ideal of an open business environment, China warned in an official statement on Tuesday. Expressing serious concern over India banning 59 Chinese apps, China on Tuesday said that the move will not only affect the employment of local Indian workers who support these apps, but also the interests of Indian users and the employment and livelihoods of many creators and entrepreneurs. Related apps have a large number of users in India, have been operating strictly in accordance with Indian laws and regulations, and provide efficient and fast services for Indian consumers, creators and entrepreneurs. The ban will affect not only the employment of local Indian workers who support these apps, but also the interests of Indian users and the employment and livelihoods of many creators and entrepreneurs, spokesperson of the Chinese Embassy in India, Counselor Ji Rong said in a statement. On Monday, the Ministry of Information Technology issued a notice, citing relevant laws and regulations, to block certain Chinese mobile applications in India on the so-called grounds that they are engaged in activities which are prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India, security of state and public order. In its first reaction to the development, Beijing said it is seriously concerned over such action. Also read: PM chairs high-level meeting on Covid-19 vaccine preparedness Also read: India China standoff: Corps Commander-level meeting underway to discuss on-ground situation Indias measure, selectively and discriminatorily aims at certain Chinese apps on ambiguous and far-fetched grounds, runs against fair and transparent procedure requirements, abuses national security exceptions, and suspects of violating the WTO rules. It also goes against the general trend of international trade and E-commerce, and is not conducive to consumer interests and the market competition in India, the Chinese Embassy statement read. We expect India acknowledges the mutually beneficial nature of China-India economic and trade cooperation, and urge the Indian side to change its discriminatory practices, maintain the momentum of China-India economic and trade cooperation, treat all investments and service providers equally, and create an open, fair and just business environment, while bearing in mind the fundamental interests of both sides and the overall interests of bilateral relations, it added. The banning of apps has come amid rising negative sentiments among Indians against China following the stand-off at Galwan Valley in Eastern Ladakh, along the Line of Actual Control, on June 15 which witnessed the killing of 20 Indian troops. Also read: Galwan: Chinas information warfare For all the latest National News, download NewsX App The Opposition targetted Oli government on anti-minority Citizenship Bill, staged nationwide protests, as senior leaders of his own party demanded resignation accusing him of diverting attention from his handling of the Covid-19 pandemic. The Nepals opposition Janata Samajbadi Party (JSP) on Tuesday staged nationwide protests against the new Citizenship Bill claiming it to have targeted the minority groups of the nation. The Opposition claimed that the new Citizenship Bill has been targeting LGBTQ+, foreign women married onto Nepali men, and the ex-Gurkhas who want to get a Nepali Citizenship. The central government has shifted its focus from controlling the coronavirus situation to the Citizenship Amendment Bill. According to Clause 5.1 of the current Citizenship Act, foreign women are immediately eligible for citizenship upon marriage to a Nepali man while there are no provisions for a foreign man who gets married to Nepali women, Hishila Yami Bhattarai, one of the leaders of JSP told ANI. Also read: US ends defence exports to Hong Kong as China furthers national security law Also read: China passes controversial Hong Kong security law Other senior leaders from Olis party, including co-chair Pushpa Kamal Dahal, Madhav Nepal, Jhalnath Khanal and Bamdev Gautam, asked the Prime Minister to step down from the post citing his failure over various issues. According to Himalayan Times, the Standing Committee meeting of ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP) held today got heated up as Olis recent controversial statement on India, among others things, were put on table for discussion. A meeting of Parliamentary Committee on June 21 had endorsed a new bill proposing a 7 year probation period for women marrying Nepali men. The Nepali Congress and JSP had opposed provision calling it unconstitutional as it goes against the provision of interim constitution 2006. Provisions which had continued from a long time and endorsed on by themselves, today they are attempting to change it with 7-year probation. Are they trying on to show themselves as nationalists? Bhattarai questioned. Speaking on the LGBTQ+, she said, If the sexual minorities are required to undergo medical tests (to acquire citizenship) then it also should be applicable for men and women too. What are they trying to show the world by making them undergo such tests? She said that the government has become hostile to the Gorkha Forces who have already acquired citizenship by serving the country. We want that they and their family members be given citizenship. Nepali politics have remained undecided over the Citizenship Act for two years despite holding as many as 140 meetings over it by the same committee. Also read: Bangladeshs Defence Secretary dies of Covid-19 For all the latest World News, download NewsX App The Federal Communication Commission, in a statement, expressed concerns over links of the Chinese companies with the CCP, called Huawei and ZTE's operations as critical to the US communication infrastructure. The Federal Communications Commission on Tuesday designated Huawei Technologies Co. and ZTE Corp, as well as their parents, affiliates and subsidiaries as national security threats, saying they have close ties with the Chinese Communist Party and Chinas military apparatus. With todays orders and based on the overwhelming weight of evidence, the Bureau has designated Huawei and ZTE as national security risks to Americas communications networks and to our 5G future, FCC Chairman Ajit Pai said in a statement. Both companies have close ties to the Chinese Communist Party and Chinas military apparatus, and both companies are broadly subject to Chinese law obligating them to cooperate with the countrys intelligence services, the statement said. Also read: Rattled by app ban, China says ban to affect local Indian employment Also read: Leaders of Nepals ruling party demand Olis resignation immediately As a result of the action, government subsidy money from the FCCs $8.3 billion Universal Service Fund can no longer be used by American telecommunications providers to purchase and install equipment and services from Huawei and ZTE companies for their networks. The FCC voted unanimously to block telecoms from using federal funds to purchase equipment from Huawei last November, but the final order went into effect Tuesday. We cannot and will not allow the Chinese Communist Party to exploit network vulnerabilities and compromise our critical communications infrastructure, the FCC statement said. Tuesdays order formalises the proposal by FCC last November to designate the telecoms as a national security threat. Also read: US ends defence exports to Hong Kong as China furthers national security law For all the latest World News, download NewsX App Ford seemed to have the attention of American drivers locked down for the summer, what with the one-two punch of the redesigned F-150 and the upcoming rerelease of the Bronco, which will now be unveiled on July 13 instead of O.J.s birthday. Unbeknownst to truck lovers, General Motors had a trick up its sleeve. This week, GM Defense announced it has been awarded a $214.3 million contract from the U.S. Army to build, field and sustain the Armys new Infantry Squad Vehicle (ISV), as written in a press release. Youll recognize the vehicle because, for all intents and purposes, its Chevrolets Colorado ZR2 off-road truck. GUILFORD Bioasis Technologies, which has developed a drug delivery technology able to break through the filtering system between the bloodstream and the brain, has signed a licensing deal with an Italian company that could be worth $141 million. Company officials said late Monday that Bioasis will receive a $3 million upfront payment in its deal with Chiesi Global Rare Diseases. The Guilford-based biotechnology company could receive an additional $138 million in potential milestone payments and royalties on net sales of any drug Chiesi brings to market using Bioasis xB3 drug delivery technology. Chiesi officials said they want to use the drug delivery technology to develop treatments for rare diseases with a focus on four undisclosed lysosomal storage disorders. Lysosomal storage disorders are inherited metabolic diseases characterized by an abnormal buildup of various toxic materials in the bodys cells as a result of enzyme deficiencies. The buildup of toxic materials can affect different parts of the body, including the skeleton, brain, skin, heart and central nervous system. There are nearly 50 known lysosomal storage disorders, according to company officials. With this collaboration, we are taking our commitment to bringing innovative therapies to rare disease patients ... to an entirely new level, said Giacomo Chiesi, head of Chiesi Global Rare Diseases, a business unit of Chiesi Group. The unique delivery method of their xB3 platform has the potential to overcome a significant challenge in the treatment of many neurological disorders, which is the ability to cross the blood-brain barrier. That barrier protects the brain from diseases carried in the blood. Molecules crucial to brain functions, such as oxygen and glucose, enter the brain, while toxins and most pathogens are turned away, according to Bioasis officials. But in order to treat diseases of the central nervous system, it is essential to get treatments across this barrier and delivered to the specific target within the brain. Unfortunately, the power of the blood-brain barrier means that delivering therapeutic drugs to the brain is very challenging. Deborah Rathjen, Bioasis chairwoman and chief executive officer, said neurological complications of LSDs (lysosomal storage disorders) remain largely untreatable when peripheral symptoms of disease respond to enzyme replacement therapy. Our xB3 BBB drug delivery platform has the potential to significantly advance the treatment of LSDs and the use of enzyme replacement therapy, solving one of the major unmet needs and improving the lives of patients, Rathjen said in a statement. Bioasis has an internal pipeline of its own, focused on treatments for certain brain cancers and rare diseases as well as neurodegenerative diseases including Parkinsons disease. It also is working on treatments for neuroinflammatory conditions, including Multiple Sclerosis. luther.turmelle @hearstmediact.com COVID-19 claimed two non-human victims this week. The Central Connecticut Costal YMCA, which has 12 branches covering 25 municipalities from Fairfield to Madison, is shuttering the Valley YMCA on Ansonias State Street and the Hamden/North Haven branch on Sherman Avenue in Hamden. Unfortunately, COVID-19 made it very difficult for the Central Connecticut Coastal YMCAs, said Donna Lisitano, the CCCs marketing and communications director. We have not been collecting dues from our members since the shutdown. She said the Ansonia building is open for the summer camp program which will continue until the last week in August. After that it will be closed and put up for sale. That is an old building in need of lots of repairs and costly maintenance, she said. The building, which is across the street from the Ansonia Armory, was built in 1911 and includes an Olympic-sized swimming pool. The YMCA has been in the Ansonia State Street building since 1924 and in the Valley serving Ansonia, Derby, Oxford, Seymour and Shelton since 1866. We love our old buildings, but they were built for different kinds of activities, said Joshua Royce, a CCC district director who oversees the Valley and the Milford YMCA. The Valley YMCA building is not handicapped accessible. It needs a new roof and boilersthe kinds of repairs needed with old age. The YMCA has 22 residents living in the State Street building and is looking to relocate them. This is a big blow to our city and its history, said Ansonia Mayor David Cassetti. I feel bad about them leaving. They were an institution here. But its a sign of the times. The Child Care Center at 32 Howard Ave. in Ansonia will remain open and the YMCA will continue conducting after in the citys schools. As for Hamden, Lisitano said the summer program at Camp Mountain Laurel is ongoing. No one lives in the Hamden/North Haven YMCA, she said. Lisitano said it will take time to understand what new YMCAs will actually look like in Stratford, the Valley and Hamden/North Haven. We will be working with our volunteer YMCA Board of Directors, Board of Managers as well as members, local residents, elected officials and our community partners for ideas. Our hope is to do something different, she said. That could include new sites. Membership in the Valley YMCA has been stagnant over the years, Royce said. He attributed that to new options including private workout facilities that opened in Derby. The health crisis really slashed our revenue, Royce said. We saw it drop by 90 percent. We were not collecting memberships. The CCC YMCA has a sliding scale based on income and the number of family members participating. It ranges from $24 for a youth to $89 for a non-senior family earning more than $55,000. This is going to affect a lot of families, said Greg Johnson, who heads the Valley NAACP. Johnson was shocked to hear both the Ansonia and the Hamden YMCA are closed for good. The community will have to step up and help those socially and economically disadvantaged families who participated in its programs. We need to come up with some alternatives for the programs lost. On the upside, the group is planning renovations to the Fairfield YMCA and a new building in Stratford, according to David Stevenson, the CCCs chief executive officer. Both buildings are open for members and the Wellness Center at the Fairfield YMCA was expanded during the COVID-19 closure, Lisitano said. EAST HAVEN Residents affected financially by the coronavirus pandemic can get some short-term help through a program offered by the Women & Family Life Center and United Way of Greater New Haven, center officials said Tuesday. United Way and the Women & Family Life Center, based in Guilford, have partnered since March to provide cash assistance during the pandemic, officials said Approved applicants will receive a one-time gift of $200, distributed on a cash card, said Women & Family Life Center Executive Director Meghan Scanlon. So far, weve helped 250 families from 15 different towns on the shoreline, although the current round of assistance is intended only for residents of East Haven, Scanlon said Tuesday. Its had I think a pretty significant impact so far, she said. Its just meant to be sort of a short-term, immediate assistance. Overall, the center serves 1,200-1,300 families per year, not including the additional 250 families this year, Scanlon said. Many of the families being helped have adults who are underemployed or temporarily not working, who dont have the resources to weather a significant suppression or interruption of their income, Scanlon said. I think this whole pandemic has stressed a lot of the bigger issues in the state, she said. Our center offers a host of free services open to East Haven women and families, ranging from divorce supports to budgeting and financial education programs, Scanlon said. Our partnership with the United Way allows us to help households in a new, meaningful way as everyone faces these unprecedented times, she said. The cash assistance significantly impacts a family in need of paying an urgent bill, buying groceries or affording other basic needs. Since March, the Women & Family Life Center has partnered with United Way, the Branford Community Foundation, the Guilford Foundation and private donors to provide COVID-19 Relief funds to residents across the shoreline, said center Program Director Wendy DeLucca. When the pandemic hit our region, we knew that we had to help fill the gaps for families suddenly impacted by the crisis, said Jennifer Heath, president and CEO of United Way of Greater New Haven, in a release. Providing direct financial assistance allows for recipients to have the dignity and flexibility to make decisions about how best to meet their individual needs. We partnered with the Women & Family Life Center because they are able to quickly connect with families to match resources with those who need them, Heath said. Criteria for eligibility for the current round of assistance include residency in East Haven and evidence of proven financial hardship due to the pandemic. Individuals and families may apply via the Women & Family Life Center website by visiting: https://womenandfamilylife.org/response-fund-application. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. Applications will be reviewed by a staff member of the Women & Family Life Center who will contact applicants to set up a phone call to review the application. We will need proof your home or work address is located in East Haven by providing one of the following: a piece of mail, pay stub, drivers license, managers phone number or landlords phone number for verification, the release said. Funds will be disbursed to the payee, unless otherwise arranged with approval of the above involved parties. The Women & Family Life Center aims to empower women and families to face challenges and transitions in their lives with strength and confidence, according to the release. The center offers women and families access to a strong network of support, education and community to make life transitions a time of positive change during a time of isolation, fear, and financial distress. Whether it is losing your home, going through a divorce, leaving an abusive relationship, struggling with mental health, or trying to find a job, we are here to help you, the release said. United Way of Greater New Haven brings people and organizations together to create solutions to the regions pressing challenges, the release says. For more information, go to www.uwgnh.org. mark.zaretsky@hearstmediact.com Investigators were still processing a scene where partial remains were discovered Tuesday, KTRK said. Her family believes its their missing relative, and while its not officially confirmed, one person involved in the case, Texas EquuSearch founder Tim Miller, a non-profit search-and-rescue organization involved in the search, told KTRK, The search for Vanessa is now over. After the COVID-19 crisis came to Connecticut, the New Haven office of Comprehensive Dental Health shut down completely for two weeks. Later, Dr. Joseph Tagliarini began opening the office a few days a week with a skeleton crew to handle emergencies. Now the office is operating at nearly full staffingwith six full-time and six part-time employees. Nobody on the staff has gotten sick, and Tagliarini wants to keep it that way. He hopes the health care industry will produce a new generation of tests for the virus that will be simple, inexpensive, and accurate, and will deliver results on the spot. For any dentist, having these kinds of tests would be very attractive. Theyd probably order it tomorrow, Tagliarini said. It so happens that a biotech startup located in Guilford, just 15 miles away, is in the latter stages of producing just such a test aimed at providing large scale, frequent testing of people whether they have symptoms or not. Homodeus Inc., owned by gene sequencing pioneer Jonathan Rothberg, plans to begin clinical trials of its COVID Detect technology in July and hopes to have products on the market in the third quarter. Homodeus is preparing two tests based on the same technologyone for use in the workplace and one for home use. The goal is for the tests to be nearly as easy to use as a home pregnancy test and cheap enough to permit frequent use. This is the only way to catch the virus early, so you dont go out and infect other people, said Rothberg. It reduces your anxiety and fear, and it allows you to go to work confidently. Government and health care leaders say widespread and frequent testing will be essential for Connecticut and other states to keep their economies chugging along even while the virus continues its spread. As Connecticut has gradually reopened, it has kept a lid on transmissions and prevented hospitals from being overwhelmed. Recent reports from the state show that fewer than 150 people with COVID-19 are being treated in the states hospitals, down from a peak of nearly 2,000 in mid-April. Still, while testing has ramped up to on average 6,500 tests per day, that is far less than some health care authorities had called for. The danger of a resurgence is always present. There are signs that people across the state are beginning to abandon safe practices, including social distancing, mask-wearing and handwashing. Thats why health experts say more and better testing is needed, especially for people working in at-risk settings, including hospitals, schools, medical and dental offices, elder care facilities, gyms, restaurants, salons and barbershops. Regular, universal testing is so critical for safe return to work, so employers of high-risk workers should be offering rapid on-site testing, said Shan Soe-Lin, a lecturer at the Yale Jackson Institute for Global Affairs. She said frequent testing will be needed until an effective vaccine is available. Even with some clinical trials fast-tracked, that is not likely to happen until sometime in 2021. The states health care providers are stepping up. Hartford Healthcare has built a massive testing infrastructure for employees and patients. It has nine testing sites serving seven hospitals, dozens of clinics, and eight elder care facilities. The health system also provides testing for first responders and some state employeesand it is offering its testing services to other employers. Every organization needs to have a return-to-workplace strategy, said Dr. James Cardon, executive vice president and chief clinical integration officer for Hartford HealthCare. We have to learn to live with COVID, and workplace testing is an important part of that. Public health experts say home testing could become a piece of the overall testing picture as well, especially for people with high-risk occupations. But they warn that simplicity, accuracy, and quick availability of results will be critical for home testing to be useful. The capability of non-experts to properly administer the test is also an issue. A home COVID-19 test would need to have very high sensitivity and specificity, meaning that it would need to both correctly identify those who have the disease and those who do not. The implications of false-negative and false-positive tests could be huge, said Angela Ulrich, a research associate with the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota. False negatives could lead to the spread of the virus to others if the people who are tested forego physical distance and other safety measures. A false-positive test could lead to people not being allowed to work even if they were truly not infected. Right now, there are three kinds of COVID-19 tests. Molecular and antigen tests spot the virus itself. Molecular tests detect the viruss genetic material. Antigen tests detect proteins on the surface of the virus. A third type of test, serology, doesnt directly detect the virus but measures antibodies to the virus present in the blood. Its not appropriate for making a diagnosis. Molecular tests are considered superior because they can detect the virus earlier in the course of the illness, and they tend to be more accurate. Still, all molecular tests are not of the same quality. One made by Abbott Laboratories and administered by CVS has been criticized for producing too many false negatives. Homodeus uses the molecular approach. On March 7, Rothberg directed the company to try to develop a molecular test at a fraction of the cost of the gold-standard molecular tests, which require a laboratory, technicians, and $25,000 machines. Rothberg envisioned a self-administered test that would immediately deliver results and use a small device that people could place on the bathroom sink. The first scientific validation tests were conducted at Yale School of Medicine. Fast forward to today, and Homodeus is ready to test the technology on people. The first clinical trials for point-of-care settings will occur at sites in New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Illinois. In the tests, a user self-collects a sample from the shallow part of the nose and hands the swab to a trained technician to run the test. The results are available via a smartphone app in 45 minutes. The folks at Homodeus expect to sell a version that will produce results in 15 minutes. This is a stepping-stone to our dream, which is to get to the home, said Erin Girard, head of clinical science at Homodeus. No true at-home molecular test for COVID-19 is available today. A few home-sample collection tests exist, but these cost over $100, and it takes two to three days to get results since the sample is shipped to a central lab for processing. Homodeus test does not require sending a sample to a lab. If approved for at-home use, the company plans to sell the device and test kit to consumers for less than $50. In parallel to the clinical trials, Homodeus has signed up employers to address usability issues that will be critical for any workplace- or home-testing system. Theyre collaborating with organizations in Connecticut and elsewhere to refine testing procedures and training. One of the organizations is Country Meadows, which operates 11 assisted-living communities in Pennsylvania and Maryland. The company has contained the spread of the virus but wants to be able to test its employees and residents more frequently and confidently, so it can allow family members to visit once again. The key solution is rapid, readily available, and reasonably priced testing, said Meredith Mills, the companys chief operating officer. This is how our business will survive and our residents will thrive. While Homodeus and other companies continue to develop better home and workplace tests, a sister company to Homodeus, AI Therapeutics Inc., has been repurposing an existing therapy, LAM-002, to treat COVID-19. We want to make these tests and these treatments ubiquitous in the United States and around the world, said Rothberg. We need to move quickly so we can save lives. To learn more about the future of COVID-19 testing: The Center for Infectious Disease Research at the University of Minnesota has published a series of reports about COVID-19 for use by governments, health care organizations and businesses. One of them sets out guidelines for testing. This story was reported under a partnership with the Connecticut Health I-Team ( c-hit.org ), a nonprofit news organization dedicated to health reporting. Guillen was last seen in the morning in a Fort Hood parking lot, and disappeared without her keys, ID, or wallet, which were all left where she was working earlier that day. The Army has said that it suspects foul play in her disappearance. OLD SAYBROOK Town officials have launched a program to help residents who are having trouble making ends meet due to the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic. An ad-hoc committee has been established to oversee the grant program, dubbed Old Saybrook Cares, and has begun soliciting donations. The program already has its first financial commitment, made by From You Flowers, with a pledge to match donations up to $30,000, according to Kristen Roberts, a member of the Old Saybrook Cares committee. The company is an online, same-day flower delivery company that has a significant presence in town. Mike Chapin, president and chief executive officer of From You Flowers, said he hopes this matching grant motivates others to donate to this important program to help even more Old Saybrook residents in their time of need. The goal is to raise $100,000 for the program. Donations to the program will enable residents to apply for a grant of up to $1,500. The money can be used for food, housing, utilities, child care or transportation costs related to layoffs or ongoing unemployment as a result of the pandemic, according to First Selectman Carl Fortuna. I am proud to say that 100 percent of the funds raised through the Old Saybrook Cares program will benefit town residents affected by COVID-19, Fortuna said in a statement. We are a generous town and the time is now to help our fellow citizens. Applications will be reviewed and rewarded in the order they are received, according to Roberts, with the first round of grants to be distributed by the end of August. Applicants must be residents of the town and use the grant money for basic needs. Only one grant will be awarded per household, according to Fortuna. Applications can be dropped off at Town Hall, emailed to oldsaybrookcares@oldsaybrookct.gov or mailed to OS CARES Committee, 302 Main St., Old Saybrook, CT 06475. Donations can be mailed to that same address, Roberts said. More information regarding the grants can be found on the Middlesex United Ways website. There is also a place to make donations to Old Saybrook Cares on that website. luther.turmelle@hearstmediact.com Niagara Falls, NY (14301) Today Partly to mostly cloudy and windy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 79F. Winds SW at 20 to 30 mph.. Tonight Partly cloudy skies this evening will become overcast overnight. Low 52F. Winds WNW at 10 to 20 mph. Double-distilled in small copper pots and aged for a full year in a Bourbon cask, a rum joins the list of School Spirits crafted and released by Niagara Colleges teaching distillery. It comes from the colleges inaugural artisan distilling class of 2019, which also created an Eau-de-vie de Fruits in January 2019, a vodka in March 2019 and a small batch gin in May 2019. The distillery program started in September 2018, the first of its kind in Canada. Its 2,500-square-foot facility comes with five stills, four mash tuns and 10 fermenters. In a release, distiller David Dickson said School Spirits Rum is an achievement for the students responsible for its creation and the college as well. The rum production came at a time when the students had already honed their distilling and fermentation skills, and they were able to execute the production with a higher degree of independence, said Dickson. He said the students set the bar high for the quality of aged spirits produced by the teaching distillery. Steve Gill, general manager of learning enterprises at the college, said the rum was highly anticipated. Our first student-crafted rum showcases the distillation and fermentation talents and skills of our students, and offers a taste of what our countrys future craft distilling leaders are producing, he said. The rum started as a base material of dark brown sugar a combination of refined sugar with molasses blended back in and was double-distilled in small copper pot stills before being fermented in a two-week process, slower than typical rum production. One of the most important set of flavour components captured during rum distillation are esters, which give rum some of its distinctive aromas and flavours, said Dickson. It was aged for a full year in a 57-litre Bourbon cask before its release. Dickson said smaller barrels have a larger surface area proportionally, which leads to more rapid extraction and aging. Another interesting feature was that the cask had only been used for two years, whereas most bourbon casks are used for at least four years, he said. Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... He said that may have led to both the increase in colour and barrel character present in the spirit. The rum is available in limited quantities at the colleges Wine, Visitor + Education Centre, 135 Taylor Rd., Niagara-on-the-Lake. More than 15 capital projects in Niagara Falls are on hold until next year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Of the $77.6 million in capital projects approved by city council in 2020, the municipality plans to move ahead with $71.9 million of them this year. The remaining $5.7 million in projects will be pushed to 2021, said finance director Tiffany Clark. Of the 125 capital projects approved in 2020, 108 are expected to start in 2020, while 17 are on hold and will start/continue next year. The three most expensive projects on hold are the Beck Road bridge rehabilitation (approved budget of $2.6 million), the Whirlpool Road roundabout (approved budget of $1.4 million), and a radio-system update for transit (approved budget of $880,000). The city plans to replace the existing structure on Beck Road with a 32-metre-long, single span concrete box girder structure. The design and construction of a new three-legged roundabout traffic circle at the intersection of Whirlpool Road and Niagara Parkway will be a joint project between the city and Niagara Parks Commission. The city will lead the project and Niagara Parks will cost share for 50 per cent of the total cost of design and construction. Transit systems across Niagara are jointly upgrading their radio systems on board buses and in dispatch facilities to a voice over IP system allowing for more reliable communication between operators. Clark said she anticipates the 2021 capital budget is probably going to be one of our smaller ones because the city wont have a lot of extra money from Ontario Lottery and Gaming for hosting two casinos due to the current closures as a result of COVID-19. The municipality receives quarterly payments from Ontario Lottery and Gaming for hosting Niagara Fallsview Casino Resort and Casino Niagara. The payments are based on a percentage of gaming revenues. We are hopeful that some of our ICIP (Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program) applications that are still pending out there will get approved, at which case the municipality will need to respond with their about 33 per cent portion of the funds, said Clark. The Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program is a cost-shared infrastructure funding program between the federal government, provinces and territories, and municipalities and other recipients. The program sees up to $30 billion in combined federal, provincial and other partner funding, under four priority areas, including community, culture and recreation Clark said 2021 is likely going to be a catch-up year for staff. We do have a lot of outstanding projects, even from 2019, to get done. Hopefully, residents can appreciate that this will be a year to catch up. Clark said in most cases, the 2021 capital budget is committed. Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Weve done a lot of committing already for the grant applications that have been approved, she said. Theres not going to be a lot of room for new projects next year, but were fortunate to get a lot of our ICIP applications approved and move forward with a lot of grant projects. The debate over mandatory masking could be coming to St. Catharines city hall soon, with Mayor Walter Sendzik anxious to find a way to get more people to wear face coverings to help control spread of COVID-19. Its hard. I get the phone calls every day from businesses that cant open, from people who cant get a paycheque, Sendzik said. These people are breaking down on the phone when they call me. What do you think will happen to our economy if there is a surge or second wave and we have to go back into a lockdown? We should be doing everything we can to prevent that, and that means wearing a mask. Sendzik would like to see Niagara municipalities follow the lead of other Ontario cities, including Toronto, which made wearing a mask mandatory in indoor public spaces, including stores and other businesses. He is particularly concerned with St. Catharines, Niagara-on-the-Lake and Niagara Falls, which receive more out-of-town visitors than other Niagara municipalities. Having masking orders in those three cities, at the very least, will help blunt the spread of the COVID-19, he said. To date, Niagaras governments and the public health department have been reluctant to impose face coverings. Niagaras acting medical officer of health, Dr. Mustafa Hirji, has said masks are a second line of defence that, while useful, is not as effective as both physically distancing and handwashing. Hirji said while there is growing evidence of the efficacy of masks to limit the spread of the novel coronavirus, that evidence is observational rather than experimental. He has also pointed out a recent outbreak at a Kingston nail salon that sickened at least 16 people happened even though customers and staff were wearing masks. He said municipal bylaw departments are the best option to enforce masking regulations, although he said any municipal council should carefully consider the rules it wants to enforce: Will masks be mandatory in businesses, or will they just insist business have a masking policy. How will people who cannot wear a mask for medical reasons be handled? What kind of enforcement protocols will be established? And if you are going to enforce face coverings, will you also enforce physical distancing and hand hygiene, both of which have stronger evidence (for limiting the spread of the virus)? Sendzik agrees with Hirji that masks do not take the place of physical distancing, but said given the potential fallout of a second lockdown if cases spike again, mandatory face coverings make sense. We dont want to look back and say. We should have done it but its too late, he said. I think this is a conversation we are going to have in Niagara imminently. There are some places in Niagara where masks have been made mandatory. Sendzik said Niagara Parks is handing out masks to visitors and Brock University has announced anyone entering a campus building must have a face covering. The mayor said for tourist destinations such as Niagara Falls and Niagara-on-the-Lake, handing out branded masks to visitors is a marketing opportunity. People will hang on to those as a keepsake of the time they went to Niagara Falls during the pandemic, he said. Sendzik said there will be a minority of people who cannot wear masks for health reasons, but likened the situation to vaccines. With any vaccine, there is a small number of people who, for medical reasons, cannot take a shot. But if everyone else around them is immunized, they are protected. Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Its the same thing. If everyone else is wearing a mask then the person who cannot is also safe, he said. Its called community for a reason. Wearing a mask is about protecting the people around you. Sendzik said he is exploring a way to bring the issue before St. Catharines city council before its scheduled July 22 meeting. The federal government may have extended its commercial rent assistance program by a month, but businesses say there remains far too much uncertainty surrounding their future. Were going to take it day by day, said Erik Joyal, who owns several hospitality establishments in Toronto, including Ascari at King Street West and Portland Street, which reopened this week. Were trying to develop other forms of revenue Were left with no other choice but to innovate to survive. The federal government announced Monday it is extending its Canada Emergency Commercial Rent Assistance program (CECRA), one of several aid packages to help businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Under the program, property owners can receive forgivable loans to cover 50 per cent of the rent for April, May and June the loans are forgiven if the owner agrees to lower the rent by at least 75 per cent. The tenant business would pay the remaining 25 per cent. The program will now cover July as well. Joyal said so far CECRA has helped with the rent at his downtown restaurant, but he points out that its next to impossible to earn enough revenue over the next month, with reduced customer capacity, to cover the rent and other big expenses in August and beyond. Joyal, who is also the co-founder of SaveHospitalityCA, a coalition of mainly Toronto hospitality establishments, said its a situation that a lot of smaller businesses will find themselves in, but particularly restaurants. Its a crazy amount of anxiety for people, he said. And the government waits until the eleventh hour to extend CECRA. Under Stage 2 of Ontarios reopening plan, restaurants and bars can now reopen, but for patio dining only, with restrictions in place to maintain physical distancing between patrons. Establishments offering personal services such as hair salons have also reopened. Its proven to be some good news for many businesses that have spent the better part of the past four months completely shut down. According to a new survey by the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, just over 52 per cent of small businesses in Ontario are now fully open, with 20 per cent reporting normal sales. The CFIB said businesses in sectors with normal sales tend to be those that were never fully closed at the height of the pandemic, such as agriculture and some retail such as grocery stores. Its some good news, the numbers were better than they were last week, said Laura Jones, executive vice-president and chief strategic officer at the CFIB. But its good news within a picture that is still very, very worrying. The organization had previously asked the government to extend CECRA until at least September, with the possibility of a further extension. But while CECRA has worked for some businesses, Jones points out it hasnt helped every business that needs rental assistance, as the program requires the landlord to apply, and some landlords have chosen not to. Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... She said the government needs to come up with a solution that puts rental assistance funds directly in the hands of the businesses. Its critical to the economic recovery that we get some real rent relief in place for those who havent had any rent relief yet, she said. While the family of Rayshard Brooks is disappointed that his killer was granted bond today, they understand that this is just one step in the long quest for justice for Rayshard, L. Chris Stewart and Justin Miller, the lawyers representing the Brooks family, said Tuesday night. American Airlines Group Inc. will reduce its summer 2021 international schedule by 25 per cent from pre-pandemic levels, signalling that travel abroad will be especially slow to recover from the effects of the coronavirus. The carrier will drop 15 routes and shift its focus on Asian service to Dallas-Fort Worth instead of Los Angeles. The retrenchment is fuelled by Americans decision to retire its Airbus SE A330-300 and Boeing Co. 757 and 767 aircraft wide-body jets used on international flights after the pandemic nearly erased demand for travel. The airline also parked its A330-200s for at least two years, further reducing flying capacity. International business traffic, the most lucrative segment for airlines, is expected to be the last part of the industry to return from government and corporate travel restrictions. American doesnt expect long-distance international demand for business or leisure to return to 2019 levels until 2022 at the earliest, said Brian Znotins, the airlines vice president of network planning. American in July will operate just 20 per cent of the international service it flew a year earlier. I view this as resetting the base, Znotins said in an interview. Our growth trajectory will remain the same we just took three to four years out of that growth. And 2022-2023 should return to 2019 levels, and well keep growing from there as we had planned. Its just like we erased three years of history. American will drop flights from Philadelphia to Berlin; Dallas-Fort Worth to Munich; and Los Angeles to Hong Kong and Beijing; among others. It also wont begin four international routes that had been planned for next year. Domestic hub The Fort Worth-based airline will shift the focus of its Los Angeles hub to domestic flights instead of ones to Asia and South America. American also will seek government permission to move its Los Angeles-Shanghai route to Seattle. Growth to India and Asia will be based in part on an alliance announced earlier this year with Alaska Air Group Inc. American will keep plans to add service from Seattle to London and Bangalore, India, next year. American also will continue to fly to the hubs of joint business partners, including British Airways Plc, and expects to operate a full schedule to London Heathrow by 2021. Miami will remain the hub for flights to the Caribbean, Latin America and South America. Philadelphia will continue as the main location for trans-Atlantic flights, once European travel restrictions are lifted. American also will discontinue: Charlotte, North Carolina, to Barcelona, Rome and Paris Los Angeles to Buenos Aires and Sao Paulo Miami to Milan and Brasilia Chicago to Venice, Italy Philadelphia to Budapest and Dubrovnik, Croatia The scrapped routes that had been planned for next year are: Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Philadelphia to Casablanca, Morocco Chicago to Prague, Budapest and Krakow, Poland A group of business leaders released a seven-point pledge for top executives to commit to for ending systemic racism and increasing the representation of Black Canadians in boardrooms. The BlackNorth Initiative CEO Pledge asks executives to agree that Black leaders will hold a minimum of 3.5 per cent of executive and board roles by 2025, according to a statement Tuesday by the Canadian Council of Business Leaders Against Anti-Black Systemic Racism. CEOs are also asked to commit to implementing or expanding unconscious bias training and creating a diversity leadership council. Nearly 1.2 million people in Canada, about 3.5 per cent of its population, identified as Black in a 2016 census. The pledge is a commitment leaders are making to the Black community, to say, We recognize the fact that theres anti-Black systemic racism and we think that we can do some stuff to make a change and to take down those barriers, and were going to start in our own organization, Wes Hall, founder of the council and executive chairman of Kingsdale Advisors, said in a phone interview. More than half of Torontos population is foreign-born a higher proportion than New York, Paris, London or Sydney and about 52 per cent identify as a visible minority. But the citys diversity fades in the upper echelons of its financial firms. At Canadas Big Six banks and two large life insurers, 10 per cent of top executive roles and eight per cent of non-executive board positions are held by visible minorities, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. As of Wednesday afternoon a number of CEOs have already committed to the pledge, Hall said, declining to name specific firms. Hall launched the group earlier this month and will co-chair the coalition with Victor Dodig, chief executive officer of Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce. Prem Watsa, CEO of Fairfax Financial Holdings Ltd., and Rola Dagher, president and CEO of Cisco Systems Canada, are also on board. The group will hold an inaugural BlackNorth virtual summit on July 20. It said it has invited leaders from Canadas top 250 publicly listed companies and more than 100 of the biggest private businesses, along with its largest asset managers and institutional investors, to take part. Executives will be asked to sign a CEO pledge and deliver a statement about what their organization will do to combat the issues. Everyone should sign this pledge, said Hall. These are not unreasonable things were asking for. WASHINGTON - North Americas new trade agreement finally became the law of the land Wednesday, complete with a celebratory warning from the Trump administration that the United States intends to make sure Canada and Mexico live up to their end of the bargain. U.S. trade ambassador Robert Lighthizer lauded the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement as Donald Trumps signature achievement, a landmark trade pact that tilts the benefits of continental managed trade back towards workers, farmers and labourers and away from the giant corporations that reaped the rewards of its NAFTA predecessor. Thats a monumental change, Lighthizer said in a statement that promised more jobs, protections for workers, wider access to continental markets and new growth opportunities for businesses of all sizes. We have worked closely with the governments of Mexico and Canada to ensure that the obligations and responsibilities of all three nations under the agreement have been met, and we will continue to do so to ensure the USMCA is enforced. While the White House and scores of Trump allies in Washington tweeted partisan support for the occasion, the president himself spent the morning preoccupied with some of his favourite foils: the fake news mainstream media, Black Lives Matter supporters and presumptive Democrat presidential nominee Joe Biden. The USTR also named 10 people to its roster of arbitrators under the agreements dispute-settlement mechanism, a list that includes Julie Bedard, a graduate of McGill University and former Supreme Court of Canada clerk who heads the international litigation and arbitration group for the Americas at Skadden, a prominent New York law firm. Other names on the U.S. list include former chief federal claims judge Susan Braden, D.C. arbitration expert John Buckley Jr., former international trade commissioner Dennis Devaney and ex-federal prosecutor Mark Hansen. The panel also includes Stephen Vaughn, the USTRs former general counsel and key lieutenant to Lighthizer himself who served as acting trade ambassador in the early days of the administration. The agreement, known in Canadian government circles as CUSMA, is designed to ensure more people in all three countries can reap its benefits the principal U.S. complaint about the old NAFTA, said Kirsten Hillman, Canadas ambassador to the U.S. and a key player over the course of the often-arduous 13-month negotiation. The original NAFTA was extremely successful for us economically, and thats important to remember, Hillman said in an interview. It was, though as we all know dated, and also it was perceived to be, I think fairly so in some respects, not sufficient for ensuring that the benefits of trade were fully utilized by all segments of our society. Canadas negotiators focused on reaching a deal that would improve the lot for workers at home, reduce red tape for small and medium-sized businesses and smooth the growth of digital trade an especially important component given the impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had on traditional commercial models. Smaller businesses do a lot digitally, and they need to kind of be safeguarded, and there need to be predictable rules that they can count on in order to take the risks of venturing out there into the trading world. Not everyone is celebrating the agreements coming into force. Canadian dairy producers and processors, who will see increased U.S. competition in their domestic markets and limits on exports of key products like diafiltered milk and infant formula, have assailed the federal Liberal government for allowing the agreement to come into force before August. Waiting a month would have given the industry a full year to adjust to the terms of the deal, since Canadas dairy year begins Aug. 1. But now, producers and processors have just 31 days before the year two provisions in the agreement take effect next month. Both the Dairy Farmers of Canada and the Dairy Processors Association of Canada have insisted they were assured by Ottawa the agreement would not take effect before Aug. 1. Public Citizen, a left-leaning U.S. consumer advocacy group and outspoken opponent of trade agreements, in particular the original NAFTA, acknowledged that the new agreement makes an effort to improve labour and environmental standards and expand the impact of the benefits of global trade. But it falls far short of the ideal, said Lori Wallach, director of the groups international trade watchdog, Global Trade Watch. Renegotiating the existing NAFTA to try to reduce its ongoing damage is not the same as crafting a good trade deal that creates jobs, raises wages and protects the environment and public health, Wallach said in a statement. The new NAFTA is not a template, but rather sets the floor from which we will fight for trade policies that put working people and the planet first. Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Wallach also noted that the agreement is coming into force with a prominent labour lawyer behind bars in Mexico. Susana Prieto Terrazas, known for leading a crusade for higher wages and union protection for workers in border assembly plants, was arrested June 10 on charges of inciting riots, threats and coercion. This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 1, 2020. Follow James McCarten on Twitter @CdnPressStyle DIY home projects have been our focus and filled our time during months of isolation. But what about the professionals? What have interior designers been doing to their homes? Three GTA pros talk about the changes and updates they made to tailor their private spaces. Abraham Chan: Its been 13 years since he moved into his Dundas West townhome, but Abraham Chan is finally getting full use of a light-filled, second-floor room. Its now a comfy work space, my little paradise for work, said the founder of Toronto-based international design firm, ACDO. Chans residence in a converted chair factory is long and narrow with 12-foot ceilings. Pre-pandemic, the area he calls an open library/lounge space was underutilized. And an adjoining narrow residual space with a built-in desk at the top of the stairs was cluttered and disorganized. When the pandemic hit, I had a hard time focusing on work, said Chan, who also felt a responsibility as a business owner to steer the ship in the right direction. To do that, he needed to carve out a space at home after temporarily shuttering his nearby studio for COVID safety reasons. He and his partner also had to redefine their living space. We realized, OK, we need to find more areas of the house we can relax and nest in, and distinct spaces to work. Now, his second-floor work zone features a big bookshelf with bins and spaces for files, drawings and finishes for clients projects, and a leather sectional to casually work and relax during work hours. Lately, he added, I have been using it as a spot to take calls and review finishes. The narrow desk area at the other end is tidy, private and visually appealing with artwork on a shelf above. I get most of my primary work completed here now, Chan said, listing email, computer drafting and reviewing drawings. He calls his home office space a good solution, but temporary. I really miss the dynamics of being with my designers. While the main floor of his townhome is mostly used after-hours, the dining area is his go-to place for video calls because it offers the best natural light and a large beautiful painting in the background. It was purely a vanity strategy, he laughed. As I designer, I know theyre judging me. Nina Doiron: With time on her hands, Nina Doiron seized the day decluttering, cleaning and reorganizing closets, mud room, spice drawers, pantry, fridge and freezer. She also upped efficiency with a custom storage system and repainted her home office. But the highlight of the pandemic-inspired projects in her four-bedroom house was the family room. Now its newly decorated with an accent wall of floor-to-ceiling wainscotting, a fireplace surround of grey-veined stone and two banks of built-in cabinets and shelves for storage and display. I really love my home, Doiron said of her newly built house in Barrie, Ont., where she moved last year with her husband, 16-year-old daughter and five-year-old Bichon Frise-poodle cross. And now that I have more efficiency and functionality, I love it even more. Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Helping people realize their homes full potential is what she does for a living. Her five-year-old design company called iStage & Organize also strives to inject a wow factor into living spaces for clients throughout the GTA. While her own house is still a work in progress, Doiron said the pandemic gave her the time to make improvements. Because we spend so much time in the family room and kitchen, thats why I put a lot of effort in those areas. She understands how the demands of daily life can get in the way for people whod like to make their home look and function better. But were never going to have this much time again, she pointed out. Stacey Cohen: Modest budget. Time pressure. Closed stores. When Stacey Cohen needed to redo her home office for full-time use, she faced many of the same challenges as others who suddenly found themselves working from home. So the Toronto interior designer used her own virtual service to transform the work space in her condo. Called Room Edit, its an affordable, online solution, especially during COVID, explained Cohen, adding its a new division of her 11-year-old company, Stacey Cohen Design. People can get fully designed rooms by going through a few clicks. The service provides a cohesive design package of floor plan, 3D rendering, style board and shopping list that clients use to arrange doorstep delivery, she said. The design service comes in a small, medium or large package ranging from $950 to $1,300. Cohen, whos building a house with her fiance, wanted to make her seven-by-10-foot condo home office functional, feel-good and organized. But I didnt want to break the bank since we will be moving soon, she added. She spent between $2,500 and $3,000 on furniture, lighting and accessories, all ordered online from local retailers such as CB2, IKEA and EQ3. Purchases included open shelves and three, two-drawer units so she and her fiance could have their own storage space. On the wall above, they hung a decorative screen bought at a flea market years ago now painted black. In the built-in desk area, a charcoal accent wall serves as a backdrop for a colourful painting done by Cohens mother, a hobby artist. I love it, she said of the very bright and super airy business space that also incorporates personal items. I feel like Im able to be productive and creative. VANCOUVERCanada and Canadians must start paying attention and act over what some are now labelling a genocide of Chinas Uighur population after explosive new reports of forced birth control and sterilization against the ethnic minority, says a prominent human rights activist. Mehmet Tohti, executive director of the Uighur Rights Advocacy Project, says forced birth control measures constitute genocide and urged Ottawa to condemn the practice. Canadians cant accept the federal government doing little or nothing, Tohti said. Canadians have to push the government to do something. We have to join the voice of the international community to push the government to take action on our behalf. Canadians themselves need to act as well, he said, including boycotting products made in China and protesting Chinas government. On Sunday night, The Associated Press published a report based on government statistics, state documents and interviews with more than 30 people detailing forced birth control on women in the western Xinjiang Autonomous Region. The region is home to ethnic Muslims and a number of minorities. The report found that China subjects minority women there to pregnancy checks and forces intrauterine devices, sterilization and even abortion on hundreds of thousands. It said the regions birth rates plummeted by 24 per cent last year. Much of the report relies on information from a paper by academic Adrian Zenz, whose in-depth look at forced birth control, titled Sterilizations, IUDs and Mandatory Birth Control: the CCPs Campaign to Suppress Uyghur Birthrates in Xinjiang, was released Monday. Zenz is a senior fellow in China studies with the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation in Washington, D.C. His paper is the latest in a series of reports that Xinjiang human rights observers find alarming. As many as two million Uighurs and other ethnic peoples are thought to be in internment camps in the region. Earlier this year, an Australian research group found evidence that many were being used for forced labour. That research, conducted by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, found that in some cases the labour is making products sold in western nations, including parts for cellphones and other electronics sold in Canada. But where past reports on human rights in Xinjiang have gained some attention, these newest reports on forced birth control have drawn condemnation from around the globe. Zenz said what he found in Chinas government documents is shocking. The evidence I found is that theres a systematic campaign not just to enforce existing family planning regulations, but to systematically depress Uighur birth rates in order to drive population growth to levels that are barely above zero, Zenz told the Star. Papers written in government and academic circles in Xinjiang made up of Chinas majority Han people have consistently described the minority population growth in the region as excessive, Zenzs report reads. His research found that Uighurs were being fined for having more than the legal allotment of children, even if those children were born prior to restrictions or not subject to them, and were being taken to internment camps if they couldnt pay the fines. Among other revelations, he found that 80 per cent of new intrauterine birth control devices in China were placed in women in Xinjiang. China has refuted the allegations with its foreign ministry calling them fake. The countrys ambassador to China, Cong Peiwu, has in the past said the same of reports of internment camps. China has also referred to the camps as vocational training centres. Tohti said throughout all the revelations the Canadian governments response has been weak and basically muted. Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Ottawa has made some public statements about the situation, including a letter with 21 other countries to the United Nations Human Rights Council Tuesday, but Tohti said Canada needs to begin tougher measures like enacting its Magnitsky legislation against Chinese officials. Such legislation would allow for sanctions against Chinese officials who are complicit in human rights abuses. Similar legislation is working its way through government in the United States. In a statement to the Star, Global Affairs Canada said the human rights situation in Xinjiang is deeply concerning and growing worse. The statement also called on China to allow international access to the region. Meanwhile, the newly formed Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China, an organization of parliamentarians from around the world trying to find ways to counter Beijings influence, has demanded an independent investigation into the allegations by the United Nations. In the U.S., the Commission on International Religious Freedom called for a UN and State Department investigation, saying the Chinese governments birth control campaign might meet the legal criteria for genocide. According to a UN convention, imposing measures intended to prevent births with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group is considered evidence of genocide. Tohti, himself a Uighur, echoed the sentiments. There are some people referring to it as a cultural genocide or a demographic genocide; there is no need for any adjective, he said. This is a genocide, period. During the last four years, 38 members of his family, including his mother, have gone missing and he believes it is due to his campaigning for Uighur rights. He has tracked down third parties and neighbours trying to find his family but has not found them. I dont have any way to communicate with them, he said. I dont have any way to know if theyre alive or dead. With files from The Associated Press Read more about: VICTORIAFour months after COVID-19 surfaced in British Columbias long-term-care homes, residents are finally allowed to see a loved one, health authorities announced Tuesday. Isobel Mackenzie, B.C.s advocate for seniors, said people were in tears after hearing government health restrictions will be eased to permit one designated person to see a long-term-care resident after being limited to virtual meetings or phone calls since March because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Weve all sacrificed, but the sacrifices by seniors in long-term care and their loved ones for four months has been one of the more onerous burdens to bear, she said. Its a first step, and I think and hope in the next month, the number of visits will be expanded beyond just one person. Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said the one-person designation could be expanded for more visitors in the future, but she wanted to start slowly. We will be monitoring this on an ongoing basis to ensure that we can expand access as soon as is safe to do so, Henry said at a news conference. Like many businesses that have reopened, those facilities will need to have plans and precautions in place. Provincial long-term-care homes were restricted to essential visitors only since March in an effort to protect residents and prevent the further spread of COVID-19. Henry said the facilities now must have written safety plans before allowing visitors. It could take up to 10 days for a facility to be ready to accept people, but Henry said care homes have already been planning for visitors. Designated visitors must bring their own masks to wear and will be screened for signs of illness before entering the facility, she said. Visitors must book in advance and facilities where there are active COVID-19 outbreaks will remain closed, she said. Henry said she is immensely aware of the impacts the restrictions have had on residents and family members, but those days are coming to an end now that the COVID-19 risk has been lowered in B.C. We had to move quickly and decisively to protect our most vulnerable citizens, she said. Every day, this weighs heavily on us. There have been many dark and anxious days, but today is a brighter day for us all. Henry paid tribute to the resilience and courage shown by residents and their families over the past months, saying this has been a difficult time for you to be separated from the ones you love. Health Ministry data show of the 174 COVID-19 deaths in B.C., 122 were seniors in long-term care, assisted-living facilities or hospitals. The province reported 12 new COVID-19 cases Tuesday, increasing the provincial total to 2,916. There were no reported deaths. The government said 2,590 people have recovered from the virus. Mackenzie, who had been calling for earlier visitor access at long-term-care facilities, said four months without seeing husbands, wives, grandmothers and grandfathers was too long and many people were suffering from loneliness and their health was in danger of deteriorating. Its not a risk-free decision, Mackenzie said, acknowledging that once COVID-19 appears in a care facility the results could be devastating. There was a lot of balancing and that took time for people to work through, she said. At some point, the risk of no visits started to outweigh the risk from COVID-19. Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... A COVID-19 outbreak at North Vancouvers Lynn Valley Care Centre resulted in the deaths of 20 residents. Part of the early spread of COVID-19 in B.C.s care homes was linked to employees working in multiple facilities and the provincial government has since enacted a single-site policy ensuring workers stay at one facility. Read more about: KEY FACTS 2:25 p.m.: Work stoppage ordered at Windsor-Essex farm after 191 infected over weekend 12 p.m.: Westjet passengers may have been exposed to COVID-19 on Toronto-Halifax flight 11:20 a.m.: Toronto, Edmonton on verge of being named NHL hub cities, source says The latest coronavirus news from Canada and around the world Wednesday. This file is no longer being updated. Click here to read the latest coverage. Web links to longer stories if available. 7:33 p.m.: The Cuban government opened the islands northern and southern cays to tourism Wednesday amid strong measures to contain the coronavirus pandemic, which forced the country to shut down travel in late March. Cuba, which according to official figures has had 2,348 cases of COVID-19 and has had 86 deaths, is seeking to attract international tourists to the islands many cays. Tourists will undergo a rapid PCR test upon arrival to identify possible infections and will not be able to visit the big island itself. Cuban nationals are prohibited from having contact with foreigners and from staying in hotels equipped for international tourism, the official press reported. Cuban-Americans will not be able to travel to visit their relatives until the island is fully open to tourism. The government has not announced dates for a full opening. 2:25 p.m.: Health officials in the Windsor-Essex region say theyve ordered a work stoppage at a farm experiencing a large outbreak of COVID-19. The local public health unit says 191 cases of the virus were recorded at the farm over the weekend. Chief medical officer Dr. Wajid Ahmed issued a mandatory order for the farm to ensure employees are isolated and stop working as a result of the outbreak. Ahmed said targetted testing efforts are continuing at farms in the area. The Windsor-Essex region also reported nine new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday, with seven of them occurring in the agri-farm sector. Ontario did not report provincewide COVID-19 numbers on Canada Day, but will resume its daily report on Thursday. 1 p.m.: For the first time since the early days of the pandemic, Ontario wont be releasing a daily update of COVID-19 numbers Wednesday due to the Canada Day holiday. The daily summaries for Wednesday and Thursday will be available Thursday at 10:30 a.m. A weekly summary will be available Friday at 2 p.m. 1 p.m.: Fireworks companies say theyre experiencing a surge in consumer sales as people try to recreate Canada Day displays that were cancelled. Gary Colquhoun, owner of Fireworks Atlantic in Yarmouth, N.S., said hes received five months worth of orders in the past two weeks after a slow start to the year. Colquhoun, who sells across the country, says hes running three shifts a day to fill orders for stock that has since sold out. Many official Canada Day celebrations, and the fireworks that go with them, have been cancelled as governments across the country limit gatherings during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Stars Margaryta Ignatenko has details on what the rules are for Toronto. 12 p.m.: Nova Scotias public health agency says people may have been exposed to COVID-19 last week on a flight from Toronto to Halifax. The agency says the potential exposure occurred June 26 on WestJet flight WS 248. The flight left Toronto at 10 a.m. and landed in Halifax at 1:04 p.m that day. The health agency says anyone on the flight may have been exposed to COVID-19, but passengers in seats A to C in rows 16 through 21 are at greater risk of exposure. Officials are asking those passengers to call 811 for advice and to self-monitor for potential COVID-19 symptoms. Nova Scotia has reported 1,063 cases of COVID-19 to date, including a new case that was identified on June 30. 12 p.m.: Quebec is reporting 24 more deaths attributed to COVID-19, for a new toll of 5,527. Health authorities said seven deaths occurred in the past 24 hours, while the rest occurred before June 23. The province is also reporting 66 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the total number of cases to 55,524, including 24,949 cases that are considered recovered. Quebec says the number of patients in hospital and in intensive care dropped slightly. The government conducted 6,763 COVID-19 tests on June 29, the last day for which data is available. Authorities have acknowledged they are conducting fewer daily tests than they would like, but maintain they have the capacity to immediately increase testing if an outbreak occurs. 11:55 a.m.: Saskatchewans top doctor says his advice on wearing masks to protect against COVID-19 could change in the coming months. Wearing a mask in Saskatchewan isnt mandatory now, but chief medical health officer Dr. Saqib Shahab says it may become a rule if theres an uptick in transmission rates. 11:20 a.m.: According to an industry source, both Toronto and Edmonton have been all-but-approved as the two hub cities to host the teams for the NHLs return. Nothings official yet, the source said, on the condition of anonymity. Both the league and its players union talked into the early hours of Canada Day to iron out return-to-play details, COVID-19 protocols and other issues that, if agreed upon, would result in an extension to the current collective bargaining agreement. If Toronto indeed gets approval, the city would need to get ready for 12 teams and upwards of 600 players and team staff descending on Scotiabank Arena for games. The Stars Mark Zwolinski has more details. 10:18 a.m.: A different kind of Canada Day has dawned across the country, with large celebrations in many parts of the nation replaced with backyard barbecues and digital events due to COVID-19. The pandemic has led to the cancellation of high-profile events like the annual pomp and pageantry on Parliament Hill in favour of online offerings to keep crowds from gathering. Instead, the Ottawa shows will be streamed at midday and in the evening, followed by virtual fireworks as part of a buffet of digital activities Canadian Heritage has curated. The 53 bells of the Peace Tower will still ring today, with two special recitals streamed live. The Stars Margaryta Ignatenko has a list of what Toronto residents can do, and whats open and closed. 8:29 a.m.: If you look closely at this mosaic, youll see 3,025 photos selected from over 7,000 pictures filed by Toronto Star photographers since the newsroom was shut down by COVID-19 quarantine orders on March 17, 2020. The Canada Day composite depicts Toronto teacher Meradith Black in a flag mask. These images were compiled by Visuals Editor Taras Slawnych, who assigned to photographers from his dining room table. Click here to explore our interactive tool to zoom in and see the photos taken by Toronto Star photographers during the pandemic. 8 a.m.: Before all this, every Canadian had their own version of Canada Day. Maybe it was a barbecue, a fair, a parade. Maybe it was just a day off, finally. Maybe it was on Parliament Hill, or in your backyard, unless you didnt have a backyard; then maybe you could join the crowd, all carrying little Canadian flags, to see the fireworks. But this is the pandemic year, Star columnist Bruce Arthur writes, and our collective experiences have been atomized as we were kept apart, together. So now our most common Canada Day experience may be this: how much can you pretend that everythings the same? 7:24 a.m.: India reported 18,653 new coronavirus cases and 507 deaths in the past 24 hours with June proving to be the worst month since the pandemic hit the country in late January. Indias total cases reached 585,493 on Wednesday, more than 400,000 of them reported in June alone. Indias health ministry said 17,400 people have died. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expressed concern over negligence in maintaining social distance and wearing masks. 7:14 a.m.: South Korea is considering including religious facilities on the same list with nightclubs, hostess bars and karaoke rooms as high risk venues for the spread of COVID-19 following a slew of transmissions tied to church gatherings. South Korean Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said during a virus meeting on Wednesday that more than 40 per cent of the countrys newly confirmed infections over the previous three days have been traced back to places of worship. Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... He pleaded people to refrain from religious gatherings and criticized churches and other facilities for failing to implement proper preventive measures, such as requiring followers to wear masks and sit apart during services. 7:10 a.m.: Oregon Gov. Kate Brown has extended the COVID-19 state of emergency for 60 days. She said as of Tuesday there have been over 8,600 coronavirus cases in the state, with over a quarter of those cases identified in the past two weeks. The Oregon Health Authority said 207 people in Oregon have died from the disease. The state of emergency declaration is the legal underpinning for the executive orders Brown has issued throughout the pandemic, including her orders on reopening Oregon, as well as orders related to child care, schools, and higher education operations. Extending the state of emergency declaration allows those orders to stay in effect. She will review and re-evaluate each of her emergency orders every 60 days. Brown said this extension will last through Sept. 4. 7:05 a.m.: An Australian state leader has welcomed some sense of stability in numbers of new coronavirus cases detected daily in the nations second largest city as more than 300,000 residents prepare to be locked down for a month. There were 73 confirmed cases in Melbourne in 24 hours Wednesday, up from 64 reported on Tuesday but less than 75 on Monday. Victoria state Premier Daniel Andrews says it is pleasing that there is some sense of stability to these numbers. There is the beginning of some consistency here. He said a significant concentration of the new cases were in the 36 hot spot suburbs that will be locked down from Wednesday night until July 29 in a bid to halt the spread. Thousands of officials conducted more than 20,000 tests in Melbourne since Tuesday, going door-to-door and through dozens of testing centres in the targeted suburbs. 7 a.m.: The number of people who have recovered from the coronavirus in Pakistan has surpassed 100,000, about 50 per cent of total infections. The virus has spread in Pakistan at one of the fastest rates in the world since February, and the deaths have jumped since May, when Prime Minister Imran Khan eased lockdown despite warnings from experts. In Wednesdays statement, the national command and control centre said 100,802 patients have recovered out of 213,469 confirmed cases. Pakistan recorded 41,33 more cases and 91 deaths in the last 24 hours. 6:50 a.m.: Tokyo Disneyland and DisneySea reopened after being closed for four months due to the coronavirus pandemic, with hundreds of visitors applauding as they were let in Wednesday. The two parks have new guidelines, including limiting the number of entrants in three shifts to maintain social distancing. No handshakes, hugging or photos taken with Mickey Mouse and other characters are allowed. Though characters greet guests from afar, their signature parades and shows have been suspended to avoid crowds. 6:47 a.m.: A protest against Africas first COVID-19 vaccine trial was underway Wednesday as experts note a worrying level of resistance and misinformation around testing on the continent. Anti-vaccine sentiment in Africa is the worst Ive ever seen, the CEO of the GAVI vaccine alliance, Seth Berkley, told an African Union vaccine conference last week. In general, people in Africa know the diseases and want to protect each other, he said. In this case, the rumour mill has been dramatic. The trial that began last week in Johannesburg is part of one already underway in Britain of the vaccine developed at the University of Oxford. Some 2,000 volunteers in South Africa are expected to take part. Its important that vaccines be tested in Africa to see how they perform in the local context, professor of vaccinology Shabir Madhi, leader of the new COVID-19 vaccine trial in South Africa, told reporters and others in a webinar Sunday. But the small band of demonstrators who gathered Wednesday at the University of the Witwatersrand, where the trial is based, reflect long-running fears among some in Africa over testing drugs on people who dont understand the risks. The people chosen as volunteers for the vaccination, they look as if theyre from poor backgrounds, not qualified enough to understand protest organizer Phapano Phasha told The Associated Press ahead of the event. We believe they are manipulating the vulnerable. 4 a.m.: Nineteen people from 13 different countries will become new Canadian citizens today in a special Canada Day ceremony. The virtual ceremony takes place this afternoon and will bring together people ranging in age from six to 66 to swear the oath and hear from the prime minister and other dignitaries. Canada Day citizenship ceremonies are a hallmark of the holiday, but the COVID-19 pandemic has forced them online since April 1, there have been over 1,000 virtual events. Todays event is also expected to highlight something many Canadians have learned during the pandemic: the crucial role immigrants play in staffing Canadas health-care system. Tuesday 9 p.m..: As of 8 p.m. Tuesday, Ontarios regional health units are reporting a total of 37,111 confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19, including 2,720 deaths, up a total of 148 new cases since Monday evening, according to the Stars latest count. In just a month, the rate of daily infections has fallen by nearly half in Ontario. On June 1, the province was seeing an average of about 365 new cases per day; as of Tuesday, the daily average was down to 186. Most of that decrease has come in Toronto, which has seen its daily average fall even more sharply than in the rest of the province, from 161 cases per day to 52. Meanwhile, the health units reported four more fatal cases Tuesday, well below the recent trend. The death rate has also fallen sharply since peaking in early May when the health units reported as many as 94 deaths in a single day. Earlier Tuesday, the province reported that 213 patients are now hospitalized with COVID-19, including 42 in intensive care, of whom 34 are on a ventilator. All three totals are near the lowest the province has reported in data since early April. At their highest levels, more than 1,000 patients were hospitalized with the disease in Ontario, with as many as 217 ventilated. The province says its data is accurate to 4 p.m. the previous day. The province also cautions its latest count of total deaths 2,672 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. Correction - July 1, 2020: This article was edited from a previous version to update a headline that mistakenly referred to the Air Canada flight as travelling from Halifax to Toronto. Click here to read more of Wednesdays coverage. Jeff Douglas is on the line from his home in Nova Scotia, reciting those old lines. Twenty years ago, he walked out onto a stage wearing a grey plaid shirt and backed by a rising and rousing Pomp and Circumstance soundtrack and some iconic images on a screen behind him delivered a fiery speech on the virtues of being Canadian, culminating with this: My name is Joe! And I! Am! Canadian! It was just supposed to be a beer commercial. But, remarkably, it tapped into a wellspring of low-key Canadian patriotism that, while it runs deep, generally only begins to bubble to the surface at this time of year. The spot brought that patriotism out in a torrent. In very Canadian fashion, it laid out what Canadians are not, before hammering home what they are. It spawned tributes and parodies and made Joe Canadian, for a while, a cultural hero. In the time since that ad, Douglas spent eight years as co-host of CBC Radios national news show As It Happens, before coming home to Nova Scotia last year to host the program Mainstreet. When hes asked how he would update that ad today, his answer is immediate: I wouldnt get a white guy to do it now. His answer cuts to the heart of the evolving Canadian identity. The Canada of 2020 is not the same as it was two decades ago. Its not even the same as it was this time last year. There has been a pandemic and pipeline demonstrations, police protests and ... Portapique. Canadians, even those resolutely self-unaware, will have a lot more to contemplate when they turn their eyes to the flag this year for Canada Day. It will likely make for some awkward, socially distant backyard barbecue conversations. The background din for those conversations, of course, is always the coronavirus. From a public health standpoint, the pandemic has provoked the greatest example of collective spirit and collective sacrifice from Canadians since the Second World War, Douglas said. But there are also many in the country who have had their eyes opened to cracks in the veneer of what they believed was Canada. Many some for the first time are asking questions about Indigenous sovereignty and land rights, about systemic racism and especially about police violence against racial minorities. And in the midst of all that, Canadians have mourned the victims of the countrys worst mass killing in Nova Scotia and of a Canadian Forces helicopter crash off the Greek coast this year. I would say, speaking not as a CBC host, but as the guy from the beer commercial, as a Canadian, that this was the time that, given what weve just been through this four-month period of collective sacrifice and collective grief that now, those things can inform us, said Douglas. Given these new challenges, when it comes to the way we treat marginalized and racialized people in this country that it might be a time for us to combine those things that spirit of collective sacrifice and collective grieving and this awareness that its not a fair and equitable playing field for all of us (and realize) that its a time for some real soul searching here. Historian Matthew Hayday calls July 1 historically a time for, celebration, contestation and consideration. While at its most fundamental level, Canada Day was conceived as a commemoration of Confederation, there have been, since the beginning, those with different perspectives. Dominion Day, later to become Canada Day, was not established until 12 years after Confederation. Thats because members of Parliament from Nova Scotia shot down the initial legislation, protesting that the province had been forced into Confederation and arguing that for them it was a day of lamentation. Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... There are a number of groups and individuals who have, over the decades, said that July 1 is not a day of celebration. That there are significant problems with Canada. And the idea that you would celebrate the country is deeply problematic. In more recent years, its tended to be Indigenous communities that have been at the forefront of this, said Hayday, whos a professor in the Department of History at the University of Guelph. Canada is a country based on settler colonialism. It has a long history up to the present day of mistreating Indigenous people, (and) not honouring treaty rights, but (Indigenous people) are not the only communities that have raised these types of issues. In the 1920s, Chinese communities in Vancouver and Victoria organized what they referred to as Chinese Humiliation Day on July 1, because that was when the Chinese Exclusion Act barring Chinese immigration into Canada came into effect. For Indigenous people, theres often little to celebrate. Byron Louis, the chief of the Okanagan Indian Band, says he cant remember the last time Canada Day was formally celebrated in his community. Its a stat holiday, so well take it, other than that there is no celebration in our community, he said. He said there has been an erosion of the relationship between the Canadian government and Indigenous peoples, which makes it difficult to join in the celebration. But along with Canadians growing perspective on some of the issues that other Canadians face comes contemplation, and, in some cases, small actions. When the Halifax Chronicle Herald put its traditional Canada Day flag in the paper this past Saturday, it also included an editors note, in red, on the front page. In part, it read: We understand the flag doesnt mean the same thing to everyone, however, we hope our readers recognize their ability to play a role in shaping Canadas future is a freedom worth acknowledging. It was met with mixed reactions. While there are many things to be proud of, being Canadian for some its a symbol that maybe you need some work for them to feel included as part of the country, said Steve Bartlett senior managing editor of Saltwire Network, which owns the paper. Its not about being a Conservative or Liberal, its about doing the right thing and addressing the issue the best way we can. Ultimately, Canada isnt a binary choice. It is possible to love something and realize its flaws. And like any relationship, it sometimes takes work to make it what it could be, said Jeff Douglas. If we love this country, and we love whats good about this country ... then it is time for us to look at what this country really could be and how we become the country that that we sometimes believe we are. With files from The Canadian Press REGINASaskatchewans top doctor says his advice on wearing masks to protect against COVID-19 could change in the coming months. Wearing a mask in Saskatchewan isnt mandatory now, but chief medical health officer Dr. Saqib Shahab says it may become a rule if theres an uptick in transmission rates. I may give a recommendation to wear a mask all the time when youre indoors, in a setting where you cant reliably maintain two-metre separation, he said. For now, everyone should be carrying around reusable cloth masks that they can wear in situations where they cant keep physical distance from others, he added. Everyone should wear a reusable cloth and that protects everyone else, Shahab told The Canadian Press in a recent interview. I think this is something that we need to now learn to carry with us. Premier Scott Moe has said that if people feel more comfortable wearing a mask, they should do so. He said he has a few disposable masks and has worn one. Not all the time, but for instance when I go for a haircut, he told a recent news conference. Shahab said whats top of mind for him in the coming months, as more people begin to socialize, is how the province can sustain more public interaction without having a second wave of infections. Well have to learn to manage it without having to go into lockdown, he said. Theres tremendous human, economic, financial cost to that. So far, Saskatchewan has largely been spared some of the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic in terms of case numbers, deaths and outbreaks in long-term care homes such as those in Ontario and Quebec. The province has seen outbreaks in its far north region and in Hutterite colonies in the south. As of Tuesday, the province reported 88 active infections out of a total of 785 cases. Five people remain in hospital and 13 have died. The government has been steadily rolling back public health restrictions it introduced in March and April to slow the spread of the virus. Shahab, who now considers it a good day when he works 12 hours instead of 20, estimates that social mixing has returned to between 50 to 60 per cent. When students return to schools in September, he believes that will rise to about 80 per cent. Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Between 60 to 80 is the danger zone, he said. As more people move their gatherings indoors with the change in seasons, he said wearing a cloth mask is going to become more important. Passengers on board a flight from Toronto to Halifax last week may have been exposed to COVID-19, Nova Scotias public health agency said Wednesday as it reported a new confirmed case of the virus. The Nova Scotia Health Authority (NSHA) said the potential COVID-19 exposure occurred June 26 on WestJet flight WS 248 from Toronto to Halifax. The flight left Toronto at 10 a.m. and landed in Halifax just after 1 p.m. that day, the agency said in a statement. Those on the flight should self-monitor for signs and symptoms of COVID-19, it said. The news came as Nova Scotia confirmed that it had identified a new COVID-19 case on Tuesday, the second case announced in as many days after the province went three weeks without any new infections. The government said the new case is a Nova Scotian who travelled outside of Canada. The other active case was identified June 29 and is also travel-related. The new cases this week show that COVID-19 is still very much here, Premier Stephen McNeil said in a statement Wednesday. So please continue to follow public health directives and advice, look out for your fellow Nova Scotians and do all you can to keep COVID-19 under control. The Nova Scotia Health Authority said anyone on the Toronto-Halifax flight may have been exposed to COVID-19, but passengers in seats A to C in rows 16 through 21 are at greater risk of exposure. It asked those passengers to call 811 for advice and to self-monitor for potential COVID-19 symptoms. In an email to The Canadian Press, Morgan Bell, a spokeswoman for WestJet, said the NSHA advised the company today about the potential COVID-19 exposure on the flight. The public health authority has jurisdiction, and a process, for notifying guests on board the flight, we are providing all necessary information as required, Bell said. She said WestJet also has a process in place to notify crew on affected flights. Nova Scotia has reported 1,063 cases of COVID-19 and 63 deaths so far during the pandemic. Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... As of Friday, residents will be allowed to travel between Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador and Prince Edward Island without needing to self-isolate. People have been asked to abide by local public health directives and avoid travelling if they exhibit any COVID-19 symptoms. Read more about: I know my neighbors will listen in order to understand the history of hurt that African-Americans and other people of color have experienced, Jones reportedly wrote to friends on Facebook. I am also sure that the flag issue in Gettysburg will be resolved because the killing of my nephew George Floyd is offensive to all lovers of freedom. MEXICO CITY - Mexico celebrated the implementation of a new free trade agreement with Canada and the United States that it hopes will lead to more investment in its struggling economy. President Andres Manuel Obrador will travel to Washington July 8-9 to meet with with President Donald Trump and recognize the achievement of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada accord. Lopez Obrador said the accord, which replaces the North American Free Trade Agreement, will provide greater certainty to the three countries in their commercial relationships. Their supply chains are deeply intertwined. During the COVID-19 pandemic, there was pressure from the U.S. government to allow some Mexican assembly plants to quickly reopen or remain open to cause less interruption. There are clear rules, Lopez Obrador said Wednesday. You cant have border closures or tariff increases on products without a legal-type procedure with the famous panels where representatives of the three countries participate. Known as the USMCA in English, the new agreement began to be negotiated when Lopez Obrador won Mexican elections two years ago. It incorporates stronger regulations, especially regarding labour conditions, that required changes to Mexican law. But the arrest in June of crusading Mexican labour lawyer Susana Prieto on charges of inciting riot, threats and coercion has cast a shadow over the new trade pact, which was supposed to improve protections for workers rights. United Steelworkers International President Tom Conway wrote that the arrest of Prieto proves that Mexico hasnt stopped the bullying of workers and their allies Lori Wallach, the director of Public Citizens Global Trade Watch, said Its a terrible start that on day one of a deal Trump said would transform trade, a leading Mexican labour lawyer has spent weeks in jail on trumped up charges. Mexican prosecutors say the charges stem from an intimidating protest this year at a local labour board hearing, and not from her leadership of strikes last year that won higher pay for workers at maquiladora assembly plants in the border city of Matamoros. Lopez Obradors first international trip of his presidency has garnered criticism at home, because Trump has been critical of Mexicans and Mexicans fear it could play to Trumps electoral advantage. Lopez Obrador insists he has no interest in intervening in U.S. domestic politics and the trip is simply to celebrate the new trade accord. In 2016, Trump, then the Republican nominee, visited President Enrique Pena Nieto despite frequently targeting Mexico in his speeches and insisting that Mexico would pay for his border wall. At the time, Lopez Obrador was extremely critical of Pena Nietos invitation to the candidate. Trump had threatened crippling tariffs on Mexican imports last year unless Mexico did more to slow migration through its country. But Trump has maintained surprisingly cordial relations with Lopez Obrador. Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... The United States appreciates the efforts of our partners in Mexico and Canada to ensure that North America is strengthening its economic ties while working to combat the coronavirus pandemic, Trump said in a statement Wednesday. To mark this historic achievement, I look forward to welcoming President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador of Mexico to the White House on July 8, 2020, to continue our important dialogue on trade, health, and other issues central to our regional prosperity and security. Mexican Foreign Secretary Marcelo Ebrard did not provide details of next weeks visit, but said July 8 would be a bilateral encounter with Trump and a July 9 meeting would include Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. PARIS - France announced Wednesday that it is suspending its involvement in a NATO naval operation in the Mediterranean Sea after a standoff with a Turkish warship, amid growing tensions within the military alliance over the conflict in Libya. Frances Defence Ministry said that the government sent a letter Tuesday to NATO saying it is halting its participation in Sea Guardian temporarily. It came after NATO investigators submitted their report into the June 10 incident. A ministry official said France wants NATO allies to solemnly reaffirm their attachment to the arms embargo on Libya, which is being policed in part by a European Union naval operation. The official was speaking on condition of anonymity under the governments customary practices. France has accused Turkey of repeated violations of the U.N. arms embargo on Libya and branded the Turkish government as an obstacle to securing a ceasefire in the North African nation, which Turkey firmly denies. France is also calling for a crisis mechanism to prevent a repeat of the incident between Turkish warships and a French naval vessel in the Mediterranean. France says its frigate Courbet was lit up three times by Turkish naval targeting radar when it tried to approach a Tanzanian-flagged civilian ship suspected of involvement in arms trafficking. The ship was being escorted by three Turkish warships. The Courbet backed off after the confrontation. At the time, the French frigate was part of the Sea Guardian mission, which is helping to provide maritime security in the Mediterranean. France said it was acting based on NATO information and that under the alliances rules of engagement such conduct is considered a hostile act. Turkey has denied harassing the Courbet. Turkeys ambassador to France was questioned in the French Senate on Wednesday and defended Turkeys actions as peaceful and crucial to restoring stability to Libya. Ambassador Ismail Hakki Musa said he thinks NATO has completed its investigation and that the findings were inconclusive. NATO confirmed only that investigators had submitted their report but said it was classified and declined to say what conclusions, if any, had been drawn. German Chancellor Angela Merkel described the incident as a very serious. We should do everything to ensure that such incidents arent repeated among NATO allies, Merkel said Wednesday during a question-and-answer session in the German parliament. Merkel met with French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday; Turkeys foreign minister is expected to visit Berlin on Thursday. Turkey has angered its NATO partners over the last year with its invasion of northern Syria and insistence on buying Russian-made missiles. At least eight NATO allies have backed France over the naval standoff, according to French officials. Libya has been in turmoil since 2011, when a NATO-backed uprising toppled leader Moammar Gadhafi, who was later killed. The country has since been split between rival administrations in the east and the west, each backed by armed groups and different foreign governments. The government in Tripoli led by Fayez Sarraj is backed not just by Turkey, which sent troops and mercenaries to protect the capital in January, but also Italy and Qatar. Rival forces under the command of Khalifa Hifter, who launched an offensive on Tripoli last year, are supported by Russia, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates and other key Arab countries. France has helped Hifter in the past. Earlier Wednesday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan reaffirmed his countrys support to the Tripoli-based administration in Libya and without naming France, criticized nations who have backed the rival administration led by Hifter. We are following with concern those who, when it comes to words, champion democracy, human rights and laws, but take putschists under their wings, Erdogan said, in reference to Hifter. Turkey wont abandon the people of Libya to the mercy of putschists and will continue to act within the limits of international legality. Macron on Monday condemned Turkeys actions in Libya as unacceptable, and said that Ankara doesnt respect any of its commitments. He denied backing Hifter and said that France is in favour of finding a political solution. The French ministry official described the decision to suspend participation in Sea Guardian as a very clear political gesture to highlight ambiguities of an anti-trafficking operation in which there are traffickers involved. Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... We have a NATO maritime security operation, one of its activities being to control trafficking and at the same time a member who is trafficking, he said. ___ Lorne Cook reported from Brussels. Angela Charlton in Paris, Geir Moulson in Berlin, and Suzan Fraser in Ankara, Turkey, contributed to this report. BERLIN - The Rev. Georg Ratzinger, the older brother of Emeritus Pope Benedict XVI who earned renown in his own right as a director of an acclaimed German boys choir, has died. He was 96. The Regensburg diocese in Bavaria, where Ratzinger lived, said that he died Wednesday. His death came just over a week after Benedict made a four-day visit to Regensburg to be with his ailing brother. Ordained on the same day as his brother, Ratzinger proved to be a talented musician and went on oversee the recording of numerous masterpieces and concert tours around the world by the Regensburger Domspatzen, a storied choir that traces its history back to the 10th century. But his reputation was tarnished as he apologized for using corporal punishment to discipline boys amid a wider investigation into sexual and physical abuse in the Church. He remained extremely close to his brother throughout his career, expressing dismay when Joseph Ratzinger was elected pope that the stress would affect his health and that they would no longer spend so much time together. The pope had his quarters in the Apostolic Palace modified with a special apartment for his brother, who travelled frequently from his home in the Bavarian city of Regensburg to Rome. Elected to the papacy in 2005, Benedict stepped down in 2013 and was succeeded by current Pope Francis. The two came from a religious Catholic family, the sons of police officer Josef and Maria Ratzinger, and great nephews of the German politician Georg Ratzinger, a priest and social reformer who was a member of the Bavarian and Federal parliament. Born Jan. 15, 1924 in the Bavarian town of Altoetting, Georg Ratzinger showed an early talent for music, playing the church organ at age 11. The family eventually settled outside nearby Traunstein in 1937, where he and his brother joined the seminary. During World War II, Ratzinger told The Associated Press in an interview that he remembered huddling with the blinds drawn with his younger brother and father listening to Allied radio broadcasts, because their father wanted them to know the truth about the Nazi regime. Though the Ratzinger family was anti-Nazi, Georg Ratzinger was enrolled into the Hitler Youth in 1941. In his book, Salt of the Earth, Benedict remarked on the time and his own subsequent enrolment at age 14. Official details of the boys Hitler Youth days no longer exist, as all of the organizations archives for the area were burned ahead of the American advance at the end of the war. In 1942, Ratzinger was drafted into a federal labour force, and the same fall entered the regular German armed forces as a radio operator in a signals unit. After serving in France, the Netherlands and Czechoslovakia, Ratzinger was sent in 1944 to Italy where he was wounded in fighting. He was captured by U.S. forces and spent the rest of the war as a POW, returning to Traunstein in July 1945 a day the then-Joseph Ratzinger recalled in his memoir Milestones, remembering that the family had no idea if Georg were alive or dead. A quiet worry hung over our house... he wrote. Suddenly, on a hot July day, we steps were audible and he whom we had missed for so long was again standing in our midst, tanned from the Italian sun. Then he sat down at the piano, thankful and relieved, and intoned Holy God We Praise Thy Name. Following the war, the brothers entered the seminary of the archdiocese of Munich and Freising to study for the priesthood. They were ordained together on June 29, 1951, in the Cathedral at Freising on the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul. After working his way up as priest in the region, Georg Ratzinger was appointed musical director of St. Peters Cathedral in Regensburg in 1964, becoming the conductor of the famed cathedral choir, the Regensburger Domspatzen. As head of this world-renowned choir, whose name means Cathedral Sparrows, Ratzinger helped build its reputation around the world, running tours that included trips to the Vatican, the United States, Canada, Poland and Japan and performances for Queen Elizabeth II and Pope John Paul II. But well after his retirement from the post, revelations of sexual and physical abuse at the choir haunted him. In 2010, Ratzinger apologized for using corporal punishment to discipline boys in the choir, saying he was aware of allegations of physical abuse at an elementary school linked to the choir but did nothing about it. At the beginning I also repeatedly administered a slap in the face, but always had a bad conscience about it, Ratzinger told the Passauer Neue Presse, adding that he was happy when corporal punishment was made illegal in 1980. Of course, today one condemns such actions; I do as well. At the same time, I ask the victims for pardon. He claimed he was completely unaware of allegations of sexual abuse, which he said dated from before his tenure as choir director. Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... These things were never discussed, Ratzinger said. The problem of sexual abuse that has now come to light was never spoken of. His relationship with his brother always played a special role in his life. Ratzinger once lamented in an interview that his brothers role as pope would mean family life might be a bit more limited and acknowledged that he had hoped that the cup would pass him by. Still, Georg travelled to the Vatican for his brothers installation, and was given a prominent seat on the basilica esplanade. While visiting the pope in August 2005, Ratzinger was hospitalized in Rome because of an irregular heartbeat and had a pacemaker implanted. Benedict visited him while he was in the hospital. In October of that year, the brothers got together again. Sanctus,a piece Georg Ratzinger composed was played at a Vatican concert for the pope and sung by the Domspatzen, while both brothers watched on together. As Ratzingers health failed, his brother came to Regensburg in mid-June to visit with him. Benedicts trip to Germany was his first trip outside Italy in over seven years. Benedict greeted old neighbours and prayed at his parents grave. He stayed at a seminary during his trip, visiting his brother twice a day. Ratzingers only close living relative is Benedict. His sister Maria, died in 1991. There was no immediate word on funeral arrangements, but the diocese said it wasnt likely Benedict would be able to make the trip from Italy. ___ A previous version of this story was corrected to show that the diocese amended the day of Ratzingers death to Wednesday, not Tuesday. New York City lawmakers approved an austere budget early Wednesday that will shift $1 billion from policing to education and social services in the coming year, acknowledging protesters demands to cut police spending but falling short of what activists sought. The vote by the City Council came at an extraordinary moment when the nations biggest city is grappling with a $9 billion revenue loss due to the coronavirus pandemic and simultaneously with pressure to cut back on policing and invest more in community and social programs. Protesters have been camped outside City Hall, insisting that the city slash $1 billion from the New York Police Departments budget amid a nationwide campaign to defund police a movement animated by outrage over the deaths of George Floyd and other Black Americans at the hands of police. Critics of the deal said the billion dollar cut wasnt a billion dollar cut at all. Some of the funding reduction, they noted, was merely shifting police functions like school safety to the Department of Education. And they doubted the promised reduction in overtime would ever happen. Mayor Bill de Blasio supports the $88.2 billion spending plan. Council Speaker Corey Johnson said when the budget deal was announced Tuesday that it wasnt what he had hoped for, and lamented he hadnt been unable to negotiate a bigger police budget cut. I am disappointed, Johnson said at a news conference. I did my best. The proposal did little to assuage the demonstrators. Many said they intended to stay outside City Hall indefinitely. We are being gaslit, said activist Jawanza James Williams. This movement is about so much more than the $1 billion, and this means they dont understand what were saying. Activists say the budget needs to make a substantial, not symbolic, difference in advancing racial justice and curbing the size and power of the nations largest police force. Five years ago, the City Council then as now, overwhelmingly Democratic added nearly 1,300 additional officers to the NYPD. Now, Johnson has said he was wrong to support the expansion. Council budget leaders said they needed to balance calls to cut policing with residents concerns about safety. Many in my community have supported police and want police. They just want families and young people to be treated fairly, said Councilwoman Vanessa Gibson, who represents a Bronx district where over half of residents are Hispanic and about 40% are Black. Gibson said shed met Tuesday with relatives of a Bronx 17-year-old who was shot and killed Sunday, days after his high school graduation. I dont want anyone to misunderstand and think that we dont care and that we have not been working our behinds off to get to a place of equity, while ensuring communities are not left behind with crime, violence, illegal guns in our communities, no programs, no activities, and no hope for a better tomorrow, Gibson said. But some other members said the budget proposal didnt dig deep enough into police spending. Councilman Brad Lander, who voted no, called it more budget-dancing than meaningful reductions. Cuts would come from cancelling a nearly 1,200-person police recruiting class set for next month though another class in October is scheduled to go forward as well as halving overtime spending, redeploying officers from administrative functions to patrol and ending police responsibility for school crossing guards and homeless outreach. The police department also would give up control over public school security, which the NYPD took over from the Department of Education in 1998. The city has about 5,300 civilian school safety agents. De Blasio said details were being worked out, but the Education Department would train the agents. Money would go instead to education, social services in communities hit hard by the virus, and summer youth programs for over 100,000 people. Other cuts are being made to the NYPDs capital budget, including cancelling plans to build a new police precinct in Queens and instead using the money to build a community centre. We all understand that we have to answer the concerns of this moment, that people want to see our society progress, de Blasio, a Democrat, said at a news conference. He vowed the changes would not compromise public safety. Police officials didnt comment Tuesday. Commissioner Dermot Shea has said he was open to giving up school safety and other cuts, as long as the amount of officers on patrol doesnt shrink. The NYPD budget is now around $6 billion, plus several billion dollars more in shared city expenses such as pensions. The new plan calls for an ambitious, nearly $300 million cut in police overtime. The department paid out $115 million in overtime just during recent protests over Floyds May 25 death in Minneapolis. Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... The city budget totalled nearly $93 billion when passed last June. Before the virus hit, de Blasio proposed a more than $95 billion spending plan for the budget year that starts Wednesday. ___ Associated Press writer Jim Mustian contributed to this report. TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. - A Michigan regulatory panel on Tuesday refused to grant quick permission to run a new oil pipeline beneath a channel that connects two of the Great Lakes, deciding instead to conduct a full review. The state Public Service Commissions decision involved a proposed replacement for a segment of Enbridges Line 5 that extends beneath the Straits of Mackinac, which links Lakes Huron and Michigan. The Canadian energy transport company wants to replace dual pipelines that rest on the lake floor with a new pipe that would be placed in a 4-mile-long (6.4-kilometre-long) tunnel to be drilled in bedrock beneath the waterway. Also Tuesday, a state judge heard arguments on whether to extend an order he issued June 25 to shut down the existing underwater segment after damage was discovered on a support piece at the lake bottom. Circuit Judge James Jamo promised to move quickly but made no immediate ruling. That means Line 5 which carries 23 million gallons of crude oil and natural gas liquids daily between Superior, Wisconsin, and Sarnia, Ontario will remain closed for now. The 645-mile-long (1,038-kilometre-long) pipeline supplies refineries in Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania, as well as the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. Enbridge said halting its flow even temporarily threatens fuel supplies in those areas, while the state of Michigan and environmental groups contend a major spill would do considerably worse economic damage. There is a serious risk of harm ... to many communities that potentially endangers the livelihood of many people and businesses as well as the natural resources, Robert Reichel, representing state Attorney General Dana Nessels office, said during the online court hearing. Enbridge filed an application in April with the Public Service Commission to relocate the underwater section of Line 5 into the proposed tunnel. The company asked the commission to approve the plan immediately, arguing that the agency in effect had already given permission by allowing the original Line 5 in 1953. But during an online meeting, the panel disagreed on a 3-0 vote. Members concluded that the proposed tunnel pipe differs substantially from the twin pipes that were laid 67 years ago, requiring a new easement and a 99-year lease of public trust property. The project involves important factual, policy and legal issues best resolved through a proceeding that includes discovery, comprehensive testimony and evidence to provide a robust record, the commission said in a statement. It scheduled a public hearing for Aug. 24. Enbridges argument that the commission didnt need to conduct an extensive study of the plan drew opposition from Nessel and numerous members of the public who submitted written comments and spoke during the meeting. Enbridge has already shown that they cannot be trusted, said Sean McBrearty of the environmental coalition Oil & Water Dont Mix. The public service commission, he said, must thoroughly study this proposal and its potential impacts on our water and climate before making their final ruling. Enbridge spokesman Ryan Duffy said the company respects the Michigan Public Service Commissions decision and we look forward to the next steps in the regulatory process. During the court hearing, Enbridge urged Jamo to let Line 5 reopen, saying state governments have no authority to regulate interstate pipelines. That power rests with the federal Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, which has concluded that one of the dual pipes can operate safely, attorney David Coburn said. Nessels case is based on fear, not facts, Coburn said. And her fear is not warranted by the facts here. Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Enbridge agrees one of the underwater pipes should remain closed temporarily as it investigates why a support that holds it in place was recently found bent. It likely was struck by an anchor or other object pulled by a moderate-sized vessel, attorney William Hassler said, adding that the pipe itself was not damaged. The second pipe, which lies about 1,200 feet (366 metres) away, was not harmed and can carry oil safely, Hassler said. Reichel countered that the easement Michigan granted Enbridge to place the pipelines on the bottom of the straits authorizes the state to ensure the company is operating them in a reasonably prudent manner. PORTLAND, Maine - A U.S. Supreme Court decision that says states cant cut religious schools out of programs that send public money to private education could breathe new life into efforts to force Maine and Vermont to help fund religious educations. A lawsuit by three families in Maine who want the state to pay for for religious school tuition is already pending in the 1st Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston. A separate case in Vermont that would allow students from religious schools to participate in a program where high school students could take college courses at state expense is being appealed to the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals in New York. Tim Keller of Institute for Justice in Virginia, which is representing the Maine families, said the 1st Circuit judges were skeptical during arguments but he said the Supreme Court ruling Tuesday in a Montana case changes things. The plaintiffs made a new filing late Tuesday to reference the Montana decision that says states that subsidize private education cannot exclude religious private schools, Keller said in an email. The Maine Department of Education currently allows families who reside in towns without their own public schools to receive tuition to attend a public or private school, as long as its not a parochial school. Excluding religious schools from the array of options open to Maine parents who receiving the tuition benefit, simply because they are religious schools, is now clearly unconstitutional, Keller wrote. Maine Attorney General Aaron Frey said the cases are different and that he expects the state to prevail. The Montana case focuses on its constitution broadly barring government aid to schools operated by religious organizations and does not require Maine to do the same, he said. We remain confident that the First Circuit will uphold Maines restriction against sectarian schools receiving public funds, he said. Vermont has a long history of using public money to pay for high school educations at private schools for students who live in towns that dont have their own high schools. But the state Supreme Court ruled in 1999 that public money cannot be used for religious schools. Last year, the group Alliance Defending Freedom filed a federal lawsuit against the Vermont Education Agency on behalf of a number of students from the Rice Memorial High School in South Burlington saying they wished to take college classes under Vermonts Dual Enrollment program, but were excluded because they attend a Catholic high school. Last month, U.S. District Court Judge Christina Reiss denied the students a preliminary injunction. Earlier this month, the students filed their notice of appeal with the 2nd Circuit. In Vermont you have this dual enrolment program that pretty much everybody is eligible for, but if you attend a private religious school then you are almost universally excluded from it, Alliance Attorney John Bursch said Tuesday. So it suffers from the same religious discrimination that was at issue in (the Montana case). The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Tuesday in a dispute over a Montana scholarship program for private K-12 education that also makes donors eligible for state tax credits. The 5-4 decision overturned a state supreme court ruling that the tax credit violated the Montana constitutions ban on state aid to religious schools. Bursch said he felt the impact of the decision in Vermont could go beyond the dual enrolment issues in the current case he is involved in. The U.S. Supreme Court emphatically rejected that and said you are discriminating against religious schools and families who attend religious schools based on their status as religion, he said. Ted Fisher, a spokesman for the Vermont Education Agency, said Tuesday the state had not reviewed the Supreme Court ruling or to evaluate its applicability to Vermont. Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... ___ Ring reported from Stowe, Vermont. CHARLOTTE, N.C. - They didnt like it when then-candidate Donald Trump criticized John McCain for being captured in combat. They were angrier when Trump, as commander in chief, abandoned Kurdish allies in the Middle East. And they were upset again last month when he threatened to deploy troops against American protesters. Trumps relationship with the nations military community has been frequently strained. But just four months before the November election, reports that he either ignored, or was unaware of, a Russian plot to kill U.S. troops could intensify the tension and create new political risks. I dont think he cares about troops at all, said Shawn LeMond, a Navy veteran who served his country in the Middle East and then his state of North Carolina as a Republican legislator. If he didnt know about Russia, its because he didnt do his damn homework. And thats despicable. After sitting out the 2016 election, LeMond has withdrawn from the Republican Party and plans to vote for Trumps Democratic opponent, Joe Biden, this fall. Its difficult to gauge how widespread LeMonds sentiment is among veterans, but there was a significant outcry this week from a collection of retired service members, elected officials in both parties and families of fallen soldiers who have lost confidence in the presidents commitment to the troops. Thats just four weeks after Trumps former defence secretary James Mattis, a Marine general, described the president as a threat to the Constitution. Any erosion in Trumps support from the national security community, long a pillar of the GOP base, could damage his reelection prospects, particularly in swing states with large concentrations of veterans, including Florida, Virginia, Texas and North Carolina. Rep. Richard Hudson, R-N.C., whose district includes Fort Bragg, acknowledged the troubling nature of the revelations, but like many other Republicans on Capitol Hill, he sidestepped Trumps role. There is no consensus on the intelligence yet, but as Fort Braggs congressman, Im deeply troubled by the reports, he said. And if they are verified to be true, I believe there needs to be swift and severe consequences on Russia. American intelligence has assessed that Russia offered militants bounties to kill American troops in Afghanistan. Initial intelligence was shared with the White House and included in one of Trumps daily briefings in early 2019. In spite of that, Trump has maintained a warm relationship with Russian leader Vladimir Putin throughout his presidency. Trump on Wednesday dismissed the allegations as Fake News. The White House initially said Trump wasnt briefed on the intelligence. But on Tuesday, press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said Trump was indeed briefed, though there were reservations about the veracity of the allegations. Make no mistake. This president will always protect American troops, she declared. Those words rang hollow to some who serve the military community, like Rep. Paul Cook, R-Calif., a Marine veteran who represents several military installations and is retiring at years end. Im not really sure he absorbs a lot of this stuff, Cook told The Associated Press of reports that Trump was briefed on the bounties. Hes probably thinking about the polls. Cook added: Im not going to be an apologist for Trump. Trump is Trump. Biden leaned into the debate Tuesday, calling the Trump administrations handling of the Russian intelligence an absolute dereliction of duty. As he often does, Biden reflected on his own sons military service in Iraq. The developments were even more personal for potential Biden running mate Sen. Tammy Duckworth, a former Army lieutenant colonel who lost her legs in a helicopter crash in Iraq. Its deeply personal, its nauseating, and its obscene, Duckworth, D-Ill., said of Trumps muted response to the Russian bounties, which she cast as evidence that the commander in chief doesnt value the well-being of American troops. I think the only thing President Trump cares about is his own reelection and his own well-being. The most poignant reactions, however, didnt come from politicians. Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Erik Hendriks lost his 25-year-old son in an April 2019 attack that intelligence officials believe may be tied to the Russian bounties. The New York man said the pain of his sons death would be even worse if there were bounties on American soldiers that the Trump administration didnt address. When they sign up and they go any soldier, a Marine, Navy, Air Force, Army Im sure they want to believe that the government is 100% in their corner, Hendriks told the AP. And if any of this is true, how could a soldier actually believe that anymore? How could this government let one soldier go on patrol out there knowing this is true? Those questions resonated with Matthew Whitney, a retired Army intelligence officer who worked in the Pentagon and now lives in Florida, a must-win state for the president. The 55-year-old Orlando man said the Trump administration clearly didnt prioritize vital intelligence on Russia, which speaks either to the presidents leadership or to the people he surrounds himself with. He said he voted for Trump four years ago and wouldnt do it again. I feel like when this president stands in front of the troops -- theres probably a part of his heart that cares for them but I wonder to what extent theyre basically just props for him to talk about himself, Whitney said. He admitted, however, that many of his close friends from the military community continue to support Trump. Thats the case in the Bush household near Fort Bragg, where Robyne Bush, the mother of a soldier in basic training and the wife of a retired Green Beret, shrugged off the latest revelations as old news. We knew this. Its not a secret, said Bush, an Army veteran herself, who has helped comfort nearly 20 families of fallen soldiers. She voted for Trump in 2016 and vowed to do so again, praising his support for service members and the Veterans Administration. I dont like him as a person. I dont like that personality, Bush said. But I think that he knows more than he ever lets on. ___ Peoples reported from New York. Associated Press writers Alan Fram and Nathan Ellgren in Washington and Deepti Hajela in New York contributed to this report. WASHINGTON - Criticized for inaction, President Donald Trump and top officials on Wednesday stepped up their defence of the administrations response to intelligence assessments that Russia offered bounties for killing U.S. troops in Afghanistan. Trumps national security adviser said he had prepared a list of retaliatory options if the intelligence proved true. Trump, meanwhile, called the assessments a hoax and insisted anew he hadnt been briefed on them because the intelligence didnt rise to his level. However, National Security Adviser Robert OBrien said both the CIA and Pentagon did pursue the leads and briefed international allies. We had options ready to go, OBrien said on Fox and Friends. It may be impossible to get to the bottom of it. At a State Department news conference, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the situation was handled incredibly well to ensure the safety of U.S. troops. We took this seriously, we handled it appropriately, Pompeo said, without giving additional details. He said the administration receives intelligence about threats to Americans every single day and each is addressed. Pompeo added that Russian activity in Afghanistan is nothing new and that Russia is just one of many nations acting there. He said that Congress has had similar information in the past, and that he often receives threat assessments that dont rise to the level of a presidential briefing. Trump is coming under increasing pressure from lawmakers of both parties to provide more answers about the intelligence and the U.S. response or lack of one. Democrats who were briefed at the White House on Tuesday suggested he was bowing to Russian President Vladimir Putin at the risk of U.S. soldiers lives. The president has repeatedly said he wasnt briefed on the assessments that Russia offered bounties because there wasnt corroborating evidence. Those assessments were first reported by The New York Times, then confirmed to The Associated Press by American intelligence officials and others with knowledge of the matter. White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany pointed to an individual who she said made the decision not to brief Trump, identifying the person as a female CIA officer with more than 30 years of experience. OBrien said the person was a career CIA briefer. The national security adviser agreed with that decision, McEnany said. It was the right decision to make, and at this moment as I speak to you it is still unverified. Trump remained defensive about the intelligence in early morning tweets, dismissing stories about it as Fake News made up to damage me and the Republican Party. Later in the day, Trump said in a television interview that it was a hoax and we never heard about it because intelligence officials didnt think it rose to that level. The intelligence people, many of them didnt believe it happened at all, Trump said on Fox Business. OBrien said the intelligence wasnt brought to Trumps attention initially because it was unverified and there was no consensus among the intelligence community. But its rare for intelligence to be confirmed without a shadow of doubt before it is presented to senior government decision-makers. The national security adviser echoed the recent White House talking point faulting not Russia but government leakers and the media for making the matter public. Senate Republicans appeared split on the matter, with several defending the president and saying that the Russian meddling wasnt new. Others expressed strong concern. Sen. Patrick Toomey of Pennsylvania called for administration officials to address the entire Senate and answer questions. He said he had reviewed classified documents regarding the potential bounties upon which recent news reports are based and said the information raises many questions. If it is concluded that Russia offered bounties to murder American soldiers, a firm American response is required in short order, Toomey said. Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley had similar words on the Senate floor, saying that if the reports are true, it demands a strong response, and I dont mean a diplomatic response. Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... House Democrats who were briefed at the White House on Tuesday questioned why Trump wouldnt have been briefed sooner and pushed White House officials to have the president make a strong statement. They said the administration should brief all members of Congress. House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff, one of the Democrats who attended the briefing, said it was inexplicable that Trump wont say publicly that he is working to get to the bottom of the issue and wont call out Putin. He said Trumps defence that he hadnt been briefed was inexcusable. Many of us do not understand his affinity for that autocratic ruler who means our nation ill, Schiff said. Senate Republicans who received their own briefing largely agreed with the White House that the intelligence was unverified. Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson, chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, said Trump cant be made aware of every piece of unverified intelligence. Similarly, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said he didnt think Trump should be subjected to every rumour. Intelligence officials, including CIA Director Gina Haspel and Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe, will brief the so-called Gang of 8 McConnell, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the top Republicans and Democrats on the two intelligence committees in a classified meeting on Capitol Hill Thursday morning. While Russian meddling in Afghanistan isnt new, officials said Russian operatives had become more aggressive in their desire to contract with the Taliban and members of the Haqqani Network, a militant group aligned with the Taliban in Afghanistan and designated a foreign terrorist organization in 2012. The intelligence community has been investigating an April 2019 attack on an American convoy that killed three U.S. Marines whenr a car rigged with explosives detonated near their armoured vehicles as they travelled back to Bagram Airfield, the largest U.S. military installation in Afghanistan, officials told the AP. Three other U.S. service members were wounded in the attack, along with an Afghan contractor. The Taliban claimed responsibility. The officials the AP spoke to also said they were looking closely at insider attacks from 2019 to determine if they were linked to Russian bounties. Intelligence officials told the AP that the White House first became aware of alleged Russian bounties in early 2019 a year earlier than had been previously reported. The assessments were included in one of Trumps written daily briefings at the time, and then-National Security Adviser John Bolton had told colleagues he had briefed Trump on the matter. ___ Associated Press writers Zeke Miller, Lisa Mascaro, Alan Fram, Matthew Daly and Deb Riechmann in Washington and Jonathan Lemire in Mystic, Connecticut, contributed to this report. Atlantic City officials are trying to deter a potential protest on the Fourth of July this weekend. During a Facebook Live address to residents Tuesday evening, Mayor Marty Small Sr. said he and other city officials and organizations are set to meet Wednesday afternoon with Steve Young, the organizer of a social justice protest scheduled to take place Saturday, the Fourth of July. The protest, scheduled to take place in front of the citys Public Safety Building on Atlantic Avenue, is billed as a protest to support George Floyd, the man who died in Minneapolis police custody when an officer kneeled on his neck for almost 9 minutes. Update on planned 4th of July Protest Posted by Atlantic City Gov on Tuesday, June 30, 2020 Some of the items that you know Mr. Young is concerned about have merits, and they should be addressed, the mayor said. However, we are in the listening phase. No promises will be made except the promise that we want to be at the table and conduct business for the betterment of Atlantic City, the business community, and everyone else. During a Friday interview on WPG Talk Radio 95.5s Hurley in the Morning show, Young told host Harry Hurley that systemic racism has been going on for years, and its been overlooked for years. "On July the Fourth, we are going to shut Atlantic City down to show the light of systemic racism, and the issues economically and socially, and the oppression that happens right here in Atlantic City," Young said during the interview. A protest and march through the city on May 31 began peacefully but deteriorated into rioting and looting. Several businesses, especially in the area Tanger Outlets near Baltic Avenue, were damaged, so much so that some businesses have yet to reopen. The mayor said that although he does not feel the protests will reach the level of intensity that occurred in May, and that hes in favor of peaceful protests, law enforcement agencies will be ready if the situation calls for their intervention. We cannot afford another embarrassment, Small said. This is the time for everyone to step up. We cannot have people coming in from out of town, destroying our businesses, destroying our properties, and destroy Atlantic Citys good name. Small also addressed reports that the Pagans Motorcycle Club was headed to the city Saturday. I learned some information that the Pagans motorcycle gang was supposed to come here and try to intervene. That is all fine and dandy. However, we are going to take care of our affairs here in the city of Atlantic City. The Pagans have been beefing up their membership in New Jersey, state officials said this past October during public hearings about outlaw motorcycle clubs. The club has always been strong in South Jersey, but evidence shows they are growing in the north too. State law enforcement officials estimated then that they have 300 members in 17 chapters throughout the state - with a 50% increase in chapters over the past three years. Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a voluntary subscription. Tell us your coronavirus story or send a tip here. Chris Franklin may be reached at cfranklin@njadvancemedia.com. Its not like the movies, Smith told People. To comprehend that you could lose someone to drowning 20 feet from you doesnt make any sense unless you know how that process works and that its so silent. There isnt splashing or gurgling or kicking. There wasnt even a splash going in. A priest in Bergen County has resigned from the church after an allegation surfaced that he abused a minor before he was ordained nearly 20 years ago, according to the Archdiocese of Newark. Father Bruce Harger, 66, who served as pastor of Epiphany Parish in Cliffside Park, has not been convicted of any civil or canonical crime, Maria Margiotta, spokeswoman for the archdiocese, said in a statement. Harger has agreed to resign until the matter is resolved, Margiotta said. He denies any wrongdoing, Margiotta said, adding that Harger resigned out of concern for the people of the parish and for the benefit of the church. This decision was made after thorough and careful consideration, Margiotta said. In keeping with its policy, the archdiocese reported the allegation of misconduct to the New Jersey Attorney Generals Office, Margiotta said. Margiotta did not release the exact nature of the allegation or name Hargers accuser, saying it is inappropriate to discuss the details of the matter, and we appreciate the understanding and need for privacy and discretion. The individual alleging abuse has been offered counseling and healing services by the Archdiocesan Office for the Protection of the Faithful, Margiotta said. Harger was ordained in 2001, started working at Church of the Epiphany as an administrator in 2018 and was installed as a pastor in October 2019, according to the parish website. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Anthony G. Attrino may be reached at tattrino@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyAttrino. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Researchers are monitoring a new flu strain that has emerged in China, which they say has the features of a candidate pandemic virus. Its called G4 EA H1N1, a new strain of H1N1, or swine flu, which researchers have detected in pigs in Asia. H1N1 caused the 1918 and 2009 flu pandemics. While experts say there is no cause for alarm at this point, a recent study in the U.S. scientific journal PNAS said, G4 viruses have all the essential hallmarks of a candidate pandemic virus. Pigs are incubators for the flu or mixing vessels, as the researchers put it allowing them to generate pandemic-level flu viruses. Some pig farm workers about 10% of those studied turned up positive for antibodies for the new flu strain, but didnt fall ill because the virus is still unable to cause disease. But researchers said the strain has acquired increased human infectivity, which signals that its learning how to better survive in people, said David Cennimo, an infectious disease expert at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School. I think the concern is, it is adapting better to being in humans, Cennimo said. Such an ability to establish infection greatly enhances the opportunity for virus adaptation in humans and raises concerns for the possible generation of pandemic viruses, the study said. But Cennimo emphasized there is no reason to panic. "I think the concern is more academic," he said. "This is not raising a health alert or anything else." If the strain developed into a communicable disease, thats when the alarm bells would ring. Youd be worried if these pig farmers were actually getting sick and then transmitting it to others, Cennimo said. That remains a concern, the researchers said in the study. A pandemic from a new flu strain would magnify the coronavirus pandemic, which has shown no signs of slowing in the U.S. In fact, the crisis has only been ramping up in recent weeks in states throughout the country, especially in the southern and western regions. Only time will tell what the new flu strain develops into. Health experts are continuing to monitor the situation in China. The study said, close monitoring in human populations, especially the workers in (the) swine industry, should be urgently implemented. Though the situation is still being investigated, Patty Olinger, an infectious disease expert, said the study has caught the attention of health experts around the country and the globe. Its one of the reports you really pay attention to... said Olinger, who is also the executive director of the Global Biorisk Advisory Council. When we see these events, when there is a jump from one species to another, you start paying attention. She said whenever you see a novel virus that has at least made it to humans but hasnt caused disease, it makes you pause and take a look at it. But even if the new strain ends up being harmless, Cennimo said just a moderately severe flu season could disrupt the health care system amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Experts call it surge capacity, and a moderate flu season could spell disaster for hospitals in the state still coping with COVID-19. Spencer Kent may be reached at skent@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @SpencerMKent. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips. Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. Stung by the colossal economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic, New Jersey leaders are grappling with a multi-billion-dollar question. Should they hike state taxes and delay a $4.9 billion pension payment now? Borrow at least $5 billion and deal with the consequences later? Or dig out of a gaping projected budget hole in some other way thats both legally sound and politically palatable? Gov. Phil Murphy says one solution is to borrow so the state can continue funding schools and other programs without gouging spending. But state Senate President Stephen Sweeney wants to keep borrowing to a minimum, and some budget experts warn Murphys plan is a short-term salve that delays the budget crisis without curing it. The challenge must be handled carefully and limit one-time actions that will complicate and potentially ruin the states finances for years to come, said Richard Keevey, budget director under former Govs. Jim Florio, a Democrat, and Tom Kean, a Republican. I think it would be a mistake to issue bonds, he said, testifying before the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee this month. Just four months ago, Murphys administration didnt expect to find itself here. The governor in February introduced a $40.9 billion state budget, declaring in his public address that tax revenues that had been slow to recover from the Great Recession now were doing very well. He was going to contribute $280 million to the public pension fund ahead of schedule unheard of in Trenton. He planned on big increases in aid for schools and NJ Transit, launching a tuition-free four-year college initiative and tucking away savings for a rainy day. But within weeks of that February budget address, the coronavirus was spreading quickly, unemployment was exploding and state finances were in turmoil. New Jersey found itself back in a familiar territory: short on cash with no easy answer or consensus on how to fix it. The fiscal impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic are as unprecedented as this public health emergency itself, Murphy said at his daily coronavirus briefing Tuesday. To be sure, the revenue losses the state is confronting are alarming, both in their suddenness and scale. The Treasury Department lowered by $10 billion its projections of how much money the state will collect in taxes through next summer. The $34 billion in taxes the Treasury Department predicts it will collect between now and June 30, 2021, is $4.7 billion lower than the budget adopted last July. Its $7.2 billion lower than the $40.9 billion budget Murphy proposed back on that February afternoon in Trenton, though that included about $1 billion in revenue Murphy wanted to raise through tax hikes on high-income earners, smokers and others. Murphys administration has not revealed detailed plans for coping with those revenue losses beyond Oct. 1. But the states meager reserves provide little help. The governor has been adamant he needs more aid from the federal government and authorization to borrow from the state Legislature. Bonding is not something we all wake up reflexively wanting to do. But the alternative is devastation for our front line workers, the very people we need at their positions and posts ... health care workers to firefighters, police, educators, EMS and everybody in between, Murphy has said. New Jerseys stunning revenue losses are not unique. Nationwide, states are scrambling to cope with falling tax collections. Facing similar declines in tax collections, Illinois has already approved a plan to take out a one year, $1.2 billion loan from the central bank. Legislation passed by the Assembly earlier this month allows Murphy to borrow as much as $14 billion through a combination of bonds and federal stimulus loans. State officials say they dont anticipate borrowing that full amount Our intent is to borrow only as much as absolutely necessary, Treasurer Elizabeth Muoio told lawmakers but have not said how much debt they do intend to pursue. Under that bill, Murphy could take out up to $9 billion in loans from the Federal Reserve for a term of three years for the state and on behalf of local governments that cant access the lending program on their own. Treasury officials said the state would pay a rate of 2.8% to the Fed. He could also go to the public or private markets to sell $5 billion in general obligation bonds. CORONAVIRUS RESOURCES: Live map tracker | Newsletter | Homepage That bill has stalled in the state Senate, but Sweeney, D-Gloucester, said Monday he and Murphys administration are in the middle of negotiations and may reach a deal this week to forge ahead. Several Republicans already have threatened to sue to block Murphy, challenging any such borrowing proposal as unconstitutional. Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin, D-Middlesex, has said that while borrowing is not ideal, the state is in an economic tsunami that requires extraordinary action. But the former treasury officials say those actions could cause the state big problems. Keeveys concerns have little to do with the added costs the borrowing would add to the state budget in future decades; he brushed that aside earlier this month to focus lawmakers on what he said is the real issue: its one-time, or non-recurring, revenue. The folks who sit around the table on 2022 are going to say My god, where do I get $10 billion?, or whatever the number is, he said. Any one-time aid from the federal government will add to those troubles, he said. Some will try to argue revenues will return to normal, Keevey said, but thats not likely for some time. After a much less disastrous recession in 2008, it took six years for the states revenue to return to previous levels, he said. In my judgment, it is best to bite the bullet for the remainder of this year and next than to invite struggles for many years to come, he said. Spending cuts can and should be made, he said, though he stressed it would be misleading for anyone to suggest the state can cut its way out of a $10 billion hole. Murphy has proposed more than $1 billion in cuts this fiscal year and zeroed out funding for any new initiatives in the states three-month stopgap budget. Those are a start, Keevey said. It is difficult to argue that all spending is critical and should be funded simply by borrowing, especially when many citizens are losing their jobs and many businesses are closing, he said. It would be better, he suggested, to defer most or all of the proposed $4.6 billion pension payment next year. If the state doesnt get the robust federal aid its hoping for, add raising taxes to that list, he said. More taxes never a great option is in my opinion inevitable, he told senators. Best to do it now and carefully explain to the public why the Legislature supports it in lieu of bonding. Eliminating the annual pension contribution is no small thing. The state hasnt made a full payment in decades and has, from time to time, skipped it altogether to balance budgets. Next years contribution is supposed to be $4.9 billion, 80 percent of whats recommended by actuaries. As of last June, the system had enough assets to cover just 40.4% of what it owes some 800,000 active and retired public workers. But as unhealthy as the pension system was before this economic crisis and as bad as it will be after, " to borrow is even worse, Keevey said. David Rousseau, former Gov. Jon Corzines treasurer, said that administration didnt hesitate to cut the pension contribution when the Great Recession walloped tax revenues. Here, its difficult to divorce the borrowing from the $4.9 billion pension contribution. He described the choice as a tradeoff between locking the state into a hard, inflexible debt, like bonds, and growing a soft debt like the pension payment, which can be massaged or reduced. A Treasury Department spokeswoman said Tuesday that while all options are on the table, shorting the pension is a less appealing one than borrowing. Skipping or deferring a pension payment is an expensive way to fund a revenue shortfall because the cost of doing so is equivalent to borrowing at the assumed rate of return of the pension fund, which is currently 7%, spokeswoman Jennifer Sciortino said. Meanwhile, borrowing in the public or private markets in todays environment should be well under 7%. Once the state has attempted to rein in personnel costs, found reasonable budget cuts and considered deferring part of the pension payment, borrowing can be part of the solution to the budget problems, Rousseau said. But its crucial the state doesnt burn through all the cash in one year, Rousseau said in an interview with NJ Advance Media. Instead, he added, it should perhaps spend 60% of the bond proceeds in one year, 30% of the second year and 10% in the next, slowly weaning the budget off the revenue. You need some glidepath to get you at least through fiscal year 22. If you just use, lets say you get $3 billion from the Fed and borrow $4 billion and they spend it all, theyve left themselves a $7 billion hole, he said. Even in the strongest economy, theres no level of economic growth and no tax hike that can close that hole, he warned. If it just simply pushes off your problem for two or three years, it might not be the right thing to do, Rousseau said. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Samantha Marcus may be reached at smarcus@njadvancemedia.com. New Jerseys business community has weathered many challenges, from the 2008 financial crisis to the impact of Superstorm Sandy to the aftermath of 9/11. But our state has never faced a crisis quite like this. Businesses are facing an uncertain future in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. Offers of government loans and grants may not be enough for many businesses to survive. Our community knew, even before Gov. Phil Murphy ordered the shutdown the state in March, there would be a rough road ahead. Now that the state is reopening, NJ Advance Media wants to help business rebuild, regain their footing and find economic opportunity. NJ Advance Media is committing up to $10 million in advertising and marketing grants to partner with companies to kickstart their businesses through a matching program to help them reach new customers and welcome back the regulars. The program will double business marketing impact by matching advertising dollars spent with NJ Advance Media, including NJ.com and our affiliated newspapers. So lets say a business decides to buy $2,000 of advertising. Well match it so the business gets $4,000 worth of ads to use through July, August and September. The advertising grants start at $950 and will be matched up to $50,000. So many businesses are hurting in New Jersey and in need of a boost to get restarted, said Steve Alessi, President of NJ Advance Media. He credited NJ Advance Medias sister properties in Michigan, Oregon and Ohio for launching similar programs earlier this month. Businesses responded immediately and thousands of dollars of matching grants are being approved every day, Alessi said. We are ready to do the same for New Jersey, serving our marketing partners just as we served our readers during the pandemic. Our advertisers and our communities are tough, but were that much tougher when we support one another. The data shows our readers count on NJ Advance Media in good times and in bad. Even without professional, college or high school sports, NJ.com has seen its overall audience grow to at least 20 million unique visitors per month since the pandemic began, according to Google Analytics. Year over year, the gains have been between 15 and 85% on the site and as high as 135% on Facebook. Businesses can apply here, and within two business days, a member of our team will connect by email or phone to go over applications and talk about the future of business in New Jersey. Applications will be accepted through July 31, 2020. Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a voluntary subscription. Its over. Finally. Officially. No more procedural steps. No more maybes. New Jerseys takeover of Newark Public Schools formally ended Wednesday, almost 25 years to the day that the state stripped local control from its largest school district. I am just glad I lived to see this day come, said longtime state Sen. Ron Rice, D-Essex. I never felt that we should be taking the districts over. The state Board of Education voted unanimously Wednesday to end state oversight of the district, which has been operating independently for two years under a state-approved transition plan. The district met all benchmarks that had been set and proved its ready to move forward on its own, state officials said. This is a historic day for the great city of Newark, said Roger Leon, the school district superintendent. We have learned from the past, are preparing for a promising future and are committed to working tirelessly to provide a first-class education for all of the children of the City of Newark. State board member Arcelio Aponte, a product of Newark schools, said the boards vote amounted to justice for the city. I am particularly proud today to complete this journey, Aponte said. The vote officially ends a takeover that stirred decades-long tensions between the state and Newark leaders, who had little leverage over their schools. The state took control in July 1995, following a probe that produced a 1,798-page report accusing Newark school leaders of mismanagement, neglect and corruption. The investigation found conflicts of interest, crumbling school facilities and inequitable distribution of resources, all part of an atmosphere that collectively would virtually ensure academic failure. But under New Jerseys control, a revolving door of state-appointed superintendents with veto power over school board decisions often rankled residents in a community eager for better-performing schools. The process of regaining control has been long and gradual, with the final steps beginning in 2017. Though Wednesdays vote was largely a formality, its impact shows just how far the city has come, local leaders said. We screamed for two decades, Give us back our schools, state Sen. Teresa Ruiz, D-Essex said. We have our schools. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Adam Clark may be reached at adam_clark@njadvancemedia.com. Tell us your coronavirus story or send a tip here. Rutgers Universitys new president reported for his first day of work Wednesday and promptly cut his own pay. But hell still make more than $1 million this year. Jonathan Holloway, the new president, said hell cut his salary by 10% in the spirit of shared sacrifice that this moment requires. Rutgers faces a projected $250 million financial hit next school year because of the coronavirus pandemic. It has laid off hundreds of employees and also wants to freeze scheduled pay increases for workers. I dont need to tell anyone in New Jersey or at Rutgers how much damage COVID has caused personally, emotionally, psychologically and financially, Holloway said. Because of these enormous setbacks, I will be focusing much of my initial energy as president on repair and rebuilding. Holloway, 52, arrives at Rutgers after serving as provost of Northwestern University and dean at Yale. A historian and author specializing in African American studies, hes been praised by Gov. Phil Murphy as an ideal leader for this moment in time. I know with Jonathan at the helm, Rutgers will continue to soar, Murphy said. Along with the pay cut, Holloway announced he will personally donate $75,000 to the Scarlet Promise Grants program, a university fund to help Rutgers most economically at-risk students. The grants help students especially those who face unforeseen or sudden life-changing circumstances offset the gap between financial aid and costs. Holloway will also dedicate $125,000 in presidential discretionary funds to the program, helping kick off a campaign to raise $10 million for economically disadvantaged students. I am proud that I now have the privilege and the responsibility to lead an institution that is committed to making the world better while also opening its doors to that world, Holloway said in a video message to the Rutgers community. Holloway was hired in January with a base salary of $780,000 in his first year along with two additional payments that will push his total compensation past $1 million, according to a term sheet provided to NJ Advance Media. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Adam Clark may be reached at adam_clark@njadvancemedia.com. A woman who worked in a re-entry program at Newark City Hall filed suit in April saying she was sexually assaulted by her supervisor and the mayors brother did nothing to address it once he learned of the accusations. Her lawsuit says in 2017 Richard Kirkland, who was then manager of the citys parks and grounds division, made comments to her about her breasts and buttocks and eventually touched her chest. He once showed her a sex act on his computer while he was in his office as well, the suit claims. NJ Advance Media is not disclosing the womans name since she alleged she was sexually assaulted. She declined to comment on the case when reached. Multiple phone numbers listed for Kirkland were no longer in service and no one answered the door at an address listed for him. Kirkland, a city spokeswoman said, still works for Newark and state pension records show he has been a city employee since 2009. The woman claims she went to the mayors chief of staff, Amiri Middy Baraka, Jr., to tell him about the assault. But the chief of staff, who is also the mayors brother, told her nothing would be done about it, the suit says. Dont be coming here complaining about discrimination, the lawsuit says Baraka told her. You should be happy you have a job. The suit names various John and Jane Does, but does not specifically list Baraka as a defendant. She claims in her suit that she tried to meet with the mayor, but the meeting never happened. A city spokeswoman declined to comment on the allegations in the lawsuit. An attorney for the woman who filed the suit, meanwhile, did not respond to multiple requests for comment. It is unclear if the woman ever attempted to press charges against Kirkland, but an Essex County Prosecutors Office spokeswoman said he did not have any open cases that involved a sex crime. Court records do not show he was convicted of a sex crime in the past, either. Newark City Council in 2018 passed an ordinance that created an independent task force to investigate claims of sexual harassment brought by city employees. The suit says the first department required to undergo sexual harassment training under the ordinance was the one where Kirkland worked. Former Central Ward Councilwoman Gayle Chaneyfield Jenkins, who spearheaded the legislation, said no one was ever appointed to the task force. The ordinance passed at the end of March, and Chaneyfield Jenkins was replaced about three months later after she unsuccessfully ran for mayor. To my knowledge no one was ever appointed to the task force, which greatly saddens me because it is a real issue, Jenkins told NJ Advance Media when asked about it. The woman who filed suit was eventually terminated from her job and claims she was discriminated against based on her gender. The harassment she claims she experienced and her eventual termination came after she asked for full-time hours in city hall, the suit says. The suit says another male employee asked at the City of Newark about why she had not been made a full-time employee. The employee who made the inquiry and the person he spoke to are not identified in the suit. The employee was allegedly told it was because she would not agree to have sex with other male staffers, the suit says. The woman was first hired in 2016 and initially worked in the re-entry program that was supposed to last for a six-month period, the suit says. After the programs six-month period ended, the suit says, she was transferred to work for Kirkland in the parks and grounds division. She filled out an application to begin working full-time, but worked overtime hours in the meantime, the suit says. The suit claims Talib Aquil, who was the director for the public works department that oversaw the Kirklands division, never paid her for overtime work. Aquil, a city spokeswoman said, resigned last month to start working at another job. He did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The woman routinely saw male employees who started out in the re-entry program get hired into full-time positions while she continued to work for more than a year with fewer hours, the suit said. She filed a gender discrimination complaint in April 2018 with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and was taken out of work for stress by her psychiatrist in June 2018, the suit said. The plaintiff applied for disability benefits but was denied. She applied for unemployment instead and was approved, the suit says. The woman didnt learn of her termination until she went to the state Civil Service Commission for recourse about getting full-time hours. An official from the commission told her in August 2018 that Newark claimed her position had only been temporary and that she had already been fired. She was never provided with any formal documentation notifying her of her termination, the suit says. She claims her termination was retaliation for filing a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. She is suing for damages under seven-counts, including emotional distress, gender discrimination and harassment. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Rebecca Panico may be reached at rpanico@njadvancemedia.com. Back in 2008, more than two dozen Super Bowl rings made for the Giants after their victory over the New England Patriots that year were stolen from a Massachusetts jeweler. Details about robbery, and the man who stole them, have finally emerged 12 years later. The heist sounds like the plot of a movie. Think The Town, only Sean Murphy, the man who robbed the jewelry store, thinks hes better than the characters portrayed by Ben Affleck and Jeremy Renner in that Boston-based movie. Thats what he told Bloomberg in a detailed account of the heist of those Super Bowl rings, as well as Murphys life of crime and how he was ultimately caught, nearly a year after he stole them in 2008. Some background: Murphy was a diehard Patriots fan, per Bloomberg, and hed read an article after the Giants upset the Patriots, 17-14, in Super Bowl XLII in January of 2008, where Michael Strahan, New Yorks star defensive end, had said that he wanted a 10-table stunner, or a ring that could be seen 10 tables away in a restaurant. Tiffany & Co. had designed a ring with the team logo, three Super Bowl trophies with diamonds on the top and the score NYG 17 NE 14 engraved on the side, with 1.72 carats. The Giants, per Bloomberg, were producing 150 rings for the players, front office and owners families. The design for the 2008 Giants Super Bowl rings. Murphy saw where the rings would be manufactured E.A. Dion Inc., located in Attleboro, Mass., two towns south of Foxborough, where the Patriots played and it piqued his interest. Murphy was a renowned thief in the Boston area long before he stole those rings, and by the time he was finally caught in 2009, he had actually robbed Brinks truck the night before police raided his home, per Bloomberg. Back to the ring robbery ... It happened on the night June 8, as Murphy and a friend wore their usual outfits, per Bloomberg, including black jumpsuits, black gloves, black booties over their shoes, and black masks and carried crowbars, power saws, drills and a cellphone jammer. The store, per Bloomberg, and the surrounding area were deserted, so they climbed onto the roof, plugged in the jammer and turned it on. Murphy cut a wire from a nearby telephone poll, per Bloomberg, and he used a drill and power saw to cut a square open in the jewelry stores roof. He jumped down and completed the heist. Heres some of Bloombergs description about what happened inside the building on the night of the robbery: Inside the building, Murphy and his buddy found gold rings, gold necklaces, gold plates, boxes of gold beads, and drawers full of melted-down gold. Unable to crack the safe, they lifted it on a jack and pushed it through the loading dock onto their 24-foot box truck. Murphy was sweeping gold dust off the workstations when his accomplice came out of an office, his hands glittering with diamonds. There was a Super Bowl ring engraved Strahan and a few others that read Manning. By the time Murphy had finished loading up the box truck, he had more than $2 million of gold and jewelry and more than two dozen Super Bowl rings. F--- em, he thought. They dont deserve them. Later in the article, its revealed that a week before the robbery, he saw Strahan and the Giants on television, receiving their rings in Times Square. He went through with the robbery anyway, per Bloomberg, figuring even if the rings werent there, thered be plenty of other jewelry and merchandise worth stealing. As it turned out, there were more than two dozen rings there. Per Bloomberg, one of them belonged to Kate Mara, the famous actress whose family co-owns the Giants. Shes the niece of current co-owner John Mara. Murphy didnt sell the rings because of how much attention his heist was getting, per Bloomberg, though he did give one away to one of his girlfriends living with him at the time. When police raided his house in early 2009, they found two safe deposit keys, and traced them back to a bank nearby, where they found 27 Super Bowl rings, Bloomberg reported. Murphy, who has been in prison since 2009, told Bloomberg that he still has some of the Super Bowl rings, including one with Strahans name on it, though the Giants told Bloomberg the stolen rings were for team staff, and Strahans never went missing. Since Murphy went to prison, the Giants went on to win another Super Bowl over his beloved Patriots at the end of the 2011 season. He couldnt steal those rings. Get Giants text messages from reporters: Cut through the clutter of social media and text directly with the Giants beat writers. Plus, exclusive news and analysis every day. Sign up now for a free trial. Please subscribe now and support the local journalism YOU rely on and trust. Zack Rosenblatt may be reached at zrosenblatt@njadvancemedia.com. Tell us your coronavirus story or send a tip here. A man was injured when he was struck by shattered glass in a shooting incident in the area of Van Horne Street and Pop Curry Drive in Jersey City, officials said. Jersey City police investigating the incident Friday recovered a small handgun on Johnston Avenue. The 29-year-old victim was inside a vehicle when gunfire shattered a window. He treated at the Jersey City Medical Center and released. No other injuries were reported and the investigation is ongoing, Jersey City spokeswoman Kimberly Wallace-Scalcione said. A Trenton resident was arrested several states away Tuesday morning and charged with fatally stabbing a man during a street fight last month in the city, authorities said. Martel Tilghman, 36, was arrested in Greensboro, North Carolina by the U.S. Marshals Regional Fugitive Task Force and charged with murder, aggravated assault and weapons-related offenses, according to a statement from the Mercer County Prosecutors Office. Just before 9 p.m. on June 21, the Trenton Police were called to the 200 block of Rosemont Avenue after they received calls about a street fight in the area where a man was stabbed, the office said. When officers arrived they found a man, later identified as Robert Neal, who had been stabbed in the abdomen and he was immediately taken to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead, according to the statement. An investigation revealed that a fight broke out at a party at a home on the street and that Tilghman hit a woman, the office said. Neal tried to intervene and what started as a verbal altercation between the two men turned physical and he was stabbed, authorities said. Another man was also cut with a knife during the fight. There was no scheduled court appearance set for Tilghman, the office said. Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a voluntary subscription. Chris Sheldon may be reached at csheldon@njadvancemedia.com. Lori Vallow, whose two children went missing before their bodies were discovered on her husbands eastern Idaho property this month, was charged Monday with two additional counts in the sensational case. A driver was facing more serious charges Wednesday after a motorcyclist he hit with his car on an Edison highway over the weekend died at the hospital, authorities said. Roland Q. Lyles, 31, of Orange, was arrested and charged on June 27 with aggravated assault, but the charges were upgraded Wednesday to aggravated manslaughter, vehicular homicide and driving with a suspended license and causing the death of another person, the Edison Police and Middlesex County Prosecutors Office announced in a joint statement. Lyles was also issued a motor vehicle summons including driving while intoxicated and driving with a suspended license, the office said. He was driving a white Nissan Sentra north on Route 1 near Grandview Avenue at 2:19 a.m. at a high rate of speed, when he struck a motorcycle being driven by Richard Diaz, 51, of Brooklyn, New York, according to the statement. Diaz was taken to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick after the crash where he died Tuesday from his injuries, police said. Anyone with information about the crash was asked to call Edison Police Detective Dominick Masi at (732) 248-7400, or Middlesex County Prosecutors Office Detective Jonathan Berman at (732) 745-4328. Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a voluntary subscription. Chris Sheldon may be reached at csheldon@njadvancemedia.com. Walmart is taking All Lives Matter shirts out of its online store. The retailer is making the change after receiving feedback from employees and customers, CBS MoneyWatch reports. We will continue to sell other variations, including Blue Lives Matter, a spokesperson for the company told the outlet. We fundamentally believe all lives do matter and every individual deserves respect, they said. However, as we listened, we came to understand that some, but not all, people using the phrase All Lives Matter in the current environment intentionally minimized the focus on the painful reality of racial inequity. All Lives Matter is widely panned as a way of trying to obscure the Black Lives Matter movement, which is focused on systemic racism and police brutality. Many have pointed out using all lives matter as a response to Black Lives Matter dismisses white privilege and the devaluing of Black lives. Walmart continues to sell "All Lives Can't Matter Until Black Lives Matter" shirts and merchandise online.Screenshot/Walmart.com Walmart is still selling merchandise that says, All Lives Cant Matter Until Black Lives Matter. Blue Lives Matter formed as a response among law enforcement to Black Lives Matter, which gained momentum in 2013 following the acquittal of George Zimmerman for the 2012 fatal shooting of Trayvon Martin, an unarmed Black teenager, in Sanford, Florida. Blue Lives Matter emerged in 2014 after Ismaaiyl Brinsley fatally shot New York police officers Wenjian Liu and Rafael Ramos in Brooklyn. The shooting happened months after the summer of 2014, when Darren Wilson fatally shot Michael Brown, an unarmed Black teenager, in Ferguson, Missouri. The month prior, Eric Garner, an unarmed Black man on Staten Island, died after being put in a chokehold by officer Daniel Pantaleo. A Blue Lives Matter shirt being sold by Walmart.Screenshot/Walmart.com The thin blue line flag a black-and-white American flag that has a blue stripe is often used by those who support Blue Lives Matter. A Blue Lives Matter shirt on Walmarts website features a shield emblem that displays the flag in the shape of a police badge. Walmarts in Mississippi also recently removed state flags that include a Confederate emblem. The changes at Walmart arrive during a national reckoning on racial injustice. Widespread protests followed the May 25 death of George Floyd. Floyd, an unarmed Black man, died at the hands of police in Minneapolis after officer Derek Chauvin pressed his knee on Floyds neck for more than eight minutes. Protesters have also rallied in the name of Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and many other Black Americans who have been killed. Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a voluntary subscription. Amy Kuperinsky may be reached at akuperinsky@njadvancemedia.com. Send a coronavirus tip here. The Food Bank of South Jersey distributed 1.6 million pounds of food in March alone, the first month that the coronavirus pandemic had unquestionably begun to upend life in New Jersey. Then, another 1.8 million pounds of food in April. And then another 1.9 million pounds in May. The record amounts of food over 5 million pounds that the Pennsauken Township-based food bank distributed over the first 90 days of its COVID-19 response was a testament to the organizations necessity and the impact it has made in its communities. Founded in 1985 by a group of people in Camden, the food bank celebrated its 35th anniversary last Wednesday. The Food Bank of South Jersey, which is part of Feeding Americas network of more than 200 food banks across the country, saw two crises collide within the past few months the coronavirus and food insecurity. You know, they call COVID-19 a pandemic, but the food insecurity pandemic has been around for ages, not just 35 years, Fred C. Wasiak, the food banks president and CEO, told NJ Advance Media. Wasiak said theyve recently seen a 200% increase in the number of food insecure individuals within some of the communities they serve, which includes Burlington, Camden, Gloucester, and Salem counties. Theres no post-COVID yet. And so, even as businesses are opening up, some are going to open up slower. Based on (the) unemployment rate right now, were going to see a 20-30% higher rate of food insecure individuals that were going to need to feed prior to March 1, moving forward in the months and years to come, he said. This new level is not going to go away for a long time, he added. Food insecurity in New Jersey is not new. In 2010, there were more than 1.19 million food insecure residents in the state a staggering 13.5% of the population according to state data. Nearly a decade later, the number has slightly decreased to 774,860 food insecure residents in 2017, the latest available year from Feeding Americas data. But between the unemployment rate and the long-term effects of the virus, Wasiak believes the food banks increased distributions wont be going away any time soon. A common misconception of food insecure individuals is that theyre homeless and live in the inner city, he said, but thats not true. In peoples lives, things happen, he said. Unfortunately, many families and individuals are one paycheck away from the disaster of not having food, or paying rent or paying for electricity. And were here to help and make sure people are eating healthy and nutritiously and its more than just food that we want to give out, he added. We want to give hope and optimism. Long-term solutions for hunger relief in the area include strengthening local partnerships with stakeholders, Wasiak said. Both monetary and voluntary donations allows the food bank to continue purchasing healthy foods for those in need, he said. When the cameras, when the media and the masks go away, food insecurity does not, he said. So its here for the long haul and were here to serve. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Brianna Kudisch may be reached at bkudisch@njadvancemedia.com. Tell us your coronavirus story or send a tip here. Miquenel Altidor was still half-asleep when he stared down the barrel of a gun. He stood against the wall of his living room on the night of Dec. 28, 2017, with a stunned expression on his face and his hands raised high and wide. Unbeknownst to him, his home security system had been tripped, and he awoke after hearing someone kick in the front door of his Toms River home. But it wasnt an intruder who had him at gunpoint, fearing for his life that evening. It was the police. Altidor, a 49-year-old native of Haiti, was handcuffed and pushed onto the living room floor of his split-level home on Castle Drive. A second police officer dug his forearm and knee into Altidors back. I feel like Im a drug dealer, Im a criminal and a killer, Altidor told NJ Advance Media in a recent phone interview. The police abuse me in front of my kids. How the five Toms River police officers treated Altidor that evening is the subject of an ongoing lawsuit. It has dragged through the court system since it was filed in October 2018 by the law firm of Escandon, Fernicola, Anderson, Covelli & McPherson in U.S. District Court. A status conference is scheduled for Aug. 8. The lawsuit charges that the officers all five are white engaged in unlawful racial profiling and that Altidor was assaulted. Interactions between police officers and the public have come under intense scrutiny in the month following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis especially when video contradicts what was written in formal police reports. And a video from Altidors home security system appears to show inconsistencies in the Toms River Police Departments reports on the incident. It captures Altidor remaining in place after seeing officers inside his home and complying with their commands to get down on the floor, while a police report claims he was retreating from officers. Toms River Police declined to comment for the story. And Thomas Monahan, the lawyer representing the agency and the officers, did not return a phone call or an email seeking comment. Altidor works the night shift at an assisted living facility in Toms River and then heads straight to Ocean Medical Center in Brick, where hes a patient technician. On work days, he gets three hours of sleep. It was in that three-hour span that his life changed just after Christmas 2017. Mr. Altidor did not engage in any action that justified excessive use of any force, the lawsuit states. Mr. Altidor was traumatized, terrified and feared for his life, and thought he was going to die. Miquenel Altidor was sleeping in his home on Dec. 28, 2017, when the Toms River police kicked down his front door and pulled their guns on him. Unbeknownst to Altidor, his home security alarm had gone off and police couldn't contact him.Michael Mancuso | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com The encounter The burglar alarm went off shortly before 9 p.m. Two Toms River police officers Patrolman Garret Henshaw and Patrolman Matthew Crosta responded to the house on Castle Drive. The police dispatcher attempted to call the homeowner, but was unsuccessful, according to a police report written by Crosta. Crosta said he knocked on the front door and then rang the doorbell, but no one answered. As he canvassed around the home, peering into windows, he spotted a Black man hiding in a corner near the front door, he said. Crosta reported his findings to the dispatcher and requested backup. He then rang the doorbell and knocked on the front door a second time, but no one responded, he said. After consulting with the officers who arrived, Crosta said, they determined the man hiding in the corner was clearly an intruder. It was unclear if any of the residents inside were in danger, he wrote in his report. Sgt. Edmund Mooney kicked in the front door and identified himself as a police officer, Crosta said. Mooney and Patrolman Anthony Pacella saw Altidor appear from the upstairs hallway and ordered him to get on the floor. The officers were able to determine that Altidor was the homeowner, the report said, and the man seen on the first floor was Altidors brother, who was visiting from Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Altidors brother, who does not speak English, complied with the officers, the report said. But the report filed by Crosta makes no mention of Altidor being placed in handcuffs or how the police officers forcefully placed him on the floor. A supplemental report filed by Mooney gives a few more details about the encounter. After Mooney declared, Police, you are under arrest, show yourself, several times, Altidor raised his arms, but Mooney could see only half of Altidors body, the report said. He raised the one arm which I could see, his left, but began to inch away from me and back down the hallway out of my sight, Mooney wrote in his report. I yelled at him police, get on the ground but he did not comply. I repeated this command two or three times and he still did not comply. The sergeant grabbed Altidors left arm and pulled him onto the living room floor, his report said. He said he pushed Altidor on the ground, repeating several more times, Police, get on the ground. However, a video of the incident from Altidors home security system appears to show a slightly different version of those events. The video has no audio, but its clear that Altidor does not inch back down the hallway after he sees the police officers enter his home. Four officers climbed the stairs to the living room, at least two of whom had pulled their guns and pointed them at Altidor. He complies with the officers to get down on the floor, and puts his arms behind his back for them. Despite Altidors compliance, Patrolman Anthony Pacella pushes Altidor down on the ground so his cheek is on the floor. He then takes his knee and presses it on Altidors back as he shines his flashlight in his face. The rest of Altidors family, including his two daughters who were 7 and 14 at the time are eventually escorted to the dining room table as police speak with their father. Altidor was not charged. Mooney declined to comment when reached by NJ Advance Media. The lawsuit said Altidor suffered multiple injuries to his neck, back, chest and shoulders and the force aggravated pre-existing conditions. It does not specify what those conditions are. Altidor and his two daughters also suffered severe emotional distress and have post-traumatic stress disorder, the lawsuit said. Is it overkill?' Experts say the discrepancies between what is written in the Toms River police reports and what appears in the surveillance video is indicative of a broader trend nationwide. However, the intent behind discrepancies in police reports isnt always malicious, explained Maria Haberfeld, a professor at the Department of Law, Police Science & CJA at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York. Its all within the context of the situation and how (the officers) felt, Haberfeld said of Altidors interaction with the police after reviewing the video and police reports. Is it overkill? No. Could it be handled differently? Yes. Is it a violation of protocol? No. Given the underlying circumstances of the police call, Haberfeld said, its easy to see why the officers would be stressed and that could impair an officers perceptions. Lets not forget the officers are entering a house theyre not familiar with in the darkness and expecting an intruder, possibly an armed intruder, she said. Theyre stressed. So your perceptions are impaired, and your visual perceptions are impaired. Judging whether the officers actions were overkill is now up to the court system to decide. For Altidor, he said his interaction with the police left him feeling like a criminal and embarrassed in front of the family he works tirelessly to provide for. Its very tough for me, he explains. My kids couldnt sleep because they have a lot of problems when they were sleeping, screaming to get up and out. Its very tough. Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a voluntary subscription. Alex Napoliello may be reached at anapoliello@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @alexnapoNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Last Friday, the Trump Administration filed a brief with the Supreme Court asking it to torpedo Obamacare, wipe out coverage for 23 million Americans, and strip protections from 130 million more with pre-existing conditions. Its a curious thing to do during a global pandemic that has already killed 130,000 Americans, so the Democrats in the House used the occasion to draw a vivid contrast and turbocharge Obamacare by passing the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Enhancement Act. While it will never be taken up in the Senate, the bill is a statement of how Democrats plan to strengthen our landmark healthcare law if they regain control in Washington: It lowers costs for coverage and drugs, expands Medicaid coverage for millions, and reverses some of the damage done by the current administration by cracking down on so-called junk plans. Rep. Frank Pallone (D-6th Dist.), the Chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee who was one of the key authors on the original ACA, spoke with Dave DAlessandro of the Star-Ledger Editorial Board about The Enhancement Act Tuesday: Q. We just had 26 million Americans lose jobs and their employee-based insurance in March and April. So this would seem to be a good time to bolster Medicaid and the ACA exchanges. Pallone: Absolutely. The main way the ACA expanded insurance was by providing subsidies to pay for premiums and by expanding Medicaid, but a lot of states (14, down from 19) did not expand Medicaid. So were trying to create an incentive by going back to a 100-percent federal match there. The problem now is, not only are people losing their insurance when they lose their jobs, their premiums are also going up. The value of this bill is that it reduces the cost of your health insurance as well as the cost of prescription drugs. The CBO estimated that it would result in a 10 percent decrease in premium costs, and up to a 55 percent reduction in drug prices. Q. The Enhancement Act improves the existing ACA in a number of ways, but bringing down drug costs has to be your top bullet. Pallone: Right. The original ACA didnt address drug prices, but HR-3, which passed the House at the end of last year, says that the federal government has to negotiate drug prices. There was a report last week from Patients For Affordable Drugs that said 245 of the most expensive drugs increased 23 percent since January. And, 75 percent of the price increase is related to fighting Covid. Now, all these things are a problem anyway increasingly, drug costs are a larger and larger part of peoples health expenses. But this has also been aggravated a great deal by Covid. Q. You said youll pay for the other two key provisions Medicaid expansion in the red holdout states and lowering premiums with the savings from lower drug prices. The Senate is unlikely to take up this bill, but is there any hope for bipartisan support just on prescription drugs? Pallone: The only way that happens is if the president pushes Mitch McConnell and Senate Republicans to do it. Remember, he has said several times over the last few years that he wanted to do something about prices, but he doesnt exercise any pressure on McConnell and the GOP. So my hope is that we get closer to the election and he realizes this is a commitment hes made since he was a candidate, and he tells McConnell, Look, you have to do this. Q. Some regard the Enhancement Act as a tack to center, maybe since it is not as ambitious as Joe Bidens proposal, in that it doesnt include a public option. Whats the thinking there? Pallone: Well, Ive always been in favor of a public option. And the only reason we didnt include it in the last bill is that the Senate wouldnt support it. But I would like to see a public option, and hopefully thats something we can do when Biden is elected president and we have a Democratic Senate and House. Q. The current president isnt open to much hes trying to eliminate the ACA by asking the Supreme Court to rule the individual mandate unconstitutional. Surprised? Pallone: Obviously he wants to repeal the whole ACA, but beyond that, the Administrations sabotage is really having a negative impact as well. Because if you buy one of these short-term junk plans that were expanded by the Trump Administration, like many states are offering now, you dont have an essential benefits package and youll face discrimination if you have a preexisting condition. The Energy and Commerce Committee just released a report on junk plans over the last year, and theyre a threat to health and financial well-being they repeatedly deny claims, they rescind coverage if the enrollee has a prior condition, they discriminate against women, and much more. So people are still buying this lousy coverage and cant get basic services, after the ACA had required plans to cover a standard package of services. Q. If presidents agenda is to erase anything with the term Obama attached to it, whats the motivation of your Republican colleagues in Congress? Pallone: There are many on the Republican side that just believe the federal government shouldnt help people pay for their health insurance. They dont remember that before the ACA, they were selling plans for $50 a month that didnt include hospitalization. If you dont have hospitalization, you dont have insurance. Q. What has our handling of the Coronavirus taught you about the state of the American health care system? Pallone: This will sound political, but you have to put it at the feet of the president. Because there was no reason why he couldnt have coordinated everything medical supplies, testing, vaccine research and there was nothing but reluctance on his part to get involved and a lot of hospitals and health care systems couldnt get the equipment they needed. This is why our country has one of the highest number of cases and fatalities. We had (government whistleblower) Dr. Rick Bright testify before our committee, and he said well have the same problem with the vaccine, because there is no coordination at the federal level. Q. Covid has also exposed massive gaps in coverage, and health professionals are reporting extremely costly ailments that come with Covid kidney failure, heart damage, etc. How will people ever deal with that financial burden? Pallone: Right, in the same way we provide free testing with no copays or deductibles in the CARES Act the HEROES Act includes free treatment, drugs, and the eventual vaccine. But that hasnt been taken up in the Senate. And thats important, because separate and apart from health insurance in general, we really should provide all those things for free without out-of-pocket expenses. Look, people are going to have horrific bills its happening, its going to continue to happen, and theres no reason not to say treatment should be free and the government will supplement where necessary for the people who are uninsured. So yes, were going to continue to push for that. 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. Regarding Bridgeton Mayor Albert Kellys column, Black and brown people are always stalked by someones weaponized discomfort , on June 28: It is easy for Kelly to cherry pick and highlight rare occasions when white people call the police on Black or brown people for no apparent legitimate reason. The mayor cites a handful of theses cases nationwide and tries to extrapolate them into a major problem. More than 600,000 calls are made to 911 every day in the United States. Even if one per day met Kellys criteria for weaponizing such calls, that is an infinitesimally tiny percentage. Can the mayor show examples of these nuisance calls in his own city, which has one of the highest violent crime rates in New Jersey? Perhaps his focus should be on genuine problems. John Johnston, Freehold Lost weekend for dining says Murphy doesnt care As glad as I am to see our great local diners and restaurants return to outdoor dining two weeks ago, I dont understand why Gov. Phil Murphy made this effective on a Monday (June 15), when a start on the previous weekend (June 12 or 13) would have helped these businesses much more. When he was asked about this at a COVID-19 briefing, Murphy defended the June 15 reopening and moved on to another question. That is dismissive and disrespectful to the people who work in these small businesses, which have been struggling to stay open for months. The governor talks a lot about understanding how people feel, but his attitude and actions show otherwise. State Senate President Steve Sweeney, D-Gloucester, on the other hand, has focused on finding the best balance between public safety and economic health. Sweeney gets that we dont have to choose between protecting peoples health and their economic well-being. We can, and should, do both. The Senate president realizes that something that may seem small or unimportant, like allowing businesses to reopen in time for a weekend, instead of on a Monday, can make a huge difference for regular working people. Its too bad Murphy doesnt get that. Bob McErlane, Gibbstown Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Send a letter to the editor of South Jersey Times at sjletters@njadvancemedia.com Bookmark NJ.com/Opinion. Follow on Twitter @NJ_Opinion and find NJ.com Opinion on Facebook. By Peter Chen As protests against police brutality and use of force take place nationwide, Newark can no longer ignore the stark racial disparities that persist in our citys policing. The city and police department should be applauded for their humane response to protests against police violence and racism. However, despite many positive changes in the police department over the past five years, Black people remain the disproportionate target of police contact. Based on Newark Police Department data over the past six-month period in Newark, Black people were: 1.6 times more likely to be stopped than white non-Hispanic people, 2.5 times more likely to be arrested, 3.7 times more likely to be victims of police use of force. So many police reforms have happened as a result of the 2016 federal consent decree, including a monitor appointed by federal courts, millions of dollars in fees and investments in technology, new and revised policies and procedures, a more diverse police officer corps and anti-bias training for officers. Unfortunately, when looking at racial disparities in policing, you wouldnt know there had been any changes at all. In 2014, the Department of Justice put out a report on the Newark Police Departments (NPD) patterns of racial disparity in stops and arrests. They noted stark and unremitting disparities, noting that 80% of stops and arrests involved Black residents. In comparison, 53% of Newarks population is Black. Fast forward to 2020. Black residents make up about 50% of the population, but for the most recent six-month period, 71% of stops and 79% of arrests still involved Black individuals. The citys use of force numbers are even more disparate. Over the past six-month period, 82% of all uses of force were against Black people. By contrast, 4% of victims of police use of force were non-Hispanic white. And these differences cant be chalked up to neighborhood demographics. Over the last six months, the high rate of stops for Black residents persisted across all precincts, even precincts like my own Precinct 3, which includes majority white and Hispanic neighborhoods. Nor can they simply be the result of increased calls for service. Most stops in the time period were motor vehicle stops, which rely on the discretion of officers. Additionally, the disparities increase when the severity of the interaction increases; that is, the more the police interaction escalates from stop to search to use of force, the more likely it is that the target is Black. Having attended many community conversations hosted by the monitoring team, the police department and local advocacy groups, I believe that the NPD consent decree team at the department is doing its best to implement the consent decree. I also believe that they are troubled by the continued racial disparities that they see in their monthly reports. Their dedicated team listens to feedback and has tried to respond to that feedback. And the race-specific data are available for all of the public to view on the departments transparency website, a distinct difference from most police departments in New Jersey. Yet the failure of the department to reduce racial disparities has meant that for all the body cameras and trainings, Black residents in Newark still feel the disproportionate force of the police, day in and day out. Whether these disparities are caused by explicit or implicit bias, or simply systemic biases, the data do not lie. And the disparate contact with police adds up. In the last year, the Newark Police Department stopped Black people more than 15,000 times, in a city with only about 130,000 Black residents. Keep in mind that during the second half of this period, COVID-19 reduced car traffic and motor vehicle stops substantially. Newark is in a unique position to radically reform the police. Mayor Ras Baraka has long been a civil rights leader, and a core group of the police departments leadership and staff believes that change is possible. The mayor has taken steps to shift funding toward violence prevention and social services rather than armed police response. Turnover in the officer corps means the possibility for a new wave of officers who can rethink what policing looks like. And the data available mean that the city and police department can target reducing racial disparity as a key component of judging successful reform. But as long as Black residents continue to feel the brunt of Newarks policing tactics, all the reforms implemented by the police department may yield more documentation and training, but not more justice. Peter Chen is an attorney and Newark resident. 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. By Todd E. Vachon In many ways, COVID-19 presages even greater suffering yet to come. The death, fear, and economic ruin are just a taste of what will happen if we do not take dramatic and immediate steps to address climate change. Continued global warming could lead to multiple, simultaneous climate disasters occurring on a regular basis. Category Five hurricanes hitting the Gulf Coast at the same time as massive wildfires in the West, extreme flooding in the Midwest, and heatwaves in the Northeast could place the country in a near constant state of emergency. Unfortunately, the federal governments capacity and response during the current pandemic do not offer much hope for Americans facing future climate disasters. Since the first coronavirus case hit America on Jan. 21, we have experienced the high cost of decades of privatization, deregulation, cuts to the social safety net and a general prioritization of corporate interests over human needs. Through the lack of paid sick time, inadequate unemployment benefits, uneven access to healthcare, and unequal broadband access for students, the pandemic has exposed and exacerbated the deep structural inequalities that define our contemporary society. More than 127,000 Americans have died, disproportionately the most vulnerable in society: the elderly, the poor and people of color. Unemployment is rising at the fastest rate since the 2008 crash, with nearly 25 million claiming benefits in early May, representing 20% of the U.S. labor force more than double the unemployment rate of the Great Recession. Vital government agencies have been defunded, understaffed or put under the charge of industry hacks who do not believe in the missions of the agencies they are tasked with running. The production of vital healthcare equipment has been outsourced in pursuit of cheaper labor and lax environmental regulations. And perhaps worst of all, the Trump administration has refused to use all the tools at its disposal to protect American lives. These ideologically driven actions have left the federal government incapable of marshaling the health and safety equipment needed to help critically ill Americans and protect the courageous first responders and healthcare workers trying to save them. Thats why Ive joined with fellow policy experts, labor leaders, and scholars in calling for a Green Stimulus and an Emergency Green New Deal (EGND) to not only get our economy back up and running after the COVID-19 crisis but also to reduce the risk of climate-related disasters and to increase our general preparedness for all disasters. Such an effort would strengthen the social safety net, decouple health insurance from employment, and create millions of family-sustaining green jobs while accelerating a just transition away from fossil fuels and toward renewable energy. The EGND could start with a federal jobs program, putting unemployed Americans to work wherever they can be safely deployed. This would include care jobs, such as health care, education, social work and food supply work occupations that are a central part of a sustainable economy. This jobs program could be expanded and made permanent as part of the broader Green New Deal plan to address climate change and inequality, building the kinds of infrastructure and institutions that can ensure our collective health and safety. Our response should be guided by the 5 Principles for Just COVID-19 Relief and Stimulus, as put forward by more than 300 environmental, justice, labor, and social movement organizations: (1) Health is the top priority, for all people, with no exceptions; (2) Provide economic relief directly to the people; (3) Rescue workers and communities, not corporate executives; (4) Make a down payment on a regenerative economy, while preventing future crises and (5) Protect our democratic process while protecting each other. Despite the widespread fear that has been caused by COVID-19, many believe we will be able to get back to something approximating normal at some point in the not-too-distant future. However, when climate change strikes there is no hope for a fast-acting vaccine. Unlike with most viruses, humans dont become immune to climate disasters after they have had one. Our current feelings of unease and uncertainty about the economy and the future could become the new normal unless we make a serious effort to change course now. Our actions to confront COVID-19 in the weeks and months ahead will not only make a real difference in peoples lives immediately, but they can help us orient ourselves toward a more just and sustainable future. Todd E. Vachon is the faculty coordinator of our Labor Education Action Research Network (LEARN) in the School of Management and Labor Relations at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. 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. It will be a primary unlike any other. The coronavirus pandemic has made the mailbox rather than the ballot box the preferred way of casting votes in the July 7 primary, where general election candidates for president, U.S. Senate, U.S. House and special elections for the state Senate and Assembly will be chosen To make it easier to vote by mail, the state sent 3.6 million postage-paid absentee ballots to every registered Republican and Democrat. Another 2.4 million unaffiliated voters received applications, allowing them to choose to vote in a primary by mailing them back and requesting a ballot. They automatically become members of the party of whichever primary they vote in, but can re-register as unaffiliated voters later. The ballots can be returned by mail or dropped off at special lock boxes or election offices in each county. There will be an opportunity to vote in person on July 7 as well, but there will be very few polling places. The primary originally was scheduled for June 2. . CORONAVIRUS RESOURCES: Live map tracker | Newsletter | Homepage Heres what you should know about the pandemic primary: WHY IS THIS ELECTION DIFFERENT? Because of the coronavirus, Gov. Phil Murphy issued an executive order automatically sending ballots to voters enrolled in a political party in an attempt to encourage vote-by-mail, also known as absentee balloting, rather than have long lines without social distancing at polling places. The New Jersey Department of State is spending $100,000 on an educational campaign to teach state voters how to vote by mail and encourage them to do so. Ads will run in print, on radio, on mobile billboards and on social media. We have four words of message: Vote. Sign. Secure. Return, said Secretary of State Tahesha Way. HOW CAN I VOTE? There are three ways. 1. A postage-paid absentee ballot put in the mail and postmarked by July 7. 2. A ballot dropped off at one of five secure dropboxes in each county or delivered to county elections officials, either way by 8 p.m. on July 7. 3. In person at a limited number of polling places from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. on July 7. WHEN CAN I VOTE? Now through July 7. Thats when mail-in ballots must be postmarked or dropped off at special locations until 8 p.m. Click here for a list of dropoff locations. If you know who you are voting for, you should do it now, Way said. WHAT HAPPENS IF I DIDNT GET A BALLOT? You need to contact your county clerks office. If you are an unaffiliated voter, you have until 8 p.m. on Primary Day to request one in person. Just be engaged with your local county officials and give them a call, Way said. I STILL WANT TO VOTE IN PERSON. WHERE CAN I GO? Polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m., but dont expect to go to your regular polling place. Click here for a list of in-person voting centers. Except for voters with disabilities, who will be able to use machines, everyone will fill out provisional paper ballots that will be checked to make sure the signatures match and the same person didnt also send in an absentee ballot. WHAT HAPPENS IF MY BALLOT IS REJECTED? Your signature on the paper ballot will be matched with your signature on file. If there is a question as to whether they match, you will be contacted by mail and have until July 23 to verify that you submitted the ballot and offer additional identification, which could be a drivers license number, the last four Social Security digits, or a state-accepted form of identification with a name and address. If you forget to sign the ballot, the same verification process will apply. The state Division of Elections agreed to the procedures to settle a lawsuit brought by the League of Women Voters New Jersey and other groups. WHO WILL BE ON THE BALLOT? PRESIDENT. President Donald Trump is running unopposed with a slate of delegates that include former Gov. Chris Christie. On the Democratic side, both former Vice President Joe Biden and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders will be on the ballot. Though Biden has sewn up the nomination, Sanders would be entitled to a share of the delegates if he receives at least 15% of the vote, giving up more support at the Democratic National Convention. U.S. SENATE. There will be both Republican and Democratic primaries for the U.S. Senate seat currently held by Democrat Cory Booker. Booker is facing community activist Lawrence Hamm, who ran Sanders New Jersey presidential campaign and has led demonstrations protesting the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police. Five Republicans are seeking their partys nod. They are Rik Mehta, a pharmacist and lawyer; Hirsh Singh, an engineer who lost primaries for governor in 2017 and U.S. House in 2018; Natalie Rivera and Tricia Flanagan, both of whom ran and lost as independent candidates against Democratic U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez in 2018; and teacher Eugene Anagnos. U.S. HOUSE. 1st District. Democratic Rep. Donald Norcross and Republican Claire Gustafson, a retailer, are unopposed for their partys nomination. 2nd District. The Democratic primary in the states hottest race features Brigid Callahan Harrison, a Montclair State University political science professor; educator Amy Kennedy, wife of former Rep. Patrick Kennedy, D-R.I.; veteran congressional aide Will Cunningham; former FBI agent Robert Turkavage, who ran as a Republican for the seat two years ago; and John Francis, an environmentalist and professor. Thats the seat that Rep. Jeff Van Drew, R-2nd Dist., won two years ago as a Democrat before opposing Trumps impeachment and then switching parties. Van Drew faces a primary of his own against Bob Patterson, former acting associate commissioner of the Social Security Administration. 3rd District. Two Republicans are competing for the chance to face rookie Rep. Andy Kim, D-3rd Dist., rated as New Jerseys most endangered lawmaker. Business executive David Richter initially filed to run as a Republican against then-Democrat Van Drew, and switched districts after the incumbent switched parties. He is running against union official Kate Gibbs. 4th District. Retired United States Foreign Service Officer Stephanie Schmid, writer David Applefield and consultant Christine Conforti are vying for the chance to take on Rep. Chris Smith, R-4th Dist., who has his own intraparty challenge from Alter Eliezer Richter, a Lakewood rabbi. 5th District. Sanders has entered the race on behalf of Glen Rock Council member Arati Kreibich, helping her raise money and endorsing her challenge to moderate Democratic Rep. Josh Gottheimer, who ended 84 years of Republican hegemony when he ousted Rep. Scott Garrett in 2016. John McCann, the general counsel to the New Jersey Sheriffs Association who lost to Gottheimer two years ago, is back again, facing middle school teacher James Baldini, physician Hector Castillo and former investment banker Frank Pallotta for the GOP nod. 6th District. Sanders acolyte Russ Cirincione, a housing lawyer with the New York state government and one of three Democratic challengers running on the Not Me. Us line, is taking on Rep. Frank Pallone Jr., the most powerful member of the states congressional delegation as House Energy and Commerce Committee chairman. Another progressive, writer Amani Al-Khatahtbeh, is challenging Pallone as well. No Republican qualified for the primary ballot. 7th District. The Republicans marquee recruit against rookie Democratic Rep. Tom Malinowski, state Senate Minority Leader Tom Kean Jr., first must defeat two primary opponents, physician Raafat Barsoom, and financier Tom Phillips. 8th District. Democratic Rep. Albio Sires has drawn two challengers, Sanders backer Hector Oseguera, who fights money laundering for UBS, and Will Sheehan, a military veteran. The Republican nominee is lawyer Jason Mushnick. 9th District. The third of the three Sanders supporters running on the Not Me. Us. line, clean energy executive Zina Spezakis, faces Democratic Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr. Lawyer Alp Basaran also is challenging Pascrell. Republicans have their own primary, pitting Air Force veteran Billy Prempeh against Tim Walsh, a former political campaign manager. 10th District. Democratic Rep. Donald Payne Jr. has drawn two primary opponents, teacher John Flora and law professor Eugene Mazo. Writer Jennifer Zinone is unopposed for the Republican nomination. 11th District. Tax lawyer Rosemary Becchi, who originally planned to challenge Kean for the Republican nomination in the 7th District, switched races and is unopposed for the GOP nod against rookie Democratic Rep. Mikie Sherrill. 12th District. Lisa McCormick, a publisher who garnered close to 40% of the vote against Menendez in the Democratic primary two years ago, is challenging Democratic Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman. Old Bridge Council member Mark Razzoli is unopposed for the Republican nomination. STATE LEGISLATURE. In the special election for the 25th Legislative District (Morris and Somerset counties), Republican State Sen. Anthony Bucco and his Democratic challenger, Rupande Mehta, are unopposed for their parties nominations, as are GOP Assemblywoman Aura Dunn and Democrat Darcy Draeger. Bucco succeeded his late father in the Senate, vacating an Assembly seat that went to Dunn. LOCAL RACES. Statewide, there are only a handful of primary contests in each county. In Union County, the positions of sheriff, clerk and three freeholder seats are all contested on the Democratic ballot. Elizabeth Mayor Chris Bollwage faces two challengers in the Democratic primary. In Atlantic City, three Democrats are competing for their partys nomination for mayor, including current Mayor Marty Small Sr., who took office in October when Frank Gilliam resigned after pleading guilty to federal wire fraud charges. And a slate of candidates running on the Not Me. Us. line, led by William Irwin, is challenging Piscataway Mayor Brian Wahler and three members of the township council. WHEN WILL THE RESULTS BE ANNOUNCED? During these unprecedented times, the intent and the hope is to have the election results as timely as possible, Way said. That means some races may be decided on primary night, but others may not be official until the end of the month. NEW JERSEYS BALLOTS ARE DIFFERENT While other states organize their primary ballots around the offices candidates are seeking, New Jersey lists its candidates by slates in 19 of its 21 counties. Thats why theres a scramble among candidates to get the official county ballot line for the primary. New Jerseys primary ballots give the party endorsed candidates an almost insurmountable advantage and enable party insiders rather than the voters to pick the winners in primary contests, said Julia Sass Rubin, a professor at Rutgers University and author of a report issued by New Jersey Policy Perspective, a progressive research group. The two outliers are Salem and Sussex counties, whose ballots are organized the way the other 49 states do it, by office rather than slate, the report said. THE MONEY CHASE Incumbents of both parties have a giant head start in fundraising through June 17, according to Federal Election Commission filings. U.S. SENATE. Booker, who drained his campaign account for his unsuccessful presidential run, raised $3.8 million since abandoning that race and choosing to seek re-election instead. Hamm raised $63,512. Singh raised $583,905, almost two-thirds in donations of $200 or less. Mehta raised $78,640 and lent his campaign $315,000. Flanagan brought in $14,836. Rivera and Anagnos didnt report raising any money. U.S. HOUSE. 1st District. Norcross brought in $1.6 million. Gustafson raised $250 and lent her campaign $2,000. 2nd District. Van Drew raised $2.5 million while Patterson brought in $272,859. Kennedy raised $900,588 and borrowed $500,000, Callahan Harrison brought in $255,600 and lent her campaign $160,000, Cunningham raised $155,698, Francis had $13,515 in receipts, and Turkavage did not report raising anything. 3rd District. Kim raised $4.2 million, Gibbs $273,902 plus a $10,000 personal loan, and Richter $199,474 plus a $600,000 personal loan. 4th District. Smith raised $931,994 while Richter didnt report any fundraising. Among Democrats, Schmid brought in $324,813, Applefield $65,783 plus $190,000 in loans, and Conforti $21,687. 5th District. Gottheimer, New Jerseys champion fundraiser, brought in $5.3 million, while Kreibich raised $474,812. On the Republican side, every candidate opened his checkbook. Pallotta borrowed $310,000 and raised $243,639, Castillo borrowed $226,000 and brought in $42,440, McCann borrowed $65,000 and raised $108,678 and Baldini contributed $3,602 of his own money and raised $1,478. 6th District. Pallones fundraising abilities were enhanced by his committee chairmanship and he brought in $2.2 million. Cirincione raised $55,763 and borrowed $1,000. Al-Khatahtbeh raised $18,991. 7th District. Malinowski raised $3.9 million. Kean brought in more than any other New Jersey Republican candidate, $2 million. Phillips had $12,853. 8th District. Sires brought in $352,857 while Oseguera raised $59,181 and contributed $6,874 from his own pocket. Sheehan and Mushnick did not report raising any money. 9th District. Like seven other N.J. incumbents, Pascrell raised more than $1 million for his re-election, $1.1 million to be precise. Spezakis brought in $73,658 and lent her campaign $201,521, and Basaran raised $29,757 plus a $50,000 personal loan. Prempeh raised $3,738 while Walsh brought in $2,206 and borrowed $2,520. 10th District. Payne raised $337,141, low for an incumbent but much more than his opponents Mazo with $40,520, Flora with $9,020 and a $5,001 loan, and Zinone, who didnt report any fundraising. 11th District. Sherrill brought in $4 million. Becchi had $588,804 and borrowed $150,000. 12th District. Watson Coleman raised $478,621, while McCormick did not report raising any money and Razzoli brought in $3,065. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Jonathan D. Salant may be reached at jsalant@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him at @JDSalant. . The old adage Every cloud has a silver lining has become popular again during this pandemic and it certainly has proved true for our local arts community. While artists have been weighed down by the cloud of closed venues to show and sell work, the stay-at-home mandate has certainly allowed more time for creativity. Its been a challenge, but Hamilton artist Tom Kelly, www.thomaskellyart.com, has never been one to shrink from a challenge. Since it began, he has completed seven new paintings that are going to galleries that represent him. Visitors to The Artful Deposit Gallery in Bordentown http://artfuldeposit.blogspot.com/ can now walk in during new hours and see his latest painting Like A Swan portraying a ballroom dancing couple in mid-swirl. Among others on display there is Cat On A Kitchen Stool showing a gray cat in a quietly contemplative mood and House of Cards capturing a man carefully building a house of cards while his companion reclines nearby lost in reading her book. In addition to creating those seven new works, Kelly fulfilled an invitation from the Copelouzos Family Art Museum in Greece to submit a work for their permanent collection. In his painting, The Bath, a white cat sits primly looking away behind a nude young woman who stands near a claw-foot tub brushing her long hair, her reflection revealed in a full-length wall mirror. The painting will be included in a book distributed worldwide, displayed in a special exhibit at the museum and will remain part of the permanent collection. Kelly has also been involved in re-planning a raffle event of a painting he completed just before COVID-19 hit. The painting, Regatta on Mercer Lake shows an actual race on the Mercer Rowing Team home lake where the training facility, Caspersen Rowing Center, is located. His daughter, Katherine, is one of the teams 200 rowers. The idea for the raffle came as a result of Kellys experience in creating a painting in 2015 to raise funds for new technology for the Hamilton Township Library. I knew the concept could work, he says. I pitched the ideawe brainstormed a little and I got to work He describes the regatta as a very colorful event and depicts that mood in this high-key painting of rowers on variously colored boats skimming the blue water. Multi-color vendors tents and spring green trees are on the far shore while white clouds playfully fill a deeper blue sky. The $5 raffle tickets to support the team can be purchased at the teams website www.rowpnra.org. Kelly has gotten used to putting his paintings before the public. Just as we all were becoming aware in late February of the threat of COVID-19, he was commissioned to create a painting, The Winemakers, to be presented at a Feb. 29 event as a surprise gift to a prominent local real estate broker. The painting featured Ed Smires and friends at their annual winemaking day. It was a little unnerving unveiling a piece before 250 people, he says. Kellys painting style is distinctive and difficult to categorize. When asked to put it into his own words, he responded, I am not and do not wish to be the artist with the best technical skill, recreating realism that wows the masses. I wish to be the one who connects well with the way people feel. I wish to have the viewer say about themselves, when they see my art, This is about me, this is about my life. This is how I wish to connect. The universal feelings we all have, is what I am trying to portray. In addition to Kelly paintings ready for your in-person or online viewing at The Artful Deposit in Bordentown, other new works are part of a collection of 10 that can be found online at Bluestone Fine Art in Old City Philadelphia. Although temporarily closed due to the pandemic, the gallery plans to fully re-open in September. He is also represented by Euphemia Gallery in Spring Lake, New Jersey, . To date, 300 of his paintings have gone into private collections. Kelly is currently painting for an October opening of the Bethlehem House Gallery in Bethlehem, Pennsylvanias, three-month long Holiday Show as well as three more commissioned works. All this while serving as a Hamilton Township Arts Commissioner helping in the planning of future arts events coming up in Hamilton Township and writing a monthly column for the Hamilton Post newspaper about local artists. He is also working full time with his employer making pumps for medical and diagnostic devices for fighting the COVID-19 virus. IF YOU GO: Egypt's top appeals court issued on Wednesday a final seven-year prison sentence against a police officer who killed an activist during a 2015 demonstration. Shaimaa El-Sabbagh, a 32-year-old mother who belonged to the Socialist Popular Alliance Party, was shot dead by an officer who fired birdshot to disperse a protest in downtown Cairo on the fourth anniversary of the 25 January Revolution. First lieutenant Yassin was initially sentenced to 15 years in prison in June 2015 for an action that led to the death of El-Sabbagh. The ruling was later overturned by the Court of Cassation, which ordered a retrial in February 2016. Hatem was then sentenced to 10 years in prison by a criminal court in June 2017. On Wednesday, however, the Court of Cassation reduced the sentence to seven years. This sentence is final and cannot be appealed Prosecutors argued that Hatem had acted with the intention of harming demonstrators by loading his shotgun with birdshot, showing a disregard for the lives of others. The officer fired birdshot at demonstrators from a distance of eight metres, which immediately killed El-Sabbagh. The killing of El-Sabbagh, who was protesting peacefully, sparked public outcry at the time, prompting President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi to vow to bring her killer to justice. Egypt banned unsanctioned protests in 2013 amid unrest that followed the ouster of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi. Short link: Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva, facing cuts Monday that would shrink his departments budget by $145 million, told a local TV news station that county officials want to listen to the mob who is demanding defund the police. Watertown, NY (13601) Today Mostly sunny skies this morning. Scattered showers and thunderstorms developing during the afternoon. A few storms may be severe. High 82F. Winds SW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 70%.. Tonight Partly cloudy skies early will give way to cloudy skies late. Low 52F. Winds WSW at 10 to 20 mph. Guest Opinion: Our opportunity to choose the best for sheriff Behind his bar, beside his trusty, homemade Chartreuse dispenser, Daniel Victory has a gift for reading the mood when people walk in. Are they rolling up to his New Orleans cocktail lounge Victory Bar ready to party or coming down eager to unwind? Meeting the customers where they are is part of making a social space that feels right. Now, Victory has to read the mood above face masks, and the message is complicated. Its relief, its coming back to something familiar, its getting another taste of something they need right now, said Victory. But the clientele we have here are also cautious. They want to see that people are being safe now. Victory Bar reopened as New Orleans began Phase 2 of the coronavirus response. The schedule remains limited, open Thursday to Saturday, 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. Seating has been reduced to a few well-spaced tables and bar stools. Theres still a menu of bar snacks, and now an assortment of hand sanitizer. Victory Bar is unique in the ranks of the city's craft cocktail scene. It opened in 2010, when the citys craft cocktail scene was evolving from established classics to its modern rendition. It stood out as a rare Black-owned example of the trend for New Orleans. Some of the bar's earliest regulars were from the city's ranks of black professionals. But Victory has always eschewed the idea of creating a "Black bar." You have your Black bars, White bars, gay bars, straight bars, how do you make one where everyone feels at home? Victory said. We see people look in from the street, maybe they think it looks too Black and walk on. Other people, and not people of color, walk in and say yes, this is where we need to be, and we love that. As the pandemic stretches on, Victory is part of a local hospitality industry, designed to create social space and convene people, now struggling with continuing on different terms. We had to do something, we had to try anything; the only thing we dont want to do is say we have to close for good, said Victory. Victory got his start just a few blocks down the street at the landmark Sazerac Bar, in what was then the Fairmont Hotel (now the Roosevelt Hotel). He went on to the French Quarter Bar at the Ritz-Carlton, where he worked with the bartender he considers his mentor, Chris McMillian, the drinks historian and now proprietor of Revel Cafe & Bar in Mid-City. He spent a year as a brand ambassador for Bombay Sapphire, touring the country to promote the gin at countless venues and events. Today, Victory runs the Victory Bar with business partner Camille Whitworth, the former WDSU anchor. Next door on Baronne Street, the two developed their New Orleans Drinks Lab, a cocktail school crossed with interactive happy hour. Food and restaurant news in your inbox Every Thursday we give you the scoop on NOLA dining. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up Like most of downtown New Orleans, Baronne Street is quiet. But regulars have been trickling back to Victory. My clientele is my favorite part of this bar, said bartender Natalie Bowlus, looking over her face mask at the open door as another couple walked in. After being out of work for three months, she said it felt good to mix her favorite cocktails again, like a Sazerac or a cloudy green Last Word. I worked on Bourbon Street before this. Here though, people come back. Its their place, she said. They come here and learn what they like to drink. Whitworth said her goal for Victory Bar was always to create the kind of place she and Victory themselves would like to visit. The customers need a home base. What Im most proud of is making a place where people can just be, and thats what people need now, Whitworth said. Thats why we felt we had to reopen. Its not about making any money right now, because were not its about the people. Few of the people who normally fill the nearby hotels and offices are around now. The city is making it easier for restaurants and bars to add outdoor tables on sidewalks. Another proposal making the rounds would allow downtown businesses to put tables on the parking lane outside their doors, creating parklets to add capacity. Whitworth said that would be a boost for Victory Bar by also raising its visibility and street presence. Making people feel welcome is no problem for Victory. Hes tight with his regulars but adept at making newcomers feel like they belong, too. That Chartreuse dispenser at the corner of the bar helps. Victory is quick to propose a round of the aromatic herbal liquor, just a half shot, a nip really. The group toast makes people pause for just a moment of shared conviviality, even if theyre keeping a distance from each other. Ive been here 10 years, Im not going to get rich, but I like this, said Victory. I like making that memory, making that persons birthday party special, being the person who helps them discover a new drink. Thats what Im here for. Victory Bar 339 Baronne St., (504) 522-8664 Temporary hours: Thu.-Sat., 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. Since its launch in the wake of George Floyds death, large companies like Target, Verizon, Coca-Cola, Starbucks and Microsoft have all agreed to stop advertising on the platform for at least one month. Facebooks ad revenue comes from a large variety of sources, and not just from top advertisers, so this planned boycott certainly wont ruin the company. But Zuckerbergs planned meeting with organizers shows that the social networking giant would prefer to tackle this problem without losing any percentage of its ad business. The citys network of coronavirus testing sites around New Orleans now includes bars, a reflection of the role hospitality workers have on the front line of the crisis. A new testing site that opens at Bar Tonique (820 N. Rampart St.) this week also comes with more support services and outreach for people in this hard-hit sector, in recognition that things could soon get worse. The first edition at the French Quarter bar is Thursday, July 2, from noon to 4 p.m., with COVID-19 testing along with services ranging from housing assistance to free meals and cleaning supplies to bring home (details below). The testing and services are aimed at hospitality sector workers, though they are open to anyone. It's free, and people do not need to be showing symptoms to receive a test. Were an industry of front-line workers, potentially exposed countless times every shift," said Bar Tonique manager Mark Schettler. "While no one will be turned away, we really encourage folks to respect the fact that these testing dates are meant for the hospitality industry. More editions of testing and outreach are scheduled at Bar Tonique every other Thursday this month, July 16 and July 30. +4 Worried about getting a coronavirus test? Here's what it felt like in New Orleans Back in March, getting a coronavirus test in New Orleans sounded as stressful as a dip in the Mississippi River at flood stage. Unlucky victim Schettler said the goal is to expand the services provided so the program can ramp up after July. Were doing this now because we all know the end of July is coming, said Schettler The end of July is when emergency federal unemployment assistance in the pandemic response is scheduled to expire. That assistance has been providing up to $600 a week to laid-off and furloughed workers across the country, greatly bolstering state unemployment payments. The debate over extending or ending those federal benefits at the end of the month has continued in Congress. For those still working or back to work in restaurants and bars, COVID-19 testing has been important to limit outbreaks and coronavirus spread. Since Phase 2 reopening began in Louisiana last month, numerous businesses have temporarily closed after staff members tested positive, then reopened after sanitizing and further staff testing. The COVID-19 testing at Bar Tonqiue is part of a series of walk-up testing sites run by the New Orleans Health Department and the nonprofit CORE. Locations and times for these testing sites change regularly (check the city website for updates). Another local bar, the Avenue Pub, has served as a periodic testing site, and has drawn a strong response from hospitality workers on each of its testing days. The Bar Tonique testing days add more wraparound services. Shift Change, a hospitality industry nonprofit co-founded by Schettler, is coordinating these services with a host of local groups. Schettler said getting workers tested and connecting them with services that can help if resources grow slimmer is an effort to support the hospitality community more broadly as interrelated issues stack up. Food and restaurant news in your inbox Every Thursday we give you the scoop on NOLA dining. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up Its a great touch point for additional supportive resources, he said. These services are slated for the July 2 testing day, with notes from Shift Change: Housing advocacy (Louisiana Fair Housing Action Center, Southeast Louisiana Legal Services - SLLS) Healthcare advice & navigation (504HealthNet, Take Care Yall instagram.com/takecareyallnola) Workforce/ unemployment assistance (Job1 Business and Career Solutions) (Note site sign-up for UI will NOT be available) Safe reopening resources (BRACE for COVID-19) Free face masks (SewDat.com) Free meals (Crescent City Meal Assistance Program, CrescentCity.com; ready-made, refrigeration recommended) Free HIV test kits and condoms (CrescentCare LGBTQ Wellness) Voter registration and U.S. Census (NOLA City Council) Free cleaning supplies (New Orleans Health Department ) Additional notes: be prepared for the sun when in the socially distanced line for services; dont eat, drink or smoke 20 minutes before testing. See additional city testing information at ready.nola.gov. Bar Tonique 820 N. Rampart St. Testing dates July 2, July 16, July 30, noon-4 p.m. +22 Can restaurants thrive right now? Barrows Catfish shows how, mixing tradition, safety This column is part of an ongoing look at how New Orleans restaurants are contending with the pandemic. The parent company of Essence magazine and the Essence Festival of Culture responded forcefully this week to a scathing anonymous essay alleging sexual harassment, pay inequity, intimidation and a hostile work environment at the company. We deny the accusations and refute them without reservation, read the headline of a June 29 statement from Essence Ventures. The essay excoriating Essence was posted June 28 by the online publishing platform Medium.com. Titled The Truth About Essence, it was attributed to Black Female Anonymous" for fear of "retaliation, intimidation and the maligning of our media careers, the writers said. Timed for the first weekend of the 2020 Essence Festival of Culture: Unstoppable Virtual Experience the online version of the coronavirus-canceled 2020 Essence Fest the essay contends that the Essence brand promise is fraudulent. The once exalted media brand dedicated to Black women has been hijacked by cultural and corporate greed and an unhinged abuse of power. Essence leadership, the anonymous authors wrote, strategically tells the market it serves Black women deeply under the safe seal of 100% Black ownership, but for the Black women who make up over 80% of the companys workforce, they are systematically suppressed by pay inequity, sexual harassment, corporate bullying, intimidation, colorism and classism. +23 John Legend, Common, Nas top first weekend of 2020 Essence Fest 'Unstoppable Virtual Experience' The 2020 Essence of Festival of Culture is both virtual and expanded. Instead of occupying a single weekend in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, Es The essay calls for major corporations to stop sponsoring Essence-related events and stop buying ads in the magazine. The piece also demands the immediate resignation of Essence Ventures owner and Chief Executive Officer Richelieu Dennis, Essence Ventures board member and former Essence Communications CEO Michelle Ebanks, Chief Operating Officer Joy Collins Profet, and Chief Content Officer Moana Luu. The essay contends those executives collaboratively immortalize an extremely unhealthy work culture. Scores of talented Black women have been either wrongfully laid off or forced to resign from the company in the past two years. Essence is the most deceptive Black media company in America. Why? Essence aggressively monetizes #BlackGirlMagic but the company does not internally practice #BlackGirlMagic. The companys longstanding pattern of gross mistreatment and abuse of its Black female employees is the biggest open secret in the media business. Dennis is the subject of especially explosive allegations. He made his fortune with the SheaMoisture line of hair and skin care products designed for Black women; he sold his Sundial Brands to Unilever in 2017. The following year, his newly formed Essence Ventures bought Essence Communications from Time Inc., the media conglomerate that had acquired the decades-old company from its founders. Dennis bought Essence, Black Female Anonymous alleges, to advance his personal power and influence despite his carefully crafted, public messaging. His surface-level commitment to Black women is driven by greed and a debaucherous sexual appetite. Ebanks, one of many Black women who populate Essence's executive ranks, is nearly single-handedly responsible for establishing an extreme toxic culture at the company since her hire as president in 2005, the anonymous essay charges. Michelles malignant and histrionic leadership led to the public and private firings, forced layoffs and resignations of some of the most talented and sought-after Black women in the media industry. As of March 31, Ebanks was no longer Essence Communications' CEO; she took a position on the company's board. Dennis stepped in to lead the company in the interim. +3 Essence Fest cancels 2020 event in New Orleans amid coronavirus pandemic The 2020 Essence Festival of Culture, a cornerstone of New Orleans summertime tourism economy and arguably the pre-eminent predominantly Afri The essay's writers conclude with the hope that this message assures the hearts and minds of every forcibly muted Essence employee past and present that the change weve secretly hoped for is on the way. More urgently, we hope this message moves Essence leadership, and the corporations who invest in Essence, to action. The initial 900-word rebuttal from Essence Communications released on June 29 described the allegations as heartbreaking. At ESSENCE, we uplift the voices of, provide platforms for, and generate opportunities that elevate Black women and communities and have done so for 50 years, the companys initial statement said. It is the work we have committed ourselves to every single day since we were founded in 1970 and that has been accelerated over our past two years as a 100% Black family-owned company creating opportunities for Black creatives and leaders in an industry that has failed them. When faced with challenging moments, we believe that truth and clarity are foremost...We want to be very clear about one thing. It is extremely important to us that we foster a safe, transparent and respectful workspace for everyone. Essence, the statement concedes, is a business in transition. It is never an easy or seamless process extracting a company from a conglomerate with shared services and establishing it as an independent with stand-alone functions. However, accusations of sexual harassment or misconduct are extremely serious matters, and we fully understand the gravity of the implications. As such, these are also not claims to be recklessly and untruthfully thrown about particularly when there have been no claims to respond to or any evidence of such defamatory accusations. It continued, Facts will always matter, and we are not afraid of the truth. The allegations and mischaracterizations throughout ... are unfounded attempts to discredit our brand and assassinate personal character. A day later, Essence announced that "out of an abundance of caution and an unwavering commitment to transparency, ESSENCE is in the process of hiring law firms and other independent external experts to assess and review the companys policies and practices and conduct comprehensive employee interviews, as well as independently review any harassment, discrimination, retaliation or other behaviors or issues that may adversely impact workplace culture." Essence also said that the company's newly hired Chief Growth Officer, Caroline Wanga, had been appointed by Richelieu to be interim CEO of Essence Communications to run day-to-day operations and oversee the independent review process. The initial Essence statement concluded, We know there is a lot of pain and a lot of healing that needs to happen in our communities, but we dont have to destroy each other to heal. We will continue to do the work to be better every day and come together as an organization for each other and for Black women globally to build together, to change together, to rise together. The 2020 Essence Festival of Culture: Unstoppable Virtual Experience continues through Sunday at the Essence Studios platform. This story has been edited to reflect clarification from Essence Communications about the role of Richelieu Dennis following Michelle Ebanks' departure as CEO. Though Dennis stepped in to lead the company's operations, he "never took on the roles or responsibilities of CEO," Essence said in an updated statement. "So he never stepped down from, resigned from or was replaced in any role." It was just last fall when chefs Louis Brown II and Sam Faciane opened their Southern Charm Bistreaux & Bar (2020 Belle Chasse Highway, Gretna, 504-302-7776; www.southerncharmwb.com), turning a former steakhouse into a modern Creole restaurant. Today, that grand opening feels like it happened in a different world. We were just getting going, Brown says. Then it was like someone pulled the plug. The business has been starting to come back, but now theres a new dynamic. While the economic hardships brought by the coronavirus continue, more people are showing up specifically to support Southern Charm as a local Black-owned restaurant. We can feel the difference, Brown says. As a new restaurant, we just need people to know were here, and now more people are seeking us out. The fate of restaurants across the nation has been a big question through the pandemic, and independent restaurants have been particularly vulnerable. At the same time, theres been new attention to Black-owned businesses as people speak out against racism and seek points of solidarity. Were seeing people show up because they want to create positivity in the community, says Phil Hare, chef and co-founder of Beaucoup Eats (2323 Canal St., 504-598-5777; www.beaucoupeats.com). There have been a lot of new faces coming in saying we want to support you. Last summer, Hare moved into a Canal Street location by the hospital complexes, after running Beaucoup Eats as a pop-up in a grocery store deli. His cooking takes a lighter, modern approach to local flavors through an a la carte menu, a ready-to-serve hot bar, delivery and prepared meal services. You have to be versatile now, but were getting good support, Hare says. Essence Fest was cancelled because of the pandemic, a setback for Black-owned businesses. Essence normally brings the busiest days of the year for Willie Maes Scotch House (504-459-2640; www.williemaesnola.com), making up for slower summer months. Catering, takeout and a satellite stand at the Pythian Market (234 Loyola Ave.; www.pythianmarket.com) are now sustaining the business. Owner Kerry Seaton-Stewart says shell likely wait until tourism ramps up again to reopen the dining room at the original location. She draws strength from the family stories that run through the restaurant, founded by her grandmother Willie Mae Seaton in 1957. Its knowing that anything Im struggling with is nothing compared to what my grandmother faced, being a Black woman, opening up a business in the 1950s, with all the racial issues and trials and tribulations she had to go through, Stewart says. Some Black-owned restaurants have closed since the pandemic began, including Cru by Marlon Alexander, which opened in 2018 in Faubourg Marigny. New Orleans launches program to distribute 60K daily meals this July; here's how you can sign up Thousands of New Orleans residents who have struggled to make ends meet as the coronavirus continues to strangle the economy will get free mea Some restaurants are staying closed for now, including Lil Dizzys Cafe in Treme and Cafe Dauphine in Holy Cross. Both restaurants are cooking for community feeding efforts in the interim. In the early months at Southern Charm, Brown and Faciane saw glimmers of what their new restaurant could achieve. People who came once would come back, for the rotisserie chicken with tasso cream sauce, for the crawfish egg rolls and for the hospitality of a new homegrown restaurant. It wasnt all about the money, its about being part of the community and doing something in the community we grew up in, Brown says. Were going to fight until we cant anymore. Were just here, hoping the community supports us, so that we can be here to support the community. The New Orleans area added 9,300 jobs from April to May as more businesses reopened from the coronavirus pandemic, but the region still had 98,600 fewer jobs than it did a year ago. Overall, the state added 32,800 jobs month-to-month, bringing the total number of nonfarm jobs in Louisiana to nearly 1.76 million, according to figures released Monday by the Louisiana Workforce Commission. Thats still 236,000 fewer jobs than there were in May 2019, an 11.9% decrease. The numbers are not seasonally adjusted. The data was based off surveys taken by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics during the week of May 10. That was the same week that Gov. John Bel Edwards moved Louisiana into Phase I of recovery from the pandemic, which allowed businesses to again offer sit-down dining, and let salons, gyms, shopping malls, casinos and barber shops reopen at 25% capacity. Stephen Barnes, an associate professor and director of the University of Louisiana Lafayettes Blanco Public Policy Center, who tracks the states unemployment figures, said the economy did improve from April to May as more businesses were able to reopen. However, Barnes said the size of the increase might not be as much as what Mondays numbers suggested. While the BLS survey shows there were 236,000 fewer jobs in Louisiana in early May than the year before, at the same time, about 320,000 residents were collecting continued unemployment benefits. Thats almost an extra 100,000 people on unemployment, he said. The sheer size of the economic disruption caused by the pandemic makes it hard to measure, he said. BLS officials had said the national numbers for May were skewed by workers who were classified as employed but absent from work, a designation that normally applies to people who are on sick leave or vacation. In reality they werent working because of the coronavirus. That misclassification could have affected the Louisiana numbers, Barnes said. I hate to be too critical of the better data sources, but this is a little bit of a reminder that this is a big enough economic turn where some of the go-to data sources are having a hard time measuring it, he said. This survey is a little bit rosier picture than looking at real people making unemployment claims. Even after another round of business reopenings, continued unemployment claims are hovering around 300,000 a week in Louisiana, indicating the recovery will be slow and challenging," Barnes said. And theres fear that recent spikes in coronavirus cases could further slow the recovery. The month-to-month gain brought the total number of jobs in New Orleans up to 488,900 compared to 587,500 jobs in May 2019. 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 Health care and social assistance added 6,900 jobs during the month, increasing the total to 71,700, the same total as in May 2019. That reflects the reopening of outpatient medical services that happened in late April and early May. Retail trade added 2,900 jobs, but still remained 10,300 jobs short of the May 2019 figure of 60,200. Specialty trade contractors added 1,100 jobs in May, but were 2,300 fewer than the 17,600 jobs in May 2019. The leisure and hospitality industry, which drives so much of the New Orleans economy, continued to have a tough time in May. While the food services and drinking places category, which includes restaurants and bars, added 2,000 jobs month-to-month, that brought the total to 29,800. In May 2019, there were 64,900 restaurant and bar jobs in the Crescent City. And accommodations jobs dropped by 2,000 from April to May, nearly halving the number of hotel jobs from 14,900 in May 2019 to 7,900. Because of this, New Orleans again had the highest unemployment rate in Louisiana at 16.4%, not seasonally adjusted. Thats up from 4% in May 2019. The unemployment rate in Orleans Parish was 19.5% in May. Louisianas May unemployment rate was 13.1%, up from 4.3% in May 2019. The U.S. unemployment rate was 13%, up from 3.4% the year before. BATON ROUGE: The Baton Rouge area added 8,900 jobs from April to May, but the region still had 44,300 fewer jobs than it did a year ago. The month-to-month gain brought the total number of jobs in Baton Rouge up to 370,100. Thats 10.7% below the 414,400 jobs in the metro area in May 2019. The Baton Rouge unemployment rate was 11.8% in May. Thats better than the 13% rate in April, but well above the 3.9% unemployment in May 2019. LAFAYETTE: The Acadiana region added 6,600 jobs from April to May, bringing the total number of people working to 185,500. In comparison, there were 206,100 jobs in the area in May 2019. The unemployment rate in Lafayette was 11.6% in May, up from 4.3% in May 2020. OTHER AREAS: Lake Charles had 5,500 more jobs in May than a month earlier to end up with 99,700, 16,500 jobs less than May 2019. Monroe had 2,400 more jobs at 72,000, but 7,300 fewer than a year ago. Alexandria was up 1,200 jobs at 57,400, but 4,800 fewer than a year ago. Shreveport-Bossier City added 3,200 jobs to finish with 161,700, 20,200 fewer than a year ago. Houma-Thibodaux added 600 jobs to reach 79,200, but 8,800 less last year. Hammond gained 300 jobs to 41,200, but 4,600 lower than a year ago. Through Sept. 5, the Louisiana Percent for Art program is accepting proposals from artists interested in designing and implementing interior and exterior sculptures or installations of original design for a new residence hall at the Louisiana School for Math, Science, and the Arts in Natchitoches. A multidisciplinary committee, headed by Chris King, lecturer of visual arts at LSMSA, has proposed that the art installations should be inspired by the life and work of Caroline Dormon, a Louisiana native who contributed to the conservation and protection of the states natural and cultural resources. Dormon was the first female employee of the U.S. Forestry Service and was instrumental in the creation of the Kisatchie National Forest. She is now considered Louisianas first true conservationist. The commission, with a project budget of $260,000, is open nationally to professional artists and artist teams aged 18 and over with a minimum of five years of professional visual art experience. The budget is intended to be all inclusive of costs and commensurate with the intended scale of the work. The full call to artists, complete with submission requirements, guidelines, scope and eligibility, can be found at crt.state.us, artist.callforentry.org or lsmsa.edu/ResidenceHall. Inquiries should be made to Scott Finch, director for Percent for Art program, at sfinch@crt.la.gov or (225) 342-8176. Unless a spike in coronavirus cases prompts another citywide shutdown, parents can expect New Orleans public schools to offer a mix of distance and traditional classes this fall, with more in-class instruction prioritized for younger students and distance learning options for families uncomfortable with their kids returning to the buildings. NOLA Public Schools's reopening guide, Roadmap to Reopening, details how and when all public charter schools are expected to provide class across reopening phases dictated by the city of New Orleans. Schools Superintendent Henderson Lewis described the guidance, one of the most detailed to be offered by area school districts thus far, as "fluid." "We are very pleased were able to give this guidance to the community today," Lewis said Wednesday. "But we want people to know this is an ever-changing environment as we respond to COVID-19." Generally, the type of schooling offered in August will depend on the student's age, whether students require more in-person instruction, the family's preference and the city's reopening phase, the plan shows. If the city stays in the current Phase 2, officials will prioritize in-person instruction, particularly for the district's youngest students. Children in Pre-K through 4th grade will be afforded the option to return to classrooms daily, officials said. Students in grades 5 through 8 will receive a mix of in-person and distance learning. If school capacity allows, some grades may attend daily, while others might have staggered schedules set by individual schools. Students in grades 9 through 12 will receive a minimum of two days of in-person instruction each week in Phase 2. There will be some exceptions. Students with the "most critical special needs" may attend school full time regardless of their grade, officials said, and distance learning will be offered on a quarterly basis for all families not ready for students to return full time. The students who learn from home will still be provided free student meals as well as technology and other learning resources, officials said. Phase 2 allows a maximum of 25 people in a group. In Phase 3, schools will follow the same model but will be allowed to accommodate additional grades on-site if they want. Phase 3 allows groups up to 50, including students and teachers. In that scenario, schools could also used indoor shared spaces, like cafeterias and gyms that are prohibited in Phase 2. More students would be allowed on school buses in Phase 3, too, as they could hold 75% of normal capacity. In Phase 2, the capacity is limited to 50%. But if a surge in coronavirus cases requires the city to return to Phase 1, buildings would remain closed and schools would be required to return to a full distance learning model, similar to the one implemented at the end of last school year. Tiffany Delcour, the district's chief operations officer, said school officials will join Mayor LaToya Cantrell at a press conference Thursday to warn residents that none of the Phase 2 school plans will happen if the upward trend of coronavirus continues enough to prompt another shutdown. Vaccine news in your inbox Once a week we'll update you on the progress of COVID-19 vaccinations. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up "We're really going to come out strong and say, 'This is our plan,'" Delcour said. "However, city of New Orleans, we really need you to follow the guidances and the rules over the July 4th weekend." State data showed 68 newly-reported cases Wednesday in Orleans Parish, continuing an uptick over the past couple of weeks -- although the percentage of positive cases remained lower and on a flatter trajectory than in the rest of the state. The Orleans Parish plan follows the release last week of a reopening plan by the Archdiocese of New Orleans that tasks administrators to prepare for three scenarios: students in classrooms, students learning from home, or some combination of the two. The Jefferson Parish school district has also said it is working on plans for those same scenarios. The Roadmap to Reopening document was created with input from a 32-member task force, including Cantrell. "I appreciate the thought and care that went into this plan that prepares for every possible scenario," Cantrell said. Since NOLA Public Schools essentially acts as an authorizer for a collection of more than 30 independently-run charter schools, Lewis said individual school plans may vary, as long as they follow the district framework. For instance, charters may opt to let older grades return full-time, too, but they must also consider the size of enrollment, staffing and public school bus transportation capacity, Lewis said. He added that parents should hear from their respective schools about specific plans starting the week of July 6. The plan, which was created using guidelines set by the Louisiana Department of Education and took into account parent input, also requires schools and families to follow several safety precautions. Teachers, administrators and students can expect daily temperature checks, and will wear masks and wash hands frequently. Schools are also expected to constantly clean classrooms, facilities, and buses. "Requiring face coverings for staff and older children, limiting large groups and gatherings, and strict sanitation on school campuses are simple but critical steps we can take for preventing the spread of COVID-19," said New Orleans Department of Health Director Jennifer Avegno, who served on the task force. "We need to be doing everything possible to ensure students and teachers feel safe when then return to school." In a news release, Lewis underscored that students' safety and success falls on teachers and staff this year. "Educators will be on the forefront of serving students and much is being asked of them this coming school year," he said. "The District fully stands behind teachers and will continue to take steps to support them as they take on essential role in serving our students." If children or staff get sick, they will be asked to stay home, and may also be encouraged to if they have had close contact with someone who has contracted COVID-19. Lewis said the district will follow up in mid-July with additional guidance on what to do if children become sick, and at what point leaders should close schools when that happens. He also said officials are creating a plan with the city so that teachers and other school-based staff can have regular and prioritized testing COVID-19 testing. They are also partnering with New Orleans Childrens Hospital to provide training on best-practice safety precautions. Other guidance still to come will detail how to best serve special education students and other high-needs populations in distance learning, and how to address social and emotional needs of students and staff, officials said. The district will make those tools available on its website for mid-July. "This is what our educators do," Lewis said about teachers preparing for a variety of scenarios this fall. "We are very fortunate to have the educators we have to serve our students." I was an officer for the CIA a lifetime ago, and one of the enduring lessons I learned in training is that being an intelligence analyst is like trying to do a jigsaw puzzle without knowing what the picture on the box looks like. Trying to analyze COVID-19 can be the same way a lot of times. Nowhere is that clearer than when trying to understand where things currently stand. Cases are rising quickly, but case counts alone are not a good way to identify whether the disease is growing, shrinking, or staying the same. Only a small fraction of actual infections appear in data as positive cases, and the limited availability of testing in March and April impacted the portion of infections that were identified as positive cases during that period. The number of people who have been infected in Louisiana is clearly much higher than the number of confirmed cases that have been reported. This new coronavirus evidence is plain as day, y'all. Wear a mask, Jeff Asher says. Louisiana is charging headlong through Phase 2 of reopening, and the most important piece of unsolicited advice I can offer is this: wear a mask. The more we test, the more cases we are going to find. Reported cases rising is never a good thing, but if the percentage of tests that come back positive stays the same or declines then it is not necessarily a bad thing either. Averaging 30 new cases on 500 tests one week followed by 40 new cases on 1,000 new tests the next can be a sign of progress. With that in mind, here is what we can assess about where things stand in Louisiana: 1. COVID is spreading in Louisiana. Louisiana is seeing an increase in cases. The 6,254 cases reported between June 20 and June 26 was the worst 7-day stretch since mid-April. Orleans Parish is similarly seeing an increase, with the 233 cases reported over the same timeframe comprising the worst 7-day stretch since late April. Testing is way up, too. There were 12,451 and 1,029 tests returned per day in Louisiana and Orleans Parish respectively of late, up considerably from 4,339 and 575 at the end of April. Unfortunately, new cases statewide are rising more quickly than the number of tests, meaning the rise in cases isnt just a product of more tests. Between June 20 and 26, 7.5% of tests were positive, up from 5.2% between June 10 and 16. That may look like a small difference, but the rate has actually gone up by almost half. Several parishes appear to be showing significant case growth with a lot of new cases but not a corresponding growth in testing. Lafayette, East Baton Rouge, Calcasieu, and even Jefferson Parish appear to be showing worrying growth rates, with above-average percentages of tests coming back positive as of late June. Vaccine news in your inbox Once a week we'll update you on the progress of COVID-19 vaccinations. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up 2. COVIDs growth appears muted in Orleans Parish relative to the rest of the state. Orleans Parish was hit particularly hard in March and April, but the late June increase has been more muted here compared to most of the state. There were 14 more new cases reported on average each day between June 20 and 26 compared to the first 20 days of the month. But the percent of tests that were reported as positive barely budged over that span and was less than half the statewide average (3.2% vs 7.5%). +2 Coronavirus deaths could pass 200K+ in U.S. by October. What's Louisiana's outlook? Epidemiological models are almost certainly going to be wrong in their bottom-line estimates of the future, but they are useful tools for help Whats more, we can now measure the percent of positive cases by the date the test was administered rather than the date it was reported. These data lag, so we only have data through June 17. But comparing the percent of tests that were positive over 7 days in Orleans Parish with the rest of the state shows a pretty clear increase outside of the city starting in early June, and not much change in Orleans Parish. This means that the recent rise in cases in Orleans Parish is likely mostly due to an increase in testing, which probably is not the case in other parts of the state. That is not to say that a clear increase in Orleans Parish cannot still come, especially considering that Orleans started Phase 2 later than everywhere else, but the evidence suggests the rise in cases in Orleans Parish over the last few weeks may be mostly a sign of more testing. 3. It is not as bad as March/April. The raw case numbers look bad, but at least part of that is a function of increased testing in Louisiana. One model estimates about 2,200 people are becoming infected in Louisiana per day in this second wave of new cases. That is up from the floor we hit in early June, but it is down almost 70% relative to the peak number of estimated infections occurring each day in late March. There are some caveats to keep in mind, though: Models can be wrong; our ability to control the spread of the disease is only as good as our adherence to social-distancing and mask-wearing guidelines; and places that best adhere to those guidelines will likely do the best in the long term. +5 As New Orleans enters Phase 2, these sources could give warning of coronavirus case spikes New Orleans is set to enter Phase 2 of re-opening soon after a eight-day delay relative to the rest of the state. One of the primary reasons g The current trends in Louisiana certainly are not good, and the evidence clearly shows increasing COVID since we hit phase 2, but the current trend is more complicated than one might guess from looking at the bottom line of new cases. Masks and face coverings are now required in Jefferson Parish as officials fight the spread of the new coronavirus. The emergency proclamation was issued Monday by Jefferson Parish President Cynthia Lee Sheng and has no end date. Read more: Latest coronavirus stats for Louisiana Along with masks, residents should continue social distancing and frequent handwashing. Here's what you need to know about the rules from parish officials. What counts as a mask? Cloth masks Scarves Bandanas Other cloth/fabric face coverings (gaiters, etc.) Face shields Medical masks When do I have to wear a mask? Masks must be worn while indoors and in any common area in all commercial buildings, public buildings and places of worship in Jefferson Parish. All employees who interact with the public must wear a mask or face covering. Other guidance from the parish: - Masks are required inside any indoor public space, including restaurants, retail, spas and places of worship. - Masks are required when entering and exiting a restaurant or bar but not while sitting at a table. - Masks are required when entering and exiting a gym but not while exercising. - Masks are required in any room or enclosed area where other people are present and unable to physically distance. - Masks are required while walking through common areas, such as hallways, stairways, elevators and parking facilities. - Masks are required while riding on public transportation or paratransit. Vaccine news in your inbox Once a week we'll update you on the progress of COVID-19 vaccinations. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up Who is exempt? In Jefferson Parish, you don't have to wear a mask if: - You are younger than two years old. - You have a medical condition, mental health condition or disability that prevents wearing a face covering. The order excludes schools, summer camps and daycares. Officials said those groups should follow the guidance from the Louisiana Department of Health and the Louisiana Department of Education. What happens if I don't wear a mask? The information from the parish focuses on punishment for businesses, not for individuals. Violations would be a misdemeanor, punishable by a $500 fine or six months in jail, though the latter may be too harsh, she said. "No one is going to jail over this," Lee Sheng said. But if businesses flaunt the rules, she said she will get tough. "I will aggressively pursue" egregious violators, Lee Sheng said. Inspectors from Jefferson Parish's department of property maintenance, zoning and quality of life will be enforcing the mask requirement, the parish said. They will visit the businesses that have been reported and "provide best practices materials." Businesses will receive an official warning after the first visit and Jefferson Parish will issue citations to businesses that continue to not be in compliance. How do I report violators? To report businesses who are not complying with guidelines, call the Jefferson Parish COVID Compliance hotline at 504-736-6929. Or you call fill out a form anonymously at www.JeffParish.net. Read the full statement from Jefferson Parish. The U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals struck down a federal judge's plan to split Terrebonne Parish into electoral districts for judges, aimed at giving Black voters a judgeship in the parish. The decision marked a defeat for the NAACP, which has fought a years-long legal battle over the way judges are elected parish-wide in Terrebonne, and a victory for Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry, who continued to challenge the plan after Gov. John Bel Edwards signaled he'd accept a federal judge's solution. The three-judge panel from the New Orleans-based federal appeals court ruled that attorneys representing the Terrebonne Parish branch of the NAACP hadn't produced enough evidence to show that electing all five judges in the 32nd Judicial District on a parishwide basis violates the Voting Rights Act by watering down the voter of Black residents. Black residents make up just under 20% of Terrebonne Parish's population. The 5th Circuit ruled that the state has a strong interest in ensuring that all of the parish's voters weigh in on each judge, since judges hear cases from all across the parish, not just from electoral districts. That interest a legal principle known as "linkage" outweighed what the 5th Circuit panel considered "relatively weak support" for the NAACP's claim that the parish-wide judicial elections violate the Voting Rights Act. AG Jeff Landry asks appeals court to throw out new minority judgeship in Terrebonne Parish Dozens of black voters from Terrebonne Parish packed the courtroom and spilled out into the hallways of the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals The ruling also tossed out U.S. District Judge Shelly K. Dick's finding that the Louisiana Legislature's failure to redraw the electoral map despite a federal court order amounted to racial discrimination. Dick was appointed to her seat on the Baton Rouge-based Middle District of Louisiana by President Barack Obama. The panel was composed of Circuit Judges Patrick E. Higginbotham and Edith Jones, both appointees of former President Ronald Reagan, and Stuart Kyle Duncan, appointed by President Donald Trump. The three agreed on the central question at issue; Duncan added in a concurring opinion that he would have thrown out the lawsuit on technical grounds as well. The NAACP Legal Defense Fund and other plaintiffs in the case called the 5th Circuit's decision "disappointing" and said they are now "considering all options" in the case. The civil rights group sharply disputed the finding that parish-wide elections in Terrebonne Parish don't discriminate against Black voters, noting that no Black candidate has ever won a contested parish-wide election. The group also highlighted the 2008 re-election by Terrebonne Parish voters of former Judge Timothy Ellender, who'd been suspended after attending a Halloween party dressed in blackface with an "Afro" wig and wearing an orange jail jumpsuit. A spokesman for Landry, the attorney general, did not respond Tuesday to a request for comment. 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 The decision overturned the ruling of the late U.S. District Judge James Brady, who'd ruled in 2017 that parishwide elections for judgeships in Terrebonne Parish illegally denied Black voters the chance to elect a candidate of their choosing. Brady ordered state lawmakers to divide the parish into five electoral districts. When the Legislature twice failed to pass a new election map, Dick who took over the case after Brady's death appointed an expert to draw the lines instead. The new map would have featured a majority-Black district that snaked through Houma and took in portions of the towns of Gray and Schriever. Letters: Legislature has an opportunity to do the right thing Every voter should have an equal opportunity to have their voices heard through elections. This doesnt happen in Terrebonne Parish where, for Attorneys for the NAACP argued that decades of elections in Terrebonne Parish had consistently shown a "stark pattern of racially polarized voting" with the parish's White majority voting down candidates backed by most local Black voters. State District Judge Juan Pickett the first and so far only Black jurist elected in the parish ran unopposed when he was elected in 2014. But lawyers for the Attorney General's Office countered that, even in a newly reconfigured electoral map, Black voters would barely make up a majority in one district despite meandering lines meant to gather as many Black households as possible. Efforts to create minority electoral districts under the Voting Rights Act generally have to meet three criteria: The minority group must be sizable enough to make up a majority in a voting district; the group must vote largely as a bloc that tends to coalesce behind certain candidates; and the majority group usually White residents must also typically vote as a bloc to defeat those candidates. Extensive legal battles over Louisiana judicial elections in the 1980s and 1990s resulted in a number of previously parishwide judicial elections being carved up into single-member districts, a change that opened the door to a wave of Black judges. The U.S. Supreme Court in 1992 also ordered Louisiana to change the district lines for electing justices to the Louisiana Supreme Court to add a majority-Black district, based in New Orleans. Last year, civil rights activists filed another legal challenge to the way Louisiana's Supreme Court justices are elected, arguing that the state must add a second majority-Black district to better reflect the state's population, which is nearly one-third Black. The lawsuit, filed by the NAACP and the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, is pending in federal court in Baton Rouge. In the continued fallout over an unsanctioned block party that ended in gunfire Sunday in Kenner, the city government cited the organizer for holding a public gathering without a permit, officials said Wednesday. Police and city officials identified the host as Brian Keith Holiman, 29, of St. Rose. Attempts to contact Holiman by telephone on Wednesday were unsuccessful. A Kenner ordinance calls for a maximum $500 fine and up to a month of jail time for anyone convicted of organizing a public gathering without a permit. Investigators identified Holiman as the organizer of a party in the 2600 block of Acron Street in Veterans Heights which was titled Summer Jam. Flyers circulating online for the party advertised local food vendors and musical artists. Organizers had sought a permit, but the city denied it, according to police. The party started anyway about 3 p.m. on Sunday, with roughly 200 people showing up, police said. A little more than 90 minutes later, a few dozen gunshots rang out, captured in a video circulated widely on social media. No one reported being struck, but a woman was cut by glass when a bullet hit the window of a car in which she was sitting. Police have not named any suspects in connection with the gunfire, but the case remained under investigation Wednesday, Kenner Police Lt. Michael Cunningham said. 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 Beneath images of the party published on Facebook, commenters criticized the number of revelers who were not covering their faces with masks, which health experts say are effective at preventing the spread of the new coronavirus. Images also show large groups of people at the event. Messages published on a Facebook page under a nickname associated with Holiman asserted there were masks at the outdoor party as well as social distancing. The page also shared supportive messages, saying the partys aim to get artists and vendors paid while giving the neighborhood a good time was noble. My intentions were good, read one of the messages on the page, which also mentioned plans of taking the summer jam party to other cities in the region. Alluding to a pre-party warning for guests to avoid violence, another message said, Im so sorry this happened I did my best to prevent this. Holiman is tentatively due to appear in Kenner's Municipal Court on Aug. 28. Kenner requires people organizing gatherings of more than 100 people to apply for permits. As part of the process, the city reviews the applications to determine what security, fire safety and health measures should be put in place before an application is granted. Each and every person that goes missing on Mount Rainier is deeply concerning, said Swartout. Our collective hearts ache with the families and loved ones of those who remain missing, who are seeking solace and answers during some of the most difficult days of their lives. A Kenner caregiver has been formally charged with several dozen counts of physically and sexually abusing a 26-year-old man with cerebral palsy, abuse that was recorded by in-home surveillance cameras, according to authorities. Patrick Bowden, 39, pleaded not guilty on June 25 to five counts of being a principal to sexual battery and 74 counts of cruelty to the infirm, Jefferson Parish court records said. Caregiver caught on camera abusing Kenner man with cerebral palsy, police say A Kenner mother was mortified and enraged after she discovered a hired caregiver was physically abusing her son, who has cerebral palsy. Bowden was charged with one count of cruelty for each day of alleged abuse against the victim, said Lt. Michael Cunningham, spokesman for the department. Jeffery Williams, the victim's father, also filed a civil suit in the 24th Judicial District Court against Bowden, his employer, the United Cerebral Palsy Association of Greater New Orleans, and organizations insurer for damages related to the abuse, court records said. The association has said it trained and certified Bowden, a friend of the victim's family, at the family's request. Jeffery and Valerie Williams said they hired Bowden to care for their son, who is non-verbal, uses a wheelchair and cannot feed himself. Between Sept. 1, 2019, and Feb. 17, Bowden is accused of punching, slapping and choking the victim, covering his nose to obstruct breathing and mistreating him, Kenner police said. 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 During that time, the victim suffered a broken arm, a broken leg and a broken wrist, Valerie Williams said. Fugitive accused of pouring hot grease on sleeping boyfriend in Kenner extradited from Canada Almost four years after Kenner authorities say Yenny Valerio fled the country after dousing her sleeping boyfriend's head and body in bubbling The alleged abuse came to light in February, after the most recent injury, when the Williamses check footage from a surveillance camera in their sons room. They were horrified to learn that Bowden had intentionally caused injuries they thought were due to their sons delicate skeletal and muscular system, according to authorities. I went through every shift (Bowden) worked in February, and not one day did he not inappropriately put his hands on my child, Valerie Williams said after Bowden was first arrested. In the lawsuit, attorneys for the Jeffery Williams described the pain of having to watch hours, days and weeks of video-recorded abuse. It caused severe emotional distress, just as if the plaintiff were physically present during, and helplessly watching defendant Bowdens repeated brutalization and infliction of violence upon his helpless son, the lawsuit said. The family's attorneys say United Cerebral Palsy of Greater New Orleans is at fault because the agency failed to properly screen and train Bowden, didnt evaluate him properly or follow up on the victims unexplained injuries, according to court records. Bowden was being held Tuesday at the Jefferson Parish Correctional Center in Gretna in lieu of a $360,000 bond. State and local authorities in Louisiana have arrested 20 people accused of taking part in a complex scheme to boost the credit scores of phony identities that were then sold and used to buy big-ticket items such as luxury cars. During the investigation, agents discovered that the identities of 121 children from across the country had been stolen and used to create the fake identities, said Trooper Monroe Dillon, a spokesman for the State Police. Investigators linked the scam to operators and clients of Fresh Start Financial Group, a New Orleans-based company that lists its directors as Charles Roy, 31, and Tanya Ward, 32, who were both arrested. Ward is also known as Tanya Roy and Tanya Wells, according to state and court records. Joshua Blaise, 28, another person linked to Fresh Start Financial, was also arrested, authorities said. The Louisiana State Polices Insurance Fraud and Auto Theft Unit investigated the case with help from the St. Tammany Parish Sheriffs Office, the Jefferson Parish Sheriffs Office Auto Theft Unit, Homeland Security Investigations New Orleans Field Office and Office of the Inspector General. Investigators caught on to the group in early 2019 while looking into the case of a Mandeville resident whose stolen identity was used to buy a vehicle, Dillon said. As the investigation grew, agents discovered that the group linked to Fresh Start Financial used stolen or unassigned social security numbers to create fake identities, according to authorities. Someone would bring the phony identity to life by using the address of a local house for sale to create fake payroll stubs and utility bills. The group used those documents to apply for credit from different banks and stores, formally establishing the bogus identitys credit history, Dillon said. The group paid third parties to add the fake identity as an authorized user on credit card accounts, further boosting the credit rating. Once that fake identity had a respectable credit score, the group sold it a willing customer of Fresh Start Financial, authorities said. During the course of the lengthy investigation, agents executed 60 search warrants for electronic devices, email accounts, business records, cell phone records and credit reports. They also served warrants at several locations in April 2019, seizing seven stolen vehicles, three all-terrain vehicles, three guns, various types of drugs, $2,000 cash and multiple counterfeit state identification cards, authorities said. The suspects in the case are facing charges in various jurisdictions, according to Dillon. Those arrested include: -Tanya Ward, booked in Jefferson and St. Tammany Parishes on multiple counts ranging from identity fraud to bank fraud to drug possession. -Chares Roy, booked in Jefferson and St. Charles parishes on multiple counts ranging from bank fraud and identity theft to motor vehicle theft. -Erin Alonzo, 23, booked with being a fugitive from Orleans Parish where he has been indicted with second-degree murder. An Orleans Parish grand jury charged Alonzo in the death of Terrance Jackson, 22, who was gunned down during an armed robbery in New Orleans on Thanksgiving Day 2016, authorities said. Alonzo was linked to the scene through DNA and cell phone data, according to investigators. -Joshua Blaise, 28, booked in St. Tammany Parish with identity theft. -Jermaine Toussaint, 26, booked in Orleans and Jefferson parishes on multiple counts ranging from motor vehicle theft to bank fraud and identity theft. -Carldell Marshall, 24, booked in Jefferson Parish with being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm and a fugitive warrant. 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 -Chole Singleton, 30, booked in Jefferson Parish on multiple counts incluidng identity theft and bank fraud. -Shaquille Florant, 24, booked in Jefferson Parish with on multiple including identity theft and bank fraud. -Torron Wilson, 42, booked in Jefferson Parish on multiple counts including principal to identity theft and pincipal to bank fraud. -Terrell Perkins, 34, booked in Orleans and Jefferson parishes on multiple counts including identity theft, bank fraud and being a convicted felon with a firearm. -Kimberly Gentry, 38, booked in Orleans Parish with theft of a motor vehicle and unlawful production, manufacturing and distribution of fraudulent documents. -Dsean Young, 36, booked in Orleans Parish with multiple counts including bank fraud and identity theft. -Kendra Walker, 36, arrested as a fugitive from Jefferson Parish and Pear River. -Jasmine Ceaser, 24, booked on multiple counts including identity theft and bank fraud. -Elmira Fobbs, 25, booked in Jefferson Parish with unlawful production, manufacturing or distribution of fraudulent documents. -Shanequa Henry, 29, booked in Jefferson Parish with unlawful production, manufacturing or distribution of fraudulent documents. -Johnnisha Matthews, 26, booked in Orleans Parish with two counts of identity theft, computer fraud and unlawful production, manufacturing or distribution of fraudulent documents. -Pauline Peters, 26, booked in Orleans Parish with identity theft and computer fraud. -Ladell Eurings, 44, booked in Orleans Parish with three counts of identity theft and three counts of theft. -Daijonia Hopson, 31, booked with computer fraud and identity theft. Authorities are still searching for two people in connection with the case: -Raymoniqua Johnson, 25, wanted on a count of identity theft in Orleans Parish. -Courtney Griffith, 32, wanted on charges of computer fraud, identity theft and bank fraud in St. Bernard Parish. Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Johnson or Griffith is asked to call local law enforcement. YouTube has shut down the channels of six prominent white supremacists, including David Duke, the one-time Ku Klux Klan grand wizard who was the states top vote-getting Republican 30 years ago during statewide campaigns for office. A YouTube spokeswoman said Duke and the others repeatedly or egregiously violated its hate-speech policies. In a tweet Tuesday, Duke blamed Jews, reflecting his deep-seated anti-Semitism. Duke said he didnt like being banned from YouTube but had been expecting it, during an appearance Monday night on the Internet talk show of Dino Costa, whose website proclaims, If they wanted warthey found it here. +21 Emotions run high inside, outside auditorium as Senate candidates take final shots Police pepper-sprayed protesters outside Georges Auditorium during a televised U.S. Senate debate at Dillard University on Wednesday night, wh We are really losing our country, Duke told Costa and his listeners. It is literally a war against white people.Its really about hatred against white people. Repeating comments he has made for years, Duke said hes not anti-anybody. He said hes simply fighting for the preservation of our rights in this country. 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 An LSU graduate, Duke headed a Ku Klux Klan faction in the 1970s. In 1989, riding a wave of racism and racial grievance, he was elected to represent Metairie in the state House. In 1990 and 1991, he became a household name nationally while losing races for the U.S. Senate and governor, respectively. In both of those races, slightly over half the white voters in Louisiana voted for him. Duke ran for president in 1992, for Senate in 1996 and for a congressional seat in metro New Orleans in 1999, but lost each time. In 2002, he was convicted of stealing money from his followers and spent a little over a year in prison. Duke resurfaced in 2016 after numerous media outlets quoted him as praising then-presidential candidate Donald Trump. He ran for the U.S. Senate again but, reflecting a steep fall from his heyday, finished seventh with only 3% of the vote. Duke won more attention in 2017 when he attended the white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, where a woman protesting the presence of Duke and the others died when a car slammed into her. Duke turns 70 on Wednesday. Slate is currently broadcasting a six-episode podcast on his political rise in Louisiana. New Orleans City Council members gave preliminary approval on Tuesday to the nine people who will sit on a commission to evaluate street names across the city and decide which ones honor Confederates or white supremacists and should be replaced. Councilwoman Kristin Gisleson Palmer also pledged the commission would make all its recommendations, and the research backing them, available online as the body does its work. The street-renaming commission was approved by the City Council earlier this month amid protests over police brutality and racism in New Orleans and across the country. I think its a done deal that things are changing, Palmer said. All that remains to be determined is what streets will be part of the effort and who will be honored in place of those whose names are taken down, she said. +22 A New Orleans commission will review Confederate, white supremacist streets, City Council says The New Orleans City Council on Thursday kicked off the process of renaming streets that honor Confederates and white supremacists, voting to The nine members of the body, one representing each council member, Mayor LaToya Cantrell and the City Planning Commission, were approved by the council's Government Affairs Committee Tuesday. They must receive the approval of the full council before they can begin their work. The list of appointees does not include any members of Take Em Down NOLA, the activist group that has spent years pushing to remove a wide range of monuments and street names that honor those who fought for the Confederacy, enslaved others or who the group says supported white supremacy. +2 Map: Street names with Confederate ties that could be renamed in New Orleans Amid widespread protests against racism and police brutality, the New Orleans City Council announced it will be considering renaming streets, Asked about Take Em Down, Palmer, who helped craft the renaming commission, noted that each council member was responsible for picking their own member of the body. And she said the six-month process will provide opportunities for involvement from the community, both in terms of what names are removed and who is honored in their place. The board will be charged with researching and deciding which names should be removed from streets and other public places and those who are more deserving of such tribute. But it will ultimately be up to council members to decide whether to move forward with those proposals and Palmer said that the new names chosen would be picked with significant neighborhood input. Councilwoman Helena Moreno appointed Mark Raymond Jr., a Regional Transit Authority board member and president of the A.P. Tureaud Legacy Committee who started petition drives to rename Jefferson Davis Parkway for former Xavier President Norman Francis and Robert E. Lee Boulevard for Leah Chase. Separately from the commission process, the council has moved forward with plans to rename Jefferson Davis for Xavier. 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 +7 'Symbols are powerful things': New Orleans Council readies changes to Confederate street names Statues of Robert E. Lee, Jefferson Davis and P.G.T. Beauregard were toppled in New Orleans three years ago. But their names, along with those Councilman Jason Williams picked Richard Westmoreland, a senior vice president of Iberia Bank and a retired U.S. Marine who was a vocal proponent of removing statues of Davis, Lee, P.G.T. Beauregard and a monument to a white supremacist militia during the fight over those statues in 2015. Councilman Joe Giarrussos nominee is Paul Sterbcow, an attorney managing partner at Lewis, Kullman, Sterbcow and Abramson. +2 Parks, streets 'that honor white supremacists' would be re-named by this New Orleans committee City Council members are proposing a plan that would wipe from New Orleans streets and parks any names "that honor white supremacists," in the Councilman Jay H. Banks appointment is Karl Connor, an attorney and commissioner of the Louisiana Civil Rights Museum Advisory Board. Palmers appointee is Gia Hamilton, executive director of the New Orleans African American Museum of Art, History and Culture. Councilman Jared Brossetts nominee is Kevin Jackson, an engineer with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. City Council to discuss renaming Jeff Davis Parkway for Norman Francis; other renamings possible Two New Orleans City Council members are proposing to strip the name of the president of the Confederacy from Jefferson Davis Parkway and rena Councilwoman Cyndi Nguyen picked Galethea Baham, who works at the Center for Educational Excellence in an Alternative Setting and is involved with the advocacy groups Justice and Beyond, A Community Voice, Voters Coalition and Voice of the Experienced. Cantrells appointment is Kimberly Jones-Williams, an event planner who is a member of the Black Chamber of Commerce. The City Planning Commission will be represented by Bobbie Hill, a partner in charge of planning and engagement for Concordia LLC. Norman, OK (73070) Today Heavy thunderstorms this morning, then variable clouds during the afternoon with still a chance of showers. Storms may contain strong gusty winds. High around 70F. Winds NNE at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall possibly over one inch.. Tonight Partly cloudy skies. Low near 55F. Winds NE at 10 to 15 mph. Norman, OK (73070) Today Variable clouds with showers and scattered thunderstorms. Storms more numerous during the morning hours. Storms may contain strong gusty winds. High around 70F. Winds NNE at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of rain 50%.. Tonight Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low around 55F. Winds NE at 10 to 15 mph. On our way back to our home after an amazing and beautiful wedding day, literally blocks from our new home, we saw a large SUV crash into another accident involving three other vehicles, he wrote. As we pulled over, we saw people pulling a woman from between two cars with a gash in her leg that went down to her femur. My rock star of a bride gets out of the car, wedding dress and all, and rushes over to help while I called 911. North Augusta, SC (29841) Today Partly to mostly cloudy. High around 90F. Winds SW at 10 to 20 mph.. Tonight Cloudy this evening with thunderstorms developing after midnight. Low 74F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 60%. North Augusta resident Perry Holcomb has filed an initial brief to the South Carolina Court of Appeals regarding a Freedom of Information Act case against the city of North Augusta. Holcomb sued the city in November 2018. His initial lawsuit stated that the city, mayor and City Council violated FOIA when City Council amended a list of projects for Capital Projects Sales Tax IV. That list was included in a document called Agenda 050718 Complete. In October 2019, circuit court judge Clifton B. Newman signed an order in favor of Holcomb, finding that the city did violate FOIA, enjoining the city from future similar violations and awarding attorneys fees and costs to Holcomb. The city appealed Newmans order. City files appellant brief in FOIA case The city of North Augusta has filed an initial brief in its appeal requesting the reversal o The brief filed by Holcomb on June 25 states that the circuit court was correct in finding that the city violated FOIA when it amended the list of projects and that the court was correct in finding that the Agenda 050719 Complete constituted the meeting agenda for the purposes of FOIA. The S.C Code of Laws states that "after the meeting begins, an item upon which action can be taken only may be added to the agenda by a two-thirds vote of the members present and voting; however, if the item is one upon which final action can be taken at the meeting or if the item is one in which there has not been and will not be an opportunity for public comment with prior public notice given in accordance with this section, it only may be added to the agenda by a two-thirds vote of the members present and voting and upon a finding by the body that an emergency or an exigent circumstance exists if the item is not added to the agenda." Court order finds that city, City Council violated FOIA A decision has been made in a lawsuit against the city of North Augusta that claims the city The brief filed by Holcomb states that the first part of the law the two-thirds vote appears to have been satisfied, but not the finding of emergency or exigent circumstances. Without satisfying both prongs, the amendment attempted by the City at the May 7, 2018, City Council meeting violates FOIA, entitling Holcomb to declaratory and injunctive relief and consequently attorneys fees and costs, the brief states. Regarding whether the document is an agenda, the brief says that if the City did not want the Agenda 050718 Complete/Regular Agenda of May 7, 2018, to be treated as an agenda, it should not have called it an agenda. COVID-19 Data for Pennsylvania The PA Dept. of Health COVID-19 Dashboard reports 84,130 cases as of June 30, 2020. The state reports 2,476 probable cases, 677,581 negative cases, and 6,649 deaths attributed to the virus. The Department of Health's Dashboard provides up-to-date statistics on confirmed, probable, and negative cases, and deaths, as well as a county-by-county breakdown. Also find graphics that represent number of cases and testing. The website also offers a weekly report for deaths attributed to COVID-19. Looking for all statistics on the state's COVID-19 situation? Visit the Department of Health website. Also find updated information on the Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C) in Pennsylvania. You can play a role in helping to reduce the spread of COVID-19 Wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or use hand sanitizer if soap and water are not available. Cover any coughs or sneezes with your elbow, not your hands. Clean surfaces frequently. Stay home to avoid spreading COVID-19, especially if you are unwell. Based on evolving information, Watsontown Police Department Chief Rodney Witherite clarified to NorthcentralPA.com this evening that in fact none of the troopers at the Watsontown rally tested positive for COVID-19. Shifting information from an official source led to a number of conflicting media reports about COVID-19 and the Watsontown protest. Chief Witherite clarified the situation by phone this evening. "Four troopers from the Milton barracks assisted us at the protest. The chief of police at Milton said that two of those troopers were tested positive for COVID. The captain of the PSP Sherman Shadle called me just a couple hours ago and confirmed that every trooper at the rally tested negative for COVID," Witherite said. The Milton PSP station was shut down "sometime after the demonstration," according to Witherite. "We're not saying those at the scene had COVID," Witherite clarified. "Their captain is saying they did not have COVID, they tested negative but they came from a station that had an outbreak of COVID here recently and they shut it down. So all the officers involved at the protest needed to be tested just in case." Approximately 27 first responders from four police departments will be tested for COVID-19 due to the potential for exposure, Witherite indicated. "We have 24 hours. Were waiting for test results to come back from everybody," Witherite said this evening. The departments who responded to the protest were state police at Milton, Milton Borough Police, Northumberland County Sheriffs Department, Union County Sheriffs Department, the Watsontown Police Department, according to Witherite. "We dont want a possible infection or outbreak," Witherite said. "We have to work every day." Several civilian workers from Watsontown Borough assisted with traffic control at the protest, according to the chief. Police are in the process of determining which hospitals will take care of testing for the first responders and when, according to Witherite. "We were there just to protect everybody," Witherite said. Approximately 200 people attended the protest. Correction: A previous version of this story misquoted Troop F Public Information Officer Angela Bieber. The Milton PSP barracks has not yet reopened. As the United States prepares to celebrate its 244th birthday, this year's time-honored festivities, like barbecues, lawn games and fireworks, may look and feel a little different than usual for many. Amid a pandemic and social distancing concerns, smaller groups and fewer parties may mean more eyes from home will be looking toward the skies -- or the flatscreen TVs -- to see the annual firework displays. However, not every area of the country will enjoy an equally great view of the spectacular pyrotechnics shows. In New York City, the Independence Day celebration has been turned into a week-long affair with fireworks starting to light up the sky on Monday night and running through July Fourth on Saturday. In South Dakota, current plans include a firework display over Mt. Rushmore for the first time since 2009, and President Donald Trump plans to be in attendance. Annual shows in some major cities, like Washington D.C., are still on, but the weather in other cities, such as Denver and Sante Fe, New Mexico, has forced planned events to be canceled. Meanwhile, the coronavirus pandemic has forced many other cities to shutter celebrations as well. For those cities still putting on events, read on to see how the weather and conditions may affect the celebration. New York City and Northeast Some places in the Northeast, like Boston, have canceled annual shows weeks ago because of the pandemic, but New York City went in the opposite direction and ramped up its celebrations to make this year's Fourth of July a weeklong event that aims to discourage people from congregating on one specific night. For the millions watching in person and on television, however, the start of the week's weather may not be cooperative. The next few nights there are going to be showers and thunderstorms," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Dean Devore said. "But while the shower and thunderstorm chances have a pretty high percentage of happening in the next couple of afternoon and evenings, it looks like those chances kind of go away a little bit by the end of the week as the atmosphere stabilizes a bit." Devore added that "some models think it could be pretty nice this holiday weekend," referring to computer weather models meteorologists look at when formulating a forecast, but that "there are other models that there may be some chances of thunderstorms popping up in the afternoons and evenings. We'll have to wait to see how it plays out." According to Devore, weather conditions along the East Coast will remain problematic and spotty through the beginning portions of the holiday week due to a slow-moving system. Farther north and inland, Devore said more stormy concerns could arrive from a system moving through the Great Lakes. "There's a system that will come through the Great Lakes and bring just general thunderstorm and shower chances into the weekend," Devore said. "The concern is towards the weekend: Is enough of the system going to stamp itself out towards the Eastern Seaboard? We could get, in addition to daily thunderstorm chances, an enhancement of even more than that." Keep an eye on the forecast Throughout the nation and particularly in the East, Devore said residents should keep an updated eye on the forecasts as holiday plans may need to be shifted around with Mother Nature's plans. "As your weekend plans evolve including fireworks or a trip to the beach, this will be one of those patterns where you'll need to continue checking in because the amount and frequency of thunderstorms can change by day and even times of the day," Devore said. "There may be some days where it'll be really nice in the morning and then get not so nice by the afternoon, or vice versa." Emergency crews remained on the scene into early Wednesday morning to clear away what remained of the jet, which is assigned to the 20th Fighter Wing. Video reportedly taken at the scene shows the aircraft in a fiery heap with a dark cloud of smoke billowing overhead. Calhoun, GA (30701) Today Partly cloudy early followed by scattered thunderstorms this afternoon. Storms may contain strong gusty winds. High around 85F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%.. Tonight Showers and thunderstorms likely. Low 67F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%. La Fayette, GA (30728) Today Mixed clouds and sun this morning. Scattered thunderstorms developing this afternoon. Storms may contain strong gusty winds. High 84F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%.. Tonight Showers and thunderstorms likely. Low 64F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%. Bigstory Hospitalizations increase alongside positive cases of COVID-19 in Floyd County, nursing homes look at 'dramatically reshaping' industry Source: Department of Public Health Floyd County had 12 new COVID-19 infections reported on June 30, taking the cumulative total to 514. At the same time local hospitals report 14 people being treated who have tested positive for COVID-19 and two more people who are awaiting test results. There were 14 people being treated in local hospitals who have tested positive for COVID-19 as of Tuesday and two more awaiting test results. Thats up one since Monday, and double the number of people hospitalized since last Wednesday. Another number that has increased steadily is the number of people who have tested positive for the disease caused by the coronavirus. The Department of Public Health reported 12 more infections in Floyd County on Tuesday, bringing the countys cumulative total to 514. In the past seven days the state has reported 81 new cases in Floyd County. There have been no new deaths related to a COVID-19 infection reported since May 26. Deaths at long term care facilities in Floyd County account for six of the countys 15 reported deaths, according to Department of Community Health reports released this week. The DCH regularly releases a report on long term care facilities in Georgia. That report lists the facility, total number of residents, number of residents who have tested positive for COVID-19, deaths, tests conducted, residents recovered as well as the number of staff who have tested positive. What the report doesnt list is the timeframe when the infections occurred. For instance, Rome Health and Rehabilitation was hit hard in late April. During that time there were 73 residents. Of that number, 25 tested positive and five died. However, the report also shows that 20 residents recovered. The statistics for Rome Health and Rehabilitation are the same, two months later. According to the DCH report on COVID-19 infections in Floyd County at long term care facilities: Chulio Hills Health and Rehab on Chulio Road has had two residents and six staff members infected with COVID-19. No residents were listed as recovered and one resident has died. Evergreen Health and Rehabilitation Center on Moran Lake Road has had one resident and two staff members infected with COVID-19. No residents were listed as recovered. Fifth Avenue Health Care on North Fifth Avenue has had six residents and six staff members infected with COVID-19. All six residents were listed as recovered. PruittHealth-Rome on Three Mile Road has had no residents listed as infected with COVID-19, however two staff members had tested positive. Seven Hills Place on Technology Parkway had one staff member test positive. Winthrop Health and Rehabilitation a nursing home on U.S. 411 had six staff members test positive for COVID-19 but no residents infected. To clarify, the DCH lists identical numbers for the nursing facility and nearby Winthrop Court, which is a separately owned and run facility. Charlie Williams, the owner of Winthrop Court, said they have had one staff member test positive for COVID-19 who has now recovered. COVID dramatically reshaping our businessNeil Pruitt, CEO of the Norcross-based long-term care facility chain PruittHealth, recently spoke with Georgia Health News about the lessons from COVID-19s early days, the importance of data during a health crisis, and reforms he felt could bolster the embattled industry during the pandemic. Pruitt was recently tapped as one of 25 experts who will join an independent national commission tasked with identifying best practices for infection control and improving care during the pandemic. The commission will deliver a report of its findings and recommendations to the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services later this summer. This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity. What has PruittHealth learned from responding to COVID-19 since March? What are the best practices youve taken away? Weve been very transparent. We were one of the first (providers) to put our data on our website. It was pretty important to be as transparent as possible with our family members and our partners and with the media. No one knew the answer of how to fight this. Weve continued to develop new data tools. We set up a call center staffed 24 hours a day where family members can call. Weve been able to do over 14,000 video chats with family members. From a clinical perspective, we learned the value of testing. Our philosophy has been test our patients and partners often. Wed like to get to the point where were able to test everyone once a week. Its not the most pleasant thing in the world, so were hoping someone will come up with less intrusive manners of testing. How do you think COVID-19 will reshape the long-term care industry from a financial perspective? Its dramatically reshaping our business. When we first ordered PPE (personal protective equipment), we ordered a great deal and Im thankful we did and came very close to missing payroll. The CARES (Act) money has been helpful from the federal government. That will take us to October. We figure the latest grant can take us to January. Were going to have to rethink how we give care to seniors. Weve ordered air ionization systems for all of our buildings. Were installing thermal cameras to the main points of entry. Well have visitor management systems to check (peoples) temperatures. PPE is going to be the norm for the foreseeable future. But our buildings are not designed for infectious disease. The minimum square footage allows 150 square feet per patient. You put three or four people in a room, and its not the most ideal place to contain a deadly virus like COVID. In our latest building that were designing in Tampa, were installing positive and negative air rooms, where we put the switch to make a positive or negative air to control the infection. Weve designed spaces with completely separate ventilation systems that employees can enter, put on PPE in the room, etc. And its a space where family members can come in to visit their loved ones through a glass barrier or something along those lines. Were trying to do right by patients. But eventually you do run out of money. All of this has a cost. When you start serving on this national commission, what are some of your thoughts on how Georgia and other states should be rethinking about how long-term care is offered? We need to look at how we measure quality and encourage transparency. One thing that COVID has taught PruittHealth is that we need to publish our data as quickly as we possibly can and make it available to our family members. Itd be my hope thered be some quality assurance protections from liability. Thats what prevents us from doing that now. We need to reward providers financially for the level of services that theyre providing. So, just one example: If you look at (Nursing Home Compares) five-star system rating for staffing, its based on an archaic system. Weve started a Medicare Advantage plan that puts nurse practitioners in our centers who are overseen by physicians. None of those people are counted in those (Nursing Home Compare) numbers. We need to update how we evaluate and reward providers for the care thats being provided. Thats a long-term solution. In the short term, we are very concerned with best practices around infection control, looking at different examples and designs for health care facilities that prevent infections. We need to know how we respond to the oversight and regulatory system. Is there a way that there can be shared accountability with regulators, academics, and providers so that we really are working together as a team and not with a gotcha mentality? Look at what we (currently) do with a poor-performing facility: We slap fines on them so they cant afford staff, they get a terrible reputation, so theyre only getting the worst patients. Thats just kind of a death spiral for a facility. Theres a way for government to hold nursing homes accountable in being completely transparent and really thinking about the consumers. Nursing home operators have pushed for measures that provide immunity for many COVID-19-related lawsuits. But patient advocates disagree with that approach because they feel it doesnt provide enough accountability. How do you balance those competing priorities? Before there was immunity (considered in Georgia), PruittHealth decided to move forward with transparency. We welcome immunity, and hope well have that signed into law. Providers need to be held accountable by publishing infection rates, and letting families know. The problem is, when you have to worry about whats going to be done with that data, and if youre going to have massive lawsuits, you dont collect the data, publish the data, or have a conversation about the data. But the biggest predictor of whether youll have COVID in a nursing home is if its in the community. Staff members bringing it in, despite your best efforts. We should be held accountable. So when there are adverse actions, family members might have a workmans-comp-type system that allows for fair compensation without outrageous verdicts that take away resources that would otherwise go to patients. What else will be on your mind when this commission convenes? One of the problems early on was that nursing homes werent on par with hospital systems (in getting logistical help). When we tried to get PPE, or had something like power disruptions our headquarters were on generators for three weeks we werent on par with the hospitals facing a crisis. One of the most valuable things we have is our medical records. Hospitals receive funds to upgrade their infrastructure and be top-notch. If we have (funding for) better data and infrastructure, itd be easier to know the full scope of this pandemic much sooner. We also need to talk about government interactions in our centers. While we absolutely welcome regulators into our buildings, we want to make sure theyve been tested. Governmental folks going from building to building is not ideal. I understand the need for it. Right now Im not sure thats the best protocol. I think we need to have some discussions about what can be done virtually first (before) the need to actually be in the building. The one thing that I just emphasize is the need for frequency of the tests. We need to get to the point where patients and partners are tested once a week. The problem is people will choose not to do it. We have some employees who dont want to do it. To be a health care setting, its our opinion employee testing should be required, and it should be paid for by the government. With patients, its a different story. We should be able to refuse a patient if they refuse to be tested. ... Once (the virus) gets to a fragile population, it spreads like wildfire. Related Rome, GA (30161) Today Mostly cloudy this morning. Scattered thunderstorms developing this afternoon. High 86F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%.. Tonight Thunderstorms likely. Low 69F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%. Though he grew up proud of his family name, Lee said he came to realize that at the end of the day, his great-great-great grand-uncle was fighting for the preservation of slavery and chose to side with the Confederacy against the Union. Napoleon, OH (43545) Today Overcast. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High near 75F. Winds WNW at 15 to 25 mph.. Tonight Evening clouds will give way to clearing overnight. Low 47F. Winds NNW at 10 to 20 mph. A 51-year-old North Platte man is charged with eight felonies in connection with a roughly five-hour standoff Saturday morning. Wesley H. Hawkins was arraigned Monday afternoon in Lincoln County Court on three charges of use of a firearm to commit a felony, two counts of attempt of a felony, and single counts of possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, possession of a stolen firearm and making terroristic threats. He is scheduled for a preliminary hearing at 1:30 p.m. Thursday. At the same court hearing he is expected to enter a plea on misdemeanor charges in three other cases that were filed earlier this month. Hawkins is charged with disturbing the peace in two of those cases and stalking in the third. Hawkins remains at the Lincoln County Detention Center. His bail is $1 million, of which he must pay 10% to be set free. Support Local Journalism Your subscription makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}} According to court documents, North Platte police were called early Saturday to the 2400 block of East E Street, where Hawkins reportedly was causing a disturbance. Hawkins also had an active bench warrant for the stalking charge that the officers intended to arrest him on. It would be good for planning and mitigating (risks) if a community wanted to do something, said Shuhai Zheng, DNRs division head of engineering and technical services. But in the meantime, FEMA maps are still the ones to use to determine flood risk. Alan Lulloff, chief scientist of the Association of State Floodplain Managers, agreed but also said FEMAs maps as North Platte knows have long been a work in progress. His organization, based in Madison, Wisconsin, was founded around the same time as FEMAs 1979 North Platte ruling to push for ongoing improvements in the agencys mapping. At that time, U.S. Geological Survey topographical maps of an areas terrain were kind of the best data we had at the time to do flood-plain maps, Lulloff said. But that information wasnt refined enough, and manually transferring it from topographical maps to flood-plain maps caused errors, he said. FEMAs funding and digital tools have greatly improved, Lulloff said, but it still has mapped only about one-third of floodplains along the nations rivers and coasts. Theyre collectively known as Blaine amendments for James G. Blaine, a Maine Republican congressman and 1884 GOP presidential nominee, who failed in 1875 to write the ban into the U.S. Constitution. Chief Justice John Roberts wrote the opinion that said the Montana high courts ruling itself ran afoul of the religious freedom, embodied in the Constitution, of parents who want the scholarships to help pay for their childrens private education. A state need not subsidize private education. But once a state decides to do so, it cannot disqualify some private schools solely because they are religious, Roberts wrote. In a dissent, Justice Sonia Sotomayor described the ruling as perverse. Without any need or power to do so, the Court appears to require a state to reinstate a tax-credit program that the Constitution did not demand in the first place, she said. Montana parents whose children attend religious schools sued to preserve the program. The high court decision upholds families rights to exercise our religion as we see fit, said Kendra Espinoza, the lead plaintiff in the lawsuit, whose two daughters attend the Stillwater Christian School in Kalispell, Montana, near Glacier National Park. Indianapolis, IN (46208) Today Cloudy skies. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High near 75F. Winds NW at 10 to 20 mph.. Tonight Cloudy skies this evening will become partly cloudy after midnight. Low 52F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph. Officers moved into the zone around 5 a.m. and began tearing down tents and dispersing the crowd of several hundreds protesters. By late morning, more than 30 people had been arrested for failing to leave the area, though most protesters appeared to comply with dispersal orders, the Seattle Police Department said in a series of tweets. Natalie Bin Narkpraserts business was in Paris. But she was locked down by COVID-19 restrictions and stuck in Thailand. Her heart was in Thailand, too and it ached for her compatriots who were suffering in the pandemic. She thought of her own grandmother. Shes 94 years old, and then I really worried about her during COVID, like how is she going to cope and do things, so I just thought about all the people who are struggling during this time who might not even have a family or a home, she said. So she recruited a network of volunteers, including Michelin-starred chefs, to help those in her homeland whose already modest incomes were shattered by the pandemic restrictions. Her group, COVID Thailand Aid, says it has reached more than 30,000 people in more than 100 locations with care packages and freshly cooked food. On a recent afternoon, the 28-year-old was front and center in the Bangkok heat, helping distribute meals in a small, low-income community beside a railway line. In bright blue T-shirts, she and her volunteers pressed boxes of spicy minced chicken and rice into the hands of residents. They also gave essential items like clothing, hand sanitizers and face masks. According to a St. John police report, Shank was arrested during a traffic stop in the area of U.S. 41 and West 77th Avenue. An off-duty police officer told St. John police he followed Shank to the area after Shank rear-ended his vehicle in Crete and took off. Shank admitted he rear-ended another car and left the scene because his license was suspended, the reports states. Police searched the gray Nissan that Shank was driving and found two uncapped syringes and two small empty glass bottles packaged in a plastic bag, records show. Shank told an officer he had overdosed on heroin about two hours before the traffic stop and a friend administered naloxone three times before he regained consciousness, according to the report. The Sheriff's Department statement did not address whether Shank was provided with any medical care related to possible drug use or whether there was any suspicion Shank was under the influence of any drugs while at the jail. The Region saw a single new COVID-19-related death Wednesday in Lake County, the Indiana State Department of Health and local health departments reported. As of Wednesday, death totals stood at 240 in Lake County, 37 in Porter County, 25 in LaPorte County, 10 in Newton County and two in Jasper County. The last new death related to the coronavirus was reported Saturday in Lake County, following three days of no additional reported coronavirus deaths across the Region. Lake County reported Wednesday 25 new coronavirus cases for a total of 4,872. Porter County added six more cases for a total of 721. LaPorte County had five additional cases for a total of 539. Jasper County, with two new reported cases, had a total of 109. Newton County added just one case, for a total of 95. Statewide, Indiana saw 371 new positive cases, bringing the number of Hoosiers confirmed positive to 45,952, following corrections to the previous day's total. All data were provisional and subject to change as more information is reported to the state. Indiana had eight more fatalities Wednesday, bringing the state's death total to 2,456. New deaths were reported between June 14 and Tuesday. CROWN POINT A Lake County Jail inmate died earlier this month, hours after he told police he had overdosed on heroin shortly before his arrest in St. John on drug- and driving-related charges, records show. Matthew Shank, 37, of Highland, died June 20 after he was taken from the Lake County Jail to Methodist Hospitals Southlake Campus in Merrillville, according to the Lake County coroner's office. Lake County sheriff's police did not immediately provide information Tuesday about the circumstances that led to Shank being taken to the hospital. According to a St. John police report, an officer stopped Shank as he turned north on U.S. 41 from eastbound West 77th Avenue because an off-duty police officer reported Shank rear-ended his car in Crete and took off. The off-duty officer met with the St. John officer on scene before the St. John officer approached the gray Nissan Shank was driving. Shank admitted he rear-ended another driver in Crete and left the scene because his license was suspended, the report states. Police searched the Nissan and found two uncapped syringes and two small empty glass bottles packaged in a plastic bag, records show. Peterson told detectives the killings also were fueled by drugs and alcohol, but he didnt recall many details. However, he provided enough information that investigators were sure they had the right man. Peterson never told police about Harris, but officers on the task force strongly believed another person was involved, Becker said. We knew of Ronald Jeffrey Harris relationship with Chris Peterson, he said. We had heard that Harris had changed his physical appearance. He had Jheri curls that came down. He no longer had Jheri curls that came down. He had grown a beard or goatee, which he did not have before. Detectives from Griffith, Merrillville and the U.S. Marshals Service had interviewed Harris twice before Becker and Allison sat down with him Feb. 7, 1991, Becker said. It took a long time, but Harris finally gave police enough information to tie the handgun used in the shooting at the bank by Southlake Mall to Peterson. I remember he got up and he was putting on his coat and he said, OK, am I OK to go? Becker recalled. Yes, well protect your constitutional rights as long as you remain under the umbrella of peaceful protest or peaceful march, but the second that you step out from under the protection of the constitutional, we will be waiting on you and we will give you everything you want all the publicity, all the pain, all the glamour and glory, he said, while standing in front of nearly 20 male deputies. The Indiana Commission for Higher Education is sharing details about a new statewide grant awarding more than $135,000 to programs supporting the advancement of high school seniors graduating during the novel coronavirus pandemic. The commission, in partnership with Indiana Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs or GEAR UP, is offering a total $135,190 to 11 college, university and community partners as a newly created Summer 2020 COVID-19 Learning Support Grant. Grant recipients were announced publicly last week and include three from Northwest Indiana Merrillville-based COATES, Inc., Indiana University Northwest and Purdue University Northwest. The grants were awarded to programs, such as summer tutoring opportunities and pre-college boot camps, that seek to address students' learning loss during the state's transition this spring to remote learning. All Indiana school buildings closed this March in a series of executive orders issued this spring by Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus. Teachers and school leaders turned to remote learning methods, such as elearning, to finish out the school year from a distance creating potential for larger-than-average gaps this year. Jan. 29 While police were still at the scene of the shooting by the mall, investigators heard radio communications indicating a car matching the description of the vehicle taken in the robbery has been spotted hear Ridge Road and Georgia Street in Gary. Police chased the car, and Antwion McGee was taken into custody. McGee named Peterson as the shotgun killer and leads them to Peterson's mothers apartment in the 3800 block of Jackson Street. She later disputed whether she gave police permission to search her apartment. Investigators found a 12-gauge sawed-off shotgun in a bedroom where Peterson stayed. Peterson's mother then led police to her son's girlfriends apartment in Gary and persuaded him to surrender. Jan. 30 McGee told police Peterson was responsible for the shootings in Griffith and Cedar Lake, the Hudson Oil gas station and Howard Johnson in Portage, the Hammond toll booth and the Gary tailor shop. In a separate interview, Peterson signed several statements confessing to the shootings Hudson Oil and Howard Johnson in Portage, the Gary tailor shop, American Legion in Griffith, the Petro Mart in Cedar Lake, an ATM in Garys Miller section and the Hammond toll booth. Feb. 7, 1991 Marty, who stomps through the world with a punk-like fierceness, nearly always challenges our daily routines around brushing teeth and giving it a go on the potty. Like a lot of kids, she saves her gold-star performance for her pre-K teacher, while pushing every imaginable boundary at home. So I was sure that without the structure of school, my days would be pure mayhem. But I was wrong. In the first few weeks of remote learning, when the novelty of schooling me on how to school her was still fresh, she took charge like a CEO, instructing me on how to organize the day. She completed assignments with almost uninterrupted discipline, traced letters and numbers with surprising gusto, created fun games around her learning and even heeded my calls for bathroom breaks. Who was this person? Id never met this version of her before, because my interactions with her had largely been a series of fits and starts; Id rarely gotten long stretches of time with her to see how she manages her moment-by-moment existence. Looking at her behavior over a larger expanse of time, I now realize shes not as temperamental and contrary as Id thought. But it took some adjustments on my part to help bring out her best self and mine. Heres how were making it work together. Parent the child you have I once read a quote from the CEO of Sleep Number, Shelly Ibach, about how effective leaders adapt their management style to the individuals on their teams, and it stayed with me. Rather than minding my pre-established beliefs about how children should behave and how to make them conform to this idea of good behavior, I realized that I needed to start tailoring my parenting style to the child I have, who does not respond well to rigid rules or full-throated commands. Instead of firmly declaring my dictates (my usual, old-school modus operandi), I started to express my wishes via a furry, green puppet monster we named Scraggy. If Marty resists a trip to the bathroom, Ill tell her that Scraggy is not potty trained and needs to learn from a big girl like her. If she isnt eating her food, I say that for every bite she takes, shes feeding Scraggys starving belly. It works much more effectively than what Id really like to say, which is, Dammit, sit down and eat your broccoli! When Chico Bell eventually stopped the Chevrolet truck he was driving as police officers pursued him in January, he and another man in the vehicle raised their hands in what a district attorney in Louisiana said in a statement was an apparent attempt to surrender without resistance. What happened next, according to law enforcement officials, was a violent assault by eight police officers that left Mr. Bell with a broken eye socket and the other man who was in the vehicle, Damon Robinson, with his nose broken in several places. On Monday, each of those eight officers, all from the Shreveport Police Department, was indicted on a charge that he had used excessive force. The charge carries a maximum possible penalty of five years in prison and a $5,000 fine. It was reportedly contained in the presidents daily briefing, which is provided to all top-level national security officials. Even if Mr. Trump does not bother regularly to read the daily briefing, we must assume others do. If the presidents senior advisers Robert OBrien, the national security adviser; Richard Grenell, who stepped down in May as acting director of national intelligence; and Secretary of Defense Mark Esper, among others thought it was unnecessary to inform the commander in chief of this life-or- death matter, then they are not worthy of service. White House officials claim that it would be improper to inform the president of such information until it is fully verified and options for the U.S. response had been prepared. Yet, the administration reportedly informed the British government, and the National Security Council convened an interagency meeting in March to discuss the intelligence and its implications. Heres what should have happened. Had I, as national security adviser, received even raw reporting that Russia was paying to kill U.S. service members, I would have walked straight into the Oval Office to brief the president. Contrary to the spin-masters in the White House today, I would not have waited until we had absolute certainty. I would have said, Mr. President, I want to make sure you are aware that we have troubling reporting that Russia is paying the Taliban to kill our forces in Afghanistan. I will work with the intelligence community to ensure the information is solid. In the meantime, I will convene the national security team to get you some options for how to respond to this apparent major escalation in Russias hostile actions. If later the president decided, as Mr. Trump did, that he wanted to talk with President Vladimir Putin of Russia at least six times over the next several weeks and invite him to join the Group of 7 summit over the objections of our allies, I would have thrown a red flag: Mr. President, I want to remind you that we believe the Russians are killing American soldiers. This is not the time to hand Putin an olive branch. Its the time to punish him. To contain the damage, Facebook began holding daily calls and sending emails to advertisers to soothe them, advertising executives said. Nick Clegg, the companys communications chief, made a series of media appearances stressing that Facebook was doing its best to tamp down hate speech. On Monday, Facebook also agreed to an audit by the Media Rating Council over its approach to hate speech. The companys executives continued the campaign on Tuesday morning with another video meeting with advertisers, followed by separate sessions with ad holding companies. At the meeting, Facebooks marketing chief, Carolyn Everson, public policy director, Neil Potts, and vice president for integrity, Guy Rosen, took a more conciliatory tone, acknowledging clients concerns about ads appearing next to hate speech and misinformation, said four people with knowledge of the event. Yet even as Facebook has labored to stanch the ad exodus, it is having little effect. Executives at ad agencies said that more of their clients were weighing whether to join the boycott, which now numbers more than 300 advertisers and is expected to grow. Pressure on top advertisers is coming from politicians, supermodels, actors and even Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan, they said. Internally, some Facebook employees said they were also using the boycott to push for change. Other companies are seeing this moment, and are stepping up proactively, said Jonathan Greenblatt, chief executive of the Anti-Defamation League, citing recent efforts from Reddit, YouTube and Twitch taking down posts and content that promote hate speech across their sites. If they can do it, and all of Facebooks advertisers are asking them to do it, it doesnt seem that hard to do. The push from advertisers has led Facebooks business to a precarious point. While the social network has struggled with issues such as election interference and privacy in recent years, its juggernaut digital ads business has always powered forward. The Silicon Valley company has never faced a public backlash of this magnitude from its advertisers, whose spending accounts for more than 98 percent of its annual $70.7 billion in revenue. Did protests help spread the virus? When the protests against police brutality erupted nationwide, there were fears that the large gatherings could be breeding grounds for the coronavirus. Now, a month after the first demonstrations, were wondering: What effect have the protests had on the spread of the virus? For insight we turned to Mitch Smith, a reporter at The Times who is tracking Covid-19 cases. While he and his team are still collecting data, Mitch told us that they have reached out to health officials in 140 cities and counties where there have been protests and have researched protest-linked cases from local news reports. So far we have confirmed more than 50 people who were at protests, either protesting or working, who were later found to have had the virus, Mitch told us. But we are not aware of any place where theres been a major cluster tied to protests. I mean, weve tied more cases to a single restaurant in East Lansing, Mich., in the last week than we have to every protest in the country. Mitchs data comes with a few caveats. He told us that his numbers are certainly an undercount: Not every health department gave him data, some departments are not tracking protest-linked cases, and some demonstrators who contracted the virus may not have revealed that information to the government. And in some cities with large protests, like Atlanta, Seattle and Los Angeles, cases are on the rise though many other cities with protests have not seen a similar increase. Lauren Boebert, a political novice and gun-rights activist who has spoken approvingly of the pro-Trump conspiracy theory QAnon, claimed an upset primary victory on Tuesday night against Representative Scott Tipton of Colorado, unseating a five-term incumbent endorsed by President Trump. Ms. Boebert, 33, is the owner of Shooters Grill in Rifle, Colo., and has gained attention in recent days for defying pandemic restrictions by keeping her restaurant open. She previously grabbed headlines for confronting a former Democratic presidential candidate, Beto ORourke, over his pledge during an appearance in the state to seize assault rifles. I am here to say: Hell, no, youre not, Ms. Boebert, who encourages employees in her restaurant to openly carry guns, told him during a town-hall meeting in Aurora. Gun rights have been at the center of the states political clashes for years after new restrictions imposed after mass shootings. More recently, Ms. Boebert defied state orders against opening her restaurant until the Garfield County sheriff obtained a cease-and-desist order against her. But Im retired now so thats no problem for me. I donate 24 times a year, Hirsch told The North Platte Telegraph. They really treat me nice here, and then they tell me on the internet which hospital my platelets have gone to, so I know its pretty important. VoteAmericas online portal asks voters for all of the information needed to fill out an application. Voters from the 13 states that allow fax or email submissions including battlegrounds like Georgia and North Carolina are asked if they want to print out their own ballot and submit it or have VoteAmerica submit it for them. If a voter chooses to have VoteAmerica send it in, the system sends a text asking for a picture of the persons signature, which can be signed on any white piece of paper. The voter texts back the picture, and VoteAmerica applies it to the document and emails or faxes the application to the appropriate election office. Several election experts said they werent familiar with the rules about voters signatures on absentee ballot requests. But Wendy R. Weiser, the director of the Democracy Program at the Brennan Center, said there was no reason for states to be concerned about the signatures on these forms. The actual ballot, she said, still needs to go to an address of a registered voter, and the voter still needs to fill out her private information and affix her wet signature on the ballot envelope when it arrives. So while fax machines might be a thing of the past for most people, the old rules around them have allowed VoteAmerica to build an online absentee ballot portal that the group estimates could be used by 73 million people in 13 states. It is not meant to be a permanent solution. We have found this hilariously antiquated solution to a very modern problem, Ms. Cleaver said. And to be clear, this is meant to be a temporary workaround: States should let you sign up online. But I dont anticipate that happening this year. And I certainly dont anticipate that happening at any sort of reasonable price tag. President Trumps son-in-law, Jared Kushner, has made a change in the re-election campaigns top ranks, after the calamitous attempt at an overhyped rally in Tulsa, Okla., resulted in thousands of empty seats, officials said Tuesday night. Michael Glassner, among the original hires on the Trump campaign in 2015, will be moved from the role of chief operating officer of the 2020 re-election effort. In his place will be Jeff DeWit, who held that role in 2016 and is an ally of Mr. Kushners. The move was first reported by Axios. Tim Murtaugh, a campaign spokesman, insisted that the move was not a reaction to Tulsa, saying: Michael Glassner is moving into the long-term role of navigating the many legal courses we face, including suits against major media outlets, some of which will likely extend beyond the end of the campaign. He is one of the founding members of Team Trump, and his dedication to the success of the president is unmatched. But two people familiar with the move described it as part of the aftermath of the Tulsa event, and as an effort to find a head to roll over it. Some White House officials had pointed the finger at Mr. Trumps campaign manager, Brad Parscale. Mr. Howard did not respond to an interview request, but he has said he has received death threats since announcing the charges. He has previously refuted the sexual harassment charges against him, and has said he committed no crime in accepting payment from the nonprofit group. And in a recent interview with ABC News, Mr. Howard denied that politics played a role in his decision to charge the officers, noting other cases in which he has gone after the police. Every case that weve handled, he said, thats what theyve said, its political, every case. Yet Mr. Howard has also earned some good will among city residents who were eager to see charges brought against the officers, who were summoned to a Wendys parking lot late on June 12 after an employee called 911 to report that Mr. Brooks had fallen asleep while in the drive-through. In a mostly cordial encounter that was captured on video, Mr. Brooks, 27, answered the officers questions. But then, after failing sobriety tests, Mr. Brooks, who was on probation and faced a return to jail, began fighting with the officers as Mr. Rolfe tried to handcuff him. Mr. Brooks hit Officer Brosnan, grabbed his Taser and fired it while running away. Mr. Rolfe fired his own Taser and then his department-issued handgun three times, striking Mr. Brooks twice in the back. Mr. Rolfe, who was fired from the Atlanta Police Department, was granted a $500,000 bond on Monday, though prosecutors from Mr. Howards office argued he should be denied bond. Mr. Rolfe will have to wear an ankle monitor and be on a daily curfew from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. Officer Brosnan, who remains on administrative duty, was released on a $50,000 bond. Gerald Griggs, the first vice president of the N.A.A.C.P.s Atlanta chapter, praised Mr. Howards decision to bring charges. Although he said he did not always agree with Mr. Howard, he called him a hard-charging prosecutor that seeks justice where he believes that justice lies. michael barbaro From The New York Times, Im Michael Barbaro. This is The Daily. Today: A new security law is bringing Chinas harsh approach to free speech to Hong Kong in an attempt to stamp out protests there. My colleague, Austin Ramzy, on the fallout. Its Monday, July 13. Austin, when did you first start to hear about this new security law in Hong Kong? austin ramzy I first heard about it in mid-May. I was going to work one morning. I was outside the subway station in the neighborhood where I live on Hong Kong Island called Wan Chai. Its a really crowded part of town. And as I was passing into the station, I noticed a petition booth. And they were collecting signatures for something called Article 23, which is a security law that the Hong Kong government had tried and failed to pass 17 years ago. michael barbaro And when you say security law, what do you mean? austin ramzy It was a law that outlawed things like secession and subversion. But people worried that it was so broad that it could outlaw all sorts of behavior in Hong Kong. And so people took to the streets. And there was a mass protest on July 1, 2003. And shortly after that, the government backed down and has never picked up the law since. michael barbaro So when you see this idea reemerge of a security law on your way into the subway, what are you thinking? austin ramzy It was a sense of disbelief, really. I mean, its something thats sort of part of the political environment that sort of comes up from time to time. But everyone sort of says no, its not possible, that theres no way the government can push this through. And certainly not now, after a year of the most intense protests Hong Kong has ever seen. Things were dying down a little bit with the coronavirus and police sort of being more aggressive. It seemed like the government sort of had the protesters on the back foot. And so the idea that they would do something that would encourage people to come out again in mass numbers, it just seemed inconceivable to me. michael barbaro Mhm. OK, so what ends up happening next? austin ramzy So a few weeks later archived recording (IN MANDARIN) Now, lets move onto item number 3. austin ramzy Chinas Congress meets in Beijing. archived recording [SPEAKING MANDARIN] austin ramzy A friend and I were discussing going out for drinks on the night that the Congress starts. And my friend, whos a former China correspondent, said, are you sure you wont be busy on the start of the National Peoples Congress? And I said, oh, of course. Theres nothing thats going to affect Hong Kong. archived recording (IN MANDARIN) Please vote. austin ramzy And then it emerged that the National Peoples Congress planned to pass a security law for Hong Kong. archived recording (IN MANDARIN) Approved by 2878 votes to 1. 6 abstentions. The law is passed. China! austin ramzy Its a shock to everyone in the city. It really emerges out of nowhere. michael barbaro So a security law, it sounds like very much like what you saw a petition for in your neighborhood a few weeks before. austin ramzy Exactly, very much like the security law that the Hong Kong government had tried to pass for 17 years and never succeeded. michael barbaro Austin, how exactly can China do that, pass a law that regulates Hong Kong, that from what youre saying Hong Kong does not want for itself its rejected it. Because my sense is that Hong Kong has its own legislature and retains a fair bit of independence from China. austin ramzy Thats right. So Hong Kong is a former British colony, returned to Chinese control in 1997. And under whats called one country, two systems, it is supposed to operate with a high degree of autonomy for 50 years after that. And so by Chinas legislature passing a law like this in 2020, its acting way ahead of schedule and doing something that its not really supposed to do until 2047. michael barbaro So this is not how this is supposed to work, China crafting laws that directly govern Hong Kongs freedoms? austin ramzy No, thats not how its supposed to work. michael barbaro And Austin, what does this law actually do? What does it actually say? austin ramzy Well, nobody knows exactly, because at that point, the law has not been written. Its a brief outline, sort of authorizing the Chinese government to write this law. And so it targets secession, subversion, terrorist activities and collusion with foreign powers. But were all left to wonder what exactly those words mean, what exactly the Chinese government has in store for Hong Kong. michael barbaro Mm-hmm. And Im curious, what is the government and the leadership in Hong Kong saying after Beijing says its going to be writing this law? Are they filling in the gaps here? Are they just as confused as you are? austin ramzy Well, the first thing they say is that this is very welcome. This is exactly what Hong Kong needs. This will help with all the problems weve been facing, the unrest and the violence on the streets. But when pressed on what exactly the law will say, they have to acknowledge that they dont know. archived recording (carrie lam) [SPEAKING CANTONESE] austin ramzy So at one point, Carrie Lam, the chief executive of Hong Kong, the top official here, has asked about this. archived recording Why should people take your comments and your ministers comments about the national security law seriously if you guys have not read details in the clauses? archived recording (carrie lam) Thank you for those questions. Well first, yes, you are right. We have not seen the complete details of the proposed legislation. We were commenting on what we have seen. OK? There was just published by the Xinhua News Agency, which contains actually quite a lot of details. austin ramzy So even Carrie Lam, someone who is seen as a very pro-Beijing figure, she is sort of caught like a deer in the headlights and trying to defend the law, at the same time acknowledging that she doesnt know exactly what it is. archived recording (carrie lam) So based on that, I have given you my comments and my understanding. michael barbaro So I have to imagine that the citizens of Hong Kong are deeply skeptical and worried about this law and not following their leaders advice to blindly support it. austin ramzy Thats right. People are very worried about the law. At the same time, that lack of clarity paralyzes people, because this law is something that targets dissent. And people grow very worried that anything they do or say could be made a crime under this law. And so you begin to see people deleting social media accounts and becoming very worried about things they might say that could later come back to haunt them under this new law. michael barbaro That makes me wonder if China understood that the ambiguity of this all authorizing a law but not necessarily explaining what would be in it, using words like sedition and terrorism but not defining them if that was deliberate? austin ramzy Yes, definitely. In fact, there were some officials who make this clear, that this ambiguity is by design. And its basically meant to intimidate people. archived recording Friends from the press, good morning. austin ramzy And one of them, a man named Zhang Xioaming gives a press conference on the law. And he gives a stern warning that its not something you want to mess with. archived recording If those in Hong Kong who defy and challenge the authority of the central government and undermine stability in Hong Kong are allowed to have their way, Hong Kong would be the loser. There is no doubt to that. austin ramzy And then he said something really striking to me. archived recording This law will be the Sword of Damocles, hanging over a tiny group of criminals who endanger national security, who interfere in Hong Kong affairs. austin ramzy He says that the law is like the Sword of Damocles hanging over Hong Kong. michael barbaro And remind me of that parable. austin ramzy The Sword of Damocles is a mythological tale about a man who wants to be king. And the king agrees to allow him to sit on the throne. But as part of the agreement, theres a sword thats hanging above him from a single horses hair. And the man is so frightened that the sword will fall on him that he begs to no longer be on the throne. michael barbaro Right, because at any moment, that horse hair can break and the sword will fall. Which is no way to be king. austin ramzy Right, the idea is that its such a miserable experience that no one would want to tap into them. michael barbaro Mm-hmm. So as this parable applies to Hong Kong, if I have this correct, Damocles is the people of Hong Kong. The king is China. And the sword is this ambiguous security law that makes everything feel precarious and has everyone living in a certain amount of fear. austin ramzy Thats right. Theres this sense of fear that in this place thats known for its free speech, suddenly anything you say could potentially be used against you. And you could potentially end up in prison. And that is whats hanging over Hong Kong so precariously. michael barbaro Well be right back. So Austin, when does it finally become clear precisely what this national security law actually says and does? austin ramzy Well, the language of the national security law only becomes clear when its released. Nobody knows exactly when its going to come out. People are looking at the government website, waiting, waiting, checking. And then finally at about 11:00 p.m. the night of June 30, it lands. michael barbaro And when it lands and I assume youre one of those people checking the website over and over again what does it actually say? Whats the wording? austin ramzy Well, its quite long. Its 66 articles and six sections. And as it starts out, it describes the law as something thats meant to uphold one country, two systems. But as I read through it, it becomes clear that the law undermines that. Because in these 66 articles, it begins to define the words that have been hanging over Hong Kong for weeks secession, subversion, terrorism, collusion with foreign powers. All things that are being criminalized under this new law. So let me just read one of these definitions subversion. Subversion, it says, is, quote, A person who undermines the basic system of the Peoples Republic of China, overthrowing the central power of the Peoples Republic of China or the body of power in Hong Kong. It goes on to define subversion as, quote, Seriously interfering in, disrupting or undermining the performance of duties and functions in accordance with the law by the body of power of the Peoples Republic of China or the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. michael barbaro Those words interfering, disrupting, undermining that feels pretty broad. It feels like a lot of activities could be construed as falling onto those words. austin ramzy Thats right. And many of the activities that took place the protests over the past year could fall under those words. michael barbaro And so once this law goes into effect, and scary words like subversion are now being defined and defined in ways that, if I lived in Hong Kong, would make me think that any challenge to authority might suddenly be illegal what ends up happening on the streets? austin ramzy So the law goes into effect at 11:00 p.m. on June 30. And then an hour later, its July 1. And thats astonishing timing, because July 1 is a national holiday. Its a very important day in Hong Kong. Its the day that Hong Kong was handed back from Britain to China. Its also become a day of protest. In fact, the original protest that led to the first security law being blocked happened on July 1, 2003. And every year since then, there have been protests on this day. michael barbaro Huh. So this law that could make protesting far more dangerous has been released the night before this day of protest. austin ramzy Thats right. michael barbaro And is that a coincidence? austin ramzy No, I dont think its a coincidence at all. By dropping this at the eleventh hour, its intended to create uncertainty. People are waking up on July 1, deciding whether they want to go protest. They know this law is in effect. And it creates a great sense of risk for people going out on the street. michael barbaro So on the morning of July 1, what do you do and what do you see? austin ramzy So I got up early. I went out to catch a cab by the waterfront. And I noticed this barge with these huge characters 20 feet high, yellow on red that said, celebrate the national security law. And this barge was towed through Victoria Harbour in the middle of Hong Kong. And you could see it from either side, these huge characters welcoming the new security law. And this is something that is a style that is very much reminiscent of Chinese propaganda. Now its in the middle of Hong Kong. And then I arrived at this neighborhood, Causeway Bay, where every year the protest march on July 1 usually begins. And right away, I could see there was a large crowd. It was sort of hard to tell who was who, because its a shopping neighborhood. Its a holiday. Theres lots of people out. But it becomes quickly clear that there are protesters out everywhere on the streets. archived recording (protestors) [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH] austin ramzy I can see police who are trying to block off parts of the streets in Causeway Bay. archived recording [CHATTER AND SIRENS] austin ramzy You can hear people shouting at police. archived recording (protestors) [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH] austin ramzy And you can see police officers raising a purple banner that tells people that they are in violation of the new security law. archived recording [NON-ENGLISH SPEECH] michael barbaro What is the purple banner saying? austin ramzy Its quite lengthy. And its like a fine print banner. It says, This is a police warning. You are displaying flags or banners, or chanting slogans, or conducting yourself with an intent, such as secession or subversion, which may constitute offenses under the Hong Kong national security law. Its basically showing that the police will now be out policing words, policing language. michael barbaro So what happens next? austin ramzy Police begin closing in on these protesters. They pepper spray some people. And they begin making the first arrests under this new law. They announce that the first arrest has been made under the national security law. They say that they stopped and searched a man, and in his bag they found a Hong Kong independence flag. And he hadnt even displayed the flag. He had just had it in his bag. And police found it when they searched him. michael barbaro That very much does feel like the thought police, because a flag unfurled is a thought unexpressed. And its almost as if this law now says that even thinking something, not even saying it, can be a violation of the law. austin ramzy Thats right. And in Hong Kong, a city that had some of the most robust protections for free speech in Asia, to suddenly have this happen people are being arrested for words in their possession its a real shock to people here. michael barbaro So how does July 1 come to an end? austin ramzy So protests continue throughout the afternoon. By the end of the day, the police have arrested 370 people, including 10 under the new national security laws. One of them is a 15-year-old girl, who like that man had a Hong Kong independence flag that she was waving. michael barbaro So basically they arrest a child. austin ramzy A child. michael barbaro Does it feel to you that this law is accomplishing what it very much seems its goal is, which is to repress free speech and keep dissent against China contained in Hong Kong? austin ramzy Yes. You can already see the effects of this law. Throughout the city, there are a number of restaurants and cafes that support the protest movement that are normally covered in signs and banners and stuff. And many of them have taken those down. And the walls are now bare. Sources have contacted me and asked that I delete a messaging history with them. And now sometimes, when you ask people for comments or interview, people who would normally be very willing to talk say not right now, that theyre worried about the law and they just cant talk. michael barbaro So people actually worry that their communications with you may violate these laws? austin ramzy Thats right. Thats right. Theyre worried either that not just that they might say something on the record that could get them in trouble, but that some sort of private message that we shared some point in the past could incriminate them. And so theyre trying to delete all of that. michael barbaro Im reminded of what you said at the beginning of our conversation, that the people of Hong Kong felt that they had time, that they had decades until this kind of a change was going to come from mainland China. And so I wonder if its starting to feel like people are being robbed of a big chunk of time to be what they have been, and what they think theyre supposed to be allowed to be in Hong Kong. austin ramzy Yes. I think in Hong Kong theres always this sense that what makes the city unique is always under threat, and has always been gradually disappearing, but that it would have been a slow process. And year by year, Hong Kong would lose a little bit to the point where by 2047, you couldnt tell the difference from the rest of the country. But now it feels like that process has accelerated wildly. And so in a matter of a couple weeks, we have lost decades. michael barbaro Which I guess leads to the inevitable question: Do people feel like its time to leave Hong Kong if they dont have decades left? austin ramzy Yes, many people have thought about it, discuss it. I hear it from everyone I know. But, of course, not everyone can just pick up and leave. And people love this city. People dont want to try to recreate their life here in Vancouver or New York or London. They want Hong Kong to be the place that they love. But for many of them, it feels like that thats rapidly disappearing. michael barbaro Austin, thank you very much. And stay safe there. austin ramzy Thank you, Michael. michael barbaro Well be right back. Heres what else you need to know today. On Sunday, Florida reported more than 15,000 new cases of the coronavirus, marking the highest single-day total in any state since the start of the pandemic. The surge was driven by record infection rates in and around Floridas biggest cities, including Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Orlando and Pensacola. In Miami-Dade County, at least six hospitals have reached full capacity. And over the weekend congressional Democrats, including Representative Adam Schiff on ABC, reacted with fury to President Trumps decision to commute the prison sentence of his friend and former adviser Roger Stone. archived recording Stone was convicted in part for false statements he made to your committee. Whats your response to the president? archived recording (adam schiff) I think anyone who cares about the rule of law in this country is nauseated by the fact that the president has commuted the sentence of someone who willfully lied to Congress, covered up for the president, intimidated witnesses, obstructed the investigation. michael barbaro Stone, who was scheduled to report to prison within days, had been convicted of obstructing a congressional investigation into Trumps 2016 campaign and possible ties to Russia. archived recording (adam schiff) He lied to cover up and protect the president. And the president, through this commutation, is basically saying, if you lie for me, if you cover up for me, if you have my back, then I will make sure that you get a get-out-of-jail-free card. michael barbaro In the past, weve asked some of our favorite artists to choose the five or so minutes they would play to make their friends fall in love with classical music, the piano, opera and the cello. Now we want to convince those same curious friends to love Mozart, whose mastery spanned genres and whose influence was profound. We hope you find lots here to discover and enjoy; leave your choices in the comments. David Allen, Times critic So much of what I love about Mozart tends toward the poignant: his ability to express both the pain and beauty of the human condition, the way his music smiles through the tears, as the musicologist H.C. Robbins Landon put it. But he also offers moments of pure, unbridled joy, none more overwhelming than the finale of his Posthorn Serenade. Its a reminder that Mozart, as the conductor Colin Davis once said, is life itself. MY SPY (2020) Stream on Amazon. Dave Bautista gets a pint-size protegee in this odd-couple comedy. He plays JJ, a burly, socially stunted C.I.A. agent who teams up with a 9-year-old girl, Sophie (Chloe Coleman), to chase a weapons dealer who is also Sophies uncle. As they work through that operation, JJ shows Sophie how to be a spy; Sophie shows JJ how to crack a smile. Whats on TV JOHN Q. (2002) 4:50 p.m. on HBO. At once a thriller and a call for health care reform, John Q. stars Denzel Washington as a father who commandeers an emergency room at gunpoint, desperate to get his son a heart transplant that his insurance wont cover. The people this doesnt affect find it to be an overly fantastic melodrama, the director Nick Cassavetes told The Times in 2002. But play this movie in a middle class or poor area and people are angry and yelling at the screen. They get it. There is, in a curious way, a greater openness to books by and about Black people, but that has not necessarily changed the structure of the industry. Every major publisher now is singing the diversity of voices blues. They want to increase diversity of voices, but diversity of voices doesnt have anything to do with anti-Black racism in publishing. Many a publisher is issuing lists of books that mostly white people should read to inform themselves about the issue. It almost seems as if these books are being bought and read as if they were a genre of self-help book. The scandal for me is that, as a result of reading these self-help books, will there be self-improvement? As with most self-help books, the answer might be no. After all of this hoopla, after all of this self-education, I worry that were going to wake up and be exactly where we were before any of this happened. I dont think that as a result of white people reading certain books, were going to be living in a postracial America. The industry is predominantly a white industry. The number of Black editors in New York City is shockingly de minimis. I work for the largest American book publisher, and I cannot name more than a handful of Black editors there. That is not particular to Penguin Random House, that is endemic to the industry. And I think unless you have systemic change from top to bottom, publishing will remain a conflicted cultural force, that preaches something but doesnt practice it. Race has affected my career both positively and negatively. Black editors are subject to a certain kind of racial profiling that white editors are not subject to. Ive had to, to one degree or another, fight against that fight against presumptions of what kinds of books I should be interested in or publishing. Positively because its allowed me to spread my wings, publish all kinds of things against imagined stereotypes. Several years ago, in the wake of outrage at police violence, I was able to simply go out and commission a book called Policing the Black Man. It was simply assumed that I would do such a book, so it facilitated things in a certain way. But I have interests that extend far and wide. There have been occasions where the very fact that I was proposing something seemed especially fascinating because it was coming from an unexpected source. My condition as a Black man in racist America and, by extension, in the publishing industry, which is informed by systemic racism, has not changed in 40-plus years. What has changed are responses to that condition. Its a far better place to be at a publishing company nowadays than it was, say, 40 years ago, when people would say overtly racist things. Now that is not that case, but that doesnt mean that the plague has disappeared. It is there and one has to deal with it in one way or another every single day. But the industry claims to be open to change, and that is a huge difference. Publishers 40 years ago were not talking about these issues. These issues just simply didnt exist. You shouldnt be able to walk into a publishing company and imagine apartheid. And by that I mean there should be integration from the lowest positions on up to the highest positions. Every aspect of the publishing chain, from marketing to sales to publicity, should contain a rainbow coalition of people. That is my dream, as opposed to having a mostly white hegemony that seems that it would never change. Erroll McDonald is the vice president and executive editor of Knopf and Pantheon, imprints of Penguin Random House. Interview by Concepcion de Leon. 2. A divide among airlines American Airlines will begin filling its planes to capacity again today, joining United Airlines, which was already doing so. The other two largest U.S. carriers Delta and Southwest have committed to keeping some seats empty through September. Its still not clear how easily the coronavirus spreads on airplanes: They have better air circulation than typical indoor spaces, but people can be packed tightly. For that reason, some epidemiologists are worried that American and United are prioritizing profits over safety. From an economic standpoint, it makes perfect sense, Janet Baseman of the University of Washington School of Public Health told me by email. From a public health standpoint, it is problematic because there is no hope of physical distancing. She added: If I were to hop on a plane (which I will not be anytime soon unless it is absolutely necessary), I would choose a carrier that would allow more space. 3. Russias growing aggression The list of recent Russian aggressions is reminiscent of the Cold War, David Sanger and Eric Schmitt write. In addition to the bounty program on U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan, there have been cyberattacks on Americans working from home and Russian jets flying off the coast of Alaska to test air defenses. A familys perspective: If it does come out as true, obviously the heartache would be terrible, said the father of a Marine who was killed last year in an attack that may be related to the bounties. For more: On todays episode of The Daily, one of the reporters who broke the news of the program discusses what we know now. In Opinion, Susan Rice, the former national security adviser, asks, Why does Trump put Russia first? McCloskey said, Im not the face of anything opposing the Black Lives Matter movement. I was a person scared for my life, who was protecting my wife, my home, my hearth, my livelihood. I was a victim of a mob that came through the gate. I didnt care what color they were. I didnt care what their motivation was. 1. States and localities are tapping the brakes on reopening as daily U.S. coronavirus cases shoot up, rising 85 percent over the last two weeks. California shut down bars and indoor dining for most residents, and New York City paused indoor restaurant reopenings scheduled for Monday. Above, outdoor service in Astoria, Queens. Miami-Dade County, which had already decided to close its beaches over the Fourth of July weekend, said that hotel and outdoor pools would have to close at 8 p.m. More than 2,000 new cases were identified in Louisiana, the most in a single day since early April. Heres the latest case count around the country. Amid the nations reckoning with racism following the death of George Floyd, another name is being widely adopted: Black with a capital B. John Eligon, a New York Times national correspondent who writes about race, captures the discussion in an article. As he notes, each name change brings spirited discussion. Isnt black a color, not a race? If one capitalizes Black, should one also capitalize White? And Brown? As one who works in words, I would never suggest that word choice does not matter. Words can affect the thinking of both those who write them and those who read them. So I am in favor of pushing the shift key but I doubt it will be the last time we edit what people like me are called. [You can sign up for the Race/Related newsletter here.] Thats it for this briefing. Is working from home working out? See you next time. Isabella Thank you To Theodore Kim and Jahaan Singh for the rest of the break from the news. You can reach the team at briefing@nytimes.com. P.S. Were listening to The Daily. Our latest episode is about the Supreme Courts ruling on abortion this week. Heres todays Mini Crossword puzzle, and a clue: Adios, ___! (five letters). You can find all our puzzles here. A trove of internal ISIS documents obtained by the Times journalist Rukmini Callimachi and her colleagues in 2018 has been released to the public as part of a project with George Washington University. In at least one prominent instance, the A.F.L.-C.I.O.s position appears contradictory. The federation formally backed a recent resolution passed by Seattles labor council calling on the local police union to become a partner in reform or risk expulsion. Yet the A.F.L.-C.I.O. leadership opposes the expulsion of police unions, a step taken by the Seattle council in mid-June. We supported that resolution, the federations president, Richard Trumka, said in an interview, before adding: We believe that it is not the time to disaffiliate. We believe the best way to use our influence on the issue of police brutality is to engage with police unions. Some of the countrys largest and most progressive unions, like the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees and the Service Employees International Union, also represent groups of law enforcement officers, prompting their leaders to walk a similar line. In some cases law enforcement unions have shown solidarity with other unions, such as during contract negotiations and campaigns for scheduling reforms. Yet just below the national leadership, seams have begun to show. Kyle Bragg, the president of the service employees Local 32BJ, which represents tens of thousands of cleaners and other building workers across the Northeast, rejoiced over the recent repeal over police unions objections of a New York statute that was used to keep officers disciplinary records from public view. But he said his largely minority membership wanted lawmakers to go much further. The blue wall really has to come down, Mr. Bragg said in an interview. I dont have the ability to bargain no penalties, no consequences, no accountability for my members if they do something egregious on the job. The union also supports redirecting some of the massive spending on policing to schools, health care and housing, according to a spokeswoman. Mr. Bragg said he had discussed police reform with leaders across the S.E.I.U., including officials of the police union that represents the officers involved in the recent killing of Rayshard Brooks outside a Wendys in Atlanta. The Trump administration has taken an aggressive approach to rewriting and enforcing trade rules. The U.S.M.C.A., a comprehensive deal that covers the countrys most important trading partners, is the biggest test so far of Mr. Trumps ability to change global trade terms in Americas favor. Administration officials say they are gearing up to use the new deal as a way to challenge Canadian and Mexican business practices that harm American interests. In a congressional hearing on June 17, Robert E. Lighthizer, the United States trade representative, said that he had pushed to have the agreement go into effect on July 1, even during a pandemic, so that the new rules could be enforced. In a sign of how fraught the new trade deal could be, Mr. Lighthizer said the United States was looking at a number of issues that are quite troubling. Like many Democrats, Mr. Lighthizer has criticized Americas past trade agreements for both enabling American factories to move overseas and lacking tools to crack down on those who would violate the rules. Over months of negotiations with Canada, Mexico and congressional Democrats, Mr. Lighthizer forged a coalition and worked out changes to the trade deal that won broad bipartisan support. That included sweeping changes to Mexicos labor system, which would try to break the corrupt unions that help many companies control their workers in Mexico, and replace them with freely organized unions that could negotiate better wages and working conditions. That in turn would benefit American workers, by giving them a more level playing field to compete. Mr. Lighthizer pointed to Mexicos refusal to accept American biotech products like genetically modified corn and other crops as one area where the United States could bring a case under the new trade deal. Mexicos labor reforms and treatment of American media companies are also garnering U.S. scrutiny. Mr. Lighthizer told lawmakers that his agency would take action early and often to combat violations of the agreements labor rules, which are meant to improve wages and working conditions, particularly in Mexico. Mr. Lighthizer also indicated that the United States, which won access to Canadas dairy market as part of the deal, was monitoring that sector for potential violations of the agreement. And the administration is considering renewing tariffs on Canadian aluminum exports. China demanded on Wednesday that four American news organizations provide the government with information about their staffs, finances and real estate holdings inside the country, in what the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said was retaliation for the Trump administrations recent actions against Chinese news outlets in the United States. The Chinese government stopped short, however, of announcing the expulsions of journalists at any of the four American organizations: The Associated Press, CBS News, National Public Radio and United Press International. The action is the latest in a series of tit-for-tat clashes over the treatment of journalists, part of an intensifying rivalry between the two powers. In March, China required five other American media organizations to submit information about their operations. It also expelled almost all of the American journalists working for three of them: The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post. Fox News has fired Ed Henry, one of the networks most prominent Washington-based journalists, after a former employee at the cable news channel accused him of sexual misconduct, the network said on Wednesday. In a memo to staff, Fox News leadership said it received a complaint last week alleging that Mr. Henry had engaged in willful sexual misconduct in the workplace years ago. The network retained an outside law firm to review the claim. Based on investigative findings, Ed has been terminated, the networks chief executive, Suzanne Scott, and its president and executive editor, Jay Wallace, wrote in the memo. A lawyer for Mr. Henry, Catherine Foti, said on Wednesday evening that the anchor denied the claim against him. Ms. Ellis added, If theres one thing people can take away from what weve displayed on social media, it is how much we love and care for our family. Both of Ms. Elliss siblings work on the front line in the medical field at the same nursing home in New York, so theres been much concern about their safety during the coronavirus outbreak. Were super close. Its been an extremely difficult time, Ms. Ellis said. The couple turn to FaceTime and Zoom to stay connected to their loved ones. Our family are the real heroes, Mr. Ellis said. Just the Two of Us Finding alone time as the parents of three children under 10 is no easy feat. The couple, who will celebrate 10 years of marriage this month, have had to get creative about carving out one-on-one time. Devales birthday was April 2, so I decided to get take out from one of our favorite restaurants, and a deck of cards, she said. We kicked back in the car, very chill, and played cards. It reminded us of when we first met; we used to enjoy playing cards together. We had a chance to reminisce about the slower days. We didnt have children, we didnt have demanding careers and social media wasnt a thing. A Family Who Grills Together, Stays Together Before moving to Los Angeles the couple lived in an apartment in Brooklyn and didnt cook a lot. But when we moved to L.A., for the first time I had an opportunity to have my own grill and my own space in the yard to be able to feed my family, Mr. Ellis said. I think our favorite meals are when Khadeen makes the sides and I get the meat ribs, steak, lobster, shrimp together, and I grill. She agreed: Yep. I make the potato salad and the macaroni salad. The kids love it. The couple see this al fresco dining as a way to blend both of their cultures. His family is from the Southern United States and Ms. Elliss family is from Jamaica and St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Their dinner menus include Southern soul food classics and Caribbean cuisine. We put together the whole spread and sit down and eat as a family all seven of us at one time, he said. LONDON Conner Ives had big dreams for his degree show at Central Saint Martins, the renowned art and design school in London. The equivalent of a designers final exam, the graduate shows each May are not only an academic rite of passage, but also an opportunity to build a profile, make industry contacts and perhaps even secure future employment. Not this year. As the coronavirus took hold of Europe in March and Britain went into lockdown, the school closed. Lessons went online, and the final show was canceled in favor of a June 17 digital presentation in which each student could show only two looks and a 90-second video. For Mr. Ives, 24, an ambitious American who has already founded his own label and been part of the design team at Fenty, Rihannas fashion brand, the last two months have been a struggle. Weve all done our best to rise to the challenges created by the pandemic, but it has made me ponder some big questions, said Mr. Ives, who has diabetes and who was isolated in his apartment for three months working on his pieces. One of those is: If I had known four years ago that I would be graduating without the degree show, and would be taught remotely for months on end, would I have reconsidered doing a degree? In the absence of federal guidance, some health officials have forged ahead on their own. In mid-March, as the number of infections in Nebraska climbed, the state was running out of supplies needed for coronavirus tests. The state lab had for years screened pooled samples of donated blood for pathogens and from pregnant women for sexually transmitted diseases. Peter Iwen, the labs director, estimated that pooling coronavirus samples could conserve supplies and increase testing capacity by at least 70 percent. He tried to persuade officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to allow its assay to be used for pooled testing. They told me its an interesting concept, thats as far as it went, he said. Dr. Iwen also appealed to the Food and Drug Administration. Officials said the agency could not comment on pending applications for emergency use authorizations. But Gov. Pete Ricketts of Nebraska had declared a state of emergency on March 13, which meant that certain federal and state rules could be superseded. With permission from the governor, Dr. Iwen moved to put pooled testing in place. [Like the Science Times page on Facebook. | Sign up for the Science Times newsletter.] Looking for ideas to contain a coming surge in coronavirus infections, Mayor Jim Strickland of Memphis called Dr. Jain, who recalled a World Health Organization mission to India in November where he had seen pooled testing for tuberculosis. Dr. Jain, like Dr. Iwen, found that in the federal government, there was no one really encouraging this to be done. But he proceeded with the mayors blessing. Hundreds of Memphis firefighters, police officers and city workers volunteered to swab their own noses. The lab tested the samples in batches of three, five, seven or 10, and determined that pooling seemed to work best with batches of seven. The data were submitted to the F.D.A.; the agency has responded positively, but has not yet authorized the pooled method, Dr. Jain said. When the documentarian David France decided to chronicle the anti-gay and lesbian purges that had unleashed a wave of fear and violence in Chechnya, he needed more than just a camera. He had seen television news interviews from the Russian, largely Muslim republic: the subjects were dimmed in shadows, their voices digitally altered, but he found it hard to connect with them. They were horrible stories and theres no doubt that they were real, France, an Oscar-nominated activist filmmaker, said. But I knew I wanted to tell a much more in-depth story about what something as hideous as this meant to the people who survived it. How would he shield the identity of at-risk gay and lesbian Chechens fleeing the region via a network of safe houses, while also preserving their emotions, their affections and expressions? Frances provocative solution is Welcome to Chechnya, the unsettling film that debuted Tuesday on HBO and involves extensive postproduction work: It marshals advanced computer technology to superimpose supple, completely fabricated faces over 23 hunted individuals. The Egyptian parliament's budget committee approved on Wednesday three government-drafted laws aiming to mitigate the negative economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic on state coffers. The first law will earmark an additional allocation of EGP 80 billion to the new state 2020/21 budget. Minister of Finance Mohamed Maait told the committee members that the new allocation is necessary to settle part of the Ministry of Electricitys debts to the Ministry of Petroleum. "These debts have reached a total of EGP 102 billion, and we want to use the additional budgetary allocation to settle part of this debt," said Maait. He said that part of the new allocation will be used to also pay part of a total EGP 160.5 billion in government instalments that are due to the Insurance and Pension Authority. Maait said the breakout of the coronavirus has made it difficult for the 2020/21 budget to settle the abovementioned payments, and so it was necessary to earmark the additional allocation of EGP 80 billion to do so. Parliaments budget committee also approved a new law aimed at setting up a mutual fund to mitigate the negative impact of pandemics and viruses. Minister Maait said that the law, which is officially called the Mutual Support Contribution Fund to Mitigate the Economic Consequences of the Spread of Pandemics, aims to generate additional revenue necessary to contain the economic impact of the coronavirus. Article 1 of the draft law states that 1 percent will be deducted from the monthly net income of each state employee, beginning from 1 July and lasting one year. Article 2 states that 0.5 percent of the net pension of each retired employee will be also deducted beginning from 1 July and for one month. However, the draft law says that state employees and pensioners who receive less than EGP 2,000 in net income per month will be exempted from this deduction. Minister Maait said these deductions will generate between EGP 8 billion and EGP 10 billion in revenue. "They will be put in a takaful mutual support fund to help the state meet some of its social obligations," said Maait. Maait said the coronavirus has negatively impacted state revenues and put a tremendous squeeze on the budget. "Please also remember that the new 2020/21 budget has already allocated EGP 34 billion to increase the salaries of state employees in the new fiscal year," said Maait, arguing that the above obligations and other financial pressures compelled the government to submit the draft law on the mutual support fund. The budget committee also approved an amendment to the law on Radio and Wireless Devices (law 77/1968). The draft law makes it mandatory for owners of cars equipped with electronic or recreational devices to pay an annual fee of EGP 100. The law states that 40 percent of the generated fees will go to the National Media Organisation in charge of supervising state radio and television. "Ten percent will go to the traffic authority, which is affiliated with the interior ministry, 10 percent to other authorities supervising radio and wireless devices, and 40 percent to the finance ministry, " said the draft amendment. The parliaments budget committee also approved a law that allows the finance ministry to offer EGP 3 billion in guarantees to the Water Holding Company to help it implement its drinking water and desalination projects. Short link: Tulsas police chief said at a press conference Monday that the suspect did not comply after being told to get out of the vehicle 12 times. A Taser was deployed on the suspect, and a struggle ensued when the officers attempted to remove him from the car. He was our heard-out-the-window Pied Piper, this saxophonist who signaled the arrival of evening by playing that haunting hymn Amazing Grace. He began playing in the depths of plague and loss in Brooklyn, those early April days when the wail of ambulance sirens was our citys night song. It took several days of listening out our window in Flatbush for my wife, Evelyn, and me to slip on our masks and wander around the corner to Marlborough Road. We found our neighbor, the wiry jazzman Roy Nathanson, 69, with a gray-flecked goatee and a Groucho Marx smile, blowing up a storm on his sax on his second-floor balcony, while in the yard below the jazz teacher Lloyd Miller thumped expertly on his stand-up bass. Mr. Nathansons band grew by the day. Albert Marques, a Barcelona-born Latin jazz musician and public-school teacher, began piping away on his melodica as his children, ages 3 and 6, danced and twirled on the sidewalk. The Haitian jazz guitarist Eddy Bourjolly came in from Canarsie, while Eric Alabaster, a retired teacher and drummer, and Mo Saleem, a Pakistani musician marooned by the virus, kept rhythm on drums and the dholak, a two-headed hand drum. Capt. Chris Gode, who supervised the rescue for the Fire Department, said he had not encountered anything like it in more than a quarter-century as a firefighter. Certainly this situation is very unique and presented itself with a lot of obstacles to overcome, he said. First one Ive done in my career, and Ive been on the job for 26 years. Mr. Town was taken to Yale New Haven Hospital, shivering with hypothermia, he said. He said he discouraged the staff from taking X-rays, because he did not think he had broken anything. The house was built in 1843, according to property records, though Joel Helander, the Guilford town historian, said it dated to 1842. The listed owner, William G. Butterly, could not be reached. Dennis Johnson, director of health for the town of Guilford, said it appeared that an addition was built over the well at some point. Sometimes homes had wells in their basements in order to protect them from freezing, he said. Then, with really historic homes, sometimes we occasionally find them in an addition on a house, or in a basement or right next to the house. Occasionally you do find them, but its not real common. Mr. Helander said it was more probable than not that the well had been dug around the time the house was built. For more than two months, the authorities had been urging New Yorkers to stay indoors and keep their distance from others. But after the police killed George Floyd in Minneapolis, tens of thousands of New Yorkers poured into the streets, day and night, to protest police brutality and racism. Epidemiologists braced for a surge of new coronavirus cases. But it has not come yet. On May 27, the day before the protests began in New York City, some 754 Covid-19 cases were diagnosed, according to the citys Department of Health. That was the last time the city recorded more than 700 cases on a single day. By the end of the first week of protests, the city was recording slightly more than 500 cases a day. By the end of the second week of protests, the case counts were in the low 400s or high 300s a day. Theyve continued to drop slightly. According to revised numbers the city released on Wednesday, the last time New York City recorded more than 300 cases was on June 23. Weve been looking very closely at the number of positive cases every day to see if there is an uptick in the context of the protests, Ted Long, executive director of the citys contact tracing program, said. We have not seen that. This obituary is part of a series about people who have died in the coronavirus pandemic. Read about others here. Gregory Katz, an omnivorous foreign correspondent who was as much at home in war-torn Kosovo or Iraq as he was at Ascot or a fashion show, died on June 23 at a hospital in London. He was 67. His wife, Bea Sennewald, said the cause was complications of Covid-19. She said Mr. Katz, the acting London bureau chief of The Associated Press, had surgery for cancer in February, returned to the hospital with complications and contracted the virus there. Though an editor once threatened to drop a typewriter on his head because he had fumbled the spelling of commemorate, Mr. Katz went on to catch not just typos but also some of the most urgent stories of his day. This obituary is part of a series about people who have died in the coronavirus pandemic. Read about others here. The last months of Tito Vertizs life were marked by the harsh realities of the pandemic, yet he remained until the end a writer, painter, bon vivant, uncle and much-loved friend with a zest for life, said one of those friends, Lucrecia Briceno, a theater lighting designer whom he had met at college in Florida. Mr. Vertiz died on May 29 in Lima, Peru, of Covid-19, friends said. He was 80. Jose Ernesto Vertiz was born on Dec. 12, 1939, in Lima. He had a job as a flight attendant and left Peru in the 1960s to attend college in the United States. He eventually acquired U.S. citizenship; friends said he was also an Italian citizen through his Italian mother. The summer is heating up and, with it, the Democratic Veepstakes. The partys presumptive presidential nominee, Joe Biden, has said he wants to announce his running mate around Aug. 1. This means that somewhere out there, the campaigns aides and advisers are in the final stages of agonizing over whod make the perfect No. 2: Kamala Harris? Elizabeth Warren? Michelle Lujan Grisham? Tammy Duckworth? The stakes are high, and the calculation seems in constant flux. Last month, we invited readers to get in on the action by submitting their picks for the vice presidency as well as for top cabinet positions such as attorney general, secretary of state and E.P.A. chief. Thousands of you answered the call, choosing from our suggestions or writing in your favorites, creating your own Dream Team. The (highly unscientific) results have been tabulated and are now ready to be shared a perfect conversation starter for your socially distanced July 4 barbecue. Topline: Senator Kamala Harris was your top choice for vice president, though it was by no means a blowout. Senator Amy Klobuchar ran a close second and only a few votes ahead of Senator Elizabeth Warren. On June 19, Ms. Klobuchar took herself out of contention for the job, saying that with the protests and focus on racial justice of late, Mr. Biden should put a Black woman on the ticket. But overall, the women of the Senate made a strong showing. The way states lifted social distancing restrictions imposed to fight the coronavirus sadly demonstrates our priorities. Officials let bars, restaurants and gyms open, despite warnings from public health experts that these environments pose the greatest risk for spreading the disease. Yet political leaders seem to have paid scant attention to safely reopening schools. The consequences of those backward priorities Covid-19 rampaging through states that reopened quickly make it even more vital that we extensively prepare to reopen classrooms as safely as possible this fall. Research suggests that the sudden switch to online instruction has cost some students a full year of academic progress. This harm disproportionately affects children in homes without computers and stable internet connections, deepening educational inequality and widening racial and economic divides. The disruption of learning can have lifetime effects on students income and health. The school shutdowns left millions of children without access to meal programs and school-based health services. Reports of child abuse slowed since school employees couldnt identify and notify the authorities about children they thought were being harmed. And the need for parents to supervise their children on school days or arrange child care has disrupted the economy and made it even harder for many families to get by. Such wretched vacillation expresses a sour truth: Europe is far from united in its rejection of Chinas authoritarian state capitalism. Especially for Central European states like Hungary and Poland, a Beijing that doesnt fret about values is much less annoying than a Brussels that does so all the time. And its not just states that see China in a flattering light. In Italy, Chinas mask diplomacy the giveaway of masks and other medical safety equipment seems to have done its job. Italians now view China as the most friendly country, according to an April poll. (Germany came last in the sympathy ranking.) Germans themselves arent immune, either. In a May poll, 25 percent of respondents said that they had gained a more positive image of China through the coronavirus crisis, while 73 percent said their opinion of the United States had worsened. The European Commission may label China a systemic rival. But such fighting talk is more likely to bring German businesspeople to tears of laughter than China to fair play. It will do nothing to change the situation for German car manufacturers, for instance, who trade extensively with China and are happy to bow to its political pressure. Daimler, for example, swiftly apologized for quoting the Dalai Lama on social media in 2018. It all adds up to a miserable picture. In the face of it, how can Germany build a credible European approach to China? An episode from the Cold War could point the way. When tensions rose in the late 1970s between America and the Soviet Union, Helmut Schmidt, the German chancellor, came up with an innovative approach. He offered disarmament talks to the Soviets while also promising to deploy American missiles in Europe if the Soviets did not budge. The tactic became known as the double-track decision. And it was effective: The Soviets eventually agreed to the peace talks that led to nuclear disarmament. Fortunately, power today is spelled out in trading figures rather than warheads. But the principles of the double-track approach remain applicable. At the moment, America and the European Union each have one fruitless way to approach China: America threatens to escalate the trade war, and Europe begs for international cooperation. We know we have more work to do. That was the line from numerous Facebook representatives last week in reaction to the #StopHateForProfit advertising boycott campaign. Intended to pressure the company to curb hate speech and misinformation, the boycott has been joined by several high-profile brands, including Unilever and Verizon, and could make a rare dent in Facebooks ad revenue. The campaign seems to be having an effect. On Friday, Facebook announced that it would add labels to content about voting and expand its hate speech policies. The company also added a newsworthy tag for hateful content from political figures that violates rules but is allowed because of its news value. Facebook stressed that all these moves were part of a continuing cleanup. We know we have more work to do, the statement read. We Know We Have More Work to Do (lets call it W.K.W.H.M.W.T.D. for short) is the definitive utterance of the social media era, trotted out by executives whenever their companies come in for a public shaming. In just eight words, it encapsulates the defensive posture that Facebook has been crouched in ever since the 2016 election, when it became clear that its tolerance of hate-filled communities on its platforms turned them into witting vectors for disinformation and propaganda. The Chinese government today isnt violating the Basic Law, neither in letter nor in spirit, so much as connecting different dots in it. And that is the true horror lurking behind its original concessions. Take Beijings plan now to set up in Hong Kong a commissioners office for national security affairs to ensure that the citys authorities will apply the new law effectively. This move, as I wrote previously, flatly contradicts the following clause of Article 22 in the Basic Law: No department of the Central Peoples Government and no province, autonomous region or municipality directly under the Central Government may interfere in the affairs which the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region administers on its own in accordance with this Law. But that provision also says that if there is a need for any such department etc. to set up offices in Hong Kong, that department requires nothing more than the consent of the central government (and that of the Hong Kong government, which can be coerced at will). Likewise, the first clause of Article 39 says that the provisions of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and other rights agreements as applied to Hong Kong shall remain in force. What if those protections became irksome to Beijing? No problem, theres Article 160: Upon the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, the laws previously in force in Hong Kong shall be adopted as laws of the Region except for those which the Standing Committee of the National Peoples Congress declares to be in contravention of this Law. If any laws are later discovered to be in contravention of this Law, they shall be amended or cease to have force in accordance with the procedure as prescribed by this Law. And then theres Article 18. It allows the Standing Committee of Chinas rubber-stamping legislative body, the National Peoples Congress, to add to or delete from the list of laws in Annex III in the name of defense, foreign affairs, national unity or security, as well as other matters outside the limits of the autonomy of the city. That annex is a lengthy appendix of laws passed on the mainland that apply in Hong Kong, all exceptionally. Article 18 was, naturally, the perfect vehicle for implementing the new national security law. In the 1980s, when people in Hong Kong were worried about their post-1997 future, the Chinese government played up the concessionary parts of the Basic Law. That was the first, the good-looking, stage in a two-stage plan to absorb the city into the mainlands universe. The inevitable second stage is unfolding today. Now that Hong Kong is under the watchful eye of both Chinese soldiers garrisoned in the city and their newly loyal local cousins the increasingly violent and politicized Hong Kong police force Beijing is activating the sleeper clauses of the Basic Law to feather the deathbed of the citys autonomy. This incident was about much, much more than the obnoxious behavior of an irate man arming himself and screaming at someone he did not know and had no reason to fear. With this arrest, we are alleging today that the incident was about hate and intimidation, pure and simple, she said. Our understanding of value has come from the policymakers and economists who view it as a matter of exchange: Essentially, only something with a price is valuable. This approach overvalues goods and services with a price tag which in turn make up a countrys gross domestic product, the driver of public policy. This has perverse effects. A coal mine that spews carbon into the atmosphere increases G.D.P., and so is valued. (The pollution it causes is not taken into account.) But the care given to children by their parents at home doesnt carry a price, and so is not valued. This works at the individual level, too. People earning a lot of money appear to be very productive. In 2009 Lloyd Blankfein, the chief executive of Goldman Sachs, claimed that the banks workers were among the most productive in the world. He said so only a year after the 2007-08 financial crisis and a year after the firm had received a $10 billion bailout from the government (later paid back). Clearly, value is not best measured by price or payment. Whats more, governments create value every day, from which citizens and businesses benefit. They benefit from basic structures like highways, education and other essential goods and services, but also from the technologies that shape our economy. Public financing of research and development helped bring us innovations like the GPS technology that powers Uber and the internet that makes Google possible. The same is true for many blockbuster drugs, which received high-risk early research funding from the government, and renewable energy sources like solar and wind, which were also funded by taxpayers in their development. Indeed, so was fracking. This is why something like a citizens dividend where citizens own equal shares in a fund tied to the national wealth would transform the story of government intervention and create a more equitable economy. By giving the population a direct stake in the value that a country produces, it would help establish a better system: Public investments for businesses and research would also produce rewards for citizens. That would help to reduce inequality and socialize both risks and rewards. To the Editor: Re Trumps Nasty Politics Began With Newt (column, June 29): There are a number of points on which Jennifer Seniors column could be challenged. But for brevity, I will offer just one example of her depiction of me and my efforts to elect a Republican House in 1994. Ms. Senior claims that Gingrich turned the politics of white racial grievance into an art form. When I ran against a Democratic segregationist, The Atlanta World, the leading Black newspaper in Georgia, endorsed me. Later, I campaigned extensively in the Black community. I worked closely with an African-American Republican city councilman from Columbus, Ga., to build an active program in the community. The first bill I co-sponsored after being elected to Congress was to make the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.s birthday a national holiday. The prosecutors offered Mr. Haynes a plea agreement that if accepted would have resulted in a sentence of between seven years nine months and eight years five months. According to court documents, when he chose to exercise his constitutional right to a jury trial, the prosecutors retaliated by adding two Section 924(c) counts. In short, going to trial cost Mr. Haynes 38 extra years in prison. In April, after Mr. Haynes had served almost 27 years, a federal judge in Brooklyn ordered his immediate release, criticizing his prosecution in a forceful opinion. Though the First Step Act brought an increment of progress, most mandatory minimums remain on the books, despite consistent criticism that these penalties have contributed to over-incarceration. This statistic is well known but worth reiterating: Though the United States has less than 5 percent of the worlds population, it has over 20 percent of the worlds prisoners. Harsh mandatory penalties resulting in needlessly long sentences are an undeniable contributing factor. While it doesnt involve stacked 924(c) counts, the 45-year mandatory minimum penalty that Mr. Mattis and Ms. Rahman face is part of an all too familiar pattern of prosecution. The goal is to coerce people to plead guilty to charges carrying harsh sentences in exchange for the dismissal of charges that mandate unconscionable ones. The message that prosecutors send to them and to so many other defendants is clear: If you consider exercising your fundamental right to trial, we will seek penalties that are so excessive that you will think twice, because we have the power to take sentencing authority away from the judiciary. When this regime of mandatory minimums began more than 30 years ago, 20 percent of federal criminal cases were resolved by trial. Today, fewer than 3 percent are, and more than 97 percent of cases are resolved by pleas. No rational observer would conclude that Mr. Mattis and Ms. Rahman should spend a majority of their lives behind bars for an alleged act that caused harm to no one. To put the threat of a 45-year mandatory sentence into some perspective, according to data compiled by the U.S. Sentencing Commission, the median sentence for murder in the Second Circuit from 2015 through 2019 was 16 years. The extreme 45-year sentences they face are a reminder that real people and families and communities are at the receiving end of these devastating penalties. As lawmakers in Congress propose sweeping changes to policing spurred by societys broad awakening to systemic racism, they must also make changes to eliminate federal mandatory minimums, rein in overcharging and help restore the right to trial. Sandeep Dhaliwal is a lawyer at Debevoise & Plimpton whose pro bono practice focuses on criminal justice and immigration. The Times is committed to publishing a diversity of letters to the editor. Wed like to hear what you think about this or any of our articles. Here are some tips. And heres our email: letters@nytimes.com. Follow The New York Times Opinion section on Facebook, Twitter (@NYTopinion) and Instagram. The only way to do that is to invite in the other 95 percent. I spent much of my career covering Silicon Valley. Some of the most innovative companies in the world from Google to Intel to Instagram to Stripe were founded by immigrants, and many in the industry say the whole place would not work without immigration. I am not one of those lefties who believe that Trump bears all of the blame for our flawed response to the virus. The breakdown here was so total that it lays bare larger and more persistent ailments: our creaking health care system, the ruthlessness of our economy, our Swiss-cheese safety net, and political polarization that poisons effective action but excels at whipping up nonsensical culture wars. The totality of our failure is precisely why we should look to the outside for success yet Trump has used the virus as an excuse to accelerate his restrictions on immigration. Last week, Trump suspended the issuance of work visas for hundreds of thousands of foreigners, from tech workers to seasonal workers in the hospitality industry to au pairs and students. Another group the restriction affects is doctors. About 127,000 doctors, nearly a quarter of the physicians in the United States, are immigrants. Many of them are now caring for coronavirus patients in communities without enough health care professionals. All the while, immigrant doctors have had to worry not only that they might die of the virus while taking care of Americans, but also that if they do, their families could be deported. This is madness. More than that: If we keep shutting foreigners out, what justifies our arrogant assumption that the worlds best and brightest will keep wanting to come here? Consider, for instance, Rwanda, one of the countries that did make Europes list. In 1994, it suffered a genocide in which the United States and the United Nations infamously refused to intervene. Almost a million people were killed. In the 26 years since, Rwanda has rebuilt itself, and now it boasts one of the most capable medical systems in Africa. Rwandas 13 million people have nearly universal health care coverage; the country uses drones to carry blood and other supplies to far-flung hospitals. 82 percent of Republicans agreed with the statement that some people taking advantage of the situation in order to engage in criminal behavior was a major factor in the protests, more than double the 39 percent of Democrats who agreed. There is a range of perspectives among scholars over who the protesters are, especially the white participants. Joel Kotkin of Chapman University and the author of The Coming of Neo-Feudalism, and Michael Lind of the University of Texas and the author of The New Class War, take divergent positions. In an article posted on June 10, The Rebellion of Americas New Underclass, Kotkin wrote: The underlying causes of our growing civic breakdown go beyond the brutal police killing of George Floyd. Particularly in our core cities, our dysfunction is a result of our increasingly large, and increasingly multiracial, class of neo-serfs. Kotkin elaborates: Todays serf class consists of the permanently marginalized like the peasants of feudal times, these people are unlikely to move to a higher station, and this class encompasses many of our young people, white and otherwise, who appear to have little or no hope of attaining the usual milestones of entry into the middle class gaining a useful and marketable skill, starting a small business, or buying a home or other property. In a June 2 essay, published on the Tablet website, Lind sketches out another group of protesters he sees as a key component of the new metropolitan left: The children of the white urban elite some of them downwardly mobile for life, some of them just going through the underpaid intern phase of professional careers have colonized rowhouses where workers once lived and have converted former factories and warehouses into settings for la vie boheme. Lind continues: This group of 20- and 30-somethings in the new urban bohemia are the constituency for the new progressive left. Children of the managerial overclass join the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) and engage in purges and cancellations on Twitter and move to Brooklyn on allowances from their parents. Dana Fisher, a sociologist at the University of Maryland who has been conducting detailed surveys of the demonstrators, presented a more nuanced view of the protesters in an email: First and foremost, protest participants are highly educated. Over 62 percent reported a B.A. or higher at every protest where we surveyed, although she acknowledges that they may be feeling economic anxiety since they tend to be entering adulthood during the current economic crisis the median age of protesters is 30 or younger depending on the day and location. According to her surveys, conducted by interviewing every fifth person encountered at demonstrations, more than 60 percent reported voting in primaries earlier this year, double the average for all voters, and many report contacting an elected official in the past year, a strong signal of political engagement. Fishers data from three days of polling in the District of Columbia showed that 52.9 percent of the protesters were white; 25 percent were Black; just over 10 percent were Asian-American and just under 4 percent were Hispanic. A quarter were 24 or younger. The demonstrations have proved to be a highly effective tool for energizing young voters in behalf of Democratic candidates, especially Joe Biden, who has struggled to win over voters under the age of 45, many of whom supported other candidates during the primaries, Bernie Sanders in particular. In an article posted June 28 at Business Insider, Fisher wrote that in studying the demonstrators: Every single person surveyed at events in Washington DC, New York City, and Los Angeles over the past month reported that they would be supporting Joe Biden in the election. In fact, not one respondent reported that they would vote for Donald Trump. There are some red flags for Democrats in Fishers data. Fisher wrote that 60 to 65 percent of the demonstrators agreed with the statement some level of violence is justified in the pursuit of political goals. These numbers are in stark contrast to data collected at the March for Racial Justice in 2017, when just 40 percent agreed some level of violence is justified, she wrote, suggesting that in less than three years, the people who participate in protests about racial justice in the US have changed their opinions substantially. Harley Sitner was in the Dumbo neighborhood of Brooklyn for a wedding in March, feeling as if hed just been sprayed by a skunk. Mr. Sitners hometown, Seattle, where he owns a camper-van restoration, repair and rental business called Peace Vans, was the site of one of one of the first huge coronavirus outbreaks. People were like, Stay away, he recalled. Back home, with peak road-trip season approaching, his employees reported a rush of cancellations on rental vans. Mr. Sitner had just hired a super-awesome marketing manager and began thinking he might have to lay her off. School was canceled and all but the most essential businesses were ordered to shut down. Mr. Sitner was compelled to give his employees a month off, save for a skeletal crew that stuck around to perform essential services like repairs. We were looking at some pretty significant revenue black holes, he said. Then, in mid-April, the phone started ringing in the repair shop. Its not just about me, he said. Everything Im doing is for the future. Mr. Hollingsworth was born and raised in Woodlawn, a majority-Black neighborhood (nearly 83 percent, according to a 2019 analysis by the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning) on the South Side of Chicago. The area has recently appeared in the news as the proposed site of the Obama Presidential Center. Horseback riding didnt come into Mr. Hollingsworths life until adulthood, after a wrongful conviction for gun possession. I dont play with guns, Mr. Hollingsworth said. Im not that kind of guy. But when his car was pulled over in 2006, someone riding with him did have a gun, which the police found when they searched the car. The officers asked for the ages of the men in the vehicle. I was 19, and they said, Youre the oldest, its your gun. The bail for his release was set at $5,000. Unable to pay, Mr. Hollingsworth sat in jail awaiting a court date. His public defender advised him to fight the charge, believing there was insufficient evidence to convict him. However, after a month in a cell, Mr. Hollingsworth said he just wanted to go home and requested his public defender arrange for a plea deal. He spent a month in Cook County Jail, pleaded guilty and received a sentence of probation. Its Juneteenth and at Facility, Bob Faust and Nick Caves art lab and studio space in Chicago, the installation of the first component of their latest community-based project, Amends, is underway. For it, the artists have invited friends and colleagues to hand-write personal testimonials on the gallery windows, to reflect honestly on aspects of themselves that have contributed to holding our society back from equality. The result, Letters to the World Toward the Eradication of Racism, ranges from inspirational mantras Margaret Meads quote Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it is the only thing that ever has is printed in large caps across the storefront to gut-wrenching personal confessions. I was raised as a white supremacist, begins a letter by Michael Workman, an artist. There are admissions of complicity and silent acquiescence, regrets for words used and not used, apologies for taking easy paths or for acting out of fear of saying the wrong thing. Most of all, there are acknowledgments of vast unearned, unquestioned privilege and commitments to do better. Lookouts latest analysis suggests that Chinas mobile hacking campaign was broader and more aggressive than security experts, human rights activists and spyware victims had realized. But experts on Chinese surveillance say it should come as no surprise, given the lengths to which Beijing has gone to monitor Xinjiang. We should think about smartphone surveillance being used as a way to track peoples inner life, their everyday behavior, their trustworthiness, said Darren Byler, who studies surveillance of minority populations at the University of Colorado, Boulder. In 2015, as Beijing pushed to crack down on sporadic ethnic violence in Xinjiang, the authorities grew desperate to track fast-growing Uighur communications online, Mr. Byler said. Uighurs began to fear that their online chats discussing Islam or politics were risky. Savvier Uighurs took to owning a second clean phone, said Mr. Byler, who lived in Xinjiang in 2015. On the streets of Xinjiang, the police began confiscating Uighurs phones. Sometimes, they returned them months later with new spyware installed. Other times, people were handed back entirely different phones. Officials visiting Uighur villages regularly recorded the serial numbers used to identify smartphones. They lined the streets with new hardware that tracked peoples phones as they walked past. The authorities dragged Uighurs off to detention camps for having two phones or an antiquated phone, arbitrarily dumping a phone, or not having a phone at all, according to testimonials and government documents. Over that same period, Lookout said Chinas mobile hacking efforts accelerated. One type of Chinese malware, known as GoldenEagle after the words hackers littered throughout their code an apparent reference to the eagles used for hunting in Xinjiang was used as early as 2011. But its use picked up in 2015 and 2016. Lookout uncovered more than 650 versions of GoldenEagle malware and a large number of fake Uighur apps that function as a sort of Trojan horse to spy on users mobile communications. This article is part of the On Tech newsletter. You can sign up here to receive it weekdays. If the Rock encouraged his 58 million Facebook followers to vandalize a fast-food restaurant, Facebooks policies would treat it the same as if your neighbor blasted this to his 25 friends. President Trumps tweets can subject people to relentless harassment, but Twitter applies the same (or even looser) rules to his account as to ours. This past week (and forever), internet companies have been trying to figure out how to handle posts that can encourage violence, contribute to social division and harassment, or spread false information about elections or other high-stakes topics. When online companies make these decisions, they largely consider the substance of the message, divorced from the messenger, to decide whether a post is harmful and should be deleted or hidden. But whether they intend it or not, celebrities, politicians and others with large online followings can be superspreaders not of the coronavirus but of dangerous or false information. And I wonder whether these prominent people need to be held to stricter rules. Records obtained by the American-Statesman revealed black students attending a school in the Austin area were suspended nearly five times more often than their Caucasian counterparts during the last year. The numbers are a reflection of a nationwide trend, which sees black children and teens getting suspended at a rate that is three times higher than white students in the United States, according to the most recent data from The U.S. Department of Educations Office for Civil Rights. Thumbing through old photographs is a reliable way of evoking nostalgia. And these black-and-white Independence Day photographs, pulled from The New York Timess archive, offer a potent dose. Neal Boenzi/The New York Times A woman huddles with her children under a blanket as rain falls in Battery Park, in 1979. A crowd assembled at Federal Hall in Lower Manhattan for a reading of the Declaration of Independence, in 1977. Children at the eighth annual Boom Box Parade in Willimantic, Conn., in 1993. In Pennsylvania, Gov. Tom Wolf issued a sweeping mask order, requiring all residents to wear a mask anytime they cannot socially distance outside their home. The order tightened a previous requirement to wear masks inside businesses and came as cases have been on the upswing, including in the Pittsburgh area. Mr. Wolf blamed the new increase on hot spots stemming from situations where residents were not wearing masks or social distancing two practices that he said must be enforced if we want to maintain the freedoms we have in place under our reopening. In Maine, Gov. Janet Mills allowed movie theaters, bowling alleys and other business to reopen, while announcing that she would order businesses in more densely populated cities and popular coastal communities to enforce mask requirements. Especially seeing the dangerous trends in Southern and Southwestern states after they lifted restrictions dramatically, we have to take this virus seriously, she said. We must continue to protect one another. As the first state to order residents to shelter in place in March, California won praise for its early handling of the pandemic, especially given its ties to international business and travel, including the largest number of direct flights to China, where the virus first appeared. The states death rate in May was similar to Germany and other countries lauded for their handling of the crisis. Californias surge has been driven both by businesses reopening and by other factors as simple as people congregating again. Workers, often from the states large Latino communities, who fulfill essential roles in hospitals, grocery stores, restaurants, food-processing plants and many other businesses have been disproportionately affected by the virus. Latinos make up 39 percent of the population in California but 55 percent of cases. In Sacramento County, health officials said the largest source of virus outbreaks in recent weeks has been large parties, many of them celebrating graduations or birthdays. State and local officials have carved out their own rules along the way, making masks mandatory in some places and a mere suggestion in others. Resistance to masks began with Mr. Trump, who, as the C.D.C. urged Americans to wear face coverings, stressed that the measure was voluntary, and said, I dont think Im going to be doing it. The president has continued to resist wearing a mask and views it as a personal choice, his spokeswoman said on Monday, a stance that has led many of his supporters to refuse to wear one, even in cities and businesses where they are required. Mr. Trump has repeatedly downplayed the severity and danger of the virus, and some of his supporters have responded with similar doubts. On Wednesday, Mr. Trump seemed to change his position amid the shifting public messages from Republicans. Im all for masks. I think masks are good, he told Fox Business in an interview. The problem there is that the issue has become a political issue and people have lost sight of the fact that the enemy is the virus, said Dr. David Persse, the health authority at the Houston Health Department. People have decided that the enemy is some sort of a political agenda. Initially, many Republicans had followed Mr. Trumps lead. But the recent chorus of encouragement on mask-wearing has come from all directions: on the Senate floor and on social media, from Republicans who are no longer in office and from those whose states are experiencing an alarming uptick in coronavirus cases. On Monday, Gov. Brian Kemp of Georgia posted a selfie wearing a mask decorated with the University of Georgias bulldog mascot. Wear your mask, Georgia and go Dawgs! he wrote. The Myrtle Beach City Council voted on Thursday to require the wearing of face masks indoors at business like retail stores and restaurants. But tourists will still be free to stroll the boardwalk and the beach without them. Mayor Brenda Bethune suggested in an interview earlier in the week that for all anyone knew, visitors could be bringing the virus to Myrtle Beach, not the other way around. She complained that news accounts had unfairly tarred the city with all of the cases in surrounding Horry County. And she bridled at the warnings from Governor Justice and others. I would never go on TV and blame our problems on someone else, she said. South Carolina emerged relatively unscathed from the first few months of the pandemic, but reports of new cases began climbing rapidly in June, as they did in many parts of the South and the West. In Horry County, the figures have nearly quadrupled, according to the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control. And the average age of people testing positive in the state is down to 40.6 years, from 51.4 for March through May reflecting the growing proportion of young people contracting the virus after states began to reopen. This is a case about hate, Ms. Horowitz said in her closing arguments. This is a case about self-hate. Mr. Robinsons lawyer, Evan Callanan, said his client planned to appeal. He said he had argued during the trial that there was no way to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that a figure who had been captured on two different video cameras leaving the party and entering Mr. Robinsons house was, in fact, Mr. Robinson. You dont see his face; you cant see who it is, Mr. Callanan said. I had high hopes that the jury would have reached a different verdict but, unfortunately, theyve spoken. We plan to appeal and we will see what comes of it. Mr. Robinson was sentenced on Tuesday to three life terms without parole for first-degree murder, 10 to 20 years for each count of assault with intent to murder, and two years consecutively for felony firearm, prosecutors said. We are pleased that justice has been served in this case, Kym L. Worthy, the Wayne County prosecutor, said in a statement. The defendants actions were disturbing on so many levels, but the fact that this happened during Pride Month adds salt into the wound. We will continue to be vigilant in our fight to eradicate hate in Wayne County and beyond. Mr. Robinson was prosecuted with the help of the Fair Michigan Justice Project, a nonprofit program that helps law enforcement officials investigate and prosecute serious crimes against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. Devon Robinson murdered three members of Detroits L.G.B.T.Q. community in cold blood, and wounded two others, Fair Michigans president, Alanna Maguire, said. This conviction and life-in-prison sentence sends a clear message that crimes against our community can result in maximum penalties under the law. This year, for the first time in more than a decade, there will be a major fireworks display to commemorate Independence Day at the Mount Rushmore National Memorial. The sculpture features the faces of four American presidents Washington, Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Lincoln carved into a granite slope over the Black Hills of South Dakota. In the eight decades since the carving was completed, it has never been without controversy. So when President Trump announced in May that he would attend the festivities there, it invited even more scrutiny of the monuments history, the leaders it celebrates, the sculptor who created it and the land it towers over. Native Americans have long criticized the sculpture, in part because it was built on what had been Indigenous land. And more recently, amid a nationwide movement against racism that has toppled statues commemorating Confederate generals and other historical figures, some activists have called for Mount Rushmore to close. What I do not stand for is being labeled a racist or complacent in racism, Ms. Guido wrote. The gross mischaracterization that I contributed to this environment is unequivocally false. Moreover, these unsubstantiated claims of racism towards me have an appearance of being used as a front for personal disagreements, which is morally reprehensible. But in an interview Wednesday morning, she acknowledged, I may not be the person that membership feels represents them currently, and I may need to make space for someone who does. In a statement a few hours later, after she resigned, she said she would take time to slow down, reflect on my mistakes and spend time with family. Xochitl Hinojosa, a spokeswoman for the Democratic National Committee, said it was providing leadership guidance, training and other resources to the College Democrats as they decided how to proceed. We are a party of inclusion thats fully committed to helping the next generation of Democrats carry the torch to help build a unified America, Ms. Hinojosa said. Beyond his own experience, Mr. Nowling said that structural issues like the fact that C.D.A. members have to pay for their own travel to official events often kept low-income students like him out of leadership positions and prevented rank-and-file members from attending the organizations conventions. Erica Kelly, a board member and head of the Virginia chapter of the College Democrats, said that because no one from her state could afford to go the national convention in New Orleans last year, it had no say in the party business or votes conducted there. Its fundamentally been kind of an elitist institution for a really long time, said Ms. Kelly, 19, a rising junior at George Mason University who joined the board last month. I do feel really confident, now that 41 state federations have come together asking to break the cycle, that we will be able to. WASHINGTON Inside the sprawling American Embassy compound in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, a coronavirus outbreak was spreading. Dozens of embassy employees became sick last month, and more than 20 others were quarantined after a birthday barbecue became a potential vector for the spread of the disease. A Sudanese driver for the top diplomats died. A bleak analysis from within the embassy that circulated in closed channels in Riyadh and Washington late last month likened the coronavirus situation in Saudi Arabia to that of New York City in March, when an outbreak was set to explode. The assessment said the response from the Saudi government a close partner of the Trump White House was insufficient, even as hospitals were getting overwhelmed and health care workers were falling ill. Some in the embassy even took the extraordinary step of conveying information to Congress outside official channels, saying that they did not believe the State Departments leadership or the American ambassador to the kingdom, John P. Abizaid, were taking the situation seriously enough, and that most American Embassy employees and their families should be evacuated. The State Department took those steps months ago at missions elsewhere in the Middle East, Asia and Russia. The episode, based on accounts from nine current and one former official, highlights the perils facing American diplomacy with a global pandemic still raging, and the frictions between front-line diplomats, intelligence officers and defense officials on one side and senior Trump administration officials on the other who are eager to preserve relations with nations like Saudi Arabia that have special ties with the Trump White House. The Saudi royal family has exercised enormous influence on Middle East and energy policies, as well as on controversial arms sales that President Trump has personally championed. When a piece of information like this comes in that, allegedly, the Russians are paying a bounty for the deaths of American soldiers, and I hear that his senior staff doesnt take that information to him even though hes on the phone with Putin five times it just, for me, fits into a bigger narrative about this president, Ms. Slotkin said. Its deeply concerning to me, she added. Since arriving in Washington last year, Ms. Slotkin, who served in Iraq as a C.I.A. analyst and in President Barack Obamas Defense Department before running for Congress in 2018, has drawn heavily on her national security experience. She resisted the push to impeach Mr. Trump until an intelligence whistle-blower came forward to reveal that the president had tried to enlist a foreign power, Ukraine, to investigate his political rivals in a way that could affect a future election. During the inquiry that followed, Ms. Slotkin later told The New York Times, she identified personally with the national security officials who came forward to testify, drawing attacks from Mr. Trump. Now she is reliving her own government experience once again as one of a large number of lawmakers in both parties who are demanding more information from the administration about its handling of the Russian intelligence. Its been surprising how much Ive toggled between my old life and my current life, Ms. Slotkin said in an interview. It sometimes pulls me in different directions. This week, after all, was finally supposed to be infrastructure week in the House, a few months before her first attempt to win re-election in a district that Mr. Trump won by seven points. Ms. Slotkin had spent last week preparing to celebrate the pipeline-safety and water-quality projects she fought to include in the Houses sweeping, trillion-dollar infrastructure plan that passed on Wednesday. But on Friday, as The Times reported that the administration had intelligence that indicated that Russia secretly offered bounties to Taliban-linked militants to kill American and allied troops, Ms. Slotkin found herself drawn back into her former life. She has spent hours explaining to colleagues the granular procedure of filtering intelligence information, and she pressured White House officials to explain what would have been unthinkable in a different administration that the president could have been unaware of such an explosive assessment. Democratic leaders have capitalized on Ms. Slotkins expertise, along with that of Representatives Abigail Spanberger of Virginia, a former C.I.A. operations officer, and Mikie Sherrill of New Jersey, a former Navy helicopter pilot, putting them out front as they raise questions about the intelligence and Mr. Trumps handling of it. The three freshmen were chosen to accompany senior Democrats to a classified briefing at the White House on Tuesday. In his decision, Justice Scheinkman ruled that Simon & Schuster was not a party to and thus could not be bound by the confidentiality agreement, which was signed by Ms. Trump, Donald Trump and the presidents two siblings, Robert S. Trump and Maryanne Trump Barry. Unlike Ms. Trump, Justice Scheinkman wrote, S&S has not agreed to surrender or relinquish any of its First Amendment rights. [Read more on Mary Trumps lawsuit.] Simon & Schuster quickly hailed the ruling as a victory. We support Mary L. Trumps right to tell her story in Too Much and Never Enough, a work of great interest and importance to the national discourse that fully deserves to be published for the benefit of the American public, the publisher said in a statement issued Wednesday night. As all know, there are well-established precedents against prior restraint and pre-publication injunctions. On Tuesday, ruling on a petition filed by Robert Trump, Judge Hal Greenwald of the New York State Supreme Court in Dutchess County issued a temporary restraining order barring publication of Ms. Trumps book, saying that he would hear more arguments in the case at a hearing on July 10. That same day, Simon & Schuster told Judge Greenwald that it was unaware of Ms. Trumps confidentiality agreement. While Justice Scheinkman declined on Wednesday to rule on the question of whether Ms. Trump had violated the agreement, he did note that it was reasonable for a well-known and prominent family to collectively agree to shield intimate family matters from the public. Protesters began targeting City Hall last week with demands that the city cut $1 billion from the NYPDs budget in response to police brutality and the handling of demonstrations over the death of George Floyd, a black man who was killed after a Minneapolis police office knelt on his neck for more than eight minutes. WASHINGTON A Supreme Court ruling on Tuesday against Montanas exclusion of religious schools from a state scholarship program may have been drafted narrowly, but the victory for denominational education has breathed new life into far broader efforts to use public funding for private and parochial schools. In a 5-4 decision, the court ruled that the state of Montana could not use a provision in its Constitution to exclude religious schools from its private school scholarship program. While the courts ruling did not go beyond addressing Montanas constitutional provision, which prohibits the use of public funding for denominational institutions and purposes, voucher opponents and proponents agreed that the decision effectively rendered such amendments toothless. The provisions, known as Blaine amendments, exist in 37 states and generally restrict government aid to religious institutions. The amendments were named for James G. Blaine, who in the 1800s sought legal mechanisms to deny religious schools public funding, a popular stance at a time rife with discrimination against Catholics. Montana and other states should be very clear about this historic decision: Your bigoted Blaine amendments and other restrictions like them are unconstitutional, dead and buried, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos said. Im calling on all states to now seize the extraordinary opportunity to expand all education options at all schools to every single student in America. There are at least two Russia strategies in this divided administration. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, usually so attuned to Mr. Trump, speaks for the hawkish wing: He came to the State Department podium a few weeks ago to declare that Crimea, annexed by Russia six years ago, will never be recognized as Russian territory. Then there is the president, who repeatedly objected to criticizing Russia and pressed us not to be so critical of Russia publicly, his former national security adviser, John R. Bolton, notes in his recent memoir. A parade of other former national security aides have emerged, bruised, with similar reports. Yet the nature of intelligence always incomplete and not always definitive gives Mr. Trump an opening to dismiss anything that challenges his worldview. By definition, intelligence means looking at pieces of a puzzle, said Glenn S. Gerstell, who retired this year as the general counsel of the National Security Agency, before the Russian bounty issue was front and center. Its not unusual to have inconsistencies. And the Presidents Daily Brief, not infrequently, would say that there is no unanimity in the intelligence community, and would explain the dissenting views or the lack of corroboration. That absence of clarity has not slowed Mr. Trump when it comes to placing new sanctions on China and Iran, who pose very different kinds of challenges to American power. Yet the president made no apparent effort to sort through evidence on Russia, even before his most recent call with President Vladimir V. Putin, when he invited the Russian leader to a Group of 7 meeting planned for September in Washington. Russia has been banned from the group since the Crimea invasion, and Mr. Trump was essentially restoring it to the G8 over the objection of many of Americas closest allies. The White House will not say whether he would have acted differently had he been aware of the Russian bounty for American lives. Mr. Trump responded vaguely when asked in an interview on Wednesday with the Fox Business Network about how he would respond if Russia were proven to have put bounties on U.S. troops. The Russians would hear about it, and anybody else would hear about it that was involved, he said, insisting that he would always protect the military. Mr. OBrien told reporters that the National Security Council had drawn up undisclosed options for a potential response. He was among several senior Trump officials at a White House briefing on Tuesday for House Democrats, which lawmakers complained was hampered by the absence of any intelligence professionals who could walk them through the nuances of the competing strands of intelligence. They just wanted to make sure that we knew that the president didnt know anything, said Representative Adam Smith, Democrat of Washington and the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, who attended the meeting. I cannot recall under Bush, Obama, Clinton, them wanting to come out and say, Look, the president didnt know anything. Mark Meadows, the White House chief of staff, did most of the talking in the nearly two-hour session. But Mr. Meadows, a former North Carolina congressman, did not seem to understand the nuances of intelligence and so could not clearly explain some of the more complicated issues that lawmakers raised, according to people briefed on the meeting. The director of national intelligence, John Ratcliffe, repeatedly told lawmakers the events in question happened well before he took over his post in late May from the former acting director, Richard Grenell. The lawmakers, including Representative Abigail Spanberger of Virginia, a former C.I.A. officer, pushed back and asked why, after the assessment was included in the Presidents Daily Brief in late February, Mr. Trump was not given a heads-up before any of the five or six phone calls he subsequently had with Mr. Putin, including one call in which Mr. Trump invited the Russian leader to a Group of 7 meeting. The voter purge effort initially targeted more than 230,000 names, but as voters responded and updated their information, the list has since dropped to about 130,000. Wisconsin election rules state that any change to the voter rolls must occur 30 days before Election Day, so the time frame to purge the names after any court decision in the fall would be nearly impossible. Additionally, Jill Karofsky, the Democratic-backed candidate who won the statewide Supreme Court race in April, takes her seat in August, shifting the makeup of the court. Democrats in the state celebrated the decision. The Wisconsin Supreme Courts decision to not consider purging hundreds of thousands of Wisconsinites from the voter rolls is nothing more than them upholding our democracy, said Philip Shulman, a spokesman for the Democratic Party of Wisconsin. As we move closer to the November election in the midst of a pandemic they should remember what theyve proven they know that voting is a fundamental right. Officials from the state Republican Party did not return requests for comment. But as Democrats and voting rights advocates celebrated the scheduling fortune from the Wisconsin court, they were also reeling from a decision handed down Monday by a federal appeals court on multiple voting laws and regulations that had been pending for years. The court, a panel of three judges appointed by Republican presidents, ruled that the early-voting period in Wisconsin would be no more than two weeks, rather than the six weeks that polls were open before Election Day in 2016. It also said that absentee ballots must be mailed not emailed or faxed to voters, and that voters must have lived in their current residence for 28 days, rather than the previous 10-day deadline. State Republicans, who had pushed for the restrictions, welcomed the decision. It wasnt about voters rights advocacy, Mark Jefferson, the executive director of the Republican Party of Wisconsin, wrote on Twitter. It was about Dems trying to tilt the field in their favor. The appeals court did provide some flexibility on the states voter identification requirements, ruling that expired student IDs are permissible at the polls, and that people without an ID who can produce an affidavit saying that they tried to procure one can also vote. If Trump wins re-election, it will be bad not only for the courts, but for people, because the court will change for decades to essentially be a legislative handmaiden of the right-wing radical movement, said Randi Weingarten, the president of the American Federation of Teachers, who will be among the board members. It is a very dangerous moment. Though two recent high-profile Supreme Court rulings on immigration and abortion rights were decided 5 to 4 by the courts four liberal justices joined by Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr., backers of the new effort say those outcomes only underscored the precarious balance. They note that the chief justice has had to maneuver internally to get those results in what some see as an effort to protect the courts traditional image as apolitical. And they warn that additional conservative Trump nominees in the years ahead could render moot Chief Justice Robertss swing-vote status. Those cases were decided on a thread, Ms. Weingarten noted. All of these cases should have been decided unequivocally. Conservatives have long been viewed as more motivated than liberals to base their vote for president on the prospect of future Supreme Court nominees, seeing the court as a last line of defense between their beliefs and the encroachment of progressive policies. Mr. Trumps promise to appoint known conservatives to the court along with the court vacancy held open by Senate Republicans was considered essential to his ability to maintain conservative and evangelical backing in 2016 despite concerns about his character. Conservative court activists say the new rulings on immigration and abortion, as well as one on gay rights, that they viewed as inappropriate legislating from the bench would resonate with conservative voters come November. The Army described the woman who was arrested as the estranged wife of a former Fort Hood soldier. She was in custody in the Bell County Jail awaiting the filing of charges. Her name was not immediately released. The arrest and the suicide were announced as the Texas Rangers, the Army C.I.D. and other agencies continued to process the scene near the Leon River in Bell County, Texas, where partial human remains were found on Tuesday. The Armed Forces Medical Examiner Service is assisting the Southwestern Institute of Forensic Sciences in Dallas with dental X-rays and DNA analysis. As they awaited the identification of the remains, Private Guillens family members gathered with their lawyer, Natalie Khawam, in Washington on Wednesday to demand a congressional investigation into her disappearance. As you know, it is not confirmed yet whether it is my sister or not, Mayra Guillen, one of Private Guillens sisters, said at a news conference in front of the United States Navy Memorial. At this point, everything points to it. Private Guillen was last seen wearing a black T-shirt and purple fitness-type pants in the parking lot of the Regimental Engineer Squadron Headquarters at Fort Hood between 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. on April 22. While adults often have a lot to teach young people about the world and how it works, those of us raising adolescents should not assume that we are the resident experts on racism. In many cases young people are not only opposed to racism, but they have embraced the call to work actively against it. Indeed, as many parents have already discovered, our teenagers are often more adept at recognizing and challenging bigotry than we are. There are good reasons for this. Herded together at school, adolescents are more likely than many adults to have close encounters with peers who dont share their views. Running into more friction gives teenagers a greater number of opportunities to sharpen their skills at confronting one another. Further, many of todays teenagers have a keener understanding of what constitutes racism than their predecessors, both because of what they are learning in school and also their own participation in a sometimes elaborate online discourse about intolerance. Sydney Sofola, age 17, of Oklahoma City, acknowledges that while the internet gets a bad rap, its where she has learned a great deal about anti-racism. When a peer posts something inappropriate online, she explained that people will slide up and say, I dont agree with that statement and heres why. Biased posts are often met with a detailed, critical comments section. You see other people confronting racism. If someone presents a bad argument, you may have already seen the rebuttal to that argument on the internet. Whether in person or online, todays teenagers may also be quicker to challenge intolerance than adolescents of past generations. They are more willing to call each other out than the teenagers I taught 20 to 25 years ago says Kristin Harder, a teacher at the Rivers School in Weston, Mass. The students she taught at the start of her career, she noted, had a tendency to try to explain away insensitive comments; more of todays young people, however, seem to be game for hard conversations. ISLAMABAD, Pakistan The European Unions announcement that Pakistan International Airlines would be barred from flying into Europe for at least six months is the latest blow to the countrys national flag carrier, which has been mired in financial and administrative troubles and has come under scrutiny after a crash in May that killed 97 people. The decision on Tuesday by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency to temporarily ban Pakistan International Airlines followed revelations last month by the Pakistani aviation minister, Ghulam Sarwar Khan, that a large number of pilots there and at other airlines had dubious credentials. Pakistan International has now grounded 150 of its pilots and an inquiry is underway to review their licenses and other documentation. The reports of the questionable credentials have put Pakistani pilots under international scrutiny. Earlier this week, Vietnam grounded 27 Pakistani pilots who fly for Vietnamese airlines. The United Arab Emirates has also sought verification of the credentials of Pakistani airline employees. The European air safety agency said the airline is currently not capable to certify and oversee its operators and aircraft in accordance with applicable international standards. The American response was a broad rather than targeted attack, with large amounts of money handed out quickly but indiscriminately and thus inefficiently by the Treasury, which had no system in place to do otherwise. The main point was to get money into the system so it did not shut down entirely, so consumer demand would continue. But the Treasury ended up giving a lot to those who did not need it including to many dead people and on a first-come, first-serve basis to employers, some of whom did not need the help. But even that huge spending, largely targeted at individuals rather than employers, did not prevent massive layoffs. Washington is relying on unemployment insurance and increased those payments by $600 a week, but that runs out at the end of July. Without any certainty about what comes next, consumers will hesitate to spend, slowing any recovery. The rise in unemployment in America has been roughly five times that in France, Mr. Pisani-Ferry wrote in a paper with Jeremie Cohen-Setton. As an immediate crisis response, the French (and European) approach undoubtedly offered a bigger bang for the buck. Lankford added in a statement of his own: Juneteenth is a day in our history that redefined the meaning of freedom and equality in America ... We should celebrate these strides on the federal level while remaining cognizant of the impact the existing 10 federal holidays have on federal services and local businesses. It worries others, too. Do we have terrorist cells inside our military? I never thought I would ask that question, but we have to, said Patrick Sensburg, a conservative lawmaker on the intelligence oversight committee and president of the reservist association. The commander of the KSK, Gen. Markus Kreitmayr, wrote a three-page letter to his troops after the recent raid, in which he addressed far-right soldiers directly: You dont deserve our camaraderie! he wrote, urging them to leave the unit on their own. If you dont, you will realize that we will find you and get rid of you! Ms. Kramp-Karrenbauer said efforts would now be intensified to determine whether recent and older cases of extremism were part of a network. The probability that its not just isolated cases but that there are connections is obvious and has to be fully investigated, Ms. Kramp-Karrenbauer said. Ms. Kramp-Karrenbauer added that she now wants to better integrate the KSK into the wider military to increase oversight of the unit. Training that had been conducted separately from other units would be opened up, security checks of new recruits would be intensified and the number of years soldiers could serve in the same company would be capped. The report presented to the minister by General Zorn concluded that parts of the KSK existed outside the military chain of command. The KSK, at least in some areas, has become independent in recent years, under the influence of an unhealthy understanding of elitism by individual leaders. But the failings were not just inside the KSK, the minister said. Across the military, ammunition and explosives have been allowed to go missing. JERUSALEM Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus push to annex territory in the occupied West Bank entered a critical window on Wednesday, but with his government divided, the White House indecisive and domestic opposition mounting, his allies said that a formal announcement could be weeks or even months away. International opposition is gaining steam, too: The British prime minister, Boris Johnson, added his name to the list of foreign leaders denouncing annexation, warning in a front-page op-ed in the newspaper Yediot Ahronot that it would be contrary to Israels own long-term interests and that his country would not recognize any such unilateral move. Mr. Netanyahu, seeking to cement his legacy, ran for re-election on a promise to impose Israeli sovereignty on as much as 30 percent of the West Bank, land that the Palestinians have long sought for a future state. His coalition agreement with Benny Gantz, the centrist former army chief who nearly defeated him, allowed him to proceed with annexation no sooner than July 1. But that date came and went Wednesday without any clarification from Mr. Netanyahu about what he intends to annex. The scenarios that continue to be floated in the Israeli news media only raise new questions. Were not fooling ourselves. We fully expect to see a slow return of travel, said Frank Comito, the chief executive and director general of the Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Association, which represents 33 national hotel associations in the region. We expect those that do open up in the coming months will take some time to see hotel occupancy levels even approach 50 percent. As countries reopen, most are mandating face masks indoors and social distancing. Other restrictions vary widely. Aruba reopened to Canadians, Europeans and most Caribbean nationals on July 1, and will open to visitors from the United States on July 10. St. Maarten reopened its airport on July 1. The Cayman Islands, a nation much less reliant on tourism (about 30 percent of its economy) compared to many of its neighbors, will wait until September. St. Barts is among several islands requiring a negative Covid-19 test of arrivals or offering one on the spot (for 155 euros, or about $175). Bonaire and Curacao reopened July 1, to some Europeans. The U.S.A. is not part of this reopening phase due to the fact that it is still considered high risk, according to a letter from Bonaire tourism to its travel partners. As governments have clarified their policies, airlines, including American, Delta, JetBlue and Southwest, plan to resume service to many Caribbean destinations in July. When they do, theyll be flying into a hurricane season that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicted could be above normal. In May, it forecast 13 to 19 named storms, including three to six major hurricanes at Category 3 and above. The plans come though Gov. Cuomo has warned he might tap the brakes on the citys reopening as coronavirus spikes in localities around the country that may have rushed their attempts to return to normalcy. Lee and Russell counties are at a very high-risk level when it comes to COVID-19, according to a new COVID-19 data map by the Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH). A color-coded state map displays four risk levels: very high, high, moderate and low indicated in red, orange, yellow and green, respectively. The risk level is based on the 14-day trend of COVID-19 cases in the county, ADPH announced Tuesday. For those counties that have had cases increasing for two weeks or more, thats a red-level designation, State Health Officer Dr. Scott Harris said in a Tuesday news conference. For those counties that have had increases in the rates between a week and two weeks, thats an orange-level designation or for those that are increasing for less than a week, thats a yellow-level designation and for those few counties that have rates have decreased during that time, that actually becomes a green-level designation. Alabama public school students can choose between working online from home or riding buses to brick-and-mortar schools this fall. State Schools Superintendent Eric Mackey included that option when he announced his road map last week to reopening Alabamas public schools. He noted that a survey showed about 15 percent of parents still arent comfortable sending their children back to school. Opelika City Schools spokeswoman Becky Brown said her district is close to announcing such plans for 2020-21 probably within the next week, she told the Opelika-Auburn News. Phenix City Schools unveiled plans Wednesday. Parents have until Monday, July 6, to decide whether their kids will show up for class next month or opt to do remote instruction, according to Superintendent Randy Wilkes. Those parents who arent sending their kids to their respective schools for the first day of classes Aug. 17 are directed to fill out an online survey. Wilkes offered a few words of caution for parents and students who choose the online route: Protesters were also fortifying their position by putting rebar into the barricades the cops had put in place, making them harder to move, had painted over surveillance cameras that were installed in the area years ago and had begun tacking signs onto trees within the park, the official said. Assemblyman David Gantt was a father to me, Rochester mayor Lovely Warren said in a statement. He loved me unconditionally and inspired me to be who I am today. He saw something deep within me and did everything he could to help me, and countless others, achieve their dreams. Stillwater, OK (74078) Today Occasional rain. Cooler. High 74F. Winds NNE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall around a quarter of an inch.. Tonight Clear skies. Low around 55F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph. Armed with a simply can of spray paint, French artist SCAF uses his imagination and mountains of talent to turn abandoned urban spaces into three-dimensional graffiti masterpieces. Looking at SCAFs expertly spray-painted trompe loeil graffiti artworks, its hard to believe that he is a completely self-taught street artist. He never studied art and started experimenting with graffiti in abandoned factories 18 years ago, after being inspired by a colleague at school. He has come a long way since his early days, as you can plainly see, but he continues to practice his skill in abandoned places, like factories, houses and manors, because he feels like his art adds value to such derelict edifices. Photo: scaf_oner/Instagram One of SCAFs trademarks is his interaction with his graffiti illusions. He likes posing for pictures with his creations, and that adds to the wow factor. Whether he is trying to avoid a giant man-eating creature, being disemboweled by a pack of hungry zombies, or relaxing on top of a giant treasure chest, his presence in the artwork makes it that much more impressive. Photo: scaf_oner/Instagram These stunning graffiti artworks have earned SCAF the praise and admiration of both fellow graffiti artist, as well as millions of art fans around the world. He routinely showcases his latest creations on his social media pages, like Instagram and Facebook. Photo: scaf_oner/Instagram Photo: scaf_oner/Instagram Photo: scaf_oner/Instagram Photo: scaf_oner/Instagram Photo: scaf_oner/Instagram For more incredibly detailed graffiti illusions, check out the works of Portuguese masters Vile and Odeith Amy Rosen BLJ Worldwide, a boutique strategic consultancy specializing in public diplomacy, communications, and global affairs, has named Amy Rosen president. Rosen joins BLJ Worldwide from Rubenstein Public Relations, where she was a vice president, overseeing clients in both the corporate and consumer practice, as well as leading media relations and communications programs. She was previously an executive vice president at Indra Public Relations, and has held senior roles at Hill + Knowlton Strategies, Edelman, Burson-Marsteller and Sard Verbinnen & Co. At BLJ Worldwide, Rosen will be responsible for overseeing the New York, Washington, D.C. and Doha offices while also providing clients with strategic communications counsel, and developing and leading media relations programs. Mickey Neuberger Realtor.com has named Mickey Neuberger chief marketing officer. Neuberger comes to Realtor.com from eBay, where he most recently served as VP, global marketing. He has also held executive marketing positions at Travelocity, Loyalty Lab and 24 Hour Fitness. In his new position, Neuberger will be responsible for driving realtor.coms marketing strategy, reporting to David Doctorow. Mickey brings a tremendous amount of marketing, product and technology experience, as well as strong leadership skills. Theres no doubt that his ability to drive results along with his operational mindset and creative approach will move us forward in our mission, said Doctorow. Neuberger will be based in the companys Santa Clara location once its offices reopen. Adam Selwyn MWWPR has brought on Adam Selwyn as executive vice president and chief creative officer. Selwyn comes to MWWPR from Weber Shandwick, where he led creative for its 3PM Group, which was designed to serve the agencys Anheuser-Busch business. He has also served as creative director, North America at Text100 and creative director, business development at Golin. In his new post, Selwyn will lead creative efforts across the firm's portfolio of clients in sectors including food and beverage, B2B, sports and entertainment, and technology. "I was incredibly impressed with the versatility of Adam's work throughout his career, and particularly most recently at 3PM where he demonstrated an ability to create truly breakthrough campaigns," said MWWPR CEO and founder Michael Kempner. Russia supplies talking points to its man in DC. Donald Trump on July 1 lashed out at reports that Russia's GRU intelligence service paid bounties to the Taliban for every American soldier they killed in Afghanistan. He tweeted: The Russia Bounty story is just another made up by Fake News tale that is told only to damage me and the Republican Party. The secret source probably does not even exist, just like the story itself. If the discredited @nytimes has a source, reveal it. Just another HOAX! The president must be an avid follower of the twitter feed of Russia's DC embassy. On June 27, it posted the following statement from Russia's foreign ministry: "We have paid attention to another piece of fake news, launched in the media space by the American intelligence community, about alleged involvement of Russias military intelligence unit in contract killings of US troops in Afghanistan. That unpretentious fake clearly demonstrates low intellectual abilities of US intelligence propagandists who have to invent such nonsense instead of devising something more credible." The statement went on to accuse the US intelligence community of involvement in Afghanistan drug trafficking, "making cash payments to militants for letting transport convoys pass through, kickbacks from contracts implementing various projects paid by American taxpayers." Trump, who claims the US intelligence community is part of the Deep State cabal out to get him, hasn't gotten around to the drug trafficking attack. He hasn't sunk that lowyet. The president desperately needed a diversion to deflect attention from his epic failure to deal with the COVID-19 crisis, but the Russian bounty story is a doozy. Mad as hellMore than seven in ten (71 percent) of Americans are "angry" about the state of the country, while two-thirds are "fearful," according to Pew Research. That anger and fear are widespread among Democrats and Republicans. Forty six percent of respondents are "hopeful" about the country and only 17 percent are proud to be American. The poll found that Joe Biden has a 10-point bulge (54 percent to 44 percent) over Trump in the election contest. The respondents give Biden big advantages over Trump in several personal traits and characteristics. The former VP trumps Trump in the "even-tempered," a "better role model," "cares about ordinary people" and "honest" categories. They are basically tied in the "courageous" department. Trump scores his only win over Biden (56 percent to 40 percent) in the "energetic" department. That "Sleepy Joe" nickname must be sticking in the minds of voters. Zuck in a hard place as more than 150 major advertisers including Unilever, Verizon, HP, Ford Motor and Adidas are "pausing" their spending on Facebook to protest the platform's failure to combat false information and hate speech. That's just the tip of the iceberg. The World Federation of Advertisers, which covers 90 percent of he world's advertising spending, says a third of the globe's biggest brands will either suspend or are likely to suspend their spending on all social media sites. A WFA survey of its membership found another 41 percent undecided about joining the fun. Stephan Loerke, CEO of he WFA, said advertisers and their agencies are extremely concerned about the proliferation of illegal and harmful content on social media platforms. The WFA believes the best way to drive change is for advertisers to work with platforms to change current practices and create a safer and fairer online media environment for everyone. The ball is in your court, Mark. I can tell you this: if this information turned out to be true, and now we may never know, but if it turned out to be true, we had options ready to go, and the president was ready to take strong action, as he always is, OBrien said. Olean, NY (14760) Today Scattered thunderstorms during the morning becoming more widespread this afternoon. Heavy downpours are possible. A few storms may be severe. High around 80F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 70%.. Tonight Overcast. Low near 50F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph. What's Included With a Digital Only subscription, you'll receive unlimited access to our website and e-edition. Our digital products are available 24/7 and are accessible anywhere, anytime. If you have any questions or need further assistance, please call our customer service team at 716-372-3121 or email nfinnerty@oleantimesherald.com. Black people BUILT 5th Ave and so much of this nation. Your luxury came from THEIR labor, for which they have never been justly compensated. We are honoring them, de Blasio tweeted at Trump. The fact that you see it as denigrating your street is the definition of racism. Its not that Dr. Angela Hewlett doesnt want Nebraskans to have fun or gather with family and friends. The infectious diseases physician with Nebraska Medicine just wants residents to take a lesson from Texas and do it safely so Nebraska can avoid rolling back its reopening. Texas and more than a half-dozen others have had to do just that in the face of rising coronavirus case counts. Shouldnt we heed warnings from Texas, where the governor had to walk back on opening due to a surge of COVID-19? Hewlett wrote recently on Twitter. The virus will be where people congregate, and bars with no restrictions will most certainly result in outbreaks. We need to do better. Hewlett, the medical director of the Nebraska Biocontainment Unit, has treated patients with Ebola and people with COVID-19. She said she doesnt want Nebraskans to become complacent and have COVID-19 take off here as it has elsewhere in the United States. Even though were opening things up, she said in an interview, we need to remember that this could really backfire on us and we could end up having to backtrack on opening like theyre doing in Texas and Arizona and other southern states. A sheriffs deputy from Red Willow County in southwest Nebraska was arrested after accusations that he used his patrol cruiser and service gun to threaten his wife. Justin Dice, 28, of the Red Willow County Sheriffs Office was arrested on suspicion of making terrorist threats, third-degree domestic violence, official misconduct and willful reckless driving, according to a statement Tuesday from the Nebraska State Patrol. The county seat of Red Willow is McCook. Dice is on administrative leave from the department, according to Sheriff Alan Kotschwar. He has posted $1,500 cash bail. The Nebraska Attorney Generals Office asked the patrol to investigate a report that on May 31, Dice had followed his wife in his patrol cruiser in such a manner that she had to take evasive actions to avoid a collision and to avoid being forced off the road. The couples two children were in the vehicle at the time of the incident on U.S. Highway 83, the patrol said in a release. Dice is also accused of having pointed his deputys sidearm at his wife during an argument on May 13. Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Bellevue Public Schools students should sharpen their pencils and get their backpacks ready. The school district has joined several others in the metro area in announcing plans to have all students back in the classroom this August. School is set to begin Aug. 13. In a letter to parents, Bellevue Superintendent Jeff Rippe said adjustments to the school day will be made to follow the advice of health officials. He told families to expect updates from the district in the coming weeks as plans are finalized. Rippe wrote that it is highly probable that the district will require masks for students and staff when social distancing cannot occur. If masks are required, the districts foundation will provide a mask to each student and staff member. This week, the Elkhorn Public Schools, Millard Public Schools and Westside Community Schools all said they will welcome all students back for in-person classes every school day this August. To blend social sciences, such as psychology and sociology, with the information sciences to develop prevention strategies. To learn how extremist groups recruit and incite their followers to perpetrate violence, spot early warning signs of radicalization and interrupt that process abroad and in the United States. To develop a nationwide workforce that is skilled in the fight against terrorism. Michelle Black, assistant professor of political science at UNO, will serve as director of workforce development for the program. She and team members will help determine what works in the training, education and professional development of the counterterrorism workforce. They will work with the DHS to craft the requirements for training and education of those at DHS and in other national security organizations. Theres constant learning that goes on, Black said. The headquarters for the program will move into part of an addition being built at UNOs Mammel Hall, on the campus south of Pacific Street. The privately backed $17 million wing will be finished early next year. UNO team members will work from home until the coronavirus pandemic subsides. The emerald ash borer, an invasive insect expected to wipe out most ash trees, has been found in central Nebraska. The insect was found along a street in Kearney by the local parks department, and the discovery was confirmed by the Nebraska and U.S. Departments of Agriculture. This is the first Nebraska discovery outside the eastern portion of the state, according to a press release from the Nebraska Department of Agriculture. The insect, native to Asia, was first found in Omaha in 2016, and since then several eastern Nebraska counties have been placed under quarantine for the movement of ash trees and wood. Steve Wellman, director of the Nebraska Department of Agriculture, said its inevitable the insect will continue to spread. Infestations are devastating because ash trees make up a sizable percentage of the natural and urban forest. When they die, the trees become brittle and pose a significant hazard to property and public safety. Cities are proactively removing ash trees. By contrast, enrollment in ADC increased by 6% in 2010, when the nation went through its last big recession. ADC provides direct cash assistance to the lowest-income families in the state. To qualify, a family of three can earn no more than $12,228 annually. Assistance is limited to 60 months over a lifetime. On Tuesday, Voices for Children and Nebraska Appleseed, two advocacy groups that focus on poverty issues, urged state officials to use the reserves that have built up in the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program to help those struggling families. Taylor Gage, the governors spokesman, said the Governors Office and HHS have been monitoring enrollment in ADC and reviewing options for use of the TANF money in light of the pandemic. He noted there had been an initial increase in ADC participation, which began to taper in May. Gage said the governor and then-State Sen. Kathy Campbell of Lincoln agreed on a plan in 2015 to increase ADC benefits using federal money. Retaining an adequate TANF balance has been a priority since the agreement was reached, Gage said. Roshdy Zakaria, chairman of the national carrier, said the sixth jet of the same model would arrive next week out of a total eight A320Neo jets contracted by EgyptAir, as well as seven other A321Neo jets set to join the carriers fleet later. Zakaria said that EgyptAir is committed to its plan to modernise its fleet despite challenges seen by the sector globally due to the coronavirus pandemic. With the operation of the newly-received aircraft, EgyptAir becomes the first company to operate both the Airbus A320Neo and Airbus A220 modern aircraft in its fleet in the Middle East and Africa. Bringing all the standards of comfort and incorporating new engine choices, aerodynamic improvements, and the latest cabin features, the A320Neo Family will offer up to 20 percent savings in fuel burn per seat by 2020, two tons of additional payload, and 500 nautical miles of more range. Its operating costs are lower, along with a nearly 50 percent reduction in engine noise and NOx emissions 50 percent below the current industry standard. Wednesdays announcement came as Egypt, in a bid to offset losses by the sector, reopened its airports for international flights for the first time in more than three months since a flight suspension was put in place over the coronavirus. EgyptAir has said it is due to operate 14 international flights carrying around 2,000 passengers from Cairo International Airport on Wednesday. The air travel sectors losses, which amount to billions of Egyptian pounds, have pushed private and national airlines to seek government aid. EgyptAir has started talks with the National Bank of Egypt and Banque du Caire on a EGP 3 billion loan, with the deal set to be finalised this month. The loan aims to help the carriers repay external loans in the coming months amid a stall in revenues due to the crisis, Zakaria said in earlier press statements, estimating losses by the company at EGP 3 billion since the outbreak began. Short link: No sign of that Tuesday. Biden took more than a half-hour of questions, continuing the briefing even after his campaign aides tried closing it down. He charged Trump with dereliction of duty on the news that Russians may have paid the Taliban bounties to kill U.S. troops. Students taking spring courses when the pandemic hit finished their work and reported that they enjoyed experience, Rodriguez said. Students had some trepidation at first, but told us, at the end of the quarter, that their experience was pretty cool. MCC courses emphasize online or a combination of online and face-to-face learning. Students learn in small class sizes (15-to-1 ratio), and at a lower cost (Nebraska residents pay $66 per credit hour). On average, Rodriguez said, MCC students complete their first two years of college for less than half the cost of a four-year state college or university. This can be a game-changer, she said. If youre strategic about your college experience, you can gain tremendous ground by taking courses at MCC. MCC is reimagining learning methods, some brought on by the pandemic. The five primary methods allow students to learn the way that they prefer. MCC Anytime: Sometimes referred to as remote learning, these courses are unscheduled. Students decide when to log on to complete their work. This option is for students who require flexible schedules but are motivated to complete the required assignments. You learn at your own pace, when its convenient for you, McDonnell said. Are you a current print subscriber? You qualify for online access to the Omak Chronicle. To receive your access, create a website account and then verify your print subscription or e-edition subscription with your subscriber number, which may be found on your bill or mailing label. Manhattan: I was born in Holland, a country many people call tolerant. Slavery was abolished there in 1863, but a lot of prejudice continued. I used to be scared of Zwarte Piet (Black Pete), Santas assistant, whos in blackface, because if you hadnt been a good kid, he might put you in his bag and take you to Spain. Was this a way of engendering bias in children? After having been hidden as a child to survive the Holocaust, I have been living in America since 1955. America is considered the country where every good possibility can become a reality. Yet still there are so many people waiting for equal treatment. Isnt it time? Johanna Reiss In the face of all this, the City Council approved a budget after just one virtual hearing and no public transparency and it utterly misses the mark. The mayor claims the budget cuts the NYPDs funding by $1 billion. But as Speaker Corey Johnson himself admitted, it does no such thing. The budget cuts are largely pretense, designed to feign action without making any meaningful changes to reduce police violence and the excessive intrusion of police and police tactics into the lives of black and brown New Yorkers. 2008-2021 One News Page Ltd. All rights reserved. One News is a registered trademark of One News Page Ltd. The U.S. will continue to stand with the freedom-loving people of Hong Kong and respond to Beijings attacks on freedoms of speech, says the Secretary of State A proposed 19 million dollar (about 15.3 million) settlement for Harvey Weinsteins accusers has been slammed as a complete sellout. The agreement, announced by New York attorney general Letitia James, would resolve two lawsuits against the disgraced Hollywood producer. The first one involves The Weinstein Company while the second is a separate class action lawsuit brought by women who say they were assaulted by the convicted rapist, who is serving a 23-year prison sentence. The settlement is awaiting approval from the bankruptcy and district courts. Harvey Weinstein was once one of Hollywoods most powerful... Hong Kong police have made their first arrests under a new national security law imposed by China, starting with a protester who was carrying a flag calling for the territorys independence. The man was arrested after police had issued multiple warnings to the crowd at a protest in the Causeway Bay shopping district that they might be in violation of the law, according to a police statement on Twitter. Hong Kong police said later that they had arrested more than 30 people on various charges, from unlawful assembly to violation of the national security law. Police detain a protester (Kin Cheung/AP) AP/PA Images / Police detain a protester (Kin Cheung/AP) The law, imposed by China after last... President Trump on Wednesday blasted New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio for his plans to paint Black Lives Matter in front of Trump Tower in Manhattan, urging the city to instead spend its money on the New York Police Department. An investigative panel looking into violent crimes and abuse at the Fort Hood Army base in Texas said on Tuesday it found a command.. Reuters Studio 08 Dec 2020 School closures have been, and will continue to be, an unmitigated disaster for most NYC public school students and their families. The DOE does not know how many students actually attended virtual classes. By late April, thousands of students did not have access to remote learning devices at all. Even with DOE providing iPads, students living in homeless shelters have been unable to find reliable internet connections. Parents have struggled to find adequate childcare. While most public school students fall behind, however, the top third of students will return from COVID-induced breaks with strong educational gains. Denmark Confuses EGBA and Industry with New Taxation Plan Published July 1, 2020 by Lee R Denmark's citizens may stray into risky play of shore if slapped with a 25% tax increase. Progressive Denmark is facing a backlash over new taxation increases. EGBA Trade Concerns The European Gaming and Betting Association EGBA is taking issue with Denmark's newly announced plans to increase gross gaming revenue tax from 20% to 28% by 2021. Discouraging Channelisation The EGBA is concerned that this tax would unduly discourage users and drive more players towards illegal offshore betting where Denmark citizen's will be unprotected by the well-known measures Denmark has established for self-exclusion and related protections. GGR Already Dropped Think Tank H2 Gambling Capital has already reported a significant 17% drop in gross gaming revenue for Denmark's licensed operators for 2020. Prevailing Deposit Issue Before COVID, in January 2020, the countrys gambling market was already dealing with limited deposits. Channelisation Projections Unsightly data projections from the impact of the new tax in Denmark are not pretty, with channelisation likely to drop 12 points to 76% from the current 88% by 2024further reverberating into a near 25% drop for operator revenue as well, to the tune of some 4.5 billion Danish Kroner (537.512 million). EGBA Secretary Speaks EGBA secretary general Maarten Haijer called for a delicate balance to be struck between taxation levels and control of the market. If taxes are too high, customers will look for more competitive websites in the offshore market. Proposed Tax Impact H2 estimates that the suggested climb in taxes would increase offshore gambling nearly 80%. Some prognosticators are suggesting moderation to a less substantive 1% increase to 22% which would soften the blow on onshore operators. Haijer Calls Out Legislators Haijer further called for Denmark legislators to be wary of letting their own interests conflict with hard data: Legislators should beware of the entirely predictable consequences of a substantial tax increase and balance their monetary priorities against the interests of the Danish consumer. Outlook Hopefully, Denmark's legislators can ultimately adapt a common ground consistent with their leadership model for effective protection of citizens from gambling harm. Soft2Bet Introduces Quick Deposit Tool at Wazamba Casino Published July 1, 2020 by Mike P Soft2Bet promises greater immersion now that Wazamba Casino players are able to use the brand-new quick deposit tool to complete transactions without exiting games. Multichannel gambling operator Soft2Bet has implemented a cutting-edge new feature for players registered with the companys flagship Wazamba Casino brand. Termed as a quick deposit tool by Soft2Bet, the intention is to enable users to top up their bankroll with just one click or tap of the screen on their preferred device. In-game Deposits Now Possible From a technical standpoint, Soft2Bet has designed the quick deposit tool to be used without players being required to exit their current game and visit the cashier. Soft2Bet intends to make the in-game experience more seamless by ensuring players have the option to deposit instantly from within their current game. At Wazamba, Soft2Bet has made all payment methods compatible with the quick deposit tool. This applies without exception for desktop and mobile devices, which can now be used for in-game deposits when paired with the likes of NETELLER, Skrill, MasterCard, VISA, Trustly, ecoPayz, Interac, paysafecard, Bitcoin, and a handful of cryptocurrencies. Soft2Bet CEO Boris Chaikin has described the companys ambition as world-class and intends to elevate the level of the player experience across other iGaming brands. Among those operates under licence from Curacao and Malta are brands such as Campobet, Light Casino, Malina Casino, Nomini Casino, Rabona, and Zulabet. The Background of Soft2Bet With the support of affiliate programme 7StarsPartners, Soft2Bet operates casino sites and online sportsbooks whose digital platforms can be developed in-house. After setting up the business in 2016, Soft2Bet has rapidly expanded to create offices situated in Bulgaria, Cyprus, Malta, Portugal, and Serbia. Each brand that is established by Soft2Bet has the potential to accept payments with the help of more than 40 providers from the financial technology sector. Switching to software, the company has developed a network with more than 30 contributing providers that are depended on to deliver more than 4,000 games for Soft2Bet casinos online. Laxman Pai, Opalesque Asia: The global alternative investment firm Summit Partners has raised two new megafunds. Summit Partners Europe Growth Equity Fund III, a growth fund, closed at its hard cap with 1.1 billion ($1.2 billion) in total commitments. Besides, Summit also closed its latest venture capital fund, Summit Partners Venture Capital Fund V, its hard cap with $1 billion in commitments. The new funds to focus on European and venture-capital deals, taking advantage of surging demand for vehicles that invest in fast-growing young companies, said a press release from the growth-equity pioneer. Investors in Summit's current European growth fund include Texas County & District Retirement System, Austin; Maine Public Employees Retirement System, Augusta; and Sacramento County (Calif.) Employees' Retirement System. Maine PERS and Sacramento County also committed to the current venture capital fund. Peter Chung, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer said: "Amid tremendous disruption around the world in recent months, we are deeply grateful for the ongoing trust of our limited partners and their steadfast support of the Summit Partners growth equity strategy." The previous European growth fund, Summit Partners Europe Growth Equity Fund II, closed on 700 million in 2017, and the previous venture capital fund, Summit Partners Venture Capital Fund IV, closed on $730 million also in 2017. Founded in 1984 and based in Boston, Summit was among...................... To view our full article Click here Opalesque Industry Update - B2C2, the trading firm of choice in the institutional crypto markets, today announced that SBI Financial Services (a subsidiary of SBI Holdings, SBI) has agreed to acquire a $30 million minority stake in the firm. The investment marks the start of a strategic partnership between one of the largest institutions to have ventured into the crypto market and a veteran digital asset trading firm. SBI, owner of Japan's first digital bank and largest online brokerage, is listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange and is a member of the TOPIX stock index. B2C2 will become SBI's main liquidity provider as SBI expands its crypto offering to millions of existing customers. B2C2 will also benefit from SBI's distribution network and financial firepower as it launches an electronic prime brokerage built upon its highly successful single dealer platform. This month, the firm will release a fully automated facility to provide the most competitive two-way prices in the funding market. This capability expands B2C2's existing secured financing operation, already lending hundreds of millions of dollars. B2C2 will continue to develop its offering until it constitutes a complete cross-asset prime brokerage business. Yoshitaka Kitao, President and CEO of SBI Holdings, said: "We expect a lot of synergies with B2C2, a firm which has a large number of clients globally and offers abundant liquidity, excellent price competitiveness, and a diverse suite of products for their customers. We will work to develop innovative new crypto products and deepen synergies across our group of companies." Max Boonen, Founder of B2C2, said: "Today's deal with SBI takes B2C2 a big step forward. Having claimed the top spot in our segment thanks to the technological edge of our single dealer platform, we found in SBI the right partner to unlock the next drivers of our growth. B2C2 will benefit from SBI's balance sheet, which is far larger than anything committed to the crypto market to date. It will complement our asset liability management framework - the most sophisticated in the market - to deliver an execution platform that will not only be a game changer in crypto, but also positions us to expand across asset classes as we set our sights on the $20bn-a-year prime brokerage market." B2C2 is a veteran digital asset trading group with a world-class team drawn from global investment banks and buy-side firms. Headquartered in the UK, with offices in London, Tokyo and Jersey City, B2C2 is trusted by banks, brokerages, exchanges and fund managers globally to provide 24/7 liquidity. Continuously innovative, B2C2 launched the first crypto-native single dealer platform in 2016 and was the first foreign dealer to succeed in the Japanese market. In 2019, the firm launched the first OTC streaming price feed and was the first crypto company in the EU to secure a MiFID investment firm licence. B2C2 OTC Ltd. is authorised and regulated by the UK's Financial Conduct Authority (FRN 810834). Article source - Opalesque is not responsible for the content of external internet sites Opalesque Industry Update - After a strong 2019, the ASEAN private equity industry has been shaken by the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, reports Preqin. As of September 2019 (the latest data available), ASEAN-focused private equity and venture capital assets under management had reached a record-high $29bn, an increase of 23% from December 2018. In 2019, private equity funds secured an aggregate $6.0bn - but in the first quarter of 2020, no capital was raised by ASEAN-focused private equity funds. Similarly, venture capital fundraising reached a new high of $2.0bn in 2019, but only one fund closed in the first three months of 2020, at a size of $150mn. Dealmaking also slumped dramatically - in Q1 2020, deal value reached $0.2bn and $2.7bn for private equity-backed buyout deals and venture capital deals respectively. However, in this new environment, there are some emerging sectors that are attracting increasing attention: healthcare, fintech, and logistics & e-commerce. Ee Fai Kam, Head of Asia Research & Operations, commented: "ASEAN private equity was at its best-ever position at the end of last year. Fundraising and dealmaking reached record levels, and assets under management saw three consecutive years of record highs. But the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the ASEAN private equity market. Travel restrictions have had an outsized impact on fundraising activities in ASEAN, as the bulk of the investor base is situated offshore. Dealmaking also decreased amid the pandemic, but with the new environment, new opportunities are coming up in emerging sectors. Demand for quality healthcare in Southeast Asia is rising exponentially, digital transformation is imminent, especially in companies and traditional financial institutions, and there is an increasing need for tech-enabled logistics and e-commerce platforms to efficiently serve consumers' demand." Key Southeast Asia Private Equity & Venture Capital Facts: As of September 2019 (the latest data available), ASEAN-focused private equity & venture capital assets under management reached $29bn. As of December 2018, AUM was at $23.6bn. In Q1 2020, no capital was secured by ASEAN-focused private equity funds. Fundraising in venture capital reached only $150mn with one fund closed. In the first three months of 2020, there were only 10 private equity-backed buyout deals, with an aggregate deal value of $0.2bn. Venture capital deal value ascended to $2.7bn with 101 deals completed. In 2019, 69 private equity-backed buyout deals closed reaching $3.7bn and 579 venture capital deals collecting $7.0bn. Healthcare, fintech and logistics & e-commerce are attracting particular interest in Southeast Asia. Most known investors in ASEAN-focused funds (79%) are based outside the region. Press release Bg For more information and analysis, see the full Private Equity & Venture Capital in Southeast Asia's Digital Evolution report here: Article source - Opalesque is not responsible for the content of external internet sites (Melbourne, Australia) - On June 18th, The Lemon podcast addressed the racism that Sarah Tiong, experienced during a recent radio interview. During the call, the MasterChef Australia contestant was greeted with ni hao ma. On the incident, Sarah had this to say, Let me explain. It is racist to assume I identify as Chinese and speak the Chinese language. Even if I have referenced such heritage or knowledge in the Dear Amy: My fiance and I are both doctors in a mid-sized American city. We are regularly caring for COVID patients and recognize that we are high-risk to be potential vectors. We've spent the last several months being absolutely horrified by this disease and shocked that some don't seem to be taking it seriously. My fiances family lives in a different state, where his sister is supposed to get married next month. Despite our frequently voiced discomfort, the current plan is for a 95-person wedding -- grandparents and all! -- with absolutely no COVID precautions at all in his parents backyard (outside, at least, but their home will be open to anyone). Masks and physical distancing are not on the table; they say they cant control what people do and that things have gone back to normal where they are. In a nutshell, they get their news from far more conservative sources than we do, don't know people who have been sick, and don't think it can happen to them. Obviously, in an ideal world we could talk this out and end up with a wedding that would at least feel a little more responsible. The only concession has been that they've said they will understand if we feel like we can't come. At this point, it feels like any decision we make is wrong. My fiance desperately wants to be there, but it is hard to imagine spending 36 hours in a series of situations that are risky and socially negligent. Do we go? Do we stay? If we do go, do we wear masks and attempt to physically distance despite the fact that this will be completely out of place and seen as a political statement? If we don't go, how do we bow out gracefully? Caught Couple Dear Caught: You and your fiance are medical experts, but maybe it will take an amateur (me) to clarify things for you: Wake up! Wake up and smell the COVID! As physicians on the front lines, you risk exposing others to illness. You admit as much in your question! Please dont let others frame this choice as political, when it is medical. If you as physicians lack the ability to make a clear choice, based on science, then what chance do the rest of us have? Because you are concerned and compliant (good for you!), if you did attend the wedding, you would have to get tested, travel, (possibly) isolate, get tested again, and wear masks and maintain your distance while there. The ethical choice is for you to stay home. The way to bow out gracefully is to respond honestly: We are heartbroken to miss this wedding, but we realize that we pose a risk to others, and we could not live with ourselves if someone became ill because of our presence. We hope you have a wonderful time and look forward to seeing lots of photos and videos. These family members might be willing/able to livestream the wedding for you. Dear Amy: I feel very much a part of our country, and have many patriotic feelings. However, I believe that for some people, flying the flag at home has become a conservative political statement. That is not a message I wish to convey. I want to fly the Stars and Stripes on my house over the July 4 holiday. How can I do this without sending the wrong message? Confused in Kansas Dear Confused: You can (and should) fly the flag without sending the wrong message, by not caring what other people think or how they interpret your patriotism. In fact, I believe your concern and overthinking about this contributes to the very problem you are attempting to highlight. If you believe we are in the midst of a culture war, then be a brave warrior and exercise your own freedom and the right to fly the flag, for goodness sake. You can email Amy Dickinson at askamy@amydickinson.com or send a letter to Ask Amy, P.O. Box 194, Freeville, NY 13068 A remarkable campaign of protests by Adidas employees over alleged racial inequities inside the company has led to another victory for workers. On Tuesday, the company confirmed that Karen Parkin, its global human resources chief, was leaving the company. Parkins departure comes three weeks after the worlds second-largest sneaker company pledged millions of dollars to address fair and equitable hiring across Adidas. The program will remove hiring bias, increase representation and create more accountability and oversight Adidas said. I have decided to retire and pave the way for change, Ms. Parkin wrote in a memo to staff, reported by the Wall Street Journal. She wrote that she had always stood against racism, but I recognize that the focus on me has become a hindrance inhibiting the company from moving forward. Corporations from every sector are having to deal with the Black Lives Matter movement, which has grown into the largest, most important civil rights movement since the late 1960s. Racial equity is a particularly delicate issue for Adidas and its larger rival, Nike. Both companies rely on Black athletes, musicians and entertainers to wear and promote their products. Complaints by Adidas employees about the lack of equal opportunity first surfaced in the fall of 2018. The group sent a letter to management complaining of bullying, racism and inequality. They accused Adidas of fostering a culture that embodies the opposite of inclusivity, rooted in personal relationships, racial bias and not necessarily on experience or qualifications. Adidas response was indifferent. According to multiple reports in the mainstream and industry press, Parkin allegedly dismissed the complaints as noise. Speaking at a company meeting in Boston, Parkin allegedly added that no one was complaining except for the employees in North America. As the number of fatal encounters between Black men and police officers mounted, the Adidas protests also grew. This spring and summer, employees began to stage demonstrations at the noon hour. In the middle of a deep recession and record unemployment due to the coronavirus, it was a gutsy move to call out their own employer. But they stuck with it. Their numbers grew to about 200. Julia Bond, one of the leaders of the movement, told The Oregonian/OregonLive earlier this month that she wanted an apology from her employer. Its frustrating to see images of black women around the brand, wearing the clothing and wearing the shoes but theres nobody that looks like me that is there designing the products, said Bond, 25. She said she is the only black, female apparel designer working at Adidas corporate office in Portland. I see the potential this brand has to do the right thing and be a leader, Bond said. I see the potential to do very good work, but it starts with Adidas apologizing. On June 10, Adidas reversed itself. In a public mea culpa that was long and unsparing, the company said employees were correct in claiming Adidas had not done enough to hire and promote people of color. For most of you, this message is too little, too late, Adidas said in a lengthy series of tweets. Weve celebrated athletes and artists in the Black community and used their image to define ourselves culturally as a brand, but missed the message in reflecting such little representation within our walls First, we need to give credit where its due: The success of Adidas would be nothing without Black athletes, Black artists, Black employees, and Black consumers. Period. In the same twitter stream, Adidas gave a shout out to the workers in Portland who took the enormous risk of picketing their own employer. Our Black co-workers have shown us through their words and actions what leadership looks like, and the changes adidas can make. Theyve led the response that we will continue to implement together. This isnt the final step; this is just the first. Adidas said it will spend $120 million over the next four years on a series of initiatives to increase opportunities for people of color. It will also finance 50 scholarships each year for Black students at its partner schools. Adidas officials did not return phone calls or emails. The company did announce Parkins departure in an announcement issued Tuesday. Igor Landau, chairman of the Adidas AG supervisory board, thanked Parkin for her 23 years of service. Her decision to leave the company reflects that commitment and her belief that a new HR leader will best drive forward the pace of change that adidas needs at this time, Landau said. A state project to expand Interstate 5 through the Rose Quarter lost major support Tuesday after a community nonprofit leading an effort to revitalize the nearby Albina neighborhood and city, county and regional elected officials announced they no longer support the plan. In an email to the projects manager and another Oregon Department of Transportation official, Albina Vision Trust Managing Director Winta Yohannes said the project doesnt align with her groups values. The nonprofits mission is to help restore and revitalize the Albina neighborhood that in the last century was home to 80% of Portlands Black population before most of those residents were displaced through eminent domain, gentrification and racism. Black families homes and businesses were bulldozed and the land sold to make way for I-5, Legacy Emanuel Medical Center, Veterans Memorial Coliseum and other urban renewal projects. The groups vision includes capping parts of I-5 to create connecting pedestrian corridors, greenspace and housing. We believed that this project presented ODOT and its partners the opportunity to consider how a major public investment could be in service of broader community visions for healing, the generation of short- and long-term wealth creation opportunities and caring for our children who are here today and those who will live in lower Albina in the future, Yohannes said in the email. Despite our good faith efforts, we do not see our engagement resulting in meaningful changes to the project or its anticipated outcomes. Yohannes told The Oregonian/OregonLive Tuesday that she felt the I-5 project is substantially the same project now as when several elected leaders and others publicly testified in opposition to it in January, calling for more reckoning with the historical impact of the freeways construction on the lower Albina neighborhood, a more robust environmental review and an analysis of the feasibility of building more substantial covers over the freeway. The state transportation agency established an executive steering committee as part of seeking solutions. But Yohannes said that during a meeting of the steering committee last week, a draft of the groups charter said its goal was to move forward with the project as originally designed in 2017 under a statewide transportation bill. She said her group and others had made clear the project in that form was inadequate and harmful to revitalizing the neighborhood. It became more and more clear that the Oregon Department of Transportation didnt intend to meaningfully incorporate feedback from stakeholders, she said. We have people in the streets demanding that the government be accountable for racial justice, and we needed to see from ODOT a commitment to rise to the call for restorative action now, Yohannes said. Everything theyve put forth to date falls short of that. And we werent willing to endorse a project or a process where we couldnt confidently say that it will lead to a better future. Elected leaders who testified against the project in January were among those who said Tuesday they supported Albina Vision Trusts decision and that they too no longer support the project. Eudaly, the Portland City Council member who oversees the citys transportation bureau, said Tuesday she will step down from her position on the projects executive steering committee, calling it the wrong project for the city, and the existing Rose Quarter I-5 corridor a monument to the racist legacy of our transportation system. She said she felt it was always difficult for the projects price tag to justify what the states own analysis shows would lead to modest decreases in traffic, roadway injuries and deaths and carbon emissions. She said the City Council made congesting pricing a requirement for the freeway expansion, but the state transportation department has been resistant to the idea. Eudaly said it became clear to her after the steering committees meeting that the advisory body would apparently have no governing authority. Willamette Week reported Multnomah County Commissioner Jessica Vega Pederson, who is also on the steering committee, also said Tuesday that she wouldnt back the project without Albina Vision Trusts involvement. Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler said on Twitter that he is also withdrawing his support from the project because the state transportation department hasnt met specific community, environmental and economic development goals. Metro President Lynn Peterson said Tuesday that Albina Vision Trust recognizes that there is still much work to be done in crafting a process that builds trust with agency partners and the community, and in developing a project that achieves restorative justice. For the past month, Oregonians have stood up to demand that the needs of Black community members be prioritized in decision-making, she said in a statement. Yes, ODOT has made strides in the right direction, but not enough. Brendan Finn, the director of the state transportation departments urban mobility office, said the agency acknowledges historic harm local transportation projects have done to Albinas Black community and that more work has to be done by the department to address the concerns of the projects partners. As we move forward, we hope to engage our partners in further discussion to earn the communitys trust not through words but through actions, Finn said in a statement. Weve got to get it right and meet the communitys needs we will keep showing up to do just that. April DeLeon-Galloway, a state transportation spokesperson, said the project would move forward. She said the agency planned to do more outreach to the citys Black residents and other communities of color to get feedback on the project, including its design. She said the transportation department is in the process of hiring a manager to lead the projects construction, which DeLeon-Galloway said would bring jobs and other long-term economic opportunities to the community. Yohannes said Tuesday her group is firm in its position Tuesday to not support the project and its leaders will discuss next steps with city, county, Metro and Portland Public Schools officials. The projects progress or lack thereof has potential statewide implications. The I-5 widening project was a key part of a statewide transportation bill passed by Oregon lawmakers in 2017. The Albina Vision Trusts leaders were among those who pushed for the state to conduct a full environmental impact study of the freeway projects impact on city air and noise pollution. But the Transportation Commission, a governor-appointed board that acts as the states top decision-making body for highway and freeway projects, announced in April that it wont require an extensive environmental analysis of the projects likely impacts. Officials said conducting such a study could add three years to the overall project timeline. As planned by the state DOT, the Rose Quarter project is expected to cost up to $795 million, and likely significantly more if the state were to move forward with proposals to cover the freeway to allow for building construction above the freeway. The broader project area includes a roughly 1.8-mile stretch of I-5 between the Interstate 84 and Interstate 405 interchanges. The project would also include a new bike and pedestrian bridge, a new seismically sound freeway overcrossing and surface street changes. The project would also add merging lanes along that stretch of congested freeway and highway shoulders. Proponents of the project have said it will ease traffic, but opponents say it could lead to more congestion because itll encourage more drivers on the freeway. Construction could start as soon as next year. -- Everton Bailey Jr; ebailey@oregonian.com | 503-221-8343 | @EvertonBailey Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories. Gov. Kate Brown said Wednesday that the planned widening of Interstate 5 through the historic Albina neighborhood that was once home to nearly 80% of Oregons Black population will not happen without the support of Portlands Black community. She made her brief remarks a day after a non-profit focused on revitalizing the Albina area to right historic wrongs and three elected officials announced they dont support the project as currently planned by the Oregon Department of Transportation. Brown did not say that she had pulled her support from the Rose Quarter project, which the Oregon Legislature authorized and agreed to fund under a mammoth 2017 transportation package. But she said, Its my hope that this particular project can be part of righting historic wrongs. And she said she is committed to bringing people back to the table to discuss how the planned changes to the interstate and its surroundings can and should accomplish that. Beginning in the 1950s, the Albina neighborhood was torn asunder. Black families homes and businesses were bulldozed and the land sold to make way for I-5, Legacy Emanuel Medical Center, Veterans Memorial Coliseum and other urban renewal projects. Albina Vision, the non-profit that pulled its support for the project on Tuesday, has endorsed an approach to revitalizing the area that includes capping parts of I-5 to create connecting pedestrian corridors, greenspace and affordable housing. This is a breaking news story and may be updated. -- Betsy Hammond; betsyhammond@oregonian.com; @OregonianPol Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories. Yet in the era of Trump, such a story was buried, with few noticing that, on the heels of tweeting out a video of a supporter shouting White power!, Trump tweeted out another of a report from ABC News about a wealthy white couple, Mark and Patricia McCluskey, threatening BLM protestors whose only weapons appear to be their phones and perhaps a bongo drum with a handgun and an assault rifle. The McCloskeys, two lawyers who may themselves face legal questions, claim that they felt in danger for their lives. The video certainly doesnt make it appear so, and why it was necessary for them to point guns at protesters rather than just hold on to them is a question Id like to hear them answer. Multnomah County health officials acknowledged Tuesday that they are still working to rebuild relationships with refugee and immigrant community leaders to try to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. People of color continue to be disproportionally affected by COVID-19 in Multnomah County, and public health officials first said earlier in June that they were concerned about recent upticks of cases in immigrant and refugee groups. Multnomah County partnered with a number of organizations to translate information and to try to track the spread of the virus. But much of that work had to start from the ground up. Dr. Jennifer Vines, Multnomah Countys health officer, said the county put concentrated efforts into the same type of relationship building during the H1N1 pandemic a decade ago, but a lack of funding meant the relationships werent sustained. Some of that work ended up succumbing to shrinking budgets, Vines said. Vines said the pandemic is a renewed lesson about the importance of ongoing relationships with refugee and immigrant community leaders. Vines and others addressed the rise in cases among refugee communities at a press conference Tuesday. Multnomah County officials did not disclose the numbers of cases linked to specific communities. They also did not say exactly how many contact tracers that they have brought on board so far to work with each community. Latino communities are still extremely overrepresented in coronavirus cases, representing 35% of all positive cases in Multnomah County despite only making up 11% of the population. Kim Toevs, the countys communicable disease director, said officials also became concerned in May about increasing cases in the Pacific Islander community. Data from the Oregon Health Authority show Pacific Islanders have 118 cases per 10,000 people more than three times the rate of any other ethnic group in the state. Multnomah County has seen growing cases in other immigrant populations, specifically within African and South Asian refugee groups, Toevs said. Statewide, officials have forecasted an exponential growth in cases by the middle of July. Toevs attributed the rise in cases to people expanding their social circles too much, too fast. County officials and community advocates listed a number of reasons why immigrants and refugees specifically are more affected by COVID-19. Most speak English as a second language, making it harder to access and understand resources and guidelines. Many live in close quarters, in multi-generational and multi-family homes. Many are essential workers. Some dont have access to the Internet. Refugees often have underlying health conditions from the time they spent in refugee camps overseas and still live in poverty. Toevs said immigrants and refugees often experience trauma from previous, and current, governments, leading to a sense of mistrust. Manu Malo Alailima, a member of the Pacific Islander Coalition, said shes worked with families who are reluctant to share information about their household size because they were worried about getting in trouble. Djimet Dogo, the associate director at the Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization and director of IRCOs Africa House, said theres a stigma among some communities about testing positive for COVID-19. Some people dont feel comfortable with sharing that theyre positive with the rest of the community, Dogo said. County officials said they are working to address the outbreak in community-specific ways by paying organizations to translate and interpret vital information, set up testing sites, contact trace and provide general resources to the community. Alailima has been working with the county to do outreach with the Pacific Islander community. But Pacific Islanders cover a wide range of cultures, languages, and communities, and with the high case numbers within the ethnic group, she finds herself stretched thin. Alailima is also helping Pacific Islander groups in Marion, Washington and Union counties. Its been a huge ordeal, Alailima said. Every week, looking at (Oregons) weekly data report, and seeing that the Pacific Islanders rate of infection has been the highest for the past nine weeks. Its a lot of work to try and reach out to as many of our folks as we can. Dogo, who also has been working with refugee groups in partnership with Multnomah County, said he still doesnt have the resources he needs. Dogo said he needs to recruit more translators and interpreters for the wide range of languages that refugees speak. The support is coming from Multnomah County, but its not enough to do all the work, Dogo said. And we are just beginning with this kind of work. Im not going to be shy to say we need more help. -- Celina Tebor ctebor@oregonian.com @CelinaTebor Oregon Gov. Kate Brown said the state is at a crossroads Tuesday as she extended by 60 days a state of emergency over the coronavirus pandemic, urging residents to take personal responsibility for slowing the spread. With identified infections reaching all-time daily highs and hospitalizations climbing, Brown extended the state of emergency for a second time, this time through Sept. 4. The move doesnt change Oregons phased reopening, but ensures the continuation of Browns executive orders and broad powers for state public health and emergency management officials during the pandemic. And while the move had been expected, Brown used the opportunity to place the burden for remaining open on residents. Now, we again find ourselves at a crossroads as a state, Brown said in a statement. The individual choices each of us makes will decide whether Oregon either flattens the curve of new COVID-19 infections, or sees a devastating spike in cases that overwhelms our hospital capacity in the next month. The governors statement urged residents to wear face coverings in public, wash hands and stay home when sick. But Brown did not address her earlier decisions to allow counties to begin reopening May 15. Brown approved reopening for some jurisdictions that did not meet the states initial requirements for contact tracers and she allowed Multnomah County to reopen even though the county did not see declining hospitalization numbers. Oregon through Tuesday has reported 8,656 confirmed or presumed coronavirus infections, with the daily average over the past week hovering around 200. The state announced three more deaths Tuesday, pushing the total to 207. Oregon has fared better than many other states but a recent state forecast has projected the potential for exponential growth by mid-July. We have a chance, now, before the Fourth of July weekend, to make sure that Oregons COVID-19 numbers dont follow the same skyrocketing trajectory of states like Texas or Florida or Arizona, said Brown, who this week issued a statewide requirement for masks in public places, effective Wednesday. Oregon, you have a choice, Brown said. You can help to save lives again. What happens next is up to all of us. Heres Browns full statement: When I first declared a state of emergency due to the coronavirus, there were 14 cases of COVID-19 in Oregon. Today, there have been over 8,600 cases, with over a quarter of those cases identified in the previous two weeks of June. While hospitalizations remain relatively low, we have seen how rapidly those numbers can climb. And, sadly, 207 Oregonians have lost their lives to this disease. Without a doubt, COVID-19 continues to pose a real and present threat to Oregonians in communities across the state, from Malheur County to Umatilla to Lincoln. In the months since those first cases were discovered, we have shored up our supplies of personal protective equipment, worked with counties to hire contact tracers, anddespite the failures of the federal government to supply Oregon with an equitable amount of testing materialswe have expanded our statewide testing capability. And, thanks to the tremendous sacrifices Oregonians made by staying home in the spring, we prevented 1,500 hospitalizations and over 70,000 COVID-19 infections. Now, we again find ourselves at a crossroads as a state. The individual choices each of us makes will decide whether Oregon either flattens the curve of new COVID-19 infections, or sees a devastating spike in cases that overwhelms our hospital capacity in the next month. If we all follow the advice of doctorsif you wear a face covering in public, if you wash your hands, if you cover your mouth and nose when you cough and sneeze, if you stay home when you are sicktogether, we can keep our friends and loved ones healthy and safe. If too many Oregonians continue to ignore these precautions, we could see an exponential growth in cases, and newly reopened communities and businesses could close again. We have a chance, now, before the Fourth of July weekend, to make sure that Oregons COVID-19 numbers dont follow the same skyrocketing trajectory of states like Texas or Florida or Arizona. Oregon, you have a choice. You can help to save lives again. What happens next is up to all of us. -- Brad Schmidt; bschmidt@oregonian.com; 503-294-7628; @_brad_schmidt SEATTLE Alaska Airlines says its flight attendants can issue warnings to passengers who refuse to wear a mask which could lead to them being banned from future flights. Starting in early July, the airline will hand yellow cards to noncompliant passengers, advising them that it is their final notice and that a written report about them will be made, The Seattle Times reported. If a passenger continues to refuse, it will be noted in the report and a decision could be made to ban the passenger from future flights. Overwhelmingly, those who fly with us understand and appreciate the importance of wearing masks and face coverings during this time of COVID-19, a statement Tuesday on the airlines blog said. Our flight crews encounter moments when some travelers disregard or disobey our mask requirement. It creates tension and anxiety for many of our passengers who do have their face coverings on. So, a change is needed. Airline officials also said they understand some people cannot wear masks and exceptions are allowed in some cases. Airlines nationwide have grappled with how to handle mask requirements and other complaints tied to social distancing. The Trump administration and federal regulators have left enforcement to individual airlines. Although all airlines except Allegiant were requiring masks and that airline will now mandate them starting July 2 some have been less aggressive than others about enforcement. Oregon Gov. Kate Brown issued an informal ultimatum Wednesday to the states 4.2 million residents, telling them to comply with new rules to wear masks in indoor public settings as part of a last-ditch effort to slow coronavirus before more severe measures are again necessary. Although coronavirus warning signs are already present largely across the board, Brown wants to see if the statewide mask requirement that took effect Wednesday allows her to sidestep business closures or other restrictions that could be economically devastating. Your actions will determine whether our businesses across the state can stay open, Brown implored Oregonians during an hour-long news conference. And your actions will determine, frankly, whether we can open schools in the fall. Browns comments came on the 100th day since she announced a statewide stay-home order, which remained in effect until some counties began reopening May 15. Brown said she did not regret easing restrictions then, as opposed to waiting until June 1, even though that window could have allowed infections to further inch downward. Infections in Oregon have skyrocketed since, as they have across many states. Wednesdays daily case count set a new record of 281, pushing the total to 8,931 confirmed or presumed infections. Brown said the new mask requirement for people 12 and older will be enforceable by law and violators could be subject to a misdemeanor. But in the same breath Brown said she does not want police officers to enforce it, hoping instead for voluntary compliance. I do not want the local police issuing tickets, she said. Instead, Im calling upon our businesses to step up and help ensure that the public and their employees are protected. Brown said the state is working with the business community and state agencies on education and information before moving to enforcement. But she said if a business ignores the rule, officials stand ready to follow complaints using all the tools available to ensure enforcement. Recognizing the potential for pushback from customers, Brown said businesses should call Oregon OSHA with questions or concerns. She recommended that owners work to de-escalate any tense situations with patrons who do not want to wear masks. In an apparent reference to the politics of the mandate, Brown called it a very difficult step at one point. Yet Brown said nearly 20 other states also require masks and said wearing a face covering is a simple, common sense way to protect yourself and others. Brown suggested the mask mandate was among very serious steps she implemented but would not say if or when, specifically, the Oregon Health Authority recommended such action. Dr. Dean Sidelinger, the state health officer and epidemiologist, said it had been part of an ongoing discussion. As the disease became more prevalent, that certainly became one of the tools we talked about, not at a specific date or a specific time, he said. Modeling released by the agency last week suggested Oregon could see soaring infection and hospitalization counts if current trends continued or got worse. That ominous forecast, used for planning purposes, did not consider what might happen with a statewide mask order. Sidelinger was asked at the time why the state wasnt requiring masks statewide, and he demurred, saying: Requirement or not, its a good idea. Brown announced the mask mandate Monday. On Wednesday Brown said it is her sincere hope she does not have to shut down businesses, as she did in March through her stay-home order, because cases climb to overwhelming levels. Most indicators suggest Oregon is trending the wrong direction: daily cases are at all-time highs and people who are tested are more likely to be positive. At the same time, the state is failing to meet benchmarks for declining hospitalizations and the level of unidentified community spread. Even so, Oregon has fared much better than many other states, with infections and deaths among the lowest nationwide. Active hospitalizations for confirmed COVID-19 cases have been climbing, reaching 118 Wednesday, but Oregons hospitals have hundreds of available beds and ventilators. It could take two to three weeks to determine how the mandate may impact Oregons case counts, said Dr. Renee Edwards, the chief medical officer for Oregon Health & Science University. Edwards called masks a common sense tool to limit the spread of respiratory droplets that carry the infection. If Oregonians recognize that now is the time to put on the mask and the facial coverings, she said, that might be an important intervention to get us where we need to be, two to three weeks from now, such that we dont need more severe interventions. -- Brad Schmidt; bschmidt@oregonian.com; 503-294-7628; @_brad_schmidt As Gov. Kate Browns mask mandate expands to the entire state of Oregon, counties in the Portland area have already had a week of required mask wearing in indoor public spaces. At a press conference Wednesday, Brown said her mandate that people 12 and older wear masks indoors in public was enforceable by law, and those ignoring it could be subject to a class C misdemeanor. Coronavirus in Oregon: Latest news | Live map tracker |Text alerts | Newsletter But, she said, I do not want the local police issuing tickets. Instead, shes asking businesses to step up and enforce mask-wearing in their establishments and call Oregon Occupational Safety and Health instead of the police if they need help with enforcement. Portland-area counties are taking different approaches to the rule, but all of them are business-centered. Washington and Clackamas counties are offering email addresses for people to report rule-breaking businesses, and Multnomah County is referring people to OSHA. Last week, we received 86 calls or emails from the public about various issues related to the governors orders, including physical distancing and use of face coverings, said Washington County Emergency Operations spokesperson Wendy Gordon. Gordon said the Washington County enforcement branch called every business with a complaint to educate them and help them come into compliance. Two of those businesses had more complaints, and the county sent those businesses letters. We will not be disclosing the names of any businesses at this time, Gordon said. People with complaints in Washington County can email eoc-covidenforcement@co.washington.or.us. According to the officials, Clackamas County has received 70 complaints against businesses regarding the mask order. We have sent 28 letters compliance warning letters to establishments and performed some in-person inspections, said Kimberly Dinwiddie, a spokesperson for the Clackamas County Health Department. Very few complaints have been elevated to the Oregon Health Authority for guidance. All and all, Dinwiddie said, We are seeing many community members who are protecting others in their community by wearing a face covering. People with complaints in Clackamas County can email EHComplaints@clackamas.us. Multnomah Countys public health director Rachael Banks is urging everyone who can to wear a face covering. Right now, we are scaling up contact tracing, responding to outbreaks, standing up testing and we need the public to consistently wear face covering, Banks said. And wear it correctly. In Multnomah County, Banks said, people who have complaints should contact OSHA. Tying up 911 and the local public safety system with mask calls doesnt make sense, she said. But we are working at the business level and organization level to make our expectations clear and help people get the supplies they need. OSHA, now responsible for a large part of enforcing the governors face covering, has issued best practices for business, to help them stay in compliance. That document outlines how businesses should deal with customers who decline to wear a mask, including using greeters to address the issue at the door and offering customers face coverings or shields and alternate ways to shop if they cannot wear a mask. Before any business faced penalties for ignoring the rule, OSHA would have to do an inspection, said Aaron Corvin, a spokesperson for the agency in Oregon. Because of the high volume of COVID-19 complaints and the relatively new expectations, Corvin said, we would contact the business by phone or email, and we would engage them about a complaints allegations. If that response is satisfactory, and the complainant, who is allowed confidentiality if they request it, does not provide information that shows were being sold a bill of goods by the business, that call will be enough, Corvin said. However, he said, if the response is not satisfactory -- if the business says we cant do anything -- then we would provide clarifying information and advise them that they do, in fact, need to take appropriate action. Any business that comes into compliance up to that point will not risk a citation, Corvin said. Those inspections that can lead to citations, he said, occur in cases where a business refuses to engage, or we think the business may have misled us. To file an OSHA complaint, visit osha.oregon.gov. On Wednesday, Brown focused less on enforcement and more on imploring Oregonians to wear masks in public indoor spaces, with the hope that widespread mask use will stop the state from having to shut down businesses again. Its going to require a culture change, Brown said. The governor urged all Oregonians to be part of that change. Your local businesses that you love, she said, your local coffee shop, your local brewpub, your favorite boutique, will only stay open if you take precautions. -- Lizzy Acker 503-221-8052, lacker@oregonian.com, @lizzzyacker Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories. Rose City Justice, the organization that led massive protests against police brutality throughout Portland for nearly a month before it abruptly halted demonstrations a week ago, has announced that it will no longer host nightly demonstrations. The organization instead will split into two movements, the group said in two lengthy Instagram posts Tuesday evening. One arm will collaborate with existing organizations to lead weekly demonstrations. The other will host monthly fundraisers, produced by Rose City Justice. The statement thanked supporters for their patience and said the groups goals remained the same: Defund the police, reinvest the money into communities of color and protect those communities to create equity and access to resources. Multiple members of Rose City Justice did not immediately respond to requests to explain more about the changes. A group of local activists formed the organization in the days following the Minneapolis Police killing of George Floyd, which sparked protests around the country. The group emerged as one of the most visible leaders of Black Lives Matter protests in Portland. Rose City Justice marches and rallies drew hundreds, and sometimes thousands, of people each night to Southeast Portland. The group led marches on to Interstate 84 and Interstate 405 earlier in June. The events attracted local politicians and celebrities, including Portland Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty and Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard. Organizers first canceled a protest Wednesday, noting in a post that they were taking time to address criticism about the groups operations, such as the marginalization of certain voices, including those of Black women and Black queer people. Others on social media raised concerns about the groups spending of donations, and their attempt to engage with police and city officials. Other protesters have continued to gather, both at the Multnomah County Justice Center and at other sites around Portland. Two of the groups leaders, Darren Golden and Kinsey Smyth, took part in a live Instagram chat Wednesday during which they pledged to elevate diverse voices and put spending controls in place. The group said little until Tuesday, although Smyth later wrote on her personal Instagram account that she had left the group. Golden himself came under scrutiny for his background as a military police officer and some past tweets, which appeared to make misogynistic and anti-immigrant comments. Golden acknowledged the comments in a now-deleted Instagram post, apologizing for the misogynistic tweet and explaining the context behind the tweet about immigrants. He said he had never attempted to hide his military background, and that it took a traumatic experience being arrested to realize the problems with the military industrial complex. He said he would be stepping back from the group. However, the groups new statement did not clarify whether Golden is still a part of the organizations leadership team. He is listed as president in incorporation papers filed June 11. Golden has not responded to multiple calls and emails for comment. In its statement Tuesday, Rose City Justice acknowledged concerns raised by other protesters, who have decried the group for trying to engage police officers or meet with city officials. The group defended its efforts to have those conversations, noting that it was a step closer to furthering their goals. The purpose of making noise is to be heard, to have a seat at the table when it comes to restructuring the PPB budget, and we are succeeding in those goals, the post said. Rose City Justice also said it had not yet spent any of the money it had raised. The statement said it would make its finances public after selecting nonprofits partners. Jayati Ramakrishnan; 503-221-4320; jramakrishnan@oregonian.com; @JRamakrishnanOR Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories. A face mask remains a smart, necessary accessory. Is it time to upgrade your months-old covering? If so, online stores are offering specials and speedy delivery on American-themed masks to let you show off your red, white and blue pride on the Fourth of July. Starting today, everyone in Oregon must wear a mask when in public indoor spaces, with few exceptions, to prevent asymptomatic people who have contracted the virus from spreading it unknowingly. Masks can be protective and expressive. These have you covered to celebrate Independence Day, including a star-motif mask inspired by the hit Broadway musical, Hamilton, to air on Disney Plus. The Hamilton face mask benefits Direct Relief.Creative Goods The Hamilton double-layer, machine washable face mask has an inner filter pocket ($15, with $5 benefiting Direct Relief to support front line workers). The item by Creative Goods is sold out but watch for a pre-order opportunity. eBay has handmade face masks with a patriotic message, starting at $8, and Etsy crafters have unique face masks, including one created by the LilieMayCo. that was inspired by the American flag ($14.99). Amazon has a collection of washable, breathable face coverings made of Americana-inspired, cloth fabric. A-DUDU has U.S. flag-printed coverings to be used as a bandana, neck gaiter, half mask, scarf, wind-protecting motorcycle mask and balaclava ($25.99 for a three-pack). Zazzle has a cloth face mask with a Rosie the Riveter image from WWII ($12.95) as well as dozens of other Independence Day-themed masks. Check out the camouflage flag, mustache flag and the sparkling glitter-like flag mask. Flagshirt has dozens of face masks representing the American flag, including black masks with a small flag emblem ($9.99, 10% will be donated to First Responders Childrens Foundation). The family-owned business is offering 2-day shipping. Old Navy has patriotic-themed swimwear, socks and T-shirts as well as reusable, cloth face masks in a variety of colors, prints and patterns (about $12.50 for a 5-pack). Kohls has face masks, including for kids, on sale for $6.99. And Vistaprint has colorful, reusable masks for adults and kids with a 100% cotton anti-allergenic inner layer and a replaceable filter system that blocks airborne contaminants without trapping moisture. The print company says 10% of mask sales will be donated to help small businesses. ($18, $13 children sizes, free shipping). The Gap has several options of face masks for kids or adults with smaller faces. Children Disney has Disney, Pixar, Marvel and Star Wars character-themed face masks in small, medium and large (see measuring chart) and the company is donating one million cloth face masks for children and families in underserved and vulnerable communities across the U.S. through MedShare. There is free shipping on orders of $75 or more with the code SHIPMAGIC. Cloth face mask sizing guide by Disney StoreDisney Store The Gap is making masks especially for kids that can be shipped directly to you. The company also pledges to give away 50,000 masks to the Boys & Girls Clubs of America and Canada. Here are a few options: All mask options for kids from The Gap come in packs of three and are available for just $15. A 3-pack of masks for kids with multicolor hearts design ($15) A 3-pack of masks for kids with plaid color design ($15) A 3-pack of masks for kids with floral design ($15) If you need more masks for yourself and your kids, you can get a family pack that includes masks of various sizes ($36) There are several other options to choose from, so check out all of the face masks available from The Gap for kids and adults. More Masks Redfora, which sells emergency kits, has a two-pack of face coverings made of high-density wool felt that moisture wicks, temp regulates and is oven-safe to disinfect ($29.99). Receive 10% off your first purchase. Dicks Sporting Goods has comfortable masks and balaclavas available with contact-free curbside pick up or free shipping for orders of $49 or more. Everlanes reusable, non-medical mask is made from double-layer knit and has cotton-Lycra ear loops. For every three-pack produced ($28), a mask is donated to Feeding America to help with COVID-19 relief efforts. Sign up for 10% off your first order. Uncommongoods has a set of two, kid-designed, reusable rainbow face coverings for $25, with 100% of profits donated to NYC Health + Hospitals. See more face masks. Janet Eastman | 503-294-4072 jeastman@oregonian.com | @janeteastman Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories After being closed for almost four months, the Oregon Historical Society plans to reopen its museum on July 11, according to a press release from the Oregon Historical Society. Hours for the museum and the store will be 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday to Saturday and 12 to 5 p.m. Sunday. To comply with guidance and requirements from the Oregon Health Authority, staff and visitors to the museum will be required to wear a face covering and maintain a distance of six feet between one another. Single-use face coverings will be provided for free for those who dont have their own. There will also be hand sanitizing stations, one-way paths, a building capacity of 150 and more. The Oregon Historical Society closed on March 14, just before the debut of the exhibition Nevertheless, They Persisted: Womens Voting Rights and the 19th Amendment. The exhibit, which chronicles the history of womens suffrage and voting rights and how Oregon history played its part, has been extended through mid-2021. The historical society is continuing to provide some of its programs and content virtually for those who are unable to come see them in person. -- Ty Vinson tvinson@oregonian.com 503-221-4315; @ty_vinson_ Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories. The dilemma in front of the seven Oregon Supreme Court justices boiled down to whether they should side with future lawyers or side with the public. Guess whom the majority chose? In a 4-3 vote, the Oregon Supreme Court opted to lift the requirement this year that law school graduates pass the states bar exam in order to practice law, as Willamette Weeks Nigel Jaquiss reported. Instead, anyone graduating from Oregons three law schools who was planning to take the July exam can simply skip the test and be declared competent to practice law. The decision backed by Chief Justice Martha Walters and Justices Meagan Flynn, Lynn Nakamoto and Adrienne Nelson comes at the behest of the deans of Oregons three law schools and graduating law students amid concerns about taking exams during the coronavirus pandemic. In a letter to the justices, the law school deans for Lewis & Clark, Willamette University and the University of Oregon acknowledged plans to offer the exam in multiple locations to ensure physical distancing. But with coronavirus cases rising, they argued, the more prudent approach would be to recognize students diplomas as an alternative to passing the bar exam a change that the Supreme Court was statutorily authorized to make. The deans also noted the unprecedented challenges caused by COVID-19, as students juggled online learning with personal responsibilities and job losses, all under the stress of a public health pandemic. Certainly, the challenges of the past few months are undeniable. Students have been shortchanged in the kind of education they received and expectations necessarily must change. But by erasing the exam as a requirement to practice law, the justices are granting a long-term privilege to address a temporary problem that is fixable by other means. Its important to recognize that the bar exam is a licensing test, and licensing of professionals whether for attorneys, teachers, electricians or others exists to protect the public. A state license conveys to Oregonians that a professional has earned the credentials and demonstrated the competence to meet minimum standards. Members of the public rely on this basic level of vetting in making decisions about whom to hire. Trustworthy information is critical for Oregonians who, when it comes to legal conflicts, will likely have only one shot to make their case. And the bar exam isnt a mere formality nor is it a cakewalk. It is a rigorous test to determine whether someone who has completed law school has the knowledge and basic skills to represent members of the public. In 2019, one out of four people taking the July bar exam failed, according to the Oregon State Bar. Some years, as many as 42% of test takers have failed. How many of the roughly 500 people planning to take the test this year would have failed? This relaxing of requirements is especially unnecessary considering that the full court including Justices Tom Balmer, Rebecca Duncan and Chris Garrett authorized an online version of the test and agreed to lower the score needed to pass the exam this year. While not ideal, such an approach at least recognizes the value in asking graduates to show some mastery of the law before they can practice it. With this decision, the court and the Oregon State Bar should at the very least ensure transparency surrounding this change. Lawyers who are admitted to the bar based on their diploma should have to disclose to clients that they did not take the bar exam. In addition, the Oregon State Bar should include a notation in its public membership directory indicating whether someone has been admitted to the bar based on their diploma. And it should make clear that it is continuing to conduct the character and fitness reviews required for admittance to the bar. Such transparency benefits not only the public but also those 2020 law school graduates who decide to take the exam anyway. Because this change only affects Oregon, graduates wanting to qualify for multi-state bar admission must still take the traditional exam. At least in some states, standards still count for something. -The Oregonian/OregonLive Editorial Board Subscribe to our free weekly Oregon Opinion newsletter. Email: Debbie Aiona and Dan Handelman Aiona is action committee chair of the League of Women Voters of Portland. Handelman is a founding member of Portland Copwatch. As long-time police accountability advocates, the League of Women Voters of Portland and Portland Copwatch are encouraged by the attention the public and decision makers are devoting to the issue. We believe it is time for the city to make long-awaited changes to the structure of Portlands oversight system. Injustices against Portland residents, especially Black people and other communities of color, have gone on too long and need to be addressed. Our organizations have a long history advocating for an effective oversight system. The league participated in the commission that recommended formation of the citys first review board in 1982 and Portland Copwatch began its involvement nearly 30 years ago. Both were members of a city-led stakeholder group leading to the creation of the Independent Police Review in 2001, a city agency independent of the police bureau that accepts complaints of police misconduct and investigates certain cases. Our groups, along with others, recommended improvements in subsequent city-led stakeholder groups in 2010 and 2016. Unfortunately, our current oversight system isnt working as well as it could. While IPR conducts some investigations into complaints, the police bureaus internal affairs department is responsible for the majority, contrary to the publics desire for civilian oversight of police. IPR does not have the authority to compel officer testimony nor is it permitted to investigate police shootings incidents in which public faith in the investigatory process is most critical. There are also shortcomings in the role that an advisory board to the IPR, the Citizen Review Committee, plays. While this committee of volunteer community members has the authority to recommend policies to the police bureau and city council and hear s appeals from community members who disagree with findings in their misconduct cases, it is hamstrung by a deferential standard of review that requires it to agree in most cases with the police commanders findings on allegations. It is required to determine if the commanders findings are reasonable rather than weighing the evidence and drawing its own conclusions. In order to strengthen accountability, at a minimum the city should adopt several changes: Ensure that in addition to being able to subpoena civilians and documents, IPR has the power to compel officers to testify or face discipline if they refuse. The office also should be given the authority to access all relevant police files. Empower IPR to investigate incidents in which police officers use deadly force, and give survivors or their family members the right to appeal their cases to the IPRs Citizen Review Committee. Empower the CRC to review cases based on whether the majority of the evidence supports a given finding, rather than having to defer to police bureau decisions. These and other changes have been proposed many times before and are needed now to make Portlands system more credible and effective. In some cases, these improvements will require changes to state law, city charter, city code, or bargaining with the Portland Police Association. Legislators should start by fixing state laws that block public access to information on police misconduct investigations and limit oversight bodies authority. There also is a fundamental question of whether voters should be asked to place a strengthened review board in the city charter as an independent entity. Prosper Portland, the citys urban renewal and economic development agency, is governed by an appointed board and operates with a degree of independence from elected officials. A similar model for Portlands police accountability agency would guarantee it the authority needed to carry out its mission. Our organizations believe that by making all of these long-sought changes, Portlands Independent Police Review and Citizen Review Committee could be transformed into a robust system that serves the people of Portland well. Subscribe to our free weekly Oregon Opinion newsletter. Email: Simple and clean in black and white with the emphasis on the man of the hour. This cover art received the stamp of approval from New York rapper Young Ma, who responded with three fire emojis. Sometimes less is more, and this is an instance of that in action. There were a few better options 50 posted, though. President Woodrow Wilson was not shy about expressing his racist views. African Americans, he said, were an ignorant and inferior race, and he contributed mightily to the segregation of the federal government workforce during his terms in office. Princeton University has made the wise decision to remove Wilsons name from its public affairs school. Portland Public Schools should promptly follow suit with respect to its high school in Southwest Portland. Seven of the districts nine high schools are named for presidents. It would be appropriate to exchange one presidential name for another. Barack Obama High School has an excellent ring to it. Charles Hinkle, Milwaukie Hinkle is an attorney who frequently represents The Oregonian/OregonLive. UPDATED Wednesday, 5:45 p.m. Leaders of civil rights organizations spoke out Tuesday night after a reporter from a Portland TV station tweeted a message that many groups viewed as anti-Palestinian from a professional account while covering a protest. Jenny Young, a reporter with KOIN, was at a rally at Peninsula Park in North Portland, and tweeted about a speaker who praised the BDS movement. BDS, which stands for Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions, is a Palestinian-led movement, which upholds the principle that Palestinians are entitled to the same rights as the rest of humanity. A tweet from KOIN reporter Jenny Young drew criticism from local Muslim groups for its characterization of the Palestinian liberation movement.Jenny Young Young described the speaker, who was not identified, as openly anti-Zionist, and the BDS movement as an anti-Semitic movement thats been admonished by U.S. lawmakers. According to the Palestinian BDS National Committee, the BDS movement fights against Israeli occupation of Palestinian land, and discrimination against Palestinian citizens and refugees. The tweet came on the eve of Israels expected announcement of plans to annex a massive portion of Palestinian land. Neither Young nor KOIN responded to requests for comment. Young deleted the tweet about an hour after she posted it, and it had drawn nearly 200 comments, most of which criticized the characterization of the BDS movement. Leaders of Portlands Muslim community publicly denounced the tweet, calling it one example in a consistent stream of attacks on Palestinian people. The Oregon chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Oregon) flagged the tweet. It noted that the Black Lives Matter movement has endorsed the BDS movement. I think this tweet is a repetition of a years-long racist smear campaign against this nonviolent movement that urges economic pressure on Israel, said Olivia Katbi Smith, co-chair of the Portland Democratic Socialists of America chapter and a board member of CAIR-Oregon. The BDS movement is inspired by South Africas anti-apartheid movement. South Africa was living under a system of institutional racial segregation, and that was overturned largely because of international pressure, an arms trade embargo and huge boycotts. She said attacks on the movement, especially from mainstream media, were disturbing, especially on the eve of Israeli annexation of Palestinian land. Bob Horenstein, spokesman for the Jewish Federation of Greater Portland, said he felt the reporters tweet was an oversimplification of the issue, but said he also took exception with some other organizations characterization of the BDS movement. He said the Jewish Federation of Greater Portland had made their stance on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict clear. "We came out with a statement opposing unilateral annexation of the West Bank. We support a two-state solution," he said. He said while the Jewish Federation of Greater Portland doesnt believe everyone who supports the BDS movement is anti-Semitic, he said many people believe the effects of the BDS movement harm Jewish people. He also noted that while some local Black Lives Matter chapters have come out in support of the BDS movement, most around the country have not taken a stand on the issue. Seemab Hussaini, vice-chair of CAIR-Oregon, said theres a large Palestinian community in Oregon and in the United States. Those who stay in Palestine face oppressive conditions, Hussaini said, and those who leave are still speaking out about the atrocities imposed by the Israeli government. The Palestinian plight is part of the U.S. story, he said. It drives one crazy to basically have someone whos supposed to be fair and impartial intentionally mislabel the BDS movement a nonviolent, peaceful protest against not only the apartheid state Palestinians are living under, but the flat-out annexation that is under risk right now. Katbi Smith said Youngs characterization of the movement as anti-Semitic was itself discriminatory. BDS targets a government, not a religion or people, she said. To make that conflation is perpetuating anti-Semitism. Katbi Smith said two Black and Palestinian-led organizations, the Center for Study and Preservation of Palestine and the Hurriyyah Collective, planned to host a rally Wednesday at Terry Schrunk Plaza to protest Israeli annexation. She said she would be speaking to educate people about the BDS movement. Updated to include a comment from the Jewish Federation of Greater Portland. Jayati Ramakrishnan; 503-221-4320; jramakrishnan@oregonian.com; @JRamakrishnanOR Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories. As Portland protests enter their fifth week Wednesday, the state speaker of the House sent a sharp letter to Mayor Ted Wheeler over police use of force the previous night, saying law enforcement escalated tensions with their tactics. Oregon House Speaker Tina Kotek, D-Portland, called police actions in her district Tuesday completely unacceptable. Officers used tear gas and crowd-control munitions to disperse protesters near the Portland Police Association headquarters in North Portland. From the reports Ive read and from what Ive heard from neighbors -- counter to what the PPB is officially saying -- there was no risk to the public or to officers until the PPB decided to declare an unlawful assembly to permit the use of and deploy crowd control devices, Kotek wrote in the email, which she posted to Facebook. What needed to be protected last night? An empty office building? Was this need more important than the health of neighbors, of children in a neighborhood, of people returning home from work? The declaration of an unlawful assembly did not seem warranted. The declaration of a riot was an abuse of the statute. Therefore, the ensuing actions by the PPB were unlawful. Kotek also said shes disturbed that journalists and independent reporters are being targeted by police. Independent journalist and KBOO volunteer contributor Cory Elia was among those arrested and jailed overnight. He has since been released. Another independent journalist and KBOO contributor, Lesley McLam, was also taken into police custody. A woman referred to in court records as Lesley McClain was later jailed on suspicion of interfering with a peace officer and rioting. She remained in the Multnomah County Detention Center Monday afternoon. The Multnomah County District Attorneys Office said in a statement that McClain would be released as soon as no complaint paperwork could be filed in her case. The office also said they were looking into the arrest of a third journalist, Justin Yau, before taking any action in Yaus case. Police said later Wednesday that 29 people were arrested during the demonstration. Most were charged with misdemeanor crimes such as interfering with police, although some people were booked on felony charges of rioting or assaulting a police officer. The people who were arrested ranged in age from 21 to 43. Portland Police Chief Chuck Lovell tweeted a response to the criticisms on Wednesday. CS gas is uncomfortable, but effective at dispersing crowds, he wrote. We would rather not use it. Wed rather have those in the area follow the law and not engage in dangerous behavior. We provided plenty of warning and everyone there had the opportunity to leave to avoid the use of force. However, some people doused with tear gas Tuesday night said that they had not been protesting at all, but were simply bystanders in the area. The American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Oregon and a San Francisco-based law firm had previously filed a class-action lawsuit against the city and police on behalf of journalists and legal observers who were targeted and attacked by the police while documenting protests in Portland over the killing of George Floyd. And attorneys on Tuesday asked a federal judge to issue a temporary restraining order prohibiting officers from using physical force against journalists or legal observers, arresting or threatening to arrest them or using indiscriminate munitions on crowds where journalists or legal observers are likely to be present, among other actions. The Portland Police Bureau said some demonstrators threw baseball-size rocks, water bottles and full cans at officers during the protest. Several officers were hit by rocks and needed medical attention, according to police. Some protesters also lit commercial-grade fireworks and threw them toward officers, police said. An Oregonian/OregonLive reporter observed fireworks being sent into the air above demonstrators or fizzling out in the space between officers and protestors. Kotek, in her Wednesday email, implored Wheeler to keep a police response like Tuesdays from happening again. She said she looks forward to discussing the matter with Wheeler and Lovell. Officials from Wheelers office said they appreciate Koteks input and look forward to providing her a briefing so that she has the benefit of the same information as their team. Koteks message comes as Portland demonstrations gear up for the citys 35th consecutive night of protest. Protesters have turned out every day since late May, calling for police reforms protecting Black people. It also comes as lawyers for the nonprofit Dont Shoot Portland are asking a judge to find the city of Portland in contempt of court orders that restrict police use of tear gas and less lethal weapons against peaceful protesters. Demonstrations are scheduled throughout the city Wednesday, including the daily protest outside the Multnomah County Justice Center in downtown Portland. The protests will be the first since Portlands City Council voted unanimously Wednesday to support a one-year extension of the rank-and-file police union contract, which postpones a 2.9% cost-of-living adjustment until June 30, 2021, but doesnt freeze wages or include furloughs. Responding to critics who complained that promised police reforms werent negotiated in the extension, Mayor Ted Wheeler and city commissioners said the one-year delay will allow city-hosted public bargaining sessions to resume in January for the next contract. It also will give city labor negotiators more time to consider what changes to seek and how state police accountability measures passed in a recent special session will affect talks, they said. This extension does not mean everybody stops work for a year,' said Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty, who has led the call on the council to make significant changes to the police contract. What it means is we will have the time to do it right and do it thoughtfully.' Later Wednesday, Hardesty called on Wheeler and Lovell to implement several changes related to policing protests, including banning tear gas use for any reason and advocating for charges to be dropped against journalists arrested while covering the demonstrations. In a letter to Lovell and Wheeler, who is the citys police commissioner, Hardesty also demanded the police bureau stop using rubber bullets and a long-range acoustic device known as LRAD on protesters, reconsider officers responding to protests in riot gear, make officer identification numbers easier for the public to read and allow only the police chief and mayor to declare a gathering unlawful. Hardesty said the actions of some officers are becoming more outlandish and said shes asking her city official colleagues to act in the communitys best interest and safety. She told the Wheeler and Lovell to develop less harmful crowd control options within 30 days. The irony of community members protesting police violence being met with police violence is not lost on me, Hardesty said in the letter. Community members exercising their freedom of assembly and freedom of speech are not the enemy, and I ask that the bureau and its staff reflect that understanding in its response to events. -- Jim Ryan; jryan@oregonian.com; 503-221-8005; @Jimryan015 Maxine Bernstein and Everton Bailey Jr. of The Oregonian/OregonLive contributed to this report. Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories. A woman found dead inside a Southeast Portland home earlier this month was killed in a murder-suicide, police said Wednesday. Eunice Castillo-Ross was shot to death June 21 at a home on 138th Drive, according to Portland police. The man who shot her, Eric A. Ackerman, shot himself and later died at a hospital, police said. The relationship between Castillo-Ross, 69, and Ackerman, 63, wasnt immediately released. Lt. Tina Jones, a police spokeswoman, said officers were conducting a welfare check when they saw a person on the ground and forced their way into the home. When police were in the home, Jones said, they heard what they believed to be the action of a firearm, so they retreated. Residents within a six-block radius were told to shelter in place, and the Special Emergency Reaction Team and Crisis Negotiation Team responded. One officer saw what was believed to be a man with a gun, Jones said. Police heard what they believed was a single gunshot. Officers deployed a robot inside the house, Jones said, and saw Ackerman injured but alive. He was treated and taken to a hospital, where he was later pronounced dead. Jones said officials didnt believe anyone else was inside the home. -- Jim Ryan; jryan@oregonian.com; 503-221-8005; @Jimryan015 Lizzy Acker of The Oregonian/OregonLive contributed to this report Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories. A new lawsuit in the Michigan Court of Claims places the blame for damages done to homes and businesses during the May 19 flooding on state agencies. The lawsuit, filed on June 25, alleges the state agencies Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) and Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) "caused the catastrophic failures" of the dams through negligence. "The failure of these dams was not the result of happenstance," the lawsuit states. "It was the predictable result of defendants mismanagement over the course of years." The suit's 15 plaintiffs are identified in the 56-page lawsuit as residential and commercial property owners who reside near the Edenville and Sanford Dams. EGLE and MDNR are the listed defendants. After the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) revoked dam owner Boyce Hydro's license to generate power on the Edenville Dam in September 2018, the dam was put under the regulatory jurisdiction of the State of Michigan. FERC cited Boyce Hydro's "longstanding" failure to increase the dam's spillway capacity to safely pass floodwaters as the reason for the license being revoked. The lawsuit claims the State of Michigan did nothing to address spillway capacity or to mitigate the risk of dam failure leading up to the May 19 flooding event. "This is an important step towards securing justice for the Midland community, which has been so dramatically harmed by the collapse of the Edenville and Sanford dams," Theodore Leopold, one of three attorneys for the plaintiffs, stated in a press release. "Years of negligence caused our clients and so many others to lose their homes and businesses, and we look forward to helping them achieve a full measure of justice." Leopold, a partner at the Chicago-based Cohen Milstein Sellers & Toll and co-chair of the firms complex tort litigation and consumer protection practice groups, is joined by attorneys Paul Stephan and Michael Pitt. They would see it, they would feel it, they would know it and they would identify with it. And that is what happened, he explained. I have to say thousands of kids that have said, If it werent for High School Musical, I dont know that I would have ever been comfortable in my skin. I dont know when I would have been able to feel comfortable enough to come out, embrace who I am. Midland County added three new confirmed coronavirus cases Wednesday, according to the daily state report, bringing its pandemic total to 127 cases and nine deaths. Both Isabella County and Saginaw County added five new cases, bringing their pandemic totals to 106 cases and eight deaths and 1,230 cases and 120 deaths, respectively. Gladwin County and Bay County did not add any new cases and their pandemic totals remain at 26 cases and one death and 354 cases and 29 deaths. The state on Wednesday added 262 new cases and four deaths. Overall, Michigan is at 64,132 cases and 5,951 deaths. To date in Midland County, there have been 5,759 diagnostic (current infection) tests and 463 serology (look for antibodies) tests performed, totaling 6,222 tests, according to the state website. In Gladwin County, there have been 1,796 diagnostic tests and 77 serology tests, totaling 1,873 tests in all, according to the state. The state lists Midland County as having 42 probable cases to date, or people who have/had COVID-19 symptoms and an epidemiologic link to confirmed COVID-19 but no diagnostic test. Gladwin County was listed as having one probable case. The Midland County health department website lists 103 cases as recovered. The state lists the total recovered at 51,099 cases, as of June 26, which represents COVID-19 confirmed individuals with an onset date on or prior to May 27, 2020, according to the state website, mich.gov. The numbers will be updated every Saturday. Dr. Catherine Bodnar, Midland County Department of Public Health medical director, said it is critical for people to take the following steps: Socially distance at least 6 feet from non-household members. Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth. Wash hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom, before eating and after blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing. If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol based sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol. Always wash hands with soap and water if hands are visibly dirty. Wear face coverings in public. Stay home when sick. Covering coughs and sneezes. Throw used tissues in the trash right after use. Routinely clean frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning wipe or spray. If you think you've been exposed to COVID-19 and develop a fever and symptoms such as cough or difficulty breathing, call your health care provider for medical advice. If he/she isn't available call MidMichigan Urgent Care in Midland at 989- 633-1350 or MidMichigan Medical Center's Emergency Department in Midland at 989-839-3100. MidMichigan Health has a COVID-19 informational hotline with a reminder of CDC guidelines and recommendations. The hotline can be reached toll-free at 800-445-7356 or 989-794-7600. Michigan Department of Health and Human Services also has a hotline number for Michigan residents for questions about COVID-19. The number is 1-888-535-6136 and is available seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Residents can also send an e-mail to: COVID19@michigan.gov. E-mails will be answered seven days a week between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. If you are feeling anxious, stressed, depressed and feel you need to talk to someone, reach out to Community Mental Health for Central Michigan by calling 800-317-0708. Midland Public Schools Superintendent Michael Sharrow said the district will release a back-to-school plan to parents by July 15, after Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced a "2020-21 Return to School Roadmap" Tuesday. The roadmap can be found at this link: https://bit.ly/2Bpo8ZF Sharrow said certain aspects of the 63-page plan -- which was formulated by Whitmer and a 25-member advisory council -- will be challenging to implement, such as the requirement of facial coverings for all students in grades 6-12, except during meals. "We (MPS administrators) anticipated most of (the plan)," Sharrow said. "Like (Whitmer) said, it's going to be difficult to implement. We were really hoping she wouldn't mandate everyone (to wear a facial covering everywhere) for grades 6-12. ... (Requiring) face masks for everyone, pretty much everywhere -- boy, that's a tough one." The following are a few of the mandates in the plan for regions of the state in Phase 4 of the MI Safe Start Plan, which currently includes Midland County and most of the Lower Peninsula. (In all cases, exceptions are allowed for those who cannot medically tolerate a facial covering.) Facial coverings must be worn by all preK-12 students, staff and bus drivers during school transportation. Facial coverings must also be worn by all preK-12 students in hallways and common areas except during meals. All students in grades 6-12 must also wear facial coverings in classrooms. Students in grades K-5 also must wear facial coverings unless their class does not come into close contact with any other classes during the day. The plan strongly recommends, but does not require the following in terms of spacing, movement and access: Desks should be spaced six feet apart and all be facing toward the front of the classroom if possible. Teachers should stay six feet away from students as much as possible. Family members and other guests should not be allowed in a school building except under extenuating circumstances determined by district and school officials. "Staying six feet apart in an elementary classroom is going to be about the most difficult thing for us to do," Sharrow said. The superintendent, though, did acknowledge that the governor's restrictions for the state as a whole have been effective in curbing the spread of the coronavirus. "At the same time, it's been hard to argue with her success. As much as we haven't liked it, her restrictions tend to reduce the risks," Sharrow said. MPS has purchased washable facial coverings and plans to issue one to each staff member and student, Sharrow said. He realizes the face mask requirements may lead more parents to choose to keep their kids at home for instruction. "It's going to be interesting to see how many parents say, 'I'll just do the online (option),'" Sharrow said. During Tuesday's news conference, Whitmer said she had hoped to be able to move more of the state to Phase 5 this week, but she noted that will not happen given the current coronavirus numbers in the southern part of the state. Sharrow is hopeful that Region 4, which includes Midland County, will be in Phase 5 before school starts on Aug. 31. In Phase 5, restrictions in the Return to School Roadmap are significantly lessened. For example, the following guidelines are strongly recommended, not required, under Phase 5: That staff wear facial coverings at all times except for meals. That all students wear facial coverings in hallways and common areas. Under Phase 5, it is recommended that students in grades 6-12 wear facial coverings in classrooms, and facial coverings "should be considered" for K-5 students and students with special needs in classrooms. During the news conference, Whitmer said residents of Michigan must not let their guard down regarding the coronavirus. "Our numbers are not as strong as they were a couple of weeks ago. So we must keep up our guard," she said. " ... Just one person who lets their guard down can infect countless others. "After three months of hard work and sacrifice, we have (recently) seen preventable spread in areas across our state. We can and must get this under control now," Whitmer added. She is hopeful that all parts of the state can be at least at Phase 4 when the school year begins so that in-person instruction can take place. "We are going to do everything we can to increase the likelihood that we stay in a phase that enables in-person instruction," Whitmer said. To the editor: Theres a deep age stratification with the COVID-19 virus; it discriminates against the elderly. Nursing home residents represent a significant percentage of the COVID-19 deaths. Can the health department disclose if a Midland County resident dying from COVID-19 had an underlying morbidity (serious health issue such as diabetes, heart disease, kidney failure, COPD, etc.)? If this information is available, can the Midland Daily News publish the information? With the COVID-19 outbreak, Whitmer should have been laser focused on protecting Michigans elderly population. It was well known the elderly population is the most vulnerable and most likely to die from complications from this disease. Available data shows that the median age of a Michigan person dying from COVID-19 is 77. Of the 5,891 Michigan COVID-19 deaths reported (as of June 6) 3,920 (65%!) of those occurred in people over 70 while deaths for persons under age 50 are only 6%. Whitmers original executive order included a request for skilled nursing facilities to admit COVID-19 patients. Whitmer has all but admitted that this policy is flawed. Facilities are regulated by the Michigans Department of Health. These residents and residents of assisted living facilities represent Michigans most vulnerable population. Based on reported data, nearly 30% of all Michigan COVID-19 deaths were residents of nursing homes. However, there is much doubt about the accuracy of this data as federal reporting shows an undercount of COVID-19 nursing home deaths of more than 25%. How many of Michigans skilled care nursing homes admitted COVID-19 patients? How many residents in Michigan nursing homes have died since COVID-19 patients were admitted to the facility? The $9 million (taxpayer funded), nearly 1,000 bed COVID-19 TCF Center in Detroit (now closed) only admitted 39 COVID-19 patients! Why wasnt this facility used instead of nursing homes for these COVID-19 patients? Rather than locking down Michigans entire population, Whitmer should have protected the states most vulnerable population by isolating COVID-19 patients and not allowing them into these facilities without appropriate safeguards and training. This action by the Whitmer administration was negligent and irresponsible. The public should be made aware of Whitmers tragic mistake. MICHAEL DIZER Midland The Johnson County Health Department has released updated information on COVID-19 for the community. According to the Public Health Director for the JCHD, Julie Bush, as of Monday, June 29, there are a total of nine cases for Johnson County, seven of which have recovered and two that are still active. Bush then warned a travel advisory from the state regarding Kentuckians traveling to Myrtle Beach, South As The Kentucky Department for Public Health (DPH) issued an advisory last Thursday, June 25 for Kentucky residents who have traveled to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, over the past two weeks, she said She then referenced an excerpt from the advisory, which stated, A situation arose in Kentucky when a group traveled to Myrtle Beach on June 11 and returned on June 14. At least nine members of the group tested positive for COVID-19. Another cluster may be linked to a trip to Myrtle Beach the first week of June. An additional COVID-19-positive Kentucky resident was exposed during travel in mid-June to Myrtle Beach. DPH, along with local health departments are advising Kentucky residents who have traveled to Myrtle Beach in the past two weeks to self-quarantine for 14 days and monitor themselves for COVID-19 symptoms. The statement continued, Dr. Steven Stack, Kentuckys Public Health commissioner, said, If you or someone to whom you are close has been to Myrtle Beach in the past two weeks, please be aware that you have a good probability of having been exposed to the novel coronavirus. He added, Please avoid contact with those who are vulnerable, such as the elderly and anyone with significant medical conditions, including diabetes, obesity and heart disease. According to the statement, anyone who has recently traveled to the popular vacation destination should watch for the following symptoms: A fever of 100.4 degrees or higher Respiratory symptoms, such as shortness of breath or breathing difficulty Loss of smell or taste If any of these symptoms are present, the person should get tested for COVID-19 as soon as possible. The statement continued, Multiple states have reported a rise in COVID-19 cases, and the guidance should be applied more broadly, including social situations where people gathered in numbers of 10 or greater and in situations where people are not observing recommended precautions, including practicing social distancing and wearing a cloth mask when in public or in groups. Kentuckians should also practice thorough and frequent hand-washing. Bush said the Johnson County community wants to be diligent and continue to follow public health guidance. We must not let our guard down at this point, as we are now seeing an increase in the number of cases across Eastern Kentucky and the state, she said. We must continue to practice good hand hygiene wash hands frequently and for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, then use hand sanitizer. We must also continue to practice social distancing at least 6 feet apart from others who are not in your own household. Keep your distance. In the absence of a vaccine or a cure, these are the only defenses we have, along with wearing a mask, to protect ourselves and others. The health department urges Johnson County citizens to wear a mask when in public and also when social distancing is not possible. It is one of the most important things we can do to protect each other. It will protect not only yourself, but others around you. We must be mindful of those around us, so please consider the vulnerable and the elderly in your decision to wear a mask. Remember, you dont have to be experiencing symptoms to spread the virus to others. You could be a carrier and not know it. Palestine, TX (75801) Today Cloudy skies this morning followed by thunderstorms during the afternoon. Storms may contain strong gusty winds. High 87F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%.. Tonight Thunderstorms likely this evening. Then a chance of scattered thunderstorms overnight. Low 68F. Winds NNE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%. Paris, France (PANA) - The Survie Association Tuesday criticized the presence of French forces in the Barkane operation under the guise of fighting against terrorism in the Sahel while at the same time serving as Jihadists My reaction is that the president has made very clear he wants everybody to understand, and I think many Americans do understand the virus originated in China, said Conway on June 24 during a press conference covered by C-SPAN. And had China been more transparent and honest with the United States and the world, we wouldnt have all the death and destruction that unfortunately weve suffered. Geneva, Switzerland (PANA) - Leaders of diaspora and community organizations from around the world on Tuesday expressed solidarity with coronavirus victims facing xenophobia and discrimination, the UN migration agency, IOM, said Tripoli, Libya (PANA) - The European Union (EU) delegation in Libya has expressed solidarity with Libya's National Oil Company (NOC) in its efforts to resume oil production, denouncing the presence of foreign mercenaries in the southwest al-Charara oilfield Log on if you are already subscribed or Subscribe... Nairobi, Kenya (PANA) - The Kenyan parliament Wednesday opened an investigation into the accuracy of coronavirus (COVID-19) tests conducted by a leading laboratory, an official source said here Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso (PANA) - Rising from their meeting on Tuesday in Nouakchott, Mauritania, with French President, Emmanuel Macron, the Heads of State of the G5 Sahel declared that displaced persons and local government officials will soon return to their places of origin BLOOMINGTON Health officials are reminding people to keep loved ones safe this holiday weekend and prevent the spread of COVID-19. County health department Administrator Jessica McKnight said Wednesday that people should continue to stay vigilant. The health department reported one new case of the novel coronavirus on Wednesday, bringing McLean County to a total of 261 confirmed cases since mid-March. There are 10 active COVID-19 cases in the county, with one patient hospitalized and nine who are at home in isolation, said McKnight. As of Wednesday, 238 patients had been released from home isolation. In order to protect themselves and loved ones this weekend, she said, people should stay home if they are sick; keep gathering sizes small; encourage outdoor activities over indoor ones; maintain social distancing when possible; remember to wash hands; and wear a face covering when in public and cannot maintain social distancing. More than 13,400 McLean County residents have been tested for COVID-19, and the rate of positive tests is 2%, said McKnight. The county's rolling seven day positive rate is 0.7% through June 30. The McLean County Emergency Management Agency reported Wednesday a second record-breaking day with 270 people tested Tuesday at the drive-through COVID-19 testing facility at the McLean County Fairgrounds, 1106 Interstate Drive, Bloomington. That's the highest number of people to be tested in one day since the site opened on March 28, breaking the previous day's record of 253 people, EMA said. Please log in to keep reading. {{featured_button_text}} Enjoy unlimited articles at one of our lowest prices ever. The facility is open daily between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. for anyone who can complete a nasal self-swab test. It will be closed for Independence Day on Saturday and Sunday. In LaSalle County, health officials reported four new cases of coronavirus, bringing the county total to 219 cases. The patients were a teenage girl, a woman in her 20s and two women in their 50s, according to the LaSalle County Health Department. The Ford County Public Health Department announced one new case of the virus. The patient is a woman in her 40s. Ford County has had a total of 33 confirmed cases since March and one death. In Livingston County, health officials confirmed two new cases of COVID-19, bringing the county to a total of 47 positive cases. The two new patients are a woman younger than 20 and a woman in her 80s. Both are at home in isolation. Satewide, Illinois Department of Public Health announced 828 new cases of coronavirus and 30 additional deaths, bringing the state to a total of 144,013 cases and 6,951 deaths across 101 counties. Bloomington-Normal restaurants we miss Contact Sierra Henry at 309-820-3234. Follow her on Twitter: @pg_sierrahenry. 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. MACON COUNTY A Normal woman was one of two people taken to a hospital with injuries not considered life-threatening after semi tractor-trailer collided with a Hyundai in northwest Macon County. Illinois State Police said the crash took place at 12:29 p.m. Tuesday. A preliminary investigation showed that the Hyundai, driven by the 20-year-old Normal woman, was traveling southbound on Kenney Road and failed to yield at Illinois 121, police said. The semi, driven by a 54-year-old Tolono man, was traveling eastbound on the highway and struck the Hyundai in the passenger side. The semi then left the road and overturned. Both drivers were taken to hospitals. Please log in to keep reading. {{featured_button_text}} Enjoy unlimited articles at one of our lowest prices ever. Police said the Normal woman was issued a citation for failure to yield at an intersection. Crime Stoppers of McLean County Contact Allison Petty at (217) 421-6986. Follow her on Twitter: @AllisonAPetty Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. NORMAL Central Illinois health care options will grow stronger with Carle Health's $190 million acquisition of Advocate hospitals in Normal and Eureka, officials from both organizations said Wednesday. Carle and Advocate leaders gathered in the chapel garden of what had been Advocate BroMenn, 1304 Franklin Ave. in Normal, to celebrate the deal being finalized. While only several dozen masked employees joined the outdoor event because of social distancing amid COVID-19, thousands more watched a live stream broadcast to Carle facilities throughout the region. "This is really a day to celebrate for many reasons," said Dr. James Leonard, Carle president and CEO. "One of the beauties of us coming together is the shared values across the system ... It's all about patient care." Urbana-based Carle's acquisition of BroMenn, Eureka and affiliated facilities in Central Illinois from Advocate Aurora Health, based in Downers Grove and Milwaukee, was announced in January. State and federal regulatory approvals and other transition work took place over the past six months. More than 1,900 Advocate staff members are now a part of Carle. Facilities also got new names. Advocate BroMenn Medical Center became Carle BroMenn Medical Center; Advocate Eureka Hospital in Eureka became Carle Eureka Hospital. "We are stronger together," said Colleen Kannaday, who remains president of BroMenn and Eureka hospitals. Kannaday said BroMenn and Eureka are stronger compared with ten years ago thanks to their affiliation with Advocate and are ready "to take health care in Central Illinois to the next level." "This is not an effort on our part to move things to Champaign," Leonard told The Pantagraph later. "This is an effort to partner with BroMenn." Kannaday and Leonard said uniting Bromenn, Eureka and Carle operations would strengthen the region's health care opportunities. That includes making it easier to attract specialists to the region, they said, and opening up possibilities for specialized care in Champaign-Urbana that may not be available in Bloomington-Normal. Previously, Advocate referred patients who needed specialized care to Advocate facilities in the Chicago area. "We anticipate growing the clinical providers in the community as well as bringing people over from Champaign who might have some specialization that isn't available here," Leonard said. "The same wonderful providers caring for you yesterday will be caring for our patients today," said Kannaday, noting staffing adjustments have been "very, very minimal. The day-to-day care and the work remains the same." Please log in to keep reading. {{featured_button_text}} Enjoy unlimited articles at one of our lowest prices ever. Support Local Journalism Your membership makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}} Dr. Chuck Dennis, Carle Health chief medical officer, noted that he began his career as an internist with Carle Clinic Bloomington-Normal in 1998, stayed on for eight years after that clinic was acquired by OSF HealthCare, then rejoined Carle in 2017. "This is the bringing together of successful health care systems in our community," said Dennis, who lives in Bloomington-Normal. With Carle's acquisition, the same health insurance plans will be accepted with a few exceptions, Kannaday said. She encouraged patients to contact their insurance carrier directly with questions about benefits and in-network coverage. "There are no major plans that we're not contracted with," Kannaday said. BroMenn remains a faith-based organization and its partnership with its delegate-churches remains unchanged, Kannaday said. Among BroMenn employees watching Wednesday's ceremony was Kristie Wolfe, BroMenn and Eureka patient safety director. Wolfe, a nurse for 25 years, told The Pantagraph that she worked at BroMenn as a nurse tech and pharmacy tech while a nursing student at Illinois Wesleyan University. She went to work after graduation at Carle in Urbana as a registered nurse in the surgical intensive care unit, then returned to BroMenn in 1999. "I am extremely excited," she said. "Having the background at Carle and with experience I've had at BroMenn, the organizations culturally and strategically are very similar," with both focusing on patient care and safety. Specialty services not offered at BroMenn should be available at Carle in Urbana, she said. "We'll love to be able to keep our patients in Central Illinois," Wolfe said. 5 things to know about Carle's $190 million acquisition of Advocate facilities Contact Paul Swiech at 309-820-3275. Follow him on Twitter: @pg_swiech. Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 5 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. Were so far from that bridge, Terry, King said, saying that the Black Lives Matter movement is in part, a rallying cry and a protest slogan to galvanize people into doing the justice work needed to derail the deaths, dehumanization and destruction of black lives that racism causes. As painful as the COVID-19 recession has been for many Americans, the abrupt downturn could have been far worse. And perhaps the smartest action taken by the federal government so far has been those expanded unemployment payments made possible by the Coronavirus Aid, Response and Economic Security (CARES) Act. Thats a major reason why the record high unemployment rate in the United States of 13.3% doesnt really feel quite as disastrous as that number suggests. Families have been kept afloat, landlords have been kept in business, grocery stores and other essential merchants are doing a brisk trade, and even the stock market, while an imperfect economic barometer, is roughly where it was valued last August. In other words, of all the failings of Washington during the pandemic from its initial laxity to its bizarrely muddled message on testing and mask-wearing, the CARES Act, and particularly those $600 unemployment booster checks, have been one thing that Democrats and Republicans did not get wrong. Now, heres the problem: The bottom of that is about to fall away. First up are those $600 expanded benefits checks. They are due to stop coming on July 31. And while clearly that benefit cant be maintained forever (at least not without the means to pay for it), ending them in a month looks like a terrible idea. It would be one thing if the coronavirus pandemic were definitely over or at least contained, but the latest numbers are alarming. The number of new cases overall has been rising since mid-June with states like Arizona, Florida and Texas becoming the latest hot spots. And its not just new cases, positivity rates and hospitalizations are up as well. And thats caused some states to impose new restrictions to improve social distancing. Yet, even with those orders, some project U.S. COVID-19 deaths will rise significantly in July. That worsening health outlook combined with the loss of unemployment insurance income for millions of Americans could prove a disastrous 1-2 punch. Given that reality, Congress ought to be moving forward with some sort of extension to reassure Americans (and the markets) that the federal government still has the economys back. Please log in to keep reading. {{featured_button_text}} Enjoy unlimited articles at one of our lowest prices ever. Yet many Republicans continue to moan and groan about how those $600 payments are a disincentive to work. As if everything would be peachy if the federal government would simply be a bit more heartless to those who have lost their jobs through no fault of their own. The job market remains horrible. Its not laziness thats keeping hospitality industry workers at home, to name one glaring example, its the way their industry is in ruin at the moment. The harm that abrupt end in unemployment benefits hasnt been lost on the Federal Reserve, which last week issued a report that included a warning of the hardships ahead for millions of families once the supplemental unemployment benefits expire. Yet its the way the outbreak is growing worse in red states like Texas and Georgia as well as the swing state of Florida that may yet get the Trump administrations attention. No doubt there are some individuals who are, in fact, bringing home more money with more generous unemployment benefits than they did when they were working. But so what? This isnt forever, and we dont hear Congress making the same complaints about far greater (and usually more permanent) windfalls when it hands out lucrative tax avoidance schemes to billionaires. And unlike the super rich, the working poor (no matter their current job status) can be relied to spend those dollars right back in their communities by spending them on such things as the utility bill or perhaps food, all of which create millions of jobs. Expanded unemployment benefits represent a safety net thats working right now. July is not the month to drop it. The Baltimore Sun Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 This service applies to you if your subscription has not yet expired on our old site. You will have continued access until your subscription expires; then you will need to purchase an ongoing subscription through our new system. Please contact the Parsons Sun office at (620) 421-2000 if you have any questions Major Internet service providers are scheduled to end their quarantine benefits soon, once again subjecting Americans to data caps and removing protections if they are unable to pay their bills. On July 1, data caps returned to some major ISPs. The FCCs Keep Americans Connected Pledge also expired on June 30. Companies initially agreed to the pledge and rushed to add benefits. ISPs like CenturyLink, T-Mobile, Verizon, and many others said they would not discontinue service or charge late fees for those unable to pay because of the coronavirus. They also agreed to open their Wi-Fi access points for free. So far, the FCC has not publicly said that it would extend the pledge. In some ways, ISPs face the same decision as governors in Florida and Texas: end their benefits, which encouraged users to stay home, or continue them for an indeterminate period of time. For many of those who are out of work, ISPs could begin demanding payment for outstanding broadband bills on June 30. Consumers who have been riding out the quarantine by streaming may also find that their unlimited data expired on July 1. On that day AT&T, Comcast Xfinity, and T-Mobile were scheduled to resume normal service, and once again impose data caps. Some ISPs, like Cox, have already terminated some benefits, as its temporary unlimited data program expired in May. Others, like AT&T, have extended theirs through Sept. 30. AT&T All AT&T consumer home Internet customers, as well as Fixed Wireless Internet, can use unlimited data through June 30. On June 30, AT&T said it would waive overage charges through Sept. 30 for AT&T Fiber and AT&T Internet customers. It excludes DSL, Fixed Wireless Internet, and AT&T Wireless Internet and Mobility plans. An automatic 10GB of data per month was temporarily added to customers capped phone plans, though that appears to have expired on June 24. Mobile hotspot data was increased by 15GB per month for those on unlimited cellular plans, through June 30. Navy personnel on select ships may make free calls to military bases, also through June 30. AT&T pledged not to terminate the service of any customer who cant pay their bill, and will waive the fees associated with late payments. (Waivers can be applied for here.) That expires on June 30. The company will continue to waive domestic postpaid wireless plan overage charges for data, voice or text for residential or small business wireless customers. AT&T will also keep its public Wi-Fi hotspots open to everyone, and has automatically increased hotspot data by 15GB per month per line. New AT&T TV/DirectTV customers will receive a free year of HBO. An AT&T Summer Camp collection of content has been added, along with a number of free channels to those customers who didnt already have them. CenturyLink Until June 30, CenturyLink said it committed to waive late fees and to not terminate a residential or small business customers service due to financial circumstances associated with COVID-19. The company suspended data usage limits for consumer customers during this time period. Consolidated Communications Consolidated joined the Keep Americans Connected Pledge, although its support page says that pledge expired on June 30. Consolidated already does not have data caps, the company said. Comcast On March 13, Comcast said it would pause enforcement of its data caps for 60 days, essentially giving all of its customers unlimited data for that period. (Comcast normally gives its Xfinity customers two grace months for every 12, allowing them to exceed their data cap without penalty.) That was extended through June 30. Students who sign up for Xfinity Internet will receive a $150 Visa card. (Comcast traditionally hasn't enforced data caps in the Northeast, where it competes with Verizon FIOS.) Comcast did increase its data cap from 1TB to 1.2TB. however. New subscribers to Comcasts $9.95/month Internet Essentials plan initially received two months free, and speeds were increased to 25Mbps down and 3Mbps up. Comcast said on June 19 that the two months free introductory offer for Internet Essentials will be extended through the rest of the year. Comcast is also making its Xfinity WiFi service free for everyone, regardless of whether youre a Comcast subscriber, through the end of 2020. (Heres a map of Xfinity WiFi hotspots.) Comcast pledged not to to disconnect a customer if they cant pay their bill, and has waived late fees, though it now says that "were offering customers in this program a variety of flexible and extended payment options" to keep customers connected. Cox Cox eliminated data usage overages starting March 16 for 60 days, later extended until the end of June. Cox previously said that it would not terminate service for any residential or small business customers, and would open its Cox WiFi hotspot network to keep the public connected. That was later extended through June 30. Cox is offering free support calls and the first month free to its low-cost Internet service, Connect2Compete. (It will be free through July 15, Cox added.) Customers on its Essential plan will see their speeds increased from 30Mbps to 50Mbps, and Starter, StraightUp Internet and Connect2Compete packages will be automatically upgraded to speeds of 50 Mbps as well. "After reviewing data consumption since the coronavirus crisis, we know that nearly 90 percent of customers would not have been charged for going over their 1TB data plan," a Cox spokesman said in an email. Cox is now raising future data allowances from 1 TB/mo to 1.25TB/mo. Charter (Spectrum) Charter Communications Spectrum services do not have data caps, and the company said it will not terminate service for home or small business users who cant pay because of the coronavirus pandemic, through June 30. Charter initially said it would offer free Spectrum broadband and Wi-Fi for 60 days if that household has K-12 students or college students who do not already have a Spectrum broadband subscription -- that offer was extended until June 30, too. Charter also said it will open its Wi-Fi hotspots for public use, through June 30. All of Charters existing HBO subscribers, including subscribers in its Spectrum Silver and Gold video packages, were automatically given access to HBO Max for no additional charge. Earthlink Earthlink is participating in the Keep Americans Connected Pledge, and pledged (as of March 16, 2020) not to terminate the service of any residential or small business customer because of their inability to pay their bill due to disruptions caused by the coronavirus pandemic, as well as not to charge late payment fees a residential or small business customer may incur because of economic hardship related to the coronavirus pandemic. The company does not appear to have coronavirus benefits currently in effect at this time. Earthlink does not offer data caps on its residential service. Frontier Communications Frontier does not have data caps, and this will continue through the COVID-19 pandemic, the company said. It also plans to increase its capacity. Google Google Fi has joined the Keep Americans Connected Pledge, according to a company spokesman, who has not said how long its pledge will be effective. Google Fi temporarily increased its limits for full-speed data to 30GB per user, for both Flexible and Unlimited Plans, as of April 1. After the 30GB limit is reached, a user can pay $10/GB to return to full-speed data for the remainder of the billing cycle. Google is also extending its billing grace period to 60 days beyond the billing date. All of these measures are effective as of June 24, Google has said. Mediacom Communications New customers who sign up for Mediacoms Access Internet 60 broadband service can do so for $19.99/mo for 12 months, rather than $29.99/mo. Mediacoms Connect2Compete service raised its speeds from 10Mbps down/1Mbps up to 25Mbps down/3Mbps up, and made it free for the first 60 days. It also made its Wi-Fi hotspot network publicly accessible, for free. Mediacom also paused monthly data allowances across all broadband service tiers, the company said on June 23. All of these initiatives now extend through August, Mediacom said. Beginning with the September billing cycle and continuing through the end of 2020, Mediacom will provide up to 100 gigabytes of additional data to any broadband customer that exceeds their monthly data allowance for free, the company said. Sparklight (formerly Cable One) Sparklight said on March 13 that it would make unlimited data available on all Internet plans for 30 days. Sparklight extended unlimited data through May 12. On March 16, the company said it would make its hotspots, accessible in its office parking lots, available for free public use, and added a 15Mbps internet plan for $10 per month, both of which it will extend through the remainder of 2020. The company now says it will work with customers who can't pay their bills on flexible payment plans, and will waive late fees through July 31. It will permanently boost its data caps by 50GB to 300GB, depending on the plan. Sprint (As of April 1, Sprint completed its merger with T-Mobile.) Sprint said on March 13 that it extended its network to include T-Mobiles network for the next 60 days. Sprint signed the Keep Americans Connected Pledge and committed to waiving fees and not terminating services if customers were unable to pay because of the coronavirus for the next 60 days. Customers with metered data plans received unlimited data for 60 days and 20GB of hotspot data for the same period. Customers will be able to place free international calls to CDC-designated Level 3 countries. Starry Wireless broadband ISP Starry made Starry Connect, a broadband program for public and affordable housing owners, free through May. Normally, the program, which provides 30Mbps symmetrical speeds, is $15 per month. Starry agreed to suspend cancellation of service due to nonpayment due to the coronavirus, reportedly through July. It already does not charge additional fees or late fees. Starrys service does not include data caps, either. TDS TDS said on March 16 that it would provide free broadband access to customer households with K-12 or college students. (Proof will be required.) TDS also its Wi-Fi hotspots to the public, for free. Other than that, TDS adhered to the FCCs Keep Americans Connected pledge only by agreeing not to disconnect customers who couldnt pay their bills through June 30. On June 29, TDS said that customers who received 60 days of free internet service will also receive a $10 credit off their bill for their next six months of service, and that it would work with customers to develop payment plans if necessary. T-Mobile All current T-Mobile plans with data were granted free unlimited data through June 30, excluding roaming. T-Mobile and Metro by T-Mobile customers were given an additional 20GB of mobile hotspot and tethering services through June 30 as well. Lifeline customers were given an extra 5GB of data per month for the next two months. We do not have an offer available for 60 days of free service and encourage consumers to be cautious of social media posts that may include fraudulent numbers, T-Mobile added. The company has also posted resources to help protect customers from scammers. T-Mobile extended its commitment to the FCC pledge through June 30, continuing to offer support for postpaid wireless, residential and small business customers impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Verizon Verizon waived late fees to keep residential and small business customers connected if negatively impacted by the global crisis, the company said on March 13.Though the Keep Americans Connected pledge has expired, starting July 1, customers who signed up for the pledge will automatically be enrolled in Verizon's Stay Connected repayment program to provide options to stay connected, the company said. Verizon upgraded the data plan on its Verizon Innovative Learning program for Title 1 middle schools from 10GB/month to 30GB/month for two months, effective March 16. There are no data caps on Verizon home Internet subscribers, a company representative said. Previously: on March 23, Verizon updated its coronavirus relief plans, noting that it will waive overage charges, upgrade fees and activation fees. Verizon has also pledged to not terminate service and waive late fees. Verizon is also adding 15GB of 4G LTE data to consumer and small business plans for free, and adding some free overseas calls to some countries. Verizon waived the next two months of billing cycles on its Lifeline plan. On April 3, Verizon launched a new broadband discount program; customers may select any Verizon Fios speed in its Mix & Match plans and receive a $20 discount per month. Windstream (Kinetic) Windstream did not announce any relief for customers affected by the coronavirus. The service does not implement data caps, however. This story was updated on July 1 at 5:24 PM with additional details about Comcast's data plan. The Minister for Trade and Industry, Hon. Alan Kyerematen paid a working visit to the first phase of VW Ghana Assembly Facility in the North Industrial Area, Accra. Volkswagen was the first global automobile company to sign MOU with the Ministry of Trade and Industry to establish a vehicle assembly plant in Ghana under the Ghana Automobile Manufacturing Development Programme. The Chief Executive Officer of the company, Mr. Jeffrey Oppong Peprah who accompanied the Minister and his team to the tour of the plant indicated that the company has commenced commercial production under a registered local company VW Ghana and is currently producing five Volkswagen models in its Accra plant. These brands include Tiguan, Amarok Pickup, Passat, Polo and Teramont. The CEO informed the Minister that the company is planning the grand launching of Volkswagen car models made in Ghana soon. Hon. Kyerematen used the visit to present the Bonafide Vehicle Assembler Certificate to VW Ghana. Mr. Kyerematen commended Mr. Thomas Schaefer, the Head of Volkswagen Sub Saharan Africa Region who joined the tour via a virtual link and his team for the confidence shown in Ghana. He promised the Governments support to facilitate the development of the second phase of the company to ensure that the country reaps the full benefit of automobile manufacturing. The Minister was accompanied by Mr. Subhi Accad, CEO of Universal Motors Volkswagens retailer and a team from both the Ministry of Trade and Industry and Ministry of Finance. Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) in collaboration with the Canadian government has launched a GH2.5million programme to support Women Farmer-Based Organisations (WFBOs) engaged in post-production in Ghana. The initiative would see 32 WFBOs benefit from the purchase and installation of agro-processing equipment, and also build their capacity in the operation and maintenance of the machinery at no cost. Speaking at the launch, the Chief Director of the MoFA, Mr Robert Patrick Ankobea said that, the programme was to enhance the capacity of the beneficiaries, make them competitive and also position them to export their products. This support aims to strengthen the capacities of the WFBOs to make their products more competitive and attractive for local and exports markets, he said. He added that, timing of the initiative was appropriate as the government was finding innovative ways to revamp the economy, which was affected by the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Agriculture plays an important role in the economy and due to some of the measures to contain the virus affected the production activities. This is a good opportunity to support the sector to be effective and boost the sector, he said. The Chief Executive of Ghana Regional Appropriate Technology Industrial Service (GRATIS) Foundation, Mr Kofi Adjei Ntim said, the foundation would design and develop appropriate processing equipment for commodities such as cassava, oil palm, maize, and rice. At the short ceremony in Accra on Friday, the Development Officer at the GAC, Mr Majeed Mohammed, said the project supports the objective of the mechanising agriculture in Ghana programme, which has seen the Canadian government provide a CAD$135 million to improve food security and foster agricultural growth in the country. He said women played a vital role in the agriculture value chain, yet they face numerous challenges along the value chain. Mr Mohammed also noted that, the support was in line with Canadas Feminist International Assistance Policy, which was aimed at empowering women to eradicate poverty and build a more inclusive and prosperous world. On behalf of the beneficiaries, Ms Naomi Ayoba of the Ashaiaman WFBO expressed their appreciation to Canadian government and MoFA for the support, indicating that it would enhance their productivity. The occasion also witnessed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between MoFA and the GRATIS Foundation, the implementation agency of the project, whilst the second was signed between MoFA and the WFBOs. 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 Ten young entrepreneurs will today pitch their innovative business ideas before a panel of judges in a competitive bid to access part of the GH1 million to establish their start-up businesses. The ceremony will be the final stage of this years Presidential Pitch Programme (PPP), which is designed to provide the opportunity, including funding for young Ghanaians between the ages of 18 and 35 years, to turn their business ideas into viable businesses. The PPP started with a call for application on June 16 this year, and will climax today at a ceremony in Accra which will be attended by the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo. This years edition of the PPP, which is the third in the series, shortlisted 100 applicants from the many submissions that poured in from across the country. The figure was further pruned to 20 applicants out of which the 10 finalists were selected. Background At the launch of the programme last month, the Minister of Business Development, Dr Ibrahim Mohammed Awal, said GH1 million had been earmarked for the successful finalists as a grant at no cost to them. The President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, in 2018 launched the Presidential Pitch to support young Ghanaians who have brilliant business ideas but dont have the money to implement them and be job owners and job creators, Dr Awal said. 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 Employers have been urged to feed employees with the right information, especially during this COVID-19 period. Director, Human Resource of Vodafone Ghana, Hannah Ashiokai Akrong, noted that businesses should put in place proper communications channels. Organizations need to understand what the anxieties are for their employees as well as marry the objectives of the business. Speaking at Ghanas Most Respected CEOs breakfast series, organised by the Business and Financial Times (B&FT) in partnership with Vodafone Business, she stressed that every business needs a continuity plan. The webinar was held on the theme Managing an anxious workforce during and post COVID-19 for business continuity. Every business has been impacted by COVID-19, but what are some of the things that can be done. How are we helping employees for them to operate safely? We need to ensure that the mental health of workers are sustained throughout this period, she added. Ms. Akrong pointed out that employees need to be responsible. Open up with employees, they have amazing ideas that can contribute to the growth of your company. You need to rally your employees around your mission and vision and get your employees for one purpose; we have to take up the learnings and look at what we can do for our businesses to thrive, she said. She further stated that businesses cannot go back to the way they were doing business before the pandemic even if the virus is contained. We have all been disrupted, like it or not by COVID-19, our businesses have transformed, we cant go back to business as it was, things have changed. Before the lockdown, I had an employee in the UK who wasnt able to come back and has been very productive working from the UK, she said. She explained that the world has learned lessons from the pandemic that will have to be used to move businesses into the future. We have to take the learnings and then go into the future with these learnings and transform our business. These disruptions were forced on us and we have to look at what we can take in order for our businesses to thrive, she added. 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 The Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) has charged Everyday Tissue Manufacturing Ghana, producers of toilet rolls, for evading tax and failure to issue the GRAs Value Added Tax Invoice. The company, located at Kwame Wetei at Awutu Breku, was charged for using books sponsored by government for the junior high schools and senior high schools, which were strictly not for sale to produce toilet rolls. The police have, therefore, arrested three officials of the company for using state textbooks as raw material to produce toilet roll for sale. They are Ma Fui Jiuming, Manager of the company, Ma Mang, sales manager, and Prince Andoh, companys interpreter, assisting the police in investigations. The exercise forms part of an enforcement tour carried out by the GRA Special Revenue Mobilisation Taskforce at Awutu Breku in the Central Region to clampdown on tax defaulters. Mr Henry Sam, Coordinator, GRA Special Revenue Mobilisation Taskforce, briefing the press, said the exercise was instigated by GRA Informant and Counter Intelligence Unit. He said: "The books, instead of going to the classroom to help the students with their studies, are rather recycled as raw materials, even though they are not outdated, to manufacture toilet rolls". The Taskforce did not find any tangible records by the company such as books of account and this is against section 27 of the Revenue Administration Act, which mandates businesses to keep and maintain proper records. Mr Sam said the Taskforce had retrieved some of the books as exhibits and confiscated some property of the company including four vehicles covered with the Commissioner General of GRA seal. He explained that the vehicles would be valued and then weighed against other records like the company's bank statements and electricity bills, to give the Authority an idea of the cost in assessing the companys tax liability. "The Commissioner General of the GRA will use his best judgement in assessing the tax liability and any tax short fall," he said. Mr Sam said the Police would handle the criminal aspect of the destruction of government textbooks while the Authority dealt with the revenue issue. "We want genuine investors who will comply with the tax laws and contribute to the growth of the economy, not people who will rip this country of its resources and benefit at the expense of the state and its citizens." Source: GNA Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Ghana Cocoa Board is on course to sign its US$1.3 billion syndicated loan in September despite the COVID-19 pandemic which has brought economic activities around the world to a standstill, the Chief Executive Officer, Mr Joseph Boahen Aidoo, has said. He said the process was moving steadily, with everything on schedule. Responding to earlier reports that COCOBOD was unable to raise its planned US$1.3 billion through a syndicate of banks due to perceived risks associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, he said those reports were not accurate and did not reflect the current state of engagements between COCOBOD and its financial partners. The chief executive was speaking at the launch of the US$600 million syndicated loan facility it signed with a consortium of development finance institutions to enhance productivity in the sector. It is important that I inform you that COCOBOD has paid its 2019/2020 loan facility in this present month of June 2020, three months ahead of schedule, even in this time of COVID-19. And so with respect to the US$1.3 billion syndicated loan, COCOBOD issued Requests for Proposals (RFP) in February 2020 to international banks to raise the funds for the 2020/2021 cocoa purchases. On the 12th of June, 2020, the financial institutions, including COCOBODs traditional banks, submitted their proposals. Evaluation of the proposals was held on 18th June, 2020 by an in-house committee chaired by the chief executive, with representatives from the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, the Ministry of Finance and the Bank of Ghana, he explained. He said COCOBOD was currently negotiating the terms of the proposals with the banks, which was the normal practice. Once the terms are finalised, all due processes will be followed through to their logical conclusion, up to the signing of the facility which is expected in September 2020, he stated. US$600 million facility Mr Boahen Aidoo also indicated that the board had received the first tranche of US$200 million out of the US$600 million syndicated loan facility it signed with a consortium of development finance institutions. He said the loan would support COCOBOD to strengthen the cocoa value chain and help alleviate poverty by increasing productivity and promoting a progressive cocoa consumption environment. I must put on record that with our own resources, significant progress has been made in our collective resolve to implement various Productivity Enhancement Programmes (PEPs) to increase yield per hectare to at least 1,000 kilogrammes. For instance, the 2020 Mass Pruning Exercise which began two months ago has been excellent. I am happy to indicate that we have achieved 100 per cent coverage of farm area, giving more prospects for higher yields, Mr Aidoo stated. He said the Cocoa Swollen Shoot Virus Disease programme (CSSVD), which was in its second year in the Western and Eastern regions, had seen the rehabilitation of several hectares of diseased farms. For the 2019/20 crop year, we started with some 37,850 hectares of diseased farms in both regions. Large proportions of the affected farms are presently at various stages of rehabilitation. It is only a matter of time before they become productive again, he noted. The CEO assured the public that the loan would be used for the purpose for which is was contracted. Background The Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), in November last year, signed a $600-million loan agreement with some development finance institutions, including African Development Bank (AfDB), the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), the Development Bank of Southern Africa and Casa Depositi e Prestiti Spa. Others included the Credit Suisse AG and the Industrial Commercial Bank of China. AfDB acted as the mandated lead arranger with a tranche of $250 million, Credit Suisse arranged the commercial tranche of up to $350 million, with the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) acting as a joint underwriter. 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 A District Magistrate court at Enchi, presided over by Mr Eric Baah Boateng, has issued a bench warrant for the arrest of a farmer, Emmanuel Amo, 22 from Nkwanta No.1 in the Aowin Municipality for failing to appear before it. The accused whose plea has not been taken was charged with threat of harm, unlawful entry and stealing and has been granted police enquiry bail in the sum of GH3,000.00 with one surety to re-appear on 22nd June, 2020 but failed. The case has subsequently been deferred to Thursday July 2. Police Detective Inspector Joseph Kwadwo Agyare told the court that, Boadi Abraham, the complainant is a farmer at Adwusa a cottage near Kramokrom whiles the accused was his step son. He said on May 31, 2020, at about 0830 hours, the accused armed with a cutlass went to the complainants cottage and met one Margaret Ackah a witness in the case who informed him that the complainant had gone to town. Mr Agyare said the accused unlawfully entered the complainants room and stole his mattress and bed sheet valued at GH730.00. He said the accused who was furious then said if l had come to meet him it would have been something else. The prosecution said when the complainant arrived the witness narrated the incident to him and he hurriedly reported the matter to the Police at Enchi. Mr Agyare said on June 4 accused was arrested and during investigations he denied threatening the complainant but confessed he stole the items. 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 Junior high schools (JHSs) reopened for final-year students Monday, with heightened attention on personal health and safety. Some teachers and students told the Daily Graphic correspondents that adherence to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) safety protocols remained a major priority for them at this time. Although some of the students and teachers were yet to receive their nose masks and hand sanitiser from the state, they appeared prepared for the engagements ahead of them, bearing in mind the dangers associated with the disease. They came from home with their nose masks and hand sanitiser ready to continue with academic work, while appealing to the government to fulfil its promise and provide the protective items. Temperature checking points had also been set up at the entrance of the schools to check the status of students before they were made to enter the classrooms. The heads of schools also confirmed that their facilities had been mapped with hospitals and clinics within their range to attend to students in case of any emergency. Some of the teachers also appealed to the government to provide them with face shields instead of nose masks so that when were are teaching, it will be audible. Monitoring team The Daily Graphic correspondents also observed that filled Veronica buckets, soap and tissue paper had been made available at vantage points for handwashing. The correspondents who visited some of the schools are Daniel Kenu, Kumasi; Moses Dotsey Aklorbortu, Sekondi-Takoradi; Shirley Asiedu-Addo, Cape Coast; Vincent Amenuveve, Bolgatanga, and Benjamin Xornam Glover, Tema. The rest are Emmanuel Adu-Gyamerah and Biiya Mukusah Ali, Sunyani; Rejoice Lavinia Eklu and Jennifer Kwasin, Accra; Bright Selase Afavi, Ho, and Pacome Emmanuel Damalie, Koforidua. Schools visited The schools visited include Oninku Drive JHS in Community One and Akodwo JHS, Tema; the Kaneshie Bishop 1 & 2 School; Bishops Girls Basic School, High Street, Accra; Bishop Bowers JHS, Laterbiokorshie; New Jerusalem School, a private school at Tabora; Liberty Avenue Cluster of Schools, and the Additrom Preparatory School, both in Adabraka. Others are the A.M.E. Zion School, the Amankwatia School at Asafo, Kumasi; Kabore JHS, Methodist JHS and the Anglican JHS, all in the Ho municipality; the Saint John's JHS, Adabase JHS and the Great Victory Academy, a private school in Bolgatanga, as well as St Monica's Girls JHS, Philip Quaque Boys JHS and the Mfantsipim Basic JHS in Cape Coast. The rest are Bishop Monroe AME Zion JHS, Wesley International School, Trinity Presby JHS, St Dominic Catholic JHS, all in Koforidua; St James R/C JHS, St Patrick R/C JHS, SUSEC Model JHS and Nyamaa D/A JHS in the Sunyani municipality. Greater Accra Region In the Tema metropolis, some students returned to school yesterday to disturbing scenes of traders turning their compounds into markets, while some drug addicts had turned the verandas into sleeping places. The students had to spend the greater part of the day cleaning their classrooms and dusting the furniture, which had accumulated so much dirt over the period of closure. The Tema Metropolitan Assembly (TMA) later relocated the traders, who included charcoal and fowl dealers. The Tema Metropolitan Director of Education, Mrs Bernice Ofori, toured some of the schools yesterday and said the directorate had held discussions with the TMA and market leaders to ask their members to vacate the verandas in order not to interfere with school activities. She said the directorate had also distributed PPE to all the 94 public and private schools with a population of 3,722 in the metropolis. The Presiding Member of the TMA, Mr Joseph Korto, who visited the basic school, said efforts in the past to stop activities of junkies on the Akodwo School by the construction of a wall proved futile, as the drug addicts always scaled the wall. In Accra, the team of reporters observed that by 10 a.m. most of the students were seated and were having lessons in many schools. Ashanti Region In Kumasi, the team observed that PPE were yet to arrive, but students arrived in school with their own nose masks. All other safety and hygiene materials were in place. Volta Region Classes had started as of 10:47 a.m. and the social distancing protocols were being strictly observed in the classrooms of Kabore JHS, Methodist JHS and the Anglican JHS, which were visited in the Ho municipality. The Headmistress of the Methodist JHS, Ms Rejoice Kasu, said they had asked the students to come to school with their lunch packs so no one would leave the classroom until they closed at 1 p.m. Upper East Region In Bolgatanga, some of the schools were yet to receive their protective gear. The Regional Director of Education, Mr Augustine Ayirezang, said the region was expecting the governments supplies to students and teachers. Eastern Region Bishop Monroe AME Zion JHS, Wesley International School, Trinity Presby JHS and St Dominic Catholic JHS are some of the schools that were visited in Koforidua. All students and tutors were seen in nose masks, and Veronica buckets were staged at vantage points to ensure handwashing. The numbers in the classrooms were significantly reduced to promote social distancing among students. The schools had received the protective items the government promised. The Headmistress of Bishop Monroe AME Zion JHS, Ms Comfort Baafi, advised the students to maintain discipline and hygiene in order not to contract the coronavirus. Western, Central regions In Sekondi-Takoradi, some of the schools had weedy compounds and the managers of the schools were supervising their clean-up. Some of the heads said they expected classes to resume fully today. However, PPE were yet to reach some of the schools. In Cape Coast, attendance was impressive as more than half of the candidates had arrived. Bono Region In the Sunyani municipality, even though some of the schools had not received their safety and hygiene products, the heads of the schools had provided some of the products to enable them to commence teaching and learning. Attendance was also encouraging as more than half of the students were in school. The Headmistress of the Nyamaa D/A JHS, Ms Rita Essien, told the Daily Graphic that parents provided nose masks for their children while the school also provided the hand washing items. Source: Daily Graphic Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Greater Accra Bar Association has taken its coronavirus fight to the Accra High Court, with the donation of assorted items aimed at preventing the spread of coronavirus. The donation to the High Court in Accra on Tuesday, June 30, 2020 followed similar donations made to the Tema High Court and the Tema General Hospital, a day earlier. Items presented to the High Court in Accra, include 20 packets of disposable gloves packets (1,000 pairs), hand sanitizers 30 4.5 litre gallons, Liquid soap 10 4.5 litre gallons, five Temperature guns, 550 pieces of Face shields, 1000 pieces of nose masks (Surgical: 700 - K95 : 300 pcs.); 100 rolls of paper napkins, four units of water dispensers, 20 units of wall mounted sanitizer dispenser. President of the Greater Accra Bar Association, Efua Ghartey, in a statement to hand over the items to the court, says It behooves on us as members of the Greater Accra Bar, to also contribute our quota, being the largest Regional Bar, by assisting the Governments efforts to keep the citizenry safe in this COVID-19 era. She says the High Court Complex which comprises 43 High Courts, is the largest collection of High Courts in Ghana where the largest number of Lawyers, Judges, Judicial staff and clients throng on a daily basis to ensure that the rule of law is upheld. Thus, she added, keeping the Complex safe is akin to keeping Ghana safe. In the midst of this pandemic, she appeals, please thoughtfully advise yourselves if your presence is not necessarily required at the Complex, especially if you areunwell. But, if you have to be here, kindly observe the outlined protocols to the hilt to keep yourselves and others safe. Our collective conduct will determine the future of our fight against this pandemic, she observed. We are most grateful to all the individual Lawyers and Law Firms for their contribution towards this gesture. We also, thank the Welfare Committee of the Greater Accra Bar Association, as well as the media without which this presentation would be a pass in the dark. Manager of the Law Court Complex, Patricia Dadson, commended the Bar for the kind support. She expressed the belief that the donation will go a long way to halt the spread of coronavirus. During the day, the court has about 2000 people coming in for various transactions, she says. She therefore assured that management of the Court Complex will do their best to protect people. 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 THE Minister of State (Health), Dr Olorunimbe Mamora, has recommended what he described as total penile amputation, as punishment to check the rising wave of rape in Nigeria. According to him, the cases have increased within the period of COVID-19 lockdown because socialising has greatly reduced while an idle mind is the devils workshop. He, however, stated that it would be difficult to prove alleged rape, which took place 10 years ago because it would no longer be a fresh case. But having said that, there is no defence; dont forget there is also the factor of stigmatisation, which may make people to just downplay or fail to report it. And you also have the situation, where the victim is probably too young to express what has happened. I think it is a phenomenon that we really need to look at very critically because it has become an epidemic, the minister said. Mamora, in an interview with The PUNCH in Abuja on Friday, said he was recommending total penile amputation because a woman that had been raped might never get over it in her entire life. He said, I had argued this at a forum before and I said without any reservations that if for the consideration for global approach to de-emphasising capital punishment, then what to me should be the minimum is total penile amputation because a woman that has been raped may never get over it in her entire life. I think that it would appear that the incident has increased within this period of COVID-19, which may just be a factor of people being kept at home because of the lockdown; socialising has greatly reduced and like it is said, an idle mind is the devils workshop. "People cannot vent their excitement as before, where people can go to clubs, bars and all that and be able to express themselves. Yes, there must be factors that must be responsible for this upsurge of rape at this point in time, but there should be no excuse. Source: mynigeria.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 Mr Oswald Oduro, the President of Rotary Club of Accra Ring Road Central, has advised the public to observe all Covid-19 protocols as directed by the World Health Organisation and the Ghana Health Service. He said COVID-19 was real and must not be taken for granted, adding; always wear your face mask, use hand sanitisers or wash your hands with soap under running water to keep safe from getting infected. Mr Oduro said this at a graduation ceremony at Bortianor near Accra to certify and empower 41 ladies who had benefitted from the Clubs Community Economic Empowerment Project. The project trains the ladies in beads, soap and wig-cup making, hair braiding, interior decoration and baking, while offering them start-up packages to enable them to start their own businesses to support themselves, their families and communities. The project was in partnership with the Opportunities Industrialization Centre, Ghana (OICG). The graduation ceremony was held in two sessions in compliance with social distancing and all COVID-19 protocols. Mr Oduro said the Club would continue to monitor and evaluate the progress of the beneficiaries and give them the needed support and guidance to make sure their businesses succeeded. Mr Samuel Debrah, the Executive Director, OICG, said the training formed part of an outreach programme where participants were taken through apprenticeship within three to 14 months depending on the choice of programme, by signing a Memorandum of Understanding with Training Masters. He said the apprentices were also made to take National Vocational Training Institute (NVTI) Proficiency Certificate One to give them the needed professional certification for their trade. Mr Paakow Sam, the Project Director, Rotary Club, said the idea to support the ladies was conceived about two years ago when Rotary Club Accra-Ring Road and Accra Industrial Area came together to finance the project. He said the Club consulted opinion leaders in the community for their approval and commenced with the training process in December, 2019, adding that beneficiaries should have graduated in March but for the outbreak of the coronavirus. Madam Joyce Afua Ackon, Programmes Coordinator, OICG, advised the beneficiaries to be persistent when faced with challenges and never give up but work hard to succeed in their business. Be mindful of time and keep to good personal hygiene practices to enhance your interpersonal relationship with your customers, she said. Ms Rosemary Wilson, a beneficiary, expressed gratitude to the organisers and trainers and pledged to put the skills to practice to enhance their livelihoods. 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 India's government has banned TikTok and dozens more Chinese-made apps, it says they are a danger to the country. In a statement, it said the apps were "prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India, security of state and public order". In total, 59 apps were banned - among them popular messaging app WeChat. It follows escalating tensions along the disputed border between the two powers. Both India and China deployed more troops to the Ladakh region in June. Clashes have left at least 20 Indian troops dead. Satellite images also appear to show that China has built new structures overlooking the Himalayan border region. India's Ministry of Information Technology said it was banning the 59 Chinese apps after receiving "many complaints from various sources" about apps that were "stealing and surreptitiously transmitting users' data in an unauthorised manner". "The compilation of these data, its mining and profiling by elements hostile to national security and defence of India, which ultimately impinges upon the sovereignty and integrity of India, is a matter of very deep and immediate concern which requires emergency measures," the ministry said. TikTok's parent company, ByteDance, is headquartered in Beijing and the app first became popular in the Chinese market before spreading worldwide. India is TikTok's biggest foreign market, with an estimated 120 million users. As it grew in popularity, it has faced accusations of links to the Chinese state, and of sending user data into China. Many of its strongest critics are in the United States, including some US senators who have called for an investigation into the company. TikTok fiercely rejects such claims. The list of apps banned by India also includes the microblogging platform Weibo, the strategy game Clash of Kings, Alibaba's UC Browser, and e-commerce apps Club Factory and Shein. Source: BBC Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video According to an official statement on Wednesday, Egyptian prosecutor-general Hamada El-Sawy spoke with his Italian counterpart Michele Prestipino in a virtual meeting, the first of its kind since the Italian prosecutor-general took office. This was also the first meeting with the Italian prosecution since El-Sawy formed a new Egyptian investigative team last February to solve the murder of Regeni, who was tortured and killed in Cairo in 2016. El-Sawy stressed that the Egyptian prosecution is operating independently in the Regeni case, and that it is not influenced by any reports from media outlets regarding the investigation. According to the statement, the Egyptian prosecution sent on Wednesday morning a number of requests to the Italian prosecution for information regarding the case, to which Prestipino said his office will examine the request. El-Sawy also said that the Egyptian investigative team is currently reviewing all previous investigations related to the incident and is examining requests previously filed by the Italian side over the case. The Italian general prosecutor said he hopes for a direct meeting in the near future so they can exchange information about the case in order to boost understanding and overcome any obstacles in the matter, the statement said. Egyptian and Italian authorities have been cooperating in the ongoing investigation into the murder of the 28-year-old Italian student, who was conducting research on independent trade unions when he went missing on the fifth anniversary of Egypts 2011 Revolution. He was found dead 10 days later bearing signs of torture. However, the cooperation faltered last year after Italy accused Egypt of not taking any steps or overtures following Rome's decision to place five members of Egyptian security forces under official investigation for their alleged involvement in the torture and murder of the slain student. Regeni's killing also led to a brief diplomatic rift in 2016, when Italy's ambassador to Cairo was recalled in protest of Egypt's handling of the case. The ambassador returned in September 2017. Egyptian officials have repeatedly dismissed allegations that security officials were involved in Regenis killing. Short link: Health Minister, Kwaku Agyeman-Manu has visited the site of Ghanas first infectious diseases treatment centre and lauded the Ghana Covid-19 Private Sector Fund, for initiating the project and raising the needed funds to bring it to fruition in record time. Mr. Agyeman-Manu was particularly impressed when he was told that the 100-bed facility, located at the Ga East Municipal Hospital in Accra, could be ready to admit its first patients by the middle of July. The Ghana Covid-19 Private Sector Fund has been spearheading the construction of the facility in response to the national call for all to join in the national battle bring the Covid-19 crisis under control. Several organisations and well-meaning individuals have contributed in cash and in kind to the fund since ground was broken for the project to start in the middle of April. After being briefed on the progress of work so far, the Health Minister said he was proud to have been involved in making land available for the facility. The whole thing started from my office, when the private sector people came with what their dream was and their vision and how they wanted to support us, he said. I quickly informed the president and he asked me to bring them to see him. We sat down with him and they told the president what they wanted to do. Together we identified this place (the Ga East Hospital) where we can have land without litigation and that already belonged to us. They moved in and this is what Ive come to see. Impressed by the progress of work, the minister said he was looking forward to the facility being put to use soon in the national fight against Covid-19. [From] the way they are talking, maybe before the middle of July we may start putting patients here, he said. And that is part of the effort to expand capacity for treatment in the country. If its adding 100 beds to what we already have, at least we are moving somewhere. The Minister was accompanied to the project site by the Director of the Ghana Health Service, Dr. Patrick Kuma-Aboagye and the Chief Medical Officer of the Ga East Hospital, Dr Oduro Mensah, among others. Source: ghanacovid19fund.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 Ghanas Embassy in Berlin, Germany is announcing resumption of normal operations from July 1, 2020. The Embassy, headed by Ambassador Georgina Blay, made the announcement in a statement dated June 30, 2020. According to the statement made available to DGN Online, the Embassy indicated that the move to resume normal operations follows the gradual easing of coronavirus restrictions by the Federal Government of Germany. The Embassy in the statement urged the general public to note that it will strictly adhere to all relevant safety protocols such as social distancing, wearing of face masks, washing of hands under running water, and regular use of hand sanitizers for both staff and visitors alike, in order to ensure the safety of everyone. Temperatures of all visitors, including consular applicants, will be checked before being allowed to enter the premises of the Mission. In that regard, persons whose temperatures will be observed to be higher than the acceptable range will not be granted access to the Embassy, the statement said. The Embassy cautioned that it will operate a no-mask-no-entry policy which would also ensure the wearing of face masks at all times by persons who visit the Embassys offices in Berlin. On consular services, only applicants with scheduled appointments will be attended to, it said, warning that applicants who walk in without prior appointments will be turned away. 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 THE ELECTORAL Commission (EC) has commenced the compilation of a new voters register across the various registration centres nationwide. Scores of people turned up at the registration centres and went through various processes in acquiring a copy of the card. Personal details including name, date of birth and place of residence of registrants were entered into a system. Photographs were subsequently taken and the cards were issued instantly. When DGN Online visited some of the registration centres in Accra, it found out that provisions were made for the safety of the registrants. Veronica buckets of water, containers of hand sanitizer and soap and several rolls of tissue paper were made available at the entrance of each centre. Prior to entry, registrants were made to mandatorily wash their hands and apply the sanitizer before and after acquiring their cards. There was also a staff of the EC on standby who took the temperature of each registrant on entry. At the Roxy Cinema registration centre in Accra, the atmosphere was calm as registrants went through the procedures peacefully. Same can also be said of the Additrom School, another registration centre in Accra. In an interview with DGN Online, Richmond Ahadjie, Registration Assistant at the Roxy Cinema said his team did not encounter any challenges when they arrived earlier in the day to set up. As at mid-day, they had successfully registered and issued copies of the new voters card to about fifty-one persons and expect to hit about one hundred by close of day, he added. Munerah Tagoe, Registration Officer at the Additrom School also indicated her team has enjoyed a relatively peaceful atmosphere at work. She disclosed that we have not encountered any health challenge or anyone with an abnormal temperature but if it happens, we have a procedure we will go through. At about 1 pm, Ms Tagoe said over 40 persons had been successfully registered with more persons seated outside waiting patiently for their turns. In the course of the exercise, some persons were denied the opportunity to register by some residents who protested that they were not known residents of the community. However, the timely intervention of the EC team, with the help of some community leaders quickly saw the issue resolved within a few minutes. After successfully acquiring his card, James Agyeman Quarshie expressed excitement for the card and said he was pleased with how peaceful and well-coordinated the process went. On the overall, the whole process was largely smooth and registrants had no qualms complying with the safety protocols put in place. It is expected that more people would turn out in the coming days as the EC is poised to deliver on its mandate in compiling a new voters roll as Ghana prepares for the December 2020 polls. 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 Thousands of people are marching in cities and towns across Sudan, demanding greater political reforms. Civil society groups say the protest is intended to make sure the goals of last years revolution, which deposed Omar al-Bashir as president, are achieved. Security forces have been deployed in the capital, Khartoum, and neighbouring towns as well as on major roads leading to the army headquarters. Crowds have gathered singing and chanting, blaring car horns and carrying placards. These are scenes similar to the ones during months of protests which ended Bashirs decades-long rule and led to the formation of a joint civilian and military government. But there is growing concern that the countrys hopes for political reform and true civilian rule will not be met. Tuesday's protesters want corruption stamped out, justice for those killed under Bashir's rule and after him, as well as for a promised parliament to be set up. On the eve of the demonstrations Sudans civilian Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok addressed the nation and promised that key reforms would be announced in the coming days. He and other leaders are under pressure to deliver, especially as the country battles with rising food and fuel prices and a coronavirus outbreak which has killed more than 500 people and stifled economic activity. Source: BBC Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Engr. Dr. Ebenezer Ankomah Gyamera, Land Use and Spatial Planning lecturer at the University of Cape Coast (UCC), has said that the earth tremor that occurred in some parts of the country on Wednesday, June 24, was facilitated by some huge buildings in places termed as earthquake-prone areas. According to him, one of the causes of the Wednesday incident was huge storey buildings built in these earthquake-prone zones. Areas like Kasoa, Weija, [and] others are having these huge buildings which shouldnt receive a single storey building, let alone having these huge buildings so it will cause these kinds of displacement, Dr Gyamera told TV Africa. He added, These occurrences [are] the earth movement due to the stress on the desert rock...and other actions that cause the movement of the earth. It also happened due to geologic reasons beneath the ground. He observed that other natural factors can also lead to these kinds of earth movement. Dr Gyamera stated that anytime he passes by these earthquake prone areas and sees the huge buildings being built by some residents he feels that there is a disaster waiting to happen soon. As Ghanaians we dont care about anythingthese huge storey buildings put pressure on the desert rocks. We dont even go in for permits from the Geological Survey Department. Anytime we are to put up huge buildings, we need to get a geological report to show whether or not the ground can contain the building, he advised. He explained that the tremor is a warning that something might happen therefore there should be some measures in place to curtail it. Parts of Accra were shaken by a fleeting earth tremor last Wednesday night which threw residents into fear and panic. According to the United States Geological Survey, the tremors recorded a magnitude of 4.0 with a 10.0-kilometre depth at 10: 53 pm. It was felt three times in a space of 10 minutes and shook buildings. Some of the areas the tremor was felt were Gbawe, McCarthy Hill, Kaneshie, Tesano, Dansoman and Dunkonaa. Others are Abeka Lapaz, Achimota, Santa Maria, Adenta, Weija, and East Legon. The rest are Madina, Kwabenya, Nsawam, Koforidua, Swedru, Dodowa, and Tema. 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 The Member of Parliament for New Juaben South, Dr Mark Assibey Yeboah has said little over 100,000 qualified voters are expected to register in the Constituency. He said the Constituency is the most populated in the region with close to 94,000 registrants after the recent limited registration exercise, therefore, projecting an increase of over 6,000 additional voters. Dr Assibey Yeboah said this in an interview with the media in Koforidua after monitoring the ongoing first phase of the registration exercise in the New Juaben South Constituency on Tuesday. The Lawmaker was impressed about how the exercise was progressing and the enthusiasm of the electorates, however, he urged the registration process to ensure that target of at least registering 100 qualified voters per day is met. He urged constituents to turn out in their numbers to register, adding that Electoral Commission is strictly adhering to Covid-19 preventive protocols hence no need to fear contracting Coronavirus. He also visited the Municipal Electoral Officer. The Municipal Electoral Officer Kofi-Asante Owusu said the late configuration of the registration equipment slowed down the operation of the equipment but after hours it started working efficiently hence hopeful it will meet the target. The Electoral Commission of Ghana today, 30th June, 2020 commenced its month-long nationwide voter registration exercise for the December general elections. The exercise is going on in 6,788 clusters made up of five registration centres each across the country. The exercise is being conducted in 5 phases, each phase spanning 6 days with additional days for mop up. Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Electoral Commission (EC) says it is taking to work with the security agencies to address possible overcrowding at voters registration centres. Registration of voters ahead of the 2020 general elections took off on Tuesday, June 30, across Ghana. In a statement signed by its EC acting Director of Public Affairs, Sylvia Annoh, the Commission gave an update about the exercise. According to the statement, all reports reaching the Commission depict a positive turnout at all the Registration Centres. The Commission is aware that some Centres recorded high numbers leading to some overcrowding, it said. It assured that we are taking steps to work with the Security Agencies to address possible overcrowding at our Registration Centres. That notwithstanding, the EC says it was pleased with the events of the day one of registration. However, the Commission says it has taken note of a photography making rounds on social media purporting to be a scene at a registration centre. It says the photograph does not show the usual registration centre set up that characterizes all ECs registration Centres, saying it just shows a large crowd gathered together in an area. Again, the originator of the photograph does not indicate the registration centre where the photograph was taken, it added. This is not a registration centre of the EC and we call on the public to disregard it, the Commission said. Meanwhile, the Commission has announced the movement plan for the ongoing voter registration exercise. It says the plan can be accessed via the EC website www.ec.gov.gh, ECs Social media platforms (Facebook) Twitter, Instagram). 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 In the unmistakable cadence of a preacher, Malawi's new President, Lazarus Chakwera, appealed for unity in his country shortly after he was sworn in on Sunday. The day of the week seemed fitting as the former head of the Malawi Assemblies of God, one of the largest Christian denominations in the country, treated the stage like a pulpit to inspire fervour with his words. The country is fractured after a divisive 13 months following the disputed 2019 election, the result of which was cancelled by the courts. Speaking in a style and accent that had hints of US civil rights leader Martin Luther King, President Chakwera talked about the dream "that binds us together [which] is for us to enjoy shared prosperity, not just freedom". But he then said it was no good just having a dream. "The time has come for us to go beyond dreaming. "We all must wake up because this is a time to arise from slumber and make our dream come true." Mr Chakwera is a man of God in a deeply religious country. The 65-year-old emerged as the leader of the Malawi Congress Party in 2013 without having any previous political experience. Fighting with God He came to the job after leading the Assemblies of God for 24 years, but admitted when he was first running for president in 2014, that making the decision to become a politician was not easy. "I had to argue with God over a direction in life that didn't seem natural to me," he said in a video published by St Andrew's Presbyterian Church in California. But after a lot of discussions "God was saying that: 'I'm extending your ministry so that you're able to pastor a whole nation'". In another interview, in 2017, he said that in the conversations with God he turned to chapter three of the book of Exodus in the Bible, in which God appears to Moses and says he should lead the Israelites out of Egypt. This showed him how a leader can address both the spiritual and the social needs of the people, his adviser Sean Kampondeni told the BBC. But he does not want to turn Malawi into a theocracy and neither does he want to proselytise, he added. "The president believes that government is something that God subscribes to in nations in order to bring about order and progress in society, for the flourishing of human beings," Mr Kampondeni explained. "In Malawi, he feels that the government institutions have been deliberately crippled over the last 25 years to not provide that service and he is there as someone who is offering themself to do that." Source: BBC Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Ghana continues to make strides in its effort to bring the situation of COVID-19 under control. The global health crisis has undeniably affected the country with restrictions on key activities put in place to contain the spread of the virus. There is now a stronger need for corporates to respond to the crisis and work with Government to help the people of Ghana. This was a strong factor in Samsungs decision to support the country. Samsung has donated 500 units of Galaxy A2 Cores to the efforts. The devices will be used by frontline health workers to improve communication as well as to monitor the movement of testing and care resources. This is an essential part of Samsungs strategy to support Ghana on its mission to curb the infection rate and flatten the COVID-19 growth curve. As COVID-19 continues to make its way across the country, our thoughts are with the people of Ghana. We are dedicating our resources to help and will continue to work with the government. We also believe that all companies should unite to work together with the countrys leaders and corporates now more than ever, our partner, MTN Ghana, will provide free Sim cards with 500mb data every month for 6 months for the devices we are donating said Eugene Nahm, MD Samsung Electronics West Africa, Ghana Branch. Samsung believes in strong collaborations between the Government and the private sector and is committed to playing a sustained role in the fight against COVID-19. Receiving the devices on behalf of the Government of Ghana, The Minister of Information, Hon. Kojo Oppong Nkrumah commended Samsung and MTN for the support. The Minister gave the assurance that the devices will be used for its intended purpose. 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 MTN Ghana has partnered Samsung Ghana to present 500 Samsung Galaxy A2 Core Smartphones to support Government and the Ghana Health Services as they lead the fight against COVID -19 through enhanced Contact Tracing. The phones come with 500 MTN sim cards and a total of 3,000GB data. Each of the phones will be loaded with 500MB data every month for a period of 6 months. The presentation was made by the representatives of Samsung Electronics West Africa and MTN Ghana. The Minister for Information, Honorable Kojo Oppong Nkrumah (MP) and the Chief Director of the Ministry, Mrs. Mamle Andrews received the items at the premises of the Ministry Of Information after a brief ceremony organized to hand over the devices. Speaking at the ceremony, the Managing Director of Samsung Electronics West Africa, Ghana, Eugene Nahm said, As COVID-19 continues to make its way across the country, our thoughts are with the people of Ghana. We are therefore happy to provide these resources to support government and health officials in the fight against this global pandemic. We believe that all companies should unite to work together with the countrys leaders and corporates now more than ever. In her address, the Senior Manager-Consumer Marketing at MTN Nana Asantewaa Amegashie expressed her excitement about the opportunity. She said, The partnership with Samsung has presented another opportunity to MTN to commit more resources to the fight against COVID-19. This presentation of the data package and the Sim cards is an addition to free online access to over 200 educational websites to support online studies. It also adds to MTN Foundations commitment to provide 5 million Cedis worth of medical supplies to support governments efforts at fighting the disease. The Minister for Information expressed his appreciation to Samsung and MTN Ghana for the very noble gesture that will help in the fight against COVID-19. Again, the presentation to the Ministry Of Information also follows a presentation made to the Noguchi Memorial Institute a few weeks ago to support the Institute to meet the growing demand in records taking, storage and management of essential COVID- 19 data. The presentation to Noguchi comprised of One Dell Server, five HP laptops and accessories, five headsets, a Black and White Printer, a Color Printer and two all-in- one Lenovo desktop computer. 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 The President of the Ghana Bar Association (GBA), Mr Anthony Forson Jnr, has called on actors in the political space to conduct their activities in a manner that will lend credibility to the countrys electoral process. He said there was a tendency for every election to be characterised by tension, hence the need for politicians to contribute their quota in ensuring smooth and peaceful elections. Mr Forson was speaking at the 38th anniversary and remembrance service for three High Court Judges who were murdered in1982. He called on the public to spread calm and unity before and after the elections. Remembrance Service Jointly organized by the GBA and the Judicial Service of Ghana, the non-denominational service at the Accra Ridge Church was to remember Justices Fred Poku Sarkodie, Mrs Cecilia Koranteng-Addow and Kwadwo Agyei Agyepong, who was murdered at the Bundase Military Range in the Accra Plains. Also abducted and murdered was Major (retd) Sam Acquah. The solemn service was attended by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, some senior statesmen and legal practitioners, including the Chief Justice, Justice Kwasi Anin Yeboah, the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Ms Gloria Akuffo, and a member of the Council of State, Mr Sam Okudzeto. Members of the GBA and the Judiciary have been attending the Martyrs Day remembrance service since its inception. Significance Mr Forson said there was a need to observe the day each year to live up to the expectations of the predecessors in the history of the matters of the rule of law, stating that some of the people are too young to remember these matters, hence the service. It is also to remind ourselves each day that we have to live up to the expectations of our forebears to stand up against oppression and rule of law, he stated. Sermon The Presiding Bishop of the Methodist Church, Most Rev. Dr Paul K. Boafo, who delivered the sermon, said the remembrance was also an avenue for public servants and the public to reaffirm their commitment to the rule of law. According to him, justice and righteousness were core ingredients for national development, adding that being righteous in God exalts a nation. Rev. Dr Boafo added that the judicial arm of government must be seen as the institution leading the charge of upholding the rule of law. As we go out there to embark on our campaigns, let us avoid the politics of insults and deceit, personal attacks and that is where we will be calling for justice and righteousness to grow in our society, he stated. Source: Daily Graphic Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Presbyterian Church of Ghana (PCG) has commissioned 13 ministers, who will be posted to some of its branches across the country to serve the Church and help revive the faith of members. The new ministers were commissioned at two separate services held at the Kaneshie Congregation and Emmanuel Congregation at Madina all in Accra on Tuesday, 30th June 2020. They pursued differently degree programmes in Theology at the Trinity Theological Seminary in Accra, based on which the General Assembly Council of the PCG expressed satisfaction at their work and approved their commissioning. The Chairperson for the Ga West Presbytery of the Church, Reverend Daniel Amoako Nyarko, in a short exhortation urged the new ministers to go out and save lives, promote lives and win more souls for the Kingdom of God. He reminded them to see themselves as ministers of the Gospel and learn to identify themselves with the practice of the Church. Rev Nyarko cautioned the new ministers against the syndrome of trying to get-rich-quick-by-all-means and urged them to focus on preaching the gospel to win souls for Christ. Rev Nyarko said the post-modern culture was fundamentally hostile to the gospel, because "it is hostile to any spiritual intervention in our lives," and this demanded that the church prepared pastors to think theologically and pastorally to face such "intellectual hostility". The Right Reverend Prof. Joseph Obiri Yeboah Mante , Moderator of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana, who administered the Ministerial Vows to the newly commissioned ministers, urged them to adhere to the principles of Christendom to enable them stand as true ambassadors of Christ. The Moderator was assisted by the Clerk of the General Assembly of the Church, Rev Dr Godwin Nii Noi Odonkor and the General Assembly Council. The newly commissioned ministers were Rev Emmanuel Owusu Brobbey, Rev Reynolds Agyarko, Rev Samuel Adu Panin, Rev Samuel Offei, Rev Issac Asare,-Addo Rev Moses Sackey-Tetteh Madjitey and Rev Ebenezer Kweku Kwesi. The rest are Rev Benjamin Asare Opoku, Rev Carl Henrry Clerk, Rev Catherine Dale Mate Kole, Rev Eugene Selome Dovlo, Rev Hockson Yaw Asante-Bamfo and Rev Isaac Terkpeh Kuditcher. 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 The Moderator of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana (PCG), Rt. Rev. Prof. Joseph Obiri Yeboah Mante has paid a working visit to some institutions of the Church to have a first-hand assessment of how the institutions are observing the COVID-19 Protocols upon the Government of Ghanas directive for final year students to return to campus to complete their various programmes. Institutions visited by the Moderator included the Presbyterian University College Ghana, Rambeyer Training Centre where Ministers of the Church are trained, Presbyterian College of Education and Presbyterian Senior High School all at Abetifi Kwahu. The rest were Presbyterian Womens College of Education at Aburi Akuapem and the Presbyterian College of Education at Akropong Akuapem. Rt. Rev. Prof. Mante commended the institutions for the strict adherence to the protocols at both on Campuses, hostels and dormitories, saying he was satisfied with what he had seen. The Moderator was also happy that Management of the institutions had put in place credible measures for the final year students to take their examinations both online and face to face. At the Presbyterian University College, Rt. Rev. Prof. Mante inspected the construction of a hostel facility which is been supported by the PCG. The project is expected to be completed by August 2021. The Moderator took the opportunity to address tutors of the various institutions visited and urged them to adhere to all the COVID 19 protocols in order to stay safe and safe orders. The Moderator, who was accompanied by the Director of Education and the General Manager of the Presbyterian Schools, Mrs Rosamund Amoako Appenteng and the Public Relations Officer of the Church Rev George Larbi donated quantities of Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs)to the institutions which include paper towels, liquid soap, alcohol based hand rubs and facemasks. Source: Rev George Larbi, Public Relations Officer Presbyterian Church of Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Ghanas National Adaptation Plan (NAP) project has been launched in Accra to guide the process of integrating climate change into national decision-making and effective adaptation in the country. Professor Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng, Minister of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, who launched the Plan on Tuesday, said the National Adaptation Planning process was one of the efforts by the government to address the impact of climate change from a more integrated, coordinated and sustainable manner. Ghana has received an amount of 2.9 million dollars funding from the Green Climate Fund (GCF) to implement the adaptation project within a 36 months period. The NAP looks at identified medium and long term adaptation needs, informed by the latest climate science, with its corresponding strategies developed to address such needs. It had been described as a continuous iterative process that follows a country-driven, participatory and transparent approach. Prof Frimpong-Boateng explained that the launch of the NAP, which was planned for March this year, was earlier postponed because of the unexpected side effects of COVID-19. He said already, the sector Ministry and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have been rolling out some Climate adaptation programmes in the northern parts of the country, where the impact was being most felt to help mitigate the impacts. He said since the 1960s, Ghanas average temperature has risen more than one degree celsius while the changing weather patterns already happening in the country was impacting on food production and the ecosystems. Also, fresh water scarcity risks were becoming even more acute in drought-stricken areas such as the middle belt and the northern parts of the country with flooding increasingly threatening low lying cities and coastal communities and directly impacting hundreds of thousands of people each year. These risks and many other more are indications that Ghana should not address development as business as usual but rather translate these risks to opportunities for policy responses that will put the structures of the Ghanaian economy on climate resilient footings, Prof Frimpong-Boateng stated. He expressed the hope that the proactive measures by the government through its ministries, departments and agencies in responding to the threats of climate change including the development of the national climate change policy, and its master plan, the national climate change adaptation strategy, the low carbon development strategy and the REDD+ policy would all go a long way to help address the threats. Professor George Gyan-Baffour, Minister for Planning, commended the EPA and its mother Ministry for leading the process of planning properly to mitigate climate change impact. He said effective and sustainable climate adaptation measures was dependent on sound research and therefore, climate science analysis, complete with projections and scenarios must be the basis for planning and integrating adaptation strategies into the national development frameworks and policy. The NAP Project we are launching today, must address the national climate data and information gap. Dr Antwi Boasiako Amoah, NAP Project Coordinator, said the project seeks to help avoid haphazard adaptation planning and also to reduce the vulnerability of the people. He said NAP was country driven, as it builds on adaptation efforts and indigenous knowledge. The goal is to produce an adaptation strategy for Ghana and provide the tools, mechanisms, systems and information with which to replicate the NAP process into regular interactions and into district development plans, he said. He said in the implementation of the NAP, the private sector has been identified as strategic partners while gender issues had been also factored. Mr Charles Abani, UN Resident Coordinator, commended Ghana for the bold initiative to set the country on the right path towards responding to climate change and to locate this as the front and centre in Ghanas ambitions for self-reliance and progress. 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 Mr Zakaria Tanko Musah, a Law Lecturer and Legal Counsel of the Ghana Institute of Journalism (GIJ), has schooled journalists on the Electronic Communications Act 2008 (Act 775). He cautioned media professionals to be mindful of portions of the Electronic Communications Act, especially with regards to the publication of false news. Section 76 (1) of Act 775 states that A person who by means of electronic communications service, knowingly sends a communication which is false or misleading and likely to prejudice the efficiency of life saving service or to endanger the safety of any person, ship, aircraft, vessel or vehicle commits an offence and is liable on summary conviction to a fine of not more than three thousand penalty units or to a term of imprisonment of not more than five years or both. Furthermore, 76 (2) declares that: A person is taken to know that a communication is false or misleading if that person did not take reasonable steps to find out whether the communication was false, misleading, reckless or fraudulent. Mr Musah gave the advice in his presentation in Accra at a Media Literacy Workshop on Election Reporting and Safety of Journalists. The two-day workshop, which is the last in a series of training for 150 journalists across the country, is being organised by the Centre for Democratic Development (CDD) Ghana, in collaboration with the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), with support from the USAID and the Dutch Foreign Ministry. Earlier, journalists from the northern sector and middle part of the country were trained in Tamale and Kumasi respectively. Mr Musah said journalists had fundamental human rights; the right to report freely and express their opinion freely, which was a constitutional right but that the same Constitution also had indicated that the rights was not absolute. He said the fundamental human rights was qualified, and that qualifications had been defined by the same the Constitution. He noted that the 1992 Constitution states that even though an individual had those rights; those rights could be interfered with if it was in the public interest. If it is in the interest of public safety, public moralities and also to prevent others rights for being intervened and therefore, within that same context, the constitution which is the highest law of the country, has also recognize certain sources of law and out of those sources of laws, we have the Electronic Communications Act. He said within that Electronic Communications Act there was a provision in there that actually makes it an offence for someone to put out information that had been tendency to cross fear and alarm. Adding that within the Criminal and other Offences Act there was also a provision that talks about information that could lead fear and alarm and all of those things. Mr Musah cautioned journalists that in doing their work they need to be very careful to make sure they were not putting out information that was false and that also had the potential to create some sort of fear and alarm. When we do that, the law can be used against us and it will be a tragedy because, it will appear as though our fundamental rights is being interfered with but that is not the case, Mr Musah said. But we can avoid all these things and the only way we can avoid that is to try and adhere to our code of ethics. Because if you look at our journalistic code of ethics, almost everything that the law seeks to outlaw when we adhere to our code of ethics we will get out of that. Because the code of ethics is telling us that we need to verify our source, we need to report accurately, we need to be fair, and we need to put out truthful information. If we adhere to all these things then we wont get any problem at all. 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 NIGERIA: The Rivers State Police Command has arrested a shoe dealer identified as Ukachukwu Anthony, who specializes in abducting and killing his suppliers in Igbo-Etche, Etche Local Government Area of Rivers State. The Commissioner for Police in the state, Joseph Mukan, who led a team of newsmen to the residence of the suspect, said was arrested through intelligence gathering. He said the suspect confessed to killing his victims and dumping their remains in a septic tank inside his compound. Speaking to newsmen, Anthony who is married with children, said he has so far lured three Togolese and one Nigerian to his compound under the pretext of buying shoes from them. He said once they come into his compound, he kills them, dumps their body in the septic tank, and then takes possession of their goods. ''I will tell them to bring shoes. When they come, I will walk to their back and then strangle them until I confirm they are dead. I will then dump their body inside the septic tank.'' Ukachukwu said. Ukachukwu lives in the compound alone while his wife and children reside in another area. The police exhumed the bodies of the victims he has killed and deposited in the septic tank. Read Full Story .... lindaikejisblog >>> : Source: LIB Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Ghana Medical Association is calling for the arrest of persons who flouted the Coronavirus safety protocols during the recent parliamentary primaries of the NPP. Additionally, the group says the CEO of the National Identification Authority should be held accountable for any breaches of safety protocols during the ongoing distribution of the Ghana card. In a press statement detailing a review of the national response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the GMA said identifiable individuals who flouted the precautionary measures should be apprehended and prosecuted by the Police. "The Ghana Medical Association strongly condemns the lack of observation of safety protocols during the recently held primaries of the New Patriotic Party (NPP)," the release said. "The GMA believes that such an attitude as exhibited does not help in the fight against the spread of the COVID-19 disease. Indeed identifiable individuals, who took part in throwing all the precautionary measures prescribed by the Ghana Health Service and for that matter Government to the dogs, should be apprehended and prosecuted by the Police according to the dictates of the law". NIA card distribution The GMA also bemoaned the lack of safety protocols that have characterised the National Identification Authoritys ongoing exercise to distribute National Identification Cards at various parts of the country. "The GMA would like to remind the NIA of their responsibility to keep Ghanaians safe and protect them from contracting the COVID-19 disease through this exercise. "The Chief Executive Officer of the NIA should be held accountable for any breaches of safety protocols at the various centres". PPE shortage Another major concern for the group is the challenge being faced by health professionals in accessing Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). According to them, this has contributed significantly to large numbers of health professionals getting infected in the line of duty. They implored the government to address the supply chain challenges and provide the "needed PPEs (both in quality and quantity) at all times to address the recurrent inadequacy of PPEs at health facilities". View this post on Instagram @afiaadutwumwaamorosa #UTVGhana #UTVNews #DespiteMedia A post shared by UTV Ghana (@utvghana) on Jun 30, 2020 at 9:31am PDT 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 An investigation has started into the fatal shooting of a man in a daylight robbery incident at Bantama in Kumasi. The victim in his early 40s has been named by police as Mark Amofa, a caretaker of the Seventh Day Adventist Church at Bantama. He was found at the churchs main gate with gunshot wounds on his right chest and was taken to the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, where he later died, police said. In a footage obtained by Dailymailgh.com, the victim appeared unconscious while he laid on the ground close to a wall as bystanders, including students, defy Covid-19 protocols to catch a glimpse of the horrifying scene. It was later gathered that a four-member gang on motorbikes had trailed the deceased who had just returned from the bank to the churchs main gate. The robbers attacked the victim just before he alighted from a vehicle as they demanded for the cash. He was later shot and killed by one of the robbers, as they made away with a cash amount of 4,370, sources say. Police at the Suame District Command, which is investigating the case will not give any further comments. Leadership of the Seventh Day Adventist Church has since been informed and are assisting police in their investigations. The body of the deceased has since been deposited at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital for autopsy. News of Amofas death comes days after a pastors pregnant wife was also killed by unknown assailants at Santasi. The attackers also made away with a cedi equivalent of $1,000 stabbing their three-year-old daughter in the process. No arrests has so far been made in the separate incidents. Source: Daily Mail Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Electoral Commission (EC) says eligible voters who want to register in the ongoing voters' registration exercise can download the forms online. Madam Sylvia Annor, Ag. Director, Public Affairs at the Commission in an interview on Peace FM's morning show 'Kokrokoo' says the FORM 1A and Guarantee forms can be downloaded and filled before going to the registration centres to speed up the registration process. " . . it does not, however, mean that if you are not able to download the forms you can't register. One can still go to the registration centres, give your details to the EC official and get registered," she added. Dress code The EC has also urged the general public not to wear any blue outfit to registration centres due to the background for taking the biometric photograph. Peace FM correspondents who covered the first day of registration reported that EC officials in some of the centres had to send persons with blue outfit home to change. According to Sylvia Annor, the background of the biometric photograph is blue so I will urge that we don't wear blue attire to the registration centres to ensure a good photograph". Online registration Many have asked why in this modern era people have to join long queues to register when it can be done online. In response, Madam Sylvia Annor said to ensure transparency, the registration cannot be done online as the law does not permit that. " . . the level of transparency in our system does not allow us to register online," she responded to a question by the host, Kwami Sefa Kayi. Fake news Meanwhile, the EC has urged Ghanaians to avoid spreading fake news so that actual problems going on in various centres can be seen and addressed accordingly. "Let the problems be natural problems and not based on fabrications," Madam Annor admonished. MOVEMENT PLAN AND OTHER MATTERS As a matter of finding registration centres with ease, the EC has published its movement plan in the cluster form of registration exercise ongoing.In a statement released by the Commission, the Movement Plan for the on-going Voter Registration Exercise can be accessed through the EC's website, www.ec.gov.gh Additionally, through Social media platforms and some Newspaper Pull-outs."The General Public is also informed that the Movement Plan showing the dates and duration for the Registration Exercise has also been posted at all Registration Centres throughout the country," a portion of the statement stated. Source: Rebecca Addo Tetteh/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video A Deputy Communications Director of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), Richard Nyamah has said government does not owe member of the largest opposition NDC any explanation for deploying military men at our borders countrywide. Speaking on UTV's 'Adekye Nsroma' newspaper discussion programme, he reitirated that the deployment of military men at our borders is a normal routine, therefore this current deployment has nothing new to warrant explanations from government as members of the NDC claim. Making reference to complaints and agitations from NDC members on the current deployment at the country's borders, Richard Nyamah stressed "they should be ignored because they are confused as a party and don't know what to do at a time and even how to explain the compilation of the new voters' register to their followers". He further said that "I can't understand why members of the NDC are complaining and confused about deployment of security men at our borders when their own members of Parliament have asked the House to provide security men at our borders to prevent foreigners from traveling into the country through unapproved routes". However, he advised members of the NDC to concentrate on matters concerning their party than wanting to be worried about issues that need no explanation. Government has no ethnocentric agenda Meanwhile, Minister of Defence, Dominic Nitiwul, on Monday, refuted claims by the Minority NDC that government has deployed soldiers to Volta and Oti regions to intimidate residents from registering for the new voter cards. Mr Nitiwul, responding to the NDC's allegations and giving update on the joint security operations along the country's borders, at a news conference in Accra, said Government had no ethnocentric agenda against any ethnic group or political party in the deployment of security personnel to protect the country's frontiers. "Those going that tangent should drop it because it will not help anybody. I want the chiefs and people of the Volta and Oti regions to know that this is pure propaganda and mischief by the NDC and should be ignored, "Mr Nitiwul said, adding, Those whipping up ethnocentric sentiment should bow down their heads in shame". Source: Elizabeth Semiheva Bedi, 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 Seasoned journalist, Kwesi Pratt says EC's compilation of a new voters' register is unprecedented and first of its kind. The Electoral Commission (EC) commenced its new voters' registration exercise on Tuesday, June 30. The exercise is aimed at compiling a new voters' register for the upcoming general elections and subsequent elections. Before the exercise, there were lots of controversies over whether it is relevant for the electoral management body to compile a new register or rather review the old register. The EC was saddled with law suits but a 7-member panel presided by the Chief Justice unanimously ruled that the Commission is an independent body and has not acted in contravention of its mandate as enshrined in the 1992 constitution. This ruling therefore empowered the EC to begin the exercise. Making his submissions on Tuesday's 'Kokrokoo' on Peace FM, Kwesi Pratt noted that there's never been a time in the history of Ghana where an entirely new voters' register has been compiled. According to him, previous registers were not newly compiled because the EC accepted the old voter ID card as a source document for registration. To him, once the old voter ID card is used to register, the voters' register doesn't become a new one but rather a review by the EC. ''Today, the old ID card has been excluded. The old register has no relevance to the compilation of a new register. So, this is a unique exercise. It has never happened before; we're writing an entirely new register'', he said. But speaking on the same programme, the National Organizer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Henry Nana Boakye a.k.a Nana B disagreed with Kwesi Pratt's assertion. Nana B stressed a new voters' register has been compiled four times in the country. Kwesi Pratt however replied the NPP National Organizer saying his statement is a distortion of the facts. "We've never compiled an entirely new register, never . . . In the past, when the register is opened, you could use your old ID card as source document. So, that process amounts to a review of the register," he insisted. Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Majority Leader, Mr Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, has urged the Electoral Commission (EC) to take into consideration the prevailing COVID-19 environment and peg its threshold for the number of voters at each polling station at 600 instead of 850. That, he said, would mean increasing the proposed 33,000 polling stations to about 37,000 to reduce the number of voters at each polling station during voting in the midst of the pandemic. Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, who is also the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, was speaking at a days engagement with independent governance institutions of state at an event organised by the ministry in Accra. The interaction attracted the leadership of the Electoral Commission (EC), the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), the National Commission for Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), the National Media Commission (NMC), and some civil society organisations. The programme was on Independent Governance Institutions and the 2020 Elections in Ghana: Some Reflections and was aimed at strengthening such governance institutions involved in elections to enhance the integrity of the electoral process and improve accountability, transparency and participatory democracy in Ghana. Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu also expressed concern about the huge indebtedness of political parties to state media institutions. It is most revealing, go and see how much in spite of the massive resort to GTV, GBC Radio and other state institutions; Daily Graphic, Ghanaian Times, Spectator and The Mirror, how much political parties paid is most intriguing. Who are we deceiving as a country? I believe we should be forthright with ourselves, he stated. EC Touching on the powers of the Electoral Commission (EC) to scrutinise political parties pertaining to their sources of funds and campaign financing, Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu said that function had been continuously relegated to the background. Article 55 (14) of the Constitution, which clothes the EC with the power to regulate the finances of political parties, states that: Political parties shall be required by law-(a) to declare to the public their revenues and assets and the sources of those revenues and assets; and (b) to publish to the public annually their audited accounts Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu said there was an increasing groundswell of opinion for reforms in the excessive monetisation of elections in the country, especially at the level of intra-party polls where the seeds of corruption were brazenly sown. He expressed fears that such actions could derail the countrys journey to the kingdom of democracy and called on all Ghanaians to ensure that the EC was equipped to handle all of its constitutional duties. Media Advisory The Chairman of the NMC, Mr Yaw Boadu Ayeboafoh, said the commission had established a number of media advisory committees in the regions with prominent characters as members so that when issues cropped up, they would be able to douse the fire at that level. He said going into the 2020 polls, the commission would revamp those committees and establish some for the new regions, and explained that it was only when the regional media advisory committees were unable to settle the matters that they would be referred to the headquarters. He announced that together with the National Peace Council, the commission was developing guidelines on hate speech because all the political parties indulged in it and it would be in the interest of all Ghanaians when the language used was civil. 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 An independent Presidential Candidate in the 2016 election, Mr Jacob Osei Yeboah, has urged eligible Ghanaians to turn out in their numbers to register during the voters registration exercise which begins Tuesday. In a press release, Mr Yeboah said the registration exercise was an avenue which would enable Ghanaians to exercise their franchise in the 2020 election. The JOY2020 team would like to encourage all Ghanaians to go and massively register so they can have the opportunity to vote out the NPP and NDC in the 2020 December election, he said. Independent judiciary Mr Yeboah said the judgement by the Supreme Court was a demonstration of the courts independent nature which had never been in doubt. By this verdict, justices of the Supreme Court have reinforced the learned attribute of the bench, the independence of the Judiciary by upholding the belief that the three judges had not died in vain in 1982 in their determination to serve justice despite the danger of guns and the revolutionary era, he said. Background Last Thursday, the Supreme Court upheld the Electoral Commissions (ECs) decision to use the Ghana Card and the Ghanaian passport as the only identification documents that would allow a Ghanaian to register in the upcoming mass voters registration exercise. The court, therefore, dismissed two legal actions that were seeking the inclusion of an existing voter identification (ID) card and a birth certificate as part of the identification documents. The first suit seeking the inclusion of an existing voter ID card was filed by the biggest opposition party, the National Democratic Congress (NDC), while the second one seeking the inclusion of the birth certificate was filed by one Mr Mark Takyi-Banson, in his capacity as a Ghanaian. As a result of the decision, the highest court of the land directed the EC to commence the voters registration exercise as scheduled. The EC fixed Tuesday, June 30 to Monday, August 6, 2020 to register citizens for the voters roll. The court also ordered the EC to conduct the registration exercise in compliance with the Public Elections (Registration of Voters) (Amendment), 2020 (C.I.126), the law regulating the upcoming registration exercise, and Articles 42 and 45 of the 1992 Constitution. Also, the Supreme Court ordered that any court in the country which was hearing a case challenging the upcoming voters registration exercise ought to rule on that case based on the decision by the apex court. 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 Dr Osei Bonsu, a Political Science lecturer at the Methodist University-Ghana has suggested to the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to amend its constitution to help protect and retain first time Members of Parliament (MPs). The modification, he explained, would help strengthen the party at the grassroots level and would also give enough time for the MPs to perform well at the constituency in enhancing the partys chances to be retained in power for a longer period. Dr Bonsu noted that the MPs should only be contested after two successive terms, by which time they would have proved whether they deserve extended terms or not and underscored the revision of the constitution would likewise help curtail vote-buying in the party, especially during their internal elections. The party should expand and register all card-bearing members who will be qualified to vote in their primaries in electing the right people to represent them instead of giving the mandate to a few delegates. Some parliamentary aspirants, two months to the recently held primaries were allowed to register new members at the partys offices as delegates to enable delegates to vote for them without considering the damning consequences. To avoid the issue of vote buying, I recommend to the party to compile a list of all card-bearing members in all the constituencies to qualify them to vote for the best and popular candidates to represent the people and the party, it will be difficult for parliamentary aspirants to bribe the large numbers of delegates in voting for them in primaries using the Bantama Constituency in the Ashanti Region as a case study, Dr Bonsu asserted. He recommended to the president and the NPP campaign team to exclude MPs especially the newly elected aspirants from the campaign team and rather compel them to go to their various constituencies to campaign effectively and efficiently to help the party retain power in the December 7 polls. 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 The Parliamentary candidate of the NDC in the Ketu South Constituency and a queen-mother in the Aflao Traditional Area, Dzifa Gomashie (Mamma Dzramedo I) has said that the presence of military men at the borders of the Volta region is causing her great distress as the indigenes are subjected to brutality by some of these men. In an interview with Samuel Eshun on the Happy Morning Show, she said, Yesterday for example, a young girl about 19 years was walking across to Togo to go to school because people in Togo come to school here and our children also go to school in Togo and for no reason, this gentleman in immigration uniform beat her and her brother because they didnt say anything to him. She was introduced to us and her family had gone to make a complaint too. So we followed up with the immigration and he didnt even deny that he beat the girl and the marks were on her. According to her, people are harassed even when they decide to go to the markets. People are coming from the market and the military want to check what is in the bag, she added. She admitted that the increase of the military men in the region has caused her a lot of sleepless nights. She expressed her disappointment in the Governments method of curbing the COVID-19 disease by deploying military men to the borders in the region. She questioned, If we are saying that we are now going to use guns to stop COVID-19 which is the impression some people want to create, I mean it is laughable, isnt it? Who combats disease with a gun? Who combats disease with a cane? Who combats disease with the army? If you want to protect our borders from people coming into our country I dont see why it should be a terrifying situation. It shouldnt. So these are the concerns that we raised, she added. The deployment of military officers at Ketu South has stirred controversy as residents in the Municipality of the Volta region say they are living in fear and panic following the deployment of some heavily armed security personnel into the area. The opposition NDC has alleged that the government deployed the soldiers as part of an ethnic agenda. Source: etvghana.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video A former Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS) and another ex-military officer have been named as members of the newly formed opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) campaign team to prosecute the agenda of the party for the December 7 general election. Of the two former military officers who have joined the NDC team, one was the CDS. Lt. Gen. Peter Augustine Blay was the CDS between 2009 and 2013, having been appointed by the late President John Evans Atta Mills. At the end of his tenure, he was rewarded with an appointment as Ghanas envoy to la Cote DIvoire, exiting from that position in 2017. Although as a retired General he can join a political party of his choice, he will nonetheless go down in the annals of local politics as the first former CDS to join the campaign team of a political party. As an advisor to the campaign team on strategies, his choice was, of course, informed by his expertise at organizing strategies towards the achievement of specific objective knowledge which every senior officer must have. Another former senior military officer whose name is known to many a Ghanaian and part of the campaign team is Col. Gbevlo-Lartey (rtd), former head of the 64th Infantry Regiment of the Ghana Armed Forces. His appointment as Director of Operations of the campaign team is intended to draw from his rich intelligence experience. He served as National Security Coordinator during the NDC administration, with his visibility on the ground giving his tenure an unusual flamboyance. The NDC, a party which metamorphosed from a junta to its present form, continues to flaunt traces of its past even in the choice of a campaign team. The partys choice of the membership of its campaign team whether by choice or otherwise will precede its eventual announcement of a running mate for the flag bearer. Members of the team were appointed during a meeting of the partys Functional Executive Committee (FEC) held last Monday. The team is charged with the task of undertaking the partys campaign towards the December 2020 presidential and parliamentary elections. The National Campaign Manager of the team is Prof. Joshua Alabi, with his deputy being Alex Percival Segbefia. James Agyenim Boateng is the Campaign Spokesperson, with his assistants being Mrs. Mawuena Trebarh and Ms. Margaret Ansei. Other members of the team include Sammy Gyamfi, National Communications Officer; Julius Debrah, former Chief of Staff; Kofi Totobi Quakyi, Haruna Iddrisu, Minority Leader; Hudu Yahaya, former General Secretary of the party; George Opare Addo, National Youth Organizer; Sam Pee Yalley, Dr. Valerie Sawyer, and Elvis Afriyie Ankrah, Director of Elections. The rest are Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo, National Chairman; Victor Smith, Joshua Akamba, National Organizer; Dr. Hannah Louisa Bissiw, National Womens Organizer; Alhaji Mohammed Mamah, National Zongo Caucus Coordinator; Samuel Sarpong, and Dr. Nana Ama Brown Klutse. According to a release signed by Kakra Essamuah, Director of Communication of the party, All campaign activities will be under the policy direction of the National Steering Committee to be chaired by the National Chairman, Hon. Samuel Ofosu- Ampofo. In accordance with the partys constitution, the coordination of all the various aspects of the campaign will be under the leadership of the General Secretary, Johnson Asiedu Nketia. The campaign structure of the party will be released separately, the Director of Communication has stated. 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 Editor-in-Chief of the New Crusading Guide, Abdul Malik Kweku Baako has labeled allegations of his involvement in illegal mining, locally called galamsey, as an outright nonsense. Kweku Baako challenged any person who has evidence he is into galamsey to boldy and publicly show it. He threw the challenge during a panel discussion on Peace FM's Wednesday edition of 'Kokrokoo'. Kweku Baako's defamation suit Kweku Baako filed a defamatory suit with the Accra High Court on Tuesday October 16, 2018 against the Member of Parliament for Assin Central, Kennedy Ohene Agyapong. He sued the maverick Parliamentarian following the latter's accusations that he (Kweku Baako) and his prodigy Anas Aremeyaw Anas were involved in illegal mining and other criminal activities. In his statement of claim, Mr. Baako stated that Hon. Kennedy Agyapong on several occasions published defamatory statements against him on Oman FM, Net 2 TV, Adom FM and Asempa FM. He further noted that Mr Agyapongs defamation has affected his image and reputation in the eyes of right-thinking members of the society and therefore prayed the court to order him to retract his comments and render an unqualified apology to him. Kweku Baako also sought reliefs in sum of GH25million against the Assin Central MP and asked the court to also place a perpetual injunction restraining Hon. Kennedy Agyapong, his agents, assigns and servants from making further defamatory remarks against him. Galamsey Nonsense Speaking to host Kwami Sefa Kayi, Kweku Baako refuted claims that he is into galamsey business. He further explained where those accusations are emanating from saying, during the undercover job by Anas Aremeyaw Anas to expose illegal mining activities in Ghana, the people caught on tape turned themselves into ''whistle-blowers'' spewing lies about him and Anas in order to derail their expose. Mr. Baako stated emphatically that any person can search heaven and hell but won't find an iota of evidence to pin him to illegal mining. He has therefore warned people to desist from making statements to link him to galamsey, stressing he will take legal action to protect his integrity and reputation. "I'm not involved in galamsey. I've never been involved in galamsey and I will never be involved. So, you can search the whole world, hell and heaven; you won't find an iota of evidence against me on that score. It doesn't exist," he stated emphatically. Court Ruling On Defamation Suit Mr. Baako won his case as the Accra High Court ordered Hon. Kennedy Agyapong to retract and apologize three times using the same channels he made the defamatory statements. The court has given Mr. Agyapong 30 days to render the apology and also charged him a sum of GH100,000 and GH30,000 as cost of legal expenses to be paid to Mr. Baako instead of the initial GH25million he sought in reliefs including general damages. Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Majority and the Minority leadership in Parliament have touted Ghanas legislature as a beacon of hope for democratic governance in Africa that needs to be celebrated by Ghanaians as the world marks the International Day of Parliamentarism yesterday. They said since January 1993, Parliament had in diverse ways partnered the Executive and the Judiciary to reposition the country on the path of uninterrupted socio-economic development, peace and stability. They, however, called for the various committees of Parliament to be rekindled and re-invigorated to improve the competence, experience and knowledge of Members of Parliament (MPs) to allow the Legislature perform its oversight responsibilities more effectively. The Majority Leader, Mr Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, who is also the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, and the Minority Leader, Mr Haruna Iddrisu, made the observation in interviews with the Daily Graphic in connection with the International Day of Parliamentarism, which fell yesterday. International Day June 30 is the day designated to celebrate the International Day of Parliamentarism. The United Nations General Assembly, in its resolution A/RES/72/278, recognised the role of Parliaments in national plans and strategies and in ensuring greater transparency and accountability at national and global levels. The UN set aside the day to celebrate parliaments and the ways in which parliamentary systems of government improve the day-to-day lives of people the world over. It is also an opportunity for parliaments to take stock, identify challenges, and ways to address them effectively. Parliament is indispensable Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, who explained the various legislative, representational and financial control functions of Parliament and the role in implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), said for the first time in the history of the country, Parliament had been able to help Ghana achieve stability and serenity. He said under a constitutional administration in the Fourth Republic, Ghana had not experienced any interruption in its democratic governance for 28 years, a reason for which Parliament ought to be celebrated. As an arm of government, he said it was Parliament that was disbanded whenever there was a coup detat, while the Executive and the Judiciary were able to continue one way or another uninterrupted. Deficit in performance The Minister of Parliamentary Affairs said while Parliament needed to strongly assert its oversight responsibility over the Executive, I recognise there is a deficit in our performance of our oversight responsibilities. The committees of Parliament are the work horses of every Legislature that are used to oversee the Executive, but unfortunately our committees are not strong and we are working to improve the competences of the committees, he said. Responsive Parliament Mr Iddrisu noted that the woes of Ghanas Parliament from 1993 had been the premium placed on partisanship against the State and public interests. We need Parliament to be stronger and more responsive to the needs of the people and we need Parliament to be more accountable, he said. In a bid to make Parliament stronger, he said the leadership of Parliament was currently revising the Standing Orders of the Legislature. I have maintained that until Parliament positions itself from being a clearing House for Executive embarrassment, we will never be respected or honoured, he said. In terms of value for money, he said Parliament had often been found wanting given the speed with which it approved many loan agreements. But undoubtedly, Ghana remains a beacon of hope and a celebrated democracy; we can do better and we can improve our system, he said, commending the Speaker of Parliament for initiating reforms to build a stronger and motivated Parliamentary Service, he said. 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 President Buhari has expressed fear of the Coronavirus pandemic making people poorer. Speaking in a recorded video message to a virtual high-level UN meeting on trends, options and strategies in poverty eradication across the world, President Buhari apprised the UN meeting on steps to revive the nations economy in the wake of the pandemic and also warned that COVID-19 pandemic risks reversing decades of progress achieved in the efforts to eradicate poverty globally. He said; "It is my conviction that devoting our efforts towards human capital development, efficient management of our resources, greater financial inclusion and transformation of the agricultural sector to ensure food security are crucial to poverty eradication. ''In this regard, Nigeria continues to strengthen its existing social safety net initiative by increasing access to enrolees who fit the various programmes in the scheme. ''Nigeria will also continue to provide easier and increased access to financial services for micro and small-scale businesses through the Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme. But we are determined to do more. ''Nigeria holds the view that education is a critical driver of sustainable development and has an immense capacity to eradicate poverty. ''Educating our children, especially the girl-child, contributes significantly to the fight against poverty, environmental sustainability, and improved health, as well as building peace and resilient societies." In the statement released by President Buhari's media aide Femi Adesina on Wednesday July 1, it was also gathered that the Nigerian leader expressed concern that more than 700 million people or 10% of the worlds population are classified as living in extreme poverty. He also noted that in Nigeria as in many other countries, the domestic supply chains and trading corridors have come under enormous strain, bringing to fore the health versus economics debate. Buhari said; All the while they struggle with the most basic needs like nutrition, shelter, health, education and access to clean water and sanitation. In this condition, the number of poor people is estimated to triple as livelihoods across almost all economic sectors have been adversely affected." He also disclosed at the meeting that with a population of about 200 million; a large percentage of Nigerians live in various stages of poverty. According to him, the prospect of the population sliding further into extreme poverty is real and his government is also striving to combat and reverse the trend. Source: LIB 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 Actress/social media celebrity, Akuapem Poloo has denied reports that she has been invited by the police over a nude picture of herself and her son she posted on Instagram. Akuapem Poloo posted the picture to mark her son Mudasir Muhammed Yakubu's birthday on Tuesday, June 30, for which she has received a lot of bashing with reports flying around that the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) had invited her over it. The picture has been pulled down but she told Graphic Showbiz that it was not because of any non existent police invitation. No one has invited me but I decided to pull down the picture because of the respect I have for those who called. I was not under pressure by anyone to pull the picture down but I did it out of respect," she said. Akuapem Poloo, who is not moved by the insults said her critics should rather focus on the message she was putting out and not the nude picture. In the caption accompanying the picture she wrote: "Son today reminds me of the very day I gave birth to you with no stress and with no regret.....30th June 2013 exactly 4:46am Sunday Haha I still remember this date paa because it's really meant a lot to me, I only felt the 30 minutes pain when you were turning to come out you were too good to me. I gave birth with no complication, no cute no disability Haha I love you son. You see how you looking at me always remember that I love you I'm naked in front of you because this is how naked I was giving birth to you, so in case you find me naked lying somewhere don't pass by me but rather see me as your mom who brought you to life. HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU @sonof_poloo According to Akuapem Poloo, all she saying is that every child should cherish their mom and clothe her when she is naked in public. This is a powerful message I want Ghanaians to be talking about and not my nude picture. What is wrong with a nude picture? My son has seen my nakedness all these years so what is wrong with if I am naked in front of him now? she asked. She explained that her private parts were covered in case something went wrong. Although I might look naked, my private parts were covered and hey if we see nothing wrong with the foreign celebrities taking nude pictures, why should anyone have problem with mine? she said. 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 The status of the complaint will be indicated by color: Red means the business was cited. Orange means the place got a warning. Gray means the complaint is pending an inspection. And yellow means the case was resolved. The Department of Justice on Tuesday issued a warning concerning fake documents and laminated cards claiming that individuals are exempt from wearing face masks. The documents include the Justice Departments seal, to give the appearance of being government-issued, and have surfaced online with a phone number attached to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), according to a Fox News report. Inaccurate flyers or other postings have been circulating on the web and via social media channels regarding the use of face masks and the ADA due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division Eric Dreiband stated in a Tuesday release. As the Department has stated in a previous alert, the Department did not issue and does not endorse them in any way. The public should not rely on the information contained in these postings. The ADA does not provide a blanket exemption to people with disabilities from complying with legitimate safety requirements necessary for safe operations. PennLives complete coronavirus coverage Some of the fraudulent cards read: I am exempt from any ordinance requiring face mask usage in public. Wearing a face mask poses a mental and/or physical risk to me. Under the Americans with Disability Act (ADA), I am not required to disclose my condition to you. In addition, cards make the claim that businesses can be fined up to $75,000 or not complying with the previous statement. Earlier, The New York Times reported that the Freedom to Breathe Agency was responsible for selling the cards online. Follow Eric Epler on Twitter -- @threejacker The extra $600 in weekly unemployment benefits that are set to expire July 31 may end a week earlier in some states, according to a CBS News report. With approximately 33 million U.S. workers now claiming unemployment benefits, a technicality concerning the day some states pay out benefits could affect a percentage of those in need. The CARES Act is set to expire on a Friday (July 31), with some states like California and New York releasing unemployment benefits on a Saturday or Sunday. In those states, the last round of addition benefits would be the week ending Saturday, July 25, or Sunday, July 26, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. Pennsylvanias deadline is July 25. A decade of Pennsylvania's unemployment rateDatawrapper According to CBS News, citing the Economic Policy Institute, California has more than 3 million workers claiming unemployment benefits, with another 1.8 million in New York and more than 2 million in Pa. Assuming a potential second stimulus package does not extend the deadline, regular unemployment benefits in California would return to the normal $167 per week. New Yorkers receive up to $504 per week, according to the report, with Pennsylvanians receiving a maximum of $573 per week. On Monday, Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry Secretary Jerry Oleksiak announced that people who exhaust their regular unemployment compensation and federal Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation may now qualify for 13 additional weeks of payments through the states Unemployment Compensation Extended Benefits program. MIDDLEBURG A Lebanon County man who held up a woman while she was changing a babys diaper in a shopping center parking lot north of Selinsgrove last October has been sentenced to 12 to 27 years in state prison. Dave Karl Kochel, 62, of Palmyra, was sentenced Tuesday by Snyder County Judge Michael Sholley after he pleaded guilty to charges of robbery, possession of an instrument of crime and illegal possession of an access device card. The robbery occurred just before noon last Oct. 9 in the parking lot of Monroe Market Place off Routes 11/15. The woman gave police this account of what happened as she was changing her 3-month-olds diaper: A SUV parked one stall away, the driver got out, placed what she thought was a gun in her ribs and demanded her money and wallet. She gave the robber the wallet that contained $30 in cash, drivers license and credit and other cards. He demanded her car keys, got into the SUV and drove off, flipping her keys out a window. She provided police with the license plate of the SUV that was stopped a short time later by troopers from Newport just south of the Snyder County line. A credit card belonging to the woman was found in the SUV, police said. No weapon was recovered causing authorities to speculate the robber may have stuck some other object into her ribs. Thanks for visiting PennLive. Quality local journalism has never been more important. We need your support. Not a subscriber yet? Please consider supporting our work. A fast-acting mom who braved flames is a hero, nonetheless, even though the child she risked her life for was staying with a relative, all along It happened early Tuesday morning in New Castle, Pa., as KDKA-TV in Pittsburgh reports, adding: The mother, who was not identified in initial reports, awoke around 5:30 a.m. to the sounds of a smoke alarm and billowing smoke in the home where she believed her three children were sleeping inside. She and two of her children made it out, safe and sound. But the mom, believing her third child was still inside, dashed back into the flaming house. This time, the mother was badly burned. KDKA reports New Castle fire officials found the badly burned mom back on the sidewalk by the time they arrived: The female victim we found when we got here was already outside. She was alert, speaking and in a tremendous amount of pain. She sustained some severe burns to her extremities. She was taken by ambulance to Jameson Hospital then flown to Pittsburgh, New Castle Fire Department Chief Michael Kobbe told KDKA. There was no immediate update on the mothers medical condition, but she is expected to fully recover. Best of all, her third child is safe and was so all the while. Only after risking her life and being so badly burned did the mom realize her third child had actually been staying at a relatives house, KDKA reported. The cause of the fire has been traced to an upstairs bedroom. The home is a total loss. READ MORE: Suspect with rifle shoots 2 dogs: Pa. state police Pa. county commissioner sexually harassed and discriminated against employees, internal probe finds Pa. couple allowed black bear in house with their kids: Im not going to lie, I feed the bears Pa. man killed instantly in fireworks mishap: coroner ATV slams into tree, killing Pa. man, woman: coroner Serial stabbing suspect arrested as Pa. mom mourns son killed in random slashing 3 stabbings and 1 death in 24 hours have Pa. police chasing serial stabbing suspect Motorcyclist, 23, pronounced dead at scene of crash at Pa. intersection Pa. womans teacup Yorkie stolen from apartment, found dead in dumpster: My hearts torn up Protester, age 20, accused of kicking TV cameraman during George Floyd demonstration in Pa. 3-year-old girl found dead in bathtub, malnourished and bruised; 3 adults charged, including 1 on the run Daughter accused of setting up her 81-year-old dad for brutal robbery: Pa. state cops 3 teens are walking on Pa. railroad bridge when train comes; 1 girl is dead Husband dead, wife critical after shooting on Pa. street: cops 2 dead in FedEx truck vs. motorcycle crash in Pa. Tensions were running high over the weekend between coworkers staying together at the Days Inn on Front Street, culminating in one slashing a deep wound in the others back that left him critically wounded, court documents say. Eurico Correia and Anildo Frederico Fortes, 51, of Pawtucket, Rhode Island, were living at the inn with a group of other workmen while they completed a job in the area. On Friday night, Fortes was growing increasingly frustrated with comments Correia was making toward him, a witness told police, according to an affidavit of probable cause. His anger was so great that Fortes coworkers arranged for him to sleep in another room that night, the affidavit said. But around midnight, he showed up outside his and Correias room and started yelling. The affidavit alleges Fortes made his way into the room and told his roommate to get up, and Correia told him to get out. While trying to get into the room and stop the fight, the witness could see the men wrestling on the floor, according to the affidavit. Susquehanna Township police later found a broken knife in the room, they said in the court documents. By the time their coworkers got inside, Correia was lying on the floor and bleeding, the affidavit said. He was taken to Holy Spirit Hospital with one of his lungs protruding from an 8-inch wound in his back, court documents show. Police said Correia was in surgery but it was unclear if hed survive. Fortes was standing outside in the hallway when police arrived and admitted to stabbing Correia, authorities said. Fortes is charged with attempted homicide, aggravated assault and possessing an instrument of a crime. READ MORE: Pa. mom badly burned after running into flaming house for her child who wasnt inside Pa. county commissioner sexually harassed and discriminated against employees, internal probe finds Amish community searching creek for clues leading to missing teen Lili Reinhart apologized for posting a photo of herself, nude from the side, on social media. But said I truly had good intentions. On Monday, the Riverdale actress took to Twitter to address a topless photo of herself she posted in an effort to bring awareness to the death of Breonna Taylor, a 26-year-old, Black EMT who was fatally shot in her Louisville, Kentucky, apartment by officers serving a no-knock warrant in a drug investigation in March. It is reported that the officers were at the wrong address. In the photo, the 23-year-old posed topless on the beach of a California lake with the caption: Now that my sideboob has gotten your attention, Breonna Taylors murderers have not been arrested. Demand justice, according to Us Weekly. The original Tweet has since been deleted, but the photo still lives on in tweets. While Lili Reinhart's caption was insensitive, she immediately realized her mistake and deleted it. She has been using her platform to amplify Black voices and is always speaking up about BLM. She doesn't deserve to be called a whore or be hated on. pic.twitter.com/r2SUosll1f lai (@_carbonatedair) June 29, 2020 The actress backed up her actions, writing, Ive always tried to use my platform for good. And speak up about things that are important to me. I also can admit when I make a mistake and I made a mistake with my caption. It was never my intent to insult anyone and Im truly sorry to those that were offended. Ive always tried to use my platform for good. And speak up about things that are important to me. I also can admit when I make a mistake and I made a mistake with my caption. It was never my intent to insult anyone and Im truly sorry to those that were offended. Lili Reinhart (@lilireinhart) June 29, 2020 Reinhart has been hosting conversations with Black activists on Instagram during the nationwide Black Lives Matter protests. As part of her apology, she said Ive tried very hard to be honest on my IGTV lives that Im still learning and trying to be better. But I understand that my caption came off as tone deaf. I truly had good intentions and did not think it through that it could come off as insensitive. Some of her Twitter followers defended her: She shouldn't have apologized to the offended because they were offended for nothing. We keep calling for white people and celebrities to use their platform to help fight against the BS and she took a stand. The shirtless pic broughr alot of attention to breyonna name and situ. QiTu (@QiTu19) July 1, 2020 She has already apologized for the caption and deleted it. The photo is beautiful and shows how she is accepting her body. Leave the girl alone (@foreinhxrt) June 30, 2020 Since the death of George Floyd, the Teen Choice Awards winner has been a vocal supporter of the Black Lives Matter movement and has encouraged her social media followers to donate, educate themselves about racism, and stand in solidarity with people of color. I want to say that I am ashamed of the racism that exists in this country, Reinhart wrote on June 1. 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: The BBC News is reporting that a doctor and his colleagues in the southern African country of Botswana have found more than 350 elephant carcasses since the beginning of May. Dr. Niall McCann, part of the United Kingdom-based charity National Park Rescue, told the BBC that local conservationists first alerted the government in early May following flight over the Okavango Delta. Dr. McCann said 169 dead elephants were spotted in a three-hour flight. To be able to see and count that many in a three-hour flight was extraordinary, McCann told the BBC. This it totally unprecedented in terms of numbers of elephants dying in a single event unrelated to drought. McCann said more carcasses were discovered in June, which brought the total up to 350. Lab results on samples taken will take several weeks, according to the report. Botswana holds one-third of Africas elephant population, which continues to decline. According to the report, Botswanas government in May ruled out poaching as a reason for the massive number of deaths. Dr. McCann said the way many elephants were positioned, either on their faces or possibly walking in circles, suggests that something could have attacked the elephants neurological systems. Dr. Cyril Taolo, acting director for Botswanas department of wildlife and national parks, told The Guardian they had confirmed at least 280 elephants had died and were in the process of confirming the rest. The Boston Art Commission last night unanimously voted to remove the Emancipation Group statue in Park Square, according to multiple media reports. CBS in Boston reported that Mayor Marty Walsh said in a statement, As we continue our work to make Boston a more equitable and just city, its important that we look at the stories being told by the public art in all of our neighborhoods. After engaging in a public process, its clear that residents and visitors to Boston have been uncomfortable with this statue, and its reductive representation of the Black mans role in the abolitionist movement. I fully support the Boston Art Commissions decision for removal and thank them for their work. In June, an online petition received more than 10,000 signatures of people supporting the removal of the statue that shows President Abraham Lincoln standing over a freed slave on his knees. According to boston.com, the statue has been in the park near Boston Common since 1879. Its a copy of an identical monument that was erected in Washington, D.C., three years earlier. The copy was installed in Boston because the city was home to the statues white creator, Thomas Ball. Although the monument was created to celebrate the freeing of slaves in America, and the funds for the original memorial were raised by freed slaves, its design disturbed many who objected to the optics of a Black man kneeling before Lincoln. The statues original version in D.C. faced similar criticism. The commission is expected to address the details for the removal at its meeting on July 14. The statue - and others across the country - has come under increased criticism since the May 25 killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis and the subsequent protests about racial injustice and police brutality. Other statues across the nation have been vandalized and/or taken down. READ MORE Thanks for visiting PennLive. Quality local journalism has never been more important. We need your support. Not a subscriber yet? Please consider supporting our work. Fox News has fired veteran anchor and Americas Newsroom co-host Ed Henry following an investigation into a sexual misconduct complaint, the company announced Wednesday. In an internal memo posted by multiple reporters to social media, Fox News said that Henry was suspended on June 25 after a former employees attorney contacted the network to report a complaint involving willful sexual misconduct in the workplace years ago. Henry was terminated following an investigation by an outside law firm, the Fox News memo said. It adds that a rotating cast of anchors will replace Henry on Americas Newsroom for the time being and co-host along with Sandra Smith. Fox News Media strictly prohibits all forms of of sexual misconduct, harassment, and discrimination, the Fox News memo said. We will continue striving to maintain a safe and inclusive workplace for all employees. When not behind the anchor desk at Fox News, Henry has also covered the White House and previously worked for CNN. In 2016 while working for Fox News, Henry left the air for four months after a magazine claimed he had an affair, according to CNN Money. He was reassigned upon his return to what CNN Money called at the time a less prestigious role at the network before moving into the Americas Newsroom co-anchor chair in Dec. 2019. I hope that we have learned from Memorial Day and we are ready to celebrate the Fourth of July and [maintain] social distancing, wash our hands and wear a mask and especially protect those who are over 65 years old, have pre-existing conditions, who are pregnant or who have immune deficiencies, Pino said on Wednesday afternoons briefing. Members of the Harrisburg City Council met for almost four and a half hours in an at times contentious public Zoom session Tuesday evening and discussed a variety of agenda items, including the creation of a police advisory board, The city entertained the idea of police reform in 2016, however, the idea never left committee. Residents are calling on city officials to make a change following the death of George Floyd and over a month of national protests for police reform. The proposed board aims to get citizens more involved; however, a few city council members and members of the public questioned the boards ability to function. READ: Harrisburg council considers creating police advisory board, but some residents want more City Solicitor Neil Grover explained the board would not be able to fulfill some of the residents requests for subpoena powers, as they are enforced by the judicial branch. There will be town hall meetings for members of the public to voice their opinions about the board, council member Danielle Bowers said. A few of the councilmembers voiced their concern for prematurely discussing this issue since there are federal and state legislations developing that will most likely impact their guidelines. They also requested statistics, data and reports from police in the city. Councilmember Westburn Majors said accountability must be kept in mind as the police are paid for by taxpayer dollars. Council Vice President Ben Allatt said to listen to constituents; the proposed plan needs to address the needs and concerns of the community. If we dont, then what we did will be meaningless in the end, Allatt said. Majors voiced his frustration later in the meeting, I appreciate the effort, but we got a lot of work to do on this. He cited the lack of consistency in reports provided by the police and the inability to enforce the committees suggestions. Majors asked Mayor Eric Papenfuse why the council does not receive reports. Papenfuse said he didnt have an explanation and the council should ask the police. Majors responded, You are the oversight of the police, Mayor. The council continued to discuss the availability of police reports and the sharing of information. Council President Wanda Williams attempted to recess the meeting around 9 p.m. and continue the discussion next week; however, the other council members wanted to continue the meeting. The council shifted into a discussion about Resolution 51-2020, which discusses the use of force policies. It will be further discussed after the summer hiatus. Public comments were read into the record and then the meeting was adjourned at 9:52 p.m. If a Harrisburg resident has a public comment for the council, email publiccomment@harrisburgpa.gov. Watch the meeting here. READ: Naked gardening complaint leads to Harrisburg officials suspension YORK, Pa. A New York City man has been sentenced to life in prison without possibility of parole in the beating death of his girlfriend outside her Pennsylvania home more than three years ago. Edia Lawrence, 21, was convicted in March of second-degree murder, robbery, burglary and related crimes in the March 2017 death of 19-year-old Ahshantianna Johnson in Mount Wolf. During Tuesdays sentencing hearing, the Bronx native asked whether he had to be in court during victim impact statements by the victims family, and the York County judge told him he did. Later, referring to the appeals process, Lawrence said This is not over. Ill be back. Northeastern Regional police said three men broke into the cosmetology student's Mount Wolf home, coerced her mother into calling her daughter to come home, and beat her outside the residence. No one else has been arrested in the slaying. Lawrence was sentenced Tuesday to the mandatory life term as well as a consecutive 5- to 15-year sentence on a robbery conspiracy count. His mother said she feels for the victims family but denied that her son committed the crime, noting that police havent arrested the two other men. State lawmakers are looking to make future Fourths of July a little less explosive in certain communities. The state Senate on Tuesday voted 48-2 on an amendment to a Senate bill that would give officials in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Scranton, Allentown, Erie, Reading, Bethlehem, Lancaster, and Bensalem Township the option of banning the use of consumer fireworks within their borders. The measure now is ready for a final vote in the Senate before it can go to the House of Representatives for consideration. Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Pat Browne, R-Lehigh County, offered the amendment to a Senate bill that would begin to address complaints arising from a law that repealed the states 1939 fireworks ban. That repeal from three years ago opened the door for Pennsylvanians to buy Roman candles, firecrackers, bottle rockets and other fireworks that previously were only available for sale in Pennsylvania to out-of-staters. While that change at the time was wildly celebrated, lawmakers say it has gotten out of hand. In urging his colleagues to support his amendment to a Senate bill dealing with expanding the use of volunteer firefighter relief association funds, Browne said the improper use of fireworks in communities has affected the quality of life for senior citizens and families with children. Sen. Andy Dinniman, D-Chester County, added it has affected animals too. Anyone who owns a dog knows that in the weeks before and after the Fourth of July with these fireworks, our dogs are scared to death, Dinniman said. He and several others, including Sen. Judy Schwank, D-Berks County, said they would prefer to see all municipalities be given the option of deciding whether to allow the use of fireworks in their communities, not just limit it to nine. That was the reason Sen. John DiSanto, R-Dauphin County, joined Sen. Scott Hutchinson, R-Venango County, in opposing the amendment. DiSantos spokesman Chuck Erdman said the senator thinks it should be uniform and would like to see some provisions added to the current law such as limiting the times when fireworks could be set off. The 2017 change in the fireworks law added a 12% tax on fireworks beyond the sales tax. The state is collecting upwards of $7 million a year from that fireworks tax that goes to support fire companies in the form of grants, Schwank said. But after sharing a story about a firework explosion last Fourth of July that caused $50,000 damage to a school roof, she said, Ask yourself who is paying the bill for this? It is our cities, our municipalities who have to pay for overtime, increased costs, for police and firefighters to help respond to this. I think we could do better. She plans to introduce a bill to repeal the change made in 2017 and go back to making the sale of all consumer fireworks illegal. Sen. John Blake, D-Lackawanna County, said this issue hits home with him given the fireworks accident that occurred just this week that left a 31-year-old man dead. He said Scrantons City Council and mayor are contemplating sending a letter to state lawmakers asking for the 2017 fireworks law to be repealed. Issues related to veterans, related to our pets, and the annoyance and discontent that this proliferation of fireworks has caused our neighbors and our communities is unacceptable, Blake said. We really need to revisit this entire issue and be legislatively active on it and to expand if you will, the control locally to every community in the commonwealth. The proposal also enhances the penalties for people who use consumer fireworks improperly to a fine of $500 on the first offense and $1,000 for a second and each subsequent offense. Fines collected would be retained in the municipality where the violation occurred. In the meantime, Sen. Dave Arnold, R-Lebanon County, who was the former district attorney in his county, said there already are laws on the books to help communities deal with improper use of fireworks including disorderly conduct and nuisance violations. They already an ability to impact the use of fireworks now if they are being set off at midnight or set off in unsafe places and unsafe manner, he said. While we may not have a perfect solution to everyones problem with this bill, just keep in mind that there are other ways to combat concerns about fireworks being used unsafely or at inappropriate times. *This post has been updated to reflect the Senates action was to approve the fireworks amendment to a bill, but not the bill itself. Jan Murphy may be reached at jmurphy@pennlive.com. Follow her on Twitter at @JanMurphy. Thanks for visiting PennLive. Quality local journalism has never been more important. We need your support. Not a subscriber yet? Please consider supporting our work. Amish volunteers will be searching a West Lampeter Township creek on Wednesday in hopes of finding evidence connected to the disappearance of 18-year-old Linda Stoltzfoos. Township police emphasized the groups search of Mill Creek isnt based on specific information, evidence or leads. It is just one of many local Amish communities are performing in their areas to help the Stoltzfoos family. Wednesdays search will kick off at 8 a.m. and span from Strasburg Pike to Buchmiller Park. Stoltzfoos hasnt been seen since leaving a Sunday church service on June 21 in East Lampeter Township. She was last seen at a farm on Stumptown Road between the intersection of Beechdale and Gibbons roads in Bird-in-Hand, police said. She is around 510, 125 pounds and last seen wearing a tan dress, white apron and black head covering. East Lampeter police arent sure of the circumstances surrounding her disappearance, but ask Stoltzfoos to reach out and say shes OK if she left by free will. Federal and local authorities as well as dedicated trained volunteers have been using a variety of methods to search for Stoltzfoos, including dogs, horses, ATVs and drones. Her prolonged disappearance led the FBI to join the investigation. Theyve asked the publics help, too. Anyone who traveled these five Lancaster County roads between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. on June 21 is asked to contact police: Mill Creek School Road Stumptown Road Gibbons Road Beechdale Road Millcreek Road Members of the community are gathering Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. for a prayer meeting and time of worship at the Smucker Homestead (320 N. Ronks Road, Bird-in-Hand, PA 17505), according to a family Facebook page thats been posting updates on the search for Stoltzfoos. Anyone with information is asked to contact the East Lampeter Township Police Department at 717 291-4676 or the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or at tips.fbi.gov. READ MORE: Harrisburg man arrested in armed robbery of three men on Dauphin County road; second suspect at large Harrisburg firefighters put out church fire in Allison Hill Palmyra man gets 12 to 27 years for robbing woman who was changing babys diaper Heading to the beach this weekend? Be sure to pack your sunscreen, towel and face mask. Beach communities are anticipating large crowds over the Fourth of July weekend, despite event cancellations and warnings from officials. Ocean City, N.J., is experiencing record-setting demand for beach rental properties, and Wildwoods has had a steady increase in beach-goers this June. All signs point to even more people heading to the shore this weekend. However, the Pennsylvania Department of Health is discouraging people from traveling for the weekend. If you do plan to travel, health officials are advising strict adherence to social distancing guidelines. We want people to continue to stay calm, stay alert and stay safe. It is still important to wear a mask, practice social distancing, and maintain health habits like washing our hands, Maggi Mumma, deputy press secretary, said in an email. Officials in states that are home to beaches within easy reach of New York and Pennsylvania have tried to discourage large crowds. New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy delayed a plan to allow indoor dining in the Garden State to begin on Thursday. Delaware closed its bars for the holiday weekend after an order from Delaware Gov. John Carney Tuesday. When asked if Gov. Tom Wolf had advice for anyone going to the beach, his spokeswoman, Lyndsay Kensinger, issued this statement: Any plans that involve large gatherings and, in particular, going out of state, carry risk. The governor urges everyone to make safety a top priority when making plans this holiday weekend that involve going to a location where large gatherings may congregate, from a backyard barbecue or party to a beach or park, and that includes practicing social distancing, wearing a mask and frequently washing/sanitizing hands. Delaware saw its highest single-day spike at 150 cases on Monday, and three Rehoboth beach lifeguards tested positive for Coronavirus this week. The community issued an advisory that everyone who went to the beach last weekend should be tested for coronavirus. Krys Johnson, communications director for the city of Rehoboth Beach, said the spike in cases has the community strictly following social distancing guidelines. Certainly, were anticipating larger crowds for the weekend. Were enforcing wearing masks on the boardwalk, which is a requirement for the emergency declaration from the governor, she said. Were doing the same things weve been asking these people to do all along. Its very challenging and difficult when we have thousands and thousands and thousands of people here. The fireworks show was canceled and there are no events planned, but Johnson said holiday weekends draw large crowds. She said people planning to come to Rehoboth are being asked to please adhere to the governors emergency order, to wear your face mask, which is required on the boardwalk, and to please social distance not only for your health and safety but of our community. We have a lot of people here doing the right thing, and we have people here that are just refusing to do it, Johnson said. Despite warnings from officials to socially distance, Ocean City, N.J. is seeing record-setting vacation rental demand, said John Walton, a realtor with Keller Williams. I have been here on this island full time for 20 years, and its been a while since Ive seen a late June, that being the last two weeks here, with above-average crowds, he said. Owners of second homes in the area have been camping out on the island for the past few weeks, Walton said. At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, approximately 40 percent of the rental bookings for the summer were canceled. In a matter of weeks, almost all the properties were rebooked. A full four weeks filled everything up, pretty much, with no discounts, he said. Walton said every new lease has a 30-day COVID addendum, meaning they can cancel 30 days before their reservation for a refund on their deposit. There doesnt seem to be any kind of problem with or challenge of going ahead and honoring the cancellation because the rental demand is high. Huge. Big. Record-setting. We can get a replacement, Walton said. Some beach communities rely heavily on revenue from the summer season. Ben Rose, director of marketing for the Greater Wildwoods Tourism Authority, said July and August traditionally produce 70 percent of their total revenue. Certainly [its] less busy than usual. But it seems like each week, more and more people are coming back, he said. Hotel occupancy is increasing and were hoping that we can recover July and August and have some semblance of a season. Rose said the hotels in the area lost a significant number of summer bookings last spring, though in the last week theyve had a surge of rebookings. He said they are prepared for large crowds this weekend and have appointed 30 boardwalk ambassadors to remind people to social distance and wear their masks. Were doing everything we can to make people feel safe, and have a safe family vacation and make those family memories again, Rose said. A sheriff in north Florida says he will deputize every lawful gun owner in his county if protests turn violent. A report by Fox 13 News, said Clay County Sheriff Darryl Daniels released a video Tuesday to issue the warning in what he called a fight against lawlessness. Daniels, who was flanked by deputies on either side, said in the video: If we cant handle you, Ill exercise the power and authority as the sheriff, and Ill make special deputies of every lawful gun owner in this county and Ill deputize them for this one purpose: to stand in the gap between lawlessness and civility, the report quoted. Fox News 13 cited The Florida Times-Union report that said Daniels is the first black sheriff of Clay County, which is just south of the Jacksonville area. He is under investigation by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement for the false arrest of a corrections officer with whom he was reportedly having an affair during his time at the Jacksonville Sheriffs Office. The report said Daniels made the video in response to nationwide protests, however, it is unclear whether there have been reports of violence at any protests in Daniels jurisdiction. Well protect your constitutional rights as long as you remain under the umbrellas of peaceful protest or peaceful march. But the second you step out from up under protection of the Constitution, well be waiting on you, Daniels said. If you come to Clay County and you think for one second, well bend our backs for you, youre sadly mistaken, the report quoted. The Florida Times Union reported that Daniels is a first-term sheriff up for re-election who has said he wants to one day be a congressman. He is being challenged by six opponents, including former Atlantic Beach Police Chief Michelle Cook, former Clay County Sheriffs Office Emergency Management Director Ben Carroll, former Clay County Commissioner Harold Rutledge and Mike Taylor, a former FDLE agent and state attorneys investigator who has earned the endorsement of former Gov. Jeb Bush, the report said. He is being accused by his challengers of inviting chaos to Clay County and insulting the training necessary to become a sheriffs deputy, the report said. We train under intense situations to control the adrenaline dump, Taylor said, and we dont do a perfect job at it, but we train to be prepared to make decisions under pressure. Thats necessary to be effective. To think we can put anyone in that role and itll be OK, were asking for a much bigger problem and inviting chaos and anarchy in the streets. The citizens of Clay County deserve better than that, the report quoted. According to the report, Taylor added that deputizing private citizens could make the county liable to pay out lawsuits if the newly deputized citizens dont act appropriately. I dont believe it was intended to be a pro-police message. I believe it was intended to be a propaganda message. Real police professionalism actually acknowledges that professionally trained police officers cannot be replaced by a swearing-in ceremony, the report quoted. That sentiment, the report said, was echoed by Rutledge: Part of the problem in policing is that some officers need more training in how to interact with all people and all situations, including how to keep calm and how to de-escalate situations. Threatening to make special deputies of every lawful gun owner in this county and Ill deputize them is going to make the problem worse. Police officers with more than 1,000 hours of law enforcement training can have problems in high-stress situations. Imagine putting a badge on someone with zero training - no de-escalation training, no firearms training, no training with the law. I am not sure what he is thinking, but it is not the kind of thinking we need from our top cop, the report quoted. According to the report, Cook said the video was a sign that Daniels wasnt capable of leading. What Daniels said yesterday may sound tough and macho. But, instead, it is a call for vigilantism and another signal that he is incapable of leading the sheriffs department and keeping Clay County safe, the report quoted. She added, Instead of dealing with real issues in a meaningful way, he is behaving like a reality show sheriff and calling attention to himself, she said. To make matters worse, he pulled 18 officers off the streets to be used as props for his taxpayer-funded campaign stunt. Its no wonder morale is so low among our fine officers. If I was under criminal investigation by FDLE, she said, Id probably want to change the subject, too, the report quoted. The report said, Carroll, who spent 14 years at the Sheriffs Office, said he runs a nonprofit that trains churches and private schools, and he believes its foolish to think private citizens could replace deputies. Im sure that was a political production for the sheriff. I doubt seriously that there will ever be the need in Clay County to deputize all the citizens to stand in the gap, Carroll said. I believe the sheriffs department is totally capable of standing in the pike, the report quoted. Although Carroll said he supports citizens owning and training to use firearms to protect themselves, the report said Carroll believes the Sheriffs Office must be capable of handling protesters on its own. READ MORE: Thanks for visiting PennLive. Quality local journalism has never been more important. We need your support. Not a subscriber yet? Please consider supporting our work. A Tuesday night fire at Saint Mark Coptic Orthodox Church in Allison Hill at North 17th and State Streets that started in the basement pantry was ruled accidental. The cause was due to an electrical issue within a refrigerator, according to Harrisburg Bureau of Fire Chief Brian Enterline. Harrisburg, and surrounding companies, responded to the three-alarm fire. Firefighters were able to prevent the fire from spreading into void spaces above the ceiling and into the walls in the sanctuary area, Enterline said. Firefighters were at the scene for five hours and 48 minutes. Despite the weather temperature being in the upper 80s, and firefighters battling near-zero visibility, no injuries were reported, Enterline said. The fire was contained to a small portion of the church. The cost of total damages hasnt been reported. Because there was minimal damage, the church will be able to be renovated. The square footage of the basement is 10,432 and the sanctuary is 11,030. The structure is made of Ashlar stone and wood. Church fires present significant tactical and strategic issues for firefighters, Enterline said. While the majority of these facilities are built with stone or brick exteriors, the interiors of these structures are constructed with large amounts of lumber and other combustible materials. These materials are extremely dry due to age, and are prone to rapid fire growth and development. Concealed void areas, essentially wooden channel ways, are in all floor and wall assemblies giving the fire the ability to spread past the firefighters. These areas all need to be opened up by removing the plaster and wood covering to be able to achieve extinguishment of the fire. Harrisburg Fire, Harrisburg Police, and an agent from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms investigated the fire. The following companies responded: DLA New Cumberland, LifeTeam EMS, Progress Fire Company, Rescue Fire Company- Susquehanna Township, West Shore Bureau of Fire, Steelton Fire Department, Penbrook Fire Company, Swatara Township Fire-Rescue, Paxtonia Fire Company, Paxtang Fire Company, Hummelstown Fire Company, and New Cumberland Fire Department. READ MORE 2 teens accused of killing musician Kyle Yorlets will be tried as adults Lancaster County man caught with stolen gun could spend up to 15 years in prison: prosecutors Man shot in head in front of barber shop is Harrisburgs 10th homicide of the year 13-year-old missing from York County since Monday: police Messiah College is growing, and along with that growth comes a name change. Effective today, the Upper Allen Township-based school will be known as Messiah University. Messiah College becoming Messiah University is an important and natural next step in the growth and maturation of our institution, Messiah President Kim Phipps said in a press release. In many ways, university status is a much more accurate reflection of how Messiah has functioned for several years now. Our future as Messiah University holds tremendous promise and opportunity. But even in the midst of change and progress, our commitment to institutional mission, academic quality, Christian faith formation and the promotion of the common good remains steadfast. Messiahs Board of Trustees and leadership began pursuing university status in October 2018 from the accrediting Middle States Commission on Higher Education and the Pennsylvania Department of Education. University officials say they already have a multiple-school university structure with an extensive mix of undergraduate and graduate programs and are committed to launching new programs. Officials say the move to university status paves the way for even greater educational innovation and expanded academic, corporate and community partnerships, as well as global partnerships like internships, study abroad, scholarship and research connections, ministry, outreach and service opportunities. Messiah University was founded in 1909 and is a nationally ranked, private Christian university of the liberal and applied arts and sciences that enrolls nearly 3,400 undergraduate, adult-degree program and graduate students. 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. People with a criminal history who want to work in state-regulated occupations in Pennsylvania such as nursing or as a hair stylists will soon find their past is not holding them up from starting a career. Gov. Tom Wolf signed into law on Wednesday a bill that overhauls the states outdated occupational licensing laws that previously denied residents the ability to obtain a state certification or license because of a prior or irrelevant criminal record. At a news conference held at the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency headquarters in Susquehanna Township, the governor said applicants can only be denied a license if their conviction is directly related to the practice of the profession or if their criminal conviction poses a substantial risk to the health and safety of their clients or co-workers. Its good for skilled workers. Its good for their employers. Its good for the economy. Its good for all of us, Wolf said. Joining him at the news conference was Secretary of State Kathy Boockvar and Secretary of the Board of Pardons Brandon Flood. Boockvar called the law a step forward toward the departments goal of removing unnecessary or unclear requirements in the states licensing standards. She said her department over the next six months will work to develop clear criteria as to what crimes would disqualify a person from obtaining a license with outside businesses and the boards and commissions under the Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs. Those boards and commissions serve as the gatekeepers to more than one in every five jobs. That work, among other details necessary to implement this law, will include a new process for evaluating license applicants and a guide to give individuals a preliminary decision if their conviction is likely to disqualify them for licensure so they dont waste their time and money on training. It also allows for restricted licenses for individuals trained at taxpayer expense such as in state prisons to be able to practice a profession under supervision for one to two years even if they otherwise would be denied a license due to their record, Wolf said. Flood said this law should help to reduce the state Department of Corrections recidivism rates that currently show 60% of those who leave a state prison return within two and a half years. If the goal is to reduce recidivism, we shouldnt be as a government, shouldnt be putting roadblocks and obstacles in the way of folks particularly when it comes to licensing, said Flood, a corrections success story himself who received a state pardon for his own drug and gun convictions in 2019. To those who are skeptical about giving people second chances, he said, there isnt a free lunch here.... This is for folks who have done the work, obtained the credentials and schooling necessary in order to competently secure licensing and certification. These are folks who made mistakes, done what they needed to do and are asking for a hand up, not a hand out. Previously, the best option that ex-offenders had to overcome disqualification from licensing would be to go through the rigorous and time-consuming pardon process to clear their record, he said. Not everyone needs their record clear, just some folks need an opportunity, he said. Sen. John DiSanto, R-Dauphin County, who is the bills sponsor, said, As our economy reopens it is paramount we extend the recovery to all Pennsylvanians including those turning their lives around upon release from the criminal justice system. This bill signing comes a day after the second anniversary of Wolf signing the landmark Clean Slate law that allows ex-offenders to petition the courts for their records to be sealed if they meet certain conditions. The governor took part in a bipartisan observance of the anniversary celebrating that laws impact that has now automatically sealed nearly 35 million cases involving low-level offenses, opening up second chances including jobs and housing for countless Pennsylvanians with records. Jan Murphy may be reached at jmurphy@pennlive.com. Follow her on Twitter at @JanMurphy. Thanks for visiting PennLive. Quality local journalism has never been more important. We need your support. Not a subscriber yet? Please consider supporting our work. The family of a Pennsylvania man who died of an overdose after he deliberately ate a fentanyl patch intended for a cancer patient cant sue the drug store where the patch was purchased, a state appeals court panel has ruled. That store certainly wasnt responsible for Cody Alberts intentional misuse of that deadly drug, Judge Victor P. Stabile found in the Superior Court decision. No court will lend its aid to a man who grounds his actions upon an immoral or illegal act, he wrote. Albert, a 21-year-old Kutztown University student, was a regular user of illegal drugs, court filings state. In March 2016, he and a friend, Zachary Ross, conspired to misuse fentanyl patches that Ross bought at Sheeleys Drug Store in Lackawanna County. The patches were supposed to go to Ross mother, who was battling cancer. Albert fell asleep after eating the fentanyl at Ross house, Stabile wrote. He never woke up. Alberts relatives appealed to Stabiles court after Lackawanna County Judge Margaret A. Bisignani Moyle dismissed their suit. Stabile agreed with Moyles conclusion that Alberts family cant blame the drug store for Alberts own illegal acts. The state judge noted that Ross falsely secured the fentanyl under his mothers name and that Albert drove Ross to Sheeleys to pick it up. This evidence demonstrates that (Albert) took part in Rosss scheme to obtain this deadly controlled substance, Stabile wrote. He also cited Moyles finding that Albert knowingly ingested a fentanyl patch that was not prescribed to him. Tragically, he died as a result. Therefore, (his family cannot) recover for a harm caused by illegal drug use. Court records show Ross, now 24, of Factoryville, was sentenced to 9 years of probation in December 2018 after pleading guilty to charges including obtaining prescription drugs by misrepresentation and involuntary manslaughter. Alberts family also sued Ross. Only Sheeleys was dismissed as a defendant in the suit. Many students online felt the doards measures werent enough to keep them safe and that the board was not seriously considering the risks immune-system-compromised students faced. However, the board apparently took the crisis seriously enough in regards to its administrative staff. A visit to the boards website shows a red bulletin at the top of its homepage features a message to visitors: Based on the latest COVID-19 status, the boards office, but not the lobby of the boards office, is open on a limited basis. As the nation approaches the Fourth of July, it is another patriotic day in this countrys history that a state senator wants to see receive a formal observance in Pennsylvania schools. Sen. Doug Mastriano, R-Franklin County, is sponsoring a bill that would require the states public schools and encourage private schools to hold a moment of silence at some point during the school day on Sept. 11, starting this year and every year thereafter, to remember the events that transpired on that day 19 years ago. Mastriano said that historic day in the nations history deserves this kind of recognition as a remembrance of the thousands of military service persons, government employees, civilians and emergency responders who lost their lives or were wounded by terrorist attacks on that date in Pennsylvania, New York and Washington, D.C. He was disheartened that there is no official observance of Sept. 11th already in schools. It does not create any unfunded mandates or any burden on the curriculum just simply a moment of silence that will hopefully spark a little discussion informally in the classroom, he said in urging his colleagues to support the bill during a committee discussion on Wednesday. The bill is now in position to be considered by the full Senate when it returns to session. He noted Sen. Pat Stefano, a Republican whose senatorial district includes Shanksville where Flight 93 crashed that day, is a cosponsor of the bipartisan-backed bill. We really have felt it was important to put this forward here because obviously 9/11 was a key moment in all of our lives and all the children now attending schools were not alive back then, Mastriano said. Its particularly important that they understand why so much is going on, why our men and women are still being sent overseas to Afghanistan and fighting wars elsewhere around the world, why boarding aircraft is so difficult and on and on. It was a life-changing moment. The legislation directs the state Department of Education to develop voluntary in-service training programs and model curriculum guidelines related to this moment of silence observance for schools. Mastriano, a retired Army colonel, said, As someone who served our country for 30 years and fought in the global war on terror, a simple moment of silence as delineated in this legislation will ensure that our children always remember 9/11, its importance, and its effect on our country. Jan Murphy may be reached at jmurphy@pennlive.com. Follow her on Twitter at @JanMurphy. Thanks for visiting PennLive. Quality local journalism has never been more important. We need your support. Not a subscriber yet? Please consider supporting our work. Republican members of a U.S. House committee want to know the science and information the Gov. Tom Wolf administration used in requiring long term care facilities to accept people who have been hospitalized with COVID-19 or otherwise potentially exposed. Pennsylvania forced the nursing homes to take seniors who are COVID positive from the hospital back into the nursing home, even knowing they couldnt properly take care of them. It was a death sentence for thousands of Pennsylvania seniors, U.S. Rep. Steve Scalise of Louisiana said Tuesday. However, U.S. Rep. Scott Perry, who hosted a briefing on the subject Tuesday, said he knew of no specific instances of Pennsylvania nursing homes being forced to take patients they felt they couldnt care for. Nor would the CEOs of two major associations representing long term care providers in the state say whether they knew of facilities being forced to take people against their will, or whether they believe the policy may have killed thousands. The issue centers on a directive from the President Donald Trump administration in March saying long term care facilities can and should accept everyone they would normally would -- but only if they feel capable of safely caring for them, and can take infection control steps such as putting them in quarantine if necessary. There are critical legal differences between the words can, should and must, Perry said. Scalise and four other Republicans have sent letters to Wolf and governors of New York, Michigan, California and New Jersey asking for data and information related to their decisions. They allege those five are the only governors in the U.S. who forced nursing homes to take people who had been in the hospital with COVID-19 or who may have been exposed to the disease. They further say those states had the highest percentages of their total COVID-19 death tolls concentrated among long term care residents. As of Tuesday, 4,539 deaths of long term care residents had been attributed to COVID-19 in Pennsylvania 68% of the states total. The Wolf administration disputes that sending people from hospitals to nursing homes contributed to major infection spread or deaths. Across the U.S., COVID-19 has taken its heaviest toll in long term care facilities, where the typical resident is elderly and has underlying health conditions making them highly vulnerable to becoming seriously ill or dying. Experts say the combination of medically frail people living in close quarters in facilities which are often understaffed and often struggle to control infections during normal times became a recipe for disaster when COVID-19 hit. Nationally, about 43% of COVID-19 deaths have involved long term care residents. Scalise said his group is focusing on Pennsylvania and the four other states because of their high per capita rates of COVID-19 deaths among long term care residents. But the source of their data was unclear during the online briefing, and a Perry staffer didnt respond to a request for clarification. A recent analysis by The New York Times ranked Pennsylvania fifth-highest for its percentage of COVID-19 deaths involving long term care residents. The leading states are New Hampshire, with 80%; Rhode Island and Minnesota, each with 77%; and Connecticut, with 73%, according to the Times. Still, several of those are small states that didnt face outbreaks as intense as did Pennsylvania. According to the Times, the percentages of deaths involving long term care residents in states surrounding Pennsylvania is: Ohio, 57%; Maryland, 61%; New Jersey, 44%; and New York, 21%. Asked for comment regarding Perrys briefing, a Pennsylvania Department of Health spokesman referred to previous statements on the subject by Wolf and health secretary Dr. Rachel Levine. Levine was asked about Republicans letter on Monday and said there is no evidence the requirement contributed to deaths. Rather, she pointed to experts who say the prevalence of COVID-19 within any facility is a direct result of the prevalence within the surrounding community, with infected staff who didnt know they are infected bringing it inside. She said states and facilities across the country are dealing with the same problem. Wolf, in a recent interview with PennLive, accepted some blame, but defended the decision to put the highest priority on keeping as many hospitals beds as possible open to deal with an expected surge of COVID-19 patients. He tied that goal to the policy of discharging people who no longer needed hospitalization to long term care facilities. That was a reflection of how dire the straits we were in... All this was going on as we were trying desperately to build inventories of treatment facilities, protective equipment, that kind of stuff, as quickly as we could. But I think you almost have to say youve got to start with the health care system because thats the first point of contact with anybody who gets this disease, he said. Levine has also stressed that her department responded to and worked closely with facilities that felt they lacked ability or supplies to control infections and adequately care for residents. The state has said its efforts include about 2,300 shipments of masks and other protective equipment and deploying the Pennsylvania National Guard to about three dozen facilities. Still, reporting by news organizations including SpotlightPA has documented likely flaws in the states response. These include a decision not to quickly and fully carry out a plan to send strike teams to struggling facilities. The nursing home industry has been critical of Wolf, saying he failed to sufficiently address severe shortages of supplies and staff needed to respond to COVID, and that guidance from the state has been confusing, with the state also threatening criminal action. Zach Shamberg, CEO of the Pennsylvania Health Care Association, which represents long term care facilities, declined to say if he knew of specific instances of homes being forced to take people against their wishes. He said in an emailed statement, Given the differing guidance released by the federal government and state officials, and absent clear direction, we advised our members to accept COVID-positive patients only if they were able to procure the appropriate PPE, create COVID-specific treatment areas and establish appropriate staffing units to care for those residents, with health and safety being the top priority. His email said some facilities received significant pressure from their local hospital to accept patient transfers without ensuring a negative COVID-19 test before the transfer took place. It also said 749 people who had been hospitalized for COVID-19 were admitted or readmitted to Pennsylvania nursing homes during one week in late May. Shamberg didnt respond to the question of whether he believes the situation may have contributed to large-scale deaths, or whether Pennsylvania facilities wanted Wolf to create alternate facilities to care for such patients. Scalise and Perry said the solution was for Pennsylvania to create such facilities. Diane Menio of the Center for Advocacy for the Rights and Interests of the Elderly said lack of transparency by the state and the homes makes it impossible for her to know if homes were forced to take people they didnt feel they could care for, and whether it led to deaths. Regarding the claims of widespread deaths made by Perry and Scalise, she said I have no idea where that is coming from. Still, she was highly critical of what she called a major lack of transparency on the part of the state on assorted things related to long term care facilities, and said the state has given unclear and sometimes contradictory guidance to facilities. It has just been so many issues. Right now we just dont know whats happening, unless we hear anecdotally from families or residents themselves, she said. There certainly have been missteps at all levels. Thanks for visiting PennLive. Quality local journalism has never been more important. We need your support. Not a subscriber yet? Please consider supporting our work. A Vietnam War combat veteran who suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder has avoided a federal prison term for mailing letters threatening to harm or kill a judge, multiple police officers, including those in Harrisburg, and a central Pennsylvania police chief. Instead, U.S. Middle District Chief Judge John E. Jones III sentenced Roy S. Simonetti, 74, to 2 years of probation on his guilty pleas to 11 charges of mailing threatening communications. Jones also imposed an $11,000 fine and ordered Simonetti to pay at least $500 a month toward it. Simonettis sentencing came three years after federal investigators charged him for his wide-ranging crimes. According to a grand jury indictment, Simonetti over several months in 2014 sent letters threatening to injure or kill Lancaster County District Judge Isaac H. Stoltzfus, state police troopers, New Holland Police Chief Donald Bowers Jr., and municipal police officers, including those in Harrisburg and Sadsbury Township. The charges Simonetti faced carried a maximum combined penalty of up to 55 years in prison and $2.75 million in fines. In a plea agreement Simonetti reached with the U.S. Attorneys Office last year, prosecutors agreed to recommend he be placed on probation. The deal also required him to undergo psychiatric counseling. In a sentencing memorandum, Simonettis lawyer, John F. Yaninek, pleaded for leniency, citing the trauma of that long-ago war that still haunts him. Simonetti was a combat engineer with the Marines who fought in five operations in Vietnam in 1966 and 1967, Yaninek noted. He cannot sleep due to nightmares and has flashbacks that recount the horrors of his wartime experiences, the lawyer wrote. Incarceration would be an extraordinary traumatic experience. His broken mental state is a result of answering the call of service for his country in a time of war. Yaninek said Simonetti lived a crime-free life until something mentally disturbed him which resulted in him writing a series of threatening letters. The wife of a former top Rite Aid executive who was convicted in an $18 million accounting scandal waited far too long to sue the company for cutting off payment of his lucrative retirement package, a state appeals court ruled Wednesday. In fact, Karen Brown, the spouse of former Rite Aid chief counsel and vice president Franklin Brown, missed the deadline for filing her suit by 11 years, Judge Maria McLaughlin concluded in the Superior Court panels opinion on the case. The state court decision backs a Lackawanna County judges finding that Karen Brown missed the statute of limitations for filing her claim against the drug store giant. She was contesting the firms revocation of her husbands retirement package, which occurred in 2002 after Franklin Brown and other top Rite Aid officials were indicted on federal charges that they deliberately inflated reports regarding the companys earnings for 1999. Franklin Brown, who retired from Rite Aid in 2000, was convicted in the corporate scandal case in 2003 and sentenced to federal prison. The Susquehanna Township man served 71 months behind bars before being paroled in August 2011 at age 83. Franklin Brown was the only Rite Aid exec who went to trial in the case. Others, including former chairman Martin Grass, pleaded guilty. In upholding the dismissal of Karen Browns breach of contract suit against Rite Aid, McLaughlin noted the statute of limitations for filing such cases in Pennsylvania is four years. Since Rite Aid stopped her husbands payments in 2002, the deadline for Karen Brown to file her suit would have expired in 2006. Karen Brown didnt file her case until 2017, however, McLaughlin noted. Under the facts of this case, Browns lawsuit, filed 15 years after the payments ceased, is untimely, the judge wrote. Kenjiro Suzuki is a superb technician. I think thats the key take away from this review, aside from the normal points of fit, style and make. The work that went into this cotton suit he made me is just palpable, both in the handwork visible on the outside and the shape created by the work on the inside. It is a piece of art, an example of the best that bespoke can be. The style is not what I would instinctively go for these days, with its higher waist, shorter jacket and bellied lapels. But I know it will appeal to others. The fit is also good, and Ill cover both those aspects in detail. But particular attention will be given to the technical side of Kenjiro's work, its originality and its rigour. Cotton has little drape, as Ive said many times before, and therefore a bespoke cotton suit is never going to flow as a fine worsted would. But still, Kenjiro has achieved a great fit. It feels sculpted to the upper body, perfectly accommodating my sloping shoulders and the curved run into the upper arm. During our fittings and interview, Kenjiro talked repeatedly about shaping the garment, about working the cloth into a mould to encase the body. And the chest and shoulders do feel like that. He has developed his own range of both canvas and shoulder pads, which likely helps. For my suit, he used a fairly structured canvas but the lightest pad. He was at pains to point out that it would be much easier to use a slightly thicker pad on one side, given my right shoulder is lower than my left (most people have a similar difference). But he considers that cheating, and would always shape both sides differently instead. The back of the suit isnt quite as clean as the front, but most of that should be put down to the material. And the side view shows the shape nicely, while also illustrating the slightly short length and the lack of suppression in the back. This space is a useful thing to have on cotton, as it has so little stretch; but still, it is something I might ask Kenjiro to tweak next time I see him. Its also worth looking at the line of the trousers in that side view. Because Kenjiro goes to extreme lengths to shape the cloth of the legs, creating an S-shape that follows the curves of the thigh and calf. Above you can see his before-and-after photos from another customers trousers. He works on the trouser with an iron for about 50 minutes to achieve that shaping. As to the difference it makes, Im not sure anyone would notice unless it was pointed out. They do hang very nicely for slim trousers, and never get stuck on my calves. But still it is a very subtle point. The make of the suit elsewhere is absolutely first class. The level you would expect from a top French tailor, plus - perhaps - some extra Japanese attention to detail. The buttonholes (below) are fine, the Milanese-style buttonhole in the lapel (above) perfect, and the edge stitching and tack stitches meticulous. But in a few places there are also a few more stitches, perhaps smaller ones too, than on other French suits. On the back of the collar, on round parts of the lining, and on the internal work like the chest canvas (above). The breast pocket is also particularly nice. Straight but subtly angled, with precise corners. The kind of thing a good coatmaker would appreciate (see previous post). The in-breast pockets are also beautiful. Theyre cut into the facing itself, which curves deeply around the two openings. And theyre angled slightly: perhaps not as much as the photo suggests, but definitely with a forward slant. It looks odd, but actually functions very well. The internal hip pocket, which also displays the brand name, is equally well executed. Though if I had to choose, I probably think the design of the Camps de Luca teardrop pocket is more pleasing. Returning to the canvas and pads, Kenjiro has offers four levels of canvas: classic (for most suits), softer (suit or jacket, soft style), very soft (only casual jackets) and the softest, for virtually unstructured suits. We used the classic on my suit, as Kenjiro was particularly keen to create an attractive chest profile (which probably explains why the fit feels so good there). He also usually sews the shoulder seam by hand, to give it more flexibility, and angles it backwards (something seen more often with Anderson & Sheppard). Those things, he says, enable him to create four shoulder styles: concave (more common at Smalto, similar to Sexton), natural (mine), rounded (very natural) and American (a smaller, compact shoulder). These styles are hard to explain and really need illustration: Ill do a follow-up post. Finally, above you can see Kenjiros six (six!) types of shoulder pad. He rarely uses numbers 2 and 3, and says most French tailors use them and number 1. These are ready-made. The ones he uses most are the other three, which are all constructed in-house. These are a classic pad, leaf (the second thinnest, above) and leaf canvas (thinnest). There is also the option of having no pad at all, for those unstructured jackets. We used the leaf canvas, as Kenjiro wanted to show the clean shoulder line he could achieve. And I have to say it is probably the best result Ive seen from a shoulder with basically no padding. On style, the most important points to look at are the high-buttoning point and lapel/collar shape. The (relatively) high button is something Kenjiro particularly favours. He likes the shape it enables him to get in the waist, and in his words the movement it gives to the skirt, from the chest line down to the bottom of the jacket. It is most akin to Huntsman in this respect. We had a long email conversation after the final suit was delivered, discussing all these points. As with the canvas and pad, it shows how actively Kenjiro thinks about his cut and style, which is something else he has in common with other Japanese craftsmen. Nothing is taken for granted. The point most normal people will notice is the lapel and collar shape. The lapel is not especially wide at the top, but has plenty of belly, which gives it width and curve as it runs upwards from the waist button. The top of the lapel is then quite flat, making the notch between it and the collar rather narrow. This is the fish mouth shape that Smalto (where Kenjiro was previously head cutter) was known for, and you also see on some other French tailors. The difference between this and the other suit Ive had made in that style (from Camps de Luca) is that the notch is cut deeper, making the fish-mouth shape more pronounced. On the Camps suit, it was a subtle style point that few people would notice. Here it is more obvious. Of course, Kenjiro has other styles - there are several notch shapes, mostly more conservative. But given this is the one he's best known for, its useful for other potential customers to see the effect of this lapel, if theyre considering a commission. In terms of the material and how its worn, regular readers will already know how much I like this cotton gabardine. It is lightweight, casual, and fades in a subtle way over time. I used the same one on my Musella-Dembech suit. I also re-read Alan Flussers words on it recently, which are worth repeating: "The cotton gabardine two-piece offers a soothing alternative to the typically dry, firm-feeling tropical worsted. "The fine Italian cotton gabardine suit will wrinkle, but its satiny freshness and cool suppleness offer the humidified epidermis a princely measure of comfort." The navy looks particularly nice, Ive found, with a chambray like this linen from DAvino, and my old favourite, the navy grenadine. Its also the kind of suit Im more likely to wear without a tie sometimes, given its casual texture. Though probably with suede loafers rather than these calf oxfords. And those beautiful oxfords are my bespoke from Yohei Fukuda. Photography: Alex Natt @adnatt Kenjiros suits start at 4800 (including VAT). He currently travels to Japan regularly, and plans to start coming to London. For more information on his house and background, see our introductory article here. William T. Perkins (231) 439-9353 Enbridge will be able to reopen the west leg of its energy pipeline in the Straits of Mackinac while it inspects a piece of the underwater infrastructure. Meanwhile, the eastern segment of the pipeline which has been shut down since a support anchor was damaged at the end of last month will remain closed. Those two mandates came down from Ingham County Judge James S. Jamo after a hearing Wednesday. The ruling is the latest development in a series of legal actions that took place after Enbridge reported the damage June 18. Enbridge shut off both sides of the pipeline around the time it reported the damage, but opened the west segment, which is currently assumed to be unaffected, shortly thereafter. On June 25, following a request filed by Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, the court ruled that both sides had to close as Enbridge provided the state with more information. Jamo amended that ruling after a hearing Wednesday. Todays Court decision allows the State to receive the vital information surrounding this incident that we need to complete an informed analysis of the damage and evaluate the threat this pipeline poses to our environment if left to operate in its current state, Nessel said in a press release. A breach of the Line 5 pipeline or a similar incident would result in devastating consequences for a wide range of industries and countless Michiganders. The long-term risk this pipeline poses to not only Michigan, but the Great Lakes region, cannot be taken lightly." So far, the company has not reported any knowledge of how or when the damage occurred. The company hasn't found any evidence of physical damage on the pipe itself the structure in question is a connected piece which bolsters the pipeline as sediments wash away from underneath the pipeline. The currently available information on the damage is limited to studies done by remote-operated vehicles. Information from the upcoming west leg inspection will be provided to the state. "The east leg will stay down until we provide information PHMSA (Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration) has requested and are cleared to restart," Enbridge spokesman Ryan Duffy told the News-Review in an email. In a formal statement, Enbridge said it was "committed to sharing this information with the State of Michigan to keep them informed regarding our inspections of the east segment." "Enbridges Line 5 has served Michiganders safely without incident at the Straits crossing for more than 65 years," the statement read. "We remain willing to work with the State going forward to address issues of concern about the safety of Line 5 and its ultimate replacement with The Great Lakes Tunnel that will contain a new section of pipeline. Enbridge is currently seeking permit approval of the tunnel which, upon completion, will make a safe pipeline even safer." Staff reports The Petoskey News-Review PETOSKEY ZontaClub of Petoskey Area, through the Petoskey-Harbor Springs Area Community Foundation, awarded $16,165 this spring to area organizations in need of funding. TheZontaWomen and Children's Field of Interest Fund was established in 1996 by the Petoskey club and its purpose is to support programs or projects which benefit area women and children and help them achieve their full potential. The club awarded $16,165 to the following: Cheetos Club (a kindness initiative at Petoskey High School): $1,400 Planned Parenthood (distribution of feminine hygiene kits, education about sexual and reproductive health): $4,000 North Emmet Little League (fence and safety equipment for girls' softball field in Pellston area): $8,765 Essential Needs Fund at the Community Foundation: $2,000 The grants were submitted to the Petoskey-Harbor Springs Area Community Foundation and brought to the attention of the club committee Judy Mainland, Linda Hume and Maureen Nicholson for approval.For more information about these grants, contact club member Sarah Ford atsford@phsacf.org. Thank you for reading the Philadelphia Tribune. You have exhausted your free article views for this month. Please press the "subscribe" button below and see our introductory price of $0.25 per week for 13 weeks. Otherwise, we look forward to seeing you next month. One South Florida nonprofit, the Coalition of Immokaee workers, sent a letter to DeSantis raising concerns about the vulnerability of farm workers. They continued to put pressure on the governor with a published opinion piece in the New York Times, as well as starting a petition asking DeSantis to increase testing for migrant workers. Emergency aid is available to help people who are struggling financially and facing eviction and foreclosures due to the pandemic. Money for the program comes from $175 million in federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (CARES) funding. About $125 million of the funding is reserved to help renters and $25 million is being allocated for mortgage assistance. State Sens. Art Haywood and Vincent Hughes (D-Philadelphia/Montgomery County) advocated for funding for the program, which seeks to help people financially impacted by the pandemic. Support The Philadelphia Tribune Now, more than ever, the world needs trustworthy reportingbut good journalism isnt free. Please support the nation's longest continuously published newspaper serving the African American community by making a contribution. Contribute "We know that rental assistance is needed across the commonwealth, we know that mortgage assistance is needed across the commonwealth," Haywood said during a news conference. "We know that this is a statewide challenge that we hope we can meet in part with these resources." The funding comes as Gov. Tom Wolfs order preventing evictions and foreclosures across the state is set to expire next week. Hughes said that the eviction moratorium does not necessarily have to end on July 10, given that there is an uptick of the coronavirus across the country and in Pennsylvania. "It's not in anybody's interest to begin an eviction or foreclosure process while you have $175 million available to help people," he said. "We're still in a global pandemic and we see growth in the virus. Putting people out on the street is not necessarily the best thing to do in that environment. I anticipate you'll hear some more public action from our caucus within the very near future on this. I'm hoping the best senses of everyone will prevail and not go down a path of evictions and foreclosure. Applications for the new program will be accepted starting July 6 through Sept. 30. County-level organizations across the state will process applications for renters. Robin Wiessmann, executive director of the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency, said a system is in place to process applications "expeditiously." The state agency will handle applications from mortgage holders. Renters who qualify for the program can receive up to $750 in monthly rent payments for a maximum of six months. Qualified homeowners can receive up to $1,000 for mortgage payments for up to six months. The assistance payments will be made to rental property owners and mortgage lenders. The program is eligible to residents who meet the income guidelines and have lost their job or have seen their income decrease by 30% because of the pandemic. More than 2.4 million Pennsylvanians have filed jobless claims since mid-March, when governmental officials ordered the closure of most businesses across the state in an effort to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus. "We know first hand that people are in need and we do hear from people that are very concerned about losing their houses or their rental space, Wiessmann said. Rachel Garland, managing attorney of the Community Legal Services housing, said this is the nation's worse recession since the 1930s. So while these programs will be extremely helpful from a financial perspective, we also know that unfortunately they will not be enough and thats why protections that provide time and support to tenants as they stabilize their housing is going to be critical right now, she said. Philadelphia residents can apply directly to PHDC at phlrentassist.org. Residents in other counties may access applications at phfa.org/pacares. TRENTON, N.J. Gov. Phil Murphy on Tuesday announced that eight more states now meet the metrics under New Jersey's travel advisory. Visitors to the state from California, Georgia, Iowa, Idaho, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nevada and Tennessee should self-quarantine for two weeks. Those states join Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas and Utah, which were announced last week. New York and Connecticut also hold the same travel advisory. Murphy encouraged people who do travel to New Jersey to get tested. Support The Philadelphia Tribune Now, more than ever, the world needs trustworthy reportingbut good journalism isnt free. Please support the nation's longest continuously published newspaper serving the African American community by making a contribution. Contribute The governor also announced 461 new cases of the virus, increasing the statewide total to more than 171,000. Forty-seven new deaths were reported. The total is now 13,181. During Monday's press conference, Murphy reversed course on indoor dining because of overcrowding at outdoor establishments over the weekend and the continuing outbreaks in parts of the country, even though New Jersey has seen a significant reduction in the number of its virus cases. Late Monday, Murphy banned drinking and smoking at Atlantic City casinos when they reopen Thursday at limited capacity. A look at other developments: Wilwood nixes fireworks The shore city of Wildwood has canceled its fireworks show for the Fourth of July, the mayor said in a statement. Mayor Pete Byron said concerns over social distancing and the potential for spreading COVID-19 led to the city's decision. Wildwood is known for its wide beaches and draws beach-goers from across the state and region. KAMPALA The Netherlands Embassy through the Refugee Law Project has Wednesday, July 1, 2020 donated an assortment of transport equipment worth $70000 to Panyadoli Refugee Police Station, Kiryandongo district. H.E Henk Jan Bakker, the Netherlands Ambassador to Uganda handed over the items to AIGP Asan Kasingye at Police headquarters Naguru. They included a double cabin pickup and four motorcycles . While receiving the donation, Kasingye noted that the support will help the police to reach out to refugees in their settlement camps by increasing access to justice. We shall now be able to address problems of GBV, Human Rights violations & delayed response to crime incidents, he said. Kasingye thanked the Embassy for their continued support to the Uganda Police that includes among others training of the Police in refuge law. Comments Charleston's 350th Commemoration In 2020, the City of Charleston and its citizens will commemorate its 350th anniversary of the arrival of English settlers from Barbados to Charles Towne Landing in 1670 and share Charlestons full and accurate story up to the present day. Throughout the year, we will honor the customs, diverse cultures, and rich heritage through a deep reflection and true representation of the citys history. A: When Dr. Rogers told me he was interested in the piece, he came down to Atlanta and met with me over tea. We went through the score together. He shared how moved he was, as a Black male, studying the score, and seeing what I was saying, and what I was feeling. I saw the emotional effect that the piece had on him. We had frank conversations about our experiences as Black people in classical music. Moncks Corner, SC (29461) Today Mainly sunny to start, then a few afternoon clouds. High 91F. Winds WSW at 10 to 15 mph.. Tonight Partly cloudy early followed by cloudy skies overnight. Low 74F. Winds WSW at 10 to 15 mph. After years of being accused of cultural appropriation by Gullah Geechee residents of the Lowcountry, a white-owned milling company in Edisto is changing its name in response to increased national pressure. Betsy Johnsman of Geechie Boy Mill says negative feedback has picked up in the weeks since companies wishing to demonstrate their commitment to racial equality have disposed of iconic brands such as Aunt Jemima and Eskimo Pie. She and her husband, Greg Johnsman, in a statement attributed the name change to a desire to find a name that wouldnt cause "harm or discomfort to anyone. The Johnsmans said theyll reveal the new name after theyve legally secured it. A publicist for the grits maker declined to specify when packages bearing the potentially offensive name and accompanying image of a smiling farmer would no longer appear on shelves. We are doing everything to move the process along, Betsy Johnsman said. This will take some time to fully transition to our new brand." Although the Johnsmans and their publicist didnt cite a single precipitating incident, celebrity cookbook author and food television host Samin Nosrat on Tuesday night criticized the company through her Instagram account, which has more than half a million followers. By all accounts, the family who owns (Geechie Boy Mill) is not descended from Gullah Geechee culture, Nosrat wrote, asking for proof that shed misinterpreted the situation. Sign up for our food & dining newsletter. We publish our free Food & Dining newsletter every Wednesday at 10 a.m. to keep you informed on everything happening in the Charleston culinary scene. Sign up today! Email Sign Up! She added that she didnt want to see the mill go out of business but hoped its owners would reconsider its name if in fact no one who currently profits off of it comes (from) the largely oppressed people who make up the culture being sold to us on the label. Nosrat later posted a response she received from Geechie Boy Mill, assuring her that: We are working hard to review and change the name with the current climate. We thank you and are taking this very serious. God bless. She pledged to support the company in return. When the Johnsmans in 2010 purchased a half-century old mill, Betsy Johnsmans father, Adair McKoy, was already marketing the family's vegetables under the Geechie Boy name. According to Betsy Johnsman, McKoy held on to the circa 1980 brand in honor of his friend Raymond L. Tumbleston, a white farmer popularly known as Geechie Boy on the Sea Islands. McKoy and Tumbleston farmed together for a decade, and McKoy reportedly considered Tumbleston one of the best business partners he ever had. But as Geechie Boy gained national prominence, with mounting high-end menu mentions and appearances in glossy magazines, the suitability of its name was questioned repeatedly by food fans attuned to the racial dynamics of Southern farming. Similar concerns over mascotification were raised in 2016 when Revelry Brewing Co. released a Gullah Cream Ale, but early critics of the local beer maker have since said those issues were sorted out through conversation. While it will go by another name, the Johnsmans say their operation, which now produces cornmeal and rice, in addition to grits, will otherwise remain the same. The homeowners on Dewees Island, a private community north of Charleston and accessible only by boat, chose to keep a $218,315 federal bailout loan even as they faced public criticism over their acceptance of the money. Rep. Joe Cunningham, a Democrat who represents South Carolina's 1st Congressional District, and his Republican challenger, Nancy Mace, called on the island's residents to return the emergency loan in early June. Both candidates argued the loan part of the federal Paycheck Protection Program would be put to better use assisting small businesses hurt by the coronavirus pandemic. But according to an email obtained by The Post and Courier, the group's leadership voted unanimously in June to keep the funding in order to stabilize its finances and prevent further fee increases on its members. The federal loan can be completely forgiven if the property owners association uses the money to cover payroll costs for its employees. "The Dewees Island community feels a strong sense of responsibility to our employees and their families," Wendell Reilly, the association's president, said in a statement Tuesday. "We are comfortable in our decision to accept the PPP funds, which have helped to cover the payroll of our staff as well as lost revenue due to COVID-19." The Dewees Island property association isn't the only homeowners group to net one of the emergency loans, which are being administered by the U.S. Small Business Administration. A similar group on Kiawah Island, another private island just south of Charleston, also received a $1 million PPP loan in April. But later that month, the homeowners on Kiawah announced they would return the money, after Cunningham and others criticized their use of the federal program. Sign up for our new business newsletter We're starting a weekly newsletter about the business stories that are shaping Charleston and South Carolina. Get ahead with us - it's free. Email Sign Up! Reilly emphasized that the group was eligible for the emergency loan under the rules set up by the Trump administration, and he noted that billions of dollars remain in the Paycheck Protection Program for other businesses interested in applying for the loans. "We wish all communities and businesses, as well as their employees, all the best as we all work to keep people safe, healthy and employed during these challenging times," Reilly added. Still, the federal loan won't offset all of the costs that will need to be passed onto the island's residents this year, according to the email obtained by the newspaper. The association is still raising its annual fees for property owners on the island in order to make up for the lost revenue from operating the island's private ferry during the pandemic. According to the email from the group's treasurer, part of the problem is that sizable number of homeowners on the island are delinquent on their payments to the association. The group reported this month that it owns 22 of the available lots on the island, which don't provide revenue, and another 12 lots are owned by people who owe the association money. With climbing costs and the loss of revenue, each homeowner on the private island is being asked to pay an extra $3,426 to the property association this year. Without the federal loan, the financial burden on the homeowners would have likely been even higher. Even before the coronavirus came along, 2020 was an uncertain year for The Jasper Project. It started the year without a home, displaced when Tapps Arts Center ended its run on Columbias Main Street. We were entertaining two or three different possibilities of places to move to, offers executive director Cindi Boiter, and we hadnt landed on one when COVID-19 hit. Starting as an arts magazine back in 2011, The Jasper Project grew over the years into a multidisciplinary arts facilitator that fosters collaboration and communication among South Carolina artists and patrons. One can find visual, literary and media art, dance artists and more in the projects created under the Jasper umbrella. Like many arts organizations and businesses around the country, Jasper had to weather the storm as South Carolina shut down. That meant that the many Columbia artists who sell their art through the Project were in limbo, as well. Boiter says that she and her board began trying to think of alternative ways to accomplish their goals. When it became apparent that we were not going to be able to meet one of our missions, which is to gather artists and patrons of different disciplines together to explore different possibilities or collaborations, we set out on several different projects to meet our mission, she says. One of those projects is Virtual Openings, in which they invited artists to show their work on their website, but the openings, which featured artists Patrick Parise, Bonnie Goldberg, Keith Tolen and Thomas Crouch were met with a lackluster response. They didnt resonate the way our other projects did, Boiter admits. The prices of some of the larger paintings in the Virtual Openings series ran into the thousands, so Jasper decided to think smaller to get bigger results. We decided to go back to the Tiny Gallery series, she says. We started Tiny Gallery about a year and a half ago, and the premise is that we ask artists to create small pieces of art at small price points, for people who are beginning collectors or are on a budget. The series, managed by board member Christina Xan (an accomplished poet, playwright, photographer and adjunct professor of English at the University of South Carolina) started as a successful in-person event, meeting in small groups at Tapps on Saturday evenings. The new version is online, but the principle is the same. We encourage artists to have small pieces that are affordable, Boiter says. The first Tiny Gallery show began on June 22 and features the work of clay artist Vanessa Hewitt Devore, a fourth-generation artist whose father is glass worker Steve Hewitt, and whose mother is the renowned artist and educator Mana Hewitt. Right now, seven of Devores bowls, vases and jars, featuring colorful birds and insects, are for sale on The Jasper Project site for $65 to $150. Boiter says that the response to the series, and to Devores work, was immediate. It took off as soon as we started it, she reports. And weve already scheduled artists throughout 2020 into 2021, because it doesnt look like were going to be able to gather as a community. We want people to be able to gather the community virtually. Boiter adds that artists often enjoy the challenge of fitting their work within the Tiny Gallery parameters. For some artists its easy to do because they do small art anyway, she says. But for other artists, it stimulates their creative process and they end up with new work. Its good for artists who are looking for a new challenge. Speaking of challenges, Boiter says that shes proud of the way The Jasper Project board has responded to the uncertainty of 2020. We just leaned into it to be honest, she offers. Were homeless now, we dont know whats going to happen, so we made plans to keep doing our work in a way that will help as many people as possible. Were just trying to do things to help the community of artists at-large and people who love art, until we can all get back together again and shake each others hands and see each others art. Vanessa Hewitt Devores Virtual Tiny Gallery runs through July 6 at the-jasper-project.square.site/tiny-gallery. South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilsons office has issued an opinion about the constitutionality of the Heritage Act, the 20-year-old law that prevents the removal of historic monuments and the names of historic figures from public buildings and other places. The law has been thrust back into the spotlight in the wake of recent protests against racial injustice, as citizens reconsider monuments to historical figures who had a troublesome history with race. The attorney generals opinion finds that the law, enacted in 2000, is constitutional. However, it also asserts that it should not take a two-thirds vote in both chambers of the General Assembly to change the law, or to alter a monument or building name. The supermajority to win approval no longer applies, the opinion found, The Post and Courier reports. Lawmakers must change the state Constitution to keep the two-thirds requirement. Any future proposals to remove monuments or rename buildings should need only a majority vote in the General Assembly. House Minority Leader Todd Rutherford was pleased with the majority vote portion of the opinion. While I continue to disagree with [the act], at least [Wilson] has answered the question that has dogged many a General Assembly that, No, to take down racist symbols does not require a two-thirds vote, Rutherford told The Post and Courier. Two incumbents fall in Richland County Council runoffs It was a rough night for a pair of Richland County Council incumbents in the June 23 Democratic election primaries. In County Councils District 7, educator and businesswoman Gretchen Barron easily dispatched incumbent Gwen Kennedy. Barron had 72 percent of the vote, to Kennedys 28 percent. Meanwhile, in Lower Richlands County Council District 10, challenger Cheryl English, a county library board member, turned back incumbent Dalhi Myers. English had 63 percent of the vote, to Myers 37 percent. In County Council District 9, incumbent Calvin Chip Jackson emerged victorious over Jonnieka Farr, a business analyst with the state. Jackson had 54 percent of the vote to Farrs 46 percent. And in County Council District 8, attorney Overture Walker bested businessman and South Carolina State University trustee Hamilton Grant. Walker picked up 59 percent of the vote to Grants 41 percent. Walker will now face Republican Gary Dennis in November. The current holder of the District 8 seat, Democratic Councilman Jim Manning, did not seek re-election this year. Esthetics institute set to move into Tapps building on Columbias Main Street Theyve got some skin (care) in the game. The Southeastern Esthetics Institute, the esthetics and cosmetology school that currently operates out of several suites in the Vista, will be consolidating its operations at the historic Tapps building on the 1600 block of Columbias Main Street. The institute will occupy 27,000 square feet in the Main Street building, including the main floor and the basement. The Tapps building has had a number of uses through the years. Most recently, it was home to the vibrant Tapps Arts Center. The arts center exited the location in November 2019, and moved to Five Points, where it operates as Tapps Outpost. Courtney Sykes, the esthetics institutes chief administrative officer, tells Free Times that work to renovate the space will begin in coming months, and shes hopeful for a spring 2021 opening. Matt Kennell, who leads the downtown property owners group City Center Partnership, says he thinks the institute will be a good addition to the Main Street District, which has continued to evolve in the last decade. Its a big deal, Kennell says, calling the Tapps building one of the historic gems of the district. Reporter Kareem Wilson covers health for the Georgetown and Myrtle Beach area for the Georgetown Times. He previously covered entertainment and community news for the Charlotte Post in Charlotte, NC. Georgetown, SC (29440) Today A mix of clouds and sun. High 92F. Winds SW at 10 to 20 mph.. Tonight Partly cloudy skies this evening will become overcast overnight. Low 74F. Winds SW at 10 to 20 mph. Another group the restriction affects is doctors. About 127,000 doctors, nearly a quarter of the physicians in the United States, are immigrants. Many of them are now caring for coronavirus patients in communities without enough health care professionals. All the while, immigrant doctors have had to worry not only that they might die of the virus while taking care of Americans, but also that if they do, their families could be deported. In hopes of slowing the surge in coronavirus cases, Charleston will require residents and visitors alike to wear masks in most public settings starting Wednesday. Are restaurants included? You bet: Restaurants are the first type of environment specified for mandatory masking-up in the emergency ordinance passed last week by Charleston City Council. But how will that work? "Im really surprised theres not a whole lot of information out there yet," Kimberly Baker, director of the food systems and safety program at Clemson University's Cooperative Extension, says. She's not wrong. Though there's plenty of Google-able content out there that tells diners they should wear masks when patronizing restaurants (or doing anything, really), there's decidedly less about the mechanics of doing so. Do you walk in with a mask? Do you take it off upon getting to your table? What happens if some of your party orders drinks before the meal do all of you remove your masks, or only the drinkers? And how many bites at a time are you permitted before your unmasked face becomes unsanctioned? Questions abound, and the easiest answer to pretty much all of them is: Stay home. Yes, South Carolina's restaurants and bars are allowed to operate, but with cases ramping up across the state and in Charleston County in particular, your very safest bet remains takeout for the time being. But some Charlestonians will not be deterred from dining out, and for now, patronizing restaurants that will have them remains their prerogative. But masks are not optional. So if you simply must spend time eating a meal in a restaurant setting as the global pandemic plows through the Lowcountry, you'll need these questions answered. In the spirit of safety, The Post and Courier earlier this week visited Edmund's Oast to shoot some photos demonstrating the crucial components of dine-in mask etiquette. Hit the hand sanitizer, and let's get to it. The approach: Mask on It should go without saying that you ought to wear your mask as you approach the entrance to the restaurant on foot. But it doesn't go without saying: The city's ordinance actually says it. "All persons entering any restaurant (...) in the City must wear a face covering while inside the building," states the measure. As you walk up to the establishment, your mask should be squarely in place covering both your mouth and your nose. If the restaurant has a sanitizer out front, have at it. Ordering at the bar: Mask on Depending on the layout of the place you've chosen to patronize, it might have a walk-up bar. Who doesn't like casual drink before your table is ready? No one, that's who. (Probably someone, but you get the point.) When you're walking up to said bar, leave your face covering up. According to AskTheBuilder.com, the self-described "oldest and longest lasting first-person home improvement site on the Internet," the average bar is between 18 and 24 inches deep. In other words, even if you're not leaning over the transom like a jerk (don't do this), you and your barkeep likely aren't a full 6 feet apart. Mask thyself, drinker. Sitting down, ordering: Mask on When Im doing (these) non-consuming things, I need to have my mask on," said Benjamin Chapman, a professor and food safety specialist with North Carolina State University. That includes talking with the other people at your table (some of whom you may not live with, depending on your risk tolerance) and, crucially, restaurant employees. Interacting with servers is "the No. 1 time" your mask should be on, said Chapman. Again, it's not just for your safety. As Jayce McConnell, Edmund's Oast's bar manager and willing model for our shoot, put it: "If you work in a bar or restaurant right now, you're fighting for your livelihood." That's stressful enough as it is; don't be the table stressing your server out even more with bad mask protocol. Keep in mind that, independent of the mask ordinance, many restaurants have switched from physical menus to digital ones. Pay attention to signage; if there's a table tent or a poster with instructions, go ahead and follow them. Is it the dining experience of your dreams to scan a QR code and scroll through a restaurant's offerings on your phone while wearing protective gear on your face in the middle of summer? Maybe not, but remember: you don't have to be here. Also, it keeps you and your server safer by reducing the number of surfaces that need cleaning after your meal. And besides, this pandemic is anything but a dream. What were you expecting? Waiting for your meal: Mask on Sign up for our new health newsletter The best of health, hospital and science coverage in South Carolina, delivered to your inbox weekly. Email Sign Up! That's right. Even after you've entered the restaurant, taken a seat and ordered your meal, you should aim to keep your facial covering on until it's time to actually start eating. This means you and your group will be carrying on pre-dinner chitchat without being able to see one another's faces. How strange. "Its awkward, but were in the middle of a pandemic, and if we want to do these things, we need to have some awkwardness," said Chapman. And speaking of groups: Whether you're dining out with some friends from the neighborhood or your parents who just drove down from Columbia (or wherever, The Post and Courier doesn't know where your parents live) keep in mind that you all may pose risk of transmission to one another and your server. "I think that has to be thought of, as well," said Baker, underscoring the need to keep masks up as long as possible when dining in groups. "It's easy to keep a 6-foot distance from the table next to you ... but if you're coming in with a party of three (distinct) groups and sitting at the same table, you're not really social distancing that well." You've undertaken the risk of dining with others; stay as safe as possible while you do. Actual, active consumption: Mask off Ah, but what about that drink you may or may not have ordered? Good point. You can't very well drink it through your mask (though entrepreneurial producers are working on it.) "A best practice is to keep that mask on until that food has arrived," said Baker. The goal is take it off once so as to avoid handling it multiple times, so if you get a round of drinks (or several) at your table, your mask can come down, and remain down for your meal. This is in line with Charleston's ordinance, as well, which explicitly exempts you from wearing a mask while you're "actively eating, drinking, or smoking." But be mindful while you're unmasked, especially if you're dining indoors, where transmission of the virus may be more likely. "If I can, I'm trying to eat outside, where there's more space and I don't have that consistent air current pumping at me," said Chapman. Storing your mask: Napkin or baggie When it is time for active consumption, remove it by undoing the straps. Avoid balling up your mask and shoving it in a purse or pocket. This can expose whatever is on the mask to wherever you stash it, and vice-versa. Instead, Chapman recommends placing your mask on a napkin on your table, emphasizing that there is little concern that it could somehow contaminate your food with its mere presence. Baker offers another option. "I think its ideal to take a little Ziploc bag to put that mask into," she said. Either way, if you're wearing a cloth mask, be sure to loosely fold it in half putting the outside corners together, in line with the CDC's recommendations. Paying the bill and leaving: Mask on Once you've finished your meal and you don't have any more drinks coming, put your mask back on. Again, handle it by its straps to avoid undue transfer between the mask and your hands. (Baker recommends bringing a personal hand sanitizer to clean your hands before removing and replacing.) If you didn't pay in advance, make sure your protection is up when your server brings you your bill. Then you're home free. Two final notes A lot of these tips seem like common sense, because they are. But common sense is in short supply these days, and both statewide and county cases are at an all-time high. So in the words of the founding editor of the New York Times' consumer health outlet: "Don't try to cheat the mask." Use common sense, do takeout when you can, and if you simply must go to a restaurant, don't cut corners. Your server, fellow diners and table mates will thank you. Oh, and here's one last piece of etiquette, this of the non-mask variety: a 20 percent tip is the least you can do. The Post and Courier Food desk has heard entirely too many tales of stingy customers gratuitous in their risk-taking and unsparing in their gratuities. C'mon, folks. The College of Charleston released its plan for the fall semester, detailing a "blended instruction" model that will feature both online and in-person classes for students. The plan, called "Back on the Bricks: The College of Charleston Plan for Fall 2020," was released Wednesday, giving students and parents an official outline of what to expect this fall amid the coronavirus. Students shouldn't expect to be in traditional in-person classes for every meeting of most courses, according to the plan. Faculty will teach in their assigned classrooms on most days but with a reduced number of students. About 20 percent of the school's courses will be completely online. Faculty are making adjustments for those classes not suited for teaching in a blended format. Those plans will be shared in the coming weeks. Seating capacity inside classrooms will be reduced to ensure social distancing is practiced. Occupancy limits have been calculated based on individuals maintaining 6 feet of social distancing, which will reduce normal classroom occupancy levels by 30 to 40 percent. President Andrew Hsu said the college could revert back to online-only classes if coronavirus conditions worsen considerably. "The goal really is to keep everybody safe," he said. "The lesson we have learned over the spring semester is things change very rapidly. You can never say never." Safety measures The school will use strict health precautions. Face coverings are required at all times on the campus. The college will provide at least one reusable face covering to all students, faculty and staff and will provide training on proper use, removal and washing of reusable face coverings. Exceptions will be made for: those working outside or in a private office who can guarantee 6 feet of social distancing; persons in assigned, on-campus residence halls; people who are eating; those needing accommodations per the Americans with Disabilities Act); persons actively having trouble breathing, who are unconscious, incapacitated or otherwise unable to remove their face covering without assistance; or if the face covering presents or exacerbates another hazard or condition. An exception will also be granted to those who qualify under the ADA, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, or Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Students must wear masks or face coverings inside classrooms. Additionally, faculty, staff and students are responsible for cleaning their respective areas and desks when entering classrooms. They will also be required to pass a daily health self-screening using a free smartphone application or an alternative method prior to coming on campus or entering campus facilities. Sign up for our new health newsletter The best of health, hospital and science coverage in South Carolina, delivered to your inbox weekly. Email Sign Up! Students will be required to show their professors they have completed and passed this daily health self-screening before entering class. Those exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms or feeling ill should not physically report to class. Regarding testing, the college does not intend to mandate COVID-19 testing for everyone returning to campus. The school will require testing for anyone who is symptomatic or for anyone who is asymptomatic and has come into direct contact with a person who has tested positive for the coronavirus no sooner than seven days into their own quarantine period. If a person tests positive, students and employees will be required to continue isolating until at least 10 days have passed since symptoms first appeared and at least three days have passed since the resolution of fever. Roommates and close contacts of students testing positive for the coronavirus will be required to quarantine for 14 days from their last contact with the positive patient. Life in the dorms will be impacted, too. Dorm assignment capacity has been reduced by 35 percent to help prevent transmission of the disease, said Amy Orr, director of business and auxiliary services. There will be no triple occupancy rooms this fall, Orr said. Single occupancy has increased from 19 to 68 percent, Orr said. Double occupancy will make up the remaining percentage this semester. Travel The school has also placed limitations on travel. The college has canceled all international programs for fall 2020, including all school-sponsored, exchange and affiliate programs. The college is hopeful it will be able to plan international programs for spring semester 2021. During the fall semester, the school encourages students to limit travel to only that which is essential. Anyone traveling to a coronavirus hot spot or outside the country will be required to quarantine at least 14 days before returning to campus. The plan was developed in consultation with students, faculty, staff, deans, chairs, senior administrators, parents, trustees, alumni, health professionals and community members. Dorchester County will begin enforcing mask wearing in local businesses throughout the unincorporated areas. At an emergency County Council meeting Wednesday, members approved an ordinance requiring face coverings in food-service and retail businesses within the county's unincorporated areas. The ordinance goes into effect at 11:59 p.m. and lasts until Aug. 30, unless council votes to extend or rescind the new rule. Business owners with buildings open to the general public must also require their employees to wear masks. The penalty for not obeying the ordinance is a fine ranging from $25 and $100. Some exemptions to the regulations include children under age 5 and those who can't wear a face covering due to a medical or behavioral condition. At the meeting, four of the council members voted to approve the ordinance. Council members David Chinnis and Larry Hargett voted in opposition. Chinnis said he encourages everyone to wear masks but doesn't agree with enforcing a face-covering ordinance. He sees the regulations as officials telling residents they are smarter than them. Sign up for our new health newsletter The best of health, hospital and science coverage in South Carolina, delivered to your inbox weekly. Email Sign Up! "It's just plain absurd," he said. Council Chairman George Bailey said he could remember when it took a week to get to 55 cases in Dorchester. The S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control reported 87 cases in the county on June 30. Dorchester has seen 712 cases of the virus since the emergence of the pandemic. "It has completely turned around," Bailey said. "To me this is an opportunity to do something." The decision comes a few days after the town of Summerville unanimously approved its own mask ordinance that went into effect today. In the past couple of weeks, nearly 30 municipalities in South Carolina have either passed or plan to adopt similar ordinances. Gov. Henry McMaster has announced he does not have plans to issue a mask order. Brian Champion-Wescott hadn't been sick, but he was curious. So, when he saw a blood bank in Greenville offering free antibody tests for COVID-19, he gave blood and waited to find out if he had been exposed to the virus. On Monday morning, he opened his donor portal and saw the result: Positive. Champion-Wescott said the answer only created more questions. "There's a lot of confusing information about it," he said. "I can't assume that it's any sort of proof of immunity." Champion-Wescott is right. Researchers still do not have clear answers about what a positive result means for patients. The presence of antibodies does not guarantee immunity. Separate from diagnostic tests, which can tell if someone is currently infected, antibody tests offer insight into whether a person has been exposed in the past. But the reliability of some of the tests has been called into question, and in South Carolina, interest in the tests has been low so far. Nearly 38,000 antibody tests have been conducted in South Carolina so far, according to the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control roughly a tenth of the amount of diagnostic tests conducted. Health leaders say that is just not enough information to guide decisions or offer high-level insight into what portion of the community has been exposed to the coronavirus. Individuals should keep social distancing and wearing a mask regardless of whether they have been exposed to the virus in the past. But, as more people fall ill in South Carolina's recent surge, more data from antibody tests could begin to guide policy decisions. In early June, Dr. Joan Duwve, DHEC's public health director, said it is not yet clear what conclusions can be drawn from antibody tests. "Its difficult without knowing what it tells us how we might use it," Duwve said. "Over the next several months, well have a better understanding of what to do with that data. ... It's fraught with a lot of uncertainty." Mary Vogel, a West Ashley resident, has a hunch the negative result from her recent antibody test is incorrect. After returning from a West Coast trip in January, Vogel became sicker than she had been in decades. Back then, she said she hadn't even heard of COVID-19. She lost her sense of taste, ran a high fever and coughed for weeks on end. Sure her illness earlier this year was COVID-19, Vogel sought out an antibody test about a month ago. After the test came back negative, Vogel said she plans to get another as quality improves in the coming months. She said she would have continued wearing a mask and social distancing regardless of the result, but a positive reading would have offered peace of mind. "I wouldn't be so freaked out," Vogel said. "I wouldn't do anything risky, but it would have been nice to know that I did have the antibodies." Dr. Danielle Scheurer, chief quality officer for MUSC Health, said people seeking an antibody test should be concerned with two factors: sensitivity and specificity. Sensitivity is a measure of how well the test picks up on the presence of antibodies. A low specificity score, meanwhile, means a positive result could be from a different kind of coronavirus, even the common cold. Sign up for our new health newsletter The best of health, hospital and science coverage in South Carolina, delivered to your inbox weekly. Email Sign Up! The Medical University of South Carolina's test scores in the 90s on both metrics. Patients can access an antibody test through MUSC's virtual platform, musc.care. Scheurer said people have to meet a few criteria to qualify for a test. Right now, the hospital system is running about 100 tests per day, a small fraction of what it could be doing. Research shows the presence of antibodies against COVID-19 does create immunity, Scheurer said. But nobody knows how much of the antibodies are needed, nor how long that immunity lasts. "There's so much we need to learn and understand about the sustainability of those antibodies," she said. Tests from Abbott Laboratories have also been lauded for accuracy. With high hopes for what the results would show, the Food and Drug Administration gave many antibody tests with varying quality approval to go to market. After granting initial approval, the FDA has since removed 55 manufacturers from its list of antibody test providers. The Federal Bureau of Investigation even warned the public last week of scams, where fraudsters may market unapproved tests in order to capture individuals' private health information. Beyond the quality of the test, other factors can play a role in the result a patient receives. Cochrane, a British nonprofit organization that analyzes and shares medical research, found antibody tests work best a couple of weeks to a month after COVID-19 symptoms begin. "Timing is important," Cochrane reviewers wrote. There is not sufficient research into how well the tests work after 35 days, according to Cochrane. Kathy Dukes, a resident of North Myrtle Beach and a 30-year veteran of Atlanta's Emory Healthcare system, fell ill in late January. Before the state began testing for COVID-19, Dukes had no way to access a diagnostic test. Her doctor ran tests for strep and the flu; both were negative. A couple of weeks ago and long since recovered, Dukes sought out an antibody test, curious to see if she already had been exposed. "It took me several days to find some place that was doing the test," Dukes said. It returned negative. Then, she realized she did not know which test manufacturer the laboratory had used. Reading the news, she saw reports of unreliable results and inaccurate tests. "Personally, I'm convinced I did have it," she said. Seanna Adcox contributed reporting. Nearly 30 South Carolina cities and counties have either passed or plan to adopt rules requiring masks in public as COVID-19 cases continue to set records in the state. Local governments are passing rules mandating face coverings because Gov. Henry McMaster has said he has no plans to issue an order, saying it would be impractical and unenforceable. But S.C. Attorney General Alan Wilson said he would not stop local governments from enforcing mask rules. Six of the state's nine largest cities including Columbia, Charleston and Greenville have already passed face-cover ordinances. At least 23 cities with mask rules as of Tuesday night stretch from Clemson in the northwest corner of the state, to Beaufort on the southern edge. Many coastal cities from North Myrtle Beach to Edisto Beach are requiring face coverings ahead of the July Fourth holiday, the busiest time of the summer tourist season. Myrtle Beach, the state's top visitor destination, is expected to approve a mask mandate Thursday. Sign up for our new health newsletter The best of health, hospital and science coverage in South Carolina, delivered to your inbox weekly. Email Sign Up! One county, Colleton, passed a mask regulation. Another five cities, including Sumter, Port Royal and Anderson, along with Beaufort County have announced plans to vote on face coverings this week. If all ordinances pass, an estimated 930,000 South Carolinians, or 18 percent of the state population, will be under mask requirements. Most of South Carolina's local ordinances require face coverings in all commercial establishments, including all stores and restaurants. A few, such as those in Mount Pleasant and Greenville, require masks only in grocery stores and pharmacies. Exceptions to wearing masks usually include exercising, attending religious services and while eating and drinking. A majority of the mask ordinances carry a fine of $25. Some reach $50 or $100. Violators on Hilton Head Island face a fine up to $500 or 30 days in jail. Most of the local mask ordinances last through the end of August but could be extended. South Carolina reported a new daily record of COVID-19 cases Tuesday at 1,741 the seventh consecutive day with more than 1,000 cases. The state has had twice as many cases in June than the previous three months combined to become one of the nation's coronavirus hot spots. The seven-day moving case average has risen by 500 percent in the past month since restrictions on leaving home for nonessential travel, eating in restaurants and shopping in stores have ended. South Carolina health officials warned against traveling over the July Fourth holiday weekend after blaming a recent spike of cases on group gatherings where people did not wear masks. The state also has seen a sharp rise in positive tests from people ages 11 to 30. Protections for police officers during disciplinary investigations are written in Floridas statutes. Referred to as the Law Enforcement Officers Bill of Rights, the laws cover how and when cops can be investigated and by who. The law prevents advisory boards like the one in Orlando from weighing in on an investigation before its completed by the agency. The Don Holt Bridge over the Cooper River again showed how dangerous traveling it can be after a horrific crash unfolded Wednesday that left a sheriff's deputy seriously injured and a tow truck driver missing presumably plummeting from the bridge. The deputy remained in a hospital while the tow truck driver was unaccounted for late Wednesday following a search of the waters 155 feet below the span by boat and helicopter. The multivehicle crash on the bridge, which is part of Interstate 526 connecting North Charleston to Daniel Island and Mount Pleasant, took place just after the morning rush hour had peaked, but it would snarl traffic throughout the region for hours. According to authorities, about 9:50 a.m. the Charleston County sheriff's deputy was driving west when he pulled up to help a tow truck driver who was helping the motorist whose vehicle had broken down on the North Charleston side of the span. Thats when a westbound Ford F-350 pulling a trailer struck the rear of the deputys Dodge Charger, which, in turn, struck other vehicles, said Cpl. Matt Southern, a S.C. Highway Patrol spokesman. The deputy, identified as Mike Costanzo, and the tow truck driver, were both outside of their vehicles when the collision occurred, Southern said. Costanzo was transported to Medical University Hospital by emergency medical services, sustaining serious injuries, said Capt. Roger Antonio, a Sheriff's Office spokesman. When the tow truck driver could not be found, crews with the Coast Guard and local marine patrol units began a search of the Cooper River near the bridge. "The driver of the tow truck remains unaccounted for at this time," Southern reported. The driver's identity has not been disclosed. The crash was met with shock by those who drive the bridge or represent constituents who do, as it draws a mix of port truckers and daily commuters in crowded lanes by the thousands. "The accident is just absolutely horrible to read about and think about," said Charleston Councilwoman Marie Delcioppo, of Daniel Island. "A large portion of my district, all of Daniel Island and the incorporated Cainhoy Peninsula, these are mostly families and they dont want to have their teenage drivers get on 526," she said. "Its the same with moms with little babies. It is scary to drive out there." The Don Holt Bridge was built in 1992 and has a history of issues and bad crashes. The bridge's design doesn't make it easy for police and rescue crews to reach the scene of a wreck. There is no way off the elevated roadway between North Charleston and Daniel Island. It has no breakdown lanes, so a crash that jams traffic can force police and rescue crews to come from the opposite direction. That, in turn, jams traffic in both directions. But it is a vital artery for the region's travel grid. The Don Holt, combined with the James B. Edwards Bridge on I-526, and the Arthur J. Ravenel Jr. Bridge on U.S. Highway 17, are the only river crossings linking roughly 110,000 people east of the Cooper River to the rest of the greater Charleston area. Wrecks on the Don Holt and Ravenel bridges more than doubled from 2011 through 2016, and injuries from wrecks nearly tripled. Authorities have blamed most of the collisions and accidents on drivers not paying attention, and many of the fatal accidents have involved drivers who struck vehicles that were disabled or stopped in traffic. One of the things I hear repeatedly is, tougher distracted driving laws," Delcioppo said. Driving should not be a multitasking activity." The explosion of population growth in Mount Pleasant and Daniel Island communities has played a part in the bridge issues. When the Don Holt opened in 1992, Daniel Island had not been developed and Mount Pleasant had about 55,000 fewer residents than it does today. The population growth in Mount Pleasant, Daniel Island and the Cainhoy peninsula, along with the growth of South Carolina's largest port Wando Welch Terminal in Mount Pleasant have put immense traffic demands on I-526 and the Don Holt Bridge. South Carolina is planning to double the width of I-526, including the river crossings, but planning is in the early stages and the price tag is in the billions. SCDOT is currently studying the stretch of I-526 between North Charleston and Mount Pleasant, including the Don Holt, and has an online survey where area residents can share their concerns at https://526lcceast1.metroquest.com/. Meanwhile, the bridges each average more than two wrecks a week, some of them fatal, and with wide-reaching ripples. A wreck on the Don Holt bridge tends to send a wave of traffic cascading through local roads, heading for the Ravenel Bridge, and the resulting heavy traffic sometimes results in yet more wrecks. Costanzo previously worked for the sheriff's 1994-2006, according to a media announcement, then returned in April 2017. He served as a school resource officer at Sullivans Island Elementary during the school year and was assigned to the Marine Patrol Unit this summer. Gregory Yee contributed to this report. Editor's note: A previous version of this story misstated S.C. Highway Patrol Cpl. Matt Southern's rank. The death of a Black North Charleston teenager who authorities say jumped off a boat into the Cooper River last week is prompting calls for justice from friends and family members who have called the official account of the incident into question. Elijah Dominic Weatherspoon, 18, was reported missing Thursday night after he got in the water near the Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge but never resurfaced, according to the S.C. Department of Natural Resources, which is investigating the tragedy. His body was found Sunday near Sullivan's Island. News of Weatherspoon's death was followed by social media posts from family, friends and community members, who have expressed worries that foul play was involved in his death. A protest calling for justice in his death is scheduled July 12. "That family needs justice," said Brandon Trollinger, one of the protest's organizers. "If that were a white guy, they would have handled this already." He feels that many want to forget about the teen's death, but he's sworn he won't rest until Weatherspoon's family has answers. Capt. Robert McCullough, a Department of Natural Resources spokesman, said on Tuesday that his agency is investigating. "We're doing all we can do," McCullough said. "We've done interviews, fact finding, right now the (Charleston County) Coroner has it." An autopsy was conducted on Monday and DNR was waiting for the Coroner's Office to make a determination on the cause and manner of Weatherspoon's death, the captain said. McCullough said nine people were aboard the boat, including the victim. Whether anyone was using alcohol is part of the ongoing investigation. Trollinger said that on Tuesday morning, during a meeting with Mount Pleasant Police Chief Carl Ritchie, the group was denied a permit for the protest because of death threats the department has received over the case. "I've gotten several death threats, and I'm still going," Trollinger said. He said the protest will proceed as planned with or without a city permit, but he won't let anything get out of hand. A spokesman for the Mount Pleasant Police Department said he did not have information about whether the event would or would not be given a permit. He said he had no knowledge of any death threats made to the department. More than 60,000 people have signed an online petition asking for a stringent investigation. Members of the family told friends they wanted any statements made about Weatherspoon to come through their attorney with the Buckley Law Group. The firm released a statement Tuesday evening "Elijah was a wonderful friend, brother, and son. He was an accomplished athlete, and he loved soccer and football. He was a doting uncle to his six-month old niece, and his younger cousins," the statement read. "Elijahs untimely passing leaves a void in this family that will never be filled, and his family is struggling to make sense of the incident that took his life." The family is calling for transparency and thoroughness in the investigation from all agencies involved, the firm said. Many details about what happened that night have not yet been fully established, but McCullough said "indications are (Weatherspoon) jumped" into the river of his own free will. Statements provided to law enforcement by others on the boat did not match exactly, but "they're all congruent, they all end in the same place," McCullough said. Although he was not at liberty to discuss the case in detail, the captain said he wanted the public to know that DNR was committed to running a "painstakingly thorough" investigation. The protest calling for justice and a thorough investigation is planned for 4-7 p.m. July 12 at Mount Pleasant Memorial Waterfront Park, 99 Harry M. Hallman Jr. Blvd. An incident report released by the Mount Pleasant Police Department on Tuesday afternoon said patrol and harbor units were dispatched to Remleys Point Boat Landing around 10:37 p.m. Thursday. The report did not include further details. Authorities said on Friday that Weatherspoon jumped from the boat, wasn't wearing a life vest, and that another person on the boat tried to save him but wasn't successful. Syndicated and guest columns represent the personal views of the writers, not necessarily those of the editorial staff. The editorial department operates entirely independently of the news department and is not involved in newsroom operations. Goose Creek, SC (29445) Today Sunshine and a few clouds. High 91F. Winds WSW at 10 to 20 mph.. Tonight Overcast. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low around 75F. Winds WSW at 10 to 15 mph. U.S. Rep. Joe Cunningham released his first television ad of the general election Wednesday, a minute-long spot that highlights his handling of a tumultuous 2020, especially the COVID-19 pandemic. The ad, which begins airing on TV and cable across South Carolina's coastal 1st District on Thursday, is called "Found a Way." "When everything stopped, we all felt it," the Charleston Democrat says. "Businesses closed. Lives lost. Streets emptied." Images of a desolate downtown Charleston appear across the screen before cutting to the inside of a busy hospital. "And when those same streets filled back up with anger we felt that, too," Cunningham said as footage of protesters in downtown Charleston marched across the screen for 3 seconds. "Thing is, when we get through this and we will it'll be because we worked together and found a way. Thats what Ive tried to do in Congress," Cunningham said. The ad then becomes a highlight reel of things Cunningham did in Congress, noting his bill to help veterans obtain their benefits was signed into law. He also mentions his House-passed effort to ban offshore drilling off South Carolina's coast, which was one of his signature 2018 campaign promises. Sign up for updates! Get the latest political news from The Post and Courier in your inbox. Email Sign Up! The ad is also noteworthy for what it does not say, and speaks to the competitive realities of a Democrat running in a historically Republican district. Cunningham, who is running for reelection in a district where President Donald Trump won by 13 percentage points in 2016, never says he is a Democrat. The spot also makes no mention of Cunningham's vote to impeach Trump or make note of Nancy Mace, Cunningham's Republican challenger. Instead, it circles back to the coronavirus, noting Cunningham tested positive for the virus and that he also got a wealthy homeowners association on Kiawah Island to return a $1 million federal loan meant to help businesses and nonprofits. Cunningham's campaign said the minute-long ad is "a significant buy." The campaign declined to provide a more specific figure, or disclose how long the ad will be on the air. The latest available federal fundraising records show Cunningham has raised $3.7 million almost three times what Mace has raised so far. He has $2.6 million cash on hand. The nonpartisan Cook Political Report rates the race as a tossup. The Work Zone My son and I were running errands on a recent day, when he said, Dad, did you ever think about suicide? Read more Note: We've recently updated our online systems. If you can't login please try resetting your password. You must login with an email address. If you don't have an email associated with your account email circulation@postregister.com for help creating one. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned Israel Wednesday against going ahead with plans to annex parts of the West Bank, calling them illegal and against the Jewish state's own interests. "I am a passionate defender of Israel," he wrote in an article published in Hebrew on the front page of Israel's top-selling daily, Yediot Aharonot. "So it is with sadness that I have followed the proposals to annex Palestinian territory," he added. "I am fearful that these proposals will fail in their objective of securing Israel's borders and will be contrary to Israel's own long-term interests." Israel's coalition government has agreed July 1 as the date from which it can begin implementing US President Donald Trump's Middle East peace proposal, which paves the way for annexations of Jewish West Bank settlements and potentially the Jordan Valley. "Annexation would represent a violation of international law," Johnson wrote, adding that it would also jeopardise "the progress that Israel has made in improving relationships with the Arab and Muslim world. "I still believe the only way to achieve true, lasting security for Israel, the homeland for the Jewish people, is through a solution that allows justice and security for both Israelis and Palestinians," Johnson wrote. "I refuse to believe that this is impossible." Last month, in a rare op-ed in an Israeli newspaper, the Emirati ambassador to Washington, Yousef al-Otaiba, warned that annexation of parts of the West Bank would jeopardise any warming of Arab-Israeli ties. Describing it as the "illegal seizure of Palestinian land", Otaiba said "plans for annexation and talk of normalisation are a contradiction". Short link: A widely-circulated petition, which had gathered more than 1,600 signatures as of Wednesday, urged the Board to consider alternatives. It recommended options such as offering the exam online or diploma privileges, a way for lawyers to be admitted to the bar without taking the bar exam that is offered to graduates in Washington and Utah. SMALL BUSINESS Area organizations receive donations from WSFS Bank Area organizations receive donations from WSFS Bank to assist small businesses impacted by coronavirus Funding will help provide grants to help those impacted by coronavirus Everyday Ethics Why do some people refuse to wear a mask? Stanley Kurtz writes: President Trump had a great riff at his rally the other day in Phoenix. It was all about abolish, about how the Left wants to abolish the police, ICE, bail, even borders. Trumps riff is effective because it is true. The Left has gone off the deep end, and theyre taking the Democrats with them. Well, theres another abolish the president can add to his list, and it just might be enough to tip the scales this November. Joe Biden and the Democrats want to abolish Americas suburbs. Biden and his party have embraced yet another dream of the radical Left: a federal takeover, transformation, and de facto urbanization of Americas suburbs. Whats more, Biden just might be able to pull off this fundamental transformation. Naturally, Biden vigorously backs the Obama administrations affirmatively furthering fair housing initiative (AFFH). As we have discussed many times on Power Line, implementing this radical program would be more than enough to end Americas suburbs as weve known them. But, as Kurtz shows, Biden wants to do even more furthering. He has embraced Cory Bookers strategy for ending single-family zoning in the suburbs and creating what you might call little downtowns in the suburbs. Heres what would happen under the combined operation of AFFH and the Booker/Biden plan: Suburbs wont be able to get the millions of dollars theyre used to in HUD grants unless they eliminate single-family zoning and densify their business districts. AFFH also forces HUD-grant recipients to sign pledges to affirmatively further fair housing. Those pledges could get suburbs sued by civil-rights groups, or by the feds, if they dont get rid of single-family zoning. The only defense suburbs have against this two-pronged attack is to refuse HUD grants. True, that will effectively redistribute huge amounts of suburban money to cities, but if they give up their HUD grants at least the suburbs will be free of federal control. The Booker approach now endorsed by Biden may block even this way out. Booker wants to hold suburban zoning hostage not only to HUD grants, but to the federal transportation grants used by states to build and repair highways. It may be next to impossible for suburbs to opt out of those state-run highway repairs. Otherwise, suburban roads will deteriorate and suburban access to major arteries will be blocked. AFFH plus the Booker plan will leave Americas suburbs with no alternative but to eliminate their single-family zoning and turn over their planning to the feds. Slowly but surely, suburbs will become helpless satellites of the cities they surround, exactly as progressive urbanists intend. Shouldnt voters know that this is whats at stake in the election? Of course they should. Indeed, with the suburban vote (especially the female portion of it) considered the swing constituency in the upcoming election, its imperative that voters understand what Biden has in mind for the suburbs all the more so now that urban dwellers are coming to question the wisdom of living in cities that wont adequately be policed. Unfortunately, as Kurtz says, Republicans have been too clueless or timid to make an issue of the Democrats anti-suburban plans. Even worse, the timidity of Ben Carson, the Trump administrations HUD Secretary, makes it difficult for Trump to make an issue of this: Incredibly, although AFFH is arguably Obamas most radical initiative, Ben Carsons HUD has still not gotten rid of it. Instead, Carson suspended enforcement of the rule early on and then tinkered around for three years trying to come up with a replacement. What Carson has developed so far is something you might call AFFH lite. While this possible replacement removes many of the regulations excesses, Carson has so far retained the most egregious feature of AFFH. He still wants to use HUD money to gut suburban single-family zoning. How Carson can even think about taking this stance in the face of President Trumps explicit directive to reduce and remove excessive federal regulation is a mystery. It will be very tough for President Trump to make a political issue out of Bidens housing plans so long as his own cabinet secretary is talking about killing suburban single-family zoning with AFFH. I think Carsons wobbling on AFFH explains a lot about why Democrats have become so bold with their plans to undo suburban zoning. If even the Trump administration goes along with federal attacks on suburban zoning, the Dems figure theyve got political cover. Time was when Obama administration officials would turn somersaults to deny that they were going to control suburban-zoning decisions, even when it was obvious that this was their plan. Now, Biden and Booker are remarkably open about their desire to densify the suburbs and get rid of single-family zoning. The Democrat war on the suburbs is a golden gift to President Trump, but he wont be able to make use of it until he throws over Carsons AFFH lite and completely guts Obamas wildly radical regulation. Then Trump can go to town on Biden and the Dems for making war on the suburbs. (Emphasis added) Fortunately, President Trump seems to understand the problem. Today, he tweeted: At the request of many great Americans who live in the Suburbs, and others, I am studying the AFFH housing regulation that is having a devastating impact on these once thriving Suburban areas. Corrupt Joe Biden wants to make them MUCH WORSE. Not fair to homeowners, I may END! Please do, Mr. President. Politicians love to say that they are following the science. To hear them talk, you would think they spend hours poring over data and they go where the numbers drive them. If only. The COVID epidemic has brought out politicians faux reliance on science in spades. As good an example as any is my state, Minnesota, where our governor, Tim Walz, has offered one tribute after another to science as he has driven our state off the road and into the ditch with an irrational shutdown that protected all but the vulnerable. When Walz issued his harsh shutdown order, he attributed it to science in the form of an allegedly super-duper Minnesota Model that forecast doom from COVID in terms of infections, hospitalizations and deaths. It later turned out that the model was created by a couple of graduate students over a weekend, but never mind. It was science and it was the basis for the governors assumption of dictatorial control over six million lives. When Version 1 of the model turned out to be an embarrassment, woefully wrong by every metric, it was succeeded by a less pessimistic Version 2. Version 2 then fell to Version 3, which was issued on May 13, less than seven weeks ago. Version 3 was supposedly science informed by experience. How did it fare? My colleague John Phelan tells the sad story: The model also forecast, with the measures in place, a peak ICU use of 3,397 beds on June 29th yesterday. In fact, Minnesota Department of Health data show that there were 278 Minnesotans hospitalized with Covid-19 yesterday, just 140 of whom needed ICU care. This was down from a peak of 263 on May 30th. As Figure 2 shows, this represents another complete failure for the model. So the model was off by a factor of 24. This might be funny, except for the vast damage that our governor has inflicted on Minnesotans in reliance on politicized science. A dart board would have produced a far more accurate result than the much-touted Minnesota Model. A cynic might suspect that Governor Walz knows the model is ridiculous, but simply enjoys exercising dictatorial powers under his own emergency decreea decree that apparently continues in force in perpetuity. He also knows that he has the press on his side. If a Republican governor bungled an issue as badly as Walz has bungled COVID, in reliance on a pathetic arithmetic construct that is wrong by a factor of 24 times, it would be the the scandal of the age. But every reporter in Minnesota, with one exception (not counting Scott) runs interference for Governor Walz and his brutally failed policies. Why? Because they are loyal Democrats, and they went into journalism to serve their party. Those are the facts, and science has nothing to do with it. This is a Minnesota story, but the same story has been replicated in many states around the country. Przepraszamy! Ogoszenie na stanowisku: Assistant / Service Operations Officer wygaso z dniem 2020-07-30 Ta propozycja bya zozona przez Nordea Bank Abp SA Oddzia w Polsce Mozliwe przyczyny wygasniecia oferty to: oferta zamieszczona przez pracodawce zostaa wycofana z naszych zasobow firma zakonczya proces rekrutacji uzyskujac odpowiednia ilosc zgoszen ogoszeniodawca zmodyfikowa tresc zlecenia i jest ono dostepne pod innym adresem WWW dostawca tresci usuna ogoszenie z bazy danych niewasciwy adres url ogoszenia Jezeli poszukujesz pracy w branzy Administracja biurowa, zajrzyj tutaj: Praca Administracja biurowa Jezeli poszukujesz pracy na stanowisku Assistant / Service Operations Officer, zajrzyj tutaj: Praca Assistant / Service Operations Officer Jezeli poszukujesz pracy w miescie: odz, zajrzyj tutaj: Praca odz Pamietaj, ze mozesz takze rozpoczac poszukiwanie pracy od strony gownej, kliknij tutaj. Inne ogoszenia, ktore mogy byc w kregu Twoich zainteresowan: Przepraszamy! Ogoszenie na stanowisku: (Junior) Process Officer with Danish language wygaso z dniem 2020-08-11 Ta propozycja bya zozona przez NORDEA Mozliwe przyczyny wygasniecia ogoszenia to: propozycja zozona przez pracodawce zostaa usunieta z naszej bazy firma zakonczya proces rekrutacji uzyskujac odpowiednia ilosc osob firma zmodyfikowaa tresc ogoszenia i jest ono dostepne pod innym adresem url dostawca tresci usuna ogoszenie z bazy danych zy adres url ogoszenia Jezeli poszukujesz pracy w branzy Inne / Pozostae, zajrzyj tutaj: Praca Inne / Pozostae Jezeli poszukujesz pracy na stanowisku (Junior) Process Officer with Danish language, zajrzyj tutaj: Praca (Junior) Process Officer with Danish language Jezeli poszukujesz pracy w miescie: odz, zajrzyj tutaj: Praca odz Pamietaj, ze mozesz takze rozpoczac poszukiwanie pracy od strony gownej, kliknij tutaj. Inne propozycje, ktore mogy byc w kregu Twoich zainteresowan: Yes, no matter what Yes, but it depends on variety No, for medical reasons, uncertainty No, principle Vote View Results Today in particular, universities, and especially HBCUs, are faced with profound and even existential challenges, Chrite said. These challenges are only matched by the utter necessity of our work and in recognition of the role we assume, in bridging the gap between ability and access for some to the states most vulnerable, marginalized and brilliant students. ADVERTISEMENT Nigerian-British writer, Bernadine Evaristo, has been named the author of the year at the British Book awards, the first black writer to ever win the category. The British Book awards, also known as the Nibbies, are produced by the UKs book trade magazine, the Bookseller. Ms Evaristo, who was the joint winner of last years Booker prize for her polyphonic novel, Girl, Woman, Other, also won the fiction category, snagging the prize ahead of her fellow Booker winner Margaret Atwood, renowned Canadian author of The Testaments. Last month, the Nigerian novelist became the first black woman to top the fiction paperback charts in the UK, a development she described as surreal. This was after a widespread criticism of UK publishing industry of having biases against black and Asian writers against the backdrop of the Black Lives Matter movement. Ive been writing for a very long time, and its incredibly gratifying to know that my work is finally reaching a wider readership. Its also fantastic to see so many other books by writers of colour storming the charts. Im pretty sure this is unprecedented. Of course, this has been triggered by the tragedy of George Floyds death and we should always remember that, the novelist said in a report by the Guardian UK. Ms Evaristo is a signatory to an open letter from a newly formed Black Writers Guild which is calling for sweeping change in the British publishing industry. Publishers are definitely listening to us today. she qas quoted as saying. Meanwhile, another Nigeria writer, Oyinkan Braithwaite, won crime and thriller book of the year for her thriller novel, My Sister, the Serial Killer which has received many nominations and won the Anthony award for Best First Novel. ADVERTISEMENT Yoruba filmmakers and actors have resumed shooting following the gradual relaxation of COVID-19 restrictions in Nigeria. The president of Theatre Arts and Motion Pictures Practitioners Association of Nigeria (TAMPAN), Bolaji Amusan, aka Mr Latin, confirmed this in an interview with PREMIUM TIMES in Lagos on Tuesday. Mr Latin said it had become necessary to resume movie shoots because it had been difficult for his colleagues to make ends meet during the lockdown. He also said the relaxed restriction on movie production was in line with the Lagos State governments relaxation order which took effect from June 1. He said, Our industry is not one where you can work solo, you need people around you to work with, you need your crew, the directors, the location managers, the actors, the cameramen, and a lot like that. It is difficult to work while keeping social distance but we are just trying to make ends meet. According to him, his industry has put certain guidelines in place to ensure strict compliance with the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) guidelines on film sets. Now that we have resumed shooting movies, we instructed our members to maintain social distancing as much as possible, to make sure that they dont do anything that negates the dictates of the NCDC and the ministry of health. They must also comply with all directives from the federal government. The actor added that they have also prohibited some acts like overnight shoots, working in crowds, and unnecessary gatherings. Actors must now wash their hands and apply hand sanitisers as frequently as possible while on set, he added. He said the association has put in place two disciplinary measures to make sure casts and crew adhere strictly to the rules. We have told them that if you break the rule and you are caught by the government, you are on your own. The association will not be responsible for such people. Asides that, we have a standby disciplinary committee that such erring members will have to face, he said. Also speaking with this newspaper, Yoruba film director, Adebayo Tijani, confirmed that he had begun shooting movies. He said it has been made compulsory for every stakeholder in the Yoruba movie industry to go to the locations with hand sanitisers and nose covers. He added that the number of crew members that are usually on a typical Yoruba movie set has also been reduced. READ ALSO: Every film project that involves a crowd or crowd scene has been put on hold for now. For example, I have a personal project I want to shoot but I cant do that now because it involves crowd scenes. Before now, we used to have like 40 people on set. We have cut that figure down significantly. If you are not so important or play a major role on set, you dont have to come, he said. He urged his colleagues to take the necessary precautionary measures that would protect them from contracting the virus in the course of their work, as COVID-19 had not been completely defeated. Amidst the increasing number of coronavirus (COVID-19) cases globally, many quack doctors in Ghana are taking advantage of the COVID-19 pandemic to exploit the citizens by selling fake coronavirus cures, an investigation has shown. The award-winning journalist, Anas Aremeyaw Anas, in an undercover documentary for BBC Africa Eye, exposed how quack doctors have been exploiting the fear created by the pandemic to make money off the Ghanaian people. The documentary, dubbed Corona quacks and thieves in Ghana, exposes unscrupulous individuals taking advantage of the pandemic to make their own gains. Mr Anas, in the undercover investigation, exposed a COVID-19 medical scam said to be worth tens of thousands of dollars, many of whom are peddling fake uncertified drugs to unsuspecting people claiming they have the cure for the disease. The world, since December, has been battling the scourge of COVID-19 pandemic which has infected over 10 million people with more than 500, 000 deaths. While cases in Africa are still on an increase, Ghana, as of July 1, has recorded 17, 741 confirmed cases with 112 deaths. Mr Anas, in an interview with PREMIUM TIMES, said the investigation is to tell the untold side of the stories of the COVID-19 pandemic because that affects almost everyone. He said the documentary was not out to discredit the traditional herbal treatment, but to shed light on some of the poisonous substances peddled by unscrupulous people who were taking advantage of the COVID-19 pandemic. Fake cure In the documentary, Mr Anas focuses on two case studies: the Abdellah brothers and COA FS. Posing as the brother of a man infected with the deadly coronavirus, Mr Anas sets out to find so-called cures, to expose the men who sell them, and to test the liquids for potentially dangerous and toxic ingredients. The Abdellah brothers, both known as Abdellah Jr and Abdellah Sr are the masterminds of a COVID-19 scam which was worth tens of thousands of dollars. Mr Anas said during the lockdown in Ghana, the brothers produced hundreds of bottles of a product labelled Covid Cure, which had a fake FDA number on its label. They claimed people took their children out of hospital quarantine to take their drug. They also claimed to be actively treating a number of coronavirus patients. They attempted to sell the undercover team 100 bottles of their concoction for 150,000 cedis [almost $26,000]. We tested their concoction with the Ghana Standards Authority. It failed to meet the standards for human consumption and was contaminated with bacteria, mould and traces of phosphine. These can all be dangerous, depending on the dosage. The two men are currently being questioned by the FDA, Mr Anas told PREMIUM TIMES. When challenged with the report from the investigation, the brothers told BBC they are in the process of licencing their product and that it is for testing purposes only. They denied selling it to anybody. The other culprit was a manufacturer of a registered food supplement, known as COA FS. ADVERTISEMENT The documentary established that the drug was licenced for general welfare. Mr Anas said there is no regulatory basis for it to be marketed as a cure or a treatment for any disease in Ghana. Despite this, the creator of the product, Samuel Ato Duncan, has repeatedly claimed it can treat various diseases. After initially announcing COA FS is a potential cure for coronavirus in March 2020, Duncan reversed his stance on 15 March issuing a statement claiming the product is not a cure for coronavirus. Ghanas President, Nana Akufo-Addo. [PHOTO CREDIT: Official Twitter account of Akufo-Addo @NAkufoAddo] The investigation found that a COA FS agent, Kafui Alornu, continued to market the drug as a cure for the virus after this disclaimer. Mr Alornu sold a bottle of COA FS to the undercover reporters and told them it can heal and cure coronavirus patients. He gave us instructions on how to administer the product for this purpose. We tested two samples of COA FS which we bought with the Ghana Standards Authority, which is ISO certified and one of the best laboratories in the country. The samples failed to meet the standards for human consumption. They were found to be contaminated with quantities of mould which were too numerous to be counted, he said. Mr Anas explained that there were also traces of phosphine in the product. Depending on how much is consumed, these contaminants have the potential to cause ill health. The test results, on two samples, are not definitive. Further tests will be needed to assess the safety of the product, he added. Harmful effects The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that 100,000 people die as a consequence of fake medicines every year in Africa. These substances from counterfeit, substandard, falsified or uncertified drugs may cause harm to patients and fail to treat the diseases for which they were intended. It could also lead to medical complications such as organ failure or death. About a week after the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) suspended its nationwide strike, another key organ of Nigerias health workforce is threatening to down tools. The Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU) said it would be left with no other option but to embark on a nationwide industrial action if the government fails to amend what it described as gross discrimination against its members in the implementation of the newly approved inducement and hazard allowances for medical workers. The association is also protesting among other issues, the alleged withheld salaries of its members. Hazard pay, a wage supplement paid to workers who do dangerous jobs, has been the grouse of Nigerian health workers since the advent of the coronavirus pandemic. Health workers, being the first respondents to patients have continued to be at risk of exposure to COVID-19 virus. Although health workers have been advised to use full Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) before attending to patients, many do not have access to this equipment and as a result, nearly a thousand health workers have tested positive for COVID-19 in Nigeria. The Nigerian government had promised a special COVID-19 hazard and inducement allowance of 50 per cent of Consolidated Basic Salary to health workers in Nigerian Teaching Hospitals, Federal Medical Centres (FMCs), and designated COVID-19 centres. Prior to this, health workers receive N5,000 as hazard pay across board. Resident doctors, certified doctors undergoing residency to become consultants, were the first to down tools when they did not receive the hazard pay four months into pandemic era. The doctors also protested unpaid salaries and a dearth of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) among other demands. Their strike lasted only for a week. It was suspended on June 21 after the federal government said it has released N4.5 billion to 31 federal teaching and medical centres across the country as payment for hazard and inducement allowances for April and May. JOHESUs Grouse Meanwhile, JOHESU, a group of other health workers other than doctors, said they were unfairly treated in the hazard pay arrangement. In an emergency press briefing Tuesday by the leadership of the association in Abuja, JOHESU national president, Josiah Biobelemoye, said the union did not agree with the arrangement of some of its members receiving 10 per cent while doctors and other high ranking health workers are getting 50 per cent of their basic salaries as the hazard pay. We clamoured for hazard a special hazard allowance for this COVID-19 period, we also entered an agreement with government. The paragraph 1A of the agreement is explicit: replace whoever is earning 5,000 with 50 percent of his or her own basic salary. Where a health worker is known to be all employed in the health system directly or indirectly to carry out health services for the good of the citizen, today some machinations has been taken place to redefine who a health worker is to say that some persons are no longer health workers and so they should be paid 10 per cent. Some of these persons that they have discriminated falls even more seriously under the categories of health workers that are even more exposed than some of the professionals that are even paid 50 per cent. For example, the laundry people who collect all the beddings from the hospitals, isolation and treatment centres of COVID-19 wash these beddings and then you say they are not health workers. The word health workers encompass the administrators, accountants and maintenance workers and this was made clear by the Ministry of labour only to be reinterpreted by the federal ministry of health, the JOHESU president explained. Everybody in the health sector is involved in one way or the other that was why paragraph 1A was not stupid to present itself for all. Why are we discriminating in payment now? ADVERTISEMENT Mr Biobelemoye noted other demands of his union including withheld and unpaid salaries. He said a meeting will be held between the union and the federal government today (Wednesday). He said if the meeting fails to address their demands, they will down tools. We are very procedural we dont pray for the meeting to fail because the issue is simple and for anybody that lives in Nigeria you may not want it to fail. But where the unthinkable happens, as procedural people, we will give a very short notice within the ambit of the law then we mobilise our people to prepare for a national industrial action. In a brief interview with PREMIUM TIMES shortly after the briefing, Ogbonna Chimela, the National Vice President of JOHESU said the hazard pay of 50 per cent across board is fair and balanced. The ambulance driver and a consultant does not collect the same basic salary so the 50 per cent as hazard pay across board is balanced, he said. Six months into the coronavirus pandemic, over 10 million people have been infected and more than 500,000 have died, data from worldometers.info has revealed. The World Health Organisation (WHO) head, Tedros Ghebreyesus, said the worst is yet to come, noting that the virus would infect many more people if governments did not start to implement the right policies. Six months ago, none of us could have imagined how our world and our lives would be thrown into turmoil by this new virus, Mr Ghebreyesus told a virtual briefing on Monday, the BBC reported. We all want this to be over. We all want to get on with our lives. But the hard reality is this is not even close to being over, he said. Although many countries have made some progress, globally the pandemic is actually speeding up. READ ALSO: The WHO chief noted that were all in this for the long haul. We will need even greater stores of resilience, patience, humility and generosity in the months ahead, he said. We have already lost so much but we cannot lose hope. In an atmosphere of global political division and fractures on a national level, the worst is yet to come. Im sorry to say that, he said. With this kind of environment and condition, we fear the worst. Grim milestone The latest grim milestone came on Tuesday, nearly four months after the WHO declared the coronavirus a pandemic on March 11, when there were 118,000 confirmed cases and 4,000 had died. The first 41 cases were confirmed in Wuhan, China, on January 10. But the contagion has since spread to the worlds six continents and over 200 countries. For most of its victims, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks after a combination of treatment therapy, leading to the recovery of almost six million sufferers. But the contagion is far more deadly for especially older adults and people with existing health problems. It can cause severe pneumonia that can make breathing almost impossible for the victim. This has made ventilators, a piece of automated equipment that pumps air in and out of the lungs of patients unable to breathe on their own, very scare and high in demand. As the virus continues to spread, life, as it was, is no longer the same with billions across the world trying to recover from the economic downturn of the lockdown measures. Hospitals are under strain as confirmed infections pile up. There is no vaccine yet for coronavirus and the pathogen has been mutating in its pattern of spread. A study found that the deadly disease can spread through the air and remains contagious for hours. Statistics As of the time of filing this report, there are 10,590,953 confirmed cases across the globe, data from worldometers.info, an online dashboard that tracks the global number of confirmed coronavirus cases showed. Some severely affected countries including the U.S., Brazil, Russia, India, Italy, France and Spain. However, the four worst-hit countries U.S., Brazil, Russia, and India have a combined figure of over five million infections, more than half of the global total. ADVERTISEMENT There are 4,277,962 active cases as of the time of reporting. Of that number, about 4,220,122 (99 per cent) are in mild conditions while only 57,840 (1 per cent) cases are in serious or critical conditions. Meanwhile, about 5,798,970 people have recovered after treatment so far worldwide. Grim toll As of the time of reporting, about 514,021 people have succumbed to coronavirus, data from worldometers.info showed. The United States which already has the highest number of reported infections in the world 2,727,853 is also the country with the highest death toll of more than 130, 000. Europe, however, remains the worst-affected region with the combined death toll in Italy, Spain, France, Russia and the U.K exceeding 150,000, showing the high price nations can pay if the virus outstrips the capacity of a countrys health care system. Some experts believe the death toll could be higher as many people suspected of the disease die without being tested. Countries have continued to report inadequate testing kits for potential patients of the virus. Africa Coronavirus has slowly but steadily started gaining a foothold in Africa, a continent once perceived as one of the safest grounds as far as the disease is. Over 10,000 people have died in the continent of over a billion. These include the former Chief of Staff to Nigerias President Muhammadu Buhari; the former president of the Republic of the Congo, Jacques Joachim Yhombi-Opango; and Somalias former prime minister Nur Hassan Hussein. Though the tally is still relatively low compared to global infection figures, it has doused the debate on the continent having some kind of immunity against coronavirus due to its sunny temperature. According to data from Africa Centre for Disease Control, there are 383,747 confirmed cases across the continent as of Tuesday evening. About 183,421 people have recovered after treatment. There are no longer coronavirus-free countries in Africa as of May 13. Governments are now rushing to reinforce measures to contain the spread of the disease, knowing that their fragile health systems will be swiftly overwhelmed if the disease spreads in large clusters. Nigeria On Tuesday evening, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) announced 561 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the country to 25,694. Seventeen deaths were recorded from the virus on Tuesday bringing the total number of confirmed deaths from the virus to 590. The figures came few days after authorities in the West African nation announced the lifting of a ban placed on interstate travels. Meanwhile, health experts have continued to decry the countrys testing capacity especially after reports of sudden loss of senses of test and smell attributed to COVID-19 went viral. They say only massive testing can bed the confusion posed by the sudden scare. The Nigerian government has identified deprived senses of taste and smell as a common symptom of COVID-19, urging anybody experiencing such to come forth for testing. But the country still conducts only about 900 to 1,400 tests per day across its 26 molecular laboratories, a source confirmed to PREMIUM TIMES. As of June 29, Nigeria has conducted a little over 134, 000 tests of its 200 million population. The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) will soon commence publishing (un)employment statistics two years after it stopped, the Statistician-General of the Federation, Yemi Kale, has said. Mr Kale said the bureau was faced with insufficient funding but has received funds from the federal government to continue the survey. But this was slowed down by the (coronavirus) pandemic induced lockdown, he told PREMIUM TIMES. NBS did not stop publishing labour force statistics. We had challenges with funding like most other MDAS. We have now received the funds but the lockdown slowed down the work. However, it has now commenced and will be published once the work is done up to q2 2020, he said. The labour force statistics which reveal the unemployment rate in the country was last published in the third quarter of 2018, meaning there has not been any official release of the national unemployment rate for the past six quarters (Q4 2018 to Q1 2020). In the last report, Nigerias unemployment rate increased from 18.8 per cent in the third quarter of 2017 to 23.1 per cent in the third quarter of 2018. The total number of people classified as unemployed, which means they did nothing at all or worked too few hours (under 20 hours a week) to be classified as employed, increased from 17.6 million in Q4 2017 to 20.9 million in Q3 2018. Controversy After the bureau could not publish the report for the last quarter of 2018, there were speculations that the statistics were purposely withheld because of the 2019 elections. Opponents argued that the report was being delayed until after the election, so as not to harm President Buharis chances at re-election. In his defense, Mr Kale had said in a tweet U guys need to stop this. I know its election time but Ive said this repeatedly. Nobody is calling me to manipulate any data or not to release any data. The work cant be completed due to budgetary releases. Its not hard to confirm when last we got data funding and how much. However, some Nigerians accused President Buhari of undermining Mr Kales NBS by starving it of funds. If Buhari is starving NBS of funds needed to publish unemployment data, Yemi Kale should resign, a twitter user tweeted. Also, Ben Murray-Bruce, who was then a senator under the Peoples Democratic Party, kicked. The @MBuhari government should provide @sgyemikale, a @OfficialPDPNig appointee, with the funds to do his job even if the report exposes that this government has a poor unemployment record. Yemi Kale wont be treated like this in an @atiku administration Recently the bureau published the Poverty and Inequality in Nigeria after a decade. According to the report, 40.1 per cent of the total population in Nigeria was classified as poor, which implies that an average of four out of 10 adult individuals in Nigeria had real per capita expenditures below N137,430 per annum. Globally, unemployment rates have since increased due to the lockdown on economic activities as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic currently ravaging the world. In the United States, one of the largest economies, about 20.5 million jobs were lost in April alone. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT A day after lawmakers had a public spat with a minister, the National Assembly has ordered a stop to the recruitment of 774,000 Nigerians under the Public Works Programme until the modalities for the exercise have been explained to the lawmakers. It also mandated its Committees on Labour and Employment to immediately invite the Minister of Labour, Chris Ngige, and any other relevant officials of the ministry to brief the joint committee on the modalities for the implementation of the engagement of 774,000 persons for public works in line with its constitutional oversight function. The lawmakers disclosed their stance through a joint statement by the spokespersons of the Senate and House of Representatives, Ajibola Basiru and Benjamin Kalu. This comes a day after an altercation between members of the joint committee and the Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo, over recruitments under the programme. But the lawmakers said their directive was because the National Assembly was concerned about the proper and effective implementation of the engagement of 774,000 public workers and wishes to restate its commitment to its success. The National Assembly reminds members of the public that the legislature was part of the conception of the programme, approved it and appropriated funds for its implementation as part of the COVID-19 response strategy. In view of the foregoing, the implementation of the programme shall be on hold pending proper briefing of the National Assembly by the Minister of Labour and Productivity. The National Assembly will ensure transparency of the process just as done with the National Social Register by the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and social Development, part of the statement read. The statement, however, did not state a time and date for the minister to appear before the committee. The lawmakers, by Nigerian law, do not have the power to order a stop to the implementation of an already signed budget or law. Only the Nigerian president can give such order. However, President Muhammadu Buhari has given no indication he wants the programme halted. The federal government, on Tuesday, announced committees nationwide to commence the implementation of the programme. Before the governments Tuesday announcement, Mr Keyamo was, on Tuesday, involved in a heated argument with members of a joint committee of the national assembly an act which a senator, Ifeanyi Ubah, described as a display of rascality. Mr Keyamo had also directed all the committees set up nationwide made up of CAN, NSCIA, NURTW, market women, CSOS, youth organisations, traditional rulers, etc to proceed with their work unhindered, adding that the joint committee has no power to suspend or decide how the programme should be run as that will be challenging the powers of the president. PREMIUM TIMES earlier reported the clash between Mr Keyamo and the lawmakers at a meeting he had with the Joint Committee of the National Assembly on Employment and Labour. The meeting was aimed at discussing the progress of the planned employment of 774,000 Nigerians by the federal government. The National Assembly had in the 2020 budget appropriated N52 billion for the Special Public Works Programme aimed at employing 774,000 citizens, a thousand from each of the 774 local government areas in the country. My Keyamo had accused the lawmakers of wanting to sabotage the recruitment process despite receiving 15 per cent jobs slots. In their statement on Wednesday, the lawmakers did not deny that allegation of taking 15 per cent of the jobs for their cronies. The Federal High Court in Abuja, on Wednesday, rejected the bail applications filed by the suspected kidnap kingpin, Hamisu Bala, popularly called Wadume, and six others. Following this, Justice Binta Nyako ordered that the defendants be immediately moved from the custody of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad of the police to a correctional centre in Kuje, Abuja. Mrs Nyako, while emphasizing that the defendants be moved to the prison on Wednesday, also directed the comptroller-general of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCS) to ensure that the defendants have adequate access to medical services and unhindered access to their lawyers. The judge said she is giving an accelerated hearing to the case and saw no reason granting them bail. Mr Wadume was first arrested in Ibi, Taraba State, on August 6, 2019, by policemen from the Intelligence Response Team of the Inspector General of the Police office. He was arrested for a kidnap case in which he was said to have demanded N106 million as ransom. But between Ibi and Wukari communities, the police team of 10 persons came under fire from soldiers. Three officers and a civilian were killed in the process, while several others were injured The soldiers who were initially charged along with Mr Wadume shockingly had their names removed from the charges by the Attorney-General of the Federations office earlier this month. Mr Wadume is standing trial on a 12-count charge of terrorism. He is being prosecuted by the AGFs office alongside Aliyu Dadje (a police inspector), Auwalu Bala (aka omo razor), Uba Bala (aka Uba Delu) Bashir Wazlri (aka baba runs), Zubairu Abdullahi (aka Basho) and Rayyanu Abdul. Witnesses Testimony Meanwhile, the prosecution called two other witnesses to testify on Wednesday. Hafeezu Bala, the second prosecution witness, introduced himself as a welder. He said Tijjani Balarabe, a captain with the Nigerian Army, had contracted him to help break a padlock. Mr Bala said on arrival he realised Mr Balarabe had lured him deceitfully to help remove Mr Wadumes handcuffs. I was sitting in my shop when Balarabe took me to go and break a padlock, he said. We went to the military camp, the gate was locked. The motorcycle rider showed them my tools before they allowed us to pass. After we went inside, we went straight to Balarabes parlour. We met Alhaji (Wadume) with other people inside. I met him with handcuffs in his hands and legs. When I went inside he was sitting on a chair. I told them that where he was sitting will not allow me to do the work. ADVERTISEMENT What they called me for was to break a padlock but what I met was a handcuff. After I cut the handcuff, I walked away. Ahmed Suleiman, the third witness, narrated to the court how he helped Mr Balarabe retrieve a pistol that was given to Waziri (fifth defendant). On the 16th of August, 2019, I was attending an old boys meeting when a call came in that some kidnappers came to kidnap Alhaji Hamisu Bala. So, I informed those at the meeting, he said. After I told them, everyone was eager to leave the place. When I came back, one captain Balarabe Tijani called me and asked if I know a man called Baba Runs (Bashir Waziri). He told me that one of their rifles was with him and I should meet him and tell him to bring back their riffle. Mr Suleiman said the fifth defendant said he was scared to return the riffle to Mr Balarabe so he asked him to help give it back to the army captain, which he did. The case has been adjourned to July 7. Nigerias attorney-general, Abubakar Malami, has defended his decision to withdraw charges against soldiers indicted for the killing of police officers who arrested an alleged kidnap kingpin, Bala Hamisu, popularly called Wadume. Mr Wadume was first arrested in Ibi, Taraba State, on August 6, 2019, by policemen from the Intelligence Response Team of the Inspector General of the Police office. He was arrested for a kidnap case in which he was said to have demanded N106 million as ransom. But between Ibi and Wukari communities, the police team of 10 persons came under fire from soldiers. Three officers and a civilian were killed in the process, while several others were injured. Mr Wadume was, weeks later, re-arrested by the police. The indicted soldiers who were initially charged along with Mr Wadume shockingly had their names removed from the charges by Mr Malamis office earlier in June. Mr Malamis action has been condemned by many Nigerians, including human rights lawyer, Femi Falana. Mr Wadume is now standing trial on a 12-count charge of terrorism. He is being prosecuted by the AGFs office alongside Aliyu Dadje (a police inspector), Auwalu Bala (aka omo razor), Uba Bala (aka Uba Delu) Bashir Wazlri (aka baba runs), Zubairu Abdullahi (aka Basho) and Rayyanu Abdul. PREMIUM TIMES reported how the suspects were denied bail, on Wednesday, and remanded in prison. Malami Defends Stance On Wednesday, Mr Malami said it was not true that his office is shielding the indicted soldiers. He said the authorities were only giving time to allow the established processes to be consummated. He spoke while briefing State House correspondents after his presentation to the virtual meeting of Federal Executive Council (FEC) presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari in Abuja. He said he withdrew the charges against the soldiers to allow the army to court-marshall them and conclude its internal process. It is important for you to note that within the context of the Nigerian law, there are certain provisions that are exclusive to the military within the context of law on court-martial and then, the internal discipline associated with the military. Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami (Photo Credit: DailyPost) The soldiers can now be charged before court-martial. Ordinarily, there are in-house processes and procedures that are to be consummated. So, those that are handy for the purpose of prosecution cannot be held in custody for unduly longer period of time on the account of the absence of the military. So that is how the idea of severing the charge to allow those that are handy to stand their trial arose. That does not mean that by any means that the military are shielded and cannot be prosecuted. But if they have to be prosecuted, they have to be prosecuted within the context of the law. What is the law here? They are military personnel, first they are to go through the in-house processes. ADVERTISEMENT There are two options, either to charge them before the court-martial which is a special court established by law for the trial of soldiers or in the alternative for the military after consummation of the in-house processes should consider handing them over for trial. Mr Malami said his office had the constitutional duty of ensuring due process in such trials. On Wadumes case, I will like you to note for the record that its the office of the attorney general of the federation that is constitutionally established to consider an interest of justice, public interest, and ensure the absence of abuse in the judicial process. Within the context of public interest and the interest of justice, what we consider by way of fair hearing is that people that are charged to court are entitled to fair hearing, judicially determined within a reasonable time. Then, where people are charged multiple times on account of one reason or the other, they cannot collectively be brought before the court for arraignment on account that others are at large. Those that are available are entitled to have their case determined within a reasonable time. So, what has happened is perhaps a delay for a limited time to allow the processes recognised and realised by law to be consummated as it relates to the prosecution by the military, as recognised by law, and not in any way to intended to accord them protection in order to prevent them from being presented before the court. ADVERTISEMENT The Nigerian government has announced that domestic flights will resume on July 8. Nigeria shut its airports to non-essential flights in March, to check the spread of COVID-19. The Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, announced the new dates for resumption of flights on Wednesday. According to a press statement signed by the Ministry of Aviations spokesperson, James Odaudu, Mr Sirika also disclosed that only the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Abuja and the Murtala Muhammed Airport in Lagos will commence operations on July 8. The Kano, Port Harcourt, Owerri, and Maiduguri airports will reopen to flights on July 11, while other airports across the country will join on the July 15. The minister had last month during a briefing of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, announced that domestic flights will resume June 21. The date was later postponed. The postponement was announced by the Director-General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Musa Nuhu. Representing the minister at the briefing, Mr. Nuhu said the aviation industry is trying not to be a vector for the mass transmission of the COVID-19 virus. The aviation system is a very complex system and this complex system has been compounded by the public healthcare concept which the aviation sector is not used to implementing. Now, we have to develop and implement these systems to ensure that the aviation industry is not a vector for mass transmission of the coronavirus, he said. Wednesdays announcement means domestic flights will now resume July 8. International flights still suspended Mr. Sirika said passengers looking to travel out of the country will have to wait a bit longer as the dates for the restart of international flights into and out of the country will be announced later. He thanked stakeholders in the aviation industry and the Nigerian public who have had to cope with the adverse effects of the flight suspension for their perseverance and cooperation in ensuring a successful return of operations at the nations airports. Passengers are highly advised to follow all the safety guidelines and protocols put in place to ensure that the airports dont become channels of infection for the dreaded coronavirus, he said. He assured that the government will do all within its powers to ensure a rapid recovery of the aviation industry. Smith took time to go through the 8 Cant Wait initiatives, which are eight policies pushed nationwide, including by former President Barack Obama, that have been shown to reduce police killings all of which Smith said his agency now has specific policies to address. The agency recently added into policy a duty to intervene, or for officers to stop excessive force by fellow officers when they see it, a reform many have called for across the country after the shocking death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, where an officer knelt on his neck for almost nine minutes, eventually killing him. Police spokeswoman Bianca Gillett clarified on Wednesday that the agency also recently added into policy that officers must give a verbal warning, when practical, prior to employing lethal force. The Sanford Police Department already had policies addressing the other six recommendations from the national campaign, which include banning chokeholds, requiring de-escalation and implementing comprehensive reporting on incidents of force, Smith said. ADVERTISEMENT Nigerian lender, Fidelity Bank Plc, Tuesday commended the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and Oilserv, contractors to the $2.8bn Ajaokuta Kaduna Kano (AKK) Gas Pipeline Project, which was flagged off Tuesday, June 30, 2020, with the ground breaking ceremony at Ajaokuta, Kogi State. Designed in line with the key objectives of the Federal Government of Nigerias Gas Masterplan, the AKK Project was borne out of the need to not only boost domestic gas utilization in the country, but reduce the infrastructure deficit plaguing the oil and gas Industry. Speaking during the ground breaking ceremony, President Muhammadu Buhari said the landmark AKK Gas project was being developed at a critical time in Nigerias history, particularly now when it has become imperative to improve the countrys infrastructure asset. The AKK Gas Project, he said will provide gas for generation of power, facilitate the development of new industries and revive moribund industries along transit towns in Kogi State, Abuja (FCT), Niger State, Kaduna State and Kano State. When operational, the cascading effect and impact of the project will be immeasurable. It has significant job creation potential both direct and indirect, while fostering the development and utilization of local skills and manpower, technology transfer and promotion of local manufacturing the President said. The Managing Director of NNPC, Mele Kyari, commended the Nigerian President for the governments push and support to jumpstart the project which he said, is critical to national development. Mr Kyari explained that the AKK Gas project, when completed, will create an enabling environment for development, adding that NNPC has the capacity to deliver and create opportunities for the growth of other industries in Nigeria. Also speaking at the ceremony, Fidelity Bank CEO, Nnamdi Okonkwo, stated that that the bank was delighted to be associated with the laudable initiative to improve gas supply, enhance power generation and boost the productive capacity of the Nigerian Industrial sector. Mr Okonkwo who was represented by the Executive Director, North, Hassan Imam, pledged Fidelity Banks commitment to Oil Serv, the contractor of the AKK Gas project. As partner/banker to Oilserv, we are happy to meet all the financial obligations and other funding needs, required to successfully execute this project he added. Leveraging on its know-how and capacity, Fidelity Bank Energy Desk provides support to businesses in the oil and gas value chain. The banks support for local content development, according to Fidelity Banks Executive Director, Corporate Bank, Obaro Odeghe underscores our support for the key infrastructure initiatives of the Federal Government, and our customer, Oilserv Limited; a market leader in the oil servicing space. Oilserv Limited is an indigenous Engineering Procurement, Construction and Installation (EPCI) company. The Company provides EPCI services to Power and Oil & Gas Companies /Industries and have executed several landmark pipeline and gas infrastructure projects including OB-3 Pipeline Contract, OB-OB Project and currently the AKK pipeline project. Chairman & CEO, Oilserv Limited, Emeka Okwuosa, assured Nigerians that the AKK Gas Project would be delivered within the contractual terms, adding that the company has the capacity to handle such a monumental project. We are ready for it and what we are doing today is the official flag off which is ground breaking. We are already working and laying the lines, he stated. According to him the company had already employed over 600 employees, stating that this will be increased to 1000 or 15000 in due course. ADVERTISEMENT The Nigerian parliament remains a misunderstood institution because many Nigerians, especially the youth, have little knowledge about it, a former Senate President, Bukola Saraki, has said. Mr Saraki made this revelation during a virtual meeting to celebrate the International Day of Parliamentarianism on Tuesday, Daily Trust Newspaper reports. The ex-lawmaker, who headed the eight assembly for four years, noted that the ordinary role of the parliament is still not appreciated by the public, and, that is why peoples expectation and judgment of the efficiency of parliament is falsely premised. The false premises may be because the parliament is the youngest among the three arms of government in Nigeria, he explained. Mr Saraki emphasised that the parliament existed to pass laws to guarantee the welfare of the people but many people expect parliamentarians to construct roads, drainage and other infrastructures when they are clearly the job of the executive. He recalled that from day one when he took over as the senate president and chairman of the Eighth National Assembly, he and his colleagues knew that their law-making responsibility must be devoted to using the law to bring change, the type that promotes and ensures our peoples welfare and security. Mr Saraki said developed countries like the U.S. were made by the quality of their laws and that the senate under him did just that. The former senate presidents comment comes amid daily criticism of the legislature by Nigerians, majorly for not doing their job. Controversies Over Role Over the years, there have been controversies surrounding the main roles of the parliament. One major controversial role performed by Nigerian lawmakers is the insertion of constituency projects in the annual budget. Lawmakers have, on different occasions, come out to explain that beside making laws, such role clearly belongs to the executive and the job of the national assembly is to carry out oversight functions and ensure that they are implemented. However, besides lawmaking and oversight functions, some more specific functions of the national assembly includes resolution of conflict through petitions, confirmation of the presidents nomination of senior diplomats, members of the federal cabinet, federal judicial appointments and independent federal commissions etc. Also included is the impeachment of judges and other high officials of the executive including the Federal Auditor-General and the members of the electoral and revenue commissions which are subject to the request of the president. Rubber Stamp Legislature The present Senate has been accused of being a rubber stamp legislature. An organisation acts as a rubber stamp when it approves the decisions of others without proper consideration. In a democracy, the legislature is expected to check the executive while maintaining its independence. The Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, in December, however, asked Nigerians to chide the National Assembly if it behaves as an appendage of the executive arm of government. I will like to appealjudge us by what we do, judge us by our actions. We have undertaken so many actions so far and the press has been on this journey with us. Please judge us on what we do and what we dont, he said. Mr Lawan said the National Assembly would do everything possible to ensure that they legislate on what will make life better for Nigerians. Some actions taken by the lawmakers that triggered criticisms include the bow and go tradition that dominated the ministerial screening last year, as well as the screening of the nominees of the Niger Delta Development Commission, amongst others. ADVERTISEMENT Barely a month after his release from prison, the chief whip of the Senate, Orji Kalu, has proposed amendments to the Criminal Justice Act of 2015. The bill titled Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015 (amendment) Bill, 2020 was read for the first time on the floor of the Senate on Wednesday. The former Abia State governor was released from the Kuje Correctional Centre having spent about six months there. He was convicted and sentenced for money laundering to the tune of N7.1 billion by Lagos federal high court in December. Mr Kalu, who stood trial alongside Ude Udeogu, a former director of finance and account in Abia, was sentenced by Justice Mohammed Idris, who as of then had been elevated to the court of appeal bench, in a legal tussle that started in 2007. But, on May 8 this year, the supreme court, in a unanimous decision by a seven-member panel led by Justice Amina Augie, held that the Lagos Federal High Court lacked jurisdiction when it convicted Mr Kalu, his firm, Slok Nigeria Limited, and Mr Udeogu. Upon his release, Mr Kalu, who described his ordeal as initial injustice that was caught and ultimately corrected, vowed to dedicate his time to ensure there will be justice for all Nigerians. He lamented that over 70 per cent of the population in prison are awaiting trial. Justice for one man or for a few people will no longer be enough in this country. A system whereby over 70 per cent of all prison inmates population is made up of people awaiting trial cannot be allowed to continue. READ ALSO: Situations where innocent people are falsely charged with murder just to get them out of the way does not dignify our country and cannot continue. Justice must now mean justice for all. That is my pledge to Nigerians, he said in a statement. Although the details of the proposed amendments have not been made public, it may not be unconnected to decongesting the prisons. The lawmaker resumed legislative activities on June 9 and the introduction of this bill is his first legislative duty since resumption. ADVERTISEMENT The Digital Switchover (DSO) will fetch Nigeria $1.1 billion from the collection of TV licences and digital access fees, the information minister, Lai Mohammed, has said. He said the spectrum that would be vacated once the analogue to digital migration has been completed will fetch $1 billion on its own. Mr Mohammed disclosed this while briefing State House correspondents at the end of the 6th virtual Federal Executive Council, FEC, meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari, at the Council Chamber, Presidential Villa, Abuja. I have just presented the Ministerial Performance Report of the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture, covering the period August 2019 to June 2020, to the Federal Executive Council (FEC). Gentlemen, the number one job creator under the Ministry of Information and Culture is the Digital Switch Over (DSO) in broadcasting, which is set to create 1 million jobs in the next three years through the manufacturing of set-top-boxes (decoders) and TV sets, TV and Film production, as well as TV and Online advertising and Data, among others. Of course, the DSO will also fetch $100 million from the collection of TV licences and Digital Access fees, as well as $1 billion from the sale of the spectrum that would be vacated once the analogue to digital migration has been completed, he said. Presentation The presentation centered around the eight deliverables given to the ministry, and they include the execution of a proactive media strategy to communicate the policies and achievements of Government; promoting tourism; promoting a positive Nigerian brand through local content in film, music, software, arts, and fashion as well as job creation. At the core of todays presentation is the creation of jobs. This should not be a surprise, considering the negative impact of COVID-19 on the economy. While the pandemic has affected all sectors in Nigeria and around the world, it has hit the Creative Industry harder than any other sector, because the industry is the most people-centered. With social distancing and the ban on mass gathering, the industry is now grappling at straws, he said. He said the ministry has so far rolled out the DSO in five states (Enugu, Osun, Kwara, Kaduna and Plateau) as well as the Federal Capital Territory. He assured the DSO will be rolled out to all parts of the country. He also said the ongoing reform of the broadcast and advertising industries is aimed at strengthening the industries so they can live up to their billing and generate more job opportunities. In the broadcast industry, the reform will, among others, propel revolutionary advantages in the area of promoting entrepreneurship in the local industry. As for the advertising sector, bringing Nigerias TV advertisement market to what it should be, which is three times its current size, could result in an additional $200-$400 million revenue to the industry, in addition to creating thousands of jobs. The cultural industries centres, which are scattered all over the country, are capable of creating 500,000 jobs within the next three years, just as we can have some 100,000 jobs from the restoration of our museums, especially in Lagos, Plateau, and Kwara, he said. ADVERTISEMENT About two weeks before Ondo State Governor Rotimi Akeredolu tested positive for COVID-19, he attended a political event without wearing a mask or observing social distancing, and sneezed at least once, a video has shown. The footage, first published by Sahara Reporters, showed Mr Akeredolu surrounded by a crowd of supporters as they sang together. The governor announced on Tuesday that he had tested positive for COVID-19, after treating malaria for days. While it is unclear when the governor contracted the virus, the video was published by the news website on Monday. Mr Akeredolu was seen in the video encircled by about a dozen of uniformly dressed party members, all unmasked, chanting his praises during which he sneezed in his palm. Mr Akeredolu, who is seeking reelection in the Ondo governorship election coming up in October, was at the All Progressives Congress secretariat in Abuja to submit his nomination form at the time the video was shot. Earlier that day, June 16, Mr Akeredolu was also at the State House to inform President Muhammadu Buhari about his intention to seek a second term in office. President @MBuhari received the Ondo State Governor, @RotimiAkeredolu as he presents his expression of interest form for a 2nd term of office as Governor, at the State House, Abuja.#AsoVillaToday pic.twitter.com/0hrHSpd3d4 Government of Nigeria (@NigeriaGov) June 16, 2020 The governor, on June 25, also meet the Ondo State Council of Obas where he was reportedly endorsed for a second term in office. Today, I led Ondo State Council of Obas to endorse @RotimiAkeredolu for second term in Office. We also agreed to set up committee in the three senatorial districts of Ondo State to work on his emergence. pic.twitter.com/kHxf55CU2s Oba F.E.O Akinruntan CON. (Olugbo of Ugbo Kingdom) (@ObatAkinruntan) June 25, 2020 With his testing result now made public, Nigerians on Twitter have expressed concerns over Mr Akeredolus failure to observe health safety protocols as advised by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control. Although the governor on Tuesday said he was asymptomatic to the disease, many have worried about the likelihood of him spreading the deadly virus. Mr Akeredolu has directed all members of the states executive council to undergo compulsory COVID 19 test to determine their status. Meanwhile, the Ondo state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has urged the National Centre for Disease Control to take immediate action in testing and isolating anyone who may have been exposed to the Governor within the last few days. It is quite unfortunate that the actions of Mr Governor during his trip to Abuja to submit his nomination form may have also exposed members of the House of Assembly who joined him on that trip, the partys spokesperson, Zadok Akintoye, reportedly said in a statement. An analysis of coronavirus data of seven selected sub-Saharan African countries Nigeria, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, South Africa, Senegal, and Uganda revealed that Nigeria is an outlier with infection rates up to 35 times more than Uganda, for instance, and a recovery rate that ranks among the lowest in the region. PREMIUM TIMES reviewed the COVID-19 situation in the seven countries using data such as the number of tests conducted, the number of positives test as a percentage of the number of tests conducted, and the number of infected people who have recovered as of June 15. The data also included the number of deaths as a percentage of the number of confirmed cases for the virus as of the same date. Though the seven countries under review recorded and put in place some of form of lockdown within less than two weeks of one another to temper the spread of the disease, the data which were sourced from Africa CDC, national CDCs as well as the ministries of Health websites of the countries under survey, revealed that Nigeria is a stark outlier from the other countries. Tests conducted First, apart from Senegal, whose population is one-eighth of Nigerias, Nigeria has conducted far fewer tests than the other countries under survey. As of June 15, Nigeria has conducted 96,402 sample tests, while Senegal has conducted 64,501 tests. South Africa, with less than 30 per cent of Nigerias population, has conducted 1,121,958 tests. Similarly, Uganda, with barely 23 per cent of Nigerias population, has conducted 43,829 tests more than Nigeria; Ghana whose population is just 15 per cent of Nigerias has done 1,157,929 more tests than Nigeria; Kenya which is just 26 per cent of Nigerias population has done 92,299 more tests than Nigeria and Ethiopia, which is about 56 per cent of Nigerias population, has conducted 90,583 more tests than the most populous country in Africa. Chikwe Ihekweazu, the head of Nigerias Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), admitted in an email to PREMIUM TIMES that the country encountered challenges with testing at the onset of the pandemic, but has now scaled up its testing capacity in recent months. Our supply chain is better than it was at the beginning of the outbreak, and the lack of reagents or supplies has not affected testing in any part of the country in the last three months, he said. At the moment, we have an average of 2,000 samples tested daily across the country. This is way below our current testing capacity. While this has increased in the last month, our current target is to reach at least 15,000 samples tested daily, he added. He then suggested that the country was lagging in testing because state governments were not collecting enough samples and individuals were not coming forward to be tested. The success of this target depends largely on states and individuals. We urge states to collect more samples and individuals to report to the appropriate authorities if they have COVID-19 symptoms. Several states have worked with partners to establish sample collection sites and other approaches for sample collection. This is an excellent step and we urge all states to own these targets we can only know the true burden of COVID-19 if we test more samples, he said. But Oyewale Tomoro, a former vice-chancellor of Redeemer University and a renown professor of a virologist, said Nigeria is not testing as many people as other sub-Saharan African countries because the number of testing laboratories in the country is inadequate for the countrys population. We have some 38 laboratories accredited to run Covid-19 tests. Between June 1 and 28, the 38 labs ran a little under 65,000 tests, an average of 2,330 tests per day. On the other hand, South Africa currently has the capacity to conduct 5,000 COVID-19 tests daily. Recently, the country has added a number of mobile testing units, combined with 180 testing sites and 320 testing units across the country. This will now increase by six-fold to 30,000 tests the number of daily tests. South Africa runs 26.4 tests per 1,000 of her population, we run less that one test (0.64) per 1, 000 of our population. We started too slowly building up our laboratory capacity, he told PREMIUM TIMES. Mr Tomoro said that instead of building more laboratories, the countrys health authorities should have adopted the more rapid, cheaper, and equally accurate GeneXpert test rather than the conventional PCR tests. Mr Ihekweazu said as a means of ramping up its test number, the country has recently adopted the rapid GeneXpert test alongside PCR tests. Henry Ewunonu, a public health physician at the National Hospital, Abuja, said the countrys testing policy was faulty from the beginning. The reason is that Nigeria adopted what NCDC calls smart testing at the beginning of the response. This, according to them is to ration the scarce and expensive PCR test kits to only appropriate persons who manifest symptoms of COVID-19, he said. COVID-19 Situation in selected countries in Africa as at 15 June 2020 (12 PM GMT) ADVERTISEMENT Percentage of positive tests While Nigeria has conducted fewer tests than all of the countries surveyed apart from Senegal, it has the highest coronavirus infection rate as a percentage of the number of tests conducted. The data shows that with 16,658 sample tests confirmed positive, the rate of positive results in relation to the number of tests conducted in Nigeria is 17.27 per cent. This is by far the highest in sub-Saharan African. South Africa is generally considered the epicentre of the virus in Africa because it has 73,533 confirmed positive. However, Nigerias rate of infection as a percentage of test conducted is almost three times that of South Africa whose rate of infection is merely 6.55 per cent. Similarly, Ethiopia rate of confirmed cases in relation to the number of test samples is 1.88 per cent; Ghana, 4.70 per cent; Kenya, 3.14 per cent; Senegal, 8.02 per cent and Uganda, which has only 705 confirmed cases, 0.50 per cent. In fact, using Nigerias rate of infection, if the country had conducted as many tests are South Africa, Nigeria would have recorded at least 192,976 confirmed cases of the virus. Similar if Nigeria has conducted as many tests as Ethiopia the number of confirmed positive cases the country would have been almost doubled (32,161) its number of confirmed cases as at June 15, 2020. Mr Ewunonu said we waited too long before taking decisive actions that would have slowed the spread of the virus. Despite the loud outcry and advocacies, we closed our international borders very late. It had to take the Director of Port Health Services of the FMOH (Federal Ministry of Health) to raise an alarm against VIPs who were refusing to subject themselves to mandatory temperature checks at the international airports upon arrival into the country and filling out the correct information for contact tracing purposes. Nigeria waited five weeks after recording its index case before banning all non-essential international flight into the country. A week later, President Muhammadu Buhari announced a lockdown in three of the most affected states Lagos, Abuja and Ogun states for two weeks, which was broadened and extended for another three weeks. Other states governments in the country also put in place some forms of restrictions within the period. Ethiopia recorded its first case on March 13, and three days later, the countrys prime minister announced the closure of schools, sporting events and public gathering for 15 days to slow down the spread of the virus. Ghana recorded its index case on March 12. The authorities in the country locked down Greater Accra Metropolitan Area and Kumasi on March 30. Kenya recorded its index case on the same day as Ghana but waited until April 22 before announcing a 21-day lockdown. South African first coronavirus case was announced on March 5 and 18 days later the authorities in the country put in place a nationwide lockdown. Authorities in Senegal announced a lockdown on March 23, though it recorded its index case on March 2. Uganda was the only country among the seven countries under the survey that lockdown parts of its territory before it recorded its first case of the virus. The country announced a 32-day restriction on public gathering on March 18 but announced its index case four days later. While Mr Ewunonu said it was possible that poor handling of test samples are the reason for the high rate of positive tests, Mr Tomori said the accuracy of the tests conducted in Nigeria is not in question but with the timing of sample collection relative to the stage of the disease, which may be too early or too late and also, the delay in providing results due to shortage of test kits and reagents. Recovery and death rates The data also showed that Nigeria is not doing any better when it comes to recovery of coronavirus patients and fatality rate. Apart from Ethiopia which had a 17.61 per cent recovery rate, Nigeria lags behind other countries surveyed with 32.11 per cent recovery rate. Senegal has the best rate of recovery at 66.19 per cent, followed by South Africa with 54.22 per cent. Ghana comes next with a 35.59 recovery rate, followed by Kenya (34.50 per cent), then Uganda (34.04 per cent). Nigeria also did not fare better in COVID-19 related deaths as a percentage of those who tested positive to the virus. Apart from Kenya with a 2.79 per cent death rate, Nigeria recorded a higher death rate (2.54 per cent) than the other African countries surveyed. - READ ALSO: - The surveyed showed that Nigerias death rate is more than twice the coronavirus death rate in Ghana (0.45 per cent), Senegal (1.23 per cent), and Uganda (0.00 per cent) which is yet to record a coronavirus fatality as of June 15. Mr Tomori blamed the high death and recovery rate in the country to factors like failure to report cases on time for medical attention, self-medication and stigmatisation. Mr Ewunonu said the death rate from coronavirus in Nigeria is alarming. He blamed the relatively higher death rate and lower recovery rates in the country to delay in responding to the threat of the pandemic, a preponderance of underlying health conditions and poor healthcare facilities in the country. Most importantly, it speaks to the state of readiness at the beginning of the pandemic in terms of availability of facilities and resources, including trained manpower. It may interest you that Nigeria may just be a giant of Africa in terms of population but not in management of critical resources for human survival. At the beginning of this pandemic, the nation had only two standard isolation centres in Lagos. With the hurried frenzy of activities, there exists purpose-built or make-shift isolation/treatment centres in every state and the FCT. I will not be very proud of such feat, he said. Mr Ihekweazu, said the data on death and recovery rate do not comprehensively capture the reality on the ground, which he said is not as bleak as the data show. Nigerias observed CFR of 2.8% is on the lower end of this range and this has varied across our states as well. The majority of deaths that have occurred are in adults aged 61-70 years, which is similar to the experience in other countries. Despite being the epicentre of the outbreak in Nigeria, Lagos State has a CFR of 1.3% which is much lower than several other states. Lagos State has invested substantially in case management of COVID-19 patients. In other states, some of the reasons that have been associated with high death rate vary from patients late presentation for care to an increase in COVID-19 infection among people with underlying illness. Given that this is a new virus and therefore no specific treatment for the disease, we rely on the management of symptoms and the ability of a patients immune system to fight the virus, he said. ADVERTISEMENT The Nigerian government is targeting about N1 trillion annually from stamp duty as it predicts collection to soon become second only to oil revenue. The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha, disclosed this on Tuesday at the official inauguration of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Audit and Recovery of Back Years Stamp Duties and the Launch of the Federal Inland Revenue Service Adhesive Stamp in Abuja. Mr Mustapha, who represented President Muhammadu Buhari at the event, also said plans are in place to recover a backlog of unremitted Stamp Duty Tax in the last six years. In the face of dwindling oil revenue, and the global shift away from oil-dependent technological products, it is even more compelling now to begin to think out of the box in order to safeguard the future of our country. Therefore, this administration has resolved to widen the revenue base by activating stamp duties revenue collection which has been neglected for more than 20 years. I hereby also direct and request that all relevant MDAs, particularly the Central Bank of Nigeria, NIBBS, MDBs, FIRS, NIPOST should give maximum cooperation to the Committee in the discharge of its mandate, he said. He said President Buhari has directed all recoveries made by the Committee to be remitted to the appropriate stamp duty account maintained by the FGN with the Central Bank of Nigeria. He said this is to ensure transparency and accountability in the recovery of back years stamp duty. Increase in collection Also, at the event, the Executive Chairman of FIRS, Muhammad Nami, disclosed that stamp duty collection by the service from January to June 29 rose to N66 billion from the collection between January and December 2019 which was N18 Billion He attributed this increase to the dynamism triggered by the Finance Act 2019, sums warehoused by the CBN in respect of prior years, and the deployment of technology and stakeholders collaboration. The introduction of the FIRS Stamp Duties Adhesive Stamp will, among other things, plug the revenue sink-hole; enable proper accountability and transparency; simplify the administration of Stamp Duties; and reduce disputes, he said. In his remarks, the Senate President, Ahmed Lawan, who launched the adhesive stamp officially, said that FIRS deserved commendation for its impressive revenue collection. He promised that the National Assembly would continue to acknowledge, encourage, and support the initiatives and efforts of revenue-generating agencies of government. The Senate and the National Assembly will continue to provide the necessary legislative backings and oversight functions that will help maximise the revenue of the government and ensure that the government is better positioned to deliver its mandate, he said. The Speaker of the Federal House of Representatives, Femi Gbjabiamila, said there is close collaboration between the FIRS and the House as he reassured Mr Nami of continued support of the lawmakers, especially in legislative interventions to help the Service deliver its mandate successfully. Other dignitaries at the event include the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami; Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed. ADVERTISEMENT An Anambra senator, Ifeanyi Ubah, has described the outburst of the Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo, at the National Assembly, on Tuesday, as a display of rascality. He said he was surprised at the ministers statement that the lawmakers want to hijack the recruitment process. He made this statement during a press briefing at the National Assembly, on Wednesday, where he said the duty of the legislature is to check and have an oversight of the executive. PREMIUM TIMES earlier reported the clash between Mr Keyamo and the lawmakers at a meeting he had with the Joint Committee of the National Assembly on Employment and Labour. The meeting was aimed at discussing the progress of the planned employment of 774,000 Nigerians by the federal government. The National Assembly had in the 2020 budget appropriated N52 billion for the Special Public Works Programme aimed at employing 774,000 citizens, a thousand from each of the 774 local government areas in the country. My Keyamo had accused the lawmakers of wanting to sabotage the recruitment process despite receiving 15 per cent jobs slots. Addressing journalists, Mr Ubah said it is only logical for the lawmakers to request how the distribution of employment is being handled. As a representative of my constituents, it is something worthwhile for us to request how the distribution of employment to Nigerians is handled by an appointee of the executive who is not even the substantive minister. I felt it was a very bad display of rascality. I dont know what a senator will be doing with a job of N20,000 and N30,000, if not to make sure that it is given to people in the constituency. If those jobs are given to us it will be shared equally or a percentage of it should be given to senators, we will take it back to the people we are representing. But giving it to people who will go and mortgage it and sell it or hand it to an agency that will market it is totally unacceptable to the Nigerian Senate. I felt so bad that I was not there yesterday and Im speaking as a senator representing Anambra south. Such rascality should be highly condemned by Nigerians, he said. Federal lawmakers have, over time, been accused of taking job slots from several agencies like the Federal Inland Revenue Service, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency and National Open University to share or sell to their constituents. In 2019, some lawmakers had threatened to cause trouble over the sharing formula of the employment slots given to them by a federal agency. The slots were allegedly shared among the 10-member body of principal officers. Although the former Senate spokesperson, Adedayo Adeyeye, feigned ignorance about the allegations, the Senate Committee on Federal Character, started an investigation into the matter which is still ongoing. Only recently, the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, denied reports that about 500 slots were allocated to federal lawmakers and politicians across the country by the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management. ADVERTISEMENT The Senate has received the report of its committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters on the invasion of a federal high court by security operatives in December 2019. This comes six months after the incident and after the committee was asked to investigate the court invasion and rearrest of the publisher of Sahara Reporters, Omoyele Sowore, by operatives of the State Security Service (SSS) even though it was given one week to report back to the Senate. The chairman of the committee, Opeyemi Bamidele, laid the report before the Senate on Wednesday. Mr Sowore was arrested alongside another activist, Olawale Bakare, on August 3 for planning a protest to call for good governance. They were charged with treasonable felony, fraud and insulting President Muhammadu Buhari. The court granted the duo bail twice but the SSS refused to release them until December 5. However, less than 24 hours after it finally obeyed the court order, the SSS rearrested the two men within the federal high court in Abuja, sparking national outrage. Mr Sowore was finally released on December 24, 2019. Justifying the action of the SSS, the presidency said Mr Sowores call for revolution was aimed at overthrowing the democratically elected president of Nigeria. Many Nigerians and organisations condemned the act and called for the sack of the Director-General SSS, Yusuf Bichi. The Nigerian Bar Association also called for the suspension of Mr Bichi. In the course of its investigation, the Senate committee invited a senior lawyer, Femi Falana, for testimonies. It also asked the Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, SSS, the Executive Secretary of the National Human Rights Commission, Tony Ojukwu, the Chief Judge of Federal High Court and the presiding judge at the time of the invasion, Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu, to submit their testimonies of what transpired. Details of the report including findings and recommendations will be considered on another legislative day. ADVERTISEMENT The Director General of the National Lottery Regulatory Commission, Mr. Lanre Gbajabiamila has advanced the 15 year old organization, performing excellently to the satisfaction of the Governing Board and other stakeholders of the commission, especially in management and generation of revenue for the government his lawyer has stated. According to him, in less than three years of leadership, Mr. Gbajabiamila has efficiently turned around the fortunes of the commission and earned billions of Naira into the coffers of government in Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) of the lottery commission which he has raised, astronomically by over 400 percent. This was contained in an explanatory and demand letter authored by the legal advisor to Mr. Ggajabiamila, Frank Ike Chude in response to a petition sent to the Director General and the media (generally) by an Abuja based company, Global Integrity Crusade Network, accusing him of malfeasances in the running of the commission. Following the protocol of the originating petition which was copied to the media, the legal adviser also copied the media with a copy sent to our organization. The company had accused the Director General of corruption, financial misappropriation, abuse of office, contract splitting and granting of unwarranted waiters to operators among other allegations. Mr. Chude debunked all the allegations contained in the petition describing them as fictitious, unfounded, malicious and gravely defamatory. In sharp contrast to the allegations, Mr. Chude said: our client has been running the commission diligently, effectively, efficiently, honestly and in total compliance with the statutes of the establishment and the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. He has, in profound measures added verifiable values to the commission. The National Lottery Regulatory Commission under the leadership of our client (Mr. Gbajabiamila) has been performing excellently to the satisfaction of the Board and its other stakeholders. The profundity, creativity and zeal with which our client leads the commission have resulted in astronomical increase in the internally generated revenue (IGR) of the commission. For instance, the internally generated revenue of the commission which had been hovering between 200M and 400M Naira since its establishment in 2005 shot up beyond One Billion in less than 12 months after his assumption of office and since then the revenue continues to increase, steadily. Mr. Chude explained further that the Internally Generated Revue of the commission was 275,923,119.50 in 2016 prior to the assumption of office of Mr. Gbajabiamila in 2017 adding that, with the strategic and effective management of the DG and the support of the Governing Board, Management and the entire members of staff of the commission, the IGR has been growing very fast. From 275,923,119.51, which he met on arrival, the IGR rose to 512,365,635 in less than three months of operation in 2017. In 2018, it shot up to 1,164,714,228 in 2018 and increased to 1,239,072,706.52 in 2019. And prior to his engagement in the lottery commission, the legal advisor disclosed that Mr. Gbajabiamila as the pioneer Chief Executive Officer of the Lagos State Lottery Board had created enviable, yet to be matched records in lottery business in Nigeria with his stellar performance at the Lagos State Lottery Board where he raised lottery revenue from almost Zero to 8 Billion Naira. Mr. Chude further disclosed that all the agencies copied in the petition had already thoroughly investigated all the allegations and found our client unblemished and innocent, stressing that the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF), Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB), and the Governing Board of the Commission had investigated the allegations contained in your petition and cleared our client of any malfeasance. The commission was given a clean bill of health. The Legal adviser demanded for immediate retraction of the malicious and unfounded allegations with a well worded apology to be published in both local and international print and electronic media, including at least three Nigerian Newspapers, within Seven (7) days. He also He also demanded for the payment of Five Billion Naira in seeming compensation to our client, for the irreparable loss to his highly earned image and reputation. The Sentinel also found earlier this year that at least 156 Christian schools with anti-gay views educated more than 20,800 students with tuition paid for by the state-backed scholarships. Of those campuses, 83 schools refuse to admit LGBTQ students or could expel them if their sexual orientation or gender identity were discovered. Some also say they wont educate students whose parents are gay or hire staff who are gay. ADVERTISEMENT The police in Yobe have advised farmers in the state to beware of landmines while cultivating crops on their farms. The Spokesman for the Command, Dungus Abdulkarim, gave the warning in a statement in Damaturu. He said the warning became necessary in view of a recent explosion that injured a farmer, Adamu Haruna, in Gujiba. Haruna found an unexploded bomb on his farm and he unknowingly took it home. However, while trying to dismantle it, it exploded and resulted in injuries on various parts of his body, Mr Abdulkarim, an assistant superintendent of police, said. He said the police had discovered and defused several Improvised Explosive Device(IEDs) on farmlands in Damaturu and Buni Yadi, after the incident. He, however, warned that more landmines were believed to have been planted by Boko Haram insurgents in Tarmuwa, Dapchi, Kanamma and Gulani Local Government Areas (LGAs) of the state. Mr Abdulkarim advised the farmers to report suspected objects on their farms to the nearest police station for action. Meanwhile, the Command has arrested two suspected robbers, Garba Sale and Shehu Usman, in Dilawa, Geidam LGA of the state. Mr Abdulkarim said the suspects were believed to be members of a notorious six-man syndicate terrorising residents of the area. He said the robbers allegedly broke into the house of one Adamu Jabure and attempted to extort N900,000 from him on June 24 at 6:00 a.m. The hoodlums threatened to return later in the day for collection of the money as the victim promised to make it ready. READ ALSO: Detectives from the divisional police headquarters, with the help of the community, trailed them and engaged them in a shootout at Digare. Four of the robbers escaped with various degrees of injuries while two were arrested after the encounter, he said. Mr Abdulkarim said some of the items recovered from the criminals were one AK 47 rifle, 25 rounds of 7.52mm live ammunition and one AK47 rifle magazine. (NAN) ADVERTISEMENT INEC has said only 14 political parties submitted the names of their candidates who emerged from primaries ahead of the Edo 2020 polls. According to an INEC statement released on Tuesday, out of the 15 political parties that signified interest to contest the elections, 14 parties successfully used the dedicated online portal of the commission to submit the list of candidates that emerged from their primaries. READ MORE: The list, however, included the two major candidates Osagie Ize-Iyamu, 58, of the All Progressives Congress and Godwin Obaseki, 63, of the Peoples Democratic Party. The other parties and their governorship candidates include Action Alliance (AA), Obhafuso Paul, 35; African Democratic Congress (ADC), Akhigbe Ehiabhi, 38; and Action Democratic Party (ADP), Ibio Emmanuel, 36. Others are All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA), Lucky Idehen, 40; Allied Peoples Movement, (APM), Igbineweke Osamuede, 42; All Peoples Party (APP), Amos Areloegbe, 52; Labour Party (LP), Osifo Isaiah, 60; and New Nigerian Peoples Party (NNPP), Agol Tracy, 48; Others are National Resistance Movement, (NRM), Stevie Ozono, 53; Social Democratic Party (SDP), Felix Obayangbon, 65, Young Progressive Party (YPP), James Osiagiobare, 52; and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP), Akhalamhe Amiemenoghena, 39. A spokesperson of the commission, Festus Okoye, urged members of the public to go through the INEC portal for their candidates and file a suit if they believe any information or documents submitted by any candidate are false at the Federal High Court, High Court of a State or the FCT. At the close of nominations at 6 p.m. on June 29, 2020, 14 political parties used the dedicated online portal of the commission to submit the list of candidates that emerged from their primaries. The provisional list of the candidates disaggregated on the basis of name, gender, age and qualification has been uploaded on our website and social media platforms. Furthermore, and as required by law, the particulars of the nominated candidates will be published in the Edo State office of the Commission and simultaneously uploaded on our website on Thursday, July 2, 2020. We encourage members of the public to go through the nomination forms, affidavits and documents submitted by the parties on behalf of their candidates, as any person who has reasonable grounds to believe that any information in the affidavit or any document submitted by any candidate is false, may file a suit at the Federal High Court, High Court of a State or the FCT against such a candidate seeking a declaration that the information contained in the affidavit is false. The final list of duly nominated candidates will be published on August 13, 2020, after withdrawals by candidates and substitution by their political parties. Ondo primaries The commission also warned that the same online process for nomination of candidates used in Edo would be used for political parties fielding candidates for the Ondo polls. INEC said, We remind political parties interested in nominating candidates for the Ondo governorship election that the conduct of party primaries will commence on July 2 and end on July 25, 2020. The last date for the submission of the names of duly nominated candidates is July 28, 2020. Political parties are encouraged to submit the list of their candidates on time as the portal will automatically close at 6 pm on the last date for the submission of nominations. Several lawyers and activists have reacted to the demand by the Lagos State House of Assembly for streets, buildings, monuments and other public properties named after colonial masters to be renamed. The lawyers and activists, who spoke to PREMIUM TIMES on Wednesday, differed in their opinions to the move by the Lagos lawmakers. The lawmakers in a unanimous vote on Tuesday adopted a motion calling on Babajide Sanwo-Olu to direct the Commissioner for Tourism, Arts and Culture to liaise with the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice to look at the Listed Sites (Prevention) Law, 2015, with a view to removing all vestiges of slave trade and colonialism. Constitutional backing Olukoya Ogungbeje, a Lagos-based lawyer, said the move is laudable and a step in the right direction, adding that Nigerians should begin to recognise and celebrate their heroes. We cannot have monuments, streets, and public properties named after colonial masters who are not our own indigenous heroes. We can count the move as an act of patriotism on the part of the Lagos state House of Assembly. Mr Ogungbeje said changing of the names will help in preserving Nigerias indigenous archives, history, cultures and values. He added that the change of names will help to immortalize heroes, nationalists and forefathers such as Obafemi Awolowo, Ahmadu Bello, Gani Fawehinmi, Nnamdi Azikwe, Herbert Macaulay, and others. He said he is not sure there is any legal backing in place to change monuments and public properties named after colonial masters. Ebun Adegboruwa, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, said the country cannot run away from its background by renaming streets, buildings and monuments named after colonial masters. He regarded the motion as emotional and lacks constitutional backing. There is no way we can erase the fact that we were colonized by the British, so, I think the attempt by the Lagos state House of Assembly is unduly being emotional. Our records are replete with the history of our colonialists. I do not agree with them that there is a need to change monuments that were named after them. Those monuments represented the activities of those individuals. Mr Adegboruwa cited Bourdilion Road at Ikoyi, Lagos, a street named after Bernard Buordilion because he pioneered a conference that led to the independence of Nigeria. He added that Macpherson held a constitutional conference, which is why we have Macpherson Street. They are names that have significance. I do not agree that Nigeria should go away from those monuments, our children and generation should have a sense of history. Mr Adegboruwa said that under the Constitution, street naming is not a matter for the House of Assembly, but a matter under the local government. In this regard, he said, the House is acting outside of its powers under the Constitution. Under our Constitution, the House of Assembly has no power to meddle in street naming and naming of monuments. it is strictly a matter under the local government, they should not usurp the authority of the local government. Abdul Mahmud, another lawyer, said looking at what is happening around the world, specifically with the Black Lives Matter movement, the motion is a good one. People around the world are conscious of their history, not only conscious, they are ashamed of their history. We see countries like Belgium where statutes and historical monuments are being pulled down by humans. we have also seen the same happening across the towns and cities of America. It is a good thing that members of the Lagos state House of Assembly have found it necessary to look at our history and see if those individuals like Madam Tinubus of our world, whose names have been given to streets can be changed, he said. ADVERTISEMENT Mr Mahmud also said there is no law backing changing of names of monuments in Lagos state or is there any national law on the naming of monuments and streets and it is worrisome. People just wake up and name streets the way they like, he said. It is the responsibility of local government authorities to name streets, that is a constitutional provision in the concurrent list, but we also need local legislation that can guide institutions or state that can guide how to name and rename streets, he said. Self-serving, shameful Alex Omotehinse, the Lagos State Chairperson of the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR), said removing the names of colonial masters and replacing with indigenous leaders is a good idea but that the state has more pressing issues beyond renaming streets and monumental properties. There are several challenges facing Lagosians, renaming or not renaming are minor things. To some of us, this topic does not hold water. He said the state is facing challenges such as privatisation of water, health care challenges and other subject matters that affect the lives of Lagosians and not about renaming monuments. He urged Lagos State House of Assembly to raise agendas that will benefit the lives of Lagosians. Olanrewaju Suraju, the Chairperson of Human and Environmental Development Agenda, told PREMIUM TIMES that the subject matter would have been a celebrated motion for Lagosians and Nigerians at large, but it could be a self-serving motion. It is really hypocritical when the House of Assembly members would not patronise locally assembled vehicles but go for foreign vehicles, he said. It is a shame that the furniture they use are imported rather than patronise local makers, and even shameful that they would not patronise local institutions for capacity building programmes but rather ferry their colleagues abroad for training. They are talking about renaming, you would ask how does that impact the ordinary people of the country. All you would end up seeing is the renaming of streets after politicians and themselves, and not even politicians that have made any significant impact. Mr Suraju said the motion is merely self-serving, shameful, and nothing to celebrate and there is no basis encouraging or supporting it. It is not what is driven by the people, you have not seen people expressing any form of sentiments against it, and it is not something that is impacting the lives of the people. people will like to see them display that measure of discipline in all other areas than just mere renaming of streets, he said. Achike Chude, the vice-chairman of Joint Action Front, said at the surface level, the motion is good, adding that there are many Nigerians who have discharged themselves in a way that protected the interest of the people and their names should be remembered and immortalized. Any colonial name that is connected to the oppression of the people should be removed, Mr Chude said. In moving their names, they must make sure the history is protected. The story of Nigeria is also the story of Colonialism, we cannot remove the present from the past. Colonialism was a historical fact that we cannot run away from, he said. He said the renaming must be done in a way that protects the history and esteem of the indigenous people that have performed excellently. ADVERTISEMENT After spending five days in captivity, eight passengers kidnapped by unknown gunmen in Ondo regained freedom on Tuesday. PREMIUM TIMES reported how nine persons were intercepted in a Toyota Sienna space bus at Isua-Akoko axis in Akoko South East Local Government Area of Ondo State last Friday. They were on their way to Lagos from Abuja. One of the victims escaped on the same day of the incident. The abductors demanded N100 million. The other eight regained freedom today after paying unspecified ransom, one of the victims family member told PREMIUM TIMES. We paid the ransom yesterday and they freed all of them today, the source said. Confirming the release of the victims, the state police spokesperson, Tee-Leo Ikoro, in a telephone interview said all the eight victims are now with their families. Asked if ransom was paid, he simply said: I am not sure about that. The command is not aware of money paid. But victims have regained freedom after efforts by security operatives who combed the bush and forced the kidnappers to leave the victims and run away. He further said the police are working on apprehending the kidnappers. In May, PREMIUM TIMES reported how kidnapping for ransom has become rampant in all parts of the country. Between the year 2011 and 2020, Nigerians paid at least $18.34 million (N7 billion) as ransom to kidnappers, a report on the countrys thriving kidnap industry shows. pts20200701007 Unternehmen/Wirtschaft, Bildung/Karriere Jens Christian Lamprecht - Head of Operations at Aluflexpack Reinach (Aargau) (pts007/01.07.2020/07:00) - Mr Jens Christian Lamprecht joined Aluflexpack (AFP) Group as Head of Operations as per 1 July 2020. In his capacity, Mr Lamprecht will oversee the further implementation of Aluflexpack's operational excellence strategy and lead continuous improvement processes across Aluflexpack's seven integrated manufacturing sites. Mr Lamprecht, a German citizen, holds a degree in Mechanical and Electrical Engineering. He is a skilled and highly experienced industry veteran used to operate in complex and challenging international business environments. Before joining Aluflexpack, Mr Lamprecht served as Head of Operations - Converting at Schur Flexibles. Previously, he held leadership positions at Amcor Flexibles, Duropack, Sappi Alfeld and Stora Enso Group. "We are very happy to welcome Mr Jens Christian Lamprecht, a skilled industry expert, to our team. We are sure Christian will make a major contribution to achieving our operational excellence targets and help us become even more agile for the benefit of our customers. Together, we will further strengthen AFP Group's organization and assure continuation of our successful and sustainable growth to the benefit of all stakeholders", says Igor Arbanas, CEO of the Aluflexpack Group. Jens Christian Lamprecht adds: "Aluflexpack's impressive operational development in recent years was the base for their overall business development that helped them to establish themselves as a leading player on the European market. I am very much looking forward to contribute to the further development of the Group and to start working with such a great team!" About Aluflexpack AG Aluflexpack produces flexible packaging solutions mainly for end-markets such as coffee/tea, pharmaceuticals, pet food, confectionery and dairy. Well-established insights, service flexibility and development competence are what underpin long-term customer relationships; both with locally operating companies and large international corporations. Aluflexpack, headquartered in Reinach (AG), Switzerland, has production facilities in Switzerland, France and Turkey as well as four production facilities in Croatia. The number of employees as of 31 December, 2019 was approximately 1,215. http://www.aluflexpack.com Disclaimer Some of the information contained in this press release may be forward-looking statements. Aluflexpack AG cautions that such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties, and that actual results may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors. Aluflexpack AG undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements. Aussender: Aluflexpack AG Ansprechpartner: Lukas Kothbauer Tel.: +43 664 8581124 E-Mail: lukas.kothbauer@aluflexpack.com Website: www.aluflexpack.com (Ende) NORTHFIELD That old adage, it is better to give than to receive certainly rang true for 10 seventh-grade students from St. Joseph Regional Under the new bill, employees who select NJEHP will pay a percentage of their salary based on their level of coverage less for single plans, more for family plans, but never more than what is required under Chapter 78. The percentages increase in steps as salary increases. According to the New Jersey School Boards Association, which supports the legislation, while it is estimated school districts will see $600 million in savings, the actual amount will depend on the level of participation. If it works as intended, the plan will provide boards of education with much-needed relief from the high cost of providing employees with quality health coverage, reads a statement from the NJSBA. The lower premiums for the new plan will be realized in part through reduced reimbursements for out-of-network services and incentivizing the use of generic prescription drugs. Coverage under the NJEHP would begin Jan. 1, and all newly hired employees would be required to select the NJEHP. Current employees who choose to remain in the Direct 10 or Direct 15 plans would continue to pay whatever is required under the districts collective bargaining agreement. Once the new NJEHP is implemented, other existing SEHBP plan options besides Direct 10 and Direct 15 will be eliminated. TRENTON New Jerseys assistant commissioner for the Department of Educations finance division will temporarily fill the role of Commissioner Lamont Repollet starting Thursday, Gov. Phil Murphy said Wednesday. Kevin Dehmer was appointed as interim commissioner of the Department of Education as Repollet steps down to serve as the president of Kean University in Union Township. Repollet announced his departure in May. Dehmer, who currently serves as both the DOEs chief financial officer and assistant commissioner, will serve in the position while a search is conducted for a permanent successor. Repollet has agreed to take on an advisory role until July 15. Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. ATLANTIC CITY Police are seeking the publics assistance identifying people in an investigation into the rioting and looking that took place May 31 following a police brutality protest in the resort, police said Tuesday. Investigators have reviewed hundreds of hours of video from public and private cameras resulting in the identification of suspects, Sgt. Kevin Fair said in a news release. Support Local Journalism Your subscription makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}} The Atlantic City Police Department respects and supports those who exercise their First Amendment rights, including the right to peacefully protest, Chief Henry M. White Jr. said in a statement. Individuals should not have their constitutionally protected rights hijacked by individuals committing criminal activity. Information also can be texted to tip411 (847411). Begin the text with ACPD. All texts are anonymous. When identifying an individual, use the assigned number for their specific picture. Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. PLEASANTVILLE Police are investigating an early Monday morning shooting that wounded three people. At 1:24 a.m., police communications received a call that there were three gunshot victims at AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center, City Campus in Atlantic City, Capt. Matthew Hartman said in a news release. Azyiah Henry, 19, of Mays Landing; Laquan Cooper, 18, of Egg Harbor Township; and city resident Khalisha Dully, 20, allegedly told hospital staff they were shot in Pleasantville, Hartman said. Henry was shot in the leg and was later released from the hospital, Cooper was shot in the arm and was admitted for overnight observation, and Dully was admitted for gunshot wounds in her upper back and foot, Hartman said. None of the injuries was life-threatening, he said. Officers found 30 shell casings in the 600 block of Lafayette Avenue, Hartman said. The departments Violent Crimes Unit is investigating. Anyone with information can call police at 609-641-6100 or Atlantic County Crime Stoppers at 609-652-1234. Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Atlantic County officials reported on Wednesday 15 additional positives but no new deaths from COVID-19. Thirty-four residents were cleared as recovered, according to a news release from county spokeswoman Linda Gilmore, which is more than half of all county residents who have tested positive to date. So far, Atlantic County has reported 2,953 cases with 205 deaths and 1,505 cleared as recovered. Cape May County has reported 755 cases with 68 deaths and 594 designated off quarantine. Cumberland County has reported 2,466 cases with 132 deaths. The 15 more positives among six men, ages 25 to 67, and nine girls and women, ages 14 to 47, according to the release. The latest cases were confirmed as follows: five in Atlantic City, four in Hammonton, and three each in Egg Harbor Township and Pleasantville. The county will continue to provide testing by appointment for symptomatic county residents with a doctors prescription on Tuesday in Northfield behind the countys public works yard at Route 9 (New Road) and Dolphin Avenue. Appointments are available 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. and can be made online at www.aclink.org. The New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development announced that it would begin providing 20 weeks of extended unemployment this week to New Jersey workers who have exhausted their state and federal jobless benefits. The state extension kicks in after claimants exhaust up to 26 weeks of state unemployment plus 13 weeks of federal Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC). The additional 20 weeks brings to 59 the maximum number of weeks of benefits an eligible claimant may receive at this time. Claimants will be automatically enrolled into extended benefits as their federal extension ends. They do not need to contact an agent or reapply. The state is able to offer these extended benefits because it has reached federally mandated requirements, such as the rate of unemployment, which was recorded at 15.2 percent in May. New Jersey went from being at almost full employment last winter to double-digit unemployment almost overnight, said Labor Commissioner Robert Asaro-Angelo. These triggers are put in place for just such eventualities so that claimants have access to an income safety net for an extended period of time during times of high unemployment. The Atlantic County Library System will reopen its doors to the public at four of its nine branches on Monday, county officials said. The branches in Egg Harbor Township, Galloway, Hammonton and Mays Landing will be open Monday through Friday, from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., according to a news release from county spokeswoman Linda Gilmore. The first hour of each day, however, will be designated for use by those at high risk for COVID-19 as defined by the Centers for Disease Control, according to the release. This includes the elderly and those with underlying medical conditions. We look forward to reopening so our residents and visitors can once again enjoy this important community resource, County Executive Dennis Levinson said. Each branch will operate at 25% capacity as mandated by the state and all patrons and staff will be required to wear masks and maintain social distancing, officials said. Support Local Journalism Your subscription makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}} Computer use will be limited to 30 minutes, by appointment, according to the release. Patrons may call their local branch to reserve a date and time. To help limit in-person interactions, patrons are encouraged to request items in advance online or by phone so they can be ready for pick up, officials said. Curbside pickup is also available at all nine branches, Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and external book drops are in place for the easy return of materials. The remaining five branches in Brigantine, Egg Harbor City, Pleasantville, Somers Point and Ventnor are expected to reopen as of July 13 and will be available Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., with the first hour of each day reserved for high-risk patrons. Visit www.atlanticlibrary.org for branch locations and contact information. Cape May County Prosecutor Jeffrey H. Sutherland released a statement Wednesday urging residents to comply with Gov. Phil Murphy's mandates ahead of the Fourth of July weekend. "The week surrounding July 4th is one of the busiest weeks in Cape May County. Unfortunately, Governor Murphy revised Executive Order 157 and issued Executive Order 158 rescinding the opening of indoor restaurants primarily out of concern for recent COVID outbreaks related to indoor activities in other states that had previously allowed the opening of indoor restaurants and bars and because of scenes this past weekend of overcrowded outdoor bars and restaurants in New Jersey. "Outdoor restaurants and bars are allowed to remain open, subject to strict social distancing guidelines. It is important that all restaurant and bar owners and operators adhere to the Executive Order guidelines and make sure that their patrons comply. It is also important that all patrons voluntarily comply with social distancing requirements and understand that by wearing a mask you are protecting the people around you. It is up to all of us to comply with the COVID restrictions and by doing so we are protecting everyone in the community and allowing our businesses to operate during the most challenging of times. Lets make sure that no additional businesses are closed based on simply failing to comply with the COVID guidelines. "As I stated in a previous press release, the Executive Orders are laws that we, as law enforcement officers are sworn to uphold and enforce. People may have differing opinions regarding these restrictions and Executive Orders; however to make the best of a bad situation lets all act in a way that allows our restaurants, bars and other businesses to remain open and operate in a safe manner. The business owners are doing their part to provide a safe space; as residents, visitors, and patrons we have a responsibility to do our part to not make their job any more difficult than it currently is." State officials scheduled a 3:30 p.m. briefing Wednesday to update residents on the spread of COVID-19. Appearing for the briefing will be Governor Phil Murphy, Department of Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli, State Epidemiologist Dr. Christina Tan and State Police Superintendent Colonel Patrick Callahan. For most people, the new coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia. GALLERY: Atlantic City prepares for the reopening of casinos 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. Its ridiculous that (the governor) had to do what he did, he said. The most frustrating part is not having any idea whats going to happen next month and the future. At this point, I think the summers done. Other area restaurants have also put social distancing measures in place and increased their inventory, but now have to work even harder to move those perishable items before they go bad. They also expressed distaste over the governors announcement, saying South Jersey is not North Jersey, where the majority of COVID-19 cases have been reported, so it should be treated differently. Officials share restaurateurs frustration. U.S. Rep. Jeff Van Drew, R-2nd, said Monday he was completely disgusted with Murphys announcement and that his heart breaks for small business owners. This is no longer about safety, Van Drews statement read. This is Gov. Murphy forcing businesses to die; businesses that just spent months investing and preparing to open at a time he gave his word to them on. The restaurants placed food orders, bought PPE, hired staff back and started advertising. +28 WATCH NOW: Ocean Friendly Restaurants offer good food sustainably As if the laundry list of restrictions for restaurants opening amid the new coronavirus aren The New Jersey Business Coalition, which makes up more than 100 businesses and nonprofits in the state, also criticized Murphys announcement. Mays Landing Dont reduce policing This sentiment is disturbing and insane. There is a problem between the black community and law enforcement that needs to be addressed, I understand that. This is not one of them. The police are viewed as the enemy to a lot of the Black Lives Matter cause, and it is understandable to a point. However, if this proposal gets legs and cities start to take this approach it will become more and more dangerous for all of us. This is a knee jerk thought reaction that needs to be eliminated immediately. Whenever things are passed without much debate, more than likely they are not a good thing. Yes, the police are far from perfect, but do people really want to give criminals more free reign? It will happen. Crime will soar. Arrest rates will plummet, and everyone, black and white, will be vulnerable. The same ones calling for this will be the first to be outraged when a rapist enters their home and the police did not respond in a timely fashion and a tragedy occurs. The problem with the BLM cause is that nobody has the courage to stand up to them and protest them. Say to them not everything they demand is going to be done. Not all of their ideas and responses are the right ones. So lets not act like they are. Plattsburgh, NY (12901) Today A mix of clouds and sun with a slight chance of thunderstorms this afternoon. A few storms may be severe. High 86F. Winds S at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 50%.. Tonight Mostly cloudy with scattered thunderstorms mainly during the evening. Low 59F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 40%. That would have meant if Oviedo annexed the 669-acre ranch land considered for River Cross that sits east of the Econlockhatchee River and north of the Orange County border, Seminole would have no say on whether hundreds of homes pop up there. Under that scenario, only the Oviedo City Council could decide the future of that land. Nigeria: Teachers and students missing after attack A University for girls in northwestern Nigeria was targeted Thursday in an 3 players shortlisted for NASCO Player of the Month Award Three players have been shortlisted for the NASCO Player of the Month Award for Tokyo Olympics: Ugandan tests positive for Covid in Japan A member of Uganda's Olympic squad has become the first to test positive for Ghana to establish cocoa processing plant in Rwanda Ghana is collaborating to establish a chocolate production plant in Rwanda to WHO says Africa experiencing full-blown third wave of COVID-19 The World Health Organisation (WHO) has said Africa is in the middle of a WHO says Africa experiencing full-blown third wave of COVID-19 The World Health Organisation (WHO) has said Africa is in the middle of a Southbury, CT (06488) Today Cloudy skies early, then partly cloudy this afternoon. High around 85F. Winds S at 10 to 15 mph.. Tonight Isolated thunderstorms during the evening. Mostly cloudy skies after midnight. Low 68F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 30%. Zero Hedge July 1, 2020 Update (1520ET): New details on the explosion have just landed. Per Sputnik News, which cited Iranian media reports, an explosion and a fire in a medical facility in the north of the Iranian capital killed 13 people, while six people were injured. It was the second explosion in the city in under a day, and the latest in a string of explosions. * * * Just a day after Tehran called for President Trumps arrest, a mysterious explosion has been reported in the northern part of the capital city, with unconfirmed sources on US social media claiming it might be tied with a strike on an Iranian weapons depot. Iranian state news reported the explosion, and an ensuing fire. Its unclear whether the fire has been brought under control. Footage of the aftermath is circulating on social media. #BreakingNews Footage allegedly shows an explosion somewhere close to Tajrish square, north of #Tehran #Iran. The cause of the explosion is still unknown. pic.twitter.com/ejiG0ZOLNi Nafiseh Kohnavard (@nafisehkBBC) June 30, 2020 It follows another mysterious explosion a few days ago that was never explained, though some attributed it to disposal of arms. New and clear video of blast / explosion from Tehran / Iran #Pardis pic.twitter.com/L1xaD7k7KF Insider Paper (@TheInsiderPaper) June 25, 2020 Leftists have slammed Interpol over its decision to reject Irans call for Trumps arrest, though the administration and its special envoy for Iran dismissed it as pure lunacy and just another cheap publicity stunt from the Middle Easts largest pariah state. The international police org Interpol claims to be neutral, but just exposed itself as another biased tool of Western imperialist countries, by immediately rejecting Iran's request for arresting Trump for blatant crimes. More impunity for US war criminals https://t.co/vXLs5tB4oi Ben Norton (@BenjaminNorton) June 30, 2020 Notably, the explosion occurred one hour after US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo declared that the end of an Iranian arms embargo would threaten world peace. This article was posted: Wednesday, July 1, 2020 at 4:37 am Print this page. Infowars.com Videos: National File July 1, 2020 A Chicago fireworks display celebrating Independence Day has been cancelled due to fears of large congregations becoming COVID-19 infection hotspots, even as the city allows thousands to march in Chicagos North Side to elevate black LGBT voices. ABC7 reported that roughly 25,000 people were expected to turn out to the Itasca fireworks display in Chicago before it was cancelled due to fear of spreading COVID-19, and its cancellation has left the fireworks industry experiencing financial trouble as small business struggle after months of intermittent lockdowns and restrictions. A spokesperson for the American Pyrotechnics Association said that until large gatherings can happen again, the firework industry is not going to survive, and added that around 80% of all American fireworks are used on Independence Day. One local pyrotechnics vendor said that he had over half a million pounds of explosives in stock, waiting for use. Meanwhile, although LGBTQ pride parades were officially cancelled by the City of Chicago due to the inability for social distancing guidelines to be observed in a typical march, thousands of members of the the LGBTQ community broke the guidelines and left their homes in support for black trans lives in a two-mile march in Chicagos North Side on June 28. Hundreds of grassroots LGBT activists assembled for the event, nominally part of the ongoing Black Lives Matter protests throughout the United States, in the absence of a formal LGBTQ Pride Month event. According to ABC7, activist Ashabi Owagboriaye said that The reason the march is so important is to highlight those lives that we lost and highlight the people whose lives may not have been lost, but have been wrecked just because they exist openly. Local media described the event, not officially sanctioned by Chicago but instead viewed as an act of protest, as a continuation of the citys previous LGBTQ Pride Month events. LGBTQ media depicts the event as a continuation of the protest that LGBTQ Pride historically began as, potentially admitting that the protest march was an opportunity to flout the citys COVID-19 restrictions. This article was posted: Wednesday, July 1, 2020 at 2:59 am Print this page. Infowars.com Videos: Bars were supposed to enforce crowd limits and social distancing, but they didnt. And the state was either unprepared or unwilling to lower the boom right away. It took weeks for the state to get tough, and by then it was too late. Breitbart July 1, 2020 The European Union has excluded the United States from its list of safe countries as it reopens its borders to foreign travel following the coronavirus lockdown. On Tuesday, the Council of the European Union, comprised of ministers from the blocs 27 member-states, agreed to lift travel restrictions to third-countries for non-essential travel. As of Wednesday, the bloc will open its borders to nationals of Algeria, Australia, Canada, Georgia, Japan, Montenegro, Morocco, New Zealand, Rwanda, Serbia, South Korea, Thailand, Tunisia, and Uruguay. Despite being the source of the outbreak, Brussels will also welcome visitors from China, subject to confirmation of reciprocity for EU travellers to the communist state. The list will be reviewed on a fortnightly basis. Notably absent from the list was the United States after reports had circulated last week that Americans would be banned from the bloc. The restrictions also apply to countries like Turkey, Russia, and Brazil. Read more This article was posted: Wednesday, July 1, 2020 at 4:33 am Print this page. Infowars.com Videos: Zero Hedge July 1, 2020 Roughly half a million Chinese living in Hebei Province (not Hubei, Hebei), a province in northern China that surrounds Beijing (which operates as an independent national city) are under lockdown, but in an effort to try to convey just how prepared Chinese public health officials are for another outbreak (keep in mind, the WHOs independent delegation of investigators is expected to arrive in China next week) theyve warned every English-language media outlet that will listen that officials have identified another potentially pandemic-quality flu pathogen. According to the BBC, Chinese scientists have identified a new strain of flu that has the potential to become a pandemic. It emerged recently in Chinas already-dwindling pig population, but scientists say it can infect humans, which would make it similar to the H1N1 virus that spread across Asia and made it all the way to North America in a short-lived pandemic. Among other factors, scientists have credited the natural human immunity to flu viruses, built up in elderly people over decades, for stopping H1N1 from becoming the global pandemic that many scientists feared. In fact, the extremely dire warnings about that virus, which never came to pass, partially contributed one could argue to the complacent attitude in the US toward viruses spreading from China. For those who havent been paying attention, China is only just starting to recover from a devastating outbreak of pig ebola a particularly deadly strain of swine flu that wiped out ~1/3rd of Chinas pig population. The team of scientists published their findings in a medical journal where they could be sure that science and health-care reporters would find it. The researchers are concerned that it could mutate further so that it can spread easily from person to person, and trigger a global outbreak. While it is not an immediate problem, they say, it has all the hallmarks of being highly adapted to infect humans and needs close monitoring. As its new, people could have little or no immunity to the virus. The scientists write in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences that measures to control the virus in pigs, and the close monitoring of swine industry workers, should be swiftly implemented. But how worried should we be? The third-party expert quoted by the BBC explained that the global medical community must be ever-vigilant toward new viral threats. Though since this virus hasnt yet infected humans, it would seem pretty early in the process to get all hysterical. The virus, which the researchers call G4 EA H1N1, can grow and multiply in the cells that line the human airways. They found evidence of recent infection in people who worked in abattoirs and the swine industry in China when they looked at data from 2011 to 2018. Current flu vaccines do not appear to protect against it, although they could be adapted to do so if needed. Prof Kin-Chow Chang, who works at Nottingham University in the UK, told the BBC: Right now we are distracted with coronavirus and rightly so. But we must not lose sight of potentially dangerous new viruses. While this new virus is not an immediate problem, he says: We should not ignore it. In theory, a flu pandemic could occur at any time, but they are still rare events. Pandemics happen if a new strain emerges that can easily spread from person to person. Although flu viruses are constantly changing which is why the flu vaccine also needs to change regularly to keep up they do not usually go pandemic. Prof James Wood, head of the Department of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Cambridge, said the work comes as a salutary reminder that we are constantly at risk of new emergence of pathogens, and that farmed animals, with which humans have greater contact than with wildlife, may act as the source for important pandemic viruses. Shortly after the western press picked up on the latest pig influenza, the WHO chimed in and warned that we must never let our guard down when it comes to the risk posed by influenza. WHO SPOKESMAN SAYS CHINA STUDY ON NEW VIRUS IN PIGS SHOWS WE CANNOT LET OUT GUARD DOWN ON INFLUENZA DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC But before we get carried away speculating about this new pandemic, how about we first figure out how things went so badly wrong during the early days of the last one? This article was posted: Wednesday, July 1, 2020 at 4:35 am Print this page. Infowars.com Videos: RT July 1, 2020 Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan sent heavy machinery to remove concrete barricades around the CHOP autonomous zone and called for a probe of a council member, after protesters showed up outside her residence. Under the cover of rain on Tuesday, vehicles operated by city workers removed the barricades set up around the Capitol Hill Occupied Protest (CHOP, formerly known as CHAZ), an area spanning several blocks of downtown Seattle under control of protesters including Black Lives Matter, Antifa and anarchists since early June. Unlike Fridays attempt to dismantle the barricades, which ended with city workers retreating after a two-hour standoff, there were no protesters physically blocking the machinery this time. Instead, they moved furniture, bins and other objects into the street afterward, according to KIRO-TV reporter Deedee Sun. CHOP protesters objected to the removal because barricades save lives, Sun reported, noting that they objected to their original deployment by the city two weeks prior. Critics of CHOP had also been opposed, saying the city was basically aiding and abetting the rioters. Mayor Durkan had initially approved of the autonomous zone centered around the abandoned East Precinct police station, calling it a summer of love and proof of Seattles democracy. Then two African-American men were killed, and two more critically injured, in a series of shootings a week apart. A d v e r t i s e m e n t The proverbial last straw, however, seems to have been the appearance of protesters outside of Durkans residence. Noting that her address has been kept confidential since she was a US attorney in Seattle during the Obama administration, Durkan accused the protesters of putting families and children at risk. The stunt led the mayor to denounce Councilmember Kshama Sawant, a socialist who has joined forces with the protesters. Durkan has now asked the council to investigate Sawant over allowing protesters into City Hall earlier this month, encouraging the occupation of the East Precinct to begin with, and finally leading the protesters to Durkans residence. Sawant responded by admitting that she marched, rallied, and organized with the local community including her office staff in the name of racial, environmental and economic justice, accusing Durkan of having utterly failed working people and communities of color in this city. She further accused the mayor of being a corporate politician desperately looking to distract from her failures of leadership and politically bankrupt administration, having once been a progressive ally. Sawant echoed the demands of the protesters to reverse racist gentrification, de-fund the city police, and fund the Green New Deal instead. CHOP/CHAZ was initially described as a peaceful protest against police brutality over the death of George Floyd in Minnesota. It has resulted in two homicides in under a month so far; thats how many were recorded in the entire Capitol Hill neighborhood in all of 2019. This article was posted: Wednesday, July 1, 2020 at 2:25 am Print this page. Infowars.com Videos: National File July 1, 2020 Police say a pro-Black Lives Matter photographer was fatally shot while protesting by a fellow Black Lives Matter protester in Louisville, Kentucky, after the man reportedly had an unrelated dispute with someone else at the protest that led him to leave and return with a gun. Tyler Gerth, 27, was fatally shot over the weekend during a protest in Jefferson Square Park in Louisville following an argument at the event according to other demonstrators at the scene. Police say Steven Lopez, 23, is responsible for the shooting that led to Gerths death, and Lopez now faces charges of murder and first degree wanton endangerment after firing indiscriminately into a protest, hitting one other person, according to The Daily Caller. The shooting ended when other protesters returned fire, wounding Lopezs leg in the process. He was taken to hospital where he was arrested and charged later that day. A live stream of the shooting was uploaded, with members of the protest camp panicking as the gunman opened fire. Several shots are heard before the shooting eventually stops. Gerths Instagram account offers recent black and white images he captured during the ongoing protests in the area that began after the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody. According to the victims family, Gerth was an ardent supporter of civil rights, anti-racism, and Black Lives Matter, and opposed police brutality. In a statement, the family said they were, devastated that his life was taken was from us far too soon: Tyler was incredibly kind, tender-hearted and generous, holding deep convictions and faith, they wrote. It was this sense of justice that drove Tyler to be part of the peaceful demonstrations advocating for the destruction of the systemic racism within our societys systems. This, combined with his passion of photography led to a strong need within him to be there, documenting the movement, capturing and communicating the messages of peace and justice. A growing number of protests have spiraled into violence across the country. On Tuesday in Utah, a driver was shot at by a protester from point blank range after refusing to stop when protesters swarmed the vehicle. This article was posted: Wednesday, July 1, 2020 at 2:20 am Print this page. Infowars.com Videos: Zero Hedge July 1, 2020 On Tuesday, the same day that Joe Biden finally emerged to hold his first press conference in 89 days in order to lash out at what he called Trumps dereliction of duty over the NY Times Russian bounties for Taliban militants to kill American troops in Afghanistan story, The Wall Street Journal issued this bombshell: The National Security Agency strongly dissented from other intelligence agencies assessment that Russia paid bounties for the killing of U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan, according to people familiar with the matter. The disclosure of the dissent by the NSA, which specializes in electronic eavesdropping, comes as the White House has played down the revelations, saying that the information wasnt verified and that intelligence officials didnt agree on it. NSA headquarters in Maryland, file image. As we noted before, it appears a return this week to mainstream medias prior years of near daily breathless Russiagate reporting, with anonymous intelligence sources issuing new leaks of unvetted raw intel to the press. The WSJ points out that it was primarily the NSAs firm dissent that kept the Russian bounties allegation out of the presidents daily briefing which both further confirms the White Houses denials of the initial Friday Times reporting, as well as contradicts the NYT revelation itself. Because of that [NSA dissent], President Trump was never personally briefed on the threat, the White House said, although a key lawmaker said the information apparently was included in written intelligence materials prepared for Mr. Trump, WSJ underscores. No details were given as to precisely how the NSA differed in its assessment of the Russian bounty allegations. For those keeping score, this marks the third major formal distancing from the substance of the NYT reporting by US intelligence agencies and intel community leadership. Also recall this isnt the first instance of significant NSA pushback concerning explosive charges aimed at Russia: In 2016, the NSA also strongly dissented from the CIA's aka John Brennan's assessment that Russia meddled in the US election to elect Trump. https://t.co/TlNbjERp8D Aaron Mate (@aaronjmate) June 30, 2020 On Saturday Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe said in a statement that he had confirmed that neither the President nor the Vice President were ever briefed on any intelligence alleged by the New York Times in its reporting. CIA Director Gina Haspel also appeared to vindicate the White Houses assertion of lack of credible intelligence behind it in a Monday statement. Essentially the CIA director seemed to reference the danger of cherry-picking from lower level unvetted raw information.When developing intelligence assessments, initial tactical reports often require additional collection and validation, Haspel said. Leaks compromise and disrupt the critical interagency work to collect, assess, and ascribe culpability, she added, strongly suggesting that indeed there was not enough to go on concerning the Russian bounty allegations for it to rise to the level of the commander-in-chief. In actually this was further a CIA condemnation of the anonymous leakers out of which the whole narrative was spun. This article was posted: Wednesday, July 1, 2020 at 4:39 am Print this page. Infowars.com Videos: KFAR SABA, Israel, June 30, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Ascom UMS, an Italian telecommunication solutions provider focused on healthcare ICT - part of international Ascom group - announced that it has selected Oxitone Medical, creator of the wrist-sensor pulse oximetry monitor, as a wearable solution for continuous remote monitoring of COVID-19 patients. Oxitone 1000M, the industry's first FDA-cleared and CE-certified wrist medical monitor, has been integrated into Ascom's Digistat Wearables remote surveillance system to enhance remote care. Ascom's clients, who have decided to rely on cutting-edge digital technology rather than manually updating their computerized health records, are implementing the Digistat Wearables solution with the Oxitone 1000M device for remote continuous monitoring of the health of COVID-19 patients who do not need hospitalization. This easy-to-use solution contributes to reliably and safely identification of decompensating patients, including those who have so called "silent hypoxia," while optimizing the workflow of healthcare professionals. "Integration of the Oxitone 1000M into the Digistat Wearables solution," said Francesco Deventi, Director of Sales of Ascom UMS, "will enable us to significantly enrich the information collected from patients and to optimize the process of measuring, recording and sending vital signs that contribute to increasing patient's safety." Pulse Oximetry (SpO2 and pulse rate) is an important monitoring tool to identify impending respiratory failure events. Modern pulse oximeters are exploiting different body sites such as the fingertip, forehead or earlobe. All those are bulky and uncomfortable. Specifically, ambulatory COPD patients use so called fingertip spot-check monitors for random and episodic measurements. Oxitone's flagman device Oxitone 1000M makes all the difference thanks to cutting-edge sensors technology. It has all sensors placed in a watch-like device on the wrist ulnar bone and gives readings every second, providing easy and comfortable continuous and prolonged measurements. "We're proud that Ascom UMS has entrusted us to enhance their COVID-19 patient monitoring solution in Italy," said Ofer Harpak, CTO and Chairman of Oxitone Medical. "This collaboration validates the value of our game-changing wearable medical solution. This is a major step in our continued strategic expansion into Europe." For more information about Oxitone solution, please visit www.oxitone.com. About Ascom Ascom is a global solutions provider focused on healthcare ICT and mobile workflow solutions. The vision of Ascom is to close digital information gaps allowing for the best possible decisions anytime and anywhere. Ascom's mission is to provide mission-critical, real-time solutions for highly mobile, ad hoc, and time-sensitive environments. Ascom uses its unique product and solutions portfolio and software architecture capabilities to devise integration and mobilization solutions that provide truly smooth, complete, and efficient workflows for healthcare as well as for industry and retail sectors. Ascom is headquartered in Baar (Switzerland), has operating businesses in 18 countries and employs around 1,300 people worldwide. Ascom registered shares (ASCN) are listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange in Zurich. About Ascom UMS Ascom UMS is based in Scandicci (Florence) and has a strong know-how in healthcare segment especially regarding software solutions for critical care area (ICU and surgical) to contribute to clinical workflows optimization and patients safety improvement. www.ascom.com/it About Oxitone Medical Oxitone Medical is using wearable medical devices, continuous remote monitoring and personalized data analytics to empower proactive care of people with severe chronic conditions, so they can live a healthier life. An Oxitone full-suite continuous care solution enables remote passive monitoring of severe chronic disease patients automatically flagging critical medical issues. Oxitone's flagman device, Oxitone 1000M pulse oximetry monitor, is the industry's first FDA-cleared medical device with all sensors placed around the wrist ulnar bone and giving readings every second. Covered by four US patents, it has proved to be one of the most accurate wearable medical technologies in the market. Ascom Media Relations: Paolo Pirotta [email protected] Phone: +39-333-6894095 Oxitone Medical Contact: Leon Eisen [email protected] Phone: +1-925-271-7676 SOURCE Oxitone Medical Related Links https://www.oxitone.com NEW DELHI, July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Pioneering international solar energy company REC Group is proud to announce that its flagship REC Alpha solar panel has won the prestigious Intersolar Award 2020 in the "Photovoltaics" category. This marks the second time REC Group has won the award, with the REC TwinPeak Series earning the recognition in 2015. Simply the best: REC Group wins prestigious Intersolar Award 2020 for its powerful Alpha solar panels Chief Technology Officer at REC Group, Shankar G. Sridhara said, "Receiving the Intersolar Award for a second time, clearly demonstrates who is leading the pack in the solar industry as a front-running innovator. With our inhouse invented and patented REC Alpha design, we are reaching 380 Wp in a 60-cell format, without increasing number of cells. Achieving such power levels in a cost-effective and environmentally friendly way is a testament to REC's continuous strive for excellence in order to empower people with clean energy from the sun. The bold move to invest in 600 MW of Alpha production capacity from the outset has certainly paid off. The REC Alpha Series is rapidly becoming the high-performance panel of choice for customers around the world." The Intersolar Award is presented to companies making a substantial contribution to the success of the solar industry, honoring technological innovations and groundbreaking solutions. An independent jury of industry experts assesses the leading panels on the basis of innovation, technological creativity and benefits, environmental impact and pricing. REC panels are repeatedly recognized as cutting edge products in the industry: the Intersolar Awards, along with being a Top Performer in the annual DNV-GL PV Module Reliability Scorecard for five years in a row now, clearly demonstrate that REC Group is pushing the solar industry forward through its dedication to innovation and first-class quality. The REC Alpha Series was launched at last year's Intersolar Europe during a spectacular event at the REC booth, including keynote speeches by REC Group's CEO and CTO. The high-performing solar panel is based on heterojunction cells - one of the most advanced solar PV technologies - and incorporates REC's leapfrog and award-winning split cell and junction box technology, which was developed in-house. Even before production start in October 2019, REC Group announced its intention to further expand its production capacity for Alpha by another 2 to 3 GW. In May 2020, the brand began production of the REC Alpha 72 Series. Reaching 450 Wp and 213 watts/m, the 72-cell version is ensuring higher energy yields and driving down solar electricity generation costs for end users. The Alpha Series has recently received the BIS certification India. About REC Group: REC Group is an international pioneering solar energy company dedicated to empowering consumers with clean, affordable solar power in order to facilitate global energy transitions. Committed to quality and innovation, REC offers photovoltaic modules with leading high quality, backed by an exceptional low warranty claims rate of less than 100ppm. Founded in Norway in 1996, REC employs 2,000 people and has an annual solar panel capacity of 1.8 GW. With over 10 GW installed worldwide, REC is empowering more than 16 million people with clean solar energy. REC Group is a Bluestar Elkem company with headquarters in Norway, operational headquarters in Singapore, and regional bases in North America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific. Find out more at http://www.recgroup.com Media Contact : Shikha Upadhayay [email protected] +91-9953943411 Manager Marketing Communications and PR REC Group Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1199071/Intersolar_Award_2020.jpg Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1192349/REC_Group_Logo.jpg SOURCE REC Group View the ADP National Employment Report Infographic at www.adpemploymentreport.com. Total U.S. Nonfarm Private Employment: 2,369,000 By Company Size - Small businesses: 937,000 1-19 employees 574,000 20-49 employees 363,000 - Medium businesses: 559,000 50-499 employees 559,000 - Large businesses: 873,000 500-999 employees 101,000 1,000+ employees 772,000 By Sector - Goods-producing: 457,000 Natural resources/mining -26,000 Construction 394,000 Manufacturing 88,000 - Service-providing: 1,912,000 Trade/transportation/utilities 288,000 Information -50,000 Financial activities 65,000 Professional/business services 151,000 - Professional/technical services 10,000 - Management of companies/enterprises -29,000 - Administrative/support services 169,000 - Professional/technical services 10,000 - Management of companies/enterprises -29,000 - Administrative/support services 169,000 Education/health services 283,000 - Health care/social assistance 246,000 - Education 36,000 - Health care/social assistance 246,000 - Education 36,000 Leisure/hospitality 961,000 Other services 215,000 * Sum of components may not equal total, due to rounding. - Franchise Employment** Franchise jobs 4,500 **Complete details on franchise employment can be found here. "Small business hiring picked up in the month of June," said Ahu Yildirmaz, vice president and co-head of the ADP Research Institute. "As the economy slowly continues to recover, we are seeing a significant rebound in industries that once experienced the greatest job losses. In fact, 70 percent of the jobs added this month were in the leisure and hospitality, trade and construction industries." The matched sample used to develop the ADP National Employment Report was derived from ADP payroll data, which represents 460,000 U.S. clients employing nearly 26 million workers in the U.S. The May total of jobs added was revised from -2,760,000 to 3,065,000. To obtain additional information about the ADP National Employment Report, including additional charts, supporting data and the schedule of future release dates, or to subscribe to the monthly email alerts and RSS feeds, please visit www.adpemploymentreport.com. The July 2020 ADP National Employment Report will be released at 8:15 a.m. ET on August 5, 2020. About the ADP National Employment Report The ADP National Employment Report is a monthly measure of the change in total U.S. nonfarm private employment derived from actual, anonymous payroll data of client companies served by ADP, a leading provider of human capital management solutions. The report, which measures nearly 26 million U.S. workers, is produced by the ADP Research Institute, a specialized group within the company that provides insights around employment trends and workforce strategy, in collaboration with Moody's Analytics, Inc. Each month, ADP Research Institute issues the ADP National Employment Report as part of the company's commitment to adding deeper insights into the U.S. labor market and providing businesses, governments and others with a source of credible and valuable information. The ADP National Employment Report is broadly distributed to the public each month, free of charge. The data for this report is collected for pay periods that can be interpolated to include the week of the 12th of each month, and processed with statistical methodologies similar to those used by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics to compute employment from its monthly survey of establishments. Due to this processing, this subset is modified to make it indicative of national employment levels; therefore, the resulting employment changes computed for the ADP National Employment Report are not representative of changes in ADP's total base of U.S. business clients. For a description of the underlying data and the statistical model used to create this report, please see the ADP National Employment Report: Development Methodology. About the ADP Research Institute The mission of the ADP Research Institute is to generate data-driven discoveries about the world of work, and to derive reliable economic indicators from these insights. We offer these findings to the world at large as our unique contribution to making the world of work better and more productive, and to bring greater awareness to the economy at large. About Moody's Analytics Moody's Analytics provides financial intelligence and analytical tools to help business leaders make better, faster decisions. Our deep risk expertise, expansive information resources, and innovative application of technology help our clients confidently navigate an evolving marketplace. We are known for our industry-leading and award-winning solutions, made up of research, data, software, and professional services, assembled to deliver a seamless customer experience. We create confidence in thousands of organizations worldwide, with our commitment to excellence, open mindset approach, and focus on meeting customer needs. About ADP (NASDAQ ADP) Designing better ways to work through cutting-edge products, premium services and exceptional experiences that enable people to reach their full potential. HR, Talent, Time Management, Benefits and Payroll. Informed by data and designed for people. Learn more at ADP.com ADP, the ADP logo, and Always Designing for People, ADP National Employment Report, ADP Small Business Report, ADP National Franchise Report, and ADP Research Institute are registered trademarks of ADP, Inc. All other marks are the property of their respective owners. Copyright 2020 ADP, Inc. All rights reserved. ADP-Media SOURCE ADP, Inc. Related Links https://www.adp.com/ LEHIGH VALLEY, Pa., July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Air Products (NYSE: APD) today announced that its new steam methane reformer (SMR) and cold box in Geismar, Louisiana are onstream and supplying Huntsman's neighboring industrial operations. Air Products built, owns and operates the facility under a long-term agreement, supplying carbon monoxide (CO), hydrogen and steam produced from the facility to Huntsman. Air Products' SMR is also connected to its Gulf Coast hydrogen pipeline and network system (GCP), which is the world's largest hydrogen plant and pipeline network system. "Air Products' new Geismar facility was successfully placed onstream and met the customer's desired schedule and product needs. The facility is state-of-the-art and offers high reliability and sustainability, with enhanced energy efficiency and reduced emissions. We have a long-standing relationship with Huntsman, and we are pleased this new world-scale facility and long-term supply agreement expands our support for Huntsman's operations," said Dr. Samir J. Serhan, chief operating officer at Air Products. Tony Hankins, president of Huntsman's Polyurethanes division said, "We are appreciative of the professionalism and dedication of the Air Products and Huntsman project teams, which enabled the on-time completion of this world scale HyCo facility. The Huntsman Geismar team delivered a significant and complex element of the project, constructing interconnecting facilities and process controls to flow the products and utilities between the sites. The new plant substantially improves HyCo reliability and strengthens the reliability and environmental performance of our upstream MDI-polyurethanes assets at Geismar, which in turn underpins our drive into downstream markets." The new facility is located on land leased from Huntsman and produces approximately 6.5 million standard cubic feet per day (MMSCFD) of CO, 50 MMSCFD of hydrogen, and up to 50,000 pounds per hour of steam. The facility is also capable of being expanded to increase CO supply in the future to support additional demand. With the additional hydrogen production facility, Air Products continues to expand the capacity and capabilities of its GCP. Air Products' GCP, dedicated in 2012, is an over 600-mile pipeline span that currently stretches from the Houston Ship Channel in Texas to New Orleans, Louisiana. "Additions to our GCP like this one in Louisiana continue to enhance the reliable hydrogen supply to all the customers along the pipeline network. Air Products is always seeking to add product supply capacity from more sources of hydrogen for our customers to build on our well-established pipeline system in the Gulf Coast," said Bill Hammarstrom, president HyCO Americas at Air Products. In January 2020, Air Products announced another addition to the pipeline is coming with an SMR to be built in Texas City, Texas. When the Texas City facility is added to the GCP system, customers will be reliably served by over 1.7 billion feet of hydrogen per day from 24 connected production facilities. Pipelines offer a safe, robust and reliable supply of hydrogen to refineries and petrochemical manufacturers around the world. In addition to the Gulf Coast Pipeline, Air Products also has hydrogen pipelines in California in the U.S.; in Sarnia, Ontario, Canada; and in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. About Air Products Air Products (NYSE:APD) is a world-leading industrial gases company in operation for nearly 80 years. Focused on serving energy, environment and emerging markets, the Company provides essential industrial gases, related equipment and applications expertise to customers in dozens of industries, including refining, chemical, metals, electronics, manufacturing, and food and beverage. Air Products is also the global leader in the supply of liquefied natural gas process technology and equipment. The Company develops, engineers, builds, owns and operates some of the world's largest industrial gas projects, including gasification projects that sustainably convert abundant natural resources into syngas for the production of high-value power, fuels and chemicals. The Company had fiscal 2019 sales of $8.9 billion from operations in 50 countries and has a current market capitalization of about $50 billion. More than 17,000 passionate, talented and committed employees from diverse backgrounds are driven by Air Products' higher purpose to create innovative solutions that benefit the environment, enhance sustainability and address the challenges facing customers, communities, and the world. For more information, visit airproducts.com or follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook or Instagram. About Huntsman: Huntsman Corporation is a publicly traded global manufacturer and marketer of differentiated and specialty chemicals with 2019 revenues of approximately $7 billion. Our chemical products number in the thousands and are sold worldwide to manufacturers serving a broad and diverse range of consumer and industrial end markets. We operate more than 70 manufacturing, R&D and operations facilities in approximately 30 countries and employ approximately 9,000 associates within our four distinct business divisions. For more information about Huntsman, please visit the company's website at www.huntsman.com NOTE: This release may contain forward-looking statements within the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are based on management's reasonable expectations and assumptions as of the date of this release regarding important risk factors. Actual performance and financial results may differ materially from projections and estimates expressed in the forward-looking statements because of many factors not anticipated by management, including risk factors described in the company's Form 10K for its fiscal year ended September 30, 2019. SOURCE Air Products Related Links www.airproducts.com As the leading private multi-state operator (MSO), AWH recognizes its urgent responsibility in dismantling an unjust justice system that disproportionately incarcerates Black and brown individuals for cannabis-related offences while legal companies are openly profiting off of the sales of the same plant. AWH is the only MSO to match customer donations to benefit Last Prisoner Project. Starting on July 1, the company will launch a three tier approach to support and build awareness along with the corporate match to LPP. AWH retail locations will also ask customers to voluntarily donate one dollar to LPP at checkout. To further incentivize participation, the company will offer customers who donate to the program entry into a monthly raffle for a $250 gift certificate prize. AWH will be matching every dollar donated for a total of $250,000. To build awareness for LPP, retail locations will provide each customer with a postcard that features a story of a person who has been impacted by the criminalization of cannabis. "As part of our company ethos, we've built external local partnerships to recruit and hire employees who come through re-entry programs and we offer record-sealing clinics, but we needed to do something bigger and more impactful, said Andrea Cabral," CEO of Ascend Mass. "The harm caused by the over-policing and over-prosecution of Black and brown people, especially for cannabis, is ongoing and for many as relentless as it's ever been. LPP's precise mission and method is what drew us: Change laws, change policies, build job skills and support networks and above all "don't stop until the last cannabis prisoner is released." AWH will incorporate Last Prisoner Project donations in all future dispensary launches to bring awareness to the organization and challenge state governments to reform local cannabis incarceration policies. In addition to donation matching, the program will also launch an e-commerce and text message campaign to benefit LPP. In the coming months, the company plans to launch a campaign in Illinois that will name a flower strain after a local LPP client, highlight the individual's life story and donate a portion of product sales back to the individual. "Our industry will only become more powerful when we work together to lift up those who have been harmed by these discriminatory policies," said Mary Bailey, Managing Director of Last Prisoner Project. "I am encouraged to see large operators like AWH stepping up and recognizing the need for more social advocacy in the cannabis industry.'' "Legal companies can no longer stand idly by and profit off of cannabis while individuals like Michael Thompson are serving a 60 year sentence in Michigan for selling the same thing," said Abner Kurtin, Founder of AWH. "This is the largest financial commitment made to LPP by an MSO and we are proud to lead the way towards corporate responsibility and providing greater financial commitments to LPP from the industry. We will work with LPP to encourage other companies to join us at the champion sponsor level." About AWH AWH is a market leading, vertically integrated operator with assets in Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, Massachusetts and New Jersey. AWH is breaking down traditional walls in the cannabis marketplace to provide easy and accessible products and exclusive brand partnerships. AWH owns and operates state-of-the-art cultivation facilities, growing award winning strains and producing curated selection of products with effect-based categorization. AWH operates, Illinois Supply and Provisions, and Ohio Provisions, and has a strategic partnership with Michigan Supply and Provisions. AWH produces and distributes Ozone branded products. For more information, visit www.awholdings.com . Media Contact MATTIO Communications Email: [email protected] ABOUT LAST PRISONER PROJECT The Last Prisoner Project (LPP) is a coalition of cannabis industry leaders, executives and artists dedicated to bringing restorative justice to the cannabis industry. LPP is dedicated to releasing cannabis prisoners and helping them rebuild their lives. As the United States moves away from the criminalization of cannabis, giving rise to a major new industry, there remains the fundamental injustice inflicted upon those who have suffered criminal convictions and the consequences of those convictions. Through intervention, advocacy and awareness campaigns, the forces behind the Last Prisoner Project will work to redress the past and continuing harms of these unjust laws and policies and are dedicated to making sure that every last victimless cannabis prisoner walks free. Visit www.LastPrisonerProject.org or text FREEDOM to 24365 to donate and learn more. LPP MEDIA CONTACTS Linda Carbone and Katie Leggett PRESS HERE [email protected] // [email protected] SOURCE Ascend Wellness Holdings (AWH) Related Links http://www.awholdings.com While we are now at war with COVID-19, a virus that is neither Republican nor Democrat, where our civilian helmets are made of cloth, not Kevlar, masks which cover our mouths and not our heads. From the CDC to every major health official worth their salt, all agree theyre our best defense today against a disease infecting more and killing more. NEW YORK, July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Backcast Partners Management, LLC ("Backcast"), a provider of debt and equity capital for both middle market private equity and non-private equity owned companies, announced the final closing of its first private credit fund, Backcast Credit Opportunities Fund I, L.P. (the "Fund"). Upon the Fund's final closing, Backcast's assets under management exceeded $775 million (including capital from the Fund, other managed co-investment vehicles and separately managed accounts). None of these vehicles employ leverage. Backcast Managing Partner David Petrucco said, "We are grateful to our investors and partners for the role they played in helping us reach the milestone of closing our inaugural credit fund at Backcast. We look forward to continuing to find ways to bring unique value to our investors and the middle market companies in which we invest." Amon Johnson, Backcast's Managing Director of Investor Relations, further noted that "Investors recognized the differentiated value the Backcast team brings to the market, as highlighted by the diverse and reputable base of domestic and international investors, which included public and private pensions, insurance companies, foundations and endowments, multi-family offices and high net worth individuals." About Backcast Partners Formed in 2016, Backcast provides thoughtful and customized capital solutions across the capital stack to middle market companies. The Backcast Managing Partners have been supporting traditional middle market companies for decades. Backcast, with assets under management of over $775 million, targets investment sizes from $10 - $100 million in both sponsored and non-sponsored companies. The firm has offices in New York City, Millburn, NJ, and Los Angeles, CA. For more information for investors, please contact: Amon Johnson, Managing Director of Investor Relations [email protected] (973) 547-2447 www.backcastpartners.com For more information for companies seeking investment, please contact: Mark Gudis, Managing Partner [email protected] (973) 512-7487 www.backcastpartners.com SOURCE Backcast Partners Related Links backcastpartners.com TUPELO, Miss., July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- BancorpSouth Bank (NYSE: BXS) will release second-quarter 2020 earnings on Monday, July 20, 2020, after the close of the financial markets. It will also hold its regularly scheduled webcast Tuesday, July 21, 2020, beginning at 10:00 a.m. CDT. The webcast is live coverage of management's conference call with analysts and can be found by visiting: www.BancorpSouth.com/Webcast . This will be an interactive session between management and analysts; others may listen to the live broadcast as it happens. The conference will also be available in archived format at the same address. BancorpSouth Bank (NYSE: BXS) is headquartered in Tupelo, Mississippi, with approximately $21 billion in assets. BancorpSouth operates approximately 310 full-service branch locations as well as additional mortgage, insurance, and loan production offices in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Tennessee and Texas, including an insurance location in Illinois. BancorpSouth is committed to a culture of respect, diversity, and inclusion in both its workplace and communities. To learn more, visit our Community Commitment page at www.bancorpsouth.com ; "Like" us on Facebook; follow us on [email protected]; or connect with us through LinkedIn. SOURCE BancorpSouth Bank Related Links http://www.bancorpsouth.com MIAMI, July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Best-selling author, Michael Waddington, has launched his first novel Battlemind: A Military Legal Thriller on Amazon. The renowned criminal defense lawyer is experienced in defending military personnel around the world, including high-profile murder, corruption, and war crime cases. Battlemind: In the war for justice, there are no rules of engagement... Would You Risk Everything for Justice? Battlemind: A Military Legal Thriller Michael Waddington Author of Battlemind When a suspected terrorist is tortured to death in a secret Afghanistan prison, a low-ranking guard becomes the military's top suspect. Army Judge Advocate General (JAG) Captain Max O'Donnell isn't so sure. But, with ninety days left on his tour of duty, the last thing he needs is an unwinnable case. Yet, no matter how burned out he has become, he still believes justice is worth fighting for. Digging deeper into the case, Max unearths a shadowy alliance between the prosecution, and a team of faceless CIA spooks, willing to crush anyone standing in their way - including Max. With his client's life on the line and his military career hanging in the balance, Max must wage war in the courtroom and seize victory the only way he knows how: using every dirty trick in the book. Battlemind is the eighth publication from the best-selling author and renowned defense lawyer. His previous title 'Kick-Ass Closings' is a number-one Amazon best-seller. Author, Michael Waddington, said: "The gritty and often raw content in Battlemind comes from a depth and level of experience that very few people are privy to. For over 20 years, I served as a defense lawyer in the military justice system, taking me to all corners of the globe. Representing and defending servicemen and women has provided me with a rare insight and understanding of the military legal system, some of which is unearthed in this fictional book. "For anyone with a curiosity or interest in criminal justice, war crimes, and military protocol, it takes you on a riveting and unpredictable journey to justice." Battlemind is available to download on Kindle, or in paperback format from Amazon. About the author Michael Waddington is a leading criminal defense lawyer who represents and defends servicemen and women in military courts worldwide. As a trial advocacy spokesperson, he is a renowned authority in his field, authoring numerous industry textbooks used by criminal defense lawyers across the United States. During his tenure as a lawyer, he defended many high-profile cases, which were widely followed in the media, including The New York Times and CNN. Turning his hand to writing, Waddington is a best-selling Amazon author, with eight published titles. He uses unique insight and first-hand experience to create compelling books with global acclaim. This includes top-selling titles, Kick-Ass Closings: A Guide to Giving the Best Closing of Your Life, and The Art of Trial Warfare. Waddington resides in Miami with his wife and children. Learn more at his dedicated Amazon page. For further information, interviews, or review copies, please contact: Michael Waddington, [email protected], 706-664-1395 SOURCE Michael Waddington WESTPORT, Conn., July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- BHMS Investments, LP, through affiliated funds ("BHMS"), completed a material investment in Inszone Insurance Services, LLC ("Inszone" or the "Company"). Founded in 2002, Inszone is a full-service insurance brokerage firm which provides a broad array of property & casualty as well as employee benefits solutions. Having completed ten acquisitions over the last fifteen months, the Company has expanded from its Northern California headquarters to offices in Southern California, Arizona and Nevada. BHMS' investment will primarily be utilized to continue Inszone's acquisition growth. Norm Hudson, Chief Executive Officer and continued significant shareholder of Inszone, said, "We are excited to partner with BHMS as we continue our Company's expansion and their investment will help us accelerate our acquisition momentum. BHMS was a perfect fit given their partnership approach as well as prior experience and relationship set within the brokerage industry." BHMS previously served as the first institutional investor in two similar insurance brokerage aggregation strategies: The Hilb Group ("THG") from 2011 - 2015 and PCF Insurance Services ("PCF") from 2017 - early-2020. Over the four-year span of BHMS' investment, THG completed seventeen acquisitions across nine states, growing the company to $50 million in revenue and establishing the foundation for the agency to reach its present status as a top 30 insurance brokerage in the U.S. Similarly, over a three-year span, PCF completed twenty-one acquisitions across ten states, catapulting the agency into a top 50 insurance brokerage. Kevin L. Angelis, Managing Partner of BHMS, said, "Insurance distribution, and specifically retail brokerage, continues to be an attractive industry for us. Inszone's acquisition track record as well as its strong organic growth profile serve as an ideal fit for our firm's mandate. We are thrilled to be partners with Inszone's best-in-class management team led by Norm Hudson and Chris Walters and look forward to working alongside them to continue the Company's ascent." In conjunction with BHMS' investment, the Company has also completed a financing with Madison Capital Funding, LLC ("Madison"), the preeminent financing partner to the insurance distribution industry. Jason Schryver, Managing Director and Head of Insurance & Financial Services, said, "Madison has a long history within the insurance brokerage industry as well as with BHMS and we look forward to supporting the next phase of Inszone's growth." About Inszone: Founded in 2002 and headquartered in Rancho Cordova, California, Inszone is a full-service insurance brokerage firm which provides a broad array of property & casualty and employee benefits solutions. Additional information can be found at www.inszoneinsurance.com. About BHMS: BHMS Investments, LP is a private investment firm focused on the North American middle market. The firm was founded in 2010 and is based in Westport, Connecticut. BHMS invests in a wide variety of control and structured equity opportunities ranging from consolidation strategies to conventional leveraged buyouts to companies in financial distress. The firm focuses on industries in which it has deep experience and relationships including Business Services and Insurance & Insurance Services. BHMS is currently deploying capital from its most recent fund, which it raised in 2017. Additional information can be found at www.bhmsinvestments.com. About Madison Capital: Madison is a market leader in supporting middle market private equity sponsors with cash-flow based corporate finance products. Since its founding in 2001, Madison has invested over $37.3 billion in net funded commitments in 1,260 transactions. Additional information can be found at www.mcfllc.com. For further information contact: Norm Hudson Kevin L. Angelis Inszone Insurance Services, LLC BHMS Investments, LP Chief Executive Officer Managing Partner 916.995.0234 646.481.6214 SOURCE BHMS Investments, LP Related Links http://www.bhmsinvestments.com LUND, Sweden, July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- BioInvent International AB ("BioInvent" or the "Company") (OMXS: BINV) today announces that it has further extended the research term under its cancer immunotherapy research collaboration and license agreement with Pfizer Inc. ("Pfizer") until the end of 2020. In December 2016, the companies entered into the agreement for the development and commercialization of antibodies targeting tumor-associated myeloid cells discovered using BioInvent's proprietary F.I.R.S.TTM drug discovery platform. The purpose of the research extension is to permit the companies to further identify and characterize new targets and antibodies binding to these targets. In 2019 Pfizer selected the first and second target under the agreement, which triggered two payments from Pfizer to BioInvent of $300,000. BioInvent may be eligible for further milestone payments from development of antibodies directed against these targets as well as from the selection of additional targets and the development of antibodies directed against those targets. Martin Welschof, CEO of BioInvent, said: "We are pleased to extend BioInvent's long-running agreement with Pfizer which leverages our proprietary F.I.R.S.TTM technology platform and high-quality n-CoDeR antibody library. This extension provides Pfizer additional time to select optimal antibodies to their targets, as well as to explore more targets and corresponding antibodies. We look forward to continuing our successful collaboration with Pfizer." About BioInvent BioInvent International AB (OMXS: BINV) is a clinical stage company that discovers and develops novel and first-in-class immuno-modulatory antibodies for cancer therapies, with two ongoing programs in Phase l/ll clinical trials for the treatment of hematological cancer and solid tumors, respectively. Two preclinical programs in solid tumors are expected to enter clinical trials by the end of 2020. The Company's validated, proprietary F.I.R.S.T technology platform simultaneously identifies both targets and the antibodies that bind to them, generating many promising new drug candidates to fuel the Company's own clinical development pipeline or for additional licensing and partnering. The Company generates revenues from research collaborations and license agreements with multiple top-tier pharmaceutical companies, as well as from producing antibodies for third parties in the Company's fully integrated manufacturing unit. More information is available at www.bioinvent.com. For further information, please contact: Martin Welschof, CEO Hans Herklots, LifeSci Advisors +46 (0)46 286 85 50 +41 79 598 71 49 [email protected] [email protected] BioInvent International AB (publ) Co. Reg. No. Org nr: 556537-7263 Visiting address: Ideongatan 1 Mailing address: 223 70 LUND Phone: +46 (0)46 286 85 50 www.bioinvent.com The press release contains statements about the future, consisting of subjective assumptions and forecasts for future scenarios. Predictions for the future only apply as the date they are made and are, by their very nature, in the same way as research and development work in the biotech segment, associated with risk and uncertainty. With this in mind, the actual outcome may deviate significantly from the scenarios described in this press release. This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com The following files are available for download: https://mb.cision.com/Main/583/3146203/1272780.pdf Press release (PDF) SOURCE BioInvent Drawing inspiration from his early passion for street art, Brantley's bottle design features distinct Afro-Futuristic motifs as an extension of his narrative driven work. Recognized as one of the preeminent Black artists at the forefront of culture, Brantley is internationally lauded for his public works and solo shows over the past decade, and has been sought after by a roster of A-list clientele including Jay-Z, Lenny Kravitz, George Lucas , LeBron James and more. Brantley's most recent project, Nevermore Park, transformed his former Chicago-based studio into a fantasy-like immersive pop-up art experience that attracted tens of thousands of visitors from around the world . Continuing to channel his work on new unexpected canvases, the artist has collaborated with Bombay Sapphire to create a design for the iconic gin bottle. "We are honored that our first artist edition is with Hebru Brantley, whose work we have admired and supported for a long time," said Tom Spaven, North America Brand Director for BOMBAY SAPPHIRE gin. "Bombay Sapphire has always been a champion for equal representation in the arts, and it was absolutely essential to us that we make this donation to support the Black community. Art has the power to create change, but this is just a small step. We recognize that we can and will implement more long-term initiatives to champion marginalized voices in the creative arts a mission that has never been more critical than it is now." The longstanding association between Bombay Sapphire and Hebru Brantley was first established in 2011, when Brantley as an up-and-coming artist qualified as a finalist for the Bombay Sapphire Artisan Series a nationwide search for the next big names in visual arts with a focus on fostering rising talents and undiscovered voices. As a part of the prize, Brantley's work was showcased at Scope Art Fair the following year, propelling his work onto the global art scene and attracting the attention of major brands and cultural icons alike, including hip-hop mogul Jay-Z who purchased one of his pieces a testament to the exceptional caliber of talent who received exposure from the brand's annual emerging arts competition. "It can be pivotal when an established, global brand like Bombay Sapphire believes and invests in up-and-coming artists early in their careers. My relationship with Bombay Sapphire began with the Artisan Series almost a decade ago, which played a role in jumpstarting my career," says Brantley. "Now the relationship has come full circle with my reinterpretation of the iconic Bombay Sapphire bottle, which is an extension of my submission piece for the Artisan Series. When you create something unique like this, you want it to inspire hope for a better future and shine a light on the courage and resilience of Black people in America. It felt only right that Bombay Sapphire and I were able to do this together to benefit Black Lives Matter Chicago, to support the critical work they do in fighting for racial justice in my hometown." The Bombay Sapphire Hebru Brantley Limited Edition bottle is available in select states from July 1 and at ReserveBar.com. HEBRU BRANTLEY X BOMBAY SAPPHIRE LIMITED EDITION SIZE: 750 ML SRP: $22.99 ABV: 47% ON SHELVES: FROM JULY 1st, 2020 RESERVEBAR LINK FOR PURCHASE: HERE Press Contact : Kiwan Anderson Account Director 917-855-8655 [email protected] Erica Son Director, Brand PR 646-784-3854 [email protected] ABOUT HEBRU BRANTLEY Hebru Brantley creates narrative driven work revolving around his conceptualized iconic characters which are utilized to address complex ideas around nostalgia, the mental psyche, power, and hope. The color palettes, pop-art motifs, and characters themselves create accessibility around Brantley's layered and multifaceted beliefs. Majorly influenced by the South Side of Chicago's Afro Cobra movement in the 1960s and 70s, Brantley uses the lineage of mural and graffiti work as a frame to explore his inquiries. Brantley applies a plethora of mediums from oil, acrylic, watercolor, and spray paint to non-traditional mediums such as coffee and tea. Brantley's work challenges the traditional view of the hero or protagonist and his work insists on a contemporary and distinct narrative that shapes and impacts the viewer's gaze. Collectors of his work include LeBron James, Jay-Z and Beyonce, Lenny Kravitz, George Lucas, and Rahm Emanuel, among others. Brantley has collaborated with brands like Nike, Hublot, and Adidas. Brantley earned a B.A. in Film from Clark Atlanta University and has a background in Design and Media Illustration. ABOUT BOMBAY SAPPHIRE BOMBAY SAPPHIRE is the world's number one premium gin by volume and value. BOMBAY SAPPHIRE is created with a unique combination of ten sustainably sourced botanicals from around the globe. The brand's signature distillation process known as vapour infusion is showcased at the BREEAM award-winning Laverstoke Mill Distillery in Hampshire, England. The vapour infusion process skillfully captures the natural flavors of the botanicals which results in the gin's fresh, bright taste. Awarded a double gold medal in the 2017 San Francisco World Spirits Competition, BOMBAY SAPPHIRE is consistently recognized for crafting the finest quality gin. For more information, please explore www.bombaysapphire.com. The BOMBAY SAPPHIRE brand is part of the portfolio of Bacardi Limited, headquartered in Hamilton, Bermuda. Bacardi Limited refers to the Bacardi group of companies, including Bacardi International Limited. ABOUT STIR CREATIVITY BOMBAY SAPPHIRE's global platform Stir Creativity is not only a brand mission but a steadfast commitment to empowering people to awaken their creative potential; it's a call to arms for everyone to engage with their creativity. Bombay inspires versatility and creativity in cocktail-making, which is why bartenders have recognized Bombay Sapphire as a canvas for creativity. Last fall, BOMBAY SAPPHIRE launched #FindYourCanvas under its global Stir Creativity platform to celebrate, inspire, and ignite creative self-expression among consumers; proving that anyone has what it takes to create a work of art. A creative outlet doesn't need to manifest on a traditional canvas. Whether it be a blank canvas, a stage or a camera viewfinder, there are many different canvases (or catalysts) for creativity. Everyone has what it takes, all you have to do is #FindYourCanvas. BOMBAY SAPPHIRE BE BRILLIANT AND INSPIRED. DRINK RESPONSIBLY! Facebook.com / bombaysapphire Instagram.com/bombaysapphireus 2020. BOMBAY SAPPHIRE AND ITS TRADE DRESS ARE TRADEMARKS. SOURCE BOMBAY SAPPHIRE Related Links https://www.bombaysapphire.com CHICAGO and LONDON, July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Cboe Global Markets, Inc. (Cboe: CBOE), one of the world's largest exchange holding companies, today announced it has completed its acquisition of EuroCCP, a leading pan-European equities clearing house. The acquisition paves the way for the planned launch of Cboe Europe Derivatives, a new Amsterdam-based futures and options market, in the first half of 2021, subject to regulatory approvals. The transaction brings together two companies that have long championed competition, open access and clearing interoperability in Europe. EuroCCP currently clears trades for 37 trading venues, which represent close to 95 percent of all equity trades executed on organised markets in Europe. Cboe sees an opportunity to further grow this business by capitalising on the strength of its pan-European network, and by pursuing the development of derivatives trading and clearing capabilities in the region. As part of the transaction, EuroCCP put in place a committed credit facility of up to 1.5 billion. This facility is an important part of a number of new tools and procedures designed to strengthen the firm's liquidity risk management framework and help ensure EuroCCP continues to meet relevant liquidity requirements under the European Market Infrastructure Regulation (EMIR). Ed Tilly, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Cboe Global Markets, said: "This acquisition is a significant milestone for our European business. Full ownership of a leading equities clearing house not only enhances our current European equities business, but also provides opportunities to diversify our business into trading and clearing derivatives in the region. We are delighted to welcome the EuroCCP team to Cboe Global Markets." David Howson, President of Cboe Europe, said: "This deal marks the beginning of the next chapter for Cboe Europe and, together with EuroCCP, we couldn't be more excited to further deliver on our pan-European mission by planning the launch of Cboe Europe Derivatives. We have listened to the needs of market participants and are designing this new market from a pan-European point-of-view, leveraging our global derivatives expertise, European equities footprint, and world-class technology to build a more efficient equity derivatives market." Cecile Nagel, Chief Executive Officer of EuroCCP, said: "We believe this transaction positions EuroCCP for continued success. In addition to building out our derivatives clearing services, we see many opportunities to collaborate with Cboe to expand our product offering across asset classes. With our shared values and focus on innovation and client service, together with Cboe we can do even more to advance capital markets in Europe." Unlocking the Potential of the European Derivatives Market Cboe plans to launch Cboe Europe Derivatives in the first half of 2021, subject to regulatory approvals. This Amsterdam-based market is expected to initially offer trading in equity futures and options based on six Cboe Europe Indices: the Cboe Eurozone 50, Cboe UK 100, Cboe Netherlands 25, Cboe Switzerland 20, Cboe Germany 30, and Cboe France 40 all calculated using Cboe market data1. Cboe plans to add futures and options on additional European benchmarks at a later date, based on customer demand. EuroCCP will provide clearing services for the platform, subject to regulatory approval. Additional information about Cboe's launch plans is available on the Cboe website. Industry veteran Ade Cordell, who joined Cboe Europe earlier this year to oversee Cboe's expansion into European derivatives, has been appointed President of Cboe NL, subject to regulatory approval. This is Cboe's Netherlands-based exchange which launched in October 2019 and will be the future home to Cboe Europe Derivatives. Ade Cordell, President of Cboe NL, said: "There is an opportunity to improve the existing European derivatives market structure and unlock its true potential through the creation of a transparent, efficient, lit pan-European market. Our pan-European model will enable all market participants to access a modern derivatives market through a single access point, creating efficiencies in trading and clearing." Cboe has a long and successful history of innovation in the derivatives industry as founder of the listed options market in the U.S. and the creator of numerous groundbreaking products. The company plans to leverage this asset class expertise to bring the respected and transparent on-screen market structure utilized in the U.S. to Europe. EuroCCP continues to operate as an independent subsidiary, retaining its name and continued leadership by Cecile Nagel. EuroCCP is headquartered in Amsterdam and regulated by De Nederlandsche Bank and by Autoriteit Financiele Markten. Additionally, Cboe reaffirmed its previously disclosed earnings per share impact related to the acquisition of EuroCCP and its investment to build out pan-European derivatives trading and clearing, which are expected to reduce earnings per share by about $0.08 to $0.10 in 2020 and 2021. However, the company now expects the impact to be at the higher end of the range, primarily reflecting higher than originally projected facility fees associated with EuroCCP's new 1.5 billion backup line of credit. Investor Conference Call Information: Cboe Global Markets will host an investor conference call Thursday, July 2, 2020 at 8:30 AM (Eastern Time) to discuss its pan-European derivatives strategy and launch plans. Ed Tilly and David Howson will host the conference call. A live audio webcast for the conference call and the presentation that will be referenced during the call will be available on the Investor Relations section of Cboe's website at http://ir.cboe.com under Events & Presentations. The presentation will be archived on the company's website for replay. Participants also may listen to the live conference call via telephone by using the dial-in numbers listed below. Date: Thursday, July 2, 2020 Time: 7:30 a.m. CT (8:30 a.m. ET) Live Dial-In Information U.S.: 1-877-255-4313 Canada: 1-866-450-4696 International: 1-412-317-5466 (Participants should dial in 10 minutes prior to the start of the presentation and ask to join the Cboe Global Markets call.) Replay Dial-In Information U.S.: 1-877-344-7529 Canada: 1-855-669-9658 International: 1-412-317-0088 A replay of the recording is expected to be available one hour after the conference call ends. The replay access code will be 10145642, which will be good through July 9, 2020. PJT Partners acted as exclusive financial advisor to EuroCCP, Allen & Overy acted as exclusive legal counsel to EuroCCP and Greentarget acted as communications strategy advisor to EuroCCP on the transaction. Cboe's legal counsel on the transaction was Macfarlanes LLP and Norton Rose Fulbright LLP. About Cboe Global Markets, Inc. Cboe Global Markets (Cboe: CBOE) is one of the world's largest exchange holding companies, offering cutting-edge trading and investment solutions to investors around the world. The company is committed to defining markets to benefit its participants and drive the global marketplace forward through product innovation, leading edge technology and seamless trading solutions. The company offers trading across a diverse range of products in multiple asset classes and geographies, including options, futures, U.S. and European equities, exchange-traded products (ETPs), global foreign exchange (FX) and volatility products based on the Cboe Volatility Index (VIX Index), recognized as the world's premier gauge of U.S. equity market volatility. Cboe's subsidiaries include the largest options exchange and the third largest stock exchange operator in the U.S. In addition, the company operates one of the largest stock exchanges by value traded in Europe and is a leading market globally for ETP listings and trading. The company is headquartered in Chicago with a network of domestic and global offices across the Americas, Europe and Asia, including main hubs in New York, London, Kansas City and Amsterdam. For more information, visit www.cboe.com. Cboe Europe Limited is a Recognised Investment Exchange regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and is a company registered in England and Wales with Company Number 6547680 and registered office at The Monument Building, 11 Monument Street, London EC3R 8AF. Cboe Europe B.V. is a Regulated Market supervised by the Netherlands Authority for the Financial Markets, and is a company registered in the Netherlands with registered company number 72273968 and registered office is located at Gustav Mahlerlaan 1212, 1081 LA Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Cboe Europe Limited and Cboe Europe B.V. are wholly-owned subsidiaries of Cboe Global Markets, Inc.. This material has been established for information purposes only. None of the information concerning the services or products described in this document constitutes advice or a recommendation of any product or service. To the extent that the information provided in this document constitutes a financial promotion as defined by relevant legislation, it is only directed at persons who qualify as a Professional Client or Eligible Counterparty. Persons who do not qualify should not act on or rely upon it. Media Contacts Analyst Contact Europe: Tim Cave U.S.: Angela Tu Debbie Koopman +44 (0) 7593 506 719 +1-646-856-8734 +1-312-786-7136 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] CBOE-EE CBOE-C CBOE-OE Cboe, Cboe Volatility Index, VIX and Cboe Global Markets are registered trademarks of Cboe Exchange, Inc. All other trademarks and service marks are the property of their respective owners. Cautionary Statements Regarding Forward-Looking Information This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 that involve a number of risks and uncertainties. You can identify these statements by forward-looking words such as "may," "might," "should," "expect," "plan," "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "predict," "potential" or "continue," and the negative of these terms and other comparable terminology. All statements that reflect our expectations, assumptions or projections about the future other than statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements, which are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and assumptions about us, may include projections of our future financial performance based on our growth strategies and anticipated trends in our business. These statements are only predictions based on our current expectations and projections about future events. There are important factors that could cause our actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. We operate in a very competitive and rapidly changing environment. New risks and uncertainties emerge from time to time, and it is not possible to predict all risks and uncertainties, nor can we assess the impact of all factors on our business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements. Some factors that could cause actual results to differ include: the impact of the novel coronavirus ("COVID-19") pandemic, including changes to trading behavior broadly in the market as well as due to the temporary suspension of open outcry trading in response to COVID-19; the loss of our right to exclusively list and trade certain index options and futures products; economic, political and market conditions; compliance with legal and regulatory obligations; price competition and consolidation in our industry; decreases in trading volumes, market data fees or a shift in the mix of products traded on our exchanges; legislative or regulatory changes; our ability to protect our systems and communication networks from security risks, cybersecurity risks, insider threats and unauthorized disclosure of confidential information; increasing competition by foreign and domestic entities; our dependence on and exposure to risk from third parties; fluctuations to currency exchange rates; our index providers' ability to maintain the quality and integrity of their indexes and to perform under our agreements; our ability to operate our business without violating the intellectual property rights of others and the costs associated with protecting our intellectual property rights; our ability to attract and retain skilled management and other personnel; our ability to accommodate trading volume and transaction traffic, including significant increases, without failure or degradation of performance of our systems; misconduct by those who use our markets or our products; challenges to our use of open source software code; our ability to meet our compliance obligations, including managing potential conflicts between our regulatory responsibilities and our for-profit status; damage to our reputation; the ability of our compliance and risk management methods to effectively monitor and manage our risks; our ability to manage our growth and strategic acquisitions or alliances effectively; restrictions imposed by our debt obligations; our ability to maintain an investment grade credit rating; impairment of our goodwill, long-lived assets, investments or intangible assets; and the accuracy of our estimates and expectations. More detailed information about factors that may affect our actual results to differ may be found in our filings with the SEC, including in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019 and other filings made from time to time with the SEC. We do not undertake, and we expressly disclaim, any duty to update any forward-looking statement whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. We do not undertake, and we expressly disclaim, any duty to update any forward-looking statement whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. 1 With the exception of the Cboe Switzerland 20 SOURCE Cboe Global Markets, Inc. Related Links http://www.cboe.com ORANGE COUNTY, Calif., July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- CCRM Fertility, a global pioneer in fertility science, research and advancement, today announced the appointment of Lauren Sundheimer, M.D., M.S., FACOG, to its Orange County location (also known as Newport Fertility Center). Fertility specialist Dr. Sundheimer joins founding partner Mark Kan, M.D., in delivering industry leading care and outcomes to patients throughout Southern California. Dr. Sundheimer will start seeing patients July 16, 2020. After growing up in Orange County, Dr. Sundheimer obtained her undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University of California, San Diego. She developed her passion for women's health while attending medical school at University of California, Irvine. Dr. Sundheimer completed her residency in obstetrics and gynecology at UCLA Medical Center and her fellowship in reproductive endocrinology and infertility at the combined UCLA and Cedars-Sinai Medical Center program. Dr. Sundheimer is a reproductive endocrinology and infertility specialist and board certified obstetrician/gynecoglogist. Dr. Sundheimer practiced in Los Angeles prior to joining CCRM. Spanning the entire spectrum of fertility care, Dr. Sundheimer has clinical expertise and interests ranging from the diagnosis and management of infertility, to family planning and building, fertility preservation, LGBTQ+ care, and single-parent family-building. Additionally, she treats women with reproductive endocrine issues regardless of their fertility desires, such as PCOS and other abnormal hormone-regulation issues. "We are excited to welcome Dr. Sundheimer to the CCRM Fertility network and know her patient-centric approach aligns closely with our values. She will only continue to help more patients achieve their dreams of having a family," said Dr. Kan "With the addition of Dr. Sundheimer and telehealth appointments to CCRM Orange County, we're continuing to expand access to world-class fertility care to Southern Californians." Dr. Sundheimer has performed considerable research in the area of reproductive health. Her recent research has involved evaluating preimplantation genetic screening technology and studying the outcome differences among pregnancies requiring fertility treatment. She feels it is important to evaluate her patients from a holistic perspective, treating fertility and reproductive endocrine issues while balancing other medical issues and stressors to provide a comprehensive approach to fertility, fertility preservation, and reproductive endocrinology. "I am thrilled for the opportunity to work alongside the talented team at CCRM Orange County," commented Dr. Sundheimer. "CCRM approaches patients individually and thoughtfully to treat fertility and reproductive endocrine issues, like PCOS and other abnormal hormone-regulation concerns. While balancing other medical factors and stressors, we can provide a scientific and compassionate approach to fertility treatments, fertility preservation and reproductive endocrinology." CCRM Orange County operates two offices in Newport Beach. Dr. Sundheimer will work with Dr. Mark Kan at 3501 Jamboree Road, Suite 1100, Newport Beach, CA 92660. For more information or to schedule an appointment, call (949) 222-1290 or visit www.ccrmivf.com. About CCRM Orange County CCRM Orange County is a partner clinic of the Colorado Center for Reproductive Medicine ("CCRM"). Founded by Dr. William Schoolcraft in 1987, CCRM (Colorado Center for Reproductive Medicine) is the nation's leader in fertility care and research. CCRM specializes in the most advanced fertility treatments, with deep expertise in in vitro fertilization (IVF), fertility assessment, fertility preservation, genetic testing, third party reproduction and egg donation. Unlike many other fertility clinics that outsource their specialists and testing needs, CCRM leverages its own data, as well as a dedicated team of in-house reproductive endocrinologists, embryologists and geneticists in order to deliver industry-leading outcomes. CCRM operates 11 fertility centers (including 25 offices) throughout North America, serving prospective parents in major metropolitan areas, including Atlanta, Boston, Dallas-Fort Worth, Denver, Houston, New York, Northern Virginia, Minneapolis, Orange County, San Francisco Bay Area, and Toronto. For more information, visit www.ccrmivf.com , become a fan on Facebook , or follow us on Instagram and Twitter. SOURCE CCRM ST. LOUIS, July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Centene Corporation (NYSE: CNC) today announced that it will establish an East Coast headquarters in Charlotte, North Carolina, after completing a comprehensive evaluation process. The company will begin construction on the new campus in August and plans to create 6,000 new jobs and invest $1 billion in the Charlotte community over time. "Charlotte has great talent, excellent infrastructure and a real commitment to sustainable development," said Michael F. Neidorff, Chairman, President and CEO of Centene. "We are pleased to expand our partnership with the city of Charlotte, the county of Mecklenburg, and the state of North Carolina. We look forward to many years of collective growth and innovation." The company's $1 billion investment will provide over 1 million square feet of office and meeting space, a corporate boardroom, a childcare and early education center, a variety of dining venues, auditorium, fitness center, and a stand-alone building housing a corporate learning and development center named Centene Tech University. The campus buildings will be designed to preserve and take advantage of the campus' environment with an emphasis on providing open spaces, natural light, and embracing the site's natural features. The construction and growth of the facility will happen in multiple phases. The first phase of construction will be complete in the second half of 2022 and accommodate approximately 3,000 employees. In anticipation of this phase, the company is committed to expanding its existing footprint in the Charlotte metro area immediately and will begin recruiting for roles across multiple areas, such as information technology, finance, compliance, health economics, business analytics, human resources, quality and clinical positions. The next phase of construction, to begin in 2024, will accommodate an additional 3,000 employees when complete, allowing the campus to accommodate a total of 6,000 employees. The company plans to share additional details about the site's location in the coming weeks. "Centene's investment here is great for the Charlotte area and our whole state," Governor Cooper said. "Centene knows that North Carolina has a resilient economy, ready workforce, livable communities and a host of other assets that make our state a leading destination for forward-thinking businesses." "Today's announcement is a historic occasion for Charlotte and comes at a most opportune time," said Mayor Vi Lyles. "We are excited to welcome Centene to the Queen City. Our entire region will benefit from the company's community-driven mission and commitment to diversity and inclusion in the workplace." As part of its agreement with local officials, the company plans to hire at least 3,200 people over the next 12 years but expects to hit that goal sooner. "We believe in professional camaraderie, capacity for innovation, real-time partnership and development garnered from a shared physical presence," continued Neidorff. "Though we will continue to promote flexible work environments, investing long-term in our workforce and technological expertise is essential to succeed in a dynamic healthcare environment. The new space is designed to support and enable innovation, partnership and ultimately growth." The new facility will provide an attractive work environment to prospective employees, with work areas that: - enhance teamwork and in-person productivity - leverage extensive technology to enable remote collaboration for distributed teams - encourage innovation with dedicated team spaces within the work neighborhoods - provide access to private work areas; and - connect employees throughout the campus to the corporate network through Wi-Fi access. The facility will significantly grow Centene's footprint in the state. Currently, Centene has nearly 600 employees already based in North Carolina across locations in Charlotte, Durham and Wilmington. Centene's corporate headquarters will remain in St. Louis, Missouri. Centene and the Governor's office hosted a press conference earlier today to discuss the announcement. About Centene Corporation Centene Corporation, a Fortune 50 company, is a leading multi-national healthcare enterprise that is committed to helping people live healthier lives. The Company takes a local approach with local brands and local teams - to provide fully integrated, high-quality, and cost-effective services to government-sponsored and commercial healthcare programs, focusing on under-insured and uninsured individuals. Centene offers affordable and high-quality products to nearly 1 in 15 individuals across the nation, including Medicaid and Medicare members (including Medicare Prescription Drug Plans) as well as individuals and families served by the Health Insurance Marketplace, the TRICARE program, and individuals in correctional facilities. The Company also serves several international markets, and contracts with other healthcare and commercial organizations to provide a variety of specialty services focused on treating the whole person. Centene focuses on long-term growth and the development of its people, systems and capabilities so that it can better serve its members, providers, local communities, and government partners. Centene uses its investor relations website to publish important information about the company, including information that may be deemed material to investors. Financial and other information about Centene is routinely posted and is accessible on Centene's investor relations website, http://www.centene.com/investors. Forward-Looking Statements All statements, other than statements of current or historical fact, contained in this press release are forward-looking statements. Without limiting the foregoing, forward-looking statements often use words such as "believe," "anticipate," "plan," "expect," "estimate," "intend," "seek," "target," "goal," "may," "will," "would," "could," "should," "can," "continue" and other similar words or expressions (and the negative thereof). Centene (the Company, our, or we) intends such forward-looking statements to be covered by the safe-harbor provisions for forward-looking statements contained in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, and we are including this statement for purposes of complying with these safe-harbor provisions. In particular, these statements include, without limitation, statements about our future operating or financial performance, market opportunity, growth strategy, competition, expected activities in completed and future acquisitions, including statements about the impact of our recently completed acquisition (the WellCare Acquisition) of WellCare Health Plans, Inc. (WellCare), other recent and future acquisitions, investments, the adequacy of our available cash resources and the expected benefits and timing of our anticipated new East Coast headquarters in Charlotte. These forward-looking statements reflect our current views with respect to future events and are based on numerous assumptions and assessments made by us in light of our experience and perception of historical trends, current conditions, business strategies, operating environments, future developments and other factors we believe appropriate. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties and are subject to change because they relate to events and depend on circumstances that will occur in the future, including economic, regulatory, competitive and other factors that may cause our or our industry's actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions. All forward-looking statements included in this press release are based on information available to us on the date hereof. Except as may be otherwise required by law, we undertake no obligation to update or revise the forward-looking statements included in this press release, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, after the date hereof. You should not place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements, as actual results may differ materially from projections, estimates, or other forward-looking statements due to a variety of important factors, variables and events including but not limited to: the impact of COVID-19 on global markets, economic conditions and the healthcare industry and our results of operations, which is unknown; uncertainty as to our expected financial performance following completion and integration of the WellCare Acquisition; the possibility that the expected synergies and value creation from the WellCare Acquisition will not be realized, or will not be realized within the expected time period; the risk that unexpected costs will be incurred in connection with the integration of the WellCare Acquisition or that the integration of WellCare will be more difficult or time consuming than expected; unexpected costs, charges or expenses resulting from the WellCare Acquisition; the inability to retain key personnel; disruption from the completion of the WellCare Acquisition, including potential adverse reactions or changes to business relationships with customers, employees, suppliers or regulators, making it more difficult to maintain business and operational relationships; the risk that we may not be able to effectively manage our expanded operations; our ability to accurately predict and effectively manage health benefits and other operating expenses and reserves; competition; membership and revenue declines or unexpected trends; changes in healthcare practices, new technologies, and advances in medicine; increased healthcare costs; changes in economic, political or market conditions; changes in federal or state laws or regulations, including changes with respect to income tax reform or government healthcare programs as well as changes with respect to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the Health Care and Education Affordability Reconciliation Act, collectively referred to as the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and any regulations enacted thereunder that may result from changing political conditions or judicial actions, including the ultimate outcome in "Texas v. United States of America" regarding the constitutionality of the ACA; rate cuts or other payment reductions or delays by governmental payors and other risks and uncertainties affecting our government businesses; our ability to adequately price products on the Health Insurance Marketplaces and other commercial and Medicare products; tax matters; disasters or major epidemics; the outcome of legal and regulatory proceedings; changes in expected contract start dates; provider, state, federal and other contract changes and timing of regulatory approval of contracts; the expiration, suspension, or termination of our contracts with federal or state governments (including but not limited to Medicaid, Medicare, TRICARE or other customers); the difficulty of predicting the timing or outcome of pending or future litigation or government investigations; challenges to our contract awards; cyber-attacks or other privacy or data security incidents; the possibility that the expected synergies and value creation from acquired businesses, including businesses we may acquire in the future, will not be realized, or will not be realized within the expected time period; the exertion of management's time and our resources, and other expenses incurred and business changes required in connection with complying with the undertakings in connection with any regulatory, governmental or third party consents or approvals for acquisitions; disruption caused by significant completed and pending acquisitions, including, among others, the WellCare Acquisition, making it more difficult to maintain business and operational relationships; the risk that unexpected costs will be incurred in connection with the completion and/or integration of acquisition transactions; changes in expected closing dates, estimated purchase price and accretion for acquisitions; the risk that acquired businesses will not be integrated successfully; the risk that we may not be able to effectively manage our operations as they have expanded as a result of the WellCare Acquisition; restrictions and limitations in connection with our indebtedness; our ability to maintain or achieve improvement in the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Star ratings and maintain or achieve improvement in other quality scores in each case that can impact revenue and future growth; availability of debt and equity financing, on terms that are favorable to us; inflation; foreign currency fluctuations; delays in costs associated with development and occupancy of our new East Coast headquarters in Charlotte; economic conditions in the Charlotte metropolitan area and risks and uncertainties discussed in the reports that Centene has filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. This list of important factors is not intended to be exhaustive. We discuss certain of these matters more fully, as well as certain other factors that may affect our business operations, financial condition and results of operations, in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), including our annual report on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and current reports on Form 8-K. Due to these important factors and risks, we cannot give assurances with respect to our future performance, including without limitation our ability to maintain adequate premium levels or our ability to control our future medical and selling, general and administrative costs. SOURCE Centene Corporation Related Links http://www.centene.com As the leading provider of coworking and flexible office data, Upsuite tracks demand, supply, pricing fluctuations for hundreds of separate providers in thousands of locations. Upsuite provides access to the largest, most thoroughly researched and constantly updated coworking and flexible office inventory. Occupiers, coworking operators, property owners, and investors all rely on Upsutie's data to optimize their real estate, businesses, and investments in CRE's newest asset class. "Coworking and flexible Office is one of the most dynamic asset classes in commercial real estate right now, and we think Cherre is the right partner to help institutional owners, investors, and other stakeholders see the past, present and future of this asset class," said Ben Wright, Founder and CEO of Upsuite. Cherre seamlessly connects disparate real estate data into a single-source of truth, empowering companies to instantly explore all their connected data. Cherre has the largest real estate knowledge graph in the world and enables customers to uncover granular insights, automate workflows, and build models and visualizations. "Property owners need comprehensive data to make more informed investment and business decisions," said L.D. Salmanson, CEO and Co-Founder of Cherre. "Analyzing coworking and flex space data alongside other connected data sources will enable better trend and market analysis for decision making." About Upsuite Upsuite 's mission is to enable flexibility in the office market for occupiers, coworking operators, property owners, brokers, and investors. Upsuite turns data into actionable insights for the coworking and flexible office industry. As the leading provider of coworking and flexible office data, Upsuite tracks demand, supply, pricing fluctuations for hundreds of separate providers in thousands of locations. Occupiers, operators, property owners, and investors all rely on Upsutie's data to optimize their real estate, businesses, and investments in CRE's newest asset class. About Cherre Cherre provides investors, insurers, real estate advisors, and other large enterprises with a platform to collect, resolve, and augment real estate data from hundreds of thousands of public, private, and internal sources. By providing a unique "single source of truth," Cherre empowers customers to evaluate opportunities and trends faster and more accurately, while saving millions of dollars in manual data collection and analytics costs. Cherre launched in 2016 and is located in New York City. Cherre Media Contact Kira Swain kira(at)cherre(dot)com Upsuite Media Contact Ben Wright benw(at)upsuite(dot)com SOURCE Cherre Related Links https://www.cherre.com A federal judges ruling released Sunday opens the door for hundreds of thousands of ex-felons to be able to vote in Florida despite owing fines and fees. Pending an appeal from Gov. DeSantis, the ruling on Amendment 4 by U.S. District Court Judge Robert Hinkle in Tallahassee is potentially one the largest expansions of the voter franchise in Florida history, and it comes just months before the state could play a deciding role in the November election for president. Last year, Children's of Alabama provided care for children from 46 states and seven countries, handling more than 675,000 out-patient visits and 15,000 inpatient admissions, while also housing the pediatric program of the University of Alabama-Birmingham (UAB). "Data isn't just mission-critical. It is inherent to our mission," stated Bob Sarnecki, Chief Information Officer of Children's of Alabama. "The information we keep, process and put in front of our physicians and medical team not only provides the basis for evidence-based care, the data is the basis of decisions that can change the life of a child forever." The hospital's IT infrastructure required a major update, which included the selection of new vendors for compute, storage and networking solutions. Its virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) used by some 3,000 clinicians throughout the day, with about half that number accessing the Allscripts electronic health record (EHR) system at any one time was experiencing insufficient storage performance, which resulted in delayed log-in times. Children's of Alabama evaluated several vendors and chose Pure Storage. It quickly migrated its entire VDI to the new platforms. The speed of access to all the critical clinical applications improved drastically, with VDI log-in improving from two-to-five minutes, down to just 20 seconds. In addition, 100 percent uptime of the Pure systems has helped to keep access to critical patient data up and running 24/7. These improvements enable physicians to spend more time with patients which helps improve outcomes. Pure Storage solutions also help to improve the amount of attention that doctors can give to patients. One of the most common procedures performed at the hospital is to insert ear tubes, with surgeons taking about three minutes per ear. The previous system required each surgeon to spend 10 minutes entering documentation for what had been a six-minute procedure. The new VDI and EHR infrastructure from Pure cut documentation time in half, allowing surgeons to perform one-or-two additional procedures per shift. "Children's of Alabama is laser-focused on achieving the best possible outcomes for its patients. Technology and data are essential to that mission. Mission-critical healthcare IT systems must be available 24/7 and performing optimally putting lifesaving information at the fingertips of healthcare professionals and enabling them to focus on what they do best, care for patients," said Josh Gluck, Vice President of Global Healthcare Technology Strategy at Pure Storage. Reasons for Choosing Pure Storage Pure's EvergreenTM Storage program a 100 percent non-disruptive product architecture with a flexible buying program designed to free customers from the legacy storage approach served as a major factor in Children's of Alabama's decision-making process. "With Evergreen, we could purchase a framework in which we could add storage for more than three years and avoid a forklift upgrade," said Sarnecki. In addition to the benefits that came with Evergreen Storage, Sarnecki also values the relationship that has been built with Pure. "While the key benefits of Pure Storage solutions performance, 100 percent uptime, ease of management, a superior long-term return on investment, and the elimination of forklift upgrades played an important role, our relationship with Pure continues to be key," he adds. To learn more about how Children's of Alabama is improving patient care through technology, check out the video with CIO Bob Sarnecki or visit the blog . About Pure Storage Pure Storage (NYSE: PSTG) gives technologists their time back. Pure delivers a modern data experience that empowers organizations to run their operations as a true, automated, storage as-a-service model seamlessly across multiple clouds. One of the fastest-growing enterprise IT companies in history, Pure helps customers put data to use while reducing the complexity and expense of managing the infrastructure behind it. And with a certified customer satisfaction score in the top one percent of B2B companies, Pure's ever-expanding list of customers are among the happiest in the world. Pure Storage, the "P" Logo and Evergreen are trademarks or registered trademarks of Pure Storage, Inc. All other trademarks or names referenced in this document are the property of their respective owners. Analyst Recognition: Pure Storage has been named a Leader in the 2019 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Primary Storage . SOURCE Pure Storage Related Links http://www.purestorage.com SAN FRANCISCO, July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- "I applaud the House Select committee on their action plan to tackle the climate crisis. It is our moral imperative to address and resolve this crisis as rapidly as possible, and this plan promises to do so while also tackling urgent economic and health objectives. We have to think big, and we do not have the luxury of focusing on just one crisis at a time. As Speaker Nancy Pelosi said, the plan is a 'bold step for climate action now.' "This plan commits to net-zero emissions by 2050, while creating millions of jobs and saving tens of thousands of lives every year. In particular, we strongly support the recommendation to modernize and update the rules governing wholesale power markets to support renewable energy, electrify homes, enable them to make smarter use of electricity through demand response, and invest in disadvantaged and vulnerable communities, which often bear high environmental burdens due to fossil-fuel energy generation. This effort is long overdue. "I look forward to working with the rest of our industry, as well as Congress, to make sure this bold step is in deeds and not just words." About Cisco DeVries and OhmConnect: Cisco DeVries has over 20 years experience in the energy sector. He served as an aide to the U.S. Secretary of Energy during the Clinton Administration, was chief of staff to the Mayor of Berkeley, and designed one of the most successful clean energy products, " Property Assessed Clean Energy " (PACE), which won the Scientific American World Changing Idea Award. Cisco is the CEO of OhmConnect , California's leading clean energy program that incentives residents to lessen their energy consumption when the grid is stressed. Media Contact: Ali Schwartz [email protected] 415.254.1355 SOURCE OhmConnect ClearChoiceMD has played an active role in addressing community care needs during the COVID-19 pandemic by offering on-site testing and its own virtual care visits. The collaborative program brings a convenient and immediate addiction and mental health treatment resource into communities that have been historically underserved. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Maine are among the states with the highest rates of opioid-involved overdose deaths in the country. Treatment begins with patients pre-screened on site by ClearChoiceMD medical staff. Those in need of substance use disorder treatment and/or mental health care receive any necessary physical exams and lab work at ClearChoiceMD before transitioning into PursueCare's integrated telehealth program. PursueCare's peer-recovery and care coordination experts introduce the virtual Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) model to patients while helping them get started with their personalized care team via a smart phone app. The PursueCare program begins with a virtual assessment and continues with MAT, addiction counseling, behavioral therapy, and psychiatric care through video sessions. Medications are shipped directly to patients from the company's Joint Commission-accredited pharmacy. At-home toxicology screening ensures adherence and safety. Throughout the course of care, ClearChoiceMD medical staff collaborate with PursueCare's treatment team to address any in-person needs that arise and confirm that overall health goals are being met. Both companies feel they can better address the troubling rise of opioid misuse in the region, which has surged as a result of COVID-19, by working together. "Urgent care and walk-in centers play a vital role in community access to timely treatment," said Nick Mercadante, CEO of PursueCare. "Evidence shows these centers are a front door for addiction and mental health care. ClearChoiceMD has set itself apart as a leader in addressing local patient needs. By working together, we can rapidly, safely, and securely get more patients into the right care at the right time." "The recent collaboration with PursueCare has been seamless. We are excited about the partnership and the implementation of PursueCare in our Urgent Care clinics to continue to strive in making a difference in the lives of our patients and our communities." said Joseph Sicard, MPAS, PA-C, Director of Clinical Operations & Chief Compliance Officer of ClearChoiceMD. Both ClearChoiceMD and PursueCare are currently accepting new patients. About ClearChoiceMD Urgent Care: ClearChoiceMD Urgent Care treats urgent, non-life-threatening medical needs for the whole family from cold, flus, fevers, rashes, aches, pains and backaches to minor burns and cuts to simple broken bones seven days a week. ClearChoiceMD centers offer board-certified providers, state-of-the-art facilities with on-site laboratory services and X-ray. Owned and operated by physicians who know and understand the need for excellent, expedient care, ClearChoiceMD Urgent Care is dedicated to meeting all the needs of the community, from infant to elders, school to industry and everywhere in between. About PursueCare: PursueCare has rapidly established itself as a leader in technology-enabled tele-MAT programs for Opioid and other Substance Use Disorders. The company is currently serving patients in New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Kentucky, West Virginia, Ohio, and Pennsylvania, with plans to expand into neighboring states. PursueCare provides partnering hospitals, health systems, community health centers, urgent and primary care centers with a transitional telehealth addiction treatment program that can be offered to patients who would otherwise not receive comprehensive services on site. Services are billed to patient insurance and come at no cost to partners. Early treatment data is promising, with 85% of patients remaining in treatment for 90 days or longer. The average time to start care is less than one day. SOURCE PursueCare Related Links https://www.pursuecare.com PHILADELPHIA, July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- New COVID-19 case projections released today by PolicyLab at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) paint a sobering picture for much of the United States over the next four weeksforecasting significant continued virus resurgence in known hotspots such as Houston and Miami and rising risk once again in communities across the Mid-Atlantic and Midwest. The model, which provides four-week COVID-19 case projections across more than 500 counties, is once again showing increasing risk for virus resurgence in many communities that have been quiet for some time. This includes cities along the I-95 corridor, such as Baltimore and Wilmington, Del., many metropolitan areas in Ohio and several rural counties in Colorado. The data also show concerning upward trends in areas that neighbor states with widespread community transmission such as New Mexico, which is starting to see the first signs of the spreading Southwest epidemic threaten its communities. The researchers suggest that increased travel as communities reopen, combined with lack of vigilance and adherence to masking recommendations, is creating this renewed risk to former areas of concern. At the same time, the model projects that counties throughout Arizona, Texas, and Florida will not be able to quickly flatten the spike in cases they have experienced in recent weeks, despite new masking recommendations and restrictions on bars and restaurants. The forecasts continue to demonstrate widespread community transmission, assuming no additional mitigation efforts are instituted, in these large outbreak areas through late Julyfurther threatening availability of ICU beds and health care resources. For example, while the forecast for Maricopa County, Ariz., improved slightly from last week, the modeling data shows this county could still experience as many as 7,600 cases a day by July 25. "We need to admit that we are losing the battle nationally to contain this dangerous virus as it engulfs more communities across the country, including those in the Northeast and Midwest that worked so hard to reduce cases and get back to a relatively normal way of life," said David Rubin, MD, MSCE, director of PolicyLab at CHOP and a professor of Pediatrics at the University of Pennsylvania's Perelman School of Medicine. "During a heavy travel season, the absence of a strong national response, including a nationwide masking mandate, will continue to threaten the viability of our economy and the ability of our schools to reopen in the fall, while depleting and surpassing available health care resources to care for the sick. What's even more worrisome is that we'll soon add July Fourth travel to this challenging situationvacationers will be visiting locations that even during the Memorial Day holiday had relatively low disease activitybut are quite the opposite now." For additional comments from lead investigators Dr. Rubin, Dr. Gregory Tasian, and Dr. Jing Huang on their updated forecasts and findings, read this blog post: https://policylab.chop.edu/blog/covid-19-outlook-pivotal-moment-us-fight-against-coronavirus Background Researchers at PolicyLab at CHOP and the University of Pennsylvania developed the model, known as COVID-Lab: Mapping COVID-19 in Your Community, which tracks and projects COVID-19 transmission across 519 U.S. counties with active outbreaks, representing 71% of the U.S. population and 88% of all identified coronavirus cases. The researchers built their model to observe how social distancing, population density, daily temperatures, and humidity affect the number and spread of COVID-19 infections over time across a county, accounting for test positivity rates and population characteristics such as age, insurance status, crowding within homes and diabetes prevalence. COVID-Lab's projections forecast the number of coronavirus cases communities could experience over the next four weeks based on a three-day average of their current social distancing practices, defined by the change in travel to non-essential businesses as compared to pre-epidemic. A scientific review of the team's model and findings is available as a pre-print article ahead of peer review on medRxiv. The data are publicly available in the form of interactive maps and graphs. About PolicyLab at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia: PolicyLab at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) is dedicated to achieving optimal child health and well-being by informing program and policy changes through interdisciplinary research. Founded in 2008, PolicyLab is a Center of Emphasis within the CHOP Research Institute, one of the largest pediatric research institutes in the country. With more than 30 highly regarded faculty and 60 passionate staff who bring expertise from myriad of fields covering health, research and health policy, our work focuses on improving public systems, improving health care delivery and improving child health outcomes. For more information, visit http://www.policylab.chop.edu . MEDIA CONTACT: Lauren Walens, Strategic Ops & Comms Director PolicyLab at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia [email protected] or (734) 904-2181 SOURCE PolicyLab at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Discount Tire, in partnership with Michelin, is marking its 60th anniversary with a special sweepstakes to say "thank you" to its customers. The sweepstakes kicks off July 1, 2020 and concludes December 31, 2020. "For 60 years, Discount Tire has focused on taking care of the customer," said Dean Muglia, CEO of Discount Tire. "It has always been about treating them as a friend, not a transaction. To show our gratitude during this marquee year, we're excited to give back in a way that honors the foundation of our business and provides new ways for us to engage and get you taken care of in light of current events." What began as a single tire store in Ann Arbor, Michigan in 1960 has grown to be the world's largest independent retailer of tires and wheels, operating more than 1,060 company owned stores in 36 states. Discount Tire attributes its success over the years to the respectful, can-do attitude that began at Bruce Halle's first store and is instilled in each of the company's more than 20,000 employees today. "The five lessons our founder taught us will forever resonate in our hearts and minds: Be Honest, Work Hard, Have Fun, Be Grateful and Pay It Forward," said Lisa Pedersen, assistant vice president, marketing of Discount Tire. "We've done just that for over 60 years and will continue to do so for the next 60." To enter the sweepstakes, text "60YEARS" to 87654 or visit www.discounttire.com/60years. PRIZE DETAILS Grand Prize: 60 grand-prize winners will receive a set of four new Michelin tires, along with complimentary installation. Grand-prize winners will be randomly selected each month during the promotion period from all valid entries. First Prize: At the conclusion of the sweepstakes in January 2021, an additional 60 winners will be randomly selected from all eligible entries received throughout the duration of the sweepstakes period as first-prize winners. The winners will receive a Discount Tire-branded backpack. ELIGIBILITY No purchase is necessary to enter or win. The deadline for entries ends at 11:59:59 p.m. PT on December 31, 2020. Participants must be at least 18 years of age (19+ in Alabama and Nebraska) at time of entry. HOW TO ENTER Text "60YEARS" to 87654 or fill out the online submission form at www.discounttire.com/60years. Limit of one entry per day per person or valid email address. For official rules, visit www.discounttire.com/60years. About Discount Tire/America's Tire Discount Tire, based in Scottsdale, is the world's largest independent retailer of tires and wheels. Founded in 1960 by Bruce Halle, they serve customers at more than 1,060 stores in 36 states. The company does business under the trade name Discount Tire in most of the U.S., America's Tire in parts of California, and Discount Tire Direct in markets outside the reach of retail stores. Treadwell, a personal online tire buying guide, is one of the industry-leading advances Discount Tire introduced in its 60th year of business. Discount Tire is a primary sponsor of the No. 2 Ford Mustang driven by Brad Keselowski in the NASCAR Cup Series. Discount Tire is also the official wheel and tire retailer of Monster Energy AMA Supercross. For more information, visit discounttire.com. About Michelin North America Michelin, the leading mobility company, is dedicated to enhancing its clients' mobility, sustainably; designing and distributing the most suitable tires, services and solutions for its clients' needs; providing digital services, maps and guides to help enrich trips and travels and make them unique experiences; and developing high-technology materials that serve a variety of industries. Headquartered in Greenville, S.C., Michelin North America (www.michelinman.com) has more than 21,400 employees and operates 19 major manufacturing plants. SOURCE Discount Tire JACKSON, Miss., July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- EastGroup Properties (NYSE:EGP) announced today that it will hold its Second Quarter Earnings Conference Call and Webcast on Wednesday, July 29, 2020 at 11:00 A.M. Eastern Time. On the call, Marshall Loeb, CEO, and Brent Wood, CFO, will review the second quarter results and discuss EastGroup's current operations. EastGroup plans to release financial results for the quarter after the market closes on July 28, 2020. The earnings release and supplemental information package will be posted on the Company's website, www.eastgroup.net, at that time. A live broadcast of the conference call is available by dialing 1-866-831-8713 (conference ID EastGroup) or by webcast through a link on the Company's website at www.eastgroup.net. If you are unable to listen to the live conference call, a telephone and webcast replay will be available on Wednesday, July 29, 2020. The telephone replay will be available until Wednesday, August 5, 2020, and can be accessed by dialing 1-888-277-5136. The replay of the webcast can be accessed through a link on the Company's website at www.eastgroup.net and will be available until Wednesday, August 5, 2020. EastGroup Properties, Inc. (NYSE: EGP), an S&P MidCap 400 company, is a self-administered equity real estate investment trust focused on the development, acquisition and operation of industrial properties in major Sunbelt markets throughout the United States with an emphasis in the states of Florida, Texas, Arizona, California and North Carolina. The Company's goal is to maximize shareholder value by being a leading provider in its markets of functional, flexible and quality business distribution space for location sensitive customers (primarily in the 15,000 to 70,000 square foot range). The Company's strategy for growth is based on ownership of premier distribution facilities generally clustered near major transportation features in supply-constrained submarkets. EastGroup's portfolio, including development projects and value-add acquisitions in lease-up and under construction, currently includes approximately 46 million square feet. EastGroup Properties, Inc. press releases are available at www.eastgroup.net . SOURCE EastGroup Properties Related Links http://www.eastgroup.net HOUSTON, July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- FibroGenesis announced today identification of molecular mechanisms associated with the potent reduction of lung inflammation previously reported by the Company in an animal model of COVID-19 lung failure. The Company disclosed data demonstrating that administration of PneumoBlast resulted in dramatic alterations of immunological signaling molecules called "cytokines". The studies showed that PneumoBlast reduced concentrations of the inflammatory cytokines interleukin-1 beta, interleukin-6, interleukin-8, interleukin-17, interleukin-18, and Tumor Necrosis Factor alpha, TNFa. Supporting the inflammation-inhibiting properties of PneumoBlast, Company scientists observed an increase in anti-inflammatory cytokines interleukin-4, interleukin-10, interleukin-13 and interleukin-35, as well as regeneration-associated cytokines FGF-2 and HGF-1. The cytokines found to be manipulated by PneumoBlast are known to be associated with survival and recuperation from COVID-19. Interleukin-1 beta (IL-1): Mortality from acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), is associated with increased IL-1. Studies have shown that administration of Anakinra, a drug specifically designed to block IL-1, reduces mortality in patients with a COVID-19 associated cytokine storm, one of the other causes of death. Interleukin-6 (IL-6): In a review of 1,426 COVID-19 patients in nine separated studies, interleukin-6 levels were more than three times higher in patients with complicated COVID-19 compared with those with a non-complicated disease. Furthermore, it was shown that higher levels of interleukin-6 correlated with death. Supporting a causative role of interleukin-6 in pathology of COVID-19, studies have shown that administration of blocking antibodies to interleukin-6 reduces pathology of this disease. Interleukin-8 (IL-8): Patients with ARDS show that elevated levels of IL-8 are associated with higher mortality. IL-8 is known to recruit and activate neutrophils in the lung. Under normal circumstances, neutrophils serve to fight infections. In the case of COVID-19, excessive neutrophils in the lung are believed to be associated with lethality. Interleukin-17 (IL-17): Most of diseases associated with the immune system (Autoimmune diseases) have upregulated levels of both IL-17 and the cells which produce it, the Th17 cells. Patients with COVID-19 have dysfunctional blood vessels which predispose to excessive coagulation, believed to be caused by IL-17. Additionally, IL-17 stimulates neutrophil infiltration into lungs. Previously reported by the Company: In one set of experiments, control-untreated-mice possessed a lung wet weight to body weight ratio (LWW/BW) of 3.7 mg/g. Mice treated with lipopolysaccharide; an agent that induces COVID-19-like lung inflammation caused an increase of the LWW/BW ratio of 12.5 mg/g. Administration of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) to lipopolysaccharide-treated-mice only reduced the LWW/BW ratio to 9.9 mg/g. In strong contrast, PneumoBlast administration significantly reduced the LWW/BW ratio to 5.2 mg/g in lipopolysaccharide-treated-mice (p < .001). PneumoBlast showed a 37% improvement in outcome compared to BMSCs, which was statistically significant (p < .005). More importantly, after the introduction of PneumoBlast fibroblast cell therapy, average LWW/BW ratios returned to baseline control numbers of healthy lungs, which resulted in no statistical difference between recovered lungs and normal/healthy lungs using PneumoBlast. When the lung inflammation marker interleukin-6 was assessed, control mice possessed 532.3 pg/ml of the cytokine, whereas lipopolysaccharide administration caused an increase to 4400.1 pg/ml. Treatment with BMSCs resulted in a slight 26% decrease of IL-6 in the lipopolysaccharide-treated-mice to 3317.7 pg/ml, whereas PneumoBlast significantly reduced IL-6 by 80% to 896.2 pg/ml, which was highly significant (p < .001). The use of PneumoBlast resulted in a 54% improvement over BMSCs (p < .001). The introduction of PneumoBlast cell therapy resulted in a reduction of inflammation back to normal/healthy lung levels in just 24 hours. "Expanding our research continues to build a compelling scientific justification for use of fibroblasts in treatment of COVID-19 ARDS," said Tom Ichim, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer of FibroGenesis. PneumoBlast appears to offer new hope to patients suffering from COVID-19 associated lung disease." "We continue to be impressed with the potency of fibroblasts and their ability to effectively halt fluid accumulation in the lungs and repair the damage," said Pete O'Heeron, President and CEO of FibroGenesis. "Compared to stem cells, fibroblasts appear to be a more robust and potent cell source." About FibroGenesis Based in Houston, Texas, FibroGenesis, is a regenerative medicine company developing an innovative solution for chronic disease treatment using human dermal fibroblasts. Currently, FibroGenesis holds 220+ U.S. and international issued patents/patents pending across a variety of clinical pathways, including Disc Degeneration, Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson's, Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, Cancer, Diabetes, Liver Failure and Heart Failure. Funded entirely by angel investors, FibroGenesis represents the next generation of medical advancement in cell therapy. Visit www.Fibro-Genesis.com. SOURCE FibroGenesis Related Links https://www.fibro-genesis.com PITTSBURGH, July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- F.N.B. Corporation (NYSE: FNB), parent company of First National Bank, today announced its $250 million commitment intended to promote economic investments in underserved communities within its market footprint through its support of affordable housing and small business initiatives, workforce and cultural preservation opportunities, financial education programs, community organization partnerships and infrastructure investments. "FNB reaffirms its commitment to the regions we serve, including predominantly African American and low-to-moderate income communities throughout our footprint," said Vincent J. Delie, Jr., Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of F.N.B. Corporation and First National Bank. "We are committed to providing impactful resources to ensure that these vibrant and culturally important communities overcome historic, social and racial inequities." This pledge builds on FNB's important mandate to support vulnerable and traditionally underserved communities and furthers its mission of improving the quality of life in its markets. The pledge also specifically acknowledges and seeks to address the unique challenges faced by our African American community. Throughout its footprint, the Company has strategically invested millions of dollars in local initiatives and relief funds that stimulate job growth, create affordable housing opportunities and champion overall social and economic development. Visit FNB's website to learn more about its legacy of community engagement and commitment to diversity and inclusion. About F.N.B. Corporation F.N.B. Corporation (NYSE: FNB), headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, is a diversified financial services company operating in seven states and the District of Columbia. FNB's market coverage spans several major metropolitan areas including: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Baltimore, Maryland; Cleveland, Ohio; Washington, D.C.; and Charlotte, Raleigh, Durham and the Piedmont Triad (Winston-Salem, Greensboro and High Point) in North Carolina. The Company has total assets of more than $35 billion and approximately 350 banking offices throughout Pennsylvania, Ohio, Maryland, West Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia. FNB provides a full range of commercial banking, consumer banking and wealth management solutions through its subsidiary network which is led by its largest affiliate, First National Bank of Pennsylvania, founded in 1864. Commercial banking solutions include corporate banking, small business banking, investment real estate financing, government banking, business credit, capital markets and lease financing. The consumer banking segment provides a full line of consumer banking products and services, including deposit products, mortgage lending, consumer lending and a complete suite of mobile and online banking services. FNB's wealth management services include asset management, private banking and insurance. The common stock of F.N.B. Corporation trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "FNB" and is included in Standard & Poor's MidCap 400 Index with the Global Industry Classification Standard (GICS) Regional Banks Sub-Industry Index. Customers, shareholders and investors can learn more about this regional financial institution by visiting the F.N.B. Corporation website at www.fnbcorporation.com. SOURCE F.N.B. Corporation Related Links http://www.fnbcorporation.com Exit from variable life and annuity business marks final chapter in divestment strategy TORONTO, July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ - Foresters Financial (Foresters) today finalized its previously announced sale of Foresters Financial Holding Company, Inc. and Foresters Life Insurance and Annuity Company (FLIAC), its New York-based variable life and annuity business, to Nassau Financial Group, L.P. FLIAC was acquired by Foresters in 2011 with its entry into the asset management business through the purchase of First Investors. The sale represents Foresters exit of the First Investors businesses, following the 2019 sale of its asset manager and broker-dealer to Macquarie Group and Cetera Financial Group, respectively. Consistent with the growth of this industry-leading, purpose-driven organization, the transaction marks the culmination of Foresters strategy to focus on fixed life insurance in the U.S. and Canada. Through independent agents, Foresters offers a suite of insurance products and unique, complimentary benefits aligned with Foresters fraternal purpose of helping others. To date, Foresters fraternal life insurance business has been growing behind an expanding product suite of innovative Term Life, Universal Life, and Whole Life insurance products in the U.S. and Canada. Sales through May 2020 of the U.S. and Canadian fraternal insurance products have increased 5% over 2019. Growth Strategy: Life Insurance With A Larger Purpose Foresters concentrates on offering life insurance solutions to mass- and middle-market families, which are underserved by financial institutions in the U.S., Canada and the U.K. In the U.S. alone, these under-insured markets represent approximately 39 million households. Foresters Financial President and Chief Executive Officer Jim Boyle, said, "Our strategy focuses on optimizing our strengths as a modern fraternal life insurance carrier. With the divestitures over the past year, our energies are fully devoted to driving the growth of our fixed life insurance business and taking advantage of being a purpose-driven fraternal organization. This includes creating innovative life insurance products and offering member benefits that enrich the lives of our members, their families and their communities." Matt Berman, Chief Distribution Officer, added, "Independent agents we work with see our fraternal, purpose-driven approach as a powerful way to differentiate their business. They appreciate our focus on helping others, and the fact that our insurance comes with special benefits that empower their clients and their families to enjoy a more enriching life today all while supporting the work they do in their communities. That's Life Insurance with a Larger Purpose; it sets Foresters apart and gives those we work with a real competitive advantage." Member benefits1 include competitive academic scholarships, orphan benefits, and complimentary access to on-line wills and other important documents through LawAssure2. Importantly, they also include opportunities for members to give back to their communities through local market activities such as playground builds, and especially through Community Involvement Grants. The most recent Foresters granting program is called Caring Through Crisis (CTC), which was created to help Foresters members provide local support to their community, while staying safe during the COVID-19 crisis. About Foresters Financial Since 1874, Foresters Financial has been providing socially responsible financial services to individuals and families. Foresters Financial includes The Independent Order of Foresters, the oldest non-denominational fraternal benefit society. Foresters is a purpose-driven organization that exists to enrich family and community well-being and offers insurance products to over three million members and clients in Canada, the US and the U.K. For 19 straight years, The Independent Order of Foresters has received an "A" (Excellent) rating from A.M. Best3. For more information please visit foresters.com For information purposes only. Foresters Financial, Foresters, and Helping Is Who We Are are trade names and/or trademarks of The Independent Order of Foresters (a fraternal benefit society, 789 Don Mills Rd, Toronto, Canada M3C 1T9) and its subsidiaries. For more information, please visit MyForesters.com or foresters.com. To contact us, please call 800 828 1540 (toll-free) or email [email protected] 1Foresters Financial member benefits are non-contractual, subject to benefit specific eligibility requirements, definitions and limitations and may be changed or cancelled without notice. 2LawAssure is provided by Epoq, Inc. Epoq is an independent service provider and is not affiliated with Foresters. Some features not available in Louisiana. LawAssure is not a legal service or legal advice and is not a substitute for legal advice or services of a lawyer. 3The A.M. Best rating assigned on August 14, 2019 reflects the overall strength and claims-paying ability of The Independent Order of Foresters (IOF) but does not apply to the performance of any non-IOF issued products. An "A" (Excellent) rating is assigned to companies that have a strong ability to meet their ongoing obligations to policyholders and have, on balance, excellent balance sheet strength, operating performance and business profile when compared to the standards established by A.M. Best Company. A.M. Best assigns ratings from A++ to F, A++ and A+ being superior ratings and A and A- being excellent ratings. See ambest.com for our latest rating. SOURCE The Independent Order of Foresters Related Links https://www.foresters.com/en-ca The seminars are streamed virtually on kwahs.org at 4:30 p.m. on July 21, 23, 24 and 25 for $10 each. Kirk Curnutt, the first presenter, will examine Hollywoods three film versions of To Have and Have Not. The second lecture, by John Hemingway, Ernest Hemingways grandson, and Phil Greene, a cocktail historian, will teach viewers to prepare some of the authors favorite drinks. The third, by journalist Willie Drye, will discuss Key West while Hemingway lived there in the 1930s, and the last, by scholar Sandra Spanier and journalist Robert K. Elder, will look into Hemingways first short story, which he wrote at 10 years old. YOKNEAM, Israel, July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Hallura Ltd., an Israeli aesthetic medical company developing the next generation of Hyaluronic Acid (HA) Dermal Fillers, today announced that it has appointed Mr. Paul Navarre to serve as an independent director of Hallura's Board of Directors. "We are excited to welcome Mr. Paul Navarre as he brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to Hallura's board," said Dr. Shimon Eckhouse, co-founder and Chairman of Hallura. "His exceptional track record made Paul a respected and well-known executive in the industry. Paul shares our vision on how Hallura's technology is disruptive and can transform the industry. Paul's unique insights will help guide the vision and strategic opportunities of Hallura." Mr. Paul Navarre commented "I am very excited to join the Board of Directors. Hallura is at the forefront of the technology that will allow to access the next generation of aesthetic treatments. The great progresses Hallura did in the last two years make it an exciting time to join the company and I look forward to bringing my experience to the Board." Paul Navarre has more than 25 years' experience in the pharmaceuticals and consumer goods industries. He was Chief Executive Officer of Ferring Holding Inc (US) between 2017 and 2020, managing activities including commercial operations, clinical development and manufacturing. Previously, as President of Allergan International, he managed a $3 billion specialty care business covering dermatology, ophthalmology, urology and neurosciences. During 10 years at Allergan, Mr. Navarre built a strong track record in the aesthetic medical market, delivering solid business results and developing multiple successful organizations. Before joining Allergan, Mr. Navarre spent 15 years at Procter & Gamble, starting in consumer goods before moving to the company's pharmaceuticals division. About Hallura Ltd. Hallura Ltd. brings a disruptive HA technology to the fast growing aesthetic injectables market using proprietary HA crosslinking technology, not involving BDDE. Hallura's HA dermal fillers answer the growing demand for better, safer fillers with natural and soft aesthetic results. Founded in November 2017 by Dr. Stephane Meunier, Mrs. Alona Gellerman, Dr. Per Heden and Dr. Shimon Eckhouse and with its headquarters, R&D, and manufacturing in Yokneam Israel. Hallura is a portfolio company of Alon Medtech Ventures owned by Dr. Shimon Eckhouse. Contact person: Dr. Stephane Meunier, Chief Executive Officer at Hallura; [email protected] SOURCE Hallura Ltd. WASHINGTON, July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The following is a statement from Teamsters General President Jim Hoffa about the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), the revised North American trade deal that takes effect Wednesday. "For the first time today, Teamster truckers will have protections on the job that they haven't had in at least a quarter century thanks to the enactment of this new trade pact. The deal was possible due to the hard work of the Teamsters, a bipartisan collection of policymakers and allies who joined together and worked for years to get it done. "From the get-go, securing an overdue fix to the cross-border trucking provision that threatened highway safety and the competitiveness of the American trucking industry was essential for this union. The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) had made roadways less safe due to allowing older, Mexican-domiciled trucks on them. "But thanks to the hard work of House Transportation and Infrastructure Chairman Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.) and allies such as the Owner Operator Independent Drivers Association and Advocates for Highway Safety, the USMCA adds a trade remedy to safeguard against material harm to U.S. truckers. We thank USTR Ambassador Bob Lighthizer and his team for working with us on this issue and we will continue to work closely with the agencies tasked with implementation of the trucks fix to ensure it is implemented vigorously and transparently. "Addressing cross-border trucking was necessary, but not sufficient, to securing the Teamsters' support of the agreement. That came with new enforcement mechanisms that will protect worker rights in Mexico, especially the right to form independent unions. The new labor chapter also includes the right to strike as an expression of the freedom of association and contains protections against workplace violence and for migrant workers. "USMCA also eliminated the investor state dispute settlement chapter from the original NAFTA that gave foreign corporations greater rights than American citizens." Founded in 1903, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents 1.4 million hardworking men and women throughout the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. Visit www.teamster.org for more information. Follow us on Twitter @Teamsters and "like" us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/teamsters. Contact: Ted Gotsch, (703) 899-0869 [email protected] SOURCE International Brotherhood of Teamsters Related Links http://www.teamster.org FOUNTAIN VALLEY, Calif., July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Hyundai Motor America reported total June sales of 50,135 units, a 22% decrease compared with June 2019. Retail sales grew 6% despite the ongoing economic challenges. It is the second straight month the company has recorded increasing year-over-year retail sales. Fleet sales were down 93% and represented only 2% of total volume. Hyundai sold 48,935 retail units in June, with SUVs representing 69% of the total retail mix. Hyundai SUV retail sales grew 34% with the flagship SUV Palisade establishing a new overall and retail monthly sales record. Santa Fe retail sales were up 14% and Kona retail sales increased by 1%. For the second quarter, Hyundai sold 141,722 total units, a 24% decline and 134,122 retail units, a 5% decline compared with Q2 2019. During the first half of the year, Hyundai sold 272,597 total units, an 18% decline and 248,184 retail units, a 3% decline compared with the first half of 2019. June Sales Summary Jun-20 Jun-19 2020 YTD 2019 YTD Hyundai 50,135 64,202 272,597 333,328 "Thanks to our dealers' quick action to meet an uptick in customer demand, Hyundai enjoyed the second straight month of increased retail sales," said Randy Parker, vice president, National Sales, Hyundai Motor America. "We achieved the highest retail market share gains on the year through May. By continuing to manage incentive spending responsibly and well below the industry average, I fully anticipate outperforming the market again." June Product and Corporate Activities Wards 10 Best Interiors: Venue was named to the prestigious Wards 10 Best Interiors list for its creative and expressive interior design. Venue was named to the prestigious Wards 10 Best Interiors list for its creative and expressive interior design. J.D. Power IQS Recognition: The J.D. Power 2020 U.S. Initial Quality Study (IQS) ranked Hyundai Tucson as the best compact SUV in initial quality and the Hyundai Veloster also earned the top score in the compact sporty car vehicle segment. The J.D. Power 2020 U.S. Initial Quality Study (IQS) ranked Hyundai Tucson as the best compact SUV in initial quality and the Hyundai Veloster also earned the top score in the compact sporty car vehicle segment. Preventing Hot Car Deaths: Heading into summer, Hyundai is reminding everyone to check the rear seats when exiting a vehicle. The company is also making its Rear Occupant Alert (ROA) door-logic system standard on most of its new vehicles by 2022. Heading into summer, Hyundai is reminding everyone to check the rear seats when exiting a vehicle. The company is also making its Rear Occupant Alert (ROA) door-logic system standard on most of its new vehicles by 2022. Hyundai Venue Buyers: An analysis of Venue buyers found that it is appealing to younger generations while also attracting female buyers. An analysis of Venue buyers found that it is appealing to younger generations while also attracting female buyers. Refreshed Santa Fe: Hyundai Motor Company unveiled the global design of its upcoming refreshed Santa Fe, showcasing charismatic styling and value-added features. Hyundai Motor Company unveiled the global design of its upcoming refreshed Santa Fe, showcasing charismatic styling and value-added features. Rhode Island School of Design Partnership: Hyundai Motor Group and Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) announced a research collaboration to examine relationships among natural and built environments in order to propose new directions for the future of mobility. Model Sales Vehicle Jun-20 Jun-19 2020 YTD 2019 YTD Accent 1,239 2,632 8,294 14,906 Elantra 7,561 16,540 48,450 84,971 Ioniq 868 1,607 5,438 7,599 Kona 5,943 6,341 30,767 37,089 Nexo 12 21 76 119 Palisade 8,169 383 36,455 383 Santa Fe 8,376 14,335 43,429 67,571 Sonata 5,407 8,379 30,289 47,132 Tucson 10,216 12,825 57,941 65,954 Veloster 806 1,139 4,287 7,604 Venue 1,538 0 7,171 0 Hyundai Motor America At Hyundai Motor America, we believe everyone deserves better. From the way we design and build our cars to the way we treat the people who drive them, making things better is at the heart of everything we do. Hyundai's technology-rich product lineup of cars, SUVs and alternative-powered electric and fuel cell vehicles is backed by Hyundai Assuranceour promise to create a better experience for customers. Hyundai vehicles are sold and serviced through more than 820 dealerships nationwide and nearly half of those sold in the U.S. are built at Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama. Hyundai Motor America is headquartered in Fountain Valley, California, and is a subsidiary of Hyundai Motor Company of Korea. Please visit our media website at www.HyundaiNews.com Hyundai Motor America on Twitter | YouTube | Facebook | Instagram SOURCE Hyundai Motor America Related Links www.hyundainews.com MIAMI and SPRINGFIELD, Mass., July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- IDU, Inc. is a specialty risk disability insurance brand that has combined the foundation of the original Risk Team with a host of new and accomplished talent added to the ranks. Acquiring Risk Insurance, in addition to being a cover-holder for Munich Re and Lloyd's of London, enables the organization to provide agents with a truly unique "one-stop-shop" service model for the industry's risks that don't have solutions found in traditional markets. President & CEO, Ed Kenney and CUO/COO, Matt Zuba, Esq. both have a lengthy and extensive history in the domestic and specialty risk markets, creating innovative and committed solutions that provide insurance products to some of the world's most successful individuals and organizations. About IDU, Inc. International Disability Underwriters is a growing, driven team who is passionate about; special risk, Accident and Health insurance products. People, Process, and Technology are the cornerstones of the IDU company and their success. The products offered are more than just a price point, but an opportunity to build long lasting relationships. IDU is continually strengthening these relationships and enabling producers to provide top-line service via a comprehensive suite of risk solutions. As of late 2019, IDU, Inc. is the only Managing General Underwriting organization with access to Domestic, International, and Excess paper, providing multi-dimensional underwriting offers to protect client's financial assets as well as the agent's reputations. IDU is backed by a dedicated team of veteran underwriters each boasting a minimum of 10 years' experience, supporting IDU's powerful business model. This allows IDU, Inc. to effectively implement products from three different outlets by relying on a combination of over 150 years of underwriting knowledge. One of IDU'S top BGA partners stated: "I use IDU as my go to for disability Special Risk Coverage for several important reasons: Experience ... both the underwriting staff, sales, and management are amongst the most experienced in the specialty risk business. I only get one opportunity to write the cases and I need to be sure my Lloyd's contact is going to give me the best offer every time. ... both the underwriting staff, sales, and management are amongst the most experienced in the specialty risk business. I only get one opportunity to write the cases and I need to be sure my Lloyd's contact is going to give me the best offer every time. Service IDU processes both quote requests and underwriting better than anyone else in this business. IDU's support is stellar. IDU processes both quote requests and underwriting better than anyone else in this business. IDU's support is stellar. Renewals are handled quickly and professionally. are handled quickly and professionally. and finally, and most important...they are good people who are fun to work with!" Visit IDU's webpage at www.iduinc.com for more information and downloadable marketing contents. Contact: [email protected] SOURCE IDU, Inc. Related Links https://www.iduinc.com SAN DIEGO, July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- ImageWare Systems, Inc. (OTCQB: IWSY), a leader biometric identification and authentication, is pleased to announce the appointment of Christopher (Chris) D. Dickson, as Vice President of Sales, effective June 30, 2020. Dickson joins ImageWare with over 25 years of sales and business development experience in Security, Blockchain, Cloud and Enterprise software. His career includes eighteen years with Computer Associates, where he held key sales leadership positions in various parts of the world including Australia, New York, California and Switzerland. Before coming to the Company, Dickson worked within technology for nearly two decades in sales. Most recently, he was responsible for sales at The Bitfury Group (a Forbes 50 blockchain company) and was pivotal in launching one of the first Enterprise based Blockchain SaaS solutions into the market, delivering quarter over quarter growth, ending the first 12 months, with a 600% increase in sales. While at Panaya (an Enterprise SaaS company), he delivered quarter over quarter double-digit (50%) growth, with significant new client focus. While at Verizon Enterprise, he led the partner and system integrator businesses for EMEA, growing sales by 350% within eighteen months through country-specific go to market strategies, partner specialization, enhanced operating discipline, and deliberate expansion of cross-sell and up-sell. Kristin A. Taylor , President and CEO of ImageWare, said, "Chris brings a welcomed sense of urgency and focus to our Company and a network of key relationships in the tech sector. He applies his deep technical background to his role which gives us a vital sales edge as he guides us to achieve our revenue goals. His passion for building teams, collaborating closely with engineering, and product management are Chris's strong suites." Dickson said, "With an organized focus, and new go-to-market strategies, I am certain we have the technology and team to help customers solve their identity management challenges leveraging ImageWare's deep experience with biometrics. Multi-factor authentication that leverages Cloud-based biometric matching is fast becoming the new standard for ensuring and protecting access to data for both consumers, enterprises, and governments alike." Originally from Wellington, New Zealand, Mr. Dickson studied Computer Studies at the Central Institute of Technology, now Victoria University. He is a trained programmer and began his career performing object-oriented coding. About ImageWare Systems, Inc. In 1987, ImageWare was founded to innovate imaging. After a bold start evolving silver halide photography into digital images, ImageWare built the first statewide digital booking platform for the United States law enforcement in 1998. Since then, ImageWare has evolved into the largest holder of multimodal biometrics, managing millions of identities daily. With vast experience in the government sector, ImageWare is democratizing biometrics by offering defense-grade identity and authentication solutions to the masses. By identifying the person, not a device, ImageWare is giving populations around the globe access to their important data. www.iwsinc.com Forward-Looking Statements Any statements contained in this document that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements as defined in the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "expect," "forecast," "intend," "may," "plan," "project," "predict," "if," "should" and "will" and similar expressions as they relate to ImageWare Systems, Inc. are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. ImageWare may from time to time update publicly announced projections, but it is not obligated to do so. Any projections of future results of operations should not be construed in any manner as a guarantee that such results will in fact occur. These projections are subject to change and could differ materially from final reported results. For a discussion of such risks and uncertainties, see "Risk Factors" in ImageWare's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019 and its other reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the dates on which they are made. Media Contact: Jessica Belair Veritas Lux (310) 717-0877 [email protected] Investor Relations: Harvey Bibicoff, CEO, Bibicoff + MacInnis, Inc. (818) 379-8500 [email protected] SOURCE ImageWare Systems, Inc. Related Links http://www.iwsinc.com To reduce the number of missing pets and help increase shelter's return-to-owner rates, Invisible Fence is hosting their second-annual nationwide Lost Pet Prevention Contest on Facebook. From June 1, 2020 to July 31, 2020, the public is invited to nominate their local animal shelters for a chance to win a $10,000 grant, donated on behalf of Invisible Fence. The shelter or rescue with the most nominations will win the monetary donation. "We're proud to host this year's Lost Pet Prevention Contest," said Ed Hoyt, Director of Invisible Fence Brand. "The contest is expected to receive thousands of entries and bring awareness to lost pet prevention to communities across the U.S." Thousands of shelter and rescue organizations across the U.S. are rallying for nominations and need their community's support sharing the contest on Facebook and voting for their shelter. Voting and sharing take less than one minute and is free. >>>>> Nominate Your Local Shelter Here Preventing Lost Pets Before They Become Lost In addition to raising awareness for tools and resources to return lost pets to their families, Invisible Fence also advocates products and solutions that prevent pets from escaping their yards. Since 1973, Invisible Fence has protected over 3,000,000 cats and dogs with their outdoor containment solutions, including Traditional Containment Systems, Boundary Plus Technology and GPS Satellite Technology. "Our exclusive technology is only part of what makes Invisible Fence the safest and most secure wireless dog fence on the market," said Hoyt. "But it is our animal-behaviorist approved Perfect Start Plus Training that ensures pets understand their boundaries and are confident in their yards." Taking preventative measures like installing an Invisible Fence system and recovery measures like microchipping are the best ways to keep your pet within safe boundaries and living happily at home. To help spread the word about preventing lost pets in your community, nominate your local animal shelter on Invisible Fence Brand's Facebook page. For additional information about Invisible Fence, call (800) 578-3647 or visit InvisibleFence.com. About Invisible Fence Brand Invisible Fence pioneered the pet containment industry in 1973, protecting pets across the U.S. and Canada with containment, avoidance and access solutions. Authorized Dealers provide professional installation, Perfect Start Plus Training and integrated solutions, protecting more than 3,000,000 pets. Contact: Tricia Everett Email: [email protected] Phone: (865) 235-8791 SOURCE Invisible Fence Brand Related Links https://www.invisiblefence.com The Jeep brand is introducing a new edition of the 2020 Jeep Gladiator in the form of the Altitude model, delivering a new level of personalized content for a distinct appearance that is combined with legendary Jeep 4x4 capability. "Our Jeep Gladiator Altitude model is a direct response to customers who ask for a 'blacked-out' look directly from the factory. The Jeep Altitude models continue to resonate with customers and adding Gladiator completes this lineup," said Jim Morrison, Head of Jeep Brand FCA North America. "We are thrilled that the popular Altitude model joins the Gladiator lineup and is another way for Jeep to connect with customers." Gladiator Altitude models will be available in Jeep showrooms early in the third quarter. Jeep Gladiator Altitude Based on the Sport S model, the 2021 Jeep Gladiator Altitude's exterior highlights include a body-color grille with Dark Gray throats and headlamp rings, body-color fender flares, black Jeep and Trail Rated badging and 18-inch Granite Crystal aluminum wheels wrapped in 255/70R18 Bridgestone Dueler All-Terrain tires. A black Freedom hardtop is standard on Gladiator Altitude while the dual top is an available option. Inside, the Gladiator Altitude features standard black cloth seats and leather-wrapped steering wheel with black stitching, Wizard Black instrument panel mid-bolster and bezels. The 2020 Jeep Gladiator, engineered from the ground up to be the most off-road capable Jeep truck ever, builds on a rich heritage of tough, dependable Jeep trucks with an unmatched combination of rugged utility, authentic Jeep design, open-air freedom, clever functionality and versatility. Equipped with the proven 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6 engine and a versatile cargo box, Gladiator is built to handle the demands of an active lifestyle while delivering an open-air driving experience in a design that is unmistakably Jeep. Combining traditional Jeep attributes with strong truck credentials, the Jeep Gladiator is a unique vehicle capable of taking passengers and cargo anywhere. All Gladiator models are Trail Rated with a badge indicating that the vehicle is designed to perform in a variety of challenging off-road conditions identified by five key consumer-oriented performance categories: traction, ground clearance, maneuverability, articulation and water fording. Gladiator Altitude is available in Black, White, Firecracker Red, Billet Silver, Granite Crystal, Sting Gray, Hydro Blue, Gator and Gobi. The 2020 Jeep Gladiator Altitude Edition is priced at $40,340 (plus $1,495 destination). Jeep Brand Built on more than 75 years of legendary heritage, Jeep is the authentic SUV with class-leading capability, craftsmanship and versatility for people who seek extraordinary journeys. The Jeep brand delivers an open invitation to live life to the fullest by offering a full line of vehicles that continue to provide owners with a sense of security to handle any journey with confidence. The Jeep vehicle lineup consists of the Cherokee, Compass, Gladiator, Grand Cherokee, Renegade and Wrangler. To meet consumer demand around the world, all Jeep models sold outside North America are available in both left- and right-hand drive configurations and with gasoline and diesel powertrain options. Jeep is part of the portfolio of brands offered by global automaker Fiat Chrysler Automobiles. For more information regarding FCA (NYSE: FCAU/ MTA: FCA), please visit www.fcagroup.com. Follow Jeep and FCA news and video on: Company blog: http://blog.fcanorthamerica.com Media website: http://media.fcanorthamerica.com Jeep brand: www.jeep.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/jeep or https://www.facebook.com/FiatChrysler.NorthAmerica/ Instagram: www.instagram.com/jeep or www.instagram.com/FiatChrysler_NA Twitter: www.twitter.com/jeep or www.twitter.com/FiatChrysler_NA YouTube: www.youtube.com/thejeepchannel or www.youtube.com/fcanorthamerica SOURCE FCA Related Links http://www.fcanorthamerica.com CAMPBELL, Calif., June 30, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- KDx Diagnostics, Inc., announced today that it has received Conformite Europeene (CE) Marking for its innovative and proprietary urine-based test (the URO17 test) for bladder cancer. CE marking establishes that a diagnostic test meets the requirements of the European Medical Devices Directive, a necessary qualification step for commercialization of a diagnostic test in the European Union and other CE Mark territories. "This CE marking confirms for our investors and people at risk for bladder cancer that the URO17 test can be commercialized in Europe, and we are very excited about bringing this new non-invasive test to the market there," said Nam W. Kim, Ph.D., CEO of KDx. "As bladder cancer is among the most prevalent cancer worldwide with ~ 550,000 new cases annually and a high recurrence rate requiring frequent retesting, this is a significant market opportunity." "We are pursuing this opportunity throughout the world," said Sholeh Jahanfard, President and COO of KDx, "and we are very excited that the FDA awarded Breakthrough Device designation for our test for a related indication based on now published data (Babu et al., 2018) showing 100% sensitivity and 96% specificity for detecting recurrent bladder cancer from urine samples." "The current 'gold standard' for diagnosing bladder cancer requires the use of an in-bladder camera procedure that is at best uncomfortable and often painful," said Shahram S. Gholami, M.D., CMO of KDx "and we believe our test offers the promise of greatly reducing if not, in time, eliminating the need for such an expensive and tedious procedure by virtue of an automated test requiring only a non-invasive urine sample." About KDx Diagnostics Inc. Founded in 2017, KDx is focused on developing diagnostic and prognostic tests to improve early detection and therapy decisions in cancer. KDx' URO17 bladder cancer test may be the most sensitive and specific for bladder cancer developed to date. KDx can develop tests based on the same biomarker for other platforms and sample types and plans to expand its product line both by offering new formats of the bladder cancer test as well as tests for other cancers. Additional information is available at WWW.URO17test.com. Contact: Public Relations KDx Diagnostics Inc. 408-628-7715 [email protected] URO17 is a trademark of KDx. Forward-Looking Statements KDx cautions you that all statements, other than statements of historical facts, contained in this press release, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements, in some cases, can be identified by terms such as "believe," "may," "will," "estimate," "continue," "anticipate," "design," "intend," "expect," "could," "plan," "potential," "predict," "seek," "should," "would," "contemplate," project," "target," "tend to," or the negative version of these words and similar expressions. Such statements include, but are not limited to, statements relating to planned clinical studies and meetings with regulatory agencies. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause KDx's actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements in this press release, including risks and uncertainties inherent in KDx's business and other risks in KDx's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC). KDx's forward-looking statements are based upon its current expectations and involve assumptions that may never materialize or may prove to be incorrect. All forward-looking statements are expressly qualified in their entirety by these cautionary statements. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date on which they were made. KDx undertakes no obligation to update such statements to reflect events that occur or circumstances that exist after the date on which they were made, except as required by law. SOURCE KDx Diagnostics Inc. Related Links https://www.uro17test.com SAN DIEGO, July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- MANSCAPED , the premier brand dedicated to male below-the-waist grooming and hygiene, has announced the arrival of its third-generation electric trimmer, The Lawn Mower 3.0 , in Australia. An ingenious upgrade on the brand's previous trimmer models, the intelligently-designed device uses only the best and latest technology to ensure a simple, safe and extremely effective manscaping routine. And it comes at a time when at-home grooming is at an all-time high! Leading US-based men's grooming company, MANSCAPED, has announced the arrival of its next-generation electric trimmer, The Lawn Mower 3.0, in Australia. MANSCAPED's SkinSafe technology allows men to take their grooming routine down under without having to worry about nicks, cuts or snags. "With self-care becoming a buzzword over the past few months, we've seen impressive growth globally for our assortment of below-the-waist products, tools and packages," said Stephanie Hinze, Director of Global Operations at MANSCAPED. "Further, recent sentiment reports show a majority of Australians are being selective with their spend and only purchasing products that are best for getting the job done. With a steadfast devotion to creating only the best tools for the job, MANSCAPED is proud to get the high-performance Lawn Mower 3.0 to our friends in Australia." The premium trimmer has a slew of standout features, including a precision-engineered 7,000 RPM motor with QuietStroke technology and replaceable ceramic blade with SkinSafe technology. These proprietary product attributes were designed by MANSCAPED's highly skilled team of engineers to ensure efficiency, ease and safety for the male's sensitive nether regions. A 600mA Li-Ion rechargeable battery holds up to 90 minutes of charge, while the IP54 waterproof rated design allows for maneuvering while wet or dry. "Although a majority of current users do tend to their nether regions using The Lawn Mower 2.0 or 3.0 options, we are seeing a strong trend for increased use across the entire body. The coined 'quarantine cut' has been made possible by trimming brands around the world," added Stephanie. "The differentiator is MANSCAPED's SkinSafe technology that allows men to take their grooming routine down under without having to worry about nicks, cuts or snags." For Aussies looking to elevate their body grooming habits with a complete set of essential tools and formulations, MANSCAPED is excited to offer The Perfect Package 3.0 , a carefully curated manscaping kit. The Perfect Package 3.0 includes: The Lawn Mower 3.0 - The cornerstone of a refined and elevated grooming regime - The cornerstone of a refined and elevated grooming regime Crop Preserver - Ball deodorant uniquely formulated to help reduce odor for up to 24 hours - Ball deodorant uniquely formulated to help reduce odor for up to 24 hours Crop Reviver - Refreshing ball toner spray infused with cooling aloe perfect for active lifestyles - Refreshing ball toner spray infused with cooling aloe perfect for active lifestyles Magic Mat - Set of three disposable shaving mats The Shed - Luxury travel and storage bag MANSCAPED Boxers - Comfortable, soft, chafe-relieving boxer briefs Available on au.manscaped.com , The Lawn Mower 3.0 sells for $139.99 AUD and The Perfect Package is priced at $159.99 AUD. Customers will soon be able to purchase these new launches via Amazon.com.au , with Prime and pickup options available. About MANSCAPED: Founded in 2017, San Diego, California-based MANSCAPED is the first and leading brand dedicated to men's grooming and hygiene below-the-waist. The product range includes only the best tools, formulations and accessories for a simple and effective manscaping routine. With direct-to-consumer shipping in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia and Canada, as well as placement in Target and Best Buy retail locations across the U.S., MANSCAPED is a one-stop shopping destination for men looking for a brand that is focused on the needs of what has, for too long, been a sensitive and often taboo subject. For more information, visit au.MANSCAPED.com or follow on Facebook , Instagram , Twitter and YouTube . Media Contact: Allison Frazier, Director of Public Relations - MANSCAPED, Inc. [email protected] 925-216-2791 SOURCE Manscaped, Inc. Related Links https://au.manscaped.com/ TORONTO, July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ - Clik.ai, a fastest growing automated underwriting platform that helps brokers and lenders underwrite faster, today announced it has entered an agreement with Merchants Capital, a top nationwide mortgage banking company with expertise in multifamily, affordable, senior and student housing finance, to implement Clik.ai's AI-driven workflow automation engine into Merchants' loan servicing operations. Merchants Capital is a top nationwide lender for the refinance, acquisition, new construction and substantial rehabilitation of multifamily, affordable, senior and student housing. Merchants will benefit from Clik.ai's service as its automation software will optimize workload management and assist with the massive influx of loan applications from small to mid-size commercial real estate property owners. Additionally, the new partnership with Clik.ai will support the digitization of Merchants Capital, serve as a time-effective solution, and offer customers the best services while Clik.ai ensures the security and confidentiality of their data. The automation software provided by Clik.ai is a proprietary extraction and classification engine that, alongside asset managers and underwriters, the data extracted by the system can be easily moved into the bank's proprietary platform and servicing operations. Merchants Capital will be able to review rent roll and property cash flow data in minutes, which will enable the bank to capitalize on asset management. "We are excited to announce Merchants Capital as our partner in leveraging quick and accurate technology that will enable FSA & Rent Roll Automation in minutes coupled with efficient customer support to ensure sustainable competitive advantage in the industry," commented Parag Goswami, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of Clik.ai. "We at Clik.ai are pleased to work with such a committed and successful company. Merchants' mission is to provide its loan products with exceptional customer service, accuracy, creativity, speed, and conformance to regulations. We look forward to witnessing Merchants Capital grow exponentially while maintaining a strong bottom line," continued Goswami. "Implementing Clik.ai technology at Merchants Capital was a natural fit for our business, as they are a best-in-class automation software for our industry," said John Karazsia, Vice President of Loan Production at Merchants Capital. "The adaptable, AI-driven programming will provide numerous benefits for our originations teams, ultimately optimizing our workflow and helping us service our clients in a reliable, fast and flexible way." About Clik.ai Clik.ai is a fastest growing automated underwriting platform that serves over 20 North American companies in mortgage banking, servicing, and real estate with $1 billion in commercial real estate transactions evaluated every month. Four of the top ten real estate banking firms use Clik.ai to automate and optimize workflow for property valuation and transaction due-diligence. Clik.ai's simple plug-n-play cloud software tools assist deal makers in running their deal valuations and transaction due-diligence at 5X speed. About Merchants Capital Established in 1990, Merchants Capital is one of the nation's top lenders for the refinance, acquisition, new construction and substantial rehabilitation of multifamily, affordable, senior and student housing. Whether you are considering Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae, HUD/FHA insured or balance sheet financing, let our personalized services help you meet your financing objectives. Experience the creativity of a small lender, with all the capabilities of a large institution. To learn more about Merchants Capital, visit www.merchantscapital.com. SOURCE Clik Technologies Inc. Related Links https://www.clik.ai France announced Wednesday that it is suspending its involvement in a NATO naval operation in the Mediterranean Sea after a standoff with a Turkish warship, amid growing tensions within the military alliance over the conflict in Libya. France's Defense Ministry said that the government sent a letter Tuesday to NATO saying it is suspending its participation in Sea Guardian ``temporarily.'' It came after NATO investigators submitted their report into the June 10 incident. A ministry official said France wants NATO allies to ``solemnly reaffirm their attachment'' to the arms embargo on Libya, which is being policed in part by a European Union naval operation. France has accused Turkey of repeated violations of the UN arms embargo on Libya and branded the Turkish government as an obstacle to securing a ceasefire in the North African nation, which Turkey firmly denies. France is also calling for a crisis mechanism to prevent a repeat of an incident earlier this month between Turkish warships and a French naval vessel in the Mediterranean. NATO is investigating what happened. France says its frigate Courbet was ``lit up'' three times by Turkish naval targeting radar when it tried to approach a Tanzanian-flagged civilian ship suspected of involvement in arms trafficking. The ship was being escorted by three Turkish warships. The Courbet backed off after the confrontation. France claims that under NATO's rules of engagement such conduct is considered a hostile act. At the time, the French frigate was part of the Sea Guardian mission, which is helping to provide maritime security in the Mediterranean. Turkey has denied harassing the Courbet. Turkey's ambassador to France was questioned in the French Senate on Wednesday and defended Turkey's actions as peaceful and crucial to restoring stability to Libya. Ambassador Ismail Hakki Musa said he thinks NATO has completed its investigation and that the findings were inconclusive. NATO confirmed that investigators had submitted their report on the incident, but declined to discuss it as the findings are ``classified.'' German Chancellor Angela Merkel described the incident as a ``very serious.'' ``We should do everything to ensure that such incidents aren't repeated among NATO allies,'' Merkel said Wednesday during a question-and-answer session in the German parliament. Merkel met with French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday; Turkey's foreign minister is expected to visit Berlin on Thursday. Libya has been in turmoil since 2011, when an uprising toppled leader Moammar Gadhafi, who was later killed. The country has since been split between rival administrations in the east and the west. The Tripoli-based Government of National Accord (GNA), led by Fayez al-Sarraj is backed not just by Turkey, which sent troops and mercenaries to protect the capital in January, but also Italy and Qatar. The Libyan National Army (LNA) forces under the command of Khalifa Haftar, who launched an offensive on Tripoli last year, are supported by France, Russia, Jordan, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and other key Arab countries. * This story was edited by Ahram Online. Short link: Just a stones throw from Orlando, Wekiwa Springs presents a big, clear natural swimming hole for visitors of all ages to enjoy. Set up blankets or chairs on a large hillside bordering one side of the spring, or find a spot right at the water. Then dive in and explore the second-magnitude spring pumping out 43 million gallons of water per day. GRAFTON, Wis., July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Microbrush, a leading US-based global manufacturer and supplier of flocked applicators, has launched a nasopharyngeal test swab to meet the growing demand for COVID-19 testing requirements. Sterilized and individually packaged in a medical-grade pouch, the Microbrush Test Swabs are ready-for-use intended for clinical nasopharyngeal sample collection. Manufactured in Grafton, Wis., Microbrush Test Swabs are a natural product line extension, following a 30-year track record of US-manufactured applicators for the healthcare industry. Flocked with soft nylon fibers, the Microbrush Test Swab provides an improved patient experience over 3D-printed swabs. "Microbrush has rich manufacturing expertise in this category with over 10 billion flocked applicators produced since 1991," said Dave Sproat, CEO of Young Innovations, Inc. "With healthcare providers in great need of COVID-19 test supplies, we're incredibly proud to do our part in supporting this critical need by bringing a significant increase in production capacity to the market right away." "We were uniquely positioned to develop and manufacture this product quickly due to our strict adherence to quality as an FDA-registered facility; our deep-rooted experience in flocked applicator technology; and very strong, supportive partners," added John Frymark, Vice President of Product Development at Young Innovations. "Developed in collaboration with several leading institutions and corporations. This product launch was a true team effort and a great testament of leading businesses operating with a high sense of urgency around an immediate healthcare need." The Microbrush Test Swab is FDA-listed and ready for immediate purchase. For more information on how to order Microbrush Test Swabs, please contact: Dave Newman [email protected] Microbrush is a subsidiary of Young Innovations, Inc., a portfolio company of The Jordan Company. About Young Innovations, Inc. Young Innovations (www.younginnovations.com) is a leading global provider of supplies and equipment used by dentists, hygienists, dental assistants and consumers. Our portfolio of brands includes products that hold leadership positions in the preventive, restorative, orthodontic and endodontic segments. With its mission of Creating Smiles, Creating Possibilities, Young focuses on delivering innovative, high-quality products and solutions to clinicians and their patients. We continue to enhance our portfolio of brands and products through organic growth and acquisitions. About The Jordan Company The Jordan Company (www.thejordancompany.com), founded in 1982, is a middle-market private equity firm that manages funds with original capital commitments in excess of $11 billion. TJC has a 38-year track record of investing in and contributing to the growth of many businesses across a wide range of industries including Industrials, Transportation & Logistics, Healthcare & Consumer and Technology, Telecom & Utility. The senior investment team has been investing together for over 20 years and is supported by the Operations Management Group, which was established in 1988 to initiate and support operational improvements in portfolio companies. Headquartered in New York City, TJC also has an office in Chicago. SOURCE Microbrush Related Links http://www.microbrush.com Dubai, U.A.E, July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Future Market Insight's recent study on the global mining lubricants market predicts a CAGR of 3.3% across the forecast period 2020-2030. This growth is primarily being driven by burgeoning investments in the Asia-Pacific region, particularly in the coal and iron-ore markets. As mining operations have compounded in recent years, the demand for sophisticated and heavy mining equipment have also surged. Equipment such as rock drills and hydraulic shovels require high maintenance due to their extensive usage which leads to wear and tear. Therefore, to increase their working lives, mining lubricants have become an important area of investment for major companies. However, the recent coronavirus pandemic has induced a great deal of sluggishness in the mining industry. Since the pandemic's onset, mining operations have ceased in favor of mandatory social distancing measures imposed due to nationwide lockdowns. Since early March, the metals and mining industry's average share prices declined by 10%, while industrial production losses amounted to 20%. Such downturns have led to a fall in the mining lubricants market shares. Fortunately, leading mining lubricant manufacturers have been building up their inventories which is allowing them to offset negative economies of scale by liquidating the surplus stock and converting them into cash reserves. This trend is expected to keep the mining lubricants market afloat throughout the pandemic's duration. "The global mining lubricants market is actively pursuing opportunities in the lubricants space, enabling vendors to overcome challenges in the near future. As government regulations over the nature of lubricants become stricter, market players are developing more sustainable and environmental-friendly alternatives, generating an entirely new ecosystem to flourish," concludes an FMI analyst. Download a Sample Report with Table of Contents and Figures: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-6505 Key Takeaways from the Mining Lubricants Market Study The global mining lubricants markets shall be valued at nearly US$ 3 Bn by 2030. by 2030. Water-based lubricant additives shall surpass conventional variants, owing to the need for ensuring environmental sustainability. Coal mining shall account for more than half of the mining lubricants market share throughout the forecast period. Bio-based lubricants are acquiring immense traction over synthetic lubricants, being touted as a permanent long-term solution. Open-pit mining expected to find immense application of mining lubricants due to the high volume of machinery usage. Asia-Pacific is anticipated to garner firm footing in the mining lubricants market due to the high number of mining operations. Mining Lubricants Market- Key Trends High savings potential is increasing the usage of mining lubricants. For instance, proper utilization of lubricants enables the North American mining industry to save up to US$ 30 million every year. every year. Alternative lubricants derived from renewable natural resources are being explored on a larger scale, due to rising concerns about environmental sustainability. Iron-ore mining has acquired major traction due to the rising demand for steel across various industries. As a result, the application of mining lubricants in this sector is proliferation on a large scale. Mining Lubricants Market- Region-wise Analysis Mushrooming industrial and infrastructural operations in the Asia-Pacific region has increased demand for raw materials and consequently mining operations. Thus, uptake of mining lubricants is high in this region. region has increased demand for raw materials and consequently mining operations. Thus, uptake of mining lubricants is high in this region. Europe and North America were the market hegemons across the historical period, accounting for nearly 30% of the global mining lubricants market. and were the market hegemons across the historical period, accounting for nearly 30% of the global mining lubricants market. At present, Europe accounts for a minor share in the production of mining lubricants. It does, however, consist of a diversified mineral portfolio, with Germany being the largest supplier of mining equipment. accounts for a minor share in the production of mining lubricants. It does, however, consist of a diversified mineral portfolio, with being the largest supplier of mining equipment. Coal mining lubricants constitute the maximum share across the BRICS nations. Our advisory services are aimed at helping you with specific, customized insights that are relevant to your specific challenges. Let us know about your challenges and our trusted advisors will connect with you: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/customization-available/rep-gb-6505 Mining Lubricants Market- Competitive Landscape The mining lubricants industry is moderately fragmented, comprising of the following market players: Chevron Corporation, Total S.A, Schaeffer Manufacturing Co., Kluber Lubrication and Exxon Mobil Corporation. Technological advancements in lubricant applications is stimulating mining lubricant market players to ascend the value-chain ladder. The abovementioned players are working in conjunction with major mining companies to help them strategize and upgrade their lubricant management processes and save costs. Additionally, they are expanding their operational capabilities to leverage regional market dynamics. For instance, in 2019, Exxon Mobil expanded its Singapore refinery for better upgradation of Group II lubricants stock and remain competitive in the market. Also, Shell dispatched its technical experts to Zhenzhua Zhungeer coal mine in China to audit six BE395 shovels and replaced faulty injectors with the appropriate lubrication technology in compliance with original equipment manufacturing recommendations. Mining Lubricants Market Taxonomy: Product Type Oils Greases Source Synthetic Bio-based Application Coal Mining Iron Ore Mining Bauxite Mining Precious Metal & Rare Earth Mineral Mining Industrial Minerals Mining Others Region & Country North America U.S Canada Latin America Mexico Brazil Peru Others Europe EU-5 Nordic countries BENELUX Poland Russia East Asia China Japan South Asia India ASEAN Oceania Australia New Zealand Middle East & Africa GCC Southern Africa North Africa More Insights on the Mining Lubricants Market Future Market Insights has published a market research report on the Mining lubricants market that contains global industry analysis for 20152019 and opportunity assessment for 20202030. The report provides insightful analysis of the Mining lubricants market through four different segments- product type, source, application, and region. The Mining lubricants market report also provides demand trends of different types across industry verticals, a comprehensive list of service providers in the market, various projects around the world, along with a detailed overview of the parent market. Explore Extensive Coverage of FMI's Chemicals & Materials Reports Pharmaceutical Solvents Market: The global pharmaceutical solvents market report by FMI provides deep insights concerning the various chemical groups' market shares across seven major regions for the forecast period 2020-2030. Silanes Market: Delve into the comprehensive analysis of vital growth dynamics and competitive insights of the silanes market in FMI's recently published market research report on the subject for the upcoming decade's forecast. Magnesium Hydroxide Market: FMI's recent market research report on the magnesium hydroxide market provides a detailed analysis about future growth prospects based on grade and application areas across seven major regions. About Future Market Insights (FMI) Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading provider of market intelligence and consulting services, serving clients in over 150 countries. FMI is headquartered in London, the global financial capital, and has delivery centers in the U.S. and India. FMI's latest market research reports and industry analysis help businesses navigate challenges and take critical decisions with confidence and clarity amidst breakneck competition. Our customized and syndicated market research reports deliver actionable insights that drive sustainable growth. A team of expert-led analysts at FMI continuously track emerging trends and events in a broad range of industries to ensure that our clients prepare for the evolving needs of their consumers. Contact Mr. Abhishek Budholiya Unit No: AU-01-H Gold Tower (AU), Plot No: JLT-PH1-I3A, Jumeirah Lakes Towers, Dubai, United Arab Emirates MARKET ACCESS DMCC Initiative For Sales Enquiries: [email protected] For Media Enquiries: [email protected] Market Report: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/mining-lubricants-market Press Release Source: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/press-release/mining-lubricants-market SOURCE Future Market Insights "Through this pandemic, we continue to see strong demand from growing in-market life science prospects and out-of-market entrants looking for high-quality lab space," said Phil Butler, Vice President of MRA Group. "Prospective tenants value speed-to-market, and given the regional demand, we believe pushing forward is the right thing to do." While construction slowed due to COVID-19 mandated shutdowns, MRA remains on track to welcome tenants this year to newly developed, state-of-the-art, customizable, hard-to-come-by lab space in the region. Now that Philadelphia is a nationally recognized biomedical cluster, or a Big4Bio region, prospective life science companies attracted to the area have encountered a shortage of available lab space; a concern MRA Group is working to correct. "A recent study found 98% of commercial lab space is occupied," said Sam Woods Thomas, Director of Life Sciences and Biotechnology for the City of Philadelphia. "We are excited by and proud of MRA Group's efforts to broaden our Life Sciences real estate pipeline. Philadelphia scientists and academic institutions are pioneers in innovation, but they need more space to continue," Thomas shared. "MRA Group's development efforts are essential pieces to this sector's continued growth in our city and region." Spring House Innovation Park's new 72,000+/-SF rentable lab building is within the BioLaunch611+ Keystone Innovation Zone and sits on the sprawling, 133-acre, Lower Gwynedd, Montgomery County campus owned and developed by MRA Group. "When we acquired Spring House Innovation Park in 2017, we sought to create a suburban life science destination," said Mike Wojewodka, Senior Vice President of MRA Group. "To date, we have approximately 150,000 square feet leased to nearly two dozen tenants, of which nearly half are in the life science industry. We've recently welcomed AnPac Bio, a leading international biotechnology company, while later this summer a gene therapy company, Exegenesis Bio, will be joining our roster which includes Jefferson Institute for Bioprocessing. Based on current leasing activity, we anticipate the 72,000+/-SF lab building being fully leased and occupied by the end of the year, which is why MRA remains focused and bullish on developing these much needed lab spaces for our region." Companies interested in Spring House Innovation Park, visit www.springhouseinnovationpark.net . Additionally, MRA Group, on behalf of a local university, is developing a 65,000+/-SF scientifically advanced, multi-tenant wet and dry lab and office building in Philadelphia. About MRA Group MRA Group is a privately-held, multi-disciplined, real estate solutions firm servicing the life sciences, healthcare and higher education sectors in the mid-Atlantic region for nearly 30 years. www.mragroup.net Melonie Butler Director of Marketing, MRA Group 856.278.0604 [email protected] SOURCE MRA Group Related Links http://www.mragroup.net SOUTHBOROUGH, Mass., July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- NEFI, the trade association formerly known as the New England Fuel Institute, has changed its name to the National Energy & Fuels Institute. The new name formalizes the organization's mission and longtime leadership role as an advocate for liquid heating fuel providers in Washington, DC and throughout the country. "NEFI has served these mostly small Main Street family businesses since it was founded in 1942, and that will never change," said President & CEO Sean Cota. "What has changed is the essential role they play in the clean-energy economy; and their need for a single, unified national voice to promote their interests." "Liquid heating fuel providers" are best defined as wholesale and retail distributors of home heating oil, a product that is rapidly changing. Many of these essential businesses the majority of which are small, and family-owned and -operated now offer consumers a product blended with biodiesel and other advanced biofuels, commonly referred to as Bioheat Fuel. Some states, such as Rhode Island and New York, even require its use. At a summit organized by NEFI last September in Providence, Rhode Island, more than 300 industry stakeholders from across the Northeast unanimously adopted a resolution to dramatically reduce the industry's greenhouse gas emissions. The Providence Resolution promises to cut greenhouse gas emissions from heating oil by 40 percent by 2030 and deliver a net-zero liquid heating fuel to consumers by 2050. The resolution has been adopted by every state and local heating oil association in the Northeast. "The Providence Resolution's widespread adoption shows that NEFI is successfully bringing the entire heating fuel industry together for its future," said outgoing NEFI Board Chairperson Peter Aziz. "We believe our new name better reflects what NEFI is, where our members work, and the essential products and services we provide." NEFI is now the first direct-member national trade association to exclusively represent the liquid heating fuels industry, which serves approximately six million homes and businesses nationwide. For decades, the organization has been assuming a larger role on national issues important to liquid heating fuel providers, resulting in greater interest in association membership across the country. For more information, visit nefi.com. SOURCE NEFI Related Links https://www.nefi.com WASHINGTON, July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- In his first speech as President of the United States Conference of Mayors (USCM), Louisville (KY) Mayor Greg Fischer addressed fellow mayors today detailing his plans to advance racial justice and equity. Two critical areas of focus this year will be national police reform and the nationwide recovery from the coronavirus pandemic. With a focus on police reform, as well as an examination of the underlying health and economic conditions that have exacerbated the negative impact of COVID-19 on communities of color, Mayor Fischer called on mayors to marshal their resources and collective wisdom to renew their fight against systemic racism in America. Mayor Fischer's speech can be viewed here. "The demonstrations in cities across the country are fundamentally about compassion. These protests are demands that our society offer justice and equity to people who've experienced centuries of cruelty and injustice, who've never known institutions dedicated to helping their human potential flourish," said USCM President and Louisville (KY) Mayor Greg Fischer. "Our job as mayors is to create the conditions so they can finally flourish and power an American Breakthrough that can address all in America that has broken down." Last month, USCM launched the Police Reform and Racial Justice working group, chaired by Chicago (IL) Mayor Lori Lightfoot, which is focused on producing, advancing, and enacting meaningful reforms to address police violence and patterns of racial discrimination across the country. Advised by other experts in the field, the working group recently released a set of principles that will guide policy recommendations in the weeks to come to prevent police violence and patterns of racial discrimination in police departments across the country. American cities have been on the front lines of the nation's response to the coronavirus pandemic. The resources devoted to this fight coupled with the plummeting revenues as a result of the crisis have left cities with gaping budget shortfalls. Mayor Fischer announced that a top priority will be federal assistance to cities to ensure cities have a robust economic recovery and avoid more job losses and service disruptions. He has tapped Dayton (OH) Mayor Nan Whaley and Arlington (TX) Mayor Jeff Williams to lead this push. To address the disproportionate impacts of COVID-19 on communities of color, Mayor Fischer also launched a working group dedicated to advancing health equity. The U.S. Conference of Mayors COVID-19 Response and Health Equity working group, co-chaired by New Orleans (LA) Mayor LaToya Cantrell and El Paso (TX) Mayor Dee Margo, have been tasked with examining federal, state, and local public health policies to mitigate spread, allow a safe reopening, and improve health outcomes. Additionally, Mayor Fischer launched working groups on eliminating poverty (chaired by Stockton (CA) Mayor Michael Tubbs and Washington, DC Mayor Muriel Bowser), dismantling systemic racism (chaired by West Sacramento (CA) Mayor Christopher Cabaldon, Augusta (GA) Mayor Hardie Davis, Jr. and Atlanta (GA) Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms), and economic recovery (chaired by Houston (TX) Mayor Sylvester Turner, Los Angeles (CA) Mayor Eric Garcetti and Phoenix (AZ) Mayor Kate Gallego). "These working groups will develop policy recommendations in the coming month that will help to inform a bold new Mayors Vision for a New America for release in early August," said Mayor Fischer. "The Mayors Vison for a New America will guide our dynamic, nation-moving agenda to address challenges, including longstanding priorities like infrastructure, the climate emergency, voter participation along with the urgent need for racial justice and equitable economic growth. Because we know all these causes are interconnected." About the United States Conference of Mayors -- The U.S. Conference of Mayors is the official nonpartisan organization of cities with populations of 30,000 or more. There are more than 1,400 such cities in the country today, and each city is represented in the Conference by its chief elected official, the mayor. Like us on Facebook at facebook.com/usmayors , or follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/usmayors . SOURCE U.S. Conference of Mayors Related Links www.usmayors.org PROVO, Utah, July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Nu Skin Enterprises, Inc. (NYSE: NUS) today reported it estimates revenue for the second quarter of 2020 to be approximately $603 to $608 million. The company previously forecasted second-quarter revenue of $520 to $550 million. The company will report its second-quarter results including earnings per share and provide a revised outlook for the full-year 2020 on Aug. 5. "We are pleased to report that our expected revenue for the second quarter is well ahead of our previous guidance, driven by strong global customer growth with particular strength in the Americas and Europe," said Ritch Wood, chief executive officer. "The trends we are seeing are a credit to the adaptability and hard work of our global sales force and the enduring value of our products. Nu Skin's investments in technology and our commitment to enhancing the company's digital capabilities have been a critical driver of performance and business continuity in the second quarter, with online transactions accounting for more than 80 percent of volume." Nu Skin Enterprises will release its full second-quarter results after the market closes on Wednesday, Aug. 5. The management team will host a conference call with the investment community later that same day at 5 p.m. ET. The webcast of the conference call, including the financial information presented, will be available on the investor relations page of the company's website at ir.nuskin.com. A replay of the webcast will be available at the same location through Wednesday, Aug. 19. About Nu Skin Enterprises, Inc. Founded more than 35 years ago, Nu Skin Enterprises, Inc. (NSE) empowers innovative companies to change the world with sustainable solutions, opportunities, technologies and life-improving values. The company currently focuses its efforts around innovative consumer products, product manufacturing and controlled environment agriculture technology. The NSE family of companies includes Nu Skin, which develops and distributes a comprehensive line of premium-quality beauty and wellness solutions through a global network of sales leaders in Asia, the Americas, Europe, Africa and the Pacific; and Rhyz, our strategic investment arm that includes a collection of sustainable manufacturing and technology innovation companies. Nu Skin Enterprises is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "NUS." More information is available at nuskinenterprises.com. Important Information Regarding Forward-Looking Statements: This release's disclosures regarding estimated revenue for the second quarter of 2020 are forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act, and they represent the Company's current expectations and beliefs. The forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results and outcomes to differ materially from the forward-looking statements expressed herein, including completion of the Company's close and review procedures, which may necessitate material adjustments to the preliminary estimates provided in this release, and other risks and uncertainties that are set forth in the documents the Company has filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The forward-looking statements set forth the Company's beliefs as of the date that such information was first provided, and the Company assumes no duty to update the forward-looking statement contained in this report to reflect any change except as required by law. SOURCE Nu Skin Enterprises, Inc. Related Links http://www.nuskin.com BOSTON, July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- NuvoAir, a leading digital therapeutics company in respiratory health, is happy to announce the publication of two abstracts from the Royal Brompton Hospital, London, UK, demonstrating the clinical benefits of its platform in Cystic Fibrosis. The abstracts, published in the June supplement of the Journal of Cystic Fibrosis, were originally submitted to the 2020 European Cystic Fibrosis Conference in Lyon, France, prior to its cancellation. NuvoAir Respiratory Platform Led by Dr. Madge, the Royal Brompton CF team demonstrated a 30.9% reduction in the number of booked face-to-face consultations and a 39.8% reduction in urgent face-to-face consultations when delivering their adult CF service virtually using NuvoAir's platform. The solution was well-accepted by patients and was rated 9.4 out of 10. Moreover, 43.9% of patients reported that they felt they were better able to understand their disease as a result of using NuvoAir. Self-reported medication adherence was also improved. "The integration of digital therapeutics into routine clinical practice is starting to gather pace, particularly during the pandemic. Innovative clinicians, like Dr. Madge, are now utilising innovative tools to transform their clinical services to be more efficient and cost-effective, without compromising quality of care or patient outcomes," Lorenzo Consoli, CEO of NuvoAir, said. "Patients are responding positively to these digital tools too, largely as a result of the increased engagement they feel they gain with their clinical team. We look forward to helping the clinical community accelerate this journey and make digital therapeutics a standard in respiratory medicine." The NuvoAir respiratory platform allows patients to perform a lung function and symptom assessment in the comfort of their own home. These data can be easily shared with their clinical team and used by the patient to understand how their disease progresses over time. More importantly, this data can be accessed by clinical teams via NuvoAir's digital platform to monitor patients' respiratory health. NuvoAir's platform can help predict worsening respiratory conditions, therefore, medical professionals can then focus on their most critical cases to help optimize their workflow. NuvoAir is used across over 30 hospitals globally to help patients with severe lung conditions such as cystic fibrosis, IPF, severe asthma and COPD to achieve better respiratory health. NuvoAir technology is also successfully used to support pharma companies and CROs to virtualize their studies in over 20 trials globally, as well as to simplify the diagnostic process in a clinical setting. About NuvoAir With offices in Boston, MA, and in Stockholm, Sweden, NuvoAir is a digital therapeutics company focused on enabling the right clinical decisions surrounding respiratory health in order to improve clinical outcomes and prevent exacerbations. www.nuvoair.com Contact: Steven Coughlin, VP Market Access [email protected] Related Images nuvoair-respiratory-platform.jpg NuvoAir Respiratory Platform NuvoAir Respiratory Platform SOURCE NuvoAir Related Links http://www.nuvoair.com "This business started as a passion project for me 24 years ago, so it is incredible to have created a legacy brand that my family can continue to carry on for another generation," said Greg Norman. "It has always been my goal to over deliver on quality and style for the price point, and our new portfolio takes it to a new level." Old Bridge Cellars, who focuses on winemaking, sales and marketing for the Greg Norman Estates brand, partnered with the Normans in 2019 to build upon a solid foundation and usher in a new era for the wine. The reimagined portfolio features seven wines from premier winegrowing regions in South Australia, California and Marlborough. The new winemakers, each with decades of experience and considered specialists in their respective regions, include Sam Bennett from te Pa winery in Marlborough, New Zealand; Kate Goodman of Penley Estate in Coonawarra, South Australia; Ben Riggs proprietor of McLaren Vintners in McLaren Vale, South Australia; and Bill Nancarrow hailing from Goosecross Cellars in Napa Valley. The collaboration of the Norman family with these highly regarded winemakers from around the world aims to deliver a more refined and terroir-driven approach to winemaking. After an impressive foray into the culinary world as a chef in Napa Valley, Morgan joined Greg Norman Estates 12 years ago and has been instrumental in the brand identity as well as representing her family's business with both consumers and trade. In her new and expanded role, she will drive the creative and winemaking style, working closely with the winemakers and Old Bridge Cellars. "Our family's passion and commitment to Greg Norman Estates is something that I have grown up admiring, appreciating and learning from," said Morgan Norman. "The new collaboration between Old Bridge Cellars, our outstanding new winemakers - Kate, Ben, Bill and Sam - and our family, is the perfect recipe for Greg Norman Estates. I am thrilled to be a part of continuing to help grow our family's business for many more years to come." "The opportunity we have to revitalize an established brand with new, higher quality benchmarks while keeping the pricing the same shows our commitment to double down on the Norman family's priority to over deliver for the price," said Rob Buono, President of Old Bridge Cellars. "Shifting Greg Norman Estates to an artisanal winemaking approach is absolutely in our wheelhouse and we're eager to see how the new wine styles are received in the market." As part of the brand evolution, Greg Norman Estates has debuted a new contemporary look and feel including a new label design and screwcap closures. The new wines will roll out across the U.S. this summer available in retail, restaurants and online. To purchase Greg Norman Estates today, please visit www.obcwines.com/buy. About Greg Norman Estates Greg Norman's passion for fine wine was the genesis of Greg Norman Estatesa collection of wines produced from some of finest growing regions in California, New Zealand and Greg's homeland of Australia. An avid wine collector and strong believer in the role of wine in an active, easygoing lifestyle, Greg's aim is to produce approachable wines that can compete with the best on the wine world stage. www.gregnormanestateswine.com About Old Bridge Cellars Old Bridge Cellars is a leading importer, sales and marketing specialist based in Napa, California. For more than 25 years, OBC's portfolio has been recognized for its collection of independently owned benchmark, regional estates that include d'Arenberg, Leeuwin Estate, John Duval Wines, Giant Steps, Innocent Bystander, Brokenwood, Greywacke, Maison L'Envoye and Clos Du Val. www.obcwines.com Media Contacts: Jane MacNeille, Greg Norman Company [email protected] (561) 640-7000 Maggie Bernat, Old Bridge Cellars [email protected] (707) 258-9552 SOURCE Old Bridge Cellars Related Links www.obcwines.com DUBLIN, July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Russia Cards & Payments: Opportunities and Risks to 2023" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. This report provides detailed analysis of market trends in the Russian cards and payments industry. It provides values and volumes for a number of key performance indicators in the industry, including cash, cards, credit transfers, and direct debits during the review-period (2015-19e). The report also analyzes various payment card markets operating in the industry and provides detailed information on the number of cards in circulation, transaction values and volumes during the review-period and over the forecast-period (2019e-23f). It also offers information on the country's competitive landscape, including market shares of issuers and schemes. The report brings together research, modeling, and analysis expertise to allow banks and card issuers to identify segment dynamics and competitive advantages. The report also covers detailed regulatory policies and recent changes in regulatory structure. This report provides top-level market analysis, information and insights into the Russian cards and payments industry, including - Current and forecast values for each market in the Russian cards and payments industry, including debit and credit cards. Detailed insights into payment instruments including cash, cards, credit transfers, and direct debits. It also, includes an overview of the country's key alternative payment instruments. E-commerce market analysis. Analysis of various market drivers and regulations governing the Russian cards and payments industry. Detailed analysis of strategies adopted by banks and other institutions to market debit and credit. Key report findings: In order to be on par with European peers, in January 2019 , the central bank introduced the Faster Payments System (FPS), which enables users to make fund transfers in 15 seconds using the recipient's mobile number. Users can make transfers online 24/7 via their bank's mobile or internet banking service. Currently, 42 banks including AK Bars Bank, Alfa Bank, VTB, Post Bank Rosbank and Tinkoff Bank are participating in the system. To encourage the adoption of FPS, the central bank obliged systemically important banks to participate in the FPS by October 1, 2019 and other banks by October 1, 2020 . The fees on transfers via FPS was also waived in 2019. Following the successful launch of FPS, the central bank also added a QR-based functionality to the system, enabling payments of goods and services using mobile devices. , the central bank introduced the Faster Payments System (FPS), which enables users to make fund transfers in 15 seconds using the recipient's mobile number. Users can make transfers online 24/7 via their bank's mobile or internet banking service. Currently, 42 banks including AK Bars Bank, Alfa Bank, VTB, Post Bank Rosbank and Tinkoff Bank are participating in the system. To encourage the adoption of FPS, the central bank obliged systemically important banks to participate in the FPS by and other banks by . The fees on transfers via FPS was also waived in 2019. Following the successful launch of FPS, the central bank also added a QR-based functionality to the system, enabling payments of goods and services using mobile devices. The Russian government introduced the Unified Biometric System (UBS) in June 2018 . This system allows individuals to authenticate their identity using their biometric parameters, and access financial services remotely. Users can register for the system at bank branches, where the photo image and voice profile of the user is captured and uploaded to the UBS. Based on UBS, banks are now developing new payment solutions. In September 2019 , Rostelecom collaborated with Russian Standard Bank to a launch biometric-based payment solutions for both online and in-store payments. For payments at stores, users simply need to face the camera. The user is verified with the UBS database, and payment is made from the linked card. For online payments, users need to face their mobile or desktop camera and say a five-digit code. . This system allows individuals to authenticate their identity using their biometric parameters, and access financial services remotely. Users can register for the system at bank branches, where the photo image and voice profile of the user is captured and uploaded to the UBS. Based on UBS, banks are now developing new payment solutions. In , Rostelecom collaborated with Russian Standard Bank to a launch biometric-based payment solutions for both online and in-store payments. For payments at stores, users simply need to face the camera. The user is verified with the UBS database, and payment is made from the linked card. For online payments, users need to face their mobile or desktop camera and say a five-digit code. Alternative payments are gradually gaining adoption in Russia . Several leading international players are available in the country, including Google Pay, Samsung Pay and Apple Pay. To capitalize on its growth, the National Payment Card System introduced Mir Pay , a mobile payment solution, in March 2019 . The solution allows Mir cardholders to make payments at merchant stores by adding their Mir cards to the wallet. Yandex.Money, launched in 2002, is now one of the most popular payment solutions in Russia ; as of June 2019 , the solution serves around 46 million users. Reasons to Buy Make strategic business decisions, using top-level historic and forecast market data, related to the Russian cards and payments industry and each market within it. Understand the key market trends and growth opportunities in the Russian cards and payments industry. Assess the competitive dynamics in the Russian cards and payments industry. Gain insights into marketing strategies used for various card types in Russia . . Gain insights into key regulations governing the Russian cards and payments industry. Key Topics Covered: Card-based Payments Merchant Acquiring E-commerce Payments Buy Now Pay Later Mobile Proximity Payments P2P Payments Bill Payments Alternative Payments Payment Innovations Payments Infrastructure & Regulation Appendix Companies Mentioned Sberbank VTB OTP Bank Russian Standard Bank Alfa-Bank Gazprombank Raiffeisen Bank Societe Generale Group Bank Uralsib UniCredit Bank Bank Vozrozhdenie Citibank Mir Golden Crown Visa Mastercard American Express For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/bld1ns About ResearchAndMarkets.com ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research. Media Contact: Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager [email protected] For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 SOURCE Research and Markets Related Links http://www.researchandmarkets.com SUNNYVALE, Calif. and TORONTO, July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- PFU America, Inc., a Fujitsu company, announced the establishment of PFU Canada Inc. to have a company dedicated to serving the Canadian market for document imaging. In order to better meet the needs of the Canadian marketplace, Fujitsu Canada, Inc.'s document imaging scanner business in Canada will be transferred to PCI on July 1, 2020. Mr. Masanori Shibusawa has been appointed the first President & CEO of the company. "Starting PCI on Canada Day is a great way to pay tribute to Canadians. It is an honor to lead the company as we cultivate and grow our business in Canada." PCI will concentrate on sales, distribution and maintenance of scanners plus diversify its offerings by venturing into the keyboard market. PFU is a leading document scanner company with a portfolio of document scanners for personal, desktop, workgroup and high-volume production environment. PCI's business address is 155 University Ave., Suite 1600, Toronto, ON M5H 3B7 and PCI's phone number is 1-800-263-8716. About Fujitsu Fujitsu is the leading Japanese information and communication technology (ICT) company, offering a full range of technology products, solutions, and services. Approximately 132,000 Fujitsu people support customers in more than 100 countries. We use our experience and the power of ICT to shape the future of society with our customers. Fujitsu Limited (TSE: 6702) reported consolidated revenues of 4.0 trillion yen (US $36 billion) for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2019. For more information, please see www.fujitsu.com . About PFU Limited PFU Limited, a Fujitsu company, is a US$1.4 billion global enterprise that is an edge solution partner in the ICT industry, and a world leader in document scanning products and services providing comprehensive IT solutions. The company is headquartered in Yokohama, Japan, with sales offices across the globe. For more information, please see https://www.pfu.fujitsu.com/en/ . SOURCE PFU America, Inc. Related Links https://www.pfu.fujitsu.com/us/ Oswego, NY (13126) Today Isolated thunderstorms this morning, then mainly cloudy during the afternoon with thunderstorms likely. A few storms may be severe. High 83F. Winds SSW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 80%.. Tonight Overcast. Low 56F. Winds W at 10 to 20 mph. PORTLAND, Ore., July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Portland General Electric Company (NYSE: POR) is set to launch a pilot program that will incentivize installation and connection of 525 residential energy storage batteries that PGE will dispatch, contributing up to four megawatts of energy to PGE's grid. The distributed assets will create a virtual power plant made up of small units that can be operated individually or combined to serve the grid, adding flexibility that supports PGE's transition to a clean energy future. When the program launches this fall, incentives will be available to residential customers across PGE's service area. Rebates will be available to customers within three neighborhoods participating in PGE's Smart Grid Test Bed, and income-qualified customers participating in Energy Trust of Oregon's Solar Within Reach offer. PGE will study the full benefits that these distributed energy assets can provide the grid while also increasing resiliency for each participating customer. PGE will operate and test the benefits of using homes' batteries, each capable of storing 12 to 16 kWh of energy, to optimize the use of renewable energy and grid capabilities. In the event of a power outage, participating customers can rely on them as a backup power resource. "Our vision for clean energy relies on a smart, integrated grid. One of the ways that we'll achieve that is through creative partnerships and diversified energy resources, including those behind-the-meter," said Larry Bekkedahl, vice president of Grid Architecture, Integration and Systems Operation. "This pilot project will allow PGE to integrate even more intermittent renewable energy and enhance grid capabilities while also giving participating customers peace of mind in the event of an outage." Energy storage maximizes renewables and the grid, improves power quality Energy storage is vital to help capture and store energy from renewable power sources, such as wind and solar, that are more variable. As a virtual power plant, the residential battery storage pilot will create a single resource that can help the grid balance energy production with energy demand, freeing up the generation resources that are typically held on standby, ready to kick in when the wind doesn't blow or the sun doesn't shine. As a clean energy option that takes the place of standby resources, the virtual power plant also gives customers access to reliable energy, even in the event of system outages. The test program will also allow PGE to test new smart-grid control devices across its distribution system that will more effectively allow a two-way exchange between PGE and pilot participants. The new controls will more actively manage the way that electricity is distributed across PGE's system to incorporate energy that customers generate, such as through solar panels, while also meeting power demand that is less predictable, such as for charging electric vehicles. The controls will allow PGE to more actively manage power distribution to improve power quality for all customers. Select rebates and incentives will be available to participants When it launches in fall 2020, participation in the program will be available to residential customers, including: Those across PGE's service area who already have or are installing a qualifying battery. Participation will require an application, and in exchange for allowing PGE to operate their battery for grid services, participating customers will receive a monthly bill credit of $40 , or $20 if the battery is charged with solar power; , or if the battery is charged with solar power; Customers across PGE's service area who are participating in the Solar Within Reach offering from Energy Trust of Oregon . Participants will be eligible for a $5,000 instant rebate in addition to the monthly bill credits; and . Participants will be eligible for a instant rebate in addition to the monthly bill credits; and Those living within the PGE Smart Grid Test Bed who purchase a battery will be eligible for an instant rebate, in addition to the monthly bill credit of $40 or $20 , which will allow PGE to test the localized grid impact of having a large concentration of battery storage devices available on one substation. PGE is working with Energy Trust to cost-effectively procure the residential battery storage systems by leveraging the existing solar incentive program infrastructure and trade ally contractor network. Customers who participate in the program will own their battery systems, and rebates will only be available for systems installed by an Energy Trust solar trade ally. The program may also accept customers with a qualifying battery that is was previously installed, following a process to ensure safe operation. More information about Portland General Electric's energy storage program is available at PortlandGeneral.com/energystorage and will be updated with details about the residential battery storage pilot program. About Portland General Electric Company: Portland General Electric (NYSE: POR) is a fully integrated energy company based in Portland, Oregon, with operations across the state. The company serves 899,000 customers with a service area population of 1.9 million Oregonians in 51 cities. PGE has 16 generation plants in five Oregon counties, and maintains and operates 14 public parks and recreation areas. For over 130 years, PGE has delivered safe, affordable and reliable energy to Oregonians. Together with its customers, PGE has the No. 1 voluntary renewable energy program in the U.S. PGE and its 3,000 employees are working with customers to build a clean energy future. In 2019, PGE, employees, retirees and the PGE Foundation donated $4.7 million and volunteered 32,900 hours with more than 700 nonprofits annually across Oregon. For more information visit portlandgeneral.com/cleanvision. Safe Harbor Statement Statements in this news release that relate to future plans, objectives, expectations, performance, events and the like may constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Forward-looking statements include statements regarding earnings guidance; statements regarding future load, hydro conditions and operating and maintenance costs; statements concerning implementation of the company's integrated resource plan; statements concerning future compliance with regulations limiting emissions from generation facilities and the costs to achieve such compliance; as well as other statements containing words such as "anticipates," "believes," "intends," "estimates," "promises," "expects," "should," "conditioned upon," and similar expressions. Investors are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, including reductions in demand for electricity; the sale of excess energy during periods of low demand or low wholesale market prices; operational risks relating to the company's generation facilities, including hydro conditions, wind conditions, disruption of fuel supply, and unscheduled plant outages, which may result in unanticipated operating, maintenance and repair costs, as well as replacement power costs; failure to complete capital projects on schedule or within budget, or the abandonment of capital projects, which could result in the company's inability to recover project costs; the costs of compliance with environmental laws and regulations, including those that govern emissions from thermal power plants; changes in weather, hydroelectric and energy markets conditions, which could affect the availability and cost of purchased power and fuel; changes in capital market conditions, which could affect the availability and cost of capital and result in delay or cancellation of capital projects; the outcome of various legal and regulatory proceedings; general economic and financial market conditions; severe weather conditions, wildfires, and other natural phenomena and natural disasters that could result in operational disruptions, unanticipated restoration costs, or liability for third party property damage; and cyber security breaches of the company's customer information system or operating systems, which may affect customer bills or other aspects of our operations. As a result, actual results may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements included in this news release are based on information available to the company on the date hereof and such statements speak only as of the date hereof. The company expressly disclaims any current intention to update publicly any forward-looking statement after the distribution of this release, whether as a result of new information, future events, changes in assumptions or otherwise. Prospective investors should also review the risks, assumptions and uncertainties listed in the company's most recent annual report on form 10-K and in other documents that we file with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, including management's discussion and analysis of financial condition and results of operations and the risks described therein from time to time. Source: Portland General Company Media Contact: Andrea Platt 503-464-7908 [email protected] SOURCE Portland General Company Related Links http://www.portlandgeneral.com New Orders and Production Growing; Employment Contracting Supplier Deliveries Slowing at Slower Rate; Backlog Contracting Raw Materials Inventories Growing; Customers' Inventories Too Low Prices Increasing; Exports and Imports Contracting TEMPE, Ariz., July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Economic activity in the manufacturing sector grew in June with the overall economy notching a second month of growth after one month of contraction, say the nation's supply executives in the latest Manufacturing ISM Report On Business. The report was issued today by Timothy R. Fiore, CPSM, C.P.M., Chair of the Institute for Supply Management (ISM) Manufacturing Business Survey Committee: "The June PMI registered 52.6 percent, up 9.5 percentage points from the May reading of 43.1 percent. This figure indicates expansion in the overall economy for the second straight month after April's contraction, which ended a period of 131 consecutive months of growth. The New Orders Index registered 56.4 percent, an increase of 24.6 percentage points from the May reading of 31.8 percent. The Production Index registered 57.3 percent, up 24.1 percentage points compared to the May reading of 33.2 percent. The Backlog of Orders Index registered 45.3 percent, an increase of 7.1 percentage points compared to the May reading of 38.2 percent. The Employment Index registered 42.1 percent, an increase of 10 percentage points from the May reading of 32.1 percent. The Supplier Deliveries Index registered 56.9 percent, down 11.1 percentage points from the May figure of 68 percent. "The Inventories Index registered 50.5 percent, 0.1 percentage point higher than the May reading of 50.4 percent. The Prices Index registered 51.3 percent, up 10.5 percentage points compared to the May reading of 40.8 percent. The New Export Orders Index registered 47.6 percent, an increase of 8.1 percentage points compared to the May reading of 39.5 percent. The Imports Index registered 48.8 percent, a 7.5-percentage point increase from the May reading of 41.3 percent. "June signifies manufacturing entering an expected expansion cycle after the disruption caused by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Comments from the panel were positive (1.3 positive comments for every one cautious comment), reversing the cautious trend which began in March. The manufacturing sector is reversing the heavy contraction of April, with the PMI increasing month-over-month at a rate not seen since August 1980, with several other indexes also posting gains not seen in modern times. Demand expanded, with the (1) New Orders Index growing at a respectable level, supported by New Export Orders Index contraction softening; (2) Customers' Inventories Index returning to a level considered a positive for future production, and (3) Backlog of Orders Index softening, although still contracting. Consumption (measured by the Production and Employment indexes) contributed positively (a combined 34.1-percentage point increase) to the PMI calculation, with most companies' employees returning to work in June. Inputs expressed as supplier deliveries, inventories and imports weakened, due to supplier delivery issues abating and import levels improving. Inventory levels reached parity with supply and demand. Inputs contributed negatively (a combined 11-percentage point decrease) to the PMI calculation but were more than offset by the demand and consumption improvement. (The Supplier Deliveries and Inventories indexes directly factor into the PMI; the Imports Index does not.) Prices entered expansion again, but at marginal levels, supporting a positive outlook. "As predicted, the growth cycle has returned after three straight months of COVID-19 disruptions. Demand, consumption and inputs are reaching parity and are positioned for a demand-driven expansion cycle as we enter the second half of the year. Among the six biggest industry sectors, Food, Beverage & Tobacco Products remains the best performing industry sector, and Computer & Electronic Products, and Chemical Products returned to respectable growth. Transportation Equipment and Fabricated Metal Products continue to contract, but at much softer levels," says Fiore. Of the 18 manufacturing industries, the 13 that reported growth in June in the following order are: Textile Mills; Wood Products; Furniture & Related Products; Printing & Related Support Activities; Apparel, Leather & Allied Products; Food, Beverage & Tobacco Products; Computer & Electronic Products; Plastics & Rubber Products; Chemical Products; Miscellaneous Manufacturing; Nonmetallic Mineral Products; Paper Products; and Electrical Equipment, Appliances & Components. The four industries reporting contraction in June are: Transportation Equipment; Primary Metals; Fabricated Metal Products; and Machinery. WHAT RESPONDENTS ARE SAYING "While we are seeing signs of an uptick in business activity, it is a slow recovery at this point." (Chemical Products) "Gradually ramping production back in our plants. Most of our supply base continued to operate during COVID-19, so we are not seeing a significant supply risk. Will be monitoring supply chain financial health closely." (Transportation Equipment) "Thankfully, we are in quite a few industries, so impact wasn't as harsh on us and more stable. However, during the last two weeks, our bookings have grown, and supply seems to be more readily available." (Fabricated Metal Products) "Difficulty keeping up with a significant increase in demand related to COVID-19. Industry is up 62.5 percent versus [a] year ago. Supply challenges throughout the supply chain. Supply could be hindered if another wave of COVID-19 hits in the fall." (Food, Beverage & Tobacco Products) "Market demand for refined products has increased as statewide quarantines have been lifted, but it is still below normal volumes." (Petroleum & Coal Products) "Orders have picked up and are trending toward normal production requirements [volume similar to 2019 production]." (Plastics & Rubber Products) "We are seeing an increase in orders as the economy starts to get rolling again. Slow and steady, sales are increasing. So far, so good." (Primary Metals) "Looks like May was the bottom in terms of orders. June is stronger, and our order books are rebuilding." (Machinery) "Demand is down significantly due to COVID-19 but is starting to stabilize. We are hopeful for recovery in the second half of the year." (Miscellaneous Manufacturing) "The building industry continues to defy expectations, as we continue to rebound stronger from the previous month. Being an essential business across most states and a surge in DIY projects has fueled the industry forward. While the industry will follow the greater economy, we do believe it will be more resilient than most due to potential migration from larger cities and an undersupplied housing market." (Wood Products) MANUFACTURING AT A GLANCE June 2020 Index Series Index Jun Series Index May Percentage Point Change Direction Rate of Change Trend* (Months) PMI 52.6 43.1 +9.5 Growing From Contracting 1 New Orders 56.4 31.8 +24.6 Growing From Contracting 1 Production 57.3 33.2 +24.1 Growing From Contracting 1 Employment 42.1 32.1 +10.0 Contracting Slower 11 Supplier Deliveries 56.9 68.0 -11.1 Slowing Slower 8 Inventories 50.5 50.4 +0.1 Growing Faster 2 Customers' Inventories 44.6 46.2 -1.6 Too Low Faster 45 Prices 51.3 40.8 +10.5 Increasing From Decreasing 1 Backlog of Orders 45.3 38.2 +7.1 Contracting Slower 4 New Export Orders 47.6 39.5 +8.1 Contracting Slower 4 Imports 48.8 41.3 +7.5 Contracting Slower 5 OVERALL ECONOMY Growing Faster 2 Manufacturing Sector Growing From Contracting 1 Manufacturing ISM Report On Business data is seasonally adjusted for the New Orders, Production, Employment and Inventories indexes. *Number of months moving in current direction. COMMODITIES REPORTED UP/DOWN IN PRICE AND IN SHORT SUPPLY Commodities Up in Price Aluminum*; Caustic Soda; Copper; Crude Oil (2); Diesel Fuel*; Ethanol; Natural Gas; Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Masks (3); Steel Hot Rolled; Steel Scrap; and Steel Products*. Commodities Down in Price Aluminum* (5); Diesel Fuel* (4); Methanol (2); Nylon (2); Packaging Materials (2); Plastic Products (2); Resins; Solvents (2); and Steel Products* (3). Commodities in Short Supply Ethanol; PPE (2); Sanitizers & Disinfectants; and PPE Gloves (4). Note: The number of consecutive months the commodity is listed is indicated after each item. *Indicates both up and down in price. JUNE 2020 MANUFACTURING INDEX SUMMARIES PMI Manufacturing grew in June, as the PMI registered 52.6 percent, 9.5 percentage points higher than the May reading of 43.1 percent. "The PMI signaled a rebuilding of economic activity in June after three months below 50 percent. The PMI recorded its largest increase since August 1980, when it increased 10.5 percentage points. Among the big six industries, three of the industry sectors expanded. New Orders and Production returned to expansion, and at respectable levels. Supplier Deliveries reached a normal level of tension between supply and demand. Five of the 10 subindexes registered expansion, a marked improvement from previous periods," says Fiore. A reading above 50 percent indicates that the manufacturing economy is generally expanding; below 50 percent indicates that it is generally contracting. A PMI above 42.8 percent, over a period of time, generally indicates an expansion of the overall economy. Therefore, the June PMI indicates the overall economy grew in June after a small increase in May, following contraction in April. The manufacturing sector grew after three consecutive months of contraction. "The past relationship between the PMI and the overall economy indicates that the PMI for June (52.6 percent) corresponds to a 2.9-percent increase in real gross domestic product (GDP) on an annualized basis," says Fiore. THE LAST 12 MONTHS Month PMI Month PMI Jun 2020 52.6 Dec 2019 47.8 May 2020 43.1 Nov 2019 48.1 Apr 2020 41.5 Oct 2019 48.5 Mar 2020 49.1 Sep 2019 48.2 Feb 2020 50.1 Aug 2019 48.8 Jan 2020 50.9 Jul 2019 51.3 Average for 12 months 48.3 High 52.6 Low 41.5 New Orders ISM's New Orders Index registered 56.4 percent in June, an increase of 24.6 percentage points compared to the 31.8 percent reported in May. This indicates that new orders grew after contracting for four consecutive months. This is the index's largest month-over-month increase since records began in January 1948. "Of the top six industry sectors, Food, Beverage & Tobacco Products and Chemical Products expanded strongly. Transportation Equipment and Fabricated Metal Products remained in contraction, but at much softer levels. Demand improved in June across all six big industry sectors," says Fiore. A New Orders Index above 52.5 percent, over time, is generally consistent with an increase in the Census Bureau's series on manufacturing orders (in constant 2000 dollars). Of the 18 manufacturing industries, the 11 that reported growth in new orders in June in the following order are: Textile Mills; Plastics & Rubber Products; Wood Products; Printing & Related Support Activities; Food, Beverage & Tobacco Products; Chemical Products; Furniture & Related Products; Electrical Equipment, Appliances & Components; Miscellaneous Manufacturing; Machinery; and Computer & Electronic Products. The two industries reporting a decline in new orders in June are: Fabricated Metal Products; and Transportation Equipment. New Orders %Higher %Same %Lower Net Index Jun 2020 37.3 38.9 23.9 +13.4 56.4 May 2020 21.2 26.0 52.9 -31.7 31.8 Apr 2020 17.7 22.7 59.7 -42.0 27.1 Mar 2020 23.5 44.4 32.1 -8.6 42.2 Production The Production Index registered 57.3 percent in June, indicating that production grew after contracting for three straight months. The increase of 24.1 percentage points is the largest since August 1952, when the index increased 46.8 percentage points. "Four of the top six industries expanded strongly, with two contracting softly, a marked improvement from May," says Fiore. An index above 51.7 percent, over time, is generally consistent with an increase in the Federal Reserve Board's Industrial Production figures. The 13 industries reporting growth in production during the month of June listed in order are: Textile Mills; Furniture & Related Products; Wood Products; Printing & Related Support Activities; Petroleum & Coal Products; Plastics & Rubber Products; Food, Beverage & Tobacco Products; Chemical Products; Computer & Electronic Products; Paper Products; Machinery; Electrical Equipment, Appliances & Components; and Miscellaneous Manufacturing. The three industries reporting a decrease in production in June are: Primary Metals; Transportation Equipment; and Fabricated Metal Products. Production %Higher %Same %Lower Net Index Jun 2020 39.2 37.7 23.1 +16.1 57.3 May 2020 20.7 27.8 51.5 -30.8 33.2 Apr 2020 18.6 21.2 60.2 -41.6 27.5 Mar 2020 21.5 53.7 24.8 -3.3 47.7 Employment ISM's Employment Index registered 42.1 percent in June, 10 percentage points higher than the May reading of 32.1 percent. This is the index's largest month-over-month increase since April 1961 (11 percentage points). "This is the 11th consecutive month of employment contraction, but at a slower rate compared to May. Three of the six big industry sectors experienced expansion, as stay-at-home orders were lifted and more people returned to work. Long-term labor market growth remains uncertain, but moderately strong new order levels and a softening of backlog contraction were encouraging signs," says Fiore. An Employment Index above 50.8 percent, over time, is generally consistent with an increase in the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data on manufacturing employment. Of the 18 manufacturing industries, the five industries to report employment growth in June are: Apparel, Leather & Allied Products; Nonmetallic Mineral Products; Computer & Electronic Products; Food, Beverage & Tobacco Products; and Chemical Products. The 11 industries reporting a decrease in employment in June, in the following order, are: Printing & Related Support Activities; Petroleum & Coal Products; Transportation Equipment; Primary Metals; Electrical Equipment, Appliances & Components; Plastics & Rubber Products; Paper Products; Furniture & Related Products; Fabricated Metal Products; Machinery; and Miscellaneous Manufacturing. Employment %Higher %Same %Lower Net Index Jun 2020 14.6 58.8 26.6 -12.0 42.1 May 2020 7.6 51.2 41.1 -33.5 32.1 Apr 2020 2.8 50.7 46.6 -43.8 27.5 Mar 2020 8.6 70.1 21.3 -12.7 43.8 Supplier Deliveries The delivery performance of suppliers to manufacturing organizations was slower in June, as the Supplier Deliveries Index registered 56.9 percent. This is 11.1 percentage points lower than the 68 percent reported in May. That percentage-point decrease is the index's largest month-over-month decline since a drop of 11.9 percentage points in May 1979. "Suppliers continue to struggle to deliver, although at a slower rate compared to May. Plant shutdowns, transportation challenges and continuing difficulties in importing parts and components continue to be factors, but to lesser degrees. The Supplier Delivery Index currently reflects a healthy supply/demand balance," says Fiore. A reading below 50 percent indicates faster deliveries, while a reading above 50 percent indicates slower deliveries. Fourteen of 18 industries reported slower supplier deliveries in June, listed in the following order: Printing & Related Support Activities; Electrical Equipment, Appliances & Components; Miscellaneous Manufacturing; Textile Mills; Computer & Electronic Products; Paper Products; Petroleum & Coal Products; Nonmetallic Mineral Products; Chemical Products; Food, Beverage & Tobacco Products; Plastics & Rubber Products; Fabricated Metal Products; Transportation Equipment; and Machinery. The only industry reporting faster supplier deliveries in June is Furniture & Related Products. Supplier Deliveries %Slower %Same %Faster Net Index Jun 2020 22.9 68.1 9.0 +13.9 56.9 May 2020 41.0 54.2 4.9 +36.1 68.0 Apr 2020 55.8 40.3 3.9 +51.9 76.0 Mar 2020 35.7 58.6 5.7 +30.0 65.0 Inventories The Inventories Index registered 50.5 percent in June, 0.1 percentage point higher than the 50.4 percent reported for May. Inventories expanded for a second straight month after 11 consecutive months of index contraction. "The index grew again, but at a marginal level. Inventories appear to have reached an equilibrium with consumption and inputs," says Fiore. An Inventories Index greater than 44.3 percent, over time, is generally consistent with expansion in the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) figures on overall manufacturing inventories (in chained 2000 dollars). The nine industries reporting higher inventories in June, in order, are: Apparel, Leather & Allied Products; Furniture & Related Products; Textile Mills; Printing & Related Support Activities; Wood Products; Nonmetallic Mineral Products; Food, Beverage & Tobacco Products; Miscellaneous Manufacturing; and Computer & Electronic Products. The six industries reporting a decrease in inventories in June listed in order are: Electrical Equipment, Appliances & Components; Fabricated Metal Products; Machinery; Plastics & Rubber Products; Transportation Equipment; and Chemical Products. Inventories %Higher %Same %Lower Net Index Jun 2020 22.9 54.1 23.0 -0.1 50.5 May 2020 29.0 42.0 29.0 0.0 50.4 Apr 2020 31.7 37.2 31.2 +0.5 49.7 Mar 2020 20.5 55.0 24.5 -4.0 46.9 Customers' Inventories ISM's Customers' Inventories Index registered 44.6 percent in June, 1.6 percentage points lower than the 46.2 percent reported for May, indicating that customers' inventory levels were considered too low. "Customers' inventories are too low for the 45th consecutive month and moved further from 'about right' territory in June, a positive for future production," says Fiore. Of the 18 industries, the four reporting higher customers' inventories in June are: Furniture & Related Products; Transportation Equipment; Primary Metals; and Electrical Equipment, Appliances & Components. The nine industries reporting customers' inventories as too low during June listed in order are: Wood Products; Apparel, Leather & Allied Products; Plastics & Rubber Products; Fabricated Metal Products; Chemical Products; Computer & Electronic Products; Nonmetallic Mineral Products; Food, Beverage & Tobacco Products; and Machinery. Customers' Inventories % Reporting %Too High %About Right %Too Low Net Index Jun 2020 74 15.4 58.4 26.1 -10.7 44.6 May 2020 75 21.8 48.7 29.5 -7.7 46.2 Apr 2020 73 21.7 54.2 24.1 -2.4 48.8 Mar 2020 75 11.4 64.0 24.6 -13.2 43.4 Prices The ISM Prices Index registered 51.3 percent, 10.5 percentage points higher than the May reading of 40.8 percent, indicating raw materials prices increased after four consecutive months of declines. "Prices increased in June, driven primarily by alcohols and other chemicals, steels, steel scrap, aluminum, copper, personal protective equipment, and energy. The return of price growth indicates that supplier/buyer pricing power is closer to parity," says Fiore. A Prices Index above 52.5 percent, over time, is generally consistent with an increase in the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Producer Price Index for Intermediate Materials. The eight industries reporting paying increased prices for raw materials in June listed in order are: Apparel, Leather & Allied Products; Wood Products; Fabricated Metal Products; Computer & Electronic Products; Nonmetallic Mineral Products; Miscellaneous Manufacturing; Machinery; and Chemical Products. The five industries reporting a decrease in prices for raw materials in June are: Plastics & Rubber Products; Paper Products; Primary Metals; Transportation Equipment; and Food, Beverage & Tobacco Products. Prices %Higher %Same %Lower Net Index Jun 2020 18.5 65.6 15.9 +2.6 51.3 May 2020 13.9 53.8 32.3 -18.4 40.8 Apr 2020 10.0 50.6 39.4 -29.4 35.3 Mar 2020 11.6 51.7 36.7 -25.1 37.4 Backlog of Orders ISM's Backlog of Orders Index registered 45.3 percent in June, a 7.1-percentage point increase compared to the 38.2 percent reported in May, indicating order backlogs contracted for the fourth consecutive month. "A slowing of backlog contraction is a positive for the future. It indicates that production satisfied most new-order intake and consumed a lower amount of backlog while customer inventories declined. Panelists also indicated that the period of order-book adjustment is ending. Two of the six big industry sectors' backlogs expanded, a marked improvement from May," says Fiore. The six industries reporting growth in order backlogs in June, in the following order, are: Textile Mills; Plastics & Rubber Products; Nonmetallic Mineral Products; Computer & Electronic Products; Machinery; and Chemical Products. In June, seven industries reported lower backlogs, in the following order: Food, Beverage & Tobacco Products; Transportation Equipment; Petroleum & Coal Products; Miscellaneous Manufacturing; Furniture & Related Products; Fabricated Metal Products; and Electrical Equipment, Appliances & Components. Backlog of Orders % Reporting %Higher %Same %Lower Net Index Jun 2020 89 19.4 51.9 28.7 -9.3 45.3 May 2020 91 18.2 40.1 41.8 -23.6 38.2 Apr 2020 91 20.9 33.7 45.4 -24.5 37.8 Mar 2020 90 18.1 55.5 26.3 -8.2 45.9 New Export Orders ISM's New Export Orders Index registered 47.6 percent in June, up 8.1 percentage points compared to the May reading of 39.5 percent. "The New Export Orders Index contracted modestly after two straight months of strong contraction. However, none of the six big industry sectors expanded," says Fiore. The three industries reporting growth in new export orders in June are: Textile Mills; Paper Products; and Plastics & Rubber Products. The nine industries reporting a decrease in new export orders in June, in the following order, are: Nonmetallic Mineral Products; Printing & Related Support Activities; Electrical Equipment, Appliances & Components; Primary Metals; Fabricated Metal Products; Computer & Electronic Products; Transportation Equipment; Food, Beverage & Tobacco Products; and Chemical Products. Six industries reported no change in new export orders in June compared to May. New Export Orders % Reporting %Higher %Same %Lower Net Index Jun 2020 75 13.8 67.7 18.5 -4.7 47.6 May 2020 77 14.3 50.6 35.2 -20.9 39.5 Apr 2020 79 12.0 46.5 41.5 -29.5 35.3 Mar 2020 76 12.5 68.1 19.4 -6.9 46.6 Imports ISM's Imports Index registered 48.8 percent in June, up 7.5 percentage points compared to the 41.3 percent reported for May. "For the fifth consecutive month, imports were in contraction territory, but at significantly slower rates, reflecting increased U.S. demand. However, panelists noted continuing difficulty in obtaining import materials, primarily from China," says Fiore. The five industries reporting growth in imports in June are: Apparel, Leather & Allied Products; Wood Products; Printing & Related Support Activities; Machinery; and Food, Beverage & Tobacco Products. The eight industries reporting a decrease in imports in June in the following order are: Nonmetallic Mineral Products; Plastics & Rubber Products; Primary Metals; Miscellaneous Manufacturing; Electrical Equipment, Appliances & Components; Transportation Equipment; Fabricated Metal Products; and Computer & Electronic Products. Imports % Reporting %Higher %Same %Lower Net Index Jun 2020 83 15.3 67.1 17.6 -2.3 48.8 May 2020 84 13.6 55.4 31.0 -17.4 41.3 Apr 2020 86 20.4 44.6 35.1 -14.7 42.7 Mar 2020 83 16.5 51.4 32.2 -15.7 42.1 The Supplier Deliveries, Customers' Inventories, Prices, Backlog of Orders, New Export Orders and Imports indexes do not meet the accepted criteria for seasonal adjustments. Buying Policy Average commitment lead time for Capital Expenditures decreased by five days in June to 132 days. Average lead time for Production Materials decreased by two days to 63 days. Average lead time for Maintenance, Repair and Operating (MRO) Supplies was unchanged at 36 days. Percent Reporting Capital Expenditures Hand-to-Mouth 30 Days 60 Days 90 Days 6 Months 1 Year+ Average Days Jun 2020 25 7 9 17 24 18 132 May 2020 24 7 10 16 23 20 137 Apr 2020 26 6 11 17 20 20 133 Mar 2020 22 6 9 21 24 18 135 Percent Reporting Production Materials Hand-to-Mouth 30 Days 60 Days 90 Days 6 Months 1 Year+ Average Days Jun 2020 11 37 25 18 7 2 63 May 2020 12 34 28 15 9 2 65 Apr 2020 14 33 23 20 8 2 64 Mar 2020 12 28 31 20 7 2 65 Percent Reporting MRO Supplies Hand-to-Mouth 30 Days 60 Days 90 Days 6 Months 1 Year+ Average Days Jun 2020 38 37 15 7 2 1 36 May 2020 39 31 17 10 3 0 36 Apr 2020 39 32 14 10 4 1 40 Mar 2020 40 32 16 8 3 1 37 About This Report DO NOT CONFUSE THIS NATIONAL REPORT with the various regional purchasing reports released across the country. The national report's information reflects the entire U.S., while the regional reports contain primarily regional data from their local vicinities. Also, the information in the regional reports is not used in calculating the results of the national report. The information compiled in this report is for the month of June 2020. The data presented herein is obtained from a survey of manufacturing supply executives based on information they have collected within their respective organizations. ISM makes no representation, other than that stated within this release, regarding the individual company data collection procedures. The data should be compared to all other economic data sources when used in decision-making. Data and Method of Presentation The Manufacturing ISM Report On Business is based on data compiled from purchasing and supply executives nationwide. The composition of the Manufacturing Business Survey Committee is stratified according to the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) and each of the following NAICS-based industry's contribution to gross domestic product (GDP): Food, Beverage & Tobacco Products; Textile Mills; Apparel, Leather & Allied Products; Wood Products; Paper Products; Printing & Related Support Activities; Petroleum & Coal Products; Chemical Products; Plastics & Rubber Products; Nonmetallic Mineral Products; Primary Metals; Fabricated Metal Products; Machinery; Computer & Electronic Products; Electrical Equipment, Appliances & Components; Transportation Equipment; Furniture & Related Products; and Miscellaneous Manufacturing (products such as medical equipment and supplies, jewelry, sporting goods, toys and office supplies). The data are weighted based on each industry's contribution to GDP. According to the BEA estimates for 2018 GDP (released October 29, 2019), the six largest manufacturing sub-sectors are: Computer & Electronic Products; Chemical Products; Transportation Equipment Manufacturing; Food, Beverage & Tobacco Products; Petroleum & Coal Products; and Fabricated Metal Products. Beginning in April 2018 with March 2018 data, computation of the indexes is accomplished utilizing unrounded numbers. Survey responses reflect the change, if any, in the current month compared to the previous month. For each of the indicators measured (New Orders, Backlog of Orders, New Export Orders, Imports, Production, Supplier Deliveries, Inventories, Customers' Inventories, Employment and Prices), this report shows the percentage reporting each response, the net difference between the number of responses in the positive economic direction (higher, better and slower for Supplier Deliveries) and the negative economic direction (lower, worse and faster for Supplier Deliveries), and the diffusion index. Responses are raw data and are never changed. The diffusion index includes the percent of positive responses plus one-half of those responding the same (considered positive). The resulting single index number for those meeting the criteria for seasonal adjustments (PMI, New Orders, Production, Employment and Inventories) is then seasonally adjusted to allow for the effects of repetitive intra-year variations resulting primarily from normal differences in weather conditions, various institutional arrangements, and differences attributable to non-moveable holidays. All seasonal adjustment factors are subject annually to relatively minor changes when conditions warrant them. The PMI is a composite index based on the diffusion indexes of five of the indexes with equal weights: New Orders (seasonally adjusted), Production (seasonally adjusted), Employment (seasonally adjusted), Supplier Deliveries (seasonally adjusted), and Inventories. Diffusion indexes have the properties of leading indicators and are convenient summary measures showing the prevailing direction of change and the scope of change. A PMI reading above 50 percent indicates that the manufacturing economy is generally expanding; below 50 percent indicates that it is generally declining. A PMI above 42.8 percent, over a period of time, indicates that the overall economy, or gross domestic product (GDP), is generally expanding; below 42.8 percent, it is generally declining. The distance from 50 percent or 42.8 percent is indicative of the extent of the expansion or decline. With some of the indicators within this report, ISM has indicated the departure point between expansion and decline of comparable government series, as determined by regression analysis. The Manufacturing ISM Report On Business survey is sent out to Manufacturing Business Survey Committee respondents the first part of each month. Respondents are asked to report on information for the current month for U.S. operations only. ISM receives survey responses throughout most of any given month, with the majority of respondents generally waiting until late in the month to submit responses in order to give the most accurate picture of current business activity. ISM then compiles the report for release on the first business day of the following month. The industries reporting growth, as indicated in the Manufacturing ISM Report On Business monthly report, are listed in the order of most growth to least growth. For the industries reporting contraction or decreases, those are listed in the order of the highest level of contraction/decrease to the least level of contraction/decrease. Responses to Buying Policy reflect the percent reporting the current month's lead time, the approximate weighted number of days ahead for which commitments are made for Capital Expenditures; Production Materials; and Maintenance, Repair and Operating (MRO) Supplies, expressed as hand-to-mouth (five days), 30 days, 60 days, 90 days, six months (180 days), a year or more (360 days), and the weighted average number of days. These responses are raw data, never revised, and not seasonally adjusted since there is no significant seasonal pattern. ISM ROB Content The Institute for Supply Management ("ISM") Report On Business (both Manufacturing and Non-Manufacturing) ("ISM ROB") contains information, text, files, images, video, sounds, musical works, works of authorship, applications, and any other materials or content (collectively, "Content") of ISM ("ISM ROB Content"). ISM ROB Content is protected by copyright, trademark, trade secret, and other laws, and as between you and ISM, ISM owns and retains all rights in the ISM ROB Content. ISM hereby grants you a limited, revocable, nonsublicensable license to access and display on your individual device the ISM ROB Content (excluding any software code) solely for your personal, non-commercial use. The ISM ROB Content shall also contain Content of users and other ISM licensors. Except as provided herein or as explicitly allowed in writing by ISM, you shall not copy, download, stream, capture, reproduce, duplicate, archive, upload, modify, translate, publish, broadcast, transmit, retransmit, distribute, perform, display, sell, or otherwise use any ISM ROB Content. Except as explicitly and expressly permitted by ISM, you are strictly prohibited from creating works or materials (including but not limited to tables, charts, data streams, time-series variables, fonts, icons, link buttons, wallpaper, desktop themes, online postcards, montages, mashups and similar videos, greeting cards, and unlicensed merchandise) that derive from or are based on the ISM ROB Content. This prohibition applies regardless of whether the derivative works or materials are sold, bartered, or given away. You shall not either directly or through the use of any device, software, internet site, web-based service, or other means remove, alter, bypass, avoid, interfere with, or circumvent any copyright, trademark, or other proprietary notices marked on the Content or any digital rights management mechanism, device, or other content protection or access control measure associated with the Content including geo-filtering mechanisms. Without prior written authorization from ISM, you shall not build a business utilizing the Content, whether or not for profit. You shall not create, recreate, distribute, incorporate in other work, or advertise an index of any portion of the Content unless you receive prior written authorization from ISM. Requests for permission to reproduce or distribute ISM ROB Content can be made by contacting in writing at: ISM Research, Institute for Supply Management, 309 West Elliot Road, Suite 113, Tempe, Arizona 85284-1556, or by emailing [email protected]. Subject: Content Request. ISM shall not have any liability, duty, or obligation for or relating to the ISM ROB Content or other information contained herein, any errors, inaccuracies, omissions or delays in providing any ISM ROB Content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon. In no event shall ISM be liable for any special, incidental, or consequential damages, arising out of the use of the ISM ROB. Report On Business, PMI, and NMI are registered trademarks of Institute for Supply Management. Institute for Supply Management and ISM are registered trademarks of Institute for Supply Management, Inc. About Institute for Supply Management Institute for Supply Management (ISM) serves supply management professionals in more than 90 countries. Its 50,000 members around the world manage about US$1 trillion in corporate and government supply chain procurement annually. Founded in 1915 as the first supply management institute in the world, ISM is committed to advancing the practice of supply management to drive value and competitive advantage for its members, contributing to a prosperous and sustainable world. ISM leads the profession through the ISM Report On Business, its highly regarded certification programs and the ISM Mastery Model. This report has been issued by the association since 1931, except for a four-year interruption during World War II. The full text version of the Manufacturing ISM Report On Business is posted on ISM's website at www.ismrob.org on the first business day* of every month after 10:00 a.m. ET. The next Manufacturing ISM Report On Business featuring July 2020 data will be released at 10:00 a.m. ET on Monday, August 3, 2020. *Unless the New York Stock Exchange is closed. Contact: Kristina Cahill Report On Business Analyst ISM, ROB/Research Manager Tempe, Arizona +1 480.455.5910 Email: [email protected] SOURCE Institute for Supply Management Related Links http://www.ism.ws SILVER SPRING, Md., July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Beckham Publications announced a sweepstakes contest to promote Walter E. Massey's memoir about his time as chairman of Bank of America during the 2009 financial crisis. "In the Eye of the Storm: My Years as Chairman of Bank of America During the Country's Worst Financial Crisis," is set for release in October. In the Eye of the Storm Walter E. Massey The winner receives a $400 Amazon gift certificate while two runners-up receive a $50 certificate. Each entrant gets a free eBook edition of the Massey memoir when the two-week contest ends on July 18. "We start the sweepstakes on Independence Day, July 4, to reflect the country's tradition of national unity and the recurring theme of camaraderie in Massey's memoir," says publisher Barry Beckham. He expects a substantial number of the entrants to post reviews of the book, and that should drive interest in the paperback edition release in the fall. "A contest is always a good strategy to generate a list of readers interested in a new title," he says. Beckham promises that Massey's memoir will offer the first insider's gaze at crucial events and key characters that never before have been revealed publicly. "He has pledged not to hold back on how surprised and flabbergasted he felt after learning that the board had chosen him. And the scenes describing various challenges incurred are filled with both introspection and wit." Novelist Rosalind Kilkenny McLymont, executive editor of The Network Journal and CEO/Publisher of AfricaStrictlyBusiness.com assisted Massey. Ruth J. Simmons, Ph.D., president of Texas-based Prairie View A&M University, has written the foreword. Although this memoir will focus on Massey's time with Bank of America, it will incorporate relevant details of his other professional activities. Says Beckham, "Walter's breadth of accomplishments includes presidencies of Morehouse College and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and leadership roles at the National Science Foundation and Argonne National Laboratory. Forty-two institutions of higher education have awarded him honorary degrees." Massey press kit: http://beckhamhouse.com/presskitwalteremassey/ Editors may request review copies of "In the Eye of the Storm: My Years as Chairman of Bank of America During the Country's Worst Financial Crisis," by sending an email to [email protected]. Media contact: Barry Beckham [email protected] 240-643-9284 SOURCE Beckham Publications DUBLIN, July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- ResearchAndMarkets.com published a new article on the pulp and paper industry "Pulp and Paper Sees Continued High Demand" The pulp and paper industry has played an important role in helping to fight the spread of COVID-19. Many paper mills have implemented social distancing in order to continue to produce essential products such as packaging materials, medical supplies and household paper goods. There has been extremely high demand for household paper products while the away from home sector has seen lower demand due to business closures. In March, US tissue paper mills produced a record high of almost 700,000 tons of tissue products and analysts predict that the demand for household paper products will remain high even as travel restrictions are eased. Several companies have responded to the need for protective equipment by switching production to produce items such as protective gowns, face masks and dividers to maintain social distancing. Mondi announced that it will produce 10,000 protective gowns at its three German plants to be donated to workers in retirement and nursing homes. Smurfit Kappa has launched a new portfolio of products aimed at allowing businesses and schools to safely resume operations. The products include desk and workstation separators, hygiene stations and point of sale screens made of corrugated board. To see the full article and a list of related reports on the market, visit "Pulp and Paper Sees Continued High Demand" About ResearchAndMarkets.com ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research. Media Contact: Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager [email protected] For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 SOURCE Research and Markets Related Links http://www.researchandmarkets.com ATLANTA, July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Rollins, Inc. (NYSE: ROL), a premier global consumer and commercial service company, announced today that one of its Australian subsidiaries has acquired Adams Pest Control Pty Ltd, the largest independent pest control provider in Australia. This acquisition solidifies Rollins' national coverage in Australia. Adams Pest Control will join the Orkin Australia portfolio of brands alongside Allpest, Murray Pest Control, Scientific Pest Management and Statewide Pest Control. Adams Pest Control has a long-established history in Australia, beginning in 1944. Not only do they have over 75 years of experience in all aspects of general pest control and wildlife control, they are a market leader in the greater Melbourne and Adelaide areas. Peter Taylor, Director and General Manager of Adams Pest Control, will be joining the Orkin Australia team with the acquisition. Matt Turek, Division President of Orkin Canada, Australia and Asia, states, "I am thrilled to have Adams Pest Control join our family of brands in Australia. Their long history of exceptional customer service is a great compliment to Orkin's growing portfolio of business throughout Australia." About Rollins Rollins, Inc. is a premier global consumer and commercial services company. Through its family of leading brands, Orkin, HomeTeam Pest Defense, Clark Pest Control, Orkin Canada, Western Pest Services, Northwest Exterminating, Critter Control, The Industrial Fumigant Company, Trutech, Orkin Australia, Waltham Services, OPC Services, PermaTreat, Rollins UK, Aardwolf Pestkare, and Crane Pest Control, the Company provides essential pest control services and protection against termite damage, rodents and insects to more than two million customers in North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australia from more than 700 locations. You can learn more about Rollins and its subsidiaries by visiting our web sites at www.orkin.com , www.pestdefense.com , www.clarkpest.com, www.orkincanada.ca , www.westernpest.com , www.callnorthwest.com, www.crittercontrol.com , www.indfumco.com , www.trutechinc.com , www.orkinau.com , www.walthamservices.com , www.opcpest.com , www.permatreat.com , www.safeguardpestcontrol.co.uk , www.aardwolfpestkare.com, www.cranepestcontrol.com and www.rollins.com . You can also find this and other news releases at www.rollins.com by accessing the news releases button. CAUTION CONCERNING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS This release contains statements that constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements include statements about Adams Pest Control joining the Orkin Australia portfolio of brands, Rollins' national coverage in Australia and Peter Taylor joining the company upon completion of the acquisition. The actual results of the Company could differ materially from those indicated by the forward-looking statements because of various risks and uncertainties, including without limitation, the extent and duration of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and its potential impact on the financial health of the Company's business partners, customers, supply chains and suppliers, global economic conditions and capital and financial markets; economic and competitive conditions which may adversely affect the Company's business; the degree of success of the Company's pest and termite process, and pest control selling and treatment methods; the Company's ability to identify and integrate potential acquisitions; climate and weather trends; competitive factors and pricing practices; the Company's ability to attract and retain skilled workers, and potential increases in labor costs; uncertainties of litigation; changes in various government laws and regulations, including environmental regulations; and the impact of the U. S. Government shutdown. All of the foregoing risks and uncertainties are beyond the ability of the Company to control, and in many cases the Company cannot predict the risks and uncertainties that could cause its actual results to differ materially from those indicated by the forward-looking statements. A more detailed discussion of potential risks facing the Company can be found in the Company's Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission for the year ended December 31, 2019. ROL-IR For Further Information Contact Eddie Northen, (404) 888-2242 SOURCE Rollins, Inc. Related Links http://www.rollins.com WASHINGTON, July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- SBA Administrator Jovita Carranza today announced the appointment of six new members to the National Small Business Development Centers (SBDC) Advisory Board. "We are delighted to welcome new board members who bring with them a strong business acumen and extensive knowledge to the SBDC Advisory Board," said SBA Administrator Jovita Carranza. "The SBDC Advisory Board has played an important role for 30 years in the SBDC program, advising the SBA on ways to advance and improve national and local SBDC programs and operations. With their knowledge of the challenges business owners face and the policies governing small firms, these tested entrepreneurs and leaders will play a key role in helping to foster stronger local economies and expanding outreach to underserved communities." The SBDC Advisory Board is appointed to advise, counsel, and confer with the Associate Administrator of the Office of Small Business Development Centers in carrying out the SBDC program under Section 21 of the Small Business Act. The new members of the SBDC Advisory Board are: Kristen Bailey Co-Founder and CEO of Sweets and Meats BBQ (2014), and SBA 2019 Ohio Small Business Person of the Year Co-Founder and CEO of Sweets and Meats BBQ (2014), and SBA 2019 Ohio Small Business Person of the Year Lea Marquez Peterson Appointed in 2019 as an Arizona Corporation Commissioner and President of Marquez Peterson Group Appointed in 2019 as an Arizona Corporation Commissioner and President of Marquez Peterson Group Louis Foreman Chief Executive of Enventys and Founder of Edison Nation in North Carolina , re-appointed to the SBDC Advisory Board Chief Executive of Enventys and Founder of in , re-appointed to the SBDC Advisory Board Senator Bruce Thompson State Senator for Georgia , U.S. Army National Guard, CEO of Quoteburst Software Solutions, Strong Tower Funeral & Crematory, BTE Holdings, and 2 Hawks Development State Senator for , U.S. Army National Guard, CEO of Quoteburst Software Solutions, Strong Tower Funeral & Crematory, BTE Holdings, and 2 Hawks Development Bertica Cabrera Morris Born in Havana, Cuba , and owner of Bertica Cabrera Consulting in Florida since 1993 Born in , and owner of Bertica Cabrera Consulting in since 1993 Benjamin Kwitek Director of Innovation at University of Colorado, Colorado Springs , Board Member of IP2 (Intellectual Property, Innovation and Prosperity) at Stanford University , Founder of Gellyfish Technology, Bullet Proof Technology, My BetterSelfie, Roundabout Signs, LLC, and InterForm Incorporated George Koklanaris, the SBA Associate Administrator of the Office of Small Business Development Centers added, "The addition of these board members and their diverse backgrounds are important to the SBDC program and the small businesses that they serve. Their collective experience as successful entrepreneurs and community leaders will help guide the SBDC program in expanding outreach to HBCUs, Opportunity Zones, rural communities, and underserved populations. Their knowledge of policies on cyber security, intellectual property, and business success is an asset to the SBDC program and the entrepreneurs they serve." The SBA's SBDC program is a cooperative effort of the private sector, the educational community, and federal, state and local governments to deliver counseling, training and technical assistance in all aspects of small business management through its more than 900 centers nationwide. SBDCs play an essential role in the economic development of their states and local communities through their direct, face-to-face counseling of small businesses. SBDCs impact on small business access to SBA's programs and services, including access to SBA capital, procurement, disaster assistance and international trade programs. About the U.S. Small Business Administration The U.S. Small Business Administration makes the American dream of business ownership a reality. As the only go-to resource and voice for small businesses backed by the strength of the federal government, the SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources and support they need to start, grow or expand their businesses, or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit www.sba.gov. Contact: [email protected] (202) 401-3059 Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Blogs & Instagram Release Number: 20-53 SOURCE U.S. Small Business Administration Related Links http://www.sba.gov DALLAS, June 30, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Southwest Airlines Co. (NYSE: LUV) issued a new invitation to returning travelers by launching a three-day sale that offers Customers an opportunity to "Summer How You Wanna" when they're ready to travel. Customers may take advantage of fares starting as low as $49 nationwide one-way to select domestic destinations, today through July 2, 2020, 11:59 p.m., Central Daylight Time. Southwest Airlines is also offering Rapid Rewards Members a chance to earn 5X points when booking hotels and double the points when purchasing flights. "As our Customers begin to reconnect with family and friends, or to fly for business or vacation, we offer the flexibility and value they need right now," said Bill Tierney, Southwest Airlines Vice President of Marketing. "At the same time, we're giving Customers peace of mind with our Southwest Promise that requires face coverings for everyone traveling with us, middle seats open through at least September 30, and enhanced cleaning of our cabins and airport spaces." NATIONWIDE FARE SALE Fares are limited by seats and to certain days of the week with applicable travel and blackout dates. See full fare rules and terms and conditions at Southwest.com, and below. Examples of Southwest Airlines' domestic low fares include: As low as $49 one-way nonstop between Las Vegas and Orange County one-way nonstop between and As low as $49 one-way nonstop between Pensacola and Nashville one-way nonstop between and As low as $49 one-way nonstop between Atlanta and Tampa one-way nonstop between and As low as $49 one-way nonstop between Oklahoma City and Denver one-way nonstop between and As low as $49 one-way nonstop between Chicago (MDW) and Buffalo one-way nonstop between and As low as $79 one-way nonstop between San Jose and Phoenix one-way nonstop between and As low as $79 one-way nonstop between Chicago (MDW) and Charlotte one-way nonstop between and As low as $79 one-way nonstop between Cleveland and Atlanta one-way nonstop between and As low as $99 one-way nonstop between Dallas (DAL) and Charleston RAPID REWARDSMEMBERS EARN BIG Members of the Southwest Rapid Rewards Program may earn points by flying or spending with Southwest Airlines partners and may use points how and when they wantpoints don't expire. The loyalty program gives Customers a chance to pick from any available seat on any flight, regardless of day or season. Members must register to be eligible for the promotion. Visit Southwest.com to join Rapid Rewards and to read full terms and conditions. There are two ways to earn more points: Earn 5X the Rapid Reward Points when booking at SouthwestHotels.com until July 20 when booking at SouthwestHotels.com until Earn Double Points on Travel Nationwide for all flights booked and flown now through August 31, 2020 . Members may use Rapid Rewards points to book future travel, hotel rooms, rental cars, purchase gift cards, and more 'SUMMER HOW YOU WANNA' WITH SOUTHWEST AIRLINES' DESTINATIONS To give travelers options to "Summer How You Wanna," Southwest is collaborating with travel media company, Matador Network, to launch a travel content series to inspire the feeling of "Summer How You Wanna." The series will showcase destinations, beginning with Denver, to provide our Customers with options to plan getaways to places with beaches, the mountains, desert landscapes, and more. The videos will air across Southwest's social channels (@SouthwestAir) throughout the month of July in collaboration with each destination's Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB). On MatadorNetwork.com, the CVBs will share an itinerary for their destination from a local's perspective, helping visitors plan the ultimate getaway. As viewers take in each video, they will be encouraged to share some of their favorite things to see and do in those destinations to inspire fellow travelers for their next trip. "Southwest Airlines has been one of Denver's premier air service provider for many years, and we are thrilled to join their efforts to inspire responsible travel to The Mile High City during our peak summer season and beyond," said Richard W. Scharf, President and CEO of VISIT DENVER. "With its extensive network of flights into Denver International Airport, Southwest helps to make Denver easily accessible to travelers seeking adventure in the urban and cultural epicenter of the Rocky Mountain Region. We're proud to partner with Southwest on this critical program." SOUTHWEST AIRLINES SALE FARE RULES Visit Southwest.com for a full list of terms and conditions. Purchase June 30 through July 2, 2020, 11:59 p.m. Central Daylight Time. Travel across the continental U.S. is valid Aug. 11 through Dec. 17, 2020. Travel to/from San Juan, Puerto Rico is valid Aug. 18 through Dec. 3, 2020. International travel is valid Aug. 18 through Dec. 9, 2020. Travel across the continental U.S. is blacked out Nov. 25 and 28-30, 2020. Sale fares to international destinations blacked out November 20-22, 2020; sale fares from international destinations blacked out November 27-30, 2020. Except as otherwise specified, continental U.S. travel is not valid on Fridays and Sundays. Fares are nonrefundable but may be applied toward future travel on Southwest Airlines as long as reservations are canceled at least ten minutes prior to scheduled departure. Failure to cancel prior to departure will result in forfeiture of remaining funds on the reservation. Any change in itinerary may result in an increase in fare. Standby travel may require an upgrade to an Anytime fare depending on Rapid Rewards tier status. Fares are subject to change until ticketed. Offer applies only to published, scheduled service. EARN DOUBLE RAPID REWARDS POINTS RULES Offer available to all Rapid Reward Members, May 12 Aug. 31, 2020. Members must register to participate. Qualifying flight must be booked and flown May 12 Aug. 31, 2020. Member's Rapid Rewards account number must be entered at time of booking Member's qualifying flight to earn double Rapid Rewards points for the flight. Travel booked or flown prior to registration for this promotion is not eligible for the double points offer. Bonus points will not count towards A-List, A-list Preferred, or Companion Pass qualification. Members will receive 12 bonus points per dollar spent on Business Select fares, 10 bonus points per dollar spent on Anytime fares, and six bonus points per dollar spent on Wanna Get Away fares. Bonus points are in addition to the standard flight points earned through Rapid Rewards. Charter flights, group travel, Companion Pass, Southwest Vacations Packages, and reward travel do not qualify for this promotion. Visit Southwest.com to learn more. SOUTHWEST HOTEL 5X RULES: This promotion is valid for completed stays booked between June 29, 2020 and July 20, 2020. All Booking.com booking conditions and general terms apply. Please allow up to eight weeks after completion of stay for the Rapid Rewards points to be credited to your account. All Rapid Rewards rules and regulations apply and can be found at Southwest.com/rrterms. Southwest reserves the right to amend, suspend, or change the program and/or program rules at any time without notice. Rapid Rewards Members do not acquire property rights in accrued points. The number of points needed for a particular Southwest flight is set by Southwest and will vary depending on destination, time, day of travel, demand, fare type, point redemption rate, and other factors, and is subject to change at any time until the booking is confirmed. ABOUT SOUTHWEST AIRLINES CO. In its 50th year of service, Dallas-based Southwest Airlines Co. continues to differentiate itself from other air carriers with exemplary Customer Service delivered by more than 60,000 Employees to a Customer base topping 130 million passengers in 2019. Southwest became the nation's largest domestic air carrier in 2003 and maintains that ranking based on the U.S. Department of Transportation's most recent reporting of domestic originating passengers boarded. In peak travel seasons during 2019, Southwest operated more than 4,000 weekday departures among a network of 101 destinations in the United States and 10 additional countries. In early 2020, the carrier added service to Hilo, Hawaii, and Cozumel, Mexico for a total of 103 airports served. The carrier issued its Southwest Promise in May 2020 to highlight new and round-the-clock efforts to support its Customers and Employees wellbeing and comfort. Among the changes are enhanced cleaning efforts at airports and onboard aircraft, facemask requirements for Customers and Employees, and capping the number of passengers on every flight to allow middle seats to remain open through at least September 30, 2020. Additional details about the Southwest Promise are available at Southwest.com/Promise. Southwest coined Transfarency to describe its purposed philosophy of treating Customers honestly and fairly, and low fares actually staying low. Southwest is the only major U.S. airline to offer bags fly free to everyone (first and second checked pieces of luggage, size and weight limits apply, some carriers offer free checked bags on select routes or in qualified circumstances), and there are no change fees, though fare differences might apply. Southwest is one of the most honored airlines in the world, known for a triple bottom line approach that contributes to the carrier's performance and productivity, the importance of its People and the communities they serve, and an overall commitment to efficiency and the planet. Learn more about how the carrier gives back to communities across the world by visiting Southwest.com/citizenship. Book Southwest Airlines' low fares online at Southwest.com or by phone at 800-I-FLY-SWA. SOURCE Southwest Airlines Co. Related Links http://www.southwest.com Sunstar has grown to become one of the largest independent insurance brokers in the U.S. through industry-leading organic growth and an active M&A strategy, having completed over 25 acquisitions within its core geography. The transaction with BBHCP provides Sunstar with additional capital to maintain its current momentum and accelerate long-term growth. "We are thrilled to partner with the BBHCP team. Since our founding in 2012, Sunstar has been committed to creating the preeminent insurance broker in the Southeast and lower Midwest," said Casey Bowlin, Sunstar's Chief Executive Officer. "The investment by BBHCP will enable us to create new opportunities for our employees, customers and carrier partners and will further accelerate our organic and M&A growth strategies." "Casey Bowlin and the Sunstar team have built an impressive insurance brokerage franchise. The BBHCP team looks forward to supporting Sunstar in its future growth initiatives," said Patrick Kruczek, Managing Director at BBH and Co-Manager of BBHCP. "With BBHCP as a flexible capital partner, we believe that Sunstar's best days are ahead, and we are excited to be a part of this next chapter of growth," added Michael Boylan, Managing Director at BBH and Co-Manager of BBHCP. LNC Partners, the private equity firm that previously invested debt and equity capital in Sunstar in 2015, will remain a lender to Sunstar. LNC Partners' Managing Partner, Matt Kelty, commented, "We have been big believers in Sunstar, its management team and its geographic growth strategy and are pleased to continue as a partner going forward." Piper Sandler & Co. served as exclusive financial advisor to Sunstar in this transaction, and Bass, Berry & Sims served as the company's legal counsel. Katten Muchin Rosenman served as legal counsel to BBHCP. About Sunstar Insurance Group, LLC Sunstar is a regional insurance brokerage firm headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee, focused on servicing the insurance needs of businesses and individuals in the Southeast and lower Midwest. Sunstar operates through 10 hub offices, with 18 branch offices in Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri and Tennessee. The Sunstar corporate vision is to be recognized as the premier regional insurance agency in its market area by providing exceptional service, professional expertise, trusted advice and competitively priced insurance products to its clients. With over $450 million in premiums placed on behalf of its clients, Sunstar has been ranked as one of the largest Top 100 independent insurance agencies in the U.S. for the past four years. In 2019, industry trade journals designated Sunstar as the 45th largest U.S. independent insurance broker based on revenue. For more information about Sunstar, please visit www.sunstarinsurancegroup.com. About BBH Capital Partners BBHCP, the private equity strategy of BBH, provides highly customized capital solutions to growth- oriented lower middle-market companies. BBHCP has the flexibility to act as a control or non- control investor and can structure investments as a combination of equity and subordinated debt as needed. BBHCP typically invests between $30 million and $125 million per platform investment and supports a variety of transactions, including management or leveraged buyouts, growth financings, recapitalizations, buy-and-build strategies and acquisitions. About Brown Brothers Harriman BBH is a privately held financial institution that has been a thought leader and solutions provider for more than 200 years. The firm serves individuals, families, businesses and institutions in its three business lines: Private Banking, Investment Management and Investor Services. BBH's culture of accountability fosters deep and lasting relationships built on commitment, adaptability and trust. The company is independent, selective, and specialized by design. BBH operates a global business with 18 locations, including: Beijing, Boston, Charlotte, Chicago, Denver, Dublin, Grand Cayman, Hong Kong, Jersey City, Krakow, London, Luxembourg, Nashville, New York, Philadelphia, Tokyo, Wilmington and Zurich. For more information about BBH, please visit www.bbh.com. About LNC Partners LNC Partners is a Northern Virginia-based private equity firm with over $500 million of capital under management that provides debt and equity capital to lower middle-market companies. LNC Partners invests across a broad range of industries and typically provides between $5 million to $30 million of capital to companies in support of buyouts, recapitalizations, refinancing, and acquisition and growth financing. The firm focuses on companies that generate at least $2 million of EBITDA and places an emphasis on management and founder-owned businesses. More information on LNC Partners can be found at www.lnc-partners.com. Contact: Laine Funkhouser Weber Shandwick [email protected] 212.445.8460 SOURCE Sunstar Insurance Group, LLC STOCKHOLM, Sweden, July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The Coronavirus Epidemic has negatively impacted the supply chains for numerous industry sectors worldwide the past few months. Many commodity products saw reduced trade during March and April, a result of reduced demand, closures of manufacturing facilities to protect workers, constraint in the handling capacity of goods at many ports, and widespread financial distress. However, one sector that has remained fairly strong during the initial period of the epidemic is the forest products industry. Demand for toilet paper, face masks, disinfecting wipes, corrugated paper for cardboard boxes, and wood products for home renovations are just a few forest products that have been in unusually high demand in many countries during this spring. A closer look at the March 2020 trade data, the first "Coronavirus month", reveals that global trade of lumber, logs, wood chips and pulp increased in March as compared to the previous month. The following snapshot illustrates a few interesting examples from the WRQ of positive developments in the forest industry sector from February to March this year: Softwood Logs - China increased imports by 14% m-o-m, with most of the added logs originating from New Zealand , Germany and Russia . Log imports to South Korea rose 19%, while Australia and Canada shipped about 70% more logs in March than in the previous month. - increased imports by 14% m-o-m, with most of the added logs originating from , and . Log imports to rose 19%, while and shipped about 70% more logs in March than in the previous month. Softwood Lumber - Lumber shipments from New Zealand and Canada were up 32% and 25% m-o-m, respectively. Lumber importation was up in most of the major markets in March, including China (+59% m-o-m), the US (+27%), the United Kingdom (+13%), and Japan (+10%). - Lumber shipments from and were up 32% and 25% m-o-m, respectively. Lumber importation was up in most of the major markets in March, including (+59% m-o-m), the US (+27%), the (+13%), and (+10%). Wood Pulp - Three of the four largest pulp-exporting countries, Brazil , the US and Chile , increased their shipments between 12% and 26% in March (m-o-m). The five top importing countries all purchased more pulp in March than in February, with China and South Korea increasing their volumes the most (40% and 29% respectively). - Three of the four largest pulp-exporting countries, , the US and , increased their shipments between 12% and 26% in March (m-o-m). The five top importing countries all purchased more pulp in March than in February, with and increasing their volumes the most (40% and 29% respectively). Hardwood Chips - China , Portugal , and South Korea imported more chips for their pulp industry in March than in the previous month. Most of the major chip-exporting countries, including Australia , Thailand , South Africa , and Brazil shipped more chips in March than in February. In the coming months, numerous countries around the world are planning to ease lockdown policies and loosen the rules that are restricting house constructions, international commerce and consumer shopping. These changes may further benefit many companies in the forest industry sector. However, expect a rough road ahead. Interested in wood products market information from around the world? Please consider subscribing to the Wood Resource Quarterly (WRQ), a 56-page report, established in 1988 and with subscribers in over 30 countries. The report tracks prices for sawlog, pulpwood, lumber & pellets worldwide and reports on trade and wood market developments in most key regions around the world. For more insights on the latest international forest product market trends, please go to www.WoodPrices.com Contact Information Wood Resources International LLC Hakan Ekstrom, Seattle, USA [email protected] CONTACT: Wood Resources International LLC Hakan Ekstrom [email protected] www.woodprices.com This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com https://news.cision.com/wood-resources-international-llc/r/the-coronavirus-has-not-stopped-the-global-trade-of-forest-products,c3146919 The following files are available for download: SOURCE Wood Resources International LLC Do you appreciate the work we do as the only independent media outlet dedicated to serving OU students, faculty, staff and alumni on campus and around the world for more than 100 years? Then consider helping fund our endeavors. Around the world, communities are grappling with what journalism is worth and how to fund the civic good that robust news organizations can generate. We believe The OU Daily and Crimson Quarterly magazine provide real value to this community both now by covering OU, and tomorrow by helping launch the careers of media professionals. If youre able, please SUPPORT US TODAY FOR AS LITTLE AS $1. You can make a one-time donation or a recurring pledge. HENDERSONVILLE, Tenn., July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The Jason Foundation, Inc., a nationally-recognized leader in suicide awareness and prevention, today launched a new statewide initiative to combat suicide deaths, Tennessee Won't Be Silent. The campaign kicked off with a virtual press conference featuring remarks from Governor Bill Lee, Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services Commissioner Marie Williams, and Department of Education Commissioner Penny Schwinn on the importance of bringing conversations about mental health out into the open, especially during difficult times. Jason Foundation National Spokesperson Phillip Fulmer and Acadia Healthcare CEO Debbie Osteen, representing The Jason Foundation's National Community Affiliates, also spoke in support of the campaign. "Despite the many hardships that Tennesseans have endured these last few months, our message to anyone who may be struggling is this: you are not alone," said Gov. Lee. "Resources and help are available, and there is no shame in asking for support. Check in with your family members and friends. Talking openly about mental health can be hard, but it is incredibly important. I'm grateful to The Jason Foundation for their efforts to increase awareness and availability of resources for mental health." The Jason Foundation is working to assemble collaborative partners from business, government, non-profits, and the community to lend their talents and passion to an array of Tennessee Won't Be Silent programs and projects throughout the year. The campaign will be focused on building awareness and providing information, tools and resources to better be able to identify and/or assist an individual who may be struggling with suicidal thoughts. The inaugural educational initiative will be focused on supporting and educating first responders, who are more likely to die by suicide than in the line of duty. "Suicide is preventable, and we know that awareness is key to prevention," said Clark Flatt, President of The Jason Foundation. "By increasing awareness across Tennessee, we have an enormous opportunity to save lives." Suicide is a growing national public health crisis, with suicide rates rising by 30 percent across the country between 2000 and 2016. Experts fear the crisis will be made worse by COVID-19-related social isolation and economic hardship, which has been consistently linked to an increase in suicides. "Our experience from natural disasters, severe economic downturns, and other times of widespread distress is that the mental health impacts really hit home for people starting about five to six months after the event begins. The timing and the message of this campaign are perfect for our neighbors who are hurting," said Commissioner Williams. "The COVID-19 pandemic is affecting our students' well-being in far-reaching waysacademically, physically, and mentally," added Commissioner Schwinn. "Caring for the whole child is and must remain a top priority for our entire state, and partnerships like this are critical to ensuring students and families know where to turn for help." For more information, resources, and to learn ways to get involved with Tennessee Won't Be Silent, please visit www.tnwontbesilent.com. Share your thoughts on social media using the hashtag #TNWontBeSilent. SOURCE The Jason Foundation, Inc. Related Links http://www.jasonfoundation.com ST. LOUIS, July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The Jones Financial Companies, L.L.L.P. announced today that it has submitted an application to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) and Utah Department of Financial Institutions to establish the Edward Jones Bank, a Utah-chartered industrial bank. The bank would be insured by the FDIC and subject to federal- and state-regulatory oversight. If approved, the bank would help Edward Jones better serve clients' needs for saving, spending and borrowing. "Since our founding 98 years ago, Edward Jones has been focused on helping individuals achieve their serious, long-term financial goals while understanding their needs and implementing tailored solutions," said Ken Cella, Edward Jones principal responsible for the Client Strategies Group. "An affiliated bank would enable us to broaden our offerings for retail investors, while also supporting our approach to helping Edward Jones branch teams ensure our 7 million clients feel understood, informed, secure and in control. Given market conditions, we believe the need for enhancements to our financial services is more important than ever to our clients as they look to reach their financial goals." The bank application process is expected to take an extended period of time. If the application is approved, Ray Dardano would serve as the bank's president and Edward Jones believes the bank's operations could begin in late-2021, at which time clients could see the firm offer enhanced options for saving, spending and borrowing, including certain securities-based loans. "We're hearing from our clients that they are looking for a centralized source for saving, spending and borrowing," said Matt Burkemper, Edward Jones principal responsible for Banking. "With an affiliated bank, we would have the opportunity to enhance and expand our offerings, better enabling Edward Jones financial advisors to help clients meet their comprehensive financial goals." About Edward Jones Edward D. Jones & Co., L.P., a Fortune 500 company headquartered in St. Louis, provides financial services in the U.S. and, through its affiliate, in Canada. Every aspect of the firm's business, from the investments offered to the location of branch offices, caters to individual investors. The firm's 19,000-plus financial advisors serve more than 7 million clients with a total of $1.2 trillion in client assets under care. Visit www.edwardjones.com or the recruiting website at www.careers.edwardjones.com . Member SIPC. Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements. You can identify forward-looking statements by words that predict or indicate future events, such as "believe," "expect," "intend," "will" or "should." All forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, and actual results may differ materially. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, whether the industrial bank application will be approved, what benefits an industrial bank charter might yield and the Risk Factors discussed in The Jones Financial Companies L.L.L.P.'s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019 and Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended March 27, 2020. These forward-looking statements were based on information, plans, and estimates at the date of this press release, and The Jones Financial Companies L.L.L.P. does not undertake to update forward-looking statements to reflect changes in underlying assumptions or new information. SOURCE Edward Jones Related Links www.edwardjones.com Serology testing for infectious diseases continues to be on the rise and newer instrument platforms are offering serology markers with improved sensitivity than previously available. In addition, there is continued progression with infectious disease screening protocols requiring serology testing for diagnosis, monitoring and treatment of infectious agents. The Thermo Scientific MAS Omni Infectious positive and negative quality controls are third-party, independent external controls used to assess the performance of serological assays for infectious diseases. Our new control set supports assays for HIV, Hepatitis C, Hepatitis B, HTLV and Syphilis. As with all Thermo Scientific MAS Quality Controls users can efficiently monitor assay performance, streamline operations and potentially reduce your spending without sacrificing quality or throughput. "We are expanding our quality control offering into a space which continues to increase each year as new pharma drugs are developed and enabling better identification and treatment for infectious diseases. Our team is committed to providing innovative solutions to support our customers productivity," said Fernando Beils, vice president and general manager, Thermo Fisher's niche diagnostics business. "The Thermo Scientific MAS Omni Infectious Controls are the first in a line of products we are continuing to develop to support the monitoring of in vitro diagnostic tests." The Thermo Scientific MAS Omni Infectious Controls are available in the U.S. and Japan as IVD products and are intended for clinical use. For more information, visit https://thermofisher.com/mas-infectious About Thermo Fisher Scientific Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. is the world leader in serving science, with annual revenue exceeding $25 billion. Our Mission is to enable our customers to make the world healthier, cleaner and safer. Whether our customers are accelerating life sciences research, solving complex analytical challenges, improving patient diagnostics and therapies or increasing productivity in their laboratories, we are here to support them. Our global team of more than 75,000 colleagues delivers an unrivaled combination of innovative technologies, purchasing convenience and pharmaceutical services through our industry-leading brands, including Thermo Scientific, Applied Biosystems, Invitrogen, Fisher Scientific, Unity Lab Services and Patheon. For more information, please visit www.thermofisher.com. Media Contact Information: Chris Rapcan Director, Global Lifecycle Management, 1 (815) 572-1198 [email protected] Secondary Contact Information: Kathy Ruzich Sr. Manager, Meetings & Events 1 (510) 979-5157 [email protected] SOURCE Thermo Fisher Scientific Related Links http://www.thermofisher.com The Southeast Florida storefront broadens and expands access to Trulieve's wide-ranging medical cannabis inventory to local patients FORT PIERCE, FL, July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ - Trulieve Cannabis Corp. (CSE: TRUL) (OTCQX: TCNNF) ("Trulieve" or "the Company"), a leading and top-performing cannabis company based in the United States, announced today the doors are set to open on a record 51st location within the State of Florida on Thursday, July 2nd. The Fort Pierce location is Trulieve's 53rd location in the United States, 51 of which are located in the Company's home state of Florida. Situated on the southern end of Fort Pierce, the dispensary supports one of the Company's goals of expanding and ensuring safe, reliable patient access statewide. It also joins Trulieve's 50 other dispensaries statewide, including in nearby Stuart. In line with policies that have been adopted in all stores and those recently enacted by the State of Florida, all visitors will be required to wear masks inside the dispensary and only patients and their registered caregivers will be allowed inside at this time. "Our company's mission is to provide the highest level of cannabis products and customer experience through authentic and reciprocal relationships. As we approach our four-year anniversary this month of opening Florida's first dispensary and making the state's first sale of medical cannabis, it's incredible to look back and be able to say that we've kept our mission at the core of every decision. Being able to celebrate our continued growth and innovation with our dedicated Truliever community is something we always look forward to and we're excited to broaden access to our catalog of natural, effective medications throughout St. Lucie County," said Trulieve CEO Kim Rivers. "Our grand opening in Fort Pierce is part of a celebration of four years of innovative, natural, and reliable relief and we're looking forward to continuing helping patients across Florida for a long time to come." To commemorate the brand-new dispensary, all patients from those new to Trulieve to our strong Truliever community will be eligible for a 25% in-store discount at the Fort Pierce location on opening day. As the state's leading medical cannabis provider, Trulieve's employees are experienced, knowledgeable, and eager to help patients. Trulieve encourages potential patients, as well as patients who are new to cannabis and to our wide array of products, to connect with the staff in-store or through the online chat feature to learn more. WHAT: Trulieve Fort Pierce Opening WHERE: 1495 South US Highway 1, Fort Pierce, Florida 34950 WHEN: Thursday, July 2, 2020, at 9:00 AM For our new dispensary opening, Trulieve has the entire catalog of products available for online ordering, with in-store pickup, curbside pickup, or home delivery options available. Additionally, to assist with CDC guidelines for social distancing and company-enforced safety guidelines, several measures have been taken to ensure the health and well-being of employees and patients, including modifying the store layout, increasing access to masks and sanitizer throughout the store for staff and visitors, and providing signage to assist with social distancing. In stores and online, patients will find Florida's largest selection of THC and CBD products, available in a variety of delivery methods, including smokable cannabis, concentrates, tinctures, topical creams, vaporizers, and more. Trulieve also offers home delivery statewide for patients, and convenient in-store pick-up at its 50 dispensaries in locations across the state from Pensacola to Key West. The Office of Medical Marijuana Use recently announced the registry had surpassed 350,000 registered medical marijuana patients with an active ID card, with Trulieve consistently selling approximately half of the state's overall volume, per the Florida Department of Health. There are over 2,400 registered ordering physicians in the State of Florida as well. For more information, please visit www.Trulieve.com. About Trulieve Trulieve is a vertically integrated "seed-to-sale" company and is the first and largest fully licensed medical cannabis company in the State of Florida. Trulieve cultivates and produces all of its products in-house and distributes those products to Trulieve-branded stores (dispensaries) throughout the State of Florida, as well as directly to patients via home delivery. Trulieve also operates in California, Massachusetts, and Connecticut. Trulieve is listed on the Canadian Securities Exchange under the symbol TRUL and trades on the OTCQX market under the symbol TCNNF. To learn more about Trulieve, visit www.Trulieve.com. SOURCE Trulieve Cannabis Corp. LONDON, July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Trust Payments Ltd, the global unified payments group for global pay-in, pay-out and customer journey technologies has today announced double digit growth in its 2019 statutory accounts. In 2019, the management team led by Daniel Holden, Chief Executive Officer and Jonathan O'Connor, Chief Commercial Officer, instigated a major turnaround programme for the group, creating a new cloud-based payments platform and expanding the product range into Point of Sale. The newly formed group now delivers true omnichannel payment processing, combining the previously branded Secure Trading gateway service with an in-house pan-European acquiring institution branded acquiring.com, together with a US-based dedicated payment platform. Daniel Holden, CEO, commented: "We are delighted to announce such a strong and swift turnaround of these core assets in the payments market. While competition in the market is strong, we have created a unique suite of services, backed by a dedicated team to deliver huge revenue growth, solid profitability and a first-mover advantage in key verticals. "The approach has been received very positively by merchants and partners and, despite the current turmoil with COVID-19, the business has continued to deliver north of 50% year-on-year growth. "We invested very aggressively in our technology base, our onboarding product and automation. We also invested in our people, with 51 new hires joining the group in the first half of 2020 - showing our strength and credentials in attracting experienced talent." Jonathan O'Connor, Chief Commercial Officer commented: "When we looked at a new name for the Secure Trading brand, we chose Trust Payments as it speaks to how we want to treat our customers. We are focused on being agile, personal and making quick decisions. This is why, despite the coronavirus pandemic, the Group continues to be one of the fastest growing payments companies in 2020. We are positive about the coming months as we start to support businesses around the world to open up, get back to work and ramp up processing of payments. The payments landscape changed indefinitely in the first quarter of this year, with many world events, but Trust Payments is in a great position to continue to support our merchants' demands for speed, quality and assurance." The new group published a 6-month period of accounts to December 2019, showing Revenue of over 21m, and unadjusted EBITDA of 1.6m for the period. The group will now revert to annual accounts. About Trust Payments Group Trust Payments is a global unified payments group for global pay-in, pay-out and customer journey technologies. Our mission is to help businesses to optimise their sales and customer experience through facilitating speedy and seamless payments. Our single sign-on technology platform can process payments with over 50 global acquiring banks, including our own EU-licenced institution, acquiring.com. Our community benefits from our 20+ years of payments experience and unrivalled customer focus. Our trusted and robust technology solutions deliver 1.6 bn transactions annually for 7000 active clients across eCommerce, mobile and Point of Sale (POS) and in 14 settlement currencies. We also operate in the US with money transmission services and gaming vendor licences in key regulated markets. Visit us at www.trustpayments.com and www.acquiring.com. Media enquiries [email protected] SOURCE Trust Payments MARENGO, Ill., July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- UniCarriers Americas Corporation (UCA) today announced the winners of its Aftermarket Excellence Program (AEP) Awards, for the past fiscal year, ending March 31, 2020. The AEP is designed to recognize UniCarriers dealers who have achieved excellent performance in aftermarket parts and service. This year 24 dealers attained platinum level, the AEP's highest honor. The AEP challenges UCA dealers to excel in performance standards across eight categories, including business planning, employee training, factory support and customer satisfaction. Each category has a maximum point value that dealers can earn in order to reach four possible award levels: Bronze, Silver, Gold, or Platinum. The end-result provides dealers with higher service margins, improved parts sales, more efficient work order processing, stronger customer retention, and in-turn, greater and sustained profitability. The program was first established in 1995 as the Service Excellence Program to provide dealers with tools to implement best-in-class principles covering technical and customer service practices. In 2014, UCA enhanced the program as the AEP to include parts operation metrics, allowing for a more comprehensive aftermarket program. "We want to set our dealers up for success, and the AEP was created with that goal in mind," said Michael Toering, Aftermarket Sales Manager for UniCarriers Americas Corporation. "All of the award winners have demonstrated they are prepared to go above and beyond to achieve exceptional performance across multiple principles, which provides an opportunity for sustainable and profitable growth." The following dealers are recipients of the 2019 Aftermarket Excellence Program awards: Platinum Level : A.M. Davis, Inc., Midlothian, VA USA USA Buffalo Materials Handling, Depew, NY USA USA CFE Equipment Corporation, Norfolk, VA USA USA Darr Equipment, LP, Houston, TX USA USA Forklift Systems, Inc., Birmingham, AL USA USA Forklift Systems, Inc., Nashville, TN USA USA Forklifts of Minnesota , Bloomington, MN USA , USA Global Equipment S.A. de C.V., Tlacateco, Tepotzotlan , Estado de Mexico , Mexico , Estado de , H & K Equipment, Inc., Coraopolis, PA USA USA Hodge Material Handling, Dubuque, IA USA USA Lift Solutions, Inc., Aurora, CO USA USA Lift Solutions, Inc., Grand Island, NE USA USA Lift Solutions, Inc., Omaha, NE USA USA Lift Solutions, Inc., Sioux City, IA USA USA Lift Solutions, Inc., Sioux Falls, SD USA USA Lift Solutions, Inc., Wichita, KS USA USA Montacargas Galeria, Nuevo Leon, Mexico Mobinsa SA DE CV., Chihuahua, Chihuahua C.P., Mexico Piedmont Forklift Handling, Statesville, NC USA USA Power Machinery Center, Inc., Bakersfield, CA USA USA Power Machinery Center, Inc., Oxnard, CA USA USA Sunbelt Material Handling, Dallas, TX USA USA Union Machinery, Union, MO USA USA Vegusa Maquinaria, Leon, Guanajuato, Mexico Gold Level : A.D. Lift Truck, St. Louis, MO USA USA All-Lift, Ltd, Brampton, ON , Canada , Capital Equipment & Handling, Inc., Hartland, WI USA USA Equipements E.M.U. Ltee, Chicoutimi, QC , Canada , Maquinarias, Lima, Peru Material Handling Supply, Pennsauken NJ USA Quality Forklift Sales & Service, Shakopee, MN USA USA Quantum Lift, Inc, Warren, MI USA USA Select Equipment Sales, Inc., Buena Park, CA USA USA Tampa Forklift, Inc. (Florida FL), Tampa, FL USA USA Trinidad Import & Export Co., LTD, Trinidad , West Indies Silver Level : Ajiza Agroindustrial, SRL, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic CFE Equipment Corporation, Richmond, VA USA USA CFE Equipment Corporation, Bluff City, TN USA USA CFE Equipment Corporation, Greensboro NC USA CFE Equipment Corporation, Elm City, NC USA USA Distribuidora Nissan, S.A., Bogota DC, Colombia DM Industrial (Dimasur), Veracruz, Mexico National Lift Fleet Leasing & Sales, Oxnard CA USA Bronze Level : CFE Equipment Corporation. Jessup, MD USA USA CFE Equipment Corporation. Charlotte, NC USA "All of these dealers contribute to our continued success, and we congratulate them on their outstanding achievements," Toering added. To learn more about UniCarriers Americas, visit unicarriersamericas.com. ABOUT UNICARRIERS AMERICAS CORPORATION1 UniCarriers Americas Corporation (UCA) designs, manufactures and supports a complete line of material handling equipment that offers second-to-none reliability, higher productivity and lower total operational costs. UCA has seven factory-owned locations across Wisconsin and New England Capital Equipment and Handling and New England Industrial Truck. UCA sells and supports UniCarriers-branded forklifts and supports legacy products under the Nissan Forklift, TCM, Atlet and Barrett brands. Part of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and headquartered in Marengo, Illinois, UCA has a network of more than 130 authorized dealerships with nearly 250 locations across North, Central and South America. For more information, visit UniCarriersAmericas.com. 1 2020 Mitsubishi Logisnext Americas Inc. UniCarriers is a registered trademark of Mitsubishi Logisnext Americas Inc. SOURCE UniCarriers Americas Corporation Related Links www.unicarriersamericas.com COLUMBIA, Md., July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Welldoc, trailblazer in digital health with the first FDA-cleared Software as a Medical Device (SaMD) for diabetes, announced a collaboration with The Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services, Montana Diabetes Program and the Association of Diabetes Care and Education Specialists (ADCES) Montana Coordinating Body to introduce the award-winning digital health solution BlueStar to their Commercial, Medicare and Medicaid populations. Participants in the program will have access to BlueStar to track critical dimensions of their health, including blood glucose, nutrition, medication adherence, blood pressure, psychosocial factors, and sleep. This data will be shared with their own care team enhancing continuity of care. The one-year program, which began in late 2019, is actively recruiting people with diabetes through September 2020, with the possibility of extending another year. According to the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services, in 2018, approximately 77,000 Montana adults aged 18 years and older reported having diagnosed diabetes. More than half of this population lives in a rural setting, making access to healthcare facilities challenging. "For years BlueStar has proven to help those with diabetes track multiple dimensions of their health and, more importantly, stay connected to their provider or team, regardless of location," said Kevin McRaith, CEO at Welldoc. "Montana is a leader in offering telehealth services to its rural population, and we hope to bring those same benefits to those with a chronic disease in a rural setting. Remote patient monitoring and telehealth are accelerating in adoption given the sustainability and scalability of these tools, especially in our current circumstances." BlueStar is the first FDA-cleared digital health solution, backed by more than 45 peer-reviewed clinical posters and publications, that: Engages people with type 1 and type 2 diabetes, Delivers tailored, real-time feedback - 24/7, on or offline - to improve long-term health; Connects users to their own care team to provide new opportunities to optimize care; Seamlessly integrates with blood glucose meters, pharmacies, labs, activity and fitness trackers; Aggregates all data points to deliver actionable insights for the user's care team; Allows providers to use remote patient monitoring codes for reimbursement. "Even as a rural state, Montana is seeing incredible advances in care delivery for people with diabetes," said Melissa House, Diabetes Program Manager within the Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion Bureau of Montana's Department of Public Health and Human Services. "Through this partnership with Welldoc, we hope to be able to expand our telehealth delivery and offer diabetes self-management to individuals who may otherwise not receive this important service." About MDP/Association of Diabetes Care and Education Specialists Montana Coordinating Body The Montana Diabetes Program is a program within the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services. The Montana Diabetes Program is committed to reducing diabetes related disease and death rates, preventing type 2 diabetes among Montanans at high risk and improving the quality of life of all Montanans with diabetes. To achieve these goals, the Montana Diabetes Programs focuses on the prevention of type 2 diabetes and its complications, quality improvement for better diabetes care, and to increase access to quality diabetes self-management education and support, data and surveillance of diabetes, its complications and risk factors, evaluation to improve program performance, account for our public health actions and share lessons learned and by partnerships and coordination to share resources, and increase the scope and effectiveness of interventions. The ADCES Montana Coordinating Body represents a multi-disciplinary profession of Diabetes Care and Education Specialists across Montana, providing compassionate and evidence-based care to those living with diabetes and their families, as well as to those who are at risk for diabetes. They have actively partnered with the MT Diabetes Program over many years, working to reduce the burden of diabetes in Montana, and are on the cutting edge of providing diabetes care, education, and prevention services to Montanans. About Welldoc Welldoc is revolutionizing chronic disease management to help transform lives. BlueStar, the first FDA-cleared digital health solution, guides individuals through the complicated journey of living with diabetes by enabling them to self-manage their conditions and enhancing connections to their healthcare team. Welldoc streamlines the relationships between payers, employers and healthcare systems resources, with the goal of improving population health and reducing costs of chronic care. For more information, visit www.welldoc.com. SOURCE Welldoc Related Links http://www.welldoc.com The CollegeCentral.com/ilccjobs website makes it both FREE and easy for all employerslarge and small, public and privateto register just once and then post an unlimited number of jobs to Illinois's community college students and alumni! This is an extraordinarily useful resource for employers hiring in today's climate, even with temporarily closed or restricted campuses, and students still taking classes from home. Employers posting jobs today can simultaneously reach tens of thousands of job seekers from 25 community colleges, including Black Hawk College, College of DuPage, College of Lake County, Danville Area Community College, Elgin Community College, Highland Community College, Illinois Central College, Illinois Valley Community College, Joliet Junior College, Kankakee Community College, Kaskaskia College, Kishwaukee College, Lewis & Clark Community College, McHenry County College, Moraine Valley Community College, Morton College, Oakton Community College, Parkland College, Prairie State College, Richland Community College, Rock Valley College, South Suburban College, Southwestern Illinois College, Triton College, and Waubonsee Community College. According to Joy Miller, CCN's Career Services Central National Sales Manager, "The Consortium is launching during the COVID-19 pandemic and at a time when many employers have been creating new job opportunities, and are rehiring as the country reopens. Employers need to target timely job postings in response. They are actively seeking college students and alumni willing and able to jump in to meet their state's, regions', or cities' specific hiring conditions. Illinois' community colleges are well positioned to help their State's economy rebound fast and to quickly fill the State's hiring needs in an era of rapid economic and technological change." Miller added, "Many employers traditionally have posted jobs only at the closest community colleges. But, with the Consortium, employers can easily extend their reach, at no cost, and post statewide or target a specific combination of regional Illinois community colleges." CCN's Career Services Central is the exclusive online career office management platform for career centers at all participating colleges in the Consortium. Joy Miller sums it up: "Community colleges can have a greater impact on the State's economy. Every possible barrier has been removed to simplify the process and allow employers to easily recruit the state's home-grown entry-level talent. The Illinois Community Colleges Jobs Consortium website does exactly that, particularly with the added current complications of closed campuses, remote learning, and a difficult hiring environment." "One of the major Consortium goals is to build a direct talent pipeline using our state's emerging job seekers. This includes both traditional-age graduates and adults who advanced their skills and are ready to step into jobs for our State's employers," stated Michelle DeVore, Workforce Development Manager and Career Services Supervisor at Illinois Central College. Angela Striegel, Coordinator of Career Planning and Placement, Black Hawk College said, "Most college job boards have a national focus, charge employers high fees and make promises to deliver qualified candidates. But our Illinois Community Colleges Jobs Consortium gives employers a no-cost option that's a direct path to our combined community colleges career centers and in-state talent. The Consortium's colleges prepare our students to join the workforce, and this is the best place for Illinois's employers to find their next hires!" "Employers who post to the Consortium are specifically looking to hire students and alumni who want to work in Illinois," said Katy McGuinnis, Employer Relations Specialist, Triton College. "It is important to note that our community college graduates almost exclusively accept job offers in the state, and that makes this a workforce win-win." Statistics show that approximately 290,000 undergraduates attend Illinois community colleges.* * "Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System," National Center for Education Statistics, accessed June 15, 2020, https://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/use-the-data. About College Central Network Founded in 1997, College Central Network (CCN) has over 22 years of experience connecting employers with qualified emerging talent candidates. More than one million employers have already registered to utilize the Network to post jobs and recruit students and alumni for entry-level jobs. CollegeCentral.com is absolutely free for any student enrolled at a U.S. college; alumnus/a of a U.S. college; community resident taking classes at a U.S. college; or student attending one of our partner high schools. To learn more, visit: CollegeCentral.com. About Career Services Central Career Services Central (CSC) is CCN's intuitive and affordable career office management platform that works on any device and is trusted by hundreds of institutions and organizations across the U.S. Thousands of career professionals use CSC daily to manage the entire career process for students, alumni, and community residents attending CSC-powered institutions, including appointments, career advice and job searching, resumes, career portfolios, experiential learning, on-campus recruiting, career events, and job fairs. To learn more, visit: CareerServicesCentral.com. CONTACT: Barbara Anderson 800-442-3614 [email protected] SOURCE College Central Network Related Links https://www.collegecentral.com The cookbook contains 50 unique recipes from an equal balance of female and male chefs who have featured on recent 50 Best lists, alongside 25 cocktail pairings from bartenders behind The World's 50 Best Bars. The result is a collection of simple and delicious comfort food creations, from Tokyo to San Francisco, split into categories of vegetarian, fish and seafood, meat and dessert. Whether it's Alain Passard's inspired veg-led cookery, Daniela Soto-Innes' versatile mole, Manu Buffara's Sunday family favourite or Vicky Lau's brilliant bao, Home Comforts offers something to suit any amateur cook and every palate. This initiative offers a means for every food-and-drink lover to help the cause of the hospitality sector in return for a very special collection of recipes and insights. The release of Home Comforts coincides with the impending 'Bid for Recovery' Auction of out-of-this-world gastronomic experiences and rare items. Bidding on the auction opens on 3rd July and closes on 12th July at www.50BestForRecovery.com. 50 Best is also launching the #50BestRateMyPlate Instagram challenge for food lovers to create, and post, dishes inspired by those in the Home Comforts recipe book. Every week for five weeks from 20th July, 50 Best will choose its favourite three #50BestRateMyPlate dishes and share these with its 1.1m followers, who will then vote on their preferred dish. The plate with the most votes during that week will become a finalist and win the chance to be judged by a panel of 50 Best chefs in late August. The winner will receive two VIP tickets to The World's 50 Best Restaurants awards event in Antwerp, Flanders in 2021. Home Comforts has been created to give an insight into what 50 Best chefs have been cooking during lockdown, giving readers special access to the simple suppers they make at home, away from the polished plating in their restaurants. Anyone, anywhere in the world can donate, download a copy, and start cooking like a 50 Best chef, with ingredients easily sourced from supermarkets and local stores. With a balance of female and male chefs and bartenders, those participating reflect the gender parity that 50 Best promotes with its '50/50 is the new 50' campaign. The funds raised will go towards providing direct and tangible financial relief for restaurants worldwide as they emerge from the Covid-19 pandemic as part of the 50 Best for Recovery programme. Independent restaurants and bars across the world will be able to apply for a direct grant in late July. Additional donations will be made to non-profit-organisations: Lee Initiative's Restaurant Reboot Relief Program and Black Urban Growers (US); Nosso Prato (Brazil); the Eat Out Restaurant Relief Fund (South Africa); Feed the Needy (India); Horeca Next (Belgium); Ambasciatori del Gusto (Italy); Chefs for Spain; Singapore Cocktail Bar Association; and the worldwide Social Gastronomy Movement. You can find out more about the fund distribution process and recipient non-profit organisations here. William Drew, Director of Content for The World's 50 Best Restaurants, says: "We are thrilled to have some of the world's leading chefs and bartenders come together and offer their favourite recipes for our first ever e-cookbook. Chefs who have featured on The World's 50 Best Restaurants lists are opening their kitchens and encouraging food lovers to recreate their best-loved dishes in the comfort of their own homes. We urge people to support us in raising as much money as possible for the global hospitality industry and help give back to the restaurants and bars struggling around the world with a minimum $10 or 8 donation.'' The 50 Best team continues to offer its heartfelt support to all those businesses and individuals suffering from the global pandemic. The organisation is hugely grateful to all those in the hospitality world who are dedicating their time and skill to help others, as well as to its partners. 50 Best is committed to using its platform to help fight for equality. The Black community has been hit disproportionately hard by COVID-19. This fact will continue to help shape the distribution of funds in the 50 Best for Recovery campaign. A selection of Home Comforts recipe previews are available by request. All details of the e-cookbook and auction will be available on the 50 Best for Recovery webpage, as well as via Instagram @TheWorlds50Best and Facebook @50BestRestaurants. About The World's 50 Best Restaurants Since 2002, The World's 50 Best Restaurants has reflected the diversity of the world's culinary landscape. The annual list of the world's finest restaurants provides a snapshot of some of the best destinations for unique culinary experiences, in addition to being a barometer for global gastronomic trends. In 2020, The World's 50 Best Restaurants list will not be published; instead the organisation has pivoted to focus its energy and resources on supporting the hospitality community through its 50 Best for Recovery programme. The 50 Best family also includes Latin America's 50 Best Restaurants, Asia's 50 Best Restaurants, The World's 50 Best Bars, Asia's 50 Best Bars and the #50BestTalks and 50 Best Explores series, all of which are owned and run by William Reed Business Media. 50 Best aims to bring together communities across the hospitality sector to foster collaboration, inclusivity, diversity and discovery and help drive positive change. About the main sponsor and founding donor: S.Pellegrino & Acqua Panna S.Pellegrino and Acqua Panna is the main partner of The World's 50 Best Restaurants and 50 Best for Recovery, as well as founding donor of the 50 Best Recovery Fund. S.Pellegrino and Acqua Panna are the leading natural mineral waters in the fine dining world. Together they interpret Italian style worldwide as a synthesis of excellence, pleasure and well-being. Other partners American Express - Official Credit Card Partner Gin Mare - Official Gin Partner Flor de Cana - Official Rum Partner The Dalmore Official Scotch Whisky Partner illycaffe - Official Coffee Partner Beronia - Official Wine Partner Huitres Amelie - Official Oyster Partner Estrella Damm - Official Beer Partner - Official Beer Partner Nude - Official Glassware Partner Cinco Jotas Official Iberico Ham Partner Press Contacts Susie Dempsey (US) / Jamie Ley (UK) [email protected] US: +1-212-257-1500, UK: +44-20-3868 8700 For media centre registration and access, please visit https://www.theworlds50best.com/mediacentre/media-contacts SOURCE 50 Best The funding builds upon a massive ongoing medical data project called Electronic Medical Records and Genomics (eMERGE). Since 2007, participating medical centers have been working to gather, organize and share an ocean of data that has been supporting the early stages of providing highly-targeted treatments for cancer and other diseases based on a person's unique genetic code. The idea has been to perform deep genomic "risk assessments" that could help doctors manage a patient's care. The information could help determine which people are most likely to develop disease, which medications stand the best chance of success, and which pose risks of serious side effects. Conditions to receive improved, more-diverse risk assessments include cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer's disease, and diabetes. "Recent advances in targeted, precision medicine offer great promise for improved treatments and preventive strategies," says John Harley, MD, PhD, a genomics expert who will lead Cincinnati Children's portion of the project. "However, we face a significant gap in the quantity of data available from minority populations and in our ability to use the data to improve outcomes. Currently, most of the available data comes from European-Americans. Our eMERGE site will generate data and will apply analyses in ways that that will help address this disparity." While a condition such as heart disease may occur widely across population groups, the sets of genes involved and the factors driving their activity may vary widely among racial and ethnic groups, Harley says. Developing risk assessments that better account for people of African, Latino and Asian heritages will lead to better treatments better tailored for specific communities and better public health for all, Harley says, Cincinnati Children's will be recruiting up to 2,500 African-American mothers and infants to collect entire sets of genomic data. This information will then be combined with other known environmental and social factors that can be found within many electronic medical records. This will help experts produce more accurate "genomic risk assessments" or "polygenic risk scores" for people from various population groups. At the national level, the NIH has awarded $13.4 million to Vanderbilt University to serve as a data coordinating center. About $61 million more will be shared among four clinical and six enhanced diversity clinical sites. Overall, about 25,000 people will be asked to participate. The exact timing of recruitment has not been set. The new clinical sites will be led by: The new enhanced diversity clinical sites (in addition to Cincinnati Children's) will be led by: SOURCE Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center Related Links www.cincinnatichildrens.org Online community "Vagina Monologues" featuring abstract depictions of female sexual organs Body-positive drawings created by Yulia and published on the internet International Human Rights Agencies Defend Yulia "Once again, a Russian human rights activist pays a heavy price in every sense - for simply spreading the ideals of inclusiveness, tolerance and women's empowerment. Yulia is the latest target of a long-running and intensely homophobic campaign," said Natalia Zviagina, Amnesty International's Russia Director. Art Activism on Behalf of Yulia Tsvetkova: "Media Strike" On June 27 , Russian activists unleashed a tide of vaginal art and banners of support for Yulia on 100 Russian web sites and news platforms. ( #). Demonstrations were held in 20 Russian cities and many activists were arrested. "#500Solidarity" invites people around the world to travel 500 meters (.3 mile) from their home and document their solidarity with Yulia Tsvetkova with a goal of reaching 500 participants. Organizer Nicole Garneau explains, "under house arrest, Yulia could only walk 500 meters from her home. Solidarity Walks have already taken place in Russia , Berlin , and London . They are a way of embodying our support for Yulia and her mother." "Artists 4 Yulia" Growing list of 100+ artists whose work has been performed or shown in Russia , and who oppose censorship and persecution of Russian artists. Nicole Garneau is an American artist who speaks Russian and met Yulia Tsvetkova in St. Petersburg, Russia in November 2019. "Yulia Tsvetkova has been targeted by internationally-known homophobic agitator Timur Bulatov. Yulia is a brave and accomplished artist whose work directly addresses the social issues of her time. She must not go to prison for promoting human rights." See the following links: https://www.hrw.org/news/2020/01/22/russian-lgbt-activist-under-house-arrest-facing-new-charges https://www.latimes.com/world/europe/la-fg-russia-intolerance-20160118-story.html SOURCE Nicole Garneau Related Links https://www.nicolegarneau.com/ DUBLIN, July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- AerCap Holdings N.V. ("AerCap" or the "Company") (NYSE: AER) has announced today that it has delivered a new Airbus A321LR on operating lease to Air Transat. AerCap is the world's largest Airbus A320neo Family lessor, with 325 aircraft owned and on order. "We are very pleased to deliver to Air Transat a new A321LR," said Philip Scruggs, President and Chief Commercial Officer of AerCap. "The exceptional capabilities and economics of the A321LR will allow Air Transat to fly to its destinations with greater efficiency during these difficult times for airlines." "The A321LR is the ideal new-generation aircraft for the transformation of our fleet and the relaunch of our air operations, which will resume on July 23," said Jean-Francois Lemay, President of Air Transat. "The arrival of our fourth A321LR allows us to become more efficient and provide a better experience for our customers, while taking an important step in the energy transition in air transportation." About AerCap AerCap is the global leader in aircraft leasing with 1,372 aircraft owned, managed or on order and $47.1 billion of total assets as of March 31, 2020. AerCap has one of the most attractive order books in the industry. AerCap serves approximately 200 customers in approximately 80 countries with comprehensive fleet solutions. AerCap is listed on the New York Stock Exchange (AER) and has its headquarters in Dublin with offices in Shannon, Los Angeles, Singapore, Amsterdam, Shanghai, Abu Dhabi, Seattle and Toulouse. Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains certain statements, estimates and forecasts with respect to future performance and events. These statements, estimates and forecasts are "forward-looking statements". In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "may," "might," "should," "expect," "plan," "intend," "estimate," "anticipate," "believe," "predict," "potential" or "continue" or the negatives thereof or variations thereon or similar terminology. All statements other than statements of historical fact included in this press release are forward-looking statements and are based on various underlying assumptions and expectations and are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and assumptions, and may include projections of our future financial performance based on our growth strategies and anticipated trends in our business. These statements are only predictions based on our current expectations and projections about future events. There are important factors that could cause our actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements to differ materially from the results, level of activity, performance or achievements expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements. As a result, we cannot assure you that the forward-looking statements included in this press release will prove to be accurate or correct. In light of these risks, uncertainties and assumptions, the future performance or events described in the forward-looking statements in this press release might not occur. Accordingly, you should not rely upon forward-looking statements as a prediction of actual results and we do not assume any responsibility for the accuracy or completeness of any of these forward-looking statements. Except as required by applicable law, we do not undertake any obligation to, and will not, update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. SOURCE AerCap Holdings N.V. Related Links https://www.aercap.com/ TAIPEI, July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Golden Biotechnology Corp. (GoldenBiotech, 4132.TWO), a leading Taiwanese biopharmaceutical company, announced that the FDA approved its investigational new drug (IND) application for a Phase II clinical trial of Antroquinonol (Hocena) on COVID-19 patients in USA. GoldenBiotech has also applied for the US BARDA (Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Administration) CoronaWatch meeting. Future developmental planning of Antroquinonol in COVID-19 include joining the COVID-19 Candidate and Technologies Portal of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and applying for the US emergency authorization (EUA) once it exhibits significant clinical results, all to expedite the meeting of the urgent market demand. The Phase II trial will be a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled study of Antroquinonol as a potential treatment option for mild-to-moderate pneumonia in COVID-19 patients, as measured by the proportion of patients alive and free of respiratory failure (i.e., need for invasive mechanical ventilation, non-invasive ventilation, high-flow oxygen, or extracorporeal membrane oxygenation [ECMO]) on Day 14. Dr. Today Su, Chief Executive Officer at GoldenBiotech, stated, "At present, physician can only provide supportive care such as oxygen supplementation, mechanical ventilation, and/or extracorporeal membrane oxygenator (ECMO) based on the clinical symptoms of the patients or enroll them in available clinical trials. Clearly, new and more effective drugs are still in need to fight the pandemic. Thus, it is imperative to provide immediate and ample supply to the world should our study improve the efficacy of any newly authorized treatments recommended as standard of care (SoC) for COVID-19." Currently there is no drug in development for treating Covid-19 that can effectively improve the severe inflammatory response induced by the virus nor the overall survival rate. We can see that by far there is no single drug that can simultaneously fight against the COVID-19 virus (SARS-CoV2) and the symptoms induced. Combination therapies adopted by other clinical trials may solve the shortcomings of single-drug therapies with slightly better efficacy, but the higher risk of adverse effects is inevitable. Antroquinonol was found to reduce viral nucleic acid replication and viral protein synthesis in both cell and animal experiments. Prevention of organ and tissue damage was also observed with Antroquinonol when treating mice with excessive inflammation. The characteristic of multiple effects makes Antroquinonol more advantageous than other antiviral and/or anti-inflammatory drugs. GoldenBiotech is now actively promoting the Phase II study for COVID-19 in the hopes that Antroquinonol will not only improve the symptoms of COVID-19, but also minimize the possible side effects that may be induced during the treatment process. For other oncology indications, the Antroquinonol monotherapy study in Stage IV NSCLC patients who have failed at least two lines of anti-cancer therapy has shown longer progression free survival (PFS) and a high disease control rate. A Phase I/II study is currently in progress to evaluate the treatment efficacy of combining Antroquinonol with Nab-paclitaxel and Gemcitabine for the first-line treatment for stage IV metastatic pancreatic cancer patients. The ongoing Phase II study in relapsed AML patients who are restricted from intensive therapy showed positive preliminary results. FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS The statements contained herein may contain certain forward-looking statements relating to Golden Biotechnology Corp. (GoldenBiotech) (the "Company") that are based on the current beliefs and expectations of the Company's management as well as assumptions made by and information currently available to the Company's management. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements relating to the Company's business prospects, future developments, trends and conditions in the industry and geographical markets in which the Company operates. These statements can be identified by the use of words such as "anticipate," "estimate," "believe," "continue," "could," "intend," "may," "plan," "potential," "predict," or similar words, as well as the negatives of these terms or other comparable terms. However, the absence of these words does not mean that the statements are not forward-looking. These forward-looking statements are, by their nature, subject to significant risks and uncertainties. If underlying assumptions prove inaccurate or risks or uncertainties materialize, actual results may differ materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date hereof, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update or reflect subsequent events or circumstances, changes in expectations or the occurrence of unanticipated events. All forward-looking statements herein are qualified by these cautionary statements and there can be no assurance that the actual results or anticipated developments will be realized or, even if substantially realized, that they will have the expected consequence to or effects on the Company's business or operations. SOURCE Golden Biotechnology Corp. THOUSAND OAKS, Calif., July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Amgen today announced that the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit has held in Amgen's favor on the validity of two patents that describe and claim Enbrel (etanercept) and methods for making it. Specifically, the appellate court affirmed an August 9, 2019 decision by the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey that had upheld the validity of two patents asserted against Sandoz Inc., Sandoz International GmbH and Sandoz GmbH (together, Sandoz) based on Sandoz's biosimilar of Enbrel (etanercept). The patent infringement action was brought against Sandoz by Amgen affiliates Immunex Corporation and Amgen Manufacturing, Limited, along with the owner and licensor of the two patents, Hoffmann-La Roche Inc. Before trial, Sandoz acknowledged its biosimilar etanercept infringes seven claims of U.S. Patent Nos. 8,063,182 and 8,163,522 (the '182 and '522 patents). On October 8, 2019, by stipulation of Amgen and Sandoz, the New Jersey District Court entered final judgment and a permanent injunction prohibiting Sandoz from making, using, importing, selling or offering for sale Sandoz's etanercept product. About Amgen Amgen is committed to unlocking the potential of biology for patients suffering from serious illnesses by discovering, developing, manufacturing and delivering innovative human therapeutics. This approach begins by using tools like advanced human genetics to unravel the complexities of disease and understand the fundamentals of human biology. Amgen focuses on areas of high unmet medical need and leverages its biologics manufacturing expertise to strive for solutions that improve health outcomes and dramatically improve people's lives. A biotechnology pioneer since 1980, Amgen has grown to be the world's largest independent biotechnology company, has reached millions of patients around the world and is developing a pipeline of medicines with breakaway potential. For more information, visit www.amgen.com and follow us on www.twitter.com/amgen. Amgen Forward-Looking Statements This communication contains forward-looking statements that are based on the current expectations and beliefs of Amgen. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are statements that could be deemed forward-looking statements, including any statements on the outcome, benefits and synergies of collaborations, or potential collaborations, with any other company, including Adaptive Biotechnologies (including statements regarding such collaboration's ability to discover and develop fully-human neutralizing antibodies targeting SARS-CoV-2 to potentially prevent or treat COVID-19), BeiGene, Ltd., or the Otezla (apremilast) acquisition, including anticipated Otezla sales growth and the timing of non-GAAP EPS accretion, as well as estimates of revenues, operating margins, capital expenditures, cash, other financial metrics, expected legal, arbitration, political, regulatory or clinical results or practices, customer and prescriber patterns or practices, reimbursement activities and outcomes, effects of pandemics or other widespread health problems such as the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic on our business, and other such estimates and results. Forward-looking statements involve significant risks and uncertainties, including those discussed below and more fully described in the Securities and Exchange Commission reports filed by Amgen, including our most recent annual report on Form 10-K and any subsequent periodic reports on Form 10-Q and current reports on Form 8-K. Unless otherwise noted, Amgen is providing this information as of the date of this news release and does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this document as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. No forward-looking statement can be guaranteed and actual results may differ materially from those we project. Our results may be affected by our ability to successfully market both new and existing products domestically and internationally, clinical and regulatory developments involving current and future products, sales growth of recently launched products, competition from other products including biosimilars, difficulties or delays in manufacturing our products and global economic conditions. In addition, sales of our products are affected by pricing pressure, political and public scrutiny and reimbursement policies imposed by third-party payers, including governments, private insurance plans and managed care providers and may be affected by regulatory, clinical and guideline developments and domestic and international trends toward managed care and healthcare cost containment. Furthermore, our research, testing, pricing, marketing and other operations are subject to extensive regulation by domestic and foreign government regulatory authorities. We or others could identify safety, side effects or manufacturing problems with our products, including our devices, after they are on the market. Our business may be impacted by government investigations, litigation and product liability claims. In addition, our business may be impacted by the adoption of new tax legislation or exposure to additional tax liabilities. If we fail to meet the compliance obligations in the corporate integrity agreement between us and the U.S. government, we could become subject to significant sanctions. Further, while we routinely obtain patents for our products and technology, the protection offered by our patents and patent applications may be challenged, invalidated or circumvented by our competitors, or we may fail to prevail in present and future intellectual property litigation. We perform a substantial amount of our commercial manufacturing activities at a few key facilities, including in Puerto Rico, and also depend on third parties for a portion of our manufacturing activities, and limits on supply may constrain sales of certain of our current products and product candidate development. An outbreak of disease or similar public health threat, such as COVID-19, and the public and governmental effort to mitigate against the spread of such disease, could have a significant adverse effect on the supply of materials for our manufacturing activities, the distribution of our products, the commercialization of our product candidates, and our clinical trial operations, and any such events may have a material adverse effect on our product sales, business and results of operations. We rely on collaborations with third parties for the development of some of our product candidates and for the commercialization and sales of some of our commercial products. In addition, we compete with other companies with respect to many of our marketed products as well as for the discovery and development of new products. Discovery or identification of new product candidates or development of new indications for existing products cannot be guaranteed and movement from concept to product is uncertain; consequently, there can be no guarantee that any particular product candidate or development of a new indication for an existing product will be successful and become a commercial product. Further, some raw materials, medical devices and component parts for our products are supplied by sole third-party suppliers. Certain of our distributors, customers and payers have substantial purchasing leverage in their dealings with us. The discovery of significant problems with a product similar to one of our products that implicate an entire class of products could have a material adverse effect on sales of the affected products and on our business and results of operations. Our efforts to collaborate with or acquire other companies, products or technology, and to integrate the operations of companies or to support the products or technology we have acquired, may not be successful. A breakdown, cyberattack or information security breach could compromise the confidentiality, integrity and availability of our systems and our data. Our stock price is volatile and may be affected by a number of events. Our business performance could affect or limit the ability of our Board of Directors to declare a dividend or our ability to pay a dividend or repurchase our common stock. We may not be able to access the capital and credit markets on terms that are favorable to us, or at all. CONTACT: Amgen, Thousand Oaks Trish Rowland, 805-447-5631 (media) Megan Fox, 805-447-1423 (media) Arvind Sood, 805-447-1060 (investors) SOURCE Amgen Related Links www.amgen.com CHICAGO, July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ --According to the new market research report "Automotive Turbocharger Market By Technology (VGT, Wastegate, Electric), Material (Cast Iron, Aluminum), Component, Fuel Type, Application (Agriculture, Construction), Vehicle (Passenger Car, LCV, Truck & Bus), Aftermarket, Region - Global Forecast To 2025", published by MarketsandMarkets, the global Automotive Turbocharger Market size is projected to grow at a CAGR of 10.5% over the forecast period, to reach USD 18.4 billion by 2025 from USD 11.1 billion in 2020. Factors such as decreased emission limits in new emission regulations, fuel shift towards gasoline passenger cars & especially towards GDI engines and focused technological advancements in electric turbocharger technology for mild-hybrid vehicles are projected to create a potential demand for automotive turbochargers in the coming years. Browse in-depth TOC on "Automotive Turbocharger Market" 249 Tables 62 Figures 242 Pages Download PDF Brochure: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=919 The wastegate turbocharger type is estimated to hold the largest share in the market Wastegate turbochargers are expected to hold the largest share (in terms of volume) in 2020, of the total turbochargers market. Wastegate turbochargers, being more economical than VGT type, Asia Oceania is estimated to showcase the most significant demand for this type of turbocharges, as the region prefers economic passenger cars (especially in countries such as China and India). However, the developed areas of the world are mostly using the advanced & comparatively expensive VGT type. Currently, the installation rate for VGT is lower in Asia. However, owing to its better efficiency (than wastegate turbos) and new emission regulations, which are expected to be introduced in India and China in the coming years, the demand for VGT is likely to increase in Asian countries post-2020. Passenger car is estimated to be the fastest-growing segment in the Automotive Turbocharger Market The passenger car segment is expected as the largest market for automotive turbochargers as it contributes to more than 50% of the global vehicle production. COVID-19 will have a major impact on the production of passenger cars in 2020. Passenger car production, which hit 74 million in 2019, will observe a decline of 15% in 2020. Efforts from various automakers to start vehicle production would help in a steady recovery post-2020. For instance, automakers in China, such as Volkswagen, Nissan, Hyundai, and Honda, have announced the reopening of their plants in the country. In Europe, Toyota, Volkswagen, and Audi have resumed operations. According to ICCT, the turbocharger technology in the EU has increased the average passenger car engine power by 30% to 97 kW, and the engine displacement decreased by 7%, reducing the overall weight of the vehicles, and hence emissions. With a change in fuel type from diesel to gasoline and advancements in 48V mild-hybrid cars, the demand for gasoline and electric turbochargers is projected to grow in the passenger car segment in the coming years. Asia Pacific: The region with the largest demand for automotive turbochargers Asia Pacific countries such as China, Japan, South Korea, and India are the largest vehicle producers globally. These countries accounted for 49% of the global vehicle production in 2019. The global production of vehicles in 2020 will observe a 15% decline due to COVID-19. China, India, and Japan, which account for a large share of the global passenger car production, will observe a drop of 15%, 17%, and 14%, respectively, in 2020 as compared to 2019. Similarly, heavy commercial vehicle production in China (the largest production hub for these vehicles) will observe a decline of 21% in 2020 as compared to 2019. COVID-19 has resulted in a decrease in vehicle production. However, Asia Pacific continues to remain the largest vehicle producer globally. Considering the opening of manufacturing plants in China, global vehicle production would grow at a rate of 3.3% from 2020 to 2025. Request FREE Sample Report: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/requestsampleNew.asp?id=919 Factors responsible for the steady growth of Automotive Turbocharger Market the post-2020 recovery of vehicle production are: Stringent emission norms - China VI, with its limits lower than Euro VI set to be implemented in 2020, and India's BS-VI standards set to be implemented in 2020 (skipping BS V norms). BS-VI standards set to be implemented in 2020 (skipping BS V norms). The increasing popularity of TGDI - 50% of passenger cars are equipped with TGDI, and this rate estimated to grow further in the future. As per SIAM, India is also shifting toward gasoline vehicles with diesel vehicles share dropping to 19% from 50%, further fuelling the turbocharger market. Countries like Japan and South Korea have many of their passenger cars running on gasoline engines and are leading countries with an active market for wastegate turbochargers. is also shifting toward gasoline vehicles with diesel vehicles share dropping to 19% from 50%, further fuelling the turbocharger market. Countries like and have many of their passenger cars running on gasoline engines and are leading countries with an active market for wastegate turbochargers. One of the essential drivers to consider is the growing production of mild hybrid vehicles. Other growing economies, such as Thailand and Indonesia , are providing incentives to OEMs to set up their hubs to produce mild-hybrid HEVs for cleaner transportation. Other factors, such as increased fuel prices, will positively affect the turbocharger market. and , are providing incentives to OEMs to set up their hubs to produce mild-hybrid HEVs for cleaner transportation. Other factors, such as increased fuel prices, will positively affect the turbocharger market. The key OEMs in this region include Brilliance Auto, Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation (SAIC), Chery Automobile, Geely Automobile, Hawtai Motor Group, and Honda Motor Co., Ltd. Hence, Asia Pacific is the largest market for automotive turbochargers. Asia Pacific contributed to 57% of the demand for turbochargers in terms of value in 2020 Key Market Players: Automotive Turbocharger Market is dominated by manufacturers such Honeywell (US), BorgWarner (US), MHI (Japan), IHI (Japan), and Continental (Germany), Bosch Mahle (Germany), Cummins (US), ABB (Switzerland), TEL (India), and Delphi Technologies (UK), Rotomaster International (Canada), Precision Turbo & Engine INC(US), Turbonetics(US), Turbo International (US), Kompressorenabu Bannewitz GMBH(Germany), Turbo Dynamic Ltd.(UK), Fuyuan Turbocharger Co. Ltd.(China), Hunan Tyen Machinery Co. Ltd. (China), Ningbo Motor Industrial Co. Ltd. (China), Calsonic Kansei (Japan). Browse Related Reports: Exhaust System Market by After-Treatment Device (DOC, DPF, LNT, SCR, and GPF), Aftermarket (DOC, DPF, and SCR), Vehicle Type (Passenger Car, LCV, HCV, Construction Equipment, and Agriculture Tractor), Component, and Region - Global Forecast to 2025 Automotive Supercharger Market by Components, Technology (Centrifugal, Twin-Screw, Roots), Vehicle Type (PC, CV, Motorcycle), Fuel Type (Gasoline, Diesel), Power Source (Engine Driven, Electric Motor Driven), and Region - Global Forecast to 2025 About MarketsandMarkets MarketsandMarkets provides quantified B2B research on 30,000 high growth niche opportunities/threats which will impact 70% to 80% of worldwide companies' revenues. Currently servicing 7500 customers worldwide including 80% of global Fortune 1000 companies as clients. Almost 75,000 top officers across eight industries worldwide approach MarketsandMarkets for their painpoints around revenues decisions. Our 850 fulltime analyst and SMEs at MarketsandMarkets are tracking global high growth markets following the "Growth Engagement Model GEM". The GEM aims at proactive collaboration with the clients to identify new opportunities, identify most important customers, write "Attack, avoid and defend" strategies, identify sources of incremental revenues for both the company and its competitors. MarketsandMarkets now coming up with 1,500 MicroQuadrants (Positioning top players across leaders, emerging companies, innovators, strategic players) annually in high growth emerging segments. MarketsandMarkets is determined to benefit more than 10,000 companies this year for their revenue planning and help them take their innovations/disruptions early to the market by providing them research ahead of the curve. MarketsandMarkets's flagship competitive intelligence and market research platform, "Knowledge Store" connects over 200,000 markets and entire value chains for deeper understanding of the unmet insights along with market sizing and forecasts of niche markets. Contact: Mr. Aashish Mehra MarketsandMarkets INC. 630 Dundee Road Suite 430 Northbrook, IL 60062 USA: +1-888-600-6441 Email: [email protected] Research Insight: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/ResearchInsight/turbochargers-market.asp Visit Our Web Site: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com Content Source: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/PressReleases/turbochargers.asp SOURCE MarketsandMarkets COLUMBUS, Miss., July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- BankFirst Capital Corporation ("BankFirst" or the "Company"), parent of BankFirst Financial Services (the "Bank"), today announced the completion of its acquisition of Traders & Farmers Bancshares, Inc. ("T&F"), parent of Traders & Farmers Bank ("T&F Bank"). The acquisition results in BankFirst having 32 locations serving Mississippi and Alabama, with total assets of approximately $1.8 billion, gross loans of approximately $1.0 billion and total deposits of approximately $1.5 billion. BankFirst's President and Chief Executive Officer, Moak Griffin, said, "We are excited to welcome T&F's employees, customers and communities to the BankFirst family. This merger represents a significant geographic expansion for BankFirst in the State of Alabama and supports our strategic vision of partnering with organizations that have strong core deposit funding and a long tradition of superior community and customer service. With over 246 years of combined banking experience in Mississippi and Alabama, this merger allows us to carry and build upon our shared beliefs, community focus and commitment to serving our customers. We expect this merger to enhance our ability to continue investing in our products and services, and enable us to remain competitive on all fronts as the banking industry continues to change and evolve." Rickey McCreless Sr., T&F Bank's Chief Executive Officer, has joined the Bank as North Alabama West Region President, W. Bret Whiteside, T&F Bank's Senior Vice President, has joined the Bank as North Alabama Region Operations Manager, and William E. Walker, T&F Bank's President, has joined the Bank as North Alabama East Region President. Messrs. McCreless, Whiteside, and Walker will also serve as directors of the Bank. BankFirst was advised by Olsen Palmer, LLC as financial advisor and Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP acted as legal counsel for BankFirst. T&F was advised by Porter White & Company and Performance Trust Capital Partners, LLC as financial advisor and Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP acted as legal counsel for T&F. About BankFirst Financial Services BankFirst Financial Services, the wholly-owned banking subsidiary of BankFirst Capital Corporation, was founded in 1888 and is a $1.8 billion financial institution that is locally owned, controlled, and operated. The Bank is headquartered in Columbus, Mississippi, with additional branch offices in Flowood, Hattiesburg, Hickory, Jackson, Lake, Louin, Macon, Madison, Newton, Starkville, and West Point, Mississippi and Addison, Aliceville, Arley, Bear Creek, Carrollton, Curry, Double Springs, Gordo, Haleyville, Lynn, Northport, and Tuscaloosa, Alabama. The Bank also operates one mortgage production office in Oxford, Mississippi. BankFirst offers a wide variety of services for businesses and consumers. The Bank also offers internet banking, no-fee ATM access, checking, CD, and money market accounts, merchant services, mortgage loans, remote deposit capture, and more. For more information, visit www.bankfirstfs.com. Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains, among other things, certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including, without limitation, (i) statements regarding certain of the Company's goals and expectations with respect to future events that are subject to various risks and uncertainties, (ii) statements about the merger of T&F with and into BankFirst (the "merger"), and (iii) statements preceded by, followed by, or that include the words "may," "will," "could," "should," "expect," "plan," "project," "intend," "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "predict," "potential," "pursuant," "target," "continue," and similar expressions. These statements are based upon the current belief and expectations of the Company's management team and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties that are subject to change based on various factors (many of which are beyond the Company's control). Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from management's projections, forecasts, estimates and expectations include, but are not limited to: fluctuation in market rates of interest and loan and deposit pricing, adverse changes in the overall national economy as well as adverse economic conditions in our specific market areas, including as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, our ability to complete the merger and recognize the expected benefits and synergies of the merger, maintenance and development of well-established and valued client relationships and referral source relationships, and acquisition or loss of key production personnel. Although the Company believes that the assumptions underlying the forward-looking statements are reasonable, any of the assumptions could prove to be inaccurate. Therefore, the Company can give no assurance that the results contemplated in the forward-looking statements will be realized. The inclusion of this forward-looking information should not be construed as a representation by the Company or any person that the future events, plans or expectations contemplated by the Company will be achieved. All subsequent written and oral forward-looking statements attributable to the Company or any person acting on its behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statements above. The forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this press release. The Company does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement to reflect circumstances or events that occur after the date the forward-looking statements are made, except as required by law. No Offer or Solicitation This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any securities. The shares of common stock of BankFirst are not savings or deposit accounts and are not insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. Member FDIC SOURCE BankFirst Capital Corporation Related Links http://www.bankfirstfs.com NEW YORK, July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- BLJ Worldwide, a boutique strategic consultancy specializing in public diplomacy, communications, and global affairs, announced the appointment of Amy Rosen as President of BLJ Worldwide. She will be based in the New York office. Ms. Rosen will be responsible for overseeing the New York, Washington, D.C. and Doha offices while also providing clients with high-level strategic communications counsel and developing and leading media relations programs to meet client objectives. Reporting to Chairman and Founder, Peter Brown, Ms. Rosen is an active member of the senior leadership team, continuing to expand partnership relationships and garner new business around the globe. "We are thrilled to welcome Amy Rosen to our team," said Peter Brown, Chairman and Founder of BLJ Worldwide. "This role needed someone capable to work directly with foreign governments and their leaders, advise Fortune 500 clients, as well as oversee our day to day offices while driving new business and expand our global footprint. We believe that Ms. Rosen will continue to elevate BLJ Worldwide's reputation as the top choice for strategic and diplomatic consulting." Prior to joining BLJ Worldwide, Rosen was a Vice President at Rubenstein Public Relations, overseeing clients in both the corporate and consumer practice, and a leader in media relations and communications programs. She has over 25 years of experience as a specialist in corporate and crisis communications for both a variety of worldwide companies and global thought leaders seeking to increase their companies' value. Rosen joined Rubenstein Public Relations after serving as Executive Vice President at Indra Public Relations. Before joining Indra, she held senior public relations executive roles at Hill & Knowlton Strategies, Edelman Public Relations, Burson-Marsteller (BCW) and Sard Verbinnen & Co., as well as serving as a Global Communications Director at Starwood Hotels and Resorts. She began her career at the central office of publicity at The Smithsonian Institution. "I am looking forward to offering my experience and insights to the already successful BLJ team of experts and offer high level strategic counsel that inspires and delivers results to existing and new client partnerships around the world," added Amy Rosen, President, BLJ Worldwide. Amy holds a B.A. degree in history from the University of Georgia and is a board member of the Pediatric Cancer Foundation and a newly elected member of the BritishAmerican Business Council. About BLJ Worldwide BLJ is a boutique strategic consultancy specializing in public diplomacy, communications, and global affairs. Founded in 1997 by Peter Brown, we have garnered a reputation for building sophisticated, narrative-driven communications campaigns with high-impact results, making us the preferred choice for movers and shakers in politics, diplomacy, international business, and beyond. Backed by a powerful network of contacts and with offices in New York, Washington, and Doha, we are uniquely equipped to help our clients achieve their business objectives, enhance their reputations, and navigate the constantly evolving landscape of international policymakers and thought leadership. For additional information please visit www.bljworldwide.com For Media Inquiries: Contact: BLJ Worldwide: [email protected] SOURCE BLJ Worldwide Related Links http://www.bljworldwide.com Kevin M. Callahan was inspired to write the book ten years ago while visiting the Sicily-Rome American Cemetery with his wife and three young sons. Walking through the gravestones, they came across two brothers buried side by side. "I didn't know the government had a policy of burying brothers next to each other," said Callahan. "As the father of three boys, I found the sight of the brothers resting forever together to be especially poignant." Artistically designed by Takigawa Design, Brothers in Arms features over 700 original photographs and historic artifacts, collected from the families who lost these brothers. "It's been an honor meeting these families," said Callahan. "This book is as much about the war as it is about family and the pain of loss even seventy-five years later." Some stories are reasonably well known, like the Niland brothers, inspiration for the movie Saving Private Ryan, or the Roosevelt brothers, sons of President Teddy Roosevelt. But many others are less well-known. Like the Pieper twins from Nebraska, recently reunited at Normandy after one of the brother's remains were discovered. Or the Akimoto brothers from Los Angeles, sons of Japanese American immigrants, who fought and died while their parents lived in an internment camp. Or the Lebrecht brothers from New York, Jewish immigrants who fled Nazi Germany in 1938 only to return to Europe as American soldiers, where both perished in the destruction of the Nazi regime they had escaped. "Kevin Callahan's meticulous research provides a poignant insight to the sacrifice of families who lost more than one son in WWII," writes Michael Sledge, author of Soldier Dead: How We Recover, Identify, Bury, and Honor Our Military Fallen. "The stories he lays bare for us vividly tell of the courage, sacrifice, and grief of those who stood by and watched their 'boys' bravely march off in service of a cause greater than their family bonds." Media Contact: Kevin Callahan, 203-216-1288, [email protected] SOURCE Brothers in Arms Press LLC Related Links https://brothersinarmsbook.com/ Brrrn is introducing the slideboard experience to fitness enthusiasts nation-wide to create a new category of at-home fitness complete with cutting-edge programming, a variety of workout genres, recovery and 'brrreathwork' content. Whether you're a competitive athlete or someone at the beginning of your fitness journey, the Brrrn Board inspires you to move by providing a fun, low- to high-impact workout experience that's challenging and as easy to use as it is to store at home. Brrrn recognized the white space within the connected-fitness category and created the Brrrn Board to offer a simplified solution to a great workout at home with a price point more approachable than existing market offerings plus no assembly required. Brrrn's on-demand library includes high-quality, instructor-led workout videos under the following categories: Slide, Core, Cardio Sculpt, Bootcamp, Recovery, Brrreath and Brrrnouts (do-it-yourself daily challenges). Videos are categorized by 10, 20 and 30 minute workouts to fit any schedule and new content will be added to the library on a regular basis. Brrrn partnered with Silicon Valley-based start-up, Feed.fm, to stream popular music for their workout videos. "As the fitness industry continues to evolve, we have seen the demand for at-home workout equipment and content, and as a brand, we knew very early on that we wanted to bring our custom Slide experience to everyone's living rooms," said Johnny Adamic, co-founder. "We have packaged our signature studio experience into the Brrrn Board, a first-of-its-kind workout with performance-driven digital content, for an opportunity to continue helping people get stronger and live healthier lives." Brrrn has an exclusive partnership with UltraSlide to manufacture the Brrrn Board, a customized 6 foot x 19.75 inch slideboard. Since 1993, UltraSlide has proudly provided slideboard training products to professional, Olympic, and collegiate teams and athletes around the world. Brrrn launched its flagship studio in New York City in May 2018 and generated early momentum by being the first out of 38,000+ studios in the U.S. and only in the world to pair cool temperature exposure with exercise to optimize the fitness experience. Additionally, Brrrn was the first to bring slideboard exercise equipment into boutique group fitness classes with dedicated Slide programminglow impact movements designed to improve balance, mobility, core strength, stability and endurance. "As a former Division 1 athlete, I was custom to daily strength and cardio training on slide boards. We hope the benefits of the Brrrn Board appeals to a broader base of exercisers, as we've seen its popularity grow in our studio," said Jimmy T. Martin, co-founder. "Our high-quality content will provide the community aspect of group fitness with premiere instructors and programming designed for anyone, regardless of fitness level." The Brrrn Board is available at shop.thebrrrn.com for $399 with a monthly content subscription of $19.99. Follow Brrrn on Instagram @Brrrn and Facebook and Twitter @thebrrrn | #brrrnboard #feelthebrrrn Media Inquiries Brittany Blake | [email protected] About Brrrn In May 2018, Brrrn launched the world's first cool temperature boutique fitness concept and lifestyle brand in New York City. The research driven concept is founded by Jimmy T. Martin and Johnny Adamic. In July 2020, Brrrn expanded the brand with an at-home fitness platform and the launch of a custom slideboard, the Brrrn Board. SOURCE Brrrn Related Links https://thebrrrn.com ATLANTA, July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- CatchMark Timber Trust, Inc. (NYSE: CTT) will release its second quarter 2020 earnings on Monday, August 3, 2020, following the market close. The company will host a conference call and live webcast at 10 a.m. ET on Tuesday, August 4, 2020 to discuss these results. Investors may listen to the conference call by dialing 1-888-347-1165 for U.S/Canada and 1-412-902-4276 for international callers. Participants should ask to be joined into the CatchMark call. Access to the live webcast is available at www.catchmark.com or here. A replay of this webcast will be archived on the company's website shortly after the call. About CatchMark Timber Trust, Inc. CatchMark (NYSE: CTT) seeks to deliver consistent and growing per share cash flow from disciplined acquisitions and superior management of prime timberlands located in high demand U.S. mill markets. Concentrating on maximizing cash flows throughout business cycles, the company strategically harvests its high-quality timberlands to produce durable revenue growth and takes advantage of proximate mill markets, which provide a reliable outlet for merchantable inventory. Headquartered in Atlanta and focused exclusively on timberland ownership and management, CatchMark began operations in 2007 and owns interests in 1.5 million acres* of timberlands located in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas. For more information, visit www.catchmark.com. * As of March 31, 2020 SOURCE CatchMark Timber Trust, Inc. Related Links https://catchmark.com Photo: (Photo : pexels.com) A mother of a student from Singleton High School is disappointed after the school did not suspend the teacher who made racist rants. Last Tuesday, a classroom full of high school students heard their teacher give out racist comments. The teacher-directed comments to Indigenous Australians. According to Mary Franks, her 14-year-old daughter was displeased with what their teacher said. Along with Franks' daughter were three other children who are all indigenous. When Franks' daughter tried to approach the teacher about the racist comments, the teacher replied. She said that the student was "too white" to be Indigenous. What was the racist comment? According to Ms. Franks, the class discussed something during a cooking class. During the discussion, the teacher decided to elaborate on diversity. While talking about diversity, Ms. Franks said that the teacher chose to bash the Aboriginals. Allegedly, the teacher said that the Indigenous Australians were taking money from the government. The teacher also said they are living in state housing. In an article published by the Singleton Argus, Ms. Franks said, "At the time, the teacher then went onto speak about Aboriginal people, describing them as dole bludgers and criminals." The teacher even went on saying that the best thing that happened to the Aboriginal was the European colonization of Australia. The four Indigenous students left the classroom. That is after feeling upset by the teacher's remarks. Before leaving the classroom, Mary's daughter tried to correct the teacher on her racist rants. That is when Ms. Franks' daughter got the reply of being too white. READ ALSO: 5 Food Brands That Are Reviewing Logos and Packaging After Public Criticism The school's actions about the incident On Wednesday, Mary Franks went to Singleton High School to report the incident. The Department of Education confirmed that the authorities received reports regarding the teacher's racist comments during a class. The school's Anti-Racism Contact Officer is checking on the incident. The parents already met with school authorities and the teacher who made the racist comments. A spokesperson of the Department of Education said that help is now given to students because of what transpired. The teacher also atoned for what happened. The Department said they do not condone any form of racism and are reviewing the incident. The Mother's Disappointment Even with the teacher's regret, Ms. Franks thinks that the teacher should be suspended from teaching. According to Franks, "That's their response. They're protecting the teacher, and my daughter just has to sit back in the corner and shut her mouth basically." READ ALSO: Special Needs Student's Photo Excluded In Yearbook, High School Apologizes and Says "It Was Not Intentional" The school said that Franks' daughter no longer needs to attend the class until the end of the term. That is after filing the reports about the racist comments. Franks feels that it is ironic how a teacher who is deemed to protect the students, is the same person who makes her daughter feel unsafe. Aside from Ms. Franks' call for the teacher to be suspended, other people online are also calling for the suspension of the teacher. READ ALSO: Parents Ask: How To Talk About Race And Privilege With Children? DALLAS, July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- This Fourth of July, Essilor Vision Foundation (EVF) asks everyone to join the foundation in helping fellow Americans in need get essential vision exams and glasses. The coronavirus pandemic has impacted the country in many ways and EVF is anticipating that more families will need financial assistance to cover medical expenses, including eye exams and glasses. Good vision is necessary for adults to be able to work and support their families and for kids to succeed in school. Donations can transform lives by giving glasses to people who cannot afford them. Two girls wearing Vote for Vision t-shirts and waving flags Vote for Vision This Fourth of July, everyone can make a difference in someone's life by supporting EVF's Vote for Vision campaign, which encourages people to prioritize their own eye health and to donate to the foundation so individuals in underserved communities can receive critical vision care during this uncertain time. A donation of $25 provides a pair of glasses. This year, thanks to a generous matching grant, every donation made by an individual will be matched dollar-for-dollar up to $100,000. In recognition of people's support, anyone who donates $25 or more will receive a Vote for Vision t-shirt. These donations give families a choice. They will not have to decide between glasses and other essential needs. Thanks to generous donors, no one ever receives a bill for vision care from EVF. Helping Americans See Clearly Eighty percent of all vision impairments can be treated or cured, often with a pair of eyeglasses. Be part of the solution and change someone's life. "My dream is that one day, everyone will think of their eye health as a regular part of their overall health and that going to the eye doctor becomes as routine as seeing a doctor or dentist for checkups," says Becky Palm, EVF President and Executive Director. "While this may be as easy as simply making an appointment for some people, that is not the case for millions of families in this country. By Voting for Vision, you help give clear vision to someone who otherwise cannot afford it." EVF is committed to helping everyone have a better life through better sight because everyone deserves to see clearly. The foundation strives to serve all people in need equally. EVF does not discriminate and is inclusive of all races, ages, orientations, identities, origins, abilities/disabilities or similar characteristics. Visit evfusa.org/VoteforVision to learn more. About Essilor Vision Foundation We strive to give children a brighter future by helping them see the world more clearly. Since 2007, Essilor Vision Foundation has provided more than 1.5 million pairs of eyeglasses to individuals in need. Essilor Vision Foundation is a 501(c)(3) public, non-profit organization committed to eliminating poor vision and its lifelong consequences. Visit www.evfusa.org to learn more. Related Images essilor-vision-foundation-vote-for.jpg Essilor Vision Foundation Vote for Vision Two girls wearing Vote for Vision t-shirts and waving flags SOURCE Essilor Vision Foundation Related Links http://www.evfusa.org To keep patients and staff safe during the pandemic, all CHI Franciscan locations, including the clinic, are taking extra safety precautions. Each location is screening every person before entering a facility, universally masking, limiting the number of visitors, and practicing physical distancing. "As we continue to experience one of the most challenging times we have faced in health care, expanding access to safe, high-quality care is more important than ever for our communities," said Ketul J. Patel, CHI Franciscan chief executive officer. "We are proud that the CHI Franciscan Family Medicine Clinic will be home to the single largest collection of primary care providers on the peninsula, offering patients comprehensive outpatient care close to home." The new clinic will address the region's growing health care needs and primary care physician shortage. According to a 2019 Kaiser Family Foundation study, only 25 percent of Washington state's primary care needs are being met. Furthermore, in the next decade, the Kitsap Peninsula will experience significant population growth. To meet the urgent demand for physicians, CHI Franciscan launched the Northwest Washington Family Medicine Residency program in 2018. The program celebrates full capacity this year as it welcomes its third class of residents. The program will graduate its first class of residents in 2021. With a full complement of 24 physicians now in residency, the clinic is expected to see 25,000-30,000 visits each subsequent year. "As our great City prepares for unprecedented growth, we appreciate CHI Franciscan's continued investment in maintaining a health care presence in Bremerton," said City of Bremerton Mayor Greg Wheeler. "This clinic will help ensure our residents get access to good health care, including those who are low-income, uninsured and disabled in our community. We are pleased to be celebrating the opening of the clinic in Bremerton with CHI Franciscan." CHI Franciscan is also addressing the long-term needs of the Kitsap Peninsula through its half-billion-dollar investment to expand St. Michael Medical Center in Silverdale. The state-of-the-art facility will be an integrated, sustainable part of the community it serves. The new facility is on track to open later this year. About CHI Franciscan CHI Franciscan is a Catholic nonprofit health system based in Tacoma, Washington. One of the largest health systems in Washington state, CHI Franciscan is comprised of more than 12,500 physicians, advanced practice clinicians, nurses, and staff that provide expert, compassionate medical care at 10 acute care hospitals and more than 220 primary and specialty care clinics throughout the greater Puget Sound. As part of CommonSpirit Health, and as a member of every community we serve, we bring together medicine, kindness, respect, and compassion to help people truly begin to heal. We honor our values and legacy by investing in our communities. In 2019 we provided $197 million in community benefits, including free, subsidized, and reduced cost health care and programs. We are also the only Washington State hospital system that accepts an unlimited number of Medicaid patients. Follow CHI Franciscan on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/CHIFranciscan, Twitter @CHIFranciscan and Instagram @chi.franciscan or go to our website for information www.chifranciscan.org. SOURCE CHI Franciscan Related Links https://www.chifranciscan.org AURORA, Colo., July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Children's Hospital Colorado (Children's Colorado) has released a new guide and Charting Pediatrics podcast designed to help school administrators and board members determine how they can most safely re-open their schools for in-person learning this fall in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. The guide, available for free on the Children's Colorado website, provides considerations and recommendations based on the most current COVID-19 medical guidelines. Recommendations were informed by Children's Colorado infectious diseases experts who have helped lead the response to COVID-19, including Sam Dominguez, MD, PhD; Chris Nyquist, MD, MPH/MSPH; and Sean O'Leary, MD. "Schools have not faced such a significant health issue as COVID-19, at least not in contemporary history, and many rural districts do not have public health experts on staff to provide medical guidance," said Heidi Baskfield, vice president of Population Health and Advocacy at Children's Colorado. "Our goal is to give schools the information and recommendations they need to make the right decision for their communities about when and how to re-open for in-person learning." In addition, Children's Colorado medical experts are now leading regular School Town Halls to provide real-time data, support and evidence-based pediatric-focused guidance on managing kids during the COVID-19 pandemic. Children's Colorado has a robust School Health team that provides school nurses and health services in seven Colorado school districts, 34 charter schools, 16 private schools and 100 preschools and camps. "Making decisions about how to safely return to in-person learning is incredibly challenging during this pandemic, in both urban and more rural districts across Colorado and the Rocky Mountain region," said Dr. Dominguez. "We know all school districts take the health and safety of their students and staff seriously, and we're happy to share our pediatric expertise and offer up-to-date guidance as COVID trends shift." The hospital's Charting Pediatrics podcast titled, COVID-19 School Re-Entry Guidance with Sean O'Leary, MD and Heidi Baskfield, JD (S3:E59), was just taped yesterday. Charting Pediatrics is a weekly podcast for pediatric providers with more than 50,000 monthly listeners from 122 countries. The Children's Colorado guide focuses on three tiers of risk mitigation practices that, if consistently used, can support large-scale, in-person learning in school settings: Tier 1 : Risk mitigation practices that are the most effective at reducing the likelihood of COVID-19 transmission among students and staff. Those practices include frequent hand washing, practicing social distancing, wearing face coverings and ensuring current vaccinations. Those are widely regarded as commonsense practices, and they do not require a significant financial investment by schools, which is particularly important as schools have seen their funding slashed due to the economic slowdown associated with the pandemic. : Risk mitigation practices that are the most effective at reducing the likelihood of COVID-19 transmission among students and staff. Those practices include frequent hand washing, practicing social distancing, wearing face coverings and ensuring current vaccinations. Those are widely regarded as commonsense practices, and they do not require a significant financial investment by schools, which is particularly important as schools have seen their funding slashed due to the economic slowdown associated with the pandemic. Tier 2 : Risk mitigation practices that have the ability to further reduce the transmission of COVID-19 when used in tandem with the Tier 1 practices. The Tier 2 actions include screening students and staff for COVID-19 symptoms, quickly isolating students and staff who exhibit signs of illness, using a pod system of education that groups students and staff into a single, isolated group, and eliminating the need for students and staff to touch common surfaces. : Risk mitigation practices that have the ability to further reduce the transmission of COVID-19 when used in tandem with the Tier 1 practices. The Tier 2 actions include screening students and staff for COVID-19 symptoms, quickly isolating students and staff who exhibit signs of illness, using a pod system of education that groups students and staff into a single, isolated group, and eliminating the need for students and staff to touch common surfaces. Tier 3: Risk mitigation practices that, while not core to a school's re-opening, are important practices to incorporate. These include conducting enhanced cleanings, being aware of and working to manage airflow, and education efforts for students and their families, as well as staff. Children's Colorado recognizes that most school districts are under enormous budget pressures given the recent state funding cuts due to the economic slowdown associated with the pandemic. As a result, the risk mitigation practices have been developed to yield the greatest impacts for the least amount of cost possible. "Shutting schools down has had a negative effect on students, impacting everything from brain development to mental health and wellness to food security," Baskfield said. "Our guidance is intended to help school districts make safe and sensible decisions to maintain student and community safety as schools return to critical in-person learning as soon as possible." About Children's Hospital Colorado Children's Hospital Colorado is one of the nation's leading and most expansive pediatric healthcare systems with a mission to improve the health of children through patient care, education, research and advocacy. Founded in 1908 and recognized as a top children's hospital by U.S. News & World Report, Children's Colorado has established itself as a pioneer in the discovery of innovative and groundbreaking treatments that are shaping the future of pediatric healthcare worldwide. Children's Colorado offers a full spectrum of family-centered care at its urgent, emergency and specialty care locations throughout Colorado, including its location on the Anschutz Medical Campus, and across the region. The newly opened Children's Hospital Colorado, Colorado Springs, is now the first pediatric-only hospital in southern Colorado. For more information, visit www.childrenscolorado.org, or connect with us on Facebook and Twitter. Children's Hospital Colorado complies with applicable Federal civil rights laws and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, or sex. ATENCION: si habla espanol, tiene a su disposicion servicios gratuitos de asistencia linguistica. Llame al 1-720-777-9800. CHU Y: Neu ban noi Tieng Viet, co cac dich vu ho tro ngon ngu mien phi danh cho ban. Goi so 1-720-777-9800. http://www.hhs.gov/civil-rights/for-individuals/section-1557 Media Contacts: Elizabeth Whitehead, 720-777-6388 [email protected] SOURCE Children's Hospital Colorado Related Links https://www.childrenscolorado.org GEORGETOWN, Cayman Islands, July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ - CoinPayments , the world's leading cryptocurrency payments processor, today debuted its new branding as part of a significant push toward strategic growth in 2020. The changes are reflected in a redesigned logo and all forthcoming external communications. "A fresh, vibrant look and a sharp new logo are critical building blocks in our plans for 2020," said CoinPayments CEO Jason Butcher. "We're well on our way to a significant growth story this year and this new brand positioning will build on the foundation we've already created." The new brand is a continuation of the industry-leading customer support and merchant services provided by CoinPayments currently. "We're here to take on a leadership role in the crypto payments industry", explained CoinPayments Chief Marketing Officer Ray Torresan. "This new brand is a message: we are the only company to deliver the easiest solution to digital currency transactions for any merchant, anywhere." During and after the rebrand, all existing platform functionality will remain the same. About CoinPayments CoinPayments is the easiest, fastest and most secure way for merchants worldwide to transact in cryptocurrencies. It is the first and largest cryptocurrency payments processor with more than US $5 billion in total transactions to date, while supporting more than 1,900 coins, and is the preferred cryptocurrency payment solution for merchants and eCommerce platform providers worldwide. Founded in 2013, CoinPayments is dedicated to providing clients with fast, secure and user-friendly crypto payment APIs, shopping cart plugins, digital wallets, and a host of other solutions supporting cryptocurrency payment applications. Learn more at: https://www.coinpayments.net/ SOURCE CoinPayments For over 90 years, MECO has provided innovative water purification systems to leading industries around the world. MECO water is used by pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies for the manufacturing of medical devices, diagnostics, vaccines, generic medicines, and nutritional products. Today, leading biopharmaceutical companies use these types of water purification systems to produce massive volumes of Purified Water (PW), Water for Injection (WFI) and Pure Steam to develop medication, manufacture IV fluid, final rinsing and sterilization of product packaging, produce COVID-19 tests, and continual development on a coronavirus vaccine. "Our priority is to work together and do all that we can to provide our customers with the high purity water that is critical to the development and manufacturing of life-saving medications now and for future generations," said George Gsell, MECO President. MECO remains diligent in supporting its customers by supplying the necessary water purification systems while implementing the safety protocols provided by the CDC and the WHO to ensure the health and well-being of all employees, community members and company operations. Producing over 25 million gallons of pharmaceutical grade water daily, MECO's systems are critical to the biopharmaceutical industry as it works to combat the spread of the coronavirus around the world. For more information on how MECO is providing essential services to the biopharmaceutical industry and the development of much needed vaccines, visit https://www.meco.com/news/ . About MECO: MECO is a world leader in the design and construction of engineered products for water purification serving industries where water is considered a critical utility. MECO designs and constructs proprietary machinery and systems for the biopharmaceutical industry where ultrapure water is the primary ingredient in the manufacturing of drugs and medical devices. The company manufactures a broad base of desalination technologies to the offshore oil and gas industry for use on platforms, drilling rigs and remote locations. Armed forces of the United States and other countries have used MECO products since World War II. MECO is a Louisiana-based company with facilities in Houston, Texas, Mandeville, La., Limerick, Ireland, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates and Singapore. For more information, visit www.meco.com. Media Contact: Natolie Grabert [email protected] 985-249-5591 SOURCE MECO Incorporated Related Links http://www.meco.com DETROIT, July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Stratview Research announces the launch of a new research report on Composite Sandwich Panels Market by Product Type (Glass Fiber Composites and Carbon Fiber Composites), by End-Use Industry Type (Aerospace & Defense, Building & Construction, Transportation, Marine, and Others), by Core Material Type (Nomex Honeycomb Composites, Aluminum Honeycomb Composites, and Other Composites), and by Region (North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Rest of the World), Trend, Forecast, Competitive Analysis, and Growth Opportunity: 2020-2025. Stratview Research continues leveraging its unparalleled research capabilities in the composites and advanced materials industry. This time, we have come up with another extensive market research on the composite sandwich panels market, a unique market that possesses consequential growth potential in the long run. The report estimates the short-term as well as long-term repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic on the demand for composite sandwich panels at the global, regional, as well as country level. The report further comprehends the opportunity loss that the market participants have to swallow by comparing pre-COVID with the post-COVID scenario. The report also portrays the long-term perspective of the market to understand the market recovery after the pandemic. Composite Sandwich Panels Market: Highlights from the Report Sandwich composite panel is a structure that is made of two thin laminate outer skins bonded to a lightweight thick core structure. These panels are majorly used in applications where a combination of high structural rigidity and low weight is required. Carbon fiber and glass fiber prepregs are commonly used as skin materials, whereas foam, aluminum honeycomb, nomex honeycomb, and balsa are commonly used core materials. The lightweight core resists the shear forces and provides insulation, whereas the two face skins provide durability, weather and impact resistance, and resist in-plane forces of tension and compression. Composite sandwich panels are widely used in the aircraft industry in galleys, floors, interior panels, sidewalls, partitions, control surfaces, and overhead stowage bins. These panels are also successful in finding applications in other markets including building & construction, mass transportation, and marine. Floors, sidewalls, and other interior panels are the major applications in trains, whereas external cladding, access loads, insulated thermal envelops, ceiling panels, wall partitions, and fire-resisting compartment walls are in the building & construction industry. Interior bulkheads, decking, covers, and cabinetry are in powerboats and yachts. The outbreak of COVID-19 has severely impacted all the industries across the world. The aerospace & defense industry is projected to be among one of the worst-affected industries due to the pandemic. Marine (recreational boats and yachts) and building & construction are the other two major markets that are also recording a huge plunge in demand in 2020. Composite sandwich panel is uniquely positioned in the composites domain and had been witnessing excellent growth over the past decade. The composite sandwich panels market could not escape from such changing market dynamics and is anticipated to experience a hefty decline in 2020, taking the market much below its 2014-level. The demand for composite sandwich panels is anticipated to remain flat in 2021, followed by a quick rebound from 2022 onwards, ultimately driving the market to reach US$ 2.4 billion in 2025. Click Here and Run Through the TOC of the Report: https://www.stratviewresearch.com/toc/890/composite-sandwich-panels-market.html Based on the product type, glass fiber composite is expected to remain the dominant material type in the market during the forecast period. Good mechanical properties, dimensional stability, electrical resistivity, and low cost are the key factors driving the glass fiber composite sandwich panels in a wide array of applications. Carbon fiber composite is expected to be a rapidly growing market since it offers exceptional properties but at a higher cost and are gaining share where weight reduction and high performance are critically required. Based on the end-use industry type, aerospace & defense will continue to remain the biggest demand generator of sandwich panels in the foreseen future. Aircraft interiors are the major users of composite sandwich panels. Large commercial and regional aircraft fleet size, expected rebound in commercial aircraft production, entry of new or variants of the existing aircraft programs (C919, MC-21, B777x, etc.), and increasing penetration of composite panels are driving forces of the market in the industry. Register Here for a Free Sample of the Detailed Report: https://www.stratviewresearch.com/Request-Sample/890/composite-sandwich-panels-market.html The market is registering significant changes in regional dynamics in pre-COVID and post-COVID scenarios. All regions to mark significant declines in sandwich composite panel sales in 2020; however, North America is estimated to be the worst-hit region due to the pandemic, in terms of both, value as well as volume. Despite severely hit from COVID-19, the USA is projected to remain the largest market for composite sandwich panels during the forecast period. The USA has one of the largest fleets of commercial aircraft in the world and is a manufacturing hub of the aircraft industry, along with the presence of key sandwich composite panel manufacturers. Europe and Asia-Pacific are the other major markets and are also likely to experience hefty declines in the demand for composite sandwich panels in 2020. The Asia-Pacific's market is anticipated to witness the least decline in the demand for composite sandwich panels and is expected to recover at the fastest pace compared to other regions. In Europe; Germany, France, and the UK are the key markets, registering a significant decline in demand in 2020; with the UK's market suffering the most from the pandemic. The supply chain of this market comprises raw material suppliers, prepreggers, core material suppliers, panel manufacturers, tier players, OEMs, airlines, aircraft leasing companies, and MRO companies. Key players in the composite sandwich panels market are Safran S.A., Collins aerospace Systems, The Gill Corporation, Diehl Aviation, Euro Composites S.A., JAMCO Corporation, Triumph Group, 3A Composites, The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd., and AIM Altitude. All the major suppliers have different growth strategies based on their synergies, product portfolio, market reach, geographical presence, and market positioning. However, high level of integration, new product development, and strategic alliances are some of the key strategies adopted by major players to gain a competitive edge in the market. Report Features This report provides market intelligence in the most comprehensive way. The report structure has been kept such that it offers maximum business value. It provides critical insights on the market dynamics and will enable strategic decision making for the existing market players as well as those willing to enter the market. The following are the key features of the report: Market structure: Overview, industry life cycle analysis, supply chain analysis. Market environment analysis: Growth drivers and constraints, Porter's five forces analysis, SWOT analysis. Market trend and forecast analysis. Market segment trend and forecast. Competitive landscape and dynamics: Market share, product portfolio, product launches, etc. Attractive market segments and associated growth opportunities. Emerging trends. Strategic growth opportunities for the existing and new players. Key success factors. This report studies the composite sandwich panels market and has segmented the market in four ways, keeping in mind the interest of all the stakeholders across the value chain. Following are the four ways in which the market is segmented: Composite Sandwich Panels Market, by Product Type Glass Fiber Composites (Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and RoW) Carbon Fiber Composites (Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and RoW) Composite Sandwich Panels Market, by End-Use Industry Type Aerospace & Defense (Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and RoW) Building & Construction (Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and RoW) Transportation (Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and RoW) Marine (Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and RoW) Others (Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and RoW) Composite Sandwich Panels Market, by Core Material Type Nomex Honeycomb Composites (Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and RoW) Aluminum Honeycomb Composites (Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and RoW) Other Composites (Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and RoW) Composite Sandwich Panels Market, by Region North America (Country Analysis: The USA , Canada , and Mexico ) Europe (Country Analysis: Germany , France , the UK, and Rest of Europe ) Asia-Pacific (Country Analysis: China , Japan , Australia , and Rest of Asia-Pacific ) Rest of the World (Sub-Region Analysis: Latin America , the Middle East , and Others) Stratview Research has several high value market reports in the advanced materials industry. Please refer to the following link to browse through our reports: https://www.stratviewresearch.com/market-reports/Advanced-Materials.html Other related reports from Stratview Research: Aircraft Interior Sandwich Panel Market by Aircraft Type (Narrow-Body Aircraft, Wide-Body Aircraft, Very Large Aircraft, Regional Aircraft, and General Aviation), by Application Type (Floor Panel, Sidewall Panel, Ceiling Panel, Stowage Bin, Galley, Lavatory, and Others), by Core Material Type (Nomex Honeycomb, Aluminum Honeycomb, and Others), by End-User Type (OE and Aftermarket), and by Region (North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Rest of the World), Market Size, Share, Trend, Forecast & Competitive Analysis: 2020-2025. Composite Floor Panels Market by End-Use Industry Type (Aircraft, Rail, and Bus), by Core Material Type (Honeycomb Core, Foam Core, and Balsa Core), by End-User Type (OE and Aftermarket), and by Region (North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Rest of the World), Market Size, Share, Trend, Forecast & Competitive Analysis: 2020-2025. About Stratview Research Stratview Research is a global market intelligence firm providing wide range of services including syndicated market reports, custom research and sourcing intelligence across industries, such as Advanced Materials, Aerospace & Defense, Automotive & Mass Transportation, Consumer Goods, Construction & Equipment, Electronics and Semiconductors, Energy & Utility, Healthcare & Life Sciences, and Oil & Gas. We have a strong team of industry veterans and analysts with an extensive experience in executing custom research projects for mid-sized to Fortune 500 companies, in the areas of Market Assessment, Opportunity Screening, Competitive Intelligence, Due Diligence, Target Screening, Market Entry Strategy, Go to Market Strategy, and Voice of Customer studies. Stratview Research is a trusted brand globally, providing high quality research and strategic insights that help companies worldwide in effective decision making. For enquiries, please contact: Stratview Research E-mail: [email protected] Direct: +1-313-307-4176 SOURCE Stratview Research CHICAGO, July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Conagra Brands today announced its partnership with the internationally recognized Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) to bring more sustainably sourced fish options to American consumers and drive awareness of the importance of protecting marine ecosystems. The MSC, a global nonprofit recognized as the world's leading certification and ecolabeling program for sustainable, wild-caught seafood, is encouraging consumers to switch to seafood certified to its rigorous 'blue fish' standard with its new 'Little Blue Label, Big Blue Future' global campaign, or #bigbluefuture on social media. Beginning in summer 2020, Conagra Brands' Van de Kamp's and Mrs. Paul's frozen fish fillets and fish sticks will bear the MSC blue fish label, indicating the wild-caught fish has been third-party certified for sustainable fishing practices that help to protect marine habitats and maintain healthy fish population levels. "Driving adoption of sustainably sourced seafood is key to a healthy planet," said Lindsay Brady, VP & General Manager. "Approximately one-third of fisheries around the world have been fished beyond sustainable limits, with another 60% fished to their maximum capacity1. By sourcing MSC-certified seafood for our key frozen fish products and educating consumers on its benefits, we support responsible fishing practices and help consumers feel confident that the fish they purchase meets rigorous standards." The MSC standard was established in 1997 and is the only global wild caught seafood standard and ecolabeling program to meet United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (UNFAO) guidelines, as well as meet Global Sustainable Seafood Initiative (GSSI) benchmarking criteria. The standards used to evaluate fisheries have been developed in deliberation with scientists, industry, and conservation groups, and reflect the most up-to-date fisheries science and management practices. Support of MSC-certified seafood sourcing is part of Conagra Brands' corporate social responsibility efforts to align with UN Sustainable Development Goal 14: Life Below Water, which aims to conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources. For more information on Conagra Brands' corporate citizenship, please visit https://www.conagrabrands.com/our-company/corporate-social-responsibility. About Conagra Brands Conagra Brands, Inc. (NYSE: CAG), headquartered in Chicago, is one of North America's leading branded food companies. Guided by an entrepreneurial spirit, Conagra Brands combines a rich heritage of making great food with a sharpened focus on innovation. The company's portfolio is evolving to satisfy people's changing food preferences. Conagra's iconic brands, such as Birds Eye, Marie Callender's, Banquet, Healthy Choice, Slim Jim, Reddi-wip, and Vlasic, as well as emerging brands, including Angie's BOOMCHICKAPOP, Duke's, Earth Balance, Gardein, and Frontera, offer choices for every occasion. For more information, visit www.conagrabrands.com. 1 According to the United Nation's Food and Agriculture Organisation (2015), 33% of the world's fish stocks are overfished, with this figure increasing consistently since 1974. 59.77% are fished to their maximum sustainable capacity. For more information, please contact: Caitlin Davy Conagra Brands (312) 549 -5518 [email protected] SOURCE Conagra Brands, Inc. Related Links https://www.conagrabrands.com TAMPA, Fla., July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- AACSB International (AACSB) announces today that 17 business schools have extended their accreditation in business and five have extended their accreditation in both business and accounting. For more than a century, AACSB accreditation has been synonymous with the highest standards in business education. Today, over 870 institutions across 57 countries and territories have earned AACSB accreditation, while 190 institutions hold supplemental AACSB accreditation for their accounting programs. "AACSB congratulates each institution on their achievement," said Stephanie M. Bryant, executive vice president and chief accreditation officer of AACSB. "Every AACSB-accredited school has demonstrated a focus on excellence in all areas, including teaching, research, curricula development, and student learning. The intense peer-review process exemplifies their commitment to quality business education." Achieving accreditation is a process of rigorous internal focus, engagement with an AACSB-assigned mentor, and peer-reviewed evaluation. During this multiyear path, schools focus on developing and implementing a plan to align with AACSB's accreditation standards. These standards require excellence in areas relating to strategic management and innovation; student, faculty, and staff as active participants; learning and teaching; and academic and professional engagement. To achieve accounting accreditation, an institution must first earn AACSB business accreditation. Then, in addition to developing and implementing a mission-driven plan to satisfy the business accreditation quality standards, accounting accreditation requires the satisfaction of a supplemental set of standards specific to the discipline and profession of accounting. Once accreditation is achieved, each institution participates in a five-year continuous improvement peer-review to maintain high quality and extend its accreditation. As ratified by the AACSB International Board of Directors, the following schools have extended their accreditation in business or accounting: Schools Extending Their Business Accreditation Aarhus University, Aarhus BSS (Denmark) Dongguk University (South Korea) Drury University (United States) Eastern Illinois University (United States) Georgia Southwestern State University (United States) Jacksonville University (United States) Monmouth University (United States) Pepperdine Graziadio Business School, Pepperdine University (United States) Saint Xavier University (United States) The Citadel (United States) Universidade Nova de Lisboa (Portugal) University of Cape Town (South Africa) University of Mannheim (Germany) University of Pennsylvania (United States) University of South Carolina Upstate (United States) Valparaiso University (United States) Washington University in St. Louis (United States) Schools Extending Their Business and Accounting Accreditation Bentley University (United States) Central Michigan University (United States) Louisiana Tech University (United States) Oregon State University (United States) University of Idaho (United States) About AACSB International Established in 1916, AACSB International (AACSB) is the world's largest business education alliance, connecting educators, learners, and business to create the next generation of great leaders. With a presence in more than 100 countries and territories, AACSB fosters engagement, accelerates innovation, and amplifies impact in business education. Learn how AACSB is transforming business education for a better society at aacsb.edu. SOURCE AACSB International Related Links http://www.aacsb.edu After 50 years, Olympia Bynum came back to Loudon, Tennessee, with her cousins. It was because her grandmother instructed her to return on June 20, 2020, for the time capsule buried in Tennessee in 1970. When Bynum was six years old, her grandmother gave her the note about returning to Loudon for the time capsule. Bynum and her cousins followed the instructions of the note to letter. Earlier this June, they were happy to know that in the time capsule were special notes. READ ALSO: High School Students Help Seniors Through Free Online Grocery Shopping and Delivery During the Pandemic Tracking down the time capsule Bynum and her cousins have been talking about the message that her grandmother had left all their lives. It was like a conversation starter every time they will get together. That is why when 2020 approached, Bynum started tracking down the time capsule. The capsule was buried in 1970 for the celebration of the Loudon County's centennial. Since 2018, Bynum has been making calls to different organizations to gather details regarding the time capsule. However, banks and the chamber of commerce have no idea on what Bynum was looking for. In an interview with WIBR, Bynum said, "No one I got in touch with had a clue what I was talking about." After several calls, Bynum was directed to Rachel Harrell. She did not only know about the time capsule but also part of the team who dug up the capsule a little earlier. READ ALSO: Librarian Uses Drone To Keep Kids Reading Amid the Coronavirus Pandemic The capsule got water damaged. After years of waiting for the contents of the time capsule to be exposed, it was a little disappointing for Bynum and her cousins. That is to know that the contents were ruined. "So when we dug it up, we found that it had had water damage over the years," Harrell said. There were some letters which survived, but not completely. These letters included that of Bynum's message when she was six years old. The letter was addressed to one of his cousins, David. The family thought it was exciting news. READ ALSO: Family Gatherings Lead To More Positive Cases of COVID-19 Even though not much of the time capsule contents did not survive, they still went back to Loudon, Tennesse last June 20. Bynum said, "I promised her we'd all be there." That is why they all returned to the house where their grandparents once lived. They thought that it was not the time capsule that would be important for their grandparents, but rather the thought that they gathered together on that day. Bynum said, "That's what's important. The rest of it, we're going to work around this." In November, the Loudon County is once again going to bury a time capsule. This time, Bynum and her cousins are the ones who plan to contribute letters for their grandchildren. They think that this will help in continuing a tradition among family members. READ ALSO: 9-Year-Old Girl Sells Friendship Bracelets, Raises $50K to Help Residents of Minneapolis WINSTON-SALEM, N.C., July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The Cook & Boardman Group LLC ("Cook & Boardman" or "C&B"), a leading specialty distributor of commercial door entry solutions and systems integration services announced today the acquisition of Birmingham, AL-based Building Specialties. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Building Specialties was founded in 1954 by W.P. "Chief" and Leola Caddell whose vision and dedication provided the foundation for the company to become established in the commercial door and hardware business. Through the years, Bill Caddell, Jr., Paul and Pat Caddell provided many years of leadership which allowed the company to continue successfully into a third-generation family business. The CEO and owner, Paul Caddell, attributes the success of the company to the hard work and professionalism of the employees who are in the Building Specialties family. "We are thrilled to welcome Building Specialties to the Cook & Boardman family of companies," said Darrin Anderson, Chief Executive Officer of C&B. "They fit perfectly into our acquisition strategy of buying market leaders with strong management teams and best-in-class associates. We look forward to providing their employees with additional resources and expanded opportunities as we grow in this major market." "Throughout our company's history we have been known for delivering quality products and excellent customer service," noted Building Specialties owner Paul Caddell. "In Cook & Boardman we found a common culture and passion for serving the industry. I am confident that our employees will thrive and Building Specialties' legacy will be preserved." The company will continue to operate under the Building Specialties name and customer contacts will remain unchanged as a result of the acquisition. Mr. Caddell will continue to manage the business under C&B's ownership. Cook & Boardman is a portfolio company of Littlejohn & Co., LLC. Building Specialties represents C&B's ninth acquisition since being acquired by Littlejohn in October 2018. About Cook & Boardman Group Cook & Boardman is the nation's leading distributor of commercial doors, frames & hardware, electronic access control equipment and specialty (Division 10) products. The company also provides full systems integration services through its A3 Communications division - including physical security, access control, wireless networking, low voltage cabling, audio/visual and managed information technology products. The company serves multi-family and non-residential markets including the commercial, education, government, healthcare, office and hospitality sectors from more than fifty locations across seventeen states and nationwide through their ecommerce portal at www.cookandboardman.com. About Littlejohn & Co., LLC Littlejohn & Co., LLC is a Greenwich, Connecticut-based investment firm focused on private equity and debt investments primarily in middle market companies. The firm seeks to build sustainable success for its portfolio companies through a disciplined approach to engineering change. For more information about Littlejohn, visit www.littlejohnllc.com. SOURCE The Cook & Boardman Group Related Links https://www.cookandboardman.com NEW YORK, July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Parasites Without Borders' Board of Directors have been called upon by multiple media outlets to speak as experts in the field of infectious diseases. The team of physicians and scientists have been closely covering the pandemic by scouring literature, sharing clinical experiences, and doing their part to support busy clinicians. The five members of the Parasites Without Borders team have had a lifetime of experience in studying viruses and using their knowledge to teach others. The team includes Daniel Griffin, MD, Ph.D., Dickson D. Despommier, Ph.D., Charles A. Knirsch, MD, MPH, Peter J. Hotez, MD, Ph.D., FAAP, FASTMH, and Vincent Racaniello, Ph.D. The team has stepped up during the pandemic to bring the latest medical and biological information to the forefront for researchers and practicing physicians; covering topics ranging from "Should you fly or drive during the pandemic?" to "Will COVID become more dangerous?" From the early stages of the pandemic, Dr. Daniel Griffin has shared insight on COVID-19 with CNN, NBC News, CBS News, Los Angeles Times, The Wall Street Journal, and Rolling Stone. Dr. Peter J. Hotez has also shared helpful understanding of the virus with The New York Times, NBC News, The Texas Tribune, and Fox News. In addition, Dr. Vincent Racaniello has been featured in Forbes, Elite Daily, Washington Post, and on ABC News and Dr. Charles A. Knirsch has contributed to near-daily clinical updates on Parasites Without Border's website as well as guest appearances on This Week in Virology (TWiV). Along with frequent social media posts and newsletters, Parasites Without Borders has been routinely updating on podcasts. PWB Directors Dr. Vincent Racaniello and Dr. Dickson D. Despommier started the podcast, This Week in Virology, in September 2008. Throughout the pandemic, the two have collaborated with other PWB Directors and physicians to address common COVID-19 concerns and questions. TWiV is available for free downloaded in English on www.microbe.tv. ABOUT PARASITES WITHOUT BORDERS Parasites Without Borders was founded in New York City in 2016 by Daniel Griffin, MD, Ph.D., Dickson D. Despommier, Ph.D., and Charles A. Knirsch, MD, MPH and joined by Vincent Racaniello, Ph.D. and Peter Hotez, MD, Ph.D. as a comprehensive, advanced educational resource and disseminator of basic and clinical information dealing with all aspects of the global problems associated with parasitic diseases. For more COVID-related information, visit parasiteswithoutborders.com and follow along on social media: Twitter @PWB_Global and Facebook @ParasitesWithoutBorders Media Contact: Kara Pound Old City Public Relations [email protected] 386-237-4500 Related Images parasites-without-borders-logo.png Parasites Without Borders Logo parasites-without-borders-doctors.jpg Parasites Without Borders doctors Three of the five Parasites Without Borders directors (left to right) Vincent R. Racaniello, Ph.D., Daniel Griffin, MD, Ph.D., and Dickson Despommier, Ph.D. Related Links PWB Website TWiV SOURCE Parasites Without Borders SHORT HILLS, N.J., June 30, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Dun & Bradstreet Holdings, Inc. ("Dun & Bradstreet") today announced the pricing of its initial public offering of 78,302,272 shares of common stock at an initial public offering price of $22.00 per share. The shares are expected to begin trading on the New York Stock Exchange on July 1, 2020 under the symbol "DNB." The initial public offering is expected to close on July 6, 2020, subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions. In addition, the underwriters have been granted a 30-day option to purchase up to an additional 11,745,340 shares at the initial public offering price, less underwriting discounts and commissions. A subsidiary of Cannae Holdings, Inc., a subsidiary of Black Knight, Inc., and a subsidiary of CC Capital Partners, LLC plan to invest $200.0 million, $100.0 million, and $100.0 million, respectively, in a concurrent private placement of Dun & Bradstreet's common stock at a price per share equal to $21.67. Such concurrent private placement is contingent upon the consummation of the offering. Dun & Bradstreet intends to use the proceeds that it receives from the offering and the concurrent private placement to redeem all of its outstanding Series A Preferred Stock, repay a portion of its 10.250% Senior Unsecured Notes outstanding due 2027 and for working capital and other general corporate purposes, which may include the repayment of additional indebtedness. Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC, BofA Securities, J.P. Morgan and Barclays are acting as joint lead book running managers and representatives of the underwriters for the offering. Citigroup, Credit Suisse, HSBC, Jefferies, RBC Capital Markets, Wells Fargo Securities, Deutsche Bank Securities, BMO Capital Markets, SunTrust Robinson Humphrey and TD Securities are also acting as book-running managers for the offering. William Blair, Raymond James, Stephens Inc., Academy Securities and Loop Capital Markets are acting as co-managers for the offering. A registration statement relating to the offering was declared effective by the Securities Exchange Commission on June 30, 2020. The offering is being made only by means of a prospectus. Copies of the final prospectus relating to the offering may be obtained, when available, from: Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC, Attention: Prospectus Department, 200 West Street, New York, New York 10282, via telephone: 1-866-471-2526, or via email: [email protected] ; 10282, via telephone: 1-866-471-2526, or via email: ; BofA Securities, NC1-004-03-43, 200 North College Street, 3rd floor, Charlotte, NC 28255-0001, attention: Prospectus Department, or via email: [email protected] ; 28255-0001, attention: Prospectus Department, or via email: ; J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, c/o Broadridge Financial Solutions, 1155 Long Island Avenue, Edgewood, NY 11717, by telephone at 866-803-9204, or by email at [email protected] ; or 11717, by telephone at 866-803-9204, or by email at ; or Barclays Capital Inc., c/o Broadridge Financial Solutions, 1155 Long Island Avenue, Edgewood, NY 11717, by telephone at (888) 603-5847, or by email at [email protected] . No securities regulatory authority has either approved or disapproved the contents of this press release. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction. About Dun & Bradstreet Dun & Bradstreet, a leading global provider of business decisioning data and analytics, enables companies around the world to improve their business performance. Dun & Bradstreet's Data Cloud fuels solutions and delivers insights that empower customers to accelerate revenue, lower cost, mitigate risk, and transform their businesses. Since 1841, companies of every size have relied on Dun & Bradstreet to help them manage risk and reveal opportunity. Forward-Looking Statements This Press Release contains forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, statements concerning the conditions of our industry and our operations, performance and financial condition, including in particular, statements relating to our business, growth strategies, product development efforts and future expenses. All statements regarding the Company other than statements of historical fact or relating to present facts or current conditions included in this Press Release are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements can be identified by words such as "anticipates," "intends," "plans," "seeks," "believes," "estimates," "expects" and similar references to future periods, or by the inclusion of forecasts or projections. Examples of forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements we make regarding the outlook for our future business and financial performance. Forward-looking statements in this Press Release are based on our current expectations and assumptions regarding our business, the economy and other future conditions. Because forward-looking statements relate to the future, by their nature, they are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict. As a result, our actual results may differ materially from those contemplated by the forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements include the following: an outbreak of disease, global or localized health pandemic or epidemic, or the fear of such an event (such as the COVID-19 global pandemic), including the global economic uncertainty and measures taken in response; the short- and long-term effects of the COVID-19 global pandemic, including the pace of recovery or any future resurgence; our ability to implement and execute our strategic plans to transform the business; our ability to develop or sell solutions in a timely manner or maintain client relationships; competition for our solutions; harm to our brand and reputation; unfavorable global economic conditions; risks associated with operating and expanding internationally; failure to prevent cybersecurity incidents or the perception that confidential information is not secure; failure in the integrity of our data or the systems; experiencing system failures and personnel disruptions, which could delay the delivery of our solutions to our clients; losing access to data sources; failure of our software vendors and network and cloud providers to perform as expected or if our relationship is terminated; loss or diminution of one or more of our key clients, business partners or government contracts; dependence on strategic alliances, joint ventures and acquisitions to grow our business; our ability to protect our intellectual property adequately or cost-effectively; claims for intellectual property infringement; interruptions, delays or outages to subscription or payment processing platforms; risks related to acquiring and integrating businesses and divestitures of existing businesses; ability to retain members of the senior leadership team and attract and retain skilled employees; and compliance with governmental laws and regulations. Additional factors or events that could cause our actual performance to differ from these forward-looking statements may emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for us to predict all of them. These factors include but are not limited to those described under "Risk Factors" in Dun & Bradstreet's registration statement relating to the offering. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should any of our assumptions prove incorrect, our actual financial condition, results of operations, future performance and business may vary in material respects from the performance projected in these forward-looking statements. Any forward-looking statement made by us in this Press Release speaks only as of the date on which it is made. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise, except as may be required by law. The underwriters and their affiliates (collectively, the "Underwriters") have not conducted any investigation with respect to the information in this Press Release, and the Underwriters and the Company expressly disclaim any and all liability for representations, expressed or implied, contained in, or for omissions from, this Press Release or any other written or oral communication transmitted to any interested party in the course of its evaluation of the Company. Only those particular representations and warranties that may be made by the Company in a definitive written agreement, when and if one is executed, and subject to such limitations and restrictions as may be specified in such agreement, shall have any legal effect. Certain information contained in this Press Release has been obtained from sources outside of the Company. While such information is believed to be reliable for the purposes used herein, neither the Company nor any of its affiliates, directors, officers, members, employees, agents or advisors assume any responsibility for the accuracy of such information. For more information, contact: Media Contact: Lisette Kwong 973-921-6263 [email protected] Investor Contact: Debra McCann [email protected] SOURCE Dun & Bradstreet Related Links http://www.dnb.com BOSTON, July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Eaton Vance Investment Counsel, a wholly owned subsidiary of Eaton Vance Corp. (NYSE: EV), today announced the signing of a definitive agreement to acquire the assets of WaterOak Advisors, LLC. ("WaterOak"), a wealth management firm headquartered in Winter Park, Florida with approximately $2 billion of client assets under management. WaterOak principals L. Clarke Lemons, Stephen Curley and Scott Macaione and their team will join Eaton Vance Investment Counsel. The terms of the transaction are not being disclosed. Completion of the transaction is contingent upon certain closing conditions. Founded in 2006 by Mr. Lemons, WaterOak develops and implements customized wealth advisory strategies for individuals, families and institutions, and guides clients toward thoughtful decisions regarding their overall financial situations. WaterOak has earned a reputation as a leading provider of fiduciary wealth management services in Florida. Eaton Vance Investment Counsel provides comprehensive wealth services to help high-net-worth families and institutions maintain financial security over the long term. Bringing together the intimate scale of a boutique wealth advisor and the resources of a leading global asset manager, Eaton Vance Investment Counsel helps clients access sophisticated strategies including investment management, financial, estate and tax planning, family office and trust services to prudently preserve and grow their wealth. As of April 30, 2020, Eaton Vance Investment Counsel acted as advisor for $8.2 billion in assets on behalf of families, endowments, foundations and other institutions. "Eaton Vance and WaterOak share a focus on customized client service and a commitment to long-term relationships, based on comprehensive wealth management with integrity. Our vision is to offer industry-leading wealth solutions, encompassing tax-aware investment management, risk management, and financial planning strategies to sophisticated investors," said David C. McCabe, President of Eaton Vance Investment Counsel. "WaterOak's capable and experienced team and its leadership position in the Florida wealth management market will add meaningfully to our growth potential. We are thrilled to welcome our new WaterOak colleagues to the Eaton Vance Investment Counsel team." "For over a decade, WaterOak has focused on partnering with our clients to help them meet their long-term investment objectives, while balancing risk and controlling costs and taxes," said Mr. Lemons, President of WaterOak. "We enter this partnership with great excitement and look forward to expanding our offerings to include Eaton Vance's distinctive array of wealth management solutions. Our ability to serve clients will be significantly enhanced." "We see the proposed acquisition of WaterOak as supporting one of Eaton Vance's most important strategic priorities: strengthening our position in private wealth management." said Thomas E. Faust Jr., Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Eaton Vance Corp. "We believe the private wealth business has attractive growth prospects, and that Eaton Vance has significant competitive advantages based on Eaton Vance's leadership in wealth management solutions and long record of client service excellence. Combining with WaterOak offers the potential to develop a much larger business serving high-net-worth individuals and families in Florida and throughout the Southeast." Eaton Vance Corp. provides advanced investment strategies and wealth management solutions to forward-thinking investors around the world. Through investment affiliates Eaton Vance Management, Eaton Vance Investment Counsel, Parametric, Atlanta Capital, Calvert and Hexavest, the Company offers a diversity of investment approaches, encompassing bottom-up and top-down fundamental active management, responsible investing, systematic investing and customized implementation of client-specified portfolio exposures. As of April 30, 2020, Eaton Vance had consolidated assets under management of $465.3 billion. Exemplary service, timely innovation and attractive returns across market cycles have been hallmarks of Eaton Vance since 1924. For more information, visit eatonvance.com. SOURCE Eaton Vance Corp. Related Links http://www.eatonvance.com CHICAGO, July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- According to the new market research report "eGRC Market by Component (Software and Services), Software (Usage and Type), Type (Policy Management, Compliance Management, Audit Management, Incident Management, and Risk Management), Business Function, Vertical, and Region - Global Forecast to 2025", published by MarketsandMarkets, the eGRC Market size is projected to grow from USD 32.6 billion in 2020 to USD 61.2 billion by 2025, at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 13.4%. In contrast, the post-COVID 19 global eGRC Market size is projected to grow from USD 32.3 billion in 2020 to USD 60.8 billion by 2025 at a CAGR of 13.5% during the forecast period. The major factors responsible for the market growth include the growing need to meet stringent compliance mandates, get a holistic view of policy, risk and compliance data, and increasing data & security breaches. Moreover, the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and blockchain technologies with Governance Risk Compliance (GRC) solutions is anticipated to provide opportunities for market growth. Browse in-depth TOC on "eGRC Market" 368 Market Data Tables| 45 Figures 315 Pages Download PDF Brochure: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=1310 Among components, software segment to hold a larger market size during the forecast period The vendors in the market provide components, such as software and services. The software segment is expected to hold a larger market share. The growth is driven by the growing need to automate and streamline organizational GRC programs. The adoption of eGRC software is expected to increase owing to the increasing need to analyze regulatory requirements, policies, and obligations. Moreover, eGRC solutions offered in the market are integrated with Business Intelligence (BI) tools & analytics and Machine Learning (ML) technology, which enables organizations to get actionable insights and thereby focus on reducing organizational risks. Manufacturing vertical to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period The use of eGRC solutions is increasing across all verticals to manage the challenges associated with risk and compliance. Verticals that are leveraging eGRC solutions include Banking, Financial Services, and Insurance (BFSI), construction & engineering, energy & utility, government, healthcare, manufacturing, mining & natural resources, retail & consumer goods, telecom & Information Technology (IT), and transportation & logistics. Among these, the manufacturing vertical is expected to grow at the highest growth rate, owing to the growing need to manage various standards and ensure compliance requirements for regulations. Speak to Analyst: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/speaktoanalystNew.asp?id=1310 North America to hold the largest market size during the forecast period North America is contributing maximum in terms of revenue generation in the global eGRC Market. The region is witnessing major developments in the eGRC space. Multiple vendors across the region are involved in developing innovative products and solutions. They are focusing on the integration of advanced technologies, such as Analytics, Natural Language Processing, and Machine Learning (ML). Among all the countries of North America, the US is expected to lead in terms of the adoption of eGRC solutions. The growing business complexities and changing regulatory requirements are expected to drive the market growth in the region. Major vendors in the global eGRC Market include IBM (US), Microsoft (US), Oracle (US), SAP (Germany), SAS Institute (US), Thomson Reuters (Canada), Wolters Kluwer (Netherlands), Dell EMC (US), FIS (US), MetricStream (US), Software AG (Germany), SAI Global (US), ProcessGene (Israel), LogicManager (US), NAVEX Global (US), Ideagen (UK), Alyne(Germany), and MEGA International (France). Browse Adjacent Markets: Information Security Market Research Reports & Consulting Browse Related Reports: Third-Party Risk Management Market by Component (Solution (Financial Control, Contract, Operational Risk, Audit, and Compliance) and Service (Professional & Managed)), Deployment Mode, Organization Size, Vertical, and Region - Global Forecast to 2024 https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/third-party-risk-management-market-222423768.html EHS Market by Component, Service (Project Deployment and Implementation, Business Consulting and Advisory, Audit, Assessment, Regulatory Compliance), Deployment Mode (Cloud, On-Premises), Vertical, and Region - Global Forecast to 2024 https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/environment-health-safety-ehs-market-59608773.html About MarketsandMarkets MarketsandMarkets provides quantified B2B research on 30,000 high growth niche opportunities/threats which will impact 70% to 80% of worldwide companies' revenues. Currently servicing 7500 customers worldwide including 80% of global Fortune 1000 companies as clients. Almost 75,000 top officers across eight industries worldwide approach MarketsandMarkets for their painpoints around revenues decisions. Our 850 fulltime analyst and SMEs at MarketsandMarkets are tracking global high growth markets following the "Growth Engagement Model GEM". The GEM aims at proactive collaboration with the clients to identify new opportunities, identify most important customers, write "Attack, avoid and defend" strategies, identify sources of incremental revenues for both the company and its competitors. MarketsandMarkets now coming up with 1,500 MicroQuadrants (Positioning top players across leaders, emerging companies, innovators, strategic players) annually in high growth emerging segments. MarketsandMarkets is determined to benefit more than 10,000 companies this year for their revenue planning and help them take their innovations/disruptions early to the market by providing them research ahead of the curve. MarketsandMarkets's flagship competitive intelligence and market research platform, "Knowledge Store" connects over 200,000 markets and entire value chains for deeper understanding of the unmet insights along with market sizing and forecasts of niche markets. Contact: Mr. Aashish Mehra MarketsandMarkets INC. 630 Dundee Road Suite 430 Northbrook, IL 60062 USA: +1-888-600-6441 Email: [email protected] Visit Our Website: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com Research Insight: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/ResearchInsight/enterprise-governance-risk-compliance-market.asp Content Source: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/PressReleases/enterprise-governance-risk-compliance.asp SOURCE MarketsandMarkets CHANDLER, Ariz., July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- EME Safety is excited to announce the launch of their new online training program, entitled "5G Safety in the City." This training is meant for employees who need to work around these new RF emitters and is applicable to every municipality dealing with wireless emitters on their structures. Employees will be able to rapidly learn the important basics of FCC RF safety regulations and apply them to their duties with this new online training tool. With the deployment of hundreds of thousands of new 5G sites across North America, it is imperative that municipalities provide safety training to their affected employees. This training was designed to educate employees without technical background about this new use of RF energy. Common streetlight with wireless transmitter attached. common lightpole with transmitter. EME Safety believes this new training will provide effective education that helps solve municipal safety issues that untrained employees present. The training covers safety basics such as what is RF, how do I control my exposures and what should I do in emergency situations? It provides critical information that a novice should learn to be able to continue to maintain assets while working in these new RF environments. Certificates are provided to persons who successfully complete the training. "We developed this with municipalities after many on-site training presentations. With the need to social distance while still maintaining infrastructure in our cities, this training offers the best compromise for cities to move forward safely" said Robert Johnson, CEO. Municipalities can evaluate the training at no charge by contacting EME Safety directly at the contact address below. About EME SAFETY, LLC EME Safety, LLC is a small, veteran-owned business that is dedicated to electromagnetic safety training and surveys. Staff are actively engaged in standards and industrial hygiene associations to provide timely and accurate information for their clients. Media Contact: Robert Johnson CEO [email protected] (480) 401-7234 https://emesafety.com/municipalities-and-5g SOURCE EME Safety, LLC Launched earlier this month, The Dyrt PRO members now receive 10% off RV sites and rental accommodations at all Encore RV resort and Thousand Trails campground locations, one of the largest RV networks in the country. The Dyrt is the largest campground search platform in the U.S., with over 1M user-submitted campsites, reviews, and tips and 15M annual visitors across their website and apps. "We are excited to showcase our Encore and Thousand Trails locations to the 15 million campers who visit The Dyrt each year," said Pat Zamora, vice president of marketing for Encore and Thousand Trails. "Everyone knows Encore and Thousand Trails are leaders in the RV industry, so we couldn't be happier to welcome them as part of The Dyrt community," said Sarah Smith, Co-Founder of The Dyrt. "I know our members will be thrilled about this addition to PRO Discounts." The Dyrt PRO Discounts is part of The Dyrt PRO, a $35.99 annual subscription offering campers offline access to campground search, downloadable maps, gear discounts, and camping discounts at over 400 campgrounds across the U.S. About Encore and Thousand Trails Encore RV resorts and Thousand Trails campgrounds are part of a network of RV resorts and campgrounds across North America comprising more than 80,000 sites. Owned and operated by Equity Lifestyle Properties, Inc. (NYSE: ELS), Encore, Thousand Trails and their affiliates offer RV and outdoor recreation enthusiasts opportunities to enjoy the outdoors in top vacation destinations, complemented with resort-style amenities. For more information please visit RVontheGo.com. About The Dyrt The Dyrt is the largest campground search platform in the U.S., with over 1M user-submitted campsites, reviews, and tips. The Dyrt has over 44,000 public and private campgrounds and is the #1 ranked app for "camping" in iOS App Store and Google Play. With over 15 million website visitors per year, a new user joins The Dyrt every 50 seconds. SOURCE Encore and Thousand Trails Related Links http://www.rvonthego.com PARIS, July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- UBPartner (www.ubpartner.com), a leading XBRL software developer, and Ginini Antipode (www.ginini-antipode.com), an expert in accounting and financial reporting systems, announced today that they have partnered to provide a range of services and software that helps listed companies report under the European Single Electronic Format (ESEF) framework. UBPartner ESEF reporting, which starts for real in January 2021, requires that all European listed companies publish their annual report in Inline XBRL ('iXBRL'). iXBRL provides both human and machine-readable views in a single format. The reports will be able to be read as an xHTML document via a browser, while the XBRL 'tags' enable computer systems to extract and analyse the financial data. The new format, therefore, opens the possibility for investors to review and analyse the reported data in more detail and in more ways. To help avoid any reputational damage that may arise from inaccurate and non-compliant reports, listed companies and their agents will be able to call upon the combined knowledge of Ginini Antipode and UBPartner to assist them to ensure that their annual report is 100% compliant with the required standards. Using flexible and simple software, the firms will be guided through the iXBRL reporting process to ensure that the ESEF reports that they generate are accurate and consistent. This approach is also an opportunity to think differently on the current structure of the financial statements and to benchmark with other preparers. Ginini Antipode helping companies modernise the way they report financial information "Ginini Antipode is well versed in IFRS and consolidation systems but we're new to XBRL. When we first started talking to companies, we found many that still thought the report was simply a document, like the PDF they deliver today. They viewed the ESEF process as a simple, compliance exercise," commented Lise Chorques an IFRS specialist at Ginini Antipode. "ESEF is much more than a mere obligation; it is an opportunity to adopt a more dynamic approach to the presentation of your financials and move closer to the way information will be consumed by future users of financial reports." "Having now mapped and tagged many sample ESEF reports, we can see that each company's presentation of its IFRS statements is different in small, but important ways. These need to be modelled correctly to ensure that the financial data can be understood and automatically validated. ESEF, therefore, needs a more strategic approach and companies should look to build quality into the process from the beginning, else they may experience potential reputational risk from reporting errors." Simple, yet flexible ESEF reporting software "When ESEF was announced, we looked at the experiences in similar reporting frameworks, such as the US SEC and UK HMRC. ESMA which sets the technical standards for ESEF has learned from these earlier projects. It has included new ideas in its approach that will ensure that ESEF is more likely to deliver the data quality and consistency that investors want. However, we also noticed that many of the reporting systems adopted a 'document first' approach, and we believe this increases the risk of not delivering on the data quality that regulators, listed companies and investors would want to see," stated Martin DeVille, UBPartner. "We believe that companies need to build their reports on a solid foundation that can be used to validate the data at each step of the process. So, we start with the report model, i.e. what does the company want to report and how are they related to each other. This enables the finance department to start the ESEF process as early as it wants and to continue to improve it throughout the year. When the final statements are ready, the XBRL report model is ready and tested. The 'document first' approach leaves everything to the last moment when the financial accounts are closed, and the annual report document has been prepared. This means that listed companies have little or no time to verify the model and hence, automatically validate the financial data, so errors creep in and these tend to persist year after year." For further information on the UBPartner XT ESEF software, contact [email protected]. About ESEF (European Single Electronic Format) ESEF is the electronic reporting format in which issuers on EU regulated markets shall prepare their annual financial reports with start dates after Jan. 1, 2020. The objectives of the provision are to make reporting easier for issuers and to facilitate accessibility, analysis, and comparability of annual financial reports. ESMA is responsible for specifying the European wide regulatory technical standards (RTS) and National Competent Authorities are expected to collect these in EU countries. For further information, visit www.ubpartner.com/eurofiling/#fndtn-esma About Ginini Antipode With a broad spectrum of financial and accounting expertise, Ginini Antipode assists finance departments in their day-to-day operations and major transformation projects. Their operational oriented approach is adapted to the specific company context and challenges. The company has 200 consultants, located in five countries (France, Italy, Switzerland, China, and Turkey). For further information, visit www.ginini-antipode.com Contact information: Martin DeVille, VP Business Development: [email protected] Lise Chorques, Senior Manager Ginini Antipode: [email protected] Related Images image1.jpg SOURCE UBPartner Related Links http://www.ubpartner.com HINESVILLE, Ga., July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- On June 25, the City of Hinesville and Fort Stewart-Hunter Army Airfield (FSHAAF) signed an Intergovernmental Support Agreement (IGSA) for grounds maintenance at the installation. Signed by Col. Bryan Logan, Fort Stewart Garrison Commander, and City Mayor Allen Brown, the brief and informal ceremony was the culmination of months of hard work. Col. Bryan Logan, Fort Stewart Garrison Commander, and City Mayor Allen Brown celebrate their new partnership with a quick fist bump. Beginning Aug. 1, 2020, and renewable annually for 10 years, the City's Public Works department/ESG Operations will oversee the grounds maintenance for most of the developed acreage on the installation which consists of 5,000 acres, 54 cemeteries, and 25 training ranges. Consequently, ESG will add approximately 45 new Public Works team members to fulfill the needs of the Agreement. "We are extremely excited to be part of this process; working with the City and Fort Stewart over the past year has been a true team effort. Hopefully this will be the beginning of even bigger things to come," says Gary Gilliard, ESG Project Director. ESG partnered with the City of Hinesville in September 2016 under a Public Works and Utilities Operations and Maintenance contract which also includes the operations, maintenance and management of the City's water and wastewater treatment facilities. Public works services include streets and drainage, stormwater, parks and grounds, fleet maintenance, sanitation, meter reading, and construction maintenance. "We are always looking for ways to show our support for Fort Stewart and to serve those who serve our country," says Mayor Allen Brown. "This project is almost two years in the making and helps us plan for and accommodate growth on both sides of the fence. It goes without saying that I'm grateful to our city staff for helping making this happen and for our excellent relationship with ESG Operations and appreciate all the services they provide." "The Hinesville Fort Stewart Grounds Maintenance contract is the direct result of meetings, research, presentations and dedication from both sides of the fence. We are proud of the results and looking forward to beginning this partnership and carrying it out over the next 10 years along with exploring the possibilities of additional ventures in the future," said Kenneth Howard, Hinesville City Manager. Home to the 3rd Mechanized Infantry Division, Fort Stewart is located in southeastern Georgia near Hinesville and is the largest Army installation east of the Mississippi River. Hunter Army Airfield in nearby Savannah, Georgia, is a military airfield and subordinate installation to Fort Stewart, and is also the home of the U.S. Coast Guard Station, Savannah - the largest helicopter unit in the Coast Guard. These two installations, commonly known as the Stewart/Hunter complex, comprise a city unto itself, with 57,000 soldiers, civilians and family members working together in support of the Army mission. Photo Credit: City of Hinesville (The Public Relations Manager for the City of Hinesville and the Army Materiel Command contributed to this news release.) Contact: John F. Eddlemon [email protected] 478-474-5025 Related Images fshaaf-and-city-of-hinesville-join.png FSHAAF and City of Hinesville Join Forces Col. Bryan Logan, Fort Stewart Garrison Commander, and City Mayor Allen Brown celebrate their new partnership with a quick fist bump. Related Links ESG website SOURCE ESG Operations Inc. Related Links https://www.esginc.net With the motto "a decade of digital innovation", Insights 2020 is dedicated to the tenth anniversary of exocad. Participants can then expect a particularly exciting program with several highlights, including the world premiere of exocad's upcoming software releases for DentalCAD and exoplan named Galway . Participants can learn about brand-new features and experience a live patient case demonstrating the benefits of seamless digital workflow on the exocad open architecture software platform. Approximately 40 partner companies attending Insights 2020 will be presenting their digital innovations to the global trade public at this event and some will even premiere new product innovations in the areas of scanners, mills, 3D printers and materials. "Despite these challenging times, it is important to us to bring the worldwide exocad community together for our tenth anniversary. This is why we are planning Insights 2020 as a global leading event for digital technologies in laboratories and practices," explained Tillmann Steinbrecher, exocad CEO, adding: "Online and on site, around 2000 dental technicians and dentists from all over the world will learn about the latest developments for the future of digital dentistry." Due to the dramatic development of the corona pandemic, exocad postponed the Insights event (originally planned for March 2020), to September 21 and 22, 2020. exocad attaches great importance to the health of the participants, speakers, employees and teams of the partner companies in darmstadtium and stringent hygiene measures will be taken to ensure everyone feels safe. All participants present in Darmstadt and online will have access to Insights 2020 as a video stream for up to four weeks after the event. Knowledge, inspiration, world premieres exocad showcases two new software versions called Galway; attendees will experience the world premiere of the next generation of CAD functionality for DentalCAD and exoplan. Interdisciplinary teamwork becomes more and more intuitive and time-effective thanks to the possibilities of exocad's open software solutions. Treatment successes can be predicted and, for an increasing number of indications, even be realized in a single day. This is demonstrated by Uli Hauschild, Italy, and Dr. Michael Berthold, Germany, in a specific patient case; beginning with Smile Creator, via implant planning and guided implant placement with exoplan, through placement of the temporary prosthetics. The live transmission of the surgical procedure from a clinic in Germany will be particularly exciting. Waldo Zarco Nosti, Spain, will be presenting another highlight: his first patient cases with the new DentalCAD Galway release. Dr. Michael Scherer, USA, will discuss the role of exocad in his combined clinical and laboratory dental practice and how the software can be used in daily clinical practice. Speakers will lead participants into the exciting future of digital dentistry and show their almost infinite possibilities, clearly demonstrating that those who further digitize their workflows will be able to successfully shape the future. Finally, business psychologist Dr. Carl Naughton, Germany, will provide effective insights for managing change as he takes the auditorium on an interactive journey to individual brain power. The day will draw to a close in a relaxed atmosphere. On Tuesday morning, the partner company sessions will be followed by the latest digital trends in hardware and materials that allow for the predictable and efficient implementation of patient-oriented treatment concepts. In the afternoon, the exocad team of software experts will present DentalCAD, exoplan and ChairsideCAD using exciting patient cases, allowing users to experience the unsurpassed flexibility and design freedom of exocad software. Dentists will find numerous reasons for single-visit dentistry on an open software platform in the parallel clinical session with Dr. Gulshan Murgai, Great Britain. The conference language is English. Simultaneous translation in German, Spanish, Italian and Russian will be provided online and on site at the darmstadium. More than 40 partner companies will present their latest products for digital dentistry on site and online: Align, Amann Girrbach, Degree of Freedom, Medit, Shining 3D, Dental Direkt, GC, NextDent, Schutz Dental, VITA, Aidite, Arum Dentistry, Asiga, Bego, CAD4D, CADstar, Camlog, Carbon, Carestream, CIM System, Denseo, Dentsply Sirona, DESS, DGSHAPE, Dynamic Abutment, Elos Medtech, envisionTEC, formlabs, imes icore, Infinident Solutions, nt-trading, Open Tech 3D, Planmeca, Runyes, Ruthinium, smart optics, Sinergia, Up3d, vhf, Voco, XtCera, zebris, Zfx and more. Further information on the program, including current hygiene measures and tickets for the live stream, is available at exocad.com/insights About exocad GmbH exocad GmbH is a dynamic and innovative software company committed to expanding the possibilities of digital dentistry and providing OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers) with flexible, reliable, and easy-to-use CAD/CAM software for dental labs and dental practices. exocad software has been chosen by leading OEMs worldwide for integration into their dental CAD/CAM offerings, and thousands of exocad DentalCAD licenses are sold each year. For more information and a list of exocad reseller partners, please visit exocad.com. 1 The permitted number of local participants will depend on the applicable regulations in September 2020. SOURCE exocad GmbH Related Links http://www.exocad.com PARLAMENTUL REPUBLICII MOLDOVA 2010 The Moldovan Parliaments website design was supported by the Democracy Support Programme in Moldova" an initiative financed by the European Union and implemented by the Council of Europe PITTSBURGH, July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Federated Hermes, Inc. (NYSE: FHI), a leading global investment manager, today announced it has hired industry veteran Brandon Clark to lead its exchange-traded fund (ETF) business. Clark will serve as director, ETF business, and senior vice president, where he will develop and implement the company's global ETF business strategy and capabilities. Clark will report to Tim Trebilcock, global head of trading and investment management operations at Federated Hermes. "Brandon's experience is a tremendous asset for Federated Hermes as he brings a distinguished record of building ETF businesses including the detailed efforts involved in successfully navigating distribution, operations and capital markets," said Trebilcock. "It is our goal over time to develop a thoughtful set of actively managed ETFs leveraging Federated Hermes' extensive domestic and global investment capabilities for investors around the world." Clark joins Federated Hermes with more than 20 years of industry experience, including 13 years in building ETF businesses at investment-management firms. He joins Federated Hermes from Legg Mason, where he was managing director in the ETF Product Management group. There, he was responsible for the development of the firm's ETF business capabilities. Prior to that, Clark served as head of ETF capital markets at Vanguard, where he had previously led a team of professionals responsible for market-making relationships in Vanguard's ETF product management department. Clark also served in a variety of retirement roles at Vanguard after beginning his career at PNC Bank. Clark holds series 7, 63 and 24 licenses and is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh where he earned a bachelor's degree in economics. Federated Hermes, Inc. is a leading global investment manager with $605.8 billion in assets under management as of March 31, 2020. Guided by our conviction that responsible investing is the best way to create wealth over the long term, our investment solutions span 163 equity, fixed-income, alternative/private markets, multi-asset and liquidity management strategies and a range of separately managed account strategies. Providing world-class active investment management and engagement services to more than 11,000 institutions and intermediaries, our clients include corporations, government entities, insurance companies, foundations and endowments, banks and broker/dealers. Headquartered in Pittsburgh, Federated Hermes' more than 1,900 employees include those in London, New York, Boston and several other offices worldwide. For more information, visit FederatedHermes.com. ### Certain statements in this press release, such as those related to developing a thoughtful set of actively managed ETFs that meet specific solutions for client needs, constitute or may constitute forward-looking statements, which involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements of the company, or industry results, to be materially different from any future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Other risks and uncertainties include the ability of the company to predict the level of fee waivers and expenses in future quarters, predict whether performance fees or carried interest will be earned and retained, sustain product demand, and asset flows and mix, which could vary significantly depending on various factors, such as market conditions, investment performance and investor behavior. Other risks and uncertainties include the risk factors discussed in the company's annual and quarterly reports as filed with the SEC. As a result, no assurance can be given as to future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements, and neither the company nor any other person assumes responsibility for the accuracy and completeness of such statements in the future. SOURCE Federated Hermes, Inc. Related Links http://FederatedInvestors.com NEW YORK, July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Latham & Watkins LLP1 is pleased to announce that Michael Bosworth has joined the firm's New York office as a partner in the Litigation & Trial Department and member of the White Collar Defense & Investigations Practice. Prior to joining Latham, Bosworth served as Deputy General Counsel for global holding company MacAndrews & Forbes Incorporated, following an impressive career in government. Michele Penzer, Office Managing Partner of Latham & Watkins in New York, said: "Michael is a great talent with varied experience that will serve our clients well. He is an excellent addition to the team, who will bolster the continued growth of our Litigation & Trial Department in New York. Michael's unique combination of experience in government and the private sector will further strengthen the team of leading white collar lawyers in this office and worldwide." In addition to his most recent role in the private sector, Bosworth has an array of government experience. He served as the Deputy Assistant and Deputy Counsel to President Barack Obama from June 2014 to January 2017, where he provided legal advice to the President and senior White House officials and oversaw domestic policy legal issues. He advised on strategy in high-profile litigation, key legislation, regulations, and executive actions. Bosworth also worked closely with senior Department of Justice officials and Cabinet agency general counsel, and led inter-agency consideration of constitutional, statutory, and regulatory issues. Prior to his service in the White House, Bosworth served as Special Counsel to the Director of the FBI and was a prosecutor at the US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York, where he most recently served as Co-Chief for the Complex Fraud Unit and Deputy Chief for the Public Corruption Unit. In those roles, Bosworth oversaw the US Attorney's cases involving financial and accounting fraud, bribery, money laundering, cybercrimes, tax crimes, intellectual property theft, economic espionage, and Foreign Corrupt Practices Act violations. He successfully tried multiple cases to verdict as well as briefed and argued appeals before the US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. In recognition of his work, Bosworth received the J. Michael Bradford Award for Outstanding AUSA from the National Association of Former US Attorneys in 2013 and the Prosecutor of the Year Award from the Federal Law Enforcement Foundation in 2012. Out Magazine also named him to the Out100 List of influential members of the LGBT community in 2016. Benjamin Naftalis, Global Vice Chair of the White Collar Defense & Investigations Practice, added: "Michael was highly respected in each role in which he served in government and in the private sector. He is a powerful legal advocate, a skilled crisis manager, and a practical, commercially minded strategist. We're thrilled to welcome him to Latham where he will be an asset to clients navigating white collar matters, internal investigations, cybercrime matters, and other complex disputes." "Latham's White Collar Defense & Investigations Practice is known for offering clients unparalleled experience combined with sound judgement and commercial savvy." said Bosworth. "I'm thrilled to join the team and looking forward to working with a fantastic group of colleagues and clients, as they navigate complex disputes in and out of the courtroom." Bosworth currently serves as an Adjunct Professor at NYU School of Law, a Trustee of the John Jay College Foundation, an Adviser to the American Law Institute, Principles of the Law: Policing, and as a member of the US Holocaust Memorial Council (to which he was presidentially appointed in 2017). Early in his career, Bosworth clerked for the Honorable Jed S. Rakoff for the US District Court, Southern District of New York, the Honorable Robert A. Katzmann on the US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, and Justice Stephen G. Breyer on the US Supreme Court. He earned his JD from Yale Law School, where he was Comments Editor of the Yale Law Review, and earned his undergraduate degree, summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa, from Princeton University. Bosworth was also the recipient of the M. Taylor Pyne Honor Prize, the highest honor awarded to a Princeton undergraduate. About Latham & Watkins (lw.com) Latham & Watkins delivers innovative solutions to complex legal and business challenges around the world. From a global platform, our lawyers advise clients on market-shaping transactions, high-stakes litigation and trials, and sophisticated regulatory matters. Latham is one of the world's largest providers of pro bono services, steadfastly supports initiatives designed to advance diversity within the firm and the legal profession, and is committed to exploring and promoting environmental sustainability. Notes to Editors 1 Latham & Watkins operates worldwide as a limited liability partnership organized under the laws of the State of Delaware (USA) with affiliated limited liability partnerships conducting the practice in France, Hong Kong, Italy, Singapore, and the United Kingdom and as an affiliated partnership conducting the practice in Japan. Latham & Watkins operates in South Korea as a Foreign Legal Consultant Office. Latham & Watkins works in cooperation with the Law Office of Salman M. Al-Sudairi in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Contacts Michele Penzer, New York Office Managing Partner: +1.212.906.1245 Benjamin Naftalis, Global Vice Chair of the White Collar Defense & Investigations Practice, +1.212.906.1713 SOURCE Latham & Watkins LLP Related Links https://www.lw.com SHANGHAI, July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Four Seasons Education (Cayman) Inc. ("Four Seasons Education" or the "Company") (NYSE: FEDU), a leading Shanghai based educational company dedicated to providing comprehensive after-school education services with a focus on high-quality math education, today announced the appointment of Mr. Bing Yuan as an independent director to the Company's board of directors (the "Board"), effective July 1, 2020. Mr. Yuan will serve as the chairman of the compensation committee and the nominating and corporate governance committee and a member of the audit committee. Mr. Dele Liu has resigned as an independent director due to personal reasons, effective July 1, 2020. Mr. Yuan is the Chief Operating Officer of Hony Capital and a member of Hony Capital's Executive Committee, responsible for its equity investment operations. Prior to joining Hony Capital, Mr. Yuan served as a managing director of the Special Situation Group of Morgan Stanley Asia Limited from 2008 to 2009. Before that, Mr. Yuan served as a managing director of the Investment Banking Division at Morgan Stanley Asia Limited from April 2004 to June 2008. Prior to that, Mr. Yuan served as a Vice President with Credit Suisse First Boston in Hong Kong and New York from August 1998 to March 2004, focused on corporate finance and merger & acquisitions transactions in the technology, media and telecom industry. During his investment banking time, Mr. Yuan has assisted numerous prominent Chinese State-Owned Enterprises and private sector companies in completing their IPO, corporate finance and M&A transactions. Mr. Yuan has also worked as a financial analyst in project finance with Fieldstone Private Equity LLP in New York from 1993 to 1995. Mr. Yuan received his bachelor's degree in English from Nanjing University in July 1990, and received his master's degree in International Relations in June 1993 and his Juris Doctorate's degree in June 1998 from Yale University. Ms. Yi (Joanne) Zuo, the Director and Chief Executive Officer, commented, "I would like to thank Mr. Dele Liu for his contributions to Four Seasons Education during his tenure on the Board, and wish him all the best in his future endeavors. I would also like to warmly welcome Mr. Bing Yuan to the Board. We believe his leadership and extensive financial and investment experience will add significant value to the Board as we continue to create long-term value to our shareholders." Safe Harbor Statement This press release contains statements of a forward-looking nature. These statements, including the statements relating to the Company's future financial and operating results, are made under the "safe harbor" provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. You can identify these forward-looking statements by terminology such as "will," "expects," "believes," "anticipates," "intends," "estimates" and similar statements. Among other things, management's quotations and the Business Outlook section contain forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties and are based on current expectations, assumptions, estimates and projections about the Company and the industry. Potential risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, those relating to its ability to attract new students and retain existing students, its ability to deliver a satisfactory learning experience and improving their academic performance, PRC regulations and policies relating to the education industry in China, general economic conditions in China, and the Company's ability to meet the standards necessary to maintain listing of its ADSs on the NYSE or other stock exchange, including its ability to cure any non-compliance with the NYSE's continued listing criteria. All information provided in this press release is as of the date hereof, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent occurring events or circumstances, or changes in its expectations, except as may be required by law. Although the Company believes that the expectations expressed in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, it cannot assure you that its expectations will turn out to be correct, and investors are cautioned that actual results may differ materially from the anticipated results. Further information regarding risks and uncertainties faced by the Company is included in the Company's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including its annual reports on Form 20-F. About Four Seasons Education (Cayman) Inc. Four Seasons Education (Cayman) Inc. is a leading Shanghai based educational company dedicated to providing comprehensive after-school education services with a focus on high-quality math education. The Company's vision is to unlock students' intellectual potential through high quality and effective education that can profoundly benefit students' academic, career and life prospects. The Company provides educational programs that are primarily focused on elementary-level math and have expanded in recent years to also include other subjects, including physics, chemistry, and languages, and other grade levels, including kindergarten-level and middle school-level programs. The Company's proprietary educational content is designed to cultivate students' interests and enhance their cognitive and logic abilities. The Company develops its educational content through a systematic development process and updates it regularly based on student performance and feedback. Such process allows the Company to effectively drive better learning outcomes and serve students of different ages, aptitude levels and learning objectives. The Company's faculty is led by a group of experienced senior educators, including recognized scholars, award-winning teachers. Over the years, the quality of the Company's education services has been demonstrated by its student outstanding academic performance. For more information, please visit http://ir.sijiedu.com. For investor and media inquiries, please contact: In China: Four Seasons Education (Cayman) Inc. Olivia Li Tel: +86 (21) 6317-6678 E-mail: [email protected] The Piacente Group, Inc. Xi Zhang Tel: +86 (10) 6508-0677 E-mail: [email protected] In the United States: The Piacente Group, Inc. Brandi Piacente Tel: +1-212-481-2050 E-mail: [email protected] SOURCE Four Seasons Education Inc. Related Links http://www.sijiedu.com MILWAUKEE, July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Frank P. Crivello, Chairman & Founder of Phoenix Investors ("Phoenix"), a national private commercial real estate firm headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, announced a contribution totaling $25,000 was donated to The New Horizon Center, Inc., a non-profit organization dedicated to serving children in out-of-home care in the city of Milwaukee's. New Horizon is located just north of Milwaukee's Riverwest Neighborhood. In the last three years, Phoenix has made contributions totaling $150,000 to The New Horizon Center, Inc. "The New Horizon Center is a special organization that lends great value, purpose, and service to our community. It is an organization very deserving of our support," said Frank P. Crivello in an official statement. "In addition to direct contributions, we have sponsored special outings for the children and parents served by New Horizon, including tickets to Packer games. It's an honor to provide essential funding in a time of such uncertainty." The New Horizon Center, Inc. is a state licensed Child Placing Agency (Treatment Foster Care Program) that recruits, trains, and licenses children to be placed in caring and loving homes. New Horizon Center is also associated with New Horizon Day Care Center, LLC, serving children ages 6 weeks to 13 years old. The day care is dedicated to providing a safe, healthy, positive environment for children to learn, grow, discover, and strive to be their very best. Please visit https://newhorizondaycarecenter.com to learn more. "We are very appreciative of the timely contributions Mr. Frank Crivello of Phoenix Investors has made to New Horizon Center, Inc. over the years. His commitment to giving graciously to the essential needs of others is unmatched in these uncertain times. He is a man who understands the reality of the moment and gives to it," said Saleem El-Amin, Co-Founder of New Horizon. About Phoenix Investors Founded by Frank P. Crivello, Phoenix Investors is a national commercial real estate firm based in Milwaukee, WI whose core business is the revitalization of former manufacturing facilities throughout the United States. This strategy leads to positively transforming communities and restarting the economic engine in the communities we serve. Phoenix's affiliate companies hold interests in over 30 million square feet of industrial, retail, office, and single tenant net-leased properties across 21 states. A 2018 survey conducted by NREI ranked Phoenix Investors as having the 28th largest total industrial real estate portfolio. Today, Phoenix principally specializes in the renovation and repositioning of large, former single tenant industrial facilities throughout the United States that were previously owned by major corporate clients, REITs, or financial institutions. For more information visit https://phoenixinvestors.com. SOURCE Phoenix Investors Related Links http://www.phoenixinvestors.com TUSTIN, California, July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Freeze Tag (OTC: FRZT), a leading creator of location-based mobile social games, has released a new update to the Eventzee application. The new update comes in connection to a renewed focus on expanding services within the corporate sector. Eventzee, the state of the art virtual event and scavenger hunt app, is now available on iOS and Android devices. Those interested in utilizing Eventzee's services can learn more at eventzeeapp,com. "The latest version of Eventzee has been totally reworked to offer virtual events and scavenger hunts for any occasion," said Craig Holland, CEO of Freeze Tag. "Whether you're looking for a team-building exercise, new ways to engage with your customers, or a fun family activity, Eventzee provides the most features of any scavenger hunt app available." The app re-design includes a number of new features including new challenge types, social sections to allow players to interact with one another, and an improved admin system right in the app. Players can now tackle seven different challenge types which include Photo, Video, Quiz, GPS, QR Code, Text, and Information Challenges. Any mix of challenges can also be combined together in a Grouped Challenge to require players to complete a number of challenges at a time in order to earn the points. Now running a virtual event is easier than ever. Administrators using Eventzee can approve photo, video, and text submissions within the app itself. Alongside reviewing submissions, event hosts can also message players, download user media, post announcements and more. Admins can also use a web tool to set up events, create challenges, and more, but the new app makes approving on the day of your event much simpler. Another exciting aspect of the new app is the ability for clients to host their own white-label version of the Eventzee app. This totally unique app, branded to your specifications, uses the Eventzee technology, but operates as a separate build hosted by the client. Although development costs depend on the scope of the project, this high-end option is perfect for brands that want to make an impact in a partnership with Eventzee. "Our white-label branded apps are an opportunity to form ongoing partnerships with Eventzee and Freeze Tag," said Holland. "Especially in the current climate, there is a huge need for hosting virtual events so we can all continue engagement with communities around the world." If you're interested in hosting an Eventzee scavenger hunt visit our website and contact our team to set up the best package for you. You can also email us at [email protected] or call us at 714-210-3850 x15. Eventzee is ideal for trade shows, conferences and orientations. Businesses can use the app to drive traffic to specific locations, promote vendors or products and increase social interactions. Some clients use Eventzee to hold contests and give away prizes to their most engaged customers. There are many ways Eventzee can help you achieve your business goals. For more information visit https://www.eventzeeapp.com/. About Freeze Tag, Inc. Freeze Tag, Inc. is a leading creator of mobile location-based games for consumers and businesses. Our portfolio includes hits such as Munzee, a social platform with nearly 10 million locations worldwide and hundreds of thousands of players that blends gamification and geolocation into an experience that rewards players for going places in the physical world, Garfield Go, a Pokemon Go style augmented reality game based on the iconic cat Garfield, WallaBee, an addictive collecting game with over 2,200 beautifully drawn digital cards, as well as many social mobile games that provide endless hours of family-friendly fun. We also offer our technology and services to businesses that want to leverage mobile gaming in their marketing and branding programs. For example, our Eventzee solution allows businesses to create private scavenger hunts in physical places such as malls, tradeshows, company events or campuses to create immersive brand experiences. For more information about Freeze Tag, go to: https://www.freezetag.com Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements that involve substantial uncertainties and risks. These forward-looking statements are based upon our current expectations, estimates and projections and reflect our beliefs and assumptions based upon information available to us at the date of this release. We caution readers that forward-looking statements are predictions based on our current expectations about future events. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions that are difficult to predict. Our actual results, performance or achievements could differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements as a result of a number of factors, including but not limited to, our ability to market our games, and our ability to implement new changes and release them. We undertake no obligation to revise or update any forward-looking statement for any reason. Contact: [email protected] +1-714-210-3850 x26 SOURCE Freeze Tag Related Links https://www.freezetag.com/ SOUTHFIELD, Mich., July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Garage Gurus, the first-of-its-kind national training platform from DRiV, today announced the 12 recipients of their Automotive Technical Scholarship Program. Presented to students accepted or currently enrolled in accredited, U.S.-based automotive technical schools, colleges, universities, or full-time at a U.S. high school, each of the 12 recipients will receive $2,500 toward their automotive education. Since its inception six years ago, Garage Gurus has committed $180,000 in tuition support to future automotive service professionals. "Technician shortages remain an issue throughout the automotive aftermarket industry, and Garage Gurus has committed resources and programs toward helping alleviate this situation through training and the development of future technicians," said Dennis Sheran, director, channel engagement and Garage Gurus, DRiV. "We are very pleased to be able to help out these students as they develop the skills necessary to be leaders of the new generation of repair specialists and technicians." Applicants were required to submit an application, two letters of recommendation from non-family members, and a typed essay or video indicating "Why I Want to Be a Top Technician." Winners' application packages were reviewed and chosen by Garage Gurus' team of ASE Master-certified technicians and other team members. Students who will receive Garage Gurus scholarships for the 2020-2021 academic year are: Austin Ainslie Alfred State College, Alfred , N.Y. Alfred , N.Y. Jose Barajas Perry Technical Institute, Yakima, Wash. Perry Technical Institute, Perla Bedolla Salt Lake Community College , Sandy, Utah , William Burns Morrisville State College, Morrisville , N.Y. Morrisville , N.Y. Alan Chrzanowski, Jr. Alfred State College, Alfred , N.Y. Alfred , N.Y. Daniel Bray Curry South Plains College , Lubbock, Texas , Jakub Donscheski Southeast Community College, Milford, Neb. Andrew Long Southeast Community College, Milford, Neb. Madison Lusche Southeast Community College, Milford, Neb. Khoa Luc Nguyen Hennepin Technical College , Eden Prairie, Minn. , Logan Woods University of Northwestern Ohio , Lima, Ohio , Mateo Zapata Atlantic Technical College, Coconut Creek, Fla. Automotive service continues to be one of several skilled trades facing a shortage of incoming professionals needed to address business growth and worker retirement. To meet this continuing need throughout the industry, the Garage Gurus scholarship program was established in 2015 to serve as an investment in the future of local automotive service businesses and their employees, and specifically to the next generation of talented, highly-trained professionals who will help keep millions of vehicles in road-ready condition. Offering onsite, online and on-demand instruction, Garage Gurus is a first-of-its-kind national training platform designed to help front-line automotive service professionals keep pace with the latest vehicle technologies. State-of-the-art Garage Gurus technical education centers are operational in 12 U.S. markets Atlanta; Baltimore; Boston; Chicago; Dallas/Fort Worth; Houston; New Hyde Park, N.Y.; Rancho Dominguez, Calif.; South Florida; St. Louis; Suburban Detroit; and Van Nuys, Calif. To learn more about Garage Gurus, it's training platforms, and more about the program, visit www.garagegurus.tech. About Tenneco Headquartered in Lake Forest, Illinois, Tenneco is one of the world's leading designers, manufacturers and marketers of Aftermarket, Ride Performance, Clean Air and Powertrain products and technology solutions for diversified markets, including light vehicle, commercial truck, off-highway, industrial and the aftermarket, with 2019 revenues of $17.45 billion and approximately 78,000 employees worldwide. On October 1, 2018, Tenneco completed the acquisition of Federal-Mogul, a leading global supplier to original equipment manufacturers and the aftermarket. In the future, the company expects to separate its divisions to form two independent companies: DRiV, an Aftermarket and Ride Performance company, and a Powertrain Technology company consisting of the Powertrain and Clean Air business groups. Safe Harbor This release contains forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements include, among others, statements relating to our strategies and plans to separate into two independent public companies. Forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to materially differ from those described in the forward-looking statements, including the course of the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on general economic, business and market conditions, our ability (or inability) to execute on our plans to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic and our previously announced Accelerate plan and to realize the anticipated benefits of these actions, our financial flexibility in addressing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, our ability to maintain compliance with the agreements governing our indebtedness and otherwise have sufficient liquidity through the COVID-19 pandemic, including the possibility that Tenneco may not complete the separation of the Aftermarket & Ride Performance business from the Powertrain Technology business (or achieve some or all of the anticipated benefits of such a separation); the possibility the separation may have an adverse impact on existing arrangements with Tenneco, including those related to transition, manufacturing and supply services and tax matters; the ability to retain and hire key personnel and maintain relationships with customers, suppliers or other business partners; the risk that the benefits of the separation may not be fully realized or may take longer to realize than expected; the risk that the separation may not advance Tenneco's business strategy; the potential diversion of Tenneco management's attention resulting from the separation; as well as the risk factors and cautionary statements included in Tenneco's periodic and current reports (Forms 10-K, 10-Q and 8-K) filed from time to time with the SEC. Given these risks and uncertainties, investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements as a prediction of actual results. Unless otherwise indicated, the forward-looking statements in this release are made as of the date of this communication, and, except as required by law, Tenneco does not undertake any obligation, and disclaims any obligation, to publicly disclose revisions or updates to any forward-looking statements. Additional information regarding these risk factors and uncertainties is detailed from time to time in the company's SEC filings, including but not limited to its annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019 and quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2020. CONTACT: Karen Shulhan (DRiV) 248.354.4383 [email protected] Bill Dawson (DRiV) 847.482.5807 [email protected] SOURCE DRiV NEW YORK, July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The New York Attorney General's Office has announced a proposed settlement that would create a purported compensation fund for the female survivors of Harvey Weinstein. We, the law firm Rheingold, Giuffra, Ruffo, & Plotkin LLP, represent Alexandra Canosa. Last night we learned that there is now a proposal to settle the uncertified "class action" that has been filed purportedly on behalf of all victims of Harvey Weinstein. Based on those reports, we are issuing the following statement: "The victims of Harvey Weinstein are once again being sacrificed at the expense of those with power and money. This is not justice. The NY AG has made a deal to walk away from the missteps in which survivor's rights have been sacrificed at the expense of headlines. It has now been forgotten that the NY AG's office scuttled a deal which would have provided the survivors with a $90 Million victims compensation fund in addition to access to TWC insurance assets. The AG's Office is now bragging about a settlement that gets survivors a fraction of what the original agreement provided. The agreement is unfair for many reasons. Harvey Weinstein, still a very wealthy man and now a convicted rapist accepts no responsibility for his crimes spanning decades. Despite still retaining substantial wealth, Harvey Weinstein is not contributing a penny to the fund that is intended to compensate the survivors of his criminal behavior. The ultra-wealthy directors of the Weinstein Company who turned a blind eye to Weinstein's serial abuse of women and attributed it to "Harvey being Harvey", will be receiving millions of dollars to reimburse defense costs as will Harvey Weinstein himself. If this settlement were approved by the Courts, it will strip those survivors who wish to continue their fight to hold Harvey Weinstein and others accountable of their ability to pursue their claims against multi-billion dollar insurance companies and the enabling directors because they will have been released of all claims even those of survivors who do not wish to participate in the settlement. Finally, the class action attorneys who have spent most of their time brokering a deal on behalf of an uncertified "class" as opposed to fighting in Court on behalf of victims will receive a multi-million dollar payday. I would note that the "class" attorneys have failed just about every time in Court and their only successes have been based on riding on the coattails of the survivors and their lawyers who have spent time actually fighting in Court on behalf of their clients as opposed to looking for a quick payday. Our client and others have bravely weathered personal attacks by Weinstein's henchmen with poise and courage to finally bring justice and to try to make a difference in our society. They deserve better than this. While we support the decision of any other survivor who wishes to accept the terms of this one-sided deal because they are emotionally drained and do not want to continue the fight, Ms. Canosa and our Firm will continue the fight and intend to object to this settlement in Court. This agreement is nothing more than a complete miscarriage of justice in which those who have survived Harvey Weinstein's personal reign of terror against women and have had the courage to stand up for what is morally right publicly at great personal and emotional expense are once again being sacrificed for those who have power. One would think that at this point in our society that the voice of the little people would finally be heard, and justice obtained. Accountability and restoration are the cornerstones of justice and the New York Attorney General's Office has provided neither with this pyrrhic settlement. SOURCE Rheingold, Giuffra, Ruffo, & Plotkin LLP Related Links https://www.rheingoldlaw.com WASHINGTON, July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Industrial Hemp Council (NIHC) and The Hemp Industries Association (HIA) announced today they've entered into an agreement to work together to explore the creation of a marketing checkoff program to promote hemp. USDA checkoff programs seek to promote farm commodities and expand market opportunity for farmers, importers, and industry stakeholders. Funded through assessments on the produced commodity at the first point of sale; checkoff programs allow producers of commodities to pool resources for research, education, and promotion efforts that can expand sales and improve production efficiencies. Currently, USDA Agriculture Marketing Service (AMS) oversees 23 checkoff programs for various commodities ranging from cotton to pork to Christmas trees. A study in 2018 by Texas A&M found that the existing 23 checkoffs had a return on investment for farmers and ranchers ranging from three to seventeen dollars in value that came back to the producers for every checkoff dollar invested. "Today is another step forward in the right direction for hemp farmers and consumers of hemp-related products," said Patrick Atagi, Board Chairman of the National Industrial Hemp Council. "A checkoff program further legitimizes a rapidly growing industry and will help hemp farmers compete on a level playing field with producers of other agricultural-related commodities." "The HIA continues to focus on building the hemp economy and bringing industries together, beginning with hemp farming," said Rick Trojan, President of The Hemp Industries Association. "This first-of-its-kind agreement with NIHC creates a focus on gathering data and distributing education as hemp cultivation expands nationally. It's through these types of collaborations that we learn together and establish a solid foundation for hemp today, and over the next decade." The production of hemp was made legal by the 2018 Farm Bill passed by Congress and signed into law by President Trump. The passage of that landmark legislation legalizing hemp and the commodity later being removed from the list of controlled substances has seen industry revenues continue to grow. In 2020, the USDA estimates that hemp producers will increase sales by $25.5 million. The Department expects sales to increase to $64.5 million in 2021 and to top $100 million in the year 2022. The NIHC and HIA expect to form a working group with representatives from across the industry that would discuss the details of how a hemp checkoff would be structured and operate. The effort of the working group would guide the development of a proposal to submit to the USDA that will include an industry analysis; justification for the program; program objectives; and the impact on small businesses. For media inquiries to the NIHC, please contact Larry Farnsworth of Gavel Public Affairs at [email protected] . For media inquiries to the HIA, please contact Robert Hamm of Hannibal Creative at [email protected] . SOURCE National Industrial Hemp Council BOSTON, July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- HEVC Advance, an independent licensing administrator, today announced that the current royalty rates offered by its HEVC/H.265 Pool License will remain unchanged for its next five-year term, beginning January 1, 2021, through December 31, 2025 (the "First Renewal Term"). HEVC Advance also announced that the Category and Enterprise Caps will increase by 20% beginning on January 1, 2021, but those increases will be suspended through the end of the First Renewal Term for all Licensees in the program by December 31, 2020, and that remain in good-standing. "We are very pleased that our Licensors have decided to maintain existing royalty rates and caps for those companies that are meeting their IP obligations," said HEVC Advance CEO, Peter Moller. "This decision of our Licensors is especially note-worthy considering the overwhelming success of the HEVC Advance pool in consolidating HEVC patent owners with now 29 Licensors and ~11,000 essential patents as compared to our launch in 2016 with 6 Licensors and ~500 essential patents all with no increase in royalty rates!" HEVC Advance reminds any holders of HEVC Standard Essential Patents that are not yet Licensors in the HEVC Advance Pool that incentives in the form of increased patent points are still available for patents submitted and determined to be essential by December 31, 2020. For further information please contact HEVC Advance at [email protected]. About HEVC Advance HEVC Advance is an independent licensing administrator company formed to lead the development, administration and management of an HEVC/H.265 patent pool for licensing essential patents. HEVC Advance provides a transparent and efficient licensing mechanism for HEVC patented technology. For more information about HEVC Advance, visit www.hevcadvance.com. Contact: [email protected] SOURCE HEVC Advance Related Links http://www.hevcadvance.com/ SAN FRANCISCO, July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Heymarket announced that its customers have access to Google's Business Messages. With Heymarket's integration with Google's Business Messages, Heymarket users will be among the first to receive customer messages sent through Google Search and Maps. Heymarket, a cutting-edge customer messaging application, empowers both enterprises and small businesses to manage all of their customer messaging needs in a single, seamless interface. The platform offers cutting-edge features, including automations and third-party integrations, to streamline workflows and improve communications between businesses and their customers. Heymarket's users can already receive messages from both native SMS apps and over-the-top messaging apps in a single shared inbox. Now, any messages that customers send from Google's Business Messages will arrive in the same inbox. This centralized inbox makes it easier for teams to reply to all incoming customer messages quickly. "We're excited about Heymarket's support for Google's Business Messages," says Shruti Venugopal, Partner Development Manager at Google. "The integration empowers brands to provide a richer, more intuitive customer experience while centralizing all messaging communications in one place." Companies can use Heymarket's Business Messages integration to answer customer queries sent directly from Google Search or Maps. Heymarket also supports Business Messages' ability to schedule customer appointments, offer product and service options, or route customers to a relevant team from right within the chat. To start chats through Google's Business Messages, customers can tap a button to message through local search in Google Maps, organic search on Google, or, in the future, a Google widget on a company's website. Their messages arrive in a company's Heymarket shared inbox, where team members can quickly reply. Teams can also enrich Business Messages with cards that support configurable images, text, and buttons. These features help customers browse options and explore landing page links right from within their chats. Google's Business Messages is now available for users and businesses worldwide. Heymarket's Google's Business Messages integration is also available today. Sign up for a demo or free trial at heymarket.com/google-business-messages. About Heymarket Heymarket was built to simplify secure messaging between businesses and their customers. Tried and tested by over 1,300 businesses, the Heymarket web and mobile apps are reliable, secure, and intuitive enough for immediate use by business teams. Media Contact For press inquiries, please email Amit Kulkarni at [email protected], text 415-562-0500, or search for Heymarket and send a message. SOURCE Heymarket LONDON and CHICAGO, July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Digital marketing and business consultancy, Huble Digital Group , has today announced the next phase of its international expansion into North America. On 1st July 2020, Huble Digital, Inc. opens for business in Chicago, Illinois to provide businesses with its own unique style of Elite-level HubSpot Solutions Provider support. The digital business consultancy has enjoyed rapid growth in recent years, having launched the new brand Huble Digital in March 2020 from the merger of UK-based, Elite Partner, The B2B Marketing Lab and South Africa-based Diamond Partner, MPULL. Now operating from five international locations, London, Chicago, Singapore, Munich and Cape Town, Huble Digital is now setting its sights on helping businesses to grow through the use of the HubSpot software platform. Huble Digital considers its mission to be a software & services consultancy providing digital transformation services using the HubSpot platform. Speaking about the expansion, Huble Digital CEO, Bob Dearsley, said: "Expanding into North America was the natural next step in our mission to provide world-class digital strategies for HubSpot users across the globe. We have always had a strong connection and affiliation with Chicago through our good friends at Befoundonline.com and our existing mutual clients. We now look forward to providing the highest level of HubSpot support to US businesses looking to transform their business channels on an international basis we will provide digital marketing, sales and service consultancy to the same world-class standard, anywhere in the world, using our own, Huble Digital Process Methodology." Trading as Huble Digital Inc. in the USA and with offices in the UK, Singapore, Germany and South Africa, the Group provides international digital business & marketing consultancy that supports large and mid-market enterprises with the expertise to develop and execute marketing, sales and customer service strategy development. HubSpot's Chief Customer Officer, Yamini Rangan, commented: "Here at HubSpot, the success of our solutions partners is something we take incredibly seriously. One of the greatest joys of my job is being able to watch partners like Huble Digital help our customers grow better while also growing better themselves. Huble Digital's expansion into Chicago is a true testament to their success and I'm looking forward to watching them continue on this trajectory." Daryn Smith, Chief Strategy Officer at Huble Digital, added: "Scaling the Huble Digital brands into the USA market extends our international reach and allows us to continue assisting medium to large organizations and, in particular, those with a global footprint, with our specialists, and our on-the-ground support." Smith continued, "I shall be working very closely with Steve Krull & Dan Golden in Chicago to help to build our customer base here and to expand our amazing team of consultants and technicians." Steve Krull, Vice-President at Huble Digital, concluded: "Launching this new Huble Digital business here in Chicago is a great adjunct to our existing Befoundonline.com business. We shall be able to support our customers better with the extended range of services that Huble Digital provides around the HubSpot platform, particularly with regard to HubSpot web CMS and application integration services." About Huble Digital www.hubledigital.com Huble Digital is the largest solutions provider for HubSpot software, technical development, implementation & onboarding and consulting services in Europe, Middle-East & Africa (EMEA) having more successful HubSpot implementations than any other Solutions Provider. The business is headquartered in London and operates from offices in the UK, US, Singapore, Germany and South Africa. Huble Digital is a full-service, international digital business & marketing consultancy that supports large and mid-market enterprises with the expertise to develop and execute marketing, sales and customer service strategy development. As one of less than 10 HubSpot Elite Solutions Providers globally, Huble Digital, is the largest provider of HubSpot software, CRM integration, CMS web development, application development & integration, implementation & onboarding consulting services in EMEA, having more successful HubSpot implementations than any other Solutions Provider. Contact details for PR enquiries: Jon Brown or Jake Sadler [email protected] +44-(0)-20-7183-8200 https://www.itpr.co.uk SOURCE Huble Digital REDWOOD CITY, Calif., and DUBLIN, July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Informatica , the enterprise cloud data management leader, today announced that it has launched a collaborative technology initiative with The ADAPT Centre, a world-leading Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) Research Centre for Digital Media Technology. The ADAPT Centre, funded by SFI, focuses on developing next-generation digital technologies that transform how people communicate by helping to analyze, personalize and deliver digital data more effectively for businesses and individuals. Informatica's R&D team collaborate with ADAPT to leverage its leading-edge applied research in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Natural Language Processing (NLP) to further accelerate the application of AI and Machine Learning (ML) to automate Informatica's portfolio of enterprise cloud data management offerings. Organisations are increasingly leveraging extremely large data sets to inform business decisions but have a range of obligations under regulations like The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the more recently enacted California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), making data management even more complex. Informatica's engineers have already developed many AI and ML capabilities as part of the Informatica CLAIRE engine to help customers use data effectively for their analytics, data governance and privacy, and customer experience (CX) needs. By leveraging ADAPT's experience in AI and NLP, Informatica will continue to innovate across its entire product portfolio. For example, consumer comments and product ratings can be mined to understand consumer sentiment and intent to enrich a company's 360 view of their customers, thereby improving customer engagement. New and revised regulations can be parsed to automatically create and update data governance policies. Classifying and cataloging more data ranging from doctors' notes in healthcare to product defect images in manufacturing will give data scientists and analysts access to massively more data for analytics projects related to improving patient outcomes and product quality. With the overall volume of data center traffic expected to reach 20.6 zettabytes in 2021, and the number of connected devices and connections projected to reach more than 25 billion by 2022*, the challenge for businesses is to process larger amounts of data, while ensuring that it is usable and adheres to governance policies. Most of the world's data is stored in the form of text, images and video. In fact, IDC predicts that by 2025, the amount of digital data created worldwide will rise to 163 zettabytes, as a result of the growing number of devices and sensors. Applying AI and NLP techniques to this treasure trove of data can extract rich semantic meaning to establish context, improve relevance and increase the power of analytics and AI projects. AI is key to this by speeding up tasks through automation, freeing developers and users to work on high-value, innovative projects. AI applications that solve business problems have accelerated in recent years but given current uncertainties due to the COVID-19 global pandemic, the need to utilize intelligent automation systems at scale is now more critical than ever. "Post GDPR, data governance has come of age. Government has to be visibly demonstrating good practice around data so we don't lose our citizens' trust," stated Neil McIvor, Chief Data Officer, UK Department for Education. "At the same time, Government Departments have a rich and varied data landscape, ever evolving in response to ministerial and service delivery priorities. Without proactive automated data mapping, it becomes nearly impossible to maintain the level of oversight of our data that the public rightly expect of us." This relationship builds on Informatica's investment in Ireland, which has seen the company grow its local headcount to 175 and take on 18,000 sq. ft of office space at 1 Windmill Lane in recent years. The initiative will build on the talent of the team that Informatica has already established in Dublin by strengthening its ties to the Irish research community. "Data is the oil of the digital economy, but it needs to be filtered to ensure that companies can find the nuggets that will drive their business forward," stated Keith Lyons, Managing Director of Informatica Ireland. "ADAPT is renowned for its expertise in AI and Natural Language Processing, which are key to achieving this. As a result, this is a unique opportunity for us to match their expertise with our industry experience to put our talent together and innovate in areas of mutual interest." John Kelleher, ADAPT's Principle Investigator, added, "We are delighted to be collaborating with Informatica and putting our NLP expertise to work on a project which will help in transforming the area of regulatory compliance. Our operating model allows businesses to accelerate their AI digital innovation through rapid prototyping of our research delivering intelligent automation at scale. For ADAPT, a key focus is enabling businesses to leverage our multidisciplinary research team to meet business challenges." Declan McKibben, ADAPT Commercial Director, added, "This demonstrates the unique impact of Industry and academic collaboration that will be the foundational layer of a collaborative roadmap between ADAPT and Informatica to reinforce leadership and innovation in the regulatory and compliance space." Tweet this: @Informatica announces collaboration with @AdaptCentre in Ireland to leverage its #AL & #ML capabilities to further innovate across Informatica's enterprise cloud data management portfolio. https://infa.media/pr200701 About Informatica Informatica, the Enterprise Cloud Data Management leader, accelerates data-driven digital transformation. Informatica enables companies to fuel innovation, become more agile, and realize new growth opportunities, resulting in intelligent market disruptions. Over the last 25 years, Informatica has helped more than 9,000 customers unleash the power of data. For more information, call +1 650-385-5000 (1-800-653-3871 in the U.S.), or visit www.informatica.com. Connect with Informatica on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook. About ADAPT ADAPT is a world-leading Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) Research Centre hosted by Trinity College Dublin. ADAPT's partner Institutions include Dublin City University, University College Dublin, TU Dublin, Athlone Institute of Technology, Maynooth University and Cork Institute of Technology. ADAPT focuses on how to get the most from Digital Content streams, personalizing content delivery and improving user interaction with data. ADAPTs Research encompasses text, speech and video processing. It is empowering collaborators in academia and industry to lead on groundbreaking innovations and access vital tools, standards and expertise across the lifecycle of digital content. Note: Informatica and CLAIRE are trademarks or registered trademarks of Informatica in the United States and in jurisdictions throughout the world. All other company and product names may be trade names or trademarks of their respective owners. The information provided herein is subject to change without notice. In addition, the development, release and timing of any product or functionality described today remain at the sole discretion of Informatica and should not be relied upon in making a purchasing decision, nor as a representation, warranty, or commitment to deliver specific products or functionality in the future. *Cisco Global Cloud Index, November 19, 2018 Contact: Informatica Public Relations [email protected] SOURCE Informatica Related Links www.informatica.com Jacobs' support includes developing strategies for appropriate storage solutions, control and electronic systems enhancement and other technical services, all underpinned by core engineering design, construction and program / project management capabilities. "We look forward to working with LLWR to provide long-term support and help position them as a recognized center of excellence," said Jacobs Critical Mission Solutions Senior Vice President Clive White. "Our multi-disciplinary approach will support the safe and effective management of the repository. "Securing this framework also allows us to enhance our socio-economic contribution in West Cumbria, where we recently opened a new engineering development center to develop innovative solutions and technologies that will enhance our work for LLWR." Chief Executive Officer of LLW Repository Ltd Paul Pointon said: "This procurement gives a secure platform to enable many of our critical support tasks and projects to be delivered for our current baseline of work. A collaborative contract of this type provides the flexibility we need to service demand and satisfy our many stakeholders. "This is an exciting opportunity to combine the learning from our successful collaborative approach for delivering the decommissioning program with the learning and experience that Jacobs can bring from their successful collaborative ventures demonstrated at other site license companies." At Jacobs, we're challenging today to reinvent tomorrow by solving the world's most critical problems for thriving cities, resilient environments, mission-critical outcomes, operational advancement, scientific discovery and cutting-edge manufacturing, turning abstract ideas into realities that transform the world for good. With $13 billion in revenue and a talent force of more than 55,000, Jacobs provides a full spectrum of professional services including consulting, technical, scientific and project delivery for the government and private sector. Visit jacobs.com and connect with Jacobs on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter. Certain statements contained in this press release constitute forward-looking statements as such term is defined in Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and such statements are intended to be covered by the safe harbor provided by the same. Statements made in this release that are not based on historical fact are forward-looking statements. We base these forward-looking statements on management's current estimates and expectations as well as currently available competitive, financial and economic data. Forward-looking statements, however, are inherently uncertain. There are a variety of factors that could cause business results to differ materially from our forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the related reaction of governments on global and regional market conditions and the company's business. For a description of some additional factors that may occur that could cause actual results to differ from our forward-looking statements, see our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended September 27, 2019, and in particular the discussions contained under Item 1 - Business; Item 1A - Risk Factors; Item 3 - Legal Proceedings; and Item 7 - Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations, as well as the company's other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The company is not under any duty to update any of the forward-looking statements after the date of this press release to conform to actual results, except as required by applicable law. For press/media inquiries: Kerrie Sparks 214.583.8433 SOURCE Jacobs Related Links http://www.jacobs.com DALLAS, July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Jacobs (NYSE:J) was selected to provide project management consultancy to Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) to rehabilitate the Koramangala & Challaghatta (K&C) Valley Used Water Treatment Plant in Belur Nagasandra, India. The project will deliver critical upgrades to the 248 million litres per day (MLD) facility as part of an innovative water reuse and groundwater rejuvenation program. Upgrades include the addition of a new biosolids management facility to improve energy and nutrient recovery and ensure the treated water meets the stringent effluent discharge standards for beneficial reuse purposes. When the upgrades are complete, the plant will provide an additional level of treatment to the secondary treated discharge from the K&C Valley Used Water Treatment Plant. The treated water will be used to replenish the groundwater aquifers in the Kolar region of rural Bangalore. These replenished aquifers are critical to provide a safe and secure supplement to the irrigation supply for agricultural growers in the region. "Water scarcity is an ongoing challenge in India," said Jacobs People & Places Solutions Senior Vice President Global Operations Patrick Hill. "Innovative water reuse treatment technologies are key to reducing demand from agriculture and industry on limited fresh water supplies and achieving BWSSB's long-term vision for a circular water economy for the city of Bangalore." Jacobs will provide preliminary design, tendering, construction supervision, and testing and commissioning services to the project. BWSSB expect the rehabilitation works to be complete in 2022. Once complete, the facility will deliver high quality secondary treated water to farmers and industries in the Kolar and Chikkaballapur districts, which are among the driest and most water stressed districts of the rural Bangalore region. The rehabilitation project is the first of its kind at this scale in the region and will serve as a model for rehabilitating other used water treatment plants in the future. The project is part of BWSSB's award-winning Water, Wastewater and Asset Management Master Plan 2050 to deliver its vision to become a Water Utility of the Future. At Jacobs, we're challenging today to reinvent tomorrow by solving the world's most critical problems for thriving cities, resilient environments, mission-critical outcomes, operational advancement, scientific discovery and cutting-edge manufacturing, turning abstract ideas into realities that transform the world for good. With $13 billion in revenue and a talent force of more than 55,000, Jacobs provides a full spectrum of professional services including consulting, technical, scientific and project delivery for the government and private sector. Visit jacobs.com and connect with Jacobs on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter. Certain statements contained in this press release constitute forward-looking statements as such term is defined in Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and such statements are intended to be covered by the safe harbor provided by the same. Statements made in this release that are not based on historical fact are forward-looking statements. We base these forward-looking statements on management's current estimates and expectations as well as currently available competitive, financial and economic data. Forward-looking statements, however, are inherently uncertain. There are a variety of factors that could cause business results to differ materially from our forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the related reaction of governments on global and regional market conditions and the company's business. For a description of some additional factors that may occur that could cause actual results to differ from our forward-looking statements, see our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended September 27, 2019, and in particular the discussions contained under Item 1 - Business; Item 1A - Risk Factors; Item 3 - Legal Proceedings; and Item 7 - Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations, as well as the company's other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The company is not under any duty to update any of the forward-looking statements after the date of this press release to conform to actual results, except as required by applicable law. For press/media inquiries: Kerrie Sparks 214.583.8433 SOURCE Jacobs Related Links http://www.jacobs.com DURHAM, N.C., July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- According to recent reports, some nursing homes are requiring residents to sign their stimulus checks over or outright seizing the funds illegally. The Law Offices of James Scott Farrin, one of the largest plaintiffs' firms in North Carolina, is hearing about the practice more and more, and attorneys at the firm urge victims to step forward and call out the practice. Click here for more information. The COVID-19 pandemic has set new precedent for government response, and the CARES Act sought to rapidly aid many struggling Americans with a stimulus check to help them make ends meet. Seniors living in nursing homes are no exception. North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein specifically called out these takings in a press release. "Our federal partners have alerted us to reports of nursing homes and assisted living facilities attempting to require residents to sign over their $1,200 economic impact payments. The nursing homes claim that because the person is on Medicaid, the facility is entitled to the money. This is not true and unlawful." -NC Attorney General Josh Stein, May 15 press release, NC Department of Justice If You or Someone You Know Has Had Stimulus Funds Seized by a Nursing Home, Act Now The Law Offices of James Scott Farrin encourages victims of nursing homes illegally seizing their stimulus funds to seek counsel from an experienced North Carolina nursing home attorney. Their legal team is ready to speak to assist and can be reached at farrin.com or by calling 1-866-900-7078. About the Law Offices of James Scott Farrin The Law Offices of James Scott Farrin is one of the largest personal injury firms in North Carolina, and has served more than 45,000 injured people since 1997. Many of the firm's more than 50 accomplished attorneys have won awards and are recognized professionals in their fields. The firm focuses on personal injury, car accidents, workers' compensation, nursing home abuse, whistleblowing, defective products, eminent domain, mass torts, class actions, and Social Security Disability. Their headquarters is in Durham, North Carolina. Visit farrin.com for more information. Contact Information: David Chamberlin 280 S. Mangum Street, Suite 400 Durham, NC 27701 866-900-7078 http://www.farrin.com SOURCE Law Offices of James Scott Farrin Related Links http://www.farrin.com BREA, Calif., July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- As Americans prepare to celebrate the birth of our nation, Nationwide is reminding pet owners of the impacts those festivities can have on their pets. The issue of lost pets is heightened during the July 4 holiday. In fact, July 5 is one of the busiest days of the year at animal shelters due to runaway pets frightened by Independence Day fireworks. "You'd be hard-pressed to find a pet who enjoys the Fourth of July as much their owners, but the holiday doesn't have to be so bad for them," said Dr. Jules Benson, Nationwide's Chief Veterinary Officer. "Taking a few basic precautions can prevent stress and other hazards to our pets." July is Lost Pet Prevention Month. Nationwide recommends taking the following steps to protect your furry family members: Microchip your pet . While every pet even indoor cats should have a collar with an up-to-date ID tag, collars can be easily removed or slipped. That's why a microchip is your best bet for being reunited with a lost pet. Microchips - the size of a grain of rice - are a form of permanent ID injected just under the skin. It's important that owners keep microchip information current. . While every pet even indoor cats should have a collar with an up-to-date ID tag, collars can be easily removed or slipped. That's why a microchip is your best bet for being reunited with a lost pet. Microchips - the size of a grain of rice - are a form of permanent ID injected just under the skin. It's important that owners keep microchip information current. Use pet ID tags. Make sure your pet has an ID tag and that it's being used to its best advantage. Don't waste tag space with the pet's name, your name, or your address. Instead, put "Reward!" on the tag and as many phone numbers as you can fit, including area code. It's best to meet anyone who has found your pet on safe, neutral ground. Make sure your pet has an ID tag and that it's being used to its best advantage. Don't waste tag space with the pet's name, your name, or your address. Instead, put "Reward!" on the tag and as many phone numbers as you can fit, including area code. It's best to meet anyone who has found your pet on safe, neutral ground. Talk to your veterinarian about anti-anxiety medications. In recent years, safe and effective medications to treat noise phobia in pets have become widely available. Pick these up before the Fourth of July and follow your veterinarian's guidance on administering them. Once a pet's noise phobia has been activated, it can be difficult to manage the panic and fear they feel. In recent years, safe and effective medications to treat noise phobia in pets have become widely available. Pick these up before the Fourth of July and follow your veterinarian's guidance on administering them. Once a pet's noise phobia has been activated, it can be difficult to manage the panic and fear they feel. Keep pets secure at home while out. It's not the best idea to take your pet out on the Fourth, but if you do, always use a leash. Once the fireworks begin, bring your pets inside, pull drapes to keep bright lights out, and turn on "white noise" to help dampen the sound. While classical music has been clinically shown to be calming, you can also find playlists or CDs arranged specially to help keep pets more relaxed. It's not the best idea to take your pet out on the Fourth, but if you do, always use a leash. Once the fireworks begin, bring your pets inside, pull drapes to keep bright lights out, and turn on "white noise" to help dampen the sound. While classical music has been clinically shown to be calming, you can also find playlists or CDs arranged specially to help keep pets more relaxed. If your pet escapes, begin looking for them right away. Contact all area shelters as soon as they're open, and post information in community forums and groups online immediately. Remember that a frightened pet can travel pretty far or be picked up by someone out of the area, so cover nearby areas as well. Cats tend to hide when lost or frightened, so post flyers in your neighborhood and ask neighbors to check sheds, garages, and other possible hiding places. Contact all area shelters as soon as they're open, and post information in community forums and groups online immediately. Remember that a frightened pet can travel pretty far or be picked up by someone out of the area, so cover nearby areas as well. Cats tend to hide when lost or frightened, so post flyers in your neighborhood and ask neighbors to check sheds, garages, and other possible hiding places. Keep looking. Pets can be found weeks and months after they're lost and are usually reunited because of a microchip. Pets can be found weeks and months after they're lost and are usually reunited because of a microchip. Remember - fireworks aren't the only hazard. While parties may not be as common this year because of social distancing, even small family gatherings can be troublesome. Make sure visitors keep medications locked up and are asked to help keep doors and gates closed. In addition, summer celebrations mean food and other hazards that should be avoided. More information on those dangers can be found here. Share these and other helpful tips with pet parents at petinsurance.com/referral. About Nationwide pet insurance With more than 825,000 insured pets, Nationwide is the first and largest provider of pet health insurance in the United States. Nationwide pet health insurance plans cover dogs, cats, birds, and exotic pets for multiple medical problems and conditions relating to accidents, illnesses, and injuries. Medical plans are available in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Underwritten by Veterinary Pet Insurance Company (CA), Columbus, OH, an A.M. Best A+ rated company (2019); National Casualty Company (all other states), Columbus, OH, an A.M. Best A+ rated company (2019). Agency of Record: DVM Insurance Agency. Pet owners can find Nationwide pet insurance on Facebook or follow on Twitter. For more information about Nationwide pet insurance, call 800-USA-PETS (800-872-7387) or visit petinsurance.com. About Nationwide Nationwide, a Fortune 100 company based in Columbus, Ohio, is one of the largest and strongest diversified insurance and financial services organizations in the United States. Nationwide is rated A+ by both A.M. Best and Standard & Poor's. An industry leader in driving customer-focused innovation, Nationwide provides a full range of insurance and financial services products including auto, business, homeowners, farm, and life insurance; public and private sector retirement plans, annuities and mutual funds; excess & surplus, specialty, and surety; pet, motorcycle, and boat insurance. For more information, visit www.nationwide.com. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter. Contact: Karen Davis 614-249-6349 [email protected] SOURCE Nationwide Related Links http://www.nationwide.com WASHINGTON, July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- A blockbuster lawsuit has been filed against Twitter by the law firm of Gerstman Schwartz LLP in the Southern District of New York on behalf of the Executive Director of the Institute of Gulf Affairs Ali-Ahmed. The lawsuit alleges that Twitter violated the Stored Communications Act by intentionally accessing Al-Ahmed's stored messages without authorization. Under a blatant tortious invasion of privacy, Twitter suspended the accounts of Al-Ahmed and many of his 36,000 followers and sent their confidential information and direct messages to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). By authorizing the direct transmission to the Government of Saudi Arabia (GSA) of identifying information of its critics, Twitter is responsible for several of Al-Ahmed's contacts being arrested and tortured by the GSA. In an email to Twitter, Al-Ahmed wrote: "People that I keep in contact with via twitter alone have been arrested and now being tortured by the Saudi monarchy henchmen." In addition to the consequences of violating their own policies in unlawfully providing private information to a foreign government, "Twitter is liable for negligence by a complete lack of supervision of these employees," said David Schwartz, attorney for Al-Ahmed. "Because of the total lack of screening, restrictions and intervention, Twitter was a part of these efforts to silence Al-Ahmed and his large following for speaking out against the Saudi government," Schwartz added. Entities controlled by the GSA are among Twitter's largest shareholders. According to the lawsuit, with this influence, Saudi Arabian spies entered the company and were given unrestricted and unmonitored access to Twitter's resources. Operating at the direction of the GSA, Twitter employees illegally mined Twitter's internal system to get personal data and information on Saudi critics, including Al-Ahmed. The GSA was therefore able to silence Al-Ahmed and damage the pro-democracy movement in Saudi Arabia by shutting down not only his account, but the accounts of many of his 36,000 followers as well. The true intentions of Twitter in unlawfully suspending Al-Ahmed's account have been exposed in this lawsuit. The conspiracy of Twitter employees and the GSA to silence its critics has been made abundantly clear. It is not only a violation of Twitter's own Terms of Service Agreements, but also a blatant breach of contract. The lawsuit also alleges, as a consequence of knowingly suspending his account without justification, Twitter caused economic harm to Al-Ahmed. Furthermore, Twitter is responsible for its role in illegally abetting Saudi efforts to silence and demolish personal and business relations of Al-Ahmed, who simply voiced his opinion on the regime, without prejudice to any existing Twitter policies. To the contrary, Twitter employees were acting on behalf of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, in violation of all confidentiality agreements and existing company policies. Ali Al-Ahmed is a Saudi scholar and expert on Saudi political affairs. He has exposed major news stories such as the Pentagon's botched translation of the 9-11 Bin Laden tape and the video of Daniel Pearl's murder. He has authored numerous reports on religious freedom, press freedom and extremism in Saudi Arabia. The Government of Saudi Arabia has responded to this outspoken voice of conscience by stripping Al-Ahmed of his citizenship & seizing his passport, forcing him to seek asylum in the United States and mounting kidnapping and assassination attempts against him. For more information, contact: Ali Al-Ahmed, IGA: (202) 460-4050 Gerstman Schwartz LLP: (516) 880-8170 SOURCE The Institute for Gulf Affairs Related Links https://www.gulfinstitute.org Schwartzman is particularly focused on representing private equity clients in sophisticated deals in the technology industry and its many subsectors. His experience also spans the telecommunications, consumer, energy, media and entertainment, financial services, healthcare, industrials, manufacturing, and retail sectors. "We are thrilled to welcome Eric back to Latham as a partner in our premier global M&A and Private Equity Practices," said Marc Jaffe, Global Chair of Latham & Watkins' Corporate Department. "Continuing to build out these practices globally, nationwide, and particularly in the Bay Area is a strategic focus of the firm, as we are deeply committed to growing in line with our clients' needs. Eric's vast experience in the technology sector further underscores that commitment as we see our private equity clients increasingly focused on deals in the tech space." Tad Freese, Office Managing Partner of Latham & Watkins in Silicon Valley, added: "Eric's skill set and experience leading complex transactions on behalf of private equity clients are perfectly aligned with our strong M&A and Private Equity Practices in the Bay Area. He is widely recognized as a preeminent private equity M&A lawyer and will be of tremendous benefit not only to clients in California but across Latham's global platform." "Latham's integrated global platform, private equity capabilities, substantial industry experience, and collaborative culture are all second to none. I am thrilled to rejoin this world class firm where I grew up as a lawyer and made partner, to contribute to its continued growth and to serve our clients not only in the Bay Area, but across the United States and globally," said Schwartzman. Schwartzman rejoins Latham from Cooley in San Francisco. He previously practiced from Latham's New York office both as an associate and partner from 2001-2012. He is the latest addition to an extensive group of prominent partners who have recently joined Latham's Mergers & Acquisitions and Private Equity Practices, including Neal Reenan and Ian Bushner, who joined the firm in March, and Kate Withers, who joined in April. Schwartzman received his JD, magna cum laude, from Syracuse University College of Law and graduated Order of the Coif. About Latham & Watkins (lw.com) Latham & Watkins delivers innovative solutions to complex legal and business challenges around the world. From a global platform, our lawyers advise clients on market-shaping transactions, high-stakes litigation and trials, and sophisticated regulatory matters. Latham is one of the world's largest providers of pro bono services, steadfastly supports initiatives designed to advance diversity within the firm and the legal profession, and is committed to exploring and promoting environmental sustainability. Notes to Editors 1 Latham & Watkins operates worldwide as a limited liability partnership organized under the laws of the State of Delaware (USA) with affiliated limited liability partnerships conducting the practice in France, Hong Kong, Italy, Singapore, and the United Kingdom and as an affiliated partnership conducting the practice in Japan. Latham & Watkins operates in South Korea as a Foreign Legal Consultant Office. Latham & Watkins works in cooperation with the Law Office of Salman M. Al-Sudairi in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Contacts Marc Jaffe, Global Chair, Corporate Department, +1.212.906.1281 Tad Freese, Office Managing Partner, Silicon Valley, +1.650.463.3060 SOURCE Latham & Watkins LLP Related Links http://lw.com RESTON, Va., July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Leidos (NYSE:LDOS), a FORTUNE 500 science and technology leader, has been awarded a new Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA) by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to provide software development services and related specialized equipment. This single award BPA has a total estimated value of $960 million. It includes a one-year base period of performance followed by four one-year option periods. Work will primarily be performed in the Washington D.C. capital region. Under the BPA and its subsequent task orders, Leidos will provide a full range of software development life cycle services to support CBP's mission to safeguard America's borders and enhance the nation's global economic competitiveness. Leidos will also provide and maintain a variety of specialized equipment to support traveler enrollment and processing, including kiosks, workstations, biometric capture devices, document readers and telecommunications equipment. Leidos brings the logistics expertise necessary to support the widely-distributed international ports for land, sea and air operations, as well as deep biometrics experience on nation-scale programs and a significant existing presence at major ports of entry. "Leidos has a rich history with CBP, helping safeguard our ports and borders, and facilitating commerce and travel," said Vicki Schmanske, Leidos Intelligence Group president. "This BPA extends this work and draws upon Leidos' deep capabilities in both agile software development and SecDevOps, to support CBP's essential national security mission." About Leidos Leidos is a Fortune 500 information technology, engineering, and science solutions and services leader working to solve the world's toughest challenges in the defense, intelligence, homeland security, civil, and health markets. The company's 37,000 employees support vital missions for government and commercial customers. Headquartered in Reston, Va., Leidos reported annual revenues of approximately $11.09 billion for the fiscal year ended January 3, 2020. For more information, visit www.Leidos.com. Statements in this announcement, other than historical data and information, constitute forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Such statements include contract valuation assuming the exercise of all options. A number of factors could cause our actual results, performance, achievements, or industry results to be very different from the results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Some of these factors include, but are not limited to, the risk factors set forth in the company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the period ended January 3, 2020, and other such filings that Leidos makes with the SEC from time to time. Due to such uncertainties and risks, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. SOURCE Leidos Related Links http://www.leidos.com FRANKFURT, Germany, July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Lincoln International, a leading global investment banking advisory firm, today announced that three leaders specializing in mergers and acquisitions (M&A) advisory for the healthcare sector have joined the firm's Frankfurt office. Dirk Loeffler joins as Managing Director and head of healthcare for the DACH region and Julian Knirim and Jens Gerlach join as Directors. All will advise shareholders, management teams and financial sponsors on complex private and public M&A transactions in the global healthcare sector. "We are very pleased to have this talented group join our growing healthcare team," stated Michael Drill, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer for Lincoln International AG. "Demand in the dynamic healthcare industry is high among corporate and private equity investors. Dirk, Julian and Jens will work with our existing healthcare experts in capitalizing on that momentum in Germany and across Europe." Dirk brings 17 years of experience providing M&A advisory to clients across the healthcare industry, with a focus in the healthcare services, medical technology, diagnostics, specialty pharmaceuticals and digital health sectors. He has executed sell-side and buy-side M&A transactions for private equity clients, publicly-traded companies and privately-held and family-owned businesses. Prior to joining Lincoln International, Dirk was a Managing Director at Raymond James, where he led the Frankfurt office and built out its European healthcare activities. Previously, he was a partner at Richmond Park Partners and head of M&A at Berenberg as one of the most senior investment bankers. Dirk graduated from Mannheim University and Copenhagen Business School with a Diplom-Kaufmann, equivalent to master's in business administration. Also joining from Raymond James are Julian Knirim and Jens Gerlach. Julian focuses on healthcare services, medtech, healthcare information technology, pharmaceuticals and dental sectors. Prior to Raymond James, Julian was an M&A banker at Richmond Park Partners and Bank of America Merrill Lynch. He obtained his Bachelor of Science in business administration from the University of Bamberg. Jens has worked with companies in the hospital, rehab, physician practices, nursing and home care sectors. He has also gained experience in healthcare software and equipment manufacturing sectors. Prior to Raymond James, Jens worked in the investment banking division at Citigroup and in Berenberg's corporate finance practice. Jens earned a Bachelor of Science in business administration from the Goethe University Frankfurt. Friedrich Bieselt, Managing Director and Board Member of Lincoln International AG, added, "The addition of Dirk, Julian and Jens further provides clients with the best-of-breed thinking and experience that has become well-known from Lincoln International's global Healthcare Group." Lincoln International has completed more than 45 healthcare transactions in the last 18 months and has more than 30 dedicated healthcare officers worldwide. About Lincoln International We are trusted investment banking advisors to business owners and senior executives of leading private equity firms and public and privately held companies around the world. Our advisory services include mergers and acquisitions and capital markets advisory for the mid-market. We also provide valuations and fairness opinions and joint ventures advisory services. As one tightly integrated team of more than 600 professionals across 16 countries, we offer an unobstructed perspective, backed by superb execution and a deep commitment to client success. With extensive industry knowledge and relationships, timely market intelligence and strategic insights, we forge deep, productive client relationships that endure for decades. Connect with us to learn more at www.lincolninternational.com. SOURCE Lincoln International LLC Related Links www.lincolninternational.com NEW YORK, July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Lodo Therapeutics Corp., today announced the promotions of two Lodo R&D executives and the formation of a Scientific Advisory Board (SAB). Steve Colletti, PhD, has been promoted to Chief Scientific Officer and Brad Hover, PhD, has been promoted to Vice President, Discovery Research and Platform Technology. Both researchers have been major contributors to the development of Lodo's breakthrough P4 PlatformTM that is reinventing natural product drug discovery. They will play key roles in the ongoing evolution of the platform and in advancing the company's pipeline of innovative potential drugs. The inaugural SAB includes a diverse group of scientists whose expertise will help guide the expansion and refinement of Lodo's DNA-first approach to drug discovery, which mines biosynthetic gene clusters to tap into the vast collections of undiscovered drug-like molecules encoded in microbial DNA. Lodo applies advanced in silico technologies including genomics, informatics and machine learning, along with synthetic biology, to identify, enrich and prioritize these structurally diverse molecules with biological relevance honed by billions of years of evolution. The P4 Platform aims to discover novel drugs addressing undruggable disease targets with unprecedented efficiency. Lodo has validated the utility of the platform in collaborations with two major global partners, and the company is now building an internal pipeline of potential drug candidates and expanding its partnering activities. The SAB is chaired by Lodo scientific founder Sean Brady, PhD, Evnin and Tri-Institutional Professor and head of the Laboratory of Genetically Encoded Small Molecules at The Rockefeller University. Members include: Jon Clardy , PhD, Hsien Wu & Daisy Yen Wu Professor at Harvard Medical School and Senior Associate Member at the Broad Institute , PhD, Hsien Wu & Daisy Yen Wu Professor at and Senior Associate Member at the Broad Institute Benjamin Cravatt , PhD, Professor at the Skaggs Institute for Chemical Biology and the Gilula Chair of Chemical Biology in the Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute , PhD, Professor at the Skaggs Institute for Chemical Biology and the Gilula Chair of Chemical Biology in the Department of Chemistry, The Peter Karp , PhD, Technical Director, Bioinformatics Research Group, SRI International , PhD, Technical Director, Bioinformatics Research Group, SRI International Michael Pirrung , PhD, Distinguished Professor of Chemistry, University of California, Riverside , and Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, Irvine , PhD, Distinguished Professor of Chemistry, , and Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Christine Schuberth-Wagner , PhD, Executive Vice President, Chief Scientific Officer, CatalYm, GmbH "By design, our SAB includes a mix of distinguished academic scientists and industry practitioners whose insights and expertise will help inform our ambitious R&D agenda," noted Dr. Colletti. "We are fortunate to have assembled a diverse group of first-rate researchers with experience directly relevant to our reinvention of natural product drug discovery, which integrates multiple disciplines including genomics, informatics, chemistry, synthetic biology and pharmacology. We welcome our new advisers to Lodo and look forward to a productive and mutually stimulating dialogue." Dale Pfost, PhD, Chairman and CEO of Lodo, commented, "The past six months have been an exciting time at Lodo, as our additions to management and our existing scientific talent have coalesced into a highly effective, talented and unified team. Adding a world-class SAB to help guide our efforts is another sign of the maturation of our R&D enterprise. The contributions of these individuals will be invaluable as we continue to take our platform technology and programs to the next level, and we are delighted to have them on-board." Dr. Pfost continued, "I also am pleased to announce the expanded roles of two key Lodo R&D executives. Steve Colletti has had a major impact at Lodo leading and building our R&D organization and laying the groundwork for advancing our novel compounds towards the clinic. Brad Hover's deep knowledge of biosynthetic gene clusters and natural product drug molecules in tandem with his scientific insights and ability to take on multiple challenges will be a tremendous asset in his new position. We look forward to their continuing leadership in evolving our technology platform and advancing our new drug discovery and development programs." Dr. Colletti will continue to serve as Senior Vice President of Research and Development at Lodo, where he has played an instrumental role in directing and expanding the company's research efforts. Dr. Colletti's 24 years of drug R&D experience at Merck Research Laboratories span small molecule, natural product, RNA therapeutic and fusion protein drugs. Most recently, he was Executive Director and Head of Therapeutic Modalities, responsible for overseeing the work of 200 scientists and advancing more than a dozen preclinical candidates across multiple therapeutic areas. He is an inventor, author and co-author of over 125 publications and patents. Dr. Colletti holds a BS degree from Loyola University Chicago, a PhD from Boston University and was an NIH Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Scripps Research. Dr. Hover is a scientific co-founder of Lodo Therapeutics and brings 20 years of research experience to his role as technical lead on Lodo's discovery programs. He is also responsible for the scientific development of the company's platform technology. Previously, Dr. Hover was an NIH Kirschstein National Research Service Award Fellow at The Rockefeller University, working with Lodo's co-founder, Dr. Sean Brady. He began his career as a researcher at IBM and at Agave BioSystems. Dr. Hover received a BA degree from Elmira College, where he was Phi Beta Kappa, and completed his doctoral training in natural product biosynthesis at Duke University. Dr. Hover was also a clinical scholar in infectious disease at the Duke University School of Medicine. A link to an audio webcast of the company's recent presentation at the Jefferies Virtual Healthcare Conference is available at http://wsw.com/webcast/jeff126/lodo/. About Lodo Therapeutics Lodo's technology enabled P4 PlatformTM with ClusterTechTM is reinventing natural product drug discovery. Our DNA-first approach taps the structurally diverse, biologically relevant drug-like molecules encoded in microbial DNA. Lodo integrates breakthroughs in next-generation sequencing, artificial intelligence/machine learning and synthetic biology to identify, characterize and prioritize lead candidates in silico. Our informatics database and predictive models become more informative with each cycle of the platform. Lodo uses synthetic biology to boost production and enhance candidate molecules' pharmacologic properties, including their ability to engage challenging targets. Together, these integrated technologies increase the speed, scalability, efficiency and productivity of the discovery process by orders of magnitude. We view our ability to efficiently access, annotate and prioritize large numbers of natural product drug-like molecules in silico as a historic breakthrough. Following successful initial collaborations with two leading global partners, Lodo is developing a pipeline of oncology drugs and seeking additional partners in a range of indications. Lodo is headquartered in New York City and is supported by top tier investors, including Arch Venture Partners, Alexandria Venture Investments, Pfizer, AbbVie and Lilly. For more information, visit lodotherapeutics.com. Contact: Lodo Therapeutics Barbara Lindheim Strategic Communications & Investor Relations [email protected] (917) 355-9234 SOURCE Lodo Therapeutics Corp. Related Links http://lodotherapeutics.com Mr. Psomiadis has considerable experience working both in the US and in Latin America. He is fluent in Portuguese, Spanish and Greek, and his expertise will be extremely valuable in advancing the Company's growth strategy through the acquisition of companies that can expand MCOA's presence in the Cannabis industry. He will be a strong contributor in helping the Company reach their goals. Tim Psomiadis will work closely with Marco Guerrero in establishing the Company's presence in the Brazilian market, and using it as a base to expand into other countries in Mercosur and the rest of Latin America. Mr. Jesus Quintero, CEO commented: "The addition of Tim to our group, as both member of the board and Executive Vice President of Mergers of Acquisitions is a true game changer for our Company. He brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise that is invaluable to MCOA. Tim is very well connected and respected in the industry and working together with Marco he will help us launch this endeavor." Mr. Psomiadis stated: "I am truly honored and excited to join MCOA as it ramps up its growth and expansion plans, especially our Latin American and European operations." About Marijuana Company of America Inc. MCOA is a corporation that participates in: (1) product research and development of legal hemp-based consumer products under the brand name hempSMART, which targets general health and well-being; (2) an affiliate marketing and retail sales program to promote and sell its legal hemp-based consumer products containing CBD; (3) joint ventures and acquisitions of business entities engaged in the growth and sale of hemp and cannabis products in jurisdictions where cultivation is legal; and (4) the expansion of its business into ancillary areas as market opportunities in this segment mature and develop. Legal Status of Cannabis While legalized in California for recreational and medicinal use, cannabis remains a Schedule 1 drug under the Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. 811) and illegal under the federal law. Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains "forward-looking statements," which are not purely historical and may include any statements regarding beliefs, plans, expectations, or intentions regarding the future. Such forward-looking statements include, among other things, the development, costs, and results of new business opportunities and words such as "anticipate," "seek," "intend," "believe," "estimate," "expect," "project," "plan," or similar phrases may be deemed "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Actual results could differ from those projected in any forward-looking statements due to numerous factors. Such factors include, among others, the inherent uncertainties associated with new projects, the future U.S. and global economies, the impact of competition, and the Company's reliance on existing regulations regarding the use and development of cannabis-based products. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release, and we assume no obligation to update the forward-looking statements, or to update the reasons why actual results could differ from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Although we believe that any beliefs, plans, expectations, and intentions contained in this press release are reasonable, there can be no assurance that any such beliefs, plans, expectations, or intentions will prove to be accurate. Investors should consult all of the information set forth herein and should also refer to the risk factors disclosure outlined in our annual report on Form 10-K, our quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, and other periodic reports filed from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission. For more information, please visit www.sec.gov. For more information, please visit the Company's websites at: MarijuanaCompanyofAmerica.com hempSMART.com SOURCE Marijuana Company of America, Inc. LANSING, Mich., July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The Michigan Chamber announces the appointment of Michael Alaimo, as Director of Environmental & Energy Affairs. Mike will be responsible for Chamber energy and environmental policies and initiatives. He is also responsible for staffing, organizing and directing the Chamber's policy advisory committee on energy and environment. "We are excited to welcome Mike to our team," said Jim Holcomb, Senior Executive Vice President and General Council with Michigan Chamber. "Mike possesses the policy background and institutional knowledge necessary to be an effective advocate for Chamber members. Known for his issue expertise and strong relationships with policy makers and staff across state government, Mike has a reputation for getting things done." "Joining the Michigan Chamber in this role is honestly a dream come true," said Michael Alaimo, Director of Environmental & Energy Affairs for the Michigan Chamber . "It is honor to join the leading voice for Michigan business and enterprise, particularly in the critical energy and environmental policy arena." Alaimo has nearly ten years of experience in government affairs - serving as a legislative director and association executive. In 2016, he left the Michigan Legislature to lead the trade association Clean Fuels Michigan as their first executive director. Most recently, he worked in multi-state advocacy for the Renewable Natural Gas Coalition. As a legislative director, Alaimo managed a diverse legislative agenda, excelled in coalition-building and worked extensively in several policy areas including energy, transportation, environment and healthcare. Under his leadership at Clean Fuels Michigan, he brought together the top companies and organizations in the region to push for policies that would improve the business climate and proliferation of clean transportation technologies. The Michigan Chamber is a statewide business organization that represents approximately 5,000 employers, trade associations and local chambers of commerce. The Chamber represents businesses of every size and type in all 83 counties of the state. It was established in 1959 to be an advocate for Michigan job providers in the legislative, political and legal process. www.michamber.com SOURCE Michigan Chamber of Commerce Related Links http://www.michamber.com The expanded partnership will give Southern Glazer's exclusive distribution rights to ANGOSTURA bitters in new markets including: Colo., Del., District of Columbia, Kan., Ky., La., Ind., Iowa, Md., Neb., N.M., N.D., Okla., Ore., S.D., Tenn., Texas, Va. and Wash. "This deal will enable ANGOSTURA bitters to grow at the pace of the market and at the rate of consumer demand," said Mitch Cooper, Brand Manager, ANGOSTURA bitters, Mizkan America, Inc. "Our strategic agreement with Southern Glazer's promises to introduce new consumers to ANGOSTURA bitters and provide better access to those who already use and love this iconic brand." "We are excited about the opportunity to expand Southern Glazer's premium distribution portfolio through a national partnership with Mizkan America for the ANGOSTURA bitters line of products," said Gene Sullivan, Chief Sales and Marketing Officer at Southern Glazer's Wine & Spirits. "This national alignment will enable us to drive growth for the brand through greater reach and deeper penetration at licensed accounts." About Mizkan America, Inc. Based in Mount Prospect, IL, Mizkan America, Inc., is a subsidiary of the Mizkan Group, a global, family-owned company that has been Bringing Flavor To Life for more than 215 years. As one of the leading makers of condiments and sauces in the United States, Mizkan America maintains 17 manufacturing facilities that serve the retail, foodservice, specialty-Asian and food-ingredient trade channels. Since 2005, Mizkan America has seen dramatic growth and their portfolio now includes a wide variety of vinegars, Italian and Asian sauces, peppers, cooking wines, wine reductions, sushi seasoning and salad dressings. Mizkan America brands include: RAGU, Bertolli, Holland House, NAKANO, Four Monks, Barengo, Mitsukan, Tres Hermanas, Nature's Intent, World Harbors, Mizkan and Rio Luna. Mizkan America is also the exclusive distributor/sales agent for ANGOSTURA bitters in North America. For more information, go to Mizkan.com. About Southern Glazer's Wine & Spirits Southern Glazer's Wine & Spirits is the world's pre-eminent distributor of beverage alcohol, and proud to be a multi-generational, family-owned company. The Company has operations in 44 U.S. states and the District of Columbia, Canada, and the Caribbean, and employs nearly 22,000 team members. Southern Glazer's urges all retail customers and adult consumers to market, sell, serve, and enjoy its products responsibly. For more information visit http://www.southernglazers.com/. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @sgwinespirits and on Facebook at Facebook.com/SouthernGlazers. CONTACT: Emma Cullen, 773-993-9680, [email protected] Related Links SOURCE Mizkan America, Inc. NORTH BRUNSWICK, N.J., July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Association of Social Workers suspends advertising on Facebook and calls for increased accountability, deployment of decency and demands that the platform offer support to victims facing hate and harassment on their platform. Jennifer Thompson, Executive Director shared "We are an organization, a profession united by a code of ethics and values. We made a commitment to our community, and members to firmly stand in unity saying that All Black Lives Matterand against hate. We committed to leading in the community as well as looking inward at our activities and policies as well." The organization shared, that daily, more evidence emerges that indicates their main sources of promotion and advertising has engaged in behavior that is contradictory to their professional code of ethics and values. Thompson furthered, "Facebook has allowed posts inciting violence against protesters fighting for racial justice in our nation and has turned a blind eye to voter suppression on their platform. These are not small issues. Violence and hatred must be rooted out and any attempt to suppress voter turnout is unconscionable." During July, NASW-NJ will cease its paid advertising of programs and member benefits on Facebook. "As an association, our spends on Facebook are small comparatively, but our voice as social workers has always been large. We are agents of change and as part of our continued look inward, we will review our practices to ensure they are aligned with our values," Thompson concluded. The organization announced to its 7,000 members across New Jersey and over 20,000 licensed social workers in the state today that they would join the movement and challenged all partners to honor their professional values and ethics by finding ways, big and smallto lead. Media Contact: Jennifer Thompson Phone: 917-968-0181 Email: [email protected] SOURCE National Association of Social Workers New Jersey WASHINGTON, July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Press Club (NPC) announced today that this year's national Night Out For Austin Tice, originally set for July 14, will be postponed until further notice amid concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic. "While restaurants in many parts of the country are opening back up, it is still early and challenging to try to have a special event like Night Out For Austin Tice," said Bill McCarren, Executive Director of the National Press Club. "We manage a couple of restaurants ourselves and while we could host the event now, we believe we will be in a better position to host a successful event for Austin later this year. We know our restaurant partners are in the same boat, and we want to make sure that Night Out is a safe and positive experience for everyone involved," he said. The decision to postpone Night Out was also largely influenced by the recent surge of COVID-19 cases in Houston Austin's hometown, and one of the biggest markets for Night Out events in 2019. On Monday officials in Harris County and across the state called on Gov. Greg Abbott to roll back business reopenings and give local leaders the authority to reinstate stay-at-home orders in their communities. "Austin's case is at a crucial stage, and we would like to be engaging with Americans about it right now, but our restaurant partners and our friends in Houston need more time," said McCarren. Austin Tice, an award-winning journalist, was working for McClatchy and The Washington Post when he was detained in Syria in 2012. Austin is a Georgetown University graduate, a native Houstonian, and a United States Marine who served three tours of duty. Today, he is currently the only U.S. journalist being held overseas, and after more than seven years, has endured the longest detention of any U.S. journalist to date. The inaugural Night Out for Austin Tice held on May 2, 2019, drew support from 80 restaurants in 13 states and the District of Columbia. Thousands of people who went out to eat that night learned about Austin's case, and millions more read about him in newspaper ads, articles and op-eds, and listened to the Tices tell their story in dozens of radio and television interviews. In addition to raising awareness, last year's Night Out raised more than $60,000 to supplement the FBI's $1M reward fund for information leading to Austin's safe return and generated new leads to the FBI. Press Contact: Lindsay Underwood for the National Press Club; [email protected], (202) 662-7561 SOURCE National Press Club Related Links http://press.org DENVER, July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Point-of-Sale (POS) malware is nothing new, and the Alina malware which cyber criminals use to scrape credit card numbers from POS systems has been around for many years. New intelligence from CenturyLink's Black Lotus Labs, however, revealed that criminals are not yet done with Alina, and they continue to find new ways to use it to steal unsuspecting victims' credit- and debit-card data. The theft was discovered after one of Black Lotus Labs' machine-learning models flagged unusual queries to a specific domain in April 2020. Rigorous research determined that the Alina POS malware was utilizing Domain Name System (DNS) the function that converts a website name into an IP address as the outbound communication channel through which the stolen data was exfiltrated. "Black Lotus Labs is releasing this intelligence in support of our mission to leverage our global network visibility to protect our customers and keep the internet clean," said Mike Benjamin, head of Black Lotus Labs. "We will continue to monitor this situation as we work to eliminate the threat. We strongly recommend that all organizations monitor DNS traffic for suspicious queries to prevent this and other threats." The Bottom Line: POS malware continues to pose a serious security threat, and DNS is a popular choice for malware authors to bypass security controls and exfiltrate data from protected networks. Malicious actors regularly update their Tactics, Techniques and Procedures (TTPs) to evade detection, so the best defense is continuous monitoring for anomalous behavior. Details Of Black Lotus Labs' Findings Can Be Found in the Alina POS Malware Blog: https://blog.centurylink.com/alina-point-of-sale-malware-still-lurking-in-dns How and Why DNS is Important: Credit card processing systems typically run in Windows environments, allowing them to be targeted by the existing skills of the crimeware markets. Although credit card processing occurs in highly restricted environments, DNS often goes unmonitored, which makes it an attractive choice for the exfiltration of credit card information. To do this, malware authors encode the stolen information and issue a DNS query to the actor-controlled domain name. The encoded data is placed in a subdomain, which the malicious actors then extract when they receive the DNS query. The stolen data is subsequently sold in underground criminal markets. Key Research Findings: This POS malware uses DNS to evade detection and bypass security controls. Four domains showed similar DNS queries. A suspicious looking fifth domain was unused, but it was hosted on the same IP. Actors often register multiple domains to provide redundancy if one or more of the malicious domains is blocked. Black Lotus Labs was able to identify Alina's encoding methodology and confirm exfiltration of the stolen data. Additional Resources: Learn more about Black Lotus Labs: https://centurylink.com/blacklotuslabs Read more about DNS threats in the CenturyLink 2019 Threat Research Report: https://www.centurylink.com/asset/business/enterprise/report/2019-threat-research-report.pdf Read our blog on Ismdoor malware and the use of DNS tunneling: https://blog.centurylink.com/ismdoor-malware-continues-to-make-use-of-dns-tunneling/?utm_source=black%20lotus%20labs&utm_medium=referral About CenturyLink: CenturyLink (NYSE: CTL) is a technology leader delivering hybrid networking, cloud connectivity, and security solutions to customers around the world. Through its extensive global fiber network, CenturyLink provides secure and reliable services to meet the growing digital demands of businesses and consumers. CenturyLink strives to be the trusted connection to the networked world and is focused on delivering technology that enhances the customer experience. Learn more at http://news.centurylink.com/. SOURCE CenturyLink Inc. Related Links http://news.centurylink.com VANCOUVER, BC, June 30, 2020 /PRNewswire/ - Oroco Resource Corp. (TSX-V: OCO) ("Oroco" or "the Company") is pleased to announce that it has closed a non-brokered private placement, initiated on June 3, 2020, by issuing 5,500,000 units at a price of $0.30 per unit, for gross proceeds of $1,650,000 (the "Financing"). Each unit consists of one common share and one-half of one common share purchase warrant. Each whole share purchase warrant will be exercisable into one additional common share for a period of 24 months from closing at a price of $0.42 per share. The exercise period for the share purchase warrants may be accelerated to 30 days if, at any time after the first 4 months of the warrant exercise period, the volume-weighted trading average of the Company's shares exceeds $0.60 over a period of 20 consecutive trading days. The proceeds of the Financing will be used to advance the Santo Tomas Project, including site preparation for an exploration drill program, the acquisition of surface rights and permits, a 3D IP geophysical survey, and general corporate purposes. In addition, certain contingent legal fees relating to the acquisition of the core Santo Tomas concessions are to be paid. Pursuant to the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange, all shares issued in this placement, and any shares issued pursuant to the exercise of the share purchase warrants, are subject to a hold period expiring October 30, 2020. Finder's fees of $19,920 and 40,800 finder's fee warrants are being paid in connection with the Financing. Each finder's fee warrant will entitle the holder to purchase one common share of the Company for a period of 24 months from closing at a price of $0.42 per share. The exercise period for the finder's fee warrants may be accelerated to 30 days if, at any time after the first 4 months of the warrant exercise period, the volume-weighted trading average of the Company's shares exceeds $0.60 over a period of 20 consecutive trading days. The Company also announces the issuance of 62,500 shares relating to the exercise of $0.32 share purchase warrants issued on November 3, 2018. A total of 1,742,500 share purchase warrants remain exercisable at a price of $0.32 per share on or before August 3, 2020. ABOUT OROCO: The Company holds a net 61.4% interest in the collective 1,172.9 ha core concessions of the Santo Tomas Project in NW Mexico, and may increase that majority interest up to an 81.0% interest with a project investment of up to CAD$30 million. The Company also holds a 77.5% interest in 7,807.9 ha of mineral concessions surrounding and adjacent to the core concessions (a total project size of 8,980.8 hectares). The Project is situated within the Santo Tomas District, which extends from Santo Tomas up to the Jinchuan Group's Bahuerachi project, approximately 14 km to the north-east. Santo Tomas hosts a significant copper porphyry deposit defined by prior exploration spanning the period from 1968 to 1994. During that time, the property was tested by over 100 diamond drill and reverse circulation drill holes, totaling approximately 30,000 meters. Based on data generated by these drill programs, a resource estimate for the project was calculated by Mintec, Inc., and metallurgical test work was conducted by Mountain States Research and Development, Inc. In 1994, a Prefeasibility Study was completed by Bateman Engineering Inc. The Santo Tomas Project is located within 160 km of the Pacific deep-water port at Topolobampo, and serviced via highway and proximal rail (and parallel corridors of trunk grid power lines and natural gas) through the city of Los Mochis to the northern city of Choix. The property is reached by a 32 km access road originally built to service Goldcorp's El Sauzal Mine in Chihuahua State. The reader is directed to the Company's August, 2019 Technical Report filed on SEDAR. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward Looking Information This news release includes certain "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" (collectively "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact included herein, including without limitation, statements relating to future events or achievements of the Company, are forward-looking statements. There can be no assurance that such forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated or implied in such statements. Many factors, both known and unknown, could cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from the results, performance or achievements that are or may be expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements and information contained in this news release concerning these matters. Oroco does not assume any obligation to update the forward-looking statements should they change, except as required by law. Readers are also cautioned that this news release includes reference to certain historical reports and studies that are cited in the Report. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward Looking Information SOURCE Oroco Resource Corp. Related Links www.orocoresourcecorp.com By leveraging an open online collaboration platform, CCI and CBI aim to mobilize individuals, businesses, communities and other groups to develop actionable solutions to pandemic-related problems. Any individuals or groups who want to participate are invited to contribute to solving the challenges already posted or to suggest other pressing issues related to COVID-19. "There are many people around the world who see problems posed by the pandemic and have smart, innovative ideas that could help solve those problems, but they lack the means of sharing and developing their ideas," says Thomas Malone, the Patrick J. McGovern Professor of Management at the MIT Sloan School of Management and founding director of the CCI. "An online platform like this allows us to create a community to harness the collective intelligence of these people, to identify problems, brainstorm solutions, and find the needed people, funding and other resources to implement these solutions." David Sun Kong, PhD, director of the MIT Community Biotechnology Initiative, believes that diversity found in global networks can play a critical role in enhancing innovation. He says, "We are facing a global, systemic challenge that requires global, systemic solutions. So many of the problems we face around the world are common, be it how to better communicate science, encourage life-saving behaviors, build trust amongst stakeholders, or develop and deploy the critically needed diagnostics, treatments, and vaccines. Disruptive solutions are more likely to be found when we bring together a diversity of global perspectives." Launched in 2006, the CCI explores how people and computers can be connected so thatcollectivelythey act more intelligently than any person, group, or computer has ever done before. This first-of-its-kind research effort draws on the strengths of many diverse organizations across the Institute including MIT's Media Lab, Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, the Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, and the MIT Sloan School of Management. The Pandemic Response Lab builds on a decade of work on CCI's Climate CoLab, a platform where more than 120,000 people are working together to develop novel ideas to address climate change. The CBI works at the intersection of open-source, accessible tool development, community organizing and movement building, and collective intelligence and social sciences to activate the global movement around grassroots, community-driven life sciences, or "Community Bio." MilliporeSigma's mission is to help solve the toughest problems in life science by collaborating with the global scientific community, accelerating access to better health. The Life Science business of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany operates as MilliporeSigma in the U.S. and Canada. "There is a tremendous need for a common set of scientific facts about the virus and reliable, verified data," said Udit Batra, CEO of MilliporeSigma. "We are aiming to establish a common baseline of agreed priorities upon which we can engage the wider scientific and innovation community to continue to build collaborative solutions to pandemics like this one." To get started, please visit this link. For further information, contact: Paul Denning or Patricia Favreau Director of Media Relations Associate Director of Media Relations 617-253-0576 617-253-3492 [email protected] [email protected] SOURCE MIT Sloan School of Management Related Links http://mitsloan.mit.edu TYSONS, Va., July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the PenFed Foundation is pleased to announce it was named "Nonprofit of the Year" by the Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce. The award, which is a part of the Chamber's 2020 Greater Washington Good Business Awards, honors and celebrates the leadership of individuals, businesses and nonprofits that serve as powerful champions for good in the Greater Washington Area. PenFed Foundation President and retired U.S. Army Gen. John "Mick" Nicholson accepted the award on behalf of the thousands of veterans and service members the Foundation serves each year during a virtual ceremony with Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce officials. "All of us here at the PenFed Foundation want to thank the Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce for this tremendous distinction," said Gen. Nicholson. "We focus on the financial well-being of service members and veterans. Our vision is that every service member would be able to serve our nation free of financial worry and that veterans can realize the financial stability and opportunity that they deserve after serving our nation." Award judges were particularly impressed with the Foundation's quick action in creating the COVID-19 Emergency Finance Relief Program. In March, PenFed Foundation became the first national Veterans Service Organization (VSO) to launch a COVID-19 relief program for emergency financial assistance for the military community. The program received national media attention and the response was overwhelming with over 6,000 applications in the first four days. To date, more than 560 military families have been helped through the program and more than $600,000 in COVID-19 emergency relief has been provided to veterans and active duty service members. The Foundation also provided the veteran-owned business community with online resources and education to assist with economic recovery. "Congratulations to the PenFed Foundation for recognizing the needs of the Veteran community during the Covid-19 crisis and acting to ensure that no Veteran is left unsupported," said Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Julie Coons. "The PenFed Foundation is a critical organization meeting the needs of our Northern Virginia community." The PenFed Foundation PenFed Credit Union's charitable arm was created in 2001 and, since then, has provided more than $38.5 million in financial support to veterans, active-duty service members, families and caregivers. Those interested in supporting the PenFed Foundation's mission to help the military community and their support network are encouraged to visit penfedfoundation.org. About PenFed Foundation Founded in 2001, the PenFed Foundation is a national nonprofit organization committed to empowering military service members, veterans and their communities with the skills and resources to realize financial stability and opportunity. It provides service members, veterans, their families and support networks with the skills and resources they need to improve their lives through programs on financial education, homeownership, veteran entrepreneurship and short-term assistance. Affiliated with PenFed Credit Union, the Foundation has the resources to effectively reach military communities across the nation, build strong partnerships, and engage a dedicated corps of volunteers in its mission. The credit union funds the Foundation's personnel and most operational costs, demonstrating its strong commitment to the programs the Foundation provides. To learn more, visit www.penfedfoundation.org . SOURCE PenFed Foundation Related Links http://penfedfoundation.org CHICAGO, July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- For the second year in a row, Peoples Gas has been named one of Escalent's top "Most Trusted Brands" in its Cogent Syndicated Utility Trusted Brand & Customer Engagement residential study. In the 2020 survey by the leading human behavior and analytics firm, Peoples Gas received the second-highest Brand Trust Index score in the Midwest region among natural gas service-only providers. "We are more focused than ever in our commitment to provide safe and reliable service to our customers during these unprecedented times," said Charles Matthews, president and CEO Peoples Gas. "We will continue to work hard every day to serve our communities. Our high marks in this survey show that our efforts make a difference, and we thank our customers for their trust." Escalent noted that customer trust in utilities has hit historic highs amid the industry's response to the coronavirus pandemic. "It is clear from our research the utility industry has done a fantastic job supporting customers through the pandemic," said Chris Oberle, senior vice president Escalent. "Awareness of utility COVID-19 efforts was supported by higher communications recall, the high quality of customer service interactions, and providing more value-added recommendations during service." Peoples Gas has provided support to customers during the COVID-19 emergency through a disconnection moratorium, deferred payment arrangement extensions, financial assistance programs and other measures to help Chicagoans weather this difficult period. The company has shared frequent communications about policy changes and new safety protocols to help its customers stay informed, safe and healthy. "Peoples Gas remains committed to staying connected with our customers and doing our part to make these difficult days less burdensome," said Larry Szumski, vice president customer relations for Peoples Gas. "We appreciate the trust our customers have placed in us, and will keep working to maintain that trust as we manage the next part of the COVID-19 crisis together." Escalent's Brand Trust Index is a composite score of utility performance in customer focus, community support, communications effectiveness, reliable quality, environmental dedication and reputation. It draws from surveys of more than 70,000 residential electric, natural gas and combination utility customers of the 140 largest U.S. utility companies based on residential customer count. In addition to this survey's recognition, Peoples Gas also was highlighted as one of the country's "Easiest Utilities to Do Business With" by Escalent in an April 2020 survey from the firm. About Peoples Gas Peoples Gas, a subsidiary of WEC Energy Group (NYSE: WEC), is a regulated natural gas delivery company that serves more than 867,000 residential, commercial and industrial customers in the city of Chicago. You can find more information about natural gas safety, energy efficiency and other energy-related topics at peoplesgasdelivery.com. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook @peoplegaschi. About Escalent Escalent is a top human behavior and analytics firm specializing in industries facing disruption and business transformation. As catalysts of progress for more than 40 years, Escalent tells stories that transform data and insight into a profound understanding of what drives human beings. And Escalent helps businesses turn those drivers into actions that build brands, enhance customer experiences and inspire product innovation. Visit escalent.co to see how Escalent is helping shape the brands that are reshaping the world. About Utility Trusted Brand & Customer Engagement: Residential Escalent conducted surveys among 70,438 residential electric, natural gas and combination utility customers of the 140 largest US utility companies (based on residential customer counts). The sample design uses a combination of quotas and weighting based on census data to ensure a demographically balanced sample of each evaluated utility's customers based on age, gender, income, race and ethnicity. Utilities within the same region and of the same type (e.g., electric-only providers) are given equal weight to balance the influence of each utility's customers on survey results. Escalent will supply the exact wording of any survey question upon request. SOURCE Peoples Gas Related Links http://www.wecenergygroup.com "No other car manufacturer or watch brand currently offers such a customizable and exclusive program of this kind. The colors, types of leather and decorative stitching on these chronographs all originate from automotive production," says Jan Becker, CEO of Porsche Design Group. In Germany, the custom-built timepieces can be configured online and ordered through participating Porsche dealerships starting July 1, 2020. In the United States, the program and English watch configurator will be available on September 1, 2020. The centerpiece: the digital Porsche Design watch configurator The menu navigation and overall design of the new watch configurator are based on the well-established Porsche car configurator. Just like the Porsche 911 range, the watch is digitally visualized down to the smallest detail to provide customers with a realistic depiction of their dream timepiece. "The rendering model is based on CAD data from our designers at Studio F. A. Porsche in Zell am See and our engineers in Solothurn," says Rolf Bergmann, Managing Director of Porsche Design Timepieces AG. The features, including the pricing for each respective configuration, are displayed in real time. A basic custom-built Timepiece starts at $6,000 USD and, depending on the options selected, can range up to $12,500 and includes up to three additional leather straps. Orders are placed exclusively through Porsche dealers and delivery will take eight to 12 weeks. The case - A future classic The first step in the virtual timepiece configurator is to select the 42mm case. The customer can choose between a glass bead-blasted natural titanium case and a black titanium case coated in titanium carbide via PVD. "Titanium and black-coated titanium cases are what Porsche Design timepieces have become known for. This originated with the designer of the Porsche 911, Ferdinand Alexander Porsche and we will never change anything about it," Bergmann continues. The legendary design by F. A. Porsche has found its contemporary interpretation in the cases of the custom-built chronographs that are based on the Chronotimer Series 1. The movement - A new in-house chronograph caliber With the launch of the Porsche Design custom-built Timepieces program, the new in-house caliber WERK 01.100 with 48 hours of power reserve enters series production for the first time. The highlight of this COSC-certified movement is the customizable winding rotor, featuring the wheel designs of the latest-generation Porsche 911. For the first time ever, Porsche Design is offering a timepiece with a completely customizable movement component. "We put an enormous amount of work into checking all of the variants in advance but that is precisely the level of attention to detail that our customers expect from us," Rolf Bergmann, Managing Director Porsche Design Timepieces AG, explains. From the classic 911 Carrera rim, including the two-tone Porsche Crest in the center of the rotor, to the 911 Carrera Exclusive Design wheel version with a gold badge at its center, there are six different rotor types to choose from. The color on the rotor edge can also be customized, just like the outer edges of the wheels of a Porsche car. Porsche Design is also offering the original Porsche color palette. The rotor on the new watches correspond to a 1:22 scaled-down version of the original rim, adapted to the geometry of the timepiece. They are crafted with a level of precision down to five thousandths of a millimeter. The Porsche Crest, which measures around 50mm on a vehicle rim, is a mere 3.3mm wide and 4.4mm high on the winding rotor cover. Nevertheless, the Porsche Crest still remains clearly visible to the naked eye. The watchbands - Up to 300 different configurations The enormous amount of work put into this program is most apparent in the metal and leather watchbands, which are available in three sizes. Pop-up menus in the configurator make selections easy. The metal bracelets are made of skin-friendly titanium and all versions feature individually screwed-down links. Like the case variants, they are available in glass bead-blasted natural titanium or black-coated titanium carbide. Additionally, there are two different closing mechanisms to choose from: a butterfly clasp with lateral buttons or seven-step fine adjustment. All leather straps are crafted from the same hides used for Porsche automobile interiors and come in the 14 official interior color options of the Porsche 911. The leather wristbands come with a butterfly clasp as well as side buttons for quick and easy release. For the stitching on the strap, 19 different colors of genuine Porsche yarn are available, meaning that there are up to 300 different possible configurations. Two additional bracelets can be designed and purchased per order and the configurator's full range of options remains available for this selection. The new quick-change side button system makes it easy to change them without the use of any tools. Custom-built dial and bezel The dial is personalized via inlaid colored rings, featuring minute markers in the style of the design-defining classic speedometer developed by F. A. Porsche. There are 27 Porsche 911 exterior and interior colors to choose from. Even the hands can be personalized, with the customer able to choose either classic Essence in black or sporty Performance hands in matte-white with red tips. The watch's bezel can also feature either traditional minute markers or a tachymeter for tracking speed or distance. Custom laser engraving - the final touch Upon request, each Porsche Design custom-built Timepiece can be individualized with laser engraving on the back of the case, enhancing each timepiece with the ultimate in personal touches. This supplementary engraving can also be applied to the watch box, which is exclusive to the new watches. Additionally, the corresponding car visuals can be requested for the emblem on the timepieces' box. The fonts and lettering featured on the rear of the customer's car can be applied as well. Alternatively, the customer has the option to select a graphic logo, such as the current 911 Carrera flyline. The new Porsche Design custom-built Timepieces program starts in Germany on July 1, 2020, followed by the UK and U.S. on September 1, 2020 at all participating Porsche dealerships. The English version of the Internet Timepieces Configurator will also be available as of September 2020. For further information please visit https://www.porsche-design.com/en/timepieces/new-custom-built-timepieces/custom-built-timepieces/. More information and visual assets (photos, videos, interviews, etc.) on the Porsche Design custom-built Timepieces program can be found at https://mediakit.porsche-design.com/custom-built-timepieces/en/. About Porsche Design: In 1963, Professor Ferdinand Alexander Porsche created one of the most iconic design objects in contemporary history: the Porsche 911. Following his vision to take the principles and myth of Porsche beyond the automotive world, he created the exclusive lifestyle brand Porsche Design in 1972. His philosophy and design language can still be seen in all Porsche Design products today. Every Porsche Design product stands for extraordinary precision and perfection, boasts a high level of technological innovation, and seamlessly combines intelligent functionality and puristic design. Created by Studio F. A. Porsche in Austria, our products are sold worldwide in over 130 Porsche Design stores, high-end department stores, exclusive specialist retailers, and the official online store www.porsche-design.com. For more information please visit https://www.porsche-design.us For regular updates on Porsche Design, follow: Facebook: www.facebook.com/PorscheDesign Instagram: www.instagram.com/PorscheDesign Twitter: www.twitter.com/PorscheDesign Press Contact: Porsche Design of America Vicky Van Guyse Marketing & PR Specialist Tel.: 404-731-5677 Email: [email protected] SOURCE Porsche Design Related Links http://www.porsche-design.us The Central Valley Agriculture Workers have an extremely physical job. After a long day of harvesting, many workers are left with various aches and pains. Therefore, we felt it was important to get involved as our product may alleviate many of the ailments impacting our everyday heroes. We are confident our product will help sustain these agricultural workers in remaining productive and keeping America's food supply chain moving. But that is not all! CBD is also known to help with the common flu, support immune systems, ease ailments, combat insomnia, and even provide pain relief. All P4P CBD products are of the highest quality, starting with our industrial hemp plants organically grown in the USA (right in Colorado's very own state soil)! Jacob Sharpe, CEO of Pound for Pound CBD, added, "We are ecstatic about the testimonials we have received. I could not be happier to hear the positive results our customers and friends are experiencing using P4P CBD products. It is assuring to hear that professional athletes trust our product and have introduced P4P CBD as an essential part of their daily routine. Our most popular items are certainly P4P CBD 750MG Gel Capsules and P4P CBD Gummies. In fact, we have ordered several restocks since launch! The bottom line is that more people are becoming health conscious especially in today's world after COVID-19. Everyone wants to remain healthy and safe and that is what we are all about. We know that CBD offers may health benefits today, but we are hopeful that the studies Canada and Israel are pioneering will show that CBD has a combative effect on COVID-19 as well." Pound for Pound CBD Is also adding a NEW Pet Friendly Hemp CBD line! With 4th of July around the corner, this is perfect timing to get something to help ease your pets mind during the celebration. P4P CBD continues to be on the forefront of brining top-quality CBD to the marketplace. Our testimonials tell us that customers are excited about having access to such a premium grade CBD. We are adamant about providing our customers with access and ensuring our products reach those who need it the most! Join us today and be a part of the CBD movement, use code "P4PCARES" for a 20% discount at checkout on the P4P CBD website (www.pforpcbd.com). For every sale, $2 will be donated to the Central Valley Agriculture Workers in support of these workers and their families. SOURCE Pound for Pound CBD Related Links www.pforpcbd.com SAN DIEGO, June 30, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- In conjunction with Pride month, Suna Solutions (Suna) is pleased to announce the beginning of a new mentoring program with Pride Resource Partners (Pride). The mentorship program will allow Pride to develop and fulfill diversity spend needs through various industries with a focus on the Utility sector. Currently, there is no mandated spend for LGBT-owned companies. However, Suna and Pride will be working together to drive an assigned percentage spend of 1.5% to LGBT-owned businesses. Suna Solutions In October of 2019, Senate Bill 255 (Bradford, Chapter 407, 2019) updated the Utility Supplier Diversity Program to require regulated utilities to submit annual procurement data related to LGBT business enterprises. The Bill also requires community choice aggregators (CCA) with gross annual revenues exceeding $15 million to submit an annual plan that goes into greater detail for increasing LGBT spend. It was not until June 11 of 2015 that General Order 156 was expanded to include LGBT-owned businesses as a part of the Supplier Diversity Program. Although great progress has been made to distinguish historically underutilized businesses (HUB), Suna and Pride are cohesively working together to pass additional legislation that would make this diversity spend common practice and not just an ambitious goal. Suna has provided human capital solutions over the last decade to clients across the United States and will utilize their established network to gain access to additional opportunities for Pride. President, Michael Larkins states, "I am excited about the mentorship with Pride. Through the implementation of this program, we are committing to fostering an environment to meet and hopefully exceed the LGBT procurement goals. By taking advantage of Suna's national presence, we hope to provide functional staff expertise, advice and counsel to make a lasting effect on LGBT businesses." Suna will advance the growth and development of Pride by providing education on how to market their business to agencies and corporations in their target market, granting access to corporate resources and increasing visibility through business relationships. In 2004, The National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC) created a reputable diversity certification program that operates as the exclusive certifying body for LGBT Business Enterprises (LGBTBEs). Joe Maak, CEO of Pride began its operations in 2015 after discovering the LGBT certification and entered into a supplier database that is accessed by multiple utilities statewide. After just one year, Pride doubled in size and Mr. Maak gained notoriety through articles published in The Wall Street Journal, The San Diego Business Journal and CNBC. "Shortly after I received the certification from the Supplier Clearinghouse, I was contacted by a Fortune 500 company," said Maak. "Previously, LGBT companies weren't seen as DBE companies (Disadvantaged Business Enterprises). Now people are realizing there is a large pool of very talented people out there who have not been afforded the same opportunities as others." The NGLCC reported that certified LGBT companies contribute $1.7 trillion to the U.S. economy and create more than 33,000 jobs. "We look forward to our mentorship program with Suna so that we can expand our service territories and continue to provide quality service," states Maak. The mentorship program will further inclusion for LGBT-owned businesses in procurement processes and increase opportunities to continue progress through legislation. If you would like to get involved with or would like more information on the Suna Solutions and Pride Resource Partners Mentorship Program, please call Suna at 888.223.4788 or visit www.suna.com. About Suna Solutions Headquartered in San Diego with office locations throughout the U.S., Suna Solutions is a leading provider of human capital management that specializes in creating customized offerings for Direct Hire, Temporary Staffing, Payroll Service and Workforce Management Solutions. Suna Solutions is a member of Evergent Group which consists of a Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) and a Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Business (SDVOB). For more information please call 888.223.4788 or visit www.suna.com. About Pride Resource Partners Pride Resource Partners LLC is an LGBT Owned Business Enterprise, in conformance under the California Public Utilities Commission's General Order 156 and a Small Business Enterprise under the Department of General Services in California. The Company provides services in Project Portfolio Management, Construction Management, Facilities Management, Technical Staffing Resources, and other highly technical consulting services. Pride Resource Partners (PRP) is a high-performance management consulting firm. PRP works to transform strategy into an executable plan with personalized approaches by providing organizations with skilled professionals, teams of project leaders, and subject-matter experts for managing and implementing business-critical initiatives. Pride Resource Partners is recognized for delivering quality and value by providing unparalleled, targeted consulting expertise. The company received the 2016 Pioneer Award for Excellence from San Diego Gas & Electric, a division of Sempra Energy. The award recognizes the highest standard of excellence in service in the electric utility sector. For more information please call 858.430.6630 or visit www.prideresourcepartners.com. Related Images san-diego-skyline.jpg San Diego Skyline SOURCE Suna Solutions Christopher Castillo, who is known for his prowess in the courtroom, explained that after nearly seven years of protecting victims from criminals, that it was time to continue his work in protecting victims, but now from those who are negligent. He will now serve as The Florida Law Group's Litigation Group Team Leader. Many may remember Christopher Castillo from when he took one of the first murder cases in the State to a "Stand Your Ground" hearing after the law change in front of Hillsborough County's Chief Judge, and after a two day hearing reported by the media, was victorious in proving that the murder charges should not be dismissed. The Florida Law Group added they expect that Christopher Castillo will be a great asset to their clients, not only because of his extensive litigation experience, but because of his academic credentials having graduated with cum laude honors in the top 20% of his law school class. Christopher Castillo further commented that he looks forward to using his experience as a prosecutor, with over 140 non-jury and jury trials and hundreds of evidentiary hearings, to work on behalf of The Florida Law Group's clients. In his short time with The Florida Law Group, he has already recovered over $1,500,000.00 for those who have been injured as a result of other's negligence. "The Captain" has tried well over 100 non-jury trials, adjudicatory hearings, and evidentiary hearings. Chris now puts his courtroom experience to work for our clients. Chris is a Tampa native who attended undergraduate at the University of North Florida and went on to attend Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University's College of Law in Orlando where he graduated cum laude in the top 20% of his class. As a former prosecutor, his motivation is helping and standing up for people who have been hurt by others, and he now continues his work on behalf our clients. Outside of practicing law Chris enjoys carpentry, woodworking, and being an avid fisherman and outdoorsman. SOURCE The Florida Law Group Related Links http://www.thefloridalawgroup.com ATLANTA, July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- PureCars, a leading provider of digital marketing and advertising insights for automotive dealers, today announced it has been certified as one of the official providers of digital advertising for the Honda HDCX Program. PureCars is now certified in a total of 15 OEM programs across the U.S. While the automotive industry continues to rebound from the March plummet of COVID-19-related auto sales, dealers have relied on digital advertising to drive consumer demand. Over the past few weeks, advertising spending is up1 for YouTube ads more than 20%, and Google Search ads are up more than 8%. The certification on Honda's HDCX program enables PureCars to help Honda dealers deliver a more impactful message to car shoppers and customers through experience-driven digital ad campaigns that help customers find the right vehicle for their needs. The partnership will help Honda dealers identify and design the best, most cost-effective digital advertising solutions to help build more profits and increased transactions. "Our certification from Honda, now our 15th OEM program in total, illustrates our deep understanding and leadership in the digital advertising space for automotive dealers," said Jeremy Anspach, CEO of PureCars. "Our program is designed to help Honda dealers maximize their digital footprint and opportunities with each customer, amplifying profit potential and helping to grow long-term satisfied car shoppers." PureCars' digital advertising insights are powered by its automotive marketing platform that combines powerful business intelligence tools with fully integrated digital advertising, giving Honda dealers a competitive edge. In addition to offering fluid, cross-channel budget management, the new partnership and resources will intelligently identify low-funnel shoppers and make any Honda dealership the clear choice for their purchase. With a PureCars subscription, Honda dealers gain access to advertise across all channels, including search, social, display/retargeting, and video. Subscribers receive unique business intelligence features such as market insights, full funnel attribution, and forecasting trends. Honda dealer advertising providers are rigorously vetted and certified by Honda for their digital advertising expertise and effectiveness. As an HDCX Certified Digital Advertising partner, PureCars will provide an even more robust integration with Honda initiatives in the marketplace. PureCars offers an all-in-one suite of digital advertising resources for automotive dealers, such as Fixed Ops advertising (all channels), and dynamic onsite offers (Activate). Additional services like Optimized Google My Business Listings and Local SEO (SEAT) are also approved in the program as "Platform Enhancements" for a well-rounded digital advertising strategy and experience for Honda dealers. About PureCars Get stronger, smarter intelligence with PureCars. Our proprietary automotive marketing platform is built on the expertise of a wide range of car people from data scientists to digital advertising experts working relentlessly to ensure your dealership keeps growing. We make decisions rooted in strategy, not speculation, and have the proof in every penny. Take your numbers to the next level with our comprehensive suite of solutions that address every aspect of your business, from sales to fixed ops. With PureCars, you outperform the competition and are prepared for the road ahead. Learn more at www.purecars.com. Appendix: 1: https://www.al.com/business/2020/06/alabamas-car-dealers-see-demand-picking-back-up-after-lockdown.html Media Contact: John Sternal Merit Mile 954-592-1201 SOURCE PureCars Related Links http://www.purecars.com PARAMARIBO, Suriname, June 30, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The Republic of Suriname (the "Republic") announced today that it has commenced a solicitation of consents (the "Consent Solicitation") seeking to amend its 9.875% Notes due 2023 (the "2023 Notes") and the Accounts Agreement in connection with the 2023 Notes. The 2023 Notes were originally issued on December 20, 2019 in an aggregate principal amount of US$125,000,000. As of the date of the Consent Solicitation Statement, US$125,000,000 in aggregate principal amount of the 2023 Notes remains outstanding. A group of institutional investors holding approximately 83% of the outstanding principal amount of the 2023 Notes has expressed to the Republic their intention to support the Proposed Amendments and the Waiver (such terms as defined below) on the terms and conditions detailed in the consent solicitation statement dated June 30, 2020 (the "Consent Solicitation Statement"). If approved, the proposed amendments (the "Proposed Amendments") will give effect to the following modifications with respect to the 2023 Notes: (i) establish a new amortization schedule providing that principal of the Notes will be repaid in seven semi-annual installments commencing on December 30, 2020, with the Scheduled Amortization Amount payable on the December 30, 2020 payment date equal to US$15,000,000 and the Scheduled Amortization Amount payable on each payment date thereafter equal to US$18,333,333, in each case subject to additional amortization equal to the Excess Amount (as such amount shall be calculated following the Proposed Amendments) applicable to such payment date; provided that, if the Republic satisfies the IMF Condition prior to December 30, 2020, the amortization schedule will be adjusted so that principal of the Notes will be repaid in six semi-annual installments commencing on June 30, 2021 with the amortization amount that would have otherwise been paid on December 30, 2020 spread equally across all six remaining Payment Dates and no amortization payment will be made on December 30, 2020; for these purposes, "IMF Condition" will be defined as the International Monetary Fund having established any funding arrangement for the benefit of the Republic which includes conditions relating to the disbursement of funds; (ii) amend the covenant requiring the Republic to take all action and issue all authorizations, as stockholder or otherwise, necessary to cause Staatsolie to declare and pay any dividends and to pay such dividends in U.S. dollars directly into the Collection Account (the "Dividend Covenant") so that (a) the Republic will only be required to comply with the obligations under the Dividend Covenant from and after December 30, 2020, and (b) the maximum amount that the Republic will be required to cause Staatsolie to pay in dividends will be limited by the maximum amount permitted by applicable law and by any contractual restriction existing on the Effective Date; (iii) amend the covenant requiring the Republic to deposit all royalties received pursuant to a Mineral Agreement and all payments for power pursuant to Power Purchase Agreements into the Collection Account (the "Remit Covenant") so that the requirement to comply with the obligations of the Remit Covenant will only apply from and after December 30, 2020 and from such date will apply without regard to the satisfaction of the Cash Flow Condition; (iv) amend the events of default to provide for a 30-day cure period if the Republic fails to comply with either the Dividend Covenant or the Remit Covenant; and (v) amend the Accounts Agreement to permit up to 50% of the funds in the Collection Account that, under the existing terms of the Accounts Agreement, would have been required to make payments of Excess Amounts to be distributed instead to the Republic at the written direction of the Republic. If approved, the waiver (the "Waiver") will give effect to the following: (a) a waiver, for purposes of the Proposed Amendments only, of the requirement under the Indenture that the solicitation of a consent to a modification under the Indenture be made not less than 10 calendar days prior to the expiration date for the receipt of such consents, and a consent to July 8, 2020 being the expiration date, which is eight calendar days after the date of the Consent Solicitation Statement; and (b) a waiver of any prior or currently existing violation of either the Dividend Covenant or the Remit Covenant. The Republic is seeking Consents to the Proposed Amendments and the Waiver as a single proposal. Holders are not required to consent to each of the Proposed Amendments and the Waiver individually. By providing Consents in accordance with this Consent Solicitation Statement, the holders will be consenting to both the Proposed Amendments and the Waiver. Only those holders who are direct participants in DTC on June 29, 2020 (the "Record Date") at 5:00 p.m., New York City time, will be entitled to vote. Holders who acquire 2023 Notes after the Record Date will not be able to exercise their vote. The Consent Solicitation is being made on the terms and subject to the conditions set out in the Consent Solicitation Statement. The Company will pay to holders a fee (the "Consent Payment") to each holder in an amount equal to US$5.00 for each US$1,000 of outstanding principal amount of 2023 Notes to holders of 2023 Notes whose validly delivered consent is accepted pursuant to the Consent Solicitation Statement if the Proposed Amendments and the Waiver become effective. Holders that do not deliver valid consents will not receive the Consent Payment even if the 2023 Notes and the Accounts Agreement are amended and the Waiver is granted. Holders that deliver valid Consents which are accepted by the Republic will not receive a Consent Payment if the 2023 Notes and the Accounts Agreement are not amended or the Waiver is not made effective. Identifiers for the 2023 Notes consist of CUSIP Numbers 86886P AB8 and P68788 AB7; ISIN Numbers US86886PAB85 and USP68788AB70, and Common Codes 209584972 and 209584778. The Republic's proposed amendments and waiver will become effective only if valid consents from holders of not less than 75% of the outstanding principal amount of 2023 Notes have been validly delivered and accepted pursuant to the terms of the Consent Solicitation, the Consent Payment has been paid and the other conditions described in the Consent Solicitation Statement have been either satisfied or waived by the Republic. The Republic of Suriname reserves the right in its sole discretion to reject any and all consents. The Republic also reserves the right to waive or modify any term of, or terminate, the Consent Solicitation at any time and in its sole discretion. The Expiration Time for the Consent Solicitation is 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on July 8, 2020 (as such time may be extended by the Republic of Suriname in its sole discretion, the "Expiration Time"). The Republic of Suriname may terminate the Consent Solicitation at any time in its sole discretion. Capitalized terms used but not defined in this communication have the meanings specified in the Consent Solicitation Statement. This announcement is for informational purposes only and is not a solicitation of consents of any holders of 2023 Notes. The solicitation of consents of holders is only being made pursuant to the Consent Solicitation Statement. Holders of 2023 Notes should read the Consent Solicitation Statement carefully prior to making any decision with respect to providing its consent because it contains important information. The Republic will make (or cause to be made) all announcements regarding the Consent Solicitation by press release in accordance with applicable law. The Republic has not registered the Consent Solicitation or the 2023 Notes under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), or any state securities law. The consent may not be solicited in the United States or to any U.S. persons except pursuant to an exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to, the registration requirements of the Securities Act. Consents are being solicited only (1) of holders of the 2023 Notes that are "qualified institutional buyers" as defined in Rule 144A under the Securities Act ("QIBs") and (2) outside the United States, of holders of 2023 Notes other than "U.S. persons" (as defined in Rule 902 under the Securities Act) and who are not consenting for the account or benefit of a U.S. person, in offshore transactions in compliance with Regulation S under the Securities Act. Only holders of 2023 Notes who have returned a duly completed eligibility letter (available on the website of the Information and Tabulation Agent, at https://gbsc-usa.com/eligibility/suriname) certifying that they are within one of the categories described in the immediately preceding sentence are authorized to receive and review the Consent Solicitation Statement and to participate in the Consent Solicitation. Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. is the Solicitation Agent in connection with the Consent Solicitation. Global Bondholder Services Corporation is the Information and Tabulation Agent in connection with the Consent Solicitation. NONE OF THE SOLICITATION AGENT, THE TRUSTEE, THE ACCOUNT BANK, THE INFORMATION AND TABULATION AGENT NOR ANY OF THEIR RESPECTIVE DIRECTORS, EMPLOYEES, AFFILIATES, AGENTS OR REPRESENTATIVES MAKES ANY RECOMMENDATION AS TO WHETHER HOLDERS SHOULD DELIVER CONSENTS TO THE PROPOSED AMENDMENTS AND THE WAIVER PURSUANT TO THE CONSENT SOLICITATION, AND NO ONE HAS BEEN AUTHORIZED BY ANY OF THEM TO MAKE SUCH A RECOMMENDATION. EACH HOLDER MUST MAKE ITS OWN DECISION AS TO WHETHER TO GIVE A CONSENT. The Consent Solicitation Statement will be available from the Information and Tabulation Agent. The Information and Tabulation Agent for the Consent Solicitation is: Global Bondholder Services Corporation 65 Broadway Suite 404 New York, New York 10006 Attn: Corporate Actions Banks and Brokers call: +1 212 430-3774 Toll free: +1 866-470-4200 By facsimile: (For Eligible Institutions only): +1 212 430-3775/3779 Confirmation: +1 212 430-3774 Email: [email protected] Any questions regarding the terms of the Consent Solicitation should be directed to the Solicitation Agent or the Information and Tabulation Agent at their respective addresses and telephone numbers set forth on this communication. If you have any questions about how to deliver a consent in the Consent Solicitation, you should contact the Information and Tabulation Agent. Requests for additional copies of the Consent Solicitation Statement, the eligibility letter or any other related documents may also be directed to the Information and Tabulation Agent. The Solicitation Agent for the Consent Solicitation is: Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. 85 Broad Street New York, New York 10004 Attention: Debt Capital Markets +1 212 667-7424 Republic of Suriname acting through the Minister of Finance of the Republic S.M. Jamaludinstraat 26 Paramaribo Suriname SOURCE Republic of Suriname STOCKHOLM, July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- RhoVac AB ("RhoVac") is marketed in the latest edition of the international trade press outlet, MedNous, through a written commentary by CEO Anders Mansson. In order to further attract the attention of potential partners and increase their interest in RhoVac's achievements as well as plans for the future, RhoVac's CEO Anders Mansson has written a commentary on the company in the latest edition of MedNous that was published last week. CEO Anders Mansson comments: "It is important that we market RhoVac more broadly than what can be accomplished in direct bi-lateral meetings, whether physical or digital. By reaching out also via international press, informing on our achievements and our plans, we reach also broader audience and that is important from a business perspective." Link to commentary: https://www.rhovac.com/investors/presentations/ For further information, please contact: Anders Mansson CEO, RhoVac AB Phone number: +46 73-751-72-78 E-mail: [email protected] This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com https://news.cision.com/rhovac/r/rhovac-marketed-in-international-press,c3145633 The following files are available for download: SOURCE RhoVac ROCKVILLE, Md., July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- SECO USA, a subsidiary of SECO SpA, a leading high-tech manufacturer of computer miniaturization and "ready-to-use" IoT integrated systems, with shareholder FII Tech Growth fund backed by Cassa Depositi e Prestiti, today announces that multiple Biorespira Pulmonary Ventilators will be donated to hospitals in the U.S., with priority given to Black communities. Biorespira is a non-invasive pulmonary ventilator that delivers oxygen to patients with difficulty breathing in a closed loop system, easily operated by nurses and in-home care providers. By prioritizing the donation of Biorespira Pulmonary Ventilators to facilities in Black communities, SECO USA hopes to reach people who too often have to wait for the most effective healthcare in times of crisis. SECO USA Biorespira provides healthcare providers with a device designed to oxygenate adult patients without intubation in almost any location - outside of an ICU, in hospitals' general medical wards, nursing homes or private residences. Due to the clarity and simplicity of the interface, nurses, in-home care providers and family members require only minimal training to operate Biorespira. Biorespira was created as a high-flow system, providing an adjustable percentage of oxygen from 21% to 100% and a flow rate between 10 to 120 L/min. Using medical helmets or a non-vented face mask with Biorespira ensures a closed loop system, nearly eliminating the chance of the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19 passing from patient to caregiver. Driven by the desperate need for ventilators during the early stages of the COVID-19 epidemic in Italy, Italian Biomedical Devices (IBD) S.r.L, a local technology company led by Dr. Corrado Ghidini, MD, DDS, MBA, quickly created the noninvasive and portable ventilator, going from concept design to first prototype build in just five weeks. An existing relationship with SECO SpA evolved to include the distribution of Biorespira worldwide. "Doctors around the world agree that assisted lung ventilation is the only effective therapy for patients with COVID-19 pneumonia with ventilatory impairment," explained Dr. Ghidini. "I'm eager to see Biorespira deployed and helping patients fight the effects of pneumonia and respiratory insufficiencies around the world, especially in communities that face challenges in receiving top-quality healthcare." "At SECO USA, we feel it is vital to make the life-saving capabilities of Biorespira available to people in Black communities in the United States," said Greg Nicoloso, CEO for SECO USA. "SECO USA has partnered with IBD to bring the Biorespira Pulmonary Ventilator to the U.S. market our goal with this donation program is to deliver this vital capability to under-resourced hotspots in time to reduce deaths from COVID-19." The pre-EUA application for the Biorespira Pulmonary Ventilator has been submitted to the Food and Drug Administration. Units will be available in early July, once approved by the FDA through EUA or other certification. To be considered to receive a donated Biorespira Pulmonary Ventilator, contact [email protected]. Donation units are limited. About SECO SECO is an Italian group with a leading global position in the sector of embedded technology and Internet of Things (IoT). Since 1979, it has been designing and producing embedded systems industrial computers that are integrated into a client's machine or tool, activating its functions and permitting interaction through touch/video interfaces. SECO collaborates with a broad network of strategic suppliers in the international high-tech panorama (including Intel, AMD, NXP, NVIDIA, Wind, and Telenor), as well as with universities, research centers and innovative start-ups, and operates on a global scale with offices in Italy, Germany, the U.S., India and Taiwan, employing more than 380 people. The industrial sectors in which SECO products are utilized range from biomedicine to wellness, industrial automation to transportation, and it has clients that are market leaders, such as Cimbali, Esaote, Evoca, and Technogym. In 2019, SECO further expanded its reach by completing two important acquisitions. It strengthened its investments in research and development and production capabilities in China by acquiring a majority stake in Fannal Electronics CO. Ltd. In the United States it acquired 100% of InHand Electronics, based in Maryland, a leading provider of low-power rugged embedded systems and software to original equipment manufacturers of handheld, portable, Internet of Things (IoT), and wireless devices for the military/defense, industrial, medical, transportation and infotainment markets. For more information: www.seco.com About IBD IBD is a biomedical devices manufacturer company conceived in London and founded in Italy in 2014. Guided by a team with +10 years of experience in dialysis and medical device design, IBD has raised so far over 1 million in funding by angel investors and grants. The devastating impact of COVID-19 in Italy has caused the IBD team to pivot their talents and expertise to develop Biorespira Pulmonary Ventilator to help patients breathe. For more information: www.ibdbiomed.com Contacts: USA Allison Yrungaray SECO USA PR Consultant [email protected] +1 626.841.1640 Italy Simona Agostinelli SECO SpA Marketing Communications Director [email protected] +39 0575 26979 Related Images biorespira-pulmonary-ventilator.jpg Biorespira Pulmonary Ventilator SOURCE SECO USA Related Links http://www.seco.com DALLAS, July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- In light of the global coronavirus pandemic, correctional facilities across the country have taken a number of steps to reduce the potential spread of the virus among incarcerated individuals and correctional staff, including restricting in-person visitation. These restrictions mean that other communication methods, including telephone, video, and digital messaging services, have taken on heightened importance for incarcerated individuals and their loved ones. To make those services more accessible for families across the country, Securus Technologies has worked with its customers to implement a program to provide free calls and services during the crisis. On March 13, the day COVID-19 was declared a national emergency in the United States, Securus began offering free and discounted services to every one of its state and county corrections agency customers. The company's assistance thus far totals: 18.5 million free call credits for incarcerated individuals and their families, resulting in 138.9 million free minutes of phone connections; 4.7 million free video connections to friends and families of incarcerated individuals; 8.4 million free JPay Stamps for electronic messaging to about 445,000 incarcerated individuals. Securus has made accommodations for 395 agencies and 735 sites nationwide. For incarcerated individuals diagnosed with COVID-19, the company is providing compassion credits that allow free access to Securus phone calls and video connections for the duration of medical care. Those credits are loaded onto prepaid cards and distributed by correctional facilities to ill individuals. Additionally, public defenders can also access free calls at many locations during the pandemic. For facilities that utilize Securus tablet technology, the company has also introduced select free movie and game titles, which have been downloaded 2 million times. These new titles are being offered in addition to a vast preexisting collection of educational offerings, e-books, podcast, and other materials that are always available at no-cost. "It is extremely challenging for incarcerated Americans and their loved ones to stay connected thanks to a host of policies designed to mitigate the spread of the pandemic," said Dave Abel, president and CEO of Aventiv Technologies, parent company of Securus Technologies. "Securus believes that regular connection is even more important now than ever before, which is why we are doing our part and providing our services at free and reduced rates throughout this difficult time." The program is a continuation of an ongoing transformation by Securus Technologies, which is taking a number of steps to improve access to its services. The company continues to work with its partners to garner feedback about the situation on the ground. All support from Securus will be in accordance with the latest public health guidelines to ensure that the support is tailored and responsive to the unique needs of the incarcerated community. ABOUT SECURUS TECHNOLOGIES Headquartered in Dallas, Texas, an Aventiv Technologies company, serving more than 3,450 public safety, law enforcement and corrections agencies and over 1,200,000 inmates across North America, Securus Technologies is committed to serve and connect by providing emergency response, incident management, public information, investigation, biometric analysis, communication, information management, inmate self-service, and monitoring products and services in order to make our world a safer place to live. Securus Technologies connecting what matters. For more information, please visit SecurusTechnologies.com. Aventiv is a portfolio company of Platinum Equity. Founded in 1995 by Tom Gores, Platinum Equity is a global investment firm with a portfolio of approximately 40 operating companies that serve customers around the world. SOURCE Securus Technologies A confidant of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed that the Israeli leader's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank would not start on Wednesday, the original target date, as the British prime minister made an extraordinary appeal to Israel to call off the plan. The developments cast further uncertainty over whether Israel will ultimately follow through on the explosive annexation initiative, which has drawn fierce international condemnations from some of Israel's closest allies. Speaking on Israel's Army Radio station, Cabinet minister Ofir Akunis confirmed that the annexation process would not begin on Wednesday, saying that officials were still working out the final details with their American counterparts. He said he expected the annexation to take place later in July. ``Coordination with the American administration is not something that can be dismissed,'' he said. Netanyahu had aimed to start the process by Wednesday, saying he wants to begin annexing West Bank territory in line with President Donald Trump's Mideast plan. The plan, unveiled in January, envisions bringing some 30% of the territory under permanent Israeli control, while giving the Palestinians limited autonomy in carved-up pockets of the remaining land. But the plan has come under stiff international criticism. The United Nations, the European Union and key Arab countries have all said Israel's annexation would violate international law and undermine the already diminished prospects of establishing a viable independent Palestinian state alongside Israel. Even close allies, like Britain, have opposed it. In a front-page article in the Yediot Ahronot daily, one of Israel's largest newspapers, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson wrote that as a ``passionate defender of Israel,`` he was particularly troubled by its intentions. He noted his long links to Israel, dating back to when volunteered on a kibbutz as an 18-year-old and his ``many visits'' since then. ``As a life-long friend, admirer and supporter of Israel, I am fearful that these proposals will fail in their objective of securing Israel's borders and will be contrary to Israel's own long-term interests,'' Johnson wrote, adding that annexation ``would put in jeopardy'' the gains Israel has made in recent years in improving relations with the Arab world. ``I profoundly hope that annexation does not go ahead. If it does, the UK will not recognize any changes to the 1967 lines, except those agreed between both parties,'' he said. Israel captured the West Bank from Jordan in the 1967 Mideast war. The international community considers the territory occupied land, and Israel's more than 120 settlements there illegal. The Palestinians, who seek all of the West Bank as part of a future state, have rejected the Trump plan. Several thousand Palestinians marched in Gaza City for a ``day of rage'' on Wednesday to protest the annexation plans, one of several demonstrations that were expected in Palestinian areas. The protesters waved Palestinian flags and held signs calling the plan a ``declaration of war'' on the Palestinian people. The rally ended peacefully by the early afternoon. While building scores of settlements that are now home to nearly 500,000 Israelis, Israel has never tried to annex West Bank territory before, saying the area is ``disputed'' and that its final status should be settled through negotiations. The international community considers the area occupied and its settlements to be illegal. Netanyahu has defended his annexation plan on both security and religious grounds and says the friendly Trump administration has provided a rare opportunity to redraw Israel's borders. He is eager to move forward before November's U.S. presidential election, especially with Trump's re-election prospects in question, and made sure that the coalition agreement for his new government included the July 1 date for him to introduce a plan to parliament. But beyond the international opposition, Netanyahu has encountered some resistance from his Blue and White governing partners. Blue and White's leader, Defense Minister Benny Gantz, this week said Wednesday's target date was not ``sacred'' and suggested that annexation can wait while the government grapples with Israel's coronavirus crisis. U.S. officials have said they do not want to move forward with a plan unless the two leaders are in agreement. Israeli media also reported that Israel is seeking changes in a proposed U.S. map for annexation, and that American officials are demanding an Israeli gesture to the Palestinians as compensation for any annexation that takes place. Dovish Israeli groups have been holding street protests against the annexation plan and it has also encountered surprising opposition from some of the West Bank settlers themselves, who fear having to recognize a de facto Palestinian state and find themselves engulfed in isolated enclaves. The majority of them, however, are pressuring Netanyahu to follow through, launching a campaign titled, ``you made a promise _ keep it.'' Short link: Chief Technology Officer at REC Group, Shankar G. Sridhara said: "Receiving the Intersolar Award for a second time, clearly demonstrates who is leading the pack in the solar industry as a front-running innovator. With our inhouse invented and patented REC Alpha design, we are reaching 380 Wp in a 60-cell format, without increasing number of cells. Achieving such power levels in a cost-effective and environmentally friendly way is a testament to REC's continuous strive for excellence in order to empower people with clean energy from the sun. The bold move to invest in 600 MW of Alpha production capacity from the outset has certainly paid off. The REC Alpha Series is rapidly becoming the high-performance panel of choice for customers around the world." The Intersolar Award is presented to companies making a substantial contribution to the success of the solar industry, honoring technological innovations and groundbreaking solutions. An independent jury of industry experts assesses the leading panels on the basis of innovation, technological creativity and benefits, environmental impact and pricing. REC panels are repeatedly recognized as cutting edge products in the industry: the Intersolar Awards, along with being a Top Performer in the annual DNV-GL PV Module Reliability Scorecard for five years in a row now, clearly demonstrate that REC Group is pushing the solar industry forward through its dedication to innovation and first-class quality. The REC Alpha Series was launched at last year's Intersolar Europe during a spectacular event at the REC booth, including keynote speeches by REC Group's CEO and CTO. The high-performing solar panel is based on heterojunction cells one of the most advanced solar PV technologies and incorporates REC's leapfrog and award-winning split cell and junction box technology, which was developed in-house. Even before production start in October 2019, REC Group announced its intention to further expand its production capacity for Alpha by another 2 to 3 GW. In May 2020, the brand began production of the REC Alpha 72 Series. Reaching 450 Wp and 213 watts/m, the 72-cell version is ensuring higher energy yields and driving down solar electricity generation costs for end users. By going solar with high-efficiency REC Alpha solar panels, households and businesses benefit from around 20% more power, greater energy yields and higher savings on their electricity bills.[1] [1] Based on comparison of REC Alpha 380 Wp with a 60-cell solar panel at 320 Wp. About REC Group: REC Group is an international pioneering solar energy company dedicated to empowering consumers with clean, affordable solar power in order to facilitate global energy transitions. Committed to quality and innovation, REC offers photovoltaic modules with leading high quality, backed by an exceptional low warranty claims rate of less than 100ppm. Founded in Norway in 1996, REC employs 2,000 people and has an annual solar panel capacity of 1.8 GW. With over 10 GW installed worldwide, REC is empowering more than 16 million people with clean solar energy. REC Group is a Bluestar Elkem company with headquarters in Norway, operational headquarters in Singapore, and regional bases in North America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific. Find out more at recgroup.com and on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram For further information please contact: Agnieszka Schulze Head of Global PR, REC Group Tel.: +49-89-4-42-38-59-39 E-mail: [email protected] SOURCE REC Group Related Links https://www.recgroup.com BEIJING, July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Sogou Inc. (NYSE: SOGO) ("Sogou" or "the Company"), an innovator in search and a leader in China's internet industry, today announced it ranked first in the Auto Information Extraction (AutoIE) shared task at the 9th CCF International Conference on Natural Language Processing and Chinese Computing (NLPCC 2020), demonstrating Sogou's industry-leading capabilities in Natural Language Processing (NLP). Founded by the China Computer Federation (CCF) in 2012, NLPCC is China's leading annual conference specialized in the field of NLP. As a fundamental technology in NLP, Information Extraction (IE) refers to the extraction of structured information such as names, events, places, and their relations and attributes from unstructured texts. Accurate extraction therefore enables a more effective analysis and understanding of complicated, unlabeled data. Sogou's IE model ranked first in the AutoIE shared task for the highest accuracy rate of information extracted. By leveraging a combined Bert-CRF model with incomplete annotation training and self-training, the Sogou team developed an IE model capable of extracting highly accurate information from unstructured sourcesdespite incomplete annotations and unlabeled texts. Sogou's advanced IE capability will further strengthen its knowledge graph technology, which has been widely used in its portfolio of products and services to categorize, extract, and restructure an enormous amount of information. A knowledge graph is the structure and representation of a knowledge base as a graph with a network of datapoints linked by relations. Sogou Search is the first search engine in China to apply knowledge graphs to help users find better answers to their queries. In addition, Sogou adopts knowledge graphs in its Simultaneous Interpretation 3.0, the latest generation of Sogou's AI-powered simultaneous interpretation solution, to generate contextual knowledge and collect background information that can provide real-time understanding and interpretation as a speaker talks. Sogou will further leverage its industry-leading IE capabilities as part of its applications of AI, including in its Q&A systems, Recommendation Service, and Healthcare Search. Safe Harbor Statement This announcement contains forward-looking statements. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements about our beliefs and expectations, are forward-looking statements. These statements are based on current plans, estimates, and projections, which involve inherent risks and uncertainties. We caution you that a number of important factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement. Potential risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, intense competition in the market for search and search-related services; our need to continually innovate and adapt in order to grow our business; our reliance on Tencent platforms for a significant portion of our user traffic; and uncertainty regarding the extent and reach of PRC governmental regulation of sponsored search; and the effects of the COVID-19 virus on the economy in China generally and on our business in particular. Further information regarding these and other risks is included in Sogou's Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2019 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 21, 2020, and other documents Sogou files with or submits to the Securities and Exchange Commission. About Sogou Sogou Inc. (NYSE: SOGO) is an innovator in search and a leader in China's internet industry. With a mission to make it easy to communicate and get information, Sogou has grown to become the second-largest search engine by mobile queries and the fourth largest internet company by MAU in China. Sogou has a wide range of innovative products and services, including the Sogou Input Method, which is the largest Chinese language input software for both mobile and PC. Sogou is also at the forefront of AI development and has made significant breakthroughs in voice and image technologies, machine translation, and Q&A, which have been successfully integrated into our products and services. For media enquiries, please contact: Serena Liu Sogou Marketing Tel: +86 10 56899999(61958) Email: [email protected] SOURCE Sogou Inc. Related Links www.sogou.com JOHANNESBURG, July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Sasol (NYSE: SSL) and Chevron have signed an agreement that will result in Sasol selling its indirect beneficial interest in the Escravos GTL (EGTL) plant in Nigeria to Chevron. The transaction will release Sasol from associated company guarantees and other obligations. Sasol will continue to support Chevron in the performance of the EGTL plant through ongoing catalyst supply, technology and technical support. The transaction has an agreed economic effective date of 1 September 2019. EXPLOSIVES JOINT VENTURE In October 2019 Sasol announced its intention to form a new explosives partnership with Enaex S.A. Sasol has concluded the transaction to sell a 51% share in the business to Enaex, and on 1 July 2020, Enaex Africa in association with Sasol, will officially start operating in South Africa and on the African Continent. These transactions form part of Sasol's accelerated divestment programme to streamline our portfolio by focusing on core assets, which will enable Sasol's repositioning over the following 24 months. OTHER DIVESTMENTS Divestment processes are well underway with respect to Sasol's equity interests in the Republic of Mozambique Pipeline Investment Company (Pty) Ltd (ROMPCO) pipeline and the Central Termica de Ressano Garcia (CTRG) gas-fired power plant in Mozambique, and partnering discussions in relation to the Base Chemicals assets in the USA are far advanced. Further updates on these and other disposals will be provided as and when appropriate. FURTHER CAUTIONARY ANNOUNCEMENT Sasol refers to the cautionary announcements released on the Stock Exchange News Service on 17 March 2020 and 31 March 2020, outlining a comprehensive response strategy designed to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 and a lower oil price. The strategy includes a cash conservation programme, an accelerated and expanded asset disposal programme, as well as a potential rights issue of up to US$2 billion which remains subject to the progress of other initiatives. Sasol shareholders are advised that implementation of the response strategy is underway, the outcome of which may have a material effect on the price of the Company's securities. Accordingly, shareholders are advised to continue exercising caution when dealing in the Company's securities until full announcements on the asset disposal programme and the potential rights issue are made. Disclaimer - Forward-looking statements Sasol may, in this document, make certain statements that are not historical facts and relate to analyses and other information which are based on forecasts of future results and estimates of amounts not yet determinable. These statements may also relate to our future prospects, expectations, developments and business strategies. Examples of such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, the impact of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on Sasol's business, results of operations, financial condition and liquidity and statements regarding the effectiveness of any actions taken by Sasol to address or limit any impact of COVID-19 on its business; statements regarding exchange rate fluctuations, changing crude oil prices , volume growth, increases in market share, total shareholder return, executing our growth projects (including LCCP), oil and gas reserves, cost reductions, our climate change strategy and business performance outlook. Words such as "believe", "anticipate", "expect", "intend", "seek", "will", "plan", "could", "may", "endeavour", "target", "forecast" and "project" and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements, but are not the exclusive means of identifying such statements. By their very nature, forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties, both general and specific, and there are risks that the predictions, forecasts, projections and other forward-looking statements will not be achieved. If one or more of these risks materialise, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, our actual results may differ materially from those anticipated. You should understand that a number of important factors could cause actual results to differ materially from the plans, objectives, expectations, estimates and intentions expressed in such forward-looking statements. These factors and others are discussed more fully in our most recent annual report on Form 20-F filed on 28 October 2019 and in other filings with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. The list of factors discussed therein is not exhaustive; when relying on forward-looking statements to make investment decisions, you should carefully consider both these factors and other uncertainties and events. Forward-looking statements apply only as of the date on which they are made, and we do not undertake any obligation to update or revise any of them, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. For further information, please contact: Sasol Investor Relations, Feroza Syed, Chief Investor Relations Officer Direct telephone: +27 (0) 82 557 7740 [email protected] SOURCE Sasol Limited NEW YORK, July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Sustainable consumer goods startup, Solgaard, unveiled a new ecosystem of products, the HomeBase, Solar Boombox, and Solar Juicepack on Kickstarter yesterday, June 30, 2020, raising nearly $75,000 in crowdfunding revenue within twelve hours. SOLGAARD HOMEBASE NEXT GENERATION WIRELESS CHARGING ECOSYSTEM Constructed in Solgaard's award-winning Shore-Tex and new Shore-Plast upcycled ocean plastic materials, the HomeBase wireless charging shelf and built-in sound amplifier is designed to fully integrate with both the new Solar Boombox (Bluetooth speaker and solar power bank unit) and the new Solar Juicepack (solar power bank). PRODUCT SERIES: HomeBase: Scandinavian design meets sustainable high tech; The HomeBase shelf offers built-in wireless charging for your phone and other devices with an acoustic amplifier designed to seamlessly integrate with the Solar Boombox. Large enough to hold two smartphones and charge up to four devices, the product allows two users to charge their phones simultaneously while keeping the devices out of sight (and hopefully out of mind), encouraging users to be more present. The HomeBase also supports PD-Charging Quickcharge for iPhones via USB-C, resulting in a 50% phone charge in under 30 minutes. Solar Boombox: A premium Bluetooth speaker, wireless charging device with backup solar recharging capabilities should the user forget to charge the speaker before leaving the house (one hour of sunlight supplies two hours of music). The drop-proof, sand-proof, and waterproof, Solar Boombox can be charged wirelessly via the Solgaard HomeBase, solar, or two USB ports, and includes a USB-C output. Now with two 7 Watt Drivers, an active bass radiator and passive bass radiator, the next-generation upgraded unit is 40 percent louder with 60 percent more bass than its predecessor, the original Solgaard solar speaker launched on Kickstarter with Lifepack in 2016, raising $1.2 million in crowdfunding revenue. Solar Juicepack: A lightweight, compact 20,000 mAh solar power bank with the capacity to charge up to four devices via Qi wireless, USB-C and two USB ports. Available in two colors, the durable exterior of the Solar Juicepack, constructed from upcycled ocean plastic, is both waterproof and drop-proof. The debut of the sustainable HomeBase ecosystem marks Solgaard's sixth Kickstarter campaign to date. A trusted Kickstarter Creator with notable success, Solgaard has raised a total of $2.7 million in crowdfunding campaigns from 16,386 backers in 85 countries. The brainchild of sustainable product inventor and ocean plastics entrepreneur, Adrian Solgaard, the introduction of the next-generation wireless series follows a robust product innovation history, including the Solgaard Carry-On Closet, launched via Kickstarter recognized in Time Magazine ' Best Inventions of 2018,' and Solgaard Shore-Tex ocean plastic accessories collection named a finalist in Fast Company '2020 World Changing Ideas Awards .' "During the recent lockdown, we all started spending a lot more time at home, so I started thinking about innovations for use both in the home as well as on-the-go. While dreaming of one day socializing with friends again outdoors and wanting to spend less time on my phone when at home, I came up with the base concepts seen here. I see an opportunity to view the psychology behind new products and to create innovations for people that allow them to set healthy boundaries and enhance their everyday lives - all designed sustainably, with the planet's welfare in mind," said Adrian Solgaard, Founder and CEO of Solgaard. The Solgaard HomeBase, Solar Boombox, and Solar Juicepack are available now on Kickstarter. Discounted backer pricing starts at $79 for the Solar Juicepack (MSRP $99), $99 for the Solar Boombox (MSRP $149), and $114 for the HomeBase (MSRP $169). For more information, please visit the Kickstarter campaign page: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/solgaarddesign/solarbank-boombox-and-homebase Download digital press kit and campaign assets here. ABOUT SOLGAARD: A design-driven sustainable luxury brand always ready for adventure, Solgaard enhances life on-the-go with premium gear for global citizens. Designed to improve the lives of travelers while making a positive impact on the planet, Solgaard's sustainable product portfolio consists of luggage, backpacks, bags, solar accessories, and luxury timepieces. In 2019, Solgaard launched its Shore-Tex proprietary fabric and accessories collection made entirely of recycled ocean plastics. Founded in 2016 by Canadian-Norwegian entrepreneur, Adrian Solgaard, the company pledges to pull five pounds of plastic waste from the ocean for every product sold. Learn more at www.solgaard.co . MEDIA CONTACT: Emma Garner Head of Public Relations SOLGAARD [email protected] SOURCE Solgaard Related Links https://solgaard.co/ NEW YORK, July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Today the Soriano Group launches Soriano Motori Corp, a high performance EV motorcycle innovation, design, and cultural liaison for the next generation of riders, from a legacy brand of motorcycles originally founded in '39. The launch of SMC under the leadership of Marco Soriano will continue its family legacy of innovation and invention ahead of its time. "Soriano Motori's motorcycles represent the finest Italian design, image, branding, architecture and engineering, that for the first time are being applied to EV motorcycles for the next generation of riders," said Marco Soriano, founder of SMC. "Owners of Soriano Motori motorcycles are assured the look, feel and lifestyle of what they love about motorcycles, fused with the intoxication of a strong and proud made in Italy brand. We bring elegance and innovation into balance to deliver something that is transcendent for the motorcycle culture." For years, the Italian pursuit of both style and grace in the most advanced form of engineering has become a pride of the culture. "The owners of Soriano EV motorcycles are promised to be piloting one of the most advanced, stylist, and environmentally friendly Italian machines on the planet," said Marco Soriano. Production takes place at two state-of-the-art facilities in Oggiono & Lecco, towns surrounding the outstanding Lake Como, Italy. Application, design, integration, manufacturing, robotics, artificial intelligence (AI) approaches and systems are already established in delivery and production of our V1-R, V1-S and V1-Gara series models, currently available for pre-order and initially capped at 100 total available units. As a modern global brand, SM's payment systems are secured and enabled to receive multiple global currencies including US dollar (USD), the British pound (BDP) and the Euro (EUR), as well as various mainstream cryptocurrencies including Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH). About Soriano Motori Corp Founded in 2020, Soriano Motori Corp is the US parent company of the EU division, Soriano Motori Factory SpA. SMC seeks to create a legacy of invention and modernization much like Ricardo Soriano-Scholtz von Hermensdorff did when he established The Soriano-Pedroso SpA in Paris, 1919 and posteriorly R. Soriano SrL in Madrid, 1939 as the First Spanish Manufacturing Company. Well-seasoned EU & US electric propulsion engineers have recreated this motorcycle icon with today's state-of-the-art technology. For more information, please visit https://sorianomotori.eu. Marco Soriano, [email protected] and Sergio Moroni, [email protected] SOURCE Soriano Group Related Links https://sorianomotori.eu PHILADELPHIA, July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- A new survey from Health Union finds that large portions of people living with heart failure are unaware of their stage, type and ejection fraction, all important factors in understanding disease progression and treatment needs. The inaugural Heart Failure In America survey illuminates the perspectives and experiences of people living with heart failure. The findings also support the launch of Heart-Failure.net, Health Union's 26th condition-specific online health community. Heart failure is a progressive chronic condition in which the heart does not pump enough blood to meet the body's needs. There are a number of things that are important for people living with heart failure to know about their condition, including their stage, type and ejection fraction. However, Heart Failure In America survey findings reveal that a significant number of respondents aren't aware or certain of this information. A quarter of respondents said they did not know their ejection fraction, which measures how much blood the heart pumps out and is used to track disease progression and severity. Two in 10 do not know what type of heart failure they have, with the most common type, at 57%, being congestive heart failure. A larger number of respondents 43% are unaware of their current stage, which is important for understanding disease progression and treatment needs. One-third of respondents are currently at stage C with mild-to-moderate heart failure symptoms, while 13% are in the at-risk stages A or B and the other 10% are at stage D experiencing severe heart failure symptoms. Comparing the responses from people who know their stages with those who do not shows how their patient journeys can differ. Respondents who did not know their current heart failure stage were more likely than those who did to say they do not get tested regularly to track progression, do not have reliable access to medical care or treatments and are not confident they are doing everything necessary to manage their heart failure on a regular basis. Respondents who said they know their heart failure stage were more likely than those who did not know their stage to rate their relationships with healthcare practitioners favorably for a number of factors. These factors include their HCP agreeing with them on the severity of their heart failure, doing a good job sharing their heart failure diagnosis, stage or type and providing easy-to-understand test results. The findings also suggest that lack of awareness of current stage might be related to experiencing some aspects of heart failure less frequently. For example, respondents who didn't know their current stage were more likely to say they had not experienced any heart failure exacerbations during the previous year. "Online health communities like Heart-Failure.net can often provide the support and resources people need in the moments they need them," said Tim Armand, co-founder and president of Health Union. "This is the case whether they are looking for information on heart failure stages, treatment options or the relationship between COVID-19 and their condition a particular concern within this community." The inaugural Heart Failure In America survey, fielded from Oct. 21, 2019 to April 1, 2020, includes responses from 642 people diagnosed with heart failure. A summary infographic of the results is available on Heart-Failure.net ; additional survey results may be available upon request. About Health Union Since 2010, Health Union has encouraged social interactions that evolve into valuable online health conversations, helping people with chronic conditions find the information, connection, and validation they seek. The company creates condition-specific online communities publishing original, daily content and continuously cultivating social conversation to support, educate and connect millions of people with challenging, chronic health concerns. Today, the Health Union family of brands includes 29 online health communities, including LungCancer.net, ParkinsonsDisease.net, MultipleSclerosis.net and Migraine.com. SOURCE Health Union Related Links https://health-union.com BANGKOK, July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the Thailand Board of Investment announced that the country is taking additional steps in its reopening process, allowing 11 categories of travelers to enter the country. Thailand recently ranked 2nd out of 184 countries on PEMANDU Associates' Global COVID-19 Recovery Index for its management of the crisis. Prior to the spread of COVID-19, the World Economic Forum ranked Thailand 6th in the world for pandemic preparedness in their 2019 Global Health Security Index. With a strong national health system, a regional healthcare network and robust life sciences industry, Thailand has surpassed pandemic management and recovery expectations, emerging as a best practice example for its management of the COVID-19 emergency. As of June 30, Thailand has had 36 days without community transmission in the country. To mitigate health risks posed to its region's recovery by inaccessible vaccine prices, the Thai Government has invested in the development of a low-cost COVID-19 vaccine which will be provided to Pakistan and ASEAN members, including Laos, Myanmar, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia and Indonesia. A study of this COVID-19 vaccine prototype in monkeys, performed by the National Research Council of Thailand (NRCT) and Chulalongkorn University's National Primate Research Center of Thailand, has been successful, according to the NRCT. Thailand is now preparing for human clinical trials in October, with production of the vaccine projected to start in Mid-2021. Thailand's vaccine uses mRNA, similar to a vaccine being developed in the U.S., and Thai researchers have worked in collaboration with the University of Pennsylvania to utilize this science. Following its success in managing the spread of the virus, Thailand is beginning its reopening process and is beginning to ease travel restrictions. Thailand announced 11 categories of travelers may enter the country as of July 1st, 2020. As part of the reopening process, during the COVID-19 crisis, Thailand is requiring a Certificate of Entry (COE) for non-citizens. (A link with information about the 11 categories of travelers able to gain re-entry into Thailand can be found below) "The fact that we are able to open our borders to investors and business travelers is a good sign," said Vorawan Norasucha, Director of the Thailand Board of Investment New York office, "We are optimistic that Thailand will continue to keep the virus under control and soon we will be able to lift travel bans for all visitors." "The progress that has been made on the vaccine is very promising," added Ms. Norasucha, "Post- pandemic, we anticipate that Thailand will play a larger role in the global healthcare supply chain." "Companies are recognizing that Thailand has a world-class life sciences industry." Note to Editors: Link to Thailand Travel Information and 11 Categories of Travelers. https://www.caat.or.th/en/archives/51825 ABOUT THAILAND BOARD OF INVESTMENT NEW YORK OFFICE The Thailand Board of Investment New York (BOI New York) is one of 16 BOI overseas offices. The BOI New York team works with U.S. and Canadian companies to facilitate foreign direct investment and to provide support services to companies investing in Thailand. BOI's services are free of charge and customized to help foreign businesses succeed in Thailand. For more information, please visit www.boi.go.th and www.thinkasiainvestthailand.com Contact Shirar O'Connor UNDERPINNED [email protected] +1 646 496 7668 SOURCE Thailand Board of Investment According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, small businesses comprise 99.9% of all U.S. corporations. From nano to mega, social media influencers of varying reach are rarely recognized as American small business owners, even though their entrepreneurial stewardship fuels the launch of their own product lines and innovative digital ventures. Influencers are stimulating local economies and creating jobs across the country, but they are not getting the credit they deserve. Founded by Qianna Smith Bruneteau, the 10th Annual Shorty Award winner for 'Best Celebrity/Influencer Campaign on Snapchat,' and 3rd Annual Social Good Shorty Award winner for 'Best Use of Live-streaming Video,' the AIC aims to show the world that influencers are neither a trend nor a gig, and that career influencers are leading a high-growth startup industry. AIC Members are at the forefront of their trade. The AIC's Board of Directors consists of Founding Chairwoman Chriselle Lim, Vice President Aliza Licht, and Vice President Brittany Xavier. Founding Members are Rocky Barnes, Danielle Bernstein, Blair Breitenstein, Serena Goh, Kat Irlin, Patrick Janelle, Nicolette Mason, Karl Pierre, and Chrissy Rutherford. The AIC and its Founding Members are committed to changing the narrative and advocating on behalf of both established and emerging creators in the U.S. "Clickbait headlines claiming the age of influencers is over undermine the contributions of creators to the U.S. GDP. These digital media entrepreneurs are fueling the creative, storylines and success behind the influencer marketing industry projected to reach $15 billion by 2022," says Qianna Smith Bruneteau. "Today marks the 10th anniversary of Social Media Day. The AIC and our Founding Members are right on time to usher in a new era of legitimacy for career influencers, who are American small business owners and media innovators." As the steward of the influencer marketing industry, the AIC aims to ensure that their members are being actively engaged in a two-way dialogue with the B2C/B2B brands, social media platforms, data/software companies and legislatures creating the opportunities, technology, research/tools and regulations in which the AIC has a vested interest today and beyond. The AIC welcomes the collaboration of organizations and professional advisor members who share an equal stake in ensuring the sustained growth of the global demand for authentic digital content. "Social media and influencers continue to reinvent the communication landscape for businesses not only in the U.S., but globally," confirms Chriselle Lim, the Founding Chairwoman of AIC, a pioneer of the fashion blog movement and owner of two startups. "I am a personal brand and a product developer managing two companies. Small businesses including creators are an anchor of the U.S. economy. The mission-critical work in motion at the AIC is only going to strengthen and further legitimize the efforts of the creator community in America. I'm honored to chair this endeavor." To deliver on its mission, the AIC has a five-pronged approach to develop consensus-based industry solutions: 1) Consumer Transparency: Lobby the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to cooperatively adhere, promote and improve the Endorsement Guidelines; (After its incorporation, the AIC made a public comment to FTC on the Guides); 2) Standardization & Professional Ethics: Develop market-relevant operating standards to support innovation and ethical conduct. Enhance the co-branded content experience on social media platforms including, but not limited to, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, YouTube, Snapchat, Pinterest, Twitch, GIPHY and Tumblr; 3) Data Science & Influencer Economy: Foster digital economy research and analysis and examine the contributions of career influencers to the U.S. GDP; 4) Learning & Development: Provide the intellectual capital to advance digital marketing education at the university level and offer mentoring support for the next generation of influencers; 5) Public Goodwill: Create an innovation lab, industry relevant public service announcements, host events to promote the influencer trade. "Creativity doesn't sleep. In the past decade, social media has transformed the way the world communicates and consumes information in every industry. Influencers are leading this revolution, and our goal is to empower our members with the resources they need to stay on the pulse of the ever-changing issues, trends and legislation that impact the influencer marketing industry in the U.S.," says Aliza Licht, Board Co-Vice President and early social media maverick as the former Twitter personality DKNY PR GIRL. For the first time, creators across all fields and content disciplines are collaborating to set an agenda to influence the future of their industry. As an invite-only, trade association, the AIC will take up to 15 new members in 2020. AIC Founding Members #AICcreators (Instagram Handles) Chriselle Lim , @ChriselleLim, Board Chairwoman , @ChriselleLim, Board Chairwoman Aliza Licht , @AlizaLichtxo, Board Co-Vice President , @AlizaLichtxo, Board Co-Vice President Brittany Xavier , @BrittanyXavier, Board Co-Vice President , @BrittanyXavier, Board Co-Vice President Rocky Barnes , @Rocky_Barnes , @Rocky_Barnes Danielle Bernstein , @WeWoreWhat , @WeWoreWhat Blair Breitenstein , @Blairz , @Blairz Serena Goh , @TheSerenaGoh , @TheSerenaGoh Kat Irlin, @Kat_In_NYC Patrick Janelle , @AGuyNamedPatrick , @AGuyNamedPatrick Nicolette Mason , @NicoletteMason , @NicoletteMason Karl Pierre , @VisualsbyPierre , @VisualsbyPierre Chrissy Rutherford , @ChrissyFord AIC Leadership (LinkedIn Handles) Qianna Smith Bruneteau , Founder @QiannaSmith , Founder @QiannaSmith Alexander Patino , Deputy Director, @AlexanderPatino , Deputy Director, @AlexanderPatino Neil Fridman, Esq. , Chief Counsel, @NeilFridman RELATED LINK: https://www.americaninfluencercouncil.com TEASER: https://youtu.be/OJAC4SjO4HA SOCIAL MEDIA HANDLES Instagram: @americaninfluencercouncil | Twitter: @aic_tweets | LinkedIn: @aic-nyc YouTube: subscribe.americaninfluencercouncil.com/youtube_aic | Snapchat: @aic_snaps ABOUT AMERICAN INFLUENCER COUNCIL The American Influencer Council AIC is an invite-only, not-for-profit membership trade association that consists of the most prominent U.S.-based social media influencers and digital content creators. The AIC drives influencer marketing excellence through advocacy, standardization, digital economic growth, education, and goodwill trade events. The trade association is devoted to improving business dynamics within the influencer marketing industry. ABOUT SOCIAL MEDIA DAY 2020 marks the 10th anniversary of Social Media Day. Social Media Day is observed annually on June 30. With the launch of Friendster in 2002 and MySpace in 2003, social media became mainstream. On June 30, 2010, Mashable launched Social Media Day as a way to recognize and celebrate social media's impact on global communication. The day is celebrated with hashtag #SMDay. MEDIA CONTACT Nate Hinton, The Hinton Group [email protected] +1 917-548-6533 SOURCE The American Influencer Council HOUSTON, June 30, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Lummus Technology today announced that Haldia Petrochemicals Limited, the flagship company of The Chatterjee Group (TCG), and investment funds affiliated with Rhone Capital have successfully completed the joint acquisition of Lummus from McDermott International. As previously announced, under the terms of the share and asset purchase agreement Chatterjee and Rhone committed to acquiring Lummus for a base purchase price of $2.725 billion from subsidiaries of McDermott as part of McDermott's restructuring process. "This new and notable chapter starts with Lummus being a standalone company, as we will be the only major process technology licensor that is independent and privately held," said Leon de Bruyn, President and Chief Executive Officer of Lummus Technology. "For our customers, employees and partners, this is a significant milestone. We will be able to focus exclusively on providing world class technologies and solutions and developing long-term strategies that will allow Lummus to lead and shape the future of our industry." Lummus is a leading master licensor of proprietary gas processing, refining, petrochemical, and gasification technologies as well as a supplier of catalysts, equipment and related services. These technologies are critical in the refining of crude oil into gasoline, diesel, jet fuel and lubes; the manufacturing of petrochemicals and polymers; as well as the gasification of coal into syngas. Dr. Purnendu Chatterjee, Founder Chairman of TCG, added: "Our investments are both strategic and long-term, where most span across 25-30 years. We have primarily focused on knowledge-based companies, and Lummus is a great addition to our portfolio. Leading with innovation, Lummus delivers sustainable value to clients in the area of materials technology. We also see a significant synergy with our existing portfolio companies in the area of digitalization. We, being a long-term client of Lummus, can understand from the customers' perspective and will now move towards co-creative innovation" M. Steven Langman, Co-Founder and Managing Director of Rhone, added, "Together with Chatterjee, we identified a unique opportunity to acquire an established, market leading business from McDermott. Rhone has deep experience partnering with management teams of multinational, industry leaders like Lummus and standing up and creating businesses positioned to grow and improve as independent companies. We look forward to working with the Lummus leadership team during its next phase as a standalone business as it initiates strategies to deliver its services and technology to a broader base of customers." Under the terms of the purchase agreement, McDermott and Lummus have entered into a strategic agreement to form a mutually beneficial arrangement in which Lummus and McDermott will cooperate to contribute their respective strengths to offer value to mutual customers. About Lummus With a heritage spanning more than 110 years and a focus on innovation that has resulted in approximately 130 technologies and 3,400 patents, Lummus Technology is the global leader in developing and implementing process technologies. We are a Master Licensor of petrochemical, refining, gasification and gas processing technologies, and a supplier of catalysts, proprietary equipment and related services to customers worldwide. To learn more about the new Lummus, visit www.LummusTechnology.com. About The Chatterjee Group The Chatterjee Group (TCG), with the HQ in USA, has an enviable track record as a strategic investor, with businesses in many sectors. Founded by Dr. Purnendu Chatterjee in mid 80's, the Group focusses on knowledge-based Industries and owns and controls companies as long term investments in several sectors including Petrochemicals, Pharmaceuticals, Biotech and Technology, serving global markets. Recently the group has launched a not for profit initiative, TCG CREST, designed to be the next generation research university which has intense collaboration with other research centers, both academic and in the industry. Focused on problems of high impact, the four centers currently operational are in NeuroScience, Quantum Computing, Solid State Battery (in sustainable energy) and Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning. www.thechatterjeegroup.com/ www.tcgcrest.org/ About Rhone Rhone, established in 1996, is a global private equity firm with a focus on investments in businesses with pan-European, North American or transatlantic presence. Rhone's investment philosophy includes the development of strong, strategic partnerships with the companies in which it invests. The firm operates across its London, New York and Madrid offices, with a presence in Latin America. Rhone has invested in a diversified portfolio of companies including investments in the business services, consumer and industrial sectors. SOURCE Lummus Technology, LLC Related Links www.LummusTechnology.com NAPLES, Fla., July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The independent authority on Search vendors, topseos.com, has announced the July 2020 rankings of the best search engine optimization companies. A new set of rankings are published each month on the topseos.com website highlighting the leading and top contending digital marketing firms which offer an exceptional organic search marketing service to help businesses increase traffic through Search results. While there are thousands of competing firms which offer an SEO services, the rankings aim to showcase SEO companies that consistently produce exceptional results for their customers. The rankings of the best SEO companies for July 2020 include: 1) DMA | Digital Marketing Agency 2) HigherVisibility 3) Spiralytics Agency 4) marketingagency.io 5) WebMarketingAgency.com 6) Thrive Web Designs 7) Top Floor Marketing 8) Web1SEO 9) Fastech Solutions 10) SmartSites An independent research team conducts monthly ongoing research within the Search marketing industry to ensure exceptional SEO companies are being highlighted. A extensive meticulous evaluation process is used to benchmark and compare the top performing SEO companies in areas that have been found to be critical to the success of an SEO campaign. Five areas of evaluation criteria are used to achieve this with the criteria including on page optimization, off page optimization, needs analysis, keyword analysis, and reporting methods. SEO companies are further evaluated based on customer experiences and reviews that are submitted by their clientele on the topseos.com website. To view the complete rankings of the best SEO companies, visit: https://www.topseos.com/rankings-of-best-seo-companies About topseos.com topseos.com is an online provider of independent reviews and ratings. The ratings of the best search engine marketing companies are released monthly to assist businesses in connecting with search engine optimization companies which feature a history of effective solutions. Thousands of search engine marketing companies are put to the test while only the absolute best companies are highlighted in the ratings. This press release was issued through 24-7PressRelease.com. For further information, visit http://www.24-7pressrelease.com. SOURCE topseos.com Related Links https://www.topseos.com PORTLAND, Ore., July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Vestas announced today the rapid growth of its Wind Technician program in Iowa. Job seekers with transferable skills from Automotive, Agricultural, Manufacturing, Electrical, Railway, Aviation, and Transportation industries are encouraged to apply. Vestas is hiring Wind Techs for Iowa. No industry experience needed. Vestas is immediately filling multiple positions with various levels of experience for roles throughout the state of Iowa. Qualified candidates may be eligible for a sign-on bonus and relocation package. The Technician role is to maintain and troubleshoot complex hydraulic and electrical control circuits to service wind turbines. Technicians receive extensive paid training at Vestas' state-of-the-art facility in Portland, Oregon. "Energy is critical for society to function and to mitigate the long-term economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. We are committed to hiring and retaining the best talent to help ensure stable energy supply for the future," states Jesse Thomason, Lead Recruiter for Vestas. Vestas is committed to providing continuous training and career growth opportunities to its employees and takes pride in being a leader in one of the fastest-growing industries. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics, Wind Turbine Technician roles are expected to increase 57% by 2028. At Vestas, the safety and well-being of employees is the highest priority. Vestas leadership is doing everything to ensure team members and colleagues take all necessary precautions to prevent exposure to COVID-19. In addition to a safe work environment and competitive salary, Vestas has one of the most comprehensive benefits plans in the industry. Among the many perks, Vestas offers health care; dental; vision; paid time off (PTO); generous 401(k) plan; tuition assistance; and much more. Working for Vestas, employees are part of the global leader in the high-tech world of sustainable energy and Vestas also provides international opportunities within a growing industry committed to preserving our planet for future generations. Interested candidates can learn more about the positions available and watch a day in the life of a Wind Tech at https://workforvestas.com/Iowa/. About Vestas Vestas is the energy industry's global partner on sustainable energy solutions. We design, manufacture, install, and service wind turbines across the globe, and with more than 115 GW of wind turbines in 81 countries, we have installed more wind power than anyone else. Through our industry-leading smart data capabilities and unparalleled more than 98 GW of wind turbines under service, we use data to interpret, forecast, and exploit wind resources and deliver best-in-class wind power solutions. Together with our customers, Vestas' more than 25,000 employees are bringing the world sustainable energy solutions to power a bright future. https://www.vestas.com/ Media Contact: Jesse Thomason, Recruitment Lead Vestas American Wind Technology, Inc. [email protected] 503-764-6335 Related Images wind-techs-needed-in-iowa.png Wind Techs Needed in Iowa Vestas is hiring Wind Techs for Iowa. No industry experience needed. Related Video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJSSmSQF4c4 SOURCE Vestas Related Links https://www.vestas.com TEL AVIV, Israel, July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Vulcan Cyber , developers of the industry's only end-to-end vulnerability remediation platform, today announced customers can now add custom risk parameters to existing Vulcan Cyber vulnerability prioritization algorithms for efficient vulnerability remediation. With the addition of custom risk scripts Vulcan Cyber is first to help security and IT operations teams run more-targeted, end-to-end vulnerability remediation campaigns contextualized to the risk appetite of their business. Vulcan Cyber vulnerability remediation dashboard Traditional approaches to vulnerability risk prioritization focus on inputs such as CVSS severity and threat intelligence but lack critical business context. Remediation teams using Vulcan Cyber already have an advantage with the ability to enhance basic vulnerability risk scores weighted with business asset data. With this release Vulcan Cyber customers can now take vulnerability prioritization a step further using customizable risk parameters. The Vulcan Cyber vulnerability remediation platform integrates these inputs to deliver business-relevant vulnerability prioritization combined with streamlined remediation. Sounil Yu, former Bank of America chief security scientist, and YL Ventures CISO in residence, said, "Risk-based vulnerability prioritization has become an essential best practice, but most companies rely on models that only incorporate the severity of the vulnerability. Some go further and also factor in threats against that vulnerability. The Vulcan Cyber approach goes two steps further. First, it delivers systematic and automated inclusion of business impact, which often is the most influential factor that drives vulnerability prioritization. Second, Vulcan Cyber actually fixes the vulnerability based on their remediation intelligence knowledgebase and the prioritization offered by a more precise and accurate risk model. Until now tools in this space have only told us what to fix. With Vulcan Cyber it gets fixed." Yaniv Bar-Dayan, Vulcan Cyber co-founder and CEO, said, "Every business has a unique appetite for risk. To apply a universal, often-irrelevant scoring model to vulnerability prioritization is inefficient at best, dangerous at worst. Vulnerabilities permeate dynamic infrastructure and application environments with myriad risk vectors that CVSS scores and threat intelligence alone can't account for. The addition of custom risk parameters to business asset context allows our customers to apply their own unique risk profiles to the work of vulnerability remediation." Precise vulnerability prioritization requires each vulnerability instance to be addressed within the context of business risk. The same vulnerability if exploited on two different servers will impact connected environments in different ways. Most vulnerability management teams today prioritize remediation based exclusively on external factors such as severity or exploitability. While useful, these inputs lack business context and fall short. The Vulcan Cyber risk algorithm calculates vulnerability priority based on: Technical severity CVSS or other vulnerability-specific scores. Threat intelligence Exploits, malware, hacking campaigns, and TI in the wild. Business criticality - Unique breach impact to the organization and its business assets. Prioritization scores generated by the Vulcan Cyber platform can now be further manipulated by remediation teams applying custom-weighted attributes to the risk model's algorithm. The Vulcan Cyber vulnerability prioritization engine is dynamic and allows security and IT operations teams to use custom risk scripts to efficiently remediation vulnerabilities and secure digital business. Customizable Vulcan Cyber vulnerability prioritization is now generally available through the Vulcan Cyber remediation orchestration SaaS platform. Learn more To learn more about the Vulcan Cyber vulnerability remediation orchestration platform request a demo or get access to the free trial . About Vulcan Cyber Vulcan Cyber has developed the industry's first vulnerability remediation orchestration (VRO) platform, purpose-built to help cybersecurity and IT operations teams collaboratively get fix done to secure digital business. The Vulcan Cyber SaaS platform closes the gap between vulnerability identification and remediation, reducing vulnerability dwell time from months to hours. The Vulcan Cyber platform orchestrates the full remediation lifecycle from detection and prioritization, to curating and delivering the best remedies, to automated remediation. A unique ability to drive processes and fixes through the last mile of the remediation lifecycle has garnered Vulcan Cyber recognition as a 2019 Gartner Cool Vendor and an RSAC Innovation Sandbox 2020 finalist. Based in Tel Aviv and San Francisco, Vulcan Cyber is privately funded by cybersecurity specialists YL Ventures and TenEleven Ventures. For more information please visit https://vulcan.io . Media Contact Liz Safran 212-740-1037 [email protected] SOURCE Vulcan Cyber Related Links https://vulcan.io LONDON, July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Having responded efficiently to the pandemic, on Tuesday, the Commonwealth of Dominica lifted its state of emergency. On June 26th, the World Bank announced that it will provide Dominica with an additional US$3 million financing. With a 40-year maturity and a 10-year grace period, this replenishes the island's funds for COVID-19-related measures. Besides Dominica, another three Eastern Caribbean nations will benefit from a US$15-million top-up from the World Bank, aimed at supporting their health sectors. In April, the World Bank assisted Dominica with US$6.6 million to strengthen its response to the pandemic. Today, the country has no active cases, having registered no related deaths and only 18 positive results. Consequently, on June 30th, the Dominican authorities did not find it necessary to extend the state of emergency or curfew. Borders remain closed, whereas key economic sectors are reopening. The government encourages citizens to continue practicing public health measures. "The additional financing ensures that important health projects receive quick replenishment of funds to continue their activities and accomplish project objectives," said Ms Tahseen Sayed, World Bank Country Director for the Caribbean, cited in a press release from the institution. "The World Bank is now moving to its next phase of support, helping countries address the social, economic, and financial impacts of the crisis and prepare for a resilient and sustainable recovery," the institution's latest update notes. On Sunday, Dominica's Minister for Health, Wellness and New Health Investment, Dr Irving McIntyre said some of the country's economic sectors were "back on track". Speaking with Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit, Dr McIntyre discussed how the government was simultaneously preparing for the annual hurricane season. After category-5 Hurricane Maria caused widespread destruction in 2017, PM Skerrit pledged to make Dominica "the world's first climate-resilient nation." The government has been attracting contributions from carefully vetted foreign investors and has been rewarding them with the country's citizenship. Its processes have been so beneficial to both investors and the native population, that the Financial Times' PWM magazine called Dominica the best country for citizenship by investment (CBI). The government used exclusively CBI funds to build over a thousand hurricane-proof homes for previously displaced citizens. Another 14 CBI-funded polyclinics and a modern hospital are also close to completion. Many other sectors benefit from CBI funding, helping Dominica develop a more resilient economy. [email protected] www.csglobalpartners.com SOURCE CS Global Partners Related Links http://www.csglobalpartners.com DUBLIN, July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Autonomous Commercial Vehicle Global Market Report 2020-30: COVID-19 Growth and Change" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. This report provides the strategists, marketers and senior management with the critical information they need to assess the global autonomous commercial vehicle market. This report focuses on autonomous commercial vehicle market which is experiencing strong growth. The report gives a guide to the autonomous commercial vehicle market which will be shaping and changing our lives over the next ten years and beyond, including the markets response to the challenge of the global pandemic. The global autonomous commercial vehicle market is expected to decline from $7.57 billion in 2019 to $6.33 billion in 2020 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of -16.35%. The decline is mainly due to the COVID-19 outbreak that has led to restrictive containment measures involving social distancing, remote working, and closure of industries and other commercial activities. The entire supply chain has been disrupted, impacting the market negatively. The market is then expected to recover and reach $11.30 billion in 2023 at CAGR of 21.31%. Reasons to Purchase Gain a truly global perspective with the most comprehensive report available on this market covering 12+ geographies. Understand how the market is being affected by the coronavirus and how it is likely to emerge and grow as the impact of the virus abates. Create regional and country strategies on the basis of local data and analysis. Identify growth segments for investment. Outperform competitors using forecast data and the drivers and trends shaping the market. Understand customers based on the latest market research findings. Benchmark performance against key competitors. Utilize the relationships between key data sets for superior strategizing. Suitable for supporting your internal and external presentations with reliable high quality data and analysis Where is the largest and fastest growing market for the autonomous commercial vehicle? How does the market relate to the overall economy, demography and other similar markets? What forces will shape the market going forward? The Autonomous Commercial Vehicle market global report from the publisher answers all these questions and many more. The report covers market characteristics, size and growth, segmentation, regional and country breakdowns, competitive landscape, market shares, trends and strategies for this market. It traces the market's historic and forecast market growth by geography. It places the market within the context of the wider autonomous commercial vehicle market, and compares it with other markets. The market characteristics section of the report defines and explains the market. The market size section gives the market size ($b) covering both the historic growth of the market, the influence of the COVID-19 virus and forecasting its growth. Market segmentations break down market into sub markets. The regional and country breakdowns section gives an analysis of the market in each geography and the size of the market by geography and compares their historic and forecast growth. It covers the growth trajectory of COVID-19 for all regions, key developed countries and major emerging markets. Competitive landscape gives a description of the competitive nature of the market, market shares, and a description of the leading companies. Key financial deals which have shaped the market in recent years are identified. The trends and strategies section analyses the shape of the market as it emerges from the crisis and suggests how companies can grow as the market recovers. The autonomous commercial vehicle market section of the report gives context. It compares the autonomous commercial vehicle market with other segments of the autonomous commercial vehicle market by size and growth, historic and forecast. It analyses GDP proportion, expenditure per capita, autonomous commercial vehicle indicators comparison. The autonomous commercial vehicle market consists of sales of autonomous commercial vehicles and their related services. Autonomous commercial vehicles are also known as self-driving or robot vehicles. The autonomous vehicle uses various technologies and software such as artificial intelligence, RADAR sensors, light detection & ranging (LiDAR), and others to navigate, control, and drive the vehicle. The major players in the autonomous commercial vehicles market are acquiring technology and robotics companies in order to develop advanced technologies. For instance, in March 2019, Daimler AG, a Germany-based multinational automotive corporation agreed to purchase majority stakes in Torc Robotics, a pioneer in autonomous driving, for an undisclosed amount. This acquisition is expected to help Daimler AG to develop and create a technology powerhouse for autonomous vehicles. Torc Robotics was founded in 2005 and is an autonomous commercial vehicle solution provider based in Virginia, USA. Similarly, TuSimple announced partnership with ZF to co-develop cameras, LiDAR, radar, steering and automotive-grade central computer ZF ProAI and incorporate them to develop autonomous technologies. The autonomous commercial vehicles market covered in the report is segmented by vehicle into truck; trailer; bus; others. It is also segmented by automation level into driver assistance; partial automation; conditional automation; high automation; full automation and by fuel type into conventional; hybrid vehicle; electric vehicle. Increasing concerns for cybersecurity and data privacy acts as a major challenge for the autonomous commercial vehicles market. According to a report on issues in autonomous vehicle testing and deployment published by Congressional Research Service, the USA's policy institute in February 2020, with advances in technology, the concerns for data security and protection of the on-board system against intrusion is increasing. The inbuilt automated components in the vehicle generate a large amount of data about the vehicle, vehicle performance, driver behavior and vehicle precise location. The protection of autonomous vehicles from hackers is of paramount concern for state and federal governments, service providers, manufacturers and users. Therefore, with advancements in technology, the concerns for data privacy and security are increased, which in turn, is likely to act as a major restraint for the growth of the autonomous commercial vehicle market. The increase in government approvals for testing autonomous trucks on public roads drives the growth of the autonomous commercial vehicles market. The governments of major countries are allowing the testing of autonomous vehicles in order to promote the use of commercial vehicles for delivery and other purposes. The California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), in April 2019, proposed a regulation that allows companies to deploy or test light-duty autonomous motor trucks or delivery vehicles on the public roads of the state. Under the regulation, the companies can test delivery vehicles that weigh less than 10,001 pounds with an approved permit from DMV. The government approvals for testing autonomous vehicles on roads encourage the customers to have a glimpse of such vehicles, creating a potential opportunity for sale in the near future, thereby driving the demand for autonomous commercial vehicles over the forthcoming years. Key Topics Covered: 1. Executive Summary 2. Autonomous Commercial Vehicle Market Characteristics 3. Autonomous Commercial Vehicle Market Size And Growth 3.1. Global Autonomous Commercial Vehicle Historic Market, 2015 - 2019, $ Billion 3.1.1. Drivers Of The Market 3.1.2. Restraints On The Market 3.2. Global Autonomous Commercial Vehicle Forecast Market, 2019 - 2023F, 2025F, 2030F, $ Billion 3.2.1. Drivers Of The Market 3.2.2. Restraints On the Market 4. Autonomous Commercial Vehicle Market Segmentation 4.1. Global Autonomous Commercial Vehicle Market, Segmentation By Vehicle, Historic and Forecast, 2015-2019, 2023F, 2025F, 2030F, $ Billion 4.2. Global Autonomous Commercial Vehicle Market, Segmentation By Automation Leve;, Historic and Forecast, 2015-2019, 2023F, 2025F, 2030F, $ Billion 4.3. Global Autonomous Commercial Vehicle Market, Segmentation By Fuel Type, Historic and Forecast, 2015-2019, 2023F, 2025F, 2030F, $ Billion 5. Autonomous Commercial Vehicle Market Regional And Country Analysis 5.1. Global Autonomous Commercial Vehicle Market, Split By Region, Historic and Forecast, 2015-2019, 2023F, 2025F, 2030F, $ Billion 5.2. Global Autonomous Commercial Vehicle Market, Split By Country, Historic and Forecast, 2015-2019, 2023F, 2025F, 2030F, $ Billion 6. Asia-Pacific Autonomous Commercial Vehicle Market 7. China Autonomous Commercial Vehicle Market 8. India Autonomous Commercial Vehicle Market 9. Japan Autonomous Commercial Vehicle Market 10. Australia Autonomous Commercial Vehicle Market 11. Indonesia Autonomous Commercial Vehicle Market 12. South Korea Autonomous Commercial Vehicle Market 13. Western Europe Autonomous Commercial Vehicle Market 14. UK Autonomous Commercial Vehicle Market 15. Germany Autonomous Commercial Vehicle Market 16. France Autonomous Commercial Vehicle Market 17. Eastern Europe Autonomous Commercial Vehicle Market 18. Russia Autonomous Commercial Vehicle Market 19. North America Autonomous Commercial Vehicle Market 20. USA Autonomous Commercial Vehicle Market 21. South America Autonomous Commercial Vehicle Market 22. Brazil Autonomous Commercial Vehicle Market 23. Middle East Autonomous Commercial Vehicle Market 24. Africa Autonomous Commercial Vehicle Market 25. Autonomous Commercial Vehicle Market Competitive Landscape And Company Profiles 25.1. Autonomous Commercial Vehicle Market Competitive Landscape 25.2. Autonomous Commercial Vehicle Market Company Profiles 25.2.1. Volkswagen 25.2.1.1. Overview 25.2.1.2. Products and Services 25.2.1.3. Strategy 25.2.1.4. Financial Performance 25.2.2. Daimler 25.2.2.1. Overview 25.2.2.2. Products and Services 25.2.2.3. Strategy 25.2.2.4. Financial Performance 25.2.3. Tesla 25.2.3.1. Overview 25.2.3.2. Products and Services 25.2.3.3. Strategy 25.2.3.4. Financial Performance 25.2.4. Denso 25.2.4.1. Overview 25.2.4.2. Products and Services 25.2.4.3. Strategy 25.2.4.4. Financial Performance 25.2.5. Continental 25.2.5.1. Overview 25.2.5.2. Products and Services 25.2.5.3. Strategy 25.2.5.4. Financial Performance 26. Key Mergers And Acquisitions In The Autonomous Commercial Vehicle Market 27. Autonomous Commercial Vehicle Market Trends And Strategies 28. Autonomous Commercial Vehicle Market Future Outlook and Potential Analysis 29. Appendix 29.1. Abbreviations 29.2. Currencies 29.3. Research Inquiries 29.4. About the Publisher 29.5. Copyright And Disclaimer Companies Mentioned Volkswagen Daimler Tesla Denso Continental Waymo BMW AG Isuzu Motors Limited General Motors AB Volvo Beiqi Foton Motor Skywell Dongfeng Motor SINOTRUK Group FAW Jiefang China Shaanqi Beiben Trucks SAIC Hongyan JMC Zhengzhou Yutong Bus King Long Bus CRRC Electric Vehicle Xiamen Golden Dragon Bus Anhui Ankai Automobile For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/mmjris Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research. Media Contact: Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager [email protected] For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 SOURCE Research and Markets Related Links http://www.researchandmarkets.com DUBLIN, July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Marine Outboard Engines Market by Engine Power Type, by Boat Type, and by Region, Trend, Forecast, Competitive Analysis, and Growth Opportunity: 2020-2025" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. Outboard engines are the brightest stars of the marine industry as they represent the lion's share of the marine engines market for the global recreational boating industry. In the USA itself, which is the biggest market for recreational boats, outboard engines account for more than 85% share of the total marine engines sold in the country. The history of marine outboard engines can be seen back in the early '90s and have come along a long path of more than 100 years. The power of outboard engines gradually increased with the first 100 HP V-6 outboard engine was introduced in 1975. This gave the rise of 175- and 200-horsepower outboards on the market. In the past few years, the major push has been towards producing larger and more powerful outboard engines. The Great Recession (2008-2009) greatly plunged the sales of marine outboard engines, throwing the sales even below to its previous decade level. (The USA: 275.5 thousand units in 2007 and 180.7 thousand units in 2009; EMEA (including Russia): 332.4 thousand units in 2007 and 204.7 thousand units in 2009. It took almost a decade to the USA to hit back its pre-recession sales level in 2018 (278.5 thousand units in 2018), whereas, till 2019, Europe even could not close to its pre-recession level. The outbreak of COVID-19 destructively pressed the break-in engine sales, making the sales almost standstill in leading economies. It is estimated that the global marine outboard engine sales will experience a colossal decline in 2020, taking the engine sales to touch below the Great Recession Level in the year 2020. It is anticipated that there would be a gradual recovery in the sales of outboard engines post-pandemic. From 2022 onwards, the market is likely to mark speedy recovery in the sales of outboard engines across regions, assisting the outboard engine sales to mark a long-term growth. The pandemic will imprint both short as well as long-term repercussions in the marine outboard engines market; however, the market will find some solace in the long-term scenario with some driving factors including expected growth in HNWI population, increasing boating participants, growing interest towards outboard boats from sterndrive or inboard boats, and increasing demand for high-power outboard engines. Healthy recovery in outboard engine sales from 2022 assist the industry stakeholders to push the global sales to marginally above 750 thousand units by 2025; however, it will be significantly lower than the 2019-sales figure. The author has firstly segmented the marine outboard engines market based on the engine power type as < 75kW, 75-110 kW, 110-150 kW, and >150 kW. < 75kW engine power segment is likely to remain dominant in terms of unit shipments by 2025. However, the segment is likely to losing away its share to the mid-range and high-power segments, majorly in the USA and some key Western European countries. Japan, China, Russia, and Germany are some key countries with the highest penetration of low-power engines. The majority of outboard engines' demand in these countries is less than < 30 kW. The < 150 kW engine power segment has been gaining significant share in the market, especially in the USA. Analysis based on the market segment of the boat type suggests that the fishing segment is expected to remain the dominant boat type segment among fishing, leisure, sailing/transport, and others. Pontoon, center console, and multi-species boat have been gaining traction in the segment. Both saltwater and freshwater fishing are generally performed on an outboard-powered boat, which creates a huge demand for outboard engines. The market is registering significant changes in regional dynamics in pre-COVID and post-COVID scenarios. All regions to mark a huge decline in outboard engine sales in 2020; however, EMEA is estimated to be the worst-hit region due to the pandemic. The North American market is also estimated to register huge losses due to the pandemic. Despite severely hit region, the region is projected to remain the largest market for marine outboard engines during the forecast period. The USA is the world's largest market for both outboard engines as well as recreational boats, with Florida being the largest single market. All the major players have a strong presence in the region to tap the huge market. Asia-Pacific is currently a small market but is likely to be the fastest-healing region in the market in a post-pandemic scenario. China, Australia, and Japan are key countries in the market generating considerable market demand. The supply chain of this market comprises material suppliers, parts manufacturers, outboard engine manufacturers, boat manufacturers, and dealers/distributors. The key players in the marine outboard engines market are Yamaha Motor Co. Ltd., Brunswick Corporation (Mercury Marine), Suzuki Motor Corporation, Honda Motor Co. Inc., Bombardier Recreational Products Inc., Tohatsu Corporation, AB Volvo, Suzhou Parsun Power Machine Co., Ltd., and Hidea Power Machinery Co., Ltd. Report Scope Report Objectives Research Methodology Secondary Research Key Information Gathered from Secondary Research Primary Research Key Information Gathered from Primary Research Breakdown of Primary Interviews by Region, Designation, and Value Chain Node Data Analysis and Triangulation 1. Executive Summary 2. Marine Outboard Engines Market Overview and Segmentation 2.1. Introduction 2.2. Marine Outboard Engines Market Segmentation 2.2.1. By Engine-Power Type 2.2.2. By Boat Type 2.2.3. By Region 2.3. Supply Chain Analysis 2.4. Industry Life Cycle Analysis 2.5. PEST Analysis 2.6. SWOT Analysis 3. Marine Outboard Engines Market: The COVID-19 Impact Assessment 3.1. Publisher Insights 3.2. Marine Outboard Engines Market Trend and Forecast (Thousand Units and US$ Million) 3.3. Pre-COVID vs Post-COVID Market Assessment 3.4. Post-COVID Market Assessment: Scenario Analysis 3.5. Profitability Analysis 3.6. Market Segments' Analysis (Thousand Units and US$ Million) 3.7. Regional and Country-Level Analysis (Thousand Units and US$ Million) 3.8. Market Drivers 3.9. Market Challenges 4. Competitive Analysis 4.1. Publisher Insights 4.2. Product Portfolio Analysis 4.3. Geographical Presence 4.4. New Product Launches 4.5. Strategic Alliances 4.6. Market Share Analysis 4.7. Porter's Five Forces Analysis 5. Marine Outboard Engines Market Trend and Forecast by Engine-Power Type (2014-2025) 5.1. Publisher Insights 5.2. < 75 kW: Regional Trend and Forecast (Thousand Units and US$ Million) 5.3. 75-110 kW: Regional Trend and Forecast (Thousand Units and US$ Million) 5.4. 110-150 kW: Regional Trend and Forecast (Thousand Units and US$ Million) 5.5. >150 kW: Regional Trend and Forecast (Thousand Units and US$ Million) 6. Marine Outboard Engines Market Trend and Forecast by Boat Type (2014-2025) 6.1. Publisher Insights 6.2. Fishing: Regional Trend and Forecast (Thousand Units and US$ Million) 6.3. Leisure: Regional Trend and Forecast (Thousand Units and US$ Million) 6.4. Sailing/Transport: Regional Trend and Forecast (Thousand Units and US$ Million) 6.5. Others: Regional Trend and Forecast (Thousand Units and US$ Million) 7. Marine Outboard Engines Market Trend and Forecast by Region (2014-2025) 7.1. Publisher Insights 7.2. North American Marine Outboard Engines Market: Country Analysis 7.2.1. The USA's Marine Outboard Engines Market Trend and Forecast (Thousand Units and US$ Million) 7.2.2. Canadian Marine Outboard Engines Market Trend and Forecast (Thousand Units and US$ Million) 7.3. EMEA's Marine Outboard Engines Market: Country Analysis 7.3.1. Norwegian Marine Outboard Engines Market Trend and Forecast (Thousand Units and US$ Million) 7.3.2. German Marine Outboard Engines Market Trend and Forecast (Thousand Units and US$ Million) 7.3.3. French Marine Outboard Engines Market Trend and Forecast (Thousand Units and US$ Million) 7.3.4. Swedish Marine Outboard Engines Market Trend and Forecast (Thousand Units and US$ Million) 7.3.5. The UK's Marine Outboard Engines Market Trend and Forecast (Thousand Units and US$ Million) 7.3.6. Italian Marine Outboard Engines Market Trend and Forecast (Thousand Units and US$ Million) 7.3.7. Russian Marine Outboard Engines Market Trend and Forecast (Thousand Units and US$ Million) 7.3.8. RoE's Marine Outboard Engines Market Trend and Forecast (Thousand Units and US$ Million) 7.4. Asia-Pacific's Marine Outboard Engines Market: Country Analysis 7.4.1. Australian Marine Outboard Engines Market Trend and Forecast (Thousand Units and US$ Million) 7.4.2. New Zealand's Marine Outboard Engines Market Trend and Forecast (Thousand Units and US$ Million) 7.4.3. Chinese Marine Outboard Engines Market Trend and Forecast (Thousand Units and US$ Million) 7.4.4. Japanese Marine Outboard Engines Market Trend and Forecast (Thousand Units and US$ Million) 7.4.5. RoAP's Marine Outboard Engines Market Trend and Forecast (Thousand Units and US$ Million) 7.5. South American Marine Outboard Engines Market Trend and Forecast (Thousand Units and US$ Million) 8. Strategic Growth Opportunities 8.1. Publisher Insights 8.2. Market Attractiveness Analysis 8.2.1. Market Attractiveness by Engine-Power Type 8.2.2. Market Attractiveness by Boat Type 8.2.3. Market Attractiveness by Region 8.2.4. Market Attractiveness by Country 8.3. Emerging Trends 8.4. Growth Matrix Analysis 8.5. Key Success Factors (KSFs) 9. Company Profile of Key Players (Profiling, Financial Information, Competition, Strategies, etc.) 9.1. AB Volvo (Volvo Penta) 9.2. Bombardier Recreational Products Inc. 9.3. Brunswick Corporation (Mercury Marine) 9.4. Hidea Power Machinery Co., Ltd. 9.5. Honda Motor Co. Inc. 9.6. Suzhou Parsun Power Machine Co., Ltd. 9.7. Suzuki Motor Corporation 9.8. Tohatsu Corporation 9.9. Yamaha Motor Co. Ltd. For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/a5dcaw Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research. Media Contact: Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager [email protected] For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1904 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 SOURCE Research and Markets Related Links http://www.researchandmarkets.com Mumbai, July 1 : Actor Namit Das, who is currently basking in the good reviews his performance in the web series "Aarya" have been garnering, has written an appreciation post for his co-actor Chandrachur Singh. Chandrachur, who had been out of the limelight for a while, returned after a hiatus in the show, and he has lost none of the natural flair as an actor in all these years. Sharing a photo of the two actors on social media, Namit wrote: "This was the day when we shot our sequence in the poppy fields. Intoxication was in the air. The beautiful fields reflected the morning sun on our faces. And I had this beautiful man, the legend that he is, seeing right into my eyes talking about life." Namit, who refers to Chandrachur as CCji in his post, said the senior actor was a "true gentleman". "An actor lives many lives in his career but ask anyone, it's always the conversations in between shots that you remember. Thank you for the kindness CCji. My heart felt your warmth each time we talked. It's been a privilege playing Jawahar against Tej. You are a true gentleman," he concluded. Directed by Ram Madhvani of "Neerja" fame, "Aarya" is an official adaptation of the popular Dutch crime drama "Penoza". "Aarya" narrates a story of how organised crime and betrayal run deep in a family. It is about how the protagonist Aarya is pulled into the narcotics business when her family is threatened. Sushmita Sen stars as Aarya in the show. The actress returned to the screen five years after her last outing -- the Bengali arthouse gem, "Nirbaak". -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Phnom Penh, July 1 : The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and Australia vowed to work with the World Health Organization (WHO) and relevant agencies to enhance collective response to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a Cambodian foreign ministry's press statement. The statement was released on Tuesday after the special ASEAN-Australia foreign ministers' meeting on COVID-19 via video conference, Xinhua news agency reported. "The meeting agreed to work with relevant international organisations, especially the World Health Organization (WHO), and the global community to enhance collective pandemic preparedness and response and to prevent its long-term impacts," it said. During the virtual meeting, Cambodian Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn said ASEAN has been very active since the beginning of the crisis in galvanizing collective response, not only among ASEAN member states but also with their external partners, the statement said. "The proactive approach of ASEAN can send a clear message that, in time of crisis, the international communities in fact need to ramp up coordinated and collective response as well as international solidarity," he said. Sokhonn, who is also a deputy prime minister, said ASEAN and Australia need to stay vigilant of a second wave of infection as countries are beginning to draft their own respective roadmap for easing the COVID-19 restriction. "We must continue to intensify our efforts to defeat this pandemic together on all fronts as our respective governments have committed at the 73rd World Health Assembly," he said. He added that as part of the economic recovery plan, a concrete action can be done through the signing of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) at the earliest possible time. ASEAN groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. United Nations, July 1 : UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres paid tribute to 77 UN personnel who lost their lives in the line of duty between March 16 and December 31, 2019. Of the 77 UN personnel, 38 were military, three were police, and 36 were civilian. They came from 41 nations. In a virtual memorial service, Guterres on Tuesday mourned the deaths of the UN personnel and extended his condolences to their families and loved ones, Xinhua news agency reported. "It is a sad fact that, due to the nature of our responsibilities, our personnel often have to face perilous situations where crisis, conflict and instability reign. That so many of our colleagues choose to serve where risk prevails is testament to their unstinting commitment to helping the world's most vulnerable people, who rely on us for peace, shelter, food, vaccinations and so much more," said Guterres. The United Nations was born from the ashes of World War II and has promoted peace and human progress ever since. All around the world, especially in the most fragile contexts, the blue flag of the United Nations symbolizes hope, he said. "That hope is part of the legacy of the colleagues we mourn today. They paid the ultimate sacrifice so that others could look forward to better days." He promised to constantly review and improve UN practices related to the safety and care of staff. "Even one death is one too many," he said. Without brave UN staff in the field, the world organization cannot do what it has been asked to do by member states -- to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war and to pursue better standards of living for all in larger freedom, said Guterres. "On this solemn occasion, let us honour the memory of our fallen colleagues by recommitting ourselves to the noble cause of promoting peace, prosperity and opportunity for everyone, everywhere, for generations to come." New York, July 1 : A third Indian man has been caught within a month allegedly smuggling marijuana valued at millions of dollars from Canada into the United States, according to officials. Prabjot Nagra, 26, was arrested while bringing in 4,296 kg of marijuana valued at $20 million in a commercial truck across the Peace Bridge connecting the two countries near the Niagra Falls, officials said on Monday. "For the third time in as many weeks, the diligence of Customs and Border Protection Officers has resulted in the seizure of literally tons of illegal controlled substances destined for our country," James Kennedy, the federal prosecutor for Western New York said. Arshdeep Singh, 21, was caught smuggling 816 kg of marijuana valued at $2.5 million on June 5 and Gurpreet Singh, 30, was arrested on June 13 while transporting 1,517 kg of marijuana worth $5 million, according to prosecutors. Like Nagra, they are also Indian citizens and used commercial trucks with trailers to cross the Peace Bridge about 20 kilometres from the Niagra Falls with the contraband, officials said. Nagra and Gurpreet Singh face a minimum sentence of 10 years in prison because of the quantity allegedly smuggled and Arshdeep Singh five years. Nagra was arrested when an x-ray of his truck that was said to be carrying 55 storage containers showed "inconsistencies" in the trailer and an examination found the marijuana in vacuum-sealed bags before midnight last Thursday, according to prosecutors. It was probably the largest seizure of marijuana at the northern border in New York, WIVB TV reported quoting an official. Kennedy said, "We will remain vigilant to protect our border from those who seek to profit from the importation of these illegal substances, as they not only fuel the violent drug trafficking organisations who distribute them but jeopardize the health and well-being of those, including minors, who use it." Using marijuana for recreational purposes, growing it and possessing it is legal in Canada since 2018. While federal regulations in the US make all marijuana use, growing and possession illegal, New York State allows it only for medical purposes when prescribed by a doctor for certain illnesses. (Arul Louis can be reached at arul.l@ians.in and followed on Twitter at @arulouis) Washington, July 1 : Top disease researcher Dr Anthony Fauci told the US Senate that he "would not be surprised" if new virus cases in the country reach 100,000 per day. "Clearly we are not in control right now," he testified, warning that not enough Americans are wearing masks or social distancing, the BBC reported. During the hearing, he said about half of all new cases come from four states. Earlier, the New York governor said nearly half of all Americans must self-quarantine if they visit the state. On Tuesday, cases rose by more than 40,000 in one day for the fourth time in the past five days. The surge - which is occurring particularly strongly in southern and western states - has forced at least 16 states to pause or reverse their reopening plans, according to CNN. Florida, Arizona, Texas and California are the four states referenced by Dr Fauci as being most heavily hit currently. For some the new measures come over a month after they first began to reopen their economies. Also on Tuesday, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo expanded the number of Americans who are required to self-quarantine for 14 days if they visit the state. There are now 16 states on the list. The newly added states are California, Georgia, Iowa, Idaho, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nevada and Tennessee. They join Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas and Utah. All together, the order affects 48 per cent all US residents, according to a USA Today analysis. Testifying to a Senate committee on the effort to reopen schools and businesses, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases criticised states for "skipping over" benchmarks required for reopening, and said cases will rise as a result. "I can't make an accurate prediction, but it is going to be very disturbing, I will guarantee you that," he told Senator Elizabeth Warren. "Because when you have an outbreak in one part of the country even though in other parts of the country they're doing well, they are vulnerable." "We can't just focus on those areas that are having the surge. It puts the entire country at risk," he added. Dr Fauci also called on the US government to produce face masks to be distributed for free to all Americans, and condemned the "all or none phenomenon" of some people who have completely disregarded social distancing measures. Robert Redfield, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) - who was also testifying on Tuesday - told lawmakers that 12 states have seen hospital admission numbers rising, and Arizona has recorded an increasing death rate. "It is critical that we all take the personal responsibility to slow the transmission of Covid-19 and embrace the universal use of face coverings," Dr Redfield said. "The disease impacts us all and it's going to take all of working together to stop it." Before the hearing began, Republican Senator Lamar Alexander, who leads the committee, appealed to President Donald Trump to wear a face mask - an act he has yet to do in a public event. "Sadly this simple life-saving practice has become part of the political debate," said the ally of Trump. "If you are for Trump you don't wear a mask, if you are against Trump you do," he continued, going on to "suggest that the president occasionally wear a mask". "The president has plenty of admirers that would follow his lead," he said. On Monday, Dr Anne Schuchat, principal deputy director of the CDC, warned that the US is not responding like other countries who have shown success in containing the coronavirus, and has allowed the virus to spread much more widely and rapidly. "We're not in the situation of New Zealand or Singapore or Korea where a new case is rapidly identified and all the contacts are traced and people are isolated who are sick and people who are exposed are quarantined and they can keep things under control," Dr Schuchat said in an interview with the Journal of the American Medical Association. "We have way too much virus across the country for that right now, so it's very discouraging." New Zealand declared the country infection-free on June 8, and since then has had to contain several cases that came from international travellers. South Korea has aggressively employed contact tracers, and since April 1 has recorded fewer than 100 cases per day. Singapore's outbreak peaked in mid-April when 1,400 new cases were reported in one day. The US has recorded 2,682,897 confirmed cases of coronavirus as of Tuesday, according to Johns Hopkins University, and has a total of 129,544 deaths. "This is really the beginning," Dr Schuchat added. "I think there was a lot of wishful thinking around the country that, 'hey it's summer'. Everything's going to be fine. We're over this and we are not even beginning to be over this. There are a lot of worrisome factors about the last week or so." Dr Fauci warned on Monday that the US is "unlikely" to develop herd immunity to the coronavirus even once a vaccine is available, which he earlier predicted could be available by early 2021. He said this was due to the combination of a vaccine that is potentially only partially effective, and the large number of Americans who might refuse to get it. "There is a general anti-science, anti-authority, anti-vaccine feeling among some people in this country - an alarmingly large percentage of people, relatively speaking," he said, calling for more education to promote confidence in vaccines. Dr Fauci added that he would gladly "settle" for a vaccine that is only 70 per cent to 75 per cent effective at first. According to the CDC website, herd immunity is reached when "a sufficient proportion of a population is immune to an infectious disease (through vaccination and/or prior illness) to make its spread from person to person unlikely". New York, July 1 : More than five months after America recorded its first COVID19 case, the domestic outbreak has sickened more than two million people, killed more than 126,000, new cases have spiked to record highs nationwide and yet, the simple act of masking up remains controversial for nearly half the country as public health officials are warning that 100,000 cases per day will be no surprise at current levels of infection. America's current caseload is at 40,000 per day. An alarming infection surge in America's southern states has sparked a dramatic course reversal in several Donald Trump strongholds, yet universal masking remains at best a patchy experience in America's neighbourhoods. Masks are everything from political debate to cultural statement but hardly ubiquitous even when public health scientists insist they should be the default mode for all Americans. From Day One, the White House has deliberately minimised the virus' catastrophic potential, the US president has gone maskless and so have key figures in his innermost circle. America's top infectious diseases experts Anthony Fauci and Deborah Birx mask up but Trump and vice president Mike Pence don't. Stark contrasts in signalling and plenty of room for interpretation have sparked a patchwork of responses across America's 50 states. And now, with the summer holiday season in top gear, there are new reasons to worry: inter state travel between states that have flattened the curve and those that are witnessing new surges. New York is now urging travelers from 16 states to self-quarantine for 14 days. On that list are California, Georgia, Iowa, Idaho, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nevada, Tennessee, Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas and Utah. New Jersey and Connecticut have also announced travel advisories along the same lines. These apply to states with a positive test rate higher than 10 per 100,000 residents. "I say to people on the street, when I see they don't have a mask or I see these groups of people in front of a bar: 'What are you thinking? How short a memory. Learn the lesson. Give me a break,'" New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said at a briefing Tuesday. Lack of compliance has been a signature of the American response, from the highest political office in the land to the hyper local. But that is changing now, amid a resurgence of the virus. Multiple Republican states where the virus is roaring are backtracking, closing beaches and bars, rolling back decisions to re-open indoor seating, putting limits on crowds and publicly calling for mandatory masking. The decision to wear a mask or not, from the White House downwards, has been about the symbolism of picking sides in a cultural stand-off. Although the resistance to masking continues, the political blowback has begun to surface. The virus which arrived from China on the West coast of the United States and then travelled to the big cities on the East coast is now hitting Republican strongholds, a trend with deep political implications in election year. A new report out today says that states Donald Trump won in 2016 now account for 75 percent of all new cases, a pattern that has taken hold since May. Public health outcomes are tracking with head to head national polls between Trump and rival Joe Biden. Biden has expanded his lead by nearly 10 points in latest polls. Suddenly, the political cocktail seems to be changing the mood about face coverings, within Trump's party. They're masking up even as Fauci issued a dire warning today: "We're going in the opposite direction." Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text United Nations, July 1 : The United Nations launched a new campaign to counter, by fostering personal behavior change, the growing threat of misinformation online, particularly with regard to COVID-19. The campaign, called Pause, asks digital users to take the time to think about what they are about to share before posting it online. "Misinformation is spreading faster than the virus itself, and is seriously disrupting public health efforts by dangerously distorting sound scientific guidance. It is designed to exploit our emotions and biases at a time of heightened fear," said UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in a press release on Tuesday, Xinhua news agency reported. "But there are ways users can learn to recognize bad information and slow the spread. We are aiming to have the phrase, 'Pause, take care before you share,' become a new public norm." A range of media companies around the world, including Al Jazeera, Deutsche Welle, Euronews, France Medias Monde, MultiChoice Africa and StarTimes, are distributing Pause content on TV channels, online and via SMS, said the press release. Major social media platforms, including Facebook, Twitter, Google (YouTube) and TikTok, have also committed to promoting Pause, while indicating a willingness to scale up their ongoing efforts to suppress the circulation of misinformation, it said. "It is encouraging to see steps already taken by social media platforms, such as swiftly removing misinformation surrounding COVID-19, flagging harmful content, questioning sharing intentions and also promoting sound health advice, including from the World Health Organization," said Melissa Fleming, UN undersecretary-general for global communications. "Just as social distancing slows the spread of the virus, behavior changes around sharing will go a long way to slow the spread of misinformation. But it can only be meaningfully halted if there is no place for misinformation on social media platforms." Pause draws on research from psychologists, neuroscientists and behavioral scientists whose studies indicate that pausing to reflect before sharing can significantly help reduce the spread of unverified and misleading information. The campaign will challenge people to break the habit of sharing shocking or emotive content impulsively and without questioning its accuracy. The campaign, launched on Tuesday to coincide with Social Media Day, is part of a larger UN initiative called Verified. Verified, launched in May, aims to increase the volume and reach of trusted and accurate information, with the help of information volunteers. Fleming said Monday that more than 10,000 people have signed up for the Verified initiative as volunteers -- a number growing about 10 percent a week. By mid-June, more than 130 UN member states had endorsed the initiative, showing their concern about the "infodemic" related to COVID-19. Hong Kong, July 1 : The Law of the People's Republic of China on Safeguarding National Security in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) took effect at 11 p.m. local time on Tuesday. The promulgation of the law was signed by HKSAR Chief Executive Carrie Lam and published in the Gazette, according to a statement of the HKSAR government, Xinhua news agency reported. The law was passed at the 20th session of the Standing Committee of the 13th National People's Congress (NPC). The NPC Standing Committee consulted the HKSAR Basic Law Committee and the HKSAR government and listed the law in Annex III to the HKSAR Basic Law. The law was formulated according to the Constitution, the Basic Law and an NPC decision on establishing and improving the legal system and enforcement mechanisms for the HKSAR to safeguard national security. The national security law seeks to prevent, curb and punish crimes seriously endangering national security, namely secession, subversion, terrorist activities, and collusion with a foreign country or external elements to endanger national security, an HKSAR government spokesman said. The spokesman said the law only targets an extremely small group of offenders while the life and property as well as various legitimate basic rights and freedoms enjoyed by the overwhelming majority of Hong Kong residents will be protected. There is nothing for Hong Kong residents to worry about in exercising these legitimate rights, the spokesman said. In order to effectively discharge their duties, the police and the Department of Justice of the HKSAR government have earlier made preparations for the establishment of dedicated units, the spokesman said, adding that the police will establish a dedicated National Security Department on July 1 to handle the relevant work. The Committee for Safeguarding National Security of the HKSAR chaired by the Chief Executive will be set up as soon as possible to take up the major responsibility of safeguarding national security in the HKSAR, the spokesman said. Washington, July 1 : US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo urged the UN Security Council (UNSC) to extend an arms embargo on Iran that expires in October. Speaking at a virtual UNSC meeting on Tuesday, Pompeo warned that the expiration of the embargo would embolden Iran to destabilize the region, Xinhua news agency reported. Under UNSC Resolution 2231, which endorses the Iran nuclear deal, the arms embargo on Iran will be lifted in mid-October. Tehran said it would not accept a renewal of the arms embargo. Rosemary DiCarlo, the UN undersecretary-general for political and peacebuilding affairs, said Tuesday that the Iran nuclear deal is a significant achievement of multilateral diplomacy and dialogue, and it remains crucial to the global nuclear non-proliferation architecture and to regional and international security. It is regrettable that the future of this agreement is in doubt after the withdrawal of the United States from it and the reversal of some of Iran's commitments, DiCarlo said. The United States withdrew from the agreement in May 2018. Before that date, the International Atomic Energy Agency verified in 11 reports that Iran was complying with its nuclear commitments contained in the plan, she noted. The US withdrawal from the plan and the reimposition of US national sanctions lifted under the plan have impeded the ability of Iran and other member states to fully implement the plan and the resolution, DiCarlo said, adding the UN also regrets the steps Iran has taken since July 2019 in response to the US withdrawal. New Delhi, July 1 : "Jeremy Wade's Dark Waters" host Jeremy Wade credits his first trip to India to the desire to start his TV career, and says the visit put him on a journey of exploration and adventure through his shows. He is a biologist, author and television host. After spending over 12 year in front of the screen, Wade has become a familiar name among wildlife television buffs. "My first trip outside Europe was to India, and that was in 1982. My destination then was... I got the cheapest price and travelled to the Corbett park... Back then it was possible to fish there. So, fishing there was a real revelation for me," Wade told IANS. "When I got home, I wrote a couple of articles about my experiences. That was the thing that set me on the course to where I am today. After travelling to India and catching fish there, I realised that maybe there's other parts of the world where there are interesting fishes on which I could write about. Then for about 20 years, I was travelling to different places. Normally, one expedition for a year and I started to see things that I realised that I hadn't seen on TV," he added. The television host continued: "My first TV work was a series I did in 2002. But then things were quiet again. The thing that really kicked things off was returning to India. So in 2008, I came back to India and made a program for Animal Planet. The show was looking into stories in the mountains and rivers in North India. There were stories of something very big that had been rumoured to grab a couple of people, which could be something in the water. And it turns out that there was a massive catfish that lived in some of these waters. They used to be numerous, but now, they are pretty rare." He also caught one of the species which was "about the same size as me". Image Source: IANS News "This program that I filmed was originally going to be just one program that was it. But the impact of that program was so great on everybody, and the questions started coming out. Are there more stories like this around the world? We started digging in other places, and here I am 11-12 years later, still making TV programs. The program that really kicked it off was filmed in North India." At the moment, Wade will be seen in "Jeremy Wade's Dark Waters", which will premiere in India on July 6 on Animal Planet and Discovery Plus app. Image Source: IANS News -- Syndicated from IANS New Delhi, July 1 : Susan Abulhawa was born to refugees of the Six Day War of 1967, when her family's land was seized and Israel captured what remained of Palestine, including Jerusalem. Now, this Palestinian American writer and activist has come out with a powerful, furious, beautiful book on sex, power, persecution, violation, survival, and resistance. "Against The Loveless World" (Bloomsbury) , which has been shortlisted for the Palestine Book Award, is about Nahr, who has been confined an Israeli prison named the Cube: nine square metres of glossy grey cinderblock, devoid of time, its patterns of light and dark nothing to do with day and night. Journalists visit her, but get nowhere; because Nahr is not going to share her story with them. The world outside calls Nahr a terrorist, and a whore; some might call her a revolutionary, or a hero. But the truth is, Nahr has always been many things, and had many names. She was named for the river her pregnant mother crossed when she fled from Palestine, but her feckless father called her Yaqoot, Ruby. For a time when she came of age she was Almas, Diamond, a girl who went to hidden parties in Kuwait with powerful men, who sold off parts of herself to keep her family together. She was a girl who learned, early and painfully, that when you are a second class citizen love is a kind of desperation; she learned, above all else, to survive. She was a girl who went to Palestine in the wrong shoes, and without looking for it found what she had always lacked in the basement of a battered beauty parlour: purpose, politics, friends. She found a dark-eyed man called Bilal, who taught her to resist; who tried to save her when it was already too late. Nahr sits in the Cube, and tells her story to Bilal. Bilal, who isn't there; Bilal, who may not even be alive, but who is her only reason to get out. It's a revealing, albeit surrealistic, journey into the mind of a lost and tormented soul. Abulhawa moved to the US as a teenager, graduated in biomedical science and established a career in medical science. In July 2001, she founded Playgrounds for Palestine, a children's organisation dedicated to upholding The Right to Play for Palestinian children, and her essays and political commentaries have appeared in print and international news media. She is the author of two novels, "Mornings in Jenin", which was an international bestseller, and "The Blue Between Sky and Water", and a book of poems. She lives in Pennsylvania with her daughter. Nairobi, July 1 : A Kenyan High Court has ordered a retrial of former international rugby players, Frank Wanyama and Alex Obara, who were convicted to serve 15 years each for gang rape. The case will now be heard afresh at a lower court with the High Court directing that the two be taken to police custody for the preparation of plea taking before July 7, reports Xinhua news agency. Wanyama and Obara were convicted last year for an incident in 2018 where they were accused of jointly raping an upcoming musician. In quashing their sentence, the High Court ruled existing records do not show whether one of the witnesses who testified for the prosecution was sworn in or not. Original trial Magistrate, Martha Mutuku, said the victim was traumatised by the event which took place at a Nairobi apartment on February 11, 2018. The victim claimed that on the fateful day, which was her birthday, she attended a party in Kilimani residential state in upmarket Nairobi where the two rugby players were present. In her statement to police, the victim said that she only knew one of the two rugby players and after a night of fun she accompanied the pair to one of their homes. At the apartment, the victim narrated how she was raped in turns despite her pleas to stop while the defendants argued what transpired was consensual. The prosecution further argued consent obtained under the influence of alcohol is not admissible in a case that shocked the entire rugby fraternity in Kenya. In the aftermath, the Kenya Rugby Union held a series of workshops and seminars to encourage players to observe caution, especially when dealing with fans. San Francisco, July 1 : Facebook has removed a network of accounts, Groups and Pages related to a US-based anti-government network called Boogaloo. Calling it a violent organization, the social network said it has banned the network from its platform and will remove content praising, supporting or representing it. The company removed 220 Facebook accounts, 95 Instagram accounts, 28 Pages and 106 groups that were associated with the network. "We have also removed over 400 additional groups and over 100 other Pages for violating our Dangerous Individuals and Organizations policy as they hosted similar content as the violent network we disrupted but were maintained by accounts outside of it," Facebook said in a statement late Tuesday. This network uses the term Boogaloo but is distinct from the broader and loosely-affiliated Boogaloo movement because it actively seeks to commit violence. "This network appears to be based across various locations in the US, and the people within it engage with one another on our platform. It is actively promoting violence against civilians, law enforcement and government officials and institutions," informed Facebook. Members of this network seek to recruit others within the broader Boogaloo movement, sharing the same content online and adopting the same offline appearance as others in the movement to do so. The term Boogaloo has been adopted by a range of anti-government activists who generally believe civil conflict in the US is inevitable. Some people who participated at the Gun Rights Rally that took place in Richmond, Virginia, on January 20 this year wore the outfit now typical for Boogaloo adherents. "We expect to see adversarial behaviour from this network including people trying to return to using our platform and adopting new terminology. We are committed to reviewing accounts, Groups, and Pages, including ones currently on Facebook, against our Dangerous Individuals and Organizations policy," said Facebook. The company said it has removed over 800 posts for violating its Violence and Incitement policy over the last two months. Washington, July 1 : US companies were filing for bankruptcy at the fastest pace since 2013 as the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic continues to ripple through the country, a media report said. Citing data from legal services group Epiq, The Financial Times report said on Tuesday that a total of 3,427 companies have filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the US this year, close to the 3,491 filings during the first half of 2008, reports Xinhua news agency. "The data stand in contrast to an improving economic backdrop following hefty central bank support across the globe and economies starting to reopen," the report said, noting the pain already inflicted by the global pandemic is too much for some companies to recover from. "It is very difficult for these companies to operate in a near zero-revenue environment," Sudeep Kesh, head of credit market research at S&P Global Ratings, was quoted as saying in the report. "They are facing a lot of pressure." During the last financial crisis, there were 8,614 company bankruptcies in the US in 2008, and the number rose to 12,644 in 2009, according to the report. The report came as the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), a US government aid program intended to help small businesses retain their employees during the COVID-19 crisis, was set to close on Tuesday with more than $130 billion left unused. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said on Tuesday that President Donald Trump's administration supports legislation to repurpose the remaining funds in the PPP. "I've already had conversations with the SBA (Small Business Administration) committee in the Senate about repurpose that 135 billion dollars, and think that should be done, and look forward to working with both the House and the Senate so that we can pass legislation by the end of July," Mnuchin said at a hearing before the House Financial Services Committee. The aim should be "extending it to businesses that are most hard hit, that had a requirement that their revenues have dropped significantly, things like restaurants and hotels and others where it is critical to get people back to work", he added. The PPP was conceived as a lifeline to small businesses shuttered by the pandemic, but it also faced criticism as some big publicly traded companies secured millions of dollars of loans. Amid mounting pressure from lawmakers and the public, the Treasury Department and the SBA said earlier this month that they would disclose information about businesses that take PPP loans of $150,000 or more. Ottawa, July 1 : Canada has extended the incumbent ban on international travellers until July 31 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to authorities. "The government remains committed to protecting the health and safety of Canadians and reducing the spread of COVID-19 in Canada," Xinhua news agency quoted the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) as saying on Tuesday. Canada implemented a series of measures, including the ban on entry to all travellers who are not Canadian citizens and permanent residents, to stem the spread of COVID-19 in mid-March. The ban, which also allows the immediate family members of Canadian citizens, diplomats and aircrews to come into Canada, expired on Tuesday night. The ban exempts the US, which entered into a separate agreement with Canada shortly after the halt on all other foreign travel. The agreement, which prohibits non-essential travel between Canada and the US, remains in effect until July 21. Under the agreement, essential workers, such as truckers and health workers, are allowed to cross the border. Tuesday's extension comes after the European Union agreed to allow tourists from 15 countries to enter the EU beginning tomorrow. Canada is one of the 15 countries on a safe list, while the US has been excluded. Last week, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau dismissed a proposal to relax the ban on international travellers, saying that moving too quickly could spark a second wave of the coronavirus in Canada. The Trudeau government has also renewed the Quarantine Act requiring travellers to isolate for 14 days upon their arrival in Canada. The act has been extended to August 31. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Mumbai, July 1 : "Badhai Ho" director Amit Sharma says the Salman Khan-starrer "Tubelight" is an overrated film, and feels he would have done a better job directing it. Sharma opened up when he was asked to name a recent overrated film that he has watched. Asked about a recent film he would have done a better job directing it, he again mentioned "Tubelight". After blockbusters like "Bajrangi Bhaijaan" and "Ek Tha Tiger", "Tubelight" was Salman Khan's third collaboration with director Kabir Khan. The film is based on the 2015 film, "Little Boy", and reimagined against the backdrop of the India-China war of 1962. On being asked about the one rumour about his "Badhai Ho" lead actor Ayushmann Khurrana that he would like to spread, Sharma said: "It would be that he is the wittiest, and has a mindblowing sense of humour. He has got a plethora of jokes that are amazing." Talking about his popular "Badhai Ho", Sharma said: "The one thing I knew about the movie was that it was a beautiful script and I have to do justice to this." "My background is advertising and because of this, I keep looking for ideas. I never really thought that a certain thing wouldn't work because 'Badhai Ho' had a lot of big ideas," he said on Zee Cafe show, "Starry Nights Gen Y". -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Jerusalem, July 1 : Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that his government was still "working" on his West Bank annexation plan, hinting at a possible delay of the controversial move. Speaking a day ahead of the target date for the beginning of the annexation set by Netanyahu, the Prime Minister said on Tuesday that he met US Special Representative for International Negotiations Avi Berkowitz and American Ambassador to Israel David Friedman, reports Xinhua news agency. Netanyahu said he discussed with them "the question of sovereignty", referring to his plan to impose Israeli sovereignty over the Jordan Valley, part of the West Bank where the Palestinians want to build their future state. He noted his government was "currently working on" the plan and "will continue to work on it in the coming days". The remarks were made during a ceremony at the Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem. Netanyahu and his main coalition partner, Benny Gantz, leader of the centrist Blue and White party, were at odds over the annexation. While Netanyahu wanted to start the procedure of imposing Israeli sovereignty over the Jewish settlements and the Jordan Valley as early as July 1, Gantz wishes to postpone the move. On Monday, Gantz, who serves as Israel's alternate Prime Mminister and Defence Minister, told a meeting of lawmakers with Blue and White that "anything not related to the struggle against the coronavirus will wait". A few hours later, Netanyahu dismissed Gantz's remarks, telling a meeting of lawmakers with his right-wing Likud party that he is working "discretely" with envoys of US President Donald Trump. Under their power-sharing deal, both Netanyahu and Gantz hold veto power over key government decisions. However, the deal allows Netanyahu to bring an annexation proposal to the cabinet even without Gantz's approval. Netanyahu had set July 1 as the date for his plan to annex the Jordan Valley, which makes up some 30 per cent of the West Bank, a territory seized by Israel during the 1967 Middle East war. The Palestinians, who claim all of the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem, have rejected the idea. More than 600,000 Jews live in about 140 settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. United Nations, July 1 : The Iran nuclear deal remains crucial to regional and international security, said Rosemary DiCarlo, the UN undersecretary-general for political and peacebuilding affairs. "The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), endorsed by (Security Council) Resolution 2231, is a significant achievement of multilateral diplomacy and dialogue. It remains crucial to the global nuclear non-proliferation architecture and to regional and international security," DiCarlo told the Security Council on Tuesday. It is, therefore, regrettable that the future of this agreement is in doubt after the withdrawal of the US from it and the reversal of some of Iran's commitments, she said. The US withdrew from the agreement in May 2018. Before that, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) verified in 11 reports that Iran was complying with its nuclear commitments contained in the plan, she noted. "We regret the US withdrawal from the plan. The re-imposition of US national sanctions lifted under the plan, as well as the decision not to extend waivers for the trade in oil with Iran and on all remaining JCPOA-originating projects, are contrary to the goals of the JCPOA. "These actions have impeded the ability of Iran and other member states to fully implement the plan and the (Security Council) resolution," DiCarlo added. On March 12 in a letter to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif wrote that the US sanctions were constraining his country's response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Guterres has appealed for the waiving of sanctions that could undermine a country's capacity to respond to the pandemic. According to DiCarlo, the Secretary-General has expressed concern that the posture of private-sector actors seeking to avert risk may continue to impede legitimate humanitarian aid transactions, especially with regard to banking needs. The US also regrets the steps Iran has taken since July 2019 in response to the U.S. withdrawal, she said. As a result of those steps taken under the monitoring of the IAEA, Iran has surpassed JCPOA-stipulated limits on its uranium enrichment level and on its stockpiles of heavy water and low-enriched uranium. Iran has also lifted JCPOA limitations on its nuclear research and development activities, she said. "Today, we appeal again to Iran to return to full implementation of the plan. We also urge Iran to address concerns raised by other states regarding its actions inconsistent with the restrictive measures in Annex B of the resolution," DiCarlo said. Annex B of Resolution 2231 deals mainly with restrictions on Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile programs and on arms transfers. "We encourage JCPOA participants to resolve all differences within the Dispute Resolution Mechanism under the plan. We also urge all member states to avoid provocative rhetoric and actions that may have a further negative impact on the JCPOA and regional stability," said DiCarlo. Washington, July 1 : US withdrawal from WHO is a devastating loss in the battle against Covid-19, said Harvard Global Health Institute director Ashish K. Jha testifying before the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations. According to a statement issued by Jha's office on Tuesday, the decision to leave the WHO doesn't just harm the rest of the world -- it hurts the US, as well. He emphasized that by ending the relationship with WHO at this critical moment, the US is removing itself from the most important decisions surrounding this virus. "We are sending a message that the US is an undependable partner, that we cannot be counted on for collaboration in a global crisis. And we are leaving a leadership vacuum within WHO for other countries to fill," said Jha. Citing the vacuum in the research and development on Covid-19, if the US were to leave WHO, Jha said leaving WHO also separates the US from much of the leading research and development around COVID-19. Scientists from countries around the world turn to WHO to share samples and collaborate on quickly building an evidence base. "A notable example of this is WHO's SOLIDARITY Trial, the world's largest clinical trial of COVID-19 therapies. "There is no substitute for WHO. Its unique position as an international agency made up of 194 member states gives it an unparalleled legitimacy and capacity to facilitate collective action and political will," said Jha. He emphasized that the COVID-19 pandemic is still accelerating, and record-breaking daily increases in Covid-19 cases continue, and deaths are also rising worldwide. "The pandemic is still in its early stages in most parts of the world, with cases still on their first uphill climb in Latin America, Africa, and large parts of Asia, as well as a resurgence of cases right here in the US," added Jha. Detailing on WHO's unique position in the global health scenario, Jha said WHO's role in helping countries, particularly low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), cannot be overstated. "These nations' ministries of health are heavily dependent on WHO for technical expertise and guidance on pandemic response. WHO is deeply embedded in LMICs -- whereas local health officials in the US turn to the CDC for help, health officials in most other countries turn to WHO during an outbreak," he added. Jha cited that the US provides about 15 per cent of WHO's funding and 10 per cent of WHO's collaborating centers for research and development are hosted in the US. He added that the US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention has played a critical role in facilitating public health emergency management training events and supporting the deployment of staff and resources to respond to crises. "It's clear that cutting US ties with WHO significantly hampers WHO's ability to execute on its mission," said Jha. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Washington, July 1 : Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves has signed a legislation into law to officially removing a Confederate battle emblem from the state flag. Before signing the bill on Tuesday, Reeves said he disagrees with the removal of statues through the country, but "I also understand the need to commit the 1894 flag to history and find a banner that is a better emblem for all Mississippi", reports Xinhua news agency The state's lawmakers on Sunday overwhelmingly voted to replace the flag as protesters across the country demanded a reckoning to systemic racism following the death of black man George Floyd in police custody on May 25. A commission will design a new flag that does not include the Confederate symbol broadly condemned as racist, said local media reports, and the new design will go before voters in November for approval. The state flag, adopted in 1894, nearly 30 years after the end of the Civil War, is the last in the US to feature the Confederate battle emblem. The flag was originally used by the slave-owning states who lost the US Civil War (1860-65). African-Americans make up for 38 per cent of Mississippi's population. Hundreds of statues dedicated to the Confederacy - the southern states which revolted against the US government - exist all throughout the US, and often serve as an reminder of the history of slavery and racial oppression in the country. United Nations, July 1 : UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay has asked Indian authorities to prosecute the killers of journalist Shubham Mani Tripathi in order to end "gunpoint censorship." Condemning the murder of Tripathi, she said on Tuesday, "I call on the authorities to bring the perpetrators of this crime to justice, which is essential to deter other criminals from practicing gunpoint censorship." Tripathi, who was a correspondent for the Kanpur Hindi newspaper Kampu Mail, was shot dead on June 19 in Unnao district of Uttar Pradesh allegedly in retaliation for reporting on "land disputes marked by allegations of corruption," UNESCO said. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) reported that police have arrested three people in connection with the killing. Two of them were the actual shooters who attacked him while he was returning home on his motorcycle, CPJ said. CPJ said that according to a police press release, one of those arrested alleged that a "local real estate figure" had "arranged the journalist's killing in retaliation for Tripathi's articles and Facebook posts about an allegedly illegal construction project she had undertaken" which led to the demolition of the project by authorities. CPJ's Asia program coordinator Steven Butler called the arrest of the three suspects "a good start" but he said, "police must also find the mastermind and all those involved, and hold them all to account." "Uttar Pradesh authorities must show that they are taking violent attacks on journalists seriously," he added. (Arul Louis can be reached at arul.l@ians.in and followed on Twitter at @arulouis) New Delhi, July 1 : Talks between the Indian and Chinese military delegates to resolve the border issue in Eastern Ladakh went on for around 12 hours, sources said. The meeting which started at 10.30 a.m. ended at 11 p.m. on Tuesday night, the sources said. It took place at Chushul wherein India has put a strong message that to China's People's Liberation Army troops have not aided by the disengagement consensus. This is the third meeting between the two sides. The last two meetings at Corp Commander level were held on June 6 and June 22. While Tuesday's meeting was held in Chushul on the Indian side, the previous two took place in Moldo on the Chinese side. "All contentious areas during the current standoff were discussed to stabilise the situation," the sources added. China has agreed to move back in Pangong Tso but they did not. India claims Line of Actual Control at Finger 8 and Chinese are sitting between at Finger 4 and Finger 5. S imilar, differences exist in Depsang and Demchok. On June 22, the talks took place for around 11 hours and the dialogue was held in a cordial, positive and constructive atmosphere and there was a "mutual consensus to disengage". "Modalities for disengagement from all friction areas in Eastern Ladakh were discussed," the Indian Army had stated. The meeting between 14 Corps commander Lieutenant General Harinder Singh and South Xinjiang Military District chief Major General Liu Lin took place on the lines of the one they held at the Chushul-Moldo border personnel meeting (BPM) point in Eastern Ladakh on June 6. Also Major General level dialogue took place for three consecutive days after the barbaric attack at patrolling point 14 in Galwan valley on June 15 night where 20 Indian soldiers were killed. The dialogue was carried out to ease out the tense situation and to release 10 Indian soldiers, including four officers, who were in Chinese captivity. Major General Abhijit Bapat, who is the Commander of the 3 Division of the Indian Army, had raised several points with the Chinese with regards to the incident on the night intervening June 15/16. June 15 was the first time the Indian Army faced casualties in a clash with the China's People's Liberation Army since 1975 when an Indian patrol was ambushed by Chinese troops in Arunachal Pradesh. China is also said to have used thermal imaging drones to trace the Indian Army soldiers scattered on the treacherous terrain before brutally attacking them. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Deoria, July 1 : A station house officer (SHO) of Bhatni police station in Uttar Pradesh's Deoria was suspended for allegedly masturbating in front of a woman. The woman, who had gone to file a complaint in the police station, filmed the incident which has now gone viral on the social media. The video then sparked controversy in the area with the local people seeking action against the officer. The woman has alleged that the officer Bhishm Pal Singh, was touching his private parts in front of her when she was taken to his chamber to lodge the complaint. The complainant woman said, "I ignored his misbehaviour for the first 2-3 times and wanted him to lodge our case in the land dispute. But then one of my relatives had said that she also faced a similar incident at the hands of this officer. This is when I decided to film him." SP Deoria Shripati Mishra said, "An FIR has been registered against him and he has been suspended. Action is being taken." Jaipur, July 1 : In a silver lining of sorts for parents who have been demanding waiver on school fees in view of Covid-19 pandemic in Rajasthan, Sawai Man Singh Vidyalaya (SMS) here has become the first elite school to cut 25 per cent fees of students amid the crisis. A letter issued by the school's managing committee to parents read that the institution shall give relief to parents through a grant 'COVID scholarship 20-21'. It further said: "The management took the decision to give relief in payment of fees through a grant 'COVID scholarship' to all students at 25 per cent of declared school fee for the current academic session. The amount of the said scholarship shall be credited to school fee accounts of all students and any excess amount deposited shall be refunded." Giving another breather to parents, the school management has also decided to provide a fee payment option on a monthly basis. Vikramaditya, secretary of the managing committee of the school said, "As a true custodian of the rich legacy of the late Rajmata Gayatri Deviji known for her vision, modernisation and concern for people, the management is doing a bit to maintain her values and virtues. The scholarship was considered after we took note of possible financial stress caused by the pandemic." Sunil Yadav, All Rajasthan Private School Parents Forum president, who has been leading a campaign #NoSchoolNoFee' with other parents in wake of COVID campaign welcomed the initiative taken by SMS and said, "Sawai Man Singh Vidyalaya in Rajasthan has shown the way to other schools. Now, they should also come up to show solidarity with parents as they have not earned anything in the last three months." Speaking to IANS, School Education Minister Govind Singh Dotasara said that schools should desist from demanding complete fees from parents at least for sometime. "Parents should not worry as all their concerns shall be addressed. When there have been no schools running since mid-March, how can the school management demand a complete fee," he said. In an introduction, Miranda and director Thomas Kail share a few words about the continued resonance of Hamilton when were grappling with what it means to be American, and how history is told. Indeed, the repeated thesis of the play is, who lives, who dies, who tells your story? For the Founding Father Alexander Hamilton, the person who tells his story is Miranda, inspired by a hefty biography written by Ron Chernow. Miranda, already a Tony Award-winning writer and star of In The Heights, was inspired by the daring Hamiltons life: his humble beginnings as an orphan and precocious clerk on a tiny Caribbean island, a Revolutionary War fighter under George Washington, a ferocious writer who helped to shape the Constitution and Treasury Department, and a man killed before he was 50 in a duel with Aaron Burr. Washington, July 1 : Democrats were disappointed with the White House briefing on the Russian-Taliban bounties intelligence, calling for more information from the intelligence community. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, who led a group of Democrats to the White House briefing on Tuesday, said the briefing had not provided them with any new substantial information about the intelligence, reports Xinhua news agency. "What we need is a briefing by the Intelligence community to give us their assessment of the credibility of this information," Hoyer told reporters in a press conference in the Capitol. House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff, who also attended the briefing, said at the press conference that "the right people were not in the room to give us the kind of briefing that we needed to get". The briefing was led by White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, joined by Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe, National Security Adviser Robert O'Brien as well as other National Security Council officials. "We need to hear from the heads of the intelligence agencies about how they assess the allegations that have been made publicly," Schiff said. Hoyer also noted that he emphasized to Meadows that the White House briefing "was not a substitute for the speaker and minority leader of the Senate's request for a full briefing of our members". In response, White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany said later in the day that "Democrats should come forward in good faith... the Democratic party politicizing this information, which I think is absolutely disgraceful". The State Department said on Tuesday that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo held a video conference on Monday with the Taliban's political chief Mullah Baradar, in which he called on the militant group to fulfil its commitments, including not attacking Americans. The New York Times first reported on June 26 that President Donald Trump had been briefed on the intelligence that Russian intelligence units secretly offered bounties to Taliban-related militants for killing coalition forces in Afghanistan during the US-Taliban peace talks. The report added that the National Security Council discussed this issue at an inter-agency meeting in late March, while the White House thus far has not taken any actions to respond. The Washington Post reported on Sunday that Russian bounties offered to Taliban-linked militants were believed to have led to the deaths of several US soldiers. The US invaded Afghanistan in 2001, and the death toll of service members has surpassed 2,400 in this longest war in America's history. The US and the Taliban signed a peace deal in late February, in which Washington said it would reduce its forces in Afghanistan to 8,600 within 135 days. The agreement also called for the full withdrawal of the US military by May 2021 if the Taliban meets the conditions of the deal, including severing ties with terrorist groups. Barcelona, July 1 : Star striker Lionel Messi has touched the 700th career goal landmark after he scored from the penalty spot in Barcelona's 2-2 draw against Atletico Madrid at the Camp Nou in the ongoing La Liga. Messi, who converted a spot kick to reach the milestone on Tuesday, has scored 630 times for Barca in 724 appearances in all competitions and another 70 for Argentina in 138 caps. The Barcelona forward had scored his first goal on May 1, 2005 at the Camp Nou against Albacete, coming off a fine assist from Ronaldinho. "And from there, the story just hasn't stopped, with goals coming on all shapes and sizes. Lots of them. Lots and lots of them," Barcelona said on their website. In 2012, he netted 91 times, beating Pele's previous record of 75. His 599th professional goal was a particularly stunning direct free kick that Las Palmas keeper Chichizola had no chance of stopping. His 600th goal was also a free kick against Oblak. "Messi is infinitely ambitious and still has further targets to aim for. He needs just 13 to beat Pele's record number of goals for a single team. And with 724 appearances to his name he doesn't have too long to go before he tops the 767 of Xavi Hernandez," the club further said. The 33-year-old has a contract until 2021 at Camp Nou. A clause that would have allowed Messi to leave for free this summer recently expired, ensuring that he remains at the club for another 12 months. Washington, July 1 : US President Donald Trump has approved a plan presented by the Pentagon to withdraw 9,500 American soldiers from Germany as he had ordered, the Department of Defense said. "The proposal that was approved not only meets the President's directive, it will also enhance Russian deterrence, strengthen NATO, reassure Allies, improve US strategic flexibility and U.S. European Command's operational flexibility, and take care of our service members and their families," a Department statement said on Tuesday. Pentagon chief Mark Esper and chairman of the joint chiefs of staff General Mark Milley presented the plan to Trump on Monday and in the "coming weeks" they will report to Congress and consult with North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) allies, reports Efe news. In the statement, the Pentagon did not offer details on withdrawal dates or where the troops will go, although it said that the affected personnel and their families will receive information "as planning progresses". Trump said last week that he will "probably" move some troops to Poland, after Polish President Andrzej Duda asked him not to remove US soldiers from Europe. "Poland is one of the few countries that are fulfilling their obligations under NATO, in particular their monetary obligations. And they asked us if we would send some additional troops. They're going to pay for that," Trump said during a press conference with Duda at the White House. "They'll be paying for the sending of additional troops, and we'll probably be moving them from Germany to Poland. We're going to be reducing Germany very substantially," he added. Trump initially announced the withdrawal of troops last month with the aim of pressuring Germany to increase its contribution to NATO. The US currently has some 52,000 troops deployed at German bases, of which about 34,500 are active soldiers and the rest are civilian defense department employees. Germany has the most US troops in Europe, followed by Italy, the UK and Spain. US military personnel have been in German territory since the end of World War II and during the Cold War, they were considered as a containment force against the Soviet Union. Mexico City, July 1 : Mexican Attorney General Alejandro Gertz Manero said that the former director of the state-run oil company Petroleos Mexicanos (Pemex), Emilio Lozoya, who was arrested earlier this year in Spain for his alleged links to the Odebrecht corruption case, has agreed to be extradited. "(On Monday), Emilio Lozoya Austin formally presented before the Criminal Court of the Audiencia Nacional of the Kingdom of Spain his written request in which he agrees to the extradition required by this Attorney General's Office," Gertz Manero said on Tuesday. He said that "a series of procedures" will be undertaken with Spain so that "in the immediate future this person may be returned to Mexico", reports Efe news. Lozoya, against whom an international search and capture order has been pending since May 2019 for his alleged links to the international bribery activities of Brazil's Odebrecht construction firm, was arrested on February 12 in Malaga, Spain. Lozoya headed Pemex from 2012-2016, during the 2012-2018 administration of President Enrique Pena Nieto. Once Lozoya is extradited to Mexico, the judicial process will begin to clarify "the responsibilities of all those involved and their beneficiaries regarding the designated crimes, including people of relevance or political groups that may have participated", the Attorney General said. Two investigations enabled the Attorney General's Office last year to obtain two separate international arrest warrants against Lozoya, whose case has spread doubts regarding Pena Nieto, although the country's incumbent President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has categorically denied that his predecessor was being probed. New Delhi, July 1 : The ban on 59 Chinese apps has given homegrown app developers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to create world-class products across chat, short videos, and photo/video sharing segments and led by ShareChat, desi apps are now scouting for fresh finds to invest intelligently into scaling their platforms and handle the upcoming rush. In a country where nearly 300 million people are on Facebook, another 400 million on WhatsApp and over 120 million on Chinese app TikTok -- not to forget the millions who are hooked to Instagram, Twitter and Snapchat -- there has not been a single social media platform to date with its roots in India that has created headlines globally. The time is ripe to rise to the occasion and show that Indian programmers can build top-notch social media apps right here, without going to the US or other countries. The regional language social media platform ShareChat is changing the way in which the next billion users will interact on the internet. With over 1 billion monthly Whatsapp shares, users spend more than 25 minutes daily on the platform. ShareChat has a user base of over 60 million monthly active users spread across the country and available in 15 languages including Hindi, Malayalam, Gujarati, Marathi, Punjabi, Telugu, Tamil, Bengali, Odia, Kannada, Assamese, Haryanvi, Rajasthani, Bhojpuri and Urdu. The Bengaluru-based regional language social platform has become so popular that even Twitter came onboard when the four-year-old company raised $100 million in its Series D round of funding last year. "ShareChat is silently leading a social media revolution with a strong focus on regional outreach keeping its Bharat connect pristine," said Berges Y Malu, Director, Public Policy, ShareChat. "We welcome the move from the government against platforms that have had serious privacy, cyber security and national security risks. We expect the government to continue their support for the Indian startup ecosystem," Malu added in a statement. Public is a video-only social platform and has already registered 50 million users, with more than one million videos being created every month. According to Azhar Iqubal, Founder and CEO of Public, we have immense talent and resources in India and the vacuum created by this ban is a great opportunity for Indian app makers to launch products that have the potential to do well globally. "It will also make users more vigilant in checking what permissions they have given to apps as smartphones store sensitive information," said Iqubal. Public is currently available in five Indian languages: Hindi, Bengali, Gujarati, Tamil and Telugu, and aims to have over 100 million users by the end of the year. Roposo is another leading homegrown short-video making app with more than 65 million downloads in the country. TikTok users, including influencers with huge fan followings, have started switching to Roposo in large numbers after the ban. "We have built Roposo as a clean and ethical platform. The unique idea of channels in Roposo provides every talented Indian with an opportunity to grow rapidly," said Mayank Bhangadia, co-founder of Roposo. Indians have rushed to download social app Chingari, a desi alternative to Chinese TikTok, which is witnessing nearly 1 lakh downloads and over 2 million views per hour since the government banned 59 Chinese apps over national security concerns. Already downloaded over 3 million times, the app which was founded by Bengaluru-based programmers Biswatma Nayak and Siddharth Gautam last year, was trending at the top spot on Google Play Store. "As Chingari is setting new benchmarks, a lot of investors are showing interest in our app. We are holding crucial discussions to get a good investor(s) on board so as to scale up our free-of-cost social platform," informed Nayak. Launched in October 2017, Khabri is another fastest-growing digital audio platform providing content in the regional language. "We urge Indian corporate leaders to come forward and reclaim the country's business ecosystem and consumers through supporting/investing in Indian startups," said Sandeep Singh, co-founder and president, Khabri. "Since the word spread that Indians now have a homegrown and more entertaining alternative to TikTok, we have been recording traffic beyond expectations on our app," said Nayak. Lifestyle community commerce platform Trell has witnessed more than 1 million downloads after India banned Chinese apps. With over 30 million downloads and 9 million monthly active users on its app, Trell has witnessed a 25 times growth within one year. "We welcome all the Tiktok and Chinese apps content creators with open arms to come and engage on Trell. As the largest Indian lifestyle social app, we will continue to ensure that the privacy and data of users will be protected," said Pulkit Agarwal, Co-Founder, Trell. New Delhi, July 1 : Former Congress Chief Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday assured the nurses working as the frontline fighters against the COVID-19 pandemic that he will take up their issues with the government. He told them that he will write on their behalf to the government to compensate the families of the nurses who died while performing their duties. As part of the series of interactions, Rahul Gandhi held a conversation with nurses on the Doctor's day. While interacting with the former Congress Chief, Vipin Krishnan, a nurse working at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Delhi, who along with his wife have been infected with corona, informed him that two nurses in the national capital died due to Covid pandemic. "Rahul ji I would like to bring something to your attention. Two nurses have died in Delhi, they were from South India. However, they are yet to receive the compensation of Rs one crore announced by the Delhi government," Krishnan told the Congress MP from Kerala's Wayanad. Krishnan further said that the government should do something for them. "I want to bring this to your notice since you are the opposition leader," he said. Responding to the AIIMS staff, Rahul Gandhi said, "I'll write a letter and see if we can expedite that." Krishnan to a question of the Rahul Gandhi over the condition of the medical facilities in Delhi and India said, "I would like to highlight some statistics. We have 1.2 million registered allopathic doctors in India. We have around 3.7 million registered nurses in India. When we are coming to the ratio, it is 1:1500 for doctors and 1.7:1000 nurses in India. The WHO recommended ratio is 1:1000 doctors and 3:1000 nurses when coming to the recommendations of the WHO. "Running short in the scenario of human resources, but still we are fighting hard. But in our country, the scenario is entirely different. There is a sea of difference between government hospitals and private hospitals in India," Krishnan said. To this Rahul Gandhi asked Krishnan, what difference does he see. Krishnan said, "When we look into the private sector, there is a lot of discrimination. Private nurses are saying that their salaries are being cut. How will they care for their families during this pandemic? In such a situation, I think the government must help them and pay their entire salaries." Rahul Gandhi also asked about testing not being allowed in many hospitals in Delhi to which the AIIMS nurse said, "This is indeed a sad state of affairs. I want to inform you about some statistics. On May 27, the infection rate in Delhi was 13.7 per cent we were doing 7,000 tests per day. By June 12-13, our infection rate had crossed 30 per cent and we are doing under 5,000 tests per day. "This is surprising given that our deaths and infection rates are increasing, but we have reduced testing. I don't understand what is happening," Krishnan said. The Congress leader then said that a doctor from a private hospital had told him that it becomes impossible for them to work if they cannot test Covid-19 patients. Slamming the government, Rahul Gandhi said, "I think a little bit is that the governments are trying to manage the perception, they are trying to give a sense that the problem is not as bad as it is. "But I believe that we have to face the problem, so we should accept the problem, define the problem accurately and then fight the problem. I don't know how you react to that," he said. To this the AIIMS staffer said, "You are absolutely correct. We have a pandemic situation and AIIMS Director (Randeep Guleria) has said that we will peak in June-mid July. "Even the Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has stated that they are expecting 5.5 lakh cases. We are having 10,000 beds in Delhi. Can you imagine the depth of the situation where 5.5 lakh people are coming, of course they won't come at the same time, but average one lakh patients a day. I can't imagine the depth of the situation. What will he do?" Krishnan questioned. In earlier interactions, Rahul Gandhi had conversations with former RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan, Nobel Laureate Abhijeet Banerji, epidemiologist Johan Geseicke and industrialist Rajiv Bajaj. Srinagar, July 1 : Days after a five-year-old was killed in a terror attack in South Kashmir, on Wednesday in another shocking incident in North Kashmir's Sopore a civilian was killed right in front of his three-year-old grandson. The heartbreaking pictures that surfaced showed the boy sitting on the dead body. He was later taken by the army and police personnel as they attended to him post the trauma. One CRPF Head Constable was also killed while three security personnel were injured after terrorists struck a CRPF party in Sopore earlier in the day. According to details the CRPF party was fired by terrorists drawing an instant retaliation. "One head constable succumbed to his injuries, three more are injured and stable," IG CRPF Rajesh Kumar told IANS. The injured CRPF personnel have been rushed to army's 92 base hospital in Srinagar. The area has been cordoned off and an operation has been launched to nab the attackers. This is the second attack on CRPF in Sopore in the last three months. On April 18, terrorists fired at a CRPF party killing three troopers. A separate encounter started at Tral in South Kashmir on Tuesday night after inputs about the presence of a group of three terrorists. The fire fight stopped in the night itself but the search operation was still going on. -- Except for the title, this story has not been edited by Prokerala team and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed Moscow, July 1 : Voting was underway on Wednesday for Russia's constitutional referendum that could pave the way for President Vladimir Putin to remain in office beyond 2024. The vote was postponed from April 22 due to the coronavirus pandemic, reports the Efe. A total of 109 million Russians are eligible to vote at over 96,000 polling stations Pwhich opened at 8 a.m. Voting will end at 8 p.m., after which the counting of ballots cast during the past week until Wednesday will begin. More than 45 per cent of the registered voters - some 49 million citizens - cast early votes in the nationwide ballot, according to the authorities, which extended the voting period by a week to prevent crowds at the polling stations and a possible outbreak of COVID-19. The referendum, which opened for early voting on June 25, is being held under strict precautionary measures due to the pandemic. Both voters and polling station officials must wear masks, maintain physical distancing and comply with other health measures, the Central Electoral Commission said. Although Russians are voting on a total of 206 changes to the country's basic law, experts say that the most important one is the amendment that will allow Putin to run for two more six-year terms after his current one ends in 2024, which is not possible under the current constitution. It would apply to him and not future leaders. Opposition figures have described the move as a power grab and have called a boycott. Putin was first elected as president in 2000, after which he went on to serve two terms. Unable to run for President a third time, he served as Prime Minister under Dmitry Medvedev from 2008 until 2012, when he returned to the Kremlin. The Putin-backed amendments have already been passed by lawmakers and are being submitted to a so-called All-Russian vote. The package of amendments, which must be passed or rejected in full, also proposes the inclusion of God in the constitution and the definition of marriage as a union between a man and a woman. It would also ban the cessation of Russian territory and tighten the requirements for those seeking to run for President. A poll published by the public opinion research centre on Monday said 76 per cent of the electorate would vote in favour of the raft of constitutional changes. Some 23.6 per cent of poll respondents said they would vote against. Seoul, July 1 : South Korean President Moon Jae-in believes that his US counterpart President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un need to meet again ahead of the American presidential election in November in order to reactivate the Korea peace process, a senior official said on Wednesday. The South Korean presidential office has already conveyed Moon's idea to the White House in their "close communication" especially following the North's demolition of an inter-Korean liaison office in its border city of Kaesong last month, Yonhap News Agency quoted the official as saying. "The US side understands (Moon's position), and it's making efforts (for that), as far as I know," he told reporter. In a virtual summit with EU Council President Charles Michel and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Tuesday, Moon reaffirmed his resolve to strive "with patience" to maintain the momentum of dialogue involving the US and the two Koreas, the official added. Moon stressed that the two Koreas should not revert from hard-won "progress and accomplishments" in their relations. It remains unclear whether Trump and Kim will be able to hold another round of summit talks within the coming months, reports Yonhap News Agency. Earlier this week, Deputy Secretary of State Steve Biegun, Washington's point man on Pyongyang, expressed doubt about the possibility. "I think it's probably unlikely between now and the US election," Biegun told a forum, adding that the COVID-19 pandemic would make such an in-person summit more unlikely. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Kolkata, July 1 : West Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh was allegedly attacked by Trinamool Congress backed miscreants at Rajarhat-New Town located on the north-eastern fringes of Kolkata. The incident took place when the state BJP president went there with his supporters to talk to people in the locality. "I went there with some of my supporters to talk to people and had tea at Rajarhat market area. But Trinamool supporters stopped me on the way and heckled my party men. When my security personnel tried to stop them, the miscreants also heckled them. I have shifted to a new house in the area. Local Trinamool supporters must be having some serious problems with that. I don't understand why," Ghsoh said. He further alleged that some of his party members were beaten by Trinamool-backed goons. "They also vandalised some of our vehicles," he said. "My party colleagues will lodge a complaint with the local police. I will also inform the Kolkata Police commissioner about the incident," Ghosh added. Meanwhile, Trinamool Congress' Lok Sabha leader Sudip Bandopadhyay said that it was a small incident. "Every day I hear about such allegations from the state BJP. But we don't need to worry. It was a very small incident," he said. Senior Congress leader and the party's Lok Sabha MP from Berhampore in Murshidabad Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury condemned the attack on the state BJP chief. "This is absolutely uncalled for. I condemn such attacks," he said. Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) leader Sujan Chakraborty said: "Such incidents of Trinamool-sponsored political hooliganism are happening everywhere in Bengal. The ruling formation here is attacking all their political opponents." That said, our customers have simply been amazing. They have made a point of ordering to go and now coming in to ensure our survival. They are extremely generous and make the battle worth the fight. Im not sure how it will ultimately end if we cant get back to true normal, not new normal, but we will do everything in our power to remain viable and deliver wonderful food to our clientele. New Delhi, July 1 : Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday interacted with four nurses, three of them also Indian-origin but stationed across the globe, to discuss their experiences as frontline warriors against novel coronavirus and described them as a "non-violent army". During the conversation, Vipin Krishnan, who works in Delhi's All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) said: "Nurses don't come under the risk allowance category of the central government. Both nurses and doctors. As healthcare workers, we are fighting this Covid-19 in the frontline like the army. It's like, we can compare it to a biowar. It is not a biowar, but a virus, a small microscopic organism that is challenging the whole world and the country. So, we are fighting like the army or the air force. I'm not comparing this with our forces. But at least I think you will agree with that we are fighting as an army." In response, Rahul Gandhi said: "Yes, you are a non-violent army." Narendra Singh, a resident of Rajasthan's Sikar, who now works in Australia's New South Wales, said that everyone initially thought Covid-19 as a simple flu and did not take it seriously. "But when it started rolling over, and we saw news in Italy that the death toll is rising higher and higher, then we thought that this is not a flu, that this is serious," Singh said. Another Indian-origin nurse, Anu Ragnat, who works in New Zealand, said that the tough policies adopted by Prime Minister Jacinda Arden helped flatten the curve in the island nation. "Going hard and going early was the motto of our Prime Minister. That really flattened the curve in New Zealand," Ragnat told the Congress leader. Sherlylmol Puravady, who works in the Acute Medical Unit in London, said that they received patients directly from the community. "So, initially there was a lot of fear. So who is going to catch this virus? Are the patients all coming in with this virus? So, when I saw a patient come in with no Covid-19 symptoms, but with only diarrhoea and vomiting and abdominal pain, I requested for an abdominal X-ray and a chest X-ray. And chest X-ray reported within minutes a typical severe Covid-19. So that made us all -- I wouldn't say paranoid -- but very cautious," she said. She said that looking at the risk to her family, she had to move out of her home for six weeks. "Two weeks ago I went back home, and it's because the numbers are coming down." "Here in the UK, it is so respectful, people are so respectful. We have dedicated shopping time for the NHS staff or the care workers," Puravady added. Krishnan pointed to differences in salaries of nurses in private and government hospitals. "Private hospitals are deducting salaries of these nurses. How are they going to look after their families in such a scenario?" he asked. Krishnan, hailing from Kerala, said: "Me and my wife have been infected. We are right now in quarantine." He said he is ready to again work on the frontline once he is cured. Referring to Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia's statement that Delhi could see 5.5 lakh Covid-19 patients by July-end, the AIIMS staff said shortage of beds in hospitals could pose a problem if such a thing happens. The nurses also talked about their learnings from the Covid-19 crisis, emphasising on hand hygiene and PPE kits. In earlier interactions, Rahul Gandhi had videoconference conversations with former RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan, Nobel laureate Abhijit Banerjee, epidemiologist Johan Giesecke and industrialist Rajiv Bajaj. -- Syndicated from IANS New Delhi, July 1 : Automobile major Maruti Suzuki on Wednesday reported a year-on-year decline of 54 per cent in total sales during June 2020. Accordingly, the company's total off-take declined to 57,428 units from 1,24,708 units sold during June 2019. The total sales include 52,300 units off-take in the domestic market and of 839 units to other OEM. As per a company statement, exports during the period under review fell to 4,289 units from 9,847 units being shipped out in June 2019. "The sales performance during June 2020 and Q1 FY20-21 should be seen in the context of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, lockdowns and restrictions required for safety," the statement said. "The company remains committed to the health, safety and well-being of all members across the value chain. Production across plants is being progressively increased consistent with maximum efforts to ensure safety and subject to the availability of employees." According to the company, total sales during first quarter of FY20-21 declined to 76,599 units from 4,02,594 units off-take during the like period of the previous fiscal. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Bengaluru, July 1 : Amid Unlock 2.0, the central and state government training institutions will be allowed to function in Karnataka from July 15, an official said on Wednesday. "Training institutions of the central and state government will be allowed to function from July 15," said Chief Secretary T.M. Vijay Bhaskar. However, guidelines and standard operating procedures (SOPs) for the institutions to operate will be issued by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) and the Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms (DPAR). As schools, colleges and educational institutions are banned in Unlock 2.0, which will last until July 31, the state government has pitched for online learning. "Online and distance learning shall continue to be permitted and encouraged," said Bhaskar. The Chief Secretary issued Unlock 2.0 guidelines, directing the city civic body Commissioner, District Deputy Commissioners, Police officers and other department heads to uphold the directives in a stringent manner. Most of the services banned during the lockdown will continue to remain suspended from Wednesday as part of Unlock 2.0 in Karnataka. Seoul, July 1 : The number of North Korean defectors to South Korea reached a record low in the second quarter of the year due to the restrictions triggered by the coronavirus pandemic, Seouls Unification Ministry reported on Wednesday. Between April and June, only 12 deserters were estimated to have entered South Korea, which is 96 per cent down on the same period last year and the lowest quarterly figure since the Seoul government began to record the data in 2003, reports Efe news reports. "The biggest reason behind the decline is that the national borders of these countries were closed after the outbreak of the coronavirus and cross-border movement became difficult," Ministry spokesperson Yoh Sang-key said at a press conference. Unable to access South Korea by land due to the demilitarized zone that divides the two countries, most deserters cross into China and from there try to reach a third country in which they can request asylum through embassies and South Korean consulates - something that Beijing does not allow in China. China, which wants to avoid mass migrations of North Koreans, does not consider them refugees or asylum seekers but as "economic migrants", so it forcibly returns them if it finds them in its territory. Once back, the North Korean authorities, which do not allow their citizens to freely leave the country, imprison the deserters and in many cases torture and/or execute them, according to various human rights reports. Altogether, more than 33,000 North Koreans have defected to Seoul and now hold South Korean citizenship. In the first quarter of the year, 135 deserters arrived in South Korea, which was 41 per cent down year-on-year. The annual number of deserters to the South reached a record in 2010 when about 2,400 arrived. However, since Kim Jong-un came to power, the North Korean regime has tightened border controls, so the number has been falling progressively. In 2019 only 1,047 defectors managed to arrive. Just this week, the Daily NK news website with extensive contacts within North Korea, reported that the regime recently acquired more sophisticated Chinese video surveillance equipment to install at the borders. Bangkok, July 1 : A cafe in Thailand's Chiang Mai province has filed a damage lawsuit against the US government for allegedly spreading the COVID-19 pandemic, it was reported on Wednesday. Sawet Wianthong, the owner of Ooh Cafe at DK Park food centre, filed the case in court on June 26 seeking 450,000 baht ($14,572) in damage compensation, plus a 7.5 per cent interest per annum, for which he held the US government accountable, reports Xinhua news agency. He said his cafe had closed and lost considerable incomes during the last three months due to lockdown measures against the pandemic in the province. Thailand has imposed anti-pandemic measures under a health emergency rule nationwide. The country has so far reported 3,173 COVID-19 cases, with 58 deaths. Mumbai, July 1 : Television actress Mohena Kumari has finally tested COVID-19 negative after a month-long battle with the virus. The actress took to Instagram to share the news with her fans on Wednesday. "We finally tested Negative of coronavirus... after a month! We'd like to thank all the Doctors and Health care professionals for doing the best they could with whatever information was available to the world about this virus, at AIIMS RISHIKESH." She also shared a message of gratitude towards the doctors and healthcare professionals on the occasion of Doctor's Day on Wednesday. "Today we celebrate the work of Doctors and Healthcare professionals in our country. In my life I have met some wonderful doctors, nurses , compounders and other medical staff... I'd like to thank all of them for their Honest Efforts to help people to ease or eradicate their pain." "I really hope and pray that all doctors are doing the same for people of all ages , strata and religion. People put immense faith in doctors and we always hope for doctors to reciprocate that with selfless care and humanity. I'd like to wish all the selfless , honest , diligent and hardworking doctors a very Happy National Doctors Day. We thank you for your service. #doctorsday2020," wrote the "Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai". Mohena Kumari had tested COVID-19 positive in the beginning of June. Her husband Suyesh Rawat, father-in-law Satpal Maharaj, who is Uttarakhand's tourism minister, and mother-in-law were also found to be COVID 19 positive. On June 13, the family returned home from the hospital despite still being COVID-19 positive. They have been living in isolation at home since then. New Delhi, July 1 : The World Bank's Board of Executive Directors has approved a $750 million MSME Emergency Response program to support increased flow of finance into the hands of India's micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), severely impacted by the COVID-19 crisis. The MSME Emergency Response program will address the immediate liquidity and credit needs of some 15 lakh viable MSMEs to help them withstand the impact of the current shock and protect millions of jobs, a World Bank statement said. "This is the first step among a broader set of reforms that are needed to propel the MSME sector over time," it said. The $750 million loan from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), has a maturity of 19 years including a 5-year grace period. The statement said that the World Bank Group, including its private sector arm - the International Finance Corporation (IFC), will support the government's initiatives to protect the MSME sector by unlocking liquidity and strengthening NBFCs and small finance banks and enabling financial innovations. This program will support the government's efforts to channel liquidity to the MSME sector by de-risking lending from banks and Non-Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs) to MSMEs through a range of instruments, including credit guarantees. The initiative will also support the government's refinance facility for NBFCs. In parallel, the IFC is also providing direct support to SFBs through loans and equity, it added. "The MSME sector is central to India's growth and job creation and will be key to the pace of India's economic recovery, post COVID-19. The immediate need is to ensure that the liquidity infused into the system by the government is accessed by MSMEs," said Junaid Ahmad, World Bank Country Director in India. He added that the overall financing ecosystem for MSMEs also needs to be strengthened. "This operation seeks to achieve both these objectives by furthering the role of NBFCs and SCBs as effective financial intermediaries and leveraging fintech to broaden the reach of finance into the MSME sector," Ahmad said. The World Bank has so far committed $2.75 billion to support India's emergency COVID-19 response, including the new MSME project. New Delhi, July 1 : Delhi Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal and Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday condoled the demise of Delhi Police Inspector Sanjeev Kumar Yadav due to COVID-19. The deceased was battling the disease for more than 10 days in Max Hospital and succumbed last night. Yadav was posted under Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Special Cell was decorated with the Medal for gallantry recently. Baijal tweeted: "Extremely saddened at the death of Insp Sanjeev Kumar Yadav in the line of duty fighting COVID-19." A great warrior, recipient of Police Medal for gallantry, he brought laurels for the Delhi Police, Baijal added. "His untimely demise is irreplaceable loss for the organization. My deepest condolences!" Kejriwal said: "A very brave policeman and recipient of Police Medal. His death is a great loss to the Delhi Police." New Delhi, July 1 : A Kenyan Appellate Court has halted the dragon's African safari by pronouncing that "the $3.2 billion contract between Kenya and China for the construction of the Standard Gauge Railways (SGR) is illegal." The recent judgment has lifted the lid on the dragon's "debt-trap diplomacy". China has built the railway line under its ambitious Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) by giving huge loans. Kenya has been under pressure to pay its debts while handling the financial implications of the Chinese virus pandemic. Since 2013, Kenya has accepted more than $5 billion loans from China for SGR construction, making it the largest infrastructure project of the country. But in its first year of operation, the project reported losses equivalent to $98 million, making Kenya's serving of the loans unmanageable. Dragon eyes Mombasa Port The railway project is funded on the terms that could end up giving China control over some of Kenya's most important assets. If Kenya fails to repay the huge load advanced by a Chinese lender, it risks losing the lucrative Mombasa Port. The loans were granted for the development of standard gauge railway project. The terms of the loan for the Kenya Railways Corporation (KRC) specify that the port's assets are collateral, and they are not protected by Kenya's sovereign immunity due to a waiver in the contract. Mombasa, the largest and most valuable port in east Africa, is not just the gateway into Kenya, but also into its landlocked neighboring nations Burundi, Congo, Rwanda, South Sudan and Uganda. Therefore, losing control over the port would mean erosion of Kenya's sovereignty. In addition to the Mombasa Port, Kenya could also be made to give China control of the Inland Container Depot in Nairobi. Kenyan media reported that "implications of a takeover would be grave, including the thousands of port workers, who would be forced to work under Chinese lenders." Kenya is one of China's largest trade partners in Africa and owes $6.5 billion to China, 21.9 per cent of its total external debt. China's interest payments represent 87 per cent of the cash used to service debt expenditure in 2019. Repayment of the debts still needs to be worked out, but it will at least stop Kenya from accepting further bad loans. The appellate court's decision might just allow the Kenyan government to come out of the Chinese sinkhole of debt-trap. China biggest creditor to Africa Debt-trap diplomacy is a deceptive method adopted by China under the BRI scheme, wherein the Chinese first lend huge monies under opaque loan terms to unsuspecting developing nations in the garb of development, only to strategically leverage the recipient country's indebtedness for its own economic, military, or political ends or to seize its assets as a means of repayment. For example, China had given a loan to develop a strategic port in Djibouti. In 2017, Djibouti's debt was projected staggering at 88 per cent of its GDP, with China responsible for the bulk of this debt. Djibouti had fallen victim to China's debt-trap and let the dragon nation build its first overseas military base there. China's first and only overseas military base is a consequence, not a coincidence. In September 2018, Zambia lost the Kenneth Kaunda International Airport to China over debt repayment in similar circumstances. Elsewhere in Africa Burundi, Chad, Mozambique and Zambia are all either in debt distress or at high risk of it, a situation China's predatory lending practices are aggravating. Angola is looking to secure debt relief from China by offering equity stakes in six oilfields of Sonangol Sinopec International. Two-fifths of Angola's external debt is in oil-backed loans and the country previously sent oil cargoes to China as its form of loan repayments. However, Angola has cut down the number of oil cargoes shipped to China in a move to renegotiate terms and deal with the impact of Covid-19 pandemic. Last year, China agreed to restructure more than $12 billion in repayments for Ethiopia, whose Chinese-funded railway is also struggling. As China's influence is increasing in the region, African nations are wary of the dragon's debt-trap strategy and fears that its infrastructure projects overload with debts. Africans know that all loans lead to high risk and Chinese infrastructural loans are notoriously opaque, therefore, it is difficult to determine exactly what was intended in each different case. Infrastructure development has been a strategy of China's African domination game plan and the BRI Initiative is its vehicle. But China's nefarious designs are getting exposed. The latest setback comes from Kenya via a court ruling will have a far-reaching consequence in Africa-China relationships. (This content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com) -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Mumbai, July 1 : Maharashtra added a whopping 104,748 new coronavirus cases in June to touch a total of 174,761 -- o higher than France's current tally of around 164,801 cases, according to official data. During June, the number of deaths in the state increased from 2,362 to almost triple to a staggering 7,855, confounding health authorities as the state clamped a further lockdown till July 31. The death rate in Maharashtra shot up from 3.37 per cent on June 1 to a worrisome 4.49 per cent on June 30. By June 9, the state had overtaken the United Kingdom's daily rate of coronavirus infections and on June 12, the state even outstripped Canada in terms of total cases recorded here. However, for several days in early April, the state had notched a mortality rate that was higher than the global average, and the recent spike prompted Health Minister Rajesh Tope on Tuesday to again appeal for reducing the death rate. June was a major concern for the country's commercial capital Mumbai also, with cases shooting up from 22,789 to 77,658 and deaths zooming up from 1,319 to 4,556 now. The scenario was equally alarming for the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) comprising Mumbai, Thane, Palghar, and Raigad districts, collectively referred to as Thane division. From 53,259 cases and 1,609 deaths, the MMR has recorded 125,400 patients and 5,722 fatalities in June - the highest ever since Coronavirus sneaked into Maharashtra on March 9 and claimed its first victim on March 17. With the spiralling cases, like the state, even the congested MMR (125,400 cases) has whizzed past Canada's current patient tally of 104,204, standing 19th, while the state's fatalities (5,722) are higher than Chile's 5,688 deaths, but lower than 6,113 fatalities notched by The Netherlands, according to the Worldometer. The upward trend continued when on June 15, the state recorded 110,744 patients and 4,128 fatalities, which peaked on June 16 when a stupendous 1,409 deaths were declared. During most days in June, the state notched 3-digit death figures and daily cases crossing the 5K mark for four days in the final week, with Mumbai, MMR and Pune Metropolitan Region grabbing the lion's share. Incidentally, on June 1, the state death rate stood at 3.37 per cent, compared with India's 2.82 per cent, and on June 30 the state mortality rate increased to 4.49 per cent vis-a-vis India's 2.97 per cent. During the same period the global mortality rate has dropped sharply from 6.13 per cent to 4.95 per cent - with Maharashtra (4.49 per cent) separated by just 0.46 per cent, portending grim days ahead. (Quaid Najmi can be contacted at q.najmi@ians.in) Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text A slew of gun bills will go in effect Wednesday, including one that would allow city and county governing bodies to ban guns in their buildings and other areas they own or control. Newport News Del. Cia Price pitched the bill in the General Assembly, and her father, Mayor McKinley Price, has taken it up in the city. Lucknow, July 1 : The Lucknow administration has restarted the process of attaching properties of the accused who vandalised public property during the anti-CAA riots in December last year. The district administration attached a garment and a junk store in Hasanganj area. "The FIRs were registered in four police stations and notices were served to 54 persons for recovery of damages. Two properties in Hasanganj locality have been attached and the process will continue in the coming days," said Shambhu Sharan Singh, a district official. The junk shop belongs to one Mahenoor Chaudhary while the garment shop is owned by Dharamvir Singh. Both are accused in the anti-CAA riots. The attachment of property was done as per the provisions of the Uttar Pradesh Recovery of Damages to Public and Private property ordinance-2020 and the orders for the same were passed by Additional District Magistrate Vishwa Bhushan Mishra. The protests against the CAA and the National Register of Citizens (NRC) witnessed a violence in the city on December 19. It may be recalled that the Yogi Adityanath government had assessed losses to the tune of crores during the riots and administration had sent recovery notices worth about Rs 1.55 crores to over 50 people responsible for the damages. In March, the district administration had displayed photographs and addresses of protesters on hoarding in the state capital. The matter was taken to court but after the Corona spread, the Lucknow administration, on March 20, called off all coercive including attachment of property and arrest of the accused. Congress leader Shahnawaz Alam, also an accused in the anti-CAA protests, was arrested form his residence on Monday night. Dubai, July 1 : Vipul, the outgoing Consul General of India in Dubai, is all set to leave the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on a repatriation flight next week following the completion of a three-year tenure, the media reprted on Wednesday. Vipul will be boarding a Vande Bharat Mission flight to New Delhi on July 7, said the Gulf News report. He will be accompanied by his parents, wife and two children. In an exclusive interview to Gulf News, Vipul said: "I am sure that Dubai and the UAE will bounce back as always and people will come back post-COVID-19." He thanked the UAE authorities for their continued support to the Indian community. One of the unforgettable experiences he has had in Dubai was also during the repatriation. "I won't forget that in one flight to Kochi, we accommodated 75 pregnant ladies," he said. In terms of milestone achievements of his tenure, Vipul placed on top the two visits of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi to the UAE. "I will especially never forget his address to the community at Dubai Opera during his visit in February 2018." In the wake of the pandemic, he said the last three months had been very challenging for the Consulate, adding that many of his colleagues worked day and night to make the repatriation process of stranded Indians from the UAE a success. New Delhi, July 1 : Union Minister for Food and Public Distribution Ram Vilas Paswan has said that his ministry has closed the door for Chinese products. Paswan said that no Chinese goods will come to his department anymore and a circular to this effect has already been issued. In an exclusive interview with IANS, Paswan said that from now on foreign products will also be tested as per the standard set by the Bureau of Indian Standards. After this decision, the purchase of goods directly by his Ministry and the departments and organizations under his Ministry will not include products from China. The Food Corporation of India and the Central Warehousing Corporation also come under the Union Food and Public Distribution Ministry. The circular issued by the ministry on June 23 stated that no goods manufactured in China would be purchased from the Government e Marketplace (GeM) portal or any other source. This decision comes after the incident in Galwan Valley in Ladakh in which 20 Indian soldiers, including an officer, were killed in a clash with Chinese troops last month. After the incident, there is a wave of anger all over the country against China and people are boycotting Chinese goods. Paswan said "Rules are being framed to check foreign goods standards. These rules will apply not only to Chinese products but also to products coming from other countries." He said the way Indian goods are tested on foreign standards in the same way, foreign goods will be tested in India. "We will stop foreign goods if our standards are not met," Paswan said. Paswan has been active in delivering foodgrains to every nook and corner of the country by implementing the free grain distribution scheme - Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) during the corona crisis. So far, 1,03,53,715 tonnes of foodgrains have been distributed, which is 87 per cent of the total quota for three months. The scheme has been extended till November. Expressing happiness, Paswan said this will provide great relief to more than 80 crore poor people of the country in this hour of crisis. Paswan said there is enough stock of foodgrains in the country. He urged the states to lift the grains for the months ahead to ensure smooth distribution under PMGKAY. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text New Delhi, July 1 : Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday reiterated that the situation in the capital city is now under control and not adverse as it was a month ago but warned that there is no room for complacency as the coronavirus is unpredictable. Addressing a press conference, Kejriwal asserted that the situation is in-check due to increase in number of beds, testing, recovery rate and decrease in the death rate due to the coronavirus. "The situation is under control and not as adverse as it was a month ago. This is due to our concerted efforts," he said, asking people to follow the social distancing norms and wear masks religiously. He added, "Situation is improving in Delhi in the last few days. However, there is no room for complacency. This virus is unpredictable. We must continue our efforts with more vigour." The Chief Minister, however, hinted that the situation predicted by his government a month ago did not turn out to be accurate. "We had predicted that by June 30, there will be one lakh total cases and sixty thousand active cases, but now there are only 26,000 active cases, almost one-third. With the help of people, doctor, nurses, we have now controlled the situation," he added. Last month, he had projected an exponential growth in the city's COVID cases. "We would hit one lakh cases and would require 15,000 beds by June 30," he had warned. "There was fear. We have now arranged 15,000 beds in Delhi, but there are only 5,800 people admitted right now. One month ago, there were only 8,500 beds. The number of COVID-19 patients is decreasing," Kejriwal added. The 51-year-old leader further said that the recovery rate is also improving. One month ago, 38 per cent had recovered which has now improved to 68 per cent, he said. He went on to say that the daily cases have also come down. "On June 23, the city recorded 4,000 new cases and yesterday only 2,200 tested positive." Kejriwal asserted that the death rate has decreased while testing has increased drastically. "Earlier out of 100 people who were tested, 31 used to be found positive. Now, when we test 100 people, we find only 13 people positive," he added. Meanwhile, India recorded a spike of 18,653 cases in the last 24 hours, pushing the total tally of Covid-19 cases to 5,85,493, with the number of fatalities mounting to 17,400, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said on Wednesday. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text New York, July 1 : A New York judge has temporarily blocked President Donald Trump's niece from publishing a tell-all memoir about the first family, a media report said on Wednesday. Mary Trump's upcoming book, "Too Much and Never Enough, How My Family Created the World's Most Dangerous Man", is due to be published on July 28, said the BBC report. The book claims to reveal "a nightmare of traumas, destructive relationships, and a tragic combination of neglect and abuse". But on Tuesday a judge granted a restraining order to Mary Trump's uncle, the President's brother, Robert. Robert Trump's lawyer, Charles Harder, cheered the ruling, and said: "We look forward to vigorously litigating this case and will seek the maximum remedies available by law for the enormous damages caused by Mary Trump's breach of contract and (publisher) Simon & Schuster's intentional interference with that contract. "Short of corrective action to immediately cease their egregious conduct, we will pursue this case to the very end." But lawyers for Mary Trump have said that they will immediately appeal against Tuesday's ruling, the BBC report said. "The trial court's temporary restraining order is only temporary but it still is a prior restraint on core political speech that flatly violates the First Amendment," said her lawyer, Ted Boutrous. "This book, which addresses matters of great public concern and importance about a sitting President in an election year, should not be supressed even for one day." Earlier this month, President Trump said that his niece was violating her non-disclosure agreement (NDA) by writing a book. "She's not allowed to write a book," he told Axios news, referring to a 20-year legal document Mary Trump had reportedly signed following a dispute over her father's estate after his death in 2001. Trump called the NDA a "very powerful one" that "covers everything". This is the second book that Trump and his associates were seeking to block. Earlier this month, the US Justice Department was denied an injunction to block a memoir by John Bolton, the President's former National Security Adviser. "The Room Where It Happened: A White House Memoir", is due to go on sale later this month. Agartala, July 1 : In an effort to curb the spread of coronavirus, the Tripura government will soon start free distribution of Vitamin-C enriched juice and fruits among people in urban areas to increase their immunity, a minister said here on Wednesday. Tripura's Law and Education Minister Ratan Lal Nath said the state government will spend Rs one crore to implement the "Programme for boosting public immunity in the urban areas in COVID-19". Nath, who is also the spokesman of the Tripura government, said the state cabinet finalised the programme on Tuesday, to be implemented by the Urban Development and Rural Development departments. "Involving the SHGs (Self-Help Groups), the urban local bodies including municipal corporations and municipal councils, the Vitamin-C enriched juice and fruits would be distributed free among the people in a bid to increase their immunity to prevent the coronavirus infection. "While the scheme would increase the people's immunity, the farmers would be able to sell their fruits including pineapples and lemons at reasonable prices," the minister said. Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb in a tweet said that a healthy society is the foundation for the socio-economic development of any state. "Keeping this in view, our government has decided to introduce a public immunity boosting programme in urban areas for next one month." Deb, who also holds the health department portfolio, said that the fruits would be directly purchased from the farmers. "Teams of National Urban Livelihood Mission would closely monitor the scheme for effective implementation at the grassroots level." "The Vitamin-C enriched juice and fruits especially pineapples and lemons would be distributed every Saturday in urban localities," the Chief Minister said. Tripura annually produces 1.30 lakh tonnes of the state's most exotic and juicy pineapples - Kew and Queen. President Ram Nath Kovind in 2018 announced the "Queen" variety of pineapple as Tripura's state fruit. The northeastern state has exported the Vitamin-C enriched fruits to Dubai, Bangladesh and several other countries in the last few years. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Thiruvananthapuram, July 1 : The Kerala Legislative Assembly will meet for a day later this month to pass the Finance Bill. A top government source told IANS that there is time till July 29 and hence the Assembly will have to have a one-day sitting to pass the Finance Bill. The 19th session of the 14th Kerala Assembly was called off on March 13 after the number of Covid positive cases then had reached 16 and close to 4,000 people were under observation. And now close to 1.85 lakh people are under observation and there are 2,112 people who are positive, while 2,304 people by now have been cured of the disease. Seoul, July 1 : Samsung has confirmed it will not participate in Europe's largest consumer tech trade show IFA 2020 and would go online to avoid unnecessary mass gatherings during the Covid-19 pandemic. The announcement comes after the European Union allowed travel from 15 countries except the US, Russia and Brazil, reports TechCrunch. "We have taken the exciting decision to share our latest news and announcements at our own digital event in early September. While Samsung will not be participating in IFA 2020, we look forward to our continued partnership with IFA in the future," the report quoted company's spokesperson as saying. IFA 2020 is scheduled to take place from September 4 to 9. Owing to the global pandemic, there is still uncertainly on the event. At IFA 2019, Samsung unveiled Galaxy A90 5G, its first non-flagship phone with 5G support. The company is planning a virtual 'Unpacked' event on August 5 to unveil the Galaxy Note 20 and Galaxy Fold 2. New Delhi, July 1 : Volunteers have begun participating in Brazil's first clinical trial of Oxford COVID-19 vaccine. The ChAdOx1 vaccine technology is based on an adenovirus, and it is considered very safe, even in people with a weak immune system. The vaccine being used in the Brazilian trial, on 5,000 volunteers, is similar to the one used in the UK and South Africa. The ChAdOx1 vaccine technology is based on an adenovirus, another virus, which causes mild upper respiratory tract infections. "We have removed some of the adenovirus genes, so that when we use it as a vaccine, the adenovirus can't spread through the body. That makes it very safe, even in people with a weak immune system. But because it is still a live virus, it is good at inducing a strong immune response after vaccination", said Professor Sarah Gilbert, Nuffield Department of Medicine, Oxford University. Gilbert gave a short talk while participating in an informal discussion with ambassadors of the UN member states. According to the Oxford University, many strains of adenoviruses infect humans; therefore people have developed antibodies against it. "We started with an adenovirus, which was isolated from a chimpanzee and doesn't circulate in human populations, so there is no prior immunity to it. Then we add a gene to encode one of the proteins from the pathogen that we want to vaccinate against -- for SARS-CoV-2 we use the spike protein, which covers the surface of the coronavirus," added Gilbert. The ChAdOx1 vaccine technology has been used to produce candidate vaccines against a number of pathogens including flu, chikungunya, Zika and another coronavirus, Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS). According to Gilbert, if Oxford's vaccine is successful, others' will be as well. Emphasizing on the Ebola experience, she added that the aim should be to produce multiple vaccines to be licensed rather than end up with a monopoly. "But it is not likely that ALL candidate vaccines now in development will be effective, and many will require more than one dose. Vaccine developers should work together to compare immune responses, and assess different vaccine platforms. Technologies, which can be manufactured in large scale and low costs should be prioritized, but they also need to be highly effective", added Gilbert. The vaccine developed at the Oxford Jenner Institute is currently on trial in the UK, where for the clinical trial over 4,000 participants have enrolled and additional enrollment of 10, 000 participants is planned. The ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine has been licenced to AstraZeneca. (Sumit Saxena can be contacted at sumit.s@ians.in) Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Gandhinagar, July 1 : With weather forecast indicating a good monsoon this year, Gujarat has received almost 16% of its annual average rainfall in the past couple of days amid the gloom spread by the coronavirus crisis. A major beneficiary of the rain god's benevolence is Saurashtra region, which has received over 25% of its average. The India Meteorological Department has predicted moderate to heavy rain in the next 2-3 days in many parts of Gujarat. After Gujarat's 15.80% of its average annual rainfall (831 mm), the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC) said almost all parts of Gujarat had benefited from 131.33 mm rain till now in this season. Out of 251 Talukas (Tehsils) 18 have received more than 251 mm of rain, 102 blocks between 126 mm and 250 mm, 100 Talukas between 51mm and 125 mm and 31 blocks with less than 50 mm. The farmers of Saurashtra are a happy lot, as the rains have not only been timely but also looks promising in coming weeks. Saurashtra,with an average of 677 mm rainfall, have so far received 172mm, that is 25.35%, whereas the maximum has been in Porbandar district at 236 mm, or 33.85% of its annual average of 698 mm. The eastern and central parts of the state ahve received 121 mm of the total rainfall this year, which is 14.72% of its annual average of 819 mm. Kheda district has received the maximum 152 mm, which is 18.34% of its average 828 mm. South Gujarat records the maximum rainfall in the entire state. The average annual rainfall in this area is 1,447 mm, of which it has received only 135 mm or just 9.32%. However, Dang, the district which records maximum rainfall in the state, has received 11.05% of its average of 2,377 mm rain, with Subir block receiving the highest 94 mm rainfall in the state during the last 24 hours. In the last 24 hours, Gujarat received 9.09 mm (state average) rainfall, with a maximum in Subir Taluka, followed by Kalavad (Jamnagar) 73 mm, Veraval (Gir-Somnath) 57mm, Dhrol (Jamnagar) 48mm, Halol (Panchmahals) 48mm, Mendarda (Junagadh) 47mm, Modasa (Aravalli) 46mm, Vadiya (Amreli) 45mm, Ahwa (Dang) 45mm, Sutrapada (Gir-Somnath) 44mm, Gir Gadhada (Gir-Somnath) 42mm, Becharaji (Mehsana) 40mm, Lodhika (Rajkot) 40mm and Jesar (Bhavnagar) 40mm. Due to heavy rains in Gujarat and neighbouring Madhya Pradesh, water level in the Sardar Sarovar Dam on the Narmada river has reached 1222.26 feet. The authorities had to open the sluices to allow release of water -- an outflow of 1324.78 cumec against an inflow of 827.68 cumec. Attorney General Herring believes that every Virginian has the right to be safe and free from discrimination no matter what they look like, where they come from, or who they love, Gomer said. LGBT Virginians are finally protected from housing and employment discrimination under Virginia law and Attorney General Herring looks forward to defending the Virginia Values Act in court against these attacks. Taipei, July 1 : Taiwan inaugurated an office on Wednesday to help Hong Kong citizens wishing to study, do business, invest or apply for asylum in response to China's controversial security law for the city which has come into force. The new office began operations on Wednesday, the day on which Hong Kong is commemorating the 23rd anniversary of its return to Chinese sovereignty, reports Efe news. Taiwan's China-policy making Mainland Affairs Council had announced the creation of this department on June 18 "to correspond to the CCP's (Chinese Communist Party) imposition of the National Security Law on Hong Kong, an action of which has caused unrest in its society". "It aims to provide friendly and streamlined services and basic care for Hong Kong citizens arriving in Taiwan in need of assistance, as well as for Hong Kong-based multinational companies and international corporations relocating to Taiwan," the Council said in a statement. The project also hopes to "attract Hong Kong capital and talent to strengthen and expand Taiwan's economic development" and consists of three sections dedicated to "consultation services", "program management", and "administrative affairs". The new office, which is officially known as the Taiwan-Hong Kong Office for Exchanges and Services, is located at the headquarters of the Taiwan Foundation for Democracy and is part of the Hong Kong Humanitarian Aid Project. "This is an important landmark for the government to further realize its support for Hong Kong's democracy and freedom," Chen Ming-tong, the head of the Mainland Affairs Council, told reporters on Wednesday. He said that the Chinese law "not only targets residents in Hong Kong" but is "also an order issued by the Celestial Empire to people all over the world", in a reference to China's government. "The whole world needs to be concerned" about the law, Chen added, according to Taiwan's official agency, CNA. The law establishes sentences of up to life imprisonment for "acts of secession, subversion, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces to endanger national security". Moreover, any person convicted under the law will not be allowed to stand as a candidate in the elections for Hong Kong's Legislative Council. The next elections to elect the members of this body are scheduled in September. A large part of the local population, as well as journalists, activists and lawyers, fear that the new legislation will undermine the freedoms enjoyed by the city and many Hong Kongers are now considering emigrating from the city. Mumbai, July 1 : Actresses Nimrat Kaur, Soha Ali Khan and Neha Dhupia are the latest Bollywood celebrities to complain about inflated electicity bills. Residents across Mumbai have been complaining about abnormally high electricity bills, which they received after the lockdown. "So like everyone else, I'm struck too @Adani_Elec_Mum. Time to explain this calculation. We can at least be heard here, what about all those who can't?! #Shockdown," tweeted Nimrat Kaur on Wednesday. So like everyone else, Im struck too @Adani_Elec_Mum. Time to explain this calculation. We can at least be heard here, what about all those who cant?! #Shockdown Nimrat Kaur (@NimratOfficial) June 30, 2020 "Are we just meant to accept these inflated electricity rates and pay them? @Adani_Elec_Mum we have received a bill that is three times our usual amount. Could you please explain?," shared Soha Ali Khan. Are we just meant to accept these inflated electricity rates and pay them? @Adani_Elec_Mum we have received a bill that is three times our usual amount. Could you please explain? Soha Ali Khan (@sakpataudi) July 1, 2020 Reacting to Soha's tweet, Neha Dhupia wrote: "Yes.... same here.. can someone reply from @Adani_Elec_Mum so that we are not left in the "dark"..." Yes .... same here .. can someone reply from @Adani_Elec_Mum so that we are not left in the dark ... https://t.co/eM29NwVkFp Neha Dhupia (@NehaDhupia) July 1, 2020 On Sunday, Taapsee Pannu was the first Bollywood personality who called out the power firm for overcharging. Soon, Renuka Shahane, Huma Qureshi, Ranvir Shorey, Dino Morea and Vir Das, among others, were complaining about inflated electricity bills. "What are these new electricity rates ?? @Adani_Elec_Mum Last month I paid 6k .. and this month 50 k ????!!! What is this new price surge ?? Kindly enlighten us," Huma Qureshi had shared in a tweet a couple of days back. Reacting to Huma Qureshi's tweet on the same, Soha tweeted on Wednesday: "And was any light shone on the matter?" -- Syndicated from IANS New Delhi, July 1 : Delhi Police on Wednesday detained scores of AAP leaders and workers after they staged a protest outside the BJP headquarters against the incessant hike in fuel prices. A senior Delhi Police officer told IANS, "They have not been arrested. They have been detained and brought to Rajendra Nagar police station." The Police said that at least 40-50 workers have been detained. Adil Ahmad Khan, Chairman of the Agriculture Produce Marketing Committee, took to the micro-blogging website and said that party workers have been detained. "AAP workers protesting peacefully outside the BJP headquarters against the spike in diesel and petrol prices have been detained. For the last half an hour, the police are not telling where they are taking us," Khan said. Holding placards, AAP workers took to streets in many parts of the country, including in Rajasthan, Haryana and Delhi on Wednesday morning, to protest against the spike in fuel prices. In Delhi, the protest was led by AAP leader Gopal Rai. "In the international market, the price of crude oil has come down to $40 per barrel, but the Modi government has not reduced the prices of petrol and diesel. Industries and common people are facing difficulty amid the coronavirus pandemic," said Gopal Rai. Chennai, July 1 : Six workers were killed and 17 others injured when a boiler in a thermal power unit (TPS II) of NLC India Ltd exploded on Wednesday, officials said. The NLC India's integrated mining-cum-power plant is located in Neyveli in Cuddalore district in Tamil Nadu. The injured have been admitted to NLC India hospital. It is the second major boiler blast in NLC India. In May, four persons were killed when a boiler in the TPS II exploded. The company's TPS II consists of seven units of 210 MW each. The cause of the boiler blast is yet to be ascertained. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K. Palaniswami expressed grief over the deaths and announced a compensation of Rs 300,000 each to the bereaved families. Palaniswami also announced Rs 100,000 each to severely injured workers and Rs 50,000 each to other injured. -- Except for the title, this story has not been edited by Prokerala team and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed Chennai, July 1 : Actor-turned-politician Rajinikanth on Wednesday expressed shock at the way the Sathankulam police officials behaved with a Magistrate who had gone to the police station to inquire into custodial deaths and said the concerned officials should be punished. In a tweet, Rajinikanth said he was shocked to hear of the manner in which the police officials spoke and behaved in front of the Magistrate inside the Sathankulam police station even as there was widespread condemnation of the brutal torture and killing of a father and son by the police. The reason for Rajinikanth's anger lies in the report submitted by Kovilpatti Judicial Magistrate M.S. Bharathidasan who was asked to inquire into the case of brutal torture of P. Jeyaraj and his son J. Bennicks by the Sathankulam police on June 19 and their subsequent deaths. Jeyaraj and Bennicks had been booked for not closing their mobile shop in time on June 19 by the Sathankulam police. They were sent to judicial custody and lodged in Kovilpatti jail on June 21. Jeyaraj died on June 22 night and Bennicks on June 23 morning in judicial custody, allegedly due to the police torture. In his report to the Madras High Court, Magistrate Bharathidasan said that when he had gone to the Sathankulam police station, Additional Superintendent of Police D. Kumar and Deputy Superintendent of Police C. Prathapan did not even greet him nor acknowledge his presence. As per the report, Kumar did not respond properly when asked for documents. The Sathankulam police personnel mocked and threatened the judicial officials, according to the report. When asked to submit their batons for evidence, the police officials first tried to behave as if they had not heard anything. But when he insisted police officials submitted their batons except for constable Maharajan who made a disparaging remark - 'you can't pluck anything' - against Bharathidasan. Maharajan, when asked to submit his baton, first said his baton was at his native place, then said it was at his police quarters residence and finally said he was not given a baton at all. The report also said one police official ran away when asked for his baton. Bharathidasan also reported that the CCTV camera storage system did not have any image of June 19 and earlier. Despite the system having sufficient memory space, it was configured to erase the images on a daily basis. A woman police constable Revathy, at the Sathankulam police station, in her deposition before Bharathidasan had said that Jeyaraj and Bennicks were beaten with batons throughout the June 19 night. According to Bharathidasan's report, Revathy also said the victims' blood stains were on the batons of the station police officials and on tables. She said the batons and the tables should be secured so that the evidence is not lost, the report stated. Expressing fear that she may be targeted later, Revathy was initially reluctant to sign a printout of her statement but later on being assured of her safety she signed the document. The Madras High Court Bench in Madurai which took up the case suo moto had said there was prima facie evidence to register a murder case against the Sathankulam police officials. The court also transferred the probe into the deaths of Jeyaraj and Bennicks to the Crime Branch Crime Investigation Department (CBCID) to gather and protect the evidence till the case is handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The High Court has initiated criminal contempt cases against three police officials - Additional Superintendent of Police Kumar, Deputy Superintendent of Police Prathapan and constable Maharajan - for their behaviour at the Sathankulam police station in front of Magistrate Bharathidasan. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text New Delhi, July 1 : Gold hit an all-time high on Wednesday with futures trading at Rs 48,871 per 10 gm as the demand for the safe haven asset continued to soar with the Covid-19 global shocks and economic uncertainty hammering down business sentiments. "Gold surged to its highest in nearly 8 years on Tuesday as mounting fears of a resurgence of new coronavirus cases kept safe haven demand for gold alive, setting the precious metal on path for its biggest quarterly gain since March 2016. Gold has given a return of 20 per cent in 2020 so far. Navneet Damani, VP- Commodities Research, Motilal Oswal Financial Services, said the broader trend on COMEX could be in the range of $1,775-$1,805 and on the domestic front prices could hover in the range of Rs 48,550-Rs 49,200. The positive US consumer confidence number also could not dampen gold's rally. Uncertainties around the Hong Kong issue and a second wave of Covid-19 are increasing distress in the market, hence supporting the prices of the precious metal. US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Fed Governor Jerome Powell have pledged to do more for the US economy as it battles the enormous fallout of the virus outbreak. The market participants will focus on PMI numbers from major economies globally and private payroll numbers from the US, which will give a hint on the situation of the jobs market in the country. Experts predict that with the current trend, gold may reach historic levels around Rs 65,000 per 10 gm in two years' time. Analysts expect domestic futures to touch Rs 52,000 per 10 gm in the next few months till Diwali. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Canberra, July 1 : Australia on Wednesday said that it will significantly increase military spending and focus on the Indo-Pacific region amid rising tensions between the US and China. Prime Minister Scott Morrison pledged A$270 billion ($186 billion) to Australia's arms budget over 10 years, a 40 per cent boost, the BBC reported. The new defence capability budget, about 2 per cent of the GDP, replaces a previous decade-long strategy, set only in 2016, which had set aside A$195 billion. Morrison said that Australia would acquire long-range missiles and other capabilities to "deter" future conflicts. It was necessary because the region was the "focus of the dominant global contest of our age", he added. The Prime Minister named several areas of tension including the border between India and China, and conflict over the South China Sea and East China Sea. It follows deteriorating relations between Australia and China - which are widely seen to be at their worst in decades. Morrison said much spending would go to upgrading arms and equipment. Australia will purchase from the US Navy up to 200 long-range anti-ship missiles, which can travel up to 370 km. It will also invest in developing a hypersonic weapons system - missiles which can travel thousands of kilometres, said the BBC. Up to A$15 billion would be spent on cyber warfare tools - which the Prime Minister noted "says a lot about where the threats are coming from". Last month, he warned that Australian institutions and businesses were being targeted by cyberattacks from a "sophisticated state actor". The remarks were broadly interpreted as aimed at China. New Delhi, July 1 : Even as Indian and Chinese militaries talk to de-escalate and disengage at borders in eastern Ladakh, Indian intelligence agencies said on Wednesday that Chinese People's Liberation Army has brought in troops of two more divisions across Line of Actual Control at disputed areas. This will escalate the matter even though South Xinjiang military chief Major-General Liu Lin had agreed to disengage troops from Galwan Valley during talks with Indian counterpart, Lieutenant General Harinder Singh, the commander of Leh-based XIV corps. "In total, China has deployed around 24,000 soldiers more in Eastern Ladakh region," said sources, adding that a division comprises of 12,000 soldiers. Sources further stated that the Chinese forces have also brought in heavy guns, tanks and fighter aircraft across the Line of Actual Control in a bid to aggravate the border situation. In Tibet region, China generally stations two divisions of troops. But now they have brought in two more divisions from far away locations. This clearly signifies that they are not committed to their consensus of disengagement. India is closely watching the development across the Line of Actual Control and has decided to carry out mirror deployment in the region. In the meantime, on Tuesday, the talks between the Indian and Chinese military delegates to resolve the border issue in eastern Ladakh went on for around 12 hours. The meeting which started at 10.30 a.m. ended at 11 p.m. on Tuesday night, the sources said. The meeting took place at Chushul wherein India has put a strong message that China's People's Liberation Army troops have not been aided by the disengagement consensus. This was the third meeting between the two sides. The last two meetings at Corps Commander level were held on June 6 and June 22. While Tuesday's meeting was held in Chushul on the Indian side, the previous two took place in Moldo on the Chinese side. "All contentious areas during the current stand-off were discussed to stabilise the situation," the sources added. China has agreed to move back in Pangong Tso but they did not. India claims Line of Actual Control at Finger 8 and Chinese are sitting between Finger 4 and Finger 5. Similar, differences exist in Depsang and Demchok. On June 22, the talks took place for around 11 hours and the dialogue was held in a cordial, positive and constructive atmosphere and there was a "mutual consensus to disengage". "Modalities for disengagement from all friction areas in Eastern Ladakh were discussed," the Indian Army had stated. The meeting took place on the lines of the one they held at the Chushul-Moldo border personnel meeting (BPM) point in eastern Ladakh on June 6. Also Major General level dialogue took place for three consecutive days after the barbaric attack at patrolling point 14 in Galwan valley on June 15 night where 20 Indian soldiers were killed. The dialogue was carried out to ease out the tense situation and to release 10 Indian soldiers, including four officers, who were in Chinese captivity. Major General Abhijit Bapat, who is the Commander of the 3 Division of the Indian Army, had raised several points with the Chinese with regard to the incident on the night intervening June 15-16. June 15 was the first time the Indian Army faced casualties in a clash with the China's People's Liberation Army since 1975 when an Indian patrol was ambushed by Chinese troops in Arunachal Pradesh. China is also said to have used thermal imaging drones to trace the Indian Army soldiers scattered on the treacherous terrain before brutally attacking them. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Liverpool, July 1 : Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson has dedicated the team's Premier League title to former skipper Steven Gerrard, who came agonisingly close to winning the trophy in the 2013/14 season but fell short in the end. Liverpool recently ended their 30-year long wait for a top-flight title after they beat Crystal Palace 4-0 and Manchester City lost to Chelsea 1-2 away from home. This is also Liverpool's first Premier League title since its inception in 1992. Gerrard, who is widely regarded as one of the finest players ever to don the jersey of Liverpool, ended his career without a league trophy. 'The Reds' were within touching distance of winning the title in that season but a costly Gerrard slip at Anfield helped Demba Ba score a crucial goal and Chelsea went on to win the match and handed the advantage back to City, who ruthlessly clinched the title that season. "I said this when I first took over the role of the captaincy, when people might have doubted me and criticised me as a person, but I will always say no one will replace Steven Gerrard at this club no matter who the captain is or what the team wins," Henderson was quoted as saying by Daily Mail. "It wasn't in my mind when I took over the captaincy to replace him; it was just to do the best I could for this club and this team and that is all I ever try to do. "This is not only for us as players and for the fans,' Henderson said. 'It is also for players like Stevie and Kenny (Dalglish) who mean so much to this club. "I know how much it means to Stevie to win the Premier League," he added. Gerrard, himself, had paid rich tributes to Henderson after he wrote his name in Liverpool folklore, captaining them to the title. He had acknowledged Henderson's feat and shared an image of the two together on Instagram and his post read: "Couldn't of (sic) passed it to a better person. Proud of you, mate." Berlin, July 1 : "Sacred Games" actress Elnaaz Norouzi is going to celebrate her birthday by doing a good deed. Ahead of her birthday on July 9, Elnaaz will raise money to help feed six to seven thousand families of Indian migrant workers. This will be done in association with an NGO. Whatever money is raised by Elnaaz and her fans, will directly go to the NGO for the cause. "A few weeks back I saw a video of some migrant workers crying and saying that they don't even have money to eat roti. It was such a heartbreaking video. I am helping the ones I know around me but there are so many more who need help," she said. "I'm so fortunate and could survive and live well for one more year. I needed to give back. India has given me the life that I have now, I want to thank the people with this small gesture," added the Iran-born and German-raised actress. She is currently in Germany amid the global COVID-19 lockdown. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text "When they sign up and they go any soldier, a Marine, Navy, Air Force, Army I'm sure they want to believe that the government is 100% in their corner," Hendriks told the AP. "And if any of this is true, how could a soldier actually believe that anymore? How could this government let one soldier go on patrol out there knowing this is true?" New Delhi, July 1 : Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Wednesday took a potshot at the Uttar Pradesh government, alleging that weavers in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's parliamentary constituency Varanasi "are being forced to pledge their jewellery and houses (to creditors) to survive". She said that only a concrete financial package can help them surive amid loss of livelihood due to coronavirus pandemic. "Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath told the PM at an event that lakhs of jobs are being provided in small and medium industries. But the reality is that weavers, who are the pride of Varanasi, PM's parliamentary constituency, are today forced to live by pledging their jewellery and houses. All their work has come to a standstill during the lockdown," she said in a tweet in Hindi. Priyanka Gandhi said the condition of small entrepreneurs and artisans is bad. "Only a concrete financial package -- and not mere propaganda -- can help them emerge from this crisis," she said, tagging a news report from Varanasi that said that weavers are being forced to pledge their jewellery and houses to survive. Her remarks came five days after the Chief Minister claimed to have launched a programme to ensure jobs to over 1.25 crore people in the state. On Tuesday, she accused the state of trying to cover up "massive unemployment" through advertisements, and said the ground reality was far different as 1.5 lakh residents have left the state in search of employment. New Delhi, July 1 : In the wake of rising demand of plasma treatment, a pair of brothers - a doctor at AIIMS and an engineer at IIT Delhi - have developed a mobile application that would bring the needy and the donor of plasma on the same platform. The beta version of the app - COPAL 19 - was launched on Wednesday to honour the National Doctors Day. Dr Abhinav Singh, a neurosurgeon at AIIMS and the brain behind the app, said that the app would work as a bridge between the patients in need of plasma and donors. "The purpose is to fill the deficit of life-saving plasma required for thousands of critically ill patients," he said. The only requirement for the donor is to complete the 28 days post-recovery from COVID-19 infection to become eligible for a plasma donation. "It is a very simple app. It has two options where users can register themselves as a donor or a patient. It keeps an automated record of the donors. The patient would have to place a request on the app for plasma, and he/she would be put in touch with the donor of the same blood group by the blood bank of the hospital," Dr Abhinav explained. The app, currently in the testing phase, is being used only in AIIMS right now. "We are currently keeping a record of the patients receiving treatment at AIIMS and contacting the patients who have recovered from the hospital and are willing to become donors," Dr Abhinav said. He also said that he had kept the app an open-source product. "Any institution can copy the code and modify the application as per their requirement. However, they can use the current app as well," he informed. Dr Abhinav said the idea of developing the app struck him after a personal incident where he experienced the difficulty one faces to arrange plasma. "Recently, my senior went into ICU of AIIMS after contracting COVID-19 infection. His condition was critical, and he urgently needed the plasma, but no donor was available there. Then he got shifted to Max Saket, but unfortunately, we had to face a similar situation. Later, after appealing on various social media platforms, we arranged a plasma donor for him. This incident made me realise the struggle one has to go through to arrange the plasma," he said. The experience motivated Dr Abhinav to come up with a platform where the needy and the donor of plasma could find each other without any struggle. "We were fortunate to arrange the plasma; many patients cannot wait during an emergency. That's why I thought to build something that can save lives of critically ill COVID patients," he added. While Dr Abhinav is the brain behind the app, his brother Tushar Singh, pursuing engineering at IIT, is the hand behind the app. "I don't know the coding, so I asked for the help of my younger brother. He developed the app," he said. The app contains the personal details of the patients. Recently, India banned dozens of apps which were harnessing personal information of users for their gains. When asked how the app would ensure the safety of the users' data, Tushar said that the app would only demand the minimum required credentials of a user. "We only want names, blood group, contact number, and city of residence to build a profile. The app would demand no sensitive information of a user," he clarified. "Besides, we have made sure that we become an intermediary between the patient and the donor. The blood bank will facilitate contact between the patient and the donor. Their personal details would not be shared until the donation happens," Tushar added. The app will be available on Google Play store once its testing is completed. Mumbai, July 1 : Comedian-actor Vir Das on Wednesday went down memory lane and recalled working i the film "Delhi Belly", which was released nine years ago on this day. "9 years since this madness dropped. Still some of the most fun and hardest work I've ever seen done on a film. "Whenever an idea I'm working on seems too outrageous or crazy, I remind myself that 'Delhi Belly' exists, was made, and was watched," Vir wrote. Along with it, he shared a still from the movie, which also featured Imran Khan and Kunaal Roy Kapur. Directed by Abhinay Deo, "Delhi Belly" was pitched as an adult comedy. Imran's maternal uncle Aamir Khan was one of the co-producers of the movie. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Panaji, July 1 : A day after a ruling BJP MLA tested positive for Covid-19, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said on Wednesday that while the MLA was a part of a meeting of legislators some days back, social distancing norms had been followed at the event. "One MLA is positive. Even if we had a meeting, we maintain social distancing," Sawant said. The Chief Minister said that others who were present at the meeting were at liberty to get themselves tested at a "personal level". "The meeting happened eight days ago. We were sitting in one room with social distancing," Sawant said. A ruling MLA from South Goa district was diagnosed Covid-19 positive on Tuesday. It is the first instance of a sitting MLA testing positive for Covid-19 in the state, where the number of active cases has crossed 700. Another politician, a former BJP Health Minister, also tested Covid-19 positive last week and has been admitted to a designated Covid-19 facility. According to Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, the former Health Minister also suffers from a kidney ailment. New York, July 1 : The Donald Trump administration has secured nearly the entire world stock of antiviral drug remdesivir from US-based Gilead Sciences for the next three months, leaving hardly any stock of the key Covid-19 drug for the rest of the world. As a result of an agreement with the drug maker announced earlier this week, the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has secured more than 500,000 treatment courses of the drug for American hospitals through September. This represents 100 per cent of Gilead's projected production for July (94,200 treatment courses), 90 per cent of production in August (174,900 treatment courses), and 90 per cent of production in September (232,800 treatment courses), in addition to an allocation for clinical trials. A treatment course of remdesivir is, on average, 6.25 vials, the US Health and Human Services said. The agreement allows hospitals in the US to purchase the drug in amounts allocated by HHS and state health departments. Hospitals in the US will receive the product shipped by AmerisourceBergen and will pay no more than Gilead's Wholesale Acquisition Price (WAC), which amounts to approximately $3,200 per treatment course. "President Trump has struck an amazing deal to ensure Americans have access to the first authorised therapeutic for Covid-19," US Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said in a statement. "To the extent possible, we want to ensure that any American patient who needs remdesivir can get it. The Trump Administration is doing everything in our power to learn more about life-saving therapeutics for COVID-19 and secure access to these options for the American people." Remdesivir is considered a key drug in the fight against Covid-19 as a randomised clinical trial conducted with the drug on 1,063 patients over 60 centres across US, Europe and Asia demonstrated a faster time to clinical recovery in hospitalised patients as compared to placebo. To expand supply of remdesivir, Gilead earlier announced non-exclusive voluntary licensing agreements with generic pharmaceutical manufacturers based in India, Egypt and Pakistan The agreements allow the companies -- Cipla Ltd.; Dr. Reddy's Laboratories Ltd.; Eva Pharma; Ferozsons Laboratories; Hetero Labs Ltd.; Jubilant Lifesciences; Mylan; Syngene, a Biocon company; and Zydus Cadila Healthcare Ltd. -- to manufacture remdesivir for distribution in 127 countries. The countries consist of nearly all low-income and lower-middle income countries, as well as several upper-middle- and high-income countries that face significant obstacles to healthcare access. The regulatory approval status of remdesivir varies by country, and the distribution of remdesivir within each country is subject to local laws and regulations. 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. San Francisco, July 1 : Google which gave up on its consumer eye wearable dream has acquired Augmented Reality (AR) smart glass startup called North for an undisclosed sum. Canada-based North that is backed by Amazon and Intel launched the Focals 1.0 AR glasses in January last year. These glasses connect to the user's smartphone via Bluetooth and display key notifications like directions or calling an Uber directly in the wearer's field of view. Google said North's technical expertise "will help as we continue to invest in our hardware efforts and ambient computing future". North will join the Google team based in Kitchener-Waterloo, Canada. North, a pioneer in human computer interfaces and smart glasses, has built a strong technology foundation. After failing to impress people with the consumer edition of its $1500 Glass, Google last year brought the second edition of its eye-wearable device - Google Glass Enterprise Edition 2, with improved camera, USB-C type port and safety frames. The first Google Glass was introduced with much fanfare in 2014. At $1,500, it promised a new, bold era for information. People, however, realised the device was not yet ready to be part of their lives. There were safety and health concerns. The built-in camera raised privacy and piracy issues too. Bengaluru, July 1 : The Karnataka health department has issued a notice to nine private hospitals in the city for refusing treatment to a 52-year-old man with Covid symptoms who later died, an official said on Wednesday. "You are required to reply to the show cause (notice) within 24 hours as to why action should not be initiated against you under the provisions of KMPE and State Disaster Management Act," said Health Commissioner Pankaj Kumar Pandey to the private hospitals. The nine private hospitals are Fortis - Cunningham Road, Mahaveer Jain Hospital - Vasanth Nagar, Suguna Hospital - Rajajinagar, Manipal Hospital and Brindavan Hospital - Chamarajpet, Rangadorai Hospital - Chamarajpet, Vikram Hospital, Sakra Hospital and Bowring Hospital. Incidentally, the deceased patient's son and nephew took him to 18 private hospitals across the city on Saturday and Sunday but all of them rejected admitting him on some pretext such as unavailability of beds or ventilators. "The patient succumbed due to denial of admission by 18 private hospitals contacted by the said patient as none of these hospitals have admitted him," said Pandey. Denying treatment to a Covid patient amounts to the violation of Karnataka Private Medical Establishment Act, 2017 (KPME). "They should strictly adhere to the provisions under Sections 11 and 11 A of KPME. Private medical establishments cannot deny, refuse, or avoid treatment to patients with Covid and Covid-like symptoms," observed Pandey. The violation assumes significance because it occurred on the very day the state government issued a blanket order that no private hospital can deny Covid treatment. Addressing the heads of the nine hospitals, Pandey said, "By denying the admission to the deceased patient, your hospitals have violated the provisions of the above said Act. You are liable for legal action in this regard." The health commissioner warned that hospitals denying treatment to patients during this critical time of pandemic outbreak will not be spared and dealt with stringently. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Bengaluru, July 1 : Recognising their selfless service over the last 3 months in their relentless fight against the corona virus spread, Karnataka on Wednesday honoured doctors, nurses, paramedics and other healthcare warriors, marking the National Doctor's Day. "National Doctors' Day' greetings to physicians and their teams who work day and night as guards of public's illness," Karnataka Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa said here. July 1 is celebrated every year as 'Doctors' Day' across the country to mark the birthday of renowned physician and former West Bengal chief minister Bharat Ratna Bidhan Chandra Roy. Wishing all doctors on their day, state Health Minister B. Sriramulu said the people see god as a doctor who treats their illness. "Society always honours doctors for their duty, diligence and service. Let us extend our heartfelt thanks to them who are relentlessly fighting Covid-19," said Sriramulu here. Hailing healthcare warriors for working in every health centre across the state, the minister urged the people to support them in their fight against the virus. Saluting unsung heroes of corona warriors, state Medical Education Minister K. Sudhakar said the efforts of doctors to save the people from the pandemic was laudable. "I thank all doctors for working round-the-clock to save humanity from the pandemic infection. Their selfless service to care and cure Covid patients cannot be valued and manifests in a Sanskrit saying 'Vaidyo Narayano Hari' which means a 'doctor is like a god' for all," Sudhakar said on the occasion. The state's opposition Congress leader Siddaramaiah said doctors were the only hope during these pandemic times. "As they are saving lives and livelihood of thousands of people, it is our duty to respect their contribution towards nation-building," said the state's former chief minister (2013-18) here. The West Bengal government declared a state holiday for the first time to celebrate the birthday of Dr B.C. Roy and laud the yeomen services of doctors and frontline workers in the fight against the virus. Born on July 1, 1882 at Patna in British India's Bengal Presidency, Dr Roy first graduated in mathematics and studied medicine at the University of Calcutta. Later, he sailed to England and joined St Bartholomew's Hospital in London after efforts, as he was initially denied admission because he was an Asian. Dr Roy later became a member of the Royal College of Physicians and a fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons after post-graduation in 1911. On return to India, Roy joined the freedom movement while teaching medicine at the university and became its vice-chancellor subsequently. Joining politics in 1925, he became West Bengal's second chief minister from 1948 to 1962. Dr Roy was also a personal physician to Mahatma Gandhi and the country's first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru. The Indian government honoured Dr Roy with 'Bharat Ratna' in 1961, a year before he died on his 80th birthday on July 1, 1962. Dr Roy donated his home in Kolkata to be converted into a nursing home, named after his mother Aghorkamini Devi. New Delhi, July 1 : A plea has been moved in the Supreme Court seeking a direction to the Centre to terminate the MoUs signed with the Chinese government and Chinese companies, and also direct the Centre to make public its trade policies with China, against the backdrop of a clash between the two nations' armies in Ladakh. The plea, moved by Jammu-based lawyer Supriya Pandita, argued that Indian and Chinese troops have been engaged in the standoff since early May at several points along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), and on June 15, an escalated incident area occurred along the LAC, which left many casualties on both sides. The petitioner claimed protesters across the country were seen burning Chinese flags and products, while videos on social media showed teenagers destroying their Chinese-made mobile phones. "In the midst of these protests, as per media reports, Gujarat and Maharashtra have signed MoUs with the China-based business conglomerates. Maharashtra signed a few MoUs with some Chinese companies for setting up industry in the state. In another incident as per media reports, conglomerate Adani Group has signed an MoU with one of China's largest private companies to invest $300 million in manufacturing units of Indian port," contended the plea. Citing the Centre's decision on June 29 to ban 59 mobile apps of China-based companies on national security issues, the plea said: "While the ban on these mobile apps may be a welcome step but on the other hand, allowing few select business houses or few select state governments to enter into MoUs with Chinese business house or stakeholders from China sends a wrong message to the people of India." The petitioner claimed that this preferential treatment to these few select business or few select states to enter into MoUs with Chinese businesses is not only discriminatory, but also against the will and sentiments of Indian people. "The MoU signed by the Respondent (Union of India) with its counterpart or government of China for trade and business is against the will of Prime Minister, of India's own policy of Aatma Nirbhar Bharat, and against the will and sentiments of the people of India amidst the escalated tensions at border between the two countries which has led to martyrdom of many soldiers," said the plea. A total of 20 Indian soldiers were killed in a violent clash between two armies in Galwan Valley. The Chinese side also suffered casualties during this incident, but they have not come out with details yet. Puri: Devotees participate in the Bahuda Yatra, the return journey of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra, in Odisha's Puri on July 1, 2020. The yatra was organised without devotees. The servitors pulled the wooden chariots back from th Image Source: IANS News Puri : Devotees participate in the Bahuda Yatra, the return journey of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra, in Odisha's Puri on July 1, 2020. The yatra was organised without devotees. The servitors pulled the wooden chariots back from t Image Source: IANS News Puri, July 1 : Bahuda Yatra, the return journey of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra, was organised without devotees, here on Wednesday. The servitors pulled the wooden chariots back from the Gundicha temple to the 12th-century Jagannath temple. Amid the beating of gongs, cymbals, blowing of conch shells, the deities were brought out of the Gundicha temple and taken in chariots in a procession called 'Pahandi.' Lord Balabhadra was the first to set off in his chariot Taladhwaja, followed by Goddess Subhadra in Darpadalana and Lord Jagannath in Nandighosha. Puri Gajapati Dibyasingh Deb performed 'Chhera Pahanra' (sweeping the chariots with a golden broom). Then the servitors pulled the chariots to the Jagannath temple on the grand road. The Supreme Court, which allowed Rath Yatra, banned the devotees from participating in the annual festival in view of Covid-19 situation. The Rath Yatra was also held without any devotees on June 23. The district administration had imposed curfew for both Rath Yatra and Bahuda Yatra. The deities go to the Gundicha temple during the Rath Yatra, which marks the nine-day journey of the deities from the 12th-century shrine. While Sunabesha (golden attire) of the deities would be held on Thursday, they would be taken back to the main temple in a ritual called Niladri Bije on Saturday, said a Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) official. DGP Abhay said Bahuda Yatra was held smoothly with the cooperation of servitors and people. History is complex and nuanced and a lot of the figures we revere, like (George) Washington or Lincoln, are not perfect in all things, she said. We should be able to tell that complex story instead of saying, This guy was all bad and we should get rid of him. You could destroy our entire history because its based entirely on dispossession of Native Americans. New Delhi, July 1 : The website of the most influential RSS affiliate - Vishwa Hindu Parishad was hacked on Wednesday. The website whose domain name is www.vhp.org currently shows it as "under maintenance". But earlier, the website had objectionable content posted on its homepage where a clarion call to "rise" against the ruling BJP was given. According to a screenshot of the hacked website available with IANS, which was removed before it showed "under maintenance", it advocated that "Kashmir is for the Kashmiris". The Indian government abrogated Article 370 last year that gave special status to the erstwhile state of Jammu & Kashmir to completely integrate it with India. The hacked VHP website's homepage also claimed that there is nothing such as "Love Jihad", a concept VHP has repeatedly raised and blamed it on radical fundamentalism. The hacked website content claimed the concept of 'love jihad' only exists in "twisted minds". VHP spokesperson Vinod Bansal alleged that it is the handiwork of "anti national" forces. However he said it would be premature to pin blame on anyone which requires a thorough investigation. He told IANS, "We discovered objectionable content on our website. Realising it was hacked, we took the website's content down and brought it under maintenance. He said that the main database of the website was adversely impacted. The VHP is going to file a complaint with the Delhi Police. The VHP spokesperson said if the Delhi Police doesn't act decisively, they will approach Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Earlier in 2013, VHP had to seek Delhi Police's help after its official Facebook page was hacked. It then claimed that "malicious religious and political" material were posted on behalf of its account. New Delhi, July 1 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday deleted his account on Chinese social media app Weibo that had nearly 2.44 lakh followers, after the country banned 59 Chinese apps over national security concerns. Reliable government sources told IANS that Modi decided to quit Weibo the moment the country announced the ban on 59 Chinese apps. For VIP accounts, Weibo has a more complex procedure to quit which is why the official process was initiated, according to sources who added that for reasons best known to the Chinese, there was great delay in granting this basic permission. "After the government's move of banning 59 Chinese apps, PM Modi exits from Chinese social media platform Weibo also... Strong message at the border, on the economic front & at personal level too," tweeted B.L. Santosh, BJP's General Secretary, Organisation). All posts, images and comments on the Prime Mnister's Weibo account have been deleted, including two posts where he had photos with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Last month, known for government control and censorship, Chinese social media platforms removed Narendra Modi's speech and India's official statements on the border row. Modi's June 18 remarks about the country's border situation became inaccessible to users on social media app WeChat. The Prime Minister's remarks came in the aftermath of the bloody faceoff in Galwan Valley in eastern Ladakh in which 20 Indian soldiers lost their lives on June 15. The Chinese side has not yet revealed the number of casualties on its side. MEA spokesman Anurag Srivastava's statement on the border row was also removed from the official WeChat account. A message on WeChat said: "Unable to view this content because it violates regulations." Ahead of his visit to China in 2015, Modi opened an account on Weibo, which is considered the Chinese equivalent of microblogging platform Twitter. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text New Delhi, July 1 : India and Pakistan on Wednesday exchanged, through diplomatic channels, the lists of civilian prisoners and fishermen in their custody. The exchange happened as per the provisions of the 2008 agreement under which such lists are exchanged every year on January 1 and July 1, an official statement of the Ministry of External Affairs said. India handed over the lists of 265 Pakistan civilian prisoners and 97 fishermen in India's custody to Pakistan. Simultaneously, Pakistan shared lists of 54 civilian prisoners and 270 fishermen in its custody, who are Indians or are believed to be Indians. The government called for early release and repatriation of the civilian prisoners, missing Indian defence personnel and fishermen, along with their boats, from Pakistan's custody. Pakistan was asked to expedite the release and repatriation of seven Indian civilian prisoners and 106 Indian fishermen to India whose nationality has been confirmed and conveyed to Islamabad, the statement said. In addition, Pakistan has been asked to provide immediate consular access to Indian fishermen and 18 believed-to-be Indian civilian prisoners who are in its custody. New Delhi has also asked Islamabad to expedite the grant of visas to the members of the medical experts' team and facilitate their visit to Pakistan to assess the mental condition of believed-to-be Indian prisoners of unsound mind, who have been lodged in different jails of Pakistan; to organise early visit of the joint judicial committee to Pakistan; and to organise early visit of a four-member team to Karachi in connection with the release and repatriation of Indian fishing boats. The government said that India remains committed to addressing, on priority, all humanitarian matters, including those pertaining to prisoners and fishermen in each other's country. In this context, India has also urged Pakistan to expedite necessary action at its end to confirm the nationality status of 88 Pakistan prisoners, including fishermen, whose repatriation is pending for want of nationality confirmation by Pakistan. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Mumbai, July 1 : Late actor Sushant Singh Rajput's family has said that actor Shekhar Suman and producer Sandip Ssingh's press conference with RJD leader and former Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar, Tejashwi Yadav is a "political gimmick". Shekhar, who had earlier called Sushant's suicide a "more than meets the eye", recently payed a visit to the late actor's family in Patna and conducted a press conference along with Yadav. Sushant's family said that Shekhar was using the actor's untimely death for political gain, since Shekhar was set to join Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) soon after the press conference, according to dnaindia.com. The portal also shared that the late actor's family were unaware about the press meet. "Everything is under investigation in Mumbai and giving media byte in Patna under the political banner is just for political mileage. Family is capable enough to demand all this and keep doing and waiting for police investigation report hence any kind of politics and political intervention not needed. There are already political people in the family who will take this up," the website reports Sushant's family as saying. A related report in timesofindia.indiatimes.com states that Sushant's family is upset with film producer Sandip Ssingh for sharing the dais with Tejashvi Yadav and Shekhar Suman. The family is displeased over the use of a political banner at the press conference. Sushant died on June 14. He was found hanging in his Bandra home. He was 34. Latest updates on Sushant Singh Rajput Death Mystery -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text July 01 : Amid controversies regarding late actor Sushant Singh Rajputs death on June 14, and his fans demand for fare investigation, the late stars brother-in-law, Vishal Kirti, has announced the launch of a new platform to fight nepotism. The platform will judge Bollywood movies on the basis of its actors being a product of nepotism or an outsider. Announcing the launch of the new platform called Nepometer, Kirti took to his Twitter handle and wrote, Created by my brother @mayureshkrishnain the memory of my brother-in-law @itsSSR. He retweeted a post that read, Fight Bollywood Nepotism with information. We will provide rating for movies based on how nepotistic or independent movie crew is. If the #nepometer is high, then its time to #boycottbollywoodnepotism #fightnepotism. Created by my brother @mayureshkrishna in the memory of my brother in law @itsSSR https://t.co/sNSSJfQjy5 vishal kirti (@vikirti) June 25, 2020 Since Sushant Singh Rajputs death, his fan trended hashtags on nepotism and slammed many filmmakers and actors on the basis of nepotismthe reason they believe drove Sushant to death. While, it is not clear if the new platform Nepometer is a website, the tweet says Nepometer: Coming soon. Its very hard to not go back to memories again and again. Daughter and BIL in 2014. pic.twitter.com/GGYZOWsxbK vishal kirti (@vikirti) June 24, 2020 Meanwhile, Mumbai police have recorded statements of about 28 people, and it is reported that filmmaker Shekhar Kapur may also be summoned for interrogation. The filmmaker had tweeted after Sushants death about knowing Sushants state of mind as the actor cried when he met the director. Shekhar was supposed to make a film with Sushant, which was eventually shelved. Latest updates on Sushant Singh Rajput Death Mystery New Delhi, July 1 : Amid ongoing tension with China at the borders, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will be visiting the eastern Ladakh region to interact with soldiers deployed there. The minister would be flying from Delhi to Leh on Friday and would also interact with the soldiers injured during the barbaric attack carried out by Chinese People's Liberation Army on June 15. In the attack, India lost 20 soldiers and Chinese Army too had casualties, but their figures are still unknown. Sources said that Rajnath Singh may visit forward locations where Indian troops are deployed. Reacting to the killing of Indian soldiers, the Defence Minister had stated that the loss of soldiers in Galwan Valley is "deeply disturbing and painful". He said that Indian soldiers displayed exemplary courage and valour in the line of duty and sacrificed their lives in the highest traditions of the Indian Army. "The nation will never forget their bravery and sacrifice. My heart goes out to the families of the fallen soldiers," he had said. On June 22, Rajnath Singh went to Russia for three days to attend the Victory Day Parade at Red Square in Moscow to commemorate the 75th anniversary of Soviet Russia's victory in the "Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945" (Second World War), and also discuss about ongoing defence deals. He had said that the India-Russia bilateral relationship is a special and privileged strategic partnership, the future of which remains strong. Singh reviewed the bilateral defence relationship in a meeting with Russia's Deputy Prime Minister Yury Borisov. Russia had assured India that ongoing defence contracts will not be just maintained but in a number of cases, will be taken forward in a shorter time. India and Russia have inked defence deals worth $16 billion. Moscow has stated that they are committed to the timely implementation of contracts, including the supply of S-400 air defence systems and production of Kalashnikov rifles and Kamov helicopters. India and Russia signed the S-400 deal worth more than $5 billion in 2018 and the missile systems are currently due in December 2021. London, July 1 : Premier League side Arsenal have signed a new long-term deal with 18-year-old winger Bukayo Saka. Saka has been at the club since the age of seven. He made his debut in a Europa League match on November 18 and has since made 34 first-team appearances for the side. Saka has assisted 11 goals and is the first teenager to do so for Arsenal since Cesc Fabregas in the 2006/07 season. "Bukayo is a talented and intelligent young player. He has impressed me with his work ethic and attitude to learn and adapt, and it has paid off in his performances. I am excited to continue working with him to develop him further, and for him to help us achieve our goals," Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said in the club's statement. "This is something everyone involved wanted to happen and we are delighted that Bukayo has signed a new long-term contract. He's making great progress and is one of a number of young players who have developed through our academy. This is so important for us as we move forward as a club," said technical director Edu Gaspar. Saka tweeted that he is happy to have signed the contract extension. "London is my home. Arsenal my team. I'm so happy to finally announce my contract extension I love playing for this club and I'm looking forward to what the future holds.. The hard work continues so I can continue living my dream. God is Great !! (sic.)" he said in the tweet. Thiruvananthapuram, July 1 : Two days after the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) ousted Kerala Congress (Mani) for defying its directive to vacate the president's post of the Kottayam district panchayat, the UDF on Wednesday said it never ousted the ally but only asked it not to take part in UDF meetings. UDF chairman and Leader of Opposition Ramesh Chennithala, after the meeting said that it was the media which misread and misreported the statement. "The UDF convener Benny Behanan never ever said that Kerala Congress (Mani) faction led by Jose K. Mani has been expelled, instead he had said that they will not be allowed to take part in future UDF meetings," said Chennithala. "Things are very clear, we have been speaking to the two factions for the past four months and the Jose K. Mani faction was asked to vacate the post which they did not. Since they did not listen to the UDF directive, we said that they will not be allowed to take part in future UDF meetings and we never ousted them from the UDF," added Chennithala. Kerala Congress (Mani) was founded by UDF veteran late K.M. Mani and is now led by his son and Rajya Sabha member Jose K. Mani. The Kerala Congress (Mani) now comprises of two factions -- one led by Jose Mani and the other led by veteran legislator P.J. Joseph. For all practical purposes for the past one year they have been functioning as two different entities. Two time former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy had on Tuesday said that there has to be discipline in a political front and the doors of the UDF are not closed at all. On Monday and Tuesday, Jose K. Mani had expressed sadness at the way his party members were treated. After their meetings they decided to wait and watch. Wednesday's developments can be seen as the UDF trying to extend an olive branch to Jose K. Mani, given the fact that his father K.M. Mani was one of the founders of the UDF 38 years ago. Manchester, July 1 : Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola on Wednesday conceded that forward Leroy Sane is on his way to Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich after he rejected a new deal last month. It was earlier reported by German media outlets that the two teams had agreed a fee in the region of 55 million pounds and Sane would put pen to paper in a deal that would run till 2025. Speaking during pre-match press conference ahead of the much-anticipated Liverpool clash, Guardiola revealed that the transfer is almost done and Sane is on his way back to Germany. "Looks like, if not already, done" Guardiola told reporters through video conference as per Daily Mail. "There are still some little issues. Wish him all the best on his new chapter. "He will have another chapter at a fantastic club in Bayern Munich. He wanted to leave. Everyone has their own life and he decided to move on. "I would have loved for him to stay but he believed he would be better and happier there," he added. Sane started his senior club career with Bundesliga side Schalke in 2014 and Manchester City came calling in 2016 and acquired his services for a reported fee of 37 million pounds. During his stay in England, he won the Premier League twice and FA Cup once. New Delhi, July 1 : Concerned over the rising cases of the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) in Delhi Police force, Commissioner SN Shrivastava on Wednesday inaugurated the "Corona Helpline for Delhi Police" through a video conference. The helpline has been instituted in coordination with the Indian Medical Association (IMA) and will be available on phone numbers -- 9999672238 and 9999672239. "It is meant for Delhi Police personnel and their family members to seek medical counselling from a doctor about prevention and handling of Corona cases. This facility will be available during working hours seven days a week," said a senior police officer. There was a pressing need for such facility, as Delhi Police personnel are in frontline in tackling the pandemic thereby rendering them and their family members prone to Covid-19. Hence senior formations of Delhi Police including S. Sundari Nanda, Spl. CP/Vigilance coordinated with Dr. Rajan Sharma, President and Dr. RV Asokan, Hony. Secretary General, Indian Medical Association to arrange this facility for Delhi Police personnel and their family members. CP, Delhi also thanked IMA for extending this facility and also greeted the doctors on the occasion of International Doctor's Day recognizing their priceless contribution in our lives. A Delhi police inspector Sanjeev Yadav posted in Special Cell died battling Covid-19 at a South Delhi hospital on Wednesday. Inspector Yadav, who was conferred upon a gallantry award in January, was on a ventilator support for 14 days and has received two plasma therapies since he was admitted to the hospital. Ten Delhi police personnel have succumbed to Covid-19 till date and approximately 2,000 have been affected by the virus of which 1,300 have successfully recovered. Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias met with Libyan Parliamentary Speaker Aguila Saleh on Wednesday during a visit to Libya. Dendias condemned the "Turkish intervention in the war-torn state." According to Al-Arabiya AlHadath Twitter account, Dendias pointed out that the departure of the foreign powers, especially Turkey, from the North African country is the solution for the ongoing conflict. Diplomatic sources said the visit is part of Athens' efforts to actively contribute to reaching a political solution and ceasefire in Libya, according to Greece-based Athens News Agency-Macedonian Press Agency (ANA-MPA). The sources added that Greece wishes to see a solution materialising in Libya in light of UN resolutions and the decisions of the Berlin Conference in a manner that is "far from foreign interventions that undermine safety and stability in the region and ignore the interests of the Libyan people." The Government of National Accord, which is based in Tripoli, is backed by Turkish troops and thousands of Syrian mercenaries in its war against the eastern-based Libyan National Army and its leader Khalifa Haftar. Ankara, according to Reuters, is conducting talks with the GNA for a possible use of the Misrata naval base and Al-Watiya air base. Short link: New Delhi, July 1 : The Delhi High Court on Wednesday adjourned to July 3 the hearing on a petition by Pinjra Tod member Devangana Kalita to seek directions to Tihar Jail authorities to allow her access to her counsel through videoconference. Justice Vibhu Bakhru, who was hearing the matter through videoconference, was informed by Kalita's counsel Adjit S Pujari that a similar plea by co-accused Natasha Narwal had been disposed after Tihar Jail authorities agreed to the plea to some extent. Pujari sought time to place the said order by the High Court, following which the matter was posted to July 3. Kalita had pleaded for facility of videoconference with her lawyer twice a week for 30 minutes each along with headphones and screensharing. Initially, Kalita was arrested for the Jafrabad violence case, but later also for Daryaganj violence. Delhi Police filed a charge sheet against her and co-accused Natasha in the Jafrabad violence case on June 2. Delhi Police charge sheet against Kalita and Pinjra Tod member Natasha claimed they were actively involved in hatching a conspiracy to cause riots near the Jafrabad Metro station in Delhi. New Delhi, July 1 : Fugitive arms dealer Sanjay Bhandari allegedly received an amount of $4,999,699 in the bank account of his UAE-based company Santech International FZC from the Samsung Engineering Corporation Ltd (SECL) and did not disclose it in his income tax returns. He also used the money to buy property in London, as he was the beneficial owner of Vertex Management Holdings Ltd from 2009 to 2012. That property is said to be allegedly owned by Congress interim chief Sonia Gandhi's son-in-law Robert Vadra. The fresh FIR also alleged that Bhandari exchanged mails with SECL's then senior manager Hong Namkoong regarding the ONGC DFCU project in Gujarat's Dahej in 2008 which contained an attachment 'Consulting Service Agreement' between SECL and the Samtech International FZC. This is the second CBI FIR against Bhandari in the span of a year. The revelations were made after the CBI converted a preliminary enquiry (PE) into a regular case against Bhandari, two international firms SECL and Foster Wheeler Energy Ltd, (FWEL) UK, then senior manager of the SECL Hong NamKoong and other unknown officials of the ONGC/OPaL and unknown others on the allegations that Bhandari acted in criminal conspiracy with other accused and in furtherance of the said conspiracy entered into a consultancy agreement with SECL in violation of the contract agreement between OPaL and SECL. The case pertains to petro-chemical complex which the ONGC decided to build as a special economic zone in 2007 and commissioned Samsung Engineering to build a part of the project to SECL. The CBI said, "During enquiry it was found that advance payment to SECL was made by OPaL on February 24, 2009 and an amount of $49,99,969 was credited from the bank account of SECL in the bank account number 1021497657901 of Samtech International FZC with Emirates NBD, Al Quasis Branch in Dubai on June 13, 2009. "Bhandari did not disclose the receipt of $49,99,969 in his Income Tax returns," the FIR said. The CBI alleged that Bhandari had incorporated/held beneficial ownership of several companies outside India. It said that the Samtech International FZC was incorporated in United Arab Emirate (UAE) on February 21, 2006 and Bhandari as one of its directors. "Enquiry revealed that several emails were exchanged between Bhandari and Namkoong regarding the ONGC DFCU project. An email dated April 3, 2008 contains an attachment 'Consulting Service Agreement' between SECL and Bhandari's company dated October 30, 2007," it said. It further said that agreement regarding the consultancy services to be provided by Samtech International FZC to SECL for obtaining the contract at ONGC, DFCU and AU projects at Gujarat's Dahej. The enquiry report said that as per the agreement between the South Korean company has to pay $ 10 million as coordination and consulting fee with 50 per cent payable within 30 days of receipt of advance payment from ONGC and other 50 per cent within six months of the receipt of the payment from ONGC. The CBI also said that agreement between OPaL and consortium of Linder and SECL was signed on February 10, 2009 and in the agreement it was mentioned that the contractor has not been indicated in his bid either involvement of any agent or consultant or representative or retainer or associate or payment of any remuneration for this in India or abroad. The CBI FIR said: "The SECL concealed the facts while signing the integrity pact with OPal." It further said that the agreement between Bhandari's company and Namkoong stipulated that 50 per cent of the total consultation fee shall be payable within 30 days after the receipt of the advance payment from the ONGC, but on the date of agreement the ONGC/OPaL board had not approved the advance payment to be released to the tenderer and the lender document did not have the provisions for making advance payment. "However, the OPaL board in its fifth meeting held on December 17, 2007 approved the provision of advance payment at the request of the bidders and linked the payment to the progress of work," it said. The CBI said that the interest free advance payment was made in contravention of CVC circular dated April 10, 2007. It said that an unsigned copy of a consultancy agreement between FWEL, UK and Samtech International FZC dated July 19, 2007 was also found. "The consultancy agreement is with respect to front end design services project management services and engineering procurement construction management services for the ONGC's project at Dahej Petrochemical complex. As per the agreement the fee for the consultant -- Samtech International FZC was decided at three per cent of the overall contract value. The tendering process for the DFCU was started in April 2007 and this the date of the unsigned agreement of Bhandari's firm with FWEL in July 2007 is significant as it is FWEL which was instrumental in the preparation of the bid documents of the tenderers, engaged for the cost estimation of the project and the net present value was finalised and calculated by FWEL, it said. The CBI further said that Bhandari was the beneficial owner of Vertex Management Holdings Ltd from December 2009 to November 2012. The CBI said: During enquiry it was revealed that Bhandari acquired a property number 12, Ellerton House, Bryston Square in London by purchasing 100 per cent shares of Vertex Management Holdings Limited, UK in his own name for 19,00,000 pounds." "The deal was stipulated to be completed on or before end of August 2009, just after the aforesaid transfer of Rs 22 crore on June 13, 2009 in the account of the company associated with Bhandari," it said. The CBI alleged that the same property was sold by Bhandari to an entity named Skylite Investments FZE incorporated in UAE during 2011-12. Bhandari is also facing an Enforcement Directorate (ED) probe on charges of purchasing benami properties in London on behalf of Sonia Gandhi's son-in-law Robert Vadra. Vadra was questioned by the ED team on multiple occasions last year about his association with Bhandari and London property. Vadra, who is also the husband of Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra had refuted all allegations. In July last year, the CBI has registered a criminal case against unknown officials of Indian Air Force (IAF), Defence Ministry, Bhandari and officials of Swiss based plane maker Pilatus Aircraft Ltd on charges of alleged corruption in the Rs 2,985 crore deal of 75 basic air trainer aircraft for the Indian Air Force in 2009. It is alleged that the said, half a dozen, properties were purchased by money allegedly received as kickbacks for various defence and other (including a petroleum) deal struck during UPA tenure. (Anand Singh can be contacted at anand.s@ians.in) New Delhi, July 1 : The government has asked Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, daughter of party chief Sonia Gandhi, to vacate her government accommodation within a month as she is no longer in the list of Special Protection Group (SPG). But the Priyanka Gandhi's office said it had not received any notice from the government yet. The government in an order, here on Wednesday, said it had cancelled the government accommodation allotted to Priyanka Gandhi with the direction to vacate the house within one month. The Ministry of Home Affairs in its June 30 communication had said Priyanka Gandhi had been assigned 'Z plus' security with the CRPF cover on the all-India basis, which didn't have any provision for allotment or retention of government accommodation. The persons with 'Z plus' security cover were not entitled to government accommodation, it said and added, exceptions could be made only by the Cabinet Committee on Accommodation (CCA), based on security perception assessment by the MHA. "In view of this, she is no longer entitled to government accommodation and her allotment has been cancelled by the Directorate of Estate on July 1, 2020 with the direction to vacate the house within one month," the order said. As per records, she has accumulated Rs 3,46,677 dues as on June 30, 2020. She has been issued notice to clear dues and rent for the period till she vacates the accommodation. However, the office of Priyanka Gandhi told IANS it had not received any notice to vacate the house. Priyanka Gandhi, daughter of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, was allotted Bangalow No 35 in south Delhi's Lodhi Estate on February 21, 1997 on security grounds as a SPG protectee. The CCA at its meeting on December 7, 2000, reviewed the guidelines on allotment of government accommodation on security grounds and decided that in future no private person, other than SPG protectees, should be given government accommodation on security grounds. Such allotments were to be done at the market rate, around 50 times of normal rent. "Later, in July 2003, it was decided to charge special rate of licence fee i.e. 20 times the normal rent from such persons," it said. New Delhi, July 1 : Giving a clear signal for greater support to startups working towards enriching the digital universe, Information and Technology Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said on Wednesday that while Indians download a lot of apps from Google Play Store and Apple App Store, it is time to upload some. His comments came in the backdrop of India banning 59 Chinese apps, including TikTok and UC Browser. Taking part in a virtual event to mark five years of the "Digital India" initiative, the IT Minister encouraged Indian entrepreneurs to make products for the world. "You know you have a supportive government. If any of you need any concrete help, do reach out," he said, addressing the startup community in the country. Moderated by YourStory Founder and CEO Shradha Sharma, the event also saw the participation of Paytm Founder and CEO Vijay Shekhar Sharma, Udaan Co-Founder Sujeet Kumar and InMobi Founder and CEO Naveen Tewari, among others. Tewari said that the decision to ban 59 Chinese apps may open up a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for entrepreneurs to make India the fourth major digital hubs of the world, after the US, China and Russia. Talking about how "Digital India '' helped the country cope with Covid-19 challenges, the IT Minister said that "85 percent of the IT industry was working properly even in the face of severe Covid-19 restrictions". The IT Minister said that India is looking to tap the opportunities provided by Blockchain and Artificial Intelligence in a variety of sectors including health and agriculture. "I think implementation of Blockchain can lead to more meaningful e-governance," he said. New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia during their inspection visit to South Delhi's Radha Soami Spiritual Centre that is being transformed into a Covid facility with provision for treatment of coron Image Source: IANS News New Delhi, June 26 (IANS) Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday said that Intensive Care Units (ICU) beds are being ramped up across the national capital for serious patients, while those in the home isolation have been sent pulse oximeters Image Source: IANS News New Delhi, July 1 : Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, here on Wednesday, reviewed the facilities at the newly established 500-bed Covid Care Centre at the Commonwealth Games (CWG) Village. The centre will be attached to the LNJP Hospital. "500 beds have been installed and the Doctors For You, an NGO, is supporting us in setting up this facility. There are separate wards for men and women, and stay-in facilities for doctors and nurses," said Kejriwal. Many banquet halls were being acquired and new centres, like this, would be set up in the coming days, the Chief Minister added. He said the Delhi government was preparing for all possible situations, considering the unpredictability of the coronavirus. "Our efforts and preparations will continue," he said, adding the cases in the national capital had gone down considerably. "On June 23, around 4,000 new cases were reported. It has gone down to 2,200 cases (reported on Tuesday). We may not need these many beds, but we are ready for any situation," the Chief Minister said. The 51-year-old leader said the plasma bank, set up at the Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences, would be inaugurated on Thursday. Kejriwal said compared with last month, the number of cases in Delhi were decreasing and the situation seemed to be getting under control. "I hope and pray that the facilities created and beds installed across the city are not required. But if they are, then we should not be caught lacking," he said. The increase in testing and the low positivity rate were good signs, he said and added, the recovery rate had increased. "Of the 87,000 coronavirus cases, around 58,000 people have recovered. The death rate has also reduced considerably," Kejriwal said. Kolkata, July 1 : In a shocking incident, the body of a septuagenarian who died of Covid-19 kept lying in his city home for two days ago before it was taken away by Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) on Wednesday, the National Doctor's Day. Mohan Mallick, 71, died at his apartment in Amherst Street area around 3 pm on Monday. Family sources said that Mallick returned home from a local market and suddenly succumbed to his illness. The family called a doctor who came wearing PPE kit and took blood samples for Covid-19 test. He reportedly asked the family to wait for the test report to arrive. Since no one took the responsibility to keep the body till then, the body kept lying in the apartment even as family members desperately trying to contact police, health and civic body authorities. "We ran from pillar to post, be it KMC, health department and the police, to take the body for cremation but there was no result," said Akshay Mallick, the deceased's nephew. He said they received Covid positive report late Tuesday night, after which the family contacted the health department on Wednesday morning. "We never thought we will have to wait for almost two days for the formal procedure to be done. This was really horrible," he said, adding that finally the KMC officials took away the body on Wednesday for cremation. No health department official was ready to comment on the issue. Sources in the KMC, however, said the Covid body was cremated following ICMR guidelines. Bhopal, July 1 : Twitter-sledging of Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan by his predecessor Kamal Nath on Wednesday charged up the political atmosphere on the eve of the ministry expansion in Madhya Pradesh. A sombre-looking Chouhan let out his frustration at being cramped on the choice of ministers. Many of his loyalists are likely to be kept out due to changed intra-party equations. "Both nectar and poison emerge whenever there is churning and Lord Shiva is ordained to accept the poison," he said on being asked about the possible composition of the expanded ministry. Kamal Nath seized the moment to get even with Chouhan. "The churning has gone on for so long, but no nectar has emerged. Only poison is (your) lot. Unending longing for nectar will continue from tomorrow but poison is all you have in store," he tweeted. The mood was far from celebratory in the chief minister's camp as the party touched the 100-day milestone. Chouhan who ran a one-man government for a month was happy with a four-member mini cabinet formed on April 21. It included two ministers from the Jyotiraditya Scindia camp. Scindia had crossed over to the BJP along with 22 supporters to topple the Kamal Nath ministry. He has been demanding his pound of flesh. To accommodate his supporters the BJP is forced to keep its own original aspirants waiting. This has hit the Chouhan camp hard. With his pan-Madhya Pradesh appeal after 15 years in power Chouhan still remains his party's best bet in its preparation for the unprecedented 24 by-elections to the state assembly. Vinay Sahasrabuddhe, RSS point person and vice-president of the BJP, offered a formula to accommodate some younger members in the ministry while drafting some senior members for organisational duty. The issue was not resolved till Wednesday evening. Scindia wants Tulsi Sialawat to be the deputy chief minister while the BJP Central leadership is keen on promoting Narottam Mishra, who as health and home minister is already doing its bidding. He has been eyeing Chouhan's chair. Even before Chouhan was sworn in, in March Mishra supporters had demanded his elevation. Two deputy chief ministers would mean more frustration for the others senior to them. BJP sources say the posts of Speaker and deputy chief ministers are still unresolved. Shivraj Singh wants former Leader of Opposition Gopal Bhargava to be the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly. There is no consensus on the Speaker's name three weeks before the crucial five-day budget-cum-monsoon session is scheduled to begin. Bhargava who was the leader of the opposition till March has also expressed his unhappiness at the recent developments. He said the BJP is making the same mistakes as the Congress in denying the senior leaders their due. Saddled with the obligation to offer the maximum ministerial berths to defectors from the Congress the BJP has the onerous task of winning 24 by-elections with a growing list of dissidents from among the older members. Scindia is in no mood to scale down his demands. There are others who were not his original camp followers, but have switched sides only in the hope of becoming ministers. They include an independent legislator Pradeep Jaiswal and BSP member Sanjeev Kushwaha who are not obliged to help the party win the by-elections so crucial for the BJP to stay in power. San Francisco, July 1 : Apple has reportedly stopped updating thousands of mobile games on the China App Store under the pressure from the Chinese government to comply with the law of the land, the media reported on Wednesday. According to a report in The Financial Times, Apple has blocked updates on tens of thousands of revenue-generating iPhone games on its App Store in China. "Apple has frozen updates for tens of thousands of mobile games on its App Store in China, as it faces increasing government pressure to comply with local regulations," said the report. China is Apple's biggest App Store market, with sales of $16.4 billion a year, according to data from Sensor Tower. In the US, the figures are $15.4 billion a year. Apple currently hosts roughly 60,000 games in China that are paid for or have in-app purchases. "Apple told mobile game developers in February that their games would need an official license from Chinese regulators from June 30," said the report. According to CNBC, China is the world's largest gaming market. According to market research firm Newzoo, iOS may generate 53 per cent of total mobile game revenue in China which is around $13 billion. The App Store generates more revenue in China than it does in any other country, with the majority of it coming from gaming. New York, July 1 : Opening a new front in the civil rights campaign in the US, California has filed a case against technology company Cisco alleging discrimination against a Dalit employee. Amid the national protests against racial discrimination, the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH) filed the case on Monday in a federal court in the Silicon Valley naming the company and two former managers as defendants seeking to bring caste discrimination under the umbrella of unlawful discrimination banned by civil rights legislation enacted in 1964 that does not specify caste. The landmark federal Civil Rights Law specifies only race, colour, religion, sex and national origin. DFEH alleged that "managers at Cisco's San Jose headquarters campus, which employs a predominantly South Asian workforce, harassed, discriminated, and retaliated against an engineer because he is Dalit Indian." The court papers seen by IANS said that the Dalit employee's team was made up entirely of "higher caste" Indians who came to the US as adults and "imported the discriminatory (caste) system's practices into their team and Cisco's workplace". The Dalit employee and the manager who supervised him are both IIT graduates who attended it at the same time, the complaint said, without specifying the institution. DFEH Director Kevin Kish said, "It is unacceptable for workplace conditions and opportunities to be determined by a hereditary social status determined by birth." He added, "Employers must be prepared to prevent, remedy, and deter unlawful conduct against workers because of caste." In addition to Cisco, court documents list Sundar Iyer, a "distinguished engineer at Cisco," and Ramana Kompella as defendants in the case. The person allegedly discriminated against is described as a principal engineer but is not named and is shown in court documents as "John Doe," a pseudonym used in the US legal system to protect identities or when a person's identity is not known. The complaint said that Iyer told others in the company that the person allegedly discriminated against was a member of the scheduled caste and when he confronted the supervisor and complained to the human resources department, a series of retaliation occurred. The complaint said that Cisco failed to acknowledge the unlawful discriminatory practices and did not "take any steps necessary to prevent such discrimination, harassment, and retaliation from continuing in its workplace." After an internal investigation into the complaint, human resources employees "indicated that caste discrimination was not unlawful," DFEH said in court filings. DFEH said in its complaint that the Dalit employee of Cisco "was expected to accept a caste hierarchy within the workplace where Doe held the lowest status within a team of higher-caste colleagues, receiving less pay, fewer opportunities, and other inferior terms and conditions of employment because of his religion, ancestry, national origin/ethnicity, and race/colour." "When Doe unexpectedly opposed the unlawful practices, contrary to the traditional order between the Dalit and higher castes, Defendants retaliated against him," the complaint said. "Although de jure segregation ended in India, lower caste persons like Dalits continue to face de facto segregation and discrimination in all spheres," the DFEH filing said. The complaint sought to give a sociological snapshot of the Indian community in the US saying, "Most Indian immigrants in the United States are from upper castes. For example, in 2003, only 1.5 per cent of Indian immigrants in the United States were Dalits or members of lower castes. More than 90 per cent were from high or dominant castes." The DFEH cited a 2018 survey of South Asians in the US found that 67 per cent of Dalits reported being treated unfairly at their American workplaces. (Arul Louis can be reached at arul.l@ians.in and followed on Twitter at @arulouis) London, July 1 : The UK competition watchdog on Wednesday called on the government to introduce a new pro-competition regulatory regime to tackle Google and Facebook's market power. The UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said that it proposed the creation of a "Digital Markets Unit" designed to rein in platforms with "a position of market power" when it comes to digital ads. "Through our examination of this market, we have discovered how major online platforms like Google and Facebook operate and how they use digital advertising to fuel their business models," said CMA Chief Executive Andrea Coscelli. What they found is concerning. If the market power of these firms goes unchecked, people and businesses will lose out. "People will carry on handing over more of their personal data than necessary, a lack of competition could mean higher prices for goods and services bought online and we could all miss out on the benefits of the next innovative digital platform," explained Coscelli. The watchdog recommended a new pro-competition regulatory regime to govern the behaviour of major platforms funded by digital advertising, like Google and Facebook. UK expenditure on digital advertising was around 14 billion pound in 2019, equivalent to about 500 pounds per household. About 80 per cent of this is earned by just two companies: Google and Facebook. Google enjoys a more than 90 per cent share of the 7.3 billion pound search advertising market in the UK, while Facebook has a share of over 50 per cent of the 5.5 billion pound display advertising market. Google's revenue per search has more than doubled since 2011, while Facebook's average revenue per user has increased from less than 5 pounds in 2011 to over 50 pounds in 2019. "While both originally grew by offering better services than the main platforms in the market at the time, the CMA is concerned that they have developed such unassailable market positions that rivals can no longer compete on equal terms," said the agency. The CMA found that Google's prices are around 30 per cent to 40 per cent higher than Microsoft Bing when comparing like-for-like search terms on desktop and mobile. Google and Facebook's market positions also have a profound impact on newspapers and other publishers. The CMA has found that newspapers are reliant on Google and Facebook for almost 40 per cent of all visits to their sites. This dependency potentially squeezes their share of digital advertising revenues, undermining their ability to produce valuable content. The CMA has proposed that within the new regime a 'Digital Markets Unit' should have the ability to enforce a code of conduct to ensure that platforms with a position of market power, "like Google and Facebook, do not engage in exploitative or exclusionary practices, or practices likely to reduce trust and transparency, and to impose fines if necessary". The unit would order Google to open up its click and query data to rival search engines to allow them to improve their algorithms so they can properly compete. This would be designed in a way that does not involve the transfer of personal data to avoid privacy concerns. The unit would also order "Facebook to increase its interoperability with competing social media platforms. Platforms would need to secure consumer consent for the use of any of their data" and restrict Google's ability to secure its place as the default search engine on mobile devices and browsers in order to introduce more choice for users. The digital unit can order Facebook to give consumers a choice over whether to receive personalised advertising and introduce a "fairness-by-design" duty on the platforms to ensure that they are making it as easy as possible for users to make meaningful choices. "While this recommendation is UK-focused, many of the problems that the CMA has identified are international in nature. It will therefore continue to take a leading role globally in relation to these issues as part of the CMA's wider digital strategy," said the watchdog. Some in the crowd who gathered at the scene then followed an ambulance to a hospital, where they began to jump on, kick and hit multiple EMS vehicles parked outside, according to a fire department daily briefing filed afterwards. The violence, which a Virginia Beach EMS spokesman said damaged one vehicle, prompted Sentara Virginia Beach General Hospital to lock down its emergency room to visitors for several hours. Bengaluru, July 1 : With positive cases surging by the day, Karnataka would have more measures to contain the Covid spread in the southern state, especially in this tech city, which accounts for 26 per cent of the infections, a minister said on Wednesday. "More measures will be taken after the chief minister (B.S. Yediyurappa) consults health experts on containing the corona virus spread in the state and Bengaluru since unlock 1.0 began a month ago," state Medical Education Minister K. Sudhakar told reporters here. According to a task force of health experts, set up by the state government in March to recommend measures in fighting the virus outbreak, positive cases across the state and Bengaluru will spike in the ensuing weeks to peak by August and hopefully reduce by September. "Positive cases have been spiking across the state, especially in Bengaluru due to infected people coming from high-risk states like Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Gujarat since lockdown-3 was lifted and inter-state travel was permitted," asserted Sudhakar, a medical doctor by profession. Though Karnataka fared better than other states in containing the virus spread since its outbreak in mid-March, positive cases have been rising over a month when the state government began unlock 1.0 from June 1. According to the latest health bulletin, a record 1,272 patients tested positive in the last 24 hours, taking the southern state's Covid tally to 16,514, including 8,194 active cases and 253 deaths till date. With 145 cases discharged in the day, 8,063 patients have been cured across the state so far. Bengaluru again registered a high of 735 positive cases, taking its tally to 5,290, including 4,649 active, as 543 were cured and discharged, while 97 died in the city so far since March 9. Ballari district in the state's northern region and Dakshina Kannada in the coastal area also reported 85 and 84 cases since Tuesday. "More Covid Care Centres are being set up to treat asymptomatic patients in state-run and private hospitals across the state," asserted the minister. The experts, however, suggested that asymptomatic patients and patients with mild symptoms could be kept under home isolation and monitored remotely to reduce the burden of cases on hospitals. "Priority will be given to patients with severe symptoms and comorbidities for Covid treatment to reduce the doubling rate," said Sudhakar. The task force has also advised the state government to strictly enforce wearing mask, washing of hands and maintain social distancing by the people. "People should be stay home longer, avoid crowded areas, wear mask and keep at least 2-metre physical distance from others when outside home or office," reiterated the experts. "Telemedicine should be used to treat more patients. More personnel should be deployed for contact tracing by deputing staff from other departments in the field. More doctors have to be trained in using tele-ICU and ensure 24x7 supply of oxygen and medicines in all hospitals," the experts told the minister. The experts also told the minister to create awareness among the people about the nature of the virus and allay their fears about the infection. State Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai, Health Minister B Sriramulu, Chief Secretary T.M. Vijay Bhaskar, BBMP Commissioner Anil Kumar and Sudhakar interacted with the health experts at the state secretariat in the city centre. Health experts Giridhar Babu, World Health Organisation (WHO) regional team leader Ashish Sathapathy, Manipal hospital head S. Ballal, former KIMS director Anjanappa, Sparsh Hospital chairman Sharan Patil, former Bangalore University vice-chancellor N. Prabhudev, Vikram Hospital head K.C. Satish and Narayana Netralaya chairman Bhujanga Shetty participated in the meeting. New Delhi, July 1 : Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Wednesday said that the GST administration will have a major role to play in the objective of 'Aatma Nirbhar Bharat' or self-reliant India and it must foresee the challenges faced by Indian companies to help them compete globally. In a message on GST Day, Sitharaman said that the department has the strive to make the tax administration simple to bring in more ease of doing business. "We must strive to make tax administration so simple that the taxpayers find it easy to comply with all their tax obligations. This is the true sense of Ease of Doing Business as far as tax administration is concerned," she said. The minister highlighted that GST has come a long way in simplifying its administration, based on feedback from stakeholders. Congratulating the officers of Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) on the occasion, she called for focus on the Prime Minister's call for Aatma Nirbhar Bharat, efforts to make the tax administration simple for taxpayers ensuring ease of doing business and foreseeing the issues faced by business community and proactively addressing them. New Delhi, July 1 : The imposition of stamp duty on mutual funds will impact in case of churning the portfolio and will encourage the investors to stay invested for a longer duration. Any transaction that results in issuance or transfer of units to the investor will be subject to stamp duty. Effectively, it will act as an entry load as allocation of units will be at net amount post deduction of stamp duty. According to a report by JM Financial, investors in overnight/liquid fund category with investment horizon of seven days and below will have negative impact due to stamp duty levied. "Imposition of stamp duty will impact in case of churning the portfolio. It will encourage the investors to stay invested for a longer duration and not churn portfolio for higher yields," the report said. In case of early exit from a fund, the impact of the stamp duty is higher and it reduces with the increase in investment horizon which essentially will reduce the churning. It will have negative impact on the institutional clients who park their short-term money in liquid or overnight funds. Decreasing yields and additional expense of stamp duty will have negative impact on the overnight/liquid category, the report said. In comparison with FD returns, the impact of stamp duty is high in case of short holding period of less than seven days. Generally, fixed deposits are for duration of more than seven days. The comparison between the bank FD returns and liquid/overnight returns shows that overnight and liquid funds are still better placed as compared to FD returns. The Finance Act, 2019, amended the Indian Stamp Act, 1899, to create a mechanism to enable states to collect stamp duty on all securities market instruments, including mutual fund units. The Government of India in December 2019 had amended the stamp duty regime on issuance and transfer of shares, debentures, futures, options, currency and other capital market instruments. This was to be originally effective from January 9, 2020 but was later postponed to be effective from July 1, 2020. A stamp duty of 0.005 per cent will be levied on issuance of units and 0.015 per cent on transfer of mutual fund units. Stamp duty is applicable in the instance of investment, i.e., buying of units. Hence, any transaction that results in issuance or transfer of units to the investor will be subject to stamp duty. Effectively, it will act as an entry load as allocation of units will be at net amount post deduction of stamp duty. The transactions which attract 0.005 per cent duty are purchase of units, switch-in of units, systematic investment or transfer installments (SIP/STP) and dividend reinvestment of units. The transactions which attract 0.015 per cent duty are buying units on stock exchange through a stock-broker, for e.g. ETF, closed ended schemes, off-market transfer of units, i.e., transfer of units from one demat account to another demat account. According to a report by B&K Securities, the stamp duty will be like an entry load, hence the allocation will be for net amount after deduction of stamp duty. The impact of stamp duty on overall returns reduces as the investment horizon increases. The report said that selection of right investment category according to the investment horizon will be of benefit to the investor, as it will ensure that stamp duty is not paid repeatedly on same investment. New Delhi, July 1 : Retail brand Fabindia on Wednesday announced the appointment of former IndiGo President Aditya Ghosh as a member on the company's board of directors. Aditya will be guiding the management teams with strategy and new initiatives, said a company statement. "Fabindia believes that the post Covid period will bring about transformational change in consumer behaviour and brands with purpose, sustainability initiatives and earth-friendly commerce will become increasingly important. As we evolve towards a new normal, we are excited to have Aditya on board helping with strategy and growth," it said. Speaking on the occasion, Aditya Ghosh said: "I am looking forward to engaging with a sense of purpose where we continue to build on the tremendous trust that the Fabindia family of brands enjoys and create a socially conscious business that makes deep positive impact towards a healthier and more equal planet." Ghosh is a seasoned professional with over 22 years of experience. He has had multiple roles as the CEO and board member of large consumer facing businesses with complex operations, including IndiGo and OYO Hotels & Homes. He also sits on the board of Nani Palkhivala Arbitration Centre, which aims to transform the delivery of justice, especially in the area of commercial disputes. Bengaluru, July 1 : Karnataka's Ballari district administration has extended the sealing of JSW Steel plant and township in Toranagallu village till July 31 to contain the spread of Covid, an official said on Wednesday. "Restrictions imposed have been extended till July 31. All the officers concerned and on field officers have been ordered to implement these restrictions strictly without any lapse," Ballari Deputy Commissioner S.S. Nakul told IANS. After a spate of Covid cases in the steel unit - 144 infections and 516 primary contacts under quarantine by mid-June, Nakul, on June 18, ordered sealing off of the plant and the township to curb further spread. In fact, the JSW Steel had also slashed its workforce for a period of five days prior to the sealing-off in an effort to contain the spread but to no avail. "Even after this attempt, the employees may spread Covid further on their return to their villages and towns with the possibility of mortality of vulnerable population," Nakul said. The Deputy Commissioner invoked powers vested in him under the Disaster Management Act to house all the employees of JSW Steel within the township. "All employees, direct and contractual, required for working in JSW Steel shall be housed within JSW township itself. JSW Steel will select such personnel keeping in view their possible comorbidities," he said. Starting June 18, no movement of such personnel from nearby villages and towns was allowed into the company. Similarly, only those people allowed to work have been permitted to move between the township and the factory, but cannot go out beyond this area. He also directed the company to identify teams who will provide the workers housed inside the township with essentials such as food, milk and others. "Only movement of goods vehicles, empty or carrying load, shall be allowed to move from factory premises to other places. JSW Steel shall strive to test their employees and report all ILI or SARI cases housed in the township," said Nakul. He also tasked the company to furnish a daily report. Currently, Ballari is grappling with the second highest number of Covid cases in Karnataka with 485 active patients. On Wednesday, 85 new cases were reported. Jindal Vijayanagar Steel Ltd (JVSL) was formed in 1994 and boasts a capacity of 12 million tonnes per annum (MTPA). It was merged with Jindal Iron and Steel Company (JISCO) in 2005. The company claims that its Ballari steel plant, located across 10,000 acres in the Ballari-Hospet iron ore belt, is the world's sixth largest. It also said the plant owns India's largest blast furnace, widest hot strip mill and employs corex technology. Some of the products manufactured at the plant include hot rolled coils and sheets, billets and cold rolled close annealed (CRCA) coils and sheets. New Delhi, July 1 : Congress leaders have reacted sharply on the eviction notice served to party General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra though sources close to her said she will comply with the notice. The government on Wednesday asked Priyanka, daughter of interim Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, to vacate her government accommodation at 35, Lodhi Estate here within a month as she is no longer on the list of protectees of the Special Protection Group (SPG). Jitin Prasada, Congress working committee member said, "I fail to understand the timing of the government's actions however Priyanka Gandhi is on a mission to fight and work for the people of UP and is unfazed and not bothered by these diversionary tactics." Another Congress leader Rajiv Shukla said it's unfair and quoted former Prime Minister IK Gujral that ruler should be large-hearted. He said, "the land was to be vacated from the Chinese but government chose to vacate a house in Delhi." Congress leader Vishwanath Chaturvedi said this is a new low in politics and the Modi government has insulted a "daughter of a martyr". Congress leader Naseeb Pathan demanded that newly elected member in Rajya Sabha KC Venugopal should resign and Priyanka Gandhi should be sent to Rajya Sabha. Secretary AICC Dheeraj Gurjar said "those who could not evict Chinese are bent on evicting Priyanka Gandhi , remember Indira Gandhi too was evicted but later on those responsible had to lose their seat." The government in an order said that it has cancelled the accommodation allotted to Priyanka with the direction to vacate the house within one month. New Delhi, July 1 : It looks like Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren is not the only one who is opposed to the Centre opening up the coal sector for private players. A key RSS affiliate, Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS), too has now joined the joint call for a three-day strike in all coal mines across India starting Thursday. What's interesting is that the strike will see participation from all political hues -- the Congress, the Left as well as the RSS-backed BMS. "This is a democratic mean available to us to voice our grievances. That is why we are joining the strike call starting tomorrow. In a democracy, this is our right," said Virjesh Upadhyay, all-India General Secretary of the Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh. The decision to go ahead with the strike was taken on Wednesday after talks with the Centre failed. The BMS also took part in the virtual meeting with Coal Minister Pralhad Joshi. With 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat' being Prime minister Narendra Modi's pet idea, it seems the role of private players in the coal sector has become crucial to meet the expected high demand. More than 2.5 lakh coal workers are expected to be off duty for the next three days. But what if the government refuses to change its stand? Upadhyay said, "We will think of bigger strikes. This is not the end of the road." Asked if the intention is to send a powerful message to the BJP-led Centre, the BMS General Secretary replied, "Of course." The government recently ended the monopoly over coal and opened up the mining sector for private players. The move is also targeted at reducing the dependability on imported coals. New York, July 1 : US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has welcomed India's ban on 59 Chinese apps, saying the "clean app" policy will promote India's national security against the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) spying on the country. "We welcome India's ban on certain mobile apps that can serve as appendages of the CCP's surveillance state. India's 'clean app' approach will boost India's sovereignty, will also boost India's integrity and national security as the Indian government itself has stated," he said while briefing reporters in Washington on Tuesday. India's Electronics and Information Technology Ministry has banned the 59 Chinese apps, including the popular TikTok video app, saying they opened the way for "elements hostile to national security and defence" to exploit them to "ultimately impinges upon the sovereignty and integrity of India". Pompeo also praised the action by Ajit Pai, the head of the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC), against two Chinese technology companies. "I applaud FCC Chairman Ajit Pai's for designating Huawei and ZTE as national security risks," he said. The US has campaigned for India and other countries to ban Huawei telecom equipment because the company under Chinese law could be made to spy on countries using them. India has stopped the telecommunication company from using Chinese equipment. Before Pompeo's briefing, the US government issued a notice cautioning US companies against using equipment made in the Chinese province of Xinjiang or providing surveillance equipment citing what it said were human rights abuse there, including the use of forced labour. Pompeo said, "CEO's should read this notice carefully and be aware of the reputation and economic and legal risks of supporting such assaults on human dignity." While the administration of President Donal Trump, which is fighting Chinese espionage and interference on many fronts, would want to ban Chinese apps, it would have severe legal barriers unlike in India. (Arul Louis can be reached at arul.l@ians.in and followed on Twitter at @arulouis) Hyderabad, July 1 : Telangana saw another big surge in Covid-19 cases on Wednesday with 1,018 people testing positive for the virus, pushing the state's tally to 17,357. This is the second highest daily jump. The steepest hike was witnessed on June 27 when 1,087 people had tested positive. Seven deaths were also reported on Wednesday, taking the state's death toll to 267. According to the director of public health and family welfare, 4,234 samples were tested out of which 1,018 returned positive. The cumulative number of tests rose to 92,797, still far below than many other states. An official said that 788 people recovered during the day, taking the number of recoveries to 8,082. The number of active cases now stands at 9,008. Hotspot Greater Hyderabad accounted for 881 of the new cases, followed by neighboring Medchal (36) and Ranga Reddy (33). The remaining cases were reported from 18 districts. Meanwhile, the state government was once again rapped by the Telangana High Court for not implementing its orders with regard to containment of the Covid-19 pandemic. The court displayed its unhappiness over inadequate testing and for providing incomplete information in the daily media bulletin. Hearing a batch of PILs, the division bench comprising Chief Justice Raghavendra Singh Chauhan and Justice B. Vijayasen Reddy expressed its surprise over the orders issued by the director of public health for stopping the testing midway. It termed the official's action a violation of the guidelines of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). The director had last week issued an order to stop the exercise of conducting 50,000 tests in Greater Hyderabad. The court expressed its displeasure with the government for not providing ward-wise information in the media bulletin. The bench asked the government to clarify its containment policy and furnish details of containment clusters. The government was directed to provide details of the number of tests conducted on asymptomatic and symptomatic persons and the number of persons who have tested positive during the last 20 days. The court also asked the government to submit the details of the outcome of the central team to Hyderabad. It expressed surprise that despite the team interacting with the chief secretary, no details were put up on the public domain about the outcome of the visit and the meeting. The court made it clear that the government will have to implement the court orders before July 17, failing which the chief secretary, health secretary, municipal secretary, Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) commissioner will have to appear before the court on July 20. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) According to court testimony, Lee had been at his parents house near the swamp. He led his ex-boyfriend into the swamp on the premise of having a picnic. Instead, he pulled out a gun several miles into the swamp and shot the other man in the chest at point-blank range. New Delhi, July 1 : In what can be good news for citizens, Union Health Secretary Preeti Sudan and ICMR Director General Dr Balram Bhargava have told the states to ensure full utilisation of all Covid-19 testing laboratories. They also said that even qualified private doctors should be allowed to recommend a Covid test, given the criteria are met. This joint letter comes in the wake of finding out that many labs are "grossly sub-optimal". "It has been observed that in some States/UTs, the capacity utilisation of the testing labs, particularly the ones in the private sector, is grossly sub-optimal. It is strongly advised that you should take all possible steps to ensure full capacity utilisation of all Covid-19 testing laboratories in the State/UT." They have also voiced concern at some states and Union Territories making it mandatory for a need for a prescription from a government doctor to get tested for Covid-19. This, they insisted, puts additional pressure on the already stretched government health facilities. "At this juncture, it is absolutely necessary to facilitate testing at the earliest by enabling all qualified medical practitioners including private practitioners to prescribe Covid test to any individual fulfilling the criteria for testing as per ICMR guidelines," they advised. Citing the perceived inhibition of some states to test more, the letter asserted labs should test freely in accordance with the ICMR guidelines as early test is a great way to curb the curve. With Unlock 2 kicking in from Wednesday, they cautioned: "While morbidity and mortality have been relatively low in most parts of the country, as compared to many other countries in the world, the virus has been spreading to newer areas." 'Test-track-treat' is the mantra the two have given to states and UTs, adding that ramping up testing and removing obstacles for it should be given primacy. They stated, the individuals who tested positive should be treated according to the well laid-down protocol while the negative ones should be taken for RT-PCR tests. The two have also advised to make it mandatory for all labs to upload the testing data on the ICMR's database as well as report to authorities for the purpose of surveillance and contact tracing. "It has been observed that in some states, delineation of containment zones and contact tracing has not been undertaken with the rigour and meticulousness that is required. You may like to review this aspect at the earliest and take necessary corrective measures," they added. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) Hyderabad, July 1 : An umbrella group of various Muslim organisations in Telangana has appealed to the state government to withdraw its decision to celebrate birth centenary celebrations of former Prime Minister P. V. Narasimha Rao, saying the move has hurt the sentiments of the Muslim community. United Muslim Forum (UMF) said that Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao's move to organise year-long programmes to celebrate the centenary had hurt the sentiments of those sections of people who believe in secularism, and especially Muslims. UMF is headed by Moulana Raheemduddin Ansari, who is the chairman of Telangana Urdu Academy, a government body. The group is close to All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), a friendly party of Chandrashekhar Rao's Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS). Though AIMIM is also part of UMF, the statement issued by the body did not carry the name of any party leader. The clerics and other prominent people who issued the statement are considered close to AIMIM chief and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi. AIMIM's critics have questioned Owaisi's silence over the centenary celebrations launched by KCR, as the Chief Minister is popularly known, on Sunday. The Hyderabad MP has friendly ties with KCR and has been great supporter of the latter's secular outlook. Owaisi's party, UMF and other Muslim groups backed TRS in 2018 Assembly elections and the last year's Lok Sabha polls. UMF pointed out that it was during Narasimha Rao's regime that Babri Masjid was demolished, causing huge damage to the country's secular fabric. "Narasimha Rao while being in Congress implemented the agenda of Sangh Parivar," it said and reminded KCR that hundreds of Muslims were killed in the post-demolition riots and Muslims youth were jailed under black laws like TADA and tortured. UMF said KCR's sympathies with Narasimha Rao and the move to organize centenary celebrations created unease among the secular forces, especially minorities. The Muslim leaders advised the Chief Minister to cancel Narasimha Rao's centenary celebrations and instead focus on containing spread of Covid-19 in the state. Meanwhile, Jamaat-e-Islami has also opposed the TRS government's move to organise centenary celebrations and termed this as a burden on public exchequer and waste of time. Jamaat's Telangana unit chief Mohammed Hamed Khan said at a time when Covid-19 was spreading fast and people were worried over lack of proper healthcare facilities and infrastructure, the TRS government was wasting public money, time and energy on birth centenary celebrations of Narasimha Rao. Khan reminded KCR that it was during Narasimha Rao's rule that India witnessed the greatest tragedy of demolition of Bbari Masjid. He told the Chief Minister that centenary celebrations would reopen the wounds of Muslims. He also pointed out that it was due to Narasimha Rao's condemnable actions that his own party Congress dumped him. Bengaluru, July 2 : Congress troubleshooter D.K. Shivakumar would take over as the party's Karnataka President on Thursday and the event would be streamed live for party leaders and cadres across the state, a party leader said. "Shivakumar's Pratigna Dina (Day of Oath) as Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president will be held at the party office from 10.30 a.m. onwards in compliance with the lockdown guidelines, which restricts the gathering to about 50 people," party leader M.A. Saleem told IANS here. Congress General Secretary K.C. Venugopal, newly-elected Rajya Sabha member from state Mallikarjun Kharge, Congress Legislature Party leader Siddaramaiah, former state chief Dinesh Gundu Rao, former Union Minister Rehman Khan and party's women's wing head Pushpa Amarnath will be present at the event. The event will begin with homage to 20 martyrs of the Indian Army who died in a clash with Chinese soldiers in Ladakh's Galwan Valley on June 15. It will be followed by 'Vande Mataram', welcome speech by state Working President Saleem Ahmed and party's flag exchange from Gundu Rao to Shivakumar. Venugopal will deliver the inaugural speech, followed by Gundu Rao, Shivakumar, Kharge, Siddaramaiah, party's leader in Legislative Council S.R. Patil and Working Presidents Eshwar Khandre and Satish Jarkiholi. "Khan will administer oath to all party members on the Preamble of the Constitution and Shivakumar will take the party's pledge," said Saleeem. Touting it to be an historic event, Shivakumar said though he would assume charge in the presence of a few party leaders due to restriction on a large gathering, hundreds of party leaders and cadres would join the programme in virtual world at 7,800 places across the state through live streaming. "Hundreds of our party members and supporters will watch the historic event from their homes, panchayats, civic offices and civic wards across the state, wearing masks and maintaining social distance," he said. Though Shivakumar, 58, was appointed on March 11, he could not take charge since then, due to the lockdown. Shivakumar's appointment came three months after Gundu Rao resigned on December 9 following the party's debacle in the Assembly by-elections on December 5, in which only 2 out of the 15 candidates won, while the ruling BJP got 12. Shivakumar is a legislator from the Kanakapura assembly segment. His brother D.K. Suresh is the party's Lok Sabha member from the Bangalure Rural constituency for the second time. He was the party's only candidate to have retained the seat, while 20 others lost in the May 2019 general elections. Jabalpur : , July 2 (IANS) Madhya Pradesh Congress Committee President Kamal Nath has sent legal notices to BJP Vice President Prabhat Jha and MP state President VD Sharma for accusing him of favouring Chinese firms by reducing import duty. Nath's counsel Varun Tankha said, "The legal notice drew the attention to the defamatory statements by both the BJP leaders against Kamal Nath widely circulated in various newspapers and electronic media on June 26 and 27, 2020." The notice was sent on Tuesday. The notice sought reply within seven days of its receipt, else Kamal Nath will be constrained to initiate appropriate legal action. Tankha said, "No public record supports any part of these false allegations." The decisions Kamal Nath took during his tenure as Union Minister for Commerce and Industry from 2004 to 2009 were as per the norms. During Nath's tenure as Union Minister, the anti-dumping duty against Chinese companies was higher which goes to suggest that Nath never favoured any Chinese company or for that matter any country, Tankha said. It is a general practice in the Union government that any increase or decrease of tariffs is a concerted effort taken after Cabinet approval and much scrutiny, he said. The BJP leaders made baseless allegations about the Chinese firms transferring illegal amounts to the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation, Tankha added. The accusations of Sharma that Nath took all the money for development works for Chhindwara district is also baseless, he said. "No public record supports any part of these false allegations," Tankha said. The legal notice said, "The statements (of BJP leaders) are purely an offence mechanism to protect your party's (BJP) politically reducing turf in the wake of upcoming by-elections of 24 constituencies in Madhya Pradesh." United Nations, July 2 : Those who were responsible for the killing of a civilian and a CRPF head constable in Kashmir have to be made to account for it, according to the spokesperson for Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. Asked about the incident at his daily briefing on Wednesday, Stephane Dujarric said, "We will look into it. Obviously people who were responsible need to be brought to account. But let me look further into it." The Lashkar-e-Taiba (L-e-T) carried out the attack in Sopore on Wednesday, according to Vijay Kumar, the Kashmir Inspector General of Police. He said that a foreigner, Usman Bhai, and a local person, Adil, were responsible for the shooting carried out from a mosque when the CRPF personnel were leaving their vehicle, he said. Kumar said the CRPF did not return fire and rescued the three-year-old grandson of the civilian killed, Bashir Ahmed Khan. In answer to another question about the protests following the killings, Dujaric said, "As anywhere, we encourage people to be, authorities to allow people to demonstrate freely and that they can express their rights to demonstrate." (Arul Louis can be reached at arul.l@ians.in and followed on Twitter at @arulouis) Islamabad, July 2 : The World Bank (WB) has approved US $500 million in budgetary support for Pakistan to address the immediate impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, achieve macroeconomic stability and support reforms, local media said. The money will help Pakistan strengthen fiscal management, promote transparency and private sector growth, and undertake foundational reforms in the energy sector to transition to low-carbon energy, the reports said on Wednesday, quoting a statement issued by the WB, Xinhua news agency reported. These reforms are critical to build fiscal resilience and stimulate recovery from impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, the statement added. The money support for Pakistan has been approved under the "Resilient Institutions for Sustainable Economy" program. Commenting on the development, Lead Country Economist for the World Bank Shabih Mohib said the program could help Pakistan attract new investments and spur economic recovery, adding that a foundation could be built for sustainable growth driven by the private sector. The project will be financed by a US $250 million credit from the International Development Association and a US $250 million loan from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, according to the statement. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Tehran, July 2 : Iran reported 2,549 new COVID-19 cases over the past 24 hours, taking the total confirmed novel coronavirus cases to 230,211, according to official IRNA news agency. Sima Sadat Lari, the spokeswoman for Iran's Ministry of Health and Medical Education, said during her daily update on Wednesday that 141 people died overnight, taking the total fatalities over the virus to 10,958, Xinhua news agency reported. So far, 191,487 have recovered and 3,081 are in intense condition, said Lari. According to the health spokeswoman, 1,693,242 lab tests for COVID-19 have been carried out in Iran as of Wednesday. Iran announced its first cases of COVID-19 on February 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 three million masks to China. In return, China has delivered several shipments of medical supplies to Iran. On February 29, a five-member Chinese medical team visited Iran for a month-long mission to help Iran fight the pandemic. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text eQ has launched its first residential property fund Special Investment Fund eQ Residential. The fund has raised 33 million of commitments enabling over 100 million of investment capacity. Investment activities have started and fund raising will continue in the autumn. The target commitment size for the fund is 100 [] Skanska has signed a contract with the municipality of Lund to build the Hedda Anderssongymnasiet in Lund. The contract is worth SEK 630m, which will be included in the order bookings for Sweden for the second quarter 2020. Hedda Anderssongymnasiet is a high school that will seat 2,200 students. The... [] These five outstanding individuals have demonstrated exceptional work in the use and adoption of precision agriculture technologies and practices. They join 52 individuals and organizations honored by the PrecisionAg Alliance since the creation of the awards in 2007. The 2020 recipients include: Crop Adviser/Entrepreneur Award: Ofir Schlam, Co-Founder and CEO, Taranis Schlam is a 4th generation farmer, software developer, and computer science expert who merges his background in farming and tech to create precision agriculture technologies. With Taranis, Schlam has facilitated the technological advancement and distribution of precision farming globally by developing an innovative digital agronomist system that sees and analyzes fields at scale and at a depth level that humans cannot. Under Schlams leadership, Taranis has grown from a 3-person garage start-up to a 100-employee company with 17 offices globally, 19,000 customers, 20 million acres of land under management, and $30 million in funding. His vision of how precision agriculture can improve farming worldwide has motivated a range of industry players to hop on board. More than 60 world-class agronomists have combined their expertise on crop health and proper treatments onto the Taranis platform. Sixteen of the worlds top 20 agricultural retailers - including Wilbur-Ellis, John Deere, BASF, and ADAMA have partnered with Taranis to make their tech available to agricultural businesses worldwide. He has secured partnerships with three key organizations: Stratus Imaging, which brings specialized imagery services to Australian farmers; Climate Corp, to provide field photos for crop health analysis; and John Deere, through participation in its Startup Collaborator. Schlam oversaw the acquisition of Mavrx, to provide plane-level imagery. Through Schlams vision and leadership, industry players are uniting to spread the value of precision agriculture worldwide. His Taranis platform combines three visual layers, and its deep learning then uses advanced mathematical models and computer vision to analyze images against Taranis database of over 1 million crop health issues (pest infestation, disease, weeds, nutrient deficiencies, etc.) to generate reports of matters affecting yield and perform tassel counts that accurately estimate yield to streamline operations for harvesting. Educator/Researcher Award: Jason Ward, Digital Agriculture Team Lead, North Carolina State University Ward splits time between research, teaching and Extension, and his team covers the full range of production agriculture from moisture sensors in greenhouses to precision ag in commodity crops to a robotic platform supporting pasture animals. Wards program addresses areas of research focusing on quantifying crop lodging damage and automating cotton replant decisions using UAS imagery. In addition to his UAS program, Ward is completing research in mapping sub-field cotton fiber quality for each cotton module sent to the cotton gin, utilizing machine data to improve harvest efficiency, and utilizing robotic systems to improve quality for pasture animals. At NCSU, Ward led the effort to renovate and develop laboratory space focused solely on Digital Agriculture where faculty can work in both the applied and theoretical digital ag space to create and evaluate technologies. The Suggs Lab for Machinery Systems and Precision Agriculture is a large-scale machinery and small UAS showplace for on-campus tours, external visitors, and Extension agent trainings. Dr. Ward is active in national and international societies, including membership in the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE), ASABE NC Section, Alpha Epsilon Engineering Honor Society, and International Society of Precision Agriculture. He was named ASABE Machinery Systems Technical Community Outstanding Reviewer in 2015, Food and Process Systems Technical Community Outstanding Reviewer in 2014, and New Faces of Engineering in 2010. Educator/Researcher Award: Ajay Sharda, Associate Professor and Precision Agriculture Engineer, Kansas State University Shardas work is focused directly on the implementation of precision technologies within crop production. In a very short time, he has become a well-known professional not only for Kansas and the region but both at national and international levels. He has succeeded in many aspects of his profession, including training graduate students (served as chair to 11 MS & PhD students and as a member of 12 other MS & PhD student committees). Hes worked to improve knowledge of farmers via on-farm studies and science via publications. He sustains one of the largest teams in the country with more than $5 million in research awards, and presents at key industry collaborations with many industries around the globe. He also dedicates time to mentoring undergraduate students in research projects while teaching a precision agriculture course. His program at KSU is well recognized by peers both nationally and internationally, and he maintains leadership roles in precision agriculture focused groups at both the state and national levels He serves on the planning committee and board for the Kansas Ag Research and Technology Association (KARTA), and leads the precision agriculture program at KSU for on-farm research on precision planting and technology. He is a member of the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE) and International Society of Precision Agriculture. Farmer Award: Grant Strom, Strom Farms, Dahinda, IL Strom and his family operate a 5,600-acre no-till corn grain and soybean operation with some wheat and pasture for a small cow/calf operation. Farm acreage varies widely and includes flat prairie soils, rolling ground, flood-able river bottoms, and timber and clay soils, with moderate to high fertility. The Strom Farm takes into consideration rotation, slope, fertility, and soil type as they plan each year's crops. He is the third generation to work on the farm full-time, and has long worked with his father to be progressive with testing new technology, whether that was with GPS usage and auto shut-offs 15 years ago or more recently with no-till, sidedressing, and other conservation strategies. Their farm has been in conversion phases for more than a decade, and some of the new structures include a shop and office things that have helped make them more efficient with their business. The farm participates in field testing through research trials with their ag retailer, and as yield monitoring equipment has gotten better, theyve started applying fertilizer based on yield maps, which lets them optimize what they apply and only apply it when its needed. Technological advances that aid their 4R nutrient stewardship strategy work even better. Planters and combines are equipped with GPS, yield monitors, and VRT. He also incorporates drone technology. Integrating the data that the equipment generates with soil maps ensures that nutrients are applied solely upon crop needs. Strom also shares his learnings and experiences, openly speaking to other farmers and the ag industry as whole on the benefits and challenges of using precision farming as a part of his farm management approach. Legacy Award: Eric Lund, Founder, Veris Technologies, Salina, KS Lund founded the soil sensor company Veris Technologies with the goal of helping farmers and their advisors improve yields by mapping and managing soil variability across their fields. Under his leadership, Veris helped pioneer soil mapping and management zones by developing the worlds first on-the-go soil sensor. Its flagship soil electrical conductivity sensor has become a key enabler for management zone-based precision ag, and Eric has served the industry as a true global evangelist for this approach since founding Veris in 1996. In an era of flash-in-the-pan, here today and gone tomorrow ag tech, Lund is a clear example of professionalism, leadership, and persistence who speaks most loudly through action rather than simply through words. As the founder of Veris, Eric has been a strong advocate for soil sensing, but he has been careful to not overstate the capabilities of Veris sensors. Eric named the company Veris after the Latin word for truth. The sensors reveal the truth about the soil, but he also believes honesty and reliability has been part of their success over the past 25 years. This integrity can also be seen in the software platform Eric and the team at Veris built. Through its FieldFusion mapping portal, Veris has emphasized quality control and the importance of accurate data, with a team member conducting a visual and analytical review of each field submitted from around the world. Today this cloud-based repository contains more than 1 million acres of soil mapping data. Eric has demonstrated industry leadership through his continual adherence to sound agronomic practices in pursuit of improved yields and profitability with appropriate implementation of variable rate fertilizer. About the PrecisionAg Alliance The PrecisionAg Institute, an initiative of Meister Media Worldwides PrecisionAg Global brand, is a consortium of industry organizations that has been a leading source of research, advocacy, and education in the areas precision agriculture and digital farming since 2006. Through membership, partner organizations gain valuable market insights, and their combined resources and expertise reveal best practices and improved ag technology solutions from the farm-gate to the dinner plate. For more information and to see our Alliance Partners, visit http://www.precisionagalliance.com. About Meister Media Worldwide Empowering Global Agriculture Meister Media Worldwide, founded in 1932 with world headquarters in Willoughby, OH, USA, and operating divisions in Mexico and China is the leading business media and information company serving global agribusiness. Meister Media brands, with products and services in print, digital, events, custom business services and data products, engage agricultural sectors around the globe to provide safe and abundant food to feed a growing world. The mission of Meister Media is to be the trusted partner empowering the business of global agriculture to grow a better world. Contact us for more information. info@meistermedia.com The next day, the group discovered someone had removed the coverings, so Boyd climbed over the fence again to put them back up. He was arrested and charged with trespassing, along with chapter Vice President Louie Gibbs. Later, after they were released, Lucas arrived to scold a group of officers for taking them into custody. She also approached a Virginian-Pilot reporter to tell her and the group that no one would be arrested for demonstrating peacefully. Our new office location maintains our position in the heart of downtown Atlanta enabling us to provide prompt service to our clients and their families. A 2nd Chance Bail Bonds, a trusted bail bonding agency with locations throughout the Metro Atlanta area, is pleased to announce the relocation of their Atlanta office in Fulton County, Georgia. The new office is located at 756 Glass Street NW, just one half-mile from the Fulton County Jail. From that location, the firm will be certified to write bonds for all of Fulton County, including the cities of Alpharetta, Atlanta, College Park, East Point, Fairburn, Hapeville, Johns Creek, Roswell, Sandy Springs, Union City and South Fulton. To celebrate the opening, A 2nd Chance Bail Bonds will be hosting an Open House with ribbon cutting ceremony on Wednesday, July 8, 2020, at 1 PM. All current and former clients, attorneys and business partners, as well as government officials and the general public, are invited to attend the event. Our new office location maintains our position in the heart of downtown Atlanta enabling us to provide prompt service to our clients and their families, says Daniel Matalon, founder of A 2nd Chance Bail Bonds. Were excited to have this larger space that will accommodate our growing team as we continue to make second chances possible for those that need them in metro Atlanta. The relocated Atlanta office is just one of four A 2nd Chance Bail Bonds locations serving citizens of metro Atlanta and complements the Decatur, Marietta and Roswell/Alpharetta offices in providing convenient, accessible representation for visitors of the correctional facility of record for the county in which the office resides. About A 2nd Chance Bail Bonds A 2nd Chance Bail Bonds is a trusted bail bonding agency with locations throughout the Metro Atlanta area. The company also provides services nationwide and has helped thousands of clients prepare for criminal defense from home instead of jail. Representatives are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to explain the bonding process. A 2nd Chance Bail Bonds was founded in 2007 by Daniel Matalon and is one of the largest and fastest-growing bonding agencies in Metro Atlanta with an average of 20 percent annual growth. The family-owned firm currently operates four locations and employs 25. For more information, please visit http://www.a2ndchancebailbonds.com. Im very excited about joining AMSEC, a company well known for its many technological innovations in the industry. I join an organization blessed with great people and Im excited to get to work improving the end user experience and helping drive growth with our broad array of customers. American Security Products (AMSEC), known worldwide as the provider of security safes and security solutions to the consumer and commercial marketplace, is proud to welcome Drew Meng as the companys new President and Chief Executive Officer. Drew replaces David Lazier, who has become the companys Chairman of the Board after successfully leading AMSEC for the past 15 years. Drew Meng is a result-driven leader with success in growing businesses while partnered with both independent dealers and distributors, along with large multi-category retailers. He has significant experience in end-user focused product development, along with a commercial background in selling in both business-to-business and direct-to-consumer markets. "We are fortunate to find someone with such an extensive track record of organizational success through product development, brand marketing and commercial partnerships said Lazier. Drews proven success in dynamic, demanding environments will serve AMSEC well going forward in spearheading operational productivity and quality, he added. Drew Meng joins AMSEC after serving as President of North American Spas at Jacuzzi Group Worldwide for the past 4 years. His former leadership roles in sales and marketing at Jacuzzi, Black & Decker and Newell Brands have helped propel Drew into his current position as President and CEO with AMSEC. Im very excited about joining AMSEC, a company well known for its many technological innovations in the industry. I join an organization blessed with great people and Im excited to get to work improving the end user experience and helping drive growth with our broad array of customers, Drew said. About AMSEC American Security Products (AMSEC) is a global leader of security safes and security solutions, protecting the assets of clients throughout the world. AMSEC offers an extensive array of security safes and consulting services, delivered with the highest degree of quality, integrity and responsiveness. AMSEC got its start in late 1940, housed in a small building in Paramount, California, where founder, Glenn Hall set up shop with little more than a welder, a lathe, and a desire to build strong, reliable safes. Bashas' Chooses Hypersonix We look forward to seeing how Hypersonix can identify new growth opportunities from our data, -- Edward N. Basha III, president and chief executive officer of Bashas Family of Stores Bashas Family of Stores has deployed Hypersonix, the AI-driven analytics platform offered on a subscription basis for grocery retailers and other high-volume consumer-commerce companies. Bashas chose Hypersonixs cloud-based solution to support the companys real-time merchandising, marketing and enterprise analytics needs. The deployment follows a successful, 90-day pilot program, and comes on the heels of Hypersonixs $11.5M Series A funding, led by Intel Capital. Bashas Family of Stores is a 3rd generation family-owned business founded in 1932 and is a community cornerstone in Arizona. With the grocery industry facing unprecedented change and fluctuating demand patterns due to COVID-19, Bashas required an analytics partner that empowered non-technical decision-makers to respond to real-time changes in shopper behavior, availability of merchandise and other trends. We look forward to seeing how Hypersonix can identify new growth opportunities from our data, said Edward N. Basha III, president and chief executive officer of Bashas Family of Stores. We believe in innovation and partnership and finding ways to support our teams with advanced tools they need to better serve our shoppers and our community. Built by former executives from SAP, PayPal and IBM, the Hypersonix Unified Data Analytics Platform harnesses data-driven insights without dependency on data analysts or information technology professionals. Unlike competing solutions, Hypersonix brings a Google-like experience to consumer commerce analytics. The company has replicated the simplicity of how one might Google something in their personal life, only at the enterprise level. The platforms accessibility means that Bashas decision makers can use text or voice to quickly query their data on their computer, tablet or smartphone. Hypersonix has enriched the experience with an intelligent decision agent named Jarvix, which leverages the latest innovations in Natural Language Processing (NLP). With Hypersonix, Bashas becomes one of the first regional grocery chains in the United States to embrace artificial intelligence in such a broad fashion, said Todd P. Michaud, President and Chief Customer Officer of Hypersonix. We are thrilled to be working with the team at Bashas as they embrace AI-driven analytics as a competitive edge. Like many retailers, Bashas is a data-rich environment that has benefited from the actionable insights our platform has brought autonomously to their team. Hypersonix has an impressive and comprehensive all-in-one solution, ready out-of-the-box and they make it easy to integrate with existing data sources, said Barry Craft, Vice President of Merchandising, Marketing, & Procurement for Bashas. Hypersonix has the right product capabilities to help grocery retailers like us find new opportunities to better serve our shoppers. For more information on how Hypersonix is being used by grocery retailers, please visit: http://www.hypersonix.ai. About Hypersonix, Inc. Hypersonix offers the most comprehensive cloud-based, AI-powered autonomous analytics platform that enables consumer commerce decision-makers to make smart decisions fastempowering them to get real-time intelligence, insights and recommendations to take timely actions leading to business success. Hypersonixs predictive and prescriptive analytics can measure and monitor business results, clarify why results are occurring, and recommend actions to drive improvements. Leveraging innovations in Machine Learning (ML), Natural Language Programming (NLP) and real-time data computing, the platform offers a simple, fast "Google-like" experience supported by "Jarvix," a virtual assistant. Designed for Retail, Restaurant, Hospitality, e-Commerce, Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) and Brand Manufacturers. Hypersonix helps clients drive profitable growth, save money and improve customer engagement. Founded in 2018 by former executives from SAP, PayPal and IBM, the company has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Fortune, TechCrunch, along with other outlets. It is based in San Jose, with offices in Sacramento, California and Bangalore, India. About Bashas Family of Stores Bashas' Family of Stores the family-owned grocer that operates Food City, AJ's Fine Foods, Eddie's Country Store, and both Bashas' and Bashas' Dine supermarkets is an Arizona-based company founded by brothers Ike and Eddie Basha, Sr. With more than 100 grocery stores, it is one of the largest employers in the state and one of the Best Places to Work in Arizona. Since the company's inception in 1932, Bashas' has given back more than $100 million to the communities it serves. For more information, visit http://www.bashas.com. TecXposition promises to deliver what Africa has been waiting for, the opportunity to view technology from a global lens, with local outcomes. Bespectacled Ltd. announces the official launch of TecXposition 2020, Africas Premier tech event. The event will congregate businesses, government delegates, technology enthusiasts, investors, start-ups, students and young adults, with a view to demystifying key technology domains and exploring practical applications to improve profitability and enhance everyday living. Due to the exceptional circumstances presented by COVID-19, the event will be 100% virtual in 2020. Release Summary: TecXposition 2020 will take place from Thursday, November 12 through to Friday, November 13, 2020 The event will look to explore and demystify, as it relates to Africa, various tech domains notably AI, Blockchain, Collaboration, Connectivity, Data, IoT, Mobility, Payments, Policy, Security, Smart Cities, Social and much more, with a view to understanding how to improve profitability and enhance everyday living Delving into barriers to business and funding mechanisms for Africa tech Features include a virtual conference, Best of Africa start-up pitch (#tecXpositionpitch) competition and a hackathon (#TecXhack4Growth) solving for six challenge themes and more The event will also explore through stand out solutions, the application and importance of tech across key industry verticals. TecXposition promises to deliver what Africa has been waiting for, the opportunity to view technology from a global lens, with local outcomes. TecXposition 2020 (#tecXposition) will feature the following, albeit via a virtual platform: conference, exhibition, hackathon, an investor deal room, product and service launches, masterclasses, demos, innovation know-how and best-in-class thought leadership. It will offer the opportunity to gain industry insight, as well as to find and network with peers and mentors alike. Partnering with industry leading tech companies, the event aims to bring together enterprise (large and SME), governments and policy makers, non-profit organisations, start-ups, investors, technology enthusiasts and students to ensure mutual and lateral interactions between key society groups. Register today and attend to enjoy industry breaking keynotes, demos, pitches, big start-up ideas and talks beginning Thursday, November 12 at 07:00 GMT. Useful resources Event video: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeiVLK1S6usjq-FZUQDEejw Website: http://www.tecxposition.com Follow @TecXposition on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube & LinkedIn About Bespectacled Ltd. Bespectacled Ltd. was established to offer service solutions in the technology space. The company offers a wide range of service solutions to clients looking to build technological capabilities in an increasingly competitive digital business environment. TecXposition and TecXposition.com are registered trademarks of Bespectacled Ltd. in the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Positioning aid for COVID-19 patients to be positioned prone. Studies out of Wuhan, China previously demonstrated that lying in the prone position has been associated with improved oxygenation in intubated patients. A more recent study out of New York City has demonstrated that prone positioning in awake, non-intubated patients improved blood oxygenation up to 34% which has reduced the need to intubate many of these patients. As the number of COVID-19 cases increased throughout the country, ventilators became scarce and ICU availability reached capacity. In response, Bone Foam Inc. partnered with an orthopaedic surgeon out of Lennox Hill Hospital in New York, the epicenter of the pandemic at the time, to develop a low-cost solution to aide patients, pulmonologists, and all ICU intensivists in managing complex positioning challenges. With elective orthopaedic surgeries delayed and hospital staff being overran due to the influx of COVID-19 patients, the Chief of Orthopaedics at Rothman in New York City, was looking for ways to help. The Orthopaedic Residency program repurposed into Prone Flippers at the peak of the outbreak and assisted with management of intubated patients afflicted with pneumonia and ARDS due to COVID-19. Together with Bone Foam Inc., they developed the Prone Foam Superior Support Pad to help with management and positioning of these patients in effort to reduce ventilator-induced lung injuries and mortality rates. The design is ideal for patients on a ventilator or those utilizing high-volume oxygen masks as well as those suffering from ARDS, Cystic Fibrosis, and Obstructive Sleep Apnea. Using Prone Foam to position patients can improve pulmonary function, blood oxygenation, and help break up thick mucus in the lungs. Even those who have been diagnosed with COVID-19 and have not been intubated can benefit from improved blood oxygenation by using the Superior Support Pad and lying in the prone position. Early awake proning has been shown in a consecutive series out of New York City to successfully avoid intubation in 64% of hospitalized COVID-19 positive patients. In recognition of their collaboration, Bone Foam dedicated the Superior Support Pad to the brave and repurposed Prone Flippers of the Lennox Hill Orthopaedic Residency program. About Bone Foam Bone Foam Inc. is an orthopaedic industry leader in medical grade foam positioners that are utilized in hospitals, clinics, and surgery centers around the world. Bone Foam is focused on discovering and developing innovations in patient positioning that are mutually beneficial to surgeons, medical staff, and patients. During these ambivalent times, Bone Foam has been allocating resources to support the positioning needs of COVID-19 patients. References 1. https://www.thoracic.org/about/newsroom/press-releases/journal/2020/wuhan-study-is-first-to-describe-how-body-positioning-can-improve-breathing-in-severe-covid-19-patients-requiring-entilation.php 2. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/2767575 3. https://journals.lww.com/jbjsjournal/Documents/P-Final_Rahman.pdf 4. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/acem.13994 BRIDGEi2i Analytics Solutions, a global, asset-based consulting and AI solutions company, and CI Group, UK-based integrated marketing, and brand solutions company, announced that they had forged a strategic partnership. The partnership will enable the CI Group to offer AI-led digital transformation solutions to its clients across the UK and European regions. The collaboration will strengthen BRIDGEi2i's footprint in the UK and the rest of Europe across multiple industries. For CI Group, it will augment their analytics portfolio with advanced data science insights to their customers, at speed, and scale. As a result of the partnership, the CI Group will leverage BRIDGEi2i's AI Accelerators and advanced analytics capabilities to initiate and accelerate digital transformation journeys. Sid Banerjee, member of BRIDGEi2is Advisory Board who is also overseeing EU business development said, "BRIDGEi2i is redefining digital enterprises through contextual AI solutions for enterprises. We are keen on enriching CI group's portfolio while we expand our AI solutions to clients in the European region and generate value at every step of their digital transformation journey." David Watt, CEO of the CI Group commented: This partnership will provide a vast range of new benefits to our clients while adding a whole new dimension to our data analytics capabilities. Working with a world-class organisation like BRIDGEi2i will bring us tremendous opportunities. Its an exciting prospect. About BRIDGEi2i: BRIDGEi2i is a trusted partner for enabling AI for Digital Enterprises by leveraging Data Engineering, Advanced Analytics, proprietary AI accelerators and Consulting expertise. BRIDGEi2i enables businesses to contextualize data, generate actionable insights from complex business problems, and make data-driven decisions across pan-enterprise processes to create sustainable business impact. http://www.BRIDGEi2i.com About CI Group Corporate Innovations started 20 years ago when David Watt led the business specialising in live brand experiences. This quickly grew into a thriving experiential, rewards and promotional business that gained numerous awards for innovation and effectiveness. Following a strategic review in 2014, the CI Group was formed and made its first acquisition of advertising, strategy and branding agency, Roundtable in 2015, followed by design and creative agency Ellipsis in 2016. These were recently joined by digital marketing agency Diginut, now branded CI. Diginut, Pearl Analytics and now Clareville. CI Group works with over 50 global leading brands. To name a few, existing clients include Apple, Microsoft, Hewlett Packard, Computacenter, Camelot and Royal Caribbean International. http://www.cigroup.co.uk For further information please contact ChrisLewis@clareville.co.uk tel 020 7736 4022 BRIDGEi2i Analytics Solutions Contact Venkat Subramanian Email: venkat.subramanian@bridgei2i.com ### Rebalance logo The secret sauce to successful long-term investing is not trying to pick a winner, but to let the market win for you. A decade ago Warren Buffett made a now-infamous million-dollar bet with successful hedge fund titan Ted Seides, wagering that the returns from an unmanaged S&P 500 index fund would surpass the 10-year performance of an actively-managed hedge fund. Today, Rebalances Managing Director Mitchell Tuchman is taking a walk in Buffetts shoes. Tuchman issued his own challenge to members of the Los Angeles Chapter of the American Association of Individual Investors (AAII), to determine once and for all which investment strategy will come out on top: Wall Street style active investing or passive index investing. Jeff Heller took up Tuchmans challenge, and the two contenders will be locked in a 10-year long battle to determine once and for all whether active investing or index investing provides the best return on investment. Starting July 1, 2020, both contenders will open up brokerage accounts with Charles Schwab, where they will each deposit $20,000 as seed investment capital. Tuchman will invest 100% of his funds in the Rebalance Growth Portfolio, a collection of index funds designed to generate long-term growth. Heller will invest his funds as he sees fit. The winner of the bet will select a charity to receive a $10,000 donation consisting of $5,000 each from Tuchman and Heller. If Tuchman wins, the $10,000 will go to the Pitt Hopkins Research Foundation. If Heller wins, the $10,000 will go to Harmony Project. During the course of the 10-year bet, the $10,000 will be held in an account with Long Bets. Long Bets, a project of the Long Now foundation, is an independent, non-profit, third party will that holds parties accountable to long-term bets. Ive learned over the years, both personally and professionally, that the secret sauce to successful long-term investing is not trying to pick a winner, but to let the market win for you, said Tuchman. Portfolio indexing allows you to do this in a manner that is low cost and low risk. The book that had the biggest impact on me as an investor is The Future for Investors by Jeremy Siegel. My strategy is to buy good quality dividend paying stocks at attractive valuations, reinvest the dividends and then see if such a portfolio can beat an index fund over a ten-year period, said Heller. I think this competition will be a great learning experience. If history is any guide, Tuchman expects to come out on top, given Buffetts victory in 2017, when his pick of a Vanguard S&P index fund delivered an annual return of 8.5% compared to the 2.4% average annual gain delivered by his opponent. About AAII The American Association of Individual Investors is an independent, nonprofit corporation formed for the purpose of assisting individuals in becoming effective managers of their own assets. Since inception in 1978, AAII has helped over 2 million individuals build their investment wealth through programs of education, publications, software and grassroots meetings. For more information, visit https://www.aaii.com/. About Rebalance Rebalance is a mission-driven, award-winning investment firm committed to offering premium, fiduciary wealth management services to everyday investors. The firm is at the forefront of providing consumers with a fundamentally different and better set of investment options: lower costs, endowment-quality globally diversified investment portfolios, and systematic rebalancing. Rebalance is headquartered in Palo Alto, CA and Bethesda, MD and currently manages more than 600 clients with more than $750 million in financial assets. In 2018, Rebalance was honored by Schwabs 2018 Pacesetter IMPACT Award for Innovation and Growth. For more information, visit https://www.rebalance360.com. Cybereason, a leader in endpoint protection, today published new research from its Nocturnus Research team, titled, FakeSpy Masquerades as Postal Service Apps Around the World, an investigation into a new global Android mobile malware campaign targeting users of mobile postal service and transportation apps such as the U.S. Postal Service, Japan Post, Royal Mail (United Kingdom), Le Poste (France) and Deutsche Post (Germany), amongst others. The campaign is being carried out by the Chinese cyber crime group often referred to as Roaming Mantis. Roaming Mantis has upgraded FakeSpy malware, which dates back to 2017, to carry out his new campaign. FakeSpy is an information stealer that exfiltrates and sends SMS messages, steals financial and application data, reads account information and contact lists. The malware uses smishing, or SMS phishing, to infiltrate target devices, which is a technique that relies on social engineering. The attackers send fake text messages to lure the victims to click on a malicious link and the link directs them to a malicious web page. Once installed on an Android device, the application requests permissions so that it may control SMS messages and steal sensitive data on the device, as well as proliferate to other devices in the target devices contact list. The threat actors use postal services themes in their SMS messages. For example, the user will get a pretext such as missed delivery or your package can be collected at and with a download link for a fake postal service or delivery service app. The ultimate motive of Roaming Mantis is financial as they are an organized cybercrime group operating from China for at least 3 years. It is difficult to estimate how many people are behind it, but it is a well oiled operation that keeps expanding. We refer to this type of global campaign as spray and pray where the threat actors arent focused on any particular individual but they try their luck, casting a rather wide net waiting for large volumes of people to take the bait, said Assaf Dahan, Senior Director, Head of Threat Research, Cybereason. Earlier this year, Nocturnus discovered EventBot, new Android mobile malware targeting users of more than 200 financial apps, Paypal Business, Barclays, UniCredit, HSBC, CapitalOne, Santander, TransferWise, Coinbase and many more. About Cybereason Cybereason, creators of the leading Cyber Defense Platform, gives the advantage back to the defender through a completely new approach to cybersecurity. Cybereason offers endpoint prevention, detection and response and active monitoring. The solution delivers multi-layered endpoint prevention by leveraging signature and signatureless techniques to prevent known and unknown threats in conjunction with behavioral and deception techniques to prevent ransomware and fileless attacks. Cybereason is a privately held, international company, headquartered in Boston, MA with customers in more than 30 countries. Learn more: https://www.cybereason.com/ Follow us: Blog | Twitter | Facebook Media Contacts: Bill Keeler Senior Director, Global Public Relations Cybereason bill.keeler@cybereason.com (929) 259-3261 Darren McCarty, Picanna FARM in Pinconning, Michigan Words cant express how grateful I am to have this opportunity to spread the love and benefits of cannabis, said Darren McCarty. This is just the start of creating an amazing collection of medical cannabis products to help others with their wellness practices, as they seek to relieve pain. After years of believing in the use of medical and recreational cannabis, four-time Stanley Cup champion and former Detroit Red Wing Darren McCarty has developed his own brand of medical marijuana products The Darren McCarty Brand in collaboration with Pincanna, one of Michigans leading cannabis companies. Darren McCarty Pucker Up pre-rolls will hit store shelves on Thursday, July 2 as Pincanna opens its doors at 10 am in Kalkaska, Michigan. Pucker Up pre-rolls will also be available for purchase at three additional retail locations ranging from the Bay City area all the way to Negaunee in the Upper Peninsula. The Pucker Up strain combines THC and CBD, with a 5:1 ratio, to enhance the consumer experience. Were excited to launch with the Pucker Up strain as this is the perfect plant profile for everyone to enjoyeven the novice, said Darren McCarty. And, weve of course included CBD, to help us all chill out. McCarty is working closely with the team at Pincannas FARM in Pinconning, Michigan to isolate terpenes to enhance the therapeutic value and aromas of his medical marijuana products. Future products include a CBD rub and gummies, various marijuana strains and a high-potency, marijuana-infused chocolate peanut-butter candy bar. Words cant express how grateful I am to have this opportunity to spread the love and benefits of cannabis, said McCarty. This is just the start of creating an amazing collection of medical cannabis products to help others with their wellness practices, as they seek to relieve body aches and pains. Robert Nusbaum, founding partner, Pincanna states, All of us at Pincanna share Darrens passion to create innovative cannabis products to relieve pain and anxiety. Were thrilled to be collaborating with Darren and his team. Farmington Hills, Michigan-based Pincanna, is a licensed vertically integrated cannabis company, with a team that has won 45 Cannabis Cup awards for its unique proprietary marijuana strains. Pincannas state-of-the-art cultivation and manufacturing facility is under construction on 185 acres in Pinconning, Michigan, which incorporates the companys FARM: a 135,000-square-foot cultivation space with greenhouse and indoor environments and LAB: a manufacturing facility focused on producing concentrates, edibles, topicals and other premium products. The company recently opened a retail store in Kalkaska, Michigan and plans to open numerous Pincanna MARKET retail stores throughout the state, building the best in class consumer experience. The company operates with a house-of-brands approach. In addition to its own Pincanna brand and The Darren McCarty Brand, the company is also introducing Radicle Genetics, Michigan Organic Rub, Funky Extracts and Superior Solventless to the Michigan marketplace. Pincanna FARM. LAB. MARKET. Pre-ordering for pick up is available at Pincanna.com. The Pincanna MARKET is located at 786 S. Cedar Street in Kalkaska. Feryal Ahmadi, Chief Operating Officer, DMCC - Nie Lixia, General Manager, Innoway - Luan Tian, Director, Innoway Dubai has an ambitious innovation agenda, which is driven by government and accelerated by the private sector. Innovation is in Dubais DNA and so too is collaboration. This is just one of the reasons why DMCC is delighted to sign this agreement with Innoway DMCC the worlds flagship Free Zone and Government of Dubai Authority on commodities trade and enterprise and Innoway a Chinese platform established by the Beijing and Haidian Government that has successfully incubated over 3,400 start-ups and raised a total of AED 4.7 billion (approximately CNY 9 billion | USD 1.28 billion) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to increase collaboration in the tech sector between the UAE and China, and usher in a new wave of innovation to Dubai. Dubai is transforming into the innovation hub of the Middle East, as the city continues to attract tech start-ups and entrepreneurs from around the world. With the agreement in place, DMCC will serve as Innoways foothold in the region, supporting them with the development of an incubation and acceleration programme that attracts Chinese innovators, entrepreneurs and tech start-ups to Dubai. Dubai has an ambitious innovation agenda, which is driven by government and accelerated by the private sector. Innovation is in Dubais DNA and so too is collaboration. This is just one of the reasons why DMCC is delighted to sign this agreement with Innoway an organisation that has an equally impressive innovation story, said Feryal Ahmadi, Chief Operating Officer, DMCC. DMCC has been harnessing technology to provide innovative solutions and services while providing our member companies with an ecosystem that fosters creativity, entrepreneurship and growth. We are confident that through this strategic partnership with Innoway, we will serve as the launchpad for Chinas most promising start-ups and SMEs, offering them unprecedented opportunities to scale and tap new markets while also supporting the emirates digital agenda, she added. Originally established as a science, technology and innovation hub, Innoway has been dubbed Chinas Silicon Valley, and was established by the Beijing Government to foster global entrepreneurship and offer a platform for an open exchange between global players in the start-up and innovation ecosystem. It provides SMEs and large businesses with the expertise and guidance they need to succeed in Chinas dynamic environment. Innoways partners include the likes of Intel, Orange, Hitachi, Daimler and more. Nie Lixia, General Manager , Innoway and Luan Tian, Director, Innoway, added: DMCC offers the ideal ecosystem for Chinese firms looking to expand across the Middle East, and will provide tremendous value to many of the start-ups we are working with. We look forward to welcoming a new wave of innovative Chinese businesses to DMCC and together, help write the next chapter of Dubai and Chinas story. This announcement builds on the comprehensive strategy of DMCC to attract innovative companies to Dubai, and contribute to the nations wider economic diversification strategy. Earlier this year, DMCC signed an agreement with Crypto Valley a Swiss Government-supported initiative to create a blockchain and cryptographic based business ecosystem in Dubai. Further information of the partnership between DMCC and Innoway, and further initiatives to boost Dubais position as the regions leading tech and blockchain hub will be announced in due course. China remains among the UAEs largest trading partners. The volume of bilateral trade between the UAE and China reached AED 127 billion (approximately CNY 255 billion | USD 34.7 billion) in the first nine months of 2019, a 6 per cent increase compared to the same period in 2018. To date, DMCC is home to over 500 Chinese member companies from a variety of sectors. For more than 20 years, Thomas sat on the Advisory Committee for the Bank of the Commonwealth. He was board chairman of the Cedar Road Branch and Vice-Chairman of the Advisory Board for branches of the Bank of the Commonwealth. During that time, he was credited for helping other pastors, some of different jurisdictions and reformations, get financing to expand their churches. He was also the co-owner of the cemetery where he will be buried. This transaction furthers our corporate mission of providing financing to key, strategic industries while continuing as a leading North American provider of working capital to the SME market. eCapital Corp.(eCapital) (formerly Global Merchant Fund Corp.), through one of its subsidiaries, has acquired 100% of the ownership equity of Prosperity Funding Inc. (Prosperity), a Fort Lauderdale-based factoring company. Founded in 2007, Prosperity has focused on providing accounts receivable financing and working capital solutions to small and medium-sized companies throughout the United States. Though Prosperity finances clients across numerous industries, it has a focused specialty within the Staffing industry. Marius Silvasan, CEO of eCapital, said: We are excited to finalize the acquisition of Prosperity and deepen our product offerings and exposure to the Staffing industry. This transaction furthers our corporate mission of providing financing to key, strategic industries while continuing as a leading North American provider of working capital to the SME market. About eCapital Corp. eCapital Corp. is committed to supporting small and middle-market companies in the Unites States and Canada by accelerating their access to capital through asset-based lending, factoring and supply chain financing. In addition to eCapital Corp.s direct lending activities, its portfolio companies Gerber Finance, Inc., Paragon Financial Group and the Commercial Finance and Freight Factoring divisions of eCapital offer alternative finance solutions across a broad set of industries. Based in Miami, Florida, eCapital Corp. is the trusted leader in flexible, customized funding for consistent business growth. For more information about eCapital, visit eCapital.com. Source: eCapital Corp., 20807 Biscayne Blvd., Suite 203, Aventura FL 33180 We want to do our part to make sure local financial institutions can navigate the legal, risk and compliance challenges presented by PPP Loan Forgiveness while keeping the small business customers happy, said Jeff Grobaski, CEO at Epic River Epic River is proud to announce a PPP Loan Forgiveness Portal that will walk borrowers through the application step by step. Banks and credit unions can embed this portal on their websites to enable their customers to apply for loan forgiveness right on their website from the comfort of their home or office. Pulling from decades of loan application, document exchange, and e-sign experience, Epic Rivers SBA Loan Forgiveness workflow includes: Easy step-by-step walk-through of the SBA Forgiveness Application Intelligent document preparation and SBA submission Support for both full and EZ loan applications Automated request and storage of supporting documentation E-sign SBA forms as well as any supporting custom documents Loan presentation for legal review and diligence Secure long-term storage of loan data, e-signed SBA application form and supporting documents The SBA reports that, as of the end of May, 44 percent of all PPP Approved Lending was from lenders that have less than $10 billion in assets. That represents almost $223 billion in stimulus funding. Community banks and credit unions were instrumental in getting the funding provided by the Payroll Protection Program into the hands of businesses across the country, said Jeff Grobaski, CEO at Epic River. We are now doing our part to make sure those local financial institutions can navigate the legal, risk and compliance challenges presented by PPP Loan Forgiveness while keeping the small business customers happy. The experience Epic River gained while deploying its electronic loan closing platform to over 1,500 banks, ensures financial institutions are able to mitigate the often lengthy contracting, vendor management and risk assessments to ensure they have a solution in place by the time their customers need it About Epic River Since 2005, the Epic River Platform has provided new banking concepts and better customer experiences to community banks and credit unions. Epic River brings together a community financial institutions low cost of capital with our innovative platform to compete with the high-convenience and high-cost offerings of non-bank financing providers. Community banks and credit unions running on the Epic River platform are able to provide better loan terms, lower cost of closing and unsurpassed convenience to customers to improve the financial wellbeing of the community in which they live and work. The Epic River platform also powers the Finastra eSignature solution, ProSign Online, to provide our customers with a simple, secure and compliance-centric electronic document signing and delivery platform. For information, visit http://www.epicriver.com. Fariba Rahimi, Norwegian model and Entrepreneur. Fariba Rahimi model and investor, has been accepted into the Forbes Business Council, the foremost growth and networking organization for successful business owners and leaders worldwide. She is an International Business Consultant with broad interests in global affairs and fast-moving industries. She is an investor in people and an avid follower of The World Economic Forum where many of her associates participate. Fariba Rahimi was vetted and hand selected to join Forbes Councils by a review committee based on the depth and diversity of her experience as an entrepreneur and proven industry leadership. Criteria for acceptance include a track record of successfully impacting business growth metrics, as well as personal and professional achievements and honors. Fariba Rahimi will also be invited to work with a professional editorial team to share her expert insights in original business articles on Forbes and Inc. Magazine and to contribute to published Q&A panels alongside other experts. Finally, Rahimi will benefit from exclusive access to vetted business service partners, membership-branded marketing collateral, and the high-touch support of the Forbes Councils member concierge team. Scott Gerber, founder of Forbes Councils, said, "We are honored to welcome Fariba Rahimi to our communities. Our philosophy is that by curating the very best entrepreneurial minds around and providing them with a space to build meaningful relationships and access more opportunity, our members can further their success and the success of the entire entrepreneurial ecosystem, making an even greater impact on the business world." "I am excited about the great opportunity that has come up in my life; they motivate me to continue working and progressing even more and more. I am deeply grateful to the team of Forbes Councils for considering me to be an official member of their organization," said Rahimi. ABOUT FORBES COUNCILS Forbes Councils is a collective of invitation-only communities created in partnership with Forbes and the expert community builders who founded Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC). In Forbes Councils, exceptional business owners and leaders come together with the people and resources that can help them thrive. To learn more about Forbes Councils, visit forbescouncils.com. You can contact Rahimi's team at info@faribarahimi.com or visit http://www.faribarahimi.com SOURCE: Fariba Rahimi team Your film will, with a good bottle of Rioja, be a remedy for my sadness Devotees of Pamplona's running of the bulls will not be making the trip to Spain for the first time in forty-two years due to the COVID-19 global pandemic. The city council announced in April that the annual Fiesta de San Fermin would not be taking place in July as it has since the early 19th century. Since the mid 1900s this local event has grown, largely due to its depiction in Ernest Hemingway's The Sun Also Rises, into one of the worlds largest parties. Participants travel, in the millions, from all over the globe to take part in the 8 days of non-stop party. The cancellation this year due to COVID-19 comes as a complete shock. Said Stephanie Mutsaerts, who owns Northern Spain Travel, a tourist company in Pamplona. To those who attend the fiesta every year, the cancellation is almost inconceivable. One group of filmmakers and journalists from the San Francisco Bay Area, whom Mutsaerts served as a local Spanish producer and coordinator, hope fans will watch their film Fiesta! online. Shot during 2017, Fiesta! is a documentary series in two episodes that brings the viewer to Pamplona to let them experience the festival from the comfort of their couch. Your film will, with a good bottle of Rioja, be a remedy for my sadness, said American runner Joe Distler in an email to the producers. This is only the second time in 51 years that Distler has missed fiesta. "We wanted these films to be an immersive experience," said Executive Producer Neal Waters. "We spent June and July of 2017 gathering materials and interviewing the people that make this such an amazing event. After doing research, Waters discovered that the world-famous party is much more than the drunken bacchanal that is often depicted in contemporary accounts. One of my goals was to show the whole story of fiesta, not just the bulls and the wine. Waters said. Trust me there is a lot of wine but there is also a lot of music, fireworks, religion and other cultural experiences. Director Gabriel Pout Lezaun grew up in Pamplona, but until joining the production team had very little experience with the fiesta, when the opportunity to get involved in such a comprehensive project came, said Lezaun, I couldn't refuse reconnecting with that story. With this documentary we have only scratched part of the surface, said Lezaun. We hope we have found part of the essence that makes each individual fall in love with the Fiesta de San Fermin. If you would like to experience the Fiesta de San Fermin you can find the Fiesta! project on Vimeo On Demand at vimeo.com/ondemand/fiesta. Germinder Celebrates 20 Years in NYC Talking about 20 years of public relations successes, thats easy for me. Openly standing up for what you believe in this environment, that takes guts. said Lea-Ann Germinder, APR, Fellow PRSA We're still standing strong. Twenty years New York strong. The Big Apple poster created by Ogilvy & Mather in 1976 and signed by Robert Redford says it all, Youd have to be a little crazy to live in New York, but nuts to live anywhere else. The iconic framed poster has followed Germinder + Associates founder and president Lea-Ann Germinder, APR, Fellow, PRSA everywhere shes lived and every office shes opened since 1976. As Germinder + Associates celebrates the 20 year anniversary day of the first opening of its New York City office, the poster special meaning. The poster was created in 1976 at a time New York City was going broke. Now, New York is in the midst of a pandemic and the poster is on display for all the Zoom calls as a good luck charm. New York will be back, and in the meantime, the company is marking its 20 year anniversary with an affirmation of its commitment to New York City, mentoring and increasing diversity in the public relations profession. The company formally opened its first New York City office in the Hudson Square area of Greenwich Village. It had launched Goodnewsforpets.com earlier in the year. The company has also had offices in the famous Meat Market district, Park Avenue and now is currently located in Midtown at 747 Third Avenue. There isnt any area of New York City we dont love and we look forward to when we can fully operate back in New York full-time. We were thrilled to open our doors in Kansas City in 1998, but to open the office in New York City in 2000 was a dream come true. While I grew up on Long Island, I came to the city every chance I had, and to me, even as we still battle the pandemic, the Big Apple is still the greatest city in the world, said Germinder. Mentoring is also important to Germinder. She has established intern programs at every agency she has joined before starting her own firm in 1998. As 2013 PRSA-NY Chapter President and as a longtime Big Apple Sponsor, she has made it a point to reach out to sponsor PRSSA students. In 2019, she received the PRSA-NYs Makovsky Excellence in Mentoring Award in recognition for her years of mentoring public relations professionals. She is a member of the PRSA-NY Past Presidents Council. We are so incredibly grateful to all of the support and volunteerism that Lea-Ann has shown to PRSA-NY over the years, said PRSA-NY President, Kellie Jelencovich. Lea-Ann is such an outstanding mentor and is always guiding and helping students from PRSSA, as well as young emerging professionals with their careers. We are deeply appreciative to all that she has done to give back especially to students from diverse backgrounds, where Lea-Ann is constantly creating opportunities to increase diversity, equity, and inclusion. This is an incredible time to be celebrating 20 years in the Big Apple and showcasing her students and their work in the process is typical of the opportunities she creates. As part of the PRSA-NY mentoring program, Germinder is currently guiding Alexandra Butman through the job-seeking process, as she is set to complete her graduate degree at NYU. In May she accepted the PRSA Champions challenge to help students impacted by the pandemic by hiring two students remotely from her alma mater, the University of Dayton. Abby Crotty, a senior and Zinaejah Ozier, a junior are the two interns. An unexpected development was the Black Lives Matter movement and how it would impact the work in a positive manner. Listen to their latest video here. While the agency has always considered itself committed to diversity and inclusion, honest conversations became front and center. The agency recently became the 40th firm to sign the Diversity Action Alliance pledge to adopt, champion and track diversity within the organization and the public relations profession. The Diversity Action Alliance is an alliance of the national top public relations organizations. The company also made a donation towards this initiative and other initiatives and made its own statements in support of Black Lives Matter. Abby Crotty is handling Goodnewsforpets.com content, the Goodnewsforpets 20 Year Anniversary Charmed by the Love Contest Series with brand partners and handling donation communications to pet shelters. Shes found a way to incorporate the Black Lives Matter movement and message into the work shes doing for Goodnewsforpets. Zinaejah Ozier is helping with Germinder public relations. Now Zinaejah Ozier, is conducting Interviews with Zinaejah Ozier with black leaders in her voice. What these young women have given back to me in terms of taking an honest assessment of where we stand and analyzing how we can all move forward is nothing short of amazing. Talking about 20 years of public relations successes, thats easy for me. Openly standing up for what you believe in, that takes guts today. It is especially fitting to celebrate them on the occasion of our 20 year anniversary. They are representative of all the young professionals I have had the privilege to work with, mentor and who mentored me back at Germinder +Associates, Lea-Ann Germinder, APR, Fellow PRSA. The Germinder Power of Pink Program (formerly Germinder Giving Back) is a companywide umbrella program developed to ensure the company and its employees contribute in meaningful ways to the local communities in which they work and in the specialized industries and professions they serve. The initiative is providing pro bono counsel during the COVID-19 Pandemic and supported the Black Lives Matter movement and mentoring for students, both monetary and in-kind support. The 2020 interns were hired under this program. For more information on Germinder + Associates programs and services contact Lea-Ann Germinder, APR Fellow PRSA at 917-334-8682, visit http://www.germinder.com or on Instagram @GerminderPR or Twitter @GerminderPR HazardHub, the nation's fastest-growing hazard data company, is proud to support July 1st as National Hazard Awareness Day. The purpose of this day is to understand the hazards that are around your property and properly take the steps to mitigate them. As we all know, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. John Siegman, CCA of HazardHub, says For too long people have been kept in the dark about the perils that can impact their property both for consumers and for business owners. HazardHub is dedicated to making sure that everyone knows the risk to their property so they may take the steps necessary to protect their property. Rebuilding from a peril is awful you lose far too many belongings and memories. By knowing more about the risk to your property, you might be able to save some of those precious belongings. HazardHub measures the risk for more than 50 natural hazard perils, including wind, hail, tornado, lightning, frozen pipe, underground storage tanks, and wildfires. HazardHub's team of scientists and geographers work together to determine the risk that can impact any property in the USA. HazardHub invites everyone to learn their risk by visiting http://www.freehomerisk.com, which instantly provides a report card of a property's risk. Absolutely free. Bob Frady, CEO of HazardHub, adds "We love to support National Hazard Awareness Day. We actually started as a company when a friend's house flooded. We were able to determine that - while the property was not in a flood zone - it was still highly likely to flood. After the flood happened, we asked our friend 'didn't anyone ever tell you about your flood risk? Unfortunately, the answer was no - and our friend lost over $30,000 to the flood. We think it's terrible that people don't know and want to do our part to help." To read more about HazardHub's efforts to help support National Hazard Awareness Day, please visit HazardHub.com. About HazardHub HazardHub is your insurance policy against property risk. Air. Fire. Water. Earth. Man-Made. HazardHub is the only third-generation provider of property-level hazard risk databases spanning the most dangerous perils in the continental United States. HazardHub translates huge amounts of geospatial digital data into easy to understand answers, providing easy to comprehend risk scorecards that are used to make real-world decisions. Our team of scientists provides comprehensive, and innovative, national coverage for risks that destroy and damage property. With more than 10,000,000 results returned to the market, HazardHub is fast-becoming the industrys go-to vendor for property and risk data. To learn more about HazardHub or to use our free lookups, visit http://www.hazardhub.com or reach us directly at support@hazardhub.com. Sudrania Fund Services Sudrania Fund Services Corp ("Sudrania") today announces they will host a Digital Asset Summit focused on delivering insights and best practices for digital assets managers and investors. The interactive, three-part webinar series will feature perspectives from industry experts in areas including investment allocation, custody, legal, tax/audit, banking, and fund administration. The webinar series is structured to help educate and inform those within the digital asset community. To learn more details about the series, visit us HERE. July 22nd, 11 AM EST | RSVP NOW. Next-Generation Crypto Funds: Infrastructure Challenges and Operational Best Practices MODERATOR: Susan Barreto, Editor, Alternatives Watch PANELISTS: Amos Nadler, Chief Economist, The Bayesian Group Scott Foster, Principal, Kingdom Trust Simon Riveles, Partner, Riveles Wahab LLP Nilesh Sudrania, CEO, Sudrania Fund Services August 19th, 11 AM EST The Institutionalization of Cryptocurrencies: What Funds Need to Know to Attract Investors MODERATOR: Daniel Strachman, Managing Director A&C Advisors LLC PANELISTS: Jason O'Reilly, COO/CFO, DBL Digital Eric Essian, Senior Tax Manager for Alternative Investments, Richey May & Co Chris Boivin, Trading & Growth, Anchorage Hold, LLC Benjamin Richman, SVP, Director of Digital Currency, Silvergate Bank Skyler Steinke, SVP of Business Development, Sudrania Fund Services September 16th, 11 AM EST Investor Perspectives: Regulation and Oversight MODERATOR: Lisa Vioni, CEO, Hedge Connection PANELISTS: Mitchell Dong, Managing Director, Pythagoras Investment Management Brett Ladendorf, Managing Director, IASG Fund Services Nitin Somani, Co-Founder, Sudrania Fund Services ABOUT SUDRANIA Sudrania Fund Services is a global fund administrator based in Chicago, Illinois who combines the robust power of cloud computing with a scalable boutique service model. Sudranias Seamless platform is an integrated portfolio, fund, and investor accounting system with a full-scale general ledger system. Our solutions can process high-frequency trading volumes to deliver daily NAV for impact funds, hedge funds, cryptocurrency funds, commodity pools, mortgage funds and more. This integrated software system is equally capable of supporting automation of capital calls/distribution and other complex calculations for private equity funds, real estate funds, and Special Purpose Vehicles. For more information, visit http://www.sudrania.com. KRMD shares a passion for the work we do, the clients we serve and the community we love. Johnny Flash Productions announced today that it has acquired one of the DC areas most amazing web agencies, KR Media & Designs (KRMD), based out of Columbia, MD. The acquisition expands the team, experience and breadth of clients of Johnny Flash Productions, and continues to expand the digital agency that brings passionate web, eCommerce, digital marketing, social media and branding under one roof to better serve its clients. "I am thrilled about the stronger team we're building and love the clients we serve," said John Falke, CEO of Johnny Flash Productions. "KRMD shares a passion for the work we do, the clients we serve and the community we love. As we continue to lean into our purpose of providing great design and support that deliver results, uniting with KR Media & Designs was an easy choice." Johnny Flash Productions has become one of the highest rated web agencies on Google in the MD, VA, DC area over the last three years. The agency has won numerous awards including from Thumbtack, Bark, Expertise and more. They have on-boarded clients such as Swings Coffee, Hiltons new restaurant in Washington D.C., The Third Rail, Brown Bag, Biofilm Innovations Group, Managed Care Advisors, and so many more. With the addition of KR Media & Designs, Johnny Flash Productions extends its opportunity to support businesses across the country as well as small-to-medium (SMB) clients. All of its partners will benefit from the swiftness and strategic capacity of Johnny Flashs experienced, highly proficient team and from the deepening of its digital offerings. "Deciding to join forces with John Falke and the Johnny Flash Productions team was a relatively easy decision. Taking quality care of our clients has been the guiding center of KRMD these last 11 years and I immediately noticed the same attention to that principal in John when I first met him four years ago. Working as colleagues and friends these last few years I was able to see how both our agencies shared many of the same great qualities, thus making joining forces a win for all involved. The KRMD team and I are very excited for this new chapter and the ways it will bring growth to our clients businesses," shared Kristina Romero, president of KR Media & Designs LLC. Learn more about the acquisition and how Johnny Flash Productions is growing better together at https://johnnyflash.com/bettertogether About Johnny Flash Productions: Johnny Flash Productions is a design and results driven digital agency. We work with some of Washington D.C.s best brands including Swings Coffee, Hilton, Brown Bag, Biofilm Innovations Group, Managed Care Advisors and more. Our team of experts create powerful online experiences and digital marketing campaigns to help our clients connect with their audiences. Headquartered in Northern Virginia, Johnny Flash Productions is multi-award winning web & digital agency that is the one of the highest rated web agencies on Google in the MD, VA, DC area. Follow: @JohnnyFlashProductions on IG Ashton and the Noisy Cactus Bird: a picturesque masterpiece about Ashton who takes a vacation to his grandfathers place in Arizona and meets a cacophonous bird in a cactus. Ashton and the Noisy Cactus Bird is the creation of published author Judy Kessler, a retired communications engineer from Tucson. Kessler shares, Ashton meets and learns about a brash, arrogant, and very noisy bird living in a nearby saguaro cactus on his grandparents acreage in Arizona. He finds other saguaros on the property with holes and birds nesting in them, but what makes these holes in the tough cactus? Published by Christian Faith Publishing, Judy Kesslers new book reveals the beauty of nature through the heartwarming circumstances of a boy and his curiosity for a cactus bird that makes his vacation truly interesting. Children will also learn valuable insights about the astounding cactus bird and their ecosystem that will bring wisdom about Mother Nature and the importance of its preservation. View the synopsis of Ashton and the Noisy Cactus Bird on YouTube. Consumers can purchase Ashton and the Noisy Cactus Bird at traditional brick-and-mortar bookstores or online at Amazon.com, Apple iTunes store, or Barnes and Noble. For additional information or inquiries about Ashton and the Noisy Cactus Bird, contact the Christian Faith Publishing media department at 866-554-0919. True, the revenue-retarding economic effects of the virus epidemic diminished the full impact of Democratic Party ascendancy. Big spending plans, in one area or another, have been deferred. A key objective, an increase in the minimum wage to $9.50 per hour, will not take effect until next year. Listos California, a campaign anchored in the Governors Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES), has reached one in four Californians with life-saving messaging tied to the COVID-19 pandemic, promoting safer behavior and improving public health across Californias most vulnerable communities. Since the launch of the campaign in August 2019, 649,000 of the 11 million Californians reached by the campaign experienced direct person-to-person contact with culturally competent and accessible information to prepare for disasters, like wildfires or earthquakes. California is stepping up to provide critical life-saving information to communities across the state and through Listos California alone weve contacted a quarter of our population, said Governor Newsom. Wildfires and earthquakes are part of our reality but the added threat of COVID-19 makes preparedness even more important. We will continue reaching out to communities large and small, inland and coastal, urban and rural to make sure were all ready when emergencies hit. Read what others are saying about Listos California California is currently in wildfire season, during a global pandemic. With the threat of power shut-offs looming and ongoing risk of earthquakes, a new culture of preparedness is essential in the Golden State. This starts with Listos Californias 5 easy steps to prepare for disaster. Reaching 25 percent of the states population specifically older Californians, people with disabilities, those living in poverty and those with language barriers is the result of four core pillars: Responding to the pandemic; the power of partnerships; a technology-first approach; and an effective use of data. Pivoting to save lives during COVID-19 In response to COVID-19, Listos California transitioned its community-based partners to use 20 percent of their budgets between March-May 2020 to support the state in communications outreach. COVID-19-era communications tools were leveraged to provide life-saving information to vulnerable Californians. With a goal to engage at least one million Californians by the end of the campaign in December 2020, Listos California is well on its way to secure the remaining 400,000 engagements needed. Campaign partners have shifted back to once again solely providing high-quality disaster preparedness. Trusted partners engage community Listos Californias partners have the experience to engage diverse and vulnerable populations. They are staffed with trusted messengers who can effectively deliver trainings and materials. The campaign has 89 core partners and 170 sub-grantees. A statewide advisory council provides input from the community on outreach and materials. Powered by technology Embracing technology has been instrumental in fostering a new culture of preparedness among vulnerable communities. Through a partnership with Merit to build a new digital-badging and engagement tracking tool, the campaign tracks partner results in real time, which includes analysis for COVID-19 outreach and more direct person-to-person disaster preparedness. People who are Listos California trained are offered a digital badge, called merits, to recognize their disaster preparedness achievement. Data informed Listos California is reaching the communities in need with a data-centric approach that eliminates guesswork and delivers results. Through the work of Matt Schmidtlein, Geography Professor at Sacramento State University and Managing Partner of Community Health Insights, Cal OES hazard maps for wildfire, earthquake and flood were merged with census tract data to locate where targeted communities live. Other data compiled by EMC Research honed the message. We now know that awareness of the need to prepare is very high among vulnerable people (88 percent), but many dont prepare because they feel that it is scary (63 percent), expensive (61 percent) and time-consuming (54 percent). Defining how to prepare diverse and vulnerable Californians for disaster The Listos California Emergency Preparedness Campaign is an effort based on an investment of public funds by Governor Gavin Newsom and state lawmakers, to ready our most vulnerable populations for disasters like wildfires, earthquakes and floods, and now public health emergencies like the COVID-19 pandemic, before disasters strike. With a focus to boost community resiliency through disaster preparedness, Listos California advances levels of equity and authentic community engagement by putting people at the center of this work. The campaign which is led by co-chairs Karen Baker and Justin Knighten is anchored at the Governors Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES). To further the reach of the campaign, two statewide efforts advance a culture of preparedness: The Social Bridging Project, launched in partnership with the California Department of Aging, and InformaGente, launched in partnership with the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) and the National Hispanic Foundation for the Arts (NHFA). Continental Mitsubishi boasts credit specialists that work to tailor the car shopping experience uniquely to every customer. Continental Mitsubishi, a dealership serving Chicago and the entire surrounding area, believes that a multitude of diverse elements can affect ones financial and credit situation, many of which may be beyond an individuals control. To counter this, the dealerships financing department implements a variety of strategies to help every applicant get approved for financing. These efforts are part of the dealerships core philosophy that every individual should be able to get behind the wheel of the car they desire. Continental Mitsubishi boasts credit specialists that work to tailor the car shopping experience uniquely to every customer. To get started on the process, prospective shoppers can complete the dealerships secure online credit application. By doing so, individuals can get pre-approved for financing in advance, which makes the process of shopping for their next vehicle that much easier. For those that find going the traditional route for purchasing a vehicle is not an option, Continental Mitsubishi offers secondary financing. The credit specialists referenced above will work with customers to find a financing strategy that works for them. This includes first-time buyers and customers with low, bad or no credit. Second-chance financing methodology enables Continental Mitsubishi to provide financing for a wide range of shoppers, including recent immigrants and individuals that hold Foreign Passports, Out of State or International Drivers Licenses and other unconventional documentation. For example, some individuals do not possess a social security number; Continental Mitsubishi will accept an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) in the SSNs place. Those interested in the flexible financing options described above are encouraged to make a digital journey to the Continental Mitsubishi website at http://www.continentalmitsubishi.com. The dealership can also be contacted by phone at 708-669-0516. A final option is to head to the physical location of the organization; its address is 5800 S. La Grange Road, Countryside. We are excited to welcome the MinnDak Computer Services team to Loffler Companies. Their reputation for client care, innovation and integrity aligns with our core values, making this a fantastic partnership. Loffler Companies is pleased to announce the acquisition of MinnDak Computer Services of Fargo, ND. Loffler Companies, headquartered in Bloomington, MN, welcomes MinnDaks tenured professionals to the Loffler team. This new partnership expands Loffler's offerings to MinnDak clients, which include Physical Security, Unified Communications, Managed IT Services, Professional Services, Copiers and Printers, Cloud Services and more. We are excited to welcome the MinnDak Computer Services team to Loffler Companies. Their reputation for client care, innovation and integrity aligns with our core values, making this a fantastic partnership, explained James Loffler, Loffler Companies Managing Partner and VP, IT Solutions Group. We welcome their loyal clients as well and look forward to providing opportunities for them to take advantage of the integrated suite of managed business technology and services Loffler provides. MinnDak is thankful for the 10+ years of serving our loyal clients and look forward to continuing to serve them by providing even more business technology solutions said Chris Buckingham, MinnDak CEO. Were excited to join the Loffler team and are confident our clients will benefit from the excellent, nationally recognized service and support. One exciting aligning factor is that Loffler has the same vision of Lifetime Clients and Lifetime Team Members! The MinnDak team moved into new state-of the-art offices at 100 36th St. SW in Fargo to deliver the most comprehensive technology solutions in eastern North Dakota, backed up by our world-class service team. For the past five years, Loffler has been recognized as one of the top 150 IT Managed Service providers in the United States by CRN, a brand of the Channel Company. In addition, Loffler Companies earned the Inc. 500 award as one of the Fastest Growing Private Companies in America for 10 consecutive years. Since 2010, Loffler has been named a Star Tribune Top Workplace as well as being named to Minneapolis/St Paul Business Journals Best Places to Work for four years. Lofflers offerings include Multi-Functional Copiers & Printers, IT Solutions, Managed Print Services, Unified Communications, Business Security Systems, Document Workflow Technologies and People-Based Managed Services for mail centers and copy centers. For more information about Loffler Companies, visit us online at http://www.loffler.com, or contact us via email at information@loffler.com. We look forward to serving Nissan customers and continuing our growth with the Nissan brand The Lupient Automotive Group announced today its plans to open a new franchised Nissan location in Minneapolis. The new store, Lupient Nissan of Brooklyn Park, will offer exciting new vehicles while continuing to provide the iconic Lupient experience to guests throughout the Twin Cities. The Lupient Family has represented the Nissan family of brands for over 25 years. With the addition of this new franchise, we now represent Nissan at three locations: Brooklyn Park, Minneapolis, and Milwaukee. We look forward to serving Nissan customers and continuing our growth with the Nissan brand. Jeff Lupient, President and CEO The new store will operate on the same campus as the existing Lupient Kia of Brooklyn Park, which is located at 7911 Lakeland Ave N, Brooklyn Park MN 55445. The address for the new Nissan dealership will be 7910 Lakeland Ave N, Brooklyn Park, MN 55445. To learn more about Lupient Nissan of Brooklyn Park, call (763-765-1500) or visit LupientNissan.com ABOUT LUPIENT AUTOMOTIVE GROUP Lupient Automotive Group is one of the fastest growing, family-owned dealer groups in the Midwest. For more than 50 years, the family-owned company has been committed to delivering exceptional customer service from the showroom to the service bay. Customers can also expect honest, upfront pricing in a warm, pressure-free environment and an extensive selection of vehicles at all of its retail locations. Drivers can now experience Minnesota Driven and Wisconsin Driven at seven franchised dealerships representing INFINITI, Buick, GMC, Chevrolet, Kia and Nissan in Minneapolis and Milwaukee. Whether you fly jets, participate in collective training of ground forces, or surveil the oceans, MAK ONE has capabilities and new features that make the virtual world just right, from your perspective. MAK Technologies (MAK), a company of ST Engineering North America, today announced the Summer 2020 release of MAK ONE, a whole-world synthetic environment simulation platform. The latest release to the MAK ONE suite, which includes VR-Forces, VR-Engage, VR-Vantage, and VR-Link, incorporates new capabilities and features that enable users to model, simulate and visualize the world from their own unique perspective. MAK ONE features rich libraries of models, behaviors, and environmental effects, allowing users to model, simulate, and visualize the most realistic scenarios. Trainees will relish the beautiful virtual reality rendered in high-resolution accurate detail, both visually and through imaging sensors, while instructors will value the ease of creating rich scenarios to fill the environment with human characters, vehicle models, and computer-generated behaviors. Developers will benefit from the flexibility of application programming interfaces (APIs) to plug in their custom models and behaviors, while system engineers will appreciate controls over the environment that enable the design of new system prototypes. "Whether you fly jets, participate in collective training of ground forces, or surveil the oceans, MAK ONE has capabilities and new features that make the virtual world just right, from your perspective. This release has more new capabilities than any previous release of MAK products, and includes new capabilities that our customers have asked for, and more that we know they will need and enjoy, said Jim Kogler, Vice President of Products, MAK Technologies. "The enhanced capabilities of MAK ONE enable our customers to provide better, faster, and more realistic training applications to support our warfighters, and demonstrates our continued dedication to create leading-edge products that push the limits of simulation technology and exceed our customers expectations, said Bill Cole, President and CEO of MAK Technologies. As part of the product release, MAK will be hosting an online event series in July titled: MAK ONE Simulate the World from YOUR Perspective. The events will present MAK ONE from a different perspective, focusing on its capabilities in the air, on the ground, and at sea. Each 1- hour session will contain new materials that will be delivered via an interactive mix of presentations, demonstrations, and Q&As. For more information on the events, visit: https://mak.com/reveal. *** ST Engineering North America is the U.S. headquarters of ST Engineering, a global technology and engineering group, providing integrated solutions to the commercial and government markets in the aerospace, electronics, land systems, and marine sectors. Within the US, we have major operations in 17 cities across 13 states and more than 5,000 employees, providing innovative products and services across these diverse market segments. Please visit http://www.stengg.us. MAK Technologies develops software for live, virtual, and constructive simulation. Built upon a strong foundation of COTS products, MAK delivers simulation, gaming, and networking technology in a flexible platform to meet the requirements of training system integrators, experimentation labs, and end users. Our primary users are in the aerospace and defense industries, yet our products and services can help customers anywhere modeling and simulation is needed to train, plan, analyze, experiment, prototype, and demonstrate. MAK is dedicated to serving our customers by building capable products, offering superior technical support, and innovating new ways to build, populate and view interoperable 3D simulated worlds. MAK continues to take advantage of new technologies that further the state of simulation. Our products help users link, simulate and visualize their world. MAK Technologies is a company of ST Engineering North America. Please visit http://www.mak.com for more information. Mercedes-Benz of Scottsdale now has a new charitable initiative. Local Mercedes-Benz dealer Mercedes-Benz of Scottsdale announced its D.R.I.V.E. initiative in Scottsdale. This initiative stands for Donations for Recovery and Investment that are Very Essential. This new charity donation is focused on providing organizations who are struggling in result of the recent pandemic with funds to assist. Each month Mercedes-Benz of Scottsdale will donate $5,000 to a charity in need of assistance, beginning with the Fresh Start Womens Foundation. This foundation assists those who are involved in domestic violence by providing the education, support and resources needed to get back on their feet. Previously, Mercedes-Benz of Scottsdale has supported a variety of organizations in the community, including HopeKids, Phoenix Childrens Hospital, Jones-Gordon School, Scottsdale Fire Fighters Association, Homeward Bound, Arizona Science Center, Health Network Foundation and Valley View Leadership. This dealership is hoping to give back to the community that has assisted them through these difficult times and will be donating $5,000 a month to various organizations over the next year. Customers who are looking for additional information are encouraged to contact the dealership. It can be reached by calling 480-409-0409. Stop by its physical location at 4725 North Scottsdale Road in Scottsdale or visit its website at http://www.mbscottsdale.com. Claremont Place Senior Living's Drive-Thru Smoothie Fundraiser We understand the challenges of Alzheimers that individuals, families and companies face, so we are dedicated to support the Alzheimers Association in their efforts to fund research for a cure. Meridian Senior Living (Meridian) is honored to have supported the Alzheimers Association event: The Longest Day on Saturday June 20th to raise awareness and funds to advance the care, support and research efforts of the Alzheimers Association. Participating Meridian communities raised collectively about $10,000 towards their local chapters. Each year on the summer solstice, the Alzheimers Association hosts The Longest Day, a team event that supports its mission to fight Alzheimers. This day with the most light symbolizes that people across the globe fight the darkness of Alzheimers through a fundraising activity of their choice. More than twenty-five Meridian communities across the nation formed teams to participate in this event by engaging in activities that they enjoy and honor someone living with the disease. On The Longest Day, Meridian communities wore purple in support of the Alzheimers Association in conjunction with conducting fundraising activities, in a safe fashion. Each community used their creativity in building carts or tables, wearing costumes and conducting fundraising events selling goods or services such as: singing telegrams, blueberry muffins, lemonade, smoothies, and other delicious baked treats. Our Meridian Senior Living communities are proud to support The Longest Day and the Alzheimers Association. The Alzheimers Association diligently provides valuable support services to individuals living with Alzheimers and their caregivers, while also supporting crucial research, says Sue Johnston, VP Program Development. We understand the challenges of Alzheimers that individuals, families and companies face, so we are dedicated to support the Alzheimers Association in their efforts to fund research for a cure. More than 5 million Americans are living with Alzheimer's disease the sixth-leading cause of death in the United States. Additionally, more than 16 million family members and friends provide care to people with Alzheimers and other dementias. Meridian Senior Living works every day to improve the lives of those living with Alzheimers and to become a resource for their families and caregivers. With Meridians MONTESSORI MOMENTS IN TIME program, memory care communities, and the compassionate individuals who make up the teams there, strive to enrich lives and infuse purpose into each and every day. For more information about Meridian Senior Living, visit: meridiansenior.com and for more information on the Alzheimers Association The Longest Day, visit https://msl.life/LDay and #TheLongestDay. About Alzheimer's Association The Alzheimer's Association is the leading voluntary health organization in Alzheimer's care, support and research. It is the largest nonprofit funder of Alzheimer's research. The Association's mission is to eliminate Alzheimer's disease through the advancement of research; to provide and enhance care and support for all affected; and to reduce the risk of dementia through the promotion of brain health. Its vision is a world without Alzheimer's. Visit alz.org or call 800.272.3900. About Meridian Senior Living: Meridian Senior Living, a privately held company based in Bethesda, Maryland, owns and operates seniors housing communities across the country and provides operational consulting to 24 communities in China. With more than 80 communities in 21 states and more in development, Meridian is one of the largest seniors housing operators in the U.S. The company prides itself on providing the highest quality care, exceptional lifestyle programming and a distinctive dining experience for its residents. For more information on Meridian Senior Living, visit meridiansenior.com. The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan of the Nation of Islam will deliver a major message July 4 concerning the current state of affairs in America, the world, the coronavirus global pandemic and other critical subjects. Minister Farrakhans message, The Criterion, will be delivered on Independence Day, which also marks the 90th anniversary of the existence of the Nation of Islam in America. It will be his first public address since February. His critical guidance and divine warning are of particular importance for President Trump, international leaders and the leaders of global faith communities. The world has entered a final period of divine reckoning, and a coming famine, said Minister Farrakhan. The judgment is not approaching; it is present, he warned. His message, Saturday, July 4, will be available at NOI.org/The-Criterion and Final Call Radio via http://www.finalcall.com. The message will air at 11 a.m. EDT, 10 a.m. CDT, 8 a.m. PDT, and at 16:00 Greenwich Mean Time for the United Kingdom, Europe and international audiences. This message will not just be for Muslims; it is not just for Christians; it is not just for Jews, it is for every inhabitant of this planet, said Minister Farrakhan. I say to you with deep humility from the 25th Surah of the Quran: Blessed is He Who sent down the Discrimination upon His servant that he might be a warner to the nations, the Minister added. The 25th Surah or Chapter of the Holy Quran is titled, Al-Furqan or The Discrimination/The Criterion, meaning to discern or distinguish truth from falsehood. This is not an ordinary time, Covid-19 is not an ordinary virus and we will not get out of this easily, he cautioned. The country is divided, and people are angry, the Minister noted. God Himself is upset, Minister Farrakhan said. On July 4, 1930, Master Fard Muhammadthe teacher of the Hon. Elijah Muhammad, patriarch of the Nation of Islammade himself known in North America. He fulfills prophecy and, as the Hon. Elijah Muhammad taught, represents the coming of God in Person, the Great Mahdi of the Muslims and the long-awaited Messiah of the Christians. Read more at http://www.noi.org. Monterey College of Law, San Luis Obispo College of Law, and Kern County College of Law have announced that the nonprofit, three-law-school system will pause all Facebook and Instagram advertising in support of the #StopHateForProfit campaign. This action reflects the law schools long-standing commitment to the fight against social injustice and in support of diversity in legal education and access to justice. "Whereas we fully defend the First Amendment freedom of speech, it is simply not appropriate for our law schools to allow our advertising budgets to support corporate policies that do not challenge or restrict unprotected hate speech and the promotion of violence and racism, said Mitchel L. Winick, President and Dean. Our law schools join #StopHateForProfit in calling for Facebook to adopt responsible corporate policies to restrict content that endorses hate, bigotry, racism, sexism, antisemitism, and violence," said Winick. Although these individual voices, as repugnant as their messages may be, may enjoy the personal freedom of speech that is protected under the Constitution, it does not mean that Facebook as a corporation should promote policies that allow it to profit from this content. "As an advertiser, we also have the right to choose the company we keep on social media platforms. For these reasons, in support of the #StopHateForProfit campaign, our law schools will pause our Facebook and Instagram advertising and call on our colleagues at other law schools to send a message by joining the Facebook and Instagram advertising boycott," said Winick. The #StopHateForProfit campaign, organized by the ADL, NAACP, Sleeping Giants, Common Sense, Free Press, and Color of Change, calls on Facebook's advertisers to demand that the social media giant address its policy of allowing racist, violent, and verifiably false content to run on its platforms. About Monterey College of Law, San Luis Obispo College of Law, and Kern County College of Law: Monterey College of Law, San Luis Obispo College of Law, and Kern County College of Law are a nonprofit, three-law-school system known as opportunity law schools that support diversity in legal education and access to justice. Founded in 1972 by local lawyers and judges, the schools are accredited through the State Bar of California and provide part-time, evening J.D., LL.M., and Master of Legal Studies degree programs. In 2018, the program became one of only two accredited law schools in California authorized to offer hybrid online J.D. and Master of Legal Studies degree programs. During the recent Coronavirus crisis, all three of the law schools programs transitioned their residential classes into the existing hybrid online J.D. and M.L.S. program to provide its students and faculty an uninterrupted, safe, quality legal education program. The law school recently announced that all 2020 2021 law school classes will continue in the hybrid online J.D. program until it is determined that it is safe to resume residential classes. At that point students will have the option of continuing in the hybrid online program or returning to residential classes. For more information, go to http://www.montereylaw.edu. "Alejandro is truly someone who has given their life and career to champion the voice of Latinos. He is the person that will stand up and share incredible data and ask What about Latinos no matter where he is," said 2020 NAHREP President Sara Rodriguez. The National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals (NAHREP) recognized Research Director Alejandro Becerra for a decade of advocacy and service as he retired June 30th. Becerra began working with NAHREP at the inception of the organizations annual State of Hispanic Homeownership Report, a key informational resource for policymakers and industry stakeholders. Becerra was a primary force in cementing NAHREPs reputation as a source of information as he built a legacy of dedicated research and skillful analysis. NAHREP 2020 President Sara Rodriguez: Alejandro is truly someone who has given their life and career to champion the voice of Latinos. He is the person that will stand up and share incredible data and ask What about Latinos no matter where he is. NAHREP Co-Founder & CEO Gary Acosta: Alejandro has been nothing short of a blessing and has been instrumental in making NAHREP what it is today. We are eternally grateful and his presence will be felt for many years. Former HUD Secretary Henry Cisneros: For several decades Alejandro Becerra has been the most accurate and comprehensive source of information concerning Latinos and housing. He has collected and interpreted data concerning homeownership, affordability, housing conditions, rental patterns, and future trends. In short, decision-makers and advocates across the nation know that the first call they need to make to understand the housing needs of Latinos is Alejandro Becerra of NAHREP. He will be missed. Former Federal Housing Commissioner for President Obama and former CEO of the Mortgage Bankers Association David Stevens: When serving in government or the housing industry inside the beltway of Washington DC, Alejandro has been a fixture in the front row of almost every event. A dedicated and staunch advocate for Latino housing issues, Alejandro brought voice to the most critical concerns to top policy leaders in Washington. His work on the annual State of Hispanic Homeownership report was and is highly regarded and has influenced so many in key positions. I will miss Alejandros staunch integrity in his vigilant pursuit of advancing the interests of NAHREP and the Latino housing priorities. Chief Economist at Moody's Analytics Mark Zandi: There is no more careful researcher than Alejandro, whose insight has informed our understanding of Hispanic homeownership, and no more caring person, whose passion has empowered all that know him. Senior Fellow at Consumer Federation of America Barry Zigas: Alejandro is a rare example of someone dedicated to public service, in its broadest and best meaning. Having worked with him over many years, I can think of no one else who has helped broaden our understanding of the challenges and opportunities in homeownership facing the Hispanic community. His research and advocacy have been invaluable. They have helped elevate the public discussion of Hispanic housing and homeownership needs in a singular and impactful way. His richly deserved retirement will leave big shoes to fill. In the near term, Becerra will continue to provide advice to NAHREPs research team as it produces the annual State of Hispanic Homeownership Report, which has grown massively since its beginning. In farewell, NAHREP thanks Alejandro Becerra for his contributions to growing sustainable Hispanic homeownership. About NAHREP: The National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals (NAHREP), a nonprofit 501(c)6 trade association, is dedicated to advancing sustainable homeownership for the Hispanic community in America. NAHREP has over 40,000 real estate professional members and 100 local chapters nationwide. Press Contact: Katherine Wood NAHREP press@nahrep.org (619) 719-4814 Forbes pointed out that Black families tend to be more exposed to flooding because their homes are often built on cheaper land in historically segregated areas. Investing in flood protection there would be a good start, she said, adding that the public discussion of climate change should address why minorities are more vulnerable in the first place. We are really silent on the impact of race, Forbes said. 80% of net lease participants anticipate higher cap rates The Boulder Group announced the release of its 2nd Quarter Net Lease Research Report today. In the first quarter national asking cap rates in the net lease retail sector increased by 10 basis points to 6.25% in the second quarter of 2020 when compared to the prior quarter. Cap rates for net lease office properties were unchanged at 7.00% while industrial properties compressed by 6 basis points to 6.99%. Throughout the second quarter, transaction velocity was negatively impacted by Covid-19 and the effects it had on business resulting from government mandated shutdowns says Randy Blankstein, President, The Boulder Group. Transaction volume in the first half of 2020 declined in excess of 20% when compared to 2019 in the net lease sector. In a recent national survey conducted by The Boulder Group, 80% of net lease participants expect cap rates to increase by the end of 2020; with 43% expecting an increase of up to 19 basis points. As investors become more conservative, properties with investment grade rated tenants and minimal impact from Covid-19 are more in favor within the net lease sector. In the second quarter of 2020 the net lease market was bifurcated between essential and non-essential businesses, adds Jimmy Goodman, Partner, The Boulder Group. Investor interest was largely focused on essential businesses that were open and operational including pharmacies, quick service restaurants, grocery, c-stores and dollar stores. Businesses labeled non-essential and largely shut down or significantly impacted include movie theaters, fitness centers, soft goods retailers and sit down dining. Investors backed away from non-essential businesses while waiting to see if the financial stress continues to effect tenants. There was a significant flight to quality by private investors who were looking to avoid the volatility of alternative investment vehicles and the stock market, John Feeney, Senior Vice President, The Boulder Group adds. Long term leases to credit tenants including 7-Eleven, CVS and McDonalds represented some of the lowest cap rates in the sector in the second quarter. Competition amongst investors for high quality net lease product can be evidenced by the bid-ask spread in the second quarter of 2020. The spread between asking and closed cap rates compressed by 8 and 9 basis points respectively for retail and industrial sectors. Net lease transaction volume for 2020 is expected to be significantly lower than 2019 as a result of the impact of Covid-19, according to Blankstein. However, the stabilization of the 10 Year Treasury Yield in the second quarter will provide investors with an enticing yield spread for the net lease sector. To view the full report: https://bouldergroup.com/media/pdf/2020-Q2-Net-Lease-Research-Report.pdf About The Boulder Group The Boulder Group is a boutique, Chicago-based investment real estate services firm specializing in transaction and advisory services for single tenant net lease properties. Founded in 1997, the firm has closed over $6 billion of net lease property transactions. The firm provides a full range of brokerage, research, advisory, and financing services nationwide. The level of annual, single-tenant transaction volume consistently ranks the firm in the top 10 companies nationally, according to industry benchmarks determined by CoStar and Real Capital Analytics. We need to limit the toll that the COVID-19 is taking on our childrens education. MobyMax Families was created for parents who want to stop COVID slide in its tracks." MobyMax, the most widely adopted differentiated learning solution in the US., has just released MobyMax for Families, a new version of MobyMax specifically designed to help parents homeschooling or tutoring their kids keep students on track academically. MobyMax Families arrives as parents face the stark realization recently confirmed by a recent NWEA research brief: that students whose school year was cut short may start the 2020-2021 school year with only 50% to 70% of the learning gains they typically earn during a school year. We need to limit the toll that the COVID-19 is taking on our childrens education, said MobyMax co-founder Glynn Willett. MobyMax Families was created for parents who want to stop COVID slide in its tracks." The new Families version, which features a special Family sign-in experience is accompanied by a family-specific subscription option. The Family subscription offers the same award-winning program used by more than 1.5 million teachers to help K-8 students close learning gaps and quickly catch up to grade level. Parents can try the program for free for 30 days, after which the subscription starts at just $7.99/month. The family subscription includes: 1. Differentiated learning in all K-8 subjects: Math, Early Reading, Reading, Language, Writing, Science, and Social Studies. Parents can assign specific lessons or let MobyMax fill in skills gaps automatically. 2. Quick Checker Diagnostics featuring adaptive placement tests, grade-level benchmarkers, and skills diagnostics check for understanding and clearly map student progress. Parents can then remediate their childrens learning gaps with Mobys curriculum. 3. Built-in student motivation tools to keep kids engaged and motivated, like certificates, badges, games, and game time. 4. Detailed reporting in real-time. Parents can keep an eye on their childrens progress with precise, customizable reporting. This powerful combination of features has been proven to fix skill gaps and catch students up to grade level. Though many students risk entering school in September with a 30-50% learning deficit, children who use MobyMax could actually increase one full grade level in just 20 hours of use, says Willett In addition to its highly effective tech solutions, MobyMax provides free live training webinars to help parents gain confidence in using Mobys tech tools. Webinars ranging from Getting Started in Moby, to MobyMax for Special Education help teachers and parents prevent summer slide and understand how and when to use specific subject modules. A specific Moby for Parents webinar trains parents in using key features like progress monitoring, lesson assignment, and customization. MobyMax is the most awarded educational technology solutions provider in the U.S. In addition to its numerous accolades for its effectiveness in schools, the program has long been lauded by the homeschooling community. In 2018, MobyMax received Homeschool Bases award for Top 10 Educational Websites for Multiple Subjects. Homeschool Base is the Internets largest volunteer-driven homeschooling website. In 2019, MobyMax received the National Parenting Product Award for creating the best educational tools and best resources for learning differences in the industry. And since the release of MobyMax Families, MobyMax has seen an increase in positive feedback from parents. Cindy B., a homeschooling parent in Arizona, says, I have recommended {MobyMax} to my friends and family. I believe this is the time we need it most. When the kids are not in school, MobyMax is here to help. Thank you! Said another, This is such a valuable toolI love knowing that my students are still actively learning through this difficult time! It is great how each lesson is broken up with a little learning and then a check for understanding before moving onThis is a highly effective teaching tool! To get started with a free 30-day trial of MobyMax Families, visit https://www.mobymax.com/families. About MobyMax MobyMax helps struggling learners quickly catch up to grade level by finding and fixing missing skills. Differentiated Learning, Quick Checker, Interactive Class, and Real Rewards are all award-winning solutions individually, and when combined in MobyMax, they provide everything a teacher needs to effectively close learning gaps. MobyMax is used in more than 82% of all K-8 schools in the United States, with over 28.7 million students and 1.5 million teachers registered. For more information, visit http://www.mobymax.com. ### Contact: Amy Weiss, amy.weiss@mobymax.com, 813-603-4128 Our faculty and staff have worked hard to create one of the top nursing schools in Wisconsin. Our investment in technology and transition to a concept-based curriculum shows our commitment to giving the best possible education and training for future RNs, said Nurse Administrator, Kimberly Udlis. Marian University, one of Wisconsins most highly rated and affordable private schools, has invested in technology that gives nursing program students the opportunity to apply conceptual learning to real-world scenarios in a simulated environment. The technology supports Marian Universitys concept-based curriculum designed to prepare graduates for the challenges of modern nursing. The growing nursing school at Marian University features high-fidelity simulators that are part of a multi-room simulation center. These simulators allow students to engage in high-risk, low-frequency scenarios in the areas of obstetrics, pediatrics and acute care medical surgery. Students learn to handle medical situations in a safe environment, immediately processing what they have learned in debriefings with professors and colleagues. The simulation center is a key component in Marian Universitys concept-based approach for nursing school students. This approach differs from traditional nursing schools in Wisconsin. Instead of learning about topics in isolation and then moving on, students enhance critical thinking and problem-solving skills by applying conceptual learning to real-world nursing scenarios. This approach, backed by innovative technology, is a key factor in Marian Universitys high standing among nursing schools in Wisconsin. Another factor is a faculty of experienced nurses, many of them graduates from Marian University nursing programs. Associate Dean and Chief Nurse Administrator Kimberly Udlis, Ph.D. FNP-BC, FAANP, leads the Nursing Department. A nationally recognized leader in nursing practice, policy and education, Dr. Udlis stays connected with nursing practice by working one day each week as a nurse practitioner. We pride ourselves at Marian for having graduates prepared from Day 1 to meet the challenges of the nursing profession. To achieve that goal, our students learn nursing theory and concepts as well as best practices for putting them into action, said Dr. Udlis. Our faculty and staff have worked hard to create one of the top nursing schools in Wisconsin. Our investment in technology and transition to a concept-based curriculum shows our commitment to giving the best possible education and training for future RNs. The concept-based curriculum and use of technology in training have contributed to rising NCLEX exam pass rates by Marian University students. Those rates reached 96% in the latest numbers from the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN), placing Marian University among the best nursing schools in Wisconsin. Marian University offers a traditional four-year BSN degree, a three-year BSN program, a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) with a Family Nurse Practitioner track and a 100% online RN to BSN program. About Marian University Marian University is a regionally accredited, co-educational Catholic University that inspires personal and professional success through an engaging, values-based education. Founded in 1936 by the Congregation of Sisters of St. Agnes as a college for teachers, Marian University has grown to offer a full slate of degrees but the focus to liberal arts excellence and a focus on students has never changed. Marian University maintains a commitment to the core values of community, learning, service, social justice and spiritual traditions. Marian University has been named a High Lifetime Return on Investment (ROI) College among all public and private Wisconsin colleges and universities by Affordable Colleges Online (ACO). Ed & Mitzy Uribazo Construction of this new Business Center took place during the COVID-19 crisis, with significant health and safety precautions taken by the construction crew and with the support of the City of Plantation, Florida. The result is a professional and productive new Business Center... Office Evolution, the largest and fastest-growing coworking franchisor in the U.S., is further expanding in Florida and today announced a new location in Plantation, Florida. This new location extends the Office Evolution network of Business Centers nationwide and in Florida with locations in Jacksonville, Tampa and now Plantation. The new locally-owned Office Evolution Business Center in Plantation features 43 private offices, conference rooms, co-working spaces, an audio and video recording room, a full-time on-site manager, drop-in options, phone answering, address and mail services and other professional amenities to help each business succeed. Its located in the heart of the new $350 million Plantation Walk at 261 N University Drive - Broward Countys premier lifestyle community. The Business Center occupies 10,250-square-feet of a prime Class-A office building and is owned and operated by local residents Eddie and Mitzy Uribazo. The Uribazos are considering Pembroke Pines, Sunrise, and Weston, among others as potential destinations for their second location. The construction of this new Business Center took place during the COVID-19 crisis, with significant health and safety precautions taken by the construction crew and with the support of the City of Plantation, Florida. The result is a professional and productive new Business Center, serving all types of business needs, with flexible membership plans and no long-term contracts required. Congratulations to Eddie and Mitzy on the opening of their new location in Plantation, said Mark Hemmeter, founder and CEO of Office Evolution. The Broward County area is packed with independent business operators as well as small and medium-sized businesses that are ready to elevate their operations and we are ready to serve them. Community-focused partners such as Eddie and Mitzy help make that happen. We are proud to welcome them to our Ohana (Hawaiian for family). Eddie, a United States Navy veteran, has spent over 30 years in the HVAC Controls business where he started as a system application engineer of a major corporation and worked his way to management positions. Eddie also has previous experience as an entrepreneur, having founded his own successful controls company. He believes his management experience coupled with his entrepreneurial knowledge will be valuable in helping small businesses and independent employers take their operations to the next level. We are excited to open our first business center in Planation. It took lots of hard work and dedication from a great group of people, said Eddie. Now we can focus on helping the business owners and solopreneurs in the area. I believe Office Evolutions core values of Ohana and the we are in this together philosophy is the perfect opportunity for us to support entrepreneurs and the local business community. One thing we have all learned from the current COVID-19 situation, is the growing need for remote working spaces and the benefits of Business Centers like ours which were able to remain open for business by taking careful precautions. We are proud of the Uribazos for bringing the Office Evolution brand to the South Florida market, Office Evolution COO and Global Workspace Association Board Member William Edmundson said. Eddies entrepreneurial background combined with his management experience will be a great opportunity for local business owners to elevate their systems. About Office Evolution Founded in 2003 and franchising since 2012, the Colorado-based company is the largest and fastest growing coworking franchisor in the United States. Office Evolution currently has 70 locations open with a projected 80 open by year end. The brand has nearly 140 units sold in markets across the country and is poised for further growth as the demand for suburban workspace continues to rise. The brands model fills a niche for suburban-based workers looking for a professional environment to get their work done. Office Evolution is helping thousands of business owners be dreamers, risk-takers, and doers by providing them with access to professional services that will help them drive their business forward. Office Evolution continues to lead the workplace transformation that is projected to see nearly 30 percent of all office space become shared office space by 2030, according to a JLL report. Office Evolution is currently operating in more than 24 states across the nation. For more information about Office Evolution, please visit https://www.officeevolution.com/. The Suspended Cradle Attachment for Handling Horizontal Rolls of Foil and Film is the ideal solution to increase efficiency and improve health and safety conditions. New to Packline Materials Handling and Ultrasource LLC, the Suspended Cradle Attachment was designed in response to a customer requirement in the food industry to handle a range of rolls lying horizontally on a pallet. The rolls can then be transferred onto a roll stand, for storage purposes, or a packaging processing line. The suspended cradle attachment lifts the rolls horizontally from the pallet via the rolls core, using a mandrel. The rolls can then be transferred onto a roll stand for storage purposes, or a packaging processing line. The cradle attachment can be easily manually adjusted to lift a range of diameter rolls. This is achieved by means of sliding suspended cradle arms, to incorporate larger or smaller rolls depending on requirements. This model of roll handler has electric powered lift and lower functions to lift the rolls from the pallet, and then transfer and lower onto the stand. The attachment has been designed to provide strength, durability as well as improved wear resistance and enhanced ease of use which provides a simple and safe action. This handling solution is suitable for the food and drinks industry and other hygienic applications. Furthermore, it is backed up by a full bespoke design service so ensuring that the right solution can be made to suit most reels. All Packline attachments are fully interchangeable and can be easily fitted or removed from any model of Compac lifting machine that is fitted with the quick release system. The lifting capacity is 308lbs (140kg) however larger capacities, and to suit other types and styles of rolls with their materials, may be available on request. This bespoke lifting solution can be adjusted to suit most roll diameters. Suitable for rolls of film, foil, labels and various packaging materials, this attachment is backed up by a full bespoke design service so ensuring that the right solution can be made to suit most requirements. All Packline attachments are fully interchangeable and can be easily fitted or removed from any model of Packline Compac lifting machine that is fitted with the quick release system. This stainless-steel roll lifting machine is suitable for use in the following industries: Food Drinks and Beverages Dairy Pharmaceutical Medical Chemical FMCG (Fast Moving Consumer Goods) Printing and Labeling The purpose-designed compact framework, positioning of handlebars and addition of an optional remote-control device provide improved manoeuvrability and ease of use for the operator. The small footprint makes this roll handling equipment highly manoeuvrable and a natural choice for todays narrow production lines and demanding lifting requirements. For further information on this roll lifter, or the full range of lifting and handling equipment, please contact Packline Materials Handling, or contact Ultrasource LLC in the USA for more information on the EZ Lift. Packline Ltd Unit 28 Newtown Business Park Ringwood Road Poole, Dorset BH12 3LL, UK https://www.packline.co.uk/ USA Distributor: Ultrasource USA LLC 1414 West 29th Street Kansas City, MO 64108-3604 (O): 816.360.2034 | Ext 2034 https://www.ultrasourceusa.com/ez-lift-film-roll-material-handling-equipment.html For a full list of worldwide distributors please visit Packlines website. Kimball Hughes Public Relations, a national agency headquartered in Philadelphia, is celebrating its 25th year in business. Launched as Kimball Communications on July 1, 1995 and led by its founder and president, Gary Kimball, the agency rebranded in 2017 following the addition of Rod Hughes as a partner. The practice of public relations has evolved drastically over 25 years, but its critical role in helping organizations navigate the most challenging times continues, Kimball explained. From the dot.com bust of 2001 and the Great Recession to the current pandemic and social unrest, we pride ourselves on helping organizational leaders make informed decisions and communicate better, while also helping our communities. As a former journalist and in-house communications professional in the financial services sector, Kimball developed specialty practices in insurance, healthcare and technology before expanding the agencys expertise in a wide range of industries, including law, real estate, trade associations and others. The addition of Rod Hughes, along with a growing team of talented professionals and partners, have propelled our recent expansion, Kimball said. Weve continued our growth this year, adding a Fortune 500 company to our growing roster of clients. Originally an agency of one, Kimball Hughes PR now boasts a team of 10 public relations professionals. In addition, the agency has developed a well-earned reputation for crisis communications, providing advice and media support to business-to-business and business-to-consumer organizations facing emergency situations. About Kimball Hughes PR Kimball Hughes Public Relations (http://www.kimballpr.com) is a national public relations agency based in Philadelphia dedicated to serving the needs of B2B clients. Founded in 1995 by Gary Kimball, the agency provides innovative public relations, social media, brand content and crisis communications solutions to clients in industries that include insurance, finance, trade associations, hospitality, real estate, technology, healthcare, manufacturing and others. Visit us on Twitter (@kimballpr) and Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/kimballpr). We take pride in delivering exceptional results and making properties look like new again after storms, fires and floods, Costi Hinn, Operations Manager Popular Property Restoration Franchise Opens in Fort Worth Fort Worth in North Central Texas is excited to welcome a brand new franchise of Restoration 1 to the neighborhood. With hundreds of locations across the US, the leading property restoration company is well-known for its excellent customer service, alongside their highly trained and qualified technicians. What Restoration 1 Can Offer Fort Worth Residents Gearing up to service both homes and businesses in the greater Fort Worth area, Restoration 1 handles anything from water damage and mold remediation to odor removal and virus disinfection. Available 24 hours a day, Restoration 1 technicians are certified by the IICRC, and use only the most advanced technology and up-to-date practices when tackling each restoration project. We take pride in delivering exceptional results and making properties look like new again after storms, fires and floods, says Costi Hinn, Operations Manager. Leaving your property repairs up to the professionals means you can focus on the well-being of your family. Restoration 1 of Fort Worths services include: Water Damage Mold Remediation Fire & Smoke Damage Virus Disinfection Sewage Cleanup Odor Removal Crawlspace Encapsulation Sump Pump Cleanup Storm Recovery Flood Damage Cleanup Emergency Water Removal Biohazard Cleanup Carpet Cleaning Residential Services Commercial Restoration Emergency Services Crime Scene and Trauma Cleanup Disaster Response Industrial Services Ceiling and Basement Leak Air Duct Cleaning Services Drapes and Blinds Cleaning Vandalism & Graffiti Cleanup Fort Worths New Virus Disinfection and Sanitation Cleanup Services As the COVID-19 epidemic continues to spread across the country, Restoration 1 has quickly become the preferred provider for Virus Disinfection and Sanitation Cleanups. They also offer a Keep It Clean Program where companies and homes can schedule weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly professional cleanups to help provide safer working and home environments. During the process, the cleanup technicians arrive in fully-encapsulated coveralls with full-face respirators and complete the following steps: Industrial-Strength Disinfectants: Restoration 1 uses approved CDC and EPA disinfectants to decontaminate surfaces, floors, walls, doors, and windows. Hard Surfaces Sanitized: Sanitation is applied to accessible hard surfaces, which is then left to dwell for about 20 minutes, while it deep cleans and disinfects. Special Focus on High Traffic Areas: The team will heavily sanitize additional high touch areas like desks, computers, door handles, and telephone handsets. UBL Fogger: Finally a UBL fogger to get a lot of those areas that they cant physically hand-wipe. With our Keep It Clean Program, we develop a program that is specifically designed for your type of business, well then create a schedule where we disinfect high-touch areas where harmful viruses and bacteria commonly linger, says John Yerby. So, if your Fort Worth home, office, school, hospital, doctors room, hotel, Airbnb, restaurant, or bar is in need of a deep clean, Restoration 1 is available to assist 24/7. We own a deli in the Dallas area and have booked Restoration 1 to come and do a deep clean every week. We cant tell you the peace of mind this offers both us and our customers. By using professional cleaners we are creating a safer, healthier environment for our employees and clients, says Stan, a deli owner from Texas. No matter the type of disaster customers may face in Fort Worth, Restoration 1 is ready to help wherever they can. After a call is logged or an online form is submitted via the website, the teams technicians will be dispatched to assess the damage to the property in an hour or less. Restoration 1 of Fort Worth is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Find them in Fort Worth TX, visit http://www.restoration1.com/fort-worth or call 817-835-7442. About Restoration 1 Restoration 1 are nationwide licensed and insured water damage experts that also offer fire, water, and mold damage restoration services, available 24/7. Their professionals, licensed by the IICRC, have been in the business of restoring damaged residential and commercial properties for over a decade. Their reputation for fast responses, unparalleled quality, and uninhibited commitment has contributed to the growth of the company throughout the United States. For more information about Restoration 1, visit http://www.restoration1.com. Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma is a devastating disease, and many of our clients continue to suffer the effects of this cancer, said Andrew Jones, attorney at Cory Watson. This settlement should help our clients rebuild and move forward in a meaningful way. Cory Watson Attorneys, alongside many other plaintiffs firms, have reached a $10.95 billion settlement with Monsanto on behalf of thousands of plaintiffs who claim that exposure to Roundup, the worlds most popular weed killer, caused their cancer. Cory Watson has filed multiple lawsuits on behalf of plaintiffs against Monsanto, alleging that exposure to their widely used herbicide Roundup was causing Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma in farmers, landscapers, maintenance workers, and homeowners. It has been a long journey, but we are pleased to find closure for our clients through this settlement, said Douglas A. Dellaccio Jr., principal attorney and Complex Litigation Practice Co-Chair at Cory Watson. For nearly 40 years, farmers around the world used Roundup without knowledge of the dangers posed by its use. Monsanto, the maker of Roundup, has failed to place a warning label on its product informing the consumer that the product contains dangerous agricultural chemicals. In 2015, the World Health Organization found that glyphosate, the principal weed killer component of Roundup, is carcinogenic to humans. Monsanto continues to insist that Roundup is harmless and poses no danger to its users, saying it has no plans to pull the product from the market. This $10 billion settlement is big news for anyone who may have been exposed to glysophate's carcinogenic effects, said J. Curt Tanner, principal attorney at Cory Watson. The settlement between Monsanto and plaintiffs is being overseen by court-appointed mediator Kenneth Feinberg, who previously managed compensation funds after September 11 and the explosion of the BP Deepwater Horizon oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico. Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma is a devastating disease, and many of our clients continue to suffer the effects of this cancer, said R. Andrew Jones, attorney at Cory Watson. This settlement should help our clients rebuild and move forward in a meaningful way. Monsanto faces thousands of lawsuits in federal and state courts over the herbicide. Three cases have gone to trial, with juries returning verdicts of $289 million, $80 million, and $2 billion against Monsanto. About Cory Watson Attorneys Cory Watson Attorneys is a nationally recognized personal injury and environmental tort law firm with offices in Birmingham, Alabama; Memphis, and Nashville, Tennessee. The firm has recovered more than $2.7 billion for clients across the country. Cory Watson attorneys are frequently at the forefront of major class actions and multidistrict litigations involving dangerous pharmaceuticals and product liability, and are often appointed to leadership positions in national cases. Firm practice areas include Personal Injury, Product Liability, Class Action, Asbestos, Business & Commercial Litigation, Dangerous Pharmaceuticals, Defective Medical Devices, and Environmental/Toxic Torts. Neli Vazquez Rowland, A Safe Haven's president and co-founder, meets with Melissa Kehl, Rieke Office Interior's president. Kehl donated 20 of its SafeSpace shields to A Safe Haven. "Melissa was able to consider her business model and services and apply it to meeting her charitable goals to help make a difference, especially during this difficult time for those of us on the front lines and on behalf the of people we serve at A Safe Haven." The COVID-19 pandemic has drawn upon the spirit of generosity as business leaders come together to help nonprofits with PPE or funds to aid the most vulnerable. Recently, two visionary womenMelissa Kehl of Rieke Office Interiors (ROI) of Elgin and Neli Vazquez Rowland of A Safe Haven (ASH), a Chicago 501 3 nonprofit dedicated to ending homelessnesscame together to show how the power of kindness can even defeat, in a small way, the brunt of a virus. ROI in Elgin donated 20 of its SafeSpace shields to ASH which will be placed at the nonprofits lobby, intake space, education department, and other spaces where the job training and staffing teams can safely do face to face interviews. Kehl, ROIs president, personally delivered the shields to Rowland, ASHs president. After receiving a tour of ASHs location, Kehl explained how the shields can be adjusted or placed at the spaces that attract the most traffic. They have the most amazing program, she said, I just took a tour and I'm so impressed on how holistic it is. A Safe Haven doesnt just solve one problem for the people who need help; it stays with them throughout their whole time of need and I find that to be amazing. You dont need to do something big to make a difference in someones life. Rowland and Kehl shared a friendly moment at the nonprofits front facing mural. The mural defines the true meaning of generosity. Melissa is the type of business leader that I love!, Rowland said. She was able to consider her business model and services and apply it to meeting her charitable goals to help make a difference, especially during this difficult time for those of us on the front lines and on behalf the of people we serve at A Safe Haven. Homelessness is something that she shared is a cause she cares about and meeting her and accepting her gift was very significant to her and to all of us. She is truly a kindred spirit. I hope is only the beginning of a long and impactful relationship! About Rieke Office Interiors Rieke Office Interiors (ROI) has an impressive, state-of-the-art, 150,000 square foot, office furniture manufacturing facility in Elgin, Illinois. As a certified WBE business in its 27th year, ROI provides innovative products and services that are fully customizable, a unique capability that isn't found anywhere else in the office interior industry. This flexibility allows ROI to create a big impact for any budget, streamlining the project process to make each vision come to life. For more information, visit Rieke.com. About A Safe Haven: A Safe Haven Foundation is a 501(c)3 not for profit, social enterprise that helps people aspire, transform and sustain their lives as they transition from homelessness to self-sufficiency with pride and purpose. A Safe Haven provides the tools for each individual to overcome the root causes of homelessness through a holistic and scalable model. A Safe Havens visible social and economic impact unites families, stabilizes neighborhoods, and creates vibrant, viable communities. For information, visit http://www.asafehaven.org. # # # "We are proud to deliver exceptional services to our guests. Zenoti helps us make sure that, despite rapid growth, we deliver unforgettable experiences that keep our customers coming back," said Chris Carey, COO of Skin Laundry. Zenoti is partnering with Skin Laundry to provide solutions needed to meet new growth opportunities. Skin Laundry is a leading membership-based skincare brand with 24 locations across the United States, United Kingdom, Hong Kong, and Dubai. Skin Laundry is moving from Booker to Zenoti as its cloud-based software management solution. Known for delivering exceptional facial services, Skin Laundry required a solution capable of data centralization to assist rapid expansion. This caused Skin Laundry to invest in other custom-developed solutions, which added unnecessary operational costs. Zenotis technology designed for multi-center brands provided the solutions Skin Laundry needed. Skin Laundry now benefits from all-in-one solutions that improve data reporting and marketing strategies among other improvements. Zenoti provides Skin Laundry software that creates a centralized shared database a single source of truth across locations. As Skin Laundry continues to grow, Zenotis powerful technology will unify operations and streamline management by providing convenient insights into everything from inventory, employee performance metrics to personalized marketing appeals across the organization. With Zenotis smart marketing solutions, Skin Laundry can reach the right customer, with the right message, through the right method. Skin Laundry will use their new automated marketing capabilities to communicate with customers effectively. Customers may receive an automated text message and/or email sharing aftercare recommendations, reminders to book their next appointment, new policy updates, and check-in instructions. Centralized data allows managers to create targeted marketing campaigns based on a wide array of data about every customer, improving the effectiveness of marketing campaigns. Powered by Zenoti Go, Skin Laundry now also offers customers a branded mobile app that meets new post-COVID expectations and importantly elevates guests experiences. With the new app, Skin Laundry customers can now check-in from the parking lot or upon entering clinic doors through geofencing technology no need to interact with front-desk staff. Service providers receive an immediate notification of their arrival, reducing customers waiting in the clinic reception. During visits, Skin Laundry service providers can revise customer invoices to add upgrades from using their employee-facing mobile app. At check-out, customers avoid commonly touched POS equipment and pay, rate, and rebook from the convenience of their mobile devices. Staff members receive immediate payment confirmation notifications. Zenoti is also proud to offer Skin Laundry support in local languages for digital forms and software support in many areas globally, including Chinese for their Hong Kong locations. Zenoti empowers Skin Laundry to grow globally with unprecedented personalization. Skin Laundry is growing, and we need advanced technological solutions to support our growth. We are proud to deliver exceptional services to our guests. Zenoti helps us make sure that, despite rapid growth, we deliver unforgettable experiences that keep our customers coming back. Zenotis all-in-one solutions and data centralization make creating these experiences possible, said Chris Carey, COO of Skin Laundry. ABOUT ZENOTI Zenoti provides an all-in-one, cloud-based software solution for the spa, salon and med spa industry. The Zenoti platform is engineered for reliability and scale, harnessing the power of enterprise-level technology for businesses of all sizes. Zenoti powers thousands of spas and salons in more than 50 countries. Zenoti allows users to seamlessly manage every aspect of the business in a comprehensive mobile solution: online appointment bookings, POS, CRM, employee management, inventory management, built-in marketing programs and more. Zenoti helps clients streamline their systems and reduce costs, while simultaneously improving customer retention and spending. To learn more about Zenoti, visit https://www.zenoti.com or follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn for the latest news and updates. Paul and Nichole Pichon have put together an at-home summer camp for Pilot kids in second through fifth grades in lieu of their traditional weeklong summer camp. We basically put together a weeks worth of activities for the kids, said Nichole. We bought all the supplies and packaged everything they would need. The boxed kits purchased for, and then delivered to, the children contain enough supplies for two activities per day of camp along with instructions for each activity. Nichole explained that the intention is that the kids partake of one indoor and one outdoor activity each day of the week-long (5-day) camp. There are currently 20 children enrolled in the program, which began Monday, June 22. From creating their own action figures, to making homemade ice cream, the Pichons desire is to keep the kids connected to their program and to one another as everyone continue to wade their way through the uncharted waters of social distancing. The boxes were donated by the Fudge Factory as well as the bags containing supplies. Im really excited about being able to do this for them in their homes, said Paul. I think it would be good to offer this in the future, in addition to regular summer camp, so that when we have the older kids at camp, the younger siblings wont feel left out. After having done the summer camp for the past seven years, the Pichons said they welcomed the opportunity to employ some new ideas. Nichole added that being able to buy everything online and in bulk definitely made the transition to an at-home camp easier. The goal was to give the kids everything they needed without them having to wonder how they might accomplish the activities or search their homes for supplies. Since so many of our kids have older siblings that have already done these things with us, we were able to recommend the older siblings help, in the letter we sent home to the parents, said Paul. Nichole says almost their entire incoming group now consists of second siblings to the Pilot Program, adding that there wasnt even a need to get recommendations since interest in the program has become so widespread. Since the First United Methodist Church, where Pilot generally takes place, remains closed for activities due to COVID-19, discussion is still under way regarding what the future of the program will look like in the event that the schools reopen before the church that houses Pilot does. The fall is still up in the air, said Nichole, because we have to consider our older volunteers. Weve come up with alternatives to be able to operate in case the church isnt reopened. There are ways that we can still work the program. Once in the fall, if the only option for the Pilot kids is virtual learning, Nichole said theyve already come up with ideas about how to work through it in a way thats ultimately best for the kids. At this time we are uncertain what the fall is going to look like, said Nichole, but Pilot will be operating in one fashion or another. Betsy Pimentel, Stellar Solutions Betsy Pimentel has provided Stellar Solutions with invaluable technical expertise in defense policy, program management and in-depth knowledge of customer and contractor relations. -- Celeste Ford, Stellar Solutions' Founder and Board Chair Silicon Valley aerospace company Stellar Solutions has announced that longtime Vice President for Defense Programs Betsy Pimentel will transition to a consulting role for the company effective July 1. Pimentel, who was part of the first U.S. Air Force Academy class of women in 1976, has amassed forty years of proven experience in all aspects of space systems planning, acquisition and operations as well as systems engineering and defense program management. Betsy has provided Stellar Solutions with invaluable technical expertise in defense policy, program management and in-depth knowledge of customer and contractor relations. We are incredibly grateful for Betsys illustrious leadership and presence over the past 17 years, said Celeste Ford, Stellar Solutions Founder and Board Chair. Succeeding Betsy Pimentel is Janet Grondin, who joined Stellar Solutions as Director of Emerging Space Capabilities in 2018 after supporting Northrop Grumman Corporation as Director for Overhead Persistent Infrared (OPIR) Exploitation Systems as well as Operations Director for MILSATCOM and National Program ground systems. Before that, Grondin served 25 years in the U.S. Air Force in numerous leadership, project management and technical roles, developing significant expertise in command, acquisition, program management, and systems engineering for space and ground systems. These positions included Chief of the Range and Network Division that oversaw the Eastern and Western Ranges; Air Force Satellite Control Network and Standard Space Trainer; Program Manager for the Global Positioning System (GPS) Operational Control Segment; Program Element Monitor for Space Situational Awareness and Special Access; and a Director of Engineering supporting the National Reconnaissance Office. As VP for Defense Programs, Grondin will assume leadership and oversight of Stellar Solutions robust technology, management, and expert solutions for Department of Defense customers related to space and missile systems for national protection and security. These efforts include space superiority, launch enterprise integration, and web services development programs; major programs like GPS and the Space-Based Infrared System; and related capabilities that serve the Air Force in missile warning, weather, precision navigation and timing, and communications. Stellar Solutions has established an exemplary breadth of engagement to ensure continuity of operations across the globe in the event of a threat. The company, which celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2020, is recognizing and leveraging this legacy of success resulting from the decades of commitment by dedicated leaders like Betsy Pimentel, while positioning its team and capabilities for the next 25 years of satisfying customers critical needs. Chief Executive Officer Michael Lencioni remarked, We are also pleased to further Stellars rich history as a woman-owned company by maintaining our comparatively high percentage of women in top leadership positions. There are five points of the Stellar star: intelligence, defense, civil, commercial, and international. Among the Stellar Solutions senior leadership team of the CEO, CFO, Executive VP, and six VPs--three are women. In addition to Janet, we have Melissa Farrell as VP for Commercial Programs and Amy Chaput as VP for Civil Programs. Women are responsible for a majority of these key technical lines of business, in addition to Celeste Ford and Betsy Pimentel remaining in vital executive positionsyet another example of our company Leading the Way. Stellar Solutions: Delivering High-impact Performance on Earth and in Space Founded in 1995 by Celeste Ford with the vision to satisfy critical customer needs while realizing employee dream jobs, Stellar Solutions is a small business that delivers high-impact engineering expertise to government and industry customers across a range of professional and technical disciplines. Named one of the best small and medium workplaces in the U.S. by Fortune Magazine and Great Place to Work since 2014, Stellar Solutions recently received the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, the nations highest honor in performance excellence and sustainability. Serving the intelligence, defense, civil, and commercial sectors, Stellar Solutions provides rapid-response capabilities related to global surveillance and cyber-security, space exploration, risk management, and technology optimization. These solutions to clients critical needs involve satellites in space, sensors on Earth, and intricate technology connections across multiple frontiers. This agile business has forged a competitive advantage by crossing boundaries among vital programs and applying the expertise of its entire seasoned workforce to technical challenges. We offer global reach through international sister companies and programs in the UK and continental Europe, and social responsibility with our foundation and QuakeFinder humanitarian research and development effort. For more information, visit http://www.stellarsolutions.com. STR Capital, a newly established financial services provider, is proud to announce its website is finally on the air after a long anticipation. The website is described as the ideal trading platform for new and experienced traders alike. Packed with trading-related resources and providing access to proprietary web-based software, the website had been designed as a complete set of tools to enhance the trading process and includes everything that a trading platform should have in 2020. STR Capital Mixed Simplicity with Sophistication Since trading is a fast-paced activity, STR Capital is fully aware customers need an optimized environment so they can open and close trades fast, change account settings, or deposit/withdraw funds, without having to log into multiple pages. With the newly launched website, traders are able to do all of that in one place, gaining complete control over their trading account. Time is the most valuable resource for a retail trader, requiring a well-optimized trading infrastructure. The main feature is by far the Web Trading Platform, a solution designed by STR Capital to help traders tackle the challenges of the financial markets, via a wide range of instruments, including forex, crypto, indices, commodities, stocks, ETFs, and bonds. As a browser-based platform, it does not require any installation and can be accessed via the official website from any type of device, including mobile and tablet. STR Capitals main goal had been to mix simplicity with sophistication in order to facilitate access to financial markets for a broader audience, but at the same time, to provide a solution that can meet the challenges of trading in 2020. Markets are volatile and very active, which means traders need the best trading tools possible, so they would not only find trading opportunities but also manage to generate returns in the process. An abundance of Educational Resources With the new STR Capital website, traders can also gain access to a complete pack of educational resources. Beginners wanting to learn how to trade can benefit from the introductory materials, while more experienced traders can find value in the daily market reviews, trading signals, assistance from an account manager, and from a group of analysts. Seeing how professionals view the market at any given point can provide insightful information and improve the decision-making process. All of these show commitment from STR Capital to provide all the resources necessary to learn how to trade and constantly improve the trading process. As a skills-based endeavor, trading is a continuous process, with room for improvement left, even when it comes to professional traders. With all the tools and features integrated into the newly launched website, STR Capital wants to make sure that all conditions are met to help traders gain more insight into the market and improve their edge. About STR Capital STR Capital is an online trading brand specialized in providing access to a wide range of markets, including forex, crypto, indices, commodities, stocks, ETFs, and bonds. Via a wide range of tools and features, the broker wants to provide a competitive and optimized trading environment, so any trader, beginner or experienced, can find everything required to trade successfully. Arizona Superior Court for Pima County has denied the defendants motion to preclude DNA evidence in the trial for the murder of Robert Belman. Defense counsel in Arizona v. Martinez (Case No. CR-20181689-001) had challenged the relevancy, admissibility, and reliability of DNA results obtained by the State largely through the use of STRmix sophisticated probabilistic genotyping software used to resolve mixed DNA profiles previously thought to be too complex to interpret. The court, however, concluded, the use of probabilistic genotyping, and specifically the software utilized in this case STRmix has been generally accepted in the relevant scientific community of forensic DNA. The courts ruling continued, even the defenses motion concedes that most state and federal courts have found that STRmix is scientifically valid because of it having been subjected to several peer reviewed studies that produces favorable results. John Buckleton, DSc, FRSNZ, one of the developers of STRmix, notes that forensic labs worldwide increasingly are using STRmix because it greatly improves the usability of DNA to produce evidence in a wide range of criminal cases. Buckleton notes that organizations using STRmix are reporting a significantly higher rate of interpretable results in sexual assault cases, as well as an increase of interpretable DNA in gun cases from about 40% to more than 70%. Since its introduction in 2012, STRmix has been used successfully in numerous U.S. court cases, including 37 successful admissibility hearings. Currently, 56 U.S. forensic labs, including multiple state and local organizations and such federal agencies as the FBI and ATF, use STRmix to interpret DNA profiles. The software is also in various stages of installation, validation, and training in more than 60 other U.S. organizations. Internationally, STRmix has also gained widespread acceptance. All nine state and territory forensic labs in Australia and New Zealand, as well as 14 labs in other countries including England, Scotland, Ireland, Finland, Denmark, and Canada, now use STRmix. To date, it has been used to interpret DNA evidence in more than 120,000 cases worldwide. A new version of STRmix, STRmix v2.7, was introduced in late 2019. STRmix v2.7 includes several new features in response to improvements recommended by forensic labs to better address the on-the-job needs they regularly encounter. The team that created STRmix recently launched two other products. DBLR, an application used with STRmix, allows users to undertake superfast database searches, visualize the value of their DNA mixture evidence, and carry out mixture to mixture matches. FaSTR DNA, meanwhile, is expert forensic software that rapidly analyzes DNA profiles and assigns a Number of Contributors (NoC) estimate. Designed by scientists for scientists, FaSTR DNA combines an intuitive, user-friendly graphical interface with easily understandable and laboratory-customizable rules to expedite the analysis of raw data generated by genetic analyzers and standard profiling kits. FaSTR DNA also implements the use of artificial neural networks for peak classification independent of and in parallel to the forensic analyst. Alongside STRmix, FaSTR DNA and DBLR complete the full workflow from analysis to interpretation and database matching. For more information about STRmix visit http://www.strmix.com. We value Joshs long-time engagement with both the IIS and the financial side of the insurance business, as he really understands the value that the IIS can bring to its members. The Institutes today announced that Joshua Landau has been named president of the International Insurance Society (IIS) and Pacific Insurance Conference (PIC). Landau assumes the role on July 1, following the retirement of IIS President and Chief Executive Officer Mike Morrissey. Landau has been affiliated with the IIS for over 22 years, while also serving in multiple roles as a banking executive supporting the insurance industry. He began attending IIS events in 1998, joined the board in 2015, and has been an Executive Council member since 2018, most recently serving as treasurer. We value Joshs long-time engagement with both the IIS and the financial side of the insurance business, as he really understands the value that the IIS can bring to its members, said Peter Miller, CPCU, president and CEO of The Institutes. He has great ideas about what the future holds for IIS and how it can best serve members in an evolving global marketplace with an increased focus on digital services and engagement. Landau currently serves as senior vice president, managing director, and group head of the financial institutions group for Fifth Third Bank, National Association. Before joining Fifth Third, he spearheaded relationship banking and global coverage as head of the Financial Institutions GroupAmerica at Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Ltd. and also served as global head of the companys insurance industry sector. Landau has additional experience as an insurance industry risk officer, private equity investor, and mergers and acquisitions specialist in the global insurance sector, having started his career at Chemical Bank (now JP Morgan Chase) and working with BNP Paribas, UBS, and Firemark Investments in various roles over the past 25 years. Landau has an MBA in finance from New York University's Stern School of Business and a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration from the University of Albany. In my many years of working with the IIS, I have seen the insurance and financial industries evolve to be more globally focused and more technically engaged, said Landau. I see great synergies and opportunities for IIS to be an even more valuable support organization for an evolving industry, and I am pleased to have the opportunity to lead IIS in concert with The Institutes. In his new role, Landau will also assume responsibility for the PIC, a biennial conference for insurance and financial services executives in the Pacific Rim. He will coordinate the event, which affiliated with The Institutes in 2019, in collaboration with the PICs Executive Council. About The Institutes | Risk and Insurance Knowledge Group The Institutes, the leading provider of risk management and insurance knowledge education and solutions, offer professional designations, including the CPCU program. In addition, The Institutes provide introductory, foundational, and leadership courses and programs; online and continuing education courses; custom solutions; events and conferences; online and print news platforms; assessment tools; and research reports. About International Insurance Society (IIS) IIS is a global forum for insurance and risk management stakeholders, probing vital issues and using world-class research as a force to drive growth and innovation toward sustainable risk management. Our vision is to shape the future of the global insurance industry as a key contributor to the study of economic and social development of markets. About Pacific Insurance Conference The Pacific Insurance Conference (PIC) Limited organizes and conducts corporate events for insurance and financial services executives focused on life, health, retirement savings and wealth management business in the Pacific Rim. PIC is a not-for-profit organization registered in Hong Kong that has hosted biennial conferences since 1963. I am proud to continue to support the Navy SEAL Foundation in its mission to care for these heroic men and women and their dedicated loved ones who put their country before all else. -Ken Griffin The Navy SEAL Foundation (NSF), Americas premier non-profit organization serving SEALs and the Naval Special Warfare (NSW) community, today announced the largest grant in the organizations distinguished 20-year history. Philanthropist and Citadel Founder and CEO Ken Griffins $10 million gift will expand critical programming and high-quality care for SEALs and their families, including support for NSF childrens resiliency programs and expansion of the Foundations scholarship program providing tuition assistance to warriors seeking higher education. This gift builds on Mr. Griffins longstanding commitment to the men and women who serve this country and his history of generously supporting organizations that drive community improvement and increase access to leading educational, cultural, and medical institutions. For nearly 60 years, the Navy SEALs and their families have made valiant sacrifices to protect our nation and defend our values, said Mr. Griffin. I am proud to continue to support the Navy SEAL Foundation in its mission to care for these heroic men and women and their dedicated loved ones who put their country before all else. Robin King, CEO of the Foundation shared, Mr. Griffin is an extraordinary individual and an indispensable part of our team. This grant allows our organization to keep pace with growing needs and expand educational and support programs for Naval Special Warfare personnel and their families. On behalf of all of those we support, I thank Mr. Griffin for his leadership and incredible impact through the Navy SEAL Foundation. The NSF is one of the highest-rated charities in America, and the wraparound support it provides SEALs and their families is integral to keeping these warriors strong and focused. Mr. Griffins leadership gift has already inspired several other executives and leaders of industry to make their own multi-year pledges of support to the Navy SEAL Foundation. Many of these commitments are in conjunction with the 9th annual Navy SEAL Foundation Midwest Evening of Tribute, which will be held on Thursday, September 3, 2020, and will feature Gen. James N. Mattis, USMC, (Ret.) who will present the 2020 Patriot Award to Miles D. White, Executive Chairman of Abbott. Mr. Griffin received the prestigious Patriot Award in 2017. Since its founding, the Navy SEAL Foundation has invested over $225 million in these programmatic offerings and that support has been funded entirely by philanthropic contributions of all sizes. In that time, NSF has experienced dramatic growth in the demand for additional services in areas such as mental health support, long-term care for the families of the fallen, and childrens programs to aid the youngest members of the NSW community. There is never a time when SEALs are not training or deployed and these warriors and families continue to sacrifice for all of us year after year in order to keep our nation safe, said Bill Strong, another longtime supporter. As long as they are called upon to do this work, the Navy SEAL Foundation will stand with them. Each and every dollar donated is important and impactful and donors can be proud of how they are keeping these warriors and families strong and healthy. Kens very generous gift allows the NSF to make longer-term commitments and accelerate its mission of supporting the NSW community. To support the Foundations work or learn more about its programs, please visit http://www.navySEALfoundation.org About the Navy SEAL Foundation: The mission of the Navy SEAL Foundation (NSF) is to provide immediate and ongoing support and assistance to the Naval Special Warfare (NSW) community and its families, and this year they are commemorating 20 years and over $225 million invested in programs serving this dynamic community. U.S. Navy SEALs have been in sustained combat for nearly two decades, performing hazardous work in unforgiving environments at an unrelenting pace. NSW operators are currently deployed in over 30+ countries across the globe and can spend up to 270 days each year in harm's way. The Navy SEAL Foundation stands behind these warriors and their families by providing a comprehensive set of programs specifically designed to improve health and welfare, build and enhance resiliency, empower and educate families and provide critical support during times of illness, injury or loss. Like the community it serves, the Navy SEAL Foundation is a high performing organization committed to excellence. NSF has been awarded the coveted 4-Star rating from Charity Navigator since 2011 and has earned a perfect score of '100' each year since 2016 for financial health, accountability, and transparency, placing NSF in the top 1% of rated charities. Ninety-five cents of every dollar donated goes directly to programs or is retained for future mission use. The Navy SEAL Foundation is a 501c3 national non-profit charitable organization. TAX-ID 31-1728910. NSF is a non-federal entity, nor is it a part of the Department of Defense or any of its components, and it has no governmental status. To learn more, visit https://www.navySEALfoundation.org. The Ghost Comes Out: a tantalizing account of murder, mystery, and terror in Grayton, a small town in Tennessee as its residents deal with frightful events that cause them to lose trust in each other in a time of great divide due to racial discrimination. The Ghost Comes Out is the creation of published authors The Sisters Spurlock, award-winning writers and novelists. The Sisters Spurlock share, Grayton, a small fictional town community in western Tennessee in 1964, is unaware of the civil rights movement taking place across the nation. It all begins with the Scholl family as the oldest girl, Rosie, sets up a summer school and invites others to join. There are eight students all told, including two African Americans who prove highly unpopular with the ice cream man, racist, and KKK wannabee Joe Puckett. While the children gather during the summer vacation, events unfold around them, including a biracial relationship, a kidnapping, the death of a loved one, and the murder of a domestic abuser. Situated in a time shortly after the JFK assassination, the residents of this communitywith all their secrets and mysteries to hidecome alive and reveal themselves when the Ghost Comes Out is played. The town is left questioning who in their close-knit community could the ghost be as neighbors lock their never-latched doors and question each other with distrust and fear. After the summer of 64, no citizen in that town is ever quite the same. This is a moral tale in its way in which the good get their reward and the bad their punishment, but it also recognizes that good people can get caught in the crossfire and that no one is perfect. Published by Christian Faith Publishing, The Sisters Spurlocks new book blends drama with thrill as it narrates the overwhelming struggles of a small towns citizens, both innocent and guilty, that upsets their lives to hazy pastures. This book heavily tackles the essence of justice and how it seeks the wicked and righteous with blind eyes and a burdensome responsibility of fairness and leniency. View the synopsis of The Ghost Comes Out on YouTube. Consumers can purchase The Ghost Comes Out at traditional brick-and-mortar bookstores or online at Amazon.com, Apple iTunes store, or Barnes and Noble. For additional information or inquiries about The Ghost Comes Out, contact the Christian Faith Publishing media department at 866-554-0919. According to Beacon of Hope Board President Caryle Regan, an enormous portion of revenue for the organization (approximately 70 percent) comes from the Pine Island Attic Thrift Store, which was closed for eight consecutive weeks during the pandemic. Through today, July 1, the store was open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Starting Monday, July 6, the store will be open from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., Monday through Friday. Although the income-generating thrift store was closed, as Beacon Board member Elsie Stearns points out, the community programs kept going with employees who still needed to be paid. The people who worked here during that time, said Stearns, speaking of the pandemic, the directors of the center of excellence, the community programs and the thrift store, as well as other employees, deserve much credit for donating their pay back to the Beacon. Stearns explained that after they were paid, they chose to write checks and donate back to the Beacon. Help did come with the approval of a PPP loan, she said, enabling the Beacon to cover the interest on the mortgage and utilities. Now that the thrift store has reopened, the board looks forward to being better able to fund its programs for the good of islanders. Our hope is that people will come back to shop, said Stearns. Obviously were doing everything we can do as far as safety precautions. Ray West, director of the thrift store, added that although face masks are optional, the staff and most of the customers wear them. There are also directional arrows on the floor, as most grocery stores currently use. He asks that the community be aware that if they donate during rainy days on the weekends, the items donated will be ruined, as no one will be there to bring them inside. I sanitize as much as I can, said West. Fortunately, before the pandemic, I just happened to buy a lot of wipes and hand sanitizer, which I would buy anyway. But we do sanitize the door handles and bathroom as much as possible. Stearns said anonymous donations received through this difficult time period have been extraordinary. Its been so heartwarming, said Stearns. The community has always supported us and our hope is that by December we can have our Holiday House Event, because that is our largest fundraiser. Regan and Stearns explained that quarterly fundraising events are in the near future for the Beacon, as its been difficult to do anything for the past few months. West added that his hope is that the new thrift store hours beginning in July will provide some much needed funding through the summer. Many of the programs are heavily dependent on volunteers, which Stearns explains is made up of a lot of the retired community, who may be a more vulnerable demographic now than ever before. That, she said, weighs heavily in the decision to close the store for so long. Our concern was for the customers and the staff, said Stearns. We felt we needed to take those measures. The Beacon of Hope Board of Directors would like to thank every member of the community, staff and volunteers for giving the time and donations that enable the umbrella organization to continue to cover islanders. Beacon of Hope Pine Island Attic Thrift Store is at 5090 Doug Taylor Circle, St. James City. There is a growing concern about the risk of being infected by the coronavirus among frontline booksellers in states that are showing a spike in Covid-19 cases, including those in Arizona, Texas, and Florida. Policies varied among bookstores surveyed by PW, with some still receiving customers, others opting to shift back to curbside-only service, and still others remaining shuttered altogether. Several booksellers PW spoke to wanted to speak off the record, as they are hourly employees who feel their jobs may be at risk should they speak openly. Several booksellers noted that some owners, who happen to be in the older at-risk demographics, have limited their time in the store, opting to cede daily duties to younger employees. One bookseller at an Arizona bookstore described growing consternation among staff at the idea of continuing to serve customers amid the spike in infections. The Poisoned Pen in Scottsdale, Ariz., reopened recently but closed again after the surge in Covid-19 cases, opting to go back to offering only curbside pickup. "Fortunately for the last 20 years we have always functioned almost like a virtual bookstore, never had a majority of our customers in Arizona, so things haven't really changed," said Barbara Peters, owner. "We have been able to do a lot of events with international authorswe are doing more than 40 eventsthis month." Peters pointed out that the move to curbside shipping hasn't been an impediment to sales. "Since it is 110 degrees here, most people are happy to stay in their cars for curbside pickup," she said. Over the past week, Houston has led the national news as one of the new virus hot spots, with a doubling of hospitalizations tied to the coronavirus since the city started reopening businesses just prior to Memorial Day. Bookstores across the city have employed different strategies. Brazos Bookstore briefly reopened for two weeks before shutting down again, and is now back to doing curbside pickup. We opened to the public on June 16 and ended up went back to curbside on June 27 as a result of the surge in cases, said Ulrika Moats, general manager. Prior to that, we were allowing five customers in the store, and were requiring masks and were giving out gloves. Moats said that, on the weekends, traffic was good and people were buying stacks of books. When we had small wait lines, people were happy to wait and customers were grateful that were happy to open up, she said. Generally speaking, customers have been very supportive and patient with us. Some have had to wait for books, as some titles are slow to reprint. Kinokuniya, the Japanese bookstore chain, has four stores in Texas, including one in the Houston suburb of Katy. That store was open for business as usual, but on Friday, it started limiting the number of customers in the store to 10 at a time. Blue Willow Book Shop is continuing to take appointments, three per hour, from 10:00 a.m. through 4:30 p.m., in groups of three each, so a total of nine people total can shop in the store per hour. In Florida, another coronavirus hot spot, Suz Orchard, owner of Key West Island Bookstore in Key West, Fla., said that when we had the roadblock up and were shut down, I had a lot of customers who didnt live here or come down once or twice a year, who bought gift certificates to make sure that we were still here when they returned. Orchard is the only person working in the store, having told her one part-timer, who is a septuagenarian, not to come in to work because of the risk; she is continuing to be paid. The store is once again open, but it is limited to six people maximum at a time who can browse, Orchard said. Under the law, I can have 10 people in, but my store isnt that big and the aisles are very narrow, so its six. I want to keep people safe. Orchard added that she has numerous elderly customers whom she has called and told not to come to the store. She will deliver their books instead. Orchard says that as soon as Key West opened up, tourists flocked to town. There are a lot of people around, not social distancing and who dont want to wear masks, but the authorities are starting to enforce that. The beaches in town have been closed for the Fourth of July weekend to discourage people from congregating. Contrary to what you see on the news, people are not crazy here. Ive only had a few instances of people coming in saying Ill just put my t-shirt over my mouth and I say, you have to put a mask on. I have had no problem with people complying. Orchard noted that shutting down for the coronavirus was a hardship on the store, and noted that Hooked on Books in nearby Islamorada was forced to close permanently in May. But the coronavirus isnt her only concern. Hurricanes are another. Were in a hurricane zone, so we usually have to prepare for five to six weeks when we wouldnt have people here, she said. We just didnt think it would be so early in the year. In the close-knit world of independent booksellers, Nicola Orichuias tweet struck a chord. Last weekend, Orichuia posted a comment from a customer admonishing the Boston bookseller to improve his communication skills, and reminding him that she was trying to support him over Amazon. It is a familiar trope, and one that has gained public attention amid delays on popular anti-racist titles and a spate of hostile customer e-mails aimed at Black-owned bookstores. Increasingly it is also a kind of needling incivility that booksellers are willing to speak publicly about, breaking with a wall of silence about customer interactions that has largely held up even in an age of social media. Like thousands of other booksellers, Orichuia has had to transition I Am Books, an Italian focused bookstore in Bostons North End, to being an entirely digital operation. That process has gone well thanks to customers who have buoyed the businesses with orders from across the globe and supported the stores successful GoFundMe campaign in March. The overwhelming majority of our customers have been extremely patient and understanding of the situation, Orichuia said. That outpouring of support has been marred by dozens of messages from frustrated customers who have criticized aspects of Orichuias business, telling him they expect I Am Books to be as efficient as Amazon. The customer message was the final straw. Sometimes we take a break on weekends because everything is so darned complicated, he posted on Twitter. So if we do not reply to your FB message right away, please do not start pouring your frustrations all over us. From Orichuias standpoint, one major problem with the comparison to Amazon is that the online retail giant has had significant gaps in efficiency in recent months. Amazon has said over the last few years, since they launched Amazon Prime, were not only efficient, were the fastest option and the cheapest option, which doesnt always translate to the truth. When things got bad [in March] Amazon decided not to send stuff quickly, he said, referring to Amazons decision to deprioritize book shipments at the start of the outbreak. But with most booksellers relying for the first time on online sales, Orichuia acknowledged that they are in a territory long-dominated by Amazon. In a lot of peoples minds, when you say online shopping they think Amazon, he said. It is a challenge that Frugal Bookstore in nearby Roxbury ran into when a flood of more than 20,000 orders for books that were being reprinted by publishers was followed by impatient customer e-mails that prompted the owners to publicly plead for patience and civility. "We are...receiving a number of disheartening e-mails asking us to cancel orders and refund payments, criticisms about how slow we are and that we have poor customer service because we have not answered e-mail," the owners wrote. "We do hope each and every one of you who has shown us support by purchasing through our website believe we are not accepting your money with the intention to keep it and not send out your orders." Customer expectations that independent booksellers will do what a massive online operation does has caused deep frustration for Beverly, Mass.-based Copper Dog Books co-owner Meg Wasmer. Prior to coronavirus, most orders were placed in the bookstore, where Wasmer could put her expertise to use right in front of customers, guiding them through decisions that they might never know they have when buying online. She informs them when a hardcover is about to be released in paperback in order to save them money and helps them select the best edition of a book that will arrive fastest for a special order. Removing the actual experience of putting a bookseller with a customer has been a challenge, Wasmer said. We do this work for a reason and seeing what our industry looks like when were not actually involved, and how people buy books is absolutely bizarre. For instance, since the outbreak began, Wasmer said half a dozen customers have placed orders for print-on-demand books by Mark Twain that they could have bought for a third of the price and received more than a week faster. Like Orichuia, Wasmer stressed that the vast majority of customers are patient, but when their ordering decisions translate into delays, it has led to angry e-mails. Already feeling the effects of sustained eighty-hour work weeks, Wasmer made the decision to step away. She has posted publicly to social media about her frustration, but her business partner manages the responses to the few e-mails that are confrontational. People are kind for the most part, once we get on the same page, she said, but until theres that actual bookseller-to-customer interaction I think they forget that were real. At Print: A Bookstore in Portland, Maine, co-owner Josh Christie follows a few rules to guide his interactions with hostile customers, all of which are rooted in the same practices he follows when his store has been open to browsing. You cant control the way other people behave, but you can control the way you act, Christie said. When customers are upset about delays, he gives them an explanation about what the cause of the delay is, and the timeline for its resolution. Starting with education is essential, Christie said, because he believes most customers do not know how their books get to a bookstore, let alone why they might be delayed. Perhaps as booksellers and an industry in general we havent done a good job educating customers about what backordered and reprinting mean, he said. Still, he noted that there is a line where that conversation moves beyond the point of no return. I was kind of disabused years ago of the idea that the customer was always right, Christie said. Fifteen years of being a frontline bookseller and particularly now as a store owner, I feel that you want to give a good explanation to your customer, but your first responsibility is to your staff. If someone is treating your staff poorly, theyre no longer a customer, theyre an agitator, and you have a responsibility to your staff. In Nichola Orichuias case, his attempt to take a Saturday away from customer orders to be with his three children only worsened the situation with his impatient customer, who followed the message he shared to Twitter with another that said she would never stop at the store again. Orichuia emphasized that he does not feel he is beyond reproach with all orders. Weve made mistakes, he said. But when you say Im sorry, those are magical words, and 99 out of 100 customers say, Dont worry, I totally understand. In this case though, he said, it didnt resolve amicably." In a stinging 20-page brief, lawyers for publisher Simon & Schuster argued there is no contractual or constitutional basis to enjoin them from publishing Mary L. Trumps forthcoming tell-all, Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the Worlds Most Dangerous Man. And with some thousands of copies already printed and shipped to booksellers, neither is there any practical way to stop publication. Simon & Schuster's June 30 filing answers a suit filed last week by Robert S. Trump, the brother of President Donald J. Trump, in New York State Supreme Court in Dutchess County. Among its proposed remedies, the suit seeks an injunction to block publication of the book on the basis of a sweeping confidentiality clause agreed to in 2001, when the estate of the presidents father, Fred Trump Sr., was settled. But in its brief, S&S lawyers point out the obvious: that the publisher is not a party to and is not bound by any confidentiality agreement with the Trump family. This failure to plead a cause of action bears emphasisPlaintiff is seeking to silence one of the most prominent American publishers without alleging that it engaged in any actual wrongdoing at all, the brief states. To elide this pleading failure, Plaintiff claims that he should be awarded a prior restraint against Simon & Schuster on the grounds that Ms. Trump entered into the Settlement Agreement more than 20 years ago. But the presumption against prior restraints is not overcome merely because of the confidentiality provision in the Settlement Agreement, to which Simon & Schuster was not a party, and Plaintiff fails to cite a single case in which a prior restraint has been granted in such a circumstance. To the contrary, in case after case, courts across the country have consistently recognized that imposing an injunction in a case like thiswhere a publisher receives information from a source who allegedly violated a confidentiality agreementwould be unconstitutional. The filing comes on the very same day that New York State Supreme Court judge Hal B. Greenwald surprised observers by granting a Temporary Restraining Order blocking publication of the book. Greenwald has set a setting a July 10 appearance date. But the order could end sooner, as Both defendants in the case, author Mary L. Trump and S&S have appealed that order. In its June 30 filing, S&S lawyers attack the Trump family's claim that the publisher is somehow bound by Mary L. Trumps confidentiality agreement because they are acting as an agent of the author or in concert with her. This argument, which posits that Simon & Schuster can be bound by an agreement that pre-existed its relationship with Ms. Trump by almost twenty years and whose existence was unknown to it, is specious at best, the brief argues, adding that the two are "independent parties that entered into an arms length transaction." And unlike a legally defined agent, "Simon & Schusternot Ms. Trumpmaintains the right to control the publication of the Book. That argument is bolstered by an affidavit from S&S CEO Jonathan Karp. We did not learn anything about Ms. Trump signing any agreement concerning her ability to speak about her litigation with her family until shortly after press broke concerning Ms. Trumps Book about two weeks ago, well after the book had been accepted, put into production, and printing had begun, Karp told the court, adding that the book was formally accepted on May 7, at which point the author lost any ability she otherwise may have had to prevent or delay the Books publication. Further, Karp says, approximately 75,000 copies have been printed and bound and are ready for publication, which includes shipments to retail booksellerscopies which S&S no longer maintains control of. Once Simon & Schuster shipped [the books] in response to a purchase order," Karp explains, "title to the physical copies passed to the retailer or wholesaler. The book is set for a July 28 publication. That statement recalls federal judge Royce Lamberths June 10 decision declining to enjoin S&Ss publication of former national security advisor John Boltons memoir, The Room Where It Happened, because books were already available. "For reasons that hardly need to be stated, the Court will not order a nationwide seizure and destruction of a political memoir," Lamberth wrote in his decision. [C]ourts across the country have consistently recognized that imposing an injunction in a case like thiswhere a publisher receives information from a source who allegedly violated a confidentiality agreementwould be unconstitutional... On the S&S website, Mary L. Trump's book is described as a revelatory, authoritative portrait of Donald J. Trump and the toxic family that made him," and claims to offer insight into how Trump "became the man who now threatens the worlds health, economic security, and social fabric. The publisher's catalog copy describes Mary L. Trump as a trained clinical psychologist as well as the presidents only niece. And, S&S lawyers argue, Mary L. Trump's insights are protected political speech. "Ms. Trump has a story to tell about her family, her personal experiences with, and insights into, the President of the United States, and the dubious financial dealings that provided the foundations for the Presidents real estate empire," the brief concludes. "The American public has a right to information about the Presidents claimed wealthparticularly as he has repeatedly touted his wealth as a credential for his presidency. A twenty-year-old Settlement Agreement to which Simon & Schuster is not bound should not interfere with the publics right to read that information." Meanwhile, also on June 30, the Association of American Publishers, the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, and the Pen American Center filed a joint amicus brief in support of S&S. "Far from the requisite showing of 'exceptional' circumstances that would justify a prior restraint, Plaintiff asserts a purported contractual right to enjoin further publication and dissemination of the book because it may 'contain material that could harm him' or members of his family, including the President," the amicus brief states. "But the existence of a confidentiality stipulation entered into by Defendant Dr. Trump, even assuming it is applicable and enforceable, does not remove this case from the ambit of the First Amendment, nor does it alter the legal standard applicable to the prior restraint Plaintiff seeks...And that confidentiality stipulation most certainly cannot serve as a basis to independently enjoin the Books publisher, Defendant Simon & Schuster, who was not a party to that agreement, from further publishing or disseminating the book." Clarification: this story has been edited to reflect that while the parties have requested oral argument, no appearance is required on July 10. The court will rule on the briefs submitted. The hospitals IT infrastructure required a major update, which included the selection of new vendors for compute, storage and networking solutions. Its virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) used by some 3,000 clinicians throughout the day, with about half that number accessing the Allscripts electronic health record (EHR) system at any one time was experiencing insufficient storage performance, which resulted in delayed log-in times. Childrens of Alabama evaluated several vendors and chose Pure Storage. It quickly migrated its entire VDI to the new platforms. The speed of access to all the critical clinical applications improved drastically, with VDI log-in improving from two-to-five minutes, down to just 20 seconds. In addition, 100 percent uptime of the Pure systems has helped to keep access to critical patient data up and running 24/7. These improvements enable physicians to spend more time with patients which helps improve outcomes. Pure Storage solutions also help to improve the amount of attention that doctors can give to patients. One of the most common procedures performed at the hospital is to insert ear tubes, with surgeons taking about three minutes per ear. The previous system required each surgeon to spend 10 minutes entering documentation for what had been a six-minute procedure. The new VDI and EHR infrastructure from Pure cut documentation time in half, allowing surgeons to perform one-or-two additional procedures per shift. Childrens of Alabama is laser-focused on achieving the best possible outcomes for its patients. Technology and data are essential to that mission. Mission-critical healthcare IT systems must be available 24/7 and performing optimally putting lifesaving information at the fingertips of healthcare professionals and enabling them to focus on what they do best, care for patients, said Josh Gluck, Vice President of Global Healthcare Technology Strategy at Pure Storage. Reasons for Choosing Pure Storage Pures Evergreen Storage program a 100 percent non-disruptive product architecture with a flexible buying program designed to free customers from the legacy storage approach served as a major factor in Childrens of Alabamas decision-making process. With Evergreen, we could purchase a framework in which we could add storage for more than three years and avoid a forklift upgrade, said Sarnecki. In addition to the benefits that came with Evergreen Storage, Sarnecki also values the relationship that has been built with Pure. While the key benefits of Pure Storage solutions performance, 100 percent uptime, ease of management, a superior long-term return on investment, and the elimination of forklift upgrades played an important role, our relationship with Pure continues to be key, he adds. To learn more about how Childrens of Alabama is improving patient care through technology, check out the video with CIO Bob Sarnecki or visit the blog. Rantoul, IL (61866) Today Cloudy skies. Cooler. High near 70F. Winds NW at 10 to 20 mph.. Tonight Partly cloudy skies. Low near 50F. Winds NNW at 10 to 15 mph. Charlie Kuchler, better known as swamp dog music maker, Yard Dog Charlie, is no stranger to the island. He said what started 10 years ago as a Memorial Day event for the food pantry has evolved into an early bird Fourth of July celebration. A lot of people would rather stay at home than go out late at night to see fireworks, said Kuchler. Thats where I got the idea for an early bird Fourth of July party. Kuchler said the early party, which will go from 2-5 p.m. will still allow people whod like to, to go out after they come to this party, which will also be a benefit for Helping Paws Animal Shelter, which is celebrating its 10-year anniversary as well. The shelter is looking for a few things in particular, including canned cat food, scoopable cat litter, premium dry cat food, treats, paper towels, trash bags, bleach/cleaning products, and gift certificates to pet stores or supermarkets. Marnie Miszewski, who runs the shelter, is looking forward to the event with excitement. Its our first fundraiser of the year, said Miszewski. Our annual spring auction was cancelled because of COVID so things have been difficult. Its even more disappointing because its our 10th anniversary this year. We really wanted to celebrate in a big way. Trying to find ways to raise money for this hasnt been easy, but fortunately for us people have really been helping out. Weve been getting deliveries of canned food and litter. We are so grateful! The deck party will also include a 50/50 drawing and raffles, with tickets given to anyone who donates to Helping Paws. Kuchler said he hopes everyone will come out to support the benefit and enjoy the deck party. Ive been playing out at Woodys every Monday night for 13 or 14 years, said Kuchler. Its kind of like my home base. Kuchler wants the community to know that this party will be centered around celebrating the Fourth of July, especially with everything thats going on right now. He said there will likely be a moment of silence in honor of veterans around 3 p.m. in addition to playing patriotic songs. Its a patriotic event, said Kuchler. Its about taking a minute to be proud to be an American to thanks all the folks whove given their lives in the armed forces. Members of the Shut Down Berks Coalition projected messages on the Bern Township home of Berks County Commissioner Michael Rivera Monday evening in an attempt to persuade him to reconsider his support of the Berks County Residential Center. Chanterelle mushrooms as a taste enhancer Chanterelles (Cantharellus cibarius) are one of the most popular mushrooms in Germany. Depending on the weather, chanterelle season starts in early July. Connoisseurs value the mushroom's delicate fruity aroma, which is reminiscent of apricots, and its aromatic and slightly bitter taste profile. Not only do chanterelles have a unique flavor profile, they also function as taste enhancers, lending dishes a well-rounded mouthfeel and a lingering, rich flavor. Key substances for the kokumi sensation "Using the ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry method developed by our team, we are now the first to accurately quantify the key substances in chanterelles that are responsible for the kokumi effect", says Dr. Verena Mittermeier from the TUM Chair of Food Chemistry and Molecular Sensory Science. Dr. Verena Mittermeier already contributed significantly to the study during her time as a PhD student under Prof. Thomas Hofmann, who now serves as the President of TUM. As the research team's findings show, the effect is caused by natural substances derived from fatty acids. Storage conditions, such as duration of storage and temperature, affect the composition and concentration of these fatty acid derivatives in the mushrooms. Whether the mushrooms are stored whole or chopped also plays a role. New quality control marker According to food chemist Andreas Dunkel from the Leibniz-Institute for Food Systems Biology at the Technical University of Munich, some of these derivatives are specific to chanterelles and can therefore be used as markers to control the quality of mushroom products. These findings could also be used to systematically improve the flavor profile of mushroom dishes or other savoury dishes using natural substances. Andreas Dunkel explains: "Kokumi is a Japanese word that does not refer to a specific flavor quality such as salty or sweet." Instead, the fatty acid derivatives modulate the sensory characteristics of other ingredients. ### This story has been published on: 2020-07-01. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Iran's President Hassan Rouhani said there is "no military solution" for Syria on Wednesday during a video conference with his Russian and Turkish counterparts about the war-torn country. "The Islamic republic believes the only solution to the Syrian crisis is political and not a military solution," Rouhani said in a televised opening address. "We continue to support the inter-Syrian dialogue and underline our determination to fight the terrorism of Daesh (the Arabic acronym for the Islamic State group), Al-Qaeda and other related groups." Short link: Area Health Education Center certified tobacco treatment specialist Dorothy Foster will begin a new class for people who intend to quit smoking or using tobacco products on Wednesday, July 15, at the Beacon of Hope. The class is free and has helped countless people reach their goal to rid nicotine from their daily routine. An ex-smoker herself, Foster has been teaching these classes for approximately 10 years now. I know what these people are going through, said Foster. I knew I could do this job. The program, built on grants given to hospitals, is geared toward education and prevention, Foster said. She began working with a hospital in Clewiston, where she received state certification, and ended up in Lee County to be closer to her family. The classes will run every Wednesday night from 5:30-6:30 p.m. for six weeks, starting July 15. Foster said participants are not required to quit smoking or using tobacco products prior to beginning the program, as the class provides an opportunity to quit as a group. This, she said, gives people a chance to prepare to quit, which she admits is a major lifestyle change. This is one of the hardest things they will ever do, said Foster. The class allows a few weeks after participants have quit to gain support from other classmates in an attempt to encourage the idea that they are not alone. Although Foster has taught these classes at the Beacon of Hope as well as other Lee County locations, she said its not uncommon for companies to reach out to AHEC to have a certified facilitator come to their place of business to help employees quit smoking or using tobacco products. Foster would like potential participants to know that by attending these classes, participants qualify to receive free nicotine patches, and their choice of gum or lozenge. Foster said she enjoys teaching the classes, and helping others to reach their goals. I know how difficult it can be to quit and how frustrating it can be. I guess you could say this is my ministry, said Foster. Its a wonderful feeling to regain control of your life and take it back from tobacco. To register for the course or for additional information, please call 877-819-2357. The Beacon of Hope is located at 5090 Doug Taylor Circle in St. James City. Everyday ethics Face masks and the power of symbols Numbers dont lie. That was the message from Lee Health President and CEO Dr. Larry Antonucci Friday morning as he addressed the spike in COVID-19 cases here locally and throughout the state. Over the last two weeks, cases in Florida have risen drastically. The state has seen positive tests for nearly 14,000 Florida residents in just the past two days alone. From Friday, June 19, to Friday, June 26, 34,606 Florida residents tested have positive for coronavirus. We are at a critical point in our battle against the coronavirus. Numbers dont lie, Antonucci said. Coronavirus is spreading throughout Southwest Flor-ida, and we are seeing more hospitalizations and a higher positivity rate than ever before. Today we have more than 200 people in our hospitals and nursing homes with COVID-19. Just before Memorial Day, we had 80. This is a significant increase, and as a community, we have the power to reverse this trend. Together, we have the power to save lives. A hot topic around the country as places begin to reopen and in some instances, shut back down due to cases increasing has been the wearing of a mask or face covering. Antonucci said masks or face coverings are an essential part of slowing the virus down in the community, coupled with social distancing, and is paramount in protecting others even if you dont feel ill or show symptoms of the virus. The evidence is clear; masks help slow the spread of the virus causing COVID-19, Antonucci said. It is within our control to protect ourselves, our friends, our families and our neighbors. When I go out, I see fewer and fewer people wearing masks and practicing safe physical distancing. The threat of this virus is as real as it has ever been, and complacency is not an option. We can safely resume normal activities by taking personal responsibility for ourselves and the safety of others. Any one of us can be an asymptomatic carrier who inadvertently infects an older or unhealthy person with disastrous results. Wearing a mask lowers everyones risk of unwittingly spreading the coronavirus to another. Antonucci has asked that everyone in the Southwest Florida community wear a mask and social distance when they are out in public. These are the reasons I wear a mask, and now Im asking everyone in our community to wear one too, he said. While Southwest Florida residents did their part in the early stages of the virus to combat the spread, Antonucci said as the state began to open, more and more individuals have not been taking the precautions necessary to mitigate transmission. He said now is the time to step up once again. I was so impressed by the way Southwest Florida responded in the early days of this pandemic, and those actions temporarily prevented the exponential growth of the virus and for a while flattened the curve. It is time to step up again for the safety of friends and strangers alike, Antonucci said. He understands that residents are becoming stir-crazy and want to be able to get back to the way things were before this pandemic reached the community, but that wearing a mask or face covering is a small price to pay when it comes to the big picture. We all want to enjoy life go shopping, eat out and visit with our friends. But as we do these things, we must take precautions to stay safe, Antonucci said. Until there is a vaccine, we should assume anyone, even if they have no symptoms, could be carrying the coronavirus. I understand wearing a mask can be uncomfortable or inconvenient, but it is a small, temporary inconvenience that saves lives. Lee Health has launched a new public service campaign called I Wear a Mask Because to engage the community in wearing masks and sharing their reason why. Antonucci asked the public to help us spread this life-saving message via social media, or by submitting your pictures to www.LeeHealthStrong.org. By the Numbers As of 11 a.m. Monday, there are 146,341 cases of the new coronavirus confirmed in Florida, an increase of 5,266 since FDOHs last update Sunday morning. Mondays increase in positive cases in down from the explosion of cases over the weekend, which was three straight days that represent the three highest total case days in Florida since testing began. Test results reported by the state on Monday were down dramatically from the previous three days, when the state reported more then 70,000 test results each day. While the number of test results may have gone down, the percentage positive actually increased. More than 41,600 test results were reported to the Department of Health on Sunday, June 28. Of those reported tests, 13.76 percent tested positive. The number of tests reported on June 28 is the lowest since June 23. On Friday, June 26, 78,318 tests were processed by the state the highest since the beginning of the pandemic. The death toll increased by 28 from 11 a.m. Sunday to 11 a.m. Monday, reported among Citrus, Dade, Hillsborough and Volusia counties. A total of 1,914,151 individuals have been tested: 1,766,402 have tested negative, 1,408 tests were inconclusive and 1,744 tests are pending results. Of those testing positive, 14,244 (+110) have been hospitalized at some point during their illness. There have been 3,546 deaths. The age groups of Florida residents that have yielded the most positive test results are 25-34 years old (20%), followed by 35-44(16%), 45-54 (15%), and 15-24(15%). The highest hospitalization rate is found in patients 65-74 (19%), 75-84 (18%) and 55-64 (17%) years old. In Lee County, 5,363 (+175) individuals have tested positive as of 11 a.m. Monday; 2,330 in Fort Myers (+75), 999 in Cape Coral (+51), 1,175 in Lehigh Acres (+26), 321 in Bonita Springs (+1), 155 in North Fort Myers (+5), 123 in Estero (+7), 29 on Fort Myers Beach (+1), 17 in Sanibel (+1), 21 in Alva (+4), seven in Bokeelia (+1), four on Matlacha (+0), three in Tice (+0), two in Miromar Lakes (+0), two in Boca Grande (+0), one in St. James City (+0), one on Captiva (+0), one in Buckingham (+0) and one in San Carlos Park (+0). Fifty-four cases were not identified by community. Positive COVID-19 cases in the county have ranged from infants to a 101-year-old. Lee County saw its first two cases on March 7, when a man and a woman, each 77, tested positive. They had traveled to the Dominican Republic. There have been 156 deaths in Lee County and a total of 601 hospitalizations. All but nine deaths occurred in patients over 60; 113 deaths were reported in residents or staff of long-term care facilities. As of Friday, Lee Health had 185 COVID-19 patients isolated in system hospitals. A total of 811 patients who had tested positive have been discharged. The system has submitted a total of 26,376 specimens for testing, with 99 results currently pending. Lee Healths mobile collection site on Thursday collected 291 specimens. Bed capacity as of Friday is at 78 percent, with 15.4 percent of those being COVID-19 patients. As of Friday, 75 percent of ventilators and 27 percent of ICU rooms are available for use across Lee Health facilities. COVID-19 is a highly contagious viral disease. For most individuals, symptoms are mild. For a minority, the disease becomes a type of viral pneumonia with severe complications. Especially at risk are those who are older, those with underlying health conditions and the immune-compromised. Officials strongly urge all members of the public who are at risk to remain at home so as to limit exposure. All others are urged to observe social distancing and to wear a mask for all public interactions. For more detail on Florida resident cases, visit the live DOH Dashboard. To find the most up-to-date information and guidance on COVID-19, visit the Department of Healths dedicated COVID-19 webpage. For information and advisories from the Centers for Disease Control, visit the CDC COVID-19 website. For more information about current travel advisories issued by the U.S. Department of State, visit the travel advisory website. For any other questions related to COVID-19 in Florida, contact the Departments dedicated COVID-19 Call Center by calling 1-866-779-6121. The Call Center is available 24 hours per day. Inquiries may also be emailed to COVID-19@flhealth.gov. Connect with this reporter on Twitter: @haddad_cj On Wednesday, Prime Minister Scott Morrison will unveil a greater focus on the Indo-Pacific region, warning Australia needs to prepare for a post-COVID world that is "poorer, more dangerous and more disorderly". Mr Morrison will also announce a commitment to spend $270 billion over the next decade on defence capabilities, including more potent strike weapons, cyber capabilities and a high-tech underwater surveillance system. On December 8, 1941, Japan attacked the Philippines and destroyed nearly half of the U.S. Army Air Corps' bombers along with a third of its fighters on the ground. Yet, 43 of 45 Navy patrol aircraft survived the day. The reason for such a stark difference in survival is simple: In accordance with pre-war plans, the 45 aircraft of Patrol Wing 10 had dispersed to various lakes, beaches, rivers, and bays throughout the Philippines. The aircraft PBY Catalina seaplanes continued the fight from their ever-changing sea bases. Japan was left hunting for small groups of seaplanes over thousands of square miles of water and coastline. While the seaplanes alone were unable to change the course of the battle, and ultimately suffered grievous losses later in the campaign when pressed into action as bombers without fighter escort, their initial survival demonstrated a unique capability that should be considered today. As the National Defense Strategy demands, the Marine Corps is currently demonstrating, and the new Air Force chief of staff has discussed, the challenges posed by an increasingly capable Chinese military demand innovation and disruptive thinking in the Pentagon. Innovation requires strategists to consider all options on the table. Moreover, it requires all options to be placed on the table in the first place. One option noticeably absent from most debates on future operations in the Pacific Ocean is the seaplane. Students, educational providers, and employers are all seeking innovative strategies to ensure their futures in this era of uncertainty. As the higher education sector begins planning for the fall semester and beyond, creating new stackable credential pathways are seen as one such innovation. Many colleges have started to embed industry certifications, independent credentials that measure knowledge for competent performance in a specific job or field, (not to be confused with licenses or certificates) into undergraduate and graduate degrees, so that students benefit from a broad-based education as well as specific skills needed to thrive in an ever-changing workplace. This strategy provides life-long pathways to good jobs and is growing in popularity. In a recent Strada Education Network survey, 30% of respondents believed that if they lost their job, they would need more education to replace it. A slightly higher number said they would look to change careers. So it is no surprise that the majority of adults considering enrolling in an education or training program in the next six months prefer non-degree programs and two-thirds are seeking education to gain skills for a new or current career rather than for personal interests. Yet Millennials, most likely to have lost jobs, income, or hours in light of COVID-19, are more interested in enrolling in four-year colleges, community colleges, and online colleges compared to 2019. Around one-fifth of U.S. adults hold certifications, and adults with a bachelors degree are slightly more likely to hold one than adults without degrees, and certification holders earn more than those without. The data suggests that certifications provide professional value at all education levels and Stradas surveys indicate growing demand for them. But identifying which industry certification should be tied to a degree is a challenge. With support from Lumina Foundation, we have been convening university and certification body leaders in key sectors to understand how to integrate certifications and degrees, including defining measures of quality. Since the right certifications can pay real dividends for college graduates, here are some practical tips we encountered through our project to help institutions to spot a quality certification. Evaluate a certifications purpose and value Certifications provide a unique value compared to a certificate, license, and/or degree. The purpose of a certification is to demonstrate competencies relevant to a job that are developed through a job task analysis, a process that identifies the tasks and associated knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) required to competently perform a job. Certifications are typically comprised of standardized exams, require lifelong learning through re-certification processes (e.g., examinations, professional development courses), and may be revoked because of incompetence or unethical behavior. We see degrees and certifications as complementary. Both serve a unique purpose that better prepares our students for the workforce, said Gigi Escoe, Vice Provost for Undergraduate Studies, the University of Cincinnati. Escoe participated in our project workshop and has experience with degree-certification pathways. Our faculty and students recognize the value in combining a broad-based foundation afforded by a bachelors degree with specific skill mastery verified by industry certifications. Learners and institutions can assess the value of an industry certification based on whether it is required or preferred for employment. In the healthcare industry, respiratory therapists, all of whom hold a college degree, must pass a certification examination given by the National Board for Respiratory Care. The Certified Respiratory Therapist credential is used as a prerequisite for state licensure in 49 states. Many fields have no legal or government-mandated requirements for certification, yet employers still prefer industry certifications, and the absence of one can be a barrier to entry or advancement. In a recent poll of IT executives, 67% said their companies require industry certifications for jobs in cybersecurity. A separate survey found 80% of IT professionals say that certifications are useful for their careers. Demand for certifications stands despite the pandemic slump. Though certified individuals may be rewarded through higher salaries, higher rates of hire, or faster promotion tracks, evaluating these criteria can be challenging. Institutions we have worked with use other strategies to evaluate the labor-market value of certifications, such as surveying alumni, industry advisory councils, or employers of recent graduates. Todd Myers, Chair of the Department of Engineering Technology and Director for Workforce and Professional Development, Ohio University, illustrated examples during our manufacturing-specific workshop at Georgia Tech. We knew the manufacturing specialist certification was a high-quality certification to embed with our engineering technology bachelors degree, in part due to our Industry Advisory Board and alumnis review and recommendations. We even had an alum believe in the certification to the point where he provided funding to OU to cover the cost for our students certification exam fees for the last several years. Our faculty also have affirmed the quality. I hold the certification myself. Indicators of certification quality Institutions and students can gauge the quality of a certification by understanding the credibility of the organization issuing the certification as well as the development and governance processes for that certification. For example, certifying organizations should be independent. This helps to ensure impartiality and that there are no conflicts of interest in awarding or revoking certifications. There should be a clear firewall between individuals and processes involved in developing the certification exam and those supporting other organizational functions. Institutions could seek out certification bodies that are transparent about which industry stakeholders were involved in the certification development and what job task analyses or validation studies were conducted. High-quality certifications will involve a representative sample of industry experts in the development, to include conducting both job tasks analyses and validations surveys. A key attribute of a successful certification is the role of industry partners who need to be involved in the curation and creation of the curriculum behind the certification, said Latha Ramchand, Provost at the University of Missouri and member of the CFPs Board of Directors. Having employers be a part of the design is critical to the success of the certification model. Other markers for quality include the stability of the awarding organization, type of exam proctoring, and certification revocation processes. A more comprehensive description of markers of certification quality is available here. Seek out accredited certifications Accreditation by a third-party such as the ANSI National Accreditation Board or National Commission of Certifying Agencies is another indicator of quality. Like accreditation of academic programs, third-party validation of certifications reflects that these certifications and the organization issuing the certification have been rigorously reviewed to a standard determined by experts. Third-party accreditation of certifications is a mark of distinction and only some 10% of all certifications are accredited. Carl Bowman, Senior Director for Exam Services at CompTIA, a leading technology trade association, confirmed that Accredited certifications are built and maintained with the employer in mind. Accredited certification bodies essentially issue a fair, unbiased, valid and reliable endorsement to the professionals who achieve passing exam scores. As a result, certifications add value to a professionals career path and can be trusted by academia and private industry at large. As the sector seek to support students in this era of disruption, combining degrees with quality certifications is a win for learners, institutions, and employers alike. The media keeps going out of its way to fact check President Trumps claims as false. The Washington Posts Philip Bump is one of many journalists who cant be bothered with considering the most obvious interpretations of what Trump says. Instead, he ventures into the nonsensical. Last week, Trump said the 20 most dangerous U.S. cities are run by Democrats; Bump then wrote an article saying Trump erred by Bumps count, only 17 of the 20 cities are run by Democrats. Social media mocked Bumps analysis for quibbling over whether Trump was exactly right or not, but what they failed to point out is that Bumps underlying numbers are wrong. Trump earned Bumps ire by saying that if you are going to blame anyone for the condition of police departments in American cities, you need to blame the Democrats who have been running them. You hear about certain places like Chicago and you hear about whats going on in Detroit and other other cities, all Democrat run, Trump said last Wednesday. Every one of them is Democrat run. Twenty out of twenty. The 20 worst, the 20 most dangerous are Democrat run. He has made similar statements many times. The Posts headline summarizes Bumps conclusion: Trump keeps claiming that the most dangerous cities in America are all run by Democrats. They arent. According to Bump, 17 of the 20 most dangerous cities are run by Democrats, and one is Republican run. Bump first evaluates how dangerous cities are based on the total number of violent crimes in a city, not the per capita rate. But it doesnt make sense to compare the number of violent crimes in New York City with the total in Washington, D.C. New York, after all, has a much larger population. By looking at total violent crimes, Bump is able to find only one city with a Republican mayor Jacksonville, Fla. But while Jacksonville ranks 17th in violent crime, it ranks 13th in total population. On a per capita basis, it isnt in the top 30 most violent cities even among the 50 most populous cities in the U.S. The other two cities San Antonio, Texas, and Las Vegas have non-partisan or independent mayors. But that is misleading. City elections in San Antonio are non-partisan, but the city is heavily Democrat. Even if the politicians who run the city are non-partisan, everyone knows who the Republicans and Democrats are. The mayor of Las Vegas is an independent, but she was previously a Democrat. As with San Antonio, Las Vegas is a Democratic stronghold, and the other members of the city government are Democrats. Even if you illogically refuse to adjust for population, Trump is still correct in 19 out of 20 cases. Bump then looks at violent crime rates, adjusted for population, and acknowledges that 19 of the top 20 cities are run by Democratic mayors. But the one city that he claims is run by an independent (Springfield, Mo.), has non-partisan races. The city also leans toward Democrats in how it votes. Bump combines his two top-20 lists (number of violent crimes, and violent crime rate) to reach the conclusion that: Four of the 32 cities listed above have non-Democratic mayors. But thats not the full story, and Bump is inaccurately trying to conflate non-partisan office holders with independents. Only by looking at total violent crime and not per capita crime rates, can the Washington Post point to even one of those cities being run by a Republican. Another measure of danger is the murder rate. Of the 30 cities with the highest murder rates, 28 are clearly controlled by Democrats and the other two cities hold non-partisan elections. Both those cities again tend to vote for Democrats. Bump then dismisses Trumps entire point, saying that it doesnt really matter because cities generally have more crime than suburban and rural areas, and that its problematic to draw a causal relationship between crime and Democratic leadership. But Democrats dont run all the large cities. Of the 100 largest cities, Republicans run 29, Democrats 64, independents 3, and four are non-partisan. Of the 20 largest cities, Republicans run four and Democrats run 16. The Republican cities are much safer. In 2018, the violent crime rate was 72% higher in cities run by Democrats, and the murder rate was 83% higher. Even once you move out of the very largest cities, the results are the same. Of the 50 largest cities, Republicans control 13 and Democrats 37. Cities run by Democrats have a 74% higher violent crime rate and a 109% higher murder rate. Once again, the media have to go well out of their way and make senseless comparisons. They ignore important facts to claim that Trump made an error. Even then, the size of the supposed mistake was pretty small. Unfortunately, social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook use these fact-checkers to censor content. It is long past time that we acknowledge how partisan they are. Our America First movement faces a fulcrum moment. After achieving the incredible upset of seizing the presidency from the conventional interests that dominated United States politics and media for decades, now President Trump can advance to the next step of his historic quest: transitioning from the Great Disruptor to become the Great Protector of the American people, particularly the middle class. The disruption emanated from the profound frustration of working-class citizens witnessing a continual erosion of their political agency and their standard of living. The shock of Trumps triumph compelled a needed wholesale reshaping of national politics, including a de facto takeover of the Republican Party by believers in American nationalism. In reaction, the media mouthpieces of the established political and administrative classes went to war with the president, and he returned rhetorical fire, with fervor. Simultaneously, the enmity of the entrenched administrative powers of our capital commenced seemingly endless investigations and frivolous prosecutions of Trump allies and, ultimately, the president himself. Despite the systemic upheaval, tangible policy achievements abounded, particularly a rollback of the regulatory state, smart trade accords, and the confirmations of hundreds of conservative judges. Nonetheless, the consternation and agitation have intensified in this election year, as an increasingly polarized country battles over first principles. As necessary as the disruption was, our nation cannot remain in this embattled space; its too chaotic. Therefore, the next natural iteration of the movement lies in President Trump becoming the Great Protector, a leader promoting a second term agenda that guards the economic and legal rights of the masses. On the economic front, protecting the prerogatives of the American worker entails taking on two powerful, intertwined interests both of them hell-bent on defeating President Trump in November: China and American Big Business. Regarding China, Trump has already shifted the entire paradigm of our national approach to this adversary. The recent deception by the Chinese Communist Party quite literally infected the world and crashed the global economy, awakening the U.S. public to the reality Trump has long ascertained and described. Given the criminal actions of the Beijing regime, President Trumps second term will laser-focus on confronting this threat, particularly to the prosperity of American workers. The long-term benefits of the decoupling process will compel domestic employment, especially in manufacturing, and ignite the economic recovery from the ravages of the Wuhan CCP virus. Deeply enmeshed with Chinas anti-worker agenda, giant American multi-nationals also often scheme to stymie the success of American labor. President Trumps strong recent policy shift on foreign worker visas sends a signal for more such second-term policies to protect and prioritize American labor. In addition, part of economic protection should embrace aggressive anti-trust enforcement against monopolistic firms that deter competition and brazenly trample on the privacy and constitutional rights of citizens. The second facet of Trump as the Great Protector involves legal safeguards. The recent danger and disorder across America found motivation and cheerleaders among entitled power brokers of the media and the Democratic Party, but ordinary people and vulnerable businesses paid the price. President Trump increasingly takes a strong stance against mayhem, both in messaging and action. For the next Trump term, a pledge to maintain order will gain the confidence of understandably anxious citizens. Aggressive policing and powerful prosecutions can demonstrate our national resolve against mobs and mayhem. As the president reasserts law and order, he can also continue to powerfully ratify and promote the intrinsic honor of America and our founding principles. To repel the scurrilous slurs and ahistorical revisionism of the left, deplorables of every color and creed clamor for an unwavering reaffirmation of American ideals. Acknowledging that our country has often failed to live up to our own virtues, even in profound ways, in no sense negates the great majesty of our guiding precepts and the enduring goodness of the American way of life. Rather than placating the growing madness that seeks political power through public intimidation and street cruelty, Trump the protector offers a no-apologies insistence on four more years of rule of law as opposed to compulsion by criminals. Now, and into a second Trump term, our country will forcefully reject the plots of violent agitators who would impose a Mao-style cultural revolution that attacks monuments, desecrates our history, and bans works of art and literature. In addition, far too many Democratic mayors and governors tacitly allow, and sometimes even encourage, lawlessness. The need, therefore, increases for a president as a national protector. All lasting political and social movements evolve over time. Tactics and near-term objectives shift even as long-term systemic aspirations persist. For the America First movement, a transition from disruption to protection will make our country more prosperous and safe and also secure electoral victory in November. The best fishing came from offshore over the past week, as inshore waters were hot and many areas experienced issues with water quality. Fishing offshore, with exception of the heat, you could not have asked for better weather. Blue skies, flat calm seas and very few storms made for ideal conditions. Red snapper were found in depths from 135 to 160 feet. Red grouper, mangrove and lane snapper were also boxed from these depths and shallower depths under a hundred feet. Several boats also came across schooling dolphin (mahi-mahi), blackfin tuna and a few king mackerel. Artificial reefs within 10 miles of shore held plenty of sharks, barracuda and goliath grouper for anglers just looking for a hard fight and good time. Permit were reported over many of the reefs as well, along with Spanish mackerel, snapper and a few catch-and-release snook. Catch-and-release snook fishing was consistent up and down the beaches with fish released from 20 to 36 inches. Whiting and pompano were hooked as well over the incoming tide. Fishing near structure and docks in and around all the gulf passes, plus Sanibels Tarpon Bay, yielded hook-ups with snook and redfish. Mangrove snapper up to 13 inches were found around the gulf passes as well as the Sanibel Bridge and areas around Bokeelias Jug Creek. Most were caught on shrimp, small pinfish and pilchards. Snapper were also reported in creek mouths near St. James and Sanibel Islands Ding Darling Wildlife Reserve. Many anglers and residents report terrible water quality in Matlacha Pass from the bridge south and often pushing into northern Matlacha Pass. Most found while navigating through these areas all bait in live wells died in short order. Of course, as one would expect, fishing was terrible and dead fish were noted in the areas of bad water. A few anglers also mentioned concerns with water quality around Pineland and other areas of Pine Island Sound. At the north end of Matlacha Pass where it meets with Charlotte Har-bor, big Spanish mackerel and sharks were hooked while fishing around large bait pods. The bait fish were located by watching for dimpling or rain on the surface or diving pelicans Areas in mid and northern Pine Island Sound held a variety of fish including sea trout, ladyfish, jack crevalle, mackerel, bluefish, sharks and, of course, catfish. The key to good fishing was to find areas with good water. Avoid the milky or colored water and fish depths from 5 to 8 feet with decent clarity. If the sun is out, you should be able to differentiate the type of bottom from sand to grass with polarized sunglasses. Dark is generally grass and lighter color is sand, fish the transition or breaks of color change for the best results. If you have a fishing report or for charter information, please contact Gulf Coast Guide Service at 239-410-8576 (call or text); on the web at www.fishpineisland.com; or via email at gcl2fish@live.com. Have a safe week and good fishin. As a lifetime resident of Matlacha and Pine Island, Capt. Bill Russell has spent his life fishing and learning the waters around Pine Island and Southwest Florida, and as a professional fishing guide for the past 23 years. Traverse City, MI (49684) Today Cloudy and windy. High 58F. Winds NNW at 20 to 30 mph. Higher wind gusts possible.. Tonight A few passing clouds. Low 43F. Winds NNW at 10 to 20 mph, becoming SW and decreasing to less than 5 mph. The United Way of Lee, Hendry, Glades, and Okeechobee has concluded the 2019-2020 campaign, and exceeded the campaign goal of $10,783,563. This is the 27th consecutive year that the goal has been met or exceeded. Campaign Chair Roger Desjarlais made the announcement that local residents and companies contributed a record amount, $10,785,325 to the campaign which is a 3.3% increase. The theme of the 2019-2020 United Way Campaign was One Way, United Way. The announcement was made at the June 12 annual meeting of the United Way Board of Directors at United Way headquarters. The meeting was a hybrid Zoom/In Person meeting in order to comply with CDC regulations. Desjarlais announced via Zoom that the goal was exceeded this year: The United Way of Lee, Hendry, Glades and Okeechobee met its fundraising goal of over $10.7 million in spite of an economy devastated by COVID-19. It is stunning and speaks volumes about the generosity of our community. Making the goal means United Way Partner agencies will receive their share of funding for the coming year. Long standing United Way Partners like Harry Chapin Food Bank, Community Cooperative, Abuse Counseling and Treatment and Childrens Advocacy Center will be able to continue their vital programs because of the support provided to United Way by the community in surpassing our goal. Because of the generosity of Southwest Florida, hungry families will receive food, veterans will find support through Mission United, abused children will find safety and shelter, older persons can find assistance to remain in their own homes, and thousands of lower income families can get their taxes done free through Volunteer Income Tax Assistance. Robert Shearman, newly appointed Board of Directors chairman, added, All funds raised by our United Way stay here in our community, and our United Way keeps administrative and fundraising cost extremely low, investing over 92% of the money raised into local agencies and programs. Our United Way has been named a Four-Star Charity, the top rating on Charity Navigator for the past 9 years. Charity Navigator is one of the most utilized evaluators of charities used to guide intelligent giving. The top local contributing companies and the top communities are as follows: Top United Way Contributors $ 1 million+ Circle of Excellence: Publix and Bonita Bay Community $500,000+ Circle of Excellence: Bonita Bay Group and Islands of Sanibel & Captiva $200,000+ Circle of Excellence: Chicos FAS, ENTERPRISE Rent-A-Car, FineMark National Bank & Trust, LCEC, Lee Health and Pelican Landing $100,000+ Circle of Excellence: Fiddlesticks, Grandezza, Gulf Harbour, Lee Board of Count Commissioners, Lee County School District, McGriff Insurance Services, Mediterra, The Brooks and Zachry Group All money raised in the United Way Campaign stays in the local community to help support the local human service network. United Way partner agencies and initiatives like Alvin A. Dubin Alzheimers Resource Center, Child Care of Southwest Florida, The Salvation Army, Bonita Springs Assistance, Lighthouse of Southwest Florida, Mission United, and United Way 211 serve a diverse range of needs in our community such as nurturing children and youth, strengthening families, and meeting critical needs such as helping the elderly and disabled live independently, and empowering communities by bringing health and human services to neighborhoods. In addition to raising funds for human service organizations in our community, the United Way promotes partnerships and collaborations among agencies and initiatives, helping them to work together focusing on issues and solutions that continue to improve lives. The United Way of Lee, Hendry, Glades, and Okeechobee has raised and distributed over $188 million since it was established in 1957. For more information please call United Way at (239) 433-2000 or visit www.UnitedWayLee.org. A puppy from the Athens Area Humane Society stops for a drink of water at Yappy Hour in Athens, Georgia, on Wednesday, September 27, 2017. The Athens Area Humane Society, a non-profit organization, held this event at South Kitchen and Bar, in Athens, Georgia, to fundraise money to help the animals they shelter. (Photo/Gabriella Cammarata, gfcammarata@gmail.com) As the rate of newly reported coronavirus cases is surging in Athens and Georgia, the University System of Georgia is facing criticism for not requiring students, faculty and staff members to wear masks. In addition, the new surge in cases could hurt Georgia's economy. Athens, GA (30605) Today Cloudy this morning. Scattered thunderstorms developing this afternoon. High 89F. Winds WSW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50%.. Tonight Scattered thunderstorms early, then mainly cloudy overnight with thunderstorms likely. Low 71F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%. July 01, 2020 10:00 IST 'India imports 70 per cent of its bulk drugs from China. Are we going to live without antibiotics?' asks Debashis Basu. IMAGE: Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh activists burn Chinese Communist party General Secretary Xi Jinping's effigy at a protest in New Delhi. Photograph: Manvender Vashist/PTI Photo For the first time in 45 years, India has lost soldiers (that too, 20 at the last count) to a Chinese attack with sticks, stones, rocks, and nail-studded clubs, even as machine guns, artillery, and tanks were lined up in the rear. Apparently, some Indian soldiers were beaten to death; some were pushed down a steep slope into the Galwan river below, and others died of hypothermia in the cold desert of Ladakh. China has given India a bloody nose in a most bizarre way. Our immediate reaction is to rant: Boycotting Chinese goods, burning the effigy of Chinese President Xi Jinping, and xenophobic fury everywhere from television channels to social media to WhatsAapp groups. This is laughable because it is momentary and emotional. India's reply is to become economically and militarily stronger. The fact is both India and China were poor countries till 1978, after which economic reforms in China have transformed the country and India has continued to bumble along. While we have benefited from lucky breaks from time to time, by and large, we are taking 15 to 20 years to get to where China, and earlier, Taiwan, South Korea, Japan, and now Vietnam have reached in five years. Our anger against the Chinese is directed at the wrong enemy. By blaming China, we give a free pass to our political leaders, who have kept us poor, weak, and stupid. There are three reasons this won't change. 1. Clueless about China: Anti-Chinese hawks in the West argue that the country has a 100-year strategy to subjugate the world. It has no respect for Western democracy and civil liberties, has imperial ambitions, and is engaged in continuous information, economic, and technological warfare to weaken the West. Stealing and buying Western intellectual capital, apart from developing its own Made in China 2025 policy, will help it lead the world in biotechnology, advanced chip design, artificial intelligence robotics, and quantum computing. Whether this is true or just conspiracy theory, it is clear that Indian diplomats and our political leaders have proven to be babes in the woods in dealing with China. India shrugged off US warnings about Chinese tech company Huawei and allowed it to participate in 5G trials. Under Prime Minister Narendra Damodardas Modi, Indian authorities had set a laughably ambitious target of 14 million Chinese tourists by 2023, up from a mere 240,000 in 2017. The two countries have planned a series of celebrations to mark the 70th anniversary of diplomatic ties this year. The boat rides on the Sabarmati, sitting on a swing at the Gandhi ashram, the hugs and bonding between Modi and Xi at a dozen meetings look utterly naive now. India seems clueless about China's vision and tactics. 2. Cut off our nose... India's trade deficit with China was almost $57 billion in 2019. India has no power to reverse it. Indian consumers have gained enormously due to cheaper imports. Will they be ready to pay for costlier South Korean or Japanese products? The cold fact is that India is economically uncompetitive and cannot afford to retaliate. For instance, India imports 70 per cent of its bulk drugs from China. Are we going to live without antibiotics? While China accounts for 14 per cent of India's imports, China's imports from India are less than 1 per cent of its total. We can cut our nose to spite our face, of course, but it won't hurt China. That takes us to the heart of the matter -- India's economic weakness. 3. No Indian growth model: All this would not have mattered if India had taken the path of economic reforms. China managed to develop 'capitalism with Chinese characteristics' and made it work. It suited them well. What we should have done is free our people from the vast web of State and private extortion and rent-seeking, which saps our energy every step of the way. Dismantling an extractive State would have unleashed innovation and growth at a stunning pace and scale. Instead, successive governments have introduced more and more draconian rules, overseen by a coercive State. What passes for 'reforms' is just meek tinkering. These have had no impact on our economic competitiveness. The best example of this is the way our public sector, mainly banks, have been handled. We want to teach China a lesson. The means to do that is economic competitiveness. To achieve this, we should first start raising our voice against self-serving, incompetent, and corrupt netas and babus who have kept India poor and weak, as reflected in our terrible education system, creaking healthcare, abysmal productivity, and weak innovation. Dressing up India's economic weakness with a chauvinistic narrative, and scapegoating Beijing, are tactics to hide their failure to make India economically strong. It may temporarily offload public anger, but will weaken us further. We have a bigger enemy than China or Pakistan. And it is on this side of the border. Not the other side. Debashis Basu is the editor of www.moneylife.in. July 01, 2020 16:12 IST India will not allow Chinese companies to participate in highway projects, including those through joint ventures, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said on Wednesday amid the border standoff with China. Gadakri also said the government will ensure that Chinese investors are not entertained in various sectors like the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs). The senior minister's assertions assume significance against the backdrop of the border standoff between India and China in Ladakh that also saw the death of 20 Indian Army personnel last month. Amid escalating tensions, the government on Monday banned 59 apps, mostly having Chinese links, citing threats to national security. "We will not give permission to joint ventures that have Chinese partners for road construction. We have taken a firm stand that if they (Chinese companies) come via joint venture in our country, we will not allow it," Gadkari told PTI in an interview. The road transport, highways and MSME minister said a policy will be out soon banning Chinese firms and relaxing norms for Indian companies to expand their eligibility criteria for participation in highway projects. Currently only a few projects which were undertaken much earlier involve some Chinese partners. When asked about this, the minister said that the new decision will be implemented in current and future tenders. With respect to existing tenders and future bids, Gadkari said rebidding would be done if there are any Chinese joint ventures. "We have taken a decision to relax norms for our companies to ensure that they qualify in bidding in large projects. I have directed the highways secretary (Giridhar Aramane) and NHAI chairman (SS Sandhu) to hold a meeting for relaxing technical and financial norms so that our companies can qualify to work," he said. Elaborating on the decision, Gadkari said if a contractor can qualify for a small project, he can also qualify for a large project. "Construction norms are not good so I have asked to change it. We are changing it so that we can encourage Indian companies," he added. According to him, qualification norms for projects are being rationalised to ensure Indian companies do not require to enter into pacts with foreign partners to grab projects. "Even if we have to go for foreign joint venture in the areas of technology, consultancy or design, we will not allow Chinese," the minister said. About the MSME sector, Gadkari said the effort is to enhance the capacity of local production but at the same time foreign investment is being promoted. However, he made it clear that despite decision to encourage foreign investment, Chinese investors would not be allowed. "For upgradation of technology, research, consultancy and other works, we will encourage foreign investment and joint ventures in MSMEs but in case of Chinese we will not entertain them," he said. On stopping of consignments from China at Indian ports, the minister said there is "no arbitrary stopping of goods" at Indian ports and the government is initiating path-breaking reforms to help MSMEs and businesses in a bid to make the country self-reliant. "It is a good step. The imports from China will be discouraged and the country will take large strides towards self-reliance," the minister said and added that he is among the strongest proponents of 'Atmanirbhar Bharat'. Gadkari said that he had urged departments concerned to expedite clearance of consignments which were booked two to three months in advance before the situation took its present shape. After a representation from a farmers and traders' body that imported agriculture equipment consignments were delayed at ports, Gadkari in a letter to Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Commerce and Industries Minister Piyush Goyal had sought early clearance of the said consignments. There are reports that customs authorities at Chennai and Vishakhapatnam ports are conducting extra scrutiny of consignments from China. Gadkari, as per the information, did not mention the name of the country from where these equipment were imported. "Indian business has the strength and skills to grow further and power our journey towards self-reliance. Under the strong leadership of PM Narendra Modi, the Government of India is proactive and initiating path-breaking reforms that will help businesses and MSMEs," he said. Most of these equipment, as per the information, pertain to spraying devices for pesticide control as the same had been diverted to urban areas during the Covid-19 pandemic outbreak. Amid heightened border tensions with China, Indian customs officials have started physical inspection of all consignments coming from the neighbouring country, especially at Chennai and Vishakhapatnam ports. July 01, 2020 13:07 IST Apart from them, consignments of 11 top importers, including LG, Samsung, Toyota, Honda, and Siemens, will also be allowed entry, relieving them of the 100 per cent inspection rule. Image used for representational purpose. Photograph: PTI Photo. Easing restrictions on imports from China, the customs department has decided to clear pharma raw material shipments from that country. Consignments of 11 top importers, including LG, Samsung, Toyota, Honda, and Siemens, will also be allowed entry, relieving them of the 100 per cent inspection rule. This comes after a week of economic disruption caused by introducing stringent scrutiny, resulting in shipments originating in China getting held up at Indian ports. After representations from industry bodies, the government on Tuesday cleared imports of active pharma ingredients (APIs) from China. Besides, the top importers falling within the Tier 3 category of the Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) programme were given exemption from stringent scrutiny. Imports of APIs and shipments from AEO T3 importers have been exempt from the 100 per cent check. The Indian pharma industry is heavily dependent on API imports from China and they were facing a huge shortage of raw material. Besides, the tier 3 AEOs are the top importers who meet the highest level of compliance, so they have been given the relaxation, said a government official. He said these shipments would get moving from Wednesday. Over 60 per cent of APIs used in India come from China. On June 22, Customs officials in Chennai and Vizag were asked to put all shipments from China on hold until further orders. This was done on the basis of intelligence inputs about illegal imports of narcotics. Informal instructions were given to all ports and airports to do 100 per cent physical checks of shipments originating in China. Bilateral trade between China and India was worth $88 billion in FY19, with a deficit of $53.5 billion in Chinas favour. India is also heavily dependent on China for intermediates and key starting material (KSM) for making drugs. This dependence has grown over the years as local manufacturers have moved to high-margin products (after they could not expand freely due to pollution norms) and Chinese APIs are 30 per cent cheaper than domestic stuff. The country mostly imports APIs and intermediates for vitamins (like Vitamin C), common antibiotics, and metformin (diabetes) from China. The government has now drawn up a plan to reduce dependence on the country by incentivising the local production of APIs through production-linked incentives (PLI) of up to Rs 10 crore. The government has identified 41 products (molecules), covering 53 crucial APIs, for which India is dependent on China. Almost 80 per cent of the 41 are intermediates. In 2016, the customs department had launched the Authorised Economic Operator, or AEO, scheme. It is a voluntary programme, under which an importer gets preferential treatment from customs for being compliant with supply-chain security standards. AEOs get benefits like fast-tracking shipments, deferred payments, exemption from issuing guarantees, and preferential treatment from customs. They are classified into three categories -- T1, T2, and T3 -- with T3 representing the highest level of compliance. Of the more than 3,000 AEOs, only 11 are in the T3 category. Meanwhile, the government is planning to curtail imports of at least 300 non-essential items from China, either through duty hikes and imposing non-tariff barriers. July 01, 2020 11:21 IST The banned Chinese apps, which include TikTok, Shareit and UC Browser, earn revenue mainly from online advertisements, subscriptions, and commissions for selling products. India is the biggest driver of these Chinese apps due to the population. The ban on the 59 Chinese apps will negatively affect the valuations of the companies, especially those going for IPO. After India decided to ban 59 Chinese apps, these apps may now be asked to voluntarily delist themselves from the play stores in line with the governments order. Experts also said that the government would likely direct Google and Apple to expunge these apps from their platforms. Furthermore, following government guidelines that are yet to be notified, it is expected that Internet Service Providers (ISPs) will block these apps from being downloaded and the existing downloaded ones will not receive updates. This ban somes as a security measure after the India-China face-off in the Galwan Valley in Ladakh. This ban will impact the applications which require an active internet connection. However, it is unclear as to how the government will regulate the ban on the apps which do not require an active connection. Once these apps are taken off from the platforms, they are required to comply with Indian privacy laws and data protection statutes to ensure minimal intrusion in privacy. According to Indian data protection laws, if a body corporate is found negligent in implementing and maintaining reasonable security practices resulting in wrongful loss or wrongful gain to any person then that body corporate may be held liable to pay damages to the person so affected, said Sumit Kochar, corporate commercial lawyer and transaction advisory partner at advisory firm Dolce Vita Trustees. Thus, the data controlled and stored in servers of Chinese entities would be required to comply with the Indian laws even when those entities are not working, said Kochar. Salman Waris, managing partner at TechLegis Advocates & Solicitors said as far as data of the users was concerned, since the same is hosted on servers outside India, it would reside there and not much can be done about it. This is the reason why going forward the government should insist servers of the apps should be located in the country of app use so the data is locally based, said Blaise Fernandes, director at foreign policy think tank Gateway House. These banned Chinese apps, which include TikTok, Shareit and UC Browser, earn revenue mainly from online advertisements, subscriptions, and commissions for selling products. India is the biggest driver of these Chinese apps due to the population. The ban on the 59 Chinese apps will negatively affect the valuations of the companies, especially those going for IPO. This digital retaliation step by Indian government against Chinese (firms) may end up putting a dent into their valuation by 15-20 per cent as this step will lead to a stoppage of exposure to 130 crore Indians, said Kochar of Dolce Vita Trustees. The message is clear for the Chinese -- if you want growth, conquer India, he said. Fernandes of Gateway House said the Digital India story was on the radar of any global investors and anticipated 850 million smartphone users by 2025 is attractive for any app developer. Not being present in India will impact valuations on any bourse, said Fernandes. TikTok, the short video app backed by Beijing-headquartered firm Bytedance, has more than 100 million active users on the platform in India. According to a Sensor Tower report, India has been the biggest driver of TikTok installs, generating 611 million to date or 30.3 per cent of the total. TikTok, earned revenues of around Rs 25 crore in the October-December 2019 quarter and was targeting Rs 100 crore revenue in India by September 2020. Its parent ByteDance was expected to attract a valuation of between $150 billion and $180 billion in an initial public offering (IPO). Experts said that if the existing battle between the militaries of both the countries subsists for a longer period, then this will adversely affect the future of these Chinese apps and these entities may resort to winding up their businesses in India. Due to their long term presence, they have provided direct and indirect employment to thousands of people in India, and hence, closure of businesses would affect employment in India, said Kochar of Dolce Vita Trustees. However, Fernandes of Gateway was of the view that the government has focussed on vanity, strategic and service oriented apps. He said these apps have a low employment base in India. Hence there will be minimal impact. The government banned the Chinese apps by invoking 69A of the IT Act, 2000 and the relevant provisions of the Information Technology (Procedure and Safeguards for Blocking of Access of Information by Public) Rules 2009 by citing security threats over the data breach. In the present case, the Indian intelligence agencies had red-flagged usage of over 50 China-linked apps as being a threat to national security, said Waris of TechLegis. Experts said it was suspected that these Chinese origin apps were siphoning Indian users data to the Chinese government. Similar reports were received by the US government too. Americas Federal Trade Commission recently filed a complaint against Tiktok claiming that it illegally collected information of minors. Researchers at cybersecurity firm Check Point Research had also pointed out security glitches in Tiktok. Misuse of the apps for anti-India propaganda cannot be ruled out but the government is in the best position to answer this, said Fernandes of Gateway House. However, TikTok on Tuesday said that it had not shared information on Indian users with China or other foreign governments. Tripti Jain, lawyer and researcher at the Internet Democracy Project said there is an absence of explicit reason on how these Chinese apps are a threat to national security and sovereignty. India does not have a formal national security and data protection policy, said Jain "Banning of the apps affects the fundamental right to freedom of speech and expression of citizens, said Jain. Welcome back pirates! As you make your return to campus The East Carolinian has created a forum that centers around topics within the community where readers can express their experiences and concerns. With the new guidelines set in place by East Carolina University do you feel as these precautions will keep you safe? Survey Last updated on: July 02, 2020 10:43 IST 'This Chinese behaviour we have not seen for a very long time.' 'This sort of build up on the border, this sort of Chinese behaviour, especially the aggression and brutality with which our people were attacked on the 15th of June, this is not something we have seen before.' IMAGE: Ayush Kumar, son of Havildar Sunil Kumar, who was murdered by the People's Liberation Army in the Galwan Valley in Ladakh on the night of June 15, receives the Tricolour at his father's cremation in Maner, Bihar, June 18, 2020. Photograph: PTI Photo "I have absolute confidence that the Indian Army can deal with this, that's not the problem. The question is how do you then deal with it politically because this is more than just a military problem, this is diplomatic, political, it's a much broader challenge," Shivshankar Menon, former national security adviser, former foreign secretary and former Indian ambassador to China, tells Rediff.com Senior Contributor Sheela Bhatt in the second part of an eloquent interview. Can we say that spirit behind the 1993 Agreement on the Maintenance of Peace and Tranquillity at the border has been dumped by China unilaterally? Well, I think it is about more than the spirit, the agreement works when there are differences. It commits them to withdrawing and discussing it peacefully. Now, as I said, we don't have full information, but from what I understand China has crossed the LAC (Line of Actual Control) in some places which she is actually required to respect under the 1993 agreement and all the subsequent agreements. From what I understand, the military build ups are also contrary to the spirit of what these agreements convey, (what) the 1993, 1996, other agreements provide for. So to build up a force on the border, to cross the LAC, this naturally casts into question China's commitment to the agreements. And that's something we will have to take into account in our own calculus when we decide what to do and how to deal with it. Right now, I think we have started a process of negotiation, both military and diplomatic, and we will have to see where that goes. I don't know what's being said in the negotiations, it sounds to me from the behaviour, as though, and by public statements that they have expanded their definition of their LAC by saying the entire Galwan Valley is on their side of their LAC, which it never was before. But until we know what they are saying in the negotiation, I think it's dangerous right now to draw conclusions about the limits of their behaviour. But, we have to be prepared. Do you think this stand-off will, eventually, fizzle out? What is the level of seriousness you see in this current situation? This Chinese behaviour we have not seen for a very long time, 40 years, so this sort of build up on the border, this sort of pattern in Chinese behaviour and especially the aggression and brutality with which our people were attacked on the 15th of June, this is not something we have seen before. So, I think we have to keep an open mind until we know why and how far they want to take this and that is something that I think frankly, you and I sitting on the outside cannot speculate about. But I do think that this is serious and it has all the signs of being much more serious. And it is even more serious because it is a part of a broader Chinese behaviour, not just vis a vis us, but with other people as well. You are telling me that we doesn't have all facts, but on the basis of many statements, do you think the People's Liberation army is sitting on Indian land in the Galwan Valley or around the Pangong Tso lake? You know, from what we hear, it seems that they have crossed the LAC in some places. But whether they are still across the LAC or have gone back today, yesterday, all that frankly none of us sitting on the outside have a way of knowing. But from their behaviour and from their statements it does certainly seem as though they have expanded their definition of the LAC and therefore are beyond the LAC. IMAGE: Indian Army personnel hand over the Tricolour to Mrs Santoshi Babu, whose husband Colonel Santosh Babu was murdered by the People's Liberation Army on the night of June 15 in the Galwan Valley, at his funeral in Hyderabad, June 18, 2020. Photograph: PTI Photo Do you see any pattern in the government's behaviour to not reveal certain facts? You have been in a similar position when the Depsang intrusion occurred in 2013. Frankly, I can understand why the government is careful about releasing facts, especially when it is in the midst of a negotiation. It is trying to ascertain where and what and it is trying to restore the status quo ante. But beyond a point, I think government silence or denial is not the right approach because ultimately you need to tell our people the truth. To leave the people in the dark, your own people in the dark, actually runs the risk of allowing all kinds of speculation and for people to think terrible thoughts about the government and about China. After all, this is the Government of India, they are representing us and our interest, and I think the people will have some right to know. They don't need to know every single detail of everything, but they do need to know more than what we have seen so far. It also works at the negotiation table to be able to say that 'Look, my people have a view and therefore I think some amount of strategic communication needs to be controlled and managed here.' Let me share one perception. During Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's ten years in office, he was perceived as a peacemaker. You had a powerful position in his office for four years, 2010 to 2014. Don't you think, Mr Menon, you then had a certain status quo-ist policy which did not at the end yield results to help India in such situations where China has a kind of a key to embarrass India anytime it wants like it has done now. What about the final maps of all the borders? It's not true that we don't have a map. We have a map that the Chinese gave us when we had officials talk, we have a map with Chinese version of the boundary. They have a map which we gave them, which shows what India's boundaries are. And so, to say that there is no map, that's not true. Secondly, what does the map prove? The discussion here is not about the boundaries. It is about the LAC, while we negotiate the boundary which is going on. In the 1993 and 1996 agreements, we agreed that we would clarify the LAC. In 1996, we agreed actually on an exchange of maps. We started that process in 2002. We exchanged maps of the LAC in the Middle Sector. When we exchanged maps of the LAC in the Western Sector, the Chinese pulled back and said they didn't want to go on with this exercise. They used several reasons, but basically they didn't want to have to commit themselves to respect a line. Now, you cannot force someone to agree to something if he doesn't want to. But the fact that there is no agreed LAC in certain areas can work for both sides. I don't see why we see that only as a one-way threat. That assumes that we are equally passive. IMAGE: Shivshankar Menon, who has served as India's national security adviser, foreign secretary, ambassador to China. Do you think India is defensive? No, in the past, we were not. I don't know what we are doing now. I cannot speak for these six years. Before that, in fact from (then Indian Army chief) General (Krishnaswamy) Sundarji's time, from the mid 1980s, it has been quite clear that both of us have the capacity to embarrass each other. After all, you can't guard every inch of such a long border, you can't have a man standing on every inch of it, so what do you do? You create mutual deterrents to embarrass each other. And 1988 onwards, that deterrent, that balance on the border, has actually worked. The worry now is that over the last few years, we have seen an escalating series of incidents. After all, the Depsang valley intrusion started in 2013. Chumar in September 2014, when around 1,000 PLA soldiers intruded. And they stayed on longer, longer than in Depsang. Then you've got Doklam which was even bigger. It lasted 72 days before finally negotiating a withdrawal. Now you have incidents at several places at the same time. So clearly, either deterrence is not working the way it used to work or the Chinese have chosen to change their behaviour. I have absolute confidence that the Indian Army can deal with this, that's not the problem. The question is how do you then deal with it politically because this is more than just a military problem, this is diplomatic, political, it's a much broader challenge. And that, I think, is something we need to have a proper discussion in India. But Mr Menon, I don't recall any such counter-incident which has created embarrassment in Beijing or in the Chinese people the way Indians are experiencing today. This is why I say this is different from the past. After all, what happened in the past? We did manage to get them to withdraw. Photograph: PTI Photo IMAGE: Indian Army personnel hand over the Tricolour to Mrs Vanathi Devi, whose husband Havildar K Pazhani was murdered by the People's Liberation Army in the Galwan Valley on the night of June 15, at his funeral in Ramanathapuram, Tamil Nadu, June 18, 2020. Yes, but China has been proactive. India has never been. Do you know what happened, then? You don't know what happened. Meaning, the Indian media doesn't know? Nobody does. I mean these things are negotiated so that we restore peace, our goal has always been to restore the status quo ante. Before. Right? And we have so far succeeded in doing so, until Doklam. In Doklam, we didn't agree on the end points and therefore the Chinese are in occupation of the rest of the plateau. Do you still think, when you look back, that from 1993 to now, India's policy to strive for the status quo was good enough? I don't think we were striving for the status quo, in fact we made it quite clear from day one, that the status quo is not an acceptable solution and it is not acceptable for us. We are maintaining the status quo while we negotiate the boundary which we don't think should be the status quo. We have said that. The Chinese also have said that. In fact, the Chinese excuse for not exchanging maps at the LAC is that it would freeze the status quo and make it the boundary. They don't want that. We don't want that either. So, as you said to me before, a political solution is needed. I think there is no other way of solving it except politically. Ultimately, there has to be a political decision by both countries simultaneously. Now, that is the problem. Because when one side thinks the solution is set, the other side might not. But let's see. Today we have more immediate problems at the border to deal with. Feature Production: Rajesh Alva/Rediff.com July 01, 2020 06:35 IST 'The Ladakh Scouts are a fantastic mountain troops suited to this terrain.' 'Other troops have to first get acclimatised, but these men are tough mountain people.' IMAGE: A Border Security Force soldier guards a highway as an Indian Army convoy makes its way towards Leh, bordering China, June 19, 2020. Photograph: Yawar Nazir/Getty Images < Colonel Sonam Wangchuk, Ladakh's most famous soldier, was awarded the Mahavir Chakra, India's second highest honour for gallantry in war, for wresting the first victory of the Kargil War in 1999. Leading 40 men, his unit evicted 135 Pakistani troops in a three-day battle fought in two feet of snow and minus 6 degrees temperatures. Twenty-one years ago, at this time, the Kargil War was being fought, where Indian soldiers won back Indian territory from Pakistani intruders by paying in blood. After the annulment of Article 370, Kargil is now part of the Union territory of Ladakh. Every year, Colonel Wangchuk, who retired from the Indian Army in 2018, is invited for the Vijay Diwas ceremony in Drass to commemorate the Kargil victory. He is also invited to army training institutions and schools to interact and share his experiences of fighting the Battle of Chorbat-La at 18,000 feet. Six other soldiers who fought alongside him won gallantry awards. The war hero, who speaks with a very gentle voice, runs a Vipasana centre outside Leh and routinely does 1 to 2 hours of meditation every day. "I don't see any place in India which can compare to the strategic importance of Leh, both China and Pakistan borders are contiguous," The Lion of Ladakh tells Rediff.com's Archana Masih. IMAGE: Indian soldiers prepare food near a battlefield in Kargil, July 2, 1999. Photograph: Kamal Kishore/Reuters For someone who has fought at those heights during the Kargil War, what is it to operate at 14,000 feet when senses are diminished because of lack of oxygen? When you climb those features you don't carry heavy stuff on you and those things have to be reached to you. You need basic requirements to survive in those terrains. Reinforcements and logistics play a vital role. If requirements are not provided, then there are weather casualties in sub-zero temperatures. You need food, shelter, maintenance plans and how to make it possible quickest. We have roads leading up to the battle fronts and I am sure stocking has been done for any eventuality. The Indian Army is always prepared. IMAGE: The Ladakh Scouts, the youngest army regiment, is a godsend as they are genetically conditioned for high altitudes, with physiological advantages like larger lungs and rarely suffer from mountain sickness. Photograph: Pawel Kopczynski/Reuters You have said before that more troops of the Ladakh Scouts should be inducted and deployed in this terrain. The Ladakh Scouts are a fantastic mountain troops suited to this terrain. Other troops have to first get acclimatised, but these men are tough mountain people. The training regimen of the Ladakh Scouts is very challenging. We should induct more troops and raise more battalions of the Ladakh Scouts because they are familiar with this terrain and weather. IMAGE: Ladakhi men chat on a hilltop in Stok, 20 km north of Leh. Photograph: Fayaz Kabli/Reuters What is the reaction of Ladakhis on the ground to the confrontation at the border? Leh is around 75% of territory of J&K. The people of Leh and Ladakh are not worried at the moment, but over all we need to have long term plans. I don't see any place in India which can compare to the strategic importance of Leh, both China and Pakistan borders are contiguous. The Chinese Army has always been deployed near the LAC and I think the strength is going to increase now. The mood is patriotic as the situation impacts Ladakhis directly. It concerns us being a border area and we think about the nation. As a fauji, I want maximum people to join the army. Ladakh is very strategic and this problem is not going to go away too soon in the near future. Tourism has brought in money in the past few years which impacts the younger generation. Materialism has resulted in them getting alienated from their roots. But I have been getting calls to address young students, and many want to join the army and want information. IMAGE: Chinese soldiers march in formation during a parade. Photograph: Kevin Frayer/Getty Images How different an enemy is the Chinese compared to the Pakistanis? China is a global power. Pakistan is in shambles surviving on dole-outs. They are a terrorism hub. The ISI and army have a larger say in Pakistan's affairs. The Kargil War showed us that Pakistani army officers don't lead from the front. Their officers were in the rear and had put their men ahead, whereas Indian Army officers led from the front. IMAGE: Indian and Chinese soldiers interact with each other in Eastern Ladakh in better times. Photograph: ANI As a Ladakhi living in Leh and a former soldier, how serious do you feel is the situation on the India-China border? The Chinese have ambitious and long-term plans. They are a global power and are following policies which they believe are in their self-interest. These policies are impacting China's relationships internationally with individual countries. What we are seeing on the India-China border is a fallout of that. China sees India as a threat and that perception is not going to change very soon. As a result, a massive deployment has taken place along the border and the Chinese army is threatening us strategically. They are threatened by the road we are building at Daulat Beg Oldi which leads to Karakoram. China also feel that India could hit them economically over there because the Karakoram highway joins Pakistan with China and is a trade route for China. There is no doubt that China is an economic powerhouse and they are reinforcing their position. IMAGE: Colonel Sonam Wangchuk (retd), Mahavir Chakra, in his native Leh. Photograph: Claude Arpi for Rediff.com IMAGE: Colonel Sonam Wangchuk (retd), Mahavir Chakra, in his native Leh. India's proximity to USA is also posing an irritant to China. Chinese policy has been to isolate India. China sees India as a rival. India is an emerging economic power and there are countries keen to align with India. IMAGE: Indian Army and People's Liberation Army officers at a border personnel meeting in Eastern Ladakh in better times. Photograph: ANI What should India's response be? China's aggressive stance and bullying tactics has the danger of escalation if one takes into account the massive build-up on the Himalayan border. It has to be tackled with maturity and lot of understanding. We cannot go in for a military option. War is not the answer right now in the given circumstances. IMAGE: An Indian Army convoy drives towards Ladakh, June 19, 2020. Photograph: Yawar Nazir/Getty Images So war is unlikely? I don't think it will come to that. We are reacting to the Chinese. Our build-up is a counter-measure to safeguard our national interest. I am sure the Chinese have a well-thought out plan. If they see any hindrance to their plans, they want to convey the message that they have the wherewithal and military strength despite the covid pandemic. They want to convey this message to the US, Western bloc and all countries that matter to them in our neighbourhood where China is interfering. China wants to convey a strong message that it is strong enough to take care of its ambitions and interests. IMAGE: An Indian Air Force fighter jet flies in the skies over Ladakh, June 19, 2020. Photograph: Yawar Nazir/Getty Images What would be India's military options? We are evenly matched. Their infrastructure is better in the Eastern Ladakh sector. They have wide roads and would be prepared for contingencies. The Chinese can deploy very fast because of their infrastructure as compared to us, but they have their weak areas also. Feature Production: Ashish Narsale/Rediff.com Source: Edited By: Last updated on: July 01, 2020 19:18 IST A boiler exploded at NLC India's thermal plant killing six people and leaving 17 others injured on Wednesday and it has been shut for safety audit, the company said. An official has been suspended and a high level inquiry and an internal probe has been ordered, the company, a 'navratna' public enterprise, said. Home Minister Amit Shah, expressing anguish over the loss of lives, spoke to Chief Minister K Palaniswami and assured him of all possible help. Governor Banwarilal Purhoit and Chief Minister K Palaniswami condoled the deaths and wished the injured a speedy recovery. The six deceased men were aged between 25 and 42, and at least seven injured men have sustained over 50 per cent burns according to an initial assessment, an official said. Palaniswami announced a solatium of Rs 3 lakh to the families of each of the six workers who were killed and an assistance of Rs one lakh and Rs 50,000 to those who suffered serious and mild injuries respectively. The mishap occurred at the fifth unit of the thermal power station-II when workers were in the process of resuming operations which includes maintenance work following a shutdown, the official said. A fire broke out in the boiler area subsequent to the explosion resulting in injuries to a maintenance team, comprising an executive, two supervisors, three non-executive employees and 17 contract workers, NLC India, formerly Neyveli Lignite Corporation Limited, said in a statement. Of the 23 men who were on the spot, six contract workers died on the spot, 16 were rushed to a hospital in Chennai for "further higher specialty treatment" and a man with minor injuries was being treated in the NLC hospital, the company said. "A high level enquiry headed by P K Mohapatra, retired director (technical), NTPC has been ordered into the cause of the accident apart from an internal enquiry committee with senior executives headed by director (power) of NLC India. The unit head of thermal power station-II has been placed under suspension pending enquiry by the management." All the 210 MW units of the thermal power station-II, have been "ordered for shut down for immediate safety audit," Chief General Manager, S Gurusamynathan said. The home minister said on his Twitter handle: "Anguished to learn about the loss of lives due to a blast at Neyveli power plant boiler in Tamil Nadu. Have spoken to @CMOTamilNadu and assured all possible help. @CISF HQrs is already on the spot to assist the relief work. Praying for the earliest recovery of those injured." Source: Edited By: Last updated on: July 01, 2020 12:47 IST Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh on Wednesday said that he had detailed discussions with police administration on beefing up security arrangements at Mumbai's two Taj hotels in Colaba and Bandra in view of the bomb threat call from Karachi. "Twelve years after India's worst terror attack on Mumbai, two Taj hotels -- Colaba and Bandra have received a terror threat from Karachi. "I have had detailed discussions on beefing up security arrangements with both Maharashtra DGP and Mumbai Commissioner of Police," Deshmukh said. Indian Hotels Company Limited (a group that runs all Taj Hotels nationwide -- A Tata group company) in a statement said that it immediately alerted the authorities on receiving the threat calls. 'We immediately alerted the authorities on receiving these calls and are providing full support and cooperation to the investigating agencies. 'Our safety and security teams have ensured that all our protocols and guidelines are being followed towards safeguarding lives and assets. We would like to reassure our guests and associates that all adequate steps are being taken towards the safety of the premises,' IHCL spokesperson said in a statement. Security outside Mumbai's two Taj hotels -- Colaba and Bandra -- and in the nearby areas has been tightened. "Security tightened outside Taj Hotels and nearby areas after a threat call was received yesterday from Karachi, Pakistan to blow up the hotels with bombs," said the Mumbai Police on Tuesday. The police further added that the call from Karachi came in the late hours on Monday. Taj Hotel was one of the venues which was targeted during the 26/11 attacks in 2008. Mumbai had come to a standstill on November 26, 2008, when 10 Lashkar-e-Tayiba (LeT) terrorists who entered the city via sea route from Pakistan carried out a series of coordinated shootings and bombings that injured over 300 and claimed the lives of 166 people in India's financial capital. The attacks took place at Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST) railway station, Cama Hospital, Nariman House business and residential complex, Leopold Cafe, Taj Hotel and Tower, and the Oberoi-Trident Hotel. July 01, 2020 15:58 IST China's People's Liberation Army has deployed more than 20,000 of its troops along the Line of Actual Control near the eastern Ladakh sector even as India is closely watching the activities of another 10,000-12,000 Chinese troops deployed in Xinjiang with high mobility vehicles and weaponry in the rear positions with the capability to reach the Indian front in 48 hours' time. IMAGE: The Indian side has also beefed up positions and added at least two divisions from nearby locations for the eastern Ladakh sector. Photograph: Yawar Nazir/Getty Images "The Chinese army has deployed around two divisions worth of troops (around 20,000) along the LAC in the estern Ladakh sector. There is another division (10,000 troops) which has been stationed by it in the Northern Xinjiang province almost a 1,000 kilometres from the front but they can be mobilised to reach our frontiers in maximum 48 hours time due to the flat terrain on the Chinese side," top government sources said. "We are keeping a close eye on the movement of these troops along with the ones which have been deployed close to the Indian territory," the sources said. The sources said that even though India and China have been talking at the diplomatic and the military level for over six weeks now, there has been no thinning down in troop numbers or equipment by the Chinese side on this front, they said. Sources said the Chinese normally also have two divisions deployed in the Tibet region but this time, they have brought in close to two more divisions from locations as far as 2,000 kilometres from mainland China for deployment against the Indian positions. Sources said the Indian side has also beefed up positions and added at least two divisions from nearby locations for the eastern Ladakh sector. This includes a reserve mountain division which conducts its wargames in the eastern Ladakh area every year. Tanks and BMP-2 infantry combat vehicles have been also flown in by the Indian Air Force in addition to the existing elements of the armoured brigade deployed close to the DBO sector. Eastern Ladakh sector, is at present, guarded by the Karu-based Trishul Infantry Division along with its three brigades located all along the LAC. Looking at the Chinese aggression and deployment along the DBO sector from Galwan Valley onwards to the Karakoram Pass area, the Indian Army is now also considering the deployment of another division in that sector, the sources said. In the Pangong Tso lake and the Finger area, the Chinese have now stationed themselves very strongly on the Finger 8 area where they have established their administrative base along with deployment of heavy vehicles and bigger boats. "The road built by the Chinese from the Finger 8 to Finger 5 alongside the lake also helps them in the quick transfer of troops from there to the Finger 4 base. The reaction time of the Chinese to move their troops is much shorter than the Indian side," the sources said. The Chinese are also creating proper military infrastructure in the area under them near the lake," the sources said. The Chinese side had marched in its troops in heavy numbers in the Finger area and Pangong Tso lake on May 18-19 when they marched in with almost 2,500 soldiers against around 200 Indian soldiers deployed there on the bank of the lake. Depicting the Chinese movement near the lake and in it as a "locust attack", sources said the Chinese have not been allowing Indian patrols to go on patrolling beyond the Finger 3 where the Indian side also has an administrative base. The sources said that despite talks with the Chinese at the military and diplomatic levels, it seems that the time taken for the resolution of the crisis would be very long and the Indian side is also preparing itself for a long haul. "The deployment is expected to continue till September-October time frame when snowfall starts in a big way in the high altitude terrain," sources said. In the Galwan river valley, the sources said the Chinese deployment would be more difficult in the summer months and the condition would become relatively easier during the winter months when the water would freeze, the sources said. The massive deployment on both sides started when the Chinese side first marched close to the Patrolling Point 14 in Galwan river valley on May 4-5 to claim the territory there and asking the Indian side to go west of the Shyok river near the Indian position KM-120 there. July 01, 2020 23:23 IST China on Wednesday welcomed the progress made in Sino-India senior military commander-level talks to "disengage and deescalate the situation" at the Line of Actual Control and said the two sides are working towards implementing the consensus reached so far. Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said that Chinese and Indian military commanders held third round of talks on June 30. He said the "two sides continue working towards implementing the consensus reached at the two earlier rounds of commander-level talks and made progress in effective measures by frontline troops to disengage and deescalate the situation." "China welcomes that," Zhao said in a reply posted on the foreign ministry website to a query about the June 30 senior commander-level talks. "We hope the Indian side will work with the Chinese side towards the same goal, keep up close communication through military and diplomatic channels, and ease the situation and reduce the temperature along the border," he said. The Indian and Chinese armies are locked in a bitter standoff in multiple locations in eastern Ladakh for the last seven weeks, and the tension escalated manifold after 20 Indian soldiers were killed in a violent clash in Galwan Valley on June 15. The Chinese side also suffered casualties but it is yet to give out the details. In the talks on June 22, the two sides arrived at a "mutual consensus" to "disengage" from all the friction points in eastern Ladakh. The first round of the Lt General-level talks were held on June 6 during which both sides finalised an agreement to disengage gradually from all the standoff points beginning with Galwan Valley. However, the situation deteriorated following the Galwan Valley clashes as the two sides significantly bolstered their deployments in most areas along the Line of Actual Control. Source: Edited By: Last updated on: July 01, 2020 19:35 IST Terrorists hiding inside a mosque opened fire at a Central Reserve Police Force patrol team in Jammu and Kashmir's Sopore town on Wednesday, killing a jawan and a civilian whose three-year-old grandson narrowly escaped the hail of bullets and was rescued by security forces, officials said. Photograph: Umar Ganie/ Rediff.com IMAGE: Security forces in action during the terrorist attack in Sopore. The incident in north Kashmir's apple town took place a little after 8 am. Three Central Reserve Police Force troopers were injured in the attack, which led to panic in the area. The CRPF personnel, on routine patrol duty, returned the fire but the terrorists managed to flee from the area, the officials said. It is not clear how many terrorists were holed up inside the mosque. As people scurried for cover, 60-year-old Bashir Khan who was travelling with his grandson in his car abandoned the vehicle and made an unsuccessful attempt to run for safety but was killed, officials said, narrating the sequence of events. Photograph: Umar Ganie/ Rediff.com IMAGE: A cop with the rescued 3-year-old boy. The J-K cops rescued the boy from getting hit by bullets during the attack. When CRPF personnel saw the toddler crying next to his grandfather's body, some of them made a dash to rescue him as their colleagues opened fire to cover them. The incident triggered intense debate with Khan's son alleging that his father was pulled out from the car and killed by security forces, a charge denied by the CRPF. Images of the weeping child near his grandfather's body were circulated widely on social media, intensifying the debate. "The civilian was killed by terrorists and all the noise on social media is being orchestrated from across the border," Additional Director General of CRPF Zulfikar Hasan told reporters in Sopore. CRPF and other security forces have the utmost regard for places or worship and no one could even think that terrorists would use the mosque as a hideout, he said, and complimented the jawans for their patience and presence of mind during the encounter. Later in the day, police officials went inside the mosque along with prominent citizens of the area and saw the bloodstains in one part of the mosque building. SEE: 3-year-old Ayaad being taken to his home by security personnel after being rescued from the encounter site CRPF head constable Deep Chand Verma, who was injured in the attack along with three of his colleagues, was declared brought dead to the hospital. "One needs to wonder how a man sitting 50 km away from the site of encounter come to this conclusion that such a thing had happened," an official said, responding to allegations by Khan's son who lives in Mustafabad locality in Srinagar's HMT area. The son said his father left for Sopore along with his grandson at 6 am for some personal work. The CRPF also issued a statement detailing the events. "Militants hiding in the attic of a nearby mosque started firing indiscriminately on the troops resulting in injuries to four CRPF personnel," it said. Photograph: Umar Ganie/ Rediff.com IMAGE: 3-year-old Ayaad reaches home. "A civilian vehicle which was coming from Sopore and going towards Kupwara was caught in the firing range of terrorists. An old man who was driving the vehicle stopped the car and got down from vehicle to move away for safe spot but got killed by terrorists firing," it added. Later, a young boy was rescued by security forces personnel who had taken positions nearby. Jammu and Kashmir Police later shared a picture of the child being carried by a security officer on its official Twitter handle, saying it "rescued a three-year-old boy from getting hit by bullets during terrorist attack in Sopore". The injured constables, Bhoya Rajesh, Deepak Patil and Nilesh Chawde, have been admitted to a hospital, the force said. Former chief minister Omar Abdullah said every incident becomes a "propaganda tool in the bloody violence in Kashmir". "A three year old toddler has to have his misery broadcast to the whole world to drive home the 'we good they bad' message. We would have got the point without his misery being filmed and shared so please don't," he said on Twitter. "We would have expected no less from the men in uniform than to rescue the young boy and for that they have our gratitude but we would expect better than for them to film & use a three year old's pain the way it's being done today," Abdullah added. Apni Party, an outfit formed by disgruntled leaders from various political parties of Kashmir, demanded a time-bound probe into the Khan's killing. "The government should order an impartial investigation into the circumstances that led to the killing of a civilian," the party, headed by Altaf Bukhari, said in a statement. Source: Edited By: July 01, 2020 09:21 IST The third round of Corps Commander-level meeting between armies of India and China went on for 12 hours, said Army sources on Wednesday. "The third round of Corps Commander-level meeting between India and China went on for 12 hours and got over at 11 pm last night," said Army Sources. Corps Commander-level meeting between armies of India and China was held in Chushul on Tuesday, to resolve the ongoing dispute over Chinese aggression along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Eastern Ladakh area, said Indian Army Sources. The first two rounds had taken place in Moldo on the Chinese side of the LAC. In the second round of Corps Commander-level talks held on June 22, both sides reached a mutual consensus to disengage in the Eastern Ladakh sector, army sources said. The modalities for disengagement from all friction areas in Eastern Ladakh were discussed and these will be taken forward by both sides, sources added. The military commanders from both sides had met initially on June 6 and had agreed to disengage at multiple locations. India had asked the Chinese side to return to pre-May 4 military positions along the LAC. The Chinese side had not given any response to the specific Indian proposal and not even shown intent on the ground to withdraw troops from rear positions where they had amassed over 10,000 troops. India and China have been involved in talks to ease the ongoing border tensions since last month. 20 Indian soldiers lost their lives in a violent face-off in Galwan valley on June 15-16 after an attempt by the Chinese troops to unilaterally change the status quo during the de-escalation. Indian intercepts revealed that the Chinese side suffered 43 casualties including dead and seriously injured in the face-off. Image used only for representation. Last updated on: July 01, 2020 23:38 IST United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Wednesday welcomed New Delhi's decision to ban dozens of apps with Chinese links, saying it will "boost India's integrity and national security." "We welcome India's ban on certain mobile apps that serves as an appendage of the CCP's (Chinese Communist Party) surveillance State," Pompeo told reporters at a news conference held at the Foggy Bottom headquarters of the State Department. "India's clean app approach will boost India's sovereignty. It will also boost India's integrity and national security," he said. India on Monday banned 59 apps with Chinese links, including the hugely popular TikTok and UC Browser, for engaging in "activities which are prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India, security of state and public order". The ban also comes in the backdrop of the current stand-off along the Line of Actual control in eastern Ladakh with Chinese troops. The list of apps that have been banned by India also include Helo, Likee, Cam Scanner, Vigo Video, Mi Video Call - Xiaomi, Clash of Kings as well as e-commerce platforms Club Factory and Shein. Source: Edited By: July 01, 2020 13:22 IST Personnel at the Sathankulam police station in Tuticorin thrashed a deceased father-son duo the whole night there, with lathis used for allegedly assaulting them and a table carrying blood stains, a woman head constable attached to the station has told a judicial probe. IMAGE: P Jeyaraj, 59, right, and his son Bennicks, 31. Photograph: PTI Photo Mentioning Head Contable Revathy's statement in a four-page report to the Madras high court Madurai Bench, the Judicial Magistrate probing the deaths said she feared receiving threat if she revealed the facts. The Madras high court -- which has taken up the matter of the death of the duo, P Jeyaraj and Bennicks, alleged victims of police torture -- had on Tuesday transferred the probe to the CB-CID under Deputy Superintendent of Police Anil Kumar. It had also ordered protection for Revathy and her family. In her statement, Revathy told the JM that the two persons were 'beaten up the entire night by police personnnel there (Sathankulam PS) using lathis'. '..due to this there were blood stains on the lathis and a table and she said they (stains) should be collected immediately as they (policemen) could try to erase them,' the report said. The JM alleged non-cooperation by the personnel at the police station, including when he sought handing over of the lathis and said the cops heeded to his demand only after being 'compelled'. One of them even fled the place by scaling a wall when sought for his lathi. He further submitted that Revathy did not sign on her statement immediately and did so after a long time upon being assured of her safety. Her statement was 'recorded carefully', even as she was apprehensive of receiving threat if she revealed the truth. The JM said that throughout his stay at the station on June 28, the police did not cooperate and one of them displayed 'macho and intimidating body language', even as a constable made disparaging remarks against him later. Incidentally, three personnel, ASP D Kumar, DSP C Prathapan and the constable Maharajan had on Tuesday appeared before the high court on being summoned by it over the matter. The constable told the court he was 'overstressed' and had made the remark against the Judicial Magistrate by mistake. The JM further stated that the settings of the CCTV hard disk in the police station, despite having sufficient space of one terrabyte, were configured in a way that the day's footage will be 'automatically deleted'. The high court had earlier said that from the report filed by the Judicial Magistrate, it was able to discern that the Sathankulam police were taking advantage of the fact the investigation of the case was in limbo and were attempting to cause disappearance of evidence. They were emboldened enough to even intimidate the JM during the investigation in the station, Justices P N Prakash and B Pugalendhi had noted. The original statement of the Revathy should also be given to the the DSP Anil Kumar. Jayaraj and his son Bennicks, arrested for 'violating' lockdown norms over business hours of their cellphone shop, died at a hospital in Kovilpatti on June 23, with the relatives alleging that they were severely thrashed at the Sathankulam police station by the personnel earlier. The incident had triggered a nation-wide furore, leading to the suspension of five policemen, including an inspector and two sub-inspectors. The superintendent of police had been shunted out of Tuticorin and put on compulsory wait. All the personnel posted at Sathankulam police station earlier have been transferred out. The probe into the case has been since transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) by the Tamil Nadu government, though the Court transferred the case to the CB-CID till CBI took over, fearin evidence may disappear. Last updated on: July 01, 2020 14:20 IST After successfully fighting for the decriminalisation of Section 377, lawyers Arundhati Katju and Menaka Guruswamy have now decided to fight for legalisation of gay marriage in India, through The Marriage Project. IMAGE: Menaka Guruswamy and Arundhati Katju were named by TIME magazine in its prestigious list of the 100 most influential people in the world. The two lawyers came out as a couple after their battle against Section 377 bore fruit and the Supreme Court struck it down. Photograph: Noam Galai/Getty Images for TIME The lawyers behind that fight to secure LGBTQ dignity have now decided to go a step ahead and fight for the legalisation of Lesbian-Gay-Bisexual-Transgender marriages in India. We are not a country that recognises girlfriend or boyfriend or dating. We are a country that sanctifies one kind of relationship and that is marriage, Guruswamy was quoted as saying by Business Insider. Guruswamy along with her partner Arundhati Katju, is actively backing a legal framework, Marriage Project, that aims to make same-gender marriages constitutionally legitimate. Guruswamy says that gay or straight, Hindu or Muslim, upper caste or lower caste, male or female, all desire the same thing: a lasting long-term relationship recognised by the society and law. As for Marriage Project, a Kerala-based same gender couple, Sonu and Nikesh Pushkaran have already filed a petition in Kerala high court to seek legal recognition of their marriage. While same-sex marriages are not legally allowed, couples can opt for a Civil Union under the Special Marriages Act 1954. As of now, 28 countries across the world have legalised same-sex marriages and several Western democraies accept civil unions between same sex couples. On May 27, Costa Rica became the latest country to legalise same gender marriages. Source: Edited By: Last updated on: July 01, 2020 14:49 IST Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Wednesday performed the 'mahapooja' of Lord Vitthal at Pandharpur on Ashadhi Ekadashi and said he prayed for a miracle to overcome the coronavirus crisis. Ashadhi Ekadashi, an important day in the Hindu calendar, is the 11th lunar day of Ashadha month. "I prayed to Mauli. We want to see a miracle. Show us a miracle. Human beings have given up. We don't have medicine. There is nothing. How to go on with life by covering the mouth with a strip," Thackeray tweeted after the 'mahapooja' at 2 am along with wife Rashmi. Lakhs of warkaris (devotees of Lord Vitthal) from across Maharashtra and several other states throng the temple town in Solapur district each year on Ashadhi Ekadashi. There were only a handful on Wednesday after the state authorities cancelled the annual 'wari' pilgrimage -- characterised by people walking to Pandharpur with palanquins -- due to spiraling coronavirus cases. Maharashtra's coronavirus case tally rose to 1,74,761 on Tuesday with addition of 4,878 new patients while the death toll mounted by 245, including 57 fatalities in Mumbai, to 7,855, state health department said. Thackeray and his wife performed the 'mahapooja' wearing face masks. Speaking after the 'mahapooja', Thackeray said he prayed to Lord Vitthal to make the country coronavirus-free. His son and state minister Aaditya Thackeray was also present at the 'mahapooja'. During the ritual, Aaditya apparently felt uneasy and returned to his car parked outside the temple for some time. 'Warkari' couple Vitthal Badhe and Anusuya Badhe, from Chinchpur-Pangul village in Pathardi taluka of Ahmednagar district, performed the mahapooja along with the Thackerays. Curfew is in force in Pandharpur since Tuesday to prevent any gathering of people in the temple town, located around 350 km from Mumbai. As the 'wari' processions were cancelled, 'padukas' (holy footprints) of saint-poets Dnyaneshwar, Tukaram and were brought to Pandharpur from Pune and Nashik in state transport buses. The chief minister said he prayed for welfare of farmers and fulfillment of dreams and aspirations of people in the state. He also handed over a cheque of Rs 5 crore to the Pandharpur Municipal Council and thanked the warkaris for cooperating with the government. Thackeray said his government will take steps to develop Pandharpur. He said devotees should offer prayers at home on Ashadhi Ekadashi instead of thronging the town. Thackeray is an avid photographer. In 2011, his book 'Pahava Vitthal' containing aerial photography of the annual Pandharpur wari, earned him praise from various quarters. In March, when there were fewer cases of COVID-19 in Maharashtra, the chief minister had asked people to avoid going to crowded places and limiting Holi celebrations, adding, "I pray the coronavirus gets burnt in the Holi fire." Source: Edited By: Last updated on: July 01, 2020 16:47 IST Mumbai police on Wednesday issued prohibitory orders under Section 144 of CrPC in the city, restricting movement of people in public places, and said the measure was taken to check rising COVID-19 cases. With 903 new patients reported on Tuesday, the coronavirus case tally in Mumbai increased to 77,197 while death toll rose to 4,554 with 93 more fatalities. The order says curbs on movement for non-essential work came into force from Wednesday and shall remain so till July 15, unless withdrawn earlier. The order prohibits "presence or movement of one or more persons in public places or gathering of any sort", a senior police official said. Police have prohibited gatherings of any sort, including at religious places subject to stipulations, he said. The order said movement of one or more persons in areas designated as containment zones by the municipal authorities is prohibited, except for essential activities, supply of essential goods and medical emergency. Police have also prohibited movement of one or more persons in the city between 9 pm to 5 am, except for medical emergencies, the official said, adding emergency services, government and semi-government agencies and their officials on duty are exempted. Establishments providing essential services like food, vegetables, milk supply, medical and grocery stores, hospitals, medicines, pharma and related establishments are also exempted, the official said. Movement of one or more persons in the city for non-essential activities is prohibited between 5 am and 9 pm, with exclusion of activities allowed by the state government and orders issued by competent authorities for the enforcement of COVID-19 guidelines, he said. Mumbai Police had issued similar prohibitory orders earlier also during the ongoing lockdown, the official said. The latest order was issued as there is likelihood of spread of COVID -19 through gatherings of persons in public or private areas and there is a grave danger to human life, health and safety due to the same, the official said. Movement of persons for non-essential activities like visit to shops, markets, barber shops, spas, saloons, beauty parlours, and for outdoor physical activities will be permitted in the neighbourhood area, he said. Long-distance travel for non-essential purposes will not be permitted. The order says social distancing norms, of maintaining a minimum six feet distance, shall be followed at all time. In "emergent and special" cases, the zonal Deputy Commissioner of Police is empowered to grant exemption, he said. July 01, 2020 21:13 IST British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Wednesday held China in "clear and serious breach" of the Sino-British Joint Declaration under which Hong Kong had been handed over to the Chinese authorities and confirmed that a citizenship route will now be offered to Hong Kong's British National (Overseas) passport holders. Addressing his weekly Prime Minister's Questions in the House of Commons, Johnson said China's new National Security Law is a threat to the rights and freedom of the region and in direct conflict with Hong Kong Basic Law. "We stand for rules and obligations and we think that is the soundest basis of our international relations. The enactment and the imposition of this National Security Law constitutes a clear and serious breach of the Sino-British Joint Declaration. It violates Hong Kong's high degree of autonomy and is in direct conflict with Hong Kong Basic Law," Johnson told MPs. " The law also threatens the freedoms and rights protected by the Joint Declaration. We made clear that if China continued down this path, we would introduce a new route for those with British National (Overseas) status to enter the UK, granting them limited leave to remain with the ability to live and work in the UK and thereafter to apply for citizenship. And, that is precisely what we will do now, he said. The UK has committed to make it easier for the estimated 350,000 Hong Kong residents who are British National Overseas (BNO) passport holders to come to the UK, as well as nearly 2.6 million others who are eligible to BNO status. Under current rules, they are entitled to visa-free access to the UK for six months but under a new "bespoke" system this will be further extended. UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab followed up Johnson's comments with a statement to the Commons in response to China's imposition of what has been branded an "anti-protest" law in Hong Kong and laid out the specific aspects of the new law which are a flagrant assault on the rights guaranteed under the Sino-British agreement. "We want a positive relationship with China and recognise its status in the world... but China has broken its promise to the people of Hong Kong and its international obligations, he said. The minister said that because China failed to live up to its commitments, the UK will live up to its responsibilities. "We will change the arrangements for BNO holders with a bespoke route," he said, adding that after a five-year period BNO passport holders from Hong Kong will be able to access British citizenship. He said that further details of the new visa route will be laid out in Parliament by UK Home Secretary Priti Patel in due course. Opposition Labour Party shadow foreign secretary Lisa Nandy welcomed the government's move following the "deeply shocking" move by China and ensuing arrests in Hong Kong which she said have "stunned the world". But she stressed that the government must ensure the new citizenship route for Hong Kong's BNO passport holders is enforced in an equitable way and not limited to only rich Hong Kong residents who can afford a move to the UK. The new law, which targets secession, subversion and terrorism with punishments up to life in prison, came into effect on Tuesday. Critics say it effectively puts an end to the "one country, two systems" principle enshrined in the 1985 Joint Declaration, a legally binding agreement signed by the UK and China which protected certain freedoms in the territory for at least 50 years. China rejects criticism of its actions, on what it says are internal matters. Last updated on: July 01, 2020 14:08 IST India's ban on 59 Chinese apps, including the popular TikTok, has been widely noted in the United States, including by some prominent lawmakers, who have urged the American government to follow suit as it is believed that the short video-sharing app is a major security risk to the country. India on Monday banned 59 apps with Chinese links, including TikTok and UC Browser, saying they were prejudicial to sovereignty, integrity and security of the country. The ban, which comes in the backdrop of India's current stand-off along the Line of Actual control in Ladakh with Chinese troops, is also applicable for WeChat and Bigo Live. "India bans TikTok and dozens of other Chinese apps in the wake of deadly clash," powerful Republican Senator John Cornyn said in a tweet as he tagged a news report in The Washington Post. Republican Congressman Rick Crawford tweeted that "TikTok must go and it should have been gone yesterday". Last week, US National Security Advisor, Robert O'Brien had alleged that the Chinese Government is using TikTok for its own purposes. "On TikTok, a Chinese-owned social media platform with over 40 million American users, probably a lot of your kids, and younger colleagues, accounts criticising the Chinese Communist Party and Beijing's policies are routinely removed or deleted," O'Brien said in his public remarks. At least two bills are pending in the US Congress to ban federal government officials from using TikTok on their cell phones, reflecting such a sentiment can gain momentum in the US after India's decision. "Would that be the same Chinese TikTok that was used to tank attendance at the Tulsa Rally?" tweeted Peter Navarro, Assistant to the US President for Trade and Manufacturing Policy, as he tagged a news report from The New York Times on India's decision to ban these Chinese social media apps. Fox News anchor Laura Ingraham urged the US to do the same. "LEADING THE WAY, WHERE'S THE US? India bans dozens of Chinese apps including TikTok" she said in a tweet. Author Gordon Chang said that India just banned 59 Chinese apps, including TikTok. "Why can't the US do the same?" he asked. According to Forbes, with the release of the new clipboard warning in the beta version of iOS 14, now with developers, TikTok seems to have been caught abusing the clipboard in a quite extraordinary way. "So it seems that TikTok didn't stop this invasive practice back in April as promised after all," it said. An amendment moved to the 'Moving Forward Act' in the US House of Representatives being debated this week prohibits officers of Transportation Security Administration using the TikTok cellphone app. Republican Senator Joshua David Hawley, introduced a legislation in April prohibiting federal employees from using the social media video application TikTok on government-issued devices. "This is a necessary step to protect the security of the US," he said. A similar legislation has been introduced in the House of Representatives by Congressman Ken Buck. "It (TikTok) is owned by a Chinese company that includes Chinese Community Party members in leadership and it is required under Chinese law to share user data with Beijing," said Senator Hawley, Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Terrorism, during a recent Congressional hearing. "TikTok has admitted that it has sent user data to China. To put it bluntly, this is a major security risk for the American people," Hawley said. "What kind of data is TikTok collecting as it runs on our phones? A heck of a lot more than you would think. Images, of course, that users post. But TikTok also collects information about the messages that you send, about the apps that you use--the other apps on your phone," he said. "It collects the sites that you visit. It collects your search history. It collects your keystrokes. It collects your location data. It stores all of this and maybe lots, lots more. And I can tell you, as the father of two small children who already have many of their friends on social media even though they're quite young, I find this absolutely horrifying. And we know that it's a national security risk," Howley said. According to Clyde Wallace, deputy assistant director of the Cyber Division at the FBI, where he oversees Cyber Division Operations and the National Cyber Investigative Joint Task Force, TikTok is one example of an application that the average citizen doesn't understand the implications of what's behind it and what data can flow from an application like that's basically controlled by a state sponsored actor. "I think that lends into the bigger threat that China poses today in that it's a holistic society approach to the United States. It's not just the TikTok application. It's the data warehouses that store that data. Whether they be here in the United States, owned by the Chinese, or within the Chinese borders themselves where that information is stored," Wallace said. In a statement on Tuesday, TikTok India Head Nikhil Gandhi said the company, which has some 200 million subscribers in India, has not shared any information of its users in India with any foreign government, including the Chinese government, and that it places the highest importance on user privacy and integrity. The list of Chinese apps that have been banned by India also include Helo, Likee, CamScanner, Vigo Video, Mi Video Call - Xiaomi, Clash of Kings as well as e-commerce platforms Club Factory and Shein. July 01, 2020 09:37 IST What really happened in Sathankulam where a father and son died in an alleged case of police brutality, which is being compared to the George Floyd killing in the US? A Ganesh Nadar/Rediff.com speaks to family members and friends to piece together the final moments of their lives. IMAGE: P Jayaraj and his son Beniks. To Tamil Nadu goes the dubious distinction of the country's first lockup deaths during the coronavirus lockdown, a distinction that sits well with its top ranking among states with maximum police brutality cases. Sathankulam in Thoothukudi is like any other mid-sized town with a bustling bazaar that caters to innumerable villages in that area. Its quiet and idyllic existence was shattered on June 22-23, when a father and son, P Jayaraj and J Beniks, died in a hospital in Kovilpatti after an allegedly brutal thrashing by the police in lockup. Since then the town and district have erupted in protests against the police. The Tamil Nadu government transferred all the policemen allegedly involved in the brutality, handed over the inquiry to the Central Bureau of Investigation, and the court ordered a parallel inquiry by the CB-CID. IMAGE: The Thoothukudi deputy superintendent of police and the additional SP arrive at the Madurai bench of the Madras high court for the hearing into the alleged custodial death of Jayaraj and Beniks. Photograph: ANI Photo. What really happened in Sathankulam? After speaking to family members and friends of the family, this is the picture that emerges of Jayaraj and Beniks's final moments. On June 18, a Thursday, the father and son were at their mobile store in Sathankulam after 8 pm when policemen came by and told them to shut it as lockdown rules forbade stores remaining open beyond 8 pm. The duo complied and went home. Persis, Jayaraj's eldest daughter, insisted the family had never had any interaction with the police before this. The next day, the police came by to the shop around 7.45 pm and took Jayaraj away for 'questioning'. Beniks followed them to the police station riding pillion on a friend's bike. Jayaraj and Selvarani have four children. The eldest is Persis, followed by Beniks, and then two girls, Beulah and Berlin. All the three girls are married, and the family was looking for a girl for Beniks when this tragedy occurred. While Jayaraj had a business dealing in palm trees. Beniks has a master's in social work. He worked with an NGO in Chennai for some years before starting a mobile shop in Sathankulam in 2013. "The police took away my father who was just standing outside our mobile shop to the police station. My brother followed with his friend on a bike. When Beniks reached there, he too was arrested. People who were outside the police station told us that they were badly beaten up," says Persis, trying to sound composed. "The door of the police station was closed. Many of our relatives went there and requested the police to release them as they were innocent, but they were not allowed inside the station. Two lawyers were also there. After midnight, around 1.30 am, the relatives came back." IMAGE: Lawyers stage a protest outside the Madurai district court against the Sathankulam custodial deaths. Photograph: ANI Photo Advocate Manimaran, a friend of Beniks, was present at the police station for another case when the father-son were brought in. "Around 7.45 pm, they brought Jayaraj there. Beniks phoned me to come to the police station at once as his father had been arrested. I told him I was already there," Manimaran tells Rediff.com. "I told the police to release Jayaraj as he was innocent, they did not listen to me and told me to go out of the station," the lawyer adds.. "By that time Beniks came there with a friend. I told him to leave and said I would manage it. Beniks did not listen to me, he wanted to go in," Manimaran remembers. "By then they had put Jayaraj in the lockup. The cops called Beniks in. He asked them to release his father as he had done nothing wrong." "But the cops refused and they got into an argument. They then started beating up Beniks. They asked me to leave and closed the door." "Every time a cop came outside I told them not to beat the father and son." "I could hear them beating up Beniks and Jayaraj in different parts of the police station." "We were there till 11.30 pm and then we went home." IMAGE: Tamil Nadu Information and Publicity Minister Kadambur Raju and other government officials visit Jayaraj and Beniks's family to offer their condolences. Photograph: PTI Photo "On June 18, when the police told them to shut the shop as it was past 8 pm, they complied. But after the police left, Jayaraj, said, 'The police have no other work or what?'," says advocate Susil Kumar, a friend of the family. "Someone in the crowd present went and told the police this. So the next day they filed an FIR and took Jayaraj to the police station in the evening," he adds. Saturday morning went by in a blur for the family. Jayaraj and Beniks were taken to hospital to have their wounds treated, and then they were produced before the judicial magistrate and remanded to custody. The family was told to send three sets of clothes for both father and son. "We heard that there was so much blood in the clothes they were wearing, that is why they needed so many sets. But we didn't get the clothes back," says Persis. "We have no idea what the hospital, the doctors and the judge who remanded them did. On Saturday they were taken to the jail in Kovilpatti. On Sunday and Monday we could not see them in jail as visitors were not allowed because of coronavirus pandemic," she adds. Relatives who went to the jail were asked to buy two dark-coloured towels and hand it over to the police. They were also asked to buy diabetes medicine for the father as the doctor had asked for it. They did so, but could not meet the father or son. "On Saturday morning I got a call that they were in the hospital so I went there. They were bleeding, their clothes were wet at the back. We gave them a change of clothes," says advocate Manimaran. "They took them to the judicial magistrate's court, and we were waiting outside the compound. Jayaraj and Beniks were outside the building, the judicial magistrate came and saw them from a distance of 10 metres because of social distancing, and signed the order remanding them to judicial custody," reveals Manimaran. "'Take us out on bail quickly' were Beniks's last words to me. They were then taken to the jail in Kovilpatti." "On Monday, June 22, I applied for bail at the judicial magistrate's court in Sathankulam. When it came up for hearing at 3 pm I told the judge, 'They are hurt badly and they are innocent'. He replied, 'I will consider it tomorrow'." "At 9.30 pm I got the message that Beniks was dead. And the protests started in Sathankulam." "The next morning, June 23, we got the news that Jayaraj had also died." IMAGE: Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam MP Kanimozhi hands over a cheque for Rs 25 lakh to Jayaraj's wife on her party's behalf. Photograph: PTI Photo "On Monday, June 22, they called my mother at night and told her that Beniks was serious. After a while, they called to say he was dead. The next morning they called to say that our father had also died," says Persis. "We don't know what happened, but we heard that they were bleeding a lot. My brother's rings, purse, mobile phone, cash, bank cards have not been returned to us," she adds. Advocate Susil Kumar then filed a petition before the Madurai bench of the Madras high court to videograph the post-mortem of both Beniks and Jayaraj. The high court complied with the request and also suo motu ordered an inquiry by the judicial magistrate in Kovilpatti into the deaths. The case has now been transferred to the CBI. The Madras high court has also ordered a probe by the state police's crime branch-criminal investigation department to expedite matters. When the bodies of the father and son were brought home a huge crowd had gathered. "We saw them only for a minute as it was crowded," says Persis. "We have not received their post-mortem reports yet. They told us that a magistrate will come home to speak to us, we are waiting, they have not yet come." Activists are not happy with the investigation protocol into the deaths. "There are enough competent police officers in Tamil Nadu who are above board to investigate this case," says Henry Tiphagne of People's Watch, a human rights group based in Madurai. "They should have formed a special investigation team and let them report to the high court." "But a CBI inquiry?" exclaims Tiphagne. We still don't know what happened to the CBI inquiry into the police firing on anti-Sterlite protestors in Thoothukudi in which 13 people died two years ago!" Meteoric Resources NL (ASX:MEI) is listed on the Australian Securities Exchange. Meteoric Resources completes acquisition of high-grade WA gold project Meteoric Resources NL (ASX:MEI) (FRA:RNF) has added to its gold asset inventory after completing the acquisition of the high-grade Palm Springs project in the Kimberley region of Western Australia. The company has already submitted a Program of Works (POW) for the advanced exploration play 30 kilometres southeast of Halls Creek and, pending approvals, expects to begin drilling in August. Managing director Dr Andrew Tunks said: "With this acquisition, Meteoric is hopeful of producing some stunning exploration results throughout 2020." 60 known gold occurrences This project, which complements the company's gold assets in Brazil, covers more than 12,000 hectares and includes 3MLs, 4 ELs and 6PLs with 60 known gold occurrences over a 20-kilometre strike. Meteoric plans to begin an extensive drilling program in the historic Butchers Creek resource area. Tunks said: "Previous work on the Palm Springs project indicates the potential for a substantial untested gold system plunging south, away from the Butchers Creek historic mine yet there has been no active exploration in the Butchers Creek area this century." Beckley, WV (25801) Today Cloudy early with scattered thunderstorms developing this afternoon. Storms may contain strong gusty winds. High near 80F. Winds WSW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 60%.. Tonight Thunderstorms this evening will give way to steady rain overnight. Low 58F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Corazon Mining raising up to $1.679 million to fund ongoing exploration at Lynn Lake Mining Centre Corazon Mining Ltd (ASX:CZN) is raising up to A$1.678 million to fund ongoing exploration at the Lynn Lake Nickel-Copper-Cobalt-Sulphide Project in Manitoba, Canada. The company has received firm commitments from sophisticated and professional investors for a placement of up to 356.984 million fully paid shares at an issue price of 0.2 cents per share to raise around A$714,000. Corazon will also undertake a pro-rata non-renounceable entitlement offer to raise up to A$964,000 through the issue of around 481.9 million shares at an issue price of 0.2 cents per share. "Highly exciting" discovery opportunity Chairman Terry Streeter said: "The company's ongoing focus on the Lynn Lake project has continued to reap benefits with our recent targeted drilling programs delivering multiple high-grade nickel sulphide intersections, further adding to the expansion potential of the already substantial resource base delineated. "The current phase of exploration drilling at Fraser Lake represents a highly exciting exploration and discovery opportunity and is testing new large geophysical anomalies in an area that we know is extensively mineralised." The Navajo Nation could buy the gun maker that became the target of litigation by Newtown parents after the 2012 Sandy Hook school massacre, according to the Wall Street Journal. Remington Arms is exploring filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection from creditors in the coming days, according to the a Journal report. As it does, the Navajo Nation reportedly is considered purchasing the company as part of a 2018 bankruptcy restructuring by Remington that transferred ownership of the manufacturer to the parent company of Franklin Templeton Investments and JPMorgan Chase. The Wall Street Journal reported that a buyer would be able to purchase Remington free from legal liabilities, citing multiple unnamed sources. It is not clear how a sale would impact the ongoing Newtown litigation. The federal government recognizes the Navajo Nation as the second largest Native American tribe in the United States, with the Navajo operating the largest reservation bordering Arizona, New Mexico and Utah. The New York Times reported in 2018 that the Navajo Nation offered as much as $525 million to purchase Remington during the companys initial bankruptcy, at the time planning to end the sale of military-style models and focus on hunting weapons as well as emerging smart guns that rely on finger- or hand-print scanning technology to ensure only registered owners can trigger them. Remington is based in in Madison, N.C. and makes guns today in Ilion, N.Y. and Hunstville, Ala., with the company once a major Bridgeport manufacturer. The company was the nations third largest gun maker in 2017, producing more than 800,000 weapons to trail only Fairfield-based Sturm Ruger, which makes guns in Arizona and New Hampshire; and Springfield, Mass.-based Smith & Wesson, which has an injection molding facility in Deep River making plastic gun components. U.S. background checks and gun sales shot up with the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Ruger CEO Chris Killoy during an early May conference call. Anecdotal evidence suggests that this increased demand ... may likely be related to COVID-19, the impact of state-level restrictions and heightened concern for personal protection, Killoy said in May. Weve got a very active hiring process in place. Includes prior reporting by Rob Ryser. Alex.Soule@scni.com; 203-842-2545; @casoulman A 30-year-old man was charged with third-degree assault and violation of a protective order. He was held on $100,000 bond and given a court date of June 29. A 38-year-old Silvermine Avenue woman was charged with driving under the influence. She was held on $200 bond and given a court date of July 29. June 28 A 35-year-old Monterey Place man was charged with risk of injury to a child, third-degree assault and disorderly conduct. He was held on $5,000 bond and given a court date of June 29. June 27 A 47-year-old Fairfield Avenue woman was charged with third-degree assault. She was given a court date of June 29. A 41-year-old New Haven man was charged with breach of peace, third-degree criminal mischief and third-degree criminal trespass. He was held on $5,000 bond and given a court date of July 27. A 26-year-old Union Avenue man was charged with driving under the influence. He was given a court date of July 28. A 41-year-old Finley Road woman was charged with breach of peace. She was given a court date of July 28. A 33-year-old Couch Street woman was charged with disorderly conduct. She was given a court date of June 29. Support local journalism We are making critical coverage of the coronavirus available for free. Please consider subscribing so we can continue to bring you the latest news and information on this developing story. Certainly, one race or sex is not superior to another. To ignore systemic oppression and its impact on the past and present policies, however, is to put ones head into the sand. I was struck by the fact that even recently, most white Americans were unaware of the Tulsa Race Massacre of June 1, 1921 when mobs of white residents attacked black residents and destroyed homes and businesses in the Greenwood district in Tulsa. Thirty-five plus square blocks of the neighborhood at the time the wealthiest black community in the United States, known as Black Wall Street was decimated, with up to 300 people dead. Ten thousand black people were left homeless and property damage of black businesses and homes was an estimated at $1.5 million in 1921 dollars. It is precisely the omission of this kind of event in local, state, and national histories that establishes the need to examine systemic problems. Arlene Violet on critical race theory. She is a Republican who served as RI Attorney General Hollywood veteran comedian Carl Reiner, 98, passed away on Monday due to natural causes. His assistants confirmed that he was at his Beverly Hills home when he breathed his last breath. Apart from being an actor, director, writer, comedy icon, filmmaker and voice artiste, Carl Reiner was credited for creating the popular show The Dick Van Dyke Show. Carl Reiner passes away Last night my dad passed away. As I write this my heart is hurting. He was my guiding light. Rob Reiner (@robreiner) June 30, 2020 ALSO READ: TV Comedy Greats Take A Bow, Make em Laugh At Ceremony The news of Carl Reiners death was shared by his elder son Rob Reiner on his Twitter account. The filmmaker stated that his father was his guiding light after adding that his heart is hurting while sharing the news with the world. Hollywood A-listers like Adam Sandler, Jerry Seinfeld, and Ben Stiller have paid their tribute to the comedy icon by posting a few final words for Carl Reiner on their social media. Hollywood actor Adam Sandler took to his Twitter account and shared a tribute to the late actor. Adam Sandler called Carl Reiner one of his comedy heroes before extending his condolences to the Reiner family. Actor Ben Stiller mentioned in his social media post that he has immense respect for the last artist. Ben Stiller stated that Carl Reiner was one of the smartest comedy minds ever. ALSO READ: Adam Sandler's Wife Jackie Supports Various Social Causes; Know More About The Actor Actor and comedian Marlon Wayans wrote that Carl Reiner inspired him and also mentioned that Reiner was a legend. Seinfeld actor Jerry Seinfeld penned down an emotional note after Carl Reiners death. On his social media, he shared a picture of himself laughing with the late actor. In the post, he wrote, Anyone in comedy who got to know or even just meet Carl Reiner felt that they had been given a great gift. His comedy energy was one of pure joyfulness. Its an unusual quality in our world and I have always tried to emulate him that way. We lost an angel today. [sic] Hollywood celebrities have taken to their social media to grieve the loss of the Hollywood veteran. Most celebrities mentioned that Carl Reiners comedy and his ability to voice out opinions was something that they admired in him. Check out some of the emotional posts shared by celebrities to pay tribute to the late artist. Hollywood celebs pay tribute ALSO READ: Ben Stiller And Oscar Isaac To Team For Lionsgate's 'London' Carl Reiner RIP One of our comedy heroes Thank you for everything you did for all of us Love to the Reiner family pic.twitter.com/tBsiIelbdI Adam Sandler (@AdamSandler) June 30, 2020 Carl Reiner was a comedic giant, one of the smartest comedy minds ever. He used his voice to the very end, speaking truth to power and the insanity we are all living in. So much respect for him. Sending love to his family. #RIP Ben Stiller (@RedHourBen) June 30, 2020 ALSO READ: Adam Sandler To Star In Netflix's 'Hustle'; LeBron James To Partner As Producer So sad to hear about @carlreiner Not only did he make my favorite TV& movies (see:Wheres Poppa) but his humanity was beyond compare. His heart was so full of love. Never left his house empty handed- book, space pen, Swiss Army knife. RIP to a man that embodies the word mensch pic.twitter.com/mazBmwznkX Sarah Silverman (@SarahKSilverman) June 30, 2020 @carlreiner was a gift to us all. Hilarious,brilliant and always a gentleman. My relationship with him will always be cherished. He was a hero to me and all of us in comedy have lost a giant. All my love to Rob and the family. Billy Crystal (@BillyCrystal) June 30, 2020 Carl Reiner is the recipient of many prestigious awards. Carl Reiner and Mel Brooks' The 2000 Year Old Man in the Year 2000 (1998) won the duo a Grammy award. According to news agency PTI, Reiner first came to prominence as part of comic legend Sid Caesar's team Caeser's Hour and Your Show of Shows in the late 1950s and won multiple Emmy awards, including five for The Dick Van Dyke Show in the next decade. Reiner had also received several awards for his writing - Writers Guild's Laurel Award, the Mark Twain Prize for Humor, and the WGA's Valentine Davies Award. (With inputs from PTI) ALSO READ: Coronavirus: Mel Brooks Son Stays Away From 93-year-old Father, Asks Everyone To Do Same Get the latest entertainment news from India & around the world. Now follow your favourite television celebs and telly updates. Republic World is your one-stop destination for trending Bollywood news. Tune in today to stay updated with all the latest news and headlines from the world of entertainment. With 11, 954 confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus, the Czech Republic on July 1 celebrated the coronavirus farewell party. Thousands at Prague's 14-century historic landmark Charles Bridge were seen dining on a 500 meter-long (1640ft) table with gourmet and drinks without social distancing. The celebration commenced hours before the mandatory face mask protocol was nullified across the country by the Czech government except in Prague. With over 10 million population, the European Union nation had managed to keep the coronavirus outbreak figures drastically low, less than 12,000, while the fatalities were put at 349. As many as 7,771 people recovered from the disease. The organizer of the party and owner of a popular tourist cafe in town, Ondrej Kobza, was quoted as saying that the people had assembled in huge numbers to bid a symbolic farewell to the COVID-19 health crisis. In a local report, Kobza stressed that the Czech people wanted to want to celebrate the end of the coronavirus by not wearing the masks and meeting people without precaution to show that they were not afraid anymore, they were neither afraid to share food or eat together. They could meet and greet without fear, he added. In Prague, Czech Republic, they threw a "Farewell Corona Virus party" where they shared food, drinks and noone socially distanced or wore a mask. This party also doubles up as a "welcome back Corona virus party" pic.twitter.com/aYswvw5WS4 Beeb (@ybees3) July 1, 2020 As per media reports, people of Czech had brought the food, snacks, and drinks from their homes, the table flashed bottles of wine, rose vases, cakes, crepes, fruits and canapes among many items people shared with each other as they feasted on. The tickets to the celebration were put up on the website Go Out for the Czech Republic and sold out within 40 seconds as a huge crowd gathered to the music, food, noise of crockery to socialize and mark an end to the era of a pandemic, according to the organizers. Read: Study Suggests Children May Spread Coronavirus As Easily As Infected Adults Read: Mexico Confirms 5,500 Fresh Coronavirus Cases, 648 New Deaths Message to the world to 'live again' Mayor Petr Hejma was quoted saying that the Czech Republic intended to send a strong message to the world to live again and break the chains of fear. Further, he invited the travellers from all across the world to visit and experience unique events in the country. The party comes amid WHOs recent warnings that the pandemic "is not even close to being over" and that it is "actually speeding up" in many countries. We all want #COVID19 to be over, but the hard reality is: this is not even close to being over. Although many countries have made some progress, the pandemic is actually speeding up. We'll need greater stores of resilience, patience, humility & generosity in the months ahead. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) June 30, 2020 Read: COVID-19: US Traveller With Coronavirus Infected 71 People In China, Finds Research Read: Coronavirus Vaccines Need To Have 50% Efficacy In Preventing Infection: US FDA (All Images Courtesy: Twitter/ @Visegrad24/@PithyAssertion) Get the latest entertainment news from India & around the world. Now follow your favourite television celebs and telly updates. Republic World is your one-stop destination for trending Bollywood news. Tune in today to stay updated with all the latest news and headlines from the world of entertainment. A Redditors post about the South Korea governments quarantine care package after he arrived in the country has sparked hilarious discussion on the internet. Shared by the username without crust on Reddit under the subreddit pics, the photo depicts several items from the comfort package spread on the floor which included hygiene essentials, hand sanitizers, face masks, packaged fruits, fresh produce, and a Welsh Corgi. The photo was captioned, My wife and I just moved to S. Korea and this is what the gvmt gave us at the start of quarantine. With over 46,000 upvotes and 1,800 comments, the post triggered a slew of reactions as Redditors hilariously asked if the Corgi was the state provided emotional therapy dog since the pooch was inclusive of the items in the picture. A user asked, Where can I sign up?! I want my own Corgi. While the picture provided a glimpse into South Koreas government initiative and approach in keeping the citizens safe by providing a huge number of essential commodities and eatables, the pet pooch blocking the view captured the Redditors' attention. The brown and white canine can be seen smiling standing alongside a heap of supplies. Read: Watch: Virender Sehwag Posts Video Of Langurs Hugging Each Other, Netizens In Awe Read: Very Rare Red Snake Spotted In Uttar Pradesh, Netizens Say 'what A Beauty!' Users ask, "you guys got a puppy?" From the picture, it can also be made out that the South Korean government care packages contents consisted of all provision from essential goods to vegetables and fruits, a thermometer, water bottles, and boxes of tissues for the quarantined individual not to go out and spread the COVID-19 disease. However, Redditors opined that the Corgi pooch was freshest of foods in that care package. My first thought, a free corgi, wrote a user. Aw man, you guys got a puppy? All I got in my room was shampoo!" Wrote another. The uploaded quickly clarified that the Corgi, whose name was Waffle, was not a part of the care package. She flew over with the owners and was adopted 3 years ago. Read: Video: Mom Surprises Daughter With Puppy, Her Reaction Leaves Netizens Teary-eyed Read: Goat Climbs On Buffalo To Munch On Leaves, Netizens Say 'leap And Hustle' To Achieve Goals Get the latest entertainment news from India & around the world. Now follow your favourite television celebs and telly updates. Republic World is your one-stop destination for trending Bollywood news. Tune in today to stay updated with all the latest news and headlines from the world of entertainment. Export of Indian goods to Bangladesh through the Petrapole border in West Bengal was disrupted on Wednesday due to agitation by a section of exporters of the neighbouring country, an official of Federation of Indian Exporter Organisations (FIEO) said. India has allowed export of goods from Petrapole, the largest land border port with Bangladesh on June 7 but has not allowed import of goods from Bangladesh. "Bangladesh has stopped import since this morning on ground that their exports are not accepted by India even though have taken our export cargo. There is a stalemate at the border", FIEO chairman (east) Sushil Patwari said The Bangladeshi exporters are annoyed as India has not allowed import of goods from Bangladesh through Petrapole, an official of Benapole Clearing and Forwarding (C&F) Agents Staff association said. "The Bangladeshi exporters are annoyed with the stand of India at Petrapole. Despite imports by Bangladesh have been allowed since June 7, India has not yet permitted Bangladeshi goods to enter India in the wake of coronavirus. They are agitating and stopped imports at the border," Benapole C&F Agents Staff Association secretary Sajidur Rehman told PTI over phone. "Those who import from India also do exports. They said export cargo is lying at the Benapole border causing huge losses. Some 500-700 trucks with several export cargo like jute, chemicals, saree and thread among others are waiting to offload cargo in India," he said. The BSF south Bengal frontier has rescued a 17-year-old Bangladeshi boy from the clutches of human traffickers from inside a goods train at Petrapole border in North 24 Parganas, official of the force said. The incident took place on Monday evening when Border Security Force (BSF) troops from the 179th battalion were carrying out routine check of the train that had returned from Bangladesh to the zero point near the integrated check post at Petrapole, a senior BSF officer said. The boy is a resident of Jessore district of Bangladesh and was brought by a tout to Benapole across the border with the promise of a job in a house at Bongaon in North 24 Parganas. He has been handed over to the railway police at Bongaon for further investigation, the official said. Indian Railways is operating freight and parcel trains to Bangladesh despite the coronavirus pandemic. In a stern warning to all states and Union Territories, Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) chief Dr. Balram Bhargava and Health Secretary Preeti Sudan, on Wednesday wrote a letter asking them to ramp up Coronavirus (COVID-19) testing to full capacity. Reiterating the mantra of 'test-track-treat', ICMR and Centre have observed that some states - particularly in the private sectors were testing a 'grossly sub-optimal' level of their capacity. ICMR further recommended private labs to freely test any individual in accordance with ICMR rules. Coronavirus Live Updates: Section 144 imposed in Mumbai; India's total tally at 5,85,493 ICMR to states: Test upto full capacity Urging states to use antigen testing kits for early detection of the virus, ICMR said that efforts should be made in 'campaign mode' by setting up camps, mobile vans for testing all symptomatic people. Moreover, ICMR advised that the rate of RT-PCR tests in private labs must be finalised by all states. ICMR has also mandated all labs to upload the testing data on ICMR database as well as on local district level authorities for surveillance and contact tracing. Health Secretary Preeti Sudan&ICMR DG Dr. Balram Bhargava write to states&Union Territories to increase testing. Letter states,"It is strongly advised that you should take all possible steps to ensure full capacity utilization of all #COVID19 testing laboratories in the State/UT" pic.twitter.com/g6I3r6Cg9C ANI (@ANI) July 1, 2020 Assam to revise COVID-19 testing pattern after ICMR advice; plasma therapy to start soon India's COVID-19 testing stats As of data, India has tested 88,26,585 samples - of which 2,17,931 samples were tested on 30 June in the 766 government labs and 288 private labs. According to COVID19India, Tamil Nadu leads the larges states having tested 11,40,441 samples of which 86,224 samples have tested positive. On the other hand, Telangana has tested 88,563 samples of which 16,339 have tested positive. Maharashtra which has the highest number of cases ranks second - testing 9,46,518 samples of which 1,73,227 are positive. ICMR selects PGIMER to run trials of Rapid Antigen Detection tests for COVID-19 patients While India's positivity rate is at 6.66%, which is above the 5% threshold, hinting at a rising trend, the Centre has extended its lockdown of containment zones till July 30. India's recovery rate too has steady increased to 59.43%, while its fatality rate has fallen to 2.97% - which is still one of the lowest in the world. The Prime Minister has reiterated people to follow social distancing as India begins to open up, kickstarting the economy - leading to rise in cases too. India has 5,85,493 cases with 2,20,114 active cases and 3,47,979 recovered while 17,400 have died. Over 2 lakh COVID tests done in past 24 hrs, says ICMR; 1000 test labs set up across India Governments are trying to "manage the perception" about coronavirus infections and give a sense that the problem is not as bad as it is, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said on Wednesday, asserting that it is important to accept the problem and fight it. Gandhi, on Doctor's Day, expressed solidarity with health workers and described them as "a nonviolent Army" risking their lives to save people from the coronavirus pandemic. He was in conversation with four Indian nurses working in New Zealand, Australia, the UK and India, where he heard their experiences and said people stood with them in these times of crisis. Gandhi, in his 30-minute conversation with the four Indian nurses -- Anu Ragnat (working in New Zealand), Narendra Singh (working in Australia), Sherlymol Puravady (working in the UK), and Vipin Krishnan (working in AIIMS, Delhi) -- discussed the impact of working in a COVID-19 environment on their family lives. This was part of the series of conversations that the former Congress president is having on coronavirus. He has earlier talked to experts in the field. Gandhi claimed that testing is not being allowed in many Delhi hospitals. He also gave an assurance that he will write a letter to authorities concerned to expedite grant of compensation to healthcare workers, as announced by the Delhi government to those who died due to COVID-19. "One of the doctors I was speaking to in a private hospital was telling me, that it becomes impossible for them to work if they cannot test COVID patients. If they don't know if the patient has COVID or not, they don't know where to put him," the former Congress president said. He said the doctors feel completely frustrated about how to move forward faced with the dilemma of putting two patients, one who has COVID and one who doesn't, next to each other. "The governments are trying to manage the perception, they are trying to give a sense that the problem is not as bad as it is. But I believe that we have to face the problem, so we should accept the problem, define the problem accurately and then fight the problem," Gandhi said. Krishnan, who had tested positive for COVID-19 and has now recovered, rued the sad state of affairs in Delhi and the low levels of testing in the face of rising cases. Krishnan also raised concerns over compensation to the families of COVID warriors who died fighting the pandemic. "Two nurses have died in Delhi, they were from South India. One X-ray technician. One retired doctor from AIIMS passed away and one serving person in the sanitation department, we lost him unfortunately. However, they are yet to receive the compensation of Rs 1 crore announced by the Delhi Government," Krishnan said. "It is not that we can give some amount of money and equalise the death. It is not that, but at least we should support the families. The government should do something for them," he said. Krishnan also urged Gandhi to take up the issue of risk allowance for nurses and doctors at this point of time as lives were being lost in fighting COVID-19. The prayer room at the Sikh temple of Guru Nanak Darbar in Dubai stands empty and its floors are covered in plastic, as the venue makes a few adjustments while preparing to welcome worshippers back in. As it continues to fight the coronavirus pandemic, the United Arab Emirates has begun to allow houses of worship to reopen. Dubai's Sikh temple will run temperature checks and make sure people maintain a distance from each other while observing short prayers. "There will be no sitting down, no standing inside the temple," said Surender Kandhari, the chairman of the temple. People will only walk in, observe prayers then walk out from another door. Kandhari is hoping the temple will serve 300 to 500 worshippers in the morning and the same number of faithful in the evening. The Sikh community has been offering food to construction workers who lost their jobs amid the pandemic. The temple usually serves food to anyone who walks in from 4:30 in the morning until 10:00 in the evening. Kandhari says during the pandemic they had to shut down their kitchen, but they continued to feed the needy by sending meals to labour camps and locations where coronavirus patients were being quarantined. The community is currently helping arrange repatriation flights for workers who are stuck in Dubai and unable to return home. There are four repatriation flights scheduled in the upcoming days, Kandhari said. The repatriation flights to Punjab are free to anyone who cannot afford to pay. Kandhari said the funds are provided through contributions and offerings from members of the community. Kandhari estimates that there are over 150,000 Sikh in the country, 80% of whom are blue-collar workers, in construction or contracting companies. Just a day after India banned 59 Chinese-origin mobile applications taking a stand against another aspect of China's global arrogance and belligerence, as many as 27 countries have raised their voice against India's giant neighbour and submitted a petition of complaint in the UNHRC. The petition stated concerns on arbitrary detentions, widespread surveillance and restrictions, atrocities on Uighurs, and other minorities in China. It also raised the recently passed Hong Kong security law citing human rights violation and terming it as going against the 'one country, two system' understanding between China and Hong Kong. The countries include Australia, Austria, Belgium, Belize, Canada, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Iceland, Germany, Japan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Republic of Marshall Islands, the Kingdom of the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Palau, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom. The petition further urged China to allow UN High Commissioner to access Xinjiang and Hong Kong, 'in order to safeguard the rights and freedoms which are guaranteed under international law.' READ | Govt of India bans 59 Chinese apps; Tik Tok, UC Browser, WeChat included in the list This comes on the back of India's massive diplomatic and trade crackdown on China, banning 59 Chinese applications - a move that has been called 'violation of WTO norms' by Beijing, even as it faces serious allegations of undermining the data security of its citizens and businesses in its country. Following suit, the US on Tuesday designated two Chinese companies- Huawei Technologies Company and ZTE Corporation as "national security threats". Moreover, the Donald Trump administration has passed legislation that will punish China for its crackdown on ethnic minorities. In a statement issued, White House said that Trump signed The Uighur Human Rights Policy Act of 2020 and that it holds accountable perpetrators of human rights violations and abuses such as the systematic use of indoctrination camps, forced labor, and intrusive surveillance to eradicate the ethnic identity and religious beliefs of Uyghurs and other minorities in China.The US also banned defence exports to Hong Kong in view of Chinese meddling. READ | China attempts to justify Uighur excesses, rejects US 'interference' as Trump signs bill Coronavirus outbreak and China's aggression China has been facing worldwide criticism after the outbreak of the novel Coronavirus which has so far claimed 513,913 lives and 10,585,152 people have been infected. It is under the scanner for hiding the outbreak of COVID-19, with some reports suggesting that infection related to the virus may have started as early as in August in China. 123 nations have browbeaten China into accepting a probe into Covid's origin, with the WHO also coming under fire for backing China throughout the most crucial initial months of the outbreak. Amid the worldwide pressure, China has reacted by amping up its customary expansionism on all fronts, with India leading the charge in shutting it down on all fronts, from land-grabs and military aggression, and from data privacy and snooping concerns to debt-trapping firms and countries. READ | "More and more angry at China": US President Trump says "people can see it, I can feel it" READ | New virus with pandemic potential found in China even as Covid-19 reigns worldwide A U.S. Veteran who served in Afghanistan is sharing his perspectives on US officials confirming that Russia was secretly offering bounties to the Taliban for the death of American soldiers. The assessment was included in at least one of President Donald Trump's written daily intelligence briefings at the time, according to the officials. Then-national security adviser John Bolton also told colleagues at the time that he briefed Trump on the intelligence assessment in March 2019. The White House didn't respond to questions about Trump or other officials' awareness of Russia's provocations in 2019. The White House has said Trump wasn't and still hasn't been briefed on the intelligence assessments because they haven't been fully verified. However, it's rare for intelligence to be confirmed without a shadow of a doubt before it is presented to top officials. Former US Army Intelligence Officer Benjamin Haas did two tours in Afghanistan and thinks the information about the bounty program has "profound geopolitical implications" and would have been a pressing matter. "I've no doubt that that would make it to senior levels of Washington, indeed to the President of the United States," Haas said. "So it's disingenuous when the administration and Donald Trump appear to be claiming that he had no understanding or knowledge of this program." Haas voted for Hilary Clinton in 2016 and plans to support Former Vice President Joe Biden in November. Haas believes Trump's silence and inaction on the bounty program thus far is a sign of weakness in his portrayal as being pro-military and pro-veteran. "Right now, he is fixated on defending himself politically, but that's very much on-brand for Donald Trump because he's shown time and again that he cares more about his personal political interests than the national security of the United States. And now apparently the safety of U.S. soldiers," Haas said. The U.S. is investigating whether Americans died because of the Russian bounties. Officials are focused on an April 2019 attack on an American convoy. Three U.S. Marines were killed after a car rigged with explosives detonated near their armored vehicles as they returned to Bagram Airfield, the largest U.S. military installation in Afghanistan. Haas thinks Congress should also look into the issue as a way to put more pressure on the President. "Democrats in the House of Representatives have subpoena power right now and they can investigate this issue and they should," Haas said. "There are serious questions. There should be briefings on the Hill. And because of the profound nature of the scandal, the public deserves to know what is going on as well." Frustrated House Democrats returning from a briefing at the White House Tuesday June 30 said they learned nothing new about American intelligence assessments that suggested Russia was making overtures to militants as the U.S. and the Taliban held talks to end the conflict in Afghanistan. Senate Republicans who attended a separate briefing largely defended the president, arguing along with the White House that the intelligence was unverified. Leaders from the five countries of West Africa's Sahel region Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania and Niger on Tuesday called for intensifying counter-terrorism operations supported by the French military that have already seen successes in the recent months despite growing jihadist attacks in the region. The heads of state from the five Sahel countries said the stability of the region below the Sahara Desert remains challenged by persistent attacks, a deteriorating security situation in Libya and the COVID-19 pandemic, and renewed calls for the cancellation of external debts as they deal with the pandemic. The statements came after meetings between the heads of states Tuesday with French President Emmanuel Macron and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez in Mauritania's capital Nouakchott to discuss military operations against Islamic extremists in the region. "We are all convinced that victory is possible in Sahel," Macron said in a news conference alongside other heads of states. Macron said his first trip outside Europe since the beginning of the new coronavirus crisis aimed at showing "solidarity" toward the African continent. The French and African military force has made major gains since the last summit in Pau, France, in January, when it was decided to focus on eliminating the growing threat of the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara along the tri-border region of Burkina Faso, Niger and Mali. "France will be there as long as its presence is wanted and requested by the Sahel states," Macron said. Mauritania's President Mohamed Ould Ghazouani urged richest countries to cancel the poor nations' debt obligations. "The debt service burden for our countries has become unbearable. It absorbs a significant portion of our national budget," Ghazouani said. Ghazouani met with Macron and Sanchez before an afternoon discussion with other heads of state, including Burkina Faso's President Roch Marc Christian Kabore, Mali's President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, Niger's President Mahamadou Issoufou and Chad's President Idriss Deby. The next summit will be held in 2021 in a Sahel country. Delegates to the fourth Brussels conference on Supporting the Future of Syria and the Region on July 1 pledged $7.7 billion to protect vulnerable families and building resilience across Syria and the region. International donors met on a virtual conference hosted by the United Nations and the European Union. Money was pledged by the host countries, specialized United Nations agencies, and non-governmental organisations to weaken the impacts of COVID-19 and Syria's displacement crisis. In what was called "the single biggest country donation", Germany pledged 1.58 billion euros ($1.78bn), while Qatar promised over $100 million to Syria's crisis response. However, the aid group Oxfam noted that the amount raised was "simply not enough" as inside Syria, almost 90 per cent of the population was now living below the poverty line. According to the co-chairs statement released, the funds would support humanitarian, resilience, and development activities in 2020 for the Syria crisis response, which included Syria Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP), the Regional Refugee and Resilience Plan (3RP), and the ICRC Syria crisis appeals. Further, the money will fulfill the UNRWA requirements for Palestine refugees in Syria outside the HRP and 3RP, multi-donor mechanisms, as well as felicitate other funding programs for 2020. EU Crisis Management Commissioner Janez Lenarcic said, We have today expressed solidarity with the Syrian people, not only with words, but with concrete pledges of support that will make a difference for millions of people. As Syria enters its 10th year of conflict, millions of people need our support." - @refugees Goodwill Ambassador Ben Stiller - @RedHourBen - joins call for solidarity with Syrian people ahead of #SyriaConf2020. https://t.co/UBxaBrRkjp #InvestinHumanity pic.twitter.com/avsuZgPWYl UN Humanitarian (@UNOCHA) June 28, 2020 Coordinated as the United Nations socio-economic response to COVID-19 for an inclusive, sustainable future, the funds were raised to help meet the immediate and basic needs of those affected by the humanitarian crisis in Syria. International entities came together to secure quality education for all children and livelihood opportunities for refugees and affected communities. Additionally, the funds would be used to promote basic public services and economic growth. The impacts of compounding crises underscore the need to review our collective strategies to support the countries of the region, not simply to cope but to find a more sustainable road to development, stability, and recovery, UNDP Administrator Achim Steiner said at the conference. Read: EU's Borrell: Syria Plunging Deeper Into Crisis Read: UN Food Agency Calls For Aid To Prevent Another Syria Exodus Aid organizations' plea to world leaders Earlier, On June 29, aid organizations had made a plea to the world leaders for the financial support towards conflict-torn Syria where approximately 11 million people needed humanitarian assistance, as per the UN's report. The economic chaos and the spread of the coronavirus in the conflict-driven region had deteriorated Syrias economy, collapsing the Syrian pound. Ongoing wars that had already claimed the lives of at least 400,000 people, sparked a refugee exodus that led to the destabilization of Syrias neighbours and stripped the country of its leftover resources. We raised $5.5 billion for 2020 and an additional $2.2 billion for 2021 in today's #SyriaConf2020. Thank you! https://t.co/bJv8n5RZ8E pic.twitter.com/TaG1pckHi0 Mark Lowcock (@UNReliefChief) June 30, 2020 Aid agencies had appealed in a joint statement, Syria was facing unprecedented levels of hunger leaving millions of people acutely vulnerable to COVID-19. Further, in a report, Oxfam, Humanity & Inclusion, CARE International, World Vision International, International Rescue Committee, Mercy Corps, and the Norwegian Refugee Council noted that "a staggering 9.3 million Syrians are now going to sleep hungry and more than another 2 million are at risk of a similar fate." Read: UN And West Spar With Russia Over Cross-border Aid To Syria Read: EU's Borrell: Syria Plunging Deeper Into Crisis (All Images Credit: AP) (With Inputs From AP) The American State Department has put up the ambassador to Israel's official residence in Tel Aviv for sale. Reports claim that the move is aimed at cementing its move to open a new US embassy in Jerusalem in 2018, shortly after recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's capital. East Jerusalem was captured by Israel in 1967 , triggering a war between Palestine and Israel, both claiming Jerusalem to be their capital. US President Donald Trump has openly shown his support for Israel and even drafted an ambitious Middle East Plan, giving Israel's claim over Jerusalem legitimacy. Read: Israeli Leaders At Odds Over West Bank Annexation Plan Meanwhile, the State Department has said that the beachfront mansion in affluent Tel Aviv suburb Herzliya was put on sale as most of the day to day activities of Ambassador David Freidman are based in the Jerusalem embassy. Therefore, it made sense to sell the residence in Herzliya. Friedman has been a longtime supporter Israel's hard-line settler movement and has played a significant role in embassys relocation to Jerusalem. Much of the embassys operations have shifted to Jerusalem and the ambassador has established an official residence there, the US department said. The news for the sale was first published in an Israeli business newspaper on June 29. As per reports, the house is built on a 1.25-acre plot of land and was up for a price of $84 million. If the house sells at the proposed price, it would be the most expensive residential sale in the country. It would also surpass Russian Israeli billionaire Roman Abramovichs recent purchase of $65 million earlier this year. Read: UN Rights Chief Says Israeli Annexation Plan 'disastrous' Netanyahu's annexation plan Both Benjamin Netanyahu and Benny Ganz have repeated their plans of annexing Jerusalem time and again. They have been supported by the country's right-wing politicians who claim that territory is vital for the countrys security and an inseparable part of the biblical Land of Israel. However, their claim has often received international criticism with many nations calling West bank Israel's "occupied" territory. In addition, international organisations like the UN have slammed Israel for mass killing in the settlements which is home to nearly 500,000 Jewish Israelis. Read: Israeli AG Rejects Netanyahu Request For Financial Legal Aid Read: Israel Undeterred By International Opposition To West Bank Annexation Plan With inputs from AP Image credits: AP Note: We've recently updated our online systems. If you can't login please try resetting your password. You must login with an email address. If you don't have an email associated with your account email please call (208) 542-6777 for help. We get it. You don't want to see the ads. We'd just ask you to understand that those ads help us pay the bills and our reporters. Please, consider white-listing the Standard Journal in your ad-blocker or, even better, purchase a subscription so that you can help support quality local journalism. Russian President Vladimir Putin told his counterparts from Turkey and Iran on Wednesday that there was a need for peaceful dialogue between the opposing forces in Syria's civil war. Putin also told Turkey's Tayyip Erdogan and Iran's Hassan Rouhani in a televised video conference that hot spots of terrorism still remain in Syria's Idlib and other regions. "An inclusive inter-Syrian dialogue should be actively promoted within the framework of the constitutional committee in Geneva. I propose to support this process, to help the participants to meet and start a direct dialogue," Putin said. In Syria's nine-year-old war, Russia and Iran are the main foreign supporters of President Bashar al-Assad's forces, while Turkey backs opposition fighters. Under a diplomatic process dating back to 2017, they agreed to work to reduce fighting. In a joint statement released by the Kremlin, Russia, Turkey and Iran "expressed the conviction" that Syria's war had no military solution and has to be settled only via a political process. They also welcomed a meeting of the Syrian constitutional committee in August. Apart from the Syrian issue, the three countries agreed to promote their economic cooperation, the document said. After worsening violence displaced nearly a million people, Turkey and Russia agreed in March to halt hostilities in northwest Syria's Idlib region. This month military jets bombed villages in the rebel-held area. Erdogan also told the video conference that the priority for Syria is a lasting solution to the conflict, "achievement of calm in the field and the protection of Syria's political unity and territorial integrity". "We will continue to do all we can so that our neighbour Syria finds peace, security and stability soon," he said. Short link: Around 300 Cambodian garment workers protested the scheduled closure of their factory in Phnom Penh on Wednesday, calling on the countrys Ministry of Labor to help them get compensation still owed them by factory owners pinched by the economic lockdown to fight coronavirus, sources said. Hana1, which employs 800 workers, declared bankruptcy on June 22 and is now set to close, with factory representatives saying the factory cant afford to pay its workers because of financial losses due to the spread of COVID-19. Workers are only asking to receive money and other benefits already promised to them, a Hana1 worker named So Chea told RFAs Khmer Service on July 1. We are facing many difficulties. Our rent is due soon, she said. I have no money now to pay my back debts. Hana1 workers trying to petition in front of the offices of Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen were blocked from approaching the building by police, who then redirected them to the Ministry of Labor. Several hundred workers also protested on Wednesday at the now-shuttered Violet Apparel Cambodia in Phnom Penh, with a worker named Chan Malyna telling RFA that the factory had said only that they would suspend workers for two months. They also promised to pay each worker $30 each month, but the factory closed when the two months had passed, she said, adding that some employees who had worked at the factory for 15 to 20 years now have no money to pay their rent or meet daily expenses. It is disappointing that the Ministry [of Labor] appears to be biased in favor of the factory, she said. Attempts to reach Ministry of Labor spokesman Heng Sour for comment rang unanswered on Wednesday. Recent protests show that Cambodian factories are unable to resolve labor disputes and pay their workers according to the law, said Khun Tharo, a program coordinator at the Center for Alliance of Labor and Human Rights (CENTRAL). These issues are caused by government policy, which is causing workers to lose their benefits, he said. An uncertain future In addition to the economic impact of the coronavirus outbreak, Cambodias key garment industry faces an uncertain future over the European Unions impending suspension of trade preferences for the Southeast Asian nation. The European Union in mid-February announced plans to suspend tariff-free access to its market under the Everything But Arms (EBA) scheme for around one-fifth of Cambodias exports, citing rollbacks on democracy and human rightsa move that would reinstate tariffs on garments and footwear beginning Aug. 12, unless it is overturned by the EUs governments or its parliament. The decision will result in a loss of around U.S. $1.1 billion of the countrys annual U.S. $5.8 billion in exports to the bloc, some 75 percent of which are made up of clothing and textilesa crucial industry in Cambodia that employs one million people. Cambodias Prime Minister Hun Sen has shrugged off the EUs move, but unions have warned that the reinstatement of tariffs on Cambodian exports to the EU could leave 80,000 workers from more than 1,000 garment factories in Cambodia jobless if buyers from the bloc stop placing orders because of increased costs. Garment factory owners have meanwhile urged Cambodias government to postpone annual negotiations on a minimum wage, saying the sector needs to first recover from the devastation of the coronavirus pandemic, while unions seek to downplay the severity of its impact and demand that talks go ahead. Reported by RFAs Khmer Service. Translated by Samean Yun. Written in English by Richard Finney. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo speaks during a news conference at the State Department in Washington, July 1, 2020. The U.S. on Wednesday warned firms to shun supply chains linked to forced labor, mass detention and other abuses against Uyghurs in northwest Chinas Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo urging executives to weigh the reputational, economic, and legal risks of supporting such assaults on human dignity. The advisoryissued jointly by the Departments of State, Treasury, Commerce, and Homeland Securitycautioned that firms with these kinds of supply chain links should be aware they could be assisting in the development of surveillance tools for the Chinese government in the XUAR. They may also be relying on labor or goods sourced in the XUAR, or from factories elsewhere in China implicated in forced labor in the region in their supply chains, it warned, noting the prevalence of forced labor and other labor abuses there. Additionally, firms may be aiding in the construction of the XUARs internment camps, believed to hold up to 1.8 million Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities since April 2017, or of manufacturing facilities in close proximity to the camps operated by businesses accepting subsidies from the Chinese government to subject minority groups to forced labor, the advisory said. The advisory urged firms with potential exposure in their supply chain to entities that engage in rights abuses in the XUAR or that use forced labor from the region to apply appropriate industry due diligence to ensure they are not linked to the violations. Speaking during a press briefing at the Department of State on Wednesday, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called on corporate CEOs to read this notice closely and be aware of the reputational, economic, and legal risks of supporting such assaults on human dignity. He noted that while targeted against ethnic and religious minorities, Chinas use of forced labor is no longer confined to the XUAR and is increasingly taking place throughout the country via government-facilitated arrangements with private sector manufacturers. Pompeo also drew attention to a deeply disturbing report released Monday by German researcher Adrian Zenz which details a ruling-Chinese Communist Party (CCP) policy of forced sterilization and abortions on Uyghurs and other minorities in the XUAR. Zenz, a senior fellow in China Studies at the Washington-based Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation and one of the worlds foremost experts on mass incarcerations in the region, concluded that the policy likely constitutes a government-led campaign of genocide under United Nations definitions. This shocking news is sadly consistent with the CCPs decades-long callous disregard for the sanctity of human life, Pompeo said at Mondays briefing. I call on all nations, womens advocates, religious groups, and human rights organizations to stand up for the Chinese peoples basic human dignity. Call for international support Pompeo pointed to U.S. President Donald Trumps enactment last month of the Uyghur Human Rights Policy Act of 2020 (UHRPA), which passed nearly unanimously through both houses of Congress at the end of May. The legislation highlights arbitrary incarceration, forced labor, and other abuses in the XUAR and provides for sanctions against Chinese officials deemed responsible for them under the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act, although such measures have yet to be taken. The United States has taken the strongest action of any nation in the world to protect the human rights of all Chinese people, including the Uyghur people, and we will continue to do that, the secretary said. He called on U.S. allies in Europe and on majority Muslim nations to also take actions to hold China accountable for its abuses in the XUAR. But Pompeo stepped back from labeling Beijings policies in the region part of a campaign of genocide against the Uyghur people. Well evaluate how we think about the Chinese actions and what we ought to call them, he said, adding that the U.S. is constantly evaluating those actions against the legal norms and standards for the world. In an interview with RFA's Uyghur Service on Wednesday, Department of State spokesperson Morgan Ortagus reinforced Pompeo's call for other countries to join the U.S. in taking steps to hold China accountable for its policies in the XUAR. "What I really think is importantthe next step, what needs to happenis our friends in Europe, our allies, majority Muslim nations, anybody who cares about freedom of religion, anybody who cares about human rightswe welcome the rhetoric, but its time for action," she said. "Its time for these countries to join the United States in holding the officials and holding the companies responsible that do business in Xinjiang or somehow are involved with this repressive campaign." She also welcomed a call yesterday by Julian Braithwaite, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the U.K. Mission to the United Nations in Geneva, for China to allow U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet unfettered access to the region, as well as "any initiatives that would allow for real access in Xinjiang into these camps." "Anything that will open up and show true transparency, that will allow people to understand what is actually happening in Xinjiang, would be something that we would welcome, but what we dont want is just a show," she said. "We want real people to be able to investigate, people with credibility to be able to investigate, and get to the bottom line." In June last year, Beijings envoy invited Bachelet to see for herself what he called education training centers in the region, but the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) suggested to RFA that she would not accept unless given access to the camps on her own terms. In the meantime, Congress may soon debate new legislation which would prohibit imports from the XUAR to the U.S. amid growing evidence that internment camps in the region have increasingly transitioned from political indoctrination to forced labor, with detainees being sent to work in cotton and textile factories. The Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, introduced in March, would block imports from the region unless proof can be shown that they are not linked to forced labor. Reported by Alim Seytoff for RFAs Uyghur Service. Written in English by Joshua Lipes. An election observer declared that "all is very good" when it came to voting at polling station No. 568 in the Russian city of Saransk, with everything well-organized and no violations seen. But eagle-eyed viewers of Mordovian Public Television noticed something amiss while watching the state channels coverage of the nationwide vote on constitutional amendments that open the door to President Vladimir Putin remaining in office until 2036. Ten seconds into a clip of the June 29 news segment posted on the VK page Saransk Wall Of Shame, and just as a correspondent's voice-over talks about the fairness of the process, a blue-gloved hand is seen stuffing multiple ballots into a sealed ballot box. Evidence of the apparent manipulation -- one of numerous incidents in the weeklong nationwide vote that wrapped up on July 1 and was marred by allegations of fraud -- was reportedly quickly removed from the television station's website, but was preserved for posterity on social media. "The Internet remembers everything," Telegram channel Lepra said in posting an edited version of the clip. Analysts said that Putin was eager for a high turnout and a strong "yes" vote in hopes that it would boost the legitimacy of the constitutional change allowing him to seek reelection in 2024 and 2030. Partial returns reported by the Central Election Commission on July 1 showed that the amendments would pass by a large margin according to official results, which Kremlin critics say are suspect. Helping Hand? The Public Chamber of Mordovia, a quasi-government body in the central Russian region 500 kilometers southeast of Moscow where the incident was captured by TV cameras on film, commented on the situation on June 30. The chamber looked into the incident, it wrote, after receiving a citizen's complaint on its hotline. However, it determined that concerns that the video may have shown electoral interference were "unfounded." Based on what it called an analysis by its Situation Center, including a conversation with the woman whose hands were seen putting multiple ballots into the ballot box, the chamber said "it turns out that there was no stuffing, the conclusions were premature." It said that the woman had simply been helping her sick sister, who could not place her ballot in the ballot box on her own, and had requested permission to do so from members of the voting precinct's Election Commission. That explanation suggested that the gloved woman cast two votes -- her own and her sister's -- but the footage appears to show a larger number of ballots being stuffed into the box. All in all, the chamber said, no violations had been detected during the weeklong vote as of June 29. "Let's proceed from the reality that neither on camera, nor off, there can be no ballot stuffing," state news agency RIA Novosti quoted Situation Center member Aleksei Tyurkin as saying on June 30. The Saransk Wall Of Shame, following up on the regional Public Chamber's conclusion, was unconvinced, asking: "If it is not ballot stuffing, then why the hell was the segment urgently removed from the channel's website?" A confrontation is heating up between Tehran and Washington over the possible extension of a five-year arms embargo against Iran that is due to expire in four months. The United States wants to extend the ban -- which was part of the landmark 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers -- indefinitely through a UN Security Council resolution that Tehran is vehemently against. Washington is facing expected resistance from Russia and China, which as permanent UN Security Council members have the power of veto, while European allies have suggested theyre likely to come up with their own compromise resolution amid concerns over the complete collapse of the nuclear accord signed five years ago. The U.S. withdrew from that deal -- which limited Tehrans sensitive nuclear work in exchange for relief from sanctions -- in May 2018 and reimposed harsh measures that have crippled Irans economy. Tehran has reacted by gradually reducing its commitments to the deal curbing its nuclear program and has exceeded prescribed limits on enriched uranium. Virtual UN The clash between the two sides was on display at a June 30 virtual United Nations Security Council meeting addressed by both U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif. Pompeo, who left the meeting before Zarif spoke, warned that lifting the ban on the arms embargo would turn the Islamic republic into a rogue weapons' dealer that would supply arms to conflicts from Venezuela to Syria [and] to the far reaches of Afghanistan. Iran will hold a sword of Damocles over the economic stability of the Middle East, endangering nations like Russia and China that rely on stable energy prices, Pompeo said while calling Iran the worlds most heinous terrorist regime. Zarif began and ended his video statement by quoting former Iranian Prime Minister Mohammad Mossadegh, who was overthrown in a 1953 CIA-orchestrated coup. Accusing the United States of undermining global peace and security, Zarif said the removal of the arms embargo in October is an inseparable part of the nuclear deal. The end of the embargo would allow Iran to buy conventional weapons, potentially from Russia and China, who have consistently supported Tehran politically, financially, and militarily. Washington has argued that while the ban has not prevented all weapon smuggling by Tehran, including to Yemens Huthi rebels, it has limited such behavior by Iran. Nearly all UN ambassadors speaking at the June 30 meeting expressed support for the nuclear accord while criticizing Iran for violating the terms of the deal and for its missile activities. Yet, European countries suggested that theyre not likely to support new restrictions on Iran as sought by the United States. French Ambassador to the UN Nicolas de la Riviere said his country along with Germany and Britain share the concern over the implications of the expiration of the arms embargo while adding that the three countries oppose unilateral proposals leading to the return of sanctions. They would only deepen divisions in the Security Council and beyond and would not be likely to improve the situation on the ground of nuclear nonproliferation, said de la Riviere. Some analysts said the Security Council meeting highlighted U.S. isolation in its attempt to extend the arms ban. Oliver Meier, a senior researcher at the Berlin office of the Institute for Peace Research and Security Policy, told RFE/RL that the next course of action by the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump is difficult to predict. But it seems clear from yesterdays discussions that Europeans have found their voice on the JCPOA and are willing to prevent a misuse of UN procedures by the Trump administration, he added, referring to the 2015 nuclear deal by its abbreviated name. 'Snapback Process' Opponents of the nuclear deal suggested Washington was likely to resort to the so-called snapback of all UN sanctions against Iran, which the United States has threatened to use under a process outlined in the nuclear deal. Thereby making unilateral snapback inevitable; if no fix [for an extension of the weapons ban], it will be nix, Mark Dubowitz, the chief executive of the Foundation for Defense Of Democracies (FDD) and a staunch critic of the nuclear accord, tweeted on June 30. Washington has argued that it has the right to trigger the snapback process under UN Resolution 2231 that enshrined the nuclear deal. If American diplomacy is frustrated by a veto, however, the U.S. retains the right to renew the arms embargo by other means, Brian Hook, U.S. special representative for Iran, wrote in The Wall Street Journal in May. Security Council Resolution 2231 (from 2015) lifted most UN sanctions but also created a legal mechanism for exclusive use by certain nations to snap sanctions back. The arms embargo is one of these sanctions, Hook added. The EU countries party to the accord have warned that they would not support such a decision, which could kill the nuclear deal. Triggering snapback in defiance of the shared calls of other council members to relent would, however, damage the legitimacy of the UNSC. Such a course of action would be a clear indication that the Trump administrations approach is not about limiting arms transfers on Iran but about destroying the JCPOA for good, Meier said. Speaking on June 30, Pompeo said the overwhelming preference for the United States was to work with the Security Council to extend the arms ban. He did not say whether Washington was open to a compromise solution, which Western media have reported European countries are seeking. The Wall Street Journal reported last month, quoting diplomats, that EU countries are pursuing a compromise resolution to constrain the arms trade with Iran to satisfy Washington while preventing a veto by Russia and China. For its part, Iran has warned that it would leave the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) if its nuclear file was referred to the UN Security Council. The landmark treaty, which came into force in 1970, prevents the spread of nuclear weapons and weapons technology. MINSK -- Belarus's Supreme Court has upheld the appeal of a death-row inmate and annulled his sentence in a murder case, a very rare move in the tightly controlled state led by autocratic President Alyaksandr Lukashenka. The court also annulled two other sentences in the case on June 30, and sent it back for further investigation and a retrial. Belarus is the only country in Europe that enforces the death penalty. A court in the central city of Slutsk in early March sentenced 29-year-old Viktar Skrundzik to death, 25-year-old Vital Myatsezh to 22 years in prison, and 33-year-old Valyantsin Bushnin to 18 years in prison, after finding them guilty of murdering two elderly persons, along with further crimes of attempted murder, arson, and robbery. All three pleaded partially guilty and appealed their sentences. Skrundzik insisted at the trial that his initial confession in the crimes had been coerced by investigators. Only Skrundzik was present at the appeal hearing on June 30. He was brought to the courtroom handcuffed and in a special robe for death row convicts that has the letters VMN emblazoned on it. The acronym stands for capital punishment. Skrundzik reiterated his stance, saying that he had confessed to the murders of the two elderly persons -- Mikhail Shuhaley and Uladzimer Harkavets -- under pressure, and stated that in fact he had not killed them. According to Skrundzik, it was Bushnin who killed the two men. Skrundzik added that he feared Bushnin because, according to him, the man had connections in criminal circles. Belarusian human rights activist Andrey Paluda called the court's decision "a historic moment." "A death sentence was canceled, which is very rare.... The whole case will be reinvestigated and that is a big thing, which we hail," Paluda told RFE/RL. For years, the European Union has urged Belarus to join other countries in declaring a moratorium on capital punishment. According to Paluda, aside from Skrundzik, there are four other persons on death row in Belarus. Rights organizations have said that more than 400 people have been sentenced to death in Belarus since it gained independence following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. The global death toll from the coronavirus is over 500,000, with more than 10.5 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. Balkans Austria has issued a travel warning for six Western Balkan countries after several new coronavirus infection clusters in Austria were traced back to the region. The Balkans, which had previously been less affected by outbreaks of the virus than other parts of Europe, have seen a recent increase in infections. The July 1 travel warning refers to Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Montenegro, and Serbia -- but not to EU members Slovenia and Croatia. The move by Austria, which has a large community of people with Balkan roots, is a particular blow for Serbia and Montenegro, which the EU on June 30 added to its "safe list" of countries from which nonessential travel was allowed as of July 1. "I am aware that this decision causes pain to many people," Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg told a news conference. The number of daily new infections has started rising again in Austria, with the number climbing above 100 on June 30 for the first time since April. "We must do everything in our power to prevent a second wave" of infections, Schallenberg added. Those who must travel in the region for urgent reasons must self-quarantine or provide a recent virus test result upon return to Austria. More than 530,000 people among Austria's population of 8.9 million have roots in the former Yugoslavia. With reporting by RFE/RL's Balkan Service, Reuters, and dpa The "illegitimate" presence of U.S. forces in Syria should end immediately, Iranian President Hassan Rohani told Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan in a video conference on July 1 on the situation in the war-torn country. The talks are the first since September in the so-called Astana format, in which the three countries discuss developments in Syria, where the conflict has entered its 10th year. Iran and Russia have been staunch supporters of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, while Turkey has called for his ouster and backed opposition fighters. All three countries have also been fighting against remnants of the Islamic State (IS) group. Following U.S. President Donald Trump's announcement in December 2018 that he ordered the pullout of all 2,000-2,500 U.S. troops operating in Syria, the United States plans to finalize the withdrawal of most of its troops later this year. Rohani insisted there is "no military solution" for Syria but reiterated its "determination" to root out IS remnants. "We continue to support the inter-Syrian dialogue and underline our determination to fight the terrorism of Daesh (the Arabic acronym for the Islamic State), Al-Qaeda, and other related groups." "The Islamic republic believes the only solution to the Syrian crisis is political and not a military solution," Rohani said in a televised opening address. Putin told his counterparts that there was a need for peaceful dialogue between warring sides in Syria, where the conflict has killed more than 380,000 people and displaced millions. Putin also said that hot spots of terrorism still remain in Syria's Idlib and other regions. "I emphasize that the fight against terrorism will continue until it is completely eradicated in Syria and the region in general," he added. After delivering opening statements, the three presidents are expected to discuss Syria in private. Turkey and Russia brokered a March cease-fire in rebel-controlled Idlib Province following a monthslong Russia-backed offensive by Syrian forces that displaced nearly 1 million people and threatened to send a flood of refugees into Turkey. As part of the cease-fire deal, Turkish and Russian troops conduct joint patrols in a buffer zone between rebel fighters and Syrian government forces along a section of the strategic M4 highway, which connects Aleppo to Latakia on the Mediterranean coast. With reporting by AFP and Reuters MOSCOW -- The office of the NO campaign is on the fifth floor of a building on Petrovka Street, up the road from Moscows police headquarters and across from the Prosecutor-Generals Office. A guard manning a turnstile in the lobby notes down the passport details of each visitor. On the morning of July 1, volunteers milled around its sunlit rooms preparing to inspect Moscows polling stations on the final day of a weeklong vote on constitutional changes that will give President Vladimir Putin a chance to rule until 2036, resetting the term limits that previously obliged him to step down in 2024. Along one wall were piles of posters and stickers calling on Russian voters to deprive Putin, who has been president or prime minister since 1999, of that opportunity. Eternal Putin? one read. No. Dont let yourself be deceived. Putins government seemingly pulled out all the stops to get out the vote, revving its vast bureaucracy into high gear to boost turnout and ensure a veneer of legitimacy for a quasi-referendum few saw as free and fair. In Moscow, against a bureaucratic machine with unlimited resources, the small group manning the Petrovka office represents almost the extent of the opposition campaign. The group is affiliated with Open Russia, an organization founded by exiled Kremlin foe Mikhail Khodorkovsky, whose prosecution, and decade in prison on financial-crimes charges he denies, are among the hallmarks of Putins long rule. Russian authorities blacklisted it as an undesirable organization in 2017. On June 25, when voting began, its branches in St. Petersburg and Moscow began handing out the campaign paraphernalia to like-minded visitors, who plastered it around town. Other members of the group have travelled across both cities interviewing people at polling stations and working to compile accurate statistics on turnout and voter preference, distrusting official results in a plebiscite shorn of many of the rules that would normally govern such a vote. Theres an aggressive campaign for the changes, and an unofficial clampdown on any campaign against them, Sergei Vlasov, a campaign coordinator and a legislator for Moscows Pechatniki district. But Vlasov and his fellow activists cannot claim to represent all of Russias opposition, which for years has been divided over key issues, squabbling sometimes bitterly over strategy, tactics, and other matters as the government it seeks to replace works relentlessly to discredit it. Yabloko, a small liberal party, has urged its supporters to vote against Putins constitutional changes, and the Communist Party, which usually toes the Kremlin line, has staged an anodyne campaign against them. But opposition forces that have organized anti-government protests in the past have sent out mixed messages. And the main point of contention is whether people should take part in the vote, or whether its best to dismiss the whole thing as a farce. Aleksei Navalny, Putins most vocal and influential critic in Russia, voiced preference for a boycott of the vote but did not come down hard on either side. In a Twitter post on June 13, he said a messy public discussion of the oppositions strategy ahead of the vote is exactly what the Kremlin wants. Navalnys message was simple. The constitutional changes would pass regardless, and the oppositions main task was to enlighten others about what he and other critics contend was Putins only real goal: adoption of the amendment allowing him to run for two more six-year terms. Explain patiently to everyone around you that the changes have already been approved and their aim is to reset Putins term limits. That destroys the [approval] rating of the usurper and undermines the foundations of his rule, he wrote. Many in the opposition have been unimpressed by Navalnys stance, not least members of the NO campaign, who sought to ensure the highest possible turnout among Russians who are opposed to the changes. Its a question of tactics, said Tatyana Usmanova, a NO campaign coordinator who is employed by Open Russia. Im disappointed that Aleksei [Navalny] has chosen the boycott, because he has a major support base and if they all went and voted no, then that vote would score even higher. Vlasov agrees. He cast it as a moral choice between speaking out by voting against and making a stand by ignoring all political initiatives endorsed by Putin. But he lamented the fact that his opponents had not united around a single course of action. Everyones against the changes, the constitutional overhaul, and most certainly against Putins eternal rule. But theres no consensus over how to act, he said. By the afternoon of July 1, as the vote was drawing to a close, the NO campaign said it had recorded clear majorities among the people it interviewed in Russias two biggest cities against the constitutional overhaul: 51.3 percent in Moscow and 61.3 percent in St. Petersburg. That suggested a stark contrast with partial, preliminary official results pointing to a resounding victory for Putins political project. But many of those volunteers had been emphatically urged by police to vacate the vicinity of polling stations, Vlasov said, and others met indifference or even hostility from voters they approached. NO campaign activists also gathered on Moscows central Pushkin Square in the evening, pressing their case as the hours and minutes ticked toward the end of a vote that has been marred by multiple claims of fraud. In the end, with no illusions about the votes ultimate official outcome, Vlasov said the NO campaign is gearing up to fight another day -- and gradually gathering new supporters disenchanted with Putins rule. I think we win every time were joined by new people who have made conclusions about this system. The size of the political force capable of uniting and working together is constantly growing, he said. A defeat now may well be victory in the long run. Russian investigators have launched a preliminary probe into allegations that two police officers broke a journalist's arm at a polling station in St. Petersburg during a vote to change the constitution. David Frenkel, a reporter and photographer for the independent outlet Mediazona, underwent surgery due to his injury on June 30, Mediazona said. Video of the incident posted on social media shows two police officers tackling Frenkel to the ground. A cracking noise can be heard, followed by Frenkel screaming out in pain. Mediazona said Frenkel had gone to the polling station to check possible violations. It also said an election observer identified as Dmitry Abramov, a former municipal deputy from President Vladimir Putin's United Russia, was involved in the incident. However, the St. Petersburg Public Chamber said Abramov was not an accredited observer, Mediazona reported, raising questions about why he was there. RFE/RL's Russian Service has reported on various voting irregularities and potential fraud, including multiple votes cast, coercion, and attempts to remove observers and journalists. Voting stations opened on June 25 for a week to help avoid crowds during the coronavirus. The last day to vote is July 1. If the constitutional amendments pass, Putin will be able to seek reelection two more times, raising the possibility that he could stay in power until 2036. The 67-year-old Russian leader has already been in power as president or prime minister since 1999. With reporting by AFP, RFE/RL's Russian Service, and Mediazona Two Swedish nationals have been arrested in Iran in a crackdown on an international drugs-trafficking network. "The members of an international narcotics-trafficking network have been arrested and two Swedish nationals are among them," the hard-line Tasnim news agency, which is affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), said on July 1. It said that a huge amount of drugs has been seized by the authorities, including dangerous synthetic narcotics." The report didnt say when the alleged gang members had been arrested and the drugs seized. Iran lies on a major transit route for drugs smuggled from Afghanistan to Europe. Tehran has been accused of arresting Western citizens on trumped-up charges and using them as bargaining chips in negotiations. With reporting by Reuters NUR-SULTAN -- Kazakhstan's government has presented a plan to reintroduce lockdown measures to stem the spread of the coronavirus after a sharp rise in infections. According to the plan, the Central Asian nation's second lockdown would start on July 5 and last for at least 14 days, President Qasym-Zhomart Toqaev tweeted on July 1. Toqaev wrote that Health Minister Aleksei Tsoi will present details of the proposal the next day. The announcement comes a day after Tsoi recommended that authorities introduce a four-week, nationwide lockdown to contain the virus. The spread of the virus intensified in Kazakhstan after a state of emergency declared on March 16 was lifted on May 11 and quarantine restrictions were eased. The Word Health Organization has designated Kazakhstan as having the "rapid" spread of the coronavirus. Kazakh health authorities said on July 1 that the number of coronavirus cases in the country reached 41,065, of which 13,614 people recovered, and 188 died. In neighboring Kyrgyzstan, Prime Minister Kubatbek Boronov said that by the evening of July 1, a total of 1,150 beds for coronavirus patients will be set up at university dormitories and at Bishkeks Manas International Airport. Boronov also said that senior students at medical universities and schools have been mobilized to help tackle the epidemic in the country. The Health Ministry said on July 30 that it has recorded 5,735 coronavirus patients in the country, of which 2,443 people recovered, and 62 died. The government of another Central Asian nation, Tajikistan, said on June 30 that the number of coronavirus cases there reached 5,954, of whom 4,568 people recovered and 52 died. However, an RFE/RL investigative report has revealed that the number of people who died of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, may be almost 440. Tajik health authorities have claimed that the number of cases in the country has been decreasing since June 9, while Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan have said infections were on the rise. Uzbek health authorities said on July 1 that the total number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the country was 8,627, of whom 5,682 people recovered, while 26 patients have died. Turkmenistan remains the only country in the region that has not officially admitted a single coronavirus case, though experts are skeptical of the claim given the lack of transparency and the absence of an independent media in the tightly controlled country. Latvia has banned Russia's RT television channels from being distributed on its territory because of international sanctions against the head of the Russian state TV network, Dmitry Kiselyov. Latvia's media watchdog, the National Electronic Media Council (NEPLP), said it had banned RT's main English-language broadcast service, its Spanish and Arabic counterparts, the RT Documentary channel, as well as the HD versions of the programs. RT has no other stations that broadcast in the Baltic country. "These TV stations have been banned because they are controlled and managed by Dmitry Kiselyov, who is under European Union sanctions for repeated calls to violate Ukraine's democracy and territorial integrity," NEPLP Chairman Ivars Abolins said on June 30. The NEPLP also said RT attempted in its programs to present Latvia, a Baltic state that gained independence after the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, as a failed state. Last year, the NEPLP banned 10 other Russian television channels, including Rossia RTR, for "systematic hate speech and warmongering against Ukraine, including open calls to kill Ukrainian citizens." The NEPLP said in a statement that the decision would be implemented this week. Meanwhile, Kiselyov, a TV commentator known for anti-Western diatribes, said on June 30 that he had never been in charge of RT, which used to be known as Russia Today, and suggested that Latvia should apologize to the channel and cancel the move. Kiselyov has been on the EU sanctions list for his alleged role in promoting Kremlin propaganda in support of Russia's 2014 annexation of Crimea from Ukraine. Kiselyov is the head of the state Rossia Segodnya media group, which focuses mainly on Russian news and official propaganda abroad. The group includes, along with other television channels, RT, radio stations and websites, the Sputnik news service, Prime news agency, and the Inosmi.ru media project. Kiselyov's media group is among the top 10 state-subsidized groups in Russia. It received 20.4 billion rubles (more than $288 million) from the state from 2018 to 2020. With reporting by AP, AFP, and Govorit Moskva PODGORICA -- Montenegro has passed a law allowing same-sex civil partnerships, in a move hailed by President Milo Djukanovic as "a step toward the family of most-developed democracies." Forty-two lawmakers in the 81-seat parliament backed the Law On Same-Sex Partnership, which is to come into force in a year's time. The law grants same-sex couples the same rights as heterosexuals, but without the possibility of adopting children. It was previously rejected by parliament a year ago. The vote in the Balkan country, which seeks to join the European Union, was welcomed by its political leaders and LGBT campaigners as affirming values such as tolerance. The adoption of the law is a confirmation that our society is maturing, accepting and living the differences, Djukanovic posted on Twitter, while Prime Minister Dusko Markovic called it a great step in the right direction for Montenegrin society, its democratic maturity, and integration processes. There can be no room for discrimination based on sexual orientation in European Montenegro, Markovic said. The nongovernmental organization LGBT Forum Progres described the passage of the law as "an immense step forward for Montenegrin society. U.S. Ambassador to Podgorica Judy Rising Reinke also welcomed the historic move, calling it "an important step forward for equality and tolerance for all." The law was backed in parliament by members of the ruling Democratic Party of Socialists and Social Democrats, as well as the opposition Social Democratic Party and an independent deputy. U.S. President Donald Trump should consider imposing new economic sanctions on Russia if reports alleging that Moscow paid the Taliban bounties to kill U.S. troops in Afghanistan are true, Democrats who were briefed on the matter said. House of Representatives Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff (Democrat-California), speaking after the briefing on June 30, added his voice to those saying Trump should weigh action against Moscow. "We should be considering what sanctions are appropriate to further deter Russia's malign activities," he said. Representative Mikie Sherrill (Democrat-New Jersey) a former navy helicopter pilot and Russia policy officer, called the allegations "very concerning." If they are true, she added, "Russia is going to face repercussions." Senate Republicans who attended a separate briefing the day before also said there ought to be consequences for Russia, if the reports are true, but stressed that an ongoing review should take place before any retaliatory actions are taken. Trump has been under mounting pressure over the report, which first appeared in The New York Times based on multiple unidentified sources with knowledge of the matter. The report said the bounty program was in place as U.S. and Taliban negotiators held talks aimed at ending the Afghan conflict. Trump initially said he was not briefed on the matter, with his spokeswoman explaining on June 29 that the intelligence had not been verified and there was no consensus in the intelligence community that the bounty claims were true. But on June 30 White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said Trump was not "personally" briefed and did not address whether Trump had received a written report about the alleged offer of bounties. The New York Times reported that officials gave Trump a written briefing in late February laying out their conclusions, citing two unidentified officials as its sources. Democrats and some Republicans are questioning whether Trump read the written report and, if he did why he had not responded more aggressively. The Times previously reported that the National Security Council held an interagency meeting in late March to discuss possible responses after U.S. intelligence officers and special forces in Afghanistan began raising the alarm as early as January -- but the White House didn't authorize any action. The New York Times reported on June 30 that U.S. officials had intercepted data showing large transfers of money from an account controlled by Russia's military intelligence agency to a Taliban-linked account. It said this was further evidence that a bounty program had been established. The newspaper cited three officials familiar with the intelligence as its sources. Russia and the Taliban have denied the existence of any offer of bounties to kill U.S. troops. The Washington Post reported on June 28 that the bounties are believed to have resulted in the death of several U.S. service members in Afghanistan. The New York Times separately reported that U.S. intelligence officials believe at least one U.S. military death was linked to the alleged payments. With reporting by Reuters and AP Al-Qaeda's regional affiliate in Afghanistan maintains close ties to the Taliban and has an "enduring interest" in attacking U.S. troops, the Pentagon says in a new report. Under a February deal between the Taliban and the United States, the insurgents agreed to stop terrorist groups such as Al-Qaeda from using Afghanistan as a safe haven to plot attacks. But in a report published on July 1, the Department of Defense said Taliban militants have continued to work with Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS). AQIS routinely supports and works with low-level Taliban members in its efforts to undermine the Afghan government, and maintains an enduring interest in attacking US forces and Western targets in the region," the department said in a semiannual security assessment compiled for Congress. Citing Al-Qaeda statements, the report said the groups regional affiliate also assists local Taliban in some attacks. The Pentagon report, titled Enhancing Security And Stability In Afghanistan, said that despite recent progress in the peace process in Afghanistan, AQIS maintains close ties to the Taliban in Afghanistan, likely for protection and training." It said that any "core" Al-Qaeda members still in Afghanistan are focused mainly on survival, and have delegated regional leadership to AQIS. "AQIS's interest in attacking US forces and other Western targets in Afghanistan and the region persists, but continuing coalition [counterterrorism] pressure has reduced AQIS's ability to conduct operations in Afghanistan without the support of the Taliban," according to the report, which covers events during the period between December 1, 2019, to May 31 this year. It comes after a United Nations report released a month ago said that Al-Qaeda and the Taliban "remain close, based on friendship, a history of shared struggle, ideological sympathy, and intermarriage." The UN report added that the Taliban "regularly consulted" with Al-Qaeda during negotiations with the United States and "offered guarantees that it would honor their historical ties." However, U.S. special envoy to Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad downplayed the findings, saying the report largely covered a period before the U.S.-Taliban agreement. The deal is at a critical stage at a time violence in Afghanistan has continued since a three-day cease-fire at the end of May. The Afghan National Security Council said June 30 that, since February, the Taliban had on average staged 44 attacks per day on Afghan security forces. Under the accord, the United States agreed to reduce its forces in Afghanistan from 12,000 troops to 8,600 by mid July. If the rest of the deal goes through, all U.S. and other foreign troops will exit Afghanistan by mid-2021. DUSANBE -- Rights activists and media watchdogs have urged Tajik President Emomali Rahmon to reject proposed legal amendments that they say threaten freedom of speech in the Central Asian nation. Both houses of Tajikistans parliament last month approved amendments to the Code of Administrative Offenses, which now need the president's signature to take effect. The proposed legislation makes it illegal to disseminate false information about the coronavirus pandemic in the media, the Internet, and on social media. Those convicted could face fines and up to 15 days in administrative detention. Civil society and media organizations in Tajikistan and abroad warned the law could be used to prosecute activists and independent journalists. The New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) said in a statement on June 30 that the draft amendments do not specify how the government would determine whether a report is false, giving authorities a clear license" to "expand censorship efforts in the name of fighting the COVID-19 pandemic. CPJ Europe and Central Asia Program Coordinator Gulnoza Said added that Rahmon should not approve the proposed legislative amendments and should stop this crackdown on the press and social media. The head of the National Association of Independent Media in Tajikistan called the amendments a repressive step that will limit freedom of receiving and spreading information. Nuriddin Qarshiboev said the vague phrasing could empower the Tajik authorities to crack down on the press in the run-up to a presidential election scheduled for later this year. Paris-based Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has warned that the vaguely defined legislation could lead to censorship and other violations of press freedom. Individuals found guilty under the proposed measures could be fined 580 to 1,160 somoni ($56-112), and legal entities such as news outlets could be fined 8,700-11,600 somoni ($844-1,124). Tajikistans authoritarian government initially claimed there were no coronavirus cases in the country and 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, 5,900 people have contracted the virus in Tajikistan and over 50 have died. Prosecutors in Russia have appealed the parole granted by a court last week to a Danish member of the Jehovah's Witnesses who has been imprisoned since 2017, his lawyer says. A judge in southwestern Russia paroled Dennis Christensen on June 23 after he served half of a six-year sentence on extremism charges that have been condemned by rights groups in Russia and abroad. Christensen was also ordered to pay a fine of 400,000 rubles ($5,800) in place of serving the rest of his sentence. But his lawyer, Anton Bogdanov, told Human Rights Watch (HRW) on July 1 that the prosecutors office has appealed the grant of parole, arguing Christensen allegedly violated prison rules. Christensen is to remain in custody until a court hearing on the appeal. This is, of course, completely outrageous. But no less outrageous than the original charges against Christensen, the New York-based Human Rights Watch (HRW) said in a statement. Russia banned the Jehovahs Witnesses in 2017 and declared the religious group an extremist organization. According to the denomination, 353 adherents are facing criminal cases in Russia, 34 are imprisoned, and 24 are under house arrest. In June, a court in northwestern Russia sentenced Gennady Shpakovsky to 6 1/2 years in prison -- the longest sentence handed to a Jehovahs Witness so far. Russia has absolutely nothing to gain from the pointless, cruel, and abusive persecution of Jehovahs Witnesses, HRW said, urging the authorities to immediately free Christensen and stop wasting time and resources on these prosecutions. In September 2019, the United States banned two high-ranking regional officers from Russia's Investigative Committee from entering the United States over the alleged torture of seven detainees who are Jehovah's Witnesses. United Nations experts are urging the Belarusian government to abandon its policy of arbitrary arrests, violence, and intimidation against political activists, rights defenders, journalists, and bloggers ahead of a presidential election on August 9. In a statement on July 1, the independent experts said that at least 200 representatives of civil society have been arrested during demonstrations across Belarus since June 18. The peaceful rallies aimed at showing solidarity with nearly 500 other activists detained since May while exercising their right to give and gather signatures for nominating candidates for the upcoming vote, the statement said. The same day, the media-freedom group Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) issued a statement urging Minsk to release all the journalists currently being held and to allow the press to cover the countrys upcoming elections without fear of prosecution. At least six bloggers have been detained since June 15, the group said. In their statement, the UN experts said they strongly condemn the governments continuous policy of mass arrests of members of the civil society who are peacefully exercising their fundamental rights, including the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and freedom of opinion and expression. In particular, they urged the Belarusian authorities to immediately stop cracking down on peaceful protesters, as well as journalists covering the rallies. We are concerned that the approach of the government towards peaceful protesters and journalists trying to perform their work is becoming more and more violent and abusive, the statement said. The latest protests followed the arrest on June 18 of Viktar Babaryka, a potential opponent of President Alyaksandr Lukashenka in the presidential election who is under investigation for alleged financial crimes. It was reported to the UN experts that unidentified men in plainclothes began to arbitrarily arrest journalists and passersby in several towns of Belarus, while anti-riot police used excessive force against peaceful protesters. Many of those detained were beaten, intimidated, ill-treated and either received fines or sentences of up to 15 days of administrative detention on charges of violating the procedure for holding mass events, the statement read. The UN experts include Anais Marin, special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Belarus; Clement Nyaletsossi Voule, special rapporteur on the right to peaceful assembly and association; Mary Lawlor, special rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders; David Kaye, special rapporteur on the freedom of opinion and expression; and Diego Garcia-Sayan, special rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers. LOUDONVILLE -- Did you know that Loudonville was once home to a small convent, located in the former Haskell Academy? In 1971, St. Peter's Catholic Church welcomed Sister Frances Marie and Sister Elizabeth to town. The two Dominican nuns came to Loudonville from Adrian, Michigan, and were sent to assist with the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine classes at St. Peters. They set up home in the former Haskell Academy, across Union Street from the church, and were to soon be joined by a third nun. Sister Frances Marie had previously taught world history, government, and economics at Hoban-Dominican in Cleveland, while Sister Elizabeth had spent the past year as a sacristan at the motherhouse in Adrian. More information on the Cleo Redd Fisher Museum can be found at this link. COLUMBUS -- Ohio Senate President Larry Obhof (R-Medina) applauded the official start of the historic United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), which became effective July 1. USMCA will be particularly important to states like Ohio, said Obhof, whose district includes Richland and Ashland counties. For years we have seen auto manufacturing jobs cut in working-class cities like Mansfield, Lorain, and much more recently, Lordstown. With USMCA we will reverse that trend," he said. Today marks a promise kept to the American people to secure a better deal for our workers and our job creators. USMCA will encourage our agricultural, manufacturing and automotive industries to flourish, protect our intellectual property rights and incentivize investment and growth, Obhof said. This is a historic moment for Ohio and the rest of the Midwest, as our economy recovers from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. I look forward to seeing the promise this agreement holds for American workers," Obhof said. USMCA replaces the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), providing the first major overhaul of these policies in more than two decades. Obhof said USMCA creates a more level playing field for American workers, removes barriers for small businesses, and encourages more goods and materials to be manufactured in the United States. For example, USMCA requires that 75 percent of auto content be made in North America. This encourages both greater investment in U.S. manufacturing, and regional economic growth. USMCA also requires that at least 40-45 percent of auto content be made by workers earning at least $16 per hour. This helps workers in both countries, by raising wages and improving labor conditions in Mexico while removing the wage-based incentive to outsource American jobs. Additionally, USMCA will strengthen the food and agriculture trade between the three countries, the senator said. Ohios agricultural exports to Canada and Mexico are currently valued at $3.6 billion annually and support more than 29,200 Ohio jobs. USMCA will increase this by breaking down non-tariff barriers and opening significant new markets for Ohio agricultural products, Obhof said. The agreement also contains important new protections for U.S. intellectual property. The U.S. International Trade Commission estimates that USMCA will increase the United States' GDP by $68 billion, create approximately 176,000 jobs, including 76,000 jobs in the U.S. automotive industry, Obhof said. MANSFIELD -- Richland County has reported its fifth death attributed to COVID-19, according to county public health Commissioner Sarah Humphrey. The death, reported Tuesday, was an 84-year-old man who did have a pre-existing health condition, according to Humphrey. The man was not living in a nursing home or other long-term care facility when he contracted the novel coronavirus, she said. "The employees of Richland Public Health express our sympathy to his family and friends," RPH health education and communications specialist Reed Richmond said. The death was the second COVID-19 death in Richland County during June. On June 3, RPH reported the death of a 90-year-old man who became ill while living in a nursing home or long-term care facility. The death in early June came on the heels of a May 21 death involving a 79-year-old man who also became ill while living in a long-term care facility. The first death attributed to COVID-19 in Richland County was on April 8, a 55-year-old Mansfield man who contracted the virus while working at the Marion Correctional Institution. As of late Monday afternoon, Richland County had 298 confirmed positive COVID-19 cases with 15 probable cases since the pandemic began. There have been 42 hospitalizations, 17 of which spent time in ICU. Richmond reported 225 people on the cumulative list have recovered. According to the Ohio Dept. of Health website, as of Tuesday at 2 p.m., there have been 48,222 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the state with 2,615 confirmed deaths. ODH reported 7,839 total hospitalizations with 1,994 of those spending time in an ICU. The state also reported another 3,567 probable COVID-19 cases with another 248 probable COVID-19 deaths, following CDC guidelines for identifying coronavirus cases. According to the ODH website, Crawford County has reported 135 positive tests with six deaths. Ashland County had 55 reported cases with one death. Knox County had 39 cases with one death reported. COLUMBUS -- Mansfield Deputy Law Director Christopher Brown is one of a new group of Ohio attorneys who joined the Ohio State Bar Foundation through its honorary 2020 Fellows Program. In his role with the City of Mansfield, Brown enacts and enforces policies and decisions of the citys law director in both a legal and administrative capacity. Brown serves as the American Bar Association Young Lawyers Division District Representative for Ohio and West Virginia and chair of their Government, Military and Public Sector Lawyers Committee. In 2019, he received the OSBFs District 10 Community Service Award for Attorneys 40 and Under. Over the last 18 years, the Foundation has welcomed more than a thousand Fellows to its family, said OSBF President Mark Kitrick. Our Fellows are a diverse group of caring lawyers who have volunteered to help their communities in many excellent ways. "From rural towns to big cities, large firms to sole proprietors, the OSBF Fellows Program brings them together to connect, volunteer, and create their own unique plan to improve the legal system. They work hard and selflessly to make the lives of so many Ohioans easier and more equitable," Kitrick said. Our Fellows put the needs of others first by giving their time and talent to help other Ohioans understand and navigate our legal system, said OSBF Executive Director Lori Keating. As a part of the OSBF, the 2020 Fellows will have the opportunity to volunteer with our grantees, present to students on important law-related topics, and directly contribute to the Foundations grantmaking efforts. A new class of civic-minded attorneys are welcomed into the Foundation each year. All Fellows must be nominated by a peer, or self-nominate, and be a member of the Ohio State Bar Association. All nominees are reviewed by the OSBF Board of Trustees before committing their time and pledging financial support to fuel the Foundations statewide grantmaking program. ONTARIO -- Two people were killed and three seriously injured during a crash on Tuesday afternoon that closed U.S. 30 for about three hours, according to the Mansfield Post of the State Highway Patrol. The accident occurred at 3:55 p.m., just east of Ohio 61, according to the patrol. Troopers said a 2008 silver Pontiac G6, driven by Hailey Thompson, 21, of Mount Gilead, was eastbound on U.S. 30, traveled across the median and into the path of a westbound 2007 red Nissan Versa, driven by Alyssa Pine, 18 of Bloomville. The Nissan was disabled in the road while the Pontiac overturned and came to rest off the right side of the westbound lanes. Both drivers were killed on impact, the patrol said. Three passengers in Pine's car suffered what the patrol described as life-threatening injuries. Kale Herschler, 19, of Bucyrus was flown to Grant Hospital in Columbus while Layne Vanderpool, 18, and Leah Vanderpool, 18, both of New Washington, were transported to OhioHealth Mansfield Hospital, troopers said. Springfield Fire and EMS, Ontario Police Department, Crestline Fire, Crestline Police Department, Crawford County Sheriff's Office, Ohio Department of Transportation, Highway Patrol Commercial Units, Richland and Crawford County Coroner's Offices and Valley Towing all responded and assisted with the crash investigation. Troopers said alcohol and drug use are not suspected in the crash. The crash remains under investigation. The love story has ended after 65 years. With her loving husband by One of my favorite shows, The Good Place, had its series finale last year at the end of its fourth season. I watched every episode through to the end, which neatly buttoned up the storylines in a way that was satisfying and complete, a privilege for shows that get to choose when they end their stories. Yet, the other day, I was delivered a headline on my news app that offered a sneak peek into season five casting, episodes and release date. Surprised, I clicked through, to be met with an article that had clearly been written as clickbait by a robot. There was no season five, of course, because the show was over, which I was certain of before I clicked. Yet, I fell for it for just a few minutes and rewarded the sneaky bot with my click. I have always been a techy person. As a kid, we had computers in our house before most people did, going online years before most of my friends. Im the one in my friend group who always has a new app recommendation and Im the one people turn to for support when they cant figure something out on their phones or computers. But, as technology advances and becomes increasingly capable of natural language processing, automated content creation and deepfakes, were at the beginning of an era when separating truth from fiction is increasingly difficult, nearing impossible. As a digital marketer, its easy for me to answer the question, How are those boots I just looked at following me around the internet? or creepier yet, How does Facebook know that I was just discussing that beauty product with my friend? While most people believe our phones are listening to us (and, who knows, maybe they are), theres a simpler more direct answer to those questions: data. Data has become a bigger industry than oil. The more data a company has on you, the more cultivated they can make the content they deliver to you. When you get more relevant content, youre more likely to engage, and thereby more likely to earn money from advertisers for the platform delivering that information, and spend more money with the advertisers who meet you there. Were consuming content incredibly rapidly, increasingly so each year. The stats on data consumption and creation are staggering. Every minute, Americans use over four million gigabytes of data ranging from Google searches to biometrics to voice commands to tweets. And that data is stored, analyzed, aggregated and sold. Were living in a time when we can be identified by our data, with millions of data points that create a robust profile of exactly who we are and what we care about, who we know, where we go, what we do, anything really. Meet the Author Colleen Cook works full-time as the Director of Operations at Vinyl Marketing in Ashland, where she resides with her husband Mike and three young daughters. She's an insatiable extrovert who enjoys finding reasons to gather people. Were met online by companies who have the technology to not only deliver to us exactly what we want to see or hear, but create that content as well, even if its not true. As rapidly as the platforms try to catch up to fake news, the bots get more human-like and more difficult to discern. When we think about division in our culture over nearly every issue, ranging from human rights to health to politics to religion, both sides find themselves wondering how on earth the other side could possibly believe what they believe. What if were stuck in an echo chamber not of our own design, and we dont even realize it? What if were being inundated with propaganda on both sides of the issue? What if truth is somewhere in the middle? If thats the case, how would we know, and how would we begin to figure it out, without having a productive, honest dialogue based on primary sources and lived experiences? My hope is that we can begin to have an awareness of how information is cultivated for us, delivered to us, and in response we seek out a civil discourse with those with whom we disagree. We read primary sources, we humble ourselves to recognize our firmly held opinions might not be based in fact, just because we read it online. And, beyond all else, we assume positive intent of those around us. Opioid manufacturers, and the individuals charged with managing them, are obligated to ensure the opioid drugs they sell are marketed and distributed honestly, responsibly, and in compliance with the law, he said. Wick Sollers, an attorney with the King & Spalding law firm who is representing Thaxter, said his client was unaware of the alleged misstatements when they were made. In December 2014, United Kingdom-based Reckitt Benckiser Group Plc spun off Chesterfield-based pharmaceutical unit and renamed it Indivior. The global specialty pharmaceutical company, which markets and sells Suboxone and has locations throughout the world, has its corporate headquarters on Midlothian Turnpike. Indivior said in a statement that Thaxters plea agreement is in his personal capacity and not on behalf of the group [company]. As the group has previously noted, it continues to pursue its strategy to resolve outstanding investigations and litigations as expeditiously as possible, and as the matter is ongoing it has no further comment, the company said. They found the treasures of a lost civilization, including the ruins of temples, pieces of pottery, jewelry, coins, lamps and statues such as Hapy and Osiris. These objects are now on view at the VMFA, along with photographs and videos of how the cities were discovered. The exhibit showcases many of the secrets uncovered by the excavations, most notably delving into the mysteries of Osiris, one of the most important gods in ancient Egypt. Ancient Egypt is a civilization that grew up along the Nile in Africa, to either side is desert, Schertz said. The flooding of the Nile was an important annual event and crucial for cultivation. With rainfall almost nonexistent in Egypt, the floods provided the only source of water for crops. The floods were a very important part of Egyptian life and their psyche, Schertz said. The main festival celebrated at the end of the flood season was called the Mysteries of Osiris. Just as theyre sowing a new crop, they want to make Osiris happy, as the god of rebirth and regeneration. Virginia State Police said late Tuesday that they are investigating after a man's body was found by an interstate exit ramp near downtown Richmond. The death does not initially appear to be suspicious in nature, police said. About 3 p.m. Tuesday, state police responded after receiving a report of a man's body near the Exit 76A ramp to Chamberlayne Avenue from northbound Interstate 95. The body was taken to the state medical examiner's office for examination and an autopsy. The man's identity was not immediately released. State police said they were still in the process of notifying his next of kin. Featured video: Cell tower in Hanover destroyed by fire More than 40 clergy and leaders representing dozens of faiths gathered Tuesday at the foot of the Robert E. Lee statue on Monument Avenue to condemn police brutality and racism. The members of the group, called Clergy Action RVA, said they stand firmly on the side of demonstrators who, for more than 30 days, have taken to the streets in Richmond and across the nation following George Floyds killing by Minneapolis police and who often have been met with the very force theyre protesting. We share your outrage. We echo your anger. We stand with you and we pledge to fight alongside of you, yesterday, today and tomorrow, said Rabbi Michael Knopf of Temple Beth-El in Richmond. We therefore have a message for our city and state police: Stop hurting our people. Stop hurting your people. Stop hurting Gods people, he continued, receiving resounding applause and cheers from the crowd, both behind and before him. Violence against nonviolent protesters is immoral. Violence against protesters is unconstitutional. It is an affront to God and an assault on our democracy. Its gone on far too long and we, people of faith and people of conscience, call on heaven and earth as our witness today, that we will not stand for it anymore. 8 p.m.: The statue of Confederate Gen. Stonewall Jackson was hauled away on a flat bed trunk after workers hoisted it off its pedestal overlooking Richmond's Monument Avenue and Arthur Ashe Boulevard. After more than 100 years on Monument Ave., the Stonewall Jackson statue has been removed 5 p.m.: A crowd of an estimated thousand spectators stood in heavy rain Wednesday afternoon and watched as the bronze statue to Stonewall Jackson was removed from the granite base where it stood for more than 100 years. The Stonewall Jackson statue by Richmond sculptor Frederick William Sievers was unveiled Oct. 11, 1919. The statue was removed at around 4:40 in the afternoon after about four hours of work by crews. Hundreds show up to watch Stonewall Jackson statue come down along Monument Avenue 2 p.m.: Hundreds of people gathered at the Stonewall Jackson monument Wednesday about an hour after crews arrived to begin taking down the statue of the Confederate general. After postponing its convention at the start of COVID-19s outbreak in Virginia, the Republican Party of Virginia has set a new date for the assembly. The party announced Tuesday that it will hold an unassembled convention from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Aug. 15, more than three months later than its original May 1-2 date. Party delegates from across the state will be assigned a polling place within the states 11 congressional districts locations that the districts committees will propose and the partys central committee will approve. Delegates will vote for a state chairperson, among other things. That race will be decided by ranked-choice voting, an emerging practice that Virginia lawmakers signed off on for local elections during this years General Assembly session. Candidates for the head of the party and other races will speak to delegates virtually four days before the convention, the party said in a news release. The polling locations will be ratified by July 11, according to the party. The convention had been scheduled for early May at the Greater Richmond Convention Center. Canada Day is exactly what it sounds like: a federal holiday to celebrate the country and show off national pride. When is it? July 1 is Canada Day. How did it start? July 1 commemorates the joining of Canada's original three provinces (Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and the Canada province, which is now Ontario and Quebec) as one nation in 1867. The holiday was previously called Dominion Day, for the Dominion of Canada in the British empire. Why does Canada's flag have a maple leaf? The Canadian land was handed over to Britain after France lost much of it after the French and Indian War in the 1700s. The territory flew the British flag until it was agreed it needed its own flag, so the British flag was minimized to the upper left corner and a crest was added on the right side. However, it was felt another flag was needed to better reflect the country's self-governance. The search became more focused in the 1960s as the country approached its 100th birthday. The maple tree is common in various parts of Canada, and the leaf made for a good symbol because of its bright color and symmetry. We wish Smith a warm welcome. He has seen a lot during his nearly 30 years of service for the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department in North Carolina. As we listened to his opening remarks on Saturday, we heard the right things. He vowed to listen, to bring new ideas, to be accountable for his departments performance and to engage with the public about how to move forward. Were looking at the community being deeply involved in this police department, Smith said. That brings two questions: Whose voices will be heard and what changes will we see? Smiths task, as is true for all civic leaders, is to find ways to balance the divergent needs, interests and opinions within the community. Smiths first task might be listening but his top task is bringing stability and unity to a fragile Richmond. Richmond, KY (40475) Today Cloudy skies early then heavy thunderstorms developing this afternoon. Storms may contain strong gusty winds. High 84F. Winds WSW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 90%.. Tonight Showers and thundershowers this evening, then cloudy with rain likely overnight. Low 57F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%. At the end of each year, the Ripon Commonwealth Press looks back at some of this biggest stories of the year. AMLO confirms his presidential visit to the US Mexico City, Mexico Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said he will soon travel to the United States to meet with President Donald Trump. The United States Ambassador to Mexico, Christopher Landau, has also confirmed the meeting of Presidents Donald Trump and Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador in coming days. In his daily press conference, Lopez Obrador said The main reason is the entry into force of the North American trade agreement. He did not give an exact date for the trip, but said it would not be this week. The Agreement between the United States, Mexico and Canada (USMCA) is a new free trade agreement negotiated by the three member countries that replaces the previous North American Free Trade Agreement signed during the Clinton administration and enters effective this July 1. I will meet with President Trump to celebrate the achievement of this agreement, Lopez Obrador continued. The possible trip to Washington, DC would be Lopez Obradors first trip outside of Mexico since he became president in December 2018. President Trump first raised the possibility of the meeting during a visit to Arizona last Tuesday. Continued rise in Covid-19 infections putting Chetumal at risk, while Interjet suspends flights Chetumal, Q.R. Governor Carlos Joaquin has announced the extended suspension of face-to-face work for the city of Chetumal due to the continued increase in Covid-19 infections. He says that government workers will see the extended suspension of their employment as the city records more infections. He mentioned that there has been a sanitary relaxation by city of Chetumal residents, calling it an irresponsible slow down in the economic recovery. He recalled that since May 10, there has been a continued increase of Covid-19 infections in the state capital, figures that have not decreased which now, puts the economic recovery at risk. Carlos Joaquin explained that the contagion rate in the northern zone (Cancun, Playa del Carmen, Tulum) has generated stability with one person infecting another, while in the southern zone (Mahahual, Chetumal, Bacalar), one person infects more than four. He says that restrictive health measures will be increased and a campaign marking high-risk areas generated. He noted that known high-contagion areas include ATMs, markets, bus stops, combis and taxis, where the law will be applied to sanction those who put others at risk. They crowd in the transport units, the banks, the supermarkets and the commercial squares, they do not use the masks, he pointed out. He also said if necessary, drastic measures will again be imposed, but for now, the government will move forward with the gradual, orderly and responsible reopening as planned. On the same day the governor expressed his concern over rising Covid-19 figures for Chetumal, Interjet suspended its flights between Mexico City and the state capital. The airline, which was offering three flights per week, has suspended all flights into Chetumal until August. Interjet has suspended all Mexico City flights into Chetumal until August due to rise in infections According to executives of the commercial airline, the accelerated increase in Covid-19 cases was a factor in their decision to suspend flights into the city for the month of July. Chetumal travelers are still able to fly with Volaris, who currently offers four flights a week from Chetumal to Mexico City. Government warns of tighter beach surveillance for locals, while allowing privatization for tourists Cancun, Riviera Maya, Q.R. The head of the Federal Commission against Sanitary Risks says that despite the fact public Cancun, Riviera Maya beaches remain closed, there has been an influx of people who irresponsibly expose themselves to the multiplication of infections. Miguel Pino Murillo, head of la Comision Federal contra Riesgos Sanitarios in the state explained that now that thousands of businesses have been health verified for their gradual reopening, he warned that surveillance will be tightened to prevent local access to beaches. The official commented that despite the fact that the beaches and public spaces are closed, dozens of citizens were seen on Cancun, Playa del Carmen and Chetumal shores and public parks. He says it is regrettable and irresponsible on part of these people that these health measures are not respected in the face of the contagions that continue to multiply in cities such as Cancun and Chetumal. For this reason, he warned that there will be new restrictive surveillance to avoid repeating these events, and thus, avoid the increase in state Covid-19 figures. The announcement comes at the same time as the Cancun Hotel Association justified the beach restriction lifting for tourists, but not local residents. People who are either hotel guests or who pay a hotel for a day pass, can access the federal public beach areas. Simon Levy-Dabbah, the previous Undersecretary of Planning and Tourism Policy of Mexico, has rejected the privatization and urged his former dependency to intervene after Roberto Cintron Gomez, president of the Cancun Hotel Association, defended the current beach closures to locals while they remain open to tourists since the beaches are the reason (they come) to the city. What is that about wanting to defend tourism when there is no tourism today and thus prevent Mexicans from using the beaches? Stop stirring atole with your finger. Silence is simulation. The tourism policy of @SECTUR_mx is mandate is to serve Mexicans, not hoteliers. On social media, Simon Levy stressed that the beaches of Mexico belong to all Mexicans. He added that the hotel association will not be allowed to decide on the beaches, since they are not owners of the country. He also called on Sectur to serve the country and not only the interests of hotels. During the 1700s, farmers were planting vast fields of barley to meet the demand. Brewers steeped the barley in water until it began to sprout, releasing fermentable sugars. The grains were cracked by hand and boiled, resulting in a substance that resembled oatmeal. It was poured into a barrel that had been sawed in half and the sweet liquid could be separated and boiled with hops. After it cooled, yeast was added so fermentation could begin. Most beers were brewed with dark grains, and warm-fermenting ale yeast was pitched. When the Continental Congress convened in Philadelphia in 1774, representatives became enamored of a porter brewed locally by one Robert Hare. Hare had arrived in the city the previous year and desired to make a brew as good as an English one. The colonists were furious with King George and had no desire to purchase English goods. Hares porter earned a reputation as the best in Philadelphia and was so popular that John Adams wrote to his wife, I drink no Cyder, but feast upon Phyladelphia Beer, and Porter. A Gentleman, one Mr. Hare, has lately set up in this City a Manufactory of Porter as good as any that comes from London. George Washington liked Hares porter so much that he had it shipped to his home in Mount Vernon as well as his locations on the front during the Revolutionary War. BLACKSBURG Virginia Tech is seeking a refund for more than $60,000 worth of COVID-19 antibody tests it purchased from Chembio Diagnostic Systems in late April. The Food and Drug Administration recalled the test on June 16 due to performance concerns with the accuracy of the test, according to a release put out by the agency. The tests were designed to detect antibodies indicating a persons exposure to the coronavirus. Chembios product was one of the first antibody tests authorized by the FDA, but further testing conducted on the kits found they generated a higher than expected rate of false results. The FDA website lists more than 40 COVID-related tests that should be removed from the market. The Schiffert Health Center purchased 100 kits from the New York-based Chembio each kit included 20 individual tests at $600 apiece. It also purchased two micro readers to process the tests at $799 each. Mark Owczarski, Virginia Techs assistant vice president of university relations, declined to say if the tests were intended for faculty, staff or students Tech wanted to have them on hand should the need arise but he did confirm that none were used before being recalled. The family drug court did not continue after Long was appointed to the circuit bench, but in 2014, he set up a drug court in Pulaski County, followed a year later by another in Floyd County. These were the first in the region. Other judges followed with drug courts in Montgomery and Giles counties and in Radford. Usually two-year programs, drug courts can set aside a defendants charges if they complete treatment, hold a job and meet other requirements. Judges usually meet with participants monthly. There are frequent drug tests. It is not an easy regimen, Long said. Long said he found it inspiring that many drug court participants were able to turn their lives around. The effects ripple out to families, friends and co-workers of the couple dozen or so people who are in a drug court at any one time, he said. Retirement In 2018, Long began saying he was thinking about stepping down sometimes offering in the midst of a hearing that he had been a judge for many years and did not plan to continue. But in 2019, Long told legislators he wanted to be reappointed. Last week, Long said he changed his mind after others in the court system urged him to stay and because he wanted to begin a mental health court along the lines of the drug courts. The plaintiffs argued that under the law, a protest can only be an unlawful assembly if there are acts of unlawful force or violence, which they argue were not present that night at City Hall. As a result, they say, the police violated the protesters constitutional rights to speech, assembly and protest and chilled the future use of free speech. Snukals, however, wrote that the injunction sought by the ACLU, if granted, would require the court to dictate crowd control measures to police and other measures that would unnecessarily burden police and jeopardize public safety. On the other hand, the judge wrote, plaintiffs have the option in the future to protest without unlawful force, without blocking roadways, and without disrupting or jeopardizing public peace and order. Claire Guthrie Gastanaga, executive director of the ACLU of Virginia, said Tuesday that the case will go forward and possibly to trial to get a final ruling on whether police are acting in compliance with the state law on unlawful assembly. The standards for winning such an emergency ruling are high, and Snukals decided the ACLU did not meet them, she said. RICHMOND Mayor Levar Stoney wants to remove the city-owned Confederate monuments on Monument Avenue immediately for public safety, he said at an 11 a.m. special City Council meeting. "My administration is ready to make this happen," Stoney said, asking Richmond City Council to endorse a resolution to remove the statues. The state law granting the city control of the statues took effect today. In the meeting streamed online, Stoney made his case that the city does not have to leave the statues on their pedestals while they go through the process laid out by state law. City Attorney Haskell Brown said the resolution Stoney is asking the council to vote on was not publicly noticed for the special meeting, so the council is not allowed to vote on it without some procedural maneuvers. Brown said his office got a copy of the resolution 23 minutes before the meeting started and has not had a chance to review or approve its legality. Stoney said his resolution falls under "monument removal," which was listed on the agenda for the special meeting. Brown says the council cannot vote on the paper today, in his view. Authorities said Tuesday that the University of Virginia has agreed to pay $1 million to settle claims that it did not properly account for some rebates and credits it received on purchases made in connection with federal grants and awards. According to a statement from the U.S. attorneys office, universities can spend money from federal awards to buy materials for use in meeting the obligations of the award. Details were not initially available Tuesday, but the settlement states that some rebates and discounts obtained on purchases by the university from 2009 to 2017 were not accounted for in reducing charges against awarded funds. Federal regulations require that rebates and discounts obtained when making these purchases must be accounted for and subtracted from claims made by a university against Federal Award funds. The United States ... contends that rebates and discounts obtained on certain purchases by UVa during the 2009 to 2017 time frame were not accounted for in reducing charges against Federal Award funding, states the settlement. UVa spokesman Brian Coy said the university was pleased to have resolved the matter with the federal government. My purpose in writing is to inform those who may not be aware of the historical relevance of the Lee Monument. Here are some considerations if we remove the Lee Monument from downtown Roanoke as Robin Barnhill advocates in her Roanoke Times article of June 6 titled Time to Change Roanokes Lee Memorials; a very well-written article and accurate in its portrayal of how many towns across the country are now engaged in trying to remove Confederate monuments. According to the Virginia Flaggers there are more than 1,100 statues in Virginia alone, which honor the fallen, valiant warriors and leaders. Why do we need to engage removal in Roanoke? What Barnhill may not realize is that many of these statues and shrines were allowed to be erected by donors as conciliatory efforts by the local governments toward the defeated South. By Susan Swecker Swecker is the chairwoman of the Democratic Party of Virginia. Theres nothing I love more than going to political rallies. Seeing old friends, dressing up, and hearing from our partys leaders can be a wonderful and energizing experience. Ill never forget our national convention in 2016 when an arena full of tens of thousands of Democrats made Hillary Clinton the first female nominee for President of a major party in history. But when our country started closing down to prevent the spread of COVID-19, we knew the rallies and conventions Virginia Democrats had planned for this year would have to look different. So our staff got to work transforming our state convention normally an all-day rally for thousands of people in Richmond into a virtual event that we held recently over the course of three days. It just so happened that at the same time as our convention Donald Trump decided to hold his first in-person campaign rally since the pandemic broke out in the U.S., an event that was largely deemed a flop. As much as Donald Trump would like his supporters to believe that COVID-19 is a hoax, Americans are rightfully worried about getting sick. Thats why the Tulsa arena he spoke in was mostly empty, and the campaign had to dismantle the overflow section outside because nobody showed up. Rocky Mount, NC (27804) Today Mainly sunny. High 93F. Winds WSW at 10 to 15 mph.. Tonight Mainly clear. Low 76F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph. A research team from Rhodes University and the Port Elizabeth Museum has discovered a new species and genus of snake, and have named them in honour of two reptile scientists (herpetologists) from the Eastern Cape. Psammophylax is the genus (similar to your surname) name of widespread African snakes commonly referred to as skaapstekers or sheepstabbers. They are so named for the erroneous belief that they commonly bite and kill sheep. The spotted skaapsteker, Psammophylax rhombeatus, is the most southerly distributed species of the genus, and is one of the most commonly encountered snakes in the Eastern Cape, and more specifically, East London. Past studies focused on these snakes and their relatives, relied on only one representative from each species of Psammophylax. More recently, a group of herpetologists, led by PhD candidate Chad Keates, conducted one of the most thorough genetic studies of the genus to date. Their research focused on the evolutionary history of the group and used both genetics and head structure to delve into the relationships among the species. The samples used in the study were sourced from all over Africa, with groups such as the Okavango Wilderness Project (National Geographic) being essential to the acquisition of several samples that were difficult to obtain. Increased sampling in east Africa resulted in the recovery of a new species of skaapsteker from Tanzania. Mumbai: Superstar Aamir Khan on Wednesday said his mother has tested negative for Covid-19, a day after some of his staff members were found to be coronavirus positive. Aamir KhanThe 55-year-old actor and his family members had tested negative for Covid-19 but his mother's test was awaited. "Hello everyone, I am most relieved to inform everyone that Ammi is Covid-19 negative. Thank you everyone for your prayers and good wishes," Aamir tweeted. Aamir Khan tweetOn Tuesday, the actor released a statement and said after members of his staff tested positive, they were immediately quarantined. The actor also thanked the doctors and nurses at Kokilaben Hospital for taking care of his family and staff during the testing process. Chandigarh: Razia Sultana, Water Supply and Sanitation Minister today handed over appointment letters to 43 candidates for regular job in the department on compassionate grounds in a function organized in her office at Punjab Civil Secretariat. Disclosing this, official spokesperson of the department said that among the candidates who were given the appointment letters, 7 were of Group C and 36 belonged to Group D category. Photo The Minister congratulated the newly appointed officials and encouraged them to work with full sincerity and dedication. She said that though the loss of the deceased employees could not be compensated but by giving regular appointment to the dependents of the deceased employees the government has fulfilled its promise of providing respectable means of livelihood to the dependents. Punjab governmentShe expressed hope that these newly inducted officials would live up to the expectation of the government with their hard work and honesty towards work. Prominent amongst those present at the occasion included Jaspreet Talwar, Principal Secretary of Water Supply and Sanitation Department, Amit Talwar, HoD, Karamjit Singh Deputy Director (Admin.) and other senior officers of the department. Chandigarh: Amid a clarion call by Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh to send out a strong message of protest to the Centre on the anti-farmer and anti-federal Ordinances and its proposed amendments to the Electricity Amendment Act, leaders of major Kisan Unions of Punjab on Wednesday unanimously passed a resolution urging the Government of India to reconsider and withdraw the same. Participating in a Video Conference meeting convened by the Chief Minister, the Unions said the recently promulgated Ordinances and the proposed Amendments to the Electricity Act, 2003, are perceived as being strongly anti-farmer. Capt Amarinder SinghThese Ordinances and the proposed Amendment are also a direct attack on the federal fabric of the country and, therefore, must be withdrawn, they said, in a unanimous resolution passed at the end of the meeting. Underlining the need to protect Punjab and its farming needs, Captain Amarinder earlier asserted that we all must unitedly stand together notwithstanding our political affiliations. He said he was fully prepared to take any steps necessary to protect the interests of the state and its farmers, as he had done over the SYL water sharing issue. The Chief Minister lashed out at the Centre for undermining the contribution of the farmers and the soldiers, pointing out that they had clearly forgotten the Kisan in the `Jai Jawan Jai Kisan slogans that had reverberated through the country when Punjabs farmers made India self-sufficient. With other states also now producing food grains, the central government seemed to have decided not just to ignore but actually destroy the interests of Punjabs farmers, majority of whom were small, he added. Capt Amarinder SinghCharging the Union Government with trying to take away all powers from the states, the Chief Minister earlier said we should raise a united voice to send a strong message to Delhi that we will not allow this to happen. Everyone, even children, could see through the designs of the central government, which clearly wanted to ruin Punjab, and even withdraw free power to the farmers. Citing the escalating fuel price hike, the Chief Minister said the Congress Working Committee (CWC) had already passed a resolution demanding withdrawal of the hike, which was also designed to cause problems for people, including farmers. The Chief Minister assured the Union representatives that he was ready to make any sacrifices needed to protect the farmers from these anti-farmer and anti-state ordinances, which were a blatant attack on the federal structure of the Indian Constitution and a clear precursor to withdrawal of MSP, in the light of the Shanta Kumar Committees recommendation to disband the FCI. Apart from causing Punjabs Mandi Board and Rural Development Board losses to the tune of Rs 3900 crore per annum, the Ordinances were designed to destroy Indias self-sufficiency in food grains, which the states farmers had given to the country at great cost to its only natural resource the water, he said. Charging the Akalis with double standards, Captain Amarinder said even without their support, the state, along with the Kisan Unions, would unitedly fight the Centres move to ruin the agriculture sector while destroying the federal character as enshrined in the Constitution. Capt Amarinder Singh He said he would try to get chief ministers of other states on board to put up a united fight against the Union Government on this issue. On a suggestion from PPCC president Sunil Jakhar, the Chief Minister said he would get the proposal of challenging the Ordinances in court legally examined. The Chief Minister warned against trusting the Union Government on the issue of continuation of MSP, saying that notwithstanding the Agriculture Ministers claim that it would not end, one could not believe them. It is our responsibility to save Punjabs future, he said, questioning the need for the Centre to tinker with the tried and tested marketing system in Punjab. The Chief Minister assured the farmers representatives that he was ready to make any sacrifices needed to protect the farmers from these anti-farmer and anti-state ordinances, which were a blatant attack on the federal structure of the Indian Constitution and a clear precursor to withdrawal of MSP, in the light of the Shanta Kumar Committees recommendation to disband the FCI. Apart from causing Punjabs Mandir Board and Rural Development Board losses to the tune of Rs 3900 crore, the Ordinances were designed to destroy Indias self-sufficiency in food grains, which the states farmers had given to the country at great cost to its only natural resource the water, he said. Capt Amarinder SinghIn response to suggestions from various Kisan Union leaders, Captain Amarinder said he would certainly get the issue discussed in the Vidhan Sabha. Earlier, Jakhar quipped that the Ordinances amounted to punishment for Punjab for making the country `atmanirbhar in food grains. Recalling Captain Amarinders role in leading from the front on the issue of SYL canal construction, he said the farmers were once again looking up to him to fight for their cause. The meeting saw the Kisan Unions demanding the resignation of SADs Harsimrat Kaur Badal from the Union Cabinet, citing the Akalis failure to protect the states interests to further their own political ambitions. The SAD had completely sacrificed the interests of the farmers to their political masters the BJP, with whom they were hand in glove on the issue, they felt. All political parties should rise above the petty politics and fight together if any results are to be achieved and the state is to be protected from annihilation of its interests, they added. Punjab governmentAll the Unions were of the unanimous view that the Ordinances, which would lead to severe exploitation of the beleaguered farmers at the hands of the corporates, had to be stopped as the state could ill-afford to leave its farmers at the mercy of traders. Several of the representatives were in favour of convening a special session of the Vidhan Sabha to pass a resolution against the Ordinances. They also lambasted the Union Government for infringing on the states rights. Bhupinder Singh Mann, national president of Bharti Kissan Union (Mann Group) said his organisation was fully with the state government in the fight against these Ordinances, and said Captain Amarinder might need to join the farmers again in their protest dharnas, as he had done in his last tenure as Chief Minister. The latter responded by saying I am willing to go any time but reminded them that their fight was against the Centre and not the state, and hence they should not resort to any drastic measures like blocking roads or stopping trains as that would create problems for Punjab. Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee (Piddi Group) president Satnam Singh Pannu termed the Ordinances as pro traders and corporates, and pointed to the recent statement of Union Minister Nitkin Gadkari that produce was available at cheaper prices internationally, clearly indicating that the Government of India was in the mood to withdraw from the procurement process. Bharti Kissan Union (Rajewal) president Balbir Singh Rajewal said the Ordinances had not come in a day and the recommendations of the Shanta Kumar committee suggested that the Centres intentions were not good from the outset. The Electricity Amendment Bill was also aimed at taking away the states rights, he added. Punjab governmentAccusing the BJP of backtracking from its promise to implement the Swaminathan Committee report, General Secretary Bharti Kissan Union (Lakhowal) Harinder Singh Lakhowal said the Centre could not be trusted on their promise to continue MSP and procurement. The Union Government was out to ruin Punjab, he said, pointing out that the Mandi system had worked flawlessly for the welfare of farmers. State General Secretary, Bharti Kissan Union (Dakaunda), Jagmohan Singh said the Ordinances amounted to a triple murder by the central government and said even SAD had sacrificed its agenda of federalism to promote its political interests. Lashing out at the Akalis, Bharti Kissan Union (Ekta-Ugrahan) president Joginder Singh Ugrahan said the they had joined hands with the BJP in selling everything to the corporates. Vice President, Bharti Kissan Union (Sidhupur), Mehar Singh urged the Chief Minister to continue leading from the front and promised full support of his organisation. He suggested constitution of a joint committee to fight the Ordinances. Bharti Kissan Union (Krantikari) president Surjit Singh Phul said there was no doubt that the Ordinances were aimed at destroying Punjab and its farmers. He also lashed out at the central government for trying to usurp the states powers and benefit private power producers through the Electricity Amendment Bill. General Secretary, Jamhoori Kissan Sabha Comrade Kulwant Singh Sandhu, and National President, All India Kissan Sabha (CPI) Bhupinder Singh Sambar, were also vocal in their criticism of the Ordinances, and extended their full support to the Captain Amarinder government on the issue. Earlier, Chief Secretary Vini Mahajan initiated the proceedings of the video conference meeting with the representatives of various Kisan Unions. Additional Chief Secretary (Development) Anirudh Tiwari gave a detailed presentation on the adverse implications of the Ordinances on Punjab and its farmers. Rutland, VT (05701) Today Mostly sunny early then increasing clouds with heavy thunderstorms this afternoon. A few storms may be severe. High 89F. Winds S at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 80%.. Tonight Thunderstorms early, then variable clouds overnight with still a chance of showers. Low 62F. Winds SSW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 70%. Former Congress Chief Rahul Gandhi Former Congress Chief Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday assured the nurses working as the frontline fighters against the COVID-19 pandemic that he will take up their issues with the government. He told them that he will write on their behalf to the government to compensate the families of the nurses who died while performing their duties. As part of the series of interactions, Rahul Gandhi held a conversation with nurses on the Doctor's day. While interacting with the former Congress Chief, Vipin Krishnan, a nurse working at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Delhi, who along with his wife have been infected with corona, informed him that two nurses in the national capital died due to Covid pandemic. "Rahul ji I would like to bring something to your attention. Two nurses have died in Delhi, they were from South India. However, they are yet to receive the compensation of Rs one crore announced by the Delhi government," Krishnan told the Congress MP from Kerala's Wayanad. Krishnan further said that the government should do something for them. "I want to bring this to your notice since you are the opposition leader," he said. Responding to the AIIMS staff, Rahul Gandhi said, "I'll write a letter and see if we can expedite that." Krishnan to a question of the Rahul Gandhi over the condition of the medical facilities in Delhi and India said, "I would like to highlight some statistics. We have 1.2 million registered allopathic doctors in India. We have around 3.7 million registered nurses in India. When we are coming to the ratio, it is 1:1500 for doctors and 1.7:1000 nurses in India. The WHO recommended ratio is 1:1000 doctors and 3:1000 nurses when coming to the recommendations of the WHO. "Running short in the scenario of human resources, but still we are fighting hard. But in our country, the scenario is entirely different. There is a sea of difference between government hospitals and private hospitals in India," Krishnan said. To this Rahul Gandhi asked Krishnan, what difference does he see. Krishnan said, "When we look into the private sector, there is a lot of discrimination. Private nurses are saying that their salaries are being cut. How will they care for their families during this pandemic? In such a situation, I think the government must help them and pay their entire salaries." Rahul Gandhi also asked about testing not being allowed in many hospitals in Delhi to which the AIIMS nurse said, "This is indeed a sad state of affairs. I want to inform you about some statistics. On May 27, the infection rate in Delhi was 13.7 per cent we were doing 7,000 tests per day. By June 12-13, our infection rate had crossed 30 per cent and we are doing under 5,000 tests per day. "This is surprising given that our deaths and infection rates are increasing, but we have reduced testing. I don't understand what is happening," Krishnan said. The Congress leader then said that a doctor from a private hospital had told him that it becomes impossible for them to work if they cannot test Covid-19 patients. Slamming the government, Rahul Gandhi said, "I think a little bit is that the governments are trying to manage the perception, they are trying to give a sense that the problem is not as bad as it is. "But I believe that we have to face the problem, so we should accept the problem, define the problem accurately and then fight the problem. I don't know how you react to that," he said. To this the AIIMS staffer said, "You are absolutely correct. We have a pandemic situation and AIIMS Director (Randeep Guleria) has said that we will peak in June-mid July. "Even the Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has stated that they are expecting 5.5 lakh cases. We are having 10,000 beds in Delhi. Can you imagine the depth of the situation where 5.5 lakh people are coming, of course they won't come at the same time, but average one lakh patients a day. I can't imagine the depth of the situation. What will he do?" Krishnan questioned. In earlier interactions, Rahul Gandhi had conversations with former RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan, Nobel Laureate Abhijeet Banerji, epidemiologist Johan Geseicke and industrialist Rajiv Bajaj. This Feb 2010 photo provided by the Kunstmuseum Gehrke-Remund shows a licensed replica of the missing, original painting by Mexican artist Frida Kahlo, titled "La Mesa Herida" in an unknown location. The whereabouts of the original 1940 painting, which disappeared more than six decades ago in Poland, will remain one of the great mysteries of contemporary art. Historians and scholars of the Mexican artist strongly reject the claim that the original is in a London warehouse, waiting for a buyer to spend more than 40 million euros on it. (Kunstmuseum Gehrke-Remund via AP) Weather Alert ...Scattered Strong to Severe Thunderstorms Expected This Afternoon and Early This Evening Across the North Country... A very unstable air mass will lead to strong to severe thunderstorm development across northern New York and Vermont this afternoon. Thunderstorms are expected to begin across Saint Lawrence County and the northern Adirondacks between 1 and 3 pm. Thereafter, storms will move eastward across the Champlain Valley between 3 and 6 pm, and across central and eastern Vermont between 5 and 8 pm. Thunderstorm activity will be widespread today. Damaging winds will be the primary threat associated with these thunderstorms. Large hail is also possible, in addition to brief torrential rainfall and dangerous cloud to ground lightning. If you have outdoor plans this afternoon into early this evening, keep a close eye on forecasts and warnings. Have a plan to move to a sturdy shelter if threatening weather approaches your location. Amid ongoing tension with China at the borders, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will be visiting the eastern Ladakh region to interact with soldiers deployed there. The minister would be flying from Delhi to Leh on Friday and would also interact with the soldiers injured during the barbaric attack carried out by Chinese People's Liberation Army on June 15. In the attack, India lost 20 soldiers and Chinese Army too had casualties, but their figures are still unknown. Sources said that Rajnath Singh may visit forward locations where Indian troops are deployed. Reacting to the killing of Indian soldiers, the Defence Minister had stated that the loss of soldiers in Galwan Valley is "deeply disturbing and painful". He said that Indian soldiers displayed exemplary courage and valour in the line of duty and sacrificed their lives in the highest traditions of the Indian Army. "The nation will never forget their bravery and sacrifice. My heart goes out to the families of the fallen soldiers," he had said. On June 22, Rajnath Singh went to Russia for three days to attend the Victory Day Parade at Red Square in Moscow to commemorate the 75th anniversary of Soviet Russia's victory in the "Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945" (Second World War), and also discuss about ongoing defence deals. He had said that the India-Russia bilateral relationship is a special and privileged strategic partnership, the future of which remains strong. Singh reviewed the bilateral defence relationship in a meeting with Russia's Deputy Prime Minister Yury Borisov. Russia had assured India that ongoing defence contracts will not be just maintained but in a number of cases, will be taken forward in a shorter time. India and Russia have inked defence deals worth $16 billion. Moscow has stated that they are committed to the timely implementation of contracts, including the supply of S-400 air defence systems and production of Kalashnikov rifles and Kamov helicopters. India and Russia signed the S-400 deal worth more than $5 billion in 2018 and the missile systems are currently due in December 2021. After more than 30 years of churning out gourmet sausages from around the world, T&H Prime Meats and Sausage will be closing its doors on East Mission Road on Saturday. But its owner vows to return. Dave Krohn, who bought the business in 2014, said his lease on the property expired in November but the landlord gave him a few extra months to find a new location. Unfortunately, finding a commercial kitchen that meets his needs has been harder than expected and he ultimately ran out of time. Ive probably looked at 50 places over the past eight months and couldnt find anything that met the zoning and special requirements placed on us by the state, county and city, Krohn said. Im negotiating for a place right now but even if were able to move there it will be six months at least before we can get it open. Krohn said that the old-fashioned, white-walled butcher shop has operated in the lot at 735 E. Mission Road for 40 years. It started out as a grocery store, then was renamed TLC Meats, and eventually T&H Meats. Advertisement Over the years, the aging, red-roofed structure across the street from Mission Hills High School hadnt kept up with code and zoning requirements. Krohn said his landlord may need to bulldoze the building if it proves too expensive to repair. T&H Prime Meats and Sausage employee Nick Rodrigues prepares Moroccan lamb sausages at the butcher shop in San Marcos in 2015. (Don Boomer / U-T File ) Krohn said hes been telling his customers about the impending closure and is planning to update progress on a new store via email and the stores Facebook page (facebook.com/tandhsausage/). Hes negotiating for space in a building at 1355 Grand Ave. in San Marcos, but isnt certain that it will meet the strict code and zoning requirements for working with raw meat. Because of the uncertainty about the future, Krohn said he will have to let go his longtime staff to seek jobs elsewhere. But all of them including butcher Armando Salazar, who has been at the shop for 40 years have promised to return when T&H reopens. On Friday morning, the shops meat case and freezers were still chock full of the one-of-a-kind products that have brought T&H more than 50 awards over the years. A 25 percent off sale, and buy-one-get-one-sausage deal is under way through 5 p.m. Saturday to clear out the existing inventory. Shopper Dorothy Young of Vista was shocked on Friday morning to learn about the impending closure when she showed up at 9:30 a.m. to buy her favorite product, the Moroccan spiced lamb sausage she uses in her homemade lentil soup. She stocked up on the product to tide her over until the business finds a new home. I really like their sausage. Its not like the packaged sausage you see at other stores. Its really hard to find lamb and theirs is very good quality and so flavorful, she said. The Moroccan lamb sausage is one of more than 40 sausage varieties sold at the store. Other top sellers include the cherry bomb, chicken pesto, hot Italian, Swedish potato, pork apple, bratwurst, turkey apricot, spicy Cajun and sweet onion. Advertisement The sausages were the creation of the shops former owner, Jacob Kappeler, who ran the shop for 20-plus years before selling it to Krohn in 2014 so he could retire to Washington state. Born in Switzerland, Kappeler studied meat and sausage-making in Europe. When he emigrated to the U.S. in the 1960s, he brought along dozens of old-world sausage recipes, including one that dates to the 1600s. Krohn is a former Camp Pendleton Marine who served two tours in Iraq, including time in Fallujah in 2004. He was a culinary school graduate working at a high-end D.C. restaurant when the Pentagon was hit on 9/11. After four years in the Marine Corps, Krohn returned to the culinary world. He said hes heartbroken to close the store but hopes his customers will come back when he reopens. Advertisement Its been a really hard time but we will be back, he said. Its just going to take a while. Advertisement pam.kragen@sduniontribune.com A top-drawer resort proposed for a seaside Del Mar blufftop would obscure the ocean views of hundreds of nearby homeowners, Solana Beach City Council members said this week. The council voted unanimously Wednesday night to send Del Mar a letter opposing any zone change that would allow the Del Mar Resorts four-story buildings to be built on the triangular 16.5-acre site that overlooks Dog Beach and the mouth of the San Dieguito River. The property at the northern border of Del Mar has two large family residences on it, and is zoned for two-story estates. About one-third of the site is vacant and undeveloped. People purchased their homes many years ago overlooking this property, knowing it was zoned for estate homes, Solana Beach Councilwoman Lesa Heebner said Wednesday during the councils discussion of the proposed resort. Their views will be completely obliterated. Advertisement Instead of the 26-foot height limit allowed for estate homes, the developer is asking the Del Mar City Council to approve a 46-foot maximum. Roof-top solar panels, air-conditioning equipment and elevator shafts would be allowed to extend above the limit. The layout of the proposed Del Mar Resort. (Courtesy rendering) While the resort site is in Del Mar, the only access would be from Border Avenue in Solana Beach. Traffic from the avenue would flow onto Highway 101 and Via de la Valle. Del Mar officials have spoken highly of the project and said they will work with their neighbors to resolve any issues as they come up. Solana Beach has no authority over the project because the site is entirely in the neighboring city. Our authority is limited, but our role is going to be very engaged, said Solana Beach Mayor David Zito, before the council approved the letter. Solana Beach council members and residents have said that while Del Mar would get the benefit of the tax revenue from the resort, Solana Beach would get the downside additional traffic, no tax revenue and a new burden on public infrastructure. Weve had an outpouring of opposition from residents, said Councilman Peter Zahn, who participated in the meeting by telephone. The proposed project is over the top, literally. The current zoning should stay in place. Advertisement Water is another concern for Solana Beach residents, who are served by the Santa Fe Irrigation District. The water district also serves Rancho Santa Fe and Fairbanks Ranch, with a total population of about 20,000 residents, and includes the site of the proposed resort. About 30 percent of the districts water comes from the Lake Hodges reservoir at a fraction of what other customers in the county pay for imported water, water district Director Andy Meshek told the city council. If a large new customer such as the resort is added, the district would have to buy more imported water and the rates could go up for everyone. Zephyr Partners and the Robert Green Company, both based in Encinitas, are working together to develop the resort. Zephyr is about to begin construction of a mixture of restaurants, retail, office and residential buildings recently approved for a site on Highway 101 at Dahlia Drive in Solana Beach, and has built other residential and commercial projects throughout San Diego County. The Robert Green Company built the upscale Pendry Hotel that opened last year in downtown San Diego. Advertisement Zephyr CEO Brad Termini and other members of the development team told the Solana Beach council Wednesday that they want to work with the city to create a resort that appeals to everyone. This resort will provide public access to property that has been gated off for 100 years, Termini said. The site is a combination of seven parcels owned by three local families. It is above a four-acre nature preserve at the south end of the bluff that the city purchased with money donated by newspaper publisher James Scripps, who died in 1986. The resort will set new standards for sustainability, using solar power and battery storage to achieve net zero energy consumption, Termini said. Native, drought-tolerant landscaping will be planted, and no disposable plastics will be used. Advertisement Restaurants and shops in the Cedros District of Solana Beach will benefit from new customers, he said. Given our proximity our guests will leave on their electric bikes and spend their dollars in downtown Solana Beach, Termini said. Traffic will not be a problem because the hotels guests will come and go steadily throughout the day and not at morning or evening rush hours, he said. Also, the developer will finance nearby street improvements that will reduce congestion to below the present levels. All of the structures will be built far enough from the bluffs to be safe from erosion in the foreseeable future, Termini said. Advertisement We are highly concerned about climate change and sea-level rise, he said, and a portion of the resorts revenue will be dedicated in perpetuity to sand replenishment on the nearby beach.. Solana Beach council members were skeptical about some of Terminis claims. Only Del Mar will get the resorts sand replenishment, not Solana Beach, said Councilwoman Jewel Edson, and many Solana Beach residents east of Highway 101 will lose 100 percent of their ocean views. Several Solana Beach residents spoke in favor of the resort, including Rachel Van Betten, who said she lives on Acacia Avenue a few blocks north of the site. Advertisement I look forward to a high-end resort within walking distance, Van Betten said, adding that Zephyr is committed to building beautiful, thoughtful projects and that the developer supports local schools and the community. Current plans for the resort call for a 251-room hotel, 76 homes, an 11-room inn, retail shops, restaurants, and 15 affordable rental units, with parking underground on the site. It will include a public stairway to the beach and trails around the property with a connection to the Coast to Crest Trail that follows the San Dieguito River. The project requires a number of approvals from Del Mar, the state Coastal Commission and other agencies before construction can begin. The Del Mar Planning Commission and the Santa Fe Irrigation District board of directors are scheduled to discuss the project next week. Advertisement Advertisement philip.diehl@sduniontribune.com Twitter: @phildiehl Spain and Portugal's prime ministers on Wednesday officially reopened their joint border to all travelers after a three-month closure to prevent the spread of coronavirus. In the presence of Spain's King Felipe and Portugal's President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and his Portuguese counterpart Antonio Costa, solemnly opened the border. All other travel restrictions within the European Union were lifted last week. "Our shared prosperity and common destiny within the European project depend on this border being open," Costa tweeted earlier on Wednesday. "The pandemic offered us a new vision of the past we do not want to come back to: a continent with closed borders." Short link: Delhi Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal and Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday condoled the demise of Delhi Police Inspector Sanjeev Kumar Yadav due to COVID-19. The deceased was battling the disease for more than 10 days in Max Hospital and succumbed last night. Yadav was posted under Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Special Cell was decorated with the Medal for gallantry recently. Baijal tweeted: "Extremely saddened at the death of Insp Sanjeev Kumar Yadav in the line of duty fighting COVID-19." A great warrior, recipient of Police Medal for gallantry, he brought laurels for the Delhi Police, Baijal added. "His untimely demise is irreplaceable loss for the organization. My deepest condolences!" Extremely saddened at the death of Insp Sanjeev Kumar Yadav in the line of duty fighting COVID-19.A great warrior, recipient of Police Medal for gallantry, he brought laurels for @DelhiPolice. His untimely demise is irreplaceable loss for the organization My deepest condolences! LG Delhi (@LtGovDelhi) July 1, 2020 Kejriwal said: "A very brave policeman and recipient of Police Medal. His death is a great loss to the Delhi Police." Independence Day (July 4) falls on Saturday in 2020. It is a time to celebrate the nation achieving its freedom, and many retailers choose to mark the event by holding special sales. However, others opt to close their door on the holiday, giving their entire workforce a day off. If you were thinking about taking advantage of some of the 4th of July discounts, you might be wondering, What retail stores are open on 4th of July 2020? If so, heres what you need to know. These Retail Stores Are Open on the 4th of July 2020 Walmart On July 4, 2020, Walmart stores are open. In fact, the only day that Walmart closes is on Christmas Day. Along with being a great option for last-second Independence Day needs, Walmart also typically has a large sale. You may find discounts on popular summer items, including barbecue grills and patio furniture, as well as foods that are ideal for a cookout. Get a $10 Costco Shop Card Sams Club Like Walmart, Sams Club welcomes shoppers on the 4th of July. Youll find discounts on many seasonal items as well as foods that are perfect for a BBQ. Target Target is open on Independence Day. You can head to your local store to handle your normal shopping needs or to take advantage of sale prices on many popular seasonal items. Home Depot You can head to Home Depot on July 4 and take care of your shopping needs. The retailer is open per its usual operating schedule on Independence Day, and also hosts a sale brimming with discounts on select seasonal items and outdoor equipment. Lowes Lowes stores do open their doors on the 4th of July. Not to be outdone by Home Depot, the retailer also holds a sale, marking down prices on certain outdoor and other seasonal items. Drug Stores Drug stores like Walgreens, Rite Aid, and CVS are open and following their usual Saturday schedules. Like many other retailers, seasonal items and foods may be discounted to celebrate the holiday. Other Retailers Here is a list of some other retail stores that will likely open on Independence Day: JC Penney Macys Dillards Belks Marshalls Kmart Sears BJs Wholesale Best Buy Retail Stores Closed on the 4th of July Costco Essentially the only major retailer that doesnt open for the holiday, Costco deviates from the norm. However, that doesnt mean you can find some great discounts on helpful summer items, including barbecue grills, party supplies, and food. Just make sure you head to Costco no later than July 3 if you need something for an Independence Day celebration. Trader Joes If you want to pick up some groceries on Independence Day, you wont be able to do that at Trader Joes. While the retailer did open on July 4, 2019, though closed at 5:00 pm, which is earlier than usual, it didnt go that route this year. Trader Joes decided not to open on Saturday, July 4, 2020. Retail Store Closures Due to COVID-19 Its important to note that certain retail locations that may traditionally be open on Independence Day might be closed on July 4, 2020. Local and state rules regarding operations during the COVID-19 pandemic vary. This could prevent some store locations from opening or may limit their ability to serve customers, such as by restricting them to delivery or curbside pickup. Additionally, the COVID-19 situation is fairly fluid. Rules can change at the last minute, depending on whether an area experiences a surge in infection rates or if decreases occur. Its wise to review your local news to stay apprised of any shifts in policy, as they can occur quickly and without much notice. Before you head to a store on the 4th of July in 2020, you may want to check to see if yours is impacted by coronavirus-oriented rules. That way, you dont accidentally waste a trip if it turns out they arent allowed to open at this time. Do you know which retail stores are open on 4th of July 2020? If so, which stores do you plan on hitting? Share your thoughts in the comments below. Give the gift of savings! Learn more Read More: If you enjoy reading our blog posts and would like to try your hand at blogging, we have good news for you; you can do exactly that on Saving Advice. Just click here to get started. If you want to be able to customize your blog on your own domain and need hosting service, we recommend trying BlueHost. They offer powerful hosting services for $3.95/month! Reader Interactions What did you think about this article? (No Ratings Yet) (No Ratings Yet) Loading... Loading... Spiders -- what are they good for? The answer, it turns out, is more than just insect control. Spider silk is useful for a variety of biomedical applications. It exhibits mechanical properties superior to synthetic fibers for tissue engineering, and it is not toxic or harmful to living cells. One unexpected application for spider silk is its use in the creation of biocompatible lenses for biological imaging applications. A team of researchers from Tamkang University and National Yang-Ming University in Taiwan describes the feasibility of creating lenses capitalizing on the properties of natural spider silk material in the Journal of Applied Physics, from AIP Publishing. A spider can spin several different types of silks, each with different properties and functions. To create the spokes of their web, spiders use a type of silk known as dragline silk. "Dragline silk is an interesting natural material because of its significant features, such as high elasticity, great toughness and large tensile strength," said Cheng-Yang Liu, one of the authors on the study and a professor at National Yang-Ming University. Compared to its weight, the strength of dragline silk is greater than steel. The authors collected smooth, uniform dragline silk from Pholcus phalangioides spiders, commonly known as daddy longlegs, and dripped a resin onto the silk fiber. As the resin condensed on the fiber, the wetting properties of the silk naturally formed it into a dome shape, which they found could be used as an optical lens. The mechanical and optical properties of the silk also make it ideal for supporting the lens. When they shined a laser onto the lens, it generated a high-quality photonic nanojet -- a type of beam that can provide large-area, super-resolution imaging for biomedical applications. By tuning the length of time the silk spends under the resin drip, the size of the dome lens can be changed, allowing the photonic nanojets to be optimized for the desired type of imaging. "The dome lens with flexible photonic nanojets is suitable for imaging the nanoscale objectives in different depths within biological tissue," Liu said. After additional testing, the researchers hope this type of spider silk-based lens can be used to deliver light for biological imaging and operation. Through the years they have expanded their vineyard holdings and have increased their portfolio of wines. With Joan passing away in 2002 from pancreatic cancer and Koerner passing in 2018 the helm has been passed to the third generation of family. Even today, 40 years later, the family continues to grow the legacy by striving to be better stewards of their land through sustainability. From water conservation, fish-friendly practices and solar power accounting for 70% of their usage, Rombauer Vineyards moves forward with their foundation firmly planted in proud family heritage. As the day progresses and we look to throw something that had parents on our now glowing grill, we switch to the hardiness and valor of our red stripes. Although many different grapes were grown long before the success of California wines, the initial grape that catapulted America onto the international wine radar was Cabernet Sauvignon. Although Nick Goldschmidt hails from New Zealand, he truly is a student of the world when it comes to making wine. Getting his formal education in both New Zealand and Australia, he then went on to make wine in New Zealand, Australia, South America and California; finally settling on Healdsburg in Sonoma as his home. DeLong has been a member of the Rotary Club for seven years in October. She said when she was hired as the executive director of the United Way her board suggested she join a civic club, and she chose Rotary. I joined for the camaraderie, first and foremost, she said. I like the idea of the community projects and getting to see everyone every week. I take a lot from Rotary. DeLong said the award says to her that she is valued as a member of the club. I am honored, she said I would never have expected this. I never think I do enough. DeLong was honored earlier in the year for her service to the community with the Rotary Clubs Citizen of the Year award, which was announced in January during the Greater Hartsville Chamber of Commerce 99th annual meeting. During that event, Saverance said, She puts her entire heart and soul into her work every single day, and the thousands of families she has impacted during her time at the United Way would no doubt say the sameThe impact she has had on this community could never be measured, and Hartsville is a better place from having her working, living and contributing here. Grant is 76 years old. She was born Sept. 30, 1941. I told them I wouldnt stay until Im 80, she said. I think it is time to take is easy, Grant said she loved her job. The best part was I worked alone a lot, Grant said. I dont have to have a crowd around me. I did enjoy when people in the community came in. I liked that I didnt have a lot of pressure on me. I didnt have a lot of demands. I worked seven days a week for more than 50 years. In 2016, I started staying home on Saturdays. Grant said the worst part of the job was that it was very confining. She said there were board meetings and auxiliary events that she made herself available for that required additional hours. Because I didnt have anyone at home it was easy for me to work long hours, she said. Grant said she never married and never had any children. Its a job I never dreaded to come to work, and I never got tired of it. Grant also worked with the church preschool. She taught for a number of years and then became the supervisor. Support Local Journalism Your subscription makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}} Now Snoop the brave appointee scout (Snoop is his undercover codename), went tiptoeing upstairs to see what was going on. Snoop was not gone long and returned demanding that there be an emergency meeting with President Cicada and his advisers to report his findings. He appeared pale and shaken up. After calming himself down, Snoop began to tell the story. There is some crazy things going on up there he says. Snoop, start at the beginning, demanded President Cicada, and dont leave anything out. Well he says, as he composes himself, people are out of work and schools are closed. Businesses are fading and malls are struggling. There is no longer any such thing as dinner and a movie. Restaurants are failing and those that are open have only half the tables available. If you want to see a movie, you get it from something called Netflix. And listen to this, they got no toilet paper! People act like they are scared of each other and instead of kissing and hugging, they are bumping elbows and standing 6 feet apart. They got a bug up there that I never heard of. This thing is more destructive than we ever thought of being. This bug calls itself COVID-19 and it is invisible. People are terrified and are wearing masks to hide from it. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday reiterated that the situation in the capital city is now under control and not adverse as it was a month ago but warned that there is no room for complacency as the coronavirus is unpredictable. Addressing a press conference, Kejriwal asserted that the situation is in-check due to increase in number of beds, testing, recovery rate and decrease in the death rate due to the coronavirus. "The situation is under control and not as adverse as it was a month ago. This is due to our concerted efforts," he said, asking people to follow the social distancing norms and wear masks religiously. He added, "Situation is improving in Delhi in the last few days. However, there is no room for complacency. This virus is unpredictable. We must continue our efforts with more vigour." The Chief Minister, however, hinted that the situation predicted by his government a month ago did not turn out to be accurate. "We had predicted that by June 30, there will be one lakh total cases and sixty thousand active cases, but now there are only 26,000 active cases, almost one-third. With the help of people, doctor, nurses, we have now controlled the situation," he added. Last month, he had projected an exponential growth in the city's COVID cases. "We would hit one lakh cases and would require 15,000 beds by June 30," he had warned. "There was fear. We have now arranged 15,000 beds in Delhi, but there are only 5,800 people admitted right now. One month ago, there were only 8,500 beds. The number of COVID-19 patients is decreasing," Kejriwal added. The 51-year-old leader further said that the recovery rate is also improving. One month ago, 38 per cent had recovered which has now improved to 68 per cent, he said. He went on to say that the daily cases have also come down. "On June 23, the city recorded 4,000 new cases and yesterday only 2,200 tested positive." Kejriwal asserted that the death rate has decreased while testing has increased drastically. "Earlier out of 100 people who were tested, 31 used to be found positive. Now, when we test 100 people, we find only 13 people positive," he added. Meanwhile, India recorded a spike of 18,653 cases in the last 24 hours, pushing the total tally of Covid-19 cases to 5,85,493, with the number of fatalities mounting to 17,400, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said on Wednesday. Delhi Police on Wednesday detained scores of AAP leaders and workers after they staged a protest outside the BJP headquarters against the incessant hike in fuel prices. A senior Delhi Police officer told IANS, "They have not been arrested. They have been detained and brought to Rajendra Nagar police station." The Police said that at least 40-50 workers have been detained. Adil Ahmad Khan, Chairman of the Agriculture Produce Marketing Committee, took to the micro-blogging website and said that party workers have been detained. "AAP workers protesting peacefully outside the BJP headquarters against the spike in diesel and petrol prices have been detained. For the last half an hour, the police are not telling where they are taking us," Khan said. Holding placards, AAP workers took to streets in many parts of the country, including in Rajasthan, Haryana and Delhi on Wednesday morning, to protest against the spike in fuel prices. In Delhi, the protest was led by AAP leader Gopal Rai. "In the international market, the price of crude oil has come down to $40 per barrel, but the Modi government has not reduced the prices of petrol and diesel. Industries and common people are facing difficulty amid the coronavirus pandemic," said Gopal Rai. Auckland -- (SBWIRE) -- 07/01/2020 -- Bubble Access has proudly announced that it is introducing an all-new and technologically advanced solution to fight the ongoing global pandemic of COVID-19. The New Zealand based company has recently introduced a contactless facial recognition and temperature scanner. This device acts as all in one scanner, for business, home, and places of worship. Moreover, Bubble Access has recently launched a crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter to raise funds and support for this project, and the company is welcoming generous pledges and donations from around the world. ""The Bubble Access Scanner is cost effective building border control, and we are proudly introducing it with a wide range of features and benefits to help people stay safe and secure." Said Nigel Broomhall of Bubble Access, while introducing this project to the Kickstarter community. Following are some of the most amazing features of this amazing new scanner: Displays highly accurate body temperature Features a German temperature scanner 3 year warranty 2MP Binocular Facial Scanner Scanner works with or without a mask RFID Card Reader 8-inch Full Screen Delivery Guaranteed And much more The Kickstarter Campaign is located on the web at: www.kickstarter.com/projects/bubbleaccessteam/affordable-building-access-protection and all funds raised through this Kickstarter campaign will play a major role in the production of this scanner. Moreover, the goal of this Kickstarter campaign is to raise a sum of NZ$ 50,000, and Bubble Access is offering a wide range of rewards for the backers with worldwide shipping. Furthermore, more details are available on the Kickstarter campaign page of the project. About The Bubble Access Scanner The Bubble Access Scanner is one of the most useful inventions of the modern world. In these tough times of global pandemic, having an affordable and safe scanner that can not only detect body temperature, but also scans a face with or without a mask is a major accomplishment. The New Zealand based company is currently raising funds for this project on Kickstarter, and it is welcoming generous support. Contact: Contact Person: Nigel Broomhall Company: Bubble Access City: Auckland Country: New Zealand Phone: 006421448107 Email: nigel@chargesmart.co.nz Website: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/bubbleaccessteam/affordable-building-access-protection For more coverage, visit our complete coronavirus section here. Nordstrom has reduced its workforce, including corporate operations at its Seattle headquarters, by thousands amid the economic decline of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Seattle Times reported that the retailer cut 6,000 jobs nationwide in June, despite the company announcing that 378 of their stores including retail locations in Washington such as the downtown flagship store had reopened. It is unclear how many of the layoffs were store staff and how many were related to corporate operations. Earlier in May, Nordstrom announced that it was shuttering 16 locations permanently due to the pandemic. The closures were estimated to make up 14% of the company's 116 full-line stores. The closures and layoffs come after Nordstrom saw net sales decrease by 40% in the first quarter of the year amid the pandemic which has devastated luxury and fashion apparel retailers across the country. A company spokesperson confirmed that salaries for executives had been reduced, and prominent company board members such as CEO Erik Nordstrom would not be receiving pay for a portion of the year. Nordstrom is not the only American clothing brand struggling to survive the pandemic. J. Crew announced that it was filing for bankruptcy in May, and other major department stores that rely on store-based retail, such as Sears and JCPenney, are under similar crushing debt. Neiman Marcus, the 112-year-old storied luxury department store chain, also filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in May, becoming the first major department store chain to declare bankruptcy due to the COVID-19 pandemic. RELATED: The Seattle Police Department cleared out the CHOP zone Wednesday morning on Capitol Hill in an effort to reclaim the East Precinct after an emergency order from Mayor Jenny Durkan declared the occupied protest an "unlawful assembly." Police arrived shortly after 5 a.m. to vacate the area following the order. Heavy police presence appeared to have moved people out of the area. Converge Media's Omari Salisbury reported that the police had secured the perimeter of the East Precinct from protesters. Bike officers created a perimeter around the precinct from East Pike Street to 12th Avenue. City officials appeared to be clearing tents from around the perimeter of the precinct. SPD confirmed via Twitter 44 arrests had been made for failure to disperse, resisting arrest and assault. One of the arrestees was carrying a kitchen knife and metal pipe, according to SPD. An improvised spike strip made of a wooden board and nails was also recovered. Police Chief Carmen Best told reporters on the scene SPD had been inside of the East Precinct to assess the damage, and that the department intended to "start operations [in the East Precinct] as soon as we reasonably can." "Today, Mayor Jenny Durkan issued a 48-hour public safety emergency order to vacate the East Precinct/Cal Anderson area. Seattle police will be in the area this morning enforcing the Mayors order," Best said in a statement. Throughout the morning, small groups of protesters stood opposite police lines at intersections throughout Capitol Hill. Some protesters were asking officers questions, others were chanting. David Lewis, who has been a consistent voice in the anti-racism protests on Capitol Hill told SeattlePI later in the morning around the zone, "One thing we can promise is that this is not the end, that this is just a new beginning. We will not stop until there is change." Derrek Jones said he woke up in his tent Wednesday morning and heard "frantic panicking." "That was literally how I woke up within the first five minutes, watching everyone around me trampled and stormed around, trying not to be a victim of police brutality," he said. He's been out in the area protesting since earlier this month. Later Wednesday, he pointed beyond the line of cops, saying he has all of his property inside the now blocked off zone. He emphasized "knowledge is king" and said people must listen and learn. The city also cleared a large homeless encampment that grew in Cal Anderson over the past few weeks. The city said outreach workers had been offering services to people living unsheltered in the weeks before. On Wednesday morning, many tents remained in the park after police cleared people out of the area. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended against clearing homeless encampments during the novel coronavirus pandemic, as it can "cause people to disperse throughout the community and break connections with service providers." Lewis said throughout the past few weeks, people living in the area unsheltered have become a part of the community in CHOP. "We understand that is one of our primary duties so as we regroup we're trying to find a place for them as well," he said. The Bellevue Police Department assisted SPD with the removal orders. Seattle Human Services confirmed that it was on the scene as well. Durkan said during a news conference Wednesday afternoon the shootings and conditions in the protest zone required the city to go in to address public safety concerns. "Despite continued efforts to deescalate and bring community together, this violence demanded action," she said. She also said she was committed to addressing systemic racism, investing in Black communities and young people and in rethinking and remaining policing. Durkan has received criticism from protesters and some elected officials after proposing just a 5% budget cut to SPD as part of an effort to rebalance the budget due to the novel coronavirus pandemic. Protesters for weeks have been demanding SPD's budget by slashed by 50%. The order to vacate comes one day after Seattle Parks closed Cal Anderson for "damage assessment" and removed waste. Seattle Department of Transportation crews also removed barricades from the protest zone, and protesters attempted to replace the barricades with large items like couches. The order ends a three week long protest in the area after the killing of George Floyd. There have been four shootings in the occupied protest area, and two deaths. The area became a flashpoint early on in the protests after SPD claimed it had threats to bomb or burn down the building, including one from the FBI. An op-ed in The Stranger from Seattle City Councilmember Lisa Herbold said that Best told her the threat was not specific to the East Precinct, "rather, it appears to have been a generalized assessment of threat to 'police and government structures' in Portland, San Francisco, and Seattle." This is a breaking news story that will be updated as more information is available. Press Release July 1, 2020 Pia's Sustainable Cities Bill draws support from DepEd, DILG, DHSUD Key government agencies have thrown their support behind Senator Pia S. Cayetano's proposal to transform the country's urban centers into sustainable communities that are better equipped for all kinds of future scenarios, including global health pandemics and major disasters. The Senate Committee on Urban Planning, Housing, and Resettlement conducted a hearing on Wednesday (July 1) to discuss, among others, Cayetano's Senate Bill No. (SBN) 65 or the 'Sustainable Cities & Communities Act.' Filed last year, the bill seeks to support local governments in transforming their respective localities into sustainable communities. This will be undertaken by ensuring public access to basic social services, renewable energy sources, efficient waste management systems, and reliable mass transportation. "Studies show that survival (of the people) really lies on the sustainability of their community," Cayetano pointed out. "When I drafted this bill, a pandemic was not in my mind, but our targets of our SDGs. Now, it is very clear that another pandemic could be looming in the future. [Thus, the need to set up sustainable cities] so they could cope with all possible future scenarios," added the senator. The Chair of the Senate Committee on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Innovation, and Futures Thinking, Cayetano said the proposal forms part of the country's commitments to the United Nations' (UN) SDGs agenda, particularly Goal 11, which seeks to make cities and human settlements "inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable" by 2030. Urban Planning Committee Chair Sen. Francis Tolentino said Cayetano's bill is "very timely," especially since COVID-19 has highlighted the need for policy and infrastructural reforms to address the "mounting problems in our urban sustainability programs." "Sustainability transcends this contagion. And we must look for solutions... More than ever, we have to review and recalibrate our approach on urban development," Tolentino stressed, citing data estimating more than half of the world's population will live in urban centers by the year 2050. Tolentino also suggested that education and the right to adequate housing be included as key targets in creating sustainable cities and communities under the bill. Meanwhile, Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) Secretary Eduardo Del Rosario said SBN 65 will further enable the agency to assist and give guidance to different cities and municipalities in crafting their respective land use and development plans. "The (DHSUD) fully supports Senate Bill No. 65... [It] will further support the efforts of the national government... in fine tuning and strengthening the crafting of the Comprehensive Land Use Plans (CLUP) of all municipalities and cities nationwide," Del Rosario stated. Department of Education (DepEd) Undersecretary Tonisito Umali said the agency "completely agrees" with the objectives of SBN 65, and how education will fit in the model for sustainable cities and communities, as articulated in the bill's provisions. Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Undersecretary Ricojudge Echiverri also said SBN 65 will further promote local autonomy and community empowerment, which is one of the agency's mandates. "The department has been implementing programs and projects to promote sustainable communities at the local level. Thus, we manifest nothing but support for this measure," Usec. Echiverri said. Press Release July 1, 2020 Dispatch from Crame No. 831: Sen. Leila M. de Lima's Statement on the Dismissal of the Case Against Teacher Ronnel Mas The dismissal of the charges against Zambales teacher Ronnel Mas is certainly a breath of fresh air, coming as it does from a judiciary that has mostly upheld the autocrat's side in legal challenges to the Duterte administration's legal offensive on the opposition and ordinary citizens who dare to express their opinions against Duterte. It was a battle won in a fight that is still going to take long before it ends. This is the fight for human rights, democracy, free speech, and independence from a Chinese puppet government. As the dictator's term nears its end two years from today, we hope to see more acts of judicial independence like the one exhibited by Judge Richard Paradeza of the Regional Trial Court of Olongapo City. It must have been a very difficult decision for him, not because of the complexity of the legal issue involved, but because the offended party was none other than the dictator himself. It was clear from the very start that Mas was illegally arrested. What was not so clear was if there remains a judge in the Philippines who would dare to uphold the rule of law at the cost of his own career, or maybe even of his own personal security. I salute him for his courage to stare down at tyranny and injustice and his dedication to uphold the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. It is not easy to go against a strongman who is in complete control of the State's apparatus for violence. I personally know this as I was Duterte's very first example and object lesson on what happens to those who oppose him and his murdering ways. For this I continue to languish in jail well into the last two years of his term as President, still with no clear and credible evidence of my culpability in the trumped-up charges the DOJ under then SOJ Aguirre has filed against me. But for me there is still hope, as Judge Paradeza has demonstrated that I can still expect justice, no matter how remotely, under the reign of the dictator, so long as there are men and women of the judiciary, who will live up to their lawyer's oath not to give aid or consent to any groundless, false or unlawful suit. God help our judges in these times of injustice, when rendering justice for others can result to the infliction of injustice on themselves. (Access the handwritten version of Dispatch from Crame No. 831, here: https://issuu.com/senatorleilam.delima/docs/dispatch_831) About 11,751 people were found to be experiencing homelessness in King County during the 2020 Point-in-Time count, representing about a 5% increase from last year. According to the report released Wednesday, 6,173 people or 53% of people counted were sheltered and 5,578 people were living unsheltered. The count, required by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, represents a snapshot of homelessness on a given night, but experts have said it is imprecise and likely an undercount of the true scope of homelessness. "As a region, we have worked hard to create more 24/7 shelters that are connected to onsite services to help people regain health and stability," King County Executive Dow Constantine said in a news release. "Looking ahead, we must continue to strengthen our response to homelessness beyond merely a place to sleep, but also providing the safety, dignity, and supports people need to build permanent pathways out of homelessness. That work must also ensure that we serve Black, indigenous and other communities of color who are disproportionately represented in the homeless population. We must always do better." The report found 35% of people were living in emergency shelters and 18% were in transitional housing. About 10% of people were living in tents or unsanctioned encampments and just 1% were living in sanctioned encampments or villages. More than 20% of people counted were living in vehicles, according to the report. The most common self-reported answer for homelessness was the loss of a job, followed by alcohol or drug use, mental health issues and being unable to afford a rent increase. In 2019, the Point-in-Time count reported 11,199 people were experiencing homelessness, representing the first decrease in 2012. The previous year in 2018, more than 12,000 people were found to be experiencing homelessness, according to the report. This year, in Seattle specifically, both the number of individuals living sheltered and unsheltered rose. The report found 4,428 people in Seattle were living sheltered and 3,738 were living unsheltered. This year's report also showed families with children experiencing homelessness increased, from 2,451 in 2019 to 3,743 the first increase in the past four years. The 3,743 adults and children experiencing homelessness represented 1,190 families, according to the report. There was also significant rise in the percentage of families living unsheltered, from 3% over the past three years to 29% this year and an increase in the number of people experiencing chronic homelessness, from 2,213 in 2019 to 3,355 in 2020. Mayor Jenny Durkan said, despite the increase this year, the city continues to serve the most vulnerable people in the community. "While the City of Seattle makes record investments in prevention and serving individuals experiencing homelessness, the Point-in-Time report continues to highlight the disproportional impacts of homelessness on communities of color," Durkan said in a statement. "Our regional homelessness investments must include an immediate and direct response to any crisis of housing stability, connecting people with the services they need, in their community wherever they are across the county." The affordability crisis and homelessness has been a main issue among elected officials over the past several years. City officials have been considering steps to help move more people into permanent housing, but the region still faces a huge lack of affordable housing. The novel coronavirus pandemic has also limited many of the resources people experiencing homelessness have access to and has put thousands of people out of work, struggling to pay their rent and for other basic necessities. We had a challenging and unacceptable homelessness crisis before COVID-19, and the risks are high that we will see an increase in homelessness as a result of the economic fallout caused by the pandemic, Sara Levin, vice president of community services at United Way of King County and co-chair of the King County Continuum of Care Board, said in a statement. Levin said United Way is focused on preventing people from "falling into homelessness." Experts have warned once eviction moratoriums expire across the country, states could see waves of evictions, forcing even more people into homelessness if they are unable to pay their rents. In Washington, the statewide eviction moratorium, which Gov. Jay Inslee has extended several times, is scheduled to be lifted on August 1. Seattle and King County councils have passed bills to extend more protections to renters who can't afford their rents due to impacts from the coronavirus pandemic after the moratorium is lifted. Seattle City Council is also now discussing a series of taxes on big businesses to help bring in funds for more affordable housing and other resources. Councilmember Kshama Sawant has been holding rallies and events for her Tax Amazon movement for months now. Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda earlier this month proposed a tax on corporations with payrolls of $7 million or more and employees with salaries of $150,000 or more. RELATED: For the Fourth of July, almost every law enforcement agency and fire department in Washington is urging people to watch a fireworks show over making their own. But as most shows were canceled or moved online due to the COVID-19 pandemic, if people feel the need to light some off in their backyards, then agencies say you should do it safely and legally. It's not a hard guess why fire and police departments are so fervent on social media about this. Fireworks are dangerous. And not only can they hurt people - there were 269 injuries due to fireworks reported throughout Washington in 2019, according to a state fire marshal's office news release - they can cause fires. In 2018, fireworks caused 80 fires, the fire marshal's office said. Out of the 80 fires reported in 2019, 51 of them affected wildland or vegetation. Press Release July 1, 2020 Drilon agrees with Dominguez: 'It's time to ease restrictions in Metro Manila, other regional economic powerhouses' Senate Minority Leader Franklin M. Drilon supported Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III's recommendation to loosen quarantine restrictions in Metro Manila and other economic centers including Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, and Quezon) in order to rebuild the economy that was heavily affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. "I support Secretary Dominguez's call to ease restrictions in the National Capital Region and Calabarzon and put them under the modified general community quarantine," Drilon said in a statement Wednesday. "I'm afraid that any further delay in the easing of quarantine restrictions in these two economic centers will cause further damage to our economy and our people who have lost their livelihood," Drilon stressed. "The full opening of the economy in the country's economy centers and the country's seat of power, Metro Manila, is vital in our goal to revive the economy and provide jobs for our displaced workers," he added. Drilon said that Metro Manila and Calabarzon are among the top two contributors to the national economy, adding that half of the country's manufacturing special economic zones are located in Region IV-A. Dominguez, in his briefing with the President Tuesday night, said that the two regions made up 67 percent of the country's economy. "The sooner we can bring back normalcy in these two regions the better chance we have of rebuilding our economy," he said further noting that based on the projection of the National Economic Development Authority, the Philippine economy is likely to contract by 4.3% to 4% by the end of 2020. The British banking giant HSBC projected a full year contraction rate of 3.85%, Drilon noted. The minority leader also said that the government should avoid the shotgun approach to the pandemic, saying "it did did little to contain the virus." The number of cases in the country hit 36,438 as of June 30. The World Health Organization recently cited the Philippine as the fastest in terms of infection rate in Western Pacific despite imposing the longest lockdown among countries affected by the pandemic, he noted. "What we see today is a shotgun approach to the pandemic, not an overall plan," Drilon said. "It did nothing to contain the virus but only created fear among Filipinos and put the once strong and resilient Philippine economy to complete standstill," he said. Drilon said he agreed with observations of experts that the economic damage of COVID-19 could have been avoided or minimized if the government did not implement aggressive lockdowns and harsh quarantine measures. The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas recorded lower net foreign direct investments (FDI) in the first three months of 2020 of $1.669 billion from $1.945 billion in the same period last year, Drilon said. "COVID-19 pandemic is principally a health issue, not simply a question of law and order. The three Ts in the fight against covid 19 - testing, tracking and treatment - should be strengthened," Drilon stressed. "Where are we in terms of the three Ts? No one has heard of a coordinated overall plan," he added. "Why are our neighbors Vietnam, Singapore, Taiwan and South Korea succeeding in this fight, and we are not?" Drilon asked. Drilon added that the credibility of the government's response to the pandemic has greatly been affected by the controversies involving Health Secretary Franscico Duque III, who no longer enjoys the trust of the people, not even the DOH bureaucracy. He said Duque, at the forefront of the campaign, remains a major stumbling block in the fight against COVID-19. We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Submit news Thank you for reading! You have reached your 30-day limit of free access to SentinelSource.com, The Keene Sentinels website. If you would like to read two more articles for free at this time, please register for an account by clicking the sign up button below. We hope you find The Sentinels coverage of the Monadnock Region valuable. We rely on our subscribers to bring you strong local journalism and hope you will consider supporting our work by taking advantage of this special subscription offer here. News for the Future We cannot think of a recent time during which staying informed is more crucial. Understanding national, state and, most importantly, local events and their impact on you, as a reader and citizen, is vital. Help us expand this coverage, provide you more trusted local news and broaden your understanding of local events and developments through your support of our News for the Future campaign. Learn more at either link below. Thank you for supporting The Keene Sentinel. A Cambodian refugee is set to be released from San Quentin State Prison on Wednesday and could be handed to immigration authorities, who could deport him, and immigration advocates are calling on the governor to intervene and help the man, who they say has COVID-19 symptoms. Chanthon Bun, who was born at a Cambodian refugee camp in 1979 after his family fled the Khmer Rouge, a regime that killed more than 1 million people in Cambodia, served time for second-degree robbery and use of a firearm, said Anoop Prasad, a staff attorney with the Asian Law Caucus who is representing Bun, now 41. Bun was 18 when he was convicted in 1998, and, Prasad said, had joined a group of older men who took part in an armed robbery in which no one was injured. Advocates with the Asian Prisoner Support Committee said his sentence was the result of the tough on crime era which resulted in the dramatic growth of the incarceration of people of color. Prasad and advocates with the Law Caucus and the Asian Prisoner Support Committee which facilitates a program at San Quentin State Prison that Bun has been a participant and leader in for several years said that Bun has a blood disorder, muscle disorder and hypertension that puts him at risk of getting seriously ill or dying if he is transferred to an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility. Advocates told The Chronicle that their concerns are heightened because Bun reported in recent days that he is experiencing symptoms of the coronavirus, such as loss of taste and smell. In the best of times, not even in a pandemic, medical care in ICE is so substandard. This is such a rare blood disorder, there are serious doubts about whether or not ICE would be able to treat it, Prasad said. The drugs used to treat (Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura) outbreaks are immunosuppressants, so the combination of having COVID or being exposed to COVID while youre immune system is already suppressed at baseline, and then taking drugs to suppress it even further, is extremely dangerous. Bun is a permanent resident, but Prasad said ICE placed a detainer on him when he was convicted so that at the time of his release, immigration officials could transfer him to an ICE facility, from where he he would likely be deported to Cambodia a country he has not stepped foot in since he was a child. Dana Simas, a spokeswoman for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, told The Chronicle that officials cannot provide or confirm the scheduled release date for a specific incarcerated person due to safety and security purposes. If Bun is not transferred to ICE custody, advocates are prepared to provide him housing through the support of local faith leaders, food resources, get him connected to services like MediCal, help him obtain a work permit and social security, among other support services, said Hien Nguyen, an advocate with the Asian Prisoner Support Committee. Officials with ICE could not be reached for comment on Tuesday. Immigrant advocates have in recent months demanded state officials to stop transferring people from California jails and prisons into crowded federal detention facilities, where social distancing is difficult during the coronavirus pandemic. As coronavirus cases started to climb at San Quentin State Prison which had 1,110 infected inmates as of Tuesday Prasad said he sensed Buns growing concern about prison conditions in a letter he received from Bun dated June 14. COVID is here and spreading... They dont care about us and only make it look good when people ask questions. There will be an outbreak here soon if they wont single cell people, Bun wrote to Pasad. I have about 12 days left and hope I can get out of here before the outbreak. This is crazy. I feel so bad for the people here. Like other youth navigating the effects of war trauma, bullying and poverty, Asian Prisoner Support Committee officials said Bun turned to life in the streets to survive these abusive conditions as a teenager. Since his incarceration, advocates say he earned his GED, expressed himself through art, and has committed himself to giving back to the community within the prison. Prasad said Bun navigated a rigorous parole process, such as appearing before a parole board, communicating his understanding of his crimes as a teenager, getting evaluated by a clinical psychologist, and showing a detailed reentry plan if granted release. The reentry plan refers to plans for obtaining housing, employment, and health care. His plan was approved by state corrections officials and Gov. Gavin Newsom, Prasad said. Paul Chinn / The Chronicle When most people are released, Prasad said they have 24 hours to spend with their families, then they are required to check in parole officers and get established with a reentry program. If a reentry program is not immediately available, Prasad said Bun has a very detailed plan. Gala King, the regional organizer of the Interfaith Movement for Human Integrity told The Chronicle that leaders at a Bay Area church will provide housing and a safe place for Bun to quarantine if transitional housing is not available. Nate Tan, co-director of the Asian Prisoner Support Committee, has known Bun for five years and met him through volunteering at San Quentin State Prison. Tan told The Chronicle that while Bun is likely fully aware of the possibility of getting detained by ICE, he aspires to reunite with his two adult children and get back to the work that he has been doing while incarcerated for the past several years. When he comes out, he wants to participate in this kind of work where he fights for the freedom of his peers and other people in his position, Tan said. That is Buns character. He strongly holds onto hope, and its contagious to all of us. In recent years, Bun has participated in a Asian Prisoner Support Committee program titled, ROOTS, which stands for, Restoring Our Original True Selves, Nguyen said. In this program, Nguyen said participants learn about Asian American history and explore how and each of their respective experiences with war, violence and migration could be used to heal. In the past three years, Nguyen said Bun has been a consistent leader and mentor to other inmates, but also to program facilitators as well. He has also facilitated two podcasts, including Uncuffed which is produced with KALW Public Radio inside of San Quentin Prison and Solano State Prison. Lauren Hernandez is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: lauren.hernandez@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @ByLHernandez Press Release July 1, 2020 As IATF streamlines int'l arrival procedures, Bong Go says health and safety protocols must be in place to protect returning OFWs and their families Senator Christopher Lawrence "Bong" Go commended the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases and other concerned government agencies for laying down necessary health and safety protocols for returning overseas Filipinos in an effort to prevent the further spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19). He also appealed to returning Filipinos to bear with and strictly follow current guidelines when arriving in the country as the government is determined to assist them in safely reuniting with their families amid the ongoing global pandemic. "Sa ating mga kababayang Pilipino na uuwi ng Pilipinas, may mga nilatag na health and safety protocols ang ating gobyerno upang protektahan po kayo at ang inyong mga pamilya. Sundin natin ito para masiguro nating magiging ligtas din ang mga mahal ninyo sa buhay sa inyong pag-uwi," the Senator said. "Sa anumang mga hakbang na gagawin ng gobyerno at pati ng mga ordinaryong mamamayan, palagi nating unahin ang buhay at kapakanan ng kapwa nating Pilipino," Go added. The IATF, Philippine Red Cross and Department of Health have recently released a step-by-step procedure of the processes being implemented at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport for Filipinos arriving in the country. There are eight steps returnees must follow upon arrival. First, they are required to register online by filling out a form and upload their passport's bio page. They will then be given a Quick Response (QR) code through a confirmation email, and which must be saved on their phones and printed to be presented upon arrival in the country along with the passport. A briefing will then be given to returning Filipinos to discuss other health and safety protocols in place before they can go home. After which, they will proceed to the verification counter to process pertinent documents. A short interview will also be conducted to check on their travel records and health status. Each person will be handed with six barcode stickers---one will be affixed at the back of their passport while the rest will be given to the person who will perform the swab testing in the designated swabbing booth. After testing, they will proceed to immigration and follow the usual process. Once they get through immigration, Filipinos would need to go to their respective help desks for their quarantine facility assignment. Specifically, OFWs will proceed to the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration desk, seafarers to their local manning agency, if any, and non-OFW returning Filipinos to the Department of Tourism desk. The returning Filipinos will have to stay for a few days in the partner hotels designated as quarantine facilities while waiting for their COVID-19 swab test results. Within 72 hours, the IATF assured that each returning Filipino will receive a message indicating results of their tests. If negative, the government will release a medical certificate for them to be cleared to go home. If they test positive, health personnel will assist them to get taken care of until they are well. In the meantime, there is also a 24-hour helpline and desk in all hotels designated as quarantine facilities. "Alam kong mahaba ang magiging proseso ng inyong pagdating dito sa bansa pero ginagawa lamang natin ito para sa kapakanan at kaligtasan ng lahat. Hinihingi ko ang inyong pasensya, unawa at pakikisama sa panahong tulad nito kung saan health and safety ng lahat ang ating prayoridad," Go said. As the Senate Chair of the Committee on Health, Go commended the collaborative effort of the IATF, PRC and DOH. The protocol, Go mentioned, will ensure the safety of returning Filipinos. "Maraming salamat sa mga ahensya ng gobyerno at ibang sektor, lalong lalo na sa IATF, PRC at DOH na patuloy na gumagawa ng paraan para maisaayos natin ang proseso ng pagdating ng ating mga kababayan," Go said. The Senator also lauded the OWWA, DOT and their partner-hotels for providing quarantine facilities to host returning Filipinos. Go also thanked the different local manning agencies for OFWs, and the administration and staff of NAIA for their efforts in helping Filipinos come home safely amid the threat of COVID-19. "Nagpapasalamat tayo sa lahat ng ahensya ng gobyerno, partner agencies at institutions para sa inyong serbisyo at sakripisyo upang matulungan ang ating mga kababayan na makauwi sa bansa nang ligtas," Go said. Go reiterated that it is important to make sure that proper health and safety protocols are in place in order to avoid the spread of COVID-19. Proper coordination must also be conducted to make sure that receiving local government units are willing and ready to accept their constituents before they return home to their provinces. "Nais ko ipaalala sa lahat na hindi natin pwedeng ipagkait ang karapatan ng mga Pilipino na makauwi sa sarili nilang bayan. Sabi rin mismo ni Pangulong Duterte, 'mga Pilipino ito, mga kababayan natin. Tanggapin ninyo. Whatever you need, we will provide. Kawawa naman. Tulungan ninyo ang mga Pilipino'," Go said. The National Task Force on COVID-19 recently increased the daily capacity of OFWs returning to the Philippines, from 1,200-1,500 individuals to 3,000 per day. The foreign affairs department had asked last Friday that the said repatriation cap be increased given the rising number of OFWs that need to be repatriated as soon as possible. Meanwhile, to further improve government response to OFW concerns, Go filed in July of last year Senate Bill (SB) No. 202 or the Department of Overseas Filipinos Act of 2019. The measure seeks to address perennial issues, such as the need to improve coordination among concerned offices, hence the proposal to put them together under one department to avoid finger-pointing among agencies concerned with overseas Filipinos and OFW affairs. If passed into law, OFW-related agencies and their powers and functions, funds and appropriations, records, equipment, property, and personnel will be transferred to the new department to be established. Go has firmly suggested that the need to establish such an executive department will improve government efficiency and effectiveness in the provision of necessary services to OFWs especially in light of the current pandemic. A California appellate court on Tuesday confirmed that San Francisco officials did not break the law when they allowed a 2018 ballot measure that raised business taxes to fund homelessness services to pass with a simple-majority vote. The ruling, from the First District Court of Appeal, marks a major victory for the proponents of 2018s Proposition C and for the attorneys and other city officials who have invested considerable time and resources defending San Franciscos trailblazing stance on citizen-driven tax measures one that could have effects statewide. Tuesdays ruling inches San Francisco closer to being able to utilize hundreds of millions of dollars for homelessness services and permanent supportive housing, urgent issues compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic and the nearly $2 billion hole its blown in the citys budget. The three-judge appellate court panel agreed with the citys arguments that tax measures brought by citizen groups for a specific purpose called special taxes are not subject to the same restrictions as tax measures placed on the ballot by government officials. The decision upholds a 2019 ruling from San Francisco Superior Court Judge Ethan Schulman that the city abided by the law when it allowed Prop. C to pass with a less restrictive simple-majority vote instead of a two-thirds supermajority. The passage of Proposition C pursuant to a majority vote of the citys electorate was a valid exercise of the peoples initiative power, the judges ruled. We brought this case to uphold the will of the voters, and were pleased the First District Court of Appeal has agreed with us in a unanimous decision, City Attorney Dennis Herrera said in a statement. San Francisco voters have the right to direct democracy and self-government. We will continue to defend that right for however long is necessary. Anti-tax and pro-business organizations the California Business Properties Association, the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association and the California Business Roundtable challenged the citys use of a simple-majority threshold to approve the measure, arguing that doing so violated the state Constitution. They also contended that local governments would conspire with citizen groups to pass new taxes with the lower threshold. The city has won two other cases over the voter-threshold question on tax measures at the trial court level. Both are awaiting rulings from state appellate courts. But the legal challenges have forced the city to collect the taxes, but hold off on spending the revenue until each case is resolved, freezing hundreds of millions of dollars for homelessness services, early child care services and teacher pay raises. The city is seeking to circumvent that blockade in the interim with an elaborate workaround built into business-tax reform measures headed for the November ballot. Since the mid-1990s, any ballot measure that would raise taxes for a specific purpose has required a two-thirds majority for passage. The Howard Jarvis association played an integral role in passing two amendments to the state Constitution that set that standard: Propositions 13 and 218. But in 2017, the San Francisco city attorneys office issued a pivotal memo interpreting a state Supreme Court ruling from that year to mean that tax measures put on the ballot by citizens not government leaders needed only a simple majority to pass. The threshold is still two-thirds for tax measures put on the ballot by government officials. Across California, local governments and citizen groups have closely watched San Francisco confront the voter-threshold question, and the outcome could impact how citizens levy new taxes for specific issues. Laura Dougherty, a staff attorney with the Howard Jarvis association, said the organization naturally intends to appeal the case to the state Supreme Court. The voters who passed Propositions 13 and 218 never intended to create multiple voter approval margins, she said. Constitutionally, a two-thirds vote is necessary for any special tax. Dominic Fracassa is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: dfracassa@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @dominicfracassa Leaders in Berkeley passed a budget Wednesday that included a $9.2 million cut to the citys Police Department, a sign of how swiftly the protests over George Floyds death have moved from streets and Twitter feeds into City Hall. Mayor Jesse Arreguin proposed the cut, just as the Oakland City Council took steps to further slash its own police budget. The Oakland council had passed a budget last week that chopped law enforcement funding by $14.6 million, then council members decided Tuesday to amend the budget on July 21, after activists said the reduction wasnt sufficient. In Berkeley, the meeting began Tuesday night and ended early Wednesday morning. The overwhelming message is we do need to defund the police, Arreguin said, calling his budget a first step toward that ideal, and a down-payment on the citys commitment to re-envision law enforcement. We may need to reduce the Police Department by 30% it may be 60%, it may be 70%, he added. We dont have that number right now. The council approved its budget at 12:45 a.m., 45 minutes into the new fiscal year. Councilwoman Cheryl Davila abstained on the 8-0 vote after pressing her colleagues to strip more from law enforcement. Like their counterparts in Oakland, Berkeley politicians have set their sights on a more ambitious goal: cutting the police budget in half. In Oakland, that amounts to about $150 million, but several council members even those on the moderate side of the aisle say they support the idea. Davila proposed halving her citys police budget on Monday, and the Council is set to take it up on July 14. Separately, Berkeley Councilman Rigel Robinson called on the city to shift traffic enforcement from police to unarmed civil servants, another proposal up for discussion in July. The movement to dismantle and re-imagine traditional policing is shaking cities throughout the nation, and resonating particularly in Berkeley and Oakland, which have a long history of protest. Scores of activists, students, public school teachers, medical clinic workers and others have called into recent public meetings in Berkeley, mostly demanding deep cuts to the police or urging leaders to abolish the department altogether. The Minneapolis police killing of Floyd on May 25 prompted protests across the nation and larger discussions on police brutality and institutional racism against Black people. On Tuesday, a resounding majority of public speakers argued that a $9.2 million cut wasnt enough they wouldnt settle for anything less than Davilas proposal. Jessica Christian/The Chronicle Mayor and City Council members, the budget is your greatest tool, a speaker named Sarah Wulf said, imploring the council to reject the proposed budget. She contended that Davilas 50% police reduction is not radical. Another speaker, Noelle Fa-Kaji, warned that incrementalism can kill movements. A few speakers called for Police Chief Andrew Greenwood to step down. Some pledged to vote out councilmembers who are running for reelection in November Davila, Sophie Hahn, Ben Bartlett, Susan Wengraf and Arreguin if they supported the budget. One speaker launched a racist attack on Arreguin, saying he wasnt Latinx-enough for not cutting more of the police budget. That prompted a sharp response from the mayor. I dont need to be white-splained, Arreguin said toward the end of the meeting. Berkeley achieved its $9.2 million police cut by freezing vacancies and whittling down overtime. Its long set the funding for 181 officers but Greenwood said the city really only needs 166, and city officials say they never achieve the 181-officer benchmark, anyway. So this year, the council limited the force to 178 officers, anticipating that some people would leave in the next few months. The money saved would boost community programs, including an African-American Holistic Resource Center, a community process to re-imagine public safety and an organization that supports African American mothers and grandmothers. Every department in Berkeley deferred positions to patch up a $40 million deficit, Arreguin said, stressing that the deferrals are not cuts. I believe this strikes a very careful balance, Arreguin said at the meeting, reminding people that the city had to pass a budget, because the fiscal year started Wednesday. Rachel Swan is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: rswan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @rachelswan As coronavirus cases surge again across California, many counties have paused or rolled back their reopening plans. Among the key factors driving officials decisions are record-breaking days of new confirmed cases and higher positive test rates. Statewide, positive test rates are up from just over 4% two weeks ago to 7%. Here is what you need to know about what officials call the positivity rate: What it means and how it is measured, what it tells health officials, and how it has changed in California over time. Follow these and other trends in The Chronicles Coronavirus Tracker. What is a coronavirus positivity rate? The positivity rate indicates the percentage of total coronavirus tests conducted that come back positive. The World Health Organizations recommended positivity rate for reopening is 5% or below over a period of 14 days, according to John Hopkins Universitys Coronavirus Resource Center. Californias standard for its counties to move ahead with reopening is 8% or below over seven days. Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press What does the rate tell us? According to Johns Hopkins, if the positivity rate is higher than expected, it might mean that theres an oversaturation of positive cases in testing, meaning that only those who feel sick enough are the ones being tested, or that the state isnt casting a broad enough net in its testing efforts to know how widespread the virus really is. A low positivity in testing data might indicate that the state has sufficient testing capacity, and is testing enough of its community to weigh the costs and benefits of reopening. Californias positivity rate over time An analysis of a positivity rate must take into account the number of daily total tests over time. As more people get tested, the positive test rate provides a more clear picture of how many people are carrying the virus, including those without symptoms, and the possibility for a second surge in cases. At the beginning of Californias shelter-in-place in early March, when fewer tests were available less than 1,000 were being administered every day the states positivity rate was 2.9%. Within two weeks, it spiked to 10.7%. By the end of March, as testing ramped up, it had risen to 23.4%, with a couple of drops, but then spiked to 28.8%. By the beginning of April, the positivity rate was at almost 50%. By mid-April, the rate was hovering below 10% and eventually leveled out to below 5% as reporting became more consistent. For most of June, positivity rates hovered below 5% but jumped to 5.3% on June 23, about a month after parts of the state moved forward with next phases of reopening: outdoor and some indoor dining at restaurants and bars. On Thursday, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced that the rate of people in California testing positive for the coronavirus over the last two weeks increased to 6.3% -- nearly a 2 percentage point increase from 14 days ago. On July 1, the state reported a backlog of nearly 4,000 positive test results which elevated the positivity rate for that one day. Still, over the July 4 weekend, Californias positivity rate ticked up again to about 7%. San Franciscos positive test rate is only about 3% at the moment, but it was 1% three weeks ago. Cases are shooting up, and hospitalizations that had been dropping steadily for two months are surging again the city has as many COVID-19 patients in hospitals now as in early May. Why say test positivity rate instead of rate of positive tests or positive test rate? There is no stated reason to use the term positivity rate instead of those terms, but it has recently become popular among health officials. Annie Vainshtein is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: avainshtein@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @annievain Paul Chinn / The Chronicle Former California senator Leland Yee was released from federal prison on Friday after serving a five-year sentence for a corruption scandal, officials said. Yee, 71, was released from the Federal Correctional Institution, Big Spring, in Texas, according to a spokesperson for the Federal Bureau of Prisons. On a day that California Gov. Gavin Newsom signaled additional restrictions for the upcoming Fourth of July weekend, the city of San Francisco announced an alarming rise in COVID-19 hospitalizations that is putting new strain on an anxious health care system. Among other major developments Tuesday, the state recorded 7,820 new cases its second highest tally in a 24-hour period and surpassed 6,000 deaths from the coronavirus; New York, New Jersey and Connecticut imposed a 14-day quarantine on anyone arriving from California; and the nations top infectious disease official warned the U.S. could see 100,000 new cases per day if the current upward trajectory does not change. To date, California has had 231,960 confirmed coronavirus cases. Of those, 25,411 cases, including 578 deaths, have been in the Bay Area. While the state enjoyed early success in flattening the curve, recent outbreaks in prisons and nursing homes and an overall relaxing of sheltering restrictions over the last several weeks are now driving a high number of new cases and hospitalizations. The state set the record for the most cases in a day on Monday, with 8,196 cases. The number of Californians hospitalized for the virus spiked 43% over the last two weeks, while the number of patients admitted to intensive care units jumped 37% during the same period. Newsom said he plans to announce new efforts Wednesday to enforce the states stay-at-home order and mandate to wear face coverings, but did not specify what those actions would be. He hinted that the changes would impact counties that have moved to resume indoor activities such as shopping and dining. If youre not going to stay at home and wear a mask in public, we have to enforce and we will, he said. Well be making additional announcements on efforts to use the dimmer switch we referenced to and toggle back on our stay-at-home order and tighten things up. The U.S. has reported 2.6 million cases, including 127,410 deaths, and is showing no signs of a slowdown. Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said the country could see 100,000 new cases each day if things dont change. The U.S. is currently seeing about 40,000 new cases each day. The Bay Area, which has generally controlled the spread of the virus better than most other major U.S. metropolitan areas, is reporting new spikes in cases and hospitalizations in several counties. San Francisco saw a 49% spike in hospitalizations over the last week as patients from San Quentin prison and Imperial County were transferred to city hospitals a dramatic change from previous weeks, when hospitalizations stayed relatively stable or decreased. Were on high alert not just as a city but also as a region, said Dr. Tomas Aragon, health officer for the city and county of San Francisco. Whatever happens in other places actually impacts us. The San Quentin outbreak is a good example of how its impacting our hospital system. San Francisco currently has 64 coronavirus patients, including 13 from San Quentin where more than 1,000 inmates have tested positive for the virus and five from Imperial County at the California-Mexico border, which is now experiencing one of the sharpest rises in cases and death rates in the state. However, San Franciscos hospital capacity, measured by the availability of acute care beds and intensive care beds, is OK, Aragon said. The city has 35% of acute care beds available, which is above the 15% target level set by health officials, and 28% of ICU beds are available, which is above the 20% target level. Thats good news at the moment, Aragon said. San Francisco also saw a sharp rise in new infections over the last week, bringing the total to 3,603 confirmed cases. There were 5.8 new daily cases per 100,000 residents over the past week above the citys goal of less than 1.8 cases per 100,000 residents, which it has not achieved since the outbreak began. Santiago Mejia / The Chronicle This recent increase is very concerning to us, Aragon said. We dont know whether this is going to be a one-time blip or whether this is the tip of the iceberg and were going to have rapid increase in cases and hospitalizations. Its too soon to tell, so were going to be monitoring closely this coming week. In the Bay Area, San Francisco, Alameda, Contra Costa and Marin counties are pausing plans to reopen businesses and other public spaces until the spread of the virus is brought back under control. San Francisco does not plan to reopen any additional businesses until at least through the weekend. The next several days are going to be really critical, Aragon said. San Mateo County reported 71 new cases Tuesday, one of the largest single-day increases in the county, which now has a total 3,232 cases and 108 deaths. Santa Clara County reported 116 new cases Tuesday, bringing the total to 4,370 cases. The number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients increased nearly 52% in the last week, with 15 additional people hospitalized in the last day. State health officials are likely to begin more closely monitoring four additional counties with outbreaks that are growing at a concerning pace, Newsom said. The state watch list already includes 19 of Californias 58 counties including Santa Clara, Contra Costa and Solano counties that encompass nearly three-quarters of the state population. Over the weekend, Newsom ordered seven counties on the list to close down bars or keep them shuttered if they havent reopened, and recommended eight others do the same. Noah Berger / Special to The Chronicle But he said Tuesday that a survey of public health officials identified their top concern as intimate gatherings of extended and immediate family members. Acknowledging that family gatherings are a tradition for the Fourth of July weekend, Newsom said his administration would offer more aggressive guidelines this week about celebrations. One of the areas of biggest concern as it relates to the spread of COVID in the state remains family gatherings, not just bars, streets where people are protesting, Newsom said. Its specifically family gatherings where family members or households begin to mix and take down their guard. Newsom said it is critical to wear face coverings and practice social distancing at these gatherings and in public. We bent the curve in the state of California once, we will bend the curve again, Newsom said. Mark my word. We will crush this pandemic, annihilate it. Well get past this, but were going to have to be tougher. San Francisco Chronicle staff writer Roland Li contributed to this report. Catherine Ho and Alexei Koseff are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: cho@sfchronicle.com and alexei.koseff@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @Cat_Ho @akoseff Faced with protests that spilled from the streets into social media, the Oakland City Council decided Tuesday to consider even deeper cuts in July to the citys Police Department, following approval of a budget that defunded police by $14 million. The decision came a week after the Council passed the budget that rejected a proposed $25 million cut to the police. On Tuesday, council members voted unanimously to amend that budget on July 21. Scores of public commenters called into the meeting, many demanding that council members substantially strip police funding or abolish the department altogether. Some threatened to vote out the four council members who are up for reelection in November. Five commenters bombed the meeting, which was conducted over Zoom, by unleashing racist and homophobic hate speech before city staff cut them off. Supporters of police reform are pressing Oakland to slash its police budget in half, a reduction of some $150 million. Several council members said they support this more ambitious benchmark, even after rejecting the $25 million cut proposed by Councilwoman Nikki Fortunato Bas. Carlos Avila Gonzalez/The Chronicle Although no one on the Council has proposed specific budget revisions, Council President Rebecca Kaplan said further law enforcement cuts will definitely be on the table. For example, she proposed shifting special events permits away from the police, an idea that will be up for discussion at the July 21 meeting. I will list specific programs and items, so the council can make an informed decision, she told The Chronicle in a text message Tuesday. At the same meeting, the council voted to ban police chokeholds and carotid restraints, controversial techniques barred in many cities after the death of George Floyd. Council members also directed the city administrator to conduct an exhaustive review of 911 calls to determine which ones could be shifted to mental health workers or other civilian responders. And the council approved a $147,500 settlement with Najari Smith, the cyclist who was arrested for biking while Black and playing music in 2018. The movement to dismantle and re-imagine traditional policing is shaking cities throughout the nation, but its particularly salient in Oakland, where well-mobilized activists are clashing with a historically troubled Police Department and a mayor who promised to boost the force to 800 officers. Mayor Libby Schaaf acknowledged in a recent interview that shell likely fall short of that goal city data showed that as of June Oakland had 741 sworn officers, with 51 vacant positions that some council members want to freeze permanently. Four council members who represent the flatlands of East and West Oakland ironed out the budget days before last weeks vote, and defended it Tuesday. The budget slashed $14.6 million from the Police Department, in part by delaying a police academy and shifting jobs to other agencies. Many commenters said the cut didnt go far enough and that the council members who called themselves the Equity Caucus had rammed their budget through at the last minute. Councilman Loren Taylor, an Equity Caucus member whose district spreads through East Oakland, acknowledged their frustrations. I recognize that members of the Council (and) members of the public expressed concerns about the way the process worked, Taylor said. He stood by the budget anyway. Kaplan was the swing vote to approve the budget, yet she co-sponsored the scheduling item to amend the budget in July. Shes up for re-election in November, against a challenger endorsed by Schaaf. Even as she expressed sympathy for the activists, Kaplan urged them to train their ire toward the Alameda County Board of Supervisors. In May, the board added $318 million to the sheriffs budget, to increase staff in Santa Rita Jail. Rachel Swan is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: rswan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @rachelswan San Francisco City Halls overdue efforts to clear the tents from the Tenderloin appear to be working, with more than 388 homeless people moved off the sidewalks and into hotels or safe sleeping camps since June 10. The block-by-block cleanup and counseling effort has reduced the number of tents in the 49-block Tenderloin area to 172 as of Tuesday morning, compared with the 443 when the cleanup began last month. But it has not come cheap. The city has leased 2,054 hotel rooms for homeless people citywide. When the cost of support staff, security, and meal and medical expenses are added in, the bill comes to about $200 per room thats an overall total of about $410,800 a night. The city expects the federal government to reimburse about 75% of the programs cost as part of nationwide emergency pandemic support. But that still leaves the city with a tab of about $102,700 a day, or $718,900 a week. Some of the citys tab will be paid by state and federal funds the city has already received, but it isnt clear how much more money the city will get for the hotels. This work is going to be costly, but the staff is working incredibly hard out there to get people off the streets and improve the neighborhood for residents, Mayor London Breed said. Healthy Streets Operations Center Manager Jeff Kositsky, who is in charge of the cleanup, said getting money for the rooms was only part of the success. This was a combined effort of city departments, community groups and neighbors, he said. But it took some legal prodding as well. During the first months of the citys shelter orders and following recommendations by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the city took a hands-off approach to the tents. The idea was that tents, many provided for free by nonprofit groups, were the best way for the homeless to shelter in place. Gabrielle Lurie/The Chronicle With time, however, tents took over block-long stretches of the neighborhood, making it difficult for people to walk and at times serving as a cover for drug dealing. Residents said conditions on the streets were so bad that they were afraid to leave their apartments and felt like they were being held hostage. After months of frustration, Tenderloin residents and businesses, together with UC Hastings College of the Law, filed a federal civil rights lawsuit on May 5. The suit demanded the city clear out the dangerously crowded encampments, find housing for the homeless and stop the open-air drug dealing. An out-of-court settlement was reached on June 12, with the city agreeing to remove 70% of the tents by July 20. The city also agreed to discourage new tents and their residents from settling in the Tenderloin. Some of the homeless moved their tents into safe sleeping sites set up by the city where social distancing could be practiced and where services are available. Most went into hotel rooms leased by the city. So far, the program appears to be working. The encampments that lined Hyde, Turk, Jones, Golden Gate and other streets are gone, replaced with crowd barriers to discourage new tents from popping up. UC Hastings Executive Director of Operations Rhiannon Bailard said the situation with the homeless tents is much better, but the drug dealing is still challenging. Tenderloin Housing Clinic Executive Director Randy Shaw agreed that drug dealing and other problems remain. No one is saying that the Tenderloin is a safe and healthy place yet, but progress is being made, Shaw said. Even the areas supervisor, Matt Haney, a consistent critic of Mayor Breeds handling of the tents, said the situation has improved. Theyre moving street by street, block by block to move people off the streets, so in those areas on those streets, its absolutely positive, Haney said. But all is not roses. Haney said the city should be doing this in a broader way, across the neighborhood and district, and they should have done it three months ago. Also, with the pandemic shrinking the population of the citys shelter system to allow social distancing in those facilities, tent camps have popped up all across the city. The Board of Supervisors has called for all of the citys homeless not just those at risk of contracting COVID-19 to be moved into hotels. Supervisor Dean Preston, who is dealing with tents in the Haight and Hayes Valley and near Opera Plaza said, Ask anyone on the street, and theyll agree that addressing homelessness and encampments is a good use of city money. The mayor said the city lacks the support staff to house all of the homeless. Its not just helping people who are homeless, but those who struggle with addiction and mental health challenges, Breed said. Supervisor Hillary Ronen, who authored the ordinance to lease hotel rooms for the homeless, said, At this point, when my constituents threaten to sue to get results for the Mission, Im running out of arguments for why they shouldnt. And oddly enough, given the quick success of the Tenderloin clean up, filing a lawsuit may be the way to go. 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 A 63-year-old Berkeley man died Monday night in Brentwood after he was struck by two cars while lying beneath a sleeping bag in the middle of a street, authorities said. Brentwood police said that a driver, heading south on Brentwood Boulevard near Harvest Park Drive at 10:15 p.m., was unable to avoid hitting what he thought was a dark tarp in the roadway. It turned out to be a gray and black sleeping bag with a man, Timothy Faulk, underneath it. Faulk was pronounced dead at the scene. Press Release July 1, 2020 PRRD signs measure sponsored by Bong Go upgrading Bicol Medical Center to improve healthcare access for Bicolanos Senator Christopher Lawrence "Bong" Go on Wednesday, July 1, commended President Rodrigo Duterte for signing into law one of his sponsored bills as Senate Committee Chair on Health and Demography. The enacted measure increases the bed capacity of Bicol Medical Center from 500 to 1,000 beds and upgrades its facilities and services in order to provide better medical and health care to Bicolanos. "Inaprubahan na po ni Pangulong Duterte ang batas na naglalayong mas maisaayos ang Bicol Medical Center. Para po ito sa mga kababayan nating Bikolano," Go said. "Bilang Senate Committee Chair on Health, patuloy po tayong nagtatrabaho upang mas i-angat pa ang kalidad ng ating mga pampublikong ospital sa kahit saang parte ng bansa lalo na ngayon na may hinaharap tayong pandemya," he added. Go was referring to Republic Act No. 11478 or "An Act Increasing the Bed Capacity of Bicol Medical Center from 500 beds to 1,000 Beds, Upgrading its Service Facilities and Professional Health Care Services, Authorizing the Increase of its Medical Workforce Complement, Amending for the Purpose Republic Act 8053, and Appropriating Funds Therefor". The newly enacted measure is expected to improve the delivery of quality medical and healthcare services in the Bicol region. Since last week, this is the fourth similar health-related measure signed into law by the President. He recently signed into law three other local hospital bills, namely Republic Act 11472 which increases the bed capacity and upgrades the services of the Caraga Regional Hospital in Surigao City from 150 to 500 beds; RA 11473 upgrading the Talisay District Hospital in Talisay City, Cebu into a medical center to be known as the Cebu South Medical Center; and RA 11474 which also upgrades the Maria L. Eleazar District Hospital in Tagkawayan, Quezon province into a Level 3 general hospital to be known as the Maria L. Eleazar General Hospital. "Sa bawat health-related bill na naipapasa natin at nagiging batas, buhay ng kababayan natin ang pwedeng mailigtas mula sa sakit," Go said in his previous statements. Lamenting the current state of some public hospitals in the country, most of which have been overburdened because of the ongoing health crisis, Go said that it is one of his priorities as a legislator to enhance the capacities and capabilities of public health facilities in order to sufficiently cater to the medical needs of their communities. "The country has a one-to-1,083 bed-to-population ratio. This is beyond the recommended ideal target ratio of one-to-1,000," Go cited, adding that the government needs an estimated additional 131,250 beds to reach its target. "In light of the COVID-19 outbreak, enhancing our government hospitals to be able to provide quality, accessible and efficient healthcare services is so important now, more than ever," Go stated. To streamline the process of upgrading public hospitals, Go filed SB 1226, or the proposed DOH Hospital Bed Capacity and Service Capability Rationalization Act, which aims to authorize the Department of Health to increase the bed capacity and service capability of its retained hospitals and to allow it to promulgate evaluation and approval guidelines. "Tulungan natin ang DOH na maisaayos ang mga ospital nila para mas maibigay sa mga Pilipino ang nararapat na serbisyong medikal, lalo na sa oras ng pandemya tulad ngayon," Go said, as the bill seeks to streamline the process for approving changes in the authorized bed capacities and corresponding service capabilities of all DOH hospitals. "Once we have well-equipped hospitals with increased bed capacities in the provinces, sufficient medical workers, and proper protocols in place for future health emergencies, we can assure Filipinos that a better and healthier life can be provided to them wherever they are in the country," he said. Several other local hospital bills sponsored by Go are now pending approval on third reading in the Senate and shall be tackled once session resumes. These include House Bill No. 2444, Providing for the Establishment of the Bicol Women's and Children's Hospital; HB 6218, Expanding the Services of the Malita District Hospital in Barangay Poblacion, Municipality of Malita, Province of Davao Occidental, Renaming it as the Malita Women's and Children's Wellness Center; HB 6035, Increasing the Bed Capacity of the Western Visayas Medical Center from 425 Beds to 700 Beds; HB 6365, Upgrading the Siargao District Hospital into a Level II General Hospital to be Known as the Siargao Island Medical Center; HB 6499, Increasing the Bed Capacity of the Quirino Memorial Medical Center in Quezon City from 500 Beds to 1,000 Beds; HB 6036, Increasing the Bed Capacity of the Las Pinas General Hospital and Satellite Trauma Center in Las Pinas City, from 200 Beds to 500 Beds and; HB 6144, Increasing the Bed Capacity of the Cagayan Valley Medical Center from 500 to 1,000 Beds. "Bilang Chair ng Senate Committee on Health, patuloy po nating ipaglalaban na maging mas mabilis, maayos at maaasahan ang serbisyong medikal na ibinibigay ng ating gobyerno para sa lahat ng mga Pilipino, kahit saan mang parte ng bansa," Go said. "Habang patuloy tayong lumalaban upang malampasan ang krisis na dulot ng COVID-19, magtulungan rin po tayo upang mabigyan ng mas magandang buhay ang ating mga kababayan. Let us all learn from this experience and be better prepared for any crisis that may come in the future," he added. Cities and public agencies throughout the Bay Area are rushing to slash their police budgets, an idea that would have seemed radical only six weeks ago. Early Wednesday morning, the Berkeley City Council approved a budget with $9.2 million in police cuts, much of it redirected to social programs. Oakland stripped $14.3 million from its police budget last week, but city officials vowed to go further in response to protests. San Francisco city leaders with backing from Police Chief Bill Scott said weeks ago they are looking to move funding away from policing and into other city services. Last month, the Oakland Unified School District board voted to purge officers from school campuses. And BART, the Bay Areas sprawling transit agency, recently diverted $2 million from police and fare inspectors toward unarmed ambassadors. Its board also plans to shift some duties including mental health calls away from law enforcement this fall. The future of policing is coming dramatically into focus, in a region that could become a laboratory for reform. Local governments have lots details to figure out, such as how to redirect the money to keep communities safe, while spending it on things that matter. Cities are laying out plans to audit their 911 call systems and review how police officers use overtime. The future excites some people but seems complex and precarious to others. In the past couple weeks some Bay Area politicians began pushing harder for this new vision of public safety, following threats they might not be re-elected. We havent had this kind of reckoning since 1963, said BART Board President Lateefah Simon, referring to the year that newspapers published front-page photos of police dogs attacking civil rights protesters images that convulsed the nation. Yet for many activists, the changes arent coming fast enough. Emotions are raw over the killing of George Floyd, the Black man who died in a roadway in Minneapolis after police Officer Derek Chauvin knelt on his neck for longer than eight minutes. Protesters who chanted Defund the police after Floyds death are growing impatient as the message grinds through local governments. Frustration over the slow pace of change boiled to the surface Tuesday night in Berkeley. Scores of people called into a City Council meeting that dragged on for six hours, as officials balanced the political demands of the moment against the urgency of an economic crisis. The overwhelming majority of callers supported a last-minute proposal from Councilwoman Cheryl Davila, who wanted to to slice the police budget in half, though she didnt present a plan for the funds. Many exhorted the council to delay passing a city budget until its July 14 meeting, when Davilas proposal comes up for discussion. Paul Kuroda / Special to The Chronicle At quarter to midnight, Mayor Jesse Arreguin sternly addressed his constituents. There have been a lot of comments saying, Lets delay the budget, he said. Our fiscal year begins in 15 minutes, technically. We need an operating budget. Arreguin described the initial $9 million police cut as a down payment that opened the door for larger discussions, some of which may have to involve the police union, he said. Berkeley would freeze vacancies and shave overtime to extract the money, then spend it on new programs, such as an African American Holistic Resource Center. Already, council members had pitched strategies to rethink public safety. In addition to Davilas item, Councilman Rigel Robinson had floated a measure to eliminate police from traffic stops. The philosophy, while new, has at least one precedent: In 2013, county officials took over the police department in Camden, New Jersey, installing surveillance equipment such as license plate readers to do the work of officers. Camden saw a significant drop in violent crime, yet the overhaul remains controversial, in part because it broke up the police union. Oakland civil rights attorney James Chanin told The Chronicle he can imagine plenty of scenarios in which police currently respond, but that dont necessarily need to involve law enforcement such as sending mental health professionals to defuse domestic disputes. Chanin represented plaintiffs in a famous 2000 police beating and corruption case that later placed Oakland under a federal court monitor. There are ways to trim the tree without chopping it down, he said. Many view the fervor to transform the police as a logical extension of Black Lives Matter, and activists are ramping up pressure to lacerate police budgets further, or disband departments altogether. At City Council meetings, callers threaten to vote out or run challengers against politicians who dont meet their demands. Thats led some observers to wonder if the swift, widespread embrace of these reforms in the Bay Area could be a political calculus. Now Playing: Pancho Kachingwe joined Oakland community members, artists and local businesses to paint "Black Lives Matter" across three blocks of 15th Street on Sunday, June 7. The 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 Were in this heightened situation where people are falling all over themselves to prove theyre part of the program, said Greg McConnell, CEO of the Jobs and Housing Coalition, a group that represents major employers and building trades in Oakland. McConnell, who is Black, empathizes with the protests. Yet hes somewhat surprised by Oaklands determination to erode law enforcement, when residents of Chinatown and some of the flatland neighborhoods are clamoring for protection. Mayor Libby Schaaf took office five years ago on promises to boost the police force to 800 officers a goal she nearly met last year, when the city funded 792 sworn positions. As the politics heat up, officials are also struggling to keep a civil tone in discussions that dredge up the countrys long history of racial oppression. At least five people called the Oakland City Councils public comment line Tuesday to unleash violent racial slurs. In Berkeley, a caller attacked Arreguin for not slicing more of the police budget, saying the mayor wasnt Latinx enough. At a recent BART meeting, one board director praised Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee. Simon compared these outbursts to a person confronting all his demons in therapy. Racism is in the nations bone marrow, she said, and policing has become the space where many of those issues play out. Noah Berger / Special to The Chronicle Cat Brooks, an outspoken activist in Oakland and co-founder of the Anti Police-Terror Project, said shes optimistic about the current string of reforms. While federal leaders spar over law enforcement policy, California and the Bay Area are pushing forward, stretching to see whats economically feasible and politically palatable. Brooks cited a bill by state Sen. Nancy Skinner, D-Berkeley to strike police from social service calls, and similar legislation by Assemblyman Rob Bonta, D-Oakland, to classify racially motivated 911 calls as hate crimes. Additionally, Brooks group is sponsoring a bill by Assemblywoman Sydney Kamlager, D-Los Angeles that would delegate community organizations to respond to homelessness issues, domestic conflicts and mental health emergencies. When Brooks helped create the Anti Police-Terror Project five years ago, with a platform that anticipated todays defund the police campaigns, people dismissed her as an outlier. This movement was born out of Oakland from a grassroots organization that people used to look at as crazy fringe radical people, she said. And now it has national traction. Rachel Swan is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: rswan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @rachelswan Health officials in Santa Clara County gave schools a road map for reopening for in-person instruction, but added a big asterisk that they should be ready to resume instruction remotely if coronavirus conditions demand shutdowns. The document released Tuesday afternoon offers district officials flexibility in adopting plans for reopening schools, allowing for variances depending on the age of students. But it also outlines a list of requirements schools must follow if they decide to bring students back. In elementary schools, adults must wear masks, but students will not be required to do so. Health officials encouraged social distancing as much as possible while acknowledging younger students will struggle with that. They must, however, stay in stable class groups, not mixing with others on school grounds, to mitigate possible transmission of the virus. In middle and high schools, students must wear masks at all times inside, except when eating or drinking. Social distancing in classes will be required. All schools must provide adequate supplies of hand sanitizer, cleaning supplies, soap and no-touch trash cans. The county guidelines apply to schools opting to reopen in the fall for any in-person instruction, even if limited to some students. Each district will determine when and how to reopen. The document provides specifics on what is required if schools do open to students. We want all students and teachers to return to school as soon as possible under the safest possible conditions, said Dr. Sara Cody, public health director for the county. The county has decided to prohibit any extracurricular activities that dont allow for physical distancing and masks, specifically banning aerosol generating activities, including choir, band and vocal cheerleading activities. Field trips and assemblies are allowed, as long as they adhere to any health requirements in the community or in schools. Yet even with specifics in hand on how to reopen, Santa Clara County Superintendent Mary Ann Dewan advised districts to have both a plan for in-person instruction as well as a backup plan for full distance learning should our conditions worsen. The guidelines, she said, are not a guarantee that schools will be able to open in person. Each county across California is expected to release its own set of guidelines for reopening schools. While education and health officials have urged districts to move to in-person instruction as much and as quickly as possible, not all districts will start the school year bringing kids back. The East Side High School District in San Jose plans to spend the fall semester with most students still at home. COVID Resources Coronavirus Map Tracking COVID-19 cases across the Bay Area and California. A survey of students, teachers and staff found that more than half of the adults wanted minimal to no on-campus instruction, while 53% of students preferred to be at school in the fall. The district is moving toward adopting distance learning for the fall semester, with high needs students, including those in special education programs, in classrooms for face-to-face instruction. While California counties had been moving toward reopening, many areas of the state have hit the pause button as COVID-19 cases spiked in recent days. Getting kids back in school will require community effort, said Santa Clara County Board of Education President Cindy Chavez. That means masks, social distancing, sheltering in place, hand washing and more. I know people are tired. I know parents want their children to be back at school, she said. We want more than anything else to open back up. Jill Tucker is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jtucker@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @jilltucker Whether its herd instinct or genuine feeling, scores of major businesses are lining up against Facebook over its lax controls over hate speech and divisive politics. The media giant is pushing back with promises to crack down on the abuses it tolerated for too long. When the likes of Unilever, Coca-Cola and Starbucks cancel ads, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg finally is taking notice. Hes pledging to rein in conduct that suppresses voting or inflames racial feelings. That hardly covers all of the bad behavior on the platform, but it signals a change from its shrug-shoulder tendency. The financial side of the picture bears examining. The giant companies killing their ads are bowing to the public mood and also saving billions in online ads. Facebooks steadily rising revenue and army of users wont likely be pinched. But the firm cant ignore a brewing boycott that includes major civil rights groups such as the NAACP and the Anti-Defamation League. Facebook is feeling the heat in other ways. No one much likes it in Washington, where conservatives believe it muzzles their views and liberals think its too timid to stem lies and abusive conduct. Facebook has hired thousands to screen out the worst of it, but that hasnt mollified critics. The platform continues to live in a fantasyland where it views lies, fear mongering and racial taunts as the ebb and flow of public life. Judging this conduct would undercut its role as social connector and turn it into a censor, Zuckerberg has long argued. But that lax, hands-off stance wont work any more, and its especially hypocritical for a company that allowed Russian front groups to interfere in the 2016 presidential election along with the Cambridge Analytica data breach that tapped the information of millions of users. A company thats so easily manipulated cant get away with defending itself as the home of free expression. The best hope for Facebook is that its struggling leadership will clamp down more widely and forcefully on the problems its hosting. Racism, voter misinformation and violent content demand a thumbs down, not the temporizing to date. 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. California has now proven the efficacy of coronavirus distancing measures twice first by imposing them and then by abandoning them. Bay Area officials vanguard shelter-in-place orders, followed by Gov. Gavin Newsoms, kept the states share of the deadly pandemic strikingly low for months considering its high population and early exposures. In recent weeks, however, the governor and most local officials lifted the restrictions almost as suddenly as they were imposed, with equally dramatic but opposite results. Both the Bay Area and California have repeatedly broken daily records for new infections over the past two weeks as weekly averages turned sharply upward, paralleling the national resurgence of the pandemic. Of still greater concern are rising hospitalizations, which arent influenced by increased testing for the virus and could overwhelm care capacity, making the disease more deadly. As of Sunday, the state had broken confirmed coronavirus-related hospitalization records for 10 consecutive days and seen the figure increase by more than half over two weeks. While Californias death rate remains low compared with states that suffered major outbreaks in the Northeast and Midwest, the rising numbers of infected and seriously ill people portend a grim narrowing of the gap. After months of economic hardship and social isolation, Californians want to forget about the coronavirus, and so do many of our leaders. Newsom delegated much of the responsibility for resuming activities to local officials, and many rushed through the phases of reopening to the point that risky businesses such as bars and gyms restarted in high-infection regions such as the Bay Area and Los Angeles. Governments leaped ahead of their own testing and tracing benchmarks as well as mask mandates and other precautions. While state and local officials cant control private gatherings or mass protests, their quick retreat from distancing measures contributed to a false sense that the danger of the virus had disappeared. The state and nation certainly have to get back to business, but with reopening now turning to re-closing, the lesson of the past month is that we must do so carefully and responsibly. 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. Press Release July 1, 2020 Gordon urges LGU heads anew to have their constituents get tested for Covid-19 to help contain the virus As the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) ramps up its Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) testing capability by putting up more molecular laboratories across the country, its Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Senator Richard J. Gordon urged the heads of the local government units (LGU) once again to have the residents under their jurisdictions get tested for the virus. As Gordon pointed out, it is critical to know who are the carriers of COVID-19 to easily isolate them from non-carriers and so that those who are sick can be treated immediately. He added that testing the people is a vital way of containing the virus. "The number of cases in our country are increasing everyday and it is alarming since there is no available vaccine for COVID yet. What we can do now is to set a clear policy on containing the virus. We should conduct a massive testing especially in Metro Manila since the epicenter is here. So, I urge our mayors and other officials of local government units to have their constituents tested," he said. Gordon emphasized that a very small percentage of the country's population are tested. As of June 30, only 0.57% are tested, which is far from the recommendation of the World Health Organization (WHO) to test at least 13% of the populace which is 14.2 million Filipinos. "As I have said, we have not tested enough but we have the capacity. Red Cross now has five molecular laboratories that are up and running, and which are capable of processing 28,000 specimen samples a day. We are expanding our capacity as we are now starting to establish testing centers in Northern and Southern Luzon, and as far as Visayas and Mindanao," Gordon said. The PRC signed a Memorandum of Agreement with various LGUs in Metro Manila during the inauguration of its first molecular laboratory located at its headquarters in Mandaluyong City on April 21. So far, the cities in Metro Manila that partnered with Red Cross for COVID-19 testing are Caloocan, Quezon City, Mandaluyong, Makati, Paranaque, San Juan, Navotas, Pasay and Las Pinas. Outside the National Capital Region (NCR), among the provinces that teamed up with the PRC are Pampanga, Tarlac, Bulacan, Bataan, Zambales and Mindoro Occidental, to name some. Since June 30, the PRC has tested 167,879 or 24% of the total tests conducted in the country. "This is the Red Cross' way of helping our country flatten the curve as we believe that testing is really the key to contain and eliminate COVID," said Gordon. A better title for Just as Russia would want (Editorial, June 30), about President Trump again doubting U.S. intelligence and refusing to sanction or even question the Russian government, this time for reportedly having paid the Taliban to kill American and allied troops in Afghanistan, is this: Putins pugnacious puppet in the White House. Henrik Lundquist, Tiburon Too little, too late Regarding Reddit bans pro-Trump forum (Daily Briefing, June 30): The news that this online content forum, along with live-streaming gaming service Twitch are, respectively, banning a group and a channel supporting the president because of hateful speech and conduct does not impress me. As of June 30, President Trump has been president for 3 years and 161 days. He and his supporters have been promoting racist viewpoints since his first day in office. These decisions by Reddit, Twitch and particularly Twitter, which only recently began tagging Trumps posts for lacking truth or promoting violence, are classic examples of too little, too late. Elliot Branca, San Francisco Fix economic realities of U.S. Regarding Oakland barb shows presidents true colors (June 29): Thanks and gratitude to Otis R. Taylor Jr., for the well-written explanation of the economic inequity experienced by people of color, particularly in Oakland, but Im sure is not limited to here. Also, there was the rightful condemnation of Trumps attitude and words directed at Oakland and other cities with large Black populations. I was struck by the 10-to-1 disparity in household wealth noted between white and Black families in 2016. This is structural racism; its not hard to understand. It is hard and painful to acknowledge, at least it is for me and, I suspect, for other middle-class whites. However, the only way for this built-in racism to change is to acknowledge and make changes based on the truth of the economic realities in our nation. To this end, I appreciate how simple and self-evident Taylors argument is. Thank you. Change has got to come. David Noyes, Sonoma Trans community in danger Thanks for Heather Knights latest column In turbulent times, support for social justice is rock solid (June 30). As the June month of Gay Pride comes to an end, Im grateful that a message and photo of a rock in Bernal Heights Park overlooking San Francisco contained the message Black Trans Lives Matter. In June, two Black trans women, Riah Milton in Ohio and Dominique RemMie Fells in Pennsylvania, were killed, just as the Trump administration reversed protections for transgender people in the U.S. health care system. And according to the Human Right Campaign, at least 14 transgender or gender non-conforming people (including Milton and Fells) have been violently killed so far in 2020, many being Black trans women. Im an LGBTQ member who believes that bringing attention to this matter is of vital importance. I also believe that our country, which calls itself a democracy, is one in name only until it provides equality and safety to all of its citizens, regardless of their race, gender, or sexual orientation. Kai Winters, Brisbane Rejecting racism Regarding 2020 time warp may signal beginning of new normal (Caille Millner, June 27): Welcome back, Caille Millner, and just in time. I live in an area similar to the one she describes, and its been heartening to see young white people protesting for justice. I love Millners view that its all about love and young people connecting the dots between the world they want (one that allows them their health, their sanity, a livable climate and a reasonable standard of living) and what theyll have to reject in order to get there. I hope everyone heeds her words that racism is one of the things we must reject and get to work. We owe her and her new child nothing less. Ellen Obstler, Petaluma Protect the health directors In the midst of a deadly COVID-19 pandemic, our public health directors are trying very hard to protect peoples lives. Despite this valiant effort, there have been many public health directors throughout the United States who have been threatened with death, had their personal information released (doxed), been fired or simply burn out for lack of support. Many public health directors now require security details to protect them from attackers. Public health at all levels of government has been chronically underfunded. With well over 100,000 deaths in the United States, we are now seeing the results of this failure to protect the public from a pandemic. As Dr. Sara Cody of Santa Clara County said, Once youre dead, there is no way forward. Theres no way to bring your family member back. Public health officials goal is to protect the health of the public from disease and illness so that people can live in good health, regardless of political persuasion or socioeconomic status. Please stop making public health political. Please support and protect our public health directors during this trying time. Dave Smith, Martinez Rewrite history textbooks As a retired middle school teacher who lives in Marin County, California, I feel I must address an additional elephant in the room regarding institutionalized racism: U.S. history texts. There is a very long list of items that are wrong with them, but let me focus on this moment in time. It is long past due to rewrite them. We have placed an inordinate amount of curriculum time on the Civil War without the agonizing discussions about slavery, myself included, (a matter of personal shame) and have given short shrift, if any time at all, to Reconstruction, Jim Crow laws or the formation of the Southern Dixiecrats. Rewrite these now. To quote Ken Burns, Our monuments are representations of myth, not fact. Eileen Boore, Novato California leads, the nation follows has been a popular notion among state boosters, investors and progressives for years. Now, in the time of COVID-19, some are using it to proclaim the states relatively positive results (so far) thanks to our aggressive shutdown policies. But even though California has done a better job than most of limiting coronavirus deaths among its 40 million people, the fallout hitting the worlds fifth largest economy is unprecedented. State unemployment leapt from 3.5% in January to 16.3% in May; more than 3 million Californians are unemployed. In the wealthy Bay Area usually more recession-proof than much of the state more than 146 companies have shed 136,000 jobs in less than four months. How do these losses affect startups, one of California's greatest hallmarks? In April, National Public Radio reported that job postings for about 50 startups worth more than $1 billion have dropped nearly 30% since the outbreak of the virus. This loss of opportunity not only affects investment potential, but harsh day-to-day realities; if a startup must lower its burn rate, the main lever it has is headcount. And startups well beyond California are feeling the pain: A recent survey by search firm Startup Genome asked 1,000 tech startups in 50 countries about their runway how many months till they run out of operating cash and 41% reported three months or less. This slowdown naturally triggers a chilling effect for startups, too. In the U.S., new business applications have fallen 40%, according to a U.S. Census study on business formation. Of the federal economic support for businesses weve seen to date, results are mixed at best for startups. The first and second rounds of the Small Business Administrations Paycheck Protection Program loans have largely gone to construction and manufacturing, health care and professional services firms. Of course, PPP loans werent devised with startups in mind, where revamping a business strategy is often part of doing business. Even if they did qualify for federal support, founders have wrestled with this question: since they often have wealthy investors and venture capital funding, should startups even be eligible? Those who reject that idea include Benchmark partner Bill Gurley, who tweeted, If you believe in business & capitalism, then there are zero circumstances where the government should bail out equity holders. Theres some logic to this. Restaurants and other local retail outlets need immediate cash to stave off permanent closure. Unlike these businesses, venture-backed startups are not required to show tangible returns in the short (or even medium) term. On the other hand, startups are much riskier propositions than other new businesses. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that every year, 20% of new businesses fail but 90% of startups do. Its been stressful for founders to navigate these conversations about government support. Rep. Ro Khanna and Rep. Anna Eshoo, who both represent Silicon Valley in Congress, introduced HR6751 to expand the definitions and rules about which kinds of small businesses are allowed to seek financial relief. The National Venture Capital Association is similarly advocating for greater federal consideration. If supporting and rebuilding the economy overlooks the startup ecosystem, one thing is clear: Recovery will be slower, and perhaps smaller, than we need it to be, across the U.S. In 2010, as the nation was recovering from a major recession, the Kauffman Foundation issued a report with an unequivocal conclusion: Net job growth occurs in the U.S. economy only through startup firms. Even though startups fail at a much higher rate than other businesses, the successful ones generate innovation (based on customer need and product fit) at a much higher rate and this is a time when we need to invest in innovation. This is precisely why any serious efforts toward economic restoration must include the startup ecosystem not only in bellwether California, but throughout the U.S. Otherwise, we face a worse problem: how to re-employ many millions of people whose jobs in gutted businesses have evaporated. Simply put, policymakers should not neglect startups, because that will harm our national recovery. Here are some specific suggestions on how to give startups their rightful place in an economic turnaround: Include startups, R&D and innovation engines in recovery programs. Support research and development at large companies and universities. In an article last fall, University of Michigan engineering Professor Sridhar Kota observed, We need a commitment to engineering (development) that parallels the infrastructure we have created in science, one that puts the & back in R&D. The long-term wealth and security of the nation depend on it. Ensure that the COVID-19 projects companies undertake, while laudable (and temporary), do not overtake their business trajectory. We need to reward companies currently manufacturing personal protective equipment, testing kits, ventilators with additional investment and purchasing contracts that are easy to apply for. We need more WPA-scale federal investment to put people back to work, as well as providing education and training for new opportunities. Recognize that job losses can and should foster entrepreneurial diversity. All too often the perception of the laid-off is that they are castoffs, but theres a real opportunity now to bring more diverse founders into the ecosystem. Turn unemployment insurance into something closer to a startup investment, or small business loan. Right now were talking about stopping the bleeding to keep the patient alive. Whats coming up fast is the next phase, rehabilitation: How do we have job growth recovery and put people to work in a burgeoning new economy? We need to foster entrepreneurial activity in every way possible, because that will fuel our recovery. Now is the time to get going. Eric Ries is founder and CEO of the Long-Term Stock Exchange and best-selling author of The Lean Startup. He lives in San Francisco with his wife and two children. As countless Americans take to the streets in defense of Black lives and call for the transformation of policing, we must not neglect the threat that COVID-19 continues to present and the urgent need for immediate decarceration. Nine of the nations 10 largest outbreak hotspots are jails and prisons. Because of deep-seated racial inequities in the justice system, failure to curb the virus spread through corrections facilities will lead to countless and needless deaths, disproportionately of people of color once again demonstrating the lack of value placed on their lives. The incarceration rate of Black individuals is over five times that of white individuals, and about three in five individuals in prison are Black or Latinx nearly double their share of the countrys population. We cannot allow over-incarceration to become a de facto death sentence for the millions disproportionately people of color behind bars. The exploding outbreak within San Quentin prison demonstrates the profound danger of inaction. Two weeks ago, correctional officials were warned by experts that they needed to reduce the population in the prison by half or risk a catastrophic outbreak. They didnt, and infections within the prison rocketed from 48 to 456. At least 1 in every 8 people incarcerated and more than 40 staff at San Quentin are now infected an outbreak that experts say will move beyond prison walls, could overwhelm the health care system, and poses a dire threat to the entire Bay Area. Meanwhile in state prisons and jails across the country, a pronounced lack of testing obscures the extent of the virus spread behind bars. As of last month, fewer than 100 people 44 prisoners and 45 employeeshad been tested for COVID-19 in Mississippi prisons and detention centers a rate of just 0.4%. Thats unacceptable. The nearly 20,000 corrections staff and incarcerated people in Mississippi deserve better, as do their families. Failing to understand the scope of this crisis and take appropriate action puts us all at risk. Mississippi isnt alone in this failure. A Reuters survey found that most state prison systems including New York, Florida, and Texas test only symptomatic incarcerated individuals, though research shows that asymptomatic carriers can (and do) spread the virus. Lurking behind these leadership failures is likely an alarming truth: rampant and catastrophic infection. At least 70,000 people in jails and prisons have been infected and at least 627 have died. In Ohio, nearly one in four confirmed cases are connected to the states prison system, and 73% of incarcerated individuals at Marion Correctional Institution tested positive for the virus as of late April. In Michigans Lakeland Prison, 66% of the nearly 1,000 incarcerated individuals tested positive. In North Carolinas Neuse Correctional Institution, mass testing revealed that nearly two-thirds of incarcerated individuals were infected 98% were asymptomatic. The ramifications for public safety and public health are acute. Jails and prisons are not closed environments, as staff members return to the broader community after their shifts each day. Indeed, regular movement into and out of jails led to a recent projection that absent significant reduction of incarcerated populations and social distancing efforts behind bars, there could be up to 100,000 additional deaths in our nation. More testing is a critical first step, but not a solution. Although testing can uncover the scope of the problem and propel action, the number of people behind bars also must be dramatically reduced. Dense overcrowding, shared living spaces, lack of adequate health care, and limited access to hygiene products and sanitation render jails, prisons, and detention centers petri dishes for the spread of COVID-19, and make practicing social distancing impossible. In part as a result of these conditions and despite limited testing the rate of infection at Rikers Island is nearly four times the rate of infection in New York City, what had been the global epicenter of the COVID-19 outbreak, and nearly 20 times that of the nation. We can release a significant number of incarcerated people without endangering public safety. Nearly 40% of those in state prisons are incarcerated without a clear rationale for how removing them from their community promotes public safety. And most people in jails are being held pretrial, without having been convicted of a crime, and often are in custody simply because they cannot afford bond. Indeed, in response to COVID-19, some major cities have significantly reduced arrests without experiencing a spike in crime. Elected prosecutors nationwide, per their mandate to protect all members of the community, are reducing the influx of individuals into custody and calling for immediate reduction of custodial populations. From Mississippi to Massachusetts to Hawaii, they have also urged others to do likewise. Although prosecutors have significantly reduced local jail populations, they have little ability to depopulate state and federal facilities where rampant outbreaks are coming to light even with limited testing. As calls for justice abound, elected leaders must do more and not settle for a state of ignorance around the scale of the virus spread behind bars. The death toll will not end if we refuse to acknowledge the problem and arm ourselves with needed information. Our communities are taking to the streets to demand more from us. Scott Colom is the district attorney for the Sixteenth Circuit Court of Mississippi; Miriam Aroni Krinsky is a former federal prosecutor and the executive director of Fair and Just Prosecution, a national network of elected prosecutors working toward common-sense, compassionate criminal-justice reforms. CALIPATRIA, Imperial County Customers trickle into the Calipatria Queen Market as cashier Terry Aguilera and her regulars talk about how the coronavirus pandemic is ravaging their sleepy town 40 miles north of the Mexican border. Speaking through a face mask, Aguilera shares updates about who has gotten sick, whos been moved to the intensive care unit and who theyve buried in the last week. She says its hard to understand why a small farming community like Calipatria and the rest of Imperial County have been hit so hard. The county, in the far southeast corner of California, has the states highest infection rate, by far. Aguilera said three of her friends have died, and much of her extended family has been infected. She said people in the town of 7,114 now wear their masks religiously, and that many are suffering from anxiety and panic attacks. Somehow everybody is still getting sick, Aguilera said from behind a Plexiglas barrier. As soon as we get sick, we get the virus. Dustin Gardiner / The Chronicle Imperial County, an impoverished rural area along the Arizona and Mexico borders, has drawn statewide attention over the last week as Gov. Gavin Newsom called on officials here to fully reinstate a stay-at-home order. The county proposed a plan to do that Monday. But Imperials situation was alarming long before its leaders came under Newsoms scrutiny. Imperial County at a glance Population: 181,215 By race/ethnicity: 85% Hispanic, 10% non-Hispanic white, 3.3% Black Per capita income: $17,590 People in poverty: 21.4% Source: U.S. Census Bureau See More Collapse Since the outset of the pandemic, the countys infection rate has been about six times higher than Californias as a whole, with at least 2,835 cases per 100,000 people. Statewide, the average is 491 cases per 100,000 people. The percentage of people tested in the county who are confirmed to have the virus has soared to nearly 23%, about four times the state total. Longtime residents and community activists say Imperial County epitomizes the pandemics worst inequities. Its a microcosm of the racial and economic disparities that exacerbate the diseases uneven toll. Almost a quarter of the countys 181,215 residents live in poverty, and its population is 85% Latino, including many migrant farm workers and recent immigrants. The county has high rates of asthma, diabetes and obesity. It ranks lowest out of Californias 58 counties on a wide range of public health indicators, according to a report from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Dustin Gardiner / The Chronicle Luis Flores, an activist with the Imperial Valley Equity and Justice Coalition who lives in Calexico, on the border with Mexico, started a petition in June to oppose county leaders who asked the state to let Imperial reopen more quickly. The petition drew more than 2,000 signatures, but Flores said the debate was about more than reopening malls and churches. He said residents want to address disparities fueling the outbreak. We want to point attention to what feels like the crisis underneath this crisis, Flores said. The valley is sort of an extreme version of that, in part because a lot of the agricultural labor does reside in Mexico. Flores said migrant farm workers who cross the border every day to pick vegetables and work in meatpacking plants are often transported in crowded shuttle buses and arent given masks. Local officials agree their shared borders with Mexico and Arizona where infection rates have spiked amid loosened statewide restrictions on public life could be fueling the countys higher numbers. They note that no other California county faces that challenge. We arent the same, said Jason Jackson, mayor pro tem of El Centro, the countys largest city, with 44,000 residents. Weve got a state (Arizona) with different rules, and a country with different rules. Imperial County officials responded to Newsoms demand on Monday by proposing to once again close retail stores and indoor church services, though a county spokeswoman said they wont proceed until they hear back from the governors office. The county was already moving slower than much of the state in reopening its economy. On Monday, dozens of shoppers strolled through the Imperial Valley Mall in El Centro, where about half the stores were open. Among the people there was Arthur Rodriguez, who works in a clothing store. He said he was alarmed by the countys decision to allow retail businesses to reopen several weeks ago. He worries about carrying the virus home to his father and sister, who have health problems. Now Playing: We spoke with workers from San Francisco's Mission District who continue to work - and potentially risk their health - amid the coronavirus shelter in place orders. These are their stories. Video: Erika Betty Carlos Its good for the economy, but its not good for us as humans, Rodriguez said. I dont want to be exposed just because I have to work. Luis Olmedo, director of Comite Civico del Valle, an environmental justice advocacy group, said the pandemic has laid bare the regions inequities. We have been in endemic mode for a very long time, he said. If we ignore those (social) determinants, its like sending soldiers to war without the right equipment. The Imperial Valley is also medically underserved, with a ratio of about 4,250 people for every primary care doctor. Since the start of the pandemic, more than 500 patients have been transferred to other counties. Environmental crises are rampant. Air quality is poor, in part because of dust and pesticides from agriculture. And toxic dust from the nearby Salton Sea is blowing through the region as the lake evaporates due to a warming climate. Olmedo said the fight over shutdown orders speaks to a broader disconnect between the regions largely low-income and disadvantaged population and much of its political leadership. The historical political influence here has been industry, he said. This push to reopen I call tell you is a corporate move. Dustin Gardiner is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: dustin.gardiner@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @dustingardiner Joe Biden will find out Thursday if he wins the endorsement of the liberal online hub MoveOn, a sign if he gets it that he is inching closer to winning over progressive voters who remain skeptical about him. Its not a given that Biden will receive the two-thirds vote he needs to win the backing of MoveOn, which has 13 million people on its mailing list. Four years ago, MoveOn chose to launch a United Against Hate campaign against Donald Trump rather than ask its members to endorse Hillary Clinton, after more than three-fourths of them voted to back Sen. Bernie Sanders in the primary. The organization didnt endorse in this years Democratic primary because no candidate could corral the necessary support. The endorsement would measure something different than polls, where Biden has opened up a nine-point lead nationally over Trump, according to the RealClearPolitics.com compilation of major surveys. It would measure enthusiasm for the nominee to be. Clinton couldnt win that enthusiasm four years ago, when she and Sanders battled all the way to the convention. Then, 1 in 10 Sanders primary voters 1.5 million people backed Trump in the general election, according to a Tufts University study. If he gets it, its a good sign that the wing of the party that wasnt behind the moderate candidate (Biden) is consolidating around him, said Alan Minsky, executive director of Progressive Democrats of America, which backed Sanders in the primary. If he doesnt get it, its a sign that progressives want to see more. Michael Short / Special to The Chronicle 2019 Winning the endorsement of a major liberal organization like MoveOn is key for Biden because it is full of politically engaged people who do the grunt work of campaigning. And it would be a turning point for the former vice president, who opposes such top progressive priorities as single-payer national health care and the Green New Deal environmental proposal. Some progressives also remain wary of Biden because of his record during four decades in the Senate. They havent forgotten his conduct as Senate Judiciary Committee chair during the 1991 Supreme Court nomination hearing of Clarence Thomas, when Thomas former federal agency colleague Anita Hill accused him of sexually harassing her. Biden allowed committee members to trash Hill during their questioning and refused to call witnesses who were prepared to back up her story. Some progressives wont forgive him for his leadership of a 1994 crime bill toughening sentences for many federal offenses. New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker called his fellow Democrat the architect of mass incarceration during the primary campaign. But those criticisms have been muted since Biden won enough support to secure the nomination and his rivals endorsed him. For many Democrats, defeating Trump trumps ideological purity. Many people are in the mind-set now of voting for Joe Biden, said Adam Green, co-founder of the Progressive Change Campaign Committee, which endorsed Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren during the campaign. The big variable now is how energized they will be to donate and volunteer for his campaign and defend him from attacks. Still, many Democrats remain unenthusiastic about Biden. A June CNN poll found that while Biden led Trump by double digits, 60% of his backers said their support was more of a vote against Trump. Only 27% of Trumps supporters said their support was more about opposing Biden. That enthusiasm gap which is particularly pronounced among younger voters is a troubling sign for Biden four months from election day. We know that young people want Trump gone, said Ben Wessel, executive director of NextGen America, which has done extensive polling about the Biden enthusiasm gap among younger voters. But being anti-Trump is not enough. We need to show that Biden can get us much closer to having the country that we want and need. MoveOn political director Chris Torres told The Chronicle that he was more confident Biden would win the organizations support than he was a few months ago. We think our members are in a place that they are so committed to defeating Trump that we feel positive about it, he said. But he and other progressive leaders suggested ways that Biden could win over more progressive voters, regardless of what happens Thursday: Pick a progressive vice president: Biden said he will choose a woman and announce his pick by Aug. 1. On Tuesday, members of Progressive Democrats and RootsAction, another progressive organization that supported Sanders, urged Biden in an open letter to pick Warren. They cited her leadership on issues from the Green New Deal to fighting corporate greed and corruption issues that excite the progressive voters youll need to win the White House. The two organizations, which together represent 1.2 million activists, wrote the letter after Warren was the top vice presidential choice of 52% of its members. The runner-up, California Sen. Kamala Harris, received 18%. Be open to progressive policy goals: Nobody expects Biden to suddenly embrace Medicare for All, which he says would be far too expensive. But progressive leaders do expect him to be open to their ideas. Green said he appreciated how Biden has embraced one of Warrens and Sanders signature policies debt-free college after the primary ended. Include progressives on the team: Progressives like Fremont Rep. Ro Khanna, a national co-chair of Sanders presidential campaign, applauded the unity team that Sanders and Biden formed to move closer on policy plans. Others liked that Khanna, Oakland Rep. Barbara Lee, and former Obama administration official and current Los Angeles County Supervisor Hilda Solis were named as co-chairs of the California Democratic Party delegation to the national convention. It was seen as an olive branch to supporters of Sanders, who won the California primary. Personnel is policy. Who you surround yourself with is indicative of the direction youre going, said MoveOns Torres. Progressives want to see more of who Biden is surrounding himself with. Joe Garofoli is The San Francisco Chronicles senior political writer. Email: jgarofoli@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @joegarofoli If youve driven through Mendocino County, especially this time of year, you might find it hard to imagine that just 6 miles off Highway 101 from toasty Ukiah is a chilly, mountainous vineyard where grapes are routinely harvested with snow on the ground. You can get 2 inches of snow up here, says Mike Lucia, who bought the vineyard, known as Cole Ranch, in late 2019. The cool weather in this unique pocket causes grapes to ripen slowly, and the last of them often arent ready for picking until around Thanksgiving. That led Lucia to wonder: Could this site be described as Alpine? Cole Ranch is among a few vineyards in Mendocino County that are being reimagined as a home for the grape varieties that thrive in Europes cold mountainous regions, especially the Alps. Lucia, the winemaker behind Rootdown Cellars, based in Geyserville, sees in his property the potential for grapes from the Savoie, in the French Alps, and the Jura, a French region bordering the Swiss Alps. Meanwhile, about 30 minutes away from Cole Ranch, in Mendocino Countys Yorkville Highlands AVA, winemakers and best friends Sam Bilbro (of Idlewild Wines) and Evan Lewandowski (of Ruth Lewandowski Wines) are reviving a property, now known as Lost Hills Ranch, as a site for grapes that thrive in Italys Alps or Alps-adjacent regions. Theyre making a similar play at Fox Hill Vineyard near Ukiah. According to Bilbro, Lewandowski and Lucia, some of these grape varieties such as Cole Ranchs Jacquere and Lost Hills Timorasso have never before been planted in California. For wine geeks who have fallen for the European versions of these wines, the prospect of these Mendocino Alpine plantings is deeply exciting. Do these developments run the risk of looking faddish? Sure. In recent years Alpine wines have become darlings of sommeliers, celebrated on hip restaurant wine lists. But could they fall out of favor with the hipster set just as quickly? Is it worth the years of toil and financial expense that these three winemakers are committing? They say yes that these corners of Mendocino County, counterintuitive though it may seem, are promising ground for the Alpine crops. Were not planting things because theyre a trend, says Lucia. Were planting them because theyre correct. Ramin Rahimian / Special to The Chronicle Alpine wine is a vague term, referring to wines grown in and around the European Alps, which span not just Italy and France but also Slovenia, Austria, Switzerland and more. It would be impossible to characterize the diverse outputs of these regions as having a single identity, but broadly speaking, these areas can produce crisp white wines high in acidity, and light-bodied, fruity reds. Imagine dewy mountain air, icicle-like purity and the bracing freshness of fallen snow thats the Alpine mood. Bilbros winery, Idlewild, has always been modeled on Piedmont, an Italian wine region thats surrounded by the Alps on three sides. But theres also something in Idlewilds Nebbiolo that recalls the fragrant, delicate versions of Italys Alpine Valle dAosta or Valtellina. The Nebbiolo we grow here, Bilbro says of Lost Hills Ranch, is deeper and broader aromatically, but also lighter. Alongside Lost Hills Nebbiolo are sections of Dolcetto, Barbera, Arneis, Cortese, Moscato Bianco and Timorasso. Lost Hills is aptly named: On the winding, rugged stretch of Highway 128 between the Russian River Valley and the Anderson Valley, its 724 acres feel wild, with fast-whipping winds and steep slopes that rise to 2,200 feet. Veins of schist and quartz run through its fractured sandstone soils. Bilbros father, Chris, bought the piece in 1998 to use for his winery, Marietta Cellars, which his brother Scot now runs. Only in the last few years has Bilbro committed the vineyard to an Italianate theme. This new era is a partnership with Lewandowski, a rising star of natural wine who previously worked in Alto Adige, an Alpine region in Italy, at Tenuta Loacker. At Lost Hills, hes planted Kerner and Schiava, two of the classic grapes of Alto Adige. Im super obsessed with that whole Austro-Hungarian part of Europe, he says. Lewandowski and Bilbro are not chasing obscurity for obscuritys sake. They just think its time to see how some of these great European grape varieties can do here. The world doesnt need another single-vineyard, $65 Pinot Noir, Lewandowski says. Plus, just look at the hills. Feel the wind. This area was settled by immigrants from northern Italy, Lewandowski says. They stopped here because they saw something that looked like home. Leigh-Ann Beverley Cole Ranch has its own peculiar history and physicality. For one thing, its its own appellation at 180 acres, the smallest appellation in the U.S. That designation speaks to the vineyards singularity; its distinct from its immediate surroundings, with its own set of diverse soils, its own water source and even its own microclimate. Arrive at Cole Ranch, passing by the Americas smallest appellation sign, and you might feel like youre in a low-lying valley, flanked on all sides by craggy hills. But youre at 1,500 feet not that high compared with the actual Alps, but high for Northern California vineyards. This place is a little terrarium, Lucia says. Higher-altitude vineyards tend to experience more dramatic day-to-night temperature swings, which gives grapes the best of both worlds, and the vines get more direct sunlight without excessive heat. If youre lucky, youll get wines with concentrated, deep flavors that still feel relatively light. Food Guide Top 25 Restaurants Where to eat in the Bay Area. Find spots near you, create a dining wishlist, and more. Though it may not be a household name, wine industry insiders know Cole Ranch as a special place. It was first planted in 1973 by John Cole, who sold his fruit to wineries like Chateau St. Jean and Fetzer. The Sterling family, who owned the now-closed Esterlina winery, bought it in 1999 for $1.6 million, and then a bank took control before a few other investors came in, putting it on the market for $3.3 million. Lucia and his wife, Jill, bought it and began farming it last fall. The jewels of Cole Ranch are the 1973 Riesling vines, among the oldest Riesling in California. Wineries including Cobb, Desire Lines, Handley and Ruth Lewandowski buy the fruit, and Lucia says theres a waiting list. He couldnt possibly get rid of the Riesling vines a variety that has as much cool-climate appeal as you can get and hes also compelled to preserve some of the 1973 Cab and Merlot. But he wants to replant the balance of the vineyard to the grapes of the Savoie and the Jura regions of France. Jacquere, Savagnin, Trousseau and Poulsard are already in the ground, and Moundeuse, Mollard and Persan will be planted this summer. Jura-inspired wines are already a big part of what Lucia does at Rootdown Cellars: He makes Trousseau, the regions signature variety, as both a red wine and a rose, with fruit purchased from St. Amant Vineyard in Amador County. It produces an elegant wine with crunchy, pleasantly bitter red-fruit flavors that he loves, but he sees a rare opportunity in Cole Ranch to give it a chance in a place that looks a little more like Trousseaus hometown. A lot of people start wine brands with wines like Trousseau just because they found some cheap fruit, Lucia says. Under-the-radar varieties tend to command much less than the material of popular Cabernet, Pinot and the like. But I actually really believe in this. Ramin Rahimian / Special to The Chronicle Its the burden of American wine to always be reaching for a European corollary. Napa Valley boasts of its climactic similarities to Bordeaux as evidence for why it grows great Cabernet Sauvignon. Oregons Willamette Valley is on roughly the same latitude as Burgundy, so it grows Pinot Noir. But it can be dangerous for a wine region to hang its hat on these comparisons. Naysayers can always find any number of inconsistencies. Napa is warmer than Bordeaux, and the Willamette Valleys soil looks nothing like Burgundys. Inevitably, the similarities break down. But to Bilbro, Lewandowski and Lucia, finding an exact corollary isnt really the point of the Alpine endeavor. The point is experimentation. The point is being open to the idea that untried, unfamiliar wines might thrive in California soils, if only we gave them a shot. And for these corners of Mendocino County that dont yet have the notoriety of Oakville or Carneros, searching for a distinctive identity is a way to put their neighborhoods on the fine-wine map. Were a young winegrowing culture that thinks weve figured it all out, Bilbro says. Maybe this Alpine experiment will be all wrong. But the only way to get recognition for the Yorkville Highlands, for Mendocino, is to experiment. Esther Mobley is The San Francisco Chronicles wine critic. Email: emobley@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @Esther_mobley Instagram: @esthermob With coronavirus cases spiking to record levels and hospitals filling up, California has entered a new stage in the pandemic that officials are calling alarming. In the past two weeks, cases have increased some 45% and hospitalizations 43%, Gov. Gavin Newsom said Tuesday. While the jump in cases is in part due to the state conducting more tests, the state's rate of positive cases went from 4.4% to 5.5% and this reveals that the surge in cases can't solely be explained by increased testing. In Imperial County, the site of the state's most severe spread, that rate has skyrocketed to 23%. In Riverside County, intensive care units are at 99% capacity, and it's possible hospital beds in Los Angeles County could be full in two weeks. This article, Facebook ad boycott: Why big brands 'hit pause on hate', originally appeared on CNET.com. Facebook has long been criticized for not doing enough to combat hate speech. Now the outrage against the world's largest social network is growing into a movement that threatens its bottom line. That's because Facebook's latest critics are some of its biggest customers. On June 17, a group of civil rights organizations including the Anti-Defamation League, the NAACP and Color of Change called on businesses to "hit pause on hate" and not advertise on Facebook in July. The social network makes nearly all of its money from ads, raking in more than $70 billion in revenue last year. Organizers of the campaign said Thursday, on the day Facebook reported its second-quarter earnings, that it will continue the movement beyond July. They plan to take more action in the coming months, and organizers see the campaign growing in Europe and in other places. Some advertisers have decided they want to continue pausing spending past July until Facebook takes more aggressive action against hate speech. "This movement will not go away until Facebook makes the reasonable changes that society wants. The ad pause in July was not a full campaign it was a warning shot across Facebook's bow. This movement only will get bigger and broader until Facebook takes the common-sense steps necessary to mitigate the damage it causes," the Stop Hate for Profit campaign said in a statement on Thursday. The campaign picked up steam with a variety of major brands, including outdoor clothing brand The North Face, consumer goods giant Unilever and telecom leader Verizon. Sony Interactive Entertainment, Clorox, Adidas, Ford, Denny's, Volkswagen and Microsoft (as well as PlayStation) later announced they've joined the boycott too. "This definitely seems more widespread," said Debra Aho Williamson, eMarketer's principal analyst. "I don't think I've ever seen this level of marketer action around Facebook." On Wednesday, during a lengthy congressional antitrust hearing, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg was asked if the company is so big that it doesn't care about the ad boycott. The company is scheduled to report its second-quarter earnings on Thursday. "Of course we care, but we're also not going to set our content policies because of advertisers," Zuckerberg said. Facebook executives met with the organizers of the campaign in early July but civil rights advocates said they were disappointed because the social network didn't provide clear answers to their recommendations. Here's what you need to know about the ad boycott: Why is this campaign happening now? ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt said his organization and other civil rights advocates have been pushing Facebook to do more to make the platform safer for many years. Still, the company hasn't been acting quickly enough, he said. Hate speech on Facebook helped fuel a genocide in 2017 against the Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar. In 2019, a gunman used the social network to livestream the mosque shootings in Christchurch, New Zealand. "To be frank, we've not yet seen enough meaningful change," Greenblatt said. The lack of progress became even more apparent to civil rights activists in the wake of the police killing of George Floyd, a 46-year-old Black man in Minneapolis whose death sparked nationwide protests about police brutality and racial justice. Conspiracy theories and misinformation about Floyd's death spread on social networks, including false claims that Hungarian-American billionaire George Soros orchestrated the protests. Some of this misinformation popped up in private Facebook groups that are harder to moderate. Facebook has also included Breitbart News, a far-right site, as a "trusted" source in its news service, and right-wing news and opinion site The Daily Caller is one of the company's fact-checking partners. Facebook has been used to incite violence against protesters and to suppress voting. Unlike Twitter, Facebook has a mostly hands-off approach to speech from politicians. The company faced criticism for not removing a protest-related post by President Donald Trump that advocacy groups and even the company's own employees said could incite violence. Facebook left the post up because it determined that Trump's remarks "when the looting starts, the shooting starts" didn't violate its rules. Facebook's rival Twitter has been labeling Trump's tweets, including false claims he made about mail-in ballots. Greenblatt characterized the campaign as a "30-day pause on advertising" rather than a boycott. Civil rights groups want to work with Facebook to help the company address these longstanding problems, he said, but the point of the campaign is to show that it's not only a stakeholder concern but a "shareholder imperative." After July, the campaign isn't calling on advertisers to halt their ad spending on the platform but some are doing so anyways. It's one action, though, organizers are considering in the future. "The goal is for [Facebook] to take measurable action and we know change doesn't happen overnight," Greenblatt said. What do civil rights groups want Facebook to do? The Stop Hate for Profit campaign outlines 10 steps it wants Facebook to take to better address hate speech on its platform. The recommendations include: Hiring a C-suite-level executive with a civil rights background who will review the company's products and rules for discrimination, bias and hate. Participating in a regular audit by an independent third-party about identity-based misinformation and hate. The results would be published online. Notifying businesses if their ads are shown next to content Facebook pulled down that violated its rules and give them a refund. Finding and removing Facebook groups about white supremacy, militias, anti-Semitism, violent conspiracies, Holocaust denial, vaccine misinformation and climate change denial. Adopting policy changes to help combat hateful content. Stop recommending or amplifying groups or content with ties to hate, misinformation or conspiracies to users. Creating a way to automatically flag hateful content in private groups for human review. Stop exempting politicians from fact checking, removing misinformation about voting and prohibiting calls to violence from politicians. (Facebook says that it will remove content that suppresses voting and incites violence including from politicians, but critics have disagreed with how the company interprets its rules.) Creating expert teams to review identity-based hateful content and harassment. Allowing people facing severe hate or harassment to talk to a Facebook employee. Which companies have joined the campaign? While some brands might be wary about speaking out against Facebook, others are using the boycott to highlight their values and stance on racial justice. More than 1,000 businesses and organizations had announced they are pausing advertising on Facebook, according to advocacy group Sleeping Giants, one of the campaign's organizers. Participants include well-known brands such as Acura, Adidas, Ben & Jerry's, Best Buy, Blue Bottle Coffee, Blue Shield of California, Body Shop, Campbell Soup, Chobani, Clif Bar, Clorox, Coca-Cola, Conagra, Consumer Reports, CVS, Denny's, Dockers, Dunkin' Donuts, Eddie Bauer, Eileen Fisher, Ford, Fossil, Hershey, Honda, HP, Intercontinental Hotels, J.M. Smucker, JanSport, Kay Jewelers, Kind Snacks, Lego, Levi's, Lululemon, Magnolia Pictures, Mars, Merck, Merrell, Microsoft, Molson Coors, Mozilla, North Face, Patagonia, Pepsi, Pete's Coffee, Pfizer, Puma, Reebok, REI, Samuel Adams, SAP, Schwinn, Sesame Workshop, Siemens, Six Flags, SodaStream, Starbucks, Target, Truly, Unilever, Vans, Verizon, Volkswagen, White Castle and Zales. Sony Interactive Entertainment also added its name to the list, saying it will pull ads from Facebook and Instagram until the end of July in support of the boycott. "We stand for working (and playing) together for good," a company spokesman said. How has Facebook responded? Facebook says it doesn't allow hate speech on its platform, but acknowledged it could do more to tackle this problem. The company removed nearly 10 million posts for violating its rules against hate speech in the first three months of this year, and most were taken down before users reported them. The social network relies on a mix of human reviewers and technology to moderate content, but detecting hate speech can be challenging because machines have to understand the cultural context of words. "Billions of people use Facebook and Instagram because they have good experiences -- they don't want to see hateful content, our advertisers don't want to see it, and we don't want to see it. There is no incentive for us to do anything but remove it," said Facebook Vice President of Global Affairs and Communications Nick Clegg in a statement on July 1. Zuckerberg said in late June that the company will start labeling newsworthy content it leaves up even though it violates the company's rules and would bar more hateful content in ads. The labeling wouldn't apply to content that suppresses voting or incites violence, which Facebook would pull down even if the remarks come from politicians. Organizers for the Stop Hate for Profit campaign called the changes "small." Since the boycott, Facebook has released a civil rights audit, announced it was studying potential racial bias in its algorithms and pledged to hire a civil rights leader. Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg said in a July post that the company is "making changes - not for financial reasons or advertiser pressure, but because it is the right thing to do." Will you start seeing different ads due to the boycott? You probably won't notice a big change unless you're a customer of the brands that have paused advertising. Facebook shows users different ads based on data such as the pages you and your friends like and what businesses you check into. When you share your email or phone number with a business, the company might add you to a customer list that can be matched with your Facebook profile too. Facebook also has 8 million advertisers so there are plenty of other ads it can show its users. Why is Facebook the target? What about other social networks? Facebook isn't the only social network that has been criticized for not doing enough to combat hate speech. Twitter, Google-owned YouTube and Reddit have been under fire too for the same problem. The focus of the campaign has been on Facebook because the company is the world's largest social network, with 2.7 billion monthly active users. Facebook also owns Instagram and WhatsApp. Twitter has been criticized for not banning white supremacists from the platform, a move Facebook announced in March 2019. But it also started labeling tweets, including those from Trump, that could incite violence, include misinformation or contain "manipulated media." Facebook works with third-party fact-checkers and will place a notice over content with misinformation. But the social network doesn't send posts and ads from politicians to fact-checkers because it says that speech is already heavily scrutinized. Reddit also recently banned a popular pro-Trump forum and announced changes to its hate speech policies. YouTube said it banned several white supremacist channels. The Stop Hate for Profit campaign is already impacting other social media sites. Some businesses, such as Coca-Cola and Starbucks, say they're pausing advertising not only on Facebook but on other social networks too, such as Twitter. Mars Inc., which manufactures candies such as Snickers and M&Ms, as well as other food, said it would pause advertising on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Snapchat starting in July. Do ad boycotts work? It depends on how you measure the success of these campaigns. Greenblatt said the main goal is for Facebook to make changes that would make the social network safer. Analysts and marketing experts say that the ad boycott will likely do more harm to Facebook's already tarnished image than to its finances. The social network has faced a number of scandals around privacy and election interference, but it's been trying to rehabilitate its image especially during the coronavirus outbreak. Brayden King, a professor at Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management, said media coverage of boycotts can threaten a company's reputation. "Your ability to make employees and other stakeholders happy is linked to your reputation," he said. King, who studied 133 boycotts from 1990 to 2005, found that the stock price of a targeted company dropped by nearly 1% for each day it got national media coverage. About 25% of boycotts that get some national media attention lead to concessions from the targeted company. It's unclear how much revenue Facebook will lose from the ad boycott. CNET contacted several businesses that joined the campaign, but they wouldn't share how much they spend on Facebook ads every month. The boycott, though, is already impacting Facebook's investors. In late June, Facebook shares dropped more than 8% in the wake of more brands like Unilever joining the boycott. The decline wiped out $56 billion from Facebook's market value, Bloomberg reported. On Thursday, Facebook said that revenue in the first three weeks of July was up by 10% compared to the same period last year. Boycotting Facebook for more than a month is easier said than done. Facebook gathers a trove of data about its users, and that allows advertisers to target potential customers based on their age, location and other characteristics. This makes the social network a valuable tool for businesses. Some advertisers also boycotted Facebook over the Cambridge Analytica scandal in 2018, but that didn't stop the social network from growing its sales and users. "Facebook is safe for now," said Americus Reed, a marketing professor at the University of Pennsylvania. "Outrage is hard to keep going because you need to keep feeding it." South Korean President Moon Jae-in has said U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un should meet again before the U.S. presidential election in November, a Seoul official told reporters on Wednesday. Moon's remarks were made during a video conference with European Council President Charles Michel on Tuesday, during which he said another summit between Trump and Kim would help resume stalled nuclear negotiations. "I believe there's a need for North Korea and the United States to try dialogue one more time before the U.S. presidential election," a presidential official quoted Moon as saying. "The issues of nuclear programmes and sanctions will ultimately have to be resolved through North Korea-U.S. talks." Moon's office had conveyed such views to Washington and the officials there are making efforts to resume the talks, the South Korean official said. Trump and Kim met for the first time in 2018 in Singapore, raising hopes of an agreement to get Pyongyang to give up its nuclear weapons programme. But their second summit, in early 2019 in Vietnam, fell apart. Trump and Kim met again at the demilitarized zone separating the two Koreas in June 2019 and agreed to restart negotiations, but working-level talks between the two sides in Sweden in October were broken off. Inter-Korean tensions flared last month after the North blew up a joint liaison office, severed hotlines and threatened military action over plans by defector groups in the South to send anti-Kim leaflets across the border. Following weeks of heated exchanges, Kim suspended the military plans, without specifying why. The moves from Pyongyang were seen aimed at recapturing the attention of Trump and making a renewed push for sanctions relief before the November election, experts said. On Monday, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun, who led working-level negotiations with North Koreans, said there is still time for both sides to re-engage and "make substantial progress". Biegun, however, said an in-person summit would be difficult before the November election, citing the coronavirus pandemic which has all but wiped the world's diplomatic calendar clean. Short link: Decisiveness, Not Divisiveness: On the Need to Temper Emotions More at: https://pinglacson.net/2020/07/01/decisiveness-not-divisiveness-on-the-need-to-temper-emotions/ While I can easily relate to Philippine Army Commanding General Lt. Gen. Gilbert Gapay and understand how he feels about the Army officers slain in Sulu, emotions running high at this point is the last thing they need. For all they know, their common enemies such as the terrorists and armed insurgents are already celebrating the Sulu incident - and even making plans to exploit it. These enemies of the State and our people, through their legal fronts, are very capable of fanning the flames of animosity between the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police by creating intrigues to further divide the country's two major security forces. Such fronts have demonstrated their capabilities in sowing disinformation about the proposed Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020 and the National ID system, among other measures designed to improve the lives of the people. Ultimately, decisiveness, not divisiveness, is needed in dealing with the enemies of the State and the Filipino people. This is A Cautionary Tale featuring well-intentioned people making poor choices. It is also the tale of a socialite with an Instagram habit who recently held a fabulous backyard soiree during a pandemic. The upside of living on social media is the admiration and envy of your friends. The downside is when your dinner party goes viral. Literally. Ashley Taylor Bronczek, one of Washington, D.C.'s social stars, decided to throw a party after the Washington Ballet's online fundraiser, which she co-chaired. The June 18 gala was a huge success, raising more than $800,000 - the top sponsors were her generous in-laws, David and Judy Bronczek. To celebrate the occasion, she hosted a catered dinner for a couple dozen friends in the backyard of her home. It was, by all accounts, a picture-perfect night chronicled on (per usual) her Instagram account. Then Bronczek, 37, was diagnosed with covid-19, along with a few other guests at the event. The news spread quickly through the wealthy young families in her social circle because their small children play together. Friends begged her to take down photos of the party, which she eventually did. But details of the evening - some true, some exaggerated - were already all over town. This summer everyone is struggling to balance their yearning for normality with the risk of catching this virus. Young is safer than old. Outside is better than inside. Masks are better than no masks. And a handful of people are wiser than a lot of people. And so we make the calculation to attend or skip drinks on the patio, a backyard barbecue, a socially distanced birthday party. Most of the time it's fine. Unless it isn't. Citing health issues, Bronczek originally offered to answer questions for this article via email, then changed her mind and declined to comment. Some guests who attended the party also declined to comment or claimed they were, in fact, not at the event. Ten others in Bronczek's circle were willing to discuss details of the evening only if they were not named. People are finally social distancing, in every sense of the word. - - - The Washington Ballet's 75th anniversary gala was originally scheduled as a black-tie dinner in May but, like every other arts organization, it was forced to reimagine the evening. The ballet moved the date and created an hour-long virtual gala streamed live with pretaped dance performances, live toasts and remarks, and a three-course catered dinner delivered to the home of every guest. It was innovative, elegant and a financial success. The ballet followed the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and D.C. Department of Health guidelines for safety: Married dancers sheltering in place performed together; others performed at a safe distance and all the choreography was crafted with that in mind. Anyone who came into the ballet's building that night for the live remarks had their temperature taken, signed a statement at the door and were asked to stay a safe distance apart. The ballet's virtual gala gave supporters a way to come together for a shared experience in a safe format. The pandemic has upended all the conventional wisdom about socializing in Washington. When organizations canceled the traditional spring fundraisers, people began looking for other ways to engage with friends. It started with Zoom cocktail parties and online book parties, then cautious, in-person gatherings: a handful of friends on a patio for drinks sitting six feet apart, one or two couples for dinner outside, each with a separate table. For many, even that is too risky - and the idea of a large party, even outdoors, seems reckless. But Bronczek, apparently restless for a slice of her old life, invited friends to an in-person viewing party and dinner on the night of the ballet's virtual gala. Some declined, citing health concerns. "It's just common sense," said an invitee. "We're in the middle of a pandemic." For the more than two dozen who accepted, the evening began with them watching Bronczek and co-chair Sara Lange, both dressed in black evening gowns, at the ballet's headquarters to thank sponsors during the broadcast. They beamed glamour and energy - the new generation of philanthropists in the nation's capital. The granddaughter of two beloved fixtures on Washington's social scene - former LBJ adviser Lloyd Hand and jewelry designer Ann Hand - Bronczek was a 20-something striking blonde who made a big splash the second she moved from California to D.C. in 2005. She was engaged to multimillionaire real estate investor Joe Robert, but the 31-year age difference proved to be the dealbreaker. In 2012, she married Matt Bronczek, the co-owner of a design and renovation company whose father was president of FedEx Corp. The high-profile couple quickly settled into life on the A-list: Three small children, a gorgeous house in Northwest Washington's Spring Valley neighborhood, serving on boards of prominent local institutions, fabulous vacations - much of it posted on her Instagram account. She was, by all accounts, the perfect choice to co-chair the gala - rich, connected and a social power broker. The ballet was aware of her dinner but felt it couldn't really weigh in: The party was private and no one from the ballet attended or performed, according to a Washington Ballet spokesman. And her in-laws donated at least $75,000 for the gala, so that may have tempered any impulse to comment. While Bronczek was at ballet headquarters for the live-streamed program, guests dressed in "summer chic" (cocktail dresses, jackets but no ties) mingled in her backyard and near the pool with cocktails while a large TV screen broadcast the gala. There were flowers and candles and a slight breeze. The only people wearing masks were photographer Tony Powell and the wait staff, although guests were not standing face to face. "It was very well intentioned," says Powell, who was shooting the party for Washington Life magazine. "I did notice there was a lot more space between people. They were not as close as they normally are." Technically, the dinner violated the District's Phase 1 guidelines, which prohibited gatherings of more than 10 people. And the tables were large rounds with eight or 10 place settings - which is lovely for dinner conversation but perhaps unwise during a pandemic. Still, there was no sign anyone was sick and everyone seemed happy to forget about the virus, if only for one night. Powell ran into Bronczek returning to her party from the ballet headquarters. "She was so excited," he says. "She was radiant." As it turned out, the coronavirus crashed the party without anyone realizing it. - - - It is, of course, unclear how or when Bronczek contracted the virus and who she may have passed it to, and there's no reason to believe she knew she had it. But within hours of the dinner, she began showing symptoms and was diagnosed shortly thereafter. Others who sat at her table are rumored to have also tested positive but did not return calls or declined to comment. Citing federal privacy laws, the ballet said that it cannot disclose any personal health information about any staff or artists. The news spread among Bronczek's friends, many of whom had attended the dinner or had children in her backyard summer camp. The kids had been part of an informal play group of wealthy families who interacted on a regular basis and spent a lot of time together. But the hostess was slow to share her diagnosis with her circle - fearful of the social fallout, according to some friends, as much as the virus. Eventually, she texted the news and families rushed to get tested. And that fallout has been unsparing - not just for hosting the party, but for failing to immediately notify anyone who may have been exposed to the virus. "Everyone's angry," said one neighborhood mother, who declined to give her name while discussing Bronczek. "Everyone's trying to figure out who has it." RJ Whyte Event Production, which coordinated the virtual gala, was not involved in Bronczek's dinner, according to the company. The wait staff of Occasions, which catered both the gala and the live dinner, reportedly have been quarantined for two weeks and are unable to work. The lush photos taken at the event looked careless to some attendees after the fact. One guest called Powell and asked him to remove the images on his personal Instagram account because it clearly showed who attended the dinner; he complied. A series of photos remained on Bronczek's Instagram page for a week before she was finally convinced to take them down. A night to remember. A night to forget. Or, perhaps, a lesson learned: No one is immune. A few days before the pandemic lockdown began in New York, I'm at Balthazar restaurant, sipping wines and dishing gossip with a group of female winemakers from Bordeaux. "My grandmother was not allowed into the cellar at our estate," says Sylvie Courselle, who runs Chateau Thieuley with her sister Marie. "My father wept that he had no son to succeed him in making wine. We finally convinced him we, his daughters, could." She rolls her eyes. Historically, such places as Bordeaux, Chianti, Margaret River, and Napa were male bastions, where, with few exceptions, men owned the wineries, worked the vineyards, ruled the cellars, and sold the bottles. In the 19th century and through most of the 20th, the death of a spouse was the way women could take over family wine companies. Trailblazing widows in Champagne such as Barbe-Nicole Ponsardin (Veuve Clicquot) and Lily Bollinger werewildly successful, revolutionizing the wines and making the region famous. In the 21st century, some things have changed, but some have not. For sure, ambitious women today have taken on top roles with gusto, which means there are plenty of their great wines to celebrate this summer's 100th anniversary of women's right to vote in the U.S. But despite progress, the wine industry is still reckoning with gender inequality. According to the recently published book Women Winemakers, by Lucia Albino Gilbert and John C. Gilbert, two emeritus professors at Santa Clara University, only 10% of California's more than 4,000 wineries have female head winemakers, and women own only 4% of them. Yes, men were the ones attending the University of California at Davis's viticulture and enology program until the first woman graduated from it in 1965. But by the 1990s, women made up half of all undergraduates. Today, women account for 45% of the 2020 graduating class at the Institut des Sciences de la Vignes et du Vin at Bordeaux University. There are signs of progress. Champagne's grandes marques have finally started to appoint women as chef de cave, or chief winemaker. Among them is Caroline Latrive of small, prestigious Ayala: The supremely elegant 2012 Blanc de Blancs was her first vintage. And in 2018, Severine Frerson became the first woman to hold the chef de cave title at Maison Perrier-Jouet. At larger wineries, more young women are taking the winemaking reins from men. The 32-year-old Emily Faulconer, for example, runs Carmen, Chile's oldest winery. Generational change is also making daughters (such as the Thieuleys) the new faces of many family estates -- even in Japan, where Ayana Misawa is winemaker at her family's Grace winery. And 50% of wineries in Spain's Rias Baixas have female winemakers. The most exciting development in the past decade or so has been the wave of experimental startups launched by rebel women in their 20s and 30s. Star Sicilian winemaker Arianna Occhipinti founded her eponymous estate at the age of 21, determined to champion local grapes and biodynamic farming. Jaimee Motley created her namesake wine brand in northern California, focusing on Loire and Savoie varieties such as mondeuse, all while holding a day job as assistant winemaker at Wind Gap/Pax Wine Cellars. Science is on the side of women's wine abilities. As The Wine Bible author Karen MacNeil pointed out recently on her Winespeed blog, some studies have found that women are superior to men when it comes to smell and taste. In the 2014 project she cites, researchers at two Brazilian universities and the University of California at San Francisco used a method called isotropic fractionator to discover that women have almost 50% more olfactory cells in their brains than men. While the wine world, as in so many other industries, grapples with both sexual harassment and discrimination, it's not surprising that women have created organizations to challenge the status quo. The second Wonder Women of Wine conference had to be postponed because of the Covid-19 pandemic, but Batonnage Forum, another wine-focused organization focused on the advancement of women in the industry, is running a series of events virtually through July 10. A monthly subscription wine club featuring female-made wines recently debuted as part of web platform Women-Owned Wineries (WOW). Started in 2017 by Amy Bess Cook, the initial list of 50 female-owned wineries has expanded to more than 550 across the U.S. that are listed in its online directory. The club offers three bottles monthly for $92; the winery for June is Inconnu, whose Lalalu rose in particular is well worth discovering. Vive les femmes du vin! Here are nine affordable picks from both classic and new vintners around the world. -- 2018 Cullen Wines Dancing in the Sun -- A grande dame of wine in the Margaret River region of Australia, Vanya Cullen pioneered biodynamics and now helms the country's first carbon-neutral winery. Besides brilliant cabernets, she makes fragrant whites such as this new, pear-scented blend of semillon, sauvignon blanc and verdelho. $20 -- 2018 Eva Fricke Riesling Trocken -- Eva Fricke is a new star in the traditional world of German riesling; some estates in the Rheingau go back several hundred years. Her first vintage was 2006. This juicy, spicy, lemon-scented entry-level cuvee is more full-bodied than usual because of the warm year. About $22 -- 2018 Jules Taylor Pinot Noir -- A native of New Zealand's Marlborough region, Jules Taylor left her corporate winemaking career to bet everything on herself. Her juicy, entry-level pinot with tart, red-berry, and spice flavors delivers a lot for the price and is ideal when served slightly chilled. About $21 -- 2019 A Tribute to Grace Rose of Grenache -- New Zealand native Angela Osborne is the master of one grape: grenache. She makes nine different cuvees in California's Santa Barbara Highlands, including a new sparkling wine. All are nuanced and graceful. To get just the right color in this bright, floral rose, she foot treads the grapes herself. $28 -- 2017 Domaine Matrot Bourgogne Blanc -- Sisters Adele and Elsa Matrot took over winemaking and running the estate from their father in 2016. Their standard chardonnay cuvee is pure, understated, and surprisingly elegant for the price. $23 -- 2018 Filipa Pato Nossa Calcario Branco -- Filipa Pato first worked with her famous father Luis, who revitalized Portugal's Bairrada region, then started her own eponymous wine project with her husband. This citrus-and-spice white made from bical grapes is both zesty and sophisticated. About $33 -- 2018 Asphodele by Chateau Climens -- This about-to-launch wine is the first dry white from Berenice Lurton, who has made one of Bordeaux's best sweet wines since she was 22. This cuvee, from semillon grapes, is delicate yet full-bodied, with a lush texture and floral character. $42 -- 2017 Arianna Occhipinti Il Frappato -- Owner, winemaker, and viticulturalist Arianna Occhipinti is dedicated to such native Sicilian varieties as frappato. This one brims with luminous color, crunchy red-cherry fruit, and floral-licorice aromas. $47 -- 2016 Corison Napa Cabernet Sauvignon -- "Nevertheless, she persisted," is how I think of Napa's Cathy Corison. Under her own label, she's made elegant cabernets, even when cult cabs got the buzz. This complex cuvee features pure cassis, plum, and dried herb flavors and aromas and a suave, silky texture. $110 On June 18th, a city work crew quietly took down a statue of Christopher Columbus from near Coit Tower. It was a preemptive move from Mayor London Breed, who was responding to rumors that protesters would deface or topple the statue the next day. Statues of Junipero Serra, Francis Scott Key and Ulysses S. Grant were all felled in Golden Gate Park in the following days. With empty plinths now strewn across the city, the discussion has turned to which historical figures SF residents think deserve to have their likeness memorialized instead. Movie star Bruce Lee, who was born in San Francisco in 1940, is one of them. Jeff Chinn, a Bruce Lee memorabilia collector, helped create a commemorative plaque to mark Lee's birthplace in Chinatown's Chinese Hospital in 1998. "Quite a few statues have been forcefully taken down because of their racist history, and in my opinion, no one's going to touch and take down a Bruce Lee statue because Bruce Lee brought people together of all races," he said. Chinn recently contributed to the ESPN documentary Be Water - the first Bruce Lee documentary directed by an Asian American - that focuses on Bruce Lee's struggle against racism throughout his life. He said the documentary is helping people understand "that Bruce Lee was not just some two-bit Kung Fu star, but he was ahead of his time in more ways than one." The Archdiocese of San Francisco says it will comply with the citys COVID-19 health order after multiple complaints about Catholic churches holding illegal indoor Masses and priests conducting services without wearing masks. On Monday, City Attorney Dennis J. Herrera sent a seven-page cease-and-desist letter to the archdiocese demanding that it adhere to the citys health protocols. ABC7 News obtained a copy of the letter. "These large gatherings of people indoors for a long period, in some instances reported without face coverings and with singing, place clergy, staff, volunteers and congregants alike at heightened risk of transmission of COVID-19," Herrera wrote. San Franciscos current health order prohibits indoor gatherings. Outside religious services and funerals are allowed with a 12-person limit. Herrera noted the following violations: June 13, St. Francis of Assisi, 610 Vallejo St.: Sidewalk signs advising public Mass would resume the following day. June 14, Ss. Peter & Paul Church, 666 Filbert St.: Public Mass held six times, people seen coming in and out of the church. June 14, the Star of the Sea Cathedral, 4420 Geary Blvd.: Opened for Mass. Sermon given by a priest who wasnt wearing a mask (see YouTube video). Altar boys also mask-less. In addition, a City Attorneys Office investigator confirmed multiple instances of indoor Masses held at St. Mary of the Assumption, 1111 Gough St., Star of the Sea and St. Cecilia, 2555 17th Ave. Priests and altar boys were seen conducting services without face coverings. At St. Cecilia, "people were gathering outside and inside as if Covid didnt exist," according to the letter. Jerick Rea, a priest in training, told ABC7 News that priests and servers will not wear a mask during Mass. "We consider the holy Mass to be something special and sacred which shouldn't be tarnished by something that has a human concern, and part of it as well is that we're just being rational about it," he said. "None of us have experienced any symptoms. I understand if people are dying left and right, but they're not." In California, COVID-19 hospitalizations are up 51% in the past two weeks. There were 230,000 infections as of Wednesday. A recent study found that 40-45% of COVID-19 cases may be asymptomatic. A letter dated Tuesday from the archdioceses attorney, Paula F. Carney, to Herrera stated that the archdiocese would comply with the health order. "The Archbishop has now notified his priests that the order limiting religious services to outdoors with no more than 12 people remains in force," Carney wrote. MORE CORONAVIRUS COVERAGE: Sign up for 'The Daily' newsletter for the latest on coronavirus here. The main way people without COVID-19 symptoms spread the virus Newsom says new restrictions will be announced before July 4 Fauci Says U.S. Could Reach 100,000 Virus Cases a Day A hypervigilant mom followed every health guideline. She still caught the coronavirus. What they dont tell you about surviving COVID-19 Mike Moffitt is an SFGATE Reporter. Email: moffitt@sfgate.com. Twitter: @Mike_at_SFGate Press Release July 1, 2020 Pangilinan seeks Senate probe on killing of 4 Army men by police THE Senate should initiate an investigation into the shooting of four Army intelligence officers by Philippine National Police personnel in Jolo, Sulu to shed light on the incident and give justice to the victims, Senator Francis Pangilinan said. "Nakakabahala ang balitang ito. Ngayon pa lang na hindi pa batas ang anti-terror bill, may nangyayari nang ganito. Ano na lang ang laban ng ordinaryong tao?" he said. "An independent and impartial investigation will help bring out the truth so that the victims and their families find justice," he added. Based on initial reports, Pangilinan noted at least two versions of the incident coming from the military and police. According to one, the slain four Army intelligence men, including a major and a captain, were trying to locate a suspected foreign suicide bomber believed to be with the local Abu Sayyaf group when their vehicle was stopped at a police checkpoint in Jolo. Despite identifying themselves and clarifying that they were not hostile forces, police personnel still fired at them. The other version from the police report narrates that Jolo policemen were on patrol with anti-illegal drug agents in Barangay Bus-Bus when they spotted an SUV with four armed men, who later fled. Before the men could pull the trigger, the police shot at them in defense. "This incident is disturbing because it appears that the police are quick in pulling the trigger without careful judgment. If they can do this to their fellow uniformed men, how much more to the ordinary civilians who are unarmed and defenseless?" Pangilinan said. Amid the encounter, the senator also called on military and police ground commanders to rein in their men to preserve peace and avert escalation of tension between the armed personnel. "We should be going after the common enemy -- terrorists, drug lords, armed groups, and in this time of the pandemic, COVID -- not against each other," Pangilinan said. WEST CHESTER, Pa. - This community was designed to be a respite. Like many suburbs, it grew rapidly in the 1960s and '70s as people fled nearby Philadelphia, with its poverty, racial strife and inequity. But after the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody, and as protests continue throughout the country, that comfortable distance is dissipating. Places such as West Chester, and the surrounding Chester County, have been pushed to confront the racism that permeates nearly every aspect of American life. With suburbs such as this one potentially deciding this year's presidential election, political strategists are carefully watching them to see whether President Donald Trump's promise of "law and order" wins him support or whether voters are more aligned with presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden's condemnations of white supremacy, police brutality and violence against peaceful protesters. In West Chester, one of the early efforts to move forward came recently at a rally dubbed the "March for Peace, Justice and Humanity." At least 5,000 people gathered. For more than eight minutes, the mostly white crowd knelt in silence - marking the amount of time that a Minneapolis police officer jammed his knee into Floyd's neck. As time passed, tears rolled down several cheeks. Michelle Roberson, 57, felt anger building in her chest as she prepared to speak. "Where was this crowd June 28, 2017?" she said, uttering words she hadn't planned to say until just then. "I will ask it again: Where was this crowd on June 28, 2017?" That was the day her black 18-year-old daughter, Bianca Nikol Roberson, was shot dead while driving by a 28-year-old white man in another vehicle. Bianca had been driving home from shopping for school supplies ahead of freshman orientation at Jacksonville University in Florida. She was on Route 100 near West Chester when David Desper fired a Smith & Wesson out the window of his pickup truck. The bullet hit her head. Her car crashed, and she was declared dead at the scene. Desper fled but was later arrested. He was originally charged with first-degree murder but pleaded guilty to third-degree murder, eligible for parole in 17 years. In the awful aftermath, white friends would privately tell Roberson that Bianca's death was a hate crime, but investigators told her they could find no evidence that Desper was racist, and she believed them. Yet everything that happened after Bianca's death convinced her the county suffers from systemic racism. It seemed that everyone with a position of power - the police, the media, the prosecutors, the judge - gave the young man every benefit of the doubt while casting stereotypes upon her daughter and her family, she said. She didn't know what to do. She was a suburban mom and a nurse at a retirement community, not an activist. "A white man kills your child," she said, "but yet you have me around all white attorneys, all white cops, all white sheriffs, white judge, white reporter. I mean - who do I trust?" Chester County is home to more than half a million people, 85% of whom are white while 6% are black. The county backed Democrat Barack Obama for president in 2008, Republican Mitt Romney in 2012 and Democrat Hillary Clinton in 2016, making it a closely watched swing county in 2020. County residents often boast of their community's long-ago role in the anti-slavery movement and the Underground Railroad. Frederick Douglass gave one of his last speeches, which focused on "the race problem," in West Chester in 1895. Bayard Rustin, a civil rights activist credited as the architect of the 1963 March on Washington, grew up here and has been quoted frequently lately. But the county also once enforced Jim Crow policies, and it segregated its schools until 1956. In 1991, members of the Pennsylvania Ku Klux Klan marched through West Chester, though they were far outnumbered by counterprotesters. In 2002, the school board named a new high school after Rustin - then debated changing it when they learned the civil rights leader, who died in 1987, was gay and had belonged to the Young Communist League. Just before her death, Bianca had graduated from Bayard Rustin High, now one of the top public schools in the state, with a largely white student body. Roberson is upset more of her neighbors didn't speak up after her daughter was killed - including local black leaders. "There's a slave mentality," she said. "You're living in West Chester, you're driving this great car, you've got this wonderful business, you've got this beautiful church - and it's because they allowed you to have this stuff. So you don't want to say anything to defy what is allowing you to have this stuff. So either you either stay mute or you tiptoe around it or you only speak about it behind closed doors." Since Bianca's death, everywhere Roberson looks, she sees racism. She wonders how things might have been different if her daughter had been white and was killed by a black man - or if the massive crowd that gathered at the early-June march had showed up in 2017. Roberson was livid when she saw an invitation for the march, which she felt already had adopted a suburban tone of being "very nice, very pleasant." Originally, a group of local activists had planned to hold a march on a Friday night. That worried local business owners, who were supposed to reopen that day after being closed for months because of the coronavirus. There were worries that the looting, violence and fires that had consumed parts of Philadelphia could spill into their community. West Chester Mayor Dianne Herrin, a white Democrat, said she knew that she couldn't stop people from gathering, nor should she. To put her constituents at ease, she took control. Local activists agreed to cancel their march and instead attend a Thursday march hosted by her, the police department, the county sheriff and the local NAACP. When some black constituents objected to Herrin being in charge, she delegated the selection of speakers to Lillian DeBaptiste, an African American community leader. Roberson reached out to the organizers and asked to speak, making clear that her tone would be different but necessary. Standing before the crowd, Roberson let loose with everything she had been keeping inside for years. "Here in West Chester, we tippy-toe around," she said to agreeing cheers. "We don't like to make people feel uncomfortable." She told the crowd how most days it is difficult to get out of bed, how she had to take a medical leave this year to address her depression and had since lost her job. Her voice was booming and strong, filled with heartbreak. For so long she had felt alone in her grief, and now she was overwhelmed by the supportive crowd. Maybe this moment would be different, she thought. Maybe the policies and the laws would change. Maybe she would finally feel something when she marked her ballot. "There's a difference between moment and movement," she said in closing. "I don't want a moment. I need a movement." The crowd chanted: "Bianca Roberson! Bianca Roberson!" In the days that followed, people reached out to tell her how sorry they were that her daughter died. She told some that she didn't need anyone to feel sorry for her or stand by her - she needed them to talk with their friends who need their eyes opened. "Don't be sorry," she said. "Fix it." She has tried to fix things herself. She has voted faithfully. She has started a memorial foundation in her daughter's name and advocated at the statehouse for gun-control legislation that went nowhere. She has thought about running for a statehouse seat. While there is a new eagerness to have more diverse leadership, she wonders whether white voters actually want the legislative changes that she would push for. Or do they simply want to feel good? "All I keep hearing is people saying, 'Oh my God, you would be the first black female to hold the seat.' But that's not what's important to me," she said. "I do not want to be that token." The march itself spoke of the need for change, but it was cultural more than political. There was little mention of Trump or Biden or the presidential race, despite the teams of volunteers with voter registration information roaming the crowd and a black woman standing on the courthouse steps with a sign that read, "Vote + Protest = Your voice." Many of the signs in the crowd were self-reflective. "I will never understand but I stand," one said. Since the march, the mayor has found herself pondering why Floyd's death has "broken through the apathy" in a way that previous tragedies did not. Maybe it's because young people - including her two sons, ages 18 and 22 - are demanding change, she said. Or maybe it was because those previous incidents had a "tinge of gray" to them - such as a pellet gun mistaken for a real one - that allowed just enough room for white people to not come to terms with what had happened, to look away. The march showed her that many are no longer looking away. "Seeing the citizens of our community come out in such a powerful and yet peaceful way and with such a strong message was incredibly fulfilling to me," said Herrin, 58. "I haven't had a moment exactly like that before in my life." Herrin was campaigning for mayor in 2017 when Bianca Roberson was killed, and she said she immediately thought, "If she weren't a person of color, would this have happened?" But it was not a question widely discussed, and most of the activism that resulted focused on gun violence, not race. "I do believe if it happened now," she said, "the response would be very different." Roberson doesn't share the optimism. "Racism happens everywhere," she said, "but we have some of these communities that are influential communities like West Chester that want to believe that it does not happen here." She doesn't know exactly what needs to happen, but it needs to be more than just a few new policies or laws, charges filed or people fired. Already, she believes she has seen the vigor displayed at the West Chester march slowly dissipate. "Will there be change? I don't think so," she said. "And I want to be positive about it, I do, but I don't believe so." WASHINGTON - Sen. Charles Grassley is pretty ticked off these days. After a weekend of trying to offer President Donald Trump advice, the Iowa Republican still had not heard a peep from West Wing advisers. "No, I haven't heard anything from the White House," Grassley told reporters after opening the Senate on Monday, a duty bestowed on him as the longest-serving Republican in the GOP-led Senate. "And all I want to do is [have] the president be reelected." Grassley's open hectoring of Trump and his top advisers is the most public airing of a growing sense of irritation with how the president has positioned himself for his reelection bid this fall, a stumbling effort that has placed the GOP's Senate majority in great peril. Senate Republicans remain hesitant to openly criticize Trump on issues of race, his support for using force against protesters or his poor leadership in handling the coronavirus pandemic. The president treats direct attacks on his moral standing as betrayals that are met with fierce counterpunches, as happened in early June when Trump vowed to campaign in Alaska in 2022 against Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R, after she admitted that she has long questioned his fitness for office. So instead of such direct attacks on Trump, Senate Republicans are increasingly outspoken about his mismanaged campaign effort, how he gets distracted by petty fights and how he continues to embrace a tone that drives away middle-of-the-road voters who four months ago cheered on their relative stability in a roaring economy. Trump's incoherent answer Thursday, in an interview with Sean Hannity of Fox News, about what he wanted to accomplish in a second term served as a trigger moment for Grassley and other conservatives, including the editorial page of the Wall Street Journal. "He still has no second term message beyond his own grievances," the Journal's Thursday editorial stated. The next morning Grassley fired off a couple of tweets directed at anyone with "access to the Oval Office," pleading for them to show the president that editorial. He urged the Trump campaign to tout lowering unemployment and placing conservative justices on the Supreme Court as central objectives in another term. Finally, by Saturday morning, Grassley put it bluntly: Trump was en route to losing badly to Democrat Joe Biden in the fall. "McKinley sat on his front porch and didn't campaign and was elected President. So it is possible for Biden to sit in his basement and not campaign and be elected President," Grassley tweeted Saturday morning. Sen. Lankford insists Republicans are 'still the party of Lincoln' as Trump tightens his grip on the GOP He was referencing the 1896 election, when former Ohio governor William McKinley, R, won without exerting much effort by building a big coalition looking for change - something Biden is trying to do as he rides out the pandemic mostly from his home in Wilmington, Del. Biden now has a lead in national polls of almost 10 percentage points, and - more troubling to the Senate Republicans - polls in key battleground states such as Arizona, North Carolina and Georgia show Biden tied with or ahead of Trump. Those states are also home to Senate races with GOP incumbents running in their first bid for another term. The main complaint from senators and GOP strategists is that Trump has done little to try to increase his support, focusing on pleasing his base of mostly older white voters, particularly those in exurbs and rural areas. "He's good with the base," Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., told CNN last week. "But all of the people who are going to decide in November are the people in the middle, and I think they want the president at a time like this . . . to strike a more empathetic tone." Thune is majority whip, the No. 2 Republican in Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's leadership team, but for the past month he has sent up flares about how Trump is driving voters away. After Trump tweeted in late May that racial justice protesters would get shot, possibly by U.S. military forces, if they started looting, Thune politely said the president was wrong. "The country is looking for healing and calm. And I think the president needs to project that in his tone," he said late on the afternoon of June 1. About an hour later, U.S. Park Police violently cleared Lafayette Square so that Trump could walk to St. John's Episcopal Church for a photo opportunity, leading Thune to lament the next day that the president was unable to stick with a unifying message. "He has moments. But, you know, I mean, as you know, it lasts generally as long as the next tweet," Thune said. Republicans are increasingly taking their own cues to speak in their own voices about the biggest issues. For instance, while Trump has refused to wear a mask, Senate Republicans have come to fully embrace the concept, particularly now that the coronavirus is spiraling out of control in Southern and Western states that are home to many GOP senators. "We must have no stigma - none - about wearing masks when we leave our homes and come near other people," McConnell, R-Ky., said in Senate floor remarks Monday afternoon. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, accompanied Vice President Mike Pence on a visit to Dallas on Sunday as his state pulls back some of its reopening measures because of the massive spike in coronavirus cases there. He is now preaching for a national testing strategy that in tone differs little from what House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., has been saying for almost four months. "I think now cries out for a strategy that tests more asymptomatic people so we can get a handle on the community spread, which is what's going on now," Cornyn told reporters Monday. Trying to win a fourth term, Cornyn is a favorite for reelection, but Biden appears to be running the most competitive race in Texas by a Democrat in a generation. The president has largely disappeared from GOP advertising, epitomized by an ad debuted in late May by Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., that never mentions Trump or which political party Tillis serves in. On Monday, Grassley, 86, talked about the president as if he were incapable of holding a single thought together and said it was Hannity's fault that Trump sounded so foolish. "I would blame Fox more than I blame the president, because the president, it's easy for him to digress here and there, but Hannity - you assume Fox wants him to get reelected. OK, so he says, What's your plans for the next four years? So the president starts to answer it, and then digresses a little bit. Hannity should have got him back on the subject," Grassley told reporters. Amy McGrath, a retired Marine Corps fighter pilot recruited by national Democrats to mount a long-shot bid against Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., has prevailed in her party's Senate primary in Kentucky. McGrath held off a late surge from Charles Booker, a state legislator who tapped into the energy of the movement for racial justice and won endorsements from several high-profile liberals on the national stage. The race had remained too close to call on Election Day last week as many absentee ballots had yet to be counted. Booker held a narrow advantage over McGrath in a large field based on early and in-person totals released a week ago. But McGrath made up ground as more votes were tallied, according to updated results and benefited from early voting. On Tuesday, Edison Research projected that McGrath would win the nomination. She had 45.4 percent of the vote compared with Booker's 42.6 percent, with more than 99 percent of precincts reporting. In a statement Tuesday, McGrath said she was "humbled" to have won the Democratic nomination and said she "can't wait to get started in sending [McConnell] into retirement and finally draining the toxic Washington political swamp that he built." She also congratulated Booker "for his very impressive result" and urged party unity in seeking to oust McConnell. "There is no doubt that Charles tapped into and amplified the energy and anger of so many who are fed-up with the status quo and are rightfully demanding long overdue action and accountability from our government and institutions," McGrath said. "Sadly, our system is broken. We need to elect people who will have the courage to meaningfully tackle the socio-economic, legal and educational inequities that continue to prevent true equality in our country." McConnell, who is seeking a seventh term, easily prevailed in the Republican primary last week. In a statement late Tuesday afternoon, Booker conceded the race, but said "I think it's safe to say we shocked the world." "From the hood to the holler, we stood our ground, and went toe to toe against the big donors, pundits, and DC politicians saying it wasn't possible to run the kind of campaign I've always believed Kentucky deserves," he said. "We went from being down 50 points in the polls to falling just short of a tie. While I'm disappointed, I'm so proud of us, and I'm still hopeful. Hundreds of thousands of Kentuckians left behind by Mitch McConnell came together to demand a better future, and a better government." In the closing weeks of the race, Booker tapped into the anger over police killings of African Americans, including Breonna Taylor, who was shot eight times after Louisville police officers used a battering ram to enter her apartment. He also fully embraced a liberal agenda, including Medicare-for-all and the Green New Deal, while McGrath offered more moderate policy prescriptions. McGrath drew the backing of Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., which helped bolster her fundraising. By the start of June, she had raised more than $400 million. Booker had support from some leading liberal luminaries, including Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y. In the primary, the rejection of about 6,000 absentee ballots in Fayette County highlighted the strict rules Kentuckians must follow to ensure that their mail-in votes are counted. Clerk Don Blevins said that in virtually every case, the voter made an error that invalidated a ballot under state law, including failing to sign and seal both the outer and inner ballot envelopes. He added that while the 6,000 figure seems large, it represented just over 7% of the total number of returned absentee ballots. "I think Kentucky's absentee ballot laws need an overhaul," Blevins said. "This election has really revealed just how strict we are. We could do better." Asked if voters need more guidance about the process before November, Blevins said his team had already done "an awful lot" to make sure county residents knew the rules. "At some point, the voter is going to have to take a little responsibility," he said. ". . . We'll try again in the fall, but [voter error] happens every single election." Starting with an announcement video nearly a year ago, McGrath has sought to cast McConnell as out of touch with his Kentucky constituents and blamed him for dysfunction in Washington. Since then, McConnell's campaign has treated the well-funded McGrath as the likely Democratic nominee, seeking to cast her as too liberal for Kentucky. Moments after news organizations called the race for McGrath on Tuesday, McConnell spokeswoman Kate Cooksey issued a statement saying McGrath "does not represent Kentucky values." "Extreme Amy McGrath is lucky to have gotten out of the primary with a victory, but her reputation sustained significant damage all across Kentucky," Cooksey said. "McGrath is just another tool of the Washington Democratic establishment who has no idea what matters most to Kentuckians." During the campaign, McConnell has touted his influence in Washington. In an ad this spring, he highlighted his role in the passage of a $2.2 trillion stimulus bill responding to the coronavirus pandemic. McConnell was shown striding through the Capitol and standing behind President Donald Trump as he signed the measure into law. - - - The Washington Post's Elise Viebeck contributed to this report. Tolentino proposes portability housing program for public school teachers assigned in various areas Administration Senator Francis "Tol" Tolentino proposed the creation of a portability housing program for public school teachers assigned in various localities. "Meaning, if you invested a certain amount in a locality as a teacher temporarily based in Molave for instance and later on you decide to transfer to other locality, the amounts you paid during your first five years in the temporary shelter program will be carried over to your permanent housing facility," said Tolentino. Tolentino, chairman of the Senate Committee on Urban Planning, Housing and Resettlement, raised this possibility during Wednesday's hearing on measures pushing for various housing programs for teachers. Tolentino said his proposal would be beneficial to teachers on a temporary teaching assignment in a particular area where a housing project exists. "Halimbawa bagong teacher ako, bumili ako ng bahay sa isang komunidad pero hindi naman ako magiging permanente doon. Dapat iyong naihulog ko, iyong amortiation ko dapat ma-carry doon naman sa paglilipatan ko na permanently na lugar," Tolentino explained. The payment of the temporary housing project will be continued by another new teacher who will be assigned in that area, he added. Jimmy Sarona, acting Executive Vice President of Home Guaranty Corporation, said Tolentino's proposal is worth looking into as teachers are not permanently assigned to a place. However, Sarona said the proposal should be studied further because of the existing policies of the Home Development Mutual Fund or PAG-IBIG and other housing agencies on real estate mortgage and contract to sell. "Kailangang pag-aralan maigi kasi iyong existing real estate policy natin, single loan lang sila," said Sarona. Comments to Sharechat go through an approval process. Comments which are defamatory, abusive or in some way deemed inappropriate will not be approved. It is allowable to use some form of non-de-plume for your name, however we recommend real email addresses are used. Comments from free email addresses such as Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail, etc may not be approved. WASHINGTON - A federal judge in Washington struck down a Trump administration policy late Tuesday that bars most Central Americans and other migrants from requesting asylum at the southern border, saying the government failed to justify making the sudden change last July without public notice or comment. The policy is aimed at blocking Central American migration by requiring asylum seekers from Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala and elsewhere to first apply for asylum in countries they pass through on the way to the United States, particularly Mexico or Guatemala. U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly of Washington, D.C., a Trump appointee, held that the administration "unlawfully promulgated" the rule, failing to show it was in the public interest to stealthily implement the change and bypass the Administrative Procedure Act. It is unclear what immediate effect the order will have. Citing the novel coronavirus pandemic, the Trump administration has sealed the U.S. immigration system so tightly that just two people seeking humanitarian protection at the southern border between March 21 and May 13 were been allowed to stay, The Washington Post has reported. Still, the decision marked a defeat for the government, which had argued that advance notice of the third-country requirement would trigger a surge of applicants seeking to evade the rule before it took effect. In a 52-page opinion, Kelly said the government based its argument almost entirely on a single newspaper article from October 2018 that suggested when the Trump administration ended its policy of separating immigrant families at the border that year, the proportion of asylum seekers with children increased. "The article does little if anything to support Defendants' prediction that undertaking notice-and-comment rulemaking would have led to a dramatic, immediate surge of asylum applicants at the border," Kelly wrote. He added: "And other articles from the administrative record that Defendants cite either do not support, or even undermine, their prediction of such a surge." Kelly also denied a government request to stay his order vacating the rule pending appeal, saying, "The Court sees no reason to do so." Last September, the Supreme Court in a brief, unsigned order allowed the administration to continue enforcing the rule after another federal judge, U.S. District Judge Jon Tigar of San Francisco entered a preliminary injunction halting the asylum ban, saying a "mountain" of evidence showed that migrants could not safely seek asylum in Mexico. By contrast, Kelly said the case before Tigar, brought by the American Civil Liberties Union on behalf of four groups, is at an earlier stage in litigation, whereas his ruling granted final judgment against the government. "The Court holds that vacatur is the appropriate remedy and that neither remand without vacatur nor a stay of vacatur is warranted," Kelly said. Attorneys for plaintiffs, represented by the Hogan Lovells law firm and including individual applicants, the Capital Area Immigrants' Rights Coalition of Washington, the Texas-based Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services (RAICES), and Human Rights First, hailed the decision. In a statement, Hardy Vieux of Human Rights First said, "Judge Kelly's ruling is proof that the administration cannot do an end-run around the law. In the United States of America, we follow the rule of law, even when it benefits asylum-seekers demonized by this administration." In a tweet, RAICES said, "The Trump admin's third country transit ban - barring asylum for crossing through a 3rd country - was JUST thrown out effective immediately. A HUGE win for asylum seekers." "The court properly recognized that the Trump administration has once again skipped important steps mandated by Congress to ensure transparency and input from the public," said ACLU attorney Lee Gelernt. "This is yet another instance in which this administration has sought to bypass Congress where the lives of asylum seekers are at stake." A government appeal is expected. "The District Court's order was based on a matter of procedural mechanics," a Justice Department official said Wednesday. "It was not a ruling on the substance of the asylum policy." The judge's ruling for now blocks the Trump administration's attempt to reverse decades of immigration law by categorically denying asylum to almost anyone crossing the border. Since 1980, the United States has generally let anyone who says they are fleeing persecution or violence to at least apply for asylum after setting foot on U.S. soil. The White House contends that migrants are surging to the southern border with children and filing asylum claims to ease their paths to quick release so they can work in the United States. Asylum filings nearly quadrupled between 2014 and 2019, and fewer than 20% of Central American applicants prevail in immigration court. But advocates for immigrants argue that the change turns asylum seekers back "into the hands of their persecutors" without a chance to plead their cases. Tigar wrote that the "government rightly notes that the strains on this country's immigration system have only increased since the fall of 2018," and Kelly said his opinion did not question the government's broader security concerns over border conditions that prompted the rule. Still, neither said those factors authorized the administration to "shortcut" the law or bypass Congress. More broadly, the administration has continued to push to tighten immigration controls, proposing last month to overhaul the asylum system and make it harder for migrants to win humanitarian protection in the United States or to obtain work authorization while they wait, and allow immigration judges to quickly deport more applicants at the border without full court proceedings or testimony. Under restrictions imposed during the novel coronavirus pandemic, the administration has required nearly 43,000 migrants to wait in Mexico, blocking them from seeking asylum at the southern border. President Donald Trump's allies were in pursuit of a tantalizing prospect last year: tape recordings of Joe Biden speaking to Ukrainian officials while he was vice president, conversations they believed could help them damage Biden's current bid for the White House. The previously undisclosed hunt for tapes of Biden and other recordings in Ukraine, described by several people who were involved, came as the president's personal attorney, Rudy Giuliani, was casting a wide net for material to undermine Trump's political rival - a scheme that ultimately helped set in motion the president's impeachment. "We would have loved to get the recordings, but we never did," Giuliani said in a recent interview. Now, with just five months to go before Election Day, that material is surfacing in Ukraine and being touted by some of the president's backers in the United States, including his eldest son last month. Last week, a Ukrainian lawmaker who was once affiliated with a pro-Russian political party and has met with Giuliani released 10 edited snippets of what appeared to be Biden's official vice presidential phone calls with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko in 2016. It was the second cache of recordings the lawmaker, who studied under the KGB in Moscow in the early 1990s, has released since May. The recordings show that Biden, as he has previously said publicly, linked loan guarantees for Ukraine to the ouster of the country's prosecutor general. The tapes do not provide evidence to back Giuliani's long-standing accusation that Biden sought to have him fired to block an investigation of a gas company that had hired his son Hunter. The authenticity of the audio files, which appear heavily edited, could not be verified. The Ukrainian government is investigating how they were obtained. Biden's campaign has said they are part of an effort to concoct conspiracy theories to smear him. Poroshenko has gone further and called them fake. Still, the material was quickly seized upon by One America News, a favorite network of the president that has featured pro-Trump conspiracies, which this month debuted the first installment of what it said will be a series of reports featuring recordings of Biden. Both Giuliani and Lev Parnas, a Ukrainian-American businessman who served as his fixer in Ukraine, confirmed that they sought tapes of Biden last year. Giuliani said he received assistance in his pursuit from a source within the State Department, who he claimed pointed him to the dates of certain conversations between Biden and Poroshenko by accessing an official U.S. government archive. Giuliani told The Washington Post that he did not know the recently released recordings were coming before they were posted online last month. But in a recent interview with OAN, the former New York mayor claimed to be aware of other tapes that were "far more damaging," saying, "I would hope that those tapes are put out also." On their own, the audio snippets that have been released do not significantly change what was already known about Biden's diplomacy toward Ukraine, where he led a U.S. and European effort to back Poroshenko's pro-Western government in the face of a Russian invasion and destabilization campaign. And other than from OAN, they have received little attention. But the efforts to promote the recordings in Ukraine and the United States - and pledges by other Trump allies to release more in the coming months - suggest a new push by foreign forces to sway American voters in the run-up to the 2020 election, one welcomed by the president's personal lawyer. The developments further illustrate Trump's willingness to benefit from foreign intervention in U.S. elections, even after being impeached for pressuring Ukraine to launch investigations into his political rivals. In an interview last year, the president said that if a foreign country called offering information on his opponent, "I think I'd want to hear it." His former national security adviser, John Bolton, alleges in a newly released book that Trump last year asked the Chinese president to help him win reelection. The White House has denied Bolton's account. Tim Murtaugh, a spokesman for the Trump campaign, declined to comment on the Ukraine tapes. The campaign has so far not focused on the recordings in its attacks on Biden. Andrew Bates, a spokesman for Biden's campaign, said, "All the president's men, both within our country and outside of it, have been constantly trafficking in objectively false, malicious conspiracy theories targeting Joe Biden since before he even entered the race. And their efforts have invariably fallen apart - because the American people know Joe Biden, his character, and his values." Giuliani has been interacting on and off with the Ukrainian lawmaker who has been releasing the clips, Andrii Derkach, since meeting him in Kyiv last December, the former New York mayor told The Post. In an interview, Giuliani described the former member of Ukraine's Russia-leaning Party of Regions as "very helpful" and said that they talked many times about Ukraine. Derkach, who is the son of a former KGB officer and says in his official biography that he attended the now-renamed Higher School of the KGB in Moscow, also appeared on Giuliani's podcast in New York in February. Giuliani, who has worked as Trump's unpaid personal attorney since 2018 and was recently tapped by the president to negotiate with the presidential debate commission, said he would be concerned if Derkach had obtained the tapes from the Russians. But, Giuliani said, the lawmaker "doesn't seem pro-Russian to me." Asked about Derkach's background, Giuliani said: "I don't depend on his credibility. I depend on the credibility of his documents." Derkach declined to be interviewed. In a statement, he said allegations that he is working in the interests of foreign intelligence services are attempts to pressure him into stopping his activity. "There is not a single confirmed or reliable fact of my illegal activity or wrongful connections," he said. Asked whether he discussed the tapes with Giuliani during their meetings, Derkach did not answer directly. "We discussed available information on international corruption and the need to investigate it in the United States," he said. - - - The hunt by the president's allies for the Biden tapes and their subsequent release have echoes of the 2016 campaign, when Trump publicly asked Russia to find emails of his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton. Trump later said the comment was a joke, even as GOP operatives mounted a serious but unsuccessful operation to obtain her emails from hackers claiming to have them. Democratic emails stolen by Russian intelligence officers were ultimately released through WikiLeaks, as special counsel Robert Mueller detailed in his report. The sequence of events sparked a nearly two-year investigation, multiple congressional inquiries and federal charges against 12 Russian military intelligence officers. U.S. intelligence officials have warned that Russia could reprise its efforts to influence the race for the White House again this year. In January, the Ukrainian gas company whose board used to include Biden's son, said that it had been hacked by Russian spies, raising fears the Kremlin could be intending to release stolen material to sway U.S. voters in coming months. Giuliani said he would welcome new material about Biden in Ukraine, but he said he wasn't aggressively seeking it, as he had been last year. Any new revelations, he added, should not be dismissed even if Russia may be involved. "The strange thing is what the Russians put out last time - it may have been illegal how they obtained it, but it was all true," Giuliani said. Michael Carpenter, a Biden foreign policy adviser and former senior Defense Department official, called the tape snippets that Derkach is releasing "a KGB-style disinformation operation tied to pro-Russian forces in Ukraine whose chief aim is to make deceptive noise in the U.S. election campaign to advance the interests of their oligarchic backers, the Kremlin, and the faltering Trump campaign." Ukrainians with a variety of competing political and personal agendas have claimed to be releasing or publicizing the Biden tapes, moves critics say align with both Russia and Trump's interests. That includes not only Derkach, but former Ukrainian prosecutor Kostiantyn Kulyk, former Ukrainian diplomat Andrii Telizhenko, and Ukrainian gas tycoon and former lawmaker Oleksandr Onyshchenko, who all have interacted with Giuliani or his associates. Some have promised more leaks are coming to help Trump later in the year. "This summer there will be more release of conversations, with full transcripts," said Telizhenko, who said he speaks regularly with Giuliani in between aiding various Ukrainian tycoons, some of them with Russian interests. Telizhenko said he is working independently from Derkach, noting: "I'm going to release everything all together when the time is right." Onyshchenko told The Post that the tapes that have been released are his, part of a cache he said he obtained from Poroshenko aides. He told the Russian state news service Sputnik in late May that his lawyers and Giuliani's team had "exchanged hundreds of emails," and that he has handed over materials about Biden, which he said Trump's allies will make use of in the fall. "Because of the coronavirus they are waiting," Onyshchenko told Sputnik. "But in September, closer to the elections, they will begin to use them more." He told The Post the materials were being given to the Republican-led Senate Homeland Security Committee, which is pursuing an inquiry into Biden's activities in Ukraine. A spokesman for the committee did not respond to a question about whether the panel has received such tapes or plans to use them. Like Derkach, Onyshchenko is also a former member of the now-defunct Party of Regions, a pro-Russian political party in Ukraine. He has been waging a multiyear campaign against Poroshenko since fleeing Ukraine on corruption charges he says are fabricated. Onyshchenko has said that he has tried to tell U.S. authorities about his corruption accusations against Poroshenko various times. Poroshenko references Onyshchenko twice in the leaked calls with Biden, telling the vice president that the exiled lawmaker holds a Russian passport and is working in Russia's interests to destabilize Ukraine. Biden appears in one snippet to reassure Poroshenko that the FBI is not working with Onyshchenko. When asked for comment on Poroshenko's accusation that he's advancing Russian interests, Onyshchenko said the former Ukrainianleader accuses everyone who is against him of doing the Kremlin's bidding. Onyshchenko said he is speaking out because the former Ukrainian president "destroyed my life." While the recordings released in Ukraine have received little attention in most mainstream U.S. news outlets, they are being heavily promoted by One America News, which has more than 700,000 followers on Facebook and some 900,000 on Twitter. Carpenter, the Biden adviser, has accused OAN of being "the preferred conduit for Kremlin disinformation in the 2020 cycle." One of its correspondents, Chanel Rion, traveled around Europe last year with Giuliani to film Ukrainians who made accusations against Biden, many of them unproven or spurious. In a program that aired last weekend, Rion said she had received 10 hours of recordings related to Biden from the "Ukrainian secret service" and "a source who was present during some of those recordings." She said she would be pursuing the story "well past the summer and into the fall." The Department of the State Guard, Ukraine's version of the Secret Service, said in a statement that it "does not make any recordings and has never recorded any conversations of the state guarded public officials." An OAN spokeswoman did not respond to a request for comment. In its stories, the network has suggested that accusations that Russia is promoting the allegations against Biden are efforts to distract from the story. - - - Biden made five trips to Ukraine during the last three years of the Obama administration and held at least 70 phone calls with Ukrainian leaders, as The Post previously reported. Most of his calls were with Poroshenko in an effort to shore up the fledgling pro-Western government against Russia. The recently released recordings, which Derkach has said he obtained from "investigative journalists," appear to feature conversations the two men had at the time. But if they are authentic, it is unclear who made them. It is possible Poroshenko aides taped the calls he had with Biden. Russian intelligence agencies have intercepted the phone calls of U.S. officials in Ukraine in the past. In an interview last month, Parnas said he and his colleague Igor Fruman were told by sources in Ukraine of the Biden-Poroshenko recordings, along with a number of other recordings Ukrainians claimed existed of Americans, including embassy officials in Kyiv. "We knew about these tapes," Parnas said. Parnas and Fruman were arrested in October 2019 and charged with making illegal campaign contributions, including from foreign sources, to Republican candidates and political action committees. They both pleaded not guilty and are awaiting trial. After his arrest, Parnas turned on Giuliani and Trump, saying the president had blessed their endeavors in Ukraine. The White House has dismissed his claims as false. Parnas told The Post that he and Fruman discussed the recordings with then-Ukrainian Prosecutor General Yuri Lutsenko and Kulyk, a former Ukrainian prosecutor who has been working with Derkach and appearing alongside him at news conferences releasing the recordings. In a statement, Lutsenko said he "never discussed, provided or promised to provide any recordings to Giuliani or his colleagues." Kulyk declined to answer directly, dismissing the question as lacking credibility. At one point during a trip to Kyiv in spring 2019, Parnas said he anticipated being provided copies of some of the recordings to bring back to the United States. But, he said, Ukrainian officials did not ultimately hand them over at the time. After the trip, Parnas said he and Fruman discussed the elusive recordings with Giuliani at strategy sessions they held at the BLT restaurant at the Trump International Hotel in Washington. Victoria Toensing, a conservative lawyer who attended some of those sessions, said she did not recall the discussions, but did not dispute that Parnas may have told the group about tapes. "Lev is a fast talker," she said. "He was always telling us, 'There is Biden stuff.' It would go in one ear and out the other." Giuliani was particularly interested in obtaining tapes of calls that Biden made to Poroshenko in early 2016 to feed his claims that the former vice president used his office to protect the business interests of his son Hunter, according to Parnas. Giuliani has asserted without evidence that Biden pushed for Ukraine's prosecutor general to be fired because Hunter Biden was serving on the board of Burisma, a Ukrainian gas company owned by a former minister who Ukrainian authorities were investigating. In fact, at the time, Biden was serving as the lead voice in a coalition of U.S. and European officials, including top Republicans, who were sharply critical of the prosecutor general's office for failing to go after high-level corruption cases and thwarting the probe of an episode in which lower-ranking officials were found with diamonds and cash thought to be bribes. Among the cases that the U.S. argued had not received enough attention: an inquiry into the owner of Burisma. In late 2015, Biden delivered a blunt message to Poroshenko: Unless the prosecutor's office got a new leader, a $1 billion loan guarantee for the Ukrainian government wouldn't be forthcoming. The prosecutor general agreed to resign. In the recordings that Derkach released, Biden can be heard urging Poroshenko to fire the prosecutor general. At one point, Poroshenko defends the top prosecutor, saying there was "no information" he had done anything wrong, but said he asked for the prosecutor's resignation as part of his promise to the U.S. vice president. In an interview with CNN's Fareed Zakaria earlier this month, Poroshenko said that Biden never brought up Burisma in their many conversations. "My absolutely clear answer: no, never," Poroshenko said. Ruslan Ryaboshapka, who served as Ukraine's prosecutor general until March, conducted a full audit of all the criminal cases in Ukraine involving the company and told The Post he found no evidence of illegal acts by Biden or his son. Giuliani told The Post that his pursuit of the Biden-Poroshenko calls was aided by someone inside the State Department. "A guy at the State Department who gave us a lot of information" consulted the archive of conversations between American leaders and their counterparts overseas to identify three conversations in February 2016 during which Biden mentioned the prosecutor general's name in conversations with Poroshenko, he said. "He didn't show it to us but told us they existed," Giuliani said of the State Department official. "He said, 'I guarantee there are three conversations on February 15, 17 . . . one of them is quite lengthy. It's between Biden and Poroshenko. There are transcripts of them, but they are classified.' " Giuliani declined to name the State Department official. A spokeswoman for the State Department did not respond to requests for comment. Giuliani said last year he regularly kept the president abreast of his efforts in Ukraine, but it is unclear whether Trump knew about the hunt for the tapes. When pressed last month if he specifically mentioned the recordings to the president, Giuliani declined to comment. The White House did not respond to a request for comment on whether Trump knew his lawyer was seeking tapes of Biden in Ukraine. But one witness during the House's impeachment proceedings said Trump made an allusion to tapes of the former vice president. Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, a Ukraine expert who served on the National Security Council, testified that he heard Trump refer to recordings of Biden during his July 25, 2019, phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, the conversation that set in motion the impeachment investigation. According to a rough transcript of the call released by the White House, Trump told Zelensky: "Biden went around bragging that he stopped the prosecution, so if you can look into it." Vindman testified that his own notes, which he took while listening to the call, show that Trump added, "There are recordings." That phrase was not included in the call's official transcript. Vindman testified that he had notified his superiors of the omission when the transcript was circulated internally for review, but that no changes were made. Vindman was uncertain what Trump meant by "recordings," his lawyer said recently. At the time, his description of Trump's mention of "recordings" on the call was widely assumed to be a reference to the tape of a public speech Biden delivered in 2018 bragging that he had held up loan guarantees to Ukraine until the prosecutor general was fired. - - - The Washington Post's Tom Hamburger contributed to this report. Stern reported from Kyiv. The United Nations has many achievements such as providing food to 90 million people in over 75 countries; assisting more than 34 million refugees; authorizing 71 international peacekeeping missions; working with 140 nations to minimize climate change and ; assisting about 50 countries per year with their elections. by Dr. Ruwantissa Abeyratne Writing from Montreal The UN was not created to take mankind to heaven, but to save humanity from hell Dag Hammarskjold On 26 June 1945, the United Nations came into being with the signing of the Charter of the United Nations. When Fareed Zakaria interviewed Antonio Guterres, Secretary General of the UN on 28th June on CNN the latter mentioned that ideally the UN should be multipolar with more engagement by all member States and that the UN must itself reform at 75 yeas of age as much needed to be improved in the Organization. What he did not mention is what The Economist of 20 June said: The UN is bureaucratic and infuriating. Its agencies fall prey to showboating and hypocrisy, as when despots on its Human Rights Council censure Israel yet again. The Security Council gives vetoes to Britain and France, much diminished powers since 1945, but no permanent membership to Japan, India, Brazil, Germany or any African country. Alas, it looks virtually unreformable. Nonetheless, the global order is worth saving. United Nations Headquarters, New York, USA The General Assembly is the plenary organ of the United Nations comprising all member States, each with one vote. The Assembly is a deliberative organ which depends on resorting to making recommendations rather than binding decisions. Therefore, it is far from legislative in nature although its recommendatory functions often result in the Assembly being considered political, moral and persuasive. This reputation has an overall effect of United Nations General Assembly Resolutions being regarded at least as morally binding on States. No international agencies, however, are authorized to enforce international law and to this extent the United Nations General Assembly stands bereft of legal enforcement powers stricto sensu. The General Assembly usually adopts several measures to ensure that its resolutions are implemented. Firstly, it recommends the implementation of its resolutions to individual member States. Secondly, it may also enlist the support of other organs and agencies of the United Nations. Thirdly, it may even establish special machinery to perform specific functions towards implementing its resolutions. The objectives of the United Nations General Assembly in ensuring the implementation of its resolutions is to achieve ultimately its overall aim of attaining international peace and security and promoting general welfare and friendly relations among nations. Some of the significant areas in which the United Nations has done creditable work are international terrorism, hostage taking, mercenaries, outer space, international civil aviation and law of the sea. All treaties that are introduced by the United Nations have the entrenched principle of international law that Contracting parties are always assumed to be acting honestly and in good faith. That is a legal principle which is recognized in private law and cannot be ignored in international law. In September 2015, The United Nations took a step forward in introducing to the world its 17 Sustainable Development Goals which are, in the words of the UN: the blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all. They address the global challenges we face, including those related to poverty, inequality, climate change, environmental degradation, peace and justice. The 17 Goals are all interconnected, and in order to leave no one behind, it is important that we achieve them all by 2030. The development goals are:no poverty; zero hunger; good health and well-being; quality education; gender equality; clean water and sanitation; affordable and clean energy; decent work and economic growth; industry, innovation, and infrastructure; reducing inequality; sustainable cities and communities; responsible consumption and production; climate action; life below water; life on land; peace, justice, and strong institutions; partnerships for the goals. These 17 Development Goals are comprehensive in their depth, scope and coverage of international issues. They are all equally important. However, what is close to the author is the goal of peace, justice and strong institutions. In this context, Secretary General Guterres himself was emphatic when he said at the CNN interview that the world must come together under one umbrella of peace and enforceable international action with the participation of all members of the UN, presumably meaning that a cohesive and global justice system that is enforceable and adhered to by all nations should established and brought into force. Certain measures have still to be taken through this divided and confrontational world in the coming years if international law and consensual symbiosis of nations were to be fully effective. They are: a) Optional Clause 36(2) of the Statute of the International Court of Justice should be made more acceptable to more member States (optional clause declarations are defined as the text through which a State becomes part to the system instituted by Article 36 (2) of the ICJ Statute); ( b) International forums should be devoid as much as practicable of political polemics; c) Support as far as practicable from such important judicial bodies as the European Court of the European Community should be available for the collective effort of international law making in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations. d) Such organs of international law as the Commission of Jurists (Inter-American Conference) should be actively involved in the promotion and expansion of international law. e) More evolved programmes of world disarmament should be introduced and followed by those nations that are capable of arms proliferation and extended use to the detriment of humanity. f) More conciliatory or mediatory judicial tribunals should be established to ensure peaceful arbitration of international disputes. g) Disparities of the economic conditions of under privileged nations must be obviated or controlled by a duly established world order that is followed by consensus. h) A world wide basis for law and order must be established in unequivocal terms by consensual agreement within the United Nations. The Charter of the United Nations cites the four main goals of the United Nations as: maintain international peace and security; develop friendly relations among nations; achieve international cooperation in solving international problems; and be a center for harmonizing the actions of nations in the attainment of these common ends. For this the 17th Sustainable Development Goal must kick in: a world-wide basis for law and order must be established in unequivocal terms by consensual agreement within the United Nations. The United Nations has many achievements such as providing food to 90 million people in over 75 countries; assisting more than 34 million refugees; authorizing 71 international peacekeeping missions; working with 140 nations to minimize climate change and ; assisting about 50 countries per year with their elections. It has had a few blunders too like the failure to act in the genocide in Rwanda and the slaughter of Srebrenica. Additionally, there have been sex abuse charges against UN peacekeeping forces in some places of deployment. At 75 years of age the United Nations has a balancing act to perform. On the one hand, getting back to the words of The Economist which describe the many shortcomings of the United Nations, it is time the UN got its act straight with its internal workings. However, it faces challenges externally as well. One concern of the UN has been all talk and no action by the member States. Secretary General Guterres has been particularly concerned over this challenge and has been quite vocal. For instance, when the United Nations Climate Action Summit was held in New York on 23 September 2019 the words of Secretary General Gutters to world leaders attending the Summit were: This is not a climate talk summit. We have had enough talk. This is not a climate negotiation summit. You dont negotiate with nature. This is a climate action summit. It is clearly time for action. Its now or never. Dr. Abeyratne is a former senior official in the United Nations System 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. 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(0x7fbff70d7230)', 'main') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 951 HTML::Mason::Request::call_dynamic('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7fbff71bef00)', '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(0x7fbff70d7230)') 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(0x7fbff71bef00)') 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(0x7fbff71c3d18)') 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(0x7fbff71bef00)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 165 HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler::exec('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7fbff71bef00)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 831 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handle_request('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7fbff67865c0)', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x7fbff71a0160)') called at (eval 487) line 8 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handler('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x7fbff71a0160)') called at -e line 0 eval {...} at -e line 0 WASHINGTON - A growing number of Democratic lawmakers are sounding the alarm about a program launched by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to track the spread of the coronavirus. The public health effort, dubbed "HHS Protect Now," hoovers up vast amounts of data, including coronavirus test results, from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as well as state and local sources. It also relies on technology from secretive Silicon Valley firm Palantir, better known for working with the U.S. military, national security agencies and immigration offices. In a letter shared with The Washington Post and sent Tuesday evening to HHS Secretary Alex Azar, a group of Democratic U.S. senators and members of Congress, including Sen. Elizabeth Warren D-Mass., and Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., called for more transparency around the initiative. The letter questioned whether any of the data gathered would be shared with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to round up undocumented immigrants. "We are concerned that, without any safeguards, data in HHS Protect could be used by other federal agencies in unexpected, unregulated, and potentially harmful ways," the lawmakers. Last week, members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus brought up similar concerns, pointing to Palantir's track record in assisting ICE in the arrests of hundreds of undocumented workers and caregivers of unaccompanied migrant children. "Naturally, we have valid concerns on whether the existing surveillance framework Palantir has created to track and arrest immigrants will be supplemented by the troves of potentially personal health information contained within the HHS Protect platform," the lawmakers wrote in a letter. Katherine McKeogh, a spokeswoman for HHS, said in a statement that the agency does not share HHS Protect data with ICE. "We ensure the privacy and security of all data in the system and HHS Protect does not contain any personally identifiable information," the statement said. McKeogh did not say whether any data would be shared with ICE or other agencies in the future. As a software provider, Palantir provides supporting technical services to HHS. Lisa Gordon, a spokeswoman for Palantir, said in a statement that all data collected by HHS Protect would remain under the control of HHS. "Palantir does not collect, broker, or share HHS data with other Palantir customers (including ICE-HSI) for any purposes other than those directed by HHS for their public health response efforts," she wrote. The two letters highlight the growing tension around the use of technology to track the coronavirus and the privacy issues it brings up. Private companies including Google, Apple and PricewaterhouseCoopers have created software meant to help curb the spread of the disease, and lawmakers have introduced legislation aimed at protecting personal data from abuse during the pandemic. The lawmakers say that while they encourage the use of technology to help fight the spread of the virus, they are also concerned about the increasing willingness of HHS to share health information with other agencies for immigration enforcement. While the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, or HIPAA, offers strict protections for individual health information, there are public health provisions that allow information sharing about communicable diseases. Public health agencies do not generally share that information with law enforcement agencies because doing so might discourage people from getting tested for communicable diseases. But at the federal level, under the direction of the Trump administration, that philosophy has changed, lawmakers said. Both letters point to a 2018 case in which HHS's Office of Refugee Resettlement gave ICE access to its records. The data was used by ICE to arrest hundreds of people who sponsored unaccompanied minors crossing the border. The letter sent Tuesday alleges the arrests led to immigrant children being held for longer periods of time in custody, which had a chilling effect on prospective sponsors. By using public health information for law enforcement purposes, HHS risks eroding public trust in public health officials, the lawmakers said. "HHS must do everything in its power to ensure that the public can trust that the federal government will not misuse COVID-19-related data," lawmakers wrote in the Tuesday letter. Tuesday's letter urges HHS to limit the sharing of data within the federal government, except for public health agencies. It also calls on the agency to disclose, in detail, exactly what data it is collecting and for what purpose. Lawmakers also asked for details of how Palantir was awarded the contract for HHS Protect, which they said is worth $25 million. Palantir was co-founded by Peter Thiel, a powerful Silicon Valley investor and ardent supporter of President Donald Trump. 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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(0x7fbff70b24c0)', 'main') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 951 HTML::Mason::Request::call_dynamic('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7fbfaa9e90c8)', '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(0x7fbff70b24c0)') 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(0x7fbfaa9e90c8)') 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(0x7fbff7097720)') 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(0x7fbfaa9e90c8)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 165 HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler::exec('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7fbfaa9e90c8)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 831 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handle_request('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7fbff6786788)', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x7fbff70b2160)') called at (eval 487) line 8 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handler('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x7fbff70b2160)') called at -e line 0 eval {...} at -e line 0 The Republican Party's candidate for the House in Colorado's 3rd District will be Lauren Boebert, who won Tuesday's primary over incumbent Rep. Scott Tipton by a nine-point margin. There are a lot of reasons that Tipton was booted from his seat, including by-now familiar criticisms that the incumbent wasn't paying enough attention to the concerns of voters in his district. (See: Cantor, Eric; Crowley, Joseph.) While her victory catapults Boebert into the relatively small group of successful challengers to sitting congressmen, it's her affiliation with a slightly larger group that is probably more important to note. In an interview in May, Boebert was asked if she was familiar with the "Q" movement. Boebert said she was but that it was really what her mom thought, since her mom is "a little fringe." Boebert was nonetheless complimentary toward the movement. "I hope that this is real because it only means America's getting stronger and better and people are returning to conservative values," Boebert said. "And that's what I am for. And so everything that I have heard of this movement is only motivating and encouraging and bringing people together, stronger. And . . . if this is real, then it can be really great for our country." Q, also called QAnon, is a sprawling and evolving conspiracy theory centered on the idea that President Donald Trump's secret mission in the White House is to combat a murky, nefarious web of sex predators woven throughout the political world and celebrity culture. It spirals out into various side theories, for example that John F. Kennedy Jr. wasn't killed in a plane crash but instead is still living in the United States. Its sacred texts come in the form of anonymous posts from a figure who self-identifies as Q. It is, in short, bizarre nonsense, a semi-direct continuation of the bafflingly bizarre "Pizzagate" conspiracy theory that emerged at the end of the 2016 campaign and that falsely suggested that Hillary Clinton and other officials were involved in a child sex trafficking ring based in a D.C. pizza shop. Both Pizzagate and QAnon have been used as rationales for acts of violence. Boebert, who claimed to be "very familiar" with QAnon, thinks that it would be good if all of the above theorizing were accurate. It is certainly true that some people who adhere to the idea that Q is in fact revealing details of a complex plot do so because they find appealing the idea that there's a pattern to the complexity of the moment. "I view it as hope," one adherent told me at a Trump rally in 2018. "It's like there's a larger design. Despite all the chaos the country is going through, there is a backbone of what's taking place behind the scenes." For others, it's simpler still: an embrace of the idea that government officials and the media can't be trusted and that QAnon adherents are part of a community that believes in didactic self-reliance. If this seems like a natural fit within what's often called the MAGAverse - the most hardcore supporters of Trump and his "make America great again" movement - you're correct. Many facets of Q, including the embrace of unfounded conspiracy theories and skepticism about formal sources of information, align with Trump's personal approach to the world. You can think of QAnon as being largely a subset of MAGA - Trump fans who take their enthusiasm about the president into another level of thinking. In that sense, it is understandable why candidates for office might solicit the support of QAnon adherents or even express more direct support for the idea. Hyper-engaged participants in the political dialogue who can be lured with a simple hashtag like #WWG1WGA (short for the Q slogan "where we go one, we go all")? Throw the hashtag alongside #MAGA in a tweet and get more eyeballs. Media Matters has documented 59 congressional and Senate candidates who have, at some point, demonstrated some support of the Q movement. Sixteen of the 59 did little more than drop a Q hashtag onto a social media post. Meaning that most, 46 of them, engaged with Q supporters to a greater degree, including promoting the movement or wearing Q-branded clothing. (The Trump campaign, recognizing the problem of being too closely associated with the movement, has in the past asked that attendees at its political rallies cover up pro-Q shirts, according to Q supporters I've spoken with.) The thing that's remarkable about these Q-adjacent candidates (nearly all of whom are Republican) is that many of them have gone on to win. A Post review of the outcomes of the races in which those 59 candidates have actually been on the ballot and received votes show that 11 of 28 candidates either won their primaries, advanced to a runoff or will be on the ballot in November. In total, candidates who've shown support for QAnon have received more than 580,000 votes, as of this writing, including more than 425,000 votes that have gone to Republicans who were more actively engaged in the Q movement than simply using a Q hashtag on a tweet. This isn't a sign that those voters were all demonstrating support for Q. It is a sign, though, that Q was not seen disqualifying for Republican primary voters. Most of those successful candidates won't end up in Washington next January. A number won primary contests against incumbent Democrats in heavily blue districts. It seems likely at the moment, though, that at least two - Boebert and Marjorie Taylor Greene, who won the party primary in Georgia's 14th District - will be elected. The sudden emergence of a possible Q caucus, if you will, itself mirrors Trump's ascent. QAnon and the president took similar paths to political power. You're probably more familiar with Trump's. Written off in 2015 as a lark, Trump perhaps accidentally stumbled on a successful path to the Republican nomination: say the things that the party elites didn't want said but which were burbling in conservative media and social media. His declaration that immigrants from Mexico were often criminals and rapists offered a stark view of immigration that fit neatly with the views of many Republicans who wanted to hear similarly aggressive language from their leaders. Trump embodied a hostility to the establishment that members of the establishment avoided both for the obvious reason and because it was often inaccurate, offensive or both. Once his comments about immigrants rose to national attention - thanks to Trump's business partners breaking ties with him - a core group of Republican voters coalesced around his candidacy. In a splintered 2016 field, that made a big difference. Saying things that others wouldn't, rejecting what the "experts" say and embracing false-but-titillating theories (like Trump's claims about the Sept. 11 attacks)? That's what QAnon does, too. Its seeds were planted in a fertile field. In May 2016, Fairleigh Dickinson University released the results of its PublicMind Poll. It presented a series of six conspiracy theories to a group of respondents and asked whether the respondents thought the theories were true. Overall, most respondents didn't think that any of the theories were true. Three-quarters said that either none or one were possibly true. Among Trump supporters, two-thirds viewed at least one theory as true. More than 2 in 5 thought that two or more were true, more than any other group, including Republicans more broadly. No group of voters is more supportive of Trump than conservative Republicans. Pew Research Polling conducted over the past nine months shows that nearly two-thirds of conservative Republicans have a very positive view of Trump, compared to a third of moderate Republicans and no Democrats. Even now, as new conspiracy theories emerge, that group is more likely to embrace them. Pew asked respondents if they believed it was true that the coronavirus pandemic was a function of deliberate planning by a nebulous group of "powerful people." Most people said this wasn't true. Half of conservative Republicans, though, said it was definitely or probably true. Among every other political/ideological group, a plurality or majority said it wasn't. There's been a lot of discussion about what happens in Republican politics after Trump is out of office. Some figure there will be a reversion to the norm of the preceding several decades of GOP candidates. Others think that multiple elections in which Republicans seeking office embrace Trump will lead to a lasting strain of Trump's particular ideologies and idiosyncrasies within the party. We should not extrapolate from two potential members of the House of Representatives to a broader trend. But the results of the 2020 primaries do offer a third possible future, a step past Trumpism: a GOP in which a broad rejection of authority and open embrace of wild, unfounded conspiracy theories are widely accepted, if not the norm. A tell-all book about President Donald Trump's family written by his niece has been temporarily blocked by a New York judge after a lawsuit claimed disclosures in the manuscript violated a 20-year-old secrecy agreement. A temporary restraining order against Mary Trump and her publisher, Simon & Schuster, was issued Tuesday by Justice Hal Greenwald in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. Mary Trump was ordered to explain by July 10 why the judge shouldn't issue a longer-lasting injunction against the book sought by the president's brother, Robert Trump, who filed the lawsuit. The book, "Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World's Most Dangerous Man," which is due to be published on July 28, will include purported psychological observations about the author's "toxic" family and other personal information, according to the lawsuit. Mary Trump's lawyer, Theodore Boutrous, said he'll appeal the decision and called the temporary restraining order an improper prior restraint on "core political speech" that's guaranteed by the First Amendment. "This book, which addresses matters of great public concern and importance about a sitting president in an election year, should not be suppressed even for one day," Boutrous said in an emailed statement. The order bars Mary Trump and the publisher from distributing any version of the book or any portion of it "in any medium containing descriptions or accounts" of Mary Trump's relationships with the president or his brother. That would appear to block any advance copies sent to the media. Robert Trump argues that the book's publication would violate confidentiality agreements relating to the settlement of the will of his and the president's father, Fred Trump. The issuing of the restraining order comes shortly after the publication of a damning memoir about Trump by former national security adviser John Bolton, portions of which were widely released even after the Justice Department sued to block its publication in court. According to the ruling against Mary Trump, Greenwald held a hearing on the matter by Skype on Monday. Charles Harder, one of the president's lawyers, who is representing Robert Trump in the case, said in an emailed statement that he's pleased with the decision and called Mary Trump's attempt to publish the book "reprehensible." "We look forward to vigorously litigating this case, and will seek the maximum remedies available by law for the enormous damages caused by Mary Trump's breach of contract and Simon & Schuster's intentional interference with that contract," Harder said. "Short of corrective action to immediately cease their egregious conduct, we will pursue this case to the very end." Simon & Schuster said in an email that it is "disappointed" by the order. "We plan to immediately appeal this decision to the Appellate Division, and look forward to prevailing in this case based on well-established precedents regarding prior restraint," it said, referring to the barring of a book before publication. Mary Trump's book is expected to reveal her role as a primary source for the New York Times's investigation into the president's taxes, and to detail her claim that the family's mistreatment of her father, Fred Trump Jr., contributed to his early death. The district attorneys of Philadelphia, Boston and San Francisco on Wednesday announced the launch of local "Truth, Justice & Reconciliation" commissions to hear from people who feel they were victimized by unjust or racist policing or prosecution. The prosecutors devised the project as civil rights protests continue in cities throughout the country, as a way to address past injustices and determine ways to prevent similar occurrences in the future. Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner, Suffolk County, Mass., District Attorney Rachael Rollins and San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin announced the commissions in a virtual news conference, joined by civil rights activists Shaun King and Lee Merritt, who will assist the process. The commissions were inspired by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission established in South Africa after the end of apartheid, in which victims were able to testify to the abuses they endured, and those who committed such abuses were able to seek amnesty for their actions. The South African commission was not initially focused on prosecuting violators, though charges eventually were pursued in some cases. It was not clear Wednesday if the American version of the commissions will seek to create or revisit prosecutions of cases, or create different paths to justice. A spokeswoman for the group did not respond to a request for comment Wednesday. The news release announcing the restorative justice-style project said that it was in its early stages, and that each city will begin as pilot projects to enable "district attorneys and their communities to hear from victims of police and prosecutor misconduct and find ways for those victims to heal." The group expects more prosecutors to join later this year. Boudin said in a news release that "prosecutors have a special responsibility to promote justice and reconciliation with the communities whose needs have historically been neglected. In San Francisco we are working to not only enact changes and create policies that hold police accountable going forward, but also to build trust with those who have been hurt by the lack of police accountability in the past." Each local commission "will develop processes and plans," Rollins said, "to allow persons who have experienced current and former instances of harm at the hands of law enforcement to raise concerns, share experiences, and achieve justice in a process that will be built with marginalized and oppressed groups at the center. We will begin to pursue justice while giving District Attorneys an opportunity to demonstrate that we care about the wrongs of the past, and we want to prevent them in the future." Krasner, whose office has helped free 14 men wrongly convicted of murder by his predecessors, said that "As a civil rights lawyer, I watched how this community suffered from law enforcement and prosecutorial overreach, and I know that these harms went unaddressed for many if not most. We cannot go back to fix that, but we can give a voice to those who experienced injustice for years." A divided U.S. Supreme Court said states must include religious schools in programs that offer taxpayer subsidies for private education, in a ruling that could affect more than a dozen states and spur a new push for school vouchers. The justices, voting 5-4, said Tuesday the Montana Supreme Court violated the U.S. Constitution's religious-freedom clause when it struck down a scholarship program used primarily to send children to faith-based schools. The Montana court had said the program ran afoul of a state constitutional provision barring aid to religious schools. Writing for the nation's highest court, Chief Justice John Roberts said the state no-aid provision violated the U.S. Constitution's protections for religious liberty, at least when applied to the scholarship program. "A state need not subsidize private education," Roberts wrote. "But once a state decides to do so, it cannot disqualify some private schools solely because they are religious." Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Stephen Breyer, Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan dissented. Ginsburg wrote that the Montana court, by striking down the program, "put all private school parents in the same boat." Sotomayor called Tuesday's Supreme Court ruling "perverse." The 2015 Montana scholarship program gives individuals and corporations a tax credit for contributing as much as $150 a year to an organization that funds scholarships to help needy students attend private schools. Three mothers sued after the Department of Revenue issued a rule that barred use of scholarship money at religious schools. The parents have been using the funds to send their children to a Christian school in Kalispell, Mont., and they say they might not be able to afford the school otherwise. A state trial judge ruled that religious schools must be eligible for the aid. The Montana Supreme Court then threw out the entire program, saying it would violate the state constitution if money supported religious schools. The Montana constitutional provision was originally adopted in 1889, at a time when anti-Catholic bias was rampant. Critics say the provision is a "Blaine Amendment," similar to a proposed U.S. constitutional amendment that would have outlawed direct federal aid to religious schools. Montana officials said the provision was readopted in 1972 with the legitimate goal of protecting religious schools from political influence. Lawyers at the Institute for Justice, the group that represented the parents in the case, said 37 states still have Blaine Amendments, and 14 of those interpret the amendments to bar religious schools from taking part in school-choice programs. "Those 14 states are now prohibited under the ruling from excluding religious options," Tim Keller, a lawyer with the group, told reporters. Keller said two states without Blaine Amendments, Maine and Vermont, would also be affected because they exclude religious schools from their school-choice programs. Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, said in a statement that the ruling is "a seismic shock that threatens both public education and religious liberty." She added, "It is a radical departure from our Constitution, American history and our values." Montana officials said the state court was right to invalidate the entire program if any of the money would go to religious schools. The Montana Department of Revenue said more than 90% of the scholarships went to students attending religious schools. The only organization formed under the law, Big Sky Scholarships, supports just one nonreligious school along with 12 religious schools, the state said. Big Sky awarded 54 scholarships during the most recent school year, totaling $27,000. "Our First Amendment rights have been upheld, which is incredible for us," Kendra Espinoza, the lead plaintiff in the case, told reporters. "For our family, that means being able to receive scholarships without discrimination."Almost 20 states have similar scholarship programs, according to a filing in the case by school-choice advocates. The Supreme Court's recent abortion ruling shows that Chief Justice John Roberts means it when he says "the legal doctrine of stare decisis requires us, absent special circumstances, to treat like cases alike." Casting the deciding vote Monday in June Medical Services v. Russo, he ruled against an abortion restriction that Louisiana claimed protected women against unscrupulous doctors. The state even asked the court to prevent abortion providers from suing on behalf of their patients, claiming a conflict of interest. If these arguments were new, the chief justice almost certainly would have accepted them both. The problem was that the Supreme Court had heard them before: In 2016, the justices invalidated an identical Texas law. Roberts couldn't distinguish the two statutes enough to make a different ruling - not while respecting precedent. Roe v. Wade, of course, sets precedent too - but its unraveling remains a very real possibility. Supporters of abortion rights should not celebrate just yet: June Medical is not a sign that Roberts will leave Roe alone. There is no reason to think that he is now an ally of the left-leaning justices, or that he intends to stay out of the culture wars. It just means he'll seek ways to act that don't jeopardize the court's reputation. June Medical asked the justices to do too much too soon, reversing a recent ruling and making a mockery of the court's claim to be above the partisan fray. But abortion opponents have an obvious path ahead: laws that rely on scientific uncertainty. This strategy could significantly undercut abortion rights and lay the groundwork for the ultimate reversal of Roe. Just as important, it offers the court the opportunity to do so while plausibly claiming to care about stare decisis. Many of the cases working their way through the lower courts draw on the last big win for the antiabortion movement, Gonzales v. Carhart. That 2007 case upheld a federal ban on a specific procedure often known as partial-birth abortion. Abortion rights supporters argued that the law violated the Constitution because it did not make an exception for scenarios in which the procedure best protected women's health. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists warned that the law exposed patients to serious health risks. But other doctors disputed this, insisting that the procedure was unnecessary and even dangerous. Gonzales held that when a matter is scientifically uncertain, lawmakers have more room to maneuver. Gonzales offers a blueprint for abortion foes who want to build on precedent rather than ignore it. For instance, more than a third of states have passed fetal-pain bills, which ban abortion at 20 weeks. Upholding a fetal-pain law - several of which have been challenged - would represent the first time the justices allowed a ban on abortion before viability, the point at which survival outside the womb is possible. Such laws rely on a handful of studies suggesting that fetal pain is possible at that point in pregnancy. Though most medical experts reject this conclusion, the idea of scientific uncertainty might give Roberts enough cover to join his conservative colleagues. The same is true of laws that prohibit dilation and evacuation, the most common abortion procedure after the first trimester. These statutes either force patients to use an alternative, such as taking a drug to induce labor, or to undergo an additional procedure, like an abdominal or cervical injection, which carries additional risks. Ten states have adopted such laws. As with Gonzales, these statutes play on public discomfort with later abortions and with the details of what a surgical abortion involves. Here, too, proponents of the bans invoke scientific uncertainty about the need for a particular technique, claiming that patients would be fine if forced to have an additional procedure or to rely on induction. Either strategy - tailoring bans by fetal age or by type of procedure - would allow the court to invoke precedent while dramatically rolling back abortion rights. Or consider bills that lawmakers in Tennessee and Mississippi passed in June, banning people from terminating a pregnancy based on the fetus's race, sex or disability. The Supreme Court recently decided to wait before considering such laws, allowing the lower courts a chance to weigh in first. At the very least, validating such statutes would not force Roberts to jettison precedent immediately. The tools for eroding abortion rights already exist. Roberts understands this. He pointed to the rule for every abortion case: regulations cannot place an "undue burden" on a person seeking the procedure. Ever since the court laid down that test in Planned Parenthood v. Casey in 1992, the court (and clashing social movements) have fought about how much it actually protects abortion. One thing is sure: The undue-burden test focuses on the facts of how abortion restrictions actually work. As a result, Justice Brett Kavanaugh tried to argue that the situation on the ground in Louisiana differed substantially from the one in Texas. In particular, he suggested that abortion providers had not shown that the state's requirement would force them to close. Roberts couldn't stomach this argument, but Kavanaugh was smart to take advantage of the ambiguity built into the undue-burden test. Ever since the court decided Casey, legal commentators have battled over whether the test gives legislators free rein - or whether it instead strikes a balance between the government's interest in protecting fetal life and women's interest in autonomy, equality and bodily integrity. Four years ago, in striking down an identical Texas law, the court opted for the second interpretation. It also forced state lawmakers to try harder to justify abortion restrictions - and commanded lower courts to take a close look at those restrictions rather than just taking legislators at their word. Roberts - who subscribed to a less protective view of an undue burden - got outvoted in 2016. Not anymore: Going forward, faced with different abortion restrictions, Roberts's interpretation could allow many of them to stand. Where the liberal justices once again balanced the abortion law's costs and benefits in their June Medical opinion, Roberts argued that even laws that served no useful purpose might be constitutional. He even suggested that few laws would count as burdensome in the first place. This version of "undue burden" could allow the court to significantly undercut abortion rights - without overruling anything. Still, abortion rights are not inevitably doomed. To begin with, the 2020 election could lead to a reconfiguration of the court. Clarence Thomas, the justice most openly enthusiastic about reversing Roe, shows no signs of wishing to retire before then; it's possible that a Democratic president could get the chance to name his replacement and move the court to the left. And should conservatives preserve their majority on the court, Roberts might still hesitate to dismantle Roe v. Wade. The public pays attention, and responds vociferously, to what the Supreme Court does in abortion cases. The chief justice's concern about the court's reputation may be hard to disentangle from his anxieties about a possible backlash; in polls, majorities say they want to keep Roe. Roberts, it seems, would love a way to reverse Roe without damaging his own legacy. He may not find one - not as long as the antiabortion movement insists on pursuing its current course of action. The largest (or at least the most surprising) stumbling block to dismantling Roe has been conservative politicians. Since Kavanaugh's confirmation, red states have rushed to pass sweeping abortion bans, outlawing the procedure at six weeks or even earlier. Many such laws contain no exceptions for rape or incest. Larger antiabortion groups have condemned these initiatives as counterproductive. President Donald Trump urged absolutists to forswear these tactics, tweeting last year, "If we are foolish and do not stay united as one, all of our hard fought gains for life can, and will, rapidly disappear." It seems that Trump was right to worry: These laws have all failed in the lower courts. State lawmakers once claimed such wholesale bans would speed up the reversal of Roe, but given Roberts's obvious interest in showing respect for precedent, they seem likely to fail at the high court too. That doesn't mean state legislators will change course. If the bans appeal to their base, they may not care what the Supreme Court ultimately makes of their handiwork. They may have sound political reasons to press on, regardless of what Roberts says. June Medical served notice that if anyone votes to undo Roe, it will be the chief justice - not state legislators or lower courts. A few more false moves by conservatives, and the right to choose may be with us for 47 more years. But supporters of abortion rights should not rest easy. For opponents willing to cater to Roberts's reverence for precedent, there is a clear path to eliminating abortion rights - if they know where to look. - - - Ziegler is the Stearns Weaver Miller professor at Florida State University's college of law and author of "Abortion and the Law in America, Roe v. Wade to the Present." U.S. officials intercepted electronic data showing large financial transfers from a bank account controlled by Russias military intelligence agency to a Taliban-linked account, evidence that supported their conclusion that Russia covertly offered bounties for killing U.S. and coalition troops in Afghanistan, according to three officials familiar with the intelligence. Though the United States has accused Russia of providing general support to the Taliban before, analysts concluded from other intelligence that the transfers were most likely part of a bounty program that detainees described during interrogations. Investigators also identified by name numerous Afghans in a network linked to the suspected Russian operation, the officials said including, two of them added, a man believed to have served as an intermediary for distributing some of the funds and who is now thought to be in Russia. The intercepts bolstered the findings gleaned from the interrogations, helping reduce an earlier disagreement among intelligence analysts and agencies over the reliability of the detainees. The disclosures further undercut White House officials claim that the intelligence was too uncertain to brief President Donald Trump. In fact, the information was provided to him in his daily written brief in late February, two officials have said. Afghan officials this week described a sequence of events that dovetailed with the account of the intelligence. They said that several businessmen who transfer money through the informal hawala system were arrested in Afghanistan over the past six months and were suspected of being part of a ring of middlemen who operated between the Russian intelligence agency, known as the GRU, and Taliban-linked militants. The businessmen were arrested in what the officials described as sweeping raids in the north of Afghanistan, as well as in Kabul. A half-million dollars was seized from the home of one of the men, added a provincial official. The New York Times had previously reported that the recovery of an unusually large amount of cash in a raid was an early piece in the puzzle that investigators put together. The three U.S. officials who described and confirmed details about the basis for the intelligence assessment spoke on condition of anonymity amid swelling turmoil over the Trump administrations failure to authorize any response to Russias suspected proxy targeting of U.S. troops and downplaying of the issue after it came to light four days ago. White House and National Security Council officials declined to comment, as did the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, John Ratcliffe. They pointed to statements late Monday from Ratcliffe; the national security adviser, Robert C. OBrien; and the Pentagons top spokesperson, Jonathan Hoffman. All of them said that recent news reports about Afghanistan remained unsubstantiated. The White House press secretary, Kayleigh McEnany, berated The Times on Tuesday after this article was published, saying that reports based on selective leaking disrupt intelligence gathering. She did not address or deny the facts about the intelligence assessment, saying she would not disclose classified information. On Monday, the administration invited several House Republicans to the White House to discuss the intelligence. The briefing was mostly carried out by three Trump administration officials: Ratcliffe, OBrien and Mark Meadows, the White House chief of staff. Until recently, both Meadows and Ratcliffe were Republican congressmen known for being outspoken supporters of Trump. That briefing focused on intelligence information that supported the conclusion that Russia was running a covert bounty operation and other information that did not support it, according to two people familiar with the meeting. For example, the briefing focused in part on the interrogated detainees accounts and the earlier analysts disagreement over it. Both people said the intent of the briefing seemed to be to make the point that the intelligence on the suspected Russian bounty plot was not clear cut. For example, one of the people said, the White House also cited some interrogations by Afghan intelligence officials of other detainees, downplaying their credibility by describing them as low-level. The administration officials did not mention anything in the House Republican briefing about intercepted data tracking financial transfers, both of the people familiar with it said. Democrats and Senate Republicans were also separately briefed at the White House on Tuesday morning. Democrats emerged saying that the issue was clearly not, as Trump has suggested, a hoax. They demanded to hear directly from intelligence officials, rather than from Trumps political appointees, but conceded they had not secured a commitment for such a briefing. Based on the intelligence they saw, the lawmakers said they were deeply troubled by Trumps insistence that he did not know about the plot and his subsequent obfuscation when it became public. I find it inexplicable in light of these very public allegations that the president hasnt come before the country and assured the American people that he will get to the bottom of whether Russia is putting bounties on American troops and that he will do everything in his power to make sure that we protect American troops, said Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., the chair of the House Intelligence Committee. He added: I do not understand for a moment why the president is not saying this to the American people right now and is relying on I dont know, I havent heard, I havent been briefed. That is just not excusable. Ratcliffe was scheduled to go to Capitol Hill on Wednesday to meet privately with members of the Senate Intelligence Committee, an official familiar with the planning said. The Times reported last week that intelligence officials believed that a unit of the GRU had offered and paid bounties for killing U.S. troops and other coalition forces and that the White House had not authorized a response after the National Security Council convened an interagency meeting about the problem in late March. Investigators are said to be focused on at least two deadly attacks on U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan. One is an April 2019 bombing outside Bagram Airfield that killed three Marines: Staff Sgt. Christopher Slutman, 43, of Newark, Delaware; Cpl. Robert A. Hendriks, 25, of Locust Valley, New York; and Sgt. Benjamin S. Hines, 31, of York, Pennsylvania. On Monday, Felicia Arculeo, the mother of Hendriks, told CNBC that she was upset to learn from news reports of the suspicions that her sons death arose from a Russian bounty operation. She said she wanted an investigation, adding that the parties who are responsible should be held accountable, if thats even possible. Officials did not say which other attack was under scrutiny. In claiming that the information was not provided to him, Trump has also dismissed the intelligence assessment as so-called and claimed he was told that it was not credible. The White House subsequently issued statements in the names of several subordinates denying that he had been briefed. McEnany reiterated that claim on Monday and said that the information had not been elevated to Trump because there was a dissenting view about it within the intelligence community. But she and other administration officials demurred when pressed to say whether their denials encompassed the presidents daily written briefing, a compendium of the most significant intelligence and analysis that the intelligence community writes for presidents to read. Trump is known to often neglect reading his written briefings. Intelligence about the suspected Russian plot was included in the Presidents Daily Brief in late February, according to two officials, contrasting Trumps claim on Sunday that he was never briefed or told about the matter. The information was also considered solid enough to be distributed to the broader intelligence community in a May 4 article in the CIAs World Intelligence Review, commonly called The Wire, according to several officials. A spokesperson for the Taliban has denied that it accepted Russian-paid bounties to carry out attacks on Americans and other coalition soldiers, saying the group needed no such encouragement for its operations. But one U.S. official said the focus had been on criminals closely associated with the Taliban. In a raid in Kunduz City in the north about six months ago, 13 people were arrested in a joint operation by U.S. forces and the Afghan intelligence agency, the National Directorate of Security, according to Safiullah Amiry, the deputy provincial council chief there. Two of the main targets of the raid had already fled one to Tajikistan and one to Russia, Amiry said but it was in the Kabul home of one of them where security forces found a half-million dollars. He said the Afghan intelligence agency had told him the raids were related to Russian money being dispersed to militants. Two former Afghan officials said Monday that members of local criminal networks had carried out attacks for the Taliban in the past not because they shared the Talibans ideology or goals, but in exchange for money. In Parwan province, where Bagram Airfield is, the Taliban are known to have hired local criminals as freelancers, said Gen. Zaman Mamozai, the former police chief of the province. He said the Talibans commanders are based in two districts of the province, Seyagird and Shinwari, and that from there they coordinate a network that commissions criminals to carry out attacks. And Haseeba Efat, a former member of Parwans provincial council, also said the Taliban have hired freelancers in Bagram district including, in one case, one of his own distant relatives. They agree with these criminals that they wont have monthly salary, but they will get paid for the work they do when the Taliban need them, Efat said. Twenty U.S. service members were killed in combat-related operations in Afghanistan last year, the most since 2014. This article originally appeared in The New York Times. Public health experts on Wednesday criticized the US for securing for itself a large supply of the only drug licensed so far to treat COVID-19 The US government announced Monday that it had an agreement with Gilead Sciences to make the bulk of their production of remdesivir available to Americans during the next three months. The Department of Health and Human Services said it had secured 500,000 treatments of the drug through September, representing 100% of Gilead's July production capacity and 90% of its capacity in August and September. ``To the extent possible, we want to ensure that any American patient who needs remdesivir can get it,`` Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said in a statement. Ohid Yaqub, a senior lecturer at the University of Sussex, called the US agreement ``disappointing news.'' ``It so clearly signals an unwillingness to cooperate with other countries and the chilling effect this has on international agreements about intellectual property rights,'' Yaqub said in a statement Until now, Gilead had donated treatment courses to the US and other countries. That ended Tuesday and Gilead this week announced the price of the treatment going forward. In 127 poor or middle-income countries, Gilead is allowing generic makers to supply the drug. In a statement Wednesday, the California-based Gilead said its agreement with the US allows for unneeded supplies to be sent to other countries. The company said it is ``working as quickly as possible'' to enable access worldwide. But it noted that US is seeing a significant rise in COVID cases, while ``most EU and other developed countries have reduced their levels of disease considerably.'' Early trials testing remdesivir in patients hospitalized with COVID-19 found that those who received the drug recovered quicker than those who didn't. It is the only drug licensed by both the US and the European Union as a treatment for those with severe illness from the coronavirus. Dr. Peter Horby, who is running a large study testing several treatments for COVID-19, told the BBC that ``a stronger framework'' was needed to ensure fair prices and access to key medicines for people and nations around the world. He said that as an American company, Gilead was likely under ``certain political pressures locally.'' British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's spokesman, James Slack, declined to criticize the United States for the move, but said the UK had a ``sufficient stock'' of remdesivir for patients who need it, but didn't specify how much that was. Thomas Senderovitz, head of the Danish Medicines Agency, told Danish broadcaster DR that the move could endanger Europeans and others down the road. ``I have never seen anything like that. That a company chooses to sell their stock to only one country. It's very strange and quite inappropriate,'' he said. ``Right now we have enough to make it through the summer if the intake of patients is as it is now. If a second wave comes, we may be challenged.'' Gilead had been developing remdesivir for years as a viral treatment, aided by millions in funding from the US government, before it was tried for coronavirus. The company's statement said that Gilead is exploring ways to support access to remdesivir beyond the US and the 127 developing countries. Dr. Penny Ward of King's College London, noted that many countries have legal provisions that allow them to prohibit the exportation of drugs to other countries during an emergency. ``It is unreasonable to expect that the US government should deny their population access to drugs manufactured in the USA,'' she said. Ward pointed out that another drug that has recently shown may help people with severe COVID-19, the cheap steroid dexamathasone, is long off-patent and available globally. The US has the worst coronavirus outbreak in the world, with 2.6 million reported infected and 127,000 confirmed virus-related deaths, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University. To date, COVID-19 has sickened more than 10.5 million people worldwide, killing around 512,000, according Johns Hopkins. Top US infectious diseases expert Dr. Anthony Fauci told senators on Tuesday that the US outbreak is ``going in the wrong direction'' and he feared the country could see 100,000 new infections a day if things didn't improve. The US is seeing about 40,000 new cases a day currently. Short link: Enterprise, AL (36331) Today Cloudy early with scattered thunderstorms developing this afternoon. High near 80F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 60%.. Tonight Scattered thunderstorms this evening becoming more widespread overnight. Low 71F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Locally heavy rainfall possible. WASHINGTON -- President Donald Trump reaffirmed late Tuesday that he would veto this year's proposed $740 billion annual defense bill if an amendment is included that would require the Pentagon to change the names of bases named for Confederate military leaders, his strongest rebuke against the measure amid a national reckoning over systemic racism. Shortly before midnight, the president echoed his previous pledge to "not even consider the renaming" of military bases as part of the National Defense Authorization Act, pushing back against a provision that would change the names of 10 bases named after Confederate generals as well as remove Confederate likenesses, symbols and paraphernalia from defense facilities nationwide within three years. He voiced his frustration over the provision in a late-night tweet slamming Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., the amendment's sponsor whom the president regularly calls "Pocahontas" in jeering reference to her claims of American Indian heritage. "I will Veto the Defense Authorization Bill if the Elizabeth 'Pocahontas' Warren (of all people!) Amendment, which will lead to the renaming (plus other bad things!) of Fort Bragg, Fort Robert E. Lee, and many other Military Bases from which we won Two World Wars, is in the Bill!" Trump said. The measure, which was approved last month in a voice vote by the Republican-led Senate Armed Services Committee, has become a flash point at a time when nationwide protests over racial injustice and police brutality continue in the wake of the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis on Memorial Day. After a month that has seen statues of Confederate leaders and slave owners be taken down to a mix of praise from those who call them racist and criticism from those who say they're a part of the country's history, the debate in the Senate this week has shifted attention toward the push to remove the names of the Confederate officials that are front and center on some of the nation's most recognizable military bases. Democrats and critics have been quick to challenge the president on the issue, and it was no different on Tuesday. Trump's previous suggestion that he would veto the defense bill over the renaming of the military bases drew criticism earlier on Tuesday from Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. In a news conference, Schumer said the provision sponsored by Warren would remain in this year's NDAA, no matter what the president proclaimed. "I dare President Trump to veto the bill over Confederate-base naming," Schumer said to reporters. "It's in the bill. It has bipartisan support. It will stay in the bill." He added, "I think the bottom line is what's in the bill will stay in the bill." Without Trump vetoing the entire defense bill, stripping the amendment from this year's NDAA remains highly unlikely. Opponents of the base-renaming amendment are not expected to be anywhere close to the 60 votes needed to remove it from the bill. "There are definitely not 60 votes to remove that provision, which is already in the bill, and I don't think there are 50," Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, tweeted early Wednesday. Sen. James Inhofe, R-Okla., chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, has suggested that a final vote on the chamber's bill would take place before the Fourth of July holiday. As The Washington Post reported, Republican support for the provision suggests it will survive any potential challenges on the Senate floor this week. There has been vocal opposition to the provision in the chamber, such as from Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., who has proposed an amendment to strip the renaming requirement. Inhofe has previously said that he hoped to change the language in Warren's amendment so that the requirement to rename the bases would instead be a recommendation. Yet even senior Republicans, including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky and Majority Whip John Thune of South Dakota, have distanced themselves from the president's stance in recent weeks, The Post reported. "I'm not wedded to the idea that those names of those military installations are eternal," Thune said last month. "I think that you reevaluate, given the timing and circumstances and where we are in the country, who we want to revere with, you know, by naming military installations or other national monuments. And so I think you have to periodically take a look at that. And in this case, it's perhaps time to do it." Trump potentially vetoing the entire bill - a "must-pass" piece of bipartisan legislation - could trigger other consequences. The Post reported last month how vetoing this year's proposed $740 billion NDAA could result in no money for research related to the coronavirus pandemic, no 3 percent pay raise for troops, and no funding for new aircraft or ships, among other items. The president's vow came hours after Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves, a Republican, signed a bill that would remove the Confederate battle emblem from Mississippi's flag, which had been the last state to feature the symbol on its flag. At a ceremony on Tuesday, Reeves said removing the Confederate symbol was "not a political moment to me but a solemn occasion to lead our Mississippi family to come together and move on." The state of Mississippi joined the U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps and NASCAR as entities that have recently removed displays of the Confederate flag. The trend was not lost on Trump critic Preet Bharara, U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York before being fired by the president in 2017. "Read the room," he said. Yale University plans to hold most classes online next semester and require those students who do attend on campus to be tested for Covid-19 weekly. Some undergraduate, graduate and professional students will be given the option to return and live in school housing, according to a letter Wednesday from President Peter Salovey and Provost Scott Strobel. OAKLAND (BCN) Demands by residents to defund the police were heard Tuesday by Oakland City Council members who will now revisit the budget they approved last week. Council President Rebecca Kaplan said at Tuesday's council meeting that members would reconsider the budget July 21. Numerous people spoke during the public comment period chastising council members for their failure to further reduce the Police Department budget, which is under scrutiny here and worldwide following the police killing of George Floyd in Minnesota. "Today, I'm reminded of the power of the people," Cat Brooks of the Anti Police-Terror Project said during the comment period, because apparently the public backlash forced the council to reconsider the budget. "I'm honored and proud to be an Oakland community member," she said later by phone. Brooks said the Police Department gets the largest chunk of the city's $684.5 million general fund. Many people commenting Tuesday demanded that the Police Department's current share of that be reduced by 50 percent or $150 million. Brooks recognized Kaplan for listening to the community. Others recognized member Nikki Fortunato Bas for hearing residents' demands. Kaplan said last week that $20 million in cuts were made to the Police Department budget. Councilmember Lynette Gibson McElhaney said last week that she and a caucus made up of Vice Mayor Larry Reid and council members Noel Gallo and Loren Taylor, have made clear their commitment to reduce the Police Department's use of the general fund by 50 percent as other public safety measures are implemented in place of policing. One of those measures that has been funded is a group called Mobile Assistance Community Responders of Oakland or MACRO for short. MACRO is an alternative to a police response for mental health challenges. "A badge and a gun is not the appropriate response," Brooks said about calls for mental health needs. But Barry Donelan, president of the Oakland Police Officers' Association, wondered whether alternatives to a police response to mental health needs might be paid for in a way that does not take from the Police Department budget. He also questioned whether a response to homelessness can be paid for without reducing the police budget. In his opinion, seen through his 20 years of experience, "OPD has been defunded," he said. The need for public safety is high, according to Donelan. Demand totally outstrips police resources now, he said. According to the latest city budget, police receive and process nearly 700,000 calls for service each year or about 2,000 per day. You're looking at staggering numbers, Donelan said. Copyright 2020 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. By Gina Gotsill Bay City News Foundation By Bay City News Service State Sen. Bill Dodd, D-Napa, hosted a virtual town hall Tuesday evening that touched on issues including legislative responses to police violence, as well as police reform, white supremacy, and the psychological and public health issues in poor communities. Guests joining Dodd at the town hall were the Rev. Dante Quick of Friendship Missionary Baptist Church in Vallejo; Bay Area psychologist Terri L. Thompson; Michael Gennaco, an expert on law enforcement reform and accountability systems; and Gabriel "Jack" Chin, professor at University of California at Davis Law School. At the heart of the discussion was an urgency to see the big picture, and how many elements converge and contribute to issues that are now deeply ingrained in policing. Speakers addressed the way attitudes, biases and policies influence police behavior, which then impact -- and in some cases terrorize -- communities. Police accountability emerged as a common theme. While communities have been galvanized by the death of unarmed black man George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody on Memorial Day this year, the issue goes way beyond one case, Dodd said. Dodd spoke about his involvement with legislation that includes Assembly Bill 1196, which seeks to abolish police use of carotid holds and choke holds, and Assembly Bill 1185 that would authorize counties to establish sheriff oversight boards. "We also need a process to de-certify unfit police officers, provide investigation of police shootings, improve training, and reassign resources to provide non-police responses," Dodd said. Gennaco encouraged a dialogue about the appropriate role of police officers. For example, police are first responders to calls for mentally ill individuals, homeless people and for other social issues. This doesn't mean communities can't have other providers working 24/7 and answering those dispatch calls for help, he said. Quick addressed white supremacy, saying it has been part of the policing conversation for years. Until we understand white supremacy in all of its manifestations, he said, communities will keep fighting and reforming laws, but there won't be systemic change. "A knee on the neck starts far before a police incident," Quick said. Educational, housing and health disparities that span generations create a path that leads to negative interaction with police, Quick said. Thompson spoke from a public health perspective about the trauma, toxic stress and resulting health issues that people in poor communities can experience. She also discussed the militarization of police departments, and the biases that are allowed to fester in some departments, which can lead to profiling, she said. Chin spoke about how voters have not set high expectations of police in California and other parts of the country to follow the law and not discriminate. He also spoke about the wide range of experiences people can have with police. For example, affluent people tend to have positive experiences with the police, he said. "There are no George Floyds, no Tamir Rices, no Michael Browns among affluent white people," Chin said. "It's not a part of their experience..." Through cellphone video and police body cameras, society has been confronted with indisputable evidence that one person's experience is not necessarily the experience of people in other groups, he said. Speakers at Tuesday's town hall also responded to calls and emails from the public that ranged from comments about how the police appear ready for battle to a call to defund departments. The town hall was recorded and is available for viewing at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SUZ0N3n9i_8&feature=youtu.be&t=1. Copyright 2020 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. San Mateo County beaches accounted for six of the top 10 most polluted beaches of the state, according to a list released Tuesday by the environmental advocacy group Heal the Bay. Heal the Bay's 30th annual Beach Bummer list ranks the most polluted beaches in the state on their levels of harmful bacteria in ocean water. The group monitored more than 500 beaches across the state to compile lists of the most and least polluted beaches. San Mateo County's Fitzgerald Marine Reserve in Moss Beach was deemed the most polluted beach in the state due to polluted runoff from San Vicente Creek, according to Heal the Bay. Fitzgerald Marine Reserve has never appeared on a Beach Bummer list until this year. Pillar Point Harbor at Capistrano Avenue in Half Moon Bay, Erckenbrack Park in Foster City, Pillar Point Harbor Beach, Linda Mar Beach at San Pedro Creek and Pillar Point Harbor at Westpoint Avenue were also listed among the 10 most polluted beaches in the state. The group noted that the Pillar Point Harbor locations were all affected by pollutants from multiple storm drains that flow into the enclosed harbor. "A day at the beach shouldn't make anyone sick," Heal the Bay president and CEO Shelley Luce said in a news release. "We are glad to see water quality improving at some beaches, but there are no guarantees." San Mateo and Monterey counties both had beaches deemed among the best in the state on Heal the Bay's 2019-2020 Honor Roll list. Beaches qualify for the list if they are monitored weekly year-round and earn perfect marks for their water quality. The list of 42 beaches is dominated by those in Southern California because northern and central California counties generally don't monitor water quality all year, according to Heal the Bay. However, Monterey County's Asilomar State Beach at Arena Avenue, Monterey State Beach and Spanish Bay beach at 17 Mile Drive and San Mateo County's Bean Hollow State Beach all qualified for the group's Honor Roll. All four beaches made the list for the first time. "We know that our work is far from over," Heal the Bay said in its report. "With the numbers of people depending on the ocean for their recreation and livelihoods increasing, it is more important than ever to protect our water quality and our beaches." Beachgoers can visit healthebay.org/beachreportcard2020 to view the complete beach water quality report. The latest water quality grades for beaches across the state can be found at beachreportcard.org. Copyright 2020 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. The actor Antonio Banderas is taking another shot at selling his Manhattan co-op apartment, for $7.4 million. The Spanish star and his wife at the time, Melanie Griffith, purchased the place in 2005 for $4 million. It originally went up for sale in May 2018 for $7.95 million. Two years later, the price of the four-bedroom residence has been reduced by 7%, but no buyer has stepped up as of yet. Banderas' apartment is in The Prasada building, one of the most desirable addresses on Central Park West. The 12-floor prewar building was completed in 1907, and is directly across the street from the Park. There are about 40 units in the building, and for comparison's sake, a much smaller one-bedroom unit in the building is currently on the market for $1.35 million. The actor's apartment is said to offer gorgeous Park views with "50 feet of picture windows overlooking the beautiful treetops of Central Park." As you step inside the living area, youll notice a fireplace flanked by built-in window seats, which provide ample access to the lovely views. The living area flows into an intriguing formal dining area, which features a large bay window that focuses on the park. Eleven-foot ceilings give the apartment an airy and spacious feel. Living room realtor.com Kitchen realtor.com Dining room realtor.com The kitchen features custom cabinetry with stainless-steel appliances from SubZero and Wolf. A thoughtful layout provides ample space and separation between the apartment's bedrooms and the entertaining and living spaces. If the proximity to Central Park isn't enough, residents can also take advantage of the building's additional perks. The Prasada offers a full-time doorman, elevator operator, live-in resident manager, private storage, bike storage, and an exercise room. The stylish lobby has undergone a full renovation. In 2014, Griffith filed for divorce from Banderas, after 18 years of marriage. The prolific actor has starred in over 100 films and earned his first Academy Award nomination for the 2019 film Pain and Glory, directed by Pedro Almodovar. Bernice Leventhal with Corcoran Group-West Side holds the listing. The post Take 2: Antonio Banderas Still Trying To Sell NYC Apartment for $7.4M appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com. Although United Airlines August schedule will only be 48 percent of what it was a year ago, it will still be three times the size of its June schedule, the carrier said this week, as it continues to add more routes and to increase frequencies in existing markets including San Francisco. While travel demand remains a fraction of what it was at the end of 2019, customers are slowly returning to flying with a preference for leisure destinations, trips to reunite with friends and family, and getaways to places that encourage social distancing, United said. In addition, United said it will extend its ongoing waiver of change fees and award redeposit fees for reservations made through July 31. Delta announced a similar fee waiver extension this week, and so did American. United said its domestic schedule in August will add more than 350 daily flights from its U.S. hub airports, and will revive 50 routes that are still suspended in July. It will double the number of departures from its Newark hub and will add more connections at its Chicago, Houston and Denver hubs. At San Francisco International, Uniteds planned domestic schedule as of August 3 includes twice-daily flights to Honolulu, Kona, and Maui and a daily roundtrip to Kauai. (Hawaiis governor recently announced that starting in August, the state will waive its mandatory 14-day quarantine for arriving travelers if they test negative for Covid-19 before leaving home- more about that here.) United will also fly from Los Angeles to those four Hawaiian destinations. It will also add six flights a week from SFO to Washington Reagan National Airport-- in addition to the existing 3x flights per day SFO to Dulles. Don't miss a shred of important travel news! Sign up for our FREE weekly email alerts. In international markets, United said it will add service five days a week in August from SFO to Mexico City, Cancun, Puerto Vallarta and Los Cabos, along with two daily flights to Vancouver, five a week to London Heathrow, and three a week to Papeete, Tahiti. (The carrier is already flying from SFO to Frankfurt, Sydney and Tokyo Narita, and is due to start service during July from SFO to Seoul, Tel Aviv, Delhi, Hong Kong/Singapore, and Shanghai (via Seoul), according to earlier announcements.) To get people back on United jets, the carrier's new CEO Scott Kirby makes a personal plea for mask wearing in this video. Overall, United said its August international schedule would be 25 percent of what it was in the same month a year ago. Its not immediately clear how much of the airlines August transatlantic schedule was put together before the European Union decided this week not to allow American visitors now that it is opening its external borders to some countries. But Uniteds VP, International Patrick Quayle did remark that we are further building out service to partner hubs like Frankfurt and Zurich, where customers can connect on to a wide array of destinations via Uniteds Star Alliance network. The August schedule includes a resumption of suspended service from Chicago to Brussels and Frankfurt; and from Newark to Brussels, Munich and Zurich. In any case, well repeat our standard disclaimer: Keep in mind that just because planes are flying to other countries, you are may not be allowed to fly there as a tourist or business traveler. Many new flights are for essential or repatriation travel, and cargo. Travelers could be faced with outright bans, or lengthy quarantines, so be sure to determine your eligibility to enter before booking your flight. United will also resume service in August to a variety of Latin American destinations from Los Angeles, Chicago, Newark, Denver, Washington Dulles and especially Houston. To see all the details of Uniteds August schedule plans, click here and scroll down. Read all recent TravelSkills posts here Chris McGinnis is SFGATE's senior travel correspondent. You can reach him via email or follow him on Twitter or Facebook. Don't miss a shred of important travel news by signing up for his FREE weekly email updates! SFGATE participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites. Today Europe made official its highly anticipated plan to ban American travelers and those from other countries with rising Covid-19 infection rates from entering the region. For now, Europe's coronavirus case rate is waning with fewer than 10,000 new cases per day, while the pandemic is still raging in the U.S., with new cases now exceeding 40,000 per day. Using scientific data, the European Union announced that it would open its borders to 15 nations with numbers that indicate a decline in Covid-19 cases, among other metrics. These "safe list" nations include Canada, Australia, Japan, China and South Korea. According to the BBC, the U.K. and four other non-EU states - Switzerland, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway - are automatically included as "safe." The official "safe list" of countries with Covid-19 trends that are equal to or better than the EU's is diverse. A likely surprise to most Americans, the list includes countries in Africa, South America, and Eastern Europe with small economies and health care systems much less sophisticated than the US. Importantly, EU authorities say the so-called "safe list" will be reviewed every two weeks, and can be altered to admit residents of countries with improving numbers, or banning those from countries with problems getting a handle on the virus. SHELTON A rally is planned Thursday for residents to show support for local police officers. Chris Jones, who has twice run unsuccessfully against Mayor Mark Lauretti and remains a vocal critic of his administration, is organizing the rally titled The Thin Blue Line: Peaceful Rally for a Cause, which will begin at 6 p.m. on Thursday at the Riverwalk, known locally as The Slab. Jones said he started putting together Thursdays rally after two incidents last week in which officers were injured while helping rescue residents. Four were hospitalized after helping rescue a 91-year-old man from a house fire on High Street on June 24. We ask our officers for help every day, Jones said in a social media post, and now is our time to help them. Jones, whose father and grandfather were Shelton police officers, said the recent bathroom/locker room disagreement between the union and the chief during which portable toilets were placed in the department parking lot for use by officers drew his attention. Last month, the union filed a grievance alleging three female patrol officers were denied use of their headquarters restrooms while the 49 men had access. The police chief then limited use of headquarters locker rooms and bathrooms for both men and women and set up portable toilets for patrol officers in the parking lot. The current administration, especially Mayor Mark Lauretti and Chief (Shawn) Sequeira, are lashing out at all members of the department, Jones said. Sequeira said he denied any retaliation against officers. Lauretti has in the past stated his support for the chief, adding that some officers do not appreciate Sequeira holding them accountable for their actions and disciplining when appropriate. Lauretti, a Republican, did not comment on Jones claims, simply saying Jones has been talking about me for 29 years. Why would I even respond to him? Jones has served on the Planning and Zoning Commission and Board of Aldermen as a Democrat. He has since changed his political party to Republican and forced a primary last year to get on the GOP ballot for Planning and Zoning but failed. The police chief said his department is investigating photos posted on the police unions Facebook page which the union describes as town officers changing clothes in the departments parking lot. Sequeira, in a post on the departments Facebook page, said he was informed about the images of men and women with their faces blocked out which were posted on June 4 on the Support the Shelton Police Union Inc. Facebook page. The pictures appear to show male officers changing their pants and female officers in their bras as they change their shirts. Eventually, once our investigation is complete, people will have a clearer picture as to what is really happening here, Sequeira said. I would ask the public to not prejudge anything until we have completed our investigation and released the findings. Sequeira said police headquarters has reopened, with required safety protocols, but the lower level locker rooms and bathroom will remain closed for two weeks as renovations are performed to those areas. Multiple requests for comment from the police union were not returned. brian.gioiele@hearstmediact.com Yogarishi Ramdev Baba's acrobatic Praanayam and deft Kapaalbhaatis have usually won him fans and lovers. The latest aasaan by Ramdev may not go down well even with his ardent lovers. The latest move from Baba's arsenal of Yogic postures is the U-Turn-Aasan. Ramdev's opinions on Coronil have changed within a week. From a drug promising "treatment" to Aayush ministry's outright rejection to even an FIR, here's a look at Patanjali's timeline of Coronil, the chest-thumping and the ultimate - The U-turn-aasaan. 23rd June 2020: Coronil is introduced to the world as "Covid Cure", an objectionably boisterous claim. Patanjali says its trials found 100 percent recovery on patients with mild cases. Twitter is abuzz with memes mocking these claims. 24th June 2020: Minister of State for Ayush Minister Shripad Naik says his ministry will clear the air on Patanjali's ayurvedic kit of Coronil - Divya Swasari, Divya Coronil Tablet and Divya Anu tela (unfortunately, some media reports named this oil as 'Andu tela' as if it were to magically undo the virus out of a covid patient's system). In a release, the Ministry said facts of the claim and details of the stated scientific study were not known to it. Naik said Patanjali Ayurved should not have advertised the drug. 25th June 2020: Elaborating on lack of approvals, Yoga Guru is quoted in reports as saying that the fiasco was owing to a "communication error". "Maybe ICMR, CTRI or any other agency could not communicate with Ayush Ministry," he was quoted as saying even while emphasizing "100% recovery possible within seven days". 26th June 2020: Media is divided whether this is India's glory moment or a case of unethical drug research and marketing. There are reports seeking Patanjali Ayurved to be tried for criminal cases. 27th June 2020: An NIE report quotes BS Tomar of the NIMS as saying, "there was no clinical trial in our hospital of the drug. There was no serious case in the patients we admitted. Only 100 asymptomatic patients were given few Ayurvedic medicines under the sponsorship of Patanjali. But we did not prepare any medicine nor did we know its name." "We had not asked for medicine to cure coronavirus but only these ayurvedic immunity boosters. Whoever got these, recovered 35% faster. That is all," adds Dr Tomar in the report. 28th June 2020: Advocate Balram Jakhar of the Rajasthan High Court is reported as having filed an FIR against Ramdev, Patanjali's CEO Acharya Balkrishna, Dr Balbir Singh Tomar, Director of NIMS University, Jaipur. The advocate in his complaint filed his complaint a day ago calling Patanjali's claims as reeking "of criminal intent". 30th June 2020: Ayush Ministry says Patanjali Ayurved can "sell Coronil only as an immunity booster" and not as "cure". Uttarakhand's Ayurveda department explains there was an application for licence to manufacture immunity booster, not a cure for COVID-19. Accordingly, the licensing authority has been asked to ensure that the packaging does not mention the word "cure". Even images representative of a single molecule of Coronavirus emblazoned on the box are to be removed according to licensing officials. Patanjali responded to a report questioning the validity of the first press conference by saying, "We have only promoted the successful trial of the medicine before the media." 1st July 2020: The most latest press conference, the U-turn Aasan is revealed to the world. Yoga guru admits to Ayush ministry's term of Coronil as a "Covid management drug". Ramdev also adds that there is no trace of metals in the medicines and that the pills will be ready for general consumption from 1st July. Speaking on the question of whether Coronil was a cure, Ramdev answered - "Yeh immunity booster hai ayurved ke traditional rules ke hisaab sey" - This is an Ayurvedic immunity booster. Do drop in your thoughts in the comments section. Baba Ramdev, Coronil and U-turn-aasaan Cartoonist: Satish Acharya Source: Sify Text: Sify Finance New Delhi [India], June 30 (ANI): GE on Tuesday announced the appointment of Pitamber Shivnani as the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of GE T&D India Ltd effective July 1. He joined the company on January 15 as the Chief Executive Officer after 32 years with ABB. An alumnus of the Indian Institute of Technology in Roorkee, Shivnani has also attended the Senior Leadership Development Programme at the International Institute of Management Development in Switzerland and Harvard School of Business in the United States. The company also announced the appointment of Sanjay Sagar as Independent Director on the board of the company for five years up to June 30, 2025. He is an internationally renowned executive and an energy sector expert. With a career spanning over 35 years, Sagar's last stint was as the Managing Director of Jindal Power. Prior to that, he was the Joint Managing Director and CEO of JSW Energy from 2012 to 2017. With six manufacturing sites, GE T&D India is meeting the growing demands for equipment and services with a focus on introducing green and digital solutions aimed towards making the Indian grid smarter and environmentally friendly. (ANI) Tripti Dimris performance in "Bulbbul", the new horror film that was released digitally, has been widely acclaimed. The actress has opened up on fighting her fears and stepping out of her comfort zone to become an actress. Tripti took to Instagram on Monday to talk about the same. The actress also spoke about the difference between her real-life personality and her on-screen character in "Bulbbul". "Growing up, I was extremely different from the character I play in 'Bulbbul'. I was not an extrovert at all! She's curious and excitable and I was the opposite of it. I was very shy and I never felt comfortable participating in school functions and activities. I even hated getting doubts cleared in class because I didn't like having all those eyes on me." "Something changed when I got to college. I realised it's time I take to the stage and face the world. I became more involved in college activities and even joined a modelling agency, which turned out to be the door that opened these opportunities for me. I remember putting off giving my first audition because the thought of facing the camera terrified me. Surprisingly, I did well and I got selected, which led to my debut movie 'Poster Boys'." "From being uncomfortable with so many eyes on me to now feeling at home on a set, I've come a long way. I am here because I chose to fight my fear and get out of my comfort zone. I chose to trust myself and stopped listening to my insecurities. I'm still nervous in new situations, I still fumble but I now know you can always overcome those fears and give it your all." "Remember, fear is just a feeling and no feeling is permanent. Fight it even if you fail. You can always get back up and try again. I'm glad I chose to fight," Tripti wrote on Instagram. She also shared a photo of her character Bulbbul's childhood (played by child actor Ruchi Mahajan) and the grown up Bulbbul (played by herself) in the horror flick. Tripti also shared a throwback photo from her childhood. Meanwhile, netizens are demanding to #BoycottNetflix on Twitter as they find the Bengali folk song "Kalankini Radha" used in the film and its English subtitles offensive to Hindu religious sentiments. Images: Tripti Dimri on Instagram Text: IANS The double-decker 'Morning Bird' launch with over 50 passengers coming from Munshiganj sank in the river after being hit by Chandpur-bound vessel 'Mayur-2' while anchoring at the Kathpatti ghat near Shyambazar in the capital's old town at 9:33 am on Monday morning. The Shipping Ministry formed the probe team on Monday. The Bangladesh government formed a 7-member probe body to look into the incident. The sunken launch was pulled out by rescue workers 26 hours after the accident. "After watching the CCTV footage, it seems that it's not an accident, it's a deliberate murder incident," the minister for shipping said. The minister also said the government will launch an investigation into the incident to identify whether there was negligence on the part of the launch owners. Witnesses said there were over 50 passengers in the launch. Although several passengers managed to swim ashore, many went missing. Members of Fire Service, River Police, Bangladesh Navy and Bangladesh Coast Guard launched a rescue operation after the accident and recovered several bodies on Monday. Besides, a man was rescued alive on Monday night 13 hours after the launch capsize. --IANS sumi/kr Beijing : China's military reserve forces will be formally placed under the centralised and unified command of the Communist Party of China and Central Military Commission, both headed by President Xi Jinping, from July 1 to ensure the ruling party's "absolute leadership" over it and build a world-class army. Currently, the reserve forces are under the dual leadership of military organs and local Communist Party committees and they would be brought under the control of the ruling party and the CMC from July 1, the state-run Xinhua news agency reported. China's People's Liberation Army in 2017 announced plans to reduce the strength of the reserve forces and bring them under the control of the central leadership as part of the reforms of the military. The reforms included cutting down the size of the military by three lakh troops reducing the size of the PLA, the world's largest military force, to two million personnel. An official announcement on Sunday said the reserve forces are "an important part of the PLA and the adjustment in the leadership structure is aimed at upholding the CPC's absolute leadership over the army and building a strong military in the new era." It calls on relevant military and civilian units to take active and coordinated measures to implement the changes to the leadership structure. Since he took over power in 2013, Xi, 67, has ordered all PLA ranks to strictly under the CPC leadership. Xi is also the General Secretary of the CPC. China watchers have called Xi the most powerful Chinese leader since Chairman Mao Zedong, especially since he managed to amend the Constitution to end the two-term presidential limit in 2018. According to the reforms process announced in 2017, the CMC will take charge of the overall administration of the PLA, the Chinese People's Armed Police and the militia and reserve forces. This meant that all forces would work directly under central leadership headed by Xi. The thrust of the reforms included a reduction of the ground forces and an increase in the role and scope of the navy and the air force as part of China's push to expand its global influence. The structure of the reserve forces will adapt to information warfare from traditional combat-oriented and mechanised ones, the PLA announced in 2017. China's current reserve forces are mainly composed of reserve military officers and soldiers as well as a small number of active-service military personnel. Reserve military officers are selected from eligible veteran officers, local officials, and officers in the people's armed force, militia cadres and related technical personnel. "Centralising the leadership of reserve forces will make it easier to mobilise and manage reserve forces. They are important supplementary parts of active-duty military units," Li Daguang, a professor at the National Defense University of the PLA, told the Global Times. Many reserve forces have their specialities. Military news outlet 81.cn reported on June 15 that Tibet has five militia groups involved in patrols, communication, engagements and rapid response. Twenty personnel, who are good at wrestling and unarmed combat from a fighting club, are reportedly enrolled as members of the militia. Li said that reserve forces in China would not be normally mobilised until a large-scale local war breaks out. Song Zhongping, a Chinese mainland military expert and TV commentator, told the daily that China has always kept a close watch on the developments of reserve forces in the border areas, especially in the Tibet Autonomous Region and the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, as they are important parts of local military preparedness and battles against separatism. The PLA Tibet Military Command's reserve forces are an example. The militia has adjusted to the cold and thin air environment, and are superior in high-altitude warfare. Their special abilities will greatly help the PLA, Song said. Beirut Hammoud, identified in a Shin Bet statement as a journalist working with al al-Akhbar, an Arabic daily newspaper published in Beirut, together with her husband, Bilal Bizari, tried to recruit the two Israeli women, Xinhua news agency quoted the Shin Bet as saying on Tuesday. Jerusalem: Israel's Shin Bet security service said that the Lebanon-based Hezbollah group attempted to recruit two Israeli Arab women as spies through a Lebanese journalist. The two women live in Majd al-Krum, an Arab town in Galilee, northern Israel. Hammoud, originally an Israeli citizen who has lived in Lebanon since 2013, and the two women met in Turkey in December 2019, according to the Shin Bet. Upon their return to Israel, the two were investigated by Israel's security services. Later, the Shin Bet contacted Bizari by telephone and warned him the secret service knows about his and his wife's actions, and told him they must stop trying to recruit Israeli citizens, according to the Shin Bet. Hezbollah, an Iran-backed group, and Israel have fought a full-fledged war in 2006, which took place mostly on Lebanese soil. "The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), endorsed by (Security Council) Resolution 2231, is a significant achievement of multilateral diplomacy and dialogue. It remains crucial to the global nuclear non-proliferation architecture and to regional and international security," DiCarlo told the Security Council on Tuesday. United Nations, July 1 (IANS) The Iran nuclear deal remains crucial to regional and international security, said Rosemary DiCarlo, the UN undersecretary-general for political and peacebuilding affairs. It is, therefore, regrettable that the future of this agreement is in doubt after the withdrawal of the US from it and the reversal of some of Iran's commitments, she said. The US withdrew from the agreement in May 2018. Before that, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) verified in 11 reports that Iran was complying with its nuclear commitments contained in the plan, she noted. "We regret the US withdrawal from the plan. The re-imposition of US national sanctions lifted under the plan, as well as the decision not to extend waivers for the trade in oil with Iran and on all remaining JCPOA-originating projects, are contrary to the goals of the JCPOA. "These actions have impeded the ability of Iran and other member states to fully implement the plan and the (Security Council) resolution," DiCarlo added. On March 12 in a letter to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif wrote that the US sanctions were constraining his country's response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Guterres has appealed for the waiving of sanctions that could undermine a country's capacity to respond to the pandemic. According to DiCarlo, the Secretary-General has expressed concern that the posture of private-sector actors seeking to avert risk may continue to impede legitimate humanitarian aid transactions, especially with regard to banking needs. The US also regrets the steps Iran has taken since July 2019 in response to the U.S. withdrawal, she said. As a result of those steps taken under the monitoring of the IAEA, Iran has surpassed JCPOA-stipulated limits on its uranium enrichment level and on its stockpiles of heavy water and low-enriched uranium. Iran has also lifted JCPOA limitations on its nuclear research and development activities, she said. "Today, we appeal again to Iran to return to full implementation of the plan. We also urge Iran to address concerns raised by other states regarding its actions inconsistent with the restrictive measures in Annex B of the resolution," DiCarlo said. Annex B of Resolution 2231 deals mainly with restrictions on Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile programs and on arms transfers. "We encourage JCPOA participants to resolve all differences within the Dispute Resolution Mechanism under the plan. We also urge all member states to avoid provocative rhetoric and actions that may have a further negative impact on the JCPOA and regional stability," said DiCarlo. --IANS ksk/ "Restrictions imposed have been extended till July 31. All the officers concerned and on field officers have been ordered to implement these restrictions strictly without any lapse," Ballari Deputy Commissioner S.S. Nakul told IANS. Bengaluru, July 1 (IANS) Karnataka's Ballari district administration has extended the sealing of JSW Steel plant and township in Toranagallu village till July 31 to contain the spread of Covid, an official said on Wednesday. After a spate of Covid cases in the steel unit - 144 infections and 516 primary contacts under quarantine by mid-June, Nakul, on June 18, ordered sealing off of the plant and the township to curb further spread. In fact, the JSW Steel had also slashed its workforce for a period of five days prior to the sealing-off in an effort to contain the spread but to no avail. "Even after this attempt, the employees may spread Covid further on their return to their villages and towns with the possibility of mortality of vulnerable population," Nakul said. The Deputy Commissioner invoked powers vested in him under the Disaster Management Act to house all the employees of JSW Steel within the township. "All employees, direct and contractual, required for working in JSW Steel shall be housed within JSW township itself. JSW Steel will select such personnel keeping in view their possible comorbidities," he said. Starting June 18, no movement of such personnel from nearby villages and towns was allowed into the company. Similarly, only those people allowed to work have been permitted to move between the township and the factory, but cannot go out beyond this area. He also directed the company to identify teams who will provide the workers housed inside the township with essentials such as food, milk and others. "Only movement of goods vehicles, empty or carrying load, shall be allowed to move from factory premises to other places. JSW Steel shall strive to test their employees and report all ILI or SARI cases housed in the township," said Nakul. He also tasked the company to furnish a daily report. Currently, Ballari is grappling with the second highest number of Covid cases in Karnataka with 485 active patients. On Wednesday, 85 new cases were reported. Jindal Vijayanagar Steel Ltd (JVSL) was formed in 1994 and boasts a capacity of 12 million tonnes per annum (MTPA). It was merged with Jindal Iron and Steel Company (JISCO) in 2005. The company claims that its Ballari steel plant, located across 10,000 acres in the Ballari-Hospet iron ore belt, is the world's sixth largest. It also said the plant owns India's largest blast furnace, widest hot strip mill and employs corex technology. Some of the products manufactured at the plant include hot rolled coils and sheets, billets and cold rolled close annealed (CRCA) coils and sheets. --IANS sth/vd 100 years of radio since Marconis big breakthrough Ofcom summarizes the key changes in UK broadcasting since Dame Nellie Melba broadcast from Chelmsford in Essex in 1920 Marconi is credited with being the first person to transmit radio signals, doing so over a distance of a mile and a half in 1895 in Lavernock Point in the Vale of Glamorgan in Wales. He later set up his Wireless Telegraph and Signal Company in Chelmsford, in 1899. His 1920 broadcast took place from there. On 15 June a song recital by Dame Nellie Melba was broadcast using a telephone transmitter, and was heard in a number of different countries. Its fair to say a lot has happened in radio since Marconis breakthrough. Here we take a look at some of the major events. Read the Ofcom article at https://www.ofcom.org.uk/about-ofcom/latest/features-and-news/100-years-of-radio/ Speaking a day ahead of the target date for the beginning of the annexation set by Netanyahu, the Prime Minister said on Tuesday that he met US Special Representative for International Negotiations Avi Berkowitz and American Ambassador to Israel David Friedman, reports Xinhua news agency. Jerusalem, July 1 (IANS) Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that his government was still "working" on his West Bank annexation plan, hinting at a possible delay of the controversial move. Netanyahu said he discussed with them "the question of sovereignty", referring to his plan to impose Israeli sovereignty over the Jordan Valley, part of the West Bank where the Palestinians want to build their future state. He noted his government was "currently working on" the plan and "will continue to work on it in the coming days". The remarks were made during a ceremony at the Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem. Netanyahu and his main coalition partner, Benny Gantz, leader of the centrist Blue and White party, were at odds over the annexation. While Netanyahu wanted to start the procedure of imposing Israeli sovereignty over the Jewish settlements and the Jordan Valley as early as July 1, Gantz wishes to postpone the move. On Monday, Gantz, who serves as Israel's alternate Prime Mminister and Defence Minister, told a meeting of lawmakers with Blue and White that "anything not related to the struggle against the coronavirus will wait". A few hours later, Netanyahu dismissed Gantz's remarks, telling a meeting of lawmakers with his right-wing Likud party that he is working "discretely" with envoys of US President Donald Trump. Under their power-sharing deal, both Netanyahu and Gantz hold veto power over key government decisions. However, the deal allows Netanyahu to bring an annexation proposal to the cabinet even without Gantz's approval. Netanyahu had set July 1 as the date for his plan to annex the Jordan Valley, which makes up some 30 per cent of the West Bank, a territory seized by Israel during the 1967 Middle East war. The Palestinians, who claim all of the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem, have rejected the idea. More than 600,000 Jews live in about 140 settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. --IANS ksk/ Poonch (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], June 30 (ANI): Jammu and Kashmir Director General of Police (DGP), Dilbag Singh on Tuesday said that Pakistan is repeatedly trying to send terrorists from their launching pads, but many such attempts have been foiled earlier and will be thwarted in future too. "Pakistan is repeatedly trying to send terrorists from their launching pads, but many such attempts have been foiled earlier and will be thwarted in future too. Today a review will be taken about the internal security arrangements here along with the situation at the border and our infiltration grid," said Singh. "I am happy to receive the reports given by our officers from the field stating that our security grid is working strongly at the border as well as in the internal areas," he added. DGP Singh continued saying that the anti-terrorist operations are also taking place in Kashmir following which 48 terrorists have been killed so far this month. "During this year nearly 128 terrorists have been killed including a major number of terrorists belonging to Hizbul Mujahideen. Around 70 of them belong to Hizbul Mujahideen, around 20 belonged to Jaish-e-Mohammad while around 20 belong to Lashkar-e-Taiba," said Singh. "South Kashmir which became a hub for terrorists...the number of terrorists have been declined there very quickly. In fact, the youth who used to get provoked by them has also decreased. We helped such children and their families. Currently out of the new terrorists, only 24 are active even the infiltration grid is working very strongly," he added. Earlier today, DGP Singh informed that two terrorists who killed a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) jawan and a five-year-old boy three days back at Bijbehara have been eliminated. Singh said that terrorists were killed in an encounter at Anantnag's Waghama Bijbehara area in the Union Territory. (ANI) The cases were not identified through symptom screening alone. Approximately one fourth of cases were found through serial testing during quarantine, according to the report, Xinhua news agency reported on Monday. Washington, June 30 (IANS) Testing among quarantined contacts of patients with COVID-19 in a correctional and detention facility in the United States identified a high proportion of asymptomatic and presymptomatic cases, according a report of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Correctional and detention facilities face unique challenges in detecting and mitigating transmission of SARS-CoV-2 infection, said the CDC. On May 7, the CDC and the Louisiana Department of Health initiated an investigation to assess the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection among incarcerated and detained persons residing in quarantined dormitories. During May 7 to 21, among 98 incarcerated and detained persons who were quarantined because of exposure to the virus, 71 had laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection identified through serial testing. Among those with positive test results, approximately one fourth had positive test results after one or two negative tests at previous time points in quarantine, and 45 percent did not report any symptoms at the time of testing, according to the CDC. These findings suggest ongoing transmission among quarantined persons living in congregate settings, said the CDC. Serial testing, particularly for close contacts of patients, is important for complete identification of cases and prompt public health response in congregate settings, said the CDC. --IANS rt/ Director General of Police (DGP) Dinkar Gupta said the terror module was operating in various parts of the state at the behest of pro-Khalistani elements based in Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and the UK. Chandigarh, June 30 (IANS) Punjab Police on Tuesday said that it had foiled a major bid by Pakistan-backed terrorists to target socio-religious leaders and disturb the state's communal harmony with the arrest of three members of Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF). He said one .32-bore pistol, along with seven cartridges, has been seized from the accused, identified as Sukhchain Singh, Amritpal Singh and Jaspreet Singh. Their accomplice, Lovepreet Singh, was arrested recently by Delhi Police along with other KLF members. The DGP said in a statement that three men had come into contact with each other through the social media. They further came in touch with Pakistan-based handlers, who provoked them to target socio-religious leaders and also disturb Punjab's law and order. Amritpal Singh was instrumental in connecting and motivating Sukhchain and Lovepreet Singh. Initial investigations show that their Pakistan-based handlers also invited them to visit Pakistan for planning the future course of action, the DGP said. One of the foreign handlers, based in Saudi Arabia, promised to provide them shelter once they execute their actions on ground. Gupta claimed that with this, the Punjab Police has busted nine terror modules in six months. --IANS vg/tsb Mahindra Group Chairman Anand Mahindra said on Tuesday that India Inc will rise to the occasion to counter "the Chinese provocation" that not many Indian goods are manufactured. "I suspect this comment might well be the most effective & motivating rallying cry that India Inc. has ever received. Thank you for the provocation. We will rise to the occasion," Mahindra said on Twitter. Mahindra was referring to a tweet in the name of Hu Xijin. "Well, even if Chinese people want to boycott Indian products, they can't really find many Indian goods. Indian friends, you need to have some things that are more important than nationalism," he said in a tweet. The Modi government on Monday banned 59 Chinese apps including TikTok, WeChat and UC Browser and Xiaomi's Mi Community over national security concerns amid strained India-China bilateral relations after the death of 20 Indian soldiers in the Galwan Valley clash with Chinese PLA troops in eastern Ladakh. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has issued a list of 59 Chinese apps that are now banned in the country. "These measures have been undertaken since there is credible information that these apps are engaged in activities which are prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India, security of state and public order," said a MeitY statement. Indians have rushed to download social app Chingari, a desi alternative to Chinese TikTok, which is witnessing nearly 1 lakh downloads and over 2 million views per hour since the government banned 59 Chinese apps, last night. James J. Smith, a dedicated community advocate whose personal character, courage, and perceptiveness proved extraordinary, died Sunday in Carmel Richmond Health Care and Rehabilitation Center after complications related to the coronavirus. He was 79. The St. George resident, who had a passion for worthy causes and who served as a mentor, friend, counselor and advisor on both a professional and personal level, survived a severe bout of COVID-19 and subsequent pneumonia. He had been making great strides, was optimistic and on the path to good health, when he succumbed to sudden cardiac arrest in the Dongan Hills health care facility. His goal was to beat the COVID-19 virus, said Smiths sister, Peggy Smith Whiteside, a registered nurse. And he did. But unfortunately the virus attacks your entire system, your brain, your kidneys - your heart. He had a weakened heart. He died of sudden cardiac arrest as a result of the coronavirus. It was important to him to mentor, she said. He was the first grand marshal of the Gay Pride Parade on Staten Island. And June is Gay Pride month. Sunday was the 51st anniversary of Stonewall. And Jim had his own anniversary into the Pearly Gates. Compassionate, loyal, and a man of integrity, Jim, as he was affectionately known, was born to parents Margaret Meehan Smith and James Freeman Smith, on March 4, 1941. He was the eldest of 10 children, a fact of which he was most proud. Jamie Lynn Macchia Homan, Miss New York 2015, and Jim Smith. (Courtesy/Jamie Lynn Macchia Homan)Staten Island Advance Often called The Mayor of Staten Island and The Father of Gay Pride, Smith spent his formative years in his familys home on Lawrence Avenue in West Brighton. Later, he moved to St. George, where he was within walking distance of the Staten Island Ferry and just 5.2 miles away from his beloved Manhattan. 11/21/2013: Attending the official homecoming for Miss America Nina Davuluri at the Carlton Hotel, Manhattan, were, from left: Stephanie Accardo, Miss Richmond County; Jim Smith, executive director of the Staten Island pageants; Davuluri, and Jamie Macchia, Miss Staten Island. (Courtesy/Jim Smith)Staten Island Advance Living this close to the ferry was ideal for him. Jim was very fond of Broadway and would often hop on the ferry to see a show. He loved the excitement of always being on the go, which he found in the city, his sister said. An Advance paper boy, and Curtis High School Alumni Hall of Famer, Smith was a pillar of the community which he held close to his heart. 1987: Eileen Greene, a former Miss Staten Island, and Jim Smith. (Staten Island Advance)Staten Island Advance During the 1980s, he was a past grand knight of the Knights of Columbus. He also served in the US Coast Guard and said he was proud that when he died, he would have the American flag draped on his coffin. He also was a founding member of the Pride Center of Staten Island and delighted to be an Advance contributor and have his blog published on Silive.com, a forum where he could speak about gay and lesbian life in our borough. Actress Joan Crawford and Jim Smith.Staten Island Advance With a passion for local causes, one of Smiths proudest moments came when he worked to establish the Vietnam Memorial. He served as president of the committee and was instrumental in the subsequent construction of the memorial at The Armory in West Brighton. Smith was partly responsible for Gen. William C. Westmorelands who commanded U.S. troops in Vietnam from 1964 to 1968 attendance on Staten Island on that memorable day in 1988 when he was keynote speaker during the opening ceremony. As Smith told it, Gen. Westmoreland paid him the ultimate compliment when he stated: This is the finest local memorial Ive seen in the country. In one of his columns Smith explained he joined the Ancient Order of Hibernians because he was proud of his Irish roots. When the AOH was trying to attract the younger generation, I founded the Miss Hibernian Pageant in 1979. Still, Miss Hibernian is the queen of the parade down Forest Avenue, Smith said. 01/11/2013: A pageant farewell party was held for Mallory Hagan, Miss New York, as she prepared to leave for the Miss America Pageant. From the left are Marylou Cooke, Deana Herrera Walker, Barbara Thompson, Kelli Cooke-Bodnar, Hagan, Jim Smith and Linda Carbo. (Courtesy/Smith Family)Staten Island Advance Smith also was co-founder of the Miss Staten Island Pageant along with Dominic Coppotelli, Barbara Glode Sperry, Miss New York 1963, and longtime sponsors Edith Susskind and Tony LaMorte. A firm supporter of the ideals adhered to by the Miss America Organization, Smith eventually assumed the role of local executive director. He would go on to judge a number of pageants throughout the country including the Ms. Senior America Pageant for the last five years. 08/27/2009: Barbara Thompson, Katie Stam, Miss America, and Jim Smith. (Courtesy/Smith Family)Staten Island Advance His professional career included that of Sandy Hook Pilot apprentice, banquet manager for the former Colombian Lyceum, counselor at the Arthur Kill Correctional Facility, and well as positions at the former Doctors Hospital in Concord and Bayley Seton Hospital in Clifton. A compassionate addictions counselor, Smiths expertise more recently surfaced in the Office of Addiction Services and Supports at the South Beach Psychiatric Center in Ocean Breeze. Jimmy was a special man, added sister Peggy. He touched the lives of so many. To know Jim was to love him. He had a large family of origin, but even a larger circle of close personal friends. His best friend was Mary OKeefe. And there were many a day when he could be found floating and catching some sun in her pool. Jimmy had no children of his own. However, he had a special relationship with his nieces and nephews. He was so very proud of them. Ashley Marie Davis, Miss Staten Island 2019 and Jim Smith. (Steve White for the Staten Island Advance/SILive.com)Staten Island Advance We all have people in our lives that we know will always be there, that was uncle Jimmy, said Smiths niece, Julie Woslowski. Sometimes he was the center of attention and sometimes he was just sitting back and observing. My uncle was more of a father to me and grandfather to my son, Joseph. There is a piece of my heart that will never be replaced. He truly was my Uncle Unique.' I have been though the worst year of my life and its just terrible my son Joseph wont get any more cards saying how proud he was of him and giving me the strength to face another day. My heart will never be complete again. Its fitting that he lost his fight on the anniversary of Stonewall. Cassie Paradise, a former Miss Richmond County, and Jim Smith. (Courtesy/Cassie Paradise)Staten Island Advance COMMENTS FROM FRIENDS Federal Court Judge Eric N. Vitaliano: I have so many years with Jimmy. We were involved in the Young Democrats and the Knights of Columbus. Jim was prominently involved in the Knight of Columbus Assumption Council at the Columbian Lyceum and the head squire with the young movements. I joined the council. He was grand knight. The Young Democrats had monthly meetings in one of our homes. Then we would go to the Advance to give the meeting notice. And when Jim became prominent in the Miss America Organization we became involved. For the next four and a half decades we all made wonderful friendships. He always took things to a higher level. He was influential in bringing the state pageant to Staten Island and he judged pageants in other states. He was an activist for LGBT. He was articulate and well respected in our community. In other communities he wanted gay rights to be accepted. He was a compassionate and reliable person. He added: He was an important link in the chain of Staten Island life. He was the banquet manager of the Columbian Lyceum...He and my wife, Helen, had a fabulous relationship. He became a true friend of those who were important to you. If it was humanly possible to do what you asked he did it. We love Jimmy and have always loved him. At the end of the conversation I had with him I said I love you and he said I love you too. My heart has been wrenched out of my body. Helen Vitaliano: Jim was a gentle giant. We will all miss his smile, his grace and his humor. He was the heart and soul of so man of our beloved Staten Island groups. There are no words to describe this loss. Hes left a void in our hearts. Longtime friend, Mary OKeefe: Jim taught me so much but mainly that there is magic and hope in everything as we reach out to others across the bridge of light from within us. He has proven this to be true as I reflect upon the man I know. Quiet, humble, never seeking the limelight, friend and advice counselor to all and just an all-around kind and compassionate guy. With every rain there is a rainbow. And as he glides over his rainbow, may the love within all of our hearts light his way. My forever friend. Staten Island District Attorney Michael McMahon: Jims passing is truly a great loss for Staten Island. Having known him since high school, I was always amazed at how well connected he was to so many aspects of life here on the Island. Growing up in a traditional large Irish Catholic family, he had so many siblings, aunts, uncles and cousins that you almost felt a little insecure about not being related to Jim Smith -- everyone else was. He seemed to be everywhere and showed leadership in so many organizations that helped define him and which he also helped shape through his gifts and talents: His Catholic Church, the Knights of Columbus, the Democratic Party and the November Group, South Beach Psychiatric Center, the Miss Staten Island Pageant, and the Pride Center of Staten Island, just to name a few. But I believe, his greatest contribution to many of us is the lesson he taught us by openly, and proudly revealing his being gay. That was not easy for the well-known son of traditional, Catholic West Brighton and generally conservative Staten Island. But in inimical Jim Smith fashion he smiled and blazed a trail for himself and so many others. He taught us all that to be truly happy one must be true to themselves. Thanks for that Jim! Rest in peace. Joe Delaney, executive director of the Notre Dame Bread of Life Food Drive: During my 46 years of friendship with Jim, I saw him as a force for good in whatever community project he undertook. I was never more proud of Jims help and support than with the annual Notre Dame Club Eve of Solemn Remembrance 9/11 Memorial Mass & Service,' held each year on the evening of September 10th. Jim was devoted to preserving the memory of all the people lost on 9/11. The Eve of Solemn Remembrance always featured the reading of the names of Staten Islanders who died in the attack. Jim would be our first reader of names, and every year since it began in 2002, he began with these haunting and solemn words, once again, it will be September 11th. Linda Carbo and Jim Smith on New Year's Eve at Times Square. (Courtesy/Linda Carbo)Staten Island Advance Jim Thompson, longtime friend and pageant colleague: Its sad but ironic that Jim passed during Gay Pride month. Jim spent a lifetime advocating for, helping and when needed comforting his gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender brothers and sisters. He was devoted to his family, especially his nieces and nephews who he loved dearly. He spent a lifetime dedicated to his fellow veterans and he was devoted to helping the young women in the Miss America Organization and in recent years women in the Senior Miss America Program. Jim got me involved in the Miss Staten Island Pageant. Jim asked us to go to a meeting and we had to go. Its 50 years in the program because of him. I havent known many individuals who have spent their life helping others. My family and I were privileged to have a 50 year friendship with Jim and can confirm he was one of those folks. Rest in peace, Jim. Jim Smith at the St. Patrick's Day Parade.Staten Island Advance Deana Herrera Walker, Miss Staten Island 1998 and then Miss New York: While I am devastated to hear about the passing of our dear friend, Jim Smith, I am comforted in knowing that he leaves behind a legacy that will never be forgotten. With each life he touched, mine included, his kindness, truthfulness and dedication to all those he loved remains so deeply imprinted in all of us. Throughout my life, Jim was a constant supporter, connector and fan. I am forever grateful! If the world was made up of more people like him, what a better place this would be. I trust he is resting peacefully knowing that he had an immeasurable impact on the lives of all those he loved! Rest in peace, my dear friend! You are loved and missed immeasurably! Ryan Kelly, Miss Staten Island 2002: Oh my handsome, fun, clever, wonderful, talented friend. It was an honor to be your Miss Staten Island 2002. I feel very lucky and blessed to have known you. I will miss you. I learned so much about dignity, grace and presence from you. I will always love you. Rest in peace. Madison LInsalata, Miss Staten Island: Im so grateful to have had such an amazing executive director and role model. Jims calming presence, incomparable listening skills, and wisdom will be missed by everyone who knew him. Im not sure what I would have done without his guidance and support in navigating the situation during the St. Patricks Day Parade ban. Throughout my pageant journey, he has always been 100 percent honest with me and always managed to make me laugh in doing so. I cant help but think how fitting it is for the angels to have taken him on Pride Sunday. I know he is up there celebrating even if quietly and that he will be with me always, reminding me to listen more than I speak. Love you always, Jim. Jimmy Granello, owner of Jimmys Fine Jewelry and pageant sponsor: Jim Smith was a wonderful friend. As a sponsor with Jim in the Miss Staten Island Pageant, I knew firsthand his dedication to the pageant and how he wanted to further the ideals in the Miss America Pageant. He will be sorely missed. Lee Covino, a Staten Island veterans affairs advocate: Ive known Jim Smith for many years, having worked and lived in the same St. George area where he lived. He was involved in many causes. But the one I remember best was establishing the Vietnam Memorial at the Manor Road Armory back in 1988. I was on the committee, along with Jim Capodanno and other active veterans in the community. The momentum created by the memorial project ultimately led to the establishment of Vietnam Veterans of America Thomas J. Tori Chapter 421. It is civilians like Jim who helped many of us feel that we were finally home.' Activists like Jim are difficult to replace. Longtime actor friend, John Gatti: Jim was a huge fan of theater and a regular on opening nights. We fell out of touch a few times in later years when I moved to Jersey. But by sheer coincidence we met walking on the South Beach Boardwalk a few days before our move. I introduced him to my wife Karen who he had never met. Jim told her he had never seen me happier and more content and that conversation meant a great deal to me and to Karen. The next year there he was at my moms funeral mass. And when he held out his hand as I walked in behind the casket, I completely lost it. He was the essence of kindness. Marilyn Kinelski, author and Miss Congeniality in the first Miss Staten Island Pageant in 1967: Jim was a positive force, a true believer in humanity and a devoted friend! Colleague Ed Wlody: Although I retired from the South Beach Addiction Treatment Center in 2017, Jim was my colleague there for a number of years, and I always maintained contact with him afterwards. Jim was just about the nicest guy you could meet, and was always willing to help others. And you cant say one bad thing about him. He was the nicest guy in the world. Also, as a veteran, I appreciated his service in the US Coast Guard and it impressed me very much. Jean Cronin Morrison, Staten Island Pageant committee member and former contestant: Im so very saddened that I lost my dear, dear friend Jim Smith. He lost his fight with COVID-19. Over 50 years and more our parents were friends. So happy that we became friends as well. You and your siblings and nieces were like family and hope they know Im here for them. You will always be in my thoughts and prayers. Until we meet again. Rest in peace dear Jim. Peggy Lee Brennan, first runner-up in the 1973 Miss Staten Island Pageant and a former Ms. Senior America: Jim lived to connect and serve others. He wanted to share all of his friends. He was the biggest supporter of his friends and what they did, whether it was a show or a particular cause. He made everyone feel special in his inside circle and his outside circle. Carmine DeBetta, Miss Staten Island/Miss Richmond County Pageant President: Jim Smith was a true friend, mentor, risk-taker, idealist and beacon of light for service to others. As the executive director of the Miss Staten Island/Miss Richmond County Scholarship Organization for many years, he was the steward of a program that inspired hundreds of young Staten Island women to improve their lives through life skill development, confidence and educational scholarships. It can be said that Jim Smith was A Man for All Seasons, a change agent and a man that leaves us a legacy of the power of volunteerism to improve the lives of others. Terry Tarangelo, the first female Miss Staten Island Pageant President: There are so many memories I have from working with Jim. I remember when 9/11 happened and we were in the midst of turmoil in New York City. Jim and I were trying to decide whether to have the pageant in November as we had just announced the contestants. We raised funds and gave out awards to contestants in memory of family and friends who had died that awful day. In 2007 I moved to the newly formed Miss Americas Outstanding Teen Pageant as president. Jim and I were excited that Maria DeSantis won the teen title that year. Maria went on to become Miss Staten Island in 2011 another proud year for Jim and me. Staten Island was on the map again! Jim received the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2004 from the Miss New York State Scholarship Pageant. Jim was a gentle giant of a man to everyone he touched. We all miss him and the guiding hand he extended to everyone. He used to march up Richmond Road from Kittys Florist with Miss Staten Island and friends on March 4th for his birthday. I would go outside SI Bank & Trust and cheer him on. He was so proud to do that for so many years till the florist was sold. Longtime friend, Teri Russo: This is a big loss for Staten Island, not to mention my heart is broken. Now hes gone but will be remembered. I will personally work on that. A friend, partner, my side kick for over 40 years passed on Gay Pride Sunday. He was the Father of Gay Pride on Staten Island. He was active in LAMBDA, and a relentless force behind getting us a center. I had the privilege of not only working with Jim in keeping gay pride alive, but as a friend that he could use as a sounding board whenever he had a new idea. He was the quiet voice forever moving gay pride forward. Jim was looking forward to turning 80 next year and we were going to make it a gala event. One of his favorite sayings was Who knew,' and often when one of his ideas blossomed. You will be missed but I will continue to love you. Rest in peace my friend. There is a tiara waiting for you in heaven. Thank you for all that you have done for the LGBTQ community and for Staten Island. We will continue the work in your memory. Maria DeSantis Hurley, first Miss Staten Island Outstanding Teen, who was crowned Miss Americas Outstanding Teen and Miss Staten Island 2011: So incredibly sad to hear of the passing of Jim Smith. We have shared countless memories and laughs. He was always a proud member of my cheering section, on and off the stage. Jim, you will be missed. Linda Carbo, co-executive director of the Miss New York Pageant: " My heart is breaking as the reality that I will never see Jim again or spend New Years Eve in NYC, or go to Deninos for pizza to talk about our favorite subject -- pageants. He always made sure to come say hello to me when I was working at The St.George Theatre and to say hello to the crew. We always called him The Mayor of Staten Island.' Im so glad we had our conversation last week and you ended by saying I love you to me. May you run the first Miss America Pageant in heaven but dont ask me to judge it. Love you Jim from the bottom of my broken heart. Angelica Mroczek, Miss Staten Island Outstanding Teen 2020: They broke the mold when they made Jim Smith, a Staten Island legend for all things good, including the Vietnam Veterans Memorial which he fought to build, the Pride Center of Staten Island and Miss Hibernia Pageant, which he founded, and the Miss Staten Island Pageant, of which is he was a beloved executive director. Jim was the one who encouraged me to compete in November, believing in my potential, perhaps more than I believed in myself, as he did with countless others. He was generous in his words and actions, and if he had a nickel for every life he touched in his 79 years, he wouldve been a very wealthy man. But still, he was rich in the love of family and friends, including mine, which was lucky to call him a friend for 30 years. He will be sorely missed. Staten Island lost a giant. Dr. Gracelyn Santos, Miss Staten Island 1990 and columnist for the Advance/SILive.com: There are no words to describe my familys sadness over Jims passing. He was a true gentleman whose kindness was surpassed only by his keen sense of always knowing the right thing to say to melt away your worries at the moment a true gift. Even when I called him last week at Carmel Richmond, he sounded good, albeit a bit tired, but I was cautiously optimistic hed make a full recovery. He immediately asked how my girls, my parents and the Advance were doing. That was Jim ever concerned for others. I first met Jim in 1990 when he stopped by my parents house for the afterparty the night I was crowned at the Williamson Theatre at the old CSI. Over our 30 year friendship, every time I saw him, whether over lunch at Schaffers or at community events, he had a warm, calming effect, and not jut on me but on everyone lucky enough to know him. He cared deeply about his family, his faith, and Staten Island, and always preferred to shine the light on others. The Miss Staten Island/Mis Richmond County organization has lost a great leader, and we all have lost our Mr. Staten Island. I will never forget him. Ashley Marie Davis, Miss Staten Island 2019: I cant believe weve lost such a kind, supportive, and uplifting person. Jim, you have taught be so much from my very first year competing within the Miss America Organization and I have always valued your advice. Thank you for taking me under your wing and guiding me along the greatest journey that has changed my life forever. Pageantry has opened so many doors in my life and has molded me into the person I am today. Thank you for always pushing me to keep going and to never give up on my dreams! You will always be in my heart and on my mind. Love you always Jim. We will miss you. Until we meet again. Jamie Lynn Macchia Homan, Miss New York 2015: We lost a shining light and beautiful soul. Jim was one of the first pageant people I ever came in contact with and to say he left an imprint on my life is an understatement. He will always be remembered for his quiet observations, gentle demeanor and kind heart. Its hard to put thoughts into words right now, but one thing is for sure: we will all miss you, Jim. And any time I put on a green dress or wear my hair in a ponytail, you bet Ill think of you. " Amy Reher Hariegel, Miss Staten Island 1999: I met Jim Smith in August of 1997 when I was running for Miss Staten Island. He immediately became my biggest fan! He supported me and mentored me and guided me and he believed in me! He was so certain of my abilities and he always motivated me and encouraged me to be the best I could be. We quickly became friends and have been friends ever since. He loved me in the color blue! My heart is aching tonight as I announce that we lost this very special man. I will never, ever, ever forget him. I will always think of him and will always love him. Jim will definitely be one of the people who I meet in heaven. Rest in peace my wonderful friend. May the angels wrap their arms around you and show you the way. Cassie Paradise, a former Miss Richmond County: To know Jim was to love Jim. He was a part of my pageant journey and was a wonderful executive director. I will never forget his kind heart and how he would always make me smile. He was a trailblazer for the LGBTQ+ community, and was always involved in the Staten Island community. He believed in chasing your dreams and not stopping until you got there. You will be missed greatly by many Jim. Rest in sweet peace. My heart is broken. Jim Smith was predeceased in death by his brothers, William J. Smith, Robert Peter Smith, Richard Joseph Smith, and Edward George Smith. He is survived by his sisters, Margaret Smith Whiteside and Mary Elizabeth Smith, brothers, Tommy Arthur (Carol) Smith, Raymond Smith and John Francis (Susan) Smith and sisters-in-law, Karen Smith and Connie Smith. Also nieces and nephews, Alex (Bobbi Jo), Karen( John) Fox, Julie ( Joe) Koslowski, Peggy Whiteside Joseph, Patrick (Liz) Smith, Megan (Sayan) Ray, Brendan Smith, Christopher (Lisa) Smith, Casey (Sam) Smith, Kelsey (John) Fontana, Sean (Shannon) Smith and Laura Smith. He was especially proud to be a great uncle to Alex (Maria) Whiteside, Cody Whiteside, Nick (Kyle) Whiteside, Erin and Ian Fox, Joseph Koslowski, Shannon and Lauren Smith, Shailey and Kieran Ray, Jake and Evie Smith, Madison and Rylie Fontana and great grand uncle to Jaxon Whiteside. Private services are being handled by Harmon Home For Funerals, West Brighton. A Memorial Service will be announced at a later date. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Full service on the Staten Island Ferry could still be a year away, and the boroughs top elected official is none too pleased. On Tuesday night, the City Council adopted the $88.1 billion Fiscal Year 2021 budget, which included a reduction in overnight service on the Staten Island Ferry that is expected to save the city $5.5 million and could potentially last until July 1, 2021. I cant say Im surprised, but I am no less annoyed by it. For as long as we are in a Phase, we will focus on fighting to increase service incrementally as the ridership and demand dictate. Ultimately though, our goal will be to return service to 24/7, 365 days a year of at least half-hour service. Given this Administrations attitude toward this borough, that indeed will be a fight, said Borough President James Oddo. The plan to reduce overnight service through Fiscal Year 2021 was first proposed in April as one of many proposed budget cuts announced by agencies across the city as part of a Program to Eliminate the Gap -- or PEG procedure -- that identified over $1.3 billion in savings citywide to offset revenue losses associated with the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. *** CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE COVERAGE OF CORONAVIRUS IN NEW YORK *** The proposed service cuts were met with immediate backlash from Staten Island officials, who acknowledged the need for reductions at the time, given the low ridership and lack of crew availability, but have repeatedly stated that full service must be restored in short order. Overnight service is a crucial connection for many workers who dont adhere to the traditional 9-to-5 schedule. This cut will be a significant inconvenience for Staten Islanders, and my colleagues and I have been fighting and will continue to fight to ensure this is reversed as soon as possible. Frequent service is a necessity, not an amenity, Councilwoman Debi Rose (D-North Shore) said at the time. While the Department of Transportation (DOT) did not respond to a request for comment regarding the exact nature of the reductions and whether full service could be restore before the end of Fiscal Year 2021, both the mayor and the agency said in April that theres a chance service could return sooner. I dont think we can yet say through 2021 at all on anything. My hope is that, you know, were able to do something better before 2021. If we can handle this disease properly and only restart when were ready, you know, its conceivable for sure to start bringing some things back to normal piece by piece carefully, de Blasio said at the time. Also in early April, the DOT said it will monitor ridership levels in the coming months and review the possibility of restoring full overnight service before the end of FY21, but could not commit to early service restoration at that time. With ridership down 85-90% we expected it to take a while to get back to normal rates. We will continue to post updates while ridership remains at these low levels and we remain committed to transparency, a DOT spokesperson told the Advance in April. The cuts could impact thousands of riders a day once New York City has been fully reopened and residents start returning to work. In 2019, the Staten Island Ferry provided overnight service to 1,551,177 riders, approximately 4,250 per day, according to city data. FIGHT TO RESTORE FULL SERVICE Restoring and maintaining around-the-clock half-hour service on the Staten Island Ferry has been a priority of Oddo, who authored the bill mandating 24/7, half-hour service back in 2013. In early April, Oddo told the Advance he is deeply concerned about the mayors ability to unilaterally override the legislation, as he has done by reducing service during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Its a secondary issue for now, in the midst of a pandemic, but its an important issue for Staten Island because the precedent is one that Im concerned about -- the notion of invoking emergency provisions to undo a local law, Oddo said. In late March, de Blasio announced that the Staten Island Ferry would be shifting to hourly service due to declining ridership and lack of staffing during the ongoing coronavirus outbreak. The news troubled Oddo, who voiced concerns regarding unilateral executive action being used to undercut legally-mandated service for Staten Islanders. I get it,' Oddo said. I understand were in a war. I understand were in a pandemic. I understand it makes no sense to have that level of service when ridership is decreasing. But I worry about, and I think Staten Island always has to worry about, allowing unilateral action by an executive. Staten Island Ferry Service has since been increased during peak hours as the city reopens -- with service every 20 minutes offered weekdays from 6 to 9 a.m. and from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. A representative from the mayors office told the Advance/SILive.com that the mayor is legally permitted to induce service reductions in the event of an emergency, and that the office is working with Oddo to ensure the safety of Staten Island commuters. The law very clearly gives us the power to change the schedule during an emergency,' said mayoral spokeswoman Olivia Lapeyrolerie. We will continue to work with the borough president to determine the best ways to protect Staten Islanders health and safety. DOT Commissioner Polly Trottenberg has said that her agency understands how important it is for half-hourly service to be restored once the pandemic has passed. We know what a priority it is, Trottenberg said in April. We recognize we have a legal obligation once this emergency is over to pick back up to regular operations. For now, we just have to get through this crisis, but were certainly aware of what an important priority it is for the borough president. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- As New York City looks at several options for reopening schools in the fall, school buildings -- including those on Staten Island -- will likely need to limit their capacity to follow social distancing measures, which means students could be on staggered or split school schedules. During a press conference on Friday, Mayor Bill de Blasio said New York City has a massive number of overcrowded buildings, and there will be tough decisions when it comes to safely returning kids to school in the fall. If students are on a staggered or split school schedule, teachers and students would be participating in both in-person and remote instruction. BLENDED LEARNING EXPECTED Lisa Peghi, a teacher at PS 54, said staff members were told that the maximum number of people at the Willowbrook school is 340. However, she said clarification needs to be made as to whether that number is just for students, or if it would include teachers and staff. Everything constantly changes, she said. There will be a lot of blended learning happening. Our administration will look at the Remote Learning Surveys and see what plan looks best for our students and their families. It will definitely be more challenging than remote learning -- having different schedules for children and parents. A Staten Island elementary school teacher who requested anonymity shared with the Advance/SILive.com that teachers were told there will probably be split sessions with the expectation that teachers will still have to do online work. *** CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE COVERAGE OF CORONAVIRUS IN NEW YORK *** De Blasio gave an example that a school overcrowded in February cant put six feet between kids, so it can only handle a certain amount of kids at a given time. The city is working out schedules for those schools. Those sites that arent overcrowded will be able to bring back students more easily with social distancing. USING EVERY AVAILABLE SPACE' Were taking gym space, auditorium space, whatever it takes to use as classroom space, he said. Look, were still in a crisis, were in a crisis footing. So, were going to use every available space, set up for the maximum number of kids, be ready for staggering, where its needed. A high school teacher, who asked to remain anonymous, said there is no plan set yet as to how many students will be in his school building in September -- as the city is considering several different options for the return to school. The teacher said he thinks it may be because every school holds a different number of maximum students, and that classrooms in school buildings are not all the same. He gave the example that a computer room at his school can hold more students with social distancing, while the room across the hall is half the size. Another teacher at Prall Intermediate School (I.S. 27), Francesco Portelos, said nothing concrete has been shared with faculty when it comes to how many students and staff can be in school buildings. As plans are expected to change, teachers were told to check in mid- to late-August for more information. According to the Department of Educations (DOE) Enrollment, Capacity and Utilization Report, which provides an assessment of capacity for each school and school building to assist in space utilization, four Staten Island public high schools, two intermediate schools, and 34 public elementary schools, were overcrowded during the 2017-2018 school year. De Blasio echoed the words of Chancellor Richard A. Carranza, who said in a memo to school leaders earlier this month that the DOE is considering different options when it comes to returning to school in the fall. That includes phased start dates, split student schedules, and a blend of both in-person and remote learning. Plan A for returning to schools is having every school determine the maximum number of kids that can be in a school building and classrooms with social distancing and the right precautions. As health conditions may change, the city may need to take a different approach. The city will have an exact plan when it feels there is enough information to lock one down, de Blasio said. But we have a plan-A, thats what every school has been instructed -- figure out whats the maximum number of kids you can get in this school safely and all the protocols -- the constant testing, cleanliness regime, you know, the hand-washing stations, all of that is being laid in to be ready for the maximum number of kids, de Blasio said. WILL SEPT. 10 MARK THE FIRST DAY? The mayor said during his Friday press conference that the city wants as many kids in their classroom as possible on Sept. 10 -- which is the possible first day of school for the 2020-2021 school year. The school calendar for the next academic year is not yet available as of Tuesday afternoon. The mayor said the maximum number of kids who can be in school is a goal, but some schools can do that much more easily than others because of the number of kids they have. I can tell you, plan-A is the maximum number of kids in schools, said de Blasio. Were going to also keep a distance learning capacity because some parents wont be ready yet. And if the disease situation gets better, more and more kids in schools, God forbid it gets worse, more and more kids on distance learning. But we are, right now, retrofitting the schools so they will be ready to handle the maximum number of kids in-person September 10th. FOLLOW ANNALISE KNUDSON ON FACEBOOK AND TWITTER. So far this year, New Yorkers have been through a lot. Together, we faced a pandemic, witnessed social upheaval and civil unrest. The one constant since 12:01 a.m. on New Years Day has been that murder, shootings, burglaries and car thefts have increased compared to last year, as was predicted when the Criminal Justice Reforms passed under one-party Democratic rule. These so-called reforms also generated a near-constant stream of news stories ranging from the tragic to the surreal. It proved, to anyone that might have been skeptical, that the root cause of crime is criminals, and that society is a better place when those that are dangerous, as well as career criminals, are kept behind bars. Rising crime rates and blaring headlines told the story as police, prosecutors and the public threw their hands up in disgust as sex offenders, thugs and thieves strolled through the revolving doors of bail reform and were back on the street hours after they had been placed in handcuffs. In a matter of a few short weeks, it became all too apparent that what those who voted against this were saying was not fear mongering but the truth -- the law was severely flawed and needed to be amended. It also proved that what the laws advocates were claiming was false --the reforms didnt just eliminate bail for first-time offenders and low-level, non-violent offenses. Together, we rallied, held press conferences and signed petitions. It was no easy feat, getting the same legislators and Governor Cuomo, who supported reform, to admit that it went too far and agree to rolling it back, but together we did. While the amended law goes into effect on July 1, understand that it is far from perfect. But, the changes are substantial and a step in the right direction in a legislature controlled by progressive Democrats. Under the fixes achieved that take effect today, a variety of crimes, including felony drug offenses, sex trafficking, promoting sexual performances by a child, failing to register as a sex offender, a variety of assault and strangulation charges, vehicular manslaughter, grand larceny, possession of a weapon on school grounds, criminally negligent homicide and a number of other felony charges are now listed as qualifying charges, which makes them eligible for bail. This means that a judge can, once again, use his or her discretion to keep someone in jail pre-trial. In addition, the new law adds a number of court conditions that can be applied by a judge as part of a no-bail release. These include surrender of passport, banning interaction with individuals involved in the case, referring the accused to mandatory counseling or to a stay in a mental hygiene facility, among others. Its been a long and hard-fought battle, but we persisted and were able to achieve significant changes to an ill-advised law that catered to the criminal element and did little to protect law-abiding New Yorkers. Not only did we add a significant number of offenses to those that qualify for bail, we added provisions to stop unlimited chances by ensuring that a person who either commits a crime after being released on their own recognizance, or while on probation or on post release supervision, will be mandated to face a judge in court who will then be able to set bail. We all remember the accused serial bank robber, who was arrested and released six times within a few weeks. Im happy to have worked with the District Attorneys Association, police unions, criminal justice experts and the public to demand common-sense changes to protect law-abiding citizens. While more can still be done to improve the law, the compromises we achieved will go a long way towards keeping criminals behind bars. As I write this, we are already fighting a new battle as Mayor de Blasio and radicals on the City Council are pushing through a plan to defund the NYPD by $1 billion (nearly 17% of the overall NYPD budget), an action that will surely increase crime and make our city and its neighborhoods more dangerous. Defunding makes the changes weve made to bail reform all the more important and emphasizes the need for further changes to the law. Their short-sighted plan is wrong and the decrease in police funding will only amplify the problems that our city already faces. It undercuts the fixes we applied to bail reform and cynically sets the stage for a continued rise in crime by slashing the resources the NYPD needs to keep our city and its people safe. (Nicole Malliotakis represents portions of Brooklyn and Staten Island in the New York State Assembly and is a 2020 candidate for Congress in New Yorks 11th District.) RAC Canada Day Contest 2020 - today! The global pandemic continues to be a significant threat and we want to make sure that all participants in the RAC Canada Day Contest on Wednesday, July 1 help us to celebrate Canadas birthday safely. The RAC Contest Committee is therefore asking all participants in the Canada Day Contest 2020 to follow the guidelines provided by the government and health officials in your respective area for any of the multi-op categories enabled within the contest. Unless you can carry out a multi-multi operation with those individuals who you are now physically living with, we suggest that such categories be avoided for this contest. For example, in Ontario, Canada the current state of emergency restricts social gatherings of more than ten people so this would be the maximum number of participants allowed in all categories in the RAC Canada Day Contest. If you do carry out an operation in any of the multi-op categories, please advise as part of your log submission that you have followed your locally applicable guidelines for group sizes and social (physical) distancing. We hope to hear you on the air for the July 1, 2020 Canada Day Contest (00:00 UTC through 23:59:59 UTC). For the complete rules please visit: https://www.rac.ca/rac-canada-day-contest-celebrate-canada/ STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Authorities have officially determined that a 33-year-old woman and her 62-year-old father-in-law both drowned trying to save the womans 8-year-old child in the New Jersey familys pool, according to multiple reports. Emergency crews responded June 22 to the East Brunswick home after a neighbor reported hearing a woman screaming. The Middlesex County Regional Medical Examiners Office has ruled all three deaths the result of accidental drownings, according to the New York Daily News. Authorities have confirmed the family recently moved into the house and didnt realize a section of the pool dropped from about 3-and-a-half feet to about 7 feet. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. To commemorate the July Fourth holiday, courts on Staten Island and throughout the state will be closed on Friday. New York state courts will be shuttered except for criminal arraignments, according to information on the Unified Court Systems web site. Most court proceedings have been conducted remotely since mid-March to stem the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19). However, in the ensuing weeks courts throughout the state have been gradually ramping up in-person operations. Staten Island is currently in Phase 2 in which the vast majority of civil, criminal and Family Court cases are being conducted virtually. Under Phase 2, essential family matters are being held in-person and heard by the assigned judge. In addition, more virtual courtrooms have been added in the citys Family Courts. Staten Island could enter Phase 3 as early as next week. Under that phase, appearances for selected pleas and sentencings for non-incarcerated criminal defendants would be conducted in-person as would preliminary hearings for criminal defendants being held on felony charges, arraignments of defendants issued desk-appearance tickets and child-support proceedings. A limited number of bench trials in civil cases would be conducted in person and essential Family Court matters would continue to be heard in person. Meanwhile, non-essential matters, most criminal proceedings, juvenile-delinquency proceedings and mental hygiene proceedings pertaining to a hospitalized adult will continue to be held virtually and heard by the assigned judge. Starting Monday, visitors to courts on Staten Island and throughout the city will be subject to temperature screening and coronavirus-related questioning on entering the building. Individuals will be allowed or denied further access inside depending on their temperature readings and response to the questions. Lawyers, litigants, witnesses, law enforcement personnel, spectators, prisoners and vendors will all be subject to the screening, according to information on the state court web site. 2299564 Durian bouquet shot to fame in China, RM2.65 million of sales on 20 May KUALA LUMPUR, Durian bouquet has shot to fame in China. Delivery platform Meituan.com recorded a whopping RM2.65 million (US$616,279) of durian sales, making it as one of the popular gifts on 20 May, Chinas unofficial Valentines Day. The numbers 520 are used to express I love you, as the pronunciation of the two phrases is similar in Chinese. The Covid-19 pandemic has hit businesses in all sectors but not the export of durian from Malaysia. The Embassy of China in Malaysia said the durians exported from Malaysia to China were sold online and unaffected by the pandemic. During a durian promotion in March after the Covid-19 outbreak was under control in China, online grocery store Hema Supermarket recorded a 10-fold growth in durian sales, showing a high demand of durian by the Chinese. Durians from Malaysia are only available in cities and the export is still unable to meet the demand in China. Statistics show that since China allowed import of frozen whole durian last year, demand recorded sharp increase. In 2018, Malaysia exported 3,200 tonnes of durians to China with the value of US$41 million (RM176.43 million). Last year, the total export shot up to 7,700 tonnes with the transaction valued at US$67 million (RM288.29 million) as frozen whole durian made its way to China. Asked about the impact of Covid-19 on durian, the embassy said durians are sold through online and the import of durian from Malaysia in second half of last year increased by 170%. The pandemic has sort of boosted online sales. January to March are considered low season for durian in China. But the import of durian from Malaysia maintained at US$22 million (RM94.66 million) for two consecutive quarters, showing that export of durians was not affected by the pandemic," said the spokesperson of the embassy. Value-added products such as durian cake and durian cookies are also popular, offering enormous business potentials in China. 2299580 No compromise to insult of national symbols Sin Chew Daily The book Rebirth, Reformasi, Resistance and Hope in New Malaysia, a collection of articles by local and foreign writers on the historical 2018 general elections, has hit a snag for its cover picture said to be insulting the country's coat of arms. The police have opened a file to probe the incident after receiving some ten reports from the public, while the home ministry views this incident very seriously and says it will not tolerate nor compromise with any irresponsible and unpatriotic act. The publisher has admitted lack of sensitivity when designing the front cover although it says it had no intention of causing insult to the national emblem. It has since apologized to the public. Nevertheless, many netizens do not accept the apology, arguing that it lacks sincerity and has the motive of diverting the focus. From what we understand, the cover photo came from an oil painting that went on public exhibition years ago without much controversy back then. The raising of this issue at this juncture actually has little direct correlation to the current political situation in the country. Those who have lodged the police reports have done so because they feel offended that the coat of arms, a symbol of national sovereignty, has been rudely modified. Any act showing disrespect for the national symbol or national flag is deemed a serious offense. If the publisher were a little more cautious, such incident could have been avoided. The publisher, writer and editor should pick up a lesson from this incident. Anyway, the publisher says it will cooperate in the investigation and will bear all the consequences, including possible ban and prosecution. Malaysians have learned about our national coat of arms, the national anthem and Rukunegara from the textbooks since young, but more importantly we need to understand the deeper meanings of them. These national symbols encapsulate the country's nation-building philosophies as well as the connotations of Bangsa Malaysia and our common values, giving us a deep sense of pride to be Malaysians wherever we are in this world, and feel the lofty Malaysian spirit anytime. Unfortunately we have repeatedly seen irresponsible incidents that display gross disrespect for our national symbols, showing that many still do not understand or appreciate the significance of our national symbols. It is unwise for anyone to commit such mistakes on the pretext of freedom of expression. While politically speaking Malaysians can have their own divergent positions, viewpoints and affiliations, where the national coat of arms, national anthem and the national flag are concerned, all Malaysians are unitary and our status as Malaysian citizens shall prevail over our political affiliations. Under the democratic spirit, all Malaysians can criticize and supervise the government, but humiliating the national symbols causing division in the country must never be tolerated or compromised. Tampering with the coat of arms, modifying the lyrics of the national anthem and hanging the national flag upside down, be it done intentionally or out of carelessness or lack of sensitivity, have violated the law and are unpatriotic. Additionally, cases of people irresponsibly posting online comments humiliating the King, religion or race, have been reported every now and then. It is sad that many people still do not appreciate our harmonious multicultural society which we all have worked so hard to build. Such incidents still keep happening despite the fact the country has been independent for more than 60 years. It is imperative that the authorities enforce the law strictly in order to serve as a stern warning for future offenders. But more importantly we need to reinforce civic education to enhance the civic-mindedness of new generation Malaysians, in particular, to mold more entrenched national identity and patriotism. To continue, please log in, or sign up for a new account. We offer one free story view per month. If you register for an account, you will get two additional story views. After those three total views, we ask that you support us with a subscription. A subscription to our digital content is so much more than just access to our valuable content. It means youre helping to support a local community institution that has, from its very start, supported the betterment of our society. Thank you very much! A top Adidas executive resigned on Tuesday, weeks after a number of black employees pushed for her ouster amid a wider outcry over what they said were past acts of racism and discrimination at the company. Karen Parkin, who is British, has been the only woman on Adidas' six-person executive board since 2017, and was responsible for human resources across the company. She worked for Adidas for over 20 years in sales, business development and supply chain positions across Britain, the United States and at the company's headquarters in Herzogenaurach, Germany. Her resignation comes after a group of black employees called on Adidas supervisory board to investigate her and her strategy for addressing racial issues in the workplace. The employees are also pressing the company based to create an anonymous public channel to submit any problems about racism. Karen Parkin, who oversaw human resources at Adidas, acknowledged in a letter to employees that she had lost their trust. Credit:Hannah Hlavacek/Adidas "Her decision to leave the company reflects that commitment and her belief that a new HR leader will best drive forward the pace of change that Adidas needs at this time," said Igor Landau, chairman of the company's supervisory board, in a release announcing her resignation. Germany has a two-tiered board system in which a supervisory board is elected both by shareholders and employees, while the executive board runs the day-to-day operations of the company. The head of the nation's top commercial gas user, fertiliser maker Incitec Pivot, says a dramatic weakening in the global oil price outlook should pressure east-coast gas producers to offer much cheaper contracts. After oil giants BP and Royal Dutch Shell slashed their outlook for Brent oil prices in expectation the coronavirus-led energy slump could linger for years, Incitec Pivot managing director Jeanne Johns said it was clear the industry consensus was that oil and liquefied natural gas cargo prices, which are tied to oil, would remain "lower for longer". Incitec Pivot chief executive and managing director Jeanne Johns. Credit:Josh Robenstone "There is now little doubt the price of LNG exported from Australia will remain low in coming years, as economic activity is suppressed due to the pandemic and the recovery taking longer than anticipated," Ms Johns said on Wednesday. "This development should see the price of natural gas fall substantially for domestic customers across the east coast, providing much-needed relief to businesses and households who are paying some of the highest gas prices in the world." Ms Ferrier said local businesses such as cafes on the Docklands had been informed of the decision, which would be regularly reviewed. Staff will be updated about when and how they will return to the office. NAB will not be giving up the leases on either building at this stage. Commercial real estate sources said the bank had in recent months spent millions on improving the fit-out inside 700 Bourke Street and 800 Bourke Street. They said they would be extremely surprised if the bank did not return to those offices in the future. While NAB has no immediate plans to exit the buildings, NAB chief executive Ross McEwan said in May the bank would probably not need all of the office space it had in the future. "There'll be a lot of businesses, ourselves included, that'll give their staff some optionality around where they operate from and you might find, for example, a building that I operate in, will we ever have 5000 people in it again? Will we need it? The answer is probably no," he said on a NAB podcast. A senior NAB source said the mothballing of the buildings would reduce costs associated with running the two near-empty buildings and staffing cleaners for every floor and security staff. The decision will also reduce the environmental impact of powering and heating the buildings while the vast majority of staff are working at home. Frankfurt: Police and public prosecutors have raided Wirecard's headquarters in Munich and four properties in Germany and Austria as they widen their investigation into the financial payments company that collapsed last week. Wirecard filed for insolvency last week owing creditors almost $5.8 billion after disclosing a 1.9 billion ($3 billion) hole in its accounts that its auditor EY said was the result of a sophisticated global fraud. German prosecutors said they were widening their investigation to include suspected fraud. Credit:Bloomberg The implosion of a financial technology company once seen as one of the hottest prospects in Europe has led to political finger-pointing in Germany and new investigations into potential financial skulduggery from the Philippines to Mauritius. German prosecutors said on Wednesday, local time, that they were widening their investigation to include suspected fraud, in addition to market manipulation and falsifying of accounts. Gold miners, tech darlings and the big banks gave the Australian sharemarket a solid start to the new financial year after Wall Street's focus was drawn to the prospect of continued stimulus instead of a mounting coronavirus toll. The ASX added 0.6% on Wednesday, making it back-to-back gains for the first time in a week. Credit:Peter Rae The ASX 200 finished up 36.5 points, or 0.6 per cent, at 5934.4 on Wednesday to make it back-to-back gains for the first time in a week. The banking giants helped lift financials 1 per cent while the goldminers added lustre to the materials sector, which jumped by 0.8 per cent. The property and tech sectors also stood out in a choppy days trade filled with uncertainty. Chief among the hurdles was the ever-present spectre of a second surge in COVID-19 cases which, as well as forcing some Victorian suburbs into lockdown, elicited a stern overnight warning from US disease experts and the Federal Reserve. Not that the rise cases seemed to bother Wall Street. In fact, Burman investment manager Juia Lee said US markets were likely buoyed by the prospect that incredible monetary and fiscal stimulus could continue longer than expected. On one hand you have COVID-19 cases rising, youve got fears for the economy with the recession, but then you have the expectation that the stimulus tap will remain on for a while yet, Ms Lee said. Australia grappled with its own coronavirus worries on Wednesday as ten Melbourne postcodes prepared return to lockdown restrictions after 73 new cases were recorded. On the plus side, restrictions eased in NSW, with venue patron caps replaced with a four square metre rule and community sport allowed to resume. There was more positive news came via monthly manufacturing index data, which proved encouraging across Asia. China's Caixin Manufacturing PMI outperformed while Malaysia and South Korea, showed continued improvement. Only Japan disappointed. On the ASX the big sectors outperformed, with the banking majors helping financials rise. NAB led the way for the big four, up 1.9 per cent to $18.56, while Westpac added 1.8 per cent to $18.28. BHP was flat, while Rio Tinto and Fortescue Metals fell, but an eight-year peak for gold prices lifted the materials sector. For the goldminers, Newcrest added 3.2 per cent, Northern Star rose 7 per cent, Evolution 6.2 per cent, and Resolute Mining 7.1 per cent. Afterpay touched a new record high $63.90 and still managed to close 2.1 per cent higher at $62.24 as the tech sector added 1.6 per cent. Data firm NextDC was the best company on the index with an 8.1 per cent gain to $10.68. Ms Lee said the end of financial year rebalancing and first-day movement meant some of the worst performers of the past 12 months finished ahead. Ooh!Media added 7.1 per cent, Flight Centre rose 3.2 per cent, G8 Education 1.1 per cent, Webjet 7.5 per cent. Southern Cross Media was flat. The end and beginning of the financial year is a bit of a strange time - you do see a bit of rebalancing, Ms Lee said. In June there is tax loss selling, but int he first few weeks of July you see a bit of a bounce-back in the ones who were heavily sold off. US futures are down 0.2 per cent, pointing to a weak overnight session. Tech stocks are going gangbusters on sharemarkets around the world as investors double down on bets that the COVID-19 pandemic is going to permanently shift economies to be even more dependent on technology. This is despite a global recession, soaring unemployment, and the reality that many businesses who have shut their doors during the coronavirus crisis may never reopen. Tech stocks are on a tear, but for how long? Credit:AFR It is a stunning rise and rise for the tech stocks and is not confined to the US industry titans the FAANG companies of Facebook, Amazon, Apple, Netflix and Google (owned by Alphabet). The minnows have been impacted, too. The US tech-laden Nasdaq Composite Index is up more than 40 per cent from its big falls in February through to mid-March, and is now at a near-record high. Deputy Chief Medical Officer Professor Michael Kidd said that a sharp rise in COVID-19 hospitalisations served as a timely reminder of how serious the virus is. There are 24 people in hospital across the country with the virus, five of whom are in intensive care, up from 18 and three yesterday, respectively. This is a stark reminder of the very serious impact that COVID-19 can have especially on the health of elderly people and people with significant chronic health problems, Professor Kidd said. There have been over 2.56 million tests across Australia, including more than 20,000 in Victoria alone in the past day. Professor Kidd again called on anyone who was offered a test to accept the offer, especially those in COVID-19 hotspots which are now in lockdown. We encourage everyone who was approached by the people conducting the testing in Melbourne that if you are asked to have a test, please do so. It is imperative that we pick up all cases of Covid-19 if we are to stop community transmission from occurring. The founders of Pakistan committed themselves to Islam, which is as it should be , since basic reason for creation of Pakistan is to carve out a territory of Islam religion. by N.S.Venkataraman The history of Pakistan commenced in 1947, when Indian sub continent was split into two nations namely India and Pakistan. Malam Jabba, Pakistan ( Unflash) While the basic reason for creation of Pakistan was to carve out a country of Islam, unfortunately, the mindset of Pakistan has not much changed and continue as that prevailed in 1947 and centric theme of Pakistan is still Islam and Islam only exclusively.. This is unlike so many other Islam countries such as in the middle east region, where the love for Islam has not prevented the countries from paying attention to the other aspects of the world and life and in the process such countries have made enormous progress and have entertained citizens from various parts of the world, irrespective of the country of origin or religious background, to enter the territory as job seekers, entrepreneurs or even as citizens. The founders of Pakistan committed themselves to Islam, which is as it should be , since basic reason for creation of Pakistan is to carve out a territory of Islam religion. While practicing Islam religion with devotion and dedication, unfortunately Pakistan has also maintained its hatred and animosity towards India and Hindu religion. This is a negative stance, which has gradually and steadily taken Pakistan to a situation , where the country has got into a cobweb. Since 1947, Pakistan has considered India as a rival and adversary, which has not helped the cause and progress of Pakistan. It is not as if there are no hate mongers of Pakistan in India . However, India has not allowed itself to be pre occupied with such hate feelings for Pakistan and has focused on several other aspects, that would contribute to economic, industrial and social progress. Of course, some sane voice was heard in Pakistan also suggesting that hate feeling and religious extremism should be given up, , but they were silenced. Unfortunately, most part of the history of Pakistan is marked by military rule under the control of army generals. While army generals too tried to create a semblance of democracy in Pakistan by holding elections when the military generals converted themselves into political leaders and contested in the election. The military generals inevitably won ! In this process of constantly changing political climate in the country between military rule and democratic rule, the Islamic extremism grew by leaps and bounds, as the extremists were placated both by politicians and military generals ,as part of vote bank politics. Unfortunately, the Islamic extremism became so entrenched, that in many cases, it looked and acted like Islamic terrorism. With military also playing a role in fostering Islamic terrorism, now , Pakistan itself has become a victim of terrorism as indicated by several terrorist acts including the latest one attack on Pakistan Stock Exchange in Karachi. At this juncture, one should recognize that there are several knowledgeable and talented citizens in Pakistan and the country has also important agricultural products such as cotton and others as well as mineral and natural gas resources in places like Baluchistan. As Pakistan is largely focused on religious extremism and hate policy towards its neighbor, it has not forged ahead in economic and industrial progress based on the natural and mineral resources it possesses. There is a saying that people living on glass house should not throw stone at others. Even when Pakistan is viewed as terrorist ridden country by the world community ( international tournaments and events are rarely organized in Pakistan these days due to terrorist attacks ), Pakistan is pre occupying itself in fostering trouble in Jammu and Kashmir by encouraging terrorist acts in Kashmir. On several occasions, government spokesmen and political leaders of Pakistan have not concealed their activities in supporting what they call as freedom struggle in Kashmir and encouraging terrorist activities. With hatred and religious extremism against India becoming the central political theme in politics in Pakistan, the leadership of Pakistan thought that it would be clever on its part to firmly align with China and allowing China to set up and own infrastructure and other projects in Pakistan, as China is known to be anti India in its policies and priorities. Now, net result is that Pakistan is under the virtual control of China, with Gwadar port in Pakistan fully under the control of China and China laying pipeline and roadways from Gwadar port to Chinese territory. In spite of the above negatives, there is still ray of hope for Pakistan. All said and done, Pakistan government is now democratically elected and with the parliament functioning , justice system asserting itself and media and opposition parties often criticizing the government policies and programmes with confidence and courage. This is a good symptom. Unfortunately, this democratic system in Pakistan still has not matured adequately to assert and make the country see the reason that Islamic extremism and hate policy towards neighbouring country would not be the right strategy for the future. The ray of hope will be there for Pakistan, if quality political leadership would emerge with matured outlook and strong desire to make Pakistan to attain respectable role in the global arena. Such positive leadership would ensure that philosophy of religious extremism and hatred will gradually decline ,that would immediately contribute to economic and social progress of Pakistan in multiple directions. Such positive leadership will ensure that Pakistan would find a solution to Kashmir dispute with India, slowly get out of Chinese control of Pakistan affairs and get rid of the religious extremism in the country. It is in the hands of people of Pakistan to facilitate the growth of positive and progressive political leadership in the country . There are enough intellectuals and far sighted thinkers in Pakistan who can see the writing on the wall and can push Pakistan in positive direction. Certainly, the media in Pakistan would facilitate and support such positive forces in the country. HIGH BEEM IN THE SPOTLIGHT Angela Clark. Credit:John Shakespeare The Commonwealth Bank must have been chuffed to have one of its own executives, the high-flying Angela Clark, appointed to head whizz-bang payments app Beem It. The app was backed by CBA and a dozen other financial institutions. It's just too bad things between Which Bank and Clark went bad. Clark, who is on the Sydney Festival board and is a former Rabbitohs director, was dumped as Beem It's CEO in February less than a year after she left CBA to join the start-up. We can reveal Clark lodged a claim for wrongful dismissal in the Federal Court in May. "The board of Beem It had cultivated a culture of victimising, punishing and ultimately dismissing an employee who raised legitimate concerns regarding issues of corporate governance and conflicts of interest," said the statement of claim. But the action was discontinued last month. CBD tried to contact Clark via her legal team at Harmers Workplace Lawyers to find out why but to no avail. Beem It's board and CBA did not have time to lodge a defence but they denied all the allegations. "The board vigorously disputes the claims and continues to work for the benefit of Beem It shareholders to develop the next growth opportunity in Australia's payments landscape," said a company spokeswoman. Beem It is the digital payments love child conceived by Australia's banking players including CBA, Westpac and NAB as a way to split bills back in the days when we were still allowed into bars and restaurants. The ANZ bank crew were obviously left out but at least they got to grab the popcorn and watch this train wreck from their Collins St HQ in Melbourne. A LOW BAR It is a pity the claims will never be tested in court because it would have been a cracking case. In the statement of claim, Clark says she texted none other than CBA boss Matt Comyn about her initial "whistleblower" complaint on November 23. She then made a complaint to the Beem It board about being "constantly attacked" for raising governance concerns. She resigned from the Beem It board the following day but remained CEO. Clark claims she told Westpac executive and Beem It director James Tate about her concerns in a meeting at Rossini Cafe in Australia Square a few days later. Clark's claim of conflicting interests in the boardroom centres on proposals being considered by the big three banks that could have put Beem It under financial pressure. Clark's concerns included a "CBA Project" which, according to the court documents, could see the bank "potentially operate in competition with Beem It". In July, the statement said CBA, NAB and Westpac and a company identified as Company A entered into negotiations for a "proposed transaction". The mysterious Company A told Beem It that if the proposed transaction with the banks did not go ahead it would develop a product that would compete with Beem It. Clark also describes a meeting at the lounge bar of Sydney's Fullerton Hotel in December with Tate. This was just days after the start-up's independent chairman Kim Anderson had resigned following a series of tense Beem It board meetings. Tate allegedly warned Clark at the bar that her position was in peril. Clark claims he told her the "CBA wagons are circling for you because you have raised concerns [with CBA boss Matt Comyn]". She was then allegedly told the Beem It board wanted to sack her. The Beem It board had denied all allegations but there is no doubt changes are afoot. "As one of the first innovative multi-bank payment platforms, Beem It continues to explore its best strategic growth options," the company said. It has yet to replace Clark as CEO. COMMANDER CONTROL Senior bureaucrat Kathryn Campbell couldn't escape the highly discredited robo-debt scheme if she tried. She was secretary of the Department of Human Services when it was introduced and now, as secretary of the Department of Social Services, she is responsible for mopping up. Repaying some $721 million to at least 373,000 individuals dudded by the scheme won't be an easy task. He said there were 2 million square kilometres of continental shelf that could fill a major gap in Australian history or about a third of the current land mass. He said across Europe, all development assessments now considered underwater heritage; developer-led archaeological studies had led to significant discoveries in the North and Baltic seas and the Mediterranean. Cape Bruguieres channel, where the bulk of the artefacts were discovered. Credit:Deep History of Sea Country research project By contrast, he said, in Australia maritime artefacts such as plane or shipwrecks were both better researched and better protected than submerged Indigenous artefacts. But he expected this discovery to trigger change. What we have done is take this from potential to proven, he said. We now have an opportunity to integrate maritime and Indigenous archaeology in Australia. Murujuga is the site of increasing conflict between environmental and heritage groups advocating for a World Heritage Listing for the areas cultural landscape, including its rock art, and oil and gas giant Woodside, which is proposing the major Burrup Hub development. The new finds lay not in, but near where Woodside plans to dredge for a proposed 430-kilometre pipeline linking the Scarborough gas field to its Pluto LNG plant, part of the hub. Murujuga Aboriginal Corporation submitted to the Environmental Protection Authority late last year that Woodside had not properly surveyed for heritage sites or addressed potential impacts on the world heritage bid. They held significant concerns for the fate of the bid, as well as Murujuga intrinsically. They asked that Woodside fully acknowledge the heritage values, do more to identify any potential sites, and do a risk assessment regarding world heritage criteria. The project's divers. The states environmental watchdog in January recommended the state government approve the dredging. It noted MACs outstanding concerns but said Woodsides surveys indicated heritage impacts were unlikely. It did say Woodside would have to engage with researchers doing submerged landscape studies, to discuss how it might identify potential submerged sites, before proceeding. WAtoday understands Woodside met with the Flinders University researchers who were carrying out this discovery project. Two appeals have been lodged against the EPA decision but traditional owners could not lodge one, as they are bound by a legal commitment not to. A Woodside spokeswoman congratulated the research team and traditional custodians on a "ground-breaking" announcement. She said while the research was conducted outside Woodsides area of operation, Woodside was reviewing the report and would further engage with MAC and the research teams to understand it. She said Woodside was proud of its relationships with traditional custodians and as such supported the World Heritage bid. It would continue to work with key stakeholders to protect heritage and minimise any impacts both on and offshore, and was consulting with MAC to address their feedback. A member of the dive team. Credit:Hiro Yoshida Woodside is also providing financial and in-kind support for further research into rock art dating and submerged heritage to better understand and publicise any potential heritage values, she said. MAC still held concerns about the area, about the potential impacts on the submerged cultural sites and the potential implications for the world heritage bid, said chief executive Peter Jeffries. He considered this new research as validation of these concerns. He said, however, that Woodside had further engaged with MAC this year and there were satisfactory discussions in progress. He said the study continued efforts to unlock missing links in the regions cultural heritage and would add to the story of Aboriginal people in the Pilbara. Loading "These new discoveries prove our ancestors did live and exist on these coastal areas before the sea levels rose after the last ice age, and that not all ancient coastal archaeology is lost," he said. "It has been exciting to hear what the researchers and specialist scientists have been able to recover ... further exploration could unearth similar cultural relics and help us better understand the life of the people who were so connected to these areas of lands which are now underwater. Heather Renton is the chief executive of Syndromes Without a Name (SWAN) and is essentially a one-woman team. While she is only funded for 30 hours of work a week to help the families of children with undiagnosed and rare genetic conditions, her workload has doubled since the start of the coronavirus pandemic with a 252 per cent increase in calls for support. Toni Catton, general manager of the Mito Foundation, and her daughter Alana, who has mitochondrial disease. Credit:Steven Siewert "Work has increased incredibly with phone support; you can spend an hour on the phone to one person if they're really distressed," she said. There are about 90 health charities such as SWAN in Australia, and a report has found they are struggling with the pressures added by the coronavirus pandemic. A former Bondi cafe owner was motivated by greed to play a senior role in an international conspiracy to import a massive haul of cocaine, a sentencing hearing has heard. Darren John Mohr, one-time owner of the Bondi Rescue HQ cafe and Bucklers cafe in North Bondi, faces a maximum sentence of life in prison for his role in a thwarted attempt to import 500 kilograms of cocaine into Sydney on Christmas Day in 2016. Darren Mohr was found guilty of conspiring to import 500 kilograms of cocaine. Credit:Instagram He was one of more than a dozen men charged with conspiracy to import a commercial quantity of a prohibited drug with the syndicates sprawling cast of players including former Roosters player John Tobin and fishermen Joseph Pirrello and Simon Spero. The syndicate had attempted to use a fishing trawler named Dalrymple to bring 500 kilograms of cocaine from a Chilean ship into Sydney but as a dinghy carried its illicit cargo up the Hawkesbury from the offshore ship on Christmas night, police made their move. A former police officer has been found not guilty of sexually assaulting a female colleague, after he told a court their encounter at a home in Sydney's south seven years ago was consensual. Kristian Dieter Glaser, 44, faced trial in the NSW District Court accused of having sex with the woman without her consent while he was on-duty and wearing his police uniform in 2013. Kristian Glaser (left) leaves court on Wednesday. Credit:Nick Moir It was alleged the woman, who was junior in rank to Mr Glaser, repeatedly said "no" as he grabbed her by the wrists, dragged her down a hallway and assaulted her in a bedroom. On Wednesday, a jury of nine men and three women found Mr Glaser not guilty after deliberating for about an hour and a half. An angry girlfriend complaining to her ex-lover cost Vergel Vesqualez his life, police believe. Investigators say that Stacey Kelly Greenup, 35, and Mr Vesqualez, 42, began a relationship after she left her former partner, Jeremy Smith. Stacey Kelly Greenup was arrested at Kingsford on Tuesday and taken to Maroubra police station Credit:NSW Police Ms Kelly Greenup's family claim that when Mr Smith discovered his former partner in a new relationship, a chain of events ended in Mr Vesqualez's death on New Year's Eve. Police say that Ms Kelly Greenup told Mr Smith that she had been abused by her new partner, which investigators say was not true. Regional councils have urged the state government to act on drug rehabilitation and Indigenous over-incarceration in a push to tackle what they call the twin crises ravaging their communities. In an unusual step, the peak body for NSW councils and regional councils including Dubbo, Lismore and Brewarrina have united to lobby the Berejiklian government to provide critical funding to address the underlying drivers of crime. Regional NSW councils have urged the state government to act on drug rehabilitation and Indigenous incarceration. Credit:Andrew Meares Dubbo Regional Council Mayor Ben Shields said "the lack of action is frankly frightening". "We all know that there are large areas across not just regional NSW but even metropolitan NSW [where] crime problems are largely driven by substance addiction," Cr Shields said. Queenslands Labor Party has warned the state could be "flooded with Victorians" if it lowered its border controls, just hours after Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk called for an end to the so-called "border wars". Ms Palaszczuk, who hopes to become the state's longest-serving Labor Premier since World War II if she wins the October election, announced Queensland's borders would reopen on July 10. But travel from Victoria will remain restricted as Ms Palaszczuk believes it "would jeopardise everything we have all sacrificed so much to achieve and could be catastrophic to our entire economy". Ms Palaszczuk's deputy, Steven Miles, stressed "there is no interstate rivalry here, we're all in this together and we all need to work together". The number of people held in detention centres around Australia has increased during the coronavirus pandemic due to travel restrictions, prompting the Commonwealth Ombudsman to recommend reducing numbers. In a statement issued on Wednesday about the risks of COVID-19 spreading in detention facilities, the Ombudsman said it was commendable the virus had been kept out of facilities so far, but warned "just one mishap" had led to serious outbreaks in other facilities. The Brisbane Immigration Transit Accommodation centre at Pinkenba, near the airport. Credit:Michelle Smith The Ombudsman also warned the risk of complacency around safety and hygiene practices could be a problem as the pandemic continues on for months or years. "All this being so, we consider that it would be highly desirable for fewer people to be held in immigration detention," the statement said. "Ayad brought his right arm away from Mia's neck region, he then brought the knife he was holding back up towards the left side of Mias head and made a swift cutting motion," Ms Wilson wrote. "Mia then fell to the ground following which Ayad then launched into a frenzied attack using the knife against Mias upper body as she tried to protect herself on the ground." Mia Ayliffe-Chung had been in Townsville less than two weeks before she was killed. The hostel manager, Mr Scholz, attempted to get in close to protect Mia, which was when he was stabbed in the leg. Ayad's attack on Ms Ayliffe-Chung lasted 10 seconds. "Mr Richards witnessed these events at close range, he started screaming out for help," Ms Wilson wrote. "At this moment in time Mia was able to stand up and run away. She had by this time sustained a number of significant knife wounds that would ultimately prove fatal." She staggered down the hallway, holding onto her wounds, and locked herself in a toilet cubicle while Ayad "launched himself from the balcony, head first, with his arms extended as if he was attempting to fly". "The scene at the hostel was one of chaos, confusion and fear," Ms Wilson wrote. Mr Richards then went into the bathroom area and looked over the cubicle wall where he found Ms Ayliffe-Chung laying on the floor, he ran outside and yelled, "Shes been stabbed, shes in the toilet". That was when Tom Jackson, who did not know Ms Ayliffe-Chung, rushed into the bathroom to help. Mr Richards kept pressure on her wounds and tried to comfort her as she bled to death, while Mr Jackson went to see if paramedics had arrived. Mia's mother Rosie Ayliffe leaves court in 2018. Credit:Jorge Branco/Fairfax Media. Ayad was close by and chased Mr Jackson back into the bathroom and attacked him with a knife. Mr Jackson was labelled a hero for his bravery and clung to life for six days before dying in hospital. "Both Mr Thomas Leslie Jackson and Mr Daniel Leigh Richards exhibited extraordinary bravery and compassion remaining with Mia rendering assistance whilst their own safety was still at risk," Ms Wilson wrote. The parents of Mr Jackson and Ms Ayliffe-Chung raised concerns with the coroner about Queensland's hostel industry, which were outlined in the non-inquest findings. Grant Scholz (right) was stabbed in the leg while trying to help Mia. Credit:Fairfax Media Their worries included people travelling on working visas being especially vulnerable to financial exploitation, which may prevent them from being able to move on from a place if they no longer felt safe and the safety needs of hostel occupants being overridden by commercial interests. Ms Ayliffe-Chung's mother, Rosie Ayliffe, was specifically concerned about reports her daughter had apparently asked to move rooms because she was "frightened" by Ayad's behaviour prior to her death. A witness, whose name has been redacted in the findings, gave evidence of a conversation she had with Ms Ayliffe-Chung on the day before her killing. "Mia told me that she was in a room with two boys and that she was the only girl," the witness said. "I remember that Mia told me there was a guy in her room that was getting too close to her, physically, by touching her and was verbally harassing her. "Mia said that he was saying things like that he wanted her to be his girlfriend and that he wanted sex from her. I didnt know who the male was that she was referring to at this point." Ms Wilson was "unable to conclude" whether Ms Ayliffe-Chung had asked to be moved out of Ayad's room or whether she had disclosed any sexual harassment by him. Despite many political and strategic odds, one cannot blame the Western industrialized nations for ignorance, human prejudice and socio-economic disparity. by Mahboob A. Khawaja, PhD The world is a dangerous place to live, not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who dont do anything about it. Albert Einstein How to Mirror the Racial Injustice and Insanity against Mankind? There is much evil and less goodness in the 21st century global affairs - amassed collection of unthinkable junk history. Flamboyant expressions of besieged mankind that defies ignorance and hallmarks of modern civilized people. There are seeds of unimaginable and destructive Western cultural absolutism that could destroy the sense of time and rational consciousness of living history. Violations of human rights, colored prejudice and indigenous killings in North America, social and moral injustice and continuous warfare all echo degradation of human values and soul exhibit intellectual discard, universal unhappiness, horrors, societal chaos and socio-economic miseries of innumerable multitude. The politically wise and elected failed to foresee the formidable challenges coming from the 99% oppressed mankind across from global frontiers. Most political leaders would claim to uphold the human instinct at least to win the next ballot box, be it America and elsewhere. But where false proclamations go unnoticed in a progressive societal context, human sufferings, pains, socio-economic devastation cannot assumed to be the strategies of kindness in the struggle for sustainable political change and systematic reformation of terror and injustice. We are witnessing that human tragedy across Western Europe, North American streets and elsewhere while human conscience in still intact. Politician tend to opt for convenient compromise deforming political truth as transient and paliable but truth is always ONE, not many, and this is what most contemporary leaders failed to comprehend. We, the People of the globe must learn from living history and think of navigational change or else it is a self-generated dehumanization curve - an evidence of a tragic human abnormality across all the functional domains, from thinking to actions. To safeguard our future, We, the People of global Conscience must evolve a compass of credibility to check those who are exercising political power and are entrusted with peoples confidence for peace, societal harmony and workable conflict resolutions. The UNO - a Lost Hope of Mankind The UNO was supposed to safeguard the mankind from the scourge of war, but the UN Security Council- a progressive hope after the WW2 is really a debating club for time killing exercises and a manipulative global political powerhouse. There is nothing good coming out of the Security Council as a chief hub of global peace, security and conflict management. The eloquent speakers tend to march on peoples passion for peace and harmony with artful sophistry and captivating eloquence of words without meaning and prompt action to protect the humanity. There are gross violations of human rights, human freedom and justice and continued aggressive policies and practices to curb the truth, be it in Palestine-Israel, Kashmir, the Middle East, South America, police atrocities against black and indigenous people in North America; global media networks present portrait of human degradation, historic injustice and socio-economic vices as if political deception and prejudice were new things to political thinkers and rulers. How could we rethink to change the centuries old dreadful human apparatus of brimstone, tormenting social inequalities and torture inflicted by the contemporary so called working democratic systems of political governance? The UNO has no plan to safeguard the mankind from a Third World War. Extreme Ideologies will Destroy Human Survival and Peacemaking Those who grab political power by extreme ideologies and hateful manipulation are men of political intrigue assuming power through exploitation of fellow human beings and impose their absurdity on human consciousness striving for survival. Truth is One and the same unchanging as it was many centuries earlier. Contrary to historic India under Mughal Empire, we are seeing in India, denial of human rights and freedom and prolonged captivity of the people of Kashmir - a framework of extreme Hinduism ideology like the Nazi Germany against the occupied people. The masses of Kashmir seek their rights to freedom, not forced captivity. What if they had the freedom to express their will, if they want freedom from India or want to join Pakistan? Historically Kashmir was never a part of British Raj but a separate entity and its geography and socio-economic lifelines run through Pakistan, not India. How strange for over fifty years, corrupt Pakistani politicians never thought of an international conference on Kashmir? Pakistanis are abhorrent to critical thinking and criticism for change. India after confrontation with China will look for escape from reality to confront Pakistan. It is not a domestic issue of India or Pakistan. Conscientious Indian thinkers and people of conscience oppose the RSS Hinduism strategy and are adamant to these violations of human dignity and freedom. Would America and Israel determine the future of the war torn Middle East? Some Arab leaders are collaborating with the US and Israel policy agenda to undermine the freedom and the future of Palestine, be it the East Jerusalem or the annexation of West Bank. Israeli and Palestinian both live in disharmony and moral and intellectual decadence. Had they believed in Abraham and his teachings as Prophet of God, they should have reached a peace deal. PLO could never pursue a movement of unity for moral and intellectual leadership and Israelis problem rests with right wing extreme leadership devoid of peace and human equality. You have PM Netanyahu planning to annex the West Bank of Palestine into Israeli territory. As if Palestinians were not human beings but just digits and numbers. It will violate the very principles of Two State solution. Palestinians and Israelis live in mutual distrust and political animosity. One would have hoped that thinking Israeli politicians will safeguard their own freedom and security and workout a peaceful settlement between the two nations. None of them live in peace and harmony unless human rights, freedom and justice are respected by all the parties. Politicians to Rethink about Global Peace and Harmony via Education Despite many political and strategic odds, one cannot blame the Western industrialized nations for ignorance, human prejudice and socio-economic disparity. Why nobody else challenged the racial inequality and moral injustice? What did the Arabs or Muslims contribute to the changing pattern of global political affairs? Global humanity is a mix of all cultures and civilizations. The Arab-Muslim world failed to produce any leader of vision and intellectual integrity for the changing and complex global affairs of the 21st century. When Arabs leaders had proactive vision and intellect and human values, they articulated a unique civilization tolerant of diversity and varied cultural ethnicities in Andalucia (Spain) and built upon the unity of faith to nurture peaceful co-existence and human development. If you list the historic scientific, educational and technological discoveries and contributions of Muslim scholars, they are countless. Do you know any other scientists or scholars whose text books were used continuously for six centuries in European medical schools? Husain Abdullah Bu Ali Sina - IbneSina (Avicenna - Canon of Medicine and Book of Healing), and Zakria Al-Razi (Russ), 10th century scientists and scholars. The Europeans changed their names to Avicenna and Russ so that nobody would recognize them as Muslim scholars. It is noted that Ibne Sina (Avicenna) alone discovered and authenticated 36 pharmaceutical formulas being used to this day. Marai Rosa Menocal (A Golden Reign of Tolerance: The Ornament of the World: How Muslims, Jews and Christians Created a Culture of Tolerance in Medieval Spain, 2003), explains: The lessons of history, like the lessons of religion, sometime neglect examples of tolerance. A thousand years ago on the Iberian Peninsula, an enlightened vision of Islam had created the most advanced culture in Europe....In Cordoba, the library housed some 400,000 volumes at a time when the largest library in Latin Christendom probably held no more than 400. Despite the sketchy illusions of freedom, democracy, human rights, liberty and justice, we are encroached, stuffed and at terrible risk of annihilation more accidental and by error of judgment than planned scheme of things by Man against Man. Often the extreme Western political propaganda enflames hatred against colored and indigenous people, Islam and blames Muslims as being terrorists. The raging wars in Syria, Yemen, and Afghanistan are the net outcome of perpetuated ignorance and lack of wisdom against a reality check. Often false propaganda, deception and prejudice are combined in a trajectory of plans to sell weapons and console the egoistic Arab leaders as allies of the Western military alliance. This political delusion is full of inherent inconsistencies. Gary Wills (What the Quran Meant and What It Matters. Viking, NY, 2017), a leading American scholar explains the reality in his new book: Our enemy in this war is far less localizable than it was in the World War 2 or the Cold War. Terror is a tool, not a country. Declaring a war on it is less like normal warfare, country versus country, there is No VE Day or VJ Day in such wars living with fear is corrosivethe less we know about the reality of Islam, the more we will fight shadows and false emanations from our apprehension. Ignorance is the natural ally of fear. It is time for us to learn about the real Islam beginning with its source book - The Quran. Dr. Mahboob A. Khawaja specializes in international affairs-global security, peace and conflict resolution with keen interests in Islamic-Western comparative cultures and civilizations, and author of several publications including the latest: One Humanity and the Remaking of Global Peace, Security and Conflict Resolution. Lambert Academic Publications, Germany, 12/2019. WARNING: DISTRESSING CONTENT A man who murdered a close family friend and enlisted his younger sister to help him conceal the crime has pleaded guilty to a killing of "unbridled brutality," in the words of a judge. Shaye Kotiau pleaded guilty to murdering long-time family friend Tamara Farrell, 31, after a night of heavy drinking in the Ballarat suburb of Canadian in February 2019. Tamara Farrell, 31, was killed in February 2019 by a family friend. Prosecutor Patrick Bourke told the Supreme Court during a plea hearing on Wednesday that Kotiau made numerous attempts to conceal or destroy evidence and later told his girlfriend the killing was "brutal". Police say they have not given up on solving the brutal murders, 50 years ago on Wednesday, of a woman and her three children in a Glenroy house. Detectives continue to seek information on the whereabouts of husband and father Elmer Crawford, whom a 1971 coronial inquest found to be the killer. The bodies of four Crawford family members were found in this car on Victoria's south-west coast in 1970. A $100,000 reward on the case, posted 12 years ago, still stands. Mr Crawford, a Victoria Racing Club unqualified electrician at the time, would be more than 90 years old if still alive. Five men were charged and fined thousands of dollars each after an undercover sting caught them ditching asbestos, green waste and building rubble in a state park in Perth's northern suburbs. The Department of Water and Environmental Regulation said covert cameras were set up at Warbrook Road in Jandabup, netting five offenders who dumped waste on 13 separate occasions. Giuseppe Napoli left behind documents with his name on them, making it easy to be tracked down by DWER inspectors. Credit:DWER The five men were charged and faced Joondalup Magistrates Court on June 5. Giuseppe Napoli left behind documents bearing his name when he unloaded bricks and sand waste from his Toyota Landcruiser at the site in December 2018. He was photographed during the incident and copped a fine of almost $5000. We should increase the GST. There. I've said it. Of course, long-time readers will recognise I've said it before. Many economists have. The latest voice saying it this week is former Telstra boss David Thodey, who has headed a review of state and federal finances for the NSW government. And yet, many people politicians most particularly dismiss out of hand the idea of increasing the "Lord Voldemort" of taxes. They do the nation an injustice when they do. David Thodey during a panel discussion at the National Press Club. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen Of course, the idea of increasing the GST sends shivers down the spines of many voters, too. Some people don't like the idea of raising the GST because they think they'll have to pay more tax. And who wants that? Capacity on domestic flights in and out of Brisbane Airport will increase by 7000 seats a day when Queenslands border reopens on July 10. The demand, which will see almost two-dozen extra flights a day, would have been greater had Victoria not been excluded from Queenslands safe border travel. Planes had until recently been largely empty of passengers. Credit:Attila Csaszar Brisbane Airport Corporation general manager Jim Parashos said seating capacity could be even higher if sales demand predictions proved accurate. Brisbane Airport's domestic flight schedule was 60 per cent of capacity, while international travel was between 2 per cent and 3 per cent, before Tuesday's announcement that Queensland's borders would reopen soon. The Foreign Office has summoned the Chinese ambassador to make clear the UK's "deep concern" over the new Hong Kong national security law. Liu Xiaoming was called to a meeting with the Foreign Office's permanent under-secretary Sir Simon McDonald on Wednesday, hours after China imposed the legislation on the city, Sky News reported. Sir Simon made clear the UK's "deep concern" over the new law, which was proposed a month ago and came into effect in Hong Kong on Monday. It is only the second time a Chinese ambassador has been called to the Foreign Office about Hong Kong since 1984. Britain's Foreign Office was not immediately available for comment. Short link: Following statement issued by the Palestinian Embassy in Colombo The Embassy of the State of Palestine would like to clarify its position with regard to the TV broadcast by Ada Derana, which has singled out a part of the report submitted by the (CID), pertaining to the Easter Attacks of last year to the Fort Magistrates Court on Friday 19th, which was aired in June 2020. Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Jerusalem Depending on the official report of the CID which includes a very misleading slander, the Embassy is rather surprised that this report is taken out of context and aired with the specific agenda of denigrating Palestine, its people and their just struggle, especially here in Sri Lanka which we consider to have a very clear understanding of the Palestinian cause against the Israeli occupation, which Sri Lanka and its government are staunch supporters of. Further falling into the trap of misleading the public who are aware of the Palestinian issue and have always shown strong solidarity with Palestine is very disheartening. Also Christians are Palestinians sharing the struggle against the Israeli occupation, as a result of Israeli criminal acts and oppression against Palestinians. Christianity is an indigenous part of Palestinian culture. As Palestine being the birthplace of Jesus Christ, (Peace be upon Him), Christians and Muslims are one Nation. Therefore highlighting this particular part of the report which is totally un-factual and brainwashed is misleading especially to the public here in Sri Lanka. Palestine, which is subject to Israeli terrorism has always condemned all forms of extremism and terrorist activities all over the world and rightfully condemned in no uncertain terms the Easter Bomb terrorist attack on innocent Christian and other civilians in Sri Lanka in April 2019. First published in The Sydney Morning Herald on July 3, 1971. MOSCOW, Friday. The ashes of Russia's three Soyuz-11 cosmonauts, who were cremated last night, will be placed in the Kremlin wall today after a heroes' funeral in Red Square. Leading the thousands of mourners who paid homage to the heroes were, from the left, R.K. Mazurov, Alexei Kosygin, the Soviet Prime Minister, Valentina Nikolayeva Tereshkova, the first woman in space, Leonid Brezhnev, the Communist Party Chairman (seen comforting relatives of dead cosmonauts) and A. Kirilenko, July 2, 1971. Yesterday, hundreds of thousands waited in the summer heat on Moscow's Commune Square to pay their last respects to the men who were found dead, trapped in their seats, after their spacecraft made an apparently perfect landing early on Wednesday morning. Their bodies lay in state in a hall of Moscow's Central House of the Soviet Army, flanked by a guard of honour which, for a time, included Communist Party chief Leonid Brezhnev, Premier Aloxoi Kosygin and President Nikolni Podgorny. Islamabad: Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan has told Parliament he had no doubt that India was behind Monday's attack on the stock exchange building in the southern city of Karachi. Four gunmen armed with grenades attacked the Pakistan Stock Exchange, killing two guards and a policeman before security forces killed the attackers. "There is no doubt that India is behind the attack," Khan said a charge that India had denied a day earlier. Imran Khan blames India for backing separatists. Credit:AP Khan offered no evidence for his allegation, but said there had been intelligence reports warning of attacks in Pakistan and he had informed his cabinet about the threat. The European Union wants Australian tourists to start travelling again after creating its first "safe list" of 14 countries from which the bloc will allow non-essential travel in the aftermath of the global pandemic. Travellers from the "safe list" countries will potentially be able to go to Europe and then travel freely throughout the Schengen area, which includes 22 EU countries, plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. The European Union wants Australian tourists to start travelling again. Credit:AP The 14 countries on the list are Algeria, Australia, Canada, Georgia, Japan, Montenegro, Morocco, New Zealand, Rwanda, Serbia, South Korea, Thailand, Tunisia and Uruguay. The list will be reviewed every two weeks to add some countries and remove others. It is only a recommendation to EU members, who can still impose some travel restrictions. The idea at least is that they should not open up to other countries. While Australians watch on with trepidation as Melbourne's new surge of COVID-19 infections takes hold, in Britain the city of Leicester, about 150 kilometres north-west of London, has become its new hotspot epicentre. The city of 330,000 has been put into Britain's first local lockdown after officials became alarmed by a significant rise in infections. Non-essential shops, which only recently started trading after a months-long lockdown, will close again, while restaurants and pubs, which were expecting to reopen this weekend, will have to keep their doors shut. School closures will force thousands of students to stay home. For a nation that has suffered more than most the official death toll stands at more than 43,000 but the true figure could be as high as 65,000 it's another setback in its bid to contain the pandemic. From the moment the coronavirus reached its shores, Britain's rambunctious Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, has led a government that has bungled the health crisis. When Mr Johnson took to the lectern on March 12 to warn Britain that it was facing the worst public health crisis for a generation, he failed to put the country into an immediate lockdown. Not only did Britain pay a very heavy price for that mistake, but Mr Johnson almost lost his own life after contracting the virus. Since his return to work, support for his Conservative party has taken a hit after a string of missteps, while Labour under its new leader, Sir Keir Starmer, a former human rights lawyer, has gained ground. Sir Keir, who has proven more popular than expected, has also put the heat on Mr Johnson in Parliament, exposing the Prime Ministers bluster about his governments failed handling of the health crisis. The pressure on Mr Johnson is not about to let up. Tory backbenchers pushed hard for an easing of social distancing restrictions, sensing a shift in the public's patience and fearing a deeper than forecast recession. As the United States is learning with its recent surge in infections, opening up too early is a fraught exercise. Whether Leicester is a forewarning of more troubles ahead when Britain lifts many of its restrictions on July 4 will play out over the coming weeks, but recent images of people ignoring social distancing while flocking to the beach have many health experts worried. London: Britain will open its borders to more than 3 million Hong Kongers, declaring China's new security law for the territory a "clear and serious breach" of the Sino-British declaration that guarantees autonomy from Beijing. As police in Hong Kong arrested about 370 people under the new laws, Prime Minister Boris Johnson told the Commons on Wednesday afternoon that Britain would honour its promise to offer citizenship to more than 3 million Hong Kongers. A man is detained by riot police during a demonstration this week after Beijing imposed the new national security law. Credit:Getty Images The announcement came as the British consular worker Simon Cheng who was detained and tortured last year over the Hong Kong protests announced he had been granted asylum to live in Britain. He welcomed the "lifeboat" and said he hoped his own case would set a precedent for other victims to seek protection from Beijing's "political persecution". London: Sweeping new powers that pave the way for Russian President Vladimir Putin to rule for 12 more years after his term ends in 2024 have been rubber stamped in a controversial national poll marred by claims of irregularities and intimidation. Putin, 67, has ruled Russia as either president or prime minister since 1999 and was due to leave the Kremlin in 2024. The removal of the ban on presidents serving two consecutive terms means he will have the option of running for office for a further 12 years until 2036. By that point, he would be 84. President Vladimir Putin appears in a televised address to the nation about the constitutional changes. Credit:AP The Central Election Commission said early counting showed 76 per cent of voters had backed a package of constitutional changes which includes the removal of a rule preventing presidents from serving more than two consecutive six-year terms. The national vote, which was not legally required but Putin held anyway to give the amendments more legitimacy, has been derided as a sham by opposition parties and criticised by election monitors on the ground as rigged. New York: Donald Trump regularly "bullied and humiliated" Theresa May on phone calls, calling her a "fool" and "spineless" on Brexit, according to officials privy to the conversations. The US President reportedly attacked the then Prime Minister for her stance on the EU, NATO, immigration, and other issues the pair disagreed on. US President Donald Trump and then British Prime Minister Theresa May. Credit:Bloomberg The details of the conversations have been published by Carl Bernstein, one of two reporters who broke the Watergate Scandal, quoting White House and intelligence officials who are aware of the contents of Trump's calls with world leaders. "He'd get agitated about something with Theresa May, then he'd get nasty with her on the phone call," Bernstein wrote for CNN, quoting an official who described the verbal assaults as "near-sadistic". PHILIPSBURG:--- The General Audit Chamber schooled the Minister of Finance in the letter dated June 26th. According to the letter, the Audit Chamber states that they would agree and adopt the austerity measures as long as an agreement is reached with the Chamber of Labor Unions The Chamber states that based on the letter sent by the Minister of Finance to the Chamber the Minister outlined that the intention of government is to pay only 50% of the vacation allowance. The Chamber states that prior to the June 22nd letter the Chamber was not informed of the governments decision to pay out only 50%. The Chamber further explained that based on Article 24 of the Holiday Exemption Services for Civil Servants Regulations the holiday remittance is paid, once per calendar year, in the second half of June, over the 12-month period, commencing on the month of June, the foregoing calendar year. In the opinion of the Chamber, this is a so-called mandatory provision; deviation from that provision is not possible. In addition to an official message, the Chamber has never received a National Ordinance amending Article 24 of the Regulation on vacation and exemption from civil servants (and they were not informed of the existence of such), which provides payment of a 50% holiday allowance a lawful legal basis. The Chamber understands that this is one of the conditions set by the Kingdom to obtain liquidity support. Nevertheless, as an institution, the chamber stands for legality and integrity, and not paying the full vacation allowance before June 30th is illegal. For the sake of completeness, the Chamber noted that the 19 May the parliament passed a motion that acceptance of the terms and conditions will only take place if they are not in conflict with the country and the Kingdom. The Chamber, therefore, believe that the Ministers decision is contrary to Article 24 of the Regulations for the Vacation and Exemption of Officials and not in line with the aforementioned motion by Parliament. After all, the law requires full payment to be made by June 30. This is a legal obligation. A possible future amendment national ordinance after June 30 does not mean that it is now possible to deviate from the law. In view of the above, the Chamber advised the Minister to act in accordance with the applicable legislation. Milton, PA (17847) Today Mixed clouds and sun this morning. Scattered thunderstorms developing this afternoon. A few storms may be severe. High 88F. Winds SSW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 70%.. Tonight Scattered thunderstorms this evening, then cloudy with rain likely late. Low 62F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%. PHILIPSBURG:--- The Ministry of TEATT hereby informs that businesses are allowed to remain open on Emancipation Day at their discretion. Emancipation is indeed a public holiday celebrated on July 1st. There are several activities that will be held on Emancipation Day in recognition of that day. The public is encouraged to participate as much as possible and enjoy the festivities. PHILIPSBURG:--- The Ministry of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport & Telecommunication (TEATT) is looking into why food prices on the island remain persistently high in comparison to Aruba and Curacao, despite having similar economies. One of the ministrys priorities is to prevent price gouging and to promote fair competition. The ministry reviewed a recent study on price developments and logistics in the region commissioned by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The study described St. Maartens import supply chain as having an effective competition with steady imports from the EU and the US. In other words, the risk of artificially high prices within the shipping market is minimized because of a sufficient number of operators, according to the study. Compared to Aruba and Curacao, it further points out that St. Maarten has no import-duty and a lower shipping cost. These factors should lead to relatively cheaper prices. However, the report expresses doubts about the degree of competition in St. Maartens food distribution market, where an oligopoly situation exists, dominated by a few very large players who not only sell at the wholesale level but also compete at the retail level as well. St. Maartens Consumer Price Index (CPI) increased by a higher percentage than that of Curacao and Aruba, the study shows, with an average rise in food prices of more than 50% over the period 2010-2016 for St. Maarten, while Aruba (+11%) and Curacao (+20%) experiencing lower rises over the same period, despite each island having higher shipping costs and import duties. The Ministry of TEATT will ensure that there is constant monitoring of food prices to safeguard fair competition on the island within St. Maarten. Additionally, the Ministry of TEATT will keep the public informed about food price developments and encourages consumers to be informed as much as possible so they can make better choices for themselves and their families. The Minister of TEATT continues to consult with stakeholders including the Sint Maarten Hospitality and Trade Association (SHTA), the Chamber of Commerce, and the Indian Merchants Association (IMA). VAT On E-Commerce in Norway Posted by Publisher Internet The Norwegian tax administration has introduced a simplified VAT regulation ? VAT On E-Commerce (VOEC). Smaller B2C suppliers or marketplaces that sell low value goods and do not reach the NOK 50,000 threshold also benefit from simplified customs procedures. Ecovis? Norwegian experts explain what will apply to which companies in the future. Who must register? VAT On E-commerce (VOEC) is a simplified VAT scheme for foreign B2C suppliers or marketplaces selling low value goods below NOK (Norwegian krone) 3,000 (about EUR 300). Unlike ordinary VAT, the new scheme does not require the seller to register a company in Norway. The seller is obliged to register for VOEC when revenue exceeds NOK 50,000 during a 12-month period. Companies that do not reach the NOK 50,000 threshold can also choose to register voluntarily. If the shipment is covered under the VOEC scheme, it is also subject to simplified customs procedures with no customs declaration. VOEC is largely similar to the EU MOSS-scheme (Mini-One-Stop-Shop). What are ?low value goods?? The VOEC scheme includes all low value goods except foodstuffs, goods subject to excise duties (tobacco and alcoholic beverages) and other goods that are restricted or illegal according to Norwegian law. ?Low value goods? are defined as having a product price under NOK 3,000. It is important to understand that the threshold of NOK 3,000 is not determined by the total value of the package but by the value of each item in the same package. For example, if one package contains 2 products worth NOK 2,000 each, it is still under the NOK 3,000 threshold and therefore covered by the VOEC scheme. Shipping and insurance costs are not included when calculating the threshold. Sometimes a supplier may sell products that are both under and over NOK 3,000. In this case, if the supplier wishes to use VOEC, the shipment must be divided into two packages ? one with goods under NOK 3,000 and another with goods over NOK 3,000, explain the Ecovis experts. The goods over NOK 3,000 will be subject to regular customs clearance. In this case, to avoid your customers having to deal with import procedures themselves, it is recommended that you register for the regular VAT scheme. How do I report? Companies registered for the VOEC scheme must charge VAT to private customers at the point of sale. A unique VOEC number will be assigned to the company upon successful registration. The VOEC number must be indicated/provided when the goods cross the Norwegian boarder. VAT is reported quarterly through the electronic portal www.altinn.no. No VAT refund VOEC is a ?pay only? scheme, which means a VOEC-registered company is not entitled to any VAT deductions. If a company has VAT expenses in Norway, it must apply for a refund through the regular VAT refund scheme for non-established businesses. For further information please contact: Ding Xu, Partner, ECOVIS Ardur Tax AS, Oslo, Norway Ecovis is a leading global consulting firm with its origins in Continental Europe. It has almost 8,500 people operating in nearly 80 countries. Its consulting focus and core competencies lie in the areas of tax consultation, accounting, auditing and legal advice. The particular strength of Ecovis is the combination of personal advice at a local level with the general expertise of an international and interdisciplinary network of professionals. Every Ecovis office can rely on qualified specialists in the back offices as well as on the specific industrial or national know-how of all the Ecovis experts worldwide. This diversified expertise provides clients with effective support, especially in the fields of international transactions and investments from preparation in the client\-\-s home country to support in the target country. In its consulting work Ecovis concentrates mainly on mid-sized firms. Both nationally and internationally, its one-stop-shop concept ensures all-round support in legal, fiscal, managerial and administrative issues. The name Ecovis, a combination of the terms economy and vision, expresses both its international character and its focus on the future and growth. Summa Silver Mobilizes Drills to the Hughes Property; Files NI 43-101 Technical Report Posted by Publisher Internet Summa Silver Corp. (?Summa Silver? or the ?Company?) (CSE: SSVR)(Frankfurt: 48X) is pleased to announce that mobilization of drilling equipment to the Hughes Property is in progress. Additionally, the Company has filed an independent Technical Report for the Hughes Property on SEDAR. Drill Program Update: Drill Mobilization Underway: The Company is currently mobilizing one reverse-circulation drilling rig and one core drilling rig to the Hughes Property. Drilling Imminent: The summer drill program will consist of a minimum of 7,500 m of drilling in approximately 15 holes (see news release dated June 25, 2020). First Modern-Day Exploration: The first drill holes will test the immediate area of the Company?s historically producing Belmont Mine, which is reported to have produced 36.7M ounces of high-grade silver and 428,000 ounces of gold1, but has never been systematically explored. Multiple Targets per Hole are Planned: The stacked nature of the veins in the Belmont Mine area means that many of the planned holes will test multiple potentially mineralized structures. With the recently completed $5M financing, the Company is fully financed for this first round of modern-day exploration on the project. CEO to Appear at Mines and Money Online Connect On July 2, 2020, the Company will be participating in the Mines and Money 5@5 series, a virtual networking session that catches up with five key players in the mining investment community for market commentary and project updates. Galen McNamara, CEO of the Company, will be giving a brief progress update and participating in a general discussion on the panel. This is a free event and participants will be able to interact with the panel and take part in a live chat with other attendees from around the globe. Register for the event here: https://minesandmoney.com/5-at-5/register-for-mines-and-money-552nd-july-emea/ Date: Thursday, July 2nd, 2020 Time: 9:00 AM PDT/ 12:00 PM EDT Technical Report An independent Technical Report for the Hughes Property has been filed on SEDAR. The Technical Report was prepared in accordance with National Instrument 43-101 ? Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects and includes a two-phased recommendation for up to 15,000 m of drilling on the property. Donna Property Update After careful review of all available data, the Company has elected to terminate the option agreement with Eagle Plains Resources (the ?Optionor?) in respect of the Donna Property. The property has been returned to the Optionor and the Company no longer has an interest in the Donna Property or any further obligations to the Optionor. Although the Donna Property is prospective for gold mineralization, the Company believes its resources are better spent on the Hughes Property in central Nevada, and on evaluating other potential projects with a view to maximize shareholder value.?? Engagement of Swiss Resource Capital The Company has engaged SRC Swiss Resource Capital AG (?SRC?) to provide investor relations and communication services in Europe to increase exposure and awareness to investors especially in the German speaking financial community but also through their services provided in English worldwide. SRC, which is led by Jochen Staiger, CEO, will assist the Company?s efforts in growing investor awareness and expanding exposure to retail and institutional investors by providing news dissemination and marketing services in German. In consideration for these services, the Company will pay SRC 5,000 CHF per month for a period of 12 months and has grated 100,000 stock options to SRC at a price of $0.92 per share with a five year term, vesting in stages over 12 months beginning on the 3 month anniversary of the issuance.??????????????? Data Verification The data disclosed in this news release relating historic production at the Belmont Mine is historical in nature. Neither the Company nor a qualified person has yet verified this data and therefore investors should not place undue reliance on such data. The Company?s future exploration work will include verification of the data. Qualified Person The technical information disclosed in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Galen McNamara, P. Geo., the CEO of the Company and a qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101. Mr. McNamara has not verified the data disclosed, including sampling, analytical and test data underlying the information or opinions contained in the written disclosure. About Summa Silver Corp Summa Silver Corp is a Canadian junior mineral exploration company. The Company is focused on the Hughes Property located in central Nevada, which is host to the high-grade historically producing Belmont Mine, one of the most prolific silver producers in the United States between 1903 and 1929. The mine has remained inactive since commercial production ceased in 1929 due to heavily depressed metal prices and little to no modern exploration work has ever been completed. References 1Production of the Tonopah Belmont Development Company, 1903-1932, Nevada Bureau of Mines Report No. 48400131 There are no assurances that the Company will achieve the same results for the Property as past producers. Past production figures of the Belmont Mine are historical and there are no assurances that the Company will be able to reconcile these to current NI 43-101 categories. A qualified person has not done sufficient work to classify this information as a current mineral resource estimate and the Company is not treating the historical production as a current NI 43-101 mineral resource. This news release includes certain ?forward-looking information? and ?forward-looking statements? (collectively ?forward-looking statements?) within the meaning of applicable Canadian and United States securities legislation including the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release. Forward-looking statements are frequently, but not always, identified by words such as ?expects?, ?anticipates?, ?believes?, ?plans?, ?projects?, ?intends?, ?estimates?, ?envisages?, ?potential?, ?possible?, ?strategy?, ?goals?, ?objectives?, or variations thereof or stating that certain actions, events or results ?may?, ?could?, ?would?, ?might? or ?will? be taken, occur or be achieved, or the negative of any of these terms and similar expressions. Forward-looking statements in this news release relate to future events or future performance and reflect current estimates, predictions, expectations or beliefs regarding future events and include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to: (i) the Company?s focus on advancing its assets towards production; (ii) realizing the value of the Company?s projects for the Company?s shareholders; (iii) future prices of gold, silver, base metals and certain other commodities; and (iv) the timing and amount of estimated future production. All forward-looking statements are based on the Company?s or its consultants? current beliefs as well as various assumptions made by them and information currently available to them. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Forward-looking statements reflect the beliefs, opinions and projections on the date the statements are made and are based upon a number of assumptions and estimates that, while considered reasonable by the respective parties, are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties and contingencies. Many factors, both known and unknown, could cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from the results, performance or achievements that are or may be expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements and the parties have made assumptions and estimates based on or related to many of these factors. Such factors include, without limitation: reliability of historical data; fluctuations in the spot and forward price of gold, silver, base metals or certain other commodities; fluctuations in the currency markets (such as the Canadian dollar versus the U.S. dollar); changes in national and local government, legislation, taxation, controls, regulations and political or economic developments; risks and hazards associated with the business of mineral exploration, development and mining (including environmental hazards, industrial accidents, unusual or unexpected formations, pressures, cave-ins and flooding); the presence of laws and regulations that may impose restrictions on mining; employee relations; relationships with and claims by local communities, indigenous populations and other stakeholders; availability and increasing costs associated with mining inputs and labour; the speculative nature of mineral exploration and development; title to properties; and the additional risks described in the Company?s disclosure documents filed with the Canadian securities regulatory authorities under the Company?s SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com. Summa Silver cautions that the foregoing list of factors that may affect future results is not exhaustive. When relying on our forward-looking statements to make decisions with respect to Summa Silver, investors and others should carefully consider the foregoing factors and other uncertainties and potential events. Summa Silver does not undertake to update any forward-looking statement, whether written or oral, that may be made from time to time by the Company or on our behalf, except as required by law. ? Somerset, KY (42501) Today Variable clouds with scattered thunderstorms. Storms may contain strong gusty winds. High 84F. Winds WSW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 90%.. Tonight Showers and thundershowers this evening will give way to steady rain overnight. Low 59F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%. System overview Experience 4MP full HD video and the simplicity of using existing cabling infrastructure with HDCVI. The Lite series 4MP HDCVI camera features a compact design and offers a high quality image at a friendly price. It offers various motorized/fixed lens models with a multi-language OSD and HD/SD switchable output. Its structural flexibility and high cost-performance makes the camera an ideal choice for SMB solutions. 4 signals over 1 coaxial cable HDCVI technology supports 4 signals to be transmitted over 1 coaxial cable simultaneously, i.e. video, audio*, data and power. Dual-way data transmission allows the HDCVI camera to interact with the XVR, such as sending control signal or triggering alarm. Moreover, HDCVI technology supports PoC for construction flexibility. * Audio input is available for some models of HDCVI cameras. Long distance transmission HDCVI technology guarantees real-time transmission at long distance without any loss. It supports up to 700 m for 4MP HD video via coaxial cable, and up to 300 m via UTP cable.* *Actual results verified by real-scene testing in Dahua's test laboratory. Simplicity HDCVI technology inherits the born feature of simplicity from traditional analogue surveillance system, making itself a best choice for investment protection. HDCVI system can seamlessly upgrade the traditional analogue system without replacing existing coaxial cabling. The plug and play approach enables full HD video surveillance without the hassle of configuring a network. Smart IR The camera is designed with IR LED illumination for best lowlight performance. Smart IR is a technology to ensure brightness uniformity in B/W image under low illumination. Dahua's unique Smart IR adjusts to the intensity of camera's infrared LEDs to compensate for the distance of an object, and prevents IR LEDs from overexposing images as the object come closer to the camera. Multi-formats The camera supports multiple video formats including HDCVI, CVBS and other two common HD analogue formats in the market. The four formats can be switched over through OSD menu or by PFM820(UTC controller). This feature makes the camera to be compatible with most end users' existing HD/SD DVRs. Multi-language OSD OSD menu provides multiple image adjustments and function settings to meet the requirements of different monitoring scenes. The OSD menu includes configurations such as backlight mode, day/night, white balance, privacy mask and motion detect. The camera supports 11 languages for OSD menu, namely, Chinese, English, French, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Russian and Polish. Protection The camera's outstanding reliability is unsurpassed due to its rugged design. The camera is protected against water and dust with IP67 ranking, making it suitable for indoor or outdoor environments. With working temperature range of -40 C to +60 C (-40 F to +140 F), the camera is designed for extreme temperature environments. Supporting 30% input voltage tolerance, this camera suits even the most unstable power supply conditions. Its 4KV lightning rating provides protection against the camera and its structure from the effects of lightning. 10th Indonesia International Shipbuilding, Offshore, Marine Equipment, Machinery & Services Exhibition 2020 The 9th of maritime exhibition in Indonesia, Inamarine 2019, which was held successfully, attracted all maritime professional companies in South East Asia itself and several countries. The 10th Indonesia International Shipbuilding, Offshore, Marine Equipment, Machinery & Services Exhibition 2020 will be returning on 26 28 August 2020 at Jakarta International Expo (JIExpo) Kemayoran, Jakarta, Indonesia. It aims to accelerate the growth of the maritime industry that is being worked on by the government. It covers the shipbuilding industry, ship-owner, offshore, port and terminal facilities, maritime transport and logistics, safety and security in ports and shipping, and environment protection. Gaining strong support from the government and several key trade associations, Inamarine firmly establishes itself as the leading platform for both global and local to maritime and offshore industries. Mary Shown South Bend Tribune If youd asked Ethan De Nolf a while back if he would ever open a coffee business, he would likely have said youre nuts. I never planned in my life to start a coffee company, De Nolf, a barber by trade, said. But when things work out a certain way, we have to roll with the punches and go with it. Fewer than four months after opening inside De Nolfs Barbershop at 435 S. Michigan St. in South Bend, Embassy Coffee Co. will move into a new location. According to a social media post, itll be inside the ground floor retail space at the Colfax at Hill building in the East Bank neighborhood. And, itll open this fall. The space has largely remained vacant since the buildings construction in 2016. Embassy currently has a location in Goshen and hinted it will have a mobile option in South Bend toward the end of summer in the Facebook post. A representative with the coffee business did not immediately respond to the Tribunes request for comment about the move. That means theres suddenly space available in the barbershop for a coffee house. In De Nolfs perspective, this was the right move for his business because it will allow the 2,500-square-foot space on Michigan Street to be wholly-owned under one name and brand his own. Its just the right timing, De Nolf said. We have the right momentum and with just everything going on, being able to have my name on everything thats in this space is really exciting. De Nolfs Coffee House will open within the same coffee shop bones inside the downtown South Bend building by the end of this summer. De Nolf optimistically anticipates a soft-opening by mid-August with an end goal being on the one-year anniversary of the opening of De Nolfs Barbershop on Sept. 5. De Nolf said he is currently working out the details about where his coffee will come from, but he plans to use local roasters and will have his own blend of De Nolfs Coffee. Everything from the beans themselves to the packaging, everything, will say and be De Nolfs Coffee House, he said. The new coffee house space will offer all of the makings of a local coffee shop with drip, pour over and espresso options with eventual plans to offer a small food menu from an outside vendor. The space itself will go through something of an overhaul, with plans to create space for seating, a large menu board and merchandise to be scattered throughout. It will have a 1930s aesthetic, De Nolf said, playing off the rest of the space and weaving all three businesses barbershop, coffeehouse and antique store into one cohesive feel. Anyone who has been in here when both (barbershop and coffee shop) were going on at the same time, it just has this amazing energy in here, De Nolf said. To me, its addicting and I want that more often. This is a pretty nice space and I want people to enjoy and feel comfortable in here. As a trained barber, De Nolf said, its somewhat uncharted territory for him, but he is eager to apply his work ethic and listen to experts in the field. De Nolf is also on the hunt to find quality employees for the coffee house. I expect people to have customer service to be their number one deal, he said. I can teach anyone how to learn how to cut hair and I can teach anyone how to learn the barista side of things because there is training out there for that. But you cant teach a good attitude and a good work ethic and good customer service thats either drilled into you or not. But its a good story line to say that you get to grow with me (in this business). Chick-Fil-A hits delay The planned South Bend northwest side Chick-Fil-A on Portage Avenue has hit a setback. According to a company spokeswoman, construction plans for the new Chick-Fil-A restaurant have been pushed back because of COVID-19. Construction was scheduled to begin at the former Applebees building at 3703 Portage Ave. this summer with plans to open by the fall. Now, though, the company spokeswoman could not provide a timeline of when to expect construction to begin or when the restaurant will open. While we remain excited about opening a Chick-fil-A restaurant in South Bend, our construction timelines have shifted due to COVID-19, the statement read. We do not have exact timing to share at this time. There are currently three other Chick-Fil-A locations in Mishawaka and South Bend. Two new stores planned for UP Mall Shoppers at the University Park Mall will soon see some new tenants inside. According to construction design releases, stores Rose & Remington and Burlap & Birch will open inside the Mishawaka mall. Rose & Remington is a womens boutique store that sells clothing and accessories. According to its website, the business has locations in Kentucky, Ohio and Indiana. Two locations in Carmel and Bloomington are listed as coming soon, but there is no word on the Mishawaka location. A representative with Rose & Remington did not respond to The Tribunes request for more information. Burlap & Birch is a home goods store, selling home decor and furniture and has locations in Ohio with a Noblesville, Ind. location listed as coming soon. There is, again, no clear sign about the proposed Mishawaka location and a representative with the company did not respond to The Tribunes request for more information. Burlap & Birch and Rose & Remington companies are both owned by mother-daughter duo Dee Alexander and Kristen Ponchot, according to the Dayton Daily News. A timeline of when the stores will open inside the University Park Mall was not immediately clear. Mall management representatives would not comment on the potential new tenants. Have you heard? The parent company to Chuck E. Cheese filed for bankruptcy last week. No Indiana locations are currently scheduled to close. The Mishawaka location at 822 W. McKinley Ave. underwent a remodel in September updating its dance floors and games. PKR Noodle Bar announced on its Facebook page Tuesday that it will temporarily close for the month of July citing a slowdown caused by the coronavirus. The ramen restaurant opened in November 2019 inside the Emporium Building at 121 S. Niles Ave. Rich Lowry South Bend Tribune President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden agree on one thing the other side is trying to steal the election. Trump told a gathering of students in Phoenix that this will be, in my opinion, the most corrupt election in the history of our country. He amplified the point, a constant theme of his, in a tweet: RIGGED 2020 ELECTION: MILLIONS OF MAIL-IN BALLOTS WILL BE PRINTED BY FOREIGN COUNTRIES, AND OTHERS. IT WILL BE THE SCANDAL OF OUR TIMES! The president of the United States actively undermining faith in the electoral process is gross and unprecedented, but hes not alone. Asked by Trevor Noah of The Daily Show whether he worried the election would be rendered moot by his supporters being prevented from voting, Biden replied: Its my greatest concern. My single greatest concern. This president is going to try to steal this election. This wasnt an isolated comment. Mark my words, he warned in May, I think he is going to try to kick back the election somehow, come up with some rationale why it cant be held. Yes, if there is one thing everyone can now agree on, its our inability to pull off a free and fair election. We are probably headed to the ugliest electoral smashup since 1876, when the contest between Republican Rutherford B. Hayes and Democrat Samuel Tilden went into overtime, with each party claiming it had won Florida, Louisiana and South Carolina. Perhaps a handy victory by Biden or, much less likely, Trump will take the edge off the postgame acrimony, but it is going to be ugly regardless. If the election is close, the aftermath will be a norm-busting extravaganza of conspiracy theories, lawsuits and, at the very least, threats to take it to the streets. If Trump loses, theres unlikely to be a concession phone call one of the little grace notes of our democracy and he will argue that he was undone by Democratic cheating. Heck, he won in 2016 and still maintained hed been cheated. The transition would surely be unlike any weve ever seen, with the incumbent routinely insulting his soon-to-be successor. Trump would be likelier to live-tweet Bidens inauguration than to attend. And if he wins, it could be even worse. There were protests in the streets after he won in 2016. In the supercharged atmosphere of 2020, we shouldnt be surprised by riots. After once again believing hed inevitably lose and facing another intolerable four years of President Trump, the lefts shock and despair would be unlike anything either side in our politics has experienced in memory. Its not going to lead Trumps opposition to conclude: Oh, well. We ran another flawed candidate and got overconfident again. Well retool and see you in 2022 and 2024. One of the ironies of the 2016 election is that Democrats rightly scolded Trump for preparing the ground not to accept the election result. Then, when he won, they resisted accepting the result themselves, preferring to believe that the election had been stolen by Russia. A close result will obviously magnify feelings on both sides. The Florida vote controversy of 2000 was the height of recent domestic contention over a presidential election. Looking back, though, it was remarkably tame. With control of the presidency hanging by a thread in Florida, there were no large-scale demonstrations, let alone violence. The legal briefs flew fast and furious and both former President George W. Bush and former Vice President Al Gore wanted to win and distrusted the legal and electoral maneuvers of the other side. Yet there were things that neither of them would say in public and both of them were willing, if it came to that, to concede with grace. Both men were shaped by the post-World War II consensus in American politics. They had absorbed its standards and reflexively honored its guardrails. That was 20 years, and an eon ago. Staff reports South Bend Tribune Scott County, Ky Authorities in Scott County, Kentucky say that two St. Joseph County residents were killed in a traffic accident that occurred on Monday. The victims have been identified as Donna Vanek, 48 and Brody Vanek, 11. The accident occurred in the eastbound lane of Interstate 64 near the Fayette and Scott county line, according to the Scott County Sheriff's office. According to the Scott County Sheriff, deputies responded to an injury crash on I 64 around 3:30 p.m. Monday. Brussels, 27 June 2020 (SPS) - Participants in the political symposium, entitled "Settlement of the conflict in Western Sahara: one year after the resignation of UN Envoy Horst Kohler," on Wednesday called for the resumption of negotiations between Morocco and the Polisario Front, urging the UN chief to hasten the designation of a personal envoy for Western Sahara. The symposium, held via videoconference, has been attended by Oubi Bouchraya Al-Bashir Sahrawi ambassador to Europe and the European Union, Pierre Galand President of the EUCOCO, Said Ayachi Head of the Algerian Committee for Solidarity with the Sahrawi People (CNASPS), and Gilles Dover Lawyer of the Polisario before the European courts and Francesco Bastagli former representative of the UN Secretary General in Western Sahara. In the Final Declaration, a solemn appeal was launched to the UN chief to designate as soon as possible a new envoy for this non-self-governing territory with a view to relaunching the negotiations in a deadlock since Horst Kohler's resignation in May 2019. The Participants stressed the importance of the effective implementation of the right to self-determination, and the liberation of political prisoners. They condemned Moroccos destabilizing actions aiming at evading its international obligations and slowing down the process of decolonization of Western Sahara territory, reminding the Spanish government of its responsibilities to end the colonization and to recognize the inalienable right of the Sahrawis to build their state as affirmed by the African Union. In the same context, the speakers denounced the position of the European Commission with regard to this conflict between the Polisario Front in Morocco, demanding that it respect the relevant decisions of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) on the Association Agreement between the European Union and Morocco. They also recalled that the decisions of the CJEU on this conflict say that Morocco and Western Sahara are two distinct and separate territories. Reaffirming their support for the legitimate demands of the Sahrawi people, the participants stressed the urgency for the UN Security Council to fulfill its promises regarding the Western Sahara decolonization. (SPS) 062/SPS/APS We all fall into a slump every now and then. But, what if you cant kick yourself out of that slump? When you fall into a similar emotion or when you give up on your dreams over and over that could be an indication of learned helplessness. I don't know the answers, but I know that this is a situation you have to fight. As an entrepreneur, a leader, and as an employer, I've seen indications of learned helplessness at work, among those I care about and associate with. COVID-19 says that we are all in this together. The riots have said we are all in this together. We can help each other in the workplace when you see someone with learned helplessness. Coined by psychologist Martin Seligman in the late 1960s following controversial studies involving dogs and electric shocks, this is when subjects give up hope when facing an uncontrollable situation. For example, Seligman subjected study participants to loud, unpleasant noises, with a lever that would or would not stop the sounds, write the folks over at Psychology Today. The group whose lever wouldnt stop the sound in the first round stopped trying to silence the noise in the second round. At some point, weve all experienced a similar feeling in our lives, including the workplace. Whether if its a rotten culture, unrealistic work expectation or complex problems like time management, feeling helpless doesnt just impact your performance and productivity. It can also damage your health and well-being by contributing to anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic disorder. The good news? You dont have to feel this way. In fact, you can fight back against learned helplessness so that you can get back on track and keep your health and well-being in check. Unlearn learned helplessness. Learned helplessness is a form of conditioning, explain the Psychology Compass team. If something is reinforced/rewarded, we are more likely to repeat that behavior again. And likewise, if we are punished, were more likely to avoid that same behavior in the future. While it takes time to unlearn this association and to decondition the response, it is feasible. In fact, you can help yourself or a coworker by pointing out the following three methods: Identify your explanatory style. First, you need to determine if you tend to be more optimistic or pessimistic. Taking a Learned Optimism Test can help you figure this out. The goal is to change the way you look at the causes of events in your life. First, you need to determine if you tend to be more optimistic or pessimistic. Taking a Learned Optimism Test can help you figure this out. The goal is to change the way you look at the causes of events in your life. Use the ABC method. Next, you want to use this strategy to change your interpretation of negative situations. Using the following step-by-help process, A Adversity; B Belief; C Consequence; D Disputation; E Energization, can help you respond by optimistically. Next, you want to use this strategy to change your interpretation of negative situations. Using the following step-by-help process, A Adversity; B Belief; C Consequence; D Disputation; E Energization, can help you respond by optimistically. Feel more in control by being SMART. The third and final step is to set S.M.A.R.T. goals to keep you motivated. Related: You Can Reprogram Yourself to Be a Positive Person and You Should Take action. "What we do know from research is that one of the biggest precipitators of anxiety is a feeling of helplessness when everything seems out of your control," says Dr. Kerry Ressler, professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. One effective way to regain control is by giving back. If you werent aware, volunteering has several benefits like improving your health and wellness, connecting you to others, and adding meaning to your life. Other ideas are to help others solve problems, pick-up a hobby, or learn something new. All of these make you feel active, as opposed to passive. And because these can make you feel like youre moving forward, you have a greater sense of control. If you feel unsatisfied with your career, or fear that your job is in jeopardy, be proactive. Use your downtime to polish up your resume or develop new skills. You could also start networking more frequently with influencers within your industry. Focus on solutions, not problems. One of the main reasons I decided to limit my social media usage is that I couldnt stand the complaining. I dont want to come across as callus here. Im well aware that some people have no other outlet then to vent on Facebook, Twitter or whatever their preferred platform is. I also dont mind assisting others. However, I noticed a particularly troubling trend. Whenever advice was offered, a lot of times, the complainer would just dismiss it or make excuses on why the suggestions wouldnt work. In short, they didnt want help. They just wanted to complain. So, how can you stop your mind wandering toward the negative? Do not just react, take the time to fully analyze the problem, then make a list of possible solutions, recommends Dr. Ivan Misner. And, because thats often easier said than done, heres a simple process from Dr. Misner to get you started: Identify the problem(s) Identify what you did before in a similar problem Brainstorm possible solutions. Change what doesnt work Find and use resources Decide which solution is best Put that solution into play Build on each successive step Try to do more of what works Use an alternative solution if not achieving the required results Related: When Faced With Adversity, Focus on Solutions, Not More Problems Embrace dark moods, but dont dwell on negative thoughts. Forcing yourself to be happy can have the opposite effect. At least, thats what one study conducted at UC Berkeley and published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology discovered. We found that people who habitually accept their negative emotions experience fewer negative emotions, which adds up to better psychological health, wrote senior study author Iris Mauss, an associate professor of psychology at UC Berkeley. Maybe if you have an accepting attitude toward negative emotions, youre not giving them as much attention, Mauss said. And perhaps, if youre constantly judging your emotions, the negativity can pile up. It turns out that how we approach our own negative emotional reactions is really important for our overall well-being, added study lead author Brett Ford, an assistant professor of psychology at the University of Toronto. People who accept these emotions without judging or trying to change them can cope with their stress more successfully. At the same time, ruminating on negative thoughts can also be a problem. For instance, are these thoughts or feelings helping you solve a problem, or are they taking a toll on your health and well-being? If it's the latter, then you need to snap out of this vicious cycle. There are many ways you can do this. But, again, its not about neglecting your helplessness. Its acknowledging and using them to your advantage. Heres what helps prevent me from dwelling on the negative: Block out worry or rumination time. Determine what can be solved or just a figment of your imagination. Focus on the goals you want to achieve. Dont waste time and energy on the things that you cant control. Additionally, I try to find happiness. That doesnt mean putting on a fake smile. Its more about lifting my mood when I need it by: Practicing gratitude writing in a journal or saying thank you. Taking my dog for a long walk outside. Listening to music. Practicing my signature strengths. Sprucing up my workspace by investing in a standing desk and plants. Proper lighting, surrounding yourself with personal items, and healthy snacks also help. Dont be antisocial. Besides personalizing your workspace, leveraging your working environment and culture can also help combat learned helplessness. For example, instead of eating lunch alone, grab a bite with a co-worker. You could also suggest team-building activities or after-work social events. Another idea would be to plan a walking or standing meeting, as opposed to sitting down. Besides ensuring that the meeting is short and concise, movement brings oxygen to the brain. You could also ask for feedback, or offer this to others. And if there are colleagues you arent getting along with, then find alternatives. If youre in a leadership position, that may mean moving to let them go if they are toxic. If youre not in a leadership role, ask if you can be moved to a different part of the office or join another group. Most importantly, if you need to talk to someone, please do. Whether if its a family member, friend, colleague or a therapist, just know that you dont have to go this alone. Tap into intrinsic motivation. Did you know that there are two types of motivation? The first is extrinsic (or external). An example of this would be receiving a promotion or bonus by meeting a deadline. The second is intrinsic (or internal). Learning a new skill or hobby during your downtime is a typical example of this type since youre striving towards personal satisfaction or accomplishment. In other words, extrinsic motivation often relies on if, then rewards. While there are times when these can be effective motivators, researchers have found that they can worsen performance. Thats why you should focus on intrinsic motivation. An excellent starting point would be the three elements required for inherent motivation from author Dan Pink: autonomy, mastery and purpose. Dont sweat about hitting all three. The idea is to use them to find and create opportunities. Related: How To Stay Motivated (Even When You Really Don't Want To) Change your situation. Lets say that your helplessness is caused by feeling overwhelmed with your workload. Youve admitted this and looked for solutions, like learning how to prioritize your lists. Unfortunately, you still feel like youre underwater. If so, you may have to dig deeper. What tasks can be automated, delegated or removed? Are there meeting alternatives like email or a quick call? Are you more productive working at home or in the office? What if youve answered all of these questions, and nothing has changed? It may be time to leave your current job for greener pastures. Related: How to Fight Learned Helplessness at Work 5 Steps for Bouncing Back After You Fail My Journey From Couch-Surfing Kid to Tech Engineer Copyright 2020 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved The COVID-19 pandemic has affected Connecticuts communities in ways that are deeply inequitable and detrimental to the well-being and economy of our state as new data each day reminds us. State statistics show that Black residents have died from COVID-19 at a rate 2.7 times higher, and Latino residents at a rate 1.6 times higher, than that of white residents. Since March, the novel coronavirus has spread in uneven ways. While the virus initially appeared most often in the states wealthier areas, our analysis shows that it quickly became much more concentrated in Connecticuts largest cities and in 31 other towns with moderate income levels, such as Ansonia, Danbury, Manchester and West Haven. These places, home to just over half of the states population, comprise more than two-thirds of reported cases and nearly 75 percent of deaths. And although the number of new COVID-19 cases has fallen across the state, residents of moderate-income towns were still more likely to test positive for the virus than people in wealthier suburbs in June suggesting that public health systems still have room for improvement in areas such as testing access. A new DataHaven publication, Towards Health Equity in Connecticut: The Role of Social Inequality and the Impact of COVID-19, dissects the social factors that have led to such disproportionate health outcomes in the Nutmeg State, which existed long before the pandemic. Our study finds that the COVID-19 outbreak widened those gaps, and suggests a road map for helping close them. Looming threats such as mass evictions and a possible second wave of the virus, as well as large-scale demonstrations over systemic racism in policing and other social institutions, suggest that our leaders have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to address not just the immediate health crisis, but the underlying social inequalities that complicate it. Health disparities are deeply rooted in systemic social inequalities and racism. In a low-income household, when someone gets sick, medical care requires time and money the household cannot afford, leading to a cascade of economic problems. And an impoverished household is vulnerable to illness in the first place because many of the factors that promote health food, exercise, safe housing are expensive. Its no surprise, then, that poverty leads to large gaps in health outcomes. The Kaiser Family Foundation reported that, if infected, adults in households making less than $15,000 per year are over twice as likely to develop serious cases of COVID-19 compared to adults in households making over $50,000 per year. According to our 2018 survey of adults across Connecticut, one-third of low-income adults were unable to afford food at least once in the past year, leaving them dependent on cheaper, less-nutritious foods that make developing obesity, diabetes, heart disease and other chronic diseases more likely. Sixteen percent of low-income adults could not pay for housing at least once in the past year, and many especially renters, who tend to be lower-income or people of color lived in overcrowded homes, or homes with safety issues like lead paint or pests. Our new report finds that the COVID-19 outbreak has amplified these problems. The pandemic has hit certain industries especially hard such as retail, food service and personal care that typically employ people without a college degree, immigrants and people of color. Sixty-seven percent of Latino adults and about half of Black and Asian adults in Connecticut have experienced a loss of employment income since March. Forty-seven percent of Latino, 33 percent of Black and 19 percent of white renters in Connecticut reported that they were not likely to be able to make their June rent payments. Food insecurity is at historic highs. Such inequalities place people at higher risk of COVID-19. Overcrowded homes seem to promote spread of the virus, and chronic diseases seem to lead to worse infection outcomes. And poverty doesnt act alone; it intersects with other structural inequalities like racism. Connecticut is a predominantly white state, but our new reports local data appendix shows that its Black and Latino populations face higher rates of unemployment, poverty, chronic disease, food and housing insecurity across every city, suburb and small town. Even beyond socioeconomic inequality, racism is inherently a threat to public health: A recent study from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology found that, even after accounting for income, insurance status and comorbidities, counties with higher proportions of Black residents had higher COVID-19 death rates. Our new report discusses how these gaps may be explained by stress and systemic discrimination. Decades of racist policies and practices that affect wealth accumulation and community safety, such as redlining and school segregation, have hurt Black peoples mental health. Racism is also a barrier to maintaining physical health and discrimination extends into health care settings. In our 2018 survey, Connecticut residents reported discrimination in health care access on the basis of race, gender, sexual orientation and insurance status. This could make people less likely to seek out care when they need it perhaps even when they are struggling with COVID-19 and less likely to receive competent care when they do seek it out. The need for new health care policies are critical. Noncitizens must be ensured access to medical care. Investment must rise in community health workers who can help ensure patients can get not only competent medical care, but the additional services that are essential to maintain health. Health is a product of society, and the 20-year gaps in life expectancy in our state from one neighborhood to the next just a few miles apart show that our society does not give everyone an equal opportunity to achieve their full potential. Change will require collaboration between federal and state policymakers and grassroots organizations, and a substantial expansion of social services. When we eventually emerge from the pandemic, many of us will be looking forward to a return to normal. But the old normal did not serve everyone equally. We have a chance to fix that. Aparna Nathan is research assistant and Mark Abraham is executive director of DataHaven , a New Haven-based non-profit organization with a 25-year history of public service to Connecticut communities. Its mission is to empower people to create thriving communities by collecting and ensuring access to data on well-being, equity and quality of life. T he new chairman of John Lewis is to take an axe to stores, jobs and part of the retail groups London headquarters in a cost-cutting drive, the Evening Standard can reveal. In a bombshell letter to staff, Sharon White this week told 80,000 staff at the mutual, which also includes Waitrose, that its prized bonus will likely be ditched next year as the company wrestles to improve profitability. At the start of the Covid crisis, sources at the group warned it was unlikely all 50 of its department stores would reopen after the lockdown. White confirmed plans to close a several unnamed shops, with staff informed in mid-July. Around 20 stores have reopened since non-essential retailers were given the green light to reopen on June 15 with distancing measures in place. Plans to open a further 10 were announced today, including Oxford Street on July 16. In the letter, seen by the Standard, White said: The difficult reality is that we have too much store space for the way people want to shop now. As difficult as it is, we now know that it is highly unlikely that we will reopen all our John Lewis stores. Regrettably, it is likely that there will implications for some Partners jobs. We are in active discussions with landlords about ending some leases and renegotiating others to make the terms more flexible. One of two large offices in Victoria, normally home to 450 staff, will close. We are rethinking our head office space to cement more flexible working that has become a feature of the crisis, and will be relinquishing Partnership House in London, White said. The adjacent office at 171 Victoria Street, usually home to 2400 staff, will stay open. Coping with the crisis: some John Lewis stores have already reopened / John Lewis On the bonus, she said: We entered the crisis with weakening profits, and we have taken a number of actions to preserve cash. Support from the Government has been a big help they have paid most of our furlough costs and given us a holiday from business rates. Trade too has not been as bad as our worst-case scenario thanks to a lot of hard work from our Partners. However as our competitors reopen we expect trading to be tougher in the second half of the year. There is clearly a lot of uncertainty but as things stand, it is hard to see the circumstances where we will be able to pay a bonus next year. I know this will be a blow for partners who have made sacrifices these past months. In March, John Lewis revealed annual profits slumped 23% to 123 million and it slashed its annual bonus to 2% of salary, the lowest since the payment was skipped in 1953. White last week named a senior Co-operative executive, Pippa Wicks, to head John Lewis while former Sainsburys director James Bailey was hired in April to run Waitrose. Chancellor Rishi Sunak with John Lewis chairman Sharon White during a visit to a store in London last month / HM TREASURY/AFP via Getty Images The former Ofcom boss kicked off a strategic review of the business on joining in February, and the results are due at the end of this month with staff informed in the autumn. A restructuring of its technology and change function, paused at the start of lockdown, has recommenced. Yesterday John Lewis informed 244 IT staff in Bracknell it is outsourcing their jobs, and they will switch to Indian tech giant Wipro in November. White added: We are also seizing opportunities to regrow; exploring how we best use our department store space to meet the needs of our customers formats and locations, non-retail use, more combined Waitrose/John Lewis shops, different category mixes, and higher investment in stores where we can improve value to customers. She said the company is working on growing its Home department online; its Waitrose.com division, which will find itself competing with longstanding partner Ocados M&S joint venture in the autumn; and improving customer service. It is also ramping up plans to stock more John Lewis products in Waitrose stores and online. John Lewis online sales were around 40% of revenues pre-Covid and, after becoming 100% during lockdown, White believes it is a reasonable assumption that online could account for as much as 60% to 70% of total sales this year and next. Loading.... Y esterday I casually tweeted a thought on Wirecard, forgetting you should never tweet anything casually. My comment on this gigantic, utterly embarrassing German corporate scandal was this: The Wirecard scandal shows why Frankfurt will never replace the City of London as a financial centre. Germany can't regulate its own firms, never mind anyone else's. Some people liked it. Some thought it evidence of an unsophisticated mind. (No comment). A common thread was that I must have forgotten about the Citys own financial scandals. About the near collapse of Royal Bank of Scotland, about Libor. About NMC Health just months ago. A tweeter called Alpha 1902 replied: Enron? Worldcom? Fannie Mae? And then that small bankLehman something. With apologies to Alpha 1902 all those corporate collapses happened in America, so Im not sure what hes getting at. If he just means that corporate scandals are not unique to Germany, thats certainly true. But now Ive thought about it, my point stands. Theres been this notion for decades, accelerated after the Brexit vote, that London is poised to lose its place as the centre of high finance in Europe. Frankfurt, Paris, and Amsterdam would eat our lunch. Any day now. This never seemed likely to me or those in the City that follow this stuff much more closely than I. Two anecdotes. About ten years ago I had a meeting at the Bank of England with someone very important. Officially, this person was concerned about business being lost overseas. Privately, they thought it a joke. The German regulators had been on the phone all week, (s)he said, worried about Deutsche Bank. Did the Bank of England know what was going on in that institution, the Germans asked. Because, they admitted, they certainly did not. They were aware this huge bank was a danger. And rather hoping that the London watchdogs were on top of it. Second anecdote. A banker pal who led a City firm decades ago was thinking of buying a German broker. Out of courtesy they asked the Bundesbank if they had any objection. The Bundesbank didnt care less, in so far as they even understood the question. German banking is not like the UKs, where a small number of high street and household names dominate the landscape. Small local banks compete, which is good for the consumer but makes it hard for those lenders to build up the profits they need to prepare for a severe downturn. And because they are small, the regulation has tended to be patchy. The collapse of Wirecard suggests German regulation is no better than ever it has been. Germans are brilliant at many things penalties, cars, cleanliness but not financial regulation. Things go wrong in London, of course. But Royal Bank of Scotland was bailed out before it actually went bust. The experts knew what was coming. The watchdogs of Wirecard had no idea, and seemed to imagine the fine work appearing in the Financial Times was just an attempt by some stuffy British paper to harm a fine German institution. T he founder of restaurant group Boisdale has said it will continue to host live music events when it reopens its Belgravia restaurant next week, a move contrary to government guidance discouraging musical performances. The Scottish restaurant, which has hosted live music on a nightly basis for 21 years, will reopen Boisdale of Belgravia on July 8. It has confirmed that it will host a residency by Frank Sinatra impersonator Stephen Triffitt from July 14 to August 15, as well as a jazz trio every Sunday from July 12. Currently, government guidance says that venues should not permit live performances and that they should also ensure that steps are taken to avoid people needing to unduly raise their voices to each other, which includes refraining from playing music or broadcasts that may encourage shouting. After carefully studying the Governments advice concerning live music performances, I do not consider all live music is contrary to HMG Guidelines, founder and managing director Ranald McDonald said in a statement. Slainte! Boisdale is dedicated to promoting both Scottish food - including haggis - and live music Food. Bars. Going out. Delivered weekly Email Sign up Sign up I would like to be emailed about offers, event and updates from Evening Standard. Read our privacy notice {{message}} {{permutiveUid}} {{message}} It is counter intuitive that pre-recorded music, at a volume that does not cause customers to raise their voices, is acceptable in restaurants and bars, but not live music at the same volume, he continued. Fortunately, the advice, as we understand it, is set out as firm guidance and is not statutory. The restaurant has written a set of Boisdale Live Music Covid-19 Protocols, to comply with the governments call to mitigate the risks of aerosol transmission of the virus. Protocols involve barring brass or wind instruments which could funnel and blow possible contagion from its jazz trio, making sure all musicians are socially distanced by 1.5 metres and placing perspex screens around on-stage vocalists to separate them from the audience. Boisdale has said that dancing and singing from audience members will be prohibited, and that sound will be vigilantly controlled remotely by management to ensure that the volume of music is maintained at a level to ensure that the dining audience can easily converse over a table without raising their voices. Hustlers star Lili Reinhart has said she made a mistake after using a topless picture of herself to call for the arrest of the policemen who shot Breonna Taylor. The picture has since been either deleted or archived from her Instagram account and on Tuesday she took to Twitter to talk about her tone deaf caption despite her good intentions. Reinhart tweeted: Ive always tried to use my platform for good. And speak up about things that are important to me. I also can admit when I make a mistake and I made a mistake with my caption. It was never my intent to insult anyone and Im truly sorry to those that were offended. Ive tried very hard to be honest on my IGTV lives that Im still learning and trying to be better. But I understand that my caption came off as tone deaf. I truly had good intentions and did not think it through that it could come off as insensitive." AFP via Getty Images People. Fashion. Power. Delivered weekly. Email Sign up Sign up I would like to be emailed about offers, event and updates from Evening Standard. Read our privacy notice {{message}} {{permutiveUid}} {{message}} The removed post showed the Riverdale star sitting on Salton Sea beach topless, alongside the caption: Now that my sideboob has gotten your attention, Breonna Taylors murderers have not been arrested. Demand justice. Taylor was a Black emergency medical technician who was killed after Louisville police conducted a no-knock search warrant at her home, which saw them enter her home as part of a drug investigation. One of three police officers involved in the fatal shooting of Breonna Taylor will be fired / Courtesy of Family of Breonna Taylor Taylors partner, Kenneth Walker, is a licensed gun owner and exchanged fire with the police as he believed they were being robbed and police officers returned fire; shooting Taylor eight times and leading to her death. No drugs were found in Taylors home. As with George Floyd, Taylor has become a key figure in the Black Lives Matter protests and her family have filed a lawsuit against the Louisville Police Department. Many celebrities, including Beyonce, have used their platforms to call for the arrest of police officers involved. T wo officers were injured and a police car was damaged as a man wielding an "axe" was arrested at an Asda store in Fife, Scotland. Police raced to the incident at the supermarket on the Queensgate industrial estate in Glenrothes around 8.15am this morning. A dispute was said to have broken out between two customers. One man then left the store and returned with the weapon before police arrived. Eyewitnesses say a man "turned up with an axe" after being asked to leave by staff, according to the Herald Scotland. Two police officers sustained minor injuries and a police car was damaged. A 40-year-old man was arrested. No members of the public were injured during the incident. The Asda staff were praised on Twitter for their "amazing reactions". One said: "Staff did brilliantly in Asda this morning to prevent something much worse from happening, hope they are recognised for what they did." Another said: "Amazing reactions by staff at @asda Glenrothes this morning, put themselves at risk to prevent a situation that could have been much much worse than a few displays damaged, hope theyre rewarded accordingly by the company." An Asda spokesman praised the store manager for closing the door as the man left, moving people towards the storeroom while waiting for the police. He said: We have been made aware of an incident that took place at the Glenrothes store earlier today and would like to praise all of our colleagues at the store who acted quickly and effectively until authorities arrived. The store is now reopen and we are helping the police with their inquiries. The man has been charged and is due to appear at Falkirk Sheriff Court on Thursday. Inspector Kirk Donnelly said: We can confirm a 40-year-old man has been arrested and charged in connection with a disturbance at an Asda supermarket, Queensgate industrial estate, around 8.15am on Wednesday July 1. The man was found to be in possession of an offensive weapon, but I would like reassure the public that there is no threat to the wider community. A police car was damaged while the suspect was apprehended and officers received minor injuries. No members of the public were injured and I would like to thank them for their assistance with this incident. A Metropolitan Police officer has been warned after posting an "inappropriate" tweet from an official account that said "kicking down doors is probably one of our favourite things". The tweet was shared by the MPS Homerton Twitter account and was accompanied with a picture showing officers using a battering ram to break down a door. Social media users were quick to condemn the tweet, which was deleted shortly after it was posted online. The tweet read: Kicking down doors is probably one of our favourite things. "Another warrant conducted on #Victoria ward with the assistance of @MSPHomerton @MPSKingsPark @MPSHackneyWick #knockknock #localpolicing. After being contacted about the post, the Metropolitan Police said in a statement: We are aware of an inappropriate tweet sent from the @MPSHomerton twitter account. The officer who tweeted this has been given words of advice and the Professional Standards Unit have been made aware. The tweet has now been deleted. Guardian columnist Owen Jones said the tweet made the police force sound like "gangsters". He said: Really great tweet to send if you want to sound like a bunch of unhinged gangsters, @MPSHomerton! (And yes, this is real) A fellow social media user responded: As a Homerton resident, I find this now-deleted tweet very disturbing. This is why defunding the police and ring-fencing policing budgets for local services is needed. Another complained that the message was sinister, adding: As someone who lives in Homerton it makes me feel terrified. It is not the first time a UK police force has been criticised for its use of Twitter. During lockdown in April, Cambridgeshire Police had to clarify officers were not monitoring what people were buying from supermarkets after its Cambridge account tweeted that police were pleased to see the non-essential aisles empty. A 24-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of criminal damage over the pulling down of Edward Colston's statue in Bristol. The bronze memorial to the 17th Century slave trader, which has been in the city centre since 1895, was torn down during a Black Lives Matter protest on June 7. It was then taken to Bristol's harbour where it was tossed into the sea. Police investigating the incident made no arrests at the time. The statue was tossed into Bristol Harbour / PA However, the force said it would be reviewing footage of a small group of people who were filmed pulling down the statue with ropes. The investigation remains ongoing. On June 7, video footage captured the statue being pulled down using a rope followed by people dancing on top of it and cheering. Controversial statue pulled down during protest in Bristol It came as thousands of protesters gathered across the UK to march against racism following the death of George Floyd. A few days later Bristol City Council fished the statue from the harbour. Mayor Marvin Rees had announced that it would be removed and displayed in one of the city's museums alongside Black Lives Matter placards from the recent protests. Edward Colston was a merchant in the Royal African Company, which held a monopoly in England in the West African slave trade. Protesters throw statue of Edward Colston into Bristol harbour 1 /10 Protesters throw statue of Edward Colston into Bristol harbour PA Keir Gravil via Reuters PA PA PA PA PA PA PA PA During his time at the company, it is estimated to have transported around 84,000 African men women and children as slaves. Colston was also a philanthropist in his native Bristol, and has a number of charitable foundations that survive to this day, including Colston's School. The bronze memorial to Edward Colston had been situated in the city's centre since 1895 Prior to being torn down it was the the subject of an 11,000-strong petition to have it removed. Earlier, protestor John McAllister, 71, tore down black bin bags used to hide the statue to denounce it in front of fellow protesters. He said: It says erected by the citizens of Bristol, as a memorial to one of the most virtuous and wise sons of this city. A girl aged five has died and her mother is in hospital with critical injuries. Neighbours today told of the battle to save the little girls life after the alarm was raised. A nurse who entered the familys flat, above a Sri Lankan supermarket in a shopping parade in Mitcham, told the Standard: There was so much blood. Scotland Yard called to Monarch Parade at 4pm yesterday say they are not looking for anyone else in connection with the death. This morning an officer guarded the crime scene as forensic officers searched for evidence. A childs pink bike was outside as floral tributes started to be placed. Elsa Gonzales, 47, said she was alerted by a resident shouting for an ambulance. She said: He was screaming for us to help. I went into the flat. In the bedroom, there was blood everywhere. [The mother] had a wound in her torso. She was still responsive and was mumbling something. Then I looked on the bed and her daughter was on her side. I am medically trained, I knew she had gone. It was a living nightmare. She said the Sri Lankan family were fantastic people, adding: The mother had been unwell I know because her husband had asked my advice because of my medical background. Police were called to Monarch Parade at 4pm yesterday / Nigel Howard She had not been to hospital because of the Covid-19 pandemic. She was not at all well. Relative Thinesh Sivantham, 31, told the Standard: We are all devastated. The mum was not well or coping well at all. I have spoken to the father and he is in a mess. He cant believe what has happened. I was with him soon after it happened and I live close. Its a tragedy. He said the girls father was at work at Sainsburys when he was told of the incident. Local shopkeeper Pathmanathan Ariyaratnam added: They are my customers. The mum has been very much in pain. She couldnt get treatment and was trying herbal remedies. "It is a mystery what can have happened. Neighbour Thebaka Thurairadneswaran added: The little girl used to come and play here we are so upset. She was so beautiful and full of life. They are the nicest family, we are really devastated. Police said a woman, 35, had been taken to hospital with life-threatening injuries. No arrests have been made. A post-mortem examination will take place in due course. D etectives have launched a murder investigation after a five-year-old girl was found dead in south London. The girl, named by police as Sayagi Sivanantham, was found lifeless alongside a critically injured woman at a flat in Mitcham on Tuesday afternoon. Police were called to the address on Monarch Parade at 4pm where they found the child and 35-year-old woman with stab wounds. Sayagi was rushed to hospital but was later pronounced dead. The woman was also taken to hospital where she remains in a critical condition. Video shows air ambulance in Mitcham Sayagis next of kin are aware and are being supported by specially trained officers, Scotland Yard said. Although no formal arrest has been made, police are not currently looking for anyone else in connection with the incident. Detective Chief Inspector Justin Howick said: This is a tragic incident and we are working very hard to fully understand what has happened. "Whilst I know the effects of this incident will, understandably, shock and sadden the local community, please be reassured that we are not seeking anyone else in connection with Sayagis death and there is no cause for the community to be fearful or alarmed. I would like to hear from anyone who feels they may have information that could assist our investigation. Superintendent Richard Smith, from the Mets South West Command Unit, said: Today a family are grieving for their little girl, and we are doing everything we can to support them. "This terrible incident has left a family distraught and the local community in shock. "I would like to pay tribute to the police officers and ambulance service colleagues who responded to this frightening situation and thank them for working so hard to try and save Sayagi. "She will remain in our thoughts. Police initially said Sayagi was four years old, but later clarified she was five. T his is the first picture of a four-year-old girl found lifeless alongside her critically-injured mother in their family home. The pair were found with injuries inside a flat in Monarch Parade in Mitcham, south London, on Tuesday afternoon. After being flown to hospital, the toddler, named by police today as Sayagi Sivanantham, was pronounced dead, while a 35-year-old woman - believed to be her mother, and identified as Sutha Karunanantham - remains in a life-threatening condition. Their neighbour, Elsa Gonzales, 47, described hearing screaming and crying coming from the flat next door, where the family-of-four from Sri Lanka lived. Mrs Gonzales, who used to work in an emergency department, said: "I saw the woman lying on the floor in a pool of blood. There was blood everywhere. I looked on the bed and saw the girl, she was covered in a blanket." Horror: a police officer stands guard outside the flat in Mitcham today / Evening Standard / eyevine Officers and paramedics arrived at the scene at around 4pm. The girl was taken to hospital where she was pronounced dead shortly afterwards, while the woman's injuries are described as life-threatening. Police said no arrests have been made and they are not looking for anyone else in connection with the incident. Mrs Gonzales, who has lived at Monarch Parade for 12 years, said: "It's really breaking my heart, the child was a smart kid, she was always smiling. She was a cheeky little girl, always playing with the neighbourhood kids. Police said no arrests have been made and they are not looking for anyone else in connection with the incident / Nigel Howard "To see her so lifeless, it's like my heart is bleeding. She (the woman) was a good mum." Local shopkeeper Pathmanathan Ariyaratnam added: They are my customers.It is a mystery what can have happened. Neighbour Thebaka Thurairadneswaran added: The little girl used to come and play here, we are so upset. She was so beautiful and full of life. They are the nicest family, we are really devastated. The 18-year-old was detained at an address in south London on suspicion of both killings. He was taken into custody where he remains. Detective Chief Inspector Simon Harding, who is leading the investigation at Specialist Crime, said: This investigation into the awful death of two sisters is of course a priority for the MPS and my officers have been working around the clock to identify the person responsible. Given the significance of this development, we visited the family in person today to inform them of the arrest. Our thoughts remain with them at this very difficult time. A team of forensic officers have been a constant presence at the park over the last few weeks carrying out meticulous fingertip searches at what is a vast and complex crime scene. "Whilst that work has now concluded, smaller searches in outer areas of the park will continue. To date officers have recovered more than 1,000 exhibits including property belonging to both Nicole and Bibaa, collected hours of CCTV and visited hundreds of homes and businesses. And those enquiries remain ongoing. I would continue to appeal to the public to come forward with any information they feel may be relevant to our investigation. T here must be a public inquiry into the handling of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Health Ombudsman has said. The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO), which deals with unresolved NHS complaints in England, has said it is vital that lessons are learned from any mistakes made in the handling of the crisis. It has written to the Government asking it to establish what future inquiries or reviews will take place. Ombudsman Rob Behrens has encouraged people to tell the NHS and other public bodies if they have concerns about the service they received or bring their complaint to the PHSO if it is not resolved. Mr Behrens said it was important that "lessons are learned". Complaints are not about criticising healthcare workers, the Ombudsman said / PA Complaining when something has gone wrong should not be about criticising doctors, nurses or other frontline public servants, who have often been under extraordinary pressure dealing with the Covid-19 crisis," he said. It is about identifying where things have gone wrong systemically and making sure lessons are learned so mistakes are not repeated. The Royal College of Midwives (RCM) also called for lessons to be learnt from the pandemic to save lives in the future. Gill Walton, chief executive of the RCM, said: Our NHS was lacking many of the crucial things it needed to cope with this crisis, not least a shortage of PPE and training for staff to use it. The inquiry would be about 'learning lessons' / NHS Nightingale London The RCM and other Royal Colleges had to step in to ensure people from staff to pregnant women had the most up-to-date information and advice when the Government was slow to act. The virus also hit our black, Asian and minority ethnic communities, including NHS staff and pregnant women, harder. We have got to quickly learn from this pandemic and prepare for the future so that we can save lives that should not be lost. The PHSO, which paused its work on NHS complaints on March 26 to enable it to focus on Covid-19, will reopen this part of the service on Wednesday. It said emerging complaints had centred around cancelled cancer treatments and people being given the wrong Covid-19 test results. Local lockdown in Leicester during Coronavirus pandemic 1 /31 Local lockdown in Leicester during Coronavirus pandemic Leicester has seen 866 cases in the past two weeks PA A city council worker carries rubbish from a coronavirus testing centre at Spinney Park which will be incinerated Getty Images Leicester could be the site of the UK's first local lockdown PA The Government says it is supporting officials in Leicester in their battle against Covid-19 PA Members of the military set up a walk-in mobile Covid-19 testing centre at Spinney Hill Park in Leicester PA A worker for Leicester City Council disinfects public toilets PA A man cleans the windows of a launderette in Leicester PA A member of military personnel uses a tub to collect used a self-test kit from a member of the public at a COVID-19 drive-through mobile testing unit set up at Evington Leisure Centre in Leicester, AFP via Getty Images Members of the military operate a walk-in mobile Covid-19 testing centre at Spinney Hill Park in Leicester PA People queue at walk-in mobile Covid-19 testing centre at Spinney Hill Park in Leicester PA A man wearing a protective visor crosses the road on mobility scooter in Leicester PA Members of the military operate a walk-in mobile Covid-19 testing centre at Spinney Hill Park in Leicester PA People walk by an electronic billboard displaying a government message AFP via Getty Images Robin Dignall and Maria Demetriou-Clamp disinfect chairs at their hair salon Hair@1RD in Leicester as the city may be the first UK location to be subjected to a local lockdown after a spike in coronavirus cases PA A woman wearing a PPE mask walks past social distance advisory singns in Leicester's North Evington neighbourhood Getty Images People walk by an electronic billboard displaying a government message AFP via Getty Images Soldiers from the Royal Logistics Corp operate a mobile coronavirus (Covid-19) testing site at Evington Leisure Centre Getty Images A youth cycles past a sign telling local residents to "Social Distance" and advising on how to help "Prevent the Spread" of coronavirus, in the North Evington district of Leicester AFP via Getty Images Gallowtree Gate in Leicester after the Health Secretary Matt Hancock imposed a local lockdown following a spike in coronavirus cases in the city. PA A man sits on a bench, following the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Leicester Reuters A worker disinfects a bin following the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Leicester, Reuters A worker disinfects a McDonald's restaurant Reuters A police car on Gallowtree Gate in Leicester PA Shops open their shutters in Leicester after the Health Secretary Matt Hancock imposed a local lockdown following a spike in coronavirus cases in the city PA AFP via Getty Images Reuters PA AFP via Getty Images Getty Images PA PA Ombudsman Behrens added: Despite my repeated calls since taking office, the Government has failed to provide me with the powers available to most other national ombudsman around the world to launch an investigation without first receiving a complaint. Its really important, therefore, that if people have concerns about the service they have experienced they do complain to the public body and then come to my office if needed. Otherwise other people may experience the same failings. Earlier this month, 27 medical and scientific experts wrote a letter warning many more Britons may die if a second wave hits at the end of the year. P lans to fight a Leicester-style Covid outbreak in London with a string of measures including local lockdowns were revealed today but town halls warned they needed more information on how they would work. The plans show how public health chiefs will seek to stop a surge in local cases spiralling out of control and sweeping across the capital. Many of the blueprints say local lockdowns could be imposed and highlighted existing powers which could be used to combat a coronavirus outbreak, including restricting gatherings and events, closing premises that pose an infection risk to the public and detaining individuals who pose an infection risk to the population. However, many of the plans also warned that there is a lack of detailed information from the Government on how local lockdowns should be introduced if other measures have failed to stop an outbreak. Councils also raised concerns over the effectiveness of the test-and-trace system, called for more detailed, up-to-date information on new cases in their area to swiftly identify outbreaks, and pleaded for more funding to tackle the epidemic, particularly in boroughs hardest hit by the killer virus. Professor Neil Ferguson, head of the Covid-19 response team at Imperial College London, said more local outbreaks were inevitable as lockdown is eased, with pubs and restaurants due to re-open on Saturday. Whats critically important is that we detect those early and adopt the measures necessary to then locally reduce transmission, he told BBC Radio 4s Today programme. Current areas of concern included the North West, as well as Leicester, Doncaster and Bradford. Twenty-eight schools will close from tomorrow for most pupils in Leicester as the new emergency restrictions tighten, following the closure of non-essential stores. Mayor Sadiq Khan warned the capital is also at risk of a deadly second wave and needs more powers so a local lockdown can be imposed if necessary, with more than 8,000 Londoners having already lost their lives in the pandemic. Local lockdown in Leicester during Coronavirus pandemic 1 /31 Local lockdown in Leicester during Coronavirus pandemic Leicester has seen 866 cases in the past two weeks PA A city council worker carries rubbish from a coronavirus testing centre at Spinney Park which will be incinerated Getty Images Leicester could be the site of the UK's first local lockdown PA The Government says it is supporting officials in Leicester in their battle against Covid-19 PA Members of the military set up a walk-in mobile Covid-19 testing centre at Spinney Hill Park in Leicester PA A worker for Leicester City Council disinfects public toilets PA A man cleans the windows of a launderette in Leicester PA A member of military personnel uses a tub to collect used a self-test kit from a member of the public at a COVID-19 drive-through mobile testing unit set up at Evington Leisure Centre in Leicester, AFP via Getty Images Members of the military operate a walk-in mobile Covid-19 testing centre at Spinney Hill Park in Leicester PA People queue at walk-in mobile Covid-19 testing centre at Spinney Hill Park in Leicester PA A man wearing a protective visor crosses the road on mobility scooter in Leicester PA Members of the military operate a walk-in mobile Covid-19 testing centre at Spinney Hill Park in Leicester PA People walk by an electronic billboard displaying a government message AFP via Getty Images Robin Dignall and Maria Demetriou-Clamp disinfect chairs at their hair salon Hair@1RD in Leicester as the city may be the first UK location to be subjected to a local lockdown after a spike in coronavirus cases PA A woman wearing a PPE mask walks past social distance advisory singns in Leicester's North Evington neighbourhood Getty Images People walk by an electronic billboard displaying a government message AFP via Getty Images Soldiers from the Royal Logistics Corp operate a mobile coronavirus (Covid-19) testing site at Evington Leisure Centre Getty Images A youth cycles past a sign telling local residents to "Social Distance" and advising on how to help "Prevent the Spread" of coronavirus, in the North Evington district of Leicester AFP via Getty Images Gallowtree Gate in Leicester after the Health Secretary Matt Hancock imposed a local lockdown following a spike in coronavirus cases in the city. PA A man sits on a bench, following the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Leicester Reuters A worker disinfects a bin following the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Leicester, Reuters A worker disinfects a McDonald's restaurant Reuters A police car on Gallowtree Gate in Leicester PA Shops open their shutters in Leicester after the Health Secretary Matt Hancock imposed a local lockdown following a spike in coronavirus cases in the city PA AFP via Getty Images Reuters PA AFP via Getty Images Getty Images PA PA At a meeting of the London Health Board, he stressed: Leicester has just announced an extension of lockdown. We could well be having local challenges. While the Government has been accused of major mistakes over Covid, potentially costing thousands of lives, critics have also said that the Mayor could have acted more quickly. Public health chiefs moved to calm fears of apparent increases in cases in some London boroughs, saying the overall infection rate was low and steady. Professor Kevin Fenton, London regional director of Public Health England, said: We can expect increases in cases but we are in a significantly different place now than we were at the beginning of the pandemic. The biggest increases in new cases in London in the last three weeks have been in Hounslow (39 new cases, taking its total to 789), Westminster and Hammersmith and Fulham, (both 28), Brent and Ealing (both 26), and Kensington and Chelsea (21), according to Public Health England data. Loading.... Many town halls have just finalised their local outbreak control plans which generally follow a seven-pronged strategy: preventing and managing outbreaks in specific settings such as schools and care homes; preventing and managing outbreaks in other high-risk locations such as workplaces and religious settings; deploying local testing capacity effectively; contact tracing for complex settings and groups; access to local data needed to prevent outbreaks; supporting vulnerable people; and good communications. Town halls are also planning surge capacity to deal with a spike in cases and to call in help from neighbouring boroughs under mutual aid arrangements if needed. Hackney and the City of London Corporation stressed guidance from the Government is still awaited on powers for local lockdowns. Westminster and Kensington and Chelsea also highlighted the lack of guidance on lockdowns from Whitehall. Loading.... T he founder of St John restaurants has told The Londoner that many London fine-dining establishments, including his, wont be reopening at the weekend, and revealed that his chef Fergus Henderson was struck down by coronavirus. Trevor Gulliver, co-founder of the high end nose-to-tail restaurant in Smithfield, told us: Its important to judge your moment well, not to rush at it. He went on: Its going to be tough and get tougher right the way through to the summer of next year. I know a lot of people are thinking the same thing. Henderson and Gulliver were also signatories to a letter, reported on in the Standard yesterday, demanding urgent action to save London from remaining a ghost town for the rest of the year. Gulliver explained of his chef: Fergus was struck by the virus. He got it in March and it stayed with him for quite some time. He recently went to stay down at his mothers in Wiltshire. Now hes recovering well. Henderson, 56, has Parkinsons, but has forged a career as a leading chef. Gulliver said: The strength of an ox still resides within him. Hes another one saying thank you, NHS. Cheers to that. --- Tough crowd: Romesh Ranganathan (Photo: Scott Campbell/Getty Images) / Getty Images Comic Romesh Ranganathan recalls his disastrous first gig when the venue managers flicked the lights on and off to tell him he had run over time. I started riffing about the lights failing, but everybody in the audience knew what was going on. He added: Is there anything sadder than somebody being gonged off who doesnt realise thats whats happening? --- FLAKE by Matthew Dooley is the first graphic novel to win the Bollinger Everyman Wodehouse Prize for comic fiction. Judge James Naughtie tells us: The idea that somebody working in the Commons education department is also ... so hilariously funny tickled us all. Dooley asks of his prize magnum: How on Earth do you chill a bottle that big? SW1A Influential: Carrie Symonds (Photo: Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images) / Getty Images Tory MPs are increasingly concerned about animal welfare and animal health, as coronavirus and campaigners like Carrie Symonds make the whole tapestry linking agriculture, environmental standards and welfare clear, Simon Hoare MP tells us. Shes an important player, he says of Symonds, adding his colleagues from the 2019 intake want to use the global Britain narrative to firm up these new key values in trade deals. A turning point in attitudes. --- SIR Ed Davey, Liberal Democrat leadership hopeful, muses: Hes a fan of PR you say? after Keir Starmer won a battle to hold an internal Labour election under a form of proportional representation. As Mean Girls didnt quite say: Ed, stop trying to make PR happen. Its not going to happen. Rebel with some paws and a very grave Huw L eading doctors are calling on the Government to help save more lives by supplying local authorities with accurate and up-to-date data on spikes in coronavirus cases in their areas. The British Medical Association (BMA) urged the Government to share "timely, comprehensive and reliable" data to all those are involved in managing new Covid-19 cases at a local level. It comes after ministers faced criticism for the handling of the surge of cases in Leicester. The city's mayor Sir Peter Soulsby hit out at the Government and Public Health England (PHE) for delays in sharing case and testing data which showed how the disease was spreading. The BMA wants the Government to reveal how regional spikes will be managed in the future. Dr Chaand Nagpaul, chairman of the BMA Council, said: The Prime Minister has talked about a whack a mole strategy to tackle local outbreaks, but this is no use if the people leading the response on the ground be they public health teams or local leaders are not given the most accurate up-to-date data possible. This is crucial to allow swift action and to protect lives and the health service, and something that is not happening right now. Local lockdown in Leicester during Coronavirus pandemic 1 /31 Local lockdown in Leicester during Coronavirus pandemic Leicester has seen 866 cases in the past two weeks PA A city council worker carries rubbish from a coronavirus testing centre at Spinney Park which will be incinerated Getty Images Leicester could be the site of the UK's first local lockdown PA The Government says it is supporting officials in Leicester in their battle against Covid-19 PA Members of the military set up a walk-in mobile Covid-19 testing centre at Spinney Hill Park in Leicester PA A worker for Leicester City Council disinfects public toilets PA A man cleans the windows of a launderette in Leicester PA A member of military personnel uses a tub to collect used a self-test kit from a member of the public at a COVID-19 drive-through mobile testing unit set up at Evington Leisure Centre in Leicester, AFP via Getty Images Members of the military operate a walk-in mobile Covid-19 testing centre at Spinney Hill Park in Leicester PA People queue at walk-in mobile Covid-19 testing centre at Spinney Hill Park in Leicester PA A man wearing a protective visor crosses the road on mobility scooter in Leicester PA Members of the military operate a walk-in mobile Covid-19 testing centre at Spinney Hill Park in Leicester PA People walk by an electronic billboard displaying a government message AFP via Getty Images Robin Dignall and Maria Demetriou-Clamp disinfect chairs at their hair salon Hair@1RD in Leicester as the city may be the first UK location to be subjected to a local lockdown after a spike in coronavirus cases PA A woman wearing a PPE mask walks past social distance advisory singns in Leicester's North Evington neighbourhood Getty Images People walk by an electronic billboard displaying a government message AFP via Getty Images Soldiers from the Royal Logistics Corp operate a mobile coronavirus (Covid-19) testing site at Evington Leisure Centre Getty Images A youth cycles past a sign telling local residents to "Social Distance" and advising on how to help "Prevent the Spread" of coronavirus, in the North Evington district of Leicester AFP via Getty Images Gallowtree Gate in Leicester after the Health Secretary Matt Hancock imposed a local lockdown following a spike in coronavirus cases in the city. PA A man sits on a bench, following the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Leicester Reuters A worker disinfects a bin following the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Leicester, Reuters A worker disinfects a McDonald's restaurant Reuters A police car on Gallowtree Gate in Leicester PA Shops open their shutters in Leicester after the Health Secretary Matt Hancock imposed a local lockdown following a spike in coronavirus cases in the city PA AFP via Getty Images Reuters PA AFP via Getty Images Getty Images PA PA This is all the more important given that the world leading test and trace app is not in place, meaning local leaders and teams armed with up-to-date information will be vital in containing spread of outbreaks. Ahead of further lockdown restrictions being eased at the weekend, the BMA made a series of demands from the Government. It is calling for the Government to use set "metric trigger points" at which action will be taken to reintroduce local and national restrictions. The trigger points would take into consideration the regional reproductive rate as well as the level of infections in communities. Boris Johnson sets out July 4 lockdown easing plans at final daily press conference It also stressed the importance of clear public health messaging that social distancing and infection control procedures should be adhered to. Meanwhile, leading health academic Professor Sir Chris Ham urged the Government to give local leaders control over NHS Test and Trace. In an opinion piece published in The British Medical Journal, Sir Chris wrote: A crisis on the scale of the Covid-19 pandemic requires a national response. But in a country as large and diverse as the United Kingdom, where the impact of the virus varies between areas, a national response is insufficient. Local leadership is also essential, drawing on the expertise of devolved governments in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, local authorities, NHS bodies, and many other public sector agencies. A city council worker carries rubbish from a coronavirus testing centre at Spinney Park, Leicester / Getty Images A major weakness in the Governments handling of the crisis has been its failure to recognise and value local expertise. He said that the people who have been in contact with those confirmed to have the virus have been contacted by regional teams of Public Health England and local health protection teams. This raises serious questions about the value for money of the national telephone based service, he said. In the case of contact tracing, most of the work is now being done by regional teams in Public Health England and local health protection teams led by directors of public health employed by local authorities, Sir Chris wrote. Samples are taken at a coronavirus testing facility in Temple Green Park and Ride, Leeds, as NHS Test and Trace is rolled out across England. / Danny Lawson/PA Wire/PA Images Recent statistics show that in its first three weeks of operation, NHS Test and Trace reached around 113,925 people who were in contact with those who tested positive, of whom around 90 per cent were traced by Public Health England and local health protection teams. The remainderamounting to just 12,247 peoplewere reached by the national telephone-based service run by Serco and Sitel, which employs around 25,000 staff. This raises serious questions about value for money in the use of public resources in a contract reported to be worth up to 108 million. In my view, bringing these staff under the control of local authorities is overdue. Sir Chris, former chief executive of the Kings Fund health think tank, concluded: Local leaders, including devolved governments and elected mayors, are much better placed than the Westminster government to engage their communities in limiting and responding to future outbreaks. B oris Johnson has pledged to extend the right of Hong Kong citizens to live and work in the UK after accusing China of a clear and serious breach of a treaty with Britain. The Prime Minister confirmed Britain would open a pathway to citizenship for around Hong Kong British National (Overseas) passport holders following the introduction of China's new security law. The move could affect nearly three million people. His statement came after Hong Kong police made their first arrests under the law, including one person said to have displayed a sign with the Union Jack and calling for Hong Kongs independence. Taking effect on Tuesday night, the law makes activities deemed subversive or secessionist punishable by imprisonment. It is seen as targeting anti-government demonstrations that have roiled the territory for months. Hong Kong protests against a new national security law 1 /38 Hong Kong protests against a new national security law AP AFP via Getty Images AFP via Getty Images AFP via Getty Images REUTERS AFP via Getty Images AFP via Getty Images REUTERS AFP via Getty Images Getty Images AP Getty Images Getty Images Getty Images Getty Images Getty Images Getty Images Getty Images AFP via Getty Images REUTERS AP AP REUTERS AP AFP via Getty Images AFP via Getty Images AP AFP via Getty Images AP AP AFP via Getty Images AP AP AFP via Getty Images AP AP REUTERS Getty Images Speaking in the House of Commons on Wednesday, Mr Johnson said the law constitutes a clear and serious breach of the Sino-British joint declaration. Responding to Tory MP for Bracknell James Sunderland, who asked what message the PM might have for the people of Hong Kong, Mr Johnson said: We stand for rules and obligations and we think that is the soundest basis for our international relations and the enactment and imposition of this national security law constitutes a clear and serious breach of the Sino-British joint declaration. What is the new Hong Kong security law? It violates Hong Kongs high degree of autonomy and is in direct conflict with Hong Kong basic law. The law also threatens the freedoms and rights protected by the Joint Declaration. We made clear that if China continued down this path we would introduce a new route for those with British national overseas status to enter the UK granting them limited leave to remain with the ability to live and work in the UK and thereafter to apply for citizenship and that is precisely what we will do now. Raab accuses China of clear and serious violation of treaty over Hong Kong law Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab revealed further details concerning the Government's plan shortly afterwards, confirming to Parliament that officials would create a "bespoke" scheme for BNO passport holders to obtain UK citizenship. Mr Raab told Parliament that BNO passport holders will be granted limited leave to remain for five years, during which they can work or study. After that, they will be able to apply for "settled status", he added, then after a further 12 months with this status, they will be able to apply for citizenship. There will be "no quotas or numbers" imposed as part of the scheme, Mr Raab said. Hong Kong protests: Police make first arrests under new national security law The Foreign Secretary had earlier on Wednesday accused China of a clear and serious violation of a treaty forged with the UK by imposing the new national security law on Hong Kong. Mr Raab said Beijing had breached the Joint Declaration signed between the UK and China in 1985 to protect freedoms in the territory by enacting the controversial legislation. The legally-binding Sino-British Joint Declaration set out a level of autonomy for Hong Kong for at least 50 years. Ahead of the PMs commitment, Labours shadow foreign secretary Lisa Nandy called on the Government to lay out the concrete steps to fulfil its commitments to the people of Hong Kong. S ome of Leicester's garment factories remained open throughout the Covid-19 crisis, with employees ordered to continue working even when they were sick, a new report has alleged. Campaign group Labour Behind the Label said its report, published after Leicester became the first city in the UK to have a second lockdown imposed on Monday night, revealed shameful disregard for worker safety by the factories and the major UK brands operating in the area. Testimony compiled by the group included allegations that workers were forced to work despite high levels of infection in factories and that furlough fraud had been "commonplace". One unnamed worker quoted in the report alleged that he had told his employer he was unwell, but was told to come in to work anyway - even after testing positive for coronavirus. He was told not to inform any other employees about the result, the report said. Local lockdown in Leicester during Coronavirus pandemic 1 /31 Local lockdown in Leicester during Coronavirus pandemic Leicester has seen 866 cases in the past two weeks PA A city council worker carries rubbish from a coronavirus testing centre at Spinney Park which will be incinerated Getty Images Leicester could be the site of the UK's first local lockdown PA The Government says it is supporting officials in Leicester in their battle against Covid-19 PA Members of the military set up a walk-in mobile Covid-19 testing centre at Spinney Hill Park in Leicester PA A worker for Leicester City Council disinfects public toilets PA A man cleans the windows of a launderette in Leicester PA A member of military personnel uses a tub to collect used a self-test kit from a member of the public at a COVID-19 drive-through mobile testing unit set up at Evington Leisure Centre in Leicester, AFP via Getty Images Members of the military operate a walk-in mobile Covid-19 testing centre at Spinney Hill Park in Leicester PA People queue at walk-in mobile Covid-19 testing centre at Spinney Hill Park in Leicester PA A man wearing a protective visor crosses the road on mobility scooter in Leicester PA Members of the military operate a walk-in mobile Covid-19 testing centre at Spinney Hill Park in Leicester PA People walk by an electronic billboard displaying a government message AFP via Getty Images Robin Dignall and Maria Demetriou-Clamp disinfect chairs at their hair salon Hair@1RD in Leicester as the city may be the first UK location to be subjected to a local lockdown after a spike in coronavirus cases PA A woman wearing a PPE mask walks past social distance advisory singns in Leicester's North Evington neighbourhood Getty Images People walk by an electronic billboard displaying a government message AFP via Getty Images Soldiers from the Royal Logistics Corp operate a mobile coronavirus (Covid-19) testing site at Evington Leisure Centre Getty Images A youth cycles past a sign telling local residents to "Social Distance" and advising on how to help "Prevent the Spread" of coronavirus, in the North Evington district of Leicester AFP via Getty Images Gallowtree Gate in Leicester after the Health Secretary Matt Hancock imposed a local lockdown following a spike in coronavirus cases in the city. PA A man sits on a bench, following the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Leicester Reuters A worker disinfects a bin following the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Leicester, Reuters A worker disinfects a McDonald's restaurant Reuters A police car on Gallowtree Gate in Leicester PA Shops open their shutters in Leicester after the Health Secretary Matt Hancock imposed a local lockdown following a spike in coronavirus cases in the city PA AFP via Getty Images Reuters PA AFP via Getty Images Getty Images PA PA In one factory with 80 staff, around 15 had Covid-19 at the same time, another worker alleged. Workers in several factories meanwhile told the group that there had been no social distancing measures put in place, and that their employers had closed sites for a few days only amid the Covid-19 pandemic, if at all. The report's authors said Labour Behind the Label had also received "numerous reports" of "serious furlough fraud". In one instance, workers in a particular factor were told by managers in early April to hide their previous month's payslips so that bosses "could make an inflated claim for furlough money," the report said. "Other workers have reported they were made redundant when lockdown was announced and said they were not on 'the books' therefore did not qualify for Furlough payments," it added. Labour Behind the Label said the majority of the reports it had received were linked to suppliers producing for fashion firm Boohoo, which it claimed accounts for almost 75-80 per cent of production in the city, and sister brands including PrettyLittleThing. Boohoo told the Evening Standard in a statement that it had "invested heavily to ensure that we meet all the guidance relating to self-isolation, social distancing and hygiene standards to ensure that every boohoo workplace is Covid-19 safe". "We do not condone any supplier that disregards the very clear guidance on supporting those affected by Covid-19 or that abuses the economic support provided by the Government and we will immediately investigate the claims made in this report and will not hesitate in taking action to address any issues that are found," it added. But the company also denounced swathes of the report as "wholly inaccurate", saying much of the information presented by Labour Behind the Label was not "factually correct". "It is disappointing that much of the data quoted in this report is wholly inaccurate, for example, we do not and will not work with any supplier who cannot provide evidence that they pay at least the national minimum wage," it said. A shopper in Leicester, where a local lockdown has been imposed / PA The Evening Standard has also contacted PrettyLittleThing for comment. The report came as it emerged that Public Health England had found evidence that young men between 20 and 40 who work in Leicester's garment factories and food processing plants were major vectors of coronavirus transmission. Leicester streets empty as city put into lockdown The body became so concerned about the surge in cases in the city that they sent a team of officials to the area at the weekend to investigate, the Guardian reported on Wednesday. Data collected by local health bodies has revealed that many of those infected during Leicester's recent Covid-19 spike have been men aged 20 to 40, often from an Asian background, many of whom work in the textiles and food industries. Leicesters garment factories have been the subject of growing concern for years, with a report last year by the parliamentary environmental audit committee finding that wage exploitation was rife in the city and across the sector more broadly. Loading.... P rominent politicians and businessmen in Lambeth are accused of trading children for sexual abuse and filming some of the attacks in the town hall, an inquiry has heard. Lawyers for victims of the Lambeth child sexual abuse scandal say paedophiles infiltrated the boroughs childrens homes in the Sixties and senior figures including councillors and police officers turned a blind eye. Barrister Iain ODonnell told the inquiry yesterday victims believed Lambeth was corrupt to its core and accused the council of being nothing less than grossly negligent. He said: You will hear allegations of the deliberate withholding of documentary evidence from police and inquiries, of other interference into investigations of complaints of sexual abuse from children in Lambeths care. He added that of all the investigations heard by this inquiry this is the one where senior authority figures appear to have colluded to ensure that paedophiles were not investigated. As a result of which children continued to be sexually abused rather than protected. There are allegations council contractors had corrupt relationships with officers... of secret paedophile rings Stephen Simblet, representing a group of victims, said claims will be made that children were filmed while being abused, and were used as currency. There are allegations that council contractors had corrupt relationships with council officers, of secret societies, secret paedophile rings, the production and distribution of filmed sexual assaults on Lambeth children in care, with some ... being filmed in council buildings, even it being said the town hall, he said These were said to involve prominent politicians, councillors, businessmen and police officers. Sometimes trafficking children from Lambeth care homes and they were also used in blackmail to secure contracts and influence. The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, headed by Professor Alexis Jay OBE, will hear how care home boss John Carroll was a convicted paedophile who was allowed to continue working with children and was later jailed for 10 years for a litany of sexual abuse. T he Prince of Wales found himself surrounded by piglets as he paid a visit to a rare breed centre run by celebrity farmer Adam Henson. Championing Britain's rural tourism, Charles took a tour of Cotswold Farm Park an attraction visited by 150,000 people a year which opens its doors to the public on Saturday after months of closure due to the coronavirus outbreak. The heir to the throne was keen to learn how the attraction and a 1,600-acre holding both run by Henson, who co-presents the BBCs Countryfile programme, were coping during the pandemic which has seen businesses suffering financially. In a lighter moment, the prince was taken into a small field and shown an inquisitive Gloucestershire old spot sow and her energetic piglets, after Henson tempted them over by pouring feed into a trough. Prince Charles and Adam Henson / PA Charles is a passionate farmer who runs Home Farm in Gloucestershire by his organic principles, and in the past has reared the rare breed pigs, which were traditionally kept in orchards and known for their high-quality meat before falling out of favour. He wore sturdy shoes and casual trousers, with a shirt, jacket and tie, for his tour of the visitor attraction and social distancing was maintained throughout the visit. He was introduced to Victoria, a 19-year-old Suffolk Punch horse another rare breed and posed for a picture with the imposing animal. The prince, who is patron of the Rare Breeds Survival Trust (RBST), said: Its a real uphill struggle to get people to understand how valuable they are." Henson said it was "an honour" to welcome Charles to the farm. "His Royal Highness is incredibly knowledgeable about farming, food production and rural tourism, he voiced his encouragement that multi-generational families should get back out into the fresh air to enjoy everything that the countryside brings," Henson said. "He was particularly impressed by our campsite and new sunset lodges and the importance of staycations to rural businesses." Charles paid a visit before the farm reopens to the public this weekend / PA Earlier this month, Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall made an unannounced visit to Gloucestershire Royal Hospital in Gloucester to meet frontline NHS staff and key workers. Its been a marvellous opportunity just to have a chance of seeing people I know have been doing so much literally on the front line," he said at the time. And having to endure an awful lot of stress and strain in their wonderful way how they do it I dont know. But delivering everything in the most effective way. Speaking to Sky News, Charles also paid tribute to key and health workers, and expressed sympathy with those who had lost family or friends to the virus. Charles looks at a Gloucestershire Old Spot pig with her piglets / Getty Images He admitted he "got away with it quite lightly" after contracting the virus in March. A ngela Merkel has called on Brussels to step up preparations for a no-deal scenario since "very limited" progress has been made during the Brexit negotiations. Boris Johnsons Europe adviser David Frost and the EU's chief negotiator Michel Barnier continue to lead the talks aimed at reaching a deal before the post-Brexit transition period expires at the end of the year. But Mrs Merkel said that progress so far has been "very limited" and that the EU must be ready for the possibility that a deal doesnt materialise. Meanwhile, Downing Street has stressed that the UK will be ready to trade with the EU without a formal agreement. Frost and Barnier / POOL/AFP via Getty Images It comes as Germany assumes the rotating EU Council presidency for the next six months, giving the chancellor an influential role in the final phase of the Brexit process. In a sign of the strained relations between the two sides, the UK failed to meet a deadline for submitting equivalence assessments on financial services regulations. These could help determine the Citys access to European markets and vice versa. Whitehall sources suggested that the demands made by the EU in 1,000 pages of questionnaires were much broader than the equivalence criteria set out in legislation. Ms Merkel has urged Brussels to prepare for a no-deal scenario / PA They added that they did not recognise the unique starting point between the two sides which had been, until January 31, members of the same trading bloc. The UK has insisted that it wanted to work constructively with the EU. The Prime Ministers official spokesman said: We believe that there is a free trade agreement to be reached but we have also been very clear that we will be prepared for either eventuality at the end of the year, whether that be a free trade agreement or having a trading relationship based on the same terms that Australia currently has. Australia does not yet have a formal trade deal with the EU. A very significant number of firms were already prepared for the fact that the UK is leaving the customs union and single market, whether or not a trade deal is agreed with Brussels, the PMs spokesman said. The UK had also learned a significant amount from the preparations for a potential no-deal Brexit at the end of October 2019 and we will ensure that we are ready to exit the transition period on December 31. Mr Barnier said the European Commission has sent questionnaires to the UK covering 28 areas where equivalence assessments are possible but so far just four have been answered. The Prime Ministers official spokesman said: We have completed our own proportionate and thorough assessment of the EU on time. What we are doing is returning over 1,000 pages of questionnaires that were sent by the EU to the UK late. These are straightforward assessments as we start from having similar rules and a history of co-operation and we are ready to reach comprehensive findings of equivalence once the EU has clarified its position. C anada Day is a national holiday which is celebrated on July 1. It marks the day, in 1867, when three separate colonies joined to become a single entity within the British Empire called Canada. From this date, the country was regarded as a self-governing region within the empire. The holiday was originally called Dominion Day but was renamed in 1982 under the Canada Act which meant Government in London could no longer make changes to Constitutional law, allowing full Canadian sovereignty. People watch fireworks fly over Ashbridges Bay during Canada Day festivities / Getty Images What is Canada Day? Canada Day marks an important milestone on the country's journey to independence. It is celebrated across the country and by Canadians living abroad in other countries. Revelers participate in the East York Canada Day Parade / Getty Images It is derived from the date that colonies Canada, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick joined to become one kingdom. The region was self-governed but within the British Empire. What is the history behind the date? An independence movement started to grow within Canada in the 1860s due to three main reasons. Not only was there calls for a national railroad system and common defence policy, but people wanted a solution to end fighting between the French and British who were both trying to colonise in the region. After the Maritime provinces which sought a union, called a conference in 1864, representatives from other provinces attended. Residents watch the East York Canada Day Parade / Getty Images After subsequent meetings, Canadian delegates travelled to London in 1866 to meet with the British Government to talk about uniting the region. On July 1, 1867, the British North America Act was passed and the Dominion of Canada was established as a self-governing entity within the empire. Within a decade the provinces of Manitoba and Prince Edward Island joined the federation and in 1885 the Canadian Pacific Railway was completed, making mass settlement across the area possible. People line the streets to watch a parade / Getty Images By the early 1980s, come Canadians were informally referring to the holiday as Canada Day. Some believed that the celebration's original name Dominion Day was a holdover from the colonial era. People wave alongside a dog from a car on Canada Day / Getty Images It was a controversial subject at the times with some arguing that it broke from tradition. However the day was officially renamed after a private member's bill was passed through the House of Commons on July 9, 1982, two years after its first reading. How is it celebrated and marked in Canada and around the world? People watch fireworks fly over Ashbridges Bay / Getty Images After the British North America Act was passed, accounts at the time detail that church bells were rung in celebration in Toronto and bonfires and fireworks were set off. Today, Canadians celebrate it with outdoor public events in the form of parades, festivals and carnivals. There are often also firework displays concerts and even citizenship ceremonies. D onald Trump may drop out of the 2020 presidential race if polling does not improve, Republican insiders have reportedly told Fox News. Mr Trump's polling has suffered since the Covid-19 outbreak, with a number of polls in key swing states putting him ten points behind Democrat nominee Joe Biden. Meanwhile, some states have begun to reimpose lockdown measures following a rise in coronavirus cases after bars and restaurants reopened. California closed all of the bars in Los Angeles along with several other counties, and Florida also ordered a number of bars to shut after a record spike in cases. Its too early, but if the polls continue to worsen, you can see a scenario where he drops out, one Republican, who asked to remain anonymous, told Fox News. Trump's allies have said the 2020 campiagn is not going well / AFP via Getty Images Another Republican insider told the conservative station: Ive heard the talk but I doubt its true. My bet is, he drops if he believes theres no way to win. It comes after a number of Mr Trump's allies broke ranks to say his re-election campaign is not going well. "He is losing," said former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, a Trump friend and confidant, on ABC's This Week on Sunday. "And if he doesn't change course, both in terms of the substance of what he's discussing and the way that he approaches the American people, then he will lose." Trump remains popular with his base, but needs to win over swing voters / AFP via Getty Images Some leading Republicans are even distancing themselves from his policies. While Trump avoids wearing a mask in public, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said, "We must have no stigma none about wearing masks when we leave our homes." Vice President Mike Pence was pictured this weekend wearing a mask and urged other Americans to do the same. Wyoming Representative Liz Cheney tweeted a picture of her father, former Vice President Dick Cheney, wearing a mask with the hashtag #realmenwearmasks. At the same time, Trump has been criticised by some Republicans for inconsistent leadership during the sweeping national protests against police brutality. On Sunday, the president tweeted and subsequently deleted a video in which a supporter used the white supremacist mantra "White power." South Carolina Senator Tim Scott, the GOP's sole Black senator, called Trump's decision to share the video "indefensible." Trump's presidency has been rocked by anti-police brutality protests / AFP via Getty Images The president's popularity with the party base remains strong. However, Mr Trump's deputy campaign manager Bill Stepien released a memo Sunday evening questioning polling data that gives Mr Biden an advantage, while pointing to voter participation numbers in recent primaries suggesting Trump's supporters are excited. "Clearly, Democrats have not rallied around their flawed candidate," Mr Stepien wrote. "Today there can be no debate that President Trump has a decided advantage in base enthusiasm and can be most confident that his supporters will turn out." Biden pollster John Anzalone disagreed. "You know a candidate is in trouble when their only argument for reelection is the enthusiasm of their dwindling pool of supporters, which is now barely over 40%," he said. Jerry Falwell Jr., a Trump confidant and the president of Liberty University, said the president has not been clear enough about his future plans. "I do think he needs to talk more about what he's going to do in the next four years versus taking credit for what he's already done," Mr Falwell said in an interview. Although he predicted Trump's political standing would improve once voters see Biden on the debate stage this fall. A black man is suing the Georgia police department over claims they violated his civil rights by wrongfully arresting him with excessive force. Body camera footage acquired by the Valdosta Daily Times shows the moment Antonio Arnelo Smith was arrested by the city's Police Department on February 8. According to the lawsuit, police were responding to reports that a man was asking customers for money outside a pharmacy. Officers found two suspects who fit the description. One of them had an outstanding arrest warrant and the other suspect was Mr Smith. The video shows the officer approach Mr Smith and ask him about "suspicious activity" taking place in the area. Antonio Smith says the use of a bear hug to arrest him was 'excessive force' / AP Mr Smith cooperates with the police enquiries and explains that he was waiting in the pharmacy for his sister to wire him some money. He asks the officer to call his sister in Florida and says "don't do this" before another officer comes up behind Mr Smith, wraps him in a bear hug and slams him down to the ground. The 46-year-old can be heard yelling "Oh my god, you broke my wrist" as two more officers arrive at the scene and hold him down. One of the officers acknowledges that Mr Smith's wrist "might be broke", as his colleague realises that they have got the wrong man. A still image from body camera video released by the Valdosta police of officers who are accused of wrongfully arresting Antonio Smith / AP Mr Smith was released without any charges. He is now suing all four officers involved in the arrest, Valdosta's Police Chief Leslie Manahan, Mayor Scott James Matheson and some council members. Mr Smith's attorneys asked for $700,000 (565,000) in a proposed settlement before the lawsuit was filed in the US District Court. His lawyers say the claim is not just about money, but that Mr Smith is also calling for a commitment by the Valdosta Police Department to reform. It comes after protests around the world against police brutality following the death of George Floyd, who died after an officer knelt on his neck while he was restrained. The lawsuit says the officer's use of a bear hug was "unnecessary and illegal" and showed "malice and reckless indifference." Mr Smith claims his wrist has never fully healed / AP Nathaniel Haugabrook, one of Mr Smith's attorneys told the Associated Press: "When you see that video, you can't help but say this is a travesty. Nobody should be done that way." Mr Haugabrook said that it was a civil rights case, adding: "Obviously it has some racial tones to it. After the incident Mr Smith went to hospital where he was fitted with a sling and was told he would need physical therapy for his injury. The responding officers said in a statement that Mr Smith was "standing with a 'bladed' stance" and that he argued and debated with the officers. Black Lives Matter protests across the world - In pictures 1 /21 Black Lives Matter protests across the world - In pictures A banner and a US. flag are placed on the Monument a la Republique in Paris REUTERS Protesters in Perth Australia Getty Images Speakers at the Black Lives Matter Rally at Langley Park in Perth Getty Images Police officers are seen during a protest against police brutality and the death in Minneapolis police custody of George Floyd, in Paris REUTERS Perth protests Getty Images Speakers take to the stage during the Black Lives Matter Rally in Perty Getty Images Protesters show their support during the Black Lives Matter Rally at Langley Park in Perty Getty Images Demonstrators march through the streets in Perth AFP via Getty Images Demonstrators march through the streets in Perth AFP via Getty Images Demonstrators march through the streets in Perth AFP via Getty Images Demonstrators march through the streets in Perth Getty Images Demonstrators march through the streets in Perth Getty Images Thousands of people take part in a demonstration against police brutality and racism in Paris AP French riot police forces detain a protester during a rally as part of the 'Black Lives Matter' AFP via Getty Images French riot police forces detain protesters AFP via Getty Images The crowds in Paris AFP via Getty Images A man wearing a protective face mask and googles walks past a broken store window in Paris REUTERS Assa Traore (C), the sister of Adama Traore, who died in police custody in 2016 in Paris AFP via Getty Images Protesters hold flares as they stand next to a banner reading 'Confronted to police brutality - Self defence' in Paris AFP via Getty Images A house facade with a graffiti against police in Paris. AFP via Getty Images An injured demonstrator is helped away in Paris AFP via Getty Images Sergeant Billy Wheeler, who is identified in the lawsuit as the officer who held the 46-year-old man in a bear hug, said in his report: "Based on what I observed and believing this person to have a warrant for his arrest, I grasped his right wrist. "I felt Smith tense up and begin to pull away from me. At that time, I wrapped my arms around Smith in a 'bear hug'". He claims that when Mr Smith did not comply with his orders to put his arms behind the back, the sergeant pulled him off-balance and "rolled him to the ground to gain control of him in anticipation of a warrant arrest." The federal lawsuit was issued on June 19 and the city of Valdosta issued a statement three days later saying police are conducting an internal investigation. A protester carrying a pro-independence flag in Hong Kong has become the first person to be arrested under a new national security law imposed by China. The man was arrested at a protest on Wednesday in the city's Causeway Bay shopping district. Police issued multiple warnings to the crowd that they might be in violation of the new law, which came into force on Tuesday at 11pm. Water cannons have been fired by officers to break up the demonstration and 30 protesters have been arrested for unlawful assembly, violating security law, obstructing police and possession of weapons. Beijing said the law, which comes in response to last year's often-violent pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong, aims to tackle subversion, terrorism, separatism and collusion with foreign forces. Hong Kong protests against a new national security law 1 /38 Hong Kong protests against a new national security law AP AFP via Getty Images AFP via Getty Images AFP via Getty Images REUTERS AFP via Getty Images AFP via Getty Images REUTERS AFP via Getty Images Getty Images AP Getty Images Getty Images Getty Images Getty Images Getty Images Getty Images Getty Images AFP via Getty Images REUTERS AP AP REUTERS AP AFP via Getty Images AFP via Getty Images AP AFP via Getty Images AP AP AFP via Getty Images AP AP AFP via Getty Images AP AP REUTERS Getty Images Beijing is expected to set up a national security office in Hong Kong to "supervise, guide and support" the city government. The move sets the stage for the most radical change to the former British colony's way of life since it returned to Chinese rule in 1997. The law directly targets some of the actions of pro-democracy protesters last year, which included attacks on Government offices and police stations, damage to subway stations, and the shutdown of the city's international airport. Acts of vandalism against Government facilities or public transit can be prosecuted as subversion or terrorism, while anyone taking part in activities deemed as secessionist would also be in violation of the new law. Hong Kong's leader strongly endorsed the new law in her speech marking Wednesday's 23rd anniversary of the territory's handover from colonial Britain. "This decision was necessary and timely to maintain Hong Kong's stability," Carrie Lam said, following a flag-raising ceremony and the playing of China's national anthem. Protesters gathered on Wedneday / AFP via Getty Images But critics say the law effectively ends the "one country, two systems" framework under which Hong Kong was promised a high degree of autonomy. Britain said the security law would violate China's international obligations and its handover agreement. Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab described Beijings move to give it more powers over the former British colony as a "grave step" and added: Once we have seen the full legislation, we will make a further statement. Business Secretary Alok Sharma said China's actions are "very disappointing", adding that the UK "will stand by its commitment to Hong Kong". Police have made 30 arrests / REUTERS Meanwhile, the US began eliminating Hong Kong's special status under US law on Monday, halting defence exports and restricting the territory's access to high technology products. China has said it will impose visa restrictions on Americans it sees as interfering over Hong Kong. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo denounced the threat of a visa ban as a sign of "how Beijing refuses to take responsibility for its own choices". N ew Hong Kong security laws came into effect on Tuesday, June 30 - hours before the 23rd anniversary of the former British colonys handover to Chinese rule. Under the controversial legislation, those guilty of secession, subversion, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces could face life imprisonment. The passing of the law heralded a more authoritarian era for Chinas freest city which critics argue will crush freedoms. Human rights campaigners and two dozen Western countries, including Britain and the United States, have urged China to reconsider the security laws, saying Beijing must preserve the right to assembly and free speech in the Asian financial hub. Hong Kong's Chief Executive Carrie Lam make a toast while celebrating the 23rd anniversary of its handover to China / AFP via Getty Images Prime minister Boris Johnson said the UK will open a pathway to British citizenship for around three million Hong Kong British National (Overseas) passport holders as a result. What will it mean for Hong Kong? The law makes secessionist, subversive, or terrorist activities illegal, as well as foreign intervention in the citys internal affairs. Any person taking part in secessionist activities, such as shouting slogans or holding up banners and flags urging for the citys independence, is in violation of the law regardless of whether violence is used. The law further blurs the distinction between the legal systems of semi-autonomous Hong Kong, which maintained aspects of British law after the 1997 handover, and the mainlands authoritarian Communist Party system. Critics say it effectively ends the one country, two systems framework under which Hong Kong was promised a high degree of autonomy. A reporter falls down after being sprayed with pepper spray by police during a protest in Causeway Bay / AP The law directly targets some of the actions of anti-government protesters last year, which included attacks on government offices and police stations, damage to subway stations, and the shutdown of the citys international airport. It was reported on July 1 that Hong Kong police made their first arrests under the law and two protesters were detained for carrying flags and signs calling for independence. A man who had a Hong Kong independence flag was arrested at a protest in the Causeway Bay shopping district and a woman was taken away by police for holding up a sign displaying the British flag and calling for independence. Police said later on Facebook that they had arrested more than 30 people on various charges, from unlawful assembly to violation of the national security law. Hong Kong protests against a new national security law 1 /38 Hong Kong protests against a new national security law AP AFP via Getty Images AFP via Getty Images AFP via Getty Images REUTERS AFP via Getty Images AFP via Getty Images REUTERS AFP via Getty Images Getty Images AP Getty Images Getty Images Getty Images Getty Images Getty Images Getty Images Getty Images AFP via Getty Images REUTERS AP AP REUTERS AP AFP via Getty Images AFP via Getty Images AP AFP via Getty Images AP AP AFP via Getty Images AP AP AFP via Getty Images AP AP REUTERS Getty Images Under the new rules, the most serious offenders, such as those deemed to be organising the crimes, could receive a maximum punishment of life imprisonment. Lesser offenders could receive jail terms of up to three years, short-term detention or restriction. Hong Kongs leader, Carrie Lam, strongly endorsed the new law and said after a flag-raising ceremony: This decision was necessary and timely to maintain Hong Kongs stability". A pro-democracy political party, the League of Social Democrats, organised a protest march during the event. About a dozen participants chanted slogans echoing demands from protesters last year for political reform and an investigation into accusations of police abuse. The rules include: The activities of a new national security agency and its personnel in Hong Kong will not be under the jurisdiction of local government. The central government in Beijing has an overarching responsibility for national security affairs in Hong Kong. Anyone convicted of violating security legislation will not be allowed to stand in any Hong Kong elections. Companies or groups that violate national security law will be fined and could have operations suspended. Damaging certain transportation vehicles and equipment will be considered an act of terrorism. A barge displays the words 'Celebrate national security law; on Victoria Harbour in Hong Kong / Getty Images Authorities can surveil and wire-tap persons suspected of endangering national security. The law will apply to permanent and non-permanent residents of Hong Kong. The law says the management of foreign NGOs and news agencies in Hong Kong will be strengthened. Hong Kong leader will appoint judges for national security cases under law. Property related to crimes under legislation could be frozen or confiscated Mainland authorities will exercise jurisdiction in complex cases such as those involving a foreign country, or serious situations that pose a major or imminent threat to national security. Rights and freedoms, including freedom of speech, of the press, of publication, of assembly and demonstration, will be protected in accordance with the law. Why is the bill so controversial? The Hong Kong law has received criticism both internally and externally. Campaigners have raised fear about the law's impact on human rights, democracy and freedom. For example, there are worries about the fate of key opposition figures, some of whom have already been charged for taking part in protests, as well as the disqualification of candidates for the Legislative Council elections scheduled for September. Schools, social groups, media outlets, websites and other groups will be monitored and their national security status will be raised, according to the laws text, while Beijing will have authority over the activities of foreign non-governmental organisations and media outlets in Hong Kong. A child introduces the Hong Kong flag to her classmates at a kindergarten / AFP via Getty Images Mr Johnson has vowed to look very carefully at the wording of the bill to see if it breaches a treaty between the UK and Beijing. The Prime Minister said his Government were deeply concerned that the legislation had been passed. Mr Johnson, answering questions following a major speech in the West Midlands, told reporters: We are obviously deeply concerned about the decision to pass the national security law in Beijing as it affects Hong Kong. We will be looking at the law very carefully and we will want to scrutinise it properly to understand whether it is in conflict with the Joint Declaration between the UK and China. We will be setting out our response in due course. Asked whether it would impact on his decision to allow Huawei to be used in Britains 5G network, the PM said: The position is very, very simple: Im not going to get drawn into Sinophobia because Im not a Sinophobe. But on the other hand I do want to see our critical national infrastructure properly protected from hostile state vendors, and so we need to strike that balance and thats what well do. Speaking later in the House of Commons on Wednesday, Mr Johnson said the law constitutes a clear and serious breach of the Sino-British joint declaration. Responding to Tory MP for Bracknell James Sunderland, who asked what message the PM might have for the people of Hong Kong, Mr Johnson said: We stand for rules and obligations and we think that is the soundest basis for our international relations and the enactment and imposition of this national security law constitutes a clear and serious breach of the Sino-British joint declaration. PMQs: Boris Johnson announces new route for Hong Kong citizens to enter the UK It violates Hong Kongs high degree of autonomy and is in direct conflict with Hong Kong basic law. The law also threatens the freedoms and rights protected by the Joint Declaration. We made clear that if China continued down this path we would introduce a new route for those with British national overseas status to enter the UK granting them limited leave to remain with the ability to live and work in the UK and thereafter to apply for citizenship and that is precisely what we will do now. Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab described Chinas actions as a grave and deeply troubling step. He said: Despite the urging of the international community, Beijing has chosen not to step back from imposing this legislation. China has ignored its international obligations regarding Hong Kong. This is a grave step, which is deeply troubling. We urgently need to see the full legislation, and will use that to determine whether there has been a breach of the Joint Declaration and what further action the UK will take. Earlier, during Foreign Office questions in the Commons, Mr Raab urged China to step back from the brink. The success of Hong Kong, the entrepreneurial spirit, the vibrancy, the economic success, has been built on its autonomy in the one country, two systems paradigm. That clearly is at threat if China, as we now fear, has enacted the legislation and our worst fears in terms of the substantive detail are borne out. Boris Johnson said the Government would be looking over the wording of the bill / PA It would be bad news for all international businesses not just for the people of Hong Kong but for China. Which is why even at this stage we would urge China to step back from the brink, respect the rights of the people of Hong Kong and frankly live up to its international obligations through the joint declaration and to the international community. Shadow foreign secretary Lisa Nandy said he should not to waver on support for Hong Kong. Protesters marched against the new national security law / AP (Mr Raab) told me in this House a few weeks ago that at its application Britain would act. That law comes into force tomorrow, he must not waver. And shadow foreign office minister Stephen Kinnock called on the Government to stop being absent when it comes to China. Why did China implement the new law? China says the laws target troublemakers" in the region and said foreign countries, including Britain and the US, should not interfere in internal matters. The legislation was mandated under Hong Kongs local constitution but an earlier attempt to pass it in the citys legislative body in 2003 was shelved in the face of massive public opposition. Having lost patience, Beijing finally decided to circumvent the Hong Kong legislature and have it passed on Tuesday by the Standing Committee of the National Peoples Congress, Chinas rubber-stamp parliament. P resumptive US Democrat Presidential nominee Joe Biden has said he will not be holding rallies while America continues to struggle to contain the spread of Covid-19 Mr Biden made the announcement as took aim at President Donald Trump's fitness for the Oval Office, suggesting he had abdicated his duty to protect both US troops abroad and American citizens facing a pandemic and economic calamity. He told reporters at a press conference in Delaware that he was "following the doc's orders". "I'm going to follow the doc's orders, not just for me but for the country, and that means that I am not going to be holding rallies", he said. "I won't be holding rallies." The move is in sharp contrast to Mr Trump, who has held rallies attended by thousands in Tulsa ,Oklahoma, and Phoenix, Arizona. Mr Biden accused Mr Trump of "waving the white flag" as coronavirus cases surged nationwide and the death toll surpasses 125,000. Mr Trump has held rallies in Oklahoma and Arizona / AP While speaking to reporters, Mr Biden also said the president had "a lot to answer for" regarding reports he was advised as early as March 2019 of intelligence suggesting Russia was offering bounties to the Taliban for the deaths of Americans. He stopped short of saying Mr Trump had violated his oath of office or should face consequences from Congress based on any inaction on potential Russian bounties. But he called it "an absolute dereliction of duty if any of this is even remotely true" and added, in that case, that the public should "unrelated to my running, conclude that this man is unfit to be president of the United States of America". The Associated Press has reported at least one of Mr Trump's daily intelligence briefings included evidence of Russian bounties. Mr Biden accused Mr Trump of cosying up to Vladimir Putin (Reuters) / REUTERS Mr Trump has insisted he was never briefed on such details because they weren't credible. Mr Biden said on Tuesday he had not had a classified briefing on the material or on Mr Trump's handling of it, but said he may request one soon. Major-party nominees receive daily intelligence briefings, but Mr Biden is not yet the official nominee. Throughout this election campaign, Mr Biden has hammered Mr Trump for "cosying up" to Russian President Vladimir Putin and other autocrats. He has also warned Mr Putin's long-term goal is to destabilise NATO and Western alliances in place since World War II. It has been alleged that Russia put bounties on American soldier's heads / AP Mr Biden said Mr Trump should have called his military and national security team together to reconcile any intelligence discrepancies on the Russian bounty reports. "He should have, at a minimum, picked up the phone and said, 'Vladimir, old buddy, if any of this is true ... you've got a big problem," Mr Biden said. The 77-year-old also used Mr Trump's explanations - that he was unaware of any such intelligence reports - to turn the tables on the president's frequent mockery of Mr Biden's mental acuity. Mr Biden said his 74-year-old rival "doesn't seem to be cognitively aware," and he embraced the possibility of general election debates. "I can hardly wait to compare my cognitive capability to the cognitive capability of the man I'm running against," Mr Biden said. South Beach, Miami reopens during Coronavirus lockdown ease 1 /13 South Beach, Miami reopens during Coronavirus lockdown ease Getty Images Getty Images Getty Images AP AFP via Getty Images AFP via Getty Images Reuters Getty Images AFP via Getty Images Getty Images Getty Images Reuters Getty Images On the coronavirus, Mr Biden lambasted the president for not harnessing the power of the federal government. "He called himself a wartime president," Mr Biden said. "What happened? Now it's almost July, and it seems like our wartime president has surrendered, waved the white flag and left the battlefield." Mr Biden said he would implement a national system of testing for the virus and tracing the exposure path of those diagnosed, but warned Covid-19 "will likely worsen" during the coming flu season. A couple married for more than five decades spent their final moments together holding hands after they died an hour apart with coronavirus. Betty Tarpley, 80, and her husband, 79-year-old Curtis Tarpley, spent most of their lives together after meeting at high school in Illinois, before later falling in love in California as adults. The couple, who were married for 53 years, passed away on June 18 at Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Fort Worth. They both were admitted to the facility less than two weeks earlier with Covid-19. Staff at the hospital arranged for the pair to spend some final moments together beforehand, during which they held hands. Tim Tarpley, the couple's son, said his mother had been sick for a few days when he took her to the Texas hospital and found out she had Covid-19. Ms Tarpley was admitted to the facility on June 9, two days before her husband was admitted. Commenting on his parents' passing and their holding of hands shortly before, their son told CNN: "I honestly think they were so incapacitated that all they could do was talk with their souls or something, a special unspoken language." "They obviously knew each other well enough that they could communicate without words," he added. A petition calling for Pornhub and BangBros to remove videos of ex-porn star Mia Khalifa has gained momentum online, with more than 1.5 million signatures to date. Back in 2014 at the age of 21, Ms Khalifa made a total of 11 adult films during a three-month period, which she has recently admitted will "haunt me until I die". Now, a petition has been set up by her fans, calling for Pornhub and BangBros to remove the six-year-old clips of her and stop promoting them as new content. The Change.org page entitled Justice for Mia Khalifa reads: "The now 27-year-old Mia Khalifa appeared in the porn industry for a short span of three months in 2014 at the then age of 21. "She was only paid $12k from the millions of dollars that Pornhub and BangBros make off her videos. "The infamous hijab video has collected ISIS death threats that have targeted Mia from the video's release in 2014 to today. "Mia attends therapy on a consistent basis for trauma, emotional distress, and consequences of bullying. "Mia and her team have provided countless financial offers to the current owners of her domain name and pornographic videos to no avail. "Big corporations are not giving Mia Khalifa a fair chance to demand her content in court due to financial advantage. "We are demanding her domain names be returned, her videos be removed and fairly discussed in court without putting Mia Khalifa into deep financial ruin. Mia has stated her regret for her decisions in the porn industry multiple times. "Please consider signing this petition to support Mia Khalifa's future endeavours and to bring her justice." The Lebanese-American social media personality, who is now 27, spoke out earlier this year, urging girls not to go into the "toxic" industry, stating: "That hourly dissociative attack from remembering hundreds of millions of people's only impression of you is solely based on the lowest, most toxic, most uncharacteristic three months of your life when you were 21." Taking to Twitter in June, Ms Khalifa responded to a tweet about earning money from porn, writing: "Im begging you not to. Not because Im against sex work, Im not! "Im not going to tell you what to do with your body, but I am telling you to never let anyone have ownership of your content. "Ethical porn exists, support those sites, not the big production conglomerates." She also claims to have earned $12,000 (9,690) for the videos, which the streaming platforms continue to profit from. B ritain could do little to stop China from blocking Hong Kongers from coming to the UK, Dominic Raab has suggested. Up to three million residents of the former British colony have been offered the right to settle in the UK and ultimately apply for citizenship after Beijing imposed a controversial national security law. The UK Government believes the new legislation breaches the Sino-British Joint Declaration which aimed to smooth the transition when the territory was handed back to China in 1997. But Dominic Raab said that if Beijing tried to stop people with British National (Overseas) status from leaving Hong Kong, there would be little that could be done by the UK. Hong Kong protests against a new national security law 1 /38 Hong Kong protests against a new national security law AP AFP via Getty Images AFP via Getty Images AFP via Getty Images REUTERS AFP via Getty Images AFP via Getty Images REUTERS AFP via Getty Images Getty Images AP Getty Images Getty Images Getty Images Getty Images Getty Images Getty Images Getty Images AFP via Getty Images REUTERS AP AP REUTERS AP AFP via Getty Images AFP via Getty Images AP AFP via Getty Images AP AP AFP via Getty Images AP AP AFP via Getty Images AP AP REUTERS Getty Images He told ITV's Peston programme: "Ultimately if they follow through on something like that there would be little that we could do to coercively force them." Mr Raab continued: "There is an issue around freedom and human rights in Hong Kong, and there is an issue around China keeping its word on an international obligation it made to the United Kingdom back in 1984. "I wouldn't want to be naive about this: I think we need to be realistic. But I do think that China as a rising, leading member of the international community is sensitive to the reputational risk in all of this but clearly not sufficiently that it hasn't proceeded anyway. "There is diplomatic leverage, there are other ways that we can persuade China not to fully implement either the national security law or some of the reprisals you talk about. "But ultimately we need to be honest that we wouldn't be able to force China to allow BN(O)s to come to the UK." Meanwhile, Australia is considering offering visas to Hongkongers found to be in danger following the new law. Prime Minister Scott Morrison told reporters safe haven arrangements were being looked at "very actively", adding: "Are we prepared to step up and provide support?' The answer is, 'yes'." As of February, there were nearly 350,000 BN(O) passport holders, while the British government estimates there are around 2.9 million BN(O)s living in Hong Kong. Asked how many people the Government anticipated would come to the UK from Hong Kong, he said: "It's difficult to give a precise forecast but I think it is fair to assume that only a proportion of those that are offered the new status that we set out in the House of Commons today will take it up. "I think the majority of people will probably hunker down in Hong Kong and others would move to other countries in the region." Downing Street said those with BN(O) status will be eligible to travel to the UK immediately ahead of the details of the scheme being finalised "in the coming weeks" and that they will not face salary thresholds. The security law in Hong Kong - which came into effect on Tuesday night - makes activities deemed subversive or secessionist punishable by imprisonment, and is seen as targeting anti-government demonstrators. Hong Kong police made their first arrests on Wednesday under the new law, including one person said to have displayed a sign with the Union flag which called for Hong Kong's independence. T he US has effectively secured the entire global supply of one of only two drugs proven to treat coronavirus. Remdesivir, which was used to treat Ebola, is produced almost exclusively by US pharmaceutical giant Gilead. It costs around 430 for a treatment course of six doses. The US Department of Health and Human Services (HSS) has announced it has bought up more than 500,000 doses of the drug. The HSS suggested that the move means the country has secured the entire global supply of the drug for July, and 90 per cent of stocks available for August and September. The USs decision to stockpile the drug means there will likely be little supply in the rest of the world for months. Trials of the antiviral medicine on Covid-19 patients have showed it reduces the length of time they experience symptoms from 15 to 11 days, by stopping the virus from reproducing. Speaking in May, Health Secretary Matt Hancock described a trial of the Remdesivir drug as the biggest step forward since the beginning of the pandemic. Dr Andrew Hill, a senior visiting research fellow at Liverpool University, said it is now expected that Remdesivir will not be available for use on patients in the UK and Europe until October. "This deal that's been struck by America means that people with COVID-19 in the UK can't get access to these treatments that would get them out of hospital quickly and might improve their chances of survival, he told Sky News. "So far, we know that for the next three months there will be no supplies of Remdesivir - America will take the drugs and we won't have access to them. That's the case in the UK and Europe." Ogden jazz icon Joe McQueen may be gone, but his memory and legacy live on. One physical reminder of his life, McQueen's lifelong home at 3158 Grant Ave., has now become available for sale. The house received extensive remodeling, but as investor Richard Casperson has said, "Joe's energy is The sad thing is the COVID spread will probably go on for some time, though we could have flattened the curve with responsible leadership, she said. Experience now has shown most people wont social distance at beaches, bars, etc. The governor evidently has no concern for the health of the states citizens. Social media is awash with photos and videos showing millions celebrating in Tahrir Square following the removal of late president Mohamed Morsis Muslim Brotherhood regime on 3 July 2013. Television channels have hosted political analysts who have examined Morsis last hours in office when millions threatened to storm Al-Ittihadiya Presidential Palace in Heliopolis to evict him and the Muslim Brotherhood from power. The 30 June Revolution was not just a popular uprising against an outlawed or a terrorist group, but also a massive popular movement against a group which attempted to change the moderate identity of this country, President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi said on Monday while inaugurating the Baron Empain Palace in Heliopolis. This group, and those who stand behind it, thought they were about to achieve their objective of ruling Egypt. Then they were taken aback by millions going out to declare their rejection of the group and its attempts to hijack the country for its own interests. A statement issued on 29 June by Prime Minister Mustafa Madbouli noted that the revolution saved Egypt from chaos. Around us there are a lot of countries which faced this scenario, but thanks to God and to the awareness of the people we saved Egypt on 30 June 2013, said Madbouli. An uprising against religious fascism is how Mohamed Fayek, head of the National Council of Human Rights, describes the 30 June Revolution. Atef Nasr, head of the parliamentary majority party Mostaqbal Watan party, considers the mass demonstrations a rebellion against the forces of darkness and the religious autocracy of the supreme guides rule. In an article published in Al-Ahram on 29 June Yousri Abdallah, a researcher on political Islam at Helwan University, compared Egypts 30 June Revolution with the 1789 French Revolution against the autocracy of Louis XVI and the Catholic Church, and the English Revolution of 1688 which led to the overthrow of James II and the Catholic Church. People revolted against Brotherhood rule after just one year in office, not out of economic reasons but because of religious autocracy and the way its leaders were attempting to institute a Brotherhood dynasty in which they would inherit power from each other, said Abdallah. President Al-Sisi said in a TV interview following the removal of Morsi in 2013 that Brotherhood leaders, most notably the groups wealthy financier Khairat Al-Shater, told me we are here to stay in office for at least 500 years. Abdallah said when people gathered in Tahrir Square in January 2011 to ask for the removal of former president Hosni Mubarak they raised the slogans of freedom, democracy, and bread. They did not ask for the implementation of Islamic Sharia or the resurrection of the Islamic Caliphate. Once the Muslim Brotherhood came to office the people recognised that the country was being manipulated in the direction of both political and religious autocracy. The group embarked upon a Brotherhoodisation programme which focused on spreading the ideology of political Islam and jihad. They moved to oppress the groups opponents and critics, and gather the threads of power across Egypt in their hands. Al-Ahram political analyst Hassan Abu Taleb says that after just one month or two of Morsi being catapulted to power the public began to feel that they had been deceived and that the country was in the process of being hijacked. As a result popular movements, including the rebel campaign Tamarod, began to mobilise. Their objective was to save Egypt from becoming a fanatical country joining forces with global Islamic jihadist movements. Less than a month before his removal Morsi said at a public rally at Cairo Stadium that Egypt would sever ties with the Al-Assad regime in Syria and join jihadists there. Extremist clerics around him also urged him to get rid of his secularist critics. This was the straw that broke the camels back. It convinced civilian opposition forces and popular movements that they must close ranks and stand up to Morsi and the Brotherhood, says Abu Taleb. In June seven years ago most of Egypts opposition figures including former chief of the UN International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Mohamed ElBaradei came out against Morsi. In an interview with Al-Masry Al-Youm in mid-June 2013 ElBaradei pleaded with Morsi to leave office peacefully. Morsi has lost the confidence of most Egyptians, and I urge him to do like Hosni Mubarak and leave office peacefully, said ElBaradei. If Morsi refuses to leave, I hope the army will intervene to support the will of the people and force him from power. It is the duty of the army to support the peoples aspirations. Responding to the calls of opposition figures, and to the Tamarod campaign which collected 30 million signatures in favour of ousting Morsi, millions took to the streets on 30 June demanding Egypt be rid not just of Morsi but of the Muslim Brotherhood. Anti-Brotherhood protests continued for four days, with demonstrators threatening to storm the presidential palace, arrest Morsi and put him on trial. On 3 July 2013 representatives from opposition forces, including ElBaradei, the Salafist Nour Party, civil society organisations, and the then minister of defence Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi, met to announce the removal of Morsi and the appointment of the head of the Supreme Constitutional Court Adli Mansour as interim president. Morsi, like Mubarak in 2011, was placed under house arrest. Morsis Muslim Brotherhood refused to abandon power peacefully. They organised armed sit-ins in major squares in Cairo and Giza and threatened to use the terrorist Ansar Beit Al-Maqdis group in Sinai to spread violence across Egypt. Most of the groups leaders fled the country, choosing to seek refuge in friendly Qatar and Turkey. Seven years later, the group has used the massive financial support it receives to launch five satellite channels broadcasting from Istanbul and London and targeting the stability of Egypt around the clock. Tharwat Al-Khirbawi, a lawyer who left the Brotherhoods ranks in 2002, said in a recent TV interview with Al-Qahira wall-Nas TV that undaunted by the removal of Morsi in the country in which they were created almost 100 years ago the group moved quickly to retaliate. With millions of dollars at their disposal they set up offices in at least 50 countries all of which work to reverse what they call the coup which removed them from power in Egypt. The Brotherhood still represents a major threat to the internal stability of Egypt and will continue to be so for some time. In a speech on Monday, President Al-Sisi said, When we were in the middle of our 30 June Revolution we were aware that we were battling a very dangerous and treacherous international terrorist organisation. Although they were forced out of power in a mass popular revolution they have never stopped their attempts to foment waves and waves of armed violence to spread instability. Abu Taleb says that after their removal from office the Brotherhood instigated three waves of terrorism. First, they mobilised groups espousing their ideology like Sinais Ansar Beit Al-Maqdis and Gond Masr (the Soldiers of Egypt) to kill police officers and soldiers, judges and moderate clerics. Then they started to bomb official buildings and infrastructure projects. When they discovered their tactics were failing they focused on launching an electronic and online war from Turkey and Qatar. Groups of Brotherhood affiliates based in Istanbul and Doha work day and night to spread misinformation to stabilise Egypt. The Brotherhood has a big media centre through which it has close contacts with the British and American media. Abu Taleb says the Brotherhood has been able to gain a strong foothold in Libya in recent weeks. It controls what is called the Government of the National Accord [GNA] which, with Turkish military support, controls Tripoli, Libyas capital, and the strategic Mediterranean port of Misrata. The GNA in Tripoli is coordinating with Qatar and the Islamist An-Nahda party in neighbouring Tunisia as it seeks to extend its control across Libya and threaten the stability of Egypt. While visiting an Egyptian military base near Alexandria on 20 June, President Al-Sisi warned that Egypt would militarily intervene if the Brotherhood-affiliated GNA tried to seize control of the oil-rich region around the eastern towns of Sirte and Al-Jufra. Abu Taleb believes that the rise of Muslim Brotherhood regimes in North Africa would be a danger, not only for Egypt but for the entire continent. This is why we believe that the Brotherhood still represents a big threat to Egypt and it will continue to do so for some time. *A version of this article appears in print in the 2 July, 2020 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly Short link: Keystone, a tourist town that sits in the shadow of Mount Rushmore, is taking steps to prepare for President Trump's visit on July 3 for the fireworks show as it waits for more information from state officials about its plans to help manage what is expected to be large crowds that day. Keystone Finance Officer Cassandra Ott said Friday that the town of around 340 people has only had discussions with the state Department of Transportation and Pennington County Emergency Management to discuss directional signs for traffic that day. She also said she knew there would be a lot of law enforcement at what will be a day-long event for the small but popular tourist town about three miles from the Mount Rushmore National Memorial. At the the town's Board of Trustees special meeting on Wednesday, an $800 transient business fee for vendors was approved for July 1 to Aug. 16, according to minutes of the meeting. The meeting minutes also stated that three land leases were signed to use a field along Madill Street between the creek and street and between Harney Street and Old Keystone for parking for the event. Most of what we fear in life never becomes true. As children we were afraid of the shadows in our bedroom and that the Boogeyman would come and take us away. As adults, most of our fears switch to lack of security. Fear that our home would be broken into, our family will be harmed, or fear of lack of financial security. Regardless of what frightens us, most of us will admit were living with some form of fear and/or anxiety. Fear of sickness from Covid-19, fear of job loss or economic collapse, fear of racist cops, fear of rioters, looters on the streets that are openly committing harm to property or others. If you believe cable news, there is much to be afraid of ... and we are. Gun dealers across the country are selling their shelves empty. Citizens are stocking up on toiletries and food supplies, buying guns at a record pace and loading up on ammunition. Whats driving these actions? Fear. Fear is a healthy sensation, as it can keep some of us from what Ill call the Oh yeah? Hold my beer syndrome. Fear kept our early ancestors from being eaten by sabre-tooth tigers. I can go on, but you get the picture. However, fear can also make you react irrationally at times where rational thinking is needed. Fear can negatively impact your health and ruin your life. The American Republic is a very fragile system. It is designed to create consensus. Consensus is based on compromise. It is based on the majority will with protection for minorities. It is not and should not be a winner take all system. The Roman Republic lasted for 500 years before becoming a dictatorship. The American Republic has so far lasted only about half that long. Americans have always placed their support for the Constitution above their political party affiliation. President Trump has been a divider, not a uniter. His loyalty is first and foremost to himself. He always denies responsibility, changes the narrative, and attacks those who would stand in his way. He claims that the Mueller report exonerates him. It takes about 12 hours to listen to or the read that report. Mueller specifically identifies 10 incidents in which Trump obstructed justice. It is more important to read the report than to listen to Trump and Attorney General Bill Barr distort the facts. President Trump self identifies as a stable genius. He defends his friendship with Russian President Putin, North Korean leader Kim, and Chinese President Shee, all of whom are dictators. American generals whove worked under Trump, including General Jim Mattis (Secretary of Defense), John Kelly (Chief of Staff), and Admiral Mullen (former Chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff) have all expressed concerns about President Trumps authoritarian management style. Recently, American and European intelligence agencies have documented evidence that Russia was paying bounties to kill Americans in Afghanistan. President Trump, in the past has said that the Russian invasion and the annexation of the Crimea was well received by the occupied people. He has said that NATO has outlived its usefulness. And rather than create a unified national policy to fight the Corona virus, he has supported 50 different state policies. If the past is prologue to the future, Mr. Trump is in over his head. Campus Book Mart Manager Stan Raye mans a cash register in his Oktibbeha County store while wearing a face mask. As COVID-19 numbers rise, members of the Oktibbeha County Board of Supervisors say it is likely that the county will consider stricter infection control measures. The largest marijuana raid in Niagara Regional Police history was made Tuesday as a result of a raid at a greenhouse operation in the area of Third Street Louth and Main Street in City of St. Catharines. The NRP guns, gangs and grows unit, with the opioid enforcement unit, began an investigation in May as a result of complaints from citizens. At about 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, police with a search warrant entered the properties and immediately observed a well-organized and large-scale cannabis growing operation, said a news release. Police located 11 people working on and tending to cannabis plants. Police found about 17,200 plants in various stages of growth. The estimated value of the marijuana is $34 million, police said. The release called it the largest marijuana grow operation investigated by the Niagara Regional Police Service. Zengshou Liu, 63, of St. Catharines is charged with unauthorized production of cannabis contrary to the Federal Cannabis Act. Charged with the same offence are Yongqi Liu, 51; Qiaoguo Yang, 50; Xiao Ping Yang, 51; Junso Dong, 48; and Jinying Xue; 52, all of Scarborough; as well as Lin Feng Shi, 41, and Jin Chin Jiang, 35, both of Markham; Libo Qian, 54, of Toronto; and Yingqiu Lin; 68, of New York, U.S.A. Another man arrested had yet to be identified. All are to appear at the Robert S.K. Welch Courthouse in St. Catharines on Sept. 4. Police said illegal operations such as these pose several concerns, including offensive odour and the potential for violence. In the release, the NRP also said it would like to remind people that individuals can produce up to four cannabis plants per residence. If a member of the public has been granted a Health Canada issued registration/licence to produce cannabis for medical purposes, those authorizations are specific to the named individual and location as well as the prescribed plant amount. Cannabis grown for ones own medical purpose cannot be sold, given or transferred to other parties. Aside from federal producers and regulated storefronts, it is an offence under the Cannabis Act to distribute or sell cannabis. Healthcare workers at Boca Raton Regional Hospital/Baptist Health South Florida head outside for some ice cream on May 28, 2020. Leaders of the Jewish Federation of South Palm Beach County handed out 1,200 Hoffman's ice cream treats for the hospital staff in appreciation for the work they have been doing during the coronavirus pandemic. (Mike Stocker / South Florida Sun Sentinel) HONG KONG - When Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai arrived in Hong Kong at age 12, the city felt like heaven to him, brimming with hope and freedom. He arrived poor, but over the years embarked on a rags-to-riches path from a garment factory worker to a wealthy businessman known for founding the popular Apple Daily newspaper and for being an outspoken pro-democracy activist. The hope I had (in Hong Kong) lasted for a long time, it made me who I am today, Lai said in an interview with The Associated Press on Wednesday, hours after a new Hong Kong national security law imposed by mainland China came into effect. (When I first arrived), I could feel it, it was so palpable, that I almost thought a great future was waiting for me. But that hope dimmed over the years, and with the enactment of the security law, Lai says the Hong Kong he once knew is dead. Its worse than the worst scenario imagined. Hong Kong is totally subdued, totally under control, he said. Its sad that Hong Kong is dead. The security law is seen by many as Beijings boldest move yet to erase the legal firewall between the semi-autonomous territory and the mainlands authoritarian Communist Party system. Under the law, anyone suspected of taking part in subversive, secessionist or terrorist activities, as well as colluding with foreign forces to intervene in the citys affairs, could face a maximum punishment of life imprisonment. In some cases, mainland China will assume jurisdiction and suspects could be sent there for trial. Lai said he will continue fighting for democracy, but it will now have to be in a very different way. We will have to see how many of us are left in the fighting camp, he said, adding that many will be frightened away by the new law. We will have to stand up and be the backbone of the movements integrity, and the integrity of Hong Kongs justice, he said. Lai declined to elaborate on how the pro-democracy movement will continue, saying that discussions are needed on how to move forward. He remained hopeful that Hong Kong will one day have democracy. Dictatorship of such extremes cannot last in todays world, its impossible, he said. We have to persist, time is on our side. We are on the right side of history. Lai also condemned the security legislation for violating the rule of law in Hong Kong, still based on British common law. The details (of the law) are very draconian but also very vague, he said. Theyre saying the security law is going to be used for people who make trouble who are the tiny minority, and that common law will still be useful for commercial businesses and all that. But the two hands can switch at any time. The city will lose its status as an international financial hub because trust cannot be built when there is no rule of law, and businesses will have no protection, he said. In the future, Hong Kongers will be very cautious about what they say on the phone and on social media, and will be careful whom they speak to, afraid that someone might turn them in, he said. This is going to be a very different society. I dont think Hong Kong people, who are used to freedom and rule of law, will be able to adjust, he said. Many will leave. But he emphasized that he would stay, even if one day his family has to leave. I cannot (leave). If I leave, not only do I disgrace myself, Id discredit Apple Daily, Id undermine the solidarity of the democratic movement, he said. Its something I have to take responsibility for. Lai became an outspoken advocate for democracy in Hong Kong after the bloody June 4, 1989, crackdown on pro-democracy protesters around Beijings Tiananmen Square. The reason I went into media was the idea that I will be able to deliver information, which equals delivering freedom, he said. He founded the Apple Daily tabloid in 1995, ahead of Britains handover of Hong Kong to China. Like Lai, Apple Daily adopts a strong pro-democracy stance, often urging readers to take part in protests. On Wednesday, its front page denounced the security legislation, stating that the evil law is the final nail in the coffin for the one country, two systems framework under which Hong Kong was returned to China. Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Lai, together with 14 other pro-democracy figures, is currently facing charges of organizing and participating in several massive anti-government protests deemed unlawful last year. He says neither the prospect of prison nor the consequences of the national security law fazes him. If I have to go to prison, I dont mind. I dont care, he said. I cannot worry, because you never know what kind of measures they will take against me, Lai said. It wont be something I can worry about, Ill just relax and do what I have to do. LONDON - From Tokyo to Brussels, political leaders have swiftly decried Beijings move to impose a tough national security law on Hong Kong that cracks down on subversive activity and protest in the semi-autonomous territory. But the rhetoric has more bark than bite. For people in Hong Kong, the question is: Will international anger and statements of concern make any difference? Individual countries have little leverage over Beijing on human rights, experts say. A joint effort could make a difference, but co-ordinated action seems unlikely given strained ties between the Trump administration and many of Washingtons traditional European allies. The U.S.A. and EU are moving in different directions in many areas. It is perhaps to Chinas advantage that that should be so, said Rod Wye, an Asia-Pacific associate fellow at the Chatham House think-tank in London. In particular, Europeans do not want to be drawn into the U.S.-China trade war, he said. Expressions of concern are certainly not going to change the Chinese intention one little bit, he added. A joint U.S.-European report released this week on relations with China described a deep sense of frustration, fatigue, and futility. The stronger China gets, the less willing it has become to even engage perfunctorily with the West on the issue. The report from the Asia Society, the Bertelsmann Stiftung and George Washington University said that concern about human rights abuses in China remains deep, from the new security law in Hong Kong, which went into effect Tuesday night, to the repression of Muslim minorities in the Xinjiang region in western China. China routinely dismisses all such criticism as interference in its domestic affairs. One of the crimes in the Hong Kong security law explicitly outlaws receiving funding or support from overseas to disrupt lawmaking in Hong Kong or impose sanctions on the city. This issue is purely Chinas internal affairs, and no foreign country has the right to interfere, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said. Many fear the law will be used to curb opposition voices and see it as Beijings boldest move yet to erase the legal firewall between the mainlands Communist Party system and Hong Kong, which was promised a high degree of autonomy and civil liberties under a one country, two systems principle. Britain called the law deeply troubling and said it lies in direct conflict with Chinas international obligations. The U.S. warned that Chinas repeated violations of its international commitments is a pattern the world cannot ignore. And the European Union warned that China risked very negative consequences to its reputation and to business confidence in the global financial hub. Steve Tsang, who directs the China Institute at Londons School of Oriental and African Studies, said that if the EU were to join forces on the issue with the Five Eyes alliance the U.S., Britain, Canada, Australia and New Zealand the group would have real economic clout. The EU is Chinas largest trading partner. But he said it was far-fetched for either British Prime Minister Boris Johnson or President Donald Trump to work with the EU on the issue. It is reasonable for Beijing to calculate that both the U.K. and U.S. are paper tigers, Tsang said. Boris is focused on Brexit. He is happy to co-operate with anyone except for the EU. Chinese experts said the West isnt able to sway China because of fundamental differences in their views. The West stresses political rights, while China emphasizes economic rights, said Yu Wanli, an international relations professor at Beijing Language and Culture University. It is not that China is trying to withstand pressure from the West, but it is that Chinas own policies have achieved results, Yu said. China doesnt need to care about pressure from the West. Stressing a legal and moral duty to its former colony, Britain on Wednesday announced it is extending residency rights for up to 3 million Hong Kongers eligible for British National Overseas passports, allowing them to live and work in the U.K. for five years. In Brussels, the European Parliament last month passed a resolution calling on the EU to consider taking Beijing to the International Court of Justice. Reinhard Butikofer, chair of the European Parliaments delegation for China relations, said lawmakers are considering other measures, such as a ban on exports of technology utilized to oppress Hong Kong citizens. Other options include a lifeboat offer for Hong Kong democracy activists, and pushing for the United Nations to appoint a special envoy to the city. The major burden is on the incoming German presidency to rally member states in following through in what they have indicated in the past, that this would not remain without consequences, Butikofer said. In the U.S., the Trump administration has said it will bar defence exports to Hong Kong, cancel policy exemptions that give Hong Kong special treatment, and impose visa restrictions on Chinese Communist Party officials responsible for undermining Hong Kongs autonomy. Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Zhao, the foreign ministry spokesperson, said the U.S. will never succeed in blocking Hong Kongs national security legislation through sanctions. Wye, the Chatham House associate fellow, said the impact of such measures on China is likely to be marginal. I dont think Beijing has anything particular to fear because the sanctions theyre talking about are mainly withdrawing special status in particular areas of Hong Kong and treating it more like the rest of China, he said. So the people likely to be hurt are Hong Kong businesses and Hong Kong people rather than Chinese businesses and the Chinese government. LITTLEROCK, Calif. - A 24-year-old Black man found hanging from a tree at a park in Southern California was remembered Tuesday as a cheerful young man who loved music, sports, video games and spending time with family. Relatives, friends and community members attended the funeral of Robert Fuller. A coroner says it appears he may have taken his own life, but family members and friends fear he might have been lynched. Days after his death, more than 1,000 people turned out for a protest and memorial around the tree where the body was discovered about 40 miles (64 kilometres) north of Los Angeles. At the funeral Tuesday, his sister, Angel Magee, laughed as she recalled how much her brother could eat. She said when she wanted to see him, she would start cooking. All I had to do was bribe him with food, and hed come around, Magee said. Fullers gold-colored casket was draped with white flowers and placed at the front of the pulpit at Living Stone Cathedral of Worship in Littlerock. Mourners at the church wore masks because of the coronavirus pandemic. The service was filled with music and streamed online. Fullers body was found June 10 in the high desert city of Palmdale. Initial findings that it was likely a suicide led to protests and calls for an independent investigation. The FBI and U.S. Department of Justice are monitoring ongoing probes by sheriffs departments in Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties. Jamon Hicks, an attorney for the family, delivered a tribute at the funeral and criticized the initial probe that indicated Fuller had killed himself. How do you make it a suicide without analyzing the rope? How do you determine it was a suicide before the toxicology report comes back? he asked. Hicks connected the case to the Black Lives Matter movement sweeping the nation. Its about demanding fairness, its about demanding equality, its about demanding respect, he said. Dr. Jonathan Lucas, chief medical examiner-coroner in Los Angeles County, said no signs of foul play were found at the scene only a rope and a backpack. The initial report appeared to be consistent with a suicide but we felt it prudent to roll that back and continue to look deeper, Lucas said a week after the death. A smiling Fuller was shown at the funeral in photos and videos displayed on big screens, including one clip of him dancing in front of the White House. You could tell that he was happy. You could tell that he was full of life, Hicks said. Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Longtime friend Chad Bellows remembered Fuller as a positive dude who lit up a room with a smile. ___ Weber reported from Los Angeles. WASHINGTON - When it comes to Russia, the Trump administration just cant seem to make up its mind. For the past three years, the administration has careered between President Donald Trumps attempts to curry favour and friendship with Vladimir Putin and longstanding deep-seated concerns about Putins intentions. As Trump has repeatedly and openly cozied up to Putin, his administration has imposed harsh and meaningful sanctions and penalties on Russia. The dizzying, often contradictory, paths followed by Trump on the one hand and his hawkish but constantly changing cast of national security aides on the other have created confusion in Congress and among allies and enemies alike. To an observer, Russia is at once a mortal enemy and a misunderstood friend in U.S. eyes. Even before Trump took office questions about Russia abounded. Now, nearing the end of his first term with a difficult reelection ahead, those questions have resurfaced with a vengeance. Intelligence suggesting Russia was encouraging attacks on U.S. and allied forces in Afghanistan by putting bounties on their heads has thrust the matter into the heart of the 2020 campaign. The White House says the intelligence wasnt confirmed or brought to Trumps attention, but his vast chorus of critics are skeptical and maintain the president should have been aware. The reports have alarmed even pro-Trump Republicans who see Russia as a hostile global foe meddling with nefarious intent in Afghanistan, the Middle East, Ukraine and Georgia, a waning former superpower trying to regain its Soviet-era influence by subverting democracy in Europe and the United States with disinformation and election interference. Trumps overtures to Putin have unsettled longstanding U.S. allies in Europe, including Britain, France and Germany, which have expressed concern about the U.S. commitment to the NATO alliance, which was forged to counter the Soviet threat, and robust democracy on the continent. But Trump has defended his perspective on Russia, viewing it as a misunderstood potential friend, a valued World War II ally led by a wily, benevolent authoritarian who actually may share American values, like the importance of patriotism, family and religion. Trumps approach to Russia was at centre stage in the impeachment proceedings, when U.S. officials testified that the president demanded political favours from Ukraine in return for military assistance it needed to combat Russian aggression. But the issue ended up as a largely partisan exercise, with House Democrats voting to impeach Trump and Senate Republicans voting to acquit. Within the Trump administration, the national security establishment appears torn between pursuing an arguably tough approach to Russia and pleasing the president. Insiders who have raised concern about Trumps approach to Russia including at least one of his national security advisers, defence secretaries and secretaries of state, but especially lower-level officials who spoke out during impeachment have nearly all been ousted from their positions. Suspicions about Trump and Russia go back to his 2016 campaign. His appeal to Moscow to dig up his opponents emails, his plaintive suggestions that Russia and the United States should be friends and a series of contacts between his advisers and Russians raised questions of impropriety that led to special counsel Robert Muellers investigation. The investigation ultimately did not allege that anyone associated with the campaign illegally conspired with Russia. Mueller, along with the U.S. intelligence community, did find that Russia interfered with the election, to sow chaos and also help Trumps campaign. But Trump has cast doubt on those findings, most memorably in a 2018 appearance on stage with Putin in Helsinki. Yet despite Trumps rhetoric, his administration has plowed ahead with some of the most significant actions against Russia by any recent administration. Dozens of Russian diplomats have been expelled, diplomatic missions closed, arms control treaties the Russians sought to preserve have been abandoned, weapons have been sold to Ukraine despite the impeachment allegations and the administration is engaged in a furious battle to prevent Russia from constructing a new gas pipeline that U.S. lawmakers from both parties believe will increase Europes already unhealthy dependence on Russian energy. At the same time, Trump has compounded the uncertainty by calling for the withdrawal or redeployment of U.S. troops from Germany, angrily deriding NATO allies for not meeting alliance defence spending commitments, and now apparently ignoring dire intelligence warnings that Russia was paying or wanted to pay elements of the Taliban to kill American forces in Afghanistan. Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... On top of that, even after the intelligence reports on the Afghanistan bounties circulated, hes expressed interest in inviting Putin back into the G-7 group of nations over the objections of the other members. White House officials and die-hard Trump supporters have shrugged off the obvious inconsistencies, but they have been unable to staunch the swell of criticism and pointed demands for explanations as Russia, which has vexed American leaders for decades, delights in its ability to create chaos. BOISE, Idaho - Prosecutors accused a man of conspiring with his new wife to keep the bodies of her children hidden on his rural Idaho property, adding to the charges he faces in the strange case that involves the couples doomsday beliefs and the mysterious deaths of their former spouses. In new charges filed Tuesday evening, prosecutors say Chad Daybell conspired with wife Lori Vallow Daybell to keep hiding the bodies of 7-year-old Joshua JJ Vallow and 17-year-old Tylee Ryan because they knew the remains would likely be used as evidence in a court case. The children vanished in September and a search for them spanned months before their bodies were found last month in Chad Daybells backyard. Its not clear how the kids died or who caused their deaths. Chad Daybell is already in jail on previous charges that he buried or helped bury the kids, first dismembering and burning Tylees body in an apparent attempt to hide the remains. He has pleaded not guilty to those charges and is being held on $1 million bail. Lori Daybell is also charged with conspiring to hide the remains and is being held on $1 million bail. She was charged earlier this year with abandoning the children, obstructing the investigation into their disappearance and asking a friend to lie to police on her behalf. She has not yet entered a plea in either case. Relatives of Tylee and JJ thanked people for their support, expressed their grief and asked for privacy in a joint statement Wednesday. We are utterly devastated trying to comprehend how our children, full of brilliant light and jubilance for life, ended at the hands of those who were supposed to love and protect them, the families wrote. The families said they have faith in the judicial system and are confident justice will prevail. They said public memorial services will be held at some point in Rexburg, Idaho, where the kids last lived; Phoenix, their home before Idaho; and Lake Charles, Louisiana, where JJs grandparents live. Investigators found the childrens bodies by tracking the movements of Lori Daybells brother, Alex Cox, using cellphone data. Authorities havent explained Coxs possible role in the childrens disappearances or deaths and they searched Chad Daybells home again Monday but havent said what they were looking for. Cox is also dead, succumbing to an apparent blood clot in his lung at his home in Arizona last December. In court documents, Rexburg police Lt. Ron Ball wrote that Cox also was involved in the conspiracy to hide the kids remains by taking JJ to Chad Daybells property the day the child was buried and by later telling police the boy was visiting his grandparents in Louisiana. The documents also reference claims that the Daybells believed dark spirits, or zombies, would possess people. Lori Daybell reportedly told her friend Melanie Gibb at different times in 2019 that both JJ and Tylee had become zombies. Gibb said the Daybells also believed the only way to rid a person of a dark spirit was by killing them so the person could be at rest in the afterlife. The complex case began last summer with Cox shooting and killing Loris estranged husband, Charles Vallow, in suburban Phoenix in what he asserted was self-defence. 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. Shortly after Vallows death, Lori and the children moved to Idaho, where Chad Daybell lived. He ran a small publishing company, putting out 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 the apocalypse, and friends said he claimed to be able to receive visions from beyond the veil. Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... He had been 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 Utah in December. The results of that autopsy have not been released. Police began searching for Tylee and JJ in November after relatives raised concerns. Police say the Daybells lied to investigators about the childrens whereabouts before quietly leaving Idaho. They were found in Hawaii months later. This fall, high school could look a lot more like summer school. As boards work to find ways to limit contact between students to reduce the spread of COVID-19, secondary school poses a particular problem: How to do that when teens typically take four credits each semester, or eight over an entire year, with different teachers and classmates in each? One scenario a number of boards are considering is to have teens take one credit at a time, for roughly half a day, for about five weeks each. Imagine that you are a Grade 9 student and you are in a semestered school and you are taking four classes, said Tony Pontes, executive director of the Council of Ontario Directors of Education, which represents leaders at all 72 school boards in the province. You have a timetable right now that shows period one, period two, maybe period three is lunch, and then periods four and five. So youve got four classes in a day, he said. One model that some boards are looking at is to say, All right, whatever you have in period one, you are going to have that class now for perhaps the equivalent of 225 minutes, every day for five weeks. So its going to be almost like summer school and at the end of those five weeks, everybodys going to move to their period two class. Under the one-class-at-time model, teens are cohorted with the same teacher, he added. So thats certainly a model that many boards are considering. Theres no movement in the hall, theres no going to lockers and they would go home (after) so schools dont have to worry about lunch and cafeteria because thats another significant challenge. In the elementary grades, cohorting is easier to do as an entire class of kids can remain with the same teacher most of the time. While the one-class scenario is the option being most discussed, Pontes stressed it is just one possible way to manage the issue. However, he added, it does check off most safety concerns because if high schools move to two classes a day, then hallway and other points of contact must be dealt with. Last month, Ontario Education Minister Stephen Lecce asked boards to plan for three scenarios in the fall depending on the COVID-19 situation: in-class as usual, with health and safety protocols such as regular handwashing in place; continue with online only the model used when schools were shut down after the March Break; or some combination of the two. The education ministry has suggested that for high schools, boards consider shortened periods of in-person instruction in the morning with blended online and independent learning in the afternoons, or the block schedule, with one course taught over several weeks, with an online component. It also says compulsory classes could be taught in person and electives online. Sofia Zamorano, a student trustee with the Durham Catholic board, said the one-class model could work. But she cautioned that while many students do well with the intense five weeks of summer school, a lot of students also struggle to keep up with the workload ... it may not be the best option for every learning style out there. She also said students may be left feeling stuck in a rut, especially after being at home for so long, and then having to learn the same thing every day. Zamorano, who just graduated from All Saints Catholic Secondary School in Whitby, said there are a number of possible models, including one where half the students attend every other day, with livestreamed lessons on the days they are home. Pontes said directors and superintendents will be working all summer on the fall plans, building regular timetables a huge job in any year, especially with just weeks before school and then they have to basically dissect that timetable into digestible pieces, and with a maximum class size of 15 if required. Busing will be another headache for boards, given routes will be able to handle about 24 children when they would typically transport more than double that number, he said, and also noted that schools will have to hire more custodial staff as well for daily deep cleaning. Later this summer, he added, boards will have to determine how many students will return to in-person classes attendance will be optional if families have concerns which will impact timetabling, he added. Its a lot of work to ramp up, really, within three to four weeks, Pontes said. However, having said all that, I know superintendents and directors and principals are going to make it work every student is going to have the support they need. Plans from individual boards are due to the ministry August 4. Critics have said the province is leaving all the hard work to boards at a time when they are already overwhelmed. Lecce said he wants boards to make decisions based on their own situation and with the advice of local health officials, which will mean schooling will look different across the province. Cathy Abraham, president of the Ontario Public School Boards Association, said boards are collecting surveys to take a pulse of our communities to see how everybodys doing and to ask what parents think of different options for the fall. Student Trustee Ivy Deng, who just graduated from Earl Haig Secondary School, said this is a constantly changing situation. We dont even know what next week, let alone the next three months, will look like. But she said the Toronto District School Board is consulting extensively and that a number of models are possible. Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... The TDSB will have a draft plan to give Toronto public health by July 14, and a month later school schedules will be ready, she added. While making these plans, the (board) is trying to ensure that student learning gaps are accommodated and that teachers are also well prepared for the fall, Deng added. This is a challenging situation for everyone and I hope whatever plan is decided on will be able to support every student not only in education, but also in mental health. Ontario teachers unions have called for students to have flexible schedules and take fewer courses, given they may need extra time to catch up as well as to ensure students mental health and well-being after the prolonged shutdown. They have also suggested one day a week be set aside for deep cleaning. I do not presently know anyone who has suffered or died from contracting coronavirus, he said May 5 at a commission meeting. However, I do know many who are suffering from losing jobs, isolation, depression, divorce and CDC recommendations that have become unconstitutional mandates. Our friends and family are now unable to enjoy life and pursue happiness. WASHINGTON Top business executives in the United States are calling on the U.S. Congress to pass bipartisan policing reform before its August recess, in the wake of protests against police brutality and racial bias in the criminal justice system. Congress cannot afford to let this moment pass, Joshua Bolten, the president and chief executive of The Business Roundtable group, said in a statement on Wednesday. There is room for bipartisan agreement on many critical issues of policing reform, but the issues will be resolved only in negotiations between the House and Senate, the statement added. The development comes amid demonstrations against police brutality following the May 25 death of George Floyd, a Black man killed after a police officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes while detaining him in Minneapolis. The group urged Congress to bring about more transparency and accountability in the reforms including establishing a National Police Misconduct Registry to maintain disciplinary records of police officers. It also called for federal minimum standards for policing, including on use of lethal and non-lethal force, adding that training programs for the police should be made more robust. Unsolved Mysteries (streaming on Netflix): The moment someone describes a case as "an enigma that perplexes everyone," you know you're back on uneasy, yet comfortable, ground with this pioneer in speculative docu/reality TV, which has bounced around broadcast networks, syndication and cable since the late 1980s. Now Unsolved Mysteries has found a new home on streaming, with six (of 12) episodes available for binge-watching, though it's a more languorous, poky affair than the original series, devoting each episode to a single puzzling story. (One, about the massacre of a seemingly distinguished and perfect family, is told in French, with subtitles.) With no host although I thought I saw a blurry glimpse of the late Robert Stack in the opening credits the anthology is the usual mix of unexplained disappearances, bizarre crimes and, inevitably, UFO sightings. As a Massachusetts local from the Berkshires puts it, after recounting his harrowing tale from 1969, "All you got to do is look up at the sky and sooner or later you'll see something and not know what it is." The local orders come a day after Missouri Gov. Mike Parson said he does not plan on mandating masks across the state. For people that live in those cities that want to live under those guidelines, that is their elected leaders decision, Parson said during a press conference Tuesday when asked about the issue. When asked whether he plans to wear a mask during Fourth of July festivities, the governor said he did not plan to. The mask deal has become a political issue in the media, he added. You have to make a decision as individuals to decide whether you are going to do that or not. You know the facts whether to wear one or not, Parson said. I think some of the freedoms that we all have in individual things have to be protected also for the everyday people out there also. The ones that dont want to wear a mask should have every right not to wear one if they dont feel like they want to wear one. Cases climb "We just don't know how much, he said. But it's hard to measure the the protests' precise impact for a number of reasons, Shah and others said. Earlier business reopenings and more willingness to shrug off social distancing guidelines started the trend in the Houston area, Shah said. Another factor: Many people don't get tested unless they feel symptoms. Many protesters were young adults, who generally are less likely to get severe illness, and therefore may not have gotten tested, experts said. And some who do get tested may still not answer all the questions they are asked by outbreak investigators. I know of three people who told us Yes, I was at a protest. That doesn't mean there was not another 25 or more who did attend a protest and just did not share that with us," said Dr. Mysheika Roberts, the public health commissioner for the city of Columbus, Ohio. That city has seen increased cases in the last month, but health officials say they can't attribute it to any particular reason other than people socializing and returning to normal activities without wearing masks or taking other precautions. So far, protests don't seem to be a real factor. The mayor said private companies often hire outside consultants to tackle serious issues but that the government very rarely has the chance to do that. I dont think weve ever had this kind of an opportunity before and weve probably never needed it as much, she said. I think it will be a good opportunity for us all to get better. She said the review would begin in about two weeks and last a few months. Jacob Long, the mayors spokesman, said the city study would run concurrently with the one in the county but that they are separate. Edwards said in an interview that the review wasnt spurred by the recent protests about policing here and around the country triggered by the death of George Floyd, a black man, in Minneapolis police custody. This was something we talked about before George Floyd, Edwards said. Timing is everything, I think, and it works, but certainly it is not directly related to this climate. Alderman John Collins-Muhammad, D-21st Ward, said while he hopes that some good comes out of the study, at this point we need immediate action. CLAYTON The St. Louis County Board of Police Commissioners on Tuesday signed an agreement recognizing the Ethical Society of Police, an organization formed in 1972 to represent minority police officers an fight race-based discrimination. County Executive Sam Page signed the memorandum with the group last week. The group, which has operated in the city police department for years, has been long waiting for county approval. Earlier this month, the group was denied a seat on a chiefs committee because it was not a recognized labor group. Chief Mary Barton said then that the groups participation in the committee may then lead to other groups wanting a seat. Bartons statements to members of the County Council earlier this month that she did not believe systemic racism existed in the department prompted two council members to question whether she could lead. And it precipitated the long-awaited recognition of the Ethical Society. The five-member police board signed the agreement in a special meeting on Tuesday. The public was excluded for all but a few moments of about an hourlong meeting because the board said it had to discuss competitive bids and confidential legal matters. The Post-Dispatch objected to the closed meeting. Although the appeals court reduced the award to $2.1 billion, the Eastern District Missouri Court of Appeals expressed strong support for using punitive damages to punish companies. Because defendants are large, multibillion dollar corporations, we believe a large amount of punitive damages is necessary to have a deterrent effect in this case, the court wrote. We find there was significant reprehensibility in defendants conduct. During debate on the measure this spring, the bills sponsor, Sen. Bill White, R-Joplin, said attorneys use the threat of a large punitive damage award to pressure businesses into agreeing to big payouts. The new law also alters the Missouri Merchandising Practices Act, by requiring that plaintiffs demonstrate they acted as a reasonable consumer and that members of class actions must show individual harm. Rep. Bruce DeGroot, a Chesterfield Republican who sponsored a House version of the measure, praised the governor for signing the legislation. Punitive damages were created to punish wrongdoing. In Missouri it has devolved into being used against people who just made a mistake, DeGroot said. The measure was championed by the Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry. ST. LOUIS The temperature sizzled to 105 degrees on July 1, 1980, then fell sharply the following day. Relief would be fleeting. The Southwest baked that summer in a pitiless heat wave. More than 60 people already had died in Texas when July began. The weather system built on itself, driving northward on baking winds. In St. Louis, gathering heat pushed the high to 99 on July 7 and to 101 the next day. It would break 100 degrees on a withering nine of the next 14 days and reach 107 on July 15, the summer's worst. It would be 100 or hotter on 18 days that long, searing summer. The heat wave would kill 153 people in the St. Louis area, most of them elderly, poor and living in stifling rooms without air conditioning. Many had kept their windows shut, fearing burglars more than swelter. Eleven had died of heat by July 10, when 12 more were reported that single day. The daily toll rocketed to 26 on July 14. "We are running out of places to put the bodies," said Rose Marie Green at the St. Louis medical examiner's office, where stench smacked visitors at the front door. Conservation police are telling people to stay at least 100 yards away from the bear to protect both the bear and the people. Based on photos she is seeing online, that advice is not being heeded, Fitzsimons said. These people were way closer than that, she said. IDNR has not definitively determined the sex of the bear but, because of its size and the fact that its mating season, when male bears tend to travel, officials believe its a male. The bear was first sighted June 5 in Wisconsin, and Wisconsin officials notified IDNR of its travels. June 10 it crossed over the (Illinois) state line, Fitzsimons said, adding that it then crossed into Iowa. After spending a week in Iowa, the bear crossed back into Illinois at Andalusia and since has continued south. The bear is keeping its travels trouble-free, Fitzsimons said. This bear hasnt even touched a garbage can, she said. It is a timid species, but you dont want to provoke it. This is something we havent seen before. Were not quite sure what its thinking. When I came out as transgender, as a woman, then all of a sudden that meant that one of rabbis of this community, who is a woman, is now married to a woman and thats a big deal, she said. So in a sense, when I came out as trans, I was coming out as myself, as a woman, and forcing my wife along with me. And for that reason, it had to be a dialogue with my wife about when we would do this, and also with the leadership of the synagogue. Arlydia Bufford, one of three women shot at the Applebees restaurant in St. John on June 22, has come off a ventilator, has told nurses her name and knows why she's in the hospital, Kinloch Fire Protection Chief Kevin Stewart said Wednesday. "I was just exceedingly happy, and all I could do was give God praise," Stewart said. "I was visiting with her family when they talked with the nurse. I knew at that point she's (Bufford) gonna pull through." Bufford, 20, was having dinner with a classmate after their EMT training when a gunman shot and killed Kimberly Ratliff-Penton, 46, of north St. Louis County, then shot a second woman before turning the gun on Bufford. Courtney Demond Washington, 28, of St. Ann, has been charged in the crime. The foundation did not return a message Tuesday seeking further comment. Last months death of George Floyd, 46, after being pinned beneath the knee of a Minneapolis police officer has brought masses out to make their voices heard, increase awareness about racism and demand justice, the statement said. We have made progress over the years, but much more needs to be done. Reminders of the Confederacy with flags, statues etc. (are) hurtful to the Black community and will impede the road to recovery. These emblems have no place in our society. The statement said the foundation is committed to work on interfaith relationships with honest dialogue, mutual respect and collective service to the community. The faiths must strive to build relationships to prevent persecution of any faith. On Sunday the Archdiocese of St. Louis released a statement saying Louis IX, a Catholic saint, is an example of an imperfect man who strived to live a life modeled after the life of Jesus Christ. The statement didnt address criticism of the kings Crusades against Muslims but said the current energy of change should focus on policies that will dismantle racism rather than seeking to erase history. For all of us, Pride is an annual celebration, Adkins said. We try to uphold and aspire to do what our brethren did some 50 years ago in helping to push forward this dialogue about equality and human rights, and just treating everyone equally. The Missouri Legislature recently passed Senate Bill 739, a measure that, in the words of Rep. Phil Christofanelli, R-St. Peters, forces companies who have a major contract with the state government to sign a loyalty oath to the state of Israel. A representative from these companies must sign a statement that they will not refrain from buying and selling goods and services to and from Israel (or companies doing business in Israel). They can legally boycott North Carolina, Iceland any nation or entity, even the U.S. government for whatever reason they choose. But if Gov. Mike Parson signs this bill, they will not be allowed to choose whether to forgo business with Israel. At the end of a shortened legislative session, there was very limited time to deal with the pressing coronavirus pandemic and its economic repercussions, the health care emergency, and the pressing needs of our communities. Yet the Missouri Legislature found time to protect Israel from grassroots calls to engage in boycotts until Israel upholds the human rights of Palestinians. The measure will certainly be challenged in the courts as it is a violation of the First Amendment and Americans Supreme Court-recognized right to boycott. Passage of this blatantly unconstitutional bill, at this time, is a gross insult to all Missourians and all people concerned about a just world. Cox says the dashboards main infection counts are regularly updated to weed-out positive test results from patients who previously tested positive and who returned for subsequent tests. She also said positive results from people who are tested for the presence of antibodies meaning they were likely once contagious but have recovered also are not counted in the states totals. All those positive test results combined yield numbers of known infections and positive test results that are 1,500 to 5,000 cases higher than are reflected in the official total. The dashboards depiction of what it calls lab-confirmed positive test results is deeply misleading, confusing and seemingly designed to deter members of the public from fact-checking the numbers. The state doesnt let visitors download raw data, and the numbers on the website dont come close to adding up. Cox acknowledged as much. She made multiple attempts in email exchanges to clarify why they dont. Visitors to the dashboard dont receive any explanations. This past calendar year, Ameren met most of its RES compliance requirement by purchasing RECs, but it has been revealed that many of the RECs Ameren used are likely ineligible for compliance with Missouris RES, as outlined in the comments filed by the Sierra Club in PSC case number EO-2020-0328. Ameren and WestRock, a paper and packaging manufacturer, may be committing a multimillion-dollar fraud by procuring artificial RECs from four paper mills located in Florida, South Carolina, and Louisiana. These paper mill facilities have been in operation for decades, since before Missouris RES was even enacted. Most of the WestRock RECs were created from energy that was consumed in these southern paper mills but never went out onto the grid. The PSC has indicated they may proceed with allowing all the potentially fraudulent RECs to be used by Ameren for compliance despite the concerns that have been raised. This would not only be against rules and regulations, but it would be a tragic regulatory malfunction that underscores Missouris enormous issue of regulatory capture in the energy sector. Shares is the leading weekly publication for retail investors. It is packed with investment ideas, news and educational material to help build and run portfolios and get more from your money. Shares puts on free Investor Events throughout the year across the country. They provide an opportunity for investors to learn more about companies on the stock market and hear from a range of investment experts including fund managers and Shares journalists. In the last two years Algeria has dealt with a perpetual president, decades of corruption and the continued Islamic terrorist threat. A pandemic virus showed this year up but the scariest threat of all is a return of the Turks. The Imperial Turks were driven out of North Africa a century ago, but now they are back. It is unclear exactly what kind of response the new Turkish threat will receive. So far North African nations are discussing outright war against the Turks, who seem to think that is unlikely because it was the inability of the various North African factions to cooperate and coordinate that made possible centuries of Turkish occupation. Meanwhile, there are some more deadly threats already inside Algeria. In late May Algeria knew of about 8,400 citizens who had come down with the covid19 coronavirus and since then the number of confirmed cases has increased to nearly 14,000. So far Algeria has suffered about 317 confirmed cases per million population and 21 deaths per million. Thats much less than the world average of 66 deaths per million. Algeria has one of the worst national health systems in the world and among Arab nations ranks 17th out of 21. What blurs these statistics is the fact that not all nations really know how many have caught the virus or died from it. Neighbors Tunisia had 99 cases per million and four deaths per million. For Morocco, it is 340 and six, Libya 120 and three. Egypt is 668 and 29 while Mali is 108 and six. June 27, 2020: In the south (Medea province, 90 kilometers from the capital), two soldiers died after their patrol found a cache of Islamic terrorist weapons that included a locally made bomb. When moved the bomb exploded. This doubled (to four) the number of troops lost in counterterrorism operations this year. June 25, 2020: The government approved the construction of a new army base in the northwest on the Moroccan border. This new base is in response to a new Moroccan military facility in the same area (Jerada province in northeast Morocco). This new Moroccan base, which is 38 kilometers from the Algerian border, is only for housing troops involved in anti-drug and counterterrorism operations. The only connection with Algeria is to prevent drug smugglers from leaving Morocco for Algeria or entering from Algeria. Morocco sees the new Algerian base as a continuation of the Cold War Algeria has been supporting for decades over a failed Algerian effort to support separatists in southern Morocco nearly half a century ago. June 24, 2020: Another former prime minister was convicted of corruption and sentenced to twelve years in prison. Corruption prosecutions that had been stalled for years were revived over the last year as decades of autocratic rule by one party ended and free elections at the end of 2019 brought in a reformist government. One of the first reforms was to prosecute as many of the former senior officials and businessmen known to be corrupt as was legally possible. Those investigations and prosecutions revealed more evidence of illegal behavior and the corruption prosecutions are expected to continue for years. Algeria has remained on good terms with France, which was always a favorite exile for corrupt Algerian politicians or businessmen. Not so much anymore. The French are cooperating in seizing indicted former officials and freezing their bank accounts in France. June 23, 2020: The government jailed five men who were arrested for continuing to participate in the weekly demonstrations that began in February 2019 to overthrow the FLN party, which had held onto power since the 1960s. The demonstrations forced out the then current FLN president, Abdelaziz Bouteflika and that led to free elections at the end of 2019. The weekly demonstrations, nicknamed the Hirak, continued and were outlawed by the new government. That convinced many Hirak supporters that the demonstrations should continue because there were still government practices that needed to be changed. June 20, 2020: In Ain Defla province (100 kilometers west of the capital) soldiers were ambushed by some armed Islamic terrorists or smugglers. One soldier was killed and the ambushers escaped so it was unclear who the shooters were. This the second soldier to die so far this year fighting Islamic terrorists or gunmen who might have been Islamic terrorists. Many Islamic terrorists are now gangsters part-time as they sustain themselves by smuggling and distributing drugs and weapons. June 14, 2020: The government lifted the curfew restrictions in 19 provinces. The government plans to lift more restrictions in 29 provinces. A nationwide curfew was implemented in early April but modified by region and gradually eased since then. The curfew was mainly about keeping people home at night. The curfew hours were longest in the capital and eight of the most populous provinces. For the other provinces, it was 7 PM to 7 AM. There are two southern provinces, which are thinly populated and largely desert, where they have been no reported covid19 cases. These two provinces have no curfew at all. As more provinces prove virus-free the curfew and other restrictions will be lifted. June 13, 2020: The government and the army are in agreement about proposing a constitutional amendment that would allow Algerian troops to serve as peacekeepers. The army has come to believe that Algeria would be better protected if Algerian troops could operate on both sides of troublesome borders. This would be particularly useful down south on the Mali border and the east in Libya. It would take a year or more to get the vote done and there is no assurance it would be approved. Many Algerians feel the current rules have worked quite well and that the country is one of the safest in the region when it comes to Islamic terrorism and foreign criminals. One thing that is changing attitudes is the recent influx of Turkish forces in Libya. The Turks are apparently intent on backing a new government and dominating it for the good of Turkey, not Libyans and North Africa. This very real Turkish threat has alarmed all North African nations. Turkey began its Libyan intervention in late 2019 on the side of the weaker (but UN backed) Libyan government and has brought in more and more weapons and troops. The Turks are seen as an unwelcome interloper taking advantage of the Libya chaos to serve its own goals. Algeria has consistently opposed any foreign military intervention in Libya, something Egypt agrees with. These two nations are neighbors of Libya and have devoted substantial military resources to guarding their Libyan borders to keep themselves safe from the Islamic terrorist groups that flourished in Libya after the Libyan dictatorship was overthrown in 2011. Despite, or because of, this no armed intervention policy it has taken nine years for one faction to pacify most of the country. But then the Turks showed up. Algeria, Libya and Egypt were all once (until the 19th century) provinces of the Turkish Ottoman Empire and do not remember that experience fondly. But now, as back then, it is difficult to get the Turks to leave. Egypt has threatened to send troops into Libya to confront the Turks and even Algeria is considering a similar move. A Turkish threat will do that in North Africa. June 7, 2020: The government finally repealed the 2009 49-51 percent foreign investment rule that did not allow foreign investors to own a controlling share of any investment. Given the high level of corruption in Algeria, this rule meant few foreign investments and for the investment starved petroleum industry no foreign interest at all. Now foreign investors can have a hundred percent ownership in some areas. It is unclear which investment areas still have restrictions and potential investors are expected to query the government first before making their investment, or not. Foreign investors see the rules as a step in the right direction but not a cure for all the things that can still go wrong for foreigners who invest in Algeria. June 3, 2020: In the south, across the border in northern Mali near the Algerian border French troops killed Abdel Malek Droukdel, the leader of AQIM (Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb) and two of his followers. American UAVs, electronic surveillance and intelligence analysts assisted, as they have done in Africa since the 1990s. Droukdel has headed AQIM since 2007 and was the supreme leader of al Qaeda in North Africa. He was believed to be spending most of his tine hiding out in northern Algeria but like many other senior Islamic terrorist leaders, much effort was put into keeping their location secret. The Americans had taken the lead in finding al Qaeda founder bin Laden and ISIL founder Baghdadi and the French believed those search efforts would work in Africa. As with bin Laden and Baghdadi there was an effort to take Droukdel alive but that was not possible. In mid-June, AQIM put a video on the Internet confirming the death of their leader and vowing revenge and so on. May 27, 2020: Algeria delivered 53 military vehicles to the Mali military. This was a gift, in recognition of the cooperation between Mali and Algeria against Islamic terrorists operating along their common border. May 20, 2020: Egypt, Algeria and Tunisia are demanding that Turkey get out of Libya. The Turks are not impressed and their presence in Libya reminds Arab nations why Turkey ruled most of the Middle East for centuries. These neighbors of Libya cannot ignore the Turkish invasion and the UAE, a Persian Gulf oil state that has long supported the LNA (Libyan National Army), is not backing down either. After the shooting, the driver in the sedan drove off, continuing north on I-95. The man in the Audi drove himself to the Broward Health North Hospital and contacted police. He was admitted to the hospital and is now in stable condition, Reyes said. Changes to the SunCommercial's back end processing means the e-edition is getting a facelift. The biggest change is the e-edition, by default, is now presented in Text view. Bay of Plenty Ever thought of joining the civil construction industry? if so then this is your chance to get a foot in the door. We are... View or Apply on GoodWork.co.nz Patrick Jones is branch manager for the Chanhassen and Victoria libraries. For questions about services, contact staff at www.carverlib.org/about-us/contact-us or reach out to Jones directly at 952-227-1504 or pjones@co.carver.mn.us. For more info, visit www.carverlib.org. Do you already have a paid subscription to any of the SWNewsMedia newspapers? If so, you can Activate your Premium online account by clicking here. Activation will allow you to view unlimited online articles each month. To activate your Premium online account, the email address and phone number provided with your paid newspaper subscription needs to match the information you use in setting up your online user account. If you are having trouble or want to confirm what email address and phone number is listed on your subscription account, please call 952-345-6682 or email circulation@swpub.com and we'll be happy to assist. Current Print Subscribers will be prompted to either login to their current site user account or to create a new one. A confirmation email will be sent when a new user account is created, which must be confirmed within three days in order to provide uninterrupted online access through your Print Subscription. Once the email address is confirmed please provide your Account Number to activate your Print Subscription Service. Shots were fired at the Audi, wounding the driver in the leg. He had the presence of mind to drive to Broward Health North medical center in Pompano Beach, where he was admitted in stable condition. Lawton, OK (73501) Today Windy at times...heavy thunderstorms likely this morning - only a slight chance for more storms during the afternoon hours. Storms may contain strong gusty winds. High 72F. Winds NNE at 25 to 35 mph. Chance of rain 70%.. Tonight Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low near 55F. NNE winds at 10 to 20 mph, decreasing to less than 5 mph. ABINGDON, Va. A jury trial for the man accused of killing an Appalachian Trail hiker in Southwest Virginia last year will start next January, a federal magistrate judge ruled Thursday. James L. Jordan, 31, is scheduled to stand trial in U.S. District Court in Abingdon on Jan. 25 to Feb. 5, 2021, according to court filings. A recently filed grand jury indictment also shows that Jordan faces new charges. Jordan, of West Yarmouth, Massachusetts, was arrested in May 2019 and initially charged with murdering Ronald S. Sanchez Jr., 43, of Oklahoma and stabbing a Canadian woman near the Wythe and Smyth county line. His case was put on pause, however, while he underwent mental health treatment at a federal facility in North Carolina. Earlier this month, Magistrate Judge Pamela Sargent found Jordan competent to stand trial. On Monday, a grand jury charged Jordan with one count of murder in Sanchezs death, as well as one count of attempted murder and one count assault with intent to commit murder in the stabbing of the woman, according to an indictment filed with the court. The grand jury also indicted Jordan on two counts of assault for two other victims, only identified by their initials in the filing. ABINGDON, Va. While Washington County Public Library and its four branches remain closed due to COVID-19 restrictions, library staff are finding innovative ways to serve the community. According to Sally Jones, public services librarian, each library in Abingdon, Glade Spring, Mendota, Hayters Gap and Damascus began curbside services two weeks ago. Patrons can call the library to request holds on books, DVDs and books on CDs and schedule a time to pick up the materials that are located on a table outside the front door of the library. Staff members schedule pickups every 15 minutes, and requests can be filled the same day if slots are open, said Jones. Since mid-June, weve filled nearly 300 pickup slots. Its been funny. Well have people knock on the library door and do a little happy dance outside the door or wave to the circulation staff. Our patrons are really happy to have materials again and to have that connection. And were happy to be back in service. Libraries serve. Thats why were here, she said. A Johnson City couple pleaded guilty last week to fraud charges stemming from an investigation into millions of dollars in federal health care program payments. Michael Norman Dube, 59, who operated American Toxicology Labs in Johnson City, and Regan Gran Dube, 40, both pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Abingdon, according to a U.S. Justice Department news release. Michael Dube had previously pleaded guilty in a federal district court Tennessee in 2011 to one count of intentionally omitting information from reports as required under the Controlled Substances Act, the release states. As a result, he was banned from participating in any federal health care program. But authorities said he and Regan Dube established American Toxicology Labs in Johnson City in 2013, and ATL then proceeded to participate in Medicare and Medicaid programs. Regan Dube was ATLs registered agent, and the couples home address was listed as the companys principal office, the release states. On applications to participate in Medicare and Medicaid programs, authorities said that Regan Dube was listed as the company owner, and the husbands involvement was not disclosed. BRISTOL, Tenn. An employee at the Christian Care Center of Bristol, a nursing facility in Bristol, Tennessee, tested positive for COVID-19, according to a Monday statement from Jennifer Skaggs, the facilitys executive director. Skaggs said in the statement that the employee tested positive Thursday. After reviewing the situation with the Sullivan County Health Department officials as well as the facility Medical Director, all facility staff will continue to routinely wear masks and provide protection while delivering services to our residents, Skaggs said. Visits to the facility have been temporarily suspended but will be allowed again as soon as reasonably possible, she said. As staff are required to wear masks at the facility and are subject to rigorous screening before entering the facility, we remain confident that this is an isolated occurrence, Skaggs said. We respectfully continue to serve following Joint Commission and Department of Health requirements under the direction of our Medical Director, Dr. Vivian Clark, and we remain vigilant against this wicked virus afflicting our nation and our local community, she added. Coronavirus continues to spread in Texas, hitting a record 6,975 new cases Tuesday after three previous record highs last week. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick defended the states Covid-19 response on Fox News Tuesday night, insisting Texas is doing better than New York. Weve had 2,424 people die and New York has had over 31,000. Even California has had almost three times as much (coronavirus deaths) as Texas, Patrick told Laura Ingraham. And remember, those states have been locked down the entire time while we have been open, so locking down doesnt work. If it did, those states would be doing better than Texas. New York has reported 24,855 deaths from coronavirus as of Monday. Johns Hopkins University and The New York Times list the total as higher, including more than 6,000 deaths identified by public health officials as probable coronavirus patients. Patrick then criticized Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nations leading infectious disease expert, for saying Texas skipped over some reopening guidelines during a Senate hearing earlier Tuesday. Fauci warned cases could grow to 100,000 a day in the U.S. if Americans dont start following public health recommendations, such as wearing masks and practicing social distancing. He doesnt know what hes talking about, Patrick said of Fauci, a leading voice on the White House coronavirus task force and the infectious disease chief at the National Institutes of Health. We havent skipped over anything, Patrick continued. The only thing Im skipping over is listening to him ... He has been wrong every time on every issue. I dont need his advice anymore. Texas has more than 163,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus as of Wednesday morning, including more than 72,000 active cases and 6,533 hospitalizations up from 5,900 on Monday. The state passed 5,000 hospitalizations for the first time on Friday, a threefold increase from a month ago. According to ABC 13, more than 2 million Texans have been tested for Covid-19 and the positivity rate is now at 14.03%. Only a handful of other states have a higher positivity rate, including Arizona and Florida, according to coronavirus tracking website Covid Act Now. In an effort to slow the spread of coronavirus, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott ordered bars to close last week and scaled back restaurant dining. The Republican governor also ordered outdoor gatherings of 100 people or more to first seek approval from local governments. At this time, it is clear that the rise in cases is largely driven by certain types of activities, including Texans congregating in bars, Abbott said Friday. The actions in this executive order are essential to our mission to swiftly contain this virus and protect public health. Texas began reopening in May, earlier than most states, and still hasnt required face masks in public. Abbott, however, says everyone in Texas should wear a face covering when unable to socially distance. New York is requiring 14-day self-quarantines for travelers from Texas and more than a dozen other states where coronavirus is spreading rapidly. Other states include California, Georgia, Iowa, Idaho, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nevada, Tennessee, Alabama, Florida, Texas, Arizona, Utah, Arkansas, North Carolina and South Carolina. New York was one of the first epicenters for coronavirus in the U.S. but the state has slowed the spread dramatically. As of Tuesday, 891 are hospitalized statewide, down from a peak of more than 18,000 in April. The states infection rate is currently 0.85% and the positive test rate is 1.1%. As COVID cases surge, TX Lt Gov Dan Patrick says he will no longer listen to Anthony Fauci: "I don't need his advice anymore" pic.twitter.com/8w6mdCpLhN Jason Campbell (@JasonSCampbell) July 1, 2020 MORE ON CORONAVIRUS Coronavirus in NY: Cases, maps, charts and resources Syracuse hospital closing 2 urgent care centers; some layoffs expected New York adds more states to coronavirus quarantine list As Central NY reopens, small businesses innovate (and worry) in aftermath of the storm Complete coronavirus coverage on syracuse.com New York New York state will create its own department to help local governments enforce reopening rules for businesses, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Wednesday. The main responsibility for enforcing the rules remains with local governments, Cuomo said during a press conference in New York City. The states new department will supplement local efforts. New York began reopening its economy in May after months of shutdowns due to the coronavirus pandemic. Businesses have been allowed to return in phases as long as they follow certain guidelines meant to slow the spread of the virus. That often includes limiting capacity. Cuomo said he has been distressed by images of large crowds gathering at some businesses, especially in New York City. Cuomo said there have been problems with New Yorkers following reopening rules and with local governments enforcing them throughout the state. But the problems have been most serious in the city, he said. Citizen compliance is slipping, he said. That is a fact. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced earlier on Wednesday that the city would delay the planned return of indoor dining at restaurants over concerns of potential spikes in cases. Cuomo said people must follow the rules and the city must do better on enforcement before indoor dining there can proceed. He also said he was concerned about people from other states with higher rates of infection traveling to the city and spreading the virus. Unless people do a better job following reopening rules, the virus will return in New York in force, Cuomo said. Communities across the state must take enforcement seriously, he added. That is their main job, he said. They must do it. MORE ON CORONAVIRUS Coronavirus in NY: Cases, maps, charts and resources Syracuse hospital closing 2 urgent care centers; some layoffs expected New York adds more states to coronavirus quarantine list As Central NY reopens, small businesses innovate (and worry) in aftermath of the storm Complete coronavirus coverage on syracuse.com Contact Kevin Tampone anytime: Email | Twitter | Facebook | 315-282-8598 A security camera at a neighboring building recorded the shootings. About 11:10 p.m. the victim is seen talking to a man in a parking lot. That man reaches into a silver car, pulls out a handgun, shoots the victim in the left knee, gets into the car, and drives off. The gunshot can be heard in the video, which was not released but described in the police report. Syracuse, N.Y. A Syracuse man, whose dismissed child rape case made headlines during the district attorneys race in 2019, now faces the same allegations in federal court. Austin Pratt, 23, is accused of taking photos and video while having sex with a 10-year-old girl around Valentines Day in 2018. The girl told authorities it was her in the pictures, but Pratt claimed he was having sex with someone else. His case was scheduled for trial in 2019 in state court, but a local prosecutor asked for a delay after the discovery of information that questioned the account given by a key witness in the case. County Court Judge Stephen Dougherty ruled that prosecutors had run out of time under speedy trial law and dismissed the case against Pratt, setting him free. But District Attorney William Fitzpatrick vowed to appeal. He also promised to hand the case over to federal prosecutors for consideration. Meanwhile, Fitzpatricks challenger in the 2019 DAs race, defense lawyer Charles Keller, accused the incumbent of botching the case. In defense, Fitzpatrick said the prosecutor was acting ethically by allowing time for further investigation. A Rochester appellate court, shortly before the Covid-19 shutdown, appeared sympathetic to the DAs office appeal. But the five-judge court has not yet released its decision as to whether or not the state charges against Pratt can be revived. Federal authorities, meanwhile, opened their own investigation into the images. They, too, believed that the images showed Pratt having sex with the 10-year-old girl (who authorities say is not identifiable in the pictures themselves). And they tracked down another witness in the case: the social media user who tipped off the girls family about what was going on. That unnamed witness, it turns out, had also exchanged messages with Pratt encouraging him to engage in the abuse, the investigation showed. Pratt then sent the pictures of the abuse to the unnamed witness, authorities say text messages suggest. Federal authorities arrested Pratt in March. He was indicted March 18 on charges of sexual exploitation of a child and distribution of child pornography. Its unclear if the local DAs office will also pursue charges against Pratt, too, if the state appellate court reinstates the original case. In state court, Pratt faced up to 25 years to life in prison. In federal court, he faces between 15 and 30 years in prison if convicted of child exploitation and another 5 to 20 years if convicted of distributing the images of the child over the internet. Pratt has been in federal custody for several months following his federal arrest. Because the state and federal government are considered sovereign entities, they can each prosecute Pratt separately, if they choose. Such dual prosecutions are rare, though not unprecedented. The man who murdered two people at the DeWitt Chilis restaurant in September 2018 will be tried in federal court after pleading guilty in state court. Thats because prosecutors are pursuing a death penalty case against William Wood, a punishment not allowed under current state law. Staff writer Douglass Dowty can be reached at ddowty@syracuse.com or 315-470-6070. Great Bend, Pa. The men slid firework-filled 50-gallon totes into the bed of the pickup truck. A long, rectangular box containing more colorful explosives followed. When they were done, they still had two trucks to fill. The Central New Yorkers spent $2,800 Friday at Messs Fireworks in Great Bend, Pennsylvania. They drove two hours from Utica and crossed a state line to buy everything from sparklers to big ones the kind of fireworks you cant legally buy or use in New York state. We have three trucks here, one man said. We have a convoy. The group of friends, who asked not to be named, said theyre planning to throw a private show. Theyre far from alone. Sales of fireworks have soared this year at Pennsylvania shops and at retailers around Central New York selling less explosive fireworks. Why? The coronavirus pandemic, they say. Most communities have cancelled Fourth of July fireworks shows due to the pandemic, so people want to put on their own shows, retailers and customers said. Most people have also been stuck at home and just want to get out and have fun, they said. Thats also caused complaints about fireworks to explode this year across Central New York, the state and the nation. In Syracuse, police have gotten over 1,500 complaints so far this year up from 133 this time last year, Syracuse police Sgt. Matthew Malinowski said. Thats a more than 1,000% increase. The bangs and crackles of fireworks have become such a frequent, nightly nuisance that the Syracuse Police Department has assigned at least two officers to spend their entire shifts cracking down on illegal fireworks. Firefighters are also helping police spot the illegal shows. Where are the fireworks coming from? Taking a road trip to Pennsylvania isnt the only option for CNYers. Illegal fireworks have been sold out of small markets and corner stores in Syracuse, police said. One person was recently caught selling fireworks in Syracuse from the back of a U-Haul van. Some fireworks are listed in Internet classified ads. Search Craigslist, and youll quickly find everything from artillery shells to roman candles for sale in CNY. Pennsylvania retailers who can legally sell the fireworks banned in neighboring New York are enjoying soaring sales. Over and over, customers have cited the same reason for their increased hunger for the colorful explosives: the coronavirus pandemic. To stop the spread of the coronavirus pandemic, cities and towns across the nation have cancelled their annual firework displays. Hungry for a celebration, people have decided to throw their own Fourth of July shows. This is an American tradition, said Jim Monaforte, who owns a fireworks shop just south of the New York border. You cant stop the Fourth. Roses are red, violets are blue, if you bring illegal fireworks into New York, we will arrest you. Joking aside,... Posted by New York State Police on Saturday, June 27, 2020 Explosive demand: Some fireworks legal in NY Not everything that flashes and pops is banned in New York. Fireworks classified by the state as sparkling devices can be bought at stores like Walmart or from the nearly 300 tents that temporarily pop up in store parking lots across Central New York. Grounded or handheld devices that crackle or whistle and send out colorful sparks or flames are also legal. While the legal fireworks dont light up the sky, theyre still a popular buy. Tony Baris, who sells fireworks for TNT Fireworks out of a tent in the Walmart parking lot on Route 31 in Clay, said sales are up about 20% compared to last year. People have been cooped up for months now, and everybody wants to do something to break all the tension, the boredom, and just have fun, he said. More flashy fireworks, however like roman candles and cherry bombs are banned. Any fireworks that boom or are launched into the air are illegal in New York. People who violate the law could face charges ranging from a ticket for setting off fireworks to a felony for repeatedly giving fireworks to a child under 18 years old. People looking to reach the sky are flocking to Pennsylvania, where residents can buy fireworks and set them off legally depending on local laws. Monaforte said Monaforte Fireworks has been in his family for 50 years. His red-roofed, one-story shop is off of a quiet country road 90 miles south of Syracuse in New Milford, Pennsylvania. Country music played from speakers Friday as three customers browsed everything from firecrackers to 500-gram cakes, the largest consumer firework that can be sold under federal law. The fireworks come in colorful packaging that, at first glance, look like toys. Some were even inspired by childrens movies: One 25-shot brand was dubbed Toys and had pictures of Woody and Buzz Lightyear from Toy Story on its box. Business is up big time this year, Monaforte said. Customers are coming from Pennsylvania and neighboring states to buy the fireworks needed to throw the shows their hometowns have cancelled. People want to enjoy themselves, he said with a smile. Everybodys gonna have a good time on the Fourth. Ten miles south of Monafortes shop, Bigg Daddys Fireworks warehouse was swamped with big spenders. It was just 11 a.m. Friday, and 10 cars of customers over half hailing from New York were already in the gravel parking lot of the New Milford, Pennsylvania, shop. Two employees were helping a woman load six black trash bags bulging with fireworks into the back of her SUV with New York plates. Bottles of hand sanitizer were placed at the warehouses entrance in a nod to Covid-19. Customers wearing masks milled around the high-ceiling warehouse lined with 5-foot stacks of boxed fireworks, buying everything from 50-cent noise makers to $100 mortars. A store employee, who declined to share her name, said the store has had days of record sales: Customers are spending anywhere from $30 to $10,000 on fireworks. The Fourth of July is finally on a Saturday, she pointed out. That fortuitous timing, plus the pandemic, have brought customers from all over to the warehouse just off of Interstate 81. Weve literally been waiting for this for years, she said. Over the past two weeks, our special Fireworks Detail has responded to over 632 calls for fireworks, resulting in 6... Posted by Syracuse Police Department on Friday, June 26, 2020 Police try to crack down on spike in fireworks The surge of firework sales that are a boon to businesses have become a huge problem for police. Cities across the nation are scrambling to stem a soaring number of complaints of illegal fireworks. For example, complaints about illegal fireworks in Boston were up 2,300% in May compared to May 2019, reported CNN. Complaints in Pasadena, California are up 400%. Police across New York, especially in the Southern Tier near Pennsylvania, are trying to crack down on the problem. The New York State Police have seized at least $5,600 worth of illegal fireworks in Broome County near the Pennsylvania border since Friday. At least five people were arrested in three separate incidents after they were pulled over for traffic violations on Interstate 81. In Syracuse, where police have dedicated two officers every night to bust illegal fireworks users, officers have seized fireworks eight times since June 16. Officers will stay on the beat through the Fourth of July, police said. But the busts wont deter all New Yorkers. The crew from Utica who brought close to $3,000 worth of fireworks back to New York from sleepy Great Bend still plan to light up the night sky after a friends lakeside picnic in August. Repercussions or not, they plan to throw a great show. Reporter Rick Moriarty contributed to this story. Reporter Samantha House covers breaking news, crime and public safety. Have a tip, a story idea or a comment? Reach her at shouse@syracuse.com. Otsego County A former Cooperstown teacher was sentenced to nearly 17 years in prison Wednesday after admitting that, posing as a teen boy, he lured three girls into sending him sexually explicit material, prosecutors said. The former teacher also kept a collection of child pornography that included the rape of toddlers, prosecutors said. Justin Hobbie, 42, was a gym and health teacher in Cooperstown Junior/Senior High School for 14 years, according to media reports. He was also a volunteer firefighter and emergency medical technician. Hobbie admitted that between 2015 and 2018, he persuaded three girls, ages 14 to 17, to send him live-streamed videos of explicit content, which he then recorded. He pretended to be a teen boy online to convince the girls into sending him the illegal material, prosecutors said. While working as a teacher, Justin Hobbie preyed on teenage girls he met online by pretending to be a teenage boy and pressuring victims to make and send him sexually explicit video, said United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith, of the Northern District of New York. Hobbie was sentenced by Senior U.S. District Judge Thomas McAvoy to 200 months in prison or 16 years and will be a registered sex offender upon his release. This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a federal initiative that combines resources at the local, state and national levels. Staff writer Douglass Dowty can be reached at ddowty@syracuse.com or 315-470-6070. Syracuse, N.Y. Police officers who fired their weapons in three incidents within a month in Syracuse and Manlius were justified for their use of force, Onondaga County District Attorney William Fitzpatrick announced Wednesday. Jakelle Davis, 23, of Syracuse, was shot in the face by Officer Ryan McGovern early June 11 after police say he pulled a handgun after approaching officers investigating a report of 16 shots fired minutes earlier. Davis survived a gunshot wound to his face and was charged with pulling a gun on officers in the 100 block of Mark Avenue. Kenneth Bennett, 61 of Manlius, was killed after pointing a BB gun that appeared to be a rifle at officers during a May 26 incident at 140 Wilson Drive. Bennetts family had called police after he reportedly struck his sister. Bennett then got on the call with 911 himself and warned that police would have to shoot him in the head if they wanted him, the DAs investigation found. Trooper Gary Novotny fired the fatal shot. Another law enforcement officer, Deputy Michael Hoosock, was also cleared of wrongdoing in firing at a man later charged with opening fire inside the Syracuse Regional Transportation Center on May 10. Andrew Booker, 31, of Massachusetts, was charged following the incident. The deputy did not hit anybody with bullets. Jakelle Davis shooting Three officers were investigating a computerized report of 16 shots fired in the 100 block of Mark Avenue when they were approached by Davis, the DAs office said. Mr. Davis approached to within feet of Officer McGovern, blew cigarette smoke in his face, made a disparaging remark, and retrieved a weapon, Fitzpatrick said in a news release. Observing the weapon and in fear for his life, Officer McGovern drew his duty weapon and fired a single shot at Mr. Davis, rendering him incapacitated. Later investigation linked a gun found at Daviss feet after the shooting to casings recovered from the initial shots fired that initiated the call, prosecutors have said. The shooting itself was notable because there was no body camera footage from any of the officers involved, nor civilians identified who provided eyewitness accounts. Nevertheless, the DAs office found enough evidence to clear McGovern of wrongdoing. Davis, who was facing an illegal weapon charge at the time of the shooting, now faces another illegal weapon charge, as well as menacing a police officer and related charges. Davis faces 30 years or more in prison if convicted of both gun cases, as well as menacing the officer. His case remains on hold because no grand juries are considering indictments during the Covid-19 shutdown. Kenneth Bennett shooting This BB gun, which looks like a rifle, was held by Kenneth Bennett at the time he was shot and killed by police in Manlius. Unlike the Davis shooting, there were multiple body cameras that captured the fatal shooting of Bennett during a domestic violence call in Manlius. Police were first called after Bennett reportedly struck his 59-year-old sister. The caller warned that Bennett had what she thought might be a BB gun, but wasnt sure if it was real or not, the DAs office found. Bennett, who family said has mental issues, then got on the phone and began talking excitedly about motorcycle gangs Hells Angels and Warlocks coming to his house. He warned officers that they would need to shoot him in the head if they wanted him. Upon arrival, several law enforcement officers with firearms experience identified the weapon Bennett was carrying as a real lever-action rifle. That led to a standoff, in which local residents were warned to stay indoors and law enforcement created a perimeter around Bennett. For nearly an hour and a half, Mr. Bennett paced in his driveway, front yard, and the street in front of his home armed with the apparent rifle, the DAs office found. Mr. Bennett continually shouted and threatened police, possibly attempting to goad police into shooting him. At some point, Bennett began walking toward two Manlius police cars, yelling and gesturing with the weapon toward police, the investigation found. That led Manlius Police Officer Daniel Tyrel to fire a rubber bullet, striking Bennett in the leg. The man stumbled, but regained his balance while still holding the apparent gun, the DA's office said. Within seconds, Mr. Bennett raised the apparent rifle again, pointing it at the officers stationed at the Manlius vehicles from approximately 50 feet away, the DA investigation continued. At that moment, Tyrel fired again with a rubber bullet, while Trooper Gary Novotny fired once with his patrol rifle. Bennett was struck in the abdomen. He was taken by an ambulance, waiting at the scene, to Upstate University Hospital, where he later died. It turned out that Bennett was actually carrying a BB gun. But the DA concluded that officers were reasonably in fear of their lives based on the circumstances. Regional Transportation Center shooting 23 Suspect in Syracuse Regional Transportation Center double shooting faces attempted murder The last incident did not actually involve an officer striking anyone with bullets. But Deputy Michael Hoosock was cleared of opening fire at a man who, witnesses say, had opened fire inside Syracuses Regional Transportation Center on May 10, injuring two people. Andrew Booker, 31, the accused shooter, called 911 himself after opening fire, the DAs office said. The defendant identified himself and acknowledged he had a weapon, but informed the 911 operator there were multiple individuals outside the bus station attempting to harm him, the DAs investigation revealed. When officers arrived, Booker is accused of pointing the gun at them. Mr. Booker raised his weapon in the direction of the officers and Sgt. Hoosock fired a single shot, which did not strike Mr. Booker, the DAs office said. Several officers then entered the building and Mr. Booker complied with their orders to drop his weapon and get down on the floor. A security guard is credited with taking a bullet while helping hide a family with two small children in a back room. Booker was charged with attempted murder, among other charges. Hes undergoing mental health evaluations. Staff writer Douglass Dowty can be reached at ddowty@syracuse.com or 315-470-6070. Manlius, N.Y. A 27-year-old man who was driving 100 mph on the state Thruway turned out to be wanted in Illinois for kidnapping, according to state police. Alexander Harris, of East St. Louis, was wanted by the Saint Clair County Sheriffs Department on kidnapping/unlawful imprisonment charges, state police said in a news release Wednesday. Harris was pulled over by state police at about 8:30 p.m. Monday in the town of Manlius, police said. Police learned Harris was unlicensed and wanted in Illinois. Police said they found a Walther 38 ACP pistol with six rounds in the magazine and one round in the chamber in the car. Harris was charged with second-degree criminal possession of a weapon for possessing a loaded firearm other than in a persons home/business and with being a fugitive from justice. Harris was remanded to the Onondaga County Justice Center jail without bail pending arraignment. New York Harvey Weinstein and his former studios board have reached a nearly $19 million settlement with dozens of his sexual misconduct accusers, New York states attorney general and lawyers in a class-action lawsuit said Tuesday. The agreement was announced by New York Attorney General Letitia James and Chicago attorney Elizabeth A. Fegan. The deal, if approved by judges in federal courts, would permit accusers to claim from $7,500 to $750,000 from the $18.8 million settlement. The former Hollywood producer was convicted earlier this year of rape and sexual assault against two women. Accusations by dozens of women in 2017 destroyed his career and gave rise to #MeToo, the global movement to hold powerful men accountable for their sexual misconduct. The 68-year-old former film producer was diagnosed in March with the coronavirus just days after he was moved to the states maximum security Wende Correctional Facility near Buffalo to begin serving his 23-year prison sentence. This settlement is the culmination of several years of hard work by survivors who not only initiated the #MeToo movement around Weinstein, but also used their platforms to seek justice for all of those who were afraid to come forward for fear of retaliation in Hollywood, Fegan said. Included in the news release was a statement by plaintiff Caitlin Dulany, who said Weinstein isolated and assaulted her after they met in 1996 at the Cannes Film Festival. When I came forward and shared my story about the assault, I knew there wouldnt be a straight path to justice, Dulany said. Harvey avoided accountability for decades, leveraging his power to hide behind a web of deceit, and I was determined to join the class action to ensure meaningful change for all survivors, she said. I am proud that this settlement will help so many women who are long overdue for justice and relief. James said in a release that the deal would resolve claims in a New York state lawsuit and in a class-action lawsuit that was pending in federal court. After all the harassment, threats, and discrimination, these survivors are finally receiving some justice, James said. She called it a win for every woman who has experienced sexual harassment, discrimination, intimidation, or retaliation by her employer. Gerald Maatman, lead counsel for the Weinstein Companies, declined comment. Messages seeking comment were left for Weinstein and individuals on his former studio's board. Attorneys Douglas H. Wigdor and Kevin Mintzer, who represent some of Weinsteins accusers in lawsuits, said in a statement that the proposed settlement was a complete sellout of the Weinstein survivors. They called it deeply unfair, saying it does not require Weinstein to accept responsibility and doesnt require him to pay any money toward it. They also said the director defendants will receive millions of dollars to reimburse their defense costs. The lawyers said the deal would also harm women who do not join the settlement because they would be unable to pursue large amounts of money from insurance companies which would receive protection from the deal. We are completely astounded that the Attorney General is taking a victory lap for this unfair and inequitable proposal, and on behalf of our clients, we will be vigorously objecting in court, the lawyers said. Sheldon Shelly Horowitch, a long-time resident of Fayetteville, New York, and Scottsdale, Arizona, died Sunday. According to Horowitchs obituary, he was a Navy veteran of World War II. He graduated from Hamilton College and Upstate Medical School and started a medical practice in Syracuse. He continued in private practice for more than 25 years specializing in internal medicine with a sub-specialty in hematology. He also served as the director of the CNY Blood Bank of the American Red Cross. In 1974, he became the president of the Morris Distributing Co., a wholesale distribution and marketing company of consumer electronics and home appliances, running the company for 12 years. He established the Horowitch Family Foundation which supports many charitable organizations in Syracuse. He also served as a trustee of Hamilton College and funded the Colleges Career Center. Turning to a life-long interest in real estate, he founded Morris Management Co. and spent the rest of his business career owning and managing residential and commercial real estate. The business continues under the direction his son. If you have a suggestion for a feature obituary, please email the link and any other information youd like to share to bduncan@syracuse.com MORE FEATURED OBITUARIES He was a barber, bus driver in Cato He was a bowling alley mechanic, police officer She retired as a Syracuse city schoolteacher He survived sinking ship during World War II She was co-proprietor of Solvay market She was co-owner, cook at Jerk Hut Jamaican Restaurant Contact Brenda Duncan anytime: 315-470-2265 | Email | Twitter Stephen Sarsfield Bowman is president of Peregrine Senior Living, based in Syracuse. Watching the protests over the murder of George Floyd have been jaw-dropping for me. Four weeks ago, we couldnt pass anti-lynching legislation, and two months ago it seemed that President Donald Trump was sailing to re-election despite his racist rhetoric. How could this sea change in race relations occur in the Age of Trump, and is it sustainable beyond these celebratory marches, when we all return to work? I am a 61-year-old, balding white man who grew up in the 60s and 70s and had many Black friends and considered myself a liberal. But never for a moment have I believed I was unaffected by the obvious racism of the world in which I lived. When I watched Gone With the Wind the first time in 1968, I believed Mammy was joyful, and Ashley Wilkes honorable, and probably rooted for the Confederacy. I bought into the complacent American narrative that slavery was really not that bad, and that Jim Crow was merely an embarrassing footnote. Even in my Catholic high school, I heard the n-word word frequently, and probably even used it myself. Racism was subtle to my white eyes, but clearly ubiquitous. Like many white people, I was one of those white moderates condemned by Martin Luther King Jr. in his powerful letter from the Birmingham jail. We are concerned about racism, but patient for change. But if I was honest with myself, I would have to acknowledge that I comfortably swam in the same racist sewage of my cultural upbringing for the first 20 years of my life. Thank God that eventually I was stirred from my slumbering, and opened my eyes and thought clearly and empathetically. Like Abraham Lincoln, I started life as a racist, but grew to be rational. Personally, while I am outraged by the murder of George Floyd, I was not surprised. Police brutality is well-documented and familiar. Nor do I abruptly stand and salute the thousands of white protesters in our streets, who seem to have stumbled upon racism for the first time four weeks ago. Racism in America is not a shock or thunderclap, it is a whispering campaign, and a secret conspiracy most of white America joined many, many decades ago. If I were to prepare an indictment for racism in America, I would not have to mention slavery, Jim Crow or lynching. That would be like blaming todays German children for the Holocaust. No, I would start with the invisible footprint of our whispering. What was always striking to me in college or law school whenever I became friends with a Black person, and they realized I was not a racist, they couldnt wait to talk about race on the most basic level. They live in our bizarre, surreal world of racial double standards, grotesque financial and educational inequities and pervasive stereotypes. Sadly, they seemed to want to know, if they were crazy, or was America willingly twisted by our original sin? But if we want to make George Floyd a meaningful martyr, and a true inflection point, policy and not rhetoric should be our chant. If we really want to improve American race relations, I would prefer we talk more about legislative initiatives like investing in our inner cities, whether we call it urban renewal or reparations, and less about defunding our police departments. This will be far more challenging than banning chokeholds. My grandparents generation thought of Blacks as a racial epithet, but more importantly, they supported redlining during the New Deal in 1934 with the creation of the Federal Housing Administration, and resisted investing financially in our inner cities for generations under the glare of federal law, which the private sector happily followed. For the first half of the 20th century, racism was rationalized by the nation because Black poverty was seen as being self-inflicted through laziness, high suicide rates and drug and alcohol abuse. Ironically, these are all plagues now poisoning our underemployed, white, blue-collar communities. Yes, police brutality is horrifying and chokeholds repulsive, but if racism is to be addressed today, it must be through dialogue, national reflection, and the courage to make difficult legislative decisions that involve collective sacrifice by the white majority as we reconsider our self-serving economic advantages. Banning chokeholds may be a start, but it does not address the accumulative degradation and economic humiliation of our smoldering inner cities. And will we be willing to march for economic equality and real reform when the TV cameras have moved on? Clearly Trump believes the marches will fade, and he expresses his disdain for improving race relations by scheduling a political rally on Juneteenth (later moved to the day after), which commemorates the freedom the freeing of the last slaves after the Civil War, and holding that event in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the site of the worst white rioting against Black people in our nations history. He clearly thinks 2020 will echo 1968, and not 1964. Also in Opinion: Racism and the fallacy of a few bad apples (Commentary) March 7, 2020, marked the beginning of New Yorks Covid-19 declared state of emergency. Nearly four months have passed, and it feels like March 7 may have also marked the beginning of the end for representative democracy in New York state. This week, Gov. Andrew Cuomos unchecked authority was once again on full display, as were the curious and questionable decisions weve come to expect during the states prolonged unilateral rule. Five upstate regions were poised to fully move out of lockdown orders and into phase four of reopening. But many businesses that expected to be part of phase four, and finally begin their recovery, were left behind without explanation. Shopping malls, gyms and movie theaters remained closed based solely on the governors sayso. YMCAs and other non-profits across the state had started to bring back employees to train and plan for safe reopenings. But those plans were put on hold by the governors unilateral decision. Recently, Gov. Cuomo issued his 46th Covid-related Executive Order, this time establishing a mandatory 14-day quarantine for individuals entering New York from states with elevated Covid rates. In terms of hypocrisy and hyperbole, this is one for the ages. When Covid-19 was ravaging New York City, the governor did nothing to limit travel in and out of the region. He claimed that implementing a downstate travel restriction would send the wrong message socially and culturally. When Rhode Island Gov. Gia Raimondo attempted to implement restrictions on visitors from New York State which had much higher infection rates than the standard in New Yorks latest Executive Order Cuomo deemed the measure unconstitutional and threatened to file a lawsuit. Suffice it to say, the governors overreach and unchecked authority have run their course and state lawmakers arent the only ones saying so. On Friday, a federal judge blocked the governors order that restricted capacity at religious observances to 25%. Since early March, the daily schedules, routines and livelihoods of 19.5 million New Yorkers have been dictated by what Andrew Cuomo has allowed. But we are a long way from where we started the Covid-19 journey and thats a good thing. This week, total hospitalizations in New York fell below 1,000 for the first time since March 18. The virus is subsiding, and rates for hospitalizations, infections and fatalities dropped to levels not seen since the early days of the emergency. With each passing day, our state, our businesses and our communities are returning to normal and starting their recovery. Its time our state government does the same. For that to happen, Democrats in the Legislature need to come out of hiding. They have shown no resistance to Gov. Cuomos overreach, and no resolve to restore the basic principles of representative democracy. Its not as if our colleagues in the majority havent been given options, or the Covid lockdown orders have prevented legislators from doing their jobs. A series of legislative hearings have been held on multiple topics. Legislative session has been called on two separate occasions. Unfortunately, the Democrat Majorities appear to be content with status Cuomo. On May 27, Senate Republicans introduced a proposal to limit disaster declarations made by the governor to 30 days. In addition, any extension of an emergency would require the approval of the Legislature. The proposal would also require a weekly report to the Legislature on all suspensions of laws, executive actions and communications of the governor. Senate Democrats rejected it. On May 28, Assembly Republicans offered legislation that would require emergency declarations to be based on a county-by-county basis, and limit state emergency declarations to 45 days, unless an extension is approved by the Legislature. The bill also would have allowed county executives to request termination of a declared emergency within their jurisdiction. Assembly Democrats rejected it. The opportunities to rein in the governors unilateral authority have been numerous. But the number of Democrat lawmakers willing to do so has not. While there are merits to utilizing emergency powers for short periods of time, the governors extended authority is no longer necessary, and it is not how state government was built to function. As legislators, we are elected to make difficult decisions on behalf of our constituents. As more time passes, it becomes clearer that our colleagues on the other side of the aisle are willing to shirk that responsibility in favor of Gov. Cuomos one-person rule. Hardworking New Yorkers deserve better. Will Barclay is the NYS Assembly Republican Leader, representing New Yorks 120th Assembly District. Rob Ortt is the NYS Senate Republican Leader, representing New Yorks 62nd Senate District. MORE POLITICS New York Republican chair calls for end to Cuomos emergency powers New York adds more states to coronavirus quarantine list Republicans, with exception of Trump, now get behind wearing masks Upstate New York is indeed Lunker Land when it comes to bass fishing. Four Upstate waterways were recently listed by Bassmaster Magazine as being the best bass fishing spots in the nation for the past decade and that list didnt include all the states other great lakes, rivers and ponds for catching large and smallmouth bass. The following are photos submitted by readers of big bass caught during the spring (catch-and-release season) in the state, along with others landed since the regular bass season (when fish can be kept) opener on June 20. David White, 16, of Hermon, N,.Y. holds up a 22 1/2 inch largemouth bass caught on an undisclosed lure while fishing at his family's camp on Clear Lake in St. Lawrence County, The fish was released after it was measured and this photo was taken. Daniel Snow from Watkins Glen, N.Y. landed this hefty, 6 lb., 2 ounce smallmouth bass while fishing on Seneca Lake. Luke Moore, 8, of Skaneateles caught and released this nice smallmouth bass recently on Skaneateles Lake. His father, Steven Moore, estimated it was nearly 21 inches in length. Cael Stewart, of Canisteo, N.Y. (Steuben County) caught and released this impressive, 21.5 inch, 6.75 pound largemouth bass. He caught it fishing on Muskellunge Lake in Theresa, NY (Jefferson County) on a white/blue KVD Strike King spinner bait. Shannon Jackson, of Syracuse, holds up an impressive smallmouth bass he landed on Owasco Lake using a night crawler as bait. Jackson is commander of the Syracuse Fishing Club. More photos will be added to this gallery as they are submitted. Pictures should be sent to outdoors writer David Figura at dfigura@Nyup.com. The angler who caught the fish must be in the photo. Along with the photo, include where he or she lives, when and where the fish was caught and on what. Demond Malik Gary, of Weedsport, holds up a nice largemouth bass he caught July 9 on the Seneca River in Montezuma using a Double Down Plopper topwater lure. Reader John Bradley wrote: "My son, Graham Bradley, 13, caught this lunker last Wednesday, July 15 at 8:40 a.m in a large farm pond near Skaneateles. It was sunny and clear with calm waters. He caught this on a black jitterbug top water lure. As an avid fisherman, he was very thrilled to bring in such a huge largemouth. We weighed it on our scale and got over 7 pounds, 6 ounces." Shane Kelsen, of Jamesville, N.Y. holds up a 22-inch, 5-pound largemouth bass he caught June 20 on Schuyler Lake. He caught it on jig tipped with a worm. Matt Thomas, of Fort Montgomery, N.Y. holds up a 5.85-pound, largemouth bass he caught on a topwater lure (frog imitation) on a private pond near West Point in Orange County. Brittany Johnson, of Westmoreland, N.Y. who just moved to Upstate NY is "hooked" on fishing, said her boyfriend, Kevin Fedor. Here, she holds up a smallmouth bass that weighed in at 4-pounds, 2 ounces. She caught it on a clown-colored, Berkeley flicker shad on the canal just east of Oneida Lake. Sherri Rende caught this impressive smallmouth bass while fishing on the Mohawk River near Nelliston, N.Y. She used a white Mr. Twister on a jighead. Noah Rowe, of Berne, N.Y. holds up "a personal best" smallmouth bass he caught in the Cobleskill Reservoir trout pond. He said it was 22.5 inches, with an estimated weight of 4.5 pounds. He said he caught it on Rage Swimmer swimbait. Stephen Draghi, of Yulan, N.Y., caught and released this impressive largemouth bass recently on a private lake in Sullivan County in early May that he said measured 25 1/2 inches and weighed 9.2 pounds. He caught it on a 5/16 black and blue Outkast Tackle finesse jig. Carter Dawson, 7, and his brother, Tyler, 9. both of Grand Island, N.Y.. hold up two impressive smallmouth bass they caught in the Upper Niagara River within a minute of each other. Both fish were released after this photo was taken. George Hackett Jr. of Pitcher, N.Y. caught this nice largemouth bass on Fathers Day while fishing in Cazenovia Lake in Madison County. He used a Zoom (plastic) Worm, he said. He estimated it weighed nearly 5 pounds. Crystal Hackett, of the Town of Tonawanda in Erie County, caught this big smallmouth fishing on the Upper Niagara River jigging a white Mr. Twister. Kurt W. Lester Jr., of Syracuse, N.Y. caught this nice largemouth bass on Little York Lake in Cortland County on June 27 using a weightless, Texas-Rigged 5 Senko plastic worm. Holly Martin, of Mt, Vernon, N.Y. holds up a nice smallmouth she caught on June 21 in Hartwick, N.Y. in Otsego County in a small pond. She said she caught this fish using a Storm Chug Bug. She wrote: "I have become an avid fisherwoman in the last 3 years. I have come along way! I have now taught my son and my new boyfriend how to fish as well. There is nothing like being outdoors, in the beauty of nature, and being able to bring fresh fish home for dinner." Capt. Nick Calandrelli of Lewiston caught and released this 6-pound smallmouth bass in the Lower Niagara River. James Miller of McGraw, N.Y. caught and released this nice largemouth bass in mid-May on Otisco Lake. He caught it on a white spinner bait. He said it weighed 4.62 pounds. Alex Figura, of Philadelphia, Pa. caught and released this 18-inch smallmouth bass with his fly rod using a Double Deceiver streamer on Lower Saranac Lake in the Adirondacks. David Larkin, of Cohoes, N.Y., caught this impressive largemouth bass in a small pond in Cohoes using a live frog as bait. Matt Roberts caught this 22-inch largemouth bass on June 20 while fishing in the Cayuga Seneca Canal by the Mudlock. He said he used a chartreuse and white Zman Chatterbait with a YUM watermelon pearl Thumpn Dinger trailer. Hali Gray, 12, of Cayuga, NY caught this 3.98-pound, smallmouth bass on Cross Lake on Fathers Day. She caught it using a F05 Rapala. Sharon Vanstry, of DeWitt, holds up a 21-inch, nearly 5-pound largemouth bass she caught recently on Otisco Lake. She said it was a crawdad away from tipping the scale at 5 -- a feat that at this point that has eluded her. She said she caught it on a "T-rigged Yamamoto Senko plastic worm. Kal Hansen, 6, of Aurelius, in Cayuga County, caught this 21-inch smallmouth bass on Owasco Lake using a worm on July 2 while fishing with his Dad. Lauren Coon of Stillwater, N.Y. caught and released this nice smallmouth bass in late April on the Hudson River In Schuylerville. She said it weighed about 4 pounds and she used a plastic crayfish to catch it. Philomena Leavitt, of Tully N.Y. in Cortland County, caught this largemouth bass on Tully Lake using a weightlesss, Texas-rigged, 4-inch plastic Senko worm. Lucas Reiter said he caught this 3-pound, largemouth bass on a top-water, imitation frog on a private pond in Grafton, N.Y. in in Rensselaer County. (Note the lure in the fish's mouth) MORE: 4 Upstate NY waterways listed by Bassmaster Magazine as being the best bass fishing spots in the nation for the past decade DEC surveying anglers online concerning change to Oneida Lake walleye catch limit 3 Upstate NY waterways hosting Bassmaster Elite Series tournaments in July Upstate NY boy, 8, sets new state freshwater fishing record for rock bass I fully understand the states concern for the public welfare if cities are not owning up to their responsibility to ensure the safety and welfare of people in their communities when it comes to the quality of their waterways, he said. The history of what happened in Fort Lauderdale is clear and my objection to the policy of the previous commission, which postponed many of our public works initiatives and resulted in the calamity that we suffered last year. The New York Canal System continues to announce openings of locks with three more slated to open this Friday. Delays in the opening of the canal system which includes the Erie, Oswego, Cayuga-Seneca and Champlain canals have been delayed this year by the Covid-19 pandemic. Locks E-26 (Clyde), Lock E-27 (Lyons) and Lock E-28A (Lyons) will open for navigation on Friday at 7 a.m. that means the Erie Canal from Rome west through Lockport and the Tonawanda is open, said Shane Mahar, spokesman for the Canal Corporation this week. However, maintenance work continues on the Erie Canal in the Mohawk Valley, but we are making progress. Mahar said. Four projects were scheduled with only completed at this point. Locke E-13 (expected opening of July 27) Embankment work at Lock E-13 (completed) Embankment work at Lock E-19 (expected completion of July 20) Lock E-19 (expected opening date of Aug. 10) Last week, five locks on the Oswego Canal opened, and one on the Cayuga/Seneca Canal. See a wrapup of NYS Canal Corporation projects (with map) and tentative opening dates on the New York Canal Corporation website. Opening day for the canal system, which stretches from Buffalo to Albany, was supposed to be May 15. However, following Gov. Andrew Cuomos economic pause order all off-season maintenance and repair work on eight different locks in the system was halted. Most state Canal Corporation workers were sent home March 17 as nonessential personnel. The required work projects have since been resumed on a regional basis under the NY Forward Reopening plan. The bottom line remains, though. A number of sections of the system havent been opened for navigation until this coming weekend, and some sections wont be opened until early August. In addition, boats will not be able to travel through the entire system for much of the summer. The canal system is scheduled to close to navigation on Oct. 14. MORE ON OUTDOORS DEC: More Adirondack/Catskill campgrounds opening for July 4 weekend Lunker Land 2020: Upstate NY bass anglers share photos of their big catches DEC surveying anglers on changing walleye daily catch rule Bassmaster Elite Series tournaments set on 3 Upstate NY waterways in July More colleges are waiving standardized testing requirements amid the coronavirus pandemic. The State University of New York Board of Trustees announced Monday that SAT and ACT testing requirements are being suspended for the 2021-2022 academic year. Any high school seniors applying to a SUNY school for the spring 2021, fall 2021, and spring 2022 semesters will not need to take the tests. Students who have already taken an SAT or ACT exam, or plan to take one when possible, will still be welcome to submit their scores. Other colleges and universities, including Syracuse University and Cornell University, have also waived SAT and ACT requirements for next fall because many students are expected to have limited access to testing facilities due to Covid-19 concerns. As they have always been, standardized test scores are just one component of our holistic review process, said Syracuse Dean on Admissions Maurice Harris. Now, we will place greater emphasis on other required application credentials, including academic performance, the rigor of coursework and co-curricular engagement. WHAM reports some schools, including RIT and the University of Rochester, have made standardized tests permanently optional. MORE ON CORONAVIRUS Coronavirus in NY: Cases, maps, charts and resources Syracuse hospital closing 2 urgent care centers; some layoffs expected New York adds more states to coronavirus quarantine list As Central NY reopens, small businesses innovate (and worry) in aftermath of the storm Complete coronavirus coverage on syracuse.com Buffalo, N.Y. An elderly man shoved to the ground by Buffalo police has been released from the hospital nearly a month later. WKBW reports Martin Gugino, 75, was released from Erie County Medical Center on Wednesday, close to four weeks after he was pushed to the ground by two Buffalo police officers during a protest against police brutality after the death of George Floyd. Video showing Gugino on the ground and bleeding from the ear quickly went viral and outrage ensued as the Buffalo Police Department claimed in a statement he tripped & fell. Guginos attorney Kelly Zarcone said he continues to recover from his injuries at an undisclosed location to protect his privacy. Martin wants to thank the entire hospital staff for their exceptional dedication and professionalism, Zarcone told WKBW. He received truly outstanding care and for that, he is grateful. Gugino had been at ECMC since June 4, when he was shoved outside Buffalo City Hall by BPD officers Aaron Torgalski and Robert McCabe. Gugino suffered a fractured skull and a brain injury, according to Zarcone. Torglaski and McCabe were charged with second-degree assault and released without bail after pleading not guilty. Both cops remain suspended without pay. The incident sparked further outrage when President Donald Trump claimed without evidence that Gugino could be an ANTIFA provocateur and pushed a conspiracy theory that Gugino was pushed away after appearing to scan police communications in order to black out the equipment. @OANN I watched, he fell harder than was pushed. Was aiming scanner. Could be a set up? Gugino denies being involved with the anti-fascist movement, according to Zarcone, and theres no evidence he was trying to scan or block police communications. Trumps source, an OANN video, is from the conservative, far-right One America News Network known for promoting conspiracy theories. Trump has described antifa, an anti-fascist movement, as a domestic terrorist organization and blamed the collective on violence in cities where protests have occurred since Floyd died on Memorial Day when a Minneapolis police officer kneeled on his neck for nearly nine minutes. Gugino, identified as a longtime peace activist from Amherst, is a member of two nonprofits: PUSH Buffalo, which focuses on affordable housing, and the Western New York Peace Center, a human rights organization. He is also part of the Catholic Worker Movement and politically active on social media, frequently criticizing Trump. Gugino was also a part of Upstate Drone Action, a group that has protested the use of armed drones at Syracuse Hancock Airbase for a decade. Gugino attended at least one of the groups protests and was known for his dependable, quiet presence at many of the group members court appearances. WATCH: Late-night TV hosts skewer Trump over Buffalo protester conspiracy theory Join Oprah Winfrey for candid conversations with Black fathers from all walks of life as they explore the challenges of raising a family amid racial and social injustice in OWN Spotlight: Oprah and 100 Black Fathers, tonight, June 30, at 10 p.m. ET/PT. You can also livestream the special event on fuboTV . Talking with Oprah are filmmaker Tyler Perry, actor and producer Courtney B. Vance (American Crime Story), Grammy Awardwinning rapper Michael Render (a.k.a. Killer Mike) and criminal justice reform activist Shaka Senghor, among others. Find out how Black fathers handle discussing events such as the murder of George Floyd with their children. How do they navigate daily life in a world where theyre often seen as potential criminals? What are their dreams for the future and their hopes for their children? I am honored to bring this conversation to light so we might better understand the emotional toll Black fathers endure, and how they continue to show up for their children, their family and the community, Winfrey said in a statement. What channel is OWN on? You can find which channel it is by using the channel finders here: Verizon Fios, AT&T U-verse, Comcast Xfinity, Spectrum/Charter, Optimum/Altice, DIRECTV and Dish. Where can I watch it if I dont have cable? FuboTV ($54.99/month) offers you access to your favorite TV shows, live sports events and much more. Theres a 7-day free trial when you sign up. Tahlequah, OK (74464) Today Showers this morning becoming a steady rain during the afternoon hours. Cooler. High 69F. Winds NNE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 80%.. Tonight Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low 51F. Winds light and variable. In his address to the UN Security Council (UNSC) on Monday Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukri called on the international body to encourage negotiations to reach an agreement on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD). The UNSC meeting was held upon Egypts request after Ethiopia said it would go ahead with filling the dams reservoir in July with or without the approval of Sudan and Egypt. It is Egypts belief that any agreement on the GERD must be a legally binding instrument under international law that includes clear definitions that establish the threshold of significant harm that must be prevented, and a binding dispute resolution mechanism to ensure the effective implementation of the agreement, he told the UNSC during his video-conference speech. He described the dam as a threat of potentially existential proportions that could encroach on the single source of livelihood of over 100 million Egyptians. UNSC members agreed during the meeting that tripartite talks between Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia should continue and warned against any party adopting unilateral actions. Sudans permanent representative to the United Nations, Omer Siddig, said that close consultation and coordination is required in discussing the impacts of the dam and that reaching an agreement before beginning the filling of the reservoir is essential. He added that any decision on the timing and the rules of the filling must not be taken unilaterally. Instead of discussing the problems facing the negotiations Taye Atske-Selassie, Ethiopias permanent representative to the UN, chose to argue that the UNSC was the wrong place to discuss the dam. Ethiopia does not believe the issue being discussed today has a legitimate place in the Security Council This council should not be a forum for exerting diplomatic pressure, he told the session. In a move widely seen as a last-minute attempt to bridge differences Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan agreed to what Moussa Faki Mahamat, chairman of the African Union (AU) Commission, described as an AU-led process to resolve outstanding issues. This is a positive step, says Deputy Foreign Minister Mohamed Hegazi. At this point we need leadership, negotiations in good faith and a legally-binding agreement, he said. Professor of political science Tarek Fahmi agrees the involvement of the AU represents a positive step and that any resolution of the issue requires a clear and legally binding agreement. Drawing rules for the initial filling and the operating process is not enough. We are not in need of general guidelines, but an agreement that the parties have to legally abide by, he told Al-Ahram Weekly. William Davison, a senior analyst with the International Crisis Group, expressed his hope that as time becomes more pressing the parties may be more willing to compromise. Perhaps as the scheduled start of filling moves closer, and the pressure increases, the parties will start to make concessions in key areas, especially if AU facilitation manages to foster a better atmosphere. But ultimately, there are still significant disagreements on legal issues and drought management so there is a need for the parties to seek compromises in a manner that they have not been willing to do so far, he told the Weekly. Last weekend the presidents office announced that Cairo, Khartoum and Addis Ababa agreed that Ethiopia will delay the filling of the dam and refrain from taking unilateral measures before an agreement is reached. Sudans Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdouk also issued a statement saying the three countries had agreed to postpone the filling of the reservoir until an agreement is signed. The announcements came after a video summit between the leaders of the three countries on Friday. They agreed to form a committee of legal and technical experts to draft the deal. Cyril Ramaphosa, South African president and current chairman of the AU, headed the meeting. A day after the summit Ethiopia issued a statement that differed from those issued by Egypt and Sudan. Ethiopia is scheduled to begin filling the GERD within the next two weeks, during which time construction work will continue. It is in this period that the three countries have agreed to reach a final agreement on a few pending matters, a press release by the Ethiopian prime ministers office said. Davison noted that Ethiopias stand with regards the filling remains firm. Despite the confusion, Ethiopia seems to be sticking to its plan to start filling in the middle of July regardless of whether there is a deal or not, he said. Fahmi argues that Ethiopia is in effect treading water, and if the committee fails to reach an agreement it will take a unilateral decision to fill the dam. Although Mondays UNSC session is in essence procedural, Fahmi believes it is a clear sign the dam issue has become an international one rather than the concern of the three countries directly involved. Hegazi says Mondays session offered an opportunity to correct falsehoods that Ethiopia is trying to spread by claiming that all the previous agreements on the dam date from the colonial era. Shoukri told the UNSC session that every treaty relating to the Nile that was concluded by Ethiopia was signed by its government, free of any compulsion or coercion, and as an independent and sovereign state. These include a treaty freely signed by the emperor of Abyssinia in 1902 prohibiting the construction of any works across the Blue Nile that affect the natural flow of the river, and a General Framework for Cooperation, freely signed by Ethiopias late prime minister Meles Zenawi and Egypts president in 1993, in addition to the 2015 Agreement on Declaration of Principles. Needless to say, all of these treaties remain binding and in force. Besides, notes Hegazi, Ethiopia referred to colonial agreements in demarcating its border with Eritrea. Colonial treaties (1900, 1902 and 1908) were the basis for the Algiers agreement signed in Algeria in 2000 between Ethiopia and Eritrea. That was the agreement that put an end to the border war between the two countries. Last month, Egypt sent a memo to the UNSC asking it to intervene to restart talks on the dam and warned that filling the dam without a deal threatened international peace and security. Sudan sent its own letter to the international body last week stating that the dam could cause substantial risks to Khartoum and endanger the lives of millions of people living downstream. The letter also warned that filling the dam without reaching a tripartite agreement would compromise the safety of the Sudanese Roseires Dam. In November last year, the US and the World Bank joined forces in an attempt to broker a deal. After four months of talks the three countries reached an agreement, but Ethiopia failed to turn up to the signing ceremony in February. Egypt, which relies on the Nile for more than 90 per cent of its water supplies, fears the impact of the dam if the filling starts without an agreement guaranteeing a minimum annual flow of water. Sudan also opposes initial filling without an agreement. The sticking points in the talks include finding a legally-binding mechanism for conflict resolution, provisions that reflect the legally binding nature of the agreement, technical issues related to mitigation measures during periods of drought and prolonged drought, the long-term operating process and details of the technical committee that will run the dam. *A version of this article appears in print in the 2 July, 2020 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly Short link: That's why Senate Democrats recruited Hickenlooper, 68, to take on Gardner, widely seen as the most vulnerable Republican in the Senate. Democrats need to net three seats in November to win control of the chamber if they win the White House, and they see Colorado as their most promising opportunity. Senate Democrats convinced Hickenlooper to run as his ill-fated bid for the Democratic presidential nomination fizzled last summer. Alexander City, AL (35010) Today Cloudy skies this morning followed by scattered showers and thunderstorms during the afternoon. High 83F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 60%.. Tonight Thunderstorms likely. Low near 70F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%. Locally heavy rainfall possible. Seminole, FL (33772) Today Partly to mostly cloudy with scattered showers and thunderstorms developing this afternoon. High 88F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%.. Tonight Cloudy skies. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 78F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph. Thank you for Reading! Please log in, or sign up for a new account and Purchase a Subscription to continue reading. Teagasc ranks 5th among research organisations in Europe Teagasc secured 3.7 million funding for research from the European Commissions Horizon 2020 programme in 2019. In comparison with all other research organisations and universities across Europe, Teagasc is ranked 5th in terms of number of projects awarded in the agri-food stream of European funding since Horizon 2020 began in 2014. Teagasc ranks 5th among research organisations in Europe Horizon 2020 is the European Commissions research funding programme which runs from 2014 to 2020. In 2014, Teagasc set a target of securing 19 million from Horizon 2020. This has already been exceeded, with 25.3 million secured so far, and more funding expected over the coming months. Commenting on the news, Professor Gerry Boyle, Director of Teagasc, said: European funding is a very important measure of success for Teagasc. It shows that we perform on a par with the best research organisations across Europe despite our small size relative to research organisations of many other European countries. Our contribution to the European research agenda matches the important contribution we are making to the national science and research agenda. Collaboration with European colleagues will be a key part of Teagascs contribution to the research required by the new European Strategies on Farm-to-Fork and Biodiversity. Teagasc funding success is based on a solid foundation of high quality research published in international peer reviewed journals. Teagasc is the biggest publisher of agriculture and food science in Ireland, and published 611 peer reviewed articles in 2019, its highest ever number. Nearly all Teagasc research (92%) is carried out in collaboration with other national and international research organisations such as Irish universities and Institutes of Technology, with 49% of publications having partners from international universities or research organisations. This reflects the strong international standing of Teagasc. The investment of the Irish Government, through direct funding to Teagasc and competitive funding from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Science Foundation Ireland and other funding agencies, has helped Teagasc to build a strong scientific base and it is this that allows it to compete so successfully at a European level. Professor Frank OMara, Director of Research at Teagasc said: Many important and exciting projects have been funded in 2019, and of particular significance in this era of climate change is the 80 million European Joint Programme on soils. We look forward to working with other European countries to drive on the research agenda in relation to soil carbon sequestration. Achieving impact from excellent research is our goal and examples of recent impacts are science based changes to regulations around fertilisers and water quality, the Marginal Abatement Cost Curves for greenhouse gas and ammonia emissions, our contribution to the continued improvement of the genetic merit of the national dairy herd as measured by the Economic Breeding Index, and the improved management of our grassland resources through the Teagasc PastureBase Ireland decision support system. Researchers around the world are continuing their search in finding something that could help fight the novel coronavirus and finally lift lockdowns around the world without fear of getting infected with COVID-19. T-Cells are as Important as Antibodies In one new study, researchers believe that T-cells might be the key to getting protection against the virus and that being exposed to common cold could provide some level of immunity. According to a report by The Telegraph, scientists from Tubingen University in Germany suggest that the T-cells have an essential role in gaining immunity against COVID-19 just like antibodies. T-cells are a type of white blood cell that works with our immune system to fight off foreign objects within our body, including viruses like SARS-CoV-2. To get the results they need, researchers from the university gathered blood samples from those who have already recovered from COVID-19 as well as people who haven't been infected yet and compared the samples. The result suggests that 81% of the 185 people they tested who haven't been infected with coronavirus had a T-cell response to the virus. Read Also: COVID-19 New Update: Experts Say Alpacas Have Tiny Antibodies that Could Neutralize Coronavirus Can Exposure to Common Cold Help Protect Against COVID-19? Moreover, they found out that this response had been previously linked to common cold exposure, meaning those who have been exposed to it could have a certain level of immunity against the highly-infectious disease. The study is published in the preprint server Research Square and has not yet undergone peer review. This is not the first time common cold has been linked to some sort of protection against coronavirus, as the news outlet has previously noted what Sir John Bell, a Regius Professor of Medicine at the University of Oxford, said to his peers at the House of Lords Science and Technology Select. According to Sir Bell, younger people are more likely to be exposed to the common cold compared to adults, which is why COVID-19 may not severely affect them. "How you respond may be due to the state of your existing immunity to coronaviruses generally," sir Bell said. "There is an interesting speculation at the moment, that suggests that many people in young or middle aged groups may have T-cells that can already see coronavirus. It may well be able to provide some protection against this pathogen when it arrives." Further Evidence Furthermore, Science Magazine also reported on two published studies that focus on T-cells and their role in helping the body fight the novel coronavirus. According to the magazine, those who are COVID-19 positive had T-cells that specifically target SARS-CoV-2, which could help them recover from the infection. Coinciding with the research from Germany, the two studies published in May 2020 also showed that people who haven't been infected with coronavirus already have these cellular defenses, and that might be because they have been exposed to common cold before. Certain common colds are caused by a different type of coronavirus that is much less threatening than SARS-CoV-2, which could be fatal for those who are at high risk of complications. There is no cure for the common cold, but it usually stays for around a week to 10 days. Read Also: [COVID-19 Update] Japanese Engineers Develop a Mask With Built-in Speakers, Microphone, and Translation Software 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. China has approved an "experimental COVID-19 vaccine" that members of the military can use after initial clinical tests suggested it is safe and will provide efficient responses. However, larger trials have yet to be made in order to ensure they are effective against the SARS-CoV-2 virus which causes the coronavirus, Ars Technica reported. This move marks the first for any country to approve a "candidate" cure for use in the military. It was on June 25 when China approved the vaccine with its Central Military Commission and will last a year, the report added. Who developed the China coronavirus vaccine? Researchers and specialists from biotech firm CanSino Biologics developed the vaccine together with the Chinese military. According to them, it is under the category of "viral vector-based vaccine." What does this mean? It means that these specialists began with a viral vector, in this case, it should be a common adenovirus strain--a virus strain that causes mild upper respiratory symptoms developing into the disease. The procedure follows through in such a way that they cripple the virus so it won't multiply in a person's cellular makeup and cause more severe symptoms. They then structured the virus to carry the distinctive features of SARS-CoV-2, the infamous spike protein of the virus. This places them out of the viral particle, allowing for the virus to take its toll on humans. Injecting the virus When this harmless vaccine is injected into the body, it will present the spike protein--the SARS-CoV-2 strain--into the immune system, triggering this to develop responses against the virus. These include antibodies or Y-shaped proteins that travel around the body to detect previously known germs with distinct features. Once it detects a germ, it neutralizes antibodies to attack the germ and prevent the infection from spreading. The report said, "In a Phase 1 safety trial involving 108 people, the vaccine-dubbed Ad5-nCoV-proved safe and was able to spur the production of neutralizing antibodies and other immune responses. However, the study, published in The Lancet, also detected a potential foil for the vaccine candidate: in people who had been infected with Ad5 in their past, the vaccine didn't generate as strong of a response to SARS-CoV-2's spike protein." Ars Technica's Beth Mole continued the report saying this may be due to the immune system being able to quickly recognize the adenovirus, and to focus the response "on the viral vector, rather than the nefarious spike." More from the researchers The bioresearch facility said that it had since finished the larger second phase fo the trial, ensuring safety and efficacy. However, the results have yet to be released. Reports from Chinese media also revealed that CanSino partnered with the government of Canada for Phase 3 trials. These trials will further look into the efficacy and the potential side effects over a larger group of people. There hasn't been a statement yet from CanSino if the Chinese military, mostly frontliners, will be required to have the vaccine or if it would only be an option for them. As of press time, there are now 17 COVID-19 vaccine candidates in clinical trials with 132 in the stage of pre-clinical development. More vaccines are being created in China. 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. The United Kingdom government fast-tracks its trial and the potential introduction of e-scooter schemes in the country in an attempt to encourage a safe and "green" mode of transport and ease public transport demand. This follows the lifting of coronavirus lockdown. In the guidance for e-scooter operators released on Tuesday, June 30, the Department for Transport (DfT) said the first shared e-scooters will be available for rent next week. This guide allows authorities in England, Scotland, and Wales e-scooter sharing schemes as part of 12-month trials. "To help support the green restart of local travel, trials should be operational as soon as possible following necessary changes to legislation, which will come into force on 4 July 2020," the DfT guidance writes. However, DfT listed some limitations for the e-scooters, following the same regulations as e-bikes. After all, both vehicles have the same speed, size, and visibility. Primarily, private e-scooters will remain illegal while shared e-scooters are not allowed on pavements. Riders must be at least 16 years old with a full or provisional car, motorcycle, or moped licenses to use the e-scooters. They are also advised to wear helmets and limited to drive up to 15.5mph. Trials to commence next week in some areas The BBC reported at least 50 local governments had shown interest in joining the trial, including Middlesbrough, where the scheme will run next week. While this does not mean that this transport technology will be permanent, the statement is part of the 12-month-long trials, which the government originally planned to begin in 2021. These include trials for new modes of transportations like e-scooters, delivery drones, and self-driving cars. The DfT hopes these trials would prevent low-quality e-scooters from filling in the roads. However, public schemes are dockless so that they will sprawl in public places, regardless of the quality of the e-scooters. Worse, these will create a nuisance and a trip hazard. Disability awareness campaigners already aired against the e-scooters as they are worried about the increase in dockless devices will make it difficult to traverse through walkways safely. Similarly, traffic safety activists are also concerned that e-scooters will mostly be used on pedestrian walkways, despite laws banning their use on pavements. In contrast, if private e-scooters were legalized, people would fold their devices or park them more carefully. Generally, people care less if they do not own the devices, as proven by other schemes. Meanwhile, the trials are originally planned for 12 months, but governments may continue beyond this one year, although it will be subject to the local or national government's agreement. Governments will provide a summary report every six weeks to ensure objectives and timescales are followed. They are also required to remain in constant contact with registered local areas and operators to track these trials' progress. Since e-scooters are convenient and easy to use, big cities in the UK may have a lot more e-scooters on the streets by summer. We can only hope that service providers would educate their clients on how to legally and safely use their e-scooters. Read also: Embracing Reusable Rockets? SpaceX Launches Refurbished GPS For US Military 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. COVID-19 outbreaks at meat-processing facilities in North Carolina are being kept quiet. According to The Guardian's latest report, although the conducted tests in the meat factories were found positive, officials still refused to provide any information about the case. https://t.co/d0WJIxGJYX pic.twitter.com/QYCrfdh6lK Coronavirus outbreaks have struck workers in meat processing plants around the world. But this is not about meatits about profit. Socialist Worker (@socialistworker) June 30, 2020 Widespread testing for COVID-19 was conducted in a chicken processing facility in western North Carolina in early June. Employees at the plant were scared according to the report since several workers had already tested positive. The company, Case Farms, was reportedly not providing proper protective gear. According to The News Herald's 2017 report, the company has also been repeatedly accused of animal treatment and workers' rights violations. "We don't have a lot of space at work. We are shoulder to shoulder," said one of the employees, who refused to be named, during the recent union call. "I'm afraid to go to work, but I have to go," added the worker. The employee also said that the testing turned up to 150 positive cases at the meat facility. 136 new coronavirus cases, which is a 25% increase in the Case Farms' total caseload, was reported by the health department for Burke county, was the meat facility is located, on June 8. The current issue is just one of the currently taunt relationship between the economy and public health in North Carolina, as the number of infected cases and hospitalizations rises. Coronavirus outbreaks in North Carolina's meat processing plants According to The Guardian, with $1.2bn in chickens, hogs, and turkeys exported every year, North Carolina is one of the biggest poultry and pork-producing states in the United States. In rural parts of the state, areas that often lean on food processing or meatpacking facilities as major sources of employment, health departments have been quiet about the coronavirus outbreaks in those factories. pic.twitter.com/5V3ONXWpY6 Our SARVAL division operates Category 3 rendering plants, processing raw animal by-products from abattoirs, meat processing plants and butchers' shops to produce a range of tallows and processed animal proteins (PAP): https://t.co/UYum0TaHTl SARIA UK (@sariauk) July 1, 2020 According to a tally provided by the Food and Environment Reporting Network, more than 36,000 farm and meat processing employees have tested positive for coronavirus. At least 116 died since the pandemic started; but, the true number is likely higher. The Burke County Health Department does have data about where people with positive cases work using case interviews and contact tracing, but decides not to provide it, said spokeswoman Lisa Moore. "We know where they are, but we are not a county that can divulge every place where they are," she said. Moore also added that Case Farms requested the health department direct all questions regarding their facility to a company representative. Also Read: Declining Eyesight? Look at a Red Light! Here's What New Pilot Study Shows 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. The one thing about the supervisors is flexibility, Latimer, president of the Florida Supervisors of Elections association, said in a phone interview. Living in Florida, one of the things we always had to prepare for is hurricanes and work around that. And, son of a gun, they come right in the middle of our primary election and they could come in our general, too. So I think its just a matter of contingencies. The Sheridan Opera House loaned the food pantry its tent, so volunteers and recipients could maintain a six-foot separation. (Courtesy photo) A host of new, educational signs will be prevalent in town, reminding locals and visitors of the best practices for fighting the spread of COVID-19. (Courtesy photo) Note: We've recently updated our online systems. If you can't login please try resetting your password. You must login with an email address. If you don't have an email associated with your account email please call (208) 542-6777 for help. Madisonville, KY (42431) Today Partly cloudy with a slight chance of thunderstorms. Storms may contain strong gusty winds. High 84F. Winds NW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 50%.. Tonight Cloudy and damp with rain early...then becoming partly cloudy. Low 56F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%. Ada, OK (74820) Today Thunderstorms - some locally heavy downpours are possible, especially during the afternoon hours. Storms may contain strong gusty winds. High 68F. Winds NNE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 80%.. Tonight Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low 54F. Winds NNE at 10 to 15 mph. Over the past five days, Lafayette police and fire officials visited 162 businesses for compliance with coronavirus safety orders, finding only 12 violations. That suggests a 93% compliance rate in the city of Lafayette. All the violations involved at least one employee not wearing a mask. In each case the employees complied with instructions to correct the infraction. According to Capt. Monte Potier with the Lafayette Police Department, officers visited 30 businesses on June 25, finding three violations; 27 businesses on June 26, finding one violation; 32 businesses on June 27, finding a single violation; 25 establishments on June 28, finding one violation; and 32 businesses on June 30, finding three violations. The fire department responded to four citizen complaints June 22-30, finding three violations at retail stores. The Fire Prevention Bureau officials also conducted random checks on 12 bars and clubs, all of which were in compliance, and attempted to do random checks on 10 others that were closed. Jamie Angelle, chief communications officer with Lafayette Consolidated Government, released the names of three businesses where police officers found one employee each over the weekend was not wearing a mask: McDonalds at 4555 Johnston St., Cupid Daiquiris at 600 SE Evangeline Thruway and Burger King at 1500 Johnston St. The fire department released on Tuesday the names of three businesses in violation: Great Harvest Bread, 854 Kaliste Saloom Road; Champagne's Market, 454 Heymann Blvd.; and Shoe Station, 3606 Ambassador Caffery Parkway. The police department, Potier said, will not release the names of the businesses in violation. Asked why, Potier did not respond. Angelle said it was the police department's decision. Fire Chief Robert Benoit said the department became more aggressive in conducting random compliance checks and enforcing the safety rules just before Gov. John Bel Edwards announced the state would remain in Phase 2 of reopening businesses. "We were seeing a lot of activity with people not complying," he said, "congregating in large crowds in certain areas." Employees and employers who come into direct contact with customers are required to wear masks that cover their nose and mouth. Although Benoit recommends customers also wear masks, neither the governor's nor the mayor-president's orders require it. Some businesses do require customers to wear masks. Inside info on doing business in Acadiana We'll keep you posted on the Acadiana economy. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up Wilson Savoy, an owner of Hideaway on Lee, said the restaurant and bar began requiring patrons to wear masks last weekend, even giving away hand-sewn masks to those who enter without a mask. "To walk around, you have to have a mask on," Savoy said. Only a few customers refused to wear masks and walked out, Savoy said. To snag a pie at Central Pizza on Jefferson Street now requires a reservation. Owner John Peterson said the policy was put in place when the restaurant re-opened after the governor shut all restaurants down in March. "That's really allowed us to control the traffic in and out of the restaurant," Peterson said. "That's avoided the situation of people piling up in the doorway." Patrons are not required to wear masks, he said, but, "We appreciate it when they do." Lou Guidry, manager of School Time on Pinhook Road, said all employees and customers are required to wear masks and only six families are allowed to enter the store at a time. She has six dressing rooms with six associates to assist families selecting school clothes. When a customer leaves a dressing room, it is disinfected and the clothes are put in time-out for 24 hours. If customers arrive without masks, the store provides them, Guidry said. "Most people, if you ask them, complain a little," she said. "Our comment is we hate them too." During these stressful times, the last thing we need is to make it more difficult for Floridians to work and further compromise the health of our economy, said Micah Kubic, executive director of the ACLU of Florida. The result is that more employers will be utilizing and more workers will be subject to the error-prone E-Verify database that could result in hundreds of authorized workers being denied the ability to work without a meaningful avenue to seek redress. Face coverings will now be required in East Baton Rouge Parish businesses, Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome announced Wednesday. She said the masks will be mandatory starting Friday. "My message is very simple: Save a life, save our economy and wear a face covering," Broome said. Coronavirus in Louisiana: State sees highest increase in nearly 3 months with 2,000+ more cases The Louisiana Dept. of Health reported 2,083 more coronavirus cases, 17 more deaths and 18 more hospitalizations in its daily noon update Wednesday. Louisiana saw the largest single-day increase in reported coronavirus cases in nearly three months on Wednesday. The state reported 2,083 additional cases statewide. East Baton Rouge was the second-highest parish for additional coronavirus cases on Wednesday. There were 227 more cases diagnosed in East Baton Rouge Wednesday. Broome said the case spike accounts for the third-highest increase since the pandemic began in March. The first Louisiana case was announced on March 9. Louisiana COVID numbers: Data on cases, deaths, hospitalizations, vaccines Editor's Note: Due to changes in the importance of various metrics used to track the pandemic, The Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate r She said the decision is "rooted in the common-sense measures of our medical community." "We cannot afford to return to a stay at home order," Broome said. 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 People caught without a mask could face a misdemeanor summons, Broome said. When asked when the mandate could end, she said it would be when she sees a positive change in the coronavirus case growth. Broome also said in her press conference that closing bars is "not off the table." John Bel Edwards on coronavirus: Rewatch the governor's latest news conference Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards will hold a 2:30 p.m. news conference Wednesday to address the state's on-going response to coronavirus. Gov. John Bel Edwards will address Louisiana at a public press conference at 2:30 p.m. Watch the full press conference here. As the economy has begun to re-open from stay-at-home orders aimed at halting the spread of the virus, there has been a resurgence of coronavirus cases that has alarmed local, state and national health officials. In East Baton Rouge Parish, the percentage of coronavirus tests that came back positive rose from 2.5% to 10.3% between the week ending June 21 and the one ending Sunday, an Advocate analysis of state data shows. Experts say high percentages of positive tests suggest increased spread of the virus. Health officials have said the latest wave of cases is largely driven by increases among young adults, which is different than the first wave. In Baton Rouge, there has been a particular focus on bars and restaurants, many of which have closed temporarily as staff report coronavirus symptoms. The state Department of Health last month declared an outbreak in bars in the Tigerland area near LSU's campus, urging those who visited those bars to self-quarantine. Federal and state health officials plan a broad new push to test as many as 5,000 people per day in the Baton Rouge region for the novel coronavirus after many of the gains made against this virus this spring have been lost, the governor said Wednesday. Saying the Baton Rouge region was becoming a hotspot again for the virus, Gov. John Bel Edwards said the capital area is among the reasons the state has drawn close attention from the White House and will become one of three areas in the nation to receive the federal help to supplement testing efforts. Edwards said it was the rising rate of positive cases per test, often known as positivity, that prompted Dr. Deborah Birx to call him Tuesday to discuss the new testing plan in cooperation with the White House Coronavirus Task Force and other federal agencies. +2 Rising rate of coronavirus cases raises concerns in Baton Rouge; some say more data needed In the drive to reopen Louisiana, the state and an array of medical providers have been on a push over past several weeks to increase testing Testing is expected to start Tuesday at LSU, Southern University, Cortana Mall and the Greater Baton Rouge State Fairgrounds, but the governor acknowledged the 5,000-per-day clip isnt likely to be met initially. Even before the new testing initiative, signs have emerged that some commercial testing labs, which handle the vast majority of the states testing, were already struggling to meet increasing testing demand and return results in a timely fashion. Quest Diagnostics, one of the major labs processing tests in Louisiana and elsewhere in the country, announced Wednesday that testing demand had increased by 50% in the past three weeks and that the average turnaround time for tests is more than three days. The announcement comes a day after state and local officials said test processing from free, community drive-thru sites this month in West Feliciana Parish had also run into demand-related problems and delayed the notification of results. Quest was processing the tests in that parish and at similar joint drive-thru sites in the region coordinated through individual parishes, the Louisiana Army National Guard and the state Department of Health, state health officials said. +2 Coronavirus cases on rise in Livingston as parish outpaces many of its neighbors In the first months of the novel coronavirus outbreak, Livingston Parish seemed to have been spared the worst and has remained firmly behind s Separately, some parents of LSU students have complained to The Advocate about the slow turnaround time from a free community testing effort on last Thursday at the Tigerland bars after state health officials had identified an outbreak among the popular college neighborhood's bars. An executive with Relief Telemed, the Baton Rouge company that coordinated that testing effort, said tests are taking five to seven days to return due to increased demand. The tests were being processed by a Lafayette lab that isn't Quest. In a statement Wednesday, the state health department said it has been in constant contact with "commercial testing labs across the state about a variety of topics that include testing result turnaround times." State health officials also indicated the delays were not limited to Quest. When asked how testing turnaround times would be affected by the significant increase in volume from the new federal effort, Kevin Litten, health department spokesman, said the agency is working on the details ahead of the July 7 launch. Coronavirus in Louisiana: State sees highest increase in nearly 3 months with 2,000+ more cases The Louisiana Dept. of Health reported 2,083 more coronavirus cases, 17 more deaths and 18 more hospitalizations in its daily noon update Wednesday. Testing numbers have steadily risen in the state and the Baton Rouge region since late April. In the capital area, test numbers are approaching minimum daily benchmarks that health researchers at Harvard University had suggested would be a measure of viral spread. But what Edwards and the White House are proposing at 5,000 tests per day will be a quantum leap compared to current levels. The 12-parish Baton Rouge region, for instance, has averaged 1,481 tests per day since late April. Testing in East Baton Rouge has averaged 628 tests per day during the same period. Quest said Wednesday it has been moving to boost capacity. Earlier this month, it started recalling employees furloughed in April and restored hours and pay cuts to begin meeting increased demand. 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 Quest said it has processed 5.3 million COVID-19 molecular diagnostic tests, has the ability to process 110,000 tests per day and wants to boost that ability to 150,000 tests per day. Quest attributed its delays in processing tests to a number of factors, including increased spread of the virus; demand from healthcare centers, nursing homes and prisons; and orders from drive- or walk-thru testing sites. "Despite the rapid expansion of our testing capacity, demand for testing has been growing faster," the company said. The company added that, even with the slowdowns, turnaround time for priority patients remains one day. Vishal Vasanji, co-founder and chief executive officer of Relief Telemed, which coordinated testing in Tigerland, said he has also spoken to an executive running urgent care clinics in the region who doesn't use his lab or Quest but also had slowing test turnaround times. That suggested to Vasanji, he said, that the delays are not limited to one or two labs. +8 Line backs up at Fred's as people wait for coronavirus test: See photos, video A lengthy line grew outside of Fred's bar in Tigerland on Thursday as people waited to be tested for coronavirus. He added that people may have unrealistic expectations because of quicker turnaround times on completed tests when demand wasn't as high earlier in the pandemic. "It's the nature of the industry," Vasanji said. "I'm not going to knock people because people are expecting things, you know, right away, but it's just people's expectations and they don't want to wait." About 350 people were tested in the Tigerland effort, Vasanji said. West Feliciana Parish government officials issued their own apology Tuesday about the delayed test results in their parish. They said they began working on resolving the problem as soon as they found out but also added that delays were due to "several factors out of our control." In East Baton Rouge Parish, the average weekly rate of positives per test has quadrupled over the past two weeks, rising from 2.5% to 10.3% between the week ending June 21 and the one ending Sunday, an Advocate analysis of state data shows. Through the first three days of this week, the positivity rate in the parish is 8.4%. The parish has had close to 1,000 new cases in the past 11 days, including 227 on Wednesday, Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome said. Coronavirus in Louisiana: State sees highest increase in nearly 3 months with 2,000+ more cases The Louisiana Dept. of Health reported 2,083 more coronavirus cases, 17 more deaths and 18 more hospitalizations in its daily noon update Wednesday. Louisiana COVID numbers: Data on cases, deaths, hospitalizations, vaccines Editor's Note: Due to changes in the importance of various metrics used to track the pandemic, The Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate r The East Feliciana Police Jury will decide next week whether to uproot a statue of a Confederate soldier from the courthouse following a public hearing Tuesday that saw residents split on the issue. At more than 30-feet-tall, the statue was built in 1909 as a tribute to Confederate soldiers and has towered in front of the parishs antebellum courthouse, but has become a divisive public landmark in recent years. Calls to remove the statue have intensified in the past several weeks amid protests that have erupted across the country and in Louisiana following the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police. Residents supporting the statue's removal say it represents a bygone era in which Black people were enslaved and, after emancipation, still denied their civil rights. And it's especially problematic because it towers in front of the courthouse, they say. Its ludicrous that were still debating whether this statue should come down, said Tristen George, 21, who grew up in Clinton. +13 Protesters call for removal of Confederate statue in Port Allen: 'A defeated power and a traitor' Dozens of protesters marched near a busy Port Allen thoroughfare Sunday, waving signs and chanting "Take Henry down!" as they called for the r Supporters of keeping the statue in place have argued the monument serves as a memorial site for families whose ancestors who died during the Civil War. Others expressed concerns removing it would also strip a part of the parishs history. Its a memorial to those who died [doing] something they believed in and ended up with no resting spot," said Bill Ford, of Jackson. Parish leaders previously paused on taking any action on the proposal while they searched for a bigger venue to accommodate public turnout and maintain social distancing. Others have suggested putting the proposal to a vote, but Police Juror Louis Kent said elected officials should have the final say. The parish's homeland security director, Jody Moreau, had added the issue to the Police Jury's agenda two weeks ago, citing worries the statue may be targeted and toppled like in other cities across the country. 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 +11 East Feliciana split on Confederate statue at courthouse; parish officials delay action Nearly 200 protesters marched through the streets of Clinton on Monday, chanting "Black Lives Matter" and ending their demonstration at the fo Mirroring a nationwide trend, discussions to remove the statue come as other cities and towns in Louisiana grapple with similar questions about statues, streets and other public landmarks with attachments to slavery and colonialism. Officials in Iberville Parish recently voted to remove a similar statue in Plaquemine. East Baton Rouge Parishs mayor-president plans to create a committee to review streets and other landmarks with ties to slavery. Concerns about the statue in Clinton have arisen in the past, including a similar, and unsuccessful, attempt to remove the statue in 2016. A few years later, lawyers representing Ronnie Anderson, a Black man charged with a gun offense, argued the statue is a "symbol of racial intolerance" while calling for his criminal case to be moved to another parish. That change-of-venue request was denied, and the 1st Circuit Court of Appeal in Baton Rouge upheld the lower court's decision in a 2-1 vote that split along racial lines among the panel's two White and one Black judges. The state Supreme Court declined to hear the case last year. Niles Haymer, who represented Anderson and spoke Tuesday evening, told police jurors the structure would be better placed in a museum or at the Confederate cemetery a few miles down the road in Clinton. It is a day of reckoning in America because we never dealt with the issue behind the monuments themselves, he said. Nobody can show me a monument to abolishing slavery in the Town of Clinton." The police jury will vote on the proposal at its next meeting on July 6. As Louisiana continues to experience worsening coronavirus trends, state and federal officials are ramping up testing sites and will start to crack down on businesses not following the rules, an effort to avoid reaching a point where Gov. John Bel Edwards said he will impose more restrictions to keep hospitals from being overwhelmed. The state on Wednesday reported its largest number of new cases, 2,083, since April 4, when the state was still grappling with rapidly-rising cases and hospitalizations that prompted Edwards to institute a stay-at-home order in late March. Testing has ramped up considerably since then, and the state nearly doubled its 200,000-a-month goal for tests administered in June, with about 385,000. Some of the cases reported Wednesday may have been from mid-June, because of a delay in reporting from one lab. Face masks will be required in East Baton Rouge businesses starting Friday Face coverings will now be required in East Baton Rouge Parish businesses, Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome announced Wednesday. Still, the number of cases has outpaced the number of tests being administered, and cases have risen sharply in recent weeks. And hospitalizations a key factor that Edwards administration looks at when deciding whether to impose or loosen restrictions have risen from a low point of 542 on June 13 to 799. That puts the state back where it was on May 27 with hospitalizations. This disease is coming back and its coming back with a vengeance, said state Health Officer Jimmy Guidry. We better start getting serious. The most recent spike in cases came as East Baton Rouge joined Jefferson and Orleans parishes in mandating people wear masks, an effort to slow the spread of a highly-contagious virus that spreads largely person-to-person through respiratory droplets. +2 As coronavirus spreads and Phase 2 continues, GOP lawmakers threaten to revoke emergency With cases and hospitalizations rising in Louisiana and its neighboring states, Gov. John Bel Edwards on Thursday signed an order that keeps t Federal, state and local officials, along with public health experts, have urged people to wear masks or face coverings to limit the spread of particles from the person wearing the mask. In Phase 1 of Louisianas reopening, which ran from May 15 to June 5, the share of tests that resulted in positive cases was under 5%. But that figure has risen steadily, and sat at 7.4% over the past seven days, according to Louisiana Department of Health data. Federal officials say states should remain at least under 10% positive rates. The surge is happening unevenly across the state. For instance, on Wednesday, Acadiana reported 12% of its total tests came back positive, and greater Baton Rouge had a 10% rate. The New Orleans region had a 5.6% rate. Those rising rates of positive cases have garnered the attention of the White House, Edwards said at a Wednesday press conference. The governor said he had a long conversation on Tuesday with Dr. Deborah Birx, the White House coronavirus response coordinator, who expressed concern about new cases outpacing increased testing, especially in Baton Rouge. The rising caseload prompted federal and state officials to erect a testing site that will add 5,000 tests a day in capacity in Baton Rouge. Mayor Sharon Weston Broome said the sites will be located at Cortana Mall, LSU, Southern University and the Greater Baton Rouge Fairgrounds. Edwards added the state will be bringing mobile testing sites to several areas. Vaccine news in your inbox Once a week we'll update you on the progress of COVID-19 vaccinations. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up A host of other states have seen similarly worrying spikes in cases. Texas shuttered bars and Florida banned alcohol consumption at them. Arizona closed bars, gyms, movie theaters and other businesses. Edwards said Wednesday he was not announcing additional restrictions yet. First, he hopes to get more compliance from people and businesses with the existing restrictions, and he pinned the increases in cases not on the phased reopening, but with people ignoring guidelines like wearing masks, social distancing and washing hands. +6 How the Louisiana legislature finished the session's final day: $35B budget, tax breaks, more Louisiana lawmakers Tuesday passed the states $35 billion budget that seeks to halt pay raises for state employees along with a flurry of oth On the other hand, the governor insisted, Were not going to threaten our ability to deliver health care. If at some point if we dont get off this trajectory, were on were going to have to impose more restrictions. He said the state will start cracking down on businesses who arent following the rules, performing more courtesy checks of restaurants, bars and other businesses to make sure theyre complying with his executive order. The governor issued his most recent order last Thursday, when he paused the reopening and kept the state in Phase 2 until at least July 24. The governor added he is not aware of any bars or restaurants having their liquor licenses pulled for not complying, which Texas has done to some bars. Louisiana COVID numbers: Data on cases, deaths, hospitalizations, vaccines Editor's Note: Due to changes in the importance of various metrics used to track the pandemic, The Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate r We are going to increase enforcement, Edwards said. Because we dont want to go back to reduced occupancy if we can avoid it. We dont want to go back to closing down businesses and so forth if we can avoid it. Acadiana continued to see worrying trends, as the virus put more people in the hospital as of Wednesday than at any point on record. One hundred twenty six COVID-19 patients were hospitalized in the seven parishes designated as Region 4, which is one more than those recorded on April 10. Dr. Dawn Marcelle, the regional medical director for the Capital region, said the area is seeing a noticeable and significant sharp increase in cases. She said it is still possible that the virus could overwhelm health care facilities if it keeps spreading at its current rate. Coronavirus in Louisiana: State sees highest increase in nearly 3 months with 2,000+ more cases The Louisiana Dept. of Health reported 2,083 more coronavirus cases, 17 more deaths and 18 more hospitalizations in its daily noon update Wednesday. Young people have comprised an outsized share of the rising caseload of late. While people in the 18-29 age group that have seen a surge in cases often dont experience some of the more dire symptoms as older people or those with underlying health conditions, officials have warned they can easily spread the virus to those who are more at risk. Young people with COVID are contagious, Edwards said. We need them to be mindful of their own health but also we need them to be good neighbors. Staff writers Ben Myers, Bryn Stole and Emma Discher contributed to this story. Several Alabama college students who knew they had contracted the coronavirus went out to parties anyway, according to a report from a Birmingham TV station. What started as a rumor floating around Tuscaloosa ended up being confirmed by local doctors and Alabama health officials, Tuscaloosa Fire Chief Randy Smith said during a pre-council meeting Tuesday afternoon. +8 Louisiana young adults are catching coronavirus at higher rates. Experts say 'think of other people' Drink specials, dance floors and summer celebrations and their allure for 20-somethings who have been cooped up inside for months may have Smith told members on the City Council that these students had attended multiple parties in Tuscaloosa for weeks. The news of young COVID-19 cases came before city officials would begin discussing the possibility of a citywide mask ordinance. Officials did not name these students, and it isn't immediately clear if they attend the University of Alabama or another college in Tuscaloosa. Vaccine news in your inbox Once a week we'll update you on the progress of COVID-19 vaccinations. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up Much like the rest of the country, both Alabama and Louisiana are seeing upticks in coronavirus cases linked back to young adults. Louisiana officials reported last week that 18% of the state's cases came from people between the ages of 18 and 29 -- the highest percentage of any age group. The health department also traced a coronavirus cluster of at least 100 patrons and staff back to multiple Tigerland bars nearly two weeks ago. It spurred multiple bars and restaurants in the area to temporarily close again, and officials urged those who went to one of these businesses to self-quarantine for at least two weeks. Gov. John Bel Edwards may have held a briefing to wrap up the Louisiana Legislature's final day of special session, but the press had just as many coronavirus questions ready on case increases and the likelihood of mask mandates. When asked if the recent surge in coronavirus cases would result in requiring state residents to wear masks in public spaces, Edwards said though mask-wearing compliance is not where it should be, he doesn't think a mandate would improve it. "I am not sure that a statewide mandate would produce the level of compliance that we need," Edwards said. "There would be issues related to the enforcement of such a mandate, but I do encourage everybody to (wear a mask)." +2 Rising rate of coronavirus cases raises concerns in Baton Rouge; some say more data needed In the drive to reopen Louisiana, the state and an array of medical providers have been on a push over past several weeks to increase testing Edwards noted that state officials are keeping an eye on rising case and hospitalization numbers as it relates to mask policies and could recommend face-covering mandates to more local governments in Louisiana if necessary, similar to what Jefferson Parish passed. Early on in the pandemic, Louisiana officials followed the Centers for Disease Control's suit in urging residents to wear masks when in public and social distancing cannot happen. The only people required to wear masks in Louisiana are public-facing workers, such as first responders and service industry staff. Vaccine news in your inbox Once a week we'll update you on the progress of COVID-19 vaccinations. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up As COVID-19 cases increase across the U.S., some states have since mandated masks to be worn by all citizens. Edwards began Tuesday's question-and-answer portion of the briefing by announcing he would hold a full coronavirus press conference at 2:30 p.m. Wednesday. Follow the Advocate's coronavirus news conference coverage below. Can't see live updates? Click here. Linda Kinchen raised three sons in Baton Rouge, teaching them to treat people with kindness, stick together and protect each other. Now she has just one left. Her middle son died after a 2017 motorcycle accident on North Street. Then his older brother was killed Saturday night in a shootout on Gus Young Avenue, right around the corner from his home. "I've got two holes inside my heart. Both of them were a part of me," she said. "Nobody knows what a parent goes through losing a child." Jerome Kinchen, 34, was pronounced dead on the scene about 8 p.m. Saturday, according to Baton Rouge police. The man suspected of shooting him, Armon Wilson, was also injured in gunfire and was hospitalized until his arrest Wednesday, which police announced that evening. His arrest was based in part on video surveillance footage of the shooting, police said. Wilson, 22, has been booked into jail. The victim's body remained in the parking lot of Ragusa Meat Market for hours Saturday night while officers launched their investigation. A coroner's van eventually arrived and carried him away, relatives said. That neighborhood and specifically the store parking lot at the corner of Gus Young and North 48th Street have been plagued with gun violence in recent years. Some residents have compared it to a war zone, saying decades of poverty and disinvestment have taken their toll. +5 Three dead after 'quadruple shooting' on Gus Young Avenue in Baton Rouge: 'They're casualties of war' Three people were killed and another injured in a quadruple shooting late Wednesday on Gus Young Avenue in Baton Rouge a shocking display of Three people were killed and another injured outside the same store after a quadruple shooting there in November 2018, a case that remains unsolved. One of the victims in that case was Willie Kinchen, a cousin of Linda Kinchen who had grown up in the neighborhood and was working at the corner store when he was caught in the deluge of gunfire. The losses don't stop there. Another cousin, Lester Kinchen, was shot and killed in February. He also lived in the neighborhood off Gus Young that residents call Parktown. That case remains unsolved. "I feel like if a Black person gets killed in certain neighborhoods, the police don't care about you," Linda Kinchen said. "Everybody just stops talking about it after a while." She wants justice. She wants people to consider, just for a moment, what it's like to see your family decimated, one life at a time. She wants change because she knows she's not alone. Dozens of people have lost their lives in Baton Rouge gun violence so far in 2020, with a parishwide homicide rate now outpacing previous years, according to records maintained by The Advocate. Four people have been shot and killed this past week, including a double shooting Monday in Scotlandville. 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 Baton Rouge police are also solving more homicides in recent months, with a clearance rate that's above what the department has seen in the past. Jerome Kinchen left behind two children, a son who's 11 and daughter who turns 2 later this month. Relatives said he spent as much time as possible with his kids. After a nonviolent drug arrest in December 2018, he had pulled his life together and was working full time, making $18 an hour and helping support his children. His job was at a civil engineering firm in downtown Baton Rouge. He loved the work and felt optimistic about his future, proud of where he was headed, relatives said. Kahli Cohran, president of Civil Solutions Consulting Group, posted on the company's Facebook page after Jerome's death, expressing his deep sorrow at "having to lay another young Black man to rest far prior to fulfilling his dreams." "He always brought life and humor to the task at hand," Cohran wrote. "Your friends and coworkers were heartbroken to hear the news of your death, and we're trying to do our best to process the loss of such a huge spirit." That job had allowed Jerome to save up enough money to get his own place after months staying with relatives, his family said. "It was a big deal for him. He had just signed the lease," said his sister Crystal Kinchen. "He moved his living room set and dining table in there the day before he got killed. That is just so crazy." Police have released limited information about what led to the shooting, but the Kinchen family believes there was an argument over the house since a former tenant had recently been kicked out before Jerome moved in. "My son lost his life behind some bulls***," Linda Kinchen said. "Now his children are never gonna see their daddy again." She said her youngest son feels lost without his older brothers, who had been inseparable. Born almost exactly 12 months apart, they had almost the same name Jerome and Jermone and were well known in their neighborhood. Several people have posted on social media since Jerome was shot saying their only consolation is that the brothers are reunited in death. "I miss my sons," Linda Kinchen said in a recent interview, her voice wavering over the phone. "They're gone forever but they'll live on in me." Baton Rouge police said they've received some tips about the weekend shooting but are hoping even more people will come forward to shed light not only that case but other past homicides, including the deaths of Linda Kinchen's two cousins. Anyone with information about those incidents is asked to contact the BRPD Violent Crimes Unit at (225) 389-4869 or Crime Stoppers at (225) 344-7867. Wilson, 22, was booked into jail Wednesday on one count each of first-degree murder and illegal use of a weapon. A Baton Rouge man accused last spring in a bizarre security breach at the Louisiana Governor's Mansion has recently been arrested on an attempted murder count after authorities said he struck his cousin with a vehicle while the two were arguing. The latest incident occurred June 21 in the 1900 block of Chestnut Drive, which is the location of Reynard Green's listed address. Green and his cousin were driving in the cousin's vehicle when they started arguing and stopped in a parking lot, according to an arrest report prepared by Baton Rouge police and filed into the court record last week. +2 In Governor's Mansion security breach, man trespasses then falls asleep on couch, police say The Louisiana State Police on Monday revealed a security breach at the Governor's Mansion, saying they had arrested a man last week who trespa The victim got out of the vehicle and tried to run away, but Green ran him over and fled the scene, police wrote in the report. The victim was hospitalized in critical condition, police said. 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 Officers located Green two days later and arrested him. That's when he told them he was "drinking and angry" when the incident occurred, according to his arrest report. He was booked into jail on one count of attempted second-degree murder. Last spring, Green was arrested after authorities found him sleeping on a couch inside the Governor's Mansion. He was released on bond a few weeks later, court records show. State Police said then that they were "evaluating security procedures for potential areas of improvement." Green remains in jail on $100,000 bail in the attempted murder case, according to online court records. Also, he vetoed a measure (HB 1049) that he said would give 22 percent pay raises to judges of compensation claims, who hear workers compensation insurance cases. DeSantis said in a veto message that those raises would be in addition to 3 percent pay hikes that all state workers will receive in the coming year. Despite last-minute objections from state education leaders, the Louisiana Legislature narrowly approved a bill Tuesday that would ban most civil lawsuits against school districts and colleges over coronavirus claims. After a lengthy discussion the House approved a compromise version of the bill 54-40, one over the minimum required. Moments later, and just moments before the special session ended, the Senate endorsed the plan, sending the measure to Gov. John Bel Edwards. The key feature of the plan House Bill 59 is a ban on most civil lawsuits against public and private schools and colleges by students, teachers and other school employees who claim they contracted the virus because of lax school procedures. Freshman state Rep. Buddy Mincey Jr., R-Denham Springs, chief sponsor of the bill, said local leaders need liability protection to feel comfortable about reopening classrooms in August. Louisiana House votes to protect school systems, colleges from coronavirus lawsuits A bill that would shield public and private school systems from civil lawsuits if students or teachers contract the coronavirus won Louisiana Without some legal protection, Mincey told the House, the 2020-21 school year would consist of remote learning for many districts. But a change launched in the Senate sparked pushback, and behind-the-scenes arguments Tuesday, from leaders of the state Department of Education and the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education. A Senate amendment requires both BESE and college governing boards, including the LSU Board of Supervisors, to spell out minimum safety standards schools and colleges have to follow for the upcoming school year. In addition, those benchmarks have to be "informed" by guidelines spelled out by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a softening of earlier Senate language that the rules in Louisiana would have to "conform" to CDC standards. House Education Committee Chairman Ray Garofalo, R-Chalmette, said attorneys for the department, BESE and the LSU board said their panels would be subject to lawsuits if schools fail to carry out the policies, and that the state would need 500 new employees to enforce safety standards for returning students. Garofalo said a district that "totally innocently" fails to follow a BESE-mandated safety guidelines could make the policy-making board without enforcement powers subject to a lawsuit. 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 Bill that would ban civil lawsuits over coronavirus in Louisiana schools last day decision Legislation that would ban most civil lawsuits against school districts and colleges if students or teachers contract the coronavirus will be Mincey, a 13-year veteran of the Livingston Parish school board, told the House that the issue "caused a little bit of turmoil today." Asked by Garofalo if the bill would put BESE and other state boards at risk of litigation Mincey said, "I guess that would be up to esteemed lawyers like yourself. I guess the potential is there." Mincey said local educators are simply looking for state guidance in reopening schools, which he said BESE can provide in addition to recommendations released last week by the state Department of Education. Under the bill, civil lawsuits would only be allowed if plaintiffs could show that school districts displayed gross negligence during the health emergency. The bill requires the state board to settle on emergency rules by July 15, which may spark a special meeting of the 11-member panel. BESE President Sandy Holloway did not respond to a request for comment. A spokesman for the board said Tuesday officials had no comment on the legislation. The bill was requested by the Louisiana School Boards Association, which represents board members statewide. It breezed through the House before undergoing changes in the Senate. "I tell you this bill has been a journey," Mincey told the House. "I cannot even begin to tell you all the lessons I have experienced, the education I have gotten. And not all of them have been good." The UK's Competition and Markets Authority called for sweeping new powers to roll back the dominance of Google and Facebook in the online-advertising market, a move designed to push global regulators to be more aggressive against the tech giants. The watchdog said a new regime should have the ability to respond far more quickly to digital monopolies with powers to require structural changes including potentially forcing Alphabet's Google to split its ad server operations. Its existing powers are insufficient and an entirely new approach is needed, the CMA said. The proposals serve as a potential template for the US and the European Union to tackle the unassailable market power of the largest tech firms in digital-advertising markets. Credit:AP "What we have found is concerning - if the market power of these firms goes unchecked, people and businesses will lose out," the CMA's chief executive officer Andrea Coscelli said in a statement on Wednesday (UK time). The proposals serve as a potential template for the US and the European Union to tackle the unassailable market power of the largest tech firms in digital-advertising markets. In Britain, Google and Facebook account for 80 per cent of all spending on digital advertising, the CMA said. Groceries giant Woolworths has been slapped with a record fine after breaching spam laws more than 5 million times and ignoring repeated consumer requests to unsubscribe from its marketing mailing lists. The Australian Communications and Media Authority has found the supermarket giant unlawfully spammed more than 1.2 million customers between October 2018 and July 2019. An investigation found Woolworths' systems, processes and practices did not comply with spam rules. Credit:Patrick Scala Woolworths ignored consumers who tried repeatedly to stop the marketing emails hitting their inboxes and did nothing to improve its behaviour even after the watchdog flagged it had received customer complaints. "The spam rules have been in place for 17 years and Woolworths is a large and sophisticated organisation. The scale and prolonged nature of the non-compliance is inexcusable," ACMA chairman Nerida O'Loughlin said. The nascent restart of the US economy has begun to stall as a surge in new coronavirus cases dampens consumer and business activity across states like Florida, Texas and Arizona. After weeks of a pandemic-induced contraction, the economy had begun rebounding faster than many economists expected from mid-April into June as infection rates stabilised or fell across much of the country and the federal government injected trillions of dollars in the economy. States began to reopen, shoppers increased their spending and employers started to hire back furloughed workers. Hopes of a rapid economic rebound may have been dashed. Credit:Bloomberg But there were signs in late May and early June that the pace of recovery was beginning to slow, even before another wave of infections swept through states that had moved quickly to ease limits on public gatherings. In recent weeks, as that wave intensified, real-time economic data began to show the economy moving backward as rising infection fears spooked consumers. The national jobs report, scheduled to be released on Thursday (US time) by the Labor Department, is expected to obscure that reversal. Forecasters expect the report, drawn from data compiled in the middle of the month, to show the economy added about 3 million jobs in June. That would represent progress, but nowhere close to victory against the more than 20 million jobs shed at the trough of the recession. The late Sir Alfred Hitchcock once famously described actors as cattle, and such lack of regard for the work of those on-screen isn't confined to the great director. There's long been a dismissive adage about cast members needing to learn their lines, stand on their assigned marks and deliver dialogue when required. Reese Witherspoon plays Elena in the TV adaptation of Celeste Ng's book Little Fires Everywhere. Credit:Erin Simkin/Hulu Even though actors and actresses might be the marquee attractions of productions, their power behind the scenes has long been limited. They're not necessarily involved in the development of a project or the trajectory of a character. They can accept or decline the roles they're offered, but there's no guarantee that their views will be treated respectfully. They can easily be reduced to pawns in the process. So it's no wonder that a notable number of them are choosing to follow in the footsteps of those who have historically broken the mould (Lucille Ball, Mary Tyler Moore) and taken more active roles behind the scenes: generating projects, developing characters they want to play and having some say in decisions about the direction productions take. These actors want a voice in the room that can't be easily dismissed. Rather than being cogs in the machine, they're stoking and, in some cases, powering it. District 95 is the where I attended elementary school. District 95 is the community that raised me. My mission has always been to give back to the community that has given me so much, bringing back resources and expanding access to resources. I am running for re-election to continue to improve District 95 access. In the 2019 legislative budget, $1,050,000 in direct funds was appropriated for District 95, and in 2020, $1,225,000 in direct funds was appropriated for District 95. In 2020, District 95 requested $4 million from our state, and each city that requested assistance received a project in the states legislative budget. The number of people in Victoria who tested positive for COVID-19 recently but whose infection source cannot be traced to an existing case has increased by 20, the biggest single-day increase in community transmission since the start of the pandemic. In total there are 301 people in Victoria who have tested positive for coronavirus but for which the source of infection is unknown. This means they were not overseas travellers and did not have any contact with a known coronavirus case. What the above graph shows is the running total for community transmission each day, going all the way back to March 13, when the state recorded its first coronavirus infection with an unknown source. About 13 per cent of coronavirus infections statewide since the start of the outbreak are suspected to be due to community transmission but over the past fortnight a far higher percentage of people testing positive for COVID-19 in Victoria did not have a connection with a known case. Keep in mind this increase of 20 new community transmission cases does not mean 20 of the 73 new coronavirus cases confirmed today were a result of community transmission. It takes the health department several days to determine the source of infection, so this increase is most likely showing cases that were picked up in the recent testing blitz in Melbourne hotspots. You can also see from the graph that the running total has decreased on some days. That is because as more information comes to hand, sometimes the health department realises a case they thought did not have a source turns out to have a connection to an existing person who was infected so they no longer count as a case of community transmission. It is time for NSW to close its border with Victoria and stop all plane and car travel between the two states (except by those living in Albury-Wodonga). Not "wait and see". Not "closely monitor developments". But shut the border now before more school holiday travel does irreversible damage to NSWs chance of eliminating COVID-19 within the community. In March, NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian faced what seems like a similar question. But the circumstances were in fact markedly different. Barriers installed to enforce the border closure between Queensland and New South Wales. Credit:AAP At the time, NSW and Victoria both had active and fast-growing COVID-19 outbreaks, and the challenge was to encourage a strong and effective national response. Together, Berejiklian and her Victorian counterpart, Daniel Andrews, helped achieve just that: they worked together, across party and state lines, to encourage federal and state governments to do more, and faster, to combat the emerging public-health challenge. In Union Road, Ascot Vale, despondent cafe owners on the south side of the street served their last dine-in meals for the month on Wednesday, knowing counterparts 100 metres up the same road will continue trading as normal in the virus-free haven of Moonee Ponds. The second lockdown's dampening effect on high street traders was visible the day before the rules kicked in. In Union Road, cafes reported quiet days and foot traffic was down. A kilometre away in Pratt Street, Moonee Ponds, cafes were brimming at mid-afternoon. Maria Latrou, owner of Espresso 155 cafe, hopes people in Ascot Vale will continue to support local businesses. Credit:Joe Armao To the west at Highpoint Shopping Centre, in locked down Maribyrnong, many shops had closed a day early and the food court was sparsely populated. "Absolutely dead," said a saleswoman at a high-end shoe store. Victorian tourism operators that have experienced cancellations from people living in virus hotspots subject to stay-at-home orders will be reimbursed by the state government. The payments would be made on the condition businesses provided full refunds to those forced to cancel, meaning they will not be left out of pocket because of the sudden imposition of strict public health measures. Caravan parks were forced to close during the first peak of the coronavirus pandemic in March. Credit:Rachel Mounsey About $5 million will be distributed to motels, caravan parks and short-term rentals such as Airbnb properties that demonstrate they received cancellations for bookings scheduled for the month of July from people living in Melbourne's 10 lockdown postcodes. The cash payments will be capped at $225 per cancelled nightly booking. In anticipation of growing liquidity challenges, the Federal Reserve announced a new program that will lend up to $500 billion to state governments and large cities and counties. The Florida Legislature must be prepared to avail themselves to the federal government where we have the opportunity. We also must be wary of expensive investing in infrastructure such as the planned expressway through rural Florida. On May 17, Gov. DeSantis signed a bill authorizing three new toll expressways to slice through rural Florida. This could cost more than $10 billion and no one has proven the need. Bendigo pub owners are planning to urge the Victorian government to relax coronavirus restrictions for battling venues in regional areas where there are close to zero COVID-19 cases. The publicans, believed to be the first group from one region to take its concerns to the government, argue that their capacity limit should increase from 20 to 50 because restaurants and pubs have not proven to be sites of transmission of coronavirus since Victoria reduced restrictions at the start of June. Bendigo publicans led by Ray Sharawara (second from right) want regulations to be eased. Credit:Joe Armao They also want the new rule of one person per two square metres, which was announced by Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Friday and doubles the capacity of smaller spaces, to be applied. The request to ease restrictions in a town that has seen few cases of COVID-19 comes as the Andrews government tightens restrictions in 10 Melbourne postcodes experiencing a rise in cases. A question of timing With so few flights leaving the tarmac at Tullamarine because of coronavirus restrictions, some may question whether a multibillion-dollar airport rail link stacks up. Total travellers at the airport were 97 per cent fewer in April compared with 2019, prompting S&P Global Ratings to downgrade the airports credit rating, citing reduced cash flows and increased debt. Loading Replay Replay video Play video Play video Travel numbers are not expected to return to pre-COVID-19 levels until 2024 but Melbourne Airports landside access chief Lorie Argus says the rail link is still needed. Weve seen global shocks to the industry before, Argus says. We want to build capacity ahead of the demand. Fifty years of waiting for a rail link to the airport have locked taxpayers into a far more expensive project than would have been possible decades ago. A swag of Victorian premiers have investigated getting it built: Sir Henry Bolte in the '60s, John Cain jnr in the '80s, Joan Kirner and Jeff Kennett in the '90s and Steve Bracks, Ted Baillieu and Denis Napthine over the past two decades. They commissioned numerous taxpayer-funded feasibility studies on the project, but to no avail. In the '90s, the project involved extending the Broadmeadows line by five kilometres to the airport. That's no longer feasible because of development in the west and reduced rail capacity. "We talk about spending $5 billion now, that's 10 times what was being discussed 30 years ago," Public Transport Users Association spokesman Tony Morton says. Politicians say airport rail has long been popular among voters. So why the delay? The long take-off Kennett, a long-time proponent of airport rail, says the reason for the project's delay is simple. "Other pieces of infrastructure had higher priority and were simpler to deliver," the former Liberal premier says. "Its a lot of money for a fairly short piece of infrastructure." Initial 1963 drawings of a proposed underground train station at Melbourne Airport's international terminal. Credit:CAHS/Airservices/CASA Victoria has explored the likes of a French-built monorail and Dutch-inspired fast tram but time and demand hasnt justified the expenditure, especially in the face of a high-performing SkyBus service. Bracks won the 1999 election promising airport rail as Sydney and Brisbane were setting out to build their own. He envisioned a public-private partnership model, as did fellow Labor premier Kirner. "Internationally, most places had this and it was a gap we could easily fill," Bracks says. "There were certainly vested interests lobbying against our proposal" he says, referring to the taxi industry and the airport's operators who were seeking to protect substantial car parking revenue. Almost empty parking bays at Tullamarine Airport during the coronavirus lockdown. Credit:Getty Images More pressing though, Bracks says, was a clause that Kennett locked into the CityLink contract blocking a public transport link. But ultimately, it was the collapse of Australian airline Ansett reducing the high number of airport workers set to use the link that put the project "on hold". "Ansett was key," Bracks says. "I was very disappointed it couldnt go ahead." Virgin rose to become a major airline that was competitive with Qantas after Ansett's demise. Lyndsay Neilson, a former state infrastructure department secretary who oversaw a study into the project under Bracks, recommended a boost to SkyBus over rail. "Suburban rail has in itself fallen so far behind that investing in airport rail was considered a luxury,"he says. But bureaucrats underestimated the airports growth: "Nobody anticipated the extent to which China would open up as a source of international tourism," Neilson says. Follow the leader Prime minister Malcolm Turnbull beamed as he announced on a windy morning at Tullamarine in 2018 that he would build airport rail. He promised $5 billion beating Premier Daniel Andrews to the punch. Turnbull was a technocrat known to get hooked on the finer details of infrastructure. His announcement was paving the way for the type of big, city-shaping construction projects he hoped would become his legacy. Loading Replay Replay video Play video Play video It caught Andrews off guard, forcing the state to match the funding promise. Andrews had iced Denis Napthines airport rail plans in 2014 to pursue level crossing removals and the Metro Tunnel. "Services that people use every single day are my priority," Andrews said at the time. But towards the end of his first term, he put airport rail back in the spotlight, promising it would be built within a decade. "The Commonwealth was pushing hard to get airport rail on the agenda," said Mike Mrdak, who was secretary of the federal infrastructure department at the time. In 2019, Andrews outlined his vision for airport rail. It would probably involve a tunnel from the city and Sunshine and not stop at suburban stations. The project would be a boon for the regions, including Geelong and Ballarat, he said. As if on cue, an IFM Investors-led private consortium proposed to build a $7 billion tunnel, allowing 20-minute journeys running 24/7, that would service regional fast rail. It seemed like a done deal but the state went cool on the proposal, preferring a cheaper, above-ground route that put it at loggerheads with the federal government. Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Premier Daniel Andrews speaking to media about the airport rail link at Sunshine station in April, 2019. Credit:Stefan Postles Canberra wanted to keep costs down while building an express, high-speed service that was competitive with SkyBus. Torn between Victoria and behind-the-scenes lobbying by IFM and regional Coalition MPs, including Victorian senator Sarah Henderson, Education Minister Dan Tehan and, more recently, Nationals MP Damian Drum, Prime Minister Scott Morrison decided he would not go to war with Victoria on airport rail. The airport rail link is important to Coalition MPs keen to score points on infrastructure. They want a tunnel to secure fast trains to their regional seats, with Henderson calling for "high speed dual track rail tunnel" to deliver 32-minute services to Geelong. Drum says the north-east rail line, which run through his seat of Nicholls, is the state's "worst performing" and that he wants faster services to Bendigo, Shepparton and AlburyWodonga. Fifty years after the airport opened there could be an alternative way of getting there. But Morrison is determined to build infrastructure with Andrews, sensing it is a winning formula with voters. If federally-funded projects build car parks at train stations in Victorian Liberal seats are to go ahead, the Victorian Premier has the keys. Party Matters Arun Chandu, who has written a PhD on the airport, says a rail link has traditionally been pushed by the Liberal Party. "Andrews is the first Labor person to start talking about a railway line seriously," Chandu says. Kennett rejects this idea, saying support for the project isnt a "Liberal or Labor thing". Former premier, Ted Baillieu. Credit: Chris Hopkins But Kosmos Samaras, a key Labor election strategist from 2006-2020, disagrees. "Its always been the Liberals flagship because the business community has generally always asked for it." The economic argument for an airport rail link falls flat without providing additional stops to stimulate the western suburbs, says Samaras. The question of whether the train runs express to the airport can be viewed through the prism of traditional Labor values. Loading In 1965, Labor joined the Country Party to stop Boltes express airport route in favour of a suburban service stopping at Keilor East, Avondale Heights and Airport West. Former Labor member for Broadmeadows John Wilton accused Bolte of building a "glamour project" for a "selected few who travel by air". Treasurer Tim Pallas has signalled airport trains may stop at suburban stations to boost sluggish patronage, despite Andrews previously ruling this out. This option would also use existing tracks between the city and Sunshine, which risks clogging any spare capacity for extra trains to the west. A suburban service is at odds with what is being proposed by the IFM-led consortium made up of Melbourne Airport, Metro Trains Australia and Southern Cross Station. IFM is fiercely pursuing an investment trifecta: a rail link connecting its two assets, the airport and Southern Cross Station. The consortium insists they want a low return on revenue, that tunnel access charges will be modest and they will absorb the construction risk. To Kennett, turning down IFMs $7 billion is reckless. As licensees of the airports, the superannuation funds "should be investing in the provisions of the infrastructure," he says. "And who better to own it than hundreds of thousands of Australians." But RMIT professor of urban policy Jago Dodson cautions against allowing the private sector to run airport rail. "Private companies dont get into building infrastructure for virtuous public purposes, they build it because they see a profit," he says. The airport link should be part of the suburban service accessible with a myki, with the cost on par with a regular zone 2 service and not be "fragmented out into separate rail systems," Dodson says. Pets are stuck in transit with fears for their safety after a decision to divert international flights from Melbourne also cut access to Australia's only quarantine facility for cats and dogs. The first international flights were redirected and some cancelled entirely on Wednesday as the Victorian government scrambled to contain coronavirus cases originating in quarantine hotels. Ellen Tyrrell and her dog, Hilde, who is stuck in Doha due to COVID-19. Credit:Andrew Speers But the move has left a number of pets stranded overseas, with the Department of Agriculture preventing animals being loaded onto Australia-bound flights until further notice. Seven-year-old schnoodle Hilde was already in the air from London when the decision was made and has been stuck in Doha, Qatar, since Tuesday night, unable to be put aboard her connecting flight to Melbourne. Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size Australias most expensive and longest-running murder investigation haunted Perth detectives for two decades before police claimed to have finally caught the Claremont serial killer but in the end it was science rather than shoe leather that clinched the arrest. Seasoned detectives like Paul Ferguson and David Caporn were among the first to give up years of their lives, as Ferguson once put it, trying to solve the case, fronting the media repeatedly after the disappearances of Sarah Spiers, Jane Rimmer and Ciara Glennon - all three women taken in the space of 15 months in the mid-90s after last being seen leaving a bar alone. Former Macro Taskforce bosses David Caporn and Paul Ferguson. Credit:9 News Perth / ABC News In the end, the former heads of the Macro Taskforce were never called to give evidence at the trial of accused man Bradley Edwards, who did not appear on the police radar until 2016. Like many historical cases, his arrest came after several major breakthroughs in a lab. Early leads through more traditional detective work led police to twice ask Telstra for a list of its Perth employees who drove vans or Toyota Camrys, once in 1996 and again in 1998. Despite meeting the criteria, Mr Edwards name was omitted in error. Advertisement It meant detectives never checked his criminal history. If they had, they would have seen his 1990 conviction for a sexually motivated attack on a social worker at a Perth hospital, carried out while he was upgrading the buildings phone lines. Initial investigations instead focused on public servant Lance Williams. He was followed by police and hounded by the media for years. In 2009, he was suddenly told he was no longer a person of interest. Victims. Ciara Glennon, Sarah Spiers and Jane Rimmer. More than a decade later, it would be revealed at Mr Edwards triple murder trial in the Supreme Court of Western Australia that 2009 was the year forensic scientists recovered an unknown males DNA profile from underneath Ms Glennons fingernails. The discovery completely changed the direction of the investigation, with the DNA profile linked to an unsolved abduction and rape at Karrakatta cemetery from 1995, the year before the murders began. Advertisement Detectives had long suspected the crimes were connected. They had the alleged killers DNA, but didnt know who he was. Five years later, in 2014, microscopic blue polyester fibres recovered from the rape victims shorts were linked to fibres found on Ms Rimmers and Ms Glennons bodies by scientists at WAs ChemCentre who were building the worlds largest fibre database in an attempt to provide Macro investigators with a new lead. Around the same time, they also linked two of the murders to fibres from a Holden Commodore VS station wagon the same vehicle type Mr Edwards drove at the time. The fibre discoveries meant detectives suspected the Claremont serial killer had clothing associated with a rare blue polyester fibre and used a Holden Commodore to abduct his last two victims. But again, the trail went cold. Bradley Edwards. Advertisement The 51-year-old Telstra technician was arrested in December 2016 after an evidence box from a 1988 Huntingdale sex assault was sent to the Pathwest lab as part of a routine cold case review testing historical items for DNA. The DNA recovered from a semen-stained kimono left at the scene matched the mystery Claremont profile. The Huntingdale case was reopened and solved within weeks. While eventually admitting to the sex attack and rape, Mr Edwards denies the murders. Loading Following his arrest, a call went out for veteran Telstra employees to hand in their old uniforms. Fibres from trousers custom-made for the telco in the early 90s allegedly matched the mystery blue polyester fibres found at the crime scenes. During Mr Edwards trial, which wrapped up on Thursday last week, defence lawyer Paul Yovich attempted to cast doubt on the integrity of the states forensic evidence, claiming Mr Edwards DNA contaminated the canister containing Ms Glennons fingernails while in the PathWest lab. Advertisement He also argued the car and Telstra trouser fibres could have come from other sources, got onto the womens bodies before their abductions, or contaminated their crime scenes or post-mortems. For both scenarios, however, he was unable to provide a theory of how or when the contaminations most likely occurred, conceding the evidence pointed to no smoking gun moment. A blue polyester fibre found in Jane Rimmer's hair compared to another found in Ciara Glennon's hair. Prosecutors said Mr Edwards was more likely to be the killer as he had a history of attacking strangers for his own sexual gratification. They also alleged he drove around the western suburbs in the mid-90s, offering women lifts late at night. A number of women gave evidence at his trial of an interaction involving a Telstra driver, but Mr Yovich said the driver was not Mr Edwards. On the nights Ms Spiers, Ms Rimmer and Ms Glennon went missing, state prosecutor Carmel Barbagallo claimed Mr Edwards, then aged in his late 20s, either offered the women a lift, or they mistook his white station wagon for a taxi. With no eyewitnesses, Ms Barbagallo also didnt rule out the less likely scenario he could have snatched the women off the street, as he did his Karrakatta rape victim. Advertisement WA Police on Thursday admitted it was a mistake not to oppose bail for notorious bikie Troy Mercanti after he was allowed to fly interstate for a gang funeral last month. The former Coffin Cheater returned to Perth on Monday and is in two-week quarantine after being granted permission in the Perth Magistrate's Court on June 15 to travel to NSW. "As a result of the application, the Chief Magistrate substituted bail for a surety," a WA Police spokesperson said on Thursday. "WA Police Force accepts it should have opposed the request." The family of an Indigenous woman shot dead by a WA Police officer are demanding compensation from the state government for her young son, who they say now faces an uncertain future. Joyce Clarkes seven-year-old boy has been in the care of her adoptive mother Anne Jones since she was fatally shot by a first class constable on a Geraldton street in September last year, after police were called to reports of a woman acting erratically. Yamatji woman, Joyce Clarke. This photo has been published with the permission of Ms Clarke's family. Ms Jones, a senior Yamatji woman who has fostered more than 50 Indigenous children since 1980, said the boys education and wellbeing was her priority and believed the state government had a duty of care to financially support Ms Clarkes bereaved son. Ms Clarke herself came into Ms Jones care when she was five months old and was a ward of the state until she was 18 years old. Ms Clarke continued to live with her adoptive mother and her son until her death at 29. Australia has for the first time publicly voiced its concerns about Israel's potential annexation of land in the West Bank under the provisions of the Trump administration's peace plan. Foreign Affairs Minister Marise Payne on Wednesday night issued a statement amid growing pressure on the federal government to join like-minded countries including Britain, Germany, France and Italy in condemning any move. The Morrison government had hoped to continue to quietly lobby the Israelis behind the scenes and resisted demands from Labor, the United Nations and international aid groups to speak out. Palestinian farmers near the West Bank city of Jericho. Credit:AP Israel appears set to delay any plans to annex up to 30 per cent of the West Bank, covering Israeli settlements, by July 1, which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had negotiated in his government coalition deal with rival Benny Gantz. If you were fortunate enough never to discover how it felt to be shunned by the cool crowd in the school playground, you need only be a Victorian to experience it now. No one wants to sit with Victoria. Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews. Credit:Eddie Jim Worse, those hapless enough to live in Melbourne's 10 hotspot postcodes are learning what it feels like when no one will go anywhere near a bench they might have sat upon, let alone have anyone share their play lunch. Memory, in this time of plague, plays tricks with time. Yes, I do. I believe that the issue of abortion is a very complex one that many people view from a religious perspective. However, separation of church and state must be kept in effect in order to properly consider this issue. Even so, many people are concerned as to what exactly constitutes a living being. In the end however, the issue of abortion is predominantly a womens issue that mostly only affects women. So, I must say that a woman should be the only one who decides what happens to her own body. Families and Social Services Minister Anne Ruston has threatened sanctions against five organisations that have left dozens of survivors of childhood sexual abuse without a clear path to justice by failing to join the national redress scheme. Boys Brigade New South Wales, the Lakes Entrance Pony Club, the Jehovah's Witnesses, Kenja Communications and Fairbridge Restored Limited have not submitted notices of intention to join the scheme despite having claims against them. Anne Ruston has named organisations that have failed to commit to joining the national redress scheme. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen Senator Ruston, who had given hundreds of charities and organisations with a history of working with children until June 30 to signal their commitment to the scheme, said each of the groups would be banned from receiving government funding and may be hit with taxation penalties. She called out six organisations on Wednesday morning, including the Australian Air League, which later that day submitted its intention to join the scheme. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson toughened his rhetoric on China's telecommunications giant Huawei, cautioning Beijing that he would protect critical infrastructure from "hostile state vendors" as he expressed deep concern over new security laws for Hong Kong. Johnson, who in January allowed Huawei a limited role in Britain's 5G network, has faced intense pressure from the United States and Australia to ban the company on security grounds. Boris Johnson is toughening his rhetoric on telecommunications giant Huawei after China introduced new laws for Hong Kong. Credit:Getty But the COVID-19 crisis and a row with China over a crackdown in the former British colony of Hong Kong has damaged relations between Beijing and London just as Johnson prepares to revisit his decision on Huawei Technologies. Asked if the security law would influence Britain's decision on whether or not to restrict Huawei, Johnson said: "I'm not going to get drawn into Sinophobia because I'm not a Sinophobe." Jerusalem: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has signalled he will delay annexing parts of the West Bank as the country grapples with rising coronavirus infections and reports of hesitation in Washington about the plan. Netanyahu had previously named July 1 as the date when Israel would begin building settlements in the West Bank under Israeli sovereignty. An Israeli soldier stands guard at the Tapuach junction next to the West Bank city of Nablus on Tuesday. Credit:AP But according to Israeli state broadcaster Kan, the Prime Minister hinted to his fellow Likud MPs that annexation would be delayed. "I have a positive and topical line of communication with the Americans and when I have something to report, I'll report [it]," Netanyahu told Israeli legislators, according to Kan. Advertisements for more than 400 brands including Coca-Cola and Starbucks vanished from Facebook overnight, after the failure of last-ditch talks to stop a boycott over hate speech on the site. United States civil rights groups have enlisted the multinationals to help pressure the social media giant into taking concrete steps to block hate speech in the wake of the death of George Floyd and amid a national reckoning over racism. Big business says Zuckerberg needs to do more to police hate speech. Credit:AP Facebook executives including Carolyn Everson, vice president of global business solutions, and Neil Potts, public policy director, held at least two meetings with advertisers on Tuesday, the eve of the planned one-month boycott, three sources who participated in the calls told Reuters. But the executives offered no new details on how they would tackle hate speech, the sources said. Instead, they pointed back to recent press releases, frustrating advertisers on the calls who believe those plans do not go far enough. Outbreaks in Florida, Arizona, Texas and California have already forced those states to backtrack and take such measures as shutting down bars and beaches and curbing restaurant capacity. Indoor activities at restaurants, movie theatres and other facilities will be banned in most of California for at least three weeks as COVID-19 infections surge, Governor Gavin Newsom said on Wednesday. All bars and brew pubs, whether indoor or out, must also close in 19 counties where 70 per cent of the population live, Newsom said. Virginia Governor Ralph Northam has reversed plans to reopen indoor areas of bars and restaurants, saying: "I am watching what is happening in other states." Delaware, where daily cases are down to about 100 a day, also shut down newly reopened bars in beach communities and put off its "phase three" of reopening indefinitely. Pfizer reports encouraging early vaccine data The first of four experimental COVID-19 vaccines being tested by Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech showed encouraging results in very early testing of 45 people, the companies said on Wednesday. Loading Study volunteers given either a low or medium dose, in two shots about a month apart, had immune responses in the range expected to be protective, when compared to some COVID-19 survivors, according to the preliminary results. Side effects were typical for vaccines, mostly pain at the injection site and fever. The report has been submitted for publication in a scientific journal but not yet reviewed. With its other potential candidates still in the earliest stage of testing, Pfizer aims to open a large-scale study in the next few months but can't yet say which shot is best to include. UK government accused of data bungles Opponents have accused the British government of putting lives at risk by failing to share information about local coronavirus outbreaks with affected areas. The government has reimposed a lockdown on the central England city of Leicester after a spike in cases. Several other communities are striving to contain local outbreaks and avoid having to bring back similar restrictions just as much of the country begins to open up. Leicester, a city of 300,000, has been forced to shut schools, close non-essential shops and bar all but essential travel, days before the rest of England takes further steps out of lockdown with the reopening of restaurants, pubs and hairdressers on Saturday. Loading Officials in Leicester, 160 kilometres north of London, say they weren't given detailed data on the scale and location of local COVID-19 clusters for almost two weeks after the rise in cases was identified, leaving them scrambling to stem the spread of the virus. Keir Starmer, the leader of the opposition Labour Party, said the government had publicly mentioned an outbreak in Leicester on June 18 but didn't give local authorities full data for another week, and didn't impose a lockdown until 11 days later. "There was a lost week while the virus was spreading," Starmer said in the House of Commons. He demanded a "cast-iron guarantee" that no other authority would be put in the same position. World takes stock of remdesivir after US snaps up supplies Some governments in Europe and Asia said on Wednesday they have enough of Gilead's COVID-19 anti-viral remdesivir for now despite fears of shortages since the US drugmaker pledged most output to its home market for the next three months. The pharmaceutical company's move stirred the global debate about equitable access to drugs and brought concerns about accessibility, especially in regions where coronavirus rates are still high or there have been new outbreaks. Loading Remdesivir is in high demand after the intravenously-administered medicine helped shorten hospital recovery times in a clinical trial. It is believed to be most effective in treating COVID-19 patients earlier in the course of disease than other therapies like the steroid dexamethasone. Still, because remdesivir is given intravenously over at least a five-day period it is generally being used on patients sick enough to require hospitalisation. Britain and Germany said they had sufficient reserves for now, though they were weighing options for when those might be exhausted. South Korea, for its part, has started distributing stocks, but plans talks to purchase more supplies in August. The US Department of Health and Human Services this week said it had secured all of Gilead's projected production for July and 90 per cent of its production in August and September, in addition to an allocation for clinical trials. Egypt welcomes tourists to pyramids after COVID closure Egypt restarted international flights and reopened major tourist attractions including the Great Pyramids of Giza on Wednesday after more than three months of closure due to the pandemic. The country closed its airports to scheduled international flights and shut famous historical sites in mid-March as the government looked to curb the spread of the virus. A guide wears a surgical mask while leading his camel at the Giza Pyramids on Wednesday. Credit:AP That brought the tourist industry, which the government says accounts for 5 per cent of economic output but which analysts say may account for as much as 15 per cent if jobs and investment indirectly related to the industry are included, to a virtual halt. Visitors were few at Giza on the first day, witnesses said, adding that they spotted only a handful of people at the normally packed site. "It's a pretty place, this is where we see the symbol of Egypt and this is why we come here," said tourist Ravalonandrasana Maurice. Van Buren, AR (72956) Today Thunderstorms during the morning giving way to periods of light rain this afternoon. Storms may contain strong gusty winds. High 72F. Winds N at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 90%.. Tonight Evening clouds will give way to clearing overnight. Low 56F. Winds NNE at 5 to 10 mph. During the trial, Lorman testified that her son, who was 22 when she filed the lawsuit, has moderate to severe autism that made communication difficult and following a routine essential. Otherwise, her son, who is 6-foot-6 and weighs 300 pounds, could melt down. At Disney, he needed to visit the rides in a particular order, she said. A large gathering of people are seen on Hollywood Beach on Friday, June 26, 2020, in Hollywood Beach, Fla. Up for debate: Live legislation tracker Check out the latest developments on bills pending before state lawmakers in four key topics. Illinois state Rep. Kelly M. Burke, D-Evergreen Park, answers questions during debate of SB 2135, a bill which makes changes to government operations due to the coronavirus pandemic, a during an extended session of the Illinois House of Representatives at the Bank of Springfield Center, Saturday, May 23, 2020, in Springfield, Ill. Staff Reporter Tim Gruver is a politics and public policy reporter. He is a University of Washington alum and the recipient of the 2017 Pioneer News Award for Reporting. His work has appeared in Politico, the Kitsap Daily News, and the Northwest Asian Weekly. Looking up the railing and stairs to the entrance to the Wisconsin Supreme Court in the capital building in Madison. The hour of decision has arrived. 1 July is the date by which Israel was due to start the process of annexing new parts of the occupied West Bank. The annexation issue is not breaking news anymore: the world has been expecting it for months by now. Instead, it is the Palestinian reaction to it that is worth discussing. Palestinian experts and diplomats, however, do not share consensus on how to react to it. For Barakat Al-Farra, former Palestinian ambassador in Cairo and ex-representative at the Arab League, Israel is unlawfully taking territories from the Palestinian state and disregarding all international resolutions and previous conclusions of the peace process. Al-Farra said that Israel plans to annex 30 per cent of the West Bank. This means that the Palestinians will now have no hope for establishing a state on the basis of pre-1967 borders, he said. The veteran diplomat expects that although the Palestinian leadership and President Mahmoud Abbas remain committed to peaceful and diplomatic means to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian issue the revival of Palestinian armed resistance is very likely, although the initial Palestinian reaction to annexation may continue to be peaceful. Israel left the Palestinians with no other option. It refuses to be a state with fixed borders, and their expansionist plans are known to the whole world, stated Al-Farra, hoping for both official and popular responses from the Arab world. He added that although Israels partners in the coalition government, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and leader of the Blue and White Party Benny Gantz agree on annexation as a principle, they disagree on how to implement it. In the past weeks, protests were seen in both the Gaza Strip and the West Bank against Israels anticipated move. Gaza, meanwhile, was attacked by the Israeli air force after rockets were launched towards Israel. Israel said the rockets came from the coastal enclave. Hamas, which fought against Israel more than once in wars that destroyed much of Gaza and caused severe humanitarian and economic crises for its people, warned that the annexation of the West Bank would be a declaration of war. However, Nadia Naser-Najjab a scholar of Palestinian studies at the University of Exeter argues that the cost of violence is much higher than its gains. Naser-Najjab, who previously lived in the West Bank, said that the militarisation of armed resistance has historically given Israel a pretext to persuade the world that it is fighting against terrorism. The Palestinians are much weaker than Israel. It became easier for Sharon and Netanyahu to convince the world the Palestinians want to kill the Israelis, especially that Palestinian armed operations in the past targeted Israeli civilians, she said. Naser-Najjab was mainly talking politics. She highlighted the importance of finalising Palestinian reconciliation, democratically building the institutions of the Palestinian Authority (PA) and economically punishing Israel through boycotting its products as the best possible means to counter Israeli pressures. Oslo enhanced Israeli territorial plans, just with Palestinian official approval; the settlements continue to be built despite all international resolutions, and the international community never intervened since 1967. So why would it intervene now? We (Palestinians) are not taken seriously by Israel, the Americans and the world because we are divided. Israel, for example, never took Fatah and Hamas security cooperation seriously because it knows we will have divisions at the end, Naser-Najjab explained, adding that Israel unlike the Palestinians does not wait on the money of international donors and has control over everything. We have the wonderful experience of the first Intifada. It was peaceful and Israel felt then that it cannot do anything to stop it, said Naser-Najjab. It can be argued that the highest extent of pressure felt by Israel in recent weeks came through non-violent channels. Officials from Russia, China, the Arab League, the European Union and their member-states severely criticised the annexation plans of Israel. Only the US administration of Donald Trump, through its controversial peace plan, continues to support Israel. For the first time ever, Yousef Al-Otaiba the Emirati minister of state and its ambassador to the United States wrote an op-ed piece for Ynet news, warning Israel that normalising relations with the Arab world is threatened by its annexation moves. Normal is not annexation. Instead, annexation is a misguided provocation of another order. And continued talk of normalisation would be just mistaken hope for better relations with the Arab states. In the UAE and across much of the Arab world, we would like to believe Israel is an opportunity, not an enemy. We face too many common dangers and see the great potential of warmer ties. Israels decision on annexation will be an unmistakable signal of whether it sees it the same way, Al-Otaiba wrote in the Israeli newspaper. Zaha Hassan, ex-coordinator and senior legal adviser to the Palestinian negotiating team during Palestines bid for UN membership, believes that unrest is inevitable, especially in light of Israeli escalation. There is already unrest taking place unrest never stopped. Home demolitions, olive trees set ablaze, unarmed Palestinians shot by sniper fire in Gaza; that is unrest, isnt it? The Palestinian Authority will not be playing the role it has played to quell demonstrations and protests against Israel. As Israel continues to push Palestinians out of East Jerusalem and begins to build walls and barriers around Palestinian communities to the east inside the West Bank, there will undoubtedly be mass resistance which will be joined by the already encapsulated Gaza Strip. There is large support for this among Palestinians in the occupied territories, said Hassan. Prior to 1948, 96 per cent of the land within Mandatory Palestine was owned by Palestinians. Today, inside Israel, Palestinians own less than six per cent of the land. That didnt happen by accident; it happened by Israel passing laws that dispossessed both Palestinian citizens of Israel and Palestinian refugees who were not allowed to return to their homes and property. Since 1967, Israels focus has been on colonising the West Bank. All that will change now is that the US government will be giving its stamp of approval to Israels systematic effort to ethnically cleanse historic Palestine of its indigenous population, said the Carnegie scholar who was a member of the Palestinian delegation to Quartet-backed talks in 2011 and 2012. Trumps plan peace recognises Jerusalem as Israels eternal and undivided capital. It also gives Israel absolute security control over the occupied Palestinian territories and a Palestinian capital in only East Jerusalems northern and eastern areas. *A version of this article appears in print in the 2 July, 2020 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly Search Keywords: Short link: This subscription will allow current subscribers of The St. Helens Chronicle to access all of our online Subscriber-Only content, including the E Editions area. NOTE: To claim your access to the site, you will need to enter the Last Name and First Name that is tied to your subscription in this format: SMITH, JOHN If you need help with exactly how your specific name needs be entered, please call us at 1-503-397-0116. Six Pakistan players flying to England this week after negative COVID-19 tests Mohammad Hafeez and Wahab Riaz are among the individuals who will join up with the rest of the squad on Friday after being permitted to travel Pakistan will be boosted by the news six more players are set to join their touring squad in England this week. Ten of the original group tested positive for COVID-19 and were barred from travelled until they returned two consecutive negative tests. Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Hasnain, Mohammad Hafeez, Mohammad Rizwan, Shadab Khan and Wahab Riaz have been passed to travel to England and will fly to Manchester on Friday. They will then be re-tested as part of the ECB programme before moving on to Worcester where they will join up with the rest of the squad. Haider Ali, Haris Rauf, Kashif Bhatti and Imran Khan have yet to return two straight negative tests and will not yet be allowed to travel. Twenty Pakistan players arrived in England on June 28 and have since been training at Worcestershire's New Road. They are scheduled to play three Tests and three T20 internationals against England, though the full schedule has not yet been confirmed. Save 30% when you subscribe to The Cricketers print & digital bundle. 35 for 12 issues Batavia, NY (14020) Today Windy with thunderstorms this afternoon. A few storms may be severe. High 81F. Winds WSW at 20 to 30 mph. Chance of rain 40%.. Tonight Cloudy. Low near 50F. Winds W at 10 to 20 mph. The Florida Department of Health reported 10,629 new COVID-19 cases statewide during the week of June 11-17, bringing the cumulative total since March 2020 to 2,310,881. Forty-three more people died, upping the death toll to 37,555. Towanda, PA (18848) Today Partly cloudy early followed by scattered thunderstorms this afternoon. A few storms may be severe. High 88F. Winds SW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 60%.. Tonight Variable clouds with showers and scattered thunderstorms. Storms more numerous this evening. Low 59F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%. Oneonta, NY (13820) Today Partly to mostly cloudy with scattered showers and thunderstorms developing this afternoon. A few storms may be severe. High 87F. Winds SSW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 50%.. Tonight Thunderstorms during the evening will give way to cloudy skies after midnight. Low 56F. Winds W at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 70%. Melanie joined The Daily Times in the early 90s and has served as the Life section editor since 1993. A William Blount and UT alum, Melanie is generally the early arriver who turns on the lights in the newsroom. Follow Melanie Tucker Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today Click the image to the left and log in to get your exclusive reader perks. Brazos County health officials reported two deaths and 62 new cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday. The county now has a total of 2,005 overall cases. Brazos County reported 1,522 new cases in the month of June, including 700 in the past seven days. Additionally, a woman in her 80s and man in his 80s have died. Both were hospitalized. Overall, there have been 31 Brazos County residents who have died after being treated for COVID-19. These are the first deaths related to the illness reported in the county since Saturday. Of the total cases, 1,125 are considered active, 32 more than Mondays total; 849 people have recovered, which is 21 more than Mondays total. Health officials said Tuesday that 19,768 tests for COVID-19 have been administered by Brazos County health care providers, which is 117 more than Mondays total. There were 37 Brazos County residents hospitalized Tuesday, which is three more than Mondays total and the most since the beginning of the pandemic. Four people were discharged from the hospital. Health officials said Tuesday Brazos Countys total hospital bed occupancy is at 64% and the ICU bed capacity is at 63%. He said the production is one of the first few the Screen Actors Guild has approved to move forward, noting he sent in the application early and established safety protocols before SAG announced their recommendations. Ganiere said he partnered with a lab and Physicians ER to get a COVID-19 test with 15-minute results, and everyone on the cast and crew was tested before production began. Then, each day before arriving on set, everyone must meet with Jason Ramirez, who is overseeing health and safety, to go through a screening process that includes a temperature scan. Everyone goes through the same screening process at the end of the day as well, Ganiere said. Hair and makeup and craft services departments also have had to make adjustments to ensure peoples safety, Ramirez said. Its a whole new game, he said. My job is to make sure we have the protocol and that we follow it. And then I do my best to go and make sure that people have hand sanitizer, they are washing their hands. If I see something that looks like its handled often, I try to sanitize it. Then, at the end of the day, they go through and they try to spray down everything. If the American military does one thing superbly, its logistics, Gates said. The notion of the states having to bid against each other for masks and gowns and ventilators and have to go overseas to try and find sourcing was, I think, just awful. Gates said he thought the federal and some state messaging around the pandemic has been poor and also said he was also dismayed by what he described as a lack of a sense of civic responsibility, particularly from younger people, in following health practices for how to reduce the spread of the virus. This distancing and wearing masks is not partisan, and its not political. Its just common sense, Gates said of what he wanted Americans, particular those who are younger, to recognize. Gates served as A&Ms 22nd president from August 2002 to December 2006. He also worked as the interim dean of the Bush School from 1999 to 2001. Welsh asked Gates for his views on how the U.S. could have a stronger and more effective relationship with China going forward. Gates replied that China may be the only domestic or foreign topic in which there is broad bipartisan agreement on the need for a tougher line. What a circus. The governors bumpy ride of the last several weeks has engendered offers of unsolicited advice. State Rep. Trey Martinez Fischer, a San Antonio Democrat, wants Abbott to call the Legislature back to work on COVID-19 responses and contends the Republican governor has stretched his emergency powers too far and for too long. Martinez Fischer is only one of 181 lawmakers, and hes a Democrat, so you can read that either as a genuine offer to help or an opening criticism for the political cycle and next years legislative session. On another front, a dozen and a half prominent education, business and civic groups are asking state leaders to put together a task force, presumably with their members on board, to figure out how to run public schools during a pandemic. They want to talk about everything from funding to teacher support to broadband and laptops and tablets for students at home the whole enchilada. The coronavirus seems to have vexed the states leaders, and it looks like everybody has an idea of what to do about it. The ruling is a defeat for the government, but it's unclear what immediate impact it will have during the ongoing pandemic. The bar industry employs over 800,000 Texans, and they've been hurting for months, he said. These are business owners who call us in tears, he said. They care about feeding their families, they care about the debt they have. I mean there's real consequences to these actions. Abbott did not respond to The Texas Tribune by publication. But in an interview with KOSA in Midland, he said that he sympathizes with the bar owners' plight. Listen, I can understand their frustration, I could understand them being angry, because this is their living, this is their livelihood, and so because for some, no fault of their own, theyre being shut down," he said to KOSA. "There are others who are being shut down because fault of their own, and so we need to be clear about that, but we also need to be clear that if were not strategic about making sure we slow the spread of the coronavirus in Texas, it will lead to a larger shutdown of the economy across the entire board." "We do not want that to happen, so we do need everybody to do their part to make sure they use these best practices to slow the spread, he added. She was born on December 12, 1944 in North Zulch, Texas to Pete and Martha Folsom. She grew up in North Zulch. She worked in banking in Houston for many years. She started from the bottom and made her way to being the supervisor over the loan department. She was one smart cookie. She taught her girls how to be strong and determined. She met the love of her life, Don Booty while living in Houston. They were married in 1993. Joyce and Don started their own trucking company, DEB Services. She loved her dogs, especially her Sammy. For the last five years, Joyce volunteered at Baylor Scott and White's gift shop. She made many friends and loved her Tuesdays spent there. She loved buying things for everyone from purses to knick knacks. Joyce also loved her friends she made at the Villas of Rock Prairie. Those friends saved her after she lost the love of her life. They helped fill the void that losing Don left in her heart. Her yard was always the most beautiful. She definitely had a green thumb. She loved planting beautiful flowers. Steve Aldrich is a true fighter and an overcomer of adversity, as his path has not been an easy one. He has a sincere desire to continue to lead our community and the make our world a better place. Please go out and vote to continue our success and progress in this beautiful community as we graciously have this unique privilege to decide our leaders and our future. I proudly will be continuing my support for Steve Aldrich and looking forward to a bright future in this wonderful place called Bryan-College Station. SCOTT MEDLIN College Station No one is following as America 'leads' the world We constantly read letters in The Eagle that declare the USA the "greatest nation on earth," and for once they are right. Yes, America is "exceptional," and The Great Leader has made us great again. We are America First -- in COVID-19, the greatest number of cases and deaths in the world. Eagle Rock - David and Daniel Juarez were born 90 seconds apart and have been together ever since. Including now, standing jointly as co-valedictorians for Eagle Rock High Schools Class of 2020. One may have been a little stronger in math in the beginning, and the other a little stronger in English, said their father, John Juarez, a financial advisor and divorce mediator. But both are now graduating at the top of their class with identical GPAs of 4.557. "I dont think we ever really competed," said David Juarez, the ever-so-slightly-younger of the two. "We just really helped and supported each other along the way." Both are now heading off to Columbia University to focus on the sciences - and to try living apart, for a change. I think its more for like independent growth, and having a separate identity, said Daniel Juarez, the elder twin, explaining why they each requested having different roommates. Sign up for The Eastsider's Daily Digest newsletter Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Error! There was an error processing your request. It was hard even for their father to tell them apart when they were growing up, John Juarez said. One twin might be a little more assertive, the other a little more passive. But then their personalities would switch, John said. Even as infants, they would complement each other. One would cry while the other slept, then visa versa. The slight difference now, their father said, is that David is a little more likely to jump into a task spontaneously, while Daniel is more likely to sit back and figure out the rules first. They went through high school taking all their classes together, including Advanced Placement English and Psychology, and community college courses in physiology and physics - sometimes putting in 12-hour days, a task made all the more exhausting, David said, because they were also still running cross-country. Both are now thinking of majoring in the sciences - possibly biochemistry or molecular biology for Daniel, possibly biochemistry or ecology for David. Daniel said he also plans on continuing running when he gets to New York. "Im nervous," Daniel said, "but mostly excited." Many Kiwis on social media expressed outrage at Dr Clark for not taking any responsibility himself and felt sorry for Dr Bloomfield, who has been near-universally praised for his role during the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr Bloomfield previously took responsibility for the gaps in implementing testing at the facilities. A fundraiser to buy Dr Bloomfield flowers was started, with excess money donated to charity. "I did get some flowers, very nice. I want to thank those who sent them. A family sent me some cupcakes as well and I think there was some money raised, which I am really thrilled to see has gone to a charity to protect women from domestic violence," he said. "Really pleased to see that has happened and appreciate people's support, not just for me, but for our team here in the ministry that continues to work really hard to protect them." Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said the pair got along "absolutely fine". "Both of them, I think, feel like they have both been really let down. I have seen some of that portrayal. I don't think it's particularly fair. They get on well." For more visit Newshub. 1 Suspect Dead, 1 Arrested in Disappearance of Fort Hood Soldier: Officials Authorities said one person was in custody and another person of interest is dead in connection to the disappearance to Fort Hood, Texas, soldier Vanessa Guillen. A person wanted in connection to the case died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, according to the Killeen Police Department in a news release on Wednesday. During the course of the investigation, information was provided on the location of the suspect. The suspect was located walking in the 4700 block of East Rancier Avenue and as officers attempted to make contact with the suspect, the suspect produced a weapon and committed suicide by shooting himself. The suspect was pronounced deceased at 1:17 a.m. by Justice of the Peace Garland Potvin at the scene, the news release said. The identity of the person was not revealed. He was described as an active-duty soldier by officials. The U.S. Army told local news outlets that another suspect in the case is the estranged wife of a former Fort Hood soldier. She is currently in custody at the Bell County jail and is awaiting charges, according to Click2Houston and ABC13. The second suspects identity was not disclosed. We have made significant progress in this tragic situation and are doing everything possible to get to the truth and bring answers to the family of Pfc. Vanessa Guillen, said Chris Grey, the spokesman for the U.S. Army. Several law enforcement agencies are still attempting to determine the identity of human remains found near the Leon River this week. Guillens family said they believe the remains belong to the soldier. We dont want just attention. We want action. We want answers, Rep. Sylvia Garcia (D-Texas) said at a news conference in June, The Associated Press reported. Weve got to remember that this is a family that is hurting. Texas EquuSearch founder Tim Miller, who was helping look for Guillen, told news outlets that the search for Vanessa is now over. Guillen, 20, was last seen in April in the parking lot of Fort Hoods Regimental Engineer Squadron Headquarters. There is still a lot of investigative work to be done and we ask for the public and medias patience, Grey told news outlets. There are obviously pieces of information and evidence that cannot be shared with the public during an active criminal investigation. Doing so can seriously jeopardize the charging and successful prosecution of individuals. When important investigative information is prematurely released, criminals can and will destroy evidence, conspire to change their stories, build false alibis, etc. A Buffalo police officer appears to shove a man who walked up to police, in Buffalo, N.Y., on June 4, 2020. (Mike Desmond/WBFO via AP) 75-Year-Old Man Pushed by Police in Protest Is Released From Hospital: Lawyer A 75-year-old man who was pushed to the ground during George Floyd protests earlier this month in Buffalo was released from the hospital, said his lawyer. Martin Gugino was seen on video being pushed by a riot control officer after they told him to get back as he approached a crowd of police during demonstrations. After he was pushed, the elderly man appeared to fall backwards before hitting his head. He can walk with a little help, and his condition will continue to improve with rest and time, lawyer Kelly Zarcone said, adding that she was able to see Martin today and he looks great. Martin wants to thank the entire hospital staff for their exceptional dedication and professionalism, Zarcone said. He received truly outstanding care and for that, he is grateful. Officers Robert McCabe, 32, and Aaron Torgalski, 39, were suspended without pay after the incident before they were charged with assault. Both have pleaded not guilty to the charges. Buffalos mayor, Byron Brown, said earlier this month that he found the video to be disturbing. I dont believe common sense was used in Guginos case, Brown said. I immediately thought about: Is he gonna be okay? he said of Gugino. But then had to reach out very quickly to the management of the Buffalo Police Department to try to make sense of what I had seen. Brown said the two officers didnt appear to try and intentionally harm Gugino. Suspended Buffalo police officer Robert McCabe (L) and Aaron Torgalski on June 6, 2020. (Erie County District Attorneys Office via AP) The protest situation was moving very quickly, Brown said at the time. People in every single profession can make a mistake, and that mistake doesnt mean that an intention to mislead is what occurred. Medics on the scene attended to Gugino within seconds, Brown said. Video footage showed that about 10 seconds after Gugino fell, officials attempted to tend to his injuries. In a previous interview, the mayor noted that there were reports of violence, arson, looting, and vandalism in Buffalo in the wake of Floyds death. Zarcone, meanwhile, told news outlets earlier this month Gugino suffered a brain injury in the fall. Martin said that he is pleased at the progress made so far to protect the safety of peaceful protesters, a topic near and dear to his heart, Zarcone added in her statement. He respects the burden of authority placed upon law enforcement but looks forward to the continued implementation of systemic changes to eliminate police brutality. Amazon will build its first robotic and largest fulfillment center in Australia, which is the same size as 22 rugby fields. According to ZDNET, the e-commerce giant will build its 200,000 square meters storage and distribution center at Kemps Creek in western Sydney, which is about the size of 22 rugby fields or the Taronga Zoo. Amazon says it will be able to store up to 11 million items. Amazon also said it would be the first center where the "latest robotics systems" will be deployed as expected to operate by the end of 2021. "The Amazon robotics fulfillment center will more than double our operational footprint in Australia, enhance efficiency and safety for our associates," said Amazon Australia director of operations Craig Fuller adding that it will provide customers with a larger selection and faster delivery. Fuller also said the company expects to create more than 1,500 posts, mostly permanent full-time jobs. These will also give the opportunity to work with "advanced robotics to deliver the ultimate in service for customers." Amazon's growing number of fulfillment centers worldwide The new fulfillment center will be a great addition to Amazon's more than 50 robotic fulfillment centers worldwide. Currently, Amazon has four centers in Australia, the first of which opened in Melbourne in December 2017, followed by that in Sydney in 2018, and Perth in 2019. Amazon recently announced that it will open another warehouse in Brisbane. The company denied allegations that it will fully automate its warehouses last year. Amazon robotics fulfillment director Scott Anderson said that there was just a "misconception" as they currently have limited technology. "The technology is very far from the fully automated workstation that we would need," said Anderson. Retail industry gears up for robotics Aside from Amazon, Ford, and other giant companies are now using robotics in fulfilling various tasks in their warehouses. As shown at the National Retail Federation's 2020 Big Show in New York, various companies show off their latest robots that work alongside retail employees and around customers. While Ford has been using robots in its assembly lines, retail stores are now utilizing bots to do simple tasks like putting price tags, restocking shelves, and keeping the stores clean. "Retailers are using robots to do all types of things. Everything from floor cleaning to material handling and now shelf analytics," said Josh Baylin, who works with Brain Corp, a robotics automation company. Baylin also said they are helping stores to perform better and gain more revenue. "We help our partners produce, deploy, scale and support their robotic deployments in all different environments, like retail, airports, and malls," added Baylin. Badger Technologies CEO Tim Rowland said during the Big Show that his company works on robots that can be utilized in the entire supply chain, including notifying the store when it runs out of a certain product. Aside from the numerous simple tasks robots could handle, Rowland is looking forward to deploying them in actual retail conditions. "Given enough time, you can train a machine to look at anything. Even in the short term, with some human inspection, I can check bay doors or fire extinguishers or smoke or glass in certain areas. It's a perfect application," Rowland said. Read also: How Much Will It Be? Amazon Frontliners, Employees to Receive Bonuses 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. A guard stands in front of the entrance of the China Daily newspaper on Jan. 18, 2007. The China Daily is an English-language daily newspaper published in the People's Republic of China that is distributed as an insert in some papers in the United States. (Voishmel/AFP via Getty Images) A Chinese Army Works on US Social Media to Derail Trump Commentary The United States is finally getting serious about the Chinese Communist Partys propaganda outlets operating on U.S. soil. Even so, the United States remains a step behind, as the CCP is using social media to try to defeat President Donald Trump. The first step in countering the Chinese media outlets is to be honest about them. On June 22, the State Department designated the U.S. operations of China Central Television, China News Service, the Peoples Daily, and the Global Times as foreign missions. This announcement follows the Feb. 18 designation of Xinhua News Agency, China Global Television Network, China Radio International, China Daily Distribution Corporation, and Hai Tian Development USA as foreign missions. These designations provide clarity about Chinas state-owned media operating in the United States. Theyre not independent media outlets. Theyre propaganda outlets seeking to influence opinion on behalf of the CCP. The State Department is showing the CCP that the United States is serious about protecting our country. What the State Department didnt say, but is well known to the U.S. government, is that these CCP-owned media also act as spy networks. So, too, do many mainland Chinese business companies operating this country, which are part of the CCPs united front. While the State Departments actions are welcome, they dont touch the new focus of CCP propaganda in the United States: social media. The CCPs social media army, sometimes called the 50 Cent Army (because they are said to be paid 50 cents for each post they make), is very well trained. Hundreds of thousands of operatives follow directions and are grouped into layers. When theres an important issuefor example, a protest in Hong Kong, or the U.S.China trade warthey will split into two opposite groups, debate, create controversial topics, make the topics heated, and then gradually guide most of the conversation into the direction the CCP wants. Its a well-planned, well-thought-out strategy. The group that speaks for the opposite side has strict guidelineswhat they can say in taking the opposing view, and the red lines never to cross. Some lower level groups only repost. Their work can create big influencers within days. And they can also buy big influencers, give them money, let them keep talking as before, but speak for the CCP at critical times, on critical issues. The CCPs social media army interfered with an election in Taiwan. The Tainan mayorwho became the head of one of Taiwans two major partieswas elected under the influence of the CCPs social media army. Now, this same army has marched into the United States. The CCP has a strategy: Its easier to beat Trump than to beat America as a country. This is the same strategy the CCP uses to target the leaders of organizations, or the elites of countries, going after these individuals rather than tackling the organizations or countries as whole. We know TikTok served as a platform to create confusion around Trumps Tulsa rally. It encouraged people to register for the event but not show up. This was not an act of individuals, but a well organized attack. And that was just a small test. This social media army can also pretend to talk like Democrats, attack Trump, and, using a large, well-organized team, appear to dominate opinion. The CCP takes advantage of this countrys open system, and the United States doesnt have enough understanding of its tactics. Today, the Indian government announced that it has banned 59 apps from China, including TikTok, WeChat, Baidu map, and so on. In the United States, every action takes a long process. On the one hand, this is how a democratic system works. But on the other hand, the slow pace is also the result of a long peaceful life that makes most Americans unaware of the enemy next to them. Beijing has passed the national security law custom-made for Hong Kong. Pompeo announced that as Beijing moves forward with passing the national security law, the United States will today end exports of U.S.-origin defense equipment and will take steps toward imposing the same restrictions on U.S. defense and dual-use technologies to Hong Kong as it does for China. Hong Kong has acted as a white glove for Beijing to access the Western financial markets and sensitive technology, including military and space technology. One might wonder why Beijing doesnt mind losing this glove and how Beijing can now get these highly desirable technologies. Beijing is one step ahead again: it has set up many intermediary landing places in other free-port countries that function like Hong Kongs white glove, to ship sensitive technology to China. The CCP may seem to be clever, but as the popular Chinese saying goes, Heaven is eliminating the CCP. Though the CCP continues its insidious tactics, it now faces crises from every direction. No matter how sly, stealthy, and ruthless the CCP is, the wind is now against it. Diana Zhang, Ph.D., is a staff writer with 20 years experience in the study of China. Based in the United States, she uses a pen name to protect her family members in China. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. African Farmer Unearths HUGE Gemstones, Weighing 31lbs, Worth $3.3 Million A Tanzanian cattle farmer with four wives and 30 children has banked $3.3 million after selling two huge tanzanite gemstones to the countrys mining ministry. The farmer will invest in a school and a shopping mall but insists that his lifestyle will not change as a result of the unexpected fortune. There will be a big party tomorrow, Saniniu Laizer, 52, told the BBC, adding that he planned to slaughter a cow to celebrate. The farmers artisanal mining operation unearthed the extremely rare violet-blue gemstones in one of the Merelani tanzanite mines in northern Tanzanias Manyara region. The mines have been protected by a wall since April 2018 to restrict illegal mining and cross-border smuggling of the coveted mineral. Laizer poses with his two pieces of tanzanite during the ceremony for his historical discovery in Manyara, northern Tanzania, on June 24, 2020. (FILBERT RWEYEMAMU/AFP via Getty Images) Laizers first rough gemstone weighed 20 pounds (approx. 9 kg), while the second weighed 11 pounds (approx. 5 kg), according to a mining ministry spokesperson, reported Reuters. The gems combined weight beat the record for the largest tanzanite gemstone ever mined by a whopping 4 pounds (approx. 2 kg). The government handed the farmer a check for 7.74 billion Tanzanian shillings (US$3.3 million) during a trading event in Manyara on June 24. Laizer was photographed handing over the tanzanite stones, each rough gem as long as his forearm, with both likely to be housed in Tanzanias National Museum. President John Magufuli telephoned to congratulate Laizer live on Tanzanian TV, telling minerals minister Doto Biteko that the extraordinary find was confirmation that Tanzania is rich. Tanzanite, dull brown when extracted from mines, turns violet-blue when heated; gems pictured on Jan. 13, 2020 (James St. John/CC BY 2.0) Laizer pledged to use some of his companys fortune to build a school and a shopping mall for his community in Manyaras Simanjiro District but insisted that his own lifestylefarming a herd of 2,000 cattlewould not change. I want to build this school near my home, Laizer explained to the BBC. There are many poor people around here who cant afford to take their children to school. I am not educated but I like things run in a professional way, so I would like my children to run the business professionally. Laizer also earmarked 10 percent of the money to be distributed among his workers. Miner James Meliary works in the Mererani mine, 300 meters into the ground, on June 9, 2006. (MATT BROWN/AFP via Getty Images) Tanzanias Manyara region is the worlds only known source of tanzanite and the gemstone is rarer than diamond, according to the Gemological Institute of America. It was Tiffany & Co that named this violet-blue zoisite in honor of Tanzania after the gem was discovered in 1967. Tanzania set up trading centers around the country in 2019 to allow artisanal miners to sell their findings to the government. Laizers mining operation, reports The Guardian, is funded by profits from his extensive cattle-farming enterprises. He was not present when the record-breaking gemstones were dug out. Miner Faraja Meliary holds $1,500 worth of tanzanite gems from the Mererani mine on June 9, 2006 (MATT BROWN/AFP via Getty Images) He has logistics experts, engineers, geologists who help him in the planning of the operations, Kiria Laizer, a manager, explained. He doesnt himself go to the pit to dig. He has a number of tried laborers who do the mining. Its tough of course, working in this dusty area, he continued. We inhale a lot of dust and get sick, but we havent lost the determination to work. We feel grateful that our boss has finally got these stones. The manager added that the entire mining operation planned to eat roast meat together when all personnel returned to the mining site. We would love to hear your stories! You can share them with us at emg.inspired@epochtimes.nyc Marise Payne, Australia's foreign minister, speaks to the media in Sydney, Australia, on June 26, 2020. (Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images) Australia Condemns National Security Law in Hong Kong, Expresses Concern Australia on Wednesday expressed deep concern about the new national security law that Beijing has imposed on Hong Kong. Foreign Minister Marise Payne said in a statement that the controversial law threatens Hong Kongs judicial independence and the rights and freedoms of Hong Kong residents. Australia joins many international partners in expressing our deep concern about Beijings imposition of a National Security Law on Hong Kong, Payne said. The national security law went into effect late June 30 after ceremonial votes by the ruling Chinese Communist Partys rubber-stamp legislature, the National Peoples Congress (NPC). The law criminalizes individuals for any acts of subversion, secession, terrorism, and collusion with foreign forces, with maximum penalties of life imprisonment. Statement on Hong Kong. https://t.co/RWnl3zfpTh Marise Payne (@MarisePayne) June 30, 2020 This decision to impose the law undermines the One Country Two Systems framework and the citys high degree of autonomy guaranteed in the legally binding Sino-British Joint Declaration and Hong Kongs Basic Law, Payne noted in her statement. Hong Kong was handed from British colonial rule back to Chinese sovereignty in 1997 with the express guarantee under the Sino-British Joint Declaration that the citys high degree of autonomy and essential freedoms would be preserved under the principle of one country, two systems until 2047. Payne said that Australia is troubled by the laws implications for Hong Kongs judicial independence, and on the rights and freedoms enjoyed by the people of Hong Kong, both of which underpin the citys success. That this decision was made without the direct participation of Hong Kongs people, legislature or judiciary is a further cause for concern, she continued. The people of Hong Kong will make their own assessments of how this decision will affect their citys future. The eyes of the world will remain on Hong Kong. Protesters occupying a road run after hearing police are approaching during a rally against a new national security law in Hong Kong on July 1, 2020. (Alastair Pike/AFP via Getty Images) Payne said that Australia has a substantial stake in Hong Kongs success and that the city is home to Australias largest commercial presence in Asia. It is also one of Australias largest expatriate communities globally, she added. She signalled Australias commitment to maintain people-to-people ties with Hong Kong. We also continue to recognise the great contribution that people from Hong Kong have made, and continue to make, to Australia. Our people-to-people links are deepstretching back 200 yearsand continue to strengthen, Payne said. Australia has been a favoured destination for people from Hong Kong, and we will work to ensure it stays that way. We will continue to work with international partners to fully assess the implications of the new laws. Australian lawyers are concerned that the broadly defined offences in the new law will deprive Hong Kong courts of their independence and have a chilling effect on public life in the city, the Australian Associated Press reported. Hong Kong police on July 1 made the first arrests under the new law. A military helicopter is seen landing at the RAAF Base in East Sale, Victoria, Australia, on Jan. 2, 2020. (AAP Image/James Ross) Australia to Spend Big on Defence Amid Hostile Global Environment Prime Minister Scott Morrison has announced that the government will invest heavily in defence over the next decade to protect Australia and its interest in the changing global environment. In a media release on July 1, the prime minister said the federal government would spend $270 billion over the next ten years to change Australias defence posture and pivot our priorities towards looking after the north-eastern Indian Ocean through maritime, and mainland South East Asia to Papua New Guinea and the South-West Pacific. My first priority is keeping Australians safe, the prime minister said. Speaking on the Nines Today Show on July 1 after the announcement, Morrison said that the competition between China and the United States has increased tensions globally and changed our regional environment. We havent seen a time of instability coming out of COVID-19 like this since the 1930s and early 1940s. And so we need to be conscious of that. We need to be prepared. We need to be working with other countries in the region, said Morrison. However, Morrison also made it clear that Australia would need a credible, focused defence force so that when threats do emerge, we can take them further away from Australia. We cant afford not to have that, he said. Space Infrastructure and Long-Range Missiles Part of New Strategy Outlining the specifics of the new strategy in the 2020 Force Structure Plan (pdf), the Australian Defence Force (ADF) noted that one area Australia would start significantly investing in is sovereign space infrastructure to directly contribute to warfighting outcomes in the space domain. Australia holds a unique geographical position to contribute significantly to collective space domain awareness with our allies and partners, the plan said. The ADF will invest up to $7 billion on sovereign satellites and Australian-controlled land-based monitoring stations. The plan said this would enable Australia to counter emerging space threats to Australias free use of the space domain and that assure our continued access to space-based intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance. The ADF will also invest for the first time in an arsenal of long-range missile capabilities. Australias security environment is changing quickly, with militarisation, disruptive technological change and new grey zone threats making our region less safe, said Minister for Defence Linda Reynolds. Thats why this Government will invest in more lethal and long-range capabilities to hold adversary forces and infrastructure at risk further from Australia, including longer-range strike weapons, offensive cyber capabilities and area denial capabilities, said Reynolds. This will ensure we are able to shape our environment, deter actions against our interests and, if required, respond with military force, she said. Self-Reliance Key to Defence Force Capabilities A key priority coming out of the 2020 Defence Strategic Update is the strengthening of Australias sovereign defence industries. Minister Reynolds said that the federal government will ensure the ADF has durable domestic supply chains, to create more high-tech Australian jobs and enhance the ADFs self-reliance. This will mean the federal government will be investing in the Australian defence industry opening up significant opportunities, with the plan assuring Australians that the government is committed to maximising opportunities for Australian industry, including in regional areas, to participate in Defence projects. The ADF estimated that Australias defence industry has more than 4,000 businesses employing approximately 30,000 staff. Currently, the plan outlines that the federal government has committed $3 billion into creating Australian-owned defence innovation, science, and technology over the next decade. Reynolds and the Minister for Defence Industry Melissa Price also announced in several media releases on July 1 that the ADF would be investing billions in defence redevelopment around Australia. According to Reynolds and Price, the ADF will invest $10 billion into the renewal of defence infrastructure in New South Wales, $2.5 billion in Western Australia, and $2.6 billion in South Australia over the next decade. Australian Economy Needs $90 Billion Extra Stimulus to Recover in Two Years: Think Tank The Australian government needs to inject an extra $70 to $90 billion in economic stimulus over the next two years to reduce the unemployment rate back to five percent by mid-2022, according to a new report by the Grattan Institute. The report titled The Recovery Book: What Australian governments should do now (pdf) published on June 28 said that this level of economic stimulus is pivotal to a faster economic recovery. Based on current economic forecasts, returning the economy to full employment will require sizeable fiscal support: in the order of $70-to-$90 billion in additional stimulus over the next two years, equivalent to around 3-to-4 percent of GDP, said the report. The report estimated that returning the economy to full employment by mid-2022 would require the creation of between 430,000 and 510,000 extra jobs. It strongly advocated for substantially more fiscal stimulus to boost aggregate demand as the top priority for the government. Without further stimulus, the economy will grow too slowly, warned the Grattan Institute. An Abrupt Withdrawal of Government Could Damage the Economy Suggesting that it was essential to avoid any measures that would dampen business and household incomes, the Grattan report said an abrupt withdrawal of government support in a few months time could cause increasing difficulties. Currently, the government is spending an estimated $14 billion per month (almost 9 percent of GDP) in emergency income support through JobKeeper and JobSeeker. The federal government has said that JobSeeker and JobKeeper are to end by late September. If this happens, many households will be left struggling to pay their bills, and business recovery will slow, making many unable to survive, the report warned. Furthermore, it would put a handbrake on the recovery as households anticipate the income shock by saving, and businesses try to minimise avoidable costs by holding back on employing workers, said the report. To remedy this issue the Grattan Institute suggested that the government provide stimulus in the form of direct cash payments to households, spending on social housing, and quick maintenance and infrastructure projects. As this would restore economic activity to its potential level over the 18 months to two years. Revamping JobKeeper and Other Support Measures Key to the Grattan Insitutes economic recovery plan is the extension and revamping of JobKeeper, which the report estimates would cost an estimated $30 billion in 2020-21. Included in this estimate is an extension of JobKeeper, but the Grattan Institute suggests that the program get a new turnover test to avoid a universal cut-off upon September 27. This would ensure the assistance goes to those in real need, the think tank argued. Businesses currently receiving JobKeeper should be required to re-test against the turnover requirement at the end of July and September, the report said. Where a businesss turnover is better than 20 percent than before pre-crisis levels, the Grattan Institute argues that financial support should be removed. While for those that are still severely affected by government restrictions, support should continue beyond September. The report also notes that JobKeeper should now include university staff, casual workers, and temporary migrants. Other stimulus recommendations include increasing the permanent rate of JobSeeker by at least $100 a week and increasing Commonwealth Rent Assistance by 40 percent. The thinktank also believes that the child care subsidy should be raised to 95 percent for low-income households to reduce financial barriers for parents taking on more paid work. Economic Future of Australia Decided in September Prime Minister Scott Morrison told 2GB radio host Ben Fordham on June 26 that the government would announce a decision on JobKeeper in the third week of July when the economic statements are released. Morrison also indicated in the interview that more aggregate demand stimulus will be revealed in the economic statements. In response to the growing concern over the termination of a range of support measures in late September, the prime minister said there would be new government assistance packages for specific industries to protect jobs. Were going to keep ensuring we have policies to support people just like we did back in March, just like we moved effectively and significantly, Morrison said. Australia's Energy Minister Angus Taylor speaks during question time in the House of Representatives at Parliament House in Canberra, Australia. on July 4, 2019. (Tracey Nearmy/Getty Images) Australian Government Celebrates Emissions Reductions Australias emissions trackers are firmly focused on the Paris targets as the government celebrates beating earlier goals. As the clock struck midnight the Kyoto period officially came to a close, heralding the start of the Paris agreement era. Energy Minister Angus Taylor said initial estimates show the government has beaten its 2020 goal by 11430 million tonnes, or about 80 percent of a years emissions. The 2020 goal was a five per cent reduction on 2000 levels. Taylor says Australians should be proud. Australia is committed to playing our role to reduce global emissions and we will do this without imposing new costs on households, businesses or the economy, he said. The next goal is the Paris target, which is a 26 to 28 percent reduction on 2005 level emissions by 2030. The Morrison government plans to use credit from meeting an earlier emissions reduction goal towards that target. The governments own climate change agency has urged against using the carryover credits. The nations targets: * Kyoto 1 An eight percent rise from 1990 levels by 2008/12. Emissions instead increased by three percent on the baseline. * Kyoto 2 A 0.5 percent reduction on 1990 levels by 2020. * Australias own target five percent below 2000 levels by 2020. * Paris target 26 to 28 percent below 2005 levels by 2030. Rebecca Gredley in Canberra Fairfax Media and the Herald and Weekly Times newspapers are seen on display at Australian newsagents on March 27, 2019. (Scott Barbour/Getty Images) Australian Government to Give $50 Million to Support Regional Media The federal government announced on June 29 it would be putting $50 million dollars into regional media services in the 2020-2021 financial year. In a press release, the Morrison government said that 107 regional publishers and broadcasters were successful in applying to the Public Interest News Gathering (PING) program with each receiving a share of $50 million. The minister for Communications, Cyber Safety, and the Arts, Paul Fletcher, explained that the funding would support newspaper businesses and commercial broadcasters across regional and remote Australia. These are unprecedented circumstances in regional mediawith COVID-19 triggering catastrophic drops in advertising revenue leading to many newspapers suspending operations and threatening the sustainability of regional broadcasters, said Flecther. Minister for Communications Paul Fletcher speaks during a press conference following a tour of the Sydney Coliseum Theatre at West HQ in Sydney, Australia on June 25, 2020. (Matt Blyth/Getty Images) Fletcher noted the federal government would be providing $20 million for television, $18 million for publishing and $12 million for radio, with funds to flow from July. Public interest journalism is critical to keeping communities informed, he said. The PING program is designed to provide direct financial support for local and regional journalism. It is assessed through a demand-driven grant process that is run by the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, and Communications. Considerations for the funding included the reach of each media agency and the revenue used to produce public-interest journalism. The majority of the publishers receiving grants under this program operate small-to-medium businesses. Local papers are the life-blood of many towns across Australia. They connect communities and keep people informed, said Fletcher. A point publisher Cristian King of The Southern Highland Express agrees with: The community loses out when the regional media disappears, King told The Epoch Times on July 1. A regional paper from southern New South Wales, The Southern Highlands Express was a successful recipient of this years PING program. While thankful for the grant, King noted that the PING program was a bandaid solution because it did not solve the longterm issues of advertising revenue and the fact that syndicated digital media does not work for regional Australia. People want a local paper that deals with local issues. They want a paper in their hands that provides substance to their community, said King. Cristian King of King Media with his newly started regional paper The Southern Highlands Express July 1, 2020. Pointing out that syndicated content does not engage regional readers in Australia, King said that a regional media agency is more than just a source of information. He said it helps drive the local economy through advertising which often gets immediate results for small businesses in the locality. King noted that one thing the federal government could do is create an equal playing field with social media giants Facebook and Google, revenue-wise. They cannibalise our content and make money off it, said King. Regional media has to pay corporate taxes of up to 30 percent, whereas companies like Google and Facebook pay very little, said King. Google and Facebook have faced intense criticism in Australia, France, and Spain for their failure to pay local media agencies for the use of their content. University of Queensland student and human rights activists Drew Pavlou leads a rally at the university campus in Brisbane, Australia, on July 31, 2019. (Faye Yang/The Epoch Times) Australian Police Investigating Violent Clashes From Last Years HK Rallies Police are investigating parties involved in violent attacks at last years pro-Hong Kong rallies at the University of Queensland (UQ). Queensland Police confirmed with The Epoch Times that an investigation is underway into common assault and that police are in the process of identifying two unknown suspects. The investigation is related to a major incident on UQ grounds on July 24, 2019, when ongoing rallies in support of Hong Kongs anti-Chinese Communist Party and pro-democracy protests turned violent as pro-Beijing students arrived. I can announce this morning that Queensland Police have launched an ongoing criminal investigation into Brisbane Chinese Consul-General Xu Jies efforts to incite and direct political violence against Australian citizens. A vindication for the rule of law. Drew Pavlou (@DrewPavlou) June 24, 2020 Police were subsequently called in to separate the groups. The Chinese Consul General of Brisbane published an official statement on the consulates website accusing the pro-Hong Kong protestors of anti-China separatist activities. The consul general also applauded the patriotic behaviour of pro-China students. Pavlou revealed that after the protest, he received hundreds of death threats, some sent to his private residence. People looking at notes posted on a makeshift Lennon Wall to support the protests in Hong Kong, at the University of Queensland in Brisbane on August 9, 2019 shows (PATRICK HAMILTON/AFP via Getty Images) On Nov. 22, 2019, Pavlous lawyer Mark Tarrant filed for a protection order with the Brisbane Magistrates Court against the consul general alleging that his actions incited further violence. The matter will be heard on July 24. The incident attracted the attention of U.S. ambassador to Australia, Arthur Culvahouse Jr., who called on the federal government to take stronger action against alleged Chinese harassment. Speaking on national television on Dec. 12 last year, Culvahouse said that he learned from Foreign Affairs Minister Marise Payne the Chinese consul general in Brisbane had encouraged Chinese international students to harass pro-Hong Kong students at UQ. Payne made a public statement reprimanding foreign diplomatic representatives who failed to respect Australians right to free speech and peaceful and lawful protest just days after the protest. Pavlous barrister, Tony Morris QC, recently filed a lawsuit in the Supreme Court against the university, Vice-Chancellor Peter Hoj, and Chancellor Peter Varghese, seeking damages of $3.5 million. It follows a two-year suspension handed down to Pavlou by UQ on May 29 over allegations of misconduct. People wait in line to undergo COVID-19 swab tests at a testing station in Beijing on June 30, 2020. (GREG BAKER/AFP via Getty Images) Authorities Covered Up Severity of Virus Resurgence in Beijing, Nearby Province: Leaked Documents Beijing authorities have underreported the number of diagnosed patients, according to leaked documents from the citys only designated hospital for treating COVID-19 patients. The city claims that the second wave outbreak is under control and that one facility would suffice. But The Epoch Times previously obtained city government documents that showed that health authorities were requiring local hospitals to prepare additional beds in anticipation of a surge in COVID-19 patients. In addition, a document from a county government in nearby Hebei Province, where the outbreak has since spread, emphasized that information about the local epidemic should be kept secret. The confidential documents come from a trusted source with access to government databases. Publicly, Hebei officials didnt confirm any new infections, but they imposed lockdown measures on roughly half a million residents. Meanwhile, officials announced more CCP virus patients in Beijing as the city government launched a series of strict rules. The Beijing municipal health commission stated in a June 24 internal document: All patient rooms [at hospitals] must be locked 24 hours a day. Aside from necessary diagnosis or treatment purposes, patients are not allowed to leave the patient area. The commission added that no visitors would be allowed to see patients at hospitals at the moment. The Beijing Emergency Medical Center, a division of the health commission, stated in an internal document dated June 22 that Beijing medical staff who went to Hubei to support its outbreak efforts wont be allowed to come back to Beijing for the time being. In addition, students at school must have their body temperatures screened every morning, noon, and afternoon. Underreport Xu Hejian, spokesman for the Beijing city government, said at a press conference on June 30 that the total number of infections in this second wave outbreak had reached 325 diagnosed patients and 27 asymptomatic carriers. This resurgence began in mid-June, according to authorities. But Ma Yanfang, director of the medical office at Beijings only COVID-designated Ditan Hospital, admitted that the facilitys 300 beds for virus patients werent enough and said about 180 more beds had been arranged recently, in a June 30 interview with a state-run newspaper Health News. On June 18 and 19, Ditan Hospital transferred all of its non-COVID patients to other hospitals and has since only treated COVID patients. The Epoch Times obtained internal documents from Ditan Hospital that showed the daily summary of nucleic acid test results for several dates in June. For example, on June 19, the hospital tested 773 people, and 246 of them tested positive. The report noted that all 246 of these patients were being treated at the hospital. However, the Beijing health commission announced only 22 newly diagnosed patients for June 19, with a cumulative total of 205 infections since June 11. The city of Beijing announced on June 14 that 79 medical institutions in the city would be conducting COVID-19 testing. As Ditan Hospital alone has more positive diagnoses than officially reported, the true number of diagnoses for the entire city is likely far highergiven the likelihood of more positives at other testing sites. According to another internal report, on June 17, Ditan Hospital recorded that its outpatient department tested 288 people, 26 of whom tested positive for COVID-19. Three others were designated as asymptomatic carriers; Chinese authorities count them in a separate tally. At its inpatient department, the hospital diagnosed 83 COVID-positive patients on June 17, meaning the hospital diagnosed a total of 109 COVID-positives that day. However, the city announced only 21 newly diagnosed patients for June 17. Other reports The Epoch Times obtained showed only data for the inpatient department, with 15 positive patients on June 13; 27 positives on June 14; 27 positives on June 15; and eight positives on June 18. Officials announced a city total of 36 confirmed diagnoses on June 13; 36 on June 14; 27 on June 15; and 25 on June 18. Given that there were likely more positives from Ditans outpatient department alone, the city likely also underreported data for those dates. Large-Scale Testing The city began requiring certain residents to take nucleic acid tests, including those who recently visited the Xinfadi food marketwhere authorities have attributed the source of the latest outbreakor those who live in neighborhoods near the market. Residents complained about the testing. A migrant worker in Beijing who planned to return to his hometown took a test on June 24, as authorities currently prevent people from leaving Beijing unless they have a negative nucleic acid test result that was performed within the past seven days. A medical worker takes a swab from a resident at a COVID-19 testing station in Beijing on June 30, 2020. (Lintao Zhang/Getty Images) The worker told the Chinese-language Epoch Times in a phone interview that he hadnt received the test result as of June 27, and had to sleep in the train station while he waited. The worker said he was worried that the hospital where he got tested wouldnt send the result within seven daysthen the test result would have expired. Beijing resident Wang Tianhe similarly said he took a test on June 22 but hadnt received the result as of June 27. Wang needs the test result to continue working. Authorities have required workers in certain occupations, such as restaurants and courier services, to show a negative nucleic acid test result before they go to work. Lockdown Hebei is the province that surrounds Beijing. After the virus resurgence in June, Hebei has since announced just 12 diagnosed patients in the entire province. For June 27, the provincial government didnt report any new infections, but locked down Anxin county to prevent the virus from spreading. State-run media Xinhua reported that all residents in Anxin, except very sick people who need to be treated at hospitals or working staff who enforce the lockdown rules, must stay at home. Only one person from each household is allowed to go out shopping for basic necessities once per day. According to Hebei official statistics, Anxin had about 458,000 residents as of 2018. Local authorities have kept quiet about the outbreak, despite strict measures. The Epoch Times obtained an internal document that was issued by the Anxin county government on June 13, in which it ordered all officials to tightly control public opinion and not expose outbreak-related information. All outbreak-related information can only be published by the provincial government, the document stated. An internal document detailing mandatory testing for key groups in Hebei Province. (Provided to The Epoch Times) Another set of internal documents that The Epoch Times obtained showed that Hebei Province also ordered large-scale testing on residents. In a June 24 notice, the provincial government requested that key groups be tested twice within three days. These groups include school teachers, students, new patients at each local hospital, people who arrived in Hebei recently, people who work in environments where workers are physically close to each other, and so on. Occupiers of the so-called CHOP on the right and Seattle police officers on the left as police clear the area on July 1, 2020. (Aron Ranen/AP Photo) Barr Praises Police Chief for Restoring Rule of Law in Seattle Following Autonomous Zone Clearing Attorney General William Barr on Wednesday commended Seattle police chief for taking action to restore order after parts of the city were occupied by protestors for weeks in a so-called autonomous zone known as Capitol Hill Organized Protest zone, or CHOP. His remarks come after Seattle police officers moved in to clear the area early on Wednesday in an effort to disperse the demonstrators in the Capitol Hill neighborhood who had occupied the area since June 26. The police officers were enforcing an executive order by Mayor Jenny Durkan issued on Wednesday, declaring the gathering in CHOP as an unlawful assembly. I commend Police Chief Carmen Best for her courage and leadership in restoring the rule of law in Seattle. For the past several weeks, the Capitol Hill area of Seattle was occupied by protesters who denied access to police and other law enforcement personnel, Barr said in a statement. He said that Best had rightly committed to further discussions about the distrust of law enforcement by members of the African-American community while ending violent defiance of the law. He noted that the autonomous zone had become a haven for violent crime, citing shootings that took place in and around the zone, which had resulted in the deaths of two teenagers. The people of Seattle should be grateful to Chief Best and her Department for their professional and steadfast defense of the rule of law, Barr said. The message of todays action is simple but significant: the Constitution protects the right to speak and assemble freely, but it provides no right to commit violence or defy the law, and such conduct has no place in a free society governed by law. In a statement on Wednesday, Best said although she supports the peaceful demonstrations and call for meaningful change following the death of George Floyd, CHOP had become a lawless and brutal zone. Four shootingstwo fatalrobberies, assaults, violence, and countless property crimes have occurred in this several block area, Best said. [E]nough is enough. According to statistics from the department, 65 criminal incidents took place and were reported to authorities in the area from June 8 to June 30. That was an increase from 37 in the previous year. Meanwhile, response times to crime reports in the CHOP soared in recent weeks because occupiers repeatedly blocked police officers from entering. The police operation to vacate the area is still ongoing on Wednesday afternoon. The police department said on social media that they had so far made 32 arrests for failure to disperse, obstruction, assault, and unlawful weapon possession. Officers have also issued a number of dispersal orders since the morning and are continuing to ask groups and individuals to leave the area. Barr was previously asked in an interview with Fox News whether the federal government had a responsibility to intervene in restoring order in CHOP. The attorney general said that in the first instance, the local and state officials have the responsibility to protect its citizens, but he added that at the end of the day, the federal government does have a responsibility to make sure citizens are not deprived of their federal rights, without disclosing any specific plans about what they were going to do about the area. The attorney general has said that he understands the concerns expressed by protesters about police misconduct and injustices of the criminal justice system and is taking steps to address those issues. But, he has repeatedly warned about extremist agitators who have hijacked the protests to pursue their own agendas. We have evidence that Antifa and other similar extremist groups, as well as actors of a variety of different political persuasions, have been involved in instigating and participating in the violent activity, he said in a previous press conference. We are also seeing foreign actors playing all sides to exacerbate the violence. The death of Floyd, a black man who died while in Minneapolis police custody, has ignited widespread outrage triggering protests and riots across the country. Zachary Stieber contributed to this report. SpaceX has successfully started its 11th-year mission by loading a next-generation GPS Block III into space for the US Space Force. On June 30, a shiny white Falcon 9 rocket hit the skies, launching from the Space Launch Complex 40 in Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida. Due to the high winds, the liftoff was 15 minutes behind schedule, but a final check showed the launch was a "go." and the rocket had a spectacular showing the afternoon. Also Read: SpaceX is Cleared for Falcon 9 Launch; Has the Weather Favorability Improved? SpaceX launch is part of the continued effort to upgrade The launch is part of the Defense Department's continued effort to update GPS satellites in space, Space.com reported. It also marks the Pentagon's formal acceptance of Musk's concept of recovering and reusing efficient and cost-effective rocket launches, The Wall Street Journal wrote. Around 20 years ago, the constellation of aging GPS satellites was launched and technology changed through time. For years, Pentagon space managers skeptical about the vertical landing and reuse of rockets flying outside the atmosphere. There were many concerns that the primary mission has reduced fuel reserves when fuel has to be reserved to slow down the return booster before its landing on a specially equipped recovery vessel. However, Space Exploration Technologies Corp. decided to marginally reduce the costs for the new release in exchange for Pentagon permission to seek and exchange the most costly and most significant portion of the booster. This was after lengthy negotiations between Musks' crew and military launch officers. Also Read: NASA's Space Station Program Manager Retires As International Space Station is About to Upgrade What are its features? It is the third GPS satellite of its kind designed by Lockheed Martin to be launched and linked to two others, as it already is in space. The second satellite was launched in August 2019, on top of the very new Delta IV Medium rocket in December 2018 and on another Falcon 9 rocket. Space force estimates that the GPS spacecraft launched on this flight provides expanded capacities, enhanced protection, and effects for up to four billion users worldwide. The GPS will enter a geosynchronous orbit and work onboard with other existing GPS III satellites and with other previously operating US-operated GPS satellites. Several new features are also included in the revamped spacecraft. For example, in other navigational constellations such as Europe's Galileo constellation, it can communicate with satellites. This allows users to connect to even more space-based satellites, making them even more accurate. The new load of GPS satellites also has a longer lifespan, which will enable them to live longer in space. Col. Ediward Byrne, a senior executive of the Medium Earth Orbit program, said the new GPS 3 satellites would provide "gold standard of position, navigation and timing." He added that the new GPS satellite has three times better accuracy and up to eight times improved anti-jam capabilities than its predecessor. Three rockets were launched by SpaceX in June. July is another busy month for the private company due to the delay of its latest Starlink mission. The next Starlink mission is scheduled for launch on July 8 and will carry two BlackSky earth observation satellites. 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Zhang Xiaoming, deputy director of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council, speaks at a press conference in Beijing on July 1, 2020. (Greg Baker/AFP via Getty Images) Beijing Threatens Retaliation for US Plans to Sanction Officials Who Erode Hong Kongs Freedoms Beijing on July 1 defended its controversial national security law for Hong Kong and slammed the United States for its potential sanctions against Chinese officials. Zhang Xiaoming, deputy director of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs OfficeBeijings top agency for handling those territories policiessaid at a press conference that countries that wanted to sanction Chinese officials were thinking in the logic of robbers. He added that the law was Chinas internal affairs and said it was none of the businesses of these countries. The U.S. Statement Department announced last week that it will impose visa restrictions on Chinese Communist Party (CCP) officials involved in eroding Hong Kongs autonomy and freedoms. State Department Spokesperson Morgan Ortagus said on Twitter that the visa restrictions will also target CCP officials behind the national security law. The national security law went into effect on June 30 after ceremonial votes by Chinas rubber-stamp legislature, the National Peoples Congress (NPC). The law criminalizes individuals for any acts of subversion, secession, terrorism, and collusion with foreign forces, with maximum penalties of life imprisonment. Zhang said that Beijing had announced its own visas restrictions on U.S. individuals who have acted maliciously on issues related to Hong Kong. In his remarks, Zhang cited recent announcements by U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross on revoking Hong Kongs special trading status and stopping its defense equipment exports to Hong Kong, as well as imposing similar export restrictions on Hong Kong as it does on China on U.S. defense and dual-use technologies. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo holds a joint news conference on the International Criminal Court at the State Department in Washington on June 11, 2020. (Yuri Gripas/AFP via Getty Images) On June 29, Pompeo announced on Twitter that the United States will not be deterred from taking action to respond to the CCPs threats to restrict visas for U.S. citizens, characterising the CCPs move as a refusal to accept responsibility for breaking its commitment to the people of Hong Kong. Zhang said on July 1 that if the U.S. government makes a move, Beijing and the Hong Kong government will surely retaliate. He also hit back at suggestions that China was replacing one country, two systemsa framework by which Beijing promised to preserve Hong Kongs autonomy upon the citys transfer of sovereignty from Britain to China in 1997with one country, one system. If that was Beijings intention, Zhang argued that Beijing could simply impose Chinese laws, including the criminal law, on Hong Kong. He elaborated the law was to guide one country, two systems more in the direction of one country. Shen Chunyao, head of the Legislative Affairs Commission of the NPC Standing Committee, who was also at the press conference, claimed that that the new law had widespread support among all of the Chinese citizens including people in Hong Kong, and the law reflected their wills. A poll by local newspaper Ming Pao conducted in early June showed that 64 percent were against Beijings decision to bypass Hong Kongs legislature to propose a national security law in the Chinese-ruled city. Members of the pan-democracy camp hold a press conference in Hong Kong on July 1, 2020. (Song Bilung/The Epoch Times) The pro-democracy camp in Hong Kong also held a press conference on Wednesday morning, where lawmaker Claudia Mo said that press freedom could be pronounced dead after new supervision measures against media organizations under the national security law. A provision in the national security stipulates that the Hong Kong government will take necessary measures to strengthen public communication, guidance, supervision and regulation over matters concerning security, including those relating to schools, social organisations, the media and the internet. Anita Yip, vice chairwoman of Hong Kong Bar Association, raised concerns on Wednesday about a lack of clear definition of the four offenses under the lawsecession, subversion, terrorism, and collusion with foreign forceslocal media RTHK reported. We all understand the reason why there is concern is really that we all know national security is defined in a very flexible, in a very wide fashion in China, and the understanding of national security in China and Hong Kong has always been different because of the two systems, Yip said. So we have reasons to believe that it may be subject to an unacceptably wide power of interpretation, she added. Voters fill out their ballots for the presidential primary in a log cabin run by the American Legion in San Anselmo, Calif., on March 3, 2020. (Josh Edelson/AFP via Getty Images) Californians to Decide Whether 17-Year-Olds Can Vote in Primaries California voters in November will be asked to determine if 17-year-olds should be allowed to vote in future primary elections. If passed by the majority of voters, the Nov. 3 ballot measure would allow any U.S. citizen who is 17 and a resident of the state, and who will be at least 18 years of age at the time of the next general election, to vote in any primary or special election that precedes it. Both the state Assembly and Senate passed ACA 4 (Assembly Constitutional Amendment 4) with the required two-thirds majority vote in time to qualify the ballot measure for the general electionbut not all representatives agree with the proposed amendment to the state Constitution. Most Democrats say granting 17-year-olds the right to vote in primaries will improve voter participation rates and civic engagement among young people. Most Republicans contend it wont make much of a difference. First-time voters should have the opportunity to participate in a full election cycle, the primary and general, Assemblyman Kevin Mullin (D-San Mateo) said during a Senate committee hearing on June 23. ACA 4 would create an opportunity to engage first-time votersmany high school seniors, for exampleand boost the youth voter turnout by allowing 17-year-olds to vote in the primary election, provided, and this is an important distinction, that they will be 18 by the time of the general election. Sen. Andreas Borgeas (R-Fresno) said the bill left him scratching his head at the inconsistencies in how adulthood is defined. You must be 21 years of age to drink. You dont get to drink six months or a few months before you hit 21 because youre that close, Borgeas said. Youve got to be 18 years old to gamble, or 21 if its in a casino, depending on the state. You dont get to walk into a gambling operation if youre a few months away from 18. Lowering the voting age will not increase voter participation, he said, but just creates another strange irregularity. We have a horrible turnout when it comes to young folks turning out and being part of the democratic process. Thats abysmal. Thats unacceptable. But this is not going to be the answer, he said. They Care Very Much About Their Community Dr. Mindy Romero is the founder and director of the California Civic Engagement Project (CCEP) at the University of Southern Californias Sol Price School of Public Policy. She testified at the June 23 Senate hearing, and said that youth political participation is low in our society. In any given election across the United States, the turnout of eligible young people from 18 to 24 years old ranges from 20 to 40 percentage points lower than older age groups, Romero said. In a recent analysis of the March 3, 2020, state primary elections, the overall turnout rate among eligible voters for the total electorate was 34 percent, according to the CCEP. But among eligible voters age 18 to 24, the turnout was 16 percentcompared to 56 percent among voters over 65 years old. The youth number decreased by a percentage point from the 2016 primary, she said, while total electorate participation increased four percentage points. Everybody increased, but youth actually decreased. Again, were seeing a 40-percentage-point gap, Romero said. Romero said more work needs to be done to examine the reasons for the disparities in voter participation among the different age groups. Younger voters are uncertain about the process of voting, she said, and a public education system that lacks a robust civics program adds to the dilemma. Young people often find it difficult to connect the voting process to what they care about, Romero saidthough theyre not apathetic. They care very much about their community. Though many young people are informed and want to see changes in the world around them, they dont see often how voting itself is an actionable step to get there, she said. Anything we can do to increase that saliency is absolutely critical. Research shows that voting is habit-forming, and that mock debates and mock elections increase the likelihood that young people will take the steps to register and vote, she said. We know that if we get them young, theyre much more likely to continue to vote through their life course, Romero said. In a June 25 Senate hearing, Sen. Jim Nielsen (R-Tehama) said the same arguments were made when the voting age was lowered from 21 to 18 in 1971which he said hasnt led to a rise in voter participation rates among young people. In these many ensuing years, what has happened? Have those youthful voters gotten more engaged? Obviously not. These statistics are terrible, Nielsen said. In K12 education, our civic education is just about nonexistent. Were not motivating them. Nielsen said that since the Greatest Generation of the World War II era, each generation of Americans has become increasingly complacent and has taken the right to vote for granted, not realizing how sacred that right is viewed in other countries around the world. One thing about this generation: Maybe its been a bit too easy for them, Nielsen said. Even if the measure passes on Nov. 3, Nielsen said he doubts that 17-year-olds will come swarming into the polls. I would hope so. But I doubt it, he said. A young boy puts filled-out ballots into a box in a polling station at the San Francisco Columbarium & Funeral Home in San Francisco on March 3, 2020. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) Encouraging Civic Engagement Civic engagement cant start soon enough, said Sen. Holly Mitchell (D-Los Angeles). She doesnt see a problem with 17-year-olds voting in the primaries. What is the harm in that? Lets be clear: Voting turnout is abysmal across age groups. So lets not criminalize young people, she said. Those in the front lines of most social justice movements throughout history have been young people. The civil rights movement is a perfect example of that, Mitchell said. If we capture the attention and the interest of young people fresh out of U.S. history, California history, civics classes in high school, maybe we can help turn the tide in terms of increasing voter turnout across the state. Sen. Bob Archuleta (D-Pico Rivera) said that since many high school students sign up for the military when they are 17, they should also be able to vote in primaries. The question is: What are you afraid of? Archuleta asked. Are you afraid of the young men and women that are protesting up and down the streets who are about that age? Are you afraid the fact is that they will change the society in such a way that now we see equality and fairness? I think we should understand this is the new wave, and we should support it, and I support the bill. According to Assemblyman Evan Low (D-Silicon Valley), a joint author of the bill with Mullin, 17 other states allow 17-year-olds to vote in primaries. California voters will weigh in on Nov. 3. China Opened the Three Gorges Dam, Flooding Cities; Swine Flu 2.0 Chinese state media reported the floodgates were opened in order to free up storage capacity to meet possible floods in the near future, while a local official claims it was for power generation. Epoch Times had previously received leaked government documents showing that authorities opened the floodgates, as heavy rains had caused waters to rise above the flood threshold. This followed reports of the CCP secretly releasing waters from the dam, which flooded the entire city of Yichang. Residents in the path of the flood were not alerted ahead of time, and many were killed, including by electrocution from not shutting off power ahead of time. And China has announced a vaccine for the new coronavirus, after it skipped the final test phase, and will now begin testing it on Brazilians. These stories and more in this episode of Crossroads. Crossroads is an Epoch Times show available on Facebook and YouTube. Join Patreon to Support Crossroads: https://www.patreon.com/Crossroads_Josh The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter James is seen on deck as wrapped packages of approximately 27,300 pounds of cocaine and 11,000 pounds marijuana is prepared to be offloaded at Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., on Oct. 28, 2019. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images) Chinese National Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering for Drug Cartels A Chinese national pleaded guilty on Monday to conspiracy to commit money laundering in connection with laundering more than $4 million in drug proceeds generated by large-scale cocaine trafficking in the United States. Xueyong Wu, 40, had relationships with Latin American drug cartels and laundered their U.S.-based proceeds generated through the movement of cocaine or payment for cocaine to appear as if the money came from legitimate sources, the Department of Justice said in a statement. Wu repatriated the funds illegally obtained by Latin American drug trafficking organizations to Mexico by passing them through a complex series of financial transactions to hide their criminal origin, according to the statement. He was given a percentage of the money he laundered as compensation for organizing these shady dealings. Much of the money he handled came from cocaine trafficking within the Eastern District of Virginia, the department said. U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema accepted Wus plea, according to a statement by U.S. Attorney of Eastern District of Virginia. Wu is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 29, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, said the U.S. Attorneys statement. A federal district court judge will determine the actual sentence but sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties, according to this statement. Wu, known as Antonio, was also indicted on participation in cocaine trafficking with actors from Mexico, Colombia, Guatemala, Belize, China, and the United States, according to court documents. However, these charges were dropped after Wu pleaded guilty to money laundering, reported Borderland Beat. Money Laundering Under the Bank Secrecy Act, banks are obligated to implement measures to detect and report to the government money laundering schemes, according to the Department of Treasury. Information technology powered by artificial intelligence, machine learning, and big data provides effective tools to analyze financial transactions that can detect money laundering patterns. Money laundering is typically a three-step process, as explained by the Financial Action Task Force, an international money laundering and terrorist financing watchdog established by G-7 countries. The first step, called placement, is to put illicit profits into the legitimate financial system. It can be accomplished via bank deposits, money transfers, purchasing money orders, or funneled via a business owned by a criminal organization like a casino, for example. Once the funds enter the financial systems, a technique called layering is used to hide the source of money. The placed funds can then be transferred several times between banks in several countries, or used for loans. In the third phase, called integration, the money enters the legitimate economy through the purchase of luxury assets or investment. Consequences of Recreational Cannabis Use According to Chinese Medicine The inspiration and creativity that can accompany cannabis use come at the expense of authentic growth and well-being Many people are drawn to cannabis for the feeling it imbues, but cannabis has side effects and problems with overuse. Most users choose to ignore these problems due to its psychedelic effects. One of the best ways to understand how cannabis affects our health is through the principles of traditional Chinese medicine. While these concepts may seem unfamiliar, regular users of cannabis may find they offer a clear explanation of their experience. The 3 Treasures Chinese medicine focuses on what are known as the Three Treasures that constitute our life. These are known as Jing (essence), Qi (vitality), and Shen (spirit). The goal of Chinese medicine practitioners is to harmonize the Three Treasures. Jing, or, essence, is a non-renewable substance that is the basis of growth, development, and reproduction. Concepts from western science that may be useful to understand Jing are DNA and neural crest cells. Neural crest cells are almost like the seed cells that our body grows from when we are just beginning to form as an embryo. DNA is also a useful idea, since DNA accumulates damage over time and can no longer perform its function properly, leading to aging, according to the DNA damage theory of aging. In a sense, DNA runs out, and can no longer help us reproduce healthy cells and stay young. Qi is a concept many people are familiar with. It is the energy that drives the body, the difference between living tissue and dead. Qi is obtained by the energy we get from food and breathing and is what drives the various circulations and movements of our body. Shen, or spirit, is responsible for consciousness. It drives cognition, our emotional life, and who we are as a being. Understanding the three treasures will help you understand how marijuana affects the users according to Chinese medicine. Burning Jing Using cannabis takes Jing and rapidly turns it into Qi and Shen, thus, you lose a lot of essence over time, but gain a temporary boost in vitality and spirit. Since your body is releasing Jing faster than the body can assimilate it, it runs out more quickly. Its inefficient, like a car that has more power but less fuel economy. This would be similar to going to college with a large trust fund only to overspend it and find yourself penniless after a mere two years into your four-year degree. Overspending your allotted Jing makes one understand why people who consume a lot of drugs might look like they are aging faster than is normal. Of course, like the student who blows through their trust fund, there are certain experiences that the user may pursue. That rapid transfusion of Jing can fuel inspiration and activity. It may explain why cannabis users are often artists or creative. They want to be in deep alignment with their spirit and shine brightly into the world. There is an expanded creative process. But, longer-term, there is a weakened visionary process and inability to take action. This is why many marijuana users are full of grand ideas but are unable to complete what theyve begun. They lose the ability to execute. The continuous depletion of the Jing can create further issues such as depression, insomnia, lack of motivation, and a diminished sex drive. Artificial Enlightenment If you find yourself attracting a lot of friends who regularly use cannabis, you might have a gift for attracting people who are seeking enlightenment and transformation. Cannabis use, especially when used recreationally, can lead to new insights and open channels of creativity, though these discoveries can seem less powerful in the sober light of day. Cannabis users may feel they have gained a deeper spiritual connection. True spiritual cultivation requires the practitioner to still the mind and open the heart to gain a truer sense of reality. Marijuana users may gain a semblance of this experience, though it can also be contaminated by their personal issues. Nevertheless, this feeling can be deeply stirring. Many are addicted to this feeling, and therefore continue to use cannabis despite the fact that the enlightenment that they felt was only fleetingly attainable and not sustainable. In order to attain the enlightenment that we seek, we must integrate and assimilate the information more than once to be able to transform, not just access it once or twice quickly and artificially. When at the peak of health, many have experienced highs practicing yoga, tai qi, and meditation, leading to longer-lasting positive insights and energy. Transcendental Meditation, Buddhism and Daoist practices also aim for enlightenment. While the wording is different, this is the same goal of other religious practitioners. Christians describe a feeling of being closer to God. The difference between these natural ways to seek enlightenment and recreational drug use is that the latter is the lazy way to find enlightenment because no work was involved. Its artificial. Cannabis can give the feeling of elevating, but without actually changing the person. There are also negative side effects from the body trying to re-balance due to the impact of the drug. Recreation Versus Addiction There is a fine line between recreational use of any drug and addiction. I was told by a patient, If I dont smoke weed, then I cant shut off my brain. I do calculus problems as Im trying to sleep, and I never get any rest! This reminded me of all the genius peers I saw from middle school to college who smoked cannabis in order to get some peace of mind. But in many cases, their grades started dropping after continuous cannabis use. The woman above is a chemical engineering student and mother of three. She was forced to stop smoking when she became pregnant with her third child, and came to me for help. She was a patient even before getting pregnant. I would watch with interest as she would tell me a story, but as the ending got near, her temper would flare: she would raise her voice (volume, tempo, and pitch), and revealed that she couldnt control her emotions. This is a side effect of marijuana, leading to an imbalance of what Chinese medicine describes as liver fire. Sometimes, she would end her story shaking and crying, only to move on to another subject almost immediately. I knew she was a regular cannabis user even before she told me. This liver fire is related to the mood swings cannabis users can display. Recovering From Cannabis For all the creative vision cannabis can provide (though this typically diminishes over time), it uses a tremendous amount of resources. We must guard our Jing like the treasure that it is. If you use cannabis, its critical to keep an awareness about usage in order to know how many resources it consumes. It seems innocuous at first, but it takes a toll, and its a heavy price to pay. The loss of motivation and complacent attitude of many long-term cannabis users reflects this price. Depending on frequency of consumption, reducing or eliminating cannabis will yield similar results to any type of detox, such as cravings and irritability. Therefore, it is best to find a ritual during the transition process. For patients who refuse to quit smoking, herbal remedies such as Sha Shen Mai Men Dong will help to protect their yin and kidney organs. Cannabis as an Escape Understanding why the cannabis user is trying to self-medicate and what they are trying to escape might be difficult in the midst of drug-use. If someone has a long-standing relationship with drugs or alcohol, it is good to ask at what age they started using recreational drugs, as this is the time that their psychological growth was stunted. For instance, if someone started using at age 15, then there may have been something at that age that they couldnt handle and drugs were an easy escape. If the same person decides to get sober at age 25, there is a whole new set of rules and responsibilities that the world will impose on them and that they may struggle with. Being sober may be hard without help from therapists or mentors. The new sober world might prove to be too much for them and they may relapse. Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is a free program and is translatable to any drug. The program is free, meets worldwide, and has weekly lessons along with mentors to help people grow up and stay clean. J.R. Zalk holds a masters degree in Chinese medicine from Middlesex University in London and is a licensed acupuncturist living in Boulder, Colo. Milosh Zeman, president of the Czech Republic, addresses the 72nd session of the General Assembly at the United Nations in New York, on Sept. 19, 2017. (Don Emmert/AFP/Getty Images) Czech President Says All Lives Matter Calling Black Lives Matter Slogan Racist Czech President Milos Zeman said, The slogan Black Lives Matter is a racist slogan, because all lives matter, in a speech delivered at the celebration of U.S. Independence Day at the American Embassy in Prague on June 30. I am here not only as an independent citizen, I am here also as a friend of America. And in both positions, I say that the slogan Black Lives Matter is a racist slogan, because all lives matter, Zeman said at the celebration. We celebrate the independence of citizens, of the faith, and of the nations, he said. He said the independence of citizens is under attack in both the Czech Republic and the United States. This danger cannot be omitted. And we must face it, he said, referring to recent street riots, the toppling of monuments, and the burning of cars taking place in both countries. Some people who take part in these events declare themselves value leaders, or even opinion leaders, Zeman said. We need free thinking, we need common sense, he said. We do not need any big brothers who will say what the values are, or any new opinion leader. Zeman said he upholds the values and traditions passed down by his parents. U.S. Ambassador to the Czech Republic Stephen King recalled in his speech the celebration of cultural ties between both countries and the support extended by the United States to the Czech nation at challenging times. To celebrate the values associated with Independence Day, I would like to share with you the message of unity I delivered at our July 4 reception. As I told our guests: In 1776, our founders set down the principles of liberty, self-government, equality, and unity. pic.twitter.com/oFOvsEnBv7 Ambassador King (@USAmbPrague) July 1, 2020 Our founders set down the principles of liberty, self-government, equality, and unity. Since then, we have continuously strived to further these values. Even when we disagree, we hold true to these ideas and continue to demand a more perfect union, King said. I hope that when you look at America you will always see the value of creating and maintaining stable and open democratic institutions, and societies, built on the bedrock principles of freedom and prosperity. Black Lives Matter Movement Protesters hold signs during a march in Chicago on June 28, 2020. (Natasha Moustache/Getty Images) The Black Lives Matter movement, which has come to be associated with recent race riots following the death of George Floyd, has become an influential player in U.S. politics, as it has gained a following by claiming that blacks are systematically targeted. The radical left-wing movement, which calls for defunding the police and providing blacks with reparations because their ancestors were enslaved before the Civil War, gained respect for its political pull on both sides of the aisle on Capitol Hill, although Democratic lawmakers are vastly more supportive of it than Republicans. The Black Lives Matter Global Network, a global nonprofit, was founded in 2013 after George Zimmerman was acquitted of murder in the killing of Trayvon Martin. The group says its mission is to eradicate white supremacy and build local power to intervene in violence inflicted on Black communities by the state and vigilantes. Black Lives Matter activists are pushing to defund police departments across the United States, and some have said they want the departments abolished, a situation thats unfolding in Minneapolis. Leaders in the movement have declined to condemn the rioting and looting thats taken place in tandem with protests over alleged police brutality and racial injustice. Hawk Newsome, a New York-area leader of the group, drew criticism, including from President Donald Trump, after saying last week, If this country doesnt give us what we want, then we will burn down this system and replace it. Matthew Vadum, Zachary Stieber contributed to this report. Ecocide Law Would Criminalize Free Enterprise Commentary First, it was Pope Francis. Now, it is French President Emmanuel Macron. Both leaders have added their considerable moral heft in support of a radical environmentalist proposal to add the new crime of ecocide to the Rome Statute that outlaws genocide, ethnic cleansing, and other crimes against humanity. Ecocide, which literally translates into killing our home, doesnt attempt to define proper environmental practices. Rather, it would criminally punish the management of corporations that engage in large-scale exploitation of natural resourcespolluting and non-pollutingwith imprisonment in the Hague. Such a 5th international crime against peace would deter prosperity-producing enterprises such as fracking, timber cutting, mining, petroleum extraction, and commercial fishing. Heres the nub: If company heads know they could be personally prosecuted in the International Criminal Court (ICC) for such efforts, they will leave natural gas in the ground, refuse to generate electricity, abandon planned housing developments, close copper mines, dry dock fishing fleets, and even keep potentially fecund farmland from being cleared and plowed. Of course, that would be precisely the point. Ecocide would be shockingly easy to commitand would not even require the intent to cause destruction because it would punish outcomes. Even an accidental polluting event, or large-scale non-fouling projects could land company CEOs in the ICC dock. Here is the definition of the would-be crime offered by the This is Ecocide website: Ecocide is the extensive damage to, destruction of or loss of ecosystem(s) of a given territory, whether by human agency or by other causes, to such an extent that peaceful enjoyment by the inhabitants of that territory has been or will be severely diminished. Note that peaceful enjoyment by the inhabitants is a decidedly elastic term. It isnt limited to human beings but could also include everything from insects, fish, mice, snakes, birds, and other beasts of the field. Moreover, the diminishment of peaceful enjoyment wouldnt require actual pollution. And what in the world is a given territory? It could mean almost anything. The very concept is profoundly subversive. First, equating resource extraction and/or pollution with genocide belittles true evils such as the slaughter in Rwanda, the gulags, and the death camps. Second, criminalizing the alteration of nature would corrode human exceptionalism by falsely elevating environmental systems and territory inhabitants to the moral status of people. Perhaps even more perniciously, threatening CEOs with prison for pursing industrial activities would bring industrialization to a screeching halt as it also trapped the worlds destitute populations in their misery by chilling efforts to upgrade economies by extracting natural resources. But Wesley, shouldnt we maintain a clean environment? Of course. But that can be done with proper regulations, the legal requirement of remediation after polluting events, and vigorous application of civil law. Consider how difficult it already is to launch new industrial or infrastructure projects. First, the environmental impact reports. Then, the endless permit process. Finally, once permission is finally obtained years later, the lawsuits fly. It is amazing anything gets done at all. The ecocide movement also disregards the tremendous progress made since the bad old days of easier despoliation thanks to stronger environmental protection laws and greater popular support for cleaner technologies. When I was a boy in Los Angles, for example, we could not see the San Gabriel Mountains in the summer for the smog, even though they were a mere 20 miles from my home. Good grief, a U.S. river even caught fire! Today, particulate air pollution is greatly reduced, our waterways are cleaner, toxic dumping has come under greater scrutiny, and conservation regulations are helping to restore stocks depleted by overfishing. Such earth-friendlier industrial policies maintain proper environmental standards as they concomitantly permit economic growth and the employment of millions. But, you might say, wouldnt an ecocide law also have salubrious effects, such as stimulating the development of renewable sources of electricity? Not necessarily. Windmills kill millions of birds and bats, which some environmentalists have already condemned as ecocide. Mass solar farms also destroy the natural environment and diminish the enjoyment by the inhabitants of the territories upon which they are constructed. Dams? They obliterate natural river ecologies. What about nuclear power? Forget about it. What utility company CEO would undertake such a massive project knowing that he or she could be imprisoned as the moral equal of the butcher Radovan Karadzic if there were an accidental Fukushima-like catastrophic event? Readers may be tempted to roll their eyes and snort, It will never happen here. Anyone who says such a thing has been unconscious for the last 50 years. Beyond that, such unfounded complacency is precisely the attitude that could allow it to happen herea potential made the more possible by Pope Francis and Macrons misguided support. The ecocide movement can still be stopped. But that will require us all to take the threat seriously. Unfortunately, most are either blissfully unaware of the threat or blithely assuming it is all empty talk. That leaves the field open to serious subversives actively planning to throttle our future prosperity in an environmentalist stranglehold. Award-winning author Wesley J. Smith is the chairman of the Discovery Institutes Center on Human Exceptionalism and author of The War on Humans. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. Ex-Officer Charged With Murder in Atlanta Shooting Released on Bail The former police officer who was charged with murder in the shooting of Rayshard Brooks was released on bail Wednesday. Garrett Rolfe, 27, was granted a bond of $500,000 late Tuesday by a Fulton County Superior Court judge. Prosecutors argued Rolfe represented a flight risk. Judge Jane Barwick disagreed, siding with Rolfes lawyers. There is sufficient convincing factors in front of me that he does have sufficient ties to the community and he is not a flight risk, Barwick said at the hearing. I do not believe that he is a danger to the community. Former Atlanta police officer Garrett Rolfe (R) appears on a television screen with attorney Lance LoRusso in Atlanta, Ga., on June 30, 2020. (Brynn Anderson/AP Photo) Superior Court Judge Jane C. Barwick speaks at a bond hearing for former police officer Garrett Rolfe in Atlanta, Ga., on June 30, 2020. (Brynn Anderson/Pool/AFP via Getty Images) Barwick ordered Rolfe to surrender his passport, wear an ankle monitor, and abide by a curfew from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. each day. Rolfe was also forbidden from having any communication with Atlanta Police Department officers, relatives of Brooks, or any potential witnesses. The former officer cant possess any firearms, the judge ruled. The lawyers representing Brookss family, L. Chris Stewart and Justin Miller, said in a statement after the bond was set, While the family of Rayshard Brooks is disappointed that his killer was granted bond today, they understand that this is just one step in the long quest for justice for Rayshard. Tomika Miller, Brookss widow, spoke during the virtual hearing. I say no to it, she said to Rolfes prospective release. Because mentally, Im not able to handle it. On a video conference call, Tomika Miller, widow of Rayshard Brooks, speaks to Judge Jane C. Barwick during a bond hearing for former Atlanta police officer Garrett Rolfe, in Atlanta, Ga., on June 30, 2020. (Brynn Anderson/Pool/AFP via Getty Images) The exterior of the Gwinnett County Jail in Lawrenceville, Ga., on June 30, 2020. (Elijah Nouvelage/Getty Images) Charges Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard charged Rolfe with felony murder and 10 other charges less than a week after Brooks was fatally shot in a Wendys parking lot. Rolfe and another officer, Devin Brosnan, responded on June 12 to a call about a car being parked in the drive-through, blocking other cars, with the driver being asleep or passed out. Brooks failed a sobriety test. When officers moved to arrest him, he resisted, prompting a scuffle. Brooks stole Brosnans stun gun and fired it at the officers. Footage from body cameras and the Wendys shows Brooks moving away from Rolfe but reaching back to fire the stun gun. Rolfe fired several shots from his gun, striking Brooks twice in the back. The manner of death was homicide, according to an autopsy report obtained by The Epoch Times. Rayshard Brooks speaking with Officer Garrett Rolfe as Rolfe writes notes during a field sobriety test in the parking lot of a Wendys restaurant, in Atlanta, Ga., on June 12, 2020. (Atlanta Police Department via AP) Rayshard Brooks (C) struggling with Officers Garrett Rolfe (L) and Devin Brosnan in the parking lot of a Wendys restaurant, in Atlanta, Ga., on June 13, 2020. (Atlanta Police Department via AP) Rolfes lawyers and Steven Gaynor, the president of Cobb County Fraternal Order of Police, a police union, argue that Rolfe was justified in the shooting. Howard told reporters last month that at the time Brooks was shot, he did not pose an immediate threat of death or serious physical injuries to the officer or officers. When an officer is pursuing a fleeing suspect, then the officer may not use deadly force to stop, unless the officer believes that the suspect poses an immediate threat or death or of serious physical injury to that officer, Howard said. Rolfes lawyers say he heard a sound like a gunshot after Brooks fired the stun gun. Brosnan, who is facing several lesser charges, was released on bail on June 18. Toronto police question Lu Ping over his delivery of Crescent Chau's anti-Falun Gong tabloid on June 30, 2007, at the Asian Farm grocery store in northeast Toronto. (NTDTV) EXCLUSIVE: Internal Chinese Regime Document Shows Money Trail Behind Defamation Campaign in Canada An internal Chinese regime document obtained by The Epoch Times reveals operations by agents of a notorious Chinese Communist Party organization dispatched to carry out a mission in Canada, and the money trail behind a nearly two-decade defamation campaign conducted by a Montreal publication to advance Beijings interests. The document is a 2018 yearly report from the Judicial and Political Committee of the Fangshan District of Beijing, a Chinese Communist Party (CCP) organ that oversees the districts 610 Office, a Gestapo-like secret organization charged with carrying out the CCPs persecution campaign against Falun Dafa adherents. It reports that representatives from the Fangshan District 610 Office came to Montreal, Toronto, and Ottawa to conduct sessions to slander heretical religions, a reference to Falun Dafa. The operation in Canada was conducted in accordance with the requirements of the Central Party Committee and the Municipal Party Committee, the document says. Anti-heretical religion seminars were held with the [Chinese] communities of the three cities to publicize related Chinese laws and regulations for dealing with heretical religions, and basic knowledge of anti-heretical religions, the document reads. The document adds that the mission had the intended effect. Local citizens have a clear understanding of Falun Gong and other heretical religious organizations, expressing that they will not believe in them, will not promote them, and will not participate in their activities. Two Chinese police officers arrest a Falun Dafa adherent at Tiananmen Square in Beijing on Jan. 10, 2000. (Chien-Min Chung/AP Photo) Intelligence bodies, researchers, and defected CCP agents have long documented and spoken publicly about Beijings use of the diaspora to serve its interests overseas, particularly in Canada. But this document shows the direct involvement of a Chinese secret police-type organization in Canada, as well as a direct link between the CCP organization and a Chinese publication in Canada serving the regimes interests. That publication is the Montreal-based Chinese-language Les Presses Chinoises, which the document says is cooperating with the Fangshan District 610 Office to publish content opposing Falun Dafa and leaflets defaming the practice. 42 issues and 62 articles have been published, and 400,000 anti-heretical religion propaganda leaflets have been printed, the document says. It adds that 48 issues of the publication would be published by the end of 2018, each featuring a special section that contains articles slandering Falun Dafa. The document says that all funds have already been paid for 2018. Falun Dafa, also known as Falun Gong, is a spiritual practice consisting of meditative exercises and moral teachings. Adherents of the practice, ruled to be a protected creed by an Ontario Human Rights Tribunal, have been subjected to a severe persecution campaign by the Chinese regime since 1999. New Tactic China expert Yiyang Xia says its eye-opening that the local 610 Office branch has gone beyond the borders of China, going so far as sending agents to Canada to carry out a mission of demonizing Falun Dafa on Canadian soil. The city-level 610 Offices direct operation in the Canadian cities seems to be a new tactic in exporting the persecution of Falun Dafa overseas, said Xia, senior director of research and policy at the Washington-based Human Rights Law Foundation. Previously, we only knew of Chinese embassies and consulates systematically extending the persecution to marginalize and defame Falun Dafa adherents in Western countries. Xia said he was aware of another 610 Office branch funding anti-Falun Dafa activities in Flushing, New York, for years. According to a past report in the Chinese edition of The Epoch Times, the branch behind the activities in Flushing is the Tianjin 610 Office. This latest development in Canada shows that the unusual scheme where a Beijing district-level 610 Office coordinates activities abroad may be a pattern. The CCPs penetration into other countries this way is not very noticeable, but these operations could potentially involve many city-level 610 Office agents interfering with the society in countries outside of China, like the United States and Canada, he said. This is not only a blatant violation of sovereignty of Western countries, it also undermines peoples constitutional rights of freedom of religious beliefs and erodes freedoms in these countries. Winnipeg-based human rights and immigration lawyer David Matas says if the 610 Office agents who came to Canada to carry out the regimes directive of eradicating Falun Dafa had disclosed their true intention for coming to Canada, they wouldnt have been granted visas because they would be coming in for the purpose of fermenting incitement to hatred. Lawyer David Matas in a file photo. (Woody Wu/AFP/Getty Images) My guess is that they didnt disclose the purpose of their visit when making the visa applications, and that would be a violation of the law right here insofar as they come under false pretenses, and its certainly worthwhile making thorough investigations when people come in, Matas said. Foreign Interference Intelligence expert David Harris says Canadian authorities should be investigating the activities of the 610 Office and its agents in Canada. The reports of further variations on Beijings attempts to penetrate Canada and influence Canadians are extremely disturbing in part because they seem to represent an expansion in the influence operations that the Chinese Communist Party undertakes on the sovereign territory of Canada, said Harris, director of the intelligence program at Insignis Strategic Research in Ottawa. In a profound sense, we have the specter of Beijings manipulation of Canadians, their media, and even their government. This is unacceptable for any country, let alone a liberal democracy that values the constitutional rights of all of its citizens, including those who may be Falun Gong practitioners. Harris adds that the Canadian government should investigate this matter in light of the evidence that has emerged, and take appropriate, decisive, diplomatic, and political actions against Beijing. Matas says this is a clear case of foreign interference in Canada. If the Chinese government were to spend that money openly through its Embassy, and this was a publication of the Embassy, that would be inappropriate diplomatic activity, he said. It would be foreign interference in Canadian affairs, and the people who were responsible for such a publication would be expelled from Canada as persona non grata. But Canada lacks the required legislation to confront the issue of foreign interference more effectively, he said. I think when any foreign agency is pumping money into Canada for advocacy purposes, there should be a requirement of registration for that advocacy. It shouldnt be undercover the way it is now, Matas said. In some jurisdictions such as Australia, there are laws in place that require entities acting on behalf of foreign governments to publicly register their names. I think Les Presses Chinoises and its financing is a classic example of the fact that were undefended against this sort of manipulation, Matas said. 610 Office The 610 Office, named after the day it was formed on June 10, 1999, was tasked to coordinate efforts to eradicate Falun Dafa, which had grown too popular in China for the liking of the totalitarian CCP. Government statistics showed that between 70 to 100 million people in China took up the meditation discipline in the 1990s after its introduction to the public in 1992. The CCP organ was formed under the direct command of Jiang Zemin, the Party leader who started the persecution campaign against Falun Dafa in 1999 with the aim of eradicating it completely. Members of the Chinese police stand guard in Beijing in a file photo. (Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images) The 610 Office was provided with extralegal powers, transcending administration power at different jurisdiction levels to coordinate all aspects of the campaign to eliminate Falun Dafa through persecuting its adherents. This included arrest, torture, killings, and propagation of slanderous information about the practice to turn public opinion against it. Hao Fengjun, a former officer with the 610 Office who defected to Australia in 2005, said in past interviews that there are 610 Office branches at each level of the CCP, from the Central Committee all the way down to the provincial, city, and local district-level Party branches. Although there have been reports of some organizational change to the 610 Office, China expert Xia says there has been no fundamental change. He says the only significant change is that since March 2018, the CCP organization overseeing the 610 Office has been changed to the CCP Central Political and Legal Affairs Committee. But for all practical purposes, nothing has changed for the players, and the 610 Office continues its mission of eradicating Falun Dafa, probably under a different name, Xia says. Les Presses Chinoises The internal document shows the financial links between the 610 Office and Les Presses Chinoises, which has been publishing content against Falun Dafa for years. The online archives of Les Presses Chinoises show that most of the weekly papers published for consecutive years have a section titled The Truth of Justice, which parrots the CCPs defamation and condemnation of Falun Dafa and its adherents that is spread by the regime in China. The content usually spans two pages, which contain no ads or any typical news articles. Les Presses Chinoises is owned by Crescent Chau. The Epoch Times contacted Chau for comment but received no response. The paper published its first special edition on the subject in November 2001, which included a petition asking the Chinese community to unite in denouncing Falun Gong. The special edition was an indictment of Falun Dafa, and the content a word-for-word repetition of the CCPs hate propaganda against the practice disseminated in China. University of Montreal history professor David Ownby, who has studied Falun Dafa, has called the articles unsubstantiated filth poured upon the page and said there is no truth to the content. A stack of Crescent Chaus publication, distributed nationwide in 2006. A court found Chaus explanation for how he funded the 100,000-copy, no-advertisement, freely distributed pro-communist newspapers unconvincing, saying it was reasonable to state he was acting as an agent of Beijing. (The Epoch Times) A group of Falun Dafa adherents took Chau to court, and in December 2001, three weeks after the first special edition, the court issued an injunction ordering Crescent Chau to stop publishing his anti-Falun Gong content. In February 2002, Chau defied a court injunction and published a second anti-Falun Gong special edition cover-to-cover, saying Falun Dafa adherents were evil and an enemy of the state, among other slanderous statements. Chau somehow drummed up funds to print 100,000 copies of another 32-page cover-to-cover anti-Falun Dafa special edition nationwide in both August 2006 and July 2007, parroting CCP defamation material against Falun Dafa spread in mainland China. Copies were circulated in Montreal, Toronto, and Ottawa, and as far west as Vancouver. Again, the special edition contained no advertising and was distributed for free. Regular issues of the paper, which had a circulation of 3,500 to 4,000 in Montreal, sold for 60 cents. The Chinese state-owned media Peoples Daily published a report praising Chaus efforts days after the nationwide circulation. Chau is a regular at the World Chinese Media Forum hosted every two years in China by the government and the United Front Work Department, the CCP organization responsible for gathering intelligence and influencing politics in foreign countries. Chinese state-owned media quoted Chau as saying that Beijing should strengthen its connection to the overseas Chinese community. The Epoch Times Chinese edition wrote a series of investigative reports in 2007 on Chau and suggested that he might be an agent of the Chinese regime. The reports included interviews with Chen Yonglin, a former Chinese diplomat working for a unit specializing in the eradication of Falun Dafa, who defected to Australia. Chen said its clear that Les Presses Chinoises has become the henchman and propaganda tool for the Chinese Communist Party. He also said that its very likely that the printing costs were covered by the regime. The contents seem to be mostly produced and provided by the CCP, he said. Chau sued The Epoch Times for libel, but the case was dismissed by Superior Court Justice Catherine Mandeville in April 2010. This is a case of the biter complaining about being bitten, Mandeville said, and that the reputations of Mr. Chau and of La Presse Chinoise are unequivocally anti-Falun Gong and pro-PRC [Peoples Republic of China]. La Presse Chinoise is the name of the company printing the Les Presses Chinoises publication. Being called a Beijing agent was therefore not an unfair attack but rather a legitimate opinion, she said. Mr. Chau believes that it is part of his responsibility to defend the position of the PRC government. The [Epoch Times] articles raised that his opinions on Falun Gong but also on Tibet and many other subjects are identical to that which the PRCs government advocates, Mandeville said. Mandeville also said Chaus explanations for how he funded his special editions denouncing Falun Dafa were to say the least, nebulous. During court proceedings, Chau admitted that he hadnt interviewed Falun Dafa practitioners for the content he published and hadnt read Falun Dafas teachings. He said he aspires to eradicate Falun Dafa. Chau subsequently appealed the lower courts decision without success. The three appeal court judges reaffirmed in 2012 that referring to Chau and his newspaper company as agents promoting the ideas of a government cannot be considered defamatory. Chau tried to take the case to the supreme court, but failed. Epoch Times staff member Omid Ghoreishi contributed to this report. Family Thinks Home Is Robbed Until They Find Bite Marks of Their Mischievous Dog A British family was shocked after returning home from a shopping trip to find their kitchen utterly trashed by burglars. The Warrington-based family could scarcely believe the devastation that had been caused. Despite the home looking like a classic burglary crime scene, suspicions soon fell on their adorable cocker spaniel dog, Dory. The wrecked kitchen greeted owner Dylan Raynor, his mother, Sharon, and her partner, Nick, after they returned home from shopping in December 2019. While they initially assumed burglars had been responsible, they soon noticed chew marks on things inside the home and a guilty-looking dog. As we arrived back, my mother looked through the window, and we honestly believed we had been burgled, Raynor told Caters news. The cupboards were ransacked, food, and items all over the floor. It wasnt until we noticed the nibble marks in the food and the inedible items, that we realized Dory had ransacked us. The 1-year-old pooch had been left home alone for two hours, but this was more than enough time to wreak a tornado-like mess in her familys kitchen. Though Dory is a relatively short and small dog, the curious pup managed to empty cupboards and spread the contents of a bin all over the floor. The cocker spaniel had enjoyed her wrecking-ball moment, having littered the kitchen floor with rubbish, food, and cooking utensils. Her burglary had also apparently given the pup a bit of an appetite, as she had eaten icing sugar and helped herself to uncooked sheets of lasagne pasta. Dory also had a clothes iron out of a cupboard. Raynor, a medical biochemistry student, is well used to Dorys eccentric behavior. Dory is just a full-time nutcase who enjoys causing havoc, Raynor said. She attends doggy-day school and used to attend puppy training classes. However, all of these accolades do not reflect her naughty behavior. Shes like the Houdini of the doggy world. Two hours of shopping was more than sufficient, though, for Dory to continue her four-legged reign of domestic terror. The intelligent spaniel had figured out how to open cupboard doors and the garbage. While Dorys long-suffering family went to town, so did Doryin their kitchen. She had emptied the contents of every cupboard and also the rubbish bin, Raynor said. After realizing the dog and not a human-caused the destruction. It made me wonder what else she might be capable of, he added. As the disbelief at the sight that greeted them subsided, the family managed to laugh it off. Raynor realized that if their mischievous mutt had hands and fingers, theyd probably all be dead by now. Raynor said: She has always taken socks out of a washing basket, or decided to take a risky drink out of the bathwater showing no regard to the bubbles present. However, this has completely blown her previous mischievous behavior out of the pond. And, as if clearing up wasnt a big enough chore, Dory had taken a bite out of everything, so it all had to be thrown into the garbage. Due to her unconventional buffet, Dory was placed under strict observation for 24 hours. Despite eating a large amount of icing sugar and other tidbits she could find, Dorys health was normal. Like any other owner of a naughty pet, a wishful-thinking Raynor said: I keep telling my family she will settle down soon. But it appears to be something Im saying all too often. This is one dogs tale that Raynor and his family wont forget in a hurry. Sometimes you literally cant believe your eyes. It may have looked like a burglar, but this burglary was a hilarious one. In this instance, Dory may well be pushing her luck to lay claim to the title. We would love to hear your stories! You can share them with us at emg.inspired@epochtimes.nyc The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has decided to delay the flight of its Mars rover until July 30 from Cape Canaveral, Florida. From the previously scheduled launch on July 22, the launch of Perseverance will be delayed by a week because of an issue with the spacecraft that will send the rover to Mars. The new schedule is now close to the end of its limited launch window between July 17 and August 11, according to The Verge. This limited time frame is when the Red Planet is nearest to the Earth as it orbits around the Sun. This comes only every two years, so NASA and other space agencies should take advantage of it. Otherwise, the agency has to wait until 2022 to try again. NASA has already rescheduled the launch several times, first on July 20, then on July 22 because of problems with the ground equipment that supports the rover. Meanwhile, NASA announced in a blog post on Wednesday, June 30, that the launch window is extended by until August 15. However, flight teams are still checking whether it can be further extended. Despite this, the extension still doesn't give a lot of time to launch the rover. NASA blames Atlas V rocket for Perseverance's launch delays According to NASA, the delay is due to the rocket that will take Perseverance to space. This is an Atlas V rocket, manufactured and operated by the United Launch Alliance (ULA). During a dress rehearsal on June 22, the company filled it up with propellant and ran through all the processes in practice for the actual launch. However, a line of sensors that monitors the levels of liquid oxygen propellant in the vehicle returned with issues with the data. Thus, the ULA team required time to figure out what went wrong and to fix the issue. NASA engineers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) have been through more complex processes of preparing Perseverance for the launch due to the coronavirus pandemic. Most of JPL employees had to work from home since March 12, although the mission team had to continue working on the spacecraft while practicing safety measures like social distancing, using disinfection measures, and remotely interacting with other employees. These circumstances have put a lot of pressure on NASA's staff as the launch window comes close this summer. "Rather than your first priority being mission success and on getting to the launch pad, your first priority immediately gets displaced, and it's now the safety of the people," Perseverance's Deputy Project Manager Matt Wallace said in a YouTube video. Wallace also said putting things together took a lot of work "to keep going, keep working safely, keep healthy, and keep the project on schedule." Meanwhile, Perseverance will look for signs of life on Mars when the rover is launched. It is also equipped with tools, so it can drill into the Red Planet's soil to leave samples on its surface, which NASA hopes to pick up in future missions. Called as a Mars sample return mission, scientists will study these samples when they are brought back to Earth in the hope to better understand the planet's characteristics and if life did exist in Mars in the past. Read Also: WATCH: Astronaut Accidentally Drops Mirror In Space 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Central American migrants are blocked by Mexican police forces as they reach the El Chaparral border crossing, in Tijuana, Baja California State, Mexico, on Nov. 25, 2018. (Pedro Pardo/AFP/Getty Images) Federal Judge Sets Aside Trump Administrations Third-Country Asylum Rule A federal judge blocked the Trump administrations rule that requires asylum seekers to first seek protection in countries they had passed through on their way to the U.S.-Mexico border. The rule, known as the third-country asylum rule, aims to reduce the number of meritless asylum claims that placed an overwhelming strain on the U.S. immigration system. It operates under the premise that the asylum seekers who are fleeing their countries of origin because of fear persecution or torture on the basis of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion should first seek protection in the first safe country they reach. U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly in Washington ruled late Tuesday that the Trump administration had not followed federal law known as the Administrative Procedure Act (APA) when the rule was issued in July 2019. Kelly said the rule was unlawfully promulgated because the federal government failed to abide by the APAs notice-and-comment requirements, and had provided insufficient justification for not meeting those requirements. The Justice Department (DOJ) and the Department of Homeland Security, who jointly published the rule, argued that notice-and-comment procedure would have been impracticable and might cause smugglers to communicate the impending effects of the rule to potential asylum seekers, thus creating a risk of a surge of asylum seekers at the southern border. The departments also argue that the rule has a foreign affairs function and is connected to ongoing international negotiations. The Departments rely on a single newspaper article that does not even directly address the key predictive judgment in question: the likelihood of a surge in asylum seekers so great and so rapid as to threaten human life or defeat the purpose of the Rule if notice-and-comment procedures were followed, Kelly wrote addressing the departments reasoning that the notice-and-comment procedure would lead to a surge in asylum seekers (pdf). The judge also noted that he did not address claims regarding the validity of the rule brought by the plaintiffs, several asylum seekers, and immigrant-services organizations. The ruling on Tuesday represents a setback for the Trump administration and President Donald Trump, who has taken a hard-line against illegal immigration at the southern border. The ruling also follows a Supreme Court decision on June 18 that aimed to end an Obama-era program that provided legal protections and work authorizations to illegal immigrants who were brought into the United States as children, known as the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA. The United States has faced an influx of asylum claims in recent years as smuggling groups and economic migrants have taken advantage of legal loopholes and a strained system. The administration says the number of cases referred to the DOJ for proceedings before an immigration judge had more than tripled between 2013 and 2018 but only a small minority of these individuals is ultimately granted asylum. The Department said the third-country asylum rule seeks to curb the influx of asylum seekers by more efficiently identifying aliens who are misusing the asylum system to enter and remain in the United States rather than legitimately seeking urgent protection from persecution or torture. The rule aims to deter aliens whose claims lack merit and allow the United States to prioritize claims of others who have no other options or have experienced extreme forms of human trafficking. It also contains three limited exceptions, including for individuals who can show they are a victim of a severe form of trafficking in persons. Meanwhile, experts say the rule was long overdue and could strengthen the U.S. asylum system. We cant let people that make up the majority of asylum-seekers, who are not qualified, bring down the system and prevent truly qualified asylum-seekers from accessing protection, Jessica Vaughan, director of policy studies at the Center for Immigration Studies, told The Epoch Times last year when the rule was promulgated. The rule had faced a number of court challenges soon after it was issued. The Supreme Court last year lifted a nationwide injunction blocking the third-country asylum rule from being enforced, which was granted by a district court judge in a separate case. Claudia Cubas, Litigation Director at CAIR Coalition, one of the groups that sued over the rule, welcomed the decision. By striking down this rule, Judge Kelly reaffirmed two fundamental principles. The protection of asylum seekers fleeing for safety is intertwined with our national values and that the United States is a country where the rule of law cannot be tossed aside for political whims. For many of the individual asylum seekers we fight alongside, this ruling removes an unjust barrier to security, Claudia Cubas, Litigation Director at CAIR Coalition, said in a statement. The DOJ did not immediately respond to The Epoch Times request for comment. Charlotte Cuthbertson contributed to this report. Firefighters Rescue a Man Who Fell Nearly 30 Feet Deep Into a Well From Inside a Home Firefighters in Connecticut rescued a man who fell nearly 30 feet down into a well when the flooring of a home gave way from underneath him. Christopher Town was helping move furniture with his wife, Angie, into a friends home in Guilford on June 28 when he fell into the well, splashing into the cold water below, according to Guilford Police Department. So, I hear a crack and I looked down and the floor is giving way underneath me and then Im falling, and Im falling, Town told CNN affiliate WTIC. Christopher Town fell through the flooring of a Connecticut home and into the well below. (Courtesy of Guilford Fire Department) He plunged into the abyss of the well, which was over 20 feet deep and 5 feet wide, according to Guilford Fire Department. Fortunately, his wife saw him disappear. After checking in with her husband if he was doing okay, she decided to call 911. At that time, Angie thought that Town had just fallen into the basement. The police department stated on their Facebook post that as the fire department received the 911 call, they realized that this was no ordinary fall. The department immediately took action sending one of their firefighters into the well to help Town, who was stuck there for nearly 25 minutes. (Illustration Lucky Business/Shutterstock) The home Towns friend was moving into was built in 1843, and the well was likely located outside the home at the time, according to police. In 1981, an addition and some renovations were done to the home. The flooring of a Connecticut home led to a well below. (Courtesy of Guilford Fire Department) At some point this well was covered with simple wood flooring and no subfloor or well cap, police posted on Facebook along with images of the rescue. It is important to note that some of these older, historical homes may have hazards that were not upgraded by current code. Town was unable to touch the bottom of the well and was holding on to the stone wall to keep above the water as firefighters arrived on the scene, an official at the fire department said. Rescuers then gave him a life jacket and set up a rope system to lift him out. The fire department was incredibly professional, Town told WTIC. They did a wonderful job and saved my life basically. Its not a certainty that I wouldve died down there, but I was getting more and more hypothermic. (Illustration Photo Spirit/Shutterstock) Town suffered minor injuries and was transported to the hospital. Police shared images on Facebook saying this was an unbelievable rescue and could have been a fatal event. According to Assistant Fire Chief Michael Shove of the Guilford Fire Department, the area has been made safe to prevent anyone else from falling down again. The CNN Wire and Epoch Times staff contributed to this report. Flowers, candles, and mementos sit outside one of the makeshift memorials at in Parkland, Fla. on Feb. 27, 2018. (Rhona Wise/AFP/Getty Images) Florida Governor Signs Law Requiring Silent Alarms in All Public Schools More than two years after the devastating mass shooting at Stoneman Douglas High School, all public schools in Florida will be equipped with a silent panic alarm as Gov. Ron DeSantis signed Alyssas law. The law is named after 14-year-old Alyssa Alhadeff, one of the students killed at Stoneman Douglas on February 14, 2018. It requires that an emergency alert application installed on every teacher and staffs cellphone, allowing them to silently call the police from the classroom in case of a lock-down or active-shooter situation. Alyssas mother, Lori Alhadeff, flew to Tallahassee on Tuesday to witness Gov. DeSantis signing the $8 million in funding for Alyssas Law into the state budget, reported The Sun Sentinel. Following the 2018 tragedy, she founded and led Make Our Schools Safe, a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting school safety across the United States. Alyssas Law is signed, Alhadeff wrote on Twitter. Lori Alhadeff (C) and her husband Ilan Alhadeff (R) hold a picture of their daughter Alyssa Alhadeff during a news conference on gun control on Capitol Hill in Washington on March 23, 2018 (Alex Wong/Getty Images) New Jersey in 2019 adopted a version of Alyssas Law, which gives school districts freedom to implement an alternative emergency system that has a similar function to a silent panic alarm, as long as it is approved by the Department of Education. In Florida, the bill has gained bipartisan legislative support before it was forwarded to the governors desk. In the Congress, Rep. Ted Deutch (D-Fla.) is teaming up with Rep. Roger Williams (R-Texas) to push for a $2 billion school safety bill, which includes a provision to expand Alyssas Law nationwide. Over a year after the tragedy at Stoneman Douglas High School in my district, our country continues to search for ways to keep our children safe in schools, said Rep. Deutch in a 2019 statement. By expanding Alyssas Law across the country, we will help more schools utilize alarm systems that directly alert law enforcement to improve emergency response and save lives. On Valentines Day in 2018, then 19-year-old Nikolas Cruz walked into Stoneman Douglas High and opened fire, killing 17 people and wounding 17 others. Cruz offered to take a plea bargain in exchange for a life sentence, but prosecutors sought the death penalty. Earlier this month, a county judge said that the death penalty trial of Cruz would be delayed indefinitely because it was unclear when the county courthouse could reopen to the public due to pandemic-related restrictions. Ed Henry prepares to do a stand-up in the Brady Briefing Room of the White House in Washington, on Dec. 8, 2011. (Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images) Fox News Ed Henry Fired After Investigation Into Sexual Misconduct Fox News confirmed that anchor Ed Henry was fired after the network got a complaint last week that he sexually harassed a former employee. On Thursday, June 25, we received a complaint about Ed Henry from a former employees attorney involving willful sexual misconduct in the workplace years ago, Fox News chief executive Suzanne Scott and Fox News President Jay Wallace said in a statement to employees. Henry, 48, was suspended the same day and removed from his on-air responsibilities during an internal investigation, the email said. Based on investigative findings, Ed has been terminated, the two said, according to news reports. Henry had served as co-anchor of Fox News Americas Newsroom. For now, rotating news anchors will co-anchor the program until a replacement is found, according to the statement. Sandra Smith is still currently a co-host for the program. Fox News Media strictly prohibits all forms of sexual harassment, misconduct, and discrimination, Scott and Wallace stated. We will continue striving to maintain a safe and inclusive workplace for all employees. It added that the company is trying to give full transparency given the many actions we have taken to improve the culture over the last four years. The memo did not elaborate on the nature of the allegation against Henry, and it did not disclose who made the claim. Henry joined Fox in 2011 after he worked for several years at CNN. Before becoming co-anchor on the program, Henry served as the networks chief White House correspondent. Lawyer Douglas Wigdor, who has represented women who filed lawsuits against the channel, told CNN on Wednesday that hes representing the person who filed the claim against Henry. He said he is not presently at liberty to share further information. In December, Fox announced that Bill Hemmer would replace Shepard Smith, who announced earlier this year that he would be leaving the network. Bill is an incredible newsman and his ability to cut to the heart of the story while humanizing major events has made him a standout talent in news, Wallace said in a statement about Hemmer at the time. As we start gearing up for the 2020 election, we are thrilled to have him lead our news division through what will sure to be an eventful year. Henry had replaced Hemmer on the show. Under his agreement with Fox, meanwhile, Shepard Smith said he wont be able to report elsewhere at least in the near future. Generous Anonymous Donor Gives $50,000 to Police Department to Purchase a New Patrol Car To show support and appreciation to the police department for their service, an anonymous donor has made a generous donation of US$50,000 to the Madison Police Department in Alabama state to purchase and equip a new police cruiser. In a city council meeting on June 22, the donation was accepted by Madison City, according to a release. A letter from a Madison citizen, dated June 18, addressed to Mayor Paul Finley read: Please see enclosed check in the amount of $50,000.00 to be earmarked to purchase and equip a new police car for the City of Madison. The letter further stated that although the individual wanted to remain anonymous, the citizen had the desire to show support to our Police Department and thank them for their service. (Illustration a katz/Shutterstock) In response to the generous gift, the city thanked the individual for showing support in an incredible way. The donation was distributed through Madison Visionary Partners (MVP) a local 501c3, according to the press release. MVP is a community nonprofit that specifically aims to provide people living and working in the Madison area a place to make their donation dollars and volunteer hours go toward making a difference to the community, according to their website. The organization is aimed at inspiring and bringing together people, local government, and resources for the betterment of the lives of individuals. Currently, the organization is working on a partnership with nonprofits, citizens, city government, and the local business to create River of Hope in Dublin Parkwhere citizens can paint positive messages on rocksto raise funds for COVID relief in the Madison community. In response to the anonymous donation, Mayor Finley said: I find myself frequently referencing the City mission statement: Our mission is to provide excellent services through responsible use of public resources, enhancing the quality of life for our community. Alluding to the donation, Mayor Finley told WHNT that I was contacted by someone who truly appreciated what our police had done for them and their family and wanted to show their appreciation. As the mayor expressed his gratitude to the unnamed person, he also assured citizens that the donation would be used as per the request of the individual. Additionally, the Madison Police Department also expressed their gratitude to the family on Twitter by posting a picture of a policeman and a car along with an appreciation message. (Illustration Michael Dechev/Shutterstock) The aim of the Madison Police Department is protecting and serving our community to the highest standard attainable. Our goal is to enhance the quality of life of every citizen through professional police services, states their website. We would love to hear your stories! You can share them with us at emg.inspired@epochtimes.nyc Hong Kong Police Fire Tear Gas, Arrest More Than 350 Protesters as They March Against Beijings Security Law Police make 10 arrests under new law This article has been updated with the latest information. Hong Kong police fired pepper spray, tear gas, water cannons, and made about 370 arrests as protesters defied a police ban to march against Beijings new national security law on July 1. Hours after the law came into effect in Hong Kong, local police arrested ten on suspected crimes under its provisions. Large crowds swarmed the area of Causeway Bay where the march was due to start. But for the first time since mass protests began in June last year, protesters were being targeted for chanting slogans such as Hong Kong Independence, the Only Way Out. Hong Kong police warned that such slogans could incite or abet others to commit secession and thus violate the national security law, in a Facebook post at around 2:20 p.m. local time. In defiance, some protesters unfurled flags with the words Hong Kong Independence and chanted related slogans as they waited to march onto the streets. #HongKongPolice have already raised new purple flag at peaceful #July1st pro-democracy march attendees threatening prosecution under #NationalSecurityLaw. https://t.co/qWuY8krCwY The Epoch Times Hong Kong (@EpochTimesHK) July 1, 2020 The national security law went into effect late June 30 after ceremonial votes by Chinas rubber-stamp legislature, the National Peoples Congress (NPC). The law criminalizes individuals for any acts of subversion, secession, terrorism, and collusion with foreign forces, with maximum penalties of life imprisonment. Arrests The police initially announced over 70 arrests, with 2 on suspicion of violating the new law. A man was arrested in Causeway Bay at around 1:30 p.m. local time for possessing a banner with the words Hong Kong Independence. Then, a woman was arrested at around 3 p.m. local time for holding up a placard with the words Hong Kong Independence, with a British national flag and a U.S. flag attached to it, according to police. Riot police detain a man as they raise a warning flag during a demonstration against the new national security law in Hong Kong, on July 1, 2020. (Anthony Kwan/Getty Images) In the evening, police updated its arrest figures and announced details about three more of those arrested for violating the national security law: two 36-year-old women and a 15-year-old girl were detained at around 3 p.m. local time in Causeway Bay. The two women had in their possession different flyers, including those with the words, Resist Beijing, Liberate Hong Kong, according to police. The girl was arrested for waving a flag with the words, I Stand for Hong Kongs Independence. Other arrestees were detained on charges such as illegal assembly and interfering with police work, according to police. As night fell, some protesters tried to set up roadblocks with random objects including rails and bricks in Causeway Bay, and police countered by firing tear gas to disperse crowds and clear debris off the roads. Police also charged into nearby malls to make arrests. March For years, people in Hong Kong have held a march on July 1, which marks the day of Hong Kongs return to Chinese sovereignty in 1997, to voice opposition to Beijings encroachment over the citys affairs. Local pro-democracy group Civil Human Rights Front (CHRF), which has been the organizer for most of the July 1 marches in the past, drew a crowd of more than half of a million people last year who voiced their opposition to the governments now fully-scrapped extradition bill. Police rejected CHRFs application to holding a march this year, saying it had a potential for violence and would violate a local gathering limit of 50 people to prevent the spread of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, commonly known as the novel coronavirus. CHRF absolutely disagrees with the decision of police commissioner. Everyone knows that public health is only an excuse to deprive our civil liberties under the National Security Law, CHRF announced in a statement on its Facebook on June 30. Protesters occupying a road run after hearing police are approaching during a rally against a new national security law in Hong Kong on July 1, 2020. (Alastair Pike/AFP via Getty Images) With CHRF failing to secure police approval, several Hong Kong activists announced that they would be the organizers of a march from Causeway Bay to the citys Central district anyway, so people could voice their opposition against the national security law. While protesters did start their march on Wednesday afternoon from Causeway Bay while being led by local activists including lawmaker Eddie Chu and CHRFs deputy convenor Figo Chan, the march was short-lived as local police officers moved in to disperse protesters by spraying pepper spray and firing water-cannon. Hong Kong police fire water cannon at Hennessy Road, Hong Kong, on July 1, 2020. (Hong Kong edition of The Epoch Times) At around 4 p.m. local time, Hong Kong media reported that their journalists were hit with polices water cannon in Causeway Bay as police tried to clear protesters off the streets. Half an hour later, local trade group Hong Kong Journalists Association (HKJA) issued a statement, criticizing the police for resorting to violence against multiple journalists, saying they were injured when they were hit by polices water-cannon and pepper spray. HKJA called on police to stop interfering with the work of reporters so they can exercise their fourth estate duties. City Leader Comments As Hongkongers were out on the streets, Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam held a press conference at about 2 p.m., arguing that the law has perfected the framework of one country, two systems. Lam was flanked by Security Secretary John Lee and Secretary Justice Teresa Cheng. Lam announced that a national security department has been established within the Hong Kong police, as mandated by the national security law. She declined to reveal who will head the department. According to Articles 16 and 17 of the new law, the head of the new national security department should be appointed by the citys chief executive, a position currently held by Lam. The department will have a number of powers, including investigating crimes against national security. Article 48 also stipulates that Beijing establish a security bureau to collect intelligence, coordinate with local authorities, and handle national security cases. Lam added that Hong Kong still has the responsibility to enact an anti-subversion legislation, known as Article 23. It was first proposed in the Hong Kong legislative council in 2003. But it was scrapped that year after half a million Hongkongers took to the streets in protest. The Hong Kong edition of The Epoch Times contributed to this report. Police display a public announcement banner showing a warning to protesters in Causeway Bay before the annual handover march in Hong Kong on July 1, 2020. (Vincent Yu/AP) Hong Kong Police Make First 2 Arrests Under National Security Law Hong Kong police on July 1 made the first two arrests under a new national security law imposed by the Chinese communist regime. The two individuals, a man and a woman, were detained for holding pro-independence flags. The Hong Kong Police Force said they were suspected of violating the Chinese regimes national security law. They were among more than 70 people arrested by riot police by 4 p.m. It came less than 24 hours after Beijings draconian national security law came into effect. The law, which was imposed at 11 p.m. on June 30, stipulates that offenders, if convicted of secession, subversion, terrorism, and collusion with foreign forces, could be imprisoned for life. #Updates: Over 70 have been arrested for participating in unauthorised assemblies and other related offences, including two for suspectedly violating #NationalSecurityLaw. Lawful #HKProtests are always respected but unlawful acts are to be rejected. Please stop breaking the law. Hong Kong Police Force (@hkpoliceforce) July 1, 2020 Riot police on Wednesday confronted thousands of protesters who gathered in Causeway Bay and Wan Chai to mark 23 years since the city was handed over from British to Chinese rule. Crowds spilled out into the streets chanting resist till the end and Hong Kong independence. Officers used pepper spray and water cannons to disperse crowds as they arrested more than 70 people, some for unlawful assembly, violating the security law, obstructing police, and possession of weapons. Police detain a protester after spraying pepper spray during a protest in Causeway Bay before the annual handover march in Hong Kong on July 1, 2020. (Vincent Yu/AP) In an announcement on Facebook, the Hong Kong Police Force said two of the individuals arrested were suspected of violating the national security law. #BREAKING: A man was arrested for holding a #HKIndependence flag in #CausewayBay, Hong Kong, violating the #NationalSecurityLaw. This is the first arrest made since the law has come into force. pic.twitter.com/C0ezm3SGDm Hong Kong Police Force (@hkpoliceforce) July 1, 2020 The police said earlier that the first arrest was of a man in the central Causeway Bay neighborhood who violated Beijings national security law by holding a flag calling for Hong Kongs independence. This is the first arrest made since the law came into force, police announced on Twitter. According to a police statement, the man was arrested after police had issued multiple warnings to the crowd at the shopping district that they might be in violation of the law. Another woman was later arrested in the area for holding a pro-independence flag, the Hong Kong Police Force said. Riot police cited the law for the first time on Wednesday in confronting protesters. You are displaying flags or banners/chanting slogans/or conducting yourselves with an intent such as secession or subversion, which may constitute offences under the national security law, police said in a message displayed on a purple warning banner. Any person taking part in secessionist activities, such as shouting slogans or holding up banners and flags urging for the citys independence, is now in violation of the law regardless of whether violence is used. The most serious offenders of the legislation, such as those deemed to be masterminds behind the crimes, could receive a maximum punishment of life imprisonment. Lesser offenders could receive jail terms of up to three years, short-term detention, or restriction. The draconian legislation has sparked international outcry, with criticisms coming from more than 27 countries, as well as Taiwan and the European Union. Concerns have been raised that the legislature breaches Hong Kongs Basic Law, which guarantees that the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights can remain in force in the territory. Under the Sino-British Joint Declaration, which set the terms of Hong Kongs transfer to Chinese rule, the regime agreed to grant the city autonomy and freedoms not enjoyed in the mainland, under the formula of one country, two systems. In a move to grant protections for certain Hong Kong residents at risk of persecution by Beijings national security law, a bipartisan group of U.S. senators on June 30 introduced a a bill to grant those who peacefully protested Beijings corrupt justice system eligibility for priority 2 refugee status. The legislation, named the Hong Kong Safe Harbor Act, was sponsored by Republican Sens. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and Todd Young (R-Ind.), along with Democrats Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Ben Cardin (D-Md.), and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.). Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) listens during a hearing in Washington on June 10, 2020. (Al-Drago-Pool/Getty Images) Under the legislation, Hong Kongers who have a well-founded fear of persecution will be eligible for priority 2 refugee processing in Hong Kong or a third country, and the bill waives immigration intent as a factor in granting non-immigrant visas. Refugees from Hong Kong will not be subjected to the numerical limitation, a release stated. The Hong Kong Safe Harbor Act would also allow Hong Kong residents to remain eligible for refugee status as victims of political persecution if Beijing were to revoke residency for applying for refugee status or a U.S. visa. Frank Fang, Reuters, and The Associated Press contributed to this report. Human Remains Found in Search for Missing Fort Hood Soldier, Army Confirms Army officials in Texas confirmed Tuesday that human remains were found in the search for missing soldier Vanessa Guillen, who went missing about two months ago. Remains were discovered near the Leon River by U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command, said Army spokesman Chris Grey. After receiving additional information, agents have discovered what has been described as partial human remains after analysis from a forensic anthropologist, he told KWTX. Army CID (Criminal Investigation Division) agents are currently on scene with the Texas Rangers, the FBI and Bell County Sheriffs Department, he added. The identity of the remains has not been determined. No confirmation as to the identity of the remains has been made at this point and we ask for the media and publics understanding that the identification process can take time, Grey said. Army officials in Texas confirmed Tuesday that human remains were found in the search for missing soldier Vanessa Guillen (US Army) Guillen was last seen at the 3rd Cavalry Regiment Engineer Squadron Headquarters parking lot in Fort Hood. Texas EquuSearch founder Tim Miller told ABC13 this week that when remains were found, The search for Vanessa is now over. Its believed to be her pending positive identification which that will have to be determined by the medical examiners office, but Im confident to say the search for Vanessa is now over, said Miller. Keys to her barracks and her car were left behind. Her wallet and ID card were also found in a room where she had worked. Guillen is 5-foot-2, weighs 126 pounds, and has black hair and brown eyes. She was last seen wearing a black T-shirt and purple fitness pants. The soldiers family is demanding a congressional investigation into her disappearance, and they will hold a press conference in Washington on Wednesday. Attorney Natalie Khawam alleged that Guillen was sexually harassed on the base. The facts arent good. I dont like them, said Khawam, according to ABC13. There were a few incidents where she had told her colleagues, her friends, her family about being sexually harassed but she was afraid to report it. How does someone disappear on a base that has more protection and safeguards than anyone else on the planet? A spokesperson for the base said a thorough investigation is being conducted into the harassment claims. No suspects have been named in the case. In a separate incident, officials found a different set of remains off of the 3400 block of Florence Road in Killeen, near where searchers found a dead Fort Hood soldier, identified as Gregory Wedel-Morales. I Knew I Would Find Love: Man Born With Deformed Limbs Marries Pretty Woman and Has Kids Ryan Hudson-Peralta was born with severely shortened legs and shortened arms with no hands, but the father of two, from Detroit, Michigan, prefers not to be defined by his disability. Forty-year-old Ryan, who measures 3 feet 6 inches tall, lives an entirely independent life despite some people assuming that his wife must be his carer. Ryan, however, always knew that love was in his future. Carrie and I immediately connected when we met in 2000 and I instantly knew we would get married from the moment we met, Ryan told Caters News Agency. Ryan with his wife, Kerri, in the early years of their marriage (Caters News) Everyone thinks a disabled guy cant have a pretty woman by their side so they are amazed that Carrie is my wife, not my caretaker, he continued. But I dont even have one. I do everything independently from driving, bathing, eating, and even going to the toilet. Strangers, said Ryan, often respond with disbelief to the sight of him and Carrie, a 46-year-old artist, out in public together. [I]t is unusual to them but totally normal to us, he said, adding, I knew I would find love Ive always been comfortable around girls despite my disability. When Ryan was born, doctors forewarned his parents that due to his congenital limb deficiency, their son may never achieve a mainstream education, find work, or have a family of his own. Ryan had other ideas. Ryan Hudson-Peralta as a child (Caters News) My parents never treated me different and always pushed for me to try things, the 40-year-old explained. I have much shorter arms and legs, but that doesnt stop me from doing anything! As a child, Ryan cultivated self-confidence that made him impervious to school bullies. I realized at a young age that I cant change my appearance so I chose to own it and embrace it, he said. My confidence didnt grow overnight; I have trained myself to always be positive. Ryan graduated from a mainstream school and started a career in web design, noting that it was a journey riddled with challenges. The world was not designed for him, he said, and so he decided to figure it out for himself. Hes also developed a love of proving the naysayers wrong. Ryan training (Caters News) After meeting Carrie, Ryan became a father figure to Carries now-25-year-old daughter, Myranda. The couple also had another child together. Doctors were concerned in case our son Noah, 18, was going to be like me, Ryan explained, even though it isnt a hereditary condition, but we wouldnt have cared anyway. Researchers estimate that about 1 in every 1,900 babies in the United States is born with a congenital limb deficiency, according to the CDC. There is no known cause for this condition. As a result of over three decades of confidence cultivation and positive thinking, Ryan launched a website called Look Mom No Hands. The father of two visits schools around the globe as a motivational speaker, inspiring the next generation to chase their dreams, as well as events speaking at the U.S. Army and numerous Fortune 500 companies. Ryan Hudson-Peralta with daughter Myranda at his son Noahs graduation (Caters News) I share tips with parents and children on available technology and different ways of writing, such as placing the pen under your chin and shoulder, Ryan explained to Caters. He also shared how he modifies his clothing to make things easier, adding that he would love to work with manufacturers to create more disability-friendly products in the future. Among his goals are modifying a Tesla so he can drive it and being on TV and in movies to inspire children with disabilities so they can see someone they can relate to. Ryan also wants the next generation to know that the sky is the limit. I am living proof you can lead a normal life despite being born without arms and short legs, he said. We would love to hear your stories! You can share them with us at emg.inspired@epochtimes.nyc Ruhollah Zam, a former opposition figure who had lived in exile in France and had been implicated in anti-government protests, speaks during his trial at Iran's Revolutionary Court in Tehran on June 2, 2020. (Ali Shirband/Mizan News/AFP via Getty Images) Iran Sentences Former Journalist to Death for Fueling Unrest DUBAIIran has sentenced to death Ruhollah Zam, a journalist-turned-activist captured abroad last year, for allegedly fueling anti-government unrest in late 2017 on social media, Iranian media reported on Tuesday. The son of a pro-reform Shiite cleric, Zam headed Amadnews, which had more a million followers on social media before it was suspended by the messaging app Telegram in 2018 after Iran accused it of carrying calls for violence during the protests. The channel soon reappeared under a new name. Last October, Irans Revolutionary Guards said they had trapped Zam, who had been given political asylum in France and was also based in other parts of Europe, in a complex operation using intelligence deception. It did not say where the operation took place. Zam has been convicted of corruption on Earth by a Revolutionary Court, judiciary spokesman Gholamhossein Esmaili said, according to the Mizan news agency, adding that he could appeal. The charge, used in cases of armed uprising and espionage, is a capital offense under Irans Islamic law. Iranian officials have accused the United States as well as Tehrans regional rival Saudi Arabia and government opponents living in exile of fomenting the unrest, which began as protests about economic hardship and spread nationwide. Officials said 21 people were killed during the unrest and thousands were arrested. Amid a pandemic, a new smartphone is about to arise. OnePlus, a known Chinese smartphone brand in the world, is set to release its newest 5G smartphone called OnePlus Nord, in the market. If you think that's the best they can offer, you're mistaken. Once OnePlus Nord hits the stores, it is expected to be the cheapest 5G best-quality smartphone you can get today. OnePlus Nord is now the cheapest 5G phone On Wednesday, July 1, OnePlus announced the release of its newest smartphone for the year 2020. OnePlus Nord is said to be designed for those people looking for premium phones, but can't afford an expensive one. OnePlus co-founder and CEO Pete Lau commended the developers of this smartphone model, comprising of young professionals, which was boasted to be part of their major changes in the company. If you're interested in buying this, here are the things you should know. OnePlus Nord specifications According to News 18, OnePlus Nord will have an ultimate comeback for the OnePlus brand. This 6.55-inch Super AMOLED display device is expected to come up with up to 12GB RAM, 90Hz refresh rate, and the handset powered by the Snapdragon 765 SoC with 5G support. Yup, you're read it right. This Chinese model will have a 5G support tech from its Qualcomm server. Since last year, the talk about 5G tech has been one of the major transformations in the tech industry. Most of the well-known cellphone brands like Samsung, LG, or Motorola, have their versions of 5G. However, since its new, most experts think that for the device to have 5G, companies need to spend higher amounts. And if they spend more expensively, they need to charge it with the consumers, who will buy their product. But, luckily, it is not the same as OnePlus. OnePlus Nord pricing OnePlus Nord is the very cheapest OnePlus phone you can get soon. Compared to OnePlus 8 or OnePlus 8 Pro, this device only costs below $500. That means Nord would be the first OnePlus brand that has prices below half a thousand dollars. If you would compare it with other brands, OnePlus Nord is way cheaper than Samsung Galaxy S20 for $850, LG's B60 ThinQ 5G that costs $700, and even way rip-off than its sibling, OnePlus 8 5G for $700. Here's bad news Unfortunately, OnePlus Nord is not yet available in the United States stores. India and some European countries will be the first ones to have the cheapest 5G smartphone. In time, it is expected for the United States to get the model, but only for a selected number of consumers. ALSO READ: OnePlus Ends Partnership with McLaren; Concept One Smartphone Remains a Concept 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. LA School Board Slashes Police Budget by $25 Million, Removes Officers From Campus Amid the growing call from activists and community groups to defund the police, the Los Angeles Unified School District has approved an immediate 35 percent budget cut for its law enforcement agency. In a 4-3 vote, the L.A. County Board of Education narrowly passed the amendment to the districts 2020-21 budget. The vote took place late Tuesday evening, following hours of public testimony by Black Lives Matter activists and parents and officers speaking in support of the school police force. The amended budget will redirect $25 million, or 35 percent of the Los Angeles School Police Department (LASPD) funding, into hiring counselors, social workers, and other staff for programs supporting students, particularly those from the black community. The boards action also prohibits LASPD officers from patrolling school grounds or wearing their uniforms until a task force finishes re-examining the police departments role in school safety sometime during the upcoming school year. LA Unified has to continue to be a leader in showing what can happen when we believe in self-determination, when we empower communities to help this organization transform itself, said board member Monica Garcia, who proposed the budget cut. And I have to say out loud, the work of Black Lives Matter, of anti-racist policies, of equity, is before us. LASPD Chief Todd Chamberlain argued that the budget cut means 65 officers will be immediately laid off, and his department will only be able to provide bare minimum service. Its not going to deliver the type of community policing or the type of service that our community deserves, Chamberlain told the board before the vote. And its going to be neglectful. Board member George McKenna agreed with Chamberlain, saying the police budget should remain untouched until the task force completes the review. We all love Black children, McKenna said. I get it. But youre willing to leave them unprotected. The budget cut comes after an attempt to reduce LASPD funding by 90 percent over the next three school years failed to pass the board largely due to safety concerns. If you take away police youre still going to have people victimized, Chamberlain said at that time. Youll still have crime and still have an environment thats not safe. The 470-member strong LASPD is the largest independent school police department in the United States. Its sworn police officers, civilian school safety officers, and civilian support staff members oversee all school campuses within the district and patrol the surrounding areas. The department runs on a budget of $70 million, or 1 percent, of the districts annual budget. A 'for-rent' sign is posted in front of an apartment building in Los Angeles, Calif., on Feb. 1, 2017. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) LA Vacancy Tax Proposal Shelved Until 2022 An effort to create a vacancy tax in Los Angeles that would penalize property owners who dont rent empty units has been postponed after failing to earn City Council approval in time for inclusion on the November ballot. Despite enthusiasm from several councilmembers, a last-minute attempt to qualify the measure for the Nov. 3 election lacked enough specificity, especially regarding revenue estimates, to squeeze through by the July 1 deadline. City Council voted June 16 to have city attorneys draft a measure to increase revenue by penalizing empty rental units, but they were unable to iron out the details in time. The 15-member Council voted unanimously to postpone the measure at a June 24 meeting and angle instead for 2022. A vacancy tax is a penalty that would apply to units that are not in use for a specified amount of time in a calendar year, and would generate tens of millions of dollars annually that could be applied to the citys burgeoning homeless problem and mounting housing crisis, proponents say. A Los Angeles Housing + Community Investment Department (LAHCID) report, delivered to the Council on June 11, estimated a citywide vacancy rate of 6 to 7 percent, or approximately 85,000 to 100,000 vacant units. If the city pursued a flat fee of $3,000 for each penalty and conservatively estimated 50,000 taxable units, a vacancy tax could generate $150 million per year, the report stated. The report added that a disproportionate number of vacancies are high-end or expensive units, while mid- or low-end units have lower vacancy rates. According to the 2019 Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count, there are 36,000 homeless individuals that could benefit from affordable housing that the tax would create, the report said. Opponents cited the high cost of placing the measure on the ballot, estimated at $12 million, as contributing to the measures failure to proceed. The city of Los Angeles has no business wasting $12 million for placement on the ballot in furtherance of yet another tax on property when so many property owners in the city are suffering today because of uncollected rent due to the Citys eviction moratorium, or due to the loss of their full-time jobs or infliction with the coronavirus themselves, Daniel Yukelson, executive director of the Apartment Association of Greater Los Angeles (AAGLA), told The Epoch Times. Now is not the time to assess more taxes, he said. To do so makes the City Council look like a bunch of pigs. Fred Sutton, a senior vice president at the California Apartment Association (CAA), told The Epoch Times that the proposal failed because the Council tried to rush this [measure] through in two weeks. They hadnt even studied what vacancy taxes do in other cities, or if this actually helped lead to new housing, Sutton said. The LAHCID report cited Vancouver, Canada; Washington, D.C.; and Oakland, California, as cities that currently have a vacancy tax. Oaklands taxapplied to units occupied fewer than 50 days each yearis expected to raise $10 million annually for the next 20 years, the report says. Councilman Paul Koretz thought the current proposal was ready to move forward. He said at the June 24 meeting that the greatest likelihood of passing the tax would occur this Novembernot two years from now. I think the electorate that will turn out in 2022 will be considerably less motivated, probably not as progressive as all the people turning out to defeat Donald Trump [in 2020], he said. He called the progressive voters likely to turn out this November a more tax-willing electorate, and said he believed the current measure would have passedeven if its not perfect. In two years, well have less of a chance to pass. And so I would prefer that we give it that one chance, he said. Councilman Mike Bonin said he didnt think the current proposal would achieve any of the objectives that he had initially hoped when he introduced the measure in 2019. He said the desired annual revenue estimate would be significantly greater than what we have now. This measure before us, as written, would be very problematic, and not help us solve any of those problems, Bonin said at the June 24 meeting. Deputy City Attorney Charles Hong cited several parameters that contributed to the measures failure, including the impact of potential exemptions that were not clearly defined. The more exemptions you include or exclude, youre either expanding or narrowing the tax base, Hong said. Thats critical in determining who and what is taxed. A For Rent sign is seen on a building Hollywood, Calif., on May 11, 2016. (Robyn Beck/AFP/Getty Images) The downtown skyline of Los Angeles on Oct. 12, 2017. (Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images) Demonstrators call for a rent strike during the COVID-19 pandemic as they pass City Hall in Los Angeles, Calif., on May 1, 2020. (Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images) Citizens Weigh In The proposal for a vacancy tax received support from advocacy groups such as Housing Is A Human Right, a division of AIDS Healthcare Foundation. The organization sent a letter to the Council on June 11, lauding it for addressing the profiteering of our housing at the expense of our communities. In the letter, the organization cites a report from the citys Chief Legislative Analyst that states there are nearly 20,000 unoccupied residential units in the city, while the estimated unhoused population is over 40,000. We have to do more to address the crisis, and a vacancy tax would be one option, the letter states. CAA also spearheaded a letter-writing campaign from concerned housing providers; they sent 13,500 emails to the Council opposing the measure. The Council should stop focusing on punitive measures such as vacancy taxes, and focus on spurring and incentivizing housing in the region, CAAs Sutton said. Yukelson said the proposal is the definition of insanity and poorly conceived. The City Council continues to propose ideas that expand upon more-of-the-same, decades-old housing regulations, expecting a different result, he said. Matt Williams, president of Williams Real Estate Advisors, told The Epoch Times that the proposal could have plunged most small property owners into a no-win conundrum. Do I take this poor renter and not pay the vacancy tax? Or pay the vacancy tax and not take the poor rent[er]? he asked. It is as though an owner cant win. They treat their asset as an investment, he said. Pressuring owners to rent this way, only helps them make a poor decision. Williams said there are over 600,000 properties with at least seven units each in the Los Angeles metropolitan areaand that passing a law to get an estimated 19,000 units on the market seems to be a shortsighted solution to a much bigger problem. Passing rent control in 1978 didnt solve the housing crisis. Passing this vacancy tax wont solve it either, he said. All it does is put another financial burden on property owners. A pedestrian walks past a closed-down and shuttered Upper Crust food outlet in Charing Cross train station in London, UK, on July 1, 2020. (Ben Stansall/AFP via Getty Images) Major Food Chain, Retailers to Slash Jobs in UK Multinational catering company SSP Group said it is cutting up to 5,000 jobs in the UK due to the travel restrictions during the CCP virus pandemic. Meanwhile, Harrods, John Lewis, Harveys, and TM Lewin also announced job cuts and store closures. British TV channel Sky News revealed on Tuesday that a message sent to SSP staff said the company had no choice but to start a collective consultation on a number of proposed changes to the business. This includes a proposed reorganisation which could lead to a headcount reduction of up to c.5,000 across SSP Group, SSP Finance and SSP UK, which includes all head office colleagues and both salaries and hourly paid colleagues in operations. SSP employs approximately 9,000 across the UK. Founded in 1961 in the UK, SSP Group owns travel food chains Upper Crust, Heven, Camden Food co., Cabin, and Ritazza, and operates some branches for other major brands including Burger King and Starbucks. A pedestrian wears a mask as he walks past a closed-down and shuttered Caffe Ritazza coffee and food outlet in a train station in London, UK, on July 1, 2020. (Daniel Leal-Olivas/AFP via Getty Images) The company says it was serving around 1.5 million customers in 180 airports and 300 rail stations in 35 countries per day before the pandemic. The travel industry has been hard-hit from the impact of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus pandemic. SSP had to close most of its stores in late March. Among almost 600 of its stores in the UK, less than 10 are open. In the companys Interim Results report (pdf), SSP estimated the pandemic reduced its first half of year sales by approximately between 145 million and 150 million. By the end of May, sales were running approximately 95 percent below last years number. Although travel industry is projected to have a slow recovery, Simon Smith, CEO of SSP Groups, is cautiously optimistic. Looking forward, and with sufficient liquidity to manage a pessimistic trading scenario, I believe the actions we have been taking during this crisis will make us a fitter and stronger business, well placed to deliver for all our stakeholders as the travel market recovers, said Smith. Employees fix a sign on the front of John Lewis department store on Oxford Street in London, UK, on June 16, 2020. (Justin Tallis/AFP via Getty Images) High Street Stores Closing In a letter obtained by Evening Standard, Sharon White, chairwoman of department store John Lewis, warned employees there will likely be store closures. The difficult reality is that we have too much store space for the way people want to shop now. As difficult as it is, we now know that it is highly unlikely that we will reopen all our John Lewis stores. Regrettably, it is likely that there will implications for some Partners jobs. We are in active discussions with landlords about ending some leases and renegotiating others to make the terms more flexible. A man wears a protective mask as he walks past the front entrance of John Lewis department store on Oxford Street in central London, UK, on March 21, 2020. (Daniel Leal-Olivas/AFP via Getty Images) Harrods, another luxury department store, said on Wednesday it plans to cut up to 672 jobs because of the CCP virus crisis, which kept its flagship branch in central London closed for nearly three months. Harrods, which is owned by the Qatar Investment Authority (QIA), told staff it needed to shed up to 14 percent of its total workforce of 4,800. Philip Greens British fashion group Arcadia, owner of high street brands Topshop and Dorothy Perkins, also said Wednesday it plans to cut 500 of its head office workforce of 2,500. TM Lewin, Bensons for Beds, and Harveys are also among the companies to shed jobs. The announcements come after Airbus and EasyJet announced job cuts the day before. The BBC says the total number of job losses in the UK over the last two days is at least 11,000. Reuters contributed to this report US Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell arrives to attend a meeting to discuss a potential economic bill in response to COVID-19, in Washington, DC, on March 20, 2019. (Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images) McConnell: Senate Will Consider Relief Bill After July 20 Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said the Senate will definitely consider voting on a second stimulus package in July but claimed Democrats are partaking in political theater. As youve heard suggested, I said back in March we would take another look at this probably in July take a snapshot of where we are, both on the healthy front and the economic recovery front, and decide at that point what needs to be done further, McConnell told reporters in a news conference on Tuesday. The House and Senate will be on recess from July 3 until July 20, and, according to McConnell, its not likely that the Senate will consider any new relief packages before the end of the recess. McConnell didnt mention direct stimulus payments or checks to eligible Americans, but he stressed that children, healthcare, and jobs will be the focus. Any bill that passes the Senate will have liability protections in it, the Kentucky Republican said. This is liability protections for everyone everybody who interacted with this pandemic. Unless youre grossly negligent or intentionally engaged in misconduct, were going to see to it that you dont get sued on top of everything else youve had to deal with in trying to get through this. President Donald Trumps name is seen on a stimulus check issued by the IRS to help combat the adverse economic effects of the COVID-19 outbreak, in San Antonio, Texas, on April 23, 2020. (Eric Gay/AP Photo) He noted that its merely a prediction, adding that both chambers will make a final decision when we get back from the recess. I think its exactly the right time to address this issue, McConnell remarked. In a separate statement on Tuesday, McConnell said Democrats are trying to play political theater. This political theater is the opposite of the serious Senate approach that built the CARES Act, he said in a statement, referring to the stimulus package passed in March that included a boost to unemployment insurance payments, small business loans, and direct payments. He stressed that recovery efforts should focus on jobs, healthcare, and children, adding that partisan theater and politicized wish-lists are not what our country needs. McConnell may have been referring to the House Democrat-passed HEROES Act, which would offer another round of $1,200 checks to Americans and children, expanding the number of people eligible to receive payments. Republicans have said that the package contains too many unnecessary provisions. Other Republican senators have expressed a willingness to pass stimulus legislation. It is going to happen, its just not going to happen yet, Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) told reporters last week. Last week, President Donald Trump was asked about whether he supports another round of stimulus payments, and he responded in the affirmative. A couple brandished guns as a group of activists moved into their gated neighborhood in St. Louis, Mo., on June 28, 2020. (Daniel Shular via Reuters) Missouri Man on Confrontation With Protesters: Worried That I Was Going to Be Killed St. Louis homeowner and lawyer Mark McCloskey, who was seen in viral footage brandishing a firearm along with his wife Patricia, explained why he decided to arm himself and confront Black Lives Matter protesters who marched toward his property. [W]hen I saw that mob coming through the gate with their rage and their anger, I thought that we would be overrun in a second, he told Fox Newss Tucker Carlson on Tuesday night. By the time I was out there with my rifle, the people were 20 or 30 feet from my front wall. Ive got a low wall that separates my house from my front yard. And so, I was literally afraid that within seconds they would surmount the wall, and come into the house, kill us, burn the house down and everything that I had worked for and struggled for for the last 32 years. McCloskey said that he saw his house and life going up in flames I did what I thought I had to do to protect my hearth, my home, and my family. The McCloskeys are both personal injury lawyers who have a home that is valued at around $1 million. The longtime lawyer said in the interview that hes not a racist, as some on Twitter have alleged. To call us racist is ridiculous, he told the show. It had nothing to do with race. I wasnt worried what the race was of the mob that came through my gate. I was worried I was going to be killed. I didnt care what race they were. McCloskey noted that he has defended a number of people who are African-American. In a previous statement, his lawyer said that the couple supports Black Lives Matter. Armed homeowners standing in front their house along Portland Place confront protesters marching to St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewsons house Sunday, June 28, 2020, in the Central West End of St. Louis. The protesters called for Krewsons resignation for releasing the names and addresses of residents who suggested defunding the police department. (Laurie Skrivan/St. Louis Post-Dispatch via AP) For people that are having a hard time making their miracle happen, for people that dont have a voice. My black clients love us. The night that this happened, I had some of our black clients calling us up till 2:30 in the morning telling us how wrong it was the way the press [was] writing us up, he added. The incident occurred as protesters were heading toward Democratic St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewsons home to demand that she resign after she read the names and addresses of activists who submitted complaints to entirely defund the citys police department. Krewson said she wouldnt defund the department and later apologized for reading their names on Facebook Live. Police officials said that the protesters broke a gate to get into the community where the McCloskeys live. The gate noted that it was a private street and no trespassing signs were up, according to McCloskey. When he confronted the protesters, McCloskey shouted private property and get out. St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner also announced this week she would investigate the two lawyers. The McCloskeys lawyer, Albert Watkins, told news outlets, Their actions were borne solely of fear and apprehension, the genesis of which was not race-related. In fact, the agitators responsible for the trepidation were white. He added: Bad things were said. They werent the message of Black Lives Matter. They were threats. They were hostilemy clients werent there with guns. (Mark McCloskey) went in and got his gunsthese two people have spent a career serving and addressing the civil rights needs of people of color. (They) were not frightened of peaceful protesters. MoveOn Endorses Biden, Says Hes Running on Progressive Platform The political action committee MoveOn said members voted to endorse Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, for president. Biden, 77, won 82.4 percent of votes cast by MoveOn members, the group announced Wednesday. MoveOn endorsed Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) in 2016. Sanders lost to former First Lady Hillary Clinton in the Democratic primary. MoveOns millions of members are ready to mobilize together in support of Joe Biden, working to turn out voters in key states and ensure that Donald Trump is a one-term president, Rahna Epting, the groups political action executive director, said in a statement. Donald Trump is racist, corrupt, immoral, and incompetent. He must be voted out. Joe Biden is a leader who listens, who is running on the most progressive platform in Democratic Party history, and whose election would create an opportunity for the big, structural changes this country needs. MoveOn was launched in 1998. Its initial focus was to convince lawmakers and voters to move on from then-President Bill Clintons affair with an intern. Clinton, a Democrat, was impeached by the House of Representatives but acquitted by the Senate. Biden in a statement to NBC said he was grateful for the support of MoveOn. The stakes in this election couldnt be higher and MoveOn members will be critical to mobilizing voters in communities across the country to go to the polls, he said. President Donald Trump arrives for a meeting at the White House in Washington on June 26, 2020. (Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images) The campaign director for President Donald Trump said MoveOns endorsement of Biden confirms his sprint leftward in an attempt to appease the radical extremists in his party. The left-wing activists who endorsed socialist Bernie Sanders in 2016 have officially taken the wheel of Bidens campaign. In their endorsement, MoveOn praised Biden for running on the most progressive platform ever, which includes tax increases, the job-killing regulations of the Green New Deal, free healthcare for illegal aliens, liberal judges, and abortion-on-demand, Tim Murtaugh said in a statement. Its no wonder he cant unify Democrats behind his candidacy. Over and over again Biden has proven that he is too weak to stand up to fanatic leftists who are now calling the shots and will expect him to continue to fall in line. MoveOn said earlier this year it would spend $20 million to mobilize members, inspire turnout, and protect the right to vote from voter suppression attempts. The group said its zeroing in on key battleground states, including Pennsylvania, Florida, Wisconsin, and Colorado. Protesters face off with NYPD officers in Brooklyn, N.Y., on June 17, 2020. (Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images) New York Lawmakers Cut $1 Billion From NYPD Budget The New York Police Department (NYPD) will see $1 billion less in funding in the upcoming fiscal year, the New York City Council announced early Wednesday. Lawmakers reached an agreement that includes $837 million in cuts and transfers to the NYPD expense budget, according to a statement from the council. When combined with associated costs, these cuts remove $1 billion from the NYPDs spending, it said. This was a hard-fought battle, which marks the beginning of the Councils efforts to not only limit the size and scope of the NYPD, but also reimagine how we structure criminal justice and public safety in this city. We recognize that the City must move away from failed racist policing polices of the past, added Councilman Daniel Dromm, a Democrat who chairs to Finance Committee. The budget passed 32-17. Protesters gather at an encampment outside City Hall in New York, N.Y., on June 30, 2020. (John Minchillo/AP Photo) The reduction breaks down to nearly $484 million in cuts, $354 million in shifts to other agencies that lawmakers say are better positioned to carry out some duties that have fallen to police, and a movement of $500 million in capital costs from the NYPD capital budget. Two of the four incoming classes of recruits were axed, which will reduce headcount by 1,163 uniformed officers. The city is also removing the NYPD from the crossing guard program, school safety, and homeless outreach. The NYPD, which received $6 billion in fiscal year 2020, didnt respond to a request for comment. The Police Benevolent Association of the City of New York, which represents over 50,000 active and retired police officers, shared a story on social media of a 21-man-year-old being shot dead this week. On the same day the budget was slashed, Dante Sartillian was murdered on a Queens street and eleven other New Yorkers were shot, including six shot in Brooklyn IN A SINGLE HOUR, the police union said. This is the city our elected officials have chosen. There were 250 shooting victims from June 1 to June 28, according to the NYPD, an increase of nearly 160 percent from the same period last year. NYPD officers in the Crown Heights neighborhood in Brooklyn, N.Y., on June 3, 2020. (Scott Heins/Getty Images) The police union said before the vote that fewer officers would make the city unsafe for all. Acting Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security Ken Cuccinelli said in an open message to NYPD officers on Wednesday that his agency would love to have them if New York City doesnt want them. Come join our team, where you will be appreciated by your political leadership instead of being belittled and treated like you are the problem instead of part of the solution, he said, sharing information for how to apply. New York City Council Minority Whip Joseph Borelli, one of the lawmakers who voted against the budget, said in a video statement: We know that what were doing will create a more violent city, and yet were doing it anyways. Were making these cuts to appease a fraction of far-left New Yorkers, he alleged. Another angle of Occupy City Hall police officers are observing the area closely nearby. pic.twitter.com/ye6OJ8fufj Bowen Xiao (@BowenXiao_) July 1, 2020 The passage in the early hours of Wednesday came as protesters continued occupying a park just across the street from City Hall in Lower Manhattan. Demands put forth by the group include defunding the police, removing police officers from school, and repealing laws criminalizing survival. Protesters told reporters that they feel the $1 billion in cuts are not enough. Richard Buery Jr., a former aide to New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, agreed, saying on social media: These arent real cuts to the NYPD & dont reflect a fundamental shift in the nature of policing in NYC. I am not saying no police. But we need a new approach to policing. This budget was an opportunity to begin that journey. It fails to do so. De Blasio, a Democrat, told reporters at a virtual press conference that the vast majority of New Yorkers want a safe city and a fair city. They want a safe city and they want a fair city. They appreciate that our police are there to keep us safe, and they want to see policing to get fairer and more respectful, he said. They believe in the NYPD, they want to see the NYPD improve in some ways. But Lord knows, they want to know that when they call for a police officer to help them, that that officer will be there. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo speaks at a media briefing in New York City on June 12, 2020. (Jeenah Moon/Getty Images) New York, New Jersey, Connecticut Issue Mandatory Quarantine for Visitors From 8 More States As cases of the CCP virus continue to increase across parts of the United States, people who wish to travel to New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut from eight additional states have been told they will be subject to a mandatory two-week self-quarantine. Ahead of the July 4th weekend, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that people must adhere to the quarantine measures if traveling from 16 states with high CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus infection rates. These currently include Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Idaho, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Nevada, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Utah, Cuomo said. If youre traveling to New York from the following states you must self-quarantine for 14 days. The states are: AL, AR, AZ, CA, FL, GA, IA, ID, LA, MS, NC, NV, SC, TN, TX, UT. Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) June 30, 2020 As an increasing number of states around the country fight significant community spread, New York is taking action to maintain the precarious safety of its phased, data-driven reopening, Cuomo said upon issuing the updated travel advisory list. The restrictions were first announced for eight states last week. Weve set metrics for community spread just as weve set metrics for everything the state does to fight COVID-19, and eight more states have reached the level of spread required to qualify for New Yorks travel advisory, meaning we will now require individuals traveling to New York from those states to quarantine for 14 days. The quarantine will last two weeks from the time of last contact within the identified state, and applies to people traveling from states with a positive test rate higher than 10 per 100,000 residents on a 7-day average, or with a 10 percent or higher positivity rate over a 7-day rolling average. It came after Cuomo said during a news briefing in New York City last week that the state must work to ensure that infection rates continue to drop. We also have to make sure the virus doesnt come on a plane again, he said. The announcement comes as summer travel to the states beaches, parks, and other attractions would normally swing into high gear. The self-quarantine period does not apply to travelers passing through the states for a limited duration, for example, stopping for air travel, bus, or train layovers, or stopping at rest stops for vehicles, buses, trains, according to officials. People who travel from the states listed in the updated travel advisory to New Jersey for business are exempt from the 14-day mandatory quarantine measures. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Mental health therapist Cyndi Doyle has been married to a police officer for 20 years, and she produces podcasts to support police wives. (Courtesy of Cyndi Doyle) Police Families Feel Scared, Alienated With anti-police sentiment on the rise, Jamie Huppmann is scared her police officer husband wont make it home from work. Her husbands squad car has been vandalized. When she takes her 10-month-old baby for a walk, she sees the stop sign outside her Baltimore home sprayed with curse words directed against police officers. She has closed herself off from many friends and family members who have expressed contempt for all police following the death of George Floyd in police custody. What happened to George Floyd was wrong, but not all police officers act like that, Huppmann told The Epoch Times. Some have derided her for saying not all police are bad. Im at the point that I dont even want to say anything anymore, Huppmann said. Like tens of thousands of police spouses across the nation, Huppmann has withdrawn from her social circles and turned to police spouse communities for support. The children of police officers are also suffering, mental health therapist Cyndi Doyle says. One police officers wife told her that she had a hard time explaining to her children a sign that read, The only good cop is a dead cop. Children have lost friends, and some police spouses are afraid to take their children outside the house, Doyle said. The fear that is being experienced by law enforcement families has not been seen, at least in the past decade or 20 years, she said. Doyle has been working in mental health for about 20 years. She has also been married to a police officer for 20 years, and produces podcasts to support police wives. The experiences of police spouses vary widely in communities across the country, she said. While some still receive community support, many police spouses, especially in big cities, are struggling with the backlash against law enforcement. A vandalized car is flipped upside down as protesters face off against police in Oakland, Calif., on May 29, 2020. (Josh Edelson/AFP via Getty Images) A woman holds a sign that says Abolish the police, across from a pro-police demonstration in Torrance, Calif., on June 20, 2020. (Apu Gomes/AFP via Getty Images) A woman puts her hand on a police officer standing between attendees of a Police Appreciation rally and counter-protesters at City Hall in Houston, on June 18, 2020. (Mark Felix/AFP via Getty Images) If they speak up and stand behind their officers, theyre going to be seen as a racist, Doyle said. Thats why a lot of spouses have turned inward, have gone to groups, or talk to each other to move through the trauma theyre experiencing. Both Blue and Black Kelli Lowe, president of National Police Wives Association, helps fellow spouses navigate the rough terrain through her talk-show-style video chats. The association has more than 150,000 followers on Facebook. Each of her videos receives tens of thousands of views. I think hearing from a spouse that is African American, that is willing to speak to what some of them are feeling in a direct and truthful manner, they appreciate, she told The Epoch Times. Lowe lives in St. Louisnear Ferguson, Missouri, where the fatal shooting of a black teenager by a white police officer in 2014 sparked protests and riots. Even before that shooting, many in her community looked at black police officers as traitors, she said. It was hard to be both blue and black, she said. Kelli Lowe, president of National Police Wives Association, stands with her husband, Charles Lowe. Kelli Lowe has helped her community in St. Louis foster understanding between black youth and the police. (Courtesy of Kelli Lowe) A Molotov cocktail hits a police car during a protest in Ferguson, Mo., on May 31, 2020. (REUTERS/Lawrence Bryant) In 2014, Lowe and other spouses prepared food for officers around the clock at a local command post. She helped officers and their spouses with their mental health and stability during that time. I have not heard one officer or spouse saying what was done with George Floyd was the right thing, she said. Since Floyds death, demands for police reforms have emerged nationwide, along with calls to defund and even dismantle police forces. In Minneapolis, where Floyd lived and died, the City Council recently voted to dismantle its police force. The police reform doesnt bother me; transparency and accountability is needed, said Lowe, whose videos address reform issues and help women make sense of the changes occurring in their husbands profession. What does bother me is that the people that are making the policies are not sitting down at the table with the rank-and-file officers that work the streets every day, she said. That puts my husbands life in jeopardy. Bulletproof Some spouses are worried defunding the police might mean less money for safety equipment or mental health resources, Lowe said. They are sitting at home encouraging their officers to resign, because they are concerned that all of a sudden they wont get new bulletproof vests, Lowe said. Bulletproof vests that are more than 5 years old are likely to be ineffective. Lowe knows the importance of an effective bulletproof vest. It saved her husbands life in 2015, one year after the Ferguson shooting. Demonstrators, marking the one-year anniversary of the shooting of Michael Brown, protest in Ferguson, Missouri, on August 10, 2015. (Scott Olson/Getty Images) It was a hot summer day, around 5 a.m.five minutes after Lowes husband put on his bulletproof vest in his cara man shot at him through the car window. The only bullet that hit him had hit the vest. If he hadnt had the vest on, he probably would not have survived, a doctor told Lowe at the hospital. When she left the hospital, a black protester was standing by her husbands car with a sign that read, How does it feel? The court trial was hard for her; it was hard to be in close proximity to the man who almost killed her husband, she said. When the gunmans defense attorney argued that he had grown up without a father, without guidance or opportunities, Lowe thought of her son, who was 4 at the time. What about my son who almost lost his father? Lowe said. Both her husband and the man who shot him are black. I could see tragedy on both sides. Lowe said she knows too many young black men who have grown up in the worst situations, which pushes them to desperation and crime. Her husband also grew up without a father, in one of the worst neighborhoods in St. Louis. But he made it to college and fought his way into the police academy, she said. There also has to be accountability for your actions, Lowe said. To me, it was just two sides of the coin. She has worked with at-risk children in her community. She has also invited police officers to meet them, so the children see officers as real humans, not as bad guys running down the street after black teens. One life lost is too many, Lowe said. Im not minimizing those lives that are taken by police officers, but I also want for people not to minimize the lives were losing in law enforcement. The two men involved in the ambush shooting of her husband were sentenced to 25 years and 30 years in prison. In 2016, Lowe traveled to support the spouses of officers killed in Dallas and Baton Rouge, Louisiana. In both places, lone gunmen had ambushed police, killing a total of eight officers and injuring 15 others, amid protests against the police killing of two black men, Alton Sterling in Baton Rouge; and Philando Castile in Falcon Heights, Minnesota. Many police spouses fear the same kind of retaliation could be aimed at their husbands amid the George Floyd protests, they told The Epoch Times. Fear of Retaliation What worries me most is that someone will take his life because of the uniform he wears, said Elizabeth, a police spouse who declined to disclose her full name. Her husband works near Seattle, where protesters have famously set up a police-free autonomous zone. I just dont know if I can do this anymore, her husband recently told her. He was in the military and became a police officer late in life. At 55, he could retire, but he had chosen to stay longer. He is there to help people, he is there to train up good officers, but the light is leaving him, she said. It breaks my heart. Im afraid they are going to start quitting in droves, because the risk right now outweighs the reward, Elizabeth said. One of her biggest worries is that her husband might be disciplined or prosecuted solely for doing his job, which is a major concern to many police families, said Jessica Burke, a mental health consultant in California. Her husband is a police officer and she has been blogging in support of police spouses. Fear of Prosecution Worries spiked, Burke said, after an Atlanta police officer was recently charged with murder for shooting a black man while on duty. In the June 12 incident, Rayshard Brooks grabbed a Taser from officer Devin Brosnan and fired it at him, causing Brosnan to hit his head on the pavement in a fast-food restaurant parking lot. Officer Garrett Rolfe then shot and killed Brooks. Five days later, District Attorney Paul L. Howard charged Rolfe with murder and 10 other charges. Howard argued that Brooks posed no threat to Rolfes life, so the killing was unjustified. University of Notre Dame law professor Jimmy Gurule told The New York Times that the swift and hefty charges reflected a sense of urgency, fueled by the George Floyd protests. Burke said the Atlanta incident differed from Floyds encounter with the police, since Brooks had attacked an officer. Now, we have to worry about officers getting prosecuted for defending themselves, Burke told The Epoch Times. Jessica Burke, who is the wife of a police officer and a mental health consultant, blogs in support of police spouses. (Courtesy of Jessica Burke) Burke said other spouses have asked her questions such as: What about my husband? What if my husband has to defend himself or somebody else? Will he go to prison for it? Charged With Murder For police spouse Rachel Mitchell, those are more than hypothetical questions. Her husband, John Mitchell, was charged with murder for killing an active shooter in Blackwell, Oklahoma, in 2019. It happened around 3 a.m. on May 20, 2019. An emergency phone call reached John, who was off-duty and at home: A woman had shot at a civilian, and help was needed. The suspect, Micheal Ann Godsey, shot at a civilian and then at a police officer before she drove onto a highway; she reportedly was under the influence of drugs. During the chase, Mitchell fired about 60 shots at Godseys truck. Another police officer fired several shots as well. Godsey died of gunshot wounds. After the shooting, John was not himself for a long time, Rachel said. People dont understand the trauma of taking a life, even though you were there protecting people and yourself, she said. Its big. Six months later, District Attorney Jason Hicks decided to present charges of second-degree murder and first-degree manslaughter to a grand jury. Hicks argued that Godsey stopped her car at one point during the chase, and Mitchell failed to check if her intention was to surrender. It wasnt clear why Godsey had stopped. When Rachel heard the news, she broke down. Thats the first time I truly cried in months, she said. I told John, How are we going to tell our kids if it comes down? How are we going to tell them? We live in a small town. You cant keep stuff like that from them. After the grand jury indicted John on both charges, Rachel couldnt bring herself to tell the children, aged 9 and 11. She asked close friends to do it instead. It broke my heart, because they stayed strong, Rachel said. [But] when everybody else left the room, my 9-year-old started bawling. He thought his dad was going to prison. The Mitchell family received death threats on social media; John shrugged them off, but Rachel was scared. Theyre never serious until the one time they are, she said. For a long time, she dared not let the children leave the house by themselves, and she was scared of taking them into town. One day, when Mitchell took the children out fishing, a person who had already threatened the family appeared and started to videotape them, while taunting and yelling. In February, Mitchells second-degree murder charge was dropped at a pretrial hearing. He still faces the first-degree manslaughter charge. The next pretrial hearing is July 14. After the incident, Mitchell was on administrative leave for months; he recently returned to work as a 911 dispatch coordinator. It kind of makes me feel a little better that hes not out there, Rachel said. I feel for the wives of the other officers who have to work the street right now. Light and Hope Many wives whose husbands still work the streets flock to Allison Uribes police spouses community. Her Facebook followers doubled to more than 20,000 after the Floyd incident. Theres so much hate, theres so much hurt and theres a lot of pain. I think people are seriously just looking for some light and hope, Uribe told The Epoch Times. When they go to our page, I want them to see hope, I want them to see light. Even before the Floyd backlash, it was hard being a police spouse, she said. Its just a different marriage, Uribe said. The job has its dangers, along with its long and irregular hours that eat into holidays and evening time with the family. When her husband is home, the pressures of his job often make him either withdrawn or quick to anger. Allison Uribe has formed online communities to support police families. (Courtesy of Allison Uribe) One day, he came home and went into the nursery where their baby was sleeping. The shades were drawn and the room was dark, but she could see tears running down his face. Whats going on? she asked. He wouldnt answer. I always thought it was me, Uribe said. She almost left him three times. She knew her marriage was in crisis, until the day she got a Bible from a local church: I was looking at Corinthians where it says, Love is patient, Uribe said. I was thinking, Im definitely not patient. Uribe realized she had to change herself before she could change her husband, she said. One day, he came home in a bad mood again. He slammed the door and shouted at the children. Uribe told the children, Let him go. She went upstairs and told him, Im going to give you some time. When she came back, she found him sitting on the floor crying. I saw a raped baby today, he said. Gradually, Uribe was able to see things from his perspective. She realized it was difficult for him to constantly see the worst side of humanity, deal with all kinds of violent situations at work, and then come home and instantly flip the switch to play the role of dad or husband. Patience was a yearlong lesson for me, Uribe said. Then I went into kindness. Her husband changed, too. That man doesnt miss a Sunday now, Uribe said. Ten years ago, Uribe formed a Bible study group for police wives at her husbands police department in San Antonio. A couple of years ago, she moved her group online, and her husband named it Wives On Duty Ministries. The name is so fitting, said Uribe, because in this law enforcement life, its not just the officer, but their whole family that stands beside them to serve and protect. After the Floyd incident, Uribe asked fellow spouses to pray for their husbands, and even to pray for those who wish death upon their husbands, but received backlash on social media. When a man left a strongly worded comment asking her to stop supporting police officers, she responded, Im sure that you have people who love you, and who care for you, and who will not want harm on you. Its the same way these wives on this page feel for their spouses. She told him, [If you were in trouble,] I would be the first one to send my husband to protect you, because I want you safe. Sen. Mike Braun (R-Ind.) speaks in Washington on May 20, 2020. (Al Drago/Pool/AFP via Getty Images Police Groups Say They Dont Back Brauns Qualified Immunity Bill Several police groups said they do not support Sen. Mike Brauns (R-Ind.) bill, which would make it easier to file civil lawsuits against police officers. Despite assertions to the contrary, the Indiana State Police Alliance as well as the Indiana State Police Department, did not aid in the development of this legislation and did not give our support for the bills language prior to its release, the Indiana State Police Alliance said in a statement. The National Fraternal Order of Police also said it does not support the bill. As a matter of fact, we do not support this bill and have never made any statement or other public comment which would indicate that we had done so, Patrick Yoes, the orders national president, said in a June 30 letter to Braun. Braun, who couldnt be reached Wednesday, last week introduced the Reforming Qualified Immunity Act (pdf), which he said would make it harder for government employees, including law enforcement officers, to claim qualified immunity. The statements from police groups came after Braun appeared on Fox Newss Tucker Carlson Tonight and suggested some law enforcement officials in the state he represents support his bill. I checked with the Indiana State Police, the Indiana Sheriffs Association, the Fraternal Order of Police, spent over an hour with them last week, to make sure Im not off-base, he said. Rayshard Brooks (C) struggling with Officers Garrett Rolfe (L) and Devin Brosnan in the parking lot of a Wendys restaurant, in Atlanta, Ga., on June 13, 2020. (Atlanta Police Department via AP) Braun said some officials feel that their own officers arent held accountable. Even law enforcement in Indiana thinks that in some of these cases, its giving them a bad name, and bad apples ought to be, there ought to be due process there for a victim, he alleged. Braun said in a statement announcing the bill that its up to Congress to establish a qualified immunity law that defends law enforcement, while protecting the rights of the people. The bill would implement a meaningful change that will help law enforcement and the citizens they protect, he added. Carlson before the segment played audio from a recent podcast in which Braun said the bill was a template that protects law enforcement from frivolous lawsuits but holds the egregious departments and individuals accountable in these egregious instances of George Floyd or Rayshard Brooks or Breonna Taylor. Floyd died in police custody on Memorial Day after a Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck for over 8 minutes. Taylor was killed when Louisville police officers executed a no-knock search warrant on her apartment in March and shot her dead. Brooks was fatally shot after he resisted arrest and stole a police officers stun gun before firing it at least twice at police officers. Atlanta police officer Garrett Rolfe, who was later fired and charged with murder, fired several shots, striking Brooks twice, as Brooks moved away from him. Brooks had just fired the stun gun at Rolfe. Carlson pressed Braun on Brookss case, wondering what he thought Rolfe should have done. Braun said Rolfe should not have shot Brooks. They were going to find him, Braun alleged. Braun also said on the podcast that he supports Black Lives Matter. I support that movement because its addressing an inequity that has not been solved from a grassroots level, he said. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo speaks during a news conference at the State Department in Washington, on June 24, 2020. (Mandel Ngan//AP) Pompeo Urges UN Arms Embargo on Irans Terrorist Regime U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo urged the U.N. Security Council on Tuesday to extend a U.N. arms embargo against Tehran that expires in October and to reject extortion diplomacy. He called Iran the worlds most heinous terrorist regime. If the United Nations fails to extend the arms embargo, Iran will be free to purchase Russian fighter jets that could strike targets in cities like Riyadh, New Delhi, Rome, and Warsaw, Pompeo told the U.N. Security Council on June 30. It would also be able to upgrade and expand its fleet of submarines that could threaten freedom of navigation and disrupt international shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, the Persian Gulf, and the Arabian Sea, he added. Moreover, Iran will be able to purchase new and advanced technology for its proxies and partners throughout the Middle East, including Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis, as well as sell arms to Venezuela, Syria, and Afghanistan if the embargo expires, Pompeo said. Through purchasing arms for itself and its allies, Iran could destabilize the Middle East, which in turn, could destabilize oil, impacting countries that rely on stable energy prices like Russia and China, Pompeo said. Pompeo quoted Irans President Hassan Rouhani, who said in November, When the embargo is lifted next year, we can easily buy and sell weapons. Smoke is seen following a fire at an Aramco factory in Abqaiq, Saudi Arabia, on Sept. 14, 2019. (Reuters) The U.N. Secretary-Generals report on the implementation of Security Council Resolution 2231 confirmed the Iranian origin of weapons used to attack Saudi Arabia in September 2019, as well as weapons seized off the coast of Yemen in November 2019 and February 2020. Iran also provides arms to proxy groups and terrorist organizations across the Middle East, such as in Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Yemen, and Bahrain, thus continuing to violate the embargo, the State Department said in its fact sheet. The embargo on conventional arms sales was imposed on Iran by the U.N. Security Council with Resolution 2231, which also endorsed the Iran nuclear deal signed in 2015. If the embargo is allowed to expire on Oct. 18, China, Russia, and other countries will be able to sell conventional weapons to Iran. Iran violated the 2015 nuclear deal, called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and signed by the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council (the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Russia, and China), Germany, the European Union (EU), and Iran, Pompeo said. Iran announced last year that it had developed a new centrifuge that allows it to enrich uranium up to 50 times faster than allowed under the JCPOA. Iran also denied inspectors with the International Atomic Energy Agency access to locations Iran is obligated to provide, according to Pompeo. The council must reject extortion diplomacy, Pompeo said. President Rouhani recently declared: Iran will give a crushing response if the arms embargo on Tehran is extended.' The extension of the arms embargo on Iran has been overwhelmingly supported by a bipartisan majority of the U.S. House of Representatives. The support letter, signed by 387 out of 435 Representatives, calls on the Trump administration to extend the embargo because permitting Iran to buy and sell weapons would pose a grave risk to security and stability around the world. In 2018, the Trump administration withdrew the United States unilaterally from JCPOA saying that the deal had failed to prevent Iran from pursuing nuclear weapons and allowed the Iranian regime to support terrorist activities internationally. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo (4thR) speaks during a United Nations Security Council meeting on August 20, 2019 at the United Nations in New York. (Johannes Eisele / AFP via Getty Images) The five other signatories of the nuclear dealRussia, China, the United Kingdom, France, and Germanyremain committed to it, saying the agreement is key to continuing inspections by the International Atomic Energy Agency and to preventing Iran from pursuing nuclear weapons. The United States has circulated a draft Security Council resolution to extend the arms embargo indefinitely. Pompeo said that it is the United States overwhelming preference to work with the 15 member countries to adopt it. Pompeo indicated that if the resolution isnt approved, likely due to Russian and Chinese opposition, the United States will move to invoke a provision of the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers to re-impose all U.N. sanctions against Iran. Irans Foreign Minister Mohammed Javad Zarif vehemently opposed any extension of the arms embargo, warning that Irans options will be firm if it is maintained and that the United States will bear full responsibility for further sanctions. Zarif told the council later that the Unites States has violated all provisions of the deal by its withdrawal and insisted that the arms embargo be lifted completely on its Oct. 18 expiration date. Any attempt to change or amend the timetable for lifting the embargo is tantamount to undermining the entire resolution, he said. Russias U.N. Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said Moscow opposes blessing the U.S. maximum pressure policy through the arms embargo resolution. He called it a maximum suffocation policy aimed at regime change or creating a situation where Iran literally wouldnt be able to breathe. Chinas U.N. Ambassador Zhang Jun also opposed extending the arms embargo, saying that after having quit the nuclear agreement, the United States is no longer a participant and has no right to trigger the snap-back provision in the resolution to reimpose U.N. sanctions. European Union Ambassador Olof Skoog told the council that the nuclear deal has removed the prospect of a nuclear-armed Iran from the regional security equation in a verifiable way and the international community shouldnt assume it will again be able to address Irans nuclear program so comprehensively. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Pork souvlaki is a Greek street food staple, and a mainstay at Greko in Nashville. Cousins Bill and Tony Darsinos opened the spot in tribute to their cultural roots. (Andrea Behrends and Helene Dujardin) Pork Souvlaki Pork Souvlaki Souvlaki (literally skewers) is the quintessential street food of Greece. Typically ordered by the dozen, they are highly addictive. Bill and Tony Darsinos, of Greko Greek Street Food in Nashville, Tennessee, spent years searching for the perfect domestic cut of pork to suit their tastes, finally settling on the pork collar for its mix of rich flavor, fat, and tenderness. In a pinch, you could substitute boneless pork shoulder (butt) or boneless, country-style ribs. To get the right amount of char, tenderness, and flavor, you need to grill the pork hot and fast over direct heat until just cooked through. Serves 10 to 12 Hands-on Time: 35 minutes Total Time: 25 hours including 24 hours brining 1 pork collar (4 to 6 pounds) 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil 2 tablespoons dried oregano 2 tablespoons kosher salt 1 1/2 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper Lemon wedges, to serve Using a sharp knife, butterfly the pork collar until you have a large, flat layer about 1 inch thick. Cut the meat into 1-inch cubes and place in a large mixing bowl. Add the olive oil, oregano, salt, and pepper and toss everything together with your hands until evenly incorporated. Cover and marinate in the fridge for at least 24 hours. Open the bottom vent of a charcoal grill completely. Light a charcoal chimney starter filled with charcoal. When the coals are covered with gray ash, pour them onto the bottom grate of the grill. Adjust the vents as needed to maintain an internal temperature of 400 degrees to 450 degrees F. Coat the top grate with oil; place on the grill. (If using a gas grill, pre-heat to medium-high (400 degrees to 450 degrees F.) Carefully thread the marinated pork onto skewers, portioning about 6 ounces for each and being careful to leave about 1/4 inch between the pieces to avoid overcrowding. Place on the grill and cook, uncovered and turning occasionally, for 8 to 10 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches 145 degrees F. If flare-ups occur, cover with a grill lid to quell flames as necessary. Serve the souvlaki with lemon wedges. Bill (L) and Tony Darsinos of Greko Greek Street Food in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo from the book Serial Griller) Recipe excerpted from Serial Griller: Grillmaster Secrets for Flame-Cooked Perfection, copyright 2020 by Matt Moore. Photography copyright 2020 by Andrea Behrends and Helene Dujardin. Reproduced by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved. Premature Baby Given 20 Percent Chance of Survival Beats the Odds, Celebrates First Birthday A premature baby who was born at 28 weeks gestation was given only a 20 percent chance of surviving. However, he has beaten the odds stacked against him and achieved a milestone as he celebrated his first birthday. Riley Patterson, from Aughnacloy, Northern Ireland, was born on June 20, 2019, weighing a mere 1 pound 12 ounces (approx. 794 g). According to RTE, baby Rileys father, John, said that he was so small that the dads wedding ring could fit over his leg. Victoria Patterson with her baby son, Riley, when he was born. (Caters News) In his tiny course of life, baby Riley has suffered a host of health problems. The preemie was born with two holes in his heart, a metabolic disease, and chronic lung disease, and he even developed necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) twice, Caters News reported. NEC is a serious disease that develops in premature infants affecting their intestine. The condition affects the inner lining of the large or small intestine causing it to become inflamed, according to The Healthline. Rileys mother, Victoria, told Caters News that a 20-week scan had confirmed that the unborn baby had a heart defect and doctors said that it was a ventricular septal defect (VSD). I started getting quite sick when I was pregnant, Victoria said, my blood pressure kept rising and I then developed pre-eclampsia which meant I was in the hospital every other week between week 23 and week 28. During Victorias 28th week of pregnancy, a consultant at the Royal Belfast Hospital said that the prognosis wasnt good and asked nurses to prepare for emergency surgery. They told me things werent looking good and that the main priority was to save my life so I was convinced that we wouldnt have a baby by the end of the c-section, Victoria said. Recalling Rileys day of birth, Victoria was terrified as there were 19 people in the operating theatre room. Doctors assured her that the newborn was breathing, but the new mom was allowed to hold her baby boy for only 30 seconds before he was whisked off to the intensive care unit of the hospital. Baby Riley at the intensive care unit of Royal Belfast Hospital. (Caters News) During the first month, Rileys parents feared for his life and tried to enjoy each day as if it was the last. In the first six months of his life at the hospital, Riley showed incredible strength being a little fighter as medical personnel tried to save his life. The baby boy was supposed to undergo open heart surgery when he was 8 weeks old but he was too tiny to operate on. Then when he turned 4 months old, Riley underwent his first open-heart surgery in October 2019. Victoria shared that during this time, her baby boy had stopped taking bottles and was fitted with an NG feeding tube. Even after the surgery, his parents realized they needed to keep the NG tube in for some more time. On one horrific night, Victoria said, There was one point where he stopped breathing and the nurses had to resuscitate himthat was scary and one of the worst nights. Riley has undergone two open-heart surgeries since his birth. (Caters News) However, Riley fought hard and after six months was allowed to join his family at home weighing 5 pounds (approx. 2 kg). We settled in after a few days and became a proper little family, Victoria shared. In March this year, Riley underwent another life-saving heart surgery at the Childrens Health Ireland (CHI) as doctors feared he might have heart failure. The Patterson family was worried if their then-9-month-old baby would receive the care he needed because of the pandemic, according to RTE. However, they went ahead with surgery, and since then, Riley has been given an all-clear. Now, as he celebrated his first birthday, his parents have been so delighted and amazed by him. We had a little birthday for him [..] and it was great. Hes doing so well and we are so blessed to have him here with us, Victoria said. We were just enjoying every single day with him like it was going to be the last. Baby Riley enjoying ice cream on his first birthday. (Caters News) Riley, who now weighs 14 pounds (approx. 7 kg), is still on an NG tube due to lack of liquid intake, but his family is definitely happy with his progress. Victoria is also incredibly grateful to TinyLife, a premature baby charity in Northern Ireland, for their immense support they have provided her with during the first year of Rileys life. Riley is now thriving in life. (Caters News) I would encourage other moms to create a community with other premature moms, Victoria said, so that you have a support system of people who understand your situation and what you are going through. We would love to hear your stories! You can share them with us at emg.inspired@epochtimes.nyc President Threatens to Veto Military Funding Package Because of Amendment President Donald Trump warned that he would veto crucial legislation that funds the military for the 2021 fiscal year, unless an amendment proposed by Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), aimed at renaming military assets named after Confederate leaders, is taken out. I will Veto the Defense Authorization Bill if the Elizabeth Pocahontas Warren (of all people!) Amendment, which will lead to the renaming (plus other bad things!) of Fort Bragg, Fort Robert E. Lee, and many other Military Bases from which we won Two World Wars, is in the Bill! Trump wrote in a tweet Tuesday. In this file photo, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (R) (D-Mass.) Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) express their outrage that a huge, $1.1 trillion spending bill approved by the then Republican-controlled House contained changes to the 2010 Dodd-Frank law, on Dec. 10, 2014, on Capitol Hill in Washington. (J. Scott Applewhite/AP Photo) Senate Armed Services Committee earlier this month approved Warrens amendment to be included in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The Senate on Tuesday voted 894 on a motion to proceed on the bill. As part of the debate on the Military funding bill, Warren gave a speech on the Senate floor on Monday, detailing the reason for her proposal. The defense bill we are debating today takes an important step in this direction by addressing the honors that our nation continues to bestow on Confederate officers who took up arms against the United States in the defense of chattel slavery, Warren said. This bill denies those honors to military leaders who killed U.S. soldiers in defense of the idea that black people are not people, but instead are property to be bought and sold. Earlier in June, White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany told reporters that the President opposes renaming military bases and other assets and she quoted a tweet from the President. [M]y 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. Respect our Military! she read. These Monumental and very Powerful Bases have become part of a Great American Heritage, and a history of Winning, Victory, and Freedom, Trump also tweeted. The President will not be signing legislation that renames Americas forts, its important to note, you know Fort Bragg, for example, its one of the largest military installations. Its home to 10s of thousands of brave American soldiers. And when you think of Fort Bragg we think of the brave soldiers that deployed from there, McEnany said. A sign shows Fort Bragg information in Fayettville, N.C., on May 13, 2004. (Logan Mock-Bunting/Getty Images) Past efforts to rename military installations have stalled on the grounds that these places represent an American tradition but on Tuesday Warren argued that these names represent an ugly past and the names of traitors should not be honored. While those like the President call the Confederate history, part of American tradition, Warren and the left, say the confederate names and monuments represent a history of white supremacy. Those who complain that removing the names of traitors from these bases ignores history ought to learn some history themselves. These bases were not named in the years following the Civil War. No. They were named decades and decades later, during the Jim Crow era, to strengthen a movement that tried to glorify the Confederacy and reinforce white supremacy, Warren argued. Warren argued that the current political moment, after the death of George Floyd, a black man who died while in the custody of Minneapolis police, calls for ending police brutality, once and for all. It is also about ending systemic racism. Warrens amendment stipulates that all names, symbols, displays, monuments, and paraphernalia that honor Confederate States of America, be removed no later than three years after the date of the enactment of the bill. Republican Senators have offered their own amendment to deal with the renaming of Confederate military assets. Sen. Tom Cottons (R-Ark.) amendment would commission a study and allow the Defense Secretary to choose which asset to rename. Cotton called Warrens amendment too broad and Warren said in her speech, it is not time to study the problem but to take action. The tension between Warrens proposal and the Presidents threat to veto only mimic the increased tensions over race and Americas history. Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumers (D-N.Y.) comments on the issue reflect a partisan divide among Democrats and Republicans, which will likely make the NDAA face an uphill battle in getting passed on time. Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) calls on reporters during a news conference at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, on Jan. 22, 2020. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) Schumer said Wednesday, I dare President Trump to veto the bill over Confederate base naming. Its in the bill, it has bipartisan support, it will stay in the bill. The WH has previously indicated Trump would veto the NDAA if it included base renaming. Jesse Taggart, left, and Samantha Darling were arrested in connection with a shooting in Provo, Utah, on June 29, 2020. (Provo Police Department) Protester Shot Driver Who Tried Turning, Police Say Police officials in Utah said two people, who both say they support Black Lives Matter, were arrested after one of them allegedly shot a driver near a protest in Provo on Monday. Jesse Taggart, 33, was booked late Tuesday on charges including firing a weapon near a highway, rioting, and attempted aggravated murder. Samantha Darling, 27, was also arrested and charged with obstruction of justice and rioting. Both said in social media posts before the arrest that the shooting was in self-defense. The incident unfolded Monday night during a protest. Dozens gathered in downtown Provo as a counter-protest to a group that drove around the area honking their horns in a show of support for the police. The situation suddenly escalated around 8:30 p.m. when a group blocked a vehicle that was moving slowly down the road and attempted to turn onto another street, according to video footage captured at the scene. The driver was shot but continued steadily moving forward and drove away. No one appeared to be injured by the vehicle. A person appearing to be Taggart wrote on Facebook that the driver hopped a curb passing approximately 7 cars to drive through the protestors, threw a girl approximately in the air 4 feet and about 8 foot distance. In another post, he wrote that vehicles were blocked from driving down the street by protestors occupying the intersection and declaring first amendment rights of peacefully gathering and assembly of free speach [sic]. Darling wrote on Facebook: Before you go off spouting opinions about what happened in Provo why dont you ask someone that WAS ACTUALLY THERE. She also shared a post of someone else saying claiming that at least five vehicles ran into protesters on Monday night. Both profiles expressed support for the Black Lives Matter movement. North Utah Black Lives Matter is listed as a host group for another protest planned for July 1 in Provo, along with groups that hosted the June 29 event. The Provo Police Department said that video footage officers obtained showed the white SUV being surrounded when the driver tried turning onto another street. Several protestors began crowding around the vehicle. A male protestor ran to the SVU [sic] on the passenger side, pointed a handgun at driver and shot one round through the window, it said. The driver was hit by the bullet and hit the gas, trying to flee. The man who fired the gun ran after the vehicle and shot a second round, which went through the rear passenger window. The man then concealed the firearm and continued to protest, according to police. Peaceful protests are a fundamental right and often can become an important catalyst for positive change. Criminal acts and violence such as we saw last night in Provo were anything but peaceful and are UNACCEPTABLE. The public safety of our community is a top priority. pic.twitter.com/AHgF9jbelB Michelle Kaufusi (@mayorkaufusi) June 30, 2020 The same male, later identified as Taggart, later approached another vehicle and broke a window with the handgun. Mayor Michelle Kaufusi said in a video statement that peaceful protests are a fundamental right and and often can become an important catalyst for positive change. Criminal acts and violence such as we saw last night in Provo were anything but peaceful and are unacceptable. The public safety of our community is a top priority, she added. Provo City Council Chairman George Handley condemned the shooting. We have learned with great shock and disappointment that during a protest last evening a man used a handgun to shoot and injure an elderly citizen of our community who was in his vehicle passing through the area on an errand, he said in a statement. Russian President Vladimir Putin shows his passport to a member of an election commission as he arrives to take part in voting at a polling station in Moscow, Russia, on July 1, 2020. (Alexei Druzhinin, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP) Russians Grant Putin Right to Extend His Rule Until 2036 in Landslide Vote, Initial Results Show MOSCOWRussians appeared to have paved the way for Vladimir Putin to stay in power until 2036 by voting overwhelmingly for a package of constitutional changes which will also boost pensions, initial results of a nationwide vote showed on Wednesday. Partial results, announced five hours before polls closed, indicate the former KGB officer who has ruled Russia for more than two decades as president or prime minister will win the right to run for two more terms. That means he could remain president for 16 more years. The Central Election Commission said just over 70 percent of votes counted across the worlds largest country had supported changing the constitution. Almost 29 percent had voted no of the 2.68 percent of ballots counted. Fuller results are due at 1900 GMT. Russians have been encouraged to vote with prize draws offering flats and an ad campaign highlighting other constitutional amendments in the same reform bundle, such as the pensions protection and a de facto ban on same-sex marriages. One-off payments of 10,000 roubles ($141) were transferred to those with children at Putins order as people headed to polling stations on Wednesday, the last day of the vote, held over seven days to try to limit the spread of the coronavirus. I voted for the amendments to the constitution, Moscow resident Mikhail Volkov said. We need radical changes and Im for them. Others voted for the changes with less enthusiasm. I didnt read about the amendments if Im honest, another voter, Lyudmila, said. Whats the point of voting if theyve already decided for you. Its like that in our countryread something and vote. I voted. A woman, wearing a face mask to protect against coronavirus casts her ballot, observes social distancing guidelines, at a polling station in Grozny, Russia, on July 1, 2020. (Musa Sadulayev/AP Photo) Turnout had reached nearly 60 percent by midday, election officials said. The required turnout is 50 percent and the amendments will pass if they are backed by a simple majority of voters. Putin, 67, made no mention of how the changes could affect his own career in an eve-of-vote speech on Tuesday. They would allow him to run for another two six-year, consecutive stints after his current term expires in 2024. Putin has said he has yet to decide on his future. Critics say they are sure he will run again, but some analysts say he may want to keep his options open to avoid becoming a lame duck. At 60 percent, according to the Levada pollster, his approval rating remains high but well down on its peak of nearly 90 percent. With Russia reporting thousands of new COVID-19 cases each day, opponents have been unable to stage protests but have mocked the vote online, sharing photographs of polling stations in apartment stairwells, courtyards and the boot of a car. Small Protests A small group of activists staged a symbolic protest on Red Square on Wednesday using their prostrate bodies to form the date2036before being swiftly detained by police, TV Rain reported. The No! Campaign, called on supporters to vote against the changes and then discuss the result on Moscows Pushkinskaya Square while respecting social distancing rules. We need to remind the authorities that we exist and that there are tens of millions of us who do not want Putin to rule until 2036, Andrei Pivovarov, an activist, said in an online video. People protest against constitutional amendments on Palace Square in St. Petersburg, Russia, on July 1, 2020.(Dmitri Lovetsky/AP Photo). Mass gatherings are banned in Moscow due to the virus and Pivovarovs suggestion of a public discussion was carefully worded. He avoided calling on people to gather, saying only that he wanted to discuss the votes outcome with other free people and would be in the square on Wednesday evening. More than a dozen police vehicles were parked in the square beforehand, where a lone masked protester stood with a sign saying I/We are the constitution. Putin has said he wants a clean vote, something election officials have pledged to deliver. Golos, a non-governmental organization that monitors elections, has said it will not be able to confirm the outcome of the vote as legitimate. By Andrew Osborn and Vladimir Soldatkin Seattle police block a street with their bikes in the Capitol Hill Organized Protest zone in Seattle on July 1, 2020. (Aron Ranen/AP Photo) Seattle Police Clear Autonomous Zone After Mayor Declares Unlawful Assembly Seattle workers cleared the so-called autonomous zone on July 1 after tolerating the occupation for weeks. Police officers equipped with protective gear began clearing tents and barricades at the zone in the Capitol Hill neighborhood, arresting at least 32 people for failure to disperse, obstruction, resisting arrest, and assault. Officers were enforcing an edict from Mayor Jenny Durkan. Durkan, a Democrat, declared the occupation of the area an unlawful assembly. The Citys obligations under the First Amendment do not require the City to provide limitless sanctuary to occupy City property, damage City and private property, obstruct the right of way, or foster dangerous conditions, an executive order made public on Wednesday stated. See the full order at the bottom of the article. Officers arrived on the scene around 5 a.m. and told occupiers they had to leave within eight minutes, the Seattle Police Department said in a statement. Those who didnt faced arrest. Police and city workers fill a street occupied hours earlier by an encampment of protesters, in Seattle on July 1, 2020. (Elaine Thompson/AP Photo) City crews dismantle the Capitol Hill Organized Protest (CHOP) area outside of the Seattle Police Departments vacated East Precinct in Seattle on July 1, 2020. (David Ryder/Getty Images) City crews dismantle the Capitol Hill Organized Protest (CHOP) area outside of the Seattle Police Departments vacated East Precinct in Seattle on July 1, 2020. (David Ryder/Getty Images) The edict notes shootings that took place in and around the zone in the past week. Two teenagers have been fatally shot, including a 16-year-old early on June 29. Seattle Police Chief Carmen Best said she supports peaceful demonstrations, but enough is enough. The CHOP has become lawless and brutal. Four shootingstwo fatalrobberies, assaults, violence and countless property crimes have occurred in this several block area, she said in a statement. My job, and the job of our officers, is to protect and serve our community. The department released a video compilation of several violent events that unfolded inside CHOP. Warning: Video contains violent scenes. According to statistics from the department, 65 criminal incidents took place and were reported to authorities in the area from June 8 to June 30. That was an increase from 37 in the previous year. Response times to crime reports in the area, which was also known as the Capitol Hill Organized Protest (CHOP), soared in recent weeks because occupiers repeatedly blocked police officers from entering. Some of the officers responding to the zone, which encompasses an abandoned police precinct, were equipped with a higher level of protective gear, Best said. Photographs and video footage showed officers in riot gear clearing the area. This equipment not meant to be a preemptive show of force. Police are utilizing this equipment because individuals associated with the CHOP area are known to be armed and dangerous, and who may be associated with active shootings, homicides, robberies, assaults, and other violent crimes, Best said. A car sits in the Capitol Hill Organized Protest zone following a shooting in Seattle, Wash., early on June 29, 2020. (Aron Ranen/AP Photo) The abandoned police precinct at the Capitol Hill Organized Protest (CHOP) in Seattle, Wash., on June 25, 2020. (Echo Liu/The Epoch Times) Tents sit outside of the Seattle Police Departments vacated East Precinct in the area known as the Capitol Hill Organized Protest (CHOP) in Seattle, Wash., on June 25, 2020. (David Ryder/Getty Images) Some of the occupiers left the zone in recent days but dozens refused to depart, insisting the city would need to meet their demands first. Protesters blocked workers on June 26 from removing barriers. City Department of Transportation workers returned on June 30 and were able to remove around 10 concrete barriers before leaving because of the swelling crowd, the department said in a statement. Seattle Parks and Recreation workers started cleaning Cal Anderson Park later June 30, temporarily closing it to assess damage and clean up areas that have seen significant waste collection, the agency stated. The community garden and art installed by occupiers wouldnt be touched, the city stated. A spokesman for Durkan told The Epoch Times in a statement the day before the area was cleared that most people participating in the occupation have been peaceful but their message has been undermined by the violence in the area. The area has increasingly attracted more individuals bent on division and violence, and it is risking the lives of individuals. There has been unacceptable behavior by individuals who are preventing city employees from doing their job, the spokesman said. President Donald Trump at a joint news conference with Polish President Andrzej Duda in the Rose Garden of the White House on June 24, 2020. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images) CIA Filed Crimes Report in Russia Leak Case: OBrien A crimes report was filed by the CIA with the Department of Justice over a leak, national security adviser Robert OBrien said July 1. Raw intelligence that suggested the Russians might be offering bounties to kill U.S. soldiers was leaked to The New York Times and other outlets. Data from the DOJ shows the number of classified leaks surged since President Donald Trump took office, White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said this week, from 39 per year on average to 104 on average. We have seen targeted leaks of classified information against this president, and it is irresponsible: phone calls with foreign leaders, meetings with government officials, and now reports of alleged intelligence. Make no mistake: This damages our ability, as a nation, to collect intelligence, she said. The leak makes difficult to verify or debunk the raw intelligence regarding Russia, OBrien told reporters outside the White House on July 1. Some leaker took it upon themselves in an effort to attack the president, or to maybe promote some policy agenda, to leak allegations that now make it almost impossible for us to find out what happened, OBrien said. The Department of Justice (DOJ) declined to comment. The CIA didnt respond to an inquiry. Thousands of pieces of intelligence come in every week, and analysts work to verify them. While the intelligence community was working on assessing the legitimacy of the intelligence in question, officials put together a list of options the president could decide from if it was verified. National security adviser Robert OBrien speaks to reporters outside of the West Wing of the White House on May 21, 2020. (Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images) A senior career CIA official made the decision not to have President Donald Trump briefed on the raw intelligence. She made that decision because she didnt have confidence in the intelligence that came up, OBrien said. She made that call. And you know what? I think she made the right call, so Im not going to criticize her. Knowing the facts that I know now, I stand behind that call. The raw intelligence was leaked to The New York Times, which falsely reported that Trump was briefed on it and chose not to do anything, according to intelligence officials. That was a hoax, and theres no question about it, OBrien said. Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), chairman of the House Intelligence Committee (R) speaks accompanied by House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), during a news conference on Capitol Hill, after a meeting at the White House on June 30, 2020. (Alex Brandon/AP Photo) Trump took to Twitter on July 1 to call the story just another made up by Fake News tale that is told only to damage me and the Republican Party. He referred to a statement from a Pentagon spokesman that said the Department of Defense has no corroborating evidence to validate the recent allegations found in open-source reports. The New York Times report, which cited anonymous sources, published on June 26, set off a fresh round of criticism of Trump, who is running for reelection, from many Democrat and some Republican lawmakers. House Intelligence Chairman Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) accused Trump of having an affinity for Russian President Vladimir Putin. Top intelligence officials in rare statements pushed back on the allegations. Director of Intelligence John Ratcliffe confirmed on June 27 that neither Trump nor Vice President Mike Pence had been briefed on the intelligence alleged in the report. Trump was later briefed on the intelligence on June 30. Groups of senators and representatives were briefed on the situation on Capitol Hill on June 30. Ratcliffe and CIA Director Gina Haspel planned to meet with the Gang of Eight, a bipartisan group of congressional leaders, on July 1. NYPD officers in the Crown Heights neighborhood in Brooklyn, New York City, on June 3, 2020. (Scott Heins/Getty Images) Shootings in NYC: 250 Victims, Worst June in Decades The New York Police Department says there were 250 victims of shootings across the city between June 1 and June 28an increase of nearly 160 percent from the same period last year, and the largest number for that four-week time frame since 1996. The jump in gun violence comes amid protests and riots sparked by the death of George Floyd, a black man, while he was being arrested in Minneapolis in May. The demonstrations have at times turned violent, fueled by Marxist and anarcho-communist radicals such as Antifa and organizers of Black Lives Matter. Floyds killing put pressure on governments to scale back the use of force by officers and enact other reforms, leading New York Mayor Bill de Blasio to announce plans to cut $1.5 billion in funding from the NYPD, angering the local police union. The City Council agreed on June 30 to reallocate $1 billion from the NYPD budget. Even right now, the NYPD doesnt have enough staffing to shift cops to one neighborhood without making another neighborhood less safe, Police Benevolent Association President Patrick Lynch said in a June 29 statement. We will say it again: the Mayor and the City Council have surrendered the city to lawlessness. Things wont improve until New Yorkers hold them responsible. The budget cut is partly due to revenue shortfall caused by the economic shutdown imposed by the city and state in response to the CCP virus epidemic. Officially, gatherings of 10 or more people are still banned in the city, although the local government hasnt enforced that against protesters; in fact, the mayor and other local politicians have cheered them on. On June 28, the union posted a video on Twitter of an NYPD car being pelted with what looked like bottles and trash thrown from a crowd in the streets. Police officers responding to a shots fired job in Harlem last night were met with this, the union commented, saying de Blasio and the City Council should be held responsible for surrendering our city. The mayors office didnt immediately respond to a request by The Epoch Times for comment. The City Council acknowledged in a statement that about $500 million in NYPD funding will de facto only move on paper, such as by moving school safety officers from the NYPD to the Department of Education. The budget talks have been accompanied by hundreds camping out in protest in City Hall Park and demanding police defunding. Organizers have called it Occupy City Halla nod to the 2011 Occupy Wall Street movement a few blocks away in Zuccotti Park. The group directed its demandsscrawled on colorful placards, a canvass of graffiti, and a massive poster taped over a subway entranceat de Blasio and Council Speaker Corey Johnson. Weve done different levels of escalation to make sure were getting their attention, said Jonathan Lykes, one of the organizers. If they defund the police by $1 billion, then we have wonbut thats only our demand this week. Rep. Pete King (R-N.Y.) denounced the NYPD cuts. Billion $ cut to NYPD Budget is indefensible. Shootings are up. Police do great job. War against cops increases. Main victims will be innocent, hardworking people in minority communities. Time to stand with Men and Women in Blue!! he said in a July 1 tweet. For Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) the cuts dont go far enough. Defunding police means defunding police. It does not mean budget tricks or funny math, she said in a statement, Fox News reported. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts arrives to the Senate chamber at the Capitol in Washington on Jan. 16, 2020. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images) Should Chief Justice Roberts Resign? Commentary John Roberts tenure as the 17th chief justice of the U.S. Supreme Court has been tempestuous. He has been criticized, vilified, and denounced, and many times he has been urged to resign. I havent seen a database that tabulates all those who have spoken against the chief justice, but the most noteworthy feature of the criticisms is that they have come from both conservatives and progressives, Republicans and Democrats. On the left, critics include former 1st Circuit District Court Judge James Dannenberg, who has accused the Roberts Court of being the Trump administrations errand boy. Dannenbergs partisan fulminations include the charge that the Supreme Court under Roberts leadership has become little more than a result-oriented extension of the right wing of the Republican Party. In case that wasnt clear enough, Dannenberg continued, The only constitutional freedoms ultimately recognized may soon be limited to those useful to wealthy, Republican, White, straight, Christian, and armed malesand the corporations they control. On the right, the chairman of the American Conservative Union, Matt Schlapp, has railed against Roberts taking the progressive side in cases that upheld the constitutionality of Obamacare and kept a citizenship question off the 2020 census form. An angry Schlapp proclaimed, Im for impeaching the Chief Justice for lying to all of us about his support of the Constitution. Hes responsible for Robertscare and now he is angling for vast numbers of illegal residents to help Dems hold Congress. The bipartisan scorn of Chief Justice Roberts extends to the U.S. Senate. There, five Democratic senators had adopted a strategy of intimidation, threatening, according to a brief, to restructure the Supreme Court to reduce the influence of politics (Republican politics perhaps?) if the Roberts court didnt drop a Second Amendment case. (Note: The court indeed dropped the case.) On the Republican side of the aisle, Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) reacted to the recent Bostock v. Clayton Countythe decision to redefine sexby saying that religious conservatives are discouraged by Roberts ruling. Sen. Hawley also called for a rethinking of President Donald Trumps selection process for Supreme Court nominations. Criticism of Roberts from the right is sure to become more intense after the June 29 announcement that he sided with the four progressive justices to negate a Louisiana law favored by pro-life Americans. Irony and Tragedy Theres great irony and great tragedy in Chief Justice Roberts erratic pattern of rulings. The irony is that Roberts has proclaimed his belief that the Supreme Court should be seen as apolitical, yet his behavior has been overtly political. The more he tries to show that hes apolitical by periodically abandoning his customary conservative principles to give progressives a victory, the more he politicizes the court. The more he tries to appease the left by taking their side in a case, the more political pressure he brings upon himself. The left has learned that the more they accuse Roberts of (allegedly) turning the Supreme Court into an ideological or partisan tool for conservatives, the more Roberts will try to counter that perception by taking the progressive side in high-profile, politically charged cases. Think about it: Do conservatives regularly badger progressive Associate Justices Breyer, Ginsburg, Sotomayor, and Kagan? No, because conservatives know that it would be a waste of time. They know that those four justices are a lost causethat they will reliably and reflexively take the progressive side on cases with heavy political and ideological content. And do progressives spend as much time attacking conservative Associate Justices Thomas and Alito as they do Roberts? No, because that, too, would be a waste of time; Thomas and Alito are conservative and wont budge from their convictions. By contrast, Roberts, showing an almost desperate need to be seen as nonideological and nonpartisan by voting with the progressives on some ideologically charged cases, has shown himself unmistakably to be a political actor. The irony continues: Roberts himself stated in remarks at the University of Minnesota Law School in 2018, when the Supreme Court has erred, it has been because the court yielded to political pressure. That comment serves as a spot-on self-indictment of Roberts conduct as chief justice. The tragedy in Roberts modus operandi is that when he sides with the progressives, he makes himself look absurd, mutilates sound jurisprudence, and undermines the constitutional order of tripartite government. The intellectual contortions that Roberts goes through to justify his progressive opinions are patently ridiculous. He clearly is not willing to endorse the progressives reasoning. So, in order to side with them on a case, he concocts some truly incoherent, fantastical opinionse.g., arbitrarily redefining the fine in the Affordable Care Act as a tax, or declaring that a state exchange does not mean a state exchange. Such confused and confusing usages are too illogical to serve as sound precedent for future cases, so they will have to be either ignored or repudiated. Additionally, by using far-fetched verbal gymnastics to salvage poorly worded laws, Roberts will embolden Congress to continue to churn out more unclear, contradictory, or unconstitutional legislation. In his most recent (as of this writing) progressive rulingJune Medical Services v. Russo, in which Roberts joined the progressives in a 54 decision striking down a Louisiana law restricting abortionsRoberts repudiated his own opinion from a very similar case in 2016. Had Roberts changed his mind about the constitutional and legal issues? Not at all. He simply invoked the dubious doctrine of stare decisis, reasoning that he had to repudiate his own sense of what is constitutionally permissible because five other justiceswhom he believed to be mistaken on the issuehad once formed a majority against his opinion. For Roberts to practice such self-abasement and self-obliteration to further the progressive agenda is both tragic and pathetic. Finally, by siding with the progressives to redefine sex in Bostock, Roberts usurped the prerogative of Congress to write laws. He apparently forgot that the Supreme Court is only the Supreme Court of jurisprudence, not of ontology. Such overreach by the unelected branch of government took a crucial decision from the hands of the peoples elected representatives, thereby doing violence to the republican principles of our constitutional polity. Should John Roberts resign from the Supreme Court? I dont feel qualified to sayespecially because theres no guarantee that a replacement would be better. All I can do is hope that he stops playing politics and quits trying to appease the implacable left. Chief Justice Roberts should honor the highest ideals of the court by tuning out political considerations and simply upholding a coherent, logically consistent reading of our precious Constitution. Mark Hendrickson, an economist, recently retired from the faculty of Grove City College, where he remains a fellow for economic and social policy at the Institute for Faith and Freedom. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. Minister for Families and Social Services Anne Ruston during a press conference at Parliament House on March 24, 2020 in Canberra, Australia. (Sam Mooy/Getty Images) 6 Groups Fail to Join National Child Abuse Redress Scheme The federal government is investigating whether it can revoke tax concessions for six institutions that failed to sign up to the national child abuse redress scheme. The institutions are Australian Air League, Boys Brigade NSW, Fairbridge Restored Limited, Lakes Entrance Pony Club, Jehovahs Witnesses and Kenja Communications. Social Services Minister Anne Ruston says the six institutions will now be ineligible to apply for any future commonwealth funding and the government is investigating options to revoke tax concessions, such as charitable status. It is completely unacceptable that these institutions have failed to meet their moral obligation to join the National Redress Scheme, Senator Ruston said in a statement on July 1. These are institutions which know they been named in applications and yet they have chosen to shirk their responsibility to finally do the right thing by these survivors. The decision of the institutions means 55 applications by survivors on institutional abuse cannot be processed. Senator Ruston said she would discuss actions state and territory governments can take against them, and how to best support survivors. at the next meeting of the Redress Governance Board on July 8. Prime Minister Scott Morrison earlier this week warned he would halt public funding for organisations that failed to sign up by the June 30 deadline and reconsider their charitable status and tax concessions. The Victorian government has threatened to cut off state funding for organisations that dont join the scheme. The Jehovahs Witnesses refused to sign up, saying it didnt have the institutional settings of other faith-based institutions that the redress scheme is designed to cover. Knowmore principal lawyer Anna Swain expected Wednesdays announcement would be distressing for many people who miss out on the chance to get compensation and acknowledgement from the institution responsible for their childhood sexual abuse. Religious, community, charity, education and sporting organisations were given two years to join the scheme and had to at least provide a written commitment to do so by June 30. Megan Neil in Melbourne Rayshard Brooks speaking with Officer Garrett Rolfe in the parking lot of a Wendy's restaurant, in Atlanta, Ga., late on June 12, 2020. (Atlanta Police Department via AP) Stepmother of Ex-Police Officer Says Her Firing Was Motivated by Politics The stepmother of former Atlanta police officer Garrett Rolfe says she was fired the day after Rolfe was charged with murder because of politics. It was a political move, Melissa Rolfe told Fox News. Melissa Rolfe was a human resource director for Equity Prime Mortgage until June 18. Garrett Rolfe shot Rayshard Brooks after Brooks resisted arrest outside a Wendys early June 13. After the shooting, Melissa Rolfe said Equitys president called her and offered 6 to 8 weeks of paid time off so she could spend time with her family. She said she offered to work from home but was turned down. Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard charged Garrett Rolfe on June 17 with felony murder and other charges, including oath of office violations. The following day, Melissa Rolfe said, she was called by her direct manager, who told her that she was bring fired and did not say why. A Hostile Working Environment Equity said that Rolfes termination was a direct result of her actions in the workplace and violation of company policy. While working with Melissa as she transitioned to a leave of absence granted by our organization, we discovered she violated company policy and created an uncomfortable working environment for many of our employees, the company said. Rolfe ultimately lost the confidence of her peers, leadership, and many employees who no longer felt comfortable engaging with her, the company continued. When employees views create a hostile working environment, they can be fired, it said. Rolfe told Fox that the firing left her stunned. She called Equitys statement false, recounting how her manager and the companys president had previously told her that things were fine at the office. Everythings fine. My job was fine. Dont worry about it. Were not getting any negative feedback. So I was very surprised at how I was able to create a hostile work environment. I hadnt been back, she said. Rolfe said posts she made on Facebook expressing her support for her stepson may have led to her firing. One showed a picture saying I stand with Officer Rolfe and directing people to a fundraiser for the former officers legal fund. In another post, Melissa Rolfe said she supported officers calling out sick or otherwise missing work, a phenomenon some refer to as the blue flu. None of the posts were reasons to fire her, Melissa Rolfe alleged. The companys president, Eddy Perez, she said, later called her and said some security guards at the office were upset with her. Supposedly the statement was, Did you know your HR directors son killed one of our brothers?' Rolfe said the president told her, adding, I was flabbergasted. Equity and Perez didnt respond to requests for comment. Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds updates the state's response to the CCP virus outbreak during a news conference at the State Emergency Operations Center, in Johnston, Iowa, on April 23, 2020. (Charlie Neibergall/ pool/AP Photo) SUV Carrying Iowa Governor Hits Black Lives Matter Protester, No Injuries: Police A vehicle that was carrying Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds struck a Black Lives Matter protester, according to police. Iowa State Patrol spokesperson Sgt. Alex Dinkla told The Hill that the protester, who was not identified, wasnt injured in the incident. Dinkla said the person intentionally stepped in front of the slowly moving vehicle in Ackley, Iowa. As the vehicle began to turn away from the protestor and onto the roadway, the demonstrator intentionally stepped in front of the slowly moving vehicle, Dinkla said in a statement. The demonstrator had little to no physical reaction to any contact he created and the vehicle then entered the roadway. The protester, meanwhile, didnt seek medical attention but immediately began shouting obscenities at the responding personnel before blocking police from leaving the area, according to the spokesman. Jaylen Cavil, an organizer with Des Moines Black Lives Matter, told the Des Moines Register that he was the person who was hit by the governors vehicle. The SUV that Gov. Reynolds was driving in drove right up to me. I was standing right in front of the car and I just stood there. I was like, Im going to stand here. Surely the driver of the governor is not going to hit me with her car. This is the governor, my governor, whos supposed to be representing me. Im sure that her car is not going to intentionally hit me. I was wrong, he said. Cavil alleged that the vehicle drove away after the incident, while an Iowa State Patrol officer then called him an idiot. President Donald Trump arrives at the East Room at the White House in Washington on June 17, 2020. (Tom Brenner/Reuters) Trump Says Black Lives Matter Mural in NYC Would Denigrate Fifth Ave He says he hopes 'symbol of hate' won't be painted on New York's 'greatest street' President Donald Trump on Wednesday said New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio is wrong for painting Black Lives Matter along Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, describing the slogan as a symbol of hate. NYC is cutting Police $s by ONE BILLION DOLLARS, and yet the @NYCMayor is going to paint a big, expensive yellow Black Lives Matter sign on Fifth Avenue, denigrating this luxury avenue, Trump wrote on Twitter. The president was responding to the City Councils decision to pass a measure that would cut $1 billion from the New York City Police Department (NYPD) amid a spike in violent crime in the city, including random attacks on elderly people. Trump said the budget cuts, which were enacted after protesters and activists called to defund the police, will further antagonize New Yorks Finest, referring to NYPD officers. Maybe our GREAT Police, who have been neutralized and scorned by a mayor who hates & disrespects them, wont let this symbol of hate be affixed to New Yorks greatest street. Spend this money fighting crime instead! he wrote. Over the past several weeks, Trump has defended law enforcement, has sought to highlight acts of vandalism, and decried the removal of statues of various figures, including former President Woodrow Wilson and actor John Wayne. He also called out far-left agitators, arsonists, and rioters on Twitter. Thousands of people participate in a march in Manhattan, N.Y., on June 19, 2020. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images) On Wednesday, de Blasio said that the Black Lives Matter slogan will be painted on Fifth Avenue, adding that the location will be near the Trump Tower. Obviously we want the president to hear it because hes never shown respect for those three words, de Blasio told MSNBC. When he hears Black Lives Matter, he presents a horrible negative reality of something that doesnt exist, and he misses the underlying meaning that were saying we have to honor the role of African Americans in our history and our society. But after the budget was passed, New York City-based activists said that the $1 billion cuts dont go far enough. It comes as homicides across New York City have risen more than 21 percent over the first six months of 2020, and shootings are also up about 46 percent over 2019s figures, according to NYPD data on crime, as reported by NBC4. Meanwhile, over the past several weeks, viral videos have shown men randomly attacking elderly people while walking in the street. Muriel Bowser, the mayor of Washington, allowed Black Lives Matter to be painted near the White House during protests and riots following the death of George Floyd, who died in police custody in Minneapolis. Organizers for the group in the U.S. capitol called it a performative gesture. Trump Supports Direct Stimulus Payments Larger Than $1,200 in Next Bill President Donald Trump on Wednesday said he supports direct payments to Americans larger than $1,200 in the next piece of legislation, which lawmakers will debate in July. I support actually larger numbers than the Democrats, but its got to be done properly, Trump said in an interview with Fox Business. I want the money getting to people to be larger so they can spend it. I want the money to get there quickly and in a non-complicated fashion, he added. House Democrats in their HEROES Act have said they want to distribute $1,200 payments to eligible Americans and children, although GOP leaders have said the bill contains too many unnecessary measures that are unrelated to economic recovery. The CARES Act, passed in March, included $1,200 payments and checks as well as $500 payments to children. The $2.2 trillion CARES Act was passed to offset economic losses suffered during the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus pandemic, which prompted numerous states to issue stay-at-home orders. Trump said in the interview that the last billand the HEROES Actcreates a disincentive to work. Hes most likely referring to the extra $600 per week in unemployment insurance that is slated to expire at the end of July. Youd make more money if you dont go to work, he said of the measure, thats not what [this] country is all about. Trump said that Americans want to work, adding that he wants to create a tremendous incentive to return to the workplace. People wearing facemasks walk past a health and safety guideline board and an open restaurant on Santa Monica Pier which re-opened on June 25 after closure for over three months due to the coronavirus pandemic in Santa Monica, California, on June 26, 2020. (Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images) On Tuesday, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said that a potential stimulus bill will be approved later in July. The Senate will go on recess between July 4 and July 20. As youve heard suggested, I said back in March we would take another look at this probably in July take a snapshot of where we are, both on the healthy front and the economic recovery front, and decide at that point what needs to be done further, McConnell told reporters in a news conference on Tuesday. Any bill that passes the Senate will have liability protections in it, the Kentucky Republican said. This is liability protections for everyone everybody who interacted with this pandemic. Unless youre grossly negligent or intentionally engaged in misconduct, were going to see to it that you dont get sued on top of everything else youve had to deal with in trying to get through this. Other Republican leaders have become more willing to pass stimulus legislation that includes direct payments to Americans, while Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin told lawmakers in June that its likely more stimulus checks and payments will be needed. I think were going to seriously look at whether we want to do more direct money to stimulate the economy, Mnuchin said of direct payments. But I think this is all going to be about getting people back to work, and we look forward to working with the entire Senate on this. A previous version of this article incorrectly stated the extra $600 in unemployment insurance is per month, but it is actually per week. The Epoch Times regrets the error. President Donald Trump at a campaign rally at the BOK Center in Tulsa, Okla., on June 20, 2020. (Charlotte Cuthbertson/The Epoch Times) Trumps Reelection Campaign Reshuffles, Manager Brad Parscale Stays Put Days after President Donald Trumps campaign rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, his campaign announced changes in staffing. Michael Glassner, who is the organizer of Trumps rallies, was reassigned. Jeff DeWit, who served as Trumps 2016 campaign operation in Arizona, will become his chief operating officer, according to reports. Campaign manager Brad Parscale will remain on board as campaign manager. Trumps campaign spokesman Tim Murtaugh confirmed the staffing changes in a statement on Wednesday. This is not a reaction to Tulsa, Murtaugh said. Michael Glassner is moving into the long-term role of navigating the many legal courses we face, including suits against major media outlets, some of which will likely extend beyond the end of the campaign. Murtagh stressed that Glassner is one of the founding members of Team Trump and his dedication to the success of the President is unmatched. Earlier in the month, Trump held a rally in Tulsa that drew less-than-expected crowds, although it was held amid the COVID-19 pandemic and social distancing requirements, as well as threats of violence from activists. Trump 2020 campaign manager Brad Parscale at President Donald Trumps MAGA rally in Grand Rapids, Mich., on March 28, 2019. (Charlotte Cuthbertson/The Epoch Times) Parscale, however, came under fire after the rallys poor showing, coming just days after he said that more than 1 million people requested tickets. The Tulsa Fire Department said later that about 6,200 people showed up for the event, although Trump campaign officials said that about 12,000 attended. Teens on TikTok, a social media app that is believed to be linked to the Chinese Communist Party, and Twitter claimed they sabotaged the Trump rally by registering but not attending, which was then praised by left-wing Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) on social media. Parscale denied the claim in an interview with Fox News earlier in the month. Leftists and online trolls doing a victory lap, thinking they somehow impacted rally attendance, dont know what theyre talking about or how our rallies work, Parscale said on June 21. Reporters who wrote gleefully about TikTok and K-Pop [Korean pop music] fans, without contacting the campaign for comment, behaved unprofessionally and were willing dupes to the charade. Parscale continued, Registering for a rally means youve RSVPed with a cellphone number and we constantly weed out bogus numbers, as we did with tens of thousands at the Tulsa rally, in calculating our possible attendee pool. These phony ticket requests never factor into our thinking. What makes this lame attempt at hacking our events even more foolish is the fact that every rally is general admissionentry is on a first-come-first-served basis and prior registration is not required. ANKARAUp to 60 migrants may have been trapped in a boat that sank in an eastern lake last week, Turkeys interior minister said on July 1. Turkey launched a search-and-rescue mission involving helicopters and boats after the boat carrying migrants across Lake Van was reported missing on June 27. So far, search teams have recovered six bodies. Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu, who traveled to Van to oversee the rescue operation, told reporters Wednesday that authorities estimated the boat was carrying between 55 and 60 migrants when it went down in stormy weather. Eleven other people were detained in connection with the tragedy, he said. A village administrator has been removed from office for delaying reporting the incident, he added. Paramilitary police detain a suspected man in Lake Van, in eastern Turkey, on July 1, 2020. Up to 60 migrants may have been trapped in a boat that sank in the lake last week, Turkeys Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu said Wednesday. (DHA via AP) Soylu said experts think the sunken boat is under 110120 meters (360394 feet) of water. An underwater imaging system was dispatched from Ankara to locate the wreck, he added. HaberTurk television said the migrants are believed to be from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Iran. Last year, seven migrants drowned while 64 others were rescued when their boat capsized in the lake, which is close to the border with Iran but lies within Turkeys borders. The lake is situated along a major transit route for migrants coming from Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Central Asia. They are typically smuggled across mountains on the IranTurkey border and then continue traveling on through Turkey. However, Turkish authorities have intensified immigration controls near the Iranian border, and some smugglers transport migrants across Lake Van to avoid several police and military checkpoints between the provinces of Van and Bitlis. Turkey, which hosts about 3.7 million Syrian refugees, is a main crossing point for migrants trying to reach Europe. Soylu said Turkey had detained 454,000 migrants last year. This year, Turkish authorities prevented some 16,000 migrants from reaching Turkey through the TurkeyIran border and detained 4,500 others who managed to cross into Van province. Earlier this year, thousands of migrants arrived at Turkeys border with Greece trying to cross illegally after Turkey made good on a threat to open its borders for those seeking to cross into Europe. The move triggered days of violent clashes between the migrants and Greek border authorities. By Suzan Fraser Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson prepares to paint the eyes on Chinese Lions, as he hosts a Chinese New Year reception at 10 Downing Street in central London on Jan. 24, 2020. (Ben Stansall/AFP/Getty Images) UK Must Hit Back at Beijings Bullying Diplomacy, Says Research Institute The British government urgently needs to develop a clear strategy for relations with China, states a new report from the Policy Institute at Kings College London. The report, authored by Charles Parton OBE, a veteran diplomat who spent 22 years working in or on China, argues that the governments China policy has long been outdated. In particular, the approach adopted by former Prime Minister David Cameron and former Chancellor George Osborne, who put economic engagement above all else, has been discredited, it says. The Chinese Communist Partys (CCP) bullying diplomacy over the CCP virus pandemic has made the policy-rethink even more urgent, the author suggests. Its behaviors domestically are unlikely to differ from its conduct abroad, a lesson clear from recent bullying diplomacy connected with COVID-19, the report states. Disagreement with the CCP is seen as hostile, not as an assertion of the right to conduct affairs differently. The British government is urged to give greater priority to UK values, interests, and national securityand not allow these to be prejudiced by economic cooperation with China. Huaweis main UK offices in Reading, west of London, on Jan. 28, 2020. (Daniel Leal-Olivas / AFP/Getty Images) The author highlights the CCPs influence operations in the UK through its united front work. The regime seeks to capture UK politicians where it can, and often tries to work through those who can influence government policyformer politicians (especially in the House of Lords), ex-civil servants, businessmen, high-profile academics, or scholars in think tanks. To counter such operations, the report suggests, the government should consider enacting a UK version of the U.S. Foreign Agents Registration Act and follow the Australian governments example and set up a National Counter Foreign Interference Coordinator. The government is urged to study carefully measures taken by like-minded states, particularly Taiwan, which is the front line for CCP interference operations. The government should set a policy on Chinese participation in the UKs critical national infrastructure and revisit the Huawei 5G decision by the end of 2020 at the latest, the report advises. On Hong Kong, the report welcomes the UKs announcement of the right of BNO (British nationals overseas) passport holders to stay in the UK on a path to citizenship, but points out that it will do little to deter the CCP. Therefore, it suggests, the UK should do more to generate publicity on Hong Kong by getting other countries to speak out, putting the issue on the agenda of G7, G20, and other international meetings, and even taking China to the International Court of Justice. Protesters are arrested by the police in Causeway Bay, Hong Kong, on July 1, 2020. (Song Bilung/The Epoch Times) The report emphasizes the importance of unity with like-minded countriesboth the Five Eyes alliance and other liberal democracies in the European Union and Asiawith which the UK needs to set up further mechanisms for consultation and cooperation on meeting the challenges presented by the CCPs global rise. Some of Britains allies have already expressed willingness to cooperate. In early June, after Beijing threatened to punish British bank HSBC and to break commitments to build nuclear power plants in the UK unless London allows Huawei to build its 5G network, U.S. Secretary of State Michael Pompeo issued a statement saying: The United States stands ready to assist our friends in the UK with any needs they have, from building secure and reliable nuclear power plants to developing trusted 5G solutions that protect their citizens privacy. Free nations deal in true friendship and desire mutual prosperity, not political and corporate kowtows. Australia, another Five Eyes ally, has echoed the sentiment. Speaking at the annual Gallipoli Memorial Lecture in London on June 25, George Brandis, Australias top diplomat in the UK, noted how the CCP had increasingly used Western social media to engage in a campaign of disinformation on medical, political, and economic lines, which had complicated global health care responses and economic recovery efforts in democracies around the world. Australia and the UK need to stand together as liberal democracies in defense of our institutions and our way of life, he said. UK Offers Path to Citizenship to 3 Million Hongkongers After China Imposes National Security Law LONDONThe United Kingdom said Chinas imposition of a security law on Hong Kong was a clear and serious violation of the 1984 Joint Declaration and that London would offer around 3 million residents of the former colony a path to British citizenship. Hong Kong police fired water cannons and tear gas and arrested nearly 200 people as protesters took to the streets in defiance of sweeping security legislation introduced by China that they say is aimed at snuffing out dissent. The enactment and imposition of this national security law constitute a clear and serious breach of the Sino-British Joint Declaration, Prime Minister Boris Johnson told parliament on July 1. Britains Prime Minister Boris Johnson leaves 10 Downing Street in London, UK, on June 23, 2020. (Toby Melville/ Reuters) Johnson said Britain would stand by its pledge to give British National Overseas (BNO) passport-holders in Hong Kong a path to British citizenship, allowing them to settle in the United Kingdom. Almost 3 million Hong Kong residents are eligible for the passport. There were 349,881 holders of the passports as of February. Hong Kongs autonomy was guaranteed under the one country, two systems agreement enshrined in the Sino-British Joint Declaration signed by then Chinese Premier Zhao Ziyang and British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. Hong Kong was handed back to China on July 1, 1997, after more than 150 years of British rule after Britain defeated China in the First Opium War. China had never recognized the unequal treaties allowing Britains rule of Hong Kong island, the Kowloon peninsula, and later its lease of the rural New Territories. Riot police detain a man as they raise a warning flag during a demonstration against the new national security law in Hong Kong, on July 1, 2020. (Anthony Kwan/Getty Images) Hong Kong Row Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said Britain had carefully assessed Chinas national security legislation since it was published late on Tuesday. Police detain a protester after sprayed pepper spray on his face during a protest in Causeway Bay before the annual handover march in Hong Kong on July 1, 2020. (Kin Cheung/AP) It constitutes a clear violation of the autonomy of Hong Kong, and a direct threat to the freedoms of its people, and therefore Im afraid to say it is a clear and serious violation of the Joint Declaration treaty between the United Kingdom and China, Raab told Reuters and the BBC. Authorities in Beijing and Hong Kong have repeatedly said the legislation is aimed at a few troublemakers and will not affect rights and freedoms, nor investor interests. Raab said he would set out shortly the action Britain would take with its international partners. China, through this national security legislation, is not living up to its promises to the people of Hong Kong, Raab said. We will live up to our promises. Asked about how the West should deal with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, Raab said: Obviously, China is a leading member of the international community. And it is precisely because of that, that we expect it to live up to its international obligations and its international responsibilities. For trust in Chinas ability to do that, today has been a big step backwards. By William James Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson speaks during the weekly question time debate in Parliament in London on July 1, 2020. (Parliament TV/Reuters TV via Reuters) UK Unveils Citizenship Offer for Hong Kong Residents After China Imposes Security Law The British government announced it will extend immigration rights for an estimated 3 million Hong Kong residents who hold British National (Overseas) status, following the Chinese regimes imposition of a draconian national security law on Hong Kong. During Prime Ministers Questions in the House of Commons on July 1, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said that the National Security Law constitutes a clear and serious breach of the Sino-British Joint Declaration, as it violates Hong Kongs high degree of autonomy and is in direct conflict with Hong Kong basic law. We made clear that if China continued down this path we would introduce a new route for those with British National (Overseas) status to enter the UK, granting them limited leave to remain with the ability to live and work in the UK and thereafter to apply for citizenship, he said, adding that is precisely what we will do now. Also speaking in Parliament, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab promised to honour Britains commitment to the people of Hong Kong by providing a bespoke immigration route for BNOs and their dependants. Two protesters are arrested by the police in Causeway Bay, Hong Kong, on July 1, 2020. (Song Bilung/The Epoch Times) The BNO status was a new type of British nationality created in 1985 prior to the handover of Hong Kong to China in 1997. BNO passport holders can stay in the UK for up to six months but do not automatically have the right to work or study. Under the governments new proposals, BNO status holders will be able to stay in the UK for five years with the right to work or study, Raab said. After five years, they can apply for settled status, and for citizenship one year later. The family dependants of BNO status holders will also be eligible, Raab said, adding that there will be no quota on numbers. The opposition Labour Party welcomed the governments commitment to BNO status holders, but said it did not go far enough. Lisa Nandy, the shadow foreign secretary, said in response to Raab: I was deeply moved to see the young activists who bravely took to the streets to protest against this law at considerable personal risk. The majority of them will not be covered by this scheme. They must not be abandoned. Britains Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab leaves the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, to make a statement on Hong Kong, at the House of Commons in central London on July 1, 2020.(Ben Stansall/AFP via Getty Images) She also urged the government to bring forward the Magnitsky legislation so that Britain can apply targeted sanctions on those who breach human rights in Hong Kong. In response, Raab confirmed that both the legislation and its first designations of sanctioned individuals and entities will come before Parliament before July 29, when the summer recess begins. The governments offer of a path to UK citizenship to BNO holders is supported by about two-thirds of the British public, said Tom Tugendhat MP, chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, in reply to Raab, citing a new poll for the Conservative Partys China Research Group. The poll of around 2,000 people also revealed that 72 percent of British voters would pay a little more for critical supplies such as medical and telecoms equipment if it reduced reliance on foreign imports, and 58 percent want democratic countries to step up cooperation to counter Chinas economic and strategic influence. Tensions are spiralling around two issues that directly impact on Egypts national security: the dispute over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), and Turkish military intervention in western Libya that has sharpened polarisation in an already divided country. When negotiations between Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia collapsed, Egypt submitted a complaint to the UN Security Council detailing the decade-long record of Ethiopian intransigence and evasiveness that led up to Addis Ababas threat to begin filling and operating the dam in July in the absence of an agreement with downstream nations. The potential harm to Egypt could be immense and include, at least, the loss of vast stretches of agricultural land and a halt to electricity generation at the Aswan High Dam. The Egyptian complaint to the UN Security Council was an expression of Egypts frustration after having exhausted all possible means to persuade Ethiopia to work towards an equitable solution that serves the rights and interests of all three parties. Egypt has now asked the Security Council to intervene. As President Al-Sisi said: When we turned to the Security Council, it was out of our determination to follow the political and diplomatic course to its end... We need to act vigorously in order to conclude the negotiations and reach an agreement and solutions that realise the welfare of all. With regard to developments in Libya, following a recent inspection of forces at the western border, President Al-Sisi warned of a genuine threat to Egypt because of developments in western Libya and told the army to be ready for possible action. Egypt has had to draw a red line to Turkish military aggression in Libya. As the president noted, any Egyptian intervention there would be legitimate under international law, both because Egypt would be exercising its legitimate right to self-defence and because it would be at the invitation of Libyan authorities specifically the Libyan House of Representatives, the sole popularly elected body in Libya. The Egyptian message to the Turkish occupation of western Libya is clear: it must not step beyond the red line from Sirte to Al-Jafra. National security priorities guide Egypts actions in both the GERD and Libyan crises. The first concerns the life and death question of water; the second involves border security in the face of the proliferation of extremist and jihadist militias in western Libya, many at the service of Turkish ambitions that now set their sights on Libyan oil and gas fields. Coming on top of Turkish military aggression in northern Iraq, Turkish military and administrative control of large portions of northern Syria, Libya has become the third Arab country to be targeted by Erdogans neo-Ottoman expansionist designs. Yemen may be next in line. In both crises, Egypt is simultaneously guided by the desire to give prevalence to all possible avenues towards political and diplomatic solutions. It is an approach that Egypt has followed consistently in its foreign policy in its African and Arab spheres. However, when confronted with direct threats to its national security, and parties that spurn political solutions and cross red lines, Egypt has another face to show in order to defend its people, stability and security. The UN must now shoulder the responsibility of averting needless military clashes. It should take the necessary actions to compel the concerned parties to return to the negotiating table and to minimise windows for costly military confrontations that only serve extremist groups and the ambitions of acquisitive regional powers with aggressive irredentist designs. At the same time, if the Security Council fails to act on the question of GERD, it will leave the door open to all possibilities as we approach the Ethiopian deadline to begin filling the dams reservoir unilaterally, without consideration for the reservations expressed by international panels of experts, or for Egypts and Sudans welfare. Remaining silent in the face of Ethiopian intransigence is not an option because it threatens Egypts main artery of life. Egyptian public opinion is united behind their political leadership on these issues. It is looking to the international community and world powers to halt the perilous follies in neighbouring Libya and the Nile Basin, because if they proceed unchecked the consequences will be far from pleasant. *A version of this article appears in print in the 25 June, 2020 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly Short link: U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo holds a joint news conference on the International Criminal Court at the State Department in Washington on June 11, 2020. (Yuri Gripas/AFP via Getty Images) US Condemns Beijings Move to Impose National Security Law on Hong Kong Pompeo said the United States 'will continue to stand with the freedom-loving people of Hong Kong' U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo issued a stern warning against the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) after it decided to impose a draconian national security law on Hong Kong, saying that the United States will not stand idly by while China swallows Hong Kong. Today marks a sad day for Hong Kong, and for freedom-loving people across China, Pompeo stated in a press release from the State Department on June 30. Hong Kong demonstrated to the world what a free Chinese people could achieveone of the most successful economies and vibrant societies in the world, he observed. But Beijings paranoia and fear of its own peoples aspirations have led it to eviscerate the very foundation of the territorys success, turning One Country, Two Systems into One Country, One System.' One Country, Two Systems is a framework by which Beijing promised to preserve Hong Kongs autonomy upon the citys transfer of sovereignty from Britain to China in 1997. The national security law went into effect at 11 p.m. local time on June 30 after ceremonial votes by Chinas rubber-stamp legislature, the National Peoples Congress (NPC) on the same day. The law criminalizes individuals for any acts of subversion, secession, terrorism, and collusion with foreign forces, with maximum penalties of life imprisonment. Police officers ask people to leave during a protest after Chinas parliament passes a national security law for Hong Kong, in Hong Kong, on June 30, 2020. (Reuters/Tyrone Siu) Among the different provisions under the law, the Chinese regime has ultimate jurisdiction over security cases and will establish a security bureau that would instruct and supervise the Hong Kong government over the laws implementation. The passage of the law immediately drew criticism from the pro-democracy camp in Hong Kong, with lawmaker Tanya Chan equating the law to a death certificate for one country, two systems. There has been an international outcry, with criticisms coming from more than 27 countries, as well as Taiwan and the European Union. Many U.S. lawmakers also voiced their opposition, with U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) saying the laws passage signals the death of one country, two systems. Pompeo said in his statement that the CCPs move to enact the national security law demonstrates once again that Beijings commitmentsin this case, the 1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration and the Basic Laware empty words, referring to the treaty that governed Hong Kongs handover and is supposed to guarantee Hong Kong people 50 years of freedom. The United States will not stand idly by while China swallows Hong Kong into its authoritarian maw, he said, adding that the United States has already taken a number of actions in response, which include imposing visa restrictions on CCP officials for eroding Hong Kongs autonomy and freedoms, revoking Hong Kongs special trading status, and imposing similar export restrictions on the city as it does on China on U.S. defense and dual-use technologies. State Department Spokesperson Morgan Ortagus said on Twitter that the visa restrictions will also target CCP officials behind the national security law. Our visa restrictions on PRC officials responsible for undermining Hong Kongs autonomy will target those behind this legislation. Morgan Ortagus (@statedeptspox) July 1, 2020 Pompeo said that the United States will continue to stand with the freedom-loving people of Hong Kong and respond to Beijings attacks on freedoms of speech, the press, and assembly, as well as the rule of law. Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam said on July 1 that the law was an essential and timely decision for restoring stability in Hong Kong. Pro-democracy protesters march during a rally against a new national security law in Hong Kong on July 1, 2020. (Dale de la Rey/AFP via Getty Images) Starting June 2019, millions took to the streets in ongoing mass protests in opposition to the now fully-scrapped extradition bill. Protests continued in Hong Kong on early July 1 with about a dozen members of pro-democracy party League of Social Democrats marching in Wan Chai while shouting slogans such as Fight Against the National Security Evil Law, and holding banners with the words end one-party authoritarian rule. The League of Social Democrats said in a press release that the national security law deprives Hongkongers freedoms and tramples upon the civil rights outlined in the Basic Law. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo speaks during a press conference at the State Department in Washington on June 24, 2020. (Mandel Ngan/Pool/AFP via Getty Images) US Restates Expectation on Taliban to Cease Attacks on Americans in Afghanistan The United States on Monday told the Taliban terrorist group to continue its commitments to a peace agreement, which include not attacking American troops, amid media reports alleging that Russia offered Taliban-linked terrorists bounties for killing U.S. and coalition troops in Afghanistan. In a video conference with Taliban deputy and chief negotiator Mullah Baradar on Monday, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo made clear the expectation for the Taliban to live up to their commitments, which include not attacking Americans, State Department spokesperson Morgan Ortagus said in a statement on Tuesday. Pompeo and Baradar were discussing the U.S.-Taliban Agreement, a peace agreement the United States signed with Taliban terrorists on Feb. 29. The agreement, which seeks to end 18 years of war in Afghanistan, drew up plans for a withdrawal of foreign forces from the war-torn country in exchange for security guarantees from the terrorist group. As part of the deal, the United States would withdraw its troops by July 2021 in exchange for commitments from the Taliban to prevent terrorists from using Afghanistan as a staging ground for attacks. Taliban political spokesman Suhail Shaheen told Voice of America that Baradar once again reiterated that the Taliban are committed not to allow anyone to use Afghan soil [to launch attacks] against any country, when Shaheen was asked whether the Russian bounties allegation was raised in the meeting. Shaheen added that Baradar also reaffirmed the Talibans commitment to the U.S.-Taliban Agreement. He told VOA that Baradar told Pompeo the delay in talks was due to the Afghan government not having released all 5,000 Taliban prisoners, which was part of the deal. Russian Bounties Claim The New York Times and The Washington Post were among the first media outlets to publish the claims regarding Russian bounties, with the Post reporting on June 28 that several American soldiers were believed to have died as a result of the program. The Kremlin has denied such arrangements. The Pentagon said in a statement late Monday that, to date, it has no corroborating evidence to validate the recent allegations found in open-source reports regarding Russian bounties. White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany also said on Monday that there is no consensus within the intelligence community on the Russian bounty claims, and, in effect, there are dissenting opinions from some in the intelligence community with regards to the veracity of whats being reported. On Tuesday, McEnany noted that President Donald Trump has been informed of the alleged Russian bounties. She said at a press briefing that the allegation is unfortunately in the public domain because of The New York Times and the irresponsible leak, and that Trump has not been informed by intelligence officials about the issue. McEnany refuted the idea that the Russian bounties allegation was included in a written version of the presidents daily intelligence briefing in late February, as reported by The New York Times and CNN on Monday, both of which cited anonymous sources. The president does read [the Presidents Daily Brief] and he also consumes intelligence verbally, she said. This president, Ill tell you, is the most informed person on planet Earth when it comes to the threats that we face. Trump noted on June 29 on Twitter, Intel just reported to me that they did not find this info credible, and therefore did not report it to me or [the vice president]. He also speculated that the Russian bounties claim was possibly another fabricated Russia Hoax, maybe by the Fake News [New York Times], wanting to make Republicans look bad! Ivan Pentchoukov and Reuters contributed to this report. Members of Congress and farmers from across the country rally for the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) on the National Mall in Washington on Sept. 12, 2019. (Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times) USMCA Expected to Bring Some Relief From Pandemic Economic Woes WASHINGTONThe new trade agreement between the United States, Mexico, and Canada took effect on July 1, opening a fresh era in North American free trade. The agreement contains new rules of origin on cars, which incentivize the use of high-wage labor in auto manufacturing and make U.S. and Canadian workers more competitive vis-a-vis Mexican workers. It also expands market access for U.S. farmers and ranchers. The U.S.MexicoCanada Agreement (USMCA), comes at a crucial time since it encourages businesses to bring their production closer to home. COVID-19 has caused severe supply disruptions across the globe, forcing companies to diversify their supply chains. And the hard lessons learned from the pandemic are expected to increase trade and investment activity within North America in the future and reduce the regions reliance on China or other Asian countries, according to experts. USMCA replaces the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), which entered into force under President Bill Clinton in 1994. The new agreement comprises 34 chapters of provisions governing the trade relationship between the three countries. The agreement maintains most chapters of NAFTA but makes significant changes in the areas of market access for autos and agriculture as well as investment, government procurement, intellectual property rights, labor, and the environment. It also addresses new issues such as digital trade, state-owned enterprises, and currency devaluation. Known as CUSMA in Canada, and T-MEC in Mexico, USMCA has strong labor provisions, which makes the deal an important milestone for international trade, according to trade experts. The use of high-wage labor is expected to boost production in the United States and Canada, which suffered from Mexicos cheap labor for decades. While NAFTA successfully integrated the three economies and boosted trade in the region, it resulted in net job losses and lower wages for many American workers, according to experts. The Economic Policy Institute estimated that the United States lost 682,900 jobs to NAFTA from 1994 through 2010. A Win for US Workers USMCA is estimated to have a significant effect on the U.S. manufacturing sector, particularly automotive. Under the new agreement, 75 percent of auto content must come from North America, up from the original threshold of 62.5 percent. In addition, producers must certify that 70 percent of the steel and aluminum purchases come from the region. The higher thresholds are expected to boost production and employment in North America. The agreement also requires 40 percent of each car and 45 percent of each truck to be made by employees earning at least $16 an hour in order to qualify for duty-free treatment. A study released in April 2019 by the U.S. International Trade Commission showed that the trade pact would raise the United States real gross domestic product by $68.2 billion, or 0.35 percent, and create 176,000 new jobs. Another study by the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative found that the agreement would boost automotive manufacturing investments in the United States by $34 billion over the next five years, adding nearly 76,000 new automotive jobs. Labor provisions of the agreement hold Mexico accountable for improving workers rights, and the agreement grants the United States new enforcement authorities. This is the first time that Mexico negotiates a chapter that has very strong commitments, Luz Maria De La Mora, undersecretary for foreign trade of Mexico, said at a virtual panel hosted by the Wilson Center on June 30. Mexico passed a labor reform measure that guarantees collective bargaining and freedom of association for labor, she said, adding that the Mexican private sector is completely on board with the reform. Impact on Farmers The agreement also gives relief to U.S. farmers and ranchers who are struggling to recover from the losses caused by the pandemic and depressed commodity prices. The launch of the USMCA brings optimism to the countrys farmers and ranchers at a time they need it the most, Zippy Duvall, president of American Farm Bureau Federation, said in a statement. The pact is expected to boost U.S. agricultural exports by $2 billion annually, according to the Farm Bureau. Under the new agreement, Canada will increase quotas on U.S. dairy products and will treat wheat imports the same as domestic wheat for grading purposes, which are cited as two big wins for U.S. farmers. The deal establishes modern digital trade rules that have significant implications for the U.S. technology sector. It addresses many of the digital trade barriers that internet service companies and businesses have encountered. A Monumental Change After his election, Trump followed through on his promises and began ending what he called broken trade deals. A few months into his presidency, he announced plans to renegotiate the terms of NAFTA, which he called the worst trade deal in the history of the country. Following a lengthy and intense negotiation process, the three countries signed the agreement on Nov. 30, 2018, on the sidelines of the G-20 summit in Argentina. Modifications were made to the agreement after Democrats raised issues concerning enforcement, labor, environmental, and pharmaceutical provisions. A bipartisan majority in the House and the Senate approved the revised deal. And in January, Trump signed it into law, sealing one of his biggest trade wins. From day one of his Administration, President Trump has changed the focus of Americas trade policy away from what is best for big, multi-national corporations to instead what is best for Americas workers, farmers and ranchers, U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said in a statement. Thats a monumental change, he added. Challenges Ahead USMCA will help drive new manufacturing investments to the United States and also encourage investment in the North American supply chain. The pandemic, for which China has been widely blamed, has added substantial pressure for the reshoring (to the United States) or nearshoring (to Mexico and Canada) of supply lines, David Gantz, a fellow in trade and international economics at Rice Universitys Baker Institute, wrote in a report. This is particularly critical for personal protective equipment, and pharmaceuticals and materials used in their manufacture, he added. Without the USMCA, Gantz said, this shift in supply chains would have been costly and difficult to implement. However, many experts including Gantz believe that vehicles made in North America will likely become more expensive for consumers due to new rules of origin, which require a significant increase in regional content and use of high-wage labor. The auto industry is currently facing a hurdle due to declining consumer demand and temporary closure of factories in North America as a result of the pandemic. In addition, carmakers will face compliance challenges as they have to implement strict labor and content requirements under the new agreement. There are challenges where flexibility will be needed, the Chambers of Commerce of the United States, Canada, and Mexico said in a joint statement on July 1. The COVID-19 pandemic and economic downturn may make adapting to these new rules even more challenging. Youngest EVER Surviving Preemie Baby, Smaller Than a Hand, Finally Heads Home From Hospital Georgia mom Jessica McPherson went into labor and headed to the Emory Decatur Hospital at just 21 weeks gestation in December 2019. Despite the odds of their babys survival, being born so premature, the mother and father, Jessica McPherson and Jemarius Harbor Sr., pleaded for the medical staff to try to save their baby. We looked at each other in the eye and I told him just give it a try, Jessica told Fox5. I just want you to try. As long as you try, thats all that matters to me. Dont just up and say that you cant do it. Just cause you havent done it doesnt mean it cant be done. Weighing just 13 ounces (approx. 369 g), and smaller than the size of a hand, baby Jemarius Jachin Harbor Jr. was born on Dec. 20, 2019. That same month, Gina Phillips, director of Medical Services at Pregnancy Aid Clinics, told FOX5 that the premature babys survival would be [nothing] short of a miracle. No baby had ever been born so young and survived. Jemarius did survive, however, and he broke the previous record for the youngest preemie to live on by four days. His miraculous story also adds credence to prior medical findings that when provided active rather than palliative care, over 70 percent of infants can survive premature birth, according to a 2016 study in the Journal of the American Medical Association Pediatrics. Another mom, Jessica Spradlin, who became Jemariuss godmother, and who also maintains a Facebook page called A Moment with Kailor, wrote a heartwarming post on June 21 celebrating the moment when Jemarius, now strong enough at 9 pounds (approx. 4 kg), was bundled up snugly and ready to head home for the first time. Her post read: Jemarius is the YOUNGEST surviving preemie in the world. Born at only 21 weeks 0 days, weighing 13 ounces and shorter than a ruler is long! TODAY he said peace out to the NICU and going home with his parents!! Hes just short of 9 pounds!! Im also SO EXCITED to announce that his parents have asked me to be his God Mother Please help us share this in showing the world that 21-22 weekers are viable!!!! They are thriving. They are perfect. They are worthy. Congratulations to Jemarius for breaking out of the NICU after a 6 month stay of proving every doctor wrong and making strides of progress for all micro-preemies!!! Jemariuss story has indeed proven that preemie babies are viable at very young ages as long as they get the medical support they need. The family with their miraculous new addition now have a GoFundMe page set up as they get acquainted with their new son at home. We would love to hear your stories! You can share them with us at emg.inspired@epochtimes.nyc The word has come down from the Vatican in an appeal by the suspended Catholic Priest Father Mark White of a decision by the Bishop of Richmond to strip him of his pastoral duties, and that word also means Whites appeal likely has run out of time. Those may sound like cliches, but, according to a letter dated June 2 from Prefect of the Congregation for the Clergy Beniamino Stella, they appear literally true and mean Whites appeal never was considered and now probably wont be. Unfortunately, the petition as presented is unable to be accepted, inasmuch as you have received from this cleric a mandate to act only as an Advocate and canonical consultant, Stella wrote to Whites canon lawyer, Michael Podhajsky. The letter explains the appeal only will be accepted if it comes from White or someone he designates as a procurator. White updated the parishioners of St. Francis of Assisi in Rocky Mount and St. Joseph in Martinsville with the news. The cardinal [Stella] noted that my lawyers first submission in the case omitted one word, a word I myself had never heard before: procurator, White wrote in his blog. According to the Cardinal, that omission of one word has nullified our entire case. I think its safe to say someone invented the term technicality for situations just like this. To make matters worse, Stella notified Podhajsky that the time limit for filing an appeal had now passed, indicating an amended appeal would be dismissed as well. Stella wrote that White should report to his new assignment according to the instructions of Richmond Bishop Barry Knestout. Those instructions require White to relocate to Abingdon and take up residency at the Jubilee House, a Catholic retreat and conference center. Knestout had stated it was his intention to have White serve in some capacity as a prison minister. Armed with the strength of the Vaticans denial of Whites appeal, Knestout now says the restoration of White as a priest is conditional upon Whites complying with a decree he issued in November. Reverend Mark White is to cease from this moment in disseminating his opinions by means of any social media: in print, by audio, or video, or any digital means, the decree states. Any previous posts are to be removed from all social media, and the account is to be closed. In the exercise of his pastoral office, Father White is to refrain from all assertions against, or judgments about, the hierarchy of the Church. Such opinions are at the heart of this months-old dispute between White and Knestout. White began a popular web blog 12 years ago. When he began posting critical comments about the Catholic Church hierarchys handling of its sex abuse scandal particularly involving Whites mentor, Theodore McCarrick Knestout became displeased and demanded that White remove the blog. White complied at first, but when the coronavirus pandemic hit, and the church doors were closed, White asked if he could resume blogging as a means of communicating with his parishioners. Knestout did not respond to the request, so White defied the command to cease and desist, and the strained relationship between Knestout and White deteriorated further. I am not a priest of Barry Knestout, White said. I am a priest of Jesus Christ. The pope says we stand for human rights, honesty and openness. I cant betray our ideals by giving in to this. Requests for additional comment this week from Knestout drew no immediate response. Path to Martinsville White turns 50 years old today. He entered the seminary for the Archdiocese of Washington in 1997 and spent the summer of 1999 in a special seminary program in Nebraska. It was there he realized the rest of the world was not like Washington, where priests were plentiful. White was ordained in Washington in 2003 and served as a parochial vicar (assistant pastor) and then as pastor in the Washington area for eight years. In early 2011 he asked to be assigned to an area in dire need of priests. Thats when he received the assignment to become the priest in both Rocky Mount and Martinsville. In 2015 White was assigned to Roanoke, with the task of serving two parishes there. The arrangement didnt work as well as it did in Martinsville and Rocky Mount, so White returned to his assignment at St. Francis of Assisi and St. Joseph. And now Bishop Barry Knestout has tried to railroad me right out of the priesthood, White wrote in his blog. By sheer irrational cruelty. Letter of support In an act that surpasses the denominational boundaries of Christians, the Rev. Nicholas Hull and 12 members of the Christ Episcopal Church in Martinsville, representing the Churchs Clergy and Vestry, penned an open letter in support of White. The growing tension between Fr. Mark White and the Diocese of Richmond has been impossible to ignore, and it saddens us to see how this has hampered your ministry within our community, they wrote. Now that Fr. Marks dismissal has made national headlines, there are multitudes of narratives pointing fingers in every conceivable direction. We feel that as outsiders, yet allies of your Church, we are called to offer our limited but honest perspective on this painful controversy. Unfair blame has been put on Fr. Mark White for creating tension and straining the ministry of the Roman Catholic Church in our community. This controversy stems from the sexual misconduct of ex-Cardinal Theadore McCarrick and the Churchs response to his sins. Through Fr. Marks talks at our Church, and through private conversations, it was clear that he was not only deeply hurt by the actions of Theodore McCarrick, but also by the Churchs response to this controversy. In all of our interactions, he has never seemed spiteful, hateful, or vengeful, but disappointed and sad in a Church that he has dedicated his life to serve, much how a spouse might feel hurt after discovering their beloved partner was unfaithful. In a strange way, Fr. Marks passion, vulnerability, and honesty in discussing his disappointments has increased the respect and rapport of the Roman Catholic Church in our community Although Fr. Mark White was critical of the Church, it was abundantly clear that he was still dedicated to remaining its servant. The forces that tried to silence Fr. Mark White claimed they were motivated out of a desire to preserve and protect the Church; however, from our perspective, they have achieved the opposite. Appeal to Vatican In a letter written to Knestout on Monday, White writes: I mean no offense when I point out to you that everyone has the right to communicate with his or her fellow human beings you do not have the authority to compel my silence in this manner. On Tuesday, White wrote directly to the Vatican, apologizing for failing to use the word procurator in his appeal. I did fully authorize Mr. Podhajasky to speak, negotiate, and correspond on my behalf in all canonical and legal matters as permitted under Church Law, so while the word procurator did not appear in the original mandate, I nonetheless gave Mr. Podhajsky the essential powers of a procurator, in plenty of time to take recourse within the preemptory deadlines, wrote White. White pointed out that the merits of his case deserve at least to be heard and failing to do so leaves the problem unresolved. White explained that he was unable to report to his new assignment as instructed by Stella because he is suspended as a priest. Bishop Knestout indicated that he will not restore my priestly faculties unless I remove my weblog from the internet, White wrote. As your Eminence knows, everyone enjoys the natural right to communicate with his or her fellow human beings, to engage in public discourse and debate. Only the cruelest tyrannies try to suppress this right by unjust compulsion ... Please forgive my presumption on your time and attention. But I must insist that your Congregation consider the merits of this case in full This now constitutes a serious scandal among the people of this region. Archbishop Christophe Pierre, Apostolic Nuncio to the United States, Bishop Knestout himself, and the provincial Archbishop, William Lori, of Baltimore, have received correspondence from many quarters on this matter. This correspondence, from Catholics and non-Catholics alike, will verify the danger of scandal that exists here, should my case not receive a fair hearing on the merits. Upcoming Chrism Now Father Mark White can only wait in hopes of a more favorable consideration this time. The bishop and his priests gather in Richmond every year to celebrate Mass together and to reaffirm their solemn promises in a ceremony called Chrism Mass. This year that event will take place on July 10 at the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart. White will not be allowed to participate because Knestout has prohibited him from publicly celebrating the sacraments. Parishioners from St. Francis of Assisi in Rocky Mount and St. Joseph in Martinsville will have buses departing that day from both churches for anyone wishing to stand with White on the sidewalk outside the cathedral as Knestout and the priests of the Richmond Diocese walk by. I will stand in silent vigil, White said. The injustice cries to heaven. Bill Wyatt is a reporter for the Martinsville Bulletin. Bill Wyatt is a reporter for the Martinsville Bulletin. He can be reached at 276-638-8801, Ext. 236. Follow him @billdwyatt Rocky Mount Town Manager James Ervin said the scene at the market on Saturday was only a test set-up and several adjustments have been made since then to alleviate some of the hardships vendors are facing. We probably did not give them enough heads up, or any heads up, Ervin said. I can imagine it was quite a shock. The whole process takes a lot of planning, and I suspect it didnt get followed through to the folks out there that this was going to happen. Ervin said the town and the Harvester are experimenting more with how they will need to set up and still be in compliance with social distancing guidelines. Some of the fencing panels will be moved in between concerts, he said, but the stage will remain in place. Thats one of the challenges we have to figure out, Ervin said. Were still trying to figure out what we can build with this Lego, and its still not exactly right, but I suspect after a couple of trial and error periods, we can make it a whole lot better. The covered fencing on both sides of the market were blocking the view into the market at first, but Ervin said adjustments have since been made. The Navajo Nation could buy the gun maker that became the target of litigation by Newtown parents after the 2012 Sandy Hook school massacre, according to the Wall Street Journal. Remington Arms is exploring filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection from creditors in the coming days, according to the a Journal report. As it does, the Navajo Nation reportedly is considered purchasing the company as part of a 2018 bankruptcy restructuring by Remington that transferred ownership of the manufacturer to the parent company of Franklin Templeton Investments and JPMorgan Chase. Suburban police in lower Fairfield County know the people in their neighborhoods well. But worlds dont stop at the borders between municipalities, and they say its knowing those coming from neighboring communities, particularly minorities, that will make a difference in interactions between police and the public. A group of local police chiefs, state prosecutors and the Norwalk Chapter of the NAACP held a virtual meeting Tuesday night and listened to concerns from residents about the relationship between communities and law enforcement in the wake of the George Floyd killing and others in police custody. Hosted by Norwalk NAACP President Brenda Penn-Williams, the panel included Weston Police Chief Edwin Henion, Darien Chief Donald Anderson, Westport Chief Foti Koskinas, New Canaan Chief Leon Krolikowski, Norwalk Chief Thomas Kulhawik, Wilton Chief John Lynch, Chief States Attorney Richard Colangelo, States Attorney Paul Ferencek, and the Rev. Jeffrey Ingraham. Youre not a diverse bunch, one resident pointed out to the panel of police chiefs, who are white men. How can you relate to the community that feels harassed? Kulhawik said this has been an issue during his three decades in law enforcement, and pointed out that most of those who joined the force during the 1980s were white males. Police have tried to recruit a diverse workforce and promote diverse officers, he added, while also making it a priority to meet the community they serve. I made it my business to get out in the community. Thats what weve been doing for 25 years, Kulhawik said. I know we dont look like some of the people. All I can be is me. You work from the heart, so to speak. Koskinas said its important for the police to understand their community and to recognize those who are passing through town. Its getting to know your community better, interacting with them, getting to know cultural differences, he said. Many of those suburbs have been the scene of recent rallies, calling for an end to police brutality. At the end of the day, we want policy change, moderator Monika Keen said in her opening statement. We can meet, but what are we meeting for? We can march, but what are we marching for? Chokeholds have been at the center of the police brutality debate after high-profile deaths across the country. We banned chokeholds decades ago, Anderson said of Darien. But, he said, its not an outright prohibition if the officer is fighting for his or her life. For two decades, he said, Darien officers have been trained on how to prevent a suspect from asphyxiating. I dont think you can have an out-and-out prohibition on the chokehold unless you can use deadly force, Anderson said. Police chiefs statewide have called on all departments to change their policies regarding chokeholds. The state organization of police chiefs also put a 90-day hold on accepting military equipment, amid national questions about the militarization of law enforcement agencies. I dont believe any of the chiefs here have militarized police, Kulhawik said, adding that Norwalk does have items such as an armored truck and a high-water rescue vehicle that were military surplus. He also said Norwalk police have tear gas for use in situations such as a person barricaded. The regional special response team also has it, Anderson said. I think its a case of using equipment in an appropriate manner, Kulhawik said. Calls to defund the police are a simplistic notion, Ferencek said. I would strongly disagree with it, he said. If you defund the police, the police are not going to get the training they need. The training required to be a police officer in Connecticut is longer that most states and has won praise from others, the chiefs said. But police are now dealing with people battling mental health and substance abuse issues, Kulhawik said. I think police can be funded and you can find money to properly fund social services and get the police out of issues that are not police issues, but social service issues, he said. Several questions from residents focused on police oversight, at the local level and beyond. Kulhawik explained that the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies evaluates departments and holds them to a set of standards. Prosecutors were asked to be more approachable, especially by defendants who want to fight to clear their names rather than be funneled into accelerated rehabilitation or a similar diversionary program. Anyone who wants to plead not guilty has that right, Ferencek said. When we explain diversionary programs, they do not have to take them. Colangelo said the COVID pandemic has changed the way courts operate, with prosecutors reviewing case files and deciding how best to proceed. Were in uncharted territory with the pandemic in the amount of business and the way we handle business, Colangelo said. Its going to be a while before were able to have a jury trial again and have one safely. Kulhawik and others called Tuesdays session a good start, but agreed there is plenty of work to be done. It starts, they said, with conversation. Many chiefs in the past were averse to change and listening, Kulhawik said. Those days are over. The following editorial appeared in Saturday's Japan News-Yomiuri: - - - It has become conspicuous that China is taking intimidating actions against many other countries. The administration of Chinese President Xi Jinping is urged to understand that escalating confrontations will only trigger concerns and distrust from the international community, undermining China's own national interests. Indian and Chinese troops have fought each other along a disputed border. The clash killed 20 Indian soldiers and also left some casualties on the Chinese side. The two neighbors have engaged in confrontations for many years, but the incident was said to be the first deadly clash between them in 45 years. There are persistent suspicions that China may have seized the opportunity to launch an offensive by taking advantage of a time when India is struggling in its fight against the novel coronavirus. Relations between China and Australia are also deteriorating. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said, with an eye on China, that his country has been targeted by "a sophisticated state-based cyber actor." Australia receives a large number of Chinese tourists and is also a popular destination for studying for its students. However, Beijing advised its people not to travel to the Oceanian country. The advisory is said to have been issued in retaliation for Australia's demand for an international probe into where the coronavirus came from. China has also made many other moves that can destabilize regional situations, such as beefing up military operations in the South China Sea. Australia and India have moved toward strengthening bilateral security cooperation. Anti-China sentiments are also spreading among European and Southeast Asian countries, which up to now have avoided confrontations with Beijing because they have given priority to economic ties with the country. This tendency must be a strategic loss for China. China's stance, as if it were out to make enemies around the world, has become more aggressive since the onset of the coronavirus crisis. This approach is dubbed "Wolf Warrior" diplomacy, after the title of a Chinese action movie that has become a big hit in the country. As the movie's tagline says, "Anyone who insults China must absolutely be eradicated," the country intimidates those it considers hostile. A Chinese diplomat criticized Europe's "poor" response to the coronavirus, while Beijing demanded appreciation for its medical assistance. It is widely believed that China's "Wolf Warrior" diplomacy has been driven by its own domestic troubles. China's economy has been stalled because of trade friction with the United States and the coronavirus pandemic, and the country's employment situation has also worsened. The Xi administration has claimed that the fact that China has contained infections demonstrates the superiority of the country's system. However, this claim sounds less persuasive as the number of cases is rising again in Beijing. It is a dangerous approach that China - aiming to maintain its leadership - promotes to the public a hard-line stance against other countries, while also fueling nationalism and hostility toward foreign countries. It will surely be difficult for Beijing to win support from a wide range of countries, even though it stresses that it will lead the international order in place of the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump, who has been promoting his "America First" policy. It is also unacceptable that Chinese government ships have become more active in waters around the Senkaku Islands in Okinawa Prefecture. The Japanese government must again tell the Xi administration that improvements in bilateral relations cannot be made without stability in the East China Sea. Two Nebraska State Patrol troopers were assaulted Monday night during a situation that began with a report of a man walking into traffic on Interstate 80 near Grand Island. The State Patrol responded to the scene at approximately 9:30 p.m. after receiving a report that a man appeared to be trying to step in front of traffic. Vehicles were swerving to avoid the man. When a trooper arrived on the scene, the man was lying in the westbound passing lane of I-80 near mile marker 318. The trooper was able to remove him from I-80. The subject spat on the trooper while being placed in the patrol vehicle, according to a press release from the State Patrol. Because of the mental state of the subject, the trooper made arrangements to place the man in emergency protective custody. He then was transported to CHI Health St. Francis in Grand Island for a medical check. During the medical check, the man punched another trooper in the face. The man was restrained for the rest of the medical check. Upon receiving medical clearance, the man was transported to Mary Lanning Healthcare in Hastings, where he was placed in emergency protective custody. He was not identified by the State Patrol. Charges are pending following release from protective custody. Work has begun on a project that will extend Claude Road between Old Potash Highway and Faidley Avenue. Since late last week, Faidley has been closed just west of the entrance to the West Faidley Medical Center. The project will take about 90 days, said Grand Island Public Works Director John Collins. Faidley has a fairly low traffic count, Collins said. Other than those who live in the neighboring subdivision, the effect on traffic shouldnt be that much, he said. Some drivers will take North Road to get to destinations on Faidley. Some will take 13th Street, others Old Potash. The Old Potash and Claude Road improvements will include reconstruction of Old Potash from Webb to North roads. City officials expect that project to be completed in October 2022. Were phasing it to try to keep everybody able to get to their destinations, particularly all those businesses along in there to make sure they can always get to work, Collins said. Thats why the Faidley and Claude work is being done first. Down the road, therell be a closure for a little while on Old Potash, he said. People still should be able to get to businesses by taking Kaufman Avenue. Among complaints voiced in February, trains will rest and block intersections, forcing residents to take lengthy detours, and the position of the resting trains will cause the gate bells to ring for several hours. Grand Island Police Chief Robert Falldorf and Fire Chief Cory Schmidt both testified that blocked crossings have affected department response times. There was testimony stating that schoolchildren were seen crawling between and under trains in order to get to school or get home. That is unacceptable, the PSC reported. The PSC concluded, Based on the extensive testimony received at the hearing, the commission has reasonable belief that there have been and continue to be violations. Hall County Commission Chairwoman Pam Lancaster said she was relieved that the communitys concerns have been heard. Citizens brought forward very compelling evidence that this was a very big safety issue for the community, Lancaster said. Im relieved that someone is listening to us. I think the process is there. We followed the process. And someone heard our plea for help. A solution to the blocked crossings could not be reached between the PSC and the railroad companies involved. The railroads will have 20 days to respond to the PSC complaint before additional proceedings are determined. 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. Kramer is charged with sex trafficking of a minor and first-degree sexual assault of a person between ages 12 and 16 on July 1, 2019. The charges are both felonies. An arraignment is scheduled July 8 in Furnas County. Smith is charged with first-degree sexual assault of a child on Aug. 1, and sex trafficking a minor in August and September. The charges are both felonies. Smith pleaded not guilty to both charges at an arraignment hearing June 24 in Furnas County District Court. Weaver is charged with felony first-degree sexual assault on July 1, 2019. Weaver pleaded not guilty to the charge at an arraignment hearing June 24 in Furnas County District Court. In January, William Quinn, 56, of Oxford was charged with human trafficking of a minor, first-degree sexual assault of a child, first-degree sexual assault, child abuse and debauching a minor. The charge of debauching a minor was dismissed, and Quinn pleaded not guilty to the other four counts. Quinns request for bond was denied, and he is set to appear July 8 in district court. In February, Carl Kramer, 49, of Oxford was charged with three counts of human trafficking of a minor. An arraignment is scheduled July 8 in district court. US President Donald Trumps decision to suspend H-1B and other non-immigrant work permits till December 31 is likely to see more Indians moving to Canada, which has a more open policy on immigration, Indian media reported. Canadian staffing firms have reported a sharp increase in enquiries over the last few weeks as murmurs around the proposed suspension grew louder. The increase in the number of hits to our website and emails we get has been huge, especially over the last two days, said Irfhan Rawji, Chief Executive Officer, MobSquad which contracts its employees to larger tech firms, provided the job can be done from Canada. The company is also fielding queries from American companies that want to hold on to certain key employees whose status in the United States might have be in jeopardy because of their visa conditions. Shortly after the visa suspension was announced, Canadas immigration minister Marco Mendicino said, We believe that immigration will spring our recovery out of this pandemic. We have a plan in place that looks to leverage the best and the brightest from around the world. Weve got pathways like the Express Entry program, and the Global Talent Stream, which will help to bring entrepreneurs, engineers, and innovators. The country has been vocal about encouraging immigration. Before the coronavirus induced lockdown, Canada had said it would like to attract 1 million permanent residents between 2020 and 2022. Out of the 74,000 new permanent residents added in the first few months of this year, 24% were Indians. In 2019, 85,585 Indians opted for permanent residency in Canada, up from 39,705 in 2016, as per data from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, Canada. It is unclear how many of these people were living in the United States before moving to Canada, as the data is provided only by nationality. StackRaft, which helps companies find remote engineering talent, said there had been an increase in people reaching out to them in the last few weeks. A lot of H-1B holders have also been reaching out because of layoffs; 70% of our engineers on H1-B are either moving back to their home countries or to Canada, Vartika Manasvi, co-founder of StackRaft, said. H-1B visa holders risk being deported if they are unemployed for more than 60 days. Even though people currently in the US are not impacted by the presidential proclamation, it has led to a lot of uncertainty over whether they will be in the line of fire in future. Increasingly, US employers are also encouraging employees working remotely from Canada, whether to hold on to key talent or to fill roles that they cannot locally. Rawji of MobSquad cites the case of one person whose Optional Practical Training was ending soon and had been rejected three times in the H-1B visa lottery. Eventually, the person moved to Canada and joined MobSquad, which then placed him back with his original employer, and he could continue working from Canada. The ease with which immigrants can start new tech ventures is another reason why entrepreneurs are opting for Canada. When Manasvi was setting up StackRaft, she opted for Canada over the United States because of a start-up friendly immigration policy. I founded StackRaft, which closely works with companies in the US looking to set up offices in Canada and hire remote engineering talent around the world, she said. Through a state government-backed startup program, she and co-founder Celento George have already received permanent residency in Canada, which would not have been possible in the US. Meanwhile, new statistics provided by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) offer fresh insights on where temporary foreign workers (TFWs) have been arriving in Canada from since the start of 2020. The coronavirus pandemic is impacting Canadas TFW levels but not to the same extent as permanent residents, reported CICnews.com The data captures new work permits issued to TFWs who were eligible to work in Canada under either the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) or International Mobility Program (IMP). The TFWP is the smaller of the two programs that admit foreign workers to Canada. It exists to address the immediate labour market needs of Canadian employers who are unable to find Canadian workers to fill a job vacancy. Its main use in recent years has been to admit seasonal agricultural workers into Canada, although it is also used by employers who have job vacancies in various other sectors and occupations. The IMP exists to meet Canadas broad economic and social needs. The majority of TFWs obtain a work permit under an IMP stream. The streams vary from the Global Talent Stream, which exists to welcome technology workers to Canada, to International Experience Canada, which exists to strengthen Canadas economic and social ties with many of its peer countries, to the Post-Graduation Work Permit, which exists to provide international students with the Canadian experience they often need to become eligible for permanent residence. Between January and April of 2020, Canada issued just over 33,000 work permits under the TFWP. The top 5 source countries were Mexico, Jamaica, India, Guatemala, and the Philippines. Mexicans accounted for 41 percent of all these TFWs. Some 66 percent of the 33,000 work permits were issued to agricultural workers. Total TFWP arrivals are down 18 percent compared with the same period last year which is almost certainly a function of the COVID-19 pandemic. Over 76,000 work permits were issued under the IMP, with 27,000 (36 percent) going to Indian nationals. Rounding out the top 5 source countries are France, China, the U.S., and the U.K. Brazil and South Korea ranked closely behind. The Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) remains the leading stream of work permits obtained under the IMP. It accounted for some 35 percent of all IMP work permits issued at the start of 2020. This figure is even larger when you account for the work permits issued to the spouses of PGWP holders. The PGWP is highly coveted among international students because they can gain professional work experience in Canada, and use that experience to strengthen their immigration applications. Given that Indians are the leading source of Canadas international students, it comes as no surprise they are also the leading source of work permit holders under the IMP. Overall, total work permits issued under the IMP are down 16 percent compared with the first four months of 2019. COVID-19 will continue to impact Canadas permanent and temporary resident numbers over the foreseeable future. Nonetheless, Canadas TFW numbers will be less impacted by the pandemic than permanent residents. Reasons for this include that TFWs are largely exempt from Canadas travel restrictions, and many of the individuals who will eventually obtain new work permits in 2020 are already in Canada (e.g., international students who will get a PGWP). IRCC continues to stress they are processing new work permit applications submitted by TFWs and employers. TFWs currently outside of Canada will be able to enter the country as long as they are travelling to Canada for non-optional reasons. VIRGINIA Three COVID-19-related deaths were reported Wednesday in Cass County, all associated with an outbreak at a Virginia nursing home. The deaths of a man in his 80s, a woman in her 80s and a man in his 90s were part of a long-term care facility outbreak at Walker Nursing Home, according to Cass County Health Department. Two other coronavirus disease deaths previously were reported in Cass County. The countys overall COVID-19 case count remains at 131. Of those, 90 people have recovered. The Cass County Health Department urges our residents to be mindful of the devastating effects COVID has had on our communities, the department said in a statement. Making choices that fail to protect yourself puts you, your loved ones and all of our Cass County communities at risk. No new cases were reported Wednesday in Morgan County. The total case count is at 132, of which 119 have been released from restrictions and three have died. Total cases in other west-central Illinois counties as of Wednesday were: 10 in Brown County; nine in Greene County; 35 in Jersey County; 52 in Macoupin County; two in Pike County; 431 in Sangamon County; 13 in Schuyler County; and none in Scott County, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health. Statewide, 828 new cases of coronavirus disease and 30 deaths were reported Wednesday, according to the state health department. There have been 144,013 cases in 101 counties in Illinois and 6,951 deaths. FAIRVIEW HEIGHTS Fourteen people have been arrested following a Madison County sting of people allegedly trying to engage in sex with minors. On Tuesday afternoon, U.S. Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft and FBI Special Agent in Charge Sean M. Cox announced the 14 arrests were the result of an FBI-led operation involving multiple federal and state law enforcement agencies that targeted online predators attempting to meet minors for sex. Each offense allegedly occurred in Madison County. More than 50 law enforcement agents were involved in the operation. Instead of lurking on playgrounds, modern predators hide behind electronic devices using social media and texting apps to access young children, said Weinhoeft. Serious dangers are no further away than a childs cell phone or tablet, and we strongly urge parents to monitor their childrens online activity, be aware of who their children are talking with, and have conversations about how to stay safe online, he said. Cox said that, over the past weekend, FBI agents from Springfield and St. Louis partnered with law enforcement to conduct an operation to identify child predators. During the two-day operation, undercover agents pretended to be minors in a variety of online texting, social media and message board platforms and apps. All of the defendants contacted the profiles online, engaged in sexually explicit discussions with the undercover agents and arrived at a residence with the intent to engage in sexual acts with minors. These are some of the most difficult, and yet the most important, investigations we work with our partners to make a positive impact in our communities and protect our children, Cox said. In todays world, children have a much larger presence on social media platforms than they had in the past, which places them at far greater risk of becoming a victim to online sexual predators. These arrests should serve as a reminder to parents everywhere of the importance of monitoring the computer usage of their children and staying active in their lives, Cox said. Some of the defendants also propositioned the undercover agents to send them pornographic photos, traveled across state lines for the purpose of illicit sexual activity with a minor, and/or offered to pay money to engage in sexual activity with a minor. All of the defendants were arrested after arriving at an undercover residence. Several came with items intended for the fictitious minors, including alcohol, sex toys, methamphetamine and, in one case, a dog leash and a dog collar with the name of the undercover profile engraved on it. No actual minors were harmed. Sex trafficking and child exploitation continue to impact our communities, and we will aggressively enforce the law against those who would prey upon children, said Weinhoeft. All of the defendants were charged June 28-29. Arrested were: Brett Brimberry, 28 Glen Carbon, Attempted Enticement of a Minor Richard L. Britt, 38, Granite City, Attempted Enticement of a Minor and Interstate Travel to Engage in Illicit Sexual Conduct Urich Gaines, 32, Belleville, Attempted Enticement of a Minor Kayln E. Hogatt, 27, Bridgeport, Attempted Enticement of a Minor and Attempted Production of Child Pornography Kevin Kamler, 30, OFallon, Missouri, Attempted Enticement of a Minor Brian Lotz, 56, Collinsville, Attempted Enticement of a Minor Anthony Parrish, 33, Swansea, Attempted Enticement of a Minor Philip M. Reis, 55, OFallon, Illinois, Attempted Enticement of a Minor Gerald S. Sewell, 56, Belleville, Attempted Enticement of a Minor and Interstate Travel to Engage in Illicit Sexual Conduct James R. Sears, 35, Bridgeport, Attempted Enticement of a Minor Travis Shubert, 29, Granite City, Attempted Enticement of a Minor Preston Thomas, 57, St. Louis, Attempted Enticement of a Minor Nicholas Wright, 35, OFallon, Missouri, Attempted Enticement of a Minor, Interstate Travel to Engage in Illicit Sexual Conduct and Attempted Sex Trafficking of a Child Vallie F. Zeller, 43, St. Louis, Attempted Enticement of a Minor, Interstate Travel to Engage in Illicit Sexual Conduct and Attempted Production of Child Pornography. Between June 29 and July 1, all 14 defendants made initial appearances before U.S. Magistrate Judges Mark Beatty or Gilbert Sison at the federal courthouse in East St. Louis. If convicted, the defendants each face a minimum penalty of 10 years imprisonment and could receive as much as life behind bars. The offenses also carry a possible lifetime term of supervised release and fines of up to $250,000. Pending trial, all 14 defendants will be held without bond or released on electronic monitoring and other strict conditions mandated by the Adam Walsh Act. The cases fall under the umbrella of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. The investigation was led by the FBI-Springfield Division, with the assistance of the FBI St. Louis Division, U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigations, the Belleville Police Department, the Collinsville Police Department, the Edwardsville Police Department, the Franklin County Sheriffs Office, the Illinois State Police, the Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville Police Department, the St. Louis County Police Department, the Swansea Police Department, and the U.S. Secret Service. Additional assistance was provided by the U.S. Marshals Service, the Alton jail, the Monroe County Jail and the St. Clair County Jail. All 14 defendants cases will be prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Chris Hoell, Ali Burns, Karelia Rajagopal and Laura Reppert. EDWARDSVILLE Two road projects, if approved, will provide upgrades to various roads around town this summer. The citys public service committee voted unanimously to approve a paving effort and a reconstruction project at their meeting Tuesday. Alderman SJ Morrison was absent from the meeting. First, the committee discussed an asphalt resurfacing contract for the following streets: Timberlake Drive, Suzanne Court, Country Club View Drive, Fairway Drive and some patching and resurfacing Lewis Road from Yellowhammer Crossing to N. University Drive. We did an emergency repair job to a culvert on Timberlake Drive that was just shy of $200,000, said City Engineer Ryan Zwijack. Were also still anticipating some patching that well have to accomplish with these projects once we mill off the top surface, similar to what we did on Franklin Avenue. For the resurfacing, the contract will include using a hot mix asphalt overlay for pavement, driveway aprons, storm sewers and curbs, plus milling, adding concrete curbs and gutters, pavement patching, concrete sidewalks. The Killian Corp. will perform the work at a cost of $566,418. Note that Country Club and Fairway drives are near the Sunset Hills Country Club off Route 157 while the other streets are further north, near the U.S. Bank branch and Kyoto Sushi Steakhouse on 157. Second, work may soon begin on reconstructing Grant Drive, just south of Leclaire Elementary School. If these projects are passed by the full city council, work could begin in late July or in early August, according to public works officials. This will reconstruct Grant Drive as well as put in permanent gutters, asphalt pavement, replace the water main and some storm sewer work, Zwijack said. Grant Drive residents would also see a sidewalk installed on the west side of the street. The work would be similar to what took place on Hale Avenue in 2019 and earlier this year. Keller Construction was the low bidder for this project at $612,734. The timeline is similar to that of the resurfacing project. The work will likely affect some drivers from the Montclaire area who drop off children at the school. District 7 plans to tentatively resume classes Aug. 13 for the 2020-2021 academic year. Both of these items now go to the full city council for approval on July 7. Last month, the city council returned a resolution for accepting the deed of conveyance for Hadley Lane back to the committee. Public Works Director Eric Williams said they have not yet talked to the homeowners who have right-of-way that the city seeks to acquire to bring the lane up to current road standards. The road is now the citys according to constructive possession and Williams confirmed again that it is on the citys oil and chip list for this month, Williams repeated. However, they need to reach out to those property owners for easement or right-of-way acquisition. Williams said he will report his progress at a future committee meeting. The next public service committee meeting will be July 14 at 5 p.m. Reach reporter Charles Bolinger at (618) 659-5735 Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Anis Chowdhury and Jomo Kwame Sundaram (The Jakarta Post) Sydney/Kuala Lumpur Wed, July 1, 2020 12:41 355 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a40662e680b 3 Opinion pandemic,COVID-19,Muslim,Islam Free As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to rapidly spread globally, the whole world is desperately looking for ways to contain it, finding cures for the infected and developing vaccines to protect against it. The world adopted the Muslim practice of quarantines in the form of lockdown, self-isolation and physical distance. The Doge (lord) of Venice learnt that when facing epidemics, Muslim rulers in the East imposed precautionary 40-day quaranta (arbain), as mentioned by Ibn Khaldun. Contrary to the teachings of some, ironically, although not well-known in Muslim societies, such methods of prevention and protection are rooted in the teachings and history of Islam. As social beings, Muslims are encouraged, but not required to perform their daily obligatory prayers in congregation, and typically are emotionally attached to mosques. Thus, measures such as quarantines and physical distancing, are causing psychological distress to many Muslims. Undoubtedly, COVID-19 is undermining long practiced religious customs. Strict, prolonged stay in shelter lockdowns have especially hit and hurt millions of urban poor living in slums and shanty towns, sometimes identified as the precariat typically working in the informal economy, and in recent decades, increasingly beyond. As more and more pressure comes from powerful business interests as well as much of the population suffering from the loss of livelihoods, governments have to open up and switch to other means to contain the epidemic and its adverse consequences. This also means risking possible resurgence of infections. Until the development and availability of an effective and affordable vaccine for mass immunization, societies have little choice but to fall back upon precautionary measures to contain the spread of the virus. Read also: Safety first: Indonesia applauds Saudi Arabia for capping number of pilgrims Muslims experience and knowledge of epidemics enabled them to develop innovative measures to enable Muslim societies to adjust to and cope with such contemporary challenges from the time of Prophet Muhammad. Pandemics, natural calamities, and the loss of life and property are trials or challenges from Allah. Islamic scholars agree that the reward of a martyr applies to a person even if he or she does not die in a plague. It is a reward for patience and readiness to accept Allahs decree. The Holy Quran relates, Say, Never can anything befall us save what Allah has decreed! He is our Lord Supreme; and in Allah let the believers place their trust! (9: 51). And most certainly shall We try you by means of danger, and hunger, and loss of worldly goods, of lives and of wealth. But give glad tidings unto those who are patient in adversity - who, when calamity befalls them, say, Verily, unto Allah do we belong and, verily, unto Him we shall return. It is they upon whom their Sustainers blessings and grace are bestowed, and it is they, who are on the right path! (2: 155-157). (also see 2: 45-46; 153). Supplication is the means by which Muslims appeal to Allah when facing uncertainties or difficult situations. Allah says: And when My servants ask you, [O Muhammad], concerning Me -- indeed I am near. I respond to the invocation of the supplicant when he calls upon Me. So, let them respond to Me [by obedience] and believe in Me that they may be [rightly] guided (2: 186). Allah commands believers to obey Allah, and obey the Prophet and those who are in authority (4: 59). Allah also commands, Ask those who know if you do not know (16: 43). In the face of the current pandemic, Muslims should therefore pray for Allahs help and protection, and obey Allah, His Prophet, government instructions (authority) and the advice of those who know, namely health experts. The Holy Prophet said, If you hear of an outbreak of plague in a land, do not enter it; but if the plague breaks out in a place while you are in it, do not leave that place (Bukhari, #5728). He also said, Do not graze a sick herd with a healthy one, [or, Do not put a sick patient with a healthy person] (Bukhari, #5771; Muslim, #2221). The Prophet accepted the oath of allegiance from a person suffering from leprosy in his absence, i.e., without taking his hand (Muslim, #2231). Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day should not harm his neighbour [or physically next to himself]. (Bukhari, #6018). On very cold and rainy nights, Allahs Messenger used to order the Muadh-dhin [the one who calls to prayers] to say as part of the Azan [or call to pray], Pray in your homes (Bukhari, #666, 668). Whoever hears the caller to prayer, nothing prevents them from responding to him except a valid excuse, [such as fear or sickness]: Fear for oneself; Fear for wealth; Fear for ones family (Al-Mughni, #4: 451). The Quran relates, He has succeeded who purifies it (91: 9); Truly, Allah loves those who keep themselves clean (2: 222): clean your garments (74: 4). The Prophet emphasized and elaborated on this in several Hadith: Cleanliness is half of faith (Muslim, Hadith #223); No Salat is accepted without Wudu [purification] (Muslim, #433); Blessing in food lies in washing the hand before and after eating (Tirmidhi, #1846, Abu Daud, #375). The Prophet urged hygiene and hand washing, even cleaning nasal cavities every morning. Read also: Islam prioritizes humanity during pandemic Some egalitarian principles of Islam are well-known, but selectively invoked. Islam does not believe in mankinds original sin, or regard afflictions or disabilities as its manifestations, as the Holy Quran makes clear: There is not upon the blind any guilt or upon the lame any guilt or upon the ill any guilt (48: 17). The Prophet shared a meal with a leper (Abu Daud, Tirmidhi), as did Umar, the second righteous Caliph. The Prophet appointed a leper, Muayqib, as custodian of his official seal, which he continued after the Prophets death. The Caliphs Abu Bakr, Umar and Uthman later appointed Muayqib to responsibilities in financial administration. Besides regular zakat (alm) and charity, numerous ayat and hadith urge social solidarity, urging responsibility and care for the poor and needy: never shall you attain to true piety unless you spend on others out of what you cherish yourselves; and whatever you spend - verily, Allah has full knowledge thereof (3: 92). Surah al-Maun (107) urges assistance, kindness and charity (love); prayers are ostentatious, like showing off, when orphans, the poor and ones neighbours are not taken care of. *** Anis Chowdhury is adjunct professor at Western Sydney University and the University of New South Wales, Australia. Jomo Kwame Sundaram, a former economics professor, was United Nations assistant secretary-general for economic development. Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the official stance of The Jakarta Post. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Editorial Board (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, July 1, 2020 09:40 355 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a40662d7c0d 1 Editorial sexual-abuse,Sexual-assault,Catholic-church,child-abuse,#Editorial,sexual-abuse-in-Catholic-Church,sexual-abuse-on-campus,sexual-abuse-victims,#catholicsexabuse Free More and more victims of sexual violence in Indonesia are speaking up, including those allegedly assaulted in religious communities. Most recently the Depok, West Java, Police arrested a church caretaker for allegedly molesting at least 20 children under his tutelage within a span of eight years. The Catholic Women Human Rights Activists said recently that the parents of one of the victims filed a report on the alleged assault to St. Herkulanus Church in 2014, but the case was settled through mediation and the suspect, Syahril Parlindungan Marbun, was not dismissed as a mentor of altar boys. Instead, he was promoted to the post of mentorship subsection head. Surely this scandal further taints the Catholic Church, despite the progress the Vatican has made in addressing sexual abuse within the Church, a lot of which was previously swept under the carpet. Through his apostolic letter Vos Estis Lux Mundi, Pope Francis passed an ecclesiastical law requiring each diocese to create a system for reporting sexual abuse by June 2020. Read also: Depok case shines light on sexual abuse in Indonesian Catholic Church The Catholic Church in Indonesia, however, has yet to follow this order although the deadline passed on Tuesday. Bogor Diocese judicial vicar Yohanes Driyanto said that setting up such a system was not easy as few priests had mastered canon law. The police investigation into the alleged abuse by Syahril sets a good precedent as the Church used to seek out-of-court settlements, which in the Depok case did not stop the crime. Catholic women activists believe the Depok scandal is just the tip of the iceberg, because most of the victims are afraid to speak up and demand justice. Weekly magazine Warta Minggu, published by the Tomang Catholic parish in West Jakarta, quoted the data presented by the Bishops Council of Indonesia (KWI) seminary commission secretary Joseph Kristanto last year that at least 56 people were allegedly subject to sexual abuse in the Catholic Church. But KWI chairman and Jakarta Archbishop Ignatius Suharyo denied any knowledge of the report. I, as the archbishop of the Jakarta Archdiocese and as the chairman of the KWI, never received such a report. Therefore, if you ask me, I dont know, he told The Jakarta Post. Justice must be served in the Depok case, as well as in other abuses perpetrated by the powerful against the weak, especially women and children. What happened in the Depok church could happen in schools, universities, Islamic boarding schools, the film industry, workplaces, public spaces and even at home. The Post has collaborated with Tirto.id and VICE Indonesia in revealing sexual abuse allegedly committed in higher-education institutions across Indonesia. The project, called #NamaBaikKampus (Campus Reputation), has been nominated for the Public Service Journalism award by the Society of Publishers in Asia (SOPA). Read also: Sexual abuse on campus: 174 survivors across Indonesia speak up We believe that unequal power relationships are the main cause of sexual abuse and in most cases provide impunity to the perpetrators. This must end. Especially for the Catholic Church in Indonesia, a mechanism that encourages victims to report sexual abuse is urgent. More importantly, the states commitment to the protection of the vulnerable should be manifested in policies that respect their rights and ensure their well-being. Sponsored by TD Canada Trust Relocating to a new country can be equal parts exciting and overwhelming. Its a departure from the familiar and often comes with a unique set of challenges. These circumstances are even more difficult when one is learning to acclimatize to a new way of life during the middle of a global pandemic. For those who have either recently arrived or have been calling Canada home for a short time, adapting to your new home can be more challenging especially if you are feeling isolated and distant from your loved ones. "Your new life in Canada is filled with opportunities as well as more than a few unknowns," said Frank Psoras, SVP, Customer Strategy, Innovation and Acquisition at TD. Now, as we're being challenged by being more distant than ever, people need to find smart ways to stay connected to their loved ones and culture. As you adjust to your new home, its important to remember that youre not alone - there are a number of tools and resources designed to help you feel more confident as we navigate these unprecedented circumstances together." While the Government of Canada has announced several financial support measures to help new Canadians who may be facing financial hardship due to COVID-19, we have gathered some creative ways to help you connect with friends and family during this challenging time: Physical distancing does not mean social isolation Reach out: Canadians everywhere are being asked by governments and public health agencies to physically distance from one another, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't be staying connected by reaching out to our loved ones in other ways. Self-isolation can be a lonely experience for some people, so it's a good idea to take some time in your day to call or video chat with family and friends. While things remain uncertain, it's stressful to think about when you might be able to see your loved ones again. As we all try to make sense of this new reality, now is a great time to flex those creativity muscles and consider finding new ways to stay connected. Whether it's a book club, writing a good, old-fashioned letter, or hosting a virtual movie night through one of the many movie-watching apps, it's important to stay creative and avoid pandemic fatigue. Find ways to stay in touch Be there for your loved ones: Starting a new life in a new country while maintaining financial ties to loved one's back home can be challenging. TD offers several convenient options including Western Union Money Transfer? , which gives TD customers the ability to send money through EasyWeb and the TD app from their personal TD Canadian dollar chequing, savings or line of credit accounts to family and friends who can pick up the money sent at more than 500,000 Western Union agent locations in over 200 countries and territories around the world. "Whether it's providing financial support, recognizing a special occasion or helping with expenses, you can send money anywhere in Canada using Interac e-Transfer or globally using Western Union Money Transfer or Visa Direct. These digital money transfer options are quick, easy and another way you can be there for your loved ones safely from your home," said Psoras. Customers can also use Visa Direct through EasyWeb to send money to over 170 countries directly to a recipient's Visa Debit Card, Visa Credit Card or Visa Reloadable Prepaid Card and funds are usually received within 24-48 hours of the transfer. Start building a social network in your new community Community Matters: Moving to a new country often requires a significant adjustment period and navigating your new home can be even more challenging during a global pandemic. If you're feeling further away from home than normal, think about staying in touch with your roots by joining cultural associations or clubs that provide a familiarity that may help with the transition to life in Canada. While places like restaurants, places of worship, community centres and other places that people gather shutdown, things are moving online and there are lots of free services and community organizations available for newcomers. Visit the Canadian Immigration website for more information on whats available in your new community. At this time, we're encouraging customers to bank digitally to avoid coming into branches. With EasyWeb Online banking and the TD app, you can confidently bank from home. Check out our Digital 'How To' or text 'DIGITAL' to 79002 and we'll reply back to you with support on how to get started with Digital Banking. Standard message and data rates may apply. For more advice on navigating the COVID landscape, visit the TD Ready Advice website, and for more information on starting your financial journey in Canada, visit the TD Banking for Newcomers in Canada website. - SOURCE TD Bank Group In what looks to be a return to business as usual, the family-run fashion label Etro has opted to present its latest men's and women's collections with a physical show at the next Milan Fashion Week (July 14-17), which was supposed to be all online. Women's Wear Daily (WWD) reports that the show will be held at 10 a.m. on July 15 at the Four Seasons Hotel in Milan. The next Milan Fashion Week, which is set to go ahead in the third week of July, is shaping up to be a physical-virtual hybrid rather than an all-online affair. Hot on the heels of Dolce & Gabbana, another Italian fashion house Etro has announced it will be holding a physical show. The event will showcase its menswear 2021 spring-summer collection and its 2021 women's Resort collection. Read also: Paris fashion week to go ahead in September The brand has explained to WWD that its decision will send a positive message to the fashion industry, which is struggling to get back to normal in the wake of an unprecedented period of crisis. However, the planned show will nonetheless be marked by the pandemic in the manner in which it is organized. The public will be present, but will not be as numerous as it has been in previous years. At the same time, those who are not fortunate enough to see the new collections at the physical event will be able to watch live streams of the show on the Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana and the Etro brand websites. Milan Digital Fashion Week is set to run from July 14 to 17, shortly after the Paris Haute Couture shows (from July 6-8) and the Paris Men's Fashion Week (from July 9-13), both of which will also be online affairs. The elusive 2001: A Space Odyssey spacesuit believed to have been worn by Dr. David Bowman when he "killed" HAL in the groundbreaking 1968 film goes on the auction block next month. The highlight of a Hollywood and space exploration memorabilia show that's set for July 17-18 in Beverly Hills, the spacesuit is conservatively estimated to fetch between $200,000 and 300,000. It's a rare artifact from the classic by filmmaker Stanley Kubrick, who is thought to have destroyed most of the props and wardrobe from 2001 -- widely regarded as one of most influential films of all time -- to prevent their use in other productions without his authorization. According to Jason DeBord -- chief operating officer of Julien's Auctions, which is hosting the event -- the only other significant piece from the film to go up at auction was the Aries 1B Trans-Lunar Space Shuttle, which in the movie transported Dr. Heywood R. Floyd from the International Space Station to the moon. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences -- the organization behind the Oscars -- snagged that prop in 2015 for $344,000. The spacesuit is especially sought after because it is believed to have been used in one of the film's most iconic scenes -- when Bowman destroys HAL 9000, a sentient computer that is killing the astronauts onboard to uphold its programmed mission. Auctioneers believe this particular costume was used in that scene because its helmet has a base green layer of paint, the color of the helmet worn by Bowman, who was played by Keir Dullea. The near complete spacesuit was likely worn by other actors as well, as the helmet also has layers of white and yellow paint. Read also: Ford Mustang driven by Steve McQueen in 'Bullitt' sells for $3.4 million Along with the helmet, the suit includes boots and an MGM shipping crate. The piece was auctioned off in 1999 and has been in controlled storage for two decades. "It just sort of fell off the face of the earth," DeBord told AFP. "It's kind of magical, because it's sort of a lasting artifact of the filmmaking process." He said film buffs are hoping to track down a production plan of the Oscar-winning film to "align the different layers of paint with the shooting schedule, and possibly even get a little more specific about where it might have been used in the film." 2001 received four Academy Award nominations and won for visual effects, an accolade for its pioneering techniques that included accurately portraying space flight. In 1991, it was added to the National Film Registry, earmarked for preservation by the Library of Congress. Among the more than 900 items going up for auction at the same event are the pilot control stick Neil Armstrong used on the Apollo 11 flight to the moon -- estimated to go for $100,000 to $200,000 -- and an Apollo-era spacesuit glove designed for Armstrong, estimated at $10,000 to $20,000. A male Javan rhinoceros was caught enjoying a mud bath by a hidden camera installed in the Cegenteur block of the Ujung Kulon National Park in Pandeglang, Banten. A short video showing the rhino in a puddle near a waterfall in the national park was shared by Environment and Forestry Minister Siti Nurbaya Bakar on her Twitter account with the handle @SitiNurbayaLHK. Siti wrote that the rhinoceros had been identified as a 7-year-old male. He was found rolling inside a mud puddle and enjoying his mud bath, the minister tweeted. Seekor badak Jawa (Rhinocerus sondaicus) yang tertangkap kamera video trap dengan durasi 2 menit 15 detik di kubangan air terjun Blok Cigenteur Taman Nasional Ujung Kulon. pic.twitter.com/C1OMvrBCxC Siti Nurbaya Bakar (@SitiNurbayaLHK) June 29, 2020 Rhinoceros take mud baths to protect their skin from sunburn, insect bites and other parasites as well as to maintain their skins moisture. Mud baths also help rhinoceros cool down and fulfill their mineral needs. Rhinoceros could take mud baths twice a day, with each session taking up to three hours, Siti added. Read also: Only a dozen Sumatran rhinos left in East Kalimantan, experts believe The minister went on to say that the Javan rhinoceros was the most endangered rhino species in Indonesia, with only 72 individuals left in the wild as of 2019, comprising of 39 males and 33 females. Authorities have taken several measures to protect the animal, such as routine monitoring patrols to secure the national park area from hunters. Listed as critically endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Natures (IUCN) red list, the Javan rhinoceros is found only in the Ujung Kulon National Park. Forest rangers have been guarding the national park to prevent poachers from killing rhinos and removing their horns, which can fetch huge sums of money on the black market. An actor from France's most prestigious theatre company, the Comedie Francaise, has been accused of assaulting and threatening to kill a vlogger, the theatre confirmed Tuesday. "La Comedie Francaise is hugely shocked to discover the intolerable violence one of its staff has been accused of," the theater tweeted. La Comedie-Francaise est profondement choquee a la decouverte des faits de violence insupportables attribues a lun de ses salaries. Elle les condamne avec la plus grande fermete et prendra toutes les mesures qui simposent. Comedie-Francaise (@ComedieFr) June 30, 2020 "We condemn this in the strongest terms and will take all necessary measures," it added, without naming the man. There are some 30 male actors in the Comedie Francaise company, including some of France's most loved stars. Vlogger Marie Coquille-Chambel, who posts about plays on her YouTube channel, said she was beaten up three times by the actor, who also threatened to kill her. The young woman described the beatings in a Facebook post and a series of tweets without naming the actor. Aujourdhui jai ete porter plainte contre un acteur de la Comedie-Francaise pour : violences habituelles sur une... Dikirim oleh Marie Coquille-Chambel pada Senin, 29 Juni 2020 "I was beaten... with punches to the face, the ribs and I was hit on the back when I was on the ground. I was hit with books and shoes," she said. "He pulled my hair and threw me to the ground in his apartment. He tried to strangle me and left marks on my neck," Coquille-Chambel added, who also posted photos of bruises and a cut lip. She said she had audio recordings of the actor threatening to kill her. Coquille-Chambel appealed to other women who may have been victims of the actor to come forward and to "break the silence" of abuse in the theater. "I know that he had a reputation as a dangerous guy. So if there are other victims who should be heart, please contact me," she said. "I do not want anyone else to suffer, no matter how famous and influential he is," Coquille-Chambel said. The vlogger said she had gone to the police and was returning to see them Tuesday to add to the complaint she has filed. Netflix Inc will allocate 2 percent, or about $100 million, of its cash holdings to financial institutions and organizations that directly support African American communities in the United States, the streaming giant said on Tuesday. The company said in a blog post it will start with $35 million, of which $25 million will be moved to a new fund, "Black Economic Development Initiative", and $10 million will go to Hope Credit Union for creating opportunity in underserved communities. The move comes as US companies face increasing pressure from investors, consumers and workers to take action against widespread racial inequality after the death of African American George Floyd in police custody. Read also: Apple, YouTube unveil $100 million funds to support black causes amid US protests "This capital will fuel social mobility and prosperity in the low- and moderate-income communities these groups serve," Netflix said on Tuesday. Earlier this month, Chief Executive Officer Reed Hastings donated $1 million to think tank The Center for Policing Equity, which promotes police transparency and accountability through its research. The restrictions on social and physical activities currently in force have unexpectedly given new hope to wayang orang artists. Prabu Corona Birawa, with his iconic red face, has proclaimed his malicious intent to steal Dewi Wara Sembadra from her husband, Prince Arjuna. In the deadly fight that ensues, Arjuna uses all his might to defeat the evil Corona and save his princess. The story is a classic one that has been used over and over in many works of literature or action film, but it is not simple to deliver virtually as a wayang orang theatrical piece. Wayang orang is a Javanese operatic dance theater that traditionally presents dramas adapted from the Mahabharata and the Ramayana epics. It is usually performed in an informal setting, where the audience sits or reclines on the floor before a low stage to watch the hours-long show, throwing cigarette packs stuffed with cash onto the stage at the end to show their appreciation. Composite action: Hero Arjuna (right) battles the evil Prabu Corona Birawa in a scene from Wayang Orang Bharata's 'Sirnaning Pageblug' (Vanquishing the Epidemic), a timely adaptation of the classical tale streamed on June 27 via Zoom using chroma key compositing. The play has been listed in the Indonesian Museum of Records (MURI) as the first livestreamed 'wayang orang' performance. (National Geographic Indonesia/-) Sirnaning Pageblug (Vanquishing the Epidemic), which was streamed via Zoom on June 27, presented a completely different can of worms. A collaboration between the Jakarta-based Wayang Orang Bharata troupe, National Geographic Indonesia (NGI), and state-owned energy holding company Pertamina, the virtual theatrical performance followed the public health protocols so strictly that its three actors performed separately at home even during rehearsals. The show's director, Teguh "Kenthus" Ampiranto, said the production had just one month to prepare before it went "live". "We thought about continuing to perform, even if it meant [us] performing separately at each of our residences. We could manage the wardrobe and make-up ourselves as we usually do, but we weren't confident in our technological [know-how]," he told The Jakarta Post on Sunday in a phone interview. The troupe welcomed the offer from NGI to livestream their performance, which eased their technical worries. To create the illusion of a single, unified performance, the individual video streams were composited digitally using the chroma key technique, with each actor hanging a green cloth behind them to create a makeshift green screen. Meanwhile, the production crew readied a variety of virtual backgrounds and settings for the show. Only two or three production technicians were sent to each actor's house to manage the camerawork and the necessary visual effects, and the musical accompaniment was arranged and recorded beforehand. "The past month was the hardest," said Kenthus. "There were problems every time. The digital background for Prabu Corona Birawa disappeared [at one point], and my heart skipped a beat." On another occasion while rehearsing the fight scene between Arjuna and Corona, a lag was detected in one of the cameras, so the technical crew tried filming the scene using different cameras and laptops over several takes until they hit upon the right combination. "All that hassle for a show of less than 30 minutes," said Kenthus. New horizons: Kartika Fitri Ampiranti, plays Dewi Wara Sembadra in Wayang Orang Bharata's 'Sirnaning Pageblug' (Vanquishing the Epidemic), the first livestreamed 'wayang orang' performance. Digital technology has prompted the renowned troupe to start developing other ways of presenting the unique form of Javanese operatic dance theater. (National Geographic Indonesia/Paguyuban Wayang Orang Bharata) But all that trouble paid off in the end: On Monday, the Indonesian Museum of Records (MURI) entered Sirnaning Pageblug as the first virtual wayang orang performance to be streamed on Zoom. MURI founder Jaya Suprana also entered National Geographic Indonesia and the team from Pertamina's CSR program in its records as the first to organize the virtual performance. More than 1,000 viewers signed up on Zoom to watch the free show on Saturday evening, although the show time was pushed back due to technical glitches. Some viewers in the virtual audience watched the wayang orang show from Singapore, Berlin or Dubai. Zoom's in-room chat filled with praise for Wayang Orang Bharata, as well as requests for the troupe to hold regular online shows, with some viewers even asking to be part of the next performance. A message from 6-year-old Rania said that she often went with her grandmother to watch the troupe perform at its home theater, the Wayang Orang Bharata Theater in Senen, Central Jakarta. "I would love to be in the show," she posted, adding that she could play the part of a princess. Curtain call for the performance involved the production crew "removing" the sophisticated digital backdrop to reveal the actors and a glimpse into their humble homes, their makeshift green screens hanging askew on the wall behind them. Actors Supriyadi as Prabu Corona Birawa, Adi Rusmantyo as Arjuna and Kenthus daughter Kartika Fitri Ampiranti as Dewi Wara Sembadra greeted the audience in a live chat at the end of the show. NGI editor-in-chief Didi Kaspi Kasim said that Sirnaning Pageblug was a model for digital performing arts. We believe that more artists will surpass tonights epic performance, said Didi. He added that the virtual show was also intended as a fundraiser to encourage wayang orang enthusiasts to help the troupe's actors and their families to overcome their current financial struggles. Wayang Orang Bharata returns to its home theater on July 4 to perform Cupu Manik Astagina from the Ramayana, but without a physical audience. We will reduce the number of [stage] crew and actors to half the usual 60 people. The show will be livestreamed on our YouTube channel, said Kenthus. He added that the troupe's actors would maintain safe physical distance while performing, even during fight scenes that usually involved close proximity. Well make it interesting. Just [wait and] see, he said. Although the troupe would take to the stage again, the director said it would also focus on developing more virtual performances. Using technologies that we can't apply to a real stage has actually prompted new ideas on how wayang orang theater could be [presented], he said. Im so excited to realize that, with the help of [digital] technology, we will actually be able to promote and preserve this traditional heritage for a long, long time. US actor Tom Hanks said Tuesday that Hollywood has "no idea" when it can return to production, as he described his own recovery after contracting the coronavirus, which has shut down the movie industry. The Forrest Gump and Philadelphia Oscar-winner in March became the first high-profile star to come down with COVID-19, shortly before he was due to begin shooting an Elvis Presley biopic in Australia. "As the canaries in the coal mine for the COVID-19 experience, we are fine -- we had about 10 days of very uncomfortable symptoms, not life-threatening, I'm happy to say," he told a virtual press conference. Hanks said that he and his wife Rita Wilson were fortunate to be "model recoverers from COVID-19," but noted that "any number of things" could have gone wrong. With the virus rampaging across the US -- which has recorded more than 126,000 deaths and 2.6 million cases -- many states have been criticized for reopening too early. California gave the all-clear for filming to resume earlier this month, but most major Hollywood productions remain frozen -- a situation Hanks does not expect to change soon. "I have no idea when I will go back to work," he said. "Nobody has any idea of when they will go back to work. "But the time will come. We just don't know when." He added: "Everything comes into play -- there's financial concerns, there's legal concerns, liabilities." Read also: Summer movie blockbusters delayed again as Disney pushes 'Mulan' to August "There's physical concerns about 'how does everybody get to work and go into the same soundstage, and work in such close quarters?'" Now living in isolation under social distancing rules, Hanks has watched as blockbuster titles postponed their launches, scrambling for dates later this year and into 2021, when studios hope audiences can return. On Monday, as Los Angeles County experienced a new daily record number of cases, Mayor Eric Garcetti announced a "hard pause" in the opening of businesses including movie theaters. Cinemas are also yet to reopen in New York and a number of other US cities. Hanks' own World War II naval thriller Greyhound will skip the big screen entirely, after Sony agreed to sell the movie as an Apple TV+ exclusive. Hanks, who wrote the screenplay and stars in the movie, admitted he is "heartbroken" the film will not appear in theaters. But he described the deal to stream it online worldwide from July 10 as a "savior" that "offers us the opportunity to have the movie out". Movie productions have recently resumed in some countries including Iceland, South Korea and New Zealand, but Hanks said he has no timeline for returning to Baz Luhrmann's Elvis. "The answer is nobody knows. And me included," said Hanks. He added: "There is nothing but questions as far as starting up physical production again. That's the terrible news." Elements both within and outside President Joko Jokowi Widodos government coalition are in defensive mode following his recent threat to reshuffle the Cabinet. However, as the President has yet to communicate his next course of action with political parties that form the government coalition, they have opted to play it low key. Political parties in the coalition havent met with the President up to now regarding the issue of a Cabinet reshuffle or anything else," Arsul Sani, secretary-general of the United Development Party (PPP), a party in the government coalition, told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday. Jokowi expressed his disappointment and concern about healthcare programs and the distribution of social assistance for poor people and those seriously affected by the prolonged impact of the COVID-19 pandemic during a Cabinet meeting last month. The Presidents fiery speech before the June 18 meeting, in which he also highlighted the lack of a sense of crisis among his aides, has gone viral in the past few days. Most political parties in the coalition regard it as acceptable for Jokowi to express his disappointment at the Cabinets performance, given the poor coordination among his ministers. Jokowi's Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) said the President's anger was understandable as several ministers had not shown enough sense of crisis. "There are some [Cabinet ministers] that tend to play it safe and lack initiative," PDI-P secretary general Hasto Kristiyanto said in a written statement on Monday. Similarly, Arsul said it was difficult to measure some Cabinet members' performance as they had never shown their work or achievements in the mainstream media, or even on social media. On the other hand, there are those who often appear in public but have poor communication skills, he said, while suggesting that the reshuffle would not be a problem for the PPP, as long as Jokowi communicated the decision with them first. Asrul did not name the specific ministers he was referring to but Health Minister Terawan Agus Putranto is among the ministers who have been in the public spotlight amid the pandemic. A coalition of civil society organizations has repeatedly urged Jokowi to dismiss Terawan, citing an absence of sensitive, responsive and effective leadership in handling the pandemic. Read also: Jokowi uses reshuffle threat to spur Cabinet into action In his June 18 speech, Jokowi specifically criticized the Health Ministrys low spending on the health sector despite the countrys struggle to contain COVID-19. On Tuesday, the President vowed that he would keep an eye on ministers spending and their development. If it [spending] is still low, I will call and warn them the ministers and heads of government agencies. Were pushing the government spending, so that the money supply can grow, Jokowi said during a visit to monitor COVID-19 containment efforts in Central Java. Lawmakers from the NasDem Party and Golkar Party, both in the government coalition and each with three ministers, have come to the defense of Terawan, saying the Presidents criticism is not completely correct as the COVID-19 budget for the health sector had increased from Rp 75 trillion (about US$5.2 billion) to Rp 87.55 trillion. However, of this total, only Rp 25.73 trillion is managed by the Health Ministry. Besides Terawan, Social Affairs Minister Juliari Batubara of the PDI-P and the Villages, Disadvantaged Regions and Transmigration Minister Halim Iskandar of the National Awakening Party (PKB) have also been in the spotlight as the pandemic has exposed holes in social aid disbursement. The PKB, which also has three seats in the current Cabinet, questioned the need for a reshuffle in times like these, expressing confidence in its members performances. The social aid distribution is still on the right track. Several problems have been resolved, PKB executive Yaqut Cholil Qoumas said on Monday. The Gerindra Party voiced similar confidence, We are working hard to support the government in both the Defense Ministry and the Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry, the partys deputy chairman Sufmi Dasco Ahmad said on Monday. The National Mandate Party (PAN), which has reportedly been in talks about joining the government coalition, praised Jokowis bold speech, but stopped short of speculating about being part of the Cabinet following any reshuffle. "Don't go too far. PAN isnt thinking about that. Were focused on helping the government in dealing with COVID-19," party executive member Saleh Partaonan Daulay said on Monday. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, July 1, 2020 09:00 355 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a40662d56ca 1 National new-normal,COVID-19,Jokowi,WHO,coronavirus,Ganjar-Pranowo,Central-Java Free President Joko Jokowi Widodo has instructed all regional leaders to maintain a balance between public health and economic activities and not to rush in implementing the so-called "new normal" amid persistently rising COVID-19 cases. He also urged regions not to start easing to keep the economy running without proper public health control. Dont ease [the restrictions] without proper control. We dont want a good economic situation but at the same time rising COVID-19 cases, the President said in a video conference with Central Java Governor Ganjar Pranowo during a working visit to Semarang on Tuesday. What we want is to be able to control COVID-19 and an economic condition that does not disrupt peoples welfare. He acknowledged that it would not be an easy task to balance both the health and economic sectors amid the crisis, therefore he ordered all stakeholders to engage in better coordination. Jokowi also urged all regional leaders to take insights from epidemiologists and pay attention to scientific data before implementing the new-normal policy. He said local leaders must not push to implement the approach if the experts suggested otherwise, adding that rising COVID-19 cases would indeed worsen the economy. Read also: Indonesias premature easing of restrictions risks prolonged first wave Dont start the new normal phase without the proper stages. We must use scientific data every time we make a policy, he said. Under the new-normal protocols, people will be allowed to carry out their activities in the public sphere while still following health protocols such as wearing a face mask and practicing physical distancing. The government had previously been endorsing the new-normal procedure as part of efforts to spur the economy amid the current financial crisis that Indonesia and countries the world over are facing. The central government and some regional administrations have started to ease the months-long social restrictions by, among other things, allowing offices, shopping centers and public transportation to resume normal operation. The World Health Organization (WHO) said countries could take steps to ease restrictions and transition toward a new normal, but they had to make sure first that COVID-19 transmission in their regions had been controlled. Indonesia continues to record a significant rise in COVID-19 cases. The Health Ministry announced 1,293 new confirmed cases on Tuesday, bringing the total number of infections nationwide to 56,385 with 2,876 fatalities. (vny) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Mardika Parama (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, July 1, 2020 07:43 355 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a40662d1012 1 Business World-Bank,infrastructure,report,funding,public-private-partnership,toll-road,water-access,state-owned-enterprises,SOEs Free The World Bank has urged the Indonesian government to improve public-private partnership (PPP) financing schemes to attract more private capital that could fill the governments budget shortage on infrastructure projects. Mobilizing capital for financing infrastructure has been challenging for some sectors, particularly water resource management, where the infrastructure has been considered to be public assets and private-sector financing hasnt been successful to date, said World Bank energy coordinator Stephan Garnier. Garnier said Thursday during a webinar called Indonesia Public Expenditure Review 2020: Spending for Better Results that inadequate project planning may have also dampened interest from the private sector to invest in transportation. The government has increasingly been relying on the private sector to take part in developing, financing and managing the countrys ambitious infrastructure projects under the National Medium-Term Development Plan (RPJMN) to ease the strain on the state budget. The National Development Planning Agency (Bappenas) has estimated that the country will need infrastructure investment worth US$429.7 billion, equal to 6.1 percent of GDP, between 2020 and 2024. The government could only finance 30 percent of the infrastructure projects using the state budget, said the Public Works and Housing Ministrys financing strategy director, Herry Trisaputra Zuna. I believe what we need to do is use our limited budget to encourage the private sector rather than concentrating on conventional [funding] efforts, Herry said during Thursdays webinar. The World Banks transportation specialist, Elena Chesheva, said the government should continue with the consolidation of small contracts into larger ones of more than Rp 30 billion ($2.1 million) to attract bigger firms. Such measures are expected to increase efficiency in procurement and attract new, larger players to the market with the economy of scale and stronger quality assurance system, she said. The size of large contracts has been increasing over the years, with 72 percent of the spending packages recorded to be above Rp 30 billion, rising from 31 percent in 2013, according to the World Banks report. The government is also urged to decrease its reliance on state-owned enterprises (SOE) to execute toll and national road projects, while allowing private companies to build economically viable projects as SOEs were already highly leveraged. We recommend that the government revise its decision-making [process] and consider whether the project is good for leveraging private financing before looking at the potential allocation for public-sector financing, Elena said. The World Banks report shows that the liability-to-equity (LE) ratio of SOEs involved in toll and national road development projects has already reached a high level. Toll road operator Jasa Marga, construction company Waskita Karya and Hutama Karyas average LE ratio in 2017 stood at 3.8, more than twice as high as the average LE ratio for comparable private firms in emerging markets. In the water and sanitation sector, the World Bank report found that the majority of city and regency-owned tap water companies (PDAM) were relying heavily on government subsidies as they were operating in a state of loss. This had hampered efforts to upgrade into using the PPP framework. From more than 400 PDAMs across Indonesia, only 10 percent are financially healthy. Half of the PDAMs dont even impose fees on their customers that could cover their full costs, the World Banks water and sanitation specialist Irma Magdalena Soetiono said. Additional investment was critical for the governments target of 100 percent access to clean water and improved sanitation services, according to the World Bank. Between 2001 and 2016, Indonesia spent only an average 0.2 percent of its GDP to develop and improve water and sanitation systems, the same rate as the Republic of Congo and the Central African Republic. We urge the PDAMs to improve their financial condition, so that, in the future, they can be supported with nonpublic funding, Irma said. Responding to the World Banks recommendations, Herry said the government divided infrastructure projects into solicited and unsolicited projects based on the projects economic viability to increase private funding through PPP schemes. Infrastructure projects that were initiated and mostly funded by the government were labeled as solicited, while the private-company-initiated projects that were economically viable were labeled unsolicited. For example, in toll road projects that are not viable, we assign Hutama Karya to run the project. However, it is a corporate decision to invest in toll roads that are viable, he said. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, July 1, 2020 10:04 355 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a40662dc7dc 1 World human-development,Qatar-Charity,Religious-Affairs-Ministry Free Qatar Charity Indonesia a humanitarian and development NGO founded in 1992 in Qatar has renewed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for its cooperation with the Indonesian Religious Affairs Ministry. The MoU encompasses various strategic sectors of development with a value of US$30 million for a period of three years. According to a statement from the Qatari Embassy in Jakarta on Monday, the signing of the MoU is a continuation of a cooperation scheme that has been in place since 2006, covering various issues including education, socio-cultural issues and other annual programs. Religious Affairs Minister Fachrul Razi said the cooperation was a manifestation of Qatars global concern for human capital development to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). He added that the cooperation was in line with the spirit of development that the Indonesian government must have in building human capital and providing infrastructure for the people. It is important, especially when the world, particularly Indonesia, is now facing a real threat to humanity, which is COVID-19. Therefore, support and cooperation are needed from many parties, Qatar Charity Indonesia director Karam Zeinhom explained that the scope of the MoU comprised five vital areas of human development in Indonesia. This cooperation includes five areas of human development, such as education and culture, infrastructure development for education, health, social and religious affairs, clean water and sanitation procurement, increasing the productivity of underprivileged people and economic assistance for the victims of disasters. The two counterparts have agreed that the cooperation will cover about 27 regencies and cities across Indonesia. This years cooperation is the fourth scheme offered by Qatar Charity. Since 2006, the NGO has been providing assistance to the government of Indonesia through various outlets, including the recovery from the 2004 Aceh tsunami and building around 10,000 infrastructure facilities for clean water, mosques, schools and houses. (asp) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Sri Wahyuni (The Jakarta Post) Yogyakarta Wed, July 1, 2020 09:17 355 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a40662d6c52 1 National UGM,Yogyakarta,KKN,new-normal,community-development,online-learning,Gadjah-Mada-University,Nadiem-Makarim Free Thousands of of Gadjah Mada University (UGM) students in Yogyakarta participated in the seventh wave of the universitys virtual compulsory community work (KKN) program, which focuses on helping local communities face the so-called new normal period. The KKN program started on Monday, with 4,505 students participating in the virtual community work to assist 263 villages until Aug. 18. This is the seventh batch of participants in UGM's virtual KKN program, with the first batch being sent in March. Traditionally, the KKN program sends participating students to live on-site for about two months. However, due to the pandemic, the students can only do community services from their respective dormitories, rented rooms or houses. Read also: KKN community work program goes online amid pandemic UGM rector Panut Mulyono said the KKN program, which aimed to develop the students' understanding of problems in local communities, had to be done online to prevent further COVID-19 transmission between the participating students and the communities. We dont want to halt students study progress, while also taking into consideration the health and safety factors, said Panut. Separately, the universitys community service director Irfan Priyambada said the students applied several themes to their community work, such as promoting a healthy lifestyle, developing tourism in villages, strengthening peoples finances and preparing village communities ahead of the so-called new normal period. The students will be supervised by 178 lecturers and 16 regional coordinators virtually. They have also received a briefing on online platforms for farmers, waste management as well as online village development planning, Irfan said in a statement. Salsabila Ramadhani, a student of the universitys School of Engineering, said she appreciated the university for holding the program online due to the danger of the coronavirus disease. I dont want to lose time. We dont know when the pandemic will come to an end, Salsabila said. This [the virtual KKN program] is for the best of all. Read also: Teachers go extra mile to teach students as schools remain closed Education and Culture Minister Nadiem Makarim, who spoke at the KKN inauguration ceremony, appreciated UGM for the innovation, which was important in protecting the health of the students as well as local communities during the COVID-19 pandemic. While praising various themes chosen by the program participants to assist the community in facing the pandemic, Nadiem urged the students to help teach elementary school students who face difficulties in learning due to the outbreak. I hope students of UGM and students from other universities help elementary school students to study from their respective homes by becoming their mentors, the minister said. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Dzulfiqar Fathur Rahman (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, July 1, 2020 18:08 355 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a4066306e7b 1 Business small-and-medium-enterprises,SMEs,Saiful-Mujani-Research-Consulting,SMRC,survey,omnibus-bill-on-job-creation,DPR Free Indonesians are finding it hard to secure business permits, especially for small and medium enterprises (SME), with a recent survey showing that the country is lagging behind its regional peers in improving ease of doing business. According to Saiful Mujani Research & Consulting (SMRC), which surveyed 2,003 people, 53 percent of respondents said it was hard or very hard to obtain a business permit for an SME. The figure is higher in rural areas (57 percent) than in urban centers (49 percent), according to the survey, which was conducted by phone on June 24 to 26. Kalimantan showed the largest share of respondents who faced difficulty securing a permit, at 92 percent. These findings confirm [] Indonesias lack of competitiveness in terms of doing business compared to other countries, SMRC executive director Sirojudin Abbas said in a virtual presser on Tuesday. The survey came at a time when President Joko Jokowi Widodo administration is pushing the omnibus bill on job creation to simplify the process of starting a business in order to lure investment. Indonesias position in the World Banks ease of doing business ranking, which weighs in the ease of starting a business as one of seven indicators, has been stuck at 73rd position between 2018 and 2019. This suggests a slower progress relative to other countries and compared to Jokowis target for 40th place this year. In line with the World Banks assessment, 45 percent of Indonesians said obtaining a business permit, in general, was hard, according to the SMRC survey. Only one out of five respondents had experience applying for a permit. The government is expecting the House of Representatives to pass the omnibus bill on job creation this month. After a series of hearings, the House is set to discuss the investment-related articles of the bill next week, said Legislation Body (Baleg) chairperson Supratman Andi Atgas. The bill, which will revise at least 79 existing laws, will allow one person to establish a limited liability company, among other things. The current law requires at least two persons to do so. We are trying to simplify two aspects of the business permit, said Supratman, a Gerindra party politician. First, the permit to start a business. Second, the certification to sell products, including for halal certificates, which will receive a subsidy from the government. Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) chairwoman Shinta Kamdani has urged the government to propagate the bill, as it would play an important part in the countrys economic recovery amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Marchio Irfan Gorbiano (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, July 1, 2020 09:15 355 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a40662d691e 1 National DefenseMinistry,Prabowo-Subianto,Sukhoi-jet-fighters,US,Russia,Vladimir-Putin Free Defense Minister Prabowo Subiantos recent visit to Russia to attend the Victory Day military parade highlighted the depth of cooperation in the defense sector between the two countries despite the absence of progress in Indonesias plan to procure Russian Sukhoi jet fighters, defense analysts have said. Last week, Prabowo jetted off to Moscow to join the celebration of the 75th anniversary of Victory Day, during which he also held talks with Russian Deputy Defense Minister Alexander Fomin. Prabowo's latest visit to Moscow was the second in less than six months, after a trip on Jan. 28, when he met with Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoygu. Defense analysts said Prabowo's latest visit to Moscow is the culmination of a two-year campaign from the Indonesian Defense Ministry to offer a strategic partnership in the defense industry between the two countries, an overture that has been welcomed by the Russian government, which gradually opened itself to such an idea with the 2019 Military Technical Cooperation (MTC) meeting. Analyst Curie Maharani Savitri of BINUS University said Prabowo's latest visit marked the changing nature of the two countries defense partnership, which dated back to 2003. Indonesia has been invested in bilateral relations with Russia since the days of president Megawati Soekarnoputri in 2003, Curie said. The [relationship is] evolving, from the initial role of Indonesia as a buyer of [Russias] primary weapons system; now Russia has opened itself to the prospect of [defense] industry cooperation [with Indonesia]. Russias pivot in the defense partnership with Indonesia was part of a bigger plan to improve its ties with countries in the Southeast Asia region, which have been seen so far only as consumers of its primary weapons system, Curie said. In a statement released following his January meeting with Prabowo, Defense Minister Shoygu considered Indonesia a key partner in the region. We consider Indonesia as one of the most important partners of Russia in the Asia-Pacific region. Cooperation with Indonesia is traditionally based on friendship and mutual trust. We note that there are prerequisites for bringing bilateral ties to the level of a strategic partnership, Shoygu said in a statement released by the Russian Defense Ministry. In the statement, Shoygu expressed hope that a declaration on the strategic partnership could be signed between the two countries this year. Despite the warming of the ties, questions remain over progress in the US$1.14 billion deal signed in 2018 for Indonesias purchase of 11 Sukhoi Su-35 jet fighters from Russia as part of the formers defense sector modernization. A number of factors, including budget refocusing to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic as well as uncertainty over the United States reaction to such a purchase, are possible stumbling blocks in finalizing the Sukhoi deal. The Countering Americas Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA), passed in the US in 2017, stipulates economic punishments for its partners that conduct business with Russia. There is not yet any clarity on whether Indonesia will get a [CAATSA] waiver, whether Defense Minister [Prabowo] has lobbied [the US] or will wait until after the upcoming US election, Curie said. The idea of a CAATSA waiver has been floated since 2018, when then-US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said such a provision would allow US partners to have a closer partnership with the superpower and help them transition away from their dependency on Russia in terms of military weapons procurement. Defense analyst Dewi Fortuna Anwar of the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI), meanwhile, said Prabowos recent visit to Moscow highlighted Indonesias aim to diversify its sources of weaponry to reduce its dependency on a single manufacturer. Dewi said Indonesia paid a heavy price when the US imposed an arms embargo on Indonesia in 1999. Following the military embargo from the US after the post-referendum violence in East Timor, the government's new commitment was to diversify its [sources] of primary weaponry system procurement, said Dewi. Defense Ministry spokesman Dahnil Anzar Simanjuntak, meanwhile, said Prabowo had been invited by his Russian counterpart to discuss defense ties between the two countries. In the meeting, Defense Minister [Prabowo] and the Russian defense minister touched on issues of defense partnership, particularly military education, joint training and the development of defense industry cooperation, Dahnil told The Jakarta Post late last week. During his visit, Prabowo also joined the Victory Day parade commemorating the Soviet Unions triumph in the Second World War. He also met with Chinese Defense Minister Wei Fenghe while attending the parade, with pictures of the two men uploaded to the Defense Ministrys Twitter handle @Kemhan_RI on June 24. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Kelsey Johnson (Reuters) Ottawa, Canada Wed, July 1, 2020 08:40 355 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a40662d3ef9 2 World Canada,coronavirus,coronavirus-restrictions,COVID-19,COVID-19-travel-ban,COVID-19-quarantine,COVID-19-travel-restriction,border-areas,closure Free Canada is extending a global travel ban and mandatory quarantine measures that require most travelers to Canada, including citizens returning home, to self-isolate for 14 days upon arrival, the Canadian government said on Tuesday. The mandatory quarantine order is now in effect until at least Aug. 31, while the travel ban for most other foreign travelers is extended to at least July 31, according to federal documents. The measures, designed to slow the spread of the coronavirus, were set to expire on June 30. Travel by US citizens are covered under a separate agreement, which was extended earlier this month to keep the US-Canada border closed to all non-essential travel until at least July 21. US citizens who are not deemed essential are still subject to the quarantine. Failure to comply with the quarantine order can result in a maximum fine of up to C$750,000 and/or imprisonment for six months. Canada shut its borders to non-essential foreign travelers who are not Canadian citizens, permanent residents or Americans in March to slow the spread of the coronavirus and it is unclear when they will be reopened. Canada has also made limited exemptions to its border measures to allow for immediate family reunification. Exemptions are also in place for some individuals including diplomats, flight crews and those holding valid work or study permits. As of June 29, Canada had 103,918 cases of COVID-19 of which 67,178 cases had recovered, and had reported 8,566 deaths. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Meg Shen and Yew Lun Tian (Reuters) Hong Kong/Beijing, China Wed, July 1, 2020 08:30 355 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a40662d34d5 2 World China,Hong-Kong,Hong-Kong-security-law,Hong-Kong-activist,Hong-Kong-autonomy,Hong-Kong-protests Free Beijing on Tuesday unveiled new national security laws for Hong Kong that will punish crimes of secession, subversion, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces with up to life in prison, heralding a more authoritarian era for China's freest city. As the law came into force, authorities were set to throw a security blanket across the heart of the city's financial center on Wednesday after activists vowed to defy a police ban and rally against the measures. Local media said up to 4,000 officers would be deployed to stamp out any protests. China's parliament passed the detailed legislation earlier on Tuesday, giving Beijing sweeping powers and setting the stage for radical changes to the global financial hub's way of life. Beijing had kept full details shrouded in secrecy, giving Hong Kong's 7.5 million people no time to digest the complex legislation before it entered into force at 11.00 pm (1500 GMT) on June 30. The timing was seen as a symbolic humiliation for Britain, coming just an hour before the 23rd anniversary of when Hong Kong's last colonial governor, Chris Patten, a staunch critic of the law, tearfully handed back Hong Kong to Chinese rule. Amid fears the law will crush the city's freedoms, prominent activist Joshua Wong's Demosisto and other pro-democracy groups said they would dissolve. "The punitive elements of the law are stupefying," Simon Young, a law professor at the University of Hong Kong's law school and a barrister, told Reuters. "Let us hope no one tries to test this law, for the consequences to the individual and the legal system will be irreparable." The legislation pushes Beijing further along a collision course with the United States, Britain and other Western governments, which have said it erodes the high degree of autonomy the city was granted at its July 1, 1997, handover. Britain and some two dozen Western countries urged China to reconsider the law, saying Beijing must preserve the right to assembly and free press. The United States condemned the legislation as a violation of Beijing's international commitments and vowed to go on acting "against those who smothered Hong Kongs freedom and autonomy." Washington, already in dispute with China over trade, the South China Sea and the coronavirus, began eliminating Hong Kong's special status under US law on Monday, halting defense exports and restricting technology access. China, which has rejected criticism of the law by Britain, the European Union, Japan, Taiwan and others, said it would retaliate. Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam, in a video message to the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, urged the international community to "respect our country's right to safeguard national security". She said the law would not undermine the city's autonomy or its independent judiciary. Authorities in Beijing and Hong Kong have repeatedly said the legislation is aimed at a few "troublemakers" and will not affect rights and freedoms, nor investor interests. As the law was passed in Beijing, the Chinese People's Liberation Army garrison in Hong Kong held a drill which included exercises to stop suspicious vessels and arrest fugitives, according to the Weibo social media account of state-run CCTV's military channel. 'Overpowering' In their most severe form, crimes will be punishable with life in prison. Punishments otherwise largely go up to 10 years. Properties related to crimes could be frozen or confiscated. The security legislation will supersede existing Hong Kong laws where there is a conflict and mainland Chinese authorities could exercise jurisdiction over some major cases. Interpretation powers belong to the Chinese parliament's top decision-making body. Judges for security cases will be appointed by the city's chief executive. According to the law, a new national security agency will be set up for the first time in Hong Kong and will not be under the jurisdiction of the local government. Authorities can carry out surveillance and wire-tap people suspected of endangering national security, it said. Those asking foreign countries to sanction, blockade or take other hostile action against Hong Kong or China could be guilty of colluding with foreign forces. Authorities shall take necessary measures to strengthen the management and servicing of foreign countries' and international organizations branches in Hong Kong, as well as foreign media and NGOs in the city, the law says. "We can all start again," pro-Beijing heavyweight Maria Tam, a member of Chinas National Peoples Congress, told reporters. Activists and pro-democracy politicians said they would defy a police ban on a rally on the handover anniversary on Wednesday. "We will never accept the passing of the law, even though it is so overpowering," said Democratic Party chairman Wu Chi-wai. A majority in Hong Kong opposes the legislation, a poll conducted for Reuters this month showed, but support for the protests has fallen to only a slim majority. Dozens of supporters of Beijing popped champagne corks and waved Chinese flags in celebration in front of government headquarters. "I'm very happy," said one elderly man, surnamed Lee. "This will leave anti-China spies and people who brought chaos to Hong Kong with nowhere to go." Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Mardika Parama (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, July 1, 2020 10:08 355 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a40662dd7db 1 Business Coca-Cola,Gojek,GoFood,small-and-medium-enterprises,COVID-19,food-and-beverage Free Global beverage giant Coca Cola and Coca Cola Amatil Indonesia (CCAI) have launched a campaign alongside strategic business consultant Qasa and the University of Indonesia to provide online training for warung (food stall) and small retail shops that have been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. Coca Cola Indonesia spokesperson Trijono Prijosoesilo said on Monday the program, called Gerakan Toko Bersama (Cooperative Shop Movement), would empower stall and small retail shop owners by providing them with free online management-training courses. We are establishing a knowledge-sharing program to empower business owners and help them to grow, he said during a livestreamed press conference. The programs website is currently providing free online training for food stall and shop owners on how to safely operate and interact with customers during the COVID-19 pandemic. It plans to expand the training into broader subjects, Trijono added. Read also: SMEs switch to producing PPE to survive COVID-19 economic fallout Small and medium enterprises (SMEs), ranging from small shops and warung to distributors of consumer products, contribute more than 60 percent to Indonesias gross domestic product (GDP). In April, the Cooperatives and Small and Medium Enterprises Ministry reported that around 37,000 SMEs reported facing declining sales and trouble with distribution, among other problems, because of the pandemic. Qasas managing director Joko Wiyono said the program aimed to train 500,000 food and retail SMEs operating in large cities. After the pandemic ends, Gerakan Toko Bersama will continue to develop warung and small retail shops by providing free business-management training and possibly help to connect them with financial institutions in the future, Joko said. The program can become part of the solutions for warung to prepare themselves for the new normal era, Cooperatives and Small and Medium Enterprises Minister Teten Masduki said in the event. I hope the program can also help digitize our SMEs so they can compete with modern retail shops, he added. Separately, ride-hailing application Gojeks food delivery-service platform GoFood also promoted its initiatives to assist small food and beverage businesses by providing discount campaigns and cloud kitchen services. GoFoods cloud kitchen services, namely Dapur Bersama, was launched in November last year and currently has 27 kitchens in the Greater Jakarta area, Bandung in West Java and Medan in North Sumatra. Our cloud kitchen service helps cut down operational costs as we are the one who bears the initial capital expenditure by providing cooking equipment, including chiller, stoves and other tools, Gojek chief food officer Catherine Hindra Sutjahyo said during an online press conference on Monday. Read also: Start-ups help SMEs digitalize during pandemic We also use a profit-sharing scheme with our partners so [the culinary small businesses] dont have to pay a monthly fixed cost, she added. The company will help MSMEs to survive the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic by increasing their exposure, slashing operational costs and providing operational support through GoFood discount campaigns and the kitchen service. To help increase the exposure of our SME partners, we have launched the Harkulnas [National Culinary Day] campaign, which has successfully increased GoFood's service demand by 12 percent, she said. GoFoods revenue increased by 20 percent over the last two months, while demand for the ready-to-cook meal delivery service also jumped threefold since the service was introduced last month, Catherine added. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Mardika Parama (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, July 1, 2020 14:29 355 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a40662f0741 1 Business companies,relocation,facility,Jokowi,Batang-Central-Java Free Business associations and experts have welcomed the governments announcement on the relocation of foreign-owned production facilities to Indonesia, a positive sign for the slowing economy amid the pandemic. However, they also warned that regulatory reforms would be needed to improve the countrys ease of doing business. President Joko Jokowi Widodo announced on Tuesday that seven foreign companies had confirmed plans to relocate production facilities to Indonesia, mostly from China. The move, which will include South Korean industrial conglomerate LG, is estimated to bring US$850 million to the country and potential employment for 30,000 workers, according to the Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM). Responding to Jokowis announcement, Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) deputy chairwoman Shinta Kamdani said the relocation provided hope for businesses, especially amid the COVID-19 pandemic. This is a great development for Indonesia as weve been waiting for foreign investment to arrive in our country. We have to realize these [investment] commitments, Shinta told The Jakarta Post in a phone interview on Tuesday. The novel coronavirus, which was first detected in China, has put a strain on Indonesias foreign direct investment, with projects being delayed as a result of social restrictions to contain the spread of the virus. Indonesia has booked a 9.2 percent year-on-year (yoy) decline in foreign direct investment (FDI) to Rp 98 trillion ($6.8 billion) in the first quarter of 2020. Read also: Seven companies to relocate facilities to Indonesia, invest $850m The Indonesian Employers Association (Apindo) also welcomed the Presidents announcement but warned against government complacency on the ease of doing business for companies that had already established their manufacturing facilities in the country, said chairman Hariyadi Sukamdani. The government shouldnt only cater to investors invited to the country but also maintain those who are already operating [here], he said in a separate interview on Tuesday. Red tape and unfavorable labor laws for businesses have weighed down Indonesias appeal to foreign investors. The countrys ranking in the World Banks ease of doing business index has stagnated at 73rd position out of 190 for the past two years. American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) Indonesia managing director Lin Neumann told the Post that the chamber welcomed the commitment made by Alpan, a United States maker of lighting products, to move its facility to Indonesia. However, Neumann also echoed Hariyadis statement, saying that structural reform was needed to boost foreign investment in the country, including the negative investment list (DNI). Currently, the DNI regulates which business sectors are open, prohibited or open with certain conditions to foreign investment. We still have the need for significant structural reform of things like the negative investment list and local content laws if the push for more investment is going to be sustainable long term, Neumann said on Tuesday. Center for Indonesian Policy Studies (CIPS) researcher Andree Surianta agreed, adding that regulatory reform was needed to ensure sustainable foreign investment. We believe that the main reasons for the governments current success in inviting investors are the right timing between its effort to reform business regulations and the worsening trade war between the US and China. He added that the government needed to simplify its regulations, including through the omnibus bill, which is being deliberated in the House of Representatives and intends to remove a number of regulations seen as hampering investment activities. The government must also reconsider the local content regulation for the electronics industry, as it could dissuade electronicmakers from setting up their factories in Indonesia, he said. Adding to Andrees statement, Perbanas Institute economist Piter Abdullah said the technical difficulties for foreign investors, such as land acquisition, also needed to be addressed. Weve seen cases in which investors who had already executed their initial investment canceling their relocation plans because of land acquisition and regulatory difficulties. During his speech, the President also highlighted the issue of land procurement and vowed to back investors until such problems were resolved. For investors who had not yet procured land for their facilities, he offered the newly established Batang Industrial Park as a location. We will provide around 4,000 hectares of land here; to start, there will be 450 ha, he said. He also ordered the BKPM to assist the companies with permits so they would feel catered to. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Greg Torode (Reuters) Hong Kong Wed, July 1, 2020 08:50 355 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a40662d51e5 2 World China,Hong-Kong,Hong-Kong-security-law,Hong-Kong-activist,Hong-Kong-protests,Hong-Kong-autonomy Free China's sweeping new national security law for Hong Kong took effect in the global financial hub at 11 p.m. local time (1500 GMT) - the same moment the city authorities published the law. It is expected to mark the biggest change in the freewheeling former British colony since it returned to Chinese rule in 1997. Just how far does it go? Early assessments of the law, whose content was kept secret until it took effect, suggest that some elements are stronger than many feared, both in scope and penalties. The crimes of secession, subversion of state power, terrorism and colluding with foreign countries and external elements will face penalties of up to life in prison. The reach of the law has stunned some legal scholars, who say that even peaceful actions such as the pro-democracy Occupy protests of 2014 could now bring 10 years jail if foreign links could be proven. It also provides for more active state management and oversight of foreign groups, organizations and media based in what for decades has been China's freest and most international city. In a move certain to rile democracy activists in the run-up to crucial legislature elections on September, it also demands disqualification for elected politicians who breach the law. The law confirms, however, that it will not be applied retroactively against crimes committed before it was implemented. Both Hong Kong and Chinese central government officials have said the law is vital to plug gaping holes in Hong Kong's national security defenses - deficiencies exposed in the months of sometimes violent protests that rocked the city in the last year. What is most likely to cause concern? The first official presence of mainland Chinese security and intelligence agents in Hong Kong and powers granted to them that go beyond local laws represent a major threat to the city's liberties, according to security experts, diplomats and some politicians. The law allows them to take enforcement action from a new base at a mainland security commission in the city. The Hong Kong government will have its own commission, backed by its own special police unit. The law stipulates, for example, that the mainland agents cannot be detained or inspected by local authorities while carrying out their duties. Is anything still unclear? As earlier stated by Beijing, the law allows for Hong Kong's chief executive to appoint judges for national security cases - a move lawyers' groups have said imperils the city's rule of law traditions. But it also allows for mainland courts to hear serious and complex Hong Kong cases in certain situations - including those allegedly involving collusion with foreign forces - a major change and one that is likely to be intensely debated in coming days, including how suspects will be taken to the mainland without formal extradition arrangements. It was not immediately clear whether the city's foreign judges would be excluded from national security cases. Up until now, Hong Kong has boasted a proudly independent judiciary and separate, common law-based legal system that have long been deemed key to its success as a global financial center. What comes next? The big issue will be enforcement. Many in the city are waiting to see if action will be swift or whether authorities will wait to test their new institutions and cautiously build cases. Some high-profile democracy and independence activists have said they expect to become the first to be detained under the new regime, and disbanded their groups. Within two hours of the law being announced, the government revealed that special local police and justice department prosecution units had already been formed to enforce the law. For weeks now, Hong Kong and Chinese officials have repeatedly said that only a tiny number of people will be targeted by the new laws and that the rights and freedoms of ordinary people will not be affected. But fear has been building in some political, activist, academic, religious and business circles and some predict that, beyond high-profile cases, the law will chill the openness that they have taken for granted. Some say privately they are questioning whether they should leave Hong Kong. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Norman Harsono (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, July 1, 2020 15:16 355 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a40662f61bb 1 Business energy-subsidy,diesel-fuel,energy-and-mineral-resources-ministry,2021-state-budget,oil-price,fuel-subsidy Free House of Representatives (DPR) Commission VII overseeing energy on Monday approved a proposal from the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry to cut the diesel subsidy by 50 percent to Rp 500 (3.5 US cents) per liter, on the back of expectations that crude prices will remain low in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Indonesian Crude Price (ICP) is projected in 2021 to hover between US$42 and $45 per barrel, lower than the 2019 ICP average of $63 per barrel, according to the energy ministry. Commission VII basically agrees with the government. We will fix the diesel subsidies at Rp 500 per liter in the proposed 2021 state budget, energy minister Arifin Tasrif said at Monday's meeting in Jakarta. The commission also gave its nod to a plan to increase the quota for subsidized cooking gas (LPG) while maintaining the quota for subsidized fuel in the 2021 draft state budget (RAPBN). The Cabinet and the House are currently drafting the 2021 state budget, with President Joko Widodo scheduled to announce the finalized RAPBN during the state of the nation address in August. Alloysius Joko Purwanto, an energy economist at the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA), estimated that slashing the diesel subsidy by half could save the government Rp 8.4 trillion in fuel subsidies and Rp 4 trillion in biodiesel subsidies this year, when fuel consumption was lower than usual. Savings could therefore be even higher next year, when fuel consumption was expected to be higher than this year. All diesel sold in Indonesia is a biodiesel blend, in accordance with the government's mandatory B30 biodiesel policy launched in September 2019. The estimated savings assumed that fuel consumption would remain 25 percent lower than usual this year, added Alloysius, referring to statements from Pertamina officials. The funds needed to subsidise biodiesel will be lower than what [biodiesel] producers expect, he told The Jakarta Post on Monday. I think thats quite good. Saving on fuel subsidies is particularly attractive now for the government, which has been struggling to fund its cash-strapped budget amid the COVID-19 economic downturn. The government plans to disburse Rp 695.2 trillion in state funds this year to mitigate the epidemic and ensuing socioeconomic impacts. The coronavirus has infected 56,385 Indonesians and caused 2,876 deaths by June 30, official data shows. Minister Arifin also said the government might raise the quota for subsidized LPG on the basis of expected higher consumption this year compared to 6.84 metric tons (MT) last year. The cooking gas is sold in 3-kilogram canisters affectionately dubbed melon for their bright green color. With higher gas consumption during the pandemic and more converter kits available to fishermen and farmers, we expect total consumption of 6.89 MT in 2020, he said, referring to the ministry's program that distributes LPG-to-fuel converters to farmers and fishers. The ministry plans to distribute 35,000 converters this year and 50,000 converters next year. Lawmakers are "exercising" tight control over the fuel subsidy quota amid expectations of relatively low consumption in 2021, and as the government expands its digital fuel nozzle program that aims to prevent ineligible customers from buying subsidized fuel. State-owned energy holding company Pertamina, which operates over 90 percent of the gas stations in the country, expects to complete its digital fuel nozzle program by August. We will finish the program in two months. We faced some delays due to COVID-19, [because] some of the parts come from China, Pertamina president director Nicke Widyawati said on Monday. Salida, CO (81201) Today Some clouds this morning will give way to generally sunny skies for the afternoon. High 79F. Winds ESE at 10 to 20 mph.. Tonight Clear skies. Low 53F. SE winds shifting to WNW at 10 to 20 mph. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Yanni Chow (Reuters) Hong Kong Wed, July 1, 2020 12:30 355 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a40662e61cb 2 World China,Hong-Kong,Hong-Kong-activist,Hong-Kong-autonomy,Hong-Kong-security-law,Hong-Kong-protests Free Security was tight near the heart of Hong Kong's government district on Wednesday only hours after new security laws came into force and as the city marked the 23rd anniversary of the former British colony's handover to China. The contentious law will punish crimes of secession, subversion, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces with up to life in prison, heralding a more authoritarian era for the Asian financial hub. Among the details certain to unnerve democracy and rights activists in the city is a ban on violators of the law standing for election and greater oversight of non-governmental organizations and news groups. For highlights of the law, click Speaking at a flag-raising ceremony to mark the anniversary of Hong Kong's handover in 1997, the city's embattled leader Carrie Lam said the law was the most important development since the city's return to Beijing. "It is a historical step to perfect Hong Kong safeguarding national security, territorial integrity and a secure system," Lam said at the same harbor-front venue where 23 years ago the last colonial governor, Chris Patten, a staunch critic of the security law, tearfully handed back Hong Kong to Chinese rule. "It is also an inevitable and prompt decision to restore stability in the society." Authorities in Beijing and Hong Kong have repeatedly said the legislation is aimed at a few "troublemakers" and will not affect rights and freedoms, nor investor interests. Critics fear the legislation will crush wide-ranging freedoms in Hong Kong denied to people in mainland China that are seen as key to its success as a global financial center. "With the release of the full detail of the law, it should be clear to those in any doubt that this is not the Hong Kong they grew up in," said Hasnain Malik, head of equity research, Tellimer in Dubai. "But this tighter security environment has been on the way for many years now. The difference is that U.S. and China relations are far worse and this could be used as a pretext to impede the role of Hong Kong as a finance hub." Hong kong's 'second return' Some pro-Beijing officials and political commentators say the law is aimed at sealing Hong Kong's "second return" to the motherland after the first failed to bring residents of the restive city to heel. Luo Huining, the head of Beijing's top representative office in Hong Kong, said at the flag-raising ceremony the law was a "common aspiration" of Hong Kong citizens. Critics of the legislation blasted the lack of transparency surrounding its details up until it was unveiled, with even Beijing-backed Lam saying she was not privy to the draft despite her insisting most people had no reason to worry. The complex legislation came into force at 11 p.m. (1500 GMT) on June 30, giving Hong Kong's 7.5 million people no time to digest it. Some pro-democracy activists quit their posts only hours before the law came into force, calling on the campaign for democracy to continue offshore. Neighbouring Taiwan, which Beijing regards as part of China and has said it would use force to reclaim it, said it had opened an office on Wednesday to help people fleeing Hong Kong. About a dozen demonstrators rallied to protest against the new law, which critics fear will crush wide-ranging freedoms promised to Hong Kong for 50 years when it returned to Beijing under a "one country, two systems" style of governance. Authorities barred an annual handover anniversary march due to be held on Wednesday, citing a ban on gatherings of more than 50 people in a bid to curb coronavirus, but many activists pledged to defy the order and march later in the afternoon. The annual rally is traditionally held to air grievances over everything from sky-high home prices to what many see as Beijing's increasing encroachment on the city's freedoms. "We march every year, every July 1, every October 1 and we will keep on marching," said pro-democracy activist Leung Kwok-hung. Local media has reported up to 4,000 police officers would be deployed to stamp out any protests on Wednesday. On July 1 last year, hundreds of protesters stormed the city's legislature to protest against a now-scrapped bill that would have allowed extraditions to mainland China, trashing the building in a direct challenge to authorities in Beijing. Those protests evolved into calls for greater democracy, paralyzing parts of the city and paving the way for Beijing to directly impose national security law on Hong Kong, a move that has drawn condemnation from some Western governments. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Ghina Ghaliya (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, July 1, 2020 18:50 355 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a406630a450 1 Politics domestic-workers-protection-bill,house-of-representatives,baleg,maids Free The House of Representatives Legislation Body (Baleg) has decided on Wednesday to initiate a bill on domestic workers protection after more than a decade of back-and-forth deliberation. The chairman of the bill's working committee, Willy Aditya, said the body had agreed to endorse it as a bill initiated by the House in the upcoming plenary session. Weve conducted numerous hearings with experts, labor activists and scholars as well as intensive and in-depth discussions in the working committee meetings," the NasDem Party politician said on Wednesday. The bill, a copy of which was obtained by The Jakarta Post, contains several key matters, including provisions on direct and indirect recruitment of domestic workers as well as their rights, such as the right to education provided by their placement agencies and administered by the government. Placement agencies that do not provide education for the workers could face administrative sanctions ranging from a warning to a revocation of their permits. Read also: As reports of domestic worker abuse rise, lawmakers urged to pass law It also regulates criminal provisions to protect the workers from discrimination, exploitation, harassment and violence by employers and placement agencies, both of whom could face up to eight years of imprisonment or fines of Rp 125 million if found guilty of committing such abuse. A number of parties, including representatives from the National Network for Domestic Workers Advocacy (Jala PRT), the National Commission on Violence Against Women ( Komnas Perempuan), the Jakarta representative of the International Labor Organization (ILO), the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) and several sociologists were reportedly involved in discussions on the bill with the House. The House had drafted the bill in 2013 but halted the process in 2014. In 2019, Jala PRT proposed a draft for a domestic workers protection bill to the House, citing the lack of regulations as the main cause of increasing cases of violence against domestic workers in Indonesia. They emphasized several aspects to be included in the bill, such as legally acknowledging domestic workers and establishing better working conditions, dispute settlement between workers and employers, a workers union and a government oversight system. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Ghina Ghaliya and Dyaning Pangestika (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, July 1, 2020 10:03 355 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a40662dc713 1 National sexual-violence-bill,DPR,RUU-PKS,house-of-representatives,Prolegnas,priority-bills,commission-VIII,PKB,sexual-abuse Free The House of Representatives lawmakers are to exclude the much-anticipated sexual violence bill (RUU PKS) from this years National Legislation Program (Prolegnas) priority list. Marwan Dasopang, the deputy chairman of House Commission VIII overseeing social affairs, said that the plan to exclude the bill from the priority list was due to the difficulties in arranging the bill's deliberation. We have proposed withdrawing the sexual violence bill [from this year's priority list], since the deliberation is complicated, the National Awakening Party (PKB) politician said on Tuesday. Read also: Don't let us fight by ourselves: The women who fight to make Indonesia a safer place He added that in exchange, the commission would propose including the senior citizens welfare bill on this year's Prolegnas priority list. Separately, House Legislation Body (Baleg) deputy chairman Willy Aditya of the NasDem Party said that Baleg would add the sexual violence bill to the 2021 Prolegnas. We wont drop the [sexual violence] bill, but include it in next years Prolegnas instead, since we wont have enough time [to deliberate it] by October, Willy said. Introduced in 2016, the House has repeatedly failed to pass the sexual violence bill into law, despite the strong calls to do so from the government and the general public. The House and the government decided last year to include it among the 50 priority bills in the 2019-2024 Prolegnas. Read also: Depok case shines light on sexual abuse in Indonesian Catholic Church The bill has received strong opposition from Islamic political parties such as the PKB and the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), which have argued that the bill supported the legalization of adultery and nontraditional sexual orientation like lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT). Several female lawmakers, including Rahayu Saraswati Djojohadikusumo of the Gerindra Party and Diah Pitaloka of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), have consistently lobbied the House to pass the bill. Lawmakers have also suggested postponing other bills in addition to the sexual violence bill. House Commission IV overseeing agriculture, fisheries and food production, for example, has proposed dropping the forestry and fisheries bills from the 2020 Prolegnas priority list. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Yan Zhao (Agence France-Presse) Hong Kong Wed, July 1, 2020 15:30 355 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a40662f7593 2 World Hong-Kong,China,Hong-Kong-autonomy,Hong-Kong-protests,Hong-Kong-national-security-law,Hong-Kong-security-law,Hong-Kong-activist Free China's sweeping national security law for Hong Kong has sharply divided opinion both inside the financial hub and beyond its borders. Beijing loyalists and China-friendly nations have hailed it. Many dissidents, rights groups and western governments have decried it as the end of the city's free speech traditions and judicial autonomy. Ahead of the territory's handover from Britain, authoritarian China guaranteed Hong Kong civil liberties -- as well as judicial and legislative autonomy -- until 2047 in a deal known as "One Country, Two Systems". Here's how the world has reacted to the new law: Hong Kong government and Beijing Hong Kong's pro-Beijing leader Carrie Lam on Wednesday described the security law as "the most significant development" since the city's handover to China. Beijing described the law as a "sword" that would hang over the heads of lawbreakers after a year of huge and often violent pro-democracy protests. On Wednesday, Zhang Xiaoming, deputy of Beijing's Hong Kong office, described threats of sanctions by foreign countries as "gangster logic". He added Beijing could have simply applied mainland law had it wanted to abandon "One Country, Two Systems". Pro-democracy camp in Hong Kong Criticism poured in from Hong Kong's pro-democracy figures. The Democratic Party said the legislation marked the end of "One Country, Two Systems" and "completely destroys Hong Kong's judicial independence". The Labor Party said it feared dissidents would share the same fate as those on the mainland who are frequently jailed under Beijing's own national security laws. The Civic Party said the legislation replaces "rule of law" with "rule of men". "This rule of terror might create a false appearance of controlled social order, but it completely loses Hong Kong people's hearts," the party said. United States "Today marks a sad day for Hong Kong, and for freedom-loving people across China," Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said after the law was passed. "[China] promised 50 years of freedom to the Hong Kong people, and gave them only 23," he said, adding further US countermeasures would be announced. Washington has previously announced Hong Kong no longer has sufficient autonomy from the mainland to justify special trade privileges. "Per President [Donald] Trump's instruction, we will eliminate policy exemptions that give Hong Kong different and special treatment, with few exceptions," Pompeo added. In Congress, a group of bipartisan legislators tabled a bill that could provide refugee protection for Hong Kongers. Britain Hong Kong's former colonial master Britain described the law as a "grave step" and "deeply troubling". But it said it needed more time to determine whether Beijing has breached its "One Country, Two Systems" promise. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has previously offered to extend visa rights to millions of Hong Kongers if the law was pushed through. Chris Patten, the last colonial governor of Hong Kong, called the law "the end" of "One Country, Two Systems". "It is a flagrant breach of the Sino-British Joint Declaration -- a treaty lodged at the United Nations -- and Hong Kong's mini constitution, the Basic Law," he added. United Nations Twenty-seven countries -- including Britain, France, Germany, Australia and Japan -- issued a rare oral rebuke of China at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, describing "deep and growing concerns" over the new law. They urged China to reconsider, saying the law "undermines" the city's freedoms. The signatories added that the law was imposed without the direct participation of Hong Kong's people, its legislature or judiciary. Another 53 countries, led by China ally and fellow one-party state Cuba, announced support for the law at the Geneva meeting. "The legislative power on national security issues rests with [the] state, which in essence is not a human rights issue," the statement said, according to Chinese state media. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, July 1, 2020 13:15 355 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a40662e7c48 1 National COVID-19,COVID-19-in-Indonesia,privacy,data-protection,data-protection-in-Indonesia,AICHR,SAFEnet,hrwg,KontraS,YLBHI,ELSAM Free The Indonesian representative to the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) and various human rights organizations have sent an open letter to the Indonesian government, demanding transparency in its contact tracing during the COVID-19 pandemic. In an open letter to the Communications and Information Ministry, Indonesian representative to the AICHR Yuyun Wahyuningrum and 13 human rights organizations urged the government to issue a specific regulation on its contact tracing efforts, including on the data collected and how the data should be treated to protect privacy. In April 2020, as COVID-19 spread, Indonesia rolled out the PeduliLindungi app. While other countries have released the source code of their exposure notification apps, the only available information about PeduliLindungi is from the government. The source code of the app has never been released and the privacy policy of the app has never been clearly stated at the iOS and Android app stores, the letters signees said in a statement on Tuesday. Read also: What to know before using PeduliLindungi surveillance app, according to cybersecurity expert The fact that Indonesia also lacks a robust personal data protection regulation in line with the best practices -- such as that implemented by Europes General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) raises concerns about privacy protection, they added. The data collection process from all contact tracing efforts must be in line with internationally-accepted standards and best practices, particularly the World Health Organizations Ethical considerations to guide the use of digital proximity tracking technologies for COVID-19 contact tracing, they urged. In this regard, the parties request the Indonesian government to release the white paper and the source code of the PeduliLindungi app under an open-source license, in which all necessary details of the systems architecture, functions, protocols, data management and security design are placed. The source code should be that of the deployed system, complete, up-to-date and buildable so that the systems security and privacy treatment can be independently verified. The white paper and the source code must be regularly updated along with the app, they said. Furthermore, the government should provide a clear privacy policy for PeduliLindungi at both the App Store and Google Play. All the elements of how the data is collected, processed and stored must be transparent and in line with international standards and best practices for privacy protection. Users informed consent must be obtained before the app can be downloaded. Read also: Robust personal data protection critical in COVID-19 fight In addition, the alliance urged the government to issue data privacy regulations that specifically address the PeduliLindungi app and to be transparent about the data breach that occurred in PeduliLindungis database. The [Communications and Information] ministry should conduct a formal investigation and report on the incident and take steps to harden the system to prevent a reoccurrence. In keeping with its international commitments to protect the fundamental human right to privacy, the Indonesian government must protect the right to privacy of citizens in any upcoming contact tracing efforts, they concluded, adding that transparency must be provided to the furthest extent possible in relation to how privacy is treated. Among the signees are various parties advocating human rights issues, including the Southeast Asia Freedom of Expression Network (SAFEnet), the Institute for Policy Research and Advocacy, FORUM-ASIA, the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (KontraS), the Indonesia Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI) and the Human Rights Working Group. (asp) Editors note: An earlier version of this article misstated that the open letter was signed by the AICHR. The letter was only signed by the Indonesian representative to the AICHR. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Ivany Atina Arbi (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, July 1, 2020 18:12 355 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a4066307624 1 National Idul-Adha,qurban,COVID-19,Religious-Affairs-Ministry,coronavirus,virus-corona,virus-korona-indonesia,prayer Free The Religious Affairs Ministry has banned the public celebration of Idul Adha (Day of Sacrifice) in areas considered unsafe from COVID-19 by their respective regional administrations. The decision is stipulated in Circular No. 18/2020 signed by Religious Affairs Minister Fachrul Razi on Tuesday. The letter further regulates procedures for Idul Adha prayersalong with the qurban sacrificial processionin the safe zones to contain any potential virus spread. The requirements for the public prayer events include sterilizing locations, implementing health protocol such as physical distancing among the congregation and shortening the prayers duration. Read also: Religious Affairs Ministry issues protocol for reopening houses of worship Those who are about to participate in the mass prayers have to ensure they are healthy. They are also required to wear face masks and bring their own prayer mats. Children and the elderly are not allowed to join the festivities, as they are considered more prone to the disease. Meanwhile, requirements for the qurban processions include spectators keeping a distance from each other and for the butchers to refrain from touching their faces during the event to avoid potential virus transmission. All tools used during the qurban must be sterilized. I hope that this years Idul Adha ceremonies can run optimally and are spared from COVID-19 transmission, Minister Fachrul said. This years Idul Adha is set to fall on July 31. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Apriza Pinandita (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, July 1, 2020 14:05 355 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a40662eeeef 1 World house-of-representatives,Commission-I,Religious-Affairs-Minister,Fachrul-Razi,Religious-Affairs-Ministry,Wahid-Foundation,Israel-Palestine-conflict,Israel-annexation,deal-of-the-century Free Several governmental and non-governmental institutions in Indonesia have issued statements condemning Israels plan to annex a large part of the West Bank, which is set to be implemented on Wednesday. House of Representatives Commission I, which oversees foreign affairs, said it rejected the plan. Commission I has taken an assertive stance to reject the annexation plan of the West Bank and to reject the efforts made by Israel to legalize its invasion of Palestine, Commission I deputy chairman Abdul Kharis Almasyhari said on Tuesday as quoted by a statement on the Houses website. Kharis added that the lawmakers viewed Israels annexation plan as a vehicle to take away the Palestinians land and exterminate the nation. Commission I chairwoman Meutya Hafid said the official statement would be handed over to the government through the Foreign Ministry and to foreign envoys seated in Jakarta as a courtesy. We want the House and the government to be on the same page [regarding this issue], she said. Meanwhile, Religious Affairs Minister Fachrul Razi said in a virtual international forum on Monday that Indonesia would consistently support Palestines struggle for independence. In the name of the Indonesian government, we would like to convey support from the Indonesian people to always stand behind the struggle of all Palestinians to gain their rights as an independent nation, Fachrul said, according to a statement from the ministry. Our nations principle is to oppose any kind of colonialism - as stipulated in our Constitution, he added. Read also: Indonesia urges other nations to reject Israels West Bank plan Yenny Wahid, the director of religious freedom watchdog Wahid Foundation, has also voiced her institutions concern over the annexation plan, saying that it was a true example of injustice, not only for Palestine but also for the world. The annexation, she added, would lead to the deterioration of humanitarian conditions in Palestine. Furthermore, the plan would jeopardize the two-state solution mechanism that was vital to the peace process between the two parties, Yenny said in a statement on Tuesday. "Such an illegal decision could increase the radical-extremist sentiment and further ignite conflict within the region, Yenny added. Israels plan to annex a large part of the West Bank emerged after United States President Donald Trump came up with the deal of the century in January, which sees Jerusalem as Israels undivided capital and recognizes Israels sovereignty over large parts of the West Bank. In this regard, Yenny urged the US government to participate in stopping the plan from happening, as well as asking international communities to implement real actions in stopping the annexation plan. Earlier reports said that under the US plan, Israel would annex 30 to 40 percent of the West Bank. The plan has been rejected by many countries, including Indonesia. The Organization of Islamic Cooperation also urged all of its member states not to cooperate with Washington in implementing the idea in any form. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Norman Harsono (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, July 1, 2020 13:27 355 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a40662e8957 1 Business PLN,electricity,mini-hydropower-plants,sumatra,green-energy,renewable-energy,Indonesia Free Hydropower plants developers have expressed their concerns over the decision of state-owned PLN, their plants offtaker, to place a cap on power production amid weak electricity demand in Sumatra, saying it might deter investments. They had received a letter from PLN, the nations sole power distributor, on Feb. 4, ordering them to lower their production to the minimum levels set in their respective Power Purchase Agreements (PPA) with PLN. With the limit in place, the plants can produce no more than 260,391 megawatt hours (MWh) of electricity each year, 13 percent lower than actual production levels last year, according to documents obtained by The Jakarta Post. Cash-strapped PLN, which booked Rp 38.9 trillion (US$2.73 billion) in net losses in this years first quarter, threatened to cut off plants that exceed their limit, according to the letter. The reduction is not significant, but it sends a negative message to investors, Riza Husni, chairperson of the Hydropower Plant Developers Association (APPLTA), told The Jakarta Post on June 22. Riza added that the developers had started restructuring their bank loans following the cap, which had taken a toll on their income. The association was also concerned that the limit will deter future investment for mini-hydropower projects, which are below 10MW in capacity. The case with the six developers represents on-the-field problems faced by many private companies trying to bring green technology into Indonesia, which is already struggling to fulfill its renewable energy ambitions. Indonesia missed its renewables energy investment target for 2019 by 17 percent, reaching only $1.5 billion that year, the steepest shortfall in the energy sector, Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry data shows. For APPLTA, the production cap was a slap in the face as the ministry had just released a highly anticipated regulatory change through Ministerial Regulation No. 4/2020. Read also: Government issues regulation to jumpstart stalled renewable energy projects The regulation removes the compulsory Build-Own-Operate-Transfer (BOOT) scheme long seen as a disincentive for renewable energy investment in Indonesia Now, the ministry has issued a regulation that we want, but PLN does not want it, Riza said. PLN North Sumatra general manager Irwansyah said the cap, which he described as a return to the contracts, safeguarded PLNs cash flow against the backdrop of a 3 percent drop in provincial electricity consumption to 5 percent this year. We are decreasing our spending so that our burden does not become greater, he told the Post. PLN, he continued, has agreed with two of the six developers to continue buying excess power but at half-price. Negotiations are ongoing with the remaining four. Lower electricity consumption means lower sales for PLN, yet the electricity company is obligated to buy a minimum amount of electricity from other independent power producers (IPP) in the province, as per PLNs take-or-pay (TOP) policy. Introduced by government order, the policy incentivized power plant development in Indonesia but backfired amid a nationwide power oversupply. Legally, PLN only needs to comply with the minimum production written in the contracts, said energy analyst Elrika Hamdi of the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA). IEEFA estimated in a recent report that payments to IPPs will become PLNs largest operating expense by 2021, exceeding the companys own spending on fossil fuels. Elrika also pointed out that according to the 2009 Electrification Law, PLN was obligated to prioritize buying electricity from renewable energy plants over fossil fuel-fired plants. But in a situation with low demand and an oversupply, it makes sense if PLN prioritizes contract-bound obligations first, she noted. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Moch. Fiqih Prawira Adjie (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, July 1, 2020 19:15 355 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a406630b455 1 City COVID-19,COVID-19-Jakarta,PSBB,PSBB-Masa-Transisi,anies-baswedan Free Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan has announced that the capital is extending its transitional COVID-19 mobility restrictions by 14 days and tightening supervision of traditional markets and train services. The city administration had decided to keep its large-scale social restrictions (PSBB) in place until July 15 after reviewing the situation of the pandemic in the capital with the COVID-19 task force, Anies said. He highlighted the need for Jakarta to avoid a spike in infections once the administration started to relax curbs. "[We] still need to improve the public's discipline in three important aspects, [namely] using face masks, washing hands regularly and maintaining a [physical] distance, Anies said during a press conference live-streamed on Wednesday. Jakarta had already extended for a third time its PSBB on June 4 until the end of last month, a period described as Jakarta's "transitional" phase to loosening restrictions, after research data showed that the epidemiological trend of new COVID-19 cases and deaths had declined. On Wednesday, Anies claimed that Jakarta had achieved a score of 71 in the pandemic indicator designed by a team from the University of Indonesias (UI) Public Health department, slightly surpassing the advised minimum score of 70 for relaxing restrictions. Read also: Indonesia's latest official COVID-19 figures The index takes into account epidemiological conditions, public health and health facilities. The capital had tested around 1,400 residents per 1 million population, exceeding the minimum of 1,000 tests per million people recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO), Anies said. Anies said residents needed to be more disciplined in wearing face masks, washing their hands and maintaining a distance from one another to avoid a future spike in COVID-19 cases. The city administration would also deploy military, police and administration officers to supervise the implementation of health protocol at traditional markets and on commuter trains, as those places had become hotbeds of transmission. Officers would guard every entrance and exit of all 153 city-owned markets and 150 community markets in the capital and limit the number of visitors to 50 percent of the markets capacity at any given time. In exchange, markets were allowed to return to their regular operating hours. Read also: Jakarta pedestrians allowed to exercise at 32 alternative CFD locations For the commuter trains, officers would cooperate with state-owned railway operator PT Kereta Commuter Indonesia (KCI) to supervise passenger limitations at stations. Transmissions in other places, such as office buildings, shopping centers and other public transportation services is pretty much under control, but work remains to be done at traditional markets and commuter trains, Anies said. Although the new school year is scheduled to start on July 13, Anies said Jakarta had no plans to reopen schools yet, with online learning expected to continue as the provincial health agency warned that children were more susceptible to infection. The governor said the majority of COVID-19 cases in the capital were active, and many of the cases were asymptomatic residents found to be positive through door-to-door tests conducted by community health centers (Puskesmas) rather than hospitalized patients. [We will continue to] test, track and isolate [these patients], he continued. That way, we want Jakarta citizens to have confidence that the government is taking all steps to protect and guarantee the safety of its citizens. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, July 1, 2020 11:41 355 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a40662e20d9 1 National Tinombala-Operation,East-Indonesia-Mujahidin,TerrorAttacks,counterterrorism,poso,central-sulawesi,terrorism,terror-attack Free The National Police have announced a plan to extend the joint police-Indonesian Military (TNI) Operation Tinombala, as it has not captured 14 terrorists at large in Central Sulawesi. The [extended] operation will run for 94 days, from June 29 to Sept. 30 [this year], National Police spokesman Brig. Gen. Awi Setiyono said on Monday as quoted by kompas.com. The decision was inked in a police letter issued on Friday. Awi said the extension was made to create a safe and conducive situation in the province. It was the third time this year for the special task force to experience an extension of duty. The first term ran from Jan. 1 to March. 31, Awi said. The operation was then extended until June 28. The fugitives are linked to the East Indonesia Mujahidin (MIT), a terrorist group now led by Ali Kalora. The group is reportedly responsible for several terrorist attacks in Poso regency, such as an attack on two police officers who were on duty at a Poso bank on April 15. Operation Tinombala has been in the spotlight because its members were allegedly involved in the shooting of two civilians in Poso earlier this month. Witness accounts said the civilians were shot by a group of armed people that claimed to be officers from the task force who were on the hunt for terrorists, kompas.com reported. The National Police have confirmed the incident but refuse to disclose further details. Operation Tinombala personnel, along with the Central Sulawesi and Poso Police, have been examining the forest where the incident took place, police said. As reported by tribunnews.com, the shooting occurred within an area covered by the operation in the region. The two victims have been identified as Syarifuddin, 37, and Firman, 18, both of whom were residents of Poso Pesisir Utara district. Syarifuddin sustained a gunshot wound to his chest and was dead when locals found him, whereas Firman died from a similar injury to his neck while he was being taken to a nearby village. Initiated in January 2016 to hunt down then-MIT leader Santoso and his supporters, Operation Tinombala has been extended several times. The operation is itself an extension of 2015s Operation Camar Maleo. Coordinating Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Luhut Pandjaitan, a retired military general who was the coordinating legal, political and security affairs minister in 2016, said at the time, No one knows how long the operation will last. We are going to continue to hunt [them down]. (asp) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Rizki Fachriansyah (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, July 1, 2020 18:35 355 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a40663092a5 1 National Jokowi,National-Police,National-Police-Anniversary,COVID-19,pandemic Free President Joko Jokowi Widodo has called on the National Police to uphold humanity and professionalism in carrying out their duty amid the ongoing COVID-19 emergency. Addressing an audience of active police personnel during a ceremony to commemorate the National Polices 74th anniversary on Wednesday, Jokowi emphasized the importance of law enforcement in maintaining public order and safety, which would in turn contribute to the mitigation of the coronavirus pandemic. In this difficult situation, the presence and involvement of all National Police members is sorely needed, he said during his opening remarks. Id like to emphasize that public safety is of utmost importance. The well-being and interests of the people constitute the highest law carry out this humanitarian duty persuasively and humanely. He went on to urge the National Police to commit to a total reform so as to ensure professionalism and unbiased allegiance to public service. Furthermore, the President also called for transparency and accountability to bolster public trust in the force, adding that robust collaboration with members of the public and other state elements, such as the Indonesian Military, was of paramount urgency amid the current crisis. In stark contrast to previous anniversary ceremonies, Wednesdays event was held virtually from the State Palace and the National Polices Criminal Investigation Department in Jakarta with Jokowi presiding over the proceedings. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Jonathan Stempel (Reuters) New York, United States Wed, July 1, 2020 09:40 355 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a40662d8af5 2 World US,Mary-Trump,Book,Donald-Trump Free A New York judge on Tuesday temporarily blocked Donald Trump's niece from publishing a tell-all book that offers an unflattering portrait of the US president and his family. Justice Hal Greenwald of the state supreme court in Poughkeepsie, New York, issued a temporary restraining order against Mary Trump and her publisher Simon & Schuster at the request of Robert Trump, the president's brother. Robert Trump has said the scheduled July 28 release of "Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World's Most Dangerous Man" would violate a confidentiality agreement tied to the estate of his father Fred Trump Sr, who died in 1999. Mary Trump is Fred Trump's granddaughter. Mary Trump and Simon & Schuster appealed Greenwald's order less than 2-1/2 hours after it was issued. Their lawyer Theodore Boutrous called Greenwald's order a "prior restraint on core political speech that flatly violates the First Amendment" of the US Constitution. "This book, which addresses matters of great public concern and importance about a sitting president in an election year, should not be suppressed even for one day," Boutrous added. Charles Harder, a lawyer for Robert Trump, called the defendants' actions "truly reprehensible." "Short of corrective action to immediately cease their egregious conduct, we will pursue this case to the very end," Harder added. Greenwald's order blocks the distribution of Mary Trump's book until he decides whether to issue a formal injunction. A July 10 hearing is scheduled. Simon & Schuster has said the book spotlights the Trump family's "dark history" to explain how Donald Trump "became the man who now threatens the world's health, economic security, and social fabric. On June 20, a federal judge in Washington, D.C. rejected a White House request to block former national security adviser John Bolton from publishing a memoir critical of the president. The case is Trump v Trump et al, New York State Supreme Court, Dutchess County, No. 2020-51585 Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Arriana McLymore (Reuters) New York, United States Wed, July 1, 2020 11:30 355 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a40662e1997 2 World LinkedIn,Racism,racial-discrimination,racial-issues,racial-incidents,workplace Free "This is white supremacy. This is institutionalized racism," Aaisha Joseph, an executive assistant in New York City, posted on Microsoft Corp's LinkedIn in early June, calling out the Black leadership vacuum at tech giants. In another post on LinkedIn, Ian Davis, a Black creative consultancy executive who founded Age of the Creative, called out his former bosses at a global advertising agency, for telling him he had an "attitude problem" after speaking out. Uncomfortable remarks like these, which have generated thousands of responses and millions of views, were once shunned at the office and confined to no-holds-barred forums like Twitter Inc. But they are now increasingly common on LinkedIn, known more for its polite discourse where users networked their way to their next job. As US companies grapple with addressing racism and inequality stoked by nationwide protests, workers sheltering in place during the coronavirus pandemic have staked out LinkedIn as the next battleground for unvarnished discussion in the virtual office. "We aim for the conversations on LinkedIn to reflect real-life conversations in the workplace, and that includes topics that deeply affect our members' lives," LinkedIn's Director of Product Liz Li said in a statement. "From work from home driven by COVID-19 to Black Lives Matter and racial injustice, we're seeing more conversations on the platform between colleagues, connections and by companies." Companies blanketed LinkedIn and other social media platforms with declarations of solidarity with the Black community following the death of George Floyd, an unarmed Black man killed by Minneapolis police. That helped stretch the boundaries for what is now permissible in the office, even virtual ones hosted on platforms such as LinkedIn, said Brittany Bronson, a diversity and inclusion consultant for Rebrand Career Consulting. "We have all brought more of our personal lives to work since COVID-19 began we're seeing our colleagues' kids, dogs, partners, parents," Lisa Ross, US chief operating officer for consultancy Edelman, told Reuters by email. "Its harder and harder for people to hide their views, and I think the open conversation youre seeing on LinkedIn is part of that." The day before the Juneteenth holiday, Ross posted: "With all due respect- I don't need anyone to give me a holiday...I need pay equity, equal opportunity, and access." The shift in tone and content has also created a challenge for LinkedIn to balance the need to foster honest and productive expression while maintaining professional decorum, say experts. That played out in LinkedIn's own backyard in June when it was forced to reverse a policy that once allowed its employees to post anonymously during company meetings to create a "safe space" for opinions after some employees posted "offensive" comments during a company-wide town hall meeting to address diversity. "We require members on our platform to have real identities and we will not allow anonymous questions in all hands meetings in the future," LinkedIn CEO Ryan Roslansky wrote in a blog post explaining the new policy. "We are not and will not be a company or platform where racism or hateful speech is allowed." The platform's moderators stepped in again in June when one LinkedIn commenter said a picture of a group of Black Harvard Law students looked like "gang members." Mo Light, who posted the photo of himself and his classmates, which attracted more than 1.3 million views and 12,000 reactions on LinkedIn, demanded the name caller be held "accountable." In the comments section of the post, LinkedIn told Light it was investigating the matter. LinkedIn declined to comment on the status of users' accounts. The commenter's profile is no longer active. In addition to employing human community moderators, who field complaints from users, LinkedIn also uses artificial intelligence and automated systems to detect and remove inappropriate content to ensure that the platform remains a "real, respectful and professional community," Li said. For ad exec Davis, who waited 10 years before airing his grievances against his former bosses at McCann Worldgroup for recommending anger management classes when he spoke up at the time, LinkedIn helped bring closure to a painful episode in his career. Davis' former boss Jonathan Shipman, who no longer works for McCann, apologized in the comments of the post. "I have always considered myself a mentor but now is the time for me to be the mentee," he wrote. Davis and Shipman told Reuters they reconnected recently and are now working on a project to boost the exposure of Black professionals to the advertising industry. A McCann spokesman declined to comment. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Eisya A. Eloksari (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, July 1, 2020 17:17 355 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a406630216b 1 Business Microsoft,cyberattacks,COVID-19,Indonesia Free American technology company Microsoft is warning businesses and individuals about of the risk of cyberattacks that prey on peoples health concerns using pandemic-related content. The company found that among millions of global phishing e-mails, around 60,000 were related to COVID-19, with the senders pretending to come from official organizations such as the World Health Organization. Microsoft Indonesia president director Haris Izmee said that COVID-19 was being used to trick users into opening malicious e-mails, giving hackers the opportunity to infiltrate networks and obtain private information. We found that the threats were largely old attacks that had been altered slightly to be associated with the pandemic. This means attackers use their existing infrastructure, such as phishing and other malware delivery tools and enter the COVID-19 keywords, he said in a media release on June 26. Haris suggested that businesses set up multi-layer authentication for their remote workers, activate endpoint protection and introduce digital safety protocols for employees. Employees are also encouraged to learn how to detect phishing messages and install anti-virus tools or software. With social restrictions in place to prevent the virus from easily spreading, many businesses have instituted work-from-home policies for their workers. The National Cyber and Encryption Agency (BSSN) previously stated that Indonesia had recorded more than 88 million cyberattacks during the first four months of the year, with March seeing the highest average of daily attacks. More than half of the cyberattacks were Trojan horses, or malware designed to look legitimate, followed by phishing scams and web application attacks. In May, three Indonesian e-commerce platforms reportedly experienced data breaches that stole their customers' details, which were then sold on the dark web. According to a Microsoft report titled Security Endpoint Threat Report 2019, developing countries, including Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India and Vietnam, were most vulnerable to malware and ransomware threats in 2019. Indonesia recorded the highest rate of malware attack last year, followed by Sri Lanka and Vietnam. Meanwhile, Vietnam saw the highest rate of ransomware attacks in the Asia-Pacific in 2019. Countries with higher piracy rates and lower cybersecurity knowledge are more likely to be affected by cyber threats, Haris said, adding that software patching, the use of legitimate software and regular updates could reduce the risk of malware and ransomware infections. Even though the regions overall cyber threat declined last year, malware and ransomware attacks in the Asia-Pacific were respectively 1.6 times and 1.7 times higher than the global average. IBM Security previously reported an increase of more than 6,000 percent in coronavirus-related spam, including virus-themed malware, malicious domains and phishing scams from March to May. If you ask me when companies should invest in security, I would say yesterday. Investing in security is like investing in insurance. Sometimes people realize that they need it [only] when there has been an attack. This is the mindset that needs to change," IBM Indonesia president director Tan Wijaya said on June 18. Besides installing the necessary infrastructure, Tan suggested that companies educate their employees on basic digital safety, such as avoiding emails, website links or downloads from unknown sources. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Moch. Fiqih Prawira Adjie (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, July 1, 2020 16:13 355 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a40662fc094 1 National djoko-tjandra,Law-and-Human-Rights-Ministry,Yasonna-Laoly,Immigration-Office,Interpol,Papua-New-Guinea,border-crossing,Attorney-General,Attorney-General-Office,AGO,ST-Burhanuddin Free Contradicting claims made by the Attorney Generals Office (AGO), Law and Human Rights Minister Yasonna Laoly has said there was no indication that Djoko Soegiarto Tjandra, a longtime fugitive in the high-profile Bank Bali corruption case, has returned to the country. Attorney General ST Burhanuddin announced on Monday that Djoko had been in the country for the past three months, after escaping to Papua New Guinea in 2009, and had also filed a case review against his conviction on June 8. However, Yasonna refuted the claim, saying a thorough examination of immigration data showed no record of him returning to the country. "As of now, there is no [record of his return] in our system. The ministry doesnt know where Djoko Tjandra is," Yasonna said as quoted in a statement on Tuesday. Read also: Fugitive Djoko Tjandra returns, files case review without AGOs knowledge Immigration Office spokesperson Arvin Gumilang said the office had received two requests for a travel ban on Djoko, from the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) in April 2008 and from the AGO in March 2012. Interpol issued a red notice against Djoko in July 2009, requesting law enforcers worldwide to locate and arrest him. Six years later, the National Central Bureau (NCB) Interpol Indonesia put Djoko, who had reportedly changed his name to Joe Chan upon applying for citizenship in Papua New Guinea (PNG), on its most-wanted list in February 2015. We responded by sending a circular regarding the most wanted list to immigration offices across the country, Arvin wrote in a statement. Interpol notified the Immigration Office on May 5 that the red notice against Djoko was revoked in 2014 as the AGO had not extended its request against the fugitive. The Immigration responded by removing Djoko from its border crossing detection system on May 13. The AGO only requested the immigration to put Djoko on its most-wanted list on June 27. Read also: Activists demand Yasonna be held accountable for false information regarding Harun's whereabouts It previously received information that the fugitive had been spotted in Malaysia and Singapore. Djoko was found guilty of being involved in the so-called Bank Bali scandal, win which hundreds of billions of rupiah was embezzled from state bailout funds for the 1998 Asian financial crisis. He was acquitted in 2000 but sentenced to two years imprisonment and ordered to pay Rp 546 billion (US$54 million) in restitution by the Supreme Court in 2009 after the AGO requested a review. However, Djoko had fled Indonesia on a chartered flight from Jakarta to Port Moresby on June 10, 2009, a day before the Supreme Court issued its verdict. Indonesia does not have an extradition treaty with the PNG, which later confirmed that Djoko had obtained PNG citizenship. Djoko failed to show up for his case review hearing at the Jakarta District Court on Monday, with court officials claiming he was sick. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Riska Rahman and Riza Roidila Mufti (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, July 1, 2020 14:26 355 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a40662f061b 2 Business tourism,#ForgingtheNewNorm,new-normal,Tourism-and-Creative-Economy-Ministry,tourist-arrivals Free This article is part of The Jakarta Posts "Forging the New Norm" series about how people are adjusting to the new realities of COVID-19 in Indonesia. As the government gears up to reopen tourist destinations in the so-called new normal phase, tourist industry players are urged to shift their focus to hygiene and safety to lure visitors and mitigate health risks. In his speech on May 25, President Joko Jokowi Widodo admitted the high risk of reopening the tourism sector after temporary closures to contain the COVID-19 pandemic that has affected tens of thousand people in Indonesia. The president stressed the importance of the players to focus on hygiene and safety, as those would be among the major considerations for travelers in the future. Business consultant Grant Thornton Indonesia legal partner Kurniawan Tjoetiar confirmed that the travelers would focus their attention on health and safety after the outbreak. Travelers will no longer require low-cost travel but rather [focus on] safety while a vaccine has yet to be discovered, he said during an online press briefing on May 19. Given the situation, he said tourism industry players such as airlines and other transportation providers, along with hotels, tourism site managers and restaurants, should find new ways, namely by ensuring safety and comfort, to lure travellers. People may still be afraid of traveling. If they do travel, I think they will not hesitate to pay a premium price just to ensure the safety and comfort of their journey, said Kurniawan, adding that the new approach would also help them emerge from the blow caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. A survey by the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) involving more than 1,200 Chinese tourists confirms that health and safety will become the main concern for future travels. The tourists surveyed hope that travel agencies and destinations can do a good job of health and safety protection, take necessary measures to ensure the health and safety of tourists, the finding reads. The World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) also suggests that new standards and protocols for safety might be required for tourist facilities. Outlining new possible procedures, the WTTC said that, at a hotel, for example, new protocol may include check-in through digital technology, hand sanitizer at frequently visited points and contactless payment instead of cash. Tourism and Creative Economy Minister Wishnutama Kusubandio said in May that the ministry expected the emergence of a new trend in tourism entering the new normal period, with travelers to be more concerned about hygiene, health and safety. He said the ministry would prioritize domestic tourism during the new normal. Health Minister Terawan Agus Putranto signed on June 19 a decree on health guidelines for public facilities, including hotels, restaurants, shopping malls, fitness centers, convention halls, tourist destinations and public transportation. In general, such establishments are obliged to provide hand sanitizers in public spaces, clean these areas with disinfectant at least three times a day and maintain proper ventilation by prioritizing fresh air circulation or periodically replacing air conditioner filters. The decree also provides specific regulations for certain businesses, such as mandatory room disinfection prior to guest check-in and the provision of hand sanitizers in each room for hotels. Previously, the ministrys undersecretary for tourism products, Rizki Handayani, said the government was mulling plans to issue certification to ensure compliance of tourist destinations and accommodation providers with health and hygiene standards. Rizki predicted that visitor management for busy Indonesian destinations, such as world heritage site Borobudur temple in Magelang, Central Java, would be required to maintain a physical distance between tourists. If they [the tourists] were okay with going to packed and crowded places, they are not anymore. They will be more aware of the physical and social distancing concept, she told The Jakarta Post. Future tourists might also go as far as avoiding transit flights to minimize contact and lower the possibility of transmission, hence direct connectivity to destinations would be preferred in the future, Rizki added. As people get used to the new normal, tourists might also prefer to go to quieter places and opt for nature-based tourism and outdoor activities, Indonesia Travel Agent Association (Astindo) spokesperson Madeleine Sophie also said. Places that offer natural tourism, outdoor activity would be the new preference for tourists in the future. In the past, people would only go to Instagram-worthy places, even if they were crowded, but now guests will avoid crowded places, she said. The findings contrasted the countrys tourism state before the pandemic, where Tourism Ministry data shows that the majority of foreign tourists visit the country for culture tourism. Madeleine also said that tourism products that offered a local wisdom experience, sustainable tourism and culinary experiences would be preferred by tourists after the pandemic. People were also likely to go on vacation in smaller groups or with their family rather than in big groups, she added. PATAs survey on Chinese tourists shows that more than half those surveyed choose to relax at the seaside, while the rest would opt for homestay or mountain sightseeing in the future. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Djemi Amnifu and Nina Loasana (The Jakarta Post) Kupang/Jakarta Wed, July 1, 2020 17:09 355 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a4066300bc9 1 National kawin-tangkap,kidnap-and-wed,Sumba-island,customary-law,NTT,East-Nusa-Tenggara,Viktor-Laiskodat,Sexual-assault,sexual-violence Free The administration of East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) has vowed to abolish the practice of kawin tangkap (capture and wed), a form of bride kidnapping commonly practiced on the island of Sumba, after a viral video of an such an event angered a Cabinet minister and the public nationwide. The administration claimed that the practice violated humanitarian values, the state ideology of Pancasila and the 1945 Constitution. "The NTT administration supports the eradication of customary laws that violate human rights. [...] We urge religious leaders, tribal leaders and regional administrations to stop any customary practice that shackles humanity," the head of NTT's Women Empowerment and Child Protection Agency, Erny Usboko, told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday. Erny said any regulation or culture that infringed human dignity should be changed. "Of course, it is not as easy as turning one's hand and [the practice] could not be stopped immediately. It will take a gradual and slow process by educating local indigenous communities, she said. She said Sumba local administrations, religious leaders and tribal leaders could hold a discussion about equality, dignity, justice, universality and humanity. Read also: Video of kidnap and wed practice on Sumba Island angers minister "NTT Governor Viktor Laiskodat has held a meeting with regents from Sumba Island asking them to stop any customary law that contradicts humanitarian values and justice. We don't want customary laws to violate human rights," Erny said. The practice of kawin tangkap has been in the spotlight lately after a video showing locals take a woman by a public place went viral in social media. In the video, a group of men is seen carrying a distressed-looking woman to a black pickup. Another woman comes and hugs the woman through the open window while trying to open the car door to get her out of the vehicle. Dozens of people can be seen crowding the car, cheering and taking videos, while the woman cries as the event unfolds. The head of the East Nusa Tenggara Legislative Council (DPRD), Emilia Nomleni, said the practice should be stopped at all costs. "In my opinion, kawin tangkap needs to be stopped by all means, as it violates the law and is a form of harassment not only for women but also children. We'll never know whether the women 'kidnapped' from public spaces or their boarding houses are underage or not," she told the Post on Wednesday. An offficial from the East Sumba Tourism and Culture Agency, Yudi Umbu TT Rawambaku, admitted that the practice did not regard age when the perpetrators take a woman by force. "There is no age limit; if a girl has gone through puberty and is considered an adult, there's no restriction [for 'kidnapping' her]," Yudi said last Wednesday as quoted by tribunnews.com. Emilia said members of the NTT legislative council had discussed ways to end the practice before the COVID-19 pandemic. "We had discussed ways to end the practice, but the discussions stopped due to the COVID-19 pandemic. All parties, from regional administrations, councillors and religious leaders to other stakeholders should take part to end the practice of kawin tangkap," she said. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Stephen Weizman (Agence France-Presse) Jerusalem Wed, July 1, 2020 16:00 355 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a40662f937c 2 World Israel,Israel-Palestine-conflict,Israel-annexation,West-Bank,Gaza Free Expectations of a major Israeli announcement on controversial annexations in the occupied West Bank dimmed Wednesday, as global criticism of the project mounted and Palestinian protesters began gathering in Gaza. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition government had set July 1 as the date from which it could begin implementing US President Donald Trump's Middle East peace proposal. The Trump plan, unveiled at the White House in January, offered a path for Israel to annex territory and Jewish West Bank settlements, communities considered illegal under international law. Netanyahu has voiced enthusiastic support for the Trump plan -- which has been roundly rejected by the Palestinians -- but the right-wing premier has not revealed his intentions for enacting the US proposals. In the hours ahead of the self-imposed July 1 kick-off date, a growing chorus of Israeli officials indicated that a major announcement was not imminent. And on Wednesday, Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi, a Netanyahu political rival now serving in the center-right coalition, told army radio that he thought it was "unlikely something would happen today." But, he added: "I don't know if there will be a statement today on the application of sovereignty. That is a question you have to ask Prime Minister Netanyahu." Application of "sovereignty" is a term used widely in Israel to refer to what the international community views as annexation and a breach of international law. Alternate prime minister and defense minister Benny Gantz said this week that annexation must wait until the coronavirus crisis has been contained. Gantz is due to take over as prime minister in November 2021 under the terms of a coalition deal. Netanyahu met on Tuesday with US Ambassador David Friedman, a staunch supporter of Jewish West Bank settlers and of annexation. "I discussed the question of sovereignty, which we are currently working on and will continue to work on in the coming days," Netanyahu said after the meeting. Netanyahu may still move forward, either later on Wednesday or in the days ahead, with Israeli media suggesting he may announce a merely symbolic move, like the annexation of one settlement on Jerusalem's outskirts. But experts have noted that he is keenly watching the US presidential election and may still want to act decisively before January if he fears Trump will not win a second term. Presumptive Democratic party nominee Joe Biden is opposed to any unilateral annexations by Israel. International criticism While the US has offered tacit support for immediate annexation as part of the Trump plan, most of the international community is vocally opposed to the project. Writing in Israel's Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper on Wednesday, Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson said that although he was a "passionate defender of Israel," he viewed annexation as "contrary to Israel's own long-term interests." "Annexation would represent a violation of international law," he said. France, Germany along with several other European states and the United Nations all oppose annexation, as do Gulf Arab states, with which Israel has increasingly sought warmer ties. Jordan, one of only two Arab nations that has diplomatic ties with Israel, has warned that annexation could trigger a "massive conflict" and has not ruled out reviewing its 1994 peace treaty with the Jewish state. Palestinian protesters gather The Palestinians have called for protests against the Trump proposals on Wednesday in the Jordan Valley, Ramallah -- the West Bank seat of the Palestinian Authority -- and in the Gaza Strip, ruled by the Islamist Hamas movement. Protesters began gathering in Gaza City ahead of a demonstration scheduled for 11am (0800 GMT) local time, while rallies in the West Bank were due to start in the early afternoon. The Palestinians have said they are willing to renew long-stalled talks with Israel -- but not on terms outlined in the Trump plan. Hamas, which has fought three wars with Israel since 2008, says that Israeli annexations in the West Bank would be a "declaration of war". The Islamist group launched some 20 test rockets from Gaza into the Mediterranean Sea on Wednesday, a move aimed at dissuading Israel from moving forward, Hamas sources told AFP. Israel annexed east Jerusalem following the 1967 Six Day War and then the Golan Heights on the Syrian border in 1981, in moves never recognized by most of the international community. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Alya Nurbaiti and Tri Indah Oktavianti (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, July 1, 2020 18:25 355 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a4066308319 1 National police,police-brutality,anniversary,National-Police,KontraS,YLBHI,police-reform,human-rights-activists,human-rights,human-rights-abuse Free Human rights organizations have slammed the police over allegations of excessive force and police brutality in time for the 74th anniversary of the National Police on Wednesday. The Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) released on Tuesday a report on excessive force and violence at the hands of the police from July 2019 to June this year. In the past year, we recorded 921 incidents of police brutality that resulted in 1,627 people getting injured and 304 killed, Kontras chair Fatia Mauilidiyanti said during a press briefing on Tuesday in Jakarta. The report records various forms of ill-treatment, including persecution, subjective arrests, discrimination toward Papuans, threats to human rights defenders, improper use of firearms and disproportionate involvement in the handling of the COVID-19 epidemic, as well as police officers holding government positions. Kontras also said the police had no priority in law enforcement and acted arbitrarily in the name of stability. Similarly, the Foundation of the Indonesian Legal Aid Institute (YLBHI) said in a statement on Wednesday that, in 2019, it recorded 56 cases of police persecution against civilians, with 601 victims. The number is double the 27 cases of police persecution recorded in 2018. Impunity [was] enjoyed by the suspects implicated in the acts of violence, the YLBHI said through a written statement on Wednesday. Kontras recorded that 4,051 people had been arrested, some of whom were persecuted when exercising their right to protest, including during antiracism protests in Papua and the #ReformasiDikorupsi (Reform the Corrupt) series of rallies in late 2019. Kontras researcher Rivanlee Ananda said the police had no measurable indicators while their subjectivity was very high in regard to civil liberties-related issues. They often take aim at government critics and use discretion to arrest them, he said, adding that poor checks and balances within the police institution had resulted in repeated violations of freedom of expression. The YLBHI recorded 67 cases of police involvement in violations against freedom of expression in 2019. The police involved in the incidents ranged from district units to regional police units, the YLBHI wrote. The violations were done in various forms including physical abuse, abduction and the alleged determent of judicial assistance for victims. Read also: Jakarta riot: Police violence in spotlight after viral beating video Furthermore, Kontras also found 48 alleged cases of torture committed by police officers: nine toward civilians and 39 toward inmates. The past year also saw a new form of torture, cybertorture, in which the police deliberately use or neglect reports of doxxing and other forms of intimidation, harassment and manipulation of personal information through cyber operations. Cybertorture causes distress, which could lead to depression and suicide. Victims also lost a sense of security in conveying their feelings in digital space, Rivanlee said. Kontras highlighted 1,324 incidents of racist and discriminative treatment toward Papuans by the police and 534 shooting incidents resulting in 683 injuries and 287 deaths. Given the magnitude of shooting incidents, the police should evaluate whether the use of firearms has been in accordance with their regulation, said Fatia. The report also showed many incidents, besides shootings, in which the police had violated Police Chief Regulation No. 8/2009 on the implementation of the human rights principle in performing duties and Police Chief Regulation No. 1/2009 on the use of force. Kontras reported that the polices involvement in COVID-19 handling had no accountable indicators and that they tended to abuse their authority, resulting in counterproductive actions and once again, limiting and violating civil rights. Earlier, the National Police chief issued a letter ordering cyberpatrols to monitor the development of opinions in cyberspace during the pandemic. Numerous arrests have been made because the police decided certain expressions had insulted state officials, were considered defamation or spread fake news. The police should not be at the center of efforts to handle the pandemic. They should stick to their roles and have clear guidelines. Their repressive approach should also be evaluated as it has not done much to curb the virus, Kontras researcher Danu Aulia Pratama said. The report also highlighted that 30 active and retired police officers held government positions. Such power relations raise the risk and vulnerability in the use of police force for certain purposes. It will erode police independence, said Fatia. Given the large number of reported police violations, the YLBHI called on President Joko Jokowi Widodo and the House of Representatives to push for police reform and ensure that police who violated the law were duly punished. We also urge the National Police to obey the principles of human rights in carrying out their duties, it said. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (Reuters) Stockholm, Sweden Wed, July 1, 2020 07:10 355 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a40662cf7e9 2 World Sweden,coronavirus,coronavirus-effect,COVID-19,response,SARS-CoV-2,virus-corona,novel-coronavirus,pandemic Free Sweden on Tuesday announced a commission to evaluate its response to the novel coronavirus, reacting to criticism over a death toll that has far exceeded that of its neighbors. More than 5,300 Swedes have died compared to around 250 in Norway, 600 in Denmark and 325 in Finland, all of which have populations around half the size. Sweden, unlike the rest of Scandinavia, chose not to close schools and businesses to fight the spread of the virus. "It is not a question of whether Sweden is going to change as a result of this - the question is how," Prime Minister Stefan Lofven told a news conference. The commission has a broad mandate to look at how the virus arrived in Sweden, how it spread, the government's and other authorities' response, and the effect on equality. Sweden's response to the virus outbreak, which has relied mainly on voluntary measures and common sense hygiene rules, has led to its being snubbed by its neighbors and other countries in Europe that have kept their borders shut to Swedish tourists. Its toll is still lower than in some European countries, such as Britain, which has one of the worst death rates in the world. Criticism in Sweden has focused mainly on the death toll among elderly residents of care homes, who make up the majority of deaths from the virus, and the late start to widespread testing. The head of the Public Health Agency says Sweden followed established practice. Anders Tegnell, who has become the face of Sweden's virus strategy, told Reuters it remained unclear whether total lockdowns were effective. The commission will report on elderly care at the end of November, although its final conclusions are not due until 2022, ahead of a national election. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Manojna Maddipatla and Dania Nadeem (Reuters) Wed, July 1, 2020 11:00 355 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a40662e01a9 2 World US,FDA,coronavirus,COVID-19,COVID-19-vaccines,COVID-19-infection,pandemic,SARS-CoV-2,virus-corona,novel-coronavirus Free The US Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday released guidance for approving a coronavirus vaccine, saying the vaccine has to prevent or decrease disease severity in at least 50% of people who are inoculated. More than 100 vaccines are being tested worldwide against the virus, which has claimed over 126,100 lives in the United States, according to a Reuters tally. The Trump administration in May announced a program called "Operation Warp Speed" to speed up the development of COVID-19 therapeutics and vaccines, as the country has none approved for treating COVID-19. Several companies such as Moderna Inc, Pfizer Inc and AstraZeneca Plc are in the race to develop a vaccine. "While the FDA is committed to expediting this work, we will not cut corners in our decisions," the FDA said on Tuesday. (https://bit.ly/38fyVS3) Experts have said it could take 12 to 18 months for a vaccine to be developed. Vaccine developers have also been asked for data to support use during pregnancy and to show safety and effectiveness in children, the health regulator said. "The guidelines are pretty standard, they look pretty much like influenza vaccine guidelines," Gregory Poland, director of Mayo Vaccine Research Group said. "I don't think that's a high bar. I think that's a low to maybe an appropriate bar for a first-generation COVID-19 vaccine." Flu vaccines are 30%-70% effective in any given year, according to Jefferies analyst Michael Yee. The guidelines could be seen as a relatively high bar given the urgency to accelerate availability of a vaccine, Yee added. Dr. Anthony Fauci, the United States government's top infectious diseases expert, cautioned that there is no guarantee of a safe and effective vaccine Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Colin Packham (Reuters) Sydney, Australia Wed, July 1, 2020 10:45 355 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a40662dff90 2 World Australia,defense-budget,defense,Indo-Pacific Free Australia will boost defense spending by nearly 40% over the next 10 years as Canberra shifts its military assets to focus on the Indo-Pacific region, Prime Minister Scott Morrison will say on Wednesday. In a speech that threatens to inflame tensions with China, Morrison will say Australia will spend A$270 billion ($184.8 billion) over the next 10 years to acquire longer-range strike capabilities across air, sea and land. In 2016, Australia promised to spend A$195 billion over the next 10 years. Morrison will say that Australia's defense policy will also pivot to prioritize the Indo-Pacific region, an area that he will describe as the "epicenter of rising strategic competition." "We want an open, sovereign Indo-Pacific, free from coercion and hegemony. We want a region where all countries, large and small, can engage freely with each other, guided by international rules and norms," Morrison will say, according to excepts sent to Reuters. Morrison will not name China specifically but Australia's military shift to Indo-Pacific comes amid rising competition between the two for influence in the Pacific. Already elevated by Australia's 2018 decision to ban China's Huawei from its nascent 5G broadband network, bilateral ties have in recent months been soured by Canberra's call for an independent inquiry into the origins of coronavirus. Then in June, Australia said a "sophisticated state-actor" has spent months trying to hack all levels of the government, political bodies, essential service providers and operators of critical infrastructure. Australia sees China as the chief suspect, three sources told Reuters. China denies it is behind the spate of cyber-attacks, but Morrison will on Wednesday commit to spend A$15 billion to bolster its offensive and defensive cyber capabilities. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Anis Chowdhury and Jomo Kwame Sundaram (The Jakarta Post) Sydney/Kuala Lumpur Wed, July 1 2020 As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to rapidly spread globally, the whole world is desperately looking for ways to contain it, finding cures for the infected and developing vaccines to protect against it. The world adopted the Muslim practice of quarantines in the form of lockdown, self-isolation and physical distance. The Doge (lord) of Venice learnt that when facing epidemics, Muslim rulers in the East imposed precautionary 40-day quaranta (arbain), as mentioned by Ibn Khaldun. Contrary to the teachings of some, ironically, although not well-known in Muslim societies, such methods of prevention and protection are rooted in the teachings and history of Islam. As social beings, Muslims are encouraged, but not required to perform their daily obligatory prayers in congregation, and typically are emotionally attached to mosques. Thus, measures... Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Mardika Parama (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Thu, July 2 2020 Business associations and experts have welcomed the governments announcement on the relocation of foreign-owned production facilities to Indonesia, a positive sign for the slowing economy amid the pandemic. However, they also warned that regulatory reforms would be needed to improve the countrys ease of doing business. President Joko Jokowi Widodo announced on Tuesday that seven foreign companies had confirmed plans to relocate production facilities to Indonesia, mostly from China. The move, which will include South Korean industrial conglomerate LG, is estimated to bring US$850 million to the country and potential employment for 30,000 workers, according to the Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM). Responding to Jokowis announcement, Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) deputy chairwoman Shinta Kamdani said the rel... Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Thu, July 2 2020 Several governmental and non-governmental institutions in Indonesia have issued statements condemning Israels plan to annex a large part of the West Bank, which is set to be implemented on Wednesday. House of Representatives Commission I, which oversees foreign affairs, said it rejected the plan. Commission I has taken an assertive stance to reject the annexation plan of the West Bank and to reject the efforts made by Israel to legalize its invasion of Palestine, Commission I deputy chairman Abdul Kharis Almasyhari said on Tuesday as quoted by a statement on the Houses website. Kharis added that the lawmakers viewed Israels annexation plan as a vehicle to take away the Palestinians land and exterminate the nation. Commission I chairwoman Meutya Hafid said the official statement would be han... Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Riska Rahman (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Thu, July 2 2020 A corruption and money laundering case implicating state-owned PT Asuransi Jiwasraya will not severely hit Indonesias mutual fund industry despite the Attorney Generals Office (AGO) having named 13 asset management companies and a high-ranking official as suspects, an association and expert have said. The AGO on Thursday accused the 13 companies of mismanaging or laundering the premium revenue collected by Jiwasraya from 2014 to 2018. They allegedly caused Rp 12.35 trillion (US$873.06 million) of state losses, or 73.46 percent of the total Rp 16.81 trillion in state losses as audited by the Supreme Audit Agency (BPK). Mutual fund data research firm Infovesta Utama investment research head Wawan Hendrayana s... Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Moch. Fiqih Prawira Adjie (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Thu, July 2 2020 Contradicting claims made by the Attorney Generals Office (AGO), Law and Human Rights Minister Yasonna Laoly has said there was no indication that Djoko Soegiarto Tjandra, a longtime fugitive in the high-profile Bank Bali corruption case, has returned to the country. Attorney General ST Burhanuddin announced on Monday that Djoko had been in the country for the past three months, after escaping to Papua New Guinea in 2009, and had also filed a case review against his conviction on June 8. However, Yasonna refuted the claim, saying a thorough examination of immigration data showed no record of him returning to the country. "As of now, there is no [record of his return] in our system. The ministry doesnt know where Djoko Tjandra is," Yasonna said as quoted in a statement on Tuesday. Immigration Office spokesperson Arvin Gumi... Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Thu, July 2 2020 The National Police have announced a plan to extend the joint police-Indonesian Military (TNI) Operation Tinombala, as it has not captured 14 terrorists at large in Central Sulawesi. The [extended] operation will run for 94 days, from June 29 to Sept. 30 [this year], National Police spokesman Brig. Gen. Awi Setiyono said on Monday as quoted by kompas.com. The decision was inked in a police letter issued on Friday. Awi said the extension was made to create a safe and orderly situation in the province. It was the third time this year the special task force had experienced an extension of duty. The first term ran from Jan. 1 to March. 31, Awi said. The operation was then extended until June 28. The fugitives are linked to the East Indonesia Mujahidin (MIT), a terrorist group now led by Ali Kalora. The ... Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (Xinhua) Bangkok, Thailand Wed, July 1, 2020 13:30 355 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a40662e8a76 2 SE Asia Thailand,Cambodia,reopening,Laos,coronavirus,coronavirus-restrictions,border-areas,COVID-19,COVID-19-infection,pandemic,SARS-CoV-2,virus-corona Free Thailand will reopen checkpoints on the border with all neighboring states to resume cross-border cargo transport and trading from Wednesday, according to the Center for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) chaired by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha. CCSA decided on Monday to reopen a total of 37 checkpoints on the borders with Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia and Malaysia, so that cargoes can be transported and traders can be allowed to cross the border, said CCSA spokesman Thaweesilp Visanuyothin. That is part of the phase-5 easing of Thailand's lockdown measures against the pandemic. The Thai border checkpoints which will be reopened include 14 connected with Laos, eight with Myanmar, seven with Cambodia and eight with Malaysia, according to the CCSA spokesman. Laos and Cambodia, particular, will be happy as they can continue business and trading dealings which has slowed down due to the Covid-19 pandemic. However, tourists from the neighboring countries are not allowed to enter Thailand via these border checkpoints. Meanwhile, The Phnom Penh Post reported that Cambodia's Ministry of Health on Monday said a COVID-19 patient has recovered and been discharged from the KhmerSoviet Friendship Hospital. This brings the number of recovered patients to 130 out of the 141 patients in the Kingdom or about 92 per cent. Another eleven remain hospitalized. The 29-year-old Cambodian man tested positive for Covid-19 on June 13. He had boarded a flight along with other 46 others from Indonesia and arrived in Cambodia on June 12. Eleven Covid-19 patients remain at the state hospital. Eight are Cambodian, including a woman. An Indonesian man returning from Indonesia on June 25 also remains hospitalized at the KhmerSoviet Friendship Hospital. The other two patients who returned from Malaysia on June 26 remain hospitalized at the Chak Angre Health Center, Phnom Penh, the ministry said. Cambodia has yet to detect community transmission cases with almost all confirmed ones being imported from abroad, said health officials. Minister of Health Mam Bun Heng reminded citizens on June 28 to wash hands frequently with soap or gel, wear facemasks or scarves when sneezing or coughing and maintain social and physical distancing to prevent a second wave of infections in Cambodia. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (Reuters) Manila, Philippines Wed, July 1, 2020 07:53 355 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a40662d122d 2 SE Asia Philippines,Rodrigo-Duterte,coronavirus,coronavirus-restrictions,COVID-19,COVID-19-lockdown,pandemic,SARS-CoV-2,virus-corona,novel-coronavirus Free Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday kept partial restrictions in the capital for another two weeks as he tries to contain the spread of the new coronavirus while reducing the pandemic's economic damage. More than 19,000 new cases of the new coronavirus have been recorded since Duterte eased one of the toughest and longest lockdowns in the world for residents in the capital Manila from June 1 to breathe some life back into the economy. The Philippines, which before the pandemic was one of Asias fastest growing economies, is facing its biggest contraction in more than three decades after the coronavirus shuttered businesses and crushed domestic demand. Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez said restrictions in Manila, which accounts for 40% of the country's gross domestic product, should be loosened further "as quickly as possible" so more business will start humming again and more people can go back to work. Most businesses in the capital have been allowed to reopen but in a limited capacity. "The reality today is that the virus is not going to go away and we will have to live with it for a very long time," Dominguez said. Duterte also said in a late televised address strict lockdown measures, which were reinstated in Cebu City from June 16, would be maintained to slow the spread of the virus in the country's fifth most populous city. Cebu city now accounts for over 12% of the nationwide tally of confirmed coronavirus cases, making it the new hot spot of infections in the Southeast Asian country. The country's confirmed cases totaled 37,514 as of June 30, while the number of fatalities has reached 1,266. Health authorities have conducted more than 666,000 tests since January, or 0.62% of the 107 million population, still below the government's 1.5% target. But Harry Roque, the president's spokesman said in a media briefing on Tuesday that the government was "winning" the fight against the coronavirus. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (Reuters) Geneva, Switzerland Wed, July 1, 2020 09:20 355 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a40662d6f52 2 SE Asia Myanmar,Rohingya,Rohingya-Muslims,Rohingya-people,Rakhine-state,army,military-operation,refugees Free The United Nations human rights chief said on Tuesday that up to 10,000 people had fled their homes in Myanmars Rakhine state after what she described as heavy fighting in the past week between government troops and ethnic insurgents. The UN Refugee Agency (UNCHR) and the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) later said at least 2,800 people had fled according to early estimates but the true number could be "significantly higher" as the "scope and impact" of the reported clashes was not yet fully known. Government and military spokesmen did not answer phone calls by Reuters seeking comment on the number of people who had fled or the reported fighting between the army, known as the Tatmadaw, and Arakan Army insurgents. Estimates indicate as many as 10,000 residents have already fled as the Tatmadaw advanced and heavy fighting commenced, Michelle Bachelet, the U.N High Commissioner for Human Rights, told the Human Rights Council, a Geneva-based forum, during a debate on Myanmar. UN agencies cited "reports by local partners and public sources" for the estimates of numbers of displaced people. It was not possible for Reuters to independently verify the reports of fighting and displacement. Access for humanitarian workers is tightly limited in Rakhine. Journalists are banned, making it hard to verify reports from the region. Letter about "clearance operations" The reported flight of civilians came after a local administrator, in a letter seen by Reuters, last week warned dozens of village leaders in Rathedaung township that the army planned clearance operations against insurgents and urged them to go. A government spokesman later said in a Facebook post that an evacuation order had been sent to local administrators by border-affairs officials but had later been revoked. The spokesman did not specify why, but said that the government had instructed the military not to use the term "clearance operation". Myanmar's border affairs ministry acknowledged to Reuters that it had issued the evacuation order, but said that it affected only a few villages. Clearance operations is the term the Myanmar authorities used in 2017 to describe operations against insurgents from Rakhines Muslim-minority Rohingya people. During those operations, hundreds of thousands of people fled from their homes. Refugees said at the time that the army had carried out mass killings and arson, accusations the army has denied, saying troops were responding to attacks. Shelling followed evacuation order, un says Citing "local reports", UNHCR and OCHA said in a joint statement on Tuesday the order to evacuate had been followed by shooting and shelling. But the two agencies added that information was hard to verify in part because of government-imposed restrictions on humanitarian access. Since late 2018, the Myanmar army has been fighting the AA, a group from the largely Buddhist Rakhine ethnic group that is seeking greater autonomy for the western region, also known as Arakan. Dozens had died and more than 77,000 people displaced before the latest fighting, according to UN figures. After fleeing the reported bout of Tatmadaw-AA fighting, hundreds of displaced villagers are sheltering in Buddhist monasteries in Rakhine's state capital Sittwe, two lawmakers in the city said. Now it is rainy season but people are fleeing with only one set of clothes, Khin Saw Wai, an MP for Rathedaung township, told Reuters by phone. They dont have blankets, pillows, and mosquito nets to sleep at night. Khin Aye Win, a 23-year-old woman who said she fled with her mother and sister, told Reuters by phone that there had been shelling near her village. She said many elderly people, including her grandmother, stayed behind. Now the soldiers are near my village... so I cannot go back, she said. The travel reservation company Booking.com, a unit of Booking Holdings Inc, deserves to be able to trademark its name, the US Supreme Court decided on Tuesday, overruling a federal agency that found it too generic to merit protection. The court decided 8-1 that the US Patent and Trademark Office was incorrect when it denied the company's application to trademark the name Booking.com, with the justices finding it distinctive enough that the agency should have approved it. The court said surveys made clear that consumers understand that Booking.com refers to a particular company, and not online hotel reservation services in general. "Because 'Booking.com' is not a generic name to consumers, it is not generic," liberal Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg wrote in the ruling. In a dissent, liberal Justice Stephen Breyer said the court's majority had put too much emphasis on consumer surveys, which he said were of limited value. Booking.com, based in Amsterdam, welcomed the ruling, with spokeswoman Kimberly Soward saying in a statement that it "demonstrates that the US legal system has the capacity to evolve in order to reflect the digital world we are all living in." David Bernstein, a lawyer for Booking.com, called the decision "a victory for countless brand owners that have invested significant resources in building their brands - such as Weather.com, Law.com, Wine.com and Hotels.com." US Patent and Trademark Office spokesman Paul Fucito declined to comment. US law allows trademark registrations only on terms that are "descriptive," or able to distinguish a particular product or service from others on the market. "Generic" words that refer to an entire category of goods or services, like "car" or "computer," cannot be protected under the law because that would give an unfair competitive advantage to the trademark holder. Booking.com began using its name globally in 2006, and filed US trademark applications in 2011 and 2012. A US Patent and Trademark Office tribunal rejected those applications in 2016, saying "booking" is a generic term for a category of services and that the addition of ".com" did not transform it into a protected trademark. Lower courts sided with Booking.com, prompting the patent office's Supreme Court appeal. Tuesday's ruling may guide how some other companies, such as Salesforce.com Inc and Home Depot Inc, protect their brands from potential copycats. The May 4 oral argument in the case was the first that the justices held by teleconference amid the coronavirus pandemic. In another first, the public was able to hear arguments through a live audio feed. Scott Harris said he's fielded a lot of calls the last few weeks from people looking for a new salon. The source of the referrals: A Facebook group called "Masks in the 989: COVID-19 awareness group" built around sharing information about which local businesses are aggressive in social distancing and mask use. It was started by Anne Poston, a Mt. Pleasant woman, who said she was motivated by going into some local businesses choosing to be lax in both. - Advertisement - "I had had my own frustrations with seeing how differently stores were applying safety measures," she said in an email. "Some places even seemed to view my mask wearing as funny or out of place, which is definitely not a good feeling. There was also a lot of confusion about what constitutes safe dining out, or safely getting one's hair done. When I saw that others had many of the same concerns, it definitely prompted me to create the page." High mortality rates among the elderly coming out of Italy and Spain concerned her, she said. She was especially concerned her parents, one of whom has a chronic health condition. Originally, the information was being shared on a Mt. Pleasant-oriented COVID-preparedness group, but the moderator announced he didn't want the group given over to mask shaming. Poston promptly founded the new, private group. Restaurants, retail stores and places to get your hair done are frequent topics. Harris' hair salon A Scott Harris Salon, 115 S. Main St. #2, was an early beneficiary. Harris said he was on board early with social distancing, sanitizing and use of masks early, not just out of concern for the salon's clientele but for the independent stylists who rent his chairs. Clients, who call when they arrive for an appointment, are met in the vestibule where they fill out a short questionnaire and have their temperatures taken. They are escorted to wash their hands for 20 seconds and then to their chairs. Once the appointment is concluded, the chair is sanitized for 30 minutes. Every hour, all of the door handles and light fixtures are sanitized, too. There is also an isolation room for people with compromised immune systems or are just fearful of contracting the disease. Harris said he considered them basic in taking the COVID-19 pandemic seriously. For people in the Facebook group, they are the kinds of steps they like to see. "We see frequent posts thanking us for the resource," Poston said. "Many people are concerned and even frightened about what the lifting of quarantine and easing of restrictions will mean for the spread of the novel coronavirus. "Some are immunocompromised, many have family members that are susceptible or are just concerned that MI not lose ground in fighting the spread of the virus. The page provides information for consumers to be able to make informed choices about where they spend their money, and where they will feel safe shopping." The goal isn't to be punitive, but to provide information. Earlier this week, Poston commented that it would be great to see anecdotes about local businesses doing a better job. The group was originally 80-100 people, but grew rapidly last week. A photo posted there of a local business that posted a sign insinuating that COVID-19 was a government-created problem was posted outside of the group. By the end of the day, the business had removed its sign, apologized and comments in the group indicated that its employees were using masks by the end of the day. A lot of people who saw the photo asked to join the mask group, to where Poston added additional moderators over the weekend. "We were at about 200-ish members at this time last week, and today we have 578 (and new requests coming in constantly)," she said. Harris said he's been monitoring the group for the last week. "I think there's a lot of valid information in it," he said. There are other business owners who follow the group, too, Poston said. On Wednesday, she posted they are welcome to follow and even participate in conversations. What she said she won't tolerate is harassment of group members, on or off the page. "If you do this, privately or publicly attack a member of this group, you will be kicked out unceremoniously," the post said. READ MORE: Health department statistics point to case growth among young people Michigan's June cases of COVID-19 are a bit different than those early in the crisis, Michigan's governor told the state Tuesday afternoon. Th Michigan ease restrictions on long-term care facility visits LANSING (AP) The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services on Tuesday eased restrictions on visits to nursing and other residential facilities that were imposed to limit the spread of COVID-19. +3 Fauci: US could reach 100,000 new cases a day WASHINGTON Dr. Anthony Fauci said coronavirus cases could grow to 100,000 a day in the U.S. if Americans don't start following public health recommendations. If you prefer your July 4 celebrations on the warm side, you're in luck. It's supposed to be about 10 degrees above normal. In fact, it's going to be warm for awhile. - Advertisement - "Normal (high) this time of year is 82, and the forecast through early next week is 93 each day," said Marty Baxter, professor of meteorology at Central Michigan University. "We look to be 10 to 12 degrees above normal throughout most of Michigan through at least mid to late next week. It could go longer, but we really lose predictability on the daily scale after 10 days or so." Baxter said he doesn't expect record highs, those would be temperatures near 100. The National Weather Service's Grand Rapids office noted on thing in a social media post. "What a stark contrast today will be from 2009 as we head toward 90 degrees," it said. "The high temperature on July 1st of that year was only 64 degrees, starting off the coolest July in Grand Rapids history!" Something else missing from the forecast is rain. "Very little, if any, rainfall is expected through this period," Baxter said. There's no specific cause for why it's going to be above normal, Baxter said. El Nino, a Pacific Ocean water current that can exert significant influence on weather in the Great Lakes region, is neutral right now. That means temperatures in the current is neither warm nor cool. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 30-day forecast, released Tuesday, says it'll probably be warmer than average for the entire month. While Baxter said that predicting the weather with any precision is hard more than 10 days out, that NOAA's climate prediction for a warm July breaks down to a 70 percent likelihood for the first two weeks. From July 11 to 24, that likelihood is 60 percent. If you want to beat the heat, going to the beach is a suggestion. "The lakeshore will be cooler, as the lakes take much longer to warm up compared with the land," Baxter said. READ MORE: +2 Sunny weather is expected throughout the week Mostly sunny weather during the day and partly cloudy weather is expected during the evening for the entire week. Sheriff credits man's quick action with saving boy's life It was a balmy, nice evening and lots of folks were out enjoying a break from quarantine and chilly weather. Isabella County Sheriff Michael M +6 The Arctic is on fire: Siberian heat wave alarms scientists MOSCOW (AP) The Arctic is feverish and on fire at least parts of it are. And that's got scientists worried about what it means for the rest of the world. Showers and thunderstorms are expected with a chance of sunny weather later in the week A chance of showers and thunderstorms are expected throughout most of the week while some days may be sunny. Another five cases of COVID-19 were announced in Isabella County Wednesday afternoon, the biggest single-day spike in cases since early April, with two new cases reported at a local nursing home. Nursing homes are a significant source of COVID-19 cases across mid-Michigan. Early April's outbreak in the Isabella County Medical Care Facility was responsible for the county's biggest single-day increase. It was reported April 8, when seven new cases were announced. Two of the county's newest cases are two residents and an employee of MediLodge of Mt. Pleasant, based on the state's long-term care facility dashboard on its coronavirus page. - Advertisement - While the source for the other new cases wasn't immediately available, previously the Central Michigan District Health Department was pursuing household-based clusters and cases stemming from Central Michigan University, not spread within the community at large. Isabella County now has 106 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and eight deaths, half of which were reported in the Medical Care Facility outbreak. One of the remaining deaths was a resident of MediLodge of Mt. Pleasant, an elderly woman who was transferred to McLaren-Central Michigan before dying. They also come as the emergency preparedness region to which Isabella County belongs, the Grand Rapids-centered Region 6, was identified by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in her Tuesday press conference as one of two regions of significant concern. The other was the Lansing-based Region 1, which includes Gratiot County. Gratiot, which has 82 cases and 13 deaths, hasn't seen a new case reported there since June 17. Eleven of its 13 deaths were nursing home residents. Both counties had their threat level changed Tuesday because of the additional cases. Region 6 was assigned a medium-high risk level. Region 1 was assigned a high risk level. Much of Region 1's additional cases came from a superspreader event at the East Lansing bar and brewpub Harper's, popular with Michigan State University students. Cases originating there have touched several different counties, including a party held in the Grosse Pointe area in metro Detroit. Two other mid-Michigan counties had new cases Wednesday. They include Montcalm, which added three cases for a total of 85, with one death; and Midland, which also added three cases for a total of 127, with nine deaths. Clare County has had 27 cases and three deaths, Mecosta County has had 26 cases and two deaths and Gladwin County has had 26 cases and one death. Statewide, another 262 cases were identified for a total of 64,132, and another four deaths were announced for a total of 5,951. Those deaths are slightly below what the Centers for Disease Control forecast for the state. In its June 23 forecast, it predicted that Michigan would have slightly more than 6,000 deaths by July 1. Nationwide, the CDC says that 150,000 Americans could die from the disease by July 15. READ MORE: Health department statistics point to case growth among young people Michigan's June cases of COVID-19 are a bit different than those early in the crisis, Michigan's governor told the state Tuesday afternoon. Th Michigan ease restrictions on long-term care facility visits LANSING (AP) The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services on Tuesday eased restrictions on visits to nursing and other residential facilities that were imposed to limit the spread of COVID-19. Coronavirus cases jumps again by nearly 400 in Michigan with deaths up by 32 As June ends, Michigan saw another significant jump in the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases, following a trend seen at the end of last week. Gretchen Whitmer reveals plan for safe reopening of Michigan schools in fall Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has announced a plan to help guide schools towards a safe reopening in the fall during the COVID-19 pandemic. The driver of a pickup truck and a child were airlifted to area hospitals for advanced care following a rollover accident in Clare County's Surrey Township that occurred in late June. Six people were in the truck, including four children, that was driven by a 19-year-old Clare woman, said a press release from the Clare County Sheriff's Office. The other adult in the truck was a 22-year-old woman from the state of Texas. The truck was traveling in the area of Beaverton Road and Old State Avenue at approximately 2:20 p.m. on June 24, the press release said, when it rolled over. All six people were thrown from the truck. - Advertisement - The driver and one of the children were airlifted to Sparrow Hospital and Covenant Hospital for advanced medical treatment. The other four were transported by Mobile Medical Response to hospitals in Clare and Midland for treatment. The Clare County Sheriff's Office was assisted at the scene by the Michigan State Police, Surrey Township Fire Department, Clare Fire Department and MMR. READ MORE: Health department statistics point to case growth among young people Michigan's June cases of COVID-19 are a bit different than those early in the crisis, Michigan's governor told the state Tuesday afternoon. Th Isabella tops 100 in confirmed COVID-19 cases With three more cases of COVID-19 confirmed over the weekend, Isabella County breached the 100-case mark. Week ends quietly, as state's death rate starts to decline A week that started in the middle of a new outbreak COVID-19 in Isabella County is ending quietly. Meanwhile, the state's official death rate Elizabethtown, KY (42701) Today Thunderstorms likely this morning. Then a chance of scattered thunderstorms this afternoon. Storms may contain strong gusty winds. High 83F. Winds W at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Rainfall near an inch.. Tonight Considerable cloudiness with occasional rain showers. Low around 55F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%. Amber fossils unlock true color of 99-million-year-old insects Nature is full of colors, from the radiant shine of a peacock's feathers or the bright warning coloration of toxic frogs to the pearl-white camouflage of polar bears. Usually, fine structural detail necessary for the conservation of color is rarely preserved in the fossil record, making most reconstructions of the fossil based on artists' imagination. A research team from the Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (NIGPAS) has now unlocked the secrets of true coloration in the 99-million-year-old insects. Colors offer many clues about the behaviour and ecology of animals. They function to keep organisms safe from predators, at the right temperature, or attractive to potential mates. Understanding the coloration of long-extinct animals can help us shed light on ecosystems in the deep geological past. The study, published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B on July 1, offers a new perspective on the often overlooked, but by no means dull, lives of insects that co-existed alongside dinosaurs in Cretaceous rainforests. Researchers gathered a treasure trove of 35 amber pieces with exquisitely preserved insects from an amber mine in northern Myanmar. "The amber is mid-Cretaceous, approximately 99 million years old, dating back to the golden age of dinosaurs. It is essentially resin produced by ancient coniferous trees that grew in a tropical rainforest environment. Animals and plants trapped in the thick resin got preserved, some with life-like fidelity," said Dr. CAI Chenyang, associate professor at NIGPAS who lead the study. The rare set of amber fossils includes cuckoo wasps with metallic bluish-green, yellowish-green, purplish-blue or green colors on the head, thorax, abdomen, and legs. In terms of color, they are almost the same as cuckoo wasps that live today, said Dr. CAI. The researchers also discovered blue and purple beetle specimens and a metallic dark-green soldier fly. "We have seen thousands of amber fossils but the preservation of color in these specimens is extraordinary," said Prof. HUANG Diying from NIGPAS, a co-author of the study. "The type of color preserved in the amber fossils is called structural color. It is caused by microscopic structure of the animal's surface. The surface nanostructure scatters light of specific wavelengths and produces very intense colors. This mechanism is responsible for many of the colors we know from our everyday lives," explained Prof. PAN Yanhong from NIGPAS, a specialist on palaeocolor reconstruction. To understand how and why color is preserved in some amber fossils but not in others, and whether the colors seen in fossils are the same as the ones insects paraded more than 99 million years ago, the researchers used a diamond knife blades to cut through the exoskeleton of two of the colorful amber wasps and a sample of normal dull cuticle. Using electron microscopy, they were able to show that colorful amber fossils have a well-preserved exoskeleton nanostructure that scatters light. The unaltered nanostructure of colored insects suggested that the colors preserved in amber may be the same as the ones displayed by them in the Cretaceous. But in fossils that do not preserve color, the cuticular structures are badly damaged, explaining their brown-black appearance. What kind of information can we learn about the lives of ancient insects from their color? Extant cuckoo wasps are, as their name suggests, parasites that lay their eggs into the nests of unrelated bees and wasps. Structural coloration has been shown to serve as camouflage in insects, and so it is probable that the color of Cretaceous cuckoo wasps represented an adaptation to avoid detection. "At the moment we also cannot rule out the possibility that the colors played other roles besides camouflage, such as thermoregulation," adds Dr. CAI. ### This research was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and the Youth Innovation Promotion Association, CAS. This story has been published on: 2020-07-01. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. During the next two weeks, Egypt is planning to upscale its diplomatic campaign to secure international support for a legally binding agreement with Ethiopia and Sudan on the filling and the operation of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), with clear mitigation measures and clear dispute settlement mechanism.According to an informed Egyptian official, it is crucial for Cairo to keep toiling on the diplomatic front so the world tells Ethiopia it needs to come round to a fair agreement based on international law that takes into account the welfare of all three countries.The source spoke hours after the UN Security Council (UNSC) held a video conference session on Monday evening at Egypts request.Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukri read a statement to the meeting. He reiterated Cairos wish to secure a fair deal but insisted that a threat of potentially existential proportions has emerged that could encroach on the single source of livelihood of over 100 million Egyptians.GERD, a colossal project that Ethiopia has constructed across the Blue Nile, could endanger the security and very survival of an entire nation by imperiling its wellspring of sustenance.While we recognise the importance of this project to the development goals of the Ethiopian people, which we share and support, it is essential to realise that this mega-dam, which is Africas largest hydropower facility, potentially threatens the welfare, wellbeing, and existence of millions of Egyptian and Sudanese citizens.The key issue for Egypt, according to Shoukri, is that the unilateral filling and operation of the dam, without an agreement that includes protection from significant harm for downstream communities, will heighten tensions and could provoke crises and conflicts that further destabilise an already troubled region.Despite the fact that an international consultancy firm was contracted to conduct studies on the effects and impacts of the dam, the studies were obstructed and, as a result, never completed. Nor do we have any solid guarantees regarding the safety and structural soundness of the GERD. In the absence of sufficient scientific data communities downstream of this great structure appear condemned to live in the dark shadow of a great unknown.Shoukri added that if, God-forbid, the GERD experiences structural failures or faults it would place the Sudanese people in unimaginable peril and expose Egypt to unthinkable hazards.Having reviewed the lengthy road that Egypt has taken in pursuit of a fair deal that allows Ethiopia to generate electricity without inflicting significant harm on Egypts already inadequate water resources, Shoukri called on the UNSC to press for an agreement prior to any filling of the dam reservoir.While our position remains that the only viable solution is to reach a fair and balanced agreement, Egypt will uphold and protect the vital interests of its people. Survival is not a question of choice, Shoukri told the UNSC.He appealed to the UNSC to carefully consider a draft resolution offered by Egypt that appeals to the three countries to work in good faith to reach a fair, comprehensive and legally binding agreement and to refrain from taking unilateral action to fill the dam.Taye Atske-Selassie, Ethiopias permanent representative to the UN, argued that the UNSC was not the place to discuss the progress of GERD negotiations, an issue he said was more properly dealt with in the framework of the African Union.Let me be clear. Ethiopia does not believe the issue being discussed today has a legitimate place in the Security Council, said Atske-Selassie.It sets a bad precedent and opens a Pandoras box. This council should not be a forum for settling scores and exerting diplomatic pressure. It is regrettable that the council has allowed itself to be politicised in this manner.According to a UN-based Arab diplomat, the Ethiopian delegation in New York tried very hard to delay the UNSC session and is still attempting to sideline the issue though there is considerable push back not just from Egypt but from several Arab delegations.In press statements to Egyptian TV Channel 1 on Monday evening Maged Abdel-Fattah, permanent representative of the Arab League to the UNSC, said the Arab group in New York would hold a meeting with the UN secretary-general to press the need for the UNSC to continue dealing with the matter. The support of Sudan is crucial if the issue is to stay well-placed on the table of the UNSC, he said, but unfortunately Khartoum is not really pushing for the UNSC to be involved in the matter.Tellingly, in his statement to the UNSC on Monday Omer Mohamed Ahmed Siddig, Sudans permanent representative to the UN, did not demand a clear UNSC commitment to follow up on the issue.Clearly there is a discrepancy on this matter between Egypt and Sudan, the New York-based Arab diplomat said.Earlier this month Sudan proposed the resumption of talks in the hope of finding a deal. It offered a draft agreement based on elements that the delegations of the three countries had agreed to in Washington in autumn 2019/winter 2020 during talks facilitated by the US and the World Bank.Seven sessions of video conference negotiations ensued until the three delegations hit yet another impasse on 17 June.Following this failed attempt to secure a deal Egypt sent a letter on 19 June to the UNSC asking it to convene and discuss the matter.Two days later Ethiopia sent its own letter to the UNSC disputing Egypts request. Then Sudan sent a letter to the UNSC calling for support for the continuation of the three-way negotiations.In his statement before the UNSC, Siddig said that Sudan strongly believes that reaching an agreement on the guidelines and rules, before the commencement of the filling of the GERD, is necessary to avoid putting millions of lives and communities at risk.According to the Egyptian official, this language is good but it is still not strong enough.Egypt was hoping that Sudan would appeal to the UNSC to demand a halt to the filling of the GERD pending an agreement between the three countries.More consultations between Cairo and Khartoum are underway, the official said. Already Sudan has improved its position to support our call for an agreement prior to the filling, but we are hoping that this will be expressed in much clearer and affirmative language, he said.Last Friday, during a limited summit of the African Union chaired by South Africa, a non-permanent member of the UNSC, Egypt agreed to continue with technical and legal negotiations provided Ethiopia does not take any unilateral action on the filling of the reservoir.Despite statements from Cairo and Khartoum on Friday to the effect that Ethiopia had committed to not start the filling prior to an agreement, Addis Ababa said that it would basically give the negotiations two to three weeks while it finishes construction work necessary for the first filling to start in mid-July as scheduled.The next two to three weeks are going to be hard work as we examine all options, the Egyptian official said.In addition to the resumption of three-way technical negotiations Cairo will be looking at ideas that the African Union Chair Cyril Ramaphosa has promised to float in the next few days.A bigger role for the African Union in managing talks was stressed by almost all speakers during the UNSC session.We are going to see what we will be offered and we will consider our options in view of the volume of political support we are able to build, the Egyptian official said.So far Egypt has refused to commit to any deal that is not legally binding and lacks mitigation and legal dispute mechanisms. Egypt has also declined a partial agreement on the first filling.Whether or not these positions change depends on how the negotiation process unfolds in the next two weeks. *A version of this article appears in print in the 2 July, 2020 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly Short link: This subscription will allow curernt subscribers of The News Guard to access all of our online Subscriber-Only content, including the E Editions area. NOTE: To claim your access to the site, you will need to enter the Last Name and First Name that is tied to your subscription in this format: SMITH, JOHN If you need help with exactly how your specific name needs be entered, please call us at 1-541-994-2178 or email admin@countrymedia.net. *404* - Not Found Sorry, we can't find the content you're looking for at this URL. Please navigate from the navigation menu on top or try searching below.. Dr. Onyekachukwu Ibezim, the Special Adviser to Governor Willie Obiano of Anambra State on Indigenous Medicine and Herbal Practice, said the government had identified six herbal drugs that could be used to manage Coronavirus in the state. Ibezim told the News Agency of Nigeria in Awka on Tuesday that the agency had forwarded the products to the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control. He said a team of medical experts was assembled to review the process before they decided to take the products to NAFDAC for its final confirmation and approval for public consumption. Ibezim said the products were in capsule, powdered and liquid forms. He urged herbal practitioners in the state who peddle different types of herbal products without seeking approval from the government agency in-charge of herbal products to desist forthwith. He said: We have a team of medical experts in all areas of medicines who are saddled with the responsibility of reviewing herbal products in the state before they would be made public for use. We will give approval if the products fits our standard. We do not discriminate, the government has provided a friendly environment for business to thrive for all genuine herbal practitioners despite their states of origin, he said. Anambra Traditional Medicine Board has been assigned the responsibility of properly analysing herbal products in the state and declare them fit for use by the public or otherwise before they are pushed out; all practitioners are advised to comply. Ibezim said there were several unauthorised herbal products being peddled by some practitioners in the state, adding that government would soon clamp down on such. He said the state government had provided enough support for the agency to ensure that fake herbal products are wiped out from circulation. Ibezim said the agency had achieved some results and is desirous to consolidate on its past success while commending the governor for his support to the office of Indigenous Medicine and Herbal Practice. He said: All our success is attributed to Governor Obianos interest in providing total health for the residents of Anambra, he said. NAN. The Prominent Civil Rights Advocacy group-: HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (HURIWA) has carpeted the Chief of Air Staff Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar for stating that the Nigerian Air Force can not protect Southern Nigeria as much as it would because of the commitments of the Nigerian Air Force in waging war on terror in the North East of Nigeria just as the Rights group said he should apologise, retract his offensive statement or be sacked for displaying crass incompetence and showing that he is not properly in charge of the Nigerian Air Force but is devoted to protecting Northern Nigeria. "HURIWA is miffed to read from a very reputable online media forum (Global Sentinel) administered by a highly reputable professional journalist that has covered the Armed forces of Nigeria for over a decade in Abuja, that the Chief of Air Staff Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar uttered such a disappointing and absolutely unprofessional and unacceptable public statement in a written press statement to the effect that he is unable to defend all of Nigeria. This is the most unfortunate public speech from a military General since the amalgamation of the Country and is a direct breach of the core essence of the constitutional responsibility and functions/powers of the Armed forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as enshrined in sections 217 to 220." HURIWA further affirmed that the unprofessional statement is symbolic and very toxic at the same time. "It is saying that the security interests of Southern Nigeria is not guaranteed and it shows that the loyalty of the Chief of Air Staff is with and for the North East of Nigeria and not even with the North Central, North West or Southern Nigeria as a whole. Is this why the majority of the National military assets of the Country are located in Northern Nigeria? The President and Commander-in-chief of the Armed forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria Major General Muhammadu Buhari (as he then was) should sack this officer who has used his mouth to tell millions of Nigerians of the Southern extraction that the Nigerian Air Force under him is not committed to protecting the South as much as it does in the North." " HURIWA hereby refers the Chief of Air Staff to the Constitutional provisions so he understands the weight of the very unfortunate and highly uncoordinated statement that he has just been reported to have made. These are what the Constitution says from section 217 to 220 thus: "217. 1 C. Armed Forces of the Federation 217. 1. There shall be an armed forces for the Federation which shall consist of an army, a navy, an Air Force and such other branches of the armed forces of the Federation as may be established by an Act of the National Assembly. 2. The Federation shall, subject to an Act of the National Assembly made in that behalf, equip and maintain the armed forces as may be considered adequate and effective for the purpose of- a. defending Nigeria from external aggression; b.. maintaining its territorial integrity and securing its borders from violation on land, sea, or air; c. suppressing insurrection and acting in aid of civil authorities to restore order when called upon to do so by the President, but subject to such conditions as may be prescribed by an Act of the National Assembly; and d. performance such other functions as may be prescribed by an Act of the National Assembly. 3. The composition of the officer corps and other ranks of the armed forces of the Federation shall reflect the federal character of Nigeria. 218. 1. The powers of the President as the Commissioner-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federation shall include power to determine the operational use of the armed forces of the Federation. 2.. The powers conferred on the President by subsection (1) of this section shall include power to appoint the Chief of Defence staff, the Chief of Army Staff, the Chief of Naval Staff, the Chief of Air Staff and heads of any other branches of the armed forces of the Federation as may be established by an Act of the National Assembly. 3. The President may, by directions in writing and subject to such conditions as he think fit, delegate to any member of the armed forces of the Federation his powers relating to the operational use of the Armed Forces of the Federation. 4. The National Assembly shall have power to make laws for the regulation of- a. The powers exercisable by the President as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federation; and b. the appointment, promotion and disciplinary control of members of the armed forces of the Federation. 219.The National Assembly shall- Duty to serve in the military a. in giving effect to the functions specified in section 217 of this Constitution; and b. with respect to the powers exercisable by the President under section 218 of this Constitution, by an Act, established a body which shall comprise such members as the National Assembly may determine, and which shall have power to ensure that the composition of the armed forces of the Federation shall reflect the federal character of Nigeria in the manner prescribed in the section 217 of this Constitution. 220. 1. The Federation shall establish and maintain adequate facilities for carrying into effect any Act of the National Assembly providing for compulsory military training or military service for citizens of Nigeria. 2. Until an Act of the National Assembly is made in that behalf the President may maintain adequate facilities in any secondary or post-secondary educational institution in Nigeria for giving military training in any such institution which desires to have the training." HURIWA recalled that the Chief of Air Staff said that due to increasing state of insecurity in northern part of Nigeria, is making it difficult for the military to effectively man, patrol and secure the Southern part of the country, said the Chief of Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar. The Prominent Civil Rights Advocacy group HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (HURIWA) recalled that the Chief of Air Staff Abubakar in a statement by the Director of Public Relations and Information (DOPRI), Air Commodore Ibikunle Daramola, made this remarks on Tuesday, while commissioning 2 blocks of 10 x one bedroom Single Officers accommodation at the 305 Special Mobility Group (305 SMG), Calabar, Cross River State. HURIWA quoted the media report as stating that: "The CAS, who was represented by the NAF Chief of Logistics, Air Vice Marshal Mohammed Yakubu, noted that the current national security imperatives, particularly the ongoing intensive air operations to deal with bandits and terrorists in the North West and North East of the Country, respectively, had made it difficult to ensure that 305 SMG has adequate platforms to effectively execute its assigned role of securing parts of the southern axis of the Nigerian airspace. " HURIWA is worried by the larger implications of this statement which has the overall consequences of affirming that the Southern part of Nigeria is deliberately being exposed to attacks from centripetal and centrifugal forces. So there is the urgency of the now for the Chief of Air Staff to be compelled by the Nigerian President to provide clarifications of this disturbing statement within the next 24 hours or we approach the President to so compel him or if nothing is done we will petition the global community to intervene to stave off any threats to the sanctity of the lives of the people of Southern Nigeria". HURIWA said also that if after 24 hours there us no retraction or clarification and a profound apology from the Chief of Air Staff then it will be writing to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to within 78 hours reassure Southern Nigeria that his government is not for the North and by Northerners and to correct the impression that the South can not receive the same kind of military cover like the North as credited to his Chief of Air Staff. We will petition the United Nations and World leaders to protect the South should the Nigerian President not concretely reassure Southern Nigerians that they are to enjoy equal protection like the North. Honestly, this is a highly worrying development". The dissolution of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the All Progressive Congress (APC) by the National Executive Committee (NEC) in the recent time seems to have prevented the party from a calamitious end where disintegration would have been the next level of action if the rancorous relationship within the party had left unchecked. However, the question begging for an answer is: who will assend the chaimanship position of the party? The National Executive Committee had on 25th June, 2020, dissolved the NWC which includes the chairman of the party, Adams Oshiomole and set up a Caretaker Committee/Extral-ordinary National Convention Planning Committee saddled with the responsibility to pilot the affairs of the party for six months and urged all members that have pending cases against the party in the court to go and withdraw them. At the inauguration, the chairman of the caretaker committee/National Convention committee promised to resolve all the remaining crisis in the party and organize a convention that will produce another chairman of the party before the expiration of their mandate in December. APC was formed in 2013, as a result of the merger of Nigeria's three biggest opposition parties the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), a faction of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and the new PDP - a faction of then ruling People's Democratic Party in order to wrestle power from the ruling party in 2015. However, since they have acquired power in 2015, the party has been facing leadership crisis which most times resuscitate their former indentities and pitched blocs against blocs within the party. Since the formation of the party in 2013, the party has had three Chairmen, one Interim and two elected chairmen. Unfortunately, the elected Chairmen have either left the office because of pressure from people demanding their resignation within the party, suspension from the Ward level, among others. The first Chairman, Chief Odie-Oyegun, for instance, was forced to step down in 2018 after the national leader of the party Ahmed Bola Tinibu published a protest letter in the dailies demanding for his resignation. It was this clamours and the growing indiscipline in the party that led to the emergent of Adams Oshiomole in 2018, particularly putting into consideration his achievement in the labour union. Infact, he was branded as a reformist that will transform the party and ensure party supremacy. However, the recent drama that led to his exist shows that the problem remains the same. Also, the proportion at which the Caretaker committee/Exta-ordinary National Convention Planning Committee seems to be blowing the "trumpet of its cardinal points of justice and fairness" shows that the Oshiomole led NWC, seems to have sacrificed justice and fairness on the alter of personal interest at some point in handling issues pertaining the party. Particularly, in the cold war that led to the exist of the Edo State Governor and his Deputy from the party. They both left the party because the Governor was disqualified from contesting the party governorship primary in Edo State. Though, it was not unexpected because of the long time battle between the Comrade Oshiomole and the Governor but it also exposes the lacuna in the formation of the party. Most people have described the party as the congregation of birds of different feathers flocking together. This might sounds funny and strange looking at the status of the party since it acquired power in 2015, but at the same time, it is a call for the founding fathers of the party to crystalized their differences in the interest of the party and party faithfuls. That is the reason the party members need to study the aspiring chairmen of the party before casting their vote. A person that fit for the chairmanship position must have listening ear and be ready to take responsibility for every action taken in the party. The person must be a man of integrity and courageous person that is ready to uphold party supremacy without fear. Because a party that has this kind of congregation where everybody want to have their ways even at the detriment of the party will need a skillful moderator to survive the crisis that will always emanating from the clash of interest. A skillful moderator in this sense is the chairman who must also be a team player. A team player is a leader that carries everyone along and make sure that it makes people see what he is seeing even when they are not willing to do so. So, the members should look beyond money and other enticing items before electing the chairman of the party in the coming convention so that the party will not move from frying pan to fire. Though, to have a chairman that will please everyone in the party will be difficult, but, with proper assessment it is possible to elect a person (s) that will carry 70 percent of the party members along and return the party to it's progressive path so that the over following progress can follow all overall the country because the stability of APC is the stability of Nigeria. Femi Oluwasanmi writes from Ibafo, Ogun State Delta State governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa and wife, Dame Edith, have tested positive for coronavirus (COVID-19) The governor disclosed the information through a post on his verified Facebook page on Wednesday, saying that are stable and have commenced necessary treatment, and further isolation. Governor Okowa and his wife had gone into self-isolation on Friday after one of their daughters tested positive to the virus. According to him: My wife and I have tested positive for COVID-19. We are well and continuing with our isolation/medication. We thank you all for your continued prayers for us and our daughter. A statement by the chief press secretary to Governor Okowa, Mr. Olisa Ifeajika, added that the governor assured that his administration would not relent in its efforts at combating the virus in the state, and urged the public to support it by complying with prescribed protocols by Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC). COVID-19 is real. The rate is increasing in our state and the virus is taking the lives of some of our people. I, therefore, again call on every Deltan to observe the protocols on the virus while in public, to curb further spread of the virus, especially in the communities, the statement added. Some communities are going ahead with fireworks this year despite the COVID-19 pandemic. (Epic Fireworks, flickr.com/photos/epicfireworks/3615445333) Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has issued an executive order closing all indoor bar, nightclub, and strip club service in Lower Michigan to help slow the rate of new COVID-19 cases being confirmed across the state. The order applies to all establishments with on-premises retailer liquor licenses that earn more than 70% of their gross receipts from alcohol sales, meaning brewpubs, distilleries, and vineyards can continue their indoor service. Executive Order 2020-143 does not apply to regions 6 and 8, which includes much of northern Michigan and the entire Upper Peninsula, and does allow bars statewide to continue to offer outdoor service. Whitmer said she signed the order to protect the progress that has been made in slowing the virus' spread over the past three months. Within the past week, every region in Michigan has seen an uptick in new cases, and daily case counts now exceed 20 cases per million in the Grand Rapids, Lansing and Kalamazoo regions. Since June 24, a total of 929 new cases have been confirmed statewide. - Advertisement - We owe it to our front line heroes who have sacrificed so much during this crisis to do everything we can to slow the spread of COVID-19 and reduce the chance of a resurgence like we are seeing in other states, she said. Following recent outbreaks tied to bars, I am taking this action today to slow the spread of the virus and keep people safe." Gretchen Whitmer reveals plan for safe reopening of Michigan schools in fall Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has announced a plan to help guide schools towards a safe reopening in the fall during the COVID-19 pandemic. The action was also taken to help avoid "super spreader" events, where single establishments, such as crowded bars, have been linked to dozens of new confirmed cases of the virus. For example, Ingham County health officials have linked 107 confirmed COVID-19 cases to Harper's Restaurant and Brewpub in East Lansing. In June, nearly 25% of Michigan's new cases were of people ages 20 to 29, up from roughly 16% in May. State health officials say this shift aligns with national trends with evidence suggesting that young people may be driving a new phase of the pandemic. Justin Winslow, Michigan Restaurant & Lodging Association President & CEO, said he recognizes that Whitmer's order was largely a stay of execution for the restaurant industry, given the more expansive measures taken in several other states. "We operate in uncertain times, with almost inconceivable challenges that shift by the day and so it is important to remember that the vast majority of operators are honest brokers doing the very best they can to keep people safe, happy and nourished," he said. "This order is just the latest reminder that if we want to retain the things we love like a great meal with friends and family we all must bear greater responsibility for our collective safety or grieve its absence." Also on Wednesday, Whitmer signed Senate Bills 876-878, which codifies her previous executive orders and further extends the renewal date for driver's licenses, state ID cards, and vehicle registration that expired between March 1 and June 30 to September 30. The bill signings result in the rescission of executive order 2020-78. I am pleased to continue to work with the legislature to codify significant executive orders that help Michiganders cope with the COVID-19 pandemic, said Whitmer. These bills will give Michigan residents peace of mind and reduce the amount of person-to-person interaction necessary when renewing licenses and registrations. Whitmer said the extension is needed as many Michiganders have been unable to timely renew their licenses and vehicle registrations due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which resulted in the closure of Secretary of State branch offices statewide. +2 Moving fall sports to spring is a real possibility Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmers recommendation Tuesday that the MHSAA play football and other fall sports in the spring of 2021 to combat Many transactions, including vehicle registration renewals, do not need to be conducted in-person and should be done online at Michigan.gov/SOS. Automobile, motorcycle and watercraft registration renewals can also be completed at one of the 122 Self-Service Stations located around the state. You can find a self-service station nearest you by visiting https://www.michigan.gov/sos/0,4670,7-127-1640_3408_9135-123612--,00.html. Residents needing to schedule an appointment at a branch office can do so online at Michigan.gov/SOS or by calling 1-(888)-SOS-MICH. Advance appointments can be made up to 180 days ahead of time. Same-day appointments become available 24 hours prior to the appointment time. Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson said her office is grateful for the support of the Legislature and the governor in working to ensure essential transactions can be conducted in branch offices in a way that balances the health of staff and customers with the needs of Michigan drivers. We have been continually assessing the safest way to maintain branch operations and this legislation will go a long way toward those efforts," she said. Whitmer also signed Senate Bill 942 and House Bills 5781 and 5811 into law, which allow bars and restaurants to sell cocktails-to-go and expand social districts to allow for more outdoor seating and areas for people to safely congregate while practicing physical distancing. I am hopeful providing options for cocktails-to-go and expanded social districts will ensure these businesses can remain open and Michiganders can safely and responsibly enjoy their summer outdoors," said Whitmer. District court judicial candidate and former officer talks about the need for police reform Dennis Whittie of Ferndale, a former River Rouge police officer, said that George Floyds death has shined a light on the need for police reform. Although law enforcement is mostly made up of people trying their best to do their jobs, Whittie said he also knows there are bad apples who should be held as accountable as any person who commits a crime should. The few police officers that act inappropriately create a negative general image of police officers, he said. Whittie, who is currently running for judicial vacancy on the 43rd District Court, said he knows the importance of taking a stand against officers who are racist or are abusing their power. In 2016, after 15 years working in law enforcement, Whitties employment was terminated after he exposed the alleged corruption he saw going on in his own department. According to MLive, Whittie reported an officer who had allegedly received oral sex from a resident in exchange for not making an arrest, another officer who used excessive force, and officers who posted racist comments on Facebook. The River Rouge city attorney's office did not comment on these allegations. I worked to keep my department accountable. The troubling part to me is that none of the violations I reported were actually addressed. For all the reports I made, the end result was my termination and nothing more, Whittie said. Even so, I would not change what I did as it was the right thing to do. Gov. Gretchen Whitmers new four-pronged police reform plan is aimed at combating issues such as these within the police force. She also voiced her support for measures that require law enforcement officers to complete training on implicit bias and de-escalation techniques. If you ask most officers, they will agree they want more training. When you ask their employers why there is not enough training, they will say, We do not get enough state-shared revenue or other sources to both staff the police service and provide training, said Whittie. Gov. Whitmers plan will require in-service training for all licensed law enforcement officers to maintain licensure and includes investment in programs that connect local police and community leaders to build relationships. After Whittie experience in the police force, he is doing what he can to make a difference in the system. After seeing many people falsely accused by misleading complainants or the certain selective enforcement based on biases and political beliefs, I decided that I would be most effective in the law as a criminal defense attorney, said Whittie. All of these experiences have led me to the path to run for District Court Judge to serve all communities whether black, white, Hispanic, Arab, LGTBQ and all others. For more information, visit denniswhittie.com. Oakland County moving fast to support communities preparing for influx of mail-in ballots Oakland County is moving quickly with plans to support communities that may lack the election infrastructure and staff to handle a significant +3 Oakland County confirms three COVID-19 cases at Fifth Avenue Royal Oak The Oakland County Health Division is reporting that three confirmed cases of COVID-19 visited Fifth Avenue Royal Oak on June 19. +2 Board finds it has authority on guns at Michigan Capitol LANSING (AP) A board overseeing Michigan's Capitol determined Tuesday that it has the legal authority to decide whether guns will continue t Michigan leaders reach agreement on 2020 budget shortfall LANSING (AP) An agreement to address a $3.2 billion shortfall in Michigan's 2020 budget was announced Monday by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and le Gretchen Whitmer proposes four-pronged police reform plan Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has introduced a four-pronged police reform plan aimed at strengthening police-community relations and ensuring Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmers recommendation Tuesday that the MHSAA play football and other fall sports in the spring of 2021 to combat Clearfield, PA (16830) Today Scattered thunderstorms during the morning becoming more widespread this afternoon. A few storms may be severe. High near 85F. Winds SW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 80%.. Tonight Thunderstorms this evening followed by occasional showers overnight. Low 58F. Winds WNW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 70%. The government's top experts in infectious diseases on Tuesday criticized American Airlines' decision to pack flights full while the coronavirus outbreak continues to grow across much of the United States. "Obviously that is something that is of concern. I'm not sure what went into that decision making," Dr. Anthony Fauci told a Senate panel. "I think in the confines of an airplane that becomes even more problematic." Several U.S. airlines say they are limiting capacity on planes to between 60% and 67% of all seats. However, United Airlines never promised to leave seats empty, and American said last week that starting Wednesday it would drop its effort to keep half of all middle seats empty. - Advertisement - "When they announced that the other day obviously there was substantial disappointment with American Airlines," said Dr. Robert Redfield, director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "I can say this is under critical review by us at CDC. We don't think it's the right message." +3 Fauci: US could reach 100,000 new cases a day WASHINGTON Dr. Anthony Fauci said coronavirus cases could grow to 100,000 a day in the U.S. if Americans don't start following public health Fauci, the top infectious disease expert at the National Institutes of Health, and Redfield made the comments in response to questioning by Sen. Bernie Sanders during a Senate health committee hearing. Sanders, an independent from Vermont, pressed the officials on how full flights square with the message from public health experts that people should stay six feet apart to prevent transmission of the virus that causes COVID-19. American Airlines spokesman Ross Feinstein said the airline has "multiple layers of protection in place for those who fly with us, including required face coverings, enhanced cleaning procedures, and a pre-flight COVID-19 symptom checklist." He said American was also giving customers the option of changing their ticket if their flight might be full. The CEOs of American and United have said that even with middle seats empty, it is impossible to follow 6-foot social-distancing on a plane, so airlines rely on masks, deep cleaning and air-filtration systems on planes to prevent spreading the virus. "It's less about social distancing and it's more about the air and quality of air on board the airplane that makes people safe," said United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby, who added he had not seen the health officials' comments. Airlines are desperate to increase revenue as they try to survive a plunge in air travel that reached 95% during April. Many airline flights were nearly empty in the early weeks of the outbreak, with the average dipping to about 10 passengers, according to industry figures. Some days, there were fewer than 100,000 people flying in the United States, a level not seen since the 1950s, except in the days following the September 2001 terror attacks. Air travel has increased slowly since mid-April although it's still down 75% from normal and some flights have been packed. American, which is based in Fort Worth, Texas, plans to increase flights by nearly 60% starting July 7 compared with June, which could help avoid full planes. Delta Air Lines, Southwest Airlines, JetBlue Airways and Alaska Airlines say they will continue to limit capacity, in some cases through September. Budget carrier Spirit Airlines does not. Michigan added 262 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday and only four new deaths were reported. The number is a bit less than some of the days last week, though Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, one day after providing some details on how schools could reopen next month, ordered bars throughout much of Michigan to close indoor sections. The number of new cases pushes the total number of confirmed cases of the disease caused by the coronavirus to 64,132, and the state has now seen 5,951 deaths. Factoring in probable cases, which number at nearly 7,000, the total cases are at 71,089 and the deaths number 6,198. - Advertisement - Michigan ranks 11th of the 50 states in the total number of cases, but it is more than 10,000 cases behind the next highest state, Georgia. Early in the pandemic, Michigan ranked as high as fourth but several other states are seeing uncontrolled growth in cases. As of Wednesday afternoon, about 1.08 million diagnostic tests have been given in Michigan. The U.S. now has 2.66 million cases of COVID-19 with nearly 128,000 dead, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. Worldwide, 10.54 million people have been infected and about 513,000 have been killed. Gretchen Whitmer closes indoor bars, allows to-go cocktails LANSING (AP) Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Wednesday said she was closing indoor seating in bars in parts of the state, including a city The slight dip in new cases in Michigan as July kicks off is a break from the past week, when the state saw new confirmed cases exceed 300 on five different days. However, the 262 new cases was still higher than average days during the first half of the month of June. The hot zones in the U.S. remain in the south and the southwest, with states such as Florida, Arizona, Texas, and California breaking records new daily cases. The number of new cases in a day has numbered about 6,500 in Florida, 4,900 in Arizona, and 7,000 in Texas. Governors and local leaders in these states have pulled back on reopening plans and closed bars and beaches, while in Michigan the reopening has continued but at a slow pace. The southern half of the Lower Peninsula remains in Phase 4 of reopening and the governor said Tuesday that it would not move ahead to Phase 5 in time for the July 4th weekend. Where new cases are showing up While Detroit has the most cases, it was the rest of Wayne County that saw the most new confirmed cases on Wednesday, nearly doubling what Detroit added. Next up, though, was Kent County in western Michigan, which added 38 new cases to push their total 4,533 cases. Wayne County's 39 new cases pushed its total to 10,333 confirmed cases, with another 401 cases listed as probable. Detroit, meanwhile, has 11,598 cases after adding another 20. The city has another 523 cases listed as probable. To the north, Oakland and Macomb counties combined to add 50 new confirmed cases, with Oakland County adding 24 cases and Macomb County showing 26 infections. Oakland County now has 8,922 cases confirmed but also lists another 3,129 probable cases. Macomb now has 7,194 confirmed cases and another 234 probable cases. Mid-Michigan cases grew in Ingham County, where last week a brewpub was identified as a place where dozens became infected. The county added another 21 cases Wednesday to reach 999 confirmed infections. To the north, Isabella County added five new cases to leave it with 106 cases. Two neighboring counties, Clare and Gratiot, saw no new cases. "We can't backslide now" With more national leaders encouraging all to wear face masks, some worry about locking down again, especially as the southern states have had to close parts of their economy. In southeastern Michigan, a handful of restaurants have closed after outbreaks or struggles with the economic downturn brought on by the pandemic. With the Fourth of July holiday approaching, state and local officials have reminded Michiganders to celebrate with an eye on limiting contact and wearing masks, being safe to slow or stop the spread of the coronavirus especially as the governor and local leaders are looking at how to reopen schools and move more of the state into Phase 5. "If we want to be in a strong position to reopen schools for in-person classroom instruction this fall, then we need to take aggressive action right now to ensure we dont wipe out all the progress we have made, Whitmer said about her decision to order the closure of some bars in Michigan. "Weve made good progress in managing a highly contagious virus and we cant backslide now," Oakland County Executive Dave Coulter tweeted. "Social distancing and facial coverings work and they are critical to our safe reopening." Lang Pioneer Village will be opening its doors to the public next Wednesday with pre-booked guided tours only. We changed our programming so we can control the number of visitors that are on our site, as well as how people move through the site, to keep people safe, said museum manager Laurie Siblock. From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Wednesday through Sunday, 45-minute guided tours can be booked for a maximum of nine individuals. Visitors will also have an additional hour for a self-guided tour of the museum following their guided tour. Its a group tour for up to nine family members or people within your close social circle, said Siblock. Tours will leave every 15 minutes and cost a flat rate of $40. Earlier this month, the provincial government announced that museums could reopen in the Peterborough region. At that time, we were kind of shocked. We werent expecting that. But weve got quite good at pivoting and we saw this as a wonderful opportunity to provide local people with a way to spend time with their families in a safe way, said Siblock. While we were working from home, staff were busy keeping an eye on monitoring what was happening in other countries that were reopening before us and seeing what kind of things were working for them and what kind of challenges they were having. The museum is going cashless, asking visitors to preorder everything online prior to their tour. We have now put our museum shop online too, so they can pro-shop and well have everything packed up and ready for them when theyre here, she said. Snacks and refreshments can also be purchased in advance. Although masks wont be required at all times during the tour, they will be necessary when visitors are indoors. Siblock said the museum has been able to recall a number of seasonal staff. We love this place and it was so exciting to be able to come back to and start to bring the village back to life again, she said. The village suffered vandalism damage during its closure. Siblock said there have been no further incidents relating to vandalism. Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... It cost us a little bit of money but the goodwill of the community to help us through that was really great, she said. To book a tour visit https://lang-pioneer-village-museum.myshopify.com/. As a former chair of the then Peterborough-Lakefield Police Services Board, I would like to show my support for the jobs the Peterborough Police Service does on a daily basis. I am proud of our municipal police and I hope that citizens of Peterborough do not lump them in the same way based on the terrible events south of the border and elsewhere in Canada. During my tenure, I did not hear or see any of this sort of discrimination. We dont want to scrutinize our force unfairly amid these other events. During my appointment to the board I had the opportunity to accompany officers and experience ride-alongs on several occasions. I experienced several different calls to the front-line officers and witnessed several circumstances with success of officers de-escalating and communicating with those involved to a peaceful outcome. Our officers are trained to do so, and they are also trained to use force when appropriate. Many times, calls required the assistance of other agencies such as YWCA, Brock Mission and Youth Emergency Services to name a few. The ultimate goal of the officers is public safety and working toward a healthy outcome. To invest in body and cruiser cameras is a good idea, but dont forget it will come with a substantial cost of the equipment and maintaining storage and analyzing. It appears that at a time of defunding police forces, it is time to train and maintain a healthy force. There is an anonymous way of complaining in Ontario known as the Office of the Independent Police Review Director. Let us show are support for our force and thank them for promoting the safety of our citizens and the protection of property. The U.K.s Competition and Markets Authority said it needed sweeping new powers to roll back the dominance of Google and Facebook Inc. in the online-advertising market. The regulator said a new regime should have the power to order structural changes including potentially forcing Alphabet Inc.s Google to open up its click and query data to rival search engines. The regulator said its existing powers were insufficient and an entirely new approach was needed. What we have found is concerning - if the market power of these firms goes unchecked, people and businesses will lose out, the CMAs chief executive officer Andrea Coscelli said in a statement Wednesday. The proposals serve as a potential template for the U.S. and the European Union to tackle digital monopolies as regulators grapple with ways to police the firms in digital-advertising markets. In Britain, Google and Facebook account for 80 per cent of all spending on digital advertising, the CMA said. The advertising revenues that fuel profits for Google and Facebook are increasingly coming under antitrust scrutiny, often prompted by complaints from media companies as advertising spend shifts to the web. Frances competition authority has flagged the scale of Googles ad business as a potential concern while Germany is also looking at the market. We support regulation that benefits people, businesses and society and well continue to work constructively with regulatory authorities and government on these important areas so that everyone can make the most of the web, said Ronan Harris, vice president of Googles U.K. arm. Representatives for Facebook and Amazon.com Inc., which would potentially also be affected, couldnt immediately comment. The EUs powerful antitrust watchdog is also seeking new powers to chase down online giants, aware that years of probes into the likes of Google havent extracted much meaningful change, despite hefty penalties. Google has largely shrugged off some $9 billion in fines and antitrust orders that tried to stoke more competition for search services. The largest tech firms, designated as having strategic market status, would face an enforceable code of conduct under the new regime, the CMA said. The CMA, which has long been keen to challenge the power of the tech giants in the U.K., has recently used its oversight of acquisitions to scrutinize the firms. But the new powers of a Digital Markets Unit would enable the regulator to go as far as demanding structural changes including splitting operations. Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Read more about: Its been an interesting year so far in the books industry. Many titles that were supposed to come out in the spring were moved to the summer and fall. Which means that theres an exceptionally robust books offering for readers right now with everything from thrillers to true crime to biography. Here, Ive rounded up some that Ive already had a chance to look at and others that Im really looking forward to. Several come out Sept. 1 but even then weve got a few weeks left of summer. Time enough to luxuriate with a good book or three. This Red Line Goes Straight To Your Heart, by Madhur Anand (McClelland & Stewart, June 30): This one is just out from a University of Guelph professor who is both a poet and an ecologist, who has delved into her parents lives with this experimental memoir. Its got two covers: read it one way and you hear the voices of her parents; turn it upside down and you hear the voice of the daughter of immigrants. A powerful and moving story about immigration and about the tension between art and science. July Still Here, by Amy Stuart (Simon & Schuster, July 7): Summer wouldnt be the same without a pile of good psychological thrillers waiting to be read. Toronto writer Stuart has created a following with her previous two books in the genre: Still Mine and Still Water. This latest, linked by title though it also stands alone, features PI Clare ODey who is on the hunt for two missing persons. Could it be that shes being hunted, too? Enough shivers to cool you down on a hot day. County Heirlooms, Recipes and Reflections from Prince Edward County, by Natalie Wollenberg and Leigh Nash (Invisible Publishing, July 10): A really good cookbook isnt only about the recipes; its about how the authors talk about food and the insights they share about how food informs our lives. This ones got 42 interviews and favourite recipes from the county near Belleville, Ont., with beekeepers, restaurateurs and growers, among others. A lovely celebration of local food you can prepare yourself. Memoirs and Misinformation, by Jim Carrey and Dana Vachon (Penguin Random House Canada, July 7): Not what youd expect from the comedian, perhaps: this is a novel, loosely disguised as a memoir (the main characters name is Jim Carrey), about a Hollywood icon who has somehow lost himself along the way. It features cameos and supporting parts from all sorts of Tinsel Town A-listers (Nic Cage, Gwyneth Paltrow, Quentin Tarantino), a twisting plot line, a whole lotta Netflix, skewers aplenty and obscure Canadian mentions thatll have you laughing in recognition. The Pull of the Stars, by Emma Donoghue (HarperCollins, July 21): A new book by Irish Canadian Donoghue is always an occasion to be celebrated. This one is set in 1918 Dublin amidst the Spanish Flu, in the maternity ward of a city centre hospital, where the pregnant patients, doctors and nurses have a profound affect on each other. This one is timely as well as impeccably researched and immensely readable, as always with Donoghue. The Answer Is : My Reflections on My Life, by Alex Trebek (Simon & Schuster, July 21): Hes in our living rooms every night and has been for years; but even with that feeling of familiarity we havent really known the host of Jeopardy! Hes always been a very private person, but the public outpouring of affection following his diagnosis of stage four pancreatic cancer last year finally convinced him to share his story. Its one of the most highly anticipated books of the summer. Unspeakable Acts: True Tales of Crime, Murder, Deceit, and Obsession, by Sarah Weinman (HarperCollins, July 28): Reading about true crime and trying to understand what compels people to give in to their dark sides is always popular. And Weinman, who wrote The Real Lolita, has a wonderful sense of story. Shes pulled together some of the best true crime writing going right now in this anthology. Memorial Drive: A Daughters Memoir, by Natasha Trethewey (HarperCollins, July 28): Trethewey was the U.S. poet laureate in both 2012 and 2013, and also won a Pulitzer Prize. But this story is personal. Trethewey grew up in Mississippi, the daughter of a Black mother and a white Canadian father their marriage was illegal in the early 60s, but they married anyway. They divorced when Trethewey was a girl. Then, when she was 19, her former stepfather shot and killed her mother. This book tells a story informed by domestic abuse, and how it shaped Tretheweys life and artistry. August Luster: A Novel, by Raven Leilani (Doubleday Canada, Aug. 4): This is a debut novel in which Edie, a young Black woman, is trying to create a life in the world of art and stumbles into someones open marriage along the way. Described as sharp, comic, disruptive, tender and a portrait of a young woman trying to make sense of her life in a tumultuous era its one Im looking forward to. Cascade, by Craig Davidson (Penguin Random House Canada, Aug. 18): Davidson is such a versatile writer its a delight to see what hes going to come up with next. Hes written nonfiction, literary fiction and, under his alter ego Nick Cutter, horror. This is his first book of short stories since his wildly successful Rust and Bone (from which a Golden Globe-nominated movie was made). These six stories look at family relationships in the magical Niagara Falls setting he knows so well. Rabbit Foot Bill, by Helen Humphreys (HarperCollins, Aug. 18): Humphreys writes beautifully whether she turns her hand to fiction or nonfiction. Her latest novel is based on a true story: Leonard Flint, as a young boy in Saskatchewan, meets and becomes close friends with a tramp called Rabbit Foot Bill. Suddenly, and unexpectedly, Bill commits murder and goes to prison. Leonard and Bill are reunited years later, with Leonard as a psychiatrist, trying to understand what happened. Gripping, beautiful. The Expendables: How the Middle Class Got Screwed by Globalization, by Jeff Rubin (Penguin Random House Canada, Aug. 22): Rubin is the former chief economist of CIBC, but lately hes been writing, including the bestselling Why Your World Is About to Get a Whole Lot Smaller. This time, he takes on the disappearance of the middle class and how the populist movement, including Brexit and Trump, will change the developed world. Described as a book that dovetails with the ideas of both Naomi Klein and Donald Trump. Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Indians on Vacation, by Thomas King (HarperCollins, Aug. 25): From the first page, Kings sardonic and very funny voice leads us to places we never expect to go. This time: to Prague. Bird and Mimi have headed there after Mimi found a bunch of old postcards sent by her Uncle Leroy who, a century ago, took with him on his travels the family medicine bundle. European and Indigenous history collide and theres no one better to examine the aftermath. A History of My Brief Body, by Billy-Ray Belcourt (Penguin Random House Canada, Aug. 25): Literary wunderkind Belcourt won the prestigious Griffin Prize for his poetry; now hes out with a memoir that is already garnering rapturous praise. He remembers his early life in Alberta through growing up, first loves and sexual exploration. What emerges is not only a profound meditation on memory, gender, anger, shame and ecstasy, but also the outline of a way forward. Forest Green, by Kate Pullinger (Doubleday Canada, Aug. 25): A beautiful novel set in B.C., it explores the life of Arthur Lunn, a homeless man seen sitting on a Vancouver sidewalk in 1995. This is the story of how he got there via a life in the Second World War, logging camps and love affairs. September TIFF: A Life of Timothy Findley, by Sherrill Grace (Wilfrid Laurier University Press, Sept. 1): Findley is one of this countrys most beloved authors, and this biography is a deep and intimate look at his life: his family, his friendships, his acting (he began his career as an actor in London, England). Biographer Grace had access to his private journals, interviews and archives; a truly thorough and enjoyable biography. Blaze Island, by Catherine Bush (Goose Lane Editions, Sept. 1): I remember reading Bushs first book, Minus Time, way back in 1994. Now shes published four novels to critical acclaim and reader affection. Her fifth and newest is described as climate-themed, Shakespeare-inspired; it takes place in the North Atlantic, on an island hit by a Category 5 hurricane, and features a small cast of compelling, interesting characters. As is usual, whats going on outside is as important as whats going on inside. The Residence, by Andrew Pyper (Simon & Schuster, Sept. 1): Over the years countless publications have touted Torontos Pyper as the next Stephen King. Which tells you just how talented a horror writer he is. This new book is as timely as it is scary: a ghost story set in the White House of the 1850s and based on true events. Noopiming: The Cure For White Ladies, by Leanne Betasamosake Simpson (House of Anansi, Sept. 1): Near Lakefield, in the area of Peterborough, is where Susanna Moodie experienced the life she made famous in Roughing It in the Bush. Curve Lake, Buckhorn, Peterborough have long been topics of Betasamosake Simpsons work and where she lives. Noopiming, which is Anishinaabemowin for in the bush, is her response to the English settlers book. An image I love? Adiks favourite sound is ten thousand hooves hitting the ice. Imagine. You cant even. We Two Alone, by Jack Wang (House of Anansi, Sept. 1): This is a wildly anticipated debut work from Wang. The stories in this collection are set on five continents and span nearly a century, tracing the long arc of the Chinese immigrant experience and dramatizing the Chinese diaspora around the globe. In 1997 I walked into the Berkeley Art Museum to be greeted by a staggering sight: an array of some 20 quilts unlike any I had ever seen. Their unbridled colours, irregular shapes and nearly reckless range of textiles telegraphed a tremendous energy and the implacable ambition, and confidence, of great art. They were crafted objects that transcended quilting, with the power of painting. This made them canon-busting, and implicitly subversive. They gave off a tangible heat. I left in a state of shock I knew I had been instantly converted but I didnt yet know to what. In memory the show became a jubilant fugue of small squares of velvet in deep gemstone hues, dancing with not much apparent order yet impeccably arranged for full effect. My first thought was of Paul Klee, that kind of love-at-first-sight allure, seductive hand-madeness and unfiltered accessibility, only bigger and stronger. The planets had aligned: Id happened on the first solo show anywhere of Rosie Lee Tompkins, an exemplar of one of the countrys premier visual traditions: African-American improvisational quilt-making an especially innovative branch of a medium that reaches back to African textiles and continues to thrive. Tompkinss work, I came to realize, was one of the centurys major artistic accomplishments, giving quilt-making a radical new articulation and emotional urgency. I felt I had been given a new standard against which to measure contemporary art. Rosie Lee Tompkins was a pseudonym, I would learn, adopted by a fiercely private, deeply religious woman, who as her work received more and more attention, was almost never photographed or interviewed. She was born Effie Mae Martin in rural Gould, Ark., on Sept. 9, 1936. At the time of the show, she was 61 and living in nearby Richmond, Calif., just north of Berkeley. Over the years, I would be repeatedly blown away by work that was at once rigorous and inclusive. Tompkins was an inventive colourist whose generous use of black added to the gravity of her efforts. She worked in several styles and all kinds of fabrics, using velvets printed, panne, crushed to gorgeous effect, in ways that rivalled oil paint. But she was also adept with denim, faux furs, distressed T-shirts and fabrics printed with the faces of the Kennedy brothers, Martin Luther King Jr. and Magic Johnson. A typical Tompkins quilt had an original, irresistible aliveness. One of her narrative works was 14 feet across, the size of small billboard. It appropriated whole dish towels printed with folkloric scenes, parts of a feed sack, and, most prominently, bright bold chunks of the American flag. What else? Bits of embroidery, Mexican textiles, fabrics printed with flamenco dancers and racing cars, hot pink batik and, front and centre, a slightly cheesy manufactured tapestry of Jesus Christ. It seemed like a map of the melting pot of American culture and politics. While works like this one relate to Pop Art, others had the power of abstraction. One of her signature velvets might be described as a failed checkerboard. Its little squares of black and dark green, lime and blue, slide continuously in and out of register, creating the illusion of ceaseless motion, like a fractal model of rippling water. This surface action, I discovered, reflected her constant improvisation: Tompkins began by cutting her squares (or triangles or bars) freehand, never measuring or using a template, and intuitively changed the colours, shapes and size of her fabric fragments, making her compositions seem to expand or contract. As a result her quilts could be deliriously akimbo, imbued with a mesmerizing pull of differences and inconsistencies that communicates impassioned attention and care. I think its because I love them so much that God let me see all these different colours, Tompkins once said of her patchworks. I hope they spread a lot of love. That 1997 Berkeley show was my first Rosie Lee Tompkins moment. Organized by Lawrence Rinder, the museums chief curator, it helped boost her reputation beyond the quilt world centred in and around San Francisco. This September many more people will have similar moments of their own, and feel the love implicit in her extraordinary achievement, when Rosie Lee Tompkins: A Retrospective the artists largest show yet opens its doors once more at the Berkeley Art Museum for a run through Dec. 20. (It debuted briefly in February before the coronavirus lockdown.) The museums website currently offers a robust online display and 70-minute virtual tour. This exhibition, again organized by Mr. Rinder, the museums director until March, with Elaine Y. Yau, a post-doctoral curatorial fellow, marks the end of a 35-year saga. Though it began with Effie Mae Martin, it came to include a small, nervous collector named Eli Leon, who met her in 1985, fell in love with her quilts and those of many other African-American creators in and around Richmond and devoted half his life to acquiring and studying, exhibiting and writing about their work. Lee Tompkins grew up the eldest of 15 half-siblings, picking cotton and piecing quilts for her mother. In 1958 she joined the postwar phase of the Great Migration, relocating to Milwaukee and then Chicago, eventually settling in Richmond, Calif., a busy port and shipyard that had become a destination for thousands of African-Americans who moved out of the South, many bringing with them singular aspects of rural culture. She studied nursing, and for the next two decades or so worked in convalescent homes, a job she is said to have loved. During this time she married and divorced Ellis Howard, raised five children and stepchildren and started to make quilts to sell at the areas many flea markets, along with other wares. She even had a printed business card that offered Crazy Quilts and Pillows All Sizes. By the late 1970s, according to the current exhibitions catalogue, she was earning as much as $400 a weekend from sales and was able to quit her nursing job. The flea markets were a quilters paradise in the 1970s, 80s and beyond, places where the necessary materials were plentiful and cheap: printed, embroidered and sequined fabrics, beaded trim, crocheted doilies, needlepoint, buttons, second-hand clothing, costume jewelry all of which, and more, Tompkins incorporated into her art. The area was also paradise for quilt collectors, one of whom was Eli, born in the Bronx in 1935 and trained as a psychologist, whose collecting instincts verged on hoarding. Eli had also worked as a graphic designer and sometime in the late 1970s, after years of haunting the areas flea markets and yard sales for whatever appealed, he zeroed in on the visual vibrancy of quilts, evolving into a self-taught scholar. He lived frugally in a small bungalow in Oakland that was eventually packed to its rafters with quilts, except for his dining room and kitchen. These were menageries of previous flea-market obsessions, artifacts of between-the-wars popular culture crafts, milk glass, dolls, cookie tins, but also meat grinders, toasters and enamel saucepans mostly in the jade greens. Around 1980, Eli turned his gimlet eye to searching out African-American quilts and interviewing their makers. At flea markets he would approach anyone selling anything to ask if they knew of quilts for sale. One day he asked a woman selling kitchen utensils Effie Mae Howard. He would later write, She was evasive, but eventually let on that she herself dabbled in the craft. Thereafter he bought everything she would sell him, sometimes going into debt to do so. They were the jewels in the crown of a collection of African-American quilts that would eventually number in the thousands. Rosie Lee and Eli were an odd pair, both wilful, defensive and fragile. Each had survived a nervous breakdown or two; Rosie Lees, coming sometime in the late 70s, deepened the spirituality and intensity of her work, making it more than ever a haven from the world. Elis first came early, after his wife of five years left him. (They had met as students at Reed College and married, even though they both knew he was gay.) Eli believed Rosie Lee was a great artist and at one point made notes about illustrating an essay about her with works by Michelangelo, Mondrian and Picasso. The quilter felt she was an instrument of God and saw her work as an expression of her faith and his designs. If people like my work, she once told Eli, that means the love of Jesus Christ is still shining through what Im doing. In photographs, Rosie Lee looks tall, of regal posture. Elis devotion to her work made him a supplicant, willing to do anything bring her fabrics and art books to help with her work. He also wanted to promote it, devising Rosie Lee Tompkins as her art name, to preserve her privacy. Some people thought she might not exist, that Eli had made the quilts himself. His promotional efforts, however, did not involve much selling: Eli was almost congenitally incapable of parting with any of his quilts, or anything else, that he accumulated. But within a year he began building a resume of articles, exhibitions and lectures about the importance of African-American quilts as well as their frequent emphasis on improvisation and their links to African textiles. In doing so, he contributed to the national awareness of quilts of all kinds by African-Americans, which have been increasingly studied and exhibited since around 1980, thanks to the combined influences of the civil rights movement, feminism and multiculturalism. His 1987 show, Whod a Thought It: Improvisation in African-American Quiltmaking, included a catalogue essay by the well-known Africanist Robert Ferris Thompson alongside his own. It opened at the San Francisco Craft and Folk Art Museum in 1987 and, over the next decade, toured to 25 museums including the American Craft Museum in New York City in 1989. (It was written about in the Home Section of The New York Times, but significantly not in the Art pages.) Eli made three trips to the South on a Guggenheim grant in one instance to meet the relatives of quilters he knew and collected around Oakland. In Arkansas he visited Rosie Lees mother, Sadie Lee Dale, and bought one of her quilts, too. Mr. Rinders Rosie Lee Tompkins conversion took place in a show of black and white quilts by African-Americans that Eli organized in 1996 at the Richmond Art Center. The textile of hers that jumped out at Mr. Rinder is impressive even in photographs. Made from a family of velvets, it resembles Op-Art, only softer, less mechanical and altogether more appealing. Eager for more information about the artist, Mr. Rinder called up Eli, who responded, You like that piece? You should see what she does with colour! Though I never met Tompkins, her quilts became stuck in my mind, sometimes at the forefront, sometimes in a corner. I mentioned her work in my writing when I could. Initially she seemed to belong to the first rank of outsider artists who began reshaping the American art canon around 1980, such geniuses as Martin Ramirez, Bill Traylor and Joseph Yoakum. Like Rosie Lee, they were artists of colour. (Others, like Henry Darger and James Castle, were white.) She was the only female artist I knew who seemed of their stature perhaps beyond it which was doubly exhilarating. But the self-taught or outsider labels were inaccurate for quilters. Effie Mae Martin had grown up as her mothers apprentice in a kind of atelier: a small town full of female friends and relatives who quilted, the older ones showing and telling the younger ones how it was done. More and more I saw her as a great American artist, no qualifier needed. She reminded me of George Ohr, the unparalleled turn-of-the-century potter from Biloxi, Miss., whose his work was rediscovered in the early 1970s. Ohrs precariously thin-walled vessels, unlikely shapes and inspired glazing shared a kind of bravura with Tompkinss works. They both possessed an extraordinary skill and idiosyncratic abandon that creates a new sense of the possibilities of the hand, visual wit and beauty in any medium. As with Ohr, Tompkinss work triggered a kind of joy on first encounter. You could hear it in the reviews of the 2002 Whitney Biennial, which Mr. Rinder organized during his stint there as curator of contemporary art. He put three of her quilts in the show, one of which the Whitney acquired. After a final decade that was a nearly vertical trajectory, hurtling toward art world fame, Rosie Lee Tompkins died suddenly, at 70, in December 2006, in her home. There were obituaries in The New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, The San Francisco Chronicle and The Boston Globe. Then, in 2013, Eli began to leave me urgent phone messages: You have to come out here. I need help, his thin reedy voice said. He had received a diagnosis of dementia, and was worried about what would become of his collection, which he wanted to keep intact. It was overflowing not only his house, but also a small, climate-controlled annex he had built behind it. Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... I visited him that fall, to be stunned all over again when Eli and Jenny Hurth his exemplary friend, assistant, fellow quilt-lover and, after 2011, his most constant caregiver unveiled a succession of Tompkins velvets, clipping them to the moulding above the double doors between his living and dining rooms. I listened as Eli spoke about Tompkins, her life and work, and also his. (Eli was not shy about his considerable brilliance.) Wedging myself into the narrow gaps between the shelves of folded quilts in the annex, I got an inkling of how much I hadnt seen. With this visit, I joined a scattered group of individuals who had been seduced by Elis dedication but mainly by his collection, and were now concerned for its fate. In addition to Mr. Rinder and Ms. Hurth, it included Elsa Longhauser, then director of the Santa Monica Museum of Art (recently renamed the Institute of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles). No one quite knew the actual size of his holdings Eli provided only the vaguest of numbers when asked but it seemed immense, judging from the two- and three-foot-high stacks of quilts that had to be navigated to get through his darkened living room. I saw Eli once more, in 2016, when I went to Berkeley to review the inauguration of the museums new building. His dementia was much further along but he smiled as Ms. Hurth introduced me to another dimension of Tompkinss creativity: the words and numbers that she awkwardly whipstitched to her quilts, adding a layer of personal meaning in a spidery script that sometimes resembled graffiti done with a Rapidograph. She signed nearly everything with her real name, Effie, or some combination of Effie Mae Martin Howard, and often added her nearly palindromic date of birth, 9.6.36, or the birth dates of her sons, her parents and other relatives she wanted to honour. Sometimes the embroidery reflected her daily Bible reading, including the Gospels, as did her addition of applique crosses. Occasionally she stitched the addresses of the places she had lived, and Elis home. The information suggested talismanic properties, perhaps prayers. She also said they were meant to improve the relationships between the people evoked by the numbers. In her Three Sixes quilts inspired by the sixes in the birth dates of three family members she acknowledged them by limiting her palette to three colours: orange, yellow and purple. Eli died on March 6, 2018, at 82, in an assisted-living home. To raise money for his care, Ms. Hurth oversaw multiple yard sales for the contents of his house except the quilts. The question of their destiny hung uneasily in the air. Then, several months later, came the amazing news: Eli had bequeathed his entire quilt collection to the Berkeley Art Museum, a tribute to the early advocacy of Mr. Rinder. The final count of the Eli Leon Bequest was 3,100 quilts by over 400 artists. Tompkins represented by more than 680 quilts, quilt tops, appliques, clothing and objects is undoubtedly the star. Laverne Brackens, a well-known fourth-generation quilter in Texas, runs a close second, with around 300 quilts in the collection. While fraught with obligations regarding care, storage, display and access that few museums, large or small, would take on, the bequest automatically transforms the Berkeley museum, and its parent institution, the University of California, Berkeley, into an unparalleled centre for the study of African-American quilts. Interest and support are coming forth: The museum has already received a $500,000 (U.S.) grant from the Luce Foundation for a followup survey of Elis entire gift in 2022, which should be every bit as surprising as this one. On the plane out to San Francisco in February, I read the exhibition catalogue cover to cover. The organizers excellent essays included Mr. Rinder vividly relating Tompkinss use of improvisation to the innovations of Ornette Coleman and his no-hold-barred free-jazz sensibility. (Although he notes that she was an opera fan who listened to disco while doing her work.) Ms. Yau provides the foundational account of Tompkinss life, her working methods and the role of family ties and religion. And Horace D. Ballard, a former divinity student who is now a curator and art historian at Williams College and its museum, writes that Tompkins lived in service of a higher calling, tying her efforts to sacred music, texts and architecture. But even they couldnt prepare me for the visual force of the 62 quilts and five assemblage-like memory jugs, dating from the 1970s to 2004. Spread out in the museums skylighted galleries, the works beauty is more insistent than ever. Because of Tompkinss improvisation, a close look doesnt reveal refinement or rote technique skill for skills sake. It shows small individual adjustments made and liberties taken, almost granular expressions of imagination and freedom. In addition, the fabrics variously elegant, every day and ersatz bring a lot with them, not just colour and texture, but also manufacturing techniques and social connotations. Do you think that polyester double knit might look cheap used in a quilt? Think again. Cotton flannel and beaded and sequined silk crepe might not be a winning combination? Likewise. Such physical realism is all but impossible to achieve with paint. A measure of Tompkinss ambition is that she preferred to concentrate on the free-jazz aspect of her work: piecing the quilt tops. Other women finished the quilts by adding a layer of wadding and the back, a standard practice. Most of the pieces in this show were quilted by Irene Bankhead, whose work Eli also collected. The show begins by demonstrating Tompkinss unusual range and versatility, juxtaposing quilts in smouldering velvets with a medley of found denims a homage to her grandfather and other farmers in her family. A remarkable early quilt from the 1970s is pieced almost entirely of blocks of found fabric embroidered with flowers old and new, machine- and handmade. They bow to an ancient craft and, at the quilts centre, a spare image of the risen Christ blessing. Above and to the right a circle of twisted bands and leaves suggests both a crown of thorns and a laurel wreath. Was Tompkins aware of this possible reading? Perhaps, but the main point is that her work is open to the viewers response and interpretation. As an artist, Tompkins may have taken improvisation further than other quilters. She all but abandoned pattern for an inspired randomness with an emphasis on serial disruptions that constantly divert or startle the eye like the badge of a California prison guard sewn to an otherwise conventional crazy quilt. Another narrative quilt is more like a wall-hanging, or maybe a street mural, pieced with large fragments of black and white fabric and T-shirts printed with images of African-American athletes and political leaders. Rows of crosses made from mens ties evoke the pressures of succeeding while Black in America. Her big velvet quilts the exultant heart of the show are most often disrupted by dramatic shifts in colour and scale. In one, several blocks of stark black and white triangles break through an expanse of rich colours like icebergs in a dark sea. The opposite corner features a distinctive Tompkins device: a small framed area composed of tiny squares that creates a quilt-within-a-quilt which reads as a witty self-reference to the quilting process, and pulls us into the intimacy of making. One of Tompkinss most spectacular velvets is edged with these framed mini-quilts, which surround an enormous field of blue velvets that creates a kind of van Gogh night sky; they can read as small painted side panels on an altarpiece. Some feature abutting triangles that suggest desert landscapes and pyramids, perhaps the Flight into Egypt. (In the catalogue, Mr. Ballard resonantly likens the field of blues to the vault of a cathedral and the borders to clerestory windows.) There are many museum exhibitions on lockdown in the United States right now. They closed in one world and will reopen in a very different one, and the relevance of Rosie Lee Tompkins: A Retrospective has only expanded in the hiatus. The sheer joy of her best quilts cannot be overstated. They come at us with the force and sophistication of so-called high art, but are more democratic, without any intimidation factor. Her work is simply further evidence of the towering African-American achievements that permeate the culture of this country. A deeper understanding and knowledge of these, especially where art is concerned, must be part of the necessary rectification and healing that America faces. Tompkins seems to have been an artist of singular greatness, but who knows what further revelations including the upcoming survey of the Eli Leon Bequest are in store. The field of improvisational quilting by African-American women is not small, but beyond the great quilters of Gees Bend, Ala., and a few others, their work is not widely known. Rosie Lee Tompkinss version of what Eli Leon called flexible patterning may have been more extreme than anyone elses. Or perhaps not. It would be gratifying to learn that she did not act alone. OTTAWAWhen Sweeny Karande was in her nursing program in India, her teacher presented her with an award as the best outgoing student. This is just the beginning, her teacher said. You cant stop here. Karande took those words to heart. The next nine years were full of new beginnings as she journeyed from India to Ontario to Nova Scotia and then the Northwest Territories, where she now works full time as a registered nurse. There will be another new beginning this Canada Day: Karande is set to join 18 others in swearing the oath to become a Canadian citizen. Canada Day citizenship ceremonies are a holiday tradition, but this year, the COVID-19 pandemic means the celebrations are going digital. Karandes ceremony wont be the first held online. Since April 1, over 1,000 virtual oath ceremonies have taken place, mostly quiet affairs. The marquee Canada Day group event will be streamed on YouTube, and is expected to feature remarks from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and former governor general Adrienne Clarkson. People ranging in age from six to 66 will take the oath, representing 13 different countries, the Immigration Department said. While theyre all united in their new citizenship, some have another bond: they work in health care. The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the role new Canadians play in the health-care system. According to data from the 2016 census, more than a third of the 245,000 people working as nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates are immigrants. Karande, now 29, grew up in a large village in the southwestern Indian state of Goa, where shed always wanted to become a nurse. Her family couldnt afford university tuition, so she enrolled in an auxiliary nursing and midwifery program. When a recruiter for Canadian personal support worker programs came calling in 2010, her siblings pooled their money together so she could enrol. She arrived in Cornwall, Ont. the next year, where she lived in a two-bedroom apartment with three other Indian students, often relying on the food bank to get by. She did a placement at St. Josephs Continuing Care Centre, and one night her colleagues knocked on her door. On the street was a whole SUV filled with food for her and her roommates. She would find equally welcoming communities, she said, when she arrived in Halifax for nursing school, and again when she moved up to Hay River, N.W.T., to take a full-time nursing job. This was my end goal, and finally I am a nurse and Im getting my citizenship this is really awesome, she said. I love every bit of it. Omair Imtiaz is also becoming a citizen on Canada Day, a feat he also attributes in part to the kindness and guidance of many near strangers along the way. He was sent to Canada by his father in 2007 to join his older brother, already in Moncton, N.B. From there, he moved to P.E.I, and found himself struggling to balance the demands of his undergraduate degree, part-time jobs and the freedom of student life in Canada. He ended up suspended from university, and was on the cusp of losing his student visa and being forced to leave. A classmate sat him down at a party and said shed help him get through it. The day before his visa expired, they went to reenrol in school. He had intended to study to be a pharmacy technician, but he changed his mind after speaking with the enrolment officer and he signed up for a residential care worker program instead. The woman from the party? She became his wife. And the program led to the job hes now held for eight years at the John Gillis Memorial Lodge in Belfast, P.E.I. Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... I can never count my blessings enough for what Canada and its people have given me, he said. So this is my way of giving back to the community, giving to the most vulnerable. Imtiaz, 32, said when he walked through the doors of the care home, many residents had never seen a brown person before. He was met with hostility, but within days familiarity bred comfort and then genuine friendship, he said. Education and that personal contact can go a long way, he said. Karande said shes fielded her own experiences with racism. But it was finding out about Canadas own record on that score that has stuck with her more. While in nursing school, she learned about Indigenous history and the impact the residential school system was having on the current health and well-being of Indigenous communities. India had its own experiences with British colonialism that linger to this day, she said, but to be confronted with the harmful effects on Indigenous Peoples in Canada shocked her. She decided to turn the anger to action. I felt like I was obligated to do so, she said. I was just doing my part. She began to search for nursing jobs in Indigenous centres, finally landing in Hay River, a town of nearly 4,000 people where just under half identify as Indigenous. Shes been there now for almost a year, working at the Hay River Health and Social Services Authority. She described the move up North as scary, given what shed heard about the cold, but has now embraced the outdoor lifestyle. She is also committed to reconciliation. With her citizenship comes the right to vote a right that she intends to take seriously. It is a privilege to have the opportunity make change, she said. I believe there is a lot of change that needs to be implemented in terms of Indigenous people, in terms of different races and how they are being treated in Canada. Im very excited that Im finally a citizen. CARACAS, Venezuela - The political battle over control of Venezuela has turned to a $1 .8 billion stack of gold bars sitting in the Bank of Englands vault in London, where a judge is expected to decide soon on who has the rightful claim to the bullion. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro says he needs the gold to help his cash-starved nation fight the coronavirus pandemic. But the central bank for the United Kingdom, whose government recognizes Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido as his countrys legitimate leader, has refused to hand it over to Maduros socialist administration. A ruling by Justice Nigel Teare, which is expected possibly within days, could help clarify the question of who is Venezuelas legitimate leader at least in the eyes of one world power, experts say. If Maduro is able to get his hands on this money, it weakens a significant tool that the British government has toward implementing its recognition of Guaido, said Michael Camilleri, a Venezuela expert at the Washington-based Inter-American Dialogue think-tank . It undermines the strength of that policy. The dispute hinges on the British stance toward Venezuela, a country in economic and political crisis where both Maduro and Guaido have been claiming presidential powers for more than a year. The United Kingdom recognizes the claim of Guaido, who heads Venezuelas congress, as do the United States and about five dozen other governments. Guaido proclaimed himself the interim president in early 2019, months after Maduro declared victory in an election that his critics say was rigged in his favour. British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt recognized Guaido as the constitutional interim president, and Guaido met with Prime Minister Boris Johnson early this year during a tour through Europe. Despite its support for Guaido, the United Kingdom continues to have diplomatic ties with Maduros government. Maduros ambassador, Rocio Maneiro, is recognized by the British government and has control of the Venezuelan Embassy in London, while British Ambassador Andrew Soper remains in Caracas. At the same time, the British have not granted diplomatic credentials to the envoy Guaido has named ambassador to the United Kingdom. While Guaido initially launched his campaign to oust Maduro with thousands of cheering supporters taking to the streets across Venezuela, the socialist president has maintained control over most branches of Venezuelas government, including the military. Enthusiasm for Guaido, meanwhile, has been fading. Leigh Crestohl, an attorney representing the Central Bank of Venezuela administration appointed by Maduro, said the Venezuelan leader clearly has control of the country, giving him the right to take the gold. If a government is in de facto control of a territory, and this is recognized by the maintenance of full and normal diplomatic relations, this should be treated as formal recognition, Crestohl said in a statement. On our case, the law is clear. Guaido is urging the London court to order the Bank of England to hold the gold and not give it to Maduros government, which it contends is illegitimate and corrupt. His lawyers reiterated during a recent four-day hearing the argument that the National Assembly leader became Venezuelas rightful leader under provisions of the countrys constitution. They dismissed as irrelevant the continued diplomatic ties between London and Maduro. Venezuela was once among Latin Americas wealthiest nations, sitting atop the worlds largest oil reserves. Critics of the socialist government blame corruption and mismanagement for destroying its oil industry and the wide economy. Maduro blames the countrys ills on what he says is an economic war led by the United States, and he accuses Washington of imposing crippling sanctions in an attempt to take over Venezuela by blocking his ability to sell Venezuelan oil. He enjoys international support from countries that include China, Russia, Cuba, Iran and Turkey. Maduro is seeking a large part of the gold that Venezuela holds in the Bank of England. He had asked for access to the gold before the coronavirus outbreak and then recently renewed the request, saying his administration would channel the money from selling the gold through an arm of the United Nations solely to combat the pandemic in Venezuela. Camilleri, the analyst in Washington, said there is widespread skepticism about Maduros purported plan for using the gold. Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Maduro was trying to get that money for himself before he came back with the fresh claim it was for COVID-19 relief, Camilleri said. ___ Scott Smith on Twitter: @ScottSmithAP Phuket schools reopen to new normal PHUKET: Some 40,000 students in Phuket this morning (July 1) made their way to their first day of school since all educational institutions in the country were placed under lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic. COVID-19health By Khunanya Wanchanwet Wednesday 1 July 2020, 10:30AM Children across Phuket today returned to their first day of school since the COVID-19 outbreak began. Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub Thai government schools and private schools operating to the Thai school year were to start the new school year on May 16, but the school-year restart was delayed due to fears that children would be exposed to the spread of virus. Supaporn Yukhunthon of the Phuket Education Area Office assured that all 90 schools in Phuket reopening to in-person classes today had been inspected under a campaign that began on June 1. Each school must comply with health regulations set out by the Ministry of Education working in conjunction with the countrys Department of Health, Ms Supaporn explained. The regulations are classified into six categories as follows: Safety, to reduce the spread of COVID-19 through measures such as social distancing, screening points, having sanitising gel available, having all people entering and exiting school grounds register through the Thai Chana web platform or by signing an entry form. All students must wear a face mask or a face shield, while all teachers must wear both a face mask and a face shield. Education and awareness, by informing all students, parents and staff about COVID-19. Helping children, by the school having various measures in place to help children comply with the regulations, such as providing face masks to underprivileged children or a child who forgot to bring one. Protecting children and the welfare of the child, by having measures in place to provide care for children who become ill, especially from COVID-19. Medical policies, to provide appropriate care for children at the school. Budget management, by making sure appropriate funds are available to comply with the regulations. Ms Supaporn explained that to be approved to reopen each school in Phuket had to successfully pass an inspection of 44 items on a checklist. Twenty of those items were mandated by the Department of Health, she said. Every school had to pass all 44 assessments before being allowed to reopen, Ms Supaporn. "Every school in Phuket did, " she added. Schools are permitted to make adjustments to the usual school practices and procedures in order to comply with the new normal requirements, Ms Supaporn noted. Citing social distancing as an example, Ms Supaporn explained, If the school does not have enough room or space, the school can adjust the class schedule. Kindergartens and special educational centres must make special efforts to ensure children are protected, Ms Supaporn also noted. For these places, more strict measures than usual must be in place, such as cleaning toys and making sure there is adequate space the the students to take naps during the day, she said. The Education Area Office will conduct random checks to make sure schools are complying with the new normal requirements, Ms Supaporn assured. If we find any measures that need adjusting or improving, we will inform the Ministry of Education [headquarters in Bangkok], she said. "Although we are now entering a period of relaxing the measures to protect against the spread of COVID-19, there may be other variables causing problems. Therefore, we will have to gradually solve each problem as they arise," Ms Supaporn explained. On Demand We have a new story every day on the front page of thephuketnews.com. Also like us on our Facebook page (facebook.com/thephuketnews) and be the first to watch all the new stories. Finally you can watch any segment, any time by going to thephuketnews.com/tv where all the stories are listed for you to enjoy. All our programs can be enjoyed in High Definition when watching on the internet. In-Room VDO New Roads, LA (70760) Today Partly cloudy skies early with heavy thunderstorms developing this afternoon. High 83F. Winds S at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 70%. Locally heavy rainfall possible.. Tonight Thunderstorms likely. Low 71F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%. Locally heavy rainfall possible. Watertown Public Opinion Watertown Mayor Sarah Caron said Tuesday she would consider requiring Watertown residents to wear masks in public if the city saw a dramatic rise in COVID-19 infections. Since last Wednesday Codington County has seen its number of confirmed cases increase from 51 to 63, including six in the past two days. That increase has Codington County classified as experiencing substantial community spread, according to Derrick Haskins of the South Dakota Department of Health. Caron said the numbers arent surprising but that she is somewhat concerned. But she believes the city is ready for higher numbers. Weve been expecting it since Memorial Day, just with people getting out and all the activities that have been going on, she said. Weve had tournaments, Thursday Night Live and street dances. Im not thinking of closing businesses. My thinking is that well be able to manage this with mandatory masks, if necessary. I think if everyone wore a mask everywhere out in public we wouldnt have a problem. The problem comes from people mingling in proximity without a mask, and everybodys doing that. The countys number of active cases is 16. There have been 1,849 negative tests locally, and four people have ever been hospitalized. There have been no deaths in Codington County. Weve barely taxed our hospital capacity, Caron said. If we started to creep up fast, I think Id start asking for people to wear masks, and if I didnt see compliance I could maybe see a mandatory requirement with a fine. If I still didnt see compliance and the numbers keep rising, thats when you start talking about more stringent measures. I dont think thats going to be necessary. Derrick Haskins, spokesman with the South Dakota Department of Health, said he didnt have any details about the increasing number of Codington County cases. We provide information regarding clusters when there are 40 or more cases identified in a single workplace/setting. In addition, the Department of Health will issue a public health notice when an employee or patron of a business is unable to identify persons they were in close contact with (15 or more minutes within 6 feet or less) while able to transmit the virus, Haskins said by email. No such warnings have been issued for Codington County. The state health department reported 48 new cases of COVID-19 in the state Tuesday morning. South Dakota has now has a total of 6,764 cases of COVID-19, with 801 cases still active. There have been 5,872 recoveries from the virus, and a total of 62 people are currently hospitalized with COVID-19, the lowest number since April 27. There have been 73,324 negative tests, according to the health department. No new deaths were reported on Tuesday. COVID-19 has killed 91 people in the state. There were 538 people tested for a positive rate of 7.6% on Tuesday. Brown County numbers were unchanged Tuesday, according to state data 342 confirmed cases, 22 active cases, 18 people hospitalized and two deaths. COVID-19 patients are occupying 3% of the states staffed hospital beds, and 48% of those beds remain available, according to the department. COVID-19 patients are occupying 6% of intensive care unit beds, with 31% of them remaining available. Five percent of the states ventilators are being used to care for COVID-19 patients, with 77% of the states capacity still available. The Sioux Falls Argus Leader contributed to this report. Roanoke, AL (36274) Today Variable clouds with thunderstorms, especially during the afternoon hours. High 81F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 60%.. Tonight Scattered thunderstorms early, then mainly cloudy overnight with thunderstorms likely. Low 69F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%. WATERLOO A 20-year-old driver faces a charge of stunt driving and speeding after being stopped by police for driving 111 km/h in a 60 km/h zone on Columbia Street West. The drivers vehicle was impounded for seven days and the drivers licence suspended for seven days. LONDON The Middlesex-London Health Unit is reporting an outbreak of COVID-19 cases linked to a backyard party in London. Eight people who attended the gathering six females and two males, all in their 20s tested positive for the coronavirus. The health unit said of those who tested positive also attended parties in Hamilton and Waterloo Region. In a news briefing on Monday, Dr. Chris Mackie, Medical Officer of Health and CEO of the Middlesex-London Health Unit, said more than 25 people have been gathering in various places, including at a large backyard barbecue party in London. Of the eight positive cases, some displayed symptoms but none of them were severe. Contact tracing efforts are still underway. Its not clear how many of these individuals attended parties in Waterloo Region. The eight cases have links to different gatherings that took place in London and in the surrounding regions between June 19 to June 24. In a media briefing on Tuesday, acting medical officer of health Dr. Hsiu-Li Wang said Waterloo Region Public Health was following up with three people in relation to the parties in London. There are no confirmed cases to report in connection to this investigation. When public health reaches these people, theyll have to do an assessment. Testing will be recommended if health officials think the person was exposed to the virus. Elizabeth Milne, spokesperson for the Middlesex-London Health Unit, said staff are in contact with public health units in Waterloo Region and Hamilton. Whenever a positive COVID-19 case is confirmed, health officials will figure out who the person came in contact with and then share those names with their respective health units. With files from Johanna Weidner WATERLOO A University of Waterloo student club that offers tech support to long-term care residents and cancer patients has expanded its reach to the entire community during the pandemic. Whether someone wants to learn how to video chat, launch a Zoom meeting, or sign out books from the library electronically, UW students are there to help people navigate online tools they may not be familiar with, said Erica McDonald, program director for the enTECH computer club at the university. The club started about five years ago with the aim to place student volunteers in retirement or long-term care homes to help seniors learn how to use technology with iPads and laptops. Prior to the pandemic, students were making weekly visits to The Village at University Gates where they worked with seniors. Our residents really did rely on them and built positive relationships with them, said Sophia Heimpel, director of recreation at the Schlegel Villages facility located on the universitys campus. Before the pandemic hit, volunteers were also attending Grand River Hospitals regional cancer centre weekly, where they helped patients using computers and iPads while undergoing lengthy chemotherapy appointments. Now, we cant be in-person in either of those places, said McDonald, noting the pandemic has put volunteering on hold. But students who volunteer with the club still want to help out in some way. Realizing the pandemic has pushed many people to use online tools and technology in order to stay connected with their community and access resources, the club made a change and is now offering free help over the phone. This program really is for anybody who wants some help, said McDonald. Those who would like to use the service can visit the clubs website at entech.club and fill out the request form or call and leave a voice message at 226-336-9684. A volunteer will call back within two business days, said McDonald. The student volunteer can walk the caller through a problem and help them learn how to use a type of technology. So far, about 30 students are volunteering to help with the enTECH@home program this semester. Services are currently being offered in English but the club is looking to provide support in other languages. In the middle of the worst spike yet in local coronavirus cases, Orange County Judge John Gothia has tested positive for COVID-19, he told the County Record and Penny Record newspapers Tuesday. Gothia missed last Tuesdays every-other-week meeting of Commissioners Court because he was ill, then canceled a meeting with city mayors Friday because he wasnt feeling well. He missed Tuesdays specially called Commissioners Court meeting. I found out [Monday] night, said the countys top elected official. Now I have seven more days of quarantine. The judge said he hadnt been able to determine how the respiratory illness was passed on to him. We havent been able to figure out anybody sick that Ive been around, he said. Gothia said Tuesday morning he had a headache, fever, sore throat and body aches. Its the typical flu, he said. Ive got no energy. I cant do anything. Confirmed COVID-19 cases in Orange County basically doubled in June, going from a total of 98 confirmed cases as of May 28 to 191 cases on June 23, the last report released by the Orange County Public Health Department. The Texas Department of Health and Human Services puts out daily county-by-county lists and it reported 212 confirmed cases in Orange County on June 30. Active cases in the county had skyrocketed from 12 on May 28 to 79 on June 23. A new weekly report is expected in a day or two and Joel Ardoin, county emergency management coordinator, said he expected to the numbers to keep trending up in Julys first report. I look for the numbers to spike again, he said. In my opinion, itll be a big spike judging from the number of people wanting to be tested. The county had its biggest single-day testing event Sunday, as the walk-in testing at the Bridge City Community Center Sunday saw 267 residents tested in just seven hours. Another three testing dates have been set for the county in mid-July, Ardoin said, though details are still to be worked out. He said the Texas military mobile unit that conducted the Bridge City testing would be at the Orange Armory on July 12 and other testing dates are July 15-16, at least one of which will be in Vidor. Both Ardoin and Dr. Calvin Parker, county health director, said the huge increase of 60 new cases reported June 23 was due largely to a nursing home in Vidor that had reported 28 positive cases. But out of that, only one case was symptomatic, Ardoin said, meaning the patient had the symptoms of COVID-19. The state was supposed to have tested all the countys nursing homes weeks ago, but somehow didnt report the numbers from this one. The big jump came when all those numbers dumped in at one time, Parker said. The good news of all is the fact that of the 79 active cases noted on the June 23 report only 3 citizens were listed as hospitalized. And best of all, only 3 Orange County residents have died of the 200-plus cases recorded. I havent seen as many sick people as I was early on, even though there are more positives, Parker said. It could be because more tests are available and people are more open to testing. Ardoin opined: Were seeing more positives from the younger group, and COVIDs not affecting them as much. Thats been the trend nationwide. Parker was pleased by the relative lack of deaths. Orange County has been very fortunate in the death rate, he said, although the families of those who died may not feel fortunate. Only three of four dead over six months, thats pretty amazing. I could name a number of diseases that took more lives. Were doing a number of things right, including wearing masks more. But I think were going to be dealing with this [COVID-19] for a while. 30 year old remains found to be Orange woman Almost every little girl wants to be known as a princess, but for 30 years Julie Gwenn Davis, was actually known as "Princess Blue" since her real identity was unknown. The discovery of Julie's remains began when a man was headed home after a long day at work in Brazoria County near the city of Manvel on Sept. 10, 1990. Along the way he needed to relieve himself and searched for a place to quickly do it. He decided a dead end road, which was sparsely populated, was the best choice. He pulled onto Highway 288 and parked near a barricade. He noticed a pile of debris and a human skull resting inside the rim of a tire. The man went home and informed his wife of what he had found and the pair called local law enforcement. Investigators at the scene found about 60 percent of her bones. But, missing were any traces of hair, clothes or any other source of identification. Given the condition of the bones, it is believed the body was there at least six months to a year. Brazoria County did not have a medical examiner so the case was forwarded to Harris County. The autopsy revealed an upper left front tooth had been surgically removed. Also revealed were two fractured ribs and a tumor under her left knee. The medical examiner also reported there were no opiates found in her bone marrow. He believed the victim to have died due to foul play although he was unable to determine the manner of death. What would lead the case in a different direction was he concluded she was Hispanic, between the ages of 15-19 and her height was 4'8" to 5'2" tall. Later a forensic artist would say because of her facial structure she was of African American descent. Found along with the bones were various pieces of jewelry. These included a silver scroll ring, a gold ring with six clear stones, a pearl banded bracelet, a silver ring with a turquoise stone horse and a 1975 Robert E. Lee High School class ring with a blue stone. According to Detective Sgt. Anthony Meshell, of the Manvel Police Department, DNA testing at the time was not available and without knowing her identity they named her Princess Blue because of the blue stones in the rings. The case went unsolved. Time moved forward and Julie's family still wondering what had become of her. The location where the remains were discovered is no longer desolate but is now a four lane highway. There is also several businesses including a pharmacy and day care center. Two years ago, Meshell obtained her case file and took a closer look at it. Originally, the jewelry was only noted without much detail. He began by checking into information about the high school ring and found the school in Houston. Alumni was interviewed, but nobody recognized her. This lead to another dead end. It was later determined the ring was probably a gift since Julie would have been too young to graduate in 1975. Technology evolved and as part of the investigation Meshell obtained the DNA from the remains. In addition, local media was contacted in order to generate new leads. But, it would be a little longer before this case would show any promise and not in the way they thought it would. Danny, Roland, Stephanie, Shelly and Craig Davis never gave up hope of finding their sister Julie. About seven months ago Texas Rangers were conducting an investigation on a case they had named "Corona Girl." This too was a 30 year old cold case of remains found in 1989 of an unidentified female. She was named the Corona Girl because of a Corona Beer T-Shirt she was wearing at the time of her death. The Corona Girl's body was found in Jarell located in Williamson County. They asked Danny to submit his DNA to see if he was a match. It was determined he was not and the remains were later identified as Sue Ann Huskey. However, the DNA did match another cold case, Princess Blue. This was not the outcome the siblings expected. In addition, this answer only lead to more questions. Julie Davis was the oldest child of six children and born October 21, 1968. Her family refers to her as a "free spirit." She had wavy strawberry blonde hair and sparkling green eyes.Her pale skin was sprinkled with freckles. She had a petite build, but stood about 5-feet 9-inches tall. Julie is described by her siblings as "kind-hearted", "gentle" and somebody who "loved to laugh." Julie also gave fabulous hugs. She had a tattoo she was very proud of on her forearm of a Libra astrological sign. The pearl bracelet given to her by her mother was a valued keepsake to her and found among her remains. The busy family lived a nomadic life and lived in various housing in the Gilmer Homes and Riverside Addition when they lived in Orange. The children attended area elementary schools such as Cove, Anderson, and Curtis. Times were tough as the parents, Danny Davis who worked as pipefitter/welder with the Local Union 195 and his wife, Edna Ray worked at a nursing home as a nurse's aide. Julie began leaving home around the age of 12 and traveling between Houston and Orange, but would mostly frequent New Orleans. The siblings remember good times too. Especially camping as a family at Cow Creek. These memories bring smiles to their faces as they reminisce. Julie came in and out of their lives over the years. During one of her visits she suddenly arrived at the Jack Tar Hotel to see her family who was staying there. She was with a tall man with dark hair and dark colored full beard. "He was kind of stand offish," Danny Davis said of the stranger. Julie told her family the man was her husband. But, detectives have been unable to find a marriage license. It is believed to have been possibly a "common law" marriage, according to Meshell. This would be the last time they would ever see her. But, this visit would leave a lasting impression on Danny Davis who was 17 years old at the time. Before she left, she hugged him tight and told him she loved him. She broke down in tears as she started to walk away. Within the next three years, her remains would be discovered. The exact date is difficult to pinpoint, but investigators believe Julie was 18 to 21 years old at the time of her death. "Over the years I have wondered where she was and if she was still walking this Earth," Danny Davis said. "She had gone before, but always came back home." Her family believes the mistaken identity and lack of correct information has stalled the case over the years. They are saddened to realize their parents died in 1993 without getting the chance to learn what became of their little girl. "It always felt like big hole," Shelly Davis said of her big sister being gone."I always wondered what it would be like just to pick up the phone and talk to her and let our kids play together. " However, they are grateful to finally know where she is located. The family is hoping her remains will be released soon so Julie can be buried by their mother. "We are still working this case as a homicide," Meshell said. "We are following up on all leads." Anyone with information on this case is asked to call local law enforcement or the Manvel Police Department at 281-489-1212. A move to the United States and a conversation with a college roommate put one immigrant on the path to military service and an assignment at Update Required To play the media you will need to either update your browser to a recent version or update your Flash plugin. Wayne Addessi credited the idea to a Ridgefield resident. Debra Franceschini-Gatje, said Addessi, a Main Street business owner and landlord. She read that Greenwich was allowing its businesses to have sidewalk shopping this summer and thought it might be good for Ridgefield to do something similar. Franceschini-Gatje contacted inRidgefield a website Addessi launched two years ago to promote and market the town and Addessi reached out to First Selectman Rudy Marconi. Well aware that local businesses were struggling financially due to COVID-19 shutdowns and skyrocketing unemployment, Marconi green-lighted and fast-tracked the idea, announcing last week that Ridgefield businesses would be allowed to sell items on sidewalk displays from July 1 through Sept. 7. The whole process went very quickly, Addessi said. Rudy completely agreed that Ridgefield businesses could benefit by having sidewalk shopping. And its for all businesses in Ridgefield that are interested, Addessi added. Its not just for the places on Main Street. In addition to aiding town merchants, the summer-long event is also designed to benefit local non-profit organizations many of which have seen a decline in donations. Each business can adopt a non-profit in town and help promote its mission through pamphlets and other information included as part of the sidewalk displays. For example, suppose you really believe in ROAR (Ridgefield Operation Animal Rescue), Addessi said. You could choose ROAR as the nonprofit you want to help and then incorporate it into your own sidewalk merchandising. Thats the kind of partnership we want to promote. Addessi is hopeful that the Summer Sidewalk Stroll can expand to include outdoor events presented by the towns various arts and cultural organizations. I think once the summer stroll gets going, more people will want to get involved, he said. It would be great to have some artistic performances as part of this. During the sidewalk stroll, town businesses are permitted to display merchandise on tables or under tents and also place temporary signage in front of their shops. Patrons need to follow safety protocols, including wearing face masks and social distancing. In an email sent June 18 to the Fire Marshall and several town departments, Marconi listed the following 10 rules that businesses participating in the sidewalk stroll must adhere to: 1. Earnest efforts must be made to be mindful of pedestrians and maintain footpath lane on the sidewalk. 2. The tables displaying merchandise and other promotional equipment will not unduly impede or endanger either pedestrian or vehicular traffic and must not be set up within parking spaces. 3. Fire hydrants must remain accessible and driveways may not be blocked. 4. Building egress may not be blocked by tables, racks, tents, or any other items. 5. The clothing racks, tables will be positioned parallel to buildings and not perpendicular which causes them to protrude into the walkway. 6. Extension cords, if used, must be properly installed to avoid trip hazards. 7. All tents must be properly weighted down, provide proper clearance for pedestrians to enter/occupy them, and be properly lit should they be left up after sale hours. Tents may not be tied to and/or obstruct fire hydrants, Fire Department sprinkler connections on the building, or block exit doors. It is encouraged to have a fire extinguisher easily accessible. Tents may not be erected within any portion of a parking space. 8. Only bonafide Ridgefield businesses will participate and will display wares only in front of their own establishments. 9. All businesses participating in this event will abide by all federal, state and local laws and ordinances, and executive orders. 10. By close of business on September 8, 2020 all sale items, tents, tables and promotional materials must be removed from the sidewalks. There will be restrictions ... but this is something we hope will draw more people into town, Marconi said last week when announcing the sidewalk stroll. There is a lot of worry and fear. Having curbside pickup and delivery and selling more products online has helped just not enough to cover the business that was lost in the shutdown. THE SHORTHORN Is seeking work study student assistants for our reception desk for summer and fall.Prompt, cheerful, students with professional attitudes are encouraged to apply to answer office phones and greet guests from behind a plexiglass COVID barrier.Preference is given to students available to work some mornings. This in-office job offers flexible hours and plenty of time to study.Apply through Handshake for job #4723423 or call 817-272-3188 for more information. Watch Ringo Starr's 80th birthday virtual live show above. Did you catch Ringo Starr's birthday live stream this week? The fantastic hour-long "peace and love and rock and roll" stream was one of the best 80th birthday celebrations we have ever seen. The Ringo Starr Big Birthday Show featured Paul McCartney, Joe Walsh, Gary Clark Jr., Sheryl Crow, Sheila E, Ben Harper and many more. Starr kicked off his birthday show with 'It Don't Come Easy', a song that he said George Harrison helped him write. "I can write it all, but I can't end it, so he'd end my songs for me," Starr said. He also paid tribute to his Beatle brother in the sax solo, yelling, "Hare Krishnaaaa!" Starr's wife, Barbara Bach then sang 'Happy birthday dear Richie' before introducing his longtime collaborator Joe Walsh. The McMaster Students Union (MSU) says it is concerned to learn that nearly 30 per cent of the schools security staff are retired police officers. Eight of the 27 people employed by McMaster security services are former cops. The security division at McMaster has come under fire recently after the union voted in favour of a motion to oust department director and former Hamilton police chief Glenn De Caire, as well as disband its special constable program. The pleas from the universitys governing body which says the presence of police on campus makes students feel less safe come amid widespread outcry in Canada and the U.S. to reallocate police funding for alternative social programs. Last week, the board representing Hamilton public schools voted to terminate its 25-year-old police liaison program. In early June, Ryerson University axed its special constable program with Toronto police just weeks before it was slated to begin. The department McMasters 27-person security department is comprised of four branches: administration (three), supervisors (four), special constables (19) and dispatchers (one). Nearly all of the divisions seven senior staff administration and supervisors are former police. Four were once employed by Hamilton Police Service. One was employed by the Toronto Police Service. A sixth supervisor is married to a current Hamilton police staff sergeant. The security department is headed by De Caire, who took the role at McMaster upon retiring from the service in 2016. His salary of more than $169,000 per year is the second largest among security directors at Ontario universities. At least six of the former police officers now employed with Mac security made between $111,000 and $169,000 in 2020, according to Sunshine List data. Calls for dismissal Twice in the past four years the MSU has passed unanimous motions calling for De Caires dismissal. It is concerning to learn that McMaster has such an integrated working relationship with Hamilton Police Service, MSU president Giancarlo Da-Re told The Spectator in an emailed statement. Students have felt unsafe and unheard for years, and continue to call on the university to end its partnership with (police). Our campus needs a reimagined safety plan effective immediately. The most recent motion, passed June 16, further called on the university to disband its special constable program and sever its ties with both Hamilton and Halton police services. McMaster said in a statement Tuesday that it discussed the motion with Da-Re ahead of the vote, but has since not received any further communication from the MSU concerning its demands. McMaster did not directly respond when asked whether the administration would consider or address the unions demands. University leaders are committed to making sure the campus community is safe and inclusive, McMaster spokesperson Wade Hemsworth said in an emailed statement. Policing equipment McMaster paid nearly $35,000 to Hamilton police in exchange for 22 pieces of policing equipment for its special constables unit in 2019, according to a service spokesperson. The equipment runs the gamut from pepper spray and batons, to body armour and handcuff pouches. Also included in the exchange were sunglasses and sunglass cases, bike bags, bike shorts, bike pants and bike jackets, raincoats, summer gloves, hats, footwear and belts. Police spokesperson Jackie Penman said there were no other records detailing equipment exchanges between the two parties prior to 2019. However, a report for McMasters security department released last year says the school purchases uniforms and much of its equipment from Hamilton police, and that the arrangement was established in 2006. McMaster is able to make these purchases at a lower cost by taking advantage of the purchasing rates available through the Hamilton Police Service, Hemsworth said. Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... In addition to equipment, the university has also been able to purchase vehicles at the bulk purchasing rate. The school bought one vehicle in 2019. Questions posed by The Spectator regarding the cost of the vehicle were not answered. Their powers Special constables are sworn peace officers who can possess full municipal police powers within a given territory, like university or college campuses. According to the Police Services Act, special constables can detain, arrest and use force in situations where deemed appropriate. They are not, however, subject to the police public complaints system nor under the mandate of the Special Investigations Unit. In 2019, Ontario passed a bill banning special constables and their employers from referring to constables as police. The Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police said special constables using the term had been a long-standing issue for provincial police leaders. There are currently 19 special constables employed at McMaster, three of whom are former police officers. More than 60 per cent of the special constables De Caire inherited in 2016 11 of 18 are no longer with the department. Training Special constables at McMaster can be hired with zero to three years of prior experience and receive annual training from Hamilton police. According to a 2013 report published by the Ontario Association of College and University Security Administration (OACUSA), McMaster is the only school in Ontario that educates its special constables in all eight facets of use-of-force training. The training covers soft and hard impact weapons, soft and hard physical control, handcuffing, pepper spray, empty-hand techniques and tactical communication. A spokesperson for OACUSA said the association was unaware of a more recent report. Moving forward Despite growing pleas for a remodified campus safety plan, MSU president Da-Re said McMaster has yet to respond directly to the concerns students have voiced regarding security services. Da-Re said the union was unaware that McMaster signed a new four-year collective bargaining agreement with the union representing special constables late last year. The contract, which was ratified by the schools board of governors in October, states that special constables will receive a total compensation of more that $1.3 million in salary per year until 2023. Thats about 37 per cent of McMaster University Security Services roughly $3.69 million budget in 2020-21. Students are right to question how the institution uses its funding, Da-Re said, adding the MSU hopes funds saved from De Caires dismissal and the special constable units disbandment can be diverted to student wellness and diversity groups. The campus community deserves clarity and accountability as to where the university stands. Posted Tuesday, June 30, 2020 11:11 am Gov. Jay Inslee has continued his plea for Washingtonians to adhere to a recently-enacted facial covering mandate for those in public, speaking in the Tri Cities area and offering numerous calls to mask up in the state. Inslee spoke at Columbia Basin College in Pasco Tuesday, June 30, in part to talk about the Tri-Cities current challenges with COVID-19. The governor was met with vocal pushback in what was initially an outdoor event, though calls of protest against the shutdown of businesses in the area eventually led to him taking the press conference inside with invited members of the media. Upon restarting the press conference indoors, Inslee spoke specifically about issues faced in Benton and Franklin counties a region with two-thirds the population of Clark County but about four times the total COVID-19 cases, based on 2019 population estimates and local health department statistics. More generally he spoke about protests statewide over the mask mandate, which made wearing a facial covering in public the law beginning June 26. It should be troubling that we are having this debate, Inslee said. There is no debate in the scientific community about the fact that masks work. He referred to support for mask-wearing from director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Anthony Fauci and White House Coronavirus Response Coordinator Deborah Birx, pushing back on the notion that apparent increases in cases seen in Washington and nationwide was due to a greater prevalence of testing, something he said was just not true. Virtually every medical person who has evaluated this have concluded that this virus is growing in our country, Inslee said. He said one of the reasons there was an increase in new cases was individuals believing that the pandemic was over. In terms of enforcement of the mandate, the governor pointed to very large-scale adherence to the law for past mandates regarding business operation as signs that taking legal action would not be necessary for compliance. It is a misdemeanor, but we shouldnt have to go that route, Inslee said. The governor said there was consideration about obligating businesses not to serve those who were not wearing masks, similar to what has been imposed in Yakima County. Acknowledging that Benton and Franklin counties are still in Phase 1, Inslee pointed to mask use as allowing for those jurisdictions to open up as soon as humanly possible. Mask up so we can open up, Inslee remarked. The governor acknowledged that should outbreaks worsen in places there was the possibility of reverting counties in further phases of Safe Start Washington back to more restrictions, saying, we dont want to think about that, we like to plan on success, but it is a reality. During the indoor conference, Inslee did acknowledge what led to a change of venue, though he pointed to elected officials, some of whom he encountered earlier that day, were in support of mask mandates. I know that there are some voices, some of which you heard today, Inslee noted, referencing those who heckled his speech outside, but no one voted for those people out in the courtyard today. Inslee said that the protests werent surprising, noting that you never get 100 percent of anything. He appealed to community-minded sensibilities of individuals who felt that the personal risks of them not wearing masks was worth it. When I wear a mask, its to protect you. When you wear a mask, thats to protect me, Inslee said. Inslee pointed to a message from U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney, who posted a photo of her father, former vice president Dick Cheney, wearing a facemask with the hashtag #realmenwearmasks, with the governor noting the elder Cheney was someone who I disagreed with on virtually everything during their political careers. You might be the most macho, risk-taking person who doesnt care about their own health in America, but if you do care about the rest of your community, then it really helps to wear a mask, Inslee said. MONTREAL - As Canadas two largest airlines move to end so-called seat distancing, travellers have mixed feelings about stepping on board an aircraft in the age of COVID-19. Starting on Canada Day, Air Canada and WestJet will resume the sale of adjacent seats, which they had largely blocked to help prevent viral spread. Canadas public health officer has expressed reservations about the practice, though it is permitted under federal transportation rules. We really feel it is important to avoid the close physical contact as much as possible. And if not, wear the medical mask, Dr. Theresa Tam said Monday. Masks or face coverings have been mandatory on flights since April 20. Even so, there are some difficult decisions for travellers, for sure, Tam added, saying individuals should assess their own risk levels and need to fly. Karen Kabiri took his first plane trip in five years on Monday after learning his mother had died in Iran the day before just 20 days after his father. Its very, very hard for us. Thats why Im going there right now, to help my sister, said Kabiri, 44. The piano teacher from Toronto, who stopped over in Montreal before continuing on to Tehran via Qatar to help with funeral arrangements, spent several hours outside the terminal at Trudeau airport with his other sister, who lives in the area but could not make the trip. Enduring a light drizzle, the siblings adhered to Transport Canada rules that prevent anyone but staff and passengers from entering airports. Kabiri said he had concerns about stepping into a packed cabin, though he credited Air Canada for providing all passengers with a mask, gloves, disinfectant wipes and a water bottle. Its a little bit scary for everybody. You can see many people are affected by COVID-19, he said. Its very hard for everybody in these situations to travel. But sometimes an emergency is happening. Claire Parois and her five-year-old daughter climbed aboard a Monday flight bound for her home country of France to join her parents after receiving approval to continue telecommuting until late August. We decided to spend the rest of the summer at my parents house where I dont have to do the full-time parenting and full-time working at the same time, which Ive been doing in the past 15 or 16 weeks, said Parois, who works for the United Nations in Montreal. Its been really, really, really challenging. My main concern would be to get infected and then infect my parents. Otherwise Im not too worried, she said. With Canadas border still closed to nearly all non-residents, international travel has barely budged since dropping by more than 95 per cent year over year in April. However, domestic travel is expected to edge up in the coming weeks and months as interprovincial restrictions loosen and the economy continues to reopen. Anthony Morgan, who works on a Great Lakes bulk carrier, said he has a harder time with pandemic protocols on the water than in the sky. Until Monday, the 39-year-old wheelsman hadnt stepped off the boat in three months. Its like almost pulling your head off and bootin it over the side, he said of being confined to the freighter. But flying home I definitely dont feel like I got any concerns. Morgan took off Monday for St. Johns, Nfld. and plans to spend his month of downtime close to home in his outport community near the provincial capital. That includes two weeks of self-isolation after landing. The sudden return of middle-seat sales is not unique to Canadian carriers. Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Michelline Nesrallah said there was no distancing on her packed Qatar Airways flight back to Canada. There was no temperature screening when we got into the Qatari airport, added the 39-year-old teacher who moved back to Ottawa this week after spending most of the past 14 years in the Gulf state. People arent really taking it as seriously as they should, she said. I was standing at the baggage counter and this woman was literally touching me with her arm. And I said, Sister, you have to stand back. Transport Canada listed physical distancing among the key points in preventing the spread of the virus, part of a guide it issued to the aviation industry in April. Operators should develop guidance for spacing passengers aboard aircraft when possible to optimize social distancing, the document states. Some health experts have highlighted the risks of spreading COVID in crowded airports and sardine-tin cabins. Once its in the cabin, its difficult to stop air moving around, Tim Sly, an epidemiologist and professor emeritus at Ryerson Universitys School of Public Health, said in a recent interview. However Joseph Allen, director of the Harvard public health schools Healthy Buildings program, has said the HEPA air filters used on most planes effectively control airborne bacteria and viruses. In line with federal directives, Air Canada and WestJet conduct pre-boarding temperature checks and require masks on board. Both airlines also implemented enhanced aircraft cleaning and scaled back their in-flight service in late March, cutting out hot drinks, hot meals and fresh food. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 30, 2020. Companies in this story: (TSX:AC) The global tourism industry will lose at least $1.2 trillion (U.S.) this year amid crippling travel restrictions and consumer wariness during the coronavirus pandemic, according to a report Wednesday from the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development. The losses, equal to 1.5 per cent of the world economy, could balloon to $3.3 trillion if the hit to international leisure travel persists until March 2021, with the harshest effects afflicting developing and island nations, according to the Geneva-based agencys report. The collapse of tourism could cost Jamaica 11 per cent of its gross domestic product and reduce Thailands GDP by nine per cent, UNCTAD said. Other hot spots like Kenya, Egypt and Malaysia could lose more than ofthree per cent their GDP, the report said. The lost revenue may translate into a sharp rise in unemployment in those countries with the potential for wages to drop by 12 per cent in Thailand, 11 per cent in Jamaica and 9 per cent in Croatia. Wealthier nations with more diversified economies like France, Greece, Italy, Portugal, Spain and the U.S. also stand to lose billions of dollars in tourism revenue, the report said. High in the canopy, surrounded by tree tops and blue sky, sits Portola Valley Residence, just south of San Francisco, Calif. The original, 1960s-era home was small, closed-in and built low on the deeply-sloping lot. A nearby and massive old oak tree would have been killed by tearing the house down. Instead, architect Malcolm Davis pushed and pulled the 60-year-old, mid-century-modern dwelling into a modern, airy family home with a unique vibe. So, the house has this wonderful treehouse sort of feel to it, said Davis. Now accompanied by a two-storey, 750-sq.-ft. art studio with guest quarters, the main Portola Valley Residence covers 3,600 sq. ft., and includes an open living, dining and central kitchen area on the top floor. Cantilevers are used for minimal impact on the oak tree and surrounding land. Down a half level are two childrens bedrooms as well as the master bedroom and ensuite. On the lowest level, theres a library/media room and guest suite leading out to a swimming pool. The original lower floor was lowered by six feet to provide higher ceilings throughout the structure. An outdoor, upper-level bridge connects the two buildings. Much of the original homes wood was salvaged and used in the new building: old timber serves as shelving in the pantry, kitchen and family library. Because its in a wildfire-prone area in one of Californias Wildland Urban Interface Zones with more homes but little wildland vegetation, the houses exterior is stucco and shou sugi ban Japanese charring technique to make it flame-resistant and weathered corten steel. Portola Valley Residence, completed in 2014, took three years to design and build. Architect Malcolm Davis, principal of Malcolm Davis Architecture, in San Francisco, answers a few questions about Portola Valley Residence: What role did the old oak tree play in the way you renovated the house? There was the possibility of tearing down the original home, but it was so close to the oak tree there was no way without potentially killing the oak. So, the house has this wonderful treehouse sort of feel to it. With the root system, though, you have to stay outside of the drip line and not change how the waters going to hit the tree. We added the deck around the dining room a lot of that is cantilevered so we dont have a lot of impact on the tree. What are the upsides of building on a steep slope? What can be really nice is coming in on the upper level of a house, because the rooms you use in the daytime wind up as the rooms with the potential for vaulted ceilings and skylights. What were the construction challenges? There was a lot of structural work. For example, seismic loading is very important. So when you do a big wall of glass, it doesnt have any lateral strength. It doesnt have anything to resist earthquake or wind load. Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Sometimes we take a wide-flanged steel-beam a big U-shaped steel frame thats exposed in the room and that allows the window to be enormous, looking at the view without a big chunk of wall. You could bury the steel but I think its cool when you see it. Will the pandemic affect your work? I think, generally, the pandemic reinforces the obvious need for a comfortable home that one enjoys and that size is not key to functionality. My partner and I have been working remotely from our modest, 100-year-old craftsman house in Healdsburg (north of San Francisco). We have a little more space here than in the city but having rooms that can work as offices for each of us has been great for the sanity of being able to have separate space, focus and do our respective Zoom meetings. On Monday, Saskatchewan became the first jurisdiction in Canada to enact the Interpersonal Violence Disclosure Act (Clares Law). Clares Law allows police to disclose information that could help protect potential victims of interpersonal violence. This will allow Saskatchewan residents to apply to their local municipal police station for the release of information on an intimate partners past violent or abusive behaviour. The information can be disclosed to applicants who believe they may be at risk from an intimate partner (right to ask), and to persons identified by police to be at risk (right to know). The Government of Saskatchewan is committed to addressing issues of domestic and interpersonal violence, Justice Minister and Attorney General Don Morgan said. We hope that by implementing Clares Law, we can inform those at risk and help protect them from potential violence and abuse. In a Statistics Canada profile from 2018 of family violence in Canada, Saskatchewan had the highest rate of intimate-partner violence among provinces, with 655 victims per 100,000 people (5,919 victims from 2017 to 2018). There will be an application process to follow before municipal police services release information on past violent behaviour to a potential victim and the government will train those involved to ensure all regulations are followed. The Government of Saskatchewan consulted with municipal police services and the Provincial Association of Transition Houses to provide the necessary training for police to process Clares Law applications in accordance with legislation. All information released to applicants is subject to a review process to ensure the disclosure of information doesnt violate privacy legislation, the Ministry of Justice said in a press release. All municipal police services will be participating in the new protocol, but the RCMP has said they will not participate. We have been involved with the planning for Clares Law from the very beginning, the RCMP said in a statement. We have been, and continue to be, supportive of this initiative. Early on in the discussions and planning for the implementation of Clares Law, we identified to our partners that there may be some challenges with our participation because unlike municipal police services, the RCMP is subject to federal privacy legislation. The RCMP is continuing to look into the matter, and considering how best it can support Clares Law objectives within its obligation under the federal Privacy Act. Legislation was introduced in 2018 and unanimously passed in the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan in 2019 and Morgan has said he hopes the RCMP and federal government will work with the province on this issue. We are extremely disappointed to have been informally advised this week that the RCMP in Saskatchewan has now indicated its refusal to participate in an important new interpersonal violence protection program, Morgan said in a letter to federal Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Minister Bill Blair. As you know, Clares Law is legislation passed in the province of Saskatchewan to protect primarily women from interpersonal violence by authorizing the disclosure of limited risk information to individuals regarding their intimate partners. One of the main concerns with the RCMP opting out of participation in Clares Law is it will put rural communities without municipal police services in a difficult situation. Communities that dont have municipal police services will have to request the information from the closest municipal police force who will then need to acquire the information from the RCMP. Morgan says he has not yet spoken with the RCMP to hash out their issues with Clares Law, but will be speaking with them and hopes to resolve the problem. I dont know whether theyre concerned about liability issues or privacy issues, he said. We went through the sort of yearlong process of working with municipal police forces and the RCMP and everybody participated to try and develop what we thought was a very good protocol to try and protect privacy and be able to have a meaningful release of information. It came as a bit of a surprise to us to hear (of the RCMP opting out) and Im hoping that with discussions with Minister Blair and (federal Justice Minister and Attorney General David) Lametti, were able to resolve those issues. As we were going through the process, we had the justice officials say to the RCMP that if anybodys got problems, let us know and well work through the legal side of it. That offer stands. Clares Law is named for Clare Wood, who was murdered in England by her boyfriend, George Appleton, in 2009. Appleton had previously spent six years in prison for holding a woman at knifepoint. Woods father, Michael Brown, campaigned to have Clares Law enacted to help prevent domestic violence. It was enacted across England and Wales in 2014. If you look at Clares situation, she had no idea there was an issue there, Morgan said. Her dad had a sense that there was a problem with the individual. The protocol as its developed identifies if theres a person that could be at risk and its not intended to be going out and saying, You shouldnt go out with this person because of A, B and C in that persons past. What it says is, Theres a risk and theres an issue you should be aware of and leaves it open-ended as to whether the person wants to, but the reason for that is to specifically avoid the issues of privacy and liability. Morgan is hopeful the rift between the provincial government and the RCMP on this issue wont cause long-term problems and still thinks they can resolve the problem. We worry about it, Morgan said. Weve had, over the years, a good relationship with the RCMP and theyre based in Regina, training depot is here, and F Division headquarters is here. Weve enjoyed a good working relationship with them on a variety of other issues. Were hoping that were able to restore this and get this back. I would hate to think that this kind of an issue would give pause to that. Im hoping this is something were able to work through or that if the federal government were willing to meet with our officials and discuss whatever the issues are, we would work that out. Right now, we have a good relationship with the RCMP. They do a good job on national policing issues, and in our province, we have a blend here. Weve got municipal police forces that deal with bylaws and municipal priorities, our conservation officers and highway traffic board officers deal with a lot of other things and we do a lot of partnerships with the RCMP. As we go forward, those are discussions we might want to have, how best to maximize our working relationship, what we do in the future, how we apportion duties and responsibilities, but its something that we dont have under active consideration at this time. Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... If the RCMP continue to be unwilling to participate in Clares Law, Morgan says, they will have to work on alternate ways to help communities without municipal police forces. I would be deeply troubled, and I said last week, I would be more than disappointed he said. I think I would arrange for a meeting with one of the two federal ministers that are involved with the hope that we would be able to persuade them otherwise or allay their concerns. Failing that, we would have to look at saying to people in Saskatchewan that arent under the jurisdiction of a municipal police force, can we do something for those people? We would make services available through municipal police forces or look at other options. Morgan was surprised the RCMP opted out and never raised concerns during the process of working with the provincial government. I wish they would have raised (their issue) a year ago when we started to engage with the RCMP, he said. Weve had ongoing discussions and its been fruitful. Weve worked with them on protocols and we were caught off guard that they went ahead with this a week ago and said, no, were not participating after a yearlong process where you develop the protocols. Although Morgan says he hopes either the RCMP will reconsider or the federal government will step in. They made it appear that it was closing the door, he said. I want to work with both the two federal ministers. We worked well with them as we went through COVID-19 issues, and a number of other issues. This is something I think we can certainly agree the issue of interpersonal violence is important to all Canadians and every time theres a tool whether its developed at the provincial or national level all of us should want to use those things and look carefully and see whether we can benefit. Cathay Wagantall, MP for Yorkton-Melville, is glad Saskatchewan is taking steps to address the issue of domestic violence. We all know Saskatchewan has a high rate of domestic violence, Wagantall said. So Im pleased that the provincial government is looking at various ways, including Clares Law, to deal with that issue. Wagantall says shes optimistic the federal government will be able to work with the provincial government on finding a way for the RCMP to participate in Clares Law. As far as the RCMPs involvement, they have concerns around the privacy issue, the minister in Saskatchewan has said theyve dealt with that, she said. Theyve also mentioned theyve been researching it further. I appreciate all of our police forces and the work they do. I do hope there are ways Minister Blair can take a look at this and see how they could participate without any issues around the fact that theyre a federal entity and the privacy laws impact them differently. I look forward to seeing further discussion and the possibility of working that through. With Saskatchewan being the first jurisdiction in Canada to enact Clares Law, Wagantall thinks its impact could lead to other provinces taking steps toward implementing it. Id assume (other provinces will) be watching for sure, to see if it makes an impact in making relationships safer, she said. I really think its important that people are aware of circumstances in a relationship and this can be so challenging in extreme circumstances. I hope it will make a difference. This is clearly something the provincial government has looked at and see as a way of improving outcomes for individuals. Im aware of relationships where violence has been a part of relationships and its such a disturbing dynamic and Id be pleased to see this be very successful. Landlords will be required to meet a minimum of health and safety standards during the COVID-19 pandemic after council voted Tuesday to temporarily amend a by-law applying to multi-residential apartment buildings. Tenants in populated high-rises and advocates were concerned enough wasnt being done to keep their homes safe. That led Coun. Josh Matlow to move a motion at council on Tuesday asking for the by-law changes that include requiring landlords to provide hand sanitizer or hand-washing stations at building entrances and other common spaces. Though Toronto Public Health released health and safety guidelines for landlords during the pandemic, the Federation of Metro Toronto Tenants Associations which represents over 3,000 members recorded in a recent survey of 577 tenants that 50 per cent of landlords had not adopted any new cleaning practices during the pandemic. It has become clear that landlords are not voluntarily complying with the guidelines established by the City to protect tenants, Matlows motion said. This is particularly concerning in light of recent data released by Toronto Public Health showing that the majority of new sporadic or community cases are occurring in low-income neighbourhoods with a significant percentage of racialized people that must work outside of the home in congregate settings. City staff suggested Tuesday it may be difficult to enforce the new rules across the city. But Coun. Joe Cressy, who chairs the citys board of health, said he hopes the move to enshrine those public health guidelines in the by-law will help encourage compliance from landlords without need for city-wide enforcement. In Thorncliffe Park, where Toronto Public Health documented 644 positive COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people, tenant Aashir Vahidy said while his and other buildings in the area initially had hand sanitizer available at entrances it has since run out and not been refilled. It looks very good but other than that, no more soap, he said. He said making sure he washes his hands and socially distances in his building in line with public health advice is up to him, but shared spaces should also be better managed by landlords. It is my responsibility as well but when we are entering into the building there is a lot of people that have touched the doors, said Vahidy, who lives in a smaller building but has visited nearby high-rises where he said he has rarely found the city-recommended measures in place. Property management should be taking care of that. Matlow also successfully moved a motion asking the provincial government to provide rent supports for tenants as they continue to face financial hardship and to better protect them against future evictions as the province moves to speed up that process through new legislation. Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... The European Union is lifting border restrictions against non-essential travellers from 15 countries outside of the union, including Canada, beginning July 1. Thats little comfort for Canadian Emma Holmes and her Austrian girlfriend Larissa Kroell, who last saw each other in February because the welcome isnt being reciprocated by Canada. On Tuesday, Ottawa announced it will extend its existing international travel ban to July 31 to curtail the spread of coronavirus. While Holmes, 23, now has the option to visit her long-distance partner of two years, the couples plan has been to start their life together in Canada in September. Kroell, also 23, has been accepted by University of Waterloo this fall, but due to the travel restrictions she is expected to start her graduate program remotely from Austria. We are not trying to get out of the public rules. We will take the (COVID) test and do the quarantine, said Holmes, a graduate student at McMaster University, who has launched an online petition urging Ottawa to reunite split couples. The EU has a more flexible framework to accommodate travellers during the pandemic, Holmes added. It looks at the science, looks at the countries with COVID and finds a safe way to reunite people with their loved ones. The Council of the EU said its decision was based, among other things, on the containment measures taken by these non-EU countries, which must have a COVID-19 infection rate comparable to or better than the EU average. Member states economic and social interests were also considered. Other countries covered by the EU recommendation include: Algeria, Australia, Georgia, Japan, Montenegro, Morocco, New Zealand, Rwanda, Serbia, South Korea, Thailand, Tunisia and Uruguay. The restriction against China will be lifted if Beijing does the same. Currently, the average infection rate among EU members stands at around 16 per 100,000 people. The United States, with nearly 2.6 million confirmed cases and more than 126,000 deaths, doesnt make the cut. This list will be reviewed and updated every two weeks. Travel restrictions may be totally or partially lifted or reintroduced for a specific (non-EU) country already listed according to changes in some of the conditions and, as a consequence, in the assessment of the epidemiological situation, the Council of the EU said in a statement. If the situation in a listed (non-EU) country worsens quickly, rapid decision-making should be applied. In Canada, the extension of the border restrictions means that only diplomats, air crews, immediate foreign family members of Canadian permanent residents and citizens, as well as essential workers and international students who already had their visas issued, are admitted. Global Affairs Canada continues to advise Canadians to avoid non-essential travel outside of Canada or any cruise ship travel until further notice. The decision to travel is the sole responsibility of the individual. All travellers are strongly advised to follow the Government of Canadas official travel advice to ensure personal safety and security, said GAC spokesperson Sylvain Leclerc. Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Todays announcement is only a recommendation from the European Council to the EU Member States. As such, Canadians seeking to travel abroad are strongly advised to contact the nearest diplomatic office of the relevant country to check on restrictions and requirements. Holmes, who last saw Kroell four months ago during her winter break in Austria, said Denmark has already exempted unmarried partners of the Danes from its travel restrictions. Other European countries are also exploring the idea to keep citizens and their loved ones together during the crisis. At what point would it be safe to see her? asked Holmes. Is it going to be one year? A-year-and-a-half? Thats the hardest part. Read more about: A Fashion District nightclub owner is facing a charge after police allege that up to 150 patrons were inside the club last week, an event that isnt allowed during the pandemic. Toronto police said between 125 and 150 people were inside Goldie nightclub at 619 King Street West on Friday. Patrons were allowed to enter through the back of the building, and social distancing measures werent enforced, police said. The club has no outdoor patio or seating areas, and it has no permit for outdoor service of any kind, police said. Outdoor patios have been allowed to reopen in Toronto starting June 24 as the province gradually allows businesses to reopen during the pandemic. But indoor service has not yet been permitted. Police said the owner, manager and corporation will be charged under the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act with failure to comply with an order made during a declared emergency. We like to see every club open, because that means more businesses, and more jobs. But there are rules right now that say in the interest of public health, they shouldnt be, Mayor John Tory told reporters when asked about the charge during an unrelated briefing on Canada Day. There are many businesses that are cooperating, theyre playing fair, some people are not . . . and we have to do something about that, he added. The incident was investigated by Toronto police and information has been sent to the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario. A representative from the nightclub couldnt be reached by phone or email. Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... With files from Miriam Lafontaine Note: Special one-year subscription at a reduced price for first-time subscribers or for subscriptions that have been expired for at least one year those living in Jackson County and the Cherokee Indian Reservation (28719) addresses qualify. Offer good through Friday, Aug. 2, 2019. We accept Visa, Mastercard and Discover; we do not accept AMEX. When Rick Hill finds himself on Jarvis Street, the Rolodex in his mind flips back to the 1840s, when the man who lived in this part of town, Samuel Peters Jarvis, was the superintendent of Indian Affairs in the province. Hill is an Indigenous historian and a member of the Beaver Clan of the Tuscarora Nation of the Haudenosaunee at Grand River. He is well versed in Jarviss activities of 180 years ago, and how they continue to ripple across time. In the 1840s, tensions were high between white squatters and the Six Nations community, and Jarvis pitched a solution: they should sell their land to the Crown in exchange for reserve land, and a growing fund from land sales. It would be a surrender, Jarvis said, for the benefit of the Indians, and to relieve the present embarrassed state of their affairs. When Hill, an Indigenous innovation specialist at Mohawk College, drives by the old Victorian mansions and highrise buildings of Jarvis Street, he thinks about the mess that followed, the years of petitions, the land claims still unresolved. He thinks about how he struggles to grow corn on the land they wound up with. How money went missing under Jarvis. You know the old phrase, to the victor go the spoils, he says. The colonization of Canada created many opportunities, in which the socially, politically and economically elite people could leave a legacy for themselves. Around the world, there is a growing movement to highlight systemic racism and systems of oppression. As part of this, people are also taking a critical look at the symbols of the modern street tearing down statues and pushing for names that better reflect society. In June, a petition to change the name of Dundas Street, which honours the British official who actively participated in obstructing the abolition of slavery, caught Torontos attention. The petition has more than 14,000 signatures, and calls for a rethinking of other symbols no longer worthy of our honour or respect. Hayden King, the executive director of the Yellowhead Institute, says many monuments and place names across the country have long stood as hallmarks of civilization with limited critical thought. Its this invisible work that settler colonialism does to replicate itself, he says. Its only when you really scratch beneath the surface do you really see what kind of villains they were. Canadian institutions have long been selective in the stories they tell, and the people they celebrate, says Josh Dyer of Myseum Toronto. Weve washed away the sins of some of these people that we want to celebrate, he says, so well tell the story but only a part of it. If a street reflects an oppressive history, we have to ask ourselves how the name was acquired and why we celebrate it, says George Dei, a professor of social justice education at OISE. People think that rewriting history means you are negating the past, he says. Its correcting the wrongs and presenting complete accounts of our histories." There are around 9,500 streets in Toronto. These are just a few of their complicated stories. In 1793, the government of Upper Canada passed an act to limit slavery but it was filled with loopholes. As Natasha Henry, president of the Ontario Black History Society, has pointed out in her extensive writing on the subject, a significant number of government officials in the province enslaved Africans or had family members who held slaves. The new law was a compromise. The law banned the import of slaves to the colony, but people who already held slaves were allowed to keep them, and the children of those enslaved would be free when they turned 25. There was no outright abolition or emancipation. Slaveowners did not suddenly free the people serving their meals, washing their clothes, and doing the hard work on their farms. There was a push against the change in 1798, when a bill to reverse the earlier law passed three readings. As Henry writes, it never made it into law. Slavery continued, and the Upper Canada Gazette continued to feature ads for human beings advertising age, skills, dispositions, health and strength. People of African descent continued to be viewed as sources of free labour, Henry says. There was no stigma to being a slaveowner, she says, noting that in 1817, one man bequeathed six of his slaves, their children, and future children not yet in existence to his own children. Canadian judge and historian William Riddell was one of the first people to focus on slavery in Ontario, Henry says. Around 1920, he estimated that about 500 Black people were enslaved in the province from the 1770s to the 1830s. (Slavery was abolished in the British Empire in 1834.) Here we are 100 years later and no one has really pursued this, she says. She has spent years digging through archival sources to pick up the thread, and better understand the lives of those enslaved for her nearly finished dissertation, One Too Many. Toronto, then known as York, became the capital of Upper Canada in 1796. A grid of streets took shape over a landscape that had long been a home to Indigenous people. Trees were sawed to the ground, houses and farms were built, and the outpost grew. According to censuses of this time period, there were 13 Black people enslaved in York, Henry saysall owned by people with roles in the colonial government. Jarvis Street After the law to limit slavery passed in 1793, William Jarviss wife, Hannah, wrote to her father that Lt.-Gov. Simcoe has by a piece of chicanery freed all the negroes. That was not the case, as her familys continued slave ownership showed. According to Henrys research, Jarvis enslaved six people in York around the turn of the 18th century: Moses, Phoebe, Sussex, Kitty, Prince and a woman whose name has been lost to history. Jarvis was provincial secretary and one of the esteemed pewholders in St. James church. The family lived in a two-acre property in the old town. In 1811, Jarvis took two of his slaves to court because they had stolen gold and silver out of his desk and escaped from their said master, one account notes. Prison sentences were a common way to punish enslaved people, Henry says. Jarvis also owned a 100-acre park lot at the eastern edge of the city, but a series of swaps resulted in his owning a lot that surrounds modern Jarvis Street. After he died, his son Samuel Peters Jarvis eventually built a house called Hazel Burn on that park lot. From 1837 to 1845, Samuel was chief superintendent of Indian Affairs. In 1841, he pitched the Six Nations community on selling their land to the Crown. A handful of people agreed, but the community quickly petitioned the government that these men had acted independently, and the whole matter had been rushed and confused. It is contested to this day. As historian Susan Hill relays in The Clay We Are Made Of: Haudenosaunee Land Tenure on the Grand River, Samuel Jarvis invested money from the community trust without their consent into the Grand River Navigation Co., a doomed canal venture he was involved in. Jarvis combined his money with Indian funds, she writes, and despite the fact that Jarvis could not account for funds taken he was never prosecuted. That was one of our complaints since that time to anyone who would listen, says Rick Monture, a professor in McMaster Universitys Indigenous studies program and a member of the Mohawk nation, Turtle clan, from Six Nations of the Grand River Territory. We were never compensated for that and still havent been. According to the Dictionary of Canadian Biography, an 1844 Royal Commission found a chaotic mess in the Department of Indian Affairs with at least 4,000 missing under an incompetent and possibly dishonest Jarvis. (Its not clear if this relates to the canal boondoggle or a separate matter) He retired in disgrace, and with ongoing debts, hired surveyor John Howard to subdivide a portion of his familys lot around 1850, creating a series of new streets including Jarvis Street. According to city records, the street was named for Samuel Peters Jarvis, not his father. Monture says that local historians and people who work in land claims know all about Jarvis, but the story is not well known beyond that. He wasnt the only guy doing this to native people ... there were probably 200 Samuel Jarvises across this country, and theyre often the ones who get celebrated, he says. It was perfectly acceptable in their day Im sure it was and thats problematic, but thats how the country got built. Russell Street, Peter Street, Russell Hill Drive, Russell Hill Road Peter Russell was a high-ranking government official and he was also a slaveowner. Like William Jarvis, he lived in the bustling old town with his sister and several slaves in one of the citys finest houses. He also had a farm near Spadina Avenue. According to Henrys research, Russell owned four slaves, including Peggy and her children Jupiter, Amy and Milly. Russell did not come here with slaves, and so its likely he procured them through one of his Loyalist channels, she says. The Russells also employed two free men, including Peggys husband, Pompadour, who Henry says likely earned his freedom as a Loyalist fighting in the American Revolution while his wife and children continued to be enslaved. One of the Russell employees kept a diary that sometimes mentions Peggy and her children, keeping watch of the farm, and looking out for wolves, Henry notes. While records show that Russell once paid for a short period of schooling for Jupiter, the diary also records that Jupiter was tied up in a storehouse as a punishment, and that Peggy and Jupiter were jailed at different times, Henry says. (Peggy) shows a disposition at Times to be very troublesome, which may perhaps compel me to commit her again to Prison. I shall be glad that you would either take her away immediately, Russell wrote to a friend in 1801 who he hoped would broker a sale to get rid of Peggy. In 1803, he advertised that Peggy was missing, and anyone harbouring her would be dealt with as the law directs. In 1806, he placed another ad, trying to sell Peggy and Jupiter at a deep discount for people who could pay up front:To be sold, a black woman named Peggy, aged 40 years, and a black boy, her son, named Jupiter, aged about 15 years, both of them the property of the subscriber. The woman is a tolerable cook and washerwoman, and perfectly understands making soap and candles. The boy is tall and strong for his age and has been employed in the country business, but brought up principally as a house servant. They are each of them servants for life. The price of the woman is $150. For the boy $200, payable in three years with interest form the day of sale, to be secured by bond. But one-fourth less will be taken for ready money. Russells sister kept a diary. In 1806, she describes meandering afternoon teas with roasted apples, and complains about Peggy and her daughter Milly. Amy, at the farm, is wild and fond of rambling addicted to pilfering and lying. Jupiter, she writes, behaves so ill that he is to remain at his fathers house until he is sold. Elizabeth Russell would later present Amy to Mrs. Captain Denison as a gift. Peter St. is named for Petersfield, the farm Russell once owned, and the other Russell roadways were named for Russell and his sister, according to Toronto Street Names. Baby Point Crescent, Baby Point Road, Baby Point Terrace The Baby family lived and worked in the Detroit and Windsor area during the late 18th and early 19th centuries, where they were slaveowners, as detailed in historian Marcel Trudel's dictionary of slaves and their owners in French Canada.. The family was French, but loyal to the British, and in 1792, Lt.-Gov. John Graves Simcoe appointed one of the familys adult sons, Jacques James Baby, to the legislative council of the new province. In October 1793, James purchased a Black boy named Franke, aged 12 years for $532.50 (U.S.) at a Detroit auction, according to a presentation on slavery to the Detroit Pioneer Society, recorded in their annals in 1872. The speaker at the society explained there were rules against slavery but Our ancestors paid but little attention to it. Everyone lived in Arcadian simplicity and contentment, he continued. The negro was satisfied with his position, and rendered valuable services to his master, and was ever ready to help him against the treacherous Indians. Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... These paternalistic views were common and absolutely racist, Henry says. Narratives like this aim to justify the brutal institution of slavery by assuming that white people are superior, and that Black people were OK with having their labour controlled through coercion, she says. Baby moved to York around 1815, when he was appointed inspector general of Upper Canada. He lived downtown but later purchased land above the banks of the Humber River, at the site of a former Haudenosaunee village, Teiaiagon. Trudels dictionary notes that one of two women Baby enslaved was emancipated in 1803, but does not mention Franke. Baby died in 1833, but his descendants continued to live in the area. By 1910, developer Robert Home Smith purchased the site, and shortly after, the present subdivision was laid out and named. Brant Street While the majority of slaveowners in Ontario were upwardly mobile white settlers, military records show that Indigenous warriors and allies played a role in the trafficking of enslaved Africans from the United States into Canada, and in some instances a few warriors kept slaves, Natasha Henry says. Records dont give a sense of how many did this. Its always complicated because there were also Indigenous people in colonial settlements who were enslaved, she says. Mohawk leader, loyalist and warrior Joseph Brant, known as Thayendanega, had slaves. He purchased Sophia Pooley, a young girl born into slavery, in the Niagara region, and brought her to his home in Six Nations territory. As a free woman later in life, she told American abolitionist Benjamin Drew about the experience. (Pooleys account is one of two first-hand accounts from an enslaved person in Ontario, Henry says.) Pooley said Brant also kept two colored men. She described hunting with his children, being beaten by Brants wife, and how Brant chastised his wife, saying that he had adopted (Sophia) as one of the family. Brant later sold Pooley for $100. Brant was a respected but controversial figure. Although angry with the British about land loss and disappointed in racism he saw, he aspired to certain aspects of the colonial lifestyle, historian Rick Monture says. Slavery wasnt part of Six Nations society, he says. There were ways to replace people who had been lost to warfare and disease, by taking prisoners, but they were adopted into families not treated as slaves or servants or any lesser than your real kin, he explains. Theres a symbolic adoption process where you become the person that was lost. According to city records, Brant St. was named in 1855. Ryerson Avenue, Ryerson University Egerton Ryerson was instrumental in building public education in Ontario, but he also played a role in conceptualizing Canadas residential schools, a devastating system of cultural genocide with lasting intergenerational impacts, as acknowledged by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. In 1847, Ryerson, then superintendent of education for Canada West, was asked by the government for his thoughts on industrial schools for Indigenous children, and he advised that the North American Indian cannot be civilized or preserved in a state of civilization (including habits of industry and sobriety) except in connection with, if not by the influence of, not only religious instruction and sentiment but of religious feelings. He said he would be ready to promote industrial schools, and while not involved in their launch, he contributed to the blue print of them, a Ryerson University statement noted in 2010. A statue on campus, and the schools name, have long been an issue. As an Indigenous student, walking into a university thats named after the founding father of my ancestors demise does not feel good, says Phyllis McKenna, a member of MChigeeng First Nation who graduated this year. McKenna, former chairperson of the National Circle of First Nations, Metis and Inuit students for the Canadian Federation of Students, belonged to Ryersons Indigenous Student Rising Collective, which along with Black Liberation Collective pressed for the statue to come down and the name of the school changed. In 2018, a plaque was added to the statue with context about Ryersons role in residential schools, where tens of thousands of children suffered unthinkable abuse and neglect. McKenna says more is needed. Theyre reaching out to marginalized and racialized folks to attend these institutions, and if they really want to empower and uplift these student voices, they need to listen to the demands. A university spokesperson said no decisions have been made on the statue or renaming. Sometimes street names change to avoid confusion and repetiton, and sometimes, there is geopolitical reckoning. During the First World War, the residents of Bismarck Avenue petitioned Toronto to change the name honouring the first German chancellor. By August 1915, the civic street naming committee rubber-stamped the change to Asquith Avenue. The city also erased eight other German streets that day. Naming rights for streets have long been held by landowners, says Wayne Reeves, the chief curator for the citys museums and heritage services. Typically and right up until today, streets were named as part of a subdivision process, he says, adding its only in rare instances where the city creates new public streets and names them. Adam Bunch, who has written several books about Toronto history, including the upcoming Toronto Book of Love, says that streets and monuments are stark evidence that for a very long time in Toronto, and in Canada, white men have been building institutions and systems largely for themselves. Some of them were truly horrible people slaveowners and open racists. Some of them were very well-intentioned people who believed in making Canada a more multicultural place, he says. But even those people were still white men who had blind spots. City staff now assess proposed street names for practical and symbolic considerations to make sure a name portrays a strong positive image and reflects historical, cultural, Aboriginal or social significance or contributions to the community. Staff consult the local councillor, and if necessary, community council. To change a name, 75 per cent of the property owners on the street must agree a daunting task on a major artery like Dundas Street, with more than 7,000 properties. In light of the Dundas petition, Mayor John Tory has asked senior city staff, including the Confronting Anti-Black Racism Unit and the Indigenous Affairs Office, to form a working group to examine policies around street names. Their report is expected mid-July. Natasha Henry has stood in old Toronto many times, trying to erase condos from her view to imagine what life was like for Moses, Phoebe, Peggy, Jupiter and the other people who were enslaved here. The lack of information motivates me even more to ensure the research Im doing helps to honour their existence and their humanity. It is a touchy thing to quantify those who were enslaved another form of commodification, she says so she is striking a balance in her research, being mindful of their humanity and personal stories. She says the old estimate of 500 Black people enslaved in Ontario between the 1770s and 1830s is not far off. Of the few hundred who were enslaved we do not have a few hundred deaths recorded. So what happened to these people? Henry thinks street names or memorials that are relics of a violent colonial past should be rethought. The history has always been there, Hayden King says, but people protesting systemic racism have forced media and politicians to put this on the agenda. Canada is a country of inquiries and studies, he says, where disagreements are addressed, but little else is done. We have a prime minister and head of the RCMP that are reluctantly recognizing that structural racism exists and thats sort of the end of the story, he says. Renaming a street can be powerful, but it is the lowest threshold for change. Even if a street has a benign name, it has overwritten Indigenous place and presence, he says. For the past few years in Toronto, the Ogimaa Mikana Project has been replacing official signage with Anishinaabe versions. All street names in Canada have to be questioned, King says. Its not just about the individuals that they represent but its about the institution. George Dei says we need to be thoughtful about how we move forward. For some of us, what were talking about is our pain and our suffering, and we dont want to counterbalance that with white fears and anxieties, he says. No street goes on forever. Whenever he finds himself on Jarvis Street, Rick Hill eventually turns on to another road, and another story. Part of me has to laugh, because despite Jarvis, were still here, he says. Despite the taking of our land, were still here. To learn more about slavery in early Toronto, visit http://www.myseumoftoronto.com/ontario-black-history-society/ for a walking tour of the old city curated by Natasha Henry. Correction July 2, 2020: This article was edited from a previous version that included an incorrect photo of Robert Sutherland. A photo of Queens University alumnus Wilfrid Peters was misidentified as Robert Sutherland. JOHANNESBURG - Protesters against Africas first COVID-19 vaccine trial burned their face masks Wednesday as experts note a worrying level of resistance and misinformation around testing on the continent. Anti-vaccine sentiment in Africa is the worst Ive ever seen, the CEO of the GAVI vaccine alliance, Seth Berkley, told an African Union vaccine conference last week. In general, people in Africa know the diseases and want to protect each other, he said. In this case, the rumour mill has been dramatic. The trial that began last week in Johannesburg is part of one already underway in Britain of the vaccine developed at the University of Oxford. Some 2,000 volunteers in South Africa are expected to take part. Its important that vaccines be tested in Africa to see how they perform in the local context, professor of vaccinology Shabir Madhi, leader of the new COVID-19 vaccine trial in South Africa, told reporters and others in a webinar Sunday. But the small band of demonstrators who gathered Wednesday at the University of the Witwatersrand, where the trial is based, reflect long-running fears among some in Africa over testing drugs on people who dont understand the risks. The people chosen as volunteers for the vaccination, they look as if theyre from poor backgrounds, not qualified enough to understand protest organizer Phapano Phasha told The Associated Press ahead of the event. We believe they are manipulating the vulnerable. The activist and political commentator brought up the widely circulated remarks earlier this year by a French researcher, Jean-Paul Mira, who said, If I can be provocative, shouldnt we be doing this study in Africa, where there are no masks, no treatments, no resuscitation? He compared it to some AIDS studies: In prostitutes, we try things because we know that they are highly exposed and that they do not protect themselves. The narrative we got is our continent is a dumping ground, Phasha said. First ensure the vaccine works elsewhere before bringing it to Africa, she added. The French researcher later apologized for his comments, but they continue to circulate on social media among those opposed to vaccine testing in Africa, Meanwhile, anger among African health officials and others was swift. The Ethiopian director of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, called the comments racist and a hangover from a colonial mentality. The head of the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, John Nkengasong, called the remarks very disgusting and condescending. Africa CDC will continue to work very closely with the World Health Organization to ensure that only ethically and scientifically sound clinical trials for vaccines and therapies will be conducted in Africa, using exactly the same standards and principles as those employed elsewhere in the world, Nkengasong said in a statement. These principles will be guided by respect for the dignity of Africans, the beneficence and non-maleficence, and justice. Madhi, the professor in charge of the South Africa vaccine trial, has said volunteers were given an explanation about the trial and possible risks and then had to score 80% on a questionnaire to take part. But why not target more affluent parts of South African society? Phasha asked. I believe in science, she said. And I believe that science has managed to solve most of the problems society is faced with. Im not against vaccinations, Im against profiteering. Fellow protesters sang and danced with banners saying We not guinea pigs and No safe vaccine. If you want to test, test in the areas which they call the epicenter of the world, demonstrator Sean Goss said. Africa has seen troubled testing and treatment. Some families in Nigeria won payouts in a legal fight with Pfizer after several children died of meningitis in a clinical trial for an oral antibiotic in 1996. And earlier this year, South Africas Commission for Gender Equality said dozens of HIV-positive women had been forced or coerced into sterilization after giving birth at public hospitals. Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Its not clear when Africas first COVID-19 vaccine trial will begin showing results, but a worried Madhi has said the local surge in confirmed cases could mean seeing them months earlier than expected. South Africa now has more than 151,000 confirmed coronavirus cases, the most on the African continent. Africa overall has more than 400,000 cases. As the pandemic picks up speed in Africa, health officials are urging that any vaccine be distributed equitably around the world. A quarter of all vaccines for other diseases are used in Africa and yet the continent has little production capacity, putting its 1.3 billion people at risk of being near the end of the line for any COVID-19 vaccine. The new global attention to racial injustice creates a key time to act, the head of the Nigeria Center for Disease Control told the AU vaccine conference last week. If we dont use this moment when, for better or worse, we have the political attention of people, we will regret it, Chikwe Ihekweazu said. Africa must play a role in the new vaccine trials, the vice chancellor of the University of Cape Town, Mamokgethi Phakeng, and the chair of South Africas Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Thokozani Majozi, wrote this month in the Sunday Times newspaper. They, too, brought up the French researchers comments and they criticized the calls for an African-only approach to finding a vaccine, saying it would pull the continent even further from the global stage. It would be tragic if Africa chose not to take part, at all levels, in clinical trials of a Covid-19 vaccine or any medical treatment that could save lives, they said. ___ AP journalist Nqobile Ntshangase in Johannesburg contributed. ___ Follow AP pandemic coverage at http://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak BEIJING - China on Wednesday demanded Washington stop oppressing Chinese companies after U.S. regulators declared telecom equipment suppliers Huawei and ZTE to be national security threats. The Federal Communications Commission on Tuesday blocked the Chinese vendors from receiving subsidies from a government fund, stepping up efforts to limit their access to the U.S. market. A foreign ministry spokesman accused Washington of abusing state power to hurt Chinese companies without any evidence. We once again urge the United States to stop abusing the concept of national security, deliberately discrediting China and unreasonably oppressing Chinese companies, said the spokesman, Zhao Lijian. U.S. regulators say Huawei Technologies Ltd., the biggest global maker of telecom switching equipment, and its smaller Chinese rival ZTE Corp. are controlled by the ruling Communist Party and say they might facilitate Chinese spying. Huawei and ZTE deny the U.S. accusations. Huaweis founder, Ren Zhengfei, said last year he would refuse official demands to reveal its customers secrets despite a law that obliges Chinese companies to co-operate with intelligence agencies. The FCC said money from its $8.3 billion-a-year Universal Service Fund, which subsidizes equipment purchases for some carriers, may no longer be used to purchase Huawei or ZTE equipment. The FCC has designated Huawei and ZTE as national security risks, said the agencys chairman, Ajit Pai, in a statement. He said the companies threaten our national security. The decision affects mostly small, rural carriers because major U.S. phone companies dont use Chinese equipment. The FCC had previously barred Huawei and ZTE from receiving other government subsidies. Congress enacted a law in March that will provide up to $1 billion for carriers to replace Chinese-made equipment. The Trump administration is lobbying its European and other allies to avoid Huawei as they upgrade to next-generation, or 5G, telecom networks. An assistant secretary of state, Keith Krach, said last week Washington might be willing to help other countries pay for 5G gear from European rivals Nokia Corp. and LM Ericsson to avoid buying Huawei technology. NEW DELHI - Indian and Chinese military commanders met for a third time in an attempt to ease a monthlong face-off over disputed territory and emphasized the need for a phased deescalation of tensions, a senior Indian army official said Wednesday. The official said more meetings are expected, both among military officials and diplomats, to reach a mutually agreeable solution and ensure peace along their disputed Line of Actual Control. The latest meeting took place on the Indian side of the disputed border on Tuesday, he said. The official spoke on condition of anonymity as he was not authorized to talk to reporters. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said in Beijing that China welcomed the progress made by the military commanders in devising effective measures by frontline troops to disengage and de-escalate the situation. ``We hope the Indian side will work with the Chinese side toward the same goal, keep up close communication through military and diplomatic channels, and ease the situation and reduce the temperature along the border, according to the Chinese foreign ministry website. Indias army chief, Gen. M.M. Naravane, visited the area in Ladakh last week to review his troops preparedness after hand-to-hand combat between Indian and Chinese soldiers on June 15 left 20 Indians dead. Indian officials say there were casualties on the Chinese side as well, but there has been no confirmation by Beijing. Indian officials say the current standoff began in early May when large contingents of Chinese soldiers entered deep inside Indian-controlled territory at three places in Ladakh, erecting tents. They say the soldiers ignored repeated verbal warnings, triggering a yelling match, stone throwing and even fistfights in at least one place along Pangong Lake, the site of several such confrontations in the past. The Galwan Valley, where the clash occurred, is part of a remote stretch of the 3,380-kilometre (2,100-mile) Line of Actual Control the border established following a war between India and China in 1962 that resulted in an uneasy truce. Infuriated by the border tensions, Indian protesters have been calling for a boycott of Chinese goods since the June 15 confrontation. On Monday, the government said it has banned 59 Chinese-owned apps, including TikTok, which is operated by Chinese internet firm Bytedance. It cited privacy concerns that it said pose a threat to Indias sovereignty and security. Indias Prime Minister Narendra Modi quit Chinese social media platform Weibo to send a strong message to China on the border issue, economic front and at ``personal level too, the Press Trust of India news agency cited his party leader B.L. Santhosh as saying. Modi had joined Weibo in 2015. Nitin Gadkari, Indias minister for road transport and highways, said India will not allow Chinese companies to participate in highway projects and will not let Chinese invest in micro, small and medium-sized enterprises, the Press Trust of India news agency reported. KABUL - The U.N. mission in Afghanistan said its findings indicate the Afghan military had mistakenly fired the mortars this week at a busy market in southern Helmand province that inflicted heavy civilian casualties. According to a statement from the office of the Helmand provincial governor, Gen. Mohammad Yasin, a car bombing and mortar shells struck the market in Sangin district on Monday, killing 23 people, including children. Both the Taliban and the Afghan military blamed each other for the attack. A series of tweets late Tuesday from the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, or UNAMA, said that multiple credible sources have asserted that the Afghan army fired the mortars in response to Taliban fire, missing (the) intended target. The tweet made no mention of any car bomb but it indicated that there was a battle between the Taliban and Afghan forces at the time of the attack. The U.N. did not elaborate on how its mission reached those findings. The tweets said both parties in the war in Afghanistan must stop fighting in civilian-populated areas as such fighting has caused thousands of civilian casualties. UNAMA also urged the Afghan government to set up independent investigation team for Mondays incident and offered its assistance. The Afghan government has insisted there was no military activity in the Taliban-controlled area at the time of the attack. The Defence Ministry responded on Wednesday to the U.N. tweets by repeating that statement, adding that Afghan mortars cannot reach the Sangin market from their checkpoints. Civilians are often caught in the crossfire of the fighting even as Afghan forces say they are targeting the insurgents, not civilians, in anti-militant operations. A U.N. report in May blamed the Taliban for killing or wounding a total of 208 civilians in April and also said that operations carried out by Afghan forces had killed or wounded 172 civilians. The attack in Helmand came as Washingtons special peace envoy, Zalmay Khalilzad, is again touring the region to try and push the peace process forward. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in a Monday video conference with the Taliban pressed the insurgents to reduce violence in Afghanistan. There have been expectations that talks between Afghan government representatives and the Taliban could possibly start this month in Doha, Qatar, where the Taliban maintain a political office. LONDON - Public health experts on Wednesday criticized the U.S. for securing for itself a large supply of the only drug licensed so far to treat COVID-19. The U.S. government announced Monday that it had an agreement with Gilead Sciences to make the bulk of their production of remdesivir available to Americans during the next three months. The Department of Health and Human Services said it had secured 500,000 treatments of the drug through September, representing 100% of Gileads July production capacity and 90% of its capacity in August and September. To the extent possible, we want to ensure that any American patient who needs remdesivir can get it, Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said in a statement. Ohid Yaqub, a senior lecturer at the University of Sussex, called the U.S. agreement disappointing news. It so clearly signals an unwillingness to co-operate with other countries and the chilling effect this has on international agreements about intellectual property rights, Yaqub said in a statement Until now, Gilead had donated treatment courses to the U.S. and other countries. That ended Tuesday and Gilead this week announced the price of the treatment going forward. In 127 poor or middle-income countries, Gilead is allowing generic makers to supply the drug. In a statement Wednesday, the California-based Gilead said its agreement with the U.S. allows for unneeded supplies to be sent to other countries. The company said it is working as quickly as possible to enable access worldwide. But it noted that U.S. is seeing a significant rise in COVID cases, while most EU and other developed countries have reduced their levels of disease considerably. Early trials testing remdesivir in patients hospitalized with COVID-19 found that those who received the drug recovered quicker than those who didnt. It is the only drug licensed by both the U.S. and the European Union as a treatment for those with severe illness from the coronavirus. Dr. Peter Horby, who is running a large study testing several treatments for COVID-19, told the BBC that a stronger framework was needed to ensure fair prices and access to key medicines for people and nations around the world. He said that as an American company, Gilead was likely under certain political pressures locally. British Prime Minister Boris Johnsons spokesman, James Slack, declined to criticize the United States for the move, but said the U.K. had a sufficient stock of remdesivir for patients who need it, but didnt specify how much that was. Thomas Senderovitz, head of the Danish Medicines Agency, told Danish broadcaster DR that the move could endanger Europeans and others down the road. I have never seen anything like that. That a company chooses to sell their stock to only one country. Its very strange and quite inappropriate, he said. Right now we have enough to make it through the summer if the intake of patients is as it is now. If a second wave comes, we may be challenged. Gilead had been developing remdesivir for years as a viral treatment, aided by millions in funding from the U.S. government, before it was tried for coronavirus. The companys statement said that Gilead is exploring ways to support access to remdesivir beyond the U.S. and the 127 developing countries. Dr. Penny Ward of Kings College London, noted that many countries have legal provisions that allow them to prohibit the exportation of drugs to other countries during an emergency. It is unreasonable to expect that the U.S. government should deny their population access to drugs manufactured in the USA, she said. Ward pointed out that another drug that has recently shown may help people with severe COVID-19, the cheap steroid dexamathasone, is long off-patent and available globally. The U.S. has the worst coronavirus outbreak in the world, with 2.6 million reported infected and 127,000 confirmed virus-related deaths, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University. To date, COVID-19 has sickened more than 10.5 million people worldwide, killing around 512,000, according Johns Hopkins. Top U.S. infectious diseases expert Dr. Anthony Fauci told senators on Tuesday that the U.S. outbreak is going in the wrong direction and he feared the country could see 100,000 new infections a day if things didnt improve. The U.S. is seeing about 40,000 new cases a day currently. ___ Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... AP writers Jill Lawless in London Jan M. Olsen in Copenhagen, Denmark, and Linda A. Johnson in Fairless Hills, Pennsylvania contributed to this report. ___ Follow AP pandemic coverage at http://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak. ISTANBUL - In its more than 1,400-year existence, the majestic domed structure of Hagia Sophia in Istanbul has served as the Byzantine Empires main cathedral, a mosque under the Ottoman Empire and a museum under modern Turkey, attracting millions of tourists each year. The 6th-century building is now at the centre of a heated debate between nationalist, conservative and religious groups who are pressing for it to be reconverted back into a mosque and those who believe the UNESCO World Heritage site should remain a museum, underscoring Istanbuls status as a bridge between continents and cultures. On Thursday, Turkeys Council of State, the countrys highest administrative court, begins reviewing a request by a group devoted to reverting Hagia Sophia into a mosque. They are pressing to annul a 1934 decision by the Council of Ministers, led by secular Turkeys founder Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, that turned the historic structure into a museum. A decision could come later Thursday or within two weeks, the state-run Anadolu Agency reported. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who leads an Islamic-oriented party, has previously spoken about possibly changing Hagia Sophias status to a mosque but has said his government would await the Council of States decision. Analysts believe that Erdogan a populist, polarizing leader who in nearly two decades in office has frequently blamed Turkeys secular elites for the countrys problems is using the Hagia Sophia debate to consolidate his conservative base and to distract attention from Turkeys substantial economic woes. This is not just a debate about a building, said Soner Cagaptay, Turkey analyst for the Washington Institute. Ataturk established Hagia Sophia as a museum to underline his vision of secularizing Turkey. And nearly 100 years later, Erdogan is trying to do the opposite. (Erdogan) feels the pressure of popular support dwindling and therefore he wants to use issues that he hopes will remobilize his right-wing base around nativist, populist, anti-elitist topics, said Cagaptay, author of the book Erdogans Empire. Built under Byzantine Emperor Justinian, Hagia Sophia was the main seat of the Eastern Orthodox church for centuries, where emperors were crowned amidst ornate marble and mosaic decorations. Four minarets were added to the terracotta-hued structure with cascading domes and the building was turned into an imperial mosque following the 1453 Ottoman conquest of Constantinople the city that is now Istanbul. The building opened its doors as a museum in 1935, a year after the Council of Ministers decision. Islamist groups, however, regard the symbolic structure as a legacy of Ottoman Sultan Mehmet the Conqueror and strongly object to its status as a museum. Large crowds have gathered outside Hagia Sophia on the May 31 anniversary of the citys conquest to pray and demand that it be restored as a place of Muslim worship. In the past few years, Turkey has been allowing readings from the Quran inside Hagia Sophia and Erdogan himself has recited prayers there. This year, he oversaw by video conference the recital of the prayer of conquest on the anniversary of the Ottoman conquest. On Tuesday, Istanbul-based Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I, considered the spiritual leader of the worlds Orthodox Christians, noted that Hagia Sophia had served as a place of worship for Christians for 900 years and for Muslims for 500 years. As a museum, Hagia Sophia can function as a place and symbol of encounter, dialogue and peaceful coexistence of peoples and cultures, mutual understand and solidarity between Christianity and Islam, he said. Bartholomew added: the potential conversion of Hagia Sophia into a mosque will turn millions of Christians across the world against Islam. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo also urged Turkey on Wednesday to keep Hagia Sophia as a museum to serve as an exemplar of its commitment to respect faith traditions and diverse history. He called on the government in Ankara to ensure the structure remains accessible to all. The United States views a change in the status of the Hagia Sophia as diminishing the legacy of this remarkable building and its unsurpassed abilityso rare in the modern worldto serve humanity as a much-needed bridge between those of differing faith traditions and cultures, Pompeo said in a statement. Greece also strongly objects to attempts to change Hagia Sophia into a mosque, arguing that its designation as a historic monument must be maintained. I hope that President Erdogan does not proceed with something that will deeply hurt Turkey, Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias said. This monument has endured many things and it will always return, but Turkeys image will take a severe blow. Turkish media reports say the government was considering the possibility of keeping Hagia Sophia open to tourists even if it were turned into a mosque. That status would be similar to Istanbuls Blue Mosque, which sits right across from Hagia Sophia and functions both as a house of worship and a tourist spot. Hurriyet and other media have reported that Hagia Sophia could be reconverted into a mosque by a public holiday on July 15, when the country marks the fourth anniversary of the foiling of an attempted coup. Cagaptay, the analyst said, the Hagia Sophia issue would likely have a temporary impact in keeping Erdogans base with him. Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... (But) if he does not deliver economic growth, I cant see him winning elections as he did in the past, Cagaptay said. ___ Suzan Fraser reported from Ankara, Turkey. Elena Becatoros in Athens and Matthew Lee in Washington contributed. PHOENIX - Arizona hospitals are hiring out-of-state nurses, squeezing in more beds and preparing for the possibility of making life-and-death decisions about how to ration care as they get ready for an expected surge of coronavirus patients in one of the nations worst hot spots. Parents, teachers, businesses and their customers also are hunkering down for at least a month of new closures imposed by the state in a belated effort to slow the spread of the virus and limit overcrowding at hospitals. Arizona and several other states that were reopening their economies have clamped back down over the past week as they eclipsed records for infections and hospitalizations. Republican Gov. Doug Ducey, however, went further than others by ordering gyms and movie theatres to close and postponing the start of school until mid-August. Texas shut down bars and reduced restaurant capacity, while Florida, where some beaches have been closed, banned alcohol consumption at bars. In contrast, Ducey shut down all bars for 30 days, including in Scottsdale, where employees and young customers crammed into nightclubs without wearing masks or practicing social distancing. Like Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, Ducey ordered tubing businesses to close after images over the weekend showed large numbers of tubers on the Salt River without masks. While Texas limited the number of people at water parks, Arizona closed them altogether for 30 days. Tom Hatten, founder and chief executive of Mountainside Fitness, a chain of about 20 gyms across metro Phoenix, said Tuesday that he has no plans to shut down. He has filed court paperwork seeking an injunction against Duceys closure order, calling it arbitrary and irrational. Hatten also said several of his health clubs facilities were cited by police Tuesday for being open. Under Duceys order, the citations carry a fine up to $2,500 if convicted. Hatten said it doesnt make sense that casinos, restaurants and big-box stores can stay open, while gyms are forced to close. We are just as concerned about this virus as everyone. But singling out and closing health clubs, after we sat closed for two months, is not going to keep the virus from spreading, Hatten said. Duceys executive order allows local police to enforce closures and government agencies to revoke business licenses. In another sign of upheaval, cities are cancelling Fourth of July fireworks shows, among them Peoria, Chandler and Marana. Others had already made plans to cancel. Vice-President Mike Pence is scheduled to visit Phoenix on Wednesday and meet with Ducey at the airport before speaking to reporters. It wasnt clear if he had other plans before returning to Washington. Pences last-minute trip replaces a planned campaign event in Tucson and meeting with Ducey in Yuma. An additional 44 people have died from COVID-19, bringing the total since the beginning of the outbreak to 1,632, health officials said. They reported nearly 4,700 new coronavirus cases Tuesday, an inflated number because of an undercount Monday. Arizona has seen skyrocketing infections this month after Ducey allowed his stay-at-home order to expire on May 15. Over the past seven days, nearly one in four coronavirus tests has been positive, a rate far higher than any other state. The positivity rate is a measure of how widespread the disease is in the community. Preparing for an influx of patients, hospitals are activating plans to add more beds and staff. State officials have authorized crisis standards of care, which tell hospitals which patients should get a ventilator or other scarce resources if there is a shortage. If there are more patients than can be cared for at ideal levels, patients are given a score based on their life expectancy and the likelihood their organs will fail. Hospitals are told not to consider factors like race, gender, sexual orientation or disabilities. Emergency rooms are not yet overwhelmed, but COVID-19 is taking its toll, said Dr. Frank DelVecchio, who works in emergency rooms at several Phoenix-area hospitals, including Valleywise Health. Nurses caring for coronavirus patients take a significant amount of time suiting up to protect themselves and cant quickly jump from room to room, he said. This is just off the charts, sick patients. Were letting people go home that wed never let go home if they were this sick, including patients with low oxygen, DelVecchio said. Were trying to get you home oxygen. Were trying to tell you to come back if worse. Because theres not much we can do for you. Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... People who have attempted or considered suicide are getting stuck for a day or more in emergency rooms because psychiatric facilities wont accept them until they have COVID-19 test results. Because suicidal patients require constant monitoring, they are sometimes placed in hallways or less private areas while awaiting results, DelVecchio said. Dignity Health, which operates several hospitals in the Phoenix area, is converting more areas to treat COVID-19 patients and preparing to put multiple patients in private rooms, spokeswoman Carmelle Malkovich said. Its bringing nurses from underutilized hospitals in its system to Arizona and hiring travelling nurses and respiratory therapists throughout July. HonorHealth, another big hospital chain in the Phoenix area, is prepared to implement the first phase of its surge plan as soon as this week, officials said in a statement. They did not explain what that means. ATLANTA - President Donald Trump and his challenger, Joe Biden, have found something they agree on: The November election could be rife with corruption because of how officials handle the voting process. Of course, the Republican incumbent and his Democratic rival place the prospective blame in different places. Each points at the others party. I really, really, really believe were on the cusp of what could be the most corrupt process that weve seen in a general election if we dont monitor this every single second, Biden told donors Tuesday evening as he discussed Trumps and many Republicans opposition to expanding early voting and mail-in voting amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Thats similar language to what Trump has tweeted to his millions of social media followers in recent weeks. Mail-in voting will lead to the most corrupt election in USA history, Trump declared Sunday. The president previously argued that mail-balloting allows voters to cheat. One such tweet drew a rare, special tag from Twitter that directed readers to mail-voting facts that rebutted the presidents unsupported claims about voter fraud. There are instances of voter fraud in the U.S., most often found in local or smaller jurisdictional elections, but there is no evidence of widespread fraud that would tilt statewide or national results. Biden noted Tuesday that Trump himself has voted using mail ballots, most recently using Floridas absentee process to cast his Republican primary ballot in March. Similar word choice aside, Bidens and Trumps disparate framing of voting by mail tracks the long-running, largely partisan fight over ballot access and election security. Republicans nationally have pushed aggressive culling of voter rolls, identification requirements that are arduous for some voters, and strict signature and witness rules for absentee ballots. GOP officials cast such rules as necessary fraud prevention; Democrats call them systemic voter suppression. We have got to keep ringing the bell about this all the way to the election, Biden said, adding that his campaign and the Democratic Party have put together a team of hundreds of lawyers and volunteers to focus on voter protection and education. Its the greatest concern I have, Biden said, not just for my race, but for races up and down the ballot. Biden singled out Trumps opposition to injecting federal aid into the U.S. Postal Service. Hes talking about defunding the post office so they cant deliver mail-in ballots, Biden said. The postal agency doesnt actually get direct taxpayer support for normal operations, as Bidens dig suggested. But COVID-19 has devastated its already precarious finances, and Congress has considered an aid package. Trumps White House blocked one bailout effort earlier this year and wants to attach strings to any taxpayer assistance. At the time, Biden said that he believed Trump was pushing a narrative to cloud the results in November should the president lose. Biden went so far in that April 23 event as to suggest Trump might attempt to postpone the election. Biden offered no evidence of that claim. Besides Trumps opposition to mail ballots, Biden declared Tuesday that dozens of proposals from state lawmakers around the country amount to Jim Crow-type efforts to restrict access to voting. He did not elaborate. But he promised to restore the Voting Rights Act, the 1965 civil rights law that, until a 2013 Supreme Court ruling, required many Southern states and some counties outside the South to get federal approval for all changes to election rules and procedures. CALEXICO, Calif. - A farming region on Californias border with Mexico has sent hundreds of patients to hospitals outside the area, an official said Tuesday, as its leaders accepted Gov. Gavin Newsoms recommendation to backpedal on reopening its battered economy. The Imperial County board of supervisors unveiled a plan late Monday that includes closing businesses deemed non-essential, except for curbside pickup, and shuttering county parks. The plan would take effect if approved by Newsom, who said Friday that the county should reverse itself on reopening. It comes as California grapples with increasing infections across the state. Imperial, with a population of about 180,000, has had about 6,200 cases among 30,700 tested, a positive rate of about 20%. Health experts largely agree that cross-border traffic with Mexicali is at least partly to blame for a surge since the middle of May. The constant coming and going across the border contributed to the outbreak, along with multi-generation families in the same household and other cultural and personal behaviour, Janette Angulo, the countys public health director, said at a state Senate hearing Tuesday. The county is largely invisible and forgotten as a region, but it has gained widespread attention for its grave situation with the pandemic, Angulo said. More than 500 coronavirus patients have been transferred to hospitals outside the region in the last couple weeks, Angulo said. Mexicali, a sprawling city of 1 million people with factories that churn out aerospace parts, medical devices and other products for export to the U.S., has taken its own measures against the virus. Last weekend, the city established at checkpoint to make sure motorists entering from the U.S. were asymptomatic, had facial coverings and were coming for essential business. Calexico Police Chief Gonzalo Gerardo said traffic backed up for seven hours in three different directions Friday at the downtown border crossing to enter Mexico. His phone was blowing up with questions, and Mexicali officials finally eased up. Mexicali officials told U.S. authorities they will inspect vehicles every Thursday through Sunday for signs of the virus until the number of cases subsides, Gerardo said. They are also taking temperatures and allowing no more than two people per car. Mexicali, with 4,844 cases and 837 deaths, is among the hardest-hit parts of Mexico. Calexico in the past has been known as the cocaine, drug corridor into the U.S., Gerardo said. Now I call it the COVID corridor because we do have a lot of people coming across who are COVID-positive. Imperial Valley, which provides much of the lettuce, carrots and other vegetables for U.S. supermarkets during winter, is deeply intertwined with Mexicali. Many workers who pick crops come from Mexicali and begin standing in line at 2 a.m. daily to cross into the U.S. for their shifts. Mexican license plates often dominate parking lots of Imperial Valley shopping malls, with Mexicali shoppers seeking cheaper goods or more variety. While restaurant and bars have been closed since March, Imperial Valley business have slowly reopened. The area regularly posts one of the highest unemployment rates in the United States, hitting 27.8% in May. In Calexico, with a population of 40,000, downtown stores were largely closed Tuesday except for lawyers offices. Stores at an outlet mall were open, but there was hardly any foot traffic. Local government and hospital executives gave little reason for hope at Tuesdays hearing in Sacramento chaired by state Sen. Ben Hueso to discuss the pandemics impact on the border. Larry Lewis, chief executive of Pioneers Memorial Hospital, said he expects the number of cases and transfers to hospitals outside the region to continue growing. Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Now its not about dealing with a crisis, he said. This is an ongoing way of life at least for next 12 months. ___ Spagat reported from San Diego. WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump is asking Americans to let him keep his job. His critics are questioning how much of that job hes actually doing. The questions have gotten louder in recent days following revelations that Trump didnt read at least two written intelligence briefings about Russia paying bounties to the Taliban for the deaths of Americans in Afghanistan. He also appeared to either downplay or miss repeated warnings about the coronavirus that were included in intelligence briefing s, and he has been reluctant to amplify some of his own governments recommendations for reducing transmission, including wearing masks. He is not doing his job, said Michael Hayden, the former director of both the CIA and National Security Agency. Such assessments put Trump in a precarious position four months from Election Day, and risk undercutting the central argument most incumbents make to voters when seeking re-election: Keep me on the job because Ive proven I can do it. Instead, Trumps uneven handling of the crises battering the nation, as well as the new revelations about his lack of attention to intelligence, have given Democrats an opening to argue to voters that the president has proven he is ill-equipped to lead the nation through tough times, or outright absent in moments that demand leadership. It seems like our wartime president surrendered, waved the white flag and left the battlefield, said Joe Biden, Trumps Democratic opponent in the presidential race. Biden, who spent more than three decades as a senator and eight years as vice-president, is pitching himself to voters as a steady and experienced hand. Trump came to power without any experience in governing, making the case to voters that the go-with-your-gut decisions that helped him in business and as a reality television star would serve him as president, too. For some Americans disillusioned with career politicians in both parties, his outsider credentials were part of the appeal. Trump has indeed taken an unconventional approach to the presidency. Hes known to demand only the sparest detail in his briefings, and his workdays frequently include hours watching cable news and posting on Twitter. White House aides have at times been leery of delivering bad news to him for fear of sparking an angry reaction, according to current and former advisers. They said there is particular concern in the West Wing about discussing Russia because the subject can send Trump into a tirade about accusations that he has a too-cozy relationship with Vladimir Putin and about the special counsel investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election. The current and former advisers insisted on anonymity in order to discuss their private dealings with the president. Trumps tweets for any occasion and obsession with dominating the news cycle, even if it involves something negative, has sustained him for much of his presidency, when many of the crises were of his own making or fleeting in nature. Republicans often bristled at his tone and tweets, but justified their support for him by pointing to the strong economy and the new generation of conservative judges he nominated to the courts. But 2020 has been a year that has demanded more substance than style from the president. More than 120,000 Americans have died from COVID-19, and known infections are on the rise in several states. The strong economy Trump hoped to run on this year has cratered. And the deaths of several Black Americans has sparked a national reckoning over race and police brutality. On each of those matters, Trumps critics as well as some of his allies argue he has fallen short rather than rising to the moment. Hes all but declared the pandemic over and has focused aggressively on reopening the economy, even as some Republican allies in key states start rolling back those efforts in a bid to contain outbreaks. Just 37% of Americans say they approve of Trumps handling of the pandemic, down from 44% in March, according to a recent poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. The president has also been largely absent from the discussion of systemic racism in America following the death of George Floyd, a Black man who died when a white police officer pressed his knee into Floyds neck for several minutes. Trump has focused much of his energy on the subject of racism on defending the prominent placement of memorials to Confederate figures. Democrats also say the revelations over the past week that the president may not have read or absorbed intelligence briefings have put a finer point on the questions they are raising about his basic competency. The White House insisted Trump was unaware of assessments that Russia had put a bounty on U.S. servicemembers in Afghanistan, though intelligence officials told The Associated Press the matter was included in at least two written briefings over the past year and that senior advisers alerted the president to the intelligence. At best, our commander in chief is utterly derelict in his duties, presiding over a dangerously dysfunctional national security process that is putting our country and those who wear its uniform at great risk, Susan Rice, who served as President Barack Obamas national security adviser and is under consideration to be Bidens running mate, wrote in a New York Times opinion piece. Some Republicans have defended Trump, including Texas Sen. John Cornyn, who told reporters the president cant single-handedly remember everything, Im sure, that hes briefed on. And White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany stated: The president does read. This president is the most informed person on planet Earth, she declared. To Democrats, whats transpired in the White House was foreshadowed during the 2016 campaign, when Hillary Clinton argued that Trump simply wasnt prepared for the presidency. Voters still chose him over the experienced former senator and secretary of state. Now, Democrats believe their case about competency is more compelling given that Trump has a record in office to defend. His actions and inactions directly impact peoples lives now, said Josh Schwerin, spokesman for the Democratic super PAC Priorities USA. ___ Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... AP writer Jonathan Lemire in New York contributed to this report. ___ EDITORS NOTE: Julie Pace has covered the White House and politics for AP since 2007. Follow her at http://twitter.com/jpaceDC DETROIT - As a national reckoning over racism and policing grips the nation, white Democrats are far more likely now than they were a few years ago to think police brutality is a serious issue a dramatic shift in public opinion that some say could shape the November presidential election. A majority of white Democrats today say police officers are more likely to use deadly force against a Black person than against a white person, according to a recent poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, not unlike five years ago. But for the first time, the poll shows significant changes in how white Democrats view police brutality and the consequences: 64% now describe police violence against the public as very or extremely serious, compared with 29% in July 2015. Race and policing in America have been thrust into an international spotlight amid an already tumultuous presidential campaign after a series of high-profile police killings of Black Americans that has sparked global protests and demands for structural change. The campaign had already been fraught with racial tension fueled by the coronavirus pandemic and its ensuing economic fallout, which both have disproportionately impacted people of colour. While racial inequity has long been a focal point of African Americans, experts say many white Americans, particularly white Democrats, are now grappling with the longstanding impacts of systemic racism in ways they never have before. San Diego resident Chris Chapman, a white woman and a Democrat, said witnessing George Floyds death was particularly jarring for her. I think the brutality of that event, it really raised the consciousness, at least for me, Chapman, 68, said. It shocked people who really hadnt yet gotten to the place where they thought that could happen. Most white Democrats say that they disapprove of President Donald Trumps handling of racial issues and that he has only sowed further division at a time of immense unrest. Trump on Sunday tweeted and later deleted a video showing one of his supporters chanting white power, a racist slogan associated with white supremacists. But the big question is whether this racial awakening among white Democrats translates into increased turnout at the polls favouring presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden, said Ashley Jardina, assistant professor of political science at Duke University and author of the book White Identity Politics. This kind of shift in public opinion is pretty unprecedented especially when it comes to matters of race, Jardina said. If you just ask people whove become more racially progressive who they are they going to vote for, theyre going to be more supportive of Joe Biden, but are they going to take the time to actually show up and vote? Thats what we dont know,and thats whats really important. The poll also found that Democrats are far more likely than they were in 2015 to say the justice system treats officers too leniently when they cause injury or death in their job, as compared with fairly or too harshly. The increase is especially sharp 40 percentage points among white Democrats. Now, 86% say the justice system is too lenient with officers, up from 46%. Black Democrats are even more likely than they were in 2015 to say that, 87% vs. 71%. Massachusetts resident Krystyna Colborn said shes observed several police violence protests in her community, which she sees as a sign of an increased willingness to take action to usher in a new president following Americans witnessing death upon death of Black Americans at the hands of police. I dont think it will benefit Donald Trump, Colborn, a 74-year-old white Democrat, said. I think he has people who are behind him solidly and they will not change, but I think there are white people who are going to vote against Donald Trump. I will vote for (Biden) because hes a Trump alternative, and I think there may be other people who are in that same position. Its the people who are beginning to realize this, who I think will have the most influence. And tapping into those potential voters will be key looking toward November, Progressive Turnout Project Executive Director Alex Morgan said. The political action committee announced in late June a $52.5 million effort to canvass key battleground states, including Wisconsin and Georgia, to reach voters who didnt turn out in 2016. Voters are recognizing that this is the most consequential election of our lifetimes, Morgan said. Were standing with protesters and activists who are speaking out against police brutality and structural racism, and I think were going to see folks turn this pain and outrage of this moment into lasting change at the ballot box. Democrats continue to say overwhelmingly that police more commonly use deadly force against a Black person. White Democrats are now more likely than they were in 2015 to say police more commonly use force with Black people, 87% vs. 62%. Jeffrey Boord-Dill, a 62-year-old white man and professor who lives in Kentucky, said his eyes have been opened in new ways in recent weeks to racism and its pushing him toward action to make sure his voice is heard in November. I have been in a state of dissatisfaction and pretty much anger for almost four years because of what the Trump administration and Republican Party backing him up has done to this country in terms of race baiting and putting people against one another, Boord-Dill, a Democrat, said. My students are the ones who I am so proud of who are going out and marching, and theyre not pulling any punches at all. Thats the change that Im seeing and that makes me the most hopeful that maybe well be able to start to solve this problem. ___ Fingerhut reported from Washington. ___ The AP-NORC poll of 1,301 adults was conducted June 11-15 using a sample drawn from NORCs probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel, which is designed to be representative of the U.S. population. The margin of sampling error for all respondents is plus or minus 3.7 percentage points. Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... ___ Online: AP-NORC Center: http://www.apnorc.org/. WASHINGTON - The families of three Special Forces troops slain by a Jordanian soldier at a military base in Jordan in 2016 are calling on Congress to suspend aid to the key U.S. Mideast partner until it extradites the killer. The families are also joining an effort to press Jordan to extradite a woman convicted in Israel of a 2001 bombing that killed 15 people, including two Americans. In letters sent to lawmakers this week, the families say assistance to Jordan should be cut until Jordan addresses the cases. The soldier, Marek al-Tuwayha, has already been convicted in Jordan and is serving life in prison for the murders, but the families say the sentence is inadequate because he will likely be released after 20 years. The woman convicted of the deadly attack on a pizzeria in Israel, Ahlam Aref Ahmad al-Tamimi, has lived freely in Jordan since she was released in a 2011 prisoner swap. In their appeals to lawmakers, the families of the U.S. soldiers, Matthew Lewellen, of Missouri, Kevin McEnroe, of Arizona, and James Moriarty, of Texas, said Congress should withhold or reduce foreign aid to Jordan unless both cases are resolved. The king of Jordan should publicly apologize for the murders of their sons and explain why his country harbours a terrorist that killed Americans in the pizzeria bombing, they said in a statement. Jordan has rebuffed previous efforts to extradite al-Tamimi, citing double jeopardy considerations, but the Trump administration said recently it would consider withholding assistance as leverage to get Jordan to act on the matter and Jordans King Abdullah II has been told of the possibility, according to congressional aides. We support (al-Tamimis) extradition, along with a U.S. prosecution of the murderer of our sons, said Moriartys father, James. We also hope all of the families of Americans killed by Jordanians finally get some measure of justice. King Abdullah should remember this: We will not stop until we do. Al-Tuwayha is still in prison, and there are no known plans to release him. He has never apologized for the shooting at the King Faisal Air Base in November 2016, and his lawyer said there are no updates on the case. The lawyer, Subhi al-Mawwas, repeated al-Tuwayhas claim in court that he opened fire because he thought the base was being attacked. The U.S. has long been a major provider of aid to Jordan and, in early 2018, the administration signed a five-year, $6.4 billion aid agreement with the country that increased the annual amount of aid by $275 million to $1.3 billion. Al-Tamimi is wanted by the U.S. on a charge of conspiring to use a weapon of mass destruction against American nationals. The charge was filed under seal in 2013 and announced by the Justice Department four years later. She was arrested by Israel weeks after the bombing and sentenced to 16 life terms but released in the 2011 Israel-Hamas prisoner swap and moved to Jordan. She has made frequent media appearances, expressing no remorse for the attack and saying she was pleased with the high death toll. Among the victims of the attack was Malka Roth, a 15-year-old Israeli American girl, whose father, Arnold Roth, has led a campaign seeking al-Tamimis extradition. Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... ___ Omar Akour in Amman, Jordan, contributed. JUNEAU, Alaska - A former Walmart Inc. store that has been vacant since 2016 is for sale in Alaska at a significantly reduced price. The asking price for the building in Juneau is $6 million, about $2.3 million below the value placed on the property by the city assessors office, KTOO-FM reported Monday. The assessors office values the building in the Lemon Creek area at $8,262,800. City and state records identify the owner through a limited liability corporation as Alex Kim of Anchorage. Angie Nolan, the propertys broker with Alaska Unlimited Realty, said the owner is private and will not comment. Walmart remodeled the building before its opening as part of the retail chain in 2008. The property is still in excellent condition, Nolan said. I think one of the myths is with the property being vacant, Ive heard rumours of it being mouldy and having a lot of disrepair, and thats not the case at all. The asking price was set so the property would be obtainable, Nolan said. There have been inquiries from businesses in the cannabis industry, but marijuana is forbidden under a noxious-use restriction, Nolan said. The condition was part of Walmarts sale of the property to her client and remains in place until June 2025, Nolan said. Juneau City Manager Rorie Watt last year pitched a $27 million concept for a new city hall on top of the Downtown Transit Center parking garage. The old Walmart would be nearly three times bigger and much cheaper, at about 8% of the cost per square foot. The city does not have a municipal use for a property the size of the former Walmart that was built for large retail, Watt said. Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... It seems like this property should stay in private ownership, Watt said in an email Monday. Juneau Mayor Beth Weldon agreed with Watt. MINNEAPOLIS - The Republican-controlled Minnesota Senate opened hearings Wednesday on the unrest that rocked the state after the death of George Floyd, focusing on the destruction rather than the underlying issues of racism and policing on which Democrats have concentrated. The hearings will help Republicans frame up issues for the fall election campaign, tapping into outrage felt by many Minnesota residents over the unrest, and with an eye toward their base. The GOP is trying to defend its three-seat Senate majority, while Democrats hope to take over the chamber by capturing Republican-held suburban districts that Democratic Gov. Tim Walz won in 2018. The topic for the first of five or six joint hearings planned by the Senate transportation and judiciary committees was the destruction of small businesses during the unrest in Minneapolis and St. Paul. Around 1,500 businesses were damaged, including many that were burned or looted before police, backed by the Minnesota National Guard, restored order. Theyre not about police reform and they are not about defunding or reorganizing a police department, said GOP Sen. Scott Newman, of Hutchinson, who chairs the transportation committee. Policing issues are the subject of other proceedings and legislation, he said, so his committee is focusing instead on the thefts, vandalism and arson. I view those as being very, very serious criminal activity. Arson, for instance, is one of the most serious crimes that is on our books. But Democratic Sen. Scott Dibble, of Minneapolis, expressed skepticism. I hope were not here on a curated, nonobjective one-sided effort to create a political narrative that assigns blame and has as its focus the elections in November, he said. The most emotional testimony came from Jim Stage, owner of Lloyds Pharmacy in St. Paul, which was gutted by fire and was a target of widespread theft. He told how firefighters had to flatten the shell that was left standing because it was unsafe. It was devastating to me, said Stage, who has owned the store since 2014 and plans to reopen at another site next week. We have 37 employees. We service probably 7,500 to 8,000 patients out of that little store, he said as he choked up, and showed a photo of his family standing at the now-empty lot. Its hard for me to look at. A special legislative session last month ended in acrimony with no deal on a package of police accountability measures despite the worldwide uproar over Floyd, who died May 25 died after Derek Chauvin, a white Minneapolis police officer, pressed his knee against the handcuffed Black mans neck for nearly eight minutes. While Senate Republicans said their plan would have made meaningful improvements to policing in Minnesota, leaders of the House Democratic majority and the bicameral People of Color and Indigenous Caucus said it didnt go nearly far enough. Those issues are expected to come up again if Walz calls another special session this month, as hes required to do if he extends the emergency powers that he has used to deal with the coronavirus pandemic. Democratic Sen. Jeff Hayden, of Minneapolis, a member of the POCI Caucus, said Republicans are miscalculating if they think their constituents dont care about police accountability. He said hes been hearing from moderate to conservative Democrats from GOP-held suburban districts who want to a more equitable state. They certainly dont like the idea of being in a state that is now known for Derek Chauvin murdering George Floyd instead of the Land of 10,000 Lakes, Hayden said. House Democrats called their own hearing for Wednesday evening, focused on police accountability. GREEN COVE SPRINGS, Fla. - A Florida sheriff says he will deputize every gun owner in his county to put down any violent protests his deputies cant handle alone. Clay County Sheriff Darryl Daniels gave no indication in a three-minute video released Wednesday that any demonstrations are planned in his suburban Jacksonville county. Daniels also said he would protect any peaceful protests, but added that if anyone starts tearing up Clay County, that is not going to be acceptable. If we cant handle you, Ill exercise the power and authority as the sheriff and Ill make special deputies of every lawful gun owner in the county and Ill deputize them to this one purpose: to stand in the gap between lawlessness and civility, said Daniels, sporting a white cowboy hat as he stood in front of 18 deputies. Daniels, who is African American, said in the video that his department has a great relationship with its residents, but if you come to Clay County and think for one second well bend our backs for you, youre sadly mistaken. The second you step out from up under the protection of the Constitution, well be waiting on you and give you everything you want: all the publicity, all the pain, all the glamour and glory for all that five minutes will give you. Daniels, a Republican finishing his first term, is being challenged by six opponents in the upcoming election. He is under investigation by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement after his former employer, the Jacksonville Sheriffs Office, announced last year that hed had an affair with a co-worker when he was running its jails. Daniels, who is married, was accused of later having the woman falsely arrested. He issued an apology, but said he wouldnt discuss specifics. Outside a courthouse in the northern city of Tianjin, there was a row of unmarked cars with surveillance cameras on top. But the sidewalk was clear. Maybe I could make it close enough to the courthouse to observe the atmosphere during a trial of a senior Chinese government official. Then, seemingly out of nowhere, a motley crew of men wearing tracksuits and ill-fitting shirts tucked into khakis surrounded me. It was April 2018 and I was in my fourth year in Beijing as a correspondent for European news media. My Mandarin was proficient enough by then that the men assumed I was Chinese. Im just trying to walk down the street, I said innocently, but a thuggish-looking man with a buzzcut roughly pushed me back. They didnt stop yelling and jostling me around until I managed to break away to call my editor. The men stepped back as they noticed I was speaking English. They only let me go after a police officer inspected my foreign press credentials, but a few men tailed me as I hurried toward a subway station. I jumped into a taxi and hollered at the driver to leave quickly in any direction. Thank goodness Im not actually Chinese, I thought, as I tried to calm my nerves in the backseat of the cab. That couldve been much worse. Thank goodness Im Canadian. But my passport seemed to burn a hole in my pocket. I was glad police hadnt asked to see my passport because even though it bore Canadas coat of arms on the cover, it clearly listed my birthplace: Hong Kong. Even then, the Chinese government had made it clear that they werent going to respect the rights of people from the semi-autonomous city. Two years earlier, a group of Hong Kong booksellers vanished. One by one, the five men mysteriously appeared inside Chinese jails in late 2015. They had worked together at a bookstore in Hong Kong, which sold titles containing unflattering gossip about Beijings political elite, including scintillating tales about Chinese President Xi Jinpings wife. The fear of being considered a citizen of China is hard to explain. It doesnt mean you are ashamed of your cultural heritage. But losing ones basic human rights under an authoritarian regime is something that has terrified generations of Hong Kongers. It has led hundreds of thousands of residents, including my family, to leave before the 1997 handover from British to Chinese rule. Many residents were skeptical then that China would honour the one country, two systems agreement of the Sino-British Declaration, a treaty that requires Beijing to respect Hong Kongs rule-of-law legal system for 50 years. Now, after the enactment of the National Security Law, Hong Kong no longer feels safe at all. The sweeping legislation which came into effect Tuesday morning criminalizes acts including secession, subversion and collusion with foreign forces to endanger national security, and the maximum sentence is life in prison. The law applies to anyone regardless of nationality in the cosmopolitan financial hub including an estimated 300,000 Canadian citizens. It also enables Beijing to set up a national security agency in the city, whose staff will not be bound by local laws. Activists fear that accused could be extradited to mainland China to face the court system there, which has a 99.99 percent conviction rate. For the days since the law was hastily introduced in Chinas parliament last month, I could barely handle reading the news for more than a few minutes at a time. I wasnt alone. Friends of Hong Kong origin living in places such as Sydney and New York were having panic attacks. Writer Jessie Lau, who works in London, wrote in the Guardian that her bouts of anxiety had left her gasping for air. Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Jody Chan, director of advocacy for the solidarity group Alliance Canada Hong Kong (ACHK), told me she feels like a fugitive. Canada has an extradition treaty with Hong Kong, so even though she is Canadian, Chan doesnt feel safe in Vancouver since she has been outspoken in support of the protests in Hong Kong. Beijings resolve to push through the law appeared to have been hardened by its anger over the ongoing protests, sparked last year by a now-abandoned extradition bill that would have allowed criminal suspects in Hong Kong to be sent to mainland China to face trial. Although the bill has since been dropped, the protest movement expanded to call for full democracy, among other demands. Honestly, I havent digested it all, Chan said. She said she doesnt know if shell ever try to visit Hong Kong again. Canadas foreign affairs minister has expressed concern over the national security law but did not indicate Ottawa would take any action to protest the move or protect the interests of Canadians in Hong Kong. Hong Kong-based journalists, meanwhile, tell me they fear press freedom in the city will further erode, as more will self-censor to avoid topics that might land them in jail. For me, Ive been doing my best to push my fears and worries out of my mind, cognizant of the privilege I possess to pretend so well that nothing much has changed. Last week, I got married. It was a perfect day, and my Hong Kong-based friends and relatives watched over a video stream. For my entire life, when I imagined what my future would be like, it involved bringing my children to frequent visits to Hong Kong to learn the language and enjoy the unique culture of the place just as my parents had with me. Now, will it be worth it to teach my future children Cantonese and the pleasures of devouring dim sum and late-night meals at open-air food stalls known as dai pai dongs? Or will encouraging them to love the city only lead them down the path of similar heartbreak? For the millions in the city and the many people around the world who call Hong Kong home, the future seems bleak. Joanna Chiu is a Vancouver-based reporter covering both Canada-China relations and current affairs on the West Coast for the Star. Follow her on Twitter: @joannachiu Read more about: This year, health professionals called for restrictions on Canada Day celebrations, including in many cases, the outright cancellation of events for the safety of people during COVID-19. In response, it is likely we will see a Canada Day that looks much different than it has in years past. Perhaps less fireworks, parades, or neighbourhoods painted red and white. And while COVID-19 is one legitimate and pressing reason we shouldnt be gathering in mass numbers to celebrate on July 1, this year especially, there are so many more. Over time the media has covered more and more activism and advocacy from Indigenous people, especially post-Canada 150, calling for the condemnation and cancellation of Canada Day. Canadians have often not taken very enthusiastically to these calls. Whether it is a genuine love for Canada, the parties that take place, or simply gratitude for a day off work, Canada Day is a day to look forward to for so many people living here. But for many Indigenous people, including myself, Canada Day is not a time to reflect on our pride for this country, but rather how much it has and continues to take from us. When I see people waving their flags and celebrating with their families, I cant help but wonder how deeply theyve thought about this celebration. Just last year, the Final Report of the Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women and Girls Inquiry concluded that there is an ongoing genocide taking place in Canada; as of tomorrows celebration only nine out of the 94 Calls to Action from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission have been implemented; COVID-19 has illuminated how Canadas neglect of poor, racialized, isolated, and institutionalized communities has left them especially vulnerable during this pandemic; and we are currently seeing one of the biggest civil rights movements of our time putting a spotlight on the systemic racism and violence against Black and brown bodies in the United States, and in Canada, too. I fail to see a country to be proud of. I fail to see how we can justify a celebration. Im hoping that the state of the world, and the extra time many of us have this year, will allow more Canadians to reflect on why they look forward to Canada Day. It may be perceived fairness, progressiveness, and a kind reputation but considering all the reasons above, and others, arent these reasons are more aspirations then they are realities? Is any reason worthy of more emphasis than those reasons of injustice Indigenous communities, allies, and other marginalized groups have put forward? On Canada Day I promise to wake up, call other Indigenous people in my life and check in. The day is always a taxing, and often harmful, one. I will reflect on the 153 years my communities have resisted and survived in spite of genocide and injustice, and I will talk about the future we need and must fight to see a future in which holidays arent celebrating a day which only exists at the costs of others lives. I hope Canada can do some reflecting and fighting too. Why Netanyahus land grab could backfire, June 27 In a news item that seems to continuously resurface, Israel looks to break international law again with a planned annexation of Palestinian West Bank territory. And, in a similar manner, the Canadian government has shown little interest in actively or vocally pushing back. Beyond international law, which should be reason enough, Israel is also violating the Geneva Convention, to which we are a party. In the past, we have taken action on Russias similar annexation of Crimea with sanctions on around 400 Russian individuals and organizations that still hold today. Our silence helps enable Israel to continue their attack on Palestinian rights and destroy any chance of a peace process. We need to join the international community, including the EU and the UN, in their widespread condemnation and work together to pressure Israel to stop violating international laws and treaties. Human rights museum CEO resigns amid racism allegations, June 26 It is hard to believe, not to mention depressing, that in 2020, the CEO of the Canadian Museum of Human Rights had to resign over allegations within the museum of systemic racism, discrimination, condoning homophobia, and harassment. The Human Rights Museum, of all institutions! In the late 1980s, my department at a prominent university had reports of sexual abuse. In close co-operation with the universitys Sexual Harassment Education and Complaint Centre, the complainants had the power to simply register their complaints or to pursue action against any accused. Following the reports, the department developed its own sexual harassment guidelines and a workshop was offered annually to incoming students to educate them about sexual harassment risks and responsibilities to themselves and others. How is it that neither the museums CEO, nor the board, made it their business to set up robust systems to prevent soul-destroying racist, sexist and homophobic staff behaviour? Why was there no support for victims? Canadians are tying themselves in knots trying to fathom the China conundrum. How does a mild-mannered middle power push back against an aggressive superpower? The answer is that it doesnt, because it cant. Not on its own. The reality is that huffing and puffing wont bring any Chinese walls tumbling down. Setting aside fears that a war of words will further provoke Beijing, the bigger risk is that empty rhetoric will only distract us. Retaliation offers only the illusion of retribution. Unilateralism deludes us into thinking it makes a difference. China has already made clear, by ransoming our citizens and holding our farmers hostage, that it cares not a whit what we think or say. But that doesnt mean Canada is powerless to respond. The key is that we should avoid the temptation to act alone. Because we are far from alone in being bullied by Beijing. The list of aggrieved peoples has never been longer. Its not just the traditional trio of Hong Kong, Tibet and Taiwan, but many of our other friends who are facing a similar fate. Australia, India, the Philippines, Sweden, the U.K. and the U.S. these are just a few of the countries antagonized and aggrieved by China in recent days, months and years. This is where our leverage lies. Absent from our intensifying domestic debate about Who lost China is that we have lost sight of the bigger playing field. Our partisan divide and internal blinkers are blinding us to the international dimension of the China challenge, which goes far beyond Canada. The domestic argument pits two former prime ministers Jean Chretien and Brian Mulroney against one another. Instead of arguing among ourselves about how we must stand up to Beijing, we need to open our eyes to the tectonic shifts in Chinas foreign policy posture. The era of China casting itself as a force for stability in world affairs, pledging non-interference and vowing never to act as a hegemonistic power (apart from its historic claims to Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan and Tibet) is now ancient history. Today, the Middle Kingdom projects military power across Asia, economic power in the West, and soft power everywhere. It is the abuse of that power that hits home in Canada, with the arbitrary incarceration and persecution of the two Michaels diplomat Michael Kovrig and businessman Michael Spavor in retaliation for Ottawa fulfilling its treaty obligations to arrest Huaweis senior executive Meng Wanzhou. But the abuses go far beyond Canada: Sweden remains in an uproar over the 2015 kidnapping of a citizen, Gui Minhai, who published books on China. Held without trial for years, he was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment this year and allegedly renounced his Swedish citizenship. Australias bilateral relationship is even more fraught, given its far greater economic exposure. China is suspected of secret cyberattacks and intimidation on university campuses. Beijing cracked down hard on imports from Australia after the country asked questions about the origins of COVID-19. Hong Kong and the U.K. are both in Chinas crosshairs again, decades after the handover of the former British crown colony to the mainland in 1997. Beijings 1984 pledge to respect One Country, Two Systems is in a shambles this week after it imposed a national security law that overrides local rule, ending Hong Kongs era of political autonomy and the promise of democracy. Britain is opening the door to 3 million Hong Kong people seeking citizenship, and is developing a plan, code-named Project Defend, to disentangle the U.K. from its own economic dependence on Beijing. India is once again immersed in a deadly conflict with its neighbour over the disputed Himalayan territory of Kashmir, an echo of their 1962 border war when China took possession of Aksai Chin. India said 20 of its soldiers died after fighting broke out last month, while China refused to disclose its own casualties. In retaliation, India has banned nearly 60 Chinese mobile apps from its rapidly growing online market as bilateral ties spiral downwards. Across East Asia, Chinese belligerence in the open seas has led to conflicts with Japan, the Philippines, Malaysia and Vietnam. Against that global backdrop, Canadas entanglements with China caught in the middle of a trade war between Washington and Beijing need to be put in perspective. The idea of a prisoner swap between Huaweis Meng and our two Michaels is wrong in law but also wrong-headed in international relations. Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Spy swaps are a traditional quid pro quo when countries get caught in (illegal) espionage and use extra-legal means to extract the guilty parties. Publicly acquiescing to blatant hostage-taking would be acknowledging that it is open season on foreigners forever. Canada is not alone in being bullied by China; it should not act alone in responding. We need a clear-headed reassessment of bilateral relations including our outdated twinning relations between cities but the real opportunity for us lies in making common cause with countries that also have bitter firsthand experience with Chinese intimidation. Beijing is in no mood to heed our laments. Only by linking up with each other can middle powers leverage their influence and amplify their voices, using the only language China understands. Read more about: Please note The Sun Chronicle is providing this story and all of our local coronavirus coverage for free so that all readers have access to this important information about the pandemic. Please visit our dedicated coronavirus coverage page for more stories. If you'd like to support our mission, please subscribe. WASHINGTON - There should have been a proper welcome-home party for the enormous mastodon skeleton, which hadn't been seen in the United States for more than 170 years. When it was unearthed in 1801, during the early days of the American republic, it became something of a celebrity, a tourist attraction and a source of infinite fascination for American and foreign naturalists. Although it was eventually sold and left this country for Europe in 1847, it had for years been an important political and cultural symbol. In March, it was brought back to the United States to be the centerpiece of a fascinating exhibition at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, "Alexander von Humboldt and the United States: Art, Nature, and Culture." And then the novel coronavirus hit and the museum closed on March 14, six days before the Humboldt exhibition was scheduled to open. "It was like watching a category-five hurricane approaching," says Eleanor Jones Harvey, curator of the exhibition, of the frantic days as the virus was spreading and cancellations were rolling through cultural venues across the country. "We had three or four days' notice, so we scrambled and got the installation complete, and we came back in later to get the labels and lighting finished." The exhibition, she says, is "turnkey ready" for the public, whenever they are allowed in. Meanwhile, the mastodon, borrowed from a museum in Darmstadt, Germany, sits alone amid empty galleries, with the public largely unaware that one of the great icons of early American history is back on American soil. Including a mastodon skeleton in an art museum exhibition may seem an odd choice. But when the bones were dug up from a farm in upstate New York, they were thought to be those of a mammoth, an even larger animal, with higher shoulders and tusks more rounded than those of a mastodon. And the seeming discovery of a largely complete mammoth skeleton - an animal that rivaled the size of the African elephant - was an electrifying event for a nascent republic sensitive to its status and reputation, and desperately in need of affirming national symbols. Over the next few years, mammoth mania took hold, and it caught up artists, scientists and politicians, including Thomas Jefferson. "I knew I wanted a mastodon skeleton, but I didn't know about the one in Darmstadt," says Harvey. Initially, she was looking for any suitable set of mastodon bones to illustrate one of the essential moments in the history of early American art and science, when the unearthed skeleton gave American naturalists an irrefutable riposte to a popular but scientifically unfounded theory: that everything in the new world was a smaller or more degenerate version of the natural world as found in Europe. Refuting that theory, propounded by the French scientist the Comte de Buffon, spurred observant Americans to action, including Jefferson, whose 1781 "Notes on Virginia" included an extended and vehement response to de Buffon's condescension. The mastodon that Harvey eventually found, in Darmstadt, wasn't any old mastodon. Rather, it is the mastodon of 1801, the same one seen in Charles Willson Peale's classic circa 1806-1808 painting "Exhumation of the Mastodon" and the prize possession of Peale's museum in Philadelphia. A newspaper at the time proclaimed the discovery an "American miracle" when its bones were paraded through Philadelphia; it was declared "The 9th Wonder of the World." In 1804, it also helped forge a bond between Jefferson and a young German scientist, Alexander von Humboldt, which helped steer the course of American politics, science and art. That relationship, and the larger network of social contacts Humboldt forged during a six-week visit to the United States, is the subject of Harvey's fascinating and wide-ranging exhibition. Humboldt, a Prussian aristocrat born in 1769, is one of the few almost entirely admirable men of his age: a scientist, an explorer, a humanitarian and an environmentalist avant la lettre. In 1804, after a five-year journey through South and Central America, he made a brief detour to the United States, including a trip to Washington to meet Jefferson. In a letter begging an audience with the president, Humboldt mentioned that he knew a few things about mammoth bones. He admired Jefferson, had read his "Notes on Virginia" and supported the professed ideals of the young republic. Jefferson returned Humboldt's interest; they met several times and maintained a lifelong friendship, which survived despite Humboldt's profound loathing for American slavery and the displacement and destruction of Native American cultures. And, as Harvey argues, Humboldt's U.S. visit helped this country grope its way toward new cultural symbols. His enthusiasm for the American wilderness, and the contempt he shared (with Jefferson) for de Buffon's unfounded theories, encouraged this country to embrace wilderness and landscape as enduring and inspiring national symbols. Humboldt, one of the greatest scientists of his age, gave Americans permission to think of wilderness not as a deficit - a lack of civilization - but as a positive, the very thing upon which the country could found its identity. Harvey's exhibition, which can be explored online and through a rich and beautifully produced catalogue, connects dots in masterful ways, linking art, science and politics. It explains some of the curious mysteries of early America and its art, including the strange disappearance of the mammoth from our iconography. It helps explain why one of our great early painters, Frederic Edwin Church, made two trips to South America in the 1850s, to paint a landscape remote from his own, despite having a no-less-spectacular continent as artistic fodder (he was following in Humboldt's footsteps as a self-appointed acolyte). It puts Humboldt at the center of complex webs of scientific and artistic enterprise, including ethnographic research into Native American societies, the laying of the transatlantic telegraph cable and the founding of the Smithsonian. "It is a wonder that Humboldt ever slept," Harvey says. "He always seems to be scribbling, his correspondence was vast and you really do understand that this is a man whose mind never stops working." Humboldt's visit to the United States was brief, especially given that he lived to be almost 90 years old. When he returned to Europe, he was the most celebrated scientist of his age, a man who gathered up and synthesized information from the corners of the world, all in service to an idea that went out of fashion before becoming, in recent decades, intriguing once again: a unified theory of the natural world. Humboldt's book "Cosmos" was an international phenomenon, and an inspiration not just to Frederic Church and the artists of the Hudson River School, but to scientists, poets and writers including Thoreau, Emerson and Whitman. The exhibition may not be on view at the moment, but the subject is vital to our times. In person, Humboldt was fascinating, dazzling and more than a little overbearing, but his philosophy, politically and scientifically, was based on a profound sense of modesty about man's place in the world. Observation and science brought one closer to a larger sense of order, in which man was an integral part, not an overlord. Nothing observable in the natural world, including the interrelationship of men to each other, and men to women, could justify the hierarchies that played out so insidiously in his age, and ours. Man's ability to profoundly alter his environment, Humboldt observed in South America, could be his own undoing. Humboldt helped put science and nature at the center of one ideal of American identity. And then he all but disappeared from popular consciousness. "It is really a perfect storm," says Harvey, of the historical and cultural forces that eclipsed Humboldt's reputation within a half century of his death in 1859. He was superseded in the many fields he helped pioneer by younger scientists, including Charles Darwin. The sciences became specialized, and his particular power of synthesis began to look a little old-fashioned or even amateur, more a writerly and romantic endeavor than hardcore science. The natural sciences gave way to an age of technology, and discoveries that could be put to pragmatic use in an increasingly industrial society. And anti-German sentiment was deeply woven into the late 19th and early 20th centuries in this country. And yet Humboldt's universality, and appeal, only increased. He was almost certainly homosexual - he never married, his emotional life was centered on close male friendships and he left his estate to a male servant decades younger than he was - which may have been integral to his intellectual outlook, his compassion for the oppressed and his outsider's acute powers of observation. He also seems peculiarly adapted to our age of communication, with its fluidity, speed and networked powers of instantaneous connection. The mammoth that helped start Humboldt's conversation with Jefferson, a mammoth that was actually a mastodon, reminds us of how quickly cultural symbols and identity can be made and remade. And now that our culture is failing, its rot and toxicity clear to all the world in a way that would have made Humboldt blush to think of, there is at least this hope: that new symbols and identities can be forged, and that it may be in the natural world, and in the spirit of Humboldt, that we find them. The Ministry of Water Resources (MWR) said on Tuesday that frequent floods are expected in China's rivers and lakes in July and August due to heavy rainfall, and they urged high vigilance. Wang Zhangli, an MWR official, said rainstorms had been frequent this year, especially in June. "Since the beginning of June, 250 rivers across the country have seen floods above warning levels, accounting for 92 percent of all the rivers with water above warning levels. They are mainly in the regions of Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Hunan, Hubei, Jiangxi, Sichuan, Chongqing, and Anhui," he said. According to a joint forecast by MWR and meteorological agencies, parts of the Yellow River, the Haihe River, the Pearl River as well as the Songhuajiang River, the Liaohe River and the Dongting Lake water system, in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River, will see big floods this summer. Wang said the MWR will work closely with other departments to ensure people's safety. As of Tuesday, the National Meteorological Center has issued alerts for rainstorms for 29 consecutive days. MBABANE Blessed is the hand that gives. The above Bible verse seems to be the motivation of a new campaign which has been introduced to assist the elderly amid the harsh weather conditions. The campaign has been introduced by Philani Maswati Charity Organisation, as it is aimed at donating blankets to the elderly across the country. The theme of the campaign is Donate a Blanket for the Elderly. It was launched at the Deputy Prime Ministers Office yesterday. Joining hands with the charity organisation are the Times of Eswatini, Voice of the Church (VOC), Swazi Plastic Industries and Premier Bakeries. Contribute DPM Themba Masuku donated a blanket and pledged to contribute two more. He said the winter conditions called for all emaSwati to hold hands and work together in taking care of the most vulnerable, the elderly citizens, who were a great asset to the country. Masuku added that the campaign would give an opportunity to support Her Majesty the Queen Mothers passion and dedication to protecting the vulnerable. Although the world is preoccupied with fighting the COVID-19 pandemic at the moment, this should not make us take our eyes off the regular effort to improve the lives of emaSwati, which is the primary focus of government, Masuku said. He went on to say elderly citizens were neglected and abandoned by their offspring, as well as their relatives in society. He discouraged that, and urged those who were not supporting the elderly to remember the sacrifices they made in bringing them up. The DPM highlighted that the poverty rate and mental health issues like depression could be avoided among this generation, if young people played their part and supported the elderly, who in most instances were looking after grandchildren to their detriment. Masuku also appreciated the Queen Mother for the initiative and remarkable leadership and foresight, particularly with regard to the elderly. Initiative Voice of the Church CEO Reverend Zechariah Mthethwa said the initiative was beyond the spirit of being liSwati, but was a fulfilment of the word. Meanwhile, Times of Eswatini Weekend Editor Thobeka Manyathela relayed that the publication was honoured to be part and parcel of the great initiative. Manyathela mentioned that the company had donated 80 blankets towards the elderly. She narrated that it was saddening for reporters to witness the elderly without warm clothes and food. She said it was for that reason that the publication would make available donation drums in all its branches for people to donate blankets and warm clothes for the elderly. When Bloomberg News editor Jodi Schneider took the reins of the Hong Kong Foreign Correspondents' Club (FCC) in the summer of 2019, she expected the side gig running the legendary watering hole for journalists, business people, diplomats and spies to be fun, not to mention a nice entry on her resume. At the time, Hong Kong, known mostly as a financial center and tourism hub, was pretty much a news backwater. Then suddenly everything changed. The port city erupted in massive waves of pro-democracy protests. Frantic police were soon attacking not only the demonstrators, but also the reporters and local "citizen journalists" supporting them. "Two weeks after I became president, the protests started," Schneider says. "Hong Kong itself [became] the story, and the FCC itself a player." The turmoil steered the club into an unexpected political vortex and turned Schneider's easygoing gig into a delicate balancing contest with the increasingly harsh Beijing-backed authorities. Schneider and her board quickly released statements in support of a free Hong Kong press, which is guaranteed under the "one country, two systems" deal Britain extracted from Beijing when it relinquished control of the island in 1997. "But we thought, well, we want to go beyond that" and directly engage the police, Schneider says. In October and again in early June, Schneider met with the Hong Kong police to express concerns about reporters being roughed up, arrested and prohibited from recording paramilitary "dispersal operations." "We reminded them that press freedom is a right guaranteed under Hong Kong law, which the representatives acknowledged," the FCC said in a statement after the June meeting. The club also challenged authorities - who hold the lease on the club's building - by featuring pro-democracy voices at newsmaker luncheons and hosting videotaped panel discussions on topics such as how to defend press freedom and best practices against police tear gas and beatings. In an adroit move in November, however, Schneider also persuaded the club to invite C.Y. Leung, a former Beijing-backed chief executive of Hong Kong, to speak. As expected, he warned democracy advocates not to cross the "red line" of pressing for independence. Now Beijing has announced a new national security law that could equate criticism of the Communist Party with sedition, even treason, prompting the club to issue an open letter of "concern" about its effect on journalists and press freedom. And that's on top of the coronavirus pandemic, which has added more misery to an economy already in deep recession from the political turmoil. For Schneider, who's a friend and former colleague, the virus was just another unexpected event in a year full of them. In late November, I met with her at the big oval bar of the club, which occupies an elegantly repurposed, high-ceilinged, multistoried former warehouse from British colonial days. She fielded greetings and traded wisecracks with the regulars as she joined me at a table against the back wall. She seemed unusually vibrant, perhaps because of the nearly unanimous praise she'd earned for her stewardship of the club through difficult days. "Jodi has been an incredibly steady hand at the FCC during turbulent times," Keith Richburg, a former Washington Post Beijing bureau chief and onetime FCC president himself, told me. Now director of the Journalism and Media Studies Centre at the University of Hong Kong, Richburg credited Schneider with "exactly the levelheaded, balanced approach and leadership we need, never wavering to defend press freedom while steering clear of histrionics." Nearly everything that has happened in Hong Kong recently was unimaginable a year ago, much less when Schneider first caught the journalism bug at the University of Wisconsin at Madison in the early 1980s. Like many of her generation, she was inspired by The Washington Post's celebrated coverage of the Watergate scandal. As she raced through reporting jobs with newspapers in Colorado and Florida, the scoops piled up, eventually landing her a job as a local business editor at The Washington Post. That was followed by more senior editing stints at U.S. News & World Report and then Congressional Quarterly, before she headed to Bloomberg, which eventually sent her to Tokyo and then Hong Kong. Even with the coronavirus pandemic, she has managed to keep the club open with temperature checks at the door and new socially distanced seating arrangements - the bar stools are gone, so no more elbow-to-elbow drinking as of old. In May she was reelected, unopposed, for a second term. Now, as she waits for the next wave of protests - and the possibility of Beijing's secret police rolling up dissidents for sham trials - she expects China to more closely monitor reporting and tighten controls over how many Western journalists can work in Hong Kong. Which would bring the club full circle to its ramshackle days during World War II in Chungking (now Chongqing), when it was less a club than a band of brothers in search of warm bunks, decent whiskey and straight answers from Chinese Nationalist leader Chiang Kai-shek. "The club moved with the action," hopscotching across treacherous battle zones and eventually landing in Shanghai, according to a history in the FCC's Correspondent magazine. In 1949, menaced by a communist "fifth column" in the city, the club retreated to the safety of British Hong Kong, where it "gained a reputation for high living in boozy camaraderie that it has never lost," according to the affectionate 1999 BBC documentary "Of All the Gin Joints." In early June, I asked Schneider over the phone whether things were grim now, given the situation in the city. "Not really," she said, chuckling. Reporters will be reporters. The same for the bankers, diplomats, public relations people and suspected spies who drop by for a beer or a meal. Downstairs, the famous Bert's jazz club has reopened, along with the gym, albeit with physical-distancing restrictions. "It's still kind of a port in the storm, a safe place," Schneider says of the club. And, she points out, with outgoing flights still virtually shut down because of the pandemic, "no one can leave here. So this summer, the place is going to be packed. There's nowhere else to go." BARRY An American black bear is making rare tracks through west-central Illinois, in the process developing a large social media following that is attracting hundreds of people to the bears path. The turnout of people, however, is more of a problem than the bear for folks at the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR). The issue is that the bear has become a social (media) phenomenon, Stefanie Fitzsimons, large carnivore biologist for IDNR, said Monday morning. The bear last was seen north of Illinois Route 27, east of Barry, and hundreds of spectators were on hand to watch and take pictures. American black bears typically stick to more northern areas, including northern Minnesota, northern Wisconsin and northern Michigan, though they also can be found in parts of southern Missouri. I understand that people want to see the bear, and thats OK, but there are too many people, Fitzsimons said. Please take your pictures and then leave. There were so many people at the last sighting that conservation police lost their visual track of the bear as a result of the crowd, she said. Conservation police are telling people to stay at least 100 yards away from the bear to protect both the bear and the people. Based on photos she is seeing online, that advice is not being heeded, Fitzsimons said. These people were way closer than that, she said. IDNR has not definitively determined the sex of the bear but, because of its size and the fact that its mating season, when male bears tend to travel, officials believe its a male. Social media has dubbed the bear Bruno. The bear was first sighted June 5 in Wisconsin, and Wisconsin officials notified IDNR of its travels. June 10 it crossed over the (Illinois) state line, Fitzsimons said, adding that it then crossed into Iowa. After spending a week in Iowa, the bear crossed back into Illinois at Andalusia and since has continued south. The bear is keeping its travels trouble-free, Fitzsimons said. This bear hasnt even touched a garbage can, she said. It is a timid species, but you dont want to provoke it. This is something we havent seen before. Were not quite sure what its thinking. The Missouri Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) has been alerted that the bear is heading south, but wildlife officials have no intention of sedating the bear or attempting to relocate it, Fitzsimons said. Its not a good idea to dart and relocate it, she said. We want nature to take its course. The American black bear is a protected species in Illinois, meaning it is illegal to hunt or harass the animals. WASHINGTON, D.C. U.S. Rep. Mike Bost, R-Murphysboro, on Tuesday introduced bipartisan legislation to increase access to critical federal funding for inland ports, terminals, and waterways. In 2019, Congress enacted the PORTS Act to provide matching grants for enhancing operations and efficiency investments at our larger ports. Bosts Coastal and Inland Ports and Terminals Commerce Improvements Act, which was cosponsored by U.S. Rep. Conor Lamb (D-Pa.), expands upon the success of the PORTS Act by better utilizing an existing set-aside to establish a similar competitive grant matching program for smaller coastal and inland ports and terminals. WOOD RIVER The Madison County Health Department on Wednesday announced one additional coronavirus death and 21 new cases, bringing the total to 960 and 69, respectively. The deceased Madison County resident was identified as a man in his 70s. Statewide there were 828 new cases and 30 deaths reported over the last 24 hours. According to the Illinois Department of Public Health website, there are now 144,013 cases statewide, and 6,951 deaths. In the past 24 hours, 33,090 tests have been completed, for a statewide total of 1,636,055. The seven-day statewide positivity rate for June 24-30 is 2.6 percent. The Madison County figures include 553 people released, meaning they have completed isolation. A total of 18,309 tests have been completed in the county. As of Wednesday179 cases were reported in 62234 (Collinsville); 163 in 62040 (Granite City/Pontoon Beach); 154 in 62002 (Alton); 124 in 62025 (Edwardsville); 81 in 62034 (Glen Carbon); 46 in 62060 (Madison) and 62035 (Godfrey); 42 in 62010 (Bethalto); 28 in 62095 (Wood River) and 30 in 62294 (Troy). There were 21 cases in 62249 (Highland); 20 cases in 62052 (Jerseyville); 16 in 62062 (Maryville) and 62056 (Litchfield); 14 in 62024 (East Alton) and 14 in 62090 (Venice); 13 in 62012 (Brighton); 12 in 62018 (Cottage Hills); nine in 62069 (Mt. Olive); eight in 62088 (Staunton); and seven in 62049 (Hillsboro). The IDPH is releasing case numbers by ZIP code for areas with more than five cases. Numbers are not released in ZIP codes with fewer cases to protect the privacy of patients. The information is online at www.dph.illinois.gov. For the latest information on COVID-19 or coronavirus resources, visit the Madison County Health Department online at www.madisonchd.org or on Facebook @MadisonCHD. Also visit www.co.madison.il.us for more news and a daily update or on Facebook @MadisonCountyIL. GODFREY A former Godfrey pastor is charged with distributing child pornography. On Wednesday, U.S. Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft announced that Stephen P. Tibbetts, 61, has been charged with one county of knowingly distributing child pornography in December. A federal criminal complaint filed June 19 states that, at the time of his arrest, Tibbetts was the head pastor at Resurrection Lutheran Church in Godfrey. Weinhoeft said that, on Wednesday afternoon, Tibbetts attorney Bill Lucco told prosecutors that because of the charge pending against him, Tibbetts had been released of all duties, pastoral or otherwise at the church. According to the Weinhoeft, the investigation of Tibbetts began in August 2019 when the photo-sharing website Tumblr provided a cyber tip line report about one of its user accounts to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Weinhoeft said the account was searched by law enforcement and allegedly found to contain images and videos of nude minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct. The complaint alleges that center also received a tip from Twitter in February 2020 that one of its users had uploaded two images of suspected child pornography. Weinhoeft said investigators were allegedly able to trace the Tumblr and Twitter accounts back to Tibbetts home, where a federal search warrant was executed on June 18. An initial review of Tibbetts computer allegedly revealed the presence of additional child pornography images and videos, Weinhoeft said, and agents subsequently arrested Tibbetts at his home without incident. Tibbetts made his initial appearance Wednesday afternoon at the federal courthouse in East St. Louis where U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark Beatty found probable cause to support the complaint and ordered Tibbetts to be placed on electronic monitoring and released on a $10,000 unsecured bond pending trial. A trial date has not been set. Distributing child pornography over the internet is a federal crime that, as a first offense, carries a maximum punishment of five to 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and a lifetime term of supervised release. MATSAPHA - Making headway for the reopening of schools. This best describes NDMAs efforts to help in the reopening of schools, come July 6, 2020 This is because the National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA) has presented personal protective equipment (PPE) to the Ministry of Education and Training for high school pupils and teachers in preparation for the reopening of schools next week. The presentation took place at the NDMA storehouse situated in Matsapha yesterday. Appreciation Speaking during the event, the Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Education and Training, Bertram Stewart, expressed his appreciation to the NDMA for the assistance they had rendered to the ministry as it embarked on an exercise of reopening schools in phases. He said NDMA had assisted the ministry in securing 122 water tanks, which would be delivered to schools across the country, hand-washing liquid soap, bar soaps as well as face masks. He mentioned that now that the ministry had received the items, it would deliver them to the regional education officers. Stewart said in the last two months, the ministry aired an announcement on national radio, informing teachers to bring forth inventory of the items they were lacking in their respective schools. Stewart pointed out that the response from teachers was not satisfactory, however, he said that might have been caused by the fact that most teachers were at home as schools were closed when the announcement was made. Now that we have made an announcement that all teachers should report to schools, we are optimistic that they will be in a position to know what exactly they are lacking in their respective schools, he said. Stewart said had the ministry been aware of the inventory of the insufficient items in schools, government could have long supplied the schools with the needed items. He urged all teachers to come and collect the items from NDMA. He also highlighted that each pupil would be furnished with two masks and that the educators masks would be delivered next week. Stewart emphasised that when schools reopened, parents should make sure that their children had at least one mask. Hopeful He said the pupils would then be offered two masks each as the ministry was hopeful that the teachers would have collected all the masks offered by NDMA by then. He also thanked the teachers for heeding governments call that they should go back to school and that he was positive they would recognise that government would ensure that they were safe from the coronavirus. We understand that we are faced with many challenges, including teachers who want to be paid for doing nothing, but we are grateful that there are teachers who know that their employer is government and when their employer commands them to report back to school, they should do likewise, he said. TORONTO - In normal times, this would be the high season for Eric Brown's Ontario fishing lodges. In these times, he wonders if his business can survive. Brown says Americans make up 95 percent of the business at his Totem Resorts in Sioux Narrows. Travel restrictions on the U.S.-Canada border, he said, have "absolutely devastated us." "It's just heartbreaking to watch it all dissolve - 42 years of my legacy disappear in one season." As restrictions to prevent the spread of the coronavirus drag into a fourth month, Brown and other business operators are pushing officials to consider ways to let at least some tourists in. But they're running into resistance from the broader population, which appears to have little appetite for lifting the restrictions. Amid a general sense here that Canada has handled the coronavirus better than the United States, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in June there was "broad consensus" among provincial leaders to keep current measures along the 5,500-mile frontier in place. Ontario Premier Doug Ford said he wants the border to stay closed to nonessential travelers beyond the current July 21 end date. British Columbia's health minister last week rattled off the record numbers of new cases in hard-hit U.S. states. A national survey by Destination Canada, a crown corporation that markets Canada as a tourist destination, found that just 24 percent of people in Quebec somewhat or strongly agreed with welcoming U.S. visitors - and they were the most enthusiastic province. In British Columbia, the figure was 6 percent. "Canadians look at what's happening with the spread of covid in the United States and their comparatively better performance at getting it under control," said Edward Alden, a fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations. "And they have no interest at all in Americans coming to Canada." The concern is not hypothetical. British Columbia's health ministry last month showed last month that the second-largest grouping of covid-19 strains in the province originated in Washington state. Bonnie Henry, the province's top doctor, said cross-border travel was responsible for "seeding outbreaks in our communities." Canada, which confirmed its first case of covid-19 a week after the United States, has reported 285.6 cases and 23.3 deaths per 100,000 people. The United States has reported 787.2 cases and 38 deaths per 100,000. Ottawa and Washington agreed to impose the border restrictions in March, and they have extended by one-month increments three times. The measures have had limited effects on trade and the movement of essential workers. But they've brought passenger crossings to a near standstill, ground tourism to a halt and upended life in border communities, where residents cross frequently for cheap beer, gas and to socialize with loved ones. Kirsten Hillman, Canada's ambassador to the United States, told The Washington Post the restrictions were imposed after an "incredibly orderly and collaborative" process, and have been a "phenomenal success." She recognizes "frustrations," but said Canada's position on the border will be "guided by science and the advice of experts." "Our No. 1 responsibility is keeping Canadians safe and preventing the spread of covid-19," she said. "Preventing transmission from outside of Canada into Canada is really an essential part of preventing that second wave, if there is one." But business groups, lawmakers and some analysts are calling for a new approach. "We may not be able to get the border back to normal tomorrow," said Bill Anderson, director of the Cross-Border Institute at the University of Windsor. "But we have to be able to operate the border at some higher level than it's operating now." The co-chairs of the Congressional Northern Border Caucus wrote to the leaders of the Department of Homeland Security and Public Safety Canada last month criticizing "one-size-fits-all" restrictions and calling for "nuanced and particularized guidance" on the frontier. "We have recognized that the experience of the pandemic is not monolithic and regionally there are very different challenges that communities face in an effort to return to normal economic activity," Reps. Brian Higgins, D-N.Y., and Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., wrote. Higgins wants the definition of essential traveler to include more family members, business travelers and those who own property on the other side of the border. (Canada recently allowed some immediate family members of Canadians to enter, but they must quarantine for the first 14 days of their stay.) Laurie Trautman, director of the Border Policy Research Institute at Western Washington University, called for a "more creative and innovative" strategy for the border. She said a regional approach to reopening it would be "huge and really important," but might not be "logistically possible." In an open letter to Trudeau in May, the Canadian Tourism Roundtable called for lifting restrictions between provinces, easing international travel bans and assessing the "efficacy" of curbs on travel at the U.S.-Canada border. Canada's tourism sector generates $74 billion annually and is responsible for 1.8 million jobs, according to government figures. Two-thirds of international tourist arrivals to Canada in 2019 came from the United States. The losses go both ways. Corey Fram, director of tourism for the 1000 Islands International Tourism Council in New York and Ontario, said the absence of Canadian visitors on the U.S. side of the Saint Lawrence River is noticeable. During the summer, Canadians transform American towns, docking their boats at marinas, visiting their properties and injecting cash into the economy. One attraction bracing for a hit is Boldt Castle, an imposing structure built in the early 1900s on Heart Island, an American island. Timothy Sturick, executive director of the Thousand Islands Bridge Authority, which oversees the castle, said 40 percent of visitors arrive each year from Canada via private boats or boat tours. The border measures will have a "significant" impact, he said. Fram doesn't think the restrictions are "ill-advised," but he wishes officials would communicate better about if, when and how they'll be lifted, amended or kept in place. For seven years, Dave Cortright has led groups on fishing tours around the Thousand Islands for pike, bass and walleye. Cortright, the owner of Reel Commander Fishing Charter in Alexandria Bay, N.Y., said 80 percent of his customers want to fish in Canadian waters, but can't. That's led 10 percent to cancel trips. He wants the border agreement changed to allow American boaters to enter Canadian waters - and vice versa - to fish. "As long as you're not touching the land or coming in contact with anybody ... what are we affecting?" he said. "It makes no sense to me." Brown, of Totem Resorts, wants officials to consider admitting travelers who have tested negative for covid-19 recently. Some business operators are fine with the restrictions. Robin Warren, a manager at the Woodview Inn in the town of Gananoque, Ontario, said the hotel would normally be fully occupied with American and European tourists. But on a recent day, the hotel was empty with just one guest scheduled to check-in. She's not itching for the border to reopen. "It's keeping us safe," Warren said. Analysts say prolonged curbs on travel at the border could be habit-forming. They point to controls put in place following Sept. 11, 2001, after which passenger traffic at the land border never fully recovered. "In the short run, it's far more disruptive than 9/11 was," said Alden, of the Council of Foreign Relations. "I think even in the medium and longer run, this is probably going to deepen the trend towards reduced cross-border traffic. I think it's unlikely that people will just snap back to their previous patterns." Hillman, the Canadian ambassador, disagreed. She spent summers on her grandparents' farm in Manitoba, some six miles from the border with North Dakota. "I have every confidence that the ties that have been created between our communities and our people over the lifetime of our two countries are very, very strong," she said. "This will pass ... including with respect to us visiting and enjoying time in each other's countries." George Ruddy, third-generation owner of Cavallario's Steakhouse in Alexandria Bay, called the loss of Canadians "a blow" - and not just economically. They're not only customers, he said, but friends whose company he misses. "Hopefully, we get through this and never see anything like this again in my lifetime," he said. "It's a struggle for sure." MBABANE - Two employees of telecommunications company Eswatini Mobile have tested positive for COVID-19. The employees are stationed at the companys head office situated at the Madlenya House. In a press statement issued by the Communications Department, the company confirmed the latest developments and noted that COVID-19 was a worldwide pandemic, which did not discriminate. As an immediate response to protect the health and safety of our staff, our offices were fumigated on June 29, 2020 (Monday). As a precautionary measure, all employees who worked closely with the affected employees have been tested and will be in self-isolation until their test results are received, reads part of the press statement. It was mentioned that the company was providing voluntary testing to staff who believed that they had close contact with the affected employees. Safety We would like to assure all our staff, customers, and general public that all necessary precautionary measures are being taken to ensure their health and safety while in our premises. We continue to advise all staff and members of the public to continue following all COVID-19 precautionary measures shared by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Ministry of Health, it was emphasised in the press statement Furthermore, the company wished the affected employees a speedy recovery. On Monday, this publication reported that Swaziland Building Society (SBS) Managing Director, Timothy Nhleko, had passed on after he had tested positive for COVID-19 over a week ago. The bank also revealed in a detailed press statement that eight of its employees had tested positive for COVID-19. The employees, according to the statement, were stationed at the headquarters in Mbabane. EDWARDSVILLE Madison County States Attorney Tom Gibbons has filed predatory criminal sexual assault charges against a Wood River man. Jeffrey L. Ramsay, 32, was charged with one count of predatory criminal sexual assault, a Class X felony, and one count of sexual exploitation of a child, a Class 4 felony, for the alleged sexual assault and exploitation of an 8-year-old girl. The incident allegedly occurred June 12 and was reported a few days later. Charges were filed following an investigation by Wood River Police and interviews by the Madison County Child Advocacy Center. The charges allege Ramsay committed an act of digital penetration with the child and masturbation in her presence. The allegations in these charges represent a terrible harm inflicted on a child in our community, and we will not rest until we secure justice, said Gibbons. It takes real bravery for a young victim to speak up. So we, as adults, must always be ready to listen. Gibbons acknowledged the work of Assistant Madison County States Attorney Kathleen Nolan, chief of the offices Childrens Justice Division. First Assistant Madison County States Attorney Crystal Uhe also thanked the members of the Madison County multidisciplinary team that includes the Madison County Child Advocacy Center, the Wood River Police Department and prosecutors from the Childrens Justice Division. Ramsay is prohibited from having contact with any children under 18 years old. He is being held at the Madison County Jail in Edwardsville on a $500,000 bond set by Circuit Judge Richard Tognarelli. If convicted of the Class X felony, the maximum penalty is up to 60 years in prison served at 85 percent. The defendant also would be required to register as a lifetime child sex offender. As states and municipalities relax shelter-in-place orders, the nation seems to be racing to get the economy back to something resembling the pre-pandemic era. Restaurants, malls, cinemas, day care centers and retail stores are reopening sooner than most medical professionals think is wise. The risk is obvious to many businesses that stayed open as the coronavirus swept the country. Meat processing plants, for instance, have had among the highest rates of infection. Employees continued to show up to work at many such facilities, even as thousands of their colleagues tested positive for the virus. By one estimate, more than 27,000 workers in meatpacking have tested positive for the coronavirus, up sharply from 17,000 just last month. Yet the federal agency meant to protect Americas workers continues to sit on the sidelines. Even as state after state reopens, and the number of infections continues to climb, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration has so far refused to give employers clear rules to follow, allowing those that neglect worker safety to operate without fear of government penalty. For months now, OSHA has relied on general guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, without making them mandatory, meaning businesses face no threat of enforcement action for noncompliance. The courts have offered workers no relief the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia this month dismissed a lawsuit by the AFL-CIO that would have compelled OSHA to issue emergency rules for worker protection, saying the agency can determine its own standards. The result has been millions of essential employees forced to work under hazardous conditions. Now that threat is spreading to nonessential workers, too. OSHAs top administrator, Loren Sweatt, explained during a congressional hearing last month that general guidelines, rather than rules, allow the agency and businesses to adapt more quickly as the scientific and public understanding of the coronavirus changes. Regulations are very cumbersome to revise, Sweatt said. OSHA has received more than 5,000 complaints related to the coronavirus since the pandemic began. It has issued only a single citation, to a Georgia nursing home for failing to report employee hospitalizations within 24 hours. Even before the pandemic, OSHA was too overwhelmed to meet its mandate. Its current number of inspectors, about 860 to cover the whole nation, is 240 fewer than it had in 1975. The agency has conducted 5,000 fewer inspections per year on average than it did during the prior two presidential administrations, according to data from the National Employment Law Project, a labor-friendly nonprofit. Nearly half of OSHAs leadership positions remain unfilled, according to the projects data. The need for enforceable rules specific to the coronavirus has taken on greater urgency as states move to fully reopen. In its lawsuit, the AFL-CIO had argued infections and death among workers will rise if the agency doesnt draw up emergency temporary standards. Schools and summer camps, too, will begin opening up over the next few months with no clear mandates on how to ensure safety, needlessly putting workers, children and their families at greater risk. Congress has done little to help businesses with clarity or workers with protections. When the House passed its latest stimulus package linked to the crisis, it included requirements that OSHA adopt an emergency standard for enforcing safety measures related to COVID-19. But the Senate has not voted on that bill, as Majority Leader Mitch McConnell holds out for special legal protections for businesses that could otherwise be sued for failing to provide safe workplaces. That means, in its current form, the stimulus bill looks likely to fail, further delaying worker protections. The coronavirus crisis has put more than 30 million Americans out of work. The lucky ones who are still on the job or who can hope to return to one soon deserve to know that the federal government wants to protect their health as much as their bosses economic well-being. OSHA can help. New York Times As coronavirus-related travel restrictions lift, you may be tempted to check in to a hotel or vacation rental for a much-needed weekend getaway. But there's one pesky parasite experts say you still have to keep an eye out for: bedbugs. Though rental properties have been vacant for several months, the bloodsucking pests haven't necessarily died off. In fact, bedbugs can go for months between feedings, according to the National Pest Management Association. Bedbugs can be found virtually anywhere, and while many Americans are excited to resume travel plans, its imperative that they remember to stay vigilant against bedbugs, says Brittany Campbell, a staff entomologist and research scientist with the NPMA based in Fairfax, VA. With many hotels experiencing low occupancy over the last few months, bedbugs will be hungry and may actually come out in broad daylight to feeda dramatic shift in behavior for a pest that is notorious for feeding at night, says Campbell. This news probably also gives owners of vacation rental properties the heebie-jeebies. Being able to open your door to renters (and rental income) again? Exciting. Having to deal with hungry bedbugs? Not so much. So how do you get ahead of any potential problems that can stem from a bedbug encounter? The following bug experts and property managers have a few ideas. Bedbug behavior From translucent eggs the size of a grain of rice to reddish-brown adults measuring about a quarter-inch, bedbugs can vary in size, according to NPMA. While the adults can be seen with the naked eye, they typically prefer darkness. They like to hide in dark cracks and crevices, behind baseboards and headboards, and they can be cryptic creatures that are hard to find, Campbell says. Thats also why an infestation can go untreated. Telltale signs of an infestation include small stains on sheets and mattresses resembling reddish-brown ink blots. Campbell says these stains are usually found in clusters. You might also see evidence of bedbug molts as the eggs hatch and grow. They look like clear, hollow replicas of bedbugs and can collect on sheets. Perhaps the most obvious sign of bedbugs is their bites. Bedbugs will usually feed twice a week. Bite reactions vary by individual, Campbell explains, but most people will notice an itchy red welt. This can take days to show up, however, and some people never experience a reaction to the bite. Unlike ticks, bedbugs do not remain latched onto a host after feeding. What to do if you're a vacation property owner Campbell recommends that owners establish a cleaning policy that will effectively combat bedbugs and that they know how to spot an infestation. Its also recommended that all beds be outfitted with mattress encasements, which can protect the mattresses themselves from the bugs' fecal stains and ensure that you dont have to throw a mattress away because of an infestation. Campbell suggests placing pitfall traps under beds to catch live bedbugs. These traps can tip you off to an infestation early on. Want to be extra cautious? You can even go as far as removing any carpeting and/or rugs from your property. Additionally, its good to have an ongoing relationship with local exterminators in case of a major infestation, Campbell says. With no effective sprays or chemical treatments to repel bedbugs, Campbell says these steps are the best at preventing an infestation from taking hold. If youre traveling Going on vacation soon? You can be proactive about keeping yourself safe from bedbugs. The NPMA recommends that travelers take the following precautions on their next trip. Keep your suitcase on a tiled floor or on a surface other than the bed or carpeting to avoid hitchhiking bedbugs. You might also consider keeping your clothing in plastic bags for the duration of your stay. Thoroughly inspect your entire room when you arrive, paying special attention to the headboard and sheets for any signs of an infestation. Live bedbugs could also be hiding under lamps, in dresser drawers, and on other furniture. A small flashlight will help with these inspections. Pull back the bedsheets to check mattress seams and corners for spots and stains. If you see anything suspicious, ask to change rooms or establishments immediately. Do not stay in an adjacent room at the same facility. Upon returning home from a trip, dont bring your luggage inside until its been vacuumed and visually inspected for bedbugs. Contact a licensed pest control professional if you suspect an infestation in your own home. Houston-based real estate investor Marina Vaamonde, of HouseCashin.com, also recommends looking at online reviews before booking a property. Make sure that there are no negative statements about the cleanliness of the property. I would then message the management of the property and openly ask them if they have experienced any bedbug issues in the past and what steps are they taking to prevent them. Property managers taking the proper precautions should be happy to answer your questions. The post Bedbugs Could Be a Big Deal as Travel Restrictions EaseHere's Why appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com. Courtney Lyn Reeves entered into heaven on Monday, June 29, 2020. She was the victim of an ATV accident on June 28, in Archbald. Courtney was born on Aug. 22, 1988, in Scranton. She was a 2006 graduate of Wyoming Area. She completed a medical assistant course and worked at Northeast Eye for two years. A hardworking, independent young lady, she worked since high school for Bon-Ton, St. Michaels School and various waitress positions including Pazzo. She finally discovered a passion for geology and earned her B.S. from Keystone College 2017. Courtney enjoyed working for Woodard and Curran in Tunkhannock. Courtney loved music, fashion and the outdoors. She loved spending time on the river and lake, especially kayaking. She enjoyed hiking and bonfires. Most importantly, Courtney loved her dog Riley. He has been with her for 12 years, an always faithful companion. Courtney should be remembered for her many friends, great smile and kindness. She was easy to talk to and a great listener. She was a loving caregiver to her grandmother, Elaine Pendleton and family friend, Anna Ostrowski. Most recently she ensured her family was safe during the COVID-19 by doing the shopping for her parents and being their Person. She loved healthy cooking, camping and bonfires. She enjoyed traveling and has been on several cruises including to Alaska. She was planning a trip to Iceland. She loved to ski locally and in Colorado. She is survived by her parents, Gary and Mary Reeves; brother, Kyle and wife, Mileska; nieces, Leilanni and Amberli; nephew, Sebastian; several aunts and uncles. Her closest friends although many were Katie B., Meghan, Melissa and Sarah. Her family was proud of the loving, giving, hardworking, successful woman she was, she will leave a void in their lives. Courtney was an organ donor who unselfishly donated so that others will lead a happy and healthy life. Family and friends are invited to attend Courtneys celebration of life service which will be held at 7 p.m. on Friday July 3, at her parents home, 211 Orlando Lane, Falls, Pa., with Monsignor John J. Sempa, of the Corpus Christi Parish presiding. Abiding by Courtneys love of the outdoors, a bonfire will take place at 8 p.m. following the service. Arrangements and care entrusted to Sheldon-Kukuchka Funeral Home Inc., 73 W. Tioga St. Tunkhannock, PA 18657. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made in Courtneys name to a pet rescue of your choice or the Pennsylvania Ambulance Company, 717 Capouse Ave., Scranton, PA. Please visit the funeral home website to share memories or extend condolences. The HBO prequel/reboot series Perry Mason is set in the Los Angeles of the early 1930s, just a few years before the Showtime sequel series Penny Dreadful: City of Angels, but the former just might be more lurid and crazier than the latter, and thats saying a lot, given theres a shape-shifting supernatural demon and an angel of death in Dreadful. Both series kick off with horrific murder/mutilations, deal with the racial and class tensions in the L.A. of the 1930s, and feature integral subplots involving a young, attractive and conflicted radio evangelist (Kerry Bishes Sister Molly in Penny Dreadful, Tatiana Maslanys Sister Alice in Perry Mason). But whereas I found City of Angels to be compelling and involving pulp fiction, Perry Mason became less interesting for me with each passing episode. Despite the first-rate production values and the stellar cast, the plot is like a gleaming 1932 Packard Roadster with serious engine problems: Its impressive and gorgeous and appointed with all sorts of shiny distractions, but eventually we cant ignore how its weaving all over the road, jerking us around and sputtering this way and that. The titular character at first bears little resemblance to the crusading criminal defense attorney in the novels and short stories of Erle Stanley Gardner or in the most famous of the adaptations: the Raymond Burr-starring CBS drama from the 1950s and 1960s. In fact, this Perry Mason (played by Matthew Rhys of The Americans) isnt even an attorney when the series begins; hes a hot-tempered, hard-drinking, self-pitying gumshoe and World War I veteran (he was given a blue ticket discharge, somewhere between honorable and dishonorable). Perry has an ex-wife who hates him and a young son he almost never sees, and he spends his nights skulking about the fringes of L.A. with his equally cynical partner Pete Strickland (the always excellent Shea Whigham), armed with a camera and tailing the likes of a Fatty Arbuckle-esque movie star in the hopes hell catch the gluttonous boor violating the morals clause in his contract. In other words, Perrys not a guy youd want to spend a lot of time with, and even when the character begins to feel the stirring of moral and ethical awakenings, that remains a problem throughout the eight-episode run of the first season. The great and indefatigable John Lithgow gives a star supporting turn as the legendary (though the legend is beginning to tatter) defense attorney E.B. Jonathan of E.B. Jonathan & Associates, the lone associate being E.B.s super-capable secretary, one Della Street (Juliet Rylance), whos at least as well-versed in the law as most attorneys. When E.B. is hired to defend a married couple (Nate Corddry and Gayle Rankin) who police suspect were complicit in the kidnapping and murder of their infant son, he enlists the services of Perry and Pete to do a deep dive into the seedy underbelly of Los Angeles and dig up the truth about this horrific case. Perry chases clues this way and that, with his investigation taking him inside the doors of the powerful and mysterious Radiant Assembly of God evangelical church, with its star performer, Sister Alice, who causes a media sensation when she announces shes going to resurrect the murdered child on Easter Sunday. He also strikes an uneasy alliance with a police officer named Paul Drake (Chris Chalk), who shares Perrys suspicions about some extremely filthy cops in the department, and he relies on his cozy relationship with the worlds most inappropriate coroner (Jefferson Mays), who finds the workplace to be an endless source of humor and colorful stories. Dark stuff. Perry Mason seems to almost revel in its nastiness and its penchant for grotesque theatrics, whether the camera is lingering over the corpse of a bad guy whose head was blown off or were cringing at a memorial service that turns into an obscene circus. Virtually every major player in this story is harboring at least one bombshell secret, and most of those secrets are deeply damning. (The most likable characters are Chalks Paul Drake and Rylances Della Street.) We get some wonderful supporting turns, most notably from Stephen Root as the obligatory ruthlessly ambitious D.A. whos exploiting the horrific murder case as a springboard to the mayors office. (Some of the courtroom scenes in Perry Mason are only slightly less bombastic than the trial scenes in Chicago. You know, a musical.) Matthew Rhys is a greatly talented actor, and he expertly captures the look and feel of a classic 1930s noir antihero, but the performance is bigger than the character itself, who seems a little shifty and a little shady and a little out of his league even when hes rising to the occasion. Frank and his Five Friends went out for dinner and drinks during a global pandemic and acted like they owned the place. Corinne Agolino actually does own the place, and Frank and his friends are now Facebook famously barred from Bar Pazzo. They are not welcome here, or at any of our restaurants, Corinne told me Monday. We will not tolerate anyone abusing our staff, or ruining the experience for our other customers. On the first green Saturday night for inside public dining after a six-week state shutdown, Frank and Friends strolled into the Scranton bistro without the required attire. Just as shirts and shoes are required, no mask, no service. A member of Franks party profanely explained that the rules didnt apply to him, and sneezed on the hostess. Staff tried to defuse the situation and seated the party, but after a cocktail or two, Franks Friend abused the server verbally and physically, grabbing the servers arm and asking if he wanted to take this outside. Franks friend was the aggressor in the group, Corinne said, but Frank paid the $204.95 bill with his card and scratched out the tip, so he gets the credit for his partys loutish behavior. Corinne redacted his last name and shared the receipt and story on Bar Pazzos Facebook page. Frank instantly became a local variation of the ubiquitous Karen meme. It really has taken on a life of its own, Corrine said of the viral spread of Frank and Friends last supper at Bar Pazzo, Agolinos in West Pittston or Pazzo in Pittston. Most of the extended temper tantrum was captured on video, and Corinne said she has identified everyone involved. She declined to name names, but said Frank should apologize to her staff and do the right thing. I was livid (when I posted it), said Corinne, who has an immune-compromised son at home. Its like, have some decency. Be a human. How can you act like that and then not tip the server? How can you act like that, period? Its apparently as easy as breathing for spreaders of Karenovirus, a small but virulent strain of arrogance, ignorance and infantile aggression inspiring desperate and potentially dangerous acts of anti-mask defiance nationwide. Antisocial media swells daily with new videos of Karens Behaving Badly. Naturally, opportunistic amateurs are finding ways to make it pay. An industrious internet crank created the Freedom to Breathe Agency out of thin air and began selling laminated mask-exemption cards online at $50 for a box of 500. The official-looking FACE MASK EXEMPT CARD reads: Wearing a face mask posses a mental and/or physical risk to me. Under the Americans with Disability Act (ADA), I am not required to disclose my condition to you. The only valid information on the card is the Department of Justices hotline for reporting abuses of the Americans with Disabilities Act, which the cards creator misnamed. Poses is misspelled and FTBA is not a government agency. Neither is the Florida Transportation Builders Association, headquartered in Tallahassee. Still, enough indignant COVIDidiots tried to use the cards to gain unmasked access to public places that the DOJ had to issue a statement explaining the FTBA has zero authority and its cards do not have the force of law. The cards may as well read: Wearing a mask poses an emotional risk to my sense of entitlement under the Americans with Delusions of Grandeur Act (ADGA) I am not required to disclose my condition, which should be obvious from my selfish, antisocial and potentially lethal behavior. It is true that some people cant comfortably wear masks due to a mental health diagnosis or other medical condition. I sympathize with this very small percentage of the population, but if youre not part of it, wear a damned mask, Karen! You too, Frank and Friends! Its not our rule, Corinne said. We are enforcing the states rules because we face consequences if we dont. Owners who dont enforce the rules risk heavy fines, potential loss of liquor licenses and other permits and possible liability if staff or patrons get sick. So-called mask-shaming is also a source of unnecessary stress for staff who are glad to be back at work, but already tired of taking grief from customers who wont follow the rules. Jitty Joes Ice Cream in Moosic took to Facebook on Tuesday to ask customers to chill out. Every day we are encountered with a roll of the eyes or its not a law when we tell customers they can come inside as long as they have a mask on and keep it on until they leave, the post reads. We do not like doing this. BUT we do it because if wearing a mask can possibly protect our customers and more importantly our staff then we will continue to do it ... The post closes with a thank-you to the 99.9% of people who follow the rules and dont complain. Most people get it. Ask Brad. I did. Brad is the server who was abused by Franks Friend and stiffed by Frank. Brad asked that I not use his last name, a courtesy I am forced to extend to Frank. Ninety-nine% of our customers are amazing, Brad said, and he and his co-workers are thrilled to be back to work. Our goal is always the same give them a great meal and a good time out of the house. Brad theorized that people like Frank and Friends are likely venting pent-up anger over being unable to go out during the shutdown, but thats no excuse for the abuse he took on the first green Saturday night. He should seek help for anger management, Brad said of Franks Friend. I think anger mismanagement is a real problem right now. True, but sometimes bad behavior inspires good deeds. A pair of online fundraisers pulled in $2,500 to make up for the tip Frank and Friends didnt leave. Bar Pazzo staff share tips, and decided to donate the money to charity. It was a joint decision, Brad said. We decided to try to turn a negative into a positive. Corinne said shes proud of the professional way her staff handled the situation and the public attention that came with it. She hopes the experience will open the eyes of people who refuse to cover their mouths and noses around other humans. This became a thing and Im glad it did, she said. My staff are good people, and there are more good people than bad people. The rules are easily followed and exist to protect everyone. If youre confused about how to act when youre in a public place during a global pandemic, Corinne offered a simple rule of sanitized thumb. Dont be a Frank, she said. Its really that simple. CHRIS KELLY, the Times-Tribune columnist, salutes the hard work of service professionals on the front lines of the pandemic. Contact the writer: kellysworld@timesshamrock.com, @cjkink Read his award-winning blog at times-tribuneblogs.com/kelly. Scranton City Council expects legislation next week that would extend the citys stay in state Act 47 distressed status by 18 months, through 2021. Before the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Scranton was scheduled to exit Act 47 this month and shed the distressed designation its carried since 1992. Mayor Paige Gebhardt Cognetti called in March for the city to remain in Act 47 amid a projected pandemic-prompted plunge in city tax revenues. In late April, the citys state-appointed Act 47 coordinator, the Pennsylvania Economy League, reversed its 2017 recommendation that Scranton should exit Act 47 in summer 2020 and instead recommended the city retain the distressed label for an undetermined length of time. Officials estimate 2020 city revenues could fall by between $6 million and $10 million as a result of the public health crisis. The state Legislature enacted a bill May 29 that extends by 18 months the timelines for municipal exits from Act 47 oversight. Cognetti and state Sen. John Blake, D-22, Archbald, expressed concern in early June the legislation could be interpreted to exclude Scranton from the extension. Reached Tuesday, Cognetti said Gov. Tom Wolfs office and the state Department of Community and Economic Development have since issued guidance making clear the legislation applies to Scranton. The legislation council expects to introduce next week would amend Scrantons Act 47 exit plan to include the 18-month extension. The city has until July 27 to approve the amendment. Council President Bill Gaughan, who along with Cognetti offered testimony during a virtual DCED hearing in April calling for the city to remain in Act 47, argued Tuesday it would be a mistake to leave the program when the pandemic threatens to crater Scrantons finances. It would be very disingenuous to leave Act 47 and say were not distressed when our business administrator was just in front of us two weeks ago saying we may be looking at a between $6 (million) and $10 million deficit, Gaughan said. He also argued a main advantage of remaining in Act 47 is the city and the Scranton School District would get more time to replace the punitive business privilege and mercantile taxes with a broader-based, fairer payroll tax. While the city was working toward implementing a payroll tax swap for this year, the financially struggling school district balked at making the same move given first-year revenue uncertainty. The city does not want to make the payroll-tax swap, which is only available to Act 47 municipalities, without the school district. Officials fear doing so could cause confusion among businesses paying taxes to both entities. Other council members expressed frustration at the potential 18-month delay in shedding distressed status. I dont see any benefit of staying in Act 47 because I dont see any benefit of Act 47 overall, Councilman Kyle Donahue said. It provides literally no assistance, and thats proven by the fact that weve been in it for 28 years. PEL is tentatively scheduled to attend councils July 7 caucus session to discuss the extension and amendment to the exit plan. Despite his frustrations, Donahue said hes waiting to see what PEL presents before determining how hell vote. Councilwoman Jessica Rothchild said in a text message she hates to see the city put off its Act 47 exit any longer. However, I understand we are in extenuating circumstances and I am fearful of the revenue losses we face, she said. It is unfortunately terrible timing. Arguing the main reason for the extension is to buy more time to implement the payroll tax, Councilman Mark McAndrew said hes not happy the city wont exit Act 47 this summer. He and Donahue argued the tax swap should have already happened. The circumstances warrant (the extension) to a point, but its just ironic, McAndrew said. The payroll prep tax should have been done already. In her April testimony to DCED, Cognetti also argued a main advantage of remaining in Act 47 is the added time to affect the tax swap. She reiterated that Tuesday. Theres a lot of things that didnt happen years ago in Scranton and were here to try to fix them, Cognetti said. Weve still got a long way to go and staying in Act 47 is one very important tool we have in getting where we need to be. The state Department of Health reported Wednesday a smaller uptick in the number of COVID-19 cases in Northeast Pennsylvania than they had on Tuesday. With 11 new cases, 6,901 people in the seven-county region have come down with the illness since cases were first reported here March 18. The state reported 29 new cases on Wednesday. The state reported two deaths in NEPA on Wednesday, bringing the regions total to 549. Throughout the state, 636 additional people tested positive for the coronavirus, bringing the total to 87,242. Another 38 people died. The health department said 6,687 people have died in Pennsylvania of the illness. The majority of the state is in the green phase of Gov. Tom Wolfs three-tier plan to reopen Pennsylvania. It lifts the stay-at-home orders and contains the loosest restrictions. Pennsylvania has been a model for the country on how to reopen effectively using a careful, measured approach, State Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine said in a statement. However, the virus has not gone away. Each of us has a responsibility to continue to protect ourselves, our loved ones and others by wearing a mask, maintaining social distancing and washing our hands frequently. The state reported that 689,562 people have tested negative as of Wednesday. Here is the local county breakdown: Lackawanna added four reported cases for a total of 1,707, a 0.23% increase; 58 cases are probable. One additional death brings the total to 204. Luzerne cases increased by five for a total of 2,915, a 0.14% increase; 49 are probable. Deaths remained at 177. Monroe added two cases for a total of 1,423, a 0.14% increase; 42 are probable. Deaths remained at 108. Pike added no new cases and no new deaths. The totals remained at 496 cases, of which 25 are probable, and 20 deaths. Susquehanna added no new cases, leaving the total at 182, of which six are probable. One more person died, bringing the death total to 24. Wayne added no new cases or deaths. The totals remained at 140 cases, of which nine are probable, and nine deaths. Wyoming also added no new cases or deaths. The totals remained at 38 cases, of which two are probable, and seven deaths. Lackawanna County will use $18.9 million in coronavirus relief funding to cover pandemic-related costs incurred by the county and its municipalities. Meeting virtually Wednesday, commissioners approved an $18.9 million COVID-19 County Relief Block Grant contract between the county and the state Department of Community and Economic Development. The relief funding comes from the federal Treasury by way of DCED under provisions of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act that Congress passed in response to the public health crisis. The county may use the funding to offset costs incurred as a result of its COVID-19 response and to reimbursing cities, boroughs and townships for expenses their pandemic response and planning efforts generated, among other permitted uses. The funding may not be used to replace lost tax revenue or plug budget shortfalls at the local government level, acting county economic development Director Brenda Sacco said. County officials have reached out to all 40 municipalities, county row officers/department heads and the countys affiliated boards and authorities to ascertain what of their expenses the relief funding will cover. Many local governments paid for personal protective equipment, cleaning supplies and other materials and services that qualify for reimbursement out of pocket, Sacco said. The county economic development department is processing reimbursement requests from other departments, authorities and municipalities and will disburse the relief funds after confirming the requests satisfy all requirements. The grant money may be applied to all eligible costs incurred between March 1 and Dec. 30. That includes money the county, its affiliates and municipalities may spend to prepare for a potential second wave of COVID-19 infections. It may also be used to expand broadband internet services to unserved or underserved areas something Sacco said the county will consider later depending on how much relief money remains. Bridge work Also Wednesday, commissioners awarded a pair of contracts worth more than $1.28 million to Carbondale-based T. Brennan Heavy Equipment to replace bridges in Moscow and Greenfield Twp. The Carbondale firm, which submitted the low bids for both projects, will replace the Lee Road Bridge in Greenfield Twp. for about $585,192 and the Van Brunt Bridge in Moscow for about $699,476. State Act 13 money designated for bridge work, not county taxpayer dollars, will fund both projects, county Chief Financial Officer Tom Durkin said. When both projects will commence is unclear. Commissioners next meet July 15. Its possible that meeting will be conducted in person at the countys government center on Wyoming Avenue in Scranton, the first in-person county meeting since March, Chief of Staff Brian Jeffers said. A Lackawanna County Prison captain named in a 2016 civil lawsuit alleging inmate sex abuse is now serving as acting deputy warden at the jail. William Shanley returned to work April 15 after spending more than three years on paid administrative leave. He was suspended in February 2017 after being named in a lawsuit attorney Matthew Comerford filed on behalf of two women who alleged they were sexually abused at the prison. The county settled that lawsuit last year and Shanley was never charged with a crime. He was reinstated after investigations by the county district attorneys office, state attorney generals office and multiple administrative investigations concluded, county human resource Director Justin MacGregor wrote in an email. County Chief of Staff Brian Jeffers said the allegations against Shanley were never founded. Shanley became acting deputy warden June 15, days after commissioners fired former deputy warden David Langan in what officials called a restructuring of prison leadership. Shanley will earn a salary of $76,363 in the acting role, which is almost $3,400 more than he earned as a captain. Commissioners decided to make Shanley acting deputy warden after consulting with Warden Tim Betti, Commissioner Jerry Notarianni said. Regarding the allegations in the Comerford lawsuit, Notarianni noted no charges were ever filed against Shanley and said the longtime prison employee has a reputation for being a good guard. He also praised Shanleys security expertise and said he spoke with several people at the prison who dont believe Shanley ever abused inmates. Comerford said he could not comment on the personnel move as his settlement negotiations with the county incorporated gag orders. Commissioner Chris Chermak said he only met Shanley once, but agreed to the move based on recommendations from Jeffers and Betti. Chermak has 100% faith in their recommendations, he said. Noting investigations into Shanleys prior conduct at the prison are now closed, Commissioner Debi Domenick said the fact that he was placed on administrative leave pending charges that never came doesnt detract from his qualifications and should not be held against him. Shanley is excellent at security, Domenick said. I feel like the prison is in better hands from a security perspective, she said. After Langans firing last month, Domenick argued past administrations didnt do enough to address a range of issues at the jail, from security and personnel issues to a lack of addiction treatment options. As part of the prison restructuring, Notarianni said the county may create three positions under the warden that would be responsible for treatment, security and administration, respectively. Its unclear what those job titles or salaries would be, but Notarianni said Shanley is being considered for the security position. In another personnel move June 15, commissioners made Krista Purvis acting captain of treatment at an annual salary of $72,965. Purvis was hired by the county in May 2017 and worked as a social worker in the public defenders office before moving to the prison. She was hired as a prison lieutenant Feb. 10. Meanwhile, MacGregor said the county is advertising the deputy warden position locally and statewide through the County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania. The position will also be posted nationally, he said. Of three other guards named in the Comerford lawsuit and placed on administrative leave but not criminally charged, Robert Maguire retired June 22 and Edward Williams and Charles Betress were both cleared and reinstated Feb. 12, according to the county. Efforts to reach Shanley were unsuccessful. Editor: As we move to address racial inequality in our police forces and communities, I am reminded of the heinous, racially motivated events that stained the 2005-2006 academic year at Western Wayne High School. Teenage children perpetrated hate crimes against a few Black, indigenous and people of color students in the student body. Very little was done to address the groundswell of white nationalism that ensued. In the fall of 2005, an overwhelming majority of my classmates organized events meant to alienate and segregate students of color, including wearing white clothes to demonstrate white solidarity, using racial slurs in classrooms, hanging a Confederate flag, displaying whites only signs on water fountains, and calling in bomb threats. As a white student, I was horrified but I was at least safe; I can only imagine the impact of this on the mental wellbeing and development of my classmates of color. I used to think I did enough by condemning my peers and refusing to participate. I invoke the great political activist Angela Davis: I accepted what I could not change instead of changing would I could not accept. I failed because I did not demand meaningful accountability and action from our administration in the wake of these atrocities. To address the sins of our past, there needs to be a strong, firm rebuke of all racist sentiments: Investigate complaints by students and follow through with appropriate punishments for unacceptable behavior. Enforce these rules for faculty and staff whose own biases undermine the safety of students of color. A task this great cannot be easily accomplished, but for the sake of future generations of students, it is your duty and privilege to do so. James Baldwin writes, We are our history. We must atone and do better. BRIANNE M. AIKEN LAKE ARIEL Editor: A June 11 Times-Tribune editorial (Rename bases) made a sound, historically accurate and exceedingly strong case for remaining the 10 Southern army bases named for Confederate leaders. Put aside the fact at least six of the 10 graduated from the U.S. Military Academy, swore an oath of allegiance to the United States and not only reneged on their oath but basically tore it to shreds during a treasonous war against that very country. Their service in the rebel army resulted in the deaths of 360,000 loyal Union soldiers at a cost, in 1860 money, of $6 billion. Its past the time the names of these treasonous officers were stripped from bases owned and operated by the very government they waged bloody battles against, especially when there are plenty of genuine American military heroes more deserving of the honor. For instance, rename Fort Hood, our largest base housing armored units, after famed tanker Gen. George Patton. Fort Bragg, named after a rebel officer and home of airborne and special operations forces, should be renamed for Gen. Anthony McAuliffe, acting commander of the 101st Airborne at Bastogne, most famously known for his reply, Nuts, to a German demand for the surrender of his forces during the Battle of the Bulge. Others include Matthew Ridgway, Omar Bradley, Jimmy Doolittle, Mark Clark, Joseph Stilwell and Norman Schwarzkopf. A good number of American military leaders are more deserving of the honor of having their names and heroic deeds enshrined on an American military facility. Its obvious the Armys futile attempt at reconciliation has been an abject failure. Its time to honor military leaders who not only served this country at times of great peril but also adhered faithfully to the oath of allegiance they swore at West Point. GIRARD HISTED ARCHBALD Editor: No one should be surprised that President Donald Trump fights desperately to ensure that no one may read, The Room Where It Happened, the blockbuster book authored by former ambassador and National Security Adviser John Bolton. He tells us a great deal about the Trump presidency, much of it humiliating to Trump. The allegations in it are made by a loyal Republican and someone with influence and respect in the party. They portray the president as a criminal and a dunce: Someone who sought to engage in obstruction of justice multiple times, who pleaded with the leader of an enemy foreign power to buy agricultural products to boost his standing with farm states, and one who knows pathetically little about history and the world. We are told of the individuals who serve Trump who ridicule and mock him behind his back. I do not know how much influence the book will have among those who strongly support the president. They are likely to follow the Trump line that Bolton lied because he is a disgruntled former employee seeking revenge. But for the rest of us, the charges ring true as the manner in which Trump has operated throughout his life, with supreme self-interest, comports with the Bolton accusations. I wish Bolton would have relayed what he says in the book to Congress when he had the opportunity and when it could have benefited the country. He would have been a nightmare for House and Senate Republicans, a tough witness to discredit. Did a president who is loyal to no one and who kicks members of his administration in the face, as they go out the revolving door of White House personnel, not think that they would tell the truth about him? OREN M. SPIEGLER PETERS TWP., WASHINGTON COUNTY Editor: I am a U.S. Army veteran. I found it appalling to see a draft dodger salute our brave men and women. On Memorial Day, he had the gall to commit the ultimate insult to anyone who answered the call of our great country and has served in the armed forces. He made a spectacle of himself laying a flowered wreath at Arlington National Cemetery, to honor those who paid the ultimate price for our cherished freedom. Without integrity and honor, having everything means nothing according to writer Robin Sharma. JOE SKINNER CLARKS SUMMIT London, KY (40741) Today Thunderstorms likely. Storms may contain strong gusty winds. High around 85F. Winds WSW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 80%.. Tonight Showers and thundershowers early, then overcast overnight with occasional rain. Low 59F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Job Title: Technical Specialist Stakeholder Engagement Johns Hopkins Centerfor Communication Programs (CCP) is a leader in strategic communication andresearch that facilitates access to information and exchange of knowledge toimprove health.CCP has more than 60projects that employ staff in more than 40 countries around the world.CCP has unparalleled experience as a globalcenter for Social and Behavioral Change excellence.Through its projects, CCP harnesses the powerof social and behavior change communication to encourage the adoption ofhealthy behaviors in the projects implemented worldwide. The Social and Behavioral Change Activity (SBCA) is a five-year program implemented through a cooperative agreement between the United States Agency for International Development (USAID/Uganda) and Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs (CCP). The vision of USAIDs Social and Behavioral Change Activity is a Uganda where individuals and communities are not just healthy, but resilient, supported by strong adaptable systems and institutions to lead productive lives. The SBC Activity supports the Government of Uganda (GoU) and US government (USG) implementing partners to design and implement Social and behavioral Change (SBC) communication initiatives that contribute towards reduction in Maternal and Child mortality, Malaria prevalence, Total Fertility rate, new HIV infections, TB prevalence and improved Nutrition out comes, resilience and improved SBC systems and expertise. EMILY ST. LAWRENCE, Chariho girls lacrosse, senior: St. Lawrence scored the 100th goal of her career in a 16-1 win against Lincoln. St. Lawrence finished her career with 104 goals, eight short of the school record. The team did not play last season due to the coronavirus pandemic. JOSH MOONEY, Stonington track & field, sophomore: Mooney scored in three events at the State Open meet. Mooney was second in the 110 hurdles, fourth in the javelin and fifth in the 300 hurdles. He scored all 17 of Stoningtons points. ALEX STOEHR, Westerly softball, freshman: Stoehr hit three triples and a double in a doubleheader sweep of Barrington. For the week, she was 7 for 13 with four doubles, two triples and three RBIs. Stoehr is hitting .333 for the season. Vote View Results After the 2008 financial crisis, the strength of Britain's jobs market consistently confounded the forecasters. In spite of below-trend output, employment climbed and the jobless rate dropped below 4 per cent. Covid-19 looks to have changed that. Each day the country wakes to a long list of companies shedding staff. John Lewis and Harrods are among the latest. Jobs crisis: Each day the country wakes to a long list of companies shedding staff. John Lewis and Harrods are among the latest SSP Group, owner of Upper Crust, is shedding 5,000 people. This is on top of the threat from administrations at TM Lewin, Bensons for Beds and Harveys. In manufacturing, Airbus is shedding 15,000 jobs across Europe. Airbus wings, helicopters and sophisticated avionics in the UK will be badly hit. There is optimism around. The Bank of England's Andy Haldane declares we are in the midst of a 'V'-shaped recovery, and the purchasing managers' index for manufacturing rebounded in June. But employment gloom is pervasive. The number of people claiming out-of-work benefits in May reached 2.8m. Haldane notes that as much as half the UK workforce is unemployed or underemployed. There is no certainty as to what happens when furlough is fully lifted. The number of workers expected to be rehired is diminishing, risking 10 per cent private sector unemployment by year end. The purchasing managers note that in June employment fell for the fifth month in a row. Amid the turmoil, Chancellor Rishi Sunak was quick to endorse an initiative by Microsoft, owner of LinkedIn, to help those losing their jobs to reskill and retrain. Boris Johnson has been mocked for overblown New Deal rhetoric. Forgotten is the enormous boost from furlough, VAT and business rate breaks, cash for councils and the Bank of England's monetary boost. Yes, Covid-19 will have a dramatic impact on work in manufacturing, retail and hospitality. It is shocking that so many companies have reached for the P45s so prematurely in the pandemic. But opportunities are also quickly opening in green tech, logistics, online food services, IT and government areas such as track and trace. Labour market experts were hopelessly wrong over the last decade. Could the jobs market yet surprise on the upside, and rock and roll again? Sainsbury's sacrifice Taking the helm in crisis could have been a minefield. Simon Roberts at Sainsbury's is a beneficiary of the skills which the grocers have shown in navigating Covid-19. Same-store sales climbed 8.2 per cent quarter-on-quarter with Argos the stand-out, recording a 10.7 per cent increase in revenues. Investors will hope this is not a flash in the pan. Broker AJ Bell says Sainsbury's shares have been running on the spot for 32 years. The glimmer of hope comes in the purchase of Argos and its logistics skills. Sales increases are nowhere near those of some of the other online retailers but, with stores closed, it put up a creditable performance. One of the hardest parts of trading through an emergency is balancing stakeholder interests. Sainsbury's is a beneficiary of the business rates suspension worth 450million. Extra staffing and costs of the pandemic are in the order of 500million. Sensibly, it has deferred dividends until it has a better fix on how the year pans out. It also rewarded 157,000 staff with a bonus in March. It would be great to see self-sacrifice at boardroom level. Chairman Martin Scicluna and the board effectively recognised that it may have overdone the pay and bonuses for the last chief executive Mike Coupe by negotiating a 25 per cent lower basic salary and pension for Roberts. No one expects a Tesco-scale pay revolt at today's annual meeting. But it must be recognised that there is shareholder disquiet about executive bonuses across the sector, and overpaying in a time of crisis would add insult to injury. Forward thinking With so much pandemic, climate change and geopolitical turmoil, who would want to take a 100-year investment bet? Quite a lot of people, it would seem. When Austria launched an AA+ rated century bond last week, an issue yielding just 0.85 per cent was ten times oversubscribed. A previous century bond, launched three years ago, has doubled in value outperforming most Silicon Valley giants. Faith in the ultra-monetarist Austrian school of Friedrich Hayek may be sky-high. But this is ridiculous. The future of two of Britain's biggest shopping centre owners look grim as they continue to struggle to collect rents from retailers hammered by the coronavirus crisis. Bullring owner Hammerson said it collected just 16 per cent of third quarter rents, while British Land collected only 36 per cent of rents from retail outlets. But the companies, in the wake of the collapse of rival Intu just a week ago, have sought to reassure investors that the picture is improving. Bullring owner Hammerson said it collected just 16 per cent of third quarter rents Hammerson said it is 'confident' that collection rates will continue to improve 'materially' as they come to more agreements with stores. The group, which also owns Brent Cross in north London, added that it had been able to secure some breathing space from lenders and accessed the Government's coronavirus support scheme to bolster its balance sheet. British Land, the owner of Meadowhall in Sheffield and office buildings in London, also said it expected rent collection rates to improve over the coming weeks as they continued to find agreements with tenants. The group also said 64 per cent, or nearly 900, of stores across its sites in England are now open and have seen sales surge 91 per cent over the first week of reopening. But footfall remains 64 per cent lower than the same period last year. 'We expect the best-located open-air retail parks to perform an important role in retailers' reopening strategies, and this was reflected in positive like-for-like sales for out-of-town stores open in England versus the same week last year,' it said. The group collected more rents from office buildings than from retailers, managing to rake in 88 per cent of rents during the quarter. But it said it had agreed to waive another 3million worth of rents for smaller, independent retailers during the last quarter, on top of 2million already waived during the previous quarter. It also continued to have 'productive discussions' with larger retailers and leisure firms over moving from quarterly to monthly rents, deferrals and partial settlement of March and June rents, 'typically in return for the removal of lease breaks, lease extensions, reduced incentives or commitments for additional space.' Quite: Meadowhall in Sheffield, owned by British Land The lockdown had a big impact on retailers, which had a knock-on impact on shopping centre owners as many tenants demanded reduced rents or refused to pay rent altogether at their shuttered sites. The updates come less than a week after Trafford Centre owner Intu tumbled into administration after failed talks with its lenders. Intu - which also runs Lakeside in Essex - had struggled under a 4.5billion debt burden for the past year, and has been hammered by significantly lower rent payments from retail tenants since the coronavirus outbreak. Hammerson shares closed up 6.4 per cent at 85.44p on Wednesday. They have lost more than 70 per cent of their value over the past year. British Land shares 0.4 per cent lower at 384.84p. They are down about 28 per cent compared to a year ago. Tesla has raced past Toyota to become the world's most valuable car company. In a sign of the times, the electric car maker's value yesterday rose by almost 4 per cent to 165.4billon. That made it more valuable than its much bigger Japanese rival, which is worth 162.7billion, and came as Tesla celebrates the tenth anniversary of its stock market listing in 2010, when its shares went for $17 each. Tesla's share price rallied 500 per cent since lows last year, as its leader and co-founder Elon Musk (pictured) overcame production issues, to help it turn in a string of quarterly profits They are now changing hands for more than $1,100. The changing of the guard with Toyota follows an extraordinary 500 per cent rally in Tesla's share price since lows last year, as its leader and co-founder Elon Musk overcame production issues, to help it turn in a string of quarterly profits. More crucially, the California firm's market capitalisation reflects what investors believe it will be worth in the future. It delivered just 367,656 cars to customers last year, compared to the 5-10m sold annually by rivals Toyota, Volkswagen, Hyundai, General Motors, Ford, Nissan and Honda. And it is yet to turn a full-year profit, despite three profitable quarters recently. But analysts believe Tesla has an edge, thanks to its cutting-edge batteries and computer technology powering its cars. Its Model S sedan favoured by celebrities including Cameron Diaz, Ben Affleck and Simon Cowell recently became the first electric car to boast a certified range of more than 400 miles. And after shares rose above $1,000 for the first time during the pandemic, some believe Tesla could hit $1,500. Daniel Ives, a Wall Street analyst at Wedbush Securities, told clients recently: 'We believe that Tesla's stock likely has room to run further.' Yet both Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley downgraded it just days later, based on recent price cuts for its cars, concerns the stock is overpriced and the threat of competition from tech giants such as Amazon. Tesla also remains a favourite target for short sellers, who have long claimed it will crash back down to earth. Toyota makes more than 10million cars per year, while Tesla hasn't cracked 400,000 yet, but investors have chased its share price up to make the US electric car firm more valuable But that has not turned off Tesla and Musk's supporters, who range from British fund giant Scottish Mortgage Trust to the army of small shareholders investing through retail trading platforms. The transformation has also handed Musk a huge paper profit. The 49-year-old, who owns an 18.4 per cent stake, has seen his fortune increase from 16.5billion to an estimated 41.5billion since June 2019. He has been portrayed as both Tesla's greatest asset and its major weakness, with his use of social network Twitter getting him into hot water. Musk was forced by regulators to give up the position of chairman after a tweet in 2018, claiming that he had 'funding secured' for a bid to take the company private, sent shares soaring. Supporters point to Musk's defiance of critics, who have repeatedly claimed that Tesla was just a few years from bankruptcy over the past decade. Thirteen months ago the shares were scraping lows of $177 as it struggled to ramp up production of its Model 3 cars to 100,000 per quarter. That was after a 2018 Musk referred to as the 'most difficult and painful year of my career'. But Tesla bounced back. The Model 3 problems were ironed out and a Shanghai factory was built in record time to cater for Chinese buyers, boosting sales in a crucial market. And Tesla started to turn quarterly profits again, stunning analysts who just months before watched it burning through billions of dollars. Since June 2019, the stock has now rallied more than 510 per cent higher to more than $1,100, meaning that someone who invested 1,000 would now be sitting on around 6,000. Russ Mould, investment director at AJ Bell, said: 'Risk-tolerant investors will embrace the shares, risk-averse ones will shun them.' He said that buyers needed to consider its prospects over 'the next 10, 20 years or more'. 'Over that time, the electrification of transport could come into its own and Tesla might just be in the vanguard of that. 'To keep the stock going in the near term, Musk and his team need to drive volumes for the Model 3, Model Y SUV and its Cybertruck, and to start generating cash on a sustainable basis.' But he warned that if rivals muscle in then the stock could prove costly for investors. Norihiro Fujito, strategist at Mitsubishi UFJ Morgan Stanley Securities, said: 'There isn't a single person who thinks that simply because Tesla's market cap has come close to Toyota, that Tesla is a company that is on par with Toyota. 'However, if you look ten years down the road and factor in extreme expectations, $1,000 a share may be appropriate.' Quint Tatro, president of Joule Financial, told CNBC: 'Tesla just has this wonderful history of proving every single person wrong, so it's very tough to bet against this company, the stock or Elon Musk. It is a play based on your belief in him as a visionary and as an entrepreneur.' The coronavirus crisis will herald an era of ultra-cheap European holidays, says the boss of Ryanair. Michael O'Leary said the only way his airline can recover is by slashing fares for the next year or two to encourage air travel. As Ryanair resumed flights, O'Leary said lower fares would be funded by cutting pay for its 18,000 staff. Ryanair boss Michael O'Leary said the only way his airline can recover is by slashing fares for the next year or two to encourage air travel He said up to 3,000 will be laid off if they do not accept temporary cuts of between 5 per cent for the lowest-paid cabin crew and 20 per cent for the top captains. Pilots' union Balpa said 96 per cent of its Ryanair members had accepted the temporary pay cuts to 'save jobs'. Rejecting concerns that airlines will raise prices to survive, O'Leary said the opposite was true among those offering short flights across Europe. The chief executive told the Mail: 'The only way we can recover is by setting much lower prices for 12 to 24 months. That's why we need to cut costs and cut pay.' As long as there is 'no massive second wave of the virus', he predicted ultra-cheap fares and bargains being offered by resorts, which will ensure passenger numbers will return to pre-crisis levels by next summer. Several airlines, including British Airways and Easyjet, have announced plans to cut thousands of jobs, warning it will be several years before passenger numbers return to normal levels. But O'Leary said: 'The Spanish hoteliers and the Portuguese resorts are offering historically low prices for families in July and August. 'They want to get people back moving again. So travel will never have been cheaper on short-haul around Europe.' Airlines have launched a massive summer sale with Ryanair offering one-way flights, before extra charges, for 9.99 to Vienna, 20.99 to Malaga in Spain and 33.99 to Biarritz in France. Desperate tour operators have been offering record 70 per cent discounts for trips to France, Spain, Italy and Greece. O'Leary claimed there was pent-up demand for travel and that huge numbers of people are simply ignoring the 'idiotic' 14-day quarantine imposed on travelling to the UK. He said strict safety protocols would not put people off, and that its flights so far were 70 per cent full. 'Hard-pressed families in Manchester or Liverpool or Glasgow have been locked up with their kids for weeks,' he said. 'Are we seriously suggesting they're going to go to Blackpool in the rain for their summer holiday as opposed to the Algarve or Malaga? They are so conditioned to going to the Mediterranean resorts. I don't see that changing.' Shares in train station and airport cafe operator SSP came under pressure as it became the latest company to lay off workers because of the plunge in travel. The Upper Crust-owner warned investors it could axe up to 5,000 jobs from its head office and UK outlets as commuters stay home, socialising remains limited and holidays are cancelled. Lockdown wiped out sales across the group, which operates in more than 30 countries, by 95 per cent in April and May. Upper Crust-owner SSP warned investors it could axe up to 5,000 jobs from its head office and UK outlets as commuters stay home, socialising remains limited and holidays are cancelled Sales recovered slightly in June and are now 90 per cent below the same time last year as travel restrictions loosened in Europe and North America. But the green shoots seen elsewhere have not yet been present in the UK, with boss Simon Smith warning 'the pace of recovery continues to be slow'. This is why the job losses, at present, only focus on the UK, where it would normally employ 9,000 people at this time of year. Stock Watch - Catenae Innovation Software tiddler Catenae Innovation more than doubled in value after it started talks with potential customers for its coronavirus digital passport. The company's app called 'Cov-ID' records a user's Covid test status, which could allow people to go back to work or meet friends. After racing through development over the last few months, it is now in discussions for potential UK and international deals. Its stock surged 117 per cent, or 3.1p, to 5.75p. It reckons around 20 per cent of its 580 branches, which also include Camden Food Co and Cafe Ritazza, will be open at the end of this year. Shares in SSP, which has more than 750million in cash available, slid 2.3 per cent, or 5.8p, to 251.4p. And HS2 contractor Kier sank 7.8 per cent, or 7.6p, to 90p, after its net debt began to creep higher and reports surfaced that it could cut more jobs than initially planned. As part of a pre-Covid restructuring, Kier was planning to cut 1,200 jobs to reduce costs by 65million by next June. But it is now eyeing savings of 100million, which Construction News reported could include more job losses. Shares in Manchester-based Kier were also coming down off a rally this week, when the Government committed to a decade-long plan to rebuild schools. Easyjet, looking to axe 4,500 jobs, fell 1.5 per cent, or 10.4p, to 669.6p, after it said some cuts would fall in Berlin and it would scrap domestic flights in Germany. After a choppy day of trading the FTSE 100 fizzled out. It closed 0.2 per cent lower, down 11.78 points, to 6157.96, brushing off news that trials of a coronavirus vaccine being developed by Biontech and Pfizer showed promising results. The index fell despite getting a boost from medical device and technology group Smith & Nephew, which said the resumption of elective surgeries would begin to reverse falling sales. The company, which makes knee and hip replacement kit, saw sales drop 29 per cent in the second quarter. The FTSE 250 inched higher, rising 0.4 per cent, or 70.27 points, to 17,189.43, as defence firms made gains. Meggitt advanced 3.7 per cent, or 10.8p, to 305.1p after it sold a US training systems subsidiary to a private investment firm, Pine Island Capital, for 118million. And nuclear submarine maintainer Babcock International rose 2.4 per cent, or 7.5p, to 317.7p after it bagged former Cobham boss David Lockwood as chief executive. He joins the firm next month, and takes over from Archie Bethel in September. Provident Financial backers were less impressed by a new senior appointment. The former boss of guarantor lender Amigo down 11.2 per cent, or 0.65p, to 5.16p Hamish Paton, will join the Provvy as managing director of its consumer credit division. Provvy stock dipped 1.3 per cent, or 2.3p, to 173.9p. Investors in independent hospital group Spire Healthcare, meanwhile, were unmoved by news it must pay a 1.2million fine after the Competition and Markets Authority found it guilty of fixing prices for eye consultations. The illegal arrangement saw seven consultants charge an extra 20 for initial appointments with patients. The shares fell 0.1 per cent, or 0.1p, to 85p. A British drugs boss is facing jail in a major prosecution related to the US opioid crisis. Just a day after quitting as chief executive of London-listed Indivior, Shaun Thaxter, 52, pleaded guilty to a criminal charge related to sales of opioid addiction treatments. It followed a US Department of Justice (DoJ) probe, which accuses Indivior of fraudulently marketing the drug suboxone. Facing jail: Just a day after quitting as chief exec of Indivior, Shaun Thaxter (pictured) pleaded guilty to a criminal charge related to sales of opioid addiction treatments The case is one of the few corporate prosecutions related to the prescription opioid epidemic, which has been blamed for hundreds of thousands of overdose deaths in the US. Prosecutors claim Indivior made misleading safety claims about suboxone to win endorsement from doctors and protect its share of the lucrative opioid addiction treatment market. Suboxone is used by recovering opioid addicts to ease withdrawal symptoms. Its active ingredient, buprenorphine, is a powerful and addictive opioid itself. Indivior denies all wrongdoing and faces a trial in September that could land it with a potential 2.4billion fine. However, at a federal court hearing in Virginia, Thaxter (pictured) pleaded guilty to introducing misbranded drugs into interstate commerce while he was chief executive. Addictive: Suboxone is used by recovering opioid addicts to ease withdrawal symptoms Indivior's boss since 2009, he faces up to one year in prison when he is sentenced in two months' time and will pay 484,000 in fines and forfeitures. His abrupt departure from Indivior, with a 2.3million exit package, was announced on Monday. Daniel Bubar, first assistant US attorney of the Western District of Virginia, said: 'The public must be able to trust pharmaceutical manufacturers. While he was the top executive of Indivior, Shaun Thaxter violated that trust, and must be held accountable.' Prosecutors said Thaxter failed to prevent employees from sharing misleading safety information about suboxone with health officials in Massachusetts. Wick Sollers, the former executive's attorney, said Thaxter had been 'unaware of the alleged misstatements when they were made'. The hearing came after Indivior was last year charged by the DoJ with engaging in an illegal scheme to boost prescriptions of the drug. Prosecutors allege that Indivior, desperate to protect suboxone from copycat rivals, launched a huge marketing drive to persuade doctors to prescribe a new film version, instead of tablets. They say the firm deceived doctors and healthcare benefit programmes into believing the new version was safer and less susceptible to abuse, with little evidence to support that claim. Indivior said: 'The plea agreement between Mr Thaxter and the DoJ is in his personal capacity and not on behalf of the group. 'As the group has previously noted, it continues to pursue its strategy to resolve outstanding investigations and litigations as expeditiously as possible.' It confirmed Thaxter was classed as a 'good leaver', meaning he will retain a departure deal worth more than 2million. Luke Hildyard, director of the High Pay Centre, said the decision was 'extraordinary'. The European Union must prepare for the possibility that talks with Britain on their post-Brexit relationship could fail, Chancellor Angela Merkel warned Wednesday as Germany took the helm of the blocs rotating presidency. After months of standstill because of the coronavirus, the two sides resumed negotiations this week on how to define Britains future economic ties with the bloc, but the tone has hardened in both camps. I will keep pushing for a good solution, but the EU and Germany too must and should prepare for the case that an agreement is not reached, Merkel told German lawmakers in Berlin. The veteran leader was speaking on the first day of Germanys six-month EU presidency, set to be dominated by the coronavirus pandemic and its economic fallout. But Britains divorce will loom large too, since London and Brussels only have until the end of December to clinch a new agreement or end their half-century relationship without specific plans for how they plan to trade or coexist in other fields. Without a deal, ties would be reduced to minimum standards set by the World Trade Organization with high tariffs and serious disruptions to business. Merkel already warned last week that Britain would have to live with the consequences of weaker trade ties with the EU in a no-deal outcome. Serious times Germany has set itself an ambitious agenda for the EU presidency, which observers say may be the last chance for outgoing chancellor Merkel to shape her European legacy. Her main goal is to push through a massive economic recovery plan to help the 27-member club cope with its steepest recession since World War II, triggered by a pandemic that has so far killed more than 500,000 people worldwide. We are living in very serious times and need to react accordingly, Merkel told German MPs. The chancellor, who has just over a year left in her final term, has thrown her political weight behind the proposed 750-billion-euro ($843-billion) recovery fund. The fund would controversially be financed through shared EU borrowing, in a stunning U-turn for Germany after years of opposition to debt pooling. An extraordinary situation requires a special solution, said Merkel. The first big test of Germanys EU custodianship will come at a July 17-18 EU summit, where Merkel hopes leaders will reach an agreement on the recovery fund. The money is expected to come mainly in the form of grants for countries hit hardest by the pandemic, such as debt-laden Italy and Spain. But so-called frugal nations including Austria and the Netherlands want to rein in the spending and are insisting on loans rather than grants. Merkel has urged holdout nations to show unprecedented solidarity with hard-hit neighbours, warning that an uneven recovery could undermine the EU single market and end up harming stronger economies too. But member states positions are still very far apart on the matter, she admitted. If accepted, the rescue fund would be a milestone for EU unity. It would also be a big win for Berlin, and could ease some of the lingering resentment from the eurozone debt crisis a decade ago when Merkels government insisted on harsh austerity for struggling nations like Greece. Green future Merkel has stressed the need for the bloc to prepare for the post-pandemic future, including through a more unified approach to health issues and by investing in climate-friendly projects. Environmental demonstrators gathered outside the chancellery Wednesday with bags of fake euro banknotes to demand that any coronavirus stimulus be spent on a green and just future. At a Berlin press conference, Economy Minister Peter Altmaier said Germany supported the blocs goal to become carbon neutral by 2050. He also said Germany would use its EU presidency to push for more robust supply chains within the EU after the virus outbreak left member states scrambling to secure protective gear mainly made in China. Berlin would fight to make progress as quickly as possible on a EU-China investment agreement aimed at levelling the playing field, he said. SOURCE> AFP This subscription will allow current subscribers of The Tillamook Headlight Herald to access all of our online Subscriber-Only content, including the E Editions area. NOTE: To claim your access to the site, you will need to enter the Last Name and First Name that is tied to your subscription in this format: SMITH, JOHN If you need help with exactly how your specific name needs be entered, please call us at 1-(503) 842-7535 or email admin@countrymedia.net. We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Submit Here Cresaptown, MD (21502) Today Mostly sunny skies this morning. Scattered showers and thunderstorms developing during the afternoon. A few storms may be severe. High 91F. Winds WSW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50%.. Tonight Scattered thunderstorms this evening, then cloudy with rain likely late. Low 63F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Barre, VT (05641) Today Partly cloudy early. Thunderstorms developing this afternoon. A few storms may be severe. High 87F. Winds S at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 100%.. Tonight Thunderstorms this evening followed by occasional showers overnight. Low 64F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 60%. COLONIE Bill Lia is ready to get back to business. Since March 17, when Lia was forced to shut down all of the VENT Fitness locations he operates in the Capital Region, he installed sneeze guards, shields and signs throughout his four gyms. He spaced out every piece of equipment by six feet. He paused billing for his members because he thought it was the right thing to do. Though the Capital Region began the final phase of the state's economic reopening plan on Wednesday, Lia and other New York gym owners still don't know when they can open their doors. Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo last week said gyms, malls and movie theaters will not be able to open until research is done on how COVID-19 is spread through HVAC and air-filtering systems. "We certainly never anticipated that things would go on this long," Lia said. "Were concerned that were going to continue to be shut down with no direction in terms of when were going to be able to open. ... Its been tough. Weve worked hard to prepare right from day one." Some business owners seem prepared to take the matter to court. Derek Alessi, an East Amherst-based owner of a nutritional counseling and personal training company, filed a complaint against the state. A gym owner on Long Island said he and his attorney were prepared to recruit up to 2,000 gym owners statewide for a class action lawsuit, the Long Island Press reported. James Mermigis, a lawyer representing the gym, said he expects to file the petition by Friday. "All of these gym owners that Im representing, and Ive met with a lot of them, they have incredible opening plans," Mermigis said. "I think gyms are being unneccesarily slandered here. ... The bottom line is, were going into July. Most of these people are small business owners. Whos going to pay their bills? Whos going to pay their rent? Whos going to pay for food on their familys table? Theyre being told to shut down. So what, theyre going to lose their business?" Lia said he can empathize with those owners' frustration, but doesn't believe fighting the issue in court is the way to go. "We really believe that working with the government, collaborating, providing information, communicating what our concerns are, thats how we want to get this done," he said. Lia last week set up an alliance of gym owners who say they have stringent procedures in place and are able to reopen. The New York State Fitness Alliance has about 30 members. Lia said he doesn't understand why big-box stores with HVAC systems and people shopping indoors are allowed to open, while fitness centers are not. Not only does his gym have more strict requirements than a place like Walmart and Target, Lia said, but it also keeps a log of who walks in and out. "If someone came in, I can tell you at this time this person was in my facility, they went to this class and guess what? I can also tell you the 20 people that were around them most closely, and I can also tell you the 50 people that might have been in the facility and not close to them," Lia said. "And I can email and contact them in a matter of minutes, because we have that data." Matt Doheny, owner of ABC Sports & Fitness in Latham, said he's been frustrated to see bars and restaurants open with few health protocols while he's been planning a safe way to reopen his gym for months. "Its beyond frustrating," Doheny said. "Theyve made it very hard for businesses to understand protocols guidelines and opening dates. Its a tough pill to swallow seeing bars wide open, while a health club like mine, where I can monitor every single person who walks in, cannot." Cuomo's office said Thursday that "there are some things that dont fit neatly into a phase that are going to require further study and were going through that right now." "Were not going to be like other states that are inviting a second wave," said Jason Conwall, a spokesman for Cuomo. Lia said he doesn't fault the governor entirely. "I dont envy the governors position of having to deal with making these decisions," he said. "I think where the frustration is, is our industry was the first to close, and were probably going to be the last to open, and we just havent been given a lot of communication about what it is thats driving those decisions. ... Lets do it together as opposed to having the government try to figure it out without consulting industry experts and professionals." Michael.Williams@timesunion.com It was the Thursday night before Memorial Day weekend when Rebecca Drobis, a 43-year-old mother of an infant daughter in Northwest Washington was suddenly awakened by a faint feeling of chills and wondered if she might be getting sick. Drobis, a freelance photographer (she has previously worked for The Washington Post), had done everything she could think of to avoid the coronavirus. Her experience, recounted in a recent interview, captures how even a mild case of covid-19 can still be a harrowing ordeal - and how the myriad unknowns of the illness leave its victims without a clear sense of closure or control. The following account has been edited for length and clarity. We took the pandemic very seriously right from the outset. My husband's brother was stationed with the Navy in Beijing, so we'd been following the pandemic very closely since January. My daughter, Rosie, was 7 months old in March. Babies under the age of 1 are considered in the high risk category. My parents are in their 70s, and we're very close with them. They used to watch my daughter once a week, and we decided right away to have them stop coming over. My father is a retired doctor, so we've always been hyper-aware of germs and washing our hands, and after you have a newborn, you're just crazy about wiping everything down. I ordered masks right away. We stopped going to the grocery store. We had everything delivered. We took the stay-at-home orders very seriously. More for you News Coronavirus mutation has taken over the world. Scientists... We were only leaving our house to go for a walk. Sometimes, to maintain distance, I would push Rosie's stroller into the bike lane or the street. You make these decisions every time you go out: Is the danger from an oncoming car or from all the people around us walking their dogs who aren't wearing masks? We do our best, but you can't always stay six feet apart on the sidewalk. I remember going to bed on Thursday night, May 21, feeling a little more tired than usual, and I had a little bit of an upset stomach, but nothing significant. And then I woke up in the middle of the night and I definitely felt a little bit of chills, but not so much that I even got out of bed. When I got up in the morning, I was positive I had a fever. So I took my temperature and it was 100.5 - low, but definitely a fever. I was immediately terrified. I called my health-care provider at 7 a.m. Because I had the fever and I was also breast-feeding, I was able to get scheduled for a test at noon that day. The test was really scary. It was pouring rain, and there was this person approaching the car wearing full PPE. It really hit me in that moment: This is what a global pandemic is. There are sick people, this woman is testing covid-positive people all day long, and she's putting herself at risk. On every level, it suddenly felt really real. They give you this piece of paper when you leave the test that says, "Based on your history, we suspect that you are covid-positive." After the test, I pulled over, and I just started hysterically crying. I was so scared. How did this happen? They recommend that you self-isolate. By that night, my fever was gone. But I stayed in my room. I began to think, "This was just a fluky thing, just bad timing to have a fever." When I woke up in the morning, I felt fine, I had no fever. I never had symptoms again after that. But then I got a call from the Kaiser covid care team, and they said, "You tested positive for covid-19." My husband was shocked. We both cried. I'm thinking that I don't know if I can live with myself if I gave it to my daughter. My husband immediately disinfected every single thing in the house, washing all of Rosie's clothes, every one of her toys, everything I could have touched. We figured of course my husband had it, of course I'd given it to my daughter. It was just a matter of - are we both going to get really sick? If we both get really sick, who is going to take care of Rosie? You start thinking about your life insurance. You're thinking, "Thank God I did my will." My thoughts were oscillating between complete panic to helplessness, a lack of control. I also felt really dirty. I got in the shower and just was scrubbing myself. The idea of having a deadly virus in your body that could kill other people - that felt like a psychological nightmare. It was also really surreal because it was Memorial Day weekend and the weather was so beautiful and there were so many parties. That Saturday night, from my vantage point in my bedroom, I could see three different parties on rooftops across the street from me. They were playing beer pong. I wanted to scream out the window: "What the hell are you doing? I have covid! Go home!" My husband obviously had to get tested, so that was the only time I did come downstairs, because I had to watch Rosie. They told him to not take her in the car seat, because when you take the test, it can release the virus into the car. So that was the worst. I changed my clothes. I washed my hands a thousand times. I put on gloves. I'm trying to stay six feet away from her as she's on the floor playing and looking at me very curiously. She took a tumble because she wasn't a good crawler yet, and I was not sure what to do. Do I go pick her up? Should I let her cry? Nothing felt right. My husband tested negative. He was so certain that he got a false negative that he insisted on getting tested again. He tested negative twice. My brother and sister-in-law got tested, too, because we'd seen them outside in that socially distant way. No one spreads this intentionally. But the total lack of control is probably the thing that is the most humbling. You can do every single thing right and still wind up on the wrong side of the virus. For days I was just stuck in my room, waiting. It was a dark time. My daughter and I shared a wall. I'd hear her crying. I felt so torn. Especially when you're nursing, your body is screaming, "Go get the baby!" And your mind is like, "Stay here, stay here." I was so stressed out that my milk started drying up, which was really sad. I would pump, but get so little, and I felt so badly. It was the only thing I could give my daughter, and I couldn't even give her that. The first question everyone would ask is, "How do you think you got it?" The doctors asked, too. The inability to answer that question became paramount. All I did was try to figure out the answer, so that all of this could get tied up in a neat little bow, so we'd know what behavior to avoid going forward, what the lesson is. I explained every single thing we did: We disinfected our UPS packages. We quarantined our mail for four days before we touched it. The doctors said they were seeing this all the time - other people who had been completely isolated like we were and still wound up covid-positive. I didn't tell many people because I was surprised at how people rush to judge you : "Oh, you made different choices than I did." That's human nature. You try to separate yourself to figure out how you could not be that person. Some people would ask, "Was it a false positive?" But my antibody test results just came back positive. After a week apart, I could finally be reunited with my husband and daughter. That morning on the eighth day, Rosie woke up and I ran in there, and she smiled at me, and it felt like such a relief. I felt so overwhelmed with pure joy. I was worried that she wouldn't be interested in breast-feeding anymore, but she picked it right back up. Where I've landed is that I'm OK with not knowing how this happened. This virus doesn't fit neatly into any kind of system of order that makes sense. The whole experience has left me with just a tremendous amount of just pure gratitude and relief. I understand why all of the sacrifices, small and big, are so crucial. It's not the most vibrant life that we've been living - but to me, what's important is that I didn't infect anyone else that I know of, and we are healthy, and we are doing what we need to do to keep other people safe. ALBANY Sheriff deputies said an Albany County correction officer who claimed that someone threw a lit firework into his New Scotland home over the weekend lied about the incident. Deputies charged Ryan M. Lawson, 30, with filing a false report, a misdemeanor. He was arrested Wednesday afternoon and released on an appearance ticket. SCHENECTADY - The owner of Bumpy's Polar Freeze, who allegedly sent text messages using racial slurs and saying he doesn't hire black people, was taken into custody Tuesday night after police said they caught him with a pellet gun after a Black Lives Matter rally was taking place outside the State Street ice cream shop. Authorities said David Elmendorf, 35, of Schenectady was charged with two counts of misdemeanor menacing Tuesday night. The incident unfolded as protesters were gathered outside the ice cream shop at State Street and Shirley Drive. A similar protest on Sunday ended with Bumpy's employees quitting their jobs to show solidarity. Police said at about 7 p.m. they received multiple 911 calls stating there was a man with a gun threatening protesters in the area of 2013 State St Bumpys Polar Freeze. As officers headed there, further information was being relayed to Schenectady County dispatchers that the man had left the scene in a vehicle headed to Balltown Road. Once there, officers began to interview witnesses and gather further information about the incident. A short distance away,Niskayuna police officers saw the vehicle in question and stopped it. The man in the vehicle was detained and an imitation (pellet gun) long gun was recovered from inside. The man was identified as Elmendorf and he was turned over to Schenectady officers and taken to police headquarters. The gathering near Bumpy's meanwhile continued well into the night. Protest organizer Mikayla Foster said demonstrators would remain. "There were other instigators too who were trying to get us to leave," Taylor said at 9 p.m. "But we are still here." A heavy police presence remained too, with clusters of police officers gathered on the perimeter of the gathering. On Sunday, protesters blocked part of State Street in front of the restaurant for more than two hours. The protest culminated in the shop shutting down for the evening around 6:15 p.m. three hours earlier than usual and three employees walking out, saying they'd quit. Bumpy's was open Sunday despite Elmendorf racking up daily fines of $2,000 earlier in the week for ignoring a Schenectady County health department shutdown order over a minor code violation. County Attorney Chris Gardner has said Elmendorf was charged last Wednesday with obstructing governmental administration for allegedly tearing down and ripping up notices posted at the State Street business for it to close down. The protests were organized after racist text messages allegedly sent by Elmendorf surfaced on social media last week. By Friday, Gardner had asked the state attorney general's office to conduct an immediate civil rights investigation into Elmendorf's "discriminatory and illegal actions." Elmendorf, who left his job as a Schenectady County corrections officer, purchased the business in 2012. A ban on afternoon work in open spaces throughout Bahrain begins today (July 1), reported BNA, citing the Ministry of Labor and Social Development. The annual ban prohibits work from noon until 4 pm throughout July and August. The decision is in line with Bahrains concern to protect workers from occupational diseases and injuries, especially during the summer searing temperatures and high humidity. Labor Minister Jameel bin Mohammed Ali Humaidan stressed the importance of compliance with the decision, pointing out that the commitment rate in previous years was exemplary with at least 98%. He also emphasized the need to provide workers with the best work equipment to protect them from potential occupational problems related to the hot and humid weather. The ministry said that it will closely monitor the implementation of the decision by around 30,000 companies and establishments, reported BNA. A hotline (17873648) was also set up for the public to report any violations. The ministry's inspection teams will verify the violations and take the necessary measures in this regard. Under the law, violators will face imprisonment for up to three months and fines of at least BD500 ($1317), it added. Facebook on Tuesday removed hundreds of accounts and groups associated with a network of the far-right "boogaloo" movement whose followers have been linked to violence that disrupted mostly peaceful protests around the United States. Facebook said it was designating the faction of the boogaloo movement that advocates violence as a "dangerous organization" and had taken down 220 accounts, 28 pages, 106 groups and 95 accounts on Facebook-owned Instagram that were associated with it. The social media platform said it also had removed 400 more Facebook accounts and more than 100 additional groups that supported or praised the violent network. Facebook's move against the boogaloo movement came after federal prosecutors charged several adherents of the movement with crimes across the U.S., including the killing of a security officer at a federal courthouse in Oakland, Calif., and a plot to use explosives at a Las Vegas protest against the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody. The loosely organized boogaloo movement - a name with a long story that traces back to break dancing movie "Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo" - has existed in some form for years, but has come to the forefront of national awareness in the past month as unrest roiled the nation, first, during protests opposing stay-home orders across the country, and then as Black Lives Matter protests protested the police killings of Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and others. The boogaloos, or Boogaloo Bois as they are sometimes called, insist a second civil war is inevitable. The trademark Hawaiian-style shirts worn by some members came from an adaptation of the name "Big Luau" that is used by some supporters online. Facebook said it has been investigating the movement for months and started connecting the online activity of the movement to real-world events at a gun rights rally in Richmond, Va., when members of the boogaloo movement showed up clad in the shirts. "More recently, officials have identified violent adherents to the movement as those responsible for several attacks over the past few months," the company wrote in a blog post. "These acts of real-world violence and our investigations into them are what led us to identify and designate this distinct network." Facebook's team of 350 people that identifies and investigates hate groups and terrorist organizations on the site had already taken steps to remove more than 800 boogaloo-related posts for violating its policy against inciting violence. The company had also banned boogaloo posts with violent images and stopped promoting connected groups and pages. But Tuesday's action - to take down and ban an entire network of violent boogaloo supporters - was a shift in the team's strategy from just removing offending posts as they popped up. The ban was made easier by a policy tweak Facebook made last year that broadened its definition of dangerous groups to include more amorphous and loosely organized movements such as the boogaloos. Facebook said Tuesday's action was prompted by federal criminal charges against boogaloo adherents and the realization that many violent boogaloo posts remained on the platform. Facebook noted that its takedowns on Tuesday do not mean all boogaloo content is prohibited on its site - but any posts or symbols that are tied to or support the violent boogaloo network will be banned. Before they were banned, some Facebook groups about the movement had hundreds of thousands of followers. Facebook noted that not all of those people were violent participants or their supporters. Social media, particularly Facebook, has been a powerful tool for the boogaloo movement to organize in the past year, said Devin Burghart, president at the Institute for Research and Education on Human Rights, a group that tracks far-right movements. He called Facebook's action a "necessary but insufficient" response. "Because they've been raised in the social media age, primarily, they are incredibly adept at skirting regulations that social media sites put in place," he said of some boogaloo members. That's how alternative names such as "Big Igloo" and "Big Luau" came to be - they are aliases members used online to avoid being caught by social media moderators. Facebook's ban probably will slow down organizing, Burghart said, but boogaloo members have migrated to other social media networks where it can be even harder to find them, such as Gab, which is known for hosting far-right material, and Telegram and Discord, where private conversations make it harder to find organized groups. A Facebook executive who spoke on the condition of anonymity acknowledged that the group often quickly changes its language and symbols, making it hard to grasp onto. Facebook is prepping its team to be aware of quick shifts, the executive said. "This is not a static problem that you fix the problem, then you're done, it's something that you have to do every single day," said Jessica Stern, an expert on terrorism and a research professor at Boston University's Pardee School of Global Studies. Attorney General William Barr said in a memo last week that the government would create a task force to counter "anti-government extremists," including those associated with the boogaloo movement or the far-left antifa movement. President Donald Trump and other government officials have pointed to antifa as a major instigator of violence at the mostly peaceful protests in the past month, but experts have noted that antifa members were responsible for few incidents and that the government needs to devote more resources to investigating heavily armed right-wing extremist groups such as boogaloo adherents. Facebook said it was not explicitly working with the task force, but noted its general policies of working with law enforcement when requested or proactively when violent posts that could cause real-world harm come up. Federal prosecutors charged one boogaloo supporter, Steven Carrillo, with the killing of a security guard at a federal courthouse in Oakland last month. Carrillo allegedly drew the word "Boog" in blood on a stolen car. In Las Vegas, three men that prosecutors say are connected to the boogaloo movement are charged with conspiracy to damage and destroy by fire and explosive. "They wanted to use the momentum of the George Floyd death in police custody in the City of Minneapolis to hopefully stir enough confusion and excitement, that others see the two explosions and police presence and begin to riot in the streets out of anger," a federal criminal complaint read. Facebook said its Tuesday move was more coordinated than its usual enforcement measures and involved a large team that focuses on identifying and banning terrorist and hate organizations. It was the second major action this month against right-wing extremists; the platform also removed hundreds of accounts and pages associated with the extremist groups Proud Boys and American Guard. In March, Facebook removed dozens of accounts associated with the white supremacist group Northwest Front. "As we do following other designations, we will now work to identify where to strengthen how we enforce our policy against this banned network and identify attempts by the violent U.S. anti-government network to return to our platform," the company wrote in a post announcing its boogaloo takedown. The final satellite of the Beidou Navigation Satellite System is launched and sent into orbit by a Long March 3B carrier rocket from Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Sichuan province on Tuesday. [YIN GANG/FOR CHINA DAILY] XI'AN, July 1 -- The newly-launched last satellite of China's BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS) successfully entered the long-term operation mode on July 1, announced the Xi'an Satellite Control Center. It marked that all 30 satellites of the BDS-3 system have been operating in the long-term mode, a major step forward for BDS to provide full services to the world, said the center. The last satellite of the BDS was launched on June 23. After flying for nearly eight days, it successfully entered the final orbit, which is 36,000 km above Earth, on June 30. The center is now conducting the final tests before the satellite could be connected with the BDS-3 system and provide services. The BDS-3 system started to offer basic navigation services to countries and regions along the Belt and Road as well as the world in December 2018. Bahrain Real Estate Investment Company (Edamah) said 95 per cent of the work on the multi-storey car-park within the Salmaniya Medical Complex had been completed and was due to be inaugurated on August 1. Edamah, the real estate arm of the kingdom's sovereign wealth fund Mumtalakat, pointed out that this project would be a major boost to the critical medical services provided by Salmaniya Medical Complex. The modern parking facility boasts air-conditioned lobbies, glazed sliding doors for ease of movement for the medical staff, patients and visitors as well as spacious public toilets, which will also cater to the disabled. Chairman Khalid Al Rumaihi said: "The completion of this project is another milestone for Edamah as a strategic investor and developer in the kingdoms infrastructure. I would like to thank the Ministry of Health for being a supportive partner enabling us to progress according to schedule." CEO Amin Alarrayed said, We are proud of the progress of this community-centred project that reflects Edamah's commitment to delivering well-developed infrastructure. "This project will be meeting the demand for car parking in the Salmaniya Medical Complex by offering 600 car parks built on a 7,410-sq-m plot of land," he added.-TradeArabia News Service Inchcape Shipping Services (ISS) CEO Frank Olsen opens up on the challenges of Covid-19, the benefits of a global network, and a fundamental shift in the established ships agency marketplace. Change, he said, is coming. I havent spent this much time in Norway, without international travel, since I was at school, laughed ISS CEO Frank Olsen over a call on Microsoft Teams. With a career thats taken in seven years at sea, mostly on RoRos with Wallenius Wilhelmsen, living in Costa Rica (where he briefly captained a dive vessel), work in Dubai, for Wilhelmsen Ships Service, and most recently a regular commute from his home outside Oslo to the Inchcape HQ in London, being forced to stay in one place must have come as a shock to the system. Hows he coping? Well, its different, he said, as the sound of his three kids returning home from their newly reopened school filters into the background. But Im quite enjoying it in some respects. The pandemic has obviously created entirely new working routines, but our organisation has responded well and our IT infrastructure has proven to be very capable, as have our people. Theres been challenges, clearly, but overall Im satisfied with how its worked out. Whether my family are as happy with me being here is another matter, he joked. Youd have to ask them! The children in the background fall suspiciously silent Finding solutions Youd expect the challenges Olsen refers to to be severe. As a sprawling global organisation boasting over 240 offices, in 68 countries, covering around 2,500 ports, this ships agency giant relies on its expert local people (roughly 3,000 of them) and its customers regular ship movements. Business as usual allows the firm to provide a vast array of services, ranging from full cargo agency, to dry-docking, survey and inspection, crew logistics, financial management, and bunker calls all with the promise of standardised levels of service, transparency, value and complete global compliance. But, of course, theres been no business as usual. So, what impact has Olsen seen? The short answer is roughly a 20 per cent reduction in activity for the months of April and May, but we can see thats coming back now, he revealed. Some segments have ceased trading entirely cruise in particular, where we had to handle numerous challenging repatriation projects for passengers and crew whereas others are operating according to schedules. However, even those that are sailing obviously face restrictions, especially with crew changes and logistics. Thats an important service offer for us, so weve had to adapt quickly. Luckily, we have excellent people with boots on the ground in ports worldwide and they, almost regardless of individual lockdown restrictions, are regarded as key workers. The world needs ships to sail and were on hand to enable that, facilitating seamless, reliable and efficient port calls, and finding solutions for our customers. In these disrupted times thats arguably more important than ever, he said. Growth potential Although Olsen sees activity picking up again, hes quick to acknowledge that the macro-economic situation is challenging, leading to mid- to long-term issues for his industry. Analysts at Inchcape are forecasting a decline in seaborne trade in the region of 5-7 per cent, as the world recovers from Covid-19 and consumer spending suffers accordingly. However, despite the dark clouds overhead, the head of this 170-year old business sees a significant silver lining for his global big three ships agency. The market is still dominated by smaller agents catering for local ports, he said. Together they account for around 80 per cent of port calls. That demonstrates the enormous potential for growth and were very ambitious in that respect - looking to double our roughly 5 per cent share over the course of the next five years. As arguably the only pure play leading ships agency in the business were very confident thats achievable, he added. Olsen sees growth coming through potential acquisitions the company is financially strong, especially after divesting its freight forwarding division in 2018 and deleveraging debt but mainly through organic expansion, as more and more owners and operators see the benefits of choosing a global specialist. Benefits that, he said, have only been consolidated by the current pandemic. Global standards The harsh reality of the situation is that many companies in our industry are struggling financially, Olsen explained. So, if Im a shipowner being asked to prefund an agent with 80-100 per cent of upcoming port calls, how certain can I be that that money is safe? How do I know that business will still be operating when my ship sails into port? Thats where size and stability are comforting factors. You know theres no risk with Inchcape. But the benefits of size go far beyond mere survival. Inchcape is positioning itself as a long-term partner for owners and operators. Its global coverage and commitment to trust and transparency means that, in Olsens words: you know exactly what youre getting through standardised service (regardless of port location) and compliance with the most stringent global and local rules and regulations. So, for example, theres no danger of facilitation payments, suspect health and safety standards, non-accountable transactions, or anything less than optimal, proven value for money, amongst many other factors. You have one key account contact and they ensure excellent, reliable and predictable service worldwide, he stressed. Global operators should have global standards. With Inchcape you always have that peace of mind, no matter where, when and what the operations are. There are no local deviations. There certainly are in terms of the virus though. So, does Olsen not see that as a potential benefit of the smaller operations, perhaps? The fact that they know exactly whats going on in their home port? So do we, he said, leaning into the screen with a smile. Big picture benefits Inchcapes CEO acknowledges that owners may well get relevant information through local agents, but what they wont get is a bigger picture perspective. For example, an agent may advise that crew changes are no longer permitted in port, but will they have reliable, up to date information on which other ports allow them? Will they be able to advise on and facilitate services at alternative ports, both regionally and worldwide, if their own home base is under lockdown? Inchcape, of course, can. We are a single entity, with people and vetted third party suppliers and representatives almost everywhere, covering the world of ports, he stated. We can offer full, live and comprehensive updates on any and all restrictions, so owners can plan voyages both effectively and efficiently going through only one stakeholder as opposed to managing countless calls and emails with an army of local agents and suppliers. We make life safer, simpler and more profitable for our partners, full stop, he added. A world of difference Olsens world of ports phrasing is not accidental. This month sees Inchcape launch the latest iteration of its own World of Ports (WoP) a digital service giving owners and operators access to a wealth of unique information to ensure safe, compatible and efficient port calls, worldwide. WoP is built on proprietary data painstakingly gathered by ISS staff over the course of the last decade. Utilising a Google Maps interface, it gives users the ability to examine terminals right down to any individual berth, ensuring accurate details regarding parameters and restrictions, while integrated AIS feeds show exactly what is going on and where in terms of vessel movements for optimal arrivals and departure. Enriched port data including environmental information, details of facilities and operational notes is also included, with a client dashboard providing easy access, tailored information and vessel alerts. Its a constantly updated, single source solution where our customers can access information relating to over 4,600 ports, 15,000 terminals and 36,000 individual berths, Olsen stated. There really is nothing else quite like it, and it simply wouldnt be possible without our global network and dedicated local workforce. These people are essentially operating as our customers eyes, ears and intelligence on the ground, ensuring smooth operations and maximum business efficiency. We believe its going to be a gamechanger for the market a very tangible demonstration of the added value we can deliver, he said. Trusted partners Despite the benefits of digital technology, as shown through this Teams call, theres no replacement for the personal touch from expert people, and Olsen is keen to end the conversation on that note. Ships Agency is still a people business and relationships are important, he noted. Thats why, despite the obvious limitations of smaller local operations they still hold such a dominant market share. What we aim to show at Inchcape is that you can have all the benefits of dedicated local people, allied to a trusted global partner that can deliver real added value and competitive advantage. That extends across costs, governance, safety, intelligence, business efficiency, security and much, much more. The argument is that persuasive that we firmly believe a fundamental change is coming in terms of market division. In terms of changes for Olsen himself, the affable Inchcape CEO is looking forward to a return to some sort of normality with the scheduled reopening of the companys headquarters planned for September. Well see if the family let me leave though, they might miss me too much! The call ends to the happy sound of laughter. Whether its his or his childrens is open for debate--TradeArabia News Service The King Fahd Causeway connecting Saudi Arabia and Bahrain is likely reopen by the end of July, according to media reports. A meeting of the Bahrain Coordination Committee disclosed the possibility of reopening of the bridge on July 27, Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper reported quoting sources. The opening plans will include strict protocols to limit the spread of coronavirus, according to the report. The 25-km long causeway was closed on March 7 as part of the precautionary protocols to control the spread of the coronavirus (Covid-19). Meanwhile, the King Fahad Causeway Authority had earlier announced the implementation of a comprehensive development and improvement plan for both the Saudi and Bahraini sides. Work is ongoing to launch the first phase of an e-payment system for the causeway gates on both sides. The daily average number of travellers across the causeway is 75,000 passengers. In 2019, Bahrain welcomed 11 million visitors, the majority of them were from Saudi Arabia. TROY Rensselaer County Court Judge Debra Young returned to the bench Tuesday afternoon to preside over the first criminal case in the county courthouse since April 1 where all the participants were present in her second-floor courtroom instead connecting remotely. Young said it was good to be in person instead of juggling the electronic hookups. Its the closest to normal that the court has been since she presided over the last criminal trial believed to have been held in upstate. The case Tuesday was resolved with a plea by Naquan Ruiz, 30, to attempted second-degree assault to satisfy an indictment for second-degree assault and a pending assault case in Troy City Court. Ruiz admitted to attacking a 75-year-old woman at the Troy Waterfront Farmers Market at about 9:45 a.m. Oct. 12 on Broadway between Second and Third streets. Ruizs plea came in a courtroom that had been transformed to deal with social distancing required in handling the coronavirus pandemic. There was hand sanitizer for the judge, public, at the prosecutors table and on the defense table. Seating was limited and larger tables for the defense and prosecution had been installed. Everyone wore masks: judge, court reporter, court clerk, defendant, assistant district attorney, defense attorney, court officers, sheriffs deputies and the press. In return for his guilty plea, Ruiz will be sentenced July to 1 to 3 years to be served after he completes a prison sentence of two to four years for a prior conviction. He had been on parole at the time of the assault in Troy. Assistant District Attorney Cheryl McDermott and defense attorney Arthur Frost said they also glad to be back in court in person. Young presided over the countys last criminal case before the courts shut down due to the coronavirus pandemic. In what was believed to be the last criminal trial in upstate, Young declared a mistrial on April 1 in the quadruple-murder trial of James White. Weighing the status of an ill juror and other jurors' concerns over the coronavirus pandemic, Young declared the mistrial that will result in another trial for White on murder charges that he brutally stabbed to death two adults and two children in a Lansingburgh apartment on Dec. 21, 2017. Its anticipated the retrial could happen this fall. ALBANY Opponents of recent modifications that were made to the states bail laws on Wednesday blasted police unions for making campaign contributions to elected officials, which the advocates contend may have influenced lawmakers decision to roll back some of the changes intended to limit the number of people incarcerated before trial. A report released by Citizen Action and the Center for Community Alternatives this week criticized the lawmakers who received the donations from law enforcement interests and called for overturning the changes to bail-reforms laws that will take effect Thursday. The group also called for campaign finance reform, expanded voting rights and diverting funding from police agencies to communities. Were sharing the story of what actually happened here and making it clear that the rollback did not happen because the law was not working. It did not happen because people were in danger. It happened because of politics, said Stanley Fritz, political director for Citizen Action. The report also emphasizes the influence money has on politics. Campaign finance reform needs to move forward. The report, titled Sending New Yorkers to Jail, detailed how political contributions can influence an elected officials position on legislation, but emphasized that they are not the sole influencer. Legislators who voted to subject more New Yorkers to money bail and pretrial jailing did so for a variety of reasons, including individual-level or caucus-level political calculations, the report states. However, the power of law enforcement unions undeniably played a role in shaping the political landscape that allowed for the passage of bail reform rollbacks. A spokesman for Sen. Anna Kaplan, who was one of six Long Island legislators called out for the campaign contributions they received, said the Nassau County Democrat is not influenced by money. No contribution of any size influences any government decision or action under any circumstances, and Sen. Kaplan believes that anyone who is influenced by one isn't worthy of their office, and deserves to be removed, said Kaplans spokesman Sean Ross Collins. Law enforcement officials and police union leaders blasted the bail reforms when they were first passed last year and continued their pushback with renewed force when they took effect Jan. 1. Republican state legislators held several news conferences calling for changes - from amendments to a full repeal. Democrats also conceded the need for changes to address unintended consequences from the reforms. The original reforms did not allow judges to detain or set bail for defendants charged with most misdemeanors and non-violent felonies, as well as second-degree residential burglary and second-degree robbery. Judges were to impose non-monetary restrictions including supervision with a GPS monitor. The elimination of bail which is viewed by many advocates as a way of criminalizing poverty was intended to ensured people who couldnt afford bail werent left behind bars as their cases languished in the courts. However, opponents argued some of the charges not eligible for bail are violent enough that they should be included and judges should be given more discretion on the matter. The changes to bail reform were passed in the state budget in April, adding several offenses that will enable a judge to set bail or order a defendant jailed pending trail, including: crimes that result in someone's death, repeat offenses, first-degree drug possession, bail jumping, vehicular assault and second-degree burglary, among others. Criminal justice reformers see the changes as a rollback and said they fear increases in pretrial incarceration will result. Citizen Action and others are calling on Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo to use his executive authority to suspend changes to bail reform and move forward with campaign finance reform to end big money in politics. The report called out state lawmakers in Long Island, and also the governor and Senate and Assembly leaders for specific contributions they received. It also noted lawmakers who have committed to donating all or part of those campaign contributions to community-based organizations. A spokesman for Sen. Todd Kaminsky, D-Long Island, dismissed the criticism, pointing out that as a former federal prosecutor Kaminsky prosecuted allegedly corrupt law enforcement officers and held people in power accountable. Sen. Kaminsky voted for historic policing reforms in Albany including the repeal of 50-a, a ban on chokeholds, and the establishment of the law enforcement misconduct office as well as common sense bail reform that keeps dangerous criminals off our streets while ensuring that people charged with lesser crimes dont sit in jail unnecessarily, Kaminskys spokesman Steve Smirti said. Sen. Kaminsky is beholden to no one and will always act with the best interest of his constituents in mind. Jason Conwall, a spokesman for Cuomo, said: "No contribution of any size has any impact on a government action, period and it is irresponsible for this group to suggest otherwise, as it has no basis in fact. The governor has long advocated for bail reform, including eliminating all cash bail, and were proud of the historic reforms weve enacted, which have created a fairer criminal justice system for New Yorkers." Mike Murphy, a spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, said the report is not based in reality. The same senators that these groups are attacking were the ones who unanimously voted for the strongest police reforms in the nation, he said. I understand the need for activists to advocate, but distorting the facts doesn't help anyones cause. Citizen Action officials stressed reforms cannot be made piecemeal, or with the expectation that if one aspect is adjusted all problems will be solved. Fritz contends there is a need to dismantle what he said is systemic racism in the criminal justice sector by making reforms on multiple levels. The fact of the matter is, we give credit for (the police reforms), but why did it take so long? Fritz said, adding that other legislation, including ending solitary confinement and instituting elder parole, continues to languish. What is actually stopping them from passing those things right now? SARATOGA SPRINGS - Saratoga Springs Police Chief Shane Crooks and the city's Public Safety Commissioner Robin Dalton will host a series of monthly discussions to address issues surrounding race and policing. The first one will be held at 5 p.m. Wednesday, July 8. The will be held via Zoom. The link will be published on the city's website the day of the event. Distinguished fellow panelists, representatives of member states, colleagues, ladies and gentlemen. Allow me to begin by thanking our keynote speaker, Professor Anita Ramasastry, for her inspiring analysis of the past, present and future of business and human rights. I would also like to thank our discussants, Ms. Sekhar and Dr. Macassar, for their reflections on the need to make the Business and Human Rights agenda a common one, for Governments, Businesses and Civil Society. The importance of responsible business practices has been heightened by the devastating consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. Recent estimates are that, up to 100 million people could be pushed globally into extreme poverty, and that 195 million people could lose their jobs. While some businesses have acted responsibly, ensuring that their workers salaries are paid and labour rights respected, others have resorted to cost-cutting, de-prioritizing respect for human rights standards in trying to protect their bottom line. Even more disconcertingly, the COVID-19 crisis may yet prove to be a dress rehearsal for the risks and negative impacts that may be wrought by climate-induced disasters that are on the horizon. History has shown that a crisis can profoundly shift thinking about how economies are governed. If policy makers and investors, activists and entrepeneurs across the globe join forces to stop the reversal and push forward, we have reason for hope. To counter the pandemic and its attendant effects, UNDP mobilized its efforts to help Building Back Better, with its Integrated COVID-19 Response Offer: Beyond recovery towards 2030. Our network of 170 Country Offices will serve UNDPs role as UN technical lead in the Social Ecocnomic Recovery effort with 4 areas in focus: governance, social protection, green economy, and digital disruption. Progress on each of these work streams will rely heavily on a proactive role to be played by business actors. Now more than ever, forward-looking investors and companies recognise that business cannot sit idly on the sidelines as governments and civil society alone grapple with how to assist vulnerable people in times of the crisis. Many corporations have already risen to the occasion, preparing hotels for medical use, switching manufacturing to masks and other PPE, and donating to public responses. However, businesses are called to move beyond corporate social responsibility to ensure human rights are respected in their labour force, avoid negative impact on the rights of their consumers, and in the communities where they operate. This message has consistently been conveyed by the UN since the adoption of the 2030 Agenda that recognized the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights as one of its means of implementation; indeed, it has been reiterated when we embarked on the SDG Decade of Action. The launch of the Global Initiative UNDP has been supporting Responsible Business practices since 2016 when we started a regional program on Business and Human rights in Asia. I am very pleased to announce today a scaling up of our operations in this sector with the launch of a Global Initiative on Business and Human Rights, as an integral part of our Rule of Law and Human Rights program. The Global Initiative on Business and Human Rights will build on the expertise, partnerships, and methodologies generated through our work in Asia and be informed by extensive baseline research work already conducted in other regions. Operationalized in incremental phases over the next 18 months, our support to the implementation of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights is designed to impact on four major fronts: First, it will support governments in developing and implementing National Action Plans on Business and Human Rights. UNDP has been engaged in supporting 6 such processes in Asia, and it will broaden these efforts to Member States in all of our other regions: Africa, Europe and Central Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, and Arab States. Second, UNDP will aim to strengthen access to justice and access to adequate remedies for victims of business-related human rights abuses. In doing so, UNDP will build on its existing support to National Human Rights Institutions under the Tri-Partite Partnership, while deepening its engagement with civil society groups, judiciaries and bar associations. Third, UNDP will provide advice to corporations on how to assess and address human rights risks in their supply chains. This is particularly pressing in light of the devastating impact that Covid-19 has had on workers, communities and vulnerable groups; it is for this reason that UNDP has already developed a tool, called the Human Rights Due Diligence Rapid Self-Assessment for Companies, which helps businesses manage the human rights impacts of their operations during and after the pandemic. This is translated into 9 languages. Fourth, UNDP will continue to provide opportunities for peer-learning for government officials, businesses, National Human Rights Institutions, civil society groups and others. The latest such opportunity was at the Responsible Business and Human Rights Forum for Asia Pacific, organised, online, earlier in June by UNDP. These forums have proved to be invaluable, in exchanging key information, in allowing groups to learn from each other and to strategise together on tackling abuses by businesses, particularly as they are frequently transnational in character. Other partnerships and the Global Initiative In implementing the Global Initiative, UNDP will deepen its existing partnerships with key actors in the business and human rights sphere. Foremost among these, is the UN Working Group on Business and Human Rights. We have had a very successful partnership to date for which I would like to thank Anita and the other Working Group members; our collaboration will expand in the coming 12 months. In the context of the project on the next decade of implementation of the UNGPs to which Prof Ramasastry made reference in her keynote speech, we will jointly host regional consultations, which will guide the development of the Roadmap on Business and Human Rights. UNDPs network, which counts five regional offices and 170 country offices, will be used to ensure all relevant stakeholders, including representatives of vulnerable and marginalised groups, such as indigenous peoples and migrant workers, are consulted globally on the way forward for the next 10 years. UNDP is embarking on this global initiative counting on strong partnerships with other notable partners, including OHCHR, ILO, UNWOMEN and UNICEF, and OECD. Concerted action and policy coherence in the field of responsible business and human rights will be a common objective. Finally, I would also like to take this opportunity to express our gratitude to the Government of Sweden, the European Union and the Federal Republic of Germany for their support to our business and human rights work so far, particularly in Asia. We hope to be able to expand these partnerships worldwide, convene and support this growing community of like-minded actors, that are convinced that more sustainable business trajectories are possible. I hope youll share our enthusiasm for the opportunity to turn this moment of great reversal of human development into an historic leap forward, with the Sustainable Development Goals as our compass. Thank you for your attention. WASHINGTON For months, Rep. Elise Stefanik and eight other Republicans on the House Intelligence Committee have skipped all but one of the committee's hearings, sessions that have covered national security matters such as the coronavirus pandemic, online foreign influence campaigns and more. On Wednesday, Stefanik and GOP members were absent again this time for a virtual discussion of U.S.-China relations. Congressional transcripts show that Stefanik, R-Schuylerville, was also not present at the committee two previous hearings, on June 15 and 18, which were convened using the online meeting platform Web-Ex. Stefanik blamed the committee's chair, Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., for organizing virtual meetings that were insufficiently secure. She dismissed the hearings as "public spectacles." "The House Intelligence Committee handles our nations most sensitive secrets it is basic common sense that we should not be conducting our business in an unsecured manner over the Internet," Stefanik said in a written statement Wednesday. "Foreign intelligence services may be able to glean useful information from public hearings and for that reason, the Committee has traditionally minimized the number of public hearings." The committee has held at least seven bipartisan hearings and roundtables, both open- and closed-door, since March, Politico reported. The only session that GOP members attended was a roundtable on April 28 with then-Rep. John Ratcliffe of Texas, a week before the Senate hearing on his nomination to be President Donald J. Trumps director of national intelligence. Without reason our justification, our Republican colleagues have decided to absent themselves, Schiff said at Wednesday's hearing. The American people expect that Congress will continue to doing its job. That means showing up. Stefanik alleged that Schiff and Democrats on the committee "have a record of leaking classified information and their choice to conduct hearings online without adequate cyber protections puts our national security at risk." House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., said Wednesday the committee should not be conducting work over the internet and "The unusually high number of public hearings under Adam Schiff's chairmanship is at best an unnecessary distraction from the Committee's core oversight work, which is best conducted in classified settings, and at worst puts U.S. national security at risk." But GOP absenteeism from the committee started before the pandemic moved some business online. In February, Stefanik joined other Republicans as they bailed on a public committee hearing led by Rep. Jim Himes, D-Conn., on emerging technology and national security. That hearing was the first public committee gathering since the House Intelligence Committee was the stage for Trump's impeachment inquiry hearings in the fall of 2019. Stefanik and the other GOP members said in a letter at the time that they were not attending the hearing due to their objections to the committees impeachment investigation and apparent lack of response to a report detailing abuses in the governments secret surveillance processes. One GOP committee member, Rep. Chris Stewart of Utah, told the Albany Times Union at the time that Republicans might sit out House Intelligence hearings in the future until they get a desired hearing on reported abuses of the Federal Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). Neither Stewart nor ranking member Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Calif., responded to questions Tuesday about whether Republicans were continuing their boycott for FISA-related reasons. Like Stefanik, Stewart and other Republicans told Politico they now had objections to the online format and concerns that sensitive information was being discussed. "They're trying to save face by saying they have security concerns, but we know that's not true because they entirely boycotted my open hearing, and the Intelligence Committee does open hearings all the time," Himes said. "We, as a matter of course, know how to behave differently in an unclassified context. They're trying to save face because they've gotten called out on their hissy fit." Stefanik did attend a briefing at the White House Monday with other House Republicans regarding serious allegations that Russia offered bounties to the Taliban to kill U.S. troops, as reported by multiple news outlets. She also attends other classified briefings on intelligence matters, her staff said. "Not only is Elise Stefanik absent from the job, but shes also refusing to stand up for the lives of American troops," Stefanik's Democratic challenger Tedra Cobb claimed. "If Stefanik cant be counted on to represent the best interest of soldiers at Fort Drum, her time in Congress must come to an end. Stefanik swatted back saying she supports "in-person and secure intelligence briefings" to protect intelligence officers and troops. McCarthy also applauded Stefanik's work on military and national security issues. WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump on Wednesday said painting "Black Lives Matter" on New York's Fifth Avenue would be "a symbol of hate" and wind up "denigrating" the street outside Trump Tower, as he ratcheted up objections to a plan that he suggested the city's police could stop. Trump's comments, in morning tweets, were his latest volley directed at New York Mayor Bill de Blasio, D, who last week ordered that the tribute to the Black Lives Matter movement be painted in large yellow letters in a move designed in part to antagonize the president. De Blasio responded to Trump's tweets Wednesday by calling them "the definition of racism." Trump's tweets were also the second time in as many weeks that he has lashed out at the Black Lives Matter movement as polls show a majority of Americans disapproving of his response to the nationwide protests that emerged after the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany later defended Trump's tweet, claiming that he was referring to the Black Lives Matter organization, not the cause. "All black lives do matter," she said. "He agrees with that sentiment." She pointed to remarks made by a man who describes himself as the president of the Greater New York Black Lives Matter chapter - "If this country doesn't give us what we want, then we will burn down this system and replace it" - to justify Trump calling the organization a "symbol of hate." But the man, Hawk Newsome, whom Trump accused of treason last week, has no relationship with the official organization despite using the name for his own group. "Only BLM chapters who adhere to BLM's principles and code of ethics are permitted to use the BLM name, said Kailee Scales, managing director of Black Lives Matter Global Network. "The reason for this is simple: unaffiliated uses of BLM's name are confusing to people who may wrongly associate the unsanctioned group and its views and actions with BLM." The movement against racial profiling and police violence has played a prominent role in demonstrations for which Trump has expressed disdain, despite his claims that he supports peaceful protests. In his tweets, Trump decried a move by New York officials to shift about $1 billion from the city's police budget in a bid to respond to calls to "defund the police" that resonated following the recent deaths of Floyd and other African Americans in police custody. "NYC is cutting Police $'s by ONE BILLION DOLLARS, and yet the @NYCMayor is going to paint a big, expensive, yellow Black Lives Matter sign on Fifth Avenue, denigrating this luxury Avenue," Trump tweeted. "This will further antagonize New York's Finest, who LOVE New York. . . . Maybe our GREAT Police, who have been neutralized and scorned by a mayor who hates & disrespects them, won't let this symbol of hate be affixed to New York's greatest street. Spend this money fighting crime instead!" De Blasio responded on Twitter less than two hours later, writing that Trump does not understand that "Black people BUILT 5th Ave and so much of this nation" and highlighting that the tribute to the movement would be painted near Trump Tower, which houses Trump's company and one of his homes. "Your 'luxury' came from THEIR labor, for which they have never been justly compensated," de Blasio said. "We are honoring them. The fact that you see it as denigrating your street is the definition of racism." De Blasio also took issue with Trump's appeal to New York police, noting that "NY's Finest are now a majority people of color." "They already know Black Lives Matter," de Blasio said. "There is no 'symbol of hate' here. Just a commitment to truth. Only in your mind could an affirmation of people's value be a scary thing." Trump also sought to sow division between de Blasio and the city's police force last week in a tweet that objected to the planned painting of "Black Lives Matter" between 56th and 57th streets in New York. Plans for the New York tribute to Black Lives Matter follows a move last month by Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser, D, to rename a street in front of the White House "Black Lives Matter Plaza" and paint the slogan in massive yellow letters. Last week, in explaining de Blasio's decision to paint the tribute to the movement outside Trump Tower, a de Blasio spokeswoman pointed to Trump. "The president is a disgrace to the values we cherish in New York City," spokeswoman Julia Arredondo said in a statement last Thursday. "He can't run or deny the reality we are facing, and any time he wants to set foot in the place he claims is his hometown, he should be reminded Black Lives Matter." THE ISSUE: A federal judge finds that Gov. Andrew Cuomo's coronavirus restrictions discriminated against religious gatherings. THE STAKES: In exercising their First Amendment rights, religious groups must behave responsibly. --- It was a victory for religious freedom and the First Amendment when U.S. District Judge Gary Sharpe ruled last week that coronavirus restrictions imposed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo discriminated against religious services. It now falls to religious groups to use the right that's been reaffirmed responsibly, and not add to the misery New York has endured these past few months. Judge Sharpe's order came in response to a lawsuit filed by two North Country Catholic priests and three Jewish congregants from Brooklyn who sought to block New York City and the state from enforcing some restrictions on their religious gatherings. The suit was filed against Mr. Cuomo, New York Mayor Bill de Blasio and Attorney General Letitia James. Judge Sharpe found New York's pandemic restrictions during the phases of reopening are a tangle of arbitrary contradictions unfair to religion. For example, the state has been allowing outdoor graduation ceremonies of up to 150 people, so long as they abide by social distancing guidelines, and letting restaurants and stores in some areas operate at half capacity. But Mr. Cuomo's executive orders have not granted churches such leeway. He limited outdoor religious gatherings, including funerals and weddings, to just 25 people, and restricted indoor capacity at houses of worship to 25 percent. Judge Sharpe found the rules discriminatory and unconstitutional. It was an appropriate ruling, and almost inevitable. Events such as graduations are important ceremonies. Restaurants and stores are obviously important to the economy. But neither has constitutional protection. If anything, the state should have granted religious services more latitude, not less. As Judge Sharpe noted, there is no evidence that a person attending an outdoor graduation is less likely to spread the virus than someone attending an outdoor religious event if both observe social distancing. His order mandated both events be held to the same standards. He also noted that Mr. Cuomo and Mr. de Blasio spoke favorably of the Black Lives Matter protests, even though the events clearly violated the state's own pandemic restrictions. By doing so, the governor and mayor signaled the mass protests were First Amendment expressions worthy of "preferential treatment," yet denied the same privilege to constitutionally protected religion, the judge wrote. But here is what the ruling does not say: that religious groups may disregard pandemic-related limits imposed by Mr. Cuomo. The judge stressed that the governor has the authority to impose restrictions in the name of public safety; the court, he noted, cannot second-guess such hard calls officials make in troubled times. Even during an emergency, there's no excuse for disregarding a right as fundamental as religious freedom. Nor should those eager to exercise that right endanger others by behaving irresponsibly. When I was in graduate school in Charlottesville, Va., I was the only white woman on the bus from my apartment to the university "Mr. Jefferson's Academical Village" as it was known. When I was in graduate school in Charlottesville, the brass doorknobs and doorplates were kept polished and the coffee bars at the university kept staffed by African American people in uniforms. When I was in graduate school in Charlottesville, I dated briefly a white medical student who told me that when his grandmother tried pizza for the first time, she and her maid ate it in separate rooms Grandmama in the dining room, the maid in the kitchen. "It would have made her uncomfortable to sit at table with my grandmother," he explained. When I was in graduate school in Charlottesville, we called all our professors "Mr." Because that was Mr. Jefferson's preferred form of address. So it was the highest form of address. I served as research assistant and teaching assistant for some of my professors and yes, some of them became first names for me Alan, Charles, Michael and John, none of them originally Southerners while others retained the formal separation of a title. Acculturated respect for tradition was hard to miss in the 1980s in Charlottesville. A famous anonymous quote found on mugs and posters and cocktail napkins in tourist shops says: "To be a Virginian either by Birth, Marriage, Adoption, or even on one's Mother's side, is an Introduction to any State in the Union, a Passport to any Foreign Country, and a Benediction from Above." Since between 1790 and 1860, Virginia had the largest slave population in the country hundreds of thousands of them, and none of them considered citizens that folksy bit of hubris falls pretty damn flat. Acculturated racism was hard to miss in Charlottesville, too. Gen. Robert E. Lee was a Mr., too. Mr. Lee. Lee Park, in downtown Charlottesville right near my apartment, was where the statue of Mr. Lee astride his horse Traveller was dedicated in 1924. In 1997, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Just a few blocks away in Court Square Park is a companion statue of Stonewall Jackson, Civil War general, slave holder and Sunday school teacher to the children of slaves whose wife avowed that Jackson thought it "important and useful to put the strong hand of the Gospel under the ignorant African race to lift them up." You've probably heard about these statues and the controversy surrounding them. It's gone back and forth take them down, or not? But the statues remain standing. Turns out acculturated tradition and acculturated racism are even harder to get rid of than bronze statues. Here's the sneaky thing about history: You think you know something. Then you realize that you don't. Not the whole story. Not all the important tidbits. Scratch hard at what "tradition" means and you get information that you didn't know and maybe didn't want to know. Because history is full, very full, of cruel secrets. So you've got a choice. There are two ways to respond to the hidden secrets of history. You can say, "Oh, I don't wish to learn anything more. Learning is boring." You'd be a jerk to say that. But that's your choice. The other is to say, "Wait! What?" And keep on learning. Obviously, you can see my bias here. I just happen to think smart is sexy. And responsible. Those social ills and -isms that shatter the myth of social cohesiveness, equal opportunity and liberty and justice for all peel back the lid on the cruel secrets that need to be brought to light and learned from. A white, patriarchal, heteronormative, imagined view of the world was never an accurate one, not in any culture and not in any time. The only way to learn to see the world as a world and not a picture postcard is to be willing and maybe even eager to learn to see the whole world. Jo Page is a writer and Lutheran minister. Her email is jopage34@yahoo.com. Her website is at https://www.jograepage.com. These days hearing someone cough or sneeze in public can cause instant anxiety if youre nearby, especially in closed spaces. But how often do you think of the other major route for COVID-19 the simple act of talking to another person? Droplets spewed during speech are believed to be the key transmission vector for COVID-19 for asymptomatic and presymptomatic patients, says research scientist Jeremy P. Howard, co-founder of fast.ai, which promotes deep learning via artificial intelligence. Asymptomatic infections may account for 40-45 percent of all COVID-19 cases, according to a new Scripps Research Institute analysis published this month in the Annals of Internal Medicine. An additional percentage of cases, yet unknown, involve presymptomatic patients. "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. So to protect others, we think that wearing a mask makes a lot of sense," Scripps Research behavioral scientist Daniel Oran told Science News. COVID-19 results in viral shedding in the upper respiratory tract, where droplets can form. Every time people speak, they spray a cloud of droplets that vary widely in size. Large droplets fall quickly to the ground, but small ones can dehydrate and linger as droplet nuclei in the air, behaving like an aerosol, according to a National Institutes of Health and University of Pennsylvania study published last month in the New England Journal of Medicine. The researchers measured droplets generated on a laser light sheet by a person speaking into a cardboard box. Video clips (see the tweet) showed a dramatic difference between speech with and without a cloth cover over the mouth. Young people infected at bars, clubs, parties and other indoor gatherings may not get seriously ill, but they can spread the virus to parents, grandparents and other vulnerable people. Systems biologist Dr. David States noted on Twitter that deaths of older family members infected by young people in the recent spike of cases in Texas, Arizona, Florida, California and other, mostly Southern, states wont show up in statistics for a month or more. At a press conference Monday in Columbus, Ohio, Republican Gov. Mike DeWine who has rejected the anti-mask arguments of the right held up a face covering for viewers to see. If we want to be able to go out and live our lives, this mask is a symbol of freedom, he said. Its a symbol of freedom because if you wear these, if we get 75-80 percent of the people who are out in public who are wearing this mask, we are going to see these numbers get better. Studies back him up. Modeling presented by Cambridge and Greenwich university scientists in Proceedings of the Royal Society indicated that 100% face mask use seriously diminishes disease spread. Wearing masks could also shore up the struggling economy, research shows. A new study from Goldman Sachs suggests a national mask mandate would slow the growth rate of new coronavirus infections and prevent a 5% GDP loss caused by additional lockdown measures, Forbes reported Monday. Hong Kong, a metropolitan area and special administrative region of 7.5 million, has had just six confirmed COVID-19 deaths since the beginning of the pandemic. The key to the Hong Kongs success is nearly universal mask compliance (97%) in the early morning rush hour, according to Hong Kong University Prof. Yuen Kwok-yung, one of the world's top coronavirus experts. Yuen said the 3% of people who dont wear masks are mainly Americans and Europeans. MORE CORONAVIRUS COVERAGE: Sign up for 'The Daily' newsletter for the latest on coronavirus here. Mike Moffitt is an SFGATE Reporter. Email: moffitt@sfgate.com. Twitter: @Mike_at_SFGate Farmington, WV (26555) Today Thunderstorms. A few storms may be severe. High near 85F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 100%.. Tonight Showers and thundershowers this evening, then cloudy with rain likely overnight. Low near 60F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Healthy Meal Delivery Service Mindful Chef Adopts Vonage Contact Center If you ask most Americans about their plans to make positive changes in their lives, theyll probably reveal a promise to eat better. The science is in, and eating more lean meats and fish, vegetables and whole grains is one of the best ways to stay healthy. Unfortunately, its also more time consuming than heating up a frozen entree. This reality has led to an explosion in companies that provide tired, stressed out Americans with fresh, healthy components for easier meal planning. Healthy recipe box company Mindful Chef is one of those companies. Each week, the company, which was founded in the UK by nutritional experts, delivers healthful ingredients and recipes to thousands of households. Since its launch in 2015, the company has shipped over 10,000,000 ingredients from small farms across the UK to consumers looking to improve the way they eat. Today, Mindful Chef has more than 123,000 customers it saw significant increases in its customers base as a result of the COVID-19 epidemic -- and it recently sought a new way to interact with them. "We've experienced incredible growth in recent months as consumers have become increasingly dependent on food delivery services and this has presented us with the unique challenge of how to quickly scale amidst a national lockdown. Having such a small team still working both Nationally and Internationally it's important to be able to maintain the same personable and prompt support to all of our customers and prospect customers," said Siobhan Taylor, Head of Customer Service at Mindful Chef. The company chose Vonage Contact Center as a flexible and scalable cloud communications platform that customer service agents could use from their homes. Vonage Contact Center integrates all communications channels without expensive, disruptive hardware changes and plugs straight into a business's CRM platform. This enabled Mindful Chef to better handle the increased volume of customer requests and minimize wait times. All advisors log into the same system wherever they are and Vonage's real-time dashboards will provide a wealth of real-time and historical data within Mindful Chef's reporting solution. The implementation of Vonage Contact Center, said Taylor, has enabled the Mindful Chef customer support team to deliver great customer experiences now and going forward in the future. Please enable JavaScript to view the Edited by Maurice Nagle Contact Center Company CP360 Opens New CX Center in Greece Contact Point 360, a 12-year-old contact center outsourcer headquartered in Toronto, owns and operates six contact centers across three continents, employing more than 1000 agents and associates. With existing facilities in Canada, Colombia, the USA, and the UAE, the company has added to its contact center spread: a new customer experience center and technology solutions facility, including a 500-seat contact center and CX technology lab, in Athens, Greece. The new campus will deliver end-to-end customer experience technology solutions to the European marketplace and provide omnichannel contact center services. Contact Point 360 prides itself on its ability to aggregate a wide array of talent and expertise within one organization. In this way, it says it can help drive efficiency, enable cost savings, and align communications between groups working at all points with the customer interaction ecosystem. Having a single group with a problem-solving ethos and an agile mindset is a very efficient way to produce results and reduce miscommunication, according to the company. In addition to providing call center services, the company runs in-house software development to create solutions for all areas of business that involve customer interaction. Greece is considered an ideal investment location in Europe, as it was hit hard by the 2008 global economic recession and is hungry for new business investment. "We are pleased to bring our new vision of customer experience support to the European Continent," said Asad Mirza, President and CEO of ContactPoint 360, in a statement. "Athens is a world-class city and historical treasure. We believe Athens is the perfect location for our new European site as we are an hour by air to three continents and three hours by air from all major European Cites. The economy has been recovering since the 2008 crisis, and international debt relief has been extended over the next 10 years. We believe this is the time to invest in Greece due to key geopolitical factors and global financial forecasting. CP360 has expanded our ability to offer the highest quality of CX support, delivering strong ROI for clients on the continent," said Mirza. Edited by Maurice Nagle June 30, 2020 The Page has moved to: [July 01, 2020] Airbnb Launches Online Cooking Experiences in Singapore Supporting Local F&B Industry's Recovery Airbnb's Online Experiences empowers Singapore's local F&B industry by providing an alternative revenue stream and an opportunity to reach a global audience The launch of Online Cooking Experiences celebrates Singapore's diverse culinary landscape w ith Chef Malcolm Lee of Candlenut, the world's first Michelin-starred Peranakan restaurant, a long with other leading F&B outlets Chef Malcolm joins other award-winning chefs offering Online Experiences globally, such as David Chang , Marc Favier , Christina Bowerman and more Online Experiences have quickly evolved to become one of guests' favorite ways to 'travel the world' virtually, with bookings in Singapore , growing by almost 700% since launch SINGAPORE, July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Get ready to embark on a virtual foodie adventure and whip up a gastronomic storm in your own kitchen as Airbnb unveils a new curated collection of Online Cooking Experiences in Singapore. The Online Cooking Experiences in Singapore are an avenue to empower Singapore's local F&B industry by providing an alternative revenue stream and an opportunity to reach a global audience. This initiative, which is a step in the right direction to help the industry bounce back from the COVID-19 pandemic, is supported by the Singapore Tourism Board, a champion of Singapore's homegrown culinary talent and the country's vibrant dining culture. The collection of Online Cooking Experiences celebrates Singapore's diverse culinary landscape with Secrets of a Michelin-starred Chef , an Online Experience hosted by Chef Malcolm Lee of Candlenut, the world's first Michelin-starred Peranakan restaurant, along with Online Experiences from other leading F&B outlets such as Cheek ( Flavors from Down Under with Chef Rishi ), IBHQ ( Cocktail Cabinet aka Mix it like a Pro ) as well as Jekyll & Hyde (Classic Cocktails w/a Touch of Singapore). "Connecting with people through food is my passion as a chef, so I am delighted to have the opportunity to share my passion with a global audience through Airbnb Online Experiences," said Chef Malcolm Lee. "I am looking forward to giving guests from all over the world the chance to discover and learn more about Singapore's famed food culture and Peranakan cuisine in the comfort of their own homes." Chef Malcolm Lee joins other award-winning chefs around the world offering a new curated collection of Online Cooking Experiences, including David Chang (of Momofuku Restaurant Group), Marc Favier (Marcore in Paris, France), Christina Bowerman (of Glass Hostaria in Rome, Italy) and more, who are set to provide guests with a sneak peek behind the counter with their unique recipes and techniques. The global Online Cooking Experiences collection also features a diverse array of culinary experiences hosted by Take A Chef . "Airbnb Online Experiences have quickly evolved to be one of our guests' favorite ways to 'travel the world' virtually," said Parin Mehta, Director (Asia-Pacific), Airbnb Experiences. "With the launch of Online Cooking Experiences in Singapore, we are looking forward not only to connect top chefs with our global community of guests, but also to showcase the best of Singapore's culinary culture to the world and support the recovery of our F&B industry post COVID-19." Ms Ranita Sundra, Director, Retail and Dining, STB, said, "In the face of adversity, our F&B industry has shown that it is innovative, adaptable and willing to try out new business formats. The Online Cooking Experiences in Singapore is an example of a new platform that F&B establishments can leverage to showcase their culinary creations to the world and raise the global profile of Singapore's dynamic F&B scene. It is also an opportunity for the industry to connect with customers in fresh ways, as well as diversify their business models." Since launching Airbnb Online Experiences in April 2020, bookings in Singapore have grown by almost 700%[1], and Food & Drink has been its most popular category globally and across Asia-Pacific. Guests can now gain unique access to Michelin-starred and top-rated chefs from their very own kitchen. Other Online Cooking Experiences launching today include: Guests can view the full roster of Online Cooking Experiences and book here. For those interested in hosting an Online Experience, learn more here. [1] Based on internal Airbnb Experiences booking data as of May 2020. About Airbnb Airbnb is one of the world's largest marketplaces for unique, authentic places to stay and things to do, offering over 7 million accommodations and 40,000 handcrafted activities, all powered by local hosts. An economic empowerment engine, Airbnb has helped millions of hospitality entrepreneurs monetize their spaces and their passions while keeping the financial benefits of tourism in their own communities. With more than half a billion guest arrivals to date, and accessible in 62 languages across 220+ countries and regions, Airbnb promotes people-to-people connection, community and trust around the world. https://news.airbnb.com Newsroom Post: https://news.airbnb.com/en-ap/airbnb-launches-online-cooking-experiences-in-singapore/ Press Kit: https://airbnb.box.com/s/ilc7f9ocog9ra8s6mlxbdu3qndq6x5x0 Photo - https://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20200626/2842370-1 SOURCE Airbnb [July 01, 2020] Canada's telecom workers urge Bell to bring the work home OTTAWA, July 1, 2020 /CNW/ - On this Canada Day, Unifor demands that Bell follow the example set by Rogers, and bring all offshore customer service work back to Canada permanently. "Yesterday's announcement by Rogers along with our experience with Bell during the past several months has shown that Canada's telecom workers are able not only to step in and do the work, but can provide better and more reliable service to customers in Canada," said Jerry Dias, Unifor National President. "This crisis has caused many Canadians to rethink their priorities, and I urge Bell Canada leadership to do the same today. Bring the work home, and help rebuild our economy that better supports workers in Canada." Unifor commends Roger's decision yesterday to bring all remaining customer service jobs back to Canada, and set a path that others should follow. At Bell, work was brought home on a temporary basis during the pandemic as a result of low wage call centres in the Philippines, India, and Tunisia that were forced to close, while workers in Canada stepped up to do work here. Bell and BTS technicians quickly retrained to handle the massive increase in customer support calls and they continue to provide service to customers today. "After COVID-19, Canadian companies will have to help rebuild our capacity to not only manufacture in Canada, but fix the damage that's been done to telecom and customer service by decades of outsourcing," said Renaud Gagne, Unifor Quebec Director. "Unifor members have fought back against years of decline in the industry and it's time for Bell to refocus on workers in Canada and stop the race to the bottom." On June 24, Unifor released its Road Map for a Fair, Inclusive and Resilient Economic Recovery. Our bold plan focuses on five key economic areas to not only rebuild the economy, but also to support Canada's workers. Employees of Bell Canada and Bell subsidiaries have long campaigned against contracting out and other forms of job erosion and will continue to do so. For current updates about this campaign, visit bellrealtalk.ca. Unifor is Canada's largest union in the private sector, representing 315,000 workers in every major area of the economy. The union advocates for all working people and their rights, fights for equality and social justice in Canada and abroad, and strives to create progressive change for a better future. SOURCE Unifor [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [July 01, 2020] Freshfields Opens Silicon Valley Office Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP today announced that it will be opening a new office in Silicon Valley with seven founding partners. Leading corporate lawyers Sarah Solum, John Fisher and Maj Vaseghi, together with litigators Boris Feldman and Doru Gavril, will join as new partners. They will launch the office with U.S. capital markets partner Pamela Marcogliese and antitrust partner Alan Ryan, who will return to the U.S. from his current base in Brussels. This group brings market-leading expertise in corporate and M&A, employee benefits, regulatory and litigation, combined with a reputation for delivering outstanding client service. "Silicon Valley is one of the most dynamic regions in the world and it continues to lead innovation across the globe," said Freshfields' Chair Edward Braham. "The impact and strategic importance of technology and life sciences businesses will only continue to grow and advisers who can provide strategic counsel on key domestic issues within a global context will be highly prized. We are thrilled to have five of the country's top corporate and litigation lawyers from the Bay Area join us to deliver the firm and its expertise seamlessly in Northern California." "Combining this dream team of talent with our global platform and our high-powered teams in New York and DC enables us to respond to the needs of Bay Area clients. These needs are global, complex and demanding of constant focus and creativity," said Ethan Klingsberg, partner and Head of U.S. Corporate and M&A, Freshfields. "Just as Bay Area clients are fearless in their approach, so is Freshfields. We are committed to serving our clients with the broad and deep resources that their strategic plans merit." About the team: Sarah Solum joins from Davis Polk. She will lead the Silicon Valley office as Managing Partner and Head of U.S.Capital Markets. Sarah is one of the top corporate lawyers in the Bay Area, with an active IPO practice and more than 20 years of experience in capital markets and complex corporate assignments for private and public companies in the technology and life sciences sectors. John Fisher joins from Sidley Austin as Head of U.S. Technology and Life Sciences M&A. John has an active M&A practice in both the technology and life sciences sectors. He is a member of Bay Area Lawyers for Individual Freedom (BALIF), the nation's oldest and largest association of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender persons in the field of law. Maj Vaseghi joins from Latham & Watkins. She combines employee benefits and executive compensation work in corporate transactions and ongoing matters with a public company representation practice of advising dozens of companies across a range of industries on corporate governance and disclosure issues. Boris Feldman joins from Wilson Sonsini as Head of our U.S. Technology Practice. Boris has a legendary shareholder and securities litigation practice and regularly works with boards and management teams on their most demanding corporate and securities law and governance issues. Doru Gavril joins from Wilson Sonsini. Focusing on shareholder litigation and government investigations, Doru has litigated cutting edge issues in securities law on behalf of leading companies in technology, social media, and life sciences. Pamela Marcogliese is a leading U.S. capital markets partner who regularly advises clients in the Bay Area on capital markets and governance matters. She was recently recognized as one of the top four governance lawyers in the U.S. Alan Ryan is a leading European antitrust partner who has spent his career advising the world's leading businesses from his current base in Brussels. Alan will be returning to the United States and relocating to Silicon Valley, where he will enhance the delivery of the firm's market-leading European regulatory expertise for Silicon Valley clients. About Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP is a global law firm with a long-standing track record of successfully supporting the world's leading national and multinational corporations, financial institutions and governments on groundbreaking and business-critical mandates. Our more than 2,800 lawyers deliver results from 27 offices worldwide alongside advice from the leading local firms. Our commitment, local and multinational expertise and business know-how mean our clients rely on us when it matters most. Freshfields is the only firm ranked by Chambers Global in Band 1 across the seven areas of corporate/M&A, antitrust, dispute resolution, international arbitration, tax, employee benefits, and public international law. These new hires bring the number of partners in New York, Washington DC and Silicon Valley to over 50 and the number of U.S. lawyers in the firm to over 400. More than 30% of Freshfields' U.S. partners and global firmwide leadership are diverse and the firm has publicly committed to raising these percentages meaningfully. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200701005513/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [July 01, 2020] Lightnet Expands Reach Throughout Asia Pacific Hanwha Investment and Securities agrees to connect to and process transactions over Lightnet's network. Lightnet, as part of a consortium including MatchMove, Singapura Finance and OpenPayd, places a bid for a digital full bank license and has recently been shortlisted. Lightnet and KogoPAY sign Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to share operations in electronic banking in Lithuania that will give Lightnet access to the European Market. that will give Lightnet access to the European Market. Lightnet is finalizing partnerships with four other digital banking partners in Switzerland , Hong Kong , the British Virgin Islands and the Philippines . SINGAPORE, July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Lightnet, a Singapore headquartered fintech company, since the beginning of 2020, has raised USD 31.2 million in a Series A financing round and created a portfolio of partnerships that put it in a stronger position than ever to improve the lives of the unbanked and underbanked populations of Southeast Asia and other parts of Asia Pacific. These partnerships include a formal Technical Integration Agreement with Hanwha Investment and Securities, a consortium with MatchMove, Singapura Finance and OpenPayd to bid for a digital full bank license, and a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with KogoPAY. Lightnet is co-founded by industry figurehead Chatchaval Jiaravanon, whose family controls Thai conglomerate Charoen Pokphand Group. Lightnet is dedicated to improving the lives of the unbanked and underbanked populations throughout Asia Pacific, whom have been significantly impacted by the economic downturn caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the World Bank's April 2020 Migration and Development Brief, existing remittance service providers have struggled and many cash-based services and remittance operators have been forced to close. While the importance of electronic transfers is surging, current digital instruments are beyond the reach of the poorest and mot at-need migrant workers. Lightnet recognizes the opportunity to provide a more inclusive international remittance ecosystem and has a number of business ventures aimed at expanding its reach throughout Asia Pacific. Lightnet and Hanwha Investment and Securities, a leading South Korean provider of comprehensive asset management services, entered into a technical integration agreement wherein Hanwha Investment Securities agrees to connect to and process transactions over Lightnet's network. Lightnet is responsible for developing the technology solution to integrate Hanwha Investment Securities into the Lightnet Network. Tridbodi Arunanondchai, Vice Chairman and Group CEO of Lightnet comments: "Our partnership with Hanwha Investment and Securities is an important step towards creating an inclusive international remittance ecosystem. Lightnet is one step closer to providing migrant workers throughout Southeast Asia with access to real-time money transfers." As part of a consortium that includes Singapore -based digital payments firm MatchMove, digital Banking-as-a-Service platform OpenPayd, and 70-year-old Singaporean bank Singapura Finance, Lightnet has submitted a bid for a digital full bank license with the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS). The bid has recently been shortlisted. Commenting on the partnership, Tridbodi Arunanondchai, says: "There are many synergies between our organisations beyond Singapore which we intend to explore and I believe we can develop a compelling proposition for the underbanked segment across the region." Lightnet signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with KogoPAY, a socially conscious mobile payments Fintech start-up, to share operations in electronic banking. Tridbodi Arunanondchai, continues: "KogoPAY's aspirations to create a versatile new operation are very much in alignment with our technology and we admire the advances that KogoPAY has made within the complex area of electronic banking." Lightnet's core team comprises talent cultivated from global tech leaders like Microsoft, Lenovo, Amazon, Google and Alibaba. This team has diverse expertise across technology, corporate finance, fintech and remittance industries. Chatchaval Jiaravanon, Chairman of Lightnet explains: "Lightnet is disrupting a trillion U.S. dollar global remittance market, starting with the millions of unbanked migrant workers who rely on outdated, costly and fragmented services in major Southeast Asian markets. We have assembled a world-class team to fix this problem." About Lightnet Lightnet is a Singapore-headquartered fintech company dedicated to improving the lives of the unbanked and underbanked populations by building an inclusive international remittance ecosystem that increases the efficiency of existing money transfer operators, financial institutions and other cross-border payment providers. Lightnet's initial focus will be on Southeast Asia remittances, which it estimates to be in excess of USD 150 billion a year. Following a USD 31.2 million Series A financing round in late January 2020, the company is now backed by eight Asian conglomerates, giving Lightnet access to a giant network of banks and retail outlets. Investors include UOB Venture Management, Seven Bank, Uni-President Asset Holdings, HashKey Capital, Hopeshine Ventures, Signum Capital and Du Capital. Lightnet is co-founded by industry figurehead Chatchaval Jiaravanon, whose family controls Thai conglomerate Charoen Pokphand Group. Contact Email: media@lightnet.io Reference Official Website: https://lightnet.io/ Follow the project on Twitter: https://twitter.com/lightnetgroup View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/lightnet-expands-reach-throughout-asia-pacific-301086860.html SOURCE Lightnet Pte. Ltd. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [July 01, 2020] Polygon Enters the Italian Market with the Acquisition of Recotech STOCKHOLM, July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Polygon has signed an agreement to acquire Recotech in Italy. Recotech is a property damage restoration company specialized in water- and fire damage restoration and major and complex claims. The company has a turnover of 5 MEUR and around 40 employees. "We are following our acquisition strategy step by step. I'm very happy that our leading position as the largest company within the property damage industry in Europe will expand even further with this acquisition. Italy has been an upcoming market for several years. Polygon has so far operated in Italy out of our country organizations in Austria, Germany and Switzerland, but now we will be present in the industrial heart of Italy. Our strategy is to be the number 1 or 2 in each market where we are present, and with Recotech, we found a company with a strong market position and with an excellent track record that will serve as a platform for future growth. With joint forces in Europe we will be able to take on even more cross border projects, another of our important strategies," says Axel Granitz, President and CEO of Polygon Group. Recotech has its head office in Florence with a branch office in Pordenone. Since its start Recotech has successfully offered services following natural disasters and has, in time, expanded its range of services. The company goes beyond conventional activities by providing technical solutions aimed at solving structural problems in high-impact claims. They managed the Corona crises in Italy quite well as a provider of emergency services and launched COVID-19 disinfection services. "It is a benefit to become a part of a large, international company like Polygon. This merger will enable us to take on larger projects within water- and fire damages and also enhance our services to the benefit of our customers. I'm really looking forward to the possibilities this collaboration will present for the Italian market," says Sergio Signorini, founder and CEO of Recotech. "I am deeply impressed with the culture of entrepreneurship and customer focus of Recotech. When it matters most, they are there for their customers with the best workable solution. I see a very strong resemblance with how we operate at Polygon with our brand promise Always by your side. Combining forces is an important step to provide the customers with an even better network. I would like to warmly welcome our new Italian family members," says Axel Granitz, President & CEO of Polygon Group. For more information, please visit www.polygongroup.com or contact Martin Hamner, Chief Financial Officer, martin.hamner@polygongroup.com, +46 70 607 85 79 This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com https://news.cision.com/polygon/r/polygon-enters-the-italian-market-with-the-acquisition-of-recotech,c3146208 The following files are available for download: https://mb.cision.com/Main/5752/3146208/1272785.pdf Release [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [July 01, 2020] Pride Automation Announces Blue Canyon Technologies as New Client Today, Pride Automation, Inc. (PAI) has announced that it will deliver its proprietary PRocedure Integrated Development Environment (PRIDE) software to Blue Canyon Technologies (BCT) for use throughout their production process. The partnership will enable the vertically integrated spacecraft manufacturer to streamline their assembly and test phases, allowing for greatly expanded production. "The PRIDE software is more than just a natural fit for Blue Canyon Technologies. It serves as a logical evolution for our company with regard to production," said May Rosekrans, Microsat Test Lead Engineer at Blue Canyon Technologies. "By utilizing their proprietary automation system, we're able to streamline our assembly and test phases, allowing for expedited and expanded production. Pride Automation, Inc. has been an incredible partner stemming back to the platform's initial trial period, and we look forward to their superior customer support continuing under this new licensing agreement." The PRIDE software is an integrated suite of tools for the development, deployment, and execution of standard operating checklist procedures. PRIDE is installed on-premise or in cloud infrastructure and is used by Fortune 500 companies with asset-rich, complex, and dangerous operations - all with a user-friendly interface complete with simplified single-click execution. "We are thrilled that Blue Canyon Technologies has chosen PRIDE to assist in their satellite assembly, test, and operations activities," said Dr. David Kortenkamp, Chief Technology Officer at PAI. "Blue Canyon adds to a growing number of PRIDE users in the expanding commercial space marketplace. We look forward to growing side-by-side in this new and exciting era for space missions." Pride Automation has delivered licenses to Blue Canyon Technologies whch will be incorporated into the production process for all Blue Canyon products, to include components, sub-assemblies, and spacecraft assembly. About Blue Canyon Technologies Blue Canyon Technologies, Inc. (BCT), a Colorado-based private company founded in 2008 to bring innovative, reliable, and affordable solutions to space missions, is an experienced integrator of aerospace systems and developer of advanced aerospace products and technologies. BCT is a vertically integrated spacecraft manufacturer supporting nearly 40 unique missions with over 70 spacecraft. The company currently has more than 60 satellites in production and recently developed a new 80,000-square-foot facility for high-rate production. BCT has supported missions for the U.S. Air Force, NASA, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), and many others and provided the Attitude Control Systems for the first interplanetary CubeSats, which successfully traveled to Mars. The company has been recognized with awards including Inc. Magazine's 5000 Fastest Growing Private Companies, 2017 Colorado Companies to Watch, and the 2019 Colorado Biz Made in Colorado Emerging Manufacturer Winner. For the latest news on Blue Canyon Technologies and for other company information, please visit www.bluecanyontech.com. You can follow the company on Instagram here or Twitter (News - Alert) here. About Pride Automation Pride Automation, Inc., (PAI), a wholly owned subsidiary of TRACLabs, Inc., was incorporated in 2013 to develop, sell, and support the PRIDE software, which simplifies procedure authoring, allows operators to execute procedures concurrently, and records results for analysis. PRIDE is used in applications where procedures are critical to the assembly, maintenance, and operation of complex, high-risk systems, e.g., spaceflight operations and aerospace manufacturing. For the latest news on Pride Automation, Inc. and for other company information, please visit www.prideautomation.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200701005145/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [June 30, 2020] Shareholder Alert: Robbins LLP Reminds Investors It Is Investigating the Officers and Directors of Casper Sleep Inc. (CSPR) on Behalf of Shareholders Shareholder rights law firm Robbins LLP reminds investors it is investigating Casper Sleep Inc. (NYSE: CSPR) for potential violations of federal securities laws pursuant to its February 2020 initial public offering ("IPO"). Casper designs and sells sleep products to consumers in the United States, Canada, and Europe. If you purchased shares of Casper stock, click here. Casper Sleep Inc. (CSPR) Reports Disappointing First Quarter 2020 Financials On February 6, 2020, Casper completed its IPO offering 8.35 million shares of common stock at $12.00 per share and raising $88 million in net proceds. In its Registration Statement, Casper assured investors that "[o]verall business profitability will be driven" by "continued net revenue growth," "gross margin improvements," and operational efficiencies. Then, on April 21, 2020, Casper announced it was taking significant actions to improve its cash position and business model, including downsizing its global operations and sales team totaling a 21% loss in workforce. That same day, the Company also revealed the resignation of its CFO and COO. Finally, on May 12, 2020, Casper announced its first quarter 2020 financial results, which revealed a net loss of $34.5 million and an adjusted EBITDA loss of $22.9 million, representing year-over-year increases of almost 98% and 60% respectively. Since the IPO, Casper stock consistently trades well below the IPO price, currently trading at around $9, representing a decline of 25% from its IPO price. Casper Sleep Inc. (CSPR) Shareholders Have Legal Options Contact us to learn more: Leo Kandinov (800) 350-6003 LKandinov@robbinsllp.com Shareholder Information Form Want to be notified if a class action against Casper settles? Want to receive free alerts about companies engaged in wrongdoing? Sign up for Stock Watch today. Attorney Advertising. Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200630006092/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [July 01, 2020] With pCloud, Users Decide Where Their Files Are Stored ZUG, Switzerland, July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- pCloud, leading cloud storage service is giving users the opportunity to select location of their data. The Swiss company for file storage in the cloud proves once again that file security and the application of first-class security measures are top priorities for the cloud service. Another example for that is the latest news from the company. All pCloud users will be able to choose the server location where their files are stored. This will give users greater control over the security of their files. Once the choice of where to store the data is made during registration - in the US or Europe - it is practically impossible to transfer them without the user's knowledge or permission. Currently, the option to select the server location is available only to newly registered users. The company is developing the option to change the storage location for existing users and it will be available very soon. The company has recently added a data centre in Luxembourg, meeting the needs of consumers and businesses even in the most regulated secors in terms of consumer data protection and information security. pCloud's new European data center is certified to SSAE 16 SOC 2, Type II standard. In addition, pCloud meets some of the most widely recognized standards such as ISO 9001: 2015 (Quality Management Systems) and ISO 27001: 2013 (Information Security Management Systems). When using the pCloud service, user data is transferred via TLS / SSL protocols, which provide complete data protection during transmission. Users who choose to use the pCloud service can be confident that their files are in safe hands, no matter where they want to store them. "Our data centers are carefully selected following rigorous risk assessment procedures in which they have proven their quality and reliability. This includes choosing the highest level of physical and technical security to ensure data security," says the company. With this latest news, pCloud strengthens its position as one of the most secure cloud storage services on the market. Here you can find more information about all security and privacy measures applied by pCloud and the special features of the server locations: https://www.pcloud.com/data-regions/ Media Contact: Tunio Zafer, CEO 242771@email4pr.com +41 43 508 59 48 View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/with-pcloud-users-decide-where-their-files-are-stored-301086806.html SOURCE pCloud AG [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [June 30, 2020] WorldRemit Celebrates the Launch of Their Remittance Service in Somalia WorldRemit, the global online money transfer service has announced the launch of its remittance services in Somalia. WorldRemit operates in over 50 send countries to over 150 receive countries and is now the first global digital money transfer player to operate in Somalia. According to the World Bank, an estimated $1.4 billion in remittances is sent to Somalia every year by approximately 2 million Somalis in the diaspora. The remittances contribute to 23% of Somalia's gross domestic product which is a vital life-line for many Somalis who rely on it to get food, shelter, pay for education, health services, and sustain their small businesses. Those in the diaspora mostly fled the country during the two decades of conflict and previously relied on bricks and mortar money transfer agents whose operations have been severely limited due to Covid-19. WorldRemit delivers a digital service that removes the middleman and allows Somalis living in the United States to send money home 24/7 at their convenience, quickly and securely. "We are happy to be able to provide this great opprtunity for Somalis in the United States to now remit home with ease. We have partnered with Dahabshiil, the largest Cash Pay Out network in Somalia which has more than 200 locations. We will also soon be launching a Mobile Money service. This launch will kick start the transition from offline remittances to online, where Somalis will have access to safer, faster and low-cost money transfer methods," said Ahmed Tani, Country Manager Somalia, WorldRemit. Customers in Somalia can receive remittances via WorldRemit from friends and family anywhere across the United States via Cash Pick Up. Recipients do not need a smartphone. Visit the WorldRemit website for more information on how to send money to Somalia or download the App from an iOS or Android (News - Alert) device. About WorldRemit WorldRemit is a leading fintech providing international money transfer services. We disrupted an industry previously dominated by offline legacy players by taking international money transfers online - making them safer, faster and lower-cost. We currently send from 50 to 150 countries, operate in 6,500 money transfer corridors worldwide and employ over 800 people worldwide. On the sending side WorldRemit is 100% digital (cashless), increasing convenience and enhancing security. For those receiving money, the company offers a wide range of options including bank deposit, cash collection, mobile airtime top-up and mobile money. Backed by Accel, TCV and Leapfrog - WorldRemit's headquarters are in London, United Kingdom with a global presence in the United States, Canada, South Africa, Japan, Singapore, the Philippines, Australia and New Zealand. For more information visit www.worldremit.com View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200630006089/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [June 30, 2020] SecurityHQ, Formerly Known as Si Consult, Reveals New Brand Identity LONDON, July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- SecurityHQ, formerly known as Si Consult, the leading provider in managed security services, announced today the launch of their new brand identity, with a redesign of their logo and website. Over recent years SecurityHQ has evolved into the worlds most advanced Managed Security Service provider, with six Security Operation Centers spread across the United Kingdom, the Middle East, Americas, India, and Australia. The company has received global recognition for SecurityHQ, and became finalists for the IBM Beacon Awards for their security features. Known by their clients, partners, employees, and audience for their services as SecrityHQ they have, therefore, made the decision, and taken significant steps to represent who they are as a company, by adopting SecurityHQ as their brand name. "Security Intelligence Redefined. We are delighted with the re-brand, the new logo and website design. These changes represent who we are as an organisation, and our position in the managed security service industry. "It is important to note that our company values have not altered. We continue to pride ourselves on our transparency, integrity, and availability. There has been no change in staff ownership or shares. Our services will continue to run seamlessly. All existing contracts, NDA's, and legal elements with partners and clients will remain the same. "The only difference is what few people know us for as Si, now many will know us for as SecurityHQ." - Feras Tappuni, CEO View the Full Re-brand video here. About SecurityHQ SecurityHQ prides itself on its global reputation as an advanced Managed Security Service Provider, delivering superior engineering-led solutions to clients around the world. By combining dedicated security experts, cutting-edge technology and processes, clients receive an enterprise grade experience that ensures that all IT virtual assets, cloud, and traditional infrastructures, are protected. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Sechq Twitter: https://twitter.com/security_hq LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/si-securityhq/ Video: https://www.securityhq.com/videos/securityhq-rebranded/ URL - https://www.securityhq.com/ Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1197049/SecurityHQ.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1196748/SecurityHQ_Logo.jpg For media enquiries please contact: Eleanor Barlow, +44-(0)20-332-706-99, marketing@securityhq.com [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [June 30, 2020] Cannae Holdings, Inc. Announces Dun & Bradstreet's Pricing of Initial Public Offering Cannae Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:CNNE) ("Cannae") today announced that Dun & Bradstreet (News - Alert) Holdings, Inc. ("Dun & Bradstreet"), a Cannae portfolio company, priced its initial public offering of 78,302,272 shares of its common stock at an initial public offering price of $22.00 per share. The shares are expected to begin trading on the New York Stock Exchange on July 1, 2020 under the symbol "DNB." The initial public offering is expected to close on July 6, 2020, subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions. Dun & Bradstreet has granted the underwriters a 30-day option to purchase up to an additional 11,745,340 shares at the initial public offering price, less underwriting discounts and commissions. A subsidiary of Cannae, a subsidiary of Black Knight, Inc. and a subsidiary of CC Capital Partners, LLC plan to invest $200.0 million, $100.0 million, and $100.0 million, respectively, in a concurrent private placement of Dun & Bradstreet's common stock at a price per share equal to $21.67. Such concurrent private placement is contingent upon the consummation of the offering. Dun & Bradstreet intends to use the proceeds that it receives from the offering and the concurrent private placement to redeem all of its outstanding Series A Preferred Stock, repay a portion of its 10.250% Senior Unsecured Notes outstanding due 2027 and for working capital and other general corporate purposes, which may include the repayment of additional indebtedness. Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC, BofA Securities, J.P. Morgan and Barclays are acting as joint lead book running managers and representatives of the underwriters for the offering. Citigroup, Credit Suisse, HSBC, Jefferies, RBC Capital Markets, Wells Fargo (News - Alert) Securities, Deutsche Bank Securities, BMO Capital Markets, SunTrust Robinson Humphrey and TD Securities are also acting as book-running managers for the offering. William Blair, Raymond James, Stephens Inc., Academy Securities and Loop Capital Markets are acting as co-managers for the offering. A registration statement relating to the offering was declared effective by the Securities Exchange Commission on June 30, 2020. The offering is being made only by means of a prospectus. Copies of the final prospectus relating to the offering may be obtained, when available, from: Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC, Attention: Prospectus Department, 200 West Street, New York, New York 10282, via telephone: 1-866-471-2526, or via email: prospectus-ny@ny.email.gs.com; BofA Securities, NC1-004-03-43, 200 North College Street, 3rd floor, Charlotte, NC 28255-0001, attention: Prospectus Department, or via email: dg.prospectus_requests@bofa.com; J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, c/o Broadridge Financial Solutions, 1155 Long Island Avenue, Edgewood, NY 11717, by telephone at 866-803-9204, or by email at prospectus-eq_fi@jpmorganchase.com; or Barclays Capital Inc., c/o Broadridge Financial Solutions, 1155 Long Island Avenue, Edgewood, NY 11717, by telephone at (888) 603-5847, or by email at barclaysprospectus@broadridge.com. About Cannae Holdings, Inc. Cannae is a diversified holding company which boasts a strong track record of both operating and investing in a diverse range of assets. Cannae holds majority and minority equity investment stakes in a number of entities, including Ceridian HCM Holding Inc., Dun & Bradstreet, 99 Restaurants Holdings, LLC, O'Charley's, LLC, AmeriLife Group, LLC, and Coding Solutions Topco, Inc. (inclusive of T-System Holding, LLC). About Dun & Bradstreet Dun & Bradstreet, a leading global provider of business decisioning data and analytics, enables companies around the world to improve their business performance. Dun & Bradstreet's Data Cloud fuels solutions and delivers insights that empower customers to accelerate revenue, lower cost, mitigate risk, and transform their businesses. Since 1841, companies of every size have relied on Dun & Bradstreet to help them manage risk and reveal opportunity. Forward-Looking Statements and Risk Factors This press release contains forward-looking statements that involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements regarding our expectations, hopes, intentions or strategies regarding the future are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on management's beliefs, as well as assumptions made by, and information currently available to, management. Because such statements are based on expectations as to future financial and operating results and are not statements of fact, actual results may differ materially from those projected. We undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. The risks and uncertainties which forward-looking statements are subject to include, but are not limited to: changes in general economic, business and political conditions, changes in the financial markets and changes in the conditions resulting from the outbreak of a pandemic such as the novel COVID-19 ("COVID-19"); the overall impact of the outbreak of COVID-19 and measures to curb its spread, including the effect of governmental or voluntary mitigation measures such as business shutdowns, social distancing, and stay-at-home orders; our potential inability to find suitable acquisition candidates, acquisitions in lines of business that will not necessarily be limited to our traditional areas of focus, or difficulties in integrating acquisitions; significant competition that our operating subsidiaries face; compliance with extensive government regulation of our operating subsidiaries; risks associated with our split-off from Fidelity National Financial, Inc., including limitations on our strategic and operating flexibility related to the tax-free nature of the split-off and the Investment Company Act of 1940; and risks and uncertainties related to the success of our externalization. This press release should be read in conjunction with the risks detailed in the "Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information," "Risk Factors" and other sections of the Company's Form 10-Q, 10-K and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200630006105/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [June 30, 2020] Atome Launches 'Buy Now, Pay Later' Solution In Singapore SINGAPORE, July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Atome , a leading technology start-up headquartered in Singapore, has launched a "buy now, pay later" solution to support the recovery of Singapore's retail sector during and beyond COVID-19. As businesses adjust to new consumer trends such as contactless payment, physical safe distancing measures and online shopping, Atome works by splitting bills into three equal, zero interest instalments over time . This is done by either scanning a QR code at a physical shop or choosing Atome during checkout on partner merchants' websites. Consumer benefits include convenience, increased affordability and greater transparency compared to traditional payment methods like cash or credit cards. At launch, Atome already partners with 500 merchants , including marquee brands in popular verticals like fashion (Playdress, Lovet, Melissa shoes, Hush Puppies), beauty (Spa Esprit Group, Beauty Emporium, Kimage Salon), home decor (Star Living, Houze), lifestyle (Herschel, Bynd Artisan, Cocomi) and electronics (iStudio, Epic Gear). In the first three months since its soft launch, Atome has seen an 11X growth in gross transaction volume on it platform. Since the circuit breaker started in March, it has also seen a 230 per cent growth in online transactions . 70 per cent of Atome's customers are millennials aged between 20-40 years old. Atome's partner merchants have seen: 17% average increase in conversions 30% average increase in order size Brand exposure through Atome's mobile app , website , Facebook and Instagram David Chen, CEO of Atome, said: "The way people shop has irreversibly changed. Retail has irreversibly changed. The shift towards online began before COVID-19 but this has now accelerated. Businesses have to adapt quickly and find new sources of revenue and new ways to serve existing as well as new customers. As we've seen, having Atome as a checkout option in merchants' online -- as well as physical -- stores makes a big difference, especially among digital savvy millennials. It's a win-win for both retailers and their customers." The app is available on the App Store and on Google Play . About Atome Founded in 2016, Atome is a subsidiary of ADVANCE.AI , a Series-C big data and AI company headquartered in Singapore which is part of a Temasek-backed consortium applying for Singapore's digital wholesale banking licence. Atome has helped over 10 million customers gain access to credit throughout Southeast Asia in its vision to create a better life for consumers through greater financial access and technology. Media contact: Michael de Waal-Montgomery Ellerton & Co. Public Relations Email: michael@ellerton.sg Mobile: +65 9186 3762 SOURCE Atome [July 01, 2020] iProov to Provide Biometric Technology to Challenger Bank Knab, Part of AEGON iProov, a world leader in spoof-resistant, biometric facial authentication technology, today announced that its technology is to be deployed by Dutch challenger bank Knab to provide an effortless online biometric experience to its nearly 500,000 customers. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200630006006/en/ Online customer authentication technology from iProov provides Genuine Presence Assurance to banks globally (Photo: Business Wire) Knab customers can now effortlessly authenticate themselves for a growing range of sensitive transactions using iProov's patented Flashmark technology. The partnership with the online-only bank, which is owned by multinational life insurance, pensions and asset management firm AEGON, sees iProov collaborate with a challenger bank for the first time. This is the first time that iProov has been used for SCA (Strong Customer Authentication) by a bank in Europe, and one of the very first production deployments of any device-independent biometric for SCA. Its step-up authentication capabilities are being rolled out in a variety of scenarios. A key use will be Knab's re-binding process - i.e. when a user deletes the bank's app, updates the app or loses their device and needs to re-verify their identity. The ability to process transfers and payments sing iProov will go live shortly and further applications are planned. Ongoing ID verification for all new customers opening an account with Knab will be carried out by iProov's technology. Knab's adoption of iProov also sees the bank move away from its previous token-based solution, dispensing with costly and unpopular hardware and the associated administrative burden. iProov's cloud-based process is fully automatic, does not use human agents, and is extremely fast, reliable and secure. The Dutch regulator has been a European leader in encouraging banks to adopt innovative Know Your Customer (KYC) technology to enhance compliance. Banks have therefore increasingly turned to new digital journeys and emerging technologies to meet regulatory challenges and prevent hefty fines. Following rigorous security and customer testing, and assessment for national and EBA compliance, iProov was selected by Knab for the high-quality experience it will deliver to the bank's customer base. iProov's proven track record at scale, with over 3 million onboardings since 2019, provided additional confidence. Andrew Bud, Founder and CEO, iProov said: "Digital banks owe their success to their customer experience. A fast and easy onboarding process, with effortless strong customer authentication, makes all the difference in attracting and retaining customers in an increasingly competitive environment. Knab leads thanks to superb commitment to its customers, and iProov is very proud to be part of their best-in-class banking experience." Marcel Kalse, Co-Founder, Knab said: "Our customers really are everything to Knab. That's why we chose iProov - like us, they are clear leaders in delivering the very best customer experience without compromising on the highest standards of security and compliance." iProov's unique patented technology provides governments, banks and other enterprises with Genuine Presence Assurance, allowing them to authenticate users remotely on any smartphone, tablet or laptop. Using iProov, individuals can verify that they are a real person, the right person, and authenticating themselves right now, thus protecting against fraud or criminal activity. -ends- About iProov Founded in 2011, iProov is the world leader in online facial biometric authentication, working with governments, banks and other enterprises to remotely verify customer identity. Used for onboarding, logon, and authentication, customers include the US Department of Homeland Security, the UK Home Office, the UK National Health Service (NHS), Knab, Rabobank, ING and others. iProov's unique patented technology provides Genuine Presence Assurance, ensuring that an online customer is the right person, a real person, and authenticating right now. This protects against spoof attacks from photos, videos, masks, replay attacks, and the emerging threat of deepfakes. For more information, please see www.iproov.com or follow www.twitter.com/iproov or www.linkedin.com/company/iproov View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200630006006/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [July 01, 2020] TPG Launches Matrix Renewables with The Rise Fund's Acquisition of 1GW of Solar PV Projects from Trina Solar The Rise Fund, a global impact investing fund managed by alternative asset firm TPG, today announced the acquisition of approximately 1 gigawatt (GW) of solar PV projects from Changzhou, China-based Trina Solar (SHA:688599). The solar PV projects included in the transaction are currently operational, under construction or in late stage development nearing ready-to-build status across Spain, Chile, Colombia, and Mexico, and will serve as the first solar PV projects within the portfolio of newly created, Madrid-based Matrix Renewables. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. TPG and The Rise Fund are assembling an industry-leading management team for Matrix Renewables and will leverage the firm's extensive investing and business building experience, global network, and deep cross-platform infrastructure and renewable energy expertise to develop and acquire additional solar PV projects globally. "We are excited to launch Matrix Renewables with such a geographically diverse set of high-quality solar PV projects," said Ed Beckley, a Partner at TPG who leads the firm's infrastructure investing efforts. "Trina is one of the leading manufacturers of solar PVs, with a history of developing world-class solar PV projects in key markets. With the establishment of Matrix Renewables and the leadership of a seasoned management team, we are actively looking for additional strategic opportunities to grow our global portfolio and build out the platform." "The global solar PV market continues to grow rapidly as it benefits from a number of secular tailwinds including the accelerating shift to decarbonization," said Steve Ellis, Co-Managing Partner of The Rise Fund. "Solar PV development is one of the many ways The Rise Fund is tackling climate change and addressing the climate, energy, and responsible consumption-focused United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. We look forward to growing the Matrix Renewables portfolio to accelerate positive environmental impact well-beyond this initial 1GW of clean energy generation." TPG has been building out a dedicated infrastructure investing team, based in its London office, with key hires over the last year, including Steven Mandel who brings deep experience in renewables investments. The team works across TPG platforms and their partnership with The Rise Fund in this transaction led to the formation of Matrix Rnewables. TPG's infrastructure team also recently led the firm's investment into Abengoa S.A.'s operating electricity transmission line assets in Brazil. Throughout TPG's history, the firm has made a number of investments in the broader infrastructure asset class around the world, including in transportation, telecommunications, and renewable energy. About TPG TPG is a global investment firm that is dedicated to delivering differentiated returns for our investors and their beneficiaries, and we are committed to doing so with integrity. Our investment strategy embraces change, takes on complexity, and creates unique opportunities. Over our more than 25-year history, we have built an ecosystem made up of hundreds of portfolio companies and a value-added network of professionals, executives, and advisors around the world. This ecosystem drives insight and engagement, which are critical to our approach to investing, value creation, and culture. The value we place on insight is reflected in the rigor of our investment process and our deep, research-based approach to theme and sector development. We are active investors and engage deeply with our portfolio companies, bringing skilled executives and operating professionals to add value beyond capital and drive long-term performance. Our success depends on our people, and we build and sustain our world-class team by creating an inclusive, supportive culture within TPG that seeks excellence and encourages humility and transparency. To learn more, visit TPG's website at www.tpg.com and on Twitter (News - Alert) @TPG. About The Rise Fund The Rise Fund is the world's largest global impact platform committed to achieving measurable, positive social and environmental outcomes alongside competitive financial returns. With more than $5 billion in assets under management across its platform, The Rise Fund works with growth-stage, high potential, mission-driven companies that have the power to change the world. Headquartered in San Francisco, The Rise Fund was founded in 2016 to deliver deep expertise in business solutions to help achieve the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals. As part of TPG, The Rise Fund offers investment resources, business-building skills, rigorous measurement and a global network to help portfolio companies accelerate growth and impact. With the ability to invest across a wide variety of sectors and countries at scale, The Rise Fund focuses on opportunities in education, energy, food and agriculture, financial technology, healthcare and technology. For more information, visit therisefund.com About Matrix Renewables Matrix Renewables is a Madrid-headquartered renewable energy platform created and backed by global alternative asset manager TPG and its $5 billion impact investing platform The Rise Fund. Upon the closing of this transaction, Matrix Renewables' portfolio will be comprised of 1GW of operational, under construction, or near ready-to-build solar PV projects in Spain, Chile, Colombia, and Mexico. TPG is assembling a top tier management team of industry veterans to lead Matrix Renewables, and is actively looking for additional strategic opportunities to grow Matrix Renewables' global portfolio. Matrix Renewables, and its underlying renewable energy projects, benefits from TPG's extensive investing and business building experience, global network, and deep infrastructure and renewable energy expertise. For more information, visit matrix-renewables.com View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200630006140/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [July 01, 2020] Financial Conglomerate SBI to Acquire $30MM Stake in Digital Asset Firm B2C2 B2C2, the trading firm of choice in the institutional crypto markets, today announced that SBI Financial Services (a subsidiary of SBI Holdings, "SBI") has agreed to acquire a $30 million minority stake in the firm. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200630006130/en/ (Photo: Business Wire) The investment marks the start of a strategic partnership between one of the largest institutions to have ventured into the crypto market and a veteran digital asset trading firm. SBI, owner of Japan's first digital bank and largest online brokerage, is listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange and is a member of the TOPIX stock index. B2C2 will become SBI's main liquidity provider as SBI expands its crypto offering to millions of existing customers. B2C2 will also benefit from SBI's distribution network and financial firepower as it launches an electronic prime brokerage built upon its highly successful single dealer platform. This month, the firm will release a fully automated facility to provide the most competitive two-way prices in the funding market. This capability expands B2C2's existing secured financing operation, already lending hundreds of millions of dollars. B2C2 will continue to develop its offering until it constitutes a complete cross-asset prime brokerage business. Yoshitaka Kitao, President and CEO of SBI Holdings, said: "We expect a lot of synergies with B2C2, a firm which has a lare number of clients globally and offers abundant liquidity, excellent price competitiveness, and a diverse suite of products for their customers. We will work to develop innovative new crypto products and deepen synergies across our group of companies." Max Boonen, Founder of B2C2, said: "Today's deal with SBI takes B2C2 a big step forward. Having claimed the top spot in our segment thanks to the technological edge of our single dealer platform, we found in SBI the right partner to unlock the next drivers of our growth. B2C2 will benefit from SBI's balance sheet, which is far larger than anything committed to the crypto market to date. It will complement our asset liability management framework - the most sophisticated in the market - to deliver an execution platform that will not only be a game changer in crypto, but also positions us to expand across asset classes as we set our sights on the $20bn-a-year prime brokerage market." B2C2 is a veteran digital asset trading group with a world-class team drawn from global investment banks and buy-side firms. Headquartered in the UK, with offices in London, Tokyo and Jersey City, B2C2 is trusted by banks, brokerages, exchanges and fund managers globally to provide 24/7 liquidity. Continuously innovative, B2C2 launched the first crypto-native single dealer platform in 2016 and was the first foreign dealer to succeed in the Japanese market. In 2019, the firm launched the first OTC streaming price feed and was the first crypto company in the EU to secure a MiFID investment firm licence. B2C2 OTC Ltd. is authorised and regulated by the UK's Financial Conduct Authority (FRN 810834). - Ends - About B2C2 Founded in 2015, B2C2 is the leading cryptocurrency liquidity provider. Awarded Cryptocurrency Innovation of the Year in 2020 by FStech and Best Institutional Crypto Liquidity Provider in 2019 by the readers of Profit & Loss, B2C2 bridges the gap between traditional financial and cryptocurrency markets. The company is trusted by brokerages, exchanges, banks and fund managers to provide 24/7 liquidity. Headquartered in the UK, with offices in London, Jersey City and Tokyo, the firm is privately held. For more information, please visit https://www.b2c2.com About SBI SBI Holdings, Inc. was established in 1999 as a pioneer of Internet-based financial services. The company provides financial services in a wide range of categories, including securities, banking and insurance and has formed the world's first Internet-based financial conglomerate. The company has also expanded its business into biotechnology, including research and development and sales related to pharmaceuticals, health foods and cosmetics. For more information, please visit https://www.sbigroup.co.jp/english/ View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200630006130/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Clashes in Afghanistan leave 1 civilian dead, 10 wounded Kabul, Jul 1(UNI) Clashes between the Taliban and Afghan security forces in western Herat province has left a civilian dead and two other wounded, along with eight security personnel on Tuesday night, local officials said on Wednesday. The clashes took place in the Pashtun Zarghun district of the province while security forces were supplying equipment to the troops, Tolo News reported. The Taliban have not yet taken responsibility for the attack. [July 01, 2020] WANdisco plc: Contract Momentum Including Major Supermarket SAN RAMON, California, July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- WANdisco (LSE: WAND) ("WANdisco" or the "Company"), the LiveData company for machine learning and AI, announces that it has signed an initial deal worth up to $1m with a major British supermarket. In addition, there has been strong uptake for the Group's Azure Cloud product, with 11 companies registered in the first month of public preview. With the completion of this deal with one of the UK's nationwide supermarket chains, WANdisco's technology will be used on-premise for data consistency and then subsequently for migration to the Azure cloud. The supermarket serves millions of customers each week, online and in store, and employs over 400,000 people throughout the UK. Since entering public preview on 1 June 2020, the Company's Microsoft Azure LiveData Platform has registered 11 companies for the service. This strong momentum during public preview is in line with the roup's expectation to sign 50 new customers within the first 12 months of operation. WANdisco CEO and Chairman David Richards, commented: "This deal with one of the UK's largest supermarkets reflects trends across the global retail industry to harness the power of big data and analytics through the cloud. With the backdrop of COVID-19, retailers are fast tracking their cloud journeys as digital and physical commerce become ever more intertwined. Our momentum registering new customers for our embedded product, with eleven signing in the first month of operation, provides further confidence in our partner led strategy." This announcement contains inside information for the purposes of Article 7 of Regulation (EU) No 596/2014 ("MAR"). Upon the publication of this announcement, this inside information is now considered to be in the public domain. For the purposes of MAR and Article 2 of Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2016/1055, this announcement is being made on behalf of the Company by David Richards, CEO and Chairman. About WANdisco WANdisco is the LiveData company for machine learning and AI. WANdisco solutions enable enterprises to create an environment where data is always available, accurate and protected, creating a strong backbone for their IT infrastructure and a bedrock for running consistent, accurate machine learning applications. With zero downtime and zero data loss, WANdisco Fusion keeps geographically dispersed data at any scale consistent between on-premises and cloud environments allowing businesses to operate seamlessly in a hybrid or multi-cloud environment. WANdisco has over a hundred customers and significant go-to-market partnerships with Microsoft Azure, Amazon Web Services, Google Cloud, Oracle, and others as well as OEM relationships with IBM and Alibaba. For more information on WANdisco, visit http://www.wandisco.com. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [July 01, 2020] MAG Offers to Repurchase Warrants During the Period July-September - The Board of Directors of MAG Interactive has resolved to offer the holders of warrants of program 2017/2020:2 to repurchase their warrants STOCKHOLM, July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The Board of Directors of MAG Interactive has resolved to offer the holders of warrants of series 2017/2020:2 to repurchase their warrants. The offer only concerns the settlement of the warrants and does not entail any changes to the terms of the warrants or the program. The offer is made conditional upon that the warrant holders reinvest the consideration in shares in MAG Interactive through the exercise of the warrants held. In September 2017, the Board of Directors resolved, with authorization from the General Meeting, to adopt a three-year warrant plan aimed towards the founders of the subsidiary company Delinquent, whereof two are employees in the company today. In total, 144,375 warrants were issued which can be exercised to subscribe for new shares during the period July 1 - September 30, 2020. As of today, all 144,375 warrants in the program are outstanding. The Board of Directors has resolved that the company shall make an offer to repurchase warrants of the series 2017/2020:2 at market terms (valued on the basis of Black nd Scholes and adjusted with respect to the remaining time at the time of subscription). The offer of repurchase refers to the number of warrants that need to be repurchased in order for the consideration of the repurchases to cover the financing of the exercise of the remaining warrants. The objective for making the offer is to facilitate for the warrant holders of series 2017/2020:2 to exercise their warrants without the requirement to finance the exercise of the warrants themselves. The offer does not entail any additional tax costs nor transaction fees for the company and it does not entail a further administrative burden for the company. In addition, the repurchase of part of the warrants in series 2017/2020:2 decreases the warrants dilutive effect compared to if the warrants had been exercised. If all warrant holders of series 2017/2020:2 were to fully accept the offer, the consideration for the offer, based on the current share price of SEK 24,26 (average share price 30 June), would amount to SEK 1.3 million. For additional information, please contact: Magnus Wiklander CFO +46 (0)70-511-51-99 magnus.wiklander@maginteractive.se Tove Bengtsson Marketing Communications Manager +46 (0)72-220-73-22 tove.bengtsson@maginteractive.se This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com https://news.cision.com/mag-interactive/r/mag-offers-to-repurchase-warrants-during-the-period-july-september,c3145859 [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [July 01, 2020] Atradius: Global Economy Bracing for Worst Recession in Almost 40 Years Adjustments to lockdowns and vaccine development will determine length of recession AMSTERDAM, July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Apart from the devastating affect COVID-19 is having on people and their families, its impact on economies around the world is expected to result in the worst recession since 1980. What makes this recession so much more impactful is that it is affecting the entire world with almost every country expected to experience negative growth in 2020. As the recession is reverberating through supply chains, Atradius expects global trade to shrink 15% this year, which historically is a sharp drop. A robust economic recovery is still in the cards for 2021, however, the pace of the recovery remains very uncertain and depends on the lifting of lockdown measures. The economic cost of this recession will be high, given its impact on labour markets, business failures and the fiscal position of countries. Governments around the world are implementing sizable fiscal packages and loose monetary policy to try and take the sharp edges off this recession. Advanced economies are expected to feel the brunt of the recession with a cumulative drop in GDP of 6.6%. The United Kingdom, already burdened by its exit from the European Union, is looking at a 10.8% decline, while the Eurozone is not expected to fair much better, showing a drop in GDP of 8.0%. The United States and Japan are forecast to experience slightly less steep declines of 6.1% and 6.0% respectively. Growth in emerging markets will also drop sharply, and the rapid increase in the spread of the coronavirus in a number of the larger emerging economies recently, means that forecasts could worsen in the coming months. China may be the only major economy able to avoid recession this year, however with only meagre growth expected, it could join the rest of the world in negative growth. Russia, which was hit by COVID-19 while in the middle of a price war with Saudi Arabia, is being severely impacted by the low oil price, its primary source of income, and lockdowns driving down demand for oil. The combination has lowered its GDP growth forecast to -6.2%. Brazil has reacted to COVID-19 very late and is now experiencing the fastest increase in infections of any country worldwide; economically it is not expected to do any better as GDP is forecast to decline 7.5%. Mexico, is experiencing a significant drop in demand from its main export partners in the US and Canada. The baseline forecast assumes that either a vaccine will be developed or that world economies will adapt to the new norm of social distancing in an economically viable way. Under these assumptions, a return to GDP growth in 2021 is anticipated, but with the growth coming at a slower pace than the decline did. However, if neither of these two assumptions take place, the outlook will become less positive. Andreas Tesch, Chief Market Officer of Atradius commented, "The lockdowns across the world, while necessary, have had a huge impact on the global economy. However, when effective and successful they will enable us to return to growth faster. During this unique period, detailed attention to credit management is essential to success." About Atradius Atradius is a global provider of credit insurance, surety and collections services, with a strategic presence in over 50 countries. The credit insurance, bond and collection products offered by Atradius protect companies around the world against the default risks associated with selling goods and services on credit. Atradius is a member of Grupo Catalana Occidente (GCO.MC), one of the largest insurers in Spain and one of the largest credit insurers in the world. You can find more information online at https://group.atradius.com. For further information: Atradius Corporate Communications Christine Gerryn Tel.: +31-20-553-2047 E-mail: christine.gerryn@atradius.com www.atradius.com Connect with Atradius on Social Media Twitter https://twitter.com/atradius LinkedIn https://linkedin.com/company/atradius YouTube https://www.youtube.com/user/atradiusgroup Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/712156/Atradius_Logo.jpg Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1198947/Atradius_Economic_Outlook_Advanced_Markets.jpg Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1198948/Atradius_Economic_Outlook_Major_Emerging_Markets.jpg [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [July 01, 2020] Worky Announces US $3M Investment Round Led by QED Investors Worky, an all-in-one HR software and payroll platform for small- and medium-sized businesses in Mexico, announced a $ 3M (News - Alert) seed round led by fintech specialist QED Investors. Existing investor LEAP Global Partners also participated in the round. Along with the founding round, Lauren Connolley Morton of QED Investors and Leticia Jauregui of LEAP Global Partners will join Worky's board of directors. Worky was founded in 2018 by Maya Dadoo, Carlos Marina and Oscar Castillo to help Mexican employers reduce turnover and win the war for talent by building stronger relationships with their employees. Worky allows employers to cost-efficiently offer best-in-class benefits by providing an end-to-end enterprise-grade platform that displaces the dozens of Excel sheets that HR managers use today. Through Worky, a company can automate employee files, PTO management, recruiting, evaluations, payroll, employee benefits, and more. One of Mexico's largest problems is employee retention; in certain industries, rotation can surpass 65% annually. "Through Worky, companies have decreased their employee attrition by 30% in the first three months of use," said Maya Dadoo, Worky's CEO. "We are thrilled to see how our powerful digital platform enables SMBs to offer superior benefits and improves communication between employers and employees." As employers anticipate an expansion of remote work, it's more critical than ever that companies build deep connections with their employees and provide them with both financial and emotional support. The Work platform allows employers to be up and running in less than two hours. The company plans to use its seed funding to further build out its technology and scale to larger businesses. Lauren Connolley Morton, Partner at QED Investors, said, "We've invested in HR technology companies worldwide, and we're convinced that Worky is the winning platform for small- and medium-sized businesses in Mexico and for the 20 million Mexicans who work for them. We're excited to use our operational expertise to partner with Worky's exceptional founding team to help employers reduce turnover, improve productivity and expand employee access to financial services." "As a cross-border fund, LEAP partners with founders that have deep domain expertise and are creative in customizing solutions to fit the realities of their market," said Leticia Jauregui, Venture Partner at LEAP Global Partners. "Maya, Carlos, Oscar and their team, have demonstrated that they understand the complexities of the Mexican payroll market, which is large, fragmented and underserved. LEAP is excited to partner with Worky on its journey to accelerate HR, payroll and benefits automation for Mexico's SMEs." About Worky Worky is an all-in-one HR Software + Payroll for Mexican SMEs. It brings automation to manual HR activities and benefits to employees (e.g. payroll loans, saving plans, insurance). Using the wealth of employee centric and performance information generated through its software, it can better serve employees and offer fairer and more relevant financial products. About QED Investors QED Investors is a leading boutique venture capital firm based in Alexandria, VA. QED Investors is focused on investing in early-stage, disruptive financial services companies in North America, South America, and the United Kingdom. QED is dedicated to building great businesses and uses a unique, hands-on approach that leverages its partners' decades of entrepreneurial and operational experience, helping companies achieve breakthrough growth. Notable investments include Credit Karma, ClearScore, Nubank, SoFi, Avant, Remitly, Flywire, GreenSky, Klarna, QuintoAndar, Konfio, Creditas, and Mission Lane. About LEAP Global Partners LEAP Global Partners is a Cross-Border Venture Capital firm that invests in LatinX founders and startups that view the Latin American market as critical to their long-term success. LEAP partners with bold founders that disrupt traditional models in Fintech, SME SaaS (News - Alert) and Commerce. LEAP leverages its cross-border network of investors, entrepreneurs and enterprise to help founders scale their talent and client base across the Americas. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200701005256/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [July 01, 2020] RiskIQ and Splunk Partner to Deliver Best-in-Class Attack Surface Visibility and Protection SAN FRANCISCO, July 01, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- RiskIQ , the leader in attack surface management, today announced several new apps and add-ons for Splunk that will help security teams accelerate digital transformation initiatives as new threats are introduced to the enterprise. RiskIQ's apps and add-ons for Splunk enable market-leading digital attack surface discovery, incident enrichment, and threat hunting capabilities inside the Splunk Data-to-Everything() Platform. RiskIQ's Apps for Splunk help give SecOps teams several ways to access RiskIQ's Internet Intelligence Graph, which extracts terabytes of internet data to map the billions of relationships between internet-exposed infrastructure worldwide. These matched data sets now combine with Splunk's search, monitoring, and analysis capabilities to deliver a best-in-class attack surface management and risk reporting. "Integrating two of the market's leading threat analysis solutions is game-changing as security teams face an influx of new threats to their organizations' rapidly-evolving digital presence," said Brandon Dixon, RiskIQ VP of Strategy. "RiskIQ's Internet Intelligence Graph continuously maps the internet, and our Apps for Splunk give an enterprise an enhanced view of their attack surface and the context they need to respond and remediate security incidents quickly." There are three ways Splunk users can tap RiskIQ's internet-wide telemetry and internet data collection to continuously visualize and defend their ever-changing attack surface and proactively protect heir organization: RiskIQ Digital Footprint for Splunk: The RiskIQ Digital Footprint App for Splunk automatically updates Splunk with an organization's external asset inventory, including asset metadata. RiskIQ correlates and enriches this external asset inventory with Splunk's internal data to build reports, dashboards, identify vulnerabilities, and enable proactive attack surface management. RiskIQ PassiveTotal for Splunk: The RiskIQ PassiveTotal App provides Splunk's Data-to-Everything Platform with petabytes of RiskIQ external Internet security intelligence. The app lays RiskIQ's Internet Intelligence Graph on top of Splunk data in one location to help security teams understand how internal assets interact with external infrastructure, providing unparalleled context and intelligence to detect, investigate, and remediate IoC's and security events. RiskIQ Security Intelligence Services for Splunk: RiskIQ Security Intelligence Services Add-on for Splunk delivers comprehensive security intelligence powered by RiskIQ directly into Splunk. This add-on ingests observation and curated threat feed data from RiskIQ and makes it available to all Splunk users. Saved content can be queried, analyzed, and merged with existing Splunk logs to detect, surface, or investigate suspicious activity. This integration enables security teams to rapidly scale and automate their threat detection, incident response and threat investigation programs. About RiskIQ RiskIQ is the leader in digital attack surface management, providing the most comprehensive discovery, intelligence, and mitigation of threats associated with an organizations digital presence. With more than 75 percent of attacks originating outside the firewall, RiskIQ allows enterprises to gain unified insight and control over web, social and mobile exposures. Trusted by thousands of security analysts, security teams, and CISOs, RiskIQs platform combines advanced internet data reconnaissance and analytics to expedite investigations, understand digital attack surfaces, assess risk, and take action to protect the business, brand, and customers. Based in San Francisco, the company is backed by Summit Partners, Battery Ventures, Georgian Partners, and MassMutual Ventures. Try RiskIQ Community Edition for free by visiting https://www.riskiq.com/community/ . To learn more about RiskIQ, visit www.riskiq.com . 2020 RiskIQ, Inc. All rights reserved. RiskIQ is a registered trademark of RiskIQ, Inc. in the United States and other countries. All other trademarks contained herein are the property of their respective owners. Contact Holly Hitchcock Front Lines Media 805-801-9798 Holly@FrontLines.io [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Molina Healthcare Completes Acquisition of Certain Assets of YourCare Health Plan Molina Healthcare, Inc. (NYSE: MOH) today announced that it has completed its acquisition of certain assets of YourCare Health Plan, Inc., a not-for-profit subsidiary of Monroe Plan for Medical Care. As a part of the transaction, Molina assumed the right to serve approximately 47,000 Medicaid members in seven counties in the Western New York and Finger Lakes regions. Monroe and its affiliate MP CareSolutions will provide certain post-closing management and administrative services related to member care and provider relations. About Molin Healthcare Molina Healthcare, Inc., a FORTUNE 500 company, provides managed health care services under the Medicaid and Medicare programs and through the state insurance marketplaces. Through its locally operated health plans, Molina Healthcare served approximately 3.4 million members as of March 31, 2020. For more information about Molina Healthcare, please visit molinahealthcare.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200701005149/en/ [July 01, 2020] H.I.G. Capital Completes Acquisition of Supply Source H.I.G. Advantage ("H.I.G."), an investment affiliate of H.I.G. Capital, is pleased to announce that one of its affiliates has completed the acquisition of Supply Source (News - Alert) Enterprises, Inc. ("SSE" or the "Company"), a leading manufacturer of branded and private label personal protective equipment and janitorial, safety, hygiene and sanitation products, from Genuine Parts Company ("GPC"). Headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, SSE offers an extensive product portfolio and differentiated value-added services. Through its Safety Zone and Impact Products divisions, SSE serves a diversified customer base, including janitorial and sanitation supply distributors, safety products resellers, food service and food processing distributors and retailers. Steve Schultz (News - Alert) , CEO and President of SSE, commented, "We are excited to enter into this new chapter with H.I.G. Capital. We have been fortunate over the last few years with the support of Genuine Parts Company to execute on our strategic plan. We are excited about SSE's growth prospects and believe our customers and employees will benefit immensely from H.I.G.'s support as we embark on our next growth phase." Rahul Vinnakota, Managing Director at H.I.G., added, "We look forward to partnering with Steve and the entire management team to support SSE's continued growth. H.I.G. will bring additional expertise and resources to SSE to support management as they continue to broaden SSE's customer base, expand offerings and enhance services. Importantly, given the critical role of these businesses in the COVID-19 pandemic, we remain committed to ensuring continuity of service to customers while prioritizing the wellbeing of employees." Harris Williams and Robert W. Baird are acting as financial advisors and McDermott Will & mery LLP is acting as legal counsel to H.I.G. J.P. Morgan is acting as financial advisor and Troutman Sanders LLP is acting as legal counsel to GPC. Funds affiliated with Ares Management Corporation provided financing for the transaction. About Supply Source Enterprises Supply Source Enterprises, Inc. is a leading manufacturer of branded and private label personal protective equipment and janitorial, safety, hygiene and sanitation products. Headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, the Company serves approximately 4,000 customers across the United States. For more information, visit www.safety-zone.com and www.impact-products.com About H.I.G. Capital H.I.G. is a leading global private equity and alternative assets investment firm with $37 billion of equity capital under management.* Based in Miami, and with offices in New York, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Atlanta in the U.S., as well as international affiliate offices in London, Hamburg, Madrid, Milan, Paris, Bogota, Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo, H.I.G. specializes in providing both debt and equity capital to small and mid-sized companies, utilizing a flexible and operationally focused/ value-added approach: H.I.G.'s equity funds invest in management buyouts, recapitalizations and corporate carve-outs of both profitable as well as underperforming manufacturing and service businesses. H.I.G.'s debt funds invest in senior, unitranche and junior debt financing to companies across the size spectrum, both on a primary (direct origination) basis, as well as in the secondary markets. H.I.G. is also a leading CLO manager, through its WhiteHorse family of vehicles, and manages a publicly traded BDC, WhiteHorse Finance. H.I.G.'s real estate funds invest in value-added properties, which can benefit from improved asset management practices. Since its founding in 1993, H.I.G. has invested in and managed more than 300 companies worldwide. The firm's current portfolio includes more than 100 companies with combined sales in excess of $30 billion. For more information, please refer to the H.I.G. website at www.higcapital.com. * Based on total capital commitments managed by H.I.G. Capital and affiliates. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200701005092/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [July 01, 2020] Congruex acquires Southeast Utilities of Georgia and expands broadband construction operations across five states in Southeast region BOULDER, Colo. and AUGUSTA, Ga., July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Congruex, a national end-to-end provider of design, engineering, construction, construction management and maintenance services to broadband service providers, today announced the acquisition of Southeast Utilities of Georgia ("SEU"). Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Founded in 1970, SEU is a leading provider of self-perform construction services to the telecommunications industry, including several of the most notable companies in the nation. Its key offerings include aerial and underground fiber construction, as well as maintenance and storm recovery services. SEU is headquartered in Augusta, Georgia and operates field offices across Alabama, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, and Tennessee. SEU is the seventh strategic acquisition that Congruex has completed since establishing a partnership with Crestview Partners, a leading New York-based private equity firm with significant expertise in the cable, telecommunications and business services industries. The acquisition of SEU follows the prior acquisitions of CCLD Technologies and CHC Consulting in late 2017, White Construction in 2018, and Veterans Underground, Terra Technologies, and HHS Construction in 2019. Collectively, these transactions have positioned Congruex as one of the largest telecom engineering and construction firms in the United States. Congruex provides turnkey services to broadband operators and with this acquisition further expands its scale and resources to serve its growing customer base. Bill Beans, Congruex's CEO, said, "We are pleased to welcome SEU and its employees to the Congruex platform. Over 50 years of operation, SEU has built a tremendous reputation for exceptional work across its core markets. The acquisition of SEU immediately strengthens Congruex's ability to further support critical infrastructure needs in the Southeastern United States, during these unprecedented times and beyond. Moreover, SEU completes thousands o business as usual projects each year, providing an exceptional foundation for expansion into special project work as the demand for fiber and broadband has never been greater. I am proud that SEU's founder, Chris Walker, will stay on to lead SEU. Keeping founders on post-acquisition is critical to our strategy and long-term success." Christopher Walker, Sr., owner and founder of SEU commented, "We are excited to partner with Congruex's differentiated platform and to capitalize on the truly unique opportunities that SEU has in front of it. Congruex's shared vision, operational expertise and capital resources are a perfect match for SEU. We look forward to collectively expanding our best-in-class offerings across a rapidly accelerating Southeastern market." Congruex was advised by Berg Hill Greenleaf Ruscitti LLP. KeyBanc Capital Markets Inc. led Congruex's debt financing for the transaction, which also included incremental capacity for future acquisition activity. Advisors to the sellers were Macfarlane Ferguson & McMullen and Emerald Capital Advisors. About Congruex Congruex was formed in late 2017 by industry executives, Bill Beans and Kevin O'Hara, in partnership with Crestview Partners. Congruex brings together leading engineering and construction companies across the U.S. into a harmonized platform with capabilities encompassing network development, engineering, construction, mandated road moves, maintenance and operations. Congruex's customers benefit from the integrated skills that it can offer, either as single disciplines or as a turnkey solution with self-perform capabilities. Congruex's engineering services operate nationwide and its construction services operate in the Midwest, California, and now in the Southeast. For more information: www.congruex.com About Crestview Partners Founded in 2004, Crestview is a value-oriented private equity firm focused on the middle market. The firm is based in New York and manages funds with approximately $9 billion of aggregate capital commitments. The firm is led by a group of partners who have complementary experience and distinguished backgrounds in private equity, finance, operations and management. Crestview has senior investment professionals focused on sourcing and managing investments in each of the specialty areas of the firm: media, industrials and financial services. For more information, please visit www.crestview.com. Congruex Contact: Bo Swindell Congruex 303.923.3202 Ext. 110 Bo@congruex.com / sales@congruex.com Media Contact: Daniel Yunger or Jeffrey Taufield Kekst CNC 212-521-4800 daniel.yunger@kekstcnc.com jeffrey.taufield@kekstcnc.com View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/congruex-acquires-southeast-utilities-of-georgia-and-expands-broadband-construction-operations-across-five-states-in-southeast-region-301086465.html SOURCE Congruex [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [July 01, 2020] Svatantra's Home Insurance Helping Amphan Affected Rebuild Their Houses MUMBAI, July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Svatantra Microfin Private Limited, is a next-gen technology-driven Microfinance Company that operates in rural areas of India, offers not just micro credit but a bouquet of financial services - Cashless Health Insurance, Personal Accident and Home Insurance. The comprehensive list of offerings is designed as per the needs of rural customers. In the wake of the recent calamity due to Cyclone 'Amphan' in the coastal areas of West Bengal and Odisha, Svatantra Microfin's Home Insurance (Standard Fire Special Peril Policy) has proved a key to recover from this 'Act of God' devastation. Several coastal districts of West Bengal and Odisha are still reeling under the aftermath of the Cyclone. Under the Home Insurance, client house is insured against damage to house due to fire, lightning, storm, Implosion, Explosion Flash Floods, thereby giving the impacted clients a much needed help to rebuild their houses. Svatantra's offerings benefitted a little above 2000 families with claims amouning to INR 2 Crores, the claim money will help clients reconstruct their houses and a chance to reset their lives. About Svatantra Microfin Private Limited (Svatantra) Svatantra Microfin Pvt. Ltd. headquartered in Mumbai was incorporated in 2012 by Ms. Ananya Birla. The company started its operations in Mar-13. In a short span, Svatantra has emerged as the most differentiated process and technology-driven microfinance entity, which offers micro-credit at the lowest rates in the country. Svatantra today with a team of 4000 + employees serves over a million rural women customers across 14 states with a GLP of over INR 2,602 Crs. The organisation provides affordable financial and non-financial solutions suiting the requirement of the rural women, who are entrepreneurs themselves. The company was one of the first microfinance institution to receive the Non-Banking Financial Company - Microfinance Institution (NBFC-MFI) license from the Reserve Bank of India. Svatantra's list of Industry recognition includes: Economic Times BFSI Innovation Tribe Summit & Awards 2020, Skoch order of merit 2017, BFSI CTO Summit best technology initiative in 2017, and Skoch Financial Inclusion and Deepening Award in 2014. The company is also CRISIL rated A+ and ICRA graded M1. Great Place to Work recognised Svatantra amongst the top 25 best workplaces in BFSI segment for the year 2020. For more information about the company please visit www.svatantramicrofin.com Media Contact: Sangita Das sangita.das@svatantra.adityabirla.com, +91-8828342598 Manager - Corporate Communications Svatantra Microfin Private Limited [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [July 01, 2020] Anchore and Carahsoft Partner to Provide Container-Based Security to the Public Sector SANTA BARBARA, Ca. and RESTON, Va., July 01, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Anchore , experts in container workflow, analysis and security, and Carahsoft Technology Corp ., The Trusted Government IT Solutions Provider, today announced a partnership. Under the agreement, Carahsoft will serve as Anchores Master Government Aggregator, making Anchores container security inspection platform available to the public sector through Carahsofts NASA Solutions for Enterprise-Wide Procurement (SEWP) V and Maryland Commercial Off the Shelf Software (COTS) contracts and the companys reseller partners. In addition, Anchore is available under Carahsofts U.S. Air Force DevSecOps BOA, which is established to support the U.S. Air Force LevelUP mission as well as the DevSecOps goals of the greater Department of Defense (DoD) and related agencies. We chose Carahsoft as our Master Government Aggregator based on their ability to effectively address the broad and complex public sector market, said Craig Bowman, Vice President of Public Sector at Anchore. Organizations building and deploying cloud-native technologies including the DoD and civilian agencies such as the DHS, VA, and HHS need Anchore to manage an increasingly fragmented and dynamic software supply chain. With this partnership, we can use policy-based compliance to secure workflows across the public sector. Anchores container inspection and analytics platform provides deep container image inspection, analysis, scanning, reporting and verification to ensure that DevSecOps workflows run efficiently without compromise. This offering is comprised of three comprehensive solutions: Anchore Enterprise A complete container security workflow solution that allows developers to perform detailed comprehensive image analysis to expose risks, unsafe configurations and other vulnerabilities. Enterprise can be implemented through an API or CLI, allowing seamless integration and full access to all of Enterprises capabilities. A complete container security workflow solution that allows developers to perform detailed comprehensive image analysis to expose risks, unsafe configurations and other vulnerabilities. Enterprise can be implemented through an API or CLI, allowing seamless integration and full access to all of Enterprises capabilities. Anchore Engine An open source tool that provides a centralized service for deep inspection on container images and vulnerability analysis to generate a softwre bill of materials. This highly customizable tool seamlessly integrates into CI/CD systems and continuously monitors policies when images are updated. An open source tool that provides a centralized service for deep inspection on container images and vulnerability analysis to generate a softwre bill of materials. This highly customizable tool seamlessly integrates into CI/CD systems and continuously monitors policies when images are updated. Anchore Federal A policy first container security tool suited for Federal agencies that meet security requirements ranging from DOD-IL-2 to DOD-IL-6. Anchore Federals image scanning and analysis provides end-to-end security and compliance that meets TIG and NIST standards and FedRAMP guidelines. As container use in agencies DevSecOps pipelines continues to rise, the need to protect those containers from threats also increases, said Natalie Gregory, Vice President of Sales at Carahsoft. Anchores mission to help users create and deploy trusted software quickly and efficiently alleviates those risks. We look forward to working with Anchore and our reseller partners to bring security-first solutions to the public sector. The Anchore container-based security platform is available through Carahsofts SEWP V contracts NNG15SC03B and NNG15SC27B, U.S. Air Force BOA FA8307-20-G-0004, and Maryland COTS contract 060B2490021. For more information, contact the Anchore team at Carahsoft at (703)-871-8570 or Anchore@Carahsoft.com ; or register for Red Hat and Anchore Discuss DevSecOps in the DoD on Wednesday, July 15, 2020 at 3:00 p.m. EST. About Anchore Anchore, Inc., based in Santa Barbara, CA, was founded in 2016 by Said Ziouani and Daniel Nurmi to help organizations implement secure container-based workflows using Anchore Engine and Anchore Enterprise. With Anchore, DevSecOps teams establish policy-based approaches to container compliance without compromising velocity. Customers range from Fortune 100 companies to small- and mid-sized customers. Anchore is trusted by modern software development companies across the globe. For more information, visit anchore.com . Contact: Lisa Sheeran press@anchore.com About Carahsoft Carahsoft Technology Corp. is The Trusted Government IT Solutions Provider. As a top-performing GSA Schedule and SEWP contract holder, Carahsoft serves as the Master Government Aggregator for many of its best-of-breed technology vendors, supporting an extensive ecosystem of manufacturers, value-added resellers, system integrators and consulting partners committed to helping government agencies select and implement the best solution at the best possible value. The companys dedicated Solutions Divisions proactively market, sell and deliver Anchore, VMware, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Palo Alto Networks, Symantec, Veritas, McAfee, Dell, Adobe, F5 Networks, Google Cloud, ServiceNow, Open Source, Micro Focus Government Solutions, SAP, Salesforce, and Innovative and Intelligence products and services, among others. Carahsoft is consistently recognized by its partners as a top revenue producer and is listed annually among the industrys fastest growing and largest firms by CRN, Inc., Forbes, Washington Technology, The Washington Post, Washington Business Journal, and Bloomberg Government. Visit us at www.carahsoft.com or follow us on Twitter and Facebook . Contact Mary Lange (703) 230-7434 pr@carahsoft.com [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Meghalaya villagers seek Bangladesh help for road construction Shillong, Jul 1(UNI) Irate residents of four villages along the India-Bangladesh border in Meghalaya's East Jaintia Hills district have decided to seek assistance from the Bangladesh government to come to their rescue to construct a viable road in their villages. The residents of Hingaria, Huroi, Lahalein and Lejri villages have been running from pillar to post to draw the attention of the state government to construct and build the road, however the Meghalaya and Central government have not taken any note of it. The people are frustrated and tired. Recently, public meetings have been held in the villages to discuss our course of action, given the fact that the government is not serious enough to build the road for us. We have unanimously decided that it is better for the government to give the four villages and its 5000 plus population to Bangladesh if the government is not willing to construct the road for us," said Kynjaimon Amse, spokesperson of the four villages. VMware Extends No. 1 Ranking in Cloud System and Service Management According to Global Analyst Firm VMware, Inc. (NYSE: VMW), a leading innovator in enterprise software, today announced that leading analyst firm IDC (News - Alert) has ranked VMware No. 1 in worldwide cloud system and service management software(1) based on IDC calculations of calendar year 2019 revenues. VMware's continued commitment to helping customers operate their hybrid cloud and multi-cloud environments is enabling them to achieve higher levels of productivity, cost savings and compliance. "Customers have responded enthusiastically to the latest version of the VMware vRealize Suite-and with the recent release of VMware vRealize Operations Cloud-the delivery of our entire cloud management portfolio as SaaS (News - Alert) ," said Ajay Singh, senior vice president and general manager, Cloud Management Business Unit, VMware. "Their continued support has helped VMware again to the No. 1 spot in the IDC Cloud System Management Software Market Share category." Achieving the No. 1 Slot in a Fast-Growing Sector: Cloud System and Service Management According to the IDC report, "Worldwide Cloud System and Service Management Software Market Shares, 2019: SaaS and ITOM Drive Growth," VMware's share was more than five percentage points ahead of the No. 2 ranked vendor. The report states, "SaaS-based delivery of cloud system and service management solutions continued to increase in 2019." IDC points to a few VMware initiatives that contributed to its ongoing leadership in the space, including a greater focus on its SaaS-based cloud management portfolio to enable flexibility as environments become more heterogeneous. VMware expanded its portfolio of SaaS-based offerings with the introduction of VMware vRealize Operations Cloud, the self-driving operations solution. The report adds: "Automation and monitoring of the core vSphere infrastructure will continue to be supported by vRealize and its parallel SaaS services including Tanzu Observability (formerly Wavefront)." Read the complete IDC repot (registration required) at: Additional Resources About VMware VMware software powers the world's complex digital infrastructure. The company's cloud, app modernization, networking, security, and digital workspace offerings help customers deliver any application on any cloud across any device. Headquartered in Palo Alto (News - Alert) , California, VMware is committed to being a force for good, from its breakthrough technology innovations to its global impact. For more information, please visit https://www.vmware.com/company.html. VMware, vRealize, Tanzu, Tanzu Observability, and VMware Cloud are registered trademarks or trademarks of VMware, Inc. in the United States and other jurisdictions. This article may contain hyperlinks to non-VMware websites that are created and maintained by third parties who are solely responsible for the content on such websites. (1) IDC, "Worldwide Cloud System and Service Management Software Market Shares, 2019: SaaS and ITOM Drive Growth," doc #US45083420e, May 2020 View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200701005260/en/ [July 01, 2020] Quantum Workplace Honors Four Customer Companies With Its Annual Employee Voice Award Quantum Workplace, a leading provider of comprehensive employee engagement and performance software, announced today the winners of its annual Employee Voice Award (EVA). Quantum (News - Alert) Workplace's EVA honors organizations that excel in the employee engagement arena. To be considered, award candidates must have demonstrated their dedication to making work better every day through collecting, analyzing and acting upon employee feedback. These organizations are ensuring their employees feel valued and heard. These entities also understand that both employee and business success go hand-in-hand. The companies are selected for their efforts in making a difference in workplace culture while positioning themselves as employers of choice. This year, Quantum Workplace honored one company each across four different categories: Category: Change Navigator - Recognizes entities that have successfully navigated a change management strategy and helped employees adapt through transition. Company: BKD CPAs & Advisors, Springfield, Mo. BKD CPAs & Advisors, one of the largest U.S. accounting and advisory firms, was awarded the Change Navigator Award, which recognizes companies for successfully navigating a change management strategy. BKD redesigned performance management to enhance and support more timely and relevant feedback for employees. BKD was honored for shifting from a traditional, time-consuming approach to a more agile one that encourages employee-owned growth. The change resulted in more consistent, ongoing and effective manager-employee conversations, and also revealed that nine out of 10 employees would recommend the new program to others. Category: Excellence in Engagement - Recognizes entities that have demonstrated their commitment to creating an outstanding workplace culture. Company: Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Cambridge, Mass. Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, a biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of RNA interference therapeutics for genetically defined diseases, was awarded the Excellence in Engagement Award. Alnylam moved from providing observational insights to data-driven intelligence for employees, using engagement and pulse surveys. Their findings led to several new initiatives, which strengthen their people-first culture and allows the company to retain talent amid the highly competitive market in which it operates. Company turnover rte is now 28 percent below industry average (according to industry reports). Category: Quantum Transformation - Recognizes entities that have implemented an employee engagement strategy that drove workplace transformation. ChenMed, Miami, Fla. ChenMed, a value-based VIP primary care provider for seniors on Medicare Advantage, was bestowed the Quantum Transformation Award for its ability to transform its culture. Relying heavily on insights from engagement and pulse surveys, ChenMed focused on initiatives consistent with its vision to become America's leading primary care provider in transforming care of the neediest populations. Initiatives included teambuilding and volunteer opportunities, employee-led culture committees, ambassador programs, lifecycle surveys and recognition programs. These programs resulted in decreased levels of both turnover and involuntary terminations, and a five percent increase in the favorability of ChenMed's employer brand. Category: Teamwork Triumph - Recognizes entities that shifted employee engagement efforts from solely a human resources (HR)-focused function to one championed by non-HR teams within the organization, emphasizing companywide commitment to workplace culture. Company: Monotype, Woburn, Mass. Monotype, which empowers creative minds to build and express authentic brands through design, technology and expertise, was presented the Teamwork Triumph Award, recognizing efforts of their non-HR-based, cross-functional team, created to take ownership of key employee initiatives. This team, comprised of leaders across the organization, was responsible for conducting engagement and pulse surveys, implementing reward and recognition programs, and strengthening employee communication. Their efforts decentralized employee engagement and workplace culture from solely an HR function by transforming it into a companywide commitment. After the team was implemented, the company saw an 18 percent increase in favorability regarding employees' understanding and alignment of strategies and goals. "It is always an honor to present our annual EVA to customers that have truly shifted their enterprises. These companies are putting the feedback they collect to work by facilitating change, shifting their workplace cultures and working toward positively affecting employee engagement across their entire organizations," explained Greg Harris, Quantum Workplace co-founder and chief executive officer. "Each of these customers demonstrated the power and benefits of the employee engagement tools they executed, and how they successfully impacted and improved the employee experience and culture. They are all well-deserving of their respective recognitions," Harris added. As part of the application process, all candidates provided Quantum Workplace with a narrative and supporting documentation that included a description of the challenge they faced, the strategy and solutions employed to overcome it along with metrics to demonstrate how their efforts led to employee and business success. About Quantum Workplace Quantum Workplace, a human resources technology provider, delivers modern tools for employee success that high-performance organizations have come to rely upon. Nearly 20 years ago, the Company pioneered some of the earliest employee engagement and performance software, and has since partnered with thousands of organizations to elevate employee, team, and business success. Quantum Workplace helps leaders connect the dots between engagement and performance with intuitive and user-friendly tools including comprehensive and automated employee surveys; goal setting and tracking tools; peer-to-peer recognition; real-time feedback; continuous one on one conversations; smart talent reviews; and, robust people analytics. With 9,000 organizations surveyed annually, Quantum Workplace has grown into North America's largest database of employee engagement data-through its core engagement and performance platform and nationally recognized Best Places to Work program. To learn more, visit www.quantumworkplace.com or connect with the Company on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200701005268/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [July 01, 2020] Digerati Provides Update of its Planned Acquisition of Nexogy, Inc. SAN ANTONIO, July 01, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Digerati Technologies, Inc. (OTCQB: DTGI ) ("Digerati" or the Company), a provider of cloud services specializing in UCaaS (Unified Communications as a Service) solutions for the small to medium-sized business (SMB) market, is pleased to provide an update to its previously announced definitive agreement to acquire Miami-based Nexogy, Inc. (Nexogy), a leading provider of cloud communication and broadband solutions tailored for businesses. The Company and Nexogy have extended the outside date for closing the transaction to August 14, 2020. The Company has continued to work closely with its lenders over the last few months in the midst of the COVID-19 Pandemic to close the Nexogy transaction and its fourth (4th) acquisition. The planned senior debt facility will fund the Companys next series of acquisitions and facilitate a more streamlined approach to funding future targets in the Companys acquisition pipeline. As previously announced, Digerati has also completed initial due diligence on its 4th acquisition and is proceeding with the transaction by seeking FCC approval required for closing the transaction. The combined business (T3 Communications, Nexogy and fourth (4th) acquisition) will serve over 2,600 business customers and approximately 28,000 users while generating over $14 Million in annual revenue with improved EBITDA resulting from cost synergies and consolidation savings. Arthur L. Smith, Chief Executive Officer of Digerati, commented, While working closely with our lenders on the financing of the transaction, we have continued to work with management from both acquisition targets in refining our post-closing tactical plan and identifying opportunities for growth and operational efficiencies. We look forward to continued progress towards closing these transactions and securing the additional strong and predictable recurring revenue with high gross margins that we anticipate will be immediately accretive to earnings. About Nexogy, Inc. Nexogy is a leading provider of unified communications as a service (UCaaS) and managed services, offering a portfolio of cloud-based solutions to the small to medium-sized business market and erving over 1,500 business accounts and 14,000 users across various industries including Education, Health Care, Financial Services, and Real Estate. Based in Miami, Nexogy is a single-source provider that allows businesses and multi-location organizations to leverage flexible, cloud-based services without the need for high capital expenditures required for legacy systems. The product set include a diverse cloud solution consisting of voice PBX, broadband data, collaboration, and managed services. For more information about Nexogy, please visit www.nexogy.com. About Digerati Technologies, Inc . Digerati Technologies, Inc. (OTCQB: DTGI ) is a provider of cloud services specializing in UCaaS (Unified Communications as a Service) solutions for the business market. Through its subsidiary, T3 Communications (www.T3com.com), the Company is meeting the global needs of businesses seeking simple, flexible, reliable, and cost-effective communication and network solutions, including cloud PBX, cloud mobile, Internet broadband, SD-WAN, SIP trunking, and customized VoIP services, all delivered on its carrier-grade network and Only in the Cloud. For more information about Digerati Technologies, please visit www.digerati-inc.com . Forward-Looking Statements The information in this news release includes certain forward-looking statements that are based upon assumptions that in the future may prove not to have been accurate and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties, including statements related to the future financial performance of the Company. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations or any of its forward-looking statements will prove to be correct. Factors that could cause results to differ include, but are not limited to, successful execution of growth strategies, product development and acceptance, the impact of competitive services and pricing, general economic conditions, and other risks and uncertainties described in the Company's periodic filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has provided guidance to issuers regarding the use of social media to disclose material non-public information. In this regard, investors and others should note that we announce material financial information on the website of our investor relations company, www.TheWaypointRefinery.com , in addition to SEC filings, press releases, public conference calls and webcasts. We use these channels as well as social media to communicate with the public about our Company, our services and other issues. It is possible that the information we post on social media could be deemed to be material information. Therefore, in light of the SECs guidance, we encourage investors, the media, and others interested in our Company to review the information we post on the following U.S. social media channels: Facebook: Digerati Technologies, Inc. Twitter: @DIGERATI_IR LinkedIn: Digerati Technologies, Inc. The Waypoint Refinery, LLC (973) 303-9649 www.thewaypointrefinery.com Investors: IR@digerati-inc.com The Eversull Group Jack Eversull jack@theeversullgroup.com (972) 571-1624 [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [July 01, 2020] VyOS and FastNetMon Announce Integration BARCELONA, Spain and LONDON, July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Sentrium has established a partnership with FastNetMon to provide official support for those customers who are interested not only in a reliable router but also in protection against various DDoS attacks. This collaboration will help bring both companies in a position to give more value to current customers and attract new ones. The advantage of such cooperation is the opportunity for customers to get a powerful customizable platform for network devices with the ability to detect and filter out only malicious traffic flowing into or from the customer's network. VyOS is known as a fully open-source network OS that runs on a wide range of hardware, virtual machines, and cloud providers and offers features for any networks, small and large. Yuriy Andamasov, Community and Business Coordinator of VyOS Project said: "We are greatly interested when it comes to collaboration with FastNetMon. This partnership is very exciting for both organizations. It combines the solutions which, through defined development and testing methodologies, will satisfy the needs of even the most demanding customers. We believe that the best way to reach and support more small, mid-sized, and enterprise businesses and their clients is via this integration." Pavel Odintsov, Project Founder said: ''Weare really happy to start our cooperation with VyOS project and offer smooth integration between our products for benefits of the customers. Routing platform configuration for reliable and fast DDoS detection is very challenging task and we're going to rely on proven and solid platform provided by VyOS team to address this challenge.'' While the main development of the joint integration of both products are in the process, learn more about using use FastNetMon Advanced with VyOS routing on the links: - FastNetMon VyOS Netflow configuration - FastNetMon VyOS sFlow v5 configuration About VyOS VyOS project started in 2013 as a fork of Vyatta Core when the open-source Vyatta version was discontinued. Now VyOS is a fully open-source network OS that provides a wide range of features for any network, from small business to Internet service provider. It runs on commodity x86 hardware from desktop router boards to large servers, as well as virtualized in all popular hypervisors and multiple cloud hosting platforms including VMware, KVM, Xen, Amazon EC2, Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud Platform and more. Its aim is to provide the reliability and user experience of traditional hardware routers, without getting tied to any specified hardware or software vendor. Unified command-line interface and HTTP API for all functions, built-in configuration versioning and archiving, and reversible image upgrades allow network admins to make configuration changes easily. https://sentrium.io, https://vyos.io About FastNetMon FastNetMon was started as an open-source project for DDoS detection. From the first days of the project, we were heavily committed to the open-source community. FastNetMon protects more than nine thousand customers from DDoS. It can detect all most popular volumetric attack types and immediately block them with BGP blackhole or BGP flow spec rules (in Advanced Edition only). Solid support for all top network vendors provides easy and fast set up on a network. FastNetMon is a very high-performance DDoS detector built on top of multiple packet capture engines: NetFlow, IPFIX, sFlow, and SPAN/port mirror. Instant attack detection (from 2 sec), unlimited scalability (tested up to 2.5 Tbits and 3 millions of flow/s) and rich traffic reports provide reliable protection of your network. https://fastnetmon.com Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1135214/Sentrium_Vyos_Logo.jpg [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [July 01, 2020] Wolters Kluwer Triumphs in Operational Risk Awards The Compliance Program Management (CPM) business of Wolters Kluwer Compliance Solutions has won two prestigious awards celebrating excellence and innovation in operational risk. Financial Technologies Forum (FTF) News has named OneSumX its Best Operational Risk Management solution in its hotly contested 2020 Technology Innovation Awards. RegTech Insights, meanwhile, has named the solution its Best Vendor Solution for Managing Operational Risk in its highly competitive 2020 awards for a second year running. Wolters Kluwer Compliance Program Management offers solutions that enable chief compliance officers at banks, securities, and insurance companies to stay on top of compliance with a myriad of financial and non-financial regulations. OneSumX for Operational Risk enables financial services organizations to meet and adapt to internal operational risk requirements by automating and simplifying the process of collecting, storing, analyzing, tracking and reporting on information relevant to operational losses and risk and control assessments. The RegTech Insight awards are organized by A Team Group, the financial technology news service and content consultancy firm founded by ex-Wall Street Journal, Risk and Waters magazine journalists in 2001. The RegTech Insight Advisory Board, tasked with choosing the shortlist for the awards, includes senior representatives from major banking groups including Barclays, BNY Mellon, Credit Suisse, Deutsche Bank, JP Morgan (News - Alert) Chase, Societe Generale and Standard Chartered. FTF News was founded in 2006 by an experienced team of publishers and journalists, with backgrounds at Dow Jone, Trading Technology Week and other leading financial news services. Its U.S.-based team is highly-respected and its annual awards are regarded as being among the preeminent accolades celebrating excellence and innovation in financial technology. "On behalf of Wolters Kluwer I would like to thank the A Team Group and FTF News for recognizing the superior technology and user functionality of OneSumX for Operational Risk. Independent recognition of our market leading position in this important area for us is always welcome news," said Steven Meirink, Executive Vice President and General Manager of Wolters Kluwer's Compliance Solutions business. "Our customers in Europe and the U.S. are faced with ever mounting operational risk pressures, now more than ever, and we continue to address customer requirements through OneSumX for Operational Risk." Wolters Kluwer Compliance Solutions is a market leader and trusted provider of risk management and regulatory compliance solutions and services to U.S. banks and credit unions, insurers and securities firms. The business, which sits within Wolters Kluwer's Governance, Risk & Compliance (GRC) division, helps these financial institutions efficiently manage compliance obligations tied to loan and deposit origination transactions and workflows, manage risk and other regulatory compliance obligations, and gain the insights needed to focus on better serving their customers and growing their business. Wolters Kluwer's GRC division offers a range of expert solutions to help the financial services industry respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. Its Compliance Solutions business, for example, offers Paycheck Protection Program Supported by TSoftPlus to support stimulus loan applications and loan forgiveness processes under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act or U.S. CARES Act. Wolters Kluwer Lien Solutions, meanwhile, has also recently established a technology solution specifically designed to help U.S. lenders navigate Paycheck Protection Program loan applications, and associated compliance and risk mitigation requirements, resulting from the CARES Act. The Business Entity Search for CARES Act solution conducts bulk/batch corporate identity searches to verify the business status of potential borrowers. About Wolters Kluwer Governance, Risk & Compliance Governance, Risk & Compliance (GRC) is a division of Wolters Kluwer, which provides legal and banking professionals with solutions to ensure compliance with ever-changing regulatory and legal obligations, manage risk, increase efficiency, and produce better business outcomes. GRC offers a portfolio of technology-enabled expert services and solutions focused on legal entity compliance, legal operations management, banking product compliance, and banking regulatory compliance. Wolters Kluwer (AEX: WKL) is a global leader in information services and solutions for professionals in the health, tax and accounting, risk and compliance, finance and legal sectors. Wolters Kluwer reported 2019 annual revenues of 4.6 billion. The company, headquartered in Alphen aan den Rijn, the Netherlands, serves customers in over 180 countries, maintains operations in over 40 countries and employs 19,000 people worldwide. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200701005148/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [July 01, 2020] Appear TV Introduces Zero-latency intoPIX JPEG XS Technology in the X Platform intoPIX is excited to announce that Appear TV, a leading provider of next-generation video processing platforms for broadcast and streaming has integrated the new JPEG XS codec in the X platform. Recently standardized at ISO JPEG as JPEG XS, the new codec offers best-in-class uncompressed quality for HDR (News - Alert) & SDR content with an unmatched latency of less than 1 millisecond. The Appear X platform is a dedicated highly customizable solution for video transport in networks, enhanced IP security and advanced compression specifically designed for remote production, contribution and distribution applications. "We are excited to announce the near zero-latency JPEG XS solution running on our X platform" said Carl Walter Holst, CEO Appear TV (News - Alert) . "I am impressed with the engineering capabilities of the intoPIX R&D team to create and deliver this new JPEGXS standard. With the quality of uncompressed video, a sub 1ms latency video codec. There is no longer delays in contribution links for live production". "The Appear TV X platform is fantastic in terms of modularity and flexibility for video networking applications. We are happy to serve Appear TV and proud to be part of their successful deployment" said Gael Rouvroy, intoPIX CEO. The two companies welcome everybody to contact their respective sales teams to sample the intoPIX JPEG XS solutions and the Appear TV X platform. About Appear TV Appear TV, based in Oslo, Norway, is dedicated to designing and producing world class equipment and solutions for the delivery of professional video services. The company's mission is to deliver unique products that open up new opportunities for video distribution. Appear works closely with its customers to ensure that they are at the forefront of technology and at the same time offer user friendly products. More info on www.appeartv.com About intoPIX intoPIX is a leading technology provider of innovative compression, image processing and security solutions. We deliver unique FPGA/ASIC IP cores and efficient software solution (on CPU & GPU) to manage more pixels, preserve quality with no latency, save cost & power and simplify connectivity. We are passionate about offering people a higher quality image experience. Our solutions enable the Broadcast industry to build new bandwidth-efficient live production workflows, reducing operating costs in HD, 4K or even 8K, replacing uncompressed video, enabling remote production and preserving always the lowest latency and the highest quality. More info on www.intopix.com >> Press Release images are available here >> More Press images are available here View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200701005340/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [July 01, 2020] Thomas Launches New Certified Thomas Agency Program Thomas, the leader in product sourcing, supplier selection, and marketing solutions for industry, today announced the launch of the Certified Thomas Agency program to help support agencies serving the manufacturing and industrial space. Through this new program, agencies will be able to increase exposure, engagement, and lead generation for their customers. "Every city has a talented advertising agency working with local industrial and manufacturing companies. These agencies have been reaching out to Thomas for years, asking us to make it easier for them to buy and use our products and services on behalf of their clients. Based on their feedback we're excited to announce our new Certified Thomas Agency program. We've created this program specifically with ad agencies in mind; making it easy for them to buy Thomasnet.com programs and products by providing them access to a tailored system, data, and analytics to help them serve their industrial and manufacturing customers," said Thomas President and CEO, Tony Uphoff. Certified Thomas Agency partners can help their manufacturing clients engage the 1.1 million registered buyers, engineers, MROs, and decision-makers on the Thomasnet.com platform using 70,000 industrial categories and video advertising services. They will be able to generate guaranteed leads from high-value prospects for their customers using more than 1,000 demographic filters for precise targeting of the Thomas audience. Partners can leverage the distribution reach of the Thomas raceParts Network to provide CAD files on 46 different global platforms and generate leads from design engineers all over the world. For those manufacturing companies looking to engage industrial decision-makers at high volume, a Certified Thomas Agency can provide access to the 310,000+ subscribers of the Thomas Industry Update newsletter. This program also allows agencies to leverage Thomas WebTrax to identify more opportunities early in the buying cycle on both Thomasnet.com and their own website. "In response to the impacts of COVID-19 and tariffs on Chinese goods, 64% of North American manufacturers are looking to reshore their supply chains right now. We want to support agencies as they work to help their manufacturing customers engage all of that sourcing activity on the Thomasnet.com platform," said Thomas Director of Partner Programs, Robert Luther. This program also provides a strong alternative for marketing agencies struggling with the absence of trade shows. More than 60% of manufacturers have had their sales and marketing strategies impacted by the disruption of the trade show industry. The Certified Thomas Agency program provides the opportunity for agency customers to engage industrial prospects 24/7/365, instead of just over a few days at a trade show. For 122 years Thomas has helped connect industrial buyers and suppliers to help get their jobs done. To learn more about the Certified Thomas Agency program and how to become a part of this legacy, contact Thomas today. About Thomas Thomas provides actionable information, data, analysis, and tools that align with and support today's industrial buying process. Its solutions include the Thomas Network at Thomasnet.com, industry's largest and most active buyer/supplier network. Through Thomas Marketing Services, the company provides full-service industrial marketing programs and website development. Thomas Product Data Solutions helps manufacturers connect with design engineers through advanced CAD/BIM and data syndication services. Thomas Industrial Data supplies sourcing and supply chain trend data to media, investors, analysts, and researchers to provide market insight and inform decision making. Thomas WebTrax provides opportunity intelligence on in-market buyers to help marketing and sales teams track, identify, and engage high-value prospects. Thomas Insights delivers original content to help marketers and supply chain professionals inform their decision-making, through leading titles including Inbound Logistics, Thomas Industry Update, Industrial Equipment News (IEN), and the Thomas Index. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200701005166/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Impossible Foods Collaborates with Local Human to Address Food Insecurity Impossible Foods is collaborating with apparel retailer Local Human to address food insecurity in America, which has become an acute crisis due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200701005325/en/ The limited-edition "Food Fam" t-shirts (Photo: Business Wire) Together, the California-based startups are launching a limited edition, eco-friendly "Food Fam" t-shirt, which will be on sale only through July 31, 2020 at localhuman.co. Co-developed by Impossible's in-house creative team, "Food Fam" represents the opportunity to come together to build a more equitable and sustainable food system. For each shirt sold, five Impossible Burgers will be donated to LA Regional Food Bank and $10 will be donated to No Kid Hungry. No Kid Hungry is working to ensure all kids get the food they need during this crisis and in its aftermath. "Food insecurity continues to rise in the US, and Black people continue to make up a disproportionate share of the hungry. Food Fam represents the opportunity for all of us to come together, take action against social injustice, and change our broken food system," said Isaac Rochell, co-founder of Local Human and defensive end for the Los Angeles Chargers. "Local Human has been working to support urgent needs in our communities since the start of COVID-19, and Impossible Foods is the perfect partner to further expand our impact. We need to build a healthier planet for the future of our kids - and this starts with building a more equitable and sustainable food system immediately." The hunger crisis behind the pandemic Despite America's status as one of the richest countries on Earth, more than 11 million children in the United States live with "food insecurity." That means their homes don't have enough food for every family member to lead a healthy life. In normal times, one in seven US kids suffers from food insecurity. The COVID-19 pandemic has turned the longstanding problem of hunger into an acute crisis. In addition, widespread school closures have eliminated a once-reliable source of free or subsidized breakfasts and lunches. Since April, more than one in five households in the United States, and two in five households with mothers with children 12 and under, are food insecure. As the crisis mounts, Impossible Foods has expanded its 2-year-old donations program, which serves at-risk citizens -- from the homeless to students and families. Since the start of the pandemic, Impossible Foods has donated more than 100,000 pounds of product -- more than 500,000 quarter-pound Impossible Burgers -- to food banks. In addition, Impossible Foods hosted a virtual Cook-A-Thon in May. The online variety show successfully raised $33,934 for No Kid Hungry, and featured award-winning chef Traci Des Jardins, director/actor/author/winemaker Eric Wareheim, actor and comedian Kal Penn, musician Richard Marx, and entrepreneur Alexis Ohanian. The event also celebrated the release of Impossible: The Cookbook (Chronicle Books, $29.99). Foreach book sold on Amazon, $3 are donated to No Kid Hungry. "Impossible Foods is proud to partner with Isaac Rochell and the Local Human team to support the LA community," said Jessica Appelgren, Vice President of Communications at Impossible Foods. "Local Human is using their platform and the power of design to mobilize the at-home population to help families and communities in need, and together we hope to invite more people into the important work of changing the food system." Delicious, nutritious, ubiquitous Named top plant-based burger by the New York Times, Impossible Burger rivals ground beef from cows for taste, and it's also nutritious and versatile in all ground meat recipes, including stews, chili, sauces, braises, minces, meatballs, meat pies or any other beefy menu item. It's easy to cook on an outdoor BBQ grill, flat top, Instant Pot, high speed oven, steamer or saute pan. Inc. Magazine's company of the year and one of Time Magazine's 50 Genius companies, Impossible Foods continues to supply thousands of restaurants -- from large chains to mainstreet diners. Impossible Burger is available at Burger King, White Castle, Red Robin, Cheesecake Factory, Hard Rock Cafe and thousands of independent restaurants. Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Impossible Foods has also accelerated its nationwide brick-and-mortar and online retail expansion, and has launched collaborations with restaurants nationwide to sell Impossible Burger inventory directly to consumers. Some of the most innovative restaurants, including Prairie in San Francisco, Grindhouse Killer Burgers in Atlanta and Founding Farmers in the Midatlantic region, have set up online "general stores" where they sell Impossible Burger inventory, food kits and cooked items in their kitchens and warehouses. Impossible Burger is available at thousands of restaurants and more than 5,000 grocery stores nationwide. Please find the nearest location to you at www.impossiblefoods.com. About Impossible Foods: Based in California's Silicon Valley, Impossible Foods makes delicious, nutritious meat and dairy products from plants - with a much smaller environmental footprint than meat from animals. The privately held food tech startup was founded in 2011 by Patrick O. Brown, M.D., Ph.D., Professor Emeritus of Biochemistry at Stanford University and a former Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator. Investors include Mirae Asset Global Investments, Khosla Ventures, Bill Gates (News - Alert) , Google Ventures, Horizons Ventures, UBS, Viking Global Investors, Temasek, Sailing Capital, and Open Philanthropy Project. Impossible Foods was Inc. Magazine's company of the year and one of Time Magazine's 50 Genius companies. The flagship product, Impossible Burger, was named top plant-based burger by the New York Times and received the Food and Beverage (FABI) Award from the National Restaurant Association. More information: impossiblefoods.com Twitter Facebook Instagram YouTube Medium LinkedIn Media kit: www.impossiblefoods.com/media View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200701005325/en/ [July 01, 2020] Diversity Marketing Consortium Launches in Partnership with Harlem Capital In an effort to help offset systemic racial and gender-based inequality for diverse founders, public relations agency SourceCode Communications, employee experience agency Cheer Partners, influencer agency Social Studies, and performance marketing agency Superbolt are uniting to form the Diversity Marketing Consortium. In partnership with Harlem Capital (HCP), an early-stage venture capital firm committed to investing in underrepresented founders, the group commits to providing $1.5 million in marketing services to women and minority-led startups over the course of two years. The Diversity Marketing Consortium was formed with a mutual recognition that women and minorities do not have equal access to opportunities, a structural reality in our country that has been highlighted by continued racial injustices. Further, the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated such inequities, disproportionately impacting women and minority-owned businesses. Between February and April 2020, the number of women-owned businesses declined by 25% while the number of Black and Latinx owned businesses decreased by 41% and 32%, respectively. While our country works to repair such systemic inequities, the Diversity Marketing Consortium aimsto provide support to underrepresented businesses immediately. The time for change is now, and long overdue. "As a Black-led investment firm focused on economically empowering women and minority founders, we are driven by our charge to help underrepresented startup teams thrive. We are excited to partner with the Diversity Marketing Consortium to help accelerate diverse founders in our portfolio and in the startup ecosystem," said Harlem Capital Managing Partner, Henri Pierre-Jacques. The Diversity Marketing Consortium commits to providing $1.5 million in marketing services to diverse founders over the course of two years in partnership with Harlem Capital. The recipient companies will include those in HCP's portfolio as well as other startups via an open call for applicants and HCP's pitch competition. "It's our duty to do better and be a part of the change to narrow the race and gender gap in the entrepreneurial ecosystem. While there is still a lot of work to do as a society to ensure that diverse founders are given more opportunities, the Diversity Marketing Consortium is committed to using our skills and resources to help level the playing field," said Greg Mondshein, founder of the Diversity Marketing Consortium and Managing Partner of SourceCode Communications. "We're honored and humbled to partner with Harlem Capital, Cheer Partners, Social Studies, and Superbolt to further empower women and minority founders." For more information, please visit diversitymarketingconsortium.com. ABOUT THE DIVERSITY MARKETING CONSORTIUM Founded in 2020, the Diversity Marketing Consortium was formed in an effort to help offset systemic racial and gender-based inequity for women and minority founders. The Diversity Marketing Consortium's mission is to help level the playing field for underrepresented founders by providing pro bono marketing services. For more information, please visit diversitymarketingconsortium.com. ABOUT HARLEM CAPITAL Harlem Capital (HCP) is a New York based early-stage venture capital firm on a mission to change the face of entrepreneurship by investing in 1,000 diverse founders over the next 20 years. Please reach out if you are a founder seeking capital, and subscribe to the Road to 1,000 newsletter for monthly industry news and firm updates. ABOUT SOURCECODE COMMUNICATIONS SourceCode Communications is an award-winning communications marketing agency launched in 2017 by technology PR industry veterans Greg Mondshein and Rebecca Honeyman. Based in New York, the agency is focused on delivering measurable business impact to brands in five major sectors - Consumer & Lifestyle Technology, Financial Technology, Mobile, Cloud & Telecoms, Insights & Engagement, and Enterprise Technology. Recently shortlisted for PRWeek's 2020 U.S. Awards shortlist for Outstanding Boutique Agency, SourceCode is the Holmes Report 2019 New Agency of the Year and PRNews' Best Place to Work and Small Agency of the Year. For more information, please visit sourcecodecommunications.com. ABOUT CHEER PARTNERS Cheer Partners is a full-service employee experience agency providing customized solutions for attracting, engaging, and inspiring people with their three practice areas: Talent, HR Advisory and Employee Communications. Together, they create a powerful employee experience. Cheer Partners fosters an inclusive, diverse and remote workplace while promoting a connected culture. Follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter (News - Alert) . ABOUT SOCIAL STUDIES Social Studies is a five year old, Madison Avenue-based micro-influencer agency and proprietary technology created to inspire authentic conversations between the world's best brands and emerging social content creators at scale, fostering next-generation partnerships that deliver meaningful results. ABOUT SUPERBOLT Superbolt partners with disruptive consumer brands to drive long-term growth. Based in New York, Los Angeles and Paris, our multinational team offers strategic and executional expertise to startups and established brands. We run paid social, paid search, display and email, in addition to offline channels like direct mail. Going beyond customer acquisition strategy, we also offer full-funnel services to help our clients optimize their sites, revamp their lifestyle marketing & more. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200701005561/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [July 01, 2020] ImageNet Consulting of the Treasure Coast Now Providing New Thermal Camera Technology ImageNet Consulting of the Treasure Coast, a leading business technology and managed services provider with offices in Port St. Lucie, Vero Beach, West Palm Beach and Orlando, recently announced new thermal camera technology that provides increased protection for businesses by monitoring the body temperature of employees and the public. This helps stop the spread of COVID-19, as well as other viruses that cause a fever. Thermal cameras allow for non-contact temperature measurement that can be used in cases that require scanning of the public, including corporate offices, event venues, restaurants, retail stores, and medical and dental practices. If an elevated temperature is detected, an alarm will go off to inform a gatekeeper that someone needs further examination with a handheld thermometer. The alternative is to manually take each person's temperature with a medically approved scanner as they enter a building or facility, whichis both time and labor intensive, and creates unnecessary person-to-person contact. ImageNet's thermal temperature solutions are offered in both low-volume and high-volume scanning products. The low-volume option has an MSRP of $5,995, and provides a more cost-effective solution for smaller businesses such as restaurants, small office buildings, dental and medical practices, and retail stores. The high-volume system has an MSRP of $22,000, and is most appropriate for hotels, hospitals, large event venues and other instances where mass scanning is required. Leasing options are available for both products. ImageNet of the Treasure Coast provides comprehensive support from expert technicians to ensure proper installation and the most accurate readings possible. For more information about thermal camera solutions at ImageNet Consulting of the Treasure Coast, please visit https://bit.ly/imagenetthermalcameras or call (772) 562-5046. About ImageNet Consulting of the Treasure Coast ImageNet Consulting of the Treasure Coast is the leading provider of office technology solutions. Products and services include managed IT services, copiers, printer solutions, digital displays, security and surveillance camera systems, and now thermal camera solutions. With offices in Vero Beach, Port St. Lucie, West Palm Beach and Orlando, ImageNet of the Treasure Coast provides information technology solutions for customers ranging from small businesses to large corporations. For more information about ImageNet's technology products, business consulting or managed services, visit www.imagenet.com/treasurecoast. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200701005142/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] UNODC and GIZ to continue countering trafficking in persons and smuggling of migrants in the Horn of Africa UNODC Nairobi (Kenya), 1 July 2020 - The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) recently signed a funding agreement to the value of EUR 6,5 million for UNODC to continue as implementing partner of the second phase of the Better Migration Management (BMM) programme from 2020-2022. This follows the successful implementation of phase 1 of the BMM programme between 2016-2019. More than 10 million people in and around the Horn of Africa have been forcibly displaced within their own countries or are seeking refuge in neighbouring states. In the absence of effective and regularised migration mechanisms and infrastructure, smuggling of migrants and trafficking in persons are widespread, resulting in the exploitation, violation, and death of countless people from across the region. In this regard, the BMM programme aims to improve the management of safe, orderly and regular migration in the region and will continue to support national authorities in addressing the smuggling of migrants and trafficking in persons within and from the Horn of Africa. However, countering and prosecuting the criminal networks responsible for trafficking and smuggling of people require effective legislation, criminal justice capacity, and cooperation between countries of origin, transit and destination. As implementing partner and as guardian of the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC) and its supplementary Protocols, in particular the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, especially Women and Children and Protocol against the Smuggling of Migrants by Land, Sea and Air, UNODC will focus extensively on supporting Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan and Uganda in two key areas: First, to align their national legislation on trafficking in persons and smuggling of migrants with the provisions of the Convention and Protocols, and secondly, to enhance the capacity of criminal justice practitioners to effectively investigate and prosecute trafficking in persons and smuggling of migrants cases with a victim-centred and human rights-based approach, including though international cooperation in criminal matters. The EUR 35 million-programme, funded by the European Union (EU) Emergency Trust Fund for Africa (EUTF) and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), is being implemented by the International Organization for Migration (IOM), British Council, CIVIPOL, UNODC, and GIZ as lead implementing partner. UNODC is implementing BMM programme activities through its Regional Office for Eastern Africa (ROEA) in Nairobi, Regional Office for the Middle East and North Africa (ROMENA) in Egypt and its Human Trafficking and Migrant Smuggling Section (HTMSS) in Vienna. [July 01, 2020] Harris Williams Advises The Retina Group of Washington on its Transaction with PRISM Vision Group Harris Williams, a global investment bank specializing in M&A advisory services, announces that it advised The Retina Group of Washington (RGW) on its transaction with PRISM Vision Group (News - Alert) (PRISM), a portfolio company of Quad-C. RGW is a leading provider of retinal and macular care in the greater Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia (DMV) region and, as part of the PRISM network, will be the platform practice for building a vertically integrated eye care network in the region. The transaction was led by Andy Dixon, Paul Hepper and Brian Jones of the Harris Williams Healthcare & Life Sciences (HCLS) Group and Beau Pierce of the firm's Richmond office. "The RGW team has built a tremendous organization," said Andy Dixon, a managing director at Harris Williams. "We are thrilled to have represented them in this transaction and are excited that the company has found a partner that will support RGW's growth initiatives and mission of delivering the highest-quality visioncare to the DMV region." "Despite today's uncertain environment, vision remains one of the most active sectors in healthcare, and this transaction adds to our firm's successful track record of advising premier ophthalmology practices," said Paul Hepper, a managing director at Harris Williams. "We are excited to see what RGW and PRISM will accomplish in this next chapter." With 17 locations throughout Virginia, Maryland and Washington, D.C., RGW is one of the largest ophthalmology practices in the U.S., and one of the largest practices solely dedicated to retinal care. The team is comprised of experienced retinal physicians and surgeons, who are both local and national leaders in treating vitreoretinal diseases. RGW's clinical reputation, growth profile, and scalable infrastructure make it a well-suited platform for building a vertically integrated eye care network in the DMV region. PRISM is one of the largest, independent ophthalmology and retina administrative services organizations in the Mid-Atlantic region. With roots that reach back over 30 years, PRISM is a physician-led organization with a mission to support ophthalmology practices in providing patients with world-class, comprehensive eye care. In addition, PRISM has built a premier practice environment for their network of affiliated physician groups and employees. Founded in 1989 and headquartered in Charlottesville, Virginia, Quad-C is a middle market private equity firm focused on investing in well-established business and consumer services; healthcare; industrials; specialty distribution; and transportation and logistics companies. In its three-decade history, Quad-C has invested over $3 billion of capital in over 65 companies. The Quad-C team is committed to partnering with entrepreneurs and management teams to accelerate growth and create long-term value. Harris Williams, an investment bank specializing in M&A advisory services, advocates for sellers and buyers of companies worldwide through critical milestones and provides thoughtful advice during the lives of their businesses. By collaborating as one firm across Industry Groups and geographies, the firm helps its clients achieve outcomes that support their objectives and strategically create value. Harris Williams is committed to execution excellence and to building enduring, valued relationships that are based on mutual trust. Harris Williams is a subsidiary of the PNC (News - Alert) Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE: PNC). The Harris Williams HCLS Group has experience across a broad range of sectors, including healthcare providers; payors and payor services; outsourced pharmaceutical services; medical device supply chain; healthcare IT; and pharmacy. For more information on the HCLS Group and other recent transactions, visit the HCLS Group's section of the Harris Williams website. Harris Williams LLC is a registered broker-dealer and member of FINRA and SIPC. Harris Williams & Co. Ltd is a private limited company incorporated under English law with its registered office at 8th Floor, 20 Farringdon Street, London EC4A 4AB, UK, registered with the Registrar of Companies for England and Wales (registration number 07078852). Harris Williams & Co. Ltd is authorized and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Harris Williams & Co. Corporate Finance Advisors GmbH is registered in the commercial register of the local court of Frankfurt am Main, Germany, under HRB 107540. The registered address is Bockenheimer Landstrasse 33-35, 60325 Frankfurt am Main, Germany (email address: hwgermany@harriswilliams.com). Geschaftsfuhrer/Directors: Jeffery H. Perkins, Paul Poggi. (VAT No. DE321666994). Harris Williams is a trade name under which Harris Williams LLC, Harris Williams & Co. Ltd and Harris Williams & Co. Corporate Finance Advisors GmbH conduct business. For media inquiries, please contact Katie Langemeier, marketing manager, at +1 (804) 648-0072. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200701005667/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [July 01, 2020] CrowdStreet CEO Ranks Among Top 50 Financial CEOs of 2020 PORTLAND, Ore., July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- CrowdStreet, Inc. ("CrowdStreet"), a technology provider with an online marketplace for direct equity investment in commercial real estate (CRE), today announced that Tore Steen has been recognized by The Financial Technology Report as a Top 50 Financial Technology CEO Of 2020. Tore Steen was identified as an exceptional executive who is helping to democratize commercial real estate investing. As the CEO of CrowdStreet, Steen has led the formation, launch, and rapid growth of the company's leading online marketplace for commercial real estate investing. Steen has a longstanding reputation as a business leader in the internet and software industries with deep expertise in strategy, business development, sales, and marketing for both publicly traded and private enterprises. "It is a great honor to receive this award, and I thank the Financial Technology Report as well as the CrowdStreet team who are dedicated to building the ultimate marketplace," Steen stated. "Financial leaders have been put to the test in the last several months. We've been forced to evaluate the business and pivot on an unforeseen timeline, ensuring that in uncertain economic times our business still grows. With such a strong team behind us, we're excited to see the positive results of these changes in years to come." Under Steen's leadership, the CrowdStreet Marketplace has published over 420 deals and recently surpassed $1.1 billion in invested capital into commercial real estate deals made by individual investors. CrowdStreet has also had a number of record-breaking deals, helping sponsor clients raise millions in minutes. CrowdStreet sponsors have distributed more than $135 million in returns since the arketplace launched in 2014, as reported to the company by sponsors. Steen has been instrumental in leading technology businesses and bringing superior online experiences to consumers. Prior to CrowdStreet, Steen helped take Janrain from an early-stage company to be the recognized leader in the social identity space with a full user management platform and global enterprise customers. He has also held senior leadership roles at WebTrends and EarthLink. Recipients of the Top 50 Financial CEOs award are innovators, strategists, and corporate leaders, who have built important organizations that are driving massive change in the way we spend, save, invest, or otherwise manage our financial lives. The awards list was announced today and can be viewed on thefinancialtechnologyreport.com/ . There were more than 700 nominees that were evaluated based on their technological impact on the financial industry, breadth of organization, number of businesses or consumers reached, career achievements, and influence in the field and among peers. Additional review was performed based on demonstrated leadership capabilities by researching qualified sources and publicly available information. CrowdStreet continues to make waves as an innovative company in the fintech and real estate investment space as well as securing prominent award wins including a coveted spot on the Forbes' Best Startup Employers of 2020 list. About CrowdStreet CrowdStreet operates an award-winning online commercial real estate investment marketplace that gives investors access to institutional-quality offerings. CrowdStreet technology allows sponsors to raise capital through online syndication and manage their investors, both on the Marketplace and with a SaaS solution. CrowdStreet is helping to create a community where individual accredited investors and CRE firms can work together to build wealth through commercial real estate. For more information, visit www.crowdstreet.com About The Financial Technology Report The Financial Technology Report is a comprehensive source for market research and insights, business news, investment activity and corporate actions related to the financial technology sector. Based in New York City, the firm is run by a seasoned team of editors, writers and media professionals highly knowledgeable on financial technology and the various companies, executives and investors that make up the sector. For more information, visit https://thefinancialtechnologyreport.com/. Media contacts for more information: Melissa Hourigan (National) Fabric Media melissa@fabricmedia.net 720-608-1919 Cary Brazeman (Real Estate) CRELIX Marketing Partners cary@crelix.com 310-205-3590 View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/crowdstreet-ceo-ranks-among-top-50-financial-ceos-of-2020-301086442.html SOURCE CrowdStreet [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [July 01, 2020] CloudAlly Expands With Additional AWS Data Centers in the U.K. and Germany RAANANA, Israel, July 01, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- CloudAlly ( www.CloudAlly.com ), a leading global provider of cloud SaaS backup solutions for Microsoft 365 , G Suite , Salesforce , Dropbox , and Box , announced its upcoming support for cloud backup to Amazon AWS data centers in the United Kingdom and Germany. The expansion is especially timely in view of any post-Brexit impact on data regulatory and sovereignty clauses. "We're committed to providing best-in-breed data protection, and this includes giving our customers greater control over where their backup data is stored. With the addition of the new data centers, our British and European customers can now choose from three AWS data centers located across the U.K. and EU, said CloudAlly CEO, Avinoam Katz. In addition to these new data centers, CloudAlly also offers customers the ability to select AWS data centers in the U.S., Canada, Ireland, and Sydney. The ability to choose from a wide range of data centers helps customers comply with local data sovereignty laws that regulate the physical location and movement of data. CloudAlly's use of world-class AWS data centers with built-in replication and advanced AES-256 bit encryption ensures a secure and compliant backup and recovery service. About CloudAlly Founded in 2011, CloudAlly provides ISO 27001 certified and GDPR / HIPAA compliant SaaS backup and recovery solutions. They comprehensively protect Microsoft365, GSuite, Salesforce, Dropbox, and Box SaaS data with secure automated cloud-to-cloud backup and easy recovery from any point in time with unlimited data retention. Additionally, CloudAlly offers unlimited storage and tier-one customer service. Visit our Customer Support Hub for more information. For more information, visit www.cloudally.com , or follow us on Twitter , LinkedIn , Facebook . Media Contact: Michael Schneider Marketing Director CloudAlly Ltd. http://www.cloudally.com Phone: +1-424-304-1959 Email: michael@cloudally.com View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/cloudally-expands-with-additional-aws-data-centers-in-the-uk-and-germany-301086872.html SOURCE CloudAlly [July 01, 2020] Probe Card Market 2020-2024 | Growing Investment in Fabs to Boost Growth | Technavio Technavio has been monitoring the probe card market and it is poised to grow by USD 505.23 million during 2020-2024, progressing at a CAGR of over 5% during the forecast period. The report offers an up-to-date analysis regarding the current market scenario, latest trends and drivers, and the overall market environment. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200701005470/en/ Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Global Probe Card Market 2020-2024 (Graphic: Business Wire) Technavio suggests three forecast scenarios (optimistic, probable, and pessimistic) considering the impact of COVID-19. Please Request Free Sample Report on COVID-19 Impact The market is fragmented, and the degree of fragmentation will accelerate during the forecast period. FEINMETALL GmbH, FormFactor (News - Alert) Inc., JAPAN ELECTRONIC MATERIALS Corp., Korea Instrument Co. Ltd., Microfriend Inc., MICRONICS JAPAN Co. Ltd., MPI Corp., Nidec SV Probe Pte. Ltd., Technoprobe Spa, and WILL-Technology Co. Ltd are some of the major market participants. The growing investment in fabs will offer immense growth opportunities. To make the most of the opportunities, market vendors should focus more on the growth prospects in the fast-growing segments, while maintaining their positions in the slow-growing segments. Growing investment in fabs has been instrumental in driving the growth of the market. Probe Card Market 2020-2024: Segmentation Probe Card Market is segmented as below: Product Advanced Probe Card Standard Probe Card End-user Foundry Logic Memory Device Geography APAC North America Europe South America MEA To learn more about the global trends impacting the future of market research, download a free sample: https://www.technavio.com/talk-to-us?report=IRTNTR40623 Probe Card Market 2020-2024: Scope Technavio presents a detailed picture of the market by the way of study, synthesis, and summation of data from multiple sources. Our probe card market report covers the following areas: Probe Card Market size Probe Card Market trends Probe Card Market industry analysis This study identifies increasing wafer size as one of the prime reasons driving the probe card market growth during the next few years. Probe Card Market 2020-2024: Vendor Analysis We provide a detailed analysis of vendors operating in the probe card market, including some of the vendors such as FEINMETALL GmbH, FormFactor Inc., JAPAN ELECTRONIC MATERIALS Corp., Korea Instrument Co. Ltd., Microfriend Inc., MICRONICS JAPAN Co. Ltd., MPI Corp., Nidec SV Probe Pte. Ltd., Technoprobe Spa, and WILL-Technology Co. Ltd. Backed with competitive intelligence and benchmarking, our research reports on the probe card market are designed to provide entry support, customer profile and M&As as well as go-to-market strategy support. Register for a free trial today and gain instant access to 17,000+ market research reports. Technavio's SUBSCRIPTION platform Probe Card Market 2020-2024: Key Highlights CAGR of the market during the forecast period 2020-2024 Detailed information on factors that will assist probe card market growth during the next five years Estimation of the probe card market size and its contribution to the parent market Predictions on upcoming trends and changes in consumer behavior The growth of the probe card market Analysis of the market's competitive landscape and detailed information on vendors Comprehensive details of factors that will challenge the growth of probe card market vendors Table Of Contents: Executive Summary Market Landscape Market ecosystem Market Sizing Market definition Market segment analysis Market size 2019 Market outlook: Forecast for 2019 - 2024 Five Forces Analysis Five Forces Summary Bargaining power of buyers Bargaining power of suppliers Threat of new entrants Threat of substitutes Threat of rivalry Market condition Market Segmentation by Product Market segments Comparison by Product placement Advanced probe card - Market size and forecast 2019-2024 Standard probe card - Market size and forecast 2019-2024 Market opportunity by Product Market Segmentation by End-user Market segments Comparison by End user placement Foundry and logic - Market size and forecast 2019-2024 Memory device - Market size and forecast 2019-2024 Market opportunity by End user Customer Landscape Geographic Landscape Geographic segmentation Geographic comparison APAC - Market size and forecast 2019-2024 North America - Market size and forecast 2019-2024 Europe - Market size and forecast 2019-2024 South America - Market size and forecast 2019-2024 MEA - Market size and forecast 2019-2024 Key leading countries Market opportunity by geography Market Drivers Market Challenges Market Trends Vendor Landscape Vendor landscape Landscape disruption Vendor Analysis Vendors covered Market positioning of vendors FEINMETALL GmbH FormFactor Inc. JAPAN ELECTRONIC MATERIALS Corp. Korea Instrument Co. Ltd. Microfriend Inc. MICRONICS JAPAN Co. Ltd. MPI Corp. Nidec SV Probe Pte. Ltd. Technoprobe Spa WILL-Technology Co. Ltd Appendix Scope of the report Currency conversion rates for US$ Research methodology List of abbreviations About Us Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focus on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200701005470/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [July 01, 2020] Pinnacle Bancshares, Inc. Approves Extension of Plan to Buy Back Common Stock Pinnacle Bancshares, Inc. (OTC PINK: PCLB) (the "Company") today announced that its Board of Directors has approved a new stock repurchase plan that replaced the previous stock repurchase plan dated May 25, 2016, which no longer has shares authorized for repurchase. The new stock repurchase plan is equal to approximately 5% of total shares outstanding (49,325 shares). At March 31, 2020, the Company had total assets of $244.6 million and total stockholders' equity of $28.1 million. The Company intends to repurchase its shares from time to time at then prevailing prices in the open market, in block transactions, in unsolicited privately negotiated transactions, or in such other manner as will comply with applicable laws and regulations. The repurchase program will be dependent upon market conditions, and there is no guarantee as to the exact number of shares to be repurchased by the Compny. The repurchase program will remain open until the Board determines to end the stock repurchase program, as a means of further enhancing stockholder value. The stock repurchase program does not obligate the Company to acquire any particular amount of common stock, and it may be terminated or suspended at the Company's discretion. Robert B. Nolen, Jr., President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company, stated, "Our balance sheet and strong capital position provide us the flexibility to repurchase these shares as a capital management strategy to maximize stockholder value." Pinnacle Bancshares, Inc. is the bank holding company for Pinnacle Bank, an Alabama-chartered commercial bank with seven offices in central and northwest Alabama. The Company's common stock trades on the OTC Bulletin Board under the symbol "PCLB." Information contained in this press release, other than historical information, may be considered forward-looking in nature and is subject to various risks, uncertainties, and assumptions. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should the underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those anticipated, estimated or expected. The Company undertakes no duty to update any forward-looking statement to conform the statement to actual results or changes in the Company's expectations. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200701005700/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [July 01, 2020] Mighty "Mouser Machine" Makes 2020 Debut at Indianapolis Speedway With the 2020 IndyCar season finally underway following the June 6 opener at Texas Motor Speedway, the Mouser Electronics-sponsored car will show off a special Mouser Blue livery at the GMR Grand Prix in Indianapolis on July 4. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200701005680/en/ In the second race of the 2020 IndyCar season, the Mouser Electronics-sponsored No. 18 car will show off a special Mouser Blue livery at the GMR Grand Prix in Indianapolis on July 4. (Photo: Business Wire) Driver Santino Ferrucci will pilot the Mouser- and Molex-sponsored car through the 14 turn, 2.439-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course in the sharp and sleek Mouser Machine. The race marks the third time in as many years that the No. 18 Dale Coyne Racing with Vasser-Sullivan car will fly the Mouser colors. "We wish the Vasser-Sullivan team the bes of luck as they return to Indianapolis Motor Speedway in the 'Mouser Machine,'" said Todd McAtee, Mouser Electronics' Vice President, Americas Business Development. "The collaboration between the team, Mouser Electronics, and Molex (News - Alert) is a testament to our collective commitment to excellence." "We are excited to cheer on the team as the No. 18 car flies Mouser and Molex colors July Fourth weekend," said Fred Bell, Vice President of Global Distribution, Molex. "All of us at Molex are honored to once again team up with Mouser to sponsor the No. 18 car this season. This sponsorship further demonstrates our long-term relationship with Mouser, commitment to our joint customers and driving new innovations in the automotive industry." Mouser Electronics, the industry's leading new product introduction (NPI) distributor with the widest selection of semiconductors and electronic components, is proud to again team up with valued supplier Molex to sponsor the Dale Coyne Racing with Vasser-Sullivan team for the entire 2020 NTT (News - Alert) IndyCar Series. The 2020 season marks the 25th year of the IndyCar Series. Mouser first sponsored IndyCar racing in 2011 as an inventive way to communicate its performance-driven business model and promote the newest technologies. The Mouser- and Molex-sponsored car won the Indianapolis 500 in 2013, as well as the 2017 and 2018 series-opening races at St. Petersburg, Fla. To learn more, visit https://www.mouser.com/indy-racing/. With its broad product line and unsurpassed customer service, Mouser strives to empower innovation among design engineers and buyers by delivering advanced technologies. Mouser stocks the world's widest selection of the latest semiconductors and electronic components for the newest design projects. Mouser Electronics' website is continually updated and offers advanced search methods to help customers quickly locate inventory. Mouser.com also houses data sheets, supplier-specific reference designs, application notes, technical design information, and engineering tools. About Mouser Electronics Mouser Electronics, a Berkshire Hathaway company, is an award-winning, authorized semiconductor and electronic component distributor focused on rapid New Product Introductions from its manufacturing partners for electronic design engineers and buyers. The global distributor's website, Mouser.com, is available in multiple languages and currencies and features more than 5 million products from over 800 manufacturers. Mouser offers 27 support locations around the world to provide best-in-class customer service and ships globally to over 630,000 customers in 223 countries/territories from its 1 million sq. ft. state-of-the-art facilities south of Dallas, Texas. For more information, visit www.mouser.com. About Molex Molex makes a connected world possible by enabling technology that transforms the future and improves lives. With a presence in more than 40 countries, Molex offers a full range of connectivity products, services and solutions for markets that include data communications, medical, industrial, automotive and consumer electronics. Trademarks Mouser and Mouser Electronics are registered trademarks of Mouser Electronics, Inc. All other products, logos, and company names mentioned herein may be trademarks of their respective owners. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200701005680/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [July 01, 2020] New Innovative Backhaul Technologies for 5G Deployments BELLEVUE, Wash., July 01, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- For successful deployment of 5G, mobile network operators (MNOs) need transport technologies that can meet stringent throughput, latency, and reliability requirements over increasingly densified networks. 5G Americas, the wireless industry trade association and voice of 5G and LTE for the Americas, today published a whitepaper titled Innovations in 5G Backhaul Technologies , highlighting new innovative backhaul, midhaul and fronthaul transport technologies for 5G networks. The fifth generation of wireless cellular (5G) is driving increasing demands on mobile operator networks, which are faced with the need to improve operational efficiency and reduce the time required to deliver new high-throughput, low-latency network architectures to support emerging use cases. New wireless options like Integrated Access and Backhaul (IAB) and significant advances in wireline like Hybrid Fiber Coax (HFC), Passive Optical Networks (PON), Ethernet, and Wave Division Multiplexing (WDM) can be used to efficiently and cost-effectively transport data between the 5G core network and the 5G radio access network. Chris Pearson, President of 5G Americas said, 5G network operators are today faced with an increasing array of choices in designing, architecting, and managing their networks. Operators can now select from a variety of wireless and wireline transport options to address the specific topologies and use cases envisioned for their mobile wireless network. Innovations in 5G Backhaul Technologies delves into these new 5G transport technologies, providing details into their specific advantages and disadvantages. Factors such as the specific application, deployment scenario, existing infrastructure and market situation are covered in deep detail. One such key innovation is Integrated Access and Backhaul (IAB), which was standardized in 3GPP Rlease 16 and will be further enhanced in Release 17. IAB re-purposes some of the existing spectrum used for the 5G radio air interface for backhaul purposes as well. This technology has generated strong interest in the mobile wireless industry, since IAB is expected to provide a cost-efficient and fast time-to-market backhaul solution. Ranjeet Bhattacharya, Principal Solutions Director, Ericsson, and co-leader for the project, said: Optimized backhaul is a key challenge for efficient 5G deployment, and innovative wireless solutions like Integrated Access and Backhaul could be a game changer. This paper addresses the technology aspects of IAB that are part of the standard, its use cases and deployment considerations, and an overview of IAB-related future evolution research and studies ongoing in the industry. Aside from IAB, Innovations in 5G Backhaul Technologies also explores the following: key requirements of 5G transport and various technology options available overview of business drivers for alternative transport technologies Details on HFC, PON, Ethernet and WDM technologies, including architecture, business drivers, recent advances, deployment scenarios and future trends Additionally, recent advances in hybrid fiber coaxial (HFC) network, passive optical network (PON), and Ethernet technology make these solutions equally promising options for 5G transport. Both HFC and PON are already extensively deployed in areas where 5G will be in the most demand, specifically dense urban and urban environments. Leveraging existing HFC and PON deployments significantly reduces the time-to-market and cost of deploying 5G. Dave Morley, Director, 5G Technology & Operations, Shaw Communications, and co-leader for the project, said: While dark fiber reaches 65 percent of macro sites in North America today, further network densification will require operators to leverage other efficient 5G transport options such as HFC, which currently reaches nearly every building on the North American continent. The paper Innovations in 5G Backhaul Technologies is available for free download on the 5G Americas website . Blog post by Chris Pearson, and presentation slides are also featured on the 5G Americas website. About 5G Americas: The Voice of 5G and LTE for the Americas 5G Americas is an industry trade organization composed of leading telecommunications service providers and manufacturers. The organizations mission is to facilitate and advocate for the advancement and transformation of LTE, 5G and beyond throughout the Americas. 5G Americas is invested in developing a connected wireless community while leading 5G development for all the Americas. 5G Americas is headquartered in Bellevue, Washington. More information is available at 5G Americas website and Twitter . 5G Americas Board of Governors Members include AT&T, Cable & Wireless, Ciena, Cisco, CommScope, Crown Castle, Ericsson, Intel, Mavenir, Nokia, Qualcomm Incorporated, Samsung, Shaw Communications Inc., T-Mobile US, Inc., Telefonica, and WOM. Contact: 5G Americas Viet Nguyen +1 206 218 6393 Viet.Nguyen@5GAmericas.org [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [July 01, 2020] Insights into the Payment Gateways Global Market to 2027 - Featuring Avangate, Barclaycard & Beanstream Among Others DUBLIN, July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Payment Gateways - Global Market Trajectory & Analytics" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. Amid the COVID-19 crisis and the looming economic recession, the Payment Gateways market worldwide will grow by a projected US$45.6 Billion, during the analysis period, driven by a revised compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 11.1%. Hosted Payment Gateway, one of the segments analyzed and sized in this study, is forecast to grow at over 10.8% and reach a market size of US$45.2 Billion by the end of the analysis period. The global analysis and forecast periods covered within the report are 2020-2027 (Current & Future Analysis) and 2012-2019 (Historic Review). Research estimates are provided for 2020, while research projections cover the period 2021-2027. An unusual period in history, the coronavirus pandemic has unleashed a series of unprecedented events affecting every industry. The Hosted Payment Gateway market will be reset to a new normal which going forwards in a post COVID-19 era will be continuously redefined and redesigned. Staying on top of trends and accurate analysis is paramount now more than ever to manage uncertainty, change and continuously adapt to new and evolving market conditions. As part of the new emerging geographic scenario, the United States is forecast to readjust to a 9.5% CAGR. Within Europe, Germany will add over US$1.7 Billion to the region's size over the next 7 to 8 years. In addition, over US$1.5 Billion worth of projected demand in the region will come from Rest of European markets. In Japan, the Hosted Payment Gateway segment will reach a market size of US$1.9 Billion by the close of the analysis period Blamed for the pandemic, significant political and economic challenges confront China. Amid the growing push for decoupling and economic distancing, the changing relationship between China and the rest of the world will influence competition and opportunities in the Payment Gateways market. Against this backdrop and the changing geopolitical, business and consumer sentiments, the world's second largest economy will grow at 15.3% over the next couple of years and add approximately US$9.3 Billion in terms of addressable market opportunity. Continuous monitoring for emerging signs of a possible new world order post-COVID-19 crisis is a must for aspiring businesses and their astute leaders seeking to find success in the now changing Payment Gateways market landscape. All research viewpoints presented are based on validated engagements from influencers in the market, whose opinions supersede all other research methodologies. Competitors identified in this market include, among others, 99Bill Corporation Alipay Amazon Payments, Inc. Authorize.Net LLC Avangate Inc. Barclaycard Beanstream BluePay Processing, LLC Cardstream Ltd. CashU CCBill, LLC Certitrade AB Checkout Ltd DIBS Payment Services AB e-Path Pty Ltd. ePay Payment solutions ePay.bg eWAY eWAY New Zealand Ltd. First Data Corporation Gestpay GMO Epsilon Co., Ltd. GoCardless Ltd. Infibeam Avenues Ltd. iPay Kiplepay Sdn Bhd (KPSB) Klarna Bank AB MercadoLibre SRL Merchant Warrior MIH PayU BV MOLPay Sdn Bhd Moneris Solutions Corporation MyGate National Australia Bank Ltd. PagosOnline Pagseguro Internet S/A PayDollar (AsiaPay Limited) PayFast (Pty) Ltd. PAYGENT Co., Ltd. PayPal PayPoint plc. Paysafe Group Limited Payson AB PayU S.A. PayU.ro ( Romania ) ) PayWay PesoPay Przelewy24 QIWI Plc ROBOKASSA Sage Pay Europe Limited. SecurePay Pty Ltd. SecureTrading Ltd. ServiRed, Sociedad Espanola de Medios de Pago, S.A. Sofort GmbH Stripe, Inc. Tenpay Vision Consultant Services (VCS) WebMoney Worldline Worldpay, LLC Key Topics Covered: I. INTRODUCTION, METHODOLOGY & REPORT SCOPE II. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1. MARKET OVERVIEW Global Competitor Market Shares Payment Gateways Competitor Market Share Scenario Worldwide (in %): 2019 & 2025 Impact of Covid-19 and a Looming Global Recession 2. FOCUS ON SELECT PLAYERS 3. MARKET TRENDS & DRIVERS 4. GLOBAL MARKET PERSPECTIVE III. MARKET ANALYSIS IV. COMPETITION Total Companies Profiled: 44 For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/buxplg Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research. Media Contact: Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager press@researchandmarkets.com For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/insights-into-the-payment-gateways-global-market-to-2027---featuring-avangate-barclaycard--beanstream-among-others-301087099.html SOURCE Research and Markets [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [July 01, 2020] Harris Williams Advises H.I.G. Capital on its Acquisition of Supply Source Enterprises, Inc. Harris Williams, a global investment bank specializing in M&A advisory services, announces that it advised H.I.G. Capital's investment affiliate, H.I.G. Advantage (H.I.G.), on its acquisition of Supply Source (News - Alert) Enterprises, Inc. (SSE) from Genuine Parts Company (GPC). SSE is a leading manufacturer of branded and private label personal protective equipment and janitorial, safety, hygiene and sanitation products. The transaction was led by Bob Baltimore and Graham Gillam of the Harris Williams Specialty Distribution Group. "H.I.G.'s acquisition of SSE highlights continued strong investor interest in safety and cleaning supply companies as the global economy augments sanitation practices," said Bob Baltimore, a managing director at Harris Williams. "We look forward to seeing what the company accomplishes in partnership with H.I.G., as they navigate a world with new expectations around cleanliness." "This transaction adds to our firm's successful track record of deals in the foodservice and janitorial sanitation distribution sector," adde Graham Gillam, a director at Harris Williams. "It was a pleasure to work with H.I.G., and we look forward to seeing how, in partnership with the SSE team, they take the company to the next level as a standalone business." Headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, SSE offers an extensive product portfolio and differentiated value-added services. Through its Safety Zone and Impact Products divisions, SSE serves a diversified customer base, including janitorial and sanitation supply distributors, safety products resellers, foodservice and food processing distributors and retailers. H.I.G. is a leading global private equity and alternative assets investment firm with $37 billion of equity capital under management. Based in Miami, and with offices in New York, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Atlanta in the U.S., as well as international affiliate offices in London, Hamburg, Madrid, Milan, Paris, Bogota, Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo, H.I.G. specializes in providing both debt and equity capital to small and mid-sized companies, utilizing a flexible and operationally focused / value-added approach. Since its founding in 1993, H.I.G. has invested in and managed more than 300 companies worldwide. The firm's current portfolio includes more than 100 companies with combined sales in excess of $30 billion. Harris Williams, an investment bank specializing in M&A advisory services, advocates for sellers and buyers of companies worldwide through critical milestones and provides thoughtful advice during the lives of their businesses. By collaborating as one firm across Industry Groups and geographies, the firm helps its clients achieve outcomes that support their objectives and strategically create value. Harris Williams is committed to execution excellence and to building enduring, valued relationships that are based on mutual trust. Harris Williams is a subsidiary of the PNC (News - Alert) Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE: PNC). Harris Williams' Specialty Distribution Group has experience across a variety of sectors, including automotive and heavy-duty aftermarket; building products; consumer; electrical and communications; foodservice; healthcare; industrial; and technology. For more information on the firm's Specialty Distribution Group, visit the Specialty Distribution Group's section of the Harris Williams' website. Harris Williams LLC is a registered broker-dealer and member of FINRA and SIPC. Harris Williams & Co. Ltd is a private limited company incorporated under English law with its registered office at 8th Floor, 20 Farringdon Street, London EC4A 4AB, UK, registered with the Registrar of Companies for England and Wales (registration number 07078852). Harris Williams & Co. Ltd is authorized and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Harris Williams & Co. Corporate Finance Advisors GmbH is registered in the commercial register of the local court of Frankfurt am Main, Germany, under HRB 107540. The registered address is Bockenheimer Landstrasse 33-35, 60325 Frankfurt am Main, Germany (email address: hwgermany@harriswilliams.com). Geschaftsfuhrer/Directors: Jeffery H. Perkins, Paul Poggi. (VAT No. DE321666994). Harris Williams is a trade name under which Harris Williams LLC, Harris Williams & Co. Ltd and Harris Williams & Co. Corporate Finance Advisors GmbH conduct business. For media inquiries, please contact Katie Langemeier, marketing manager, at +1 (804) 648-0072. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200701005877/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [July 01, 2020] Beyond the Boycott: Pernod Ricard Calls on Brands to Engage With Consumers to Stop Hate Speech Online Regulatory News: Pernod Ricard (Paris:RI) announced its plan to create a crowdsourcing app that gives consumers and those affected by hate speech on social media the power to identify and report content they find objectionable directly to brands and companies. Brands can then leverage their influence with social media platforms to help ensure the content is reviewed and removed, if warranted. The app will be an additional resource for individuals, brands and social media platforms to use in the fight to stop hate speech online. "The world is waking up to the reality that we all have a role to play in stopping the spread of hate speech, racism and misinformation on social media platforms," said Pernod Ricard USA CEO Ann Mukherjee. "There is a long way to go. Movements like #StopHateForProfit are demonstrating that brands and consumers want them to take more urgent action. This is important, and it is why we are joining the movement for the next 30 days across all paid social media platforms, not just Facebook (News - Alert) . But this is not sufficient. The big question is: What happens August 1st? We need more action and more people within the industry to find more solutions. Companies like ours can and should play a bigger role in problem-solving than just withholding advertising dollars. We can create tools that make it easier for consumers' voices to be heard when they see hate speech spreading online. And that's what we are doing." The app will allow consumers and brands to collaborate with one another to drive real change. Individuals affected by hate speech will be able to flag content they find objectionable directly to brands and companies. Brands can then leverage their influence to help ensure social media platforms take appropriate action. The app creates a space for collaboration between consumers and brands. It also creates a space for collaboration between brands and social media platforms. This initiative is about giving consumers a voice, helping brands own their responsibility to hold social media platforms accountable given their influence, and ultimately creating a more transparent and positive world with an internet that is safe for all. Pernod Ricard USA's new CMO, Pam Forbus, recognized the opportunity when she arrived at the company less than two weeks ago. "I'm still learning, but one thing that has been clear to me is that Pernod Ricard cares passionately about bringing people together - we call it conviviality. As anon-traditional CMO, I am bringing my deep experience in data, advanced analytics and social media manipulation to help leverage AI capability as we become part of the solution. We want to ensure that all people have access to safe, responsible social environments," Forbus said. "We know our consumers feel a sense of urgency about this issue, and so do we. Launching this initiative will allow us to work directly with our consumers, each playing a small role in solving a big problem." A critical element of the initiative will be creating a governance, transparency and accountability structure from the outset. As Pernod Ricard identifies the partners to develop the app, they will work collaboratively to establish strict guidelines related to data privacy and consumer engagement standards for the app. They will also establish an oversight and reporting protocol, executed by an expert third-party, to ensure the highest levels of accountability and transparency. "Stopping the spread of hate speech is a massive problem. There are many solutions to be tested and taken by a wide range of stakeholders," said Mukherjee. "This is our initial step. And we want it to be a collective one. As a member of many major US and Global industry organizations, which include other advertisers, as well as media and social platform companies, we want to work collaboratively with each towards this solution. At the same time, we invite all brands, big and small, to join us. Our hope is that all brands are inspired to take action on this issue in ways that make sense for them and align with their values." Pernod Ricard Chairman & CEO Alexandre Ricard said, "We're confident this initiative will provide an additive resource for individuals affected by hate speech, consumers, brands and social media platforms themselves in the global fight to end these injustices. As creators of conviviality, our mission is all about sharing with respect and responsibility, bringing people together to celebrate the moments that make life worth living, not to divide, deride or tear people apart. Social media platforms share that mission, but there is still a collective work to make those platforms safe, responsible and convivial for everyone. Let's then join forces to focus on a positive solution together." About Pernod Ricard Pernod Ricard is the No. 2 worldwide producer of wines and spirits with consolidated sales of 9,182 million in FY19. Created in 1975 by the merger of Ricard and Pernod, the Group has developed through organic growth and acquisitions: Seagram (2001), Allied Domecq (2005) and Vin&Sprit (2008). Pernod Ricard, which owns 16 of the Top 100 Spirits Brands, holds one of the most prestigious and comprehensive brand portfolios in the industry, including: Absolut Vodka, Ricard pastis, Ballantine's, Chivas Regal, Royal Salute, and The Glenlivet Scotch whiskies, Jameson Irish whiskey, Martell cognac, Havana Club rum, Beefeater gin, Malibu liqueur, Mumm and Perrier-Jouet champagnes, as well Jacob's Creek, Brancott Estate, Campo Viejo, and Kenwood wines. Pernod Ricard's brands are distributed across 160+ markets and by its own salesforce in 73 markets. The Group's decentralised organisation empowers its 19,000 employees to be true on-the-ground ambassadors of its vision of "Createurs de Convivialite." As reaffirmed by the Group's three-year strategic plan, "Transform and Accelerate," deployed in 2018, Pernod Ricard's strategy focuses on investing in long-term, profitable growth for all stakeholders. The Group remains true to its three founding values: entrepreneurial spirit, mutual trust, and a strong sense of ethics. As illustrated by the 2030 Agenda supporting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), "We bring good times from a good place." In recognition of Pernod Ricard's strong commitment to sustainable development and responsible consumption, it has received a Gold rating from Ecovadis and is ranked No. 1 in the beverage sector in Vigeo Eiris. Pernod Ricard is also a United Nation's Global Compact LEAD company. Pernod Ricard is listed on Euronext (Ticker: RI; ISIN Code: FR0000120693) and is part of the CAC 40 index. For further information, please visit http://www.pernod-ricard.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200701005885/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [July 01, 2020] NASA Awards NOAA's Space Weather Follow On-Lagrange 1 (SWFO-L1) Solar Wind Plasma Sensor (SWiPS) GREENBELT, Md., July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- On behalf of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), NASA has awarded the Space Weather Follow On-Lagrange 1 (SWFO-L1) Solar Wind Plasma Sensor (SWiPS) contract to South West Research Institute (SwRI) in San Antonio, Texas. This is a cost plus fixed-fee contract with a total value of $15,579,930. The performance period begins on July 1 and runs for 76 months. The work will be performed at SwRI's facility in San Antonio, Texas. The principal purpose of this requireent within the Space Weather Follow On (SWFO) Project is to design, analyze, develop, fabricate, integrate, test, calibrate, evaluate, and support launch and on-orbit check-out of the Solar Wind Plasma Sensor (SWiPS) instrument as part of the SWFO-L1 Observatory. SWFO-L1 will provide NOAA with the continuity of solar wind data and coronal mass ejection imagery, the National Weather Service's highest priority for space weather observations. The SWFO-L1 satellite, which is planned to launch in 2024 as a rideshare with the NASA Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe, will collect upstream solar wind data and coronal imagery to support NOAA's mission to monitor and forecast space weather events. NOAA is responsible for the Space Weather Follow-On project. NASA is the program's flight system procurement agent, and NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, is the lead for this acquisition. For information about NASA and agency programs, visit: https://www.nasa.gov View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/nasa-awards-noaas-space-weather-follow-on-lagrange-1-swfo-l1-solar-wind-plasma-sensor-swips-301087224.html SOURCE NASA [July 01, 2020] AXIS Capital to Release Second Quarter Financial Results on July 28, 2020 AXIS Capital Holdings Limited ("AXIS Capital" or the "Company") (NYSE: AXS) today announced that it expects to release financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2020, on Tuesday, July 28, 2020, after the close of the financial markets. Albert Benchimol, President and Chief Executive Officer, and Peter Vogt, Chief Financial Officer, will host an investor teleconference, including a question and answer period, on Wednesday, July 29, 2020, at 9:30 a.m. EDT to discuss the second quarter results as well as related matters. The teleconference can be accessed by dialing 1-877-883-0383 (U.S. callers), or 1-412-902-6506 (international callers), and entering the passcode 7371647 approximately 10 minutes in advance of the call. A live, listen-only webcast of the call will also be available via the Investor Information section of the Company's website at www.axiscapital.com. A replay of the teleconference will be available for two weeks by dialing 1-877-344-7529 (U.S. callers), or 1-412-317-0088 (international callers), and entering the passcode 10145669. The webcast will be archived in the Investor Information section of the Company's website. About AXIS Capital AXIS Capital, through its operating subsidiaries, is a global provider of specialty lines insurance and treaty reinsurance with shareholders' equity at March 31, 2020 of $4.8 billion and locations in Bermuda, the United States, Europe, Singapore, Canada and the Middle East. Its operating subsidiaries have been assigned a rating of "A+" ("Strong") by Standard & Poor's and "A" ("Excellent") by A.M. Best. For more information about AXIS Capital, visit our website at www.axiscapital.com. Follow AXIS Capital on LinkedIn and Twitter. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200701005243/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [July 01, 2020] Air Lease Corporation Announces Second Quarter 2020 Earnings Conference Call Air Lease Corporation ("ALC") (NYSE: AL) will host a conference call on August 6, 2020 at 4:30 PM Eastern Time to discuss the Company's financial results for the second quarter of 2020. Investors can participate in the conference call by dialing (855) 308-8321 domestic or (330) 863-3465 international. The passcode for the call is 7736738. The conference call will also be broadcast live through a link on the Investors page of the Air Lease Corporation website at www.airleasecorp.com. Please visit the website at least 15 minutes prior to the call to register, download and install any necessary audio software. A replay of the broadcast will be aailable on the Investors page of the Air Lease Corporation website. For your convenience, the conference call can be replayed in its entirety beginning at 7:30 PM ET on August 6, 2020 until 7:30 PM ET on August 13, 2020. If you wish to listen to the replay of this conference call, please dial (855) 859-2056 domestic or (404) 537-3406 international and enter passcode 7736738. About Air Lease Corporation ALC is a leading aircraft leasing company based in Los Angeles, California that has airline customers throughout the world. ALC and its team of dedicated and experienced professionals are principally engaged in purchasing commercial aircraft and leasing them to its airline customers worldwide through customized aircraft leasing and financing solutions. ALC routinely posts information that may be important to investors in the "Investors" section of ALC's website at www.airleasecorp.com. Investors and potential investors are encouraged to consult the ALC website regularly for important information about ALC. The information contained on, or that may be accessed through, ALC's website is not incorporated by reference into, and is not a part of, this press release. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200701005849/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Banks to Award $66K in Partnership Grant Program Funds for Neighborhood Revitalization Broadway Bank and Jefferson Bank in conjunction with the Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas recently awarded $66,000 in Partnership Grant Program ( PGP (News - Alert) ) funds to Neighborhood Housing Services of San Antonio (NHSSA), a community-based organization (CBO) whose vision is to build safe and diverse neighborhoods where community members can thrive. Join representatives from some of the banks at a ceremonial Passing of the Keys and check presentation. The ceremony will take place at 9:00 a.m. on Friday, July 3, 2020 at 837 Potomac Street, San Antonio, Texas. The media is encouraged to attend. The structure of the PGP enables FHLB Dallas member institutions such as Broadway Bank and Jefferson Bank to contribute $500 to $6,000 to a CBO, which FHLB Dallas will match at a 5:1 ratio. For more information about the PGP, visit fhlb.com/pgp. WHAT: Passing of the Keys Ceremony and Check Presentation WHEN: 9:00 a.m., Friday, July 3, 2020 WHO: Christopher W. Sanchez, Executive Director, NHSSA Jacob Cavazos, Senior Vice President, Community Reinvestment Manager, Broadway Bank Jeannette Westbrook, Senior Vice President, Community Reinvestment Manager, Broadway Bank Hazel Davis, Vice President, Compliance and Community Development Officer, Jefferson Bank WHERE: 837 Potomac Street, San Antonio, Texas 78202 View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200701005936/en/ [July 01, 2020] Discover Financial Services Announces Second Quarter 2020 Earnings Release on July 22, 2020 and Conference Call on July 23, 2020 Discover Financial Services (NYSE: DFS) plans to report its second quarter 2020 results after the market closes on Wednesday, July 22, 2020. The earnings release will be available through Discover's Investor Relations website at https://investorrelations.discover.com. A conference call to discuss the firm's results, outlook and related matters will be held on Thursday, July 23, 2020 at 7:00 a.m. Central time. The live audio webcast will be accessible to the general public through Discover's Investor Relations website at https://investorrelations.discover.com. An audio replay will be available on the website following the call. About Discover Discover Financial Services (NYSE: DFS) is a digital banking and payment services company with one of the most recognized brands in U.S. financial services. Since its inception in 1986, the company has become one of the largest card issuers in the United States. The company issues the Discover card, America's cash rewards pioneer, and offers private student loans, personal loans, home loans, checking and savings accounts and certificates of deposit through its banking business. It operates the Discover Global Network comprised of Discover Network, with millions of merchant and cash access locations; PULSE, one of the nation's leading ATM/debit networks; and Diners Club International, a global payments network with acceptance around the world. For more information, visit www.discover.com/company. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200701005937/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [July 01, 2020] Lieff Cabraser and Co-Counsel Announce Filing of Nationwide Class Action Breach of Contract Lawsuit on Behalf of Six Prominent Nashville Restaurants Against Erie Insurance Exchange Over Refusal to Pay Business Insurance Claims Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein, LLP, The Higgins Firm, and the Law Office of Alexandra Foote have filed a federal nationwide class action lawsuit against Erie Insurance Exchange on behalf of six Nashville-area restaurants and bars accusing the insurance carrier of breach of contract in its failure to pay valid business interruption insurance claims. This is the first such federal class action filed in Nashville. The plaintiffs are six popular restaurants and bars in the Nashville area: Crow's Nest, Hillwood Pub, Joe's Place, Plaintiff Plantation Pub, Inc., Sidelines Grill Pleasant View, and Sidelines Grill Ashland City. Several, like Sidelines Grill, are family-owned and host live music. Others, like Hillwood Pub and Plantation Pub, are nightlife-oriented but also serve "pub style" food popular in local communities. In 2014, Hillwood Pub participated in and won the "Music City Hot Wings Festival." The plaintiffs are bringing claims on behalf of a proposed nationwide class of restaurants and bars. As set forth in the complaint, several months ago all six plaintiff establishments were forced to shut down at the order of both state and local governments who required the restaurants, their workers, and their customers to "shelter in place" and abide by strict "social distancing" guidelines. These compulsory shutdowns forced the restaurants to lay off employees and to lose income for several months while continuing to pay many regular expenses, causing severe financial losses, which the plaintiffs' restaurants and bas were unable to recoup even after they were permitted to re-open with limitations. As the complaint details, to protect their business from catastrophic situations like this one, the plaintiffs purchased insurance from Erie Insurance Exchange that included coverage for business interruption. The policies expressly provide coverage for "Lost Income" and the consequences of actions by "Civil Authority." Accordingly, the restaurants expected that their policies would help protect their businesses in the event that the government ever ordered them to stop or severely restrict operations in connection with a pandemic or any other covered cause of loss. When plaintiffs submitted their claims to Erie Insurance Exchange, the claims were summarily denied. The complaint alleges that these denials were part of a premeditated strategy by Erie to deny all claims related to the "shelter in place" orders and COVID-19. The complaint alleges these denials were untethered to the facts of the claims, which Erie did not adequately investigate, or to the specific coverage provided by the plaintiffs' business insurance policies. "These small businesses bought insurance to protect against business interruption," notes Lieff Cabraser partner Mark P. Chalos, who represents the plaintiffs in the lawsuit. "The last thing that small businesses need right now is their billionaire insurance company wrongfully denying claims." "We're proud to represent this group of locally-owned Nashville bars and restaurants, businesses that serve our community," notes The Higgins Firm's Jim Higgins, who also represents the plaintiffs in the suit. "Erie's systematic, blanket denial of their insurance claims is just wrong, and this lawsuit seeks to correct that wrong." "It has been a difficult time for many small businesses in Tennessee, especially restaurants and bars," said Doug Crow, owner and operator of the plaintiff businesses. "We are standing up to these insurance companies that are refusing to do what they promised to do." The class in the lawsuit is defined as "All persons or entities in the United States who own an interest in a business that served food or drink on the premises and was insured by Erie Insurance Exchange in March 2020, made (or attempted to make) a claim with Erie arising from loss of income (or extra expense or other losses related to business interruption) at that business related to COVID-19, and did not receive coverage for that claim." The lawsuit states claims for breach of contract and breach of the covenant of good faith and fair dealing, and seeks injunctive relief as well as damages. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200701005945/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] 45533 Hornby completes move to Ligue 1 Wednesday, 1 July, 2020 The 20-year-old striker was reportedly being lined up by the Ligue 1 club for a 1.8m move last month and his switch has now been completed for an officially undisclosed fee. Hornby made one senior appearance for the Blues in the same game that Anthony Gordon was handed his first-team debut, the win over Apallon Limassol in 2017. Note: the following content is not moderated or vetted by the site owners at the time of submission. Comments are the responsibility of the poster. Disclaimer About these ads Police in Kansas City, Missouri, want to know if you can help locate a vehicle, which may have been connected to the city's latest homicide, the shooting of 4-year-old LeGend Taliferro as he slept in his bed early Monday morning at the Citadel Apartments near East 63rd Street and Paseo Boulevard. Scientists in China have identified a new strain of a flu virus in pigs that has the potential to infect humans and lead to a new pandemic. In a paper published in the U.S.-based journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the scientists say the new "G4" strain was discovered during a surveillance program of pig farms and slaughterhouses across 10 provinces between 2011 and 2018. The new virus is a variation of the H1N1 swine flu virus that killed hundreds of thousands of people around the world in 2009. Normal, IL (61790) Today Cloudy. Cooler. High near 70F. Winds NW at 15 to 25 mph.. Tonight Mainly clear skies. Low around 50F. NNW winds at 10 to 20 mph, decreasing to less than 5 mph. Celebrate New KCI Cash KCI receives $6M grant from FAA to reconstruct main runway KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Kansas City International Airport received a multi-million grant Tuesday to replace its main runway. The Federal Aviation Administration , or FAA, announced $800 million in grants, including $6.25 million for KCI. Golden Ghetto Cancels 4th Overland Park cancels Star Spangled Spectacular fireworks show OVERLAND PARK, Kan. - The city of Overland Park announced Tuesday that their Star Spangled Spectacular fireworks show will not be held on July 4 as originally planned. The annual event at Corporate Woods Founders' Park was scheduled to be a fireworks-only celebration. The city said guests were encouraged to remain distant at the park [...] Kansas City Science Test Metro company testing if its machine will purify air of COVID-19 LENEXA, KS (KCTV) - People are socially distancing, wash their hands and wearing masks, in an effort to protect themselves against COVID-19, but is it possible to also clean the air they breathe? Lenexa-based Synexis says it's found a way to "scrub the air" of all kinds of viruses, and several area restaurants are already putting it to the test. Well Always Remember Lucy Who is Lucy Pinder? PAGE 3 bombshell Lucy Pinder appears on Big Brother's Best Shows Ever this evening. Pinder is back tonight on Big Brother's Best Shows Ever, which is hosted by Davina McCall and Rylan-Clarke Neal, and airs on E4. Lucy Pinder is a 36-year-old brunette, who is known for being a glamour model, TV personality and actress. MSM Blaming Prez Trump For Russian Bounty Crisis Trump's Explanation For Ignoring Russia Intel Is Looking Worse and Worse The White House has apparently known of possible Russian bounties on Americans in Afghanistan since early 2019, pushing the timeline back a full year earlier than when the administration was initially thought to have learned of the intelligence. The shocking findings that a Russian military intelligence agency offered rewards to Taliban-linked militants for attacks on U.S. In Defense Off The Prez Rep. Kinzinger explains why question of Trump being briefed on Russia bounty intel is 'irrelevant' Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill., told Fox News Radio Tuesday that it is unlikely President Trump was briefed on intelligence that Russia secretly offered bounties to Taliban-linked militants for killing American troops in Afghanistan due to the information's unverified nature. "I don't think the president was briefed," Kinzinger told "The Brian Kilmeade Show." Pandemic Out Of Control Dr. Anthony Fauci says U.S. coronavirus outbreak is 'going to be very disturbing,' could top 100,000 new cases a day The U.S. is "not in total control" of the coronavirus pandemic and daily new cases could surpassed 100,000 new infections per day at some point, White House health adviser Dr. Anthony Fauci said Tuesday. Brits Soldier On This is the moment to be ambitious - PM Boris Johnson has said now is the time to be "ambitious" about the UK's future, as he set out a post-coronavirus recovery plan. The PM vowed to "use this moment" to fix longstanding economic problems and promised a 5bn "new deal" to build homes and infrastructure. Scary Local Debut Horror movie filmed in KC area premieres Thursday A movie filmed in the Kansas City area is about to hit the big screen. The horror film "I Am Lisa" premieres Thursday at the Boulevard Drive-In Theatre.The movie was filmed with a mostly local cast and crew. At a time when there's not much new being released, the director said he is anxious to get it before an audience. Foodies Fight For KC Chef Collective KC cooks up plan for long-term sustainability as pandemic, hunger persist The global pandemic didn't create Kansas City's food insecurity challenges, said Jon Taylor, but COVID-19's impact did expose how quickly the line can be blurred or even erased for those looking for their next meal. Steamy Kansas City This Week Hot temps continue Wednesday Hide Transcript Show Transcript PER HOUR. YOU CAN SEE THE CAMERA MOVING IN THE BREEZE. TEMPERATURES WILL STAY IN THE 80'S OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF HOURS. THIS IS FOR NORTHWESTERN MISSOURI, NORTHEASTERN KANSAS. I WANT TO GIVE YOU THE FIRST ALERT. THIS IS THE TREND FOR RAIN TO MOVE IN BEFORE DAWN. Just for old time's sake we celebratethat inspires us to keep up with today's pop culture headlines, community news and info from across the nation and around the world . . .And this is thefor right now . . . Overland Park officer who shot 17-year-old received $70,000 payout to resign OVERLAND PARK, Kan. - An Overland Park police officer who shot and killed a 17-year-old was paid tens of thousands to resign, new documents show. The Johnson County district attorney cleared former Overland Park Officer Clayton Jenison in the shooting, which took the life of John Albers . On both sides of this debate, the cash bonus to leave makes it harder to argue that nothing horrible happened . . . Read more: Amid Calls for Defunding, KCPD's Community Partnerships May Merit Closer Look There's very little room for nuance in a hashtag. #defundpolice is no exception. But there is much to ponder once people get past the easy misconception that defunding means abolishing a police force overnight. Here's a supporting preview of a controversial progressive talking point that's garnering support across the nation . . . Meanwhile, we notice Northland & South KC neighborhoods would welcome more cops that Midtown and some denizens of the East side seem to reject.Read more: On the subject of Russian bounties paid to the Taliban in Afghanistan for any and all of our American soldiers killed by them there, this broke yesterday. And still, from that day to this, from whatever day this President Trump learned of these bounties paid by the Russians for killing our American soldiers, still, still, to this day, this President has done nothing, nothing to punish Russia for this act, for these acts. By becoming more similar to competitors like the latest Toyota Corolla, Hyundai Elantra, and Kia Forte, the 2020 Sentra loses the old models standout spaciousness and value but it brings fresh advantages to the table all while keeping costs in check. Do the changes turn the Sentra into a class leader? Not exactly. Even after this years improvements, you can still find quicker, sharper-handling, more luxuriously-finished small sedans. And if you loved the old Sentra because you could get a huge backseat and trunk at a fire-sale price, the new model will feel like a step backward. For the 2020 model year, Nissan has worked to reinvent the Sentra. A striking new body sits atop a more sophisticated suspension and wraps around a more potent engine and a fancier interior. All the while, Nissan has kept prices in check and even improved the Sentras gas mileage. The last two generations of Nissan Sentra have followed a simple formula: a spacious interior, a smooth ride, great gas mileage, and low prices. For plenty of compact-sedan buyers, thats a winning formula. But it came at the expense of driving pleasure to the extreme. Last years Nissan Sentra wasnt merely dull, but downright awful if you try to get some grins. Its wheezy 124-horsepower engine struggled under all but the gentlest acceleration, and its handling betrayed an alarming lack of composure for a modern small car. And while its upright styling could be considered elegant from some angles, it just looked tall and narrow from others. 2020 NISSAN SENTRA - EXTERIOR Some cars redesigns hide major mechanical improvements under familiar sheetmetal. Others wrap old bones in new bodies. But thats not the case with the new Sentra. Its brand-new, and it looks it. The new Sentra is about 2 inches wider and 2 inches lower than its predecessor. The changes are instantly evident. Wider, lower vehicles look inherently sportier than taller, narrower ones, and Nissan took full advantage of these proportions. Nissan Sentra Exterior Dimensions Overall Length 183.1 inches Overall Width 71.4 inches Overall Height 57 inches Wheelbase 106.7 inches Gone are the big high headlights in favor of low, slimmer ones. They stretch out toward the center of the car, where a black-and-chrome grille similar to what youll find in the larger Nissan Altima and Maxima reaches down almost to the ground. This grille is smaller than the Altimas, though, and it integrates more smoothly with the headlights. Slightly more rounded headlights and taillights than the Altima take the edge off, dialing back an aggressive look into more genteel confidence. Wed compare the result favorably to the Mercedes-Benz A 220 from the rear, while its unmistakably (yet attractively) a Nissan from the front. Style is an important reason to choose a sedan over a more popular crossover these days, and by doubling down on car-like proportions, the new Sentra is better-positioned to capture remaining sedan buyers. We do have a couple of minor complaints. First, our tested SR model the priciest and most sport-themed Sentra is the only trim level that comes with fog lights. Even the most luxurious model (the SV with the Premium Package) has prominent chunks of black plastic in the front bumper. Its an unfortunate misstep; Nissan made such an effort to design a truly handsome sedan, then marred its face on most of the lineup. We also didnt love the way the black plastic side-mirror housing spilled onto the front fender, especially on our two-tone test car (white with a black roof). 2020 NISSAN SENTRA - INTERIOR The outside of the 2020 Nissan Sentra is a class act. The inside isnt bad, but its more of a mixed bag. The dashboard is more contemporary than last years Sentra, following the convention of perching an infotainment screen atop the dash rather than raising up the whole dashboard to envelop it. Right below it are three round HVAC vents, which combined with the dashboards orange backlighting push the boundaries of tasteful restraint in a car thats not actually a track-day winner. Its by no means awful, but the Mazda3 and Toyota Corolla are two compact cars that wed argue achieve better results with minimalism than Nissan does with extra flourishes. The Sentras interior plastics also dont measure up to the luxury-grade Mazdas, and details like the rock-hard sun visors and foot-operated manual parking brake detract further. Everything is user-friendly, at least, which is more than we can say for the Mazda3. The base Sentra S uses a 7-inch touchscreen, while the SV and SR models upgrade to an 8-inch unit that supports Android Auto and Apple CarPlay smartphone integration. Moving beyond the dashboard, the Sentras lower, wider proportions also result in lower, wider front seats. Thats bad news for buyers who liked perching up high in last years Sentra, but Nissan can expect such critics to migrate toward one of its many crossovers. You can get the Sentra with dazzling quilted leather upholstery, at least when you buy the SV with the Premium Package. Oddly, our tested SR with the Premium Package brought plain black imitation leather at a higher price. The old Sentras exceptional spaciousness is gone, though, a consequence of its more striking exterior. I recently rented a 2019 Sentra, which easily absorbed a rear-facing child safety seat and an adult into its backseat, and a gaggle of suitcases plus a stroller into its trunk. The redesigned 2020 model is still above-average for its class, but its no longer amazing. The rear cushion is lower, the front seatbacks are closer to your knees, and the smaller windows close in more around you. In other words, adults will fit without drama, but they also wont likely love it. Similarly, trunk space drops from an outstanding 15.1 cubic feet to a still-decent 14.3 cubic feet. Nissan seems to be betting that plus-size rear seats and trunks arent what sells compact sedans, and were not going to argue otherwise especially since the new Sentra remains class-competitive in both ways. But keep this change in mind if youre an Uber driver (or customer). Every Sentra is a four-door sedan, without the more versatile five-door hatchback configuration youll find on many competitors. 2020 NISSAN SENTRA - DRIVING IMPRESSIONS Well cut to the chase: the redesigned Sentra doesnt drive as well as it looks. Its a night-and-day improvement over the old model, but it has moved its acceleration and handling from terrible to rather good not all the way to excellent. Every 2020 Sentra uses a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine making 149 horsepower and 146 lb-ft of torque, paired to a continuously variable automatic transmission. Thats a significant improvement from last years 124-hp 1.8-liter, which was outgunned by some subcompact cars, to say nothing of every competitor in the compact class. Nissan Sentra drivetrain specifications Engine 2.0-Liter Four-Cylinder Horsepower 149 @ 6,400 RPM Torque 146 LB-FT @ 4,400 RPM Transmission Xtronic CVT Driveline FWD Fuel Gasoline, Regular Steering Electric, Dual-Pinion Suspension Independent Front \ Multi-Link Rear Tires P205/60R 16 Curb Weight 3,045 LBS Fuel Economy 29/39/33 But its still on the low end of the segment, and Nissan no longer offers a higher-output engine like the Sentra once did and many competitors still do. The engine feels peppy and eager when youre driving gently, but it doesnt have a lot of power in reserve if you do try to dig in. You can choose among Eco, Sport, and Normal driving models, but unlike on the larger Altima, you cant manually choose among preselected shift points. Like on other Nissan CVTs, the Sentra automatically simulates shift points to reduce the drone of steady RPMs. The new Sentras handling composure is a revelation in comparison to last years model. You turn the steering wheel and the car goes where its pointed, without last years disconcerting pitching, bobbing, and understeering. The 2019 Sentra was perhaps the worst-handling sedan you could buy that year, and wed sooner try to drive fast in many crossover SUVs. Still, the new Sentras abilities only elevate it to midpack in a segment that was already accustomed to dynamic competence. Theres little eagerness to the steering, little zest. Nissan has created a small car that drives like a small car, but thats not enough for a standing ovation. Whats more, our SR test car (admittedly wearing big 18-inch wheels) slammed hard over some bumps. The Mazda3 and Honda Civic remain the drivers choices in this segment, with superior power, handling, and even ride quality to the Sentra. At least gas mileage remains decently thrifty. The Sentra actually improves its fuel economy slightly compared to its less-powerful predecessor, likely because the bigger engine doesnt have to work as hard in normal driving conditions. Our SR test vehicle scores an EPA-estimated 28 mpg in the city, 37 mpg on the highway, and 32 mpg overall, while other trim levels do about one mpg better. Thats the same as the base engines of the Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla, though they both offer upgraded powertrains that are simultaneously more powerful and more fuel-efficient. We averaged 34 mpg in a week of mixed driving. The 2020 Sentra lacks Nissans ProPilot Assist system, but it has some of the same components, including adaptive cruise control. However, the adaptive cruise control lacks full-speed stop-and-go capability, meaning that you have to take over below 25 mph. And while the Sentra has a lane-departure warning, it lacks ProPilots lane-keeping steering corrections. Other safety features include forward automatic emergency braking with pedestrian-detection capability, rear automatic braking, blind-spot monitoring with a rear cross-traffic alert, and automatic high beams. All of these features are standard on all models except adaptive cruise control, which isnt offered on the base Sentra S but is standard on the rest of the lineup. 2020 NISSAN SENTRA - PRICING The 2020 Nissan Sentra is priced from $19,090 for its base S version. Its pretty decently equipped, with the aforementioned safety features as well as power windows and locks, keyfob with push-button starting, a 7-inch infotainment touchscreen, a USB port, and 16-inch wheels with plastic wheel covers. The better deal is the $20,270 SV, which adds adaptive cruise control, 16-inch alloy wheels, automatic climate control, an upgraded proximity key system that lets you unlock the doors with the keyfob in your pocket, upgraded cloth upholstery, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, and an 8-inch touchscreen that adds Android Auto and Apple CarPlay smartphone integration, along with two more USB ports: one conventional outlet and one new USB-C. Youd have to be really pinching pennies to skip all this extra content, and even then, youre likely hurting your resale value. You can also dress up the SV with a Premium Package ($2,460) that adds quilted leather upholstery, heated front seats, a six-way power drivers seat, 17-inch wheels, LED headlights, and a sunroof. Heres where things get a little wonky. The top SR model starts at $21,430, adding 18-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights and foglights, orange stitching on the seats and dashboard, and a tasteful body kit. All fine so far. But the SRs $2,170 Premium Package doesnt match the SVs. It swaps out the beautiful quilted leather for imitation leatherette. And it adds features you cant get on the otherwise more upscale SV: a surround-view parking camera, a Bose eight-speaker sound system, and a heated steering wheel. And as we mentioned, you cant get the SV with foglights. So you can choose between the SV that looks better and feels richer on the inside, or the SR that looks better on the outside and has more features. If you can find a combination of features that works for you, the Sentra is a pretty good deal in its segment. We ran the prices on equivalently equipped competitors and found that the Honda Civic costs several thousand dollars more than a comparable Sentra, and it also edges out the Toyota Corolla depending on the features you want. It even has competitive sticker prices to the maximum-value Korean competition, especially if you want both leather and a sunroof (which maddeningly requires you to check every option on the 2020 Hyundai Elantra). The big wild card is the discount youll be able to negotiate, which is all over the map as we write amid the coronavirus shutdowns. If price is paramount, you might want price quotes from your entire short list. However, our best estimate is that you should be able to knock about $2,000 off the Sentras sticker prices, including any manufacturer rebates (which stand at $750 as we write in late June). Thats a bigger discount than you can expect from a Civic and in line with what youd get at the Toyota dealer for a Corolla, but its nothing like the take our car, please money youd have found on the hood of last years Sentra. 2020 Nissan Sentra prices BASE VEHICLE Description Suggested List Price Sentra S 2.0 Liter I4 Xtronic $19,090 Sentra SV 2.0 Liter I4 Xtronic $20,270 Sentra SR 2.0 Liter I4 Xtronic $21,430 2020 NISSAN SENTRA KEY COMPETITORS Last years Toyota Corolla and Nissan Sentra offered roomy interiors, lots of safety technology, low prices, and not much else. This year, theyve both been dramatically redesigned and theyre once again in almost precisely the same niche. They ride, handle, and accelerate more competently than before, yet theyre not class leaders. Theyre less roomy and more expensive than before, yet still competitive on both fronts. Theyre both more stylish inside and out. Where they differ is that the Corolla has optional powertrains that the Sentra cant match a larger four-cylinder gasoline engine and a gas-electric hybrid. The Toyota also has additional safety features the Sentra doesnt offer. On the flip side, the Sentra is slightly roomier and slightly less expensive, and it arguably looks more upscale. And until the 2021 model year, you cant get the Corolla with Android Auto. Read our full review on the 2020 Toyota Corolla The Mazda3 is another great-looking compact car. But unlike the Sentra, it drives as well as it looks. Its exceptional refinement and composure rival luxury sedans, and its big 2.5-liter engine is among the most powerful in its class. But you give up some of the basics to get this full-fledged luxury experience the Mazda3 is more expensive, less fuel-efficient, and less spacious than the Sentra. Nissan provides a more economy-car experience, both in terms of pros and cons. Read our full review on the 2020 Mazda3 The Honda Civic combines spaciousness, fuel efficiency, and sprightly driving manners agile handling and peppy acceleration. Thats a combination neither the Sentra nor the Mazda3 can challenge. But the Civic doesnt nail the details. It has cumbersome dashboard controls, and its small infotainment screen suffers from laggy responses and dated graphics. Plus, youll typically spend several thousand dollars less for a Sentra than a comparably equipped Civic. Read our full review on the 2020 Honda Civic The Hyundai Elantra is a leading budget-priced compact sedan, providing safety, efficiency, comfort, and user-friendly design at sometimes ridiculously low prices. Hyundai also throws in a long warranty and three years or 36,000 miles of free scheduled maintenance. Discerning drivers will find the Sentras handling slightly sharper, and the Nissan also looks more upscale at least until the Elantras dramatic redesign for 2021 and has a little more rear seat space. And as we mentioned, the Elantras package/trim structure may make it hard for you to find all the options you want at a reasonable price. Read our full review on the 2020 Hyundai Elantra The Kia Forte and Hyundai Elantra share many of their mechanical pieces, as well as their focus on mild-mannered competence and value. The Forte is the more modern-looking of the two sedans, but its missing some of the Elantras available luxury features and its free scheduled maintenance. When price is paramount, the Forte, Elantra, and Sentra might all be your winner depending on the deal youre offered locally all three offer thorough competence without glaring flaws. Read our full review on the 2020 Kia Forte 2020 NISSAN SENTRA IN A NUTSHELL The redesigned 2020 Nissan Sentra has moved from a mix of awful and outstanding qualities into a more consistently competitive compact sedan. It stands out less from the competition, but no longer does it embarrass itself in any major way. With its newfound style and all-around competence, the Sentra is potentially appealing to a much wider swath of compact-sedan customers. It would still need a little more polish and horsepower to become a dominant force in its segment but especially if you like its new looks, its now one of several solid, well-rounded compact sedans. Johnstown, PA (15901) Today Scattered thunderstorms. A few storms may be severe. High around 85F. Winds WSW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 70%.. Tonight Thunderstorms early, overcast overnight with occasional rain. Low 58F. Winds WNW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 80%. One of the most attractive features for visitors to Lam Binh district in the northern province of Tuyen Quang is the unique cuisine and specialties of the upland area. At Nam Dip homestay in Lang Can commune, tourists are treated with an authentic traditional meal of Tay ethnic group, prepared by the host. Notably, the food is not served in bowls and dishes as usual but in bamboo trays covered with green banana leaves. According to young man Chau Thanh Nga, the owner of Tai Ngao homestay, one of indispensable dishes in a local meal is salad of the don vegetable. Growing in the forest, don is a plant of the fern family. The cook first boils the vegetable in water to eliminate its slime, and then seasons it with sweet and sour spices and adds some ground peanuts on top. Other highlights of the meals are grilled pig, which is seasoned with fermented rice and doi indigenous seeds, and boiled duck, which is dipped into a sauce made from a broth of sliced Vietnamese coriander, salt, pepper and chili powder. This is in addition to bamboo shoots stuffed with minced pork and green onions, and eggs fried with the hoi vegetable. In Vietnamese, hoi means smelly. True to its name, the fresh hoi vegetable is foul but the smell disappears and it tastes delicious after being cooked. The vegetable is also an effective medication to protect the kidneys and the excretory system. Signature dishes in the Tay ethnic community also include buffalo skin stirred with fermented bamboo shoots, and grilled bong fish, which is served with rice paper, fish sauce, vegetables and herbs. After resisting calls from the public to identify nursing homes with COVID-19 outbreaks, Indiana officials announced Wednesday that they will create a public database. Hoosiers will be able to determine when COVID-19 cases spread at a facility, how many residents or staffers died, how many residents or staffers recovered and the demographics of those affected. Facilities will report on when staffers and residents developed COVID-19 back to March 1, nearly a week before the state confirmed its first case of COVID-19. Get breaking news delivered to you! Sign up for our newsletters to get the latest, breaking news. However, it isnt certain when the information will be made public. "Because our data collection focused up to now on identifying new cases in facilities ... it's going to take some time to build a dashboard that will allow the public to search by facility," said Dan Rusyniak, the chief medical officer of the state's Family and Social Services Administration. "Once we have this information by mid-July, we will make it available in a preliminary form to the public. But we're also going to use this data to build out a dashboard." Rusyniak didnt specify the differences Wednesday between the preliminary form of the database and the final version. The state had resisted calls, from members of the media, families of residents and advocacy groups such as AARP, to release facility-specific data. State officials had emphasized the importance of communication between facilities and families and denied a public records request for the data, saying it didnt keep the information in a collective form. Instead, the state has released only aggregate data, which shows that long-term care facilities account for nearly half of all COVID-19 deaths in Indiana. "As we have all learned, responding to this pandemic requires us to continually evaluate our approaches and, when appropriate, to change them," Rusyniak said. "This is one of those times." The Wednesday press conference ended without Rusyniak answering specific questions about the database and whether facilities would be penalized for not reporting. The database announcement came as Rusyniak said long-term care facilities could reopen for salon care and other personal services. A state release after the press conference clarified that nursing homes would be reopening to visitors. "Outdoor visitation is required at assisted-living facilities and nursing homes beginning July 4, and indoor visitation may begin," it read in part. On March 15, state officials directed long-term care facilities to restrict all visitation following COVID-19 outbreaks in West Coast facilities. Indiana was one of the first three states to announce it would loosen nursing home visitation restrictions in early June by allowing outdoor visits. Before fully reopening facilities, Rusyniak urged Hoosiers to continue infection-control practices such as social distancing, washing their hands frequently and wearing a mask. "If (a carrier visits) a friend or family member who, like over 60,000 Hoosiers, works in a nursing home, they risk causing an outbreak," Rusyniak said. The Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services, which regulates nursing homes, advised states not to reopen nursing homes unless facilities met requirements including access to adequate testing, mask or face coverings, adequate personal protective equipment for staff and low rates of coronavirus transmission in the community. In mid-June the state announced it would test every staffer at long-term care facilities for the virus. Rusyniak said the state would partner with the Regenstrief Institute and the Indiana University Fairbanks School of Public Health to analyze the data. "Restricting visitation was a necessary, early step in preventing the spread of COVID-19," Rusyniak said. "It has had a serious impact on the health and well-being of the residents and families who have waited patiently through this pandemic to be rejoined." This story was produced with the support of the Investigative Editing Corps (www.investigativeediting.org). Despite a pandemic, building permits in Vigo County and Terre Haute are tracking close to activity in 2019. "What I see right now, everyone I that talked to in the area is pretty busy. Virtually every builder, subcontractor and supplier that I have talked with are busy. If they are any good, they are busy and that in despite of the COVID. We are happy about that," said Scott Mundell, vice president of the Home Builders Association of Greater Terre Haute Inc. Get breaking news delivered to you! Sign up for our newsletters to get the latest, breaking news. "Maybe there will be a long-term effect that COVID could have, but that has not hit yet and I hope it doesn't," he said. The association has 132 members, which represent builders as well as associates such as building suppliers. Building, construction and trades were exempt under Indiana's stay-at-home order in March and April, allowing construction to continue into the spring. That's what has allowed builder Jon Mutchner of Jon Mutchner Homes to launch a good 2020 building season. "It is actually great," Mutchner said. "We have had no slow down whatsoever. We are busy as we can be," Mutchner said, adding his business is now constructing six new homes, which is up from last year, he said. The pandemic, he said, "has not slowed me down one bit. We have worked every day. Luckily they said we are an essential business and we kept going," he said. Mutchner developed Watertree subdivison and the company this year sold its last lot in the subdivision. The company is currently building three homes in the subdivision. Vigo County has issued 626 building permits and 37 demolish permits through June 22. As of mid June, the county has issued 26 new homes permits. In 2019, the county had 53 new homes. Through May, the county had 89 remodelings and 149 roofing permits. For 2019, the county had 229 remodelings and 502 roofing permits. "We are seeing housing development in Idle Creek and in Riley, as well as Woodgate South with new condos. I would say we are as good if not better than last year," said Carrie Lindsay, office manager for the Vigo County Building Inspection Department. "I think a lot of the remodeling permits are being issued because people had time on their hands and a lot were working from home," during a state-issued stay-at-home order during the pandemic, Lindsay added. In 2019, the city of Terre Haute had 19 new home permits and eight duplexes. From January to June 16 of this year, the city has had 12 new home permits and one duplex, according to city building inspection records. Last year, the city had 830 residential remodeling permits and 103 commercial remodeling permits. Those permits including roofing as well as home improvement. The city condemned 240 homes, usually for 30 to 90 days, and issued permits to demolish 79 homes and 17 commercial properties. This year, the city through mid June has had 340 permits for residential remodeling and 19 commercial remodeling permits. The city has also condemned 63 homes, for 30 to 90 days, and issued permits to demolish 59 homes and two commercial properties. The demo permits range from taking down a garage, to removing homes. Building season going strong Tribune-Star/Joseph C. Garza Busy as we can be: The COVID-19 pandemic has not slowed down the 2020 home building season for builder Jon Mutc "Construction has been about the same as last year, maybe a few more, but it is basically the same," said Daniel Bell, Terre Haute city building inspector. Bell said construction has continued as building trades were designated essential during the pandemic. "Construction workers can stay outside and can be out in the open, so it did not bother construction that much," Bell said. As far as demolition permits, the city has an older housing stock, Bell said, with the city usually having at least 50 demolition permits issued annually. The city's Department of Redevelopment works to remove older homes and replace them through housing programs. Additionally, Bell noted 2020 will still bring large construction projects, to both the city and county, despite the pandemic. Those include construction of a new Vigo County Jail, the downtown Terre Haute Convention Center, a new regional Veteran Affairs outpatient clinic on the city's eastside, which will be near a new casino. That casino project is slated to start construction this fall. Reporter Howard Greninger can be reached 812-231-4204 or howard.greninger@tribstar.com. Follow on Twitter@TribStarHoward. As the Vigo County court system prepares to reopen to the public next month, an agreement has been made for spaces large enough to allow for social distance during jury selection. On Tuesday, county commissioners Brad Anderson, Judy Anderson and Brendan Kearns learned a facilities use agreement will be signed for the gymnasium at McLean Learning Center and the conference center at West Vigo Elementary School. The agreement runs through Aug. 3. Get breaking news delivered to you! Sign up for our newsletters to get the latest, breaking news. Jury selection can begin with 75 or more people gathered for the questioning process. No courtroom in the Vigo County Courthouse is large enough to accommodate social distancing for such a large group. Multiple trials are currently scheduled for next week, but postponements are common. County attorney Michael Wright said the court staff and court information technology team is working on the setup for the space. The plan calls for the school corporation to be notified on Fridays if the school facility will not be needed the following Monday for a trial. Other business In other business from Tuesdays meeting, which was broadcast via YouTube, the commissioners: Learned the next sale of properties with delinquent taxes will be conducted in October with an online auction format. That sale will include unsold properties from the 2019 tax sale. The unsold properties would normally have been offered in a certificate sale in April, but that sale was canceled due to COVID-19. Heard county offices will reopen Monday, but some public access limits could remain in place depending on new directives from state and local health officials. Approved county membership in the Indiana 811 program that locates buried utility lines prior to digging projects. The county engineer will be notified any time a request for a utility line location is made through 811. The county can then better track projects that should receive a construction permit. The cost of the program is $3,000 for the remainder of 2020, and $6,000 for 2021. The commissioners meet each Tuesday at 9 a.m. Lisa Trigg can be reached at 812-231-4254 or at lisa.trigg@tribstar.com. Follow her on Twitter at TribStarLisa. Gerald Kirkham, 88, of Terre Haute, passed away Friday, June 18, 2021 in Terre Haute Regional Hospital. Gerald was born in New Goshen on June 9, 1933 to Cecil Kirkham and Fay Lake Kirkham. He was a member of the Lutheran Church and member of the American Legion in Sellersburg, IN. He was an Canton, GA (30114) Today Partial cloudiness early, with scattered showers and thunderstorms during the afternoon. High 84F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%.. Tonight Showers and thunderstorms likely. Low 68F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%. TRUMBULL Town buildings began the process of reopening this morning, albeit on a limited basis. In a message posted on the towns website and in a recorded phone message from First Selectman Vicki Tesoro, Trumbull officials announced that town hall, the EMS building and the recreation department building were open to the public by appointment effective July 1. The town clerk and tax collector are open for walk-ins, but Tesoro recommended against paying taxes in person. It is strongly recommended, however, that tax payments continue to be made online or via the US mail in order to avoid extended wait times at Town Hall, she said. The transfer station continues to operate, but transfer station tickets are available only at the station, not at the public works department. The senior center and both libraries remain closed, but the library is offering book pickup at the main library on Quality Street. Those going to town hall must have an appointment. Appointments can be made online or by calling 203-452-5000. Anyone entering town hall must wear a face covering. Those who come to town hall without a mask will be given a surgical mask to wear inside the building. Visitors also will be required to use hand sanitizer when they arrive. Once inside the building, visitors must check in with the greeter, who will ask a few health questions if the visitor did not make their appointment online. Once checked in, the greeter will inform the department, and the visitor may be asked to wait outside until the department can see them. When their business at town hall is concluded, visitors are asked to immediately leave the building. Other departments not located inside town hall also are reopening on a limited basis. The health department is open subject to restrictions, call 203-452-1030. Also, the public works department is open by appointment. The police department is open, with fingerprinting available Wednesdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Visitors coming in for fingerprinting must be COVID-19 symptom free and wear a mask inside the building. Only the person being fingerprinted will be allowed inside. The recreation department has announced that the towns outdoor pools will reopen July 6, with safety protocols in place. Residents must sign up for a two-hour swim session and will be required to follow safety rules. Residents who did not register for a swim session will not be allowed to enter the pool area. Every person entering the pool area including infants, nannies and guests must be on the registration. Residents can register online beginning July 2. Residents may also register by phone at 203-452-5060. Voicemail and email registrations will not be accepted. The recreation department also will be offering a limited summer camp that will run in one-week sessions beginning July 6. Information is available on the town website. I want to thank our town employees who worked remotely for the past three months, seamlessly delivering services to our town residents, Tesoro said. The reopening comes as many states have seen COVID-19 cases surge. Connecticut so far has bucked that trend, but Tesoro encouraged continued caution. Trumbull has seen 562 total confirmed coronavirus cases, with 119 deaths. The rate of infection has slowed in recent weeks with 38 new cases in June. For comparison, there were 140 new cases in May, and 383 in April, according to the towns COVID-19 dashboard. The rate of new positive COVID-19 cases in Trumbull continues to decrease, which is good news, Tesoro said. However, we take on more risk as we continue to open more locations and have more gatherings even with restrictions. Tucson, AZ (85741) Today Sunny. Very hot. High 106F. Winds NW at 10 to 20 mph.. Tonight Clear to partly cloudy. Low 79F. NW winds at 10 to 20 mph, decreasing to less than 5 mph. - Bob Collymore joined Safaricom in November 2010, succeeding Michael Joseph as CEO of the two-decade old company - The late Guyanese-born British businessman served the firm for nine years until his death on Monday, July 1, 2019 - At the time of his death, he was receiving treatment for cancer at different hospitals both in and out of the country Giant telecommunications company Safaricom has paid tribute to its former CEO Bob Collymore with his photo as profile image on its social media pages, one year after his death. Collymore died on Monday, July 1, 2019, after a long battle with leukemia. READ ALSO: Mother-in-law actress Jacqy Tina pregnant with second child The late Bob Collymore served as Safaricom CEO for nine years. He died on July 1, 2019, after a long battle with cancer. Photo: Bob Collymore. Source: Facebook READ ALSO: EACC's planned move to storm Sonko's Upperhill offices thwarted On both its Twitter and Facebook official pages on Tuesday, June 31, the telco updated their profile image to honour the late CEO who was loved by all and sundry. "Tomorrow we are celebrating the man who led us for nine years. Join us using #CelebratingBob and share your best memories of Bob Collymore,"Safaricom posted. Collymore joined Safaricom in November 2010, succeeding Michael Joseph as CEO of the two-decade old company. At the time of his death, the Guyanese born-British businessman was receiving treatment for cancer at different hospitals both in and out of the country. Safaricom had in May 2019 extended Collymore's contract by 12 months, effectively delaying his planned exit as CEO of the telecom giant. The one year extension which was expected to end in August 2020 was to cover for the time he was away on medical leave for about a year. Speculations were rife the CEO was planning to exit the firm in August 2019 because of health related issues. READ ALSO: Mbunge ahusika katika ajali ya barabarani Here were some reactions by Kenyans on Safaricom's social media pages: "My Best Memory of Bob was when I entered the lift at HQ2 in 2013 and guess who I found, it was Bob looking Sharp as always. Him smiling at me and just saying hello made me feel important. Rest well sir,"Stephen Okwayo penned. "Bob, you inspired me to share the good I have on the inside to benefit all around me. You showed that success is not about making money but having an impact in people's lives. Dance with the angels brother,"Kevin Kimuhu wrote. "Kenya will miss Bob Collymore forever, may he continue resting in peace. On a personal level I did not know him but he indirectly impacted on so many lives. His legacy is everywhere,"Perry Kamenju said. Here were other reactions on Twitter sampled by TUKO.co.ke: Do you have a hot story or scandal you would like us to publish, please reach us through news@tuko.co.ke or WhatsApp: 0732482690 and Telegram: Tuko news. I will never give up on my children - Martin Kilavi | Tuko TV Source: Tuko - Jacqy excited her fans when she announced her second child was on the way - She posted a photo of her grown bump and her skin was glowing as she posed in absolute joy - Her fans sent in messages of congratulations as they all said she of all the people deserved all the happiness in the world Mother-in-law actress Jacqy Tina is going to taste the joys of motherhood yet again and her heart is completely full. The single mum announced through an Instagram post that she was expecting her second born child who happens to be a boy. READ ALSO: Ned Nwokos Moroccan wife congratulates Regina Daniels on birth of her son Jacqy looked lovely and happy. Photo: Jacqy Tina Source: Instagram READ ALSO: Binti afariki dunia miezi miwili baada ya kuchapisha mtandaoni kuhusu kifo chake The prolific actress who stays innocent, hot and enchanting both on and off screen left her fans screaming at the top of their lungs when she delivered the good news. She posted a photo of her growing baby bump covered by a cute, sheer top. READ ALSO: Tedd Josiah discloses he left first wife because he didn't love her READ ALSO: Mahakama yaamuru kusikizwa upya kwa kesi ya ubakaji dhidi ya Frank Wanyama na Alex Olaba Across her face was a smile that was a sign of gratitude to God who she thanked so much for giving her a best friend in the form of a baby boy. The actress's cousin Kate Kamau congratulated her after receiving the big news and wished her all the best as she prepared to experience the journey of motherhood for a second time. The talented thespian tries her best to keep elements of her private life under wraps but never hides how proud she is to be a mum of the most beautiful girl on earth. READ ALSO: Comedian Njugush's cute son funnily explains where babies come from: "Kwa tumbo" Each year, the mother of one celebrates her passion and ability to be a nurse, mother, father, friend and comforter to her little girl. Once on Father's Day, the pretty actress shouted herself out for holding the fort even on days when life seemed difficult and things were not looking up for her. She has a gorgeous daughter who is her pride and joy and often makes appearances ob the proud mum's Instagram account. TUKO.co.ke wishes Jacqy happiness and good tidings as she prepares to bring another bundle of joy to the world. Do you have a groundbreaking story you would like us to publish? Please reach us through news@tuko.co.ke or WhatsApp: 0732482690. Contact Tuko.co.ke instantly. I will never give up on my children - Martin Kilavi | Tuko TV Source: Kenya Breaking News Today - In 1998, late minister Francis Lotodo allegedly hived off the controversial Ngong Forest land for construction of a fictitious school - Appearing in the National Assembly, MPs pressed him to give more details about the alleged school - Among other MPs who stood strong to defend the land was former MPs Raila Odinga (Lang'ata), Mukhisa Kituyi (Kimilili) - Lotodo never provided information about the school and later the land was sold to individuals and companies Details have emerged of heated debate in the National Assembly that dates back to 1998 when Opposition leader Raila Odinga and former Kimilili MP Mukhisa Kituyi stood strong against hiving off Ngong Forest land. According to the Hansard records, in April 1998 former minister for Natural Resources, the late Francis Lotodo, duped members of parliament that 53 hectares of the land had been set aside for setting up a school. READ ALSO: Reprieve for Kenyans as Uhuru extends zero rating of VAT on unga, cooking gas Opposition leaders Raila Odinga was on the forefront in opposing hiving off Ngong Forest land. Photo: Raila Odinga Source: Facebook READ ALSO: Prezzo asherehekea siku ya kuzaliwa ya mamake, amtumia ujumbe mtamu Pressed to provide more information or even give the name of the school, Lotodo never disclosed the details of the alleged school, which was never set up, Citizen TV reported. "The minister for natural resources declares that the boundaries of the Ngog Road forest reserve be altered to exclude the area described in the schedule hereto," read a gazette notice dated March 23, 1998. The notice later ignite a debate in parliament with the former Kimilili MP, through a private notice, questioned the purpose of the land, to which Lotodo replied saying it was a government decision to use the land for social amenities. Lotodo's answer raised more questions as the lawmakers sought to understand what social amenities were to be set up on the land. Late minister for Natural Resources Francis Lotodo. Photo: Daily Nation Source: UGC READ ALSO: Kirinyaga MCAs reduce Governor Waiguru's legal fees budget from KSh 60m to KSh 1m "Mr. Speaker, Ngong Forest is a rain catchment area which is threatened from all directions; from Bomas of Kenya, Lang'ata Cemetery and its being hived off," said Raila. The political heavyweight then warned the forest risked being wiped off should the government continue with its plan. Pressed for more answers, Lotodo told the MPs the land was being set aside for a school to serve residents of Lang'ata. However, that did not go well with the late Homa Bay MP Otieno Kajwang' who challenged the minister to give the name of the alleged military school. UNCTAD Secretary General Mukhisa Kituyi was on the forefront in opposing government move when he was serving as Kimili MP. Photo: Mukhisa Kituyi Source: UGC READ ALSO: Millicent Omanga says she's ready to give KSh 100k to woman claiming she has Maraga's baby Kituyi then asked the minister to clarify to the members the environmental or social value Kenyans were to get from the allocation of the land to members of the armed forces. "Mr Speaker, sir, the hon member comes from Kimilili about 500kms away, but people of Nairobi need a school," Lotodo told off Kituyi. The land was later subdivided and sold to individuals and companies connected to politicians, some of whom are currently in parliament and others have since passed on. The controversies around the land arose after Cabinet Secretary for Environment Keriako Tobiko threatened to evict the occupants in bid to reclaim the forest land which was allegedly grabbed. Do you have a groundbreaking story you would like us to publish? Please reach us through news@tuko.co.ke or WhatsApp: 0732482690. Contact Tuko.co.ke instantly. Source: Tuko.co.ke OKLAHOMA CITY - Authorities continue battling fraudulent unemployment insurance claims filed against state programs across the nation. The Oklahoma Employment Security Commission and the firm that handles its benefits distribution program, Conduent, identified about 70,000 claims as being fraudulent and stopped them before any payments were issued. And that's only what has been identified so far. The issue caught the attention of Oklahoma business owners, many of whom are alarmed by employment verification requests sent to them by the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission (OESC) on fraudulent claims. Attorney Barbara G. Bowersox, who founded her law firm in 2014, recently sent a letter to U.S. Sen. James Lankford about the issue. Featured video: Let's Talk Town Hall featuring Oklahoma's Economy Featured gallery: Voters cast ballots on Election Day Subscribe to Daily Headlines Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. For Murphy, Tesla makes sense in Tulsa for a number of reasons. What makes Tulsa competitive for this project is similar to what we see in a lot of manufacturing projects, he said. Weve got a great central location, first and foremost, that allows companies, particularly large original equipment manufacturers like Tesla, to serve the entire continental United States. Again, weve really done a great job in Oklahoma of creating a very pro-business environment. You couple that with the availability of large tracts of land, demonstrated success on economic development projects and I think Tulsa is well-suited to be very competitive with this project. Panelists took questions on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Cox Communications has seen a dramatic increase of the number of residential internet hook-ups because of an uptick in remote work, Ramseyer said, adding that the hospitality and restaurant industries, as well tribal casinos, have been hurt the worst. One way Cox has pivoted during the pandemic has been the implementation of an app-based program that allows technicians to solve issues without going inside homes. Three area state Senate primaries and a scattering of upsets through the state marked Tuesdays Oklahoma legislative primaries. In the Tulsa area, educator Jo Anna Dossett, 39, secured the Democratic nomination for Senate District 35 in a three-way primary, while Republican Cody Rogers won a bitter GOP battle with Dr. Chris Emerson in SD 37. I am just really grateful to every single volunteer, supporters and friends who believed in a mom and teacher, said Dossett, who is the sister of Sen. J.J. Dossett, D-Owasso. She said she is a 15-year educator who taught through the lack of funding for state agencies and budget cuts. I understand very clearly what things like that do to everyday Oklahomans, she said. I am determined we never go back to that place again. She will face the winner of the Republican runoff which pits attorney Kyden Creekpaum, 38, against attorney Cheryl Baber, 55. Creekpaum was the top vote-getter but did not secure enough support to avoid a runoff. One year ago today, on June 20, 2020, then-President Donald Trump took the stage while God Bless the USA filled the BOK Center, even if the Oklahoma Attorney General Mike Hunter sent a letter Tuesday to the states Pardon and Parole Board about its ability to issue commutations. Hunter sent the letter in response to discussion at the boards June 9 meeting, according to a news release. The board voted then to ask for an attorney generals opinion on whether it could legally hold commutation proceedings for death-row inmates. In Tuesdays letter, Hunter advised the board that it doesnt need a new opinion because a previous one affirmed the boards power to recommend commutations and the governors authority to grant them. The discussion comes after death-row inmate Julius Jones requested commutation in October. It is believed to be the first time a death-row inmate has asked for one. The Chromebooks, she said, are for the opening of a new virtual academy serving prekindergarten through eighth grade. Theyll also make it easier to support distance learning at elementary sites. Our districts indicated an urgent need for funds dedicated to connectivity and digital learning materials, and for good reason, Hofmeister said in a news release. The pandemic has created a clarion call throughout the state and nation to bridge the digital divide. It is imperative that districts be equipped to take swift and decisive action to ensure all kids are learning amid a global pandemic, including in virtual or blended environments that best meet local context and the needs of families. Additionally, Stitt said the grants align with one of his priority education initiatives this year. The COVID-19 pandemic has shown us the importance of digital transformation and the need for our students to have access to quality technology in order to enhance learning opportunities, the governor said in the news release. I appreciate the commitment of Supt. Hofmeister, OSDE and our local school districts as we continue to ensure these dollars are maximized to the benefit of our students and educators across the state. Featured video Kyle Hinchey 918-581-8451 kyle.hinchey@tulsaworld.com Twitter: @kylehinchey Longtime Tulsa school board District 6 representative Ruth Ann Fate narrowly lost her seat in Tuesdays election, while former teacher John Croisant handily won the District 5 seat. Fate, who first was elected to the board in 1996, finished with 33 fewer votes than challenger Jerry Griffin, who received 3,300 votes and will begin his four-year term at the boards next meeting. Griffin, a University of Oklahoma professor, actually conceded in a Facebook post earlier in the night after miscalculating some votes. In this particular moment, hes happy to be wrong. This was exciting, he said. Ive had hard workers, no doubt about it. I didnt win this myself. The votes were not for me. They were anti-(Superintendent Deborah Gist) votes. And they were looking at which direction the school board is going. Theyre going the wrong way, and this vote says that. For District 5, Croisant an Allstate agent who taught at Edison High School for 12 years secured 5,974 votes. His challenger, businessman Shane Saunders, received 5,329 votes. Croisant is replacing District 5 representative Brian Hosmer, who was appointed to the board last year and decided against running for a full term. More than 200 of the precinct workers were doing the job for the first time Tuesday. What a lot of people dont understand is: Without those precinct officials, we cant hold an election, Freeman said. They were fully aware of the dangers of this virus, and they chose to be out there and open the polls so people would have an opportunity to vote. That has been a very humbling and touching thing for me. Precinct workers were required to wear personal protective equipment. They were given the option to wear masks and goggles, but many chose to wear protective face shields. They started going to the shield because people could hear them better and they felt like they could breathe better, Freeman said. Voters were not required to wear masks at polling stations, but that message didnt make it to everyone Tuesday. At a polling station inside a church, a church worker instructed people entering the building that they had to wear a mask. We are not going to stop you from voting because you dont wear a mask, Freeman said. We called the church, and sure enough, the pastor fixed it real quick. Updated 10:45 p.m.: SQ 802, the initiative petition to expand Medicaid benefits through the use of federal funding, goes 50.48% yes and 49.52% no. Oklahoma will become the 37th state to pass Medicaid expansion. Here is how the county voting ended. Look at the voting on this interactive graphic from Staff Writer Curtis Killman. Updated 10:25 p.m.: Read Staff Writer Kyle Hinchey's story on the two Tulsa Public School board races, where one was won by 33 votes. Updated 10:24 p.m.: With 21 precincts to go, SQ 802 up by 6,740 votes, reports City Editor Paul Tyrrell. Look at the voting on this interactive graphic from Staff Writer Curtis Killman. Updated 10:20 p.m. U.S. Rep. Kendra Horn easily won her primary race Tuesday. More than 69,000 votes were cast in the race against Tom Guild. But the number that is interesting is only about 66,000 votes were cast by Republicans to choose her challenger, reports Staff Writer Randy Krehbiel. Horn is considered one of the most vulnerable Democratic incumbents in the nation after she flipped a long-standing red district. Looks like Republicans Terry Neese and Stephanie Bice will meet in a runoff election to see who goes against Horn in November. Updated 10:14 p.m.: The Oklahoma State Election Board just tweeted: "With more votes still to be counted, the June 2020 State Primary already has more votes cast than the ~600K votes in the March 2020 Presidential Primary." Updated 10:10 p.m.: SQ 802 up by 5,908 votes with 41 precincts to go. About 30 of those in Tulsa and Oklahoma counties, reports City Editor Paul Tyrrell. Look at the voting on this interactive graphic from Staff Writer Curtis Killman. Updated 10:03 p.m.: The Tulsa school boards longest-serving member hasnt faced a challenger in 20 years. Updated 9:55 p.m.: With less than 100 precincts left, SQ 802 holds 6,623 vote edge. It was polling about 62% yes in Tulsa and 66% yes in Oklahoma counties, reports City Editor Paul Tyrrell. Look at the voting on this interactive graphic from Staff Writer Curtis Killman. Updated 9:52 p.m.: Looks like Jo Anna Dossett gets the Democratic nomination and no runoff for Senate District 35, reports Staff Writer Barbara Hoberock. Dossett is a teacher who is the sister of state Sen. J.J. Dossett, D-Owasso. Updated 9:45 p.m.: The Tulsa Public Schools District 6 board seat has one precinct left and is separated by two votes. Ruth Ann Fate has 3,093 and her challenger Jerry Griffin has 3,095, reports Staff Writer Kyle Hinchey. The other race has John Croisant just ahead of Shane Saunders. Updated 9:38 p.m.: State Rep. Logan Phillips, who knocked out the leader of the House Democrats in 2018 in a shocking result after spending no money on the race, looks like he won his race against three Republican opponents. Updated 9:37 p.m.: SQ 802 now up by fewer than 6,000 votes with 173 precincts out, reports City Editor Paul Tyrrell. Updated 9:31 p.m.: Rep. Kevin McDugle is just ahead of Justin Dine for state House District 12. The Republican from Broken Arrow has been challenged in his last two elections about not living in the district by his opponent. Both time the election board sided with McDugle. Updated 9:22 p.m.: SQ 802: yes up 6,576 votes with 1,727 of 1,948 precincts, reports City Editor Paul Tyrrell. Updated 9:19 p.m.: Of 260 precincts still out, 221 are in Tulsa and Oklahoma counties, reports City Editor Paul Tyrrell. Updated 9:07 p.m.: SQ 802: yes votes about 8,600 ahead with about 330 precincts to count, reports City Editor Paul Tyrrell. Look at the voting on this interactive graphic from Staff Writer Curtis Killman. Lundy Kiger has been defeated in state House District 3 by the guy who had the seat before him, Rick West, reports Staff Writer Randy Krehbiel. Derrel Fincher from Bartlesville is about to lose, too, which would be a big upset, he said. Wendi Stearman is in the lead. Updated 8:53 p.m.: Incumbent Wayne Shaw has been defeated by a Republican challenger for Senate District 3 in northeast Oklahoma, reports Tulsa World Staff Writer Barbara Hoberock, who covers the Legislature. Blake Cowboy Stephens wins. Updated 8:46 p.m.: Less than 500 precincts to go on State Question 802: yes 51%, no 49%, reports City Editor Paul Tyrrell. Look at the voting on this interactive graphic from Staff Writer Curtis Killman. Looks like the rural counties are against the initiative petition to expand Medicaid benefits through the use of federal funding. Updated 8:43 p.m.: It's neck and neck in Tulsa Public Schools District 6, where longtime board member Ruth Ann Fate is being challenged by University of Oklahoma professor Jerry Griffin, reports Staff Writer Kyle Hinchey who covers education. Update 8:35 p.m.: Markwayne Mullin is easily defeating two contenders in the U.S. House District 2 Republican primary. Mullin, the incumbent, had nearly 80% of the vote with more than half the precincts reporting. Mullin will face Democrat Danyell Lanier and Libertarian Richie Castaldo on the Nov. 3 ballot, reports Managing Editor Mike Strain. Also winning easily was Kojo Asamoa-Caesar in the First Congressional Democratic primary. Asamoa-Caesar was defeating Mark Keeter and will face Republican incumbent Kevin Hern in the general election. Updated 8:33 p.m.: In state Senate District 35 GOP primary for Tulsa County, Creekpaum (44%) ahead of Baber (32%) and Morrissey (24%). 13 of 36 precincts reporting, reports City Editor Paul Tyrrell. State Question 802 getting tighter: yes 56%; no 44%. 860 of 1948 precincts reporting. Polling 71% yes in Tulsa County. Updated 8:13 p.m.: Tulsa World Staff Writer Randy Krehbiel, who has covered politics in the state for decades, files this story on the Congressional races: Inhofe, 85, will face 30-year-old Democrat Abby Broyles, plus two independents and a Libertarian, in November. Updated 8:04 p.m.: Other races that look to be over at this point across the state: Todd Hiett on the Republican ticket for Corporation Commissioner. Markwayne Mullin on the Republican ticket for U.S. Representative in District 2. Tom Cole on the Republican ticket for U.S. Representative in District 4. Updated 7:57 p.m.: State Question 802, the initiative petition to expand Medicaid benefits through the use of federal funding, appears to be on its way to passage. With nearly a quarter of precincts reporting, about 60% of voters have supported the measure. It has 80% approval in Tulsa County. Updated 7:44 p.m.: Looks like Sen. Jim Inhofe will again be on the Republican ticket in November. The Associated Press has called the race with Inhofe at 72% of the vote so far. He is likely going to face Abby Broyles, who is leading with 70% on the Democrat ticket for senator. AP has called her race as well. Updated 7:40 p.m.: About 4 percent of precincts are now reporting results. So far, the Oklahoma incumbents in Congress are in the lead in their respect races. Updated 7:31 p.m.: Sen. Jim Inhofe broke out to a big lead after absentee mail and early voting numbers came in initially. He had more than 20,000 vote for him by mail. On the Democrat side of that Senate race, Abby Broyles had more than 40,000 vote by mail to lead the pack. Updated 7:20 p.m.: Results are now showing up as absentee mail and early voting numbers are coming in for races across the state. Updated 7 p.m.: The polls are now closed as Oklahomans spent Tuesday voting in the 2020 primary election. We will update this story as races and the state question are called. Staff Writer Kevin Canfield filed this story earlier today about how election day started, including a precinct captain sleeping in, leaving voters waiting in line. Tulsa World Staff Photographers Mike Simons, Matt Barnard and Stephen Pingry reported and turned in these photos so far today. "You don't want things so convenient that you don't even know when fraud might be occurring, but on the other hand you don't want it so secure no one can vote," the state election board secretary says. Voters narrowly approved an amendment to the state constitution on Tuesday that expands Medicaid to include many people who previously were ineligible due to income limits on the program. With all of the precincts counted, the yes votes for State Question 802 held a more than 6,000-vote lead over the no votes, in a contest that came down to rural voters versus urban voters, with the latter winning. In all, 50.48% of the more than 673,110 votes cast were in support of expanding the Medicaid program in the state to help low-income working adults. An estimated 200,000 low-income Oklahomans now will be eligible for the health insurance program when it becomes effective by July 1, 2021. Amber England, campaign chair of the pro-802 effort, thanked supporters on Facebook Live about 10:40 p.m. as the last of the results were counted. We knew from Day 1 that this would be a tough battle, England said. They threw everything they had at us at the last minute. Also headed for victory was Corporation Commissioner Todd Hiett, who held a huge lead over Harold Spradling in the Republican primary. Hiett meets Libertarian Todd Hagopian in the general election. Serving Oklahomans is my greatest honor, Inhofe, seeking a fifth full term, said in a written statement. Im grateful to have earned the Republican nomination again and look forward to continuing the fight for Oklahoma values in the Senate. The choice were presented over the next few months is clear: do we want to stand up for conservative values, or do we follow the Pelosi path to radical socialism? Oklahomans know that I will never stop fighting to stop the socialist agenda of open borders, taxpayer funding of abortion, government control of health care or the Green New Deal, he said. Inhofe is a heavy favorite in the general election, but Broyles has been giving him an earful for months. Through effective use of social media, shes launched dart after dart in his direction. In a speech Tuesday night, Broyles attacked Inhofe on everything from the housing scandal at Tinker Air Force Base to health care to his partisanship. Father's Day was spent in under more quiet conditions than usual because of the extended curfew in effect. But the Sangre Grande Regional Corporation has taken the lockdown period to combat the spread of COVID-19 through a sanitisation programme. Here's Alicia Boucher with the details. On June 30, the armed formations of the Russian Federation violated ceasefire in the Joint Forces Operation (JFO) area in Donbas 12 times. The enemy opened fire from 82mm and 120mm mortars, grenade launchers of different systems, heavy machine guns, and small arms. Ukrainian defenders stopped the enemy shelling by decisive actions and effective use of duty fire weapons. The occupiers received an adequate response from the Joint Forces, the press center of the JFO Headquarters reports. In the zone of action of tactical force East, the enemy used 120mm mortars to shell Joint Forces units near Nevelske (18km north-west of Donetsk); grenade launchers of different systems, heavy machine guns, and small arms outside Avdiivka (17km north of Donetsk) and Vodiane (94km south of Donetsk); hand-held antitank grenade launchers, heavy machine guns in the area of Pisky (11km north-west of Donetsk). In the zone of action of tactical force North, Russian-occupation troops opened fire from 120mm mortars, grenade launchers of different systems, heavy machine guns, and small arms on Ukrainian positions near Luhanske (59km north-east of Donetsk), Novozvanivka (70km west of Luhansk), Novotoshkivske (53km west of Luhansk), Zaitseve (62km north-east of Donetsk); tripod-mounted man-portable antitank guns outside Khutir Vilnyi. Two Ukrainian servicemen were wounded in the enemy shelling over the past day. Today, the enemy has not opened fire yet. The situation in the JFO area remains controlled. ol The National Reform Council held a meeting chaired by President Volodymyr Zelensky on June 30. In particular, the issue to reform the customs service in Ukraine was discussed, the presidents press service reported [Participants] discussed the priority bills on reforming the economy, which will be completed by the Cabinet of Ministers and the Verkhovna Rada. In particular, the concept to reform the customs service was presented at the meeting, reads the statement. At the meeting, officials stressed that customs should move away from bureaucratic procedures and become a convenient service for business. In particular, the creation of a network of "open customs spaces" will help increase the salaries of customs officers, modernize the customs infrastructure, automate and digitize the customs system. The main concept of the open customs space means that we move away from the classic stamp and turn it into a paid service," Chairman of the Executive Committee for Reforms Mikheil Saakashvili said. According to the press service, the reform also provides for increased liability for smuggling. In addition, the reform offers to unify customs rates, because Ukraine currently is one of the anti-record holders in the world in the number of duty rates. After a detailed discussion, the participants agreed to continue working on this bill to improve it. As reported, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky on June 30 held the first sitting of the National Reform Council, which was attended by representatives of the Cabinet of Ministers and the Verkhovna Rada. iy Poland wants Ukrainian workers to come to work in the agricultural sector as the market demand is very high. "We want the Ukrainian citizens to come to work in the agricultural and consumer sector of Poland because the market demand is very high," Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development of Poland Jan Krzysztof Ardanowski said during a meeting with Ambassador of Ukraine to Poland Andriy Deshchytsia in Warsaw on Monday, the Ministrys press service reports. According to the Minister, Ukrainian workers are respected by Polish farmers and they can easily find work in the agricultural sector due to cultural and linguistic proximity. Minister Ardanowski informed Ambassador Deshchytsia about the current terms of employment of agricultural workers, in particular, taking into account the COVID-19 pandemic. As noted, Deshchytsia expressed the expectation that the attitude toward Ukrainians working in the agricultural sector of Poland would not be worse than toward the Polish workers. According to the diplomat, it is necessary to open regular checkpoints on the Ukrainian-Polish border in order to improve border traffic and fully restore bus routes between the two countries. The Ambassador of Ukraine also asked about Poland's interest in investing in Ukraine. Minister Ardanowski confirmed that Polish companies in the agricultural and consumer sector considered a possibility of investment. In his opinion, the investment conditions in the Ukrainian market need widespread advertising in Poland. ol Ambassador of Ukraine to Turkey Andrii Sybiha made a working visit to the Aegean region of Turkey, where he met with representatives of local authorities, business, and Ukrainian communities. "We came to the Aegean region with specific proposals from Ukrainian business for the development of certain areas and projects with Turkish business. Our trade and economic relations with Turkey are a success story worth almost USD 5 billion and with steady annual growth. The prospects we have and develop, the interest of business on both sides, specific large-scale projects demonstrate in practice the success of "growing together" formula and the potential we have," Ambassador Sybiha said, an Ukrinform own correspondent reports. At the meeting with the Governor of Mugla province and the heads of local business associations, the parties touched upon the successful import of fruits, including citrus fruits and pomegranates, from this province into Ukraine, as well as the prospects for exporting other products from Turkey into Ukraine, including olive oil and marble, increasing the number of Ukrainian tourists in this region, cooperating in other areas. "You are the first ambassador I have met since becoming the governor and I am very glad. The number of Ukrainian tourists to our province is growing steadily, we have stable trade ties and good potential for further development in various fields. The heads of chambers of commerce and the head of the tourism department are present at this meeting, and we all express our commitment and readiness to strengthen cooperation," said Mugla Governor Orhan Tavl. At the meeting with the head of ANEX Tour, one of the largest Turkish tour operators ensuring 55% of Ukrainian tourist flow to Turkey, the peculiarities of the tourist season this year was discussed. "It is important for me that this tour operator responded last year to a call to help rehabilitate a group of Ukrainian children whose parents died in the anti-terrorist operation [in eastern Ukraine]. And we have received assurances to help this year again... The first charter flights from Ukraine will arrive in Dalaman on July 4 and tickets have already been sold out. We can expect that this year's season in Turkey may be extended until the end of November," Andrii Sybiha said after the meeting. The Ukrainian diplomat also visited the fish factory of Kilic Holding, one of the largest suppliers of fresh fish from the Mediterranean in the world and to Ukraine in particular. "Our company provides a full production cycle. In Ukraine, we successfully cooperate with Metro and fish suppliers to the restaurants," said Hakan Uyank, the Kilic CEO and member of the board of directors. Andrii Sybiha invited business people of the region to take part in exhibition events in Ukraine and joint projects. At a meeting with representatives of business circles in Marmaris, the implementation of existing projects and the possibility of creating associations of Ukrainian businesspeople in Turkey were touched upon. In August last year, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky invited Turkish business to invest more actively in Ukraine. At the beginning of February this year, the Ukraine-Turkey business forum chaired by the presidents of Ukraine and Turkey took place in Kyiv, and more than 400 Turkish businesspeople took part in the event. Photo credit: Olha Budnyk ol The Cabinet of Ministers plans to raise the minimum wage in Ukraine to UAH 5,000 (about $185) from September 1 as there are economic grounds for this. Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said this at a government meeting on Wednesday, July 1, according to an Ukrinform correspondent. "There are economic calculations for today, there are grounds, and raising the minimum wage has a positive effect on the economy of our country, so we plan to set the minimum wage at 5,000 hryvnias from September 1 this year," Shmyhal said. He noted that the minimum wage would grow to UAH 6,000 from January 1, 2021, and to UAH 6,500 from July 1, 2021. Shmyhal added that such growth amid declining imports "should ensure an increase in the consumption of domestic producers." "It will have a positive effect on businesses, the budget, the country as a whole, and every citizen of Ukraine," he said. Shmyhal added that the government plans to attract funds from foreign partners to help Ukrainian businesses. The law on Ukraine's state budget for 2020 set the minimum wage for this year at UAH 4,723 (as of January 1). op The launch of rail freight service on the so-called "Crimean Bridge" is illegal, and Ukraine will ask the ITLOS to consider the legality of the construction of this bridge. First Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Emine Dzheppar said this to Ukrinform, commenting on the announcement of the launch of freight trains on the Crimean Bridge on June 30. According to Dzheppar, the launch of rail freight service on the so-called "Crimean Bridge" by the Russian occupation administration is illegal, just as the bridge itself is an illegal structure. "It was built in violation of the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. The consent of Ukraine as a coastal state for its construction was not obtained. There are no environmental assessments of its construction," she stressed. "The launch of railway link across the Crimean Bridge is another fact of Russia's violation of international law and Ukrainian legislation. We will ask the ITLOS, which considers our large lawsuit against the Russian Federation over violation of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, to consider the legality of the construction and continuation of works on the operation of this bridge. In our opinion, these actions only exacerbate the dispute, and the tribunal will be informed of this," the First Deputy Foreign Minister of Ukraine said. Dzheppar stressed that the Ukrainian side gave a proper response at all stages of Russia's illegal construction of the bridge. In particular, Ukraine sent the notes of protest to the Russian side and extended relevant sanctions to legal entities and individuals involved in the construction. According to the first deputy minister, Ukraine coordinated its sanctions policy with international partners. As a result, in July 2019, the Council of the EU imposed sanctions on six Russian companies involved in the construction of the Crimean Bridge. In August 2019, the US Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control also updated the lists of individuals and entities prohibited from visiting the United States and doing business with U.S. companies or individuals. Restrictive measures will also prevent attempts to evade sanctions. In August 2019, sanctions against six companies involved in the construction of the Crimean Bridge were imposed by the Government of the UK. As reported, the construction of 19-kilometer "Crimean Bridge" from the Taman Peninsula (Russia's Krasnodar Region) to Crimea, annexed by Russia, began in February 2016. At the same time, Moscow did not agree with Ukraine on restrictions for ships entering the waters of the Sea of Azov in Ukrainian ports through the Kerch Strait. In February 2018, Kyiv sent a memorandum to the Permanent Court of Arbitration over Russia's violation of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, complaining, in particular, about the construction of the Crimean Bridge, restrictions on navigation in the Kerch Strait and the fact that the bridge actually blocked access of large vessels to the Sea of Azov. On December 23, 2019, the occupiers launched the first regular train from St. Petersburg to Sevastopol on the Crimean Bridge. ol Co-Chairs of the European Parliaments Democracy Support and Election Coordination Group David McAllister and Tomas Tobe stated that the European Parliament is not involved in observing the constitutional referendum in Russia and will not recognise the holding of this consultation in the annexed Crimea. A constitutional referendum took place in Russia from 25 June to 1 July. The European Parliament has not been invited to observe this electoral process, and consequently will neither comment on the process nor on the results that will be announced afterwards. No individual Member of the European Parliament has been mandated to observe or comment on this electoral process on its behalf, reads the statement posted on website of the European Parliament. The co-chairs stated that any Member of the European Parliament who decided to observe this electoral process in the Russian Federation, or in the illegally annexed Crimean peninsula, where the European Union does not and will not recognise the holding of this consultation, has done so on her/his own initiative and should under no circumstances through any statement or action, associate her/his participation with the European Parliament. As reported, on June 30, Mykola Tochytskyi, Ukraine's ambassador to Belgium and Ukraine's representative to the EU, appealed to the European Parliament's leadership with a request to condemn the illegal visit of French MEPs to the Russian-occupied Crimea. First Deputy Foreign Minister of Ukraine Emine Dzheppar asked French Ambassador to Ukraine Etienne de Poncins to officially respond to the illegal visit of a delegation of French MEPs led by Thierry Mariani to Crimea on June 30 - July 2 to observe illegal voting in the occupied territory of the Ukrainian peninsula. ol The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry has protested against the illegal visit of members of the European Parliament to the temporarily occupied Autonomous Republic of Crimea, including a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, President of the Franco-Russian Dialogue Association Thierry Mariani, and some representatives of Germany, Hungary, and Bulgaria. "This visit is being made in violation of Ukrainian legislation on access to the temporarily occupied territory and has no official status," the ministry said in a statement on Wednesday, July 1. The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry also condemned the participation of deputies in observing the so-called "vote" for amendments to the Constitution of the Russian Federation, the results of which in the temporarily occupied Crimea and Sevastopol are "null and void, will have no legal consequences and will not be recognized by Ukraine or the international community." "All persons involved in the organization and conduct of illegal voting in the temporarily occupied Crimea, including the abovementioned persons, will be liable in accordance with the legislation of Ukraine," the ministry said. Ukraine also called on the international community to increase pressure on the aggressor state, including by imposing personal sanctions against the organizers of illegal voting in the temporarily occupied Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol. op Two planes with Ukrainian tourists have landed in Antalya, Turkey, for the first time after a long hiatus caused by the coronavirus pandemic, according to Ukraine's Consul in Antalya Viacheslav Khomenko, who met tourists at the airport. "Some 321 passengers arrived on two SkyUp Airlines flights (tour operator JoinUp) from Zaporizhia and Kharkiv. All security measures at the airport were observed, there was no one with signs of a disease," the diplomat told Ukrinform. According to him, after the passport control procedure and health checks, all the Ukrainians who arrived went to hotels. Several more flights are expected from Kyiv and one from Odesa. In total, Antalya Airport will receive about 30 flights on July 1, including from various cities in Germany, as well as from the capitals of Denmark, Britain, Moldova, and Kazakhstan. Ukraine started operating international flights to a number of countries on June 15. Ukrainian tourists can fly to Turkey without self-isolation and testing, only observing the necessary safety requirements, from July 1. Photo credit: Ukraine's Consulate in Antalya op Turkey, Egypt, Albania, Croatia and Montenegro have already opened their borders to Ukrainian tourists, Ukrainian Infrastructure Minister Vladyslav Kryklii has said on Telegram. "The most popular question this summer - which countries have already opened their borders to Ukraine? Turkey, Egypt, Albania, Croatia (subject to hotel or guest house booking confirmation), Montenegro (in the event of a negative PCR test on COVID-19 done in the past 48 hours)," Kryklii wrote. He added that due to the unstable epidemiological situation in Ukraine, other European borders, unfortunately, remain closed to Ukrainian tourists. "However, foreigners, diplomats and citizens of Ukraine who have valid work or study contracts or residence permits in the EU, seafarers heading to a ship, citizens transiting through the EU are allowed to enter," Kryklii said. He also noted that every two weeks the EU will review the list of countries from which it is possible to enter and, depending on the circumstances, will partially or completely remove travel restrictions or reintroduce them for specific countries. According to him, depending on the development of the epidemiological situation in Ukraine, Georgia will make the decision on opening borders to Ukrainians. op The diplomatic missions of Ukraine and Switzerland have signed a memorandum on cooperation in the field of science diplomacy, in particular, the implementation of a project on the mass production of low cost lung ventilators. Ukrinform learnt this from the Embassy of Ukraine in the Swiss Confederation. "The signing ceremony of the Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine and the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs of the Swiss Confederation took place in Bern on June 30, reads the statement. The document was signed by Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine Artem Rybchenko and Federal Councillor, Head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs Ignazio Cassis. The statement says that Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich (ETH Zurich), together with Ukrainian engineers, developed a low-cost lung ventilator, consisting of easily accessible components. As part of the Memorandum, the sides agreed on the allocation of 1.5 million Swiss francs by the Swiss side to implement the first phase of this project at the production site of a high-tech Ukrainian state enterprise. During the ceremony, a prototype of the lung ventilator of joint development was presented. Ambassador Rybchenko noted the importance of cooperation between Ukraine and Switzerland in science diplomacy, which creates a new platform for fruitful cooperation for the benefit of humankind. As the world has faced a large number of challenges that can be solved precisely due to scientific and innovative developments. In turn, Head of the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs Cassis has called the joint project a sign of Switzerlands good relations with Ukraine. We support our partners in Ukraine and help people around the world by investing in peace, freedom and prosperity, he said In addition, during the meeting, Ukrainian Ambassador Rybchenko and Swiss Federal Councillor Cassis discussed a number of topical issues of bilateral relations and main world events. iy Fort Polk, LA (71446) Today Mixed clouds and sun this morning. Scattered thunderstorms developing this afternoon. High 89F. Winds S at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50%. Locally heavy rainfall possible.. Tonight Thunderstorms. Low 71F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%. Locally heavy rainfall possible. | By UMB News Staff The Class of 2022, along with family and friends, logged on from their computers to celebrate this years Student Clinician Ceremony, held on Friday, June 19. Now in its 18th year, the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) Annual Student Clinician Ceremony marks the third year of medical education as students transition into clinical clerkships. UMSOM Dean E. Albert Reece, MD, PhD, MBA, participated in the virtual ceremony. It's unfortunate that we cannot conduct this special ceremony in person, said Dean E. Albert Reece, MD, PhD, MBA, who is also executive vice president for medical affairs, University of Maryland, Baltimore, and the John Z. and Akiko K. Bowers Distinguished Professor, UMSOM, during his address. Let this virtual format serve as a roadmap reminder of the value that you bring to the clinical setting and that which you could not be entering at a more critical time. As health care systems and medical schools across the nation adjust to the "new normal" of COVID-19, the wake of protests against police brutality and racial injustice has shined a bright light on the state of racial and ethnic disparities in health care. It is perhaps a happy, hopeful coincidence that today's ceremony honoring the profession of medicine and your transition to clerkships would coincide with such a historic holiday, said Kerri Thom, MD, MS, professor of epidemiology & public health and medicine, associate dean for student affairs, and assistant dean for student research and education, who was referencing Juneteenth, the nickname for June 19, 1865, which marked the effective end of slavery in the United States. During the ceremony, third-year medical students Erica Makar, Nita Gombakomba, and Malina Howard recited a poem by Arthur Knoll in recognition and celebration of Juneteenth. Recent events have served as an intense reminder of the humanity of medicine, said Makar. And it is from this lens that I hope to specifically care for LGBTQ youth and communities of color in clinical practice, through advocacy and by teaching others. H. Neal Reynolds, MD, associate professor of medicine and co-director of the Multi-Trauma Intensive Care Unit at the R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center, also emphasized the power in humanism in his keynote address. A lot has been changing; however, humanism is one of the things that will never change, said Reynolds. Develop special ways to help your patients and you will, in fact, be that best doctor. The ceremony concluded with the class reciting the Student Clinician Oath and asking their family members and friends to pin their white coats a tradition that signifies students commitment to their patients and the profession. This ceremony followed two days of practical skills sessions, small group discussions, and panel presentations pertaining to professional and ethical issues in patient care. Brussels - Delegates to the fourth Brussels conference on Supporting the Future of Syria and the Region today pledged $5.5 billion for 2020 to the UNs programmes that are saving lives, protecting vulnerable families, building resilience across Syria and the region. Speaking at a session on impacts in the region, UNDP Administrator Achim Steiner highlighted the need this year to mark a turning point for support for the region, as the impact of COVID-19 wreaks havoc on economies and threatens to further destabilize the region. Pledges at the conference were focused on funding the Syria Humanitarian Response Plan and the Regional Refugee and Resilience Plan. Coordinated by UN humanitarian and development agencies, the plans aim to reach 11 million people in need of humanitarian assistance inside Syria, 5.5 million refugees in neighboring countries, and 4.5 million vulnerable members of communities hosting refugees. The economic crisis now crashing upon an already-strained region is rolling back development and putting unbearable pressure on governments and communities hosting refugees in the region, Mr. Steiner said. Millions of people who just months ago were struggling to stay out of poverty, have now completely lost their livelihoods. As an international community, we must send a strong sign of solidarity by increasing support for neighbouring countries hosting refugees from Syria. By the close of the conference, with delegates including host countries, specialized United Nations agencies and non-governmental organisations, a further US$2.1 billion had also been pledged for humanitarian, resilience and development programmes activities in 2021 and beyond. The Syria crisis is the worlds largest protection and displacement crisis, which for nearly ten years has driven millions of people to require humanitarian assistance and protection inside the country. The conflict continues to drive the largest refugee crisis in the world there are 5.5 million Syrian refugees registered, with over 2.6 million being children, in a region faced with deepening economic, social and development challenges. The COVID-19 has added urgency to the response. More than a health crisis, the impacts of COVID-19 have had an immediate impact on communities ability to get by across the region. Inside Syria, 90 per cent of the population is now living under the poverty line. In Lebanon, is estimated that nearly 45 per cent of the Lebanese now live below the poverty line and lay-offs and salary cuts are challenging peoples coping mechanisms. In Jordan, two-thirds of families in a recent survey said they had less than one week of financial resources to draw on at the peak of the lockdown. Unemployment is set to rise in Turkey, and the slowdown in Iraq is compounded by recent drops in the international oil price. As the technical lead on the United Nations socio-economic response to COVID-19, UNDP is supporting countries to seize the window of COVID-19 as a chance to pivot towards a more inclusive, sustainable future including in the context of the response to the Syria crisis. The impacts of compounding crises underscore the need to review our collective strategies to support the countries of the region, not simply to cope but to find a more sustainable road to development, stability, and recovery, Citing pre-COVID protests in Iraq and Lebanon, Mr. Steiner said that the existing social contracts in some countries have approached breaking point, at precisely the time when reforms and confidence are most vital. Referring to reforms needed to address demands for more inclusive development, Mr. Stenier said that as we support countries in the new COVID-19 reality, we must be fully aware of this new changed world, and our responsibility as an international community and the opportunity is to ensure that we continue to support efforts which approach reforms holistically and realistically. Given the increasing challenges in the region, it is now more important than ever that we continue to build momentum on the resilience component of the response, Mr. Steiner added. Todays conference, held in a virtual formal, was co-chaired by the United Nations and the European Union. The United Nations and the European Union cooperated very closely and substantially in the preparation of the conference, which further reaffirmed that only an inclusive, comprehensive and genuine political solution will ensure a sustainable end to the conflict in Syria. Asylum-seekers from the Democratic Republic of the Congo wait for health screening near the border in Zombo, Uganda. UNHCR/Rocco Nuri UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, welcomes the decision by the Government of Uganda to give safe haven to thousands of refugees fleeing escalating violence in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). They have been stranded in a remote, inaccessible area in Mahagi Territory since late May. The new arrivals were previously part of a larger group of approximately 45,000 people, according to local DRC authorities, who had attempted to flee towards the Ugandan border with the DRC shortly after deadly militia attacks on civilians in Ituri province on 17 and 18 May. While some have been able to return to their area of origin, thousands remained close to the border. Some 1,500 asylum-seekers entered Uganda today through Guladjo and Mount Zeu crossing points in Zombo district. New arrivals were hungry and tired. Many also arrived in a frail state having been in a precarious situation, hiding in the bush for the past several weeks without sufficient access to food, clean drinking water and shelter. Most are women and children, as well many elderly people. My gratitude goes to the Ugandan Government and the local communities for this great show of solidarity with people fleeing conflict, said Joel Boutroue, UNHCR's Representative in Uganda. It proves that even in the midst of a global crisis like COVID-19, there are ways to manage border restrictions in a manner which respects international human rights and refugee protection standards. Uganda implemented restrictions on border travel in March to contain the spread of COVID-19, halting admission of new asylum-seekers into the country. On humanitarian grounds, the President of Uganda directed its Government to temporarily re-open the Zombo border to allow life-saving aid and protection to be provided to the group of refugees. The Government has indicated that border controls are set to be reintroduced on Friday, once the humanitarian operation is complete. UNHCR and partners, in coordination with the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM), Ministry of Health and the district local government, have been working around the clock in Zombo to strengthen reception capacities at the border, including quarantine facilities, and to ensure adequate levels of emergency assistance are available. All new arrivals will undergo security and health screening at the border. Vulnerable individuals will be identified and fast-tracked for assistance. The group will initially be quarantined at Zewdu Farm Institute near the border crossing, which can accommodate some 6,000 people now. UNHCR and partners have installed tents, health screening areas, toilets, handwashing facilities and water tanks. Following the mandatory quarantine period of 14 days, in line with national guidelines and protocols, asylum-seekers will be transported to existing refugee settlements. The refugee response in Uganda is facing multiple challenges due to underfunding, including severe food ration cuts. With 870 COVID-19 cases in Uganda, including 52 refugees, UNHCR has been working with the Government and partners to construct and strengthen quarantine and isolation facilities and increase handwashing supplies and availability of masks as part of the response plan. Many of our transit and reception facilities across the country have been converted into quarantine centres for the district, where we provide additional support for hundreds of Ugandans and refugees on a daily basis. The needs are huge and growing, said Boutroue. Time is of the essence. If US$28 million is not made available immediately, we are faced with the risk of having to stop critical services providing non-COVID19 related health care, child protection and mental-health support. UNHCR has received just 18 per cent of the US$357 million required for its operation in Uganda. UNHCR appeals for international solidarity to help Uganda uphold its commitments towards the Global Compact on Refugees and maintain its progressive refugee policy during these difficult times. For more information please contact: In Nairobi, Dana Hughes, [email protected] , +254 733 440536 , +254 733 440536 In Kampala, Duniya Aslam Khan, [email protected] , +256 772 701 101 , +256 772 701 101 In Kinshasa, DRC, Johannes Van Gemund, [email protected] , + 243 817 0009 484 , + 243 817 0009 484 In Geneva, Charlie Yaxley, [email protected] , +41 795 808 702 Additional B-ROLL footage available at: https://media.unhcr.org/Share/g25226u6t6ps2y4g8ca31dmvl0ldr1e5 She is sick, she is frail and separated from her family. Emmanuelle Ochaya, 56, has been sleeping in a scanty makeshift hut, in the middle of a forest on cold, bare ground for almost one month. The nighttime temperature here drops to 10C and her only belongings are the clothes she is wearing. Emmanuelle is among an estimated 45,000 of people who fled attacks in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) that erupted in May. According to community representatives, armed groups began a violent rampage in War-Palara chiefdom, Mahagi Territory, including killings, sexual violence and looting. "On my way, I saw people being killed, their belongings and houses burnt to ashes, nothing was left untouched. When Emmanuelles village, Zulu, was attacked by armed militia, houses were set ablaze, her neighbours were killed and she ran for her life. On my way, I saw people being killed, their belongings and houses burnt to ashes, nothing was left untouched, she said in a frail voice. Emmanuelle was part of a group of people who reportedly gathered at the Ugandan border with the DRC seeking safety. They got stranded in a remote and inaccessible area as the borders between the two countries remained closed due to a COVID-19 lockdown that halted the admission of new asylum-seekers into the country. On Wednesday, Uganda temporarily re-opened two border crossing points, through Guladjo and Mount Zeu in Zombo district, to provide a safe haven with access to life-saving aid and protection to those who remained. Some 1,500 asylum-seekers crossed into Uganda. The border will remain open until Friday once the humanitarian operation is complete and then close again until further notice. UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, and partners, in coordination with the Office of the Prime Minister, the Health Ministry and the district local government, have been working around the clock in Zombo district to strengthen reception capacities, including quarantine facilities, at the border and ensure adequate levels of emergency assistance are available. All new arrivals undergo security and health screening at the border. Vulnerable individuals like Emmanuelle are fast-tracked for assistance. Asylum-seekers from the Democratic Republic of the Congo wait for health screening near the border in Zombo, Uganda. UNHCR/Rocco Nuri Congolese refugees and asylum-seekers undergo health screening near the border in Zombo, Uganda, as one measure to prevent the spread of COVID-19 there. UNHCR/Rocco Nuri Most asylum-seekers who arrived on the first day of border opening were women, children and older people. They were hungry and tired. Many also arrived in a frail state having been in a precarious situation, hiding in the bush for the past several weeks without sufficient access to food, clean drinking water and shelter. The group will initially be quarantined at Zewdu Farm Institute, 13 kilometres from the border crossing, which can accommodate some 6,000 people. UNHCR and partners have installed tents, health screening areas, toilets, handwashing facilities and water tanks. Following the mandatory quarantine period of 14 days, in line with national guidelines and protocols, asylum-seekers will be transported to existing refugee settlements. Emmanuelle does not know what the future holds for her in Uganda, but she hopes she will get medical care and enough food to eat. Not so long ago, she was with her extended family of eight children and 26 grandchildren. All of them were working their land and growing their own food. Today she will join a group of asylum-seekers who will soon receive hot meals, blankets to keep warm and a tent to sleep in. The needs are huge and growing. With 1.4 million refugees, Uganda is the largest refugee-hosting country in Africa. The arrival of new asylum-seekers is happening at a time when the refugee response is facing multiple challenges due to underfunding, including severe food ration cuts. With 870 confirmed COVID-19 cases in Uganda, including 52 refugees, UNHCR has been working with the Government and partners to construct and strengthen quarantine and isolation facilities and increase handwashing supplies and availability of maks as part of the response plan. Joel Boutroue, UNHCR's Representative in Uganda, welcomed and commended the countrys decision to open it's doors yet again for people fleeing for their lives. It proves that even in the midst of a global crisis like COVID-19, there are ways to manage border restrictions in a manner which respects international human rights and refugee protection standards," he said. Many of UNHCRs transit and reception facilities across the country have been converted into institutional quarantine centres for the district, offering additional support for hundreds of Ugandans and refugees on a daily basis. The needs are huge and growing, added Boutroue. Halls Sophie Garner-MacKinnon has been named the 2020-21 Gatorade Connecticut Softball Player of the Year, according to a release from Gatorade. Garner-MacKinnon is the first Gatorade Connecticut Softball Player of the Year to be chosen from Hall High School. An Afghan asylum-seeker and her two children stand outside their makeshift shelter adjacent to the Moria Reception and Identification centre on the Greek island of Lesvos, November 2019. UNHCR/Achilleas Zavallis BRUSSELS As the world continues to combat COVID-19, UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is calling on the German Presidency of the European Union (EU) to keep refugee protection high on the agenda. UNHCR is proposing concrete ways the EU can ensure a bold and robust response to forced displacement during the pandemic as well as long term. The envisaged EU Pact on Migration and Asylum also provides an opportunity for the EU to better protect forcibly displaced people in Europe and abroad, and support host countries. The virus knows no borders and impacts everyone but certain populations, including forcibly displaced people, are at heightened risk, said Gonzalo Vargas Llosa, UNHCRs Representative for EU Affairs. Through both political and financial support, the EU can help to manage a global crisis and better protect refugees. The virus can only be tackled when everyone is protected. This also means upholding international standards and laws during the pandemic, and drawing on lessons to ensure a long-term responsive and responsible EU approach to migration and asylum. UNHCR is calling on the EU to continue to preserve access to asylum even during these challenging times. Fair and fast asylum procedures to quickly determine who needs international protection and who does not, in line with legal safeguards, and an effective solidarity mechanism with EU Member States receiving a disproportionate number of asylum claims would support a workable and sustainable asylum system. Now is the time to shift the EUs response to disembarking and relocating people rescued at sea to a predictable mechanism saving lives and protecting people must be at the heart of all responses. While UNHCR understands the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, good practices across the EU demonstrate that public health can be protected while ensuring access to territory and asylum, including through quarantines and health checks. UNHCR has compiled such good practices and issued them together with further practical recommendations to States. Strengthening national asylum systems and procedures as well as ensuring access to solutions, including through resettlement, is more important than ever. At a time when globally and in the EU, we are all grappling with uncertainty and change, access to fundamental rights, including asylum, must remain a constant, said Vargas Llosa. Weve seen that protection even during a pandemic is possible, and the positive solutions the EU has already presented should set the course for its long-term response to forced displacement. With 85 per cent of the worlds refugees in developing countries where health systems are already overwhelmed and under-capacitated, further and flexible funding (development as well as humanitarian) is also needed to support host countries and displaced people. Development and cooperation aid are key, so refugees are included in national systems (with access to healthcare, education etc) and safety nets. This is necessary to limit the socio-economic impact of COVID-19 and for refugees to thrive not just survive. UNHCR remains ready to support the German Presidency, the EU and Member States to enhance solidarity with refugees and the countries hosting them in the EU and globally, during the pandemic and beyond. The COVID-19 crisis demands a coherent, effective, and global response that leaves no-one behind. For further information, please see: Or please contact: Nezamudden Linn, a 44-year-old Rohingya refugee who arrived in India from Myanmar in 2013 with his wife and three children, used to survive by doing translation work for a non-profit legal aid organization in New Delhi, the capital. He earned just enough to support his family until Indias country-wide lockdown began three months ago. Now, he is forced to load or unload goods for local grocery shops in exchange for food. I can barely make ends meet, he said. Whatever little employment I had by way of part-time jobs has ceased. India began easing its lockdown earlier this month, but there has been a surge of new cases in recent days and most of the countrys refugees, who mainly survive on daily wage work in the informal sector, are still without an income. Nezamudden acknowledges that he is better off than many others in the Rohingya community. He was able to sell a house in Myanmar to tide his family over. Others have little or no savings to fall back on and are more dependent than ever on aid from UN agencies, local NGOs and the Government of India. I can barely make ends meet. Whatever little employment I had by way of part-time jobs has ceased. The majority of refugees registered with UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, in India are from Myanmar (mostly Rohingyas) and Afghanistan, with smaller groups of asylum-seekers and refugees coming from Yemen, Syria, Somalia, and other African countries. Food was the first and most pressing need at the start of the lockdown. Together with its local partner agencies, UNHCR reached nearly 9,000 refugee families with food packages in April and May while another 3,200 families received food from local authorities and NGOs. As the crisis has impacted not just refugees, but the communities hosting them, UNHCR has also supported vulnerable local families with food and soap wherever possible. But funding for further life-saving assistance has dried up and UNHCRs latest round of food packages only reached 930 of the most vulnerable families. See also: Economic misery engulfs Syrian refugees and their hosts The needs are huge, but we dont have the funding to do more, said Kiri Atri, Assistant External Relations Officer for UNHCR in India. To continue life-saving activities, urgent funding is required to support vulnerable refugees, asylum-seekers and host communities with food rations, cash-support and sanitary napkins for women and girls. Atri said that with the monsoon and dengue season, those living in congested slum-like conditions would also need shelter repairs, mosquito nets and other essential support. Nezamudden said the food he had received from UNHCR and its local partner, BOSCO, had been vital for his familys survival, especially as the Rohingya community in Delhi were in no position to help one another. Even if I die, no one from my community would have the funds to arrange a burial for me, he said. We are greatly impoverished. Even if I die, no one from my community would have the funds to arrange a burial for me. The World Bank estimates that the coronavirus pandemic will push 71 million people worldwide into extreme poverty. Globally, the number of people facing acute food insecurity is also likely to double by the end of the year. Besides food, the biggest concern for many refugees in India now is their inability to pay rent and the looming prospect of eviction. For most, whatever savings they might have had are exhausted now, said Selin Mathews, an Associate Protection Officer with UNHCR. Weve been able to negotiate with landlords to buy them some time, but now were reaching a point where the landlords need the rent for their own survival.She added that remittances from relatives living abroad have also slowed or stopped. Hasibullah Parhiz, a 24-year-old Afghan refugee, has been volunteering with UNHCR and its partners to monitor refugee needs and distribute aid since the COVID-19 lockdown started in Delhi. UNHCR Aisha*, a 25-year-old refugee from Somalia, said her aunt, who lives in another country, used to send her US$200 per month, which helped to cover her basic needs. Now, she herself is challenged with meeting her needs, and has stopped sending me money. Aisha said she has survived only through the kindness of a local shop owner who has allowed her to buy her usual groceries on credit. The financial stresses resulting from the lockdown are not the only issues refugees face. COVID-19 has sickened a number of refugees and asylum-seekers. Most have recovered but several are still receiving treatment in hospital and four have succumbed to the virus. While refugees and asylum-seekers have access to healthcare, testing centres have recently begun requesting proof of address for the purposes of contact tracing something that most refugees without formal rental agreements lack. Selin said UNHCR has been intervening with healthcare facilities in those cases to provide supporting letters. See also: Coronavirus pandemic wreaks havoc on displaced Venezuelans She added that health advisories issued by the Ministry of Health and the World Health Organization have been translated into the languages most refugees speak, but its challenging because many of them live in slums [shacks] where its difficult for them to practice physical distancing. As the pandemic spreads, refugees in India are also taking part in the response, among them Hasibullah Parhiz. The 24-year-old Afghan refugee has helped distribute food rations and raise awareness about prevention measures in his community. I feel it is very important for a refugee to help other refugees, said Hasibullah, who himself has been self-quarantining for the past 17 days after experiencing COVID-19 symptoms. With lockdown restrictions preventing UNHCR staff from being physically present in communities, Selin said UNHCR has been relying on community-based refugee volunteers like Hasibullah to distribute aid and monitor needs. She and her colleagues use messaging apps like WhatsApp to stay in regular contact with representatives from the various refugee communities, including those with specific needs such as people with disabilities or the elderly. Despite the lockdown and fear of infection, a lot of people have come together to support their communities, she said. The host communities are also standing in solidarity with them, now more than ever. You can donate to UNHCR's COVID-19 funding appeal here. *Name changed for protection reasons Concept of privatization reform showcased at Ukraine's National Reforms Council A comprehensive bill has been drafted to introduce the procedure for transferring facilities into private ownership. If you see a spelling error on our site, select it and press Ctrl+Enter The judge has overruled the motion put forward by defense to recuse the group of prosecutors led by Prosecutor General Iryna Venediktova. The fifth president of Ukraine, Petro Poroshenko, has refused to testify as he was being interrogated as a suspect in the case where he is accused of the alleged abuse of power in appointing first deputy chief of Ukraine's foreign intelligence service Serhiy Semochko. That's according to an SBI official Vadym Priymachok, an UNIAN correspondent reports. The official added that the ex-president refused to accept summonses for other upcoming investigative actions. Detectives have handed his lawyer a motion, set to be heard by the Pechersk District Court in Kyiv, to extend the pre-trial period in the said probe up to six months. Speaking outside the SBI HQ in Kyiv to a crowd of his supporters, Poroshenko said: "They accuse me of giving the order to counterattack in June 2014. I plead guilty. They accuse me of giving the order to warships to sail through Ukraine's Kerch Strait. Write this down: I plead guilty. They accuse me of appointing intelligence chiefs. I plead guilty." Also, the ex-president added that he pleads guilty for signing the Minsk Agreements and for the Ukrainian church getting a tomos of autocephaly from the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople. At the court hearing later on Wednesday on selecting a measure of restraint in relation to the suspect, Poroshenko's defense team put forward a motion to recuse the entire group of prosecutors in the case, led by Prosecutor General Iryna Veneditkova, who they say has shown her bias by suggesting in her yesterday's public video address that Poroshenko come to court and "prove his innocence", which is a violation of the constitutional principle of presumption of innocence. Also, the defense states that the charges were initially handed to Poroshenko in violation of the criminal procedural code. The judge has overruled the motion. The court eventually postponed consideration of the measure of restraint until July 8, according to a UNIAN correspondent. Poroshenko's lawyer Ihor Golovan told the court that, in fact, the investigation is accusing his client of issuing a presidential decree to appoint Serhiy Semochko first deputy chairman of the Foreign Intelligence Service. Golovan noted that presidential powers are exhaustive, and all of them are enshrined in the Constitution of Ukraine. These powers, he says, include issuing decrees that are binding throughout the country. Therefore, Golovan believes, only the Constitutional Court has the right to consider whether presidential decrees are consistent with the Constitution and legislation. At the same time, courts of general jurisdiction are not supposed to hear cases on the legitimacy of presidential decrees. Another defense lawyer, Ilya Novikov, said that the proceeding should be shut down both because of a violation of the procedure when the proceeding was launched, and over a violation of criminal law, which concerns the essence of the suspicion. In his address, Poroshenko said that the real purpose of selecting a preventive measure in the form of personal recognizance, as requested by prosecutors, was to take away his passport so that he could not go on foreign visits. "In July-August, I have scheduled many meetings regarding the extension of sanctions against Russia. That is why they want to take my passport. You won't get my passport. This won't work out," ex-president emphasized. Leaks of such communications pose a threat to national security, Yermak believes. Head of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's Office Andriy Yermak says he is initiating the move to introduce criminal liability for those publishing secretly taped communications of state officials. Making such talks public poses a threat to national security, Yermak told the Washington Post. It's "not normal" when someone secretly records a head of state. And it's not important whether this is an illegal act by a Ukrainian national driven by some domestic motives or some foreign intelligence services who stand behind it, Yermak told The Washington Post. The official says that the new measure, is adopted, could protect Zelensky and his team from consequences of such leaks. Read alsoNo inquiries from U.S. over leaked tapes, FM Kuleba says At the same time, the move may also raise alarm bells among journalists and anti-graft activists if it stops them from revealing tapes exposing corruption of public officials, judges, prosecutors, and others," he said. As UNIAN reported, President Zelensky earlier said that he was targeted in attempted blackmail based on the leaked tapes of private conversations purportedly involving his office chief Andriy Yermak's brother, Denys. Committee chairman has assured that the bill does not limit the rights of journalists or editorial staff. The Verkhovna Rada Committee on Humanitarian and Information Policy recommends that the parliament support at first reading the revised bill on media. That's according to a decision made at a Committee meeting on Wednesday, July 1, an UNIAN correspondent reports. Committee Chairman Mykyta Poturayev said that the bill "in no way restricts the rights of journalists or editorial teams, does not limit the rights of foreign media, except media of the aggressor state, and neither does it affect social network users..." Read alsoUkraine preparing appeal to ICC over persecution of journalists in Russian-occupied Crimea The draft law "makes the Ukrainian media space and media market formed exclusively in the interests of Ukrainian citizens, also making it transparent, equal and competitive in the interests of all Ukrainian media," MP said. Mykyta Poturayev took to social networks to explain that the revised bill contains no "censorship" or "draconian" norms regarding the media. He added that almost nothing is changing for television, radio, and print media. "All restrictions on content already exist in legislation, so the draft is offering no innovations. The only innovation is the transition of all regulatory functions to the National Council on TV and Radio Broadcasting. That's because the regulation in the field of media should not be carried out by an executive body, but rather by an independent, constitutional and collegial body," he said. The deputy also commented on the information that the bill allegedly provides for "draconian control" of online media. "Online media or anyone who works on the internet can choose whether to register as media or not. By the way, registration can provide employees of such media and the media as such additional opportunities from protection to support. For example, a journalist will not be denied accreditation, while registered online media will be able to count on institutional grants from government," Poturayev explained, adding that state registration for print media is mandatory during the period of Russian aggression. "But after our victory, registration for them will become voluntary," the committee chairman added. "What the media must not do is to call for the overthrow of the constitutional order in Ukraine, rehabilitate communism or national socialism, promote human trafficking, violence or discrimination on racial, religious or gender grounds, justify Russian aggression against Ukraine," Poturayev explained. At the same time, the chairman of the committee commented on whether the National Council can independently deprive media of a license or registration, block or disconnect them from broadcast without a court ruling. "No! It will be possible to withdraw licenses or block media only if the National Council convincingly proves in court facts of systematic violations by a media outlet. But! Even in this case, top-level sanctions can be imposed only through court ruling," he said. However, according to Poturayev, in case of violations, the National Council, by a court ruling, will be able to demand internet operators to cease providing Ukrainian users access to such resources. "The formation of so-called black lists that is, those who support the aggressor state and the anti-Ukrainian policy of Russia will become understandable, transparent and will be carried out in accordance with clear criteria, not chaotically, as before," he said. Also, Poturayev continued, the bill extends the requirements for transparency of the ownership structure, which are already working in relation to television and radio, to all media that express their will to register voluntarily. "Since the state shall not interfere in the relationship between the customer and the provider of the paid service, news agencies under the new law will not be considered media. But they can register their online resources as online media if they wish," Poturayev explained. As UNIAN reported earlier, on May 19, the Verkhovna Rada sent the bill on media for another first reading by the relevant committee. The spokesperson says this is not an official delegation of the European Parliament. The European Parliament has immediately distanced itself from an illegal visit of French Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) to Russia-occupied Crimea. "The European Parliament immediately distanced itself from the French MEPs. If confirmed, this is a private visit, which in no way commits Parliament," a spokesperson for the institution said in response to requests by EURACTIV, according to the Mission of Ukraine to the EU. "This is not an official delegation of the European Parliament," the spokesperson insisted. Read alsoMFA Ukraine asks France to respond to visit of their delegation to occupied Crimea Ukraine's ambassador to the EU has written to European Parliament President David Sassoli to condemn a move by a group of French MEPs who are visiting the peninsula annexed by Russia in 2014. Five MEPs are on a three-day visit to Crimea until July 2 to act as "experts" and "assess the voting process on amendments" to Russia's constitution, according to Russian media reports. The delegation is headed by pro-Kremlin MEP Thierry Mariani of the far-right Rassemblement National Party who previously served as transport minister under Nicolas Sarkozy and has visited Crimea on numerous occasions in recent years. The Russian constitutional overhaul includes changes that would allow Russian President Vladimir Putin to remain in power until 2036. The changes are being put to a weeklong nationwide vote which ends on Wednesday, July 1. The move by the five French MEPs was strongly condemned by Mykola Tochytskyi, the Ukrainian ambassador to the EU. Crimean industry and Russian military bases stationed in Crimea have been deprived of essential fresh water supplies from mainland Ukraine via the North Crimea Canal, the author recalls. Russia's ongoing occupation of the Crimean peninsula sparked a crisis of modern international law and relations system. Also, it launched negative processes toward regional militarization, contributed to international criminal trafficking, as well as posing threats to maritime navigation and aviation safety, says Ukraine's former presidential envoy for Crimea, Professor Borys Babyn. Systematic violation of religious, linguistic, and cultural rights of Crimean residents, as well as ethnic discrimination of Ukrainians and Crimean Tatars, brutal violation of human rights have been a systemic factor throughout the six years of occupation, Babyn wrote in an op-ed for European Affairs. At the same time, the economy of Crimea has been totally restructured by Russia along a military vector. A number of ambitious infrastructure projects were implemented to this end, including a bridge across the Kerch Strait, the Tavrida autobahn, and two new thermal power stations. Some Crimean shipyards are building warships and equipment for the Russian navy. Crimea has thus become a classic bridgehead for Russian military expansion in the Black Sea and Mediterranean regions, also as in Middle East and Africa. At the same time, other economic sectors in Crimea are degrading. Read alsoMejlis leader on water supply to Crimea: Crimean Tatars, Ukrainians not to be sold for water The key problem for Russian regime in Crimea is the lack of full-scale commercial and trade relations with the neighboring Ukraine mainland regions, which is a result of the non-recognition of the de-facto Crimean authorities. Among other things, Crimean industry and Russian military bases stationed in Crimea have been deprived of essential fresh water supplies from mainland Ukraine via the North Crimea Canal. Before 2014 more than 80% of water for Crimean industry was supplied via this Canal from Kherson region's Kakhovka Reservoir fed from the Dnipro River. The halt of these supplies since the times of Russia's Crimea grab, has no humanitarian or ecologic implications as the North Crimea Canal was never aimed at satisfying the needs of Crimean households (which use fresh water from local sources). The NCC is in fact an artificial industrial object constructed by Ukrainian government in 1954-1997. Since 2014, Russia has been campaigning, with the use of propaganda, as well as political and legal pressure on Ukraine, to ensure the relaunch of fresh water supplies to Crimea via the North Crimea Canal. All shady business proposals have been rejected by Ukrainian authorities. Trumped-up lawsuits by "Crimean enterprises" have been rejected both by Ukrainian judiciary and the ECHR. Claims voiced by a number of Russian politicians of "ecocide" and "water blockade" have been decried by independent experts. At the same time, Russian projects for supplying water to cover industrial and military needs in Crimea have crumbled. Water pipelines from Caucasus or desalination plants were determined as unreal fantasy ideas, so new artesian wells became the temporal fresh water source for industrial consumers in Crimea. Over the past years, however, artesian waters became mineralized, while the existing wells are running dry. Moreover, Crimea in 2019 entered a regular five-year dry climatic period with the long drought that started in early spring of 2020. Read alsoMaritime trade unions say entering occupied Crimea poses risks to reputation and life media So now the only way for Russia to get the Dnipro waters via the North Crimea Canal is to establish by force own control over the entire Canal, including its part in Ukrainian mainland Kherson Region, from the town of Tavryisk town to the Perekop lane. Senior officials with the Ukrainian defense and foreign affairs ministries have recently voiced concerns about the possible escalation of Russian aggression in Kherson region, and now American experts confirmed that the threat is real, Babyn wrote. In June 2020 Lieutenant General F. Benjamin Hodges, former EUCOM chief, warned of Russian plans to invade mainland Ukraine from the south and occupy part of Kherson region adjacent to North Crimea Canal water system. Therefore, possible escalation of Russian-Ukrainian conflict may become a key factor of regional and global security in the nearest future. It has long been a rule for irremovable authorities in the Russian Federation to cover up their own crimes with referenda, shifting responsibility for such crimes off of the country's political elite and onto people. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's permanent envoy for the Autonomous Republic of Crimea Anton Korinevych says any results of the so-called "vote" regarding amendments to the Constitution of Russia in the temporarily occupied territory of Crimea will not be considered legitimate either by Ukraine or the international community. "It has long been a rule for irremovable authorities in the Russian Federation to cover up their own crimes with referenda, transferring responsibility for such crimes from the country's political elite to 'people.' In 2014, we saw how a military operation was conducted and Ukrainian Crimea was occupied under the guise of a 'referendum,'" according to a statement by the Office of the President of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea. Until July 1, an all-Russian vote continued to amend the Russian Constitution to legitimize the continued reign of Russian President Vladimir Putin. "And even though everyone already understood that the Kremlin knew the required result even before the start of the vote, throughout this week, from June 25, Russians were voting at polling stations, in backyards, in drive-through mode; with Russian IDs and Soviet-era passports," reads the statement. In addition, representatives of the Office of the President of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea emphasized they would like to leave the issue of protecting the Constitution of the Russian Federation to Russian citizens, and stressed the inclusion of the temporarily occupied Crimean peninsula into the all-Russian voting map. "The holding of vote for amendments to the Constitution of the Russian Federation by the occupation power on the temporarily occupied territory of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol is unlawful in terms of international law, since Crimea and the city of Sevastopol are integral parts of the territory of Ukraine, and the Russian Federation as an occupying state exercises no sovereignty over them," the statement says. Read alsoNo amendments to Russian Constitution can prevent Crimea de-occupation Ukraine's FM "Any 'results' of such a vote in the temporarily occupied territory of Ukraine shall not be considered legitimate by either Ukraine or the international community. The consolidation in the Russian Constitution of provisions stating that actions aimed at alienating part of the territory of the Russian Federation, as well as calls for such actions, shall not be allowed, are deemed void with respect to the temporarily occupied territory of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol, since they are integral parts of the territory of Ukraine, not parts of the territory of the Russian Federation. In terms of international law, its basic principles, and the UN Charter, Russia is not a sovereign of the territory of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol and, accordingly, the so-called 'accession' of this territory into the Russian Federation is unlawful and void," Korinevych said. The representative office reiterated the UN General Assembly in Resolution 68/262 "Territorial Integrity of Ukraine" adopted on March 27, 2014, called on all states, international organizations and specialized agencies not to recognize any changes in the status of Crimea and Sevastopol on the basis of the so-called "referendum" held on March 16, 2014, and refrain from any actions or steps that could be construed as recognition of such amended status. Read alsoRussia's Black Sea naval fleet defiant over constitutional amendments vote As UNIAN reported earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin scheduled a vote on amendments to the Constitution of the Russian Federation for July 1. The amendments provide that Putin will be able to run for another two presidential terms after 2024. The EU will review its "safe" countries list every two weeks. Ukrainian Infrastructure Minister Vladyslav Krylkii says that five countries Turkey, Egypt, Albania, Croatia, and Montenegro have re-opened their borders for Ukrainian citizens. In particular, Croatia requires confirmation of hotel booking or guest accommodation, while Montenegro demands a negative PCR test for COVID-19 done within the past 48 hours, the minister wrote on Telegram on July 1. Read alsoEU re-opens borders from July 1 for tourists from 14 'safe' countries list "Unfortunately, other European borders remain closed to Ukrainian tourists because of the unstable epidemiological situation in Ukraine," he wrote. "However, foreigners, diplomats and citizens of Ukraine who have valid working or study contracts, or a residence permit in the EU, sailors heading for a ship, citizens who travel by transit through the EU are allowed to enter." According to the minister, every two weeks the European Union will review its list of states whose citizens are "safe" to be let in and it will partially or fully remove travel restrictions or reinstate them for certain countries depending on the circumstances. "Also, Georgia is to decide on re-opening its borders [for Ukrainian citizens] depending on the epidemiological situation in Ukraine," he said. The minister also added that Ukrainians returning home from Egypt should undergo mandatory 14-day self-isolation, as that country has a high incidence of COVID-19 cases. According to intelligence reports, three members of Russia-led forces were wounded on June 30. Russia's hybrid military forces on June 30 mounted 12 attacks on Ukrainian army positions in Donbas, eastern Ukraine, with two members of the Joint Forces reported as wounded in action. "The Russian Federation's armed formations violated the ceasefire 12 times in the past day," the press center of Ukraine's Joint Forces Operation Headquarters said on Facebook in an update as of 07:00 Kyiv time on July 1. "As a result, two Ukrainian defenders were wounded in enemy shelling." Read alsoUkrainian activist Sinchenko captured in occupied Donetsk, for the third time Russian-led forces opened fire from proscribed 120mm and 82mm mortars, grenade launchers of various types, heavy machine guns, and small arms. Under attack came Ukrainian positions near the town of Avdiyivka, and the villages of Nevelske, Vodiane, Pisky, Novotoshkivske, Novozvanivka, Luhanske, Zaitseve, and Khutir Vilny. Joint Forces returned fire to each enemy attack. A Ukrainian intelligence unit reported that three members of Russia-led forces were wounded on June 30. The enemy's prior casualties for the period from June 24 to June 26 included two killed fighters, according to updated data. The enemy did not attack Ukrainian positions from 00:00 to 07:00 Kyiv time on July 1. No casualties have been reported since Wednesday midnight. Yet, the commander says, the heavy security has been rolled out. Commander of the Ukrainian Joint Forces Operation (JFO) Serhiy Nayev says Ukraine has no information about Russia's preparations for an attack in the south. Yet, all types of intelligence collected on a daily basis have been beefed up, he said in a comment for the RBC Ukraine media outlet. Read alsoEnvironmental disaster over lack of water unfolding in occupied Crimea (Photos) In addition, Ukrainian law-enforcement agencies checked out their interoperability and the heavy security was rolled out. "We are clearly aware of all the scenarios that may develop in that sector and adequately assess the capabilities of the Russian Federation's Armed Forces for massing troops within a short period of time," he said. According to Nayev, certain efforts to boost Ukrainian military units' combat capabilities in that sector have already been made and the work continues. As UNIAN reported earlier, former Commanding General of United States Army Europe (Wiesbaden, Germany), Lieutenant General Ben Hodges warns that Russia may attack Ukraine's Kherson region in September under the pretext of military drills in order to secure the supply of drinking water for Russia-occupied Crimea, which is facing a critical fresh water shortage. Chloe LeValley covers the cities of Walla Walla and College Place as well as agriculture and the environment in the Walla Walla Valley. She is a graduate of San Francisco State University and joined the Union-Bulletin's team in October 2019. Follow Chloe LeValley Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today Register for a FREE account to keep reading! Register now for a FREE account to keep reading. No cost and no credit card required! Access up to 5 articles per month when you register, or get unlimited access to all of our content online starting at $1.99 now! Already registered? Click the log in link below The Japanese city of Kawasaki has become the first in the island country to ban hate speech. The new ordinance banning discriminatory public speech or actions against minorities comes into effect on Wednesday. Kawasaki, which has one of the largest Korean populations in the greater Tokyo area, will fine repeat violators up to US$4,500 and publish their names and addresses. Dayton Jones Indicted on Federal Child Porn Charge By West Kentucky Star Staff PADUCAH - A Hopkinsville man whose sentence in a 2014 Christian County sexual assault case was commuted by former Kentucky Governor Matt Bevin has been indicted by a federal grand jury on child porn charges related to the same incident.Police arrested 24-year-old Dayton Jones on April 6 on a charge of producing child pornography.Authorities say the charge stems from video Jones shared online of a sexual assault Jones participated in at a Christian County house party against an unconscious teen.Jones previously pleaded guilty in Christian Circuit Court to charges of sodomy, wanton endangerment, and distribution of material depicting the sexual performance of a minor. He was sentenced to 15 years in prison. Three other men also pleaded guilty for their roles in the assault.Bevin Commuted Jones' sentence during his final days in office in 2019, a move that has sparked some controversy.Jones faces up to 30 years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine if convicted. For full access, please log in, register your subscription or subscribe. Try for 99 a month for two months, cancel or pause anytime. Petition Calls for Farley Elementary Renovation By Tim Brockwell PADUCAH - A McCracken County woman is spearheading an effort to renovate the shuttered Farley Elementary campus to provide residents with a new community center.Jessica Lambert has created a petition to begin the process of restoring the property and making it into a multi-use facility for residents to use.The petition on Change.org currently has 424 signatures. It says "We, the community and residents, believe that allowing a nonprofit to turn the property into a center and park for families to learn and recreate will help heal the damaged caused by the closure."Lambert told West Kentucky Star Wednesday that she is in the process of forming a non-profit to oversee the process."We are forming a 501(c)(3). I have nine board members, and then once we finish that we're gonna start talking to the school board more in depth about what we can do and then we'll go from there with looking at costs of renovating and building a park and playground." She said.The school at 1250 Husbands Road closed in 2015, and has been sitting empty without upkeep ever since. Lambert said although the building is structurally sound, it is in need of a new HVAC system and other cosmetic improvements. She says costs could run as high as $300,000 for the work.Lambert said in the end the project will be well worth it for a neighborhood with few options available to residents."What we'd like to see happen is bringing in some programs, such as the Boys and Girls Club for Farley youth. Because what we have here is a fairly concentrated low-income area. Then we also have a large portion of the immigrant population in Farley. So, we want to bring programs that will help the low-income community, and also have community events and things like that." She said.Click the links below to view the petition or visit the Farley Community Center and Park Facebook page.On the Net: Whats Working, a series exploring solutions for New Hampshires workforce needs, is sponsored by the New Hampshire Solutions Journalism Lab at the Nackey S. Loeb School of Communications and is funded by Eversource, the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, the New Hampshire College & University Council, Northeast Delta Dental and the New Hampshire Coalition for Business and Education. Contact reporter Michael Cousineau at mcousineau@unionleader.com. To read stories in the series, visit unionleader.com/whatsworking. Public Invited to Third McCracken 'Unity' Meeting By West Kentucky Star Staff PADUCAH - McCracken County Judge-Executive Craig Clymer's office has scheduled a third unity meeting next Thursday at the McCracken County Courthouse.The public meeting will be from 4 to 6 p.m. in Courtroom A. Attendance is limited to 50 people, to comply with the Governors Covid-19 restrictions. All who have attended either of the prior meetings are invited and asked to RSVP by Monday, July 6th, and are requested to provide names and contact information of anyone they recommend be invited to attend.Anyone else wishing to attend may be included by submitting their names and contact information to Judge Clymers office via email cclymer@mccrackencountyky.gov or phone at 270 444-4707.Prior unity meetings have been closed to the public, including only select individuals who have knowledge and specific interests in relationships between law enforcement and the black community in McCracken County. This time the public will be invited to weigh in on law enforcement and black community relations and how to improve things.If more than 50 people express interest in attending, they will be invited to a future meeting. A list of the 50 who may attend the meeting will be compiled and sent invitations on Tuesday. Patrick J. Buchanan is the author of Nixons White House Wars: The Battles That Made and Broke a President and Divided America Forever. Patrick J. Buchanan is the author of Nixons White House Wars: The Battles That Made and Broke a President and Divided America Forever. Milledgeville, GA (31061) Today Mostly cloudy early with scattered thunderstorms developing this afternoon. High 86F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%.. Tonight Cloudy skies early with scattered thunderstorms developing late. Low 72F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%. PortauPrince, July 1 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 1st Jul, 2020 ) :Haiti defended its decision to reopen its air borders to the United States, with the first plane due to arrive Wednesday morning. The US has been one of the worst hit countries by the coronavirus pandemic, reporting almost 130,000 deaths from the disease as some states see a spike in fresh cases. The first commercial flight in three months will land in capital city Port-au-Prince from Fort Lauderdale in Florida -- a state with a large Haitian diaspora, but which is among those reporting a sharp uptick in recent COVID-19 infections. Haiti's health minister Marie-Greta Roy Clement said reopening was "not a mistake" and that the country had to balance concern over the economy with medical advice. "We know that there's a risk but we are going to increase epidemiological surveillance, and everyone who comes into the country from tomorrow must observe a home quarantine," she said. "People coming from countries with a high incidence of coronavirus will have to bring a negative test result. However, as we announced it today, we will have to wait a little before applying it," Roy Clement added. Travelers will also have to pass through a newly installed thermal scanner at the city's Toussaint Louverture International Airport. Prime Minister Joseph Jouthe emphasized that passengers entering the country must present a negative test. "Haiti is a sovereign country and whoever the person is, they must obey all decisions made by the governmental authorities or else they will not come."Haiti has recorded fewer than 6,000 COVID-19 cases and 105 deaths. The Syrian Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD) might consider allying with Damascus only if it loses the US support once the US troops withdraw from Syria, Abdul Hakim Bashar, a co-founder of the Kurdish National Council in Syria and vice-president of the National Coalition of Syrian Revolution and Opposition Forces, told Sputnik GENOA (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 01st July, 2020) The Syrian Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD) might consider allying with Damascus only if it loses the US support once the US troops withdraw from Syria, Abdul Hakim Bashar, a co-founder of the Kurdish National Council in Syria and vice-president of the National Coalition of Syrian Revolution and Opposition Forces, told Sputnik. Last week, Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem said he hoped Kurdish forces in north-eastern Syria would soon come back to the side of Damascus to expel foreign troops together. "As for the future, the return of these forces [PYD] to the Syrian regime side depends on the US position. If the US presence continues in the eastern Euphrates, as well as its support to the SDF forces, the regime will not receive anything. However, in case of the US withdrawal, then, I think, the talks between the Democratic Union and the regime will resume," Bashar said. According to the Kurdish politician, a lot of talks are underway between the PYD and Damascus, with US President Donald Trump's 2018 decision to pull forces from Syria serving as a catalyst. In the end of 2019, Damascus was in talks with the representatives of the self-governing Kurdish autonomous administration in the country's northeast. The talks failed because of what Muallem called "inconsistent policies" of the Kurdish representatives. Cave-in-Rock Ferry Will Remain Open By Bill Hughes In a press release Tuesday night, ferry operator Lonnie Lewis said a tentative agreement has been reached with the state of Illinois and Commonwealth of Kentucky that will allow the ferry to continue operation. The Cave-in-Rock Ferry connects Crittenden County, Kentucky with Hardin County, Illinois and has been in operation since the early 1800s, but Lewis said earlier in the day that Kentucky officials had refused his offer to sign a new two-year contract under the same terms as the previous deal. CAVE-IN-ROCK - On the night it was to shut down indefinitely, officials say the Cave-in-Rock Ferry will now continue its daily service.Crittenden County Judge-Executive Perry Newcom told West Kentucky Star Tuesday evening that shutting down the ferry would have a huge impact on Crittenden County.Newcom said, "There's a great deal of employees that work in factories in and around Marion and surrounding counties that utilize the ferry to come to work every day, so I don't know that I could overstate the importance of the service."He said about 500 vehicles use the ferry each weekday, with as many as 1,200 customers on weekends. Without the ferry, drivers must travel an additional 1-1/2 hours to get across the river.Problems with state funding and costly new requirements by the US Coast Guard threatened to shut down the ferry in 2018, but Crittenden Fiscal Court was able to temporarily help cover expenses, and the ferry operated on a shortened schedule for several months until a $2.15 million contract was approved for 2018-2020. Belgium confronted its colonial past and looked toward reconciliation Tuesday, with the King expressing regret for the violence carried out by the country when it ruled over what is now Congo. Vatican News A statue, the bust of a former monarch held responsible for the death of millions of Africans (in the DRC) was taken off public display. As Belgium marked the 60th anniversary of the end of its colonial rule in Congo, King Philippes words had resounding significance since none of his predecessors went so far as to convey remorse. Belgian King expresses deepest regrets In a letter to the Congolese president, Felix Tshisekedi, Philippe stopped short of issuing a formal apology, but proclaimed his deepest regrets for the acts of violence and cruelty and the suffering and humiliation inflicted on Belgian Congo. The removal of King Leopold IIs statue took place only hours after Philippes letter was published. The monarch, who ruled Belgium from 1865-1909, plundered Congo as if it were his personal fiefdom, forcing many of its people into slavery to extract resources for his own profit. The early years after he laid claim to the African country are especially infamous for killings, forced labour and other forms of brutality that some experts estimate left as many as 10 million Congolese dead. Removing statues questions dominant narrative Following a short ceremony punctuated by readings, Leopolds bust in Ghent was attached to a crane with a strap and taken away from the small park where it stood amid applause. It will be transferred to a warehouse of a Ghent city museum pending further decision from a citys commission in charge of decolonization projects. Removing statues does not erase history, it rectifies history and makes new history that rightly calls into question dominant narratives, said Mathieu Charles, an activist from the Belgian Network for Black Lives. Belgium coming to terms with its colonial past Belgium has long struggled to come to terms with its colonial past, instead focusing on the so-called positive aspects of the colonization. But the international protests against racism that followed the May 25 death of George Floyd in the United States have given new momentum to activists fighting to have monuments to Leopold removed. Earlier this month, about 10,000 people gathered in Brussels despite the social distancing measures implemented to fight the spread of COVID-19, with many protesters chanting anti-colonialist slogans. The Leopold statue in Ghent was vandalized several times in the past and again after Floyd, a handcuffed Black man, died after a white Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck. Several other monuments of the former King scattered across Belgium were defaced over the past few weeks and a statue of the monarch in the port of Antwerp was removed from a marketplace by local authorities. Parliamentary Commission to look into Belgiums colonial past. Meanwhile, regional authorities also promised history course reforms to better explain the true character of colonialism while the federal Parliament decided that a commission would look into Belgiums colonial past. Belgium Prime minister Sophie Wilmes has called for an in-depth debate conducted without taboo. In 2020, we must be able to look at this shared past with lucidity and discernment, she said Tuesday. Any work of truth and memory begins with the recognition of suffering. Acknowledging the suffering of the other. After Leopolds claimed ownership of Congo ended in 1908, he handed it over to the Belgian state, which continued to rule over the colony 75 times Belgiums size until the African nation became independent in 1960. Acknowledging common achievements and painful episodes In his letter, King Philippe stressed the common achievements reached by Belgium and its former colony, but also the painful episodes of their unequal relationship. At the time of the independent State of the Congo, acts of violence and cruelty were committed that still weigh on our collective memory, Philippe wrote, referring to the period when the country was privately ruled by Leopold II from 1885 to 1908. The colonial period that followed also caused suffering and humiliation, Philippe acknowledged. I want to express my most deepest regrets for these wounds of the past, the pain of which is today revived by discrimination that is all too present in our societies, Philippe also congratulated Tshisekedi on the anniversary of Congos independence, regretting that he was not able to attend the celebrations to which he had been invited due to the coronavirus pandemic. (Source: (AP - Associated Press) Poverty has driven millions of Venezuelans to desperation. In this photo a man, who cannot afford to pay rent, cooks in a parking lot in Caracas (ANSA) Venezuela`s President Nicolas Maduro expells the European Union Ambassador, responding to the EU sanctioning of eleven of his top officials, deepening the isolation of the crisis-stricken country.. By James Blears President Nicolas Maduro has reacted in response to the European Union Council, which has sanctioned eleven of this inner circle. The EU says they`ve damaged the rule of law and order, and gone after Venezuela`s democratically elected National Assembly. It says this had undermined the Country. So EU Ambassador Isabel Brilhante Garcia is leaving, with the backhanded offer of a flight, because all air traffic in and out of Venezuela is currently grounded due to the Covid 19 Pandemic. Venezuelan National Assembly Leader Juan Guido, declared himself Interim President on January 23rd last year, saying the 2018 Presidential Election was fraudulent. In spite of the support of more than fifty countries, he`s not been able to dislodge President Maduro who still enjoys the staunch support of the Armed Forces, as well as China and Russia. Once oil rich Venezuela is in the depths of a debilitating and chronic seven year economic recession. Both the United States and the EU have imposed tightening and crippling sanctions. Ambassador Michael Koch, German Ambassador to the Holy See discusses the upcoming German EU presidency and the challenges the EU will have to tackle in the following months. By Vatican News Germany assumes today the presidency of the Council of the European Union, a mandate which lasts six months. This means that from July to December 2020, Germany will chair the meetings of the EU Council and will be responsible for advancing EU legislation. Speaking to Vatican Radios Gudrun Sailer, German Ambassador to the Holy See, Michael Koch notes that given the current crisis in which we find ourselves this will be a corona presidency. Phase I: coronavirus Ambassador Koch explains that the most important task to tackle in the first two months will be to move forward the ambitious program of the EU commission under the heading EU next generation: three quarters of a trillion Euro to get the European economies that have suffered from the coronavirus crisis going again. On top of this, adds Ambassador Koch, and linked very intimately with this question is the possibly even more challenging multi-year financial framework. This, he explains, is the budget of the European Union for all seven years of presidency, beginning in the year 2020, and as anyone can easily imagine there are widely diverging views on what should happen as part of this budget, he says. Ambassador Koch goes on to explain that the key thing to understand is that the budget and the program EU next generation will be linked because this special program will be administered through the budgetary process. It is for this reason that they need to be passed together, and because of the innumerable technical implementations that will then be necessary, it will need to be done within the next two weeks. We are going to have our hands full until the end of the year so that beginning next year, the money agreed on as part of EU next generation can actually start to flow into the countries that are expecting it. Phase II: Brexit According to Ambassador Koch, priority number two will be Brexit. Timing is also important with regards to Brexit he says. We basically have to be through by November, he explains, because of the formal requirements, particularly the necessity for any deal that we may reach with the United Kingdom to pass with all parliaments for such a deal to become law as a requirement. Ambassador Koch emphasises that we will not walk over the cliff on 1 January when Germanys 6 month presidency will have ended, but rather take this relationship into a new, regulated reality . He explains that, although negotiations have not been going well, Germany is eager to organise for the closest possible relationship between the European Union and Great Britain. We feel that the British are having difficulties in realising, understanding and accepting, that Brexit has its downsides, too, he explains. On the other hand, adds the Ambassador, we think the chances of reaching a successful outcome are better than it looks right now and Germany will certainly do what it can to make a positive outcome more likely. Phase III Then, says Ambassador Koch, as a third phase there is everything else. Many things which include the Green Deal that the Commissioner had proposed. This, he says is another project that I think we will have to interlink with the European recovery program in order to get a European economy going again. Another important issue that will have to be addressed is a refugee policy within the European Union. Ambassador Koch says that in the upcoming months we plan to launch another attempt to come to an agreement on a common Refugee policy, adding that it is well-known that at this moment we are far away from a common position. Other issues that will have to be tackled include that of the rule of law and some foreign policy issues as well as bearing in mind the EUs relationship with China even though the summit planned in Leipzig with China in September has been postponed. Then, we have sub-Saharan Africa, the new mission in the Mediterranean, we have Western Balkans and the question of how to continue to develop relations with the countries situated there. So, overall there is a lot to do, says Ambassador Koch, re-emphasising that coronavirus will, however, be the main topic. European crisis Although the EU next generation is certainly not the only tool to strengthen Europe as it faces the most serious crisis in its history, it is the most important, says Ambassador Koch. If it is successful and we would like it to be, it will show Europeans, individual people, companies and enterprises that Europe is with them, that it stands by their side in an hour of need. We believe very strongly [in a] new European solidarity, and we recognize that [in] the beginning of this crisis, this European solidarity was not as obvious and visible as we would have liked it to be, so we have to renew this. Europe must become stronger and it must leave this crisis stronger than it entered it. And the way to do that, or one way to do that, is to organize this massive effort of practical solidarity as a way to show to people that Europe is not just an abstraction but something that is a real force in their life for [a] better future. EU and the Holy See With regards to the role of the Holy See, Ambassador Koch says that "we cannot, and do not, expect their role to be one of telling us how to draft a EU budget". However, what is important and what the Holy See and the Pope have contributed repeatedly are very clear indications of the basis from which this sort of exercise ought to be launched. For example, continues Ambassador Koch, the necessity for Europeans to stay together and to be ready to support each other, stressed by the Pope, is exactly what our idea is as well. Likewise with regards to refugees: not to forget that there is also a global south which has far fewer means to deal with a crisis like this and which needs our support as well. Just as the Holy See does, Ambassador Koch stresses that "we also agree completely" on the importance of underlining the fact that while in the first phase of the crisis the number of people fleeing across the Mediterranean had decreased, it is at this point in time increasing. The problem has not gone away, stresses Ambassador Koch, and as the Holy Father has repeatedly stressed, as Europeans, we have to find better ways to deal with it. Finally, Ambassador Koch stresses that more multilateralism is needed to face this crisis, and that some of the institutions multilateral structures could have worked better. Well concludes Ambassador Koch, inspired by what the Holy father says: lets make them better. Graves Co. Schools Announce Reopening Guidelines By West Kentucky Star Staff In a Wednesday press release, school officials say their district is working diligently on their plans to ensure that schools are a safe and healthy place for all students to learn. They are following the guidance and safety expectations provided by the Kentucky Public Health and the Kentucky Department of Education to create a "Healthy at School" environment. Graves County Schools will be following the traditional calendar with the first day for students beginning on Thursday, August 6. The complete calendar is available on the Graves County Schools website, at the link below. The "Healthy at School" guidelines they are implementing will include the following: Masks are required to be worn by faculty, staff, and students (1st-12th grades) when distancing of 6 feet cannot be maintained; Temperature checks for all faculty, staff, and students upon entering the buildings; Markings will be placed on the floors in key locations to show the distancing requirements, and classrooms will be arranged to promote social distancing; Recess and meal times will be staggered to promote distancing; There will be daily cleaning and disinfecting of all facilities; High touch areas such as desks and tables will be disinfected between each class; Hand sanitizer stations will be placed at entry ways, restrooms, cafeterias, and on buses; Signage will be posted throughout the buildings to promote proper hand and respiratory safety and to encourage distancing. The "Healthy at School" guidelines for buses will include the following: Masks are required; Parents must attest each morning that their student does not have a temperature of 100.4 degrees before the student can board; Buses will be loaded from back to front and unloaded from front to back; Staggered seating will be implemented when possible. School officials say that although the requirements are not ideal, the implementation of the guidelines will allow them to serve the students and community in a safe and healthy way. GRAVES COUNTY - The Graves County Board of Education has released its guidelines for returning to school.On the Net: EuroCham and the prime minister's advisory council on administrative reform held a dialogue on preparing for the EVFTA On Tuesday (June 30), the European Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam (EuroCham) and the Prime Ministers Advisory Council for Administrative Procedure Reform (ACAPR) held a dialogue in Hanoi to discuss administrative reform ahead of the implementation of the EVFTA. The event, titled Administrative Reform: A Key Role in EVFTA Implementation took place at Melia Hotel and featured special guest speaker Minister Mai Tien Dung, head of the Government Office. It also brought together business leaders, government officials, journalists, and members of the diplomatic corps to discuss how administrative reform can help to unlock the full potential of the upcoming EVFTA, which is set to enter into force on August 1. At the dialogue, business leaders and the minister discussed a wide range of issues including, among others, the EVFTA; access to innovative pharmaceuticals and a predictable and consistent legal environment for investment; medical device machine installation in hospitals; goods labelling requirements; food safety inspection registration certificates; and tax tariffs applied to functional foods; e-commerce; certificate of free sale; the registration process for anti-bacterial products; and the management of e-commerce platforms. The event also featured the launch of EuroChams 12th Whitebook publication. The Whitebook is EuroChams annual report, where the chambers 17 Sector Committees raise the issues most important to their business operations and highlight specific actions the government could take to improve the business environment and increase trade and investment with the EU. EuroCham is honoured to co-organise this important dialogue on administrative reform with the ACAPR and the Government Office. With the EVFTA entering into force in August, it is essential that business and government work together to ensure its smooth and successful implementation. One of the most critical factors will be accelerating Vietnams positive progress in administrative reform streamlining business conditions, strengthening the business environment, and modernising the legal framework," Nicolas Audier, EuroCham chairman stated at the dialogue. That is why EuroCham publishes the Whitebook, now in its 12th edition. Our members share the goal of the government to attract more foreign direct investment. In this time of COVID-19, with economies around the world struggling with the impact of the pandemic, Vietnam now has a once-in-a-generation chance to capitalise on the EVFTA and attract more FDI from European enterprises looking for an open, competitive, and business-friendly market. If the government takes on board the recommendations in our Whitebook, I am confident that we will see even more European companies investing in Vietnam in the future. The EVFTA will offer major gains for Vietnam's agriculture, forestry and fishery sector The information was stressed at the conference on facilitating agriculture, forestry, and fishery companies to enter the EU market and implementing the EVFTA efficiently held by the Ministry of Industry and Trade in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and Ho Chi Minh City Peoples Committee on June 30. According to Minister of Industry and Trade Tran Tuan Anh, the EU is Vietnams second-largest export market but Vietnam only accounts for 2 per cent of its total imports. Once the EVFTA come into force, Vietnams agriculture, forestry, and fishery sector can access a potential market with 500 million people and a GDP of $15 trillion. The export turnover of agriculture, forestry, and fishery products to the EU has been around $5 billion per year between 2017 and 2019. He added that the EVFTA is an ambitious pact eliminating almost 99 per cent of customs duties between the EU and Vietnam. The official entry of this FTA is expected to create a driving force for Vietnam to recover from COVID-19. With several advantages, Vietnams agriculture, forestry, and fishery sector is positioned as a major beneficiary of the EVFTA. The agreement covers all rice varieties most commonly exported from Vietnam to the EU, including milled rice, husked rice, broken rice, and fragrant rice. These will see mostly duty-free tariffs as soon as the FTA is implemented, except for broken rice which will see a 50 per cent tariff cut when the FTA comes into force, followed by a linear reduction over five years. Meanwhile, Vietnamese seafood that will see improved market access via duty-free tariff rates or full liberalisation include surimi (seafood paste, most commonly fake crabmeat), canned, fresh and chilled tuna, and non-processed shrimps and catfish. Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Nguyen Xuan Cuong said that companies should carefully prepare to meet the EU requirements and avail of opportunities from the EVFTA. In the case of Trung An Hi-Tech Farming JSC, which is looking to increase rice exports to the EU, the ministry will provide further guidance about the potential seeds, production processes, and requirements. The ministry can even seek special mechanism for some exporters to help Vietnam fulfill the EVFTA requirements as well as ensure product quality. Confusion reigns over the status of certification for Novartis Lek arm, Photo: Le Toan The Drug Administration of Vietnam (DAV) under the Ministry of Health (MoH) has announced the list of foreign-invested manufacturing factories failing to attain PIC/S-GMP and EU-GMP recognition, with some being required to make further clarifications. They include Novartis Pharma Services AG. Specifically, in Annex 2 of the DAVs Dispatch No.3518, Novartis Pharma Services AG site with the registered name Lek Pharmaceuticals d.d. is required to give further clarification regarding the company submitting a general file of the manufacturing establishment showing the manufacture of dosage forms without special requirements. Novartis was also asked to provide an inspection report, or CPP certificate of a Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) certification agency, clearly showing the dosage forms without special requirements within the scope of certification. A representative of Novartis Vietnam Co., Ltd, told VIR, Novartis appreciates the MoHs transparency with regards to the announcement, which shows the prudent-monitored operations of the industry, and makes it convenient for companies and the community to have fast access to sufficient information and guidance from the MoH during the implementation of the process. The representative also elaborated, As one of the leading global pharmaceutical companies with operations in Vietnam, we comply with all regulations and guidance from the MoH. As of now, the DAV and MoH have approved and announced the GMP qualification for Lek Pharmaceuticals within the appropriate scope of certification for our medicines in Vietnam. Despite Novartis announcement of the GMP qualification, it remains unclear whether the manufacturing site gets the high-in-demand PIC/S-GMP and EU-GMP certifications. GMP is a basic standard, in a system for ensuring products are consistently made and controlled according to quality standards. It is designed to minimise the risks involved in any pharmaceutical production that cannot be eliminated through testing the final product. In Vietnam in 2004, the MoH issued Decision No.3886/2004/QD-BYT implementing the principles and standards of good manufacturing practices. For western medicines, by the end of 2010, all enterprises producing external medicines and medicinal drug had to achieve GMP-WHO standards at least. Meanwhile, PIC/S-GMP and EU-GMP are higher-standard certifications than GMP. EU-GMP certification is the highest recognition available by companies in the pharmaceutical space, while the PIC/S-GMP is a non-binding, informal co-operative arrangement between regulatory authorities in the field of GMP of medicinal products for human or veterinary use. It is open to any authority with a comparable GMP inspection system. PIC/S presently comprises 53 participating authorities from all over the world. On receiving the EU-GMP and PIC/S-GMP certifications, drugs channels can gain advantages and high profit in tenders in Group 1 of brand-name drugs which go to the hospital system, or the ethical drugs channel, which is the most profitable segment. At present, there is no difference in tax incentive treatments in domestically-owned and foreign-invested facilities conducting outsourcing in Vietnam, all being subject to VAT exemption. Together with that exemption, currently the cost of brand-name drugs is 10-20 times higher than generic products, thus bringing in high profit for multinational corporations. In the wake of the advantages, multinationals are rushing to seek PIC/S-GMP and EU-GMP recognition for their manufacturing sites. Besides Novartis, other famous multinational corporations in the race include GlaxoSmithKline, Sanofi, F.Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., and more. However, the path is not rosy for all of them. In the 72nd list of application for the announcement of manufacturers with PIC/S-GMP and EU-GMP qualifications which meet or did not meet requirements announced by the DAV-MoH in April, 64 applications require additional dossiers/clarifications. French pharmaceutical giant Sanofi Vietnam Shareholding Company, proposed by Sanofi Vietnam, and Pharmatis, proposed by Abbott Laboratories Singapore Plc. and Dr. Reddys Laboratories Ltd.-FTO-3, are also on the list of those failing to receive the standards recognition. Nguyen Thi Thu Trang, director of the WTOs International Trade Centre under the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry In the agreement (EVFTA), Vietnam commits to widely open the market in aircraft maintenance and repair service to EU businesses. In comparison with the countrys World Trade Organization (WTO) commitments, how can the new adherence benefit investors from the bloc in the future? Aviation transport is one of the logistics services that Vietnam commits to open the market to EU businesses in the EVFTA and this commitment is more open than that in the WTO. Among them, aircraft maintenance and repair service provides the strongest opening. As committed in the WTO, Vietnam allows foreign investors to join this market under the form of joint venture, holding less than 51 per cent. Meanwhile, this service market will totally open to EU investors without restrictions in the form of business operations, or foreign ownership limit (FOL). This means that as of entry into force, EU companies will enjoy never-before-seen opportunities to establish a 100 per cent foreign-invested entity or joint ventures with Vietnamese partners to provide aircraft maintenance and repair service in the Southeast Asian nation. Up till now, this golden chance has been available only in Canada, Mexico, Japan, Australia, and Singapore as committed in the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership. Which other services will Vietnam open under EVFTA commitments, and what changes do you foresee? Vietnam also pledges to open the aviation market for EU companies in other two groups of services, to which the country had no commitments in the WTO. The first is in-flight meal services. Specifically, Vietnam permits EU businesses to establish a joint venture to provide this service with the conditions that FOL is not higher than 49 per cent. The second is ground services but this excludes aircraft maintenance and cleaning services, ground transport, aircraft management, and guaranteed flight operations. Meanwhile, for ground services which Vietnam does open, there is no set schedule as yet. This depends on the time when Vietnam allows private firms to join ground services in a specific airport, restrictions to location for specific airports and other licensing barriers, and the type of businesses involved. Investment attraction in aviation remains modest. Will the new commitments be able to change the investment picture in the sector? In the EVFTA, Vietnam will still keep the level of market opening similar to the WTO for core aviation services such as passenger and cargo transporting by air. However, looking globally, this is rather normal. Many countries have a similar approach with Vietnam while others even have a narrower approach. From a market view, it is difficult to say that Vietnams aviation sector is not attractive enough for investment. Even when gaining no foreign investment, interest from local private financers remains strong. Regardless, for aviation services the most interest among managers is not only the room for business and investment activities, but also safety concerns and public interest. The important issue is probably not only how open the country is for the aviation market for foreign investors, but also the way of approaching that openness for the private sector in general. SEACEF believes its funding will draw in 50-times more follow-on investment in new clean energy projects With traditional investors hesitant since the COVID-19 pandemic, the timely intervention will provide the high-risk, early-stage venture capital-type funding critical to getting transformational new clean energy projects off the ground. With an initial focus on Vietnam, Indonesia, and the Philippines and managed by Singapore-based Clime Capital, the Southeast Asia Clean Energy Facility (SEACEF) has been supported by leading international climate foundations including Sea Change Foundation International, Wellspring Climate Initiative, High Tide Foundation, Grantham Foundation, Bloomberg Philanthropies, Packard Foundation, and Childrens Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF). The launch of this new fund comes at a critical moment, with the COVID-19 crisis shrinking traditional sources of finance, dedicated towards bending the curve of climate change, said Imraan Mohammed, head of Impact Investing at CIFF. Impact investors and foundations are stepping up to bridge the gap, catalyse other sources of funding and ensure that the transition to clean energy in Southeast Asia continues to accelerate. Clime Capitals managing director Mason Wallick said, Even in times of stability, the first 1-2 per cent of development finance for clean energy projects is the hardest to find, given it carries the highest risk. However, the opportunities for renewable energy investment remain significant, so this high-risk capital is a cornerstone at a time of great uncertainty, which can catalyse the significant funding required to turn proposals into major clean energy projects. According to Bloomberg New Energy Finance, solar PV (Solar Photovoltaic panels) and onshore wind are now the cheapest sources of new-build generation for at least two-thirds of the global population. However, many potentially viable projects in Vietnam, Indonesia, the Philippines, and other parts of Southeast Asia would not happen without such early-stage funding, as most private sector investors are unwilling to get involved until early-stage development risks are successfully mitigated. This is the gap SEACEFs investment aims to bridge. SEACEF's early-stage funding will target globally proven technologies and business models such as solar, wind, and energy storage, plus other business models that accelerate the low carbon transition such as electric mobility, demand-side management technology, energy efficiency in buildings, and clean energy transmission infrastructure. The supporting global philanthropies have invested an initial $10 million into SEACEF, and are seeking to attract up to $40 million in additional capital. It is expected that every dollar of high-risk venture capital-type funding deployed by SEACEF will leverage up to 50 times more in follow-on investment into the clean energy portfolio across Southeast Asia reaching more than $2.5 billion of assets while cultivating the local ecosystem of developers to grow the market. On behalf of the philanthropic funders of SEACEF, we are pleased to support this innovative and catalytic climate investment programme that will fill a gap left by traditional financial investors and help accelerate the market for clean energy in Southeast Asia, said Bill Weil, who led the design of SEACEF at Tempest Advisors, the advisors to Sea Change Foundation International. At the end of May 2020, Germanys Tesa, a special industrial adhesive tape manufacturer, has confirmed to invest $55 million into Haiphong. Tesa is a prime example of the China + 1 production strategy adopted by multinationals, and shows how investment flows are drawn towards Vietnam on account of agreements like the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement or the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership. Haiphong Industrial College has signed a co-operation agreement with Japans Anabuki College Group in January 2019 With Haiphongs hard and soft infrastructure being generally readied to fulfil the requirements of investors, while improvements in human resources have been a key factor encouraging investors to choose the province. According to Prof. Dr. Nguyen Mai, president of the Vietnam Association of Foreign-Invested Enterprises, in order to receive the investment flow that is moving out of China, human resources is a key factor for success: high-quality labour will bring good investors such as Samsung or Intel, besides political stability, quality of facilities, and open and transparent policies. Haiphong Economic Zones Board of Management has been actively discussing with representatives from Apple, a global tech giant. At the discussions, besides concerns over infrastructure, labour availability was also significantly emphasised. The EZs representatives have taken a proactive approach by requesting the investor to outline their HR requirements so that they can co-ordinate with relevant authorised agencies, universities, and colleges to provide intensive training in the most relevant skills, as well as begin recruitment even while students are in the middle of their studies or prior to their graduation. Availability of high-quality labour The Provincial Competitiveness Index (PCI) Ranking 2019 published in early May indicated that enterprises highly appreciated Haiphong city's training and education policies, ranking it on top of the nation with 8.24 point. This component index witnessed the highest level of satisfaction from local companies since 2017. For years, a number of industrial zone developers have been taking the initiative in supporting secondary investors not only with legal and administrative issues and factory construction but also in HR recruitment in order to ensure the prompt operation of their factories. Sao Do Investment Group always focuses on training to improve the quality of its staff for quality improvement of the labourers to meet investors demands From the developer's perspective, Nguyen Thanh Phuong, general director of Sao Do Group, primary investor of Nam Dinh Vu Industrial Park, commented, Currently, Vietnam witnesses a golden opportunity to welcome a new wave of high-quality foreign investment. The infrastructure, policies, and legal corridor of Vietnam are generally adequate but need constant improvement. The quality of HR is not in fact identical among municipalities. Haiphong has a great advantage in this regard, in addition to transportation infrastructure, social utilities, and industrial zones being among the top of country." During the period 2015 2020 when Haiphong welcomed a record volume of capital-intensive billion-dollar investment projects, the number of employment in city-based industrial zones and economic zones has jumped sharply to meet the set demands. During 2015-2020 when the port city welcomed a record volume of capital-intensive billion-dollar investment projects, employment in city-based industrial zones (IZs) and economic zones (EZs) has jumped sharply. In 2015, there were about 48,500 Vietnamese workers in these IZs and EZs. By the end of May 2020, this figure has risen to 133,000, by 2.7 times. The average monthly income of workers had doubled in five years from VND4.85 million ($210) to VND10.5 million ($460). Several industries are in high demand such as IT, accounting, agriculture, and commerce, automotive technology, driver training, hospitality, welding, mechatronics, and electrical engineering, among others. Especially, some vocational and training institutions are interested in investing in key occupations. International co-operation in training highly skilled personnel is extremely appreciated by Haiphong city. Up to now, there have been 20 foreign-invested projects in the city related to vocational education. The training institutions have been proactively implementing and receiving technical support from experts under diverse programmes funded by international organisations like the ADB and volunteer specialists. As a result, many big investors in the field of high-tech such as LG and Vinfast are operating smoothly their factories in Haiphong, with a steady and stable labour supply. The high-level dialogue strengthening legislation and communications to reduce demandsfor illegal wildlife products The event is the second in a series of three dialogues organised by the USAID Wildlife Asia project aimed at ending the illegal consumption of wildlife products in Vietnam. A total of 35 Vietnamese government leaders and conservation experts discussed how Vietnam can improve its wildlife-related policies and legal system for wildlife management and protection, as well as promote demand reduction activities to enhance wildlife conservation. The first dialogue, held in July 2019, resulted in the development of the Handbook on Wildlife Conservation Policy. The Handbook documents and expands on the key agreements and recommendations reached at the first high-level event, serving as a guide for National Assembly members and other Vietnamese government agencies to develop or strengthen wildlife conservation policies. In the second dialogue, the National Assembly (NA) members and stakeholders advanced discussions to promote widespread understanding of the negative consequences of illegal wildlife consumption, showcasing best practices from other countries. Looking beyond awareness raising campaigns, the event championed social and behavioural change communication initiatives that use evidence-based behavioural science to change the consumption habits of target audiences and help reduce demand for illegal wildlife in Vietnam. International conservation experts shared information from other countries and called on the National Assembly to adopt the best practices of other governments to counter wildlife trafficking. International conservation experts shared information from other countries and called on the National Assembly to adopt the best practices of other governments to counter wildlife trafficking. Pham Dinh Toan, member of the NA and Vice Chairman of the Office of the National Assembly, since the first high-level discussion in July 2019, robust progress has been made to combat wildlife crime in Vietnam. For example, on January 28, 2020, Vietnam banned the import of wild animals in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak. We hope that todays event will bring even more progress, including guidance for comprehensive, focused social and behavioural change communication strategies that will lead to a reduction in the demand for illegal wildlife products, said Doan. According to Tran Thi Quoc Khanh, a member of the National Assembly and permanent member of the NA Committee on Science, Technology and Environment, wildlife plays an important part in balancing the ecosystem. Dialogues and seminars like this one, therefore, are necessary not only to improve peoples consciousness about the need for environmental protection to avoid the occurrence of pandemics like COVID-19 in the future, but also to stop ravaging nature. Khanh spells the need to shortly present a law on wildlife protection. Nguyen Lam Thanh, Deputy Chairman of the NA Council of Ethnic Minorities, noted that albeit Vietnam has in place a fairly synchronised legal system, current laws have yet to forbid the use of wildlife. The COVID-19 pandemic has somewhat established a panic psychology about the use of wildlife, in other words, promoting a habit of self-protection in the community. The current time provides a golden opportunity to push up communication countering the use of wildlife, Thanh said. We are pleased that the Vietnamese government is in favour of introducing effective initiatives to deter wildlife crime and reduce consumer demand. This event is vital to translate political will into action, said USAID Vietnams Mission Director Michael Greene. International pressure and the COVID-19 pandemic are driving the country to adopt stronger policies and effective consumer demand reduction measures. Protecting wildlife and their habitats can help prevent future pandemics and promote global security and sustainable development, Greene noted. In recent years, Vietnam has been active in passing legislation to counter wildlife trafficking and the country has one of the most comprehensive legal frameworks in the region. Since the beginning of 2018, Vietnams amended its penal code and strengthened penalties for wildlife trafficking by introducing fines of up to VND15 billion (around $650,000) and prison sentences of up to 15 years. Nevertheless, the country continues to be both a destination and transit hub for wildlife products. These dialogues are intended to support the National Assembly and the rest of the government in their efforts to end illegal wildlife trade. Recommendations from the dialogues will be compiled into guidance for policymakers in planning and implementing new wildlife-focused legislation and demand reduction campaigns. LNG project illustrates new interest Chan May LNG JSC is a US-Vietnam joint-stock company for the development and operation of a $6.2 billion new gas-fired power plant in the central province of Thua Thien-Hue. The plant is the development of a liquefied natural gas (LNG) port for loading and off-loading, an on-shore LNG terminal, and a storage plant. With power generation capacity of 4000MW, the project will commercially supply LNG and regular gas to the region and Thua Thien-Hues industrial and economic zones. Chan May-Lang Co economic zone (EZ) is at the focal point of two major zones with the closest route to the East-West Economic Corridor. The private investment developed in the strategic Indo-Pacific region supports the Enhancing Development and Growth through Energy (EDGE) programme for Vietnam. Vietnams power demand has risen sharply in line with rapid economic growth, constituting 12 per cent of GDP. As a result, resolving the power shortages expected in the future has become a pressing issue and top priority. Under the revised National Power Plan VII, the Vietnamese government strives to meet the annual power demand growth of 10 per cent by stepping up its power generation capacity to 95,500MW by 2025 and 129,000MW by 2030 through projects like Chan May LNG. " We bring experienced professionals with first-hand know-how of financing, building and operation of LNG power development." John Rockhold, CEO and vice chairman Chan May LNG JSC The project is divided into two phases. The first of 2,400MW is targeted to be completed and delivered in 2024; and the second of 1,600MW is to be delivered by 2028. The company expects the project to be integrated into the national power development plan within the next few months and meet all government regulatory requirements. About 3.5 billion cubic metres of gas per year will be imported from the US. The United States is currently the worlds largest producer of natural gas. The gas supplies nearly a third of US primary energy usage and is the primary heating fuel for approximately half of US households. While the majority of natural gas is delivered in its gaseous form via pipelines in the US, the growth in the international market for natural gas has given rise to the use of natural gas in a liquefied form. Data from 2017 shows that the US exported over 700 billion cubic feet of natural gas in the form of LNG in large tanker ships, along with small quantities shipped by container or trucks. In total the following year, US LNG had been delivered to 27 countries on five continents and the list of destinations has continued to grow since, especially to countries like Vietnam. The consortium team for the Thua Thien-Hue power plant consists of international environmental firms with a combined experience of over 80 years in Vietnam, while the US investors and developers have a combined total of 60 years of development experience in the country. Development of an LNG power plant in the Chan May-Lang Co EZ will likely generate positive economic impacts in a variety of ways on the local economy from the construction to the operational phase. A project of this nature and scale generally increases local GDP by 7-15 per cent during construction and 5-7 per cent during operations, according to experts. This increase in GDP over the life of the project will have significant benefits to families, local businesses, and the ability of the province to meet master plan objectives. Chan May LNG is pleased to support delivery of a world-class project in Thua Thien-Hue. We aim to achieve this by bringing together experienced professionals with first-hand knowledge regarding financing, supply, construction, and operation of LNG power development, said John Rockhold, CEO and vice chairman of Chan May LNG. Our US and Vietnamese consortium have a successful track record working with proponents of LNG and power plant developments, provincial governments, and local consultants to design and construct world-class operating assets. Chan May LNG will attend the Vietnam Energy Summit 2020 in Hanoi next month. The summit, originally scheduled for March but inevitably postponed due to the coronavirus crisis, will take place on July 22 at the capitals International Convention Centre. Co-organised by the government and the Central Economic Committee, various ministries and institutions such as the EU, the German Development Cooperation (GIZ), and the Embassy of Finland will be represented. Held with the aim of being timed with the Politburos resolution on Vietnams national energy development strategy orientation to 2030 and with a vision to 2045, the event is considered to be the most prestigious event in the countrys energy industry this year. Vietnamese citizens returning from Japan at Da Nang International Airport (Photo: VNA) The flight was arranged by Vietnamese authorities, the countrys embassy in Japan, Japanese agencies and Vietjet Air. The passengers included children, the elderly, the ill, pregnant women, and workers with expired labour contracts or without accommodation. The Vietnamese Embassy sent staff members to assist the citizens with boarding procedures at the airport. To prevent the spread of COVID-19, disease prevention measures were carried out throughout the flight. The flight crew and all passengers were also given heath examinations upon landing at Da Nang International Airport and then sent to quarantine in line with regulations. Under the Prime Ministers direction, domestic authorities and Vietnams overseas representative offices are making plans to fly more Vietnamese citizens home, depending on the citizens need and the countrys quarantine capacity. Illustrative image (Photo: VNA) The plant is a joint venture between Sharp Energy Solutions Corp., a subsidiary of Sharp Corp., and Vietnams T&T Group Joint Stock Co. and its affiliate Ninh Thuan Energy Industry Joint Stock Co. With an annual output of 76,373 megawatt hours of electricity, the plant can ensure power supply for 40,500 households. Japanese news agency Kyodo News quoted a spokesman of the group as saying that Sharp has been pushing its solar power business in Asia, having built plants in Thailand, Indonesia and Mongolia, on the back of expected growth in consumption of electricity. Local Man Facing Shoplifting Charges in Benton By West Kentucky Star Staff On Tuesday, officers with the Benton Police Department were called to Walmart after receiving a report of a shoplifter. While on their way, the suspect reportedly became uncooperative with employees and left the store. Employees provided a clothing description and pointed them in the direction the individual was headed. A short time later, deputies located the suspect near Wendy's. Once the suspect noticed officers, he reportedly fled the scene. Officers and deputies with the Marshall County Sheriff's Office began searching the area and a short time later Paul G. Lee was captured in a creek behind Dollar General and O'Reilly Auto Parts. Lee is being charged with theft by unlawful taking under $500 (shoplifting). The Marshall County Sheriff's Office is also pursuing additional charges. BENTON - A local man is facing shoplifting and other charges after a search in Benton. National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan (R) meets with Japanese Ambassador Yamada Takio on June 30 (Photo: VNA) Hanoi - National Assembly (NA) Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan received Japanese Ambassador Yamada Takio in Hanoi on June 30, expressing her hope that the diplomat will uphold sound cooperation results recorded during his predecessors terms and help promote the two countries relations to a new height. The host leader reiterated that Vietnam always views Japan as a leading and long-term partner and wishes to join hands with Japan to intensify their Extensive Strategic Partnership for Peace and Prosperity in Asia. She noted bilateral relations have been thriving with high political trust in the recent past. Their cooperation has become increasingly substantive in all spheres, from politics, security-defence, economy, trade, investment, tourism and labour to people-to-people exchange. Problems in the implementation of big projects funded with Japans ODA capital have been actively settled, she added. Chairwoman Ngan appreciated the active role of the Vietnam-Japan Parliamentary Friendship Group and the Japan-Vietnam Parliamentary Friendship Alliance in enhancing ties between the countries legislative bodies, thus greatly contributing to overall connections. For his part, Ambassador Yamada Takio voiced his delight at frequent exchanges between the two parliaments and highlighted the considerable role of each countrys parliament in international activities. He also congratulated the Vietnamese NA on ratifying the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA), the EU-Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA), the law on investment under the public-private partnership format, along with Resolution 52 on changing the form of investment in some sections of the North-South Expressway project, which he said are very important since they are related to businesses activities. The NA leader noted during the law making process, the Vietnamese parliament always take into account opinions of the people, experts and embassies in order to issue laws that suits Vietnam and international practices. The Japanese Ambassador also congratulated Vietnam on bringing COVID-19 under control, saying that following this success, foreign investors will pay great attention to the country. Vietnam is working hard to recover its economy after the pandemic, and Japan is ready to resume labour cooperation so that Vietnamese apprentices can continue going to work in Japan, he added. A train of the Vietnam Railway Corporation at the Hanoi Railway Station (Photo: VNA) In the recent filing to the State Securities Commission on business results in the last three years, the corporation expected this years combined production and revenue will decrease by 23 percent compared to 2019. Last year, the corporation posted a consolidated revenue of more than 8.3 trillion VND and pre-tax profit of 180 billion VND. According to VNR, the loss is mainly due to the falling demand for transportation and travel as the result of the pandemic and the corporations re-adjustment of its operation to upgrade and repair the Hanoi HCM City railway line. Of the 1.4 trillion VND loss, 711 billion VND came from main railway business operation, of which two subsidiaries Hanoi Railway Transport and Sai Gon Railway Transport are expected to record a combined loss of 618 billion VND. The parent company VNR estimates a loss of 168 billion VND. Three subsidiaries in the mechanical industries and 20 railways joint stock companies are the only firms expecting profits of 75 billion VND. Other burdens include financial losses from previous years, provisional expenses for contingency plans and bad debts worth a combined total of 682 billion VND. Also depreciation and amortisation expenses reached 59 billion VND this year but has no revenue to offset. In terms of investment, apart from improving infrastructure, VNR plans to invest more than 602 billion VND in locomotive assemblies. The corporation also seeks to mobilise 414 billion VND from investors to carry out new carriage building project. According to VNR Chairman Vu Anh Minh, the railway industry is facing fierce competition from other modes of transport, especially low-cost carriers in both air and road transport, while there is a lack of mechanisms and policies to boost railway development. Last year was also a difficult year for VNR when all business indicators declined. "The direct infrastructure and the train stations are owned by the Government, but there is no mechanism for enterprises to invest by themselves, Minh was quoted by vietnamnet.vn. The State does not have capital, businesses have money but cannot spend to invest. He cited an example of Song Luy station in Binh Thuan province which needs about 30 billion VND to extend the railway lines and can generate an annual revenue of 200 billion VND but cannot be invested. Nguyen Thi Phu Ha, Vice Chairwoman of the Committee for Management of State Capital, said the railway industry still relied heavily on ticket revenue while its management and competition is weak and infrastructure underdeveloped. She has asked VNR to work with ministries and local authorities to submit to the Government a plan to improve competitiveness and reshape the sectors development strategy in the future. Due to the pandemic, the railway industry saw a decline in number of passengers but still had to maintain operations. Since February, about 3,000 workers have been furloughed or worked only on a shift basis. VNR has proposed the Government support its business with tax exemptions, fee reductions or by freezing debts. In a move to revitalise the railway industry post-COVID-19, VNR is offering discounted prices and promotion programmes to stimulate domestic tourism, as well as focusing on more on freight transport. It plans to operate more international freight trains with plans to transport fruits and aquatic products directly from southern provinces to China using refrigerated containers and onward to third countries such as Russia and others in Europe this year. Vinh Phuc is building out technical infrastructure to become a more welcoming investment destination Located close to Hanoi and owning 18 IZs (IZs) and 32 industrial clusters, Vinh Phuc is improving its investment and trade environment, enhancing its competitive capabilities to attract investment. The COVID-19 pandemic has had a marked impact on socio-economic development in the province, disrupting the operations of enterprises as well as foreign investors plans. Numerous companies had to lay off employees due to a lack of orders, which caused a plunge in revenue and profit. Other businesses had to deal with a lack of experts and skilled employees due to Vietnams policy suspending foreign entry. In the first six months of the year, the pandemic has caused a decrease in foreign-invested capital in the province. Notably, investors registered only $135.6 million, only a third of last years figure, in 14 newly-registered and 19 existing projects. In order to help enterprises overcome their difficulties and prepare to welcome new investment after the pandemic, the provinces leaders assigned departments and relevant authorities to implement solutions to support businesses. Notably, the province organised numerous meetings, seminars, and working sessions with investors and enterprises to discover their difficulties. In addition, the province entered into a co-operation with the State Bank of Vietnam to build supporting policies for businesses, including decreasing loan interest and extend debt payment deadlines. Besides, the Department of Taxation supported enterprises to extend the deadline for tax payments and the fee for land rental. Furthermore, the provincial Peoples Committee asked localities to implement synchronised solutions to deal with investors difficulties by removing administrative bottlenecks for newly-registered projects, supporting enterprises investing in infrastructure at industrial parks and clusters by accelerating land clearance and compensation in order to accelerate the construction progress. The province has also completed a report on the investment planning for a series of IZs, including Tam Duong I, Lap Thach I and II, and Nam Binh Xuyen. It is also building dossiers to submit the construction plan of Song Lo 2 IZ to the Ministry of Planning and Investment for appraisal and then submit it to the prime minister for approval. Vinh Phuc Industrial Park Authority has built the detailed planning of Khai Quang IZ while urging investors to complete procedures to accelerate the development of Son Loi IZ and sign a management contract with partners in Ba Thien IZ. The province is actively trying to accompany investors to overcome difficulties and will create favourable conditions in administration procedures as well as technical and transport infrastructure, assuring investors looking to set up or expand operations in Vinh Phuc, said Nguyen Van Tri, chairman of Vinh Phuc Peoples Committee. The province is also paying attention to developing urban and apartment projects to create stable accommodation for workers and experts, including affordable apartment projects, Tri said. Vinh Phuc Peoples Committee also assigned the Department of Planning and Investment as well as the Investment Promotion Agency to organise investment promotion programmes. Notably, the province issued the investment promotion programme for this year and organised a conference to analyse the component indices of the provinces Provincial Competitiveness Index 2019 and discuss improvements during this year and upcoming ones. In addition, during social distancing, representatives of departments made suggestions and supported investors via social networks like Zalo to both comply with the isolation policy and implement online investment promotion activities. Furthermore, the province continues to reduce the time it takes for investors to complete procedures to set up business, register business online, and publish administrative procedures as well as the provinces planning to ensure full transparency. In general, the province has received particular praise for its workforce training, the safety of its legal institutions, and the pioneering role of local governance, all of which are drawing attention from long-term investors. This explains why local and global giants, especially Europe and America, are keen on the province. One of the outstanding success stories is Piaggio which has two plants in the province. The other is De Heus, a high-quality European animal feed producer, one of the five largest animal feed manufacturers in Vietnam that is making extensive contributions to the agricultural development of not only Vinh Phuc but the whole country. In addition, many global corporations such as Toyota, Honda, Daewoo, and Sumitomo have invested in Vinh Phuc, focusing mainly on the fields of processing technology, manufacturing, electronic assembling and industrial zones infrastructure. Vinh Phuc currently has 392 foreign-invested projects with the total registered capital of $5.57 billion, from 18 countries and territories in the province. Since many years, the Schengen Visa has been admired by many due to the access it gives to 26 beautiful 'Schengen' European countries. If you have already heard of the Schengen Visa, the ETIAS Visa will only seem familiar to you. Short for European Travel Information and Authorization System, the ETIAS Visa includes 26 Schengen member countries in the European Union. Citizens residing in 60 European countries will have to apply for the ETIAS visa, and Canada is included in these countries as well. This visa will be valid for three whole years, during which the visa holders can visit any of the 26 European countries for a total of 90 days, during a 180 days period. The process for ETIAS will commence in 2021, as right now, travel and tourism industries are at a halt due to the pandemic. So why travel to these wonderful Schengen destinations? Europe still remains one of those continents which is explored by many, thanks to its lush green landscapes and a variety of cultures. Not only that but it can offer equally fun city life with restaurants flourishing with menus of local cuisines, amusement parks, a variety of historical places to actually walk through European history as you move around in awe. In the last few months, the coronavirus pandemic has been an unprecedented complication for U.S. presidential campaigns. Both Donald Trump and Joe Bidens campaigns have had to pivot their strategies and rely on technology to raise money and connect with potential voters. VOA's Elizabeth Lee reports US lawmakers called for an immediate investigation Monday into news reports that Russia had offered bounties to Taliban-backed militants for the deaths of U.S. troops in Afghanistan. The White House denied reports U.S. President Donald Trump had been briefed on those bounties. Funeral Announcements A daily list of current funeral annoucements as heard on KXRA 1490 AM/100.3 FM News Updates The daily news, sports, and events delivered daily from Voice of Alexandria. Sports Update This current sports headlines delivered daily from Voice of Alexandria. Upcoming Events This email is the events of the area delivered daily from Voice of Alexandria. Breaking News The big news. Sent only as it happens. Mayfield Teen Arrested After Truck Theft, Pursuit By West Kentucky Star Staff pick-up truck traveling on Paducah Road with no functioning head lamps. An o Carlisle County deputies found and detained the suspect early Wednesday morning. He was identified as 19-year-old Adam Alexander of Mayfield. Alexander admitted to stealing the truck from a company in Mayfield. Alexander was arrested and lodged in the Graves County Jail. He's charged with failure to illuminate head lamps, fleeing or evading, reckless driving and theft by unlawful taking auto. MAYFIELD - A Mayfield teen faces multiple charges after a two-county pursuit Tuesday night.The Mayfield Police Department said officers spotted afficer attempted to conduct a traffic stop, but the driver fled. A pursuit of the truck continued on Highway 121, crossing into Carlisle County.The truck ran off the road to avoid spike strips, and the suspect fled on foot. Deputies searched a corn field, but the suspect could not be found. Stowe, VT (05672) Today Scattered showers and thunderstorms. A few storms may be severe. High 88F. Winds S at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 50%.. Tonight Thunderstorms this evening followed by occasional showers overnight. Low 61F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%. Photo: Getty Images Justice League star Ray Fisher, who portrayed Victor Stone (a.k.a. Cyborg) in the film, is accusing director Joss Whedon of inappropriate workplace behavior. In a tweet posted on July 1, Fisher claimed that Whedons on-set treatment of the Justice League cast and crew was gross, abusive, unprofessional, and completely unacceptable, and that Whedon was enabled in many ways by producers Geoff Johns and Jon Berg. Fisher didnt expound on specific instances of Whedons alleged misconduct, but previously tweeted on June 29 that he forcefully retracts every bit of a comment he made at a Comic-Con panel that asserted how Whedon was a great guy and a good person to come in and finish up the film after Zack Snyders departure. Back in 2017, Whedon replaced Snyder as Justice Leagues director, when Snyder chose to step down from the gig in the wake of a family tragedy. A Snyder Cut of the film will soon be released due to overwhelming fan demand. Joss Wheadons on-set treatment of the cast and crew of Justice League was gross, abusive, unprofessional, and completely unacceptable. He was enabled, in many ways, by Geoff Johns and Jon Berg. Accountability>Entertainment Ray Fisher (@ray8fisher) July 1, 2020 This is the first instance of a Justice League actor accusing Whedon of on-set misconduct. Previously, Whedons ex-wife, Kai Cole, wrote an open letter in 2017 that detailed his history of feminist hypocrisy, outlining how his numerous affairs led to the demise of their marriage. Now that it is finally public, I want to let women know that he is not who he pretends to be, Cole wrote. I want the people who worship him to know he is human, and the organizations giving him awards for his feminist work, to think twice in the future about honoring a man who does not practice what he preaches. Tuesday, Gov. Kay Ivey said she is not imposing a statewide mandatory mask order at this time. She said that's because it would be hard to enforce. We asked one North Alabama law enforcement agency about how or if they could enforce a mandatory masking order on the local level. "I've thought about it, but I just don't see how we can enforce it," said Phil Sims, Marshall County Sheriff. Sims says as of right now, he would need some guidance on enforcement if a mandatory mask order was put in place. "If something like that does happen, I'll be reaching out to the attorney general's office for guidance," said Sims. He says it's different from enforcing other laws like speeding or loitering. "If you're loitering, then you are ordered a citation or brought to jail. Those things are spelled out in state law. There's no state law that I'm aware of, and somebody can correct me, but I don't know of any state law that says that you are told to wear a mask, you have to wear a mask," said Sims At the Marshall County Courthouse, people are asked to wear a face covering while they are in the building, and the sheriff says they haven't had any issues with people not wearing one. "We just put signs out. When people come in, we educate them on why. Here's your mask, please wear it and we haven't had one problem," he said. Right now in Marshall County, there is not a mandatory masking ordinance, but the sheriff does encourage people to wear a mask for their safety. "Our numbers are rising, not just here, but all over the state. I would encourage you to wear your mask and practice your social distancing of 6 feet," said Sims. WAAY 31 also reached back out to the Marshall County Commission Chairman James Hutcheson Tuesday about a mandatory mask order for the county. He said he would leave that decision up to the governor. Huntsville Hospital CEO David Spillers said there are five children with coronavirus hospitalized. He said its the first time theyve seen this during the pandemic. One of the children hospitalized is a four-year-old patient with cancer. The child was receiving treatment for the cancer and tested positive for coronavirus. He said another one of the children is a 4-month-old baby. I challenge people who resist wearing face coverings to think about this, Spillers said. He made the announcement during a news conference on Wednesday at Huntsville City Hall. We also heard from Madison County Emergency Management Agency Director Jeff Birdwell and Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle, who stressed the importance of wearing face masks during this pandemic. In total, Spillers said there are 121 people hospitalized with coronavirus in the systems North Alabama hospitals. Thirty of these patients are in the ICU, and 14 of them are on ventilators. In Madison County, there are 50 inpatients with coronavirus, including 36 at Huntsville Hospital, five at Huntsville Hospital Women and Children's, five at Madison Hospital and three at Crestwood Medical Center. Twelve of the inpatients with coronavirus in Madison County are in the ICU, and eight are on ventilators. There are 19 inpatients with coronavirus at Decatur Morgan Hospital, 32 in Marshall Medical Centers, 11 at Helen Keller Hospital, eight at Athens Limestone Hospital and one at Highlands Medical Center. All of our hospitals are busy, Spillers said at Wednesday's news conference. He said the system will be limiting testing at its Huntsville Fever and Flu Clinic to people with symptoms. This will start on Monday. The site had to close early this week due to reaching capacity early. It will also reopen its John Hunt drive-thru testing site on Monday, and testing will be available to people without symptoms. The John Hunt site is expected to open Monday afternoon, and it will be open Tuesday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. A doctor's order is not required. Spillers said the John Hunt site will be open as long as there is a demand and adequate amount of testing. Spillers also said there are workers coming into contact with people in the community with coronavirus, and theyre having to take them out of rotation. Im beginning to worry about staffing for beds, he said. Spillers said there are so many cases in the community that its creating a strain. New Trial Date Set for Double-Murder Suspect By Tim Brockwell MURRAY - The double-murder trial of a man accused of killing two women in Calloway County in 2019 has been rescheduled for next year.Commonwealth's Attorney Dennis Foust told West Kentucky Star Special Judge Tim Kaltenbach set a new date of March 15, 2021 for the trial of Shannon Scott in Calloway County Circuit Court.The trial, originally set for this September, is expected to last four weeks.Scott is accused of killing 37-year-old Tera Todd and 77-year-old Evelyn Scott and her dog at Todds home in Murray in February of 2019.He's charged with murder, tampering with physical evidence, second degree cruelty to animals, first degree burglary, and theft. Police arrested an 18-year-old man Tuesday after they believe he injured two people in a drive-by shooting in East Waco last week, two days after he was present during a fatal shooting outside a local fast-food restaurant, arrest affidavits state. During a traffic stop in Williamson County, police arrested Tamarcus Scott, of Austin, on two Waco police warrants charging first-degree felony aggravated assault with a deadly weapon in the June 22 shooting in the 700 block of Olive Street. According to an arrest affidavit, witnesses identified Scott as one of two people who fired guns from a car as it drove past a group standing outside a house on Olive Street. One person was shot in the left foot and another was shot in the right leg. One of the people hit is known to police to be a gang member, and the house where the group was standing is known to police to belong to a gang member, according to the affidavit. Nationwide, the majority of public fireworks displays have been cancelled this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Associated Press reports. The result has been a significant increase in personal fireworks sales. In Waco, fire marshals will be patrolling neighborhoods and responding to complaints around the city, along with Waco police. Waco fire Chief Deputy Kevin Vranich said enforcement efforts will be stepped up this week in hopes of preventing injury and property damage. Possessing and/or shooting off fireworks in the city limits is against the citys ordinance, Waco Fire Deputy Chief Kevin Vranich said. With the cancellation of the citys big display, we would like the publics help in keeping the public safe. Violations can result in confiscation of fireworks and fines up to $2,000, city officials said. The Robinson Police Department is also pushing a public safety message for local and regional residents. Residents can be fined up to $2,000 for violations of the citys ordinance. Chief Phillip Prasifka is asking all residents need to be smart during local celebrations. The use of fireworks is illegal in the city limits of Robinson, but even outside the city, we are asking people to use care and understand where the discharges are set off from, he said. Every year, there are too many injuries and too much property damage that could have been avoided with proper care and education this time of year. 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. Violators face daily fines of up to $1,000, according to the cities orders. Our orders remain in place. I just dont want there to be any confusion about that, Deaver said. I think from a public health standpoint it would have been preferable for them to issue a countywide order. It would have been easier for the public to understand whats going on as the virus doesnt know the difference between Waco and Bellmead. Deaver said commissioners have distinct issues to address and constituents to serve, and he would not presume to tell the court how to vote. But he said he hopes other communities in the county come alongside Waco, Hewitt, Woodway and Mart in requiring the wearing of masks. The countys order also specifies that it has no effect on cities in the county enacting or continuing their own mask requirements. I dont like wearing a mask either, but these are unprecedented times, Deaver said. The 162 new cases that may include a backlog, but thats a lot of cases regardless. Thirty people in the hospital is concerning. Other cities On Friday, CPL notified FHC that the lab would not be able to run any more of FHC tests. To compensate, FHC now conducts its own COVID-19 antigen testing. Texas reported 6,975 new cases Tuesday, setting a statewide record. Of the 159,986 cases that have been reported, an estimated 72,744 are active and 81,335 have recovered. The state reports that 2,424 people have died. Health District spokeswoman Kelly Craine said the district has identified 23 clusters of family members living under the same roof or friends who spent time together. They got together for a birthday or a weekend dinner, or something along those lines, Craine said. They gathered together outside of their own separate households. I think its important to recognize what were seeing. What these clusters tell us is that youre more likely to get this from someone you know, Craine said. Theyre not always going to have symptoms when youre around them. They may not develop until later. Craine said the high number of infections is part of the exponential spread McLennan County has been experiencing throughout the month of June. Twenty candles burning do not make much of a sound for radio purposes, and that may be only fitting for the anniversary Waco public radio station KWBU-FM is celebrating Wednesday. The station turns 20 years old, measured in on-air time, but listeners will hear the close of a three-day pledge drive meant to make up for a spring drive sidetracked by COVID-19. Listeners also will hear some things they have continued to hear most days since then: National Public Radio news programs Morning Edition and All Things Considered; This American Life with Ira Glass; Fresh Air with Terry Gross; classical music in the mornings and jazz on some nights. And they will continue to hear the comfortable tones of station manager Brodie Bashaw, who has anchored most mornings since the former Baylor University student station flipped the switch to become the communitys public radio station. Weve weathered quite a few storms, Bashaw said. Im still really proud of what we as a station and we as a community have done for 20 years. Wacos lack of a public radio station despite its size had been a matter of discussion in the 1990s with Dallas radio station KERA-FM and Austins KLRU-FM contemplating extending their signals into the Waco market. Westfest, an annual celebration of Czech culture that brings more than 20,000 people to West each Labor Day weekend, will not be held this year as West Mayor Tommy Muska and festival organizers have agreed to cancel the event because of COVID-19 concerns. Muska met with board members Monday night before the decision was announced on the Westfest website. Im probably the most hated man in America right now, Muska said Tuesday afternoon. I went through 10 years (as mayor), including the (2013 fertilizer plant) explosion and this was the hardest damn decision Ive had to make. I tear up when I think about it, but there was no way in the world we could pull (Westfest) off. Its impossible to social distance, for one thing. Westfest President John Hurtick said his board supports the mayor in the decision, given the state protocols to slow the spread of COVID-19 and the prospect of its impact on West. When you look at more than 100 people attending, face masks and social distancing, it just wouldnt be possible. It was almost a have-to decision, Hurtick said. The decision was basically Tommys, but we had a lot of input on that and we totally support that decision. There were more negatives than positives this year. Honda Drops Abernathy's Cycles Due to Racist Posts By Tim Brockwell UNION CITY - Honda has announced it will end its relationship with a Union City based motorcycle dealership, after racist comments appeared on the owner's social media account.American Honda told West Kentucky Star Tuesday the company sent notices of termination to Abernathy's Cycles on June 25. Honda is the latest company to sever ties with the business, after Harley-Davidson and Polaris took similar action last week.Media outlets report the posts appeared on the Facebook account of the dealership's owner Russell Abernathy in early June.Here is American Honda's full statement regarding the decision:"American Honda has conducted an independent investigation of various materials containing multiple statements attributed to Russell Abernathy, owner of Abernathy's Cycles. Based on the results of the investigation to date, American Honda issued a Notices of Termination to Abernathy's Cycles on June 25, 2020, for all new Honda Powersports products sold and serviced by the dealership. American Honda's Notices of Termination are subject to requirements governing dealership terminations under Tennessee state law, but the termination process is now underway. American Honda strongly believes that racism and intolerance have absolutely no place in our company and must have no place in dealerships authorized to represent the Honda brand."Abernathy has denied making the posts, saying they were written and posted by hackers.On the Net: Due to our COVID-19 crisis, Ive been at home a great deal lately and have spent hours watching the news and reading various newspapers. I have heard and seen the statements of many persons, male and female, who justify not wearing masks because they have the freedom and liberty to not do so. They vigorously proclaim they have the right to take their own risks and the government has no power to tell them otherwise. I have studied the law for most of my life, so let me throw a little political science/law into the discussion: Long ago, the U.S. Supreme Court in Munn v. Illinois stated: When one becomes a member of society, he or she necessarily parts with some rights or privileges which, as an individual not affected by his or her relations to others, he or she might retain. A body politic is a social compact by which the whole people covenants with each citizen and each citizen with the whole people, that all shall be governed by certain laws for the common good. This does not take away all private rights, but it does authorize the adoption of laws requiring each citizen to so conduct himself/herself so as not to injure anotherThis is known as police power which is the essence of government to act when it becomes necessary for the public good. Patriotism here in Central Texas generally manifests itself in strong support for U.S. troops. As citizens we must be vigilant about their safety and faraway missions. So what is one to make of reports that Russia secretly offered bounties to the Taliban for killing coalition forces in Afghanistan, including U.S. military personnel? Is an investigation into the matter even possible in this era of polarization in which every special counsel and inspector general is maligned by this administration as suspect? However one feels about President Trump, we hope everyday citizens join us in putting aside fealty to or disdain for this president and soberly assess disturbing evidence of Russian intrigue threatening our troops lives in war. Top officials in the White House were aware as early as 2019 of intelligence indicating Russia was secretly offering bounties to the Taliban for the deaths of Americans a full year earlier than originally reported, according to U.S. officials with direct knowledge of the intelligence. The assessment was included in at least one of President Trumps written daily intelligence briefings. Then-national security adviser John Bolton also told colleagues at the time that he briefed Trump on the intelligence assessment back in March 2019, the Associated Press reports. Where's the other $424.8 million? The CARES Act, passed by Congress and signed by President Donald Trump on Friday, March 27, provided $2 trillion in federal aid for COVID-19 relief across the U.S., including the one-time $1,200/taxpayer payment, boosts in unemployment compensation and $150 billion for state, local and tribal governments. It allocated a total of $1.6 billion to Oregon, or a net total of $1.38 billion once direct allocations to a city (Portland) and two counties (Multnomah and Washington) are subtracted. The CARES Act allows the state to keep 55% of the $1.38 billion for its distribution and use. That leaves $624 million for Oregon to distribute to counties, according to Association of Oregon Counties attorney Rob Bovett. Originally, Oregons counties were looking forward to a distribution of $624 million in federal CARES Act funding to reimburse both the counties and businesses for the losses and expenses suffered in dealing with COVID-19. The state of Oregon pared that down to a total of $200 million, even though federal funds of $624 million were authorized and distributed to the state for counties, Bovett said. We dont know why they are holding the funds back, he said. Bovett said that the intention of the feds is that the 45% of the CARES Act dollars are intended to go to local governments to do the things we need to do to keep people safe and to keep our businesses alive. In a three-page June 26 letter to Gov. Kate Brown, AOC President Jim Doherty asked that the state release the full $624 million amount to the eligible counties. In the letter he noted that the U.S. Department of the Treasury guidelines state "... States should transfer funds to local governments with populations of 500,000 or less, using as a benchmark the per capita allocation formula that governs payments to larger local governments. This approach will ensure equitable treatment among local governments of all sizes. For Oregon, that means the federal intent is for the State to sub allocate $624.8 million to local governments." In the letter, Doherty plainly requests that the state transfer the entire $624.8 million in allowable Coronavirus Relief Fund (CRF) to counties for their use and distribution. Weve really only gotten the state to commit to talk with us about distributing $200 million, Bovett said. That is quite short of the $624 million the counties should be getting. Ellen Morris Bishop, Wallowa County Chieftain From the editor's desk: An opportunity not to take for granted Veronica Warnock is the conservation director for Greater Hells Canyon Council and Rob Klavins is the Northeast Oregon field coordinator for Oregon Wild. Both are based in Wallowa County. Jeff Gudman is a former Lake Oswego city councilman, and a candidate for Oregon state treasurer in 2016 and 2020. He can be reached at JGudman7150@msn.com. Decatur, IL (62521) Today Generally cloudy. Cooler. High 73F. Winds NW at 10 to 20 mph.. Tonight Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low near 50F. Winds NNW at 10 to 15 mph. It was Moon's first summit with foreign leaders this year and was the first Korea-EU summit in a year and eight months. President Moon Jae-in and Charles Michel, the president of the European Council, and Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, on Tuesday discussed a joint response to the coronavirus epidemic and Korea's implementation of international labor standards. The EU lifted entry restrictions on Korean travelers after an extensive leaders' conference between the two sides. In a joint statement, the EU leaders asked Korea "to make continued efforts to take relevant measures on labor issues, including the ratification of the fundamental International Labour Organization Conventions." The EU leaders reminded Moon of Korea's obligation to ratify the conventions as soon as possible in accordance with the bilateral free trade agreement. The EU earlier complained that Seoul violated the FTA by failing to ratify some provisions on union membership and other issues. Last week the Cabinet signed off on one of them that is now going before the National Assembly. The leaders also "shared their respective experience in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic," the joint statement says, and "discussed the need for mutual support to ensure access to medical products, as well as cooperation in research and development of vaccines and medicines, to respond to emerging infectious diseases." They also agreed that the future vaccine should "become a global common good." The EU decided to lift entry restrictions on travelers from 14 countries like Korea and Japan on Wednesday. Dr. Kristen DiMatteo, new head at the American Overseas School of Rome (AOSR ), spoke to Wanted in Rome about the challenges that lie ahead for private international education. by Marco Venturini Dr. DiMatteo, could you tell us about your international experiences in the schooling sector? I began my career in international education in 1999, when I accepted a position at the American School of Warsaw (ASW). We left Warsaw to move to Tashkent, Uzbekistan, where I served as the elementary principal and my husband was the Technology Director. From there, we moved to Munich, where I have served as deputy head of school at Munich International School for the last five years. Dr. Kristen DiMatteo, new head at the American Overseas School (AOSR ) How do you think your extensive international experience will help you with your new challenge at AOSR? Each school has brought a new perspective to my thinking about international education. In Warsaw, I helped design a state-of-the-art campus. In Tashkent, we developed an inclusive and inspiring curriculum to ensure that the needs of all students were met. In Munich, we focused on highly able (gifted) student services, ensuring that our students had access to premier universities in the UK and the US, and developing habits of mind like resilience and perseverance that bring success in adulthood. I am excited to lead AOSR in the coming years as it offers a rigorous and personalised learning environment, which builds skills of the future. Due to the covid-19 pandemic the school life has been upset as never before. What are the main challenges you see ahead and how is AOSR preparing for the next academic year? The main challenge is to provide a safe environment that maximises the learning potential in each child. Safety of our students comes first. From my experience reopening school in May 2020 at Munich International School, our challenge here in Rome will be to continue to educate our students about the importance of adhering to hygiene regulations to prevent the spread of the disease. We talk about respect for others, and the importance of remaining diligent. Covid-19 has required us to re-think what teaching and learning looks like. Ultimately, inperson learning is optimal, and therefore our challenge is to ensure that our campus is safe and healthy for robust yet distanced face-to-face interactions. How do you think the recent pandemic has affected the life of young pupils and teachers? Certainly the pandemic has required all of us to become more resilient, adaptable, flexible and creative in our approach to education. Our teachers have learned to pivot quickly from in person to distance learning, using technology to stay connected to students through virtual class meetings. Teachers have found this adaptation to be both challenging and inspiring, as they create interactive lessons for students that tap into the resources available at home. It is missing the social aspect of school that has been tough for students. Children of all ages are resilient learners. Learning is innate in children and they can effectively and flexibly access technology for learning. What they miss is spending time with their classmates and teachers on the AOSR campus, which feels like home to our students. The AOSR community is such an integral part of their lives, they really miss it. Keeping in contact via social media, keeping the school spirit alive through communitywide virtual activities, and watching inspiring messages from their teachers helps. But at the end of the day, humans are social beings, and we want to be together on the AOSR campus, when it is safe to do so. Our students need the face-to-face relationships with their teachers and peers, and we need the joy and curiosity of our students back on our beautiful campus! AOSR campus Aerial view In this day and age what are, in your opinion, the strengths of a private international education? What international education of the calibre of AOSR offers is firsthand experience in developing the skills needed to be successful in a global context. Diversity is our strength, and it is highlighted in our mission statement. We know that having a truly international student population means that our students have opportunities to learn new perspectives, not only from our internationally recruited teachers, but also from their peers. They explore ideas and concepts from multiple viewpoints and as a result, they develop an innate ability to problem solve and work with people from a wide variety of backgrounds. This is indispensable as they journey into the world beyond AOSR. In a fast changing world what kind of work opportunities will todays student find in 10 years time? What advice would you give to your pupils? We know that up to 35 per cent of the jobs deemed essential today will change dramatically in the next 10 years. This is according to the World Economic Forum. Social media director, inclusivity advisor, cyber security officer; these are professions unheard of even five years ago. The work of the future is dynamic, solutions oriented and complex. Because our curriculum is steeped in critical analysis, intellectual rigour and collaborative work, our students leave AOSR optimally equipped to thrive in this type of environment. My advice to our students is to have the courage to challenge yourself, and find joy in that challenge. There is nothing more rewarding than knowing you have exceeded your own expectations of yourself! American Overseas School of Rome (AOSR), Via Cassia 811, tel. 06334381, www.aosr.org. Record drug haul comprised 14 tons of pills hidden on ship from Syria. Police in Italy have announced the "worlds biggest ever" seizure of amphetamines, produced by ISIS militants, during a massive drug bust in the port of Salerno, south of Naples. Italy's finance police believe that the drugs, valued at around 1 billion, were smuggled to Salerno by ISIS to fund terrorism, reports Italian news agency ANSA. The 14-ton haul, comprising about 84 million captagon pills, was discovered hidden aboard a ship that had sailed from Syria. Investigators believe that a consortium of criminal gangs were involved in the shipment, which was possibly organised by the Camorra, the powerful mafia group based in the Campania region. Captagon, known informally as the "Jihad drug", is reportedly the drug of choice among fighters across the Middle East, according to ANSA. The pills were concealed in industrial paper cylinders and machinery designed to elude scanners, police said. Italy keeps self-isolation rules for countries allowed to enter EU from 1 July. Italy has chosen to keep its quarantine restrictions in place for travellers entering its borders from the list of "safe countries" whose citizens are allowed to travel into the EU from 1 July. The EU announced the final list of countries on 30 June, however within hours Italy said it would opt out and retain its quarantine regulations for all nations that are not part of the free-travel Schengen area, reports Reuters news agency. The situation on a global level remains very complex," Italy's health minister Roberto Speranza told Italian news agency ANSA - "We must not allow the sacrifices of Italians in recent months being made in vain." The countries whose citizens now have quarantine-free access to the EU (but not Italy) are: Algeria, Australia, Canada, Georgia, Japan, New Zealand, Montenegro, Morocco, Rwanda, Serbia, South Korea, Thailand, Tunisia and Uruguay. The EU says that China could also be added to this list but only if Beijing reciprocates by permitting entry to EU nationals. Travellers from the US are excluded from the list. The so-called safe countries were chosen based on certain criteria, including on how well they are faring in handling the covid-19 pandemic, and the travel list will be updated every 14 days. Border management will remain a matter of national decision, meaning that member countries may decide not to open their borders to all the 15 countries - such as the case of Italy - however they have undertaken not to accept visitors from other nations. Italy reopened to travellers from the EU and Schengen area countries on 3 June, without the obligation of quarantine, and this will not change, reports Italian newspaper La Repubblica. For in-depth information about travelling abroad from Italy and the specific requirements of other countries see the Viaggiare Sicuri website and for EU country-by-country travel information consult the Reopen Europa website. For EU travel restrictions and exemptions see the European Commission website. China News on Women Sorry, the page you requested was not found. If you're having trouble locating a destination on Womenofchina.cn, try visiting the Womenofchina Home page BEIJING, June 30 (Xinhua) Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, has emphasized better implementation of the CPC's organizational line in the new era to make the Party still stronger. Xi made the remarks Monday while presiding over a group study session of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee on studying and implementing the Party's organizational line in the new era. Organizational building is an important foundation for Party building, Xi said, stressing efforts to make the CPC still stronger for it to lead the Chinese people of all ethnic groups toward national rejuvenation along the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics in its long-term governance. "We should unswervingly uphold and improve Party leadership and continue advancing the great new project of Party building," Xi said. Noting that Wednesday marks the 99th founding anniversary of the CPC, Xi extended greetings to Party members across the country on behalf of the CPC Central Committee. While properly understanding the connotations and requirements of the Party's organizational line in the new era, efforts should be made to better implement it with focuses on achieving goals, solving problems and making good results, said Xi. The fundamental goal of the Party's organizational building is to uphold and strengthen overall Party leadership and provide a strong guarantee for advancing socialism with Chinese characteristics, Xi said, adding that Party leadership is the most fundamental guarantee for achieving national rejuvenation. Party organizations at all levels and all Party members and officials, especially leading officials, should translate the CPC's new theories into practice, Xi said, asking Party committees and their organization departments to use Party theories to guide organizational building, with further reform and innovation. Xi also highlighted the construction of the Party's organizational system, urging Party organizations to enhance their ability to lead politically, guide through theory, organize the people and inspire society. In selecting officials and deploying talent, both virtues and competence are important criteria, Xi said, stressing the need to improve officials' capacity for governance. He called for further education and training of Party officials and deeper reform of the system and mechanism for talent development. Xi also underlined improving the Party's organizational institutions with specific rules and regulations. (Source: Xinhua) Aerial photo taken on May 25, 2020 shows a view of Yulin City, northwest China's Shaanxi Province. [Xinhua/Tao Ming] BEIJING, June 30 (Xinhua) President Xi Jinping on Tuesday underlined the importance of relying on reforms to tackle changing situations and open up new prospects, while encouraging exploration with good outcomes in key spheres. Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, specified the requirements in a speech at the 14th meeting of the central committee for deepening overall reform. The breakthrough and leading role of reforms must be given full play for the country to achieve the goals and tasks outlined in the 13th five-year plan, win the battle against poverty, complete the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects, and embark on a new journey toward building a modern socialist country, said Xi, who heads the committee. Li Keqiang and Wang Huning, both members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and deputy heads of the central committee for deepening overall reform, also attended the meeting. The meeting reviewed and approved a series of reform plans and guidelines on state-owned enterprises (SOEs), the integrated development of new generation information technology and the manufacturing industry, the rural homestead system, the integrated development of media, the education evaluation system, and the state-owned art troupes. It also heard a report on reform progress of the medical and health care system since the third plenary session of the 18th CPC Central Committee. The next three years will be crucial for the country's SOE reforms, the meeting noted, stressing efforts to optimize the layout and structure of the state-owned economy to make it more competitive, innovative, controllable, influential, and more able to withstand risks. A woman works at a factory of a plastic products company in Ning'an City, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, May 21, 2020. [Xinhua/Wang Jianwei] In terms of the integrated development of new generation information technology and the manufacturing industry, the meeting said that efforts should be made to speed up the innovative development of the industrial internet with a focus on advancing smart manufacturing. The meeting urged efforts to deepen the integrated media development and mechanism reforms, and cultivate talent in the all-media sector to build a set of competitive, strongly influential new types of mainstream media. Educational evaluation is a matter concerning the direction of educational development, so it is necessary to set up an educational evaluation system that is scientific, and in line with the requirements of the times, the meeting said. Meanwhile, the meeting stressed the further development of state-owned art troupes to stimulate their vitality. Since the third plenary session of the 18th CPC Central Committee, the country has been improving medical services through establishing the world's largest basic medical security network, and reducing the medical treatment burden for patients, putting people's lives and health first, it noted. Staff members of China Mobile test the signals of the 5G base station built at an altitude of 5,300 meters near the base camp of Mount Qomolangma in southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region on April 15, 2020. [Xinhua/Sun Fei] The meeting called for attaching great importance to the application of the new generation of information technology in the field of medicine and healthcare, reshaping the management and service mode, optimizing the allocation of resources, and improving service efficiency. It stressed the need to make plans for the reforms in the 14th Five-Year Plan period, focus more on making institutional improvement, and optimizing governance system, and do more to address deep-seated institutional problems. (Source: Xinhua) China's top legislature unanimously adopted the "landmark" law on safeguarding national security in Hong Kong. People convicted of the national security crimes could face up to life imprisonment. The law is a "sword" deterring people who endanger national security and a "guardian" protecting Hong Kong residents. BEIJING, June 30 (Xinhua) Chinese lawmakers Tuesday voted to adopt the Law of the People's Republic of China on Safeguarding National Security in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR). The law was passed unanimously at the 20th session of the Standing Committee of the 13th National People's Congress (NPC), China's top legislature. President Xi Jinping signed a presidential order to promulgate the law, which goes into effect on the date of promulgation. With 66 articles in six chapters, the law clearly defines the duties and government bodies of the HKSAR for safeguarding national security and four categories of offences secession, subversion, terrorist activities, and collusion with a foreign country or external elements to endanger national security and their corresponding penalties. According to the law, the central government will set up an office in the HKSAR for safeguarding national security. The HKSAR will establish a committee for safeguarding national security, which is under the supervision of and accountable to the central government. To be chaired by the HKSAR chief executive, the committee shall have a national security adviser designated by the central government. The Hong Kong police force will also set up a department for safeguarding national security, according to the law. Li Zhanshu, chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, presides over the closing meeting of the 20th session of the 13th NPC Standing Committee in Beijing, capital of China, June 30, 2020. [Xinhua/Liu Weibing] After the law was passed, the NPC Standing Committee consulted its HKSAR Basic Law Committee and the HKSAR government, and adopted on Tuesday afternoon, by a unanimous vote, a decision to list the law in Annex III to the HKSAR Basic Law. The newly-adopted decision stipulates that the law shall be applied locally in the HKSAR by way of promulgation by the region. The law came into force in Hong Kong at 11:00 p.m. local time on Tuesday upon its promulgation by the HKSAR government in the gazette. HKSAR Chief Executive Carrie Lam said in a statement that the HKSAR government welcomes the passage of the law. "I am confident that after the implementation of the national security law, the social unrest which has troubled Hong Kong people for nearly a year will be eased and stability will be restored, thereby enabling Hong Kong to start anew, focus on economic development and improve people's livelihood," she said. Hong Kong citizens celebrate the passage of the Law of the People's Republic of China on Safeguarding National Security in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) in Causeway Bay of south China's Hong Kong, June 30, 2020. [Xinhua/Wang Shen] Wide Support The law came after prolonged social unrest and escalating street violence had plunged Hong Kong into the gravest situation since its return to the motherland in 1997. Rampant activities of "Hong Kong independence" organizations and violent radicals as well as blatant interference by external forces have disrupted Hong Kong residents' daily life and threatened their safety. Addressing the closing meeting of the NPC Standing Committee session, Li Zhanshu, chairman of the NPC Standing Committee, said the unanimous passage of the law and the decision has reflected the common will of the Chinese people including Hong Kong compatriots. Stressing that national security, social stability and the order of rule of law are the premises of the development of Hong Kong, Li said the legislation represents the aspirations of the people and an irresistible trend of the times. In a statement, the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council voiced firm support for the law, calling it a "milestone" event that will usher in a turning point for Hong Kong to end chaos and bring back order. In a separate statement, the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the HKSAR said the promulgation and implementation of the law at the occasion of the 23rd anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland is an event worth celebrating for all Chinese people, including Hong Kong compatriots. Nearly 2.93 million Hong Kong residents earlier signed a petition in support of the national security legislation during an eight-day campaign starting May 24. Photo taken on June 12, 2020 shows the night view of Victoria Harbour in Hong Kong, south China. [Xinhua/Wang Shen] 'Sword' and 'Guardian' The Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council said in its statement that for a tiny number of people endangering national security, the law will be a "sharp sword" hanging over their heads. But for the vast majority of Hong Kong residents including foreigners in Hong Kong, the law will be a "guardian" that protects their rights, freedoms and peaceful life, said the office. According to the law, people convicted of the national security crimes could face up to life imprisonment. Convicted criminals will be disqualified from running for public office, and people in public office who are found guilty of the crimes will be removed from their posts. The law shall apply to acts committed after its entry into force for the purpose of conviction and imposition of punishment, according to its provision. Upon promulgation, the law will resolutely and effectively safeguard national security and ensure that the "one country, two systems" cause is steered toward the right direction, said top legislator Li Zhanshu. The law will vigorously uphold the constitutional order and the order of rule of law in the HKSAR, forestall and deter external interference, and safeguard Hong Kong's fundamental, long-term and current interests, he said. (Source: Xinhua) The Women's Studies Institute of China under the All-China Women's Federation conducted an online survey on May 15-22, collecting a total of 25,500 validated questionnaires from 31 provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions in the country, in an effort to learn more about women's participation in the fight against the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) , understand the public's perception of women's role, and to record the changes in women's lives during the anti-epidemic battle. A total of 19,518 women participated in the nationwide survey. Young and middle-aged women aged 18-59 accounted for 95.5 percent of the female respondents. Nearly 52.2 percent of the respondents were highly educated. Technicians, clerks and leaders respectively accounted for 21.6, 21 and 5 percent. Workers, farmers and business and service employees made up about one third of the respondents. According to the survey results, 89.6 percent of the respondents were most impressed by the performance of female medical workers in the anti-epidemic work. Even more noteworthy is that 97 percent of female students and 96 percent of male students spoke highly of the role of female medics, higher percentages than those of in-service staff. Among the respondents aged 18-34, 92.5 percent of men and 93 percent of women felt positive about the role of medical workers. More than 60 percent of the respondents recognized the indispensable role of female volunteers, community workers and staff of the disease control and prevention institutions in the fight against the epidemic. Nearly 60 percent spoke highly of the female cleaners and other support crew. Of surveyed women aged above 60, 77.1 percent praised the role of female volunteers. Among the female respondents, 94.9 percent had participated in one or more anti-epidemic activities and 51.8 percent had donated money and/or goods. Nearly 45.3 percent provided community residents with voluntary services, such as taking body temperatures at community gates, delivering vegetables and medicine to households, offering psychological counseling, family education guidance and legal aid. Nearly 28.9 percent had joined in publicizing knowledge of epidemic prevention and control, promoting the inspiring stories in the battle against COVID-19 and creating works about the anti-virus battle. Family members spent more time together at home amid epidemic, which had a positive effect on boosting family ties. Many people had developed healthy, green and environmentally-friendly lifestyles, and paid more attention to the health of theirs and their families. In particular, women had played their unique role in safeguarding family health and developing good family lifestyles. According to the survey, 93.6 percent of the respondents said their family ties were improved and 98 percent of the surveyed said that they and/or their family members improved health habits. The results show that the women's effort in epidemic prevention and control is fully recognized by society. Women took up their responsibilities on all fronts and in all urban and rural communities, making outstanding contributions to the fight against the epidemic. (Source: Women's Studies Institute of China/Translated and edited by Women of China) in Cuming & Adjoining Counties $48.50 USD elsewhere in Nebraska $64.50 USD elsewhere in U.S. $83.50 USD New campaign urges shoppers to show their love for Welsh food and drink industry This article is old - Published: Wednesday, Jul 1st, 2020 Shoppers are being urged to show their support for key workers in Wales food and drink industry by taking part in a new online campaign #CaruCymruCaruBlas #LoveWalesLoveTaste. The campaign aims to encourage people to continue to support Welsh producers and retailers by buying Welsh food and drink products either in shops or online. It will launch on 3 July with a day of Welsh food and drink celebration providing people with an opportunity to thank those who are working around the clock to feed the nation during the coronavirus pandemic. Two further Welsh Food & Drink Celebration Days are planned for August and September. Producers, retailers and the hospitality sectors were hit hard by the pandemic, with sadly, many businesses having to close overnight. But countless enterprises have shown incredible ingenuity and adaptability, and have kept on producing and providing goods under exceptional circumstances. The #CaruCymruCaruBlas #LoveWalesLoveTaste is a Welsh Government campaign working in partnership with Menter a Busnes. Lesley Griffiths, the Minister for Environment, Energy and Rural Affairs, said: We have seen and heard many wonderful examples where individuals and businesses have stepped up to the challenges presented by Covid-19. Now we want to say a very public thank you to all the key workers within our food and drink industry. They have continued to produce great food and keeping our nation fed throughout this unprecedented time. It is more important than ever that we support Welsh food and drink businesses. Thats why we are launching the #CaruCymruCaruBlas #LoveWalesLoveTaste campaign to encourage Welsh consumers to keep supporting our producers and retailers and buying high quality local Welsh produce. Producers and retailers have been downloading #CaruCymruCaruBlas digital packs in readiness for next months campaign launch. The #CaruCymruCaruBlas campaign follows on from the successful Welsh producers map created by Cywain a programme dedicated to developing new and existing micro-businesses and SMEs in the Welsh food and drink sector. Welsh food and drink products are readily available to buy. Around 3,700 different products can be found on retailers shelves across Wales, and with numerous brands also available to buy online. Cywains #SupportLocalSupportWales map directs shoppers to hundreds of Welsh food and drink producers and products at the click: https://menterabusnes.cymru/cywain/en/our-producers/ Elen Llwyd Williams, Menter a Busnes Director said: There are hundreds of Welsh producers now selling online and offering safe delivery options to consumers. Consumers across Wales have provided fantastic support to local producers throughout the pandemic, and we need this to continue to ensure businesses survive. Cywain are supporting a number of businesses with their online presence, so new producers and products are added to the online map on a regular basis. Speaking about the launch of #CaruCymruCaruBlas/#LoveWalesLoveTaste, Andy Richardson, Chair of the Food and Drink Wales Industry Board said: Overall, the food and drink industry in Wales has shown itself once again to be resilient and creative in the face of crisis and vital to the UK economy as a whole. Covid-19 has presented challenges to the industry, but also opportunities we know some businesses have been very badly affected, but some have prospered. Our role as a Board is to work with Welsh Government to address all these issues so Welsh Food and Drink can continue to grow as an industry. We know that markets have changed and consumers are more likely to shop online and crucially are more interested and invested in the provenance of their food; more connected with their locality. As we launch these celebration days we must remain confident to grow and focus on added value. Weve seen producers diversifying their offering, helping the NHS and keeping the nation fed and we can continue to take huge pride in Welsh food and drink as we work together to recover from this crisis. (Top pic: Archive shot from the 2018 North East Wales year of the sea food challenge) Source: Xinhua| 2020-06-30 23:48:44|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close ***Highlights: National security legislation is urgently needed, and it won't undermine Hong Kong's existing judicial system or conflict with common law, say legal professionals in the city. #nationalsecurity ***Subtitles & Soundbites: Legal professionals say national security legislation for HKSAR will not undermine existing judicial system They hope it could be implemented as soon as possible SOUNDBITE 1 (Chinese): WILLY FU, Executive Council Vice Chairman of Hong Kong Legal Exchange Foundation "We can see clearly that our country is resolute in the legislation and, in the meantime, it has taken into full consideration the actual situation in Hong Kong and the differences between it and the mainland. It also shows (central government's) full trust in Hong Kong." SOUNDBITE 2 (Chinese): ELSIE LEUNG, Former secretary for justice of HKSAR government "There are no crimes of secession or subversion in common law. In the past 12 months, some activities aimed at secession and subversion were actually of terrorist nature, which were very influential and destructive. Therefore, legislation is needed. When it comes to collusion between foreign and local forces, there are also legal loopholes. So legislation is urgently needed." SOUNDBITE 3 (Chinese): LAWRENCE MA, Executive Council Chairman of Hong Kong Legal Exchange Foundation "Hong Kong should have enacted laws on its own under Article 23 of the Basic Law, but it remains unfulfilled even after 23 years, which leaves a legal void. As a result, activities against government and authorities, and those aimed at subverting the central government were not punished. Now it's time to fill the legal loophole so that, in the future, any attempts to harm national security will constitute a criminal offence." The legislation takes into account characteristics of common law SOUNDBITE 4 (Chinese): WILLY FU, Executive Council Vice Chairman of Hong Kong Legal Exchange Foundation "National security is the jurisdiction of the central authorities, and the central government has authority and responsibility to establish an office of safeguarding national security in the HKSAR. Its staff will abide by the national and Hong Kong laws to perform their duty of safeguarding national security. In the meantime, it's duties include supervising, guiding, coordinating and supporting the regional government in implementing its duties." SOUNDBITE 5 (Chinese): ELSIE LEUNG, Former secretary for justice of HKSAR government "It specifically provides that law enforcement to safeguard national security cannot infringe upon the legitimate rights enjoyed by natural persons, legal persons and other organizations. This is quite consistent with the protection of human rights and freedom under Chapter III of the Basic Law." SOUNDBITE 6 (Chinese): IP CHUN YUEN, Hong Kong lawyer "I hope the law will be enacted and implemented as soon as possible so that the opposition or 'Hong Kong Independence' forces will disappear from Hong Kong as soon as possible." Trusted local news has never been more important, but providing the information you need, information that can change sometimes minute-by-minute, requires a partnership with you, our readers. Please consider making a contribution today to support this vital resource that you and countless others depend on. Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-01 00:30:29|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close File photo shows refugee children are playing games at a refugee camp in Juba, South Sudan, Nov. 16, 2015. (Xinhua/Pan Siwei) At least 84,625 children with acute malnutrition in South Sudan were treated in therapeutic centers since the beginning of this year, the UNICEF said. Between January and May, UNICEF and its partners reached about 1.6 million children with vitamin A supplementation, and vaccinated 169,300 children against measles through routine vaccination. JUBA, June 30 (Xinhua) -- At least 84,625 children with acute malnutrition in South Sudan were treated in therapeutic centers since the beginning of this year, the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) said on Tuesday. Mohamed Ag Ayoya, UNICEF Representative in South Sudan, said in a statement issued in Juba that this achievement is one of the many results they have been able to obtain with partners in the challenging environment of COVID-19, which is continuing to unfold across South Sudan. It said that between January and May, UNICEF and its partners reached 1.6 million children with vitamin A supplementation, vaccinated 169,300 children against measles through routine vaccination, vaccinated about 1.4 million children under five years of age during measles follow-up campaigns in 54 counties. A boy wears a face mask in Juba, capital of South Sudan, March 27, 2020. (Xinhua/Gale Julius) In addition, UNICEF also distributed about 102,700 insecticide-treated bed nets to children and pregnant women in malaria-affected areas. UNICEF also ensured access to an additional 237,000 people with a sufficient quantity of safe water for drinking, cooking and personal hygiene, in addition to providing psychosocial support services to some 12,300 children. "Because of the restriction on movement measures put in place to contain the spread of COVID-19, we have also been struggling to travel and to deliver supplies throughout the country, and some of our programs had to be postponed or scaled-down. We hope that the conditions will allow restrictions of movement to be eased soon," said Ayoya. UNICEF disclosed that the number of cases of COVID-19 in South Sudan is growing, as is the number of deaths related to the disease. Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size Days after Ciara Glennon became the third woman to vanish off the streets of Claremont in Western Australia in the mid-1990s, her father, Denis, struggled through a press conference appealing for help. The way shes been brought up, she will fight, he said. More than two decades later, during the trial of her accused murderer, prosecutors claimed the 27-year-old lawyer did just that she fought and in doing so took a piece of her attacker with her, his DNA embedded underneath her fingernails after she scratched him. Ciara Glennon. The trace DNA, described as one-fifth of one-billionth of a gram, became the most crucial piece of evidence that would lead to the arrest of alleged Claremont serial killer Bradley Edwards in 2016. However his lawyer, Paul Yovich, said the state had the wrong man, and Mr Edwards DNA must have contaminated one of Ms Glennons nail samples in a lab, although he could not explain how or when that happened. Ms Glennon disappeared about midnight on March 14, 1997, after she was last seen walking alone on Stirling Highway looking for a taxi following a night out with friends at the Continental Hotel. Advertisement Her case is the strongest against Mr Edwards in relation to the three murder charges he is facing for the deaths of Ms Glennon, Sarah Spiers and Jane Rimmer. It includes DNA evidence, 61 fibres recovered from her body, witness sightings and a missing alibi for her accused. About a dozen people saw a woman who looked like Ms Glennon walking along the street, some telling police they were paying closer attention to her because of the two women who had recently gone missing from the area in similar circumstances. Loading Replay Replay video Play video Play video Two of those witnesses were friends Troy Bond and Brandon Gray, who were sitting at a bus stop eating burgers when they noticed a newer model Holden Commodore VS station wagon pull up alongside a woman. Mr Bond said he saw the woman talking to the driver through the window, but did not continue watching to see if she got in. The car described by the men matched the description of the Telstra-issued 1996 Holden Commodore VS Series 1 station wagon Mr Edwards drove at the time. Less than three weeks later, Ms Glennons body was discovered in remote bushland in Eglinton, 40 kilometres north of Perth, by a man looking for cannabis. Advertisement The crime scene revealed her attacker had cut her throat and tried to conceal her body with branches from nearby trees. It would be another 11 years before the biggest breakthrough in her case was made. Loading In 2008, a clipping from Ms Glennons torn left thumbnail was tested for DNA in combination with her left middle fingernail. The low copy number testing took place in a UK lab with more advanced capabilities than WA and returned an unknown male profile that matched the profile of the perpetrator of an unsolved 1995 rape at Karrakatta cemetery. The mans profile was in the PathWest database as "unknown male 4". Despite the new lead, the trail to catch a killer eventually ran cold again. Investigators believed they had the Claremont serial killers DNA, but they didnt know who he was. Advertisement Another eight years would pass before an evidence box relating to a 1988 sex assault in Huntingdale would be sent to PathWest as part of a routine cold case review to see if any of the historical items could be tested for DNA. A semen-stained silk kimono left at the scene was tested and returned a DNA profile that matched the mystery Claremont profile. The Huntingdale case was reopened and solved within weeks. Mr Edwards was arrested in December 2016 and charged with the murders, the Karrakatta cemetery rape, and the Huntingdale sex attack. The kimono seized from the 1988 Huntingdale sex attack. After originally denying the Karrakatta rape and Huntingdale sex attack, Mr Edwards confessed to the crimes on the eve of his triple-murder trial amid overwhelming DNA evidence. However, he denied the murders. Advertisement The change in plea allowed Mr Yovich to argue the DNA found under Ms Glennons nails could have got there through contamination. He said Mr Edwards DNA was in the PathWest lab from February 1995, when he raped a 17-year-old girl he abducted from Claremont one year before his alleged murder spree began. Bradley Edwards in the mid-1990s. Mr Yovich argued while there was no documentation to support his theory, DNA from the rape exhibits somehow contaminated Ms Glennons fingernail container. The closest timeframe the exhibits were tested to each other was 14 months. International fibre expert Jonathan Whitaker described the likelihood of lab contamination as very low, while he said the odds Ms Glennon scratched Mr Edwards were moderately high to high. Fibres recovered from Ms Glennons hair and T-shirt also allegedly linked Mr Edwards to her murder through his Telstra uniform and the make and model work car he drove. Advertisement Two Perth travel bloggers who were arrested at gunpoint near the Iranian capital of Tehran while on an ambitious overland voyage to Britain have vowed to hit the road again a year on. In a post on their Instagram, which boasts more than 30,000 followers, Mark Firkin and Jolie King announced they would restart their journey after COVID-19 restrictions eased to allow international travel. Jolie King and Mark Firkin were arrested in Iran for allegedly flying a drone without a permit. Credit:Instagram "We're OK and the [car] has been relocated and is currently patiently waiting in safe hands until we can be reunited and continue on," the post read. The pair thanked their followers for their messages of support and said they would soon share the story of their detention at the notorious Evin Prison, which houses Iran's political prisoners. A senior U.S. official said that the U.S. will "continue to leave the door open to diplomacy" with North Korea. Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun made the remarks in a videoconference hosted by the German Marshall Fund on Monday. Asked about the possibility of a fresh summit with North Korea before the U.S. presidential election in November, he said, "I think it's probably unlikely." He reminded his listeners that the U.S.' goal is still the "final and complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula." Meanwhile, another U.S. official called for resumption of joint South Korea-U.S. military exercises. Thomas Countryman, a former acting undersecretary of state for international security affairs, told Voic of America, "This would be a good time to resume full-scale U.S.-[South Korea] military exercises, which play an important role in maintaining combat readiness, and which could prove a valuable signal to [North Korea] at this time." Both the U.S. House and Senate Armed Services Committees have passed provisions of the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act restricting any drawdown of American troops in South Korea and reinforcing the missile defense network against threats from North Korea. Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-01 01:30:12|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close A C919 large passenger aircraft lands at the Turpan Jiaohe Airport in Turpan, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, June 28, 2020. (Photo by Liu Jian/Xinhua) BEIJING, June 30 (Xinhua) -- United Airlines will resume services to China with scheduled flights between San Francisco and Shanghai, starting on July 8, according to the United Airlines China office on Tuesday. The flights will be operated on the Boeing 777-300ER twice a week, via Incheon International Airport in the Republic of Korea. The resumed San Francisco-Shanghai flights will be available Wednesday and Saturday, and the return flights are scheduled for Thursday and Sunday. Prior to suspending flight services to Shanghai in February due to COVID-19, United Airlines was operating five daily flights between China's Shanghai and the hub cities such as San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago and New York of the United States. Starting this July, the airline plans to gradually restart services to Hong Kong, and will fly to Singapore via a stop in Hong Kong. The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) adjusted policies for international passenger flights in early June, allowing more foreign carriers to resume flights to China on a once-a-week basis starting from June 8. China may "modestly increase" flights from some qualified countries under the conditions of controllable risks and adequate receiving capacities, according to the CAAC. On June 25, the Delta Air Lines restarted its passenger flight services on the Seattle and Shanghai air route, via Incheon in the Republic of Korea. To date, the flights have operated smoothly, according to the airline. Delta was the first U.S. airline to resume the U.S.-China passenger flights since the temporary suspension in February due to the outbreak of COVID-19. Starting from July, Delta will operate once-weekly flights from Seattle and Detroit to Shanghai, also via Incheon, according to the airline. Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-01 02:09:23|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Performers dance during the Dragon Boat Festival at an intangible cultural heritage exhibition park in Taxkorgan Tajik Autonomous County, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, June 25, 2020. (Xinhua/Hu Huhu) BEIJING, June 30 (Xinhua) -- China on Tuesday urged some U.S. politicians to immediately stop smearing China and interfering in China's internal affairs by creating rumors under the pretext of Xinjiang. Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian made the remarks in response to U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's statement over China's Xinjiang policy. The Chinese government equally protects the legitimate rights and interests of people of all ethnic groups, including ethnic minorities, Zhao said. From 1978 to 2018, the population of Uygurs in Xinjiang grew from 5.55 million to 11.68 million, registering a 2.1 times increase and accounting for about 46.8 percent of the total population of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, the spokesperson said. Zhao said ethnic minorities in the United States have long been suffering from bullying, exclusion and wide, systemic discrimination in economic, cultural, social and other aspects, citing examples from the killing of Indians through the Westward Expansion to the death of African American George Floyd. "We urge U.S. politicians like Pompeo to reject bias and double standards, face up to the issue of racial discrimination at home, spend more time and energy on improving human rights conditions at home, and immediately stop smearing China and interfering in China's internal affairs by creating rumors under the pretext of Xinjiang," Zhao added. American Airlines defended its decision in a comment to Fox News, stating the airline has multiple layers of protection in place for those who fly with us, including required face coverings, enhanced cleaning procedures, and a pre-flight COVID-19 symptom checklist. (iStock) Reporter I cover a range of stories for WDRB, but really enjoy tracking what's going on at our State Capitol. I grew up on military bases all over the world, but am a Kentuckian at heart. I'm an EKU alum, and have lived in Louisville for 30 years. Louisville man accused of ramming police vehicle after trying to block traffic in St. Matthews Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-01 03:10:55|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BAGHDAD, June 30 (Xinhua) -- A total of 11 Islamic State (IS) militants were killed in airstrikes by international coalition aircraft in Iraq's northern province of Nineveh, Iraqi military said on Tuesday. Based on intelligence reports, the international coalition aircraft conducted airstrikes on a tunnel used as a headquarters for IS militants in Ayn al-Jahash area in the southern part of the provincial capital Mosul, the media office of the Iraqi Joint Operations Command (JOC) said in a statement. The airstrikes resulted in the killing of 10 IS militants, including a local leader, the statement said, adding that an Iraqi army force killed another IS militant when they arrived at the tunnel to check the result of the airstrikes. The airstrikes came as the extremist IS militants have intensified their attacks on the security forces, including Hashd Shaabi forces, and civilians in the formerly IS-controlled Sunni provinces, resulting in the killing and wounding of dozens. The security situation in Iraq has been improving since Iraqi security forces fully defeated the IS militants across the country late in 2017. However, IS remnants have since melted in urban areas or deserts and rugged areas, carrying out frequent guerilla attacks against security forces and civilians. Enditem Weatherford, TX (76086) Today Partly to mostly cloudy with a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms in the afternoon. High 88F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph, becoming NNE and increasing to 15 to 25 mph. Chance of rain 30%.. Tonight Variable clouds with showers and scattered thunderstorms. Storms more numerous this evening. Low 62F. Winds NNE at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of rain 40%. Kourtney McGowan was furloughed in March, when the preschool she worked at closed during the coronavirus shutdown. The relationship with her longtime partner quickly crumbled under the pressure. They broke up due to mental health issues that she said started to appear with both of them being stressed out and inside all day. McGowan said she waited almost a month to receive unemployment benefits in California, and the financial setback was a huge blow. Every day Im trying to play catch-up, she said. As McGowans workplace prepared to reopen, she met another obstacle many parents are faced with as states loosen restrictions: child care. She called the program her eight-year-old son previously attended, but it had no plans to reopen. Hoping to return to work, McGowan asked her boss for a more flexible schedule. I cant have my son in my office for eight hours every day, she said. Her boss said no. She had no plan for reliable child care, and her job replaced her. More than 36 million Americans are unemployed in the aftermath of countrywide pandemic shutdowns. McGowan is one of the 1.7 million Black women who was working pre-coronavirus and wants to continue working but is left without a job. According to research from the Center on Poverty and Social Policy at Columbia University, working-age adults, children and Black Americans will fall below the poverty line at the highest rates as a result of the coronavirus pandemics economic effects. At the intersection of those vulnerable groups are Black children, who are already disproportionately represented in Americas poor. According to data from the American Community Survey and analyzed by the Kids Count Data Center, a non-profit tracking the well-being of children in the United States, 32 per cent of Black children live in poverty, compared with 11 per cent of white children and 26 per cent of Hispanic or Latino children. The COVID-19 public health and economic crisis certainly is hitting deep within the economy, and its affecting every single type of American, said Bradley L. Hardy, associate professor of public administration and policy at American University. Though many families will certainly feel the stress, We have some real concerns for Black families for a whole range of historical reasons, he said. The reasons that are particularly relevant in this moment are the unemployment rate of Black women, the long-term stress of racism on children and the lack of household wealth that Black families have. The unemployment rate for Black women continues to increase. The most recent jobs report revealed a familiar inequity: Black and Hispanic workers are having a harder time finding jobs. Before the pandemic, Black households in particular had higher unemployment rates than white households. Black mothers workforce participation and earnings are crucial to the economic health of Black children, said Kristen E. Broady, dean of the college of business and professor of economics at Dillard University. The vast majority of Black mothers are the primary breadwinners for their households. They are more than twice as likely as white mothers, and more than 50 per cent more likely than Hispanic mothers, to be either the sole providers in a single-parent household or married and bringing in the same amount or more than their partner, according to analysis from the Center for American Progress, a non-partisan policy institute. As states open up and workplaces start to bring back employees, the unemployment rate for white men and women and Hispanic men and women is improving, while the unemployment rate for Black women continues to increase. Even these figures may be understating the unemployment problem for Black women, said Jessica Fulton, vice-president of the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, a public policy think tank. You have to have lost your job and be looking for work, she said. If youre a single mom, for example, and you are not looking for a job because your kids are at home, you dont get counted. A lot of Black children are in households where theres just Mom working or there are two parents both working in order to make ends meet, Fulton said. This is potentially going to impact Black children disproportionately. While unemployment is a strong predictor for child poverty, poverty is only one part of the story. Toxic stressors over time can lead to long-term physical and mental health issues. Eileen Condon, a nurse practitioner and post-doctoral associate at Yale University School of Nursing, and her colleagues examined the stressors related to the coronavirus pandemic and how they disproportionately harm disadvantaged and marginalized families. Poverty, food insecurity and housing insecurity are major sources of pervasive stress, Condon said. When a child experiences toxic stress, their stress response is essentially always activated. Over time, the inflammation and the adrenalin and all of the things that are going on in the body start to wear and tear on all of the different systems, she said, and that is what leads to poor physical and mental health outcomes for children who experience early adversity. Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Vicarious racism, or second-hand exposure to racism that Black children may experience watching or hearing about the killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery, is also a source of pervasive stress, Condon said. Hardy said, We know quite a bit from the child development literature about how these sorts of stressors really impede child development. While these early stressors predated the COVID-19 crisis, the effects of the pandemic and exposure to the deaths of these Black Americans will exacerbate the potential for toxic stress, he said. Black children are also being left behind in the education system at all levels. For children from pre-K through high school, both Broady and Hardy said uninterrupted access to the hardware and internet necessary to successfully participate in online learning is another huge concern. According to data from Pew Research Center, even before education went fully digital because of the pandemic, Black and Hispanic students were unevenly affected by the lack of access to high-speed internet services. Such infrastructure concerns are very real for Black families, and certainly some of them will be fine, but disproportionately, thats going to be a major issue, Hardy said. Black households have less wealth than white households. According to Federal Reserve data, Black households typically have one-tenth of the wealth of a typical white household. The lack of wealth of Black households is an issue for Black children, as any unexpected emergency like a pandemic can cause food and housing insecurity and stress for children when there is no financial cushion. Its also a concern for the future prospects of Black children. For a 2018 study on racial disparities in economic mobility, economists examined longitudinal data from the U.S. Census Bureau of nearly the entire U.S. population from 1989 to 2015 and found that Black children born into poverty were twice as likely as white children to stay there. Though poverty rates for Hispanic Americans are similar to those of Black Americans, they are almost as likely as white children to move out of poverty as adults. Additionally, the researchers found that Black children born into higher income groups have a harder time staying in those income brackets. The studys authors were careful to note that their findings suggest neither parental marital status, education level nor childrens difference in ability could explain away this intergenerational mobility gap. American public policy has made it very difficult for Black Americans to accumulate and sustain wealth in general, Hardy said. The Black-white wealth gap has persisted despite increasing numbers of Black women attaining college degrees. Hardy cited Americas well-documented history of segregation, excluding Black Americans from the GI Bill and educational attainment, redlining policies that segregated communities and devalued homes in Black neighbourhoods, and plain racial labour market discrimination as reasons Black families have less wealth to help protect them from the devastating effects of an economic crisis. If you put it all together, Hardy said, then Black parents are going to have quite a bit less to leave to their children. The pandemic is exacerbating the existing economic inequalities for Black families and is subsequently worsening the future economic outlook for Black children, despite all best efforts by Black parents like McGowan to work their way up. The prospects arent great for McGowan, whose certifications are in child care, because service sector jobs in which Black women are overrepresented have had some of the biggest cuts. Her son, who she said seems unaware of their current financial struggles, is suddenly anxious about death and dying. Hes in counselling, and shes thinking about going back to college. We do what we got to do, she said. For now, McGowan said she will see what the future holds. Raising Black boys is hard in itself, she said. Im just trusting God. Hong Kong police made the first arrests Wednesday under a new national security law imposed by Chinas central government, as thousands of people defied tear gas and pepper pellets to protest against the contentious move on the anniversary of the former British colonys handover to Chinese rule. Police said 10 people were arrested under the law, including a man with a Hong Kong independence flag and a woman holding a sign displaying the British flag and calling for Hong Kongs independence all violations of the law that took effect Tuesday night. Others were detained for possessing items advocating independence. Hong Kong police said on Facebook that they arrested some 370 people on various charges, including unlawful assembly, possession of weapons and violating the new law, which was imposed in a move seen as Beijings boldest step yet to erase the legal firewall between the semi-autonomous territory and the mainlands authoritarian Communist Party system. The law, imposed following anti-government protests in Hong Kong last year, makes secessionist, subversive, or terrorist activities illegal, as well as foreign intervention in the citys internal affairs. Any person taking part in activities such as shouting slogans or holding up banners and flags calling for the citys independence is violating the law regardless of whether violence is used. The most serious offenders, such as those deemed to be masterminds behind these activities, could receive a maximum punishment of life imprisonment. Lesser offenders could receive jail terms of up to three years, short-term detention or restriction. Wednesdays arrests came as thousands took to the streets on the 23rd anniversary of Britains handover of Hong Kong to China in 1997. For the first time, police banned this years annual march. Protesters shouted slogans, lambasted police and held up signs condemning the Chinese government and the new security law. Some protesters set fires in Hong Kongs trendy shopping district, Causeway Bay, while others pulled bricks from sidewalks and scattered obstacles across roads in an attempt to obstruct traffic. To disperse protesters, police shot pepper spray and pepper balls, as well as deployed water cannons and tear gas throughout the day. Hong Kongs leader strongly endorsed the new law in a speech marking the anniversary of the handover of the territory officially called the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. The enactment of the national law is regarded as the most significant development in the relationship between the central authorities and the HKSAR since Hong Kongs return to the motherland, chief executive Carrie Lam said in a speech, following a flag-raising ceremony and the playing of Chinas national anthem. It is also an essential and timely decision for restoring stability in Hong Kong, she said. A pro-democracy political party, The League of Social Democrats, organized a protest march during the flag-raising ceremony. About a dozen participants chanted slogans echoing demands from protesters last year for political reform and an investigation into accusations of police abuse. The laws passage Tuesday further blurs the distinction between the legal systems of Hong Kong, which maintained aspects of British law after the 1997 handover, and the mainlands authoritarian Communist Party system. Critics say the law effectively ends the one country, two systems framework under which Hong Kong was promised a high degree of autonomy. Britains foreign secretary, Dominic Raab, told reporters Wednesday the law is a clear and serious violation of the Sino-British Joint Declaration, the agreement that paved the way for the former British colonys handover to Chinese rule. The law directly targets some of the actions of anti-government protesters last year, which included attacks on government offices and police stations, damage to subway stations and the shutdown of the citys international airport. Acts of vandalism against government facilities or public transit can be prosecuted as subversion or terrorism. Pro-democracy lawmaker Claudia Mo said in a news conference that the security legislation does not follow the rule of law and is a dire warning to the free press. This would tell you that they want not just to get us, but to intimidate us into inaction, into a catatonic state, Mo said. Hong Kongs police force said they would consider any flag or banner raised by protesters calling for Hong Kongs separation from China to be illegal as well as an expressions of support for independence for Tibet, Xinjiang or the self-governing island democracy of Taiwan that China claims as its own. Police will use a new purple flag to warn protesters if they display banners or shout slogans that may constitute a crime under the law. Concerns have also been raised over the fate of key opposition figures, some of whom have already been charged for taking part in protests, as well as the disqualification of candidates for Legislative Council elections scheduled for September. In Beijing, the executive deputy director of the Cabinets Hong Kong affairs office, Zhang Xiaoming, said Hong Kong people are allowed to criticize the ruling Communist Party but cannot turn those complaints into actions. What happened recently in Hong Kong has shown a deviation from the right track of the one country, two systems (framework), Zhang told reporters Wednesday. To some extent, we made this law in order to correct the deviation ... to pull it closer to one-country. Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Schools, social groups, media outlets, websites and others will be monitored and their national security awareness will be raised, according to the law, while the central government will have authority over the activities of foreign non-governmental organizations and media outlets in Hong Kong. The law says central government bodies in Hong Kong will take over in complicated cases and when there is a serious threat to national security. Local authorities are barred from interfering with central government bodies operating in Hong Kong while they are carrying out their duties. Security legislation was mandated under Hong Kongs local constitution, but an earlier attempt to pass it in the citys legislative body in 2003 was shelved because of massive public opposition. Beijing finally decided to circumvent the Hong Kong legislature and have the law passed Tuesday by the Standing Committee of the National Peoples Congress, Chinas rubber-stamp parliament. President Xi Jinping signed a presidential order putting the law into effect, and it has been added to the Basic Law, Hong Kongs constitution. The laws passage comes after Hong Kongs legislature in early June approved a contentious bill making it illegal to insult the Chinese national anthem. On Wednesday, Raab, the British foreign secretary, announced the UK would extend residency rights for up to 3 million Hong Kong residents eligible for British National Overseas passports to five years from the current six-month limit. After five years, they could apply for settled status and then apply for citizenship 12 months later. The U.S. is moving to end special trade terms given to the territory. The Trump administration has also said it will bar defence exports to Hong Kong and will soon require licenses for the sale of items that have both civilian and military uses. The U.S. Congress has also moved to impose sanctions on people deemed connected to political repression in Hong Kong, including police officials. China has said it will impose visa restrictions on Americans it sees as interfering over Hong Kong. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo denounced the threat of a visa ban as a sign of how Beijing refuses to take responsibility for its own choices and said the laws adoption destroys the territorys autonomy and one of Chinas greatest achievements. Beijings paranoia and fear of its own peoples aspirations have led it to eviscerate the very foundation of the territorys success, Pompeo said in a statement. Taiwan on Wednesday opened an office to facilitate migration from Hong Kong. ___ AP video journalist Johnson Lai in Taipei and producer Wayne Zhang in Beijing contributed to this report. Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-01 04:48:04|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close CAIRO, June 30 (Xinhua) -- Iran on Tuesday hailed its "effective steps" in producing a vaccine for the COVID-19 disease. Meanwhile, the tally of coronavirus cases in Saudi Arabia surpassed 190,000. Iran reported 2,457 new COVID-19 cases over the past 24 hours, taking the total confirmed cases to 227,622. Sima Sadat Lari, the spokeswoman for Iran's Ministry of Health and Medical Education, said 147 people died overnight, taking the death toll from the virus to 10,817. So far, 188,758 people have recovered and 3,049 remain in critical condition, she said. Iran has taken "effective steps" in producing a vaccine for novel coronavirus disease, Iran's Minister of Health and Medical Education Saeed Namaki said. "The results are very much promising. Tests in animal model were successful. Clinical trials on human will be carried out soon," said Namaki. Saudi Arabia, which has the highest daily coronavirus infections in the past month, reported 4,387 new COVID-19 cases, raising the tally of the confirmed cases to 190,823. The number of recoveries rose to 130,766 after 3,648 more were added, while 50 new fatalities were reported, raising the death toll to 1,649. Turkey's COVID-19 cases increased by 1,293 on Tuesday, as the total cases climbed to 199,906, Turkish Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said. Meanwhile, 16 people died in the past 24 hours, taking the death toll to 5,131, the minister tweeted. The total number of recoveries rose to 173,111 after 1,302 new recoveries were added. Iraq, which has witnessed a rapid resurgence of the pandemic, recorded 1,958 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total number of infections nationwide to 49,109. Iraqi Health Ministry also confirmed 104 more deaths from the infectious virus, raising the death toll to 1,943, while 1,786 more patients recovered, bringing the total recoveries to 24,760. Meanwhile, Iraqi Higher Committee for Health and National Safety called on senior students in all medicine colleges across Iraq to volunteer to help the medical workers in fighting the pandemic. Israel registered 803 new coronavirus cases, the highest single-day surge so far, raising the tally to 25,244, the state's Ministry of Health said. The number of death cases rose from 319 to 320, while the number of recoveries rose to 17,341, with 123 new recoveries in Israel. Oman reported 1,010 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total number of coronavirus infections in the country to 40,070. The tally of recoveries in Oman rose to 23,425 after 1,003 more patients recovered from the virus, while the death toll climbed to 176 after seven more deaths were confirmed. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) announced 421 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total number in the country to 48,667. UAE's Ministry of Health and Prevention said that 490 more patients fully recovered from the virus, taking the tally of the recoveries to 37,566. It also confirmed one more death, raising the country's death toll to 315. Qatar's Health Ministry on Tuesday announced 982 new COVID-19 cases, increasing the total confirmed cases in the Gulf state to 96,088. Meanwhile, 1,394 people recovered from the virus, bringing the total number of recoveries to 81,564, while the death toll remained unchanged at 113. Lebanon's number of COVID-19 infections increased by 33 to 1,778, while the death toll remained unchanged at 34. Lebanese Health Ministry said that all passengers must register on its website before taking a PCR test for COVID-19 at the airport and spending several days in quarantine after arrival. Kuwait reported 671 new COVID-19 cases and four more deaths, raising the tally of infections to 46,195 and the death toll to 354. Kuwait started on Tuesday the second phase of restoring normal life, which will last three weeks. During the phase, public and private sectors will resume work with less than 30 percent capacity, in addition to the resumption of operation in shopping malls, financial sector, construction sector, retail shops, parks, and pick-ups from restaurants and cafes. Kuwaiti Civil Aviation Administration announced that it will fully resume commercial flights at Kuwait International Airport on August 1, 2021. Palestine on Tuesday announced 322 new COVID-19 cases in the West Bank, bringing the total number of coronavirus infections to 2,765. The Palestinian Health Ministry announced that the death toll climbed to 10 after two more fatalities were added. Oman reported 1,010 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total number of coronavirus infections to 40,070. The tally of recoveries in Oman rose to 23,425 after 1,003 more patients recovered from the virus, while the death toll climbed to 176 after seven more deaths were confirmed. Morocco reported 243 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total number of cases to 12,533, while the death toll increased by three to 228. The total number of COVID-19 cases in Yemen's government-controlled provinces increased to 1,158 on Tuesday, as 30 new cases were confirmed. The death toll rose to 312, while the number of recoveries increased to 488. Enditem WASHINGTON - President Donald Trumps July Fourth celebration on the National Mall will feature one of the largest fireworks displays ever and as many as 300,000 face masks will be given away to those who want them but despite health concerns from D.C.s mayor, no one apparently will be required to wear them. Trump made no mention of the masks or of the pandemic overall in a tweet Wednesday on his Independence Day pIans. He thanked corporate donors for supporting what will, without question, be a special evening. Interior Secretary David Bernhardt outlined a second year of military-focused events in the nations capital on July Fourth, including Defence Department flyovers for a one-of-a-kind air show. President Trumps 2020 Salute to America will be a patriotic tribute to our men and women in uniform, Bernhardt said in a statement. A mile-long firing of 10,000 fireworks will be the largest in recent memory, he said. July Fourth comes as Americans are dealing with surging cases of COVID-19 and confusion over best practices in public, especially on masks. Trump has been criticized for pushing to go ahead with large campaign rallies and other public gatherings, like the upcoming holiday event, despite the increased risks of infection. Among those deeply concerned is Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser, who doesnt have the right to shut down the holiday spectacle because its on federal land, but warned the federal government about the obvious dangers of such a large crowd. Bowser said she had briefly read through the Interior Departments statement on the July Fourth plans and believed they were not consistent with established health guidelines. We know this is a special event for the Department of Interior. Weve communicated to them that we do not think this is in keeping with the best CDC and Department of Health guidance. But this event will take place entirely on federal property, Bowser said. Washington is currently in phase 2 of its reopening plans, and Bowser asked district residents to avoid large crowds and celebrate July Fourth at or near their homes. We are giving D.C. residents the same message about any of their outings for the holiday weekend. Ask yourself, do you need to be there, she said. Ask yourself, can you anticipate or know who all is going to be around you? If you go downtown, do you know if youll be able to social distance? Interior officials planned to have 300,000 face coverings on hand to give away at the National Mall. Bernhardt said visitors would be encouraged to wear masks and keep a six-foot distance from one another. There was no indication that would be mandatory, despite the recommendations of health officials. White House spokeswoman Kayleigh McEnany said Wednesday that the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions recommendations on masks which say the face coverings are most likely to reduce the spread of COVID-19 when they are widely used by people in public settings are not mandatory in themselves. The president has said that we should follow our local authorities with masks, so thats the decision, McEnany said. He encourages people to follow those authorities. CDC guidelines, Id also note, say recommended but not required and we are very much looking forward to the Fourth of July celebration. Trump and first lady Melania Trump plan to host events from the White House south lawn and from the Ellipse on Saturday, the day after Trump attends a separate fireworks display and public gathering at Mount Rushmore. This years event is expected to roll out without military vehicles. After Trump had expressed admiration for Frances military-themed parades, last years Independence Day events, featuring an address by Trump near the Lincoln Memorial and military flyover, included stationary displays of Bradley fighting vehicles. A U.S. Government Accountability Office report last week estimated the partial price tag of last years Salute to America at $13 million, twice as much as previous years, in part because of the cost of including the Bradleys. Like last year, donations are helping support part of the cost of the July Fourth events, Bernhardt said. Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... - Associated Press writer Darlene Superville contributed to this report. This story has been corrected to show that costs of last years July 4th event were in a report by the Government Accountability Office, not by the Interior Department inspector general. This page contains all of The Wenatchee Worlds coverage of the novel coronavirus outbreak, and the illness it causes, called COVID-19. Because this outbreak impacts public health, our coverage of the coronavirus is available to all readers, even without a subscription. But our journalists are working hard to bring you the verified information below. Please consider supporting important local journalism with a subscription. (Click Here) Are you a North Central Washington resident whos been affected by the illness? Send us an email: newsroom@wenatcheeworld.com. State superintendent candidates Maia Espinoza Age: 30 Education: Graduated from Clover Park High School in Lakewood and earned her associate degree in arts from Pierce College in 2007. Earned a bachelor's degree in business administration from Pacific Lutheran University in 2010. Earned master's degree in curriculum and instruction from Western Governor's University in 2020. Political Experience: Ran to represent the 28th Legislative District in 2018. Worked in constituent services at the Pierce County Executive Office. Work Experience: Has a marketing and consumer service background. Founded the Center for Latino Leadership in 2015. Served on state Commission on Hispanic Affairs. Served on the Race and Ethnicity Student Data task force for OSPI. Family: Married to Laudan Espinoza. Has two children. Ron Higgins Age: 72 Education: Graduated from San Carlos High School in California in 1965. Earned a bachelor's degree in chemistry from California Polytechnic State University in 1969. Earned a master's degree in aeronautical systems from the University of West Florida in 1970. Earned a master's degree in chemical engineering from the University of Washington in 1980. Political Experience: Ran for the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction in 2012 and 2016. Work Experience: Served in U.S. Marine Corps. Engineer at U.S. Department of Energy from 1991 to 2009. Substitute teacher in Washington since 2009. Substitute teacher in California from January to May 2015. Family: Married to Deborah Higgins. Has two children. Stan Lippmann Age: 60 Education: Graduated from Irvington High School in Irvington, New York, in 1977. Earned a bachelor's degree in physics from New York University in 1981. Earned a master's degree in physics from Johns Hopkins University in 1984. Earned a doctorate in physics from Johns Hopkins University in 1989. Earned a law degree from the University of Washington in 1998. Political Experience: Ran for mayor of Seattle in 1997. Ran for Congress in 1998. Ran for Seattle City Council in 1999 and 2001. Ran for attorney general in 2000. Ran for King County executive in 2009. Ran for the state House of Representatives in 2010. Ran for mayor of Lake Forest Park in 2011. Work Experience: Senior scientist at the Institute for Environmental Health from 2008 to 2010. Attorney at Lippmann Law Firm from 2000 to 2008, but disbarred in 2008. Family: Not married. No children. Chris Reykdal, incumbent Age: 47 Education: Graduated from Snohomish High School in 1990. Earned a bachelor's degree and teaching certificate from Washington State University in 1994. Earned a master's in public administration from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill in 1999. Political Experience: Elected Superintendent for Public Instruction in 2016. Served as representative for the 22nd Legislative district in the Washington State House of Representatives from 2011 to 2017. Work Experience: Teacher in Longview. Revenue analyst for the Washington State Senate Transportation Committee. Executive on Washington dtate's public community and technical college system. Family: Married to Kim Reykdal. Has two children. David Spring Age: 68 Education: Graduated from Hudson Bay High School in Vancouver in 1969. zrstmrf a bachelor's degree in science education from Washington State University in 1974 and a master's degree in education and child development from the University of Washington in 2007. Political Experience: Ran to represent the 5th Legislative District in 2008, 2010 and 2012. Ran for the Office of the Superintendent for Public Instruction in 2016. Work Experience: Spent 20 years teaching courses in problem solving and conflict resolution at Bellevue College. Owned an outdoor store called Wilderness Sports in Bellevue. Family: Married to Elizabeth Hanson. Has two children. Dennis Wick Age: 63 Education: Declined to say where he graduated from high school, but said it was in northern Illinois and that he graduated in 1974. Earned an associate degree from Skagit Valley College in 1980. Earned a bachelor's degree in business administration from the University of Washington in 1982. Earned a master's degree in project management from the City University of Seattle in 2004. Political Experience: Served on the Snohomish School District Board from 1999 to 2007. Work Experience: Retired integrated planning and management specialist at Boeing. Adjunct faculty at Gonzaga University. Served in the U.S. Navy. Family: Declined to answer. Sandusky, OH (44870) Today Mostly cloudy early followed by partly cloudy skies and gusty winds this afternoon. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 79F. Winds WNW at 20 to 30 mph.. Tonight Cloudy early with some clearing expected late. Low 54F. Winds NNW at 10 to 20 mph. Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-01 05:30:38|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Video: Zhang Jun, China's permanent representative to the United Nations, asks the United States to stop its illegal unilateral sanctions on Iran, and voices opposition to U.S. push for an extension of the UN arms embargo against Iran. (Xinhua) "We urge the United States to stop its illegal unilateral sanctions and 'long-arm jurisdiction,' and return to the right track of observing the JCPOA and Resolution 2231," says Zhang Jun. UNITED NATIONS, June 30 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese envoy on Tuesday asked the United States to stop its illegal unilateral sanctions on Iran, and voiced opposition to U.S. push for an extension of the UN arms embargo against Iran. The root cause of the current crisis is the U.S. withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal in May 2018 and the re-imposition of unilateral sanctions against Iran, said Zhang Jun, China's permanent representative to the United Nations. The United States has decided to end the sanctions waiver to nuclear projects under the nuclear deal, and pushed for the extension of the UN arms embargo on Iran, which expires in October. This has again undermined the joint efforts to preserve the nuclear deal, Zhang told the Security Council. People wearing face masks walk on a street in Tehran, Iran, on June 29, 2020. (Photo by Ahmad Halabisaz/Xinhua) The Iran nuclear deal, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), is an important multilateral agreement endorsed by Security Council Resolution 2231. It is legally binding and should be effectively implemented, he said. "We urge the United States to stop its illegal unilateral sanctions and 'long-arm jurisdiction,' and return to the right track of observing the JCPOA and Resolution 2231," he said. China opposes the U.S. push for extending the UN arms embargo on Iran, said Zhang. People wearing face masks walk on a street in Tehran, Iran, June 23, 2020. (Photo by Ahmad Halabisaz/Xinhua) All provisions of Resolution 2231 should be implemented, including arrangements on arms-related restrictive measures. Having quit the JCPOA, the United States is no longer a participant, and has no right to trigger the snapback mechanism at the Security Council, he said. Under Resolution 2231, any participant state to the Iran nuclear deal can notify the Security Council about an issue that it considers a significant violation of the agreement. The UN sanctions in place before the adoption of Resolution 2231 in July 2015 would resume 30 days after the notification unless the Security Council adopts a resolution to decide otherwise. Women wearing masks shop at a bazaar in downtown Tehran, Iran, on May 30, 2020. (Photo by Ahmad Halabisaz/Xinhua) Preserving the JCPOA is conducive to safeguarding multilateralism, the international order based on international law, the international non-proliferation regime, and peace and stability in the Middle East, said Zhang. Iran's reduction of its commitment under the JCPOA is a result of the U.S. maximum pressure. Relevant parties should exercise restraint, resolve differences through consultations in the JCPOA Joint Commission, and refrain from taking steps that might complicate the situation, he said. WESTPORT After a year of pressure to create a Civilian Review Panel to oversee the police department, the town has now formed one. The panel will work closely with members of the police, fire and EMS departments to assist in hiring new employees and to review and provide feedback to civilian complaints, town officials said. They will seriously consider all the items before them to achieve an increasingly effective, transparent and equitable process in hiring public safety personnel and, when necessary, investigate civilian complaints, First Selectman Jim Marpe said in a statement Tuesday. Discussion about a CRP popped up back in the spring of 2019, when Westporter Jason Stiber was given a distracted driving ticket by Westport police who apparently mistook a hash brown for a cellphone. Stiber was later found not guilty. I received a motor vehicle infraction ticket issued in error that required me to defend myself in court, which got overturned, Stiber said Tuesday. In the process, I filed two complaints with the police department, the first of which was never (properly recorded) and the second did not result in any corrective action taken. Stiber said he found the process for civilian complaints to be biased and inadequate because fellow officers were the only ones to review complaints made about police. I think a civilian review panel will add transparency and will promote public confidence to the process of investigating civilian complaints, he said. It will help the police maintain public trust and improve the quality of services they provide through an unbiased review and disposition of complaints. Last year, Stiber petitioned for such a panel but was met with a mixed response from town officials. It was the numerous recent peaceful protests in Westport in response to the killing of George Floyd that had hundreds of people gather in protest against racism and police brutality, which should be ultimately credited for this change, Stiber said. TEAM Westport Chair Harold Bailey, who heads the towns diversity organization, said current events nationwide have emphasized a need to address systemic racial inequities, with a focus on policing people of color. The CRP should be an immediate, significant first step toward the comprehensive equity review/revision process for Westport public safety which should ultimately be conducted, he said. Bailey and Selectwomen Jennifer Tooker and Melissa Kane have been appointed to the CRP by Marpe. Kane said the panel will be an important step toward accountability and transparency for the towns public safety departments and personnel. I look forward to serving on the panel, and appreciate the openness with which our public safety leadership has welcomed the opportunity to review our public safety procedures, she said in a statement. When Westport Police Chief Foti Koskinas was sworn in as chief of police, he said, his goal was to continue to build a foundation of public trust. Now, at a time when police departments across the country are looking introspectively at ways to better serve our communities, I believe that this is an important step in continuing to maintain complete transparency, in preserving public trust and in reassuring our residents that effective policing is truly a collaborative effort, he said. But Stiber said he was worried an appointed board of hand-picked individuals would not have true independence. Despite this, he said, the change will help to make Westport a better place. Our police department is made up of dedicated professionals who do a great job, but an organizational change in how our town government is structured was clearly needed for police accountability, he said. dj.simmons@hearstmediact.com Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-01 07:28:59|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Fireworks explode in the sky to celebrate the upcoming Independence Day in New York, the United States, June 29, 2020. The annual Macy's 4th of July firework show features a series of smaller unannounced displays in every borough of New York City this year to prevent spectators from gathering during the COVID-19 pandemic. (Photo by Zhao Hailang/Xinhua) The views expressed by public comments are not those of this company or its affiliated companies. Please note by clicking on "Post" you acknowledge that you have read the TERMS OF USE and the comment you are posting is in compliance with such terms. Your comments may be used on air. Be polite. Inappropriate posts or posts containing offsite links, images, GIFs, inappropriate language, or memes may be removed by the moderator. Job listings and similar posts are likely automated SPAM messages from Facebook and are not placed by WFMZ-TV. Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-01 07:26:01|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Mississippi state flag is lowered from the state Capitol Building during a ceremony in Jackson, Mississippi, the United States, on July 1, 2020. Tate Reeves, governor of southern U.S. state Mississippi, on Tuesday signed a state legislation into law, officially removing a Confederate battle emblem from the state flag, local media reported. Mississippi state lawmakers on Sunday overwhelmingly voted to replace the state flag as protesters across the country demanded a reckoning to systemic racism following the death of black man George Floyd in police custody on May 25. The state flag, adopted in 1894, nearly 30 years after the end of the Civil War, is the last in the United States to feature the Confederate battle emblem. (Photo by Alan Chin/Xinhua) WASHINGTON, June 30 (Xinhua) -- Tate Reeves, governor of southern U.S. state Mississippi, on Tuesday signed a state legislation into law, officially removing a Confederate battle emblem from the state flag, local media reported. Before signing the bill, Reeves said he disagrees with the removal of statues through the country, but said: "I also understand the need to commit the 1894 flag to history and find a banner that is a better emblem for all Mississippi." Mississippi state lawmakers on Sunday overwhelmingly voted to replace the state flag as protesters across the country demanded a reckoning to systemic racism following the death of black man George Floyd in police custody on May 25. A commission will design a new flag that does not include the Confederate symbol broadly condemned as racist, said local media reports, and the new design will go before voters in November for approval. The state flag, adopted in 1894, nearly 30 years after the end of the Civil War, is the last in the United States to feature the Confederate battle emblem. African American people make up 38 percent of the Mississippi population. Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-01 07:37:12|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close by Matthew Rusling WASHINGTON, June 30 (Xinhua) -- For Charles Whitaker, dean of the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University, teaching in the era of COVID-19 has been an adjustment, but one the entire world has had to make. "It's tough," Whitaker, dean of one of the top three U.S. journalism schools, told Xinhua. But he added that "luckily, we live in a time when there's an abundance of information available online." HAVE TO BE VERY CREATIVE, INDUSTRIOUS "You just have to be very creative and industrious," Whitaker said. Indeed, educators both in the United States and worldwide have had to deal with the challenges of teaching online, amid social distancing measures put in place to slow the spread of the highly contagious coronavirus. "Students are doing a lot of Zoom reporting," Whitaker said, referring to one technology that allows students - and professionals in newsrooms nationwide - to conduct interviews online. "They're doing a lot of Skype reporting, they're doing a lot of Facetime reporting ... so we're making it work," said Whitaker. The school is helped both by today's widely available technology, as well as a young generation of reporters that is more tech savvy than students even a few years ago, he said. One difficulty, however, has been filming documentaries, a process that usually requires lengthy periods of in-person contact. "It's not ideal. With documentary you want to be able to build a rapport with people and it's hard to do that over Zoom," Whitaker said of one online platform that's seen a lot of use amid the pandemic, "but they worked around it." "What they worked on were the techniques of building a narrative for a documentary. It wasn't ideal but it gave them the building blocks of how to develop a narrative documentary," Whitaker said. Vishal Gaur, professor of manufacturing management at Cornell University's Johnson College of Business, told Xinhua he spent the spring semester teaching MBA students online, due to the pandemic. "This semester I had to adapt to teaching online on short notice," Gaur said. "It went much better than expected." "In the in-class teaching I could use the blackboard to write things down, but (with online teaching) everything had to be on a PowerPoint slide," Gaur said. "So the discussion had to be planned properly, in much more detail." But one positive outcome was that students came very well prepared. "In the Zoom classroom I felt that students were better prepared than they are in in-classroom teaching," Gaur said. ISOLATING AN ALREADY ISOLATED GENERATION David, a high school teacher in the Washington, D.C. area who declined to give his full name, as he was not authorized to speak to the press, told Xinhua he taught online for a couple of months before the summer break. While David was able to teach from home via Zoom and other online platforms, he said many of his students appeared to be just rolling out of bed for his noontime class. While the lessons went smoothly, David expressed concern over the mental and physical health of his students, worrying that at-home learning could lead to isolation, rapid weight gain and depression for some students. Some of his students, he said, appeared disheveled and sluggish on his screen - a result of too much sleep, too little social interaction and not enough structure in their schedule. Researchers said the human brain is wired for person-to-person contact, and studies over the past decade found that increasing use of social media and the Internet can cause increased depression, social isolation and even drug use and suicide. This is particularly the case for young people, and David frets over the long-term impact on students' mental and physical health. Marlena, a university-level English as a Second Language instructor who also declined to give her full name, said online learning does not work well in learning foreign languages. Students tend not to learn languages well online, and fare better with person-to-person language training, she said. SOCIAL BUTTERFLIES STILL FLY OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM Many university campuses plan to re-open their doors this fall, and are planning to implement various social distancing measures aimed at slowing the virus' spread. But some educators question what will happen outside the classroom. The American college experience, for most students, is about finding one's place in society. One big part of this is not only constant socialization, but also dating and intimacy. That's something that educators cannot regulate outside the classroom, and could well lead to a spike in coronavirus cases on some university campuses, once they open their doors this fall. Enditem Williamson, WV (25661) Today Mostly cloudy this morning with thunderstorms developing this afternoon. A few storms may be severe. High 92F. Winds WSW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 80%.. Tonight Thunderstorms early, overcast overnight with occasional rain. Low 61F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-01 07:42:48|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close UNITED NATIONS, June 30 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese envoy on Tuesday expressed the hope that the UN secretary-general's report concerning the Iran nuclear deal can enforce the deal in an objective, balanced and comprehensive manner, and better accommodate and reflect the legitimate concerns of Iran. The secretary-general's latest report on the implementation of Security Council Resolution 2231 that endorses the Iran nuclear deal underlines the importance of safeguarding the agreement, and calls on member states to avoid provocative rhetoric and actions, said Zhang Jun, China's permanent representative to the United Nations. The report welcomes the positive developments in INSTEX, a European special-purpose vehicle to facilitate transactions with Iran to avoid breaking U.S. sanctions. It encourages member states to fully support and utilize the procurement channel, and supports member states' trade and economic relations with Iran, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, he noted. China appreciates those points, Zhang told the Security Council. "Meanwhile, China agrees with some countries that the report should remain fact-based and reflect the implementation of the resolution in an objective, balanced and comprehensive manner," said Zhang. "The 2231 format is not a sanctions mechanism. The Secretariat should act in strict accordance with its mandate and function. The report failed to fully accommodate and reflect the legitimate concerns of Iran. It also made conclusions on issues, such as the origin of weapons, simply based on one-sided information. This is deeply regrettable." China hopes to bring this to the high attention of the UN Secretariat, which helped formulate the secretary-general's report, said Zhang. China has noticed that some countries expressed concerns over Iran's missile and satellite launches. Iran has clarified the conventional and self-defensive nature of its missile program on many occasions. It is important that all parties accurately interpret the resolution so as to avoid a negative impact on the implementation of Iran nuclear deal, he said. Iran's reduction of its commitments under the nuclear deal is a result of U.S. maximum pressure, said Zhang. Relevant parties should exercise restraint, resolve differences through consultations, and refrain from taking steps that might complicate the situation, he said. The root cause of the current crisis is the U.S. withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal in May 2018 and the re-imposition of unilateral sanctions against Iran, said Zhang. Enditem This page contains all of The Williston Heralds coverage of the novel coronavirus outbreak, and the illness it causes, called COVID-19. Because this outbreak impacts public health, our coverage of the coronavirus is available to all readers. Our journalists are working hard to bring you the verified information below. Please consider supporting important local journalism with a subscription. (Click Here) Are you a Williston resident whos been affected by the illness? Send us an email: editor@willistonherald.com. Have any questions? Please give us a call at 701-572-2165 Reliable and accurate information are of the utmost importance. Here are trusted resources for updates on COVID-19. You can follow Centers for Disease Controll on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Flickr, and LinkedIn. You can follow World Health Organization on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. You can follow Health and Human Services on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. For updates on the status of COVID-19, you can also follow updates online from the Centers for Disease Control, World Health Organization, or sign up to receive their email updates. Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-01 09:14:39|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close HONG KONG, July 1 (Xinhua) -- China's Hong Kong celebrated Wednesday the 23rd anniversary of its return to the motherland. The national flag was hoisted and the national anthem was played at a ceremony at the Golden Bauhinia Square in Hong Kong Island at about 8:00 a.m. local time in celebration of the anniversary. At a reception following the flag-raising ceremony, Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Carrie Lam stressed the significance of the return anniversary and said a new law on safeguarding national security in Hong Kong will help restore stability in the region. The Law of the People's Republic of China on Safeguarding National Security in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region was passed unanimously at the 20th session of the Standing Committee of the 13th National People's Congress, China's top legislature, and took effect at 11:00 p.m. local time on Tuesday. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-01 09:55:45|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close CAPE TOWN, June 30 (Xinhua) -- The cumulative number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in South Africa has reached 151,209, with 6,945 new cases reported in the past 24 hours, Health Minister Zweli Mkhize said on Tuesday. A further 128 deaths from the COVID-19 pandemic have been recorded since Monday, bringing the death toll to 2,657, the minister said in his daily report. The mortality rate stood at 1.8 percent, while the number of recoveries was 73,543, translated into a rate of 48.6 percent, Mkhize said. Earlier in the day, the minister urged South Africans to prepare for continued spikes in confirmed cases and deaths. This means that another hard lockdown "may become necessary" to curb the pandemic, he told Talk Radio 702. Since May 1, South Africa has gradually eased lockdown regulations from level 5 to level 3 following a five-week hard lockdown enforced on March 27. Another hard lockdown could be considered if the situation warrants it, Mkhize said. "I wish I could say otherwise. We have warned that the surge will come, (especially) in the winter months. I'm afraid the numbers are increasing and we need people to be aware and take all the necessary precautions to try and protect ourselves," he said. He voiced special concern over Gauteng Province, which has seen rapid rises in both confirmed cases and related deaths in recent days. As of Tuesday, Gauteng recorded 42,881 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 216 deaths, only second to the Western Cape, the epicenter of the outbreak, which reported 62,481 cases and 1,859 deaths. Enditem Winchester, VA (22601) Today Partial cloudiness early, with scattered showers and thunderstorms during the afternoon. High 91F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 40%.. Tonight Cloudy skies early, then off and on rain showers overnight. Low 64F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%. Viewed of Take Five - This is your final free article during this 30 day period.Stay in touch with all of the news from Winchester, Frederick and Clarke. Sign up today for complete digital access to The Winchester Star. A group of six walked into the dining room at Ivory Restaurant during what used to be the lunch rush, and they all asked manager Manoj Choudhary the same question: is the buffet open? Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 30/6/2020 (355 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. A group of six walked into the dining room at Ivory Restaurant during what used to be the lunch rush, and they all asked manager Manoj Choudhary the same question: is the buffet open? Its a query Choudhary, 32, has had to reply to hundreds of times since the downtown North Indian restaurant opened its doors to limited capacity a few weeks ago, and the answer is one that doesnt get easier to deliver as time passes. Buffets arent permitted under the provinces current reopening strategy, and its not in the cards that any guests will be ladeling themselves Ivorys channa masala in the near future, instead having to order off of the menu. Even as restaurants reopen, the new reality is very different from the one buffet-reliant restaurants enjoyed just a few months ago. JOHN WOODS / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Ive had to explain to the customers that this isnt a restaurant-specific decision, Manoj Choudhary says. "Ive had to explain to the customers that this isnt a restaurant-specific decision," Choudhary said. "I get a lot of phone calls daily asking when the buffet will be back. Unfortunately, thats the one thing Im never able to answer." At Ivory, Choudhary whose father Parkash bought the business in 2014 and serves as its head chef has begun offering a sort of compromise, delivering platters with a generous sampling of main dishes, rice, and naan to the table to modernize the buffet experience to the COVID-19 era, in addition to offering a full menu for ordering. They've also become adopters of third-party food delivery services, something the restaurant for years had resisted. "But obviously, it isnt quite the same as going up there yourself," he said. During a time when restaurants are facing acute struggles theyve never had to face in a notoriously unforgiving industry, the buffet is a potential casualty, at least until consumer confidence returns and public health officials give them the green light. In a busy buffet, you could have hundreds of people handling the same instrument to put food onto their plates. Jeff Farber "In a busy buffet, you could have hundreds of people handling the same instrument to put food onto their plates," Jeff Farber, the director of the Canadian Research Institute for Food Safety, told the Canadian Press last month. Buffets are built on cultural traditions of communal dining; for the time being, the concept is somewhat in limbo, especially as restaurants operate at reduced capacity. For the 400-seat Yes Buffet, an Asian catch-all eatery on St. James Street, halved or three-quarter capacity is still considerable, but the crowds havent been showing up in droves just yet, says manager Ivan Tang. "Its a very tough time, especially for buffets," he said. The restaurants sales model is designed almost entirely around self-service, and in the span of four months, thats all changed. Sachit Mehras family has been running restaurants in Winnipeg since the 1960s, and in 1994 started East India Company, which has grown to become the biggest Indian buffet in central Canada, he says. While the restaurant has always offered a full menu, the buffet concept played a major part in showing uninitiated diners the different options available. "Our business has always been about educating the public at a cultural level. Once we do that, they develop an appreciation, and after that, they assign a value," he said. JOHN WOODS / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS I get a lot of phone calls daily asking when the buffet will be back. Unfortunately, thats the one thing Im never able to answer, Choudhary says. Customers liked what they tasted, and the restaurants buffet became a favourite. The kitchen was oriented to produce food for the buffet crowd, and the Mehras got it down to a science. COVID-19 forced them to pivot, retooling their kitchen for takeout service at first, and then, when they finally reopened the dining room in June, toward a menu-based production line. Mehra likened it to switching from driving a basic sedan to jumping behind the wheel of a racecar. Like Ivory and Yes, East India Company is offering a platter-style replacement for the buffet experience thats delivered straight to the table. Those restaurants are also dealing with another change: its no longer all you can eat. Its a departure from the normal state of affairs, but Mehra said the response has been positive from customers who are happy the restaurant is open at all. "The main problem were facing is customer confidence and public sentiment," he said. "And that will take time." Choudhary agreed, saying that patience is a virtue. Its something he stressed to the group of six who came for lunch a few weeks back. "Once I explained, they understood, and they gladly ordered off the menu," he said. "But its tough to come in expecting what you had before." ben.waldman@freepress.mb.ca MONTREAL - As Canada's two largest airlines move to end so-called seat distancing, travellers have mixed feelings about stepping on board an aircraft in the age of COVID-19. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 30/6/2020 (355 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Air passenger Karen Kabiri is shown at Pierre Trudeau International Airport in Montreal, Monday, June 29, 2020. One day before Canada's two largest airlines end so-called seat distancing, travellers have mixed feelings about stepping on board an aircraft in the age of COVID-19. Starting on Canada Day, Air Canada and WestJet will resume the sale of adjacent seats, which they had largely blocked to help prevent viral spread. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christopher Reynolds MONTREAL - As Canada's two largest airlines move to end so-called seat distancing, travellers have mixed feelings about stepping on board an aircraft in the age of COVID-19. Starting on Canada Day, Air Canada and WestJet will resume the sale of adjacent seats, which they had largely blocked to help prevent viral spread. Canada's public health officer has expressed reservations about the practice, though it is permitted under federal transportation rules. "We really feel it is important to avoid the close physical contact as much as possible. And if not, wear the medical mask," Dr. Theresa Tam said Monday. Masks or face coverings have been mandatory on flights since April 20. Even so, "there are some difficult decisions for travellers, for sure," Tam added, saying individuals should assess their own risk levels and need to fly. Karen Kabiri took his first plane trip in five years on Monday after learning his mother had died in Iran the day before just 20 days after his father. "Its very, very hard for us. That's why I'm going there right now, to help my sister," said Kabiri, 44. The piano teacher from Toronto, who stopped over in Montreal before continuing on to Tehran via Qatar to help with funeral arrangements, spent several hours outside the terminal at Trudeau airport with his other sister, who lives in the area but could not make the trip. Enduring a light drizzle, the siblings adhered to Transport Canada rules that prevent anyone but staff and passengers from entering airports. Kabiri said he had concerns about stepping into a packed cabin, though he credited Air Canada for providing all passengers with a mask, gloves, disinfectant wipes and a water bottle. "It's a little bit scary for everybody. You can see many people are affected by COVID-19," he said. "It's very hard for everybody in these situations to travel. But sometimes an emergency is happening." Claire Parois and her five-year-old daughter climbed aboard a Monday flight bound for her home country of France to join her parents after receiving approval to continue telecommuting until late August. "We decided to spend the rest of the summer at my parents' house where I don't have to do the full-time parenting and full-time working at the same time, which I've been doing in the past 15 or 16 weeks," said Parois, who works for the United Nations in Montreal. "It's been really, really, really challenging. "My main concern would be to get infected and then infect my parents. Otherwise I'm not too worried," she said. With Canada's border still closed to nearly all non-residents, international travel has barely budged since dropping by more than 95 per cent year over year in April. However, domestic travel is expected to edge up in the coming weeks and months as interprovincial restrictions loosen and the economy continues to reopen. Anthony Morgan, who works on a Great Lakes bulk carrier, said he has a harder time with pandemic protocols on the water than in the sky. Until Monday, the 39-year-old wheelsman hadn't stepped off the boat in three months. "It's like almost pulling your head off and bootin' it over the side," he said of being confined to the freighter. "But flying home I definitely don't feel like I got any concerns." Morgan took off Monday for St. John's, Nfld. and plans to spend his month of downtime close to home in his outport community near the provincial capital. That includes two weeks of self-isolation after landing. The sudden return of middle-seat sales is not unique to Canadian carriers. Michelline Nesrallah said there was no distancing on her packed Qatar Airways flight back to Canada. "There was no temperature screening when we got into the Qatari airport," added the 39-year-old teacher who moved back to Ottawa this week after spending most of the past 14 years in the Gulf state. "People aren't really taking it as seriously as they should," she said. "I was standing at the baggage counter and this woman was literally touching me with her arm. And I said, 'Sister, you have to stand back.' Transport Canada listed physical distancing among the "key points" in preventing the spread of the virus, part of a guide it issued to the aviation industry in April. "Operators should develop guidance for spacing passengers aboard aircraft when possible to optimize social distancing," the document states. Some health experts have highlighted the risks of spreading COVID in crowded airports and sardine-tin cabins. "Once it's in the cabin, it's difficult to stop air moving around,'' Tim Sly, an epidemiologist and professor emeritus at Ryerson University's School of Public Health, said in a recent interview. However Joseph Allen, director of the Harvard public health school's Healthy Buildings program, has said the HEPA air filters used on most planes effectively control airborne bacteria and viruses. In line with federal directives, Air Canada and WestJet conduct pre-boarding temperature checks and require masks on board. Both airlines also implemented enhanced aircraft cleaning and scaled back their in-flight service in late March, cutting out hot drinks, hot meals and fresh food. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 30, 2020. Companies in this story: (TSX:AC) There will be no more Notre Dame Avenue sleepovers for Peter Nygard. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 30/6/2020 (355 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. There will be no more Notre Dame Avenue sleepovers for Peter Nygard. On Tuesday, a judge approved a motion by court-appointed receiver Richter Advisory Group to proceed with a purchase offer by Mist Holdings Inc. for the Notre Dame Avenue property that is a namesake business of Nygards. Thats the same property Nygard claimed housed an apartment that was his primary residence upon returning to Winnipeg from the Bahamas a year and a half ago. At a hearing last week, Nygard lawyer Wayne Onchulenko argued Nygard is protected by COVID-19 provincial legislation that prohibits landlords from evicting tenants until Sept. 30. But Justice James Edmond said Tuesday he agreed with the receiver that there was no evidence of any tenancy agreement between Nygard and the company that bears his name, noting the property is not zoned for residential use. "The evidence establishes that to the extent there was an agreement, it was an accommodation with Mr. Nygard while he was performing duties on behalf of the Nygard Group of Companies to use the space on a temporary basis only, not a residential tenancy agreement," Edmond said. "If Mr. Nygard was a tenant of 1340 Notre Dame, I would have expected that his counsel would have advanced this position at the time an application to appoint a receiver was heard in court in March," he said. "At no time did Mr. Nygard advance the position in court that he was a tenant at 1340 Notre Dame until the day before (last weeks) hearing." A judge said there was no evidence of any tenancy agreement between Peter Nygard and the company that bears his name and noted the property is not zoned for residential use. (John Woods / Winnipeg Free Press) In an affidavit, Nygard said the locks to the residence were changed while he was away and he was notified by the receiver he would have to vacate the premises by June 5. "It was always my intention to continue my residency at 1340 Notre Dame during the summer, even though I spent most of my time at my summer (Falcon Lake) residence," Nygard said in the affidavit. Nygard said he instructed two "associates" to pick up some of his belongings, but they were prevented by the receiver from removing several personal items, including physical training equipment, a 1977 Excalibur, and 2005 Hummer, as well as property belonging to the estate of his late sister. Nygard said he made an offer to the receiver last March to buy or rent the two separate buildings that make up the apartment and his offices, but they "remain outstanding." Edmond said Nygards offer to lease or buy apartment and office space on the property is "not reasonable or practical under the circumstances." Edmond rejected submissions by Nygards lawyer that Richter should have accepted a more lucrative offer for the property. That offer, Emond said, was "highly conditional" and included a 45-day waiting period. "I am satisfied the receiver has made sufficient effort to get the best price," Edmond said. "This court is not in a position to second guess the receivers opinion of the second offer." The Nygard Group of Companies was placed in receivership in March after creditors White Oak Commercial Finance and Second Avenue Capital Partners sought repayment of a US$25-million loan. A class-action lawsuit filed that month in the U.S. accuses Nygard of sexual misconduct against 57 women. Nygard has repeatedly maintained his innocence. dean.pritchard@freepress.mb.ca MOSCOW - Russian voters approved changes to the constitution that will allow President Vladimir Putin to potentially hold power until 2036, but the weeklong plebiscite that concluded Wednesday was tarnished by widespread reports of pressure on voters and other irregularities. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 1/7/2020 (355 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. FILE - In this June 22, 2020, file photo, a worker cleans an electronic scoreboard reading "All-Russia voting, July 1, Our Constitution" in the center of Moscow, Russia. Russian President Vladimir Putin is just a step away from bringing about the constitutional changes that would allow him to extend his rule until 2036. The vote that would reset the clock on Putins tenure in office and allow him to serve two more six-year terms is set to wrap up Wednesday, July 1, 2020. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko, File) MOSCOW - Russian voters approved changes to the constitution that will allow President Vladimir Putin to potentially hold power until 2036, but the weeklong plebiscite that concluded Wednesday was tarnished by widespread reports of pressure on voters and other irregularities. With three-fourths of all precincts counted, 77.6% voted for the constitutional amendments, according to election officials. For the first time in Russia, polls were kept open for a week to bolster turnout without increasing crowds casting ballots amid the coronavirus pandemic a provision that Kremlin critics denounced as an extra tool to manipulate the outcome. Russian President Vladimir Putin shows his passport to a member of an election commission as he arrives to take part in voting at a polling station in Moscow, Russia, Wednesday, July 1, 2020. The vote on the constitutional amendments that would reset the clock on Russian President Vladimir Putin's tenure and enable him to serve two more six-year terms is set to wrap up Wednesday. (Alexei Druzhinin, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP) A massive propaganda campaign and the oppositions failure to mount a co-ordinated challenge helped Putin get the result he wanted, but the plebiscite could end up eroding his position because of the unconventional methods used to boost participation and the dubious legal basis for the balloting. The amendments that would allow Putin to run for two more six-year terms, in 2024 and 2030, are part of a package of constitutional changes that also outlaw same-sex marriage, mention a belief in God as a core value and emphasize the primacy of Russian law over international norms. Voters could not cast ballots on the individual amendments, only on the entire group. Nationwide turnout was reported at 65% of the electorate. A woman wearing a face mask to protect against coronavirus infection reads her ballot at a polling station in St. Petersburg, Russia, Wednesday, July 1, 2020. The vote on the constitutional amendments that would reset the clock on Russian President Vladimir Putin's tenure and enable him to serve two more six-year terms is set to wrap up Wednesday. (AP Photo/Dmitri Lovetsky) Kremlin critics and independent election observers questioned the turnout figures. We look at neighbouring regions, and anomalies are obvious there are regions where the turnout is artificially (boosted), there are regions where it is more or less real, Grigory Melkonyants, co-chair of the independent election monitoring group Golos, told The Associated Press. Putin voted at a Moscow polling station, dutifully showing his passport to the election worker. His face was uncovered, unlike most of the other voters who were offered free masks at the entrance. The vote completes a convoluted saga that began in January, when Putin first proposed constitutional changes including broadening the powers of parliament and redistributing authority among the branches of government. Those proposals stoked speculation he might seek to become parliamentary speaker or chairman of the State Council when his presidential term ends in 2024. Members of the election commission wearing face masks to protect against coronavirus infection speak with a voter keeping a distance at a polling station in St. Petersburg, Russia, Wednesday, July 1, 2020. The vote on the constitutional amendments that would reset the clock on Russian President Vladimir Putin's tenure and enable him to serve two more six-year terms is set to wrap up Wednesday. (AP Photo/Dmitri Lovetsky) His intentions became clear only hours before a vote in parliament, when legislator Valentina Tereshkova, a Soviet-era cosmonaut who was the first woman in space in 1963, proposed letting him run two more times. The proposed changes were quickly passed by the Kremlin-controlled legislature. The 67-year-old Putin, who has been in power for more than two decades longer than any other Kremlin leader since Soviet dictator Josef Stalin said he would decide later whether to run again. He argued that resetting the term count was necessary to keep his lieutenants focused on their work instead of darting their eyes in search for possible successors. Analyst Gleb Pavlovsky, a former Kremlin political consultant, said Putins push to hold the vote despite the fact that Russia has thousands of new coronavirus infections each day reflected his potential vulnerabilities. Putin lacks confidence in his inner circle and hes worried about the future, Pavlovsky said. He wants an irrefutable proof of public support. A voter wearing a face mask to protect against the coronavirus casts her ballot at a polling station in Moscow, Russia, Wednesday, July 1, 2020. The vote on the constitutional amendments that would reset the clock on Russian President Vladimir Putin's tenure and enable him to serve two more six-year terms is set to wrap up Wednesday. (AP Photo/Pavel Golovkin) Even though the parliament's approval was enough to make it law, the 67-year-old Russian president put his constitutional plan to voters to showcase his broad support and add a democratic veneer to the changes. But then the coronavirus pandemic engulfed Russia, forcing him to postpone the April 22 plebiscite. The delay made Putins campaign blitz lose momentum and left his constitutional reform plan hanging as the damage from the virus mounted and public discontent grew. Plummeting incomes and rising unemployment during the outbreak have dented his approval ratings, which sank to 59%, the lowest level since he came to power, according to the Levada Center, Russias top independent pollster. Moscow-based political analyst Ekaterina Schulmann said the Kremlin had faced a difficult dilemma: Holding the vote sooner would have brought accusations of jeopardizing public health for political ends, while delaying it raised the risks of defeat. Holding it in the autumn would have been too risky, she said. In Moscow, several activists briefly lay on Red Square, forming the number 2036 with their bodies in protest before police stopped them. Some others in Moscow and St. Petersburg staged one-person pickets and police didnt intervene. Members of an election commission, wearing face masks and gloves to protect against coronavirus count ballots after voting at a polling station in eastern Siberian city of Chita, Russia, Wednesday, July 1, 2020. Russia's vote on constitutional amendments that could allow President Vladimir Putin to extend his rule until 2036 entered its final day Wednesday amid widespread reports of pressure on voters and other irregularities. (AP Photo) Several hundred opposition supporters later rallied in central Moscow to protest the changes, defying a ban on public gatherings imposed for the coronavirus outbreak. Police didnt intervene and even handed masks to the participants. Authorities mounted a sweeping effort to persuade teachers, doctors, workers at public sector enterprises and others who are paid by the state to cast ballots. Reports surfaced from across the vast country of managers coercing people to vote. The Kremlin has used other tactics to boost turnout and support for the amendments. Prizes ranging from gift certificates to cars and apartments were offered as an encouragement, voters with Russian passports from eastern Ukraine were bused across the border to vote, and two regions with large number of voters Moscow and Nizhny Novgorod allowed electronic balloting. In Moscow, some journalists and activists said they were able to cast their ballots both online and in person in a bid to show the lack of safeguards against manipulations. People protest against constitutional amendments on Palace Square in St. Petersburg, Russia, Wednesday, July 1, 2020. The vote on the constitutional amendments that would reset the clock on Russian President Vladimir Putin's tenure and enable him to serve two more six-year terms is set to wrap up Wednesday. (AP Photo/Dmitri Lovetsky). Kremlin critics and independent monitors pointed out that the relentless pressure on voters coupled with new opportunities for manipulations from a week of early voting when ballot boxes stood unattended at night eroded the standards of voting to a striking new low. In addition to that, the early voting sanctioned by election officials but not reflected in law further eroded the ballots validity. Many criticized the Kremlin for lumping more than 200 proposed amendments together in one package without giving voters a chance to differentiate among them. I voted against the new amendments to the constitution because it all looks like a circus, said Yelena Zorkina, 45, after voting in St. Petersburg. How can people vote for the whole thing if they agree with some amendments but disagree with the others?" A woman wears a face mask to protect against coronavirus infection with a sign "No to Putin" during a protest against constitutional amendments at the Palace Square in St.Petersburg, Russia, Wednesday, July 1, 2020. The vote on the constitutional amendments that would reset the clock on Russian President Vladimir Putin's tenure and enable him to serve two more six-year terms is set to wrap up Wednesday. (AP Photo/Dmitri Lovetsky) Putin supporters were not discouraged by being unable to vote separately on the proposed changes. Taisia Fyodorova, a 69-year-old retiree in St. Petersburg, said she voted yes because I trust our government and the president. In a frantic effort to get the vote, polling station workers set up ballot boxes in courtyards and playgrounds, on tree stumps and even in car trunks unlikely settings derided on social media that made it impossible to ensure a clean vote. In Moscow, there were reports of unusually high numbers of at-home voters, with hundreds visited by election workers in a matter of hours, along with multiple complaints from monitors that paperwork documenting the turnout was being concealed from them. At the same time, monitoring the vote became more challenging due to hygiene requirements and more arcane rules for election observers. The Golos monitoring group pointed out at unusual differences between neighbouring regions: in the Siberian republic of Tyva over 73% voted in the first five days, while in the neighbouring Irkutsk region, turnout was about 22% and in the neighbouring republic of Altai, it was under 33%. These differences can be explained only by forcing people to vote in certain areas or by rigging, Golos said. Observers warned that the methods used to boost turnout, combined with bureaucratic hurdles that hindered independent monitoring, would undermine the vote's legitimacy. There is a big question about the results of this vote, Melkonyants said, adding that its outcome "cant really bear any legal standing. Associated Press writers Irina Titova in St. Petersburg and Jim Heintz in Moscow contributed to this report. The City of Brandon is making preparations in case flooding occurs along the Assiniboine River in the next 24 hours. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 30/6/2020 (355 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. The City of Brandon is making preparations in case flooding occurs along the Assiniboine River in the next 24 hours. In a release sent out this afternoon, the city said pumps are being placed in areas that may require drainage, and plans are being made in case the dike opening at the intersection of 18th Street North and Grand Valley Road (Provincial Road 459) needs to be closed. The water level in the Assiniboine River going through Brandon rose two feet in 24 hours as a result of Sunday's storms. While the city has been urging locals to keep their vehicles off the dikes recently, staff are asking that everyone stay away from the river and off the dike infrastructure. As of midday today, the city said the water level in the river is 1,170.35 feet above sea level. The earthen dike system along the Assiniboine River is at an elevation of 1,184 feet above sea level at First Street. City operations staff are still working on clearing debris and standing water from Sunday's storm. Calls for further service can be sent to public works or parks & recreation by calling 204-729-2285. Damage to city-maintained trees should also be called into the number above. Residents are encouraged, if it is safe to do so, to clear tree debris off of streets and out of laneways to prevent traffic from being impeded until crews arrive. Empty sandbags and sand are available for free on a first-come, first-serve basis at the Civic Services Complex at 900 Richmond Ave during regular business hours. Residents who have had water enter their homes as a result of the storm can pick up cleanup kits provided free of charge by the Canadian Red Cross on a first-come, first serve basis from Brandon City Hall during regular business hours from the Louise Avenue entrance. Note that both City Hall and the Civic Services Complex will be closed on Canada Day. These kits contain an anti-mould cleaning product, a mop, rags, rubber gloves and a face shield. The Brandon Sun Manitoba is expected to nearly triple its all-time highest deficit this year at least. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 30/6/2020 (355 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Manitoba is expected to nearly triple its all-time highest deficit this year at least. Premier Brian Pallister and Finance Minister Scott Fielding said Tuesday if the province stays on course with its positive pandemic recovery, they're expecting a $2.9 billion deficit nearly three times the record deficit of $1 billion in 2011-12 following a disastrous flood. The province released an economic and fiscal update Tuesday after COVID-19 derailed its initial March budget that planned to cut the deficit to $220 million and the provincial sales tax by one per cent. Now, as long as Manitoba's economic recovery continues, a $2.9 billion deficit is anticipated, Fielding said at a press conference with the premier. That number was arrived at as the "consensus forecast" based on nine bond rating agencies, banks and other economic indicators. If COVID-19 makes a comeback and there is a prolonged economic downturn, the deficit could rise to $5 billion. As things stands, the province expects to borrow $9.5 billion, up from $5.9 billion set out in the March budget, Fielding said. And Pallister, who said the promised PST cut would be postponed until next year, isn't so sure it will happen. "I wouldn't want to commit to that at this point in time," the premier told reporters. Premier Brian Pallister (right) and Finance Minister Scott Fielding said if the province stays on course with its positive pandemic recovery, they're expecting a $2.9 billion deficit. (Jesse Boily / Winnipeg Free Press) "Manitoba is facing an unprecedented fiscal challenge because of COVID-19," Fielding said. He's expecting a $1.5 billion decline in revenue that could grow to a $3 billion loss if Manitoba's recovery stalls and there's a downturn. Pallister, who staked his reputation on balancing Manitoba's budget, said one of the ways to get the province out of the hole is to get people back to work. The province's program offering Manitobans up to $2,000 to get off the Canada Emergency Response Benefit and back on the job is an example, he said. "Just in the last few days we've already had 644 Manitobans (apply to) get off the CERB program," Pallister said. The payment offsets the penalty they'd incur if they earned more than the $1,000 in monthly wages they're allowed to make and still collect CERB. "As more people choose to go back to work, clearly more businesses can begin to reopen on a fuller basis." As it stands, Manitoba's GDP is expected to drop five per cent this year and increase five per cent next year. "COVID-19 is substantially increasing our expenditures and lowering revenues in 2020-21," Fielding said. Manitoba's total debt is projected to exceed $29 billion, with a net debt-to-GDP ratio growing to 41 per cent from 34.2 per cent in the March budget. "Manitoba must grow its way out of this crisis," said Fielding. "We're making important investments to protect Manitobans from COVID-19 to help people get back to work." Finance Minister Scott Fielding says the province is facing an unprecedented fiscal challenge. (Jesse Boily / Winnipeg Free Press) Manitoba says as a percentage of GDP, it is spending more than any other province except Quebec on its pandemic response -- with $2.1 billion or 2.9 per cent of its GDP. The money is going toward infrastructure spending, health care and direct payments to individuals and businesses who will benefit from savings on taxes and fees. The biggest chunk of that is $600 million for the Manitoba Restart capital program. That pot of money will now be used for projects including the St. Mary's Road interchange at Highway 1 that the province had already planned to build. The second-biggest expense is $360 million for personal protective equipment (PPE) followed by $280 million for safety upgrades to personal care homes, $120 million for the risk recognition program's one-time payment to front-line workers and $120 million for the gap protection program. Critics say the fiscal update announced on the eve of Canada Day does little to address the economic abyss many Manitobans are facing. "What the government put out today is all about building a narrative to justify more cuts to programs and jobs and wages," said NDP Opposition Leader Wab Kinew. "What this government fails to understand is the number one priority right now should be healing businesses that are struggling and putting people back to work." The fiscal update failed to mention $860 million in spending cuts in the public sector, Kinew told reporters on the legislature grounds. "The big thing missing is a cohesive back to work plan," said Kinew, who called the fiscal update a "missed opportunity." "Rather than coming up with new measures and new initiatives today that are going to help us rebound quickly, they've repackaged previous announcments and continue to shame people on the CERB," said Kinew. The fiscal update should have been presented in the house where the government's spending plan could've been scrutinized, he said. "They've dug a six-foot hole with their cuts and with this flimsy document today they're promising to fill it back in five feet and then they expect a pat on the back for that and they call that a restart," said Kinew. "Meanwhile, our economy is headed for a relapse because we know that there's still small businesses struggling and there's still so many people out of work." The Liberals accused the Pallister government of "number-fudging." The document release Tuesday rebranded $1.24-billion in spending that was going to happen anyway as COVID-19 measures, a statement by Liberal leader Dougald Lamont said. carol.sanders@freepress.mb.ca Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-01 10:14:07|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close LUANDA, July 1 (Xinhua) -- The Global Fund will provide over the next three years 82.6 million U.S. dollars to Angola to fight AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria, said the Angolan Health Ministry after a meeting with the fund on Tuesday. Mark Edington, head of the Global Fund grant management, announced that the grant will be available as soon as the country submits a request for financing, according to a statement by the ministry. During the video conference, Angolan Health Minister Silvia Lutucuta presented the progress of a roadmap signed between the two sides in January 2020, said the statement. The roadmap contains measures to strengthen the partnership between the Global Fund and Angola. Edington confirmed the Global Fund's satisfaction with Angola's progress in implementing the main reforms of the roadmap, the statement said. The Global Fund is an international financial organization created in January 2002, with the aim of raising and distributing resources to prevent and treat AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. Enditem Slap on some hand sanitizer, gather round the computer and get ready to celebrate Canadian confederation 2020-style. The coronavirus pandemic has turned most Canada Day parties into virtual affairs this year and officials are encouraging Manitobans to keep public health guidelines in mind during the holiday. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 1/7/2020 (355 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Slap on some hand sanitizer, gather round the computer and get ready to celebrate Canadian confederation 2020-style. The coronavirus pandemic has turned most Canada Day parties into virtual affairs this year and officials are encouraging Manitobans to keep public health guidelines in mind during the holiday. In a media release Tuesday, the province reminded residents to practise physical distancing and follow public gathering restrictions while celebrating at home, at the cottage or at a campground on July 1. Gatherings in phase three of the provinces reopening plan are limited to 50 people indoors and 100 people outdoors with physical distancing enforced. Here are some virtual alternatives to gathering on Canada Day: The Forks While The Forks hosted a reported 100,000 people during its Canada Day festivities in 2019, the grounds will be a lot emptier this year. The organization has cancelled its live concerts and fireworks display and is opting instead for an hour-long virtual variety show. Viewers can tune in on Facebook or YouTube at 2 p.m. today for performances by Al Simmons, Slow Leaves, Kal Barteski, Lara Rae, Taylor Janzen and the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, among others. The show has been pre-recorded and also includes a virtual fireworks display by Archangel Fireworks. Saint-Boniface Celebrate Canada Day and learn a little about Winnipegs French quarter with a virtual neighbourhood tour and concert hosted by Passion Histoire Saint-Boniface. Host Barney Morin will lead a virtual tour through the sites of Saint-Boniface, followed by musical performances by francophone artists Madame Diva, Andrina Turenne, Hakim Moussaoui and Justin Lacroix. The live stream starts at 1 p.m. on Tourisme Riels YouTube channel. Canadian Heritage Tune in with people from across the country to watch virtual performances of homegrown talent hosted by the federal government. On July 1, Canadian Heritage will be streaming two shows on its Facebook and YouTube channels on July 1. The daytime performance kicks off at noon and features Manitoba musicians Sierra Noble, Faouzia, Kelly Bado, Olivia Lunny, JP Hoe and Burnstick. The two-hour evening show starts at 7 p.m. and the lineup includes Alanis Morissette, Avril Lavigne, Sarah McLachlan, Alan Doyle, The Jerry Cans and The Sheepdogs; as well as a dance performance by Alanna McAdie of the Royal Winnipeg Ballet. Citizenship ceremony Join in celebrating Canadas newest citizens by tuning into a virtual citizenship ceremony on July 1, hosted by the Institute for Canadian Citizenship, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada and MaRS Discovery District, a tech startup company. The event will be streamed on MaRS livestream channel beginning at 1 p.m. It will include interviews with new citizens who are frontline workers, a performance by drum group Warrior Women and a greeting from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. An off-duty Manitoba RCMP officer discharged his gun within his home last week, prompting the province's police watchdog to investigate. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 30/6/2020 (355 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. An off-duty Manitoba RCMP officer discharged his gun within his home last week, prompting the province's police watchdog to investigate. The Independent Investigation Unit of Manitoba announced Tuesday it is looking into the June 27 incident, which was reported to the agency by the RCMP the same day. No injuries were reported as a result of the service weapon being discharged. The IIU's civilian director determined it is in the public interest to investigate the incident, according to the IIU's news release issued Tuesday. The IIU hasn't released any other details. OTTAWA Manitoba Premier Brian Pallister is disputing media reports that he helped block the term "systemic racism" from being used in a joint premiers' statement, but declined to offer his definition of that phrase Tuesday. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 30/6/2020 (355 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. OTTAWA Manitoba Premier Brian Pallister is disputing media reports that he helped block the term "systemic racism" from being used in a joint premiers' statement, but declined to offer his definition of that phrase Tuesday. "Being essentially accused of being a racist in an article in a newspaper that I used to have such respect for is hurtful, and it's wrong," Pallister said Tuesday in response to a Free Press article. He spoke out during a fiscal update at the Manitoba legislature. Last week, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he wasnt able to get consensus from premiers on including the words "systemic racism" in a joint, 318-word statement on anti-racism. The prime minister refused to point out which provinces held back during the Thursday phone call, but the Quebec newspaper Le Devoir reported that an unnamed source said Pallister wanted to leave out the word "systemic." Pallister insisted Tuesday he did not speak on the call in favour of, or in opposition to, using that word, calling it a "false story" with an erroneous source. Yet an official familiar with the situation, who was not authorized to speak with media, said Manitoba was hesitant to use the term when officials from provinces cobbled together the statement under the instruction of their premiers. On Monday, Pallisters office would not clarify what happened, saying it would violate confidentiality around Trudeaus call with the premiers, despite his counterparts from Alberta and Saskatchewan telling media they approved of using the word. Quebec had publicly opposed using the word "systemic." However, it's not only the province; when Trudeau spoke in French last week, he said provinces plural had opted against the phrasing. On Monday, Premier Brian Pallisters office would not clarify what happened, saying it would violate confidentiality around Trudeaus call with the premiers. (Jesse Boily / Winnipeg Free Press) On Tuesday, the premier himself said he didnt oppose including the phrase; he didnt say if he supported it. When asked to define systemic racism and whether it exists in Manitoba, the premier instead said his government had put more minorities and Indigenous people into public positions and boosted their economic opportunity. "Actions matter at least as much as adjectives," Pallister said. NDP Leader Wab Kinew suggested the premier might be uncomfortable using the term "systemic" racism, for fear of being misunderstood. "I found it quite disappointing that Mr. Pallister declined to define systemic racism as he sees it, or to admit theres a problem here in Manitoba," Kinew told reporters. "Insofar as a leader refuses to say the words out loud or to expound on the ideas and define an issue like systemic racism, they are showing a lack of consideration for this moment that were in." Anti-racism advocates have argued in recent weeks its important for public institutions to fess up to systemic racism and use that term, as it acknowledges institutions have structures that prevent equality, instead of just a few bad apples. A year ago, Pallister had loudly pushed against Quebec Bill 21, which forbids promotions and new hirings for teachers, judges and police officers who wear hijabs, turbans and kippas. with files from Carol Sanders dylan.robertson@freepress.mb.ca For the past two months, the head of St. Boniface Hospital has been overseeing her facility's response to the COVID-19 pandemic from her Montreal home and she won't be returning to Winnipeg until August. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 30/6/2020 (355 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. For the past two months, the head of St. Boniface Hospital has been overseeing her facility's response to the COVID-19 pandemic from her Montreal home and she won't be returning to Winnipeg until August. This comes after president and CEO Martine Bouchard was criticized last year for commuting to Quebec on weekends, sometimes spending as few as four days a week in the Manitoba capital. Bouchard took the helm of the province's second largest hospital a little over two years ago. She earned $283,481 in 2019. The hospital's board chair, Tom Carson, confirms Bouchard hasn't been at the facility since April, but he's signed off on the work arrangement. "Basically, the board is very happy with the way she's operating, with the way her team is operating, and with how well St. Boniface Hospital has handled the pandemic," he said in a telephone interview. SASHA SEFTER / FREE PRESS FILES President and CEO Martine Bouchard was criticized last year for commuting to Quebec on weekends, sometimes spending as few as four days a week in the Manitoba capital. Carson said Bouchard left the city at the end of April to attend to "a family emergency." With Quebec "an epicentre of COVID" in Canada, he said, the CEO is unable to return to Winnipeg "without major risk issues." "As the first wave of the pandemic subsides, she will be back in Winnipeg -- and that's likely in August or the very near future," Carson said, depending on public health rules. If Bouchard were to return to Winnipeg from Quebec now, she would have to self-isolate for 14 days, he said. Prior to the COVID-19 outbreak, Bouchard had been commuting between Montreal and Winnipeg. In the past, Carson has defended Bouchard's commutes, saying she's on call 24-7. "She is in constant contact. She is right now on a conference call with her executive team." Board chair Tom Carson A portion of the CEO's compensation is paid with private funds through the Catholic Health Corp of Manitoba, the hospital's sponsor. No public funds are used to cover Bouchard's commuting expenses, Carson has said. On Tuesday morning he said that the hospital's board is "fine" with its CEO working from Montreal during the pandemic. "She is in constant contact. She is right now on a conference call with her executive team," he said. Bouchard did not respond to a request for an interview. A spokeswoman for the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority declined comment. A spokesman for Health Minister Cameron Friesen also declined comment, referring the Free Press to the hospital's board of directors. MIKE DEAL / FREE PRESS FILES With Quebec "an epicentre of COVID" in Canada, board chair Tom Carson said, the CEO is unable to return to St. Boniface Hospital "without major risk issues." In addition to preparing for a potentially serious COVID-19 outbreak, St. Boniface Hospital has been planning the redevelopment and expansion of its emergency department, after receiving the go ahead from the province late last year. "She's been heavily involved in all of that," Carson said of Bouchard. "There has been no impact on her ability to do her job, from our perspective." Asked for comment, Darlene Jackson, president of the Manitoba Nurses Union, said nurses understand that working remotely is an important part of slowing the spread of COVID-19. In a statement, Jackson said it's also incumbent upon the leadership of St. Boniface Hospital to ensure it is "fully connected with what's happening at the hospital" in the midst of a pandemic. "Health care inherently requires nurses and other care providers to be present every day to care for their patients. In turn, to ensure that patients and staff are receiving the best support possible, we would hope that the president is able to maintain a presence in the facility, especially in anticipation of a second wave," the MNU president said. larry.kusch@freepress.mb.ca During this pandemic, historians have been consulted like the Oracle of Delphi. Is COVID-19 like the Black Death? The 1918 flu? What lessons of history can be applied to today? Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 1/7/2020 (355 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Opinion During this pandemic, historians have been consulted like the Oracle of Delphi. Is COVID-19 like the Black Death? The 1918 flu? What lessons of history can be applied to today? But can history show us what we want to know? In some ways, yes. In others, no. And we need to broaden what we ask. As a historian of medicine, North Africa and France, I find we are using some lessons but ignoring others. Pandemic histories are useful, but how they connect with race, public health, revolution, labour, gender and colonial histories will help us explain the present and predict the future. Lessons learned: COVID-19 responses using pandemic history Some history lessons have been put to use right away, such as social distancing. At University of Michigan, Dr. Howard Markel compared cities in the United States during the 1918-19 flu pandemic and showed the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention how early, strict social distancing measures worked to slow infection rates. Countries around the world now use his concept, "flattening the curve." Not bad for the history of medicine, a field the Lancet declared "moribund" in 2014. Lessons ignored: Poverty and racism make you sick and dead Other pandemic lessons have been ignored, and they tragically unfold anew. The poor, the vulnerable and workers die in greater numbers. Social reformer Dr. Rudolph Virchow wrote in 1848: "Medical statistics will be our standard of measurement; we will weigh life for life and see where the dead lie thicker, among the workers or among the privileged." Poor neighbourhoods have the highest death tolls. Reformers maps from the 1800s demonstrated this in the United Kingdom (Edwin Chadwick, 1834) and France (Rene Villerme, 1832). The same pattern has emerged in 2020 in New York (the Bronx) and Montreal (North Montreal). A pandemic is not the great equalizer, contrary to Madonnas "Reflections from the Bathtub." Inequality of income, housing, work and opportunity are the inequities that made death "a social disease" for social reformers Chadwick, Villerme and Virchow. We now call these factors the "social determinants of health." That is why structural racism can be a death sentence. Data show that pandemics have disproportionately affected African-Americans and Indigenous peoples. Virchow demanded social justice as the solution: full employment, higher wages and universal education. Policy-makers had months to protect vulnerable populations from COVID-19. Why didnt they? History explains that too. Cholera: Change happens when people rise up If history shows one thing, its that rich people and politicians do not want to pay for sewers, schools, hospitals, old age pensions or worker safety. The deaths of the poor themselves did not move politicians in France, Germany or Britain to big policy changes. Like the 19th-century economist Thomas Malthus, some elites even argued that such deaths are "natural," or in Texas recently, beneficial to society. So how does change come? Change came because people rose up in a series of political revolutions across Europe in 1848. Workers rose in massive strikes and revolutionary action. The fear of Marxist revolution brought health care and the welfare state to the people in Bismarcks Germany. And cholera pandemic also showed elites their vulnerability. If enough people are sick, if the air and water are contaminated, even rich people can die. Today you can tour the magnificent sewers of Paris and drink filtered water in Hamburg, because the rich realized they can get sick, too. Madonna was right on that one. Health and rights are inseparable If enough people get sick and hungry and angry, there will be revolution. We wave flags for France on July 14, the anniversary of the storming of the Bastille in 1789 that launched the French Revolution. But the day before, "bread riots" broke out and people carried food away. The combination of tyranny and physical suffering started the revolution. Health and human rights are inseparably tied together. A government that does not allow its citizens to survive, to eat, to breathe, to live, is illegitimate. By what right does it rule? The current protests in the U.S. demanding recognition of African-American lives illustrate this fundamental nature of politics. A contemporary example of revolution to demand health and rights was the Arab Spring in 2011. A young man, Mohamed Bouazizi, lit himself on fire and his fellow citizens saw themselves in his suffering: I also cannot eat, work, have shelter or raise a family in this country. Tunisia toppled its president and wrote a new constitution. Authoritarianism is bad for health, because public health relies on good governance. Democracy is good for health. In 1794, French revolutionaries created the first public health system, for the "citizen-as-patient." Lessons from COVID-19 to global health history COVID-19 is also teaching history new lessons. For one, pandemics were widely considered a thing of the past. The "developed" world expected that modern sanitation and medicine would eliminate infectious disease as a primary cause of death, known also as the "epidemiologic transition thesis." But "re-emerging infectious diseases" challenge this story. They are produced by modern economic and social practices. Environmental destruction opens pathways for viruses to jump from animals to humans; COVID-19, SARS, AIDS, H1N1 and the 1918 flu are all such "zoonotic" diseases. Modern injustices such as labour exploitation, inhumane incarceration and overcrowded refugee camps directly contribute to disease spread by creating unsafe living and working conditions. COVID-19 is helping societies rethink their histories, and how we should write history itself. Ellen J. Amster is an associate professor and Hannah Chair in the History of Medicine at McMaster University. This article was first published at The Conversation Canada: theconversation.com/ca. As it turns out, the noise deterrents installed under Winnipeg bridges have irritated more than their intended targets. The devices, which emit shrill beeps, were aimed at repelling people who gather under the bridges, but they have also annoyed city councillors who were unaware the instruments were being installed, and irked citizens who think they are an inhumane auditory assault on homeless people who seek shelter under bridges. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 30/6/2020 (355 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. As it turns out, the noise deterrents installed under Winnipeg bridges have irritated more than their intended targets. The devices, which emit shrill beeps, were aimed at repelling people who gather under the bridges, but they have also annoyed city councillors who were unaware the instruments were being installed, and irked citizens who think they are an inhumane auditory assault on homeless people who seek shelter under bridges. The sound-emitting devices were installed in early April at three bridges Esplanade Riel, Midtown and Maryland under the authority of Winnipeg public works director Jim Berezowsky. He later said he wasnt obligated to seek city councils approval because it was a pilot project that didnt require extra funding. He added that the noise deterrents are designed to discourage people from gathering because fires under bridges have damaged infrastructure. When Mr. Berezowskys initiative became public knowledge, thanks in large part to the audio in a video posted last week on Twitter, city councillors were displeased on two counts. Coun. Kevin Klein said elected officials should have been informed so they could vote on the project before the noise was switched on. Mayor Brian Bowman and other councillors said they were troubled because it seems a cruel way to treat people who are homeless. After considerable public pressure, the devices were turned off last Thursday, although they have not been removed. The noise-deterrent fiasco is the latest misstep by a city hall that seems incapable of dealing effectively with encampments erected by people who are homeless. MIKAELA MACKENZIE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Coun. Kevin Klein said elected officials should have been informed so they could vote on the project before the noise was switched on. Last month, protests broke out as the city dismantled two homeless camps near the Disraeli Freeway. On June 10, protesters surrounded the front doors of the nearby Manitoba Metis Federation, after it threatened to take legal action against the city if encampments were not removed. It should be clear by now that addressing homelessness requires strategies that are deeper than spending $1,750 apiece for noise deterrents or sending in bulldozers to knock over tents and makeshift shanties. Advocates for the homeless say the encampments are a consequence of Winnipegs lack of social housing, and that bolstering the citys stock of affordable housing would go a long way toward giving homeless people an alternative to the unhealthy and dangerous scenario of living outdoors. The return of silence under Winnipegs bridges shouldnt be viewed as a satisfactory resolution. Suitable and affordable accommodations wont be built overnight so, in the meantime, its incumbent on the city and province to boost the level of respectful outreach that helps people who are homeless. A disproportionate number live with mental illness and drug addictions, and they should be offered the compassionate care of trained professionals rather than stigma and isolation. Help should also include the opportunity for culturally appropriate intervention for the large percentage of homeless people who are Indigenous. Solutions should start with acknowledging the ineffectiveness of the current methods of rousting people who are homeless with noise deterrents or court orders to vacate public land. They may leave a site if forced, only to set up camp at another location. The problem is not solved, just transferred. The return of silence under Winnipegs bridges shouldnt be viewed as a satisfactory resolution. Rather, its a void that aptly symbolizes the lack of a long-term strategy that is effective and respectful. When it comes to addressing the issue of homelessness, a bit more in the way of sound thinking would be most welcome at city hall. HAVANA - With the coronavirus waning in Cuba, the government plans to restart its tourism industry by sending visitors to five narrow islands that will offer all-inclusive vacations and keep foreigners isolated from the rest of the nation. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 30/6/2020 (356 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Hotel maintenance worker Elgis Moreno is reflected on a mirror as he paints a room at the Capri Hotel, during a lockdown affecting tourism to curb the spread of the new coronavirus in Havana, Cuba, Wednesday, June 17, 2020. Foreign hospitality companies that manage most of the better hotels say they are hopeful to see tourists return at the latter stages of the country's opening plan, and Cuba says more normal tourism will return to the island by phase 3 with near-universal mask-wearing, social distancing, and COVID-19 tests for arriving travelers. (AP Photo/Ismael Francisco) HAVANA - With the coronavirus waning in Cuba, the government plans to restart its tourism industry by sending visitors to five narrow islands that will offer all-inclusive vacations and keep foreigners isolated from the rest of the nation. The state-run system scheduled to debut Wednesday is designed to reopen a vital source of economic activity without reintroducing the virus to the country of 11 million people, where new cases have dwindled to just a handful a day. Tourists will take charter flights to the islands or to central Cuba, where they will take tests to detect the virus. Those who are negative will proceed straight to their hotels or get on a bus going directly through mainland Cuba to one of the low-lying, sandy keys that are connected to the northern coast by bridges or ferries, according to recent government statements. Anyone who tests positive will be "isolated," presumably some combination of being quarantined and sent back home, though the details remain unclear. Many other Caribbean islands are reopening to tourists and imposing testing on new arrivals. But none has adopted a plan like Cubas that separates tourists almost entirely from the general population. Tourist buses to the resorts will be prohibited from making stops along the way, and police officers will be assigned to each bus to enforce the rule. Visitors will not be allowed to rent cars or take trips outside the fenced-in coastal resort areas. There is no indication that tourists will immediately start to arrive. Canada, Cubas biggest source of visitors, remains closed to nonessential travel until further notice. European countries also have strict travel rules in place. Like other Caribbean islands, Cuba is highly dependent on tourism. It earned an estimated $4.1 billion from 4.2 million tourist visits last year, around 10 per cent of gross domestic product, although the islands finances are highly opaque due to government secrecy and an unusual system of two currencies, neither of which holds value outside Cuba. After years of almost zero growth, the shutdown of international flights in March pushed Cuba into its most severe shortages and economic stagnation in many years, with long lines forming for basic products. A report from the Economic Commission on Latin America predicted a 3% to 5% drop in GDP for Cuba this year after years of stagnant growth that rarely topped 1%. Commerce, transportation and public spaces have been shut down almost completely for three months. The shutdown, combined with health monitoring and virus testing, has virtually eliminated COVID-19 in Cuba. With more than 2,000 tests performed daily, the number of new cases emerging each day has been fewer than 10, and often less than five, for several weeks. The new tourism model is somewhat reminiscent of past practices. Under longtime leader Fidel Castro, Cubans were prohibited from entering tourist hotels as part of a broader pattern of isolating the communist society from outside influence. Even before the coronavirus, some coastal resort keys were off limits to Cubans. The prohibition is now expanding to its greatest extent since Castros brother Raul took over and dropped many restrictions. Cuban hotel employees on the newly restricted keys will observe seven-day workweeks followed by seven days of isolation at home. Varadero, a popular, resort-studded peninsula less than a two-hour drive from Havana, will be divided into a section for Cubans and a section for international tourists, who will not mix with the general population, officials have said. The new measures are part of the first phase of a three-phase plan to move Cuba back to normal life, with phase three looking much like Cuba did before the virus. Cuba detected its first infections in a group of Italian tourists in the city of Trinidad in March. All of Cuba has moved to phase one with the exception of Havana, the capital of 2 million people where the new infections have been concentrated. Cuban tourism expert Jose Luis Perello said the July 1 date to begin the new system was "a sign of intent, on the part of Cuban authorities to show that the island was open again, "but first you need to know whos really ready to engage in tourism this year." U.S. rules prohibit American visitors from trips that would be strictly tourism, like those to coastal beach resorts. The foreign hospitality companies that manage most of Cuba's better hotels say they are hopeful that tourists will return to destinations like Havana in the latter stages of reopening. Cuba has said that more tourism will resume by phase three, albeit with near-universal mask wearing, social distancing and tests for arriving travellers. Cubas private hospitality sector remains closed to international business. For state-run tourism, the island's success in controlling the virus is becoming part of some companies' marketing plans. "The island is coming out of the pandemic experience stronger, from a public-health standpoint,'' said Juan Francisco Candeal, manager of the NH Capri Hotel. "I think that the message that's been transmitted is of a secure destination." Follow Andrea Rodriguez on Twitter at www.twitter.com/ARodriguezAP Hong Kong police made the first arrests Wednesday under a new national security law imposed by Chinas central government, as thousands of people defied tear gas and pepper pellets to protest against the contentious move on the anniversary of the former British colony's handover to Chinese rule. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 30/6/2020 (355 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Military helicopter carrying a China national flag and Hong Kong Special Administrative Region flags fly over the flag raising ceremony at the Golden Bauhinia Square to mark the anniversary of the Hong Kong handover to China in Hong Kong, Wednesday, July 1, 2020. Hong Kong marked the 23rd anniversary of its handover to China in 1997, one day after China enacted a national security law that cracks down on protests in the territory.(AP Photo/Kin Cheung) Hong Kong police made the first arrests Wednesday under a new national security law imposed by Chinas central government, as thousands of people defied tear gas and pepper pellets to protest against the contentious move on the anniversary of the former British colony's handover to Chinese rule. Police said 10 people were arrested under the law, including a man with a Hong Kong independence flag and a woman holding a sign displaying the British flag and calling for Hong Kong's independence all violations of the law that took effect Tuesday night. Others were detained for possessing items advocating independence. Hong Kong police said on Facebook that they arrested some 370 people on various charges, including unlawful assembly, possession of weapons and violating the new law, which was imposed in a move seen as Beijings boldest step yet to erase the legal firewall between the semi-autonomous territory and the mainlands authoritarian Communist Party system. The law, imposed following anti-government protests in Hong Kong last year, makes secessionist, subversive, or terrorist activities illegal, as well as foreign intervention in the citys internal affairs. Any person taking part in activities such as shouting slogans or holding up banners and flags calling for the citys independence is violating the law regardless of whether violence is used. The most serious offenders, such as those deemed to be masterminds behind these activities, could receive a maximum punishment of life imprisonment. Lesser offenders could receive jail terms of up to three years, short-term detention or restriction. Hong Kong's Chief Executive Carrie Lam, center, makes a toast with guests following the flag-raising ceremony to mark the anniversary of the Hong Kong handover to China, Wednesday, July 1, 2020. Hong Kong marked the 23rd anniversary of its handover to China in 1997, one day after China enacted a national security law that cracks down on protests in the territory.(AP Photo/Kin Cheung) Wednesday's arrests came as thousands took to the streets on the 23rd anniversary of Britain's handover of Hong Kong to China in 1997. For the first time, police banned this year's annual march. Protesters shouted slogans, lambasted police and held up signs condemning the Chinese government and the new security law. Some protesters set fires in Hong Kong's trendy shopping district, Causeway Bay, while others pulled bricks from sidewalks and scattered obstacles across roads in an attempt to obstruct traffic. To disperse protesters, police shot pepper spray and pepper balls, as well as deployed water cannons and tear gas throughout the day. Hong Kongs leader strongly endorsed the new law in a speech marking the anniversary of the handover of the territory officially called the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. A flag raising ceremony is held at the Golden Bauhinia Square to mark the anniversary of the Hong Kong handover to China in Hong Kong, Wednesday, July 1, 2020. Hong Kong marked the 23rd anniversary of its handover to China in 1997, one day after China enacted a national security law that cracks down on protests in the territory.(AP Photo/Kin Cheung) The enactment of the national law is regarded as the most significant development in the relationship between the central authorities and the HKSAR since Hong Kongs return to the motherland, chief executive Carrie Lam said in a speech, following a flag-raising ceremony and the playing of Chinas national anthem. It is also an essential and timely decision for restoring stability in Hong Kong, she said. A pro-democracy political party, The League of Social Democrats, organized a protest march during the flag-raising ceremony. About a dozen participants chanted slogans echoing demands from protesters last year for political reform and an investigation into accusations of police abuse. Hong Kong's Chief Executive Carrie Lam, center, speaks to guests following the flag-raising ceremony to mark the anniversary of the Hong Kong handover to China in Hong Kong, Wednesday, July 1, 2020. Hong Kong marked the 23rd anniversary of its handover to China in 1997, one day after China enacted a national security law that cracks down on protests in the territory.(AP Photo/Kin Cheung) The laws passage Tuesday further blurs the distinction between the legal systems of Hong Kong, which maintained aspects of British law after the 1997 handover, and the mainlands authoritarian Communist Party system. Critics say the law effectively ends the one country, two systems framework under which Hong Kong was promised a high degree of autonomy. Britains foreign secretary, Dominic Raab, told reporters Wednesday the law is a clear and serious violation of the Sino-British Joint Declaration, the agreement that paved the way for the former British colonys handover to Chinese rule. The law directly targets some of the actions of anti-government protesters last year, which included attacks on government offices and police stations, damage to subway stations and the shutdown of the citys international airport. Acts of vandalism against government facilities or public transit can be prosecuted as subversion or terrorism. Police display a new public announcement banner showing the warning to protesters in Causeway Bay before the annual handover march in Hong Kong, Wednesday, July. 1, 2020. Hong Kong marked the 23rd anniversary of its handover to China in 1997, and just one day after China enacted a national security law that cracks down on protests in the territory. The banner reads 'You are now displaying banners/shouting slogans/other acts with the intention of splitting the country or subverting state power. This may constitute a crime under the National Security Law. You may be arrested and prosecuted.' (AP Photo/Vincent Yu) Pro-democracy lawmaker Claudia Mo said in a news conference that the security legislation does not follow the rule of law and is a dire warning to the free press. This would tell you that they want not just to get us, but to intimidate us into inaction, into a catatonic state, Mo said. Hong Kong's police force said they would consider any flag or banner raised by protesters calling for Hong Kong's separation from China to be illegal as well as an expressions of support for independence for Tibet, Xinjiang or the self-governing island democracy of Taiwan that China claims as its own. Police placed a perimeter line to control the movements of protesters in Causeway Bay before the annual handover march in Hong Kong, Wednesday, July. 1, 2020. Hong Kong marked the 23rd anniversary of its handover to China in 1997, and just one day after China enacted a national security law that cracks down on protests in the territory. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung) Police will use a new purple flag to warn protesters if they display banners or shout slogans that may constitute a crime under the law. Concerns have also been raised over the fate of key opposition figures, some of whom have already been charged for taking part in protests, as well as the disqualification of candidates for Legislative Council elections scheduled for September. In Beijing, the executive deputy director of the Cabinets Hong Kong affairs office, Zhang Xiaoming, said Hong Kong people are allowed to criticize the ruling Communist Party but cannot turn those complaints into actions. Journalists run as police fire water cannons during a march against the new national security law on the anniversary of Hong Kong's handover to China from Britain in Hong Kong, Wednesday, July. 1, 2020. Hong Kong marked the 23rd anniversary of its handover to China in 1997, and just one day after China enacted a national security law that cracks down on protests in the territory. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung) What happened recently in Hong Kong has shown a deviation from the right track of the one country, two systems (framework), Zhang told reporters Wednesday. To some extent, we made this law in order to correct the deviation ... to pull it closer to one-country. Schools, social groups, media outlets, websites and others will be monitored and their national security awareness will be raised, according to the law, while the central government will have authority over the activities of foreign non-governmental organizations and media outlets in Hong Kong. The law says central government bodies in Hong Kong will take over in complicated cases and when there is a serious threat to national security. Local authorities are barred from interfering with central government bodies operating in Hong Kong while they are carrying out their duties. A women walks past a damaged coffee shop window from protests during the anniversary of Hong Kong's handover to China from Britain in Hong Kong, Wednesday, July. 1, 2020. Hong Kong marked the 23rd anniversary of its handover to China in 1997, and just one day after China enacted a national security law that cracks down on protests in the territory. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung) Security legislation was mandated under Hong Kongs local constitution, but an earlier attempt to pass it in the citys legislative body in 2003 was shelved because of massive public opposition. Beijing finally decided to circumvent the Hong Kong legislature and have the law passed Tuesday by the Standing Committee of the National Peoples Congress, Chinas rubber-stamp parliament. President Xi Jinping signed a presidential order putting the law into effect, and it has been added to the Basic Law, Hong Kongs constitution. The laws passage comes after Hong Kongs legislature in early June approved a contentious bill making it illegal to insult the Chinese national anthem. Protesters against the new security law start a fire to block traffic during a march marking the anniversary of the Hong Kong handover from Britain to China, Wednesday, July. 1, 2020, in Hong Kong. Hong Kong marked the 23rd anniversary of its handover to China in 1997, and just one day after China enacted a national security law that cracks down on protests in the territory. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung) On Wednesday, Raab, the British foreign secretary, announced the UK would extend residency rights for up to 3 million Hong Kong residents eligible for British National Overseas passports to five years from the current six-month limit. After five years, they could apply for settled status and then apply for citizenship 12 months later. The U.S. is moving to end special trade terms given to the territory. The Trump administration has also said it will bar defence exports to Hong Kong and will soon require licenses for the sale of items that have both civilian and military uses. The U.S. Congress has also moved to impose sanctions on people deemed connected to political repression in Hong Kong, including police officials. China has said it will impose visa restrictions on Americans it sees as interfering over Hong Kong. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo denounced the threat of a visa ban as a sign of how Beijing refuses to take responsibility for its own choices" and said the law's adoption destroys the territorys autonomy and one of Chinas greatest achievements." Beijings paranoia and fear of its own peoples aspirations have led it to eviscerate the very foundation of the territorys success," Pompeo said in a statement. Taiwan on Wednesday opened an office to facilitate migration from Hong Kong. AP video journalist Johnson Lai in Taipei and producer Wayne Zhang in Beijing contributed to this report. Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-01 10:25:00|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close WASHINGTON, June 30 (Xinhua) -- U.S. companies have filed for bankruptcy at the fastest pace since 2013 as the COVID-19 fallout continues to ripple through the country, The Financial Times reported on Tuesday. Citing data from legal services group Epiq, the report said a total of 3,427 companies have filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the United States this year, close to the 3,491 filings during the first half of 2008. "The data stand in contrast to an improving economic backdrop following hefty central bank support across the globe and economies starting to reopen," the report said, noting the pain already inflicted by the global pandemic is too much for some companies to recover from. "It is very difficult for these companies to operate in a near zero-revenue environment," Sudeep Kesh, head of credit market research at S&P Global Ratings, was quoted as saying. "They are facing a lot of pressure." During the last financial crisis, there were 8,614 company bankruptcies in the United States in 2008, and the number rose to 12,644 in 2009, according to the report. The report came as the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), a U.S. government aid program intended to help small businesses retain their employees during the COVID-19 crisis, was set to close Tuesday with more than 130 billion U.S. dollars left unused. U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said on Tuesday that the Trump administration supports legislation to repurpose the remaining funds in the PPP. "I've already had conversations with the SBA (Small Business Administration) committee in the Senate about repurpose that 135 billion dollars, and think that should be done, and look forward to working with both the House and the Senate so that we can pass legislation by the end of July," Mnuchin said at a hearing before the House Financial Services Committee. The aim should be "extending it to businesses that are most hard hit, that had a requirement that their revenues have dropped significantly, things like restaurants and hotels and others where it is critical to get people back to work," Mnuchin said. The PPP was conceived as a lifeline to small businesses shuttered by the coronavirus pandemic, but it also faced criticism as some big publicly traded companies secured millions of dollars of PPP loans. Amid mounting pressure from lawmakers and the public, the U.S. Treasury Department and the SBA said earlier this month that they would disclose information about businesses that take PPP loans of 150,000 dollars or more. Enditem I was deeply disappointed by your May 30 piece, War Against Their Own, by Rachel Mergen. She begins by misinforming the reader that the uprising in the Twin Cities was merely a riot. The truth is that the vast majority of participants were not rioters. They were peacefully protesting the injustice of George Floyds murder and the continuing presence of systemic racism. Do I condemn the minority that committed acts of violence? Absolutely, especially those outside agitators from the extreme left and right who came with the express intention of fermenting violence. She asserts that everyone [there] seems to have forgotten about the COVID-19 pandemic because people were not social distancing. If shed done her homework she would know that the disproportionate effect of this pandemic on Black Americans is yet another example of the systemic racism (in health care, employment) that protestors are fed up with. She tells the reader that she has mixed emotions. But not once does she share her emotions about the death of George Floyd. She does however express some sympathy for the emotions of the police. This is not balanced reporting. It is a classic example of how implicit bias works in journalism. This population of whooping cranes, known as the eastern migratory population, breeds mostly in Wisconsin and migrates to the southeast over winter. By Thompsons estimate, they number about 82, most of which were raised in captivity and then released. At least 13 of the adults spent their entire lives in the wild, she said. Due to a partner breeding center shutting down, their total population is lower than in the recent past, when they had reached about 100, Thompson said. But over the last two decades, ICF has learned a lot about reintroducing whooping cranes, she said. I think on the whole, were getting a lot better at kind of knowing what they need, she said. We are having some better breeding success. Were having a lot more chicks hatch in the wild the last five years or so; and now were starting to get more of them fledging. About 825 whooping cranes exist in the world, descended from 15 that had survived habitat loss and hunters in 1941 and migrated from Canada to Texas. Biologists are trying to establish two more flocks, including the eastern migratory, to mitigate disaster should anything happen to the original flock, now 500 strong, according to the Associated Press. There are 75 birds based in Louisiana. Support Local Journalism Your membership makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}} Captive breeding program The rift in the historical understanding of Columbus opened up between the younger residents speaking in favor of its removal at the hearing and older residents in favor of keeping it. Joe Roche of the town of Elba, who served on the Columbus School Board and police and fire commission, said he was amazed at the ignorance of history of Columbus High Schools students and young graduates. Christopher Columbus brought Christianity to the Americas, he said. We were founded as a Christian nation. Im proud of it. I hope you are. Our country has been great in the history of the world. Frank Roelke, a recent Columbus High School graduate who said he is a Christian, said the statue of Christopher Columbus does not represent what the city stands for and that he pities the people who disagree with him, adding that its the conquerors who write history. He said its an uncomfortable feeling to learn the history you were taught isnt what you thought it was, but its necessary to grow. At some point, the Christopher Columbus statue probably has to come down anyway, because its located on Wisconsin Department of Transportation road right-of-way, an issue that, as council member Katie Ryan put it, presents a ticking time bomb. In this country, we have plenty of offensive symbols of our racist past. We dont have to invent any. And we also should not, in a spate of thoughtlessness, try to erase all traces of a war that seared the soul of our country like no other. There was, after all, a right and a wrong to that war. The South was fighting to preserve the odious and inhuman practice of slavery. Whatever else revisionist amateur historians will tell you the Civil War was about, it was about slavery. Period. The South was also fighting against our country. Against the United States of America. That should not be forgotten. To the defenders of Robert E. Lee, who characterize him as an intelligent man of principle, spare us. He was a traitor who made a choice to be one. Yes, he was defending his state. But he did so by fighting his nation. Closer to home, we believe the city of Helena was correct to remove its Confederate memorial fountain. But when protesters anti-monument ardor spills over into the destruction or condemnation of memorials to those on the right side of this dreadful chapter in our history, it cheapens the entire movement. Wearing a cloth face covering protects those around you, and while wearing a face mask does take some getting used to, I wear mine because thats such a small inconvenience compared to the potential that I could infect someone unknowingly who is immunocompromised, Dederich said. I cannot tell when Im going through the grocery store or in public spaces or at work who is a cancer survivor, an expectant mother, who has diabetes, or another condition that puts them at risk. Of the positive cases in Juneau County, Dederich said each of the individuals had a great range in symptoms. Some of these people have experienced the very traditional things weve seen in the media: shortness of breath, cough, fever, others have only lost their sense of taste or smell, had a very mild headache, or had stomach problems, Dederich said. We want you to get tested if you are having any of these symptoms, be aware of what those symptoms are and call your healthcare provider to get tested. We have worked really hard to increase the capacity and availability of testing in our local area. Voters in Mauston will now vote at the Mauston Fire Station after the city approved a change from the previous polling location at Mauston City Hall. The change in polling locations was approved unanimously by members of the Mauston Common Council at a meeting June 23. Council members chose the Mauston Fire Station over the Mauston Methodist United Church, the Mauston Public Works building, and remaining at City Hall. Its hard to hold the elections in here anymore with the size of the crowds and the age of the electorate, expecting them to go up and down steps, stand in line, or take the elevator up and then cut in front of a hundred people who were on the steps and in line, its a mess, said Mauston City Administrator Randy Reeg. In April we experimented with using the garage bays out where the police department is now, but even in April we had humidity problems and equipment was malfunctioning, so we need somewhere different. Deputy Clerk Diane Kropiwka said the city looked into moving the polling location to either the fire station, a church, or the public works building. Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-01 10:29:36|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close HELSINKI, June 30 (Xinhua) -- The Finnish National Opera is working to bring the Finnish collective legacy during the COVID-19 pandemic to stage in late August, with the text and music of the opera "COVID van tutte" published on Tuesday, the producers told media. The opera's title imitates "Cosi fan tutte", a classic by famous Austrian composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791). In the Finnish production, all instrumental music is from the Mozart opera while the story is about the Finnish epidemic experience -- an idea from Lilli Paasikivi, the Opera's artistic director. The opera's characters include Finnish government ministers and epidemic specialists seen on television all through the spring, the writer of the libretto, Finnish author Minna Lindgren, told the Yle radio on Tuesday. "Humour comes from the recollection of the actual events." Lindgren hoped that the coronavirus situation in Finland in the autumn will be such that "we can already smile at these events." Humour is "a superb tool for collective survival," she added. Director of the production Jussi Nikkila said the intention is not to hurt anyone's feelings, especially those who lost their friends or family during the epidemic. "And if a second wave of the epidemic hits, then the performances will be postponed," he said. To avoid health risks, the size of the orchestra will be reduced; the length of the performance will be shorter than the Mozart original and there will be no intermission for the audience. According to the Finnish health authority, as of Tuesday afternoon, Finland has confirmed a total of 7,214 infections with COVID-19, including a latest increase of five cases. The death toll reached 328, with no death reported in the past 24 hours, and about 6,600 people have recovered, accounting for 90 percent of the reported cases. Enditem On the opposite side of the Square, facing King Street, the statue of Hans Christian Heg honors an outspoken abolitionist and Wisconsin Civil War hero who gave his life to end slavery. He also was a prison reformer. Both statues were toppled by misguided vandals. Both must be restored and go back up. State Street businesses were just starting to open after months of closure due to the coronavirus pandemic, followed by mass protests over the horrific police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. The protests were justified and mostly peaceful. They helped lead to murder charges against the officers involved and prompted a national discussion and legislation to improve law enforcement. They have built momentum for real change. But looting and smashing stores on State Street some of them owned by people of color was wrong weeks ago. So was the violence and destruction Tuesday night. Beating up a state senator (and gay rights leader) wont further the goals of justice and equality. Nor will starting fires, trashing the state Capitol, threatening random people with violence or toppling monuments to noble causes. I sat in front of a room full of people who are like family to me. I would do anything for them. By the very nature of my profession, I would give my life for them. Ive been their Command Sergeant Major for over two years now. These are people I see every day. I had no idea that I have soldiers who wear their uniforms to grocery shop because they are scared of how they are treated in Walmart when they dont. I had no idea that I have soldiers whos kids regularly come home from school crying because another kid called them the n-word...again. I had no idea that I had a soldier who had to take their child out of school because they were being so tormented over the color of their skin. I had no idea I had a soldier whose wife was turned down for a job at a local bank because, we dont hire your type in this town. I had no idea that a few weeks ago one of my soldiers, who is one of the most kind and gentle women I know, was told to get out of the crosswalk n-word as she was out for her evening walk. I had no idea that I had soldiers who felt like this is the worst place they had ever been stationed in the Army. Not because of the unit, but because of the racism in the surrounding area. I had no idea. I spent two and half hours listening to them, letting them vent their fears and frustrations, and crying with them. Im still a wreck three hours later. Im not able to type this without choking up. These arent towns I want to live in. This isnt the America that I want to live in. Something needs to change. Something needs to drastically change. The U.S. Supreme Court on June 30 delivered a ruling that civil liberties advocates warned could make taxpayers "underwrite religious education opening a massive crack in the bedrock principle of church and state separation. The decision in the case, Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue, was 5-4, with the court's Republican-backed conservatives in the majority. As NBC News put it, the ruling "further lowered the wall of separation between church and state and will likely affect laws or constitutional provisions in more than two-thirds of the nation that bar public funding for churches and religious schools." CNBC laid out the background: The case concerned a scholarship program enacted in Montana in 2015, which provided individuals and businesses with up to $150 in tax credits to match donations to private, nonprofit scholarship organizations. Shortly after the program was enacted, the Montana Department of Revenue put in place a rule that barred scholarship recipients from using funds from the program to pay for religious schools. Three mothers who sent their children to a Christian school and relied upon the funds sued. The state Supreme Court struck down the program, prompting the high court challenge. "A state need not subsidize private education. But once a state decides to do so, it cannot disqualify some private schools solely because they are religious," Chief Justice John Roberts wrote for the majority. Justice Stephen Breyer wrote in a dissent that Justice Elena Kagan joined, "The majority's approach and its conclusion in this case, I fear, risk the kind of entanglement and conflict that the Religion Clauses are intended to prevent." Pull Quote "Let's not forget that vouchers were first developed to evade integration orders and fund segregation academies specifically designed to keep black and white students apart." "Today's ruling is perverse," Justice Sonia Sotomayor said in a separate dissent. She wrote, in part: Without any need or power to do so, the Court appears to require a state to reinstate a tax-credit program that the Constitution did not demand in the first place. We once recognized that "(while) the Free Exercise Clause clearly prohibits the use of state action to deny the rights of free exercise to anyone, it has never meant that a majority could use the machinery of the State to practice its beliefs. Today's Court, by contrast, rejects the Religion Clauses' balanced values in favor of a new theory of free exercise, and it does so only by setting aside well-established judicial constraints. Outrage The decision drew outrage from many groups, including the American Federation of Teachers. AFT president Randi Weingarten said the ruling represents "a seismic shock that threatens both public education and religious liberty" and called it "a radical departure from our Constitution, American history, and our values." "Never in more than two centuries of American history has the free exercise clause of the First Amendment been wielded as a weapon to defund and dismantle public education," she said. "It will hurt both the 90 percent of students who attend neighborhood public schools, by siphoning off needed funds, and, in the long term, those who attend religious schools by curtailing their freedom with the accountability that comes with tax dollars." "The court's narrow conservative majority joined with Donald Trump, (Education Secretary and "school choice" proponent) Betsy DeVos, and other wealthy donors and special interests to attack public education and turn the First Amendment on its head," Weingarten added, warning that "financial backers of this case will now use it to open the floodgates to litigation across the country." According to Daniel Mach, director of the ACLU Program on Freedom of Religion and Belief, the ruling "undermines true religious freedom and is the latest in a disturbing line of Supreme Court cases attacking the very foundations of the separation of church and state." "In the past, the court used to guard against government-funded religion," he said. "Today, the court has not only allowed, but actually required taxpayers to underwrite religious education." Rachel Laser, president and CEO of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, blasted the ruling. "Forcing taxpayers to pay for private religious education as Montana's tax-credit voucher program does is a fundamental violation of their religious freedom," she said. Amplifying discrimination Another possible effect of the ruling, Laser warned, is that public dollars will go towards amplifying discrimination. "Too often, religious schools reject civil rights for women and LGBTQ people, and promulgate religiously based interpretations of science, civics, and history," she said. Laser further accused "10 of the 12 religious schools in Montana's voucher program" of having "discriminatory policies, including permitting expulsion of students who identify as LGBTQ and refusing admission to students with disabilities." "Let's not forget that vouchers were first developed to evade integration orders and fund segregation academies specifically designed to keep black and white students apart," she noted, warning that private-school vouchers could worsen segregation in schools. Former Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker had predicted that a ruling against the State of Montana could benefit not only religious schools, but the entire voucher school movement that he advanced throughout his public career. In a January opinion piece for the conservative Washington Times, he wrote that the case could dramatically expand school choice across the country. On behalf of Walker, the Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty filed an amicus brief last year opposing Montanas policy. Wisconsin has the nations oldest private school voucher program, which includes religious schools. The White House also celebrated the ruling as a victory for the voucher or so-called "school choice" movement, as well as a boost to religious freedom. After the chaotic events last week that included protesters toppling two statues outside the state Capitol, Boys & Girls Club president and CEO Michael Johnson has proposed including a statue of the African American trailblazer Vel Phillips to the statuary. I am recommending that you consider constructing a statue of Vel Phillips which could be prominently displayed outside of the Capitol, Johnson wrote Tuesday in an open letter to state Sen. Fred Risser, D-Madison. Michael Phillips, Vel Phillips' son, said the family wholeheartedly supports the proposal. "I believe the times within which we live are asking for this, almost mandating it," he said from his home in Milwaukee. "It seems to me that many of the young people who are finding some disaffection with the times have been asking for this." Johnson said that the Capitol is devoid of artworks that reflect the contributions African Americans have made to the state. African Americans have provided leadership in our state for more than 150 years and its time to ensure the Capitol celebrates that leadership and display the diversity that our state has to offer, he wrote. People enraged by the Capitol Square arrest of a protester last week toppled a replica of the iconic Forward, a classical depiction of a women beckoning the future with her hand, and decapitating a statue of Hans Christian Heg before dumping the abolitionist and Civil War casualty into Lake Monona. That placed Forward and Heg among the pantheon of statues toppled or defaced nationwide as racial equity protesters turned their attention to the historical legacy Black people have been largely denied, despite centuries of hardship, achievement and heroism. Many of the statues, particularly in the South, have had ties to slavery or white supremacy. Some have decried the hostility toward "Forward" and Heg, which have no such connotations, as misdirected. In his letter, Johnson points to Phillips extensive list of firsts that make her a natural fit for the Capitol grounds. Phillips died two years ago at 94 after a lifetime of breaking barriers. In 1979 she won the race for Wisconsin secretary of state, making her the first Black woman in the nation to be elected to a statewide office. She was the first black woman to graduate from the UW Law School, the first woman and the first Black person elected to the Milwaukee City Council, and the states first Black judge. Mrs. Phillips did it all at a time when many African Americans were not allowed to exercise their civil rights, Johnson writes. She was intelligent, courageous, bold, fearless and worked with legislators and community organizers to pass ordinances and legislation that would improve the lives of Wisconsinites during very difficult times. Brandi Grayson, a prominent local activist who has taken a lead role in the recent protests, called the proposal "a wonderful idea." "She was a die-hard civil rights activist," Grayson said in an email. "She is the epitome of Black womanhood; I think a statue of Vel Phillips would be amazingly amazing in the heart of our city. As a symbol of the Movement of Black Lives and the new era that's upon us which is the re-defining of our human-beingness." Risser, chairman of the State Capitol Executive Residence Board, said the board has a policy against new statues on the Capitol grounds, so a statue of Phillips would be an exception. "They wanted to stress the two statues that were there, 'Forward' and Heg," he said. "People are always wanting statues on the Capitol. When they made that policy they had a situation where they didn't want to fill the Capitol Square with statues." He said the board could vote on an exception, or the Legislature could step in and override the policy. Risser, the Legislature's longest-serving lawmaker, said he was serving in the Assembly when Philliips was elected secretary of state. He called her an "icon." "Honoring Vel would be a great idea," he said. State Rep. Shelia Stubbs, Dane County's first African American lawmaker, said that the Capitol needs more images of African Americans. "There aren't even any photos of African Americans on the wall," she said. She sees Phillips as someone whose legacy merits the honor. "People have always regarded her highly," Stubbs said. "She's done a lot for the state of Wisconsin." She added that the process would likely be long and expensive, requiring approval by both legislative chambers, which are currently controlled by Republicans, and Democratic Gov. Tony Evers. "You definitely would need it to be bipartisan legislation," she said. Assembly Speaker Robin Vos and Republican members of the State Capitol Executive Residence Board did not return messages for comment. Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves on Tuesday signed a bill that takes a historic step to retire the last US state flag to feature the Confederate battle flag. 'This is not a political moment to me, but a solemn occasion to lead our Mississippi family to come together to be reconciled and to move on,' Reeves, a Republican, said before he signed the legislation. The signing caps a swift referendum on the flag from the Mississippi state Legislature, which passed the bill on Sunday following weeks of racial justice protests across the country. The flag, first adopted in 1894, has red, white and blue stripes with the Confederate battle emblem in one corner. A commission will now develop a new flag design without the Confederate emblem that includes the phrase 'In God, We Trust.' Mississippi voters will vote on the new design in November. 'I know there are people of goodwill who are not happy to see this flag changed. They fear a chain reaction of events erasing our history -- a history that is no doubt complicated and imperfect,' Reeves said Tuesday. 'I understand those concerns and am determined to protect Mississippi from that dangerous outcome.' The flag of the Confederacy, its symbols and the statues commemorating Confederate leaders have long divided the country. Critics call the flag a symbol that represents the war to uphold slavery, while supporters call it a sign of Southern pride and heritage. The symbols have increasingly become a rallying call for white supremacists. In recent weeks, the police killing of George Floyd has spurred the removal -- by protesters in some cases and city leaders in others -- of contentious statues and Confederate symbols that have upset some residents for decades, if not longer. Floyd, a 46-year-old Black man, died on May 25 in Minneapolis. While being arrested, Floyd was held down by a White Minneapolis police officer's knee for more than eight minutes. His death in police custody, which was captured on video, has prompted widespread conversations about systemic racism. 'I reject the mobs tearing down statues of our history -- North and South, Union and Confederate, Founding Fathers and veterans. I reject the chaos and lawlessness and I am proud it has not happened in our state,' Reeves said. 'I also understand the need to commit the 1894 flag to history and find a banner that is a better emblem for all Mississippi.' The signing was praised by a bipartisan collection of lawmakers Tuesday. Republican Mississippi Sen. Roger Wicker tweeted, 'This is a historic & long-awaited day for Mississippi.' 'I appreciate our state legislators for having the courage and conviction to make this necessary change to our state flag,' he said. 'As I have maintained since 2015, Mississippians deserve a banner that unites us rather than divides us.' That message was echoed by State Rep. Jeramey Anderson, a Democrat from Moss Point, who applauded the legislation but cautioned, 'We're not done.' 'The work continues to end voter suppression, as well as health care and education disparities in black & brown communities,' he said. 'This is step one!' The American Civil Liberties Union also celebrated the move as foreshadowing 'a new day for Mississippi' in a statement to CNN. 'It signifies to everyone to come work, play, and live in Mississippi, the Hospitality state.' Still, Confederate Memorial Day and Robert E. Lee's birthday remain official state holidays in Mississippi and continue to prompt a larger debate about how to recognize the state's history. Reeves acknowledged that debate Tuesday, declaring 'there are people on either side of the flag debate who may never understand the other' but the state 'must show empathy.' 'We must understand that all who want change are not attempting to erase history and all who want the status quo are not mean spirited or hateful.' This story has been updated with additional information Tuesday. RUSSIA, N.Y. A fire broke out at the Russia town barn on Wednesday, requiring assistance from multiple fire departments. Fire crews were called to the barn, located at Route 365 and Wheelertown Road, around 4:40 p.m. The fire was fully involved by that time. Submitted by viewer Ben Vahey // WKTV Ben Vahey // WKTV Submitted by viewer The fire was called in by a passerby. Heavy smoke and flames were coming from the roof. Fire Departments from Remsen, Barneveld, Floyd, Holland Patent, and Poland responded to the scene. Firefighters had to cut holes into the side of the building to ventilate. At least three vehicles inside the building was destroyed. Remsen Fire Chief Bob Eaton describes the equipment damaged in the fire. "(We have) a full size plow truck sitting in the corner. A loader, a large John Deere loader and a small pickup truck. Still under investigation, waiting for OFPC (Office of Fire Prevention and Control) to show up and do an investigation. Due to the extent of damage and loss, we called them in so we can try to get a cause for them for insurance purposes." Eaton told NEWSChannel 2. No injuries were reported. The cause of the fire remains under investigation. BINGHAMTON, N.Y. A former Cooperstown gym teacher has been sentenced to more than 16 years in prison after admitting he persuaded teen girls to engage in sexual activity online while he watched via livestream. Justin Hobbie, 42, of Springfield Center, pleaded guilty to three counts of sexual exploitation of a child. According to the Department of Justice, Hobbie confessed to convincing three girls between the ages of 14 and 17 to participate in sexually explicit conduct while he watched online multiple times from 2015 2018. Hobbie also recorded the videos and images so he could view them again. In addition to these crimes, Hobbie also admitted to collecting child pornography using file-sharing software, including videos showing the rape of toddlers, according to DOJ. Senior United States District Judge Thomas J. McAvoy sentenced Hobbie to 200 months in prison, with 15 years of supervised release. Hobbie is also ordered to pay $9,999 in restitution, and register as a sex offender when he is released. UTICA, N.Y. Hundreds of gym and fitness center owners across New York are looking to sue the state for excluding them from Phase 4 of reopening. The owners of Upstate Empire Fitness in Utica, Brian and Alyssa Devins, say they are joining the class-action lawsuit. On June 23, just a few days before Phase 4 was set to begin, Cuomo said malls, gyms and movie theaters would not be eligible to reopen yet. Then on Monday, the governor detailed some of his reasoning, saying air filtration systems need to have high efficiency particulate air filters that are capable of filtering out coronavirus. "If we have the same HVAC system as malls and bars and restaurants, why are we being held at a different standard? Brian said. Brian also says gyms arent any more likely to spread the virus than other businesses. I think it's unfortunate that people will think that the gym is the place that will spread this virus faster. I think the people that come here are very much aware of when they should and should not be in the gym, he said. Cuomo has not yet commented on the lawsuit, nor has he discussed the reopening timeline for businesses that are still closed across the state. Oneida County in partnership with Mohawk Valley EDGE, the Greater Utica Chamber of Commerce, Rome Area Chamber of Commerce, the Chamber Alliance of the Mohawk Valley and Oneida County Tourism are designating the week of June 29th as "Shop Small Business Week." The coronavirus pandemic has devastated so many local businesses and as they regain their footing, with new restrictions, the week is about highlighting the importance of buying local." "With so many businesses affected, it's now more important to shop at your local establishment than ever," Nick Bonomo, general manager at Bonomo's Dari Creme's said. "It's nice that we do have a great following and support of our local customers so get out there and support everybody that is open and local." Bonomo says they have felt the impact of the coronavirus, especially because they are seasonal. He says Oneida County Shop Small Business Week is a great idea for every business in the area. "That's great for our area, there's nothing better than supporting the small businesses," Bonomo said. "It's huge to keep the money within the area and keep our local economy going." According to Oneida County's joint business impact survey, over 50% of Oneida County businesses were completely closed, almost all small businesses. 60% of these businesses lost at least 80% of their revenue while they were closed. Every day will be a different theme. Post your Shop Small purchases on social media for a chance to win local prizes by using the #LoyaltoLocal315 hashtag on your social media posts. Prizes include items from Almost Local, Liberty Car Wash, Universal Wellness, Saranac Brewery, Copper City Brewery, Edible Arrangements, Bonomos, Enchanted Forest Water Safari and Cayo Industrial Horror Realm. You can find more details on Shop Small Business Week here. Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-01 10:34:42|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close TRIPOLI, July 1 (Xinhua) -- The European Union (EU) Delegation to Libya on Wednesday condemned the presence of foreign mercenaries in Libya and called on all Libyan and regional players to make efforts to lift oil blockade. "We call on all Libyan and regional actors to constructively engage in efforts to lift the blockade. We strongly condemn the presence of foreign mercenaries in Libya, including the Sharara oilfield and any other oil infrastructure," the Delegation said in a statement. "The presence of mercenaries endangers the integrity of the installations and facilities, with possible long-term implications for Libya's oil production," the statement said. The delegation, the diplomatic mission representing the EU in Libya, expressed support for the UN-backed government's National Oil Corporation (NOC) "in its efforts to resume oil production while also seeking to ensure transparency in the utilisation of oil revenues." "All actors, Libyan and foreign, should ensure the NOC is able to fulfill its vital mandate unimpeded on behalf of all Libyans," the statement said. The Foreign Ministry of the UN-backed Libyan government on Saturday said that there were "mercenaries" allied with the rival eastern-based army, which shut down oilfields and ports. According to the NOC, Libya has lost more than 6 billion U.S. dollars since oil exports were suspended in January. Enditem SYRACUSE, N.Y. Syracuse Hancock International Airport will receive more than $15 million from the Federal Aviation Administration for improvement projects. Syracuse is one of four airports awarded more than $26 million in funding. Ogdensburg International Airport will receive more than $1 million, Oswego County Airport will receive more than $200,000, and Massena International-Richards Field will receive just over $1 million. Air travel in and out of Central New York and the North Country region is vital to the connectivity and success of the regional economy, which is why, as the regions reopen after the COVID-19 pandemic, it is critical that we provide the funding necessary to keep the airports safe and efficient, said Sen. Chuck Schumer. The funds will be used to rehabilitate runways, update runway lighting, buy snow removal equipment, update fencing and research future upgrades. Some of the funds came from FAA CARES Act grants. The Canadians will be in Europe this summer, and the Thais and the Moroccans. You might bump into a Rwandan, and no doubt Aussie backpackers will give it a go. If Beijing reciprocates on border openings, Chinese travelers could be on their way, too. But if you live in the European Union, you probably won't be running into American tourists. The bloc is expected to agree on Tuesday that Yanks will be barred from its member states as the US fights a Covid-19 resurgence. The move will highlight the failed US effort to suppress the coronavirus pandemic: Charts of new confirmed coronavirus cases on each side of the Atlantic are moving in exactly the opposite direction. Europe's openings could still have the same painful effect that they did in states like Florida, Texas and Arizona. But European states generally imposed earlier, tighter lockdowns than in the US, and mask wearing is not the polarized issue it is here. If it comes, the EU ruling will be another personal embarrassment to President Donald Trump over his botched management of the pandemic. The President often explodes at perceived slights. But since he's pretty much ignoring the Covid-19 crisis in the US, he might let this one slide. Plus, as the White House has already pointed out, European entry into the US is already suspended. No-shows by US tourists will hurt the shuttered European tourism industry. Millions bring their dollars across the Atlantic every year, drawn by the continent's history, cuisine and ambience. Italy, France, Germany and Spain welcome the most Americans, according to EU data. But until the two-way flow between the Old and New Worlds is restored, the murmur of admiring visitors in Europe's cathedrals and museums will be missing that certain je ne sais quoi of the overheard American twang. See you next year, hopefully. 'Oh my God, don't make that phone call' What has Trump learned of statecraft, after hundreds of "highly classified" phone calls and negotiations with foreign leaders? Not much, according to months of reporting for CNN by veteran Washington reporter Carl Bernstein, whose sources in government say there's little evidence that Trump has become more competent with practice. Rather, staffers say the President still refuses to read briefings before calls, boosts himself personally to strongmen like Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Russian President Vladimir Putin, and insults female leaders like German Chancellor Angela Merkel as "stupid" and weak. Among the revelations: Erdogan's timing for calls was so perfect that some staffers wondered if he had access to Trump's personal schedule. And Trump's haranguing of Merkel was "so unusual" that special measures had to be taken in Berlin to ensure that the calls' specific contents remained secret, according to a German official. No wonder staffers grit their teeth when the President's fingers head for the phone. Spies who love the spotlight For an intelligence service that is supposed to operate in the shadows, Russia's GRU seems to attract a lot of headlines. The GRU -- formally known as Main Directorate of the General Staff -- has long been accused by the West of orchestrating brazen and high-profile attacks, including the hacking of Democratic Party email accounts during the 2016 US presidential election and the 2018 nerve agent attack in Salisbury, England. Now the spy agency is again at the center of international attention, after reports that US intelligence concluded GRU operatives offered cash incentives to the Taliban to kill American and British troops in Afghanistan. But strangely, the alleged operation could potentially conflict with Russia's own stated goal to bring warring parties to the table in Afghanistan. Russia has cultivated contacts with the Taliban and other warring parties in Afghanistan as a way to influence outcomes in a region it considers its strategic backyard. "It's long been known that there were Russian contacts with the Taliban and at minimum some greasing of the relationship with benefits as a hedging technique," says Laurel Miller, program director for Asia with International Crisis Group. However, she added, an operation to put bounties on US troops would be far more provocative and a "different thing" from its typical behavior. "It conflicts with what Russian official policy is," she said. In other words, the alleged GRU operation targeting US and coalition troops could have blowback: potentially undermining US support for withdrawal, or perhaps prompting fresh sanctions on Russia. Yet the agency has a reputation for brazenness -- and has operated seemingly opportunistically or independently of official policy before. Andrew Weiss, vice president for studies at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, points out that the GRU does aggressively pursue operations that cause diplomatic fallout. Intelligence experts say the Salisbury poisoning -- which led to the investigative outlet Bellingcat unmasking the alleged GRU operatives through open-source research -- showed a pattern recklessness and overt brutality, rather than a secretive approach to spycraft. And that sent a message to the GRU's enemies. "That was a pattern we've seen many times in Ukraine," Weiss said, referring to Russian intelligence activities there. "The Kremlin is hardly a well-oiled machine, but time and again, Putin -- either by denying blatant Russian misdeeds or throwing a safety blanket over his security establishment -- does little to improve Russia's international image." -- CNN's Nathan Hodge writes to Meanwhile from London Trump says he was never briefed about the GRU's alleged bounty scheme. Asked about that by CNN's Jake Tapper, Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi responded, "If they had this intelligence, they should have briefed the President. Why didn't they? Because they know it makes him very unhappy, and all roads for him lead to Putin" -- a phrase she's used before about Trump's Ukraine and Russian election interference scandals. In fact, intelligence about the apparent plot did appear in one of Trump's daily briefs early this year, a US official with direct knowledge also told CNN on Monday -- and that it was considered serious enough that the National Security Council staff met to discuss "possible response options," including sanctions, if the intelligence developed. 'If I could build a wall around us...I would' Trump's not the only US leader itching to build a wall. In light of a massive resurgence in coronavirus cases across the United States, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy said Monday that he wouldn't mind a wall just for his region. "We have lived through hell in this state to get to where we are," he said, referring to New Jersey's battle with Covid-19. "Frankly, I'd never thought I'd say these words, but if I could build a wall around us or around our region I would. But we can't, so we have to rely on personal responsibility and the right behavior, the common sense for the common good." Out-of-state visitors must now quarantine for 14 days after arriving in New Jersey. TIPPECANOE COUNTY, Ind. (WLFI) - Indiana is joining 24 other states in enforcing a hands free driving law. Starting on Wednesday, July 1st, it will be against the law for all drivers to have a phone in their hand while driving. "It's a great safety issue," said State Senator Ron Alting. The issue of drivers distracted by their cell phones in Indiana. The new hands-free driving law in Indiana means no phone calls, texting or any other activities on your phone if it's in your hand. "It's probably the number one kitchen table topic that my constituents stop me in public and say we've got to do this," said Sen. Alting, who supported this bill at the Indiana Statehouse. It had bi-partisan support from local leaders. Democrats Sheila Klinker and Chris Campbell along with other Republicans like Sharon Negele, Don Lehe and Brian Buchanan also supported it. "In Indiana alone in 2019 we had we had about 800, close to 900 accidents that were related to cell phone use and unfortunately we had about 50 deaths," said Sen. Alting. That's according to State Police Superintendent Doug Carter. Sen. Alting added this new law will give judges more clarity on ruling and power to subpoena a cell phone in the event of a fatal or serious accident, where distracted driving is a suspect cause. It's something police officers across the state, like Indiana State Trooper Stephen Grayson, are familiar with. "We're out here all the time and we see these crashes and that's basically what the law is implemented for: to reduce crashes and reduce fatalities on Indiana roadways," he said. Trooper Grayson said this new law takes the ambiguity out of the previous law, which only banned texting while driving specifically. "Before you could be using your music or looking at an email and none of that was directly stated in the previous law," he said. You can still use your phone in your hand if you are calling 911 in an emergency. And you can still use your device as long as it's hooked up to your car's blue tooth, or if it is in a phone stand that can attach to your dashboard or windshield. Trooper Grayson said they are encouraging people to pull over to the side of the road if they have to make a call or send a text. He said this will be an adjustment for all drivers. Even police officers are not exempt from this new law. He said if anyone sees an officer violating a rule of the road, they can report it to the respective department. Sen. Alting said he remembers the push back when mandatory seat belts became law here in Indiana. He said this law is similar in prioritizing the safety of drivers and passengers. "There will be some push back and discomfort and what have you at the beginning, but I think give it 12 months and it will be as common as fastening your seat belt," he said. "We definitely believe in it and think that it's something we can all do and improve on to save lives in Indiana," said Trooper Grayson. ISP said it will be up to the discretion of the officer if a warning or a ticket should be given to a driver caught breaking this law, and it could also come with up to $500 in fines. W&M releases updates on Fall 2020 Path Forward Looking toward fall: William & Mary recently released a series of updates about its plans for the fall semester. The updates contain new details about remote learning and work, physical distancing and safety measures, fall course offerings and planned use of space on campus. Photo by Stephen Salpukas Photo - of - Hide Caption The fall semester will be about maximum flexibility William & Mary recently released a series of updates about its plans for the fall semester. The updates contain new details about remote learning and work, physical distancing and safety measures, fall course offerings and planned use of space on campus. The university announced June 12 that students return to campus will be a phased process, beginning Aug. 12, to allow for the implementation of testing and possible quarantine. The semester will not include a fall break and will end before Thanksgiving. The fall semester will be about maximum flexibility, said President Katherine A. Rowe. Flexibility is built into the design, because uncertainty is built in to our reality. We will be here for our community, she added. William & Mary is going to adapt as we need to and ensure our students maintain momentum and that we continue to create the close connections between teachers and learners our university is known for. Testing and wellness A program is under development that will require all students to be tested for COVID-19 on arrival and at various times throughout the semester, in order to allow for immediate isolation of those who test positive for infection. W&M will be significantly increasing its capacity to provide access to health care on campus, so symptomatic students may be treated through the Student Health Center. The testing program is intended for all students, on-campus, off-campus, undergraduates and graduates. Employees will also have access to optional testing, partially subsidized by the university. At-will testing will be offered to students as they leave campus in November, as an additional precaution for their home communities. W&M is part of an active effort to partner with the Commonwealth on a testing network anchored in our three VA university medical centers: VCU, UVA and VT, Sam Jones, director of the universitys COVID-19 Response Team, said in a message to faculty, staff and students June 26. Our testing and other public health protocols are based on ongoing epidemiological modeling with those centers. Other safety measures include wellness kits for students, faculty and staff consisting of washable masks, hand sanitizer and wipes. Additional masks and face shields will be available for employees, as face coverings will be required for all public and communal spaces on campus. A symptom-tracking app will be provided to all students, faculty and staff, allowing for a daily prompt for symptom assessment. Touchless temperature stations and 200 hand sanitizer stations will be placed strategically around campus. The full list of campus health protocols is available on the universitys Path Forward website. Academics Before the end of the spring semester, Rowe initiated a rapid planning process for the fall, led by a presidentially appointed, multi-disciplinary Plan Ahead team. The Path Forward incorporates feedback from key leadership: the Board of Visitors; leaders of the faculty, staff and student assemblies; the Emergency Management team and the presidents Cabinet. In a message to all faculty Tuesday, Provost Peggy Agouris announced the university is solidifying fall course delivery plans, stressing that maximum flexibility will be crucial throughout the fall. Almost all courses will be blended to some degree, with students learning in real time in-person and via technology, she said. Faculty were advised to prepare classes in a way that makes it possible to switch to fully remote learning on short notice, in the event Virginia public health guidelines require it. So much work is underway in both the academic units as well as the Plan Ahead Team to ensure that our university is prepared for Fall 2020, Agouris said. I am grateful to you all for your ongoing commitment to our students, their families and our educational mission. Your continued flexibility, creativity and patience as we navigate amid unprecedented uncertainties will be invaluable to our collective success. By mid-July, all university courses will be assigned a course delivery category that will describe the mode of instruction. The information will be available to students in Banner. Students will be able to craft a fully remote schedule for the fall semester, if that is their preference. Continuing students can make changes to their schedule based on updated course offerings and modes of instruction starting in early August. Classrooms will look different this fall, as both indoor and outdoor space on campus is repurposed for instruction. The university is conducting an inventory of extremely large non-academic spaces available for instruction in the fall, so that physical distancing of eight feet on center can be maintained for up to 80 students in one room. We recognize that this fall semester will feel very different for us all, Ginger Ambler, vice president for Student Affairs said in a message to students. Above all, be assured that your alma mater is committed to your well-being, and to offering an educational experience that enables you to do your best work while sustaining momentum to your degree. Employees In message to all university employees, Chief Human Resources Officer Christopher Lee and Chief Operating Officer Amy Sebring announced that the university will continue to encourage employees to work from home through Dec. 31, for all functional areas that do not require on-campus activity. All departments that are currently working remotely should continue to do so through July 31. During the month of July, the Presidents Cabinet will identify departments that have core on-campus functions, based on the type of work they perform and the constituents they serve. Cabinet members will work with Human Resources to outline specific plans to define and adjust modes of work for each department or unit. Those decisions will be shared by managers the week of July 20, Lee and Sebring said. Partially subsidized, at-will COVID-19 testing will be available to employees who would like to be tested, regardless of whether they are symptomatic. All employees will be eligible to receive testing, subject to availability, at one or more designated health care locations in the Williamsburg area. If an employee needs to take leave, Human Resources will identify whether the employee is eligible for the Commonwealths Public Health Emergency Leave or options provided through the federal Families First CoronaVirus Response Act. An employee may be eligible for the university or states sickness and disability programs, earned sick leave, annual leave or other leave statuses. As we gear up for the fall semester, we understand that the return to classes this fall will be different, Lee and Sebring said. Fall 2020 brings the challenge of planning while still in the midst of a public health crisis and the uncertainty this entails. William & Mary has an obligation to meet our mission which emphasizes the value of close learning relationships and of convening in person to ensure that our students maintain momentum and complete their education. William & Marys first priority is to support our students, faculty and staff as we navigate this challenge together. The William & Mary community is encouraged to continue to check www.wm.edu/pathforward for additional information and to submit questions, concerns and feedback. Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-01 10:43:53|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close SANTIAGO, June 30 (Xinhua) -- A fleet of 150 electric buses manufactured by Chinese company BYD have joined the Chilean capital's public transport system, the company said in a statement released on Monday. The buses were incorporated Saturday into the line serving Santiago's central Bernardo O'Higgins Avenue, the capital city's main east-west axis. The new units bring BYD's total electric bus fleet in Chile to 455. Tamara Berrios, country manager of BYD Chile, said the new buses will both "provide residents of Santiago with more quality transport and decontaminate the air" as part of the city's Alameda Project. "The Alameda Project is of great importance due to its visibility and the structural transformation of the axis of Chile's capital," Berrios said. "We are convinced that it is necessary to continue promoting the transformation of public transport through electromobility, and BYD will continue to move forward in that regard," she added. BYD highlighted in the statement that it has consolidated its status as a leader in Chile's electric bus market with a 65 percent share, and also as a "leader in electromobility in Latin America" with presence in Colombia, Argentina, Brazil, Ecuador and Uruguay, as well as Chile. BYD vehicles form part of the RED, a public transportation network which integrates Greater Santiago's subway system, bike-sharing program, bus lines and suburban trains. Santiago's electric bus fleet is projected to reach 800 units by the end of this year. Enditem Kim Divan, 66 years old, of Woodward, OK passed away at his home on Saturday, June 12. He was born in Nebraska but spent his childhood and most of his adult life in Palmdale, CA until moving to Oklahoma in 2005. Kim liked to have a good time and enjoyed his motorcycles and fishing. He will b Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-01 11:03:25|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close PHNOM PENH, July 1 (Xinhua) -- China has been enjoying peace, stability and rapid development in all fields under the brilliant leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC), Cambodian government chief spokesman Phay Siphan has said. In an interview with Xinhua on Monday ahead of the 99th founding anniversary of the CPC, which falls on Wednesday, Siphan said he has visited China several times and witnessed its rapid development in all spheres, especially in transport infrastructure construction, technology and science, and poverty reduction. "The Communist Party (of China) has done a great job for its people," he said. China's rapid development has benefited not only China itself, but also the rest of the world, Siphan said, noting that thanks to their rising income, millions of Chinese tourists and investors have gone overseas. "The world needs China," he said. China has always shared its fruits of development with other countries through direct aid or various initiatives such as the Belt and Road Initiative and the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation, among others, Siphan said. "It's a good gesture of the Chinese leaders. They give hope to other nations in the world so that we share prosperity together," he said. The chief spokesman also praised China for its fifth-generation (5G) telecoms network development, saying that this latest technology is of great benefit for humanity, especially for Asians. Sharing his view on China's poverty alleviation efforts, Siphan said China's amazing success in poverty alleviation is a "miracle" in human history. "I would say it is a miracle that China has lifted hundreds of millions of people out of poverty in just four decades," he said. "This had never been done in human history." Siphan said China's success in poverty alleviation has resulted from the right policy decisions made by the CPC, the hard work of Chinese citizens, as well as China's zero-tolerance of corruption. "The success of China's poverty eradication clearly reflects the triumph of China's reform and opening-up policy," he said. He said the great success is admirable and provides an example for other developing countries, including Cambodia. "We can learn from China in terms of poverty reduction strategies, state reform, administrative reform, and stern fights against corruption," he said. Siphan said China and the world are inseparable in the fields of economics, trade, investment and tourism, among others, and if China is in trouble, so is the world. "The growth in China will lead to global growth; poverty in China will lead to poverty in the world too," he said. For example, he said, when China was in the critical stage of fighting COVID-19, its factories producing raw materials were temporarily suspended, and the suspension affected the supply chain of factories in Cambodia and other countries around the world. Commenting on the Cambodia-China joint fight against COVID-19, Siphan said their mutual help during the pandemic should be a model for international cooperation. "The COVID-19 is a world problem ... We don't need to point the finger at each other, but it's the time (for us) to be together to fight against COVID-19," he said. "One should not politicize COVID-19; instead, they should do their best to safeguard their own people," Siphan said. "Some countries spent time blaming this or that country, this is an irresponsible act for their own citizens." Enditem A New York judge on Tuesday temporarily blocked the publication of an unflattering tell-all book written by President Trump's niece that Simon & Schuster is set to publish in July. Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-01 11:18:23|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close NEW YORK, June 30 (Xinhua) -- China's Permanent Mission to the United Nations on Tuesday rejected a statement by Kelly Craft, the U.S. permanent representative to the United Nations, on what she claimed China's human rights "abuses." "On June 30, the U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations issued a seriously biased statement, making baseless comments on China's human rights situation and interfering in China's internal affairs. China expresses strong dissatisfaction and firm opposition," said a statement by a spokesperson of the Chinese mission. It is the people who can best tell their country's human rights situation. The Chinese government always puts people first, promotes and protects human rights in the course of development, and follows a path of human rights development with Chinese characteristics, according to the statement of the Chinese mission. China has achieved remarkable human rights progress. On its land of 9.6 million square kilometers, there is no war, no displacement, no fear. The 1.4 billion Chinese people are living in peace, freedom and happiness. This is the biggest human rights project and the best human rights practice, and the enormous contribution China has made to the global cause of human rights, it said. It is the human rights situation in the United States that calls for international attention. Recently, the UN Human Rights Council held an urgent debate and unanimously adopted a resolution, strongly condemning the continuing racially discriminatory practices which led to the death of George Floyd, said the statement. "We urge the U.S. to listen to the voice of justice from the international community. ... We urge the U.S. to reflect on its own problems and let its people breathe." China is rock-solid in defending national interests, opposing external interference, and promoting and protecting human rights. Any attempt of politicizing the human rights issue and using human rights to smear China is doomed to fail, the statement said. Enditem "I'm hoping and praying she's not in pain or misery" Search for 5-year-old Summer Wells continues An employee carries a package at the distribution center of US online retail giant Amazon in Moenchengladbach, on December 17, 2019. Amazon has been closely tracking the spread of the virus inside at least one warehouse, according to an internal memo viewed by CNN Business. Groups of congressional Republicans and Democrats have visited the White House over the past two days for briefings on allegations that the Russian military intelligence agency GRU offered bounties to Taliban fighters who killed American soldiers in Afghanistan. They have emerged bristling with demands for retaliation, with one Republican senator declaring, I want to hear their plan for Taliban and GRU agents in body bagsin other words, for military action by the United States against Russia, possessor of the worlds second largest stockpile of nuclear weapons. The Russian bounties campaign is a fabrication by the US military-intelligence apparatus and its preferred mouthpiece, the New York Times, which signaled the kickoff of the current campaign with a front-page article Saturday that provided no evidence either of bounties paid or American soldiers killed, only reiterating endlessly that intelligence officials believed that Russia had carried out such an operation. Four days into the affair, there has still been no evidence produced. Not a single witness to the offering, payment or receipt of a bounty has been cited. Not a single one of the 31 US military deaths in Afghanistan in 2019 and 2020 has been credibly linked to alleged Russian payments. The Associated Press carried a report Monday that Officials are focused in particular on the death of three Marines, killed when a car bomb exploded outside of Bagram Air Base in April 2019, but did not explain what reason there was for investigating that particular incident. The same article asserted that captured Taliban fighters had told interrogators about the alleged bounties, claiming, Officials with knowledge of the matter told the AP that Taliban operatives from opposite ends of the country and from separate tribes offered similar accounts. But the article continued: The officials would not name the specific groups or give specific locations in Afghanistan or time frames for when they were detained. Aside from the absence of proof, there is a complete absence of motive. Why would the Russian government want to kill a handful of American soldiers in Afghanistan? What purpose would that serve, in terms of Russian foreign policy? Why would they pay fighters of the Taliban, long branded as terrorists by Moscow? Why would fighters in the Taliban, a group whose origins lie in the Islamic fundamentalist guerrilla groups that fought Soviet troops in the 1980s, serve as Moscows mercenaries? And why, given that they have fought American imperialism to a stalemate in nearly 20 years of war, suffering massive casualties in the process, would Taliban fighters need a monetary incentive to kill American soldiers? None of these questions is even raised in the American corporate media, which reproduces the allegations of the US intelligence agencies as though they were unchallengeable truths, no matter how stupid, uncorroborated and self-contradictory. For official Washington, the Russian bounties campaign is merely the latest chapter in the political warfare that has raged for the past four years, since the FBI and CIA began investigating alleged ties between the presidential campaign of Donald Trump and the Russian government. The Democratic Party has consistently lined up with the sections of the military-intelligence apparatus that have viewed Trump as too soft on Russia and too inclined to abandon longstanding US interventions in the Middle East and Central Asia, from Afghanistan to Syria. Frightened by the vast popular hostility directed against Trumps attacks on democratic rights, his racist diatribes against immigrants and minorities, and his subordination of all government policy to the needs of Wall Street and big business, the Democrats have sought to divert all opposition to Trump behind a right-wing campaign to brand him as a stooge of Russian President Vladimir Putin, and create a political constituency for US military confrontation with Russia that could lead to nuclear war. This was the content of the Mueller investigation into alleged Russian intervention in the 2016 elections, conducted for some two and a half years. This was followed by the campaign over Trumps withholding of military aid to Ukraine while demanding an investigation into the business activities of Hunter Biden, the son of the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, which led to Trumps impeachment and Senate trial. The congressional Democrats and the Biden campaign have seized on the supposed expose by the New York Times as another opportunity to revive the anti-Russia hysteria and wage an election campaign centered on portraying Trump as an agent of Putina virtual rerun of the 2016 campaign by Hillary Clinton that ended with Trump winning a surprise victory in the Electoral College. This would have two major purposes: enabling Biden to avoid addressing the massive social crisis demonstrated in the mounting COVID-19 death toll and the accompanying economic slump; and conditioning the American people to regard Russia with suspicion and hostility, in order to prepare the political climate for war. The Democrats and their media allies have sought to focus attention, not on any evidence of Russian payment of bountiesthe less said about that big lie the better, as far as the CIA is concernedbut on claims that Trump failed to respond aggressively enough, or was too indolent even to notice when the intelligence agencies first raised the issue (in February 2020 by one account, a year earlier in other reports). House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the top Democrat in Washington, reiterated her all roads lead to Russia critique of Trump in an interview with CNN on Monday morning. It seems clear that the intelligence is real, she said. The question is whether the President was briefed. If he was not briefed, why would he not be briefed? Were they afraid to approach him on the subject of Russia? She speculated that the CIA did not tell Trump about the bounties for fear he would tell Putin. Among the group of ten Democrats who visited the White House Tuesday morning were two freshmen representatives, newly elected in 2018, who would normally not have been considered for such a high-level mission. But these two, Elissa Slotkin of Michigan and Abigail Spanberger of Virginia, are both former CIA officers, and thus personify the ever-closer alignment between the Democratic Party and the intelligence agencies. Another member of the CIA Democrats, the group of nearly a dozen who entered Congress in 2018 from military-intelligence backgrounds, Representative Max Rose of New York, a former combat commander in Afghanistan, said, Its sickening that American soldiers have been killed as a result of Russian bounties on their heads, and the Commander in Chief didnt do a thing to stop it. Former Vice President Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, used similar language at a press conference that followed his speech on coronavirus in Wilmington, Delaware. In response to media questions, he described Trumps response to the alleged Russian bounties as dereliction of duty, using the same phrase three separate times, in an effort to play up Trumps deficiencies as commander-in-chief. Some Republicans joined in the anti-Russia chorus, albeit without criticizing Trumps response. This included Senator Ben Sasse of Nebraska, who made the comment about Taliban and GRU body bags, calling that a necessary proportional response to the alleged Russian action. Senator Todd Young of Indiana, a former Marine intelligence officer, said the alleged Russian operation deserves a strong and immediate response from our government. He called for Senate hearings and for Trump to rescind any invitation for Russia to rejoin the Group of Seven, the grouping of the major industrialized nations, and for personal financial sanctions on Putin. The only reluctance to enlist in the anti-Russia campaign came from the Pentagon, whose spokesman said late Monday there was no corroborating evidence to validate the recent allegations found in open-source reports. The National Security Agency, which monitors all telecommunications in the Afghanistan region, reportedly told CBS News that the claim of Russian bounty-hunting does not match well-established and verifiable Taliban and Haqqani practices and lacks sufficient reporting to corroborate any links. But for the bulk of the intelligence establishment, the conventional wisdom was expressed in a commentary in the Washington Post by David Ignatius, a columnist who is a frequent conduit for the national-security establishment. While admitting theres a lot we still dont know about the Russian bounties in Afghanistanthe understatement of the weekhe concluded: Trump is an obstacle to good policy. Either people dont tell him the truth, or he doesnt want to hear it. Whichever way, hes defaulting on his most basic responsibility as commander in chief. In other words, Trump should be removed, as the Democrats have been arguing for years, not because of his right-wing policies and aspirations to establish an authoritarian regime, but because he is too unreliable in his role as the principal defender of the interests of American imperialism all over the world. The author also recommends: Another anti-Russian smear from the New York Times [29 June 2020] Trump emerges strengthened after Democrats impeachment debacle [6 February 2020] Cancer testing in Australia has reduced significantly during the COVID-19 crisis, with testing and screening for some cancers declining by more than 50 percent in April, often because of shortages of personal protective equipment (PPE) for health workers and patients. Aggregate data from major private pathology labs showed a 56 percent decrease in tissue testing in the week starting April 6, compared with the February average, according to an article published in the Sydney Morning Herald. Tissue testing includes biopsies for breast cancer, prostate cancer, colon cancer, skin cancer and lung cancerthe five most common types of cancer. Over the same period, cervical cancer screening fell by 71 percent and blood tests for prostate cancer were down by 58 percent. Toward the end of May, testing still remained lower than the February average. In the week starting May 25, tissue testing was down 17 percent, cervical cancer 28 percent and prostate cancer blood tests 14 percent. Cancer is the leading cause of death in Australia. The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) estimates that in 2020 there will be just under 150,000 new cases of cancer diagnosed and just under 50,000 deaths. Early detection and diagnosis are critical. A delay in diagnosis can significantly affect the outcome of cancer, leading to worse outcomes and increased deaths. Jane OBrien, a specialist oncoplastic breast cancer surgeon, told the Sydney Morning Herald: Its accepted that a delay in diagnosis of three months or more may be associated with a poorer prognosisthat is, the cancer is bigger and it would be more likely to have spread to the lymph gland That means you may need more aggressive treatments, both surgically and with additional treatments like chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Breast cancer surgeons have reported a 40 percent fall in breast cancer diagnosis over the pandemic months, according to the Clinical Oncology Society of Australia. Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in Australia. In April, BreastScreen Australia temporarily suspended its screening services, which provides free mammograms to women over 40. The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) reported that BreastScreen NSW said this decision was made in order to avoid risks of COVID-19 exposure and to free up trained health practitioners so they can respond to the pandemic. Also, it did not want to use personal protective equipment when it was much needed elsewhere. Moreover, the lack of PPE in hospitals and the shortages of masks, gloves and sanitiser available to the general public have forced many people to put off attending appointments with their GP or following up on referrals, due to the risk of exposure to COVID-19. Cancer Council CEO Sanchia Aranda told the ABC in May that as many as one in 10 people may have put off cancer screening during the pandemic. If it is one in 10 people who delayed [tests] by up to six months, thats about 7,000 cancers that would be diagnosed potentially later, she said. Writing on the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on cancer diagnosis, the University of Melbournes Professor Maarten Ilzerman and Professor Jon Emery raised concerns that the delay in testing, diagnosis and surgery would cause second and third wave effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The second wave is known as the impact on urgent care for non-COVID-19 diseases and usually is explained by delays in access to health services, they wrote. The third wave reflects the impact of COVID-19 on care interruptions in chronic diseases and patients with known cancer. The latter is likely to occur because of changes in management of (metastatic) cancers receiving less (hospital-based) chemotherapy. There is an estimated backlog of 400,000 elective surgeries in Australia, including some 25,000 cancer surgeries, as a result of the cancellation of most elective surgeries from March 25 up until mid-May, due to the lack of PPE, beds and equipment to cope with the pandemic. This is a global trend. A recent World Economic Forum report stated that 38 percent of global cancer surgery has been postponed or cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic. Health systems around the world, which for decades have seen funding cuts, under staffing and extensive privatisation, have been rapidly overwhelmed by the influx of COVID-19 patients. Even before the outbreak of the pandemic, wait times for elective surgeries in Australia were lengthening. According to AIHW data, just 50 percent of patients were admitted for elective surgery within 41 days in 2018-19. That was up from 50 percent of patients admitted within 35 days in 2014-15. Wait times were lengthy for diagnostic testing for some cancers. In 2018, Bowel Cancer Australia reported that 90 percent of National Bowel Cancer Screening Program participants with a positive screening were waiting between 116 and 181 days for a colonoscopy. Medical guidelines recommend that patients be referred to colonoscopy within a maximum 120-day threshold. Bowel cancer is the second most common cancer in Australia and kills over 5,000 people each year. In addition to long wait times, life saving cancer treatments and care can cost thousands of dollars, becoming more costly the more advanced the treatments and surgery that is required. One Western Australia study, recently published in the Australian Medical Journal, found that over 90 percent of participants incurred out-of-pocket expenses for their cancer care, including for surgery, medical tests and medical appointments. Costs ranged from $51 to $106,140 for those living in outer metropolitan areas and from $13 to $20,842 for those in rural areas, and were higher among those who had private health insurance. Around 21 percent of all participants reported spending more than 10 percent of their household income on cancer care. Moreover, clinical services such as radiology and pathology are often controlled by the private sector, increasing out-of-pocket expenses. A 2016 Australian Bureau of Statistics study showed that around 300,000 patients forgo early diagnosis each year due to the cost of radiology services. Successive Labor and Liberal-National Coalition governments, state and federal, have inflicted cuts to health care and privatised health services. The lie that there is not enough money to provide decent health services has been exposed by the coronavirus pandemic. The federal Coalition government, with support from the opposition Labor Party, has funnelled hundreds of billions of dollars to bail out major corporations, while health workers have been left for months with inadequate PPE and resources to cope with the pandemic. In March, with the outbreak of the pandemic, Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced a measly $2.4 billion package for health services to cope with the expected influx of COVID-19 patients. At the same time the governments economic stimulus packages have exceeded $200 billion, most of which went to major corporations and the banks. Chilean mineworkers are being forced to bear the brunt of the health, social and economic crisis affecting the country since the outbreak of COVID-19 last March. With 280,000 confirmed infections and 5,688 deaths in Chile, mineworkers in particular face a severe threat of contracting coronavirus as it tears through mining towns and cities since May, as the ultra-right government of billionaire President Sebastian Pinera has refused to close down non-essential industries. Three mineworkers have died in the giant state-owned mining corporation Codelco, and some 2,528 are infected, according to the Ministry of Mining. Even the corporatist unions, which have bent over backwards to appease the mining consortiums, question the veracity of these figures. The Health Ministry revealed that in the exclusively mining region of Antofagasta there has been an exponential increase in infections in the last two months: from 39 cases at the beginning of April to 8,308 cases on June 27. The rate of infection has similarly soared in other mining regions during the same period: OHiggins rose from 26 cases to 5,606, Valparaiso from 136 to 11,307 and Tarapaca from 10 cases to 5,893. Chuquicamata open pit mine outside Calama. (Credit: Diego Delso) For both native and international capital, which have over-extracted the countrys natural resources and super-exploited labour for over a century, mining constitutes an industry too big to close. With an annual production of some 5.8 million tons, Chile produces about a third of the global supply of copper. The industry as a whole is responsible for between 10 percent and 15 percent of Chiles GDP. Codelco, the state-owned company, produces 11 percent of the worlds copper and its Chuquicamata mine alone churns out 385,000 tons of the metal. Major mining consortiums, BHP Billiton, Anglo American, Tech, Glencore, Antofagasta Minerals, along with the state-owned giant, have reaped billions in profits from a workforce that under ordinary conditions numbers up to 240,000 workers, contractors and subcontractors. Another 900,000 workers are dependent on the auxiliary industries for employment. With the outbreak of the coronavirus in China, the main destination of copper, the price of the metal fell sharply in the first quarter of 2020. Since March over 40 percent of the workforce has been furloughed and 11,700 were laid off as construction projects were shut down. The remaining staff have been forced onto onerous 14-days-on 14-days-off shifts ostensibly as a social distancing measure. A fraction is working from home. Yet with a much-diminished workforce, the mining consortiums have extracted more copper ore during this years first quarter than in the same period in 2019. Chiles discredited former health minister, Jaime Manalich, before resigning on June 12, attempted to blame the spike in cases on residents untidiness in the measures of social distancing, like clandestine parties, social meetings, that unfortunately have been maintained in this commune, in a very intense form. But social media has belied these claims with videos of empty streets and of the population practising, to the best of their ability, social distancing measures in overcrowded neighbourhoods. The reality is that the Health Ministry delayed placing Antofagasta under total quarantine until an explosion in the infection rate and then removed the quarantine to allow the mining industry to continue operating unimpeded. The new health minister then waited another three weeks before re-ordering quarantine measures, after another sharp rise in coronavirus infections. The present quarantines in the communes of the regional zone of AntofagastaAntofagasta, Calama, Tocopilla and Mejillonesonly apply to the urban radius and exclude mining operations and companies outside the city centres. One of the primary sources of the outbreak in Antofagasta is the internal transfer of mineworkers, who often come from Santiago or other areas. While air traffic has dropped by 90 percent nationally, the Antofagasta region has the highest number of flights after Santiago. The Calama terminal has now been temporarily closed, but companies like BHP are sending staff to Antofagasta airport where they are provided with chartered buses to their final destination. Another contributing factor is the viral spread in working-class neighbourhoods which lack a regular supply of water. Access to the privatised water system comes in truck cisterns and families are provided with a negligible amount, insufficient to have daily showers, let alone regularly wash hands. Another 7,600 families live in overcrowded squatter settlements in the region, also without access to potable water, electricity or sewer systems. In other words, the mining regions of Antofagasta, Tarapaca, Valparaiso and OHiggins are recording massive outbreaks of COVID-19 that surpass national averages as a result of the callous indifference to the conditions of the working class and placing profits before lives. One tracker used to determine the viral spread is the positive rate in reference to the share of tests returning a positive result where the lower the number, the wider the testing. The World Health Organisation has recommended a positive rate of between 3 and 12 percent as a general benchmark of adequate testing. According to the online tracker Our World in Data, Italy has a positive test rate of 0.5 percent, England 1.5 percent, and the US 5.8 percent. Mexico on the other hand, has a rate exceeding 50 percent and Brazil has records that end in April, suggesting that the government of fascistic president Jair Bolsonaro has stopped publishing figures. Chile has an average positive test rate of 30.9 percent for June 21, indicating that COVID-19 is being severely underreported amid an explosion in cases. The regional breakdown reveals an even more frightening picture. In a study conducted by investigative journal CIPER, the researchers showed that mining regions are registering up to double the national average. The OHiggins regional zone recorded a 62.4 percent positive rate; the Valparaiso region recorded 36.5 percent; Tarapaca 32.8 percent. The Antofagasta region, the heart of the mining industry representing more than half of Chiles mining output of copper, potassium nitrate, gold, iodine, and lithium, recorded 46.1 percent positive rate. But even under these catastrophic conditions, the entire Chilean government, with the assistance of the corporatist unions, have refused to shut down the mining cash cow. The working class in the mining industry is supporting the entire state, which in turn has since March provided a myriad of tax and financial incentives to the financial and corporate elite. Total wealth, including liquid, financial and real assets, of the 31 most powerful economic groups reached US$490 billion last year. Earlier in March, the Copper Mineworkers Federation, the CTC made a mealy-mouthed call on the government to close non-essential services. More recently, they said they wanted to request, as the largest mining organization in Chile, a tripartite dialogue table, which is capable of unifying criteria in terms of health protocols, control measures and prevention to prevent even more mining workers from becoming infected. But it was their cynical advice to mineworkers that should be inscribed on the corporatist organisations epitaph. The CTC said workers should use the Labor Code to interrupt or abandon their work because the conditions to protect the life and health of the workers do not exist. To that end, workers who are dismissed in reprisal for having protected their right to life and health may apply to the Labour Inspectorate and the Labour Courts for the appropriate action. This throwing the workers to the wolves reveals in the starkest colours the corporatist character of the bankrupt union apparatus. Since the late 1970s and early 1980s, with the developments of globalised production, which not by accident coincided with Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochets economic shock measures, the national reformist unions were transformed into instruments that police the workforce and implement the corporate agenda of internationally mobile capital. These profound economic changes in the capitalist mode of production also transformed the economic nationalist political parties like the Chilean Socialist Party which was groomed in this period for reinsertion back into the capitalist state through the so-called Concertacion de Partidos por la Democracia. If the Stalinist Chilean Communist Party was unable to enter into the centre-left coalition that held power for the first 20 years of civilian rule, it wasnt for the lack of trying. The executive and the parliament, in the midst of the pandemic, have introduced laws to facilitate the furloughing of labour without having to pay any entitlements under the Employment Protection Law. They have put into practise Electronic Settlements allowing massive layoffs without the right of workers to make any claims, and suspended Collective Negotiations for the duration of the State of Exception decreed on March 18, 2020 and extended for another 90 days in June. The working class is paying for this crisis with its lives and livelihoods. It can only put a stop to this carnage by advancing an independent socialist internationalist political perspective. To this end the International Committee of the Fourth International, which publishes the World Socialist Web Site has pledged to assist the working class by providing it the essential tactical, strategic and programmatic direction. This requires above all the building of a section of the Fourth International in Chile. We appeal to workers, students, and all those who recognize the need for the socialist reorganization of the world to secure the future of humanity, to join us in this struggle. On Friday, June 26, the Democratic Party-controlled House of Representatives passed a bill, House Resolution 51, the District of Columbia Statehood Act, that would grant Washington D.C. the right to claim statehood. The bill passed 232-180, largely along party lines, with the majority of House Democrats supporting the move to make the District the 51st state. If enacted, the bill would shrink the federally-administered portion of the District of Columbia, containing the White House, Congress, the National Mall and other institutions to a two-square-mile block, ceding the rest of the roughly 70-square-mile area to the newly-minted state of New Columbia. The new state would be given representation in Congress as well as direct control over budgeting and laws within its jurisdiction. Currently, the District of Columbia relies upon acts of Congress to receive funding and local legislative initiatives must receive Congressional approval. It is highly unlikely that the bill will be ratified in the Republican Party-dominated Senate, with majority leader Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky) vowing that the resolution is dead on arrival and President Trump prepared to veto anything that comes to his desk. Primarily, congressional Republicans fear that the induction of a new, heavily Democratic-leaning state, adding two more Democratic senators to the present 100, could upset their narrow control in the Senate. Statehood would also prevent federal legislators from interfering in the social policies enacted in the US capital, as they presently do. For the Democrats, the statehood bill is a cynical stunt. No such legislation was ever passed when the Democrats had full control of Congress and the White House, during the first two years of the Obama administration. The bill has passed now in an effort to strike a progressive stance during the ongoing protests against police violence, while the Democrats know that the Republican Senate will block it and the Republican president would veto it. In terms of population, New Columbia would be one of the smallest states in the country, larger only than Vermont and Wyoming in that respect. In terms of geographical area, it would be the smallest. Various proponents of statehood have promoted it as an advance for democratic rights, granting the citys roughly 700,000 residents voting rights in federal government and local control over budgets. At present, the Districts House delegate has consultative rights in the crafting of legislation, but no right to vote. The formal organization of the District of Columbia occurred in 1801, enacted as part of the District Clause in Article I of the United States Constitution. Congress shall have power, the clause states: To exercise exclusive legislation in all cases whatsoever, over such District (not exceeding ten miles square) as may, by cession of particular states, and the acceptance of Congress, become the seat of the government of the United States. The phrase particular states referred to Maryland and Virginia, each having surrendered a portion of their land toward the capitals creation, although the land south of the Potomac River was returned to Virginia and now constitutes Arlington County, where the Pentagon is located. It was desired by the Constitutions framers that the nations capital obtain territory of its own so as not to fall under the jurisdiction of any other locality. In particular, there was a concern that the host state could exercise undue sway over the federal governments operations. The push for statehood today has taken on an additional impetus amid the mass protests against police violence following the killing of George Floyd, an African American man in Minneapolis, in May. Supporters of making the District a state have promoted claims that this would enfranchise the citys large African American population, which today stands at roughly 45 percent of D.C.s total, thus making the move a victory for civil rights. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other congressional Democrats made extravagant displays in support of the bill, wearing face masks which bore the trademark 51 of the D.C. statehood campaign. Congress has two choices. It can continue to exercise undemocratic, autocratic authority over the 705,000 American citizens who reside in our nations capital, treating them, in the words of Frederick Douglass as aliens, not citizens, but subjects. Or Congress can live up to this nations promise and ideals and pass H.R. 51, stated the Districts lone delegate to Congress, Eleanor Holmes Norton, a Democrat, last week. Referring to President Trumps deployment of federal troops on the streets of D.C. last month in response to largely peaceful protests, Norton said, The federal occupation of D.C. occurred solely because the president thought he could get away with it here. In reality, statehood for the District of Columbia would have no practical significance for the vast majority of the citys working class population, whether African American, white or immigrant. Poverty would still remain a daily concern, and the threat of wanton police brutality would remain a constant danger. According to recent estimates by SmartAsset, Washington D.C. is the third most expensive city for renters in the country, with the average yearly cost totaling over $37,000. With a median income of $82,000, this means that costs of renting in the District currently eat up more than half of the average yearly paycheck. Nearly a fifth of the citys population lives in poverty. While historically the federal government has utilized its control over the District of Columbia to test out anti-democratic and authoritarian measures, not least of all in the realm of aggressive policing, the utilization of SWAT teams, no-knock raids and the deployment of heavily armed federal troops to city streets have become a common occurrence throughout the United States. This process would hardly be stalled by D.C. statehood. According to Forbes, last month at least 23 states activated the National Guard and deployed armed officials on American cities during the largely peaceful multiracial protests against police brutality. Rather than being a check on the deployment of troops, the acquisition of statehood within the District of Columbia has manifested itself as another battleground between the various factions of the capitalist state seeking to gain leverage in order to wield the powers of a police state against the working population. The author also recommends: Washington D.C. legislature endorses limited rent relief, bars assistance to undocumented immigrants [18 April 2020] Washington, D.C., political establishment blocks minimum wage increase for citys tipped workers [13 January 2020] Widening social inequality in US capital [09 June 2012] As the economic crisis triggered by the coronavirus pandemic continues, hundreds of thousands of layoffs are hitting virtually every industry and every country across Europe. The European ruling class is using the downturn to implement a historic restructuring of class relations. Trade unions are working hand-in-glove with employers to enforce job cuts and slash wages and working conditions. Among the most severely impacted sectors is the airline and associated manufacturing industries. Yesterday Franco-German airplane manufacturer Airbus announced that it will destroy 15,000 jobs, including 5,100 in Germany, 5,000 in France, 1,700 in Britain, 900 in Spain and the remainder in other sites around the world. Speaking Monday to the German newspaper Die Welt, Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury stated that the companys economic activity would be 40 percent below previous predictions for 2020 and 2021. Its activity is not expected to return to 2019 levels until between 2023 and 2025, amid a global collapse in travel. The trade unions have already made clear that they will not oppose the job cuts. The French trade unions have called only for there to be no compulsory redundancies, meaning that they will work with management to ensure that a sufficient number of workers are coerced into leaving. Airbus itself has insisted that it will implement layoffs if not enough workers can be pressured to leave. Airbus main rival Boeing already announced a 10 percent cut in its workforce, destroying 16,000 jobs. Rolls Royce, which makes jet engines, is cutting 9,000 jobs worldwide. Among the major airlines, Lufthansa in Germany will cut at least 22,000 of its 138,000 jobs. Air France-KLM is destroying 6,00010,000 positions out of a total of 80,000. British Airways is slashing 14,000 out of 42,000 positions, and Ryanair is cutting 3,000. Scandinavia Airlines announced 5,000 job cuts in April, hitting workers in Sweden, Denmark and Norway. British budget airline Easyjet announced in May that it would cut 30 percent of its workforce, or 4,500 jobs, including one in three of its pilots in the UK. Virgin Atlantic is cutting 3,000 jobs. Last week, the aviation services company Swissport announced that it would cut 4,556 jobs in the UK and Ireland. It had already laid off 1,500 staff in Belgium on June 9. It employs more than 64,000 people internationally, and told Euronews that it would inevitably be forced to announce more redundancies, without specifying how many. The Danish shipping company DFDS will cut 650 positions in coming months, according to a report published yesterday in Shipping Today. A June 17 report by Allianz financial advisory firm, titled The risk of 9 million zombie jobs in Europe, makes clear that these layoffs are only the beginning. It states that 9 million people across the big five European economiesGermany, Britain, France, Italy and Spainare at increased risk of losing their jobs in the next year with an end to government schemes that have provided companies with a portion of wages for employees throughout the pandemic. The report states that close to one third of the workforce of these five countries, or 45 million people, is currently dependent upon temporary government wage payment schemes that will come to an end. It predicts that even with these schemes in place, an additional 4.3 million people will lose their jobs next year. In the auto sector, BMW will cut its global workforce by 6,000, according to a report published June 20 by Belga. The reductions have already been agreed to by the trade union works council. The works council at Daimler sent a letter to employees this month informing them that the 15,000 job cuts already announced by the company would be increased, which the union declared was necessary. Renault announced 15,000 job cuts in May, equivalent to almost 10 percent of its global workforce of 180,000, including the likely closure of four plants in France. Nissan is planning to lay off another 20,000. In Britain, the oil giant BP announced on June 8 that it would cut 10,000 jobs, most of them by the end of 2020. In France, decorations and furniture brand Alinea has been in financial proceedings since May 12 after declaring it was unable to pay its creditors. Dozens of other companies have been placed into receivership, threatening thousands of layoffs, including Celio, La Halle, Spartoo Andre, Naf Naf and Camaieu. TUI France, the tourist operator, has announced it will cut 583 jobs, two thirds of its workforce. The destruction of tens of thousands of jobs is proceeding with the critical assistance of the trade unions. Their role is to smother opposition among workers to the destruction of their jobs, and ensure that the cost of the coronavirus pandemic is borne by the working class, not only in mass deaths but in an assault on their living standards. At Lufthansa, the trade unions have been the most enthusiastic supporters of a German state bailout involving not only 22,000 job cuts, but cuts to workers wages and conditions. Similar agreements are being enforced across France. This month, the French trade unions led by Workers Force signed an agreement at Derichebourg, which manufactures aeronautics parts for Airbus, agreeing to the cancellation of the so-called 13th month for employeeseffectively an 8 percent wage cutas well as other bonuses, in the name of preventing the closure of the plant, which employs 1,600 people. In every country, having carried out massive state bailouts of the corporations, the ruling class is using the conditions provided by the pandemic to effect a historic restructuring in class relations. While collaborating in this offensive, the trade unions aggressively promote nationalism and chauvinism, aiming to divide workers between countries and prevent them from waging a unified struggle. On Thursday, the CGT rallied with Unsubmissive France (LFI) leader Jean-Luc Melenchon and Raphael Glucksmanna European parliament deputy who stood with the Socialist Party in the 2019 European electionsoutside the Luxfer factory in Gerzat. The factory, which closed in June 2019, previously manufactured bottles of oxygen for medical use. The Luxfer plant has been the focal point of a nationalist campaign stretching from the CGT to the extreme-right Marine Le Pen demanding that the Macron administration purchase the plant in order to prevent France from being dependent upon foreign supplies of oxygen. Speaking at the rally, Glucksmann declared, The closure of this site is to condemn Europe to depend on the Turks and the Americans. If you really want this return of offshored production and this industrial sovereignty, start by saving this plant! Melenchon added that the workers of Luxfer are ready to resume their posts and produce oxygen bottles that not only France but the world needs. LFI has focused its response to the pandemic on demands to restore French economic independence and sovereignty. The purpose of this nationalist demagogy is to hide the real source of the ongoing assault on jobs and conditionsthe global crisis of the capitalist systemand to prevent workers from uniting across national borders against it. The trillions handed over to the banks and major corporations are to be extracted through a stepped-up exploitation of the working class and the destruction of social programs. The response of the working class must be to develop its own international counteroffensive. The struggle must be taken out of the hands of the corrupt nationalist trade unions, which are the tools of corporate management, and placed under the control of independent rank-and-file committees controlled by workers and extending across the continent. The growing struggle of autoworkers in the US against the return-to-work drive led by the Trump administration shows that there is a powerful objective basis for the development of such an international struggle. It must be connected to a socialist program for the establishment of workers governments and the socialist reorganization of the economy. Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-01 11:51:29|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, inspects poverty alleviation work in a tea farm of Laoxian Township, Pingli County of the city of Ankang, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, April 21, 2020. (Xinhua/Yan Yan) BEIJING, July 1 (Xinhua) -- The Communist Party of China (CPC) is embracing its 99th anniversary as it leads the country's homestretch toward building a moderately prosperous society in all respects despite the impact of COVID-19 and a global economic recession. The CPC has reaffirmed its commitment to realizing its first centenary goal of creating a well-off society for 1.4 billion Chinese people on schedule. This transformation will be one of the world's most exciting stories in modern history. This miracle is created by a political party that has faced misunderstanding, distrust and even misjudgement that its existence would be short-lived. Uncertainties ripple through the world today, calling into question the definition of governance legitimacy. In this context, the CPC's ideas and practices are increasingly relevant and inspiring in the eyes of the international community. STAYING TRUE TO FOUNDING MISSION Ever since the Party's founding on July 1, 1921, the Chinese communists have been struggling to seek fulfillment for the Chinese people, and rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. After seven decades of governance, the CPC has transformed China from an isolated agricultural society into the world's second-largest open economy. Fireworks explode during a grand evening gala marking the 70th founding anniversary of the People's Republic of China (PRC) in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 1, 2019. (Xinhua/Lan Hongguang) Now the CPC is leading the nation's battle to wipe out the absolute poverty that has haunted the nation for thousands of years. The Party sends its finest cadres to the frontlines to make sure not a single family is left behind on the nation's way to common prosperity. Sticking to its people-centered philosophy, the Party never stops striving to meet the people's needs for a better life, ranging from those in education, employment, medical services and housing, to environment, security, and fairness and justice. The Party has no special interests of its own. It has never been afraid of breaking the shelters of vested interests, and sweeping out obstacles hampering development. That is why the CPC is competent to think both strategically and pragmatically. The leadership keeps its eye on the country's sustainable future and formulates long-term plans, while at the same time setting short-term goals to solve prominent issues that concern the people the most. A recent survey by the Pew Research Center finds China tops the 2019 global rankings in terms of the levels of satisfaction with government performance, with over 86 percent of Chinese surveyed expressing satisfaction, far above the global average of 47 percent. This wide public support is the key to the CPC's strength and confidence in long-term governance. STICKING TO ITS OWN PATH The CPC has created China's recipe for success, officially called "socialism with Chinese characteristics." It is a path suited to China's national conditions. Tourists admire the skyline view of Lujiazui area at the Bund in Shanghai, east China, Jan. 6, 2020.(Xinhua/Wang Xiang) Following this path, China keeps pushing forward reform and opening up. The market-government relationship, where the market plays a decisive role in resource allocation and the government better serves its duty, boosts steady and healthy economic development. Stability is maintained. Social creativity is sparked. The principle of "the people running the country" is put into practice in China's political and social activities. China is proving its resilience in the face of challenges, with its innovation faster, middle class bigger, cultural life richer, and confidence stronger than ever before. As the global economy contracts by 4.9-percent in a coronavirus-driven plunge in output, China is the only major economy that could see growth this year, according to a forecast by the International Monetary Fund. Deputies to the 13th National People's Congress (NPC) leave the Great Hall of the People after the closing meeting of the third session of the 13th NPC in Beijing, capital of China, May 28, 2020. (Xinhua/Xing Guangli) ABILITY TO PURIFY, IMPROVE, REFORM ITSELF To have the courage to carry out self-reform and conduct strict self-governance is the most distinctive part of the Party's character. The CPC has drawn lessons from many political forces that have failed to break the historical cycle of gaining political power only to lose it. It tightens discipline, improves work styles, fights corruption, and punishes wrongdoing. China has also completed massive institutional reform, touching upon a wide range of entities of the Party and the state, paving the way for future development. Its self-reform will never end. The CPC is a dynamic organization with a strong ability to learn and to adapt. It has been advancing theoretical explorations and adapting Marxism to a Chinese context. By improving itself, the CPC has enhanced its ability to lead the country in the course of innovation-driven, coordinated, green, open, and shared development. STRESSING UNITY & VITALITY The CPC upholds democratic centralism. It fully expands intraparty democracy, giving play to the initiative and creativity of Party organizations at all levels as well as its members. Once decisions are made, they should be effectively implemented. Renowned Chinese respiratory specialist Zhong Nanshan (C, front) attends an oath-taking ceremony via video connections for two new probationary Party members in Wuhan to take the oath of joining the Communist Party of China, in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province, March 2, 2020. (Xinhua/Deng Hua) The Party exercises overall leadership and coordinates work in all areas. Under the CPC leadership, people's congresses, governments, and supervisory, judicial, procuratorial, and social organizations work together coordinately. Such mechanisms are especially vital for a big country with complicated national conditions. The system has proven efficient in pooling resources to deal with major problems, such as epidemic prevention and control, relieving natural disasters, and supporting the development of ethnic minorities. The CPC forges a contingent of competent and professional officials, who are a central pillar of strength for the cause of the CPC. Its distinctive organizational arrangements of selecting and appointing officials guarantee the centralized, unified leadership of the CPC Central Committee, and maintain stability and continuity of policies, while stimulating vitality for development. GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE The CPC maintains an open mind towards development experiences of other countries, and is ready to share its own in this increasingly connected world. It embraces the surging trends of global multi-polarity, economic globalization, IT application, and cultural diversity. Members of a Chinese medical team attend a ceremony at Jiangbei International Airport in southwest China's Chongqing, May 13, 2020. The Chinese government sent a team of medical experts to Algeria to help the country fight the COVID-19 pandemic. (Xinhua/Liu Chan) The Party is committed to building a community with a shared future for humanity. China has become an indispensable force in resolving global and regional issues, from wealth inequality and trade and investment to climate change, terrorism, and peace-keeping. The CPC has not only sought to serve the Chinese people, but also made contributions to the development of the whole world through the Belt and Road Initiative, said Salah Adly, general secretary of the Egyptian Communist Party. "China pursues a strategy of international cooperation based on mutual benefit, peace, and prosperity." China is now moving closer to the world's center stage, and closer than ever before to national rejuvenation. The victory to realize the first centenary goal lies ahead, but so do hardships. China is still the world's biggest developing country. It is also facing a complicated external environment, especially when protectionism and unilateralism are bringing uncertainty to the world. Aerial photo taken on Oct. 21, 2018 shows the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai), the main venue of the first China International Import Expo (CIIE), in Shanghai, east China. (Xinhua/Ding Ting) The CPC must continue to reinforce itself for another lofty target: a great, modern socialist country that is prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced, harmonious, and beautiful. As it turns 99, the Party is starting anew to answer history's call in a new era. Almost five months after Irelands February 8 general election, Leo Varadkars Fine Gael and Micheal Martins Fianna Fail have been able to form a coalition government after the Green Party membership voted to come on board. On June 26, after weeks of negotiations, the membership of all three parties voted in favour of forming a coalition on a joint programme. Three quarters of the Green Party registered their support for an alliance with the architects of over a decade of austerity. Micheal Martin will replace Varadkar as Taoiseach (Prime Minister) until December 2022 when the role will rotate back to Varadkar for the second half of the five-year parliamentary term. The readiness of Fine Gael and Fianna Fail to sink differences rooted in the bloodletting of the Civil War following the setting up of the Irish Free State in 1921 is a measure of the desperate crisis facing the bourgeoisie. Amid an imminent recession in the aftermath of the coronavirus pandemic, they need the Greens to secure a parliamentary majority and to have any hope of enforcing the savage attacks on jobs, wages and essential services now on the agenda. Eamon Ryan In return for some environmental window dressing, the Greens leader, Eamon Ryan, spoke of the sense of responsibility on us now because we do have a job to do, in getting our country out of a really severe economic crisis. What this means is not the protection of jobs and livelihoods that is routinely invoked, but imposing economic policies that will favour the corporations, banks and the super-rich. From 2007 to 2011, as junior partners in a coalition government with Fianna Fail, the Greens were complicit in introducing billions of euros of cuts to health, education, and other social services to bail out banks and protect the wealth of the super-rich. Despite widespread opposition from working people, Fine Gael has been kept in power by Fianna Fail under a confidence and supply agreement worked out three years ago by Varadkar and Martin. But the two-party system that has enabled Fine Gael and Fianna Fail to control the Dail (parliament) since the foundation of the Republic was rejected overwhelmingly in the February 8 election. The combined votes of Fianna Fail and Fine Gael fell to an historic low, with Sinn Fein winning a plurality of first preference votes, based mainly on promises to end austerity, provide affordable housing, fund the health service and social care, and to tackle unemployment. In Northern Ireland, Sinn Fein has proved its ability to combine such vaguely left rhetoric with the responsible safeguarding of corporate interests, in collaboration with the Unionists. But this was not enough to secure their inclusion in government in the South, with both the main parties refusing any discussion. Sinn Fein not only competes for a nationalist vote, but its anti-austerity rhetoric sends out the wrong message to workers when the official mantra must be sacrificed in the national interest. Sinn Feins exclusion will likely strengthen its standing among sections of workers and youth. Party leader Mary Lou McDonald said Sinn Fein would continue to press for change. Deputy leader in the Dail Pearse Doherty promised renewed opposition and to stand up for ordinary workers and families. But their successes are only an initial expression of a more fundamental shift to the left by the working class, which cannot be satisfied by Sinn Feins pro-capitalist programme. Varadkars term in government was marked by growing social inequality and the worst housing crisis in the countrys history, as well as a severe deterioration in the health care system that left the country woefully unprepared for the COVID-19 onslaught. Between 2008 and 2015 Fine Gael and Fianna Fail introduced a massive 2.7 billion of health service cuts, with patients forced to wait on trolleys in overcrowded and understaffed hospitals. At the beginning of March there were over 500 patients waiting on trolleys in Irish hospitals, a figure which only fell after thousands were kept away from hospital during the pandemic. Now that the numbers of COVID-19 deaths have fallen, those waiting on trolleys has started to rise, doubling to 102 a day. Dr Fergal Hickey, spokesman for the Irish Association of Emergency Medicine (IAEM), warned that patents in corridors are at particular risk from a winter virus surge, adding that the Health Service Executive (HSE) was passively allowing a return to the status quo while we are still living with COVID-19 in the community. The months of lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic will largely end on July 20. Travel restrictions were lifted on June 29 and the domestic tourism industry will reopen as well as cafes, restaurants and pubs. The pandemic has decimated every sector of the economy, and economists are predicting a recession worse than the financial crash of 2008. The Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) predict investment will plummet by a third by the end of the year and consumer spending will fall by 13 percent, with unemployment spiralling to 17 percent of the workforce. There are already 214,700 people claiming unemployment benefit, while almost a million people depend on some sort of state benefita fifth of the Republic of Ireland s population and just under half its working population. One of the first measures to be introduced by the new government will be to cut the Pandemic Unemployment Payment of 350 brought in by Varadkar after the country went into lockdown on March 27. Government estimates show 2.23 billion extra set aside for jobless payments for the rest of the year, but there is no provision for the Pandemic Unemployment Payment. Central Statistics Office (CSO) figures show that the top 5 percent now has 46.4 percent of national wealth, with 1 percent of the population owning 27.3 percent. This concentration of wealth at the top has been accompanied by growing rates of poverty. Over 760,000 (15.7 percent) now live below the poverty line, with those under 16 years of age accounting for 23.9 percent of those in poverty. One of the first pledges made in the joint document drafted by Fine Gael, Fianna Fail and the Green Party for the formation of a government is that there will be a continuation of Irelands tax haven status. The corporation tax rate of just 12.5 percent will continue, around half the global average corporation tax rate of 27 percent and the European average of 25.3 percent. Extra taxes will fall on those with low incomes, with the document stating that the government will focus any tax rises on those taxes which tax behaviours with negative externalities such as carbon tax, sugar tax, and plastics. The local property tax, which affects 1.2 million households and was introduced in 2012 during the financial and banking crisis, will be extended to include new homes which have been exempt. The document pledges that the government will seek to negotiate a new public sector pay deal with the trade unions. These deals have long been used to reduce wages and undermine working conditions, including imposing recruitment embargos. The treatment of health workers during the current COVID-19 pandemic brings into sharp focus the policing role played by the unions on behalf of big business. Of the 25,414 confirmed cases of coronavirus in Ireland, a staggering one third of these have been front-line staff, including nurses, diagnostic and therapy staff, and ambulance staff. This is the highest infection rate among health workers in the world. After 11 days of delays, it was announced by the Johnson government on Monday that the city of Leicester would be placed under a local lockdown. Leicester is the first city in the UK to be put under lockdown since the Conservative government began lifting lockdown restrictions on May 10. Located in the East Midlands with a population of almost 330,000, Leicester has been hit by a surge of COVID-19 infections, with nearly 950 new cases recorded since mid-June. People wearing masks to protect against coronavirus, walk in Melton Road also known as the Golden Mile in Leicester, England, Tuesday June 30, 2020. (AP Photo/Rui Vieira) Health Secretary Matt Hancock told Parliament that schools will be shut to most children in Leicester, and shops that have reopened would now be closed for a further two weeks. According to Leicester City Council there were 3,216 laboratory-confirmed coronavirus cases across the city since February. The 944 cases reported in the last two weeks reveal a 70.6 percent increase since mid-June. Five Leicester schools were shut last week for a deep clean as infections mounted, with members of staff testing positive for the virus. The government was thrust into crisis over the move, as it exposes their big lie that the threat of the virus is almost over and everything can return to normal. It was only on June 24, and without any scientific basis, that Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced the end of the national lockdown. Everything would be geared towards flinging open the remaining sections of the economyincluding pubs and restaurantson July 4 in what has been declared as Independence Day or Super Saturday. Hancock was originally supposed to have made the announcement on Leicesters lockdown at 5 p.m. but this was shunted back until 9 p.m., as the government tried to get its story right. He declared, Given the growing outbreak in Leicester, we cannot recommend that the easing of the national lockdown set to take place on July 4 happens in Leicester. The Leicester outbreak represents one in 10 COVID-19 cases nationally, according to official figures, but at least 36 urban areas around the country have experienced a surge in infections. Data released Tuesday by Public Health England (PHE) reveals that 36 out of 151 local authorities in England alone including entire counties have seen a spike in coronavirus cases over the past two weeks as the government eased lockdown measures. This was entirely predictable, with the government ignoring the warnings from many in the scientific community. Analysing the data, the Telegraph wrote, New confirmed cases are rising in almost one in four cities and counties in England as the nation has begun emerging from lockdown. The capital London, home to over 10 million people, is suffering a surge in cases. Of the 36 local authorities with rising infections, nearly half (15) are London boroughs. This represents nearly half of all Londons 33 boroughs, with infections spread across the north, east, south and west, including Havering, Hammersmith and Fulham, Ealing, Hounslow, Westminster, Brent and Tower Hamlets. According to the data, 26 areas across England had a higher week on week increase than Leicester. London borough Havering (population 257,000+) and the county of Wiltshire (470,981) in South West England have seen a 300 percent week-on-week increase in confirmed cases. Doncaster in South Yorkshire saw its cases rise by nearly 200 percent. The disease causes the most devastation in urban working-class areas. Office for National Statistics data finds that 12 of the 23 areas with more than 5,000 residents per square kilometre have experienced a weekly rise in infections. The outbreak in Leicester is centred in the east of the city, which the Financial Times noted consists of tight-packed housing, where many people live with elderly relatives. The outbreaks in Leicester and around the country expose the ruling elites criminality in ending the lockdown and the collusion of local authoritiesthe vast majority run by the Labour Partywho have turned a blind eye as the virus has ripped through meat and food processing plants and other factories where workers are enclosed in confined areas. It was revealed over the weekend that there have been cases of COVID-19 at the Bradgate Bakery of food manufacturer Samworth Brothers. The firm employs over 9,000 workers at its sites in Leicester, Cornwall and other locations. There are 1,500 employees at sites in Madeleine Road and Ashton Green Road in the Beaumont Leys area of Leicester. Samworth is the UKs second biggest maker of sandwiches and wraps and owns products such as Ginsters pasties and Soreen malt loaf, as well as making ready meals for retailers own brands. In 2018, Samworth purchased its Manton Wood sandwich business from the 2 Sisters Food Group. The 2 Sisters chicken factory in Llangefni, Anglesey, with a workforce of 560, has recorded 216 cases of coronavirus among its workforce. Another outbreak was reported at the Pladis biscuit factory in the South Wigston district of Leicester over a week ago. A worker told the media that five staff on just one team at the plant had tested positive. The firm employs 250 staff. The employee said, Workers are scared to take time off, management are company motivated, the factory has remained open throughout lockdown and they just keep going. The Sun reported Tuesday, [I]t is understood that the outbreak originated in food processing siteswith Leicester particularly hit due to its high number of garment and sewing factories. Both the Samworth Brothers sandwich firm and Ethically Sourced Products clothes factory have been named as sites of minor outbreaks. The Daily Mirror reported Monday that it understands at least five Leicester garment factories which reopened during lockdown have been forced to close again due to outbreaks of the virus among their workers. It cited a source who said, One of these factories had more than 20 cases including the owner himself. The owners tried to deal with it but eventually they sent their workers to be tested Workers have not been furloughed [with the government paying 80 percent of their wages] and, when these factories closed, they had no money and so they went to other factories to find work. That is what is spreading the disease. The lockdown is a devastating indictment of the governments decision to reopen schools, with plans for all to open in September. On Tuesday, Hancock said that one of the main reasons for imposing the Leicester lockdown was an increase in the number of under 18-year-olds who have tested positive. For the first time, the government acknowledged that children can be vectors of the disease with Hancock saying, because children can transmit the disease, although they ae highly unlikely to get ill from the disease, we think that the safest thing to do is to close the schools Leicester Council is run by the Labour Party, who despite recent criticisms that the government didnt act fast enough in responding to the surge in local cases, is most concerned about the impact of the extended lockdown on the economy. Leicester Mayor and former Leicester South Labour MP Sir Peter Soulsby played down the surge in cases, stating, There are no parts of the city where there are alarming concentrations but there have been more hospital admissions from east and northeast of the city. Many more people will be infected and die due to the reckless and homicidal strategy of the Tory government which, despite its lockdown, has carried through a policy of herd immunity that has cost around 70,000 lives so far. On the first full day of Leicesters lockdown another 155 people were reported dead from coronavirus nationally. Control over events cannot be left in the hands of the government and their backers in local Labour authorities and trade unions. What is required to stop the spread of the virus is the independent intervention of the working class. Plants in which there have been cases of COVID-19 must be closed immediately and remain closed until rank-and-file safety committees of workersacting independently of the trade unionsdeem them to be safe. The number of workers testing positive for COVID-19 at three meat processing factories at the centre of the biggest industrial outbreak of the virus in the UK continues to rise, while suppressed information regarding infections at other companies has begun to surface. The 2 Sisters chicken factory in Llangefni, Anglesey, Wales, with a workforce of 560, reported an increase from 175 to 216 cases, while at Rowan Foods, in Wrexham, Wales, which employs 1,500, saw an increase from 70 to 237 cases. At the Kober Ltd meat processing plant in Kirklees, West Yorkshire, confirmed cases among its 1,500 workers increased from 150 to 165. The total number of 618 cases is well above the 250 originally reported when the sites were temporarily closed less than two weeks ago. However, the 2 Sisters factory remains the only one closed until July 2. The 2 Sisters chicken processing plant in Llangefni (credit: Google Maps) George Eustice, the Conservative governments Environment Secretary, has pointed to the absence of social distancing in the workplace communal areas and travelling to and from work as contributory factors. We suspect that these outbreaks might have been linked either to canteens or potentially car sharing arrangements in those plants, he said. However, Professor Chris Elliot of the Institute for Global Food Security at Belfast s Queen University told the BBC, Our meat industry very much relies upon migrant workers, particularly from east Europe. There is something very specific about these three facilities in the UK and the big facility in Germany. I think its actually accommodation sharing because often with migrant workers youll have four, six, eight or ten sharing a house. He added that conditions inside the factory were fantastic for the viruses because it was cold and damp, and workers operate in close proximity to one another. Most telling was the comparison with Germany where the rate of infection has been linked to the overcrowded and unsanitary housing conditions in which migrant workers from Romania and Bulgaria are forced to live. Such conditions also prevail in the UK, with migrant workers representing a significant section of the workforce and many living in a House with Multi Occupancy (HMO).This is defined as a property which is rented by at least three people not from the same household and who share a kitchen, toilet and bathroom. According to recent figures, European Union nationals make up 69 percent of workers in meat processing in the UK. The factors identified as key to the spread of the virus demonstrate that the pandemics spread is bound up with economic and social conditions. Inadequate and unsafe forms of transport, poor working conditions and rundown accommodation are class issues bound up with the wealth extraction demanded by capitalism. The three companies at the centre of the UK outbreak hold a dominant position within the food industry and supply major supermarkets and fast food chains. Public Health Wales (PHW) has reported that 300 workers have failed to present for testing at Rowan Foods and the Isle of Anglesey County Council has appealed for workers not yet tested at the 2 Sister Factory to come forward. The statements by the authorities are full of empty assurances that workplace conditions are under review, but this is disproven by the lengths taken to absolve the companies of any responsibility. Rowan Foods and PHW have stated that there is no evidence that the workplace is the source of the outbreak. But this is a moot point under conditions in which it has been revealed as a major vector for the virus. Workers even staged a walkout on April 3 against unsafe conditions, over a month before the outbreak was announced. The meat processing industry is a hot spot for COVID-19 in country after country. The outbreak in the UK coincides with a massive outbreak in Germany at Tonnies, with over 1,500 reported cases. In the US, the meatpacking industry continues to be the largest spreader of COVID-19, with more than 24,000 workers infected and 91 deaths. Germanys Die Welt (DW) reported that similar conditions exist across EU member states including Belgium, France, Ireland, Spain, Poland and the Netherlands. Irelands meat industry was the second-worst hit after Germany, DW said. A total of 950 laborers contracted COVID-19 at 19 plants. At some sites, one-fourth of the entire workforce fell ill. Yet despite such outbreaks, none of the Irish plants were shut down. The DW article cites a report from the European Federation of Trade Unions in the Food, Agriculture and Tourism sectors (EFFAT) warning that appalling working, employment and housing conditions affect thousands of meat workers in many countries across Europe. These conditions are facilitated by labour hire firms, which employ workers on low pay and insecure contracts to provide major corporations with a supply of workers with few or no rights. Whatever lip service is paid to improving the conditions of migrant workers, the calls by trade unions for tighter regulationswhile working hand in glove with employers and governmentsaim to promote a nationalist agenda and to facilitate a deeper collaboration between the unions and corporations against a unified opposition from within the working class. Both native born and migrant workers are up against a rapacious profit drive by the corporations, as revealed by further cases of infection in other parts of the UK meat processing industry. At the Kepak in Methr Tydvil, South Wales, 101 cases of COVID-19 were confirmed out of 810 tested last Saturday, bringing the total from April to 130. At the Tulip Ltd pork processing plant in Tipton, West Midlands, the company confirmed three workers had tested positive and a further 16 employees had been asked to self-isolate at home. This followed testing of 104 staff at the plant which employs 640 workers and has reported 35 cases since March. ABP Food Group in the west of England has reported eight current cases and four suspected cases at its plant in Shrewsbury, which employs 700, and two at its Ellesmere plant with a similar workforce. This brings total cases at the two plants to 74 since the start of the pandemic. No confidence can be placed in the multi-agency response tasked with managing the outbreaks. Public Health England, like its Welsh counterpart, issued a pro forma statement explaining how cooperative employers are being used to justify inaction in terms of site closures or additional measures to prevent community transmission. The cover-up would not be complete without the trade unions. Unite has been central in maintaining secrecy over the extent of the outbreaks and, along with other unions, drew up a guidance with the Welsh government published June 26 to supposedly resolve safety problems in the meat and food industry. On all issues related to social distancing, which would obligate the companies to reduce line speeds, stagger shifts or limit the number of workers in the factory, the guidance is advisory. It proposes no improvements in the housing conditions of migrant workers but states that they should be regimented in their HMOs in accordance with their working cohort. Rowan Foods has rejected the guidance that employees self-isolating should not suffer any financial detriment and has refused to ensure full pay. Unite Regional Officer Brian Troake reported that calls to slow the assembly lines to allow social distancing have fallen on deaf ears, with productivity increased by 40 percent during the pandemic. The Socialist Equality Party urges workers to read and circulate the statement of the International Committee of the Fourth International for an international working class response to the pandemic, which insists, The fight against the pandemic is not only, or even primarily, a medical issue. It is, above all, a matter of social and political struggle. Amid the worsening global COVID-19 pandemic, Prime Minister Scott Morrison today announced an aggressive military expansion, marking a more explicit shift to supporting the escalating US confrontation with China. Over the next decade, $575 billion will be spent on the military, including an expanded $270 billion military hardware buildup, featuring new long-range strike capabilities. This will start with the immediate purchase of US missiles capable of striking Chinese vessels and facilities in southeast Asia, and which could be reconfigured to hit southern China itself. The announcement was made in the language of preparing the population for war. Asked on Seven TVs Today show this morning if the staggering new amount of $270 billion meant China is that great a threat, Morrison answered in the affirmative. The big competition between China and the United States means tensions are much higher, he said. I mean, we havent seen a time of instability coming out of COVID-19 like this since the 1930s and early 1940s And all of our defence force and defence strategy is built on the alliance, also as a foundation, with the United States. The 1930s and 1940s refer of course to the Great Depression and World War II. Later, addressing military cadets, Morrison said Australia must prepare for a post-COVID world that is poorer, more dangerous and more disorderly. He emphasised: Relations between China and the United States are fractious as they compete for political, economic and technological supremacy. Morrison said war could erupt suddenly. The Indo-Pacific was the epicentre of rising strategic competition and the risk of miscalculationand even conflictis heightening. An Australian soldier participating in the Talisman Saber war games last year (Credit: Department of Defence) As well as intensifying the US-China conflict, the COVID-19 pandemic has triggered a worldwide economic breakdown, thrown the Australian economy into its deepest contraction since the 1930s with government debt spiralling toward $1 trillion. Yet, while millions of working people are suffering mass unemployment and vast social distress, hundreds of billions of dollars more are to be poured into the armed forces. Morrison boasted of exceeding the governments previous promise of increasing annual military spending to 2 percent of gross domestic product. In 2016, the Liberal-National government pledged to spend $195 billion over a decade to buy new warships, submarines, missiles and other weapons systems. Now that has been increased to $270 billion. Morrison said Australia would remain prepared to join US-led coalitions globally, as it did in Afghanistan and Iraq, as provided for in the 2016 defence white paper. But the militarys geographical focus would now be the region ranging from the northeast Indian Ocean, through maritime and mainland southeast Asia to the southwest Pacific. While this shift is couched in defensive terms of holding away adversaries, the build-up consists of offensive weaponry acquired from the US designed to help cut off Chinese access to vital shipping lanes through southeast Asia and block Chinese attempts to strike back if attacked by the US. As a starting point, the Trump administration has already approved the $800 million sale of 200 AGM-158C Long Range Anti-Ship Missiles to Australia. These will be configured to travel up to 370 kilometres but can fly as far as 1,000 kilometres. Deployed on war planes, these missiles could strike targets in the South China Sea or southern China. An estimated $10 billion-$17 billion is to be spent on fighter aircraft, signalling the possible expansion of the US Joint Strike Fighter acquisition program, and $5 billion for an expanded long-range air launched strike capability. Between $6.2 billion and $9.3 billion will be spent on developing high-speed long-range strike, including hypersonic weapons, as well as $400 million-$500 million in joint US-Australian maritime strike missiles, capable of low-level flight. Also being considered are additional, longer-range weapon systems. Between $168 billion and $183 billion will be spent on upgrades to the Navy and Army and $5 billion-$7 billion on undersea surveillance systems including hi-tech sensors. Also planned is a $75 billion expansion to maritime forces to provide greater capability for anti-submarine warfare, sealift, border security, maritime patrol, aerial warfare, area denial and undersea warfare. Another $70 billion is to be spent on increased combat power for army and land-based forces, drone vehicles and long-range rocket artillery. Space and cyber warfare is being prepared as well. The plan features sovereign-owned military satellites with ground-based signals intelligence facilities. Some $7 billion will go toward improving the militarys capabilities in space, and $15 billion will boost cyber and information warfare weaponry, $1.3 billion of which will expand the Australian Signals Directorate (ASD) and the Australian Cyber Security Centre. While also presented as a defensive move to combat cyber attacks, the cyber warfare plan marks a further development of the offensive capacity of the countrys military and intelligence agencies and their US partners to attack targeted countries, such as China, by hacking into or destroying computer-operated facilities. As far back as 2013, top US intelligence officials announced that Washington was setting up scores of military units to wage offensive cyber wari.e., to write malicious computer code to disable or destroy computers and computer-controlled infrastructure. Following suit, the 2016 Australian Defence White Paper announced a 10-year workforce expansion of 1,700 jobs in intelligence and cyber security. This included a 900-person joint cyber unit in the Australian Defence Force, announced in 2017. The largest component in the latest cyber war package, first unveiled by Morrison yesterday, is $470 million allocated for expanding by 500 the personnel of the ASD. This is the countrys electronic eavesdropping agency, which collaborates closely with the US National Security Agency (NSA) and other members of the global Five Eyes spy network. As the thousands of secret US documents published by NSA whistle-blower Edward Snowden and by Julian Assange via WikiLeaks showed, the Five Eyes partners intercept the communications of millions of people around the globe, exchange data about each others citizens, and supply cyber warfare facilities and targeting information to their militaries. As the ASDs expansion demonstrates, the drive toward war is being accompanied by preparations to spy on and crack down on political dissent, including anti-war sentiment, and the deepening working class discontent produced by the ruling elites exploitation of the COVID-19 crisis to attack jobs and working conditions. Morrisons two announcements in two days of major warfare expansions are transparently timed to feed into an escalating anti-China witch hunt, intended to poison public opinion, divert from the social crisis and prepare for potentially catastrophic military conflict. Only two weeks ago, Morrison claimed that Australia was under attack by a state-based cyber actor, an unsubstantiated allegation clearly directed against China. Last Friday, his government authorised police raids on the home and parliamentary office of a state Labor Party MP, Shaoquett Moselmane, who was sensationally branded by the corporate media as a pro-China foreign agent and the enemy within. The government has the support of the opposition Labor Party, which is equally committed to the US military alliance and has backed every move over the past two decades to strengthen the powers of the military and intelligence apparatus. In fact, it was the Gillard Labor government that emphatically aligned behind the US pivot to militarily confront China in 2011, agreeing to the stationing of US marines in Darwin and greater US access to northern Australian military bases. At a media conference today, opposition leader Anthony Albanese stated his agreement with Morrisons announcement, saying it was in line with Labors call for a long time, to prioritise our regional security. The author also recommends: Australias US-backed anti-China witch hunt escalates with raid on MPs home [27 June 2020] Ten years since the US-backed coup against Australian Labor PM [24 June 2020] Australian government alleges cyber-attack to ramp-up provocations against China [19 June 2020] As an election approaches in September, the New Zealand government, a coalition between the Labour Party, the right-wing nationalist NZ First and the Greens, is intensifying its anti-immigrant measures. Like its counterparts throughout the world, the government is seeking to divert anger over mass job losses triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic into xenophobia against immigrants, who make up a substantial portion of the population. According to the 2018 census, more than one in four people in New Zealand were born overseas. Thousands of temporary migrant workers who have lost their jobs in recent months are ineligible for welfare payments and are being given short term relief including food parcels and vouchers. Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters, leader of NZ First, has told jobless migrants to go home, declaring that the economy cannot support them. This is despite the government handing out billions of dollars in subsidies to businesses. Meanwhile, tens of thousands of people applying for residency through the Skilled Migrant Category (SMC) are facing interminable delays and many fear they may be forced to leave the country. Immigration New Zealand (INZ) has a backlog of over 15,000 SMC and Work to Residence applications, representing more than 32,000 people. Many have been waiting a year or longer for a decision. Graph showing the growing backlog of applications for Skilled Migrant Category visas (Source: Migrants NZ) The World Socialist Web Site spoke with members of the recently established Facebook group Migrants NZ about their experiences. Migrants NZ, which has more than 4,600 members, has drafted a petition calling on the government to urgently process the applications, make the process transparent and treat all applicants equally. The petition states: We were promised that our applications would be processed in a reasonable timeframe. However, without any clear reasons we are forced to wait for a decision well over a year which takes an immense mental and financial toll on us and our families. Speaking to the Indian Weekender on Sunday, Immigration Minister Iain Lees-Galloway did not give a definite timeframe for visa processing or explanation for the backlog. He said waiting times would likely increase for the foreseeable future due to increased numbers of applications. Anna, who is from Germany, told the WSWS she applied in May 2019 with her partner and their son. Her partner moved to New Zealand from Ireland seven years ago to work on the rebuild of Christchurch, which was devastated by an earthquake in 2011. When we applied we had one year left on our work visas, which we thought was sufficient, she said. INZ estimated the processing time would be nine months, but this target was changed to 17 months. A year and a half ago a small number of applications were given priority, including people earning over $51 an hour and selected professions such as teachers and healthcare workers, and the rest theyve just stopped processing. Anna said the delay was probably politically motivated, noting that before the 2017 election Labour and NZ First were saying: we will reduce immigrant numbers, and thats what theyre doing at the moment. She said it was hard to understand how Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern could claim to lead the kindest and most transparent government ever. Because this is not transparent, this is not kind. Ive been talking to a lot of people recently and it has a massive impact on their mental health. Anna said her partner had worked for the same company for six years and it doesnt count for anything. I find it very frustrating when you put so much towards a country and its economy and the rebuild, and youre just not given anything in return. She said the Facebook group gave people a platform to share their stories and realise that theyre not alone in all this. It seems like to Immigration and the government were just a number. We want to get heard. We want people to understand the situation were in. A migrant from Britain, who we will call Jessica, said she and her partner had spent about $4,000 on applications and related costs. They have been waiting 18 months for INZs decision, despite initially being told to expect an answer by October 2019. She was angry that INZ had received millions of dollars in fees from migrants for applications that are not being processed. The agency was getting away with this, I dont know how. Theyre not accountable to anyone. Ive been here about three years and my partners been here for four, Jessica said. Her partner works for an internet service provider in critical infrastructure in Christchurch that doctors and nurses need to do their jobs, but that counts for nothing. Jessica is pregnant and due to give birth in December. Her current work visa expires in January 2021. I dont particularly want to go home with a one-month-old baby halfway across the world without a job, she said. Its just awful, living in limbo. Visa applicants were being fobbed off by the government and given nonsensical excuses, she said. When she recently complained to her local MP, Jessica was told the delays were because of increased applications due to New Zealand being perceived as relatively safe from COVID-19. But weve been waiting over 18 months. It makes no sense. Jessica believed the government was deliberately stalling so that come election time they can say: look how few migrants weve let in this year, arent we fantastic? Just to appeal to those that dont want any more immigrants. I see no other reason, to be quite honest. A worker from China, based in Auckland, who wished to remain anonymous, told the WSWS he applied for residency almost a year ago and was very anxious about the future. He said the government was trying to make peoples lives miserable to please a small number of anti-immigrant people. This whole thing is so inhumane. People have mental health issues from waiting so long. Every day they worry about their job or their application, about everything. He believed NZ First was hijacking the whole process. The party previously campaigned to cap immigration at 10,000 people a year, down from over 50,000 in recent years. Labour, supported by the Greens, gave NZ First considerable power in the coalition, even though the notoriously xenophobic party is very unpopular; NZ First received only 7.2 percent of the votes in 2017 and is currently polling below 2 percent. The author also recommends: Paralysed woman faces life - threatening deportation from New Zealand to Tonga [31 January 2020] New Zealand cabinet minister Shane Jones continues to stoke racism [17 March 2020] New Zealand sees increase in racist anti-Chinese attacks [11 May 2020] On June 27, reports emerged that a pregnant Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) subway conductor had given birth at a train yard. Initially workers reported that the baby appeared to have been safely delivered but later that evening coworkers familiar with the mothers situation revealed the baby had in fact died. The responsibility for this tragedy falls squarely not only on the shoulders of the Democratic administration of Governor Andrew Cuomo, which runs the MTA, but also on the Transport Workers Union (TWU), the organization that falsely claims to represent over 41,000 workers, primarily in the New York City subways and buses. The death of the child is a part of a pattern of systematic and deliberate neglect of workers basic health and safety needs by the union for many years. East New York subway yard (Photo by Phillip Lee) The workers miscarriage takes place as the number of COVID-19 deaths among New Yorks transit workers has exceeded 140. As New York state and city authorities, headed by the Democratic Party, continue their deadly drive to reopen businesses during the pandemic, this number will only increase in the coming weeks and months. The mother had filed a written request for special accommodation on June 24 because of her advancing pregnancy. Even though an appointment was scheduled on June 29 at the MTAs Medical Assessment Center to review her responsibilities, she was forced to come into work on June 27. Following the death of her child, the MTA has granted the worker the standard two weeks paid maternity leave. The mother was a second-generation New York City conductor. At the time of the incident the mother was six months pregnant and she was assigned to moving switches on the subway tracks. At the notoriously outdated East New York (ENY) yard, this job requires the strenuous pulling of heavy levers to switch over tracks, the continuous crossing of electrically charged third rails, climbing of ladders on and off trains and walking over uneven ballast. Furthermore, the East New York yard is raised, therefore, to come in and out of work every day workers must scale multiple flights of stairs. Strenuous and dangerous even at the best of times, during a pregnancy these conditions severely endanger the lives of both mother and child. The workers coworkers are understandably outraged at the news. On Facebook, one worker wrote, As a dad of four and a granddad of two (so far), I hold a special place in my soul for children, and I can say unequivocally that the murder of that newborn baby, committed by Transit officials, at ENY yard yesterday, has hit me the hardest Another commented, Its time that the MTA start realizing we are more than just employee numbers. This death was not an unfortunate accident, but the immediate consequence of strenuous work on the mother and child. In turn, these conditions are the outcome of decades of attacks on the social rights of transit workers in New York City and across the world. Across the globe, unions claiming to defend the rights of workers have been complicit in attacks that are driving working conditions back to those of the 19th century. It is unconscionable that a pregnant worker was forced to carry out heavy labor of this kind. This is, however, the norm and not the exception for pregnant workers at the MTA. Workers are not only given a meager two weeks maternity leave but must exhaust all other vacation days and paid time off before they are granted longer unpaid leave. For many, this is simply impossible, and workers are often forced to work late in their pregnancies. Workers have raised concerns over the conditions facing pregnant colleagues for many years. An MTA worker, who wished to be referred to as Lisa, who gave birth to a child late last year, told the WSWS, She isnt the only woman who had an injury while working while pregnant down here either. When I was pregnant another train operator slipped off a train at 7 months pregnant in the yard. There are tons of other incidents as well. Lisa continued, I recently had my baby and worked my entire pregnancy. Lots of us are forced to use our sick time during this period as well, which is incredibly unfair because it either depletes the sick time or lowers it. This means when we come back it is at zero and itll be counted against us when we come up for promotion. During my pregnancy, I took a leave of absence and was denied when I tried to add some additional time. The pandemic has also posed difficulties to workers with children and families. Thousands of MTA workers have worked under the constant fear that they will contract the virus and spread it among their families. The closure of schools also left many workers with children at home, forcing them to take fewer shifts or find expensive childcare. Lisa explained, I came back to work at the beginning of the pandemic. Finding childcare has been hectic. I feel that mothers should get at minimum six months. As the MTAs financial crisis intensifiesthe agency has accumulated not only $46 billion in debt for capital expenses but also $12 billion in operating expenses during the pandemicthe agencys chairman Pat Foye assured the agencys bondholders, Were not asking for forgiveness from our creditors. The MTAs orientation to Wall Streetat the behest of the Democratic-run state government under Governor Andrew Cuomo, who is the effective head of the agencyis, in fact, the overriding reason for its deadly neglect of transit workers throughout the pandemic. While ultra-rich speculators trade MTA bonds for billions, workers will be left to bear the brunt of cost-cutting measures taken in attempts to save the agency. The criminality of the MTA has only been abetted by the complicity of the TWU. The contract pushed through by the union in January cut workers access to health care in other ways beside limiting them to the inadequate two-weeks maternity or paternity leave. In the last contract, the union and MTA also agreed to inaugurate a Womens Committee to address issues relating to female employees. Such window-dressing is typical of the unions bait-and-switch approach, in which it tries to distract workers with meaningless concessions while green-lighting the MTAs continuing attacks on its workforce. During contract discussions the union proposed shifting its members to New York states 2014 legislation on parental leave requirements for private companies. Despite granting 12 weeks of leave, this legislation only guarantees full pay for the first two weeks, meaning that workers, many of whom are living paycheck to paycheck, would still be forced to return to work prematurely. In a statement over the weekend, TWU Local 100 President Tony Utano said about the workers miscarriage, This is a terrible and tragic loss. Our hearts go out to our union sister and her family, and we will do whatever we can to assist them at this difficult time. The TWUs hypocritical statement has angered workers. On Facebook, one worker responded, Have you no shame? Why on earth in 2020 do we have such horrible maternity rights and light duty rights for women by a multi-billion-dollar agency? Why instead of asking for these things from Transit, you are not just straight up demanding them? The ball is in our court, and the power is in our hands, and yet time and time again, you do nothing. You just offer up more thoughts and prayers. Workers must insist on every pregnant womans right to safeguard her own well-being as well as that of her child. This includes the right to safe housing, high-quality medical care, and full pay during maternity leave. The length of leave should be determined with the health of mother and child as first priority and should extend for a period after the birth that gives ample time for the mother to physically recover and care for her newborn child. Workers should also insist on similar rights for paternity leave. Workers must also put forward wider demands for workers protection from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The life-and-death struggle for these rights cannot be conducted by anyone other than workers themselves. Appeals to the MTA or attempts to reform the TWU are worse than useless in this struggle. Following the lead of autoworkers in Detroit, to protect their lives New York City transit workers must form their own rank-and-file safety committees. With the pandemic in resurgence, no time can be lost. The Socialist Equality Party and WSWS will provide full assistance to workers efforts to take these vital protective measures. The World Health Organisation (WHO) warned last week of an increase of COVID-19 cases across small Pacific Island states. New cases were confirmed in Papua New Guinea (PNG), and in the US territory of Guam, where a fresh spike took the total to 231, which includes five deaths. The number of confirmed cases in the region is 353, an increase of 39 over the previous week. The WHO says although official infection rates are slowing in the Pacific, the crisis is far from over. While most Pacific nations have few, if any, ongoing cases, the pandemic is only starting to make its presence felt. Should the virus take hold in any of the vulnerable and impoverished island states, with their inadequate health and welfare infrastructure, the results will be dire. The closure of international borders has shattered economies and the meagre incomes of working people. The Guardian has reported that 90 percent of businesses have lost money, and are struggling with the effects of recent natural disasters such as Cyclone Harold. A quarter of businesses are unlikely to survive the pandemic, according to the latest Pacific Trade Invest Business Monitor Report. The annual Pacific Islands Forum summit, the regions major diplomatic gathering due to be hosted by Vanuatu in August, has been cancelled. The Trump administrations abject failure to bring COVID-19 under control is adversely affecting US territories across the northwest Pacific. As businesses and social venues reopened on Guam, the island was hit with 35 new cases from a unit recently deployed at the US Andersen air force base. Anger at the military erupted at reports that a group of US airmen absconded from quarantine to visit restaurants and other establishments. In PNG, restrictions may be re-introduced in the capital Port Moresby after tests revealed the countrys latest case, a 26-year-old woman. A member of the Defence Force with COVID-19 was also found to be infected during mass testing at the Murray Barracks following another case involving a visiting Australian soldier. Last month Fiji and New Zealand joined 13 Pacific neighbours in declaring themselves virus-free. The Cook Islands relaxed its travel ban with NZ, allowing workers and residents to re-enter. However, the emergence of new cases among people returning to New Zealand, and failures at the countrys quarantine facilities, set back similar plans in Samoa. Last year 83 people died when a measles epidemic spread from Auckland to Samoa. The potential exists for new outbreaks as thousands of Pacific Island seasonal workers are being sent back home from Australia and New Zealand. The NZ air force has started flights to repatriate 1,000 ni-Vanuatu workers while flights for an estimated 7,000 stranded Tongans will start this month. Hundreds of cruise ship workers stuck in isolation for months on board empty ships were finally flown back to Fiji and Vanuatu by operator Carnival Australia. Fijis Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama last week declared he is looking to attract VIPs to help restore the collapsed tourist industry. Billionaires who fly your own jet, rent your own island, and invest millions of dollars in Fiji, he tweeted, may have a new home to escape the pandemic in paradise. The first planeload of 30 high-net-worth individuals from a very well-known company is due to arrive this week. The number of infections in the French territories remains unchanged, at 21 for New Caledonia and 60 for French Polynesia. However, the economic cost is highlighted by Air Tahiti axing more than half its 48 domestic destinations, leaving many outlying islands isolated. A spokesman said the economic impact is 10 times worse than that which followed the 2008 financial meltdown. Evidence continues to emerge that Pacific governments, preparing for an upsurge of social opposition to austerity measures, are using the pandemic to attack fundamental democratic rights. In Vanuatu, while the opposition was under two-day suspension for boycotting an earlier sitting, an amendment passed through parliament extending a state of emergency indefinitely. The government also abruptly lifted the retirement age from 55 to 60 years. Lawyer Paul Harricknen told Radio NZ that in PNG the ombudsman should step in after the government gave itself extraordinary new powers under the Public Health Emergency Act, which restrict basic rights for an indefinite period with no parliamentary oversight. Harricknen said the declaration of a national emergency was rushed through parliament and should be challenged in the Supreme Court. The PNG legislation preceded an announcement that thousands of workers will lose their jobs due to an impasse over the huge Porgera gold mine. Canadian company Barrick Gold blames the governments refusal to extend its mining lease. Barrick and Chinese partner Zijin have shut down production while they challenge the decision in court, and declared 2,650 jobs will be axed by the end of July. Concerns have been raised about the Tongan governments plans to spend $US1.9 million setting up a new security bureau, the Tonga National Security of Information Office, apparently to curb the leaking of government information. It will work closely with state agencies in Australia and New Zealand, and monitor a range of business and political negotiations. A Freedom of Information Act, initially proposed eight years ago, has meanwhile languished. The Pacific journalists association PINA has accused the Cook Islands parliament of gagging the media after several local MPs objected to what they say was incorrect reporting about parliamentary allowances. The Speaker of the House was asked to require a Cook Islands News journalists withdrawal from parliament. Financial assistance from international institutions has been both scarce and slow. The Solomon Islands has secured a meagre $US20 million from the Asian Development Bank (ADB), split between a concessional loan and grant to help mitigate the economic impacts of the virus. Tonga has received a similarly modest $US12.2 million from the ADB, following a previous $US6m injection to fund its border lockdown and relief for the effects of the pandemic. Tongas parliament has just passed a $US260 million budget for the coming year, with a record deficit of over $US26.4m. The regions imperialist powers, Australia and New Zealand, remain solely concerned with securing their geo-strategic interests and ensuring their continued dominance in what they regard as their semi-colonial backyard. According to documents released in June by the New Zealand government, the Pacific will need significant investment to recover from the COVID-19 fallout. The foreign affairs ministry says the region is facing an array of uncertainties in a significantly altered international environment. Far from focusing on the needs of the Pacific nations, however, the paper emphasises a rise in security risks, referring to greater opportunities for people smugglers and transnational crime. The ministrys stated priority, however, is to reinforce the Labour-led governments Pacific reset strategy, which aims to extend its diplomatic and military engagement in the region, in line with Washingtons war drive against China. The author also recommends: Escalating economic and political crisis hits Fiji [25 June 2020] Papua New Guinea: Ex-PM ONeill charged with corruption [10 June 2020] Pharmaceutical giant Gilead Sciences announced Monday that it will charge $3,120 for a five-day course of its coronavirus therapeutic remdesivir for the vast majority of the US population, including those on Medicare and Medicaid. A single vial of remdesivir, containing a tenth of a gram of the drug, will cost $520, a hundred times more expensive than its weight in gold. This is nothing less than the extortion of the American public amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The price is estimated to be 400 times higher than what the drug needs to be profitable. Gilead is expected to make $1.3 billion from private payers by the end of the year. Gileads announcement sends a clear message: American pharmaceutical companies plan to make billions off the COVID-19 pandemic, which has infected more than 10.5 million people and killed at least 513,000 worldwide. Notably, Wall Street surged 800 points over the past two days on the news. The revulsion felt toward Gilead in the aftermath of its press release was put most forcefully by AIDS Health Foundation President Michael Weinstein. Gilead Sciences unmasked itself today as both a war profiteer and greedy bastardsa depressing feat and spectacularly tone-deaf response to a global pandemic that has so far killed over half-a-million people worldwide, including more than 120,000 deaths in the US. In an attempt to justify the companys price-gouging, Gilead Chairman and CEO Daniel ODay released an open letter. Basing himself on data that was preliminary and not statistically significant, ODay claimed that remdesivir shortened time to recovery by an average of four days, which, according to him, saves hospitals approximately $12,000 per patient. The companys executives thus generously decided to price remdesivir well below this value." He continued, "To ensure broad and equitable access at a time of urgent global need, we have set a price which equates to $2,340 per patient. In ODays opinion, this would allow all patients [to] have access to the therapeutic and balance the firms longer-term responsibilities. The letter does not spell out what these longer-term responsibilities are, but they are not toward coronavirus patients. A report from the Institute for Clinical and Economic Review shows that the raw materials needed to make remdesivir cost only about $10 for a ten-day treatment, and the therapeutic has been priced at $600 by generic producers in Bangladesh and India, a quarter of the broad and equitable price boasted of by ODay. Moreover, while the cost of the therapeutic will be borne by their insurance for many millions in the United States, many millions more depend on the CARES Act funding for coronavirus treatments. They will have few options once that money pool runs dry, especially as even before the pandemic hit nearly 40 percent of the population was unable to afford an emergency $400 expense, much less one that is six or eight times that amount. In a rational world, Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex Azar would have demanded that Gilead end its blatant price-gouging immediately. Instead, he hailed the drug as life-saving and pledged HHS to buy up to $1.56 billion worth of the drug. Azar himself has many ties to the pharmaceutical industry. He was the president of the major drug enterprise Eli Lilly and Company before being tapped to be US President Donald Trumps HHS secretary. He was also a director of the lobbying group Biotechnology Innovation Organization. He has been denounced by whistleblower Rick Bright, the ousted director of the government agency overseeing the development of a coronavirus vaccine, for seeking to downplay the pandemic when it first emerged in China in December and January. It is also unclear whether remdesivir is actually effective in treating the novel coronavirus. Gilead had tested the efficacy of the remedy against the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) coronaviruses, which led the company to suspect it might work against the pandemic virus, SARS-CoV-2. Doctors in China began treating patients with it in January. Since then, medical studies on remdesivirs effectiveness in treating COVID-19 have shown that it does not significantly reduce the death rate for those with the disease. Research by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) in March and April concluded that, given high mortality despite the use of remdesivir, it is clear that treatment with an antiviral drug alone is not likely to be sufficient. In that context, billions of dollars are being spent to acquire a drug that, by the science available, doesnt work. The research did not stop National Institute of Allergey and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) Director Anthony Fauci from declaring, when the preliminary results were released: The data shows that remdesivir has a clear-cut, significant positive effect in diminishing the time to recovery We think it is opening the door to the fact that we now have the capability of treating [the coronavirus]. Faucis support helped drive Gileads stock to new heights. Since the beginning of the year, the companys market capitalization has increased by $20.1 billion to $96.5 billion, largely by promoting remdesivir as an effective treatment for the pandemic. This mirrors the fortunes of drugmaker Moderna, which has grown by more than 200 percent to a net worth of nearly $25 billion after proclaiming work on its own vaccine. Moderna board member Moncef Slaoui, tapped by Trump to head the governments warp speed vaccine development drive, became $2.4 million richer as a result of the media frenzy surrounding the announcement that Moderna had made progress toward a vaccine. Beyond pumping up the share prices of the pharmaceutical giants, the media has promoted remdesevir and Modernas vaccine as miracle drugs to boost the campaign to get workers back on the job in factories and workplaces that have been hotbeds of COVID-19. Wall Street sees the pandemic as a potential profit bonanza. The big banks and major corporations have received at least $6 trillion since March in bailouts and are going to make billions more holding the American and world population hostage by overcharging for potentially lifesaving coronavirus treatments. Gilead is only one example of the lawlessness of corporate enterprises in the United States. The recent past has seen the poisoning of Flint, two Boeing 737 Max crashes, the opioid epidemic fueled by the pharmaceutical giants and the California wildfires caused by PG&E. No executive has ever gone to jail for these crimes. As Barack Obamas attorney general told Congress in 2013, these modern-day robber barons are too big to jail. The disastrous response of American capitalism to the COVID-19 pandemic makes clear the need to put an end to capitalism and the subjugation of human health to private profit. This means mobilizing the entire working class to expropriate the pharmaceutical giants and every major industry and transform these monopolies into publicly-owned and democratically-controlled utilities. The dictatorship of corporate interests over the working class must be abolished and economic life must be placed in the hands of the workers themselves. Quebec Premier Francois Legault reshuffled the cabinet of his right-wing populist Quebec first Coalition Avenir Quebec (CAQ) government late last month. His aim is to initiate a new phase in his governments drive to exploit the coronavirus pandemic to restructure class relations at the expense of the working class. One of the two major changes in the cabinet shuffle concerned Danielle McCann, a health professional who had served as Minister of Health in the CAQ government since it came to power in October 2018. McCann was demoted to Minister of Higher Education, while her deputy minister, Yvan Gendron, was ejected from his post. Legault is serving up McCann and Gendron as scapegoats for his governments disastrous handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. Like all levels of government across Canada, the response of Quebecs CAQ government to the health emergency has been characterized by: * a total lack of preparation for a pandemic that was both foreseeable and foreseen. This includes both the failure to take urgent action when the coronavirus was identified as a major health threat in January, and the decades-long pursuit of capitalist austerity that has left the health care system in a shambles; * the refusal to provide health care workers with personal protective equipment (PPE); * the adoption of a strategy of herd immunity, which promotes mass contamination and blithely accepts mass fatalities; * the premature reopening of nonessential economic sectors so as to protect the wealth and profits of the rich. These criminal policies have led to the terrible toll of over 5,500 deaths in the province of Quebec alone, one of the highest per capita mortality rates in the world. The new health minister is accountant and businessman Christian Dube, who hitherto had served as head of the Treasury Board. Why is it that the Treasury Board president will be managing the health department, asked political observer Thierry Giasson in the daily newspaper Le Devoir. Is this a harbinger of cuts? Indeed, that is precisely the intention of Premier Legault, who called the Health Ministry a monster before issuing a thinly veiled warning, I think it is possible, as a businessman, to improve things in the health care system. A few days before his appointment as Health Minister, Dube was more explicit about the real objective of the CAQ government, i.e. a new round of brutal budget cuts and ever more authoritarian methods to impose them. In times of crisis, Dube argued, we cannot continue to do things the way they were done before. But some folks don't want to go any further ... Is it because they're afraid of change? Almost as soon as Dube became Health Minister, the CAQ government said that it would stop holding daily press conferences to update the population on the spread of COVID-19 in Quebec. This was followed the next day by an announcement from the Quebec governments National Institute of Public Health that it too was ending its daily reporting of infections, deaths, and tests. These figures, which are essential for both the public and medical professionals to assess the progress of the pandemic, would instead be released only once a week. In other words, the CAQ wanted to hide from the public the impact of its premature reopening of nonessential businesses, which will inevitably lead in the coming days and weeks to a surge in the number of COVID-19 infections, as has already been seen in the United States and Europe. Only after a public outcry and protests from health care experts did the Legault government back down and pledge to continue the daily release of key COVID-19 data. The other major change in the cabinet shuffle was the replacement of Dube by the former Minister of Justice, Sonia LeBel. In her new role at the head of the Treasury Board, LeBel will be tasked with imposing new concessions on the 600,000 public sector workers whose collective agreements expired on March 31. She also inherits the controversial Bill 61, whose adoption had to be postponed until the fall because of widespread popular concern over the extraordinary powers the CAQ government is trying to arrogate under its provisions. Presented by the government as a means to facilitate the rapid launch of infrastructure projects so as to revive the economy, this omnibus bill has in fact a much broader reach and sinister political implications. It would indefinitely extend the public health emergency and associated extraordinary government powers. It would give the CAQ government the power to arbitrarily change construction industry rules and regulations, directly threatening the rights of construction workers. Moreover, a vaguely worded provision in Bill 61s Clause 36 authorizes the government to take any measure it considers necessary to make any adjustment to any provision of an Act, suggesting the government could use it to rewrite virtually any law at will. In the name of fast-tracking 202 construction projects, Bill 61 also allows the government to circumvent environmental standards. Section 4 stipulates that any future proposed public infrastructure project be studied for no more than one hour by the responsible committees of the Quebec National Assembly. Section 51 stipulates that the government or any other public body cannot be sued for any action taken under the legislation once it becomes law. The public committee charged with following up on the recommendations of the Charbonneau Commission, an inquiry set up by the former Liberal government following a spate of construction industry corruption scandals, has criticized Bill 61, because it creates conditions extremely favourable to the emergence of corruption, collusion and other malfeasance. LeBel was the chief prosecutor of the Charbonneau Commission. Her appointment to the Treasury Board is clearly intended to provide the CAQ government with political cover so it can defuse opposition to Bill 61. It will cite LeBels past as she attempts to steer the legislation through the National Assembly, hoping thereby to counter accusations that it will pave the way for a return to the corrupt practices of the past. Extending the state of health emergency indefinitely instead of renewing it every 10 days would remove any limit on the government's ability to use decrees to abrogate workers collective agreementsas it is already doing. This has allowed the government to impose even more disastrous working conditions on health care workers on the front lines of the fight against COVID-19, whether it be by cancelling vacations and holidays, forcing employees to change workplaces and duties (offloading), or forcing them to work overtime. Salivating at the prospect of obtaining lucrative government contracts, the Quebec Council of Employers and construction industry representatives have all warmly welcomed Bill 61. However, some business representatives, aware of the fact that the huge scandals in the construction industry have contributed to the discrediting of the political establishment, warned that the government needed to be more rigorous and accountable. Since coming to power, the CAQ, a government dedicated to deregulation, privatization, and massive tax cuts for big business and the rich, has intensified the anti-worker agenda of its Liberal and Parti Quebecois (PQ) predecessors. Bill 61, which would give the government quasi-dictatorial powers, is the logical continuation of the class-war program that the ruling class has been waging for decades, both in Canada and internationally. After gutting social programs, attacking living standards and fabulously enriching a tiny minority, even a facade of democracy is less tolerable for the ruling elite. It is increasingly turning to authoritarian forms of rule to impose its programme of social counterrevolution at home and neocolonial wars and great-power conflict abroad. It remains to be seen whether the new version of Bill 61 that LeBel will present this fall will maintain, beyond a few cosmetic changes, the openly authoritarian bent of the previous version. But two things are certain: no section of the ruling class is fundamentally opposed to the turn toward antidemocratic forms of rule; the defense of democratic rights depends entirely on the independent political mobilization of the working class against the crisis-ridden capitalist system (see: Why is Canadas ruling elite deploying the military amid the COVID-19 pandemic?). The opposition partiesthe Quebec Liberals, the PQ, and Quebec Solidairefully agree with the massive subsidies to construction companies under the pretext of economic recovery. All they are asking is that the government not trample on the rules for awarding contracts, out of fear that doing so will further discredit the entire political system. This is also the case with the unions, who have eagerly collaborated with the CAQ since its election in imposing its right-wing agenda. We have an opportunity today to make a shift in our economic development strategy, wrote the presidents of Quebec's four main labour federations (FTQ, CSN, CSQ, and CSD) after the temporary withdrawal of Bill 61. These loyal defenders of the capitalist system merely want to be part of the process as partners of Quebec society, in an open and constructive dialogue with the government and big business. South Asia has recorded over 970,000 COVID-19 cases and is likely to surpass the grim milestone of 1 million infections today, as the pandemic rages out of control across the region. As of yesterday, the total death toll stood at 23,761, according to official figures provided by the regions eight governments. However, due to the disastrous state of health care across South Asia the real number of fatalities is likely many times higher. The pandemic is concentrated in South Asias three most populous countries: India, with a population of 1.37 billion; Pakistan, with 212 million inhabitants; and Bangladesh, with a population of 161 million. Collectively these three countries account for 88.5 percent of the total cases and nearly 97 percent of South Asias COVID-19 deaths. Home to roughly one-quarter of the worlds population, South Asia is characterised by mass poverty, high-population densities, and chronically underfunded, ramshackle health care systemsall of which have contributed to the rapid spread of the virus. The calamitous response of the regions governments to the pandemic has gravely exacerbated its impact on working peoples lives and livelihoods. After doing next to nothing to stop the pandemics spread, the regions governments were forced to implement belated, ill-prepared lockdown measures in late March. However, determined to place the profit interests of big business ahead of the lives of workers and rural toilers, the ruling elites soon moved to reopen the economy, effectively abandoning any systematic attempt to combat COVID-19. The social consequences of the pandemic for the impoverished masses are horrific. In a recent report, UNICEF noted that the lives and future of children across South Asia are being torn apart by COVID-19. While children may be less susceptible to the virus itself, they are being profoundly affected by the fallout, including the economic and social consequences of the lockdown and other measures taken to counter the pandemic. The report projects that the crisis will negatively impact the futures of 600 million South Asian children. The number of South Asian children in poverty could rise by 120 million to more than 360 million within six months, the report predicts. Already half a billion people in South Asia are categorised as food insecure, the report adds. The UNICEF report also cites research by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, which warned an additional 2,400 children in South Asia could die every day from the indirect consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. In the worst-case scenario, the UNICEF report went on, South Asia could see the additional deaths of as many as 881,000 children aged 5 or under and that of 36,000 mothers over the next twelve months. India India is the epicentre of the pandemic in South Asia. It has the fourth highest number of cases in the world, behind only the United States, Brazil, and Russia. On Tuesday, India had 566,844 total cases, including 18,522 new infections in the previous 24-hour period alone, which is not far off the daily record of 19,906 cases set on Sunday. The official death toll stands at 16,893. The pace of the pandemics spread continues to accelerate. Over the past seven days, 110,657 new cases have been recorded and a further 2,554 deaths. The sharp rise in cases is due to the governments homicidal back-to-work policy initiated in late April, when Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi ordered the reopening of industrial worksites despite the extreme danger this poses to workers lives. Indias total COVID-19 cases on May 1 stood at 35,365 with 1,152 deaths. This means that almost 94 percent of all cases and 93 percent of deaths have been reported during the last two months (May 1-June 30). Modis reckless Unlock 1 phase, which allowed religious sites and restaurants to open from June 8, only added fuel to the fire. Three weeks into Unlock 1, there have been an additional 310,229 COVID-19 casesequivalent to 54.7 percent of all Indias coronavirus cases since the first infection was reported on January 30. This makes clear the utter failure of Modi and his Hindu supremacist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. While boasting that they were implementing one of the most stringent COVID-19 lockdowns in the world, Modi and the Indian ruling elite did nothing during the more than two-month long lockdown to strengthen Indias woefully inadequate health care system. The scenes from Delhi and Mumbai of overcrowded hospital wards, corpses piling up in hospital hallways and trash cans, and health care workers demanding PPE (personal protective equipment) after seeing colleagues become gravely ill and die are the inevitable products of this criminal inaction. Nor did Modi or anyone else in the political establishment take adequate steps to provide for the social needs of the hundreds of millions of workers and their families left with no income or basic necessities of life during the lockdown. Around 10 million migrant workers, who were kept in jail-like refugee camps during the lockdown period, were returned in May and June to their native states and villages without being tested for COVID-19 or treated for symptoms. The result has been the rapid spread of the pandemic in the rural districts of such states as West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Jharkhand. In Indias cities and towns public health care facilities are in a ruinous condition, as a direct consequence of the Indian states refusal over many years to spend more than a derisory 1.5 percent of GDP on health care. In much of rural India, where some two-thirds of the countrys population resides, health care facilities are non-existent. Even as the virus spreads out of control, the Modi government is today launching Unlock II, the next stage of its reopening policy. This approach is motivated by the disastrous policy of herd immunity, i.e. allowing the virus to spread freely through the population. This will have deadly consequences for large numbers of people, including the one in 11 Indians who suffer from diabetes and are thus at a higher risk of severe symptoms and death from the coronavirus. In India, 73 percent of COVID-19 deaths have been linked to co-morbidities including diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular and respiratory diseases. The scope of the pandemics spread is likely much greater than official figures indicate. India has performed less than 9 million coronavirus tests. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), the test rate for India is just over 6,000 per million inhabitants, one of the lowest rates among the worst-impacted countries. Pakistan Pakistan surpassed 4,300 deaths and 200,000 confirmed cases last weekend. Since the government started lifting its half-hearted lockdown measures on May 9, hospitals across the country have reported a flood of new infections. Despite being among the countries with the highest number of new daily infections, the government of Imran Khan has rejected the WHOs appeal to re-impose lockdown measures. Instead, authorities have blockaded neighbourhoods with large numbers of cases. Studies from experts at the Imperial College London and the University of Washington cited by Germanys public broadcaster, Deutsche Welle, project that the actual number of cases in Pakistan could be anywhere between three to 10 times higher than the official figures indicate. Responding to widespread criticism of his handling of the pandemic, Khan, a demagogue who proclaimed himself a born-again Muslim, insisted Pakistan cannot afford a lockdown and urged the masses to live with the virus. Less than 25,000 tests are being performed daily. The overwhelming of the barely existent health care system is exacerbated by the increasing number of medical professionals falling ill with the virus. At least 65 medical workers have died and 5,000 have been infected so far, mainly due to the governments failure to provide PPE. Instead of increasing funding for health care, Khan is accelerating a privatisation programme his government agreed to implement under pressure from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Economists estimate that more than 18 million jobs will be wiped out by the unfolding crisis. Hell bent on implementing the IMFs austerity program, the government has vowed to reduce the fiscal deficit from 9.4 percent to 7 percent of GDP in the budget for the financial year beginning in July. With the poverty rate at over 40 percent and malnutrition spiking38 percent of children under five are stuntedthe Khan government has allocated 41 percent of spending for external debt servicing and 18 percent for defence, amounting to a 12 percent increase over the last year. Bangladesh As of Monday, Bangladesh had registered 141,801 COVID-19 infections with a death toll of 1,783. Within a 24-hour time period ending on Monday morning, 4,014 new cases were detected, a daily record. Infection rates have continued to rise since the government abandoned lockdown measures in early June. Since June 14, daily new infections have remained consistently above 3,000. With the economy and industry reopening, working people are bearing the brunt of the new infections. Four hundred seventeen workers from 174 factories were infected, with five deaths, as of June 21, according to a report in the New Age. Bangladesh is currently performing fewer than 20,000 tests per day and has refused to increase testing, although the positive rate has consistently exceeded 20 percent. In terms of tests per 1 million people, Bangladesh has the lowest rate in South Asia. It has performed just 4,452 tests per million inhabitants, compared to Sri Lankas 4,727, Pakistans 5,715, Indias 6,086, Nepals 17,597 and Bhutans 31,766. The official deaths figures are also a gross undercount, since deaths of persons with COVID-19 like symptoms but who were never tested are excluded from the official death tally. A study by Dhaka Universitys Centre for Genocide Studies found deaths from COVID-19 like symptoms stood at 1,271, as of June 20. On June 24, the New Age reported that two COVID-19 volunteers said they had buried 475 people who had COVID-19 like symptoms just in the port city of Chattogram (formerly Chittagong). Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-01 11:52:30|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close SEOUL, July 1 (Xinhua) -- South Korea's exports declined 10.9 percent in June from a year earlier, keeping a double-digit fall for the third consecutive month, a government report showed Wednesday. Exports, which take up about half of the export-driven economy, came in at 39.21 billion U.S. dollars in June, down 10.9 percent from the same month of last year, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. Imports slipped 11.4 percent over the year to 35.55 billion dollars in June, sending the trade surplus to 3.66 billion dollars. Outbound shipment continued to fall for the fourth straight month, keeping a double-digit decline for the third straight month with falls of 23.6 percent in May and 25.5 percent in April each. The daily average exports plummeted 18.5 percent in June from a year earlier, after sliding 18.3 percent in May. The daily average shipment came to 1.67 billion dollars in June, 1.62 billion dollars in May and 1.65 billion dollars in April respectively. Enditem The fourth and final season of the Netflix series 13 Reasons Why was released June 5. The show is executive produced and developed by Selena Gomez, Brian Yorkey and Joy Gorman Wettels, among others, and based on the 2007 book of the same title by Jay Asher. The series chronicles the complex lives of several teenage characters in the fictional town of Crestmont in northern California. The first season, directly drawn from the book, deals with the events surrounding the death of high school student Hannah Baker (Katherine Langford), driven to suicide by bullying and abuse from classmates and school faculty and officials, along with isolation and depression. Prior to taking her life, Hannah sends a series of recordings to the individuals whom she blames in some fashion for her eventual fateful decision. As the World Socialist Web Site noted in reviewing Season 1, The shows main appeal is that it honestly depicts the reality of life, or aspects of life, for youth in America today. The characters are complex and sensitive. What comes through very strongly as the story unravels is the life-situation in which each of these characters finds him or herself and how that contributes to his or her actions. Dylan Minnette, Christian Navarro, Alisha Boe and Brandon Flynn in 13 Reasons Why As the series has progressed (and gone beyond the events depicted in the novel), it has dealt, with mixed success, with contemporary social reality and events. The second season features a lawsuit filed by Hannahs mother against the school district on the grounds of negligence, and the eventual arrest and trial of the sociopathic Bryce Walker (Justin Prentice), the wealthy and popular student accused of sexually assaulting Hannah and other girls. This storyline, which includes hints of the Brock Turner case in 2016 and rape culture, ends with the publicly humiliated Bryce being sentenced to probation for sexual assault. The third season opens as Bryce, who became a pariah in the community and was forced to face some of the pain he inflicted on others, has been apparently beaten and drowned by an unknown assailant. All of the series leading characters are potential suspects, all having had serious grounds for despising him. In the final season of 13 Reasons Why, the principal figures find themselves increasingly weighed down and struggling to cope with a number of personal and social issues. The central protagonist, Clay Jensen (played by an intense Dylan Minnette), is struggling to maintain his sanity after barely avoiding a murder rap for Bryces killing in the previous season. Brandon Flynn in 13 Reasons Why Clay did not kill Bryce, but he is protecting the person who did. Clay and his friends pin the murder on the sadistic Monty de la Cruz (Timothy Granaderos), another hated student in Bryces set. Monty, who has perpetrated a number of abusive and heinous crimes himself, is murdered in prison in Season 3 and will not be missed or heard from again. Or so they think. The psycho-social drama expressed through the increasingly erratic behavior of Clay and others, as well as the pressures of young adulthood and the ever-present threats that their many secrets will be exposed to the authorities, plays a critical role in the series. A host of characters in Season 4 run the gauntlet of everyday social problems. Justin (Brandon Flynn), Clays adopted brother, continues to cope with a serious drug addiction as well as emotional scars from an impoverished and abusive childhood. Tony (Christian Navarro), a working-class character whose family was deported by Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Season 3, is struggling to carry on life in the United States without his family. 13 Reasons Why In general, the scourges of drugs, alcohol, depression, crime and invasive authorities are ever-present. Some of these conflicts are dealt with in a convincing manner, others are not. Although the final season of 13 Reasons Why was completed prior to the outbreak of the pandemic, the drama and conflict speak in certain ways to the social mood currently gripping the population, further proof that the coronavirus disaster was a trigger event, which only accelerated processes well under way. Season 4 was released within days of Donald Trumps threats to unleash the US military on protesters and his effort to establish an unconstitutional, presidential dictatorship. In decisions and actions that will be all too familiar to many young people, Liberty High Schools administration responds to the painful dilemmas and perplexities afflicting their students with a panoply of intrusive and bureaucratic measuresi.e., essentially with police methods. The deployment of security cameras and metal detectors, cell phone surveillance programs, a beefed-up police presence and even full-on active shooter drills, complete with alarms and lockdown procedures, supposedly in an effort to keep kids safe, all this punctuates the goings-on now at Liberty. The campus hires an icy security official, Dean Foundry (Reed Diamond) to oversee such activities. Dylan Minnette in 13 Reasons Why Predictably, the repressive moves have a disastrous impact, with the insidious searches, leering cops and traumatic active shooter drills creating an explosive and toxic situation at the school. The events culminate in a school-wide walkout by students fed up with the heavy-handed police presence. In scenes similar to ones that have played out over the past weeks, students find themselves confronted by cops in riot gear set to disperse their peaceful protest. The scene unfolds violently. Much of this strikes the viewer as timely and forceful. Unfortunately, however, no sooner has the protest died down than 13 Reasons Why begins to wrap up its various plot strands in a contrived and trite manner. The violent confrontation with police occurs in an episode entitled Acceptance/Rejection. That is followed by one entirely devoted to the senior prom, Prom, with all the characters inconceivably reconciled with the school authorities. The series finale Graduation follows along similar lines. The general progress (or conformist decline) here is captured in Clays final conversation with his therapist. Discussing the clashes with police at school, Clay confides: I realized that all the attention he [the local sheriff] had been giving me this spring? Like showing up at school and meeting with my parentshe was worried about me. Therapist: Wasnt he just doing his job? Clay: Yeahand I think maybe hes pretty good at his job. Awful. Most problematic is how the series deals with the murder of Bryce Walker and the framing of Monty de la Cruz for his death. In Season 3, Walker and de la Cruz, while detestable, are nonetheless treated as human beingswith histories, influences and even potentially redeeming qualities. None of that is present in the last season. Both Monty and Bryce appear here almost as vengeful ghosts sent to torment the guilty consciences of those who knew them. Doubtless, this was a conscious decision on the part of the series producers to minimize the backlash against the series over its soft treatment of sexual predators. Typical were the comments of Vox culture writer Constance Grady. Did 13 Reasons Why really need to spend so much time focusing on Bryces pain? Did it really need to demonize his victims whenever they asked that the world consider their pain too? she asked in response to the conclusion of the third season. According to the media review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the average critical rating of that season was an abysmal 12 out of 100 based on 11 reviews. This overwhelmingly negative reception, in part a byproduct of the reactionary #MeToo hysteria, seems to have had a chilling effect on the series creators. In fact, the reprehensible character of Bryces and Montys crimes is never for a second in doubt. What the shows detractors were disturbed by is the fact that the series hinted that broader social processes were to blame for the anti-social acts. The #MeToo types, ever more comfortable with the notion of law and order, are a truly conservative lot. The series ends with Bryces murder unsolved and Monty de la Cruz the convenient scapegoat. In sum, 13 Reasons Why is far more successful at unearthing and noting many of the social pressures and harsh realities facing youth in the first decades of the 21st century than with making sense of the reality and providing a helpful orientation. One hopes that the present and coming period will provide the social and political impulse for the series various contributors to explore more profoundly and daringly the state of American society. There will be no shortage of opportunities. Victorian Labor Premier Daniel Andrews yesterday announced a lockdown covering 36 suburbs in the west and north of Melbourne, the state capital and second largest city in Australia. The measures are a response to a sharp spike in coronavirus cases over the past fortnight. In the seven days to Monday, Victoria recorded almost 300 new infections, the greatest weekly increase since early April. Mondays tally of 75 cases was among the four highest in the state since the pandemic began. It was followed by 64 confirmed infections yesterday. Another 73 cases were announced this morning, the second largest daily total since the recent surge began. Of those, nine were related to known clusters, 19 were detected through routine testing and 42 are still under investigation, with the source of infection unknown. Only three of the cases were among returned travellers in hotel quarantine, so the infections are overwhelmingly the result of community transmission. Todays cases mark the 15th straight day of double-digit increases in Victoria. The surge is a direct result of the ending of safety restrictions over the past month by state and federal governments, Labor and Liberal-National alike. Despite the worsening global pandemic, they had asserted that the crisis was all but over, and that the decisive issue was reopening the economy, which is the demand of the corporate elite. This program has been carried out at breakneck speed, regardless of ongoing community transmission of the virus in Victoria and New South Wales, the countrys two most populous states. Prime Minister Scott Morrison and the state premiers had admitted that their policies would result in increased infections, but claimed they could be managed and locally contained. In line with this agenda, Andrews resisted calls for the re-imposition of a lockdown for days. Only when it became clear that infections threatened to spiral out of control, did he make yesterdays announcement. The new measures apply to ten postcodes in Melbournes western and northern suburbs, which have seen the highest rates of infection. The areas are overwhelmingly working class and densely-populated, with large migrant cohorts and high levels of poverty and unemployment. They include suburbs such as Broadmeadows, which has been decimated by the closure of the car industry. The hundreds of thousands of residents in the 36 suburbs have been directed to only leave their homes for work, study, medical care, exercise and essential shopping. All visits to other peoples homes within the affected areas, including by close relatives, have been banned. Some businesses that recently resumed operations as part of the reopening will be ordered to shut. This includes gyms and beauty salons. Restaurants and cafes will again be restricted to serving take away. Factories, warehouses, schools and other large worksites that pose a high risk of widespread transmission, however, will be permitted to continue their operations. This is in keeping with the entire pro-business response of governments to the pandemic. Throughout the crisis, most industry, along with construction, has not closed or reduced operations, despite the impossibility of social distancing in factories and on building sites. Andrews declared that the new restrictions were needed because COVID-19 is wildly infectious. While lockdown measures are necessary, their localised character means that people in the affected areas will be subjected to different regulations than the rest of the population. Residents of Melbournes affluent and upper middle-class suburbs will be unaffected. Andrews spelt out a punitive agenda of police checks, fines of up to $1,652 and possible arrest for those accused of violating the restrictions. Victoria Police will not be mucking about, Andrews declared. Mobile police units will conduct border checks around the affected suburbs, to determine whether people travelling in and out are doing so for essential reasons. This dovetails with a broader build-up of police powers, which is escalating amid ruling class fears over mounting opposition to social inequality, poverty and unemployment on a scale not seen since the 1930s Great Depression. Labors response also aims to bolster the claims of state and federal governments and the corporate media, that the Victorian spike is the result of irresponsible individuals, rather than the back-to-work program of the entire ruling elite. Since the surge began, Andrews and Victorian officials have vaguely asserted that the increasing numbers of cases are the result of violations of restrictions, including large family gatherings. Yesterday, he claimed that 928 residents in Broadmeadows and Keilor Downs had refused to be tested during the current blitz in areas with high rates of infection. Andrews provided no proof or additional information. As recently as a week ago, residents in suburbs hit by the surge reported difficulties in accessing tests, including lengthy queues, waiting times of several hours and attempts to prevent those without symptoms from being examined. People queuing for coronavirus tests at Royal Melbourne Hospital in March (Credit: WSWS) The reactionary character of the campaign to blame the population was spelt out by Peta Credlin, a Sky News commentator and former advisor to Prime Minister Tony Abbott. Credlin stated last Friday that the surge was largely the result of South Sudanese residents attending large gatherings for Ramadan. Melbournes African community has long been the target of a xenophobic witch-hunt by the media and political establishment. Only when it was pointed out that over 90 percent of South Sudanese in Melbourne are Christian, and therefore would not be celebrating a Muslim religious holiday, did Sky News retract the claim and apologise. In reality, the rising infections are a result of government policies. Yesterday it was revealed that a government-commissioned report, using DNA tracing, had determined that many of the new cases could be linked to security guards at hotels where returned travellers are quarantining. After decades of privatisation and cuts to the public healthcare system, the task of overseeing hotel quarantines has largely been outsourced to private security companies. Their lowly-paid employees reportedly have virtually no health training, let alone the expertise required to deal with a highly-infectious virus. Fifteen Melbourne schools have been forced to shut over the past three days after infections were detected. Some 29 have schools in Victoria have reported confirmed coronavirus cases in the space of less than a month. This is a consequence of the resumption of full face-to-face teaching in all states, which began in June. Despite the spread in schools, the Victorian government and its counterparts in other states have insisted that classroom teaching will continue. This is because in-person teaching is central to getting parents back into their places of employment, to create the conditions for a resumption of corporate profit-making. Meanwhile, governments are continuing to rapidly lift remaining restrictions. From today, up to 10,000 spectators can attend sporting events in New South Wales. Pubs, cafes and restaurants can have an unlimited numbers of patrons, on the unenforceable proviso that each of has one square metre of space. In Queensland and other states, nightclubs, an obvious potential source of mass transmission, are reopening. These dangerous policies follow declarations by Prime Minister Morrison and the state and territory leaders that they will proceed with the reopening, regardless of how many new infections result. An opinion piece by New York Times columnist Charles Blow appeared online Sunday under the headline, Yes, Even George Washington, calling for the removal of all public monuments to the first President of the United States, whom Blow has judged to be among the amoral monsters who led the American Revolution and helped found the country 244 years ago. On the issue of American slavery, I am an absolutist: enslavers were amoral monsters, Blow declares. His argument is an extension of that advanced in the Times racialist 1619 Project, which claims that the aim of the American Revolution was to defend slavery against British plans for its abolition. Blow writes: Some people who are opposed to taking down monuments ask, If we start, where will we stop? It might begin with Confederate generals, but all slave owners could easily become targets. Even George Washington himself. Blow then proclaims, with the special elegance that distinguishes his columns, To that I say, abso-fricking-lutely! Early Monday morning, not long after Blows column was published, the monument arch in Washington Square Park in New York City commemorating the centenary of Washingtons inauguration was vandalized with red paint. The paint dripped down from the heads of two statues of Washington, one depicting him as the commander of the revolutionary Continental Army and the other as president. This latest assault on a monument to Washington follows the pulling down last month of Washington and Jefferson monuments in Portland, Oregon, and the toppling of a bust of Civil War general and Reconstruction President Ulysses S. Grant in San Francisco, California. Monuments to Abraham Lincoln, who led the Second American revolution and destroyed slavery, as well as monuments to abolitionists such as Robert Gould Shaw and Hans Christian Heg, have come under attack as racist and white supremacist. The attack by the Times on Washington is a part of the effort by the Democratic Party and its operatives to derail the popular multiracial protests against police violence which erupted last month in the wake of the murder of George Floyd. Capitalizing on the historical ignorance which they have fostered, Blow and the Times are working overtime to redirect popular opposition along racial lines and behind the Democratic Party. There is nothing progressive in the destruction of statues and monuments which memorialize the leaders of the American Revolution and the Civil War. But for Blow, there is nothing to discuss about the contradictory yet progressive legacy of the men who led the first Revolution and set the ground for the annihilation of slavery less than nine decades later. If one accepts Blows definition of those who owned slaves as amoral monsters, beyond the pale, then even those who opposed slavery at the time, such as John Adams, Thomas Paine and Benjamin Franklin, cannot be judged innocent. After all, they collaborated with those evil beasts, Washington and Jefferson, in waging war against Great Britain and establishing a Constitution which protected slavery. The whole project to create A government of laws and not of men, a precept laid out by Adams, must be thrown out, having been tainted by the irredeemable sin of slavery. If indeed the American Revolution was made by amoral monsters, how is it possible that these wicked creatures, beyond human compassion and unconstrained by any ethical considerations, came to produce such moral and epoch-shaping documents as the Declaration of Independence, the US Constitution and the Bill of Rights? How was it possible that Thomas Jefferson could claim, in a world dominated by monarchies and feudal relations, where birth meant everything and hierarchy dominated, that it is self-evident that all men were created equal? Or advance the conception that the people had a right to revolution, to overthrow an oppressive government and establish their own? Prior to Jefferson the right to life, liberty and property had been clearly outlined, but in the Declaration of Independence he advanced a much more radical conception of the right to life, liberty and pursuit of happiness. Such a conception could only have been advanced at a time when questions were being raised about the very nature of property and what it meant to hold any form of property, particularly fellow human beings. Despite Blows contention, even Washingtons relationship to slavery both in regards to the political as well as the personal was in fact quite complex and changed over time, from a position of taking the institution as a given, having inherited his first slaves from his father while still a boy, to questioning the institution among his closest correspondents and ultimately freeing his slaves after his death. As with society at large, it was the American Revolution, with its declaration of fundamental human equality, which placed for the first time a question mark over Washingtons views on slavery. In 1774, he signed his name to the Fairfax Resolves, a document which included a denunciation of the trans-Atlantic slave trade as wicked, cruel and unnatural, and called for its immediate end. During the American Revolution nearly 5,000 blacks served under his command in the Continental Army and Washington approved the formation of all-black battalions with the guarantee of emancipation for those slaves who fought for American independence. He wrote to a friend in 1786 that he had no intention of buying another slave, it being among my first wishes to see some plan adopted by [inserted: The Legislature by] which slavery in this Country may be abolished by slow, sure, & imperceptable [sic] degrees. While he signed the first Fugitive Slave Act as president in 1793, allowing for masters to reclaim runaway slaves, Washington also signed the renewed Northwest Ordinance in 1789 which banned slavery in the areas north of the Ohio river and east of the Mississippi and the 1794 Slave Trade Act, which prohibited American citizens and residents from engaging in the international slave trade. Despite efforts to appease the slave interests, the growing divisions between Southern slave states and Northern free states which would erupt in the Civil War were already becoming clear at this early point in US history. George Washington and Lafayette at Valley Forge. (Library of Congress / John Ward Dunsmore, 1907) Revolutions are studied and celebrated, with all their blemishes, because they are key moments in history in which humanity pushed forward into the unknown. Such were the advances made by the American Revolution and the Civil War; the French Revolution and Haitian Revolution; and the Russian Revolution of 1917. The inconsistencies of the revolutionaries, and the setbacks that followed the advances, testify to the complexity and contradictory character of the historical process. But the failures do not discredit the advances made. Blow is oblivious to history. Instead he advances a religious conception of history, in which man is fundamentally evil, having fallen from the graces of God. Anything which pays tribute to anyone or anything complicit in the sin of slavery must be condemned and expunged. This moral certitude, however, raises serious questions about this wrathful moralists employment at the New York Times. How can Blow account for the fact that he works for a newspaper that defended slavery before the Civil War, and which inveighed mercilessly and ruthlessly against the abolitionists who fiercely agitated for the end of slavery in the 1850s? An editorial published by the paper on May 11, 1859, The Abolitionists Again, denounced abolitionist writings as trash and slandered William Lloyd Garrison and Wendell Phillips as stock actors of the troupe. The paper also carried a report that relished in the attempted lynching of an abolitionist in Mississippi in September 1857 who had a rope placed around his neck and was whipped 238 times by a pro-slavery mob. Given the papers history of spewing anti-Abolitionist rhetoric, Blow is certainly obligated to resign from the Times and call for its closure. Under Blows rubric, there can be no excuse that these articles were written more than 150 years ago. The New York Times certainly is rotten, not because of what was published in its pages in 1859 but because of what is published in its pages today in defense of capitalism (wage slavery) and imperialism. But it is doubtful that Blow will go that far. After all, his moral absolutes end at the point when they might adversely affect his own professional and financial interests. Writing in 1939, Leon Trotsky, the co-leader of the Russian Revolution and founder of the Fourth International, took the measure of the moralistic, i.e., hypocritical and cynical, approach to history taken by the likes of Blow and the Times: The European Union has formally agreed a set of recommendations that will allow travelers from outside the bloc to visit EU countries, months after it shut its external borders in response to the outbreak of Covid-19. As had been widely expected, the list of 14 countries does not include the United States, whose current Covid infection rate does not meet the criteria set by the EU for it to be considered a "safe country." The criteria requires that confirmed Covid cases in countries on the list are similar or below that of the EU's per 100,000 citizens over the previous 14 days (starting from June 15). Countries must also have a "stable or decreasing trend of new cases over this period in comparison to the previous 14 days," while the EU will consider what measures countries are taking, such as contact tracing, and how reliable each nation's data is. The US has not only the highest number of reported coronavirus infections of any nation, currently 2,590,582, but also the highest number of deaths, at, 126,141, according to the latest data from Johns Hopkins University. US infection rates will need to dramatically drop if Americans are to be allowed entry to European countries, just as the European tourism industry enters what are traditionally its peak months. The recommendations are expected to come into force as early as July 1, however, it remains up to member states to decide exactly how the implement any changes in border policy. Here are the answers to some key questions about the new rules: Which countries are on the list? The list of countries included in the recommendations are: Algeria, Australia, Canada, Georgia, Japan, Montenegro, Morocco, New Zealand, Rwanda, Serbia, South Korea, Thailand, Tunisia, Uruguay. China, where the virus originated, is not on the initial list of 14, but the EU is willing to place it on that list if the Chinese government reciprocates and allows EU citizens to enter its borders. If your country isn't on the list, are you officially banned from entering the EU? Officially, no. The European Union does not have the control of any member state's national borders. However, it is not expected that any country will deviate from the recommendations towards allowing in a larger group of nations and are more likely to restrict travel from countries on the list. If your country isn't on the list, but you're a resident of a country that is on the list, can you still travel to the EU? According to the guidance, "when deciding whether the temporary restriction on non-essential travel to the EU applies to a third-country national, residence in a third country for which the restrictions on nonessential travel have been lifted should be the determining factor (and not nationality)." Can you travel via another country to get around rules? No, for the same reason as above. You will be judged by your place of residence, rather than where you are traveling from. Will this be enforced by airlines and airports? The EU council stressed that "member states remain responsible for implementing the content of the recommendation," meaning this will vary from country to country. The best thing to do here is contact your national foreign office or embassy in the country you want to travel to. How flexible are the recommendations? This really depends on how you read it. The criteria and recommendations for implementation are very clear, but there is an annex in the recommendations which covers travelers with "an essential function or need". These include everything from seasonal agricultural workers to diplomats. If you want to check for yourself, scroll to page 10 of this document When will the list be updated? The list expected to be reviewed every two weeks, however EU diplomats stressed to CNN that the criteria and methodology are "extremely unlikely" to change. This means that in order for a country to be deemed safe, its reported Covid figures need to be below that of the EU's for the past 14 days. How will this affect travelers from the UK? Travelers from the UK are included in what the EU refers to as its "EU+ area," and will be included if the UK's governments decides it wants to align. The "EU+ area" includes all member states of its so-called Schengen visa area (including Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus and Romania), as well as the four Schengen Associated States. It also includes Ireland and the United Kingdom if they decide to align. Are there any exemptions? Travelers in countries that did not make the list can still enter if they fall under the following exemptions: EU citizens or family members of an EU citizen; long-term EU residents or family members; those with an "essential function or need," such as diplomats, healthcare workers or certain agricultural workers. Are certain countries being excluded for political reasons? EU officials had previously stressed to CNN that the decisions taken this week are not political, but based on science and aim only to protect citizens from the virus resurging across the continent. However, those same officials await the response from US President Donald Trump, who has previously attacked the EU on other issues such as trade and foreign policy. TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTHI) - Crawford Street could reopen in August, according to city officials. Work continues along 13th to 19th Street. Crews closed the area for railroad tie removal and construction. Drivers, like Chad Allison, found barricades and blocked roads Wednesday afternoon. Allison, who was on his way to lunch at Charlie's Pub & Grub, says he had to find his own way around the closures. "I turned down 17th Street, had to go through some barricades," he said, "and then, once I got to almost Crawford, I saw the alley that came up behind Charlie's, but the alley wasn't in very good shape either." Jeremie Ruth, who is from Kentucky, but in Terre Haute for a work assignment, said it was slightly hard to get around. However, he says it's a small price to pay for improvements. "I guess you get out of it, what you put into it, you know?," he said, "So to make the neighborhood look better, drainage better." Officials hope to reopen Crawford Street by August 14th. INDIANAPOLIS (AP) Indiana will keep capacity limits in place for restaurants, bars and entertainment venues because of worries about a possible increase in coronavirus cases across the state, Gov. Eric Holcomb said Wednesday. The states reopening plan had called for those restrictions to be lifted this weekend, but Holcomb said he would keep them in place until at least July 18. The state will also continue its current 250-person limit on social gatherings rather than eliminating that maximum. Holcomb, a Republican, said he was concerned about recent increases in hospitalizations across Indiana involving COVID-19 cases and other states that have seen fresh outbreaks after lifting restrictions on bars and other businesses. The volatility that we see, even in some areas of our own state, but especially around the country and especially around our borders is of concern, Holcomb said. Since June 12, Indiana restaurants have been allowed 75% capacity in their dining rooms, while bars, nightclubs, bowling alleys, museums and movie theaters have permitted open at half capacity. Holcomb started easing restrictions in early May and had cited continuing declines in the number of people hospitalized in Indiana for the COVID-19 virus and the availability of intensive care unit beds to treat those seriously ill. But state health department statistics on Wednesday showed an increase of 72 people, or 12%, hospitalized with the coronavirus 595 hospitalizations on June 26, which marked Indianas lowest level since the outbreaks early days in March. Holcomb will let some parts of reopening proceed as planned effective Saturday, including allowing outdoor festivals and the opening of youth overnight camps. Holcomb said schools were still being allowed to start their fall semesters as soon as late July and that school sports and other extracurricular activities could resume Monday as planned. Democratic gubernatorial candidate Woody Myers, a physician and former state health commissioner, said Holcombs decision to ease restrictions increased the danger of greater coronavirus spread. Our focus should be implementing a statewide mask order and encouraging Indiana to stay home, Myers said in a statement. In addition, Indiana still needs to expand testing and prioritize our disproportionately impacted communities. St. Joseph, Elkhart and LaGrange counties in northern Indiana have issued face mask mandates because of outbreaks in the area. Holcomb said he would not issue a statewide mask mandate but encouraged everyone to wear face coverings. We know it works, he said. I hope people dont look at it as inconvenient but look at it as cool, like Im doing my part, my patriotic duty to try to get us through this sooner rather than later. Dr. Kristina Box, the state health commissioner, said a mask order could backfire. My concern is it sometimes makes people almost more stubborn and stand their ground, she said. Michigans governor said Wednesday she was closing indoor seating in bars for much of the state after an outbreak tied to a large brew pub in East Lansing has spread to about 140 people from a dozen counties. Outbreaks in Florida, Arizona, Texas and California have caused those states to shut down bars and beaches and curb restaurant capacity. Indianas monthly deaths involving confirmed coronavirus infections dropped by more than half during June. Figures released Wednesday by state health officials reported at least 393 such deaths in June down from 910 during May and 1,040 in April. Indiana has had 2,650 deaths of those with confirmed or presumed infections since mid-March, according to the state health department. Holcomb said he believed it was better to pause Indianas reopening rather than possibly face needing to backtrack later. This gives all of us a little more additional time to manage our way through this, he said. INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (WTHI) - The Indiana Attorney General will sue a Florida company that failed to provide vacations to Hoosiers. Executive Tour and Travel Services, Inc. offers travel certificates at many events. The Attorney General says they are made to make people believe they won a free vacation. And then many dates are not available for booking and others require extra fees. Around 500 Indiana residents paid the activation fee in a two-year period, but the company only booked hotel rooms for 48 of them. The Attorney General says the company violated Indiana laws. PARIS, Ill. (WTHI) - A new restaurant welcomed customers for the first time on Wednesday. Rocky's Italian Bistro in Paris, Illinois originally planned to open in March, but COVID-19 put that grand opening on hold. Within the first hour of being open, there was already a waitlist to get in. Staff told us they were blown away by community support. Rocky's is open seven days a week. VIGO COUNTY, Ind. (WTHI) - A group spent hours outside of the Vigo County Sheriff's Office on Wednesday wanting Sheriff John Plasse to address what they are calling 'racism in the ranks.' That's after a lieutenant retired after making social media posts with pictures and language some found offensive. The Reform Movement of Terre Haute led the protests. They are calling on Sheriff Plasse to address racism within his department. LINK | FIRED SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICER TO RETIRE FROM VIGO COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE Counter-protesters were also on hand in support of Plasse and the sheriff's office. This all stemmed from Lieutenant Mike Anderson. Last week, we told you he was fired from being a school resource officer at Vigo County Schools. That's after the public brought up multiple Facebook posts he made. Anderson made reference to a post that depicted the Confederate flag with the words 'It's not just about history. The south was right.' Anderson captioned the post saying 'total agree.' Earlier this week, Anderson retired from sheriff's office. LINK | VIGO COUNTY SCHOOLS PROTECTION OFFICER TERMINATED FOR SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS Plasse told us according to their social media policy, Anderson did not break any laws or office policy. Therefore he would not be fired from the department. The group said a social media policy change is not enough. There's also a petition going around asking Sheriff Plasse to publicly address the racist comments, and how he will combat racism in the department. The sheriff's office does not appoint people to work within the school corporation If a deputy works in the school, the school district has hired him or her. Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-01 12:22:02|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close HANOI, July 1 (Xinhua) -- Three girls have drowned while swimming in a river in Vietnam's central Ha Tinh province, local media reported on Wednesday. The three victims, who were all six graders of a local school in Ha Tinh's Duc Tho District, drowned while taking a bath in river on Tuesday afternoon, local newspaper Phap Luat (Law) quoted local authorities as reporting. Nearby residents came to the scene to rescue but the students had drowned deep in the river, said the newspaper, noting that their bodies were found on the same day at around 6 p.m. local time. An average of 2,000 children in Vietnam died of drowning every year, making it the leading cause of injury-related deaths for children in the country, according to its Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs. Enditem TUPELO, Miss (WTVA) --Following the changing of the state's flag, a group met at Veteran's Memorial Park in Tupelo on Tuesday evening to discuss what they say is leaders abusing their power. Several people said they weren't necessarily angry that the flag was changed, they were angry over how it was done. This is much more than being about a state flag. This is about losing your rights as an American citizen," said meeting organizer Lauren Smith. Smith feels her homeland is in danger. This is about defending those rights in a democracy that so many people have already fought and died for, and here we are having to fight for it again on our very own soil," Smith said. She says people are fed up with having those in power take away their voices. According to protester Joyce Blasingame said she thinks our democracy is in trouble. Its just like watching a loved one with Alzheimers deteriorating every day," Blasingame said. She said she actually watched that happen to someone she loved. She says this isn't just about changing a flag. They should have let the people decide, not decide for us, and if they decide that for us, whats next? Several people voiced their opinions at the meeting, something they feel they are losing their ability to do. According to Smith, even though it comes under so much criticism, she says patriotism is the heart of what they are pushing for. It is simply taking pride in your state and your country, and having the ability to stand up and voice your opinions," Smith said. Smith said this meeting served as an opportunity for people who attended to discuss what they will do during a protest they are planning to have on July 18. The group plan is planning to hold that protest at Veterans Memorial Park. BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) Authorities in Alabama said a 5-year-old boy was shot and wounded while riding in a car. Birmingham Police Sgt. Rod Mauldin said the childs condition was life-threatening. Mauldin said the child was in a vehicle traveling on Martin Luther King Drive Tuesday afternoon when an unknown person fired shots at the car, striking the child. The boy was taken to Childrens of Alabama and police were later called to the hospital. The investigation is ongoing. Police are asking for witnesses to come forward. Charleston, WV (25301) Today Partly cloudy skies this morning. Thunderstorms likely during the afternoon. A few storms may be severe. High 86F. Winds WSW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 90%.. Tonight Thunderstorms this evening, then cloudy with rain likely overnight. Low 59F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall near an inch. Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-01 12:45:08|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close SHANGHAI, July 1 (Xinhua) -- A total of 394,000 tonnes of beef were imported via Shanghai Customs in the first five months of this year, up 51.8 percent from the same period last year, data from the customs authorities showed. The value of these goods was 15.55 billion yuan (2.2 billion U.S. dollars), up 72.9 percent year on year. The average price of imported beef was 39.4 yuan per kg during the period, up 13.9 percent year on year. Brazil, Argentina and Australia were the top three sources of beef imports in Shanghai. In the first five months, Shanghai Customs saw 136,000 tonnes of beef imported from Brazil, more than doubled from the same period last year and accounting for 34.5 percent of the total beef imports in Shanghai in the same period. Beef imports from Argentina and Australia also rose 52.1 percent and 28.5 percent year on year, respectively, in volume. The increase in beef imports in Shanghai shows that beef consumption in the Chinese market remains robust despite the novel coronavirus epidemic. Enditem Morgantown, WV (26505) Today Thunderstorms. A few storms may be severe. High around 85F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 100%.. Tonight Showers and thundershowers early, then overcast overnight with occasional rain. Low around 60F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Clarksburg, WV (26301) Today Cloudy early, then thunderstorms developing this afternoon. A few storms may be severe. High 84F. Winds SW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 100%.. Tonight Showers and thundershowers this evening will give way to steady rain overnight. Low 59F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Niki Kottmann is the Wyoming Tribune Eagles features editor. She can be reached at nkottmann@wyoming news.com or 307-633-3135. Follow her on Twitter at @niki_mariee. Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-01 12:48:22|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Aerial photo taken on June 30, 2020 shows a view of the road-rail cable-stayed bridge linking Nantong and Zhangjiagang in east China's Jiangsu Province. (Xinhua/Ji Chunpeng) China's rapid development has benefited not only China itself, but also the rest of the world, Cambodian government chief spokesman Phay Siphan said. PHNOM PENH, July 1 (Xinhua) -- China has been enjoying peace, stability and rapid development in all fields under the brilliant leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC), Cambodian government chief spokesman Phay Siphan has said. In an interview with Xinhua on Monday ahead of the 99th founding anniversary of the CPC, which falls on Wednesday, Siphan said he has visited China several times and witnessed its rapid development in all spheres, especially in transport infrastructure construction, technology and science, and poverty reduction. "The Communist Party (of China) has done a great job for its people," he said. China's rapid development has benefited not only China itself, but also the rest of the world, Siphan said, noting that thanks to their rising income, millions of Chinese tourists and investors have gone overseas. "The world needs China," he said. China has always shared its fruits of development with other countries through direct aid or various initiatives such as the Belt and Road Initiative and the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation, among others, Siphan said. "It's a good gesture of the Chinese leaders. They give hope to other nations in the world so that we share prosperity together," he said. Aerial photo taken on April 15, 2020 shows people working at the construction site of a 5G base station in Chongqing, southwest China. (Xinhua/Wang Quanchao) The chief spokesman also praised China for its fifth-generation (5G) telecoms network development, saying that this latest technology is of great benefit for humanity, especially for Asians. Sharing his view on China's poverty alleviation efforts, Siphan said China's amazing success in poverty alleviation is a "miracle" in human history. "I would say it is a miracle that China has lifted hundreds of millions of people out of poverty in just four decades," he said. "This had never been done in human history." Siphan said China's success in poverty alleviation has resulted from the right policy decisions made by the CPC, the hard work of Chinese citizens, as well as China's zero-tolerance of corruption. "The success of China's poverty eradication clearly reflects the triumph of China's reform and opening-up policy," he said. He said the great success is admirable and provides an example for other developing countries, including Cambodia. "We can learn from China in terms of poverty reduction strategies, state reform, administrative reform, and stern fights against corruption," he said. A staff member transports the medical supplies donated by China at the Phnom Penh International Airport in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, March 23, 2020. (Xinhua/Mao Pengfei) Siphan said China and the world are inseparable in the fields of economics, trade, investment and tourism, among others, and if China is in trouble, so is the world. "The growth in China will lead to global growth; poverty in China will lead to poverty in the world too," he said. For example, he said, when China was in the critical stage of fighting COVID-19, its factories producing raw materials were temporarily suspended, and the suspension affected the supply chain of factories in Cambodia and other countries around the world. Commenting on the Cambodia-China joint fight against COVID-19, Siphan said their mutual help during the pandemic should be a model for international cooperation. "The COVID-19 is a world problem ... We don't need to point the finger at each other, but it's the time (for us) to be together to fight against COVID-19," he said. "One should not politicize COVID-19; instead, they should do their best to safeguard their own people," Siphan said. "Some countries spent time blaming this or that country, this is an irresponsible act for their own citizens." Police blotter is a list of recent arrests compiled from public records in Laramie County. All people listed here are innocent until proven guilty. Anyone listed who has a charge dismissed or is acquitted of the charge may bring or mail a court document proving such to the WTE editor, 702 W. Lincolnway, Cheyenne, WY 82001. Click here to read the full article. U.S. documentary specialists Cargo Film & Releasing have snapped up world rights to an Alec Baldwin-narrated feature documentary investigating the water poisoning crisis in Flint, Michigan. (Watch a trailer for the film above.) Directed by British Youve Been Trumped filmmaker Anthony Baxter, and co-produced with the BBC, the film, which is being shopped to buyers virtually attending the Cannes market, is billed as the untold story of what happened to Flint after news coverage of the scandal died down. Flint was made famous by documentarian Michael Moore, who grew up there and featured the citys journey with General Motors in his critically acclaimed film Roger & Me. More from Variety Flints troubles began in 2011 after the state took control of its finances following a major deficit. To cut costs, the city announced a new pipeline to deliver its water, but when that project was delayed, Flint River became a provisional water source. Residents soon reported changes in the taste and texture of their water, with testing later revealing dangerous levels of lead that had leaked into the water supply. Around 70 are believed to have died as a result. The film follows the ongoing legal battle for residents to receive compensation for the financial, medical and psychological impact of lead poisoning. It will also touch on the racial elements of the scandal, best evidenced by a Michigan Government report, which concluded that systemic racism helped to cause the Flint water crisis. The films release follows a January U.S. Supreme Court ruling that allows Flint residents to file a civil rights lawsuit against government officials for the disaster. All criminal charges have so far been dropped against State officials, including manslaughter charges against Michigans two top health officials. Story continues According to a survey of Flint households, 90% of residents still use bottled water to drink and bathe. Flint is produced by Montrose Pictures, with the support of Screen Scotland, BBC Scotland and El Dorado Pictures. The original film score is from Doctor Who theme composer Dominic Glynn. There could not be a more important film for the times we are living in, said Cargo president David Piperni. Flint shows the devastating consequences of racial injustice, and what happens when there is a complete breakdown of trust in authority. After premiering at the Glasgow Film Festival in February, Flint had its international festival run cut short by COVID-19. Filmmaker Baxter said the pandemic has brought home how much we rely on trust in science and in the authorities to keep us safe. In Flint, that trust has broken down completely, and the consequences are horrifying. It is vital that Flints voices are still heard, but also that we all learn lessons from their experience. Best of Variety Sign up for Varietys Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Click here to read the full article. PARIS Setting the bar for luxury in a coronavirus era, Cartier has called on a diverse cast of assured stars for this years blockbuster watch launch for the label the new Pasha edition that kicks off in China. The Compagnie Financiere Richemont-owned brand has assembled Rami Malek, Troye Sivan, Willow Smith, Maisie Williams and Jackson Wang for the campaign, which includes a movie with all five discussing creativity and achievement, as well as short films featuring each one, and images by photographer Craig McDean, all set to flood social channels starting July 1 in China. South Korea will be next, starting in mid-July, followed by a Sept. 4 launch elsewhere in the world. Given the star power backing the campaign, and the diversity of the group, it will be noticed from the get-go, predicted Arnaud Carrez, Cartiers marketing and communications director. You will see that the buzz is going to increase during the summer starting in China. It will have a ripple effect, people will talk about it, given the five individuals it will go viral everywhere around the world very soon, predicted Carrez. The campaign, which the executive described as unexpected, had been planned in advance, and the film was shot in New York in January. Weve always been committed to engaging diverse people, talented people across various communities but I would say that this is a premiere for us to gather such a diverse and international group of individuals with strong individuality, people who are changemakers in their respective creative fields, he continued. In a statement describing the choice of ambassadors, Cartier said they represent a generation of talents who have cultivated their own uniqueness. Each one of them has very strong convictions, they are very committed, very engaged and I think what is also very important is they contribute to cultural, artistic and social changes, they are nonconformist, noted Carrez, describing the individuals fronting the campaign. Story continues Asked about the youthful age range of the campaign figures most are in their 20s, though Smith is 19 and Malek is 39 Carrez pointed to the houses history of catering to a multigenerational audience. Some are very young, but its not so much about the age weve always been keen to embrace diversity when I say diversity its always multigenerational diversity, and I think its in relation with our creations that cater to a very diverse audience, he said, ticking off collections with wide appeal, like the Love and Trinity jewelry lines or the Tank, Santos and Panthere watches. If you look at China, the share of Millennials is already very high and accounts for the bigger share of our sales, so we are already very engaged with these audiences, he added. China was already the main source of growth for luxury brands before the coronavirus struck, but the crisis has reinforced the countrys importance to the sector. One of the earlier markets to emerge from lockdowns, Chinas digitally savvy consumers are serving as a crucial testing ground for important launches. And with international tourism on pause, famously high-spending Chinese travelers are restricted to making purchases on their home turf. Cartier joined Tmalls Luxury Platform in February, becoming the first hard luxury label to open a virtual selling space on Alibabas e-commerce platform. The results have been far above our expectations, said Carrez, who noted the platforms importance for gaining insight to use in other markets. I think its going to be a real test, he said, referring to the launch of the Pasha edition in China. Inspired by a model dating back to the early half of the 20th century, the Pasha watch was launched in 1985, followed by a steel version a decade later. The house has modernized the timepiece, which carries design elements contrasting square shapes with a circular dial with the time indicated with just four, prominent, Arabic numerals. This watch has always been a symbol of style and strength of character, asserted Carrez. Sign up for WWD's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-01 12:55:00|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close by Xinhua writers Xiong Maoling, Tan Yixiao WASHINGTON, June 30 (Xinhua) -- Anti-globalization sentiment will rise due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and intra-regional trade will become very important for Asian countries, said an International Monetary Fund (IMF) official, urging them to further open up their markets to each other. "I think it's very important for us to emphasize that trade is important for every country's growth and everyone's welfare," Chang Yong Rhee, director of the IMF's Asia and Pacific Department, told Xinhua in a video interview Monday. TRADE EXPECTED TO CONTRACT According to IMF projection released Tuesday, Asia will see a 1.6-percent contraction in 2020 amid the mounting COVID-19 fallout, a downgrade to the forecast of zero growth in the April World Economic Outlook (WEO). Asia is heavily dependent on global supply chains and cannot grow while the whole world is suffering, Rhee said, noting that Asia's trade is expected to contract significantly due to weaker external demand. The multilateral lender revised down its forecast for the global economy, projecting a 4.9-percent contraction in 2020, 1.9 percentage points below the April forecast, according to an update to April WEO released last week. Rhee said COVID-19 hit Asia early, and many Asian economies, including China, South Korea and Vietnam, handled it quite effectively, contributing to a better-than-projected economic growth for the Asian region in the first quarter. Since some Asian countries have contained the virus relatively well, tourism is likely to rebound among neighboring countries, which will be an "important source of growth" for the region, the IMF official said. For China, which boasts a large domestic market, switching from export-oriented growth model to domestic-demand-driven growth model is possible, but for smaller Asian economies, such transition might not be a solution, Rhee said, adding that intra-regional trade will become very important for Asian countries. Noting that tariff rate among Asian nations is actually much higher than tariff against Europe and the United States, Rhee said "in some sense, there's more need to open our market to each other." The IMF official said any bilateral, regional or multilateral trade agreement will be especially important in this environment, while adding that countries "have to consider and improve the weakness we have seen to make the benefit more inclusive." HARDSHIP WILL COME Noting that Asia used to grow 5 percent or 6 percent, Rhee told Xinhua that the sheer slowdown of the economy has a lot of negative impacts towards many sectors, especially the hard-hit service sectors, with the burden falling more on the less educated, poor, informal and migrant workers. The IMF official also noted that compared with advanced economies, Asia's social safety net is weaker, and medical facilities are not adequate. "Even though relatively speaking in terms of growth numbers, we are doing better than advanced economies, but the real heavy burden is the same to the Asian economy, especially for those who are unfortunate," he said. In the absence of a second wave of infections and with an unprecedented policy stimulus to support the recovery, growth in Asia is projected to rebound strongly to 6.6 percent in 2021, according to IMF's latest projection. "But even with this fast pickup in economic activity, output losses due to COVID-19 are likely to persist," Rhee said. The multilateral lender projects Asia's economic output in 2022 to be about 5 percent lower compared with the level predicted before the crisis, and this gap "will be much larger" if China is excluded, where economic activities have already started to rebound, he said. The IMF official noted that projections for 2021 and beyond assume a strong rebound in private demand, though there are "clouds on the horizon," which could undermine Asia's recovery. Such "clouds" include slower growth in trade, longer than expected lockdowns, rising inequality, weak balance sheets and geopolitical tensions. "So actually what matters for Asia from now on is not 2020, we cannot be complacent," Rhee told Xinhua. "From 2021, I think the hardship will come too, and Asia will face as equally or even more hardship than other countries." The IMF official said Asian countries are experimenting re-opening, and policies must be geared toward supporting the nascent recovery without exacerbating vulnerabilities. "They must use fiscal stimulus wisely and complement it with economic reforms," he said. CHINA'S ROLE IN GLOBAL RECOVERY Rhee said China could greatly help sustain the global growth at this difficult time. China produces many medical products, which is essential for the global fight against the pandemic, the IMF official said, noting that China could also play an important role in supplying medical products for those in need. "China's growth is very critical for the maintaining (of) commodity prices for many commodity exporters," he said. Rhee also noted that China joined the debt relief initiative of the Group of Twenty (G20) for low-income countries, and it can help those countries as a major creditor. In the midst of anti-globalization sentiment, Rhee said, "I think China can play a very important opinion leader in global economy who make the multilateral system survive and maintain open economy." Noting that heavily relying on investment and export driven growth can't be sustainable, the IMF official said China's transition toward a consumption-driven economy is good for its own growth. "In that sense, we are emphasizing the building of the social safety net, so people can reduce the precautionary saving and spend more domestically," he said. Enditem In its eight years as a public company, Facebook has weathered its fair share of storms. But a growing ad boycott, dubbed the #StopHateForProfit campaign, might be the toughest one yet for the social media giant and CEO Mark Zuckerberg. Led by civil rights groups like the NAACP and the Anti-Defamation League in response to Facebooks moderation policies, dozens of major companies have already joined the boycott, including Honda, Levi Strauss, Pfizer and Unilever. Other major companies like Adidas and Microsoft Facebooks third biggest advertiser last year have also paused advertising on Facebook, without formally joining the #StopHateForProfit movement. Zuckerberg, looking to quell concerns over incendiary posts and ads, has agreed to meet with the civil rights groups leading the boycott, Facebook said on Wednesday. This isnt the first high-profile corporate boycott. Nike has been called out in the past for its working conditions in Vietnam; PETA led a boycott of KFC for its treatment of animals; and BP faced a boycott after its 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, just to name a few. The difference with the Facebook ad boycott, however, is that it is led by other large corporations and not spearheaded from... Read original story Facebook Ad Boycott Ushers in a New Era of Corporate Activism At TheWrap UPDATE: Back in June, it was announced that women who experienced a hostile work environment, sexual harassment and gender-based discrimination while working at The Weinstein Company or women who experienced sexual abuse by Harvey Weinstein are entitled to receive restitution, pending approval from a judge. The to-be-determined sum that these individuals will receive will come from a $18,875,000 victims' compensation fund. But on Tuesday morning, a federal judge in New York rejected the proposed settlement. "We have been saying for over a year and a half that the settlement terms and conditions were unfair and should never be imposed on sexual assault survivors. We were surprised that class counsel and the New York Attorney General did not recognize this fact but are pleased that Judge Hellerstein swiftly rejected the one-sided proposal," Douglas H. Wigdor, an attorney for several of the Weinstein accusers, shared in a statement to E! News. "On behalf of our clients, we look forward to pursuing justice against Harvey Weinstein and his many enablers." Per the original agreement, that was negotiated by N.Y. Attorney General Letitia James, any individual who previously signed a non-disclosure agreement related to any sexual misconduct by Harvey Weinstein, are hereby released from said contract. ______ A tentative deal has been reached in the civil case against Harvey Weinstein, the New York Times reports. Back in 2017, the movie producer was accused of nearly 30 years of sexual misconduct, claims which he has continued to deny. On Wednesday, Weinstein appeared in a New York City courtroom, via a walker, for a hearing on his criminal sexual assault case. Following his court appearance on Wednesday, a NYT report, citing lawyers involved in the negotiations, stated that a tentative deal had been made between Weinstein, his former film company, and his accusers. Story continues According to the report, this is a tentative $25 million settlement agreement with "dozens of his alleged sexual misconduct victims." In the terms of this deal, Weinstein would not have to admit he did anything wrong or pay the money himself. It would instead be paid by insurance companies that represent The Weinstein Company, which filed for bankruptcy in 2018. The settlement still needs final signoff and court approval, but has reportedly gotten "preliminary approval." Connie Britton Weighs in on Harvey Weinstein Scandal In response to the settlement, attorneys Douglas H. Wigdor and Kevin Mintzerwho represent Wedil David and Jane Doe (Wigdor LLP also represents one of the Molineux witnesses who will be testifying at the criminal trial)tell E! News, "We reject the notion that this was the best settlement that could have been achieved on behalf of the victims. It is shameful that $12 million of the settlement is going to the lawyers for the directors who we alleged enabled Harvey Weinstein and it is even more outrageous that the proposed settlement will seek to bind non participating members by providing a release to the insurance companies and the directors of the Weinstein Company itself." The statement continues, "While we don't begrudge victims who want to settle, we plan to vigorously object to any provision that tries to bind victims who want to proceed with holding Harvey Weinstein accountable for his actions which is exactly what we intend to do." According to the NYT report on the deal, "Eighteen of the alleged victims would split $6.2 million, with no individual getting more than $500,000. A separate pot of money, $18.5 million, would be set aside for those who were part of a class-action case, the New York attorney general's suit and any future claimants, with a court-appointed monitor allocating payments based on the severity of the harm alleged." In response to the terms of the deal, Time's Up tweeted Wednesday, "Here's a math problem: 18 of 80+ victims split $6.2M. $12M+ goes towards legal fees for Harvey Weinstein, Bob Weinstein & The Weinstein Company board. Here's a bigger problem: If this is the best the survivors could get, the system is broken." Back in 2018, Weinstein surrendered to authorities in NYC and was charged with rape, a criminal sex act, sex abuse and sexual misconduct for incidents involving two separate women. "The NYPD thanks these brave survivors for their courage to come forward and seek justice," a spokesperson for the NYPD said in a statement at the time. "The arrest and ensuing charges are the result of a joint investigation between the NYPD and the Manhattan District Attorney's Office." "This is an extraordinary case in my judgment, where the only rape victim that Mr. Weinstein is accused of raping is someone who he has had a 10-year consensual sexual relationship with," attorney Benjamin Brafman shared with reporters via the New York Times. "There is a confluence of concerns that make me concerned that it's going to be difficult for people who are judging this case to keep an open mind and be fair...I think at the end of the day Mr. Weinstein will be exonerated of these charges." Harvey Weinstein Weinstein was then indicted on rape and sex crime charges. Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance, Jr. released a statement on Weinstein's indictment at the time in May 2018, stating, "A Grand Jury has voted to indict Harvey Weinstein on charges of Rape in the First and Third Degrees, and Criminal Sexual Act in the First Degree." Weinstein plead not guilty. He was later released on $1 million bail, though his bail was increased to $2 million in court today. His case is set to go to trial in January. Weinstein's representatives have yet to comment on a possible settlement. (This story was previously published on Wednesday, Dec 11, 2019 at 12:25 p.m. ET.) Police in Hong Kong said more than 300 people were arrested on July 1 for offenses during what they said were illegal assemblies. The arrests included nine people charged in relation to a controversial new national security law imposed by Beijing. Footage recorded by Teele Rebane shows protesters marching down Cannon Street, as well as police surrounding an individual being held down on the ground. The new security law contains anti-protest measures, as well as penalties for acts of secession, subversion, terrorism, or collusion with foreign forces. Offenses under the law carry a maximum life sentence. Police posted photos linked to what they said were the first two arrests made under the new law, one showing a man next to a Hong Kong Independence flag, and another showing a homemade banner with the Union Jack and the US flag on it. The UKs foreign secretary, Dominic Raab, was quoted in The Times as saying the new law constituted a clear violation of the autonomy of Hong Kong, and a direct threat to the freedoms of its people, and it is a clear and serious violation of the Joint Declaration, a treaty between the United Kingdom and China. Credit: Teele Rebane via Storyful Granger Smith and his wife, Amber, will never know how their 3-year-old son River managed to gain entry into their home's fenced pool, which led to his accidental drowning. But there are many things that the couple has learned in the year since they lost their little boy perhaps, most soberingly, that drowning is the No. 1 cause of accidental injury death among children ages 1 to 4. "It's not that that could have changed our outcome," the 40-year-old Texas artist tells PEOPLE, "but it would have been good to have heard more about it." Adds Amber, 38: "It should definitely be talked about." RELATED: Granger Smith on How Son's Death Changed Him: 'I'm Going to Forgive Myself, but I'm Not There Yet' And so the Smiths are talking, speaking out with the hope that their loss will help prevent similar tragedies. The summer months are the peak time for child drownings, and most occur in the country's 10.4 million residential pools. Experts expect the numbers will spike this year as the COVID-19 pandemic keeps community pools closed or deters families from visiting these lifeguarded public facilities. Jack Thompson Granger Smith The youngest of the three Smith children, River went into the water the evening of June 4, 2019, at the family's home outside Georgetown, Texas, as his father was mere feet away, his attention momentarily turned to his older children. By the time Smith rescued the boy, he had suffered catastrophic brain damage; he died two days later in an Austin children's hospital. The Smiths had believed they'd taken every precaution that would keep their children safe. Yet they discovered, in the most heartbreaking way, that they could have been better informed. They didn't know, for example, that drowning, particularly among children, is considered a "silent killer." "It's not like the movies," says Smith. "To comprehend that you could lose someone to drowning 20 feet from you doesn't make any sense unless you know how that process works and that it's so silent. There isn't splashing or gurgling or kicking. There wasn't even a splash going in." Story continues Jack Thompson Granger and Amber Smith RELATED: Granger Smith Reveals Final Special Moment He Shared with Son River That Suddenly Turned to Tragedy William D. Ramos, a nationally recognized expert in pool safety and a member of the American Red Cross Scientific Advisory Council, explains that the silence is caused by "something we call 'instinctive drowning response.' All energy and all action go to preserve that the head is above water. Oftentimes, they can't wave or scream." Children are especially at risk: They tend to take water into their lungs more quickly than adults, and they have far less muscle mass "to push against the water longer," says Ramos, who is a professor of health and wellness design at Indiana University in Bloomington. "It's just, unfortunately, a downhill cycle." And it's one that can go even faster for youngsters. Smith estimates his son was in the water between 30 seconds and two minutes before he was rescued; experts say child drownings can occur in 30 seconds or less. The Smiths say two steps might have changed their outcome: a second lock on the fence and an alarm that goes off when an unsupervised pool is entered. Granger Smith/Instagram Granger Smith and late son River Ramos affirms both preventative measures. "You just have to do regular inspections of your facility and just be aware of your child's changes in cognition and growth," he says. "Those make a huge difference in what will be a barrier and what won't be anymore." But he warns parents not to rely simply on equipment to keep children safe. Like other experts, he talks about "layers" of vigilance to prevent children from entering a pool unsupervised, as well as to keep them safe during planned time in the water. Because children often can't signal they're in trouble, they always need an adult "water watcher," says Joe Martyak, a spokesman for the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, which oversees a "Pool Safely" campaign. "Somebody has to sit there and watch the kids like a lifeguard," Martyak says, "because basically, that's what they are." Just like designated drivers, water watchers have to be committed to their singular responsibility. "You can't sit there and go, 'Okay, I'll watch the kids,' and then get on your phone while you're looking at them," Martyak says. Courtesy American Red Cross A summer pool safety tip Since River's death, Granger and Amber Smith have become strong advocates for so-called "survival" swim classes that teach children as young as 6 months how to save themselves in the water. Though Ramos knows of no research that's proven the techniques are effective, he doesn't discourage any activity that responsibly introduces children to water. "I think if parents find it interesting or intriguing and they want to put it in 'layering,' that's up to them," he says. He also strongly encourages pursuing swimming lessons rather than relying on flotation devices, particularly the popular "water wings." "There are a lot on the market that look like they're designed to keep your child afloat, but many haven't been tested to make sure they don't push the child forward into the water and that they don't puncture and leave the child without any support," Ramos says. "We really stick to the standard of Coast Guard-approved, which means they've been vetted and tested." Even with every safety measure in place, parents still need to be prepared for the worst, say the experts. That includes having a plan in place for rescue. (The Red Cross' mantra is "reach or throw, don't go." In other words, using a reach tool or throwing an approved flotation device is much safer than jumping in.) "Another thing that's important is, ideally, to know how to perform CPR," says Martyak. "A lot of people think, 'That's a good idea, and I'll have to learn how to do that someday.' The problem is, in the case of an emergency, if anybody around can do CPR until help arrives, it could be the difference between whether that child survives or doesn't." Jack Thompson Granger Smith and wife Amber with their children Lincoln and London Again, the Smiths hope others learn from their mistakes. While Amber had taken a CPR class in high school, both parents had to rely on a 911 dispatcher to help them perform it on a 3-year-old. "A child takes much smaller compressions," explains Ramos, "and a child takes much more frequent and shorter breaths. So there is a skillset involved there, for sure." Both Ramos and Martyak say water-safety awareness should extend to every large water vessel in the household, not just professionally installed pools. "We say you've got to be careful with water around the house, whether it's in a swimming pool or whether it's just a spa, an above-ground pool, a wading pool, a bathtub or a bucket of water," says Martyak. "If you keep a bucket of water in the backyard, kids can see the water, they splash, they fall in, and they drown because their head's in there." If approached responsibly and respectfully, Ramos says, water shouldn't be something to fear. "Let's not forget that water is fun, enjoyable, therapeutic," he says. "It just comes with a specific set of rules to pay attention to. We're not natural-born swimmers, but there is no question that water is part of our being. I just always feel I need to remind people that." The Red Cross offers a free online course, "Water Safety for Parents and Caregivers," that focuses on developing an awareness of the risks of drowning and how to minimize them. Also, its Water Safety for Kids site offers age-appropriate videos, activities and quizzes. The Consumer Product Safety Commission's Pool Safely program offers online and print resources for parents and caregivers to learn the facts about drowning and get tips about water safety. For more from Granger Smith, pick up the latest issue of PEOPLE, on newsstands Friday. A man was knocked to the ground and appeared unresponsive amid protests in Hong Kong on July 1, this footage shows. Crowds of Hong Kongers took to the streets on Wednesday, a day after a controversial new national security law came into effect. The law signed by Chinas President Xi Jinping criminalizes acts of secession, subversion, terrorism and collusion with foreign and external forces to jeopardise national security, the South China Morning Post said. Under the law, offenders may be given a life sentence as the maximum punishment. Wednesdays protests, which coincided with annual rallies marking the anniversary of Hong Kongs handover to China in 1997, became heated with police reportedly using water cannons and pepper spray to control crowds. Hong Kong Police said more than 70 people were arrested on July 1 during unauthorized assemblies, including the first two people to be detained for offenses arising from the new national security law. Credit: Campus TV, HKUSU via Storyful Click here to read the full article. Neil Young has released a special Porch Episode of his ongoing Fireside Sessions acoustic concert series. This one spotlights the politically charged songs hes written over the years, including a new rendition of 2006s Lookin for a Leader that shreds Donald Trump. Head to the New Young Archives to check it out. As the title suggests, the session was largely recorded on the porch of the Colorado home he shares with his wife, actress Daryl Hannah. This is their sixth Fireside Sessions video and shes shot and directed all of them using her iPad. More from Rolling Stone The show began with the 1970s Alabama, a song that takes on Southern racism and inspired Lynyrd Skynyrd to respond with Sweet Home Alabama. Young has expressed misgivings about the song in recent years (I dont like my words when I listen to it today, he wrote in his 2012 memoir Waging Heavy Peace. They are accusatory and condescending, not fully thought-out, too easy to misconstrue), but he started playing it again at shows with Promise of the Real in 2015. He then moved into Campaigner, a 1976 deep cut in which he declared that even Richard Nixon has got soul. He hasnt played it since the George W. Bush administration when he would occasionally change the words to even George Bush has got soul, but the lyrics went back to Nixon this time. It seems like he feels that Trump is a less sympathetic figure than even W., a man who inspired him to write 2006s Lets Impeach the President. He followed that up with Ohio (a mere two months after the 50th year anniversary of the Kent State massacre that inspired it) and Bob Dylans The Times They Are-a Changin. The only other time hes played the latter is during a 1988 guest appearance with Dylan at the Greek Theater in Berkeley, California. Story continues The 2006 obscurity Lookin for a Leader was played just a single time before this at a 2006 Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young concert in Camden, New Jersey. The song expressed a deep yearning to find someone to guide America during some of the darkest days of the Bush administration. Maybe its Obama, Young wrote. But he thinks that hes too young. (Obama announced his campaign just months later.) Those words arent accurate today, so he rewrote the song for this session to take on Trump: We had Barack Obama and we really need him now, he sings. The man who stood behind him now has to take his place somehow/America has a leader building walls around our house/Dont know Black Lives Matter and we gotta vote him out. We got our election but corruption has a chance, he continued. We got to have a big win to regain confidence/America is beautiful/But she has an ugly side/Were looking for a leader for this country far and wide/Just like his big new fence/This presidents going down/America is moving forward/You can feel it in every town/Scared of his own shadow building walls around our house/Hes hiding in his bunker/Something else to lie about. He wrapped up with an intense Southern Man and a haunting rendition of the Homegrown tune Little Wing played against a beautiful pink sunset. 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. Click here to read the full article. ConsiderThis At one point in the development of Making the Cut with Amazon Prime Video, executive producer and host Heidi Klum decided to ask the online retail behemoth if they could have a jet for the show. Not some dinky Gulfstream, mind you. Likea jet jet. A real, big jet. More from IndieWire We were kind of hoping to get a big Amazon plane, because I was already thinking about commercials we can shoot like Tim [Gunn] and I hopping out of a plane with Amazon boxes, delivering them to people, Klum said in an interview with IndieWire. My brain was going 100 miles an hour. A plane would have been nice with sewing machines in there, like OK, your first assignment is not in New York, its in Paris. But guess what? You open a plane, they go in there, and there are sewing machines everywhere. Youre not laying back and enjoying the flight, youre designing and miserable. But [Amazon] said yes to the million dollar prize, so we were like, Lets not push our luck here. Its one of the many ways Making the Cut features a distinctive tonal change from Klum and fellow host and executive producer Gunns original incarnation of the standard-bearer of fashion design reality shows, Project Runway. On that series, the duo won the Emmy for Outstanding Host for a Reality or Reality-Competition Program in 2013, amid the shows 58 total Emmy nominations during its 16-season run with the two as hosts. (The evolutionary tree of Project Runway has many branches splintering off into different production companies and different networks, but the show is now airing with Project Runway champion alum Christian Siriano and model Karlie Kloss as its hosts on Bravo.) While Project Runway was renowned for its outre challenges and delightfully and rightfully so Making the Cut offers a new model for fashion reality TV, based on the cold hard need for burgeoning fashion designers to think of the bottom line and not just the aesthetics of their creations. The challenges during the 10 episodes of Making the Cut reflect the need to blend art and commerce; designers were required to create both runway and size-inclusive ready-to-wear versions of designs; oversee a photo shoot for a social media campaign; and design and help with the installation of a pop-up shop for customers to browse. Story continues Amazon executives are sprinkled throughout the series; finalists Jonny Cota and Esther Perbandt each presented comprehensive business plans to the president of Amazon Fashion, Christine Beauchamp, in her incredibly intimidating Succession-esque office with floor-to-ceiling windows in Manhattan. Gunn said that the presence of Amazon Fashions Principle Product Manager Stephanie Park who makes fleeting appearances on the show was much more influential than revealed in the aired product. She traveled with us most of the show, and when she wasnt with us physically, she was being sent images, Gunn said in an interview with IndieWire. She was instrumental in helping us and each individual designer that won on that particular episode. She was helping everyone think through the evolution of the commercial runway look to how does this translate to Amazon fashion under $100? How does this seduce the consumer who is going to the Making the Cut page on Amazon Fashion? Shes brilliant. The affiliation with Amazon is evident throughout, not just in name drops, executive appearances, and product placement, but in the sheer scale of the enterprise. (Quick primer: In the first financial quarter of 2020, Amazon made $75.5 billion-with-a-b in revenue. Thats before the pandemic made us all agoraphobes beholden to delivery.) That money is present in almost every scene; filming took place in New York, Paris, and Tokyo; there are no budget limitations on the creations from the designers. Fashion shows are set in museums, on boats, and on the top of skyscrapers. In short, Klums jet wouldnt have been entirely out of place. So how did Gunn and Klum luck out with a blank check (except, for you know, the jet)? In 2018, Gunn and Klum began to feel that the confines of Runway were limiting. With the duos Emmy imprimatur, when they began shopping the concept of Making the Cut with their agents and production partners, it immediately attracted attention. Reader, Amazon called them. They called our agents and said Wed like to meet, Gunn said. There were other people, but this really makes the most sense, Klum added. Before anyone called, Amazon was always No. 1 on my wishlist. Making the Cut, by focusing on the business aspect of the industry, figures out a way to make the reality show concept more real and more practical. Its a lesson the designers can take with them as they advance in their careers, Gunn says. I say to my students all the time that the biggest challenge for any fashion designer is how to be creative and innovative, Gunn said, and yet not be a T-Shirt and not be a parade float. Making the Cut is available on Amazon Prime Video. Best of IndieWire Sign up for Indiewire's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-01 13:20:30|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close SEOUL, July 1 (Xinhua) -- South Korea's export posted a double-digit fall for three straight months through June on an economic fallout from the COVID-19 outbreak across the world, a government report showed Wednesday. Export, which takes up about half of the export-driven economy, came in at 39.21 billion U.S. dollars in June, down 10.9 percent from the same month of last year, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. Import slipped 11.4 percent over the year to 35.55 billion dollars in June, sending the trade surplus to 3.66 billion dollars. In May, the trade surplus was 446 million dollars. The outbound shipment continued to fall for the fourth straight month, keeping a double-digit decline for the third consecutive month with falls of 23.6 percent in May and 25.5 percent in April each. The daily average export plummeted 18.5 percent in June from a year earlier, after sliding 18.3 percent in May. The daily average shipment stood at 1.67 billion dollars in June, 1.62 billion dollars in May and 1.65 billion dollars in April respectively. The ministry said the falling pace of export slowed down in June compared to the previous two months while the trade surplus expanded in June from the previous month despite the continued effect from the COVID-19 outbreak. It noted that the country's export to China rebounded in six months amid the gradual recovery of the world's No.2 economy, caused by the Chinese government's stimulus measures and the expanded investment in social overhead capital (SOC). The ministry added that shipments to the United States, the European Union (EU) and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) fell in a slower pace in June after tumbling more than 20 percent in the prior month. Export to China expanded 9.5 percent in June from a year earlier after sliding 2.4 percent in May. Shipments to the United States, the EU and the ASEAN declined 8.3 percent, 17.0 percent and 10.8 percent each in June after dropping over 20 percent in the previous month. Export to Vietnam dipped 2.3 percent in June after plunging 20.1 percent in May, while shipment to Japan fell 17.8 percent in June after diving 29.0 percent in the prior month. Semiconductor export lost 0.03 percent in June from a year earlier due to weak demand for smartphones and the sale of DRAM chip inventory. In May, the chip shipment grew 7.0 percent. Computer shipment jumped 91.5 percent in June, keeping an upward trend for the ninth consecutive month as the COVID-19 outbreak encouraged students and office workers to study and work at home. General machinery shipment slipped 6.9 percent in June, but it was down from a double-digit reduction in the prior month thanks to demand from China that showed a recovery in the construction sector. Export for cars and auto parts tumbled 33.2 percent and 45.0 percent each last month due to weak demand from the United States and Europe. Oil products export plunged 48.2 percent amid the weak global demand and the supply glut. Petrochemical export reduced 11.8 percent in June after skidding 33.9 percent in May owing to stronger demand from China. Shipment of telecommunication devices, such as smartphones, diminished 11.6 percent last month on weak demand stemming from the coronavirus pandemic. Display panel shipment declined 15.9 percent in the month on soft demand for TVs, while export for textiles, steel products and ships all shrank more than 20 percent. Export for bio-health products jumped 53.0 percent in June, continuing to increase for the 10th consecutive month on the back of demand for locally-made testing kits for the COVID-19 and newly launched biosimilars. Cosmetics product export advanced in double figures on demand from China, the United States and the ASEAN. Secondary battery shipment added 1.4 percent in June after shrinking 10.3 percent in May. Enditem A pandemic of the novel coronavirus has now killed more than 515,000 people worldwide. Over 10.6 million people across the globe have been diagnosed with COVID-19, the disease caused by the new respiratory virus, according to data compiled by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University. The actual numbers are believed to be much higher due to testing shortages, many unreported cases and suspicions that some governments are hiding the scope of their nations' outbreaks. Since the first cases were detected in China in December, the United States has become the worst-affected country, with more than 2.6 million diagnosed cases and at least 128,044 deaths. Latest: California shuts down most indoor businesses in 19 counties Party host with COVID-19 spreads virus to at least 8 guests Cuomo to Trump: 'Admit you were wrong' Here's how the news is developing today. All times Eastern. Please refresh this page for updates 9:49 p.m.: Los Angeles releases new color-coded threat indicator Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti introduced a new color-coded threat level indicator at a press conference on Wednesday, saying the county currently resides at orange -- the second-highest level. "Today we are at orange, that means the risk of infection is high with 1 in 140 people in LA County are estimated to be infected," Garcetti said. "When the indicator is orange you should stay home." "Red would mean that we are still at the highest risk of infection and residents must stay home; we would likely be on a mandated safer-at-home order," he added. PHOTO: People carry their pints of beer past tables for outdoor dining in Los Angeles on July 1, 2020, after indoor restaurants, bars and movie theaters across much of California were ordered to close for at least three weeks. (Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images) There were 2,002 new cases and 35 deaths in LA County reported on Wednesday. Officials also noted that statistics were missing from one of the larger labs in the area, so case totals were likely higher. There are 1,889 people currently hospitalized, the most since May. Garcetti said the infection rate could be as high as 1 in 70 in the upcoming weeks. Story continues "This spike in infections and in hospitalizations is serious," he said. "I know we are exhausted, I know we let down our guard, I know we think we are invincible, but this disease reminds us we aren't. "We took this seriously in March, in April and in May when we sacrificed and stayed at home we saved thousands and thousands of lives." 7:55 p.m.: US sets new record for COVID-19 cases The U.S. reported over 50,000 new cases of COVID-19 for the first time on Wednesday, according to the COVID Tracking Project. The total -- 52,982 -- included record daily cases in Arizona, California, Georgia, North Carolina and Texas, it said. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. The national positivity rate also rose to 7.3%, and hospitalizations are back to late-May levels, the project reported. 7:16 p.m.: Dog dies, tests positive for COVID A 6-year-old mixed breed in Georgia has died from the coronavirus, according to the Georgia Department of Public Health. The dog came down with "a sudden onset of neurological illness which progressed rapidly over the course of a couple of days" and had to be euthanized. MORE: USDA says testing unable to verify infection in dog presumed to have COVID-19 The U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Veterinary Services Laboratory confirmed the dog was positive for COVID-19, though it did not actually test the animal. There have been a number of animals to test positive for coronavirus in the United States, according to the USDA, including three dogs and four cats. The USDA also confirmed a lion and a tiger tested positive at the Bronx Zoo, though the zoo reported six other big cats had also been diagnosed. 6:09 p.m.: SC announces highest daily death toll South Carolina announced 1,497 new cases today, according to Dr. Linda Bell, South Carolina's state epidemiologist. There were also a daily record of 24 new confirmed deaths. And in another record, there are currently 1,160 hospitalized in the state. "Unless we do something dramatically different to control this disease that is spread simply by breathing from infected people, then we will be looking at projections that are far worse than what we are experiencing now," Bell said. 5:50 p.m.: Texas hits record 8,076 new cases Texas has hit a record 8,076 new cases of the coronavirus -- about 1,100 more than yesterday's previous record -- and the state now has a positivity rate of 13.56%, down slightly from Tuesday. Hospitalizations have jumped to 6,904 statewide. PHOTO: Medical staff wearing full PPE change a patient's clothes in the COVID-19 intensive care unit at the United Memorial Medical Center on June 30, 2020, in Houston. (Go Nakamura/Getty Images) Texas Medical Center hospitals in Houston are transitioning to a phase 2 surge planning as the intensive care unit capacity nears 100%. On Wednesday, officials also announced that beaches in Galveston, a popular cooling off destination just southeast of Houston, will close during the Fourth of July weekend due to increases in COVID-19 cases. Beaches will be off-limits starting Friday at 5 a.m. and reopen Monday morning. 4:55 p.m.: TSA closes main Atlanta checkpoint after screener tests positive Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport shut down its main TSA checkpoint for a deep cleaning on Wednesday after a screener tested positive for COVID-19, a TSA spokesperson said. That officer was last working on Tuesday from 3:30 a.m. to noon. MORE: Requiring face masks nationwide could save US economy from 5% hit, study predicts The main checkpoint is expected to reopen Thursday morning as the airport anticipates a jump in travelers for the Fourth of July holiday. The TSA is projecting it will screen 27,000 passengers on Thursday and again Friday -- up from their recent average of around 20,000, the spokesperson said. Overall, the TSA has had 866 federal employees test positive for COVID-19. Twenty-nine of them work at Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. 3:30 p.m.: California shuts down most indoor businesses in 19 counties As California sees a significant increase in its positivity rate, the state is immediately requiring these businesses to close indoor operations: restaurants, wineries, movie theaters, zoos, museums, family entertainment centers and card rooms. Bars must close completely. MORE: Local officials frustrated as governors change rhetoric and send mixed messages on coronavirus This applies to all counties that have been on the "county monitoring list" for three consecutive days, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Wednesday. Nineteen counties are currently on the list, including Los Angeles, Orange, Sacramento and Fresno. These 19 counties represent 70% of the state's population, Newsom said. This guidance will remain in place for at least three weeks, Newsom said. PHOTO: Traffic is directed at Dodger Stadium as people arrive for COVID-19 testing on June 30, 2020, in Los Angeles. (Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images) Newsom also said parking facilities at state beaches in Southern California and the Bay Area will be closed for the 4th of July weekend. PHOTO: Beachgoers take to the water on a warm summer day at the San Clemente Pier in San Clemente, Calif., June 30, 2020. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times via Shutterstock) In counties that close local beaches, the state will join and close state beaches, he said. PHOTO: People wearing face masks walk past a health and safety guidelines board and an open restaurant on the pier in Santa Monica, California, on June 26, 2020. (Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images, FILE) California saw 5,898 new diagnosed cases on Tuesday, while 110 people lost their lives in the last 24 hours, Newsom said. 2:50 p.m.: Party host with COVID-19 spreads virus to at least 8 guests Rockland County, New York, is seeing a coronavirus cluster attributed to a large party -- one of the many gatherings in the area, county Health Commissioner Dr. Patricia Schnabel said Wednesday. The host of the party was ill at the time and the virus spread to at least eight others -- all young adults, Schnabel said at a news conference. MORE: Social distancing isn't a nuisance it's a privilege "Large gatherings remain an issue," she said. "The risk for transmission of the virus is high and very real." Schnabel said some people contacted by health investigators are denying being at the party and are refusing to speak to the investigators. MORE: How air purifiers and cleaners may help keep you safer indoors from COVID-19 "Many do not answer their cell phones and do not call back," she said. "'Sometimes parents answer for their adult children and promise that they have been home consistently -- when they have not been." "This must stop," she said. "Unfortunately I am now forced by these circumstances to send subpoenas to the individuals who are required to cooperate with us." 2:30 p.m.: Masks now required statewide in Oregon Effective now, masks will be required statewide in Oregon, Gov. Kate Brown announced. The mandate applies to all indoor places. Children 12 and younger do not have to wear a mask, though it is still encouraged. PHOTO: People line up to enter Ranch Records for the going out of business sale in Salem, Ore., June 23, 2020. The record store is closing after nearly 40 years in business. (Brian Hayes/Statesman Journal via USA Today Network) Oregon has had one of the lowest COVID-19 mortality rates in the country, Brown said, and she warned, "an uncontrolled spike in cases will threaten our hospital capacity." Oregon has over 8,600 cases of the coronavirus and Brown said the state could reach 10,000 cases within a week. 12:15 p.m.: WHO says 60% of all COVID-19 cases were reported in the last month Sixty-percent of all COVID-19 cases so far have been reported just in the past month, WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said at a news conference on Wednesday. "For the past week, the number of new cases has exceeded 160,000 on every single day," he said. MORE: Spring breakers may have brought COVID-19 back to their communities, study says As the U.S. reports around 45,000 new cases a day, the WHO points to the two countries which were once the epicenters of pandemic: Italy and Spain. Spain was reporting around 10,000 new cases per day at its peak while Italy was reporting around 6,500 new cases per day, Tedros said. PHOTO: A woman refreshes himself at the Barcaccia fountain in Piazza di Spagna square during hot weather in Rome, Italy, July 1, 2020. (Angelo Carconi/EPA via Shutterstock) "We will never get tired of saying that the best way out of this pandemic is to take a comprehensive approach," Tedros said. Countries that have adopted this comprehensive approach have suppressed COVID-19 transmission and saved lives, he said. PHOTO: A view of the Monumental Cemetery of Bergamo during requiem in memory of the coronavirus victims in the presence of the President of Italian Republic, Sergio Mattarella, and 243 mayors on June 28, 2020, in Bergamo, Italy. (NurPhoto via Getty Images) Tedros added that flare-ups are to be expected as countries start to lift restrictions, but one of the lessons of the pandemic is that no matter what situation a country is in, it can be turned around. "Its never too late," he said. 11:50 a.m.: Cuomo to Trump: 'Admit you were wrong' The coronavirus is "getting worse" across the U.S. with 35 states seeing increasing infection rates, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Wednesday. PHOTO: People stand in line to enter a restaurant on Ocean Drive in Miami Beach, Fla., June 26, 2020. (Chandan Khanna/AFP via Getty Images, FILE) Cuomo slammed President Donald Trump who he said "denied the reality of this situation from day one." MORE: COVID-19 antibodies may fade in as little as 2 months, study says "Republican governors listened [to Trump]. And a lot of Republicans listened and won't wear a mask," Cuomo said at a news conference. "He has lived in denial and he has been denying the scientific facts from day one." "Now the country is suffering because of the president and it's time for him to change course," Cuomo said. "The first thing he can do -- come clean with the American people, admit the threat of this virus. Admit you were wrong." PHOTO: A woman uses a personal protective equipment vending machine that was recently deployed by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority in the 42nd Street Port Authority Bus Terminal subway stop on June 30, 2020, in New York. (Byron Smith/Getty Images) Cuomo called testing the key, and said on Wednesday New York state will reach 4 million total tests completed since March. The governor said New York state has 750 testing sites and is completing more tests per capita than any nation in the world. But Cuomo said citizen compliance with social distancing and masks is slipping in New York, which he called "a very real problem." "If you have citizen compliance dropping and you don't have local governments enforcing, then you're going to see the virus go up," Cuomo said. "That is an inarguable fact." 11:08 a.m.: Florida hits 15% positivity rate In Florida, the number of coronavirus cases jumped by 6,563 in one day, bringing the state to a positivity rate of 15%, according to the state's Department of Health. PHOTO: People protest against mandatory mask wearing outside a Brevard County Commission meeting in Viera, Fla., June 30, 2020. (Tim Shortt/Florid Today via USA Today Network) PHOTO: Spectators across from Patrick Air Force Base watch the Tuesday afternoon SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launch from Cape Canaveral. Spacex Launch Spectators (Tim Shortt/Florida Today via USA Today Network) In Miami-Dade County, which includes Miami, and in Osceola County, which is near Orlando, 18.2% of those tested are positive. PHOTO: Catherimarty Burgos, a member of Miami-Dade County 'surge teams' distributes bags with masks, sanitizers, and gloves to educate people on how to stay safe from COVID-19, in a neighborhood of Miami, on June 30, 2020. (Chandan Khanna/AFP via Getty Images) With the number of coronavirus patients steadily increasing, Jackson Health System in Miami said it will limit surgeries to emergency and urgent cases only, beginning on Monday. 10:25 a.m.: NYC postpones opening indoor dining New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio is postponing the reopening of indoor dining, he said on Wednesday. De Blasio said his decision comes as he watches states including Florida, Texas and California "slipping backward," with cases rising, especially "around people going back to bars and restaurants indoors." Instead, New York City will "double down" on outdoor dining, de Blasio said. He said 6,600 restaurants are already participating. PHOTO: Tables for outdoor dining are set up outside a restaurant in the Little Italy neighborhood on June 24, 2020 in New York City. (Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images) New York City, initially the nation's epicenter of the pandemic, is now on the road to recovery. Of those tested for the coronavirus citywide, just 2% are now testing positive, de Blasio said Wednesday. PHOTO: Patience and Fortitude, the marble lion statues at the entrance to the New York Public Library, are adorned with face masks on June 30, 2020, in New York. (Byron Smith/Getty Images) While indoor dining will not yet restart, New York City beaches are opening for the season on Wednesday. 8:30 a.m.: Lockdown returns to UK city of Leicester The British government is reimposing lockdown restrictions in Leicester following a rise in coronavirus infections. Nonessential shops and most schools in the central city will have to close again on Thursday, just two weeks after reopening. Meanwhile, Saturday's loosening of restrictions for pubs and restaurants across England will not be taking place in Leicester. PHOTO: An alert message from the U.K. National Health Service is seen on a street in Leicester, England, on July 1, 2020, after the British government imposed a local lockdown on the city due to rising coronavirus infections. (Phil Noble/Reuters) The city had "10% of all positive cases in the country over the past week," U.K. Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock told lawmakers Monday. Hancock said the reimposed measures would be enforced by local police "in some cases." It's the country's first such regional lockdown amid the coronavirus pandemic. 7:53 a.m.: Hundreds of new cases reportedly linked to Myrtle Beach visits Hundreds of new coronavirus cases have been linked to recent trips to South Carolina's popular resort city, Myrtle Beach, according to reports from local ABC affiliates. Dr. David Goodfriend, director of the Loudoun County Health Department in Virginia, told Washington, D.C. ABC affiliate WJLA that around 100 teenagers from the area have tested positive for COVID-19 after visiting Myrtle Beach. "We're starting to see more and more positive test results come in, and as we followed up on those, similarly, they had shared they had gone down to Myrtle Beach, at least the Myrtle Beach area," Goodfriend said. "At least one group said there were about 40 folks staying in one house and they were having parties or being at parties with over 100 people in the house." PHOTO: A family enjoys a day at the beach in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, on June 18, 2020. (Jeffrey Collins/AP) Dr. Molly O'Dell, director of communicable disease control with the Virginia Department of Health's Roanoke City-Alleghany Districts, told Lynchburg, Virginia ABC affiliate WSET that 130 new COVID-19 cases were reported in the area on Tuesday and that more than 100 of them are linked to Myrtle Beach visits. O'Dell recommended anyone returning home from Myrtle Beach to self-quarantine for 14 days and watch for symptoms. 7:11 a.m.: 100K cases per day 'is where we're heading,' Harvard doctor warns Dr. Ashish Jha, director of the Harvard Global Health Institute, affirmed concerns voiced by the nation's top infectious disease expert that the United States could see 100,000 new coronavirus cases per day. "That is where we're heading," Jha told ABC News chief anchor George Stephanopoulos in an interview Wednesday on "Good Morning America." Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Disease, made the stark warning during a Senate hearing on Tuesday, saying, "I would not be surprised if we go up to 100,000 [cases] a day if this does not turn around." But Jha said "there are things we can do right now" to "avoid the fate that Dr. Fauci mentioned." PHOTO: Dr. Ashish Jha appears on 'Good Morning America,' July 1, 2020. (ABC News) "First and foremost, I think we need every state to have a mandatory mask law. I just think we can't dither around on masks; everybody needs to be wearing one when they're outside of their home," he said. "Second is, I think we just can't right now afford indoor gatherings; so no bars, I don't even know if we can keep restaurants open, certainly not nightclubs. We've got to get very serious about that. And then we've got to keep pushing on testing and tracing." If all else fails, "then you have to just essentially shut the state down," Jha said. "We've got to get on top of this otherwise we'll find ourselves with some very unappetizing choices," he added. "A stay-at-home order, in my mind, is really the last thing that you do when nothing else has worked." What to know about coronavirus: How it started and how to protect yourself: Coronavirus explained What to do if you have symptoms: Coronavirus symptoms Tracking the spread in the U.S. and worldwide: Coronavirus map 6:43 a.m.: Washington state sees 2nd-highest increase in cases Washington state reported 571 new cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday, marking its second-highest single-day increase since the start of the coronavirus pandemic. The state's highest single-day rise was set on June 19, when 619 new cases were confirmed. Overall, the Washington State Department of Health has reported 32,824 confirmed cases with 1,332 deaths. 6:02 a.m.: Tokyo Disneyland reopens for 1st time in 4 months Tokyo Disneyland reopened Wednesday after being closed for four months due to the coronavirus pandemic. The 115-acre theme park in Urayasu, near Tokyo, has undertaken a new set of policies and safety measures to protect against COVID-19, such as temperature screenings and the mandatory use of face masks. Tickets to the park must be purchased online in advance. A limited number of guests will be allowed at a time in attractions, shops, restaurants and other facilities. Disney characters must maintain social distancing while greeting guests. Meanwhile, the park's signature shows and parades remain suspended to avoid the formation of crowds, according to information posted on the Tokyo Disneyland website. PHOTO: Visitors wearing face masks to protect against the spread of the novel coronavirus take a selfie at Tokyo Disneyland in Urayasu, near Tokyo, Japan, on July 1, 2020. (Kyodo News via AP) Tokyo DisneySea also reopened in Urayasu on Wednesday. Both parks suspended operations on Feb. 29 due to coronavirus concerns. Tokyo, which has reported the highest number of COVID-19 cases in the country, permitted the area's amusement parks to reopen in mid-June, after the Japanese government completely lifted the nationwide state of emergency in late May. The Walt Disney Company is the parent company of ABC News. 5:35 a.m.: US reports nearly 44,800 new cases in a day Nearly 44,800 new cases of COVID-19 were identified in the United States on Tuesday, according to a count kept by Johns Hopkins University. The latest daily caseload is just under the country's record high of more than 45,000 new cases identified last Friday. The national total currently stands at 2,636,538 diagnosed cases with at least 127,425 deaths. PHOTO: Traffic is directed at Dodger Stadium as people arrive for COVID-19 testing in Los Angeles, California, on June 30, 2020. (Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images) The cases include people from all 50 U.S. states, Washington, D.C., and other U.S. territories as well as repatriated citizens. By May 20, all states had begun lifting stay-at-home orders and other restrictions put in place to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus. The day-to-day increase in cases then hovered around 20,000 for a couple of weeks before shooting back up to over 30,000 and then crossing 40,000 last week. Nearly half of all 50 states have seen a rise in infections in recent weeks, with some -- such as Florida, South Carolina and Georgia -- reporting daily records. 3:38 a.m.: Europe reopens borders but US travelers remain barred The European Union began opening its external borders on Wednesday, but travelers from the United States aren't among those allowed to visit. EU ambassadors have agreed on lifting travel restrictions for 15 countries based on the epidemiological situation and containment measures, including Australia, Canada, South Korea and Tunisia. China was also included on the list but with a caveat -- the country must reciprocate by allowing EU travelers to visit. PHOTO: A waiter carries beers for customers sitting at a terrace bar in Tarragona, Spain, on May 11, 2020. (Emilio Morenatti/AP) Countries where coronavirus infections are on the rise were excluded from the list, noticeably the United States, Russia and Brazil. The criteria requires that the number of new COVID-19 cases over the last 14 days per 100,000 people is similar or below that of the EU's. According to The New York Times, the average among the 27 countries within the EU was 16 in mid-June; in the United States, it was 107. PHOTO: A woman walks her dog on a bridge with the Eiffel tower in the background in Paris, France, on April 7, 2020, during a nationwide confinement to counter the novel coronavirus. (Christophe Ena/AP) The EU said countries must also have a "stable or decreasing trend of new cases over this period in comparison to the previous 14 days." The bloc will consider the reliability of each nation's data as well as what measures have been taken in response to their outbreaks, including contact tracing and testing. Reciprocity will also be taken into account. In mid-March, U.S. President Donald Trump suspended most travel from Europe. ABC News' Brian Hartman, Mina Kaji, Gina Sunseri, Christine Theodorou and Scott Withers contributed to this report. Party guests exposed to COVID-19 not cooperating, officials say originally appeared on abcnews.go.com One Arizona mayor says masks take away freedoms from the citizenry As COVID-19 cases in Arizona are spiking and the states Governor is shutting down businesses like bars and movie theaters, one Arizona mayor is still like, nah. Bryce Hamblin, the mayor of Eagar, Arizona a small town between Phoenix and Albuquerque is still plowing forward with a planned Fourth of July parade and will not require, or even encourage, his community to wear masks because #Freedom. Over the past several weeks, I have been asked repeatedly what the Town of Eagar plans to do about COVID-19, masks, visitors, riots, etc. It is somewhat alarming how many expect and almost invite a more drastic infringement on their freedoms, Hamblin said in a statement shared on Facebook. My response from the onset of COVID-19 pandemic has been that we will err on the side of freedom. As more than 120,000 people have died from COVID-19 in the United States and those numbers are constantly rising many people are wearing masks to err on the side of caution. But refusing to protect your community so they can be free to die if they want to? I mean, I cant say its not on-brand for America. Despite alarming rates of COVID-19 in the state, Arizona has no statewide mask mandate. Some Arizona cities have enacted their own mask rules, but Mayor Hamblin wont budge in Eagar and hes certainly not canceling the Independence Day parade. He said he cant require healthy, law-abiding citizens to wear a mask, but said that if you feel sick you should just not come to the parade. Even Arizona Governor Doug Ducey, who literally said in May, What an Arizonan decides to do is up to them, is now telling people to wear masks and stay home on the Fourth of July. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. Never before has our government been more eager and willing to take away freedoms from the citizenry. Never before has the citizenry been more willing to give them up, Hamblin very dramatically added in his statement. For the record, the CDC recommends wearing a mask because it prevents asymptomatic carriers from expelling their own potential COVID-19 infection out into the world and infecting someone else. Hamblin ended his statement with: This is America. Stand up and be somebody. Be brave and live free. Give me a break. All the comments on the Facebook post of the mayors statement are overwhelmingly positive. One thousand likes, not a single negative reaction. At this point, you kinda just have to shrug your shoulders and say, Okay, Arizona good luck at your Fourth Of July parade with no masks, let us know how it goes. See the original article on ScaryMommy.com Photo credit: Netflix From Oprah Magazine Jeremiah Brent, Thai Nguyen, and Gabriele Bertaccini are the hosts of Netflix's new reality series, Say I Do. In the tear-jerker of a show, the trio helps couples plan spontaneous weddings. While speaking to OprahMag.com, the hosts of Say I Do opened up about the show, their bond, and where they are now. Just like there would be no Queer Eye without the Fab Five, there would be no Say I Do without the charming hosts at its center. In the eight-episode reality series, created by Queer Eye's David Collins, co-hosts Jeremiah Brent, Thai Nguyen, and Gabriele Bertaccini help couples plan their dream weddings. "It was literally love at first sight," Nguyen tells OprahMag.com, upon meeting his co-hosts for the first time. "They're like my brothers." In the show, Nguyen, Brent, and Bertaccini lend their expertise to help couples plan spontaneous weddings. Nguyen, a celebrity designer, creates custom gowns and suits. Brent, an interior designer, completely transforms spaces into wedding venues. And with his elaborate meals, chef Bertaccini makes sure the wedding guests have the energy to party all night. The hosts bring their different skill setsand their different dispositions, too. "Jeremiah is intelligent and calm. He makes me calm. For Gabe, it's all about passion. They describe me as joy. I'm the fun one," Nguyen says. However, for all their charm, Bertaccini insists that the hosts should not be the focus of the show. "The show is not about us. It's about the love stories," he says. Photo credit: Netflix Inevitably, thoughthis being a tear-jerker of a Netflix reality showthe hosts open up about their own lives, also. In a stand-out moment from the first episode, Bertaccini reveals his HIV-positive diagnosis to the groom. "It was a moment I did not plan. That really underlines the whole showwe have to be willing to make the first step," Bertaccini says, adding that many of his loved ones watching Say I Do will be surprised by the news. "My hope is that the stigma of what HIV looks like will go down. " Story continues Similarly, Brent and Nguyen have their own on-camera moments of vulnerability, both in terms of what they share about their livesand the tears they spill. "Jeremiah is the pretty crier," Nguyen says, laughing. Here's what you need to know about the hosts, and where they are now. Photo credit: Netflix Jeremiah Brent This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. Interior designer Jeremiah Brent is no stranger to TV. Chances are, you recognize Brent from The Rachel Zoe Show, the TLC series Nate and Jeremiah By Design, or by his time as the resident interior designer on The Oprah Winfrey Show. Brent founded his own design firm at the age of 24. In 2014, Brent married interior designer Nate Berkus, cementing their status as the ultimate design power couple. They are busy building empires and raising two children (Poppy, 5, and Oskar, 2) in their New York town house. Referring to Say I Do as his "third baby," Brent says he connected with the show's premise instantly. "I liked the idea of a wedding show not being about the wedding, but the couples' journey to get to the decision to get married. There was never any uncertainty with these couples," Brent says. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. While filming Say I Do, Brent often reflected on his own wedding to Berkus, which took place at the New York Public Library and was officiated by then-president of OWN, Sheri Salata. The ceremony even brought Oprah to tears. "I've heard from our friends at our wedding that it was intimate, which is the biggest compliment you can give. We tried to make sure that the people there knew that we wouldn't have been there had they not helped us in some way," Brent says. Finally, he shared his simple relationship advice: "You just have to like the person you're married to. Nate is my favorite person in the world." Thai Nguyen This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. Say I Do was Thai Nguyen's kind of challenge. A designer who specializes in custom gowns, Nguyen is a pro at working with brides. "A bridal gown is not just any gown. It's a symbol of their love. It's a symbol of the life story," Nguyen says. Nguyen, who was born and raised in Vietnam, found his calling right at home. "I learned to sew when I was nine. My parents had this private sewing school in Vietnam, so I've always been around sewing and creating," he says. He immigrated to the United States in 1993, where he studied Fashion Design at FIDM and worked for BCBG Max Azria, before starting his own line. He's been on TV before, as a finalist on Bravo's fashion competition series, Launch My Line. Now based in California, Nguyen has a couture atelier in Orange County and a cadre of celebrities clients, like Jennifer Lopez, Cindy Crawford, Kristen Bell, Leona Lewis, Laverne Cox, Kate Beckinsale, Samira Wiley, LaLa Anthony, and Katy Perry, per his alma mater's website. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. Though he designs for red carpets, weddings are always on his mind. Eventually, Nguyen hopes to marry his fiance, and partner of over a decade. But as he woefully revealed in the show's final episode, he's not sure if that day will come. Nguyen is waiting until his parents accept his decision to marry a man. "We wanted to have this celebration three years ago, but I'm willing to give my parents time. I will always want them to be there for me, especially on my special day," Nguyen says. On July 1, when the show comes out, Nguyen plans to translate the episode for his parents into Vietnamese. "Maybe they haven't been exposed to that kind of love and that kind of beauty. It's my job to give them time and let them see this," he says. For now, he will continue to work with brides and grooms for their special days. "There's the saying, 'If you can't do you teach.' So if I can't wed, I'll make wedding dresses. I don't know if I will ever have that day. So I put myself in their situation. I celebrate myself," Nguyen says. "It's an outlet for me to live life, be optimistic, and hopeful. I dream through these brides." Gabriele Bertaccini This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. Born and raised in Florence, Italy, Bertaccini is a self-described "crazy Italian chef" with a sleeve of tattoos, and an army of four Australian shepherds. (If you're curious, their names are Perla, Mieli, Summit, and Bernard.) Currently, the 35-year-old chef is based in Los Angeles. He's the founder of Il Tocco Food, a catering company. But his most famous venture, Culinary Mischief, has no store frontit's an "underground dining series" held in shifting locations around the world. "It was important to create an experience that was so unique that it couldnt be replicated," Bertaccini said of the venture while speaking to BB Publications. In his free time, Bertaccini is a spinning instructor at Flywheel. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. While filming Say I Do, Bertaccini found himself in the middle of his own love story. "I actually met [my boyfriend] right before I left to film the show," Bertaccini says. "He's an amazing man." Finally, Bertaccini knows that comparisons to Antoni Porowski, the chef of Queer Eye (also created by Say I Do's David Collins), may be coming his wayand he's ready. "Antoni is such a sweetheart. There is a lot that we have in common: The passion for food and what food represents. It brings people together. It's the glue," Bertaccini says. For more stories like this, sign up for our newsletter. You Might Also Like The chemical formula of ketamine, a powerful anesthetic that was used to allegedly sedate Elijah McClain during an arrest. He died days later. (Getty Images) One of the many disturbing police brutality cases to be revisited during the national groundswell of Black Lives Matter support has been that of Elijah McClain the 23-year-old massage therapist and violinist from Aurora, Colo., who was minding his own business and walking home last year when his quirky manner and appearance inspired someone to call the cops on him, leading to his death. And one of the most alarming details of his case was that it involved the administering of a powerful anesthetic, ketamine, by Aurora Fire Rescue, who allegedly arrived on the scene at the behest of police and injected McClain who reasonably panicked when police officers became aggressive and put him in a chokehold with 500 mg of the drug. The injection, which was enough to sedate a man twice his size, may have played a part in the death of McClain, who went into cardiac arrest on his way to the hospital and later died. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. So how did ketamine, a drug used in high doses as a medical sedative and in low doses to combat depression (and, illicitly, as a party drug) get involved in this arrest? While it also played a prominent role in Minneapolis where police allegedly directed EMTs to inject ketamine into dozens of suspects in 2018, leading to an investigation that further revealed suspects were being enrolled in a ketamine study by Hennepin Healthcare without their consent overall, its an uncommon situation. Thats according, at least, to Maria Haberfeld, co-director of the NYPD Police Studies Program at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York, who tells Yahoo Life that using ketamine to sedate suspects is practically unheard-of. But, she notes, There is nothing general about American law enforcement, with over 18,000 different depts., 97 percent of which are small police departments with less than 50 police officers Im not surprised to find anything and everything, because there are no standards. And while the use of ketamine on suspects is reportedly legal in Colorado, Haberfeld, who has studied police standards and misconduct for over 20 years, notes that it is not an accepted or legal practice in New York or in any major city. I have no knowledge of any authority, whatsoever, on the part of police to require the EMTs to engage in any specific medical intervention [or] if this is legal or not in a given jurisdiction. Story continues Protesters shut down a highway while demanding justice for Elijah McClain on June 27 in Aurora, Colo. (Michael Ciaglo/Getty Images) But it is clearly happening, at least in Aurora and Minneapolis. So, what is ketamine anyway? What is it used for, typically, what are the risks and how might it have contributed to the death of McClain? We asked some experts on the drug to explain. What is ketamine and is it the same as the so-called horse tranquilizer used by vets and the party drug known as K? Ketamine was originally developed as an anesthetic agent in the 1960s, and gained popular use starting in the 70s as a field anesthetic during the Vietnam War and others because its very safe to administer in terms of having adverse effects on respiration, explains ketamine expert Gerard Sanacora, a professor of psychiatry at Yale University and director of the Yale Depression Research Program. Its officially in the class of dissociative anesthetic drugs. And, yes, all three versions of ketamine also known as ketamine racemic mixture or ketamine hydrochloride are one and the same. What are the accepted medical uses of ketamine? In addition to being a general go-to anesthetic in operating rooms and emergency rooms, Sanacora says, more recently, its become very commonly used for pediatric emergencies. And its gained a lot of attention in the past decade or two because its been shown to have rapid onset of antidepressant properties. In 2019, the FDA approved a derivative of ketamine esketamine, in the form of a nasal spray to treat depression. Further, adds Sanacora, referring to the McClain case, its come under real interest as a rapid induction sedative. And, notes Alan Schatzburg, a professor of psychiatry at Stanford University who has urged caution in the use of ketamine for depression, Its also been used in certain clinics for severe chronic pain treatment. The main difference for each use lies in the dosage, as well as the route of administration intravenously, orally or, as in McClains case, by intramuscular injection. (As a party drug, it is typically cooked into a powder form and then snorted.) For antidepression use, for example, small, controlled doses are administered, while larger ones are needed for sedation. Related video: Here's what we know about the death of Elijah McClain What are the physiological and psychological effects of ketamine on a person? Its not a straightforward drug, notes Sanacora, explaining that the main effects come from how it seems to bind to the brains major neurotransmitter of glutamate, blocking the activity, and initiating a whole cascade of events, depending on the dosage. At lower doses, the drug can be excitatory it can excite brain regions and cause an increase in metabolism. Animals tend to move around a lot more people become a little bit more disinhibited, he explains. But at higher doses, it becomes much more sedating, decreasing activity in the brain and taking on sedative and anesthetic properties. It is fast-acting, he says, and has a short half-life and is metabolized quickly, so most of the time its gone within a couple to a few hours of taking it. Schatzburg adds that the dose for agitation is high, at 4 mg to 5 mg per kilo, with which a patient will fall asleep in six minutes. What are the risks associated with ketamine? Short-term risks can be either physiological usually a transient increase in heart rate or blood pressure with a lower dose, or, with higher doses, a relatively low risk of respiration problems or psychological. So, in some patients, [low doses] could create a feeling of anxiety, and really change your perceptions and cognition so you may not be thinking clearly. Long-term risks come more with the high-level abuse of ketamine and can include bladder or gastrointestinal problems. There are higher risks involved in an out-of-hospital setting, when the individuals medical history or current situation is unknown, as with McClain. There is definitely a higher risk, and there are many studies showing a higher risk of intubation when drugs are given in the field [where] youre not able to do blood work or an EKG to try to understand the situation. But the flip side, he says, is that by doing nothing in a situation when someone is highly agitated, theres a real risk too. Schatzburg says that before learning of the McClain incident, I never knew that it was used this way. The 500 mg, he adds, is a whopping dose. Does it make sense for EMTs to use ketamine sometimes to forcibly sedate individuals? That depends. This is a really difficult thing ... and the true definition of a dilemma, the worst thing for a clinician or EMS, when youre called to someone who is highly agitated and you cant figure out what is going on, says Sanacora. When someone is in a state of acute agitation, sometimes referred to by police and EMTs as excited delirium, he says, there is a relatively high mortality and morbidity risk, so people in those states run a risk of 5 percent to 10 percent of having a really bad outcome ... [so] there is some pressure to take care of that quickly. Physical restraint, Sanacora explains, is not necessarily the best thing, because part of the physiology thats actually going on during this is called autonomic dysfunction, which is the way the body is normally keeping things in control. Your temperature, your blood pHm, your heart rate is in many cases out of control, so a person can become hypothermic [or suffer from] metabolic acidosis, a serious acid-base imbalance in the body. Pushing against restraints can cause muscle breakdown, which in turn can release a lot of potassium, which can be damaging to the heart. So, there is a real urgency to treat someone like that, and just leaving them in that state is quite dangerous. Its complicated. The standard sedative injection to be used in these situations, he says, has been an antipsychotic along with a benzodiazepine, but that comes with risks to heart and respiratory function. Ketamine research, meanwhile, is suggesting it may be one of the safest things you can give in that situation. So its not crazy. Schatzburg agrees that people can have excited delirious states where theyre nonresponsive to intervention. Thats real. And theres a relatively high mortality associated with it. But he personally believes that a benzodiazepine might bring less risk in these out-of-hospital situations, and worries that if use of ketamine continues in this way, We are going to have a number of untoward events, if I were to predict. Referencing what hes read about McClain, he notes, With somebody in a manic frenzy, theres risk. But if hes just walking along doing nothing, well, theres not much risk there. For the latest coronavirus news and updates, follow along at https://news.yahoo.com/coronavirus. According to experts, people over 60 and those who are immunocompromised continue to be the most at risk. If you have questions, please reference the CDCs and WHOs resource guides. In March, Virginia became the fourth state to pass The Crown Act, which prohibits discrimination against natural hair in schools and workplaces. While California, New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Colorado, and Washington have now signed the act into law this year, Virginia is officially the first southern state to end this discriminatory practice, marking a significant step forward that many hope will have a ripple effect. The legislation, which officially goes into effect July 1, makes it illegal to discriminate against someone in the workplace for their choice of natural hairstyle, including Afros, curls, or locs. A persons hair is a core part of their identity, said Delegate Delores McQuinn, who sponsored the bill. Nobody deserves to be discriminated against simply due to the hair type they were born with. The Crown Act, which stands for Create a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair, garnered nationwide attention in February after director Matthew A. Cherry won an Oscar for his film Hair Love. This short film tells the story of a Black father learning to style his daughters natural hair. Cherry invited DeAndre Arnold, a Texas high school student who was banned from his graduation and prom for wearing locs, to the Oscars ceremony as his guest. Theres a very important issue out there, The CROWN Act, and we can help to get this passed in all 50 states, which will help stories like DeAndre Arnolds to stop happening, Cherry said in his Oscars acceptance speech. The Crown Act has not yet been filed in Arnolds home state of Texas, though lawmakers are considering it. While two other nearby states, including Tennessee and Georgia, have pre-filed The Crown Act, it has not yet passed in another Southern jurisdiction. Virginias law goes into effect at a pivotal time as movements across the country grow to fight systemic racism and police brutality. Ending natural hair discrimination against Black people is a small, yet vital part of dismantling many other racist systems. To help pass The Crown Act in your state, you can sign the online petition or get in touch with your local representative to demand change. Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here? Comfortable traveling by airplane. Passenger is holding glass of the wine during the flight. While the country re-opens, and re-closes, and re-opens in a confused effort to go back to normal, airlines continue to rethink how we fly. Just a few weeks ago, Delta Airlines announced it would stop serving alcohol on flights. On Tuesday, however, the airline announced that it will be serving beer and wine to First Class and Comfort+ passengers starting July 2 Titanic-style. The original intent behind limited alcohol services on flights was to cutdown on occasions when passengers would have to remove their masks and reduce the overall number of trips to the bathroom, where passengers are likelier to crowd around each other in the aisles. On the other hand, Alaska Airlines is going further to ensure passengers wear their masks, a rather simple ask that when honored could go as far as to stunt the spread of a pandemic. Yet, some people still need convincing so Alaska Airlines will begin issuing yellow cards and consider suspending passengers who do not cooperate with its in-flight mask policy. UPDATE: This story was originally published on June 16, 2020. The time has finally come to start considering travel once again. Its too soon to dive straight into our post-COVID travel plans, as the coast is not quite clear yet. But as we move through the phases of reopening, travel is no longer a lingering question. Its an approaching reality. The way we travel is changing. In April, JetBlue became the first major U.S. airline to require all passengers to wear face masks during check-in and throughout the flights. This followed the American Airlines announcement that required all in-flight staff to wear face masks. Face masks are now one of the many air travel essentials Americans will pack regularly. Air travel continues to change. Now, companies like Delta Airlines and American Airlines are going to stop serving alcohol to passengers. According to CNN, airlines are looking into scaling back their drink offerings either in part or in whole as a widespread revision of the industrys food and drink service to minimize interaction between crew and passengers. Story continues This change in policy is not limited to U.S.-based airlines. Europes EasyJet will only be serving passengers water from now on. Virgin Atlantic also removed alcohol offerings, for now. When on flights, passengers are not required to wear masks if they are eating or drinking. So the temporary suspension of alcohol offerings serves to limit the occasions in which people remove their masks in flight to only necessary hydration. Some airlines are even putting flight attendants in charge of the restrooms to ensure that there is no unnecessary queueing in the aisles or similar crowds on board. Flying might not be as fun and glamorous as it once was, but it seems like its safer. Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here? Germanys Ifo Institute for Economic Research expects economic output to grow by 6.9% in the third quarter of 2020. Photo: Stuart Franklin/Getty Images Europes biggest economy looks set to slowly emerge from the coronavirus pandemic from the third quarter of this year, according to Germanys Ifo Institute for Economic Research. The pandemic and the measures taken to control the outbreak have plunged the German economy into the deepest recession in its post-war history. The Munich-based economic think tank said on Wednesday that economic output dropped by over 2% in the first quarter and nearly 12% percent in the second quarter when commercial and social life were at a near-standstill due to nationwide lockdown. However, the Institute expects output to grow by 6.9% in the third and 3.8% in the final quarter of 2020. READ MORE: German businesses show surge of optimism in June From now on things will gradually go up again, said Ifo economic director Timo Wollmershauser, noting that there is still much uncertainty around how the pandemic will play out during the rest of the year. The strong [growth] rates in the second half of the year can be explained by the low production of goods and services during the shutdown of the economy these measures have been relaxed or lifted for some sectors of the economy. Overall, however, the Ifo expects economic output will shrink by 6.7 % this year compared to 2019, and that it will not recover to the same level as last year until the end of 2021. Annual GDP in 2020 is expected to grow by 6.4%. Exports, the backbone of the German economy, are expected to fall by more than 13% in 2020, while imports shrink by just under 8%, but 2021 should see exports ramping up again, by 13.4%. READ MORE: IMF warns UK economy will shrink 10.2% this year The Ifo expects the number of unemployed will increase from 2.3 million in 2019 to an annual average of 2.7 million in 2020. Today, the federal employment office reported that some 2.8 million people registered as unemployed in the month of June. PEOPLEs Real Tips for Real Life presents practical answers to some of the most commonly asked questions around finance, employment and preparing for the future even when that future can seem very uncertain. Almost every big wedding this year has been rescheduled for 2021 because of the coronavirus pandemic's devastating impact on the world, celebrity wedding expert Colin Cowie tells PEOPLE. "I'm telling couples to get engaged now and wait," says the party planner, whose A-list clientele includes Oprah Winfrey and Ryan Seacrest. The idea of a socially distanced wedding with people standing 10-feet apart, I dont find anything exciting or glamorous about that. Couples were extremely and bitterly disappointed at the idea of postponing their weddings, Cowie says. But after he explained what would have to be done to follow CDC guidelines and ensure everyone's safety, all of Cowie's clients elected to wait. A wedding is a very emotionally charged event people have spent years dreaming of what its going to be like," Cowie says. "You want to make those dreams come true, and we cant do that in 2020. We have to wait until 2021." That doesn't mean you can't spend your extra time and cash prepping for the big day. Below, Cowie and finance expert Kelly Lannan share their best tips for planning a wedding during a pandemic. Nail Down Your Venue Cowie forecasts that 2021 will have twice as many weddings as usual if the situation in the U.S. improves, so he advises booking weddings set for May to December 2021 now. All the venues are very, very busy, says Cowie, who is based in New York and has offices in L.A., New York and Miami. Settle on a date immediately. Lock in your band and photographer too, he says: Everything else can wait." Colin Cowie Colin Cowie Add a Cancellation Clause to Your Contracts Cowie has added a cancellation clause to every one of his clients contracts, stating that if the date needs to be moved again, there will be no penalty, and any deposits we have will be respected and move forward." Story continues With outcomes far from predictable, its the smart thing to do," he says. Dont Book a Destination Wedding Outside the U.S. Cowie, 58, got married to commodities trader Danny Peuscovich on Feb. 22 in Cape Town, South Africa. "The week after we got back, the whole world went into lockdown, he recalls. It was the last big, great wedding before everything came to a bitter end. He doesnt think he would have been able to get almost 200 guests to travel to a wedding in South Africa for several years given the pandemic. I was so lucky, he says. Cowie thinks guests will be far more likely to travel inside the U.S. before they will travel internationally. And given potential travel restrictions, they might not be able to. Take Over a Hotel Buying out boutique hotels will be very, very, very popular when large gatherings are safe, Cowie says. Consider taking over a 50 to 100-room resort or a more modest yet charming inn. That way you can have more control, Cowie says. Think about it: you go into a restaurant, you dont know who is on your left or your right, but you know who is on your guest list. Livestream Your Wedding Even if a vaccine is available by the time you say "I do," not everyone on your guest list will feel comfortable attending in person, so Cowie advises pre-planning a virtual option over Zoom just in case. There will be a hybrid wedding, Cowie says, predicting that weddings might have a mix of Zoom viewers and guests who are physically present. And depending on rapidly changing local guidelines, in-person guests might have to be completely ruled out. Have a Virtual Bridal Shower and Bachelor/Bachelorette Party Kelly Lannan, the 34-year-old Boston-based Vice President of Young Investors at Fidelity, was invited to 10 weddings this year and all of them were postponed because of the pandemic. (She has officiated four weddings, and actually offered to marry her friends whose weddings were delayed. To date, no one has taken her up on the offer.) But online bridal showers and virtual bachelorette parties can and should still happen, Lannan says, because they're fun and make guests feel included. RELATED: The Ultimate Guide to Finding a Side Hustle as Coronavirus Upends College Grads Career Plans Fidelity Investments Kelly Lannan Take a Hard Look at Your Guest List When Lannan got married two years ago, her mother and her future in-laws handed her guest lists. The guest list completely dictates a significant portion of your wedding budget, she says. There were people on my original list I realized I hadnt talked to in eight years since I graduated college. The relationship wasnt there. While it may hurt to cross someone off the list, it could definitely be a healthy decision for your budget, especially now when venues are really looking at the size of your wedding party. Theres a lot of capacity limitations given the coronavirus pandemic. But these B-list guests dont have to be entirely excluded from your big day you can send them the virtual link. Get Crafty You may not have pictured yourself as a DIY bride, but given the pandemic, you might have more time to spend with your glue gun working on a complex centerpiece. Get creative with those little things, Lannan says. Thats a good opportunity in the coronavirus. Put Your Gym Membership Money in Your Wedding Account Is your gym membership still on hold? Not going to pilates or boot camp classes? Havent had a hair cut in months? You can funnel all that money plus what you'd normally spend on subscriptions and nights out into your wedding fund. You could even make automatic payments, Lannan says. Thats an easy way to save without thinking about it. Plus, if you have a virtual bachelor or bachelorette party, the money you would have spent in Las Vegas or Mexico can cover a splurge item on your wishlist. Getty Set Up An Emergency Wedding Fund Lannan tells all her investing clients to have an emergency fund. Its important to create one for a wedding, too, she says. Weddings always cost more than you think, she says. Its important to anticipate over charges. Then youll be the one bride in the history of weddings who comes in underneath your budget. Lannan kept a couple thousand in her own wedding emergency fund two years ago. That definitely helped me feel comfortable, she says. And I dipped into it a little. (She paid for hair and make-up for her 13 bridesmaids on the big day.) RELATED: Game-Changing Resume Writing Tips from Top Experts (Hint: 'Less Is More') Consider Wedding Insurance Many of Lannans friends are buying wedding insurance for their rescheduled dates. From my understanding, it really does protect a couples investment from things beyond their control, she says. What if your limo driver doesnt show up they contract coronavirus, and you need to find someone else, and they are charging three times the price? The insurance will cover. Look at the Bright Side Its okay to be sad postponing your wedding, Lannan says. But try to find an upside. My friend hated her original save-the-date cards. Guess what? She gets to send a new one, Lannan says. Dont let the pandemic stop you from planning the wedding of your dreams, Cowie advises. Just be patient. Theres no crystal ball for this future, Cowie says. As information about the coronavirus pandemic rapidly changes, PEOPLE is committed to providing the most recent data in our coverage. Some of the information in this story may have changed after publication. For the latest on COVID-19, readers are encouraged to use online resources from CDC, WHO, and local public health departments. PEOPLE has partnered with GoFundMe to raise money for the COVID-19 Relief Fund, a GoFundMe.org fundraiser to support everything from frontline responders to families in need, as well as organizations helping communities. For more information or to donate, click here. Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-01 13:51:36|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close WASHINGTON, July 1 (Xinhua) -- A government report finds that Boeing failed to submit certification documents to the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) detailing changes to a key flight control system of 737 MAX aircraft, according to news reports on Wednesday. The flight control system, known as MCAS, was "not an area of emphasis" because Boeing presented it to the FAA as a modification of the aircraft's existing speed trim system, with limited range and use, Reuters reported. "Boeing did not submit certification documents to FAA detailing the change," the report said. "FAA flight test personnel were aware of this change, but key FAA certification engineers and personnel responsible for approving the level of airline pilot training told us they were unaware of the revision to MCAS." The government report was conducted by the U.S. Department of Transportation's Office of Inspector General (IG). In response to the report, the Transportation Department said that the FAA's certification of the 737 MAX was hampered by a lack of effective communication between the agency and Boeing. More than 800 aircrafts have been grounded worldwide since mid-March 2019 after investigators found flawed flight control software on the 737 MAX partially responsible for the crashes of two MAX jets in Indonesia and Ethiopia that killed 346 people. Boeing's MCAS stall-prevention system has been faulted in both crashes. Boeing began on Monday a test flight to determine whether the revamped 737 MAX is safe. The flight took off from an airfield near Seattle and flew through eastern Washington state before dipping down into Oregon and eventually returning to the Seattle area. The FAA has approved the certification test flights after Boeing submitted safety fixes to the FAA for review. Enditem Guests at the 'Capturing The Rainbow' exhibition launch at M&C Saatchi in London, England, on 26 June 2019. Photo: Joe Maher/Getty Images Advertising agency M&C Saatchi (SAA.L) revealed that it has secured major assignments from a number of governments across the world, helping it weather the impact from the coronavirus pandemic. The group, worth 56.5m ($69.3m) in market capitalisation, said in a trading update on Tuesday, even during the lockdown period, we have continued to engage with clients and have successfully secured a number of new client assignments including the UK government, Australia government, Iceland Tourism and others. Our companies have shown considerable agility in adapting their business and client servicing to the unprecedented pressures of recent months. According to the World Economic Forum (WEF), ad spends are down 9% on average across Europe, with Germany and France falling by 7% and 12% respectively, as companies slash marketing budgets to weather the storm. READ MORE: How diversity and inclusion during COVID-19 has flipped a key element of advertising M&C Saatchi said results in the first two months of 2020 was in line with the board's expectations and since that date, although COVID-19 has affected the business worldwide, results from April and May were not quite as severe as we had first expected. In addition, the early actions we have taken to reduce costs and access government support programmes across the world have protected the group from the most severe effects of the crisis to date. However, it is still too early for us to predict with any certainty the likely impact of the economic slowdown on full year 2020 results. It added that the group has a solid balance sheet and as at 23 June had total cash of 52m and is also seeking additional funding it calls headroom through the UK government's Coronavirus Large Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CLBILS) for the period to 31 July 2021. READ MORE: Coronavirus: UK economy shrank more than thought at start of 2020 We anticipate a favourable outcome from these discussions which we expect will be agreed in July. The additional headroom from the CLBILS facility is not expected to be drawn under anticipated trading scenarios, but the board believes it to be prudent at this stage to secure the extra headroom, it said. Story continues The advertising industry is likely to be hit further in 2020. It is a common rule of thumb in the advertising industry that ad spend tracks any rise or fall in GDP. On Tuesday, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said that UK GDP contracted by 2.2% between January and the end of March 2020. This is the worst slump for the UK economy since 2008 before the full effects of the COVID-19 pandemic had even hit. The UK is forecast to experience the most severe downturn out of any developed economy as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdown. EY Item Club, a highly regarded City forecaster, expects the UK economy will not fully recover from the impact until 2023. Meanwhile, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said the UK economy is likely to shrink by 10.2% this year. Eduardo Saverin, co-founder and partner of B Capital Group, speaks during the Bloomberg Sooner Than You Think technology summit in Singapore, on Thursday, Sept. 6, 2018. Facebook will weather the current public and regulatory scrutiny, Saverin said. Photographer: Paul Miller/Bloomberg It hasn't taken long for B Capital to amass a lot of assets under management. Just five years after the venture firm was launched by Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin and Raj Ganguly, a veteran of private-equity firm Bain Capital, the firm says it has closed its second fund with $822 million in capital commitments. That's more than two times what the now 70-person, growth-stage outfit raised for its $360 million debut effort in 2016. Both funds count as an anchor investor the management consulting giant Boston Consulting Group, where Ganguly was an advisor for several years and with which the firm continues to work closely. As Ganguly has explained the relationship to us previously, through their affiliation, B Capital gets an inside track into what BCGs corporate clients are missing so it can invest in startups accordingly. B Capital companies also gain access to a dedicated BCG partner who opens up his or her resources and network, which can ostensibly result in big partnerships and other deals. Both count the firm's partners -- including Saverin -- as outsize investors. But while they were the biggest investors in their first fund, and through the first close of this second fund last year (when it was sized at $410 million), that's no longer the case, says Ganguly. Outside limited partners now own slightly more of the new fund, including two sovereign wealth funds, along with a U.S. nonprofit foundation, an untold number of pension funds and family offices. (If helpful to know, Asia makes up a substantial part of B Capital's limited partner base, but it has backers in Europe, as well as the U.S., which is home to the majority of its investors.) The investors are a reflection of the firm's global approach, Ganguly said yesterday, noting that the firm has, and continues to see, promising opportunities outside of Silicon Valley. Among its biggest bets to date are Icertis, an 11-year-old, Seattle-based contract life cycle management software company, and Ninja Van, a now six-year-old, Singapore-based company that specializes in next-day deliveries for e-commerce companies. Story continues Still, the firm, which has offices in Manhattan Beach, California; San Francisco, New York and Singapore, sees plenty of promise in the Bay Area, especially when it comes to companies whose cross-border strategies it can help develop. For example, B Capital has backed Evidation Health, an eight-year-old, San Mateo, California company that provides clinical validation of health apps and that is expanding into Asia with the help of B Capital. B Capital, which has two partners in San Francisco, also sees a growing number of interesting startups with a small presence in the Bay Area but a large focus elsewhere. Ganguly points to a CRM company that B Capital recently funded (but can't yet name publicly). Its executives are based primarily in Mexico and Brazil and the company isn't selling into U.S. markets. As for why they have a business development person and a sprinkling of other employees in Silicon Valley, it mostly "helps them get a better valuation," observes Ganguly. In the meantime, other trends B Capital is tracking center around increasingly distributed teams, and overlooked small- and mid-sized businesses in India specifically that have proven durable over time but could be run far more efficiently given the right tools. Toward that end, among the firm's newest bets is Synack, a Redwood City, California-based crowdsourced cybersecurity testing platform that protects critical assets (which is especially helpful in a world with decentralized workplaces); and Khatabook, a Bangalore-based startup that digitizes local businesses through bookkeeping and online payments. More broadly, B Capital invests in enterprise tech, fintech, healthcare tech, consumer enablement technology and transportation and logistics. The firm typically invests between $10 and $60 million in companies at Series B, C and D stages, and Ganguly says that with its newest fund, it has the flexibility to write a check as small as $100,000 and to invest upwards of $100 million in a company. Correction: This story originally reported that B Capital just closed its third fund, but the $822 million in capital commitments it has collected represents the second close of a previously reported $410 million fund. Sincere apologies for the confusion. Coronavirus Coverage Because of health and safety concerns, the Herald-Republic is allowing unlimited access to our COVID-19 stories and resources. If you are able to support local news by subscribing, support our journalism. Click here to begin your subscription and access all of our local coverage. Ian McDowell is the author of two published novels, numerous anthologized short stories, and a whole lot of nonfiction and journalism, some of which hes proud of and none of which hes ashamed of. Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-01 13:54:30|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close NEW DELHI, July 1 (Xinhua) -- At least 11 people were killed due to lightning and thunderstorm in the eastern Indian state of Bihar, officials said Wednesday. The deaths have taken place during the past 24 hours in several parts of the state. "In Bihar, lightning has claimed 11 lives in different parts of the state during the past 24 hours. Four deaths were reported from Saran, two each in Patna and Nawada, and one each from Lakasarai and Jamui," a local government spokesperson said. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has announced a monetary relief of 5,294 U.S. dollars to each family that lost member due to lightning. "The chief minister has expressed grief over the deaths and expressed his condolences with the bereaved families," reads a statement from Chief Minister's office. Meanwhile, the chief minister has appealed people to take care during bad weather conditions and venturing out. He has also urged people to strictly follow the precautionary measures issued by the disaster management office for bad weather conditions. Last week 83 people died due to heavy rains and lightning in the state. At present India is in the grip of southwest monsoon and most parts are experiencing heavy to very heavy rainfall, besides extremely heavy spells at isolated spots. Enditem For me, America is an idea. It is the idea, as Jefferson wrote, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. Belief in this creed is what unites us as Americans. And while we may not always live up to this idea, we can never stop trying. We should count ourselves fortunate to live in the greatest nation on earth, where the notion of equal justice for all first came into the world. I was touched to see that on June 22, 36 people became American citizens in the first naturalization ceremony held in Lincoln since February. This diverse group of people renounced their loyalty to their former countries and took an oath of allegiance to the United States. Family and friends in attendance brought red, white, and blue balloons, along with homemade banners and other patriotic displays. These 36 people, despite being citizens for only a few weeks, are just as American as you or me. And these new citizens chose to be Americans. They werent born here, but they saw America for what it is: a shining city upon a hill, where our institutions, though they sometimes falter, strive to honor Jeffersons promise of God-given rights and equal treatment before the law for all citizens. YORK The last meeting of the city council held in the chambers at city hall was in March. Since that time, thanks to the pandemic, meetings have been held online, at the convention center and at the auditorium. This week, the city council will move back to the chambers for their regular meeting. If the meeting had been expected to draw a large crowd, the meeting would have been moved to a larger venue. But because the agenda is lighter than the past two and does not hold such controversial topics, it was decided it could safely be held at the council chambers. During this meeting, they will consider a motion that would ratify all the actions that took place at the May 21, April 2 and April 16 meetings. The online/Zoom meetings were legal per an earlier executive order by the governor it is now just being recommended by the Nebraska League of Municipalities for councils to be taking this action now. Mayor Barry Redfern said city attorney, Charles Campbell, is also recommending this ratification of actions during that time period. YORK Two people have been identified as suspects in the weekend burglary that occurred at the Janssen Ford dealership in York, which resulted in the theft of a vehicle and substantial damage to the building. Sgt. Russ Coffey with the York Police Department said they were dispatched to the dealership, located at 2605 South Lincoln Avenue, on Sunday, June 28, at 8:30 a.m. When they arrived, they found the glass doors on the south side of the building had been broken out and a 2020 blue Ford Explorer was missing from the dealership as well. On the east side of the dealership, they found a 2016 orange Chevy Colorado owned by the Iowa Department of Transportation that was covered in glass and had been spray-painted inside and outside. That vehicle was determined to have been stolen out of Desoto, Iowa, at least 24 hours earlier. As far as the spray painting in the Iowa vehicle, most of it was on the steering wheel and the dash. There was also spray paint over the DOT emblem on the outside doors. It was determined that the Iowa vehicle had been driven into the Janssen building, causing all the damage. He got up to investigate what was going on and made contact with (Myrick), the court documents say. He explained he attempted to take photos of Myricks driver and truck information and noticed the photos were insufficient. At that time, Myrick had already left the area. He reinitiated contact with Myrick a few stalls down. Myrick got out of his truck while he was attempting to take additional photos. (The other driver) explained that when Myrick saw this, he came up and grabbed his phone from his hands. (The other driver) said Myrick threw the phone in the cab of his truck. (The other driver) went to retrieve his phone from the cab and explained that Myrick punched him in the face. (The other driver) explained he attempted to defend himself by Myrick continued to punch him in the face. (The other driver) then said he went to the ground and Myrick began choking him with his left hand around his neck and continued to punch him in the face. (The other driver) explained that during this, it was difficult to breathe. Among the reported 22 men Montgomery County law enforcement has arrested this year for charges related to the sexual exploitation of children online, one has already received a prison sentence. The multi-agency Montgomery County Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) task force helped net charges for mostly either online solicitation of a minor or promotion of pornography, both second-degree felonies. One man was reportedly charged with super aggravated assault of a child, a first-degree felony, according to the District Attorneys Office. ICAC took in alleged offenders from within the Houston area and as far away as Ohio and Nebraska. The accused include two registered sex offenders and range in ages between 26 and at least 66. Law enforcement agencies involved were the Conroe Police Department, county constable precincts 1, 2 and 3, the District Attorneys Office and the Texas Department of Public Safety, according to the DAs Office. The District Attorneys Office, according to a statement, conducted proactive investigations during the effort. BREAKING NEWS UPDATES: Get your Houston breaking news alerts delivered to your Inbox In short, the devotion and commitment displayed by the ICAC task force is highly commendable, and we should all be thankful for their work. They really are making a difference in keeping our children safe, said Assistant District Attorney Laura Bond in a statement. On May 12, 45-year-old Jarrell, Texas resident David Shawn Reed pleaded guilty on two counts of promotion of child pornography, a second-degree felony, committed April 2. Reed was sentenced to 12 years in the 221st District by presiding Judge Lisa Michalk. The Courier confirmed through court records the charges for all but four of the alleged offenders listed by the District Attorneys Office. Of those confirmed, three are Montgomery County residents and most of the others live in Harris County. In total, 12 men were charged with solicitation and another nine were charged with child pornography. The super aggravated assault charge means the alleged victim is younger than 6 years old. CHARGES DISMISSED: Federal lawsuit alleges man suffered coma while jailed in Montgomery County A man from Idaho allegedly sent more than 260 child pornography videos via a social media app. Another two men from Nebraska and Ohio allegedly sent child pornography videos as well. All three are accused of sending the criminal content to the same undercover detective working decoy at the Precinct 1 Constables Office. A 51-year-old accused of trying to meet a 14-year-old was previously convicted of aggravated sexual assault of a child. Meanwhile, another man also accused of trying to meet a 14-year-old was himself previously convicted in Montgomery County of indecency with a child by exposure. The bulk of the alleged offenses occurred outside the period that state and local stay-at-home orders were in effect in Montgomery County. Only four reported offenses confirmed through court records were allegedly committed during the states stay-at-home orders issued in April. Those who prey on our children never take a day off, and neither do we. As long as there are criminals attempting to harm our children, we will be there to find them and bring them to justice, District Attorney Brett Ligon said in a statement. Montgomery County has a record of working to deter child victimization on the internet. During April and May of 2019, Montgomery County led the Houston-area Operation Broken Heart in nabbing adults allegedly preying on children online. In that eight-county effort, Montgomery County law enforcement arrested 25 individuals within the two-month time frame. jose.gonzalez@chron.com twitter.com/jrgzztx Today Sunny. Very hot. High 108F. Winds S at 10 to 20 mph. Tonight Some clouds. Low around 80F. Winds S at 10 to 15 mph. Tomorrow Partly cloudy skies in the morning will give way to cloudy skies during the afternoon. High 107F. Winds S at 10 to 15 mph. Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-01 14:15:13|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close by Yosley Carrero HAVANA, July 1 (Xinhua) -- Jose Alberto Rodriguez began work early in the morning at the Pedro Kouri Institute of Tropical Medicine (IPK) in the outskirts of Cuba's capital Havana, where a COVID-19 hospital was set up by the government. The 35-year-old doctor, who graduated from a medical school in 2010, was on call on March 11 when Cuba's first COVID-19 cases were confirmed and transferred to the hospital. Ever since, every two weeks Rodriguez and his colleagues are taken to a nearby hostel for quarantine before family reunions. "Isolation of suspected cases and healthcare workers on the frontline has been a crucial feature of Cuba's successful strategy of tackling the virus," Rodriguez told Xinhua. The dail increase in COVID-19 infections on the island have fallen from the peak of nearly 70 to fewer than 10 as all provinces, except Havana, have started to ease lockdown restrictions in line with Cuba's post-pandemic recovery plan. Rodriguez said his duties at the hospital include giving medication to patients, detecting their symptoms, intubating them if necessary and ensuring "people infected with COVID-19 do not feel alone despite social distancing measures." Every day after work, with the mask's impressions on his face, Rodriguez goes straight to the shower for disinfection. "I am supposed to deal better with death due to my training as a medical doctor, but this has been the most challenging experience of my professional career," Rodriguez said. "We have saved many lives, but some people have died and that is something I cannot forget," he added. Founded in 1937, the IPK has become one of the top institutions in the Cuban public health system, comprising a hospital and a research complex of laboratories for the study of exotic diseases. The institute serves as Cuba's pandemic command center. Manuel Romero, director of the IPK, said the institute has been a pillar in training Cuban healthcare workers and combating the pandemic abroad. "We have carried out most of the COVID-19 tests in the country, in addition to training and strengthening the work of the national network of laboratories on the island," Romero told the Cuban News Agency. The nearly 160-bed COVID-19 hospital at the IPK meets international sanitary standards and biosafety protocols in accordance with the World Health Organization's guidelines. The healthcare workers and non-medical personnel at the IPK have had an unprecedented workload since the pandemic hit the Caribbean nation. Among them is Jorge Valdes, 34, a Cuban doctor who strongly believed that early detection of suspected cases across the country was decisive in tackling the epidemic. "We are winning the battle against the virus, and border control will be a fundamental factor to avoid a second outbreak in the coming months," he told Xinhua. "We should also get accustomed to wearing face masks," said Valdes, adding "I have been in the eye of the storm. The virus is beatable." Since the start of the pandemic, over 2,200 COVID-19 patients have been discharged from medical centers, according to Cuban health authorities. One new COVID-19 case was reported on Tuesday, bringing the national tally to 2,341, with a death toll of 86. Enditem Our directory features more than 18 million business listings from across the entire US. However, if we're missing your business, add your business by clicking on Add Your Business. - The Agric ministry is set to support women farmers in Ghana with a GHc2.5 million support scheme - The move forms part of measures to strengthen the capacities of women farmers in the country - It is expected that products from the farmers would be competitive and attractive for the local and export markets Our Manifesto: This is what YEN.com.gh believes in The Ministry of Food and Agriculture has unveiled a GHc2.5 million support scheme for women farmers in Ghana. In partnership with the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development, the package would be available for women farmer-based organizations (WFBOs) engaged in post-production agricultural operations in Ghana. YEN.com.gh understands Global Affairs Canadas Modernizing Agriculture in Ghana (MAG) programme is providing the pilot support. READ ALSO: Cost of food is now cheaper- Agric minister claims A Ghana Web report shows the decision was reached as part of measures to strengthen the capacities of the WFBOs. The idea is to make their products competitive and attractive for the local and export markets. Information available shows that about 32 WFBOs would benefit from the support. Meanwhile, the Minister of Food and Agriculture, Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto, has hinted at the possibility of making Ghana self-proficient in rice production from 2023. According to him, the government has invested in a number of farming implements, such as harvesters, to achieve the objective. He added that the government has also purchased four different types of solar-powered milling machines from China to improve the production chain of rice. READ ALSO: Gov't to reduce the export of soybeans to cut down on cost Enjoyed reading our story? Download YEN's news app on Google Playstore now and stay up-to-date with major Ghana news! Faces of Ghana: 21-year-old female boxer's dream of becoming a world champion | #Yencomgh Use the comments section below to share your views on this story. Do you have a story to share or you have information for us? Get featured on YEN.com.gh. Message us on Facebook or Instagram Source: Yen.com.gh - Akuapem Poloo has found her way unto the wrong side of the law with a recent photo - Child Rights International has petitioned the Director-General CID of the Ghana Police Service to investigate Akuapem Poloos photo with her son - Akuapem Poloo on June 30, 2020 shared a photo of herself and her son in which she was totally naked before her son to mark his birthday Our Manifesto: This is what YEN.com.gh believes in The Child Rights International (CRI), a Non-profit organization in Ghana, has petitioned the Director-General CID of the Ghana Police Service to investigate Akuapem Poloos photo with her son. Akuapem Poloo Source: UGC Source: UGC Instagram model and actress Akuapem Poloo on June 30, 2020 shared a photo of herself and her son in which she was totally naked before her son to mark his birthday. READ ALSO: Fella Makafui and Medikal recording new song together (video) She is reported to have stated that she took that photo with her son because she was naked when she gave birth to the boy so there is nothing wrong for him to see her nakedness. READ ALSO: Victoria Lebene and Nkonkonsa welcome 1st child In a letter sighted by YEN.com.gh, CIR has petitioned the CID to investigate the matter, stating that what Akuapem Poloo has done is a violation of the Welfare Principle of the Children ACT and abuse of the childs right to privacy and dignity. READ ALSO: 'I will not work with Agya Koo again' - Fred Amugi vows A previous report indicates that the CID had already invited Akuapem Poloo and had also forced her to delete the nude photo from her Instagram page. See the photo of the letter below: Copy of Child Rights International's letter the CID Source: Facebook Source: UGC READ ALSO: VIDEO: Sonnie Badu's 4-year-old daughter cleaning her room causes stir online YEN.com.gh earlier reported that Ghanaian rapper, Medikal, and actress, Fella Makafui had gone into the studio together to record a song. Since the two lovebirds become husband and wife, they have practically been doing everything together. In a video sighted by YEN.com.gh, Medikal and Fella were seen in a studio trying hard to do a cover of Adele's 'Someone like you' in harmony. Ghanaian taxi driver invents hand washing machine tap for cars | #Yencomgh Know someone who is extremely talented and needs recognition? Your stories and photos are always welcome. Get interactive via our Facebook page. Enjoyed reading our story? Download YEN's news app on Google Play now and stay up-to-date with major Ghana news! Source: Yen The national ambulance service in Ghana is essential in the healthcare service. It is for this reason they have to make sure they have enough qualified people to hold the available positions. Ghana Ambulance Service recruitment happens twice every year. All qualified individuals are called to apply. Image: facebook.com, @Ghana National Ambulance Service NAS Source: Facebook The Ghana national ambulance service recruitment happens during the first and the last quarter of the year. The ministry of health makes a point to announce this through its website, social media, and mainstream media. This is to ensure nobody is left out. Here is everything you need to know about the whole process. Ghana Ambulance Service online registration When it's the recruitment period, the ministry of health will provide all the necessary information. This will include the deadlines, requirements, among other details. To apply for this process, you will: Buy an e-voucher that goes for GHC50. This voucher can be bought at any GCB, NIB, or ADB branch nationwide. The voucher comes with a unique pin for everyone. You should have your email address and your phone number to apply. Go to the Ghana Ambulance Service recruitment portal and follow the instructions, doing all you are instructed to the letter. Ghana National Ambulance Service general eligibility Not everyone can apply for the available posts. One must be eligible and meet the requirements indicated. For one to apply for this, they must: Be a citizen of Ghana. Have no criminal records. Be of good character. Be between 18 - 35 years old. Image: facebook.com, @Ghana National Ambulance Service NAS Source: Facebook Ghana National Ambulance Service general requirements The general requirements are as follows: Males must have a minimum height of 1.68m. Females must have a minimum height of 1.60m. Must have good eyesight. Must not be allergic to bloody situations. Must not be epileptic. Should be able to work under pressure. Must have a valid NHIA card. READ ALSO: Ghana Statistical Service Recruitment and Jobs Ghana National Ambulance minimum education qualifications Other than being eligible and meeting the requirements stated above, one must also meet the following education requirements. Should possess an SSSCE or WASSCE with credit scores in at least five subjects. These subjects must include English, Mathematics, Science, or its substitute. The applicant should be computer literate. The applicant should also possess a BECE certificate. An applicant with additional certificates in Secretariatship, DBS Accountancy, or any post-secondary certificate will be at an advantage. Ghana National Ambulance service general qualifications for advance emergency medical technicians Applicants must meet all the requirements stated in the three sections above in addition to the ones stated below. A degree from a nationally recognized and accredited institution. Must possess the National Service Certificate. Image: facebook.com, @Ghana National Ambulance Service NAS Source: Facebook Ghana Ambulance Service training All qualified candidates must go through one year of intensive training. The training includes classroom lecturers, stress drills, practical attachments at accident, and emergency wards of selected hospital and ambulance stations. All successful candidates should be prepared to work in any part of Ghana. Ghana Ambulance Service contact You can get in touch with the Ghana Ambulance Service using the address given below. Phone number: 0501614877 Email: info@nas.gov.gh Fax number: 0302 2684201 P.O. Box MB 423 Address: National Ambulance Service, Ministry of Health, Ministries, Accra That is all we had for you on the Ghana ambulance service recruitment. What do you think of the whole process? Do you meet all their requirements? Share your opinions about this in the comments section below. READ ALSO: Ghana Health Service recruitment: application portal, forms, contacts NSS Enrollment Form in Ghana: 2020 NSS registration for national service: step by step guide and deadlines 2019/2020 Source: Yen.com.gh - NPP and NDC supports clash at a registration center in Damango - YEN.com.gh correspondent Lansah Muniru reports that some non-Ghanaians attempted to register for the voter ID card - This led to a confrontation between NDC and NPP agents at the registration center - Our Manifesto: This is what YEN.com.gh believes in There was a serious scuffle between some supporters of the NDC and the NPP at the Kurabaso registration center in Damongo on the first day of the voter ID registration resulting in the beating of the NPP Nasara Coordinator for Damongo Constituency Mr. Nsorwura. According to the information picked at the center, some Zambarima traders who are non-Ghanaians were at the center to register, which the NDC agent resisted since they are non-Ghanaians who are also not residents in the constituency. Jean Mensa is EC's chairperson of the Electoral Commission. Source: YEN.com.gh Source: UGC READ ALSO: Over 20 possible cases of COVID-19 identified at Korle Bu registration center According to YEN.com.gh's correspondent in the area, Lansah Muniru, the Nasara Coordinator who was also at the registration center insisted the Zambarima traders had been in Damongo since 2005 and have been staying in his house but the NDC guys will not have any of that. This resulted in a scuffle between some supporters of the two main political parties leading to the exchange of blows. The Nasara Coordinator in the process suffered a dislocation in the arm and some bruises on the head. Stakes are very high in the Damongo Constituency between supporters of the two political parties with the seat being contested by the deputy chief of staff Lawyer Samuel Abu Jinapor as the parliamentary candidate for the NPP and the NDC's Adam Mutawakilu who is the MP for the area and also the ranking member for mines and energy in Ghana's Parliament. READ ALSO: NDC names Joshua Alabi as lead of Mahamas campaign team The Member of Parliament over the weekend accused Lawyer Jinapor of holding several meetings to bus people from Kintampo North to register in the Damongo Constituency. But the deputy chief of staff in a quick rebuttal said it was the right of every citizen of the constituency residing in different parts of the country to come home and vote and also went further to accuse the MP of also meeting residents of the constituency in Tesano and other areas in Accra to convey them to the constituency to be registered. YEN.com.gh earlier reported that President of Ghana, Nana Akufo-Addo has said it must be the collective responsibility of Ghanaians to ensure that the country has a register fit for purpose for the conduct of the December 7 presidential and parliamentary elections. According to President Akufo-Addo, it is important for every Ghanaian to ensure that only persons who qualify have their names in the new register. "We want a Ghanaian election, not a West African Election" Akufo-Addo | #Yencomgh Get interactive via our Facebook page. Source: Yen Ghana New Delhi: Top Bhojpuri actress Rani Chatterjee in her latest social media post revealed that she is feeling depressed over non-stop online trolling. In her long post, she has alleged that terms like 'moti' (fat), 'budhiya' (old lady) and much more are directed towards her and she has had enough of online trolling. Rani Chatterjee sought Mumbai police's intervention in it and has shared a picture of a person named Dhananjai Singh who trolls her and indirectly take jibes at her, allegedly. Read Rani's full post here: Soon after her post, fans and Bhojpuri movie industry's co-stars dropped their comments showering support and asking her to not give up like this. Rani in her social post has revealed that she is depressed because of incessant trolling related to her physical appearance, age, religion etc and she can't take it any more. Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput was found hanging at his Bandra pad in Mumbai on June 14, 2020. His death by suicide left everyone in shock and grief. He was reportedly battling depression for the past few months. New Delhi: Bhojpuri siren Rani Chatterjee has announced her new project much to the excitement of all her fans. Her upcoming film is titled 'Panchali'. She shared her first look from the film recently on Instagram and asked her fans if they liked it or not? The poster features Rani flaunting her hourglass figure. Her other co-stars are also part of the frame. 'Panchali' is Rani's second film with director Rajkumar Pandey. The duo previously worked together in 'Naagin'. Rani also shared that Rajkumar has given break to many people in the industry and always promotes new talent. Take a look at Rani's first look in 'Panchali'. Meanwhile, in a separate Instagram post shared on Wednesday, Rani revealed that she is facing non-stop online trolling. The actress alleged that she has been called "fat" and "old" by trolls. Rani said that she is quite depressed with the trolling and has sought help from Mumbai Police. Read her post here: Rani Chatterjee is one of the A-listers of the Bhojpuri industry and is also among the highest-paid actresses. She has several hit films and songs to her credit. New Delhi: A Delhi Police Head Constable Dheer Singh died due to the deadly coronavirus infection at Lady Harding Hospital on Tuesday. Singh was posted in Delhi Polices Police Control Room (PCR) unit. The 47-year-old Head Constable was rushed to the Lady Harding Hospital after his condition deteriorated. Earlier, a Delhi Police Inspector posted with its Special Cell died at South Delhis Max hospital on Tuesday due to COVID-19 infection. The deceased, Sanjeev Kumar Yadav, had been admitted to Max Hospital after testing positive around 15 days ago. He developed fever and was on ventilator after complaining of breathlessness. Yadav was given plasma therapy twice but he could not be saved. So far, nine police personnel, including three constables, three ASIs and two sub-inspectors, have lost their lives due to COVID-related complications and over 850 police personnel have tested positive. Yadav was posted with the south-western range of special cell and received the Police Medal for gallantry this year. He was earlier posted with Crime Branch and Tughlaq Road police station. He hailed from Uttar Pradesh and is survived by his wife, who was also hospitalised after she was tested positive and two children in East Delhis Laxmi Nagar. The first COVID-19 related casualty happened in the Delhi Police on May 5, when a 31-year-old Delhi Police constable Amit Kumar, posted in Northwest district, died of Covid-19 complications while he was on his way to RML Hospital. So far, 10 personnel from the Delhi Police have succumbed to Covid-19. Over 2,000 Delhi Police personnel have tested Covid-19 positive, but more than 1,300 have recovered from the viral infection and resumed their duties so far, officials said. Head constable Amit Kumar (31) of Bharat Nagar police station was the first Delhi Police personnel to die of Covid-19 on May 5. A dedicated COVID-19 test centre for the police personnel is also operational at Shalimar Bagh, which can test 50 samples daily. Six police vehicles have been designated for ferrying personnel to quarantine centres or hospitals from their homes in strict compliance with all standard operating procedures (SOPs) such as wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) kits. A circular has been issued on how to work amid the pandemic and avoid coming in physical contact with colleagues and the public. The focus is on the use of technologies to avoid physical contacts. Most of the meetings are being done via video-conference links. NEW DELHI: In a shocking case of murder, a Tihar Jail inmate stabbed to death another prisoner to avenge the rape of his minor sister in the year 2014. The incident took place on Monday (June 29). According to the Delhi Police, Mehtab (28) was stabbed to death multiple times by 22-year-old Zakir who is lodged in the prison in a murder case. Delhi Police said that during the initial inquiry at Tihar jail no. 8, it emerged that another inmate Zakir stabbed Mehtab multiple times with a self-made knife-like metal piece. In the year 2014, Mehtab had raped Zakir's minor sister living in the Ambedkar Nagar area of Delhi. After the crime, Mehtab was arrested and charged under Section 376D, 328, 363, 342, 120B IPC and Section 4 of POCSO Act at Ambedkar Nagar police station, Delhi. He was then lodged in the Tihar Central Jail. Shortly after the heinous crime, Zakir's minor sister had reportedly committed suicide. This incident broke Zakir deeply from inside. He wanted to avenge his sister's rape at any cost, but since the accused had gone to Tihar Jail and got out of his reach, Zakir made other plans. Zakir, who was later lodged in Tihar Jail in connection with a murder case, was recently transferred from jail No. 8 to the ground floor in ward number 4. According to the police, this transfer was allegedly done on the request of the accused as he had a fight with other inmates in the previous ward. The deceased Mehtab was already lodged in ward 4 on the first floor. "On June 29, at morning prayer time, when other inmates came out for prayers, accused went upstairs and finding Mehtab assaulted him with a knife-like object," the police said. After the attack, Mehtab was rushed to the DDU Hospital where he succumbed to his injuries. Zakir was holding a deep grudge against the deceased and was looking for an opportunity to take revenge, police added. A case under Section 302 (murder) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) was registered at Hari Nagar Police Station in this connection. Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-01 14:18:18|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close TASHKENT, July 1 (Xinhua) -- Uzbekistan's law enforcement bodies have detained 11 suspected members of the Islamist militant group Katiba al-Tawhid wal-Jihad, the Uzbek Interior Ministry said Wednesday. The suspects were arrested on Tuesday after the police and the state security forces carried out operations in 8 sites in Tashkent city in search of material evidence of their illegal activities, police said. According to a police statement, the detainees fell under the influence of militants operating in the ranks of an international terrorist organization in Syria, and planned to travel to the Middle East. Last month, Uzbek law enforcement bodies arrested 25 men believed to have affiliation to the same militant group. Uzbekistan's Supreme Court listed Katiba al-Tawhid wal-Jihad as a terrorist organization in 2016. Enditem At least five workers died and over 10 got injured in an explosion at a boiler in Unit 5 of plant 2 of the Neyveli lignite plant in Tamil Nadu on Wednesday (July 1), sources said. The injured were admitted to NLC lignite hospital and rescue operations are still underway at the lignite plant. This is the second blast in the last two months at the plant. On May 7, eight workers were injured in a boiler explosion at Neyveli lignite plant. The explosion was caused due to the above normal temperature in the boiler. The explosion took place in the sixth unit of the second power plant and the blast set ablaze the oil that was stored nearby. It has a capacity of 210 Megawatt production. NLC India Limited is a 'Navratna' government of India company in the fossil fuel mining sector in India and thermal power generation. It annually produces about 30 million tonne lignite from opencast mines at Neyveli in the state. NEW DELHI: Amid the coronavirus pandemic, the Russian citizens living in India cast their votes for the constitutional reform referendum in their country. According to reports, the Russian Embassy in New Delhi opened polling station No. 8099, which allowed Russian citizens living in the Indian capital, as well as officials and employees of the Russian representations and their family members, to take part in voting on amendments to the Constitution of the Russian Federation. The Consulate General of Russia in India has established polling stations in Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai. Russia Vladimir Putin had recently said, We are going to vote for the country where we want to live, with cutting-edge education and healthcare, a reliable system of social protection and an effective government accountable to the people. Putin further said, we rely on the values that keep us together respect for people, labour, senior citizens, our families and children, their health as well as moral and spiritual education. This is a vote for the future of our country, for tomorrow of the Russian Federation, said Nikolay Kudashev, Ambassador of Russia to India. Voting is being held for amendments to the provisions of the Constitution related to the federal structure, the President, Parliament, the Government, the judiciary and the prosecutor's office, and Local Government. If the amendments are adopted, the Constitution for the first time will also mention marriage as the union of a man and a woman, faith in God. It is proposed to fix the status of the State Council. NEW DELHI: Amid heightened tensions over border dispute after the Galwan Valley face-off in eastern Ladakh, China is now trying to infiltrate Tibetan nationals into India for subversive activities. It has come to light that China has reportedly pushed two Tibetan nationals into India via Nepal for carrying out alleged anti-India activities. One of these is a special agent of the People's Armed Police, an integral part of the Tibetan-Chinese Army People's Liberation Army. Efforts are being made from the Chinese side to spread unrest along the border as well as in the interiors of India. The second Tibetan national is believed to be having a close relationship with some highly influential people in Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim. They have been identified as Tashi and Dorji. Tashi is a resident of Taktse town in Tibet. He had later settled in Lhasa city, after which he joined the Second Regiment of the People's Armed Police and was sent to Chengdu for special training in the year 2017. According to sources, by taking advantage of Dorji's connections, the Special Agent of the Chinese Army wants to widen its network in Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim and furthermore spread the network of Chinese spies wherever there are monasteries. Dorji is originally a resident of Torfi district in Tibet and was lodged in a Tibetan prison by the Chinese Army since 2015. Though the exact destination of the two Tibetan nationals and their final motive is not yet known, they are being interrogated for more leads. Twenty Indian Army personnel, including a Colonel, were killed in the clashes with the Chinese troops in the Galwan Valley in eastern Ladakh on the night of June 15-16. While China has acknowledged casualties on their side, it has not specified the numbers. Beijing has not made any official statement on the casualties suffered by the People's Liberation Army during the face-off with the Indian Army. India, on its part, categorically rejected Beijings untenable claims regarding the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and said that it contradicts its earlier stand on the issue. The Minister of External Affairs claimed that since early May 2020, the Chinese side has been hindering India's normal, traditional patrolling pattern in the area. Since early May 2020, Chinese have been hindering India's normal patrolling pattern in the area. This resulted in face-off which was addressed by ground commanders. We don't accept the contention that India was unilaterally changing status quo, we were maintaining it, the MEA spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said. He also added that the Indian troops are fully familiar with the alignment of the LAC in all sectors of India-China border areas, including the GalwanValley. They abide by it scrupulously here, as they do elsewhere. The MEA Spokesperson also categorically rejected Chinas claim that India was unilaterally changing the status quo. Taking further retaliatory steps, The Narendra Modi government on Monday imposed a ban on 59 Chinese mobile Apps. Delhi: Delhi Police on Wednesday (July 1, 2020) arrested two absconding criminals who were allegedly involved in seven cases after a firefight in national capital's south-west district in Chhawla. The Delhi Police laid a trap after they got a tip that the two criminals, Vikas and Brijesh were in Kakrola in Chhawla. The two criminals were seen in a car at around 6:30 PM on Wednesday and were asked to pull-over but they didn't stop and fired at the police personnel. In reply, the Delhi Police had to shoot at them and injured both. Vikas and Brijesh were reportedly shot on their legs and are admitted in a hospital now. They were involved in seven cases, out of which 4 were of murder and robbery in Haryana and 3 cases of extortion in Delhi's Dwarka. They had also recently shot at a jeweller in Najafgarh and tried to loot him. NEW DELHI: Former Attorney General of India (AG) Mukul Rohatgi has refused to represent the Chinese video-sharing platform TikTok in court and challenge the ban imposed by the Centre on 59 mobile applications linked to China in the aftermath of the Galwan Valley face-off in Ladakh. According to reports, Rohatgi had said that he will not represent a Chinese company and challenge the ban imposed on it by the Government of India amid ongoing 'tense times'. The former senior Supreme Court lawyer further stated that he is not willing to represent TikTok in the court as he does not wish to appear for a Chinese company and argue against the government during ''such tense times.'' India had on June 29 banned the apps with Chinese links, including hugely popular TikTok and UC Browser, saying that they were "engaged in activities which are prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India, the security of the state and public order". The list of apps that have been banned also includes Helo, Likee, Cam Scanner, SHAREit, WeChat, Vigo Video, Mi Video Call - Xiaomi, Clash of Kings as well as e-commerce platforms Club Factory and Shein. However, the government has said that the ban is interim, and the concerned heads will be given an opportunity to clarify their positions. Government agencies had noted that these apps were engaging in activities which are prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India, the security of the state and public order. Among the banned apps, TikTok has over 200 million users in India, as it had become especially popular in suburban India launching several people into overnight online fame. They had even carefully curated a community surrounding it and catered to demands relating to personalities. E-commerce platforms like Club Factory and Shein are also widely popular in India. CamScanner and SHAREit were two other popular utility apps that people widely used for scanning documents and the rapid sharing of files, respectively. In its first response after the ban, TikTok said that it was complying with the 'interim order' and that it would meet concerned government stakeholders for an 'opportunity to respond and submit clarifications'. Twenty Indian Army personnel, including a Colonel, were killed in the clashes with the Chinese troops in the Galwan Valley in eastern Ladakh on the night of June 15-16. While China has acknowledged casualties on their side, it has not specified the numbers. Beijing has not made any official statement on the casualties suffered by the People's Liberation Army during the face-off with the Indian Army. India, on its part, categorically rejected Beijings untenable claims regarding the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and said that it contradicts its earlier stand on the issue. The Minister of External Affairs claimed that since early May 2020, the Chinese side has been hindering India's normal, traditional patrolling pattern in the area. Since early May 2020, Chinese have been hindering India's normal patrolling pattern in the area. This resulted in face-off which was addressed by ground commanders. We don't accept the contention that India was unilaterally changing status quo, we were maintaining it, the MEA spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said. He also added that the Indian troops are fully familiar with the alignment of the LAC in all sectors of India-China border areas, including the Galwan Valley. They abide by it scrupulously here, as they do elsewhere. The MEA Spokesperson also categorically rejected Chinas claim that India was unilaterally changing the status quo. Taking further retaliatory steps, the Narendra Modi government on Monday imposed a ban on 59 Chinese mobile Apps. New Delhi: Indra Mani Pandey has been appointed as the next Indian envoy to United Nations bodies and other international organisations in Geneva. He will represent India in more than 25 important organisation of the UN in Geneva including World Health Organisation (WHO) and the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC). He will have an important task at hand given the fact calls are growing for reforms at the WHO due to its failure to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic. India was appointed as the chair of the executive committed of the WHO in 2020 at the world health assembly. New Delhi was among the more than 60 countries who back a resolution that called for finding the source of COVID-19 crisis. Pandey will also represent India at International Labour Organisation, Universal Postal Union, one of the oldest arm of UN that even predates UN, International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), International Organization for Standardization (ISO), World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), World Intellectual Property Organisation, International Parliamentary Union, United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Pandey an Arabic speaker has served in Cairo, Syria in initial days and was later first Secretary in Islamabad, Kabul and in Geneva at the Mission to Conference on Disarmament. He has also severed as India's consul general in Guangzhou, Deputy chief of mission in Paris DCM Paris, Ambassador to Muscat. His last posting was as AS in the D & ISA Division. The previous envoy to these UN bodies in Geneva was Rajiv K Chander who has completed his three-year-team. Under his leadership, India was able to successfully thwart Pakistani attempt to rake Kashmir at Human Rights Council after the abrogation of Article 370 that removed special status for the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir in August 2019. Pakistani FM had himself reached to UNHRC calling for a special session, something that did not get much of a support. New Delhi: India has spoken on the situation in Hong Kong for the first time saying it has taken note of "several statements expressing concerns on these developments". India was making a statement at the 3rd Meeting of the 44th Regular Session Human Rights Council. Given the large Indian community that makes the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of China it is home, India has been keeping a close watch on recent developments," India's envoy to UN bodies in Geneva Rajiv Kumar Chander said. He added, "We have heard several statements expressing concern on these developments. We hope the relevant parties will take into account these views and address them properly, seriously and objectively." Earlier this week, China passed the controversial security law clamping down freedom in hong kong. The first arrest was made under the new law on Wednesday. Indian and Chinese militaries on Tuesday (June 30) held an over 12-hour Corps Commander-level talks with the focus being on defining the details of disengagement of troops from various standoff points in Ladakh. The was the third round of Corps Commander-level talks between the two countries to resolve the ongoing tensions at the Line of Actual Control (LAC). The talks between the commander of the Leh-based 14 Corps Lieutenant General Harinder Singh and commander of the South Xinjiang military region Major General Liu Lin took place even as as tensions continue between India and China after the violent face-off between Indian and Chinese troops on June 15 which resulted in the martyrdom of 20 Indian soldiers. "There are four pockets of friction right now," sources told Zee Media. It may be recalled that both sides had agreed on disengagement after the meeting of corps commander on June 6 but China attempted to unilaterally change the situation on the ground which led to the violent face-off between the forces of the two countries on June 15 in Galwan Valley. "Concentration and mobilisation of troops continues and hasnt shown signs of abating," sources said, highlighting that it will be "a long haul, well into the winter". The 2nd round of corps commander meet happened on June 22 but it also failed to reduce the tension between the two countries. Diplomatic talks are also expected to happen soon. During the 15th round of Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China Border Affairs last week, both sides agreed to maintain communication both at diplomatic and military level under the framework of WMCC to resolve the existing situation peacefully. In a major development, India has received the first significant international response on its decision, to ban 59 Chinese apps, from the US. Mike Pompeo, the US Secretary of State, has supported India's action against China, saying that India's clean app approach will strengthen its national security, sovereignty and unity. The US has also followed India's path and has taken major actions against some Chinese companies. The border tension between India and China escalated on June 15 when 20 Indian Army personnel were martyred after violent clashes with Chinese troops along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Galwan Valley of eastern Ladakh. After the ban on 59 Chinese apps, India on Wednesday (July 1) took two more decisions that are likely to cause economic injury to China. The first decision is that India will no longer give entry to Chinese companies in its highway projects. The second decision taken by the Ministry of Communications cancelled the 4G Upgradation tender of BSNL, the state-run telecom company. The new tender will be released in the next two weeks and it will exclude Chinese companies that provide equipment for network upgradation. Let us explain in details about the decision for the highway projects. Union Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari clearly stated that India will not allow Chinese companies to participate in highway projects. In addition, if a Chinese company makes a joint venture with a company in India and wants to acquire a road construction contract, then India will not allow it. The Ministry of Road Transport will soon formulate a new policy, which will have rules banning Chinese companies and relaxation in regulations for domestic companies, which will give more opportunities to domestic companies in big projects. India is now going to ensure that Chinese companies don't get a chance in its infrastructure projects. Foreign investment will be welcomed, but doors will be closed from all sides for Chinese investment. Notably, Chinese companies have been very interested in India's infrastructure projects. By 2020, China had planned to invest around Rs 1.5 lakh crore in the field of infrastructure be it in highways or railways. Many big Chinese companies in infrastructure have been looking at India as a big market. If China doesn't mend its ways then it will get a befitting reply from every side, be it along the border or in trade. If China has been troubled by the ban on some apps, then one can only imagine what will happen to China now when India is taking tough decisions one after another in the matter of trade. India has also made it clear that in order to increase the capacity of small industries of the country, it will seek help from investors of other countries on technology and research, but will keep the Chinese investors away from this area too. In 2019, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said that Rs 100 lakh crore will be spent only on infrastructure by 2024. Let us now explain how India has responded economically to what China has done at the border. There have been decisions to snatch up Chinese companies' business in the railways and telecom sectors. As such, state telecom companies have already been told not to buy equipment from Chinese companies to upgrade the network and private telecom companies asked to reduce their dependence on Chinese companies. Several large Chinese companies have reviewed the contracts of signalling systems and underground corridors in several railway projects, and have indicated signs of cancellation. For example, the Shanghai Tunnel Engineering Company of China had received a contract of around Rs 1,500 crore to build the underground portion of the rapid rail project between Delhi and Meerut. Apart from this, the government had made a new rule for its E-Marketplace i.e. GEM, in which any seller will have to tell the country of origin of the goods to sell the goods on the E-Marketplace. The effect of this decision will be that people who used to import goods from China and sell it on the government's E-Marketplace- GEM will be discouraged and this will give a boost to Make in India. When Chinese companies were doing economic encroachments around the world and increasing their stake in companies that were weakened during the coronavirus pandemic, India also changed its FDI rules. It was decided that any company and individual of the countries that have borders with India will have to take government approval before investing in any area of India. This decision also troubled China at that time. There is another major reason why China is upset with the ban on 59 Chinese apps in India. China envisions itself as the global tech power but this small step of India is destroying China's dream. India on Wednesday declared nine Khalistani terrorists in designated terror list under the provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) (UAPA) Act. "Reinforcing the commitment to strengthening national security and Modi Governments policy of zero tolerance to terrorism, Union Home Ministry under the leadership of Home Minister Amit Shah today declared nine individuals as designated terrorists under provisions of UAPA Act," said an official release. "These individuals are involved in various acts of terrorism from across the border and from foreign soil. They have been relentless in their nefarious efforts of destabilizing the country, by trying to revive militancy in Punjab through their anti-national activities and through their support to and involvement in the Khalistan Movement," added the release. The terrorists are-- 1. Wadhawa Singh Babbar: Pakistan based Chief of terrorist organization, Babbar Khalsa International. 2. Lakhbir Singh: Pakistan based Chief of terrorist organization, International Sikh Youth Federation. 3. Ranjeet Singh: Pakistan based Chief of terrorist organization, Khalistan Zindabad Force. 4. Paramjit Singh: Pakistan based Chief of terrorist organization Khalistan Commando Force. 5. Bhupinder Singh Bhinda: Germany based key member of terrorist organization, Khalistan Zindabad Force. 6. Gurmeet Singh Bagga: Germany based key member of terrorist organisation, Khalistan Zindabad Force. 7. Gurpatwant Singh Pannun: USA based key member of Unlawful Association, Sikh for Justice. 8. Hardeep Singh Nijjar: Canada based Chief of Khalistan Tiger Force. 9. Paramjit Singh: United Kingdom-based Chief of terrorist organization, Babbar Khalsa International. It added, "Under the strong and iron-willed leadership of the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, the Central Government had amended the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 in August 2019, to include the provision of designating an individual as a terrorist. Prior to this amendment, only organizations could be designated as terrorist organizations." "The Union Home Minister, Amit Shah during the debate in Parliament last year (2019) on the amendment to the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, had strongly expressed the Modi Governments commitment to firmly fight the menace of terrorism and had unequivocally reaffirmed the nations resolve on this matter. By invoking the said amended provision, in September 2019, the Central Government designated four individuals as terrorists, viz. Maulana Masood Azhar, Hafeez Saeed, Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi and Dawood Ibrahim," it further added. Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-01 14:33:16|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close GUANGZHOU, July 1 (Xinhua) -- Despite the rain, customers formed a long line to buy bubble tea at Bliss Cake in Dongguan, a manufacturing hub in south China's Guangdong Province, on a weekend afternoon. Having disappeared during the COVID-19 outbreak in the past few months, bubble tea lovers have returned to the store, which saw its 17 tables fully occupied, and a long line in its takeaway-fetching area. "Our sales were depressed by COVID-19 for two months. But now we can see customers coming back as people gradually return to work and begin 'revenge buying' to cure the cabin fever," said Wen Shiming, marketing manager of Bliss Cake. Surrounded by factories and office buildings, this bubble tea store has been a gathering point of young workers, and its business offers a glimpse into local work resumption. Dubbed "world factory," the city of Dongguan features a sprawling manufacturing industry. It is a major supplier of smartphones, Barbie dolls, and pricey shoes in the global market. In recent years, the city witnessed the rise of the high-tech industry. Bubble tea, a popular beverage among young Chinese, is testimony to that trend. Data showed there are three bubble tea stores for every 2,000 Dongguan residents, compared with one coffee business for every 2,073 people in Berkeley, which a study ranked as the U.S. city with the most coffee shops per capita. Jian Weizhe, manager of My Caffe Life, another bubble tea shop, was once worried that COVID-19 would deal a deadly blow to the entire bubble tea business. As one of the largest bubble tea chains in Dongguan, My Caffe Life saw its sales volume in March plummet by 40 percent year on year. Much to Jian's relief, the chain's business rebounded in April and surpassed the year-earlier level in May, and the familiar long queues are making a comeback. That concurs with a general economic recovery in Guangdong, China's manufacturing heartland, after the waning of the epidemic. Official data showed economic activities in the province had rebounded in April to the same level last year, as businesses reopened and factories picked up steam. In Dongguan, retail tax invoicing increased by 10.5 percent year on year in May, indicating a smooth recovery in the retail sector hard hit by the epidemic. Huang Yaode, operating director of bubble tea chain store Teabucks Lab, said the revival of the bubble tea business is a vote of confidence from the public for the COVID-19 containment. "Consumers will only come out and take off their masks for a cup of tea if the epidemic has been contained. The crowded bubble tea stores are proof that everything is getting back on track," Huang said. Xu Bo, secretary-general of Dongguan's chain restaurant development and promotion association, agreed, saying bubble tea has become a socializing tool and part of everyday life for many Chinese. "Behind the rising sales of bubble tea stores is the rapid recovery of the society and the economy," he said. Enditem Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Wednesday said that India's digital journey focused on empowerment, inclusion and digital transformation and its positive impact is being felt in all aspects of the lives of Indian citizens. While addressing a video conference marking the celebration of 5 years journey of Digital India Programme, he stated that in the current pandemic scenario, thanks to JAM trinity (Jan Dhan, Aadhaar and Mobile), people are able to work from home. He added that people are able to make digital payment, students are able to learn through TV, mobile and laptop, patients are able to take teleconsultation, and farmers in remote corner of India is able to get PM-KISAN benefits directly in their bank accounts. The conference was organised by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology to celebrate five years of Digital India progressing towards Digital Bharat--Aatma Nirbhar Bharat. The Digital India journey in the past 5 years has centred around empowerment, inclusion, digital transformation. It has positively impacted all aspects of the lives of Indian citizens identity management through Aadhaar, Direct Benefit Transfer, Common Services Centres, DigiLocker, mobile-based UMANG services, participatory governance through MyGov, Jeevan Pramaan, to UPI, Ayushman Bharat, e-Hospital, PM-Kisan, e-NAM, Soil Health Cards, SWAYAM, SWAYAM PRABHA, National Scholarship Portal, e-Pathshala, and so on. A National AI Portal and Responsible AI for Youth was launched recently to lay the foundation for an AI-powered future. Digital Indias initiatives have also played a pivotal role during the CoVID-19 situation, such as Aarogya Setu, E-Sanjeevani, sensitisation through MyGov and Social media platforms etc. Pointing out that the number of e-Services has increased from 2,463 in 2014 to 3,858 till May 2020 and daily average electronic transactions have increased from 66 lakh in 2014 to 16.3 crore in 2020, the Union Minister shared that Aadhaar has been issued to 125.7 crore residents and 4,216 crore authentications have been facilitated. Direct Benefit Transfer to the tune of Rs 11.1 lakh crore has been disbursed for 426 schemes from 56 Ministries and has led to the saving of Rs 1.7 lakh crore due. Jan Dhan Accounts have reached 38.73 crore beneficiaries, with a total of Rs 1.33 lakh crore in beneficiaries bank accounts. Mobile and internet connections are being used by 117 crore and 68.8 crore users, respectively. DigiLocker, launched on July 1, 2015, has 378 crore issued documents. Unified Mobile App for New-Age Governance (UMANG) has 860+ services operational and more than 3 Crore downloads have taken place, he further added. MyGov has been launched to facilitate participatory governance in the country, with a total of 1.17 Crore registered participants, while facilitating the Mann Ki Baat of the Prime Minister. Emphasizing Digital Indias initiatives during the COVID-19 situation, such as Aarogya Setu for its ground-breaking development time of 3 weeks and localisation in 12 Indian languages with 13 crore downloads, with additional 3 crores for Kai OS, he informed that it has helped identify over 350 COVID-19 hotspots. He further said that sensitization through MyGov and Social Media Platforms have played a crucial role in tackling the pandemic through user-friendly graphics, video, quotes to citizens through the MyGov website and through all social media channels such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Linkedln, Telegram, and Youtube. He also spoke briefly about other initiatives such as E-Sanjeevani, SAMHAR-COVID-19, Ayush Sanjivani Mobile app, and VC and e-Office. While concluding, he reiterated that Digital Indias achievements can be attributed to the united efforts of Central Government, State Governments, Industries and Academia, all key parts of Team India. Lastly, he stated that Indias talent pool of skilled people, technology prowess and geopolitical advantages are poised to make India an inspiring country in the 21st Century for the welfare of Indians and the world. During the event, a panel discussion was held regarding public digital platforms. Shri Ajay Sawhney, Secretary, MeitY spoke about Building Digital Government Platforms for the Digital Economy of the Future.Shri Nandan Nilekani, Non-Executive Chairman, Infosys, spoke about the relevance and success of public-private partnership models in e-Government Development, where he touched four dimensions-Government as an enabler of technology, as a customer of Technology, as a platform provider and the Government as a collaborator to provide solutions. He congratulated Honble Minister on the successful implementation of Digital India in the country. The building of Aatma Nirbhar Digital Systems also deliberated extensively. AatmaNirbharta or Self-Reliance implies the development of in-house capacity and capability to drive economic and social development of the country. New Delhi: India celebrates National Doctor's Day on July 1 every year, on this day doctors across the country are honoured for their relentless service. This day is like a tribute to all medical and healthcare professionals who have attended to patients and did their bit for the society irrespective of all odds. The National Doctor's Day is celebrated in the memory of Dr. Bidhan Chandra Roy, a former Chief Minister of West Bengal and a well-known physician. He was born on July 1, 1882 and died on the same date in 1962, aged 80 years. Dr Roy was honoured with the countrys highest civilian award, Bharat Ratna, on February 4, 1961. In 1991, India started celebrating the National Doctor's Day in honour of Dr Roy as a great physician. Though, Doctors Day is observed on different dates across the world, in the United States it is observed on the March 30, on the August 23 in Iran and in Cuba on December 3. While this year, due to the coronavirus COVID-19 outbreak, it has been particularly hard on medical professionals. The hard work and dedication of the doctors since the start of the pandemic has been praise worthy. Days after India announced its decision to 59 Chinese apps, Prime Minister Narendra Modi decided to quit Sina Weibo, a Chinese micro-blogging website, which he had joined a few years ago. On Wednesday, PM's account went blank after his profile photo, posts and comments were removed from the handle. For VIP accounts, Weibo has a more complex procedure to quit which is why the official process was initiated. However, there was great delay in granting this basic permission. PM Modi had 115 posts on Weibo and it was decided to manually delete them. After much effort, 113 posts were removed. The two posts left are posts where PM has photos with Chinese President Xi Jinping. On Weibo, it is difficult to remove posts with the photo of their President which is why the two posts still remain. The border tension between the countries escalated on June 15 when 20 Indian Army personnel were martyred after violent clashes with Chinese troops along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Galwan Valley of eastern Ladakh. After the June 15 clashes, while China has acknowledged casualties on their side, it has not specified the numbers. Beijing has not made any official statement on the casualties suffered by the People's Liberation Army during the face-off with the Indian Army. India, on its part, categorically rejected Beijings untenable claims regarding the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and said that it contradicts its earlier stand on the issue. The Minister of External Affairs claimed that since early May 2020, the Chinese side has been hindering India's normal, traditional patrolling pattern in the area. Since early May 2020, Chinese have been hindering India's normal patrolling pattern in the area. This resulted in face-off which was addressed by ground commanders. We don't accept the contention that India was unilaterally changing status quo, we were maintaining it, the MEA spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said. He also added that the Indian troops are fully familiar with the alignment of the LAC in all sectors of India-China border areas, including the GalwanValley. They abide by it scrupulously here, as they do elsewhere. The MEA Spokesperson also categorically rejected Chinas claim that India was unilaterally changing the status quo. Taking further retaliatory steps, The Narendra Modi government on Monday imposed a ban on 59 Chinese mobile Apps. New Delhi: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has booked Sanjay Bhandari, the alleged arms dealer and close aide of Robert Vadra, for corruption in procuring contract for a DFCU project of OPAL at Dahej in Gujarat. According to reports, Bhandari is alleged to have received about USD 50 lakh from Korean company Samsung Engineering Co Ltd to influence officials in granting a contract for a DFCU project of OPAL at Dahej. The central probe agency has also named the then Senior Manager of Samsung Engineering Co Ltd (SECL) Hong Namkoong, UK-based Foster Wheeler Energy Ltd and Bhandari's UAE-based company Santech International FZC besides unidentified officials of the ONGC and its special vehicle ONGC Petro Additions Ltd (OPAL) for alleged corruption. Bhandari, who is under scanner in connection with a number of defence deals is believed to be residing in London currently. The CBI has alleged that Bhandari as Director of Santech International entered into a criminal conspiracy with SECL by charging a consultancy fee of USD 49.99 lakh from it, in violation of the integrity clause in the contract agreement between the Korean major and OPAL. The alleged consultancy fee was received in overseas accounts of Santech International, the agency claimed. The agency has alleged that the consultancy charges were understood to be bribes for public officials to swing the contract for OPAL's Dual Fuel Cracker unit to be set at Dahej Petrochemical complex in Gujarat in the favour of SECL. The CBI has earlier registered a case against unknown officials of Indian Air Force, Ministry of Defence, Sanjay Bhandari and Swiss-based Pilatus Aircraft on charges of irregularities and corruption in the Pilatus Aircraft Alleged kickbacks to the tune of Rs 339 crores in the procurement of 75 basic trainer aircraft in 2009 in connection with the deal are under the scanner of the CBI. Significantly, Vadra has not been named in the FIR in connection with the Pilatus case, however, the CBI move against Bhandari could prove to be troublesome for Vadra brother-in-law of Congress president Rahul Gandhi who is said to be close to Bhandari. In March this year, the Enforcement Directorate had stated in a Delhi court that the probe had revealed that Rs 300 crores kickbacks were allegedly paid by Swiss aerospace firm Pilatus to Bhandari, for winning the contract for the basic trainer jets for the Ministry of Defence. ED has alleged that the kickbacks were transferred to Sanjay Bhandaris accounts in a Singapore Bank from where it was transferred to his Dubai account. As per the probe agency, the kickbacks received by Bhandari were used to buy several properties in London worth 12 million pounds for Vadra. A terrorist was killed as the Army foiled an infiltration bid by a group of terrorists along the Line of Control (LoC) in Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday (July 1) morning. Sources said that based on specific intelligence inputs from Jammu and Kashmir police, a joint operation was launched close to LoC in Keri area of Bhimber Gali Sector in Rajouri district. Some terrorists were spotted crossing the LoC and alert troops of Indian Army foiled the infiltration bid resulting in killing of one Terrorist. The terrorists were intercepted by the security forces when they entered 400 metres into this side from across the LoC around 5: 55 AM. One AK-47 with two magazines were recovered from the eliminated terrorist. The search operation to track down other terrorists was in progress. On Wednesday, terrorists also attacked a CRPF patrolling party in Sopore area of Jammu and Kashmir . The troops of G/179 CRPF along with Jammu and Kahsmir police while placing 'naka' were attacked by terrorists at 7:35 am which was retaliated promptly. According to reports, one CRPF personnel died while three got injured after the terrorists opened fire at them. It is learnt that two of the injured CRPF personnel are in criticial condition. One civilian also died in the attack. The injured were admitted to a hospital. "Terrorists attacked a naka party at Model town in Sopore. Injuries to some Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) jawans and a civilian reported. Area cordoned off and search operation started," said Dilbag Singh, DGP Jammu & Kashmir Police. Terrorists attacked a CRPF patrolling party in Sopore area of Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday (July 1). The troops of G/179 CRPF along with Jammu and Kahsmir police while placing 'naka' were attacked by terrorists at 7:35 am which was retaliated promptly. According to reports, one CRPF personnel died while three got injured after the terrorists opened fire at the CRPF team. It is learnt that two of the injured CRPF personnel are in criticial condition. One civilian also died in the attack. The injured have been admitted to a hospital. "Terrorists attacked a naka party at Model town in Sopore. Injuries to some Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) jawans and a civilian reported. Area cordoned off and search operation started," said Dilbag Singh, DGP Jammu & Kashmir Police. Security forces have cordoned off the area and launched a search operation to hunt down the terrorists. Kolkata: BJP MP Dilip Ghosh was attacked in Kolkata's Newtown on Wednesday, also he vehicles of both Ghosh and his security personnel were attacked. He has been taken to the house of a BJP worker. Ghosh was going to organise a discussion on 'chai pe charcha' event and was accompanied by some of his party supporters. It is alleged that some Trinamool activists reached the spot tried to cause chaos, they even got into a scuffle with Ghosh. It is also alleged that TMC workers vandalised several vehicles of BJP and broke the glass of their cars. The BJP MP has accused Trinamool Congress leader Mohsin Ghazi to be behind the incident. While TMC leader Tapas Chatterjee claimed that he did not know of any such incident and accused BJP of spreading unrest. Meanwhile, Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chaudhary condemned the attack on Dilip Ghosh. He said that there are political differences with Ghosh but as a political leader such attacks are condemned in strong language. MUMBAI: The Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi government in Maharashtra has tightened the security arrangements in Mumbai and elsewhere in view of the recent terror attack on the Karachi Stock Exchange and threat calls received by Taj Group Hotels. Sharing more information, Anil Deshmukh, Home Minister of Maharashtra, said, We have beefed the security of vital installations in Mumbai and elsewhere in the state after the recent terror attack on the Karachi Stock Exchange and the threat calls made to the Taj Hotels here. Deshmukh further said, 12 years after India's worst terror attack on Mumbai, Taj Mahal Palace has received a terror threat from Karachi. I've had detailed discussions on beefing up security arrangements with both Maharashtra DGP and Mumbai Commissioner of Police. It may be recalled that Taj Hotels located in Mumbai's Colaba and Bandra had received a threat call from Karachi, Pakistan on Monday. The threat call was reportedly made from a Pakistani number during which the caller threatened to blow the iconic hotels. The security around the iconic hotels in Bandra and Colaba, which was among the key targets of Pakistani terrorists during the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack, was beefed up. Mumbai Police was told to be on high alert after Monday's Karachi exchange terror attack. Further, as part of the enhanced anti-terror measures, security outside the Taj Hotels and other vital installations was increased. Pakistan's Stock Exchange building in Karachi's Chundrigar Road came under attack on Monday morning as four terror suspects tried to storm into the building. The Baloch Liberation Army claimed responsibility for the attack. Two security guards and a police officer were killed in the attack, along with all four terrorists. According to Karachi IG, the attackers were reportedly wearing clothes usually worn by police officials while they are off-duty. New Delhi: Superstar Aamir Khan on Wednesday said that his mother has tested negative for coronavirus. The development comes a day after some members of his staff were found to be coronavirus-positive. "I am most relieved to inform everyone that Ammi is COVID-19 negative. Thank you everyone for your prayers and good wishes," Aamir tweeted this afternoon. Hello everyone, I am most relieved to inform everyone that Ammi is Covid 19 negative. Thank you everyone for your prayers and good wishes Love. a. Aamir Khan (@aamir_khan) July 1, 2020 On Tuesday, the 55-year-old actor had informed that while he and the other members of his family tested negative, the reports for his mother's test were awaited. "This is to inform you that some of my staff have tested positive. They were immediately quarantined, and BMC officials were very prompt and efficient in taking them to a medical facility. I would like to thank the BMC for taking such good care of them, and for fumigating and sterilising the entire society," Aamir said in a statement. "The rest of us have all been tested and found negative. Right now, I am taking my mother to get her tested. She is the last person in the loop. Please pray that she is negative," he added. On the work front, Aamir will next be seen 'Laal Singh Chaddha', an official remake of Tom Hanks' 1994 feature 'Forrest Gump'. Kareena Kapoor Khan stars opposite Aamir in this Advait Chandan-directed film. 'Laal Singh Chaddha' is scheduled to hit the screens in December. New Delhi: In the wake of the deadly novel coronavirus outbreak, film and television shoots were halted for more than two months beginning March this year. But now life is getting back to normal slowly, film shoots have begun with proper social distancing and masks in place. Bollywood actor Aftab Shivdasani was recently spotted shooting in Mumbai's Mira Road. He is apparently shooting for web series 'Poison 2'. Check out his picture here: Aftab happens to be the first B-Town star to begin the shoot post lockdown for the web series. He is playing a character called Aditya Singh Rathore the protagonist of the show. After lockdown, now is the time for Unlock 2.0 when more relaxations have been announced by the government. However, stress on following the guidelines and maintaining social distancing seems like the order of the day. Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-01 14:36:39|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close ULAN BATOR, July 1 (Xinhua) -- Two suspected cases of bubonic plague reported in Khovd province in western Mongolia have been confirmed by lab test results, the country's health ministry said Wednesday. The confirmed cases are a 27-year-old resident and his 17-year-old brother, who are being treated at two separate hospitals in their province, Dorj Narangerel, head of the public relations and surveillance department at the ministry, said at a press conference. The brothers ate marmot meat on Sunday, the health official said, warning people not to eat marmot meat. A total of 146 people who had contact with them have been isolated and treated at local hospitals, according to Narangerel. Bubonic plague is a bacterial disease that is spread by fleas living on wild rodents such as marmots. It can kill an adult in less than 24 hours if not treated in time, according to the World Health Organization. Enditem Mumbai: Composer Shantanu Moitra pf "Parineeta" recalled seeing actress Vidya Balan in a very vulnerable state when she was rejected 75 times for her starring role in the film. Directed by Pradeep Sarkar, "Parineeta" was an adaptation from the Bengali novella of the same name by Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay. The film also starred Saif Ali Khan, Sanjay Dutt and Dia Mirza. Looking back at the experience of working on the film, he said: "The fondest memory I have about Parineeta' is that of an incredible girl who was sitting with us at Vidhu Vinod Chopra's office We slowly became friends." "I asked her what she was doing and she said she was here for audition. I'm talking about Vidya Balan. This story is for those people who think that enough is enough, let's give up. The girl auditioned about 75 times and got rejected every single time. Can you imagine her self-worth? Then Pradeep would tell Vinod to try a new look because the previous one wasn't working. At that time, many top actresses were giving the same auditions as well and calling him for a role. Think about the pressure on that girl! I still remember the day after getting rejected for the 75th time, there was a Bryan Adams concert in Mumbai and she said that she was going for it. At that time, Pradeep said that let's do one last audition' and around 3:30, she quickly came and gave the test with the belief that it won't happen and after her test, she left for the concert," he added. Moitra continued: "The next part, I was the witness to since I was there to present our song Piya bole'. The song happened and things were going smooth when suddenly Pradeep opened the laptop and told Vinod that there is one more test. Vinod just took a look at it and said that they have finally found her, they found Parineeta. Now the deal was to call Vidya from the concert. Pradeep was calling Vidya but she was thinking about switching off the phone, thinking that the call was about a rejection. Someone texted her - Dude it's over, you are 'Parineeta'. I think she got the message and she walked outside, crying. She just kneeled and was sobbing because she had got the role. After that film, she became this amazing actress, strong woman but I have seen her in that vulnerable state when she was rejected 75 times." Talking about it, Vidya said: "I got the chance to work with Shantanu in Parineeta'. We were making an audio board for Parineeta and Dada said that there is this one scene where Saif says ek shabdh hai, put a tune to this' and I sing for the audio board. They said this and I followed instructions. Dada turned around and told Shantanu why don't we make her sing for this part? And Shantanu's face went blank. I asked them what was wrong and if I should try againbut there was no reaction on his face and that's when I realised that he hated the way I had sung." On the work front, Moitra will be seen recreating Amaal Mallik's "Sooraj Dooba Hain" on MX Player's "Times of Music". New Delhi: Ayushmann Khurrana's author wife, Tahira Kashyap and Sonali Bendre battled cancer like true blue warriors. Both documented each phase of their illness and shared it with fans and all those who need the inspiration to rise from any obstacle. National Doctors' Day is celebrated to appreciate and laud the efforts and contributions of doctors for their work. The date varies from country to country. In India, the National Doctors' Day is celebrated on July 1 to honour the legendary physician and the second Chief Minister of West Bengal, Dr Bidhan Chandra Roy, who was born on July 1, 1882, and died on the same date in 1962, aged 80 years. On National Doctors' Day 2020, Tahira took to Instagram and in a long personalised note thanking her doctors and medical staff, posted a picture from her last chemotherapy session. She wrote: I never knew #doctorsday even existed earlier, but my recent health ordeal has made me value all of them so much! This picture is from the day of my 12th and last chemotherapy session! Can never forget the date. 5 January 2019. The cotton swab on the shoulder blade is of the port. And the nurse in green is holding a box of chocolates that I had shared with them all, expressing my sincere gratitude! big thank you to my doctors especially Dr Mandar Nadkarni. Had this covid situation not been there I would have paid a visit to the doctors and nurses with another box of chocolates who really take care of all of us!No matter how many apples I have, I am never keeping the doctors away! #doctorsday #doctors #nurses #healthcareworkers #earlybreastcancerdetection #earlybreastcancerawareness In 2018, Tahira first shared on social media that she has DCIS (ductal carcinoma in situ) in her right breast with high-grade malignant cells but later was diagnosed with stage 1a cancer. She later shared pictures of her bald look after undergoing chemotherapy sessions. Sonali shared her Instagram story thanking the doctors and medical staff for their services in tough times like the deadly novel coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic. She underwent treatment in New York City for high-grade cancer which had metastasised. After spending a couple of months there, she returned to Mumbai hale and hearty. Kudos to Tahira and Sonali Bendre for being cancer warriors and giving it a tough fight! New Delhi: They are probably one of Tinseltown's most adorable couples, but how much do we really know about Richa Chadha and Ali Fazal? Besides a few details like they met on the sets of their film Fukrey and fell in love, the details about their love story are a well-kept secret as the couple always maintained a low profile barring a few instances. Now, in a gorgeous magazine shoot for Brides Today's June-July edition, the actors have talked about the story of how they went from best friends to life partners. The couple were due to get married in April but the wedding was pushed owing to the ongoing global pandemic. In their first-ever joint cover shoot together, weeks before the country went into lockdown, the couple paint a gorgeous picture together. Richa looks every bit as resplendent in her gorgeous lehengas, giving the world what a gorgeous bride she'd make and Ali looks his dapper best in his dulha attire. But all of it, what catches our eye is how happy they look, their eyes twinkling and hearts content. For fans, the highlight from the cover issue is the journey and their complete love story. New Delhi: In the latest development in actor Sushant Singh Rajput's death case, it has been learnt that he googled his name before suicide and read a few news articles on him. The primary forensic report of his mobile collected these details, sources revealed on Wednesday. Sushant died by suicide on June 14 in Mumbai. He was found hanging in his Bandra residence. The 34-year-old actor was said to be under stress and depression for some months. As per the forensic report, Sushant searched for his name on Google at 10.15 am on June 14. The Google search history of his phone reveals that he wrote 'Sushant Singh Rajput' on the website and read a few articles on his and some news reports. Mumbai Police is currently investigating the suicide case. Twenty-eight people, including members of his family, work associates, close friends and household staff, have been questioned so far. During the interrogation, some of Sushant's friends also informed the cops that he was in stress and felt that someone was trying to tarnish his image. The actor often used to discuss reports published about him in magazines and newspapers with his team. Sushant's sudden demise has sent shockwaves across the country. His fans haven't yet been able to come to terms with his death. Meanwhile, the prevalence of nepotism in the industry is again the talk of the town. His final post-mortem report confirmed that he died by asphyxia due to hanging. The Mumbai Police also ruled any foul play in his suicide case. Sushant was the star of films such as 'Kai Po Che!', 'Shuddh Desi Romance', 'PK', 'Detective Byomkesh Bakshy!', 'MS Dhoni: The Untold Story', 'Raabta', 'Kedarnath', 'Sonchiriya' and 'Chhichhore'. He debuted in Bollywood after ruling the TV industry for years. New Delhi: Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput's shocking death by suicide has raised many eyebrows. Leaving behind his family, fans and film fraternity grieving, the 34-year-old Sushant was found hanging at his Bandra residence on June 14, 2020. Actor Shekhar Suman recently visited actor's family in Patna, Bihar and extended condolences. The veteran actor, along with Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader and former Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar Tejashwi Yadav conducted a press conference in Patna, raising some important concerns related to Sushant's untimely death, demanding CBI enquiry in the case. ALSO READ: Sushant Singh Rajput's viscera report found negative for suspicious chemicals, poison However, the family has expressed its displeasure over the banner which was used during the press con, making it a political gimmick. Incidentally, soon after the presser, Shekhar Suman joined RJD. The actor previously contested elections in Bihar from a Congress ticket. The family maintains, "Everything is under investigation in Mumbai and giving media byte in Patna under the political banner is just for political mileage. Family is capable enough to demand all this and keep doing and waiting for police investigation report hence any kind of politics and political intervention not needed. There are already political people in the family who will take this up." No one from the family was informed about this press conference. ALSO READ: Sushant Singh Rajput case: Sanjana Sanghi records statement, Shekhar Kapur to be interrogated soon Also, the family is unhappy with actor's so-called friend Sandip Ssingh, who soon after Sushant's death spoke to the media that there is nothing suspicious and we all think is all wrong, giving a clean chit to everyone in the film fraternity. During the presser, Sandip shared the dais with Tejashvi Yadav and Shekhar Suman. In the press conference, Shekhar Suman talked about gangism in Bollywood and how Sushant changed 50 sim cards. There are a few questions raising doubts: When Sandip had already given clean chit Bollywood personalities then why did he again go to the media through Shekhar Suman? Is he somehow trying to defend big personalities of Bollywood? Was the family informed about the press conference? If yes, then why no one was invited from his family? This all together creates doubt because social media is flooded with Sandip Ssingh interrogation request. In India, if you do Jatt Andolan and Maratha Aandolan and reservation protest, the government will listen to you but when millions of people requesting to probe through CBI why government not listening to it. Is the government also in some pressure? Meanwhile, Mumbai police is currently investigating the case and have so far recorded the statement of 28 people. The CB-CID, tasked with probing the death of a father-son duo who were allegedly thrashed by the police in Tamil Nadu's Tuticorin, arrested a policeman, the main accused, on Wednesday. It have altered the FIR against the six cops of the Sathankulam Police Station and added IPC section 302. The accused, Sub-Inspector Raguganesh, was arrested and being remanded. It will also form special teams to arrest the remaining policemen. The death of P Jayaraj (father) and J Fennix (son) took place in police custody in Tamil Nadu's Thoothukudi district. Jayaraj and Femm, aka Fennix, were booked for not closing their mobile shop in time on June 19 by the Sathankulam police. They were remanded in judicial custody and lodged in Kovilpatti jail on June 21. Jayaraj died on June 22 night and his son Fennix (Benicks) on June 23 morning in judicial custody. The Madras High Court had on June 30 directed the investigating agency's Tirunelveli DSP Anil Kumar to probe the death of the two traders. CB-CID officials led by Kumar conducted enquiries with the family members of the deceased, besides in the locality where the duo ran their cellphone shop. CB-CID sleuths also visited the Sathankulam police station, since brought under the Revenue department as directed by the High Court. The incident had triggered a nationwide furore, leading to the suspension of five policemen, including an inspector and two Sub-Inspectors. The Madras High Court had directed a CB-CID probe into the matter although the state government had transferred the case to the CBI. Chennai: Following the death of six contractual workers and injuries for 17 others at the government-run Neyveli Power Station in Tamil Nadu, Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami on Wednesday announced a solatium for the next of kin and financial aid for those injured. The CM issued a statement expressing condolences and announcing Rs three lakh ex-gratia for the kind of workers who lost their lives, Rs one lakh financial aid for those who suffered serious injuries and Rs 50,000 for those who suffered minor injuries. The company has also suspended the Unit Head of the plant and has ordered an enquiry, besides ordering shut, a specific portion of the plant, Wednesdays blast at the government-run power station is the second to have occurred over the last three months. Previously, a blast that occurred in the month of May had killed 5 workers and injured 3 others. The blast is said to have happened at around 10am and pictures and videos from the site show thick black smoke emanating from the site. While Wednesdays blast was reported from the 5th unit and the May incident was from the 4th unit of the Thermal Power Station 2. Boilers need to be handled with high amount of care and caution, the two recent blasts in quick succession indicate poor maintenance. This shows that the management is not focussed on the safe operation of the plant. As a highly profitable company, NLC can surely afford better maintenance. Such a major explosion does not happen all by itself, as minor problems would have manifested itself earlier and questions must be raised about the regular safety audit and inspection Nityanand Jayaraman of the Chennai Solidarity Group told WION. A statement from Neyveli Lignite corporation said that the blast had occurred in the Unit V of teh Thermal power Station II, while it was shut down and maintenance activities were being carried out. A fire broke out in the boiler area subsequent to an explosion resulting in injuries to the NLCIL maintenance team comprising one Executive, two supervisors, three non-executive employees and seventeen contract workmen read the statement. The statement added that six workmen succumbed on the spot, while the seventeen others were rushed to the NLCIL Hospital. After, initial treatment sixteen of them have been sent to the Apollo hospital in Chennai for higher speciality treatment. The company also added that they were looking into the cause of the accident by appointing committees. "A high enquiry headed by PK Mohapatra, Retired Director(Technical)m, NTPC has been ordered into the cause of the accident, apart from en internal enquiry committee with senior executives headed by Director (Power) NLCIL. The unit head of TPS-II has been placed under suspension pending enquiry by the management. All the four units of 210MW each of TPS-II stage-II have been ordered shut for immediate safety audit, said the company release. New Delhi: Centre has decided to cancel the 4G upgradation tenders of state-owned Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) and Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Ltd (MTNL). The 4G upgradation tenders have been cancelled by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT). New tenders regarding the same will be floated that is expected to emphasise on make in India by domestic technology companies. It may be recalled that in June 2020, the Department of Telecom (DoT) had asked both BSNL and MTNL to not use Chinese telecom equipment for its 4G upgradation. The department has even been contemplating measures to urge private telecom operators to bring down their dependence on Chinese-made telecom equipment. Huawei and ZTE are among the Chinese-origin telecom equipment makers that are doing business in the Indian market. Meanwhile, the government, it is learnt, may re-think its information and communications technology (ICT) strategy for 5G rollout in the country with Chinese companies ZTE and Huawei. Tokyo: As face coverings become the norm amid the coronavirus pandemic, Japanese startup Donut Robotics has developed an internet-connected "smart mask" that can transmit messages and translate from Japanese into eight other languages. The white plastic "c-mask" fits over standard face masks and connects via Bluetooth to a smartphone and tablet application that can transcribe speech into text messages, make calls, or amplify the mask wearer`s voice. "We worked hard for years to develop a robot and we have used that technology to create a product that responds to how the coronavirus has reshaped society," said Taisuke Ono, the chief executive of Donut Robotics. Donut Robotics` engineers came up with the idea for the mask as they searched for a product to help the company survive the pandemic. When the coronavirus struck, it had just secured a contract to supply robot guides and translators to Tokyo`s Haneda Airport, a product that faces an uncertain future after the collapse of air travel. Donut Robotics` first 5,000 c-masks will be shipped to buyers in Japan starting in September, with Ono looking to sell in China, the United States and Europe too. There has been strong interest, he said. At about $40 per mask, Donut Robotics is aiming at a mass market that did not exist until a few months ago. One aim, he said, is to generate revenue from subscriber services offered via an app that users will download. Donut Robotics built a prototype connected mask within a month by adapting translation software developed for its robot and a mask design that one of the company`s engineers, Shunsuke Fujibayashi, created four years ago for a student project to interpret speech by mapping face muscles. Ono raised 28 million yen ($260,000) for development by selling Donut Robotics shares through Japanese crowdfunding site Fundinno. "We raised our initial target of 7 million yen within three minutes and stopped after 37 minutes when we had reached 28 million yen," he said. KOLKATA: A day after the Narendra Modi-led NDA government at the Centre banned at least 59 Chinese Apps, the Calcutta High Court has now prohibited the usage of Chinese manjha (a type of nylon thread coated with powdered glass used for flying kites). The decision was taken after multiple accidents and deaths were reported throughout the Kolkata city due to use of the Chinese manjha in kite flying. It may be noted that several fatalities have occurred in the city and other parts of the country last couple of months with some bikers got suffered injuries in the neck and face after being entangled in the Chinese majha used for flying kites. Several state governments had earlier banned the use of Chinese manja, a nylon thread coated with powdered glass, as it poses threat to humans and other living beings and has led to many fatalities. Despite a ban, there has been limited awareness and subsequent decrease in its use across the country. The bikers continue to suffer as they entangled in the Chinese manjha mostly on their neck and face leading to serious wounds. According to kite sellers, the Chinese manja is costlier than the normal cotton strings and is mostly imported from cities like Hyderabad, Delhi, Surat and Bangalore and is sold illegally in other states. The AAP government in Delhi had earlier imposed a ban on manufacture, sale, use and purchase of Chinese manja, alleging that it is razor-sharp and had caused several deaths across the country as it is capable of cutting human flesh. A petitioner, Zulfiqar Hussain, had alleged in his plea that earlier the victims of the synthetic thread were birds, but now humans were also under threat and referred to the death of a 28-year-old man in East Delhi whose throat got slit allegedly by such a thread while he was riding a motorbike. Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-01 14:44:08|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close ULAN BATOR, July 1 (Xinhua) -- The ruling Mongolian People's Party (MPP) held a conference here on Wednesday to select a nominee for the country's prime minister. The MPP won a landslide victory in last week's parliamentary elections, taking 62 of 76 seats in the unicameral parliament or State Great Khural. According to Mongolia's constitution, the prime minister is nominated by a party that has the majority in the parliament. The country's incumbent Prime Minister Ukhnaa Khurelsukh is likely to be chosen and serve another term, according to sources. Enditem KOLKATA: A Class 12 student has developed the Indian alternate of banned Chinese video-sharing App TikTok in West Bengals Midnapore district. This new mobile application has been named Inosens. The newly-developed App is also available at Google Play Store. It may be recalled that the Indian government recently banned 59 mobile applications, most of them linked to China, as part of retaliatory measures in the backdrop of the recent violent face-off between the Indian and the Chinese troops in the Galwan Valley in eastern Ladakh. The governments move to ban the Chinese Apps came as a shock to the youth of India, who were creating millions of fans by putting their fun funny videos on the TikTok a hugely popular Chinese video-sharing App. But since nothing is above the motherland, the Indian followers of TikTok have found several Indian substitutes to the banned Chinese App. And in the process, a new desi app has come up which has been prepared by a Class 12 student Priyanshu Singh. Priyanshu Singh, studying in DAV Public School in Midnapore, thought of developing this App by sitting at home in the midst of lockdown. Priyanshu along with his friend Shivam Singh has developed this app on the lines of TikTok and Halo keeping in mind the cybersecurity laws. They have amd this App Inosens which has all the features that you find in Tik Tok and Halo. BJP MP Dilip Ghosh, who was present at the inauguration of this App, said, This is a very important step for self-reliant India and there is a dire need for such inventions and innovations to develop the substitutes for banned Chinese Apps which were a threat to national security. Amid the 'rising tension in the Indo-Pacific' region, the Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Wednesday (July 1, 2020) during the Australian governments 2020 defence strategic update cited the disputed border between India and China. "Tensions over territorial claims are rising across the Indo-Pacific region, as we have seen recently on the disputed border between India and China, and the South China Sea, and the East China Sea," said the Australian PM. He added, "The risk of miscalculation and even conflict is heightening. Regional military modernisation is occurring at an unprecedented rate. Capabilities and reach are expanding." PM Morrison referred to the ongoing border tension between India and China that escalated on June 15 when 20 Indian Army personnel were martyred after violent clashes with China's Peoples Liberation Army along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Galwan Valley of eastern Ladakh. PM Morrison while announcing Australia's defence plans stated that the 10-year funding model will enable the defence to deliver the strategy and the complex capabilities it requires to keep Australia safe. "The Indo-Pacific is where we live and we want an open, sovereign Indo-Pacific, free from coercion and hegemony. We want a region where all countries, large and small, can engage freely with each other and guided by international rules and norms," opined PM Morrison. "This will see capability investment grow to $270 billion over the next decade which is up from $195 billion we committed in the decade following the 2016 Defence White Paper," added PM Morrison. He said the 2024 structure plan includes plans for the acquisition or upgrade of up to 23 different classes of Navy and Army vessels, representing a total investment of almost $183 billion. He also added it will expand Australia's plans to acquire sophisticated maritime long-range missiles, air-launched strike and anti-ship weapons, as well as additional land-based weapons. "We are undertaking the biggest regeneration of our Navy since the Second World War and have charted the transition to a fifth-generation Air Force. This includes the F-35 Lightning Joint Strike Fighter, the most advanced Strike Fighter in the world. The Joint Strike Fighter will strengthen our high-tech industrial defence capability as well," added PM Morrison. He also said that it's not just China and the United States that will determine whether Indo-Pacific region stays on the path for free and open trade and that Australia along with Japan, India, the Republic of Korea, the countries of South-East Asia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam and the Pacific all have 'parts to play'. He mentioned that Australia needs to also prepare for a post-COVID world 'that is poorer, more dangerous, and is more disorderly'. A social media campaign has been launched with hashtag Long Live Dalai Lama (#LongLiveDalaiLama) to raise voice against Chinese efforts to legitimise its occupation of Tibet and it's evil design to discredit Dalai Lama. Twitterati hit out at China for its attempt to manipulate the holy institution of Panchen Lama. "Let us defeat Chinese efforts to legitimise the occupation of Tibet by destroying Buddhist institutions," said a Twitterati. It added, in the past, we witnessed Chinas manipulation of the holy institution of Panchen Lama. "Today China is again making attempts to discredit the spiritual institution of Dalai Lama, which has guided humanity for centuries! Let us pray together for a long life for Dalai Lama," it added. In a recent interview, the head of the Tibetan government in exile Lobsang Sangay had said that India should raise the Tibet issue in bilateral talks with China and make it one of its core issues. "Tibet is very important for China and Tibet is equally important for India. They (China and India) have so many bilateral talks, during those talks, given all these tensions, the Indian government should raise the issue of Tibet as well," Sangay had said. Dharamshala is home to the Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama as well as the CTA, often called the Tibetan government-in-exile. The Dalai Lama fled to India in 1959 amid an abortive uprising against the Chinese rule in his Himalayan homeland. Many leaders of Nepal`s ruling Communist Party asked Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli to resign with immediate effect, during a standing committee meeting of the party on Tuesday. The senior leaders, including co-chair Pushpa Kamal Dahal, Madhav Nepal, Jhalnath Khanal and Bamdev Gautam, asked the Prime Minister to step down from the post citing his `failure` over various issues. According to Himalayan Times, the Standing Committee meeting of ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP) held today got heated up as Oli`s recent controversial statement on India, among others things, were put on table for discussion. As per media reports, Dahal or Gautam are expected to be the next Prime Minister of Nepal. Coronavirus task force member Dr Anthony Fauci on Tuesday (June 30) warned that the US could report 100,000 new cases of COVID-19 per day if people fail to follow the safety norms. "We are now having 40-plus thousand new cases a day. I would not be surprised if we go up to 100,000 a day if this does not turn around and so I am very concerned," Fauci was quoted as saying by CNN. Fauci issued the warning while addressing the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee during a hearing on the pandemic. Speaking on if the pandemic is under control, he said, "I am not satisfied with what's going on because we are going in the wrong direction if you look at the curves of the new cases, so we've really got to do something about that and we need to do it quickly...Clearly we are not in total control right now. It's going to be very disturbing, I will guarantee you that." Fauci said that despite the spike in coronavirus cases in the US, people are assembling at one place in large numbers and not wearing masks. He also said that Americans are not giving proper attention to guidelines on reopening. "We're going to continue to be in a lot of trouble, and there's going to be a lot of hurt if that does not stop," he said. "I think we need to emphasize the responsibility that we have, both as individuals and as part of a societal effort to end the epidemic, that we all have to play a part in that," Fauci added. Talking about the treatment for COVID-19, Fauci said that he was "cautiously optimistic" that a vaccine for the deadly viral disease could be ready by the end of 2020 or early 2021. Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-01 15:05:22|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, July 1 (Xinhua) -- A 3D model of China's supercomputer Tianhe-3 made its debut at the fourth World Intelligence Congress, which was held online in north China's Tianjin Municipality, Science and Technology Daily reported Wednesday. The National Supercomputer Center (NSCC) in Tianjin exhibited the 3D model of the exascale supercomputer and its wide application in people's life. The supercomputer can be used for global climate change simulation and prediction; cosmic evolution tracing; warning and forecast of fog and haze; seismic data processing; oil exploration; gene sequencing, and brain science, said the report. As the first supercomputing center in China, the NSCC in Tianjin is not only where China's first petaflop supercomputer the Tianhe-1 is located, but also responsible for developing China's new generation of the exascale supercomputer the Tianhe-3. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-01 15:13:21|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, July 1 (Xinhua) -- Countries are alerted to a resurgence of the novel coronavirus pandemic while gradually easing lockdowns and phasing in economic recovery. Anthony Fauci, the U.S. government's top infectious-diseases expert, said on Tuesday the United States is "not in total control" of the COVID-19 pandemic, giving a dire warning that infection cases could go up to 100,000 per day. "We are now having 40-plus thousand new cases a day. I would not be surprised if we go up to 100,000 a day if this does not turn around," Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told senators at a hearing held by the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. His comments came as the U.S. daily number of reported new cases is outpacing that of April, bringing the total tally to more than 2.6 million, with over 127,000 fatalities as of Tuesday afternoon, showed data from Johns Hopkins University. Fauci warned that some states are "skipping over" checkpoints in the federal reopening guidelines and that this is leading to new hotspots in states like Texas, Florida and Arizona. The outbreaks in various parts of the country put "the entire country at risk" and "clearly we don't have this under control," Fauci added. In the United States, many states have either paused or partially reversed their staged re-openings over the resurgence of COVID-19 cases nationwide, while mandating mask-wearing in public places. Governor Ron DeSantis of southeastern state Florida on Friday ordered to close bars immediately as a record 8,942 new COVID-19 cases were reported in a single day. The previous record of 5,511 was set just two days before. "It is increasingly clear that many governors reopened their states too quickly, reigniting the virus and hurting their economies," Mark Zandi, chief economist of Moody's Analytics, wrote Monday in an analysis, citing the states of Arizona, California, Florida and Texas. On Tuesday, Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell warned that a second outbreak of the coronavirus could force governments and people to "withdraw again from economic activity." In Britain, Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Tuesday announced a 5-billion-pound (about 6.2-billion-U.S.-dollar) plan to fuel economic recovery, saying the government "is wholly committed not just to defeating coronavirus, but to using this crisis finally to tackle this country's great unresolved challenges of the last three decades." An earlier planned easing of lockdown restrictions from July 4 is expected to bring the hard-hit tourism industry to a rebound, with a phased resumption of operation. Out of the over 400 sites that English Heritage cares for, only six sites are currently open. On July 4, 44 sites are set to be open and a similar amount from Aug. 1, with some sites remaining closed possibly until next year. In the last few weeks, businesses in Turkey are wary of a second wave of coronavirus contagion following the government decision to relax lockdown restrictions since June 1. In the last 10 days, Turkey recorded between 1,200 and 1,500 new daily cases, compared with between 800 and 900 daily infections during the strict lockdown period. "The economy cannot survive another round of business shutdowns. We are facing this massive threat because people are not taking necessary precautions," Machinery Exporters Association Chairman Adnan Dalgakiran said during a television interview, referring to citizens who are reluctant to wear masks and disrespect distancing rules. After revising down its forecast for the global output last week, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Tuesday also revised down its forecast for the Asian economy amid the mounting COVID-19 fallout, projecting a 1.6-percent contraction in 2020 and warning of "clouds on the horizon." "Projections for 2020 have been revised down for most of the countries in the (Asian) region due to weaker global conditions and more protracted containment measures in several emerging economies," Chang Yong Rhee, director of the IMF's Asia and Pacific Department, wrote in a blog post. The projection came as COVID-19 continued to spread in the Asia-Pacific region while the World Health Organization (WHO) warned that the worst was yet to come in the pandemic as global cases and death tolls climbed. In Canada, the government on Tuesday extended the current ban on international travellers until July 31, according to the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA). "The Government of Canada remains committed to protecting the health and safety of Canadians and reducing the spread of COVID-19 in Canada," said the CBSA in a news release. Last week, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau dismissed a proposal to relax the ban on international travellers, saying that moving too quickly could spark a second wave of the coronavirus in Canada. Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-01 15:21:00|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close KABUL, July 1 (Xinhua) -- About 40 people lost their lives in increased targeted attacks in June as fighting rages and peace efforts being made in the country. On Monday evening, Shah Mohammad Shah, police chief of Dihrawud district of restive southern Uruzgan province, was shot and killed with another police officer in provincial capital Tirin Kot, the attackers fled the scene shortly after the shooting. On Monday morning, Shah Mohammad Arab, acting police chief of Khwaja Sabz Posh district of northern Faryab province, was killed by a Taliban sniper when Arab was inspecting a joint Afghan security forces' checkpoint on the outskirts of the district. An Afghan National Army soldier was also killed in the sniper attack. On Saturday, June 27, Fatima Khalil, a female staff of Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission, and her driver were killed after a sticky improvised bomb attached to their vehicle detonated in eastern part of national capital, Kabul. Mohammad Nabi Achikzai, head of Achikzai Youth Council, was shot dead by gunmen in Police District 8 of Kabul on June 23. The Achikzai tribe elders demanded the government to arrest and bring to justice the culprits behind the attack. Also on June 23, unknown gunmen shot dead Ahmad Shah, a judge at the provincial court of appeals in eastern Kapisa province. On June 22, two prosecutors and three staff of Afghan Attorney General Office were shot and killed after gunmen attacked a sedan on northern outskirts of Kabul. The victims were on their way to office in eastern Parwan province. A pro-government local leader Paighombar Qul was shot and killed in Almar district of Faryab province on June 20. On June 19, wife and daughter of a poet and political analyst Assadullah Walwalji lost their lives and three people wounded after their vehicle was struck by a sticky bomb in Paghman district on western outskirts of Kabul. On June 12, Mawlawi Enullah Khalyani, imam or prayer leader of a local mosque in Chah Ab district of northern Takhar province was killed by gunmen in Chah Ab. On the same day, Abdul Aziz Mufleh, imam of Shir Shah Sori mosque in Police District 3 of Kabul and three worshipers were killed and 17 people were injured after an improvised bomb went off during Friday prayers in the mosque. On June 11, Mohammad Nasim, a senior police officer at provincial police department of southern Kandahar province shot and killed in Police District 3 of provincial capital Kandahar city. Abdullah Jan, police chief of Baak Khel district of eastern Paktika province, died and four police officers wounded during a Taliban ambush in surrounding areas of Baak Khel district on June 10. On June 9, Eisa Setaz, criminal investigation police chief of Kujran district of central Daykundi province, along with his two relatives were shot dead in provincial capital Nili. Also on June 9, Qari Ibrahim, district chief of Shortepa district with four local pro-government militiamen or local uprising fighters were killed in an improvised bomb attack in northern Balkh province. On the same day, Abdul Wali Ahmadzai, a former member of Meshrano Jirga or Upper House of national parliament, was killed by gunmen in eastern Logar province when he was travelling to attend his sister's funeral. On June 5, a local leader Mudir Sharif, his wife, son and daughter were shot and killed in Sayyed Abad district of eastern Wardak province. Sharif was a former leader of Hizb-e-Islami that fighting the Afghan government and the U.S.-led coalition forces in Afghanistan but the group signed a peace deal with the government four years ago. On June 2, an outstanding religious scholar and a university lecturer Mohammad Ayaz Niazi and one other person were killed in a bomb attack inside a mosque where he served as imam in a diplomatic district in central Kabul. On June 1, Major Sayyed Monir, a senior provincial traffic police official, was shot and killed by Taliban gunmen on the outskirts of Mahmud-e-Raqi, capital of Kapisa. The latest targeted attacks came as a government peace negotiation team and a Taliban delegation will probably meet later this month in Doha, capital of Gulf state of Qatar, kick starting the long-delayed Intra-Afghan peace negotiation. The meeting was expected to be held in early March weeks after a peace deal was inked between the United States and Taliban in Qatar in February. The disputes over release and exchange of prisoners between the Afghan government and the Taliban remained a main hurdle ahead of the intra-Afghan talks. More than 4,000 Taliban inmates and about 600 Afghan soldiers were freed by the two sides since then. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-01 15:50:55|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close CHANGCHUN, July 1 (Xinhua) -- China's leading automaker FAW Group said that it has seen a 111-percent year-on-year growth in vehicle sales under its Hongqi brand in the first half of this year. Despite the impact of the novel coronavirus outbreak, more than 70,000 Hongqi cars were sold in the last six months as the company expanded its online and offline sales channels. In June alone, 15,400 cars of the brand were sold, representing a 92-percent year-on-year growth. Hongqi met its 2019 sales target of 100,000 cars and has doubled it for 2020. Hongqi, meaning "red flag," is China's iconic sedan brand. Established in 1958, it has been used in parades at major national celebrations. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-01 15:54:29|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close SEOUL, July 1 (Xinhua) -- South Korean President Moon Jae-in has said that his country will make all-out efforts to let the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and the United States hold talks before the U.S. presidential election. Moon made the remarks during a video conference with European Council President Charles Michel and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, which was held on Tuesday to discuss ways to deal with the COVID-19 outbreak, the South Korean presidential Blue House said Wednesday. A Blue House official, who declined to be identified, told a press briefing that Moon said during the video conference that he will make efforts to maintain a dialogue momentum among the two Koreas and the United States. Moon was quoted as saying South Korea hoped to push for dialogue efforts between Pyongyang and Washington before the U.S. presidential election, calling for the European Union (EU) to play its role. The South Korean leader said during the video conference that his country will make all-out efforts to let the DPRK and the United States sit face-to-face for dialogue before the U.S. presidential election. When asked whether the DPRK-U.S. talks means a summit, the senior Blue House official said "yes." Denuclearization talks between the DPRK and the United States have stalled since the second summit between top DPRK leader Kim Jong Un and U.S. President Donald Trump ended without any agreement in February 2019 in the Vietnamese capital of Hanoi. Tensions escalated on the Korean Peninsula after the DPRK demolished the inter-Korean joint liaison office building in the DPRK's border city of Kaesong last month in protest against anti-Pyongyang leaflets sent across the border by South Korean civic group activists, mostly defectors from the DPRK. The DPRK has also cut off all communication lines with South Korea. The Blue House official told reporters that since the destruction of the Kaesong liaison office, the security offices of the Blue House and the White House have closely communicated. The official noted that President Moon's thought about the DPRK-U.S. talks was already delivered to the U.S. side, which also empathized with the thought. Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-01 15:59:15|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close VIENTIANE, July 1 (Xinhua) -- The Poverty Reduction Fund under the Lao Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry held a meeting here on Tuesday to discuss policies to mitigate the effects of COVID-19 on rural and remote areas in Laos. Lao Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Lien Thikeo chaired the meeting which said the coronavirus pandemic has significantly affected rural development across the nation, local daily Vientiane Times reported on Wednesday. The Lao government is working with the World Bank to evaluate the full extent of the economic impact of COVID-19 on Laos. Local businesses suffering difficulties and laying off staff and Lao workers returning home from Thailand with no jobs are among the problems faced by communities. The World Health Organization has also been advising authorities to assist the repatriation of the approximately 100,000 returning Lao workers. The returnees are estimated to make up to 10 percent of the workforce in rural communities and are now unable to earn an income to assist their families. However, local authorities are keen to utilize the skills of these mostly young workers coming home to develop agriculture in remote areas, said the report. In the wake of COVID-19, more cooperation with international partners is needed to fund programs to reduce poverty in targeted rural areas as Laos strives to achieve the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-01 16:01:08|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close by Valentini Anagnostopoulou ATHENS, July 1 (Xinhua) -- In a quiet backstreet of Athens's busy commercial center, people queue every day inside a small store offering what is probably one of the oldest snacks in the world. The cheese pie, or "tyropita" in Greek, traces its roots back to the Byzantine Empire and even the Golden Age of Athens (5th century A.D.) when, according to historians, affluent citizens would nibble at it as they assembled at the Agora or watched theater performances. A lot has changed since then, but not the ancient Greek "tyropita," or at least not beyond recognition. Created by the simple combination of flour-based dough and cheese, it comes in many variations across Greece depending on the kind of cheese produced in each place, but also across the Balkans, dominating the peninsula's strong pie-making tradition. Modern-day Greeks, too, can hardly resist grabbing a piece of freshly-baked "tyropita" on their way to work in the morning. Delicious, affordable, and perfectly-sized to be eaten on the go, cheese pie remains one of the most popular street foods in Greece. And you can find it literally everywhere if you don't have the time or skill to make it at home: in cafeterias, canteens, snack bars, supermarkets, bakeries and, of course, dedicated pie stores. But beware: quality is key here. And it is probably the reason why Athenians and visitors alike have been swarming to the store of Theodoros Panagiotopoulos for the past 110 years to buy his legendary cheese pie. "All our products are hand-made, without chemical additives, fresh, they are made daily and consumed daily, and this is the key to our success all these years," the manager of the long-standing business told Xinhua. Founded in 1910, when Athens was still a small, rural town, at the exact same spot you will find it today, this iconic bakery, which has become a modern food landmark of the city, has seen two world wars, a civil war, one regime change, and the face of the capital utterly transformed. Its cheese pies have been savored by four generations of Athenians, among which celebrated artists, Nobel prize-winning poets and influential statesmen since it stands within a stone's throw from the Parliament. "It is very moving to see Athenians who have lived abroad for a long time return and get emotional when they find our store still standing here. After all, the age of our store exceeds the average life expectancy of a human," Panagiotopoulos stressed. Panagiotopoulos, who is soon planning to hand over the management to his son, the fourth generation of the founding family, has kept his store largely unaltered through time, except for the modern prep room. The same old sign and retro display windows welcome the customers, no coffee is available, no sandwiches: the "tyropita" is the undisputed queen here, followed by an appetizing court of dozens other traditional Greek pies, with a vast variety of fillings. More than 1,000 cheese pies go daily in and out of the store's huge oven, which has been working non-stop in the basement since the 1950s. Nowadays, its reputation as a synonym of quality cheese pie precedes the store and many travelers have discovered it. "We have many visitors from around the world. We also have many Chinese which is very fascinating. I am very impressed by the Chinese, they are always discreet and polite," Panagiotopoulos said, adding he can't wait to welcome international foodies back. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-01 16:17:27|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close KUWAIT CITY, July 1 (Xinhua) -- Kuwait started on Tuesday to embark on the second phase of its plan to bring life to normal by reducing curfew hours and opening commercial complexes. Speaking to Xinhua, Ali Al-Shammari, an overwhelmed Kuwaiti man who was relieved to return to his workplace in the Kuwaiti Ministry of Justice, expressed his happiness to get the normal life he had after three months of absence. Regarding to the measures taken to prevent the spread of coronavirus, he said that the ministry, like other government bodies, has imposed strict measures such as taking the temperature of employees by thermal cameras, preventing gathering and eating. Employees are also obligated to wear masks, gloves, and use hand sanitizers which were placed everywhere with the aim of preventing infection, he added. Meanwhile, most of the governmental institutions have launched an online website allowing residents and citizens to book an appointment. For Mona Al-Essa, a 29-year-old employee of the Ministry of Public Works, the online appointment is a great decision where it will reduce many burdens on citizens and residents. "I renewed my driving license within a few minutes through the website of the Ministry of Interior, and received it in a matter of minutes from their location in Al-Ardiya area," she noted. According to the government's plan to return to normal life, public and private sectors will resume work with less than 30 percent, in addition to the resumption of work in shopping malls, financial sector, construction and building sector, retail shops, parks, and pick-ups from restaurants and cafes. Away from the governmental sector, the private industry witnessed a huge interaction with their employees. Mohamed Hassan, a 33-year-old Egyptian, showed his gratitude to work resumption that allows him to see his colleagues again after a long period of isolation. Hassan, who works as a civil engineer in a private company in Al-Mirqab area, told Xinhua that he saw a light after darkness, especially since he lives in Hawally area that was fully isolated from other areas. With great joy, the Kuwaitis go to shopping malls that open its doors to the public for eight hours a day. Entering the Avenues, the largest shopping mall in Kuwait, Reem Al-Saad, a 36-year-old Kuwaiti housewife, expressed how much she missed walking and shopping in this mall. "The precautionary measures imposed on the visitors of this commercial center, such as taking the temperature at the entrances, wearing masks, in addition to closing the smoking rooms, make people feel safe and encourage them to go out and challenge the virus," she said. As for Ali al-Ashrafi, a 30-year-old Lebanese resident who works as a salesman in a mobile phone shop in the Jabriya area, returning to work is a new life. "I suffered financially during the last period due to the suspension of sales, but I hope for a better condition in the upcoming weeks," he said. Kuwait also witnessed a traffic jam on Tuesday as a sign that normal life is returning gradually while waiting for the transition to the next phase of the government plan, until the final and fifth stage, which is expected to start in September. Enditem Ohio University professor, alum publish paper on record warming of the South Pole ATHENS, Ohio (June 30, 2020) - The South Pole has been warming at more than three times the global average over the past 30 years, according to research led by Ohio University professor Ryan Fogt and OHIO alumnus Kyle Clem. Fogt, professor of meteorology and director of the Scalia Laboratory for Atmospheric Analysis, and Clem coauthored a paper with an international team of scientists published in the journal Nature Climate Change on the findings. According to the study, this warming period was mainly driven by natural tropical climate variability and was likely intensified by increases in greenhouse gas. Clem, a current postdoctoral research fellow in climate science at Victoria University of Wellington in New Zealand, is the lead author of the study and studied under Fogt for both his bachelor's and master's degrees at Ohio University. "I've had a passion for understanding the weather and fascination of its power and unpredictability as far back as I can remember," Clem said. "Working with Ryan I learned all about Antarctic and Southern Hemisphere climate, specifically how West Antarctica was warming and its ice sheet was thinning and contributing to global sea level rise. I also learned that Antarctica experiences some of the most extreme weather and variability on the planet, and due to its remote location we actually know very little about the continent, so there are constant surprises and new things to learn about Antarctica every year." The Antarctic climate exhibits some of the largest ranges in temperature during the course of the year, and some of the largest temperature trends on the planet, with strong regional contrasts. Most of West Antarctica and the Antarctic Peninsula experienced warming and ice-sheet thinning during the late 20th century. By contrast, the South Pole -- located in the remote and high-altitude continental interior -- cooled until the 1980s and has since warmed substantially. These trends are affected by natural and anthropogenic climate change, but the individual contribution of each factor is not well understood. Clem and his team analyzed weather station data at the South Pole, as well as climate models to examine the warming in the Antarctic interior. They found that between 1989 and 2018, the South Pole had warmed by about 1.8 degrees Celsius over the past 30 years at a rate of +0.6 degrees Celcius per decade - three times the global average. The study also found that the strong warming over the Antarctic interior in the last 30 years was mainly driven by the tropics, especially warm ocean temperatures in the western tropical Pacific Ocean that changed the winds in the South Atlantic near Antarctica and increased the delivery of warm air to the South Pole. They suggest these atmospheric changes along Antarctica's coast are an important mechanism driving climate anomalies in its interior. Clem and Fogt argue that these warming trends were unlikely the result of natural climate change alone, emphasizing the effects of added anthropogenic warming on top of the large tropical climate signal on Antarctic climate have worked in tandem to make this one of the strongest warming trends worldwide. "From the very beginning, Kyle and I worked very well together and were able to accomplish more as a team than we were individually," Fogt said. "We have published every year together since 2013, with one of our continuing collaborations being the annual State of the Climate reports. Our work on this project together each year ultimately led to this publication documenting the warming at the South Pole, however, most importantly for me, apart from being a fantastic scientist and collaborator, my family and I are both honored to consider Kyle one of our closest friends." ### This story has been published on: 2020-07-01. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-01 16:21:42|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close HANOI, July 1 (Xinhua) -- Several forest fires have broken out and reoccurred in Vietnam's central provinces over the past few weeks, local media reported. A wildfire in the central province of Ha Tinh has flared up twice in two days, and had not been under control as of Tuesday night, Vietnam News Agency reported on Wednesday, noting that it had spread down the protective forest area and closed to local people's houses. In the central Nghe An province, a forest fire that raged for several hours was finally extinguished on Tuesday morning. The fire started at 8:00 p.m. local time on Monday evening in a pine forest, then quickly spread over due to hot weather and strong winds. More than 200 households who live near the fire were evacuated, Vietnam News Agency reported. Over 2,000 people including police officers, soldiers, local authorities and local residents helped to put out the fire. Although the forest fire has been brought under control, firefighters are still at the scene to prevent it from flaring up again. Nghe An is a locality under high risk of fires, with eight fires recorded in June alone, destroying over 33 hectares of forest, according to the news agency. On Tuesday, Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc directed relevant ministries, agencies and localities to strengthen forest fire prevention and fighting by implementing urgent measures, noting that hot weather carries considerable risks. Extreme heatwaves have hit the country since late May this year, putting northern-central provinces at risk of forest fires. According to the country's National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting, hot weather is set to scorch northern and northern-central provinces this week with temperatures from 35 to 38 degrees Celsius. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-01 16:23:03|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close VIENTIANE, July 1 (Xinhua) -- Dengue fever has killed seven people and infected 2,302 across Laos, with most of the cases recorded in the Lao capital Vientiane. As of Tuesday, 2,302 cases of dengue fever were reported countrywide, with seven people dying from the illness, the Lao Ministry of Health said on Wednesday. Three of the deaths were in Vientiane, where 523 cases have been reported in total. Bolikhamxay province recorded 264 cases and two deaths, Khammuan province witnessed 181 cases and one death, and Xayaboury province reported 120 cases and one death. Local health authorities are encouraging people to regularly empty containers that collect stagnant water, and clear undergrowth around houses. Schools, hospitals, factories, hotels, restaurants, tourist facilities and offices are advised to undertake cleaning activities to remove any sources of stagnant water to slow mosquito breeding. The Ministry of Health will continue to work closely with central and provincial health departments to monitor dengue transmission and encourage the clearing of mosquito breeding sites, according to the report. According to the World Health Organization, dengue fever is one of the fastest emerging infections, with Thailand, Laos, The Philippines and Singapore seeing high incidences. The number of cases in the Western Pacific Region has more than doubled over the past 10 years. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-01 16:29:31|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close KAMPALA, July 1 (Xinhua) -- Uganda government has created seven cities across the East African country in a move to decongest the capital Kampala, a top official said here Wednesday. David Bahati, minister of State for Finance told Xinhua that the creation is in line with the country's urbanization policy "to end the congestion, sanitation issues and confusion in Kampala." The cities established include Fort Portal, Mbarara, Masaka, Arua, Jinja, Gulu and Mbale. Bahati noted that funding for the cities had already been secured but will be disbursed in a phased manner. "The starting point is to fund the physical planning so that the cities start on a solid background," Bahati said. The creation is also expected to increase local revenue and government fiscal transfers, as well as increase employment, said the minister. The creation brings the total number of cities in the country to eight. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-01 17:04:11|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close CANBERRA, July 1 (Xinhua) -- Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison warned on Wednesday that people could be fined if they refuse to be tested for coronavirus. He said that the "stick will have to be put about" in order to contain outbreaks of COVID-19. It comes after the announcement on Tuesday that from 11:59 p.m. Wednesday night 10 postcodes linked to those outbreaks in Victoria will go into local lockdown amid a spike in cases. These "hot zones" will be required to return to Stage 3 Stay at Home restrictions - until at least July 29. In making the announcement, Premier of Victoria Daniel Andrews revealed that more than a thousand people, when asked, refused to be tested. "We're doing this in an Australian way. We're looking to do it through incentive, through the use of carrot, not stick. But occasionally the stick will have to be put about, whether it's fines or other sanctions that are in place to ensure that we keep everybody safe," Morrison told TV program Today on Wednesday. He said that the uptick in cases in Victoria, which has confirmed more cases of COVID-19 than the rest of the country combined recently, was not "surprising" because Melbourne, along with Sydney, has taken the most recently returned travelers. "Both of those states have been running those quarantines, they've been paying for them themselves, and that means their risks have been greater," he said. "And so I thank the New South Wales and Victorian governments for doing that heavy-lifting on behalf of all other states and territories. "We always knew there would be outbreaks. The issue is not whether they occur, but how you deal with them, and we are dealing with it in concert with the Victorian government." Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-01 17:12:30|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close JINAN, July 1 (Xinhua) -- For Zhang Xiuli, a bookstore manager in east China's Shandong Province, the past few months have been tough with business impacted by the novel coronavirus epidemic, but livestreaming kept its sales afloat. "Selling books through livestreaming saved my store," Zhang said, "It was something I had never thought of before." From early February to early June, Zhang had created nearly 200 livestreaming sessions. On the busiest day, she broadcast four sessions in a row, which was around eight hours in front of the camera. Most of the customers came to the livestreaming sessions to buy novels, teaching reference books, or cooking guides, Zhang said, but many are asking about books on family education. A diary, designed for parents and children to write together in dialogue form, became a huge hit among the audience. "In the past, the sales of the diary book were very low, but recently I can sell over 400 of them in one evening," said Zhang. The store earned over 200,000 yuan (28,093 U.S. dollars) each month, maintaining the same level of sales compared with last year. Some bookstores in Jinan, the capital of Shandong Province, opted to sell their books, and relevant products, on food delivery platforms. One and a half months after nine chain stores of Xinhua Bookstore moved their businesses onto these platforms, they receive around 200 orders daily. The books are delivered to customers in as fast as half an hour just like takeaway food, according to Yang Ying, who works with the Shandong Xinhua Bookstore Group's Jinan branch. The company has designed kraft paper and bookmarks to go with the books. "In this way, we want our customers to feel a sense of ceremony and warmth when opening these books," Yang said. "The profit margin for the online takeaway books is low, but it serves as a way of advertising for the bookstores," she said. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-01 17:15:24|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close by Peter Mertz DENVER, the United States, June 30 (Xinhua) -- Black Shirt Brewing Company, one of the hottest brew pubs in the United States, is struggling to stay afloat amid raging COVID-19 pandemic, while the pub saw crowds filling its tap room every night a year ago. "Unfortunately, the silver truth is going to reveal itself -- and it doesn't look promising," said Black Shirt co-owner Chadwell Miller. Located in the popular RiNo Art District, north of downtown Denver, Black Shirt, serving local famous pizza and award-winning beer, dodged a bullet when Colorado Governor Jared Polis unexpectedly shut down alcohol-only bars. "We're fastening our seatbelts," he told Xinhua, as a number of beer pubs in Colorado were thrown off the bus by the governor's 30-day COVID-19 restriction reenactment. ECONOMIC PAIN In addition to California, Colorado with its 425 breweries is considered as one of the hottest craft beer states in the country. In 2000, there were only 1,800 craft breweries; today, America has 8,386, according to data from the Brewer's Association (BA). Many of the owners are young businesses, still working to gain a foothold, and trying to pay bills and make a profit. Opening to the public eight years ago, Black Shirt has survived in the most hostile business climate the craft beer industry has seen since 1980s, becoming one of Denver's most popular and successful brew pubs. However, the pandemic has crushed the bottom lines of craft breweries, and many of them have lost their most critical source of revenue as restriction measures have stopped customers from tasting their beer. Recent BA studies said up to 20 percent of breweries feared that they would fold. "A vast majority of brewers get a majority of their revenue from direct, 'on-site' sales that occur at their breweries," BA Chief Economist Bart Watson told Xinhua on Monday. STRICT GUIDELINES Reacting quickly to the pandemic, Polis closed bars and restaurants across the state on March 16 and allowed them to reopen with guidelines on June 9. On Tuesday, he closed alcohol-only establishments once more. Polis, a Democrat, has addressed the COVID-19 crises more proactively and cautiously -- by closing businesses early and following guidelines from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) -- than the Republican governors in Colorado's neighboring states, which saw record spikes of infections last week. In Colorado, the confirmed cases are up, but not to the degree of other western states. Since the reopening of breweries in Colorado, Black Shirt has strictly followed CDC guidelines. "The whole restaurant-brewery industry will fall if one of us fails," Miller said, indicating that adhering to strict preventive measures and health department guidelines is the only way forward. Tables and social distancing are set at 8 feet, instead of the 6-feet national standard. Tap room staff disinfect "high touch" areas every 30 minutes, rather than every hour as CDC recommends. Servers with masks strictly abide by the requirement of frequent hand washing. "Hopefully we'll swim out of this mess," Miller said. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-01 17:18:38|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close MALE, July 1 (Xinhua) -- Lockdown restrictions on congregational prayers and travel by flight and ferry have been eased in the Maldives on Wednesday as the country moves toward a post-COVID-19 "new normal," local media reported on Wednesday. As of Wednesday afternoon, congregational prayers at mosques in the greater Male region will be allowed for the first time since such prayers were banned on March 18 in order to contain a large cluster of infections in the city. Mosques in the region were closed by the Ministry of Islamic Affairs on April 15 and re-opened on June 15. National carrier Maldivian will resume domestic flights on Wednesday after flights were suspended with the imposition of a lockdown in April. Passengers must obtain permits issued by the Health Protection Agency (HPA) before embarking. Passengers departing from Male, the epicenter of the local outbreak, must undergo home quarantine for 14 days before flying. State-owned Maldives Transport and Contracting Company (MTCC) has announced that ferry services between the islands of Male, Villimale, Hulhumale, Thilafushi and Gulhifalhu will resume their pre-lockdown schedule starting Wednesday. Ferry services were suspended on April 15 and resumed under a new schedule on May 28. The Maldives plans to gradually re-open its borders to tourism later this month, with visitors allowed to stay at resorts on uninhabited islands starting July 15, and on inhabited islands starting August 1. The Ministry of Tourism has published guidelines to ensure the health and safety of all stakeholders. Meanwhile, a State of Public health Emergency which grants the Director General of Public Health special power to isolate or quarantine individuals has been extended until July 14 following a circular from the Ministry of Health. Lockdown was first imposed on the greater Male region following the detection of community transmission of COVID-19 in capital Male on April 15. The Maldives has 2,361 confirmed cases of COVID-19, out of which 1,927 have fully recovered and nine have died. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-01 17:23:34|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close MALE, July 1 (Xinhua) -- A Filipino being treated for COVID-19 at the Tree Top Hospital in the Maldives' capital Male has died of the virus, local media reported on Wednesday. The latest death, which occurred Tuesday, raised Maldives' total COVID-19 related death count to nine. The remaining eight who have died include four Maldivians and four Bangladeshis. Local media citing the Health Protection Agency (HPA) reported that 24 new cases of COVID-19 were detected in Maldives on Tuesday, raising the country's total caseload to 2,361. According to the HPA, the Maldives currently has 420 active cases of COVID-19, including 11 patients who have been hospitalized for monitoring and treatment. Meanwhile, a State of Public Health Emergency which was first declared on March 12 has been extended until July 14 according to a circular signed by Minister of Health Abdulla Ameen. The emergency grants the Director General of Public Health with special power to isolate or quarantine suspected virus carriers. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-01 17:31:54|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close PHNOM PENH, July 1 (Xinhua) -- About 400 garments, footwear and travel goods factories in Cambodia have suspended their operations, leaving over 150,000 workers jobless due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a joint statement on Wednesday. The statement was jointly released by the Garment Manufacturers Association in Cambodia, the Cambodia Footwear Association and the European Chamber of Commerce in Cambodia. "This number is likely to rise sharply in the coming weeks as numerous brands and retailers in Europe and North America have canceled or delayed orders due to the drop in retail sales in Europe from the pandemic," the statement said. Consequently, millions of Cambodians could fall back into poverty due to this crisis. It added that unemployed workers only receive a stipend of 30 U.S. dollars from the factory and 40 dollars from the government per month. The statement renewed its call on the European Union to postpone the effective date on Aug. 12 of the partial withdrawal of Cambodia's Everything But Arms (EBA) trade benefits for a year due to the pandemic in Cambodia. The garment, footwear and travel goods industry is Cambodia's biggest export sector, employing about 750,000 people in about 1,100 factories and branches. The sector earned a gross revenue of 9.32 billion U.S. dollars last year, up 11 percent compared to the year before. The EU through EBA has become its largest market for footwear, said Ben Kao, secretary general of the Cambodia Footwear Association. "Our factories and workers have suffered enormously from the pandemic, and many are trying to survive until demand, hopefully, resumes later in 2020," he said. "A second blow from the withdrawal of EBA benefits could be a second blow that most factories will not be able to sustain." Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-01 17:33:47|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close by Ahmed Shafiq CAIRO, July 1 (Xinhua) -- Dozens of visitors toured eagerly the rooms of the legendary Baron Empain Palace in Cairo's Heliopolis district which was recently reopened to the public after it was fully restored for the first time. "This piece of art is breathtaking...I have never been to this place before and I really regret I did not try to visit it before," Menna Abdel-Hamid, a college student from Cairo, told Xinhua. The 19-year-old young lady said she has seen so many news about the reopening of the palace in the past few days, noting that she has decided to visit the landmark after her friends told her how beautiful the structure is. "I love antiquities, but I mainly focus on pharaonic, Greek and Roman monuments...but this one, although a bit belongs to modern time, is seriously fantastic," she said as she prepared herself for a group photo with her friends with the palace in the background. On Monday, Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi inaugurated the palace after the completion of its first-ever restoration. The Baron Empain Palace, better known as Le Palais Hindou, which literally means the Hindu Palace, is a distinctive and historic Indian-inspired mansion in Heliopolis that was owned by Belgian millionaire Baron Edouard Empain, who is also the founder of Heliopolis district. The palace, which was built between 1907 and 1911, was designed for Baron Emain by French architect Alexandre Marcel and decorated by Georges-Louis Claude. It was inspired by the Hindu temple of Angkor Wat in Cambodia. The facade of the two-storey piece of art is richly decorated with sculptures of snakes, dragons and other figures. The construction is completely made of concrete which was a new building material at the time. For many years, the palace was considered a place of ghosts that actually turned out to be bats. The palace now serves as an exhibition featuring the history of the wealthy Heliopolis suburb through various eras. Abdel-Rahim's friend, Banseh Abed, said she has known a little about the history of the historical palace, noting she has learned more about it after reading a brochure about the palace that was distributed to the visitors by the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities. "It is great to get knowledge about the history of my country...I really admired what I have known today about the palace which is located in my neighborhood," she said, flashing a smile. Abed, who studies architecture at a Cairo college, said the masterpiece is rich of great details, from the design to the construction, sculptures, adding that such works help her much in her studies. "I really loved how the palace looks like after the restoration...the work is perfect and the results are great," she said. Meanwhile, Momen Othman, head of the museums sector at the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, said the restoration took more than two years. "We followed all the instructions of the international ethics for restoration and conservation," he told Xinhua, adding that the reopening of the palace is very precious for the local resident of the district as the palace was neglected for a long time. According to the ministry, the rehabilitation of the palace, which was carried out by the Engineering Corps of the Egyptian Armed Forces and private companies, cost 100 million Egyptian pounds (around 6 million U.S. dollars). Egypt, one of the most ancient civilizations, has been working effortlessly to preserve its rich archaeological treasures and historical heritage, which will also help boost the once-flourishing tourism industry that has largely been affected by the political turmoil over the past few years. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-01 17:42:38|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close A flag-raising ceremony is held by the government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region to celebrate the 23rd anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland at the Golden Bauhinia Square in Hong Kong, south China, July 1, 2020. (Xinhua/Li Gang) HONG KONG, July 1 (Xinhua) -- China's Hong Kong celebrated Wednesday the 23rd anniversary of its return to the motherland, after a law on safeguarding national security in Hong Kong came into force Tuesday night. China's national flag and the flag of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) were hoisted and the national anthem was played at a ceremony at the Golden Bauhinia Square in Hong Kong Island at about 8:00 a.m. local time Wednesday in celebration of the anniversary. Helicopters flew over Victoria Harbor, displaying the national and regional flags, and a fireboat sprayed a water-column salute. At a reception following the flag-raising ceremony, Chief Executive of the HKSAR Carrie Lam stressed the significance of the return anniversary and said the new national security law will help restore stability in the HKSAR. The Law of the People's Republic of China on Safeguarding National Security in the HKSAR was passed unanimously on Tuesday at a meeting of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), China's top legislature, and took effect at 11:00 p.m. local time the same day upon its promulgation by the HKSAR government in the gazette. The legislation came as Hong Kong had been gripped by prolonged social disturbances since June of last year. Intensified violent incidents and riots trampled order and the rule of law, threatened people's safety, and endangered national security. Lam called the enactment of the law a turning point to take Hong Kong out of the current impasse and restore stability and order from the chaos. The HKSAR government will do its utmost and remain steadfast in its duties to fulfill the primary responsibility of implementing the law in Hong Kong, Lam said, saying a committee on safeguarding national security in the HKSAR will be established. A series of celebrations were held on Wednesday for the anniversary, including parades of floats and fishing vessels and residents singing the national anthem in chorus. At the opening ceremony of celebrating activities, Luo Huining, director of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the HKSAR, highlighted the successful practice of "one country, two systems" in Hong Kong over the past 23 years. The social unrest arising from the now-withdrawn ordinance amendments concerning fugitive transfers since last year has exposed the tremendous risks Hong Kong is facing in safeguarding national security and posed a grave challenge to "one country, two systems," Luo said. "With the elapse of time, we will get a good view that the promulgation of the law marks a significant turning point for Hong Kong to move from turmoil to stability, and a major milestone for the practice of 'one country, two systems' in Hong Kong," he said. Celebrations can be spotted across Hong Kong. Residents sang the national anthem in the chorus at multiple landmarks, including Victoria Peak and the Hong Kong Observation Wheel. In Victoria Harbor, 150 fishing vessels, decorated with the national flag and banners, sailed in a procession to celebrate the anniversary and the passage of the new law, which were warmly greeted by joyful Hong Kong residents on the harbor front. The captain of the pilot boat, surnamed Leung, participated in every parade since 1997. The man, 68, said the lives of fishermen have become better and better since Hong Kong's return to the motherland. "Only when our country is prosperous, can Hong Kong be prosperous," he said. Cally Kwong, an NPC deputy from the HKSAR, participated in the parade of floats and said she felt "very special" today as the new law took effect. The law came at the right timing as after a turbulent year, Hong Kong residents long for a peaceful life, she said, stressing that the legal mechanism on safeguarding national security will guarantee Hong Kong's future. "Hong Kong is our home and we must cherish our home," she said. Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-01 17:50:07|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close DHAKA, July 1 (Xinhua) -- Bangladesh reported 3,775 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, bringing the total in the country to nearly 150,000. Senior Health Ministry official Nasima Sultana said in a briefing Wednesday afternoon that "3,775 new COVID-19 positive cases and 41 deaths were reported in the last 24 hours across Bangladesh." "The number of confirmed infections in the country totaled 149,258 while fatalities stood at 1,888," she said. According to the official, 17,875 samples were tested in the last 24 hours in labs across the country. She said the total number of recovered patients in the country now stands at 62,108 including 2,484 on Wednesday. Bangladesh recorded the highest 4,008 cases in a 24-hour period on June 17. And the country reported the highest 64 deaths of COVID-19 patients in a day on June 30. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-01 17:51:08|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Zhang Xiaoming, deputy director of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council, speaks during a press conference held by the State Council Information Office about the Law of the People's Republic of China on Safeguarding National Security in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) in Beijing, capital of China, July 1, 2020. (Xinhua/Jin Liangkuai) BEIJING, July 1 (Xinhua) -- The law on safeguarding national security in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) marks a turning point and will bring the region back on track of its development, an official said Wednesday. The law is designed to bring tranquility to Hong Kong, Zhang Xiaoming, deputy director of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council, made the remarks at a press conference in Beijing. The law targets only a tiny group of criminals who endanger national security and will be a "sharp sword" hanging over their heads, Zhang said, adding that it will also serve as a deterrent to external forces who interfere in Hong Kong affairs. Zhang also noted that the law will fully protect the rights and freedoms enjoyed by the vast majority of Hong Kong residents, and the legitimate rights and interests of overseas investors in Hong Kong. It will be the bedrock underpinning the prosperity and stability of Hong Kong, Zhang said. Chinese lawmakers on Tuesday voted to adopt the 66-article law and later passed a decision to list the law in Annex III to the HKSAR Basic Law. The law on safeguarding national security in HKSAR came into force in Hong Kong at 11:00 p.m. local time on Tuesday upon its promulgation by the HKSAR government in the gazette. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-01 18:10:23|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close LAGOS, July 1 (Xinhua) -- The Nigerian army chief reiterated on Tuesday to step up fight against banditry in the northwestern region, and charged the combined troops of the armed forces to go deep into the bushes where illegal armed groups are hiding to deal with them. Addressing troops during an operational visit in Gusau, capital of the northwestern state of Zamfara, the Chief of Army Staff Tukur Buratai said the asymmetric nature of the ongoing war against banditry in the region required painstaking effort to wipe out the criminals. The northwestern region of Nigeria has faced problems with armed groups stealing cattle, kidnapping people for ransom and attacking local communities, causing civilian deaths, economic losses and panic in local communities. He assured the troops of more and better equipment to prosecute the campaign against the criminals, saying it is in line with Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari's promise to enhance the fighting power of the military. "You must go deep inside the bush and pursue them until they are tactically defeated because we have what it takes to defeat them," he said. Buhari had in June warned the heads of the nation's security agencies that excuses would no longer be tolerated and asked them to do more to secure the nation and its people. Buhari met with the service chiefs against the backdrop of recent bandit attacks on communities in the region, including those in his home state, Katsina. The attacks have left many people dead and injured in the affected states, while lots of properties were destroyed by the bandits. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-01 18:24:21|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close DAMASCUS, July 1 (Xinhua) -- The Syrian Foreign Ministry on Wednesday slammed the Brussel's conference on Syria as an intervention in the Syrian internal affairs, according to the state news agency SANA. The Brussel conference constitutes a flagrant intervention in the Syrian internal affairs and the stances adopted in the conference show the continuation of the United States and the European Union in their aggressive policy against Syria, the ministry said. A day earlier, Brussels IV Conference took place co-chaired by the European Union and the United Nations to support the future of Syria. European parliamentarians rejected normalization with the government of President Bashar al-Assad. In a jab at the EU and U.S., the Syrian Foreign Ministry said the regimes that "shed the blood of the Syrians, destroyed their achievements, stole their wealth and imposed sanctions on them cannot hide their crimes behind the mask of humanity." Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-01 18:31:20|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close WUHAN, July 1 (Xinhua) -- Wuhan began construction of a lake-crossing tunnel project on Tuesday, as life and work gradually return to normalcy in the virus-ravaged Chinese city. The crossing will include two double-deck tunnels under the lakes of Donghu and Nanhu, connected by an aboveground road. With 13.3 km dug by tunnel-boring machines and a maximum boring diameter of 15.5 meters, it is expected to be the largest tunnel-crossing beneath a city lake in China. The tunnel project is expected to be an engineering challenge, as it will cross highly complicated sub-lake strata, according to Wuhan Urban Construction Investment & Development Group, the company in charge of construction. The project will take four years to finish. Upon completion, it is expected to ease traffic congestion in Wuchang District. The company said it will implement a series of precautions to minimize the project's environmental impact on the lakes. Both construction and production have picked up steam in Wuhan since the city completed a 19-day drive to test nearly 10 million people for COVID-19 in early June, with the aim of reassuring the public as the city moves to reopen factories, businesses and schools. The city has reported no new COVID-19 cases in recent weeks. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-01 18:38:18|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close KATHMANDU, July 1 (Xinhua) -- Nepal's international trade increased substantially after Nepali government started to relax the three-month-long nationwide lockdown, Nepal's government data showed. The Nepali government had imposed a nationwide lockdown on March 24 to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Although COVID-19 cases in the country has been rising rapidly with the number reaching 13,564, Nepal began to relax the lockdown since early May. Firstly, the Nepali government allowed 44 sectors to reopen on May 6 and then on June 10, it relaxed the lockdown allowing almost all economic activities to operate. According to the Department of Customs, Nepal's total international trade was worth 673 million U.S. dollars in a month starting from mid-May, a sharp rise from 378 million U.S. dollars in the previous month (mid-April-mid-May). In the preceding month (mid-March-mid-April), Nepal's total foreign trade was worth 513 million U.S. dollars. As a result of the lockdown, Nepal's international trade during the first 11 months of the current fiscal year 2019-20 that ends in mid-July, decreased by 14.33 percent to 9.8 billion U.S. dollars, according to the customs department. Nepal's Finance Minister Yubaraj Khatiwada said on Monday in a webinar organized by Confederation of Nepalese Industries, a grouping of medium and large scale enterprises, that Nepal's international trade has recovered to a large extent after the Nepali government started to relax lockdown. "Initially, after we imposed nationwide lockdown, our international trade was as low as 20 percent of our normal trade in a month," Khatiwada said. "Now, it has recovered to around 80 percent of normal monthly international trade." Nepal's Customs offices have also reported a surge in international trade, particularly imports, after relaxation of the lockdown. Dhundi Niraula, chief customs officer at Birgunj Customs office bordering India, told Xinhua on Tuesday that international trade through this customs point has largely normalized. "Import of machinaries is however limited compared to normal situation," said Niraula, who is the in-charge of the largest customs office of Nepal. As this customs office deals with imported goods mostly from India, he said that trade between the two countries is taking place normally to a large extent. India is the largest trading partner of Nepal with which Nepal's nearly two thirds of trade takes place. Nepali officials said that trade with China is also heading towards normalcy. "After reopening of Tatopani-Zhangmu border in late March, another border point -- Rasuwagadhi-Kerung (Geelong) is also reopened shortly," Navaraj Dhakal, spokesperson at Nepal's Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supply told Xinhua early last week. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-01 18:53:37|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, July 1 (Xinhua) -- China's e-commerce industry continued to thrive last year despite mounting downward economic pressures and lingering trade tensions, according to a report from the Ministry of Commerce. China led the world in e-commerce, with about 51.26 million people employed in the sector in 2019. The country's e-commerce transactions hit 34.81 trillion yuan (about 4.9 trillion U.S. dollars) last year, with online retail sales reaching 10.63 trillion yuan, up 16.5 percent year on year. E-commerce has contributed a lot in terms of "promoting consumption, stabilizing foreign trade, alleviating poverty, and boosting employment," and played a key role in ensuring the country's steady and high-quality development, the report said. In 2019, online retailing contributed 45.6 percent to the growth of the country's total retail sales. China had more than 900 million internet users at the end of last year, with an internet penetration rate of 64.5 percent, according to the report. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-01 18:57:21|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, July 1 (Xinhua) -- At a time when the pandemic situation in the United States is getting drastically worse, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo began to play a fresh round of old, clumsy tricks against China. However, his awkward tactics will not fool clear minds worldwide. After a national security law to safeguard Hong Kong was passed and took effect Tuesday, Pompeo again resorted to words of intimidation by threatening "new countermeasures." Also, the U.S. top diplomat has been stubbornly bent on carrying on smear campaigns against China's sincere support for Africa, as well as its all-out battle to end the COVID-19 pandemic. Pompeo's platitudes, full of lies and cheats, will do nothing to help Washington cover up its botched response to the raging pandemic at home. Instead, his reckless verbal attacks have made America more isolated from the mainstream of the world. The persistent critic of China has to recognize that the China-bashing game cannot solve any problem troubling his own country. So far, the spreading virus has infected over 2.6 million people and claimed nearly 130,000 lives in the United States, a tragedy as accused by many largely caused by Washington's arrogance, ignorance and incompetence in response to this plight. Rather than pointing fingers at China's internal affairs, some U.S. politicians are well advised to turn their attention to their own business, including the chronic and deeply-rooted racial discrimination and the alarming gap between the wealth and the poor, which have been afflicting the U.S. society for a long time. With his pompous title of the secretary of state of the sole superpower in the world, Pompeo has unscrupulously smeared others with lies, but his erroneous acts will only bring shame to and erode the credibility of his country and ruin Washington's reputation on the international arena, as clear-minded people have already seen through his facade. When the American chief diplomat attempts to drive a wedge between China and Africa with groundless blames, China, a true development partner to African countries, is in good faith offering concrete support to the continent, which has been highly recognized and respected. Moreover, faulting China with lame excuses will in no way dampen the world's confidence in China's development. Despite touts by some Washington politicians to pull out supply chains amid the coronavirus pandemic, a recent report by the Rhodium Group pointed out that over the past 18 months, the research firm has recorded levels of foreign mergers and acquisitions into China "that were not seen in the previous decade." Also in early June, the World Bank Group said in its latest projections that the global economy is on track to shrink by 5.2 percent this year due to the virus, yet China is expected to be the only major economy that will register growth in 2020. China has been attracting more partners across the globe as a robust market with a population of over 1.4 billion and a responsible country committed to cooperation and mutual benefits. Choosing China, at this moment, means choosing a future with huge potential. In a pandemic that is still accelerating in many parts of the world, solidarity and cooperation are the only right choice for the human race to defeat the virus. China-bashers like Pompeo may keep ignoring the alarm and playing their old tricks, but their ill-disposed schemes are doomed to fail. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-01 19:02:58|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close DAMASCUS, July 1 (Xinhua) -- The Turkish forces and allied Syrian rebels fired several shells on villages in the northern countryside of Syria's Hasakah province in northeastern Syria on Wednesday, state news agency SANA reported. The shelling came from a Turkey-run base in the village of Bab al-Faraj in Hasakah countryside, said the report, adding that no casualties were reported. Meanwhile, SANA said the Turkish forces created a field shooting to train rebels on using various weapons in Hasakah. The Turkish forces and allied Syrian rebels control several areas in northern and northeastern Syria following an offensive against Kurdish forces last October. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-01 19:07:13|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, July 1 (Xinhua) -- Four U.S. media organizations have been required to declare to China, in written form, information including their staff, finances, operations, and real estate owned by them in China within seven calendar days, starting from Wednesday. According to Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian, the four U.S. organizations are the Associated Press (AP), United Press International (UPI), the Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS), and National Public Radio (NPR). Zhao made the announcement at a daily press briefing on Wednesday in response to a U.S. announcement on June 22 that China Central Television, the People's Daily, the Global Times, and China News Service had been designated as foreign missions in the United States. "The above-mentioned measures by China are entirely necessary and reciprocal countermeasures in response to the unreasonable oppression conducted by the U.S. to these Chinese media organizations' branches in the U.S.," said Zhao, stressing that China's measures are an entirely justifiable defense. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-01 19:15:14|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, July 1 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Keqiang exchanged congratulatory messages on Wednesday with his Thai counterpart, Prayut Chan-o-cha, on the 45 anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries. In his message, Li said China and Thailand are close and friendly neighbors. Over the past 45 years, bilateral relations have developed steadily with fruitful results in all areas of cooperation, bringing concrete benefits to both peoples and setting an example for promoting relations between China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). This year, China and Thailand have helped and supported each other in the fight against COVID-19, further elevating their traditional friendship. China and Thailand are close like a family, Li said. Li noted that China highly values developing relationship with Thailand, and is ready to work with the Thai side to strengthen anti-epidemic cooperation and advance high-quality Belt and Road cooperation so as to contribute to economic recovery and sustainable development in China, Thailand, as well as ASEAN countries. Prayut said in his congratulatory message that reviewing the history of friendly cooperation between Thailand and China, the two sides have always stood together through thick and thin and established a deep friendship. "China and Thailand are one family" vividly depicts this special relationship. As the ties between Thailand and China are about to enter a new decade, it is necessary for the two countries to continue to uphold the spirit of friendship and solidarity and meet the challenges together in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic and the uncertainty of the international situation, he said. The Thai government is ready to work closely with the Chinese government to push bilateral comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership to a new level, he added. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-01 19:26:49|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close TOKYO, July 1 (Xinhua) -- Tokyo stocks closed lower Wednesday as investor confidence was dented by a Bank of Japan (BOJ) Tankan survey showing tumbled business confidence of large manufacturers, as the rising coronavirus cases added to a downbeat beat mood. The 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average lost 166.41 points, or 0.75 percent, from Tuesday to close the day at 22,121.73. The broader Topix index of all First Section issues on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, meanwhile, lost 20.16 points, or 1.29 percent, to finish at 1,538.61. Trading was circumspect from the get-go, in part due to the BOJ's quarterly Tankan survey which showed that Japan's large manufacturers' business confidence tumbled in June owing to the adverse economic impact caused by the coronavirus pandemic, local brokers said. According to the central bank's survey, the sentiment index plummeted to minus 34 in the recording period, marking the lowest level since June 2009, with the latest reading coming on the heels of a reading of minus 8 booked in March, the BOJ said. Adding to investor consternation, the central bank said the index for large non-manufacturers, meanwhile, tumbled to minus 17, from 8 booked in March's survey, brokers here added. Investors selling of shares ramped up in the afternoon, strategists said, amid increased concerns over a resurgence of COVID-19 cases at home and abroad. In the United States, the virus' continued uptrend has forced some states to shutter businesses again and quarantine restrictions have been placed on some travelers moving between certain states, with the overall predicament slowing the full reopening of the U.S. economy, market analysts here said. "Optimism about a quick economic recovery is waning and weighing on shares," Makoto Sengoku, a market analyst at the Tokai Tokyo Research Institute, was quoted as saying. Meanwhile, issues sensitive to domestic demand took a hit Wednesday, as the Tokyo metropolitan government said it had detected 67 new COVID-19 infections, marking the highest number of daily cases since the state of emergency was lifted on May 25. The latest figure is also the sixth successive day that infection cases have topped the 50-mark, sparking concerns of a second wave in the capital, investment strategists said. The central bank's glum Tankan result combined with a comparatively firm yen sent exporters lower, with Toyota Motor skidding down 1.6 percent, while Honda Motor reversed 2.0 percent. Isuzu Motors, meanwhile, closed the day 3.2 percent lower. NTT Docomo lost ground, retreating 2.2 percent, after a government panel said the telecom behemoth should lower its fees for a budget carrier to use its service network. Chip-related issues bucked the downtrend, however, with Advantest gaining 2.0 percent, while Tokyo Electron climbed 4.9 percent. By the close of play, pharmaceutical, textile and apparel, and real estate-linked issues comprised those that declined the most, and issues that fell outpaced those that rose by 1,849 to 274 on the First Section, while 46 ended the day unchanged. On the main section on Wednesday, 1.184 billion shares changed hands, dropping from Tuesday's volume of 1.240 billion shares. The turnover on the third trading day of the week came to 2.035 trillion yen (18.926 billion U.S. dollars). Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-01 19:27:20|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close The Communist Party of China donated COVID-19 medical materials to Zambia's ruling party in Lusaka, Zambia, June 30, 2020. (Xinhua/Martin Mbangweta) The Communist Party of China has donated various medical supplies to Zambia's governing party, the Patriotic Front, as part of efforts to help the country tackle the COVID-19 pandemic. LUSAKA, July 1 (Xinhua) -- The Communist Party of China (CPC) on Tuesday donated various medical supplies to Zambia's governing party, the Patriotic Front (PF), as part of efforts to help the country tackle the COVID-19 pandemic. The materials were donated to Zambia's ruling party on behalf of the CPC International Department by the Chinese Embassy in Zambia. The donated items included 30,000 surgical face masks, 500 protective clothing and 240 thermometers. Li Jie, Chinese Ambassador to Zambia, said Zambia as well as other countries in the world were facing the challenge of COVID-19 which requires solidarity by all countries to combat it. The Chinese envoy said the two countries have demonstrated that they were together in fighting the pandemic and expressed optimism that the efforts and cooperation will enable Zambia to come out of the pandemic. Chinese Ambassador to Zambia Li Jie (L) demonstrated how to use a thermometer during the handover ceremony of donated COVID-19 medical materials to Zambia's ruling Party in Lusaka, Zambia, June 30, 2020. (Xinhua/Martin Mbangweta) Davies Mwila, secretary-general of Zambia's governing party thanked the CPC for the donation, saying it will go a long way in helping Zambia tackle the COVID-19 pandemic. He said the two parties have created strong cooperation over the years which will get even stronger in the face of the pandemic. According to him, the donation was more than material support but a practical demonstration of the goodwill that exists between the two parties. The donation, he said, will be distributed to institutions that were facing challenges in acquiring medical supplies to tackle the pandemic such as schools and hospitals run by churches. Zambia has so far recorded a total of 1,568 cases, 1,311 recoveries and 22 deaths while 235 are active cases. Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-01 19:29:32|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close by Marwa Yahya CAIRO, July 1 (Xinhua) -- Egypt appealed to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to intervene in the years-long dispute over Ethiopian's new hydroelectric dam to help push for a final deal before filling its reservoir, said Egyptian experts. In a virtual UNSC session on Monday, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said that Egypt's proposed resolution "encourages Egypt, Sudan, and Ethiopia to reach an agreement within two weeks without taking any unilateral measures related to the dam." "Egypt sought to mobilize more international players to intervene and monitor the negotiations on filling and operating the Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD)," said Mohamed Sameh, chairman of the international law department with Cairo University. A neutralized legal framework is also required to resolve any future dispute that might erupt amid failure of negotiations, Sameh, also a member of the Egyptian negotiating team on the GERD, told Xinhua. The Egyptian foreign minister highlighted that the 4.6-billion-U.S. dollar GERD "endangers the lives of 150 million Egyptians and Sudanese." "The draft resolution is in line with the outcome of an African Union (AU) summit," where the leaders of the three countries, on June 26, agreed to return to talks aimed at reaching an agreement over the filling of the GERD, said Shoukry. The AU has requested the formation of a committee of experts to finalize a binding agreement on the dam filling in two weeks. The committee will be provided with support from the leaders of Kenya, Mali, Congo, and South Africa besides international observers, the United States, and the European Union. Hours after the AU agreement was announced, the Ethiopian prime minister's office said that it is set to begin filling the dam within the next two weeks and the construction will continue. However, Egypt and Sudan had said that Ethiopia should refrain from filling the dam until the countries reached a deal. Sameh expected that the UNSC will call on the three countries to continue their negotiations under the AU umbrella and then submit a report to the UNSC. The Security Council members expressed support for the AU efforts in reviving talks and urged the three countries against the adoption of unilateral actions. "The dispute surrounding the dam, if not resolved to the satisfaction of all parties, could lead to further tensions in the region," said Nicolas de Riviere, permanent representative of France to the UN. "The international community now became ready to send the file back to the UNSC which will not make it easy for any side to take unilateral steps," said Tariq Fahmy, professor of political sciences with Cairo University. Ethiopia believes the GERD, which is expected to produce over 6,000 megawatts of electricity and become Africa's largest hydropower dam upon completion, will alleviate poverty in the country. However, the upstream nations of Egypt and Sudan, believe that filling the dam will impact their share and endanger water levels in the river. Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-01 19:32:16|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close ISLAMABAD, July 1 (Xinhua) -- Pakistan summoned Indian charge d'affaires Gaurav Ahluwalia to the country on Wednesday to lodge protest over unprovoked ceasefire violations by the Indian military along the Line of Control (LoC) in the disputed Kashmir area, the Foreign Ministry of Pakistan said. A youth was killed and five other civilians sustained serious injuries due to indiscriminate and unprovoked firing by the Indian forces along the LoC on Monday and Tuesday, a statement from the foreign ministry said. The Indian forces along the LoC and the working boundary have been continuously targeting civilian populated areas with artillery fire, heavy-caliber mortars and automatic weapons, said the statement. This year, India has committed 1,546 ceasefire violations to date, resulting in 14 deaths and serious injuries to 114 civilians, according to the statement. Pakistan and India had declared a ceasefire along the LoC. Both sides have routinely exchanged fire and accused each other of ceasefire violations. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-01 19:38:04|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close GUIYANG, July 1 (Xinhua) -- Subway and Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) systems now support payment by face scanning in Guiyang, capital of southwest China's Guizhou Province. To access the service, citizens need to download and register on a mobile application. After ID verification and facial recognition on self-registration terminals, citizens can take subway or BRTs simply by having their faces scanned. According to the city's government, this service is an important trial in the integrated development of the internet, artificial intelligence, transportation, city management, and market transactions. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-01 19:40:28|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close ADEN, Yemen, July 1 (Xinhua) -- Forces loyal to Yemen's government on Wednesday announced capturing a boat loaded with weapons off the country's Red Sea port city of Hodeidah. "A unit of the Coast Guard forces succeeded in seizing a boat loaded with various types of weapons on its way to the Houthi rebels," a local military official said on condition of anonymity. He added that "the boat that is seized by our forces was smuggling weapons to the Iran-backed Houthis in Hodeidah through the Red Sea coasts." "The crew of the boat were all Yemeni nationals and detained for more investigations to discover the main suppliers," he said. The Yemeni official pointed out that "there is a clear rise in maritime smuggling operations, as the incident of seizing the weapons-loaded boat is the third during the past two weeks." As the main Yemeni port city along the coast of the Red Sea, Hodeidah is the key lifeline entry of most Yemen's commercial imports and humanitarian aid. The grinding war of more than five years has pushed over 20 million people to the verge of starvation. The Iran-allied Houthi rebels control much of Hodeidah while the Saudi-backed government troops have advanced to its southeastern districts. Yemen has been locked in a civil war since late 2014, when the Houthis seized control of much of the country's north and forced the Saudi-backed government of Yemeni President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi out of capital Sanaa. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-01 19:40:49|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close MACAO, July 1 (Xinhua) -- Macao's gaming industry revenue plunged by 97 percent year-on-year in June 2020, the special administrative region (SAR)'s gaming industry watchdog said on Wednesday. Macao's Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau said in its latest report that the gaming revenue was 716 million patacas (about 89.78 million U.S. dollars) in June this year, a drastic decline of 97 percent from 2019. The accumulated revenue in the first half of this year reached 33.72 billion patacas (about 4.23 billion dollars), also down by 77.4 percent year-on-year. The current COVID-19 pandemic has aggravated the subdued performance of gaming industry, as the SAR government kept the tightened entry policy to curb the spread of the disease since late January this year. Macao's monthly gaming revenue kept a year-on-year growth for 29 consecutive months since August 2016. But the trend was ended as it recorded a decrease of 5 percent in January 2019. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-01 19:41:20|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close People take a selfie on the Kuala Lumpur Tower in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, July 1, 2020. Malaysia reported no new COVID-19 local transmissions on Wednesday, the Health Ministry said. More sectors are opened on Wednesday, including spas and massage centers, cinemas, theaters, indoor live events and swimming pool activities. (Photo by Chong Voon Chung/Xinhua) KUALA LUMPUR, July 1 (Xinhua) -- Malaysia reported no new COVID-19 local transmissions on Wednesday, the Health Ministry said. Health Ministry Director-General Noor Hisham Abdullah said in a statement that one new imported case had been detected, a Malaysian national returning from Turkey. "It has been four months since the first case of second wave of COVID-19 cases in Malaysia reported on Feb. 27. For the first time, today, Malaysia recorded the lowest daily COVID-19 cases during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic," he said. "More importantly, there are no cases COVID-19 reported to be infected from the inside country, local transmission, among Malaysians and foreign nationals," he added. The total number of cases in the country is now 8,640 of which 144 are active cases. Among the active cases, four are being held in intensive care units and two of those are in need of assisted breathing. Another 21 cases had been released, bringing the total cured and discharged to 8,375 or 96.9 percent of all cases. No new deaths had been reported, leaving the total deaths at 121. Meanwhile, Education Minister Mohd Radzi Md Jidin said primary school students in fifth and sixth grade and secondary school students would open on July 15, while remaining primary school students would return on July 22. This is after schools for middle schools senior grade students proceeded to operate on June 24. Government offices and private preschools and kindergartens have also reopened. Mohd Radzi added that tuition centers will be allowed to open as well, starting July 15. More sectors are opened on Wednesday, including spas and massage centers, cinemas, theaters, indoor live events and swimming pool activities. The Malaysian government has also allowed social events like wedding receptions, engagement ceremonies, religious events, birthday and anniversary celebrations to be held, beginning in July. Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-01 19:41:30|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close VIENNA, July 1 (Xinhua) -- The Austrian foreign ministry on Wednesday issued the highest warning against traveling to the Western Balkan countries as coronavirus infections there have risen sharply. The level-6 travel warning, which means travelers from those countries have to undergo a 14-day self-quarantine or present a negative coronavirus test result, apply to countries including Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia, according to a tweet from the foreign ministry. There will be increased controls over the borders, said Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg at a press conference here. "We were able to lift the travel restrictions for 32 European countries," he said, but the normality of freedom to travel is still "miles away." Health Minister Rudolf Anschober said that new coronavirus infection figures in the Western Balkans are "problematic," stressing the need for concrete measures to contain the outbreak. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-01 19:45:26|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, July 1 (Xinhua) -- China's civil aviation regulator said on Wednesday that a Sichuan Airlines flight from Cairo, Egypt, to Chengdu would be suspended after six passengers tested positive for COVID-19 on a June 27 flight. The suspension of flight 3U8392, with a duration of one week, starting July 6, was the second 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. Previously, China Southern Airlines' flight from Dhaka, Bangladesh, to Guangzhou was suspended for four weeks, starting June 22, after 17 passengers tested positive for COVID-19 on a June 11 flight. 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 for four weeks if the number of passengers testing positive reaches 10. The CAAC also said that Sichuan Airlines is not allowed to transfer the original quota of flight 3U8392 to other routes. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-01 19:48:40|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Photo taken on July 1, 2020 shows smoke rising in the air following airstrikes in Sanaa, Yemen. The Saudi-led coalition on Wednesday launched a series of airstrikes on the Yemeni capital Sanaa, which is under Houthi control, the Houthi-run al-Masirah TV reported. (Photo by Mohammed Mohammed/Xinhua) SANAA, July 1 (Xinhua) -- The Saudi-led coalition on Wednesday launched a series of airstrikes on the Yemeni capital Sanaa, which is under Houthi control, the Houthi-run al-Masirah TV reported. The residents said that the airstrikes targeted the vicinity of Sanaa airport in the north of the capital as well as military sites in the mountain of Nuqom and the area of al-Sawad, both in the south of Sanaa. No casualties were reported and the coalition has made no comment on the attack. It was the second attack by the coalition on the Houthi sites in Sanaa in two weeks. Yemen has been mired in civil war since late 2014, when the Iran-backed Houthi rebels seized control of much of the country's north and forced the Saudi-backed government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi out of Sanaa. The Saudi-led coalition intervened in the Yemeni conflict in early 2015 to support Hadi's government. The Yemeni five-year war has killed tens of thousands of people, mostly civilians, displaced 3 million and pushed more than 20 million to the brink of starvation. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-01 19:54:58|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, July 1 (Xinhua) -- Six years ago, Hu Zhengnan decided to temporarily leave his office job at a geological survey institute. He signed up to join a poverty relief team headed to the countryside. The 25-year-old cadre of the Communist Party of China (CPC) was sent to Liuquan, a village situated in a large resettled zone for people who moved out of uninhabitable mountains in northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. Most of the people there had lived hand to mouth for generations. Hu was expected to use his vision and knowledge to help them change their fate. After two years of research, Hu pinned his hope on an edible plant -- daylily. The plant is increasingly popular at the dinner table of city folks and should have a huge market, Hu told fellow villagers. To their advantage, Liuquan's dry climate and wide diurnal temperature range are ideal for daylily farming. But persuading farmers accustomed to growing wheat and corn to switch to this unassuming yellow flower was no easy task. And there was a lot of tutoring, infrastructure building, and marketing to do. "Initially, farmers were afraid to make the change. The hardest part was to change their perception," Hu said. Undeterred by the challenges, Hu devoted himself to the cause and stayed for four more years. Today, as the first secretary of Liuquan village committee of the CPC, Hu is happy to see the daylily farm expand to 267 hectares. All but nine households in the village bid farewell to poverty. "The villagers no longer waited for government handouts. They have something to hope for and are very much inspired to work for a better future," he said. PARTY LEADERSHIP Hu is among 2.9 million cadres the CPC mobilized and sent to poor villages in recent years. They form a crucial force battling China's poverty at the frontline. The Party, founded in 1921, has led the Chinese in fighting and winning the revolution, establishing the people's republic and developing it into the world's second largest economy. July 1 marks the CPC's 99th anniversary of founding. A year shy of the centenary, the Party is poised to achieve yet another milestone -- eradicating absolute poverty. Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, leads the fight. As the sudden outbreak of COVID-19 brought extra challenges this year, Xi convened a large teleconference on poverty reduction in March and later inspected efforts on the ground when he visited Shaanxi, Shanxi, and Ningxia. Xi said bringing all rural residents above the current poverty line by 2020 is a solemn promise made by the CPC Central Committee, and it must be fulfilled on time. With less than 200 days left, the remaining pockets of deep poverty are the nation's most deprived and hardest to support, including some ethnic minority and border areas. In Ningxia, Xi reiterated that no ethnic minority group should be left behind. "The CPC started out as a party for the poor. The revolution was fought to liberate the poor. After the revolution was won, the Party should lead the people in living a better life," Xi said. "We managed to overcome all difficulties and challenges in the more than 70 years after the founding of New China because we remain true to our original aspiration and keep our mission firmly in mind." TARGETED POVERTY ALLEVIATION From edges of deserts to deep inside the mountains, China has lifted more than 93 million people out of poverty in less than eight years. Liu Yongfu, director of the State Council Leading Group Office of Poverty Alleviation and Development, said the intensity, scale, and impact of this round of poverty eradication are all unprecedented. Behind the success is the well-implemented "targeted poverty alleviation" Xi put forward in November 2013, according to Liu. The key is to identify the right population, tailor poverty-relief programs to local conditions, and send appropriate resources and personnel to implement the programs, he said. The village of Shibadong in central China's Hunan Province may shed light on how targeted strategies work. It was there that the concept was first put forward. While daylily is the cash crop in Liuquan, poverty relief cadres sent to Shibadong found luck in kiwi fruit. Rich in natural beauty and scenic landscapes, Shibadong is hobbled by a rugged terrain and scarce arable land. With the help of the government and private sector, villagers rented a plantation in a nearby township to grow high-quality kiwis. Having tasted the sweet success of kiwi farming, the village ventured into other businesses: it partnered a company to sell bottled mountain spring water and began to develop rural tourism. Unique landscapes and ethnic Miao culture are a big draw. Tourists brought business to hotels, restaurants, embroidery and honey farming. Shibadong is no longer poor. Last year, the average annual income of villagers reached 14,668 yuan (abut 2,100 U.S. dollars), more than eight times the figure in 2013. Across the country, rural industries like the ones in Shibadong have helped many shake off poverty. Others have escaped poverty through relocation, ecological compensation, or education. Social security allowances were given to the sick, the disabled and others who could not work their way out of extreme poverty. After the poverty reduction tasks are completed this year, the number of people lifted out of poverty since the 18th CPC National Congress is expected to top 100 million. "There is no other country in the world that can help so many people get rid of poverty in such a short time. This means a lot to both China and the world," Xi said at the poverty reduction teleconference in March, adding that the unprecedented achievement demonstrates the political advantages of the CPC leadership and socialist system. China's poverty reduction has drawn applause from home and abroad. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres once commended it as the greatest poverty reduction accomplishment in history. Robert Lawrence Kuhn, a U.S. expert on China, said China's poverty alleviation served as a good example for the world's other developing countries to draw experience from. "When historians of the future write the chronicles of our times, a feature story may well be China's targeted poverty alleviation," he said. BETTER LIFE Bai Gaoshan's family used to live in a Yaodong, a house built into the hardened earth common across the Loess Plateau in northern China. The farmland they worked was dry and barren, and their lives harder still. Along with 400 other people, they were relocated to a specially built village in the township of Xiping, Shanxi Province. Thanks to the government's support, Bai's son received professional training and got a new job as a welder, earning about 40,000 yuan a year. Like Bai's family, more than 9.6 million poor people in China have been relocated away from uninhabitable areas over the past couple of years to places where they can get access to more job opportunities and better public services. When living in Yaodong, Bai worried that his son would be too poor to marry. After moving out, his son got married and now has a son of his own. They are happy, he said. "The Party is good. It does things that bring tangible benefits to the people," Bai said. Whether it is a new skill or relocation or a host of other projects scattered across all four corners of China, the CPC's poverty reduction campaign is all about improving the people's life. Ending rural poverty is considered a defining benchmark of attaining the goal of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects. But that is not the end. The country will focus on rural vitalization to strive for an even better life for rural residents. "Being lifted out of poverty is not an end in itself but the starting point of a new life and a new pursuit," Xi said in Ningxia. "As people's aspirations to live a better life grow, we must continue to improve our work and expand the areas of support." Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-01 20:00:06|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, July 1 (Xinhua) -- The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) said Wednesday that its board of directors had approved a 7.3-million-U.S.-dollar loan to the Maldives to strengthen the country's health response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Co-financed by the World Bank, the project will enable the government to provide more personal protective equipment to medical professionals and strengthen health systems through stepped up testing capabilities, the AIIB said. This is AIIB's first project financing in the Maldives. "AIIB is strongly committed to ensuring that the government has the necessary resources and capacity to protect the most vulnerable in the country," said AIIB Vice President, Investment Operations, D.J. Pandian. The socioeconomic impact on the archipelago nation remains uncertain given its dependence on the international tourism market, with most of the country's tax and non-tax revenues originating directly or indirectly from tourism, according to the bank. The project was approved under a new Special Fund Window (SFW) as part of AIIB's COVID-19 Crisis Recovery Facility. AIIB's SFW is only available to International Development Association members to help them raise affordable funds to fight the pandemic. As of the end of June, AIIB approved a total of 13 projects amounting to over 5.5 billion U.S. dollars to help 11 members cope with the impact of the global health crisis. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-01 20:20:23|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close ISLAMABAD, July 1 (Xinhua) -- The Pakistani government on Wednesday handed over a list of 324 Indian prisoners in Pakistan to the High Commission of India in Islamabad, Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. "This step is consistent with the provisions of the Consular Access Agreement between Pakistan and India signed on May 21, 2008, under which both countries are required to exchange lists of prisoners in each other's custody twice a year on Jan. 1 and July 1, respectively," said a foreign ministry statement. The Indian prisoners include 54 civilians and 270 fishermen, according to the statement. "The Indian government also simultaneously shared the list of 362 Pakistani prisoners in India, including 265 civil prisoners and 97 fishermen with the High Commission for Pakistan in New Delhi," the statement said. It said the Pakistani government has been calling for early release and repatriation of 15 civil prisoners and 47 fishermen to Pakistan, who have completed their sentences and whose nationality has been confirmed and conveyed to India. "Moreover, India has been asked to provide immediate consular access to 77 believed to be Pakistani civil prisoners and 113 Pakistani fishermen who are in Indian custody," according to the statement. Pakistan and India routinely arrest fishermen, who cross water boundaries for illegal fishing, but the two neighbors have not yet reached an agreement on maritime boundaries to sort out the prevailing issue. The lists of prisoners were exchanged amid tensions between the two neighbors, who have been involved in a diplomatic row recently over what both sides claimed harassment of staff members of the high commissions in New Delhi and Islamabad. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-01 20:22:46|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close MACAO, July 1 (Xinhua) -- The total merchandise import to Macao fell by 39.1 percent year-on-year to 4.35 billion patacas (about 545.45 million U.S. dollars) in May 2020, the special administrative region's statistic department said here on Wednesday. The latest report from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) showed that the imports of gold jewellery, watches and mobile phones declined by 87.8 percent, 82.8 percent and 55.1 percent respectively. From January to May 2020, the total value of merchandise import declined by 30.3 percent year-on-year to 24.66 billion patacas (about 3.09 billion dollars). The merchandise import from Chinese mainland and the European Union decreased by 23.4 percent and 32.1 percent respectively year-on-year to 9.13 billion patacas (about 1.14 billion dollars) and 6.55 billion patacas (about 821.32 million dollars) in the first five months of 2020. Besides, imports from the economies participating the Belt and Road Initiative and the Portuguese-speaking countries shrank by 1.9 percent and 22.6 percent respectively to 4.86 billion patacas (about 609.40 million dollars) and 285 million patacas (about 36 million dollars) from January to May 2020. The imports of consumer goods went down by 33.6 percent to 16.32 billion patacas (about 2.05 billion dollars) in the first five months of 2020, with imports of watches and gold jewellery falling by 53.2 percent and 58.7 percent respectively. The imports of fuels and lubricants, and mobile phones declined by 25.0 percent and 56.7 percent respectively, whereas imports of construction materials rose by 8.6 percent. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-01 20:37:06|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close A giant panda is seen at a newly opened giant panda garden in Xiangxi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, central China's Hunan Province, July 1, 2020. Eight giant pandas from southwest China's Sichuan Province made their debut at the garden on Wednesday. (Photo by Chen Sihan/Xinhua) CHANGSHA, July 1 (Xinhua) -- Eight pandas made their public debut in the ancient town of Fenghuang in central China's Hunan Province on Wednesday after the chubby bears settled into their new home there in May. The eight bears, from southwest China's Sichuan Province, arrived at a panda theme park in Fenghuang on May 30. It was the first time that the popular tourist destination has welcomed giant pandas. The animals, whether taking naps in their indoor rest areas, eating bamboo, or hanging out with each other in the playing fields, attract many visitors. Two of the eight pandas, named Long Sheng and Qing Feng, were born in 2000 and 2007 respectively. The other six pandas were born in 2017. The panda theme park was built to provide a good living environment for the eight animals, including a panda house, a panda hospital, a feed processing room, a tourist service center, a science museum, and other supporting projects. Sixteen professional keepers take care of the pandas. With the average annual temperature ranging from 12.6 to 16.7 degrees Celsius, Fenghuang County boasts more than 3,333 hectares of bamboo forest, providing a good habitat for giant pandas. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-01 20:39:28|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close COLOMBO, July 1 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lanka's Foreign Secretary Ravinatha Aryasinha said that despite the gloom caused from the COVID-19 pandemic, the situation has been an eye-opener that could help correct structural, procedural and human interface incongruities in Sri Lanka's labor migration. Aryasingha said the present situation also presented an opportunity for Sri Lanka to re-orient foreign employment in a post-COVID-19 world, sensitive to the ground realities in both Sri Lanka and the migrant labor receiving countries, so that the future footprint Sri Lanka's foreign employment will provide the world could be smarter and more sustainable though probably smaller. "The COVID-19 crisis has exposed the significant number of Sri Lankan migrant workers abroad who are undocumented/irregular, and as a result are ineligible to avail of medical and other benefits in their host countries, and are also vulnerable to deportation if identified," Aryasinha said in the statement. It is believed that some, who might have originally registered with the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment at the point of leaving the country, might not have subsequently renewed their registration. Aryasinha urged them to register so that they enjoy the benefits of an expanded social safety net, as successfully practiced by migrant workers in countries like the Philippines, where the percentage of registered migrant workers is 96.8 percent. Sri Lanka's foreign employment sector is presently one of the largest foreign exchange earners with thousands of workers traveling overseas each year for employment. A majority of the Sri Lankan workers travel to the Middle East through which large foreign exchange remittance is deposited into the country. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-01 20:42:42|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close KAMPALA, July 1 (Xinhua) -- Uganda on Wednesday temporarily opened its borders to receive thousands of people fleeing deadly ethnic clashes in neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), a spokesperson for the United Nations refugee agency said. Hilary Onek, Uganda's minister for relief, disaster preparedness and refugees, launched a three-day exercise to receive and provide asylum to an estimated 10,000 refugees in the northwest border district of Zombo. Duniya Aslam Khan, spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Uganda, told Xinhua by telephone that the asylum-seekers who have been stuck between Uganda and eastern DRC since May will be put under quarantine for 14 days against COVID-19. "Yes, the exercise has started," Khan said. "The border will be open for three days to allow all those people (asylum-seekers) who are willing to cross." "It's voluntary. People who chose to come will come and those who may decide to stay there will remain," she said. "They will be brought to the quarantine center where they will stay for 14 days during which they will be tested for COVID-19. After 14 days' quarantine they will be shifted to any of the refugee settlements," Khan said. Authorities on Monday delayed reception of the DRC refugees over security concerns. The suspension followed an incident in March when some from DR Congo and Uganda attacked an army unit in Zombo. Three soldiers and 17 attackers were killed in the incident. Onek told Xinhua on Tuesday that the authorities will carry out proper security checks before allowing in refugees into country. Uganda in March closed all its border entry points to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus. According to the UN refugee agency, Uganda hosts some 1.4 million refugees, mostly from neighboring South Sudan, the DRC and Burundi. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-01 20:47:48|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIRUT, July 1 (Xinhua) -- Palestinian refugees in Lebanon demonstrated on Wednesday against the U.S. Middle East peace plan, known as the "Deal of the Century," online independent newspaper Elnashra reported. "This deal aims to eliminate the Palestinian cause and prevent Palestinians from returning to their homeland," the refugees said during protests in Beirut and south and north of Lebanon. They assured that Palestinians will remain united to face the annexation of the West Bank by Israel, said Elnashra. The Palestinian refugees also urged the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) to increase their allowances to enable them to pay for shelter and food in addition to settling their legal conditions in the country. The UNRWA has faced severe financial challenges in 2019 with a deficit valued at 50 million U.S. dollars which will be added to this year's deficit despite the increase in support by donor countries in November and December of last year. The UNRWA provides aid, mostly in the form of education, health care, food security and other essentials, to Palestinians registered as refugees in the West Bank, Gaza Strip, Syria, Lebanon and Jordan. A study which Lebanese Palestinian Dialogue Committee released in 2017, showed that the total population of registered Palestinians in Lebanon stands at 174,422. Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-01 21:00:03|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close OTTAWA, July 1 (Xinhua) -- A new trade deal between the United States, Canada and Mexico came into effect on Wedensday. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told reporters on Monday that Canadians would get more from the new deal, which replaced the 26-year-old North American Free Trade Agreement. In terms of auto industry, all three countries technically win with revisions made to the "rules of origin" for vehicles where the percentage of North American-made material in cars has been increased from 62.5 percent to 75 percent. There is also a requirement for automobiles to feature 70 percent North American steel and aluminum content, but that clause could become an irritant. Last year, the U.S. removed tariffs of 25 percent on imports of Canadian steel and 10 percent on Canadian aluminum imposed in 2018 following an agreement with Canada, which responded with countermeasures against American steel and aluminum products. The new agreement, however, would allow the United States to reintroduce similar tariffs, if imports of Canadian steel and aluminum spike. Trudeau reminded Washington that the United States "needs" Canadian aluminum. "If they put tariffs on Canadian aluminum, they're simply increasing the costs of inputs, necessary inputs, to their manufacturing base which will hurt the American economy. Again, we see that our economies are so interlinked that punitive actions by the United States administration end up hurting Americans the same way they end up hurting Canadians," Trudeau said. "We will continue to advocate for continued free and fair trade between our two countries in a relationship that has been extraordinarily beneficial to our two countries for many, many decades," Trudeau added. Trudeau's remarks came after a report last week that the United States plans to re-impose a tariff of 10 percent on Canadian aluminum into the United States unless the Canadian government agrees to limit aluminum exports. U.S. trade representative Robert Lighthizer said in testimony to the Senate Finance Committee earlier this month that recent surges in steel and aluminum exports from Canada were contrary to the agreement that ended the year-long stalemate in May 2019. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-01 21:08:04|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close JERUSALEM, July 1 (Xinhua) -- Israeli researchers have discovered collaboration between trees deep in the ground, Weizmann Institute of Science (WIS) in central Israel said Wednesday. In their study, WIS researchers found underground intricate networks of fungi connecting the roots of different tree species with one another. These networks enable the trees to exchange of minerals, nutrients, water and carbon, while funneling carbon to the fungi in return. Symbiotic relationships between trees and fungi have been known for many years, but this is the first time that different tree species have been observed cooperating with one another using the fungi network in their natural setting. By installing devices deep underground and employing next-generation sequencing techniques, the researchers analyzed over 1,000 root tips from 12 individuals of spruce, pine, larch and beech. This way, they could quantify the amount of carbon being transferred between the trees, and identify the fungal species responsible. It was also found that the sharing process is dominated by the fungi, as it is their interest to ensure that all the trees within the network are healthy and strong. The findings show that mixing tree species in forests may build greater ecological resilience and stability. Also, according to the researchers, the fungi's actions would be especially advantageous if a forest is subjected to such stressors as climate change, drought, fire or disease, making the forest to be a more resilient. Thus, the scientists plan to induce conditions of drought in a small area to investigate the role of the fungi in the forest system when it is confronted with an ecological disturbance. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-01 21:16:24|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, July 1 (Xinhua) -- China will focus on improving financial services to micro, small and medium-sized enterprises in an effort to ensure their sound development, according to a State Council executive meeting on Wednesday. The meeting, presided over by Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, said that special local government bonds will be allowed to appropriately support medium and small banks in replenishing capital. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-01 21:22:22|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close LAGOS, July 1 (Xinhua) -- The governor of Delta state in southern Nigeria, Ifeanyi Okowa, has been confirmed positive for the novel coronavirus. Olisa Ifeajika, the governor spokesperson, said in a statement on Wednesday the development was sequel to the tests conducted on the governor and his wife Edith after a few days of self-isolation. The governor and his wife had earlier proceeded on self-isolation after their daughter tested positive for the virus last week. According to the spokesperson, the couple are in stable condition and have begun necessary treatment. Ifeajika said the governor has assured that his administration would not relent in its efforts at combating the virus in the state. He urged the public to support the state government in that regard by complying with prescribed protocols by the Nigeria Center for Disease Control(NCDC). According to the NCDC, the state has reported 965 confirmed cases with 190 recoveries and 23 deaths as of Tuesday. Nigeria saw 561 new cases on Tuesday, with total confirmed cases standing at 25,694. The Nigerian government on Monday continued to ease lockdown measures implemented earlier and announced an end to a ban on inter-state movements across the country, though a nationwide curfew from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. and mandatory use of face masks in public places remain in place. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-01 21:31:22|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Palestinians take part in a rally against the Israeli annexation plan in Gaza City, on July 1, 2020. Thousands of Palestinians on Wednesday joined a public protest in the Gaza Strip against the Israeli plan to annex parts of the West Bank. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua) GAZA, July 1 (Xinhua) -- Thousands of Palestinians on Wednesday joined a public protest in the Gaza Strip against the Israeli plan to annex parts of the West Bank. The protestors marched along the streets of Gaza city, holding the Palestinian flag and banners, reading "annexation will not pass" in Arabic and English. The protest was organized by the Palestinian national and Islamic political factions, which called for considering July 1 a "Day of Rage." July 1 was set by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as the date to declare the annexation of parts of the West Bank. "The annexation decision is an existential threat to the Palestinian people," said the political factions in a joint statement. "The Palestinian people will not remain silent and a new wave of struggle would break out," the statement warned. Protestors in the blockaded Gaza Strip said they got together to express solidarity with the people in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, calling for a national unity. Meanwhile, activists launched an e-campaign on social media and through local media outlets in Palestine with messages against the Israeli annexation plan. Shatha Hammad, the campaign coordinator, said in a statement that it is aimed at amplifying the Palestinian message from all over the occupied territories against annexation on the date Israel set for launching it. The Israeli government is planning to annex more than 30 percent of the West Bank, including the Jordan Valley. It also plans to impose sovereignty on several Israeli settlements in the territory. Tension between the two sides has mounted after Netanyahu announced that his annexation plan will be implemented on July 1. Netanyahu said on Tuesday that his government is still "working" on his West Bank annexation plan, hinting at the postponement of the controversial move. Netanyahu and Benny Gantz, leader of Blue and White party, are at odds over the starting date of the annexation, with Netanyahu declaring July 1 as its start-date and Gantz wanting to postpone it until after the coronavirus crisis. Israel's annexation plan was received with widespread condemnations by the Palestinians, most of the Arab world, and the international community. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-01 21:36:39|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo speaks during a press briefing in Washington D.C., the United States, on March 5, 2020. (Xinhua/Liu Jie) BEIJING, July 1 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and his like are just daydreaming as they attempt to cut the flesh and blood ties between the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the Chinese people, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said on Wednesday. Zhao said this when asked to comment on remarks by Pompeo, who repeatedly attacked the CPC and the Chinese political system and said that the hopes and dreams of the Chinese people should be distinguished from those of the Party. "The dream of the CPC and the dream of the Chinese people are the same, namely to realize the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. The dream will definitely be realized," he said at a press briefing. By spreading lies and slanders, Pompeo and his like are attempting to cut off the flesh and blood ties between the Party and the people. "They are just daydreaming," said the spokesperson. Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-01 21:43:08|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close ROME, July 1 (Xinhua) -- The consensus among key economic observers is that Italy will emerge strongly from the economic slowdown that has held it since the emergence of the coronavirus pandemic earlier this year. But there is still no clear idea of how long it will take for that economic recovery to gain force. The reports published over the last two months from 19 leading multilateral organizations, investment banks, economists, think tanks, rating agencies, and other observers predict Italy's economy will contract by around 11 percent in 2020. Before the coronavirus crisis, most observers the economy would grow by around 0.5 percent this year. Among that group -- which includes the International Monetary Fund, the Bank of Italy, the European Commission, the Italian National Statistics Institute (ISTAT), and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) -- the most optimistic model comes from the Italian industry association Confindustria, which predicted a 6-percent contraction compared to 2019. The least optimistic is the OECD, which had a model predicting the Italian economy could shrink by as much as 14 percent. If even the most optimistic scenario plays out, it will be Italy's most severe one-year economic contraction since the country emerged from World War II. The most severe negative growth before 2020 came in the wake of the world economic crisis, in 2009, when the economic growth rate declined to minus 5.3 percent. Lorenzo Codogno, founder and chief economist of LC Macro Investors Ltd. and a visiting professor at the London School of Economics, said the severity of the current economic crisis makes it difficult for economic models to accurately predict what will happen over the coming months. "The models don't work because this is such an unprecedented crisis," Codogno told Xinhua. "Nobody has ever seen anything like this before." Codogno himself predicted negative 13.3 percent growth for the year, more severe than the consensus of recent prognostications. But he also predicted 9.7-percent growth in 2021, a level not seen in Italy since the 1950s post-war economic boom. "I think the economic recovery will gain traction next year, with a pickup in exports and industrial production," Codogno said. "But a 9.7-percent growth rate won't seem strong because the economy will be gaining back part of what was lost this year." In the first quarter of this year, ISTAT said the economy contracted by 5.3 percent compared to the same period in 2019, and preliminary estimates from domestic economic observers predict the economy will shrink by as much as 21.9 percent in the second quarter (that figure is from the retailers' association Confcommercio) compared to the same period a year earlier. According to Francesco Daveri, a professor of macroeconomics at the SDA Bocconi University School of Management, consensus estimates for a full-year economic contraction of around 11 percent are based on some recovery over the second half of this year. "I think the coming months will include a visible rebalancing of the economy," Daveri said in an interview. "It will not be the same across all sectors. For the tourism industry, this is a lost year, and some export sectors will continue to suffer as trading partners emerge from their economic problems. But I think we will start seeing positive signs in the second half." Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-01 21:54:11|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Zhang Xiaoming, deputy director of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council, speaks during a press conference held by the State Council Information Office about the Law of the People's Republic of China on Safeguarding National Security in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) in Beijing, capital of China, July 1, 2020. (Xinhua/Jin Liangkuai) BEIJING, July 1 (Xinhua) -- China's central government and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government will undoubtedly retaliate if the United States imposes sanctions, an official said Wednesday. Some people in the United States have indeed gone too far by engaging in yet another round of bullying, Zhang Xiaoming, deputy head of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council, told a press conference. The special economic status of the HKSAR, including its standing as a global financial hub, has been earned through decades of hard work by generations of people in Hong Kong, Zhang said, stressing that such a status is recognized by the world and is also underpinned by the HKSAR Basic Law. The HKSAR's long-term prosperity and stability are dependent on its comparative advantages in business environment and financial system and on the momentum of the mainland's economic development and the central authorities' support, Zhang said. "We are full of confidence in Hong Kong's future," he said. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-01 21:55:02|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close -- July 1 marks the Communist Party of China's 99th anniversary of founding. -- A year shy of the centenary, the Party is poised to achieve yet another milestone: eradicating absolute poverty. -- Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, leads the anti-poverty fight. -- From edges of deserts to deep inside the mountains, China has lifted more than 93 million people out of poverty in less than eight years. BEIJING, July 1 (Xinhua) -- Six years ago, Hu Zhengnan decided to temporarily leave his office job at a geological survey institute. He signed up to join a poverty relief team headed to the countryside. The 25-year-old cadre of the Communist Party of China (CPC) was sent to Liuquan, a village situated in a large resettled zone for people who moved out of uninhabitable mountains in northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. Most of the people there had lived hand to mouth for generations. Hu was expected to use his vision and knowledge to help them change their fate. After two years of research, Hu pinned his hope on an edible plant -- daylily. The plant is increasingly popular at the dinner table of city folks and should have a huge market, Hu told fellow villagers. To their advantage, Liuquan's dry climate and wide diurnal temperature range are ideal for daylily farming. But persuading farmers accustomed to growing wheat and corn to switch to this unassuming yellow flower was no easy task. And there was a lot of tutoring, infrastructure building, and marketing to do. "Initially, farmers were afraid to make the change. The hardest part was to change their perception," Hu said. Undeterred by the challenges, Hu devoted himself to the cause and stayed for four more years. Today, as the first secretary of Liuquan village committee of the CPC, Hu is happy to see the daylily farm expand to 267 hectares. All but nine households in the village bid farewell to poverty. "The villagers no longer waited for government handouts. They have something to hope for and are very much inspired to work for a better future," he said. PARTY LEADERSHIP Hu is among 2.9 million cadres the CPC mobilized and sent to poor villages in recent years. They form a crucial force battling China's poverty at the frontline. The Party, founded in 1921, has led the Chinese in fighting and winning the revolution, establishing the people's republic and developing it into the world's second largest economy. July 1 marks the CPC's 99th anniversary of founding. A year shy of the centenary, the Party is poised to achieve yet another milestone -- eradicating absolute poverty. Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, leads the fight. Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, learns about efforts to advance poverty alleviation in Hongde Village of Wuzhong City, northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, June 8, 2020. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi) As the sudden outbreak of COVID-19 brought extra challenges this year, Xi convened a large teleconference on poverty reduction in March and later inspected efforts on the ground when he visited Shaanxi, Shanxi, and Ningxia. Xi said bringing all rural residents above the current poverty line by 2020 is a solemn promise made by the CPC Central Committee, and it must be fulfilled on time. With less than 200 days left, the remaining pockets of deep poverty are the nation's most deprived and hardest to support, including some ethnic minority and border areas. In Ningxia, Xi reiterated that no ethnic minority group should be left behind. "The CPC started out as a party for the poor. The revolution was fought to liberate the poor. After the revolution was won, the Party should lead the people in living a better life," Xi said. "We managed to overcome all difficulties and challenges in the more than 70 years after the founding of New China because we remain true to our original aspiration and keep our mission firmly in mind." TARGETED POVERTY ALLEVIATION From edges of deserts to deep inside the mountains, China has lifted more than 93 million people out of poverty in less than eight years. Liu Yongfu, director of the State Council Leading Group Office of Poverty Alleviation and Development, said the intensity, scale, and impact of this round of poverty eradication are all unprecedented. Behind the success is the well-implemented "targeted poverty alleviation" Xi put forward in November 2013, according to Liu. The key is to identify the right population, tailor poverty-relief programs to local conditions, and send appropriate resources and personnel to implement the programs, he said. The village of Shibadong in central China's Hunan Province may shed light on how targeted strategies work. It was there that the concept was first put forward. While daylily is the cash crop in Liuquan, poverty relief cadres sent to Shibadong found luck in kiwi fruit. Rich in natural beauty and scenic landscapes, Shibadong is hobbled by a rugged terrain and scarce arable land. With the help of the government and private sector, villagers rented a plantation in a nearby township to grow high-quality kiwis. Having tasted the sweet success of kiwi farming, the village ventured into other businesses: it partnered a company to sell bottled mountain spring water and began to develop rural tourism. Unique landscapes and ethnic Miao culture are a big draw. Tourists brought business to hotels, restaurants, embroidery and honey farming. Villagers make pieces of embroidery in a rural cooperative in Shibadong Village of Xiangxi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, central China's Hunan Province, April 24, 2020. (Xinhua/Xue Yuge) Shibadong is no longer poor. Last year, the average annual income of villagers reached 14,668 yuan (abut 2,100 U.S. dollars), more than eight times the figure in 2013. Across the country, rural industries like the ones in Shibadong have helped many shake off poverty. Others have escaped poverty through relocation, ecological compensation, or education. Social security allowances were given to the sick, the disabled and others who could not work their way out of extreme poverty. After the poverty reduction tasks are completed this year, the number of people lifted out of poverty since the 18th CPC National Congress is expected to top 100 million. Villager Yang Zhengbang (R) introduces local tea products to tourists in Shibadong Village of Xiangxi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, central China's Hunan Province, April 25, 2020. (Xinhua/Xue Yuge) "There is no other country in the world that can help so many people get rid of poverty in such a short time. This means a lot to both China and the world," Xi said at the poverty reduction teleconference in March, adding that the unprecedented achievement demonstrates the political advantages of the CPC leadership and socialist system. China's poverty reduction has drawn applause from home and abroad. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres once commended it as the greatest poverty reduction accomplishment in history. Robert Lawrence Kuhn, a U.S. expert on China, said China's poverty alleviation served as a good example for the world's other developing countries to draw experience from. "When historians of the future write the chronicles of our times, a feature story may well be China's targeted poverty alleviation," he said. BETTER LIFE Bai Gaoshan's family used to live in a Yaodong, a house built into the hardened earth common across the Loess Plateau in northern China. The farmland they worked was dry and barren, and their lives harder still. Along with 400 other people, they were relocated to a specially built village in the township of Xiping, Shanxi Province. Thanks to the government's support, Bai's son received professional training and got a new job as a welder, earning about 40,000 yuan a year. Like Bai's family, more than 9.6 million poor people in China have been relocated away from uninhabitable areas over the past couple of years to places where they can get access to more job opportunities and better public services. When living in Yaodong, Bai worried that his son would be too poor to marry. After moving out, his son got married and now has a son of his own. They are happy, he said. "The Party is good. It does things that bring tangible benefits to the people," Bai said. Farmers weed in the vegetable field in Xiping Township of Datong City, north China's Shanxi Province, May 11, 2020. (Xinhua/Chai Ting) Whether it is a new skill or relocation or a host of other projects scattered across all four corners of China, the CPC's poverty reduction campaign is all about improving people's life. Ending rural poverty is considered a defining benchmark of attaining the goal of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects. But that is not the end. The country will focus on rural vitalization to strive for an even better life for rural residents. "Being lifted out of poverty is not an end in itself but the starting point of a new life and a new pursuit," Xi said in Ningxia. "As people's aspirations to live a better life grow, we must continue to improve our work and expand the areas of support." (Video Editor: Wei Yin) Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-01 22:05:26|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIRUT, July 1 (Xinhua) -- Lebanon reopened Beirut airport on Wednesday after four months of closure due to the COVID-19 outbreak in the country. Lebanese Health Minister Hamad Hassan announced during his tour at the airport that exceptional measures were taken by the ministries that are involved in the airport's reopening, the civil aviation authority and security forces to ensure protection of tourists, expatriates and locals. "The measures that are taken at the airport aim to select suspect cases and prevent them from getting in touch with other people in the society," the minister said. Despite the continuous increase in infections since 10 days until today, hospitals are using a minimal number of ventilators and there exists many empty beds at private and public hospitals, according to the ministry. "The private and public hospitals are capable of receiving infections that may arise in the coming days," he said. Beirut airport restarted its operations with only 10 percent of its capacity a year ago, or about 2,000 passengers a day. Passengers will be tested for COVID-19 upon arrival and take a second test three days later to prevent any potential spread of the virus. If testing positive, passengers will be sent to hospitals and be forced to quarantine for two weeks. Director General of the airport Fadi El Hassan told local TV channel OTV that several necessary measures have been taken, including the placement of disinfectants all over the airport, and signs to separate travelers according to social distancing rules. "We have also placed thermal scanners in different areas of the airport which can detect the fever of passengers. These scanners are used worldwide and they are very accurate," he said. Lebanon is expected to receive around 15 flights on Wednesday from Europe and the Gulf countries. The first aircraft arrived in the morning was from the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Some passengers were satisfied with the measures taken at the airport while others complained about the big number of people which exposes arrivals to risk of COVID-19. "In my opinion, measures were weak because there were a lot of people who did not respect social distancing rules and did not wear masks," one pregnant woman told Xinhua. Another Lebanese citizen arriving to Lebanon from UAE told Xinhua that measures were easier than expected. "I hope that more Lebanese expats will visit Lebanon this year to support the country's economy," he said. Lebanon has been fighting against COVID-19 since Feb. 21. The number of infections reached 1,778 on Tuesday with a death toll of 34 in total. The country has already been suffering from dire economic circumstances, but the outbreak of the virus exacerbated the situation, causing the closure of thousands of businesses and the lay-off of thousands of employees. Economists have, on many occasions, called for the reopening of the airport in hope to be able to attract tourists willing to visit Lebanon and spend U.S. dollar currency in the country which would activate few sectors of the collapsing economy amid steep shortage in U.S. currency in the country. With an annual revenue of around 8 billion U.S. dollars from 2015 to 2018, tourism has traditionally been one of Lebanon's leading economic sectors, providing employment and income for a large segment of the population. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-01 22:18:04|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Zhang Xiaoming, deputy director of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council, speaks during a press conference held by the State Council Information Office about the Law of the People's Republic of China on Safeguarding National Security in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) in Beijing, capital of China, July 1, 2020. (Xinhua/Jin Liangkuai) BEIJING, July 1 (Xinhua) -- China's law on safeguarding national security in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) targets only a narrow category of crimes endangering national security, instead of the entire opposition camp in the HKSAR, an official said on Wednesday. Hong Kong is a plural society with diverse political views, said Zhang Xiaoming, deputy head of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council, at a press conference. Zhang noted that the implementation of the "one country, two systems" in Hong Kong has already spoken volumes about the political tolerance of the central authorities. Different political views, including those not in the government's favor, can still exist, Zhang said. But there are red lines and basic principles that cannot be breached in the "one country, two systems," Zhang stressed, noting that the opposition in Hong Kong should reflect on themselves and make appropriate adjustments in this regard. Article 6 of the national security law makes stipulations concerning the oath-taking and allegiance swearing for people assuming public offices in the HKSAR, which took reference from Article 104 of the HKSAR Basic Law, Zhang said. Undoubtedly, the provision "swearing allegiance to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China" includes swearing allegiance to the country, which is determined by the legal status of the HKSAR, Zhang added. Hong Kong is an inalienable part of the People's Republic of China and a local special administrative region with a high degree of autonomy, thus the allegiance swearing to the HKSAR and the country should not be treated separately, Zhang stressed. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-01 22:18:35|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close MOSCOW, July 1 (Xinhua) -- Russian Su-27 fighters were scrambled over the Black Sea on Wednesday to intercept a U.S. reconnaissance plane, the Russian Defense Ministry had said. "On July 1, 2020, on-duty air defense units of the Southern Military District timely detected a U.S. Air Force reconnaissance plane over the Black Sea and sent Russian fighters to escort it," the ministry's Zvezda broadcasting service said. "At a considerable distance from the state border of Russia, the approaching aerial target was continuously followed by Russian radar controls," it said. The reconnaissance plane was identified as an RC-135W Rivet Joint, Zvezda said. The Russian aircraft proceeded in strict compliance with international airspace rules, it added. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-01 22:21:39|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close HANOI, July 1 (Xinhua) -- Vietnam's Ministry of Health reported no new cases of COVID-19 infection on Wednesday, with its total confirmed cases remaining at 355 with zero deaths so far. Meanwhile, one more patient was given all-clear today, bringing the total cured cases in the country to 336, Vietnam News Agency reported. Vietnam has recorded no local transmission for 76 straight days while there are nearly 13,000 people being quarantined and monitored in the country, according to the report. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-01 22:38:41|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close DOHA, July 1 (Xinhua) -- Qatar's health ministry on Wednesday announced 915 new infections of COVID-19, increasing the total number of confirmed cases in the Gulf state to 97,003. "Some 2,401 people recovered, bringing the total number of recoveries to 83,965, while two others died, raising the fatalities to 115," the official Qatar News Agency reported, quoting a statement by the ministry. A total of 360,502 people in Qatar have undergone lab tests for COVID-19 so far, it added. China and Qatar have offered mutual help during the fight against COVID-19 pandemic. On Feb. 21, five Qatar Airways cargo freighters flew to China carrying approximately 300 tonnes of medical supplies donated by the airline. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-01 22:46:10|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, July 1 (Xinhua) -- The jurisdiction of the Office for Safeguarding National Security of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) only targets the very few criminal cases that severely endanger national security, said a senior Chinese lawmaker on Wednesday. Shen Chunyao, head of the Legislative Affairs Commission of the National People's Congress Standing Committee, made the remarks at a press conference on the Law of the People's Republic of China on Safeguarding National Security in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, which came into force Tuesday. Under the law, the office shall exercise jurisdiction over a case concerning offence endangering national security, if: the case is complex due to the involvement of a foreign country or external elements, thus making it difficult for the HKSAR to exercise jurisdiction over the case; a serious situation occurs where the HKSAR government is unable to effectively enforce this law; or a major and imminent threat to national security has occurred. "We are unwilling to see Hong Kong facing difficulties and major and imminent threats to national security, but institutional building must take all risks and factors into consideration," Shen said. The initiating procedure of the jurisdiction of the office over cases that severely endanger national security in the HKSAR has very strict and specific stipulations, which are stipulated in Articles 55, 56 and 57 of the law, he said. Such stipulations are a significant demonstration of the central government's overall governance over the HKSAR according to China's Constitution and the HKSAR Basic Law, and will better support the HKSAR's effective law enforcement and jurisdiction, according to Shen. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-01 22:54:52|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close -- The festive mood across Hong Kong on the 23rd anniversary of its return to the motherland stood in sharp contrast to the scenes a year ago when rioters stormed the Legislative Council complex and wreaked havoc inside. -- The newly enacted law on safeguarding national security in Hong Kong would help restore stability, said HKSAR Chief Executive Carrie Lam. -- The promulgation of the law marks a significant turning point for Hong Kong to move from turmoil to stability, and a major milestone for the practice of "one country, two systems," said Luo Huining, director of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the HKSAR. -- "If it were not for the national security legislation, I would decide to leave Hong Kong at once," said Angelo Giuliano, a Swiss expatriate. HONG KONG, July 1 (Xinhua) -- Hong Kong reached a significant turning point on the 23rd anniversary of its return to the motherland as a law on safeguarding national security came into force. Celebrations were held across Hong Kong Wednesday morning. Helicopters flew the national and regional flags over Victoria Harbor, and a fireboat sprayed a water-column salute. Choruses of residents sang the national anthem at multiple landmarks. A flag-raising ceremony is held by the government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region to celebrate the 23rd anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland at the Golden Bauhinia Square in Hong Kong, south China, July 1, 2020. (Xinhua/Li Gang) The festive mood stood in sharp contrast to the scenes a year ago when large groups of rioters stormed the Legislative Council complex of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) and wreaked havoc inside. It was one of the most atrocious violent incidents during months of social unrest last year. On Tuesday, the Law of the People's Republic of China on Safeguarding National Security in the HKSAR was passed unanimously by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress. It took effect at 11:00 p.m. local time the same day upon its promulgation by the HKSAR government in the Gazette. TURNING POINT At a reception held Wednesday morning, Chief Executive of the HKSAR Carrie Lam stressed the significance of the anniversary and said the new law would help restore stability in Hong Kong. The national security law seeks to prevent, curb and punish crimes seriously endangering national security, namely secession, subversion, terrorist activities, and collusion with a foreign country or external elements to endanger national security. Lam called the enactment of the law a "turning point" to take Hong Kong out of the current impasse and to restore stability and order from the chaos. A reception celebrating the 23rd anniversary of the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China is held in south China's Hong Kong, July 1, 2020. (Xinhua/Li Gang) The legislation follows the prolonged social disturbances that have gripped Hong Kong since June last year. Intensified violent incidents and riots trampled on order and the rule of law, threatened people's safety, and endangered national security. The unrest exposed the tremendous risks Hong Kong faces in safeguarding national security and posed a grave challenge to "one country, two systems," Luo Huining, director of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the HKSAR, said Wednesday at an opening ceremony of the activities to celebrate the 23rd anniversary of Hong Kong's return. Echoing Lam's words, Luo said the promulgation of the law marks a significant turning point for Hong Kong to move from turmoil to stability, and a major milestone for the practice of "one country, two systems" in Hong Kong. In Victoria Harbor, 150 fishing vessels, festooned with banners and the national flag, sailed in a procession to celebrate the anniversary and the passage of the new law. Joyful Hong Kong residents warmly greeted the boats on the harbor front. The captain of the lead boat, surnamed Leung, has participated in every such parade since 1997. Leung, 68, said the lives of fishermen had become better and better since Hong Kong returned to the motherland. "Only when our country is prosperous, can Hong Kong be prosperous," he said. More than 100 fishing boats parade at the Victoria Harbor to celebrate the 23rd anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland in Hong Kong, south China, July 1, 2020. (Xinhua/Lo Ping Fai) END TO TURMOIL "If it were not for the national security legislation, I would decide to leave Hong Kong at once," Angelo Giuliano said. The Swiss expatriate, 50, was looking for opportunities in the financial consultancy field in Hong Kong three years ago, attracted by its stable environment and business opportunities, but found himself unexpectedly dragged into the chaos last year and faced real threats to his safety. When Giuliano was trying to help clear a street blocked by debris, rioters hurled stones at him and his friends. After attending assemblies to protest the violence, his private information, along with that of his family, was leaked online. Numerous ordinary Hong Kong residents echoed Giuliano's personal experience and feelings about the new law. Photo taken on June 29, 2020 shows a billboard on the Law of the People's Republic of China on Safeguarding National Security in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) in Central area in Hong Kong, south China. (Xinhua/Wang Shen) Violence used to be a common occurrence during the social unrest. Rioters besieged government and legislative buildings, trashed metro stations, banks and shops, and assaulted innocent residents. Their actions plunged Hong Kong into chaos and a deep economic recession, and posed a significant and increasing threat to national security. Radicals advocating "Hong Kong independence" colluded with external forces and applied "burn with us" and terrorist-style tactics, intending to destroy Hong Kong and contain China's development, said British barrister Grenville Cross, who had worked as director of Public Prosecutions in Hong Kong for 12 years since 1997. Hong Kong has enjoyed a high degree of autonomy and maintained its prosperity under "one country, two systems" since China resumed exercising sovereignty over Hong Kong in 1997. However, with the 2014 illegal "Occupy Central" movement, the 2016 Mong Kok riots and the unrest in 2019, intensified political upheaval in twine with emerging homegrown terrorism and criminal activities threatening national security cast long shadows over Hong Kong's prospects. Regina Ip, a Hong Kong lawmaker and member of the Executive Council, expects the new law to help Hong Kong restore peace and order, guarantee the continued success of "one country, two systems," and chart the course for Hong Kong's long-term development. TO SUSTAIN SUCCESS After peace and order are restored, Hong Kong will be able to weather the external challenges and remain as an attractive destination for international investors and talents, observers said. "What businesses want is stability and certainty. They want to know that their business isn't going to be disrupted by social unrest," said Stephen Phillips, director-general of investment promotion at Invest Hong Kong of the HKSAR government, noting that businesses generally welcome and understand the need for the legislation. Credit rating agency S&P Global Ratings recently affirmed its AA+/A-1+ issuer credit ratings on Hong Kong and maintained the outlook as stable. Over the past 23 years, Hong Kong has retained its capitalist system and lifestyle and made remarkable progress under "one country, two systems." "It is 'one country, two systems' that enables Hong Kong to remain competitive and keep the position as the freest economy and an international financial hub," Choi Koon-shum, chairman of the Chinese General Chamber of Commerce of Hong Kong, said. Hong Kong's gross domestic product (GDP) doubled from 1997 to 2019 with an annual growth of 3 percent, well above the 2-percent increase of advanced economies on average, and Hong Kong's GDP per capita was higher than that of Germany, Japan and Britain. Hong Kong residents celebrate the passage of the Law of the People's Republic of China on Safeguarding National Security in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) in Causeway Bay of south China's Hong Kong, June 30, 2020. (Xinhua/Wang Shen) Backed by a fast-growing mainland economy and the firm support of the central government, Hong Kong has overcome various difficulties since 1997, from the Asian financial crisis to the SARS outbreak and the global financial crisis, said Maria Tam, deputy director of the HKSAR Basic Law Committee under the NPC Standing Committee. "I hope Hong Kong society can calm down at an early date so that we can shift the focus to improving people's livelihoods, bolstering growth and integrating into the national development," Tam said, noting new opportunities for Hong Kong businesses generated in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. Ilan, a diamond dealer from Israel, is eager to regain a peaceful life in Hong Kong. Born and raised in the Middle East, he has been in Hong Kong for 18 years and fathered two children. Thanks to the law, people will be able to return to all the things that made Hong Kong great to begin with, he said. "I believe that Hong Kong can be even better than before. I'm not just saying that. I truly believe it has great potential. It just needs to shift back on course." (Video Reporters: Lin Ning, Qiu Bo, Chau Kam Ming, Chu Xiong, Lau Chin Wai; Video Editor: Zhang Yichi) Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-01 23:16:08|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close YANGON, July 1 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar's Union Election Commission (UEC) on Wednesday announced to hold the 2020 General Election on Nov. 8 this year. The commission also issued the dates to enlist representatives for respective constituencies from July 20 to Aug. 7 while scrutiny of contestants list will be done on Aug. 11 to 17. The date for the campaigns will be announced after the list of the contestants is confirmed. A total of 330 constituencies will contest for the House of Representatives (Lower House) while 168 constituencies for the House of Nationalities (Upper House), 644 constituencies for state or region parliaments and 29 constituencies for ethnic minority for state or region parliaments, said the commission's recent announcement. About 37 million people are eligible to vote in the upcoming general election and 97 political parties are registered to take part in the election. Myanmar's previous general election was held on Nov. 8, 2015, in which Aung San Suu Kyi-led National League for Democracy (NLD) won the absolute majority of the parliamentary seats and has run the government since April 2016. The five-year term of the incumbent NLD government will end in March 2021. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-01 23:20:04|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close CAIRO, July 1 (Xinhua) -- Egypt's Red Sea resort cities of Hurghada and Sharm el-Sheikh welcomed 297 tourists aboard two flights from Ukraine on Wednesday, after over three months of air traffic suspension over COVID-19 concerns in Egypt. Upon arrival at the Hurghada Airport, the tourists were met with flowers, souvenirs, and folklore music and dancing. Erini, a 34-year-old Ukrainian tourist with two children, told Xinhua that she was eagerly waiting for international flights' resumption to visit Hurghada. "I feel comfortable about the precautionary measures since I arrived in the airport, and all the workers in the tourism sector are very keen on our safety," she added. Hurghada Airport, which welcomed 167 tourists, has strictly applied coronavirus prevention measures for the passengers, including social distancing, Abu Taleb, Chairman of Tour Guides Syndicate of Red Sea, told Xinhua correspondent at the scene. "The tourists have passed through thermal cameras to check their temperatures, and their luggage was disinfected," Abu Taleb said, adding that the airport has installed six thermal cameras aimed at maintaining the safety of passengers. Abu Taleb highlighted that "the return of tourists to Egypt indicated confidence in the precautionary measures that have encouraged the international tourism companies for cooperation." According to a statement issued by Egypt's Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, "several other flights carrying tourists from Ukraine, Switzerland, and Belarus will arrive in the coming few days." The statement stressed that all the preventive measures put up at the airports, hotels, bazaars, and diving centers are provided in Arabic and English. Over 400 hotels have received the operation safety certificates, the statement said, adding that each hotel is accommodated with one building for quarantine under the supervision of the Ministry of Health. The hotels' facilities are required to provide masks, sanitizers, and temperature tests to all guests. Some pools are closed and the elevators are limited to 50 percent capacity, the statement added. Egypt has announced the gradual reopening and the resumption of tourism in the Red Sea, South Sinai, and Marsa Matrouh provinces. The resumption of tourism has met by overwhelming joy of the workers in the tourism sector with its revenues hitting 13 billion U.S. dollars in 2019. Besides airports, the North African country has also reopened the Egyptian museum and the famed Giza Pyramids in Cairo, Temple of Luxor, and Museum of Hurghada for the first time since the coronavirus closure in March. The tourism industry, a key pillar of Egypt's economic revenues and hard currency, had started to show signs of recovery after years of political turmoil since the 2011 uprising that toppled late president Hosni Mubarak. All recovery plans came to a halt with the suspension of international flights. Egypt's Minister of Planning and Economic Development Hala al-Saeed said in April that the tourism sector's losses in 2020 could amount to 5 billion U.S. dollars. Egypt's Health Ministry has reported a total of 68,311 COVID-19 cases, including 2,953 fatalities. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-01 23:20:55|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close NAIROBI, July 1 (Xinhua) -- The World Bank said Wednesday it will lend 5.3 trillion Kenyan shillings (about 50 billion U.S. dollars) to 48 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa this year. The Bank said the loan is significantly more than any other region and making up about one-third of the Bank's entire portfolio. "These financing volumes are almost double what the region delivered ten years ago," the lender said in a statement. The Bank's portfolio includes projects and programs in areas such as agriculture, trade and transport, energy, education, health, water and sanitation. The Bank said its Sub-Saharan Africa regional portfolio will now be managed by two vice presidents, covering Western and Central as well as Eastern and Southern Africa, respectively. The institution announced the change in early 2020, which took effect on Wednesday. The region has been led since 2018 by Hafez Ghanem, who now takes on the role of vice president for Eastern and Southern Africa while Ousmane Diagana will be in charge of Western and Central Africa. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-01 23:23:18|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, July 1 (Xinhua) -- The following are the updates on the global fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. - - - - LONDON -- Another 176 COVID-19 patients have died in Britain as of Tuesday afternoon, bringing the total coronavirus-related death toll in the country to 43,906, the British Department of Health and Social Care said Wednesday. The figures include deaths in all settings, including hospitals, care homes and the wider community. - - - - DOHA -- Qatar's health ministry on Wednesday announced 915 new infections of COVID-19, increasing the total number of confirmed cases in the Gulf state to 97,003. "Some 2,401 people recovered, bringing the total number of recoveries to 83,965, while two others died, raising the fatalities to 115," the official Qatar News Agency reported, quoting a statement by the ministry. - - - - KUWAIT CITY -- Kuwait on Wednesday reported 745 new COVID-19 cases and four more deaths, raising the tally of infections to 46,940 and the death toll to 358, the Health Ministry said in a statement. Currently, 8,867 patients are receiving treatment, including 139 in ICU, the statement added. - - - - KIEV -- Ukraine reported 664 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, raising its total number to 44,998, while the respective numbers of deaths and recoveries reached 1,173 and 19,548, Health Minister Maxym Stepanov said. Stepanov told a briefing that "664 people fell ill in one day ... In total, 44,998 people have fallen ill during the pandemic, including 3,270 children and 6,765 medical workers." - - - - MINSK -- Belarus reported 306 new confirmed COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, taking its total to 62,424, according to the country's health ministry. There have been 1,499 new recoveries in the past 24 hours, taking the total to 47,553, the ministry added. - - - - DAKAR -- Senegalese Ministry of Health and Social Action reported on Wednesday 132 new confirmed cases of COVID-19, bring the total number of cases to 6,925 in Senegal. Among the 907 samples tested in the past 24 hours, 132 turned out positive, the ministry's director of prevention Dr. Mamadou Ndiaye. - - - - FREETOWN -- The three Chinese medical teams in Sierra Leone have extended their one-year stay to help fight against the COVID-19 in the West African Country. Due to the non-availability of flights and the important role they have been playing in complementing the government of Sierra Leone's fight against the COVID-19, the three Chinese medical teams, who arrived in June 2019, have decided to continue working to ensure a healthy society, they said. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-01 23:30:47|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close COPENHAGEN, July 1 (Xinhua) -- Lego, the international toy giant, is to immediately drop all advertisements on social media for 30 days, the company said Wednesday. "We are committed to making a positive impact on children and the world they need to take over. It includes contributing to a positive, inclusive digitally environment, free of hate speech, discrimination, and erroneous information," Julia Goldin, Lego's global chief marketing officer, said in a press release. Internationally famed for making small plastic building blocks, Lego, headquartered in Billund, west Denmark, will join an increasing array of major international companies, including Coca Cola and Starbucks, which have imposed similar bans on social media companies for not doing enough to remove hateful content. The campaign against social media advertisements started in mid-June. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-01 23:34:21|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close CAPE TOWN, July 1 (Xinhua) -- South Africa moved a further step closer on Wednesday to legalizing the regulation of cybercrimes after the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) passed the Cybercrimes Bill. The objectives of the bill are to create offences and impose penalties which have a bearing on cybercrime and to criminalize the distribution of data messages which are harmful, the NOCP, or Upper House of Parliament, said in a statement emailed to Xinhua. The bill will also provide for interim protection orders and further regulate jurisdiction in respect of cybercrimes, said the NOCP. The bill further aims to regulate the powers to investigate cybercrimes and further regulate aspects relating to mutual assistance in respect of the investigation into cybercrimes, according to the NOCP. It said the bill also impose obligations on electronic communications service providers and financial institutions to assist in the investigation of cybercrimes, and provides that the executive may enter into agreements with foreign states to promote cybersecurity. Under the bill, if somebody is convicted of a cybercrime, he or she could spend between one year to 15 years in prison, depending on the cybercrime. When tabling the bill in 2017, the Department of Justice and Correctional Service said the bill aimed to stop cybercrime and improve the country's security. The bill was first initiated in August 2015, updated in January 2017 and was introduced in Parliament in February 2017. The National Assembly, or Lower House of Parliament, passed the bill in November 2018. Now the bill is awaiting President Cyril Ramaphosa to sign it into law. Cyber-related incidents such as cybercrimes, IT related failures and data breaches have been rated as the number one risk to South African businesses, according to the 2018 Allianz Risk Barometer report. South Africa remains a top target for cybercrime in Africa because of its high internet connectivity rates, attractive GDP per capita and poor levels of cyber security, especially in business. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-01 23:39:39|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close ZAGREB, July 1 (Xinhua) -- A train with 550 tourists from the Czech Republic arrived in Croatia's coastal city Rijeka on Wednesday morning, the first of its kind since the COVID-19 pandemic hit the two countries months ago. The Czech tourists were welcomed by the Croatian Tourism Minister Gari Capelli and Rijeka Mayor Vojko Obersnel before going to numerous tourist spots by the Adriatic Sea where they will spend the summer. At the border, the epidemiological services checked the health condition of the passengers, and upon the arrival of the train in Rijeka, special teams made disinfection. The tourist train of the Czech company RegioJet will take tourists from the Czech Republic to Croatia three times a week during July and every day in August. The price of a return ticket is between 22 and 30 euros. So far, 30,000 tickets have been sold. The train departs from Prague, with a stop in Bratislava and Ljubljana. According to statistics released by the Croatian National Tourist Board on Wednesday, around 1.6 million tourists visited Croatia over the first six months of 2020, generating 7.6 million overnight stays, down by 70 percent from the same period last year. The numbers also include domestic tourists, who accounted for 31 percent of overnight stays. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-01 23:48:00|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close MAPUTO, July 1 (Xinhua) -- Nearly 300 former guerrillas from the main opposition party in Mozambique, Renamo, were demobilized on Wednesday at the administrative post in Muxungue, Chibabava district, in the country's central province of Sofala. According to a report from the state radio station Radio Mocambique, the province's State Secretary Stela Novo Zeca said that the conditions for the demilitarization of the group are in place. "These citizens were somewhat displaced from their families. It is very important that these individuals are accepted by everyone in the community, so that they can quickly reintegrate themselves into the communities and contribute to the development of the community, the province and the country," said Zeca. The State Secretary added that the government will implement various economic activity programs to engage these citizens. On June 5, 38 Renamo members handed over their weapons to the administrative post in Savane, Dondo district, Sofala, marking the resumption of the process of disarmament, demobilization and reintegration of the former rebel movement's residual forces. The process is expected to complete by June 2021, which will cover more than 5,000 Renamo fighters. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-02 00:14:30|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close WINDHOEK, July 1 (Xinhua) -- Namibia's total fuel consumption decreased by 12.5 percent and 4.1 percent, year-on-year and quarter-on-quarter, respectively to 262,992 liters during the first quarter of 2020, the central bank stated. The year-on-year decrease reflects declines in the consumption of both diesel and petrol by 10.8 percent and 20.9 percent, respectively, partly due to the subdued economy as well as the COVID-19 pandemic, the Bank of Namibia (BoN) said in a recent economic quarterly report. According to the BoN, the decrease in fuel consumption started to inhibit travel and tourism, especially after a State of Emergency was officially declared at the end of the third week of March 2020. The central bank said on a quarterly basis, consumption of diesel decreased by 10.8 percent, while that of petrol declined by 20.9 percent during the quarter under review. "Following adequate inflow of water into the Ruacana hydropower plant during the period under review, less electricity was required from the diesel-fired power plants, which in part explains the decline in diesel consumption," the report noted. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Mine and Energy Wednesday announced that that fuel prices for July will remain unchanged. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-02 00:14:40|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, July 1 (Xinhua) -- China is ready to roll out policies to deepen the reform and opening up of national high-tech zones to boost high-quality development, the State Council's executive meeting chaired by Premier Li Keqiang decided on Wednesday. The Chinese government places high importance on the development of national high-tech zones. Premier Li Keqiang set out clear requirements for national high-tech zones to play a leading role in pooling innovation resources. With 30-plus years of development, China's national high-tech zones have grown into pacesetters in terms of innovation, industry and talent in the country's economic and regional development. They have effectively contributed to the shift of growth model, structural upgrading and international competitiveness. In 2019, the 169 national high-tech zones in China created 12.2 trillion yuan (about 1.72 trillion U.S. dollars) in output and their export volume reached 3.8 trillion yuan, accounting for 12.3 percent in China's GDP and 22.05 percent in the country's export. "The vital role of national high-tech zones in underpinning innovation-driven development must be brought into full play. If we are to move China's economy up the value chain and promote high-quality development, we must harness the magnetic effect of the high-tech zones, and bring out their potential and strength," Li said. The Wednesday meeting noted the exemplary and leading role of national high-tech zones, as important launchpads for promoting high quality development, in deepening reform and opening up. They also help spur entrepreneurship and innovation, and create jobs for college graduates. Applicable policies tried and tested in pilot free trade zones and national innovation demonstration zones will be extended to national high-tech zones, where more pro-innovation policies will be piloted. Regulations on long-term multiple-entry visa and residence permit for overseas talent will be relaxed. "The key in bringing out the advantages of these zones is reform and opening up. Unjustified restraints shall be removed. The government shall do its best in making a difference where breakthroughs and new steps are possible, to boost market confidence," Li said. National high-tech zones will be further opened up. Diverse forms of cooperation will be encouraged between these zones and foreign counterparts, to better integrate them into international industrial and supply chains. National high-tech zones will be granted provincial or municipal administrative powers on economic matters. Commercial banks will be encouraged to set up branches dedicated to science and technology sectors in national high-tech zones. Intellectual property pledge financing will be supported. Qualified developers of national high-tech zones may go public to raise funds. "Faced with the current situation, greater opening-up of national high-tech zones is crucial to maintaining stability in industrial and supply chains," Li said. The meeting adopted the draft regulation on ensuring payments to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), providing for contract signing, funding provision and means of payment for government departments, public institutions and large enterprises in their dealings with SMEs. The regulation sets out requirements on payment period and acceptance review. A payment information disclosure system will be established. The regulation also lays down provisions for handling complaints, penalty for acts of bad faith, and disciplinary action and accountability. The meeting urged government departments and public institutions at all levels to lead by example in implementing the regulation and meeting related payments. State-owned enterprises and large platform companies should also strictly enforce the regulation. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-02 00:36:56|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, July 1 (Xinhua) -- More than 100 foreign political parties have congratulated General Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee Xi Jinping and the CPC Central Committee on the party's 99th anniversary that falls on Wednesday, lauding its glorious history and the great achievements China has scored. In their messages sent recently to the International Department of the CPC Central Committee, the parties expressed the belief that China, under the leadership of the CPC, will definitely move toward a brighter future and make greater contribution to the development of human society. The Lao People's Revolutionary Party (LPRP) said that the CPC Central Committee with Xi at its core has united and led the Chinese people to constantly improve the socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era, and promote the reform and opening-up, the state development and construction to gain new achievements, with the party's and the country's influence growing regionally and globally, the LPRP said. These achievements have provided the LPRP, the Lao government and people with valuable experience and great encouragement to attain their socialist goals of national development in the new era, the Lao party said. Indonesia's Nasdem Party said that under the leadership of the CPC, China has managed to tackle the challenge of the COVID-19 pandemic, and is making steady progress in economic development. The party is ready to stick together through thick and thin with the CPC and believes that China will attain greater development and create a better life for its people. The Egyptian Communist Party (ECP) said that during the past 99 glorious years, the CPC has led the Chinese people to score remarkable achievements in the development of politics, economy, society and other fields, and make positive contributions to the worldwide fight against imperialism and colonialism, as well as to global justice causes. The ECP said it firmly supports the CPC in adopting a series of strong measures to safeguard the national security and unity, as well as people's interests. South Africa's ruling African National Congress (ANC) party said that the founding of the CPC has historical significance for the Chinese people and the whole world. Noting that it shares with the CPC the experience of leading their own people in heroic fights against imperialism and colonialism, as well as the good vision of building a community with a shared future for mankind, the ANC expressed its willingness to work with the CPC to strive for an earth free from poverty, backwardness and diseases. The Mexican Workers' Party said that during the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, the CPC and its leadership have played a significant role, and extended humanitarian assistance to other countries by timely sharing anti-pandemic experience and providing technology and materials. The party wished the CPC could continue to lead the Chinese people to fight bravely and overcome difficulties in order to make greater achievements, and play a greater leading role in the world. In its message to the CPC, the Argentine Justicialist Party (AJP) said the two parties enjoy brotherly fraternity and uphold the same vision of serving the interests of the people. The AJP would like to take the opportunity of re-reign to further tighten the relations between the two parties and countries, and push forward the Argentina-China comprehensive strategic partnership to new high. The party of United Russia said, as history proves, the CPC has a great capability to handle complicated situations and tackle risks and challenges. It would like to deepen mutual understanding and trust with the CPC, consolidate the traditional friendship between the two peoples and broaden practical cooperation between the two sides. The Communist Party of France said China is now, under the leadership of the CPC, striving to achieve a high-quality growth, build a moderately prosperous society in all respects, and realise the aspiration of the people to live a better life. It expressed support to President Xi's vision of building a community with a shared future for mankind, and said the world should abandon Cold War mentality, enhance solidarity and cooperation and promote common development. The European Left party said the CPC has long secured peace and development and upheld the people-centered principle. Through reforms, innovation and long-term plans, the CPC has overcome various difficulties and achieved great accomplishments. Against the backdrop of the 45th anniversary of the diplomatic ties between the European Union and China, and amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the European Left expects the international community to engage in active cooperation and abandon all acts of stigmatization. Many other political parties also expressed warm congratulations on the CPC's 99th anniversary through telephone calls, letters and other means, hoping to continue to deepen exchanges and cooperation with the CPC in various fields and contribute to the peace, stability, prosperity and development of their respective countries and the world. Those parties include the Cambodian People's Party, Iran's Islamic Coalition Party, the Workers' Party of Korea, the Mongolian People's Party, the Philippine Democratic Party-People's Power, the Patriotic Party of Turkey, the Communist Party of Vietnam, Ethiopia's Prosperity Party, the SWAPO Party of Namibia, Tanzania's ruling party Chama Cha Mapinduzi, Tunisia's People's Movement, the Communist Party of Chile, the Communist Party of Cuba, the Broad Front party of Uruguay, the Hungarian Workers' Party, the Romanian Social Democratic Party, the Serbian Progressive Party, the Vanua'aku Party, the Communist Party of Germany, the Spanish Communist Party, and the Communist Party of Britain. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-02 00:52:56|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close ISLAMABAD, July 1 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad held talks with Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi here on Wednesday on the peace process in Afghanistan, the Foreign Ministry of Pakistan said. Khalilzad's visit to Pakistan, the second one in a month, was part of his regular engagement for consultations and exchange of views on the Afghan peace and reconciliation process, the foreign ministry said in a statement. Qureshi welcomed the latest developments including announcements on formation of a negotiating team and establishment of the High Council for National Reconciliation by the Afghan government for the negotiations with the Taliban, according to the statement. "He (Qureshi) urged that all sides should make earnest efforts for reduction in violence. He also emphasized that it was important not to let the spoilers undermine or derail the process of intra-Afghan negotiations," the statement said. The Pakistani foreign minister expressed the hope that release of prisoners would be completed soon to pave the way for the earliest commencement of intra-Afghan negotiations. Under the Taliban-U.S. agreement signed on Feb. 29, the Afghan government would release 5,000 Taliban prisoners and the Taliban would free 1,000 prisoners of the government. The slow pace of the release of prisoners has delayed the intra-Afghan dialogue, which was scheduled to start on March 10. He also raised the issue of Afghan refugees in Pakistan and underlined the role of the international community for a time-bound and well-resourced roadmap for the return of Afghan refugees to their homeland with dignity and honor. The statement said Khalilzad expressed condolences on the loss of lives in the terrorist attack on Pakistan Stock Exchange in Karachi on Monday and extended U.S. support. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-02 00:56:49|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close KATHMANDU, July 1 (Xinhua) -- The Nepali government on Wednesday warned that COVID-19 cases in Nepal are on the rise alarmingly in the country among children as the country has reported nearly 15 percent infections among children aged below 18 years. "As many as 2,061 children below the age of 18 years have been infected with the novel Coronavirus," Jageshwor Gautam, spokesperson at the Ministry of Health and Population said on Wednesday in a regular press briefing. The figure, according to the ministry, was 14.67 percent of the total COVID-19 cases confirmed in the country as of Wednesday. According to the ministry, Nepal has so far 14,046 COVID-19 cases with new addition of 482 cases on Wednesday. According to the Health Ministry, as many as 175 children aged below nine years have been infected with the virus in the Sudoorpashchim province in far western Nepal. Nepal has a total of seven provinces. "Infection rate among children in Nepal is higher than the global average," Sameer Kumar Adhikari, joint spokesperson at the Health Ministry, told Xinhua "The virus has been basically transmitted to the children from their parents at the quarantine centres where they stayed together after returning from abroad," said Adhikari. According to the ministry, around 95 percent of infections has taken place among the people who returned home from abroad, particularly from India. "As children came together with their parents and were housed at quarantine centres, they have also been infected due to the proximity with parents," said Adhikari. The Nepal's Health Ministry on Wednesday urged the parents and guardians of the children to be more careful to prevent COVID-19 cases. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-02 00:57:19|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, July 1 (Xinhua) -- Lowering taxes and raising duty-free quotas, China has taken concrete steps in line with a master plan released on June 1 to build the southern island province of Hainan into a high-level free trade port, showcasing the country's commitment towards both post-pandemic recovery and long-term economic growth. In the latest of these moves, the Ministry of Finance and the State Taxation Administration lowered the income tax rate to 15 percent for eligible companies registered in Hainan, and exempted income tax on proceeds of new, outbound direct investment for companies in tourism, modern services, and tech-intensive sectors. As a trailblazing example of institutional innovation needed at the Hainan free trade port, the new tax plan is key to cultivating a business environment for the country's high-level opening-up, said Li Xuhong, a professor at the Beijing National Accounting Institute. To be eligible for the 15-percent tax rate, companies have to make sure that they run their businesses from the island province, which Li said will prevent companies from flocking into the free trade port only to pay lower taxes. The two central departments also capped the personal income tax rate at 15 percent for individuals with high-level and in-demand expertise working in Hainan, a move that analysts say will help draw a much-desired, talented workforce to Hainan. "The two new tax policies will become a major determinant in investors' decision to come to the Hainan free trade port," said Li. Chinese authorities announced on Monday that they will increase Hainan's annual tax-free shopping quota to 100,000 yuan (about 14,142 U.S. dollars) per person each year from the current 30,000 yuan for travelers. They will also expand the categories of duty-free goods, fueling market expectations for the consumption of luxuries. Industry insiders are particularly encouraged by the removal of the current tax-free limit of 8,000 yuan for a single product, which in effect extends the duty-free cap for an item to 100,000 yuan. The policy is expected to help scale up sales of some valuable goods, including wristwatches, jewelry, luggage, and handbags, said Mei Lin, an analyst at China Merchants Securities. Shares of companies authorized to sell duty-free products soared on Wednesday, with the renowned department store Wangfujing Group Co., Ltd. rising from the daily limit of 10 percent, for the second consecutive day, to close at 49.69 yuan. New policies in the past month also covered customs regulations, vessel registration, and air transport. The trial of the Seventh Freedom of the Air in Hainan allows foreign carriers to operate flights between two foreign countries without the need to touch down in the airline's home country. The country's top economic planner said in late June that it will allocate a total of 3.5 billion yuan from the central budget to fund infrastructure construction and public services improvements in the Hainan free trade port. The free trade port landed its first 35 key investment projects during mid-June, which included eight foreign-funded ones, as the province attracts global investors with its opening-up. French energy giant EDF Group, the Shenzhen Stock Exchange, and China Eastern Airlines were among the participating enterprises. "Hainan will embrace new opportunities in areas like advanced technologies and low-carbon economy, and our company hopes to be more involved in the free trade port's development," said Fabrice Fourcade, senior vice president of EDF Group, and its chief representative in China. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-02 01:11:18|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close TEHRAN, July 1 (Xinhua) -- The National Iranian Gas Company (NIGC) announced Wednesday that Iran has resumed gas exports to Turkey, according to official IRNA news agency. Spokesman for the NIGC Mohammad Asgari said that gas exports to Turkey was resumed after the completion of the repair work in the gas export pipeline. Gas flow to Turkey is continuing as before, Asgari was quoted as saying by IRNA. On March 31, Iran's gas flow to Turkey was halted because of an explosion at the pipeline near the border inside Turkey. The pipeline, which carries around 10 billion cubic meters of Iranian gas to Turkey annually, has frequently come under attack by outlawed Kurdish militants over the past years. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-02 01:25:18|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close NAIROBI, July 1 (Xinhua) -- Kenya on Wednesday has been awarded the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) Safe Travel Stamp in recognition of the destination's adoption of the global health and hygiene standardized protocols dubbed 'Safe Travels'. Najib Balala, Cabinet Secretary of Kenya's Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife said Kenya has been listed among the 80 global destinations certified and authorized to use the "World Travel and Tourism Council Safe Travel Stamp" together with Magical Kenya Logo. "This recognition is timely as Kenya prepares to reopen the tourism and hospitality industry after months of closure. This stamp will allow travelers to recognize Kenya as a safe destination once we reopen and implement the health and safety protocols," he said. WTTC, which was founded in 1990 and headquartered in London, represents the global private sector of travel and tourism, with a mission to ensure the sector is seamless, secure and safe. Kenya also launched the WHO-endorsed health and safety protocols to support the reopening of the tourism sector. "The objectives of the protocols are to inculcate institutional operational and staff preparedness to ensure service provision that meets WHO guidelines and Kenya's ministry of health measures aimed at preventing the spread of COVID-19," Najib Balala told a media briefing on Wednesday in Nairobi. According to the Ministry of Tourism, the sector remains the third-largest contributor to the country's GDP after agriculture and manufacturing. Meanwhile, the tourism and travel sector is one of the worst-hit globally following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Balala noted that the protocols require all tourist accommodation, food and beverage outlets to institutes a Food Safety Management System to prevent contamination to clients, staff and supply chain workers. He noted that tourism practitioners will also be obliged to redesign the physical workspace and work processes to ensure compliance with the physical distancing of not less than 1.5 meters apart and institute hygiene operations, sanitation and minimized contact between persons. The official said all tourism and hospitality establishments, facilities and enterprises are now expected to develop and implement documented standard operating procedures for handling suspected COVID-19 cases and ensure patient confidentiality and prevent stigmatization of the affected persons. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-02 01:27:19|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close MOSCOW, July 1 (Xinhua) -- Russia, Iran and Turkey on Wednesday adopted a joint statement on Syria after a video teleconference of the leaders of Astana process guarantor countries, the Kremlin press service said. The presidents of the three countries discussed the current situation on the ground in Syria, reviewed the developments since their last meeting on Sept. 16, 2019, in Ankara, and confirmed their determination to enhance the trilateral coordination in light of their agreements, the joint statement said. The three sides "noted their strong commitment to the sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity of the Syrian Arab Republic as well as to the goals and principles of the UN Charter," it said. They rejected all attempts to create new realities on the ground under the pretext of combating terrorism, including illegitimate self-rule initiatives, and expressed their determination to stand against separatist agendas aimed at undermining the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Syria as well as threatening the national security of neighboring countries, it added. They reviewed in detail the situation in the Idlib de-escalation area and underscored the necessity to maintain calm on the ground by fully implementing all agreements on Idlib, according to the statement. They also expressed grave concern at the humanitarian situation in Syria and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, calling on the international community, particularly the UN and its humanitarian agencies, to increase their assistance to all Syrians without discrimination, politicization and preconditions. The statement said that the presidents agreed to hold the next tripartite summit in Iran as soon as possible. The process toward a peaceful settlement in Syria, also known as the Astana process, was launched in January 2017 by Russia, Iran and Turkey in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan, which has been renamed Nur-Sultan. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-02 01:31:02|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close TEHRAN, July 1 (Xinhua) -- Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on Wednesday said that the virtual meeting of the presidents of Iran, Russia, and Turkey on Syria was "constructive." "Just concluded very constructive (virtual) summit of the Astana Process, hosted by President Hassan Rouhani," Zarif tweeted. "Parties agreed to continue coordination among the three guarantors, focusing on tension reduction, political process and humanitarian relief," said Zarif. During the videoconference on Wednesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani discussed the latest developments in Syria. They announced in a joint statement that "the Syrian war has no military solution and must be settled only through a political process." The three-way talks on Wednesday were held in line with the so-called Astana peace process which was launched in January 2017, in an effort to bring all warring parties in Syria to the negotiating table as a complementary part of the UN-sponsored peace talks in Geneva. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-02 01:40:38|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close JERUSALEM, July 1 (Xinhua) -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will continue discussing his West Bank annexation plan "in the coming days," his office said Wednesday. Netanyahu will continue to hold discussions with the U.S. teams, his office said in a statement, adding that he held a discussion on Wednesday with Israel's National Security Adviser Meir Ben Shabbat and will hold further talks on the issue. Netanyahu previously set July 1 as the starting date for his plan to annex parts of the West Bank. However, the controversial plan seemed to be delayed, short of a green light from the White House. Netanyahu and his main coalition partner, Benny Gantz, leader of the centrist Blue and White party, are at odds over the starting date of the annexation, with Netanyahu wishing to begin it on Wednesday and Gantz wanting to postpone until after the coronavirus crisis. On Tuesday, after meeting with U.S. Special Representative for International Negotiations Avi Berkowitz, Netanyahu appeared to be backtracking on the date, saying his government is still "working" on the plan, suggesting it will be postponed. The Palestinians and most of the international community have condemned the plan and consider it a violation of international law. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-02 01:44:21|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close SKOPJE, July 1 (Xinhua) -- The State Election Commission (SEC) of North Macedonia on Wednesday approved the list of over 1.8 million eligible voters who can cast a ballot in the country's early parliamentary elections set for July 15, the Media Information Agency (MIA) reported. According to the SEC, a total of 1,814,263 people are eligible to vote. The list includes 1,657 registered voters who are currently serving a prison sentence, MIA reported. The list also includes people who will turn 18 on election day, as well as nationals of North Macedonia who will arrive in the country that same day. The early parliamentary elections in North Macedonia were initially scheduled to be held on April 12, but the date was moved to July 15 because of the coronavirus crisis and the ensuing state of emergency. The election campaign was launched on June 24 and will end at midnight on July 12, according to the SEC's guidelines. COVID-19 patients and people in isolation and self-isolation will vote on July 13, while the sick and the elderly will cast their ballots on July 14, the SEC said. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-02 01:54:18|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close KHARTOUM, July 1 (Xinhua) -- A major Sudanese rebel movement on Wednesday declared extension of a unilateral cease-fire for seven months. "The cessation of hostilities includes all areas under the control of the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM)/northern sector," said Abdel-Aziz Al-Hilu, Chairman of the SPLM/northern sector, in a statement. "The cease-fire will be effective as of July 1, 2020 and lasts until January 31, 2021," he said. Al-Hilu instructed all units of the SPLM/northern sector to observe and respect this declaration and to refrain from any hostile acts. "The move comes as a gesture of good will towards the peaceful settlement for the conflict in Sudan and to avail the opportunity for the success of the ongoing peace talks," Al-Hilu said. The SPLM/northern sector is fighting the government at South Kordofan, while another faction of the SPLM/northern sector, led by Malik Agar, is fighting the government in Blue Nile area. Peace talks between the Sudanese government and armed groups from Darfur, South Kordofan and Blue Nile regions have been held in South Sudan's capital of Juba since October last year. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-02 02:17:44|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close RAMALLAH, July 1 (Xinhua) -- The Palestinian economy may lose more than 3.5 billion U.S. dollars annually if Israel implements its plan to annex parts of the West Bank, a senior Palestinian official said Wednesday. Mazen Ghoneim, head of the Palestinian Water Authority, told the official Palestinian television that the Palestinians will lose about 600 million cubic meters of water per year and at least 73,000 job opportunities if Israel annexes the Jordan Valley in the West Bank. "If Israel implements its annexation plan, the rate of imports will increase and the contribution of the agricultural sector in local production will decrease, and consequently, rates of unemployment will increase," said Ghoneim. He said Israel's annexation of the Jordan Valley is aimed at having a larger control of Palestinian water resources as Israel is controlling more than 85 percent of the Palestinian water resources. The Israeli government is planning to annex more than 30 percent of the West Bank and impose sovereignty on several Israeli settlements in the territory. Tension between the Palestinians and Israelis has mounted after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that his annexation plan would start in July. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-02 04:26:12|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close UNITED NATIONS, July 1 (Xinhua) -- Libyan Prime Minister Fayez Serraj has indicated his commitment to a dialogue within the 5+5 Joint Military Commission and expressed his interest in a political solution based on elections, said a UN spokesman on Wednesday. The Joint Military Commission is a mechanism of dialogue between the UN-backed government led by Serraj and the rival east-based Libyan National Army led by Gen. Khalifa Haftar. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres spoke by telephone on Wednesday with Serraj, said Stephane Dujarric, Guterres' spokesman. Guterres and Serraj discussed the need to reopen blocked oil terminals and oil fields in the country, said Dujarric. Guterres expressed his shock at the recent discovery of mass graves in Libya and stated that the United Nations was ready to assist in efforts to ensure accountability, he said. Guterres reiterated the support of the United Nations to the government of Libya in its efforts to address the COVID-19 pandemic, said the spokesman. The UN chief also talked with Gen. Haftar on the phone on Wednesday, said the spokesman. He said the phone call was at the request of Haftar. On the call between Guterres and Serraj, Dujarric refused to say who took the initiative. It was agreed that they would speak during interactions between Serraj and the secretary-general's envoy for Libya, he said. A readout of the phone call between Guterres and Haftar released later on Wednesday said they discussed the current developments in Libya. Guterres reiterated that there was no military solution to the conflict in Libya. The solution can only be political, and Libyan-owned and Libyan-led. The secretary-general reaffirmed the full commitment of the United Nations to dialogue within the 5+5 Joint Military Commission, according to the readout. Guterres expressed his shock at the recent discovery of mass graves and stressed the need for full respect of international human rights law and international humanitarian law. He indicated his commitment to help find a solution to the reopening of blocked oil terminals and oil fields in the country, according to the readout. The readout did not say what Haftar said in the phone call. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-02 04:41:14|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close TRIPOLI, July 1 (Xinhua) -- The UN-backed Libyan government said on Wednesday that a new board of directors for the state-owned General Electricity Company will be chosen, in the wake of a protest against power blackouts in the country. The company will held an extraordinary meeting on July 19 "to consider amending some clauses of the company's articles of association, before a second ordinary meeting will be held to choose a new board of directors," the UN-backed government's information office said in a statement. Earlier in the day, dozens of Libyans protested in front of the UN-backed government in the capital Tripoli against the daily power blackouts, demanding the appointment of a new board of directors for the General Electricity Company. Most Libyan cities, especially Tripoli, suffer from daily power blackouts that last more than 12 hours, especially during winter and summer. Noting the 4,500-megawatt production of power against an average consumption of 7,000 megawatts, the General Electricity Company said daily blackouts are "necessary at the present time in order to save the general power network." The company also attributed the the lack of electricity in Libya to the lack of funding for maintenance of power network and suspension of new power plants projects after the executing foreign companies fled the country over security concerns. Armed clashes over the past few years, especially recently in western Libya, have caused massive destruction to power facilities, as well as some stores of equipment and spare parts of the General Electricity Company, which are worth millions of U.S. dollars. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-02 05:33:42|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis (1st R) delivers a speech at an event on public health in Athens, Greece, on July 1, 2020. Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis expressed the government's gratitude on Wednesday to donors for their continuing support to the National Health System in the war against COVID-19, at an event here on the occasion of a new donation made by Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF). (Xinhua/Marios Lolos) ATHENS, July 1 (Xinhua) -- Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis expressed the government's gratitude on Wednesday to donors for their continuing support to the National Health System in the war against COVID-19, at an event here on the occasion of a new donation made by Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF). Greece won the first battle so far against the novel coronavirus as the state, private initiative, donors and citizens joined forces to address the challenge, but continues to strengthen its national health system welcoming more donations in order to be prepared for a possible second COVID-19 wave and other future challenges, Mitsotakis said in a speech in front of "Sotiria" hospital. "Sotiria" is one of the 15 public hospitals across Greece which will share 174 intensive care unit (ICU) beds in new units to be constructed in the next six months, according to the timetable. The donation is estimated at about 15 million euros (16.9 million U.S. dollars) and is only part of the multi-million donation the foundation will make in Greece and worldwide in the context of its Global Relief Initiative for the COVID-19 Pandemic announced in April. "I would like to thank all those who stood by the side of the National Health System providing medical supplies, equipment which will be used in ICUs, important donations which reached 90 million euros," Mitsotakis said. The Health Ministry announced in May that the Greek state received donations worth about this sum for the battle against COVID-19 from at least 865 organizations, entities, companies, and individuals, but also countries like China. The first significant load of medical supplies weighing some 18 tons arrived in Athens in March from China. They were donated by the Chinese government, enterprises and organizations. Addressing Wednesday's event, the prime minister stressed that the aid from donors was critical to fill gaps and secure the means to prevent the further spread of the virus and provide the best possible help to those infected. "We knew at the beginning of the crisis that we had a very small number of beds in ICUs," Mitsotakis said. In January, Greece had 5.5 ICU beds per 100,000 people while the European Union (EU) average is 12 ICU beds per 100,000 people, he noted. Currently, Greece has 7 ICU beds per 100,000 people and by 2021, thanks to the new donation, will reach the EU average. "(The coronavirus crisis) is an opportunity beyond the tragedy to unveil chronic shortcomings of the National Health System and correct them as soon as possible," Mitsotakis added. SNF Co-President Andreas Dracopoulos said: "The Foundation responds to the need to ease and face the impact of COVID-19." In addition to the donations for the upgrade of infrastructure, the foundation allocated 7.2 million euros for an extra bonus to 4,700 medical, nursing and cleaning staff at hospitals for their front-line services during the first battle against the virus. "A big thank you to all those who contributed to turning Greece into a global model today on how to handle this unprecedented pandemic successfully. I think that witnessing what has happened in other countries, you all have every reason to be proud because you saved many lives," Mitsotakis stressed. Greek authorities announced on Wednesday that 23 new COVID-19 cases have been registered since Tuesday nationwide, and no fatalities. Greece has now 3,432 confirmed infections, including 192 deaths, since the first case was diagnosed on Feb. 26 in the country. Nine patients were currently hospitalized in ICUs, while 119 people have been discharged from ICUs so far. (1 euro = 1.13 U.S. dollars) Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-02 05:34:03|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close SAO PAULO, July 1 (Xinhua) -- A rare bomb cyclone lashed southern Brazil, leaving at least 10 people dead and forcing more than 1,000 people to evacuate their homes, local Civil Defense authorities said on Wednesday. Nine of the deaths were reported in the state of Santa Catarina, where one person has also been reported missing. The tenth victim was in southernmost Rio Grande do Sul state bordering on neighboring Argentina and Uruguay. An atypical climate event for the region, meteorologists said the "extratropical bomb cyclone," or rapidly developing storm, originated in the Atlantic Ocean and whipped southern Brazil with winds of up to 110 kilometers per hour. The cyclone knocked out power to at least 48 towns, some 686,000 homes, in Santa Catarina. Florianopolis, the capital of Santa Catarina, and its metropolitan region were the hardest hit, registering six deaths due to landslides and mudslides. "We have never seen anything like it. We always believed we were far from the kind of phenomena we were used to seeing on television of the Caribbean," a resident of Ilhota, a community in greater Florianopolis, told local media. Strong winds and heavy rains ripped away tile roofs and sheet roofing, and uprooted electricity poles. Winds of up to 80 kilometers per hour reached as far as the southeast states of Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, the meteorological service reported. On the coast of Sao Paulo, damage to a marina caused eight boats to sink. In Curitiba, Parana state, cellphone video captured rooftops blown away by winds of over 100 kilometers per hour. The governments of Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina and Parana issued flood warnings and evacuated more than 1,000 people. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-02 05:43:09|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close JERUSALEM, July 1 (Xinhua) -- A special Israeli ministerial committee on Wednesday declared certain neighborhoods in the central city of Lod and in the coastal city of Ashdod as "restricted areas." According to a joint statement issued by the Israeli prime minister's office and the health ministry, the declaration came as a result of high morbidity rates in these neighborhoods. Such measure limits entry and exit of the restricted areas, as well as traffic and business activity there in order to maintain public health, the statement said. Residents of restricted areas may leave only for essential medical care, legal proceedings or a funeral of a first-degree family member. Earlier in the day, the Israeli health ministry reported a record 1,013 daily coronavirus cases in the country, bringing the total number to 24,257. The number of active patients rose to 8,483, the highest since April 26. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-02 05:44:50|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close UNITED NATIONS, July 1 (Xinhua) -- The Security Council on Wednesday condemned Monday's terrorist attack in Karachi, Pakistan, which resulted in several deaths. In a press statement, the members of the Security Council expressed their deepest sympathy and condolences to the families of the victims and to the government of Pakistan, and wished a speedy and full recovery to those who were injured. The council members underlined the need to bring perpetrators, organizers, financiers and sponsors of these reprehensible acts of terrorism to justice, and urged all states to cooperate actively with the government of Pakistan and all other relevant authorities in this regard. They reaffirmed that terrorism in all its forms and manifestations constitutes one of the most serious threats to international peace and security, and asked all states to combat by all means threats to international peace and security caused by terrorist acts. A group of four militants stormed the Pakistan Stock Exchange compound in the southern port city of Karachi on Monday morning, killing one police officer and three security guards deployed at the venue, and wounding at least seven people, including security personnel. All the four militants were killed in an exchange of fire. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-02 05:59:20|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close SAN FRANCISCO, July 1 (Xinhua) -- Boeing on Wednesday announced the completion of its 12th COVID-19 transport mission, using a Boeing Dreamlifter to bring personal protective equipment (PPE) to the United States. The company transported 500,000 donated protective face masks bound for students and teachers across Utah returning to classrooms this fall. The state of Utah will distribute the face masks free of charge to school districts across the state with the greatest need, the announcement said. Boeing donated the cost of the mission transport into Utah, with Atlas Air operating the flight on behalf of Boeing. "Boeing is proud to continue to use our resources to help stop the spread of COVID-19," said David Calhoun, Boeing President and CEO. "Today's delivery, our 12th COVID-19 response airlift mission, expands our support of essential workers to include teachers and their students across the state of Utah so they have the protective tools they need to safely and confidently return to their classrooms." "As students return to school this fall, it will be important that they have masks available," said Utah Governor Gary R. Herbert. "We thank Boeing and these partners for everything they've done to support our 'A Mask for Every Utahn' initiative and make it possible for our students to have these masks and help keep Utahns safe." Similar to previous airlift missions facilitated by Boeing, the Dreamlifter - a converted Boeing 747-400 Large Cargo Freighter - flew the mission with the face masks stored in the lower lobe of the airplane. Following the delivery in Salt Lake City, the Dreamlifter will return to its home base in North Charleston, South Carolina, for a 787 components delivery in support of the global aerospace supply chain. To date, Boeing has helped transport more than 4 million units of PPE since its first COVID-19 transport mission from China on April 18, according to the company. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-02 06:04:04|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close RABAT, July 1 (Xinhua) -- Chinese technology firm Huawei and the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) on Wednesday agreed to boost cooperation in the fields of education and artificial intelligence. During a meeting between Deputy General Director of Huawei in Morocco Zhu Yuan and Director General of ICESCO Salem Ben Mohamed Al-Malik, cooperation in the research related to technology was also discussed, the Rabat-based organization said in a statement. Zhu praised the ICESCO's work to support efforts to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, noting Huawei attaches great importance to its social responsibility and has provided assistance to local communities in the countries where Huawei operates. Huawei is very focused on granting scholarships to students from these countries to continue their studies in the field of technology in China, he said. For his part, Al-Malik said ICESCO adopted a new vision to opening up to countries that are not members of the organization, international and regional organizations and institutions of civil society. ICESCO has launched many important initiatives and programs to support efforts to counter the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, including the 200,000-U.S.-dollar ICESCO Coronavirus Award for researchers who discover an effective treatment or vaccine against the virus, he noted. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-02 06:45:24|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Photo taken on March 10, 2020 shows the visitors' entrance to the United Nations headquarters in New York. (Xinhua/Wang Jiangang) Resolution 2532 calls on all parties to armed conflicts to engage immediately in a durable humanitarian pause for at least 90 consecutive days amid the COVID-19 pandemic. UNITED NATIONS, July 1 (Xinhua) -- The Security Council on Wednesday adopted a resolution on COVID-19, demanding a general and immediate cessation of hostilities in all situations on its agenda. Resolution 2532, which won the unanimous support of the 15 members of the council, calls on all parties to armed conflicts to engage immediately in a durable humanitarian pause for at least 90 consecutive days, in order to enable the safe, unhindered and sustained delivery of humanitarian assistance, provisions of related services by impartial humanitarian actors, and medical evacuations. It affirms that this general and immediate cessation of hostilities and this humanitarian pause do not apply to military operations against the Islamic State (IS), Al-Qaida and Al-Nusra Front, and all other individuals, groups, undertakings and entities associated with Al-Qaida or the IS, and other Security Council-designated terrorist groups. The resolution requests the UN secretary-general to help ensure that all relevant parts of the UN system accelerate their response to the COVID-19 pandemic with a particular emphasis on countries in need, including those in situations of armed conflict or affected by humanitarian crises. It requests the secretary-general to instruct peacekeeping operations to provide support, within their mandates and capacities, to host country authorities in their efforts to contain the pandemic. It requests the secretary-general and UN member states to take all appropriate steps to protect the safety, security and health of all UN personnel in UN peace operations, while maintaining the continuity of operations. It acknowledges the critical role that women are playing in COVID-19 response efforts, as well as the disproportionate negative impact of the pandemic, notably the socio-economic impact, on women and girls, children, refugees, internally displaced persons, older persons and persons with disabilities. It calls for concrete action to minimize this impact and ensure the full, equal and meaningful participation of women and youth in the development and implementation of an adequate and sustainable response to the pandemic.